Sound & Mantra

The science of reality is to find the
sound and to resound in that sound.
Then the soul shall excel and God
shall dwell within you.
-YOGI B H AJ A N
We have to just experience and develop
that Word of the Guru resounding in us.
We are to become the temple of the
shabd. That’s all a human can do.
-YOGI B H AJ A N

This chapter includes . . .
The Nature of Sound
Chanting Mantras
The Science of Naad Yoga-Why Chanting Works
Laya Yoga & Naad Yoga
Yogi Bhajan on the Word
Varieties of Mantra & Sound
What Does Chanting Achieve?-The Impact of
the Inner Silence of Anahat
Making Mantra Effective
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The Third Chakra & Mantra • The Word in the Heavenly & Earthly Realms
Yogi Bhajan on Mantras in Kundalini Yoga 69
Yogi Bhajan on the Power of Prayer 69
The Quantum Technology of the Shabd Guru 70
Tuning In with The Adi Mantra-Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo 78
japji 79
Yogi Bhajan on japji 79
Yogi Bhajan on Reading from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib 79
􀣂 Ef􀣃 cl 􀣄 fu􀣅 cl 􀣆 00
Mul Mantra
Mantras Frequently Used in Kundalini Yoga
COPYRIGHT YOGI B HAJAN 2003
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Mantra The creative projection of the mind
through sound. Man=mind, Trang=wave or projection.
The science of mantra is based on the
knowledge that sound is a form of energy having
structure, power and a definite predictable effect
on the chakras and the human psyche.
Mantras Mantras are formulas that alter
the patterns of the mind and the chemistry of
the brain, according to physical and metaphysical
laws. The power of a mantra is in its
sound vibration . The mantras used in Kundalini
Yoga elevate or modify consciousness through
their meaning and rhythmical repetition. It is
beneficial to link a mantra to the breath.
Naam Vibrational identity. What we vibrate,
we become.
Naaa The essence of all sound. It is the
vibrational harmony through which the Infinite
can be experienced.
Naaa Yoga The science of Naad is based
on the experience of how sound vibrations
affect the body, mind, and spirit through the
movement of the tongue, the mouth, and
changes in the chemicals in the brain.
Shabd is the sound current or vibration that
dissolves the ego which obstructs the truth,
and prevents us from perceiving and acting
from our authentic Self.
Shabct Guru A quantum technology of
sound which directly alters our consciousness
through the power of Naad. The Shabd Guru is
considered a special sound current which is a
Teacher as it removes the constrictions and
distortions of the ego.
Siri Guru Granth Sahib An encoded
form of the Shabd Guru which allows us to program
our mind/body computer to resonate with
the I nfinite. It is quite literally the embodiment
of the intrinsic wisdom of the sound current.

The Nature of Sound
“Every element of the universe is in a constant state of vibration manifested to
us as light, sound, and energy. The human senses perceive only a fraction of
the infinite range of vibration, so it is difficult to comprehend that the Word
mentioned in the Bible is actually the totality of vibration which underlies and
sustains all creation. A person can tune his or her own consciousness into the
awareness of that totality with the use of a mantra. By vibrating in rhythm
with the breath to a particular sound that is proportional to the creative sound,
or sound current. one can expand one’s sensitivity to the entire spectrum of
vibration. It is similar to striking a note on a stringed instrument. In other
words, as you vibrate, the universe vibrates with you.” -YOGI BHAJAN
WE LIVE IN A SEA OF EN ERGY. ENERGY VIBRATES. Everything in the manifest creation
is vibrating. Even seemingly solid, inanimate objects are constantly vibrating,
simply vibrating at a slower or lower frequency than animate objects. Some vibrations
are audible; sounds we can hear with our ears. Thoughts are silent sounds, electromagnetic
vibrations. The higher the frequency, the less dense, and more etheric the
quality of the vibration we hear and speak, the more our own vibrational frequency
is raised. Raising our own vibration brings us closer to experiencing and merging with
the highest vibration of all-God-the original creativity of the universe.
The entire universe was built on sound, on vibration. Putting it poetically: God
spoke, and the world came into being. More precisely, God vibrated, and all the universes
and worlds, solar systems, oceans, land, and sky, and the myriad of beings
that inhabit them appeared. There is a vibratory frequency that corresponds to everything
in the universe. By vibrating a particular combination of sounds, you tune into
various levels of intelligence, or consciousness. Situations, people, and events
respond to the signals you send out. The vibratory frequency of a mantra draws to
you whatever you are vibrating.
Chanting Mantras
Chanting mantras, either silently or out loud, is a conscious method of controlling
and directing the mind. Happiness, sorrow, joy, and regret are vibratory frequencies
in the mind. Call them attitudes, or beliefs, but fundamentally, they are vibratory
frequencies or thought waves. They determine the kind of program our mind plays.
The scenario we choose becomes our vibration, defines how we feel and what we
project to others. We can exercise our right to choose at any time.
We are creating with every word we speak, and even with every word we think.
When we chant a mantra we are choosing to invoke the positive power contained in
those particular syllables. Whether it’s for prosperity, peace of mind, increasing intuition,
or any of the other multitude of possible benefits inherent in mantras, simply
by chanting them we are setting vibrations into motion that shal l have an effect. It
doesn’t actuallly matter if we understand the meaning of the sounds or not.

The Science of Naaa Yoga Why chanting works

Naad is a process of harmony through which the aad, the
Infinite, can be experienced. Naad is the basic sound for all languages
through all times. This sound comes from one common
source or sound current. It is the universal code behind language
and therefore behind human communication.
The science of Naad Yoga is thousands of years old. It works
with the movement of the tongue in the mouth, language, and
chemical changes in the brain. There is no system of nerve connections
between the sections of the brain-no wiring. Rather,
there is a neu rotransmission fluid. Different chemical liquids are
secreted from different parts of the brain . Messages are transmitted
from each part of the brain through the fluids, which are
called naad namodam rasaa. Naad refers to communicating harmony;
namodam means addressing; and rasaa means juice.
We can alter consciousness by changing the chemical composition
of the brain fluids. The state of mind, personality, and power
to project from our authentic self is tied in with the use of our
word.
“If your words have the strength of the Infinite in them and are
virtuous, and you value them, you are the greatest of the great.
If you do not value your words, you have no value. Your own
word is your value as a human being. Your word is your value.”
-YOGI BHAJAN, The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan
MERGER THROUGH THE WORD
There are two caves (gupha) in the body which generate through
the creative process. One is the bij gupha or seed cave, which
relates to the male and female sexual organs. The other is the
gian gupha or cave of knowledge, which relates to the tongue
and mouth. The science of Naad Yoga is concerned with the gian
gupha, in which the movement of the tongue in the mouth while
chanting is likened to the male and female sexual organs in the
bij gupha. It creates the experience of merger with the Divine.

THE NAAD MERIDIAN POINTS ON THE UPPER PALATE

The upper palate forms the roof of the mouth. It consists of two
parts: the hard palate and the soft palate. The hard palate is what
we commonly think of as the roof of the mouth, extending from
directly behind the teeth up to the fleshy soft tissue that is suspended
from the rear of the hard palate.
There are 84 meridian points located on the hard palate of the
roof of the mouth. 32 pairs of points (64 points) are located on the
hard palate surface directly behind and along the inside of the teeth,
i.e. four points with each tooth. The other 20 points are located in
a curve or ” U ” shape on the central part of the palate, with 1 0 pairs
of points along each side. The location of the points are not exactly
the same for each person, since palate shapes vary, but the general
curved pattern is universal.
THE HYPOTHALAMUS & THE MERIDIAN POINTS
The movement of each part of the tongue stimulates these meridian
points. The points are like a keyboard input to a computer. The computer
is located in the hypothalamus area of the brain. It receives the
impulses from the repetition of the patterns of sound in the Shabd.
This is translated into instructions that regulate chemical messengers
that go to all vital areas of the brain and body. The hypothalamus
lies just below the thalamus in the midline of the brain. It is connected
by blood vessels to the pituitary gland-the master gland of
the body. The hypothalamus is known to regulate vital functions like
hunger, drinking, body temperature and sleep. It also triggers the regulation
of moods, emotional behavior and sexuality.
The special patterns of the Shabd Guru stimulate the hypothalamus
to change the chemistry of the brain. This adjusts the functions
of the endocrine system and the metabolism to create a neutral balanced
mind, and to strengthen the immune function. Many positive
states of mind can be created using the Shabd Guru. It can conquer
depression, enhance intelligence and intuition, and open the power
of compassion.

Varieties of Mantra Er Sound

Bjj Mantra Seed mantra. The seed of the sound is planted
in the unconscious. Example: Sat Naam
Ashtang Mantra These have 8 parts or beats (or 8
“limbs”). The rhythm of the Kundalini and its movement naturally
responds to the ashtanga beat. The quality of each part covers the
spectrum of the projected qualities of consciousness. Examples:
Ek Ong Kar Sat Naam Siri Wahe Guru
Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung
Trikuti Mantra balances energies of generating, organizing,
and transforming. Example: Wahe Guru (the Gur Mantra.)
Oarshani Mantra This is a visual method of meditation.
You mentally project the mantra on an inner screen and concentrate
on it as it passes across the screen.
Simran Literally “remembrance.” In simran, the meditative
mind flows in remembrance of Oneness through the sound current.
)apa Literally “to repeat”. The practice of recitation out loud to
develop the power of simran.
JUapa )ap Repeating without repeating. The silent recitation
which automatically develops within as a result of japa. “Ang
Sang Wahe Guru,” when every cell is vibrating the rhythm. The
whole universe sings for you, and you listen.
Sound can be subtle as well as audible. Here are distinct ways of
experiencing sound.
Bhekhri This uses the tip of the tongue to form the syllables
aloud.
Khant This is a subliminal vocalization. The sound is silent,
but the syllables vibrate at your Throat Chakra.
Hirday This is the sound current vibrating at the heart.
Anahat This sound current is referred to as “Unstruck Melody.”
This is when the mantra resounds in every atom and fiber of your
being. Its vibration becomes a part of you. It is created when the
inner sound is produced from the Navel Center using the tip of the
tongue. This triggers the higher glands to produce what is referred
to as amrit, the sweet nectar of ecstacy.

What Does Chanting Achieve?
The Impact of the Inner Silence of Anahat

What is the real goal of the chanting we do in meditation?
Answer: The ultimate state of mind is called anahat-the Infinite
Unstruck Soun d or vibration. It brings intuition, inner strength,
and the capacity to be completely open to do what you must do
as a unique part of the totality of Being. In this state you are joyful,
truthful, compassionate, and relaxed. Each time you perfect a
mantra or shabd, you are like a master m usician who can evoke
these elevated states of being from the instrument of self.
How does chanting achieve this?
Answer: Chanting is a science called one-star spirituality which
tunes and attunes you. Think of yourself as a Divine instrument
with strings. When you chant. the vibration of the strings causes
all thirty trillion cells of your body to resonate, to dance-forming
the patterns that shape you physically, emotionally and mentally.
You are created with seventy-two surs or strings. They vary in
dominance over a seventy-two hour period. The Crown Chakrathe
thousand petalled lotus-impacts each of these strings with a
thousand-fold vibration. Hence you have 72,000 vibratory
impacts that send energy throughout. and create, your system.
The central tuning string is the main vagus nerve of the parasympathetic
system which is called the ik tara-one-star. It acts
as a tuning drone for all the other strings. When the central
channel of the sushmuna in the spine is activated and the two
support channels of ida and pingala move with it, the entire system
begins to vibrate.
When you chant, at first it is conscious and out loud, then
it becomes mental. If the rhythm is right and your concentration
and surrender to its pulse is practiced, then your central nervous
system vibrates it. and you simply listen. Anahat is that state in
which your nervous system vibrates the mantra without your
conscious effort, and the mantra is attuned to the Infinite. You
vibrate in concert with a pattern beyond anything you could create
from your finite self or ego.
What about silence? Isn’t that the ultimate?
Answer: Silence is filled with anahat. The inner silence is the
silence of the ego, when the mind vibrates silently in perfect unison
with the unlimited self. When you chant. the nervous system
becomes synchronized, and the flow of thoughts moves with
the higher self. Then the ego relaxes, and the mantra is vibrated
by every cell . You let go and are truly silent. In that silence you
can feel . hear. and act on the call of the soul.

