The Healing Power of Prayer, Mantra and Meditation

Transcription

1 The Healing Power of Prayer, Mantra and Meditation Exploring the meanings of Prayer, mantra and meditation: The relation created by indivudla sbetween themselves and an abstract force is termed as prayer. There ar numerous reasons behind people s believing in the method of prayer. The first would be to fulfill their needs and desires and second would be to protect their near and dear one s from all kinds of harm in the present and future. According to Wayne Grudem, prayer is personal communication with God 1. Therefore, prayer can be conceived as a reality by which indivudlas try to establish a connection with the abstract forces of nature. There are various kinds of prayer that is followed by the people in the society for the benefit of the social whole. Types of prayer, varies from one culture to another. Few consider prayer to take the shape of a song or dance. While many others, consider the mdioum of prayer to be silent. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, prayer is defined as an address (as a petition) to God in words or thought. It is also explained as a set order of words used specifically during praying (Prayer, 2010). On the other hand, Larry Dossey also provided an astute approach on the definition of prayer, If prayer has its roots in the unconscious,...a complete definition of prayer can never be given (1993, p.6). Different religions have different words and ways by which the followers can connect with their God. Buddhism doesn't promote the believe in any personal God among its followers but it holds prayer as a prime component which the followers must practice in order to heal themselves from their distressing situations. Meditation is such a practice among the human beings which brings calmness and serenity among the people. It increases the concentration level of the people and helps them to have focus in their life. It is one form of brain exercise which enhances the intellectual and memory capacity of an individual. Meditation has derived from the Latin meditari, which means to engage in contemplation or reflection 2. Manocha (2000), opined that meditation is such an activity that engages the people into a definite state of environment. It provides them with discrete feelings. It increases the level of alertness while reducing the activities into which the human being s minds stay engrossed. Walsh and Shapiro (2006) defined meditation from cognitive and psychological perspective, as a family of self-regulation practices that aim to bring mental processes under voluntary control through focusing attention and awareness (Cited, Hussain and Bhusan, 2010). Mantras, on the other hand, are known as the words which act as a medium to pray to a supernatural and abstract force which are believed to have transcendental power. The word "mantra" is derived from two Sanskrit words. The first is "manas" or "mind,". This provides the "man" syllable 3. The second syllable is drawn from the Sanskrit word "trai" which means to "protect" or to be "free 1 Source: 2 Source: 3 Source:

2 from." 4 Therefore, the word mantra in its most literal sense means "to free from the mind." In the words penned down by a famous organisation Oshum karam Mantras are energy-based sounds. A mantra can be identified as a sound, a word or a group of words. Mantras differ from one another based on the philosophy they are associated with. Scholars have noted that mantras possess the vital power of transformation of human nature 5. Mantra is such a word or phrase which is repeated by the people during meditation. Mantras are considered to be sacred in nature and is uttered when people meditates during their stipulated time. Investigating prayer as a complementary therapy: A famous quotation goes as Everyone prays in their own language, and there is no language that God does not understand 6 Duke Ellington Prayer involves numerous benefits due to which it acts as a therapy among the people. The benefits of prayer are as follows It reduces stress and anxiety among the people It promotes a positive outlook and helps to develop a stronger personality among the people. It instills confidence among the people Prayer makes man fearless. People gains the confidence to strive hard and achieve his goal by going at all length. It relaxes the people from within. Therefore, prayer acts such a medium by which people can be healed from their times of distress. One study by William et al tried to settle on the effect of prayer on outcomes in patients admitted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU). 990 patients were admitted in the CCU. While their admission process, patients were associated with a prayer group (which was organized by the researchers. The prayer group prayed for the wellbeing and quick healing of the patients. The admitted patients themselves were unaware that a prayer group was praying for them. The medical results of the CCU course score was much lower for the patients for whom prayers were conducted. Therefore, it can be predicted that prayer indeed has the power to have an effective medical care. Various research proves the fact that prayer acts as a complementary therapy. 4 Source: N47%20Wha t%20and%20why%20mantra%20hold%20vibrations.pdf 5 Source: 6 Source:

