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The Unstruck Sound CBS 520: History of Buddhism

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The Unstruck Sound: A Buddhist Perspective Ozmo Piedmont Prajna Institute for Buddhist Studies March 1, 2012

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction Personal account Hindu Origins: AUM David Gordon Londhe Edward Salim Michael 2. Mantrayana: AUM Mantra Dalai Lama Kongtrul Namkai Norbu 3. Buddhist Texts Theravada Mahaa-sakuludaayisutta Mahali sutta Mahayana Shurangama Sutra 4. Teachers and Teachings Theravada Forest Dwellers Ajahn Samedho Chan Mahayana Nun Guo Cheen Great Master Jyauguang Zen Zen Master Bassui Zen Rinzai Master Lin Chi Zen Koan: One hand clapping 5. Conclusion References 4 4 5 5 5 5 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 11 11 14 14 14 15 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 19

The Unstruck Sound: A Buddhist Perspective

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The Unstruck Sound CBS 520: History of Buddhism 1. Introduction

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Several years ago, on a visit to the desert home of the renowned psychoanalyst Robert Johnson, a student of Carl Jung, I happened upon an extraordinary event, one that would leave a profound impression on me. My friend Robert led me to the beginning of a pathway in the middle of the desert, both literally and figuratively, since this path would lead me to a strange experience that would open a doorway to new spiritual perceptions and understandings. He instructed me to follow this path alone and find where it would lead. With some dread and trepidation, I set out on what I thought would be a pleasant, if not challenging, day of sightseeing and relaxation. Instead, I found the doorway to a mystery that continues to reveal itself even today. The pathway initially led to a wonderful oasis, filled with waterfalls, palm trees, flowers, and cool shade to protect me while I meditated in peaceful relaxation. But little did I know what lay ahead. On my journey back to the rendezvous point with Robert, I became aware of a peculiar sound from my feet as they pressed into the desert sand. The air was so still and crystalline that my steps seemed to reverberate all around in the silence of the spaciousness. I listened more intently to this unusual sound, and to my surprise, I began to hear another sound accompanying the steps, a sound that did not come and go with the movement of sand displaced by my feet, but rather what seemed like the hum of billions of crickets on a summers eve, a sound I had heard as a boy on my visits to my grandparents house in the plains of Missouri, when we played hide and seek among the trees on their front lawn in the early evening after dinner. But here there were no crickets, only sun, sand, rocks and cactus. As I became aware of this humming sound all around, it became louder, as a rushing of water. I wondered if it was coming from a river bed I saw in the distance. I approached the river bed, seeing it was dry and
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism without any movement. I became perplexed by what seemed to be this continual sound, which was steadily increasing in intensity, like a thunderous stream of chiming bells. But it was constant, never ending. I suddenly became overwhelmed by what I realized was the Unstruck Sound. Many mystics in history have referred to this sound by many names: e.g. the Music of the Spheres, the Soundless Sound, the Primordial Sound, or the Sound of Creation. I had always assumed it was symbolic for a Truth that was beyond words. Now I was experiencing something directly, and I wondered what it truly meant. Following this experience, I read Hindu texts on yogic practices associated with this soundless sound. The Hindu tradition equates it with the AUM, the primordial sound of the universe (Londhe 2008), which is likened to the hum of the atoms and the music of the spheres, an energy that holds the whole material world together. In Sanskrit, the Unstruck Sound is called Nada and there is a spiritual practice and meditation utilizing this sound called Anahata Nada Yoga. The physical verbalization of the AUM sound is considered to most closely resemble the actual Unstruck Sound which comes out of the Silence, passes through each of three syllables A-U-M, leading back into the pure stillness of open existence, ones true nature (Gordon, 2002-2007). The French mystic Edward Salim Michael (2010) stumbled upon this primordial Nada sound by accident late in his life, opening him to a profound mystical experience of at-one-ment with the Universe. This transformative experience inspired him to give up his artistic career as a fine arts painter in order to help others experience this cosmic connectedness. He describes the Nada of inner sound in the following way: "When the aspirant employs this Nada (inner Sound) as the main support for his meditation, he must follow all its slender fluctuations, subtle variations of note, and mysterious jewel-like glitterings, second by second, with the utmost diligence. He will discover that this unusual Sound with its strange vibrations,
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism celestial twinklings, and, above all, enigmatic continuity will become a most precious support for his concentration in all his future meditationsWhen the aspirant has recognized this Nada [Inner Sound] and familiarized himself well enough with it, he will perceive that, contrary to the ever-changing inner and outer conditions that he was used to up to that moment, this mystical Sound has a strange unearthly continuity about itit can also be compared to the soft whisper of the wind and the continuous hissing noise of the ocean waves, with a shrill "ultra" Sound on top of it, composed of all the harmonics in the Universe. On higher spheres, this sacred Nada will have a strange sort of silvery aspect to it, somewhat similar to the uninterrupted jingling Sound of very little pieces of glass, with other smaller, ever more subtle Sounds superimposed on it, until finally these finer Sounds seem to disappear into infinity. (Michael 2010) Michael then goes on to describe the actual mechanics of meditation upon the unstruck sound: "In the beginning, the seeker should fix his attention on the part of the Sound that is most shrill and, as explained in the previous chapter, oscillating slightly somewhat like the twinkling of a star. It will be easier to hear that way. Later, when the aspirant gets more familiar with it, he will begin to hear two or more Sounds at the same moment. At first he may not quite realize, or be really sure, that he is hearing two Sounds simultaneously. However, if at such times he listens carefully, he will note