What's better, inner stillness or a sacred mantra?
The term "Mantra" is being used very loosely these days. People often say, what is your success mantra? Tell me what your mantra is. It is often implied as if it is some secret formula to do something in a shortcut manner. Well, let us discuss what it is and how does it compare to Stillness. The term "mantra" comes from "man" and "tra." "man" means mind and "tra" means tool. So mantra can be referred to as a tool of the mind. Mantra has absolutely no meaning in itself, it is the sound enhancement of a particular subtle vibration. Now even the quantum physicists are declaring that this whole universe in made up of subtle vibrations of energy. We, yogis, refer to this universe as "Naada Brahmn." The term "Naada" means sound and "Brahmn" means God. So this creation is very subtle amalgamation of vibrations and those vibrations have their own sounds, so this whole amalgamation of sounds is referred to...