Mantra question

[robinsos]

tykraus7,

I understand your frustration. With the echo analogy, the echo is something physically heard. It's hard to listen for mantra because in reality you still have to think it in order to hear it. Maybe it's something that will come with practice?

[bondzai]

traditionally mantra is repeated on the inbreath and also on the outbreath. I find for me the outbreath is more important because that is when person normally talks and it is enough for me to just do the outbreath. Once on the inbreath and once on the outbreath or if thats too much, once on the outbreath.

[GilesC]

Originally Posted by bondzai

traditionally mantra is repeated on the inbreath and also on the outbreath. I find for me the outbreath is more important because that is when person normally talks and it is enough for me to just do the outbreath. Once on the inbreath and once on the outbreath or if thats too much, once on the outbreath.

Though that does depend on the tradition.
In TM and similar teachings, it's not related to the breath at all, as the focus is not intended to be placed on the breath.

[bondzai]

Yeah I learned in Siddha Yoga so we used the breath for meditation but not necessarily for Japa which could be while standing around etc... not as deep. Then of course there is 'chanting'. All of these are similar and use mantra but for meditation we were encouraged to use the breath.

If you chant, then you have to breath out while you chant and it is basically chanting.

[RickiPaddon]

This has helped a bunch, thankyou. I was confused as well regarding mantra's and how to use them correctly.