Hinduism: Yoga sutras: Repetition of Sacred Words        MANTRA15.TXT
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       Repetition of Sacred Words

       Source Material: How to know God: the Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali

       People who have never tried the practice of reapeating the name of God
       are apt to scoff at it: it seems to them so empty, so mechanical...

       ...we are (usually) in a state of reverie--a mental fog of
       disconnected sense-impressions, irrelevant memories, nonsensical
       scraps of sentences from books and newspapers, little darting fears
       and resentments, physical sensations of discomfort, excitement or
       ease... If we introduce into this reverie the repetition of the name
       of God, we shall find that we can control our moods, despite the
       interference of the outside world...

       Mere repetition of God's name is, of course, insufficient...We must
       also meditate upon its meaning. But the one process follows naturally
       upon the other. If we persevere in our repetition, it will lead us
       inevitably into mediation. Gradually, our confused reverie will give
       way to concentrated thought. (p. 40-42)

       The Word
       "In the beginning was the Word," says the Gospel according to St. John,
       and "the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This statement
       echoes, almost exactly, a verse from the Rik Veda: "In the beginning
       was Brahman, with whom was the Word; and the Word was truly the supreme
       Brahman." (p. 39)