An article re: Silence

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You may find the following article on the importance of silence interesting...

 

http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2010/04/04/pursuit_of_silence_interview/index\

..html

 

The article discusses the impact of noise pollution on society, hypothesizing

that there is a negative impact due to the increasing noise levels that are not

in harmony with nature. The negative impact of loud non-natural noise is

emphasized. They further extrapolate the concept of noise from the sphere of

sound to stimuli (e.g., information) of all kinds - in general, human beings are

being barraged constantly by information in all directions. This has been

linked to a prevalence of attention deficit disorder, among other things, in the

younger generations (It is of course confounded with the fact that ADD and its

variants have only been recognized as a real medical condition relatively

recently, so it does not account for undiagnosed ADD over history).

 

 

Why does it matter to us?

Yoga has long recognized the necessity for giving the body rest from this

barrage through the process of meditation which reverses the tendency of the

mind to become distracted through conflicting over-stimulation. Such

meditation/rest is known as " yoga nidra " in which the senses are shut off/down,

and the attention is focused internally.

 

Swamiji's music for meditation aids this process by directing the attention

inward more forcefully - particularly useful when the mind is not used to

flowing inwardly - which is true for the majority of people in the world. By

'resetting' the senses, the body is given time to rejuvenate - sleep provides

only a partial rejuvenation - while yoga nidra provides complete " re-birth " -

the impact of listening to Swamiji's music is somewhere between these for the

average listener. Real " yoga nidra " is a kind of clinical death and

resurrection that occurs which rejuvenates the entire body (to be " born again " ).

When the thought stops interfering with the body, the body is able to rejuvenate

itself fully. It is the ego-sense that ultimately is responsible for imposing

decay, due to the latent karmic tendencies embedded in the ego which must be

expressed.

 

The aural (audio) atmosphere generated by Swamiji's music acts (physically) to

massage and tone the body, as well as the mind. When the body and mind are in

harmony, the attention is less distracted by thought, and is able to

discriminate more sharply. Excess thought distracts the mind - thought itself

is 'maya'. This ability to discriminate between 'real' and 'unreal' and to rest

in the 'real' is entirely dependent on the mind's " quickness " of perception -

when the attention is distracted, assumptions creep into the thinking process -

these assumptions are the basis of the three granthis (knots) that bind the

conciousness to the physical body - and form the basis of 'samsara' (the

perpetual wheel of birth, death, and re-birth).

 

It is common experience that after a strong workout (any fatiguing physical

activity), one feels mentally rejuvenated, refreshed, and much more awake in

carrying out one's day to day activities - something that western Yoga forms

(based on Hatha yoga) tend to emphasize. That is to say, sustained

fatiguing/strenuous physical activity, tends to clear one's mental cobwebs. The

emphasis on physical postures ultimately acts as an aid to improve the mental

fitness of the organism, which is important in the spiritual life/sadhana.

 

There have been numerous studies of classical music of all kinds showing that

they have a positive role to play in both mental and physical health. Indeed,

such 'harmonious' music has been linked to the fractal concept of

self-similarity across spatial/temporal scales (i.e., having a 1/f^n spectral

signature)

 

Swamiji's music for meditation and healing concerts utilize sounds which are

expressions of His internal emotional-pyschological-physical state that result

from His profound insight into nature's own raagas. This lost science of nada

applied as a treatment for an ailing body (that is out of synch with nature's

rhythms) is known as Raaga Ragini Vidya. These raagas of nature are due to the

interaction between Natural sounds (transmitter) and the yogi's internal state

(receiver). Nature is based on rhythms - the day to day experience of this is

the 'menstrual cycle' that women undergo - it has an intimate relationship with

cycles of the moon (monthly). Similarly, all organisms have a system of

hormones that govern their systems, which are influenced by a variety of

stimuli. All of nature is geared to the cycles of time, and thus move

synchronously.

 

An example of such absorbed contemplation is in the song " Kalathreya Bodhitam

Brahma Brahma " which was recorded as Sri Swamiji was in a kind of deep trance.

 

A Yogi's mind/body responds more sensitively to these external sounds, as they

become a part of the Yogi in higher states of contemplation - He not only

produces the sounds - but he becomes One with the sound. When Swamiji was a

baby, his physical body was so in-tune with the environment that he was able to

discern disharmonious sounds from the movements/clanking of pots. There are

parallels between this identification with Nada and the practice of Agni Puja,

in which Swamiji is both the offer-er, the oblation, and the receiver of the

oblation. This is in a higher sense, Swamiji's natural state - that of Shiva -

the all consuming fire in which all things burn. This relationship between the

Yogi and the movements of prana is the basis for the science of mudras - natural

postures that arise from the movements of prana within the Yogi's physical body.