Making Mantra Effective
In the science of Naad Yoga. there are three key elements that
can enhance the experience of naad:
􀂱 RHYTH M : The most important element is to maintain a
crisp, precise rhythm. Strictly maintain the correct number of
beats for the specific mantra. ( Most Kundalini Yoga mantras
are chanted in 8 beats, though some will be in 6 beats or
other rhythmic configurations.)
􀂱 PROJ ECTION: When you chant mantra, you are projecting
your prana. Project from the purity of your soul . Be conscious
of which chakra you are projecting from.
􀂱 PRO NU NCIATION : Use the correct pressure of the tongue
on the meridian points. Maintain the correct balance and
rhythm of the syllables making up the words.
The Thira Chakra Er Mantra
An illustration of the above elements is found in the special relationship
of the Navel Point to the use of mantra. When you speak
a mantra and vibrate the tip of the tongue. you want to speak it
from the central channel-the sushmuna. and vibrate from the Navel
Point at the same time. When the tip of the tongue and the Navel
Point are correlated, that extra pulse of energy coming from the
navel moves the words into the realm of anahat-“without boundary.”
The action of speaking receives a powerful projection . like the
will of a warrior. It is vibrated without speaking out loud. Each cell
vibrates the energy released from the Navel Point.
Example: After clearing the pranic channels and sitting very straight.
try chanting the steady rhythmic pulse of Har, being conscious of
the tip of the tongue and pulling the Navel Point in. (Use the tape,
Tantric Har and experience what happens when you systematically
build and release the energy of the Navel Point.)
Wora in the Heavenly Er Earthly Realms
The upper triangle is heavenly, the lower earthly. They mix at the
Heart Center. the human realm. Sound and the pulse of the naad
rule in the upper chakras. and in these subtle realms your emotions
follow the essence of your truth . Ordinary speech comes
from the Earthly realms and reflects the an imal or impulsive
nature. The breath is reactive to those i mpulses. and your words
reflect these emotions. At the Heart Center you are balanced as
a human and pulled equally by the higher and lower realms. Your
breath and word are in concert. and your words can become the
Word. Your words serve your higher consciousness with duty and
respond to lower impulses with compassion.

Yogi Bh(;fjan on Mantras in Kundalini Yoga
Question: Why do we draw so heavily on the Sikh tradition
for the mantras that we use in Kundalini Yoga?
Answer: Those mantras just happen to be correct mantras. It’s not
because they come from the Sikh tradition. The mantra “God and
Me, Me and God are One, ” you will not find anywhere. but it
works. It is an ashtang mantra. The sound is correct. so we use
it. It doesn’t have to only be in Gurmukhi (the vibratory language
of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib). I draw correct mantras from wherever
I can. There are tons of mantras-! only use those which I
know will be very elementary and will work.
Yogi Bh(;fjan on the Power of Prayer as Word
Sometimes I close my eyes when you ask me a question. I do a
little prayer and hold myself to penetrate into the psyche of the
answer so it could be correct. There is no power on the Earth for
a living human being but his own technique and his own prayer.
his own dharma. his own faith. and the Words of the Higher
One. God has not given us the Word. God has given us prana.
the life force. The Guru has given us the Word.
• • •
The power of prayer works at the Ard ine. The Ardine obeys no
rule of nature. It is the base of the Radiant Body. Prayer is the
power of a person to get to his Infinity when he’s himself. not
just when he’s confronted.
• • •
There are only four powers in the Earth. God is impotent against
these powers:
The power of prayer.
The power of the prayer of the mother.
The power of the prayer of the beloved.
The power of prayer of a noble woman.
The science of Reality is to find the sound and to resound in that
sound. Then the soul shall excel and God shall dwell within you.

The Quantum Technology of the Shaba Guru

GURU NANAK, THE FI RST GURU OF THE SI KHS, saw the pain
of people everywhere. He experienced the vast flood of information
from the entire cosmic consciousness. And he laid down perfectly
the patterns of the Shabd Guru that command the brain and
mind with rhythm, sound, concentration and breath. Those Shabd
patterns are a legacy to be used and shared with all as an antidote
to the maladies of the times. The Shabd Guru technology is
for everyone, for in every human is the Light of the same Creator.
SOUND AS TEACHER
“Shabd” means sound, ” Guru” means teacher or knowledge that
transforms you. The simplest meaning of Shabd Guru is a special
sound that is a teacher. But what is it that we learn from the
Shabd Guru and how does the use of sound act as a teacher?
Look at a deeper definition of Shabd Guru from its root structure.
” Shabd ” comes from Sha- and -bd. “Sha” means the expression
of the ego, the attachments we identify with. ” Bd” means to
cut out/off or to eradicate. The root meaning of Sha-bd is that
which cuts the ego. It is not just any sound. It is not just a sound
of wisdom or a song of truth. It is a
Shabd is not just sound that cuts away the ego which
any sound. It is not obstructs the truth from you.
just a wise sound or
a song of truth. It
is a sound that cuts
away the ego which
obstructs the truth
Ego is formed by the mind’s constant
automatic processing that attaches us to
and identifies us with objects, feelings
and thoughts. The ego is not inherently
bad. It is just limited.
from you. The ego is useful and even necessary
for functioning. But when your actions
are attached to the ego as if it is your real nature and as if it
defines your reality and scope, then you create pain, unhappiness
and problems. Your spiritual real ity is that you are part of a vast
creation. In experience, you are a creature that is not separate from
the larger matrix of life and consciousness. You can act with passion
and commitment as you remember and intuitively connect to
the larger Self that is you and to the larger world in which you
act.
The ego creates a kind of forgetfulness. You forget the Creator.
You forget vastness. The energy of the mind begins to act in narrow
ways with petty feelings and limiting beliefs. You act according
to the information patterns of only a small part of your potential
and experience.
What is the alternative? If we cannot base our identity in the
known or on any limited position of ego what can we do? Act
egolessly. Base an identity in the Infinite and the connection to

your sense of the I nfinite. That may seem a great or mystic
accomplishment, but it is the natural state of the Self. We are part
of the I nfinite by nature. It is only the mind that forms a limited
sense of self. We do not need to create an Infinite self. It already
exists. That existence is called Sat Naam-Sat is reality, truth or
existence. Naam is the identity or creative name. We are all in
essence a reality that vibrates and creates. Most of the time we
act as if we are not. That is the pain imposed on our life by ego.
The Shabd removes that pain by removing barriers which prevent
us from perceiving and acting from the Real Self.
This is one of the miracles of grace embodied in the teachi ngs
of Sikh Dharma. Each of the ten Sikh Gurus carried the Infinite
identity of the Shabd Guru within very different personalities, ages
and situations, and yet each affirmed they
were all one Light. Their identity, as well
as that of the other enlightened men of
many faiths who contributed the shabds,
mantras and music, are captured in the
sacred scripture of Sikh Dharma. Each of
these shabds has embedded in its
sounds, rhythms and words, the Infinite
identity they shared. They awaken the
soul, clear the mind and do not depend
Naam is the identity
or creative name. We
are all in essence a
reality that vibrates
and creates. Most of
the time we act as if
we are not. That is
the pain imposed on
our life by ego.
on any finite identity, ego or group. They sang Shabds that,
through the power of their actual sound current, merge the one
who recites them into the Infinite, beyond the limits of time and
space. It is exactly such a technology that is needed. It establishes
a link with the sense of the Infinite no matter what mood and
position you begin with. There is a shabd to lift every possible
position of the ego into egoless merger.
The practice of jappa of the Shabd Guru changes the frequency
of all our words. When we speak from ego our words
carry a hook, a calculation for what we believe we need or want.
When we speak egolessly our words go to the heart of the person
and speak wisdom that is true regardless of advantage. Words
spoken in ego are ruled by impulse and intellect. The words tuned
by the Shabd Guru are ruled by integrity, intelligence and intuition .
It is the function of the Shabd Guru to make our ego nothing
so we can serve and be served by everything. In a cyclone you go
to the eye of the storm to escape its turbulent power. In an Age
swirling with chaotic change, the path to the center of the storm
is through the Neutral Mind, established by quelling the conscious
and subconscious reactions to the ego. A sense of identity
based on the experience of the subtle and the Infinite within
us is the only source of stability and power in the Aquarian Age.

The second word in the phrase Shabd Guru is ” Guru . ” I n its
inner Naad. or atoms of sound, it becomes Gu-Ru. Gu means
darkness or ignorance. Ru is light and knowledge. Gur is a formula
or instruction . A Guru then is that which gives a Gur. a formula
or technique. that transforms darkness into light. ignorance into
knowledge. the gross into the refined.
A Guru is an active knowledge. It is not the intellectual knowledge
that simply classifies or analyzes. Guru changes you . Guru
develops the capacity to see. It removes darkness. The Shabd
Guru transforms the practitioner by removing the barriers erected
by the needs of the ego. The encounter with the Guru is through
action. It gives you Know How, not just Know What. It gives you
procedural knowledge that is in your cells and your subconscious.
not just representational knowledge in your ideas.
To encounter the Shabd Guru is to learn by doing, by experience,
by engaging in a practice. That key practice for Shabd Guru
is the meditation and repetition of specific primal sounds and
phrases.
That may seem simple. But simple does not necessarily mean
easy or without challenge. The greatest challenge is the practitioner’s
own subconscious. The mind is not trained to base itself
in its relationship to the Infinite. It is based in ego. It is filled with
reactive thoughts that try to maintain
When you repeat the the attachments of the ego and try
patterns of sound and
thought in a Shabd,
those thoughts counter
the direction and
intensity of the habitual
to avoid pain. When you repeat the
patterns of sound and thought in a
Shabd, those thoughts counter the
direction and intensity of the habitual
thoughts. The Shabd provokes a
thoughts based in ego. release of the stored subconscious
patterns of thinking and feeling. If,
under the torrential flood of subconscious feelings and thoughts,
you persist in repeating the pattern of the Shabd Guru, then the
new pattern establishes itself. Your mind clears. and you awaken
dormant inner capacities or enhance existing ones.
From where do the patterns of the Shabd Guru come? They
exist from the beginning of creation. They are the tides and
rhythms of the movement of the creative pulse of I nfinite consciousness.
They vibrate in all things continually.
It is only the ability to hear and feel them that is needed. That
capacity comes to a mind that is fearless. neutral. open and awakened.
The ten Gurus of the Sikh path heard perfectly. They put
that rhythm and pattern of energy into the poetic compositions of
the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. That’s why it is called a Granth rather
than just a collection. Granth means ” knot. ” It is a knot that
binds the pattern of awareness into the words of the songs. Each

