In This Video:
This is a raw, live performance of the 'Shiva Shambo' kirtan from a Satsang in Bunbury, Western Australia. Kirtan is not a concert, but a form of call-and-response devotional chanting used to quiet the thinking mind. It allows the heart to open, making it easier to rest in the silent presence that is our true nature. This music is a direct transmission, a doorway into the field of awareness beyond the 'I'.
- When you listen to the chant without labelling or analysing it, what is the direct experience?
- Can you feel the silence that exists underneath and between each note and word?
- What happens in the body when you allow sound to be a form of meditation, rather than a distraction?
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00] [Music begins] [01:15] [Chanting] Shiva Shambo, Shambo [01:22] Shiva Shambo, Mahadeva [01:30] Shiva Shambo, Shambo [01:37] Shiva Shambo, Mahadeva [01:45] [Call and Response continues] [02:15] Shiva Shambo, Shambo [02:22] Shiva Shambo, Mahadeva [02:30] [Music intensifies] [04:55] Shiva Shambo, Shambo [05:02] Shiva Shambo, Mahadeva [07:30] [Chanting softens and fades] [08:10] [Silence] [08:18] [End of video]
GLOSSARY
-
Kirtan
A devotional practice of call-and-response chanting. It uses mantra and music not for performance, but to quiet the Committee (the thinking mind) and open the heart to the direct experience of presence. -
Satsang
Literally 'meeting in truth.' It's the practice of gathering with a teacher of Direct Realisation to experientially recognise the silent, non-dual Substratum of reality that you are. -
Shiva Shambo
A sacred mantra invoking Shiva, the Hindu deity representing pure, unconditioned consciousness—the formless Substratum. The chant is a call for the dissolution of the ego into this timeless presence. -
Mahadeva
An epithet for Shiva, meaning 'Great God.' In the context of non-duality, it points to the ultimate reality or the supreme, unmanifested consciousness that is the source of all existence. -
Shakti
The dynamic, creative energy that manifests as the entire universe. In this context, it's the palpable energy felt during Kirtan and Satsang, the expression of the formless Shiva.
Q&A
-
What is Kirtan?
Kirtan is a form of devotional meditation through call-and-response chanting, often using Sanskrit mantras. Unlike a musical performance, its purpose isn't entertainment but to quiet the analytical mind and open the heart, creating a direct pathway to the experience of silent, unified presence. -
What is the meaning of the Shiva Shambo mantra?
Shiva Shambo is a chant that invokes Shiva, the aspect of universal consciousness representing purity, stillness, and the dissolution of the ego. Chanting it is an invitation to let go of the limited self-identity and merge with the formless, peaceful Substratum of being. -
Do I need to be Hindu or have a good voice to participate in Kirtan?
No. Kirtan is a universal practice of the heart that goes beyond religious dogma or musical ability. The only requirement is a willingness to participate and be open. The focus is on the internal feeling and surrender, not on external performance or belief systems. -
How does devotional music relate to non-duality?
Devotional practices like Kirtan are a powerful 'skillful means' to dissolve the sense of a separate 'me'. The music and chanting bypass the intellect (The Committee) and work directly on the heart, allowing the deeply ingrained feeling of separation to soften and fall away, revealing the unified field of non-dual 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.”
