Ajahn Sumedho - Sound of silence

[@alanarcher]

This is very interesting to me. I first discovered this 'sound of silence' when I was a kid, because I've always had a hard time sleeping. At night, when I couldn't sleep, I would hear this very faint whistling sound and thought to myself, 'This is the sound of the universe', and that would put me to sleep in no time. Now I'm 36 and I hear Luang Por Sumedho talking exactly about that. This is outstanding.

[@golgipogo]

Interested in this. My teacher in 1972-73 was Rudrananda (Rudi). He spoke of this high-pitched constant sound as the “Om Sound” by which he meant a cosmic resonance that one could use for a connection, an access. I was 23 yo. The sound was clear, always present, useful. I still hear it and use it similarly. It is wonderful to listen to Ajahn Samedho speak of this sound of silence.

[@Divinegame580]

Wow.. more wisdom from the Masters..💞💗

[@kathri1006]

This practice can be used skilfully to cut across vittakka, vichara of the mind.

[@golgipogo]

How may I send an email to Ajahn Sumedho? Any help appreciated. Thanks

[@pennyblackwell6838]

I do not understand 'the sound of silence'. I have the sound of silence whenever I wish it to be there (it is not tinnitus) but what then? I do not understand the benefit of being in the silence for a long time. Can somebody explain?

[@Abornazine_]

Penny Blackwell🕳🕳🕳🕳🕳 i see it as just another object...you have four foundations of mindfulness (ie that help it develop and remain) . Hearing Is one aspect of the first foundation (5 senses). The later foundations deal with consciousness on other levels. Sound, breath, sight, taste, touch, feelings, perceptions consciousness itself. All are dhamma for the mind to attend to but the mind/heart is really what practitioners are actually cultivating...what is the mind doing aside from attending to the object... “To bring it into consciousness is really the whole point”. Ajahn Sumedho. He makes it clear to watch the mind ....making a bigger thing than it actually is....oh look at me... i discovered a primal sound etc Starts explanation around 16:03

[@mamatagautam2289]

Listen to ISHWAR PURI - SANT MAT

[@kathri1006]

The practice of sound of silence is to teach the mind to experience the paradox that exists at the same time at an experiential level. It is like the darkness at the end of light. Light exists with the darkness. The mind is used to binary way of experiencing things unless challenged by these practices. It teaches also the edge of experience of the sense perception of sound and due to infinity of conditional realm and conciousness we can real time perceive this change, which keeps disappearing when the edge is sought, the illusory changing nature of one sense perception ie sound, the nature that is common to all senses. With continued practice ,the holding of experience, how it manifest as elements, the commonality of all sense experiencing as earth, fire, water, and air, space and conciousness etc all changing, can be perceived. As the experience sharpens the vivid nature of all senses disappear and things appear as this way, which again is illusory, but a thinned down version. So the need for continual thrill seeking disappear and there is a peace of a kind. Still this is within the conditioned realm but then one can learn how we reinforce this process through fear, desire grasping etc and the suffering we create for us. By relinquishing this doing, we can release 'self' from the burden of grasping and when learnt to realise there is only awareness/ conciousness and there is this limited self driven perception that is unsatisfactorily. Also there is the awareness due to the immediate death of sense phenomena at the receptor level before perception by the brain, due to sensory delay, which we hold dearly as self (a dead thing like the light of a dead star, long gone) and the emptiness of all conditioned phenomena and the grasped.

[@Divinegame580]

@@kathri1006 ty so much

[@S.Anderson-Bey]

Keep practicing and investigating for yourself.

[@AjarnSpencer]

It is true that it is not in the scripture, probably or possibly because it is a side - effect of Jhana, not the Goal. Sound of silence is one of many side effects of Jhana absorption. The phenomena and Nimittas which arise for the practitioner to behold, are manyfold, and different with each individual, hence, no particular side effect should be taught as 'the' method of attaining Jhana Access.

[@AjarnSpencer]

I found a book by Ajarn Ajahn Sumedho on the sound of silence years ago as i first discovered that i have a constant high pitched sound in my ears/head, but that it was not Tinnitus illness, nor was it bothersome, and that it would become stronger the more still my mind was, but that however loud or quiet it was, its presence meant that stillness of mind was in some degree present, if not, the sound would not be noticeable. I still have the sound, and can hear it roaring silence in my head like an echo of a shout in a cave or a dog whistle, as i type. It has never left me since the first day it happened. and has been my constant companion since then.. the sound of silence.

[@S_alva]

So what do you think, was it wrong of Ajahn Sumedho to talk about this sound? Do any Buddhist texts mention this phenomena?

[@dbqpOO]

it's mentioned in "The Hatha Yoga Pradipika" chapter “On Samādhi",and in Surangama sutra.

[@Abornazine_]

Sound is sound. It isn’t a particular sound...its the sound that is always there a hum of a rarely really silent world... it is just another object. Nothing more. Transient, impermanent...but a useable tool..for the mind to attend to when practicing...similar to the breath...an object (a sensory one) for bare awareness....

[@bcatyahoo]

It is not jhana, not a nimitta. It is just a meditation object, just like you use any sensation as described in the mindfulness of the body section of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. It can be also used for reflection, on impermanent and not-self.