The entire creation is nothing but sound vibrations. The unmanifested essence of God first manifested as sound. He began vibrating. That vibration hums, and that hum is what you call the sound OM, or Amen, or Ameen. Even these are spoken words. The real OM is not even spoken; it is ajapa, unspoken.
The humming sound is the basis for all other sounds. Variations of the hum come forth and then vibrate at different levels, giving rise to different forms. Sound vibrations create forms; science has agreed to that. So we are all nothing but sound vibrations in different wavelengths. Not only human beings, everything that you see and that you do not see, hums—in a different way, with a different velocity.
Sound is more subtle and therefore more powerful than matter. All “things” are grosser than sound vibrations. When the very essence of unseen sound is frozen, it becomes matter or form. That’s how the world has come to be all these forms. The name of god is manifested as form. God as sound manifests Himself as the world.
THE NATURE OF SOUND VIBRATIONS
We want to communicate with the cosmic sound or God. But to have this communication, you have to vibrate in the same wavelength as the cosmic sound. The cosmic station transmits its sound in a particular wavelength. When you want to communicate or receive that transmission, you should become a radio receiver. You tune yourself to that wavelength. A transmitting station and a receiving station vibrating at the same wavelength can communicate with each other. Then all the sound, all the power, all the energy flows into you. All the music comes to you, and you can sing that same music of the Divine. You can be as beautiful as God Himself.
TUNE TO GOD’S FREQUENCY
The best way to clean your system is to use sound. Simply choose any holy name you like, and keep repeating it. Let your body vibrate with that frequency. In the beginning, you have to concentrate on that vibration within you. But as you continue, every cell in your body will begin to repeat your mantram or your prayer; then the whole system, the whole personality, body, mind, everything will vibrate on that wavelength. The holy word is like a radio wave. When a mantram is given to you, you tune your personality to a particular frequency. It’s just like tuning a radio. The cosmic music that comes from God is always being transmitted; God never stops transmitting all the beautiful things. Some simply don’t tune their heart radios to the proper frequency. Instead, they tune it to the wrong frequency and get atmospheric disturbance. With practice, you’ll be able to tune your heart radio. You will become a good receiver. Only then is the proper communication possible. Communication brings communion. Real communion is possible only when you tune your entire personality to God’s frequency.
IF YOU WANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH GOD
God is transmitting His energy, His beauty, His love His grace, everything at the OM frequency. If you want to receive it, where should you tune your radio? To the same OM. That is why mantra meditation is a very important practice. All other practices are secondary when compared with mantra repetition. Mantra repetition is a direct way to tune yourself to that cosmic vibration. Even if you don’t do any of the other practices you should not miss mantra repetition. That alone will help you a lot. Every day, at least three times—morning, noon and evening—if not more, you should produce that sound by repeating your mantram. Then you are tuning your radio constantly to stay on a certain wavelength. The sound is not different from God. In the same way, God and OM are not different. When you say, “OM, OM,” God is talking to you, humming to you. Listen to that. Like a baby listens to the music of the lullaby sung by its mother. It listens to that and slowly goes to heaven. In the same way, the mind will hear OM and slowly become absorbed into that. You don’t have to think about anything. Otherwise you are thinking, not meditating. The best meditation is not to think of anything. Yes, simply OM, OM, OM, OM, OM, OM, OM. If you like it, try it.
IT’S A POWERFUL SEED
In this age, the simplest and best practice is mantra repetition. It is very simple, but at the same time very powerful—more powerful than any other practice. Your body may not even be fit to practice all the Hatha Yoga postures or to do rigorous penance. You may not have a lot of money to go on pilgrimages. You may not have a big altar or go to church every Sunday, but you can always repeat a mantram. Wherever you are, whatever you do, whether you are rich or poor, it doesn’t matter. Repeating the mantram is like cultivating a seed. It’s a powerful seed that, once planted, will slowly take root and grow in you. In the beginning, you have to nurture it carefully and regularly. Then it will grow into a beautiful, big, divine tree and bring forth much fruit. Certainly the whole world will enjoy that fruit.
