Page 1 - june-2026

The Sound of Silence

classic koan by Zen Master Hakuin Ekaku poses the
A paradoxical question: What is the sound of one hand clapping?
It is not a query meant to be answered, but rather to push the
seeker beyond logical thinking. When the intellect grapples with
the puzzle and fails to resolve it, it gains a deeper insight: Silence is
not the mere absence of sound – but its very source.

The sacred syllable AUM succinctly illustrates this truth. It
comprises three sounds – A, U, and M – encompassing the totality
of our experiences: the waking, dream, and deep sleep states. Yet
it is silence that is the substratum that underlies and pervades all
sounds. Just as waves rise and fall in the ocean, all sounds emerge
from and dissolve into silence.

As Pujya Guruji often reminds us, “Prayer is when we speak
to the Lord; meditation is when He speaks to us.” In prayer, the
mind is busy; in meditation, it becomes quiet. When it becomes
pure, still, and free from all agitation and desires, the Truth
reveals itself. It is in this profound silence that the ancient Rishis
received the highest knowledge, including the mantras of the Vedas.
These were not intellectual compositions but revelations, heard in
deep meditation. Hence, they are called çruti – that which is heard.
Therefore, the ‘sound of one hand clapping’ is not an ‘object’ to
be heard; it is to go beyond the pairs of opposites. It is the silence
in which all sounds are known. It is the recognition
of the One – the non-dual, ever-present Awareness –
in which both sound and silence appear. It is the Editorial
final discovery – I am that silence; I am that
limitless, complete, and blissful Reality.

Tapovan Prasad 7 June 2026