Meditations offered

Navakṣara mantra : nine-syllable mantra

Mantra recitals take place in the main chapel of the Centre six times per week:

 

 

  • Tuesdays from 7pm to 8pm
  • Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11:30 and 17:00 to 18:00
  • Fridays from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm
  • Saturdays from 10:30 to 11:30
  • Sundays from 10:30 to 11:30 am

 

Navakṣara mantra :

oṁ aiṁ aiṁ hrīṁ hrīṁ klīṁ cāmuṇḍayai vicce

This mantra helps us connect to pure Consciousness, to Infinite Reality, allowing our consciousness to become That. The recitation of this mantra establishes and maintains this connection with the Infinite, with the Supreme. Its force and power are derived from each individual syllable.

 

The mantra begins with the sound oṁ, which is the expression of the Self, that which is Infinite. Infinity is observed in seven aspects, all of which are contained in this mantra:

 

  1. The harmony of pure energy, which operates in each cell within the unified system of the body and the mind (the ‘psychophysical system’)
  2. Light, the Source, and the expression of the Infinite throughout the cosmos. There are places in the cosmos where energy is very dense (i.e. it is dominated by tamas) and, as a result, everything is black. The ego is one such place—it is hard and, as a result, the force of tamas dominates, and light cannot express itself.
  3. Beauty, which is revealed by light through our psychophysics. Beauty decreases once our consciousness retreats.
  4. Love, which originates from beauty. For human beings, love requires beauty.
  5. Intelligence, rightly exercised in order to discover true Reality.
  6. Knowledge, which comes from intelligence, and leads to contentment and bliss
  7. Bliss, which is called ānanda

 

All of these aspects of infinity are contained in the navakṣara (nine-syllable) mantra. Its sound makes our entire psychophysical system vibrate, enabling the Infinite to emanate from us in the right way.

 

The nine syllables of the mantra can be understood in the following way:

  • oṁ is the Infinite itself
  • aiṁ contains the seven aspects of Infinity mentioned above
  • hrīṁ is strength, the force of life. Through hrīṁ the mind is connected to Reality, which here is expressed as the energy of fire.
  • klīṁ denotes our legitimate desires—this sound represents all that we need in our lives to keep the psychophysical system healthy and to protect us. When the ego asks "Why are you doing this? " by the sound klīṁ it is the Infinite that responds "Because you need to be satisfied". Infinity provides satisfaction to the heart.
  • cāmuṇḍayai: muṇḍa signifies the head, which is where the ego resides. All negative ‘isms’ are eliminated by the mantra. Thanks to the mantra’s power, selfishness disappears, leaving only pure consciousness and its expression.
  • vicce: this word eliminates all negative aspects, after which there is no more pollution.

 

The repetition of this mantra transforms the ego. The intelligence of the heart is able to express itself, in turn revealing Reality to us.