3 The healing power of mantra: Mantras are referred by many as energy based sounds which produces such physical vibrations and produces consequent energy waves within one s body. It enhances one s subconscious level which leads to clarity of mind and thought. The powerful sounds of mantra create energy within the human body which helps him/her to heal faster from any pathology. The ancient Vedic literature opined that the first cosmic sound which created the whole universe was AUM. Within the breath of the people there is a supersonic vibration known as the maha mantra and the agape mantra. Research has clarified that the human body is healed by uttering mantras. In Hinduism, there are various mantras which are believed to heal the people out of their disorders. For example (Lad, 2007) For healing the body, mind and spirit, one must utter: Aum ashwini kumar ya namah To heal hysteria, headaches as well as depression: Aum um um devyai namah To heal or prevent cancer from taking place: Aum chim chitraghant bhy m namah Thus, not only Hinduism but all the religions have their own specific mantras which can provide healing to the people. Different Religious Mantras and Healing: There are different religions in the world. Different culture involves different mantras achieve healing. In Sikhism, the mantra which is used for the healing of the people is Ek ongkaar, satnam, karta puruk, nirbhoo, nirvair, akaal moorat ajonee saibhang gurparsad. Jab aad sach, jugaad sach hai bhee sach, nanak hosee bhee sach 7 The mantra is expected to be recited for 11mins a day in order to get rid from fear and to bring serenity to the soul of an individual. In Islam, the different mantras for its followers are ALLAHU AKBAR God is Great8 BISMILLAH Al-RAHMAN, Al-RAHIM in the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful YA-RAHMAN God, the Beneficent YA-SALAAM The Source of Peace YA-MUTAKABIR God, the Majestic YA-GHAFFAR God, the Forgiver 7 Source: 8 Source:

4 YA-FATTAH God, the Opener YA-HAFIZ God, the Preserver YA-SABUR God, the Patient In Buddhism, the prime mantra which every Buddhist are expected to utter to promote consciousness and clarity of mind is Om Mani Padme Hum This mantra in Buddhism purifies one s soul and promotes bliss within one s self. It helps man to focus in their life and act accordingly. In Christianity, the mantra that is followed is like YESU CHRISTU OM YESU CHRISTU - "Om, Jesus Christ LORD JESUS CHRIST HAIL MARY GOSPODI POMILUI- "Lord, have mercy It means, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. The followers are reported to be healed from within by uttering these mantras in their day to day lives. In Hinduism, the gayatri mantra is the most powerful mantra of all Aum bhoor, bhuwah swaha, tat savitur varenyam, bhargo devasaya deemahi, diyo yo naha prachodayat Thus, mantras have healing elements as each increases the energy level of the people thereby helping them to heal fast. It creates a peaceful connection of the mid-body-spirit. It eradicates all the unpleasant thoughts and creates positive energies along with positive thoughts for a better life ahead.

5 Importance of mantra in the Vedic Scriptures: The use of mantras is one of the prime section in the Vedic literatures. It is believed that it is useless to chant a mantra by knowing its meaning in mind. 9 The entire human body has various organs and each organ is associated with a specific mantra. According to the Vedic literature, one can attain the full benefit of the mantra therapy by following a sattvic diet, vegetarian food, talking less, having a positive outlook and maintaining a sacred life. Types of prayer: There are different types of prayer which an individual follows. Different situations many a times compel an individual to be involves with different types of prayers. A list of varied types of prayer are as follows Prayer of Faith: Life of a human being is versatile in nature. It is mixed with numerous emotions, such as feelings, hope, happiness, sadness, depression and so on. Prayer of faith is one way by which in case of any problem people can have trust in better outcome in the future. God is personified as superpower and thus, people seek for solution during murky times through the means of prayer. Prayer of Petition: Petition are ways by which people places their demands and requests God to fulfill them for their wellbeing. These are considred to be simple requests and wishes of the people for a better future ahead in life. Prayer of Forgiveness: Realisation of any fault done by anyone leads the guilty seek for forgiveness. Forgivenss is one way of encouraging people so that they do not repeat the mistake in the near future. Among the Christians, the Confession Room acts as the place where people seek for forgiveness for any mistake they have committed. 9 Image Source: Lad, 2007