IF YOU HAVE COMPLETE FAITH, ONE MANTRAM IS ENOUGH FOR EVERYTHING
Through sound you can create anything. There is no limit. The whole universe was created with sound. That is the power of the mantram. But unfortunately many who have a mantram do not even seem to realize its power. If you do not have faith in it, even though it is powerful, you will not experience it. When you do not have faith, naturally you will not repeat it much. Whether you have faith in it or not, if you put your finger in the fire it will burn. But you have to put your finger in the fire to get the experience. Whether you believe in the mantram or not, repeat it. Then you will know what it can do. The smaller the mantram, the bigger the power. Anything that is atomized gets more power. The more powerful mantram will take a little longer time to bring the benefit. But of course our faith will enhance it; it gets a little more charged with a little love. The other way is very dry, but still, if you keep repeating it the faith will come. It will come whether you want it to or not. You do not need to have a lot of mantrams for different purposes. If you have complete faith, one mantram is enough for everything. It will take care of all of your trips, your problems, your diseases—or even someone else’s. That is why you do not need to have so many things; just have faith, faith, faith.
A MANTRAM IS NOTHING BUT GOD
When you feel that (higher energy from repeating the mantram), you say, “Let me continuously repeat your name, think of You, feel that You are working through me every minute. Without You I cannot live. I cannot even breathe. I am completely in your hands—like a little baby in the arms of the master. If some difficulty comes, all I know is to cry. You know immediately why I am crying.” If we really want God, we don’t have to do anything. Just cry. So in repeating the mantram, you are literally crying, calling God’s name. You should have that sincere trust. Mere repetition brings benefit, but it will be many-fold if you do it with real feeling, with this total confidence.
By repetition of mantram alone, many hundreds of great saints have experienced Divine Consciousness. Knowing the meaning of the mantram is not even necessary The faith behind it is more important. Whatever mantram is given to you, or whichever one you choose, stick to that one and have complete faith in it. Keep practicing. All the mantrams are equally good. Repeat the mantram consciously until your system takes over and repeats it unconsciously. Very soon you will realize how happy and healthy and peaceful you can be. A mantram can take care of physical health, mental problems, everything. It will all be totally taken care of by the mantram alone.
My beloved sisters and brothers, I am overwhelmed with joy to see the entire youth of America gathered here (at the Woodstock Music Festival) in the name of the fine art of music. In fact, through the music we can work wonders. Music is a celestial sound and it is the sound that controls the whole universe not atomic vibrations. Sound energy, sound power, is much, much greater than any other power in this world. And, one thing I would very much wish you all to remember. With sound we can make and, at the same time, break. Even in the war-field, to make the tender heart an animal, sound is used. So I am very happy to see that we are all here gathered to create some sounds—to find that peace and joy through the celestial music. And I am really very much honored for having been given this opportunity of opening this great, great music festival. So let all our actions and all our arts express Yoga. Through that sacred art of music, let us find peace that will pervade all over the globe. And with all my heart wish a great, great success in this music festival to pave the way for many more festivals in many other parts of this country.
MANTRAS
Prayers and chanting may be soothing to the mind, and for a time bring you into a peaceful state. But mantras have a special value. They are different vibrations of the same energy functioning in different ways. The one cosmic sound, represented as Om, has different aspects. These different facets of Om are called mantras. By constant repetition of the mantra you develop that vibration because all the vibrations are within you. Each individual by himself is another microcosm. What you see in the macrocosm you see in the microcosm; you are a universe by yourself. Not only you, but each and every one of your cells is a universe. How many solar systems do you have in you? How many atoms? Countless.
Therefore, when you are given a mantra, and constantly repeat it, you develop that aspect of the vibration that is already in you but hidden. You bring it to the surface, make use of it, and get its benefit. As you repeat it, you get the vibration. It kindles the dormant and subtle vibrations in you. It’s not even physically felt. Sound vibrations are more powerful than any physical instrument. There is much done today just with sound. They are developing dishwashers that employ only sound, not water. The whole washing machine vibrates, completely cleaning the dishes. Wristwatches are also cleaned by sound vibrations. There is now a bath cabinet in which you sit with only your head exposed— like a steam cabinet. You turn a switch and a kind of ultrasonic sound comes in. Within a few minutes you are totally bathed, without using water or soap. Pinpointed sound vibrations are also used as a knife. Today, they are trying to develop a method of surgical operation in which sound is used instead of a knife.
Such scientific principles are not strange to sages who have experienced these subtle sounds in deep meditation. They knew the importance of different vibrations. There is no meaning of those sounds, but there is a purpose. When the man in the car behind you toots his horn, you don’t have to ask him what it means. The purpose itself is the meaning. One should think of the purpose when you are repeating the mantra. That’s all. The purpose is very important. Only then can you apply it and experience it. Then you will know what it brings, since its purpose is its meaning. Repeat your mantra feeling its purpose. It’s a master key to open all the locks and eliminate all obstacles to enlightenment.
