The power of mantras was so great that the Buddha himself was concerned about their misuse in the hands of merchants and generals. Mantras are “sacred sound syllables” that can effect changes to your inner psyche and the external world. Today, Thomas Ashley-Farrand—one of the foremost authorities on Vedic and Buddhist Sanskrit mantras in the West—makes these sacred sounds widely available in a new integrated book-and-CD learning set.According to traditional practice, “When you begin to chant these ancient formulas,” teaches Ashley-Farrand, “the petals on the chakras begin to resonate, and they begin to pull in minute amounts of spiritual energy.” Over days, weeks, and months, larger and larger amounts of energy accumulate bringing health, radiance, and eliminating karma, which allows desires to be fulfilled.