It seems like everyone, from companies to online influencers
to fitness coaches, talk about having mantras. But what are mantras,
anyway? In this episode, we'll talk about how they compare to birdsong, Tibetan
singing bowls, and spells at Hogwarts, as well as some ancient debates about
whether they mean anything, and why that matters.
Listen to more episodes of Sutras & Stuff at www.sutrasandstuff.com.
Sounds and Music
All music excerpts and soundbites used with an understanding
of fair use modification for educational purposes.
Theme music by https://incompetech.filmmusic.io Kevin MacLeod’s music
Lounge
Ambient Music Loop by user orangefree sound, posted to Freesound.com on July 8,
2014. https://freesound.org/people/orangefreesounds/sounds/242080/
Tibetan Chanting
by user djgriffin, posted to Freesound.com on February 7, 2006. https://freesound.org/people/djgriffin/sounds/15488/
Sources
Documentary Educational Resources. “Altar of Fire – Preview.”
YouTube video, posted Sept 19, 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvvI3bIAgVA
Dictionary.com. “The Meanings Behind “Harry Potter” Spells.”
July 29, 2019. https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/rowling-spells/
Grimes, Samuel. “Where Did ‘Tibetan’ Singing Bowls Really
Come From?” Tricyle. Mar 4, 2020. https://tricycle.org/article/tibetan-singing-bowls/
McGill University. “Do Birdsong and Human Speech Share
Biological Roots?” YouTube video, posted Nov 22, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heMy6dlWvkQ
Staal, Frits. “Mantras and Bird Songs.” Journal of the
American Oriental Society 105, no. 3 (1985): 549-558.
