Nada (music, sound, vibration, frequency, velocity).
Nada Dharna is a technique of concentration.
There are hundreds of different objects given by the Seers/Yogis for concentration. All those objects have the immense power & capacity to lead us towards the single pointedness & eventually in a state of meditation, Samadhi or Laya (Dissolution).
Nada Dharna is one of them.
Nada dharna or Nada meditation is emphased by almost all the different religions/traditions of the world.
The purpose of all the Dharnas (objects of meditation) is actually the same: to guide the mind towards the state of meditation where one can experience the feeling of bliss, freedom or can attain the state of Laya.
As slowly the meditator go deeper into the practice, the deeper layers of consciousness will reveal itself.
What is Nada?
The word Nada comes from the Sanskrit word "Nad" that means "Vibration" also can say "Sound" or "Music". The students of physics can understand very well.
Sound is extremely powerful, it's made by invisible waves of energy passing through substances (earth, water, fire, air, space) - particle to particle.
Every letter of the alphabet has different sound, means; different frequency, vibration & velocity. Because of these differences, the effect of every letter or word on our body/brain is different.
Types of Nada:
There are two types of Nada.
1. Ahat nada or sound: produced by the contact of two things.
Example: when one palm comes in contact with another palm, a sound will produce that's called Ahata.
Actually this sound is very gross & can be heard by any one. In the beginning, this sound is also extremely beneficial. That's why music is very close to everyone. You might have observed before, a sick person starts dancing during the special occasion when we play the favorite music. Or a child stop crying while you played the nice music. Sometimes, you might observed the feelings/emotions/sensations of pain (physical or mental) is minimized or eliminated while you listen your favorite music.
Almost all the great singers & musicians of India use to tell "Music is very close to God".
Here I would like to say music is very close to our true Nature, our true Self . And, whatever help us to move towards the Self, senses quickly leave the external objects of pleasure and, as a result of it, we feel immense peace, satisfaction, relaxation.
More or less we almost all of us have experienced the power & the effects of music (nada).
We can also observe or you might have observed that some specific types of music are part of meditative practices of different religions/traditions.
With God grace, I got the opportunity to live in an Ashram. This is a very famous & big Ashram, named "Shantikunj" (2000 to 3000 people) in Haridwar, where I lived three years.
Every day, for 15 minutes during the time of Nada Meditation, Ashram & its University were stopping all the activities.
Every day, at the same time (6 to 6.15 pm), people used to stop their activities wherever the sound of Nada was heard. Also I seen in another Ashrams & Buddhist monasteries, music is a part of meditation.
I also got the opportunity to attend Osho meditation, there, the music is inseparable part of meditation.
We can also find that countless Yogis/Meditators use to go close to rivers/forest because the natural sounds helps to move in.
2. Anahat Nad: literally means the unstuck sound.
Actually, this is not a produced sound by the contact of two objects. It is said to be the eternal background vibration of the Universe.
Many of the Hatha yogis, Rajyogis even Bhakti Yogis like Kabirdas ji talked a lot about the Anahat Nad.
In one song "Mhare Gagan me Baja baje re, Anu Jheenu jheenu aa jhankaro re Gagan maa" , Sage Kabirdas ji is telling "in the space of my consciousness a music instrument is being played & I can listen that soft soothing sound & I can feel the vibrations of that Anahat Nad." Further He is telling, "the joy of all materialistic objects is negligible in front of the Ananda of Anahat Nad."
In Hatha Yoga Pradipika also there many sutras are telling about this Anahat Nad or sound. Can see one of them - 4/29
"Mind is master of sense organs & air/respiration is the master of mind, dissolution (laya or layah) is Lord of respiration and that Dissolution is based on internal unstuck sound."
Another one sutra of Hatha Yoga Pradipika - 4/66:
"Sri Adinatha has described one crore twenty five lakh varieties of laya & they flourish. But (out of all) we consider only Nadanusandana is the best of all layas."
In another Hatha text named Gheranda Samhita it is telling:
"Dhyana is eight times superior to japa, tapas (austerity) is eight times superior to Dhyana, and music (nada) is eight times superior to tapas. There is nothing greater than music." Here music refers to Anahat Nad.
In the pranayama subject, some of you have heard/listened & some of you might have experienced the soothing/relaxing effects of Bhramari pranayama.
No doubt this is very beneficial technique for all now a days but actually it is only the beginning & the objective is to listen that sound.
Suggestions... after practicing Bhramari, sometimes, you should sit quietly for few minutes & try to listen that unstuck sound.
Notes:
For the benefits, see the article of Bhramari.
Please don't expect liberation just in one day 😊 or in one 15 minutes of sitting. Practice every day, hope you will get success. 🙏
Be sensitive with yourself & be happy.
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Hari 🕉!!!