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Text © 2025 Rādhikā Dās

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To my cherished teachers, dear family and friends,
and to all who seek truth and love

FOREWORD

The tradition of chanting is ancient and spread across the cultures of the earth. But practices need to be translated to remain relevant for contemporary people. Traditions should not become museums filled with artifacts that collect dust. However, the challenge is to make such practices accessible without losing the essence.

Rādhikā Dās’s book speaks to us in the language of modern times, while maintaining the high spiritual values, wisdom, and insights of the venerable Bhakti tradition. Thus, the book is a vibrant guide to the treasures of chanting—a living connection and highly invigorating relationship with the Supreme. Explore, apply, and experience the wonderful world of mantra.

Sacinandana Swami

preface

“Think of mantra as a compassionate cosmic friend.”

I’ve always wanted to be free. As a child, I dreamed of becoming an adventuring pilot who soared through the skies. As a teenager, I desperately wanted “out” from parental restrictions, and as a young adult, I couldn’t believe that the rest of my life would be bound by a nine-to-five schedule. It just didn’t make sense to me. I wanted to be free to sing, make music, reach out, live a life less ordinary—free to be.

At first, I thought it was everything outside of me making my life difficult—rules, norms, expectations, disappointments. But that wasn’t true. Somewhere along the way, it started to dawn on me that my most challenging opponent was inside: the mind.

What is freedom?

A most unyielding adversary, the mind sometimes puts on boxing gloves and does your dreams over with fears and doubts. Sometimes it creates a traffic jam of plans, wants, and needs, all heading in different directions. At least, it did for me. Over the past fifteen years, I’ve been redefining freedom for myself:

• Freedom is becoming unperturbed (or at least much less disturbed) by the endless pushing and shoving of my mind.

• Freedom is knowing that I am not my mind.

• Freedom is not feeling dependent on cheap stimulants, sweet foods, alcohol, or entertainment to feel good.

• Freedom is no longer seeking validation from others to feel confident.

• Freedom comes from creating a sacred space inside, separate from all else, a spot of bliss.

• Freedom comes from filling my cup and letting it overflow to others.

• Freedom is plunging, diving, floating in an ocean of love.

• Freedom came after making mantra my best friend…

Spain 2010: When mantra found me

My relationship with mantra began in the Spanish mountains of Brihuega. I had joined fifty other young people on a spiritual retreat organized by the Hare Krishna temple in Hertfordshire. The retreat was a summer annual to encourage young people to engage with mantra practices and philosophy. Every trip was based in a beautiful European temple. This was my fourth time. The previous three summers I had gone mainly to get away from home. Let’s face it—my parents were only going to let a sixteen-year-old traipse around Europe if the trips were organized by the temple, which meant no alcohol or funny business. In all the retreats, I would sleep in with a few other rebels, skip classes (as they seemed heavy), and avoid mantra sessions, because singing and dancing felt awkward.

In 2010, the guys convinced me to go to Spain. I knew this was going to be my last shot at these retreats, as I was by then old enough to travel without supervision. Deep down, I liked the people, food, and fun, but I hadn’t clicked with the whole package.

These retreats brought another inner conflict, too. At home, I was part of a cool clique who were into the clubbing and drinking scene. I was scared that they would think I was a weirdo. I never let on that I was going to these retreats. It was like living a double life. The temple guys were a different kind of “cool,” who were into mantra and meditation. The two lifestyles were uncomfortably different.

For Spain, I also lied to my new girlfriend. She was fiercely atheist and would have said this was all weird religious malarkey. I told her I was going on a family holiday to celebrate my uncle’s birthday. Though I didn’t want to be dishonest, I was still working up the courage to tell her that I somewhat liked this new stuff.

On the last day of the retreat, she unexpectedly dumped me! Worse, she did it by text message, without any explanation. I couldn’t understand it. I also couldn’t catch enough reception to text back. So there I was, sitting at the back of the hall with nothing to do but notice that everyone else was absorbed in kirtan (a meditative practice where sacred names of the divine person are chanted to music). I liked kirtan, though not in a serious way. I understood that the practice was said to cleanse and lighten the heart of misery, but I wasn’t convinced about this or the other claims that it raises our consciousness and fills us with love.

Nevertheless, I listened now, more intently than previously. The mridanga drums (a two-sided classical Indian drum) seemed to soothe with their rhythm. The violin reverberated sweetness in the air. The devotional lead singer seemed to offer his whole being as he chanted a mantra. He called it out. The audience repeated. He called it out again. As this carried on, the sound called out to me. It called me to attention. It called me to my feet. I guess I was so frustrated about the break-up that it was easy to sing out these emotions with the chanting. The lead singer invited us to offer our truest sentiments upward with the mantra. “Infuse the chanting with a heartfelt calling,” he urged us. That was easy enough for me. I was hurt, confused and desperate for clarity. I found myself getting up and shuffling about to the music. Dancing wasn’t really my thing, but the beat was catchy. I started to feel soothed.

Anger found an outlet as I concentrated on the mantra, and gradually I organized my emotions as I channeled them through my voice. I expressed upward. I let it go. The feelings of frustration were subdued and I woke up to something else—the sound. Rise up, it said. Flow with me. Go with me. All will be. I felt connected. It was a marvelous feeling. I never imagined a balm for heartbreak could come for free and with no hangover. Throughout the meditation, the lead singer sang with an irresistible, comforting smile. It was mesmerizing. At the end, I whisked to the front to talk to him. “What is this? This is for me,” I tried to say in one breath. He grinned.

I told him about my troubles. He listened. He offered some gentle words—something about how it takes time to find ourselves. I don’t think I even understood what he meant, but I knew there was something deeply real beneath his soothing gestures.

And that was it. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the turning point in the journey of my life. Thankfully, my girlfriend relented and took me back. We married and have been happily together ever since. After seven years of informal guidance, the mantra leader was gracious enough to formally become my spiritual guide in 2017 and remains a pivotal part of my life.

To my utter surprise and joy, I also found my way to a much-more-than-ordinary vocation! As I dived into kirtan for myself, opportunities to sing for others grew, and before I knew it, I’d embarked on a career of sharing mantra as kirtan with public audiences. And that’s me now: singing at the top of my lungs and from as deep down in the heart as possible—and hoping to spend the rest of my life learning to make mantra my dearest friend and protector.

With this book, I hope to be the go-between for you and mantra, and I trust that you will discover how its super-powerful energy can raise your mood, brighten your day and transform your consciousness. The practice of chanting can create for you a personal space for nourishment, reflection and healing. It can positively change your life, too—in many ways, big or small. In mantra I trust.

Let’s begin.

introduction

Sound alters reality.

“Mantra gives us shelter and respite in a moment of timelessness.”

Usually, we think change comes with time, spontaneous or planned events, new decisions, a new look, new people or jobs or homes or holidays. Certainly, these can spark a pivot in direction, but there is also one fundamental element that is essential to our lives but doesn’t get much press for its powerful ability to bring about change. Let’s make some noise about it… drum roll, please… introducing the changemaker extraordinaire: sound!

We are shaped by sound

We are permeated by the myriad forms of sound: music, a good ol’ hum, talking, laughing, crying, singing, arguing, gossiping. From the buzz of our alarm clocks first thing, our every day is shaped by a clamorous track of audible alerts from phone messages, train doors, traffic lights, cash registers, coffee machines, and more. News, views, and advertising surround us, shape us, and often overwhelm us. Throw in some honking, drilling, and sirens… the blaring beats go on and on, pushing and shoving us along in life.

The power of these sounds is obvious. Our moods alter with a favorite tune, a harsh tone, or an abrasive interruption. We are lifted or deflated. Why? Because sound alters reality. But not just our emotions and feelings; it changes physical, tangible matter, too. Take a wineglass, for example. Sound, which in its essence is a vibrating wave, can make a wineglass sing or break when certain frequencies are passed over its surface.

For centuries, shamans (healers and priests from traditional indigenous cultures) have used ancient song and instruments to heal the body. In modern times, we use ultrasound to create images for medical diagnoses. There are many documented experiments where plants repeatedly “spoken” to in abusive curses have decayed, while plants that received complimentary praise bloomed. Sure, scientific evidence for these experiments may be lacking, but our human experience clearly demonstrates that positive self-talk energizes us, while depressed and derogatory self-criticism deflates us. Thus, all these examples show that material sound waves move, influence, and change us and the objects around us in many ways.

Transformation through spiritual sound

Spiritual sound can bring phenomenal change, according to the Bhakti tradition—an ancient Eastern movement that formalized in the seventh/eighth century in India, and that held loving devotion to divinity, represented by a supreme divine person, expressed in mantra, song, and poetry as its core practice. Setting itself apart from casteism, ascetism, and ritual, the Bhakti philosophy welcomed all parts of the community to serve, worship, and feast together. Communal devotional chanting with music and dance was considered the most fundamental catalyst for the deepest transformation possible.

Over primeval history, sacred sound has manifested as mantras—utterances that have formed into audible words or phrases. Said to come from a sublime dimension far beyond material reality, they carry pure, superhuman, supercharged energy that bestows enduring benefits.

To me, mantras are gifts from divinity. Expressions of love. Made of love. In fact, mantra is love—love shaped and arranged as an auditory experience, overflowing with the intention to bring peace, presence, connection, vision, and fearlessness to anyone whose ears are touched by it.

At an elemental, atomic level, mantras are made up of Sanskrit sounds called akshara, which means words that are imperishable and immutable. Once released into the atmosphere, they may change from one energy form to another, but their vibrations play on indefinitely—healing hearts, minds, and the atmosphere in tangible and intangible ways.

The incredible gifts of mantra

Humans are built for connection. We have an intrinsic need to connect to ourselves, to others and to something bigger out there. Mantra helps us to tick all three boxes. They are incredible, lovable utterances. They feel good to say. They sound intriguing and melodious. They allow us to focus our attention, calm the mind’s chatter, awaken our consciousness, and come into “presence” as their sound resonates. This opens the opportunity for us to perceive reality from an uplifted place.

People have defined mantra in many ways over the years—centuries, in fact. In a snapshot, the ancients had a Sanskrit saying: Manaha trayatiti mantrah. A bit of a mouthful, but simple if we break it down:

• Manaha translates to “mind.”

• Trayati means “to free,” “to deliver,” “to liberate,” “to release.”

• Mantrah is “mantra.”

Bring it all together and you have: “That which delivers the mind is mantra.”

Over the past few years, my team and I have been developing “mantra nights”—public events in beautiful settings where both new and seasoned enthusiasts join us in a musical experience of chanting mantras. In a call-and-response style, I lead the chanting, accompanied by a ten-piece band who play an assortment of Western and Indian instruments, including Indian drum, harmonium, saxophone, violin, flute, and percussion. We create a massed sacred space where everyone can sing, express emotions, connect to their hearts and each other, while immersing in sacred sound.

These events have taken place in venues such as the yoga space at OmNom in Islington, TripSpace in Shoreditch, Swiss Church and Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden, and Clayfield House in High Wycombe. Sometimes these are done in collaboration with charities and recovery groups.

I can never forget our first concert, which took place in 2022 at Cecil Sharp House in Camden, London. All the various communities came together. The atmosphere was electric! I was moved to see everyone chanting and dancing as one family, united by mantra. I almost couldn’t believe it. I held back tears throughout the night and was ignited with the passion to keep growing the events, audiences, and band.

We followed this up with an escapade at Union Chapel in 2023, which is when everything really blew up. We held a huge, thousand-person gathering, and expanded the band from five to fifteen. We got Rex, an epic bass guitarist, Vik, who is awesome on tabla, Michael on piano, Tom, whose saxophone playing comes from the heavens, and Preetha, who brings utter serenity with her violin.

I sang one mantra that blew the roof off. Before we’d even started the chant of Radhe Govinda, I felt in my bones that something incredible was about to happen. We started slow and soothing, but I felt a tingle and came off our practiced tempo. I nodded to Abhay, on the mridanga, to kick into a groovy beat. I threw in a few alaaps (elongated bars) which built up to a crescendo. Nrtya Shekara (whose name aptly means “king of dance”), who was sitting on the stage, jumped to his feet and broke into some funky dance moves. Everyone in the auditorium caught his contagious enthusiasm and shot up, too. And lo and behold: mantra magic happened!

For twelve minutes everyone sang, danced, and chanted their hearts out. It was incredible! And since then, every month, about a million people relive the track, which has put us on the global map. What a blessing!¹

Now we have run packed-out mantra meditation nights in London, New York City, and Mombai. We have gradually outgrown our venues. We get people from all walks of life—in suits, saris, leather jackets, and yoga pants. All are looking for the same thing: connection, inspiration, and a good time. Though the meditational practice is ancient, it has adapted to become the modern way to find energy and peace. Participants often tell me they leave with a sense of calm, grounding, or unexplainable joy. They feel so uplifted and good about themselves that they are excited to continue exploring their journeys with mantra.

From my perspective, this is natural because mantra feeds the heart’s hunger. It speaks the language of love known best to the heart. In receiving an overflow of love, the mind becomes enthused and invigorated in a meaningful way, without the use of external stimulants and influences. Everything becomes possible as we begin to see our potential and navigate life through the eyes of love and compassion.

Mantra also grounds us with its atmosphere of permanence, stability, and assurance. It descends from a place of eternality, where there is no past or future but only an ever-present blissful reality. As we take in the mantra, we brush with the same mood and become grounded and peaceful. Unexpectedly and unconsciously, we have come upon truth: our true self is eternal, part of divinity, and consequently separate from the ever-changing complexities of external material life.

We are a soul—a little piece of “forever,” which is unchanging and stable. In contrast, all the sources of our stresses are situations in never-ending flux—“He doesn’t love me anymore,” “She’s become too needy,” “I might lose my job,” “I want that promotion,” “I just don’t know who I am anymore,” “We’re moving,” “We don’t have enough money,” “He’s not getting better,” “The doctors have said it isn’t looking good for me,” “There’s just not enough time to do so many things” … The list is endless. Mantra gives us shelter and respite in a moment of timelessness.

Freeing the mind

As we’ve seen, mantra “delivers” the mind from an anxious or unhappy state to an uplifted and positive one, like a letter from London to Hawaii, or from blaring city traffic to the beautiful countryside.

In our everyday lives, so much can feel unstable. With just a tiny bit of news, so much can suddenly change for better or worse, without notice. This is enough to create anxiety for the best of us. Through concentrating on mantra, you can retreat and regroup in a spiritual space that is unimaginably serene and safe, all while sitting in your kitchen, yoga studio, an over-crowded train or wherever you are.

When I first heard of this possibility, I was amazed. Could this be true? During my university studies I was ambitious—desperate to succeed in business, build security and impress family and friends. But I fell into a frenzy when my first jobs in property weren’t working for me. I was bored stiff. I’d be sitting on the train to Angel feeling grey and dreary. Everything felt monochrome. This can’t be my destiny, I thought, again and again.

In the background, I organized kirtan events and this was my lifeline. The communities we were forming and the mantra chanting itself delivered brightness and color to my mind. In fact, they delivered my life.

So what exactly is kirtan?

The Sanskrit root of kirtan is kirti, which means “glory.” Kirtan means to praise divinity using mantra in song. This is done with instruments and often with many people. Kirtan expresses our call for love and service. It is a meditative practice that unites chanters in voice and purpose and is considered the core practice of the age.

In her book about the origins of kirtan, Pranada Comtois writes that in the sixth century, in south India, the Alvar poet-saints were the first to bring kirtan to prominence. They broke from institutional conventions and wandered around temples and towns, singing their hymns of intense love for the divine. They sang in the vernacular rather than in Sanskrit. They gave voice to all classes and permission to all people to express their hearts in local languages.

About a thousand years later, in the sixteenth century, Shri Chaitanya, a divine saint, furthered this cause on an unparalleled scale across India. He harmonized various Bhakti philosophies and established a tradition that held kirtan as the foremost practice for connection to the divine person. Chaitanya featured as a spiritual teacher and social reformer who helped deepen the Bhakti–kirtan renaissance that took place in the 1500–1600s.

His biographies describe Chaitanya as seven feet tall, golden-hued, beautiful, and always chanting and dancing in his swaying robes. Travelling from village to village, with a party of followers who loved kirtan and playing instruments, he was like a whirlwind who swept up everyone into a fervor of chanting. When he danced, the earth was said to tremble under his force. The power of his devotion moved everyone to join his night vigils and all-day dancing and singing of sacred divine names. Chaitanya was said to have had long arms that metaphorically embraced the whole world. His love was so intense and boundless that it had no sectarian boundaries. He shared camaraderie with leaders of other Bhakti traditions, faiths, and philosophies—those who believed divinity to be only an expansive energy, Buddhists and Muslims. As we will see later on, he even reached out to the animal kingdom when he journeyed through some forests. His melodious chanting intoxicated the tigers, elephants, and wild animals so much that they forgot all predatory instincts and danced together in fellowship and love. Fast forward to 2024, and the global kirtan scene features artists of all races, nationalities and lineages who share mantra in concerts and festivals. Through kirtan, my passport pages look like a grand stamp collection thanks to events and workshops all around the world. In each gathering, there is always a part of the audience that does not speak English, but in seeking a dose of spiritual bliss they become connected through the language of the chants.

We recently entered the scene in Australia. We booked to do mantra meditation nights in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, and needed to upgrade the venues three times to accommodate larger audience numbers, as tickets kept selling out. I’ve got much better with flying, but it isn’t my favorite activity, so I had to take a deep breath before the journey. The slightest sign of turbulence saw me pulling out all the mantras!

When I facilitate and lead the kirtan experience, I sit at the front and face the audience. Often, I ask members at the start of such a session to look left and right at the people around them. Mostly, they are unknown to each other. Polite strangers. Two hours later, after some soul-stirring kirtan, I ask again for everyone to look left and right. Somehow, strangers aren’t strangers anymore. People feel a warmth and empathy towards each other. A kind of fellowship.

You might say that this can happen at a concert, too. Sure. But the special difference in kirtan is the other-worldly nature of sacred sound. Participants come into the presence of divinity—of a loving, supreme person whose presence is felt in the heart. Because I conduct the musicians and raise or lower the tempo, sometimes, as a rocking kirtan peaks, I deliberately stop the instruments. Suddenly, there are no beats, and everyone has to tune in with deeper attention and expression with their voices. You might expect that the atmosphere troughs, but no. Without fail, the atmosphere heightens every time. In a unified, a capella style, everyone sings. Audience members tell me afterwards about a shift that was palpable but difficult to describe.

Connection through japa meditation

Although I spend most of my time sharing kirtan with communities in public events, I have also made a daily personal commitment to chanting mantra as japa in my private space. This is a form of meditation where the practitioner sits in a peaceful place and repeats a mantra over beads in a soft murmur.

It is a solo practice, allowing the individual personal time to calm themselves and then concentrate on repeating a mantra. The goal is to connect and converse with the supreme being in a respectful and affectionate way. We try to bring the body, mind, and heart into alignment for this practice by immersing all the senses. We sit cross-legged and tall so that we remain alert. A mala (108 beads strung together, rather like a rosary) is used, so the fingers and mind can focus on each mantra, at each bead. This engages our sense of touch and allows us to become present and alert. By softly repeating the mantra and listening to our voices, we also keep the mind attentive and focused on the spiritual sound. This allows the vibration to enter our ears and go within, though this is often the most challenging part because the mind always wants to wander off into other thoughts. Whenever it does, we try to gently bring it back under control by turning back to the sound and remembering the meaning of the mantra, which is essentially to call out for connection.

To help us concentrate, it’s always recommended to say the mantra aloud. However, the mantra can also be evoked in the mind silently. Here the inner voice makes the utterance, the inner hearing does its work, while the spiritual energy of the mantra spreads its influence. This kind of chanting is sometimes considered “yogic” chanting because it requires the practitioner to maintain focus while concentrating on the inner voice and, like a true yogi, to have the ability to control and withdraw the senses from external engagement.

Experienced saints often included some silent mantra meditation so they could chant faster and increase the number of times they uttered the mantra. Haridas Thakur, a sixteenth-century saint, would chant the Maha Mantra (we will meet this mantra in Chapter 9) out loud, in song and in silence every day. It is said that in total he chanted the sacred words 333,000 times a day, which likely took him fifteen hours. Though we might not seek to spend so much time in japa, the time we do spend can become a sacred space where we chant in praise and appreciation of divinity—seen as the ultimate truth, source of all creation—a supreme, powerful, compassionate divine person, dare I say, God.

Mantra enables us to offer our feelings. We can engage the heart space by expressing gratitude, wonder, sorrow, or even pain. The idea is to share our honest feelings, reach out, and recognize that we need love and shelter from the divine.

Japa needs to be regular, consistent, and determined if we want to make progress. Much like a kettle, which needs to be plugged into the mains and then given time to boil, japa requires us to connect to our source and stay chanting, until we reach the heart’s purest state. Much like any other relationship, we have to work at it.

The Big G

Mantras are sacred because they evoke a presence. Unlike ordinary words, which are simply labels for objects, places and concepts, spiritual words carry the essence of the divinity they describe. For example, if we chanted “pizza, pizza, pizza,” our mouths might water, but obviously no pizza would appear on a plate. With mantra it’s different. Each mantra represents a divine person or place. If we call with a true, sincere heart, then something of that divine energy can touch us. Thus, we connect to something bigger than ourselves, and our lives gain meaning from this.

For some of us the notion of a divine person—like God—might be a stretch. It’s true that God has got a bad name, a bad rap, even a bad rep.

If you’re uncomfortable with the Big G, then don’t feel pressured to get into this when you chant the mantra. The spiritual energy of the mantra is so powerful, it can bring you strength and healing regardless of your personal beliefs.

However, if you’re curious about the Big G, seek out wise and mature spiritual practitioners in a faith or tradition that resonates with you. For me, I found my answers at the Bhaktivedanta Manor in the UK, the Bhakti Center in New York and the Govardhan Ecovillage near Mombai. There, I had the opportunity to learn from monks like Janakinath, S.B. Keshava Swami, Gaur Gopal, and Jay Shetty. Each sacred place was a hub of learning, deep conversation and spiritual uplift.

Across different schools of thought, explanations can vary, but that makes things interesting. You can reflect on the perspectives and consider what makes sense to you.

If you’re looking for answers, reach out in your mind when you chant, even if you only believe in a higher power, greater force, supreme being, ultimate source or universal energy. Divinity will respond to your sincerity and show you the way, somehow or other.

And if you feel it in your bones, that there must be someone out there who is beyond the visible and miserable things around us, then you might find it interesting to know that Bhakti wisdom says God is irresistibly attractive, compassionate, powerful, gentle and astounding in “his” ways. (In conventional, conversational terms, God is referred to as “male,” but in truth, God is far beyond all our material conceptions of gender.)

Chaitanya Charan, a Bhakti philosopher, summarizes the complexity in beautifully simple terms: “At one level, we can say that God is neither male or female, is both male and female and beyond all concepts of male and female. All three apply.”

He explains that each of us, on the absolute level of identity, is a soul, which is spiritual. The soul has no gender. Only the material body, which the soul inhabits (uses as a vehicle), is identified in that way. God, being the supreme soul, certainly doesn’t have a material body and is, therefore, far beyond any material gender identification.

