Mantra Japa: The Inner Thread

Sound as vehicle A *mantra* (from *manas* — mind, *tra* — instrument) is a sound the mind uses as a vehicle. The sound holds the mind steady the way a bassline holds a song together.

Three kinds of repetition 1. **Vācika** — spoken aloud. Beginners. Good for entering practice. 2. **Upāṃśu** — whispered, lips moving, voice inaudible. Intermediate. 3. **Mānasika** — mental only. Most powerful, most difficult, most subtle.

A traditional count 108 repetitions is a round. A japa mālā has 108 beads for this reason. One round takes roughly 10 minutes at a soft pace.

Choosing a mantra If you have a teacher, use what they give you. If not, begin with **So Hum** — the natural sound of the breath. *So* on the inhale, *Hum* on the exhale. It requires no belief and belongs to no sect.

The subtle work For weeks nothing appears to happen. Then one day, in traffic or grief or joy, the mantra arises on its own. That is the thread taking hold.