that one of these two sounds is slightly more obvious, whereas the other is a little more high-pitched and more subtle. He should listen carefully to both Sounds for a while until it becomes absolutely clear to him which of these two Sounds is the more subtle and high pitched. It is to this one he must then gently let his attention turn and concentrate on. He must not be tempted to follow the more obvious of these two Sounds any more -- even though it will keep intruding and drawing him back to it. (Michael 2010) This attention to the more subtle aspects of the Sound become a spiritual practice of mindfulness to the more subtle aspects of ones life, the more refined and spiritual aspects of ones true nature. These concepts seem to reflect certain basic truths in Buddhism such as finding ones true nature and discovering that which is beginningless and endless, that which is pure, eternal and unconditioned. Until recently I had not read any references in Buddhism related to this Sound. While studying Buddhist history and meditation techniques at the Prajna Institute of Buddhist Studies, I became aware once again of this soundless sound that is always present. I wondered if there were any teachings of Buddhism related to it. I began to investigate, and to my surprise, I
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism found many references related to this soundless sound from a Buddhist perspective. The following essay will show how teachings of the Unstruck Sound have a strong grounding in Buddhist Dharma, including Theravada and Mahayana texts along with several Buddhist teachers from a wide rage of lineages who incorporate this awareness into their spiritual guidance, including Vajrayana, Theravada, Chan, Rinzai and Soto Zen. 2. Mantrayana: AUM Originally, Buddha prohibited any use of Hindu Vedic mantras or magical spells. But with the emergence of Mantrayana Buddhism (also called Vajrayana Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, Northern Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism) in the 7th Century CE, mantra was incorporated into Buddhist chanting and meditations for the purposes of bringing blessings, protection, or empowerment, and could also be used as a mental instrument to conjure up a particular holy being so as to develop that beings spiritual qualities (Harvey, 1990, p. 136). Mantras are sacred words of power, mostly meaningless syllables or strings of syllables, which give an arrangement of sound of great potencyWhen pronounced in the right way, with the right attitude of mind, the soundarrangement of a mantra is seen as tuning in the practitioners mind to a being he wishes to visualizemaking the practitioners mind so in tune with a holy being that it can appear to him in a visualized formthe holy beings invoked can be seen as not external to him, but as psychic forces or levels of consciousness latent within the practitioners own mind. A mantra is seen as acting like a psychic key which enables a person to have power over physical things, or enable him to visualize and communicate with a being/force whose mantra it is (Harvey, 1990, p. 260-261). Mantrayana Buddhism is found mostly in Tibet, Northern China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan (Harvey, 1990, p. 133-135) and has made inroads to many other countries throughout the world. The mantra became an integral part of Mantrayana practice. Indeed, the AUM has been incorporated into many Buddhist sacred phrases, such as the famous Om Mani Padme Hum of the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition, which is chanted throughout the world, as exemplified by H.H.
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism the Dalai Lama of Tibet, an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who chants along with his followers this mantra for peace, liberation, and freedom from suffering for all beings. The Dalai Lama explains the meaning of AUM as follows: It is very good to recite the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast. The first, OM, is composed of three pure letters, A, U, and M. These symbolize the practitioner's impure body, speech, and mind; they also symbolize the pure exalted body, speech and mind of a Buddha (Dalai Lama). The Dalai Lama goes on to explain how the impurities in the practitioner are transformed and purified through the spiritual practice of compassion and the wisdom that sees the impermanence of all things, both aspects symbolized by this mantra. Through the tantric vehicle of mantra, one is transformed and develops the seeds of purity, the essence of the Buddha nature, into full Buddhahood (Dalai Lama). The Tibetan lama Jamgon Kongtrul (1813-1899), a preeminent scholar of the mantrayana tradition equates the primordial essence to enlightenment, transcendent wisdom, and the nada of primordial sound: The primordial indestructible great vital essencewhich is the root or ground of all of cyclic life [samsara] and perfect peace [nirvana], is known as primordial because it has no beginning or end; as indestructiblebecause it is indivisible; as vital essencebecause it pervades the various appearances; and as great because there is nothing that it does not encompass. There are countless synonyms for the primordial indestructible great vital essence, such as "great seal" "great bliss" "primordial sound" (nda), "all-pervading vajra of space" "ordinary awareness" "pristine awareness channel" "pristine awareness wind" "invincible ham""invincible vital essence" "essence of enlightenment"and "transcendent wisdom" (CPR, f. 29a3-b2). (Kongtrul, 2005, p. 36) Another Tibetan Buddhist lama, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu speaks of the inner sound we can only feel through vibrations; we dont need ears for hearing or discovering inner sound. Still
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism more important is secret sound. Secret sound we discover only when we discover our real nature (Norbu, August 2001). Though these lamas identify the Unstruck Sound as vital to spiritual development, one may wonder if there are Buddhist texts from other lineages supporting their claims 3. Buddhist Texts The Theravada school of Buddhism, with its emphasis on personal liberation through ones own efforts guided by the Dharma (Harvey, p. 2), traces its origins directly back to the Buddha, and has faithfully preserved his teachings in the language of Pali, a dialect similar to what the Buddha spoke, Old Magadhi (Harvey, p. 3), in a Canon, or collection of scriptures, known as the Tripitaka, referring to three baskets of palm-leafed manuscripts consisting of the monastic disciplines (Vinaya-pitaka), the Discourses (Sutta-pitaka) and the Further Teachings (Abhidhamma-pitaka) (Harvey, p. 322). The Suttas are discourses containing the main