Furthermore, the spiritual realm is said to be a place of divine play, and for this purpose God manifests as the supreme male and supreme female—the divine couple. Together, they exist as two separate divine beings, though they are really one unified supreme power. In Bhakti, this divine couple is considered the source of all creation and all beings. All souls are understood to be inherently connected to them and feel whole and happiest when this connection is tangibly felt and realized. But the beautiful thing is that you can believe as much as you’re comfortable with and mantra still works.

Mantra is no quick fix

“Can mantra really change my life?” a woman asked me after a concert at the Cecil Sharp House in Camden, London, in 2022. She looked like she was in her forties. She wanted a selfie. She appeared weary but bright-eyed. She shared how she was recently divorced and unsure about her next steps; said she was on cloud nine after the kirtan, but wondered if the feeling was just temporary.

“Mantra is no quick fix, but it does change lives,” I felt compelled to say. I didn’t want to sound prophetic, but I shared just how much things had changed for me and others I know. I went on, “Your life can become full of divine companionship. Constant inspiration and miracles can become the norm. Things are still hard on the outside, but mantra and spiritual wisdom help us understand the situation, ourselves, and the ways forward. Somehow, in mystical ways, the dots of life get connected. This is my truth. I hope it becomes yours.”

Since we parted, I’ve been working on my answer as to how exactly mantra changes us. Let me share a snippet of ancient science to explain…

How mantra works on our cores

According to Vedic scientists, everything began from sound. Creation was initiated with the primeval vibration of OM, which I will write here as it is pronounced: AUM. The story can seem complicated, but in essence, God, as Vishnu, orchestrated some initial cosmic elements. As he rested in the empty shell of the universe, from his navel he sprouted a stemmed lotus. Stay with me on this! Within the lotus petals manifested a special demigod called Brahma, who was in charge of creation. At first, perplexed about what to do, Brahma entered a long (thousand-year) meditation upon divinity to steady his mind and find answers, at the end of which he received the gift of the primeval seed (bija) mantras, revealed to him in his heart as the foundational blocks for creation. Of them, the chief was AUM. When Brahma chanted these resonating, reverberating sounds, perfectly, their ultra-powerful sound waves manifested all the knowledge and elements needed for him to create an extraordinary and intricately structured material world.

For us, on a personal level, the chanting of AUM is said to also bring us into presence and awareness. Our consciousness rises and fine-tunes, so we can also access a highly positive, energized and affirming “yes!” to ourselves and life.

Incidentally, the Bible describes creation with a similar notion: “In the beginning there was the word.” Even modern scientists, in their own way, concur when they hypothesize that everything started off with sound—the “Big Bang.” All explanations imply that everything we behold is essentially made of sound. In fact, quantum physics concludes exactly this: that all matter is essentially energy vibrating at different wave frequencies.

Now we have that under our belts, let’s crack on with the Vedic explanation of how any sound affects us. We start from the basis that words are waves at the most solid, tangible level. These influence our thoughts, which are finer, subtler sound waves, heard only by the individual. Thoughts influence our desires, which are the finest, most subtle sound waves, perceived as a vision, idea, or image. Desires are the most powerful material sound vibrations because they direct and determine our lives.

Advertising employs this sequence to ignite desires in us and get us to buy stuff. We are exposed to words and music that instantly color our thoughts: Wow, I like that thing. These thoughts create new desires: I want that thing! Imagine how cool I’d look using it. These desire-images reinforce stronger thoughts—Yes, let’s get it now! When can I go?—that mobilize us into talk and action.

Spiritual sound relieves and reshapes us

While advertising aggravates us into a frenzy of unending wants, spiritual sound does the opposite. It seeks to free and calm us. Its only agendas are benevolence and selfless concern. Because it originates from a higher spiritual plane, it is the most subtle, ultra-refined sound vibration in existence, which works on us at all levels.

We take the mantra into our ears. As soon as it reaches the mind space, it spreads a soothing influence on our frenzied thoughts. The mind slows and calms. Our internal dialogue shifts down a few gears. This triggers a psychosomatic response in the body, which experiences a dose of peace. That’s why people feel so relaxed and uplifted after our mantra nights. For information on how to come along to one of our live events, visit www.radhikadas.com (cheeky little plug).

Concentrating on the object and meaning of the mantra allows the sound vibration to reach the place of our desires—we could think of this as a melting pot of bubbling, complementing, and conflicting wants.

Our ambitions, cravings and passions are complicated. Sometimes we want things that are mutually exclusive; for example, we want to be in a relationship but still want the perks of being single. Sometimes we want things only because others have convinced us that they are good for us, though we feel uncomfortable with them. Sometimes we just don’t know what we want because we haven’t discovered our own truths. And just to really confound us—if our desires remain unfulfilled, we feel a lacking and emptiness, but when they are fulfilled, we can end up feeling disappointed and flat. It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?

With its compassionate intention, mantra works on this space, delivering spiritual energy that makes us feel loved and become loving ourselves. As this feeling permeates our being, our disposition shifts to one of gratitude, contentment, and joy. Feeling loved fulfills so many needs. Often, other wants become relatively small, and we find we don’t need to pursue or consume as much (objects, stuff, food…).

The effect of the mantra is that some desires soften, while others realign or strengthen. An overall calming effect takes hold. As spiritual intelligence touches our consciousness, we might receive insights, a bigger perspective and new awareness. Over time, the mantra helps the heart bloom into its inherent state—of selflessly loving, giving, caring, sharing, and gratefully contributing. We develop a spectrum of virtues and strengths. Newly inspired ambitions and aspirations revise our thinking and decision-making, thereby diverting the trajectory of our lives.

The proof of the pudding…

An ancient story retold in various scriptures illustrates this journey in a dramatic light. It retells the origins of the revered sage Valmiki, who is considered the primary poet of the Vedic canon.

In a previous age, thousands of years ago, Valmiki was born a simple man in a priestly lineage who turned to theft to provide for his family. As his choices got darker, he spent his days lying in wait to ambush wayfarers in a forest, often resorting to plunder and murder.

One day, he pounced on a wandering sage who carried only a veena (a large stringed classical instrument). The thief tied the wise man to a tree and demanded booty.

This created much merriment for the sage, who asked, “Why do you do such things?”

“To provide for my family,” was the murderer’s prompt and proud answer.

“But such violent cruelty is awarded severe punishment. Would your family partake in those consequences, too?”

The criminal mused. He went home to confirm the buy-in from his wife and parents, but their refusal bitterly disappointed him.

“Why should we be punished?” asked his wife. “You’re the one who does the dirty deeds.”

“It’s your job to sustain us. We’re not responsible for how you do it,” was the curt response of his father.

Head bowed, the man returned to the forest and confessed to the sage. Afraid for himself, he asked for guidance. The pitying spiritualist comforted him and instructed him to chant a divine mantra: Rama.

“It will help set you right and bring you much joy and protection,” said the sage.

But the thief’s tongue lurched. “I can’t pronounce the word. I’m so used to killing. I can only pronounce mara.” (Aptly, mara means death.)

The sage mused, then beamed: “No problem. You can chant the mantra back to front. It is so powerful that it will still set you free. I will come to see you later.”

The thief began his meditation and soon found the continuous repetition of mara turned into Rama. (Try it now and hear how it happens!) After many years of heartfelt practice, the man attained enlightenment. His heart was ablaze with love and purity. He developed such spiritual sensitivity that after witnessing the death of two birds, he uttered a lament in verse. This led him to compose the Ramayana, one of the greatest epic poems in the canon of Indian sacred texts. In it, he narrates the life of Rama, the divine personification of bliss.

You and I may not aspire to become spiritual poet laureates or even be aiming for enlightenment, but we can look forward to making mantra part of our lives and watching the transformation unfold.

Vedic mantras are a “no-go” zone

Strictly speaking, formal Vedic mantras are only effective when spoken and passed down to students by sages and spiritual teachers who come from an authorized tradition. The sages would teach the exact pronunciation and prescribe the frequency of the chant to the student, who lives a highly disciplined and celibate life. The chanting practice is very exacting—the mantra must be uttered in proper rhythm and meter, at a proper time, place, and cardinal direction. The practitioner qualifies themselves through years of vigorous practice.

The formation of these Vedic mantras reflects the stringent training required to employ them. The format is usually a formal, official, third-person address to divinity, usually ceremonial and complex in structure, in the dative case.

Such conditions were a thing of ancient times when certain Vedic mantras served fascinating material purposes—to defeat enemies, win a kingdom, acquire riches or chariots, heal disease, visit planets or the heavens, control natural elements or bring rain! Learning to wield such powerful influence over nature was an exclusive and secret privilege.

In our modern scene, any attempts to use Vedic mantras for power, prosperity, influence and luxuries are a foolhardy enterprise. The rules and conditions are impossible to satisfy. Our complicated lives ensure we are permanently distracted. Our minds are frazzled and overwhelmed. Vedic mantras cannot work if the mind and heart are not calm, clear and pure.

The compassionate intention of kirtan mantras

In ancient times, there were always other spiritual mantras that were used for the purposes of connecting to divinity and self-realization. These are timeless, as are we in our spiritual essence. They still work today because they address that part in us that hasn’t altered with the changing times of the world. This category of mantra—which we might call naam or kirtan mantras—has endured because of divinity’s compassion and love for us.

In essence, these mantras are sacred names that allow us to call out with feeling and immediacy in a direct, first-person address to divinity. They are intimate, personal evocations, without pomp or formality. The formation is simple and sweet. There are no rules or prerequisites to chant the mantras. Anyone can chant them, anytime, anywhere, regardless of belief system, identification, gender, or status. And even if their pronunciation is slightly off, the mantra still bestows benefit to the practitioner. Our book is an offering of kirtan mantras. These are more powerful than all others because they have been entrusted with all the love, compassion and power of divinity. The only requirement of us is to chant the mantra with feelings. Emotions are the driving force that bring the chanting to life.

Our emotions are said to be generated by our sense of identity. Therefore, if we recognize that we are each a tiny, amazing, bright, beautiful, powerful, humble part of the greater whole that is divinity, and chant with feelings of connection and affection, then the effect is optimal. Proportionate to our feelings, the mantra benefits us. But nothing to worry about; it is a journey of many steps. Let’s take the first ones together…

Getting cozy with our mantras

To help readers feel familiar, connected, and intimate with the sacred mantras presented in this book, we have loosely associated them with the trials and joys of everyday life. Our purpose with this is to help you bring the mantras to mind in moments when you might need them the most—when you experience stress or joy. However, in essence, any of these mantras can be repeated in any situation to help you feel a little better on the surface, in the mind and deeper in the heart, where you can draw closer to divinity. Consider each mantra as a protector and source of strength. In every situation, you can see it as your companion, advisor, and loving inspiration.

ME → face the challenge/situation alone

versus

ME + mantra → face the challenge/situation

together

Fill your cup

We must be nourished ourselves—spiritually, mentally, and physically—before we can truly be there for others. Therefore, nine chapters of this book focus on filling your cup. The mantras will assist with facing challenges such as starting afresh, deciding a goal, finding your tribe, overcoming anxiety and fear, and finding true love.

For each mantra, we begin by outlining the challenge you might be facing. Often, this is accompanied by fun and silly stories about my own troubles. Then, there’s an ancient story to give you flavor, insight, and some emotional connection to the mantra. Sometimes, this is an origin story that retells a special moment connected to the divine person or divine place being addressed by the mantra. We’ve done this because we also know that there’s no joy in repeating words that mean nothing to us. All the ancient stories in this book are less stories and more ancient histories. No doubt, our modern minds will be challenged to believe they are possible. But I share them in good faith. Thereafter, we dive into the pronunciation and meaning of the mantra.

But before plunging into chanting, we have offered short, simple meditations that you can do on your own, in the comfort of your home, to help you become present and prepared. Some meditations will feel more like a reflective exercise than a “meditation,” as it is usually understood in modern terms. This is because our meditations follow the meditative practice of dhyana, which in Sanskrit means “to think deeply upon something.” Our intention is to encourage you to “meditate” upon your situation, your emotions, and your ways forward.

This type of reflection will help you access deep feelings and potentially gain incredible clarity. It will also enable the sound “impression” of the mantra to imprint deeper upon the mind and become more meaningful. Wherever possible, we ask that you explore the meditation before chanting the mantra. These meditational exercises can also be treated as standalones whenever you wish.

The sequence is designed to bring you into “presence,” so that meeting the mantra feels sacred and momentous. Then, finally, it is time for the mantra! Use a device to scan the accompanying QR codes for each mantra to access guided audios to help you pronounce and keep pace. If you cannot access these, you can go ahead and practice in the quiet of your sacred space. Whichever way you decide to practice, go for it. Say the words, hear them, and feel them. Enjoy the utterance! There are no hard or fast rules for connecting with these mantras.

Let your cup overflow

Our tenth and final chapter invites you to let your cup of love overflow towards others. In Bhakti, love is not a static, passive feeling. It is not a self-centered emotion that demands that the people we love must satisfy our needs, do as we want and fulfil all our expectations. No. True love is a powerful force of the heart that impels us to act, help, serve, give to and care for others. As the twentieth-century social psychologist Erich Fromm said: “Love requires discipline, concentration, patience, faith, and the overcoming of narcissism. It isn’t a feeling, it is a practice.”

According to Bhakti, relationships thrive and endure when the participants express their loving feelings in an attitude of care and service. This means we learn to notice and become sensitive to the other person’s needs. Loving others means reaching out, actively, in any of the many ways possible. Usually, this will nurture a similar reciprocation from the other person, which helps us feel our needs are met.

In making it a practice to express love in care and giving, we become deeper and brighter inside. We will feel joy as our hearts bloom. We grow in strength. We feel whole in ourselves—confident, clear, and striving. In feeling empathy for others, we become more sentient, compassionate, patient, and sensitive. Even the opportunity to gain insight, wisdom and learn lessons grows as we observe and take part in someone else’s life.

In moments when others are struggling or in need, if we give care, solace, practical help, a hug, a kind word, a smile, or even just some holding space, we will always feel a surge of fulfillment because we are being true to ourselves—as souls that inherently seek to give and receive love.

In serving others in this way, we connect to our sense of purpose, and possibly get interesting, bigger ideas that become rewarding projects for ourselves. In short: in giving, we will always receive in abundance, and the cycle of love perpetuates. (The only gentle caution is that along the way we take care of ourselves and do not overextend in an unsustainable way, or allow ourselves to be worn through.)

This book is my humble gift to you; an invitation to take a resonating journey through a medley of mantras to lift your spirits, bring calm and grounding, and ignite power and energy. We want to help you to stride into the day ahead—in fact, into the life ahead—with confidence and clarity.

Mantra is for anyone and everyone. It works beautifully with breathwork, yoga, and mindfulness. You can sing it in a group, call it out loud, murmur it softly to yourself, or silently evoke it in your head (the last one might be useful if you’re in a public place, but you’ll have to say it with your inner voice and hear it with your inner “ears”). Whether in a sacred space at home, in an armchair, in nature or crammed onto a heaving train—it works regardless. Anytime and anywhere. The mantra is for you. Let the sound go inside so you can receive love, feel love, and become an instrument of giving love.

Footnotes

1 You can watch a video of the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A859CeMM31U.

fill your cup

CHAPTER 1

“Give Me Another Chance” with Narayana Narayana

This mantra will gift you a new lease of life.

“To receive another chance is a celebration, a blessing.”

My parents removed me from private school after I got poor results and spent too much time hanging out with the “wrong” kind of friends. I was walking on thin ice in my teenage years. Then, a few years later, I got kicked out again—this time from Brunel University, for poor attendance. It was 2012 and the future wasn’t looking promising for me. Either I would have to get a job that was meaningless to me or I’d have to convince my parents to fund another shot at university. I called almost every university in the country and the only one to give me a place was the University of Leicester. I groveled for a week before my dad begrudgingly agreed to support me.

I got my second chance. In my three years at Leicester, I studied hard for my degree, cleaned up my act, stopped drinking and smoking, started singing and sharing mantra, and made it official with my girlfriend.

Living a lie

We all make mistakes. It’s part of life. I was completely out of sync with my values when I started university and made such a dismal go of it. In fact, I didn’t even really know what my values were because I didn’t know what was important to me. I hadn’t asked myself the question. I didn’t know we were supposed to!

It took the love and care of mentors to sit me down and give me space to look at what was going on, dig below the surface of events and understand myself. They were kind enough to listen intently, ask questions and help me reflect on what mattered to me. They shared their thoughts on my situation and helped me to map out my options. Out of love and trust, I followed through with their guidance. I didn’t realize how much I valued spirituality, singing, and living a life that was different from the regular grind.

I was amazed to see how, all too easily, we can end up living someone else’s life because of self-deception, self-denial, or self-sabotage. Though others don’t intend harm, the adults in our childhood lives can create expectations and mindsets that hold us back or hold us in. In the wider culture, leading figures and celebrities model lifestyles and habits that we embrace without any real consideration.

Another chance

There are big mistakes and small mistakes. Life is full of both. In everyday life, we can easily misjudge things. Sometimes we misunderstand someone’s feelings and end up taking the situation in completely the wrong direction. At home, we can hurt the people we love so easily. Before we know it, we’ve lashed out, let someone down, or broken trust. At work, we might miss a deadline or an opportunity for growth and happiness. This can sometimes trigger a spectrum of emotions—sorrow, anger, embarrassment, regret, guilt, or resentment.

Though these emotions are natural, we don’t want to stay in this space for too long. It is draining and unproductive. Wisdom suggests that each situation can become a chance to notice something about ourselves that we can work on. Otherwise, these emotions can chip away at our self-esteem. We self-deprecate and lose motivation. Before we know it, we can spiral into habits of apathy, laziness, or worse. For comfort or distraction, we can end up doing things we don’t really like and that don’t benefit us. For example, it is all too easy to seek quick fixes by indulging in overeating, drinking, bingeing entertainment, and getting into bounce-back relationships. Been there? This is a tough spot, right?

To receive another chance—whether that’s getting another shot at a relationship you treasure, putting yourself up for promotion again, receiving support to try again after a relapse, or having someone forgive you after you broke their trust—is a celebration, a blessing. Nothing is more exciting than the time we boldly draw a line and look to a new horizon to start again. In order to do so, we need to acknowledge our part, feel regret, make a sincere apology, reflect, and learn from our mistakes. Nonetheless, starting afresh can be exciting. It opens the doors to new life, a new start.

This chapter’s mantra will sanctify, strengthen, and inspire us to have the courage to start over. Repeating it will help to connect us to divinity who can guide and sanction our efforts. It will help bring momentum to the moment we want to start afresh.

Let me tell you a story about a person who chanted this mantra and got a chance to start again under extraordinary circumstances. The story comes from Shrimad Bhagavatam, an Eastern-wisdom text written about five thousand years ago. It is featured in the book because under exceptional circumstances we receive a glimpse of the sheer power of the mantra and how it can change a person’s destiny. I first heard it in a morning seminar on a retreat exploring spiritual transformation with mantra. We have reimagined it within a modern context.

There was a guy, a good guy, who loved his wife and children, worked hard, and paid his taxes. He was smart, read a lot of books, helped people in need, even went to worship on the weekends. His name was AJ.

Then, things went wrong, as they sometimes do. At a party, AJ met an enchanting woman, who also happened to be a gold digger. AJ didn’t care. He was besotted. Her every wish was his command. He ended up deserting his wife and setting up house with his new woman. Soon enough, they had the first of a football team of children scrambling about the house.

AJ heard on the grapevine that some local guys who were good at making a quick buck were looking for a new recruit. He fell in with the wrong crowd and got into gambling and stealing. The gang was a rough sort. Some of their “big” jobs got pretty violent. AJ’s first one was bad. He didn’t feel right doing it, but the guys egged him on. They clapped at the end; said he did it slick. That night, AJ drank a lot, so he couldn’t think too clearly. Over the years, as the jobs got bigger, AJ learned not to think at all.

Fast forward to old age. Two months after his eighty-eighth birthday party, AJ ended up in ICU. It wasn’t looking good. Heart failure, liver disease—the list was endless and the verdict final. The nurses put him in his own room and made him comfortable.

Most of AJ’s children didn’t like visiting, except the youngest—a boy of five years. (Yes, that means this old guy had a child when he was eighty-three! Who said people of ancient times didn’t have vigor?) AJ cherished the kid more than anyone else in the world. The little kid was adorable: dark locks, pudgy face, and prone to cute babbling; he played Lego in a corner. His mother named him Narayana, after some religious people came knocking door to door when she was pregnant. They had recommended the name because it refers to Lord Narayana, their worshippable deity who is the eternal, universal protector. They said this name would protect the baby.

Back in the hospital room, Narayana’s mother stepped out to talk to the doctors. AJ rasped. His chest clenched into a suffocating fist. It was time. In seconds, three gruesome angels from the dark region had appeared, ready to collect his soul. AJ was petrified, his eyes bulging. A tidal wave of panic arose in him. A final inhale followed.

“Narayana! Narayana!” he cried out.

All his fear, love, and yearning for his son were concentrated in the utterance. Instantly, four radiant angels of light arrived.

A celestial wrangling ensued, each group claiming AJ’s soul. The light-bearers won (don’t they always?), attesting that AJ called out the mantra with such feeling and surrender that the original Narayana, after whom his son was named, swiftly arranged this rescue.

Though AJ may have intended only to call his son, Narayana was moved to hear someone call out his name with such loving sincerity. The angels of darkness withdrew and AJ got another chance. His near-death experience mortified him. The glimpse into what happens after life overwhelmed him. In an intense moment, he faced his misdeeds, felt deep remorse for hurting others and wasting his life away. Then, he experienced the elation of receiving a second chance. Moved with gratitude, he declared to himself that he would, thenceforth, dedicate his life to reformation and spiritual pursuits. Once he’d recovered enough health, he made amends with his family. Because of his old age, he decided to live out his last years in the holy city of Haridwar (considered the gateway to God). By the banks of the holy River Ganga, he engaged in meditation and worship until the end of his life, when, once more, he met the angels of light, who transported him to the heavens.

Quite a story, don’t you think? I like it because it offers hope, compassion, and a universally accessible way to restart life. AJ (aka Ajamila) calls out the mantra and is granted the chance to refresh and take a new turn in his life. What would you do if you had that chance?

Starting again can happen at any time of the year, in any area of your life. There is a quote, widely attributed to the novelist George Eliot, that reassures us: “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” So take the opportunity to focus on something you want to release, so that you can start afresh. This could be something you did at work, at home, to another person, or connected to yourself. It could be something simple or slightly more complex. We take the mantra to connect to divinity and seek a new way forward.

MANTRA 1

Narayana Narayana

Pronunciation: Naa-rai-yuhna, Naa-rai-yuhna

Meaning: I call upon He who is the universal, primeval person of cosmic abilities. Please guide me. (Nara means “human being.” Yana means “abode” or “home.” Thus, the name equates to “He who is the home or abode of all humans—in fact, of all beings.”)

