Question: Can we have sound and silence at the same time?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes, in the soul it is quite possible. We use the term 'soundless sound'. When we chant AUM we use our tongue, our mouth, our earthly physical organs to produce an outer sound. In the outer world two things must strike together to produce sound. But in our heart, in the inmost recesses of our heart, there is a constant sound, a soundless sound going on. It is called anahata nada and it is unstruck. So in the heart, silence itself is the sound and sound itself is the silence. Silence embodies sound and sound embodies silence. When seekers are far advanced they hear that sound, the soundless sound.