Music As Meditation
Music is a language of soul. Music has been defined the art of using sounds to express human feelings. In all the religions and cultures music is found closely associated t the Supernatural and it has been used as an instrument to communicate with the divine. In the early time, the Sages also used music a medium to show their obligations towards God. Even today, in the modern world, in every Temple, Church, Mosque, Gurudwaras and all the religious places you can hear the music in the form of Hymns, Prayers or Mantras. The rhythmic sound of temple bells and chanting of mantras can be heard everywhere in India. Music is a pure, unstuck eternal sound. The word which expresses God is Sound.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Word contains the entire universe in its unmanifest form. It is the source of all mantras, and it is their true form.
The Rig Veda also says the same thing as St. John says, “In the beginning was Brahman, with whom was the word; and the word was truly the supreme Brahman.”
Words and ideas are inseparable. You cannot have the idea of God without the word which expresses God.
The early Church inherited its love and use of music from Israelites and they expressed their faith, joy, gratitude and repentance through the singing of psalms and hymns. Music goes contiguous to the in the infinite and it directly touches the intuition and feelings of human consciousness and effectively leads to a spiritual and supernatural experience. Thus music is a perennial light. Life and delight.
In Gitanjali the celebrated poet Tagore mentions the beautiful thought on music:
“When all the strings f my life will be tuned, my Master, then at every touch of Thine will come out the music of love.”
Music is a language of soul. Music has been defined the art of using sounds to express human feelings. In all the religions and cultures music is found closely associated t the Supernatural and it has been used as an instrument to communicate with the divine. In the early time, the Sages also used music a medium to show their obligations towards God. Even today, in the modern world, in every Temple, Church, Mosque, Gurudwaras and all the religious places you can hear the music in the form of Hymns, Prayers or Mantras. The rhythmic sound of temple bells and chanting of mantras can be heard everywhere in India. Music is a pure, unstuck eternal sound. The word which expresses God is Sound.
Following the biblical tradition, the second Vatican council n its constitution on Sacred Liturgy affirms:
“The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy.”
Music has a significant role to play genuinely, it unites the worshippers in thought and devotion and the music makes the sacred rite itself solemn and vibrant. Liturgical music is always considered as part and parcel of pastoral and liturgical formation of future priests. The Church finds her guardians in the priests to keep the sacred music with all its magnificence and splendor.
