The chanting of Shanti Mantras is the recitation of peace prayers before the teaching of the Upanishads, which are the loftiest teachings from the Vedas, influencing Schopenhauer and many great Western thinkers. 

Today, having a meaningful way to pray for the peace and well-being of the world carries a sense of urgency. Mantras work more effectively in this context because their vibrations are different from those of everyday speech, even though mantras are themselves a form of speech, albeit not ordinary speech but sacred speech.

The chanting of Shanti Mantras was at a crucial juncture in the Eternal Way of Hinduism, also known as Sanatana Dharma that originated from the Vedas. The Upanishads are the culmination of the Vedas, which is why they are known as Vedānta: the anta, meaning "end," of the Vedas.  Chronologically, the Upanishads occur at the end of the Vedic period.

You have these beautiful poems written in the ancient Vedic meters, which begin the Vedas with the Rig Veda, a...