METHODS OF MANTRA MEDITATION
Compared to many other meditation methods, mantra meditation is one of the easiest to help us keep our focus and concentration. A mantra is a word or statement of homage, dedication, affirmation, or it can simply be a sound. It doesn’t have to be some sacred or religious utterance. In meditation, it is used to aid concentration during meditation.
Different schools and traditions of Buddhism use mantras for various reasons, but in Mahayana Buddhism, some of the most popular mantras used are the Six-Syllable mantra (see “Prayers and Mantras” in the Introduction section above), or names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
A mantra doesn’t have to be religious or spiritual for it to be a “mantra” or used in your meditation. The mantra is just another tool for you to be able to use to help you with your concentration. If you don’t want to recite a spiritual mantra, then you can use any word or phrase as your mantra. We can simply recite “Car, car, car, car, car,” or “stay focused, stay focused, stay focused, stay focused.” You can say whatever you want as your mantra. The power isn’t in the word or sounds themselves. They are just tools for you to help give you something to focus on and keep your concentration strong on just that one thing.
The mantra meditation we will practice is a combination of walking and sitting meditation. We begin by doing walking meditation while reciting one of the Buddha’s names: Amitabha. We will start out with normal, slow walking meditation and reciting each syllable of Amitabha for each step we take. After about 5-10 minutes, we will sit down and continue to recite Amitabha. Once settled in, we will increase the speed of recitation. After each ring of the bell, we will increase the speed. The speed is increased up to five times, then the speed decreases until we completely stop. After we stop, we will notice our body almost vibrating. Our breathing will be slow and steady. We will feel a sense of calm in body and mind. This is a great way to start a longer meditation session. Sit for a few minutes and enjoy the calmness.