The Pagan Heart
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May 2005 Issue
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Hearing the Divine
By Axiom
In silence I hear with great clarity. The dead time of night. The lull of the storm. The moments when all is quiet, every sense comes awake and I hear not only the occasional sounds of those around me, I hear the infinite voice of the divine. It's almost funny that something so strong and powerful is most clearly heard when all is silent. But the question begs asking - why? I know the divine is there when things are chaotic - I feel the divine about me when I am wrapped up in the shrill squeals and games of my children, deafened by the noise. But why is it that the voice of the divine is so easily drowned out for me? I know there are those for whom the opposite applies. The divine is overwhelming for them. It is not that I wish to be so aware of the divine that I struggle to hear everything. No, I am happier with my version - it's less confusing aside from anything else! But it would be nice to have more control over the silence. To draw that around me whenever I wished. I can often do it, but when you take a couple of hyperactive toddlers, a loooong day, deadlines, manuscripts, and being a wife and mother, my reserves drop a little and my ability to focus requires effort I don't always have the energy to make. So I am delving further into eastern tradition. There are a lot of disciplines there that I feel to be compatible with my beliefs - and I think it likely my spiritual ancestors used a similar version. When I read about druidic practice in the myths, or the eye-witness accounts, they tantalise me with hints of eastern-style meditation and spiritual practice. I am suspicious as to why I have this desire - is it only my own inspiration? Or have I felt some nudging as I strive to hear and understand the divine? Either way, the things I am learning are indeed working. I have heard of mantras - often in our society we use the term in conjunction with New Age techniques and also as a tool in confidence building and self-assertion methods - use a positive affirmation. Recite a mantra each morning. That type of thing. But this really misses a lot. Mantras are words used during meditation that bring into being the sacred power of the divine and of oneself. The word itself originates in two Hindu words - manas (mind) and tra (protection) - that give some idea as to the purpose of a mantra. Mind protection. Protection from what? Ultimately from itself. The mind is a powerful tool, capable of achieving great things, and just as capable of preventing those achievements. A mantra involves the repetition of certain sounds that in themselves aid the mind in settling and focusing. Once focus is attained it becomes possible to hear the silence and within that the sound that fills and surrounds all things. This sound is what I hear during those moments of great silence. It is what I call the voice of the divine. Sometimes I barely notice it. Other times it roars. It is a sound that fills my being with energy - the tiny hairs covering my body lift as it fills me. I lose awareness of my surroundings, of time, of my body. And it renews me, flooding me with energy. Mantras use sound to transform the conscious mind, the soul, into one that is focused upon the divine rather than the world around us. And, over time, that focus expands to include the world filtered through this state of altered consciousness. I am not talking about altered consciousness, drug-induced style! Meditative states increase the ability to focus and concentrate, and can have the interesting effect of speeding up one's reactions and thought processes while seeming to slow time down. What it means on a practical level is that you can use meditation during your daily life, bringing its calming properties to bear while benefiting from the increased focus and ability to get things done. Plus, the voice of the divine becomes easier to hear. So I am finding my exploration of eastern meditation very fulfilling. Nada Yoga (the Path of Union with the Divine through Sound) is not an easy path. It demands practice - you can't pick it up occasionally to get a boost - and finding time in my life is not always simple. But it is rewarding. Many religions state that life began with sound - to quote the Bible, "In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God." And to me, it continues through that sound. The sound is not audible - it is one we hear with our souls. Thus anyone can hear the sound of the divine, the music of the spheres, the voice of god.
Tibetan Sound Meditation If you have a bell or gong, this is an ideal exercise to use. If not, try using the sound of your breath instead. Do not use a meditation cd of sounds. The goal is to focus upon a sound and then to focus upon the silence around it - not an easy task with music! Sit comfortably - in lotus or cross-legged if possible. Place your hands, palm up, on the knees. Touch the point of your thumbs to the point of your index fingers. Close your eyes and begin to concetrate upon your breathing. Slow even breaths in and out with a slight pause between inhalation and exhalation and vice versa. Once you are settled into a regular routine and felling comfortable, pick up your bell and striker. As you breathe out, strike the bell once, hard enough to create a reverberation (if you need to open your eyes, do so only for the strike). Focus upon the noise and listen to it change and die away. Listen to the silence that follows. Strike the bell again. Repeat this process and try to gradually shift your focus to the silence that lies before and after the sound, and then follow that silence around the noise. This may sound silly, but there is silence that surrounds all noise - that is what you are listening for. This silence is the silence of the divine. Try and practice this exercise for at least half an hour a few times a week.
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