Narayana is a special word. It rolls off the tongue once you’ve tried it a few times. The consonants “n,” “r,” “y,” and “n” are sturdy, like a shield, while the long “aa” sound after each syllable creates a smooth, calming quality. I love the flow of the sounds.

The named deity is Narayana, whose role is to safeguard and protect all material existence and every soul within it. He is the refuge for all who seek it. He nurtures and heals. He befriends and bolsters. He always carries four sacred adornments that say everything about his character and emotions:

• An ivory-smooth conch shell (shanka): its sound reverberates the success of virtue and justice. “You will meet with success one way or the other.”

• A blazing golden discus (chakra): it protects by cutting through all things dark and dismal. “We will get through the hard stuff together.”

• A fragrant, tender lotus (padma): it exudes serenity and calm. “I help you to be still and composed.”

• A lustrous golden club (gada): an invincible weapon par excellence. “I’ve got you.”

Before we get chanting Narayana Narayana, let’s do some meditative work to get our minds clear and determined. This means we map out the situation and our steps going forward. By putting in our best energy to do this, we engage in our circle of influence. We do our part. We set our best intentions and then sincerely invite the mantra into our lives to do its part, knowing that it is a force of spiritual goodness. We want to team up with the mantra against the challenge. Two against one!

Grab yourself a few quiet minutes wherever you are, whether you’re on your commute into work, at home on the sofa or reading in bed. Open a blank note on your phone or get a notebook and a pen so you can jot down your reflections and thoughts.

Meditation in four steps

1. NAME IT: With self-compassion, reflect on when you feel you’ve made a mistake in life—what mistake do you want to move on from? Be honest with yourself. Maybe you’ve slipped into a bad habit, neglected someone you love, betrayed trust, have career regrets, harmed others unintentionally, or been dishonest.

2. FACE IT: What are the honest and possibly uncomfortable steps you need to take to draw a line under the mistake and move forward? Do you need to make amends, accept responsibility or get support?

3. DREAM IT: What will it feel like to put this mistake behind you and move forward?

4. REPLACE IT: It’s the first day of the rest of your life—how will you live that day? What will you do differently? Be as specific as possible.

Step 1 invites you to observe and focus. Without blame or shame, try to identify something that might have been holding you back or playing on your mind. Step 2 challenges you to step up and be courageous. Step 3 encourages you to get crystal clear about new behaviors and new thinking that will benefit you and others around you. Finally, step 4 gets you to envision new life beyond the “thing.” Are you feeling brave enough or slightly uncomfortable? Completely understandable if it’s the latter.

This is where the mantra comes in to give you spiritual strength and courage. Think of the mantra as a compassionate cosmic friend. A dependable, powerful companion to help you navigate the journey of repair, where you may need to acknowledge your mistakes and get on the road to progress. The mantra can’t do the work for you, but it can help you find the power to try hard—and keep trying!

Chant with me:
Narayana Narayana

Time to hit the QR code! Take a seat somewhere comfortable. Don’t stress if you’re not sitting on a yoga mat, in athleisure, with an incense stick burning—you can do this chant anywhere. If you’re out and about, find a spot to sit down and plug in your headphones. If you’re on your sofa or armchair, sit up a bit. Remind yourself of your four-step meditation and let that become your focus.

Take a few calming breaths and get ready to take in the mantra and let it pervade your being. You can repeat after me or call it with me. Remember what the quantum scientists say: all sounds are waves. Capture every vibration of the mantra with your ears, and let it rush and sweep into your heart, overflowing and washing into every corner.

If you can’t access the recordings, no sweat. Take a deep breath and as you exhale, chant. Repeat this at least five times. Each time, try and tune into how you’re feeling. If difficult feelings of regret, remorse, fear, or anxiety arise, try your best to let them go as you call the mantra. You can do the same with positive feelings of sincerity, hope and aspiration. Offer these upward and ask for wisdom and support. It’s worth having a little notebook or your phone handy, so you can jot down any reflections that might come up.

This can be an emotional practice, so after you have finished, it may be a good idea to connect with a trusted friend or family member to talk. Take time to digest and process your feelings. Maybe you want to double up the exchange with a relaxing or joyous activity to mark your progress. Please bear in mind, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Growth takes time.

As with all mantras, you are most welcome to add your own melodic twist. According to your circumstances, you can sing, call out, whisper. Whatever the blend, ensure you pronounce it as well as you can. Take the sound in and let it make the deepest impression possible, so it can stay on your mind and come to you as you go forth in taking responsibility in some exciting way. Go for it!

A last word on Narayana Narayana: we have plenty more mantras to come, but you have an open invitation to come back to this one if other situations come up where you want to draw a line and start again. And of course, you can revisit the mantra to address the same situation, too. In this case, acknowledge the headway you have made, come into gratitude for the help given and seek more strength to power on.

CHAPTER 2

“I Commit” with Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

This mantra will help you find clarity on your life’s mission.

“Each time we fall short or stray off course, we encounter a terrible and exciting choice: to give up or to recommit, again and again, until we reach a suitable journey’s end.”

“The pain of discipline is uncomfortable, but the pain of regret is unbearable.” I keep this quote from motivational speaker Jim Rohn close whenever I start making excuses when I want to avoid doing important things. I also remember my piano-playing fiasco when I was eleven years old. My ferocious, five-foot-tall tutor would frown at me every Saturday after the lesson. “Practice at least once a week, please,” she would chide. I would nod, but we both knew I wasn’t going to practice at all. My parents had bought me a keyboard more expensive than they could afford and set it up proudly in the corner of our living room. I only ever jazzed about on it, making up tunes. I loved music, but for some reason never took it seriously. Inevitably, I failed grade five. (My piano tutor was not surprised.) Rather than play the set pieces, I thought I would impress the examiner with my own tunes. “I’m going to be a rock star, anyway,” I told them. The examiner only sniffed in response, before writing something down.

It is only with hindsight that you realize a lot of things. If my younger self had decided to put some time and energy into learning piano, I’d be playing serious music by now. Instead, I’m learning ragas on harmonium scales. It gets hard. But I stay on it by practicing at least once a week—in homage to my wise tutor.

Taking a vow is serious business

In Chapter 1, we did really well to draw a line under a mistake and take up the journey of healing by naming it, facing it, and committing to moving on. But treading a new path isn’t always a walk in the park. Our previous behaviors are like well-trodden tracks for the mind. If life is a forest, then making a new choice to think or act is like cutting a new path through the ferns and wild plants. One has to beat out the route by walking it again and again.

At the outset, it’s scary to make a commitment. Sometimes the goal isn’t clear, or we don’t expect it to work out. Sometimes it feels like a lot of work that we just don’t want to do. The fear of failing (or even of succeeding) is overwhelming. Others might criticize us or poke holes. Or we may just not believe that something good is possible for us.

For me, this chapter’s mantra, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, is like my personal gift to you because it has helped me so much. The sacred words will lift you to a higher plane where your innermost self is replenished. Unconsciously, you will connect to the truth, beautifully captured by twentieth-century French priest and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: “We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

I offer you sacred words to help you take the mighty step of making a conscious, deliberate commitment to something meaningful in your life. Make it a new practice to improve your body, mind, work, relationships or, especially, to develop your spirituality. Maybe you want to do something for a family member or friend, or a project in the wider community? Whatever it is, let’s do it together. By adding the mantra into the equation, we make our endeavors a spiritual offering.

Sankalpa is Sanskrit for making a promise, a vow, a resolution. In olden times, making a sankalpa was serious business. The act carried power because the doer valued integrity more than anything. Being true to one’s word and acting in congruence with one’s values was known to fortify the individual’s self-respect, honor, and self-worth.

It all begins with taking the first step. German writer Goethe’s brilliant words are a rallying call: “The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

Once you make the decision, the journey onward comes with its rough and smooth edges. The truth is, commitment is hard. It takes work. The deeper truth is that you will get things wrong or they won’t go as planned. Expect that as part of the journey. No need to get overly disappointed.

Falling short and picking yourself up

A couple of years ago I was walking through the Welsh hills near the River Usk with my spiritual mentor. We were scheduled to talk about how I could double down on my spiritual practices. I was expecting suggestions on how to develop humility or wake up earlier to meditate. He caught me by surprise when he gave me a long look and said, “Maybe you could consider working on your physical shape?” I felt myself redden. What did this have to do with connecting to divinity? Then I remembered that someone in my team had wondered aloud if we should crop my picture for a poster. I reddened some more.

My teacher was gentle. He reminded me that Bhakti yogis aspire for a life of sattva—a state of purity and goodness. Taking care of our physical bodies entails reshaping our life habits and results in a clearer mind for meditation. By the end of the conversation, I’d committed to a seven-minute workout a day, timed and supported by a phone app. Things went well. I broke through the thirty-day threshold for a new habit. In fact, the first three months were good. I was consistent. But the results were not obvious. The scale didn’t cheerlead as I’d hoped. My enthusiasm waned. The routine spiraled to a halt. My next spiritual meeting was awkward at first. My teacher just smiled and patted my shoulder before we launched into a reviving discussion.

Each time we fall short or stray off course, we encounter a terrible and exciting choice: to give up or to recommit, again and again, until we reach a suitable journey’s end. After the conversation, I recommitted to my health plan with renewed energy. Likely, I’ll need to work on things for some time. Great! I am a work in progress. We all are. My success isn’t purely defined by an outcome, but by my will to overcome my despondency when I let myself down along the way.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya helps us to commit to a clear and meaningful goal or resolve to recommit to one. Traditionally, it is chanted at the start of spiritual activities for auspiciousness and blessing. For example, before a spiritual lecture is begun or ahead of reading spiritual literature, the mantra is recited three times to help everyone get attuned and take up the mindset of one who wants to receive wisdom and insights.

The mantra is a powerhouse of sound vibrations that sends us on our paths with strength, endurance and guidance. We will follow in the footsteps of a five-year-old who chanted it and won himself a kingdom in the stars. If Dhruva could do his best, so can we.

Prince Dhruva was still a preschooler when he abandoned home for his first meditation session! The day started like any other. In the palace hall, the king sat on his grand throne. He was married to two queens, but only the younger, favorite one was in attendance. Her son, Uttama, was dribbling and playing on his father’s lap.

The elder queen was in her quarters, though on this day, her son, Dhruva, the heir-prince, tottered on his little legs towards the king. He also wanted to play on his father’s lap. As he neared the throne, he was startled to feel cold fingers grasp his shoulder and push him aside. What’s happened? Who has pushed me? he wondered.

It was his stepmother. The sight of Dhruva always enraged her, and today she couldn’t help showing her chagrin in an impulsive moment. Why should he be king and not my son? she thought. The king loves me more!

A textbook model of the jealous stepmother, she mocked Dhruva with mean words. “If you wanted to sit on the king’s lap, you should have been my son. You can’t sit there now.”

Sadly, the nonchalant king didn’t react and carried on cuddling the younger prince. Bolstered, the triumphant queen continued her taunt. “Maybe in your next life you’ll get lucky.”

Stung and insulted, Dhruva stumbled over to his mother’s chamber to sob in her lap and tell her what had happened. The long and short of that conversation was that Dhruva resolved to show everyone his worth. He decided he would attain a position greater and more powerful than his father’s, from which no one could pull him down. His mother pacified him, explaining that he could pursue his ambitions when he got older. She told him that grown-ups undertook tapasya (an austere practice of penance and worship) for Lord Vishnu, the divine sustainer of the universe and protector of all souls, to please him so that he might grant their wishes.

“That’s it! I’m doing that right now!” Dhruva announced and marched out of the palace towards the forest to meditate. Along the way, he met a sage, Narada Muni, who suggested a mantra, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, to get Dhruva on the right track. (This is the same sage with a wooden veena whom we met earlier in the story about the thief here. He’s always rooting for the underdog and has a knack for turning up exactly at the right moment.) And with that, Narada left. Armed with his mantra, Dhruva decided he would undertake, at the age of five, the impossible quest of attaining the greatest kingdom in the universe. There was no looking back. Talk about determination!

The prince’s meditation on Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya lasted six months. For the first month, he ate only fruit. He reduced this to dry grass for the second, and only drank water for the third. By the fifth month, his meditation became so fixed that he could see the divine form of Vishnu in his purified heart. He was so captivated that he held his breath in rapture. Miraculously, he remained fixed while the cosmos trembled and choked. All the celestials were in a tizz. “Who’s the kid who has the universe on hold?”

Such was the power of Dhruva’s sincere practice. Moved, Vishnu rushed into the forest to see him. In wonderment at the five-year-old’s devotion, he bestowed two rewards. First, the boy would grow up and become king of the world for a few thousand years (actually, many thousands, but if I told you how many, you’d faint). After that, Dhruva would receive kingship of the Pole Star—the brightest star in the constellation and hub for all other stars and solar systems. As ruler, Dhruva would be at the center and everyone would show him deference and respect.

The truly amazing part was that Dhruva had changed his mind. After seeing Vishnu, he felt so whole, so loved and so satisfied that he didn’t care for rulership or thrones. None of this seemed significant.

However, after some persuasion, he accepted the rewards and returned to the palace to his proud mother and repentant father and stepmother, all of whom had heard of Dhruva’s incredible feat.

Decide the goal!

A gentle reminder: Dhruva’s story is not a “how-to-get-you-a-star” tale, or a “how-to-make-you-a-star” one. An illustration of the power of resolve, it shows how an innocent and earnest boy experienced deep fulfillment after dedicating himself to a goal in devotional alignment.

Prince Dhruva is the epitome of determination. After his hurt and outrage, he could have given up completely on his hopes and dreams. Instead, after a good cry and time for reflection, he channeled his indignity to form a steel-like positive aspiration. He was humble enough to take help from Narada and received the mantra with great respect. By the end of his efforts, Dhruva didn’t care about becoming king—he preferred to go wherever Vishnu lived. In life, this happens. We start off aiming for one thing and end up uncovering something else. Many of us seek money, fame, and celebrity, only to find that happiness is an inside job (as we will see later) and cannot be earned through external validation. That’s OK—it’s part of the journey.

We will now turn to the mantra to sweetly seal our commitment. And, no surprise, we have chosen the same chant that Narada gave to Dhruva in the quest for his goal. Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya will bless our resolution with spiritual strength and create an inner atmosphere of empowerment.

MANTRA 2

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Pronunciation: Om Nuh-moh Bha-guh-vuh-teh Vah-su-dey-vay-uh

Meaning: I offer my homage to the Supreme, who is the in-dwelling super soul in everything.

Offering homage can be weird and difficult these days. Actors make their elegant half-bows in theatre, but as a society, we dislike bending, bowing, and scraping. It can feel forced and, sometimes, humiliating. However, there is joy and relief in offering homage to divinity. In acknowledging a power higher than ourselves, we can breathe a sigh of relief—It doesn’t all rest on me. I am sheltered and protected.

In the sixteenth century, there was a momentous meeting between Chaitanya, a divine saint, and Dabir Khas, a millionaire government minister-turned-mendicant in pursuit of divinity. Dabir offered homage with his body, mind, and heart. He laid himself on the floor in complete devotion. He held his palms together, cried tears and offered heartfelt words.

Chaitanya felt moved. “Give up your humility,” he said. “It is breaking my heart.” So impressed and touched was he by the respectful submission that he blessed Dabir, who went on to take spiritual vows and became ordained as Rupa Goswami. Rupa wrote countless spiritual books, poetry, and plays. His contributions to this world became a legacy that immortalized him.

This story shows that spirituality and humility bring incredible strength, much more than money and resources. This mantra brings to us the opportunity to feel such empowerment. I heard it first from my spiritual teacher, who chanted it at the start of one of his spiritual talks, as is done traditionally. It was the morning after my “first dance” with mantra in Brihuega. The teacher tuned his odd-looking Raagini box, an electronic tanpura (a small machine that produces recorded sounds of the classical Indian stringed, drone instrument), until it hit C. Serenity infused the atmosphere. I watched with interest as my teacher sat tall, closed his eyes, and with much purpose called, “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.” Tingles ran down my spine. He recited it twice more. I peeked left and right to see if anyone was as buzzy as me. I always look forward to hearing the recitation of this mantra before any new spiritual activity.

What matters?

Before we chant the mantra together, we need to clarify what is most important to us and what we want in order to discover and commit to “the” goal. The more closely aligned we are with our true core values, the easier this is to do. For example, it always helps me to remember that I am a spiritual being having a human experience, that I am intimately connected with divinity and that the unexpected things that happen in my life are not happening “to” me but “for” me to learn something or grow.

Recently, I was driving in northwest London and as I approached a traffic light, a van tailing me way too closely hit the rear of my car, damaging the bumper. My impulse would typically have been to jump out of the car and share strong words with the van driver. You can fill in the blanks. But on that morning, I was returning from the early service at the temple. I had been there since 4:30 a.m. and taken part in chanting, meditating, and worship. I was in a devotional mindset and feeling relaxed.

When the incident happened, I took a deep breath in and out. I was surprisingly unflustered. I remember thinking, It’s OK. These things happen. The guy behind me is also a spiritual being. In the grand scheme of things, this is relatively insignificant. No point getting worked up about this. This mood was unusual for me, but I felt less affected than I normally would. The morning impressions at the temple had created a consciousness that enabled me to see the bigger picture and feel grounded. I dealt with the situation in a relaxed, friendly way.

You’ll have your own core values, which you can usually uncover by asking yourself what matters and then digging below the answers until you get to the core. Someone might say money is important to them. If we ask why this is important, they might say, “It means I can provide stability for my family and all the things they need,” or, “It’s my responsibility as the adult in the household,” or, “Because I love my family more than anything else in the world and I want them to be happy.”

So, the person can notice that it’s not money but their family that matters the most. Money is perhaps a means to facilitate the family’s happiness. Clarifying this can open up more interesting possibilities: “What other ways could you bring happiness to your family?” “What could be changed in the collective family dynamic or schedule that would bring ease and joy to all?” “What do you want to take out or include in your life that makes you feel happier, more present and at your best for your family?” And, of course, the answers to these questions can change the lifestyle and culture of the home.

Otherwise, we need to sift our wants and ambitions: which dreams are borrowed from others but are inauthentic to us? Which dreams have been planted in us by the outside world or by family members or expectations?

As a first step to clarify what you want most in life, take five minutes to think about what is most meaningful to you. Perhaps write a short list of what you treasure and appreciate most—what makes your heart sing? A genuine goal will endure, despite preliminary challenges. From the start, it should excite you, fill you with optimism and an appetite for life. When you come upon this goal or dream, stop, look inside and listen. In a moment of stillness, you have to commit. Really, truly commit. This is it! This is what I am working towards from now.

Let’s do this work together as a meditative visualization exercise. If possible, go outdoors and find a patch of grass. Whip off your socks, lie down, and look up. Relax, breathe in the blue of the sky, hear the birds, soak in the lightness of the clouds, and start getting dreamy. If you’re doing this practice inside, simply lie on your bed or sofa and get comfortable.

Try your best to let yourself go. Take as long as you need. You may need to make a few emotional detours here or there. Stay with the exercise until you can see some clear answers. Here are some questions to get you visualizing.

Meditation in three steps

1. Imagine your life in one, five, or fifteen years if you take no action about the things that matter in your life. What does your typical day look like? Who is around you? What are you like? How do you feel about life?

2. Imagine your best friend is reading out a eulogy at your funeral. What do you hope they say are your most-loved traits and best achievements in life? What is your legacy?

3. When you’ve finished envisioning, rub your hands vigorously and then press them gently to your eyes. The palming will soothe you. You may have a mental list of many traits and achievements from question two. Jot them down and then, using a process of elimination or measuring the pros/cons, decide on one thing you most want to do now. Talk to a friend if that helps. Remember, you can get to the rest in time, but for now, choose the most significant, meaningful, and enthusing goal.

Chant with me:
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

It’s chanting time again. Get comfortable, get focused, and then let’s get going. If you haven’t already done so, write down your goal so it is captured and near you. Take a few calming breaths. Access the QR code and repeat the mantra after me.

If you can’t access the QR code, take a deep breath and as you exhale, utter the mantra. Do this five times. We’ve suggested five times (for every mantra) only because you can count off your fingers to keep track. If you get into flow, then you can repeat it as many times as you want.

Each time you recite Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, hold in your heart this awareness: Give me strength, be with me, guide me, help me face whatever I need for my highest good.

To make the deepest impression inside, pronounce the words as clearly as possible and hear yourself uttering the sounds. Muster your determination to do whatever it will take to stay true to your goal.

Commit with your voice. Commit with clarity and volume. Commit with your feelings.

Commit with your sincerity.

Commit with a heartfelt call for support.

As with all mantras, you are most welcome to add your own melodic twist. According to your circumstances, you can sing, call out, whisper or chant the mantra silently. If you’re in a setting where only the latter is possible, then raise the internal volume so the vibration hits every organ and every cell. You’re preparing for an adventure! There can only be success in trying, learning and persevering. You’ve got this!

Midway, if you start to falter or run low on motivation, maybe go stargazing. Pick a clear night, pack your binoculars and find the Pole Star! Remember, Dhruva is supposed to preside over it (see here). Let his story inspire you to fix on your goal again.

I do this often—on my own and sometimes with good friends. We take late-evening walks around my area. The quiet, the moonlight, and the expanse of stars are awesome for me. I find space to think and get perspective. Whenever we get clear about what to do, motivation follows.

Try it. You can make a celebration of it and chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya to recommit and start again. This is the “determination” mantra and will always be there for you, no matter what.

CHAPTER 3

Find Your Tribe with Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrinda

This mantra will find you a community of care.

“We need our tribe, which we attract with our clear, bright, positive vibe.”

I turned seven in the electric year of 1998 when Michael Jordan played “the Shot.” He helped the Chicago Bulls claim a stunning victory over the Utah Jazz and their three-peat basketball championship. Everyone at school was buzzing about it. I spent the day with my two best friends (we were like the Three Musketeers) swapping Pokémon cards, Jammie Dodgers, and Cadbury’s chocolate for a chance to wear a Bulls cap one of them got on a trip to America. That day, we became convinced all good things really do come in threes.

That same year, Manchester United put away goal after goal on their way to their treble soccer victory. My dad and I watched every match together. The next year, I cheered our house down during the last five minutes of the Champions League final when the winning goal against Bayern Munich blasted into the net.

“Calm down, they can’t hear you!” my dad shushed me.

“Of course they can. I’m part of the team,” I screamed with joy, playing out the truth that the twelfth man on the field is the fan. I still do. Just for a chuckle, sometimes I wear my Man U sweatshirt under my shirt at a meditation concert.

Birds of a feather

Following on from previous chapters, yes, we’ve drawn a line under our mistakes and made a commitment to a meaningful spiritual goal. Nevertheless, we might hit a wall. Treading the path is hard on our own—it gets lonely, especially when we’re tired or feeling beaten. Our efforts can strain without reinforcements. But in a group, our power magnifies. Nature is a perfect example of this: if you can, get yourself over to a wetland or nature reserve in the early winter to watch a murmuration of starlings to truly understand the point. If you’re lucky, you’ll see nature orchestrate the most breathtaking sky dances as hundreds of starlings lift off, soar, turn, and swoop in perfect unison. Observe how their movement makes you feel. Apart from creating sheer beauty and awe, the togetherness protects the birds from predators, helps them find food quicker, and allows them to stay warmer. They fly together on their long migration routes and save individual energy by flying in the upsurge of air created by each other’s flapping wings. This example in nature is a strong reminder of how much we need community.

