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VoidVisualizationVerse 33beginner

Gazing into Void, Wall, or the Beloved

Let the mind rest on empty space, a blank wall, or a worthy being; it dissolves on its own and grace flows.

Source verse · Verse 33
ईदृशेन क्रमेणैव यत्र कुत्रापि चिन्तना। शून्ये कुड्ये परे पात्रे स्वयं लीना वरप्रदा॥
īdṛśena krameṇaiva yatra kutrāpi cintanā | śūnye kuḍye pare pātre svayaṃ līnā varapradā
Let the mind rest on empty space, a blank wall, or a worthy being; it dissolves on its own and grace flows.
▶ Practice this technique5 / 10 / 15 min · eyes open

How to practice

  1. 1Choose a simple, contentless object to rest the gaze on: empty space, a bare wall, or the face of someone you revere.
  2. 2Look softly, without analysing or naming. Let looking be receptive, not effortful.
  3. 3Notice the mind beginning to settle and merge into what it rests on.
  4. 4Allow that spontaneous dissolving to deepen; nothing more is needed — it "bestows the boon" by itself.
Practice note. The verse generalises the method: any contentless or wholly absorbing support works. The wall and the beloved are not different practices — both are places where the grasping mind lets go.

Terms in this technique

śūnya
Void, emptiness — not nothingness but open, contentless awareness.
ākāśa
Space, ether; the open expanse, inner and outer.
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)
  • Bettina Bäumer, Vijñâna Bhairava: The Practice of Centering Awareness (Indica Books, 2011)
  • Osho, The Book of Secrets (St. Martin’s Griffin, 1998)