The simplest example is the reaction you have when someone places a cube of salt

on your tongue - the

tongue curls in a unique way due to the stimulus - likewise, the Yogi's body is

responding to the flow of prana - it is automatic and reflexive. By replicating

these postures, the thinking is that it shapes (via feedback) the way in which

the prana flows within the body, enabling one to impose discipline in the

movements of energy within one's system. This is the yoga-tattva of Shiva, in

which Ganga (representing the forceful unchecked flow of Prana, is checked by

the matted locks of Shiva's hair forming a " bandha " or knot-lock). In this way,

there are certain yoga bandha's that may be practiced through the control of

certain internal muscles that are said to control the flow of prana - these

enable the practitioner to hold, gate, and release prana within the body. Due

to the long-standing perceived relationship between consciousness and the body,

Hatha yoga (and Kriya Yoga), offer means of dis-associating these pranic flows

from their otherwise

routine pathways, enabling the practitioner to evolve at a faster rate, to a

state where thought begins to loosen its control over the activities of the

body, and the mind begins to detach itself from its superimposed relationship

and sense of identification with the body. When once this identification

ceases, after long periods of exposure to these states of 'liberation', it

cannot once more take hold, and thus the consciousness stops to falsely identify

itself with the limitations of the body. The mind which was never bound, begins

to realize itself, by releasing itself from its own super-imposed

straight-jacket of samsaara.

 

By listening to Swamiji's music, it inspires the nucleation of a similar state

of dissociation within ourselves (when meditated upon), and with repeated

exposure begins to cause internal and psycho-physical changes in our own bodies.

The most basic of these involves loosening the knots of prana that lead to

disharmony/disease within the body, the more profound impact is the realization

of Sri Tripura, the Mother Goddess, who shines as the pure consciousness in the

heart-center (hridayam). It is true that Nada itself is God (Brahman) - and so,

one can experience a particular deity by profound concentration upon the sound

of that deity's name - this is the basis of Nama Japa (and Sankeertana). The

sound 'Om Namo Narayanaya', is verily Narayana himself, as sound. This is why

there is much emphasis on pronounciation in Sanskrit, because the sounds have a

psychological-physical impact. That said, Swamiji makes it easy - all one has

to do is Listen.

 

Thus, in Nada Yoga, music/sound becomes the vehicle for re-focusing /

re-centering a distracted system, and is the basis for Swamiji's unique method

of reaching His devotees.

 

Listen to Swamiji's compositions with rapt attention, and reap the benefits of

experience for yourselves.

 

Jaya Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!

 

 

---

Gurorangripadme ManaScenna Lagnam tata: kim! tata: kim! tata: kim! tata: kim!?

Sarva Kartha, Sarva Dhartha, Sarva Hartha, Mangalam!

Satchidananda, Satchidananda, Satchidananda Mangalam!

Tasmai Sri Guru-murthaye Nama Idam Sri Dakshinamurtaye!

 

Ata Nityo Narayanaha, Brahma Narayanaha, Sivascha Narayanaha, Kalascha

Narayanaha. Disascha Narayanaha, Vidisascha Narayanaha, Urdwamscha Narayanaha,

Adhascha Narayanaha, Antar-bahischa-Narayana.Narayana Eh Vedam Sarvam, Yat

BhootamYacchha Bhavyam.Nish-kalango Niranjano Nirvikalpo Nirakyadhas,suddhho

Deva Eko Narayanaha, Na dwiteeyosthi kaschit,ya evam Vedas Vishnu reva Bhavati,

Sa Vishnureva Bhavathi, Etat yajur veda sirodeeyathe.

 

Sundara Sundara Siva Siva! Karuna Bandhura Siva Siva! Karuna Rupa Spanda Siva!

Girisha Sat-Chit-Ananda Siva!

 

Jaya Jaya Jnana Bodha Sabha, ...Atma Tattva Bodha Sabha, ...Bhakthi Jnana

Vairagya Sabha, ...Namasankeerthana Dhama Sabha

 

Satchitananda Rupaya, Krishnayaa Aklishtakarine, Namo Vedanta Vedyaya, Gurave

Buddhi Saakshine

 

" Rama nama ki madhura milaye, janma janma dukha doora bagaye ...Satchidananda

Guru vachana mithaye "

 

~*Om * Ayim * Hreem * Sreem * Siva * Rama * Anagha * Dattaya * Namaha*~