The Power of the Tongue

'Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.' ~Proverbs 18:21

'Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.' ~Ephesians 4:29

In the depths of a drought, the Prophet Elijah said, 'Go eat and drink, because I hear the sound of abundant rain.'

He heard the sound before the event. Vibration underlies matter. A world of mantras presages the physical world. A thing is preceded by its true Name.

Our language used to have the power to create, to bless and to heal. We sometimes feel nostalgia for this science of mantra, for the Godspell our voices once commanded. We encounter it again in great mythic stories, or fantasy novels like Lord of the Rings and Wizard of Earthsea. Something in them rings true, because we hear the ringing.

Indigenous tribal people still revere the sacred force of names. Aboriginals in Australia can navigate through immense deserts by listening to 'Songlines' that thread the earth together. Words and chants may create or destroy. Empowered by the consciousness of the masters who have reverently passed it down, the whisper of the bija mantra can dissolve lifetimes of karma.

But sorry to say, we have lost our natural access to the science of mantra. We have dissipated the sacred power of the Word by misusing our speech to spread rumor, vulgarity, and insult.