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| Unfolding Bhava in Kirtan |
| KIRTAN |
| Transcendental Vibration | Unfolding Bhava in Kirtan | Sankirtan comes form the Navel | Listen/Download Kirtan |
By Hadai Nityananda dasa
Kirtan and chanting are the most essential yoga of this age. In ancient times words and music were used to attain
an altered state of mind. Music was an aid to develop the mind, spirit, emotions and sensitivity. In this modern
age different forms of music have developed, like rock, heavy metal, jazz etc., but until recent times music was
devotional; not used to please the mind but to tranquillize the agitations of the mind.
The Names of God are something you can feel from deep inside, something that comes up from the depths of
consciousness to the surface of your mind. The Names of God are present in the unspoken language of the heart.
The Names of God evoke a particular sentiment and sensitize the mind to be receptive to divine experience.
Chanting and singing the Names of God is the recommended connection between the soul and God for this age
and unfolds our inherent divine relationship with God.
Singing the Names of God in kirtan is both an art and a science. When we sing the Names of God we evoke a
divine feeling that is uplifting and pure. That is the awakening of bhava, the feeling and emotion associated with
the Holy Names.
There is a story about the musicians in the court of the Emperor Akbar. Whenever a musician used to sing, all the
courtiers would shake and sway their bodies, hands and heads and say, "Oh what wonderful music!" Akbar
thought to himself, "Do all these people really understand music, do they really appreciate it, or are they only
making a show of understanding it?" To find out, he issued a proclamation: "Anyone seen swaying to the music
will be beheaded." After that no one moved, everyone in the court sat very still -everyone that is except for a few
who were unable to control themselves whenever music was played. So Akbar asked them, "Haven't you heard of
the declaration that anyone found swaying to the beat of music will be beheaded?" They said, "Yes, we have
heard the royal mandate, but death would be acceptable to us because we have enjoyed the bliss of music." So
Akbar knew that only a few in the entire court really appreciated the music and that all the rest were just
sycophants.
To really get absorbed into the Holy Names of the Lord, we have to follow the four stages of kirtan: (i) singing, (ii)
keeping in touch with the rhythm or taal, (iii) tapping into the appropriate mood so that the mind begins to swing,
and (iv) swaying the body with the rhythm, which happens naturally when the mind begins to dance. Try this and
you will see the difference in the quality of your experience during kirtan.
Different levels of experience
Kirtan plays an important part in spiritual life. This is because we exist at different levels of experience
simultaneously: (1) at the sensorial level, where experience comes only through the senses, (2) at the intellectual
level, the rational mind, giving rise to likes and dislikes, aspirations and ambitions, etc., (3) at the emotional level,
the level of feelings, of sensitivity, being able to connect with something non-rational, and being in tune with the
energy that transforms sensitivity and feelings into emotion, (4) at the psychic level, which includes latent
impressions, ingrained attitudes and habits, samskaras and karmas that define character and self-identity, and (5)
at the spiritual level; our eternal relationship with the Lord.
Just as we have an IQ, an intelligence quotient, we also have an EQ, an emotional quotient. The emotional
quotient is not just confined to expressions of love and affection, compassion and charity. Rather it is expressed
as a sensitivity in all areas, no matter in which direction your mind is directed. Your mind may be directed to a
particular point or focus, but there is an awareness in which the whole field is also covered. In chanting the
Names of the Lord you are experiencing sentiments that are free from the conditioning of such external inputs or
samskaras, and you are expressing those sentiments to the Lord. Ultimately purity is an expression of God and in
kirtan we learn how to reciprocate to that. Kirtan helps us to achieve a state where we are able to express our
feelings towards our beloved Lord. This devotion is different from expressing a religious sentiment. It brings out
pure relationship and enhances our sensitivity towards the Supreme. This is the essence of Yoga.
Can mantra be chanted without emotion?
How can one even think of practicing kirtan without bhava, without the quality of feeling? If you think about it, to
think of any action or thought without emotion is hypocritical. When you get angry or feel frightened, is it without
bhava? When you are under stress, is it without bhava? Any mental state, whether it is hatred, jealousy,
frustration, anxiety, stress or passion, cannot exist without bhava, the associated feeling.
There has to be passion in kirtan. In the beginning of kirtan the Names of God are repeated mechanically because
we do not know how to connect with the bhava. But when we continue to sing the Holy Names we will become
saturated with bhava. Then our relationship with God unfolds and the experience of energy within the Names of
God intensifies. Kirtan performed with bhava has the potential and the capacity to make God appear in front of
you. Pure love for God has the capacity to command God to give darshan to you. Singing or chanting the Names of
God with pure love makes God subject to your love. That’s the result of pure devotion. However, it is not your
mind that makes the Lord appear before you. It is this declaration of God in the form of His Name and He is bound
by that declaration.
