Vijnana Bhairava Tantra – 100

Consciousness is the same

Chid Dharma Sarva Deheshu Vishesho Nasti Kutrachit|

 Atascha Tanmayam Sarvam Bhavayan Bhavajjinaha||

Meditating on the one consciousness and its qualities of existence as present everywhere with no speciality existing anywhere, for such people, everyone is seen as one’s own self. In that realisation, for the people who meditate in this way, they conquer existence. 

Vijnana Bhairava Tantra _ 99

Concentrate on the thought

Nirnimittam Bhavejjnanam Niradharam Bhramathmakam|

Tatwatah Kasyachin Naitad Evam Bhave Shiva Priye||

Lord Shiva addresses his dearest wife and says, Meditate on that thought which rises without any cause and sheds some knowledge. That thought is indeed without any base. It’s very nature is illusory. In reality, it does not belong to anybody. Meditate in this way oh one who loves Shiva.

The word Jnanam refers to thought. You see a tree outside and immediately the knowledge of a tree arises in the mind as a thought. When that thought is examined, tracing it to the source from where it came, one realises that it is actually not there. – SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra – 98

 Focus on the thought

Icchayam Athava Jnane Jaate Chitta Niveshayath|Atmabuddhyaananyachetaaha Tatastathwartha Darshanam||

There is another way to concentrate when a desire or a thought arises – bring the total attention of the mind to that alone. The intellect that sees this desire or thought should be firmly established as a pure witness and not strengthen the desire or thought or try to suppress it. This is just like flashing a torch at every passing thought. If this is done to the exclusion of all other thoughts, then one gets to the essential illumination that is  behind every thought and desire which is nothing but a strong thought.In a shadow puppet show, all the names and forms of  the different dolls may be good, villanous, loving, jealous, angry etc, but the light and shade that illumines them is  just one. – SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra – 97

Who am I?

Yada Mamaiccha Nothpanna Jnanam Va Kastadasmi Vai|
Tathvoham Tatha Bhoothaha Talleenastanmana Bhaveth||

In the previous verse, the exercise was to quieten the mind by drawing the desires back to its source. This verse takes the contemplation to the next step. “When my desire does not arise, nor is any thought born, then who indeed am I?” When this question is asked repeatedly, the realisation that I am the essential nature of existence dawns and merging with that source, the mind becomes that essence itself.

This is the simplest method that Sri Ramana Maharshi suggested to his disciples to do, to ask, “Who am I? - SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra - 96

Meditate on fulfilment

Jhageeteecham Samutpannam Avalokya Shamam Nayeth|Yata Eva Samudbhutha Tathah Tatraiva Leeyate||

We all have desires which are like strong mind currents that are pushed by the winds of likes and dislikes. Tantra teaches us not to fight with desires or to control it. Each time a desire arises, watch it come up and immediately bring it towards peace. This means to watch the state of contentment that arises when the desire is fulfilled. Once this contentment is experienced, in that very place the mind becomes quiet and merges. – SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra – 95

The changes happen in the changeless self

Maya Vimohini Nama Kalayah Kalanam Sthitham|

Ithyadi Dharmam Thathwanam Kalayanna Prithagbhaveth||

Instead of trying to focus on the changeless absolute which is not easily comprehended by the mind, Lord Siva tells us to observe Maya herself. What is not, buut appears to be, is Maya. So she is called Vimohini or a special deluder. She operates in time and space as ever changing names and forms. Meditating on this transient nature of all that we see, smell, taste, touch, hear and think about, we soon understand that the perceiver of ll this is different from the perceived. Through all our years lived, only one person experiences all the changes we go through. When we move from babyhood to childhood and then to youth, it is not a different person each time who is experiencing it. The realisation of the changeless self happens this way too. – SS.

Vignana Bhairava Tantra – 94

There is nothing inside to know

Chittadyantah Kritirnasti Mamantar Bhavayediti|

Vikalpanamabhavena Vikalpairujjhitobhaveth||

This is a beautiful meditative method where the seeker tries to understand that there is indeed no inner equipment called the Anthah Karana comprising the mind, memory, intellect and ego. The nature of the mind is two-fold – Sankalpa or positive thinking and Vikalpa – negative thinking. When we resolve to do a good action, it is Sankalpa and when some crazy and improbable imagination is raging, it is Vikalpa. When you realise there is no mind, Vikalpa also is gone; One becomes free of all imaginations. The four great imaginations are, “This is myself.” – of the Ahamkara. The next is, “I did this and I enjoy or suffer for it.” – This imagination is by the intellect. The third imagination is, “This is myself and everything else is different from me. I like this and I don’t like this.” The fourth imagination is the memories of the past and the anxieties of the future.

The Antahkarana, the inner thought equipment is a divine creative preservative and destructive force. When it serves the individual body, it becomes a binding factor. It is not a question of wishing away the ego, intellect, mind and memory, but making a thorough analysis to discover that it is actually not there. – SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra – 93

When it hurts

Kinchidangam Vibhidyadau Teekshna Suchyadina Tataha|

Tatraiva Chetana Yuktva Bhairave Nirmala Gatihi||

This Dharana, may sound a bit too harsh to our sensitivities. It says, pierce your body a bit with a sharp object like a needle and bring your attention to the spot where you experience pain. The mind immediately gets united with consciousness.

