Appendix A.6. How To Recite Mantras

Many students have asked me how mantras should be recited during meditational practices. Should the mantras be read aloud or silently? Are mantras accompanied by Madras? If so, how is this done?

My reply is that the emphasis of Tantric practice is on visualization - mantra recitation - entering samadhi [deep meditation]. In other words, there is first visualization, followed by mantra recitation, and then by entering into samadhi.

Mudra is required during visualization. During mantra recitation, there is no need to perform Madras; one can count the prayer beads as one recites the mantras. During samadhi, one can hold the meditation tundra to which one is accustomed.

There are five ways to recite mantras:

1. The Lotus Way - Audible, but very low in volume, like a light breeze softly blowing.

2. The Vajra Way - Inaudible, with the lips closed while only the tongue is slightly moving.

3. The Samadhi Way - First visualize one's heart turn into a Moon Disc (inside one's body), and written on the Moon Disc are the mantra syllables. Mentally recite the mantra, syllable by syllable; that is, think of the sound of the mantra in one's mind.

4. The Conch Way - First visualize one's heart transform into a lotus, then visualize a white conch appear on the lotus, and the wonderful sound of the mantra emitting from the conch's mouth.

5. The Luminous Way - First visualize one's own mouth emitting limitless bright light and, amid the bright light, syllable after syllable of mantra is flying out.

In general, people believe that reciting the mantras aloud can harm the flow of vital energy; however, I think mantras can still be read aloud as long as they are not yelled out. The proper way of reciting aloud is to speak so the ears hear the sound and the mind registers the sound. One advantage of audible recitation is that it helps one's mind maintain concentration.

There is also the suggestion that, when one starts to recite, one should recite the first several mantra audibly, then lower one's volume to barely audible during the middle portion and, finally, switch over to silent recitation (mental recitation) during the last part.

This is also a very good method, as it covers all three bases.

During group practices, in order to achieve a unison of sound, the audible recitation should be enunciated clearly, neither too slow nor too fast, and neither too high nor too low.

There is also the Thousand Revolving Wheels Method which I shall outline in detail below:

A Tantric practitioner first holds the prayer beads by the mother bead in his right hand and wraps it three times around the four fingers of his left hand (excluding the thumb).

[Some people wrap around four or five times.]

Transfer the three (or more) rounds of prayer beads to the four fingers of the right hand.

Immediately form the Lotus Mudra with both hands and hold the prayer beads above one's head.

Recite the mantra: "Om, na-mo, si-fa-ha" seven times.

Then recite: "Om huai-lujia-na, mo-la, si-fa-ha" seven times.

Next recite the Thousand Revolving Wheels Mantra:"Om faji-la, gu-ha-ya, ga-ba, sa-ma-ya, hum" - also seven times.

After the mantras, move one's fingers once down the prayer beads from beginning to end, and the mantra will transform into one thousand times.

In principle, while reciting the Thousand Revolving Wheels Mantra, one can also visualize one's body multiply into one row or numerous rows, and transform from one thousand people into ten thousand people. This way, a thousand recitations are turned into tens of thousands of recitations.

Ever since I first wrote about this Thousand Revolving Wheels Mantra method, I have had many inquiries regarding it. I have no choice but to reveal it openly. But still, my opinion is that, regardless of which practice one chooses, the important thing is that one has to actually practice it. To engage in an honest actual practice is better than resorting to tricks. Though tricks are sometimes short cuts that have their own merits, I still believe that an honest, actual practice is surer and safer. We should not ask to receive quick responses because an honest, actual practice is more stable and has less of a chance of producing mistakes. The Tantric practice is already a short cut in itself. Is it not then a mistake to want to have an even shorter cut?

In the fable of the tortoise and the hare, many people want to become the hare; I, however, just admire the tortoise.

Furthermore, nowadays many people have translated Sanskrit mantras into their own meanings. In a way they are trying to explain the meanings behind the mantras, which is an effort I personally admire. However, mantras are one of the things which should never be translated because a literal translation will put limitations on its original meanings. When it is not translated, its meanings are profound, expansive and powerful. Once it is translated, it gives one the impression that that is all there is to it. So the merit of reciting a mantra in its Chinese translation is, of course, not the same as reciting the mantra in its original form.

There are also some people who are extremely foolish in thinking that their own pronunciations are the only correct ones. One of my students, travelling in the Indian Himalayas, discovered that that region contains up to a hundred different dialects and, therefore, a hundred different ways of pronouncing the same mantra. The residents all think that their own manner of pronunciation is correct and that the others are wrong. Actually even linguists cannot keep them straight. The same situation arises in Mainland China where there also is no uniformity in the many different dialects.

Ancient Sanskrit is also different from modern Sanskrit. It is of course marvelous if one is able to learn the proper ancient Sanskrit sound. Otherwise, one should follow the mantra sound transmitted to one as empowered by one's own guru. These are the two great principles in learning mantras.

Here is one story:

There was a foolish old man who became a monk in a Tantric temple. His memory was very poor and he was not able to learn and memorize any mantras at all. Having been born that way, he was just extremely ungifted.

He would recite the first syllable, then forget the second syllable. Reciting the second syllable, he would forget the first. The people in the temple all laughed at him.

He then approached the abbot, begging to be taught. The abbot spent a long time trying to teach him, but this old man still could not remember. Finally the abbot got mad and said, "Ah, stupid!" Unexpectedly, this foolish old monk, though unable to memorize any other words, was able to remember these words, "Ah, stupid!" So he started to recite these words. He recited "Ah, stupid" from morning till night calmly and good - humoredly for many years. And no one told him the truth.

Reciting "Ah, stupid" over time, this old man actually achieved Realization and Enlightenment. After cremation, his remains were found to be full of sariras¹. This sent a shock throughout the whole temple.

The abbot gave the following explanation of the old monk's Enlightenment:

First of all, the exclamation "Ah" pronounces the same as the seed syllable "ah", which is the Universal Seed Syllable of all Buddhas, the supreme great Light of Tantric mantras. There is a stanza on the importance of "ah":

On the Eight Petal Lotus,

An "ah" radiating in white light,

The vajrayana pathway integrating Zen and Wisdom,

Leading us towards the nirvana wisdom of the Buddha.

Why, in the Pure Land Sect, one can attain Buddhahood by simply reciting Amitabha's epithet? It is because the first vowel of Amitabha is "ah," the great one word mantra. Therefore "Amitabha" is also the greatest of all mantras.

Secondly, a true guru's words are mantras and his speeches are a kind of empowerment. A true guru's words are like words of the Buddhas and have their power. Being a guru, that abbot's words "ah, stupid" were powerful and equivalent to an empowered mantra. The foolish old man, though ungifted, was extremely diligent and confident in his guru and he recited those words incessantly. Though he did not understand the true meaning of "stupid," in a way he was scolding himself and, therefore, over time eliminating his negative karma. This was like having the guru empowering him with the greatest hindrance removal mantra. Some people consider that being slandered by others is a means of eliminating one's own negative karma. If so it would be even more effective if the slanderer happened to be one's own Tantric guru! When one's guru scolds one, he is actually eliminating one's negative karma!

One should respect and rely on the true mantra transmitted by one's guru. The cultivation of mantra recitation over a long period of time will definitely lead to achievements in the guru's siddhi.

This foolish old man was actually able to attain great accomplishments in his cultivation by calmly reciting "Ah, stupid!" This shows that mantras need no explanation and it is not necessary to get hung up on the correct pronunciation. As long as they are mantras empowered by the guru, then the mantras have power.

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