The Power of Vibration
Many years ago (in the Spring of 1967, to be exact), while attending art school in New York City, I participated in an anti-Vietnam-War “peace” march. I wasn’t part of a group, just a solitary marcher, and I fell in with a large contingent of “Hare Krishna” people with their shaved pates and saffron robes. They chanted as they marched, and interspersed with their song-like “Hare Krishna” cycle was the mantra “Om mani padme hum.” This left a huge impression on me, although I had absolutely no clue what the six syllables meant, because I found it incredibly soothing.
Fast forward to my fledgling tarot practice in the late ’70s, when I began the custom of reading for other people without knowing the seeker’s question in advance. Since I wasn’t concentrating on the topic of the reading, I decided to follow the conventional wisdom of clearing my mind of all thought as the querent focused on the matter while shuffling the deck. It struck me that some kind of mental vibratory note would be a perfect way to crowd out all stray “brainwork.” I found that I couldn’t always hold a single “Om/Aum” in my head for the duration of the shuffle, so I adopted the method of vibrating “Om-mani-padme-hum” in my mind in sets of three repetitions (only learning later that three iterations is the traditional way to recite this mantra). The result was highly effective, although I risked dozing off at times.
During the “career” phase of my life I began experiencing episodes of insomnia and struggled to go back to sleep. I hit upon the idea of silently vibrating the same mantra as a way to calm my mind and stop the restless thinking that was always present at these times. I found that I could barely reach the third repetition before drifting off again into sound slumber. It was nothing short of miraculous, and I continue doing it to this day although such episodes have been much less frequent since I retired.
Shifting gears: while reading Israel Regardie’s instructions for performing ritual invocations as part of ceremonial magic, I encountered the concept of “vibrating” the god-names of the relevant entities in a forceful manner. I always thought that the voice should be as deep and sonorous as possible when doing this (something I can’t achieve to good effect), but someone told me that Aleister Crowley had a thin, rather reedy, voice so I guess my perception was just a romantic ideal. It turns out that the vibration is the key to success, not the pitch or tone of voice.
For those interested, here is a Wikipedia article on the mantra I’ve been using, including mention of its widespread application in the Buddhist religion. The “Om shanti” or “peace” mantra is another one that could be used for my purpose but I don’t find it as eloquent as this one.
Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ (Sanskrit: ॐ मणि पद्मे हूँ, IPA: [õːː mɐɳɪ pɐdmeː ɦũː]) is the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. It first appeared in the Mahayana Kāraṇḍavyūhasūtra where it is also referred to as the sadaksara (six syllabled) and the paramahrdaya, or “innermost heart” of Avalokiteshvara. In this text the mantra is seen as the condensed form of all Buddhist teachings.
The first word Aum/Om is a sacred syllable in various Indian religions, and Hum represents the spirit of enlightenment.
In Tibetan Buddhism, this is the most ubiquitous mantra and the most popular form of religious practice, performed by laypersons and monastics alike. It is also an ever present feature of the landscape, commonly carved onto rocks, known as mani stones, painted into the sides of hills or else it is written on prayer flags and prayer wheels.
Due to the increased interactions between Chinese Buddhists and Tibetans and Mongolians during the 11th century, the mantra also entered Chinese Buddhism. The mantra has also been adapted into Chinese Taoism.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on July 6, 2022.
