Full-Filling our Holiday Karma: The Gift Giving Guide of Dharana 8
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Dive into the profound wisdom of sound with Dharana 7 of the Vijnana Bhairava, where we explore Matrtika Shakti—the mystical power of sound frequencies. Inspired by ancient teachings and contemporary science alike, this transformative journey attunes you to the vibrational essence of Sanskrit vowels, guiding you from your physical self to a harmonious union with the universal consciousness of Śiva. Dive deeper into this exploration by reading the full essay, joining our video sessions, or attending our live-online experiences on the first two Thursdays of every month. Click here to send a request for the Free Live-Online Experience. Namaste!
Dharana 7 • Cosmic Nectar: From Sound to Soul with Matrika Shakti
The transformative power of sound has captivated human consciousness for millennia, guiding spiritual seekers and healers alike in their quests for deeper understanding and holistic well-being. In this Dharana, we journey through the layers of the Dharana, navigating the intricacies of matrika Shakti—a profound exploration of sound frequencies that shift our awareness from the tangible physical realm to the ethereal dimensions of the subtle and causal. Drawing from the profound wisdom of the Shiva Sutras and the teachings of Sri ShambhavAnanda and Swami Lakshmanjoo, we'll uncover the essence of the Sanskrit alphabet, not just as mere linguistic symbols, but as vibrational keys that resonate with the universe and our intrinsic nature. Embrace this exploration as we harmonize with the symphony of existence, attuning ourselves to the frequencies that heal, uplift, and ultimately, unite us with the supreme consciousness of Śiva.
As elucidated in the Shiva Sutras, the Sanskrit alphabet transcends mere linguistic communication. It resonates with our very existence and the universe's manifestation. This energy inherent in sound is termed Matrtika Shakti— it is a power that creates, yet it itself is unknown. As Shiva Sutra 1.7 reveals, “Mātṛikā is the mother who is unknown to the universe. She is the creative cause of all mantras and all knowledge… The fifty letters represent the existence of the whole universe. The universe is composed of thirty-six elements and the thirty-six elements are represented by the fifty letters… The representative letters of Śiva, the first supreme element śiva tattva, are the sixteen vowels beginning from “a” and ending in “ḥ” visarga.” The cause of the universe, Matrika, is unknown, yet we can know the effects, the letters and sounds. When these sounds are used consciously in our practice, they point us back to their origin, and in particular, Dharana 7 focuses on the vowels which point us back to Shiva.
Sound frequencies have been utilized in various cultures throughout history as a tool for healing. Resonance is the frequency at which an object naturally vibrates, and our bodies, too, have their own resonant frequencies. The contemporary world acknowledges the profound impact of sound or frequencies on our perception of reality, evident from the use of Ultrasound for imaging, physical therapy and even expediting wound healing. Low frequencies sounds are common in the form of binaural beats used to support focus, mediation and stress relief. Ancient yogis, too, harnessed sound waves as a means of transforming their reality from the inside out.
The power of this practice is already embedded in the mantras we chant, and the way in which we chant them. In the Guru Gita, for example, it’s not the words' translation that contain the power of transformation, but the vibrations of the Sanskrit syllables themselves that purify us. Sri ShambhavAnanda teaches this in his introduction to the Guru Gita, “The power of Song to the Revered Guru is not gained from mental grasping, but by simply allowing the mantra to reverberate within one’s being.” Or as Paul Reps put it, you’ve got to let the mantra ‘rattle your bones’. Both of these teachings are pointing us towards the practice of using sound to draw one’s attention inside, to the source of those sounds, the Matrika Shakti, the source of all creation.
The seventh Dharana presents a unique opportunity to harness the power of sound, focusing on intoning the vibration of individual Sanskrit vowels. In Sanskrit, vowels, termed "Svara", stand independently, while consonants, "Vyanjana", rely on vowels to be spoken or even intoned. For example, you can hum the vowel sound ‘a’ by itself, but you can’t say or hum the consonant sound ’t’ with adding a vowel to it, like ‘ta’. This independent and unalterable nature of Vowel sounds is perhaps why they represent the soul in Sanskrit, whereas consonants symbolize the mutable body, they are dependent upon vowel to come into existence. The Sanskrit language's twelve primary vowel sounds correspond with twelve points within us, guiding our awareness from our base, through the heart, crown, and ultimately, our energetic self, Shiva.
“These are the twelve-fold successive points,” Swami Lakshmanjoo teaches in his commentary to Dharana 7, “When one rises from janmāgra (janmāgra means meḍhra kanda; meḍhra kanda is the opening of the rectum), mūla[dhāra] is higher than that, kanda is higher than that (where one gets conceived, in that womb), higher than that is the navel, higher than that is the heart, higher than that is the throat, then the palate, then bhrūmadhya, then lalāṭa (the forehead), then brahmarandhra, then śakti (after brahmarandhra, there is śakti; śakti means that force which breaks that randhra and penetrates that randhra to move outside [in] the universal sphere of ether), then, when one enters in that universal ether, there is vyāpinī.” As we see, the vowel sounds correspond to the physical body, beginning at our base, then working up through the navel area to the heart, the throat, the mouth, the third eye, forehead, crown and beyond.
