A method for those with a sensitive ear
Center on the sound “AUM” without any “A” or “M”, just the “U” remains. You have to intone Aum, and you have to feel in this Aum three sounds separately: A-U-M. Intone Aum, and in the sound you have to feel three sounds – A-U-M. They are there, infused together. A very delicate ear can be aware, can hear A-U-M separately while intoning. They are separate – very close, but separate. If you cannot hear them separately, then this technique cannot be done. Your ears will have to be trained for it.
So in the beginning you may feel it to be difficult, but try. Intone Aum, go on intoning it, feeling A-U-M. Three sounds are combined together in it: Aum is a synthesis of three sounds. Once you start feeling them differently, then drop ”A” and ”M”. Then you cannot say Aum: ”A” will be dropped, ”M” will be dropped. Then ”U” will remain. Why? What will happen?
The real thing is not the mantra. It is not A-U-M or the dropping. The real thing is your sensitivity. First you become sensitive of three sounds, which is very difficult. And when you become so sensitive that you can drop the ”A” and ”M” and only the middle sound remains, in this effort you will lose your mind. You will be so much engrossed in it, so deeply attentive to it, so sensitive to it, that you will forget to think. And if you think, you cannot do this.
This is just a method to make you very delicately aware of the subtle nuances of sound. Just doing this, you will forget Aum. Not only will ”A” drop, not only will ”M” drop, but one day suddenly you will also drop, and there will be soundlessness, and you will be a newborn buddha sitting under a tree.
The wind is blowing outside – it has a sound. ”Concentrate on it. Feel all the nuances, the changes: when the sound is angry, when the sound is furious, when the sound is compassionate, when the sound is loving, when the sound is strong, when the sound is delicate. This is just an indirect way to bring you out of your head. So many ways have been tried, and they look very simple. You wonder, ”What can happen? Nothing will happen by such simple methods.” But miracles happen, because it is just indirect. Your mind is being focused on something very subtle. If you focus, you cannot go on thinking; mind will drop. Suddenly one day you will become aware, and you will wonder what has happened.