Categories: Divine Ear: Practical Meditation
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
Today, through our spiritual teachings, I hope to introduce you to a new, practical meditation method. Before we begin, however, I wish to clarify a few important points. The practical teachings I share are often presented under various topics. You may have noticed this teaching is titled ‘The Divine Ear,’ a practical meditation session. A question might arise in your mind: ‘Is our teacher sharing meditation techniques that cannot be found in any book?‘
To this, I would say that the essence of these practices does exist in the scriptures; the Buddha himself taught them in various forms, such as within the Abhidhamma (the higher philosophical teachings). However, they may not appear under the exact names I use. When translated properly into practical English terms, this is the meaning that emerges. I aim to make these profound concepts accessible for your direct experience.
Is This Practice for You? Recognizing the Signs
This particular practice of clairaudience meditation is not meant for everyone to begin with. It is essential that you first feel, understand, and recognize the specific experiences it addresses before you engage with it. You cannot simply start this method without the necessary foundation.
This technique is designed for those who have been practicing other methods such as the ‘Third Eye Meditation‘ or the ‘Path to the Brahma Worlds‘ that we have shared, for either a short or a long period. When you are engaged practically in those meditations, or any meditation for that matter, a certain state may arise.
This teaching on the ‘Divine Ear‘ is meant to help you take that specific experience and explore a new dimension that has opened up for you. I call this a ‘Practical Meditation‘ to make it easy for you to recognize that if this state has arisen, this method can help you develop that aspect completely.
It is a support to cultivate that higher mental state, to generate spiritual power. This is the aspect I hope to reveal and teach you through this practical discussion.
Navigating Doubt on the Spiritual Path
You must understand these points clearly. I mention this first because today, whenever a monk teaches something from practical experience, there can be resistance. If a teaching aligns with someone’s existing opinions, there is no issue. But if an external point is made that doesn’t fit with what they already know, there is a tendency in society to attack it with slander, rather than observing it with equanimity. This happens in both the monastic and lay communities.
While I see this and am not shaken by it, I want to prevent you from developing a misunderstanding. I don’t want you to hear these societal criticisms and be swayed, abandoning your path and heading in the wrong direction. That is why I have made these initial clarifications. With this understanding, let us explore how to practically engage in this Divine Ear method.
The First Sign of Divine Ear: That Ringing in Your Ears
As I mentioned earlier, this experience can arise no matter which meditation you practice. It could be while developing loving-kindness (Mettā) or practicing the recollection of the Buddha (Buddhānussati), the Dhamma (Dhammānussati), the Sangha (Sanghānussati), deities (Devatānussati), virtue (Sīlānussati), or generosity (Cāgānussati).
It can happen during any tranquility meditation taught in Buddhism, or even a technique learned from another teacher outside of Buddhism. If you experience the state I am about to describe and wish to develop that faculty, here is what you need to do.
Let’s use the ‘Third Eye’ or ‘Brahma Worlds’ meditations as our example, but you can apply this to whatever personal practice you follow. As you meditate, a specific state has been experienced by a majority of practitioners, though not by everyone. You may begin to hear sounds during your meditation session. What kind of sounds?
- Some people hear a humming or buzzing sound, like a ‘kooong‘ noise.
- Others hear something like radio static, the sound a radio makes when it’s not tuned to a channel.
- You might also recognize the sound of electronic interference, like when a mobile phone is brought near a loudspeaker and creates a buzzing sound.
If you consistently and continuously hear such a sound through your ears during meditation, this is the initial stage of your mind trying to guide you toward a higher psychic state, or what we can call divine ear.
It is crucial to highlight this because many people mistake it for an illness. If it were a disease, it would have to happen all the time. This phenomenon typically occurs only during meditation. Only after significant progress does it begin to happen in your daily life. And if it does occur in the ordinary world but doesn’t cause you any trouble or symptoms of disease, it is not a physical illness.
It is not something that requires seeing a doctor for medicine. It’s important to distinguish spiritual experiences from physical ailments, although I will not go into detail on how to differentiate them here; that will be a topic for another discussion.
The Evolution of Spiritual Hearing: From Melodies to Voices
As you progress, the nature of what you hear can change. For those who have reached a higher step, the experience can evolve in several ways:
- Melodious Sounds: You might begin to hear beautiful, sweet melodies, like the sound of a flute being played or other musical instruments.
- Hearing Distant Conversations: Some people start to hear the voices of people they know talking in the distance. You might hear their actual conversations. This person could be in another country or a faraway part of Sri Lanka. It doesn’t matter if they are at the other end of your village or in the house next door. You may hear these individuals your siblings, relatives, friends, or colleagues at work talking about you or something else, and you will hear it with perfect clarity.
- Frightening Sounds: Others may begin to hear what could be described as ‘frightening sounds.’ However, there is nothing to fear here; I only use that word to distinguish the experience. Many people get scared when they hear such words, but these are just labels. If you examine them within your mind, they are just thoughts. For now, simply understand it this way. These sounds can include screams of torment. Some people today deny the existence of hell realms, or niraya, but imagine the sounds from a torture chamber where someone is being harmed. They scream from the top of their lungs in pain. Some meditators begin to hear such sounds of suffering.
This is the spectrum of experiences related to the ‘Divine Ear,’ which is the focus of our Divine Ear practice.
A Blessing for Your Fearless Journey
I will conclude this teaching on the practical clairaudience meditation of the ‘Divine Ear’ now. By the power and energy of the Triple Gem, may you all be able to understand these things and these spiritual characteristics (ādhyātmika lakṣaṇa) well. May you be able to experience them practically, without fear. I give you my blessings to move forward fearlessly like a lion, studying and making a firm determination to advance on your path.
May the power and blessings of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha support you in your practice. May you cultivate mindfulness, develop all wholesome states, and may this path lead you to cross the ocean of Samsara and attain the ultimate peace of Nibbāna.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
