As time goes on, I realize just how
much music plays an important role in virtually every aspect of my life. One of
those areas is within my personal spiritual practice. My current approach
attempts to blend the practices of a few spiritual traditions together through
their symbols and words. However, the practice is primarily concerned with what
is called the Hermetic Kabbalah which constitutes a blend of Jewish, Greek and Egyptian mysticism and is at the root of Western magical practice. Music plays a vital role in my rituals because I usually enjoy performing them while listening to certain songs;
for example, a Native American shamanic drum track. Additionally, I use a
series of chants that I try to sync with the tempo of the drum; these audible
aspects combined help me relax and focus on the ritual at hand.
However, various other magical belief systems also place great emphasis on the use of sound. One example is the Shingon Shomyo
tradition which is a form of esoteric Buddhism that originated in Japan sometime
around the 9th century A.D. ¹. It is a relatively small sect
within the Buddhist religion, however, it heavily relies on music as a central
element of ritual practice.
Shingon
centers its ideas on three essential elements which are defined as “mudra (hand
gestures, or ceremonies of the body), mantra (ceremonies of the voice), and
mandala (ceremonies of eye, mind, or thought). These three are sometimes spoken
of as body, voice and mind” ¹. Additionally, the Shingon rituals use music in the form of singing while scattering flowers which they use to help cultivate the Buddha-awareness within themselves ¹. Personally, this resonates to
how I use music and chant as a part of my own spiritual practice in order to
enter into a different kind of consciousness – I come to it seeking a relaxed,
Buddha-like mind and life. Additionally, the Shingon view music overall, “as a
potent psychic and cosmic force” that is responsible for the creation of the
universe which is similar to what many individuals in Hinduism believe ¹.
Another
parallel can be drawn here between the Shingon belief and the Kabbalistic
rituals that I practice. While chanting within Kabbalistic magic, it is recommended
that the practitioner attempt to, “sense the entire universe in front of you
[as] resonating in harmony with your vibration” ². Through the
many times I have practiced the rituals, I have always tried to put my focused
attention on creating those strong vibrations while intoning the chosen sacred
words. Some days, it is less magnificent than others but using sound in this way seems to have a strong energy presence all on its own.
In
the referenced example of Shingon Shomyo Chant, a
large chorus of individuals can be heard as they create an exciting, wave-like
texture through their voices and rhythmic pattern in unison with one another,
the vocalists glide through sustained notes with only short breaks in between.
Chanting in the Shingon rituals are for the purpose of blessing, in addition to
the belief that the priests will, ultimately, “accumulate spiritual power that
is of benefit in striving towards enlightenment” ¹.
Similar chants are important in many
other Buddhist traditions like Nichiren Buddhism. In this tradition, a central
invocation, called the Daimoku, is meant to be chanted in order to help, “awaken
the Buddha wisdom, which then illuminates our suffering, transforming it (and
us) to become more imbued with wisdom and compassion” ³. In my
own experience, learning the Daimoku during a Nichiren service at military boot camp was an important inspiration in my young adult life. By chanting the
words Nam-Myho-Renge-Kyo before a particular event, I felt that my mind
and body were a bit more prepared for the strenuous physical activities that
were asked of me. Even if it was purely psychological in its effect, I would
say that the chant helped me focus into a meditative state that seemed
beneficial for long periods of exercise.
Personally, I find both the Western and Eastern ideas on magic to be fascinating --both in how they are similar and in the ways they differ. Over time, I would like to investigate some more magical traditions and share my learning with you.
Sources
University of Illinois Press. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/851399
2. Kraig, D. (2013) Modern Magick. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications. 3rd Edition, pp. 51.
3. Aiken,
B. (2003) Seeking Emancipation Through Engagement: One Nichiren Buddhist’s
Approach to Practice. University of Hawai’i Press. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/1390360
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