MUSIC: THE SPIRITUAL SYMPHONY
Akhil Gupta, Founder UEF
An older man who used to sing in front of an Indian Sufi shrine every day, year after year, was once asked: Why is music a daily offering to the divine? He answered: Even when a man is about to murder, if he suddenly hears a temple bell, he will stop in his tracks momentarily. That is because music has the ability to instantly draw us into an inner chamber. It makes us forget ourselves. It instantly connects us to the divine.
Music, often described as the universal language, transcends cultural, linguistic, and religious boundaries. It is a potent medium for expressing emotions, connecting with the divine, and fostering communal bonds. While the specific forms and functions of music may vary across different religions, the underlying principles of its power and purpose remain remarkably consistent.
In many religions, music is an integral part of worship and ritual. It creates an atmosphere of devotion and reverence, elevating the spirit and facilitating a connection with the divine. Whether it’s the Gregorian chants of Christianity, the soulful Qawwali of Islam, or the devotional bhajans of Hinduism, music is employed to evoke spiritual experiences. It serves as a vehicle for conveying sacred texts, stories, and teachings, making them more accessible and memorable.
Music is universally the medium that is a shortcut to the divine, and it has the ability to cut through differences. There are so many examples of Muslim musicians singing devotional Hindu hymns or Hindus singing Sufi verses. Music allows two or more people to cohabit in a shared world that is equally accessible and intelligible to all, despite whatever differences may exist between these people. We can then explore these worlds and find satisfaction in the patterns that emerge before our minds.
This is the power of music. It is enjoyable and conducive to healing on both an individual and profoundly collective level. It is a non-verbal form of communication that can evoke unspoken bonds between souls.
Neuro-scientists, using fMRI studies, have identified neural pathways that react almost exclusively to the sound of music — any music. That’s why dancing with our bodies to religious music is ubiquitous across the globe: without knowing the language, we can still fully understand and appreciate what is being expressed in a piece of music.
There are only five to seven musical notes, yet the combinations of these notes give rise to an infinite number of melodies. This says a lot about us–how each 7 billion of us can be so unique despite our commonalities!!
While the specific forms and functions of music may vary across different religions, the underlying principles of its power and purpose remain remarkably consistent. This universal language transcends all boundaries and breaks down barriers of all kinds: race, religion, culture, history, etc. If we are to learn to love and understand each other more, music is one of the best mediums.
Insightful Quotes on Music
Christianity
“Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.”
– The New Testament (Ephesians 5:19), Christian text
Islam
“There are many ways to the Divine. I have chosen the ways of song, dance, and laughter.”
– Rumi, Sufi mystic and poet
Judaism
“Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”
— Hebrew Bible (Psalm 150:1–6), Jewish text
Baha’i
“It is the music which assists us to affect the human spirit; it is an important means which helps us to communicate with the soul.”
— Shogi Effendi, Baha’i leader
Buddhism
“Music comes closest to meditation. Music is a way towards meditation and the most beautiful way. Meditation is the art of hearing the soundless sound, the art of hearing the music of silence — what Zen people call the sound of one hand clapping.”
– Osho, Indian mystic
Hinduism
“Drama and music are by themselves religion; any song, love song or any song, never mind; if one’s whole soul is in that song, he attains salvation, just by that.”
– Swami Vivekananda, Hindu monk
Taoism
“Wen was already an accomplished musician by the time he went to study with Hsiang, but he realised that perfection in technique alone does not make great music. When he was finally able to dissolve the duality between himself and the music, the songs he played not only had the power to create moods but changed reality.”
— Lieh-tzu, Taoist text
Confucianism
“Be stimulated by the Odes, take your stand on the rites and be perfected by music.”
— The Analects (8:8), Confucian text
Art and Literature
“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
– Victor Hugo, French poet and novelist
Philosophy and Theology
“After silence, music comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible.”
— Aldous Huxley, novelist and philosopher