From time immemorial it has been said, close your eyes, and see your true nature within. This is exactly the instruction that Shiva gave Devi, in the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra 2, that ancient treasure-house of meditation techniques. The eyes play a dual role. When they are open, they are the messengers who bring all the news of the world to you. When you close them, they give you the vision of your inner world. But closing your eyes doesn’t mean simply closing your eyelids! When asked to close our eyes, we normally close only our eyelids. Behind our closed eyelids, we continue to see images of the outer world. We switch off the TV outside, and switch on the TV inside! Our eyes are never really closed.
There is one very effective way to still the movements of the eyes. Just imagine that your eyeballs have turned to stone! In their place, you now have two small lumps of smooth round stone! Visualize it. The moment you do, you will find that not only are your eye-movements stilled, but your thoughts are stilled too. When your eye movements are stopped, your thoughts slow down tremendously!! This 21 minutes long meditation technique will walk you through that process.
Close your eyes and imagine that your eyeballs have turned to stone. Don’t do anything else, just try and remain in that state. It’s not going to be easy. It is going to take you weeks of practice before you are able to remain in that state for even a few seconds. But it is well worth the effort – because you will be looking within for the first time. You have never seen your body from the inside. Now, try to see every limb from the inside. When you move your arm, you have been aware of it only from the outside, become aware of it from the inside. Travel through your body from the inside.
Start with one fingertip. Become intensely aware of it. Be aware of nothing but that fingertip! Then slowly move upward, up the arm. Go to each limb. Become aware of each limb. Go totally into each limb. You will experience tremendous sensitivity in each part of your body. When you experience your body from within, you will automatically become aware that you are not the body. You are witnessing the body, then how can you be the body? You become free of the illusion that you are the body. You break your identification with the body. Now you are free to move deeper, into the abyss of your mind. Begin to see your mind from the within. This is not easy. Initially, all you will be seeing is the inside of your head. But that is not your mind. Your mind is separate from your brain. Think of what you normally imagine as your mind. See it from the outside. Now, reverse the process. Enter the mind and try to see it from within. With practice, it will happen. Just like your body, you will see that you are separate from your mind. You are the witness. If you are not your body, you are not your mind – then who are you? You are the one who is witnessing both. That is your true self. You cannot witness your true self, because you are not outside of it. That which you cannot witness is You. Have patience with these techniques, don’t expect instant results. Miracles are not going to jump on you on the very first day! Don’t get disheartened. When the experience happens, it will be worth the effort. It will create a permanent change in you. Be prepared!
