Sound and the Ether Element
There is an importance and potential in sound and the sense of listening that surpasses the other four senses. Sound and listening are related to the ether element, the fifth element – the “quint-essence,” which is ingredient only in the human plane of existence, not in the animal, plant or mineral planes. The ether element is sometimes also referred to as simply the space in which the other elements are existing and expanding. It is represented by the vowel “a” that combines with the consonants S, T, N and M – representing the other four elements – in the mantra “Sa Ta Na Ma.”
Several teachings (Sikh, Buddhist and Sufi among them) claim that sound can guide us through the challenging passage we need to traverse when we die, a process which can determine the state of our liberation or attachment and the nature and quality of our future forms of existence (reincarnations). In the teachings of the Sufis it is concisely stated that, “spirit descends into matter and matter ascends into spirit by sound,” which exemplifies the process of creation and destruction as forms of communication; sound connects the realms of transcendence and immanence or communicates, translates between them back and forth.
The following collection of short quotes sheds light on the profound significance of sound and word in the greater scheme of existence:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – Bible, Gospel of John 1:1
“He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth! When He decrees a matter, He simply tells it, ‘Be!’ and it is!” – Quoran 2:117
“There are some who must keep on performing sadhana in order to arrive. This is necessary for those who are not adept at listening, because if you can totally listen, there is nothing more to be done to reach the other shore.” – Mahavira
“By listening come masters, supernatural powers, spiritual leaders and yogis. By listening the support of earth and heaven is known. By listening continents, realms and underworlds are found. When listening death cannot touch you.
Nanak says, the devotees are ever in bliss, by listening pain and karma are dissolved.” – Guru Nanak, Japji Sahib, Pauri 8 (there are three more stanzas on listening following this one)
“He who knows the secret of sound, knows the mystery of the whole universe.” “What is received through the ears goes deeper into the soul than what is received through any other way.” – Hazrat Inayat Khan
“The consciousness of our voice, particularly when unmasked, allows the knower to become know to him or her self.” – Stewart Pearce
In Hinduism, the concept of Naada Brahma suggests that the fundamental nature of reality is vibrational, and that sound is not just a physical phenomenon but a manifestation of the Divine.
This idea has similarities to the string-theory in physics: String theory is a theoretical framework that proposes that the fundamental constituents of the universe are not point-like particles, but rather one-dimensional objects called strings. These strings vibrate at different frequencies, and these vibrations are what we perceive as different particles and forces.
The history of usage and connotation of the Greek word “Logos” shoes further aspects of this phenomenon. Particularly in the case where the Gospel of John identifies the Christian Logos as Divine (Theos) and identifies Jesus Christ as the incarnate Logos.
“Nomen est Omen” (“Nominative Determinism”)
Inner Sound: Naad & Naam
The phenomenon of sound is expanded to a deeper meaning, an “inner sound,” the carrier of the actual effect in communication, creation and destruction. For example, if something else is meant than what is said, there is the “outer sound” of the words, but then there is the “inner sound” of the (conscious or unconscious) intention, meaning, mental-emotional energy and ultimate effect on the situation and recipient of the communication. The frequency, power and impact of the intention, transmitted through audible sound, written word, art, music, or even just thought form, manifests into emotion and, ultimately, shapes matter, future and destiny. This inner sound is also what is transported in body language, in the feeling we get from the sound of a voice or the sound of a language, and the “aura,” “charism,” and impression a person can make by their sheer presence. This inner sound is sometimes referred to as “naad” in general, or “naam” in particular.
Number Five
In numerology, number five is the number of communication, balance, harmony, sacrifice, threshold, bridge, link, connection, relationship, centre, integration, transformation, reversal, paradox, fruit, teaching, learning. The physical body, the throat chakra, and sound as element and sense all relate to number five and its specific characteristics. Both, the physical body and the voice, fulfil this role as recorders, storage and communicators of where we come from, who we are, what we are about, and where we might be going. Some research result from neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) suggests that what an audience of a speaker responds to is 55% the body language, 38% the tone of voice, and 7% the content. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, “Who you are speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you’re saying.”
Per Sona
This is also reflected in the word “person.” “Per sona” is Latin and means “through sound.” Who we are as a person is encapsulated in our sound, we can read a person through the sound of their voice – tone, pitch, texture, melody, speed, language, dialect – in a similar way like we can read them in their body language and the physiology of their body and face. Somehow, our character, temperament, tendencies, age, maturity, spirituality, evolution – our complete life story – are stored, visible, audible, and otherwise observable for everybody. Guru Nanak writes in Japji Sahib, “The clothes (of the soul, i.e. the physical body) come from the actions (karma).” This is also reflected in the saying that, our fate and/or destiny are written on our foreheads.
