We're going to look at Dharana 2 of the Vijnana Bhairava.
If you haven't listened to the meditation on Dharana 1,
I suggest you do so beforehand so that it gives you context for this new Dharana that we will be doing.
A Dharana is a tantric centering technique and it's very important in Kashmir Shaivism.
It's about using the mind and the senses to approach the inner reality.
And by approaching that inner reality,
Realizing that that reality is all-pervasive consciousness.
So Dharana 2,
I'm going to sing it for you.
Maruṭhaṁ tābhaye vāpi viyādyogmāni vartanāt bhairavya bhairavāsyettham bhairavīvyajyate vapuh And now I'm going to give you the translation.
The translation is based on some scriptural sources that I've studied,
But also my own internal experience.
Remember it's important to have your internal experience,
Rather than letting the scripture dictate exactly what you think should happen to you.
Experiment with the Dharana and find out if it works for you.
Everybody learns differently.
So in the Vijnana Bhairava,
You'll find some Dharanas that are to do with awareness,
Some that are to do with awareness of breath,
Some that are to do with movement,
Some that are to do with meditation or focus.
Depending on your propensity or the way that you learn,
You are going to find that some Dharanas suit you better than others.
However,
In order to find that out,
We need to experiment and see what works for us.
And trust me,
It's a great adventure.
You don't have to take my word for it either.
Try it out for yourself.
See how it goes.
So anyway,
Here is my translation,
Based on scriptural translation,
Also rendered into modern English,
And with my own experience in there too.
Dharana 2.
Fix your mind on the void at the end of the out-breath and at the end of the in-breath.
There,
You will experience consciousness.
You will experience the fullness of consciousness.
Look,
Sometimes these Dharanas seem so simple,
So easy.
I remember someone once saying to me,
Are you going to give me a very simple,
Easy breath technique?
I said,
Simple,
Yes,
Little,
No.
Without the breath,
We do not exist.
From the moment we are born,
All through our life,
Till the moment we leave our body,
The breath is with us.
Usually the only time we worry about the breath is when it threatens to leave us.
In Tantra,
In yoga,
We learn how to be conscious of the breath.
And in this Dharana,
We are learning to be conscious of the space where the breath arises and dissolves.
Fix your mind on the void at the end of the out-breath and at the end of the in-breath.
There,
You will find,
Vaibhava,
The fullness of consciousness.
