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SoundEmotionSensationVerse 73beginner

Becoming One with Music

In the incomparable joy of music or other delight, merge so fully that you become the joy itself.

Source verse · Verse 73
गीतादिविषयास्वादासमसौख्यैकतात्मनः। योगिनस्तन्मयत्वेन मनोरूढेस्तदात्मता॥
gītādiviṣayāsvādāsamasaukhyaikatātmanaḥ | yoginas tanmayatvena manorūḍhes tadātmatā
In the incomparable joy of music or other delight, merge so fully that you become the joy itself.
▶ Practice this technique5 / 10 / 15 min · eyes either

How to practice

  1. 1Choose music (or another delight) that genuinely moves you.
  2. 2Give yourself to it completely — do not stand back and observe; let the enjoyment fill you.
  3. 3As the joy peaks, drop the sense of "me enjoying it" and merge into the joy itself.
  4. 4Rest as that undivided delight, where listener and listening are one.
Practice note. The key is total absorption (tanmayatva), not analysis. Let the music carry attention past the boundary between you and the joy.

Terms in this technique

ānanda
Bliss; the joy intrinsic to consciousness.
nāda
The inner, unstruck sound; subtle vibration.
bhāvanā
Contemplative imagination; cultivating a state through felt imagery.

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)