# Dancing To Kirtan?



## Kamala (Jul 24, 2012)

Hi, I recently started thinking about how most sanatan religions let people dance to bhajans etc.. but do you think it'd be banned in Sikhism?

Not any slutty dancing, but dancing for pure love and happiness.


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## Luckysingh (Jul 24, 2012)

I just can't put the two things together to even imagine!!!
I'm not sure what benefits this could give to a person as I don't think that dancing can help you get more anand of the kirtan.
Certain types of music are certainly experienced better with certain dancing, but I cannot see how kirtan along with dancing can help you feel the vibe better.


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## itsmaneet (Jul 24, 2012)

Yes, dancing is prohibited in Sikhism & even more during Kirtan. There are many other religions that dance while singing their devotional songs but in Sikhism it's very strictly prohibited. 

I heard somewhere from a prominent Sant that devils dance & not the God lovers. He also said that neither be very happy nor be very sad on any news. For examples, still in India when a boy is born family dances & sings etc...but when a girl is born they sort of mourn which is again prohibited in Sikhism coz a true Sikh will live in the "Bhana" of Waheguru & will accept whats been served to him.


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## Harry Haller (Jul 24, 2012)

> dancing is prohibited in Sikhism



We are Sikhs, not Taliban, at least last time I looked

Dancing to Kirtan seems a bit strange to me, but I know the 3HO folks like a good booty shake when praying.


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## itsmaneet (Jul 24, 2012)

harry haller said:


> We are Sikhs, not Taliban, at least last time I looked
> 
> Dancing to Kirtan seems a bit strange to me, but I know the 3HO folks like a good booty shake when praying.


Harry Ji

Where from Taliban came here ???
Don't know what 3HO is doing & if there are dancing it's not the right way !!


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## Harry Haller (Jul 24, 2012)

> Where from Taliban came here ???



Dancing is banned in Sikhism? since when? It may have little spiritual value, but banned? I think not, this is how lies and misinformation are spread, this is what shows the world we are a bunch of extremists that ban dancing, instead of the compassionate, tolerant, love filled people we should be portraying ourselves as

P124 SGGS

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਗਾਵੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਚੈ ਹਰਿ ਸੇਤੀ ਚਿਤੁ ਲਾਵਣਿਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ गुरमुखि गावै गुरमुखि नाचै हरि सेती चितु लावणिआ ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥ Gurmukẖ gāvai gurmukẖ nācẖai har seṯī cẖiṯ lāvaṇi▫ā. ||1|| rahā▫o. The Gurmukhs sing, the Gurmukhs dance, and focus their consciousness on the Lord. ||1||Pause||

P159 clearly warns against using dance as a medium of worship


ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਮੂਰਖ ਆਪੁ ਜਣਾਵਹਿ ॥ भगति करहि मूरख आपु जणावहि ॥ Bẖagaṯ karahi mūrakẖ āp jaṇāvėh. The fools perform devotional worship by showing off;
ਨਚਿ ਨਚਿ ਟਪਹਿ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਵਹਿ ॥ नचि नचि टपहि बहुतु दुखु पावहि ॥ Nacẖ nacẖ tapėh bahuṯ ḏukẖ pāvahi. they dance and dance and jump all around, but they only suffer in terrible pain.
ਨਚਿਐ ਟਪਿਐ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥ नचिऐ टपिऐ भगति न होइ ॥ Nacẖi▫ai tapi▫ai bẖagaṯ na ho▫e. By dancing and jumping, devotional worship is not performed.
ਸਬਦਿ ਮਰੈ ਭਗਤਿ ਪਾਏ ਜਨੁ ਸੋਇ ॥੩॥ सबदि मरै भगति पाए जनु सोइ ॥३॥ Sabaḏ marai bẖagaṯ pā▫e jan so▫e. ||3|| But one who dies in the Word of the Shabad, obtains devotional worship. ||3||

Much like meditation, it is definitely not banned, but has little spiritual value

3HO do like to jump and dance about a bit, but good luck to them, maybe its an expression of bliss


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## Ishna (Jul 24, 2012)

itsmaneet said:


> Yes, dancing is prohibited in Sikhism & even more during Kirtan. There are many other religions that dance while singing their devotional songs but in Sikhism it's very strictly prohibited.



