Music
It is obvious that all created things are connected one to another by a linkage complete and perfect…[1]
We enjoy music because when we listen to it, the sounds resonate with the other souls in the universe to whom we are connected.
Musical notes resonate with individual souls, and the timbre (character of the sound) of each note relates to the character of the individual or their action. Melodies are like stories of spiritual and material ascent and descent, timing and rhythm.
Harmony between notes relates to different people being in harmony with one another, for example by cooperating on various things.
Non-tonal sounds such as drums relate to people doing things which are less loving and more strong and firm.
The pitch or frequency of each note relates to the spectrum of spiritual qualities.
Rhythm relates to regular patterns in time, and repetition in music arises from repeated actions or events.
As Eastern religions have been studied more and more in the West, Western music has become increasingly loop-based. This is because Eastern religions involve ‘tuning in’ with cycles in the Universe and Eastern meditation involves repeated patterns such as mantras or focusing on one’s breathing.
- ↑ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá