#110. One Step Forward, Two Steps Backwards | VBT

We as individuals and as a collective species seem to slip two steps backward as we take one step forwards. Maybe, it is time to turn around and change directions. Move inwards. Face towards oneself and explore this wonderful magical awareness that we all are. And who knows wherever we want to go, we reach there easily. Turn inwards, Dhyanse.

Transcript

Namaste everyone.

A very warm welcome to all of you in this live meditation session with me,

Dhyan se.

We are meditating on 112 meditation techniques of Vigyan Bhairav Tantra.

A boy was late for his class.

He entered the class and the teacher asked,

Why are you late?

And this boy was always late.

Every day he had to make an intelligent excuse to be late.

He was an intelligent boy.

He was late every day and he would come up with some excuse every day why he is late.

And the teacher who was not able to argue would let him in.

So the teacher asked,

Why are you late?

The boy said,

Look outside,

It's raining so hard,

So heavy.

While I was walking towards the school,

The road is so slippery.

That's why I'm late.

The teacher said,

The road is slippery.

Why are you late?

Because of the road being slippery.

The boy said,

It's so slippery that I take one step towards the school and I'm pushed two steps backwards.

It's raining so hard.

The road is absolutely slippery all along the school.

And there's no way and I whatever I try,

I take a step forward.

I'm slipping two steps backwards.

The teacher is amazed to hear this story.

The teacher asks,

So how did you finally manage to be in school?

How did you finally manage to arrive here?

This boy said,

Until I realized I need to change directions,

I just turned completely opposite and I finally,

Finally found my way to the school.

As we,

As individuals,

As we,

As humanity,

Are on this slippery slope where whatever steps that we take,

One step forward and we find ourselves two steps behind,

We need to do something about this.

We need to change directions.

As we,

Individuals,

As we,

As humanity,

Not just as individuals,

Not just as a lone standing individuals,

But everything that we do as humanity collectively together.

Take a look at what we are experiencing right now as humanity.

We cannot separate ourselves as individuals out of what is happening as humanity and just see that in every aspect,

One step we take forward and two steps somehow we are slipping behind.

It is time to change directions.

It is time to move in the opposite direction.

What is that opposite direction?

That opposite direction is to turn inwards.

For hundreds of years,

For decades,

Hundreds of years,

For centuries,

We have just moved outwards.

All our energy,

All our awareness is moving outwards and the result of that is one step we take forward and two steps we are pushed behind.

See in any aspect of your life,

With every effort that you make with your work,

With your personal life,

With any aspect of your life,

From professional to personal,

From the very individual to the very collective,

In every direction,

See that one step we take forward and two steps we are slipping behind.

The way to change that is to change the direction,

To turn inwards,

To turn in the opposite direction of all our efforts so far.

The efforts,

The awareness,

The energy that has been flowing outwards must flow inwards.

Towards oneself,

Towards knowing what this is,

Towards knowing itself,

The awareness knowing itself.

With this moving outwards,

We have known the world and aren't you done with knowing the world,

Moving outwards?

It is time to move inwards.

It is time to know oneself,

To know what this awareness is.

Maybe when we turn towards the awareness itself,

Then we reach towards home.

Then the steps that we take,

They take towards,

They make us reach towards home.

Where we always wanted to be,

Where as an individual,

As a collective we always wanted to be.

It is time to turn inwards,

To change directions towards oneself,

Towards this awareness,

This intelligence that is there within all of us,

Which is somewhat left,

Untouched,

Unexplored.

We have explored everything outside,

But left this intelligence to be explored just by a few,

Just by those who are touched by some inspiration,

Who are touched by some blessing,

Who are touched accidentally to turn inwards and to know oneself,

To know the truth of who we are.

But it is not enough if only a few turn inwards.

It is time for us as individuals,

For us as collective,

For the next decade,

For the next generation,

Who is even further away from home,

Further away from the truth,

Further away from oneself.

It is time to turn inwards for oneself and for the generations to come to bring the energy once again back to oneself,

To know the intelligence of who we really are and from there on,

Wherever life leads,

We move towards that.

Meditation and all these wisdom traditions,

They all point to the same thing.

They all become that process,

That journey where for some way you find for yourself to turn inwards,

To have those few moments of undisturbed awareness,

Where this awareness is turned inwards and is exploring itself,

Is trying to know itself,

Is not running away from itself.

It is giving time to know what this really is,

What this intelligence,

This thriving life,

This consciousness within,

What is this really is,

What is the truth of this and in knowing the truth,

In knowing that self,

There is love,

There is connection,

There is once again the joy of life,

Which we are exploring in all our efforts,

In all our efforts in the outside,

In the energy flowing outside,

In the energy flowing outwards,

Whatever we are seeking,

Try once turning that energy towards awareness itself.

Let us hear what Bhairava has to say in Vigyan Bhairava Tantra to help us turn towards ourselves,

Towards our truth,

Towards our consciousness.

Bhairava says,

When the awareness becomes steady,

Formless and without any support,

Meditation is verified.

So Bhairava is giving this sutra,

In the very final commentaries of Vigyan Bhairava Tantra,

The 110th session on Vigyan Bhairava Tantra out of 112.

He has given all the techniques,

He had laid down all the tips and tricks for you to taste the silence,

For you to taste the awareness,

For giving you ways to turn inwards,

And now here in this sutra,

Bhairava is saying how do you identify,

How do you judge,

How do you verify that your meditation is maturing,

Is moving in the right direction.

So here he is giving three parameters.

He is saying when the awareness becomes steady,

When the awareness becomes formless,

And when the awareness is without any support.

As you turn your awareness inwards,

Towards your inner space,

And explore this inner space,

Explore your awareness,

Explore your consciousness,

You will see so much unsteadiness,

So much distraction,

And therefore here Bhairava is giving these three parameters for you to always keep in mind to have the right direction where to move towards in your journey,

On your spiritual journey with the development of your awareness.

Here he is saying the awareness has to be steady.

So as you turn inwards,

As you listen to what I am saying,

Along with that,

As your awareness is shifting inwards,

Is turning inwards,

The first thing that has to happen is that awareness has to become steady,

Has to become still.

Only when that awareness becomes steady,

Your intelligence is in its full potential.

Otherwise it is partial.

Otherwise while you are implementing your awareness,

While you are implementing your intelligence,

It cannot grasp because it is always unsettled.

Unless your awareness is steady,

Unless your concentration,

Your attention is one pointed,

Without that you cannot know.

Without that you cannot know the outside,

Without that you cannot know the inside.

So make sure work towards bringing stillness to your awareness,

To this steadiness of your awareness.

That is the first pointer from Bhairava.

The second pointer is this awareness to be formless.

When we turn inwards,

When we close our eyes,

A thousand and one things appear in front of our eyes.

Thoughts,

Shapes,

Imaginations,

Visualizations,

Ideas,

The whole past,

The whole projection of the future,

All these forms that appear within our inner space.

Here Bhairava is saying in the silence of meditation,

Until the awareness becomes formless,

Keep on moving,

Keep on working towards this state of having the awareness formless,

Completely formless.

The first is the awareness is steady,

The second is the awareness is formless.

It is not taking any shape,

It is not reciting any mantra,

It is not remembering anything,

It is simply there formless.

And the third,

Without any support.

What does that mean is that this becomes effortless.

This becomes spontaneous to you,

Your awareness turning inwards and settled on itself.

Turning inwards in a completely effortless way.

There is no force needed for you to hold the meditation.

When you can have these three functioning in you,

When your awareness is mature enough that you can have your awareness steady,

Then you can have your awareness supportless,

Which is without any effort,

And when your awareness is completely formless,

Without any objects.

That is the moment,

That is where the truth reveals itself.

That is where you know who you really are.

That is where when you take one step forward,

You are not moving two steps backwards.

That is where you do not even need to take a step forward,

You are where you always were supposed to be at home,

At your center.

Let us move into silence,

Let us move into these three stages,

These three parameters and work on each one of them,

The steadiness,

The formlessness,

The effortlessness of the awareness in the next minutes.

Please close your eyes and take a posture that is comfortable for you.

With your head,

Neck and back aligned,

Let your body rest,

Yet alert.

And your awareness turning inwards,

Towards itself.

From all directions,

Pointing at itself.

Allowing the awareness to settle,

To become steady.

Not trying to force it,

Simply observing your awareness.

If it is moving,

Flickering,

Simply observe your awareness.

Awareness of awareness.

Energy from all directions turning towards your awareness.

Not forcing anything and allowing the stillness to arise.

Turning every bit of awareness towards itself.

And the stillness arises.

And this awareness,

Let go of all forms.

All what you see,

Shapes,

Colors,

Any forms,

Let this awareness be formless.

Thank you.

Still and formless.

Thank you.

Thank you.

This silence arises.

Let this be supportless,

Effortless.

Simply sitting in awareness of awareness.

Let this be supportless.

Let this be supportless.

Let this be supportless.

Awareness on itself,

On nothing in particular.

Let this be supportless.

Let this be supportless.

Remaining in awareness.

In silence.

No effort whatsoever.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Let everything go.

Simply stay in this awareness.

Let this be supportless.

Very gently and slowly,

You may open your eyes.

As the awareness starts to flow outwards,

Maintain this awareness of awareness within.

Taking this awareness of awareness to your daily life,

Even while you are in activity,

While you participate in the world,

Remain aware of your awareness.

In that centeredness,

In that awareness,

There is love,

There is truth,

There is sanity,

There is home where you always belong.

Thank you very much for joining.

Namaste.

Reviews

Quiet, peaceful and effortless. Thank you for the guidance