Please do provide some references to support your assertion, I am curious to know.  I am yet to come across any references prohibiting dancing, myself.


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## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Jul 24, 2012)

Ishna said:


> Please do provide some references to support your assertion, I am curious to know.  I am yet to come across any references prohibiting dancing, myself.




harry Ji provided the ref..did you miss it ??

P159 clearly warns against using dance as a medium of worship


ਭਗਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਮੂਰਖ ਆਪੁ ਜਣਾਵਹਿ ॥ भगति करहि मूरख आपु जणावहि ॥ Bẖagaṯ karahi  mūrakẖ āp jaṇāvėh. The fools perform devotional worship by showing off;
ਨਚਿ ਨਚਿ ਟਪਹਿ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਵਹਿ ॥ नचि नचि टपहि बहुतु दुखु पावहि ॥ Nacẖ  nacẖ tapėh bahuṯ ḏukẖ pāvahi. they dance and dance and jump all around,  but they only suffer in terrible pain.
ਨਚਿਐ ਟਪਿਐ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥ नचिऐ टपिऐ भगति न होइ ॥ Nacẖi▫ai tapi▫ai bẖagaṯ na  ho▫e. By dancing and jumping, devotional worship is not performed.
ਸਬਦਿ ਮਰੈ ਭਗਤਿ ਪਾਏ ਜਨੁ ਸੋਇ ॥੩॥ सबदि मरै भगति पाए जनु सोइ ॥३॥ Sabaḏ marai  bẖagaṯ pā▫e jan so▫e. ||3|| But one who dies in the Word of the Shabad,  obtains devotional worship. ||3||

Much like meditation, it is definitely not banned, but has little spiritual value

2. Kirtan/Gurbani is SPIRITUAL FOOD...and Guru Ka Langgar is Body Food...Sikhs remain seated while enjoying BOTH. No body dances while eating food..and since Gurbani is spiritual food..dancing is out of place as a matter of course...
 Guru Ji makes it pretty clear...whats more to check ??icecreamkaur


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## Ishna (Jul 24, 2012)

Harry ji provided the reference with regard to devotional dancing.  Itsmaneet ji said dancing is prohibited in Sikhi.  One is saying dancing is not useful worship, the other is saying dancing is prohibited in Sikhi, i.e. Sikhs are not allowed to dance in any circumstances.

Gyaniji strikes moi as being the kind of gentleman who might do a little jig if the mood so took him without fear of divine retribution, if I'm not mistaken.   cheerleader  cheerleader 

Really, applying the same logic as applied to Harry ji's tuk to this one I'm about to post, Sikhs shouldn't be playing tabla and harmonium either!!

ਬਹੁ  ਤਾਲ  ਪੂਰੇ  ਵਾਜੇ  ਵਜਾਏ  ॥
Baho ṯāl pūre vāje vajā▫e.
One may beat upon and play all sorts of instruments,
ਨਾ  ਕੋ  ਸੁਣੇ  ਨ  ਮੰਨਿ  ਵਸਾਏ  ॥
Nā ko suṇe na man vasā▫e.
but no one will listen, and no one will enshrine it in the mind.
ਮਾਇਆ  ਕਾਰਣਿ  ਪਿੜ  ਬੰਧਿ  ਨਾਚੈ  ਦੂਜੈ  ਭਾਇ  ਦੁਖੁ  ਪਾਵਣਿਆ  ॥੬॥
Mā▫i▫ā kāraṇ piṛ banḏẖ nācẖai ḏūjai bẖā▫e ḏukẖ pāvṇi▫ā. ||6||
For the sake of Maya, they set the stage and dance, but they are in love with duality, and they obtain only sorrow. ||6||

Ang 121

It's not about the singing or the instruments or the dancing or any of this outward human STUFF that we do.  It's about living a Gursikh lifestyle and focusing on Naam.  Dancing can be a wholesome expression, fun, exercise, whatever.  (Personally I *never* dance, because I have the coordination of a fish in a rowboat.. a la Elaine from Seinfeld...)

