This powerful meditation mentioned in Vigyan Bhairav Tantra text uses a sacred sound as a “springboard” to launch the awareness from a prolonged vibration into the absolute silence of the Void, achieving union with the Supreme Energy.
The Sacred Bridge: From Sound to Void
Lord Shiva gives an instruction involving the most universally recognized sacred sound in Hinduism:
O Goddess, chant AUM, etc., slowly. Concentrate on the void at the end of the protracted sound. Then with the supreme energy of the void, one goes to the Void. (Verse 39)
This technique leverages the principle that sound and silence are “two sides of the same coin”. By maximally tensing and then completely releasing the attention, the mind is propelled deeper into silence than it might otherwise achieve.
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The Sound: The verse specifies AUM, but the “etc.” refers to other sacred sounds like Hum and Hrim.
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The Goal: To use the sound to arrive at the Void (God/Supreme Reality) that follows the sound.
Practice Instructions (The Chanting and Release)
This meditation requires a quiet environment to properly perceive the subtle transition to silence:
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Chant Slowly and Protracted:Â Sit comfortably with eyes closed and chant AUM (or Aum, Hum, Hrim)Â slowly. The focus should be on protracting the sound, particularly the ‘M’ component (e.g., Aummmm).
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Focus on the Void: The moment the audible sound and its subtle internal vibration finally end, the practitioner must immediately concentrate on the resulting silence or “void”. This junction point between sound and silence is described as a subtle point that requires “increased awareness to notice it”.
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Absorption in Silence: Continue the process—chant, then concentrate on the silence. A point will come when the meditator is “completely absorbed” in the silence, where further chanting is no longer needed.
The Power of the Void
The commentary explains that this method is doubly powerful because the mantra AUM is, by itself, sufficient to take the practitioner to God. The use of the sound as a springboard into silence accelerates the process.
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Mind’s Support Loss:Â The concentration on the void deprives the mind of its support (the thought/sound), causing it to fall silent.
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Supreme Energy of the Void: By concentrating on the void, the meditator will experience peace and joy, eventually being “transported to another level,” where they feel a deep sense of bliss.
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The Result: Going to the Void: The ultimate outcome is to “go to the Void”—to go to God—as the void/silence makes the mind completely silent and the practitioner becomes liberated.