Chanting, silent mantra, listening to the inner sound

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam

Kundalini List

 

Thank you for the warm welcome Gorden. I've got some topics for

discussion, and logically this is the perfect list to ask. Any input

from any of the sages here will be profoundly appreciated.

 

Does silent repetition of mantra produce a much subtler meditation

than chanting a mantra?

 

What about silent mediation on the inner sound which goes completely

beyond mantra? Is anyone here familiar with inner sound meditation?

Is this form of meditation a part of 3H O?

 

And last and certainly not least the age old question to bliss or not

to bliss? If we are blissing out are we attached to our ego, which

separates us from the divine which is our true identity?

 

Most conceptions of samadhi deem it a totally thoughtless union with

divinity, if the ego is hanging around, saying wow this is really

cool, it's not samadhi.

 

Does anyone here having any insight into these humble questions?

 

By asking these questions I'm not in any way implying that I have the

answers to these questions. These are just things I have been

thinking about lately.

 

Any comment will be greatly appeciated. Like you all I am a seeker.

 

 

 

Sat Nam

 

 

Larry

[Guest guest]

Larry

 

Thanks for the input. I don't know if you have had any response privately to

your enquiry. I would ask any r who has knowledge that they can

pass on to other listees to post it to the list for the benefit of all. Can

any of you help with this particular enquiry?

 

We are currently growing at a rate of 1 r per day - this should

increase once more folk become aware of our community. More rs

should bring along a greater depth of knowledge and a much better

interchange of views.

 

I would ask you all to be patient in the meantime.

 

Namaste

Gordon

 

 

>laurence beyer <larbeyer9

>

>

>Sat Nam

>Kundalini List

>

>Thank you for the warm welcome Gorden. I've got some topics for

>discussion, and logically this is the perfect list to ask. Any input

>from any of the sages here will be profoundly appreciated.

>

>Does silent repetition of mantra produce a much subtler meditation

>than chanting a mantra?

>

>What about silent mediation on the inner sound which goes completely

>beyond mantra? Is anyone here familiar with inner sound meditation?

>Is this form of meditation a part of 3H O?

>

>And last and certainly not least the age old question to bliss or not

>to bliss? If we are blissing out are we attached to our ego, which

>separates us from the divine which is our true identity?

>

>Most conceptions of samadhi deem it a totally thoughtless union with

>divinity, if the ego is hanging around, saying wow this is really

>cool, it's not samadhi.

>

>Does anyone here having any insight into these humble questions?

>

>By asking these questions I'm not in any way implying that I have the

>answers to these questions. These are just things I have been

>thinking about lately.

>

>Any comment will be greatly appeciated. Like you all I am a seeker.

>

>

>

>Sat Nam

>

>

>Larry

>

>

>

>------

>Is ONElist important to you? Has it changed your life?

>

>Come visit our new web site and share with us your stories

>------

>Sat Nam!

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Larry,

 

I'll do my best to respond to these questions -- I'm no sage, however.

> >Does silent repetition of mantra produce a much subtler meditation

> >than chanting a mantra?

 

Yes and no -- it's very powerful to chant a mantra in a group, for

instance. Silent repetition is extremely powerful too. I think the goal is

to move from the more gross to the more subtle, depending on the state of

mind. If the mind is agitated to begin with, it's a good idea to begin with

vocal repetitions of the mantra, and gradually move to repetition with the

lips only, then complete silent repetition. Then there comes a time to let

the mantra go and rest in the silence.

 

> >

> >What about silent mediation on the inner sound which goes completely

> >beyond mantra? Is anyone here familiar with inner sound meditation?

 

I've had an experience of inner sound meditation. It wasn't taught to me,

it just happened at a retreat when a teacher suggested that I "listen for

any inner sounds during meditation." The inner sound was extremely subtle

and required total concentration. There were several inner sounds and they

created their own harmony and rhythm.

 

The inner sounds were connected to the throat chakra, and before hearing

them I meditated there and felt it open.

