Singing As Meditation

Indian music is essentially vertical in nature, meaning that it is internal and reflective of a drawing inward. Like the Eastern culture and religion, it is introverted. Eastern religions emphasize the importance of introspection and self-discovery, encouraging individuals to explore the inner reality and mystery of their being. Eastern music facilitates this process.

The power and beauty of this vertical music lie in melody, which is the relationship of successive notes. Melody is a means of connecting the human with the Divine. It operates through the psychic levels of an intermediate world that is difficult to define, as it transcends the boundaries of everyday existence and consciousness. It is a world of the unconscious, of dreams and deep moods, images and sounds, of the inner senses—those mystical dimensions of the human psyche that are either overdeveloped or underdeveloped in most of us.  

Indian music, and all contemplative music, strives to balance these dimensions as it unites the human with the Divine through the psychic levels. There is grounding in the matter and energy of the universe as well as an ascension into the heights and airiness of the Akasha (the etheric planes), which symbolizes the Absolute. Music has a way of simplifying and tuning the levels of our being to the underlying unity that holds it all together.

One of the images that often comes to mind when performing Indian music is that of everything being spun together into a fine thread—something extraordinary with very subtle results. This music facilitates the unification of our consciousness and the integration of our being. It enlarges and intensifies our awareness. 

India's music was born out of her profound spiritual heritage. It is said to have originated in the ancient seers who meditated on the mystery of the universe and heard the sounds that became the seven basic intervals of the octave known as the seven swaras. Swara literally means "that which makes its own sweetness" and can be used to connect with the seven energy centers (chakras) that govern the human being. Thus, by using the swaras in various combinations, one can awaken and stimulate the chakras to their maximum potential. [Chakras are vortices of energy located in multiple parts of the body. The most critical chakras known to us are located along the line of the spinal cord.]

The various musical intervals are located within the octave at specific mathematical distances. Indian musicians throughout the ages have discovered how these intervals are connected to moods. They learned to combine the swaras that occur at these intervals in various ascending and descending patterns that they called ragas. Ravi Shankar, the musician who made Indian music popular in the West, referred to the raga as a "coloring of the Spirit." It is the tonal or modal expression of a basic mood or feeling in the human being that corresponds to a similar mood or feeling in nature. Certain ragas are more potent at certain times of the day or night and serve to awaken particular moods in us. 

Each raga is a world of its own. An experienced musician knows all the permutations and combinations of a raga and knows when to use them effectively in order to bring about a union. This union is called yoga, and the process of using a raga to obtain it can be called raga yoga. It is a way of harmonizing the levels of our being into peace and unity, which brings joy, or ananda.

In the experience of a raga, parts of the brain that have been dormant can become activated. This instills a sense of knowledge and well-being that is rich in power and vitality. The cells, tissues, and muscles of our body become vibrant, and the heart swells with love and compassion for all creation. Our mental processes are slowed down, sometimes to the point of being apparently stationary. Remaining in this state of emptiness (discursive emptiness), one can be receptive to the subtle sounds and movements that occur at deeper levels of our being. We are entirely in the moment. Time is full of meaning and purpose, for there is that sense of being beyond all time. All time is contained at the moment. It is a sense of the sheer isness of things. Just as harmonic music is spatial and expansive, melodic music unifies time into an eternal moment. It is the ultimate experience of the raga.

Ragas can be extremely powerful, and when used correctly, their effects can be amazing. Ragas are said to be capable of creating effects in nature, such as fire, lightning, storms, and thunder. By using intervals in particular combinations, musicians can awaken their chakras and those of their audience. In employing ragas for this purpose, the music is not planned but instead created by the musician and in their interaction with the environment in which the performance takes place.

To fully express the power and emotion of the raga, the musician must first meditate and develop a sense of how everyone is feeling. Next, a raga that adequately expresses this feeling is selected and performed through various stages of development. As time passes, the feeling is channeled from the unconscious into the conscious. The nadis (nerve channels) in the body, located along the spinal cord, channel these energies from the depths of one's being to the top of the head. Along the way, they meet and dance in the chakras, awakening them to their full power. The bliss of this unity and integrity is offered to the Divine consciousness at the level of the highest chakra, located at the crown of the head. Finally, the effects of this process are allowed to penetrate every level of one's being, from the top of the head to the base of the spine. Bede Griffiths was very particular about this. He advised that after every spiritual experience, the effects of it should be allowed to penetrate one's being to the very roots. The experience needs to be grounded in the body and the earth, making every level sacred and permeated with the consciousness of the Spirit. 

From "In The Beginning Was Music," initially published in "The Other Half Of My Soul: Bede Griffiths and the Hindu-Christian Dialogue," a festschrift in honor of Bede Griffiths By Beatrice Bruteau

SINGING AS MEDITATION TRAINING