Book II / XXII

Musical Melodies within

The Primordial Form of the Lord is the Sound Principle and myriads of tunes are playing at His Door all the time:

Fortunate I am to have the Lord as my friend and companion, for endless Symphonies keep playing at His Door. 

Guru Arjan, Bilawal M5

It is through Shabd that the creation came into being, with its various divisions and sub-divisions. Each division has its own peculiar musical notes which one hears as one rises from one higher plane to another. All the Saints have given detailed account of these Sounds and in Gurbani particularly we have an elaborate exposition on the subject.

It is a matter of common knowledge that the Hindus as they visit a temple strike the big bells hanging over the doorway. The Christian churches are invariably provided with a belfry and the bell is pulled by the bell ringer before the commencement of the church service. In the earlier Sikh temples either a conch was blown or a gong was struck, though this has now been replaced by playing a big drum (Naqara). A careful research on the subject reveals that all these outer things, viz., bells, gongs, conches, etc., are but symbolic representations without of the inner Sound Principle. Again, a careful study of the structure of all these places of worship also helps us to understand a significant religious element involved therein. Hindu temples have a dome-like shape with a big saucer-shaped bell hanging from the centre of the dome, and whoever goes in for worship first clangs the bell. In the temple of the human body also, in the dome-like structure of the head, the pilgrim soul, as it enters the astral region, hears a sound that resembles that of a gong or a conch. Similarly the Christian cathedrals are either in the formation of a big dome resembling the human head or are steeple-shaped, reminiscent of the ascending human nose, over which, as the soul concentrates at the still-point behind and between the two eyebrows, a bell-like sound is heard. 

Khawaja Hafiz, a mystic poet of great repute, speaks of It thus:

None knows where my Beloved abides, but sure enough comes the sound of a bell therefrom.

In Sikh scriptures it is stated:

The Sound of the gong is heard everywhere. 

Guru Arjan, Asa M5

The Buddhist monasteries are also dome-shaped and are always embellished with two drums: one on the right and the other on the left. The scriptures of all religions contain references to the ringing sound of bells or the blowing of horns and conches: the reason being that this is the first experience of the soul as it rises above body consciousness and enters the temple of the Most High, the way to which begins from the root of the nose behind the two eyebrows. In the same way countless melodies greet the soul as it proceeds onward on the Path; but five of them are generally considered and accepted as of immense value in leading and guiding one on the journey Godward. These melodious tunes interchangeably lead from plane to plane until one catching the native Melody reaches the Home of his Father, with the proper help and guidance of some Master-Saint.

In the Wars of Bhai Gurdas, one comes across many references in this context:

The soul hears the playing of Singhi (Zither).

War 20, Pauri 11

The unending Music plays and the Light of Toor appears.

War 23, Pauri 13

In the silence of the soul there is effulgent Light, be ye absorbed in the sweet exhilarating Music.

Kabit 22

Hafiz says:

Listen ye to the heavenly orchestra, with notes of dulcimer, flute, zither and guitar.

These inner musical notes, which can be contacted through a Master, help in liberating the soul from the walls of finitude and take her up to the high Home of the Father – the Kingdom of God; for that is the only Highway.