Vijnana Bhairava · Day 24
Day 24 — The Body Elements as Space
This dharana contemplates the body and its elements as pervaded by empty space, allowing meditation to become steady and uncontracted.
Original Verse
Verified from source textSource: Vijnana Bhairava Tantra — The Mystery Within, Verse 47
Sanskrit
सर्वं देहगतं द्रव्यं वियद्व्याप्तं मृगेक्षणे ।विभावयेत्ततस्तस्य भावना सा स्थिरा भवेत् ॥
Transliteration
sarvaṃ dehagataṃ dravyaṃ viyadvyāptaṃ mṛgekṣaṇevibhāvayet tatas tasya bhāvanā sā sthirā bhavet
Literal Translation
O doe-eyed one, one should meditate on all the physical elements that constitute the body as pervaded by empty space; then that meditation becomes steady.
Plain English Rendering
“Sense every part of the body as open and space-pervaded. Let sensations, thoughts, and perceptions arise within this spacious field without grasping.”
Literal translations remain close to the source text. Plain English renderings are interpretive contemplative renderings for accessibility and reflection.
Meaning
The source focuses on all the physical elements within the body. The body is not rejected; it is contemplated as pervaded by space.
This practice loosens the habit of experiencing the body as a dense, fixed object. Sensation remains, but awareness becomes less contracted around solidity.
Steadiness arises because attention no longer has to fight the body or cling to it. It can rest in the spaciousness already present within experience.
The Practice
- 1Sit quietly.
- 2Let the breath remain natural.
- 3Observe sensations, thoughts, emotions, and perceptions as they arise.
- 4Bring awareness to the whole body.
- 5Sense the body as made of elements pervaded by space.
- 6Let awareness remain open and inclusive.
- 7Do not divide experience into rigid compartments.
- 8Rest in the spacious continuity beneath changing experiences.
Practice for 10 minutes with simple, steady attention.
What to Notice
- continuity beneath changing experiences
- less identification with passing thoughts
- spacious inclusion
- quiet stability of awareness
Common Misunderstandings
- This is not denial of individuality.
- Awareness does not reject experience.
- Non-fragmentation is experiential, not merely conceptual.
- The practice is about openness, not philosophical belief.
Reflection Prompt
“What changes when the body is known as space-pervaded rather than solidly separate?”
Connection to Inner Freedom
Inner freedom deepens as the body, mind, and world are no longer held as tightly divided compartments. Experience continues, but awareness rests in a wider, steadier openness.