The Sutra
"Or, in the spaces between, feel this as lightning."
Paul Reps translation, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (1957)
Understanding
Between any two experiences, two thoughts, two breaths, two heartbeats, there is a space. This technique asks you to feel that in-between space as lightning - a sudden flash of pure energy and illumination. The spaces between are not empty gaps. They are charged with the electrical intensity of consciousness itself. When you feel the gaps as lightning, ordinary pauses become extraordinary flashes of awakening.
Original Sanskrit
प्रकाशानन्दमात्मानमा रहस्ये प्रतीपयेत् ।
prakaashaanandamaatmaanaamaa rahasye prateepayet |
Vijnanabhairava Verse 100 (Technique 77 of 112)
How to Practice
Sit quietly and begin noticing the spaces between things - between two breaths, between two thoughts, between two sounds.
Instead of seeing these spaces as empty pauses, feel them as charged with energy - like lightning.
Between one thought ending and the next beginning, feel a flash of brilliant awareness.
Between the inhale and the exhale, feel a bolt of pure consciousness illuminate your being.
Let each gap become a mini-awakening, a flash of lightning that briefly reveals everything.
With practice, the spaces between become more vivid than the things between which they exist.
Duration
15-25 minutes
Best Time
Any time - especially during quiet sitting
Related Techniques
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