The Mystery of the Physical Body
But this also means that our physical body and the sound of our voice are very important in their possibilities of communication, resonance and feedback to ourselves. Our body is perfectly customised for the purpose of this life incarnation; it has, in its specific build and capacities, the potential to inform us every step of the way what is really happening, how to read it, and what to do next. The complexity of our physical body with its skeleton, muscle tonus, alignment, posture, nervous electricity, glandular secretion, organ chemistry, and the interaction all thereof has infinite possibilities of perception, storage, and communication.
In yogic lifestyle, we train ourselves to live in loving attention to our bodies, treat them with respect, reasonable care and natural consideration. We sharpen the inner perception of our bodies, develop our self-sensory system, stay tuned to the whole range of signals we can receive through the rich sophistication of our physicality. We need this physical body to have our earthly existence, which means, more explicitly, we need it to process our karma, live our specific purpose and destiny, and every step we make on this journey is recorded, reflected, processed and communicated through the matter and mystery of our unique physical body.
The Consciousness of the Voice
With its numerology correlation, all of the above holds true also for our voice and the sound of our voice. The sound of our language, pronunciation, accent, dialect, inflection and of our voice as such has similar possibilities of communicating to others and ourselves who we are and how we are doing at the moment. This is why your own voice can be such a powerful and healing object of meditation.
“The consciousness of our voice, particularly when unmasked, allows the knower to become know to him or her self.” – Stewart Pearce
In the Beginning was the Word
Inner sound (naad, naam, word) is not only the agent in the communication of creation and destruction, but the very nature of material and energetic immanent existence. Things and beings have been created by the sound of their primal, true name, they ARE existentially that name in its continuously ongoing sustained vibration, and they will be consummated back into transcendence by maybe some inversion or reciprocal of their name. This is the significance of the “true name,” the mantra “sat naam,” and, particularly, “God’s Name” and “the Word of God.”
“Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen, die da träumen fort und fort,
und die Welt hebt an zu singen, triffst du nur das Zauberwort!”
– Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788-1857)
“There sleeps a song in all the things, dreaming on in time unstirred,
And the world rises and sings, if you say the magic word.”
Shabad Guru
Due to its significance in connecting spirit and matter, transcendence and immanence, sound is particularly interesting for the disciple of connection, the yogi, the pilgrim in the music of the spheres. Sound has the potential and power to serve as a guide and teacher:
“Shabad Guru Surat Dhun Chela.”
“The Word is the Teacher, that which Listens to the Tune is the Student.”
– Guru Nanak
“Bani Guru Guru Hai Bani, Vich Bani Amrit Sare.”
“The Word is the Teacher, the Teacher is the Word, inside the Word the Nectar is contained.”
– Guru Ram Das
The word “shabad” can be formally translated as sound, word, song; the word “bani” as statement, utterance. They both express the inner sound, the Word of God. This is why we meditate with mantra and why mantra is the most potent object of meditation. It exemplifies the traversing power between matter and spirit. It can guide us to connect between our immanent self (person, ego) and our transcendent nature (soul, spirit).
Being connected more consciously and efficiently to our spirit origin, our life and being shall be enriched, meaning and purpose shall become more apparent, we loosen up our isolated, separated perception and understanding of ourselves, and become able to accept and surrender to the flow of things in the infinitely bigger, forever incomprehensible, but ultimately inescapable picture of Divine will. By repetition of the shabad that is essentially and existentially connected to our true essence we make that vibrate and resonate so that it may inform, guide and fulfil our life.
The mantra or shabad must represent the greatest and purest inspiration of our relation and origin in the Divine Creator, Universal Consciousness, the Word that represents the Divine, the son of God.
The term “Shabad Guru Mantra Meditation” is not referring to this one specific meditation only. Every meditation based on continuous concentration on the sound of your own voice chanting a sacred mantra falls under this category.
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Shabad Guru Mantra Meditation
We apply repetition in rhythm and the sound of our own voice to relax and process the layers of our ego, personality and history, so we can be reached and transformed by the essence of Soul. It is a technology of self-trance and enchantment. The mantra is shaped in primordial syllables of ancient, sacred languages, which carry the essence of Soul itself within: Ek Ong Kaar Sat Naam Siri Waheguru. In chanting for meditation we can experience the mysteries and powers hidden within our own voices and offer ourselves to the sacred sound-current to be in communion and union with the One Soul. We are looking for the liberating and healing powers from within.
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