Presence—being there for and with others—fills us up. And we need more of this. Something seems amiss in society, because loneliness and isolation are rampant, despite the connection that the growth in technology and social media supposedly brings. In 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a global public health threat.

Part of the solution is to develop deep, resonant, spiritual relationships that go beyond the surface. Spirituality is a glue that binds souls together in the loving care and conversation that fuels our lives on all levels. This chapter’s mantra, Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrinda, will help us to petition a set of inseparable divine companions to bless us with the loyal, loving friends that we need.

In our quest for a fulfilled life that touches spirituality and the extraordinary, we will reach out for spiritual strength. We will vigorously exercise our “asking-for-help” muscle. We will fine-tune our inner vibration so it is anchored, uplifted, and attractive to other seekers-cum-allies. But first, it’s worth showing how the Big G leads the way with this.

Even God takes help from his tribe

Divinity seeks to help us out. Inspire us. Connect to us. Therefore, the most natural thing in the world would be for the Big G and his consort to visit their creation and check in with us. The best part is that they do this in dramatic ways that are thrilling and unexpected. Rama and Sita, considered a form of the divine couple, did exactly that. They show the importance of reaching out for help and cementing strong, deep friendship at the critical moment. Here’s a snippet from midway through their story.

Location: forest.

Recap: Prince Rama has been exiled by a deceptive stepmother (yes, another one of those stepmothers).

Mood: tense.

Reason for tension: Sita saw a shimmering golden deer and asked Rama to capture it so she could keep it as a pet. Rama chased the animal, who led him far away from Sita and their thatched cottage. After a long wait, Sita urged Lakshman (Rama’s brother) to follow Rama’s steps and find out if he was OK. When the brothers returned, they saw crushed flowers strewn outside the cottage. Sita’s flower basket was smashed. There was nothing but deadly silence. Something had gone wrong.

“Where is she? Where is she?” Rama shook his brother.

“Let me look by the trees,” said Lakshman, as he dashed around the side.

“It’s no use. She’s not here. I know it. Look, her basket is broken and the flowers crushed.”

The two princes rushed about helter-skelter. No sign of anyone. Then Rama noticed that there were no rabbits playing in the clearing. The banyan tree’s branches seemed ruffled. They billowed upward, as if pointing or waving. The hundreds of birds that usually twittered in its branches perched in silence, perhaps stunned, perhaps crying. A wave of tenderness and then valor rose in Rama’s chest.

“My beloved has been taken. She’s gone. I’ve lost her.” His eyes glistened. “Lakshman, come! We must search far and wide. We will leave no patch of this earthly realm unchecked.”

With their quivers of arrows strapped to their backs, mighty bows at the ready, and chests heaving, the warrior brothers strode away.

“But we’re going to need help,” said Rama.

Soon enough, they encountered Hanuman, the half-man, half-monkey demigod. Huge and powerful, he had been waiting years to meet Rama, who was his adored lord. Hanuman led the way to a troop of hundreds of his kind. They pledged allegiance to Rama and set off in all four directions in search of Princess Sita.

Eventually, Hanuman’s battalion returned with news that Sita had been kidnapped by Ravana, a fiend of a king. He was known for his cruelty towards the innocent and saintly, and his name, quite befittingly, meant “he who makes the universe cry.” This monster had imprisoned Sita on Lanka, his far-flung island-city of gold. The monkey army built an ingenious bridge of trees and stones across the ocean to Ravana’s kingdom. They were with Rama every step of the way—through the ghastly, bloody battle, until victory came and Rama and Sita finally reunited. In exchange, Rama ennobled them with immeasurable love and glory as the heroic clan who helped God.

Never alone

As taught by Rama, group effort is one of the core principles in Bhakti yoga, which seeks to help us connect to divinity with a heart overflowing with pure love. We must remember that we can’t go it alone. Our individual effort is limited. The quicker we acknowledge this, the better we can strive in our individual journeys of love, in good company. We are the company we keep. Like-minded friends are vital for our inspiration, motivation, and action. We need our tribe, which we attract with our clear, bright, positive vibe.

To radiate this vibe, we can do some self-work and know that even as individuals we are never alone, no matter what. We can perceive this when we connect to nature or divinity. There is a Christian poem about a man’s footsteps in the sand that is fitting. In essence, it describes how once a man was walking with God along a beach. Their walk represented the journey of his life, and at the end, the man looked back and saw two sets of footprints in the sand—one was his and the other belonged to God. Looking more closely, the man noticed that in his times of pain and hardship, there was only one set of footprints.

“You promised you’d walk with me all the way,” he said in disappointment. “Why did you leave me in the moments I needed you most?”

“My precious child, I never left you,” said God. “In your peace and joy, I walked beside you. In your trials and testings, I carried you.”

The mantra for this chapter is in perfect alignment with this idea of divinity walking (or dancing) alongside us.

MANTRA 3

Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrinda

Pronunciation: Jai-yuh Gau-rah Bhahk-tah Vrin-dah

Meaning: We celebrate and honor Gaura and his hundreds of associates dedicated to the path of pure, selfless love. Victory to you.

Gaura is the name of a sixteenth-century saint who was the embodiment of pure, divine love. He was the “father” of the practice of kirtan. In ecstatic rapture, he would dance for nights on end and sing with arms upraised. Feeling compassion for the painful lot of others, he wished to share his joy and serenity. Anyone who beheld, heard, or touched him experienced something of his feelings. There was no cultural, gender, or religious divide. His love crossed all borders.

When Gaura went out, he never went alone. He was always in the company of his countless beloved companions and associates. He would not be without them for a moment. He took them everywhere with him. Their fellowship was so deep. He showered upon them all his affection and blessings. In turn, they shared these with others.

Gaura popularized a public festival that was an ancient homecoming street party. Deities were placed in three huge, chariot-like carts and driven from one temple to another. During this event, the (unreasonable) rules that disallowed some people from entering temples became redundant. Everyone had the open opportunity to behold the divine forms. The procession was a gala affair. Drums, horns, bells, and cymbals accompanied joyous singing and dancing. Thousands and thousands of people attended. There was an open invitation; everyone was welcome.

This was Gaura’s ethos. He wanted all souls to know themselves and their sacred relationship with divinity and each other. He wanted the world to join in a spiritual party of divine love that would heal all wounds and bring true empathy and friendship. And by chanting Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrinda, we request similar fellowship and community for ourselves. Read the following affirmations to center yourself.

• Let me be part of something beautiful.

• Let me honor the saints and visionaries who loved purely and gave generously.

• Let me be blessed with a stream of overflowing love that fills my cup.

• Let me be protected by countless companions.

• Let me join my homecoming party.

• Let me see all beings and reach out with the sacred vision of love.

• Let me resonate with purpose that draws towards me others on the same path.

In preparation for the mantra, we invite you to go for a meditative walk. Lace up your shoes and get out into nature—whatever that might mean to you. If you can, find a park, field, valley, or trail. If you’re in the city, there’s bound to be a green space on your way to the subway station or a well-known place for city folk to escape to—Hampstead Heath (London), Central Park (New York), or the Hanging Gardens (Mombai). If greenery is difficult to come by, try hitting the streets wearing noise-reducing headphones playing a nature soundscape.

Meditation in footsteps

Meditation 1: See companionship everywhere

As you walk, slow down. There’s no rush. This isn’t a journey from a fixed location A to location B. Feel your heels lift up and then drop back onto the ground, each time pressing down and grounding you. Get into a rhythm. Notice your breath rise and fall in step with your feet.

Gradually, consciously, switch on your senses. Hear the human sounds and the sounds of nature: birds, insects, wind, water, or any animals nearby. Inhale the fragrance of soil or vegetation near you. Reach over and smell a flower or the leaves of a plant. Touch their surfaces and appreciate the differences in texture, color, pattern. Press your hand against a tree trunk. Feel how solid it is. Feel the ridges in its bark. There are a million details to notice all around you—artistic or geometric.

Don’t forget to look up, too. The expansive sky shelters you, giving you immense space and a sense of freedom. Observe, wonder, and wander. You are enveloped in an embrace of nature. Everything is alive and growing. Companionship is everywhere. Acknowledge this.

Our ancient ancestors had deeply dynamic relationships with nature. Not only was it a source of comfort and healing, it was their everyday landscape. “Nature” was less a cordoned-off space, like a park that we visit. It was everywhere. It was the natural landscape in which people fit—not like today, where we spend much of our time sitting on the sofa in front of the television.

Finally, pique your awareness that all the elements you see around you are extended family. We are all part of the same ecosystem, the same living community on Earth. We have a camaraderie, unrealized. Imagine a bright, sparkling, minuscule spark, a soul, in the heart space of all people and all living things around you.

Meditation 2: A friend is with you

Similar to the man who walked with God in the Christian poem here, we can realize that a divine friend is always walking with us, so we are never alone. As you amble during your meditative walk, you can speak from within to this friend. Ask questions, express emotions, be honest. For example, “I am feeling lost. I am not sure about my next steps. What do you think I should do? Please help me to feel your presence and friendship.”

Chant with me:
Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrinda

If you have a friend or family member nearby who wants to join in, all the better.

Take a seat, calm your breathing down, breathe steadily, become as still as you can, and follow the QR code. If you can’t access the recording, take some deep breaths until you feel grounded and relaxed. As you exhale, utter the mantra at least five times.

Chanting Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrinda is special because it evokes the memory of a band of spiritual companions intoxicated with divine love. Get nourished with resounding positive vibes that help you remember you are never alone, and become confident that you are already one step closer to your tribe.

When the mantra has done its work and helped you to feel acknowledged and in receipt of grace, go pay it forward. It’s all well and good to want our tribe and to be heard, understood, and supported; in truth, we take a huge leap towards this if we can offer the same consideration to another person. Be someone’s friend, be someone’s fan—be the twelfth person on their field. Cheerlead for them, support them, acknowledge them, listen to them. In short, be a compassionate friend.

CHAPTER 4

Get Happy Inside with Shri Rama Jaya Rama

This mantra will bring you joy.

“Unlock incomparable joy and lasting love, awakened from within.”

Feeling down or dull? We all have those moments. My pick-me-ups? A scroll through funny reels on Instagram, until I crack a laugh and share one with a friend; a goofy runaround with the kids that leaves us all flopping in giggles; a nice bar of chocolate; or a quick drive down to the temple to see divinity smiling at me from the altar. Most pick-me-ups work the same way—they get us smiling out loud.

What is in a smile?

Tj Power, a neuroscientist and my friend, explains that the simplest, easiest, and quickest hack to crank up our “happy” hormones is to smile. Break into a smile when you see someone, and they are likely to mirror you. Both people experience a release of oxytocin in the brain, which nurtures a feeling of connection and trust. Smiling brings our zingy-ness back. (I bet that word got you grinning.)

Having said that, things don’t always go as planned. Once I was waiting in line at a café and smiled at a guy by the counter, who was rummaging in his pocket for change. I only meant my smile to be a friendly, kind gesture. He clearly took offense and snapped, “And what’s your problem, mate?” Swiftly, I wiped the smile off my face in case it made him angrier… At least I can laugh about it now.

Joking aside, though, getting happier is serious business. A low mood can drain our energy and stamp out motivation. The annual car insurance renewals and endless bills are always a downer for most of us. Not to mention when the kids get sick. Or that Sunday-evening/pre-Monday-blues feeling. What gets me down is when I feel emotionally drained.

It’s hard being in these places. In the relentless busyness of our everyday, it is difficult to find time to get to the root of our dissatisfaction. But we must. Life is not as fixed as we assume, and using our creativity and problem-solving skills will always uplift and empower us.

For example, if you consistently dread being at your office desk or feel like you only push paper, take the time to at least dig below the surface and ask the big questions: what makes you dread work the most? Are you using your best skills there? Do you know what your best skills are? If you could do something else, what might that be? Or do you need to spend out-of-work hours pursuing passions and hobbies that give you some balance? Good questions always open new doors and create new possibilities. They kindle our creativity until it is ablaze with ideas and energy. After this stage, we can break things down, clarify steps and drum up some cheerleading support to help us take action.

Feeling emotionally drained is another one. Again, ask the questions: what triggers this feeling in you? What could deter or prevent it? Are there energy vampires (people who drain your emotional energy, either intentionally or unconsciously) in your life (we usually have one or two) and do you need to set new boundaries? And so on. You get the picture. If you have aspects of life that get you down, get talking about them and consider if there is any proactive action or change you can take that could improve things. You must do your part in pursuing a life of joy, meaning, and satisfaction.

Now that we have that out the way, let’s go deeper and turn to our mantra, Shri Rama Jaya Rama. It helps on a different, existential level (and is not a substitute for personal action). Bhakti explains that all beings seek pleasure and that this is all the soul knows and wants. But unfortunately, we end up translating the soul’s spiritual need into pursuits of bodily quick fixes and temporary joys—retail therapy, fast cars, sugar, fast food, ten-second videos on social media, etc. In the moment, these pursuits deliver, but often they leave us wanting more… and then some more.

Chanting Shri Rama Jaya Rama works in a soul way. Regular and heartfelt utterance of it gradually unlocks an incomparable joy and lasting love that awakens from within. As you connect more and more deeply to divinity through chanting, the mantra helps you to become who you are intended to be—an awakened spiritual soul whose lived experience is eternality (sat), a deep sense of knowing of truth (chit) and overflowing happiness (ananda).

In pursuit of happiness

We have chosen to share the story of the great Buddha, who was born around 600 BCE in Lumbini, southern Nepal. He was son to the king and named Prince Siddhartha. In later life, he became “the Buddha”—the enlightened one—and founded and led Buddhism.

While the story doesn’t directly connect to our mantra, it is useful for us to bear witness to Siddhartha’s discontentment in early life. He began where most of us strive to reach—living a life of beauty, plenty, and splendor. But it was not enough for him. He was deeply dissatisfied after he encountered the bitter eventualities of human life. His journey to finding true happiness took him far away from royal luxury, to a distant place in his heart, where he opened his inner eyes, saw his relationship with eternity and submerged in serenity.

Until he was a teenager, Prince Siddhartha was shielded from sadness. At his birth, a priest told his parents that he would either become a great king or abandon home at the sight of suffering and become a great teacher. The king wanted his son to enjoy a life of royal pleasures, so he surrounded Siddhartha with beauty, magnificence, and youth. So much so, that even the royal gardener ensured that every withering leaf was snipped out of sight.

Inevitably, the fateful day came when the handsome, gentle prince was curious enough to leave the guarded walls and see the outside world. Though gallant festivities were carefully arranged across the kingdom, Siddhartha chanced upon three scenes that shocked him to his core. During the first excursion, he saw a man hunched over.

“Channa!” he called to his charioteer. “What’s happened to that man over there? He has lost his teeth and his cheeks are horribly hollow! Why does he hobble so?”

“He is just old, my dear prince. Everyone ages and becomes that way.”

Siddhartha was silent. Back in the palace, he ruminated alone until the next trip.

“Channa, look over there!” he called. “Behind the merry-makers is a man coughing and shaking. He cries out so piteously. What’s wrong with him?”

“Surely, Siddhartha, you know he is just sick. He may have a disease of some kind.”

The prince rushed home, perturbed. When he ventured out a third time, the scene he witnessed was the final straw: the chariot had stopped to let mourners pass by; they were carrying a dead body to the cremation grounds.

“What is this, Channa? Why is that man wrapped in a sheet lying so still on the stretcher? Why is everyone weeping?” Siddhartha was appalled to hear that the family was going to burn the body of a loved one. “How can everyone enjoy temporary joys when the pain of old age, disease, and death are around the corner?” he mused. He ceased to have any interest in royal entertainment, lost his appetite and thought only about the scenes he had witnessed.

The prince’s unrest spurred him on to escape the palace. One night, he left for the forests in search of true happiness.

He practiced severe asceticism, living in the wilderness without any comforts. He slept under trees, didn’t care for proper clothing, fasted for weeks, and bathed in freezing mountain springs.

Eventually, Siddhartha realized that his austerity was not making him happy or satisfied. While his previous life of royal luxury seemed meaningless, his new approach of extreme restraint also seemed futile. He gave it up for “the Middle Path” of moderation, whereby he met the needs of eating, sleeping, and living with neither indulgence nor denial.

Then, sitting under a bodhi tree, he went deeper and deeper into meditation. In his mind’s eye, he saw how material desires for enjoyment are the source of all human suffering. He became placid—free of desires, greed, and anger. He understood that it is only the body that ages, gets diseased, and dies. In knowing this, he relinquished all sorrow and misery. He became fixed in his understanding. His heart filled with light and he was free. Siddhartha rose with a calm, peaceful smile. He was now a Buddha—”awakened” to knowledge. He spent the rest of his life helping others to find real happiness.

Happiness begins when we give love

Buddha’s story teaches us that freedom comes when we release ourselves from the sticky cobweb of the many wants and desires pertaining to ourselves. Ancient and contemporary philosophers and influencers alike have offered the same advice. Up and down the centuries, they have tried to help us get things right. Socrates said, “The secret of happiness is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” Oprah suggested, “The happiness you feel is in direct proportion to the love you give.” Einstein advised, “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects.” Aristotle said, “Happiness is the settling of the soul into its most appropriate spot.” And Dr. Seuss prescribed, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Oprah’s thoughts on how the love we give to others generates our own happiness really speaks to me. When I feel down, I always retreat to my garden studio for an immersion into “giving.” In this safe space, I relax and open my red book of projects. The aspiration for these projects is to serve. My way to give love. I try to dedicate my efforts to others, to my spiritual teacher and to the supreme best friend (I aspire for a relationship with God that isn’t just one of awe or reverence but is infused with intimate friendship). I choose one of the initiatives and dive into one action towards a goal.

Every time I’ve chosen to divert myself this way, whether it’s after feeling criticized, unheard, or just plain irritated, somehow, I recover myself. My heart is uplifted, and I get clarity and perspective. I guess it allows me to exit the world of selfish concerns and see the bigger picture and my place in it. To enter the world of love. This makes everything possible. I find room to own my shortcomings without feeling deflated. I find it much easier to go back to the people I was struggling with and deal with them in more reasonable tones. I can smile and feel calm. I can humble myself.

Bhakti mantras help us enter this space. They provide an opportunity for us to offer our sentiments, spiritualize our feelings, and reach out for help and love. They change our external mood, as we internally connect to ourselves and to a greater force out there. Coming into awareness of our identity as a soul and into the presence of divinity (however we perceive it) shifts our perspective. We come into the light. We come into the energy of love. The nurturing of this loving relationship lifts our spirits and will support all our other pursuits of happiness—guiding us and often redirecting us to a better path. Shri Rama Jaya Rama is a joyous mantra that calls upon Rama and Sita, the divine couple, to share their blessing and bliss with us.

MANTRA 4

Shri Rama Jaya Rama

Pronunciation: Shree Raam Jai-yuh Raam

Meaning: I reach out to Rama and Sita, the lord and lady of bliss and joy.

Rama refers to the divine person as a “reservoir of bliss and pleasure,” while Shri is another name for the goddess Sita, his consort. She is the source of compassion and devotion. Often depicted holding a fresh blooming lotus, she overflows with generosity and care.

Everything about Rama brings joy. During our Heartland concert in May 2024, we experienced pure, rip-roaring delight when we sang this mantra. We had just finished a soothing, meditative Narayana chant. London’s Union Chapel seemed filled with serenity. Shri Rama was next on the program and suddenly I felt prompted to say, “Did someone say reggae kirtan?”

No one knew what I meant. I’m not even sure I knew myself! But bass guitarist Vik got some idea and bolted over to the djembe (a standing African drum). He struck the first reggae beat to everyone’s surprise and amazement.

“You weren’t expecting that one, were ya?” I chuckled, as the audience fell into shoulder-swaying, head-bobbing, clapping, and hip-twisting mode. Ah, reggae—truly the rhythm of the heart. (Did you know the original Afro-Jamaican rhythm literally follows the beats of a healthy human heart?)

Shri Rama Jaya Rama took center stage and the magic happened! I sang and the fourteen others around me rocked in perfect tempo with their instruments and vocals. The experience was such sheer joy that I couldn’t help sharing some devotional poetry I had recently heard quoted in a spiritual class. The words were by Tukarama, a seventeenth-century Bhakti saint from Maharashtra:

The great saint Tukaram says,

“When you lie down and chant, divinity comes and sits next to you,

When you sit and you chant, divinity stands beside you,

When you stand and you chant, divinity dances beside you,

BUT HEAR THIS:

When you dance and you chant… divinity embraces you!”

A great cheer went up and the audience stormed to their feet. What a happy time! Every person in the auditorium was in the zone. I’m so lucky that I get to sit at the front and see everyone’s faces. It was a beautiful sight. Honestly, everyone was doing a whole different kind of smiling. (And if you don’t believe me, you can see a snippet of the bliss by hitting this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpjRC0bqR ZQ. The track also works as the best spiritual pick-me-up you’ll find online—no cost, stress free, hangover free, and so good for your heart. If it doesn’t work, you can have your money back!)

Rama, the source of bliss

Just as Rama’s name brings joy, devotional history books narrate how meeting him was also a joyous experience. When Rama came to Earth to enact his divine pastimes, anyone who met him in person fell into rapture. Tall, handsome, broad-chested, with soft, curly hair, a majestic stride, and tender smile, he’d mesmerize all with his chivalric charm and benevolence.

Rama was born in the city of Ayodhya to King Dasharath and Queen Kaushalya. After a happy childhood, he grew into a valorous, beloved warrior. He won a royal contest and the hand of Princess Sita. On the night before Rama was to be crowned king, a treacherous plot hatched by a hunchback and his stepmother overturned all the royal festivities and sent the prince into a forest exile for fourteen years.

Misery descended on the city. The inhabitants were aghast to see Rama leave. Grief-stricken, Rama’s father died. Rama’s younger brother, Bharat, was so distraught at the news that he abandoned the palace until after Rama returned.

Meanwhile, bliss unfolded wherever Rama went in the forests. Hanuman, the half-man, half-monkey demigod who had waited long years to see Rama, finally met him. In Rama’s divine presence, Hanuman found the answer to his heart’s deepest want. Instantly, he dedicated his life to Rama in unfailing love. His already mighty strength grew immeasurably and, with supreme confidence, he went on to perform spectacular feats of service.

Elsewhere in the forests, all the yogis learned that Rama had come. These sages had abandoned all worldly enjoyments in pursuit of liberation. Their chosen path to achieve this was one of strict detachment and severe austerity (penance, simplicity, and fasting). But when they saw Rama, they were dazzled. They forgot all their yogic discipline and immersed themselves in devotional feelings. Taking up Bhakti, they aspired to become lovers of God.

When the exile was over, Rama’s return revived the city of Ayodhya. After long years of waiting and wilting, the kingdom arranged a glorious welcome. Inhabitants decked out their homes with flowers and hanging jewels. The atmosphere was suffused with sandalwood, camphor, and rose. They prepared feasts and sweet treats that spilled over their platters and pots. The streets and gardens resounded with music and dance, while hundreds of ghee lamps lit Rama’s way back into the city and into everyone’s hearts.

