First meditation instruction in the Shri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra – verse 24 or 25

/ Jan

The first meditation instruction in the Shri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra is found in verse 24 or 25, where the teachings of meditation begin.

The Shri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra is an ancient spiritual text from the Kashmir Shaivism tradition that explores the direct experience of divine consciousness through 112 meditation techniques. Presented as a dialogue between Lord Shiva (Bhairava) and Goddess Parvati (Bhairavi), the text transcends ritualistic practices, focusing instead on the immediacy of realization through awareness of breath, sound, light, and everyday experiences. It teaches that enlightenment can be attained by recognizing the infinite and unchanging nature of one’s own consciousness, revealing the unity between the individual and the cosmos.

Here is the verse in its original Sanskrit, followed by a transliteration, translation, and explanation of the practice. The first meditation instruction in the Shri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra is numbered as either verse 24 or verse 25, depending on the specific source or translation.

Sanskrit Text:

छिद्रं वस्तु महास्थूला दृष्टिर्निविष्टा तत्र वा।
लीनं तत्क्षणमात्रेण परं चैतन्यमाप्नुयात्।।

Transliteration:

Chidraṁ vastu mahāsthūlā dṛṣṭir niviṣṭā tatra vā |
Līnaṁ tatkṣaṇamātreṇa paraṁ caitanyam āpnuyāt ||

Phonetic Pronunciation:

Chid-ram vas-tu ma-haa-sthoo-laa drish-teer ni-vish-taa tat-ra vaa |
Lee-nam tat-ksha-na-maa-tray-na pa-ram chai-tan-yam aap-noo-yaat ||

Word-by-Word Pronunciation:

  • Chidraṁ: chid-ram (chid-ruh-m)
  • Vastu: vas-tu (vuhs-too)
  • Mahāsthūlā: ma-haa-sthoo-laa (mah-haa-sthool-aa)
  • Dṛṣṭir: drish-teer (drish-teer)
  • Niviṣṭā: ni-vish-taa (nih-vish-tah)
  • Tatra: tat-ra (tuht-rah)
  • Vā: vaa (vaa)
  • Līnaṁ: lee-nam (lee-nuhm)
  • Tatkṣaṇamātreṇa: tat-ksha-na-maa-tray-na (tuht-kshuh-nuh-maa-tray-nuh)
  • Paraṁ: pa-ram (puh-ruhm)
  • Caitanyam: chai-tan-yam (chai-tuhn-yuhm)
  • Āpnuyāt: aap-noo-yaat (aap-noo-yaat)

Translation:

Focus your gaze or awareness on a subtle point or space within or outside an object. When the mind becomes completely absorbed in that void or point of focus, within a moment, one attains the realization of supreme consciousness.

Explanation of the Meditation

This meditation directs the practitioner to focus on “chidra”, which means a subtle space or opening. That means focusing one’s awareness on a subtle point or space, either within or outside an object. This practice aim is to transcend the mind’s habitual patterns, facilitating a direct experience of one’s inner consciousness. By concentrating fully on this point, practitioners can dissolve the boundaries between the observer and the observed, leading to a state of unity and the realization of supreme consciousness. ANd realizing that the object and its space are rising in your consciousness as focus while you recognize the one who observes is yourself which is synonymous to empty awareness… 

By fixing your awareness on this subtle space and becoming fully absorbed in it, the distractions of the mind dissolve, allowing the practitioner to experience Para Chaitanya, the supreme consciousness or universal awareness. I am that.

Practice Instructions

  1. Preparation:
    • Sit in a comfortable position with a straight spine.
    • Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to settle your mind.
  2. Choosing a Point of Focus:
    • Identify a subtle space to focus on. This could be:
      • A physical point of light or flame in your field of vision. It can also be as OSHO taught us:
      • The imagined space between breaths or thoughts.
  3. Focused Attention:
    • Direct your gaze or awareness to the chosen point.
    • Let your mind rest fully on this point, without judgment or analysis.
  4. Absorption:
    • Allow yourself to merge with the space, dissolving any sense of separation between yourself and the point of focus.
    • If distractions arise, gently return your attention to the space.
  5. Realization:
    • As you become deeply absorbed, you may experience a sense of expansion, clarity, or connection to something greater.
    • Remain in this state for as long as it feels natural.

