In This Video:
This is not a conceptual teaching, but a direct transmission through sound. A live Kirtan of the 'Shiva Shiva Shambo' mantra, recorded during Satsang in Margaret River. Devotional chanting is a powerful tool to bypass the thinking mind and settle directly into the heart's field. Let the sacred sound do the work, invoking the transformative energy that quiets the inner noise and allows for deep rest in presence. This is an invitation to feel, not to think.
- What happens to the 'thinker' when you allow yourself to be fully absorbed in the sound of the chant?
- Can you locate the silence that exists underneath and between each repetition of the mantra?
- Instead of analyzing the meaning, can you simply allow the vibration of the sound to resonate in the body?
TRANSCRIPT
Shiva Shiva Shambo
GLOSSARY
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Kirtan
A devotional practice of call-and-response chanting. It is not about performance but about using sacred sound to bypass the analytical mind and open the heart, creating a direct experience of presence. -
Shiva
In the Hindu tradition, Shiva represents the unmanifested, the formless Substratum of all existence. Chanting to Shiva is an invocation of the power of dissolution—the destruction of the egoic self to reveal what is real. -
Mantra
A sacred sound or phrase used in meditation to focus the mind. It acts as a tool to cut through the 'mitoté' or mental noise, allowing consciousness to rest in its source. -
Satsang
Literally, 'meeting in truth'. It is the gathering in the presence of a Self-Realised teacher to directly experience the silence and peace of our true nature, beyond the 'I' thought. -
Bhakti
The path of devotion. It is the use of love and surrender as a means to dissolve the sense of a separate self, often expressed through practices like Kirtan.
Q&A
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What is Kirtan?
Kirtan is a devotional practice of call-and-response chanting. It uses sacred sound and mantras not as a performance, but as a method to bypass the analytical mind, quiet inner noise, and directly open the heart to the experience of presence. -
What does Satsang mean?
Satsang literally means 'meeting in truth'. In this context, it is gathering in the presence of an enlightened teacher to experience their peaceful energy, which helps you discover your own true, non-dual nature beyond the idea of a separate 'I'. -
What is the purpose of chanting a Shiva mantra?
In Hindu traditions, Shiva represents the formless, absolute reality—the destroyer of illusion and ego. Chanting a Shiva mantra is an invocation of this transformative power to dissolve mental patterns and reveal the silent substratum of being. -
Can music really help in meditation?
Yes, devotional music like Kirtan serves as a powerful meditation tool. The vibration of the mantra gives the mind a single point of focus, making it easier to disengage from habitual thought loops and relax into a state of present-moment awareness.
“There’s nothing to add. What you are is prior to beliefs, thoughts and labels.
Here we explore and unveil the ultimate mystery of non-dual being.
Reality.”
