In the beginning, there was sound, and the sound was with God, and the sound was God. You know, amongst different expressions, the expression of sound is the subtlest, subtler even than light, and that is why the karńendriya, the ear, is treated as the subtlest organ. Now, these acoustic expressions are of two kinds: one is divine, or spiritual, acoustic expression, and the other is physical acoustic expression. The sound you hear is physical acoustic expression, and similarly there is spiritual acoustic expression in the divine realm, in the spiritual campus. But in the case of the Non-Attributional Entity, in the case of Nirguńa Brahma, there is no expression, because Nirguńa means “where there has been no expression”. But in the case of Saguńa [Saguńa Brahma, the Attributional Entity] and even starting from Puruśottama [the Nucleus Consciousness], there is expression. And that expression, till it reaches the physical sphere, is spiritual acoustic expression, spiritual sound.

You know, whenever you think something, you create mental sound. What is thinking? Thinking is mentally speaking. Is it not a fact? You are thinking, “Oh, my visa will expire on such-and-such day.” Actually you are speaking mentally. Mmmm. And when you speak physically, others can also hear; when you speak mentally, others may or may not hear. [Much laughter among the audience.]

Now, one may catch this physical sound according to the capacity of one’s acoustic organs, one’s ears. You cannot catch very short or very long sounds. Similarly, in the inner sphere there are several stages, several strata, several phases; and when the inner senses develop by dint of sádhaná, one will hear that divine sound, that inner sound. It is known as the sound of silence. The what? The sound of silence. And it is what is known as oṋḿkára in Sanskrit – prańava or oṋḿkára.

When those inner senses develop, then in the first phase sádhakas [spiritual aspirants] can hear the sound, that inner sound, that inner voice, that divine sound. In the first phase it is like the sound of crickets. [Imitates the sound.]

You know, the cricket is an insect that creates a pauseless sound [imitates] in the fog. You have seen [it in] open fields, particularly in the rainy season. Mmmm… one will hear a cricket sound.

Then in the next phase, as if somebody is dancing with ghuṋghur [ankle bells]. (You know, ghuṋghur – you use it during the táńd́ava dance. In Sanskrit it is called nupur.) Next you will hear the sound of flutes – as if somebody is playing a flute. Then the sound of the ocean, you know? A particular sound is created by the sea. And then, in the fifth phase, taḿ, taḿ, just like bells, the sound of bells. And finally, the sound is just like ooṋṋṋ – the oṋḿkára in pure form. And after that there remains no sound, because after that there ends the realm, the scope, of Saguńa. After that there is the scope of Nirguńa. In the realm of Nirguńa there cannot be any sound, because there cannot be any expression. Not even divine expression, not even supra-psychic expression.

By dint of sádhaná, in the last phase you will hear the sound, the oṋḿkára – ooṋṋṋ. You will hear that sound. It is known as the oṋḿkára or prańava. In the Vedas it has been said, Prańavátmakaḿ Brahma [“Brahma is of the same nature as prańava”]. When one can hear that prańava, in the next phase one will come in contact with Nirguńa Brahma. That’s why prańava is called Prańavátmakaḿ Brahma. Prá – nu + al = prańava. Prańava means that entity that helps the sádhaka to come in contact with Parama Puruśa. In Sanskrit another name for prańava is Shabda Brahma – Brahma expressed as shabda. Shabda means sound. So a day will come when this prańava will become a crude reality for you. Now, for some of you, prańava is in dreamland [much laughter], [but actually] it is a crude reality.