This occasion is still marked today, as Diwali, the festival of lights. Families celebrate with feasts, gifts, plays, and songs that depict Rama’s story, spectacular fireworks, and, of course, the chanting of the name of Rama. My mom would make the most delicious bhajia (deep-fried vegetable fritters) when I was little and, as a family, we would sing Shri Rama Jaya Rama before my dad started the grand garden fireworks. In 2021, to mark the festival, I recorded “Lighting Hearts: Raghupati Raghava,” featuring the amazing singer and songwriter Sam Garrett. That was great fun.

A joyous meditation

To help us dive into the joy of Shri Rama Jaya Rama, we will prepare ourselves with a meditation that focuses on the divine smile. So settle down, sit in a sacred, clean place: perhaps you have already dedicated a little space in your home where there are meaningful items, inspiring pictures, imagery, or even deities (if you’re into that); or it could simply be a place where light streams in and you can sit comfortably and undisturbed. You could create atmosphere by burning some incense or lighting a candle.

Now, drop your shoulders. Rub your brow from one side to the other gently. Smooth the muscles in your forehead. Pinch your eyebrows softly. After a few minutes, move down and make soft circles around your temples. Shift to the ears. Starting from the top, use your fingers and thumb to gently press and stroke around the stretchy and fleshy parts, until you reach the ear lobes. Finish by softening your jaw with circular pressing.

You have now stimulated blood flow across the face. Next, relax. Take a breath and let a gentle smile play on your lips. Feel your body settling into a restful smile. You are ready to journey inside with this special meditation, which comes from Inner Worlds: A Meditation Journey to Stillness, Self, and Bhakti by my spiritual teacher, Sacinandana Swami.

Meditation in a curving smile

1. Take a few breaths to center yourself. Allow the inhale and exhale to lengthen in long breaths. Focus on your heart space. Inhale a joyous feeling and let it spread. Exhale relaxation. In your mind’s eye, connect to divinity. Let the image of a divine smile arise from within. Meditate on that smile. You can think of the smile of the Buddha or other divine personality. Serene. In joy. A happy, wisdom-filled smile that reaches up to their eyes. Seeing this helps you to see there is a whole beautiful world beyond the entanglements and problems of this one.

The smile is welcoming and reassuring. Full of grace and unlimited happiness. Filled with blessings and benevolence.

“It is all right,” the smile is telling you. “You are safe.” Let these feelings pervade every part of your body.

Every cell. Everything in you. Stay in this stillness for as long as you want.

2. Gently end your meditation by rubbing your hands together. Bring them to your face and cover your eyes and cheeks. Rest for a moment in that warmth. Then look at your hands and its lines, as if you’re seeing them for the first time… and smile.

Chant with me:
Shri Rama Jaya Rama

It’s time to hit the QR code again, and we will light a path to joy by uttering the mantra Shri Rama Jaya Rama. Sit down, light a tealight in a little holder, and place it in your palms. As you do so, remember the excitement of the city of Ayodhya’s inhabitants as they waited to see Rama and experience your own exuberance. Before you chant the mantra, read the sentences below to evoke an atmosphere inside you.

As this tealight illuminates the room, let the mantra Shri Rama Jaya Rama flood my heart with joy.

As this tealight radiates beauty, let the mantra Shri Rama Jaya Rama heal my heart to shining.

As this tealight warms my palms, let the mantra Shri Rama Jaya Rama bring spiritual comfort and peace.

As this tealight shows the way, let Rama show the way for me and others.

If you can’t access the recordings, no sweat. Take a few breaths, tune in, and utter the mantra in a steady and clear voice. Don’t forget to smile as you do. Do this as at least five times.

Across yoga traditions, the name Rama is recited in meditation and worship. It is short and simple but deep enough to contain the universe. I sincerely wish that it carries you away in an ocean of beauty and bliss.

It is our nature to be happy. The more we discover how much spiritual happiness endures as no material happiness can, the less disappointed and distressed we become by our dealings in the external world. Everything is relative. You can handle it! Have a happy, smiling day!

CHAPTER 5

Find Strength with Om Hanumate Namah

This mantra will help you find your way.

“You are not your unstable, capricious mind. You are not your changing, ageing body. Both are necessary, but you are more than these.”

Lost your way? Lost your mojo? In life, we all have moments of low energy, despondency, and feeling lost. In 2021, I recorded my first album, Finding My Way. It’s fair to say, it was a bit of a flop. OK, it was a complete flop. Ironically, I lost my way while producing it. At the time, I didn’t really want to do it. I preferred live performances, which felt more organic, spontaneous, and raw. Recording instruments separately in a dark studio before everything is layered up didn’t appeal to me. But the record-label guys were sure that making this album was my best next step in growing my brand. They persuaded me that it would be a valuable experience to learn how to record a set of tracks for an album. We took only two days to record five songs. No wonder it didn’t win any awards.

Most of the things we did around that time were, to varying degrees, flops. I took a five-musician band to triyoga in Shoreditch, London, for my first official kirtan yoga night in 2018. I didn’t have money, so I promised vegan burgers afterwards for the team, on me. We set up. At first, no one showed. Then one woman sauntered in. We waited and waited, but no one else came. Disheartened but determined to see it through, we started anyway.

As the beats got faster, the atmosphere charged. I looked out to see the woman swaying. Kavi on the mridanga started killing it. I was pumping out the harmonium. I sneaked another peek. The woman had decided to lie down. Odd. Jaggi, on guitar, threw me a look. I shrugged. We rocked on. At the end of the track, we paused in enthusiastic momentum. Sweaty, I glanced up. No one was there. No sign of the woman. She had left. What now?

In both cases I felt unsure about the next step. Lost. What am I doing and why? I wondered. Am I barking up the wrong tree? In such moments of doubt, the best of us can buckle. Nothing makes sense. Our plans seem sunk and we lose our resolve.

If you feel you need to “find” yourself—maybe you’re confused, at a crossroads, feel like a “flop” as I did back in 2021, or have simply lost your mojo—take heart. We will befriend the rejuvenating mantra Om Hanumate Namah to power you up with spiritual force and clarity. The sacred words feature Hanuman, half-man, half-monkey demigod, the super-intelligent, super-powerful warrior in the Indian epic Ramayana. We will ask for his blessings and spiritual strength.

Hanuman is an extraordinary “finder.” He painstakingly discovers the whereabouts of the divine Princess Sita who has been kidnapped by Ravana, a demon king. We’ve met elements of this story in earlier chapters. Remember? Sita and Rama were living in the forest when Ravana created a diversion and sent Rama chasing a deer into the distance. Disguised as a mendicant, Ravana then crept over to the cottage and stole Sita away. Rama was distraught to find Sita missing and set out to find her. Along the way, he befriended Hanuman and a league of monkey warriors who promised to help in the quest.

We’ll have a tiny bit of story time now to see what happened next and how Hanuman saved the day. The monkeys divided into battalions and set off in every direction. Hanuman’s group ended up at the ocean shores. No one knew what to do or where to go next. In beautiful irony, the moment Hanuman decided to take up his mission as “finder,” he found his own truest self.

On the ocean shores, a battalion of disheartened monkey warriors watched and waited.

“What are we going to do? We can’t go back to the others without finding out something,” someone whispered.

“We’ll be mocked and shamed. Mission failed. Tails between our legs,” another tutted.

Hanuman, their chief, stared at the horizon, lost in thought.

“Can Hanuman make the leap? Does he have what it takes?” they all speculated.

Everyone was on tenterhooks. All the other leading monkeys confessed that they couldn’t make the leap to the island of Lanka. The distance was one hundred yojanas (approximately eight hundred miles). Rumor had it that some cowardly demon king called Ravana ruled there. He was suspected of holding Princess Sita captive.

A wise bear warrior stepped forward. “Arise, Hanuman, arise! This is your mission. This is your day! Why do you sit apart in silence? You’re born to serve.”

His words ignited a spark in Hanuman’s beady eyes. “You were blessed as a child. Have you forgotten?” the bear went on. “You’re son of the wind god and swifter than him! The demigods bestowed on you unrivalled intellect and spiritual wisdom. You’re indestructible, invincible. You can find anything. You are Rama’s beloved servant. Go! Get tidings of Sita Devi. Go!”

After a long moment, Hanuman stood up, all burly and solemn. Gasps rippled.

“He’s going!”

“He’s really going!”

The monkeys watched as a renewed Hanuman evoked his mystic powers and expanded in size until he towered over the army. The golden mace resting on his shoulder shone like the sun in the sky. Hoots and cheers broke out.

“It’s done. It’s done! Princess Sita will be found. Hanuman can do anything!”

Overflowing with devotional joy and strength, Hanuman lashed his tail. He roared once, and once more, before leaping off into the skies.

“Nothing should stop me. There can be NO delay,” he vowed.

En route, Hanuman met many obstacles. He appeased a mountain demigod, escaped the jaws of a celestial crocodile, killed a shadow-snatching demoness, and punched out Ravana’s chief guard when he reached Lanka. Thereafter, he reduced himself to the size of a thumb and began a thorough search of the city. After darting across rooftops, sliding down golden domes, and racing along gateways, Hanuman finally found Sita in the royal gardens. He saw her withered, crestfallen state and comforted her with his softest voice, “My lord has sent me to you, my lady. You are found. Take heart.”

A deep lesson to note: Hanuman was his incredible, invincible, ingenious self, in fullness, when he embraced the attitude of serving the divine. In fact, he is likened to an arrow of loving determination that unequivocally hits its target. This is a guiding principle for me. In moments of failure or confusion, I chant this mantra not just to help me seek strength and perspective from Hanuman, but also to remember how he became unstoppable when he remembered his devotional raison d’etre (and so can we if we connect to our own).

Our essence is to give love through joyful service

We all have vocations and trappings. Some of us wear suits, white coats, a tool belt, or even unseen PJs on a video call at home. If we drill down, we choose these pursuits to provide for our families, get satisfaction, and even give back to others. We do this best when we align to our psychophysical nature and use our best skills and passions. In Bhakti, this is called fulfilling one’s sva-dharma.

Underneath these roles, we have a deeper identity. As C.S. Lewis said: “We don’t have a soul. We are a soul. We happen to have a body.” Bhakti texts describe our most essential self as a soul that knows only how to love. It expresses this by joyfully giving and serving.

Read that again and let it sink in. It’s easy to gloss over. You are not your unstable, capricious mind that gets happy and sad at the slightest thing. Phew! You are not your changing, ageing body. Relief! Both are necessary to operate in the world, but you are more than these. According to Bhakti philosophers, the soul resides in the heart. Size: one ten-thousandth of a tip of hair. Life span: forever. Origin: divine love. Made of: pure love. Function: love in action. Goal: selfless love.

Keep “finding” the intention

This chapter’s mantra, Om Hanumate Namah, can remind us of Hanuman and his determination to give and receive divine love. Remembering this objective helps me when things go wrong in my projects and activities. When things don’t work out one way, I soul-search. Then, I try another way, knowing that nothing is ever lost. I just need to stay true to the intention. In whatever we are doing, if we can hold the intention to care, to help, to offer, to assist, to share, to inspire, etc., we’re on a spiritual path that will get richer and more joyful as we become more devotional. Externally, we may experience a rollercoaster of highs and lows, again and again, but we will find the internal resilience to endure. Hanuman can help us stay spiritually strong and overcome our obstacles.

Another interesting fact: this mantra is also nifty with helping you find lost objects such as keys, glasses, or even people! This corresponds to Hanuman’s dexterity and smart moves. He’s all about discovering and uncovering.

My spiritual teacher gave me the mantra when I was having a sticky minute looking for my shoes! We were together at the Hare Krishna temple in Hertfordshire. He had just given the morning class. We’d been there since 4 a.m. and I was tired. We were rushing for another engagement, and I was making us late. The shoe room was crammed with footwear. Even the gangway was littered with shoes, and I could feel my frustration about to bubble over. I was having that moment—when you can’t see the forest for the trees. My teacher calmed me with a pat. “Try chanting Om Hanumate Namah as you look,” he said. He uttered it and went outside. I took a deep breath, chanted the words, and looked again. Hey presto, I instantly found my shoes.

The joy of being found

Here’s another story I have to tell you, which took place on holiday in Jaipur. I was with friends, visiting a theme park.

First thing to say is that the theme park was nothing like Thorpe Park or Chessington. The experience was more like a festival. Rides were themed in Rajasthani culture—so there was lots of color and pomp. After a spicy meal that had us sputtering (what a masala!), we went exploring. Some of us headed towards the merry-go-round. I veered towards the fire-eater, who I still worry might be very sick after swallowing so much flammable liquid. My friends Kavi and Kalindi, who are true free spirits, wandered off in another direction.

Two hours later, we assembled at the agreed spot near the exit. But Kavi and Kalindi weren’t back. We waited. We waited some more. Nothing. We called Kavi on the phone. He didn’t pick up. (We expected this, as he never does.) We wondered if they had gone back to the hotel early.

The park was closing and the security guards were getting impatient. “We’re shutting,” one said, flapping his hands. “You must leave now.”

Another irritated guard said, “No friend here. He must be gone. No one here. We checked.”

Not at all reassured, we had no choice but to head towards our taxi. The annoyed driver rushed us into the car. We had made him late for his next customer.

Speeding down the Indian highway (in itself a scary experience!), a knot suddenly formed in the pit of my stomach. Something was not right. It was getting dark. The two Ks might have left early, but they would have struggled to get back to the hotel. Neither of them was Indian. Neither spoke Hindi. Both were a bit clueless and probably didn’t know the hotel’s address anyway. The journey was forty-five minutes and taxis were scarce. They wouldn’t have just left…

“Stop the car! We need to go back,” I said in Hindi, slamming my fist on the dashboard.

The driver was livid. He swerved onto the hard shoulder but refused to turn around. Stubborn guy. Then I felt a pump of adrenaline. I unbuckled, jumped out and pelted down the highway. Back at the park gates, security wouldn’t let me back in.

“No one inside! Festival closed!” the same guy shouted. I meandered a few feet out of sight, before vaulting over the fence. I felt compelled. The knot in my stomach had grown tighter. I took some frantic turns, until, lo and behold—there were my dear friends! Kavi was sitting on the ground, head in his hands. Kalindi was pacing, looking worried.

“Kavi!” I called.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe it! You’re here!” he said, jumping up. “We didn’t understand. One minute there were people riding camels and a hundred others milling around. And then suddenly everyone was gone. My phone was dead. Kalindi doesn’t have hers. We have no cash. The security guys said they didn’t see you.”

“The road outside was so quiet,’ piped up Kalindi. ‘We didn’t want to be stranded. We were convinced you guys were inside looking for us.”

Now they were found, I couldn’t help saying, “You two are just so flaky!”

“We really didn’t know what to do,” laughed Kavi. “I was scared out of my wits. Then I remembered that mantra you once told us about: Om Hanumate Namah. I’ve been reciting it over and over again, and suddenly, here you are. It feels like magic!”

MANTRA 5

Om Hanumate Namah

Pronunciation: Om Ha-nu-ma-teh Na-ma-ha

Meaning: I offer my respects to Hanuman, the devotional servant of Rama.

Hanuman is said to be as deep and wise as an ocean. He is swift, agile, and makes light of all burdens. Children love him. Adults revere him. Kirtan leaders, such as Krishna Das and Nina Rao, are Hanuman die-hards. When we chant the mantra, internally we can wish for Hanuman’s enthusiasm and determination to rub off on us. Let his quickness and intellect guide our search. As he is immersed in his divine missions, so may we find our special ways to love and give. May we find our life’s treasures. May we find our place within the cosmic tapestry.

Meditation in five breaths

Let’s take a few minutes to get centered through meditation. Remember, our definition of meditation is concentrating the mind and focusing on our area of concern. We want to peel back the layers and get to the heart of things.

Whatever you are trying to find—strength, direction, clarity, keys, or some aspect of life that is missing for you—take a moment to get into a positive mindset. You might be in a panic, so the idea is to chill out a bit before you get started.

Sit down. Feel the support of the ground, carpet, mat, chair or wherever you are. If it makes sense to stay standing, feel the soles of your feet pressing into the ground. Firm. Planted. Rooted. Grounded. You’re OK. You’re OK.

As you take each breath, say the words below aloud or in your mind. This will be enough to prepare you for the mantra.

• Breath 1: Inhale, nice and relaxed. Exhale, slow and steady.

• Breath 2: Inhale and think of what is “lost.” Exhale and say: “The search begins.”

• Breath 3: Inhale, nice and relaxed. Exhale and say: “It will soon be found. It is being found.”

• Breath 4: Inhale, nice and relaxed. Exhale and say: “May the answer or next step reveal itself.”

• Breath 5: Inhale, nice and relaxed. Exhale and say: “I am found. The calm begins.”

Chant with me:
Om Hanumate Namah

Time to plug in to the QR code. Sit tall. Focus on the idea of finding the true you. Take a deep breath. Let us chant and allow spiritual energy to encircle us. Those of you who cannot access the code, no problem. Once you’re ready, repeat the mantra five times. In our usual way, count off your fingers. Chant in a steady and calm voice.

If you feel a burst of energy, you can always repeat the chant as many times as you like beyond the five times. There is no hard or fast rule. (Remember, a complete round of 108 is the traditional number of times a mantra is recited on beads—see here. Of course, you are not obliged.)

If you’re on the go and feel the need to lean on Om Hanumate Namah, you can recall it any time. This can be a nice one to remember before going to bed. Once you are under the covers, close your eyes and send off the mantra in a whisper and with the intention, “May I be found.”

Wishing you success in finding yourself and the wisdom to be patient.

CHAPTER 6

Overcome Fear and Anxiety with Namaste Narasinghaya

This mantra will give you courage.

“I want to champion this mantra as a beautiful way to enter a sacred space of love. Where there is love, there cannot be fear.”

Turbulence can come from nowhere. After a full-house mantra meditation night at Souk Yoga Studio in New York, I was on the night flight back to London. It was 2023. My best mate, Naam, was sitting next to me, munching on peanuts. We were in high spirits. We had met some amazing yogis and corporates who were into mantra, and throughout the trip we had chomped through bagels and doughnuts galore.

Mid-conversation, the plane wobbled with turbulence and Naam’s peanut packet fell out of his hand.

“That was fun!” he laughed, picking peanuts off his lap.

I definitely didn’t feel the same way. Nor did the other passengers as the pilot announced we were flying through a storm and we entered what would be an hour-long (but seemingly never-ending) phase of turbulence. The crew strapped themselves in. I tightened my seat belt and tucked my knees in.

The thoughts started up quite quickly: It’s too early for me to die. I have so many goals to achieve. So many plans and desires. I love my family…

My stomach flopped with each dip.

“This is like a fun ride,” Naam grinned, cheerily.

I would have punched him, but I was clenching the armrests in a tight grip. I could hear others around us going through their own fight-or-flight reactions.

“God, God, please God,” muttered an African American woman, while a Jewish gentleman prayed and rocked gently. Others got on with entertainment and plugged into movies. I peeked over. Colorful shadows seemed to shift and flicker across rows of dark screens.

As the shaking got worse, I felt increasingly uncomfortable and knew it was time to call upon my protective divine friend. I closed my eyes and tried to ground myself (no pun intended). Naam understood instantly. He stopped crunching peanuts and fell silent. In a soft voice, I started to chant Namaste Narasinghaya.

I visualized the majestic scene when Narasingha, a startling form of divinity as a half-man (nara), half-lion (singha) saved a boy prince called Prahlad (I’ll tell you the story a bit later). I thought of Narasingha’s grand, protective form and peaceful presence. I stayed in that space and chanted on a loop. Gradually, I found calm and my breathing slowed. My heart felt a tender touch.

I looked out the window (I always try to get a window seat, so I can see and feel connected to the world outside). Though the weather was still jolty, my mind was in a different space. As the author and motivational speaker Gabrielle Bernstein says, “The key to serenity is trusting the universe has your back.” For me, “The mantra’s got me. Narasingha’s got me.” I felt it. This sparked a hint of fearlessness that gave me access to feelings of love. I smiled at Naam.

“That was fun, too,” he said, and munched on. “Hand over some peanuts, will ya?” I replied.

Learning to brace ourselves

Storms come into our lives without notice. Accidents, bad news, disagreements, health concerns, conflict at work or home can hurl in from nowhere. When my daughter was about eight months old, she had a weird vomiting episode one morning. She was sick seven times. My wife saw the sticky green vomit and was convinced it was bile. I’m green/red color-blind, so I thought she was overreacting. We waited five hours in the emergency room, while very anxious grandparents called every hour.

During that nerve-wracking time, we thought the worst and then tried to think the best. We were concerned, until the nice doctor told us everything was fine and that our daughter seemed like a “happy baby.” He was right. We still don’t know if an avocado she had eaten had caused the reaction or if something more serious was at play, but she’s been fine since then. Those were some sweaty moments, though.

Bhakti sages reflect on how happiness and troubles always come hand in hand. As winter and summer alternate in nature, highs and lows weave themselves into the human experience. We endure if we develop resilience to and wisdom from both. Knowing this, and seeking our welfare, the seers also suggest we batten down the hatches by getting close and comfortable with mantra. It beckons us to a space of loving acceptance and powerful action.

Maybe you have received terrible news, there’s an emergency, you’re about to give an important presentation or make a life-changing decision. There are a million situations where anxiety and fear can take over. Life is as raw as it gets in these times. The world sees what we are made of. On the airplane, I realized how small and vulnerable I was. In the grand scheme of things, I had no control over my circumstances. I couldn’t make the situation better or run away. This was humbling.

In blinding experiences of worry, anxiety, or sheer fear, it is possible to shift our consciousness. We can develop a strong, conscious, and grounded approach. Our response will show our ability to be “response-able.”

There are all sorts of mindful breathing exercises that can help us. These are great and should be utilized. I want to champion this mantra as a beautiful way to enter a sacred space of love. We can root ourselves in a powerful and personal relationship where we can be vulnerable, honest, heartfelt, and then face the challenge in partnership with divinity.

You might be about to do something momentous, exciting, or humbling—maybe you’re going to start a new job, move to a new city, or travel somewhere. Or you’re bracing yourself before making an apology or taking a difficult call. When your sense of identity is at stake, the thought of losing face, being rejected, or falling in someone’s regard is dread-inducing. In these moments, you want to charge up with spiritual strength.

Let’s chant the Namaste Narasinghaya for courage and calm. The deity behind the sacred words is celebrated as a protector of all those who approach him. He is the spiritual companion anyone would want beside them in tough or scary situations.

The ancient story that snapshots his appearance is dramatic, I warn you now! Narasingha came to save five-year-old Prahlad, who was being harassed by his controlling, power-mad father, who thought he ruled the universal roost.

“Prahlad! You impudent traitor of a son! How dare you defy me!” cursed the demon king, eyes burning. “I have conquered the universe. Humans, demigods, demons—all tremble when I’m angry. There’s no one greater than me. By whose power do you stand so fearlessly before me?”

