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“Be still, and know [yada] that I am God” - Psalm 46:10

As we have seen, although the Soul temporarily dwells within the physical body, it is not the body, not physical. In order for the Soul to break free from the duality of embodied life, it is helpful to enter into times of quiet stillness. It is within such stillness that the Soul knows or realizes its eternal relationship with God and awakens to its true identity.

The Bible gives a few examples of meditation but lacks the detailed instructions of some other texts.

And Isaac went out to meditate [śûaḥ] in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming - Genesis 24:63.

The Hebrew word śûaḥ only appears in this single verse. Its inclusion here is evidence that the early Hebrews practiced meditation, the text refers to this as a normal course of events, yet the text offers little instruction on the practice.

David meditated regularly:

May these words of my mouth and this meditation [higgayown] of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The Hebrew word higgayown means meditation in the sense of a murmuring sound, a solemn sound, or resounding music. So, we see that David uttered sacred sounds and used music to assist him in his meditation. It is also consistent with the meaning of the word to assume he heard etheric sounds and music within his consciousness as he meditated. We can even conclude that David heard ‘the Song of Redemption,’ the inward whispering of the Beloved that is inclusive with the writing of the Torah or the divine consciousness in his Soul. This inward spiritual music doubtless inspired the songs he famously played on his harp and the Tehilim or Psalms he authored. This is what we are talking about here. Developing a profound inward experience with the Beloved of our Souls.

Inward silence and sacred sounds bring us into focused, intimate harmony and communion with One God. Biblical religion supports this type of meditation but, unfortunately, gives little instruction in its practice. This could be why in Luke chapter 11:

It came to pass, as Yeshua was praying in a certain place, that when he ceased, one of his disciples said to Him, “Teacher, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

We will examine Yeshua’s response later. For now, notice that the disciples were not asking about the Rabbinic rote prayers of the Siddur. They wanted instruction on inward communion with One God, as taught by John and his Essene brothers. Silent meditation (śûaḥ), as well as well as Sound meditation (higgayown), requires knowledge to practice. Some spiritual teachers teach about the various meditative techniques in great detail.

Question: Is quiet time and communion with the Beloved part of your regular spiritual practice? How do you incorporate silent meditation?

Question: Have you used sacred sounds, mantras, or music in your meditations?

The Psalm cited above suggests that in silent seclusion or hitbodedut, one can know (Yada) God intimately by harmonizing one's consciousness with One God. This word Yada is used in different ways in the Hebrew scriptures. It means to 'receive information' and also relates to two beings 'becoming one flesh' by creating a spiritual connection, a marriage. It is within such meditative consciousness that the Soul enters into the ‘bridal chamber’ with the Beloved. Which is to say, experiences devekut or union with God typified by holy wedlock, as described by the Jewish Chassidim. We find this principle in most spiritual paths. In the Sanatana Dharma this is an important feature of the Tantric yoga systems. King Shlomo described the loving relationship between One God and the Soul in this way:

The people say:

6 Where has your beloved gone,
O most beautiful among women?
Where has your beloved turned,
that we may seek him with you?

Together in the Garden of Love, she (the Soul) replies:

2 My beloved has gone down to his garden
to the beds of spices,
to graze in the gardens
and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine;
he grazes among the lilies.

The King (One God) and the Bride (the Soul) Delight in Each Other, and the King says:

4 You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love,
awesome as an army with banners.
5 Turn away your eyes from me,
for they overwhelm me—
Your hair is like a flock of goats
leaping down the slopes of Gilead.
6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
that have come up from the washing;
all of them bear twins;
not one among them has lost its young.
7 Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
behind your veil.
8 There are sixty queens and eighty concubines,
and virgins without number.
9 My dove, my perfect one, is the only one,
the only one of her mother,
pure to her who bore her.
The young women saw her and called her blessed;
the queens and concubines also, and they praised her.
10 “Who is this who looks down like the dawn,
beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun,
awesome as an army with banners?”

Once the biblical worship of One God developed into Rabbinic Judaism in the 1st century CE, the emphasis on personal worship and meditation was replaced by obedience to the Rabbinate. Hence:

It happened that while Yeshua was praying in a certain place, after He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray [proseuchomai] just as John [the Essene] taught his disciples” -Luke 11:1-4.

The New Testament Greek word [proseuchomai] is a verb that denotes the act of praying and/or meditating. Essentially, communicating with God. It is a broad word encompassing various forms of prayer, including supplication, intercession, thanksgiving, meditation, contemplation, and direct worship through the intentional act of speaking to God with a sense of reverence and devotion." Not only is it beneficial, but spiritually, it is imperative. If one loves another one desires to spend time together. How much more do we desire time with our beloved God.

Yeshua of Nazareth taught his talmidim: “When you pray or commune with God [note, 'when you proseuchomai', not if you proseuchomai, do not to be like the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. When you proseuchomai, go into your inner room, close your door, and proseuchomai to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you - Matthew 6:5,6.

But like everything else, the conscious mind operates under the influence of the triguna: Goodness, passion, and ignorance. To silence the mind and discover spiritual communion with the Beloved can be difficult because of the paradigms we inherit from our cultures. This is why Yeshua's students said, "teach us how to do it!" People are always thinking about so many things. But as Sri Krisha assures Arjuna, and as Yeshua assures his hearers, direct communion with God is possible.

Bhagavad Gita 6:34: The mind is restless, O Krishna, turbulent, strong, and obstinate. I think that restraining it must be more difficult than restraining the wind.
6:35: The Blessed One replied: Without a doubt, O mighty-armed one, the restless mind is difficult to control. However, by detachment, the mind can be restrained.

By detaching the consciousness from the qualities of material nature, the mind can be brought into subjection of the Soul. The incessant noise of the dualistic mind can be brought into the silence of Divine communion. There are several aids to perceive the Primordial Sound of Silence such as the Omkara. This technique and those arising from it can lead the mind into spiritual detachment from material nature and its triguna. Focusing the mind on the Omkara is not generally understood in the West. Many people chant it, some regularly, however, the deeper significance of this great bija or 'seed mantra' needs to understood.

Question: What experiences have you had with the Omkara?

Next time we will briefly discuss the holy sound of "Om" and how it's utterance may be applied to personal practice or sadhana. Having done this, we will discuss its applications to consciousness studies and spiritual realization in terms of the four levels of consciousness as described in Mandukya Upanishad.

Who Are You?
The Sound of Silence, Part 2

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