Searching for the Hidden God: the Intimacy of Sound and Listening among Krishna Devotees in Mayapur
This article looks at how the Krishna devotees in Mayapur, West Bengal, learn how to chant and listen to the sound of the holy name properly. They suggest that if one is ‘pure’ enough and knows how to listen one experiences the syneasthetic level of sound called pashyanti. At this level, one can rea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Sciendo
2016-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/230 |
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| author | Marje Ermel |
| author_facet | Marje Ermel |
| author_sort | Marje Ermel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article looks at how the Krishna devotees in Mayapur, West Bengal, learn how to chant and listen to the sound of the holy name properly. They suggest that if one is ‘pure’ enough and knows how to listen one experiences the syneasthetic level of sound called pashyanti. At this level, one can reach beyond the duality of the ‘hidden and manifested’ worlds, the external and internal levels of sound; and one can ultimately see God face to face. This is also considered a level at which one can realise that the sound of God’s name and God himself are the same. I will focus on how the devotees learn to create this sense of intimacy with God through the sound of his holy name, and argue that listening is not merely a process connected to our auditory sense but rather a creative and engaging activity, a skill that one can develop. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b53b85cfe2434c749eeee524e35801c2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1736-6518 2228-0987 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-06-01 |
| publisher | Sciendo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics |
| spelling | doaj-art-b53b85cfe2434c749eeee524e35801c22025-02-02T17:40:39ZengSciendoJournal of Ethnology and Folkloristics1736-65182228-09872016-06-0110132410.1515/jef-2016-0001141Searching for the Hidden God: the Intimacy of Sound and Listening among Krishna Devotees in MayapurMarje Ermel0Tallinn UniversityThis article looks at how the Krishna devotees in Mayapur, West Bengal, learn how to chant and listen to the sound of the holy name properly. They suggest that if one is ‘pure’ enough and knows how to listen one experiences the syneasthetic level of sound called pashyanti. At this level, one can reach beyond the duality of the ‘hidden and manifested’ worlds, the external and internal levels of sound; and one can ultimately see God face to face. This is also considered a level at which one can realise that the sound of God’s name and God himself are the same. I will focus on how the devotees learn to create this sense of intimacy with God through the sound of his holy name, and argue that listening is not merely a process connected to our auditory sense but rather a creative and engaging activity, a skill that one can develop.https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/230Hare Krishna devoteesreligionsoundskillintimacy |
| spellingShingle | Marje Ermel Searching for the Hidden God: the Intimacy of Sound and Listening among Krishna Devotees in Mayapur Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics Hare Krishna devotees religion sound skill intimacy |
| title | Searching for the Hidden God: the Intimacy of Sound and Listening among Krishna Devotees in Mayapur |
| title_full | Searching for the Hidden God: the Intimacy of Sound and Listening among Krishna Devotees in Mayapur |
| title_fullStr | Searching for the Hidden God: the Intimacy of Sound and Listening among Krishna Devotees in Mayapur |
| title_full_unstemmed | Searching for the Hidden God: the Intimacy of Sound and Listening among Krishna Devotees in Mayapur |
| title_short | Searching for the Hidden God: the Intimacy of Sound and Listening among Krishna Devotees in Mayapur |
| title_sort | searching for the hidden god the intimacy of sound and listening among krishna devotees in mayapur |
| topic | Hare Krishna devotees religion sound skill intimacy |
| url | https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/230 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marjeermel searchingforthehiddengodtheintimacyofsoundandlisteningamongkrishnadevoteesinmayapur |