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SoundVoidVerse 39beginner

The Sound That Ends in Silence

Intone a sound aloud, then inwardly; follow its fading tail into soundless awareness.

Source verse · Verse 39
ॐ
praṇava / oṃ
Intone a sound aloud, then inwardly; follow its fading tail into soundless awareness.
▶ Practice this technique5 / 10 / 15 min · eyes closed

How to practice

  1. 1Sound a long, soft tone — AUM or any vowel — and let it fill the chest.
  2. 2Repeat it more quietly, then only inwardly.
  3. 3Follow the tail of the sound as it fades, thinner and thinner.
  4. 4When the sound is gone, rest in the silence it leaves — that is the doorway.
Practice note. The technique is not the chanting; it is the silence after. The sound is only the run-up to the gap.

Terms in this technique

nāda
The inner, unstruck sound; subtle vibration.
śabda
Sound, word — both spoken and inner.
śūnya
Void, emptiness — not nothingness but open, contentless awareness.
praṇava
The syllable AUM/oṃ, the primordial sound.

Sources consulted

  • Jaideva Singh, Vijñānabhairava: The Manual for Self-Realization (Motilal Banarsidass, 1979)
  • Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati, Sri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra (Yoga Publications Trust, 2003)
  • Osho, The Book of Secrets (St. Martin’s Griffin, 1998)
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