 

> >Is this form of meditation a part of 3H O?

I'm not famliar with 3HO

 

> >And last and certainly not least the age old question to bliss or not

> >to bliss? If we are blissing out are we attached to our ego, which

> >separates us from the divine which is our true identity?

 

I can't answer this! I don't know what you mean "to bliss"

 

> >Most conceptions of samadhi deem it a totally thoughtless union with

> >divinity, if the ego is hanging around, saying wow this is really

> >cool, it's not samadhi.

 

I agree -- as I remember, the teaching is that samadhi occurs when the

seer, that which is seen, and the seeing itself all become one. Therefore

there isn't any detachment of observing, only total experiencing. The

second you try to define the experience, you are outside it. In my "inner

sound" meditation that I described earlier, it wasn't samadhi, because a

part of my mind stayed outside the experience, observing and analyzing it.

 

> >

> >Does anyone here having any insight into these humble questions?

 

These are insights I've gained as a student of Integral Yoga as taught by

Swami Satchidananda. I hope more people comment on your questions.

 

Peace,

Kathleen Saraswati

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathleen,

 

Thank you for your thoughtful response to the post I made last week.

 

Hi Gordon,

 

Thank you for reposting my post and asking for responses to my post.

This was very thoughtful, I really appreciate this.

 

I'm usually busy during the week so my response time can be somewhat

slow. Kathleen, I agree with you its very powerful to chant a mantra

in a group, I also think it is a very good precursor to meditation.

Personally I have trouble accepting chanting mantra as a form of

meditation. I think silent repetition of mantra during meditation

produces subtler results. I like what you mentioned about coming to a

time to let the mantra go and rest in silence. I think this would be

very conducive to samadhi, just let everything go and rest in silence!

 

I've incorporated the inner sound meditation in my sadhana with very

good results. I was first exposed to this about 20 years ago and

didn't particulary care for it. this form of meditation has benefited

my sadhana greatly.

 

To bliss or not to bliss? I'm not exactly sure what I mean by this

either. I know that I experience bliss from time to time during

sadhana, and during my day to day mundane life. My first inclination

is to want to go for it, but then at the same time I want to go beyond

it because I figure if I'm blissed out my ego is hanging around and

I'm not experiencing samadhi.

 

Kathleen, like you I am a seeker. I appreciate your comments greatly.

I really like the idea about just coming to a point and resting and

letting the mantra go and enter silence. This is something that I've

never done, and I know that it would be quite fruitfull, it's very

effective when used with the inner sound meditation as well. You

reach a point where you just let the inner sound go.

 

 

Namaste,

 

 

Larry

[Guest guest]

>laurence beyer <larbeyer9

>

> Kathleen, I agree with you its very powerful to chant a mantra

>in a group, I also think it is a very good precursor to meditation.

>Personally I have trouble accepting chanting mantra as a form of

>meditation. I think silent repetition of mantra during meditation

>produces subtler results.

 

Hello again.

 

Still thinking about this letter, even though my thought processes tend to

fog over after 9 p.m.

 

I wonder if we are looking at a sort of progression here. That is, perhaps

for a beginner chanting aloud might help to maintain focus. Then, as one

becomes more experienced and has attained whatever value the sound vibration

in the physical body creates, one might need the physical sound less and

less and the more subtle effects of inner sound would be more appropriate.

Perhaps the inner sound has vibratory effects in the higher ranges of the

subtle body, just as the physical sound has effects in the physical (and

energetic) body.

 

> I really like the idea about just coming to a point and resting and

>letting the mantra go and enter silence. This is something that I've

>never done, and I know that it would be quite fruitful, it's very

>effective when used with the inner sound meditation as well. You

>reach a point where you just let the inner sound go.

 

Now, that sounds quite advanced practice to me. So, there may be a natural

progression: physical sound, inner sound, silence. If so, what is

appropriate for a person might depend entirely on what stage he or she is

working at. One thing I do know is that it takes a long time to work through

some of these stages, with occasional back-tracking to previous stages,

just to get even better at them.

