VoidSensationVerse 89beginner
Blocking a Single Sense
Block any one sense completely; entering the non-dual void it opens, the Self shines there.
Source verse · Verse 89
यस्य कस्येन्द्रियस्यापि व्याघाताच्च निरोधतः। प्रविष्टस्याद्वये शून्ये तत्रैवात्मा प्रकाशते॥
yasya kasyendriyasyāpi vyāghātāc ca nirodhataḥ | praviṣṭasyādvaye śūnye tatraivātmā prakāśate
Block any one sense completely; entering the non-dual void it opens, the Self shines there.
▶ Practice this technique5 / 10 / 15 min · eyes either
How to practice
- 1Choose a single sense and block it fully — for example, close the ears with the palms, or cover the eyes completely.
- 2Notice the sudden inner void that opens when that channel of perception is cut off.
- 3Enter that void; it is non-dual — no inner and outer, no two.
- 4Rest there; in that very emptiness the Self (ātman) shines of itself.
Practice note. Any sense will do — hearing is easiest (palms over ears). The point is the non-dual void the blocking reveals, not the blocking itself.
Terms in this technique
- śūnya
- Void, emptiness — not nothingness but open, contentless awareness.
- ātman
- The true self; awareness as one’s own being.
- sākṣin
- The witness; awareness that observes without being touched.
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)