Suni-ai ~ Deep Listening

Mantra for Wisdom: Suni-ai Sidh
(the 8th Pauri of Japji, Song of the Soul)

"Suni-ai sidh pir sur naath.
Suni-ai dharat dhaval aakaas.
Suni-ai dip lo-a paataal.
Suni-ai poh na sakai kaal.
Naanak bhagtaa sadaa vigaas.
Suni-ai dukh paap kaa naas."

"Listening... the siddhas, masters, spiritual teachers.
Listening... the earth, the power, the ethers.
Listening... the oceans of light, high and low realms.
Listening... beyond time.
O Nanak the devotees are forever in Bliss.
Listening... destroys all pain and separation" 

​Suni-ai

Suni-ai means "through listening". It is a deep listening where every cell of your being is vibrating in awareness, consciousness, and inner knowing. In Suni-ai there is no judgment or belief; your whole Self is immersed in a deep listening that is fully vibrating in shimmering presence.

The last couple of months I have been reciting and listening to the mantra So Purkh daily. Through the cycle of the waxing and waning moon, I am acutely aware of the subtle shifts in my concentration on the mantra, and the quality of listening. I notice a beautiful space that emerges as I slip into what perhaps is (close to) Suni-ai. There is a distinct shift from listening with the ears, to listening with the whole body, every cell of the being. Effort releases, there is lightness, and soft, vast perception.

Imagine bringing this quality of Deep Listening - Suni-ai -  into everyday life! To heighten this quality, recite the 8th Pauri of Japji 11 times/day. Snatam Kaur has three beautiful versions of Japji on her album "Meditation of the Soul." One is tantric (alternating with feminine/masculine voices), one is a slower version, and another is slower yet with space for call and response chanting.

So Purkh: A Mantra for Women for the Men in their lives.

So Purkh "creates a sacred space in which grace prevails so as to allow the greatness of the soul to come forth." Women chant this mantra to elevate the men in their lives. Yogi Bhajan taught that if a woman recites this mantra 11 times a day for 40 days, that 'God' will appear for her in the form of a man. Though beware, as our karma around men is clearing, God may appear as the 'devil' first! 

Nirinjan Kaur has a beautiful album "So Purkh", that includes 11 recitations of So Purkh in Gurmukhi (31 minutes), and 1 recitation in English (4 minutes). For the words and translation of So Purkh Mantra, go here.

​Jap

One of the most basic 'commands' in Kundalini Yoga is 'Jap!' Jap means to chant, to repeat.
"As we continue to chant - to practice japa - we create a series of effects in the body and being. Through the action of japa, we create tapa - divine psychic heat. This heat then burns the karma - the imprint, or seeds, of past actions (which are also vibrations) that we carry within us." ~ Dev Suroop Kaur Khalsa

Chanting, and in particular, repetitive chanting of sacred mantras, is an incredibly effective form of meditation to still and train the mind, as well as an incredibly effective form of deep therapy to work through specific issues as they arise. I have been chanting mantras for years as a basic support in my life, and they work miracles! I choose specific mantras for specific issues, and they cut through, heal, clarify, and uplift. So keep up and keep chanting!  

(Pictures from the Big Island, Dec 2015)


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