What are Zikrs / Mantras?
First of all – Zikr & Mantra are the same thing. Zikr usually refers to Sufis (or Muslims) and the word Mantra refers to Buddhism Jainism, Hinduism etc. A Z/M is a repeated sound, name or series of words.
One purpose is to help the person hold their concentration during meditation. Another purpose is to express the meaning of the particular words of the Z/M as a personal prayer for connecting or mechanism of alignment within yourself, or both.
There is a tradition of having a Guru or Sheikh giving you your own secret Z/M that is only for you. In this case the repetition of the Z/M works as a key that – step by step – unlocks your personality patter and opens your connection to spirit. If you look up either word on Wikipedia you will get a lot of interesting background and a few examples.
Many Z/M use a divine name. Some would say Z/Ms have a power or energy because of the repeated use over millennia. Some would say there is a power and uniqueness and effect because of the sound. Perhaps they all have a point and it is the mixture of all of this that give Z/Ms a spiritual power and beauty of their own.
It is interesting to note: the Chinese and Japanese words for ‘mantra’ means ‘True Words’.
How can I use Z/Ms?
I am including this Menu Point about Z/M because it is my experience that many people have a difficult time – on and off – holding their concentration in pray/med. I have found that Z/Ms:
- help me hold concentration
- when focussing with my heart open, the Z/M becomes a prayer that works to open the heart deeper
- it also helps the heart co-ordinate the organic opening of other chakras or subtle energy points (of which there are 7 main ones). In part, this happens because my ‘head’ and ‘personality drama’ is out of the way – a bit.
- it helps me open the door to the Teacher(s) and keeps me directed to the Divine….
and therefore, know they can be very useful. They can be used on their own; or, you can use a Mala, a Rosary or a Tasbih and say the Zikr/ Mantra with each bead. As mentioned, when you make a point to open the heart while saying the Z/M, all four points above tend to be strengthened.
Which Z/M would be good for me?
Some important points about using (or not using) Z/Ms:
- You don’t have to use one, or you can use them on and off, as you chose. In any of the pray/meds formats that have been listed, you can feel free to integrate a Z/M that suits. Please note, it may take you a while to integrate all these things.
- Unless a teacher/ sheikh/ guru etc. has given you a secret personal Z/M; then experiment to find something that suits you. Maybe there will be more than one; for different moments.
- I think it is important, here, that I remind you that the Baba(s) have no requirement of you belonging to any given religion or path. Therefore, the use of any Z/M that suits you is fine with them.
- You will see that I have made a menu point of the 99 Names of God often used by Sufis. In the introduction to the 99 Names of the Allah, you will also see that most of the Names come from a Judaic root. So, in the introduction to the Names, I explain how they can be used for people of a Christian or Jewish tradition as well as anyone else.
I personally concentrate on the Zikrs that are associated with these 99 Names. This is my personal preference. However, I have used many types of mantras over the years. I will name just a few but there are so many. Use the internet and you will find Mantras and their meanings. Try Wikipedia first and go from there.
A few Mantras that I have used, and a few others:
- The first mantras I was introduced to was in the Catholic Church. Some mantras are/was used in the Mass, some by monks or nuns in retreat and prayer. Some are from the Coptic and other Christian Churches. Here are a few:
- Kyrie eleison – Lord, have mercy
- Dominus nobiscum – Lord, be with us
- Audi nos Kyrie (or Domine) – Lord, hear us
- In Deo solum, speramus – In God alone, we trust
- In Deo solum, et habentes fiducium – In God alone, we take refuge
- Creaturae amor; dabo vobis cor Dei – Love creation; give your heart to God.
- Om, Om, Om Om means ‘one reality’ but vibrationally it carries much more and the sound should be drawn out. There are artists on Youtube that will give you a good idea of how this sounds. It can be used out loud or silently.
- Om Nama Om ‘Reality of the Name, that is God’ (-regardless of what name).
- Om Nama Shiva (3rd aspect of Hindu concept of the Divine)
- As you are probably aware, Buddhist use a number of Mantras for purification and prayer. These can be found by doing a google search.*
- A Sikh Mantra is ‘Wahe’guru’ – referring to there is One God.
- It’s worth mentioning that Hatha Yoga uses specific sounds and postures to focus on each chakra for energising and cleaning.
Perhaps the ultimate of all Zikrs & Mantras:
There are so many more. What is important is why you are using them. Does it suit you? Does it help you focus? Does it help you open your heart? Will you make the Z/M the main focus of your pray/med or will it be a tool to help stay focussed? These are questions only your experimentation and time can answer.
Please don’t get caught into thinking Z/M’s are the be all and end all. There are many ways to pray and meditate. Z/M have their place and for some, a central place.
The most penetrating and all-inclusive Zikr /Mantra that I know can be used in the background of any Z/M or can be used on its own – and it’s a very quiet secret. It must be practiced and allowed to sneak up on you little by little. It has 3 steps. The first activates the second; and the second allows the 3rd to develop:
Move towards quietness
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Relax as if you are treading water with the Quietness;
beginning to dissolve in the quietness.
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Gently & kindly & heartfully – you are ‘in’ and ‘with ‘the Quietness.
*One particularly beautiful mantra (in my opinion) is the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra. A beautiful version of it is listed on Youtube and is claimed to be sung by the Dalai Lama but this information was false. It was someone with a very similar voice. Beautiful, none the less.