[Buddha-l] Mantra as "mind-protector"

[Michael J. Wilson]

A couple of late thoughts:
On  the folk etymology of "mantra" as "mind protector", I seem to recall  the late Dr Guenther pointing out that this etymology, false as it may  be, has been used to explain the word for so long that it may tell us  more about how the word was being understood and used than some more  scientifically correct etymology might do. Seemed like a fair point.
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/vedicsection/mantra.asp
  
  I am really having a problem with the meaning and origin of the word  "mantra" especially the one recently posted by Richard Hayes, which I  can't dig out of the email digests at the moment.  In the article  I found above I found this interesting, a defintion by Edward Conze  suggesting it means "spell".  Is it an just an "urban myth" that  mantra means "mind protector", considering the sanskrit  etymology?  
  
  "Accepted scholarly etymology links the word with "manas" meaning "mind" and   'trâna' for protection so that a mantra is something which protects the mind --   however in practice we will see that mantra is considered to do far more than   simply protect the mind."
  
  And what about "atman"?  I heard a Swami and sanskrit scholar once  define this quite well. The word is related to the english "anatomy"  but could also be related to the sanskirt "manas"? SELF/SOUL =MIND?
  
  I also always liked the definition of magic I once heard: BEING AT THE CAUSE (as opposed to being at the effect?).
  
  Michael J Wilson
  
  
 		
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