Shabd is a template for an aspect of awareness and a potential of
consciousness. Each Shabd is a kind of spiritual DNA that naturally
restructures the mind and stimulates the brain.
THE IMPACT OF THE SHABO GURU
The impact of the Shabd Guru comes from its masterful use of
the technology of sound and rhythm. It is a ” quantum technology.
” A technology is the application of a science. The sound patterns
of the Shabd Guru are based on the science of sound. In the
West this would be the science of reflex to create changes in neurotransmitters
to command the state of the brain and mind. It is
” quantum” because it manipulates the smallest particles of sound
and energy into effective combinations and patterns. It uses the
quantum patterns like seeds that act as blueprints for constructing
larger patterns. The atoms of sound build the molecules of
language, thought and mind.
I n time we will unravel many of the mysteries of this complex
relationship of sound. brain, neuro-endocrinology, psychology and
behavior. From the movement of the tongue to its reflexes to the
neuro-endocrine cascades leading to the change of mental state.
We are at the beginning of that study.
The techn iques of the Shabd Guru codified in the Siri Guru
Granth Sahib and in the mantras of Kundalini Yoga wait for us to
mine their secrets. But every person can use them right now to
elevate themselves, to heal. to develop stamina. to increase intuition.
They do not need to understand the science of the process.
They only need to apply the technology.
Because the reflex points are stimulated by the movements of
the tongue, you get the maximum benefit from the pattern of a
Shabd by consciously repeating the sounds out loud. That is
called jappa-conscious. conscientious recitation. Rotating the
tongue over the 84 reflex points in the pattern of the Shabd produces
the maximum impact on the gross level of the neuroendocrine
system. As the Shabd gets establ ished in the nervous
system and your subconscious, every cell of your body will resonate
sympathetically and vibrate the pattern with you. That is
called the state of ajappa jap-of repeating without repeating. I n
that ideal state, the resource released by the Shabd Guru i s always
available to you regardless of the momentary focus of your attention
on daily tasks. It may be the result of great devotion. much
practice and mastery, or it may simply come by grace. When that
state is reached. you still repeat the Shabd out loud. but the
dimensions of joy and awareness that accompany the practice are
limitless. You recite the Shabd in the beginning of the practice of
the Shabd Guru in order to clear the mind. and attain an awareness.
When you reach a stage of mastery, you still recite the

Shabd out loud because you have become the Shabd and the
Shabd has become you. There is a merger between the personal
experience of you and the impersonal experience of Infinity
beyond you and within you. The core technique to precisely
vocalize the Shabd of the Shabd Guru is useful and true for the
most novice beginner and for the most exalted master. The repetition
of the songs of the Shabd Guru is a tool as timeless and
unconditional as the Shabd Guru itself.
The ancient seers and the Gurus have left us maps and tools
to guide us into the territory we want to explore. They also give
us the clear warning not to confuse the maps for the actual territory.
They implore us to realize that no amount of study replaces
the knowledge which comes through experience.
To vibrate perfectly
requires a combination of
Shakti and Bhakti.
Shakti is the power of
precision and discipline
in the repetition. Bhakti is
the feeling of surrender
and devotion.
The human body is in fact a wondrous
musical instrument. It is constructed
with 72 strings. Each string
or “sur” acts like a meridian-it is a
flow of the energy of life called
prana. The inflow of cosmic energy
into the body cascades like a waterfall
through the crown of the headthe
Tenth Gate, and collects in seven
pools or special vortices. Those pools are called chakras or energy
centers. The 72 strings are controlled by three central strings or
channels. These are the ida and pingala-the left and right channels
at either side of the spine, and the sushmana-the central
channel up the middle of the spine. The upper centers vibrate with
the release of each independent thought. The thoughts of the mind
are released at a rate as high as one thousand thoughts in the blink
of an eye. These vibrations or patterns of thought ” pluck” those
strings. The strings vibrate into the 72,000 channels. Their vibration
creates the shape and function of the physical body, the emotional
body and the mental body, just as you stroke a string on an
instrument and the vibrating string forms a shape in the air.
If you can vibrate a pattern in the central channel it will
induce a synchronous pattern throughout all the rest of the
strings. This is known as sympathetic vibration. To vibrate a
Shabd in the central channel you must become still, bring your
full attention to the sound pattern and let go of your attachments
by devotion or surrender. To vibrate perfectly requires a combination
of Shakti and Bhakti. Shakti is the power of precision and discipline
in the repetition. It is the pure energy which infuses all
implementation without human tiredness. Bhakti is the experience
of surrender and devotion; it is the devoted dedication which provides
the energy to complete everything. Shakti and Bhakti are
form and flow, sun and moon, rhythm and tone in perfect blend.

That opens the intuitive knowledge of the central channei-Gyan.
The thousand thoughts released by the mind can easily distract
you. They can pull you away from the Shabd. But the rhythmic
Naad of the Shabd Guru engages and synchronizes the flow of
thoughts. The pulse of the atoms of sound produces a pattern of
energy that structures the space of the mind to link with the
Shabd. This produces an active stillness, a shuniya, a zero-point in
the consciousness. In that stillness you are like an instrument perfectly
played in an orchestra. The sound of your instrument merges
into the larger tune and becomes one with it.
Another map for understanding the mechanism and impact of
the Shabd Guru traces the reflexes between the tongue and the
brain. The body is perfectly designed to use the Naad or rhythm
of the Shabd Guru. There is a connection between the movement
of the tongue in the mouth and the chemistry of the neuro-transmitters
in the brain. The originating end of this connection is the
array of 84 reflex points on the upper palate of the roof of the
mouth, the ” keyboard ” of the computer of consciousness (See The
Science of Naad.)
AFFIRMATIONS
Affirmations and positive statements are hel pful and good to
use. Mantras are effective and gradually create changes. But the
Shabd Guru, as captured in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, is unique.
The patterns are a perfect weave of rhythm , sound, tone, focus,
and meaning. They act as informational DNA for the spirit. There
is noth ing as effective and universal as those patterns to program
the consciousness to be in alignment with the soul.
THE POWER OF WORDS
Words are the perfect neuro-stimulators to activate and connect
many areas of the brain. When combined with repetitive movement
and with the powerful limbic/hypothalamic influence of the
breath, they are a potent tool to elevate moods, enhance your
range of feelings and command the cellular basis of your consciousness
and state of mind. Science has not mapped all the
twists and turns of the brain’s neural maze. There are still secret
corners, unknown territories and surprises to discover. One of the
richest sources of understanding how to use words and rhythms
to create whole brain patterns and to integrate emotions and
thinking is captured in the quantum technology and primal sound
templates of the Shabd Guru. The rhythmical phrasing and the
sonorous use of words are maps into those secret areas.
The Shabds of the Guru capture the patterns of sound and
energy in templates of consciousness. Part of the effect comes from
the rhythmical combination of basic sound elements that underlie
all languages. The Shabd Guru uses common language in an

uncommon way. Like all samples of the Word coming from people
absorbed in the ecstasy of the Infin ite, it is filled with meaning,
structure and poetic richness. It is poetic, purposeful and potent.
The simple primal word units in linguistics are called phonemes.
They are the smallest unit of speech that distinguishes one word or
utterance from another. The patterns of the Shabd Guru use this
quantum or atomic level of language and the corresponding structures
imposed on our brains by the universal grammar that underlies
all language. It doesn’t matter what your language is. Repeating
primal sounds vibrates the base of language itself.
THE PRIMAL SOUNDS-QUANTUM PATTERNS
Repeating the pattern embedded in a Shabd ingrains that pattern
of primal sounds into the brain. It affects us by the pattern of the
sound itself as well as by the higher levels of symbolic meanings.
That is why, to have the maximum impact, we repeat it while giving
our full attention, reproducing it in the same manner as it was
spoken-without rushing or slurring, and by vibrating it in the central
channel of the spine and brain.
These sounds are universal
and based on the full use of
your brain’s potential. It is
already yours. It is in your
cells. The person who uses
them and has the experience
is the person to whom it
belongs. It is not specific to
any religion or group. It is the
science of sound for personal
experience and development.
Each primal sound is a unit
that is pronounced by a particular
part of the mouth. When we
form a word to speak it, the
tongue moves and touches the
palate, the top of the mouth
and the teeth in a well-defined
area. It directs the pressure of
the air and vibrates the vocal
chords and specific areas in the
skull. These primal sounds form
unique combinations that use
these areas of reflex to direct the
patterns of the brain. Not every combination of sounds will create
a pattern of wholeness or a pattern for healing. The Shabds
are a treasure chest that records a perfect sample of patterns of
wholeness and healing. They form a well-tested legacy for our use.
Yogi Bhajan, as the expert on the ancient linguistic technologies
of the yogis, explained that the linguists of old had two systems
of grammar to understand the structure a nd effects of language.
One is normal grammar as we think of it. The other is
called nirukta or “beyond the forms.” It didn ‘ t translate the basic
word units, like “Ma”, from common meaning. It interpreted them
according to the energy, emotion and awareness they create. This
was a very sacred and secret science. It was used to awaken
human potential and to heal. He explained the discovery of 84
reflex areas on the top of the mouth. The tongue hits these areas
as it forms the primal sounds. The act of creating each primal

sound contacts a pattern of points that sends a message directly
into the hypothalamus, a central area of the old brain that directs
impulses and feelings and helps integrate the activity of the two
hemispheres of the brain. By rotating the tongue across these
points using the primal sounds, different parts of the brain are systematically
called into action. These specific sound sequences are
healing. They create wholeness. repair the body image, adjust the
flow of thoughts and never create any harm. They apply to all
people regardless of temperament or constitution. It is possible to
use combinations that are targeted for just one quality alone. But
that is an entire science and requires individual diagnosis and
great sensitivity of the practitioner. Using these primal sound patterns
balances everyone and lets the i ndividual’s constitution
select the special energy it needs. An analogy is white light versus
the colors of the spectrum. All the colors are in the white
light. You can absorb from the white light just the frequencies you
need regardless of who you are because all the frequencies are in
it. These primal sound patterns release the full range of the healing
and sustaining energy of your brain. Each person individualizes
its effects just by using it.
These sounds and shabds are perfect to share with everyone
openly without special precautions or restrictions. One student
asked if he had to be initiated . He had received a mantra from a
particular group as part of meditation training. The answer is no.
These sounds are universal and based on the full use of your
brain ‘s potential. It is already yours. It is in your cells. The person
who uses them and has the experience is the person to whom it
belongs. It is not specific to any religion or group. It is the science
of sound for personal experience and development.
This is very important. Repeating the primal sounds captured in
the Shabd Guru is really about listening-listening with wide open
ears and full attention. It is whole brain listening. It is not simply
concentrating with a singular, robotic focus on the sounds; it is an
opening up of the sphere of awareness to the sound current.
The structure and words in the primal sounds of the Shabd
Guru do something very useful to the inner chatter and dialogue.
They balance the inner critical voice and the incessant rationalizations
given by the dominant left hemisphere areas. By keeping a
relaxed and mindful attention on the rhythm of the sounds, the
full range of feelings and intuition is drawn into contact with the
inner stories and the abstractions we use. When I meditate, when
I do naam simran with a phrase from the Shabd Guru, I do not
try to stop the inner chatter. I simply let the feel ing of the primal
sounds rise and match the thoughts thrown into the mind by my
inner dialogues. The left brain and its allied parts are busy fabricating
stories and reasons. I blend this with the steady centered
rhythms of the shabd. The two combine into greater emotional

