Hearing the Universal Chant: Pranava

Date: 5 Sep 2009 12:48:13 -0000 From: "Chandramohan Jha" To: am-global@earthlink.net Subject: Hearing the Universal Chant: Pranava Baba "Ogo prabhu tava la'gi ga'ntha' ma'la' shuka'ye ja'y..." (P.S. 1935) Purport: Baba, Oh my Prabhu, the garland which I prepared for You is gradually getting dry and wilted. Day by day my longing for You is increasing. And that long waiting for You, has gone in vain. Because neither did You come, nor did You accept my garland. These days even the red sun is unpleasant for me--and it was very blissful for me in earlier times. But now it's brilliance is no longer shining to my eye. Because passing the time in Your longing, my heart is restless. Everything is unpleasing for me these days. Even the gentle sweet breeze no longer remains comfortable for me. And due to my mind's restless state, whatever mental darkness was there, became more deep and dense. Indeed in my mind, the blackness which was there got more increased. Day and night is passing this way, in Your longing. Baba, there is no problem if I cannot get hold of You. And also there is no problem if You don't look towards me with Your sweet, loving smile. One thing You can do though--thinking that I am very low, You please grace me. And by Your ahetuki krpa, come close to me. Baba, in Your absence, my everything lost the charm and became dry. Time is passing like this. Please grace me and give me Your darshan...

== HEARING THE UNIVERSAL CHANT: PRANAVA ==

Namaskar, During a spiritual talk one very senior family acarya was recounting about the samadhi demonstrations in 1970. Surely many are aware that Baba declared the whole year of 1970 as a sadhana year. So back then every day Baba used to bless different samadhis to various individuals. According to my understanding, the purpose was to give a demonstration-- on the theoretical side as well as the practical side-- that how and in what way samadhi functions. And how it can be realized. Our family acarya Dada* said like this. Dada continued explaining that Baba gave demonstrations about the sound of silence. It was then that I placed my query which had been in my mind since long. I asked, 'Dadaji, surely those who got to hear the sound of silence, means those who got that blessing from Baba and they had opportunity to listen to various sounds related with higher meditation, really such persons are fortunate. And we are unfortunate. Because we could not receive such things.' In response he said, 'Actually, not only they, but everyone is fortunate who has come in the shelter of Baba. Sadhakas may or may not realise this, but Baba has blessed everyone. It is not that only those prior persons could listen to the sound of silence and you cannot. You can also listen.' After Dadaji's statement, all the sadhakas present (including myself) became more enthusiastic. We thought: 'How can I listen to the sound of silence. It is such a unique thing-- such a thing which I never heard in my whole life. It is surely something extraordinary and very high.' Dada replied, 'Yes, it is. But every sadhaka who is doing sadhana sincerely with devotion, everyone according to their standard is capable to listen to the sound of silence.' Then I requested, 'Dada, please tell me in more detail so I can have this in the domain of my own experience and realization. If, in fact, you deem it appropriate.' He replied that, 'Having such a desire in the devotional field is nothing bad. Rather it is a good thing. Everyone should have such a desire, to go closer and closer to Parama Purusa. And according to the degree of one's proximity with Parama Purusa, the sound of silence changes and finally climaxes with the omnkara sound. And ultimately, in the end, there is absolutely no sound. Complete silence.' Understanding our eagerness, he told, 'Alright. Do you all want to listen now to this very sound of silence?' Everyone had desire. So we all nodded our head in acceptance. He suggested that, 'Just sit in proper posture as you regularly do for your sadhana. And then start doing sadhana. Repeat your mantra. If your mind is very pointed and concentrated, then you can hear these sounds very clearly. But even with less concentration, if the pure feeling is there, even then you will be able to hear it to some degree. It is not an unusual thing. Just a few environmental necessities are there: 1) The general environment should not be noisy. Otherwise, external sounds will mix into internal, and you may not recognize which is the internal sound of silence that is coming from within. 2) To control problems in #1, one should close the ears with one's own finger. This way no external sound will interrupt the process. If pin-drop silence is there, then this technique is not needed. But if you think that some external sounds are coming off and on, then you can close your ears with your fingers. 3) One should repeat one's mantra with proper ideation and devotion. Then the volume of the internal sound will increase and you will be able to hear it more and more clearly. It depends upon the degree of pointedness and the sweet feeling that you have in your mind and heart towards the Lord. If the heart is dry and obsessed with crude physical desires, then you may not hear anything. 4) Go on sincerely repeating your mantra in the above fashion, and the sound will increase. According to Baba's teaching, each and every sadhaka has his own samskara, and own standard of concentration and devotion, etc. Accordingly, to a varying degree, one will hear the sound of silence. These sounds can be categorized in different types. As he suggested, we tried then and there. And everyone sitting there heard some sound which was resonating from inside. Then Dadaji told, 'This is not something unusual which you are receiving here. You have the quality and ability. Nobody's help is needed. Already Beloved Baba's help is with everyone. So certainly I did not help you. Just I told the simple technique how to block the external sound and listen to the inner sound that you have already.' 'So remove your inferiority complex. By thinking that 'those who received those samadhis and heard those sounds of silence in 1970, and that only they are fortunate'. This is not the correct approach.' Dada continued, 'Instead I will say to everyone, those who have faith and love in Baba, they are fortunate. And everyone can easily listen to this sound of silence. It is not something which is unattainable or beyond reach.' 'In various discourses, and His teachings, Baba has revealed this truth.' Later on after searching my books I found this very paragraph related with the discussion, which was going on early in the morning yesterday that was related with the sound of silence. Baba says, "Sometimes one first hears the sound of rumbling clouds, sometimes ankle bells, sometimes the roar of the sea. When after hearing different sounds in this way the mind reaches the trikut'i, one hears the sweet and harmonious sound of the flute. These are various expressions of the pran'ava sound. The pran'ava sound is heard as the trikut'i or a'jina' cakra is crossed, but then when the mind merges with Krs'n'a or Paramashiva there is no sound, the silence itself is the sound. There is no expression. These are some of the secrets of sa'dhana'. The spiritual aspirant hears the various sounds of onm'ka'ra or pran'ava at various stages, during deep sa'dhana', during sweet sa'dhana'. The sound is called Krs'n'a's muraliidhvani. The sa'dhaka becomes mad because of this sound and goes deeper and attains Ra'dha' bha'va more and more, and rushes headlong forward." "Chot'e ye jan ba'nshiir t'a'ne Se ki ta'ka'y pather pa'ne?" "[Can a person who rushes headlong at the sound of the flute ever think about the path he or she is treading?]" "At that time one does not think at all about what people will say. One knows only that "I and my Is't'a exist." 15 January 1980, Calcutta (AVM Part 17) Namaskar, Chandramohan note: Please I hope you will also recount about your own experiences and what type of realizations you have had-- i.e. what is your realization. *Here in India, every elder or respected margi is called as "dada". So usually in our conversation, we address them as "dada", in a respectful way. This is quite common use. Not only in my village, but at various seminars and DMCs, retreats, gatherings, this is the common phenomenon. "Dada" does not mean only in relation with WTs. If there is any confusion or doubt with regards to our wholetime workers, then we call them as "WT Dada". But the term "Dada" itself can refer to either Wt or Margii. And, as well all know, the literal meaning of "dada" is 'brother'. And surely the same formula is applicable in the case of senior margii sisters, in that they are referred to as "didi". And that literal meaning of "didi", is 'sister'.