Subtle Sounds For Those Following A Subtle Path
Sant Mat Quote of the Day:
"And if you listen very hard,
The truth will come to you at last."
(lyrics from, Led Zeppelin, Stairway To Heaven)
"I am the Voice whose Sound is manifold
and the Word whose appearance is multiple....
I am the hearing which can be attained by everyone."
(Thunder: Perfect Mind, a Gnostic Gospel)
"Let him close the ears with his thumbs. … This is my most beloved Yoga. From practicing this gradually, the Yogi begins to hear mystic Sounds (nadas). The first Sound is like the hum of the honey-intoxicated bee (matta-bhrnga), next that of a flute (venu), then of a harp (vina); after this, by the gradual practice of Yoga, the destroyer of the darkness of the world, he hears the Sounds of ringing bells (ghanta), then Sounds like roar of thunder (megha)." (The Shiva-Samhita)
When the aspirant has recognized this Nada [Inner Sound] and familiarized himself well enough with it, he will perceive that, contrary to the ever-changing inner and outer conditions that he was used to up to that moment, this mystical Sound has a strange unearthly continuity about it. In addition to the description of this Sound given in the previous chapter, it can also be compared to the soft whisper of the wind and the continuous hissing noise of the ocean waves, with a shrill "ultra" Sound on top of it, composed of all the harmonics in the Universe. On higher spheres, this sacred Nada will have a strange sort of silvery aspect to it, somewhat similar to the uninterrupted jingling Sound of very little pieces of glass, with other smaller, ever more subtle Sounds superimposed on it, until finally these finer Sounds seem to disappear into infinity.
In the beginning, the seeker should fix his attention on the part of the Sound that is most shrill and, as explained in the previous chapter, oscillating slightly somewhat like the twinkling of a star. It will be easier to hear that way. Later, when the aspirant gets more familiar with it, he will begin to hear two or more Sounds at the same moment. At first he may not quite realize, or be really sure, that he is hearing two Sounds simultaneously. However, if at such times he listens carefully, he will note that one of these two sounds is slightly more obvious, whereas the other is a little more high-pitched and more subtle. He should listen carefully to both Sounds for a while until it becomes absolutely clear to him which of these two Sounds is the more subtle and high pitched. It is to this one he must then gently let his attention turn and concentrate on. He must not be tempted to follow the more obvious of these two Sounds any more -- even though it will keep intruding and drawing him back to it. If the seeker has reached a sufficient degree of enlightenment and is attentive enough in outer life, he will find that, in the same way as when meditating his attention is at first drawn to the Sound that is more evident, so, in the outside world, people without realizing it almost always let themselves be tempted by and attracted to the more obvious aspects of life -- whereas the more subtle and finer ones unfortunately escape most people most of the time.
As Within, So Without
This applies to everything that people do and to which they have leanings, including the kind of friends to whom they are drawn, the sort of entertainment to which they are attracted, the things they ordinarily like, and so forth. This tendency is equally applicable to their choice in the various arts -- which is very revealing of the level of their thinking and being.
The subtler and more lofty aspects of art seem always to escape the majority of people. In understanding all this, it should be apparent that, if someone is not sufficiently transformed through his spiritual struggles, and has not acquired the necessary inner discernment to deal with this tendency in him while he is still alive, then the same problem will confront him when he leaves this form of existence. He will gravitate blindly to the more obvious states, and the more subtle ones will be lost to him.
(Edward Salim Michael, "The Law of Attention - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance", Published by Inner Traditions books of Vermont)
