Music is the language of the soul and the very purpose of many a fine art, including classical music, is to take the mind to the zenith of meditation with just a swara or a note.
One does not have to be a connoisseur of any genre of music to be able to meditate. It is just a willingness to let go, the mind rising with the rise, staying up there when the singer holds the breath and falling with the fall down to the lower octaves.
Everything that aims to integrate the mind has a shastra or a set of teachings, rules, discipline and guidelines to it. The same applies to music too. There are ragas that are sung early in the morning. They are the sounds of creativity—when the birds chirp, the squirrels happily sprint about and the dew is still wet on the fresh green leaves and flowers, the cool wind fills the space of dawn, the softest notes that awaken happen in Bhupala raga.
With the changing impact of the Sun on the planet, the ragas are also different. Our ancestors have discovered so beautifully the means by which our knowing becomes in tune with the rhythm and the vibrations of the music that is sung. Simple mathematics begins to work in this situation when the frequency of the mind matches with the frequency of the music. Some sort of an energy fusion is created and oneness is experienced beyond the limit of the body.
The mind becomes still and the body too follows suit. Time is suspended as thought is not there. There is only one feeling of harmony. The one who is experiencing this state of stillness is you. It’s you who have been searching for yourself and the music helps you to come face to face with it. While all our rituals, chants, incense, fragrance and auspicious sights help with this connectivity, the tunes of music facilitate an instant synchronisation of feelings that gives an immediate experience of liberation.
The music as well can become an aid to meditation. If you happen to be in a concert, there is a lot of interactive response and movement possible. However, when you choose music as a means to meditate, prepare yourself for the experience. Create a beautiful altar with a picture of your favourite God or Guru. Lovingly place some flowers at the altar. Some blooms can also be allowed to float in an ornate bowl or a simple mud vessel. You can light incense sticks, and lamps can also be lit and made to float in the water. There is a whole atmosphere filled with peace and serenity.
With this initial preparation, sit comfortably cross-legged on a mat or a soft cushion placed on the floor. While listening to the strains of the music, you should be conscious of the inhalation and exhalation. The breath and the mind become completely charged. When the music is flowing and reaches a crescendo, there are many moments when even the single thought of my own self listening simply vanishes.
That space in which that single thought of listening too vanishes into consciousness is called meditation. With music, it can happen anytime and where.
The author is Acharya, Chinmaya Mission, Tiruchi (www.sharanyachaitanya. blogspot.in)