6 Prayer of Supplication: Supplication is one form of entreaty which is undertaken by the people in the society through the means of prayer for the fullfillmesnt of their dreams and desires. When petitions doesn't work out people go in for prayer of supplication. Prayer of Committal: Life is a humdrum affair. Difficult times are bound to come in any individual s life because life is not a bed of roses. Thus, when difficult period ushers into one s life, then they go in for prayer of committal. It is a belivef placed upon God that he will eradicate the difficult phase of life and will re-establish happiness and peace. Therefore, these are the various types of healing present in the society which are followed by the people at large. People prays regularly not by keeping in mind the benefits that they can incur out of it but to meditate and bring peace and serenity in life. Exploring the concept of mantra yoga: Mantras which are mentally recited (known as japa) are known as mantra yoga. It means that the mantras acts as an exercise to the brain of the human beings. Japa refers to the repetition of a mantra in the minds of an individual. The count of the mantra is mainly done with the help of strands of bead or a mala. Japa cures an individual from the attitudes of pride, fear, arrogance, jealousy as well as confusion. It creates balance in the three doshas present in the body of a human being, i.e. the data, kappa and the pitta. According to Patanjali, there are mainly 14 kinds of japa, they are Daily (nitya) Circumstantial (naimittika) The japa of desired result (kamya) Forbidden (nishiddha) Penitential (prayashchitta) Unmoving (achala) Moving (chala) Voiced (vachika) Whispered (upanshu) Murmured (bhramara) Mental (manasa) Uninterrupted (akhanda) Non-uttered (ajapa) Circumambulatory (pradakshina) Therefore, these are the 14 types of japa which leads to mental yoga among the people. It creates a sense of concentration and a power within the individual; this is the concept of mantra yoga. Healing through prayer, meditation and rituals: Prayer, meditation as well as its associated rituals together acts as a source of healing among the human beings. The benefits of prayer and meditation are so wide that empirical research too proves that human beings can benefit from them. Citing Leonard and Carlson would be appropriate to note how prayer, meditation along with rituals help to heal the individuals in the society

7 Whether a person has long-standing spiritual beliefs or is exploring spiritual issues for the first time, spiritual practices like prayer, meditation, and rituals can help one cope with declining health and end of life in many ways. They can allow a person to: express pain, grief, anger, isolation, and need; relieve pain, fear, sadness, and guilt; find comfort and consolation; commune with your soul; connect with others; experience mystery, power, and divine presence in the universe; celebrate achievements; mark changes; mourn losses; connect with your past; find inner strength; draw on the strength of others; create order in chaos; find acceptance and peace 10 Therefore, religion and its associated activities like meditation, prayer, rituals do provide healing among the people. It helps them to be focussed in life and concentrate for a better future. Conclusion: Therefore, it can be claimed (keeping the various research studies in mind) that healing among the individuals are promoted with the help of prayer, mantra and meditation. The three dimensions are a chained up concept; each concept is interlinked and interdependent on the others that is, while doing prayer an individual uses mantras and while doing prayer the mind of the human beings solely concentrates on the mantras and thus they inevitably meditate while praying. Thus, praying is linked with use of mantras and these two leads people to meditate. Various re- 10 Source:

8 search indicates that prayer, use of mantra and meditation involves a connection in one s wellbeing. References: Prayer Retrieved from: Dossey, Larry Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco. Manocha R (2000). Why meditation. Australian Family Physician, 29, Walsh R & Shapiro SL (2006). The meeting of meditative disciplines and Western psychology: a mutually enriching dialogue. American Psychologist, 61, Hussain, D & Bhusan, B., Psychology of Meditation and Health: Present Status and Future Directions, International Jiurnal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, pp , 2010, 10, 3. Lad, V., The Healing Power of Mantra, Ayurveda Today, Volume XX, Number 3, Winter 2007.