Sacred Sound: Discovering the Myth and Meaning of Mantra and Kirtan
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Sacred Sound: Discovering the Myth and Meaning of Mantra and Kirtan
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781608682447 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | New World Library |
| Publication date: | 03/15/2014 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 232 |
| File size: | 4 MB |
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Sacred Sound
Discovering the Myth and Meaning of Mantra & Kirtan
By Alanna Kaivalya
New World Library
Copyright © 2014 Alanna KaivalyaAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60868-244-7
CHAPTER 1
Om
The most basic, fundamental mantra is the sound om (??). We are not sure when the sound om first made its appearance in the minds of the ancient sages and was written down in the Veda, but it is thought to have been present at the beginning of the universe. Within it, we find the source vibrations of the entire Sanskrit language, kind of like the "alpha and the omega." Chanting om helps us to realign ourselves with the fundamental vibration present within all things and sets the stage for harmony.
om
Advice for Chanting
Om is the sacred sound of the universe. It can literally be chanted anywhere, anytime, out loud or silently. It is highly effective in bringing into harmony a space, your body, an idea, or your spiritual practice. Often, it is chanted to start and end a practice, but it could also be used in other creative settings. Om could be chanted before a meal to harmonize everyone at the table, in the middle of writer's block to clear your head and allow creativity to flow, or in any situation that needs a little more centering, peace, and calm. It will impart balance in any way to match your intention.
In order to make the sound of om, round the lips into an O shape and drop the jaw a bit. Let the tongue relax and clear lots of space in the mouth and throat as the sound is made. Pronounce om as in "home," as opposed to "aum" as in "prom" — despite the explanation of om that follows. This is because, in Sanskrit, both the sounds of A and U are incorporated into the O sound, so all the metaphorical bases are covered.
When chanting, spend the first part of the extended exhale on the O sound. Feel its resonance in your face and head, and even place a hand on the chest to feel the resonance inside the heart. About halfway through the breath, close the lips and make the M sound. Experience the vibrations as they rise to the crown of the head. The vibrational nature of om brings the current of sound up from the depths of your being all the way through your physical form and out the crown of the head. This is a complete experience of the powerful vibration of sacred sound and is at the heart of the yoga tradition.
Om Is Where the Heart Is
At the heart of the yoga tradition lies the fundamental teaching that within us all we are an interconnected web with no broken threads, as in the mythical net of Indra, which is cast over the entire universe and has a gem at each juncture. If that web were to vibrate, we would feel it in our heart, and it would resonate with the sound of om (??).
Om is made up of four sounds: A, U, M, and silence. In Sanskrit, the complex vowel O is made when the sounds A and U combine to make the full and complete sound of O. So, the first two parts of om are collectively present in the first complex vowel sound O and the third part is the consonant sound M. The fourth part is the moment of silence that occurs after we have finished chanting om and the sound has just left our lips. Each of these audible sounds reflects one of the major cycles or components of the universe, our bodies, the world, and our states of consciousness. And each of these sounds is presided over by one of the principal aspects of the great triumvirate within yogic mythology: Brahma (Brahma), Visnu (Vishnu), and Siva (Shiva). Therefore:
Brahma presides over the A sound.
Visnu presides over the U sound.
Mahesvara (Siva) presides over the M sound.
Together, these three divine aspects (which are explained in more detail in the Guru Mantra, page 33) represent the cosmic cycle. The last part, silence, represents the complete resolution or transcendence of that cycle, when we've moved beyond it to the state of cosmic oneness or unity.
Om (??) lays its roots in the language of Sanskrit. The sound appears within many traditions, however, both in the East and in the West, through sacred sounds like "shalom" and "amen." It is said that the ancient seers, called rsi, sat in elevated states of meditation and heard within their own heart this powerful vibration. Their best estimation of its audible sound was that of om. They held that this was the fundamental vibration of the universe. Thousands of years later, scientists have discovered something called "cosmic microwave background radiation" — an all-pervasive vibration that is the earliest remnant of the Big Bang that blankets the entire universe. This seems to confirm the original theories of the rsi that vibration is at the source and heart of all things. We see this reflected in many mythologies that describe the world originating with a sound or word. In fact, modern science calls the origination of the universe the Big Bang. Once again, sound is at the heart of all things.
Meanwhile, some scientific theories of the universe propose that tiny vibrating strings are the basic building blocks of even the tiniest particles. Whether we look at elemental strings, the strings of a cello, or our heartstrings, all of us are moved in some way by vibration. Vibration is how we measure our brain waves, our heart waves, and our feelings about someone else when we catch their "vibe." While vibrations vary in frequency, if we were to dial them all back into a common resonance, the ancient yogis would say that this basic wave would feel and sound like om, or the resonance of the sound within our hearts. When we chant om in a large group, the quality of the room will change, as well as the quality of our mind, because om has the power to act like a cosmic reset button. It brings out-of-sync vibrations back into sync. It harmonizes the space — in the room, in our heart, and in our mind.
And we like harmony.