teachings of the Buddha, and were originally orally preserved and transmitted, but were eventually recorded in the Pali Canon, one of the earliest records of the Buddhas discourses written down in Sri Lanka around 80 BCE (Harvey, p. 3). In the Mahasakuludayi Sutta is found a passage wherein the Buddha instructs his disciples about a method whereby they can acquire purified hearing beyond human hearing, which allows one to hear heavenly sounds: Again, Udayi, I have declared this method to my disciples, fallen to which method my disciples could with the purified heavenly ear element beyond human, hear sounds both heavenly and human, far and near. Like a powerful drummer, would instantly break the news in the four directions. In the same manner I have declared this method to my disciples, fallen to which method my disciples could with the purified heavenly ear element beyond human hear sounds both heavenly and human, far and near. Thus too my disciples abide aiming perfect knowledge for emancipation (Majjhima Nikaya)

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CBS 520: History of Buddhism In another sutta, the Mahali Sutta (DN 6), the Buddhas disciple, Mahali, asks whether one can achieve heavenly hearing through meditation and concentration. The Buddha affirms it is possible saying, They are real, those heavenly sounds, pleasant, fitted to satisfy ones desires, exciting longing in ones heart, which he could not hear. They are not things of nought (Mahali Sutta DN 6). However, he cautions one should not become attached to such beautiful heavenly sounds, since there are higher and sweeter conditions of consciousness one can reach through the practice of the Eightfold Path which leads to Arahatship and Nirvana: in that emancipation of mind, that emancipation of heart, which is Arahatship that, Mahli, is a condition higher still and sweeter still...Verily it is this Noble Eightfold Path, that is to say: right views, right aspirations, right speech, right action, a right means of livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right ecstasy in self-concentration. This, Mahli, is the path, and this the method, for the realization of these conditions (Mahali Sutta DN 6). Even though the Buddha had placed the hearing of heavenly sounds in a secondary position in relation to the attainment of higher states of consciousness, one wonders whether this heavenly sound is that of the Unstruck Primordial Sound, which when listened to, is proclaimed in a Mahayana tradition as the most effective method for attaining Nirvana and liberation. The Mahayana lineage emerged between 150 BCE and 100 CE, emphasizing the Bodhisattva-path, as well as, visualization practices directed at the Buddha as a glorified, transcendent being, and a new philosophy/cosmology based on the emptiness of phenomena as expressed in Sutras written in Sanskrit as authoritive teachings of the Buddha himself, which were attained through inspired visions, meditations, and dreams, based on the same perfect wisdom of the Buddhas Dharma, which were understood as hidden teachings of the Buddha. They were believed to have emerged as a second turning of the Wheel of Dharma deepening the
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism teachings of the original early Suttas in Pali. These new Sutras portray a heavenly Buddha surrounded by other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, existing in many regions of the universe, who are themselves savior beings worthy of devotion and prayer (Harvey, pp. 89-91). In this new revealed Dharma of the Sutras of Mahayana, the Sound of Silence now becomes the most excellent means to realize liberation and Nirvana. In the Mahayana Shurangama Sutra (2011) the Buddha is discussing with 25 sages and bodhisattvas their practices of contemplation. Since they all had attained enlightenment, he asks each one what practice was most helpful to them. The last one to comment is Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, who recounts how he had been instructed by a prior Buddha, who was also called Avalokiteshvara, to use the organ of the ear to listen and become enlightened (Cheen, 2012). Thereupon Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva rose from his seat, prostrated himself with his head at the feet of the Buddha and declared: I still remember that long before numbers of aeons countless as the sand grains in the Ganges, a Buddha called Avalokiteshvara appeared in the world. When I was with Him, I developed the Bodhi Mind and, for my entry into Samdhi, I was instructed by Him to practice meditation by means of the organ of hearing. (Shurangama) Avalokiteshvara now explains the actual method by which he attained Enlightenment: At first by directing the organ of hearing into the stream of meditation, this organ was detached from its object, and by wiping out (the concept of) both sound and stream-entry, both disturbance and stillness became clearly non-existent. Thus advancing step by step both hearing and its object ceased completely, but I did not stop where they ended. When the awareness of this state and this state itself were realized as non-existent, both subject and object merged into the void, the awareness of which became all embracing. With further elimination of the void and its object both creation and annihilation vanished giving way to the state of Nirvna which then manifested. Suddenly I leaped over both the mundane and
