What Is a Mantra and How to Use It

If you can’t keep your mind quiet or you have troubles staying focused on your meditation, this practice can be quite helpful.

I’m talking about Mantra practice.

What is a mantra, how do you practice a mantra, and what are the benefits associated with this kind of practice?

In this article, I’ll talk about how I came to practice it, when I practice it, and how you can also apply it to your spiritual path.

….Kwan Seum Bosal, Kwan Seum Bosal, Kwan Seum Bosal, Kwan Seum Bosal,...

This is the mantra that my Zen teacher assigned to me. Kwan Seum Bosal is the Korean name for Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. This bodhisattva is often described as the one who listens to the cries of the world and is dedicated to helping all beings end their suffering.

But what are the benefits of using a mantra like this?

I think the simplest way to explain it is that it will strengthen your focus. When you repeat a mantra in your mind, what happens is that you free yourself from attachments to any objects you’re holding and you return your focus to the mantra.

Nowadays, people have a really hard time staying concentrated. There’s always something coming up that distracts us, binds our consciousness to itself, and makes us forget who we really are.

The consequence is suffering, because we identify with the very objects that appear in front of us — whether they be thoughts, emotions, or outside objects — and since these objects are impermanent, they’ll sooner or later vanish, making us suffer because we are attached to them.

And to end suffering, we have to realize our True Self — which is not an object, which is eternal, which is peace itself, and always free.

However, it’s really hard to do that if our attachments to the material world — to illusion — are very strong. We may sit in meditation, but we only think about some problem — maybe our job, our partner, our health, or whatever. And maybe at the end of the meditation, we suddenly realize that we’ve only been worrying about something and didn’t really engage in our spiritual practice. This is where mantra practice can be quite useful.

When you practice a mantra, it means repeating a few words over and over again in your mind. You can also do this aloud — maybe in a group, where it’s called chanting — but you can also practice it if you’re just by yourself.

Again, what happens when you practice a mantra — when you repeat these words again and again — is that you detach, you free yourself from any object in your mind, and return your focus back to the mantra, to something that’s neutral.

In contrast, if we keep thinking about something we like or dislike, there is a certain taste associated with it, and the consequence will always be more conflict. Either we want to grasp the thing we’re thinking about, or we want to push it away. Either way, we are in conflict. However, if we reorient our awareness towards a mantra, we let go of our individual attachments and open ourselves to something beyond our relative sense of being.

It’s actually not necessary — or even suggested — to put a meaning on the mantra. Different traditions will probably say different things about this, but since I learned this technique from the Zen tradition, I’ll stick with how it was taught to me.

Zen Master Seung Sahn even said that it doesn’t matter what mantra you use — you could even use the words “Coca Cola” and keep repeating them in your mind, and you’ll get all the benefits associated with mantra practice.

However, I personally think that it's helpful to use a mantra that’s somewhat meaningful to us.

So, first step: Pick a mantra. Here are 3 mantras you can choose if you want to:

The first one I’ve already talked about — which is the mantra I’m using — is Kwan Seum Bosal, invoking the name of the Bodhisattva of compassion.

The second one I’d suggest — and that I’d use if I didn’t use Kwan Seum Bosal — is: Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu. That’s a Sanskrit mantra meaning “May all beings everywhere be happy and free.”

The third one, which is probably one of the most well-known, is: Om Mani Padme Hum. This is a Tibetan mantra used for invoking the name of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.

The next and final step: just do it. Pick a mantra and use it wherever and whenever you want. I personally only use a mantra when I’m going for a walk. Let’s say I take a walk outside for an hour — I keep repeating the mantra in my mind. Whenever I become aware of distractions that did arise, I just reorient my awareness back to the mantra.

There is no way you can fail this practice. Also, don’t be disappointed if you get lost often and have to reorient yourself back to the mantra many times. On the contrary, see this as a win. Whenever you become aware that you have not been aware — because you were worrying about something — you are aware again.

Let go of any thoughts, let go of any ideas you have about the mantra, just repeat it.

This way, you will develop a clear and strong mind, improve your focus, and won’t be easily pulled by your unconscious tendencies. Also, when you’re in an extreme situation where it’s really hard to stay centered, just use a mantra.

I think that’s mostly it. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. And if you found this interesting, just try it — pick a mantra and practice it for maybe 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or even more.

I wish you all the best — your friend of the way. Bye.