This maybe the main reason why in ancient times the greatest prophets were musicians for instance, Narada, the Hindu prophet was a musician, Shiva is supposed to be the inventor of the Veena, Krishna is always pictured with a flute, Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning is always pictured with a Veena. David, a biblical king and leader, played and had recourse to music at times of pain. The Greek legend Orpheus, the knower of the mystery of tone and rhythm, through his knowledge had the power over the hidden forces of nature. The universe has its essence in music.

Music is movement
The principle expression of life in the beauty that is visible before us is movement or motion. In line, in colour, in the change of seasons, in the wind and the storm, in the rising and falling of waves, in all the beauty of nature there is constant movement. It is this movement which has caused day and night and changing of seasons. Movement has given us the comprehension of what we call “time”. All things we love and admire, observe and comprehend have movement. I feel out of all arts, music is considered to be divine or sacred because it is the exact miniature of the law working through the whole universe. For instance if we look at ourselves we can find that the beats of our pulse and our heart, the inhaling and exhaling of breath and the whole mechanism of the body is the work of Rhythm. Breath manifests as voice, as words, as sound. Our voice is continuous and moving. This also shows that there is music outside and within ourselves. Music inspires not only the soul of the great musicians but every infant as it comes into the world, it begins to move its little arms and legs to the rhythm of music. Therefore it is no exaggeration to say that music moves the world.

Music counter intoxicates the intoxicated
Music intoxicates those who hear it. According to thinkers of the east, there are four different intoxications, they are the intoxication of beauty, youth and strength; the intoxication of wealth; the intoxication of power, of command, the power of ruling; and the fourth intoxication is of knowledge and learning. But all these four intoxications fade away in the presence of the intoxication of music. Music counter intoxicates those intoxicated with strength, wealth, power, and knowledge. The reason is that it touches the deepest part of our being. Music reaches farther than any other expression the external world can reach.

Music is the source of creation
Music is the source of creation and the means of absorbing back to it. The Bible says, “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was God”. Word is esentially sound, voice, music. The Hindu culture has “the Damaru (drums)” in the hands of lord Shiva, which looks like an hour glass and it is attributed to the lord’s famous dancing posture – the Nataraja, it is believed by many that this Damaru produced the first Dhwani (sound), it was born in the void and Shiva danced to the rhythm of this drum which lead to the creation of the universe. Religious traditions also indicate, that on the last day there will be sound of the trumpet before the end of world. Music is not only connected with the beginning of creation, but with its continuity, and with its end.

Music is the first art
Even before an infant is capable of admiring colour or form, it enjoys sound. If there is any art that can charge the youth with life and enthusiasm, with emotions and passion, it is music. If there is any art with which a person can fully express his feelings and emotion, it is music.

The mystics of all ages have loved music the most, in almost all circles of the inner journey, in whatever part of the world they are in; music seems to be the centre of their cult, ceremony or rituals. Those who can attain perfect peace, which is called “Nirvana” or “Samadhi” can do so more easily through music. Therefore the Sufis in the ancient times have taken music as a source of their meditation and they seem to benefit more from meditation with music than those who mediate without the help of music. Music touches different people in different ways; the same music may hit different people differently. Therefore whatever means we choose to bring the different minds of people together, there cannot be a better means of harmonizing them than music. It would be no exaggeration if I said that music alone can be the means by which souls of races, nations and families which are today so apart, may one day be united. The more the musicians be conscious of their mission in the world, the greater will the humanity be. ∎

Charles is a musician. He spends most of his time playing music, he plays for bands, events, and wherever possible. He is a professor of Computer Science.