Music meditation

Music was born originally out of meditation, because in deep meditation one starts feeling the cosmic sound: 'omkar'—what the Zen people call 'the sound of one hand clapping'. It is not a produced sound. When two hands clap, it is a produced sound. When one hand creates the sound, without any clapping really—because there is nothing else to clap with—when the sound comes out of oneness, unity, unison, then it is natural…the cosmic sound.

It is always there. When you become silent, you hear it. When you have too much noise in your head, you cannot hear it. Not that it is not there. It is always there, but you are not there. Your own noise, your own fussing mind, goes on creating such barriers that the still, small voice cannot be heard. Out of that original sound, music has been created.
In the East we say that all music is an effort to bring that cosmic sound to be. That's why there is spirituality in Indian music…a new sensitivity which is nowhere to be found. In the western music there is too much sexuality, it is too sensuous. In the Indian music there is too much spirituality—it is not sensuous at all. It silences you, calms you down, cools you, and brings a breeze from the eternal…the breath of the eternal. It is an effort to give you an indication of the cosmic sound.
It is just as when I am talking to you. My whole effort in talking is to bring you something that cannot be talked about…to say something that cannot be said…to bring to words something which is wordless…to define something which cannot be defined and is immeasurable. In the same way, music is an effort to say something about the cosmic sound.
The greatest master is one, listening to whom you naturally fall into meditation: that is the criterion of a real musician, a real master—otherwise people are technicians. One can play the sitar beautifully and you can enjoy it—it's good, an enjoyment.
But a person becomes a master when his created sound brings you something of the uncreated…when his created sound has a gospel in it…side by side comes the unknown…travelling with the sound comes the soundless. The sound you will forget, but the soundless will remain with you.
Music is born out of meditation, and so is dance. In fact all that is beautiful has come out of meditation because there is no other way for it to come. Meditation is the door.
Drown yourself in music—and don't practise it just like an art and a skill. Practise it like a meditation, practise it religiously. It is the holiest of holies.