and conceptual clarity. The brain will always produce streams of
inner chatter and seek out sensations. It is designed to do that. So
do not try to create silence or block thoughts. We just synchronize
them with the sounds and the breath. That new energy and the
new resources from other parts of the brain lets us naturally experience
our feelings and thoughts in useful and authentic ways.
THE ROOTS OF LANGUAGE & THE VEHICLE OF WORD
When all our energy is spent and hope has abandoned us, we search
for the rhythm of upliftment. When we are exalted and victory is
ours, we search for the overtones of triumph to be joyous. Sound is
in our genes. Word is potent and we seek it when we want to regenerate
or express ourselves. It is the heritage of all humanity.
Words are sounds that we produce and use in language for
communication. Sounds are natural vibrations like wind and bells.
Words are psychoactive. They activate parts of our brain and the
neuro-chemical channels of our emotions. Words are associated
with different areas of the brain and different hemispheres. You
can awaken different brain areas by the words you use and the
charge you put behind them.
THE CRUCIAL MIND-BRAIN-BEHAVIOR LINK
Sound, breath and their rhythms are the crucial link in the mindbrain-
behavior chain. Scientists have documented our capacity to
self-heal, to affect the immune system by thought and emotion, to
rapidly change behaviors believed to be incorrigible, and to act in
a state of flow that produces top performance and a generalized
state of delight. The mystery has been: what is the link?
The old model of the brain and nervous system is finally giving
way to a basic understanding of the subtle complexity of the
intimate interconnections between our genes, cells, nerves, glands
and actions. The brain is no longer thought of only in terms of the
nerves or as a computer. The brain is understood as part of a
labyrinthine supersystem of chemical messengers, neural pathways,
perceptions and self-regulating loops of information and
energy. It is all tied together by chemistry and rhythm.
In this supersystem the link between sensations, thoughts and
the rest of the body is the limbic system, the hypothalamus, and
the pituitary and pineal glands. This group of neuro-endocrine centers
coordinates the neural imprints and associations of the cortex
with the brain’s chemical messages. The messengers are hormones
and neuro-peptides. They form an ocean of information and energy
swirling between all our cells. Those cells have receptors, special
sites that can recognize the messenger chemicals. The result of
the message is a change in metabolism or physiology. The genes
and the complicated cellular machinery produce new chemicals
that release energy, change cellular shapes and structures, trigger
healing and immune responses and create emotions and moods.

Hypothalamus
The top of the pyramid, and the center of information of the mind
body system, is a collection of psycho-active centers no bigger than
a large walnut. It receives information from all the senses, from the
ideas and associations of the “higher” cortex, and from all parts of
the body-from genes, cells, muscles, and movements. It sends information
in the form of chemical messengers, neuro-transmitters that
prepare the body-mind to learn, to express feelings and to act. That
flow of information is not linear and one-directional. It reverberates in
waves. It pulses like a musical rhapsody. The conductor of the hypothalamus
keeps the attention of all the parts and uses rhythm as the
central driver to coordinate all the separate instruments of feeling,
awareness and energy. The whole super-system of nerves and glands
is regulated through intricate combinations of biorhythms. The central
driver for those rhythms is the breath. It is the baton of the master
conductor. When each part is
alert to the conductor, · aroused
and mindful, the stroke and pattern
of the baton sets the mood
of the music and makes the
whole orchestra act together in a
perfect flow. The rhythm and
quality of the breath, along with
the properly used sound or
Shabd, is interpreted like a code
in the hypothalamus. Each stroke
of the breath, and stimulation of
the 84 points by the tongue is a
The breath rhythm and quality,
and properly used sound or
Shabd, is interpreted like a code
in the hypothalamus. Each
stroke of the breath, and
stimulation of the 84 points
by the tongue is a beat of the
baton that releases waves
of neuro-chemical
messages to activate the
pituitary gland which
commands all the other glands
beat of the baton that releases waves of neuro-chemical messages to
activate the pituitary gland which commands all the other glands
which regulate the level of our immune function, the quality of our
emotions and the flexibility and effectiveness of our actions.
When we learn to regulate our self using the Shabd Guru and the
regulation of the life breath, we take charge of the fundamental
linkage of mind and body. Changing the patterns and rhythm of
sound and breath with the Shabd Guru uses the neuro-endocrine link
to affect four important systems:
􀃧 the autonomic nerves, sympathetic and parasympathetic, that
control states of excitement, relaxation and high performance;
􀃧 the endocrine system that produces hormones and controls our
moods and the feeling of vitality and energy;
􀃧 the immune system that keeps us healthy and resists disease
and the ravages of stress;
􀃧 the senses and central nervous system through the neuro-chemical
ocean of the body that connects all the cells.
This is the power of the Shabd Guru! It uses sound, breath and
rhythm to command the mind-brain-emotion-body-action loop. If

shabd and breath is the conductor, you are still the composer. You
can change the notes creating chords of happiness or sadness. You
can bring the instruments to a rising crescendo or lull them with gentle
melodies. You can write a grand symphony or a playful jingle. You
can create feelings of joy, enthusiasm or calmness.
The details of all those chemical and neural mechanisms is complex
and is beyond what you probably need or want to know from
this manual. At this point in time, any complete scientific explanation
must be partial because the research is not complete. The limbic
link of the hypothalamus is well established. The impact of the
breath is well known. The power of sound is just beginning to be
studied. This whole area of study is enjoying a renaissance of interest.
A flood of new discoveries will come out over the next few years.
The number of chemical messengers we recognize will probably go
from around 500 to over a thousand. While all the details are being
worked out, you can read the real message from the bigger picture.
You can enjoy the impact of the quantum technology and the practices
of the Shabd Guru and all the effects of personal transformation.
Here is the basic sketch of the levels of that key linkage. It tells
you about the big picture, so you can appreciate the mechanisms and
potentials that are called on by this simple and elegant form of exercise.
These points are only the signs for the major off-ramps into the
amazing territory of energy, excellence and healing in the body.
The Conductor: the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary axis
The hypothalamus is a region of the limbic system whose main job is
to receive information from the cortex, the cells of the body, and the
senses and transform them into the chemical messengers that trigger
emotions, metabolic activity and actions.
It is the real master of communication in the body-mind. True,
we are more conscious of sensory images and i nternal dialogues, but
even these must be translated into a common language that can
reach all the types of cells in the body. All the radically different functions
of the instruments of the body are coordinated here. The hypothalamus
sends branches down through the brain stem into areas
that govern arousal, attention and metabolism. It sends other branches
upwards into the cerebral cortex, limbic cortex and the central
relay station of the anterior thalamus. By communicating in both
directions it responds simultaneously to the turbulent demands of
inner and outer environments. More importantly it establishes a state
of the body-mind, a readiness for action of physiology, emotion and
stream of thought. It is those stabilized states, those chords of feeling,
the arias in our opera, that make up the emotional mosaic of our
sense of self and our life. If you try to maintain a state of mind by
holding one thought it is very difficult. The thought is slippery and
is immediately joined by hundreds of other competing thoughts. But
if you stimulate the hypothalamic conductor to set the state of the

body-mind, it is like tuning a particular frequency on the radio or a
channel on the television. In that mode or state certain thoughts are
easy to hold, others are excluded automatically. This conductor
guides your mood, your mode and your mind.
Bodily movement sends sensory information, stirs metabolism,
improves circulation and hence communication to the conductor.
Breath is the central link to the rhythms used by the conductor. The
sound patterns of the Shabd Guru are the musical score that create
appropriate states of consciousness. All the instruments of the body
pulse and communicate in rhythms. The conductor has to pull these
streams together into a harmony. The sound and breath record and
drive the other rhythms of the body. All the instruments pay attention
to the strokes of the breath .
Endocrine glands: instruments for energy and moods
The conductor interprets the thoughts of the mind from the nerves
of the brain and sends hormones to the pituitary gland. That gland
is a ” master gland. ” In the East it is associated with the “third eye”the
intuitive functioning of the human that can know things not consciously
recognized by the mind. We have traced some of the paths
that start with the associations made in the cerebral cortex, then go
to centers in the hypothalamus, and then activate nerves that project
i nto one of the two lobes of the pituitary. Those nerves produce
” releasing factors” , neurosecretions-messengers that tell the pituitary
to release hormones into the blood stream. Those hormones travel to
special receptors throughout the body.
But it is not a simple relay. The state of the hypothalamus and
the mode in which it responds depend on input from the key rhyth ms
in the body. Breath is linked to our emotional and metabolic state.
Subtle regulation of the breath can change the type, balance a nd
ran ge of hormones released in the system . This in turn cranks up
the metabolism with extra reserves of cellular energy for top performance,
and modulates the moods that are the background for our
emotions. The field that specializes in studying these mechanisms is
called neuro-endocrinology.
The depth and the frequency of the breath along with the pitch,
rhythm, i ntensity and sequence of sounds one creates are especially
important in cueing the pituitary function and its integration with the
pineal gland. Regulating the breath with primal sounds or the shabds
turns the breath into pavan guru, a teacher through the very action
and sensitivity of life.
Autonomic Nervous System:
Instruments for Action & Relaxation
The autonomic nervous system is the system we associate with our
capacity for emergency response. That is the half of the autonomic system
called the sympathetic system. It is the gas pedal of our body. It

speeds the breath, sends the heart racing, and raises the blood pressure.
Once it is turned on by anger or fear, it lasts a long time. The
whole body gets one message-wake up and go ! The other half of
the autonomic i nstrument section is the parasympathetic system. It
is the brakes. It slows the breath, and relaxes the digestion, nerves
and circulation. You become calm and easy going. Its message is
“relax, take it all in and enjoy what you have.” Together they send
” go ” or ” relax” messages to all the organs of the body (lungs, heart,
intestines. adrenals, etc.).
The Shabd Guru is one
of the best tools to
strengthen the parasympathetic
system and
balance the rhythm of the
autonomic system so it
can repair itself.
The senses and the mind generate
impulses that go to the conductor. The
conductor evaluates these according to
the overall state of the body-mind
based on the input from cellular messengers
and from the status of the
rhythms in the body. Then it cues each
part of the autonomic system to send
our neurotransmitters to create change.
One of the major impacts of
this balance of gas and brake is the distribution of blood flow
throughout the body. It can make you warm or cold. It can nourish
tissue or create degeneration. It can stimulate the growth of tumors
or initiate shrinkage as it cuts off blood supplies. It changes basic
processes like the clotting of blood, the healing of bruises, and the
strength of the immune system’s response to infections and stress.
There are two important points about this part of the mind-brain
link. The health of this balance is maintained by a constant, stable
rhythm of activity in the nervous system. You probably heard of circadian
rhythms-daily rhythms like sleep and waking. But the most
important rhythm for the conductor is the ultaradian rhythms, ones
which are shorter and occur all through the day. If these shorter
rhythms get out of synchronization, then you get cellular jet lag, psychosomatic
illnesses of every kind and a general emotional slump or
even a chronic sense of malaise. Maintaining this core rhythmic quality
of the nerves, commanded from the conductor, is an essential task
to feeling good, being happy and staying healthy. Second. you can
change the balance of the autonomic system by switching the relative
openness of one nostril over the other, and by switching the
ratios of the inhale and the exhale. It is such an important regulatory
mechanism that the body handles it on its own when everything
is stable. It is called the nasal cycle and is well documented. It varies
from about 65 to 150 minutes in individuals with a strong average at
about 90 minutes in most healthy people. It turns out that this is a
fundamental driver for all the rhythms in the body, In fact research
shows that even the hemispheres of the cerebral cortex shift levels of
activity with the shift of the nostrils.

