Sacred Music
Definition
The structural-articulation of music as contemplative-practice and ritual-instrument. Sacred Music names the broader contemplative-discipline of music cultivated as practice and as ritual-instrument; the discipline operates through specific articulations across many tradition-articulations and supports the broader Music of the Net and Šerath articulations at the practitioner-articulation.
Literal meaning
The structural-discipline of music as contemplative-and-ritual-practice. Sacred Music articulates the broader-tradition's recognition of music as contemplative-resource; the discipline operates through specific-articulations: chant, instrumental-music, vocal-music, and the broader articulation of music as cosmic-articulation-bridge.
Esoteric meaning
Sacred Music articulates the structural-feature that the broader contemplative-tradition has recognized as *music-as-cosmic-articulation*. The structural-recognition is that music operates as bridge-articulation between cosmic-substrate and human-articulation; the broader Music of the Net articulation operates through Sacred Music at the practitioner-articulation, and the broader Šerath (Bridge of Voice) articulation engages Sacred Music at the bridge-articulation.
Allegorical meaning
A specific-river of sound that articulates structurally-coherent cosmic-correspondence: the river operates as continuous-articulation, the structural-features of the music engage cosmic-resonance, and the structural-recognition is that the music operates as bridge-articulation between cosmic-source and human-engagement.
Extended meaning
Sacred Music articulates several specific structural-features: (1) The discipline operates across many specific tradition-articulations; Hindu *bhajan* and *kīrtan*, Sufi *qawwali*, Christian-monastic chant (Gregorian, Byzantine, broader-traditions), Buddhist chant-traditions, and the broader cross-tradition articulations of sacred-music; (2) The discipline integrates with the broader Music of the Net articulation; the cosmic-music that the broader articulation names operates through Sacred Music at the practitioner-articulation; (3) The discipline integrates with the broader Šerath (Bridge of Voice) articulation; the bridge-of-voice operates through Sacred Music at the bridge-articulation; (4) The discipline supports the broader ceremonial-architecture; many specific ceremonies operate through Sacred Music articulation. The relationship to *Music of the Net*, *Šerath*, *Mantra Practice*, *Sacred Text Recitation*, *Tonal Body*, *Hekā'i*, and the broader practice articulations is structural.
*Sacred Music* articulates the music-as-practice contemplative-discipline. The article complements *Music of the Net*, *Šerath*, *Mantra Practice*, *Sacred Text Recitation*, *Tonal Body*, *Hekā'i*, and the broader practice articulations.
Usage
A practitioner encounters Sacred Music in the broader articulation of contemplative-discipline and in specific contexts of music-as-practice work.
Ritual usage
Many ceremonies include Sacred Music as foundational ritual-articulation. The broader articulation of chant-and-music in ceremonies operates through Sacred Music.
Comparative tradition
Hindu *bhajan* and *kīrtan* traditions. Sufi *qawwali* tradition. Christian-monastic chant (Gregorian, Byzantine, the broader Christian-monastic traditions). Buddhist chant-traditions. The various tradition-specific articulations of sacred-music.
Science correspondence
The contemporary contemplative-neuroscience research on chant-and-music physiological-effects. The cardiac-coherence research at the HeartMath Institute on music-induced coherence.