I look forward to Itsmaneet ji's clarification.


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## Admin (Jul 24, 2012)

This topic was also discussed in depth a while back... might add to this ongoing discussion, so posting here for your reference...

http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/interfaith-dialogues/23677-dancing-and-gurbani.html?highlight=dancing


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## AkashdeepSingh (Jul 24, 2012)

Dancing an Kirtan don't go together at all Sikhi is all about listening and inside of you hearing the Guru Ji's word not dancing around like its a party.


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## ballym (Jul 24, 2012)

Most people take a line of holy book and interpret it out of context or just literal meaning. Confusion about meat eating is one example.guru sahiban never wrote a rule book like ten commandments.
 However, wholesome interpretation can lead to useful guide. The references to dancing / meat eating are not specific.
AKJ move their head in high speed. You yourself move your head in slow motion. I am yet to see a dead sangat where no one is moving their head with kirtan It is our acceptance of society pressure that stops us from getting up and dancing either slow or fast.
 Another point is... where to put a stop. Someone may dance vigorously, others may accept only slow one.
What about distraction if some one gets up and dance.
One the same line if dancing is PROhibited then we are also supposed to chant as guru sahiban state . So if we are not doing one thing( chant) then what is stopping us to dance if someone gets inspired by Gurbani to dance( slow motion?) just put your self in Gurudwara where very musical gurbani shabad is going on. You can not stop moving your head. Otherwise you are dead wood.
 Why females respond more to singing after the raagi and also have all gutkaas  reading more than males? Are they less of a sikh? 
 It is all in your mind. If you like .... do it. Main point is it should not distract. If it does and you are still insisting that I want to do it. You do not love humanity and and are not Religious. That is the stopping Line I would like to draw.
just my rant. take the wholesome approach . You can not impose your ideas/ interpretation ( which comes out of chemical reactions going on in YOUR brain) on others.


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## Scarlet Pimpernel (Jul 24, 2012)

The Galaxy that you are in is spinning like a Dervish,Trillions of atoms dance in and around you ,your mind dances thoughts constantly ,so what part of you is being still anyway.Everything dances in his fear.


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## Kanwaljit.Singh (Jul 24, 2012)

I always compare the Gurudwara hall to classroom setting. Now if the teacher is teaching, would you dance around  or note down the stuff he is saying or putting on blackboard (not that people don't dance in classrooms!) 

But if some dancer in the kirtan hall came to me  I would fail that test like many others!


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## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Jul 24, 2012)

Scarlet Pimpernel said:


> The Galaxy that you are in is spinning like a Dervish,Trillions of atoms dance in and around you ,your mind dances thoughts constantly ,so what part of you is being still anyway.Everything dances in his* fear.*



His *LAW* jios...Sikhs are not supposed to FEAR HIM..just OBEY.
The Galaxies spin under the LAWS of Gravity..physics etc etc...FEAR is a HUMAN/Animal characteristic...Bhaei LAWS and BHAU  LOVE the TWIN axles that Drive Sikhs ???


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## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Jul 24, 2012)

Ishna Ji..

