Mantras, chanting and kirtan

[Guest guest]

Mantras are sacred energy-based sounds.

 

Chanting can be of mantras or songs, or verses or mystic formulas; such as,

Gregorian Chants, Aboriginal Chants, Kabalistic Chants in Hebrew,etc.

 

Kirtan is a devotional chant. Kirtan consists of a leader who sings a chant and

then it is repeated by followers. Many traditions use Kirtan, and is part of

Bhakti Yoga.

 

This is my understanding.

Blessings,

Sangeet

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

 

While I was organizing a concert for Snatam in Calgary, their publicist, gave me

this write up to use in order to educate the public about kirtan. It's a little

more diverse, perhaps, then the traditional definition of kirtan? You can see it

at the bottom of my message in quotations.

 

I believe all forms of kirtan have a place and a purpose and what we "call it",

probably isn't anywhere near as important as.... giving ourselves the

"experience" of practicing it. That's where the understanding of it flows from

essentially.

 

When I first began KY, my teacher never introduced music of any kind into our

classes...I didn't even know it was a possibility to have music playing during a

class, never mind to sing along to it...or to do your meditation by singing

along to a CD. It wasn't until I visited Gurmukh's studio in LA that I had this

kind of experience, where we sang during exercises and also as a meditation.

 

So prior to that I had a strong experience of chanted meditation and after

visiting LA, then I focused strongly on music/sung mantras and experiencing that

(at the same time as continuing a strong chant practice).

 

After that I began travelling around visiting different places where KY was

taking place and I discovered that it was more of the norm to sing meditations

along with a CD, rather than to chant them without. So at that the time, I

asked my teacher, why the singing?

 

He answered that when YB first introduced mantra/chanting (when he first

arrived) it wasn't having much effect, because the heart energy wasn't opened

up....so he began to encourage the musicians to put the mantras to their

contemporary style of music...because singing opens the heart energy (if you can

stir feelings of love while you do it)....so they could begin to have an

experience of the mantras. So sometimes, singing mantras can be more effective

for beginners.

 

It's important to note that both chanting and singing (kirtan) can be

ineffective, in that it just becomes a ritual if the heart isn't brought into

it. In the beginning, I would say it is important to practice whatever you can

get your heart into, in order to get an energy flow happening, then from there

it's good to branch out and to experience it all.

 

>From my experience, with my practice, what I have found is that chanting stirs

more of the shadow for me...it brings my limitations up to the surface to be let

go of......with singing, I find that it brings an experience of the light more

often, than stirring up the crap....although in the light, the crap begins to

burn.

 

This was the polarity when i first began exploring these two practices, but now

as some years have gone by and I am more practiced at it, I find I can have both

experiences with either practice and experience transformation of the darkness

within....but I am defintely more apt to "bliss out" on kirtan! Ha ha!

All Light,

Sat Sangeet

"Kirtan Music......

 

A Secret Passage to the Soul

 

 

 

Specific sounds and mantras are collectively chanted to music, guiding the

awareness inward. The repetition of these chants (mantras) vitalize the pranic

energy (life-force) in the breath, illuminating the passage to the Soul.

Experience the transformation of "Sound to Light" - "Breath to Soul".

 

Kirtan is an intricate combination of sound, mantras, "shabads" (holy

scripture), music, rhythm and breath used to create a state of inner meditative

awareness. Through devotional and expressive song, the singer and listener

transcend, experiencing a state of mindfulness, creating a space of open

heartedness toward humanity.

 

There are several styles of Kirtan which have evolved over time. These include:

classical, semi-classical, traditional, folk, contemporary, "jotia" (a

call-and-response type) and the repetitive chant style. The ultimate goal of all

these styles is to connect the sound with the breath and awaken the mind to

inner stillness with the soul.

 

Like mindful meditation, yoga, affirmations, visualization and other ancient

traditions; Kirtan is a unique blend of sound, breath, music and devotion; which

exhilarates and transcends the singer and listener into a state of peace and

bliss."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find your next car at Canada Autos