By Sri Harold Klemp

Every night when I go to bed, a mockingbird sings outside my window. He works an incredible shift that seems to last all night long. Each night he repeatedly goes through his entire repertoire of about twenty different songs.

Have you ever noticed how something nice can turn sour when you’re not feeling well? For a couple of days I was under the weather, and his songs began to irritate me. I was hoping he would take a night off, but as soon as I got into bed he started singing the same twenty songs, over and over, all night long.

Usually I find listening to the mockingbird a wonderful spiritual exercise. I recognize and accept the beauty of the music that the ECK has provided.

A Song to Tease the Cats

Mockingbirds like to sit up high in a tree or on a light pole. Maybe they like to get above everything so they can look it over. I don’t know if the bird that sings outside of my window does it on purpose to tease the cats, but sometimes it sounds like he’s saying “kitty-kitty-kitty-kitty.”

When a cat starts up the pole, it sounds like the bird is singing “naughty-naughty-naughty-naughty.” At other times he seems to be singing “come here-come here-come here” or “teddy bear-teddy bear-teddy bear.”

Occasionally he likes to imitate a frog— “ribit-ribit-ribit-ribit.” When the mockingbird feels really happy, he’ll sing “pretty-pretty-pretty-pretty.”

Listening to the Mockingbird

When you go to bed, listen in a gentle, calm way to the night sounds. Sometimes you’ll hear the night birds, the hum of air conditioning, the traffic outside, a helicopter flying overhead, or the soft rumble of voices.

Just lie in bed and listen. You hear these different sounds so often that you unconsciously erase them from your mind. Put some attention on them now.

While you listen to these physical sounds, sing HU, and then listen for the sacred sounds of ECK. They come in many forms, sometimes as the ringing or tinkling of bells or the sound of musical instruments.

Try to identify as many different physical sounds as you can. Go to sleep with these sounds in your consciousness, all the while knowing they are part of the HU, the universal Sound which embodies all others.

Listen carefully, because in these sounds you will find the secret name of God.

Excerpted from The Golden Heart and The Spiritual Exercises of ECK, by Sri Harold Klemp