---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Surangama Sutra chooses, as the best…"
description: "\"“The Surangama Sutra chooses, as the best meditation method for the present historic cycle, the one used by Avalokitesvara. It disengages bodily hearin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/paul-brunton-7860_avalokitesvara_the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best_193175.jpg"
---

#  The Surangama Sutra chooses, as the best meditation method…

![“The Surangama Sutra chooses, as the best meditation method for the present historic cycle, the one used by Avalokitesvara. It disengages bodily hearing from outward sound, then penetrates still deeper into the void beyond this duality, then beyond ego and its object, until all opposites and…” quote by Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/paul-brunton-7860_avalokitesvara_the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best_193175.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/paul-brunton-7860_avalokitesvara_the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best_193175.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/paul-brunton-7860_avalokitesvara_the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best_193175.jpg)

> ““The Surangama Sutra chooses, as the best meditation method for the present historic cycle, the one used by Avalokitesvara. It disengages bodily hearing from outward sound, then penetrates still deeper into the void beyond this duality, then beyond ego and its object, until all opposites and dualities vanish, leaving absoluteness. Nirvana follows as a natural consequence. In other words, disengage consciousness from the senses and return to pure Consciousness itself.””

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Meditation that withdraws attention from external sounds, moving inward to dissolve dualities and realize pure consciousness, leading to Nirvana.

**In simple terms:** Turn inward, silence senses, realize pure consciousness.

Key Takeaway

Seek inner silence to find true peace.

Themes

meditation spirituality mindfulness

Mood

calm reflective

Type

philosophical spiritual

When to use this quote

- personal retreat
- daily mindfulness
- stress reduction
- spiritual study

Key Concepts

Buddhist practice non-dual awareness emptiness

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you quiet external distractions?
- What does “pure consciousness” feel like?

A Different Perspective

Requires disciplined practice and guidance; not a quick fix.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Awakening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awakening/) [Contemplation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplation/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Nonduality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonduality/) [Paul-brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paul-brunton/)

## Related quotes

> [“We enter into paradise when, in contemplation, we enter into awareness of the Overself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/we-enter-into-paradise-when-in-contemplation-we-enter-into-awareness/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“Life remains what it is--deathless and unbound. We shall all meet again. Know what you are, and be free. The best counsel today is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/life-remains-what-it-is-deathless-and-unbound-we-shall-all-meet-again/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“It is true that philosophy is quite aware of the Buddhistic picture of life, of the sorrows and sicknesses which drag him down at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/it-is-true-that-philosophy-is-quite-aware-of-the-buddhistic-picture/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“Experience shows that if a sufficiently deep level--not necessarily the deepest level but one that corresponds to what the yogis call savikalpa samadhi, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/experience-shows-that-if-a-sufficiently-deep-level-not-necessarily/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“...to be aware of the miracle entailed in every moment of living...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/to-be-aware-of-the-miracle-entailed-in-every-moment-of-living/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“1. Do all meditation work with open eyes, with the Buddhic smile. 2. Keep attention inside on the No-thought state and refrain from unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/1-do-all-meditation-work-with-open-eyes-with-the-buddhic-smile-2-keep/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“The fall of dusk upon the Egyptian scene is an unforgettable event, an event of unearthly beauty. Everything is transformed in colour and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/the-fall-of-dusk-upon-the-egyptian-scene-is-an-unforgettable-event-an/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“How can he have fears for his future who knows that he is related to God, and that God is the same yesterday, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/how-can-he-have-fears-for-his-future-who-knows-that-he-is-related-to/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“When the mind enters into this imageless and thoughtless state, there is nothing in it to resist the union with divine consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/when-the-mind-enters-into-this-imageless-and-thoughtless-state-there/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“The deeper he penetrates into this inner being, the more will he feel inclined to keep the development quite secret. It is becoming too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/the-deeper-he-penetrates-into-this-inner-being-the-more-will-he-feel/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“What we were in the past is not important. What we are now is important. What we intend to make of ourselves in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/what-we-were-in-the-past-is-not-important-what-we-are-now-is/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“It is often advisable to be one's own guide, studying worthy books, using prayer and reflection, and following the intuitive guidance of one's Higher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/it-is-often-advisable-to-be-one-s-own-guide-studying-worthy-books/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“If we search into the innermost part of our self, we come in the end to an utter void where nothing from the outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/if-we-search-into-the-innermost-part-of-our-self-we-come-in-the-end/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“Everything is taken away from him; he is nothing and has nothing; yet he still feels one thing which utterly compensates for this loss.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/everything-is-taken-away-from-him-he-is-nothing-and-has-nothing-yet/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“One of the most valuable forms of yoga is the yoga of constant remembrance. Its subject may be a mystical experience, intuition, or idea.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/one-of-the-most-valuable-forms-of-yoga-is-the-yoga-of-constant/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

