Inner Sound Meditation: Nada-Bindu Upanishad, Audible Life Stream

 

 

"In the beginning was the Word" (Logos--AUM--Tao--Shabda--Nada--Sound Current--Song of the Creator--Holy Stream of Sound--Audible Life Stream--Music of the Spheres--Akash Bani--Bang-I-Asmani--Anhad Shabad--Naam--Vadan--Saut-e Sarmad--Kalma or Kalam-i-
Ilahi--Sarosha--Harmony of All Harmonies--The Voice of God that vibrated: "Let there BE, and all all became"]).

Excerpt from the Ancient Nada-Bindu Upanishad on Inner Sound Meditation

31. The Yogin being in the Siddhasana (posture) and practising the Vaishnavi-Mudra, should always hear the internal sound through the right ear.

32. The sound which he thus practises makes him deaf to all external sounds. Having overcome all obstacles, he enters the Turya state within fifteen days.

33. In the beginning of his practice, he hears many loud sounds. They gradually increase in pitch and are heard more and more subtly.

34. At first, the sounds are like those proceeding from the ocean, clouds, kettle-drum and cataracts; in the middle (stage) those proceeding from Mardala (a musical instrument), bell and horn.

35. At the last stage, those proceeding from tinkling bells, flute, Vina (a musical instrument) and bees. Thus he hears many such sounds more and more subtle.

36. When he comes to that stage when the sound of the great kettle-drum is being heard, he should try to distinguish only sounds more and more subtle.

37. He may change his concentration from the gross sound to the subtle, or from the subtle to the gross, but he should not allow his mind to be diverted from them towards others.

38. The mind having at first concentrated itself on any one sound fixes firmly to that and is absorbed in it.

39. It (the mind) becoming insensible to the external impressions, becomes one with the sound as milk with water and then becomes rapidly absorbed in Chidakasa (the Akasa where Chit prevails).

40. Being indifferent towards all objects, the Yogin having controlled his passions, should by continual practice concentrate his attention upon the sound which destroys the mind.

41. Having abandoned all thoughts and being freed from all actions, he should always concentrate his attention on the sound and (then) his Chitta becomes absorbed in it.

42-43(a). Just as the bee drinking the honey (alone) does not care for the odour, so the Chitta which is always absorbed in sound, does not long for sensual objects, as it is bound by the sweet smell of Nada and has abandoned its flitting nature.

43(b)-44(a). The serpent Chitta through listening to the Nada is entirely absorbed in it and becoming unconscious of everything concentrates itself on the sound.

44(b)-45(a). The sound serves the purpose of a sharp goad to control the maddened elephant – Chitta which roves in the pleasure-garden of the sensual objects.

45(b)-46(a). It serves the purpose of a snare for binding the deer – Chitta. It also serves the purpose of a shore to the ocean waves of Chitta.

46(b)-47(a). The sound proceeding from Pranava which is Brahman is of the nature of effulgence; the mind becomes absorbed in it; that is the supreme seat of Vishnu.

47(b)-48(a). The sound exists till there is the Akasic conception (Akasa-Sankalpa). Beyond this, is the (Asabda) Soundless Para-Brahman which is Paramatman.

48(b). The mind exists so long as there is sound, but with its (sound's cessation) there is the state called Unmani of Manas (viz., the state of being above the mind).

49(a). This sound is absorbed in the Akshara (Indestructible) and the Soundless State is the Supreme Seat.

THE AUDIBLE STREAM: THE SOURCE OF ALL BEING
By Julian P. Johnson, in, Path of the Masters

1. THE CENTRAL FACT IN SANTON KI SHIKSHA

THE Audible Life Stream is the cardinal, central fact in

the Science of the Masters. It is the keystone of the

arch. It is the cornerstone of the structure. It is the

structure itself. And it is the Path of the Masters.

One might say that the Master and the Life Stream

constitute the Path of the Masters. The great spiritual

Current is not only the central fact in the Science of the

Masters but it is the supreme fact and factor of the

entire universe. It is the very essence and life of all

things. It is perhaps less known than any other important

fact of Nature, yet it is the one determining factor

of all Nature. That is indeed a pity. This great

truth or fact is significantly spoken of in the first chapter

of the Gospel of John:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God. All things were made by him and

without him was not anything made that was made."

Here it is definitely stated that something which is

called "Word" is identical with God, the Creator.

Although not at all understood by the Christian

church, this statement is an important announcement

of the stupendous fact of the Audible Life Stream.

It is often called the Sound Current. But that is not a

good name for it because it is not sufficiently definitive.

The Indian name is simple shabd, meaning sound.

But that is not definitely clear. There are many

sounds. Logos was the Greek term used by the Neoplatonic

school, whose masters were familiar with portions

of the Eastern Wisdom. Logos means the divine Word.

