Introduction by Shri Hanuman
The path of Sound is called in India “Naad Yoga“.
Naad is the primary sound of manifestation of being ,Yoga means union ethymologically;Union between subject or ego and the self or abslolute.The ordinary human being perceives an object as a result of his five senses and the mind, wich gives a name to the object percieved.In Yoga terminology this compound process is named antakarana – wich includes the “I”, named here ahamkara,the mental functions named manas and finally the buddhi (intellect), conceptualizing the object.
The Samkhya Karika, which is an ancient treatise attributed to sage Kapila, says that buddhi attests empirical realities as wel as as abstract or metaphysical realities. In the Yogic discipline, the reality perceived in the framework subject-object becomes dissolved due to a purification of the buddhi‘s channels, the perceiver and the thing percieved merge in one,the knower, the knowable and the knowledge are identical, this identity is pure consciousness (samadhi in sanskrit).
Now ,the ethymological meaning of Yoga only makes sense if we understand it as a principle where the dual polarity of subject-object are unified and get reabsorved into an original plane called the Self or Paramatma in sanskrit.
To reach such a level, the disciplines of Yoga cover all aspects of human life: physiological, psychological ,mental and supra-mental. Some disciplines may emphasise certain aspects according to the aspirant’s potential. The Naad Yoga works on the creation potential of the aspirant,wich covers simultaneously all of the above mentioned areas.
Literature is rather scarce on the subject of Naad Yoga in India ,being sometimes considered as the art of chanting hymns like the sama veda or singing bhajans(devotional songs) in Bhakti Yoga or meditation in the syllable Aum in Raja Yoga.
But in fact the very essence of Naad in omnipresent in all Yoga practices,as the nucleous of Naad Yoga philosophy is Aum.
Aum is the sacred and esoteric mantra (formula) per excellence,being the contraction of three major sounds: Aa,Oo,Ma – representing the cosmic trinity of Brahma,Vishnu and Shiva – respectively simbolising the movements of manifestation,maintenance and destruction.
(to be continued…)
Shri Hanuman 