## More by Paul Brunton

> [Worry is spiritual short sight... Its cure is intelligent faith...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/worry-is-spiritual-short-sight-its-cure-is-intelligent-faith/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“The philosophic outlook rises above all sectarian controversy. It finds its own position not only by appreciating and synthesizing what is solidly based in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/the-philosophic-outlook-rises-above-all-sectarian-controversy-it/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“The mysterious manner in which this growing sense of unity commingles with a sense of utter goodness is worth noting. It arises by no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/the-mysterious-manner-in-which-this-growing-sense-of-unity-commingles/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [When every situation which life can offer is turned to the profit of spiritual growth, no situation can really be a bad one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/when-every-situation-which-life-can-offer-is-turned-to-the-profit-of/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“We enter into paradise when, in contemplation, we enter into awareness of the Overself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/we-enter-into-paradise-when-in-contemplation-we-enter-into-awareness/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“Everything is taken away from him; he is nothing and has nothing; yet he still feels one thing which utterly compensates for this loss.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/everything-is-taken-away-from-him-he-is-nothing-and-has-nothing-yet/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“If we search into the innermost part of our self, we come in the end to an utter void where nothing from the outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/if-we-search-into-the-innermost-part-of-our-self-we-come-in-the-end/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [When spiritual seeking becomes too complicated, its exercies too elaborated, its doctrines too esoteric, it becomes also too artificial and the resulting achievements too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/when-spiritual-seeking-becomes-too-complicated-its-exercies-too/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [While the mind remains so fixed in its own personal affairs, be they little or large, it has no chance to open up its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/while-the-mind-remains-so-fixed-in-its-own-personal-affairs-be-they/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [Our greatest illusion is disillusion. We imagine that we are disillusioned with life, when the truth is that we have not even begun to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/our-greatest-illusion-is-disillusion-we-imagine-that-we-are/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“It may be considered folly by common opinion but this refusal to destroy life unnecessarily, this reverence for it, must become a deeply implanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/it-may-be-considered-folly-by-common-opinion-but-this-refusal-to/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [The seeker after stillness should be told that the stillness is always there. Indeed it is in every man. But he has to learn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/the-seeker-after-stillness-should-be-told-that-the-stillness-is/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [Although the pure truth has never been stated, nevertheless it has never been lost. Its existence does not depend upon human statement but upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/although-the-pure-truth-has-never-been-stated-nevertheless-it-has/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [Whoever lives in the spirit lives in perennial peace. It is a happy peace, a smiling peace, but one is not lost in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/whoever-lives-in-the-spirit-lives-in-perennial-peace-it-is-a-happy/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

> [“It is often advisable to be one's own guide, studying worthy books, using prayer and reflection, and following the intuitive guidance of one's Higher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/it-is-often-advisable-to-be-one-s-own-guide-studying-worthy-books/)

[Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

[Explore all 86 Paul Brunton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/)

