HU, the Song of the Universe

The sound HU is pronounced “YIOU” and allows the Soul to rise. It brings peace, happiness, and understanding. This mantra opens the consciousness, provides protection, and helps one find the path back to the Source.

It is a song of love addressed to God; it is nourishment for the soul. It is said that “HU” is the highest sound that can be produced by the human voice. It is the source of all sounds; it is lost in the mists of time…

• “The mystery of HU is revealed to the Sufi who walks the path of initiation. All these examples point to the origin of God in the word ‘ HU ’ as well as to the life of God in all things and all beings.”
• Excerpt from the book *The Music of Life* by Hazrat Inayat Khan
• "From the breath that flowed from the Creator emerged two syllables, 'HU HU,' and, little by little, the entire universe."
• Excerpt from the book *The Religions of Tibet* by Giuseppe Tucci

Information on the HU Song Recording

This mantra was recorded at Studio Sélecson in the suburbs of Quebec City. Several people participated in this recording, some of whom had been practicing this mantra for over 27 years. To create the impression of a crowd, we recorded it multiple times over several hours—the entire day, in fact—in 15-minute intervals, and then layered the recordings together. During the recording, some participants wore headphones, which allowed us to maintain the pitch of the universal A note at 440 cycles per second. The resonance creates the impression of a vast, cathedral-like cavern found in the Himalayas or the echo that the Himalayan mountain ranges reflect back to us in certain places, particularly in the Shangta Valley at the Tirmir Oracle in northern Tibet, where sound and light unite on certain special occasions. At the time of recording, the following Masters were present energetically: Fubbi Quantz, Gopal Das, Kata Daki, Lai Tsi, Peddar Zask, Rami Nuri, Towart Managi, Wah Z, Yaubl Saccabi, and Rébazar Tarzs. It was a captivating and enriching experience for all participants. Listening to this mantra with headphones allows us to fully appreciate its power and magnificence.

About the music in the play: The Sounds of the Universe

Music is meant to be a reminder of the sounds found on the various levels of creation—such as the murmur of a stream, the roar of a torrent, the sound of bagpipes, thousands of violins, the crash of thunder, the ringing of bells, the buzzing of bees, the rustling of the wind in the trees, a single note on a flute, a deep rumble, etc.—all of which are, in fact, contained within the universal mantra HU.

In closing, let us note that this sound belongs to the Universe and transcends all religious and spiritual beliefs. It is a sound of protection, a song of love for God.

The HU Chant

Excerpt from the book *ATMA, the Power of Love*, pp. 101–111

EXPLANATION The HU chant is an exercise in contemplation. Contemplation consists of “focusing one’s attention on something,” whether it be God, the Holy Spirit, or a spiritually elevated being. Through this principle, I seek to develop or manifest the qualities of God, the Holy Spirit, or a spiritually elevated being. Contemplation is an active mental process that is very reassuring for us Westerners. Through this principle, I become that upon which I focus my attention. All I need to do is sit in a comfortable position with my back straight. I close my eyes and chant the mantra HU (pronounced: YOU-OU-OU) as I exhale, for five to twenty minutes a day. The syllable HU is a song of love addressed to God. The idea is to focus my attention on my third eye—that is, the spot between my eyebrows, at the root of my nose. While keeping my eyes closed, I look as if there were an imaginary coin placed there, “with attention,” as if I were gazing at it without straining but with a certain interest. At the same time, I think of God, the Holy Spirit, or a spiritually elevated being. I can visualize the word GOD or the word HU.

If no conscious experience occurs after twenty minutes, it’s best to simply stop. Besides, the fact that I don’t consciously feel anything doesn’t mean that nothing is happening inside me... I can illustrate this with a day spent in the sun on the beach. Even if the wind prevents me from feeling the heat on my skin, the fact remains that the sun is warming it. The goal of this exercise is to open my consciousness in a natural, harmonious way, in line with my own progress. Thus, I can continue the experience if I’m aware of what’s happening during contemplation—for example, if a light appears in my third eye, an image appears on my mental screen, and so on.

When I practice contemplation, I “focus” my inner bodies toward a spiritual goal. It is as if I were made up of billions of tiny magnets magnetically oriented toward a lofty spiritual goal; my entire body—all my bodies—become a compass that guides me toward a single goal: Self-realization, and ultimately, the realization of God.