Consciously resetting this rhythm with the Shabd Guru helps to
heal many problems that come from overworking the sympathetic
side of the autonomic system. The Shabd Guru is one of the best
tools to strengthen the parasympathetic system and balance the
rhythm of the autonomic system so it can repair itself.
Immune System: instruments for defense
The new field of study that connects psychology, chemistry, neurology
and the immune functions is called psychoneuroimmunology. The
main thing to know is that immunotransmitters form communication
links between the producing and responding cells of the immune system
and the hypothalamic centers. Through this connection the
immune system interacts with both the endocrine and the autonomic
systems.
Using the Shabd Guru and breath to entrain the rhythms of the
hypothalamus and hence the whole body, creates a healing response
in the immune system. It improves the use of cells like natural killer
cells and helps the removal of toxins and the fight against viruses.
Senses & Central Nervous System
The limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary team sends and receives messengers
from all over the body. The senses receive and transmit stimulation
from the environment which alert the conductor who sends back
instructions of how open or closed to be. One of the most common
comments after a deep recitation of a Shabd is the astounding clarity
of physical vision. The eyes seemed to have cleared and there is a
new sense of dimension. This is the feedback loop between the senses,
and the conductor when the breath is used to enhance the
rhythms regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary axis.
The hemispheres of the brain are part of this as well by coding
different types of emotions in different areas. Their constant shifting
of dominance creates dynamic blends of moods that interact with
the endocrine system via the conductor. We change the composition
of our internal chemical ocean to establish a basic state of experience.
We learn and grow, or get stuck and show illness. according
to the flexibility of our super-system to switch states in a timely and
appropriate way.
THE SHABO GURU PRESCRIPTION
This outline of the mind-body-breath link. and the central role of the
hypothalamus, gives you some idea of how responsive and subtle the
mind-body system is. It should also leave you more confident that
you can create great changes in your self, from top to bottom, from
cell to brain, and from feelings to moods. It is the incredible process
of creation, or perhaps the wisdom of the Creator that made every
molecule in communication with every cell and thought. I nherent in

that design you have a perfect tool in the Shabd Guru and the breath
that is both powerful and easy to grasp.
There are many mysteries to that design that are yet to be uncovered.
There is the connection to the pineal gland. It is a tiny piece of
tissue in the bottom center of the brain that looks like a wilted mushroom.
It is usually thought to become useless after puberty. It’s linked
to hormones that regulate sexual growth and give sensitivity to light.
But it has many functions in the neurochemical conversation of the
body. There is a special connection between its higher functions and
the use of the breath. When the breath is very slow (e.g., taken in
In the body, the
concordance of many
rhythms from different
organs and groups of cells
can resonate in many
modes. That resonance can
be induced by the ratios of
sound and breath induced
by the Shabd Guru.
at least four breaths a minute or
less, or in certain segmented
ratios) a channel is opened by the
hypothalamus between the pituitary
and the pineal glands. This
flow creates a release of what is
called amrit or inner nectar. When
this message is sent. the potential
of the entire nervous system
becomes active and is accelerated.
Vitality cascades through all levels of the mind-body linkage. Nerves
scintillate. The muscles regenerate and become strong. The glands
send ecstatic waves of messengers to declare victory and healing.
That capacity is yours. It is in your very design. It comes from no
drug, no special belief. It is a result of your whole brain and supersystem
coming into synchrony.
This is the capacity of exercise, breath and attention. It is the prescription
that uses no drugs. You are the drug factory. All the required
chemicals are produced within your own body. The number of messengers
and the range of effects are much greater than simple sedation
or excitation. The hormones from the pituitary and the pineal
gland are now known to increase the enjoyment of social relationships
and the ability to bond with others. There is a chemistry to our
relationships too.
THE PENDULUM EFFECT, ATTUNEMENT & RESONANCE
Two processes enhance the impact of the quantum patterns of the
Shabd Guru: the pendulum effect and resonance. Watch a pendulum
swing. Tap it slightly exactly as it reaches its zenith. A little
tap will make it gain energy. It is just like pushing someone on
a swing. It takes very little effort to keep the swing going against
the forces of friction and gravity if your timing is just right. The
pendulum effect in the Shabd Guru comes from the timing and
synchronization of the tongue and breath with repetition. Instead
of effects from high levels of effort, the effect comes from a gradual
build up of synchronization and the energies natural to the

body-mind system that are released. When this happens it is not
a jerk or a lightening bolt. It is more like a spreading wave of alertness
or lightness. It is your own system uncoiling itself rather than
a force shoving it.
Resonance is the other factor that creates the spectrum of specific
effects. When the opera singer hits high high C a nd the glass
shatters, that is resonance. It is the attunement of a particular frequency
to the shape of the glass so that the energy can be
absorbed by that glass. Different shapes have different fundamental
frequencies at which they can vibrate. That is the basis for
instrument design. The body has many cavities that resonate to
specific words and sounds. High pitches will be felt in different
areas of the body than low. The assembly of many rhythms in the
body from different organs and groups of cells can resonate in
many modes. That resonance can be induced by the ratios of
sound and breath used in the Shabd Guru. This is, in fact, the
underlying basis of the power of music to affect our consciousness
so deeply. It is the resonance of the body cavities and the
body’s subtle systems produced sympathetically by the tones and
the complexity of the resonating patterns that create.
CONCLUSION
There are two powerful tools at your disposal: words and rhythm. A
simple, conscious use of these has profound effects. Words and
sounds are psycho-active events that are rooted in the body and give
roots to the sense of self. Rhythm increases our sense of balance, of
control of our movements and general well-being.
WE DO NOT N EED N EW CHOICES. We are flooded with choices.
We need an elevated capacity to make choices. We do not
need more information. We need the wisdom to use all the information.
We do not need another religion. We need the experience
of a lifestyle or path-a dharma-that creates the spiritual fitness
to act believably on our beliefs. The Shabd Guru is a special kind
of technology with a unique contribution to develop potentials
a nd handle the problems of the new age-the Aquarian Age. I n
the body i t produces vitality; in the complex of the m ind i t awakens
intelligence and develops wisdom and intuition; in the heart
it establishes compassion; in each person’s consciousness it
builds the clarity to act with fearless integrity.
Excerpted from Basis, Use & Impact of the Quantum Technology of the
Shabd Guru by Yogi Bhajan and Gurucharan Singh Khalsa.

Tuning in with the Aai Mantra
Ong Namo Guru Oev Namo

The Adi Mantra is the first technology of a Kundalini Yoga student
or teacher. It is a meditation. It is a state of consciousness. It is the
link between you as a finite personality and you as a flow of the
Infinite consciousness that guides the Kundalini energy. We always
start a class or a personal practice with this mantra.
Practice this mantra to become a master of the ability to put
aside your own fears, pride, expectations, and manipulations. Let the
link of consciousness touch you and teach through you.
Chanting the Adi Mantra
To center yourself before doing Kundalini Yoga, chant the Adi
Mantra at least three times. Adi means ” first” or “primal.” Mantra is
the creative projection of the mind through sound. This mantra is
the first creative action. It centers you into the higher self and
reminds your lower minds that it is not your ego that will practice
or teach Kundalini Yoga. It is an invitation to your higher self to take
the helm and guide the course of the experience. Technically it is the
linking mantra for the Golden Chain. The Golden Chain is the inner
spark of kundalini that is passed person to person; teacher to student;
guru to teacher; cosmos and God to guru. By chanting this and
linking yourself consciously, the exercises and meditations that you
practice are guided by your higher consciousness and all the teachers
that have brought this opportunity to you. It makes you very
receptive and sensitive to the messages of your body, mind, and
intuition.
However, it is only to be used as a link when you are to teach.
It is not like an individual mantra, which is complete in itself. It is a
hook that creates a flow, which you serve. If your need is spiritual
linkage and guidance then there is another form that is used: the
complete Adi Mantra. (See Meditations With Mantra chapter.)
Whenever you begin your Kundalini Yoga practice, start by sitting
in an Easy Pose with spine erect. Press both palms together at
the center of the chest with the fingers straight up. Press the second
joint of the thumbs tightly against the sternum at the level of the
5th-6th ribs. Concentrate at the Brow Point. Inhale deeply and chant
the words in one long breath as you exhale. The word Dev rhymes
with ” save.” It is chanted a minor third higher than the other
sounds. The gentle pressure created by the sound increases like a
gradually growing wave on dayu.
The sound ong is created in the inner chambers of the sinuses
and upper palate, like a conch. It is made with all the air coming
through the nose. The mouth is open so that the cavity of the
mouth acts to enhance the resonance of the sound. It is the ” ng”
sound that is emphasized. (Make sure the lips are firm while chant-

ing the sound “ong.” Otherwise, the sound ahang is created, which
means “ego ! ” ) The first part of Namo is short and rhymes with
” hum ” . The “oh ” sound is held much longer. The first syllable of
the word g’roo is pronounced as in the word ” good.” The second
syllable, ” roo ” , has a sound that rhymes with the word ” true. ” The
Adi Mantra is to be chanted on one breath. IF a short breath must
be taken after Ong Nama, do not draw the breath out so much that
the rhythm of the mantra is changed.
The meaning of the mantra
Ong is the creative energy of the total cosmos and consciousness of
the Creator as experienced in the creation. It has the connotation of
energy and activity. It creates involvement without attachment. It
generates shakti, the generative force of life. (The sound is not Om,
which is the sound for withdrawal and relaxation.)
Namo means to bow to or to call on, with respect and receptivity.
It is the type of bowing that grants dignity through acknowledging
a higher consciousness and discipline.
Ong Namo calls on your consciousness to become subtle and
receptive to its higher resources. I t i nstructs the conscious and the
subconscious to let go of the normal restrictions to functioning that
is imposed by the limited ego.
Guru means wisdom or teacher. It does not mean a personality,
but a source of knowledge. Not just any knowledge. It is the kind of
knowledge, which transforms you, alleviates pain and increases
awareness. Guru in the spiritual context is the embodiment of the
Infinite. The word can be broken into parts: Gu means darkness or
ignorance; ru means light or knowledge. Gur means a formula to
systematically attain a goal. So a guru is something which can give
you a gur to transform your gu to ru!
Dev means subtle, etheric, divine or belonging to the realms of
God. It implies sophistication and wisdom.
Guru dev namo calls on the subtle wisdom that guides you in
an impersonally personal manner. It is a wisdom that is stored and
transmitted through the subtle and radiant bodies of the aura. It is
the realm and guidance of Guru Ram Das.
If the limited individual ego in which we normally live is a small
pond, then Ong namo releases us into a vast and endless ocean.
Guru dev nama gives us the experience of the wisest Navigator and
all of his charts to guide us to the many ports we are to serve and
experience.
Mangala Charn Mantra
Ad Guray Nameh, }ugad Guray Nameh,
Sat Guray Nameh, Siri Guru Devay Nameh
If you choose to, after the Adi Mantra, you may chant the
Mangala Charn m antra three times.

)apji Sahib
ONE O F THE GREATEST RESOURCES available to teachers of
Kundalini Yoga is the vast repertoire of shabd, of mantra. of perfect
templates of I nfinity captured in the rhythms. content and
tones of sound in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. The Siri Guru
Granth is a highly sophisticated experience of mantra. It is 1430
pages of the spoken words of seven of the ten Sikh Gurus along
with those of other enlightened people of many faiths. It is not
a scripture, but a Siri Guru. By chanting its words, one recaptures
the consciousness achieved by the great souls whose words have
been codified and passed down to us through the ages within
its sound current.
The very beginning section of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib is
known as japji Sahib. The forty paurees of japji (pauree means
step, like on a staircase). the many mantras. the various sounds
of japji as captured by Guru Nanak are one of the core sources
for mantra and shabd in Kundalini Yoga. Every word is part of
the rhythm and tide of Infinity passed on, practiced, and used
as a tool.
Sometimes students and even new teachers may be reluctant
to use mantras. as they think they are associated with religion.
This is not the case. Mantras were given by enlightened beings,
some of who were Sikh Gurus. as a gift of transformation for all
to use. They are not the possession of any religion. they are the
heritage of humankind. They are perfect tools because they came
through yogis who had completely clear and neutral minds.
These mantras are imprinted with the signature of the I nfinite.
As teachers. playing japji or any of the musical renditions of particular
paurees in the background during relaxation is effective.