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism supramundane, thereby realizing an all-embracing brightness pervading the ten directions, and acquired two unsurpassed (merits). The first was in accord with the fundamental Profound Enlightened Mind of all the Buddhas high up in the ten directions and possessed the same merciful power as the Tathgata. The second was in sympathy with all living beings in the six realms of existence here below in the ten directions and shared with them the same plea for compassion. (Shurangama) So the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara says here that he first detached the organ of hearing from the object of hearing, which he became aware is both non-existent and void, which in turn led him to the realization of Nirvana: an all-embracing brightness, i.e. Enlightenment, and a sympathy with all living beings, i.e. compassion. At this point the Buddha asks the wisest of all bodhisattvas, Manjushri, to critique all the aforementioned practices and say which one he thinks is the best. Manjushri answers that he considers the best is the practice with the faculty of hearing, since hearing is always present and can be practiced 24 hours a day: Reverently I declare to the Tathagatha what Avalokiteshvara said: When one dwells in silence, Rolls of drums in ten directions, All can be simultaneously heard. Thus is hearing complete. Seeing cannot penetrate a screen, Neither can taste nor smell; Feeling comes only in contact, And thought in focus lack. But sound whether near or far, At all times can be heard; The other senses are imperfect, Only hearing is truly pervasive. The presence and absence of sound, Perceived by the ear as existent or not; Absence of sound means nothing heard, Not hearing devoid of its nature. Absence of sound is not the end of hearing, And presence of sound is not its beginning. The faculty of hearing is unborn, Undying and one with the Truth. Even when thoughts stop, Hearing does not end. For hearing is beyond all thought, Beyond both mind and body. (Shurangama) When one goes into the silence, one discovers the sound that can always be heard, which is never ending, is unborn, undying, and one with the Truth, i.e. the Unstruck Sound. Later he goes on to describe how to attain this hearing through the technique of inverting by turning ones attention within through one-pointed meditation:
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism To hear your true self, you must invert, What you use to hear the Buddhas words. Hearing has no nature; It owes its name to sound. Freed from sound by inverting hearing, What do (sic) you call this thing? When one sense returns (sic) to its source, All other senses will be liberated. Seeing and hearing are both illusions, Like falling flowers in the sky. Hearing without sound, The illusionary sense vanishes. When object is no more, the subject is no more. And pure is the Bodhi attained. Its pure, bright light pervades all. Its shining stillness filling the void. (Shurangama) Therefore, by inverting ones attention inward, through meditation, one becomes freed from external sound, hearing the soundless sound, enabling one to return to the Ultimate source of all sound, the Bodhi. This Bodhi is equated with enlightenment which is in turn equated with the Tathagata, or Buddha: Likewise are the senses, Derived from one Alaya (store consciousness). If one returns to the source, So will the other senses follow. With all illusions ended, Bodhi is thereby attained. Defilement represents sentient beings, Enlightenment represents the Tathagata. (Shurangama) Manjushri ends by praising the contemplation of sound as superior to all other methods in attaining Nirvana, declaring that all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have also mastered this teaching, which he considers as the best one to practice in this corrupted era: Buddhas of all worlds, Many as Ganges sands, Thus entered this Nirvana. All the past Tathagatas, Have this method perfected. All the present Bodhisattvas, Have this teaching mastered. All you future sentient beings, Should learn this dharma well. Avalokiteshvara did not practice alone; For I Manjusri was with him. The Enlightened and World-honoured One, Asked me for the best expedient, For those in the Dharma ending era, Who wish to escape from this Samsara; In their search for Nirvana, Its best to contemplate sound(Shurangama). 4. Teachers and Teachings Though the Shurangama Sutta is from the Mahayana lineage, Buddhist practitioners and leaders from various lineages have incorporated the meditation on the Unstruck or Soundless
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism Sound into their teachings. One such monk comes from the Forest Dwelling tradition of Theravada lineage. When the Buddhist teachings were first written down in the first century
BCE,