“My source of strength is the same as yours, dear father,” Prahlad said. “He is everyone’s strength. How can I be afraid when he is with me? He’s everywhere, always. The only enemies we have are within: anger, greed, envy, fear. The only victory is to conquer these.” The prince’s voice soothed the royal servants like a sweet melody calms an agitated mind.

“That’s it! I will kill you myself,” shouted the king, as he unsheathed his sword. “Always minimizing me with your poisonous words. A supreme power—pah! A supreme person above me—impossible! All-pervading—but nowhere to be seen. All rubbish, nonsense! Will he come to save you? Where is he then? Is he hiding in this pillar?”

As the monarch hissed his mocking words, he struck a nearby pillar with his fist. The marble column cracked and a terrifying sound reverberated from within it. The guards jumped to attention. They dropped their spears to cover their ears as a piercing roar echoed to the skies. The maids screamed before dashing about helter-skelter. The king trembled as the pillar toppled to dust. In the smoke, two golden eyes glowered.

Heroic indignation and protective love had moved the divine person to take a ferocious half-man, half-lion form. Narasingha’s huge chest heaved. His shining mane, deadly teeth, and razor-sharp tongue appalled the demon king.

“What is this creature?” said the monarch, who resembled a moth entering fire as he raised his mace to attack. The divine lion-man easily caught him. In sport, he let the breathless demon slip away. The king rushed back to attack.

“Scared of me, animal?” the demon screamed.

Narasingha’s laugh was shrill and dreadful as he swept up the jealous king. He held the demon in his lap, under a doorway, at the fall of dusk, and used only his nails to kill him. Prahlad watched in awe and sorrow.

“Please love me forever and forgive my dear father,” he said, falling at the divine protector’s feet.

Choose love over fear

Choosing love over fear is a battle, but one that’s well worth the inner tussle. Underneath the king’s obsessive desire to control was the fear of being undermined and defeated. Ultimately, he didn’t want to die. (We can relate to that, right?) Unfortunately, though, he went about dealing with this the wrong way. After undertaking penance, he got himself a bunch of celestial boons from the demigods of the heavens, which reassured him of his invincibility. Thereafter, he started throwing his weight around. But because he remained insecure, he saw everyone he met as a foe to subdue. What he didn’t bargain on was having a son who loved so deeply that he was fearless (and foe-less) in every confrontation.

Where there is love, there cannot be fear (or feelings of hate). The Bible and Bhakti texts reflect this: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18); “Fear and love do not go together. Fear is constricting, self-centered, and self-conscious, whereas love is expansive, selfless, and directed toward service” (Bhakti Tirtha Swami—a modern-day devotional saint). It’s simple: fear shrinks the heart, love expands it. If you examine your deepest fears of uncertainty, mortality, failure, rejection, you can find inlaid your deepest wants and hopes. Find them and you have something to work on. I bet my bottom dollar that all your wants and hopes lead directly or indirectly to the space of love. All roads lead to Rome. In fact, all roads lead to home. The soul’s prerogative is love. The denial of this breeds anxiety and fear.

Let’s connect to the mantra Namaste Narasinghaya to access this reverberating space of hope. Armored with love, we can break down the culture of fear within and outside us. Narasingha will roar away the obstacles and help us step towards our highest good. The more we embrace a loving, devotional approach, the better we can adopt a fearless acceptance of things outside our immediate control and choose proactive action in things we can take responsibility for and influence.

MANTRA 6

Namaste Narasinghaya

Pronunciation: Nuh-muh-stay Nuh-ruh-singh-ah-ya

Meaning: I offer my heartfelt feelings to Narasingha. Please shelter me.

Narasingha’s unexpected appearance out of the pillar is testament to his fierce love. He showed up because he was won over by Prahlad’s committed and confident love. His startling guise expressed his overpowering concern. He didn’t care what he looked like—he just wanted to be there.

It is said that death is petrified of Narasingha. Sounds strange, but in Vedic culture, all elements of nature, such as mountains, rivers, and the sun, and concepts such as death are presided over by a divine personality. Death personified loses his head when Narasingha comes on the scene. Like I said—Narasingha is about fierce love.

Meditation in a roar

Our meditation is an opportunity to get still, become conscious and prepare to seek security from the mantra.

Find a quiet place. Sit down in a chair, on a sofa, cross-legged, propped up or however is most comfortable. Keep your back straight, as this helps to bring your body, mind and thoughts into clarity and alignment.

You want your breaths to be rhythmic. Inhale through your nose and exhale slow and extended through your mouth. Keep your tongue resting on the floor of your mouth. This drops your lower jaw slightly open and, as you exhale, you will hear a more marked sound. Let it remind you of a lion’s soft roar.

• Breath 1: Inhale. Exhale—imagine the roar of a lion.

• Breath 2: Inhale. Exhale—imagine the lion to be concerned for your welfare.

• Breath 3: Inhale. Exhale—imagine the lion to be wise and kind.

• Breath 4: Inhale. Exhale—imagine the lion to be strong and protective.

• Breath 5: Inhale. Exhale—imagine yourself to be a cub safe in the lion’s jaws.

Chant with me:
Namaste Narasinghaya

You’re ready! Let’s plug into the QR code. Sit or stand. Close your eyes.

If you can’t access the code online, count off your five fingers each time you chant Namaste Narasinghaya. If you get into it, then you can chant off both hands. There’s never a limit. Life is strange. Sometimes, we can feel relatively OK while there is great political and social unrest in the wider world. On a global scale there are always disheartening outbreaks of unrest, natural disasters, and violence. Sometimes, I catch the headlines and try to imagine the state of affairs for the individuals in those stories. Those acting out are unhappy inside. Those who are harmed are unhappy inside and outside. Everyone needs help.

As we get closer to Chapter 10 of this book, where we consider chanting for the peace and protection of others, I want us to start looking outward and recognizing that we are not lone islands. We are an interdependent community: we see our troubles glimmer in the eyes of others who suffer as we do, need help as we do, desire happiness and love as we do.

The Narasingha mantra evokes invincible and protective spiritual energy. This will supercharge us as individuals so we can be positive, loving changemakers. Each of us has a part to play. We can chant Namaste Narasinghaya to send out protective energy to people in need—to a world in need. Love and security will heal all.

CHAPTER 7

“Rescue Me” with Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama

This mantra will bring you shelter.

“In every situation is an invitation to turn to a greater force and recognize that it is always looking out for us.”

During my childhood, my friends and I idolized policemen and firemen as heroes who kept everyone safe. When I was five years old, my mom bought me a policeman outfit and hat from Woolworths, which I truly cherished. I’d wear it all day, every day and walk around the house with my notebook and pen, checking that everything was in order. “Everything all right in the kitchen?” I would ask, popping my head through the door. And I’d issue tickets to my younger sister for doing naughty things and ask her to pay a fine (in imaginary money). Revisiting this memory, I’m reminded that at any age, we like to feel safe and secure, in good hands.

“Help, I need somebody!”

In life, we have many sources of rescue and safety. Doctors, family, friends, therapists, teachers, umbrellas, homes, that bit of overhanging porch roof that stops you getting wet when you’re fumbling for your door keys, the pub, the café, the library, bus stops, and more.

We could see these as types of shelters or places of rest, because of course we need them along the unpredictable journey of life. Things don’t always work out as we want.

If you’re in this place, I feel for you and am with you. To help you out, this chapter’s mantra—Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama—is another place of rest and reassurance. It is a shining light to get you into your sacred space and help you connect to a higher power (however you perceive it) for some shelter and rest. You invite the sound vibration to do its healing work on all sorts of levels. It can help you connect to your feelings and express the softest of sorrows or deepest of pains, and in doing so, find some quiet.

A pilgrimage to the heart

I was eleven years old when my family went on our first pilgrimage. What an adventure! And it was my first taste of how people take refuge in mantra for strength and motivation. We were at the northern tip of India in Jammu Kashmir to visit the Vaishno Devi Temple located on Trikuta Mountain. From Katra town, we started a thirteen-kilometer ascent along a steep road that curved round and round the mountain. The trek would take seven hours, so we started at 3:30 a.m. to avoid the heat of the day. I was excited to wear the red bandana that all pilgrims seemed to be wearing, and to break into my snacks and beat my sister in getting to the top.

My enthusiasm lasted about fifteen minutes, then I started to get tired. So did my sister, which was a relief because I didn’t want to be outdone. I looked around and saw that most walking parties were chanting a mantra-cum-affirmation with every step, Jai Mataji (which means “The Mother-Goddess is great!”). My mom told me this gives everyone renewed strength to keep going. My sister and I tried it, too. We felt renewed—for about five minutes, and then our parents got us a palaki for the rest of the journey (a simple wicker palanquin chair fastened to two long bamboo sticks and carried on the shoulders of a man on either side). Elderly pilgrims and tired (or lazy, in my case) children sit in these chairs if they cannot walk and need assistance getting to the temple. From our jiggling, bouncy thrones, my sister and I found it fun to “encourage” others and call out Jai Mataji!

It was quite impressive to see how everyone walked and chanted the whole way. They had so much resolve to reach their spiritual goal and get blessings. When we reached the top, the adventure got scary as we had to go single file through a long cave. Our parents were either side of us kids, but I was terrified when we had to scramble and crawl through some tight gaps. For me, the reward was strange. All that labor ended in an inner cave that was musty, crowded, and lit with ghee lamps. I didn’t understand what I was looking at when I caught a quick glimpse of the altar, but everyone else seemed rapturous. Some were visibly moved and seemed to be filled with joy. Only now do I realize that our journey to the inner sanctum reflected the journey to go within.

The idea of finding safety inside of ourselves can seem strange. Sacinandana Swami (my spiritual mentor) has taught me everything I know about this. He shares some beautiful insights:

Finding and entering the sacred space within us will make us unswervingly peaceful. No matter what happens to us in our life, we’ll remain calm. The sacred space is an inner room in the heart where we find an inexhaustible source of strength and inspiration.

To help us approach this room, ancient-wisdom texts compare our body to a city of nine gates—two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, one mouth, and the lower region—through which information and energy travel constantly, like visitors. In this city, the house of the heart is the dahara akash, “the sky of the heart.”

By material estimations, it is a tiny room, but spiritually speaking, it is so large that the whole universe fits inside it. In here, the eternal soul lives in the presence of the Divine. Wisdom texts declare that those who find this room will discover their true heart’s desire.

Lean on me

The divine person named in this chapter’s mantra is Krishna. In Bhakti he is described as suhrit, which means a heartfelt, well-wishing friend who knows you completely and accepts you as you are. His smile is said to drive away the ocean of tears. Sitting beside this compassionate and understanding divinity, we can carve out a resting place for calm, to catch our breath, be sad and find hope. Whatever happens on the outside, we have the mantra Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama to lean on. While everything else may not go our way, this mantra will always be there to offer a warm embrace.

To encourage and inspire you, we share a short, ancient moment in which the divine person came to the aid of a powerful, self-assured elephant who had been beaten by life. Through mantra, he gave his heart in a desperate plea.

Dawn streaked its brilliant rays along a valley of the gigantic Trikuta Mountain, spreading across a sparkling lake. Golden lotuses bloomed in joyful waking. A breeze rustled through the coconut, date, and palm trees. Swans, cranes, and water chickens crowded the lake in morning chirrup.

But a stomping disturbed the peace. Gajendra, the elephant king of the jungle, and his family rumbled over to the lake. He was thirsty and fatigued. His clan needed to refresh. Tigers, lions, rhinoceroses, and camari deer fled at the sight of the huge, dusty herd. Others who felt protected by the king—foxes, wolves, buffalos, bears, gopuccha monkeys, rabbits—loitered freely. Everyone knew Gajendra was mighty enough to crush any enemy. All submitted, either in hostility or gratitude.

Gajendra splashed into the lake and drank deeply. The cold, clear water was sweetened with the dust of water lilies and lotuses. He tossed a trunkful over his shoulders, spraying the calves, who trumpeted in glee. A squirting game began, sending showers in every direction.

A crocodile got particularly angry about this. “Who does Gajendra think he is?” he growled and glided over. Unseen, he opened his mighty jaws and bit into Gajendra’s leg.

Gajendra shrieked. His family cried out in thundering unison when they saw blood everywhere. Outraged, the elephant king yanked his leg, dangling the crocodile above the waves. But the reptile didn’t let go. He sank his teeth in deeper and, using his own brute force, thrashed back into the water. Roaring, the elephant belted the crocodile with his thick, heavy trunk. His opponent pulled Gajendra’s leg violently, almost overturning him.

Infuriated, the elephant king trampled and splashed, pounded, and smashed the crocodile. This way and that, he retaliated. The fight carried on a long time. Gajendra’s family tried everything they could to help, but ultimately left him to battle on his own. What could they do? In the end, alone and beaten, the patriarchal elephant felt his life force wane. He had done his awesome best, while, at home in the water, the crocodile rallied on. There was no hope.

I have no one. I’m exhausted. I can’t save myself. There’s nowhere to go from here, Gajendra thought. There is only one place I can receive protection. I fix my heart and mind upon you, the supreme person, and call out.

Gajendra went so deep into his consciousness that he remembered mantras he had chanted from a previous lifetime. Overwhelmed by love and hope, he plucked a lotus and held it up as an expression of his surrender. Touched, the supreme person rushed to his rescue within moments.

A mantra of trust

At every step, life calls upon us to learn something. In every situation is an invitation to turn to a greater force and recognize that it is always looking out for us. This type of trust is the stuff that Steve Jobs talked about when he said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”

Often, we agonize over trying to understand why things happen to us the way they do. Things don’t make sense to us, and we just want answers. However, only with the wisdom and beauty of hindsight do we see that things didn’t happen the way we wanted, but rather as they needed to for us to grow. Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama is an affirmation to help us recognize we are not alone on our journeys. Divine shelter is always available as a refuge, independent of all other external “emergency” services and sources of safety.

MANTRA 7

Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama

Pronunciation: Shree Krish-na Sha-ruh-nuhm Muh-mah

Meaning: Shri Krishna, o all-attractive divine person, you are my shelter.

In essence, all mantras bestow protection. But this mantra is special because, in its call, we can explicitly request shelter, as indicated by the Sanskrit word sharan.

Mantra has been my truest holding space, where I find hope that is not tethered to anything external. When I go into the communal kirtan space, I look for personal answers and somehow something changes every time. My sorrows become smaller and manageable. My perception shifts and situations become contained in perspective. Every major decision in my life has been backed by kirtan.

Meditation in safe hands

This meditation is an opportunity to nurture self-expression and feelings of safety and calm. We will gently acknowledge what is bothering us or making us sad or unhappy, and then release the emotions by offering them upward.

Sit comfortably. (I like to chant this one sitting on my knees—that might work for you, too.) Let yourself feel steady and supported. Roll back your shoulders, lengthen your spine and take some slow, steady breaths.

It’s helpful to observe your thoughts for a moment. Are they positive or marred by a situation? Reflect on the places you usually turn to for solace; maybe your go-to people, objects, or places. Invite yourself to lean on the mantra Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama, as protector, guardian, and friend.

You can hold your palms open, facing the ceiling, ready to release emotions and receive grace. Here are two simple affirmations to say out loud or silently:

• Affirmation 1: I release my (fear/sadness/weariness/disappointment…).

• Affirmation 2: I place myself in safe hands.

Chant with me:
Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama

Time for us to meet on the other side of the QR code! Be wherever you are. If you can get to a place where you have some peace and comfort, that’s great. You can be by yourself or with a friend—that’s perfect, too. If you’re indoors and it’s safe, then you could create some atmosphere by lighting candles, tealights or lamps. There is something so uplifting and soothing about candlelight.

Chanting Shri Krishna Sharanam Mama is like calling for rescue, or sharing your grief, or asking for rest. Offer your honest feelings, knowing that sharing these with divinity creates miracles. Sometimes, emotions might find resolution, things may take a new turn, but most importantly, we can hope to experience a shift in our ability to see and respond to the situation. Don’t worry if you can’t access the recordings. Relax. After some deep breaths, chant the mantra five times.

An afterthought: the seasons of life roll on—bright summers when we are at ease and dark winters when we are low. There is beauty and difficulty in both. This mantra is there for us for inner solace. The spiritual vibration is real. Once uttered, it is heard. Then we wait. And in the meantime, we can take responsibility and reach outward to friends, guides, and experts for support. We are on a journey of learning and, ultimately, a journey to love.

CHAPTER 8

Transform with Shiva Shambho, Mahadeva Shambho

This mantra will open you to spiritual transformation.

“We cannot open the door to the realm of divine love from the outside. It can only be opened by someone from the inside.”

Don’t tell anyone, but Keeping Up Appearances was one of my favorite summer holiday programs when I was a teenager. On the off-chance that you are too young to remember, it was a BBC sitcom that aired in the 1990s. I wasn’t old enough myself to understand all the humor, but I still found it funny and, plonked on the sofa with my big bowl of cereal, I loved watching late-morning episodes on good old terrestrial TV. The main character, Hyacinth Bucket (or rather “Bouquet,” as she would insist on the telephone), was so hilarious with her exaggerated accent, fancy hats, and Royal Doulton china “with hand-painted periwinkles.” She wanted so much to impress others and hide away the truth of her working-class background. Always a hard one—to be who we are, to be who we want to be, and to be real along the way.

We’ve all had our share of this. My final big holiday to Magaluf (a hotspot tourist town in Majorca) was in 2011. It was a defining time. I was in my university years when a bunch of my high-school buddies and I packed off for a party-boy holiday. I was in the early stages of taking up a Bhakti life but uncomfortable about rocking the boat with my friends.

In the mornings, I would wake up super early before everyone else so I could do my mantra meditation unseen. I was ashamed to chant openly. During the evenings, I pretended to have a good time. With a cigarette dangling from my mouth and drinking heavily in a nightclub, I felt like such a fake. By the end of the trip, the group and I had had a showdown. It never works when we are inauthentic. We can’t keep up appearances for long. No one is satisfied. I came back exhausted.

Does this experience resonate with you? This chapter’s mantra, Shiva Shambho, Mahadeva Shambho, will help you to take your next steps towards personal and spiritual transformation.

Entry to authenticity

Taking up spirituality, or any new way of life for that matter, is daunting. The need to be accepted by those around us and to “belong” lingers. We want to be “normal.” On these themes, American professor and author Brené Brown’s deep wisdom has always helped me:

True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.

On having the courage to stand apart for what we believe in, Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s words give me strength: “We must resist the temptation to be ‘normal,’ because those who are now considered normal accept the values and practices of an insane world.” From one angle, our world is pretty insane when we look at the list of “normal” practices: racism, discrimination based on physical differences, war, hurting children, hurting our animal friends, spoiling the stunning Amazon rainforests. The list goes on. In principle, all of us will agree that these are not acceptable, yet we go on enduring them in one form or another. It takes real courage to stand true to our values.

Lord Shiva opens doors

My first visit to the most prominent Shiva temple in Vrindavan, India, was in 2019. Vrindavan is the hometown of kirtan and Bhakti, where thousands of pilgrims flock every day to deepen their love for Krishna. It is customary to visit the sacred temples of the five “gatekeepers” who are supposed to give “entry” beyond the external dimension. This means visitors are blessed to be more than just tourists who see the sights, take the pictures, and get a milk sweet or blessed garland from a special place, if they’re lucky. They can access the spiritual dimension of this sacred land. This means perceiving with inner eyes and receiving a true experience in the heart, where grace descends, realizations crystallize, blocks resolve, inspiration blossoms, and love flows.

I took my heartfelt wish for some kind of transformation to the temple of Lord Shiva, a primary gatekeeper. The experience was magical and my first introduction to the Shiva mantra that features in this chapter. I thought sharing it here would be a beautiful way to support you on your journey of spiritual growth.

Maybe you need a shift in the heart or some resolutions to the blocks on your journey to love? By chanting Shiva Shambho, Mahadeva Shambho, you can ask for guidance, inspiration, and courage. As Shiva has done for so many others, he can give you entry to your heart space, fortify your budding sense of spiritual truth, and ease your way to your next step, whatever that may be. Shiva is the right person to present your questions, problems, and pleas to, because he opens the doors of spiritual transformation. He became the official gatekeeper to the realm of divine love after a time when he himself underwent a wondrous transformation.

Bewitching notes of a flute played in Lord Shiva’s ears and his heart was overcome by divine love. At home, on a snowy peak of Mount Kailash, he had been in deep meditation, but now a thirst to see Krishna, the divine masterful flute player, prompted him to action. Shiva knew well that a night of mystical song and dance was about to begin in Vrindavan, where Krishna was presenting his spiritual pastimes on Earth. He wanted to see the heavenly enactment and join in, without delay.

In moments, Shiva stood at the forest threshold. In gentle, imploring tones, he asked Yoga Maya, the divine goddess organizing the festivities, to admit him.

“By all means, Shiva, you are welcome. But all who enter must have the feminine form and surrendered mood of a gopi [maiden],” she said.

“What must I do to be permitted to see Krishna and be immersed in transcendental love?” Shiva asked.

Yoga Maya sent him to another goddess, who suggested that Shiva bathe in the sacred lake called Manasarovar. Lord Shiva didn’t waste a minute. He dipped into the waters and when he emerged all were amazed to see he had transformed into a beautiful, enchanting female gopi. Much pleased, Shiva joined the dance.

When Krishna saw the new visitor, he was overjoyed and amused. Shiva, the epitome of masculinity, looked charming as a gopi. In deep appreciation of Shiva’s willingness to do whatever it took to enter the sacred dance, Krishna honored him with the name Gopeshwara and the post of eternal protector of the whole sacred region. All who wanted to be admitted would need sanction from Shiva. Anyone who wanted to progress in Bhakti and experience pure divine love would need to seek his blessings, permission, and guidance.

Shiva shows the way

American author and pastor John C. Maxwell’s brilliant maxim “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way” couldn’t apply more to Shiva. He is powerful yet humble. Though he is said to have brought the sacred Ganges River to Earth so all peoples can be purified and transformed, body and heart, he showed no offense when he was asked to bathe in the sacred lake.

Often in guided meditations, I use the example of a honeybee. If we want to taste honey from a lotus flower, we could experiment with various extraction methods, or we could simply go to a honeybee, who is an expert forager and knows how to do it. So if we are looking for spiritual transformation, where we can access our best selves and purest love, then getting entry to and guidance on the path from Shiva makes perfect sense. This mantra gives entry on the heart level.

MANTRA 8

Shiva Shambho, Mahadeva Shambho

Pronunciation: Shee-vah Shum-bho, Maha-dey-vah Shum-bho

Meaning: My salutations and homage, O auspicious one.

Shiva is the perfect exemplar yogi, philosopher, chanter, storyteller, and masterful dancer. He encourages everyone on their path and blesses readily and in abundance. He is honored across many Vedic traditions. In Vrindavan, the four-thousand-year-old temple dedicated to Shiva is unique, as it celebrates his transformation, just as we saw in the story.

In the mornings, the lingam deity form (a short, cylindrical pillar usually made of black stone) is seen and worshipped in the traditional way. Pilgrims perform a sacred bathing and worship with milk, yogurt, and honey. When visitors come in the afternoon, after the siesta period when the temple is closed, they see that the lingam has been “transformed” into a beautiful gopi maiden, dressed in silks and adorned with jewelry.

