Center on AUM Without A or M
किञ्चिद्ङ्गं विभाव्य हृदि रुद्ध्वा धारणां ततः । किञ्चिद्देशे शरीरस्य ध्यायतश्चिन्तया चिता ॥
kinchidangam vibhavya hrdi ruddhva dharanam tatah | kinchiddeshe sharirasya dhyayatascintaya cita ||
VBT Verse 67
The Sutra
"Center on the sound AUM without any A or M."
Paul Reps translation, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (1957)
Understanding
AUM has three sounds: A, U, M. Remove the A and the M. What remains? Only the U - the humming vibration in the middle. But go deeper: remove even the U. What remains is the pure vibration before it becomes any letter at all. This is the Anahat - the soundless sound, the vibration of existence itself. This technique strips away the form of mantra to reveal its formless essence.
Original Sanskrit
किञ्चिद्ङ्गं विभाव्य हृदि रुद्ध्वा धारणां ततः । किञ्चिद्देशे शरीरस्य ध्यायतश्चिन्तया चिता ॥
kinchidangam vibhavya hrdi ruddhva dharanam tatah | kinchiddeshe sharirasya dhyayatascintaya cita ||
Vijnanabhairava Verse 67 (Technique 44 of 112)
How to Practice
Begin by chanting AUM normally a few times to establish the vibration.
Now drop the opening A sound. Begin directly with the U-M vibration.
Now drop the closing M sound. Only the middle vibration remains.
This is not any letter. It is pure hum, pure vibration.
Let even this vibration become subtler until it is felt rather than heard.
You are now centered on the essence of AUM - the vibration that exists before, between, and after all sounds.
Duration
15-25 minutes
Best Time
Pre-dawn silence
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