Week 4: Living a Meditative Life

Week 4: Living a Meditative Life

Self-mastery
And God-discovery
Are the only two things
That each human being on earth
Must take seriously.
Everything else
Can be taken lightly.
- Sri Chinmoy

Goals

In this fourth and final week you will:

• Learn how the power of mantra can help your meditation.

• Learn how the power of words can improve the quality of your life.

The Power of Words

You’ve come a long way in the last three weeks. We hope by now you are feel-ing more comfortable with meditation. This week you will be continuing all of your exercises from Week 3, plus you’ll be adding one more important technique: mantra.

Simply put, mantra is the repetition of a word or a phrase. Traditionally, mantras are specific words or phrases that invoke or embody some spiritual power. In a broader sense, any word or phrase that you use on a habitual basis is a kind of mantra. In either case, the power of mantra comes from repetition and from the qualities of the words themselves. Therefore the effect of the mantra on your consciousness depends on how often you repeat the mantra and the words you use. If you use positive, spiritual, uplifting words, your life will be positively affected. If you use negative words, your life will be negatively affected.

This week you’ll be trying a few traditional mantras during your meditation, using spiritual words that contain tremendous power. But you need not limit your use of mantra to meditation. Mantras can be used any time you need them. For example, if you are feeling stressed out and you are in a situation where you can’t meditate, you can always silently chant a mantra.

If you make a mistake
In spite of your best intentions,
Remember this mantra:
“The past is dust.”
- Sri Chinmoy