We begin the practice by vocalizing the vowel sound while keeping one’s awareness in the specific locations of the body. This parallels the more common practice of working with a mantra in its most physical and literal form before trying to feel in on a subtle level. The Dharana then shift our awareness from mere sound and location to a more profound experience of vibrational awareness, described by Swami Lakshmanjoo as the ‘movement’ of the sound, it’s vibraiton. This is much like the transition we seek when repeating a mantra at the level of the throat or heart in order to harmonize with a more subtle experience of its Matrika Shakti. Though this practice may look different on the surface, they are both taking us to the same place via a very similar path— the practice of using sound to find our source. In the Vijnana Bhairava we move from physical focus to the vibration or movement, and ultimately to the ‘flame of these states’, ie. The state of being of these vibrations, on our path to a deeper experience of our true nature.
As taught by Swami Lakshmanjoo: “These are the twelve-fold successive kramas, successive stages. And [in] these successive stages, you must [process it through] functioning [with] the grossness of [inferior] awareness, [then with] medium awareness, and [finally with] supreme awareness (subtle awareness)…after [first] leaving the dhyāna of these twelve, you go in [their] movement, and after establishing one’s consciousness in that movement, you leave that movement and establish yourself in the flame of these twelve successive states, then one becomes one with Śiva. So, this is the ascending process…It is a kind of laya cintanā, to put one in another, one in another, one in another, and in the end only Śiva will be revealed…You can understand it when you practice it. You can’t understand it without practice.”
Ultimately our goal is to not simply repeat the sounds out loud, but to experience them as emanating from within us. The final sound in the practice is the vowels “Am” and “Ah”— both which resonated much like the high pitch of the Om sound. Through the successive nature of this Dharana, working from one sound and location to the next progressively, I was able to sustain my awareness more easily on the final sounds, which were themselves beyond the body. I realized that though the Om sound is emanating from me all the time, I am rarely aware of it, it is the source of sound, the Matrika. When we make the Om sound out loud we have a chance to tune into it— but that external vibration only exists so we can find its source within us that is already vibrating. This, for me, is the transition we seek— it is much like the difference between dangling your legs in the pool and feel it as refreshing, to sliding into the pool wholly, and being transformed. But unlike a chilly pool, these sounds, we are taught, are like a pool of nectar. As Paul Reps translates the sutra: “Devi, imagine the Sanskrit letters in these honey-filled foci of awareness, first as letters, then more subtly as sounds, then as most subtle feeling. Then, leaving them aside, be free.” Feeling each of these points of awareness as honey filled allows us to release ourselves into the sound, be submerged, and in that way, be free. This inner nectar of sound was one described by root Guru Nityananda in the same way, “——“
All that’s left now is to practice. Below is a guide to the practice presented in the Vijnana Bhairava that compiles Jai Deva Singh’s literal translation with Swami Lakshmanjoo’s helpful commentary and articulation. As the text indicates, take your time moving through the vowel sounds and locations in a literal way, pronouncing the letters and hearing and feeling the vibration. Then allow yourself to move through them again whispering the sounds, or even just repeating them silently and listening for them. Ultimately, this practice is a tune up, a means for you to harness your awareness, so in the end always try to come back to your heart meditation practice and allow these vitamins to enrich your daily practice.
Guide to the Practice, compiled notes from Jai Deva Singh and Lakshmanjoo translations:
1. Short a: Janmagra is at the level of the generative organ, or opening of the rectum according to LMJ
“For instance, there is the rectum. Don’t go to the grossness of this state, go to the letter ‘a’.”-LMJ
u in rut
2. Long ā: Mula, Muladhara, spinttal centre of region below the genitals. Pelvic floor?
o in mom
3. Short i: Kanda, os called, because it is a tangle of many nerves, where we are conceived in the womb as said by LMJ
Note: “The first three are all together, one over another”- LMJ
i in bit
4. Long ī: Näbhi or navel. The Manipura cakra is situated near it.
ee in beet
5. Short u: Hrd, heart
u in put
6. Long ū: Kantha, base of throat
oo in pool
7. Short e: Talu, palate
ei in rein
8. Ai: Bhrumadhya, center between eye brows
ai in aisle
9. O: Lalata, Forehead
o in opal
10: Au: Brahmarandhra, apex of cranium
ou in out
11: Am: Shakti, pure energy not of body
12: Ah: Vyapini, the energy which appears when Kundalini finishes its journey.