On TM Mantras
The Mantras used in TM are some of the most fundamental vibrations of Natural Law
By Dr. Evan Finkelstein
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Dr. Finkelstein is professor of Comparative Religion and Maharishi Vedic Science at Maharishi University of Management. He has written articles that identify the common ground inherent in many of the ancient wisdom traditions. He has taught numerous courses on the universal principles that can be located in Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
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The Mantras used in the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) come from the ancient Vedic Tradition of India. The main purpose of a Mantra used in TM is to effortlessly bring the mind within to the source of all thought, the state of pure Being or pure consciousness. Research has shown that this experience enlivens the full potential of the brain and significantly improves overall health and well-being.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi explains that the Mantra is a vehicle for the inward move of the mind and that it is a word that is used for its sound value only. Any word, whether said out loud or thought in the mind, has a sound value, but it could also have a meaning associated with it. For example, the word rose has both a meaning and a sound value.
In the practice of TM, it is important that the Mantra (word) used is not associated with any meaning. The reason for this is that the meaning of any word will keep the mind held up only on the conceptual or intellectual level of the word and will not allow the mind to transcend to its own infinite source. It is the sound value of the Mantra, the vibration of it that can enable the mind to fully transcend to its own unlimited source in pure Being. This state of pure Being or pure consciousness is also referred to by Maharishi, as the unbounded field of Creative Intelligence and the Total Potential of Natural Law.
There are people who mistakenly claim that the Mantras used in TM are the names of Hindu gods or Devata (in Sanskrit). This is a misunderstanding. It is important to note that in the context of Maharishi’s teachings, what is commonly referred to as Hindu gods or Devata, are, in fact, only the laws of nature: Maharishi defines Devata as, “The laws of nature that administer the entire universe and maintain it in perfect order. They are the impulses of Creative Intelligence responsible for the creation, maintenance, and evolution of everything in the universe; they are the creative powers of cosmic dimension, permeating the whole creation.”
Maharishi has also explained that the word Devata has been very wrongly translated and misinterpreted as “gods.” He plainly said, “It is wrong to interpret Devata in terms of gods.” Consequently, those who say that the Mantras used in TM are the names of Hindu gods are making claims that are inaccurate. So, what actually are the TM Mantras?
The Mantras used in TM are some of the most fundamental, natural vibrations or sounds produced by the dynamism of the unbounded field of pure Being, the pure field of Creative Intelligence, which is the ultimate source of the mind and the universe. That’s what they are. The reason we use these sounds in TM is because these sounds are known, by ancient tradition, to be completely natural and to have only life-supporting and evolutionary affects for the meditators and their environment. How can this be validated?
There are mainly two ways this claim can be confirmed: firstly, the reported personal experiences of increased energy, creativity, intelligence, moral integrity, self-confidence, enhanced professional and personal success, improved health and better social relations reported by many thousands of TM practitioners from almost every culture, race and religion in the world for over the last 53 years.1 And, secondly, the objective research documented in the over 600 scientific studies conducted at more than 200 universities and independent research institutions in 30 countries that have confirmed the profound and wide-ranging benefits of the TM program for mind, body, behavior and environment.2
It is clear that TM is a very natural, effective, and universal technique that can be used by any individual, community, or nation to help actualize life’s unlimited potential for all good to everyone.
Footnotes:
1. For example, please see Letters from Religious Leaders on the Transcendental Meditation Program.
2. Please see Summary of Scientific Research on Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation and Transcendental Meditation Sidhi programs.