To think of any chanting or singing the Names of God without bhava actually is a sign of an immature mind. The
Name is realized through the bhava associated with It. Just as a feeling is associated with a state of anger,
jealousy or stress and tension, or with what you eat and drink, or with a friend or enemy, similarly a feeling is
associated with the Holy Name of God. How then is it possible to chant or sing th Name of God without a feeling
associated with It? It is not logical.
Normally, logic follows a predetermined path and emotion follows a different path. Many times emotions cloud
logic, and many times logic can suppress an emotion. But when they complement each other, then logic becomes
an experience and emotion becomes an insight which gives you wisdom. Therefore be open to feel the emotion of
the Name of God when you repeat it. That is the real practice of chanting and singing the Names of God.
Mechanical repetition happens in the first stage of chanting or kirtan in order to stop the natural dissipation of the
mind. Once the dissipation stops, then in order to awaken the state of consciousness to experience the
transformed condition inherent in the Name of God, the bhava, the emotions, will be emerge. Mechanical repetition
of the Name is recommended in the first stage in order to create a pattern of mind, to develop an awareness of
the Name for longer periods of time. When you are able to do that, then, in the second stage the component of
emotion emerges. When bhava unfolds in connection to the Name of God the result is very ecstatic.
Does one have to know the inner meaning of the Names of God?
In the early stage, if you are repeating the Names of God mechanically, it is not necessary to know the inner
meaning of the Names. But when the Names are established in the mind and there is no effort to become aware
of the Names, then at that time the inner meaning of the Names are unfolded. Then bhava becomes associated
with the Names and deeper and deeper meanings are revealed. This realization is intuitively and you feel it as the
underlying reality of the Holy Names. The guru can help you realize the meaning of the Names, but he can not tell
you. The meaning of the Holy Names being revealed and telling the meaning of the Holy Names are two different
things.
The literal meaning of the Holy Names implicates an association through respect, faith, belief, devotion, friendship
and love, the bhakti that an individual has for the Supreme Lord. Those who understand the Supremacy of
Nityananda Gauranga Krishna will find these Names very pleasing to their nature and will naturally relate to the
bhakti, the aspect of surrendering to a quality of the divine which they have felt in their life. In the same way,
different people have found their heart and soul connection with Nityananda, Gauranga, Krishna, Radha, Rama,
Sita, Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, etc. which are all distinguished expressions of the Supreme Lord.
The revealed meaning of the Holy Names is different from the literal translation. The revealed meaning
instantaneously leads to the experience of the Lord. That is why the guru cannot actually tell you the meaning,
but he can help you to understand the meaning. The inner meaning of the Holy Name becomes revealed when the
bhava, the intense feeling, becomes associated with It. So, in the end, bhava reveals the real inner meaning of
the Holy Names.
TOP
Kirtan and chanting are the most essential yoga of this age. In ancient times words and music were used to attain
an altered state of mind. Music was an aid to develop the mind, spirit, emotions and sensitivity. In this modern
age different forms of music have developed, like rock, heavy metal, jazz etc., but until recent times music was
devotional; not used to please the mind but to tranquillize the agitations of the mind.
The Names of God are something you can feel from deep inside, something that comes up from the depths of
consciousness to the surface of your mind. The Names of God are present in the unspoken language of the heart.
The Names of God evoke a particular sentiment and sensitize the mind to be receptive to divine experience.
Chanting and singing the Names of God is the recommended connection between the soul and God for this age
and unfolds our inherent divine relationship with God.
Singing the Names of God in kirtan is both an art and a science. When we sing the Names of God we evoke a
divine feeling that is uplifting and pure. That is the awakening of bhava, the feeling and emotion associated with
the Holy Names.
There is a story about the musicians in the court of the Emperor Akbar. Whenever a musician used to sing, all the
courtiers would shake and sway their bodies, hands and heads and say, "Oh what wonderful music!" Akbar
thought to himself, "Do all these people really understand music, do they really appreciate it, or are they only
making a show of understanding it?" To find out, he issued a proclamation: "Anyone seen swaying to the music
will be beheaded." After that no one moved, everyone in the court sat very still -everyone that is except for a few
who were unable to control themselves whenever music was played. So Akbar asked them, "Haven't you heard of
the declaration that anyone found swaying to the beat of music will be beheaded?" They said, "Yes, we have
heard the royal mandate, but death would be acceptable to us because we have enjoyed the bliss of music." So
Akbar knew that only a few in the entire court really appreciated the music and that all the rest were just
sycophants.
To really get absorbed into the Holy Names of the Lord, we have to follow the four stages of kirtan: (i) singing, (ii)
keeping in touch with the rhythm or taal, (iii) tapping into the appropriate mood so that the mind begins to swing,
and (iv) swaying the body with the rhythm, which happens naturally when the mind begins to dance. Try this and
you will see the difference in the quality of your experience during kirtan.
