Meditating Without A Mantra

[Free Radical]

Hi,

I wanted to find out, if you can meditate without chanting a mantra and what would the results be?

What are the benefits of meditating while chanting a mantra?

This is a serious question.

Thanks

Edited January 4, 2010 by Free Radical

[shaheediyan]

Sikhs don't 'meditate' for the sake of meditating, they medidate on the object of their desire, their loved one - a Sikhs meditation is that of prem - which is how it differs from many other meditation based schools.

Through meditating on the loved 'one', a Sikh hopes to meet and become enjoined with the 'one'.

The Mantra (Gur-mantra in the Sikhs case) is the 'name' the Sikh uses to call out to the one he loves.

[Matheen]

It begins with getting initiated as a sikh by a guru - in our case, Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The Guru then gives His Sikhs a mantra - Gurmantar. There are others as well, such as Mool Mantar etc.

Meditating on Gurmantar is akin to writing an address on a letter. Without an address, the letter won't go anywhere. Our target is to become one with Waheguru and Gurmantar is what will get us there, if we make use of it. It gives the mind something to focus on, but is much more than that - Gurbani expounds the virtues of Nam on every line, so there's no point even trying to make a list of its benefits. However, at a simple level: our minds are fragmented into many pieces - we constantly think of many things and the Gurmantar helps the mind focus and put all its power into 1 thing. It also tunes the mind into the constant simran that goes on automatically in our bodies and it is from this stage that the journey really begins - from the mouth to the throat chakra, to the hirda, to the nabhi then back up to the agya chakar, trikuti, dasam duar and eventually merge with Akaal Purakh.

Meditating without a mantar is possible, and can help in calming nerves etc, but not more than that. In fact, it leaves you open to negative energy and can have undesirable consequences. I've tried it before I got into Sikhi, wish I hadn't and would never recommend it. However, there is a stage of bhagti, the last stage, when one is completely one with Waheguru, where there is no mantra, no anhad dhuni, just pure anand.

Bear in mind that Sikhi is about prema bhagti - 'Waheguru' is remembered out of love and our desire to return from where we came. Not everyone feels this at first, but it will come.

Edited January 4, 2010 by Matheen

[Free Radical]

Thank you for your replies.