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The flute of the Infinite is played without ceasing, and its sound is love.
When love renounces all limits, it reaches truth.
How widely the fragrance spreads! It has no end, nothing stands in its way.
The form of this melody is bright like a million suns:
Incomparably sounds the vina1, the vina1 of the notes of truth.2
Scientists have proved that worldly light and sound are created by vibrations of differing frequencies. In recent years there has been a great deal of interest in the therapeutic benefits of vibrational frequencies. Realizing that spiritual Light and Sound mirror this scientifically proven physical phenomenon, practitioners of Inner Sound and Light meditation believe that spiritual evolution is dependent upon contacting the Sound Current which sustains the entire cosmos. Through the Divine Sound Current one can swiftly merge with the Divine Light.
However - unlike modern sound/light therapies - this ancient meditation practice requires no physical devices -- such as expensive electronic headsets which bombard the user with worldly lights and sounds. Furthermore, since the spiritual Light and Sound are but two aspects of the Supreme Divine Being, the meditation practice is far more potent. All that is necessary is the grace of a fully enlightened Master, who always offers the teachings free of charge.
Contacting the Light is the central theme of the teachings of all the great spiritual Masters, including Jesus, Buddha Shakyamuni, Krishna, Guru Nanak, Lao Tzu, etc. This is well documented. What is little known is that all these famous Masters also talked about contacting the Divine Sound.
The Sound Current is like a spiritual highway which the Masters must follow down to lower their vibrational frequencies to accept a physical body so they can help physical beings. This same highway must be used to return to the Source of all things.
There are other paths which may take the seeker close to the Source, but the path of Sound and Light is the only one that goes all the way, and directly to the Source.
Like the Light, the Sound can vibrate at different frequencies. Indeed at the higher levels of frequency the Sound can resonate exactly like many contemporary musical instruments. For example, the mysterious 'very loud trumpet blast'3 which the Israelites heard near Mount Sinai, was undoubtedly the Sound Current.
Saint John referred to the Sound as the Word: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.'4 [The italics are mine.]
There are numerous other references to the Sound Current in the Bible. One excellent example is in the Book of Revelation: 'And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; the voice I heard was like the sound of harpers playing on their harps...'5
In Buddhism's Surangama sutra Buddha Manjushri deemed the Divine Sound method to be the only way to Nirvana: 'All the Brothers in this Great Assembly, and you too, Ananda, should reverse your outward perception of hearing and listen inwardly for the perfectly unified and intrinsic sound of your own Mind-Essence, for as soon as you have attained perfect accommodation you will have attained Supreme Enlightenment.
'This is the only way to Nirvana, and it has been followed by all the Tathagatas [saints] of the past.'6
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna, 'I am the sound in ether.'7 Furthermore, Lord Krishna was said to have had a 'transcendental flute', which is a symbolic reference to Lord Krishna's oneness with the Sound Current.
The Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism's holy book, states:
How naturally Ringeth the Unstruck Music in my mind, That my mind Revels ever in the joy of the Word.
And I find my seat on high, composed in the Silence of Peace.
And I wandered and wandered and then arrived at my Home;
And I found what I had longed for.8
Muslim sects have used the terms Saut-i-sarmadi (the Divine Song) and Kalma (or Word), among others, to describe the Sound Current.
Lao Tzu described the Tao, or Way, as 'unimpeded harmony'9 and the source of all things. Chuang Tzu expounded the Light and Sound method when he said, '... hear with the mind instead of the ears; hear with the energy instead of the mind. Hearing stops at the ears, the mind stops at contact, but energy is that which is empty and responsive to others. The Way gathers in emptiness; emptiness is mental fasting.
'If you have your ears and eyes penetrate inwardly, and are detached from conceptual knowledge, then even if ghosts and spirits come after you they will stop; how much the more will people.'10
The ancient, silent Light and Sound meditation technique is deceptively simple -- indeed many teach it today. However, very few can impart the spiritual power which complements the technique. This spiritual power is necessary to protect the neophyte at all times -- in this life and any future life -- against numerous pitfalls along the journey.
Jesus alluded to the precarious nature of the journey when He said, 'For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.'11
Therefore, a genuine spiritual Master is someone who has completed the journey and returns to the physical plane to guide others back safely.
In every age there has always been a Master to fulfil this most noble task. Masters must take on a physical body to accept the past life karma of their neophytes. Without this incredible sacrifice by the Master, the neophyte's searching soul will not get far along the path because their karmic burden will be too heavy and they will remain trapped in the cycle of rebirth.
Hence, all masters often suffer acute pain - physical, mental and spiritual - as a direct consequence of accepting disciples. The more disciples, the more Karma to resolve, and the more pain to suffer.
Jesus knew well in advance that the Romans would torture Him, but He also knew He had to accept it because this was the only way His disciples could be freed of their karmic burdens.
Today, thousands of people around the world believe that one such spiritual Master is a woman called Supreme Master Ching Hai, who offers all sincere seekers proof of their own Divine Nature by initiating them into the ancient Light and Sound meditation practice.
