Sing a Silent Song
“’I am silent, father. I want to sing a song to you while I am silent.’
“’Sing it. I am mind.’
“’I understand mind, Hermes. You cannot be known, since you stay in yourself. I am happy, father. I see you laughing. The universe is happy. No creature will lack your life, for you are the lord of the inhabitants everywhere. Your forethought keeps watch. I call you father, eternal realm of eternal realms, great divine spirit, who through spirit sends moisture on everyone. What do you tell me, father Hermes?’
“’Child, I say nothing about this. It is right before God for us to be silent about what is hidden.’ “’Trismegistos, don’t let my soul be deprived of the great, divine vision. Everything is possible for you as master of the universe.’
“ ‘Praise again, child, and sing while you are silent. Ask what you want in silence.’
“When he finished praising, he called out, ‘Father Trismegistos, what shall I say? We have received this light, and I myself see this same vision in you. I see the eighth, and the souls in it, and the angels singing a song to the ninth and its powers. I see the one with the power of them all, creating those in the spirit.’ ‘From now on it is good for us to remain silent, with head bowed.
“’From now on do not speak about the vision. It is fitting to sing a song to the father till the day of leaving the body.’ ‘What you sing, father, I also want to sing.’
“’I am singing a song in myself. While you rest, praise. You have found what you seek.’ ‘But is it right, father, for me to praise when my heart is filled?’
“’What is right is for you to sing praise to God so it may be written in this imperishable book.’
“’I shall offer up the praise in my heart as I invoke the end of the universe and the beginning of the beginning, the God of the human quest, the immortal discovery, the producer of light and truth, the sower of reason, the love of immortal life.’” ~The Discourse on the Eighth and the Ninth: Nag Hammadi Library
A Silent Song
How can anyone sing a silent song? As Hermes indicates, you sing it in your mind. We all do sing silent songs. We hear an old favorite on the radio and we mentally sing it for hours after. Or sometimes a song just pops into our head and we can’t help mentally singing it for a while. And there are times when this is the best way to sing a song.
First, we have to notice that Hermes’ definition of a song seems to be somewhat more general than that of most people today. It seems that chanting, humming, or even talking mentally would qualify as a silent song to him. And that is probably as it should be.
Sometimes, we find it difficult to find the time to practice spiritual techniques, affirmations, meditations, prayers, and so on. But if we can do it silently, that makes it much easier. When we are on a train, bus, or car heading for work, we can sing the song in our mind as we go. If we are practicing sun gazing, but other people get too close, we can chant a silent song rather than verbalizing it. Continue reading “Silent Song for the Mind and the Soul”