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I need advice on mantra recitation. Can I recite mantras lying on bed comfortably (sleeping posture)? Or is it compulsary that I have to sit erect? Is it harmful if mantra is recited while lying down on bed? I'm asking this because I find it so much more comfortable than sitting posture.

Yes.
It's not optimal and there are some good reason for the sitting positions, but it's not like it's going to hurt you in anyway to do it lying down.

One of the things you should consider is how mantras work. The point is to chant/vibrate specific frequencies/sounds to persuade the subconscious into a certain direction and line of thinking, and to begin to resonate the energy body with a chosen ideal (such as, shanti shanti shanti, or Mother Mary full of Grace, and etc.). This works best when you give yourself enough time to 'charge' yourself with the vibrations. If you have a habit of falling asleep five minutes after you lay down to start meditating, you wont get very far with the practice.

Over time I've come to enjoy reciting mantras/chanting while sitting down, and then after thirty minutes to an hour transition into bed and continue with the recitation. I think this gives me enough time to begin resonating with the mantra vibrations, and then when I lay down I can completely relax myself. At this point I've been able to either enter into a light trance, or fall asleep with an influenced subconscious and produce very interesting dreams.

Thanks to both of you for very helpful advice. One concern I have is that in sitting posture, usually I will be facing east direction, with west behind and north, south on both sides. In lying down posture, all this gets topsy-turvy. Could this affect the mantra's power adversely, or reduce the mantra's power?

szone wrote:I need advice on mantra recitation. Can I recite mantras lying on bed comfortably (sleeping posture)? Or is it compulsary that I have to sit erect? Is it harmful if mantra is recited while lying down on bed? I'm asking this because I find it so much more comfortable than sitting posture.

It depends on the mantra and what paradigm/religion it comes from. Sometimes they have strict rules, and sometimes they don't.

szone wrote:One concern I have is that in sitting posture, usually I will be facing east direction, with west behind and north, south on both sides. In lying down posture, all this gets topsy-turvy. Could this affect the mantra's power adversely, or reduce the mantra's power?

I'm not sure, you'll have to experiment with the different positions.
Let us know what you find out!

The universe doesn't really have a north, south, east, and west.

Also, as corvidus said; mantras are vibrations.

Your body is the instrument.

You can't play guitar with the strings pressed against a pillow.

szone wrote:Thanks to both of you for very helpful advice. One concern I have is that in sitting posture, usually I will be facing east direction, with west behind and north, south on both sides. In lying down posture, all this gets topsy-turvy. Could this affect the mantra's power adversely, or reduce the mantra's power?

Yes and no. There are some mantras that are more "feng shui" to borrow that term. but many if not most mantras are meant to reach the universe, and the universe is in every direction.

The obvious thing is to try it first and see what happens. If it feels all wrong change it. If it feels all good, continue with it.

magari wrote:The universe doesn't really have a north, south, east, and west.

Also, as corvidus said; mantras are vibrations.

Your body is the instrument.

You can't play guitar with the strings pressed against a pillow.

But you can place the guitar on a pillow and have the strings towards the celling.

Yup

You could also suspend the guitar and get a different sound as well.

magari wrote:Yup

You could also suspend the guitar and get a different sound as well.

Are you telling me to go hang myself? [cry]

Very helpful points raised, thanks folks! Yes I will actually try it out and see how it feels. The mantra is an Aghora mantra, and it's stated that no special rites are needed, not even initiation and casting the protection circle. Also its stated that it can be chanted while doing day to day activities like cooking, travelling in a bus or train, etc..

Desecrated wrote:

magari wrote:Yup

You could also suspend the guitar and get a different sound as well.

Are you telling me to go hang myself? [cry]

Hahaha, absolutely not.

Vibrations are very sensitive.

Reciting a mantra while standing on a rock is not the same as reciting a mantra while standing on carpet.

A fat man reciting a mantra is not the same as a fit man reciting a mantra.

Make sense?

szone wrote:I need advice on mantra recitation. Can I recite mantras lying on bed comfortably (sleeping posture)? Or is it compulsary that I have to sit erect? Is it harmful if mantra is recited while lying down on bed? I'm asking this because I find it so much more comfortable than sitting posture.

In Eastern Mantric Traditions the sitting posture is not necessary the one and only suitable posture for chanting. However they recommend that while chanting one´s back should be erect because that helps to keep your energy channels in straight line and chakras open.

Mantra effects to these chakras by reconation and raises energy inside the channels, so if one´s back is not straight the energy does not flow without barriers.