Withdraw Sight, Then Thought - Enter the Void
क्वचिद् वस्तुनि विन्यस्य शनैर् दृष्टिं निवर्तयेत् । तज् ज्ञानं चित्तसहितं देवि शून्यालायो भवेत् ॥
kvacid vastuni vinyasya śanair dṛṣṭiṃ nivartayet | taj jñānaṃ cittasahitaṃ devi śūnyālāyo bhavet ||
VBT Verse 120
The Sutra
"Look upon some object, then slowly withdraw your sight from it, then slowly withdraw your thought from it. Then."
Paul Reps translation, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (1957)
Understanding
A three-stage withdrawal. First look at an object. Then slowly withdraw your sight from it - close your eyes but keep the mental image. Then withdraw even the thought of it - let the mental image dissolve. What remains when both seeing and thinking are withdrawn? The void. And in that void, "Then" - the same trailing silence as technique 11.
Original Sanskrit
क्वचिद् वस्तुनि विन्यस्य शनैर् दृष्टिं निवर्तयेत् । तज् ज्ञानं चित्तसहितं देवि शून्यालायो भवेत् ॥
kvacid vastuni vinyasya śanair dṛṣṭiṃ nivartayet | taj jñānaṃ cittasahitaṃ devi śūnyālāyo bhavet ||
Vijnanabhairava Verse 120 (Technique 36 of 112)
How to Practice
Choose an object. Look at it carefully for a minute or two. Take in every detail.
Stage 1: Slowly close your eyes. The image remains in your mind as a memory.
Stage 2: Now slowly let the mental image dissolve. Do not hold onto it.
Stage 3: Both sight and thought of the object are gone. What remains?
Rest in this space where neither perception nor thought exists.
The word "Then" points to what happens in this void. It cannot be described, only experienced.
Duration
15-20 minutes
Best Time
Evening or any quiet time
Related Techniques
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