Intone AUM - Enter Soundfulness
तन्त्र्यादिवाद्यशब्देषु दीर्घेषु क्रमसंस्थितेः । अनन्यचेतसः प्राप्ते परे व्योम्नि प्रवेशनम् ॥
tantryaadivaadyashabdeshu deerghesu kramasamsthiteh | ananyacetasah prapte pare vyomni praveshanam ||
VBT Verse 62
The Sutra
"Intone a sound, as AUM. Slowly, as sound enters soundfulness, so do you."
Paul Reps translation, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (1957)
Understanding
Chant AUM (or any sacred sound) out loud. As the sound continues, it moves from mere vocalization to "soundfulness" - a state where the sound takes over and you merge with it. You begin chanting the sound, but at some point, the sound begins chanting you. This is the gateway from effort to effortlessness, from doing to being.
Original Sanskrit
तन्त्र्यादिवाद्यशब्देषु दीर्घेषु क्रमसंस्थितेः । अनन्यचेतसः प्राप्ते परे व्योम्नि प्रवेशनम् ॥
tantryaadivaadyashabdeshu deerghesu kramasamsthiteh | ananyacetasah prapte pare vyomni praveshanam ||
Vijnanabhairava Verse 62 (Technique 39 of 112)
How to Practice
Sit comfortably. Take a deep breath and begin chanting AUM out loud.
A - feel the sound arise from the belly. U - feel it rise to the chest. M - feel it vibrate in the head.
Continue chanting, letting each AUM merge into the next. Do not rush.
Gradually, the chanting will become more natural, less effortful. The sound takes on its own life.
"Soundfulness" means: the sound is no longer something you are doing. It is doing itself through you.
When this shift happens, you enter the sound. The boundary between chanter and chant dissolves.
After stopping the chant, sit in the silence that follows. That silence is even deeper than the sound.
Duration
15-30 minutes
Best Time
Brahma Muhurta (pre-dawn) or sunset
Related Techniques
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