We arrived at the temple at 10 a.m. in a line of rickshaws. My spiritual teacher was leading a group of about ten of us. As we bundled through the front arch, my first impressions weren’t necessarily positive. The temple was packed to the rafters. We got absorbed into the jostling and pushing crowd in a small hall. The floor was wet and squelchy. Wet feet in any scenario outside the shower always eek me.

Also, I couldn’t help worrying about my new vegan Birkenstocks that I’d left outside, practically on the road, in a heap with other shoes, under the watchful eyes of a fat monkey nearby. In Vrindavan, monkeys roam about freely. They usually bound along the tops of walls, gates, fences, and rooftops, ready to swipe any visible eatables from pedestrians. Sometimes, they grab glasses and shoes, too, and then wait until you throw them bananas or food before abandoning your chewed and spoiled valuables for you to retrieve.

The presence of my spiritual teacher prompted the temple priests to welcome our whole group into the inner enclosed room at the center of the hall. It was also teeming with visitors. I couldn’t make head or tail of what was going on in the tiny area. Groups of pilgrims were offering personal worship; individuals were singing while priests were chanting, ringing bells and whirling incense sticks. Between all the arms and elbows and the hands pouring milk and tendering flowers, I couldn’t see the deity properly.

However, the whole experience changed when my teacher unexpectedly started singing a Shiva mantra. His steady and strong voice cut through the mayhem. The atmosphere shifted and we all tuned into calm. At first, just our little group joined in the chanting and then everyone else in the outer hall joined in unison. The singing was soul-stirring.

As the atmosphere cleared, so did the local pilgrims. We were now able to stand without being pressed against walls. Suddenly, I felt like we were truly in an inner sanctum. The priests appeared with trays of beautiful items of worship. We offered sandalwood, marigolds, bilva leaves (from the bel tree, always used in worship of Shiva), fruits, incense, and ghee lamps to the deity, while my teacher continued singing. I realized then that I had completely forgotten why I had come. Now, I was able to connect to my intention and aspirations. I chanted for change in my heart and clarity in my purpose, and I meant it.

The feeling of wonder stayed with me for the rest of that day. I had experienced a meaningful internal shift and felt so grateful about it. I started to appreciate the words my spiritual teacher had shared as introduction to visiting sacred sites—that “we see holy places of Divinity not with our eyes but with our ears,” and that “we cannot open the door to the realm of divine love from the outside. It can only be opened by someone from the inside.”

Meditation on a mountain

Shiva is described as the leading, quintessential yogi who resides on a snowy mountain cap in the Himalayas and spends his time in perennial meditation. We will take inspiration from this majestic scene and offer a meditation designed to help you leave your immediate environment, at least in your mind, and go somewhere that helps you feel open, adventurous, and ready for positive change.

In two simple steps, we will prepare ourselves for chanting Shiva Shambho, Mahadeva Shambho with a visualization. Find a quiet place to sit down. Try sitting in a cross-legged posture, if you can. You might find it helps to sit on a cushion, so your bottom is raised and your crossed knees are touching the floor. This raises your hips and supports your lower back. Imagine a golden thread attached to the top of your head pulling your shoulders and back upward. Breathe a few calming breaths. Each time let the exhale extend.

1. Picture yourself on a mountainside or the high plain of a flat-top mountain. You are watching as the sunrise welcomes in a new day, a new beginning. The wind is fresh and cold. It blows through your hair. Some kind, warm rays shine over your face. The atmosphere is incredibly fresh, bright, and invigorating. You gaze across the panoramic view, taking in the majesty of nature. You are here, part of that beauty, part of the landscape. It is part of you and you are part of it. Anything is possible. Everything is possible.

2. Now, picture a gate before you. Breathe in the courage to walk through. OK, let’s go!

Chant with me:
Shiva Shambho, Mahadeva Shambho

It’s your time to chant! I’ll be on the other side of the QR code, where we will chant for guidance, admittance, entry to our next step towards a life less ordinary. If, for any reason, you can’t come online immediately, no sweat! After doing the meditation, carry on in a calm mood. Relax, smile, and chant in a clear voice. You can do it five times, counting off your fingers. But again, as always, there is no limit to the number of times you can chant the mantra Shiva Shambho, Mahadeva Shambho. Stay fresh and alert to the sound of the words and offer your heartfelt sentiments.

CHAPTER 9

Access True Love with the Maha Mantra

This mantra will fill your cup.

“The soul never dies, and it loves unconditionally, inherently. It knows, it wants, it needs, it craves only eternality and love.”

This is our penultimate chapter, and we know we now have to get to the nitty gritty of things. No pussyfooting around. So let’s tackle the thing we all want the most, misunderstand the most and possibly get wrong the most. It is, of course, love.

The pickles and palavers of relationships

Relationships are hard. Really hard. Whether between lovers, colleagues, with parents, siblings, neighbors, when we’re out and about—sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. People drift away, pass away, disagree, or betray. We fall out of love; we were never really in love; what is love anyway? Some of us give up on love and some never find it. What a ruckus it is.

Now, if you happen to be having a fabulous life with all your relationships in perfect sync, congratulations! This chapter’s mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—will add a spiritual depth to your life and relationships that may surprise you. For the rest of us normal mortals who struggle and wish things could be more harmonious, welcome to a mantra that helps you feel loved on the inside, so you can shine your light outside into all other relationships. But before we get to the mantra, let’s unpick a few things.

Dream factories

Maybe our problem is partly our too-high, fairy-tale, fantasy-led expectations for happy-ever-after friendships and relationships. Would you agree?

This quest is encouraged from when we are tots. I bought into the “dream” of friends forever with Disney’s The Jungle Book. I just loved it. Ah, Mowgli, Baloo, and Bagheera—the best trio ever. Their singsong friendship and happy-forever-in-the-jungle plans were perfect. I was right there with them, swinging the vines and tussling on Baloo’s furry chest when he floated about. Not a care in the world. Simple, exhilarating fun. Bare necessities, indeed—my most-played, most-loved song in childhood, until the cassette reel broke. Now my son and I watch it together. We’ve got the bob-shake-your-bottom dance down to a T.

However, the ending was always my gripe. Firstly, I didn’t want the cartoon to finish. I wanted the fun to never end. Secondly, I couldn’t believe that Mowgli chose to leave the jungle. Why would any kid leave his friends for a girl?

However, I understood a few years later! “Happy ever after” took a new turn in my teens. The 2001 Bollywood blockbuster Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham ingrained the dream for me. With breathtaking glamor, the couples fall into beguiling, magnetic love. Actors Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol share chemistry that makes everyone wish that the celebrated on-screen couple were married in real life. Naturally, the course of love is thwarted. Family object and things fall apart. The lovers move to a new country, there are some dance numbers, dramatics, and “coincidences” before the great reunion takes place, and bygones are finally bygones. All ends well in a glittering Indian wedding celebration. Of course! Credits roll and the couples and families will live in perfect love, in their perfect, glamorous setting where nothing can ever go wrong again—happily ever after. The audience sighs in rapture.

Don’t we just love it? Hollywood and Bollywood sell and celebrate perfect friendships and relationships by showing us what we want most: dependable, unending love that brings ease and joy. Highly ironic, because we know the stars who act in these dreams are beautiful, make gorgeous alliances, live in luxurious settings, but rarely live out these idyllic relationships.

Does this mean “happy ever after” is just a commercial enterprise? No. Thankfully. The Bhakti philosophy suggests there is truth underpinning our yearnings.

Bhakti truths

If we drill down to our truest identity as souls, then it becomes clear that our wish for “happy forever after” comes from this part of us. From the Bhakti angle, it’s the most natural thing for us to want. The soul never dies, and it loves unconditionally, inherently. It knows, it wants, it needs, it craves only eternality and love. This leads to some essential Bhakti truths:

• The soul yearns to be loved and give love. It receives pure love in a sacred relationship with its divine source (however you like to relate to this be it as divine person, universal energy, higher power, etc.). Separate from all other relationships, this safe and dependable space helps us become more whole, secure, and complete.

• As divinity fills our cup with this selfless, pure love, we become more able to have stronger, longer, and meaningful relationships with everyone else. We will radiate attractive spiritual energy and exude positive qualities. We will see ourselves as souls and start seeing and valuing others in the same light.

• Conversely, all our troubles start when we mistakenly pursue true love purely on the level of body and mind.

A love supreme

Back to the Maha Mantra. If you’re looking for Mr. Right, Mrs. Left, good friends, better family relations, or smoother dealings at work—we are not saying that the mantra will fulfill these wants. What we are saying, with confidence, is that the chant will help fill your cup, better you, change you, inspire you, enable you to bring a nicer “you” to your relationships. The mantra will work on your heart and awaken the “spiritual you.”

This sixteen-word mantra (though it comprises only three words in different combinations) is called the Maha (great) Mantra because it is said to be a compassionate gift from the divine, as it reaches out to us and warmly invites us to reach back.

Shri Chaitanya, the sixteenth-century saint of Bengal, popularized the Maha Mantra by singing and sharing it throughout his extensive travels. He was a revolutionary with a heart pulsing with compassion. He showed the stuffy exclusionists that the mantra must be available for everyone because we are all souls who need spiritual love. Anyone from any culture, belief system, identification, and gender was welcome. No hard-and-fast rules for beginners. The only prerequisite was a sincere, willing heart.

One of Chaitanya’s modern-day spiritual descendants was A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who was the first to share the Maha Mantra with a global audience, receiving widespread interest. His rise and rise began in 1965, when he arrived at Boston Harbor with little money but a heart filled with enthusiasm. He slowly attracted a following from the hippie community, then drew in university students and people of influence—eventually, George Harrison from the Beatles became affiliated to Prabhupada and helped with the production of mantra music records.

Prabhupada’s message was encapsulated in “chant and be happy.” His first outdoor mantra meditation session was in New York, in Tompkins Square Park. We share a scene of that day in October 1966 to demonstrate how the Maha Mantra was so inviting and accessible.

It was a warm Sunday on the Lower East Side. The weekend crowd milled all over Tompkins Square Park. Young fashionables and retired sorts sat in bunches and patches, enjoying a laze in the sun. Benches were filled with old Ukrainians, absorbed in family chitchat. Bells and shouts echoed from Puerto Rican, African American, and white slum kids, as they raced about on bikes or played ball and frisbee. The pounding of balls on asphalt reverberated in the basketball courts, which had been taken over by teenagers. Dogs let loose from their leads sniffed and growled at each other. Young hippies from middle-class backgrounds teemed as they cut through the park on their way to Greenwich Village or St Mark’s Place (both places were creative melting pots for counterculture bohemianism).

Then the usual Sunday jumble was surprised by a curious uproar sparked in one part of the park. Someone had unrolled an oriental rug on the ground for an entourage of hippies carrying a harmonium and drums. At the park entrance, drivers pulled over to stare. Sellers stepped out of their shops to see the spectacle. No one had seen anything like this—or rather, they had never seen anyone like Prabhupada, who led the group with such grace.

Prabhupada’s regal air and gentle, elderly face suggested no harm. Nevertheless, his attire was startling. He was wearing light saffron robes under a pink sweater. A khadi wrap was draped over his shoulders. He had taken off his white slippers and sat down on the rug. A big oak tree shaded his face as he smiled at the group that quickly assembled around him. He counted one, two, three, before clapping his hands to a beat. Someone started hitting cymbals, out of rhythm. Prabhupada clapped on steadily, until the cymbals player caught on.

After singing some preliminary mantras and prayers, the swami started singing the Maha Mantra, while playing a small drum braced against his body. His followers joined in. They had waited eagerly for this bit to start. As the singing and clapping got stronger, more interested onlookers joined the edges of the scene.

Musicians came, too. A local resident who made flutes sat down to play. A saxophone player added his notes. Players of conga and bongo drums, bamboo flutes, metal flutes, mouth organs, wood and metal clackers, tambourines, and guitars joined in. By the afternoon, more than a hundred people were crowded around, watching or joining in. Poets Allen Ginsberg and Peter Orlovsky came to chant, too.

Prabhupada chanted with intensity and presence. His chanting beckoned all. Some children sat nearby. An ice-cream vendor decided this was clearly a hotspot and sauntered over. Someone burned frankincense on a glowing coal, sweetening the air.

At Prabhupada’s invitation, the dancing began. Hands upraised, the young people expressed their peaceful joy. People with cameras came forward to take pictures. The New York Times would publish an article about the impromptu spiritual party the next day. Meantime, the park reverberated with the beats and rich tones of the mantra for the afternoon. At about 4 p.m., Prabhupada stopped to thank everyone for coming and said a few words about how the mantra helps chanters raise their consciousness and experience bliss. He invited everyone to his center, called Matchless Gifts, at 26 Second Avenue. The public event was a huge success and heralded more.

The miracle of mantra

Truth be told, Tompkins Square Park is no Central Park. It is a humble green space from where Prabhupada, a Bengali gentleman then in his seventies, grew a movement of love. Now, the elm tree under which he chanted bears a plaque to commemorate the occasion. It is inscribed with “Hare Krishna Tree.” The power of the Maha Mantra, combined with the purity of Prabhupada’s purpose, created a great surge of love. In the 1960s, people who were disillusioned about war, politics, religion and materialism, who had taken to intoxicants and drugs for relief and revelation, found the Maha Mantra gave them their answers.

MANTRA 9

The Maha Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Pronunciation: Huh-ray Krish-na, Huh-ray Krish-na, Krish-na Krish-na, Huh-ray Huh-ray, Huh-ray Ra-ma, Huh-ray Ra-ma, Ra-ma Ra-ma, Huh-ray Huh-ray

Meaning: O Krishna! Please accept me and engage me in your divine loving service.

The three words of the mantra refer to divinity from different perspectives. Krishna refers to the divine person who is the most attractive and handsome being in existence. He draws all in with his unfathomable beauty. Rama refers to the same divine person who is always in bliss, joy, and rapture, and who is the source of these. Hare refers to the compassionate feminine power of divinity. She captures the heart and mind of Krishna.

Infuse the chant with feelings from wherever you are on your journey. This can be across a spectrum. Here are some markers you can use to tune in to your thoughts and feelings: “I want to know you,” “I reach out,” “Thank you,” “Please come into my life,” “Let me receive love,” “Let me learn to give love,” “What can I do for you?,” “My friend, my protector,” “Guide me,” “Be with me,” “I love you,” “I’m yours.” If you can channel true, respectful, heartfelt feelings, you’re on track. The idea is to reach out.

Meditation as an embrace

In this meditation, we want to visualize the warm experience of being held by the encompassing arms of divinity. It may help to have a blanket or shawl nearby. Sit somewhere you feel safe and undisturbed. Take a few deep, calming breaths. Slow the cycle of breathing as much as you can. This will help to bring stillness to the mind.

Picture yourself in the presence of divinity. This could be a glowing presence, a light or a divine person. Place your hands on your lap—palms open, facing upward, in a receiving position. Envisage the divine presence coming closer to you and be with this.

Stay in this sacred presence for as long as you like. As the meditation draws to a close, feel free to lightly place the blanket or shawl around you.

Bhakti reassures us that we are never alone. The relationship with divinity is for keeps. Whenever we remember it, we can dive into the satisfaction and bliss of knowing we are loved unconditionally by an incredibly attractive and compassionate force that doesn’t care a fig about our appearance. Whether we are wrinkly, have gained weight, are poor or unsuccessful, or have made mistakes, divinity will always be there for us. He/she/they/it are in love with us forever. Knowing this can fuel and heal us.

Chant with me:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

If you’re plugging into the QR code, we’ll meet in the sound space! If not, chant five times, as always. Keep a steady pace and enunciate clearly. The goal is to offer our honest feelings, calls and requests with the mantra.

Because the sequence here is longer than our usual mantras, it may take a few tries to get the hang of it. To help you, here is a visual form of the words to focus the mind as you chant:

Hare Krishna

Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama

Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare

let your cup overflow

CHAPTER 10

Send Love to Others with the Maha Mantra

This mantra will help you to help others.

“In giving, we will always receive. In sharing, we will always become fuller. In the spirit of loving others, reaching out and learning how to be there, we will find ourselves in unexpected ways.”

You and I have walked so far together; it has been wonderful. Essentially, all the mantras of previous chapters have helped us to receive spiritual strength. In different moods and with different dramatic stories, they have sought to charm us and inspire us to connect with divinity and find loving spiritual wholeness in doing so.

We culminated with the Maha Mantra (the mantra supreme) in Chapter 9 because Bhakti texts consider it to be the mantra of the age. It contains the spiritual potency of all mantras combined and has been invested with incomparable compassion, power, and protective spirit. It is most accessible and bestows a spiritual love supreme that can truly fill our cups and nourish our sense of wholeness.

Bhakti sages define love as a verb: rather than a static or passive feeling, love is a deep, resounding force that moves us to express our feelings by giving care and appreciation. Having chanted the Maha Mantra, our personal joy should spur us into sweet, determined action to bring joy and peace to others around us. But how?

Prabhupada, whom we introduced in the previous chapter, writes the “peace formula” in his book, The Science of Self-Realization. He declares that by chanting, we connect to the supreme person, who is the source of all love and peace. By chanting, we praise the Big G, which purifies our hearts and enables us to recognize that everything we behold is the property of divinity and that we are only caretakers. When we take care of the stuff of someone we love, we naturally become considerate, caring and less inclined to fight for possession over it.

Chanting the Maha Mantra raises our consciousness individually and collectively. It invites an atmosphere of auspiciousness and nurtures in us a service mindset. Rather than consume, exploit, and passively watch as conflicts devastate lands and people, we would feel responsible and proactive to support peace. We give up our apathy and see everyone as fellow souls who are all beloved.

“Earth Song”

It’s hard to believe it was almost thirty years ago that Michael Jackson belted out the lyrics to “Earth Song.” In fact, stop reading and go listen to it right now. And ideally, watch the official music video.

You back? Did you see the barren forests, smoking factories, and that dead elephant? It was 1995 when this epic track was released. Sadly, things don’t seem to have gotten significantly better. Same painful conflicts, hurting animals, and nature being spoiled—now in different settings.

We could replace the Croatian town destroyed by the Second World War with streets in Ukraine or the Middle East. We could replace the elephant with a Javan rhino with its horn ripped out. We could show silhouettes of disappearing Tapanuli orangutans that once lived in jungles; the World Wide Fund for Nature says these are some of the most endangered species on the planet right now. Then throw in a few camera shots of one billion tons of global food waste and fourteen million tons of plastic dumped in our oceans every year, and the picture is clear.

Sadly, the powerful call-and-response part of “Earth Song” still speaks for us and to us. It carries the call of the planet. Nothing seems to have changed. We are still battling the apathy that MJ laments.

I think it all comes down to this: our concrete-and-metal-filled world of slick modernity disconnects and distances us from nature. The more we forget how we and nature are interconnected and interdependent—trees, water, air, ecosystems, and animal kingdoms—the more we let things happen. We end up contributing to the problem.

During a family holiday in Dubai in December 2023, I did an unscheduled public kirtan night at Nilaya House yoga studio after someone saw an online post I had made and cajoled me into it. From the outside, the venue looked like a warehouse. Inside, however, was cozy. There were about a hundred people there—from Bhakti and yoga circles, some locals and a couple of celebs. In the middle, we had a quick breakout where participants talked to each other about their kirtan experience. We came back together as a group and I welcomed reflections. A woman raised her hand. She had a determined look about her. “It’s all well and good that we are chanting and creating a sacred space, but what about the terror going on in the world? Wars, children going hungry. Here we are, chanting and dancing in joy. It doesn’t feel right. Can kirtan help with anything going on outside?”

She was right to be passionate. At the time, the world was watching in anguish as the Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensified and the death toll rose. I saw other community leaders in the audience lean in to hear my response. “Yes, kirtan is needed for world peace,” I said, and launched into discussion.

Under the iceberg

Bhakti analyzes the roots to conflict in an alternative way to modern theory. We offer a simplified map of this complex subject with the help of Chaitanya Charan, a Bhakti philosopher and social commentator, who suggests:

Underneath the surface of domestic, territorial, or any kind of conflict are people operating with their hurts, prejudices, attachments, ambitions, loves, and hates. Our choices and actions are based on our sense of identity. If “I” see myself purely as a person of a particular gender, land, culture, creed, then I identify all things connected to these as “mine.” Everything different is “other” and therefore provokes my hostility. Furthermore, the self-centered perspectives of “I am right” and “I want it my way” ensure clashes happen on a small and big scale. In truth, the external conflicts reflect our inner conflicts.

There were two defining moments in secondary school, when I got my first taste of division, difference, and war. I was in a boys’ private school in northwest London. We spent all our spare time playing football, cricket, and wrestling in the playground, before school started, during breaks, and after school. Things were fine for the first couple of years, but it all changed when a boy called Steven (not his real name) decided that we would all play in a new way.

One day, in the most offhand and random way possible, he declared “Asians v.,” and got our large group to divide by skin color—white versus color. Play, from then on, became different. We competed on new terms. Things weren’t friendly anymore. The aggression was sharp. Sometimes, it got rough on the field and at the lockers. A couple of my friends and I didn’t understand the need for these new rules, but bravado kept us from saying anything.

The other moment was in a history lesson the day we learned about the atomic bomb and Hiroshima. I still remember the surreal feeling when I saw the black-and-white mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke. This can’t be true? I thought. Then came sheer, innocent horror when the picture of Phan Thi Kim Phuc in the napalm picture appeared on the projector. Her face, her agony. I decided that there had to be something seriously wrong with all adults around the world.

Peace begins within

Bhakti is a keen participant in the quest for peace and urges the same of us. We all have a part to play. It’s no good sitting at home in a bubble, oblivious and apathetic or, at best, sympathetic for a few minutes when the news comes on. Mantra meditation, a core Bhakti practice, works on us so we can wake up to our part.

Peace begins at home. We help to resolve conflicts when we have done our own work and found peace within. We are more capable of helping others when we become a walking, talking, thinking, feeling, and willing individual who is on a journey of knowing themselves at the deepest level of the soul. This brings self-love, self-respect, and steadiness. As we connect to divinity, the inexhaustible source of love and protection, we become clear, courageous, and well-wishers to all.

The result is that gradually we become more and more capable of seeing others as souls, beyond visible, external differences. We focus on our fundamental commonality. We feel empathy, fellowship, compassion, and a fierce desire to care and be involved. We become better equipped to stay insightful, balanced, and understanding of emotional and historical complexities. Then we can mobilize.

Chaitanya Charan sums it up beautifully when he says that as we connect to divinity, we become:

… active executors of divinity’s will for peace, community and connection. We live peace and exude peace as we let go of the uncontrollable things and entrust these into the benevolent well-wishing hands of divinity, and purposefully focus on the areas within our control. It is our human responsibility to use our gifts (talents, interests, resources) given by God, in a mode of service and contribution. By this, we act for our own good, for the good of the world, at least in our corner of it.

