Gurudeva’s Voice, Reborn
It’s something we didn’t foresee happening this soon, or perhaps not at all.
Our founder, the late Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, always intended to record himself speaking the edited and published version of his Master Course book trilogy lessons comprising three 1,008-page books–Dancing with Siva, Living with Siva and Merging with Siva. However, his life of service and sadhana was quite busy, and taking the time to properly audio record already-published material was not a top priority. In the final years of his life, he recorded over a hundred lessons from Merging with Siva. He had the monks set up a high-end recording station and every afternoon he would spend an hour or two reading the lessons. He did this for some months. And then, rather suddenly in 2001, after returning from taking 72 Innersearchers through Northern Europe, he learned that it was time to release the physical body. Siva’s Will Be Done.
We created an audio CD of a few chapters from those Merging with Siva recordings, and contented ourselves with that and Gurudeva’s other spontaneous audio talks for a number of years. Now and then we attempted to replicate his voice, but no one could make it work. So we waited.
Just last year, AI capabilities took off. Over a year ago we saw articles popping up about voice cloning AI systems. Feeling that it would be good to research a potential fulfillment of Gurudeva’s original intention, we looked into it. After trying out a few AIs, we found the ElevenLabs model to be quite promising. It wasn’t excellent at the time, but their model has been evolving rapidly, and the results now are quite impressive. We have been able to replicate Gurudeva’s voice to the point that it sounds so accurate those who hear it and who knew him are stunned.
This is only possible because, fortunately, we have good quality recordings of Gurudeva speaking over 100 Merging with Siva lessons. We fed a couple hours of those recordings into the AI. We now have a voice clone that can speak any block of text that we feed into it. Though the voice is technically artificial, we feel the shakti is still present because it is created with the exact tones and style of his original voice.
We plan to gradually create audio files of all the Master Course trilogy lessons, linking them in the web pages and daily lesson emails. Then we’ll continue with Gurudeva’s other books.
One challenge is the use of Sanskrit words sprinkled amongst English. The AI English-language model we use is not able to recognize diacritical marks or long and short vowels to pronounce all the Sanskrit words correctly. Fortunately, ElevenLabs allows us to upload a lexicon text file of individual word replacements. When the AI is voicing a block of text, it checks this file to see if the spelling of any particular word in the block is changed, and then speaks out the changed version. We change the spelling to make it sound more phonetically correct. For example, when the word “jñānī” appears in a Merging with Siva lesson, we change the spelling to “yaanee,” and then the AI pronounces it correctly. This is a slow process, as we have to experiment with various spellings until the AI gets it right. We are gradually building the lexicon now.
We are firmly committed to ensuring that this digital voice is used exclusively for reproducing what Gurudeva actually wrote or said. Crossing this line would not only be confusing but also unjust to all parties involved, including Gurudeva himself.
Enough theory. Below, we are pleased to share a sample of Gurudeva’s digital voice reading from Merging with Siva, lesson one. As the AI model gets more refined, we expect the quality to increase even more.
13 Responses to “Gurudeva’s Voice, Reborn”
From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
April 28th, 2024 at 4:41 pm
“AUM”!.
April 28th, 2024 at 6:12 pm
RemarkabThe sound was truly piercing the heart.AUM.
April 28th, 2024 at 8:26 pm
Gurudeva ! You are back alive !
Jai Gurudeva !
April 28th, 2024 at 11:31 pm
Such a beautiful passage chosen for this trial.
Clearly the use and misuse of AI will radically alter reality as we presently experience it.
April 29th, 2024 at 2:19 am
I missed meeting Gurudeva by 10 years. This is a gift for which I will be forever grateful. I am so excited to listen and read the daily lesson together with his voice. Also, I am thrilled that the Monks are engaging with AI. I am far less apprehensive knowing this. Thank you!
April 29th, 2024 at 6:37 am
Aum Namasivaya
Mahalos for grace given. Am humbled by the heart-penetrating existent power gifted.
During 11th listening this morning (10 pre-sleep), a suggestion arose. Please consider another “halo” perhaps, of Bodhinatha recording his predecessor’s same words…for as with each Satguru Bodhinatha offering, a mystical something is added to what is already full.
Thank you for your successful, determined effort and continuing endeavor to fulfill Gurudeva’s intention.
Aum Jai Ganeśa
April 29th, 2024 at 6:49 am
Jai Ganesha!
Having never met Gurudeva yet wishing/wanting to hear his voice clearly lately was on my mind! Incredible and spiritually penetrating to hear his voice and the message. Thank you Swamis, well done and what a time to be alive!
Aum Namasivaya
Sivayanama Aum
April 29th, 2024 at 5:02 pm
Aum sivaya,
The Swamis have done a great job using AI. The voice of Gurudeva is 99 percent perfect. That is good enough to impress our mind that , that is Gurudeva speaking for sure. I was with Him for over 23 years and I do not see any difference in the voice. This is Gurudeva speaking.
Swamis , keep up the good work. Gurudeva is guiding all of us from the Inner worlds.
Aum Namasivaya.
Jiva Rajasankara
April 30th, 2024 at 11:08 am
So nice that you can amend the pronunciation of certain words. It would be so nice if a similar treatment were applied to the “Lion Sage” audio, because it pronounces many of the words strangely, e.g. “Murugan” sounds like “Muhroogin”
April 30th, 2024 at 6:37 pm
I hope there is room for respectful dissent on this matter. I cannot stomach this as an initiate of Gurudeva’s, and I’m content with what he actually recorded, which was quite voluminous. The AI stuff is meh. That’s not Gurudeva. Enjoy if you like it. I will not be listening.
May 1st, 2024 at 1:55 am
I’m a long term subscriber to HT. I’ve been taught how to live differently. Thank you. This is a good idea- but read a bit too fast, and it does sound a bit AI- inflection is sometimes missing. But I understand why it’s needed.
I’m sure you have Ganesha’s blessing to have done this so well. And Gurudeva’s as well.
Namaste
Ann
May 4th, 2024 at 7:32 am
Jai Ganesha!
Jai Kailasa Paramparai!
Feel compelled to make a comment–to stick to authenticity according to Hindu religion–and a need to meditate at Iraivan Temple for 40/41 days at a future date, makes me overcome the issue of dissent/assent in this matter. Gurudeva, Satguru Bodhinatha and all the Swamis/Monks walk on barefoot and walking on the grounds at Iraivan in itself is worthy of great merits in life. Currently reading a book about Mahatma Gandhi by Robert Payne and Gandhi’s religious beliefs and non-violence is giving me so much joy! Looking forward to a bright spiritual future!
Aum Namasivaya!
Sivayanama Aum!
May 8th, 2024 at 1:37 am
Aum Sivaya
This AI voice of Gurudeva may sound similar but to be more accurate I think there are digital equipments that can make a comparison of the orginal audio and AI audio frequencies to confirm the near accuracy or to whatever tolerance given. Aum