Mantra Meditation The word ‘mantra’ comes from Sanskrit and is comprised of two parts – ‘man’ that stands for ‘mind’ and ‘tra’ that means ‘instrument’ (“Hindu Mantra Meditation: What, Why, How”). In the context of meditation, the concept of mantra represents a phrase, a word, or a sound that needs to be repeated or chanted for a certain period of time while meditation is in process. The purpose of the mantra is to tune the mind of the meditating individual and channel its energy to the desired purpose. A mantra is an object commonly used for meditation. One can chant a specifically selected mantra, or one can listen to it. The effect is believed to be the same. Most frequently, mantras are encountered in the context of Hinduism, Buddhism, and yoga practices; however, concepts similar or identical to mantra can be found in many other religions of the world. Mantras chanted silently and aloud are used in order to guide the meditation process and keep the mind of the meditating person focused. In fact, in Buddhism, there is an instrument called a ‘mala’ that is a string with 108 beads that people turn while meditating and chanting in order to keep track of the number of times their mantras have been repeated (“How is mantra meditation used?”). The power of the mantra is believed to be in its sound and not as much in its sense and meaning. In essence, the sound of a mantra chanted aloud is a vibration that the meditating person sends out to the universe in order to receive a response in the form of a transformation of their mind or body that will further influence the course of their life. Krishna, the God of Grace Krishna is a Hindu god known as the lord of love, grace, and divine joy who destroys suffering, pain, and sin (Gruenwald and Marchand). Also, Krishna is recognized as the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, one of the gods of the Hindu trinity who represents the protection of all life. Krishna is known as the embodiment of love and as the protector of cows and sacred words. According to legends, as a child, Krishna was in great danger because his uncle, the demon Kansa, lived in fear of a prophecy that said that he would be killed by his nephew. In order to prevent the prophecy from coming true, Kamsa killed all of his sister’s sons except for two of them. Krishna’s mother saved him by trading him to a cow herder’s daughter. As a result, Krishna grew up as a cow herder and was loved deeply by his foster mother. Krishna was also fond of playing his flute in order to entertain and bring joy to everyone around. Krishna is also known as the deity of humor, the bringer of peace, and the promoter of detachment from physical matter and form. Krishna and his beloved Radha together formed the couple symbolizing romantic love between a man and a woman. Krishna and Radha embody the happy relationship and represent men and women in love. Interestingly, stories about the perfect union of Krishna and Radha, who was the incarnation of Vishnu’s spouse, take place in their childhood when they are eight years old. As a result, the couple represents pure and innocent love. Later, Krishna left Radha to travel and study. During his journey, he showed himself as a true hero and a graceful peac