OM SHANTI - HARI OM TAT SAT (PEACE) ©Les Julian

Описание

(Les Julian, singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist, entertainer, chanter, meditator)

I was taught to chant OM Shanti by Dhyan Yogi Madhusudandas (Guruji). It means "peace" which is a great thing to wish for oneself and others. I enjoy asking kids when I work in elementary schools what they think "peace" means and usually the answers that top the list are: peace is when we get along with each other; being quiet; and sharing. Most adults say pretty much the same. Beautiful answers but OM Shanti is what Christ referred to as the peace that passeth all understanding. It is the goal of prayer, meditation and Yoga and life really. It is the deep stillness where our judgments, labels and preferences, if there at all, simply float by unchosen, in choiceless awareness. Energy follows attention and when we put our full attention on OM Shanti we go energetically beyond our self images to experience our true nature, the Self.

Guruji advised that focus and intent when chanting were most important but pronunciation was as well. Usually I hear Shanti pronounced Shan-tee. He recommended that Shanti be pronounced Shan-tee-ee the "ee" being very slight but there. It had to do with Matrica Shakti, the causal energy in and of words. I tried for this pronunciation when singing the vocals. You should sing it any way that feels most comfortable and allows you to go deep.

I had fun recording this. It started off as the classical guitar triplet riff you hear at the beginning of the recording with Shanti sung over it. I was recording in my studio which looks out at Boca Ciega Bay when a power boat came speeding by happily blasting Reggae music. WHOA MON?! RASTA SHANTI! YAH MON! SHANTI TO YOU MON!