WHAT IS A MANTRA?
A mysterious wholeness is seeking us, even as we in our brokenness seek wholeness. Carl Jung.
In Christian meditation the mantra is a single word or short phrase which is repeated silently throughout the meditation period. This repetition helps to still the mind and open the heart to our “Inner Christ.”
Although the Christian tradition does not have the science of the mantra found in the East, the practice itself is well-established in Christianity. A great deal of Christian prayer, in its many forms, involves repetition e.g.: the Our Father, the Angelus and most notably the Catholic rosary.
The mantra should be a word or words that are sacred in your tradition. It helps if it is not in your language so it doesn’t have mental associations. The sound is what is important; the meditator listens to the sound on an inner level as s/he repeats the word mentally.
Above all stay with the same word and keep returning to it whenever you notice you have become distracted.
The World Community for Christian Meditation recommends the word Maranatha. This is an Aramaic word and means “come Lord Jesus”.
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