 

Jesa

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathleen, Jesa, Kundalini Yoga List,

 

 

Thank you for your responses, I think we have some good stuff here.

 

 

---Kathleen Saraswati Powers <kathleenpc wrote:

 

> > I like what you mentioned about coming to a

> > time to let the mantra go and rest in silence. I think this would

be >

> very conducive to samadhi, just let everything go and rest in silence!

>

 

 

Kalthleen ,this is very nice!

 

> Yes -- let it happen naturally. My teacher, Swami Satchidananda,

says that

> the mantra is like a spoon filled with honey. You being the spoon to

your

> mouth and then there comes a time to let go of the spoon and

experience the

> honey. It's just one way to look at it.

>

>Jesa, your comments are greatly appreciated as well. I don't think

listening to the inner sound and entering the silence it a particulary

advanced practice. However, it certainly is effective. By going into

the silence I mean that you concentrate on the inner sound and merge

with it wherever it takes you, kind of like holding on to a river bank

and just letting go and let the flow take you where it goes. By

entering into silence with the inner sound meditation I mean one

eventually comes to a place where you just stop concentrating on the

inner sound and let it come and go without paying particular attention

to it. The inner sound never actually stops resonating.

 

Jesa, I Haven't had a chance to scope out web sites , but I will this

weekend.

 

Kathleen and Jesa , thankyou for your insights!

 

 

Om Namah Shivaya

 

 

Larry

>

>

>

>

>

------

> Is ONElist important to you? Has it changed your life?

>

> Come visit our new web site and share with us your stories

>

------

> Sat Nam!

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Larry,

 

You say

 

> Personally I have trouble accepting chanting mantra as a form of

> meditation. I think silent repetition of mantra during meditation

> produces subtler results.

 

Yes, I agree with you -- Sorry I wasn't clear. When I chant a mantra by

myself, it is a preparation for meditation. The actual meditation is in

silence.

 

> I like what you mentioned about coming to a

> time to let the mantra go and rest in silence. I think this would be >

very conducive to samadhi, just let everything go and rest in silence!

 

Yes -- let it happen naturally. My teacher, Swami Satchidananda, says that

the mantra is like a spoon filled with honey. You being the spoon to your

mouth and then there comes a time to let go of the spoon and experience the

honey. It's just one way to look at it.

 

Jesa, thanks for all your comments. Yes, I agree that meditation is a

progression into deeper and deeper realms of the Self's silence. The

progression happens within each meditation session and it also happens over

time. I'm happy you are here. Your websites are fascinating!

 

Om Shanthi,

Kathleen Saraswati

[Guest guest]

>laurence beyer <larbeyer9

>

>I don't think listening to the inner sound and entering the silence

>is a particulary advanced practice.

 

Well, not an advanced, advanced practice perhaps, but certainly not a

beginner's practice either. As a sometime teacher of meditation, I can

testify to that.

 

>However, it certainly is effective. By going into

>the silence I mean that you concentrate on the inner sound and merge

>with it wherever it takes you, kind of like holding on to a river bank

>and just letting go and let the flow take you where it goes. By

>entering into silence with the inner sound meditation I mean one

>eventually comes to a place where you just stop concentrating on the

>inner sound and let it come and go without paying particular attention

>to it. The inner sound never actually stops resonating.

 

Yep. Lovely. Pretty advanced practice, though. I think that, as the years go

on, we tend to forget how filled our minds were with babble and distractions

when we first began to meditate, unless we are reminded by other, newer

beginners. As a person who has been meditating a fairly long time, I know

that it may well be impossible to ever think of ourselves as anything but

beginners, moderately knowledgeable beginners maybe, because it always feels

like there is still so much to improve/learn/be. I may be fortunate in

teaching sometimes, because at least it shows me that the issues now are not

the issues that once seemed so insurmountable. But I still don't know if

there is ever a true stopping place...

 

Jesa