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VoidLightDissolutionVerse 115intermediate

Gazing into the Depths

Stand above a deep well or chasm and gaze steadily down; the thought-free mind dissolves at once.

Source verse · Verse 115
कूपादिके महागर्ते स्थित्वोपरि निरीक्षणात्। अविकल्पमतेः सम्यक्सद्यस्चित्तलयः स्फुटम्॥
kūpādike mahāgarte sthitvopari nirīkṣaṇāt | avikalpamateḥ samyak sadyaś cittalayaḥ sphuṭam
Stand above a deep well or chasm and gaze steadily down; the thought-free mind dissolves at once.
▶ Practice this technique5 / 10 min · eyes open

How to practice

  1. 1Find a safe vantage above a real depth — a deep well, a gorge, a tall drop (stay well back from any edge).
  2. 2Let the gaze travel down into the depth and rest there, steady and continuous.
  3. 3Do not think about the depth; just let the eyes and attention fall into it.
  4. 4As the gaze sinks into the abyss, let the mind dissolve with it. Rest in the openness that opens.
Practice note. Safety first — never lean over an edge. The pull of a great depth gathers and then dissolves the mind; a steady, thought-free gaze does the work.

Terms in this technique

śūnya
Void, emptiness — not nothingness but open, contentless awareness.
laya
Dissolution, absorption; the merging of attention into its source.
cidākāśa
The space of consciousness; the inner sky of awareness.

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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