It is this divine current, wave or stream going forth

from God himself and flowing throughout the universe.

It is not only an emanation from God but it is God

himself. When any man speaks in this world, he

simply sets in motion atmospheric vibrations. But

when God speaks, he not only sets in motion etheric

vibrations but he himself moves in and through those

vibrations. In truth it is God himself that vibrates all

through infinite space. God is not static, latent : He is

superlatively dynamic. When he speaks, everything

in existence vibrates, and that is the Sound, the Shabd;

and it can be heard by the inner ear, which has been

trained to hear it. It is the divine energy in process of

manifestation which is the holy Shabd. It is in fact the

only way in which the Supreme One can be seen and

heard-----this mighty, luminous and musical wave,

creating and enchanting.

Now, this great fact of Nature, so little known to

either ancient or modern thought, is the vital substance

of the Science of the Masters. It is cardinal and central

in all their teachings. It is the one thing which distinguishes

Santon ki Shiksha from all other sciences or

systems. It is the very foundation of their system of

yoga. It is the key to all of their success in unfolding

their spiritual powers and controlling their minds.

It is the one sign by which a real Master may be known

and recognized from all others. No one is or can be a

genuine Master unless he teaches and practices the

Audible Life Stream; because it is impossible for any

one to become a spiritual Master of the highest order

unless he consciously utilizes the Life Stream to gain his

development.

2. NAMES OF THE SUPREME LOGOS

It is commonly called Sound Current in India,

among those who speak English. But the best translation

which we have been able to discover is: Audible

Life Stream. This appears to carry its deeper meaning

and is more comprehensive and inclusive. It is, in

fact, a stream, a life-giving, creative stream and it

can be heard. The fact that it is audible is extremely

important and that idea must be conveyed, if possible,

in any name that is applied to it. This current or wave

contains the sum of all teaching emanating from God.

It is his own Word. It includes everything that God

has ever said or done. It is God himself in expression.

It is the method of God in making himself known.

It is his language. It is his Word.

This Sound sometimes is called Name; in Sanskrit

or Hindi, NAM. But in English, we are not accustomed

to put so much meaning in the word 'name'. It is

only correct if we understand that 'name' or Nam

stands for all that the Supreme Being is. It is just

another way of saying Word and Word is what God

says. It is equally what he does. It is the whole of the

divine being in action. To distinguish God in action

from God as divine Essence, we call him Shabd or living

Word. The name of anything or anybody is the sound

symbol which stands for the reality itself. The name

conveys to thought everything which belongs to the

reality for which it stands. When the Master is said to

give "NAM" it means that he gives the Current, the

Reality for which Nam stands. He literally gives the

Audible Life Stream itself. (Just how the Master can

give it is discussed in Chap. XII : 4).

This divine NAM, or Sound, or Word, stands for

all that God is or has ever said or done. It includes

all of his qualities. As said before, it is the only way in

which the universal Spirit can manifest itself to human

consciousness. So when the Supreme Being manifests

himself as Sat Nam in Sack Khand he there becomes

fully personified, embodied, and brings into manifestation

all of the qualities of deity. As Sat Nam he

becomes personal Creator, Lord, God, and Father.

There he becomes the Fountain out of which the

Audible Life Stream proceeds. This stream may be perceived

and heard by all who participate in it throughout

all worlds. It may be seen and heard by such as

attain an awakened consciousness under the training of

a Master. When a man hears it, he hears God. When

he feels it, he feels the power of God. This Shabd is,

therefore, the Divine Being expressing himself in something

that is both audible and visible. This current

must not be understood to be like a river running in

one course. It is more like a radio wave flowing out

in every direction from the grand central broadcasting

station. In fact, it comes from the Supreme Creative

center of the universe of universes.

This wave has two aspects, a centrifugal flow and a

centripetal flow. It moves outward from the central

dynamo of all creation, and it flows back toward that

dynamo. Moving upon that current, all power and

all life appear to flow outward to the uttermost bounds

of creation, and again upon it all life appears to be

returning toward its source. It is the latter aspect of

it with which we have to deal mostly.

Upon that wave we have to depend for our return to our

original home. When the Master makes the connection

or as we say in radio, "tunes us in," it is then that we

begin our homeward journey leaving all perishable

worlds behind us.

This Word is called Nada (pronounced Nad) in

the Vedas. In Vedanta, sound is always spoken of as

creative. Sound or anything that sounds is the creative

energy. It is referred to as the Nada Brahma meaning

the primal word of Brahm. By this Nada Brahma all

creation was brought into existence. The whole of the

visible and invisible universe is the manifestation of this Primal Nada.