## More Awakening quotes

> [It is natural that our minds replay old stories, because that is our own mechanism for trying to work out unresolved problems. Yet rerunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/it-is-natural-that-our-minds-replay-old-stories-because-that-is-our/)

[Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/)

> [Imitation is the first instinct of the awakening mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/imitation-is-the-first-instinct-of-the-awakening-mind/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/)

[Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/)

> [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. Gray light your eyes, sweet drops of dawn on dark hills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/dawn-s-faint-breath-breathes-with-your-mouth-at-the-ends-of-empty/)

[Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/)

> [“Low states are a like a poison to the psyche. Millions of people throughout the world take tranquillizers each day to combat depression, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belsebuub/low-states-are-a-like-a-poison-to-the-psyche-millions-of-people/)

[Belsebuub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belsebuub/)

> [The awakening of the soul to its bondage and its effort to stand up and assert itself - this is called life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-awakening-of-the-soul-to-its-bondage-and-its-effort-to-stand-up/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [My political awakening, if I can be as grand as to call it that, was all about what was happening around me. It wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/my-political-awakening-if-i-can-be-as-grand-as-to-call-it-that-was/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [How often have you sailed in my dreams. And now you come in my awakening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-often-have-you-sailed-in-my-dreams-and-now-you-come-in-my/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“CWC (Church Women Concerned) enabled us as women in that part of South Africa, to see ourselves as ordinary citizens who found themselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sindiwe-magona/cwc-church-women-concerned-enabled-us-as-women-in-that-part-of-south/)

Sindiwe Magona

> [I feel there is a great spiritual awakening on the planet right now. More than any previous time, people are drawn to meditation, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agapi-stassinopoulos/i-feel-there-is-a-great-spiritual-awakening-on-the-planet-right-now/)

[Agapi Stassinopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agapi-stassinopoulos/)

> [When I was 20 years old, I got cast in 'Spring Awakening' and got swept up in this experience where it was kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-groff/when-i-was-20-years-old-i-got-cast-in-spring-awakening-and-got-swept/)

[Jonathan Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-groff/)

> [Motivation is awakening own mind and Inspiration is arising spirit in others to find their own with their heart and soul in all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj/motivation-is-awakening-own-mind-and-inspiration-is-arising-spirit-in/)

[Anuj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj/)

> [“Everything we perceive to be solid and static is made up of almost entirely empty space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/everything-we-perceive-to-be-solid-and-static-is-made-up-of-almost/)

[Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/)

> [Life is perhaps best regarded as a bad dream between two awakenings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-o-neill/life-is-perhaps-best-regarded-as-a-bad-dream-between-two-awakenings/)

[Eugene O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-o-neill/)

> [“The Illusion - The source of suffering can be linked back to a condition of the mind that creates the illusion of separation--the state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-blanchard/the-illusion-the-source-of-suffering-can-be-linked-back-to-a/)

L.M.Blanchard

[Browse all 1,440 Awakening quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awakening/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The Surangama Sutra chooses, as the best meditation method for the present historic cycle, the one used by Avalokitesvara. It disengages bodily hearing from outward sound, then penetrates still deeper into the void beyond this duality, then beyond ego and its object, until all opposites and dualities vanish, leaving absoluteness. Nirvana follows as a natural consequence. In other words, disengage consciousness from the senses and return to pure Consciousness itself.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Brunton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best-meditation-method-for-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Awakening"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best-meditation-method-for-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/paul-brunton-7860_avalokitesvara_the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best_193175.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/paul-brunton-7860_avalokitesvara_the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best_193175.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/paul-brunton-7860_avalokitesvara_the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best_193175.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Surangama Sutra chooses, as the best meditation method for the present historic cycle, the one used by…” — Paul Brunton",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Paul Brunton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The Surangama Sutra chooses, as the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best-meditation-method-for-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/the-surangama-sutra-chooses-as-the-best-meditation-method-for-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