Different levels of experience
Kirtan plays an important part in spiritual life. This is because we exist at different levels of experience
simultaneously: (1) at the sensorial level, where experience comes only through the senses, (2) at the intellectual
level, the rational mind, giving rise to likes and dislikes, aspirations and ambitions, etc., (3) at the emotional level,
the level of feelings, of sensitivity, being able to connect with something non-rational, and being in tune with the
energy that transforms sensitivity and feelings into emotion, (4) at the psychic level, which includes latent
impressions, ingrained attitudes and habits, samskaras and karmas that define character and self-identity, and (5)
at the spiritual level; our eternal relationship with the Lord.
Just as we have an IQ, an intelligence quotient, we also have an EQ, an emotional quotient. The emotional
quotient is not just confined to expressions of love and affection, compassion and charity. Rather it is expressed
as a sensitivity in all areas, no matter in which direction your mind is directed. Your mind may be directed to a
particular point or focus, but there is an awareness in which the whole field is also covered. In chanting the
Names of the Lord you are experiencing sentiments that are free from the conditioning of such external inputs or
samskaras, and you are expressing those sentiments to the Lord. Ultimately purity is an expression of God and in
kirtan we learn how to reciprocate to that. Kirtan helps us to achieve a state where we are able to express our
feelings towards our beloved Lord. This devotion is different from expressing a religious sentiment. It brings out
pure relationship and enhances our sensitivity towards the Supreme. This is the essence of Yoga.
Can mantra be chanted without emotion?
How can one even think of practicing kirtan without bhava, without the quality of feeling? If you think about it, to
think of any action or thought without emotion is hypocritical. When you get angry or feel frightened, is it without
bhava? When you are under stress, is it without bhava? Any mental state, whether it is hatred, jealousy,
frustration, anxiety, stress or passion, cannot exist without bhava, the associated feeling.
There has to be passion in kirtan. In the beginning of kirtan the Names of God are repeated mechanically because
we do not know how to connect with the bhava. But when we continue to sing the Holy Names we will become
saturated with bhava. Then our relationship with God unfolds and the experience of energy within the Names of
God intensifies. Kirtan performed with bhava has the potential and the capacity to make God appear in front of
you. Pure love for God has the capacity to command God to give darshan to you. Singing or chanting the Names of
God with pure love makes God subject to your love. That’s the result of pure devotion. However, it is not your
mind that makes the Lord appear before you. It is this declaration of God in the form of His Name and He is bound
by that declaration.
To think of any chanting or singing the Names of God without bhava actually is a sign of an immature mind. The
Name is realized through the bhava associated with It. Just as a feeling is associated with a state of anger,
jealousy or stress and tension, or with what you eat and drink, or with a friend or enemy, similarly a feeling is
associated with the Holy Name of God. How then is it possible to chant or sing th Name of God without a feeling
associated with It? It is not logical.
Normally, logic follows a predetermined path and emotion follows a different path. Many times emotions cloud
logic, and many times logic can suppress an emotion. But when they complement each other, then logic becomes
an experience and emotion becomes an insight which gives you wisdom. Therefore be open to feel the emotion of
the Name of God when you repeat it. That is the real practice of chanting and singing the Names of God.
Mechanical repetition happens in the first stage of chanting or kirtan in order to stop the natural dissipation of the
mind. Once the dissipation stops, then in order to awaken the state of consciousness to experience the
transformed condition inherent in the Name of God, the bhava, the emotions, will be emerge. Mechanical repetition
of the Name is recommended in the first stage in order to create a pattern of mind, to develop an awareness of
the Name for longer periods of time. When you are able to do that, then, in the second stage the component of
emotion emerges. When bhava unfolds in connection to the Name of God the result is very ecstatic.
Does one have to know the inner meaning of the Names of God?
In the early stage, if you are repeating the Names of God mechanically, it is not necessary to know the inner
meaning of the Names. But when the Names are established in the mind and there is no effort to become aware
of the Names, then at that time the inner meaning of the Names are unfolded. Then bhava becomes associated
with the Names and deeper and deeper meanings are revealed. This realization is intuitively and you feel it as the
underlying reality of the Holy Names. The guru can help you realize the meaning of the Names, but he can not tell
you. The meaning of the Holy Names being revealed and telling the meaning of the Holy Names are two different
things.
The literal meaning of the Holy Names implicates an association through respect, faith, belief, devotion, friendship
and love, the bhakti that an individual has for the Supreme Lord. Those who understand the Supremacy of
Nityananda Gauranga Krishna will find these Names very pleasing to their nature and will naturally relate to the
bhakti, the aspect of surrendering to a quality of the divine which they have felt in their life. In the same way,
different people have found their heart and soul connection with Nityananda, Gauranga, Krishna, Radha, Rama,
Sita, Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, etc. which are all distinguished expressions of the Supreme Lord.
The revealed meaning of the Holy Names is different from the literal translation. The revealed meaning
instantaneously leads to the experience of the Lord. That is why the guru cannot actually tell you the meaning,
but he can help you to understand the meaning. The inner meaning of the Holy Name becomes revealed when the
bhava, the intense feeling, becomes associated with It. So, in the end, bhava reveals the real inner meaning of
the Holy Names.
TOP