There is as much structure i n each gem of the Shabd Guru
as you wish to find. For example. there are 8 chakras. including
the entire aura. and five tattvas-earth. air, fire. water. and ether.
Eight times five gives you 40. If you take the first step, the Mul
Mantra. it is the Eighth Chakra at the frequency of ether. If you
go all the way down to the final 40th step, it is the earth element
in the First Chakra. Repeating the entire japji adjusts all the
elements in all the chakras and completely adjusts your subtle
and physical bodies. Yogi Bhajan has given the specific effects of
repeating each of the paurees i ndividually I I times a day. See the
following page for the benefits each one can bring.
japji acts as an inner compass that always gives direction
to the many aspects of the self. The rich variety and beautiful
poetry in which it is delivered to us is part of the gift of the
House of Guru Ram Das and the Shabd Guru. Share it freely and
never hesitate to explore it more deeply in your personal practice
as well as to use it with the many other varieties of mantra and
shabds that we’ve been given i n this tradition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Effects of the Paurees of )apji
Reciting the entire japji daily will balance all aspects of your
self, and activate your soul. Or, you may choose one pauree to
work on a particular facet. In that case, recite it I I times a day.
· The Mul Mantra is a fate killer. It removes the fate and
changes the destiny to prosperity.
· The second half of the first pauree is an antidote to depression.
It will lift you from depression, insecurity, nightmares, and
loss.
· The second pauree imparts patience and stability.
· The third pauree transforms insufficiency i nto suffciency, turns
depression into elevation, and transforms low self-esteem into
complete self-confidence.
· The fourth pauree blesses those trapped in feelings of poverty
and lack of means. It blasts through the trap of these feelings
like a thunderbolt.
· The fifth pauree must be recited when you feel a sense of failure
within yourself. When you feel that you are not up to the
job this pauree will grant you all success.
· The sixth pauree dispels limitation. Recite it when you feel
limited, cornered, trapped, or coerced.
· When you suffer from greed, madness for power, overbearing
expansion and the need to control, when you become trapped
in your territoriality, the seventh pauree will heal you.
· The eighth pauree gives the power to be a perfect sage.
· The ninth pauree gives expansion.
· The tenth pauree grants grace.
· The eleventh pauree gives virtuousness.
· When you feel small, the twelfth pauree gives you solidarity
of self, self-impressiveness, and self-respect.
· The thirteenth pauree gives you the occult knowledge of
infinity. It brings deep intuition.
· When you cannot find your path in life; when you cannot see
the direction to your destiny, and when you cannot achieve
fufillment; the fourteenth pauree will show you the way.
· The fifteenth pauree brings salvation.
· The sixteenth pauree gives knowledge of the structure of the
universe.
· The seventeenth pauree brings freedom and resurrection.
· The eighteenth pauree fights madness, deep feelings of inferiority,
and self-destructive behavior
·The nineteenth pauree brings universal knowledge, inspiration,
and revelation.

· When the monsters are nipping at your heels, the twentieth
pauree wipes away all your sins.
· The twenty-first pauree will maintain your status, grace and
position.
The twenty-second pauree brings victory in legal battles. It
gives you the strategy.
· The twenty-third pauree dispels darkness and elevates the
self.
· The twenty-fourth pauree breaks through all limitations with
the force of a thunderbolt, so powerfully that it affects generations;
it has the power to kill misfortune.
· When you recite the twenty-fifth pauree all your needs
become pre-fulfilled. Prosperity, virtue, estate, and wealth are
yours without asking.
· The twenty-sixth pauree transforms nothing into everything.
In your business it banishes losses, misfortunes, and miseries.
· When you are stuck and you cannot see the window of opportunity
before you, the twenty-seventh pauree shows you the
way. It removes obstacles so you can leap over hurdles.
· The twenty-eighth pauree is the strongest permutation and
combination of words in the world. It unites you with God.
· The twenty-ninth pauree is a shield of protection from
enemies. It vaporizes animosity towards you.
· The thirtieth pauree places you upon the throne of divinity. It
makes you into a sage and a saint.
· The thirty-first pauree pulls all virtues from the heavens.
· The thirty-second pauree pays your debts and completes your
karma.
· The thirty-third pauree destroys your ego and brings forth
your divinity. It removes negativity, neutralizes your destructive
nature, and prevents harm to others by your hand.
· The thirty-fourth pauree brings stability.
· The thirty-fifth pauree gives you the capacity to do your duty
and fulfill your responsibility.
· The thirty-sixth pauree brings divine realisation. It grants
complete understanding of the Heavens and the Earth.
· The thirty-seventh pauree cuts the karma. It eliminates the
impact of all bad karmas.
· The thirty-eighth pauree gives you the power to rewrite your
own destiny.
· The shalok brings self-satisfaction, elevation, acknowledgment,
and respect.

Mul Mantra
The Ballad of Enlightenment

Ek ong kar, sat naam, karta purakh, nirbho, nirvair,
akal moort, qjoonee, saibhuno, our prasaa. ]ap!
Aaa sach, juyaa sach, haibhee sach,
Nanak hosee bhee sach.

THE MUL MANTRA WAS G IVEN BY GURU NANAK-a great
yogi, healer, and founder of the Sikh lifestyle. This mantra captures
a complete philosophy and psychology of human potential in one
compact phrase. That philosophy is the essence of Kundaini Yoga
and humanology. It states that in the dimension of awareness,
there is an existing perfection, and in the dimension of consciousness,
a possible evolution.
One morning while doing his sadhana in a river, Guru Nanak
disappeared for three days in an ecstatic awakening. When he
reappeared all observers said he seemed to have a glowing light
all around him-an aura so strong that most people could see
what was normally invisible to them. In this mystic state of realization
he sat with his students and uttered this mantra. It was
the first thing he said to capture the fullness of his vision of the
human being and the Cosmos.
This entire mantra is a compass that points towards God. The
chant describes the human-in-God consciousness. It doesn’t
describe God-who is indescribable. It orients you like a compass
in the direction to walk and to go.
This complete mantra has everything in it. It is a technology
and a description and a techn ique. It forms the basis of the consciousness
that we wish to develop and that exists in our very
soul. Technically the Mul Mantra goes up to jap. Aad sach,
jugaad sach, haibhee sach, Naanak hosee bhee sach is a Mangala
Charan-a mantra that connects the speaker and the Infinite, the
I nfinite and the speaker. Yogi Bhajan has often referred to the
Mangala Charan part of the Mul Mantra as a kundalini mantra.
The entire Mul Mantra is the highest of all mantras, and it
contains in it the root of sound that is the basis for all effective
mantras. To repeat it, to use it in meditation, to go into the depth
of it, is to be entranced by the depth of the soul. It is the technique
called sahej sukh dhyan-sukh means comfort, sahej means
easy, and dhyan is the depth of meditation-that comfortable and
happy way to meditate that is slow, with little exertion and perfect
balance. In the philosophy of Guru Nanak and with the
understanding of a yogi, we can look at life’s goal: to remain in
perfect flow and contact with our sense of Godhood, to l ive in the
known and unknown will of God. Guru Nanak has said that we

only sin when we forget our Identity; when we forget in our
essence, in our being and our vibration the reality of God and
Guru in our soul.
When we recognize the exalted state of awakening described
in the Mul Mantra, we act in alignment with the pattern of
Universal Truth. We l ive with the kundal ini risen, with awareness
as the guide, and we act not from ego but from the deep currents
of the soul and life. We are awakened in intuition, intelligence,
and instinct.
Ek ony kaar The universe is one without division. One creator is
in every action and thing. We are connected with all things. We
are a creative consciousness
Sat naam Truth is our identity. We are vibrating our existence.
Karta purakh We are creative beings. We exist to do everything
God dictates. This is a direct order coming from the essence of our
very nature. There is a simplicity to the beauty of actions done
within the will of our highest consciousness.
Nirbho, nirvair Living in our True Identity, we are fearless and
revengeless.
Akal moort, qjoonee, saibhung: We are to live as God has
made us. We are the very image, the personification of God. We
are Infinite and we exist in the sovereignty of our own unique identity
because we have come here already pre-destined. Aka/ Moort is
our pattern which exists beyond death. Ajoonee implies that this is
so by grace, that we are not caught purely in the cycle of birth and
death. We have been sent, and we come freely. Saibhung; we are
sovereign and autonomous, yet we act with the integrity of totality.
Gur prasatt. How can we experience this understanding? Gur
Prasad is the blessing, the grace, the transforming touch of the
Guru, the teachings embodied. Grace alone completes our full
merger with the Infinite. This experience is a gift from the Guru.
When your merger is complete with gurprasad, what is the natural
desire of your soul? To meditate …
}ap! To repeat and vibrate consciously. Chant out loud. Penetrate.
Focus. What do we meditate on? The kundalini mantra, a
Mangala Charan, the connection in the elevation unto God:
Aaa sach, juyaa sach, haibhee sach, Nanak hosee bhee
sach. Meditate on that which was true in the primal beginning, is
true through every activity and age, is true at this instant now,
and Nanak says will be true forever.

Mantras Frequently Used in Kundalini Yoga

AOAYS TISAI AOAYS
Aadays tisai allays
Aall aneel anaall anaahatjugjug ayko vays

I salute Thee, the Primal One, pure, in the beginning, through all
time, through all the ages-the One.
These are the words of Guru Nanak and a salutation to the Infinite-to the
God beyond the Infinite God. If you master this pauree of japji, the entire
knowledge of the universe and beyond will come to you without ever reading
a book. This mantra initiates you into that knowledge which is within all. It
is the yogi’s humble bowing to the Infinite.
AO GURAY NAMEH
(MANGALA CHARAN MANTRA)
Aall guray nameh􀃝 jugaall guray nameh
Sat guray nameh􀃝 siree guroo tlayv-ay nameh
I bow to the primal wisdom.
I bow to the wisdom true through the ages.
I bow to the true wisdom. I bow to the great unseen wisdom.
You are guided from the primal core and beginning, through every
moment of experience and activity, guided in your heart’s deepest
truth and being by the unseen Infinity of your highest self. This is a
mantra which clears the clouds of doubt and opens us to guidance
and protection. It surrounds the magnetic field with protective light.
AOI SHAKU
(KUNDALINI BHAKTI MANTRA)
Aallee shaktee􀃝 namo􀃝 namo
Sarab shaktee􀃝 namo􀃝 namo
Pritham bhaagavatee􀃝 namo namo
Kunllalinee􀃝 maataa shaktee􀃝 namo􀃝 namo
I bow to the Primal Power.
I bow to the all Encompassing Power and Energy.
I bow to that through which God creates.
I bow to the creative power of the kundalini, the Divine Mother
Power.
This devotional mantra invokes the primary Creative Power which is
manifest as the feminine. It calls upon the Mother Power. It will
help you to be free of the insecurities which block freedom of
action. By meditating on it one can obtain a deeper understanding
of the constant i nterplay between the manifest and the unmanifest
qualities of the cosmos and consciousness.

