SOUND MEDITATION

Deep hearing, then, is not just an auditory sensation, involving the ear, but a matter of the whole. "Deep hearing of the dharma" means em- bodying the buddhadharma, an experiential awakening of the total self, conscious and unconscious, mind and body. —Rev. Taitetsu Unnone specific method for practicing mindfulness of body sensa- tions is to focus your attention on sounds. Sounds, like every- thing else, arise and pass away. Just by listening, you can experience the insight of impermanence, an understanding the Buddha taught as crucial for the development of wisdom.

Early morning is great for listening. Sounds start to slip into the stillness. In a rural setting, the sounds are likely to be those of birds and animals waking up. In a city, sounds of outside action begin-garbage collection, building construction, traffic. Even in the rarefied air of a high-rise hotel room, plumbing sounds and elevator sounds and foot- steps in the hall pick up in pace. Sit in a position in which you can be relaxed and alert. Close your eyes. The stillness of your posture and the absence of visual stimuli both enhance hearing consciousness. People are sometimes surprised to

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