learning was considered more important than meditation, without which the original

teachings would be lost, adhering to the monastic rules, Vinaya, and austere practices aiming to cultivate non-attachment and vigor, living off alms, eating one meal a day, and living under a tree far from the villages, and sleeping in the sitting position (Harvey, pp. 232-235) The monk Ajahn Sumedho belongs to the Forest Dwellers tradition. He happened upon the soundless sound by accident in 1977 while walking in the quiet nighttime streets of England, having left his home in Thailand, whose nights were quite noisy due to the Jungle sounds. He began investigating this soundless sound, due to its constancy and holistic qualities, which only later he discovered as being discussed in the Shurangama Sutra: I always use the practice of listening to the sound of silence that subtle, continuous, inner ringing tone in the background of experience because every time I open to the mind, thats what I hear. Its presence contains and embraces the body, the emotional quality, and the thinking mind all at once. Its not like AB-C or anything in tandem or sequence, but in just the way it is, as a whole, it includes; it doesnt pick and choose, as in I want this but I dont want that. Just noticing, trusting, and valuing this ability that each of us has. Its something to really treasure and cultivate (Sumedho, 2007, p. 136) The Mahayana Buddhist nun Guo Cheen (2010) analyzes the Shurangama Sutra based on the teachings of both Ajahn Sumedho and the Great Master Jyauguang from the Chan lineage. Buddhism arrived in China around 50 CE by way of traveling foreign merchants. It was influenced in its development by Confucian philosophy of societal ethics, filial piety, and ancestor worship, as well as by the Taoist philosophys love of nature, with an emphasis on harmony, humility, and compassion, by following a mysterious force of nature called the Tao (Harvey, p. 148). In the Chan lineage great emphasis is placed on meditation to discover ones

Buddha Nature which is present in all things, and that the world is not different from emptiness,
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism thusness, Absolute Mind, or Nirvana (Harvey, pp. 151-152). This Buddha Nature is also described as the Suchness of Reality by Guo Cheen, who shows how the Shurangama Sutra describes the sound of silence as the sensory object of stillness, a superior meditation to consider, since sounds cannot be eliminated. No matter where you are or how quiet it is, there are sounds that cannot be eliminated. The sound of silence can therefore be acknowledged as an impossible-to-eliminate sound, the sensory object of sound.(Cheen, p. 5) She goes on to state that the nature of all sound is illusory and temporary, arising out of the Suchness of Reality (Cheen, p. 7). One must not be satisfied in hearing any sound, but rather one should return to the nature of hearing itself, that which is our Buddha nature. We must learn to hear the nature of hearing, instead of the sensory objects of sound. (Cheen, p.8) The nature of hearing neither comes nor ceases, is not physical, nor an aspect of consciousness.(Cheen, p. 10) One must learn to listen, not to the sensory objects of sound, but rather to the nature of hearing, that which has the ability to listen. The ongoing investigation becomes Who is it that listens? (Cheen, p. 11) One reverses the hearing, to hear ones inherent nature instead of the objects of sound. (Cheen, p. 14) Zen Buddhism of Japan evolved out of the Chan Buddhism from China, around the 6th C.
CE,