This is not any new technique of concentration though. For ages, it has been the practice of people to observe Tapasya such as inserting sharp hooks and spears into the body and pulling chariots or piercing the tongue with small spears etc. The process gathers all the rays of the mind to that point of pain and consciousness is experienced.

We need not in fact do any such thing. Modern day medical treatment puts us through such painful injections. We even go through pain on account of our body and sometimes it is  the pain of emotions, hurts, separation. Whenever there is any pain, totally bring the mind to the point where it throbs. In a brief while, the mind quietens and gets absorbed in consciousness – Bhairava. This is a beautiful way to make painful moments into meditative moments. – SS.

Vignana Bhairava Tantra – 92

I am all space

Vyomakaram Swamathmanam Dhyayyeddigbhiranvritam|

Nirashraya Chitih Shaktihi Swaroopam Darshayettada||

When you sit down for meditation, consider yourself to be the space all around and within you. “I am the form of formless space.” Meditate this way and see your own self expanding in all directions without any boundary. When this thought of “I” expands and encompasses all space in which everything is held, the mind loses all its support. There is no object to echo our thoughts. Then the energy of consciousness is experienced as one’s own form. - SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra – 91

Jump off from the visarga diving board

Varnaysya Savisargasya Visargantham Chiti Kuru|

Niradharena Chittena Sphured Brahma Sanatanam||

In this meditative practice which Lord Shiva explains to us through his disciple Goddess Parvathi, the Visarga is used as a tool for meditation. The Visarga : has the sound of ‘Ha’ and is placed at the end of some letters in Sanskrit such as Rama: Krishna: Shiva: Hari: Guru: or Lakshmi:  When pronounced, they sound like Ramaha, Krishnaha, Shivaha, Harihi, Guruhu and Lakshmihi. The meditator  is asked to take up a letter with its visarga to chant it and allow the mind to drop with the visarga. When the mind becomes supportless, it touches the supreme reality that is ever present. - SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra – 90

Meditate on ‘अ ’

Abindum Avisargam Cha Akaram Japato Mahan|

Udeti Devi Sahasa Jnanaugha Parameshwaraha||

The first letter ‘अ of the Sanskrit alphabet, which is invariably the first letter of most of the world languages, is the first sound to emerge from space. When it is chanted without the concluding sound called the Bindu which gives a full stop to it and the sound of Visarga, represented in Sanskrit by two dots :, sounding like “aha” or “uhu” depending on the preceding sound, O Parvati – in that great soul, a river of knowledge about the supreme Ishwara flows immediately. – SS.

Vijnana Bhairava Tantra – 89

Train them inward

Yasya Kasyendriyasyaapi Vyaghathaccha Nirodhitha:|

Pravishtasyadvaye ShunyeTatraivatma Prakashate||

If the individual takes upp even one sense organ and restrains it from going repeatedly to its pastures, he enters into his own non-dual void within. The expression of the mind outward is brought within and there the atman shines in all its glory.

For instance, instead of allowing the eyes to roam around and getting tired watching different forms all the time, they can be kept closed. This allows the eye of contemplation to open within and there lies the discovery of the self. – SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra – 88

Bhairava expands with consciousness

Evameva Nimeelyadau Nethre Krishnabhamagrataha|

Prasarya Bhairavam Rupam Bhavayanstanmayobhaveth||

In the same way, as soon as you close both the eyes, there is a deep darkness that is seen before you, within closed eyes. Allow the consciousness within, that beholds the darkness, to expand into the form of Bhairava. As you meditate upon that form in this manner, you soon become one with the consciousness of Bhairava. - SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra - 87

Meditate on the dense darkness of night

Evameva Durnishayam Krishna Pakshaagame Chiram|Taimiram Bhavayan Rupam Bhairavam Rupameshyati||

This verse tells us to do dharana or concentrate the mind on the darkness of the night's sky. It is not the darkness of a bright moonlit sky, but the dense and fearsome darkness when the moon approaches a new moon day of the waning phase. Sit alone with the sky for company and look at the terrible darkness of the sky. Meditate upon this thick black dark form of formlessness and Bhairava the aspect of truth assumes thhat very dark form right before your eyes. - SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra - 86

Only Bhairava everywhere

Kichith Jnatam Dwaitadaayi Bahyalokastamah Punaha|
Vishwadi Bhairava Rupam Jnatvanantaprakasha Bruth||

Having known a little bit of this world outside, dual in nature with ups and downs, joys and sorrows, highs and lows, days and nights - the darkness of non-apprehension of the reality always remains. Withdrawing  our perception from the outer world of differences, if we take our sight to the seer consciousness or Bhairava, nothing else but illumination remains. If there is joy that is revealed, sorrow revealed, wealth, poverty, popularity, and all these states of being are revealed to us, the knowing alone is nothing but the light of pure awareness. - SS

Vignana Bhairava Tantra - 85

When space merges within you

Leenam Moordhni Viyathsarvam Bhairavathvena Bhavayeth|
Tatsarvam Bhairavakara Tejasthathvam Twamavisheth||

Meditating on the space in the forehead - Chidakasha Dhyana, is a means of getting absorbed into that consciousness. As you sit with eyes closed, experience as if all the space is getting absorbed in your forehead. Now, feel the presence of consciousness of Bhairava completely pervading the forehead. When the moment of contemplation leads you to the understanding that all that you see is nothing but the thought of Bhairava, you enter into the essence of pure light. - SS