Focal Points for the Empty Mind
Some people use a mantra as their focus of attention. A mantrais a sound or sounds
that resonate in the body and evoke certain energies. Mantras, such as OM, soothe
the mind and awaken the senses. Another beginning mantra is OM SHANTI SHANTI
SHANTI. Shantimeans peace, and when repeated three times, it balances the body,
mind, and spirit.
A mandala meditation uses an object to focus the mind through sight. A mandalais
a circular geometric design that draws the eye to the center and is meant to suggest
the universe’s circular patterns from atoms to solar systems. Mandalas appear as
labyrinths in the floors of some cathedrals in Europe. The faithful follow the course
of the labyrinth into the center as penitence or in spiritual contemplation. Mandalas
have recently become popular in the United States among some Christian religious
groups who are renewing the contemplative aspects of their faith (see Figure 16.1).
Using mantras and mandalas together is an effective focus for meditation.204 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TOALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
FIGURE 16.1
The Walking
Mandala from
the Cathedral
at Chartres.