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EmotionSensationVoidVerse 118intermediate

The Edges of Intense States

At the end of a sneeze, in terror or grief, atop a chasm, fleeing danger, in sharp curiosity or hunger — that very edge is full of Brahman.

Source verse · Verse 118
क्षुताद्यन्ते भये शोके गह्वरे वा रणाद्द्रुते। कुतूहले क्षुधाद्यन्ते ब्रह्मसत्तामयी दशा॥
kṣutādyante bhaye śoke gahvare vā raṇād drute | kutūhale kṣudhādyante brahmasattāmayī daśā
At the end of a sneeze, in terror or grief, atop a chasm, fleeing danger, in sharp curiosity or hunger — that very edge is full of Brahman.
▶ Practice this technique5 / 10 min · eyes either

How to practice

  1. 1Watch for the natural peak-or-edge of an intense state — the instant a sneeze completes, a flash of fright, a wave of grief, the pull of a chasm, sudden curiosity, the edge of keen hunger.
  2. 2In that charged instant, the mind momentarily stops and stands wide open.
  3. 3Do not rush past it into reaction; rest, alert, in that open instant.
  4. 4Recognise that this very edge is "full of the reality of Brahman", and abide there.
Practice note. These states arrive on their own — the practice is to be awake at their edge instead of swept along. The sneeze and the fright are doorways most people pass through unconscious.

Terms in this technique

madhya
The middle, the centre, the gap between two states — a key VBT doorway.
śūnya
Void, emptiness — not nothingness but open, contentless awareness.
sākṣin
The witness; awareness that observes without being touched.
bhairava
The fierce, all-encompassing form of Shiva; ultimate consciousness.

Sources consulted

  • Jaideva Singh, Vijñānabhairava: The Manual for Self-Realization (Motilal Banarsidass, 1979)
  • Swami Lakshmanjoo, Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self Realization (Universal Shaiva Fellowship, 2007)
  • Bettina Bäumer, Vijñâna Bhairava: The Practice of Centering Awareness (Indica Books, 2011)
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