Ok, was thinking superficially about how sound is related to all religions. Its amazing. All religions have some hymns, bhajans, sung prayers…some reference to sound. That is so sexy for a sociologist, it puts you into trance!!! I haven’t sung much ever. But nowadays, I am trying to get hold of some things I can sing. (its hard, coz you can only do it in a group). That’s what I love about Durkheim. Religion is collective, not personal you silly!! He feels right when he says that some form of ‘effervescence’ is created when members of a ‘single moral community’ come together (like through the singing/sound). Its actually fun and feels great to sing together!
Another thing I like about singing is following the ‘lyrics’ of religious songs/hymns/prayers. Honestly, I don’t understand most of it. Its very hard. What is it? Hindi? Sanskrit? Braj? Urdu?...dont mind my poor vocabulary. (trust me, my vocab sucks!!) Well, there are three types of prayers I have sung a bit. I only know them superficially, but I actually thought that the ethos they sing about it quite different.
Most mainstream Hindu (Sanatan Dharam) prayers are narrative in structure. They have some underlying story. They materialize most aspects of life- like God, morals etc.
I maybe wrong, coz I have only read one or two…I definitely cant understand them!!
I read the Radhasoami prayers (still cant understand them!!). But they are more abstract, more transcendental, more other-wordly, more typically what we like to brand as ‘spiritual’. (This would be close to the Arya Samaj philosophy and all Bhakti movement philosophies). This is definitely food for the historian!
And the only prayers I understand are the Christian ones (yes, it’s the English!!). And I have been exposed to them in heavy doses. Christian prayers see God in a different way than the other two. God is your friend. God is your adviser. (now, for the Hindu, Lord Ram is definitely not your friend!...but Jesus is). Christian prayers are a lot about ‘blessings’, ‘forgivingness’…they are heavily loaded with morals. The Radhasoami prayers are less of morals, but more of salvation and duties. Hindu ones are more collective, while the other two are more individual oriented. Hindu ones I need to read more, to know more.
But this is my view. And I need to get back to reading more prayers to get to know more. Its just that I cant understand them. (Religion trust me is for the elite!!). Actually the fact that religion is believed to be contained in books/texts makes it elitist. Dammit have you seen the literacy rate of our country??? No wonder why we cannot be seen to be religious!!hahahah.
Now I am reminded of Robert Redfield's concept of great tradition and… the oral tradition. (im developing a new theory on Hinduism…wait for it)
I’m tempted to quote the God of sociology of religion. Here’s to Durkheim:
"A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, i.e. things set apart & forbidden-- beliefs and practices which unite in one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them."
Another thing I like about singing is following the ‘lyrics’ of religious songs/hymns/prayers. Honestly, I don’t understand most of it. Its very hard. What is it? Hindi? Sanskrit? Braj? Urdu?...dont mind my poor vocabulary. (trust me, my vocab sucks!!) Well, there are three types of prayers I have sung a bit. I only know them superficially, but I actually thought that the ethos they sing about it quite different.
Most mainstream Hindu (Sanatan Dharam) prayers are narrative in structure. They have some underlying story. They materialize most aspects of life- like God, morals etc.
I maybe wrong, coz I have only read one or two…I definitely cant understand them!!
I read the Radhasoami prayers (still cant understand them!!). But they are more abstract, more transcendental, more other-wordly, more typically what we like to brand as ‘spiritual’. (This would be close to the Arya Samaj philosophy and all Bhakti movement philosophies). This is definitely food for the historian!
And the only prayers I understand are the Christian ones (yes, it’s the English!!). And I have been exposed to them in heavy doses. Christian prayers see God in a different way than the other two. God is your friend. God is your adviser. (now, for the Hindu, Lord Ram is definitely not your friend!...but Jesus is). Christian prayers are a lot about ‘blessings’, ‘forgivingness’…they are heavily loaded with morals. The Radhasoami prayers are less of morals, but more of salvation and duties. Hindu ones are more collective, while the other two are more individual oriented. Hindu ones I need to read more, to know more.
But this is my view. And I need to get back to reading more prayers to get to know more. Its just that I cant understand them. (Religion trust me is for the elite!!). Actually the fact that religion is believed to be contained in books/texts makes it elitist. Dammit have you seen the literacy rate of our country??? No wonder why we cannot be seen to be religious!!hahahah.
Now I am reminded of Robert Redfield's concept of great tradition and… the oral tradition. (im developing a new theory on Hinduism…wait for it)
I’m tempted to quote the God of sociology of religion. Here’s to Durkheim:
"A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, i.e. things set apart & forbidden-- beliefs and practices which unite in one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them."
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