The sages who gave us the ancient Vedic mantras and hymns
were evolved beings who had either attained or come very close
to a state of pure consciousness. In their meditations they
heard perfect words and sounds - sublime mantras, sacred wisdom
arising from within. They passed this sacred wisdom on to
their disciples by singing it.
In those days all the scriptures were sung, and the rishis
and sages understood that chanting the sacred word was an
offering to God for the well-being of the earth and all its
creatures. They knew that the human voice chanting sacred
mantras has healing power and that these pure sounds actually
replenish the universe, create harmony, and keep the universe
healthy.
Of all the healing sounds that we can sing, the most potent
are the great mantras, the names of God. Mantra means that
which protects and redeems the one who holds it in his or
her awareness. Mantras have transformative power. They purify
us and lift us to a higher state of awareness.
The mantra we receive from an enlightened teacher or guru
is charged with the power of the guru 's own fully enlightened
state. The guru is sharing her state with us when she gives
us to liberation. Gurumayi Chidvilasananda,
the present guru of Siddha Yoga lineage, writes: ''Chanting
is a purifying force. It has the power to annihilate the
effects of even the most stubborn faults. It dissolves every
ounce of bitterness and malice. If you are experiencing
self-hatred or doubt or envy, just chant. And instead of
these limitations, you will experience glory, God's glory''.
Chanting also has significant effect on our bodies and
minds. Like everything in this universe, our body is made
up of vibrating energy. Even though our body appears to
be dense, every cell of the human body has its own frequency.
There's a sound present in each tiny cell, however minute
that cell might be.
Wherever there's movement, wherever there's vibration,
there's sound. The body's inclination is to be in harmony
with itself. All the different parts of the body, all its
cells, want to move in unison, the way a shoal of fish or
a flock of birds does, always moving but never bumping into
each other. When this natural rhythm and harmony is disrupted
in the body, that's when disease and disorders arise. However,
when the vibrations of the chant sound within our bodies,
the cells themselves respond; they resonate with the pure
vibration of the mantras so that harmony can be restored.
And what about the mind? Chanting calms and clears the
mind and actually rejuvenates it. You might notice that
sometimes your mind is much clearer and your intention more
focused, after chanting. Every word that we utter and every
thought that we think leaves its subtle impression on the
mind, and so do all the words and sounds that we listen
to and absorb. Everything that we listen to also leaves
its residue in the mind. Chanting the pure syllables of
the names of God breaks through this mass of varied thoughts
and impressions and opens us to a higher awareness, a clearer
perception of ourselves and the world.
Gurumayi says, ''When you chant the Name, it actually
moves through your whole being - purifying you, bestowing
grace, and making you sacred''. As chanting bathes us in
its purifying sounds, it opens our hearts; it opens us to
receive the outpouring of grace from the guru. Baba
Muktananda, Gurumayi 's guru said, ''Chanting is a magnet
that draws God's power''. Because chanting is such a purifying
practice, it leads to one sadhana breakthrough after another.
Sometimes when you're right on the brink of a breakthrough,
you might feel contracted, you might even feel stuck. But
through experience, one comes to understand that what feels
like a contraction is often our inner energy expanding,
pushing against the boundaries that we've been accustomed
to for so long. As Gurumayi says, ''Chanting breaks down
the barriers between you and your own heart''.
Down the ages, the purpose of chanting and devotional music
has been to praise God and to invoke His presence and His
grace so that we and the earth may be uplifted. As we chant,
we're making an offering to the world.
(Swamiji is a Siddha Yoga monk who took the vows of Sannyas
in 1981)