Yes..I would def AGREE with you about the tabla/Dholki "kutt-ING" (banging in simple English) and Chhenneh-Chhannahka-ING..Chamtey-ChamteyING ( Watch a Dhadriwallh video on U tube to get whats this !!...its all those 25 or so at the BACK action)..are referred to the TUK you quoted. ALL this is SHEER NOISE, ENTERTAINMENT.SHOWMANSHIP.PERIOD. The more IF it happens in HUGE LIVE TV Kirtan Darbaars and Nagar Kirtans where HUGE FEES are paid to he Entertainers/artists to entertain the crowds.     *GURU JI in That TUK warns us about the FUTILITY of all that tablas and taals !!!* Nothing the least spiritual in there...cheerleader Merely CHEER LEADING TYPE OF ACTION to keep the crowds satisfied..and entertained...cheerleader


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## Kamala (Jul 24, 2012)

Okay so we cannot dance to kirtan etc..?

I talked about this to my friend and they said that were aloud to dance to it. They said apparently a person was dancing and singing Sukhmani Sahib and a bunch of people got mad but the Guru ji (not sure which one) told the people to not get mad as they are dancing in happiness.. now I don't know if someone made up this story or if it's real.

I don't see what is so disrespectful (personally) to dance to kirtan..


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## Rory (Jul 24, 2012)

I definitely do not know as much gurbani as anyone in this thread but I'm going to pop my head in and give my opinion anyways.

I don't think dancing to kirtan can be beneficial. As Kanwaljit-ji said, kirtan is like being taught in a classroom. I think it is respectful to sit and listen closely. It's hard to listen very close if you are dancing, because naturally you will pay attention to your dancing and you will want to move to the rhythm - the actual words and _meanings of the words_ will have little effect on your dance. So you'd be dancing to the rhythm, not the words. How is this praising kirtan, then?

The gurbani posted shows I think that we shouldn't dance while kirtan (being praise of God) is in procession - the gurbani certainly doesn't _endorse_ it.

It seems to me like common sense should answer this question: we are supposed to understand gurbani. Kirtan in Gurdwara is to provide a format and setting where we could concentrate and think, so we can understand.. isn't that right? I thought that was why we sit on the _ground_, to make sure we are "grounded" (literally and spiritually/mentally).

On the other hand I love to dance, I was a little shocked and surprised when Maneet-ji said that dancing is _banned_.. anyone else have more to say on this?


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## Kanwaljit.Singh (Jul 24, 2012)

> On the other hand I love to dance, I was a little shocked and surprised when Maneet-ji said that dancing is _banned_.. anyone else have more to say on this?


 
Dancing is not banned. But then I have not seen a Nihang Singh in blue chola and turban dance their hearts out 

As far as dancing outside the Gurudwara Diwan hall is concerned, it is your own jurisdiction. Gurbani surely would influence it just like it does everything in our lives.


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## Luckysingh (Jul 25, 2012)

ballym said:


> Most people take a line of holy book and interpret it out of context or just literal meaning. Confusion about meat eating is one example.guru sahiban never wrote a rule book like ten commandments.
> However, wholesome interpretation can lead to useful guide. The references to dancing / meat eating are not specific.
> AKJ move their head in high speed. You yourself move your head in slow motion. I am yet to see a dead sangat where no one is moving their head with kirtan It is our acceptance of society pressure that stops us from getting up and dancing either slow or fast.
> Another point is... where to put a stop. Someone may dance vigorously, others may accept only slow one.
> ...


 
Very solid point.
The thing is we are not dead and we all responsd to music, beat or a rhythm in some physical way, be it slight shake of head, tapping of fingers...or other slight 'MOVEMENT'...etc... BUT- we are not interacting or bothering each other when we do this. WE have to draw the line and STOP before it gets to the stage of movement that is interactive with others and likely to cause bother!!!!


I think if others wish to continue with this issue then we should switch to the other thread as mentioned previously. I just made my comment with reference to Ballymji's post.


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## itsmaneet (Jul 25, 2012)

Ishna said:


> Harry ji provided the reference with regard to devotional dancing.  Itsmaneet ji said dancing is prohibited in Sikhi.  One is saying dancing is not useful worship, the other is saying dancing is prohibited in Sikhi, i.e. Sikhs are not allowed to dance in any circumstances.
> 
> Gyaniji strikes moi as being the kind of gentleman who might do a little jig if the mood so took him without fear of divine retribution, if I'm not mistaken.   cheerleader  cheerleader
> 
> ...