During this exercise, my inner vision perceives different colors or landscapes. Similarly, my inner ear hears sounds such as the murmur of a stream, the sound of bagpipes, thousands of violins, the roar of thunder, the ringing of bells, the buzzing of bees, the rustling of the wind in the trees, and so on. These images and sounds represent all the elements associated with different planes of creation. It is said that the sound “HU” contains the highest vibrations the human voice can produce. Furthermore, the mantra is believed to possess protective qualities that can be drawn upon when recited in dangerous situations.

The following is a translation of the previous page.

The HU page
“HU is the ancient name for God, a song of love to God. When the Soul hears this sound, the Soul longs to return home.” Sri Harold Klemp
This page is lovingly dedicated to preserving all documentary references to HU in the world. “When one person is united with the essence of another, to speak of it is to breathe the name HU—emptied of self, filled with love.” Jalal al-Din Rumi

-The poetry of Jalal al-Din Rumi
-The writings of Sri Harold Klemp
-Other Sufi sources
-The writings of Sri Paul Twitchell
-Secular texts
-The official ECKANKAR website of the HU

Here are a few excerpts that have been translated:

Excerpt from the book:
“The Whirling Dervishes: An Introduction to the Sufi Order Known as the Mevlevis and Its Founder, the Poet and Mystic Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi,” by Shems Friedlander “When the Sheikh reaches his platform, he prostrates himself, sits on the platform, and kisses the ground. All the whirling dervishes sit down and are then draped in their cloaks by those who did not participate in the fourth selam. They have returned to their tombs but in an altered state of consciousness. The Sheikh recites the Fatiha, the first surah of the Quran, and all the dervishes kiss the ground and rise. The Sheikh then recites a prayer to Mevlana and Shams Tabriz and intones the sound “ HU.” The dervishes join him, intoning “ HU ” in turn, a sound that embodies all the names of God.”

Excerpt from the book:
“The Music of the Sixth” by Hazrat Inayat Khan “The mystery of HU is revealed to the Sufi who walks the path of initiation. Truth—the knowledge of God—is called ‘haqq’ by a Sufi. If we divide the word ‘haqq’ into two parts, its assonant sounds become ‘hu ek,’ where HU means ‘God’ or ‘truth,’ and EK, in Hindustani, means ‘one.’ Taken together, they express one God and one truth. “Haqiqat,” in Arabic, denotes essential truth; “hakim” means “master” and also “knowing,” all of these words expressing the essential characteristics of life. “
” “Hur,” in Arabic, refers to the beauties of the heavens; its true meaning is the expression of celestial beauty. “Zahur,” in Arabic, means “manifestation,” especially that of God in nature. “ “Ahura Mazda” is the name of God known to the Zoroastrians. The first word, “Ahura,” evokes “HU,” upon which the entire name is built.” “All these examples point to the origin of God in the word “ HU ” as well as to the life of God in all things and all beings. “Jehovah was originally ‘Yahwa,’ with ‘ya’ evoking the sounds ‘oh’ and ‘hu,’ but when the sound first takes shape on the external plane, it becomes ‘a.’ This is why “alif” or “alpha” is considered the first expression of “HU,” the primordial word. (pp. 27–29).”

Excerpt from the book:

“The Religions of Tibet” by Giuseppe Tucci “The figure of the Creator, who corresponds to the Ishvara of certain Shaivite schools, bears various names, including sNang ba ód Idan, Kun snang khyab pa, and khri khug rgyal po. What he creates has two aspects: the external world (phyi snod) and what is contained within it (bcud)—a division that corresponds, in India, to that between bhajana-loka and sattva-loka. The cosmology associated with it is certainly very ancient and is built from start to finish on a dualistic foundation. From the breath that flowed from the Creator emerged two syllables, “HU HU,” and, gradually, the entire universe.”

Excerpt from the book:

“The Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses” by George Hart: “HU: The god who personifies the authority of a command.” “ HU was born from a drop of blood that fell from the phallus of the sun god Ra. ” “When, according to Pyramid Age theology, the king becomes a solitary star, his companion is HU. Royal authority is maintained in the afterlife by HU, who acknowledges the king’s supremacy and allows the monarch to cross the waters of his canal. ” “It is tempting to correlate HU with the power of Ptah’s tongue in the Memphite creation legend, which commands the birth of the universe at the instigation of Ptah’s heart.” (p. 97)

Excerpt from the book :

“Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Sketch of Masonic, Hermetic, Kabbalistic, and Rosicrucian Philosophy” by Manly P. Hall “Godfrey Higgins asserts that HU, the Mighty One, regarded as the first colonizer of Great Britain, came from a place that the Welsh Triads call ‘the land of summer,’ the present-day site of Constantinople. Albert Pike states that the Lost Word of Freemasonry is hidden in the name of the Druidic god HU. The little information we have about the secrets of Druidic initiations indicates a definite similarity between their Mystery School and those of Greece and Egypt. HU, the Sun God, was murdered, and then, after a series of trials and mystical rituals, was brought back to life.”