Harmony speaks to balance. Balance is what we seek, sometimes at great cost. When our bodies are out of balance, we go to great lengths to restore it — in the case of a fever, for example. When we feel like we're falling, our whole body structure will react to compensate and try to restore balance. Balance can be synonymous with peace and the feeling of being at ease. Om does this for us in one easy syllable. Its power is intrinsic, and the word that describes om in the Yoga Sutra (1.27) is pranava, meaning "ever new." This indicates the fact that om's power never fades no matter how dispersed our universe and no matter the span of time. This one great syllable carries within it the seeds of all universal potential. While that may sound outlandish, consider the outlandish moment of the Big Bang: everything within our universe was encapsulated in this tiny seed — infinite potential — that then exploded in a cosmic burst, whose residual tone we replicate with this one infinite sound.
CHAPTER 2Guru Mantra
This chant, originally found within the Guru Gita — a treatise on the importance of the guru — speaks to the essential wisdom every spiritual practitioner must know about the guru.
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]
gurur brahma gurur visnu
gurur devo mahesvara
guruh saksat parambrahma
tasmai sri gurave namah
The guru is Brahma, the guru is Visnu,
The guru is Siva [Devo Mahesvara],
The guru is nearby and the guru is everywhere.
To the guru, I offer all that I AM.
Advice for Chanting
This is a wonderful mantra for setting the tone of a student's mind-set. It is a great mantra to chant at the beginning of a practice to get into the vibe of learning and be open to new information. As such, this mantra can be used as an invocation for daily practice to keep a "beginner's mind," in practice and beyond, or it can be chanted at the start of a yoga class to encourage students to remain open to all the teachers who are present in their life.
To begin chanting, move through it one line at a time. Say gurur brahma gurur visnu, and move line by line from there. If teaching it to others, use a call-and-response method, going line by line, in order to make the pieces easier to remember and follow along. The last line, tasmai sri gurave namah, can be repeated several times. This brings home the intention of the chant to offer all that we are to the power of the teachers who are present in every form all around us.
The Sacred Relationship to the Guru
This mantra honors the most sacred relationship in yoga, that between the teacher (guru in Sanskrit) and the student (sisya). Indeed, only through the transmission from teacher to student has the Vedic tradition been passed down through the millennia. But more importantly, this relationship contains the power to reveal the most fundamental and basic teaching, which is that we are all connected.
The mantra begins by naming the holy triumvirate of yogic mythology — Brahma, Visnu, and Siva — who are the primary teaching forces within our lives. They are the gurus to whom everyone is a student. In the scope of a lifetime, these aspects appear to us in varied forms and lessons. The mantra also indicates that there is something beyond the beyond (parambrahma) — indescribable — to which we are all intimately connected. Though indescribable and beyond our grasp, we can find this force within everything that appears near to us (saksat). In this way, the guru appears to us in every form imaginable. Teachings show up within the circumstances of our birth and our parents, which is the realm of Brahma. They appear in our life through our friends, colleagues, and social duty, in the realm of Visnu. They accompany us through sickness and challenges as we face the end of all things and our own death, or the realm of Siva. The principle of the guru is always nearby (saksat), and it is beyond the expressible forms of the universe (parambrahma).
Some spiritual aspirants find one teacher who leads them down the spiritual path, but all aspirants have a guru present at every moment of their lives, if we have the presence and openness of mind to see it. When someone challenges our moral sensibilities, when our parents invite us over for Thanksgiving dinner, or when our boss withholds a raise we feel we deserve, each of these moments holds an opportunity for us to see one of these guru aspects at work within our lives. We are able to recognize that within every single instant there is a chance to learn and grow.
The spiritual life is lived every moment of every day and arises as a practice in each and every choice we make. It doesn't take yoga pants and mala beads to make someone a spiritual aspirant. It takes the tenacity of spirit and the presence of mind to consistently rise to every occasion and practice one's spiritual calling, which is the unfoldment of the potentiality of one's own soul. Like the knights of the Arthurian grail legends, each of us carves our very own path through the thickets of our internal landscape as we make our way into the deep inner recesses of the heart. There, we discover the treasure of our spiritual path: the guru within, who is the ever-present guide of the heart showing us the way to our own source of freedom. As we walk on this path, moment by moment, choice by choice, we offer all our efforts to this internal and eternal source of wisdom within us. In this way, no matter what stage of life we are in, we are never lost.
A Life Lived in Three Stages
Every single one of us experiences the same three basic stages of life: birth, life, and death. These three stages are certain for every person on the planet, and the triumvirate of Brahma, Visnu, and Siva preside over them, respectively. The gurus of birth, life, and death show us the value and lessons within the circle of life.
These three stages are found within every aspect of the universe. The universe itself had a birth, it will sustain itself for a period of time, and then it will die. This great cycle is reflective of all experiences in life — friendships, jobs, homes, families, income. Things begin, they last for a duration no one can predict, and then they end. Sadly, nothing lasts forever. This sentiment can be a blessing (when things are bad) or a curse (when things are good and we hope they'll last). What do we do to exist comfortably within such a tumultuous, inevitable cycle of existence?
