Mantra

Skt., mantra
Tib., sngags

To define mantra in the most general sense, one can best describe it as a sound or melody consisting of one or more syllables. In translation, mantra is sometimes called 'an incantation', sometimes a 'magical spell'. In fact, a mantra can be both - or IS both - and it also shares some of the qualities of what other religions call 'prayer'.
Some mantras actually consist of no more than one single sound and/or (Sanskrit) letter, yet others are more or less short texts that are chanted according to a prescribed melody and rhythmic structure.

Mantras are most powerful when chanted, either audibly or purely mentally and silently, yet are believed to be effective in written form as well. They become especially powerful when repeated a great number of times, a technique that is known in Sanskrit as japa. The good example of this is the famous mantra Om Mani Peme Hung, which is recited innumerable times every day in Tibet, Nepal, Ladakh, Bhutan ... everywhere in places where 'Mantrayana' (synonym for Vajrayana) is practiced.

Mantra-practice is recommended in order to aid the devotee in focusing the mind and in concentrating cosmic/psychic energies. Mantras are an integral and required part of Tantric ritual and are prescribed at certain stages in most rituals; especially during the stages leading up to maithuna. A typical description of such practice is given in the Gupta-sadhana Tantra. The text gives an example in which a man worships a woman by reciting his personal mantra 100 times each on her head, forehead, face, throat, heart, navel and 200 times on her breasts. This is to be followed by 100 recitations on her yoni.

Tantra also knows special mantras which are to be recited when partaking in one of the makara. Samples of such mantric texts, taken from the Parananda Sutra, can be found under maithuna and mudra/3.

The Tibetan term for mantra (sngags) is also the root for the name of non-monastic practioners called Ngakpa and Ngakmo.