If we can master the art of meditating by stilling our thoughts, we can find the connection of our soul with the eternal light and sound which run the universe, writes Sant Rajinder Singh

The beginning of our soul’s journey is with the contact with the light and sound of God. Light and sound are the two primary manifestations of God. It is said that when God desired to bring about creation, a current emanated from Him. That current manifested as light and sound. It was a divine stream that brought all creation into being. As it moved further from the source, the vibratory rate changed. Thus, different regions of different vibrations were brought into being. The light and sound principle ultimately brought the physical universe into being.

Our physical universe is operating at the densest vibratory rate. It is so dense that it manifests as matter. It is only in the last few decades that scientists have begun to understand that what we thought was solid matter is really dancing packets of energy. At the core of matter is an energy that is light and sound. When we split an atom, there is a tremendous burst of light and sound. This light and sound energy within our physical universe is the densest vibration of the current of light and sound emanating from the creator. It brought all creation into being and sustains all creation.

The light and sound current flows out from God, but it also flows back to God. We can catch this current at the point of the third or single eye. That is the connecting point between our soul in the body and the light and sound current emanating from the creator. If we can concentrate our attention at that point, we can contact the light and sound current and soar on it back through the higher regions of existence. The current will ultimately lead us to our primary source, back to the Lord.

One who has come in contact with the light and sound can recognise the true meaning of references to it in the scriptures. Often, scriptures are couched in allegorical and metaphorical language to avoid giving away the full secret oral tradition to the masses. Only those who were privy to the oral tradition passed on from master to disciple knew the hidden meaning in the scriptural references. Once we understand the language, the meaning becomes clear and we are able to identify the descriptions of the attributes of the creative force mentioned in each scripture.

Meditation on the light and sound consists of two practices: Meditation on the inner light and meditation on the inner sound. Both practices have as their ultimate goal a conscious contact with the current of light and sound, leading to the soul rising above physical body-consciousness and traveling in the inner realms.

Both of these forms of meditation have been practiced by saints and mystics in different religions. Because the terminology used for the light and sound current differs in various languages and cultures, we may think they are different practices. But the underlying practices used around the world are basically the same.

The light and sound current is subtle. It cannot be perceived by our physical eyes and ears. It is something that we see and hear with the eye of the soul. So when the Bible tells us that “by hearing, ye shall hear” it is saying that the word is not heard with our physical hearing mechanism, but with the attention of our soul. When we see the inner light, it is neither registered on our retina nor conveyed along our optic nerve to the brain; rather, it is seen at the level of the soul.

The mind is in continuous motion. The harder we try to keep the mind still, the more thoughts it sends to us. The mind is like mercury; it is always restless and always moving. It can jump from images and thoughts of New York, to Paris, to Delhi, and then back again. Saints and mystics have grappled with this problem throughout the ages. Many scriptures speak of occupying the mind with a task to keep it busy: Repetition of the Lord’s name. Repetition keeps the mind occupied so that our attention can focus its gaze on the field of vision lying in front of us.

There are some who practice this repetition orally. Some say the names of God while turning beads. Others do it by sitting still, but with their tongue moving.

The most efficient way is to repeat the names of God mentally. The concept behind the mental repetition is to keep the body still. If the tongue is moving, the attention will be on the brain moving the tongue. Using the tongue also means that the sound of the names will be audible, which will activate our attention to the sense of hearing. Mental repetition, however, does not involve any organs or senses. The mouth is still, and the sense of hearing is not activated. In mental repetition, only thought is occupied, which is precisely the point — to keep it busy. One repeats the names of God, thus stilling the mind. While the mind is quiet, our attention can focus at the third eye without disturbance so we can see the inner light of God.

The words used in repetition are sometimes called a mantra. Mantras have been used since ancient times, selected by saints or masters who were adept in the power of sound beyond the human ken. These sacred syllables, when charged with the spiritual attention of an enlightened being, have the power to attract the attention to the point where it can contact the light and sound. The charging helps the aspirant to focus the attention at the third eye. It helps us to withdraw our attention from the world and the body and to focus at the third eye. The repetition of the names gives a spiritual boost to the soul so that it can withdraw from consciousness of the body and connect with the light and sound within us and ultimately enter a state of consciousness of the realms beyond.

Through meditation, a whole new world opens up for us. By learning, meditation, we can gain entry through a doorway that leads us to worlds of bliss, light, and love within. If we can meditate on the inner light and sound, we will find that we can reach our goal. We begin our concentration at the third eye because it is from there that the soul leaves the body. Since the current of light and sound flows from God, we can catch its celestial music and like a stream follow it back to its source.

The writer is a spiritual leader