Can doing Mantra Meditation be harmful some way?

Question

But maybe one mantra can be good for one person and not good for the other. Can it be sth like that? Maybe it will affect my energy bad.

Answer 1

I doubt if that would ever be the case. It is the intent that is most important with any mantra and meditation. There are several stories that illustrate this point of the importance of intent when saying mantras. There are two stories which illustrate this point.

"Shudapanthaka was one of the sixteen saints and direct disciples of Buddha Sakyamuni. Born into the brahmin caste, he was a man of very dull intellect. Although he had been taught the Vedas, he could not understand them. Later in his life, his brother Mahapanthaka (another of the sixteen saints), ordained him as a Buddhist monk and tried, to no avail, to teach him four verses of the doctrine. Finally, in despair, Shudapanthaka was sent home. On the way, Shudapanthaka met the Buddha, who instructed him to clean the monks' temple, and while doing so, to repeat the two words 'sweep' and 'broom.' Through the Buddha's miraculous powers, as Shudapanthaka swept, the dirt immediately returned just as before. After some time had passed in unsuccessful efforts to clean the temple, Sudapanthaka suddenly understood the meaning of the words that the Buddha taught him. Holding the broom, he declared to his fellow monks that sweeping away dust meant cleaning not the dust of the earth, but the impurities caused by one's emotions --- desire, hatred, and ignorance. He came to understand the nature of things as they are, eliminated his defilements, and became a saint...Tradition has it that he dwells invisibly on Vulture Peak in Bihar, India surrounded by sixteen hundred saints."
~Jamgon:355

All sentient beings possess Buddha nature and can awaken to it once greed, anger and delusion are overcome.

"There was once a very holy and learned monk. He heard of a hermit who secluded himself on an island in the middle of a large lake and devoted himself to reciting a particular mantra exclusively every waking moment of his day. The monk heard of the hermit and decided to pay him a visit to honor the hermit's devotion.

"After crossing the lake to the island and locating the hermit's cave the monk heard the hermit chanting his mantra. 'Brother,' exclaimed the monk, 'You've been saying the mantra incorrectly.' He then instructed the hermit in the correct pronunciation of the mantra and left the cave.

"The monk then left the island and mused to himself as he began to row back to the mainland how foolish it was for the hermit to spend all these years reciting mala after mala incorrectly. How could the hermit hope to earn merit?

"When he was halfway across the lake the monk heard a voice. Turning in the boat he saw the hermit walking on the water asking, 'Learned monk, would you please listen to see if I'm saying the mantra correctly now?'"

I hope this is of some help in answering your question.

May all be at peace.

John

Answer 2

Have never heard of any forms of Buddhist Meditations, even Mantra Meditations causing harm to the practitioner. Theravada Buddhist Meditation is called Vipassana Meditation which does not involve chanting mantras; but involves the practice of insight meditation and lovingkindness meditation. Below is a website providing the free Book "Mindfulness in Plain English" which is a complete How To Manuel on Mindfulness Meditation:

http://www.budsas.org/ebud/mfneng/mind0.htm

If you enjoy "Mindfulness in Plain English" by:
Henepola Gunaratana - finding this How to Manuel on Mindfulness Meditation helpful and informative, then you'll really his sequel called "Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness."

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Answer 3

Never. Make sure you know the meaning of the Mantra you chant. Each has a specific quality and when you repeat it you are drawing that quality to you. Be careful what you ask for, for we may receive what we ask and then find out it wasn't the best for us.

Answer 4

No, how could it? Unless you become obsessed and forget to eat or drink...but I don't think anyone is that big of a moron. Of course, the yogi's in the himalayas can meditate and they don't need to eat or drink as often because they can control the functions of their bodies much better than we can. So, unless you are a yogi, please stop often enough to eat, drink, and sleep as necessary. :)