Scientists have proven that the whole of existence is a certain reverberation of energies, an assimilation of vibrations. Where there is vibration there is bound to be sound. Scientists arrived at the fact that everything is vibration through mathematical deductions. But when a yogi experienced it, he naturally saw the whole existence as a complex amalgamation of sounds or Nada Brahmn.
In this complex reverberation of sounds, there are a few key sounds that we call mantras, which can open up dimensions for you. The word ‘mantra’ literally means pure sound which has neither identification nor meaning. Every reverberation, whether of great consequence or otherwise, has an existential root. But meanings have no existential root. Meanings exist only within the framework of your mind. When you live in human society, meanings become important because people have lost traction with Creation. The only place where meanings have some relevance is in the ridiculous creation of their own — their psychological space, a new world they created for themselves. You see worlds clashing today because everybody is living in their own world.
Within this illusion you can create all kinds of meanings. The terminology employed when someone comes to his senses is, “He was disillusioned.” Disillusioned is not a positive term in the social context. But if you are looking for a spiritual context, the sooner you are disillusioned, the better it is. If all your illusions fall apart today, isn’t it wonderful? Or do you want to take your illusions to your deathbed? Anyway, death will destroy all your illusions.
When we utter a mantra, we are not looking at the meaning. Most people have made themselves incapable of getting involved with something that doesn’t mean anything to them. Why do you think glorious things that are happening on the planet are ignored by most? Sunrise, sunset, full moon…. how many of us are even conscious of these? How many people will sit through the spring watching flowers blossom? Instead, they are arguing about whose words are more meaningful! They have no attention for all the meaningless, phenomenal things that are happening in the universe because they are looking for meaningful things.
Sound is the substance of Creation. Meanings are made up in human minds. Sounds are of various kinds. Everything is a certain kind of sound – the tree, air, body, a rock. Depending on the nature of its reverberation, a sound can be very refined or gross. A sound can also be taken and refined to a certain level. Scientists now say that both sound and light are reverberations. If you multiply sound to a certain decibel, you would arrive at a place where mathematically, it has become light. This is known as sonoluminescence. In yogic systems this is something we have always worked with. If you incubate a sound in your consciousness, it can slowly be transformed into light.
The body is one kind of reverberation, thought is another, and emotion is yet another kind. What we refer to as consciousness is the most refined reverberation. What is beyond is, Shiva or ‘that which is not’ because its reverberation is such that you cannot even know it is there. It is utter stillness, but there is a reverberation in that also.
If you transform a reverberation from one dimension to another by incubating it within yourself consciously, you can know light from within, and nobody around you will miss it either.
By: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev