Science of Knowledge & Wisdom

  Most people are unfamiliar with the mind and do not understand its language or behaviour. Although the mind is an inseparable part of our being, our knowledge of it is very limited. We are continually happy or unhappy, desirous or frustrated, loving or hating, thinking, dreaming or sleeping. But all of these are beyond our control. If we stop thinking, it is because we can't think any more, and if we think too much it is because we cannot stop. We are happy, not because we choose to be, but because the emotion arises due to the fulfillment of some desire or condition.  The behaviour and reactions of the mind are not under our control. We have been living with the mind, yet we are totally unfamiliar with it. According to the Vedic scriptures there is an entity known as the ‘mind’, which is derived from the subtle essence of the food consumed; which flourishes as love, hatred, lust, anger, and so on; which is the totality of mind, intellect, memory, will and ego; which...

It is time for the power of music to be reinstated as an aid to healing and regeneration. With a little imagination music could be used to ease the tensions accumulated during a hard day at work, soothe a headache, lift depressed emotions and even stimulate enthusiasm and inspiration. Though we experience the effects of music and sound throughout our whole waking lives, we have not developed a modern science of sound. Once we become aware of the role of sound and music in our lives and their effects on our consciousness, we can manipulate them to produce desired effects. This has practical application at home, work and in hospitals. Nada yoga, kirtan and mantra, when woven into the total yogic framework, are a useful and powerful basis for the science of music therapy. Sound travels in the form of wave motions, transmitting energy and vibrating the medium it travels in. It is this transfer of energy which can be utilized in therapy. To gain an understanding of the...

Nada yoga, such as mantra, kirtan and raga, are sensorial phenomena that can be tools for transformation, enabling us to transcend mental, physical and spiritual suffering. The modern mind often forgets to turn within, to listen inside, to find our own wisdom. We habitually seek external stimuli to satisfy us, and music is one simple, charismatic method to turn our attention within and unfold the experience of fulfilment and inner peace. To determine the mystical nature of music and how it transforms and leads us to the source and origin of sound, the concepts of vibration, prana, mantra, kirtan and raga. Most of us are familiar with the phrase 'music calms the savage beast' which we know is true for cobras, monkeys, elephants, lions etc., but the savage beast can also be analogous for the mind. Paramahamsa Satyananda's commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras explains this cause of suffering. Our lives follow the mind and its senses. The chittavrittis are our habitu...