The Doorway to Supreme Consciousness: A Meditation on Shri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra

So these two lines of this verse tell us about a timeless truth about the nature of awareness and its ability to unveil the supreme consciousness, which we are ourselves! So lets explore the text a bit more.

A Subtle Gaze, A Vast Truth

The instruction begins with a gentle nudge: “Fix your gaze or awareness on a subtle space, a tangible object, or even a gross, large form.” At first glance, the simplicity of this directive may seem underwhelming. Yet, hidden within it is a profound insight into the nature of the mind and its relationship to the external world.

Imagine sitting quietly in a room. Before you, a flickering candle casts its steady light. The flame is ordinary, yet something about its dance draws you in. As your gaze softens, the boundaries between you and the flame begin to blur. Its light, warmth, and movement become less “out there” and more an extension of your own being. This is the essence of the verse’s first line: the act of fixing awareness—whether on a subtle point like the breath, a tangible object like the flame, or the vastness of the sky—serves as an anchor that steadies the otherwise restless mind.

But this focus is not rigid. The verse uses the word niviṣṭā, meaning to settle deeply, almost as if melting into the object of focus. It is an intimate, effortless immersion, not an act of straining or forcing. Whether the object is subtle (chidraṁ), tangible (vastu), or gross and large (mahāsthūlā), the key is allowing the awareness to become one with it.

The Moment of Dissolution

The second line of the verse reveals the heart of the practice: “When the mind merges completely into the focus, even for a single moment, one attains the realization of supreme consciousness.” Here lies the magic of the method: it is not the act of focusing itself but the dissolution of the mind into the focus that opens the doorway to the infinite.

Think of a drop of water poised above a still lake. For a moment, it remains distinct, carrying its identity as a “drop.” Then, with a gentle fall, it merges into the lake, losing its separateness and becoming part of the whole. The same happens to the mind when it merges into the object of focus. For an instant, the mind’s habitual grasping—its need to categorize, analyze, and cling—ceases. In that instant, the supreme consciousness (paraṁ caitanyam) is revealed, not as something to be attained but as something that has always been present.

This merging, or līnaṁ, does not require prolonged effort. The verse emphasizes tatkṣaṇamātreṇa—even a single moment of complete absorption is enough to illuminate the truth. This is both a relief and a challenge. It is a relief because the supreme is not distant; it can be glimpsed in a single breath, a single gaze. It is a challenge because such complete absorption demands the surrender of the mind’s constant chatter, a surrender that is as simple as it is profound.

The Dance of Awareness

This practice is not confined to sitting in meditation. It is a doorway to bringing sacred attention into every moment of life. Fixing awareness on a subtle space might mean feeling the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. A tangible object could be the texture of your hands as they touch one another. A gross form might be the vastness of a mountain range or the endless horizon of the sea.

The practice is flexible, adaptable, and deeply human. It does not demand that you retreat to a cave or follow complex rituals. It invites you to bring your full attention to whatever is before you, no matter how simple or mundane. In doing so, it reveals that even the smallest point of focus can serve as a gateway to the infinite.

Unity with the Supreme

The true beauty of this teaching lies in its universality. It transcends belief systems, cultural boundaries, and intellectual constructs. It does not require you to adopt a new philosophy or reject your current understanding. Instead, it asks you to simply be—to rest your awareness fully and allow the mind to dissolve.

As the mind merges into the focus, it sheds its layers of identity and attachment. What remains is a pure, luminous awareness that is not separate from the object of focus, the act of focusing, or the one who observes. In that moment, duality collapses. The boundaries between self and other, subject and object, dissolve, and what emerges is a direct recognition of unity—of supreme consciousness.

A Simple Yet Profound Path

The verse from the Shri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra offers a meditation practice that is disarmingly simple yet infinitely profound. It reminds us that the journey to supreme consciousness is not about striving for something distant or unattainable. It is about surrendering to the present moment, allowing the mind to settle, and experiencing the infinite within the finite.

Through the act of focusing, dissolving, and merging, we are invited to step into the vast, luminous reality that has always been our true nature. This teaching is not merely a method; it is a living truth, a gentle call to recognize who and what we really are. Shunyam Adhibhu

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