Nada Aradhana – An Offering of Sound

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Nada Aradhana – An Offering of Sound

Can you say something about the significance of participating in the Nada Aradhanas each day, either singing, or playing the bowls, drumming, or either just simply being there and meditating?

One important reason why we started this process, which we call Nada Aradhana, is because the energy of Dhyanalinga can become like a solid wall. It can become so intense that, for those who penetrate through it, it can be wonderful; others will sit in the temple, but will sit outside the energy. It can become like that, because it is so intense, it is almost physical.

I don’t know; now that many of you are having a dip in the water, and then going into the temple … I’m sure some of you must have felt, when you entered the temple, it’s almost like a physical thing. It hits you, if you’re sensitive to it, it’s almost physical, because the field of energy that gathers around the linga is so intense, it can be like a strong wall. If you penetrate that, it would be wonderful; otherwise, it will be not available for a lot of people, simply because of its intensity. If it were of a weaker intensity, a lot more people could enter.

Twice a day, we are sort of cracking this wall, by using certain sounds … Sometimes melodious sounds, sometimes bad sounds … Discordant sometimes, sometimes very melodious. We have people who have no music background of any sorts, doing music; that’s the miracle of Hisha. It’s very positive on one level; it could be very frustrating on other levels, but it’s good, it touches, disillusions you, and it works.

The sounds that we’re making, melodies only speak to the people, the melody of the music that they produce is only socially relevant to the people who sitting there, but as far as the purpose of making the sounds, it is fulfilled, even if they are discordant, because the idea is to disturb something there, which is manifesting itself into something very intense, almost like a solidified presence, so that it becomes a little more accessible to all people who enter, twice a day, with just little … Shaking it up. You could just do it with a few shouts, and some can take kitchen utensils, make noises, and do that, too … If you do it intensely enough, but we want to use that as an offering also, so that it becomes an offering.

Because, in a state of offering, a human being is most receptive. Why always, in the Indian way of life, does it matter who poor you are? Your children have not eaten for ten days, but if you go to the temple, you must offer something! Not because God wants to eat your banana or coconut … If you don’t have bananas, or coconuts, or whatever, you must at least offer a leaf. The idea is that you go with the intention of offering. You go as an offering.

When you go as an offering, you are most receptive to what is available there. The times of Nada Aradhana, because they are a time of an offering, definitely, it’s the most receptive time for people. For those of you who are unable to experience the Dhyanalinga for what it is … If you’re struggling with it, the best time for you to be there is definitely Nada Aradhana time. One thing is, because we are loosening the structure, the surrounding structure, in a certain way; another is, it’s a time of offering, and that is the most receptive state to be in.