At a superficial level, the two streams of knowledge, Science and Spirituality, both aimed at finding the ultimate truth, appear to be contradicting and nullifying each others principles.
Science, developed on perceivable evidence-driven reasoning and logic, advocated that the attainment of truth is possible only with the help of material based scientific investigations and developments. Spirituality recognizes that the means of attainment of this truth lies within in the form of immortal soul, which is the Conscious Self. In other words spirituality is the science of consciousness, involving mind, body and spirit relationship. A subject of divine faith and devotion, initially, it leads to realization of ultimate unity of all beings.
If the true meaning of science is understood – as search of truth beyond any barriers of matter and visible world, there would be no difficulty in accepting the fact that spirituality also falls in its periphery which pertains to sublime domains of realizations.... This attitude widens the scope of knowledge and search of ultimate truth through perfect integration of modern sciences and the ancient science of spirituality and religion.
Mouth is described in the Âyurveda as the locus of the agni cakra – the subtle centre for the generation of metabolic powers and thermal energy. The group of energies required for various metabolic and physiological processing is described to have its field of action beginning from the mouth and spreading up to the stomach. The mechanical role of mouth and its energy (utilized in the process of chewing and gulping, for instance) in the digestive system is well known. More important is its role as linked with the vocal cord and hence with the functions of speaking and singing.... The power of speech is among the most significant gifts bestowed upon the human species. Its importance can be very well understood simply by realizing the limitations and disabilities of a dumb fellow.
At the gross level, the agni cakra of mouth performs the initial phase of digestive mechanism, at the subtle level, it ‘produces’ voice and helps pronunciation. At the astral level it generates divine flows of the ‘currents’ of Ïabda in the individual consciousness. While the first two are well known to most of us, the third and the most significant role is experienced only by the experts of the japa yoga – the spiritual endeavors associated with japa and meditation of mantras. The inlet of mouth is also regarded a living havan kuñda with respect to the divine importance of the sonic energy as a source of expression of multiple manifestations of Ïabda. One would be surprised to note that the enormous impact of japa yoga is based on this sublime power of his mouth.
That words spoken could well become the cause of an affectionate relationship or of hatred and hosility – illustrates the fact that the words are not only the carriers of information but they do retain and convey the sentiments of the speaker. The currents of consciousness of the speaker endowed in his speech flow with the sonic vibrations produced by the pronunciation of these words. These elements produce ‘conscious–effects’ at the destination with which the associated sound waves collide. While the acoustic effects could be studied by physical means, the ‘conscious-effects’, being latent and subliminal in nature, can only be realized and analyzed through spiritual practices of yoga sadhanas.
Extraction of the essence of the conscious power of the words (sound) is aimed at in the japa yoga. The physical vibrations generated by the sound of rhythmic enunciation (japa) affect the body of the chanter (sadhaka) and his surrounding space and the associated conscious elements induce his mind and the inner self and ‘titillate’ the related conscious-energy centers in the cosmic domains.
The science of mantras is founded on the science of the ‘conscious currents’ of the Ïabda inherent in the musical sound generated by a conscious being. The meaning of the mantras has negligible importance as compared to the specific configuration of syllables/phonemes in them. The Gayatri Mantra is regarded as supreme of all the Vaidika Mantras. In terms of linguistic meaning, it is a universal prayer of arousal and illumination of righteous intellect in all.Many other divine prayers written in different languages might also imply similar meanings, but it is the unique sonic pattern that gives a unique importance to this mantra.
The subtle sonic pattern of this mantra is supposed to generate specific vibrations in the gross as well as the mental and causal bodies of the sadhaka and in his surroundings. These vibrations empowered by the spiritual force of the sadhaka’s purified inner self conjugate with the extrasensory impulse of the supreme consciousness…. The single lettered (bija) mantras like Hrim, Klim, Ai,Hum, Yam, Fat etc. are of basic importance in the science of mantras because of the special conscious as well as ‘mechanical’ (tantrika) effects of their sounds.
The cyclic enunciation (or chanting) under different rhythms, pitches and intensities is practiced in the japa of a mantra to make different uses of its (mantra’s) sonic vibrations. In M³nasika Japa the mantra is uttered silently (mentally); the level of ‘perceivable’ sound increases gradually (e.g. from the silent movements of the lips and the tongue to murmuring and humming) in the upansu and vacika japas. As described in the previous sections, the Vaidika Mantras also have specific swaras (classical musical accents) associated with them that offer varieties in their japa and hence in their effects..... The Sama Gana (vaidika modes of collective chanting) of these mantras indeed creates powerful currents with latent but inducing impacts at the physical and the subtle levels of matter and consciousness.
