Beyond words and sounds

What the Method Is

The core instruction for this meditation method is: “Devi, imagine the Sanskrit letters in these honey-filled foci of awareness, first as letters, then more subtly as sounds, then as most subtle feeling. Then, leaving them aside, be free.”. This technique is designed to lead the practitioner beyond the confines of the mind, which is seen as an accumulation of words and thoughts, to a state of pure being.

How It Is Done

This meditation involves a progressive, inward journey, moving backwards through the layers of mental constructs:

  • Visualize Letters: Begin by closing your eyes and imagining your consciousness as a blackboard filled with letters, such as “a, b, c, d…” from any language. Focus on visualizing these letters as written forms within your awareness. This initial step leverages our predominant eye-oriented consciousness.
  • Transition to Sounds: Gradually, shift your focus from the visual letters to their subtle sounds. For instance, instead of seeing “a,” begin to hear the sound “a”. This moves your attention from visual perception to auditory perception internally.
  • Move to Subtle Feelings: Beyond the sounds, delve deeper to perceive the most subtle feeling associated with these sounds. This is a more profound level of experience, as feelings are a link between the mind and the core being, lying beneath the intellect’s direct control.
  • Leave Feelings Aside: This is the final and most crucial step. Once you have reached and experienced the deepest layer of feelings, leave them aside. This is akin to stepping off the last rung of a ladder, allowing you to jump into your pure self.
  • Gradual Practice: It is essential to approach this as a step-by-step process, not trying to achieve everything at once. You must first successfully leave behind philosophies, then thoughts, then words, then letters, then sounds, and only then will you be able to effectively leave feelings behind. Each step needs to be firmly established before moving to the next.
Commentaries and Insights
  • Purpose: Transcending the Mind: The primary goal is to transcend the mind, which Tantra views as the source of human suffering and bondage. The mind is an accumulation of words and borrowed knowledge, creating a false identity. This technique aims to reveal that the self exists beyond words and mental constructs.
  • The Reverse Process: This method employs a reverse psychological process. Normally, human experience moves from feelings to sounds to words (e.g., an emotion leading to a sound, then a word). This technique systematically goes backwards, peeling away layers of mental conditioning to reach the root of being.
  • Identification as Misery: The fundamental problem is identification with the mind and its false constructs, such as philosophies, ideologies, and the ego. This meditation aims to break down this false identity and reveal the “faceless” or “real face” of the self.
  • “Then, be free”: The sutra concludes with “Then, be free”. This “Then” signifies the moment of realization and freedom that arises as a natural by-product of completing the technique, rather than a direct object of pursuit. “Being is freedom; mind is bondage”. When the mind ceases, a different kind of love and reality, without opposites, comes into existence.
  • Mind vs. Being: The mind is a utilitarian instrument for survival, but becoming identified with it means the mind starts using you. Meditation aims to provide a glimpse of that which is not mind, allowing one to use the mind as an instrument without being identified with it.
  • Fear of Feeling and the Void: Individuals are often afraid of feelings because they can lead into chaos and are difficult to control intellectually. The process of dissolving identity and mental constructs can evoke a fear of “not being”, or the “bottomless void” (shunya, as Buddha called it). Overcoming this fear, often with a master’s help, is crucial.
  • Beyond Sects to Humanity: As the practitioner moves deeper into feeling and sheds the layers of words and sounds, they will become less identified with specific religious or sectarian labels (Hindu, Mohammedan, Christian) and more simply a human being, revealing the singular, universal “religion” beyond divided paths.
  • The Inexpressible Truth: The ultimate experience cannot be fully expressed in words. Lao Tzu’s saying, “that which can be said cannot be true, and that which is true cannot be said,” underscores this. Masters often remain silent about the “what” and focus on the “how” (the method). This “soundlessness” or “soundfulness” is the complete, absolute state beyond the dualities of language.
  • Warning Against Superficial Practice: Merely repeating a mantra or engaging in a technique mechanically without inner alertness can lead to boredom, sleep, or a false sense of peace (auto-hypnosis or a tranquilizing effect) rather than genuine spiritual awakening. True silence arises when pent-up energies are released through awareness.
  • Patience and Persistence: Achieving this deep inner transformation takes time and consistent effort. It is not a sudden, effortless jump for most, despite some philosophical schools suggesting no effort is needed. For the ordinary individual, a long journey of purification and preparation is necessary to reach a state where effortlessness becomes possible.
  • Role of the Master: While these are generalized methods, a master can offer individualized initiation and guidance, accelerating the process and helping the disciple navigate the internal shifts. The master can recognize the deeper changes within the disciple even before they are expressed.
  • Connections to Other Concepts: This technique resonates with Zen’s emphasis on “no-mind” or “buddha-mind”, and aligns with the principle that reality is unproblematic and simple, though the mind makes it seem complex. The ultimate state is a total awareness where both the sound and the individual “dissolve” into a larger unity.