There are many ways to reach inside and find Peace and Truth. Singing is one of the easiest and most joyful methods of concentration on the Divine. The present age is filled with artificiality and extremes of all kinds. In your day-to-day life your mind is bombarded with sensational media announcing hatred, intolerance, greed, violence, immorality, violence and destruction. Man has lost his natural, simple and humble lifestyle and replaced it with an intricate web of sensations and new, more complex desires and thoughts. Such influences and ideas create barriers in the mind against higher and purer influences which lead you to discover your own true Self. If you read newspapers and watch TV then definitely your mind is affected by them. It will be penetrated by unnecessary and negative thoughts. You will not find contentment in these external influences. Remember, for every action there is definitely a corresponding reaction. Every thought in the mind is an action and it will certainly have a reaction. Therefore, if you want to find peace of mind, some alternative, spiritually-oriented practice is necessary to divert the mind from the fast flowing tide of material life.

In order to mature the mind, concentration is very helpful. Likewise, constant remembrance of powerful, meaningful divine names of God is also a great aid in steadying the mind and feeling Divinity within you. The present age makes such concentration very difficult because of its attractive distractions. The sophisticated illusions of today pull the mind and enchant it. However, singing about the divine qualities of the Divine, which is known in Sanskrit as BHAJAN, is a very simple yet mot effective and enjoyable expression of devotion. Bhajan will pull the mind upwards...in a spiritual direction.

Bhajan singing is an excellent and very practical activity. Each line of the bhajan song is sung by a lead singer and those present repeat the words, line by line. Because the bhajans are composed of the names and qualities of different deities or enlightened souls, one is actually singing mantras (words of spiritual power). Many traditional bhajans are ancient mantras set to music. The tunes (raga) and beats (thala) of traditional Indian music were formulated by great music masters after they received divine inspiration through intense inner concentration. In Hinduism, Divinity is perceived as having many forms, names and endless wonderful qualities and attributes. When all these ideas and philosophies are set to raga and thala, the result is heavenly music which quickly brings the mind towards a higher communion. Bhajan also gives peace of mind and regulates the pulse and bodily functions.

By singing bhajans and repeating prayers or mantras you purify the atmosphere of the home or spiritual centre. By singing with feeling you fill yourself and your surroundings with the finest and highest energies. Bhajan songs express the true qualities of Divinity in many forms and aspects. These are, essentially, the qualities which the aspirant should try to cultivate within himself. And so regular singing of bhajans creates a state of mind in the singer whereby, for a short period, he forgets the world and his troubles and confusion and immerses himself in higher thoughts. In such a state it is possible that a devotional person may feel the Supreme Joy and deep peace of mind within. By singing Divine Names the mind and its thoughts become purified. A pure mind and thoughts help the immediate environment and pour vibrations of truth, light and pure love into society. On the other hand, music inciting sex, violence and desire fills the listener with its own contents and message. Such music stimulates and encourages the mind to sink to a lower vibrational level.

Bhajan singing is also a discipline. The music and beat of the bhajan shuts out external disturbances. You can sit on the ground in a cross-legged or lotus position, or in a simple disciplined posture with the spine erect but not stiff. During bhajans it is better not to talk with others or look at them. By following these simple rules one can sink deep within oneself and sing with ardour from the heart. After bhajans and arathi (the final waving of lighted camphor and song of auspiciousness) one should remain in silence for a few minutes to allow the higher energy to do its work within you.

Singing the beautiful and meaningful attributes of God in the presence of like-minded, good company, clapping the hands in unison and playing drums and bells in time is wonderful for children in every respect. They enjoy the music and rhythm. They sing from the depths of their pure, unspoilt hearts and open, loving minds. They energetically clap and relish the faster speeds of the bhajan. Such activities improve their well-being, intellect and co-ordination of mind and body. Learning to lead the bhajan gives them self-confidence and develops a feeling for spirituality at an early age. That is why parents who sing bhajans at home with the children are giving them an excellent environment in which to develop and mature. Traditionally, mothers of all nationalities and cultural backgrounds have sung lullabies to soothe their babies and send them to sleep. Likewise, when we teach God's divine songs to children, we show them how to give the mind a rest from the world and to experience a greater presence within themselves.

Do not think that bhajans are simply an aid to spirituality. They have been the actual means for many saints to attain unity with God. Throughout the ages, through music, man has naturally expressed his emotions and endeavours to reach God. Numerous great saints of India are known for their ecstatic bhajans of longing or the joy of experiencing their Beloved God. They lost their identification with the body. All trace of self was negated in Prema (ecstatic divine love). God's power entered them in response to their longing and they realised the Truth within. Sri Chaithanya, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Meerabai, Surdas, Arunagirinathar, Sundaramoorthy Swamihal, Saint Thirugnanasambandar and many, many more sang their love for God. Don't think that this is a phenomena of the past. It continues even now. It can become your own experience also.

You cannot understand the 'taste' of devotion unless you experience it for yourself. Sing bhajans with feeling for some time and experience the effect on your own mind. You are all in such a great hurry these days. You also want to taste God's sweetness very quickly. You are like children who want to drink a delicious glass of creamy milk, but it is too hot. You want it too quickly . You want to drink the milk before it has cooled down. However, only when the milk has cooled down does it have a pleasant taste. Whilst it is very hot, there is no taste. You must wait a little and let it cool, then taste it.

The mind becomes cool by singing the names of Divinity. The mind gets heated by its continued involvement in the world. After cooling the mind a little, you can experience true devotion. Bhajans have a cooling effect on the racing consciousness.

If you wholeheartedly sing the praises of the Divine with pure thoughts in the mind and great faith in the heart, God's grace will descend onto your tongue in the form of a sweet taste which is beyond this world. How can you experience these sweet wisdom-drops of nectar? You can feel Divine Grace within you by singing the names of the Supreme with total surrender of mind. If you become absorbed in absolute contemplation, the highest blessings manifest through your heart. Whilst singing you become immersed in the central essence of spirituality. It will permeate the entire body and the saliva which forms on the tongue becomes sweet. Sweetness upon sweetness comes to one who chants the Divine Names in a spirit of self-surrender! Then thoughts blend with and melt into the Grace. The Supreme Mercy and Almighty Force become one with a devotee who can surrender the lower self. Understanding comes fully to one to has tasted this sweetness.

I have tasted this Ambrosia of Divinity. O Divine Mother! When will they feel your strength and grace forming inside them? Mother, listen! I implore you to shower your great blessings on your waiting devotees! The ambrosial nectar will not come to everyone - yet I know from my own experience that singing the Divine Name has the power to sweeten the tongue with bliss!

WITH BLESSINGS
Swami Premananda