James Bean

 These mystic or heavenly inner Sounds are always resounding in the soul, thus when one attains a certain level of stillness and concentration, spiritual Sound becomes audible. In truth, the inner Sound is always there, it is we (our attention) who come and go. We gain awareness of the Sound, and this creates the illusion that the Sound has "arrived." When we get distracted or leave off our meditation practice it seems to us that the Sound has "stopped." However, this otherworldly Sound continues, like radio waves flowing through the atmosphere, available to be "tuned in" anytime we wish to listen (do bhajan: listen to the inner Sound in meditation).

Hinduism is very much a religion of Divine Light and Sound; many Indian scriptures and spiritual traditions teach about the universe being created through the Sound of AUM, the ecstasy of hearing the cosmic flute of Krishna, or hearing the Unstruck Melody (Anhad Shabad) of God that reverberates throughout the universe. Yogis of Nada Yoga and Masters of Shabd Yoga Meditation impart to their students knowledge about developing their inner spiritual sense of transcendental hearing.

"The Sound heard internally is a Current which has originally emanated from the Supreme Being and is the means not only of concentrating the will but also of raising spirit entity to the Source from which it emanated... The method for taking back the spirit-entity to its Supreme Source is first to concentrate at the eye-focus [Third Eye], and next to commence its journey homewards by attending to the internal Sound, or in other words, by riding the Life or Sound Current which has originally emanated from the Supreme Source." (Huzur Maharaj on Surat Shabd Yoga Meditation practice in, Radhaswami Mat Prakash -- Light on the Teachings of the Lord of the Soul, Radhasoami Faith)