I think i got one word wrong 'banned' for which i apologize. I summarize of views on this thread as below - 

1) Any sort of dancing is not allowed/ discouraged during Kirtan or in presence of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

2) Further, I feel, a person dances to express his happiness & that happiness usually lasts for few minutes/hours/day ... thats it. Coz if that particula happiness is to last forever we can't expect that person to keep dancing all hid life.

In Sikhism, stress is always given on permanent happiness & not temporary that comes achieving some sort of Maya (Earthly Pleasurable Things). 

If a person has got the devine happiness I don't thing he'll dance infact the happiness at that point is inexpressive & lasts forever. 

Secondly, I have heard that a Sikh should always be lean in Guru whether is hard or good time & should accept the "Baana" of Waheguru. Whatever happens happens for good if such feeling comes in a Sikh he won't dance.


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## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Jul 25, 2012)

A SIKH is also "not allowed/discouraged" from WAILING LOUDLY at death..yet just go to any sikh house where a recent death occurred..and you can hear the wailing from a mile away...in DIRECT contradiction to GURBANI Command..Mere pichhay Matt rovsee...KIRTAN NIRBANN kario...DONT CRY LOUDLY..do Kirtan of HIM....so its a fact that most sikhs dont follow Gurbani per say...thats why many are now getting thier hands up..arms up..and bellowing loudly jaikaras..some even get up and dance in sggs presence...(Would nay such do that in Queen Elizabeths presence if ever INVITED to a Royal audience ??? all know the answer..yet we call SGGS King of the Universe..but we respect him less than a queen of an island...:grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur:


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## mariposazul (Jul 25, 2012)

I have not seen any Sikh dance during Kirtan. Just the way Kirtan is presented it moves you to sit and meditate and reflect. However, I have seen Sikhs dance (in an appropriate jovial manner) in other situations, such as weddings, etc. 

In regards to 3H0, yes they do jump up and down when playing music, but not during Gurdwara. This is mostly seen during the Kundalini Yoga camps where most of the people attending are not Sikhs anyway. 

:whatzpointkudi:


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## Kamala (Jul 25, 2012)

Oh okay.. but I don't see how dancing bothers someone  but do you think any Guru ji explicitly said it is not allowed..? And dancing is a sign of happiness for some.. so if youre not allowed to dance to it I don't see why you can smile to it or something similar.


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## Kamala (Jul 25, 2012)

> 2) Further, I feel, a person dances to express his happiness & that  happiness usually lasts for few minutes/hours/day ... thats it. Coz if  that particula happiness is to last forever we can't expect that person  to keep dancing all hid life.


I don't think anyone is happy forever.. I also don't think people do kirtan forever so...


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## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Jul 25, 2012)

Kamala said:


> I don't think anyone is happy forever.. I also don't think people do kirtan forever so...




Thats simply becasue you dear sister (together with probably 99.9% sikhs also) take "Kirtan" to be that action of banging on a tabla with another banging the waja etc....Thats NOT "KIRTAN" per say...
REAL KIRTAN...and all the Gurbani Tuks quoted in this Thread about dancing, singing etc mean...*LIVING LIVING LIVING*...and LIVING is "done continoulsy" till we breathe IN/OUT that Last breath called Hum aadmi haan EK Dammii - we are AAdmi of ONE BREATH ONLY ( Breath gone IN and not coming OUT..we are DEAD...Breath came OUT..none coming IN...we are DEAD - so BOTTOM LINE as Guru nanak ji said is ONE BREATH is OUR "LIFE"
When a person BREATHES IN and OUT..each breath is lived as per GURBANI - the Universal TRUTH, loving the Creator/His creation, following His Laws,in PERFECT HARMONY with ALL -Nature, Environment, Creation...that my dear is KIRTAN - the SONG OF LIFE. GURBANI and the GURU instructed us to do SUCH *NIRBANN KIRTAN.*...but we prefer the LIP SERVICE TYPE the external type...the showmanship type...and we get the wrong idea that a Mahaan/Huge/International/Gold Medalist/Live/Satelite Broadcast..Kirtan darbaar makes HIM HAPPY ??? its a travesty..Hes surely not pleased with all that electricity wasted, water wasted, rubbish created, air polluted, noise etc etc...He would much prefer if we each one of us in his her own way showed Love and compassion in many many ways possible..so that our DAILY LIVES go hand in glove with HIS NATURE and ENVIRONMENT etc.

