“When the mind, intellect and ego disappear, the Self appears.”
The quote above is our paraphrase of verse 138. There is no public-domain English translation to show, so read the Sanskrit verse in the Sanskrit text, Kashmir Series of Texts and Studies (1918) (opens in a new tab).
About the text: Vigyan Bhairava Tantra
The Vigyan Bhairava Tantra (Vijnana Bhairava Tantra) is a Sanskrit text of Kashmir Shaivism, framed as the goddess asking Bhairava, a form of Shiva, about his nature. Its 163 short verses describe roughly 112 meditation methods using the breath, the senses and awareness itself. It is often dated to around the 7th or 8th century, though the date is uncertain.
More from the Vigyan Bhairava Tantra
- “Consider the body or the entire universe to be consciousness for Supreme Awakening.”
- “The objects with which worship is to be done, or with which the Higher and Lower Reality is to be satisfied, the worshipper, and God are all one and the same.”
- “With mind free of thoughts, meditate on the emptiness inside objects.”
- “Know this whole universe to be unreal, like a magic show, and peace follows.”
- “When the mind leaves one thought and is held back from moving to the next, realization blossoms in the gap between them.”
- “Knowledge has no cause and no support, and it misleads; in truth it belongs to no one. Whoever sees it this way becomes Shiva.”