emphasizing meditation as the primary means to Enlightenment through either sudden

realization of ones Buddha Nature, as in the Rinzai school, or gradual unfolding of realization, as in the Soto school (Harvey, p. 157). Japanese Zen was heavily influenced by the indigenous religion of Shintoism, which worshiped divine beings as personal or impersonal forces found in nature, and a deep appreciation of natural beauty and ritual purity (Harvey, p. 161) It places a great focus on intuitive knowing, self discovery, ethical discipline, and a disregard for death. The Rinzai school had an affinity with the warrior class of Japan, the Samurai, whereas the Soto
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism school was more popular with the common people, known as the way of the farmer (Harvey, p. 165.) The 14th C. CE Japanese Zen teacher Bassui Tokusho advocated meditation with listening to the listener as a way to return to ones original nature of Buddhahood, drawing from the Shurangama Sutra and the 9th C CE teachings of Lin-chi I-hsuan as a justification for this practice (Braverman, 2002, p. 14). Lin-chi, the founder of the Rinzai Zen lineage, also encouraged his students to listen to the listener to realize enlightenment, saying: If you wish to be free and untrammeled in the world of births and deaths... recognize right now the man who is listening to my sermon, who is above shape and form, not rooted or planted in any place, nor abiding in any abode. Yet he is very much alive and alert, responding readily to all situations with his unlimited resourcefulness, performing his function according to the circumstances without being pinned down to any. He eludes your embracing, evades your seeking. Hence he may be called the Great SecretRight now, this man is clearly before our eyes with a brightness uniquely his own... (Wu, 2003). Zen Buddhist teachers have also used the sound of silence in koans, which are riddles to be reflected upon in meditation, directing the practitioner back to his or her original nature. In the book Zen Flesh, Zen Bones there is a story illustrating the use of the soundless sound when the teacher asks his pupil: You can hear the sound of two hands when they clap together. Now show me the sound of one hand." The pupil goes off to meditate on this matter. He hears some geisha music through his window and thinks that this is the answer. So he returns to his teacher, and on being asked the question he plays the geisha music as his answer. No! The teacher sends him away to meditate further. While contemplating the question again, the pupil hears water dripping from a gutter. Back he goes to the teacher and imitates 'the sound of one hand' as dripping water. No! "That's the sound of dripping water, not the sound of one hand," says the teacher, and sends him away to practise more. The pupil keeps trying. 'The sound of one hand' is the sighing of the wind. No! 'The sound of one hand' is the hooting of an owl. No! 'The sound of one hand' is the chirping of locusts. No! At last, after almost a year, he went to his teacher. "What is the sound of one hand?" asked the teacher. But now the pupil was different; he had transcended all sounds and come to the soundless sound, the sound of one hand, and he demonstrated his realisation to the teacher. (Reps, 1957)
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In the book The Sound of the One Hand: 281 Zen Koans with Answers, (Hoffmann, 1977) the correct answer is given to this same koan: Answer: The pupil faces the master, takes a correct posture, and without a word, thrusts one hand forward.