2. as for being happy forever ??..Just look at GURU ARJUN JI...seated in his grandfathers lap (Guru Amardass Ji) and being blessed as "Ship of Hymns"...Guru Arjun Ji is just as Happy as when he was seated on the burning hot plate...the words that issue form His mouth in BOTH Occasions are the Exact SAME...I Beg of YOUR NAAM ONLY.
But IF it were ME or you in that situation..in the lap we would be soooooooooooo happpppppppppppppy...and on the Hot Plate ??? Thats hwy its said of us...an entire day spent in the company of the one we love seems like a second...an entire "second" in Church or Gurdwara or Masjid..seems like "Forever"..oh when will the Mass finish..oh when will the ardass be over..oh why is the granthi choosing such a longgggggggg hukmnamah...get on with it man and sitribute the karrah parshaad..we all got work to do you know....a 500 dollar bill on wine/dine at a fine restaurant with loved one seems just like notepaper..a dollar for a poor man on the street takes such a long time to emerge form our wallet...*PERCEPTION is the KEY* !!! A one legged man is "Happy"..a two legged man is UNHAPPY ..becasue he cnat get the designer shoes he saw in the shopfront yesterday...The slumdog is happy in his shack of cardboard by the side of the dirty smelly drain full of sewage..Mikey was  very unhappy in his multi room mansion spread over 1000 acres..GraceLand !! it all boils down to PERCEPTION !!


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## Archived_member15 (Jul 25, 2012)

I always find it to be immensely comforting to think that, all around the world human beings - of various races, religions and cultures - in a whole multitude of diverse languages, are singing praise to God - to the Name with sweet melodies and their own national instruments. For as Blessed Jan Van Ruysbroeck (1293 – 1381)said, "_By reason of his common love, which God has towards all men, he has caused his Name and the liberation of human nature to be preached and revealed to the uttermost parts of the earth_". 

Kirtan interests me very much. I have always been fond of the use of musical instruments and chants during religious services. It made me ponder on the question of _kirtan _in the context of the World Religions. 

In the Catholic tradition the mystic Richard Rolle in England described _chant _(Kirtan) in the following wonderful manner (I wonder if some Sikhs feel the same way when doing kirtan?): 


"...The highest love of God consists in three things: in burning fervour, in song, and in sweetness. And I, who am an expert, have found that these three are not able to persist for a long time without great quiet in spirit...I call it _fervour_ when the mind is truly ablaze with eternal love, and the heart similarly feels itself burning with a love that is not imaginary but real. For a heart set on fire produces a feeling of fiery love. I call it _song_ when already in the soul, burning fervour abounding, the smoothness of eternal praise is taken up and meditation is transformed into song, thought turns into song and the mind lingers in honey-flowing melody; in thrall to sweetest harmony...The soul in whom are met these three things I have been speaking of remains completely impervious...she continues to think all the time of her Beloved, rising ever higher, with her will unbroken, and her love stimulated...His heart is bursting with song, a captive...It is the nature of love to melt the heart. For sweet love and a devout heart so dissolve in the divine sweetness that the will of man is united with the will of God in a remarkable friendship. In this union there is poured into the loving soul such sweetness of warmth, delight, and song that he who experiences it is quite unable to describe it...." 


