Eshans Emporium

COUNTING THE CHANTS OR CHANTING THE COUNTS

In my early days of dabbling with spirituality I was stuck with the false rut of chanting various mantras for specific number of times. I was fully sold to the idea that incase I do not chant the mantra for those many times I would not achieve any of my spiritual goals. Over the years and graying of my hair, not that I have achieved any daunting spiritual feats, I certainly have personally come to believe and strongly advise my clients and friends NOT TO COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THEY CHANT MANTRAS.

WHY ???

Let me give you a detailed but yet lucid explanation for the same.

A. In the zest to ensure that the counting does not go haywire, the entire attention is diverted from the rhythmic chanting to counting.
B. You are ruled more by the mind rather than the heart once you are into the counting game. Always remember it is the heart alone and not the mind which can connect to your soul.
C. In case you have made an error or simply think you have goofed up in counting you get so perturbed that you are neither in a position to enjoy the bliss of mantra chanting nor / or the spiritual sojourn you have undertaken.
D. So in short, the counting makes the entire enchanting experience of mantra recitation a mechanical, repetitive and lack luster ritual.
E. Most of the exponents of the theory of “the number of times a mantra is to be chanted” and also the believers have no clue as to why these numbers have been specifically suggested to them by whomsoever. I do agree that by chanting a particular mantra for a certain number of times, one is able to develop an energy field which would indeed be useful. However, even if you are able to chant those many times minus concentration you would achieve nothing close to that energy level.

MY TAKE ON THE ECSTACY AND GRATIFICATION OF MANTRA CHANTING:

A. Never ever count the number of times you chant a particular mantra.
Chant till you are fully engrossed in the mantra Physically, Mentally and Spiritually. The moment you feel that you are not able to concentrate and do justice to the immense energy of the mantra, you should stop chanting. Mantra chanting is not a number game.
C. Relish and cherish every second of mantra chanting. Feel the delight and pure bliss within while chanting. The more naturally and without restraint you chant the mantras the more you will connect and benefit from them.
D. If you are not up to it either because you are mentally anxious, upset or even physically unwell do not force yourself to chant mantras. Otherwise the entire exercise will be reduced to mere gimmickry of this enthusing experience of Mantra Chanting.