The joy of interacting with individuals on spirituality is boundless. It is a two-way street, I share the learnings from our scriptures, and I learn from others. The interactions keep me grounded. These help me continue to respect people, the universe around me, and diverse thoughts.
A questioner asked – “Is it okay for sacred hymns to be playing during my morning ablutions?” Let us explore this topic.
Tradition calls for taking a shower and being clean before any faith activities.
Why is there guilt in listening to sacred hymns during morning ablutions? Does this feeling give rise to a fear of not being authentic in our devotion?
From adhyatmika or spirituality, the entire universe is a cosmic entity. Our Upanishads relate this cosmic entity to a universal person, purusha. We live in this cosmos connected to the supreme. In many ways, we are a miniature representation of the universal cosmic person.
The universal cosmos has planes of existence – seven upper planes and lower planes. The upper planes are heavenly abodes and the lower ones are subterranean. Now, these are not a stacked linear set. They are better visualized as sheaths or layers of covering.
The seven upper planes progress starting from the earth to a pristine heavenly abode. The higher abodes link to angel-like attributes. While called heavenly, these abodes are still in a material realm.
In sanskrit, these abodes have a name. They are lokas. The seven lokas are bhu loka, bhuvar loka, svarga loka, mahar loka, jana loka, tapar loka, and satya loka.
The bhu loka is earth and satya loka is the highest abode in the material plane. Again, the definition of higher is about spirituality.
The seven lower planes go through a progression as well but in the reverse order. Unlike the angel-like attributes, the lower planes have demonic attributes.
These subterranean abodes are atala, vitala, sutala, talatala, mahatala, rasatala and patala loka.
Like the upper planes, the lower ones are also within the material realm.
The locus of supreme divinity is beyond these material planes. It manifests these material planes as well. In that sense, the supreme divinity is higher and all-pervading. “That” supreme is the soul or atma of this entire manifestation, the universe, and all galaxies. “That” is the atma of this giant cosmic entity or universal person (refer to the article on deity or divinity).
This brings us to another common term for the supreme, paramatma. In common language, it is the supreme soul. In comparison, we are jivaatma, the soul enshrined in a body.
As the miniature representation of the cosmic person, we also have seven nodal points. They start from the base of the spine and extend to the center of the head. These are also called chakras or focal points. These chakras are virtual, concentration points of energy.
- The one near the base of the spine is the root focal, called muladhaara.
- Near to procreating organs is the Sacral focal or svadishtana
- Near the navel is manipura
- Near to the heart is anahata
- Near the throat area is vishudda
- The focal between the eyebrows is ajna
- At the crown, we have the sahasrara.
IfIf the root focal is bhu loka or earth, then the rest of the focal points are the higher planes.
In our own body, the organs of life energies are higher up in our body, the heart, lungs, brain, etc. The higher planes help with spiritual contemplation and our very existence.
During meditation, you focus on the space between the brows or the location of the ajna chakra. Life breath enters through the crown chakra. For a spiritual master in continuous contemplation, life departs from the crown chakra. The entry and exit of life is a topic for a separate book in itself.
Now you can see why any activity closer to the muladhaara or svadisthana is impious. Traditional practices put them lower in spiritual maturity. Whereas an activity involving ajna chakra is pious. This is because the intellectual and life energies are in the higher planes of our bodies.
Let us get back to the question, what is the answer to the questioner then?
Divinity pervades the universe. It is within us to recognize them. Given our biological composition, certain actions may appear appropriate at a given time.
Having said that, no sin incurs if sacred hymns are playing while you are in a mode of physical cleansing or morning ablutions. Neither is it an incorrect practice.
Exercise your personal choice and preference without any guilt. In many temple towns of India, hymns are broadcast through loudspeakers all the time. Sometimes as early as 4 am. Residents living there go on with their daily morning routine. Many consider it a blessing to wake up to sacred hymns.
Listening to hymns during morning ablutions is an optional practice and falls in the category of abhigamana (mental and physical cleansing)