AO SACH
(KUNDALINI SHAKTI MANTRA)
Aall such􀃝 jugaall such7 haibhee such
naanak hosee bhee such
True in the beginning, True throughout the ages,
True at this moment, Nanak says this Truth shall ever be.
This mantra connects the speaker to the Infinite and the Infinite to
the speaker. It is from japji.
Aall such jugaall such haiBHAY such
naanak hosee bHAY such
There is a slight difference from the above. This is the 17th Slok of
Sukhmani Sahib, the words of Guru A􀅟an, the 5th Sikh Guru. When
things don’t move, this mantra adds the seeds of prosperity into your
personality. All that is stuck shall move.
AAP SAHAEE HOA
Aap sahaaee hoaa
Sachay llaa sachay dhoaa􀃝 Har􀃝 Ha􀃟 Har
The Lord Himself has become my protector.
The Truest of the True has taken care of me. God, God, God.
This mantra takes away negativity from the surrounding environments
and from within. It is a gift that lets you penetrate into the
unknown without fear. It gives protection and mental balance.
ANG SANG WAHE GURU
Ung sung wha-hay guroo
The dynamic, living ecstasy of the universe is dancing within every
cell of me.
This mantra eliminates haunting thoughts.
AROAS BHAEE
Ardaas bhayee􀃝 amar daas guroo􀃝
amar daas guroo􀃝 ardaas bhayee
raam daas guroo􀃝 raam daas guroo􀃝
raam daas guroo􀃝 sachee sahee
This is a simple permutation and combination of words that manifests
beyond the realm of creativity and activity. This mantra assures
that all needs are provided for and guarantees the prayer will be
answered. It can help when going through Shakti Pad. Chant this
mantra to help release a difficult situation. Ardas bhayee is a mantra
prayer. If you sing it, your mind, body and soul automatically combine
and, without having to say what you want, the need of l ife is
adjusted. It guarantees by the Grace of Guru Amar Das (the hope of
the hopeless) and Guru Ram Das (the King of the yogis and bestower
of blessing, past, present, and future) that the prayer will be answered.

A/AI ALAI
JUai Alai 􀉖
Abhai Abai
Abhoo l{joo
Anaas Akaas
Agufli Abhutri
Alukh Abhukh
Akaat Oyaal
Alayk Abhaykhe
Anaam Akaam
Agaahaa Ac:thaahaa
Invincible. Indestructible.
Fearless. Everywhere.
Unborn. Forever.
Indestructible. Within everything.
Invincible. Indivisible.
Invisible. Free from wants.
Immortal. Kind.
Unimaginable. Formless.
Unnameable. Free from desires.
Unfathomable. Undamageable.
Anaatay Parmaatay Without a master. Destroyer of all.
l{jonee Amonee Beyond birth & death. Beyond silence.
Na Raagay Na Rungay More than love itself Beyond all colors.
Na Roopay Na Raykay Formless. Beyond chakras.
Akaramung Abharamung Beyond karma. Beyond doubt.
Agafliay Alaykhay Beyond battles. Unimaginable.
This is from Guru Gobind Singh’s jaap Sahib, which rouses the soul
and the self. This brings great sensitivity to the Being and gives the
ability to be able to compute what people are actually saying automatically.
Once you recite this mantra correctly, it will give you the
power that whatever you say must happen. When you chant this
mantra you have the power to surpass anything.
OHAN OHAN RAM OAS GUR
(SHABO FROM SIRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB)
Dhan ahan ram aas gur jin syreaa tinai savaari-aa
Pooree ho-ee karaamaat aap sirjanhaarai tthaari-aa
Sikhee atai sangatee paarbrahm kar namaskaari-aa
Atal athaaho atol too(n) tayraa ant na paaraavaari-aa
}inee too(n) sayvee-aa bhaa-o kar say tuah paar utaari-aa
Lab lobh kaam krodh moho maar kadhay tuah sapatVaari-aa
Dhan so tayraa thaan hai sach tayraa paiskaari-aa
Naanaak too(n) lehnaa too(n) hai gur amar too(n)
veechaari-aa
Gur aithaa taa(n) man saaahaari-aa
Praise unto Ram Das the Guru, the one who created you. established you.
You are such a miracle! The Creator has installed you on a throne.
Your Sikhs. & all conscious people bow to you because you manifest God.
You are unchanging. unfathomable. immeasurable. Your limit cannot be perceived.
Those who serve you with love are carried across the sea of existence.
The 5 obstacles (greed. attachment. lust. anger, ego) cannot exist where you are.
The realm that you rule is the true place. True is your glory.
You are Nanak. Angad. and Amar Das the Guru.
Oh. when I recognized you. my soul was comforted!
This shabd reaches the realm of miracles. The impossible becomes
possible. When life seems stuck, praise the domain of Guru Ram Das,
the realm of the true Reality. It is the realm of the heart, of the Neutral
M ind, where all things become pure.
COPYRIGHT YOGI BHAjAN 2003

BOUNTIFUL_, BLISSFUL_, AND BEAUTIFUL
(MANTRA OF BLISS: AFFIRMATION OF TH E DIVI N E SELF)
I am bountifu/7 blissfu/7 anc:t beautiful.
Bountiful7 blissfu/7 anc:t beautiful ! am.
Ek ong kaar sat gurprasaac:t
Ananc:l bhayaa mayree maa-ay satiguroo mai paa-yaa
Satiguroo taa paa-yaa seht:i saytee
Man vqjeeaa vaac:thaaeeaa
Raag ratan parvaar pareeaa shabc:t gaavan aaeeaa
Shabc:to taa gaavho haree kayraa manjinee vasaa-yaa
Kahai naanak ananc:t hoaa satiguroo mai paa-yaa
The Creator and the Creation are One.
I know this by the Grace of the Guru.
Oh my mother, I am in Infinite bliss for I have obtained the True
Guru (the Word, the Shabd Guru).
I have met that True Guru easily, naturally;
divine music bursts in my heart.
The rhythmic beats are like cosmic jewels
and bring all powers through Divine Songs.
When God resides in you, the mind is filled by
and echoes with divine praise.
Nanak proclaims I dwell in supreme bliss
for I have merged with the True Guru.
This mantra is for self-esteem and self-confidence. After the affirmation
” I am bountiful. blissful, and beautiful” are words from the first
part of Anand Sahib-the Song of B liss-and the mantra Ek Ong Kar
Satgur Prasad which elevates the self beyond duality and establishes
the flow of sprit.
CHArrR CHAKKR VARTI
( LAST FOUR LIN ES OF JAAP SAHIB)
Chattr chakkr vartee7 chattr chakkr bhugatay
Suyumbhav subhang sarab c:taa sarab jugtay
Dukaatang pranaasee c:tayaatang saroopay
Sac:taa ung sungay abhangang bibhootay
Thou art pervading in all the four directions.
the Enjoyer in all the four directions.
Thou art self-illumined and united with all.
Destroyer of bad times, embodiment of mercy.
Thou art ever within us.
Thou are the everlasting giver of undestroyable power.
These are the last fou r lines of Guru Gobind Singh’s jaap Sahib. This
mantra removes fear, anxiety, depression, and phobias. and brings victory.
It instills courage and fearlessness into the fiber of the person. It
gives saahibee-control over one’s domain-self-command and selfgrace.
Recite this when your position is endangered. when your
authoritative personality is weak.

OHUNI
The Dhuni tape is an instrumental piece played on a one-stringed
instrument. It has a rhythm which works perfectly with the mantra Sat
Naam, Sat Naam, Sat Naam, ji, Wha-hay Guroo, Wha-hay Guroo,
Wha-hay Guroo jee.
EK ONG KAR SAT NAM SIRI WAHE GURU
(ADI SHAKTI MANTRA)
Ek Ong Kaar Sat Naam Siree Wha·hay Guroo
The Creator and all creation are one. This is our True Identity.
The ecstasy of this wisdom is Great beyond words.
This eight part (ashtang) mantra corresponds to the body’s eight
energy centers (7 chakras, plus aura). These eight words are the
” code” letters or the phone number of the direct line to connect
you, the creature, with your Creator. It was the first mantra Yogi
Bhajan taught during his first year in the United States. This mantra
creates a responsive interrelationship between you and the universal
creative energy. It is very powerful for awakening the kundalini energy
and suspending the mind in bliss.
Ek ong kaar-(uh) saa-taa-naa-ma
Siree wha-(uh) hay guroo
(LAYA YOGA KUNDALINI MANTRA)
This is the Laya Yoga form of the Adi Shakti Mantra. The rhythm of
the chant gives it a ” spinning energy. ” It rotates the energy of all
the chakras and the aura. It will make you creative and focused on
your real priorities and it helps you to sacrifice what is needed to
accomplish them.
EK ONG KAR SAT GUR PARSAO
(SI R! MANTRA)
Ek ong kaar sat gur parsaad.,
sat gur parsaad ek ong kaar
God and We are One.
I know this by the Grace of the True Guru.
I know this by the Grace of the True Guru.
That God and We are One.
This mantra is a gutka shabd-one that reverses the mind. It is the
essence of the Siri Guru. If the mantra is chanted just five times, it
will stop the mind and put it into reverse gear. The Siri Guru will sit in
your heart. It can stop anything negative. It is so strong that it elevates
the self beyond duality and establishes the flow of sprit. This
mantra makes the mind so powerful that it removes all obstacles. Its
positive effects happen quickly and last a long time. It needs to be
chanted with reverence, in a place of reverence. This mantra brings
great intuition to the practitioner. After chanting this mantra, anything
you say will be amplified and created with great force. So have
a positive projection and do not say anything negative for a while.

Normally when you chant mantras correctly, you benefit, and when
you chant them incorrectly, they don’t have any ill effect. But if you
chant this mantra incorrectly, it has a backlash. Normally we invoke
the sacred before practicing this mantra. Chant the Mul M antra or
the Mangala Cham Mantra before practicing it.
GOBINOAY MUKANOAY
Gobinday, mukanday_, udaaray., apaaray
Hareeung_, kareeung_, nirnaamay_, akaamay
(GURU GAITRI MANTRA)
Sustaining, Liberating, Enlightening, Infinite
Destroying, Creating, Nameless, Desireless.
This mantra can eliminate the karmic blocks or errors of the past. It
has the power to purify one’s magnetic field, making it easier to
relax and meditate. It is a protective mantra, an ashtang mantra
(having eight parts). Besides helping cleanse the subconscious
mind, it balances the hemispheres of the brain, bringing compassion
and patience to the one who meditates on it.
GURU GURU WAHE GURU
Guroo guroo wha·hay guroo guroo ram das guroo
(GURU MANTRA OF GURU RAM DAS)
Wise, wise is the one who serves Infinity.
This is a mantra of humility, relaxation, self-healing, and emotional
relief. It calls on the spirit of humility and grace of the realm of Guru
Ram Das, with its spiritual guiding light and protective grace. It reconnects
the experience of infinity to the finite, and therefore rescues
you in the midst of trial and danger.
The first part, Guroo Guroo Wha-hay Guroo is a nirgun mantra
(nirgun means without any qualities)-one which vibrates only to
infinity, having no actual finite components. It projects the mind to
the source of knowledge and ecstasy. The second part, Guroo Ram
Das Guroo is a sirgun mantra (sirgun means with form). It therefore
projects the mind to Infinity and then gives a finite guiding relationship
on a practical level. This mantra was given to Yogi Bhajan by
Guru Ram Das in his astral Self.
HAR
Har is one of the aspects of God-the Creative Infinity.
HARI (Haree)
Hari is Creation in action.
HAR HARAY HARI WAHE GURU
Har haray haree wha·hay guroo
This is a shakti mantra plus a bhakti mantra. It expresses the three
qualities of the word Har, the Creative Infinity: seed, flow, & completion,
unto the Infinite. This mantra can bring you through any block
in life . •