Excerpt from the book:
“The Flute of God” by Sri Paul Twitchell “By filling our world with the creative sound HU—the unknown name of God—we become a channel for the Divine Spirit. When this sound is used properly—whether spoken aloud or in silence—the Creative Soul enables our Soul to ride the divine vibrations to traverse all realms of time and space and thus reach our glorious destination. ” (p. 84) “The spirit, the Voice of HU – HU is often referred to as SUGMAD1—which is the true name of God in the higher realms—and possesses a great quality: that of creating an effect. As it flows through the worlds, from its source at the center of all creation, far above the earthly world, it requires channels, and it works through Souls.” (p. 86) “The Ancients developed sound before any other study of the Spirit. Thus, music became the first of the arts to come into the world. Music is but a branch of the Song of SUGMAD, the HU, the All-Existent.” (p. 91)

Excerpt from the book:
“Be the HU” by Sri Harold Klemp “In every moment of your life, you must be the HU. This is about much more than simply chanting ‘HU.’ It is about being the HU. This Sound must always be within your atoms. It must be with you when you’re driving, when you’re at work, when you’re at home having a meal with your family. You and the HU must be one. And as you identify more and more with the HU, you’ll discover how much more joyful your life becomes. ” “I have used many words to try to show you something. I cannot
describe the truth to you in words. I can give you ideas; I can give you images. Here is the one I offer you: live your life as if you were one with HU, so that every moment of your life becomes a spiritual practice. When you speak to a stranger, when you are with those you love, you are engaged in spiritual practice. You live and evolve within the body of ECK2.” “And as an atom of the body of ECK, there is a sound that comes from you. That sound is HU. That sound does not merely come from you—it is you. You must know that this body you have is merely a shield, a barrier—a heavy, coarse shield, and a barrier that tries to prevent you from hearing and seeing your true identity as Soul. ” (p. 278)
Excerpt from the book: “The Message of the Sphinx” by Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval “When speaking of the Sphinx, the ancient Egyptians frequently used the Harranian derivative ‘hwl’; but they also knew it by many other names: ‘HU,’ for example…” (p. 5)
Participants’ Comments The HU chant is wonderful to listen to, especially when I’m meditating, but also when I want to raise the vibrations in my room. For meditation, this chant helps me reconnect with my own center; it carries me away on waves of Peace and Love. Sometimes I sing it by myself, but I prefer to sing it in a group. It’s a powerful tool for rejuvenation! Thank you! V.R.

I listen to it in the morning and evening at regular intervals. In the morning, it helps me start my day with a sense of calm, far from the stress of appointments, work, worries, and so on. This way, I extend my rest and begin my day in a more relaxed state, more connected to my true self… When evening comes, listening to this soft, uplifting music helps me fall asleep quickly and puts me in a state where dreaming is possible again. J.D.

This song is very effective at helping me refocus. When I sing, at first the vibration makes me feel as if I’m dissolving, but then it grounds me and restores a great deal of inner strength and stability. It’s very effective. C.L.

This technique helps me find my center. It opens me up to love and peace. It allows me to enjoy a wonderful day or a restful night. A wonderful life, in other words… A.P.

As I write this, I’m listening to the HU chant, and I still find it just as wonderful and inspiring as ever! I feel as if I’m back in Tibet, with the Buddhist monks. This HU chant connects me to that part of myself that longs for greater openness, harmony, peace, and wisdom. I play the HU chant in a room when I feel the mood is heavy, and it really clears the air. When I need to get back to what’s essential in my life, I listen to the HU chant, which reconnects me to my divinity. It helps me refocus when I tend to get distracted. Sometimes I might listen to the HU chant all afternoon because I feel I need it. Afterward, I feel more at peace. I feel more filled with thoughts of love toward myself and others. M.L.