The consistent japa of the mantras has dual effects: externally, it generates vibrations in the surrounding space and internally, it stimulates the extrasensory energy centers (cakras) and subtle endocrine glands inside the body. The impact of these effects amplifies significantly with continuous repetition of such rhythmic enunciation at a constant pace. Laboratory experiments have shown the physical strength of rhythmic sound that can empower a small cork to push a heavy iron rod..... A large number of examples of the Doppler effect given in the earlier sections should suffice to evince the physical potential of the superimposed sound waves.
The internal creative effects of japa can be illustrated by simple analogy with the functioning of a typewriter. When a key of a typewriter is pressed, its impact results in the printing of the corresponding letter or symbol on the paper. Similarly, the vibrations produced by silent or vocal enunciation of a syllable or combinations of the syllables of a mantra make specific impressions on the subtle energy centers and nerve-bundles and stimulate them. Regular repeated practice of the same japa under adept disciplines is indeed the root of the enormous potential gained during different spiritual experiments of Mantra-Vijana. That friction gives rise to the thermal and electrical (static) energies – is well known to every student of physics. The internal vibrations produced by the sonic waves of japa create similar effects and activate the otherwise unused latent glands and extrasensory energy centers inside the body of the sadhaka.
The advanced scientific applications ranging –– from remote control of the space-crafts by electromagnetic waves; delicate surgeries to heavy metal cutting by the Lasers.... etc clearly illustrate that it is not the equipment or the device but it is the ‘power’ of the (energy) waves that induces such wonderful effects. The supernatural effects of the suprasonic waves generated by the japa of mantras are more remarkable and are still beyond the reach of the advanced instruments (generators and the sensory devices) developed so far.
In terms of the modern (material based) science or acoustics, sound is generated by vibrations produced in any physical medium. The modern psychologists have gone one step ahead by accepting the latent power of voice that affects the minds of the speaker and the listeners.... (e.g. the effects of harsh or affectionate voices of same frequencies and intensities are drastically different....). These are only the crude and restricted manifestations of the power of Ïabda. The dimensions of Ïabda expand far beyond the physical, psychological and inner sentimental levels....They include the sublime realms of consciousness and therefore form a subject of investigations by the spiritual scientists.
The japa yoga aims at using the physical as well as the spiritual power of Ïabda with the help of the specific sonic patterns of the mantras. The subtle energy waves generated by the japa of a mantra reach at the specific cosmic center (linked with the devata of the mantra) and attract the supernatural currents of cosmic consciousness in proportionate amounts.
The whole universe is like an ocean of the electromagnetic and conscious energy waves. The flow of thoughts and sentiments takes place via the latter kind of omnipresent waves. The sublime energy waves produced along with the ‘physical’ sound waves by the japa are spread in the cosmos and they reach back (with an amplified impact) to the sadhaka after being superimposed and further ‘electrified’ by the subtle waves of similar nature existing along theircosmic path....
The divine or the evil thoughts generated by an individual mind influence the fields of thoughts in the surrounding by attracting the thought waves of compatible quality and repulsing those of the opposite quality. The thought waves form their own field of attraction that adds to the expansion of the corresponding (divine or evil) currents of thoughts in the cosmic domains as well. Similar is the effect of the waves of consciousness generated by different kinds of sentiments and emotions.
The waves of thoughts or sentiments/emotions of an individual are strengthened in the similar (matching) fields traversed by them during their cosmic journey. And, because of the periodic nature of the movement of waves, they eventually reach back their origin. Completion of each such cycle amplifies the intensity of the associated good or bad effects. These inducing effects, though subliminal in nature, indeed play an important role in inspiring and shaping one’s character and hence in building one’s destiny too.
The subtle waves generated by the mantra-japa are often more powerful and faster than the thought waves of the sadhaka. If generated repeatedly, in a consistent cyclic manner, these suprasonic waves help create serene and divine ambience within and around the sadhaka with strong field of attraction to influence the other waves of thoughts and sentiments that might collide with them.
It is well known that the compounded magnetic effects of similar atoms (particles) gives rise to their dense collection. This clustering eventually results in the formation a mine, which gets richer by the augmentation in its power of attraction by successive increase in its repository of similar atoms (particles). Equivalently, the domain of influence of the subtle sonic waves generated by the japa of a mantra expands and becomes more powerful with the increase in the number of persons of similar spiritual levels who perform collective japa.The amplification of the radio waves by powerful transmitters at the relay centers makes their broadcast possible across the globe. Analogously, the force of the conscious energy in the waves generated by the japa intensifies along with the increase in the faith, sincerity, strength and piety of thoughts and sentiments of the sadhaka(s).