HAR HAR MUKUNDE
Har har mukunday
Har is the creative aspect of Infinity. Mukunday is the Liberating aspect
of the Self. This mantra turns challenges into opportunities; removes fear.
HAR HAR WAHE GURU
Har har wha􀃠hay guroo
Creative God in the ecstasy of Infinite Wisdom.
This creates balance between earth and ether and restores equilibrium.
It eliminates father/mother phobias.
HAR HAR HAR HAR GOBINDAY
Har har har har gobindayJ har har har har mukunday
Har har har har udaarayJ har har har har apaaray
Har har har har hareeungJ har har har har kareeung
Har har har har nirnaamayJ har har har har akaamay
(GURU GAITRI MANTRA WITH FOUR HARS)
This mantra fixes the mind to prosperity and power. It contains the
eight facets of Self. Har is the original force of Creativity. The four repetitions
of Har give power to all aspects and provide the power to
break down the barriers of the past. It converts fear into the determination
to use and expand the reserve energy of the Navel Point. It
invokes guidance and sustenance; all powers come to serve your true
purpose.
HAR SINGH NAR SINGH
Har singh nar singh neet naaraayanJ
guroo sikh guroo singiJ har har gayanJ
wha􀃠hay guroo wha􀃠hay gurooJ har har dhiayanJ
saakhat nindak dusht mathaayan
God the Protector takes care of the universe. Those who live in
God’s consciousness and power, chant Har Har. Meditate on Wahe
Guru and live in that ecstasy. Those who vibrate God’s Name and
relate to God, all karmas are cleared.
This makes one a conqueror of evil. It works on the evolution of
energy, and the strength of the masculine energy.
HEALffiY AM L HAPPY AM L HOLY AM I
This is a mantra in the English language that works as a positive
affirmation.
HUMEE HUM BRAHM HUM
We are we, we are God.
This mantra literally means that we are the spirit of God. It is total
spirit. Total spirit represents God. It fixes the identity into its true
reality.

HUMEE HUM TOO HEE TOO
Humee humJ too(n) hee too(n)J wha􀃠hay guroo
I am thine, in mine myself,
Ecstasy of Inner Wisdom beyond words
)AP MAN SAT NAM
}ap man sut naamJ sadaa sut naam
(SHABAD FROM SIRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB)
Oh my mind, vibrate Sat Naam, the Truth
This mantra opens one to the flow of prosperity by attuning the mind
to the power of Har, the Creative Infinity, the joy of merger with
Infinity.
KAL AKAL
Kat akaat siree kaal mahaa akaal akaal moorat
This protective mantra wraps around animosity and seals it closed.
It can remove the very shadow of death.
MUL MANTRA
Ek ong kaarJ sat naamJ kartaa purakhJ nirbhoJ nirvair
Akaal moortJ C{jooneeJ saibhangJ gurprasaad. }ap.
Aad suchJ jugad suchJ haibhee such
Naanak hosee bhee such
The Creator and all creation are One. This is our True Identity.
The Doer of everything. Beyond fear.
Beyond Revenge.
Image of the Infinite,
Unborn. Self-illumined, complete in the Self
This is the Guru’s Gift.
Meditate!
Primal Truth, true through all time.
True at this instant, 0 Nanak, forever true.
These are the first words of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, uttered by
Guru Nanak. The highest of all mantras, it contains the root of sound
that is the basis of all effective mantras. Sahej Sukh Dhian: the comfortable
and happy way to meditate that is perfectly balanced. The
goal of life is to stay in perfect flow and contact with the perception
of the soul at each moment. Imbalance comes when we forget the
reality of God and Guru in our soul. This mantra orients like a compass
towards God. It forms the basis of the consciousness of our very
soul.

ONG NAMO
Ong namo guroo ctaw namo
(ADI MANTRA)
I bow to the subtle divine wisdom, the divine teacher within
An ancient yogic mantra which allows the chanter to relate instantly
to the divine teacher within. Adi means primal or first and mantra
means the creative mental projection using sound. It is used to tune
in before Kundalini Yoga classes, to center us in the higher self. and
to spiritually guide both the teacher and the students during the class.
ONG SOHUNG
Ong means creative consciousness and so hung means ” I am Thou.”
Chanting the word “hung” stimulates and opens the Heart Chakra.
PAVAN GURU
Pavan pavan pavan pavan
ar para pavan guroo
Pavan guroo wha-hay guroo”
Wha-hay Guroo pavan guroo
(PRAN BANDHA MANTRA)
Pavan is the air, the breath, carrier of the prana, the life force. This is
God in action. This mantra increases the pranic energy and gives the
experience of “may the force be with you.”
PRITHVI HAI
(ISHT SODHANA MANTRA)
Prithvee hai akaash hai guroo raam aaas hai
This mantra balances the Earth and Heavens. It represents the struck
sounds of Earth (pritvi) and the unstruck sounds of Heaven ( akash),
crowning with the protection of the Neutral Mind, Guru Ram Das.
(Hai means “is.”) This mantra can penetrate the cosmos, transcending
past, present, and future.
RA MA DA SA
(SIRI GAITRI MANTRA OR SIRI MANTRA)
Raa maa aaa saa saa say so hung
Raa=Sun. Maa=Moon. Daa=Earth. Saa=impersonal I nfinity.
Say= Thou.
Saa Say=tota lity of Infinity.
So=personal sense of merger and identity.
Hung=the Infinite vibrating and real. So Hung= ” I a m Thou. ”
This mantra is a healing mantra in Kundalini Yoga and is an attunement
of the self to the universe. It brings balance. These eight sounds
stimulate the kundalini flow in the central channel of the spine for
healing. This mantra combines Earth (raa maa daa) and Ether (saa
say so hung), with Saa as the link word.

RAKHE RAKHANHAR
Rakhay rakhanhaar aap ubaariun
Gur kee pairee paa-eh ka4i savaariun
Hoaa aap aayaal manho na visaariun
Saaahjanaa kai sung bhavjal taariun
Saakat ninaak ausht khin maa-eh bitlaariun
Tis saahib kee taayk naanak manai maa-eh
)is simrat sukh ho-eh saglay aookhjaa-eh
God Himself is looking out for us,
gives us the light, and takes care of our affairs.
God is merciful, and never forgets us.
God guides us, giving us good people to help us.
God does not allow hurt to come to us.
I take comfort in the thought of God.
When I remember God, I feel peaceful and happy
and all my pain departs.
These are the words of Guru Arjan, the 5th Sikh Guru, and are for
complete protection. It is from the evening prayer (Rehiras), which
adds energy to one’s being, and helps when you are physically weak
or have limited wealth. It is a victory song which allows us to be
guided by God’s graceful and merciful hand. It does away with the
obstacles to fulfilling one’s destiny.
SA RE SA SA
(ANTAR NAAD MANTRA)
Saa ray saa saa, saa ray saa saa, saa ray saa saa, saa rung
Har ray har har, har ray har har, har ray har har, har rung
Saa is the Infinite, the Totality, God. It is the element of ether. It is
the origin, the beginning, and it contains all other effects. It is subtle
and beyond. Har is the creativity of the Earth. It is the dense element,
the power of manifestation, the tangible, the personal. These sounds
are woven together and then projected through the sound of ung or
complete Totality. This is the base mantra of all mantras. Adversity
melts before this mantra. It gives you the capacity of effective comm
unication so your words contain mastery and impact. This mantra
helps you conquer the wisdom of the past, present, and future. It
brings you peace and prosperity even if it wasn’t in your destiny.
SAT NAM
(BIJ MANTRA)
Sat naam
This mantra is probably the most widely used mantra in the practice
of Kundalini Yoga. Sat means truth-the reality of one’s existence.
Naam means the identity. It is a bij (or seed) mantra. Within the
seed is contained all the knowledge of the fully grown tree. The
essence or seed is the identity of truth embodied in condensed
form, Chanting this mantra awakens the soul and gives you your
destiny. This mantra balances the five elements (tattvas).

SA-TA -NA-MA
(PANJ SHABO)
Saa Taa Naa Maa
Saa=l nfinity, totality of the Cosmos
Taa=Life (birth of form from the I nfinity)
Naa=death (or transformation)
Maa=Rebirth
Panj means five, and expresses the five primal sounds of the
Universe. (SSS, M M M , TIT, N N N and AAA.) It is the atomic or
Naad form of the mantra Sat Naam. It is used to increase intuition,
balance the hemispheres of the brain and to create a destiny for
someone when there was none. This mantra describes the continuous
cycle of life and creation.
SAT SIRI SIRI AKAL
(MANTRA FOR THE AQUARIAN AGE)
Sat siree􀃞 siree akaat􀃛 siree akaal􀃞
maahaa akaal􀃞 maahaa akaal􀃛
sat naam􀃞 akaal moorat􀃛
wha-hay guroo
Great Truth. Great beyond Death, Great beyond Death,
Great beyond Death.
Truth is His Name, Deathless Image of God,
Great Beyond Words is this Wisdom.
This mantra captures the frequency of the Aquarian Age as we cross
the threshold into it. The mantra helps us to establish ourselves
outside the change of time as deathless beings. We are timeless.
Everything we do is from the timeless space of the soul.
SAT NARAYAN
(CHOTAY PAD MANTRA)
Sat naarayan wha-hay guroo􀃛
haree naaraayan sat naam
Sat Narayan is the True Sustainer. Wahe Guru is indescribable
Wisdom. and Sat Naam means True Identity.
Chanting this mantra gives inner peace, happiness, and good fortune.
It makes you intuitively clear and pure in your consciousness.
Even a person with low self-esteem can become majestic by chanting
it. The words i nvoke the various names of God to help bring
prosperity, peace of mind, and the capacity to look beyond this
world to realize the Infinite.

WAAH YANTEE
Waah yantee kar yantee􀃛
jag ctut patee􀃛 aactak it whaa-haa􀃛
brahmaactay trayshaa guroo
It wha-hay guroo
Great Macroself, Creative Self.
MANTRAS
All that is creative through time, all that is the Great One.
Three aspects of God: Brahma. Vishnu, Mahesh.
That is Wahe Guru.
This mantra is from the teachings of Patanjali. The practice of this
mantra is the culmination of thousands of years of prayer.
WAHE GURU
(GURMANTRA)
Wha-hay guroo
I am in ecstasy when I experience the Indescribable Wisdom.
This is a mantra of the Infinity of ecstasy and dwelling in God. It
expresses the indescribable experience of going from darkness to
light (from ignorance to true understanding). It is the Infinite
teacher of the soul. A trikutee mantra, it balances the energies of the
generating. organizing, and transforming principles. It expresses ecstasy
through knowledge and experience. It is the gurmantra, which triggers
the destiny. It is said that chanting Wahe Guru is equivalent to
chanting Har 1 1 ,000 times.
WAH£ GURU WAH£}10
Wha-hay guroo wha-hay guroo
wha-hay guroo wha-hay jeeo
Great beyond description is His Infinite Wisdom.
This is the mantra of ecstasy. This mantra means ” indescribably
great is God’s infinite. ultimate wisdo m . ” jio is an affectionate, but
still respectful, variation of the word ji, which means soul. The word
jio sends the message directly to the soul. “0 my soul, God is! ” This
mantra causes a very subtle rub against the center of the upper
palate and stimulates the meridian known in the West as the Christ
Meridian Point, and in the East as Sattvica Buddha Bindu. The
tongue and lips correspond to the Sun and Moon in their movement.
Soothe the wounds of life with the infinite bliss this mantra
induces.