Hello. I have been practicing AYP meditation for a few years now. I am starting to have trouble with the mantra. After a few minutes, when silence starts to arise between thoughts - which happens even for what seems like long stretches, I find repeating the mantra distracting and find it easier to observe a thought when it arises and let it go and then return to silence rather than return to the mantra. If I try to repeat the mantra (which I believe is the correct practice) it just seems like noise and is distracting.
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Hi Didi,
All sorts of things can happen during mantra meditation. Whatever is happening, all that is needed is to gently lean back into the practice. So, the practice is to easily favour the mantra with your attention whenever you realise that you are off it. If you notice the feeling arise that “the mantra is distracting”, then easily favour the mantra with your attention over noticing that feeling. Later on, a few weeks, or months later, you may notice the feeling arise “I never want to let go of being with this mantra as it is so beautiful and peaceful simply resting my awareness with this object”, If that happens, again you would simply favour the mantra with your attention over the noticing of that feeling. These are basic forms of aversion and attachment that form a large part of the colouring process of the mind.
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I will persevere then, and will return to the mantra. Thank you Christi, for your reply.
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Hi Didi,
It should also be mentioned that coming back to the mantra can be very faint in stillness. If the mantra seems to be a distraction, it could be that you are coming to it with more clarity of pronouncement than where you are at in stillness, in essence pulling yourself out of stillness with a more clear pronunciation of the mantra. That would certainly be a distraction. So the suggestion is to allow the mantra to come back as a very faint idea in stillness, barely anything, if that is where you are. The instruction is to pick up the mantra where we are in the mind, which can be very faint and fuzzy. Then the mantra will take us deeper into pure bliss consciousness from there.
The guru is in you.
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Thank you Yogani. I will try and pick it up in a softer form. I think this is a phase I am going through because it had become a very faint mmm..but has now returned louder and clearer.
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Hi Didi,
No try. Just a gentle favoring at the same level of faintness you are at when it occurs you are off the mantra. You do not have to create a “softer form.” Wherever you are at in mind is where the mantra is. No place to go. Nothing to form. Nothing to do but a recognition and continue with the mantra in stillness. A “very faint mmm…” is good. And if you find yourself naturally back in a clear pronunciation of the mantra, that is ok too. Just let it go where it will. No effort, no try. All is good.
TGIIY
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