Seeing the light

(Quotations from The Vijñâna Bhairava)

Psycho-physical self transformed

Paraphrased: When the kundalini rises and finally merges in Sahasrâra, the yogi experiences spiritual light with which he feels identified.
(p. 32, commentary on verse 35, dharana 12)

On the luminous emergence of cit (the spiritual consciousness, the essential Self), the wayward activities of the manas, buddhi and the senses come to an end.
(p. 126 commentary on verse 136 quoting Yoga-vasistah VI. Su, 78, 31)

Duality disappears

In ordinary life, there is always subject-object duality. In the turîya or the fourth state of consciousness, the sense of duality disappears. It is the Light of the Essential Self or Bhairava. That is why it is said to be the splendour of infinite consciousness.

When the yogi knows all the three states as only the expression of the fourth state which is the state of Bhairava, he is filled with the Infinite Light of Bhairava.
(p. 80, commentary on verse 86, dharana 63)

The intuitive perception of Reality (jñâna) that flashes forth by its light is like fire. Both the objective and subjective spheres of experience are like fuel. When this fuel of the objective and subjective spheres of experience is burnt completely by the fire of jñâna and the perception of the essential Self results in the form of white ashes, then an immersion of the limited, empirical self in that essential Self is alone said to be the real bath {of purification}.
(p. 139 commentary on verse 152)

Light everywhere

Shiva and Shakti ... stand for prakasha and vimarsha, i.e. Light of Consciousness and its awareness.
(p. 31, commentary on verse 34, dharana 11)

Paramodayah or the Supreme Awakening referred to means that he realizes that the entire universe is enveloped in Divine Light.
(p. 61, commentary on verse 63, dharana 40)

©1999 by Deb Platt


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