The Sound Behind the Noise

Saturday while cleaning the house I had some cleaning type music on. I started with Fleetwood Mac and then ended with the Moody Blues. My oldies but goodies. I am a child of the 60’s :) - not too hippy-dippy though, wasn’t even aware of who Timothy Leary was, or his buddy Ram Dass. I was just a teenager coming of age in the burbs of America in the age of “Spiritual Awakening”, “evolving consciousness”, and the Vietnam War. And I don’t think I even really understood the words of the songs or the people I was listening to back then – but they struck a chord.

Anyway, The Moody Blues song – OM – came on and it reminded of an experience I had sometime last year. It was late afternoon, and I had reached a wonderful place of internal Quiet during “meditation time” – a time of internal communion and stillness. Afterwards I needed to go outside for some reason, and I remember standing just outside the front door. I became acutely aware of a low sound, like the hum of an engine somewhere, like a background sound, but very obvious. In that moment it occurred to me that it sounded like the sound of OM – not like I had actually heard this before, except for people chanting it - but I *knew* what it was. It was actually the most delightful noise, not irritating at all. A smile came to my face with the recognition that this sound was *in* the everydayness of noise. I realized back then, that “IT” (OM) was the background sound for everything! OM is the sound behind all other sounds. It is the underlying “sound” of Stillness that permeates what we call “noise.” Of course practiced yogis and yoginis know this… But that day I actually felt it – experientially - as if for the first time. And something came alive inside.

That evening while I was on the cushion again just before bed, my husband was cleaning out the cat box in the laundry room, just around the corner from the room I was in. I could hear the crunch-swish sound as he poked and raked the pooper-scooper through the kitty litter smoothing it out. It was the most delightful noise I had ever heard. There was a rhythm to it. I found this all quite hilarious as well – that I would find the *sound* of someone digging out the kitty litter box “delightful.” I started grinning and chuckling to myself. Once again it was if it was the sound of OM that I was hearing, and it gave me Joy! I have never experienced anything quite like this before or since. And yet I *know* it’s there. I’m aware – internally. I can sense this, feel this underlying still aliveness humming through my body. Like now, sitting here typing this, thinking these words, feeling emotions – it’s always present – enlivening me, animating me, living me.

Listening to the music reminded me that this ever-present Presence of Life – the hum of the Universe – what some call Awareness, Beingness, Stillness, Isness – runs through us all, connects us all. And once again I smiled. Ah - so – OM - the sound that is everywhere, behind every other sound... the sound behind all the noise. What a great mystery!

“The Earth turns slowly round.
Far away, the distant sound,
Is with us everyday.
Can you hear what it says?

Om…”

The Moody Blues
In Search of the Lost Chord

May your heart dance to the sound in the noise...

Heart Smiles – MeANderi
www.ASerenitySanctuary.com