Thus, in this chapter, we invite you to let your cup overflow and spill love over the troubles of others. You will “give” in a unique way, where there is no cost. All you do is step out of your personal stories and your own world of concerns and send out the Maha Mantra with your heartfelt petition for divine help and love for those who need it.

The sages reassure us that in giving, we will always receive. In sharing, we will always become fuller. In the spirit of loving others, reaching out and learning how to be there, we will find ourselves in unexpected ways.

Mantra unites

Right, well, now that we have all that clear, let’s talk about our steps going forward. (If I ever meet the woman from Dubai again, I’ll read out Chaitanya Charan’s bits above as an extended answer.) In the most raw and exciting way, mantra is the golden, shining key. It helps on the individual level and the communal. In a kirtan, we go deep down to our roots for ourselves, and within the group, we reach out sideways to support each other.

The story we shared earlier of Prabhupada’s kirtan in Tompkins Square Park in the 1960s (see here) is a wonderful illustration of this. To showcase a beautiful ancient story, we have chosen a moment in the life of Chaitanya, the sixteenth-century saint, who broke with tradition and insisted that everyone has access to the Maha Mantra—even in the wilds of the jungle.

Chaitanya stepped off the beaten track into the cooling shade of Jharikanda Forest (in the northeast of India). He glanced back at his hesitant monk companion. The guttural purr of a tiger was audible. Chaitanya’s eyes twinkled. He began chanting to a beautiful melody.

Toucans and macaws flurried in the branches to catch the sonorous notes. A parakeet hushed them with a flap, its eyes already squeezed shut in rapture. Down below, a pair of irritated rhinos jostling in the mud froze. Their hairs stood on end. Who cares about the mud? Why are we fighting about it? Who cares about anything but this song? they thought.

The whole jungle was mesmerized. Elephants stopped splashing. Angry boars vying for a fight stood transfixed in the tall grass. A troop of langurs hoarding berries dropped their treasure in a wonder-filled daze. Only the does stole closer. Instinctively, the hungry tiger followed them.

The movement broke the spell. The other creatures crept forward, too. Closer and closer. They were shy and excited. Chaitanya gazed at the animals on either side of his path. A delighted smile spread across his tender face. He reached out to touch the tiger and bellowed, “Chant, chant with me.”

A spark jolted through the tiger, who upraised his forelegs and let out a joyous roar. It woke the crowd to life. They all called out in an eclectic chorus. As Chaitanya resumed his singing, the animals joined in and lost themselves in chanting, dancing and embracing each other.

This story illustrates how the animals overcame their enmity and enjoyed nothing better than singing and dancing together. It is perfect that their conductor was divine. This echoes my favorite words from Hafiz, a fourteenth-century Iranian poet:

Every child has known God,

Not the God of names,

Not the God of don’ts,

Not the God who ever does

Anything strange,

But the God who knows only four words

And keeps repeating them, saying:

“Come dance with me. Come dance.”

Everyone is welcome

Eclectic gatherings have been the experience of many kirtan leaders when they chant the Maha Mantra. Somehow, it manages to create joyous relationships and community. Come to Upper Street, Angel, in London, to our Friday-night mantra meditations to see for yourself. Much posher than a jungle, the yoga studio at OmNom brings together an amazing mix.

Among our regulars is Anna, a Russian corporate. There’s another lovely woman who looks like a dreamcatcher, with fluttery feathers in her hair and a tasselled jacket. A guy turns up every week in flip-flops and keeps on his sunglasses all night (even when the spotlights go low). Ryan H. is a butch, tattooed guy with piercings. Can’t forget Roshan, who is a bald, bearded artist who brings a rose every time he comes. (He did me an ace watercolor portrait.) Stine from Denmark is an ex-lawyer, passionate about pottery. Mark, who runs Sancta Café, drives down from Leeds every Friday to attend. Throw in a dad with two daughters. Then there’s Ryan G., a trash collector who looks like a Viking. We have it all in our urban jungle!

Chant for Love and Peace

The power of kirtan has shone through in our charity mantra nights. The community has been a holding space that enables us to go deep and spread wide.

During Covid, we did many online events to raise money for causes such as Choose Love, Fierce Calm, Save the Children, Age UK, Crisis UK, Food For Life Vrindavan Girls’ School, and #StayStrongIndia. Artists came together to perform mantras and the occasions became an opportunity to celebrate our global village—a big family made up of many smaller communities, all interdependent.

Once things were back in person, we had a beautiful kirtan night dedicated to Fierce Calm, a charity run by Dr Lee Watson, who was organizing basic essentials and free yoga classes in shelters and community spaces in Ukraine. Our event was held in Angel, Islington. Another packed night. We had a heartwarming moment during the breakout discussion when a Russian woman became emotional and started to cry. She talked about her feelings of guilt over the Ukrainian war. She apologized, though she knew she wasn’t to blame. A Ukrainian woman responded by giving her a hug. For the rest of the evening, they sat together and sang the Maha Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

I have seen the same connection of hearts in other places where there is a language or cultural barrier. I was in Vrindavan in November 2023 and ended up doing a short kirtan workshop on the lawn of my hotel, for a group of travelling Spanish yogis. In my opening talk, I realized they did not understand basic English and had no idea what I was talking about. However, when we chanted together, they came alive. Some put their hands on their hearts, some were swaying or were tearful. The universal language of mantra spoke to them.

I believe that inherently we want to love and help one another. I was convinced of this again when my nephew Aarav once watched a television advert in which a charity asked for two pounds a month for children in Africa. As soon as it finished, he marched up to an adult and asked, “Two pounds, peeze.” He was two years old and didn’t understand the words, but he grasped the underlying meaning.

MANTRA 10

The Maha Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Pronunciation: Huh-ray Krish-na, Huh-ray Krish-na, Krish-na Krish-na, Huh-ray Huh-ray, Huh-ray Ra-ma, Huh-ray Ra-ma, Ra-ma Ra-ma, Huh-ray Huh-ray

Meaning: O Krishna! Please engage me in your divine loving service.

To recap, Krishna denotes the divine person who is the most attractive, magnetic force in existence. Rama calls upon the same divine person who is himself blissful and gives bliss to all. Hare refers to the feminine form of the divine. She is the supreme consort, the inexhaustible giver and controller of the Big G. She is fiercely compassionate, gentle, powerful, and loving.

Hare Krishna

Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama

Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare

Know that growth and success lie in taking action. Know that you’re not alone and that if you connect to others, your strength is doubled. Together we can.

In Bhakti, acts of service are said to brighten and cleanse our hearts and guide us in learning how to selflessly love. This will bring us deep happiness. Furthermore, our concern for others makes us beloved to the divine person, which means we receive a windfall of love.

Meditation across the world

With this in mind, for our final meditation, we want to do some blue-sky, free, creative thinking. As American author and educator Stephen Covey said, “All things are created twice; first mentally; then physically. The key to creativity is to begin with the end in mind, with a vision and a blueprint of the desired result.” Let’s begin imagining what giving, sharing, contributing look like for you.

Get comfortable in a chair, sofa, or armchair. Loosen your shoulders, soften your face. Take some deep breaths and relax.

Close your eyes and just be for a few minutes. Then, become aware of your surroundings. The room, the objects, the sounds inside and outside.

Now imagine seeing yourself from above. Go upward and zoom out. See the streets, the town. Tops of cars, houses, waterways, trees, green spaces, car parks. See it all getting smaller as you go higher up. You can see the wider regions now. Depending on where you live, maybe there are cliffs, mountains, the ocean. Keep zooming out and seeing the bigger picture. As you do, take a moment to acknowledge that in every home and every space there are so many individuals who are trying to live their lives as you do. They have dreams, wishes, ambitions. They have pains and sadnesses. Some may be feeling stuck, lost, or in trouble.

You can imagine different places in the world to which you feel connected and see the people living there. Stop to notice their struggles. Feel their pain for a moment. Now, breathe deeply and feel a surge of courage. What would you say to them?

When you are ready, come back to room awareness. Rub your hands together and create some warmth. Then place them gently over your eyes. After a moment of rest, take your hands away slowly and look at them, as if for the first time. This is a technique to reawaken from deep states of meditation. Now, look at the steps below. You can jot down some thoughts if you wish.

• If money and time were not an issue, what could you do that is an expression of your concern and care for someone else? This could be someone in your family, at work, in your local community. You might think of a person or a group further away. It could be someone you know specifically or a community from a distance. They might need some support, something material or practical, or a gesture, a gift, help. Feel connected to them and know that any step—big or small—counts.

• Maybe you have come up with one or two ideas? These could be small single actions or potential projects. What could you do next to move things forward? Maybe have a conversation with a friend or colleague. Perhaps you could reach out to someone who knows someone else. Maybe you need to go to the shops or scroll online. Or just make some time to visit them. Whatever it is, clarify a next step.

• Now go for it!

Sing with me: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Throughout the book, you have chanted on your own and done a fabulous job of it. Now, in celebration of the power of kirtan, we want to chant truly as a community—this time in song.

Sit somewhere comfortably. If you have any friends or family around, invite them to join you. Grab any instruments if you have them, whether percussion or stringed.

Below you will find two QR codes. With both, the idea is to chant for others. This could be for someone close to you who needs some positive spiritual energy—to heal, to feel strong, to be loved. Or there might be an individual or group out there who you care about and want to help by sending your strongest, heartfelt wishes of love and goodwill. This is your chance to do something special and meaningful for them.

Personally, I find this kind of “giving” so empowering, especially in situations where I feel helpless in bringing the change needed. This kind of work is “soul” work, where we create a community of true soulmates before we have even left the house.

For love and peace

As mentioned, there are two QR codes here:

• The QR code below takes you to the Maha Mantra in melody form. You can access the online space and join me for a few minutes of kirtan. Dedicate your singing to the person/people you decided. While you chant, offer your concern, love and petition for their well-being

• This second QR code enables you to upload a brief clip of you chanting for love and peace. You can dedicate it to any particular person or cause. Please put aside any hesitation or reservations. Resolve to be courageous and do something new and brave. Afterwards, you will be able to see our growing community of mantra lovers who have done the same.

final words

After such an incredible journey, there are no goodbyes. In Bhakti, the moments shared in friendship, where hearts meet in spiritual sharing and kinship, are never finished or gone. We will have many opportunities to chant together, serve together and dance together. For me, the kirtan community is everything. It keeps us safe, happy, strong, and capable in being there for others.

In this book, we have encountered mantras to help you draw a line under mistakes and start afresh, set a goal and stay determined, find your tribe and feel a sense of belonging, choose to be happy when you might be low, find inner strength, overcome fear and anxiety, feel safe and rescued, invite transformation and, finally, feel loved and give love.

Persevere. It can take time to get used to the mantras and make them your own. For me, it took a while to chant out loud because I felt shy and was unsure that this was the real deal. You can ramp up your enthusiasm by joining local or worldwide kirtan communities. If you are an extrovert, sing wherever you go. Some of our OmNom massive do this! Several times, I have bumped into one of them on Upper Street and she is always skipping and singing her favorite chants. I get sent videos from others in the community in which they are merrily chanting on the Underground. They also do their bike rides to and from work in the same way. The snippets always make me laugh and think of Pharrell Williams’s song, “Happy.”

Find kirtan events near you (Google is usually good at helping to find these). Of course, we would love to see you at all our events, in and out of the UK. But if you can’t make it, you could always set up a little kirtan gathering yourself.

Get a few friends together and some instruments, if possible. Otherwise, two clapping hands and a voice filled with devotion always does the trick. You could also press go online—kirtan is everywhere on streaming platforms. Some of my favorites are Sacinandana Swami, Jahnavi Harrison, Gaura Vani, Krishna Das, Chakrini, the Kirtaniyas, Jai Uttal, and my dear brother Gour Krishna.

To understand mantra and Bhakti culture further, you could read wisdom texts. These will give you insights and food for discussion. Some of my must-reads include: The Living Name: A Guide to Chanting with Absorption; The Journey Within, a contemporary exploration of Bhakti philosophy; Gita3, a spiritual self-help book; and the Spiritual Warrior series, which covers managing the mind, love, and global peace from the spiritual perspective.

Finally, it is important that as you experiment with mantras, you check in with yourself, reflect, perhaps journal, and talk about how things are going. A great way to get some perspective on life in general is to go on a retreat. An analogy my teacher gives is that by stepping away from our “painting” of life, we get a chance to see the picture from a distance and notice which areas need more color. At our retreats, we invite everyone to leave their daily lives of stress and scheduling. We immerse in resting, chanting, dancing, feasting, and reflecting on the big questions. In beautiful settings, such as Tuscany, Italy and Vrindavan, India, we soak up sunshine, connect to nature and ourselves. You can check out my website for upcoming opportunities at www.radhikadas.com.

I hope we have created—or renewed—your sacred practice of chanting, made the Big G more accessible and lovable, and given you hope that we can chant for change.

Remember, everything is possible, one mantra at a time.

RESOURCES

Books

Gita3: Wisdom That Breathes by S.B. Keshava Swami

Inner Worlds: A Meditation Journey to Stillness, Self, and Bhakti by Sacinandana Swami

Loving Life Embracing Death: The Story of the Smiling Monk by S.B. Keshava Swami

The Science of Self-Realization by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Spiritual Warrior series by B.T. Swami

The Journey Home by Radhanath Swami

The Journey Within by Radhanath Swami

The Living Name: A Guide to Chanting with Absorption by Sacinandana Swami

People

S.B. Keshava Swami: https://www.keshavaswami.com

Sacinandana Swami: https://www.sacinandanaswami.com

Gaur Gopal: Instagram @gaurgopaldas

Jay Shetty: https://www.jayshetty.me

Jahnavi Harrison: https://jahnavimusic.com

Places

Bhaktivedanta Manor: https://www.krishnatemple.com/

Bhakti Center, New York City: https://bhakticenter.org/

Govardhan Ecovillage: https://ecovillage.org.in/

Websites

www.radhikadas.com

Videos

The one when the mantra blew the roof off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A859CeMM31U

The reggae tune mantra for pure bliss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpjRC0bqRZQ

The most soulful rendition of the Maha Mantra by my dear friend Jahnavi Harrison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbU-qWAeLs4

GLOSSARY

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada The founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON); Srila Prabhupada was a spiritual, philosophical and religious teacher from India who spread the Maha Mantra and the teachings of “Krishna consciousness” to the world.

Ajamila A character from the Vedic scripture, Srimad Bhagavatam, whose life illustrates that by simply uttering God’s divine name, there is hope for even the sinful to be redeemed from their propensity to commit sins.

Akshara “Imperishable, indestructible, fixed, immutable”; refers to a syllable or a letter in Indian languages; in a spiritual context it denotes a sacred syllable, AUM, which holds significant spiritual and philosophical meaning.

Ananda Pure happiness, one of three attributes of the soul in Vedanta philosophy along with sat (eternal) and chit (full of knowledge).

AUM A sacred syllable, sound, mantra, also spelled as OM, that is often chanted during meditation to invoke auspiciousness. AUM is considered to be the first sound of the universe and the origin of all creation.

Bhakti Service performed with devotion to the divine; our essential nature; the core of who we are as spiritual beings.

Bija (mantra) A single-syllable sound that is considered to be the true name of a deity, or a manifestation of the deity in sonic form. The word bija is a Sanskrit term that literally means “seed” and is used as a metaphor for the origin or cause of things.

Bilva leaves Leaves from the Aegle marmelos tree, also known as the Bengal quince tree. The leaves are sacred in Hinduism and are often offered to Lord Shiva as a symbol of devotion.

Brahma The title given to the engineer and manager of the universe. He is the first created being in the universe and one of the three chief gods in Hinduism, along with Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer).

Chakra A discus; one of the four items held in Vishnu’s hands, symbolizing the sun.

Dabir Khas A minister in the Muslim government of sixteenth-century India who later became known as Rupa Goswami, a devotional poet, teacher and philosopher of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.

Dhruva A character from the Vedic scripture, Srimad Bhagavatam; Dhruva is a five-year-old boy who is known as one of the most exalted devotees of the Supreme Lord because of his firm determination in executing devotional service.

Dhyana Meditation, to think deeply upon something.

Gada A club (or mace); one of the four items held in Vishnu’s hands, symbolizing Vishnu’s divine power.

Gajendra An elephant who lived in a garden on Mount Trikuta and was a devotee of Lord Vishnu.

Gopi A cowherd maiden devoted to Krishna.

Guru In all Bhakti traditions, the role of mentors, guides, and teachers is essential. They are considered representatives of God and teach in accordance with scripture. Traditionally, they are called gurus. They offer guidance, support, and instruction. They act as a conduit to connect us to divinity. Each tradition will have its own rules and steps for how this relationship is formalized. Considerations include time for both sides to “test” each other, build trust and understanding, and deepen mutual commitment.

Hanuman Half-monkey, half-human demigod; devoted companion of Lord Rama; the super-intelligent, super-powerful warrior in the Indian epic Ramayana.

Haridwar A city of temples and ashrams at the foothills of the Himalayas.

Japa meditation “Soft” or “murmured” chanting of a mantra; private meditation.

Jharikanda Forest The famous tract of dense forests through which Shri Chaitanya travelled, inspiring animals such as tigers, elephants, rhinoceroses, and boars to chant the names of the Lord, “Krishna! Krishna!”

Kirtan A call-and-response form of chanting that glorifies divinity.

Lakshman The younger brother of Lord Rama in the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Lingam A short, cylindrical, pillar-like symbol of Shiva, made of stone, metal, gems, wood, clay or precious stones.

Maha Mantra Maha means “great”; also known as the Hare Krishna mantra, this sixteen-syllable mantra is a universal prayer that is said to hold the spiritual potency of all other mantras and has the power to transform a person’s consciousness.

Mala A string of (usually 108) beads used in praying and meditating.

Manasarovar A sacred lake located in Tibet, considered to be the holy residence of Lord Shiva.

Mantra A sacred sound that delivers us (tra) from the mind (man).

Mara Personification of unwholesome desires, impulses, and distractions; death.

Mridanga Meaning “clay body”; a two-sided drum from Indian state West Bengal.

Naam (mantras) Holy names of divinity.

Narada Muni A travelling sage, musician, and storyteller in the Hindu tradition who has the ability to travel across the entire universe—the eternal spaceman!

Narasingha Half-man, half-lion incarnation of the Lord; the divine protector

Padma A lotus flower; one of the four items held in Vishnu’s hands; a universal symbol of peace.

Palaki Or palanquin; a traditional mode of transportation used in India.

Prahlad A character from the Vedic scripture, Srimad Bhagavatam; known for his fearlessness as he stood up to his demonic father, Hiranyakashipu, and was thus saved by the Lord as Narasingha.

Raagini An electronic tanpura.

Rama One of most widely worshiped Hindu deities, the divine personification of bliss and the embodiment of chivalry and virtue. Lord Rama is an example of the perfect king, husband, son, friend, and master.

Ramayana Hindu epic relating the story of Lord Rama.

Ravana Demon-king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist in the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Sankalpa A heartfelt desire; a solemn vow; an intention or a resolve to do something.

Sattva A state of purity and goodness.

Shanka A conch shell; one of the four items held in Vishnu’s hands, symbolizing primordial sound and the presence of the Lord

Shiva (Gopeshwara) The god of destruction and one of the three chief gods in Hinduism along with Vishnu (the preserver) and Brahma (the creator).

Shri Chaitanya The sixteenth-century saint of Bengal; pioneer of a social and spiritual movement where he advocated compassion for all; popularized kirtan and the Maha Mantra across India, breaking through culture and caste restrictions.

Shrimad Bhagavatam The Bhagavatam is also known as the Bhagavat Purana, one of the eighteen Puranas (supplemental works) in the Vedic tradition. It is presented in twelve cantos—volumes—each of which deals with a specific aspect of transcendental knowledge. The main theme running throughout the Bhagavatam is the science and practice of Bhakti yoga, devotional service to the divine.

Sita The beloved consort of Lord Rama, known for her unparalleled beauty, chastity, and devotion.

Suhrit In Sanskrit, translates to a well-wisher, good friend, or one who has good intentions.

Sva-dharma A term in Sanskrit meaning “one’s own duty.” It refers to the duties that an individual is expected to follow based on their social class, caste, or natural disposition. The word is derived from the Sanskrit words sva, which means “proper,” and dharma, which means “law” or “duty.”

Tanpura A long-necked, plucked, four-stringed instrument originating in India, found in various forms in Indian music

Valmiki A legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epic Ramayana.

Veena An Indian stringed instrument, with four main and three auxiliary strings.

Vishnu In Sanskrit, Vishnu translates to “the one who pervades everything in the universe.” Vishnu is one of the three chief gods in Hinduism, along with Brahma (the creator) and Shiva (the destroyer).

Vrindavan A holy city in the Indian state Uttar Pradesh, well known as the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

Yoga Maya A divine goddess who embodies the internal (spiritual) potency of the Lord.

REFERENCES

1 Comtois, P., Prema Kirtan: Journey into Sacred Sound (Chandra Media, 2022)

2 Fromm, E., The Art of Loving (Harper & Brothers, 1956)

3 Winfrey, O., What I Know for Sure (Macmillan, 2014)

4 Albert Einstein, as quoted by Ernst Straus in Einstein: A Centenary Volume (A.P. French, 1980)

5 Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go (Random House, 1990)

6 Bernstein, G., The Universe Has Your Back (Hay House, 2016)

7 Swami, B.T., Spiritual Warrior III (Hari-Nama Press, 1998)

8 Jobs, S., Stanford commencement address, 2005. https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

9 Brown, B., Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone (Random House, 2017)

10 Covey, S., The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Free Press, 1989)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Writing this book has been a deeply fulfilling experience. I couldn’t have done it alone.

I am deeply grateful to the entire team at Ebury (Penguin) for their desire in bringing this book to life. To Holly, Shikha, Jasleen, Leah, and Jessica—your guidance, encouragement, and expertise have been invaluable throughout this process.

A special thanks to Vandna for her incredible writing support. Your words give breath to the stories and meanings behind the mantras, making them accessible and resonant for all.

Thank you to Vilasini-Radha for the stunning illustrations that bring further beauty and depth to these pages. Your artwork has elevated this book in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

To my beautiful wife, Daivi-Kumari, for holding our family together and stepping up to help me broadcast this book to the masses, and to my beloved parents and sister, who always stand by me as I try my best to serve. I love you all dearly.

I am especially grateful to my spiritual teacher, HH Sacinandana Swami. Without your wisdom and guidance, I would be lost. Your teachings have given me life and shaped everything I do. My deepest gratitude also goes to all of my mentors and teachers who have guided me along the way. While it’s impossible to name each of you, please know that anything good in me is because of your influence.

Lastly, but by no means least, thank you to you, the reader. Without your engagement and openness, this book would be like a mantra without sound—silent and incomplete. You give this work its purpose and meaning.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rādhikā Dās is a London-based kirtan artist and Bhakti yoga teacher who has been practicing for sixteen years. He has devoted his life to helping people find spiritual fulfillment through mantra, Bhakti yoga, and meditation. His talks and events span over thirty cities and countries worldwide (including a weekly Friday evening residency at OmNom in London, a residency in New York, and multiple retreats each year in India, Italy, and Belgium) and he is also the host of the podcast For Soul’s Sake.