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IPS Features
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Tom Robbins is
such a clever thinker and writer. In his Still
Life of the Woodpecker the
main character says, "There are only two mantras in life. One is
'yum' and the other is 'yuk.' I prefer 'yum.'" This led me into
some thoughts about mantras. As you probably know, mantras are words
meditators use to induce and deepen meditation. In transcendental
meditation, the teacher gives you a personal mantra as your instruction
is completed. I would say the TM course may be worth the cost to a
person who wants to learn how to meditate but it is not necessary for
anyone to give you your mantras. You can find them yourself. In my opinion,
the mantras you spin out of your own life are the most effective. And I
agree with Robbins that "yum" is a mighty strong one if it
resonates with your innards. Your most
effective mantras are the word diamonds you chisel out of your own
internal diamond mine. We all have one and need to stay in touch with
it. As we live our life certain words take on sweet and powerful
meanings to us and those are our best mantras. Those are our diamonds. Indian Love
Letters was a powerful
book that came into my life and stuck to my ribs. In it, a
Hopi Indian and a female Christian missionary to the Hopis fell in love.
The book was the letters he wrote to her about his own Hopi spiritual
path and how it compared to the Christian path she was trying to
convince him to adopt. One of my best life
mantras came out of that book. He told her she was his "lolomi,"
and in Hopi language that meant "all that is too lovely to describe
in words." As I see sunrises and sunsets and flowers and people and
ideas that enthrall me, I often think, "That is 'lolomi.'" We use mantras all the time without
thinking but there is no reason we cannot train ourselves to think and
savor them. For most us who had great mothers, the word
"mother" is a potent mantra. So when you say
"mother," stop and deeply savor what a precious soul she was
to you. It will induce a moment of meditation and moments of meditation
are the most important meditations we do. Sometimes a name
can be a mantra. For me, one name mantra is "Hubert." He was
an old illiterate Baptist preacher who befriended me in my teens and
made a major difference in my life. I wrote a chapter on him in my book,
Things That Really
Matter. He was a
homely guy but when I think of that sweet old homely face, my soul
soars. For Christians,
"Jesus" is a mantra that elevates the consciousness. One of my
favorite old songs goes, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I
know, fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go." One of the most
effective spiritual tools we can possess is a tiny little book we keep
handy containing the words and names that elevate our
consciousness. Just put one on a page. Open it at random at times when
you need a shot of spiritual juice. Roll the mantra around on the tip of
your spiritual tongue and taste all it's sweetness and power. Awareness of the
power of mantras and locating your own can enrich your life as much as
any other spiritual practive you will ever find. My writings are
gathered at www.ipsfeatures.com.
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