*- Richard Rolle (1290–1349), Catholic mystic*


Read: 



> *Kirtan in the World Religions*
> 
> Kirtan is the call-and-response form of chanting that characterizes...the fundamental religion of the age – the soul crying out for God as a means to reunite with Him.
> 
> ...


 


In Catholicism, traditionally, it is a more sombre affair ie with Gregorian Chant which tried to create an almost "otherworldy", ethereal, angelic sound. There is a point in such Chants called the "_Jubilus". _In the Bible Saint Paul described this supreme, spiritual climax in the chant metaphorically as being the "tongue of angels". To speak then in the tongue of angels is to be so ecstatic with prayer that one moves beyond words. This is because words bring God down to the artificial human level of concepts and thoughts. God is so far above our understanding and so sometimes we move beyond language all together and just praise him with all of our being, which manifests itself in a gibberish-sounding language that is quite wordless and apparently unintelligible because it comes from the heart and not from the rational mind. 

Episodes of this are related by the Fathers. They called this "Jubilation" or in Latin the Jubilus, which came to refer in High Church Gregorian Chant to the moment when the monks singing stop saying actual words and lapse into an eerie sounding "Ahh-ah-ahh" you know what i mean, those heavenly-like elongated "a's" - wordless but heartfelt praise. 

St. Jerome (347-420 A.D.) writes:

*By the term jubilus we understand that which neither in words, nor syllables, nor letters, nor speech, is it possible to express or comprehend, namely, how much man ought to praise God. (Ps. xxxii.3)*

And St Augustine (354–430 C.E.) comments on this phenomenon:


*"...What is jubilation? Joy that cannot be expressed in words. Yet the voice expresses what is conceived in the heart and cannot be explained in words. This is jubilation...Where speech does not suffice… To manifest his joy, the man does not use words that can be pronounced or understood, but bursts forth into sounds of exaltation without words...they break out into singing on vowel sounds, that through this means the feeling of the soul may be expressed, words failing to explain the heart’s conceptions*..."_ - St. Augustine (Commentary on Psalms)_

We know that this practice of jubilation was widespread in the early church and continued for centuries. For example, the Benedictine theologian Rupert of Deutz (1075-1130 A.D.), spoke of the devotional prayer practice of jubilation that continued in his day:

*We jubilate rather than sing, and extend a short syllable over several neums or groups of neums, in order that the spirit may be moved by the beautiful sounds*

The standard form in Catholicism to express this "jubilation" became Gregorian Chant, which truly is angelic. Just listen to this: 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYPFkjrkdno
GREGORIAN CHANT-RELAXATION MEDITATION-Haunting spiritual emotional soothing human voice - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MbDqc3x97k
Chant - The Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo De Silos - YouTube




Note the climactic moments when the monks stop singing with words and ascend to "wordless", syllabic sounds of great beauty to express praise for the ineffable, infinite, indescribable God for whom human language is too limiting. 

Here is Amazing Grace sung in the style of Gregorian Chant in English: 

Gregorian Chants - Amazing Grace (**Beautiful Christian song & music**) - YouTube

Apparently, there have been scientific studies which confirm that religious chant can be incredibly soothing and healing for one's mind. There are some that suggest Gregorian Chant to be the most soothing and calming sounds ever produced by humanity, with a noticeable lessening of tension and strain on the heart recorded after patients listened too and meditated with Gregorian Chant.


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## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Jul 25, 2012)

*Compare....*.

à¨‡à¨¹ à¨•à¨¿à¨¹à©œà©€ à¨®à¨°à¨¿à¨†à¨¦à¨¾ à¨¹à©ˆ www.punjabspectrum.com      - YouTube


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## Kanwaljit.Singh (Jul 26, 2012)

These stupid people would keep on dancing till eternity, not realizing that Guru's Shabad has erased itself from the Angs of the Prakash Bir Sahib!


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