The Mystery of the Mantram

Can’t See How Just Repeating a Word Over and Over Can Do Anything?

- Eknath Easwaran

The practical answer is just to try it and see for yourself. So far as I know, we still don’t really understand how aspirin works, yet we have faith in aspirin. When you take the bottle off the bathroom shelf and pop a couple of pills into your mouth, you are saying in effect, “I believe. I have faith that this will work.” I would say, “Take plenty of mantrams too.” It is equally good advice: one for fever in the body, the other for the fever of self-will.

People sometimes retort, “We don’t think it will work.” I reply, “Don’t you think you can give the Buddha or Jesus the Christ as much credence as you give Mr. Bayer?” That is all I am asking for. Try it. If you only feel comforted by things that come in a bottle, which I can understand, take an empty bottle and write Rama or Jesus on the label. Then put it on your bathroom shelf. When you have a disquieting afternoon or evening or night, take it down, look at it, and start repeating your mantram. You have taken the medicine.

Ramdas advises, “Have the mantram constantly in your mind.” That is the first and last instruction where japam or repetition of the mantram is concerned.

Make use of every spare moment to repeat your mantram. A million opportunities can be discovered during the course of a single day, and of course when you are falling asleep at night.