“When the mind leaves one thought and is held back from moving to the next, realization blossoms in the gap between them.”
The quote above is our paraphrase of verse 62. 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
- “One should firmly believe that the same consciousness is present in oneself and in others.”
- “God is beyond all concepts of time or direction and cannot be confined to a particular place.”
- “Turn within and abide in your own self, beyond pleasure and pain.”
- “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.”
- “Redirect your attention inward. This is the key teaching of yoga and meditation. Be aware of what you are being throughout the day.”
- “See the whole world as magic jugglery or an illusion.”