Aum

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AUM is one of the basic sounds. A-U-M: these three sounds are combined in it. A-U-M are three basic sounds. All sounds are made of them or derived from them; all sounds are combinations of these three sounds. So these three are basic. They are as basic as the claim of physics that the electron, neutron and proton are basic. This has to be deeply understood.

The intoning of a sound is a very subtle science. First you have to intone it loudly, outwardly. Then others can hear it, and it is good to start loudly. Why? Because you can also hear it clearly when you intone it loudly: because whatsoever you say, it is to others—and this has become a habit. Whenever you are talking you are talking to others, and you hear yourself talk only when you are talking to others. So start from the natural habit.

Intone the sound ‘Aum’, then by and by, feel attunement with the sound.

When you intone the sound Aum, be filled with it. Forget everything else. Become the Aum, become the sound. And it is very easy to become the sound because sound can vibrate through your body, through your mind, through your whole nervous system. Feel the reverberation of Aum. Intone it and feel it as if your whole body is being filled with it, every cell is vibrating with it.

And when you begin to feel harmonious with it, you can drop intoning loudly. Then close your lips and intone it inwardly, but inwardly also first try loudly. Intone inwardly, but loudly, so that the sound spreads all over your body, touches every part, every cell of your body. You will feel vitalized by it, you will feel rejuvenated, you will feel a new life entering you, because your body is a musical instrument. It needs harmony, and when the harmony is disturbed you

are disturbed.

That is why, when you hear music, you feel good. Why do you feel good? What is music but just some harmonious sounds! Why do you feel such a well- being when there is music around you? And when there is chaos, noise, why do you feel so disturbed? You yourself are deeply musical. You are an instrument, and that instrument re-echoes things.

If a sound is musical, harmonious, subtle, then you will have to listen to it inside and you will have to be very alert to listen to it. If you are not alert, you will go to sleep and miss the whole point. That is the problem with mantra, with any chanting, with any use of sound: it can create sleep. It is a subtle tranquilizer. If you continuously repeat any sound without being alert about it, you will fall asleep because then the repetition becomes mechanical. ‘Aum-Aum-Aum’ becomes mechanical, and then repetition creates boredom.

So two things have to be done: sound has to be slowed down and you have to become more alert. The more sound becomes subtle, the more alert you are.

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