Listening to Silence

Listen past every sound to the silence underneath; let hearing rest in it.

How to practice

1. 1Sit and let sounds come and go without naming them.
2. 2Behind and between the sounds, sense the silence they appear in.
3. 3Let attention rest on the silence rather than the sounds.
4. 4The silence has no location and no edge — settle into it.

Terms in this technique

nāda

The inner, unstruck sound; subtle vibration.

śūnya

Void, emptiness — not nothingness but open, contentless awareness.

śabda

Sound, word — both spoken and inner.

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)