OM Chanting

From: My Treasures - by Shobha Mitra

Published in Ananda Sagar - Vol. 275 - January 2010

In one of the 1^st December programmes the Mother selected four of us to recite Sri Aurobindo's poem "The Ascent and The Descent". She would direct us individually after coming back from the Tennis Ground.

One day, being deeply moved by her formidable voice, I asked the Mother, "Mother, teach me how to chant 'OM' ". The Mother became quite upright, closed Her eyes and started chanting 'OM'. My words cannot express the experience I had at that time! It was magnificent, I wish we had some recording facility to record both Her recitation and 'OM' chanting. The Mother kept silent for a little while and then started speaking:

Mother: Choose an open space like the open sky or sit in front of the sea and chant 'OM' - as I have shown you. If you do it sincerely it will certainly widen your consciousness. You will find a vaster, wider conscious-ness growing in you.

She said on another occasion:

Mother: Whenever you are ill or you are attacked by some unpleasant element which you want to get rid of - chant 'OM'. It will disappear. You will find so much peace.

On one of my birthdays I asked: "Mother, how to go within?"

Mother: Ah! I have spoken about it many times.

(She keeps silent for a very long time as if in trance then speaks again)

Mother: Put your body in a comfortable position and start chanting 'OM'. You will find that you are before a tunnel. A long, narrow tunnel. Go on chanting, go on chanting, intensely, wholeheartedly. You will find that tunnel slowly getting illumined. Go on, go on doing it, as often as possible. You will find one day that you have come to the end of the tunnel, and at the core of your heart where the Lord is. It is a long process. But you are sure to arrive at it if you are sincere.