Void within and without
Turiya Dhyana
Turiya Dhyana
ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE
"Contemplating the void above, the void below and the void in the heart, there arises the supreme state."
This is a powerful technique for sudden enlightenment.
In this technique, both outside and inside are simultaneously comprehended as void. With no support either outside or inside, the mind instantly comes to a stop. In that blank state, the truth stands revealed.
Duration: Not applicable
INSTRUCTIONS
Experience your body as if suspended in space. There is nothing but emptiness above, emptiness below and emptiness all around. Your body is totally supportless. It is suspended without support in an immense void. If your body is mass, how can it be suspended in the void? Only void can exist in void! The instant you grasp this, you really glimpse yourself as void – void of body, void of mind, weightless and empty. When you experience the void outside, you experience the void within. You experience yourself as pure bodiless awareness.
ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE
Of the four states of consciousness - waking state, dream state, deep sleep state and superconscious state - the first three are part of our daily experience. All our meditation, all our spiritual efforts are only to experience a glimpse of the superconscious state or Samadhi.
From the waking state (jagrat) or the dream state (swapna), it is not easy to jump to Samadhi.
But when we are moving into the sleep state (sushupti), when the body and mind are already in a passive state, there is a chance that we can take this leap.
Try this technique when your body and mind are really ready for sleep, or it cannot be effective.
INSTRUCTIONS
Actually there are no instructions; there is nothing to be done! Just rest and wait passively, that's all.
Don't try to sleep. Don't try to follow any method to fall asleep. Don't feel guilty or anxious if sleep is not happening to you. Just wait passively.
While waiting you will always be more aware. When you are passively waiting, you will be more aware. If you are aggressive, you will not have awareness.
Understand: the more passive and receptive you are, the more your awareness will increase. That is why prayer develops your awareness. During prayer you are very passive, deep, waiting for the grace. A prayerful or passive mood will bring you to awareness.
So just be in a passive mood. You can even think of sleep as a goddess. In the Upanishad we have a chant to respect or worship the deity of sleep, nidra devi! You can think of sushupti or the deep-sleep state as a goddess. Wait with a passive mood for Her grace to descend upon you and bless you. Just be in a deep, waiting mood. Suddenly you will see that you are slowly losing the awareness about your body, but you are still aware! You will not lose the idea 'I'.
Be aware of that moment. It is the door to the spiritually awake state, samadhi,. In this space your verbalization will not be active. You will not have thoughts, but you will have consciousness.
In this space, you will not be aware of your body, but you will be aware that you exist. You are completely relaxed, you are aware - but the very idea of the body doesn't exist in this awareness. Then you will see that it is possible to be aware without the body! The following morning you will see that you are fresh, alive! But you will feel that you were aware throughout the night. You never lost your awareness, yet you feel completely rested and relaxed. You don't feel any tiredness. This is the glimpse of samadhi.
TECHNIQUE & INSTRUCTIONS
"At the moment of waking, before the awareness of the body and the world, remain as That."
Consciousness is not apart from mind.
Consciousness is what exists when even there are thoughts, behind the thoughts, between the thoughts, beyond the thoughts and in the silence when all thoughts have dissolved. It is just that we are not aware!
Every day, we all have hundreds of fleeting glimpses of samadhi. But because our senses and mind are so attuned to flowing outwards, we jump these gaps. We never fall into the gap. The effort of all ananda sutras is to make us aware of these gaps which we are continually experiencing. That is why there is no practice involved, no contemplation - only a sudden awakening to the Truth.
Even the simplest daily activity, like waking up from sleep, can become a moment to fall into the gap. Like the moment of falling asleep, the moment of waking is also a door to the superconscious.
INSTRUCTIONS
When you go to sleep, have the powerful intention to become aware of the moment of waking.
The next morning, when waking is happening to you, be aware.
The body is not yet in your awareness.
Your eyes are not open, so the world is not yet known.
The mind, being thought-free, does not exist.
In that silence, you still exist - as the pure consciousness I am. Become aware.