The attributes of God are without end. (How many things are there?) When one recites a word or phrase representing one of the attributes, one tends to inculcate himself or herself with that feeling, and eventually gains that attribute as part of ones conscious functional nature.
Words or sounds which resulted from experience have more "value" from a mantric standpoint than coined or derivative words. Thus the use of "older" languages in recitation. The attributes as words or phrases are found in many traditions. An excellent collection was written by Shems Friedlander, for Arabic, "the Ninety-nine Names of Allah. While the words may differ between traditions, the approach to them is very similiar. Here we find an examination of an approach to one such phrase:
YA HAYY, YA HAKK.
|
"The attributes of God (Allah) may be used to help overcome any shortcoming. Loss of breath is actually one of the greatest shortcomings. We do not notice it. We find many people who are very emotional, who are selfish, who are inconsiderate, who do not breathe correctly. When we get them to take slow rhythmical inhalations and exhalations, it has a profound effect on character changes. This is because, as the Bible teaches but unfortunately religion does not accept, "God is Breath."
The phrase YA HAYY may be translated 'O Life!' But it is not 'O Life!' as a mere thought. The very vowel effects show that life is connected with both breath and vowel formation. People who are subject to fatigue easily, who cannot carry out any project because the mind wanders, benefit by repeating audibly or mentally this phrase YA HAYY! In practice there are two ways to use it. One is on the inhalation, every time one starts to breathe in to think of this phrase; the other is to think it every time one takes a step with the right foot. Either method has some advantage. A slightly more complicated exercise is to think YA HAYY YA HAKK, which roughly means 'O Life, O,Truth.' Actually the K or gutteral sound helps bring the effectiveness down to earth. If people repeat YA HAYY often they could be drawn above the denseness of the earth, even to ecstasy. For many this is good, especially in the material civilization. For the young this is also good, for they live in a less dense atmosphere. But by repeating in sound or thought "YA HAYY YA HAKK" one keeps a balance, not too much inwardness and not too much outwardness. One might almost add that people who are extroverted by nature gain from YA HAYY and people who are introverted by YA HAKK; but for a group it is best to use the phrases together.
In Walk this must be done mostly by thought until one is well aware of their effectiveness, how they control and magnetize the breath. If this basic lesson is learned it will help much more when persons of groups advance to rituals and dances." - S.A.M.
.......... |