Supreme Master Ching Hai calls the Light and Sound technique the Quan Yin Method (Quan Yin is a Chinese term which means contemplation of the Sound Vibration) because She gave Her first public lectures in Formosa almost a decade ago. It was the Quan Yin Method that Quan Yin Bodhisattva (a Buddhist saint) practiced to attain complete enlightenment, and She was named after the method because no one knew Her real name.
At the initiation, specific Quan Yin meditation instructions are given, and the Spiritual or Divine Transmission is received by the initiate in silence, evoking one's inherent Divine Nature. The Spiritual Transmission safeguards the neophyte's journey Home.
Supreme Master Ching Hai does not have to be physically present at the time of the initiation. She sends Quan Yin messengers -- who organize and conduct the initiation -- all over the world, but the Divine Transmission is always received directly from Her.
Seeing the Light with one's wisdom eye and hearing the Sound are signs that verify that the Spiritual Transmission has taken place, and often this is referred to as immediate enlightenment.
This is a path for sincere spiritual seekers because there are certain conditions all would-be initiates need to agree to. Yet, no previous meditation experience is necessary; indeed no religious belief is even required, simply an open mind and a sincere heart.
The initiation conditions are known as five precepts which
parallel basic ethical codes of conduct featured in all major religious
teachings. The precepts are designed to create an ideal environment for
spiritual practice and minimize karmic debts, ensuring quick progress:
(1) Refrain from killing, which implies a vegan
diet.
(2) Refrain from stealing.
(3) Refrain from lying.
(4) Refrain from sexual misconduct.
(5) Refrain from using any form of drugs, which includes nicotine and
alcohol.
This might seem too rigid for many people, yet Supreme Master Ching Hai has tens of thousands of initiates all over the world, including North and South America, Europe, South Africa, Asia and here in Australia.
In the tradition of all the great past Masters, Supreme Master Ching Hai does not charge any money for Her lectures nor the Quan Yin initiation. Her income is derived solely from Her artwork (for example, music, paintings, clothes designing and handicrafts). Any unsolicited donations from Her students are donated to charities world-wide or as disaster relief aid.
In recognition of the aid She has provided all around the world, Supreme Master Ching Hai was presented with the 'World Spiritual Leadership Award' on 22 February 1994 by six governors of the Midwest States in U.S.A.
US President Bill Clinton and former Presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan all sent congratulatory messages when the award was announced. In his message, President Clinton said: She [Supreme Master Ching Hai] is a living example of world peace and love for all, especially in Her help for the refugees and the many suffering people in the USA.
The Way of the Divine Light and Sound has always been the Way of the Masters throughout the ages. Initiation into this most ancient of spiritual paths is now available to the public at large due to the compassion of Supreme Master Ching Hai. Her message echoes the message of all the great Masters, and highlights the common essence of religion, void of ritualism.
At a time when there are so many spiritual paths and meditation techniques to choose from -- which possibly reflects the ongoing transformation of our planetary consciousness -- one can be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available, and perhaps waste a great deal of time and money. Take heart, for one needs only to sincerely desire knowledge of the Way, and the door of truth shall be opened. For when the student is ready the Master undoubtedly appears.
Notes:
1. A vina is a stringed musical instrument.
2. Rabindranath Tagore, trans., The Songs of Kabir (Canada: International Biogenic Society, 1989), p. 49.
3. The Holy Bible (UK: The British and Foreign Bible Society, Revised Standard Version, 1952), Exodus 19:16.
4. The Holy Bible, John, 1:1.
5. The Holy Bible, The Book of Revelation, 14:2.
6. K. Singh, Naam or Word (USA: Ruhani Satsang, 1994), p. 62.
7. His Divine Grace A.C.B. Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad- Gita As It Is (Aust: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1985), p. 249.
8. Dr Gopal Singh, trans., Sri Guru Granth Sahib (India: Gur Das Kapur & Sons, 1964), p. 87, Vol.1.
9. T. Cleary, The Essential Tao (USA: Harper & Row, 1991), p. 10.
10. The Essential Tao, p. 87.
11. The Holy Bible, Matthew, 7:14.
★QUAN
YIN MEDITATION
The Ancient Path of Spiritual Light and Spiritual
Sound
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God." (John 1:1)
"So we meditate on that Word, which is the vibration within, the Word
which indicates the frequency, the God-Power. Because we are the temples
of God, and God speaks to us in such a way. He appears to us in the form
of Light and speaks to us in the form of Sounds. Seeing the Light we see
many other things. Hearing the Word we hear many other things. We hear
the teachings directly from God."
~Supreme Master Ching Hai.
★THE
ORIGIN AND ESSENCE OF ALL RELIGIONS
"This Word or divine Vibration is mentioned in all religions. We call
it Yin, others call it Celestial Music, Logos, Tao etc. I vibrates within
all life and sustains the whole universe. This Inner Melody can heal all
wounds, fulfil all desires and quench all worldly thirst. It is all powerful
and all love. It is because we are made of this Sound that the contact
with it brings peace and contentment to our hearts."
~Supreme Master Ching Hai.
The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Assoc. is non-profit & non-denominational.
Chieu
Duong Daily Newspaper, Australia