We use mythology to give us context and understanding of this inevitable pattern of constant flux. Mythology provides us with a container within which to place the challenging experiences of our lives. Otherwise, we can have difficulty coming to grips with them. The trick is to pay attention to the mythology as it unfolds within us and within the events of our lives. We can use these associations to understand the great wisdom of the time-tested Persian proverb, "And this too shall pass."
Brahma: The Birth of Our World
Brahma is the god of creation, and he presides over beginnings and our birth. Funny thing is, we actually have little control over these principles. As babies, our birth is a haphazard experience beyond our control. We come into this life with a prearranged set of parents and circumstances. Interestingly, Brahma reflects this heir-apparent attitude with his own story. Commonly, it is said that he is self-born within a lotus that sprouts from the belly button of Visnu, and from his four faces Brahma utters each of the four sounds of om (??), which begins the creation of the universe. Another story says that he was born of a great golden cosmic egg that was floating around in the nothingness of numinosity. Again, he is almost self-generated without rhyme or reason. His job is to create the rest of existence, and he begins by creating ten sons from his mind, who help him design and construct the universe. When he feels lonely, he creates his beautiful daughter, the goddess Sarasvati (Saraswati), by thinking the most pure thoughts possible. Each of his four faces represents the supreme knowledge of the four books of the Veda, and he carries no weapons because, for him, there is nothing to destroy, only unlimited potential to create.
In fact, for us, our birth is a great mystery. We can't remember it personally, except as a story told by others. We are thrust into this life like the mere thought of Brahma, filled with unlimited potential. As children, all things are possible for us, or so we believe. When asked what we want to be when we grow up, we say doctor, lawyer, astronaut, ballerina, firefighter — anything we want. In our childhood, the world is our oyster. Like Brahma, we believe we can create whatever our mind conjures.
But then something funny happens. We grow up, and the constraints and confines of society close in around us. We are fettered with the chains of "should" and "should not," and filled with doubt instead of promise. We see that our minds do not make "reality," which in fact makes its own demands upon us. We may come to feel small, weak, and incapable. Strange how, as we get bigger, the box we live in becomes smaller and smaller.
Harken back to childhood. Remember the dream that kept you awake at night and inspired imaginary play with friends? That dream and that child still lives within and is waiting to be reborn. The dreams of youth are profound, but the problem is that we cannot realize those dreams when we are young. We must reconcile our potential with the constraints of adulthood. We can only follow the path of our unlimited childlike wonder after we have broken out of the chains of immaturity. Given this seemingly unfair setup, it's no wonder that there aren't very many temples of worship specifically for Brahma in India. He's recognized as an equal ruler in the great triumvirate, and he is often included in common rites, but it is very rare to specifically worship him or seek his guidance. Because, in fact, what can we do to reconcile our birth and beginning except learn to live the experience as a fully conscious adult? And so, we turn to Visnu, the preserving force of life.
Visnu: The Preserving Force of the Universe
Visnu, as the preserving force of the universe, is the energy that maintains every aspect of the duration of our lives. His energy is present in our current relationships, our dynamics at work, and the personal growth we seek through spiritual practice. He is also abundantly present in anything that keeps us moving along. Any time we are in our "status quo," Visnu is there helping us to maintain it. And though he's always present, his job isn't rigorously creative like Brahma or as creatively destructive as Siva, and so he is often depicted at rest on his great serpent-couch, Ananta, in the great cosmic ocean of potential. We can imagine this scene: a blissful god lounging in an endless pool on a floaty device with a subtle grin on his face. Though it seems that Visnu is doing little in this idyllic setting, he is hard at work dreaming, and his dreams become our waking reality. When god dreams, anything can happen. And sometimes wild and crazy things stir up the world so much that disaster strikes and we can't quite handle reality on our own.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Sacred Sound by Alanna Kaivalya. Copyright © 2014 Alanna Kaivalya. Excerpted by permission of New World Library.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Foreword by Dave Stringer,Introduction,
Part One: Classic Mantras,
1. Om,
2. Guru Mantra,
3. Asato Ma,
4. Saha Navavatu,
5. Gayatri Mantra,
6. Vande Guruam: Astanga Opening Mantra,
7. Lokah Samastah: Astanga Closing Mantra,
8. Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya,
9. Om Tryambakam,
10. The Three Mahavakyas,
11. Om Purnam Adah,
Part Two: Traditional Kirtans,
12. Sarasvati Invocation,
13. Sri Ram Jai Ram,
14. Kali Durge Namo Namah,
15. Om Mani Padme Hum,
16. Maha Mantra,
17. Gam Ganapataye Namah,
18. Jai Ambe Jagad Ambe,
19. Govinda Jaya Jaya,
20. Om Namah Sivaya,
21. Om Santih,
Acknowledgments,
Endnotes,
Glossary,
Bibliography,
Index,
About the Author,