5. Conclusion The Unstruck Sound has been shown to be a well supported teaching within various Buddhist lineages, texts, and teachers, including Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Forest Meditation Dwellers, Chan, Rinzai and Soto Zen. The faculty of listening, being forever constant in ones perception is an excellent way of turning within to discover ones true nature. Since the Unstruck Sound is not tied to the objects of listening, being itself the object of the nature of hearing, it is the easiest way to turn inward to find the origin of listening from which all emerges, the suchness of emptiness. Whether one is listening to the listener or hearing the sound of silence, the Unstruck Sound can ultimately lead to Enlightenment Itself, showing the door to Nirvana and the Realization of Buddhahood. References Braverman, Aurthur. (2002) Mud and Water: The Collected Works of Teachings of Zen Master Bassui. Wisdom Publications: Somerville, MA. Cheen, Guo. (2010) Whos Listening? Uploaded 3/17/2010. SCRIBD. Accessed 12/02/2012 http://es.scribd.com/Guo_Cheen_5750
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism Cheen, Guo. (2012) Meditating upon the Sound of Silence: the Astral Bell Sound Heard Behind the Silence of Meditations. http://thecompassionnetwork.blogspot.com/ As found in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr5TTnwlcyw Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet. On the meaning of: OM MANI PADME HUM.(From a lecture given by His Holiness The Dalai Lama of Tibet at the Kalmuck Mongolian Buddhist Center, New Jersey.) Transcribed by Ngawang Tashi (Tsawa), Drepung Loseling, MUNGOD, INDIA. Accessed Feb. 16, 2012. http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/tib/omph.htm Gordon, David. (2002-2007) A-U-M-Silencethe ancient sound of OM Accessed Feb. 16, 2012. http://www.spiritsound.com/aum.html Harvey, Peter. (1990). An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, history and practices. Cambridge University Press: New York, N.Y. Hoffmann, Yoel, trans. The Sound of the One Hand: 281 Zen Koans With Answers. New York: Basic Books. 1977. As accessed in http://lindasuegrimes.suite101.com/the-zen-sound-of-the-one-handa226319#ixzz1mnZdIZO9 Kongtrul Lodr Tay, Jamgn. (author, compiler); Elio Guarisco (translator); Ingrid McLeon
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism (translator, editor) (2005). The treasury of knowledge: book six, part four: Systems of Buddhist Tantra. Ithaca, New York, USA: Snow Lion Publications. As found within Kongtrul Lodro Taye (author, compiler); Kalu Rinpoche Translation Group (translators) (1995, 2003). The Treasury of Knowledge, Book One; Myriad Worlds: Buddhist Cosmology in Abhidharma, Klacakra, Dzog-chen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nada_yoga Londhe, Sushama. (2008) A Tribute to Hinduism: Thoughts and Wisdom Spanning Continents and Time About India and her Culture. Pragun Publications: New Delhi, India. As accessed Feb. 16, 2012 http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Music.htm Mahali Sutta (DN 6), Tripitaka/Sutta Pitaka/Digha Nikaya/Silakkhandha-vagga. Accessed Feb. 17, 2012. http://tipitaka.wikia.com/wiki/Mahali_Sutta Majjhima Nikaya. II. 3.7. Mahaa-sakuludaayisutta.m (77) Advice to the wandering Ascetic Sakuludayi. Sister Upalavanna (Trans.). Vipassana.Info. Source: Metta Net, Sri Lanka, http://www.metta.lk Accessed Feb. 17, 2012. http://www.vipassana.info/077-mahasakuludayi-e1.htm Michael, Edward Salim. (2010). The Law of Attention - Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance, Inner Traditions: Vermont. Norbu, Chogyal Namkhai. (August 2001) Working with Circumstances, The Mirror: Newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community. Edited by Liz Granger and Naomi Zeitz.
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CBS 520: History of Buddhism http://tsegyalgar.org/theteachings/dzogchen/ As accessed within http://www.muktinath.org/hinduism/om-aum.htm Reps, Paul, compiler. (1957) Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings. New York: Anchor. As accessed in http://lindasuegrimes.suite101.com/the-zen-sound-of-the-one-handa226319#ixzz1mneFPjMl Shurangama Sutra. (2011) Taisho Tripitaka, No. 945. WordPress.com. Translated during the Tang Dynasty by Shramana Paramiti from central India. Chapter 6 Avalokitesvara's Dharma-Gate Enlightened through the gateway of ear. Avalokiteshvaras Methods and Vows//from Shurangama Sutra // PART 1 of 2 Avalokiteshvaras Meditation on Hearing from Shurangama Sutra// PART 2 of 2 http://www.e-sangha.com/alphone/shurangama.html#Avalokitesvara http://amitabhabuddha.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/avalokitesvaras-meditation-onhearing-from-surangama-sutra/ Sumedho, Ajahn. (2007). The Sound of Silence. Wisdom Publications: Somerville, MA. Wu, John. (2003). The Golden Age of Zen. World Wisdom Publisher: Bloomington, Indiana. As found in... Sayings of Other Tang Dynasty Chan Masters. http://www.selfdiscoveryportal.com/cmOtherChanMasters.htm

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