Mysticism of Sound By Hazrat Inayat Khan
Part I: The Mysticism of Sound
CHAPTER VIII
ABSTRACT SOUND
Abstract sound is called Saut-e Sarmad by the Sufis; all space is
filled with it. The vibrations of this sound are too fine to be
either audible or visible to the material ears or eyes, since it is
even difficult for the eyes to see the form and color of he ethereal
vibrations on the external plane. It was the Saut-e Sarmad, the
sound of the abstract plane, which Muhammad heard in the cave of
Ghar-e Hira when he became lost in his divine ideal. The Quran
refers to this sound in the words, 'Be! and all became.' Moses heard
this very sound on Mount Sinai, when in communion with God; and the
same word was audible to Christ when absorbed in his Heavenly Father
in the wilderness. Shiva heard the same Anahad Nada during his
Samadhi in the cave of the Himalayas.
The flute of Krishna is symbolic of the same sound. This sound is
the source of all revelation to the Masters, to whom it is revealed
from within; it is because of this that they know and teach one and
the same truth.
The Sufi knows of the past, present and future, and about all things
in life, by being able to know the direction of sound. Every aspect
of one's being in which sound manifests has a peculiar effect upon
life, for the activity of vibrations has a special effect in every
direction. The knower of the mystery of sound knows the mystery of
the whole universe. Whoever has followed the strains of this sound
has forgotten all earthly distinctions and differences, and has
reached that goal of truth in which all the Blessed Ones of God
unite. Space is within the body as well as around it; in other words
the body is in the space and the space is in the body.
This being the case, the sound of the abstract is always going on
within, around and about man. Man does not hear it as a rule,
because his consciousness is entirely centered in his material
existence. Man becomes so absorbed in his experiences in the
external world through the medium of the physical body that space,
with all its wonders of light and sound, appears to him blank.
This can be easily understood by studying the nature of color. There
are many colors that are quite distinct by themselves, yet when
mixed with others of still brighter hue they become altogether
eclipsed; even bright colors embroidered with gold, silver,
diamonds, or pearls serve merely as a background to the dazzling
embroidery. So it is with the abstract sound compared with the
sounds of the external world. The limited volume of earthly sounds
is so concrete that it dims the effect of the sound of the abstract
to the sense of hearing, although in comparison to it the sound of
the earth are like that of a whistle to a drum. When the abstract
sound is audible all other sounds become indistinct to the mystic.
The sound of the abstract is called Anahad in the Vedas, meaning
unlimited sound. The Sufis name is Sarmad, which suggests the idea
of intoxication. The word intoxication is here used to signify
upliftment, the freedom of the soul from its earthly bondage. Those
who are able to hear the Saut-e Sarmad and meditate on it are
relieved from all worries, anxieties, sorrows, fears and diseases;
and the soul is freed from captivity in the senses and in the
physical body. The soul of the listener becomes the all-pervading
consciousness, and his spirit becomes the battery which keeps the
whole universe in motion.
Some train themselves to hear the Saut-e Sarmad in the solitude on
the sea shore, on the river bank, and in the hills and dales; others
attain it while sitting in the caves of the mountains, or when
wandering constantly through forests and deserts, keeping themselves
in the wilderness apart from the haunts of men. Yogis and ascetics
blow Sing (a horn) or Shanka (a shell), which awakens in them this
inner tone. Dervishes play Nai or Algosa (a double flute) for the
same purpose. The bells and gongs in the churches and temples are
meant to suggest to the thinker the same sacred sound, and thus lead
him towards the inner life.
This sound develops through ten different aspects because of its
manifestation through ten different tubes of the body; I sounds like
thunder, the roaring of the sea, the jingling of bells, running the
water, the buzzing of bees, the twittering of sparrows, the Vina,
the whistle, or the sound of Shankha until it finally becomes Hu,
the most sacred of all sounds...
When a person says, 'Where are those worlds? Are they above the sky, or down below the earth?' the answer is that all these worlds are in the same place as that person is himself.
As a poet has said, 'The heart of man, if once expanded, becomes
larger than all the heavens.' The deep thinkers of all ages have
therefore held that the only principle of awakening to life is the
principle of emptying the self. In other words, making oneself a
clearer and more complete accommodation in order to accommodate all
experiences more clearly and more fully. The tragedy of life, all
its sorrows and pains, belong mostly to the surface of the life of
the world. If one were fully awake to life, if one could respond to
life, f one could perceive life, one would not need to look for
wonders, one would not need to communicate with spirits; for every
atom in this world is a wonder when one sees with open eyes.
In answer to the question as to what is the experience of those who
dive deep into life, and who touch the depth within, Hafiz has
said, 'It is not known how far is the destination, but so much I
know, that music from afar is coming to my ears'. The music of the
spheres, according to the point of view of the mystic, is like the
lighthouse in the port that a man sees from the sea, which tells him
that he is coming nearer to his destination. What music may this be?
If there were no harmony in the essence of life, life would not have
created harmony in this world of variety. And man would not have
longed for something which was not in his spirit. Everything in this
world which seems to lack harmony is in reality the limitation of
man's own vision. The wider the horizon of his observation becomes,
the more harmony of life he enjoys. In the very depth of man's being
the harmony of the working of the whole universe is summed up in a
perfect music. Therefore the music of the spheres is the music which
is the source of creation, the music which is heard while traveling
towards the goal of all creation. And it is heard and enjoyed by
those who touch the very depth of their own lives. |
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