Vigyana Bhairava Tantra – Introduction

To start the series, here is an introductory recording from Swami Nishchalananda, putting the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra (VBT) into historical context. Believed to have been written about 1000 years ago in Kashmir, the basic teachings were almost certainly transmitted by word of mouth well before this time.

Kashmir was always a renowned centre of spirituality, stretching back to well before the time of Christ. Kashmir Shaivism differed from other strands of Indian Philosophy, by saying that the world and everything in it is Real, rather than ‘Maya’ or illusion.  Everything that we perceive arises from underlying Reality. Certainly the nature of anything that exists within the dimension of time will come and go, just as does a wave on the ocean, but nonetheless it is an expression of the ocean. And our perception is a tool which is only able to perceive a small part of what is there. Swamiji relates this to the view of Quantum Physics. 

‘Therefore, Kashmir Shaivism says, we can get in touch with anything in life, and if we go deep enough into it, it can take us to the source of that particular manifestation. If we can go deep into the wave it gives us the opportunity of plunging deep into the ocean.’
This is the essence of many of the Dharanas in the VBT.

Swami Nishchalananda

What he says next is profound, I quote it verbatim (right), it follows on from the paragraph above:

The text is in the form of a dialogue between Bhairava (Shiva) and Bhairavi (Shakti). These characters are of course representative, and the recording explains how and in what way.

The dialogue starts with Shakti asking questions of Shiva, to which the inital reponse is that verbal answers usually engender more questions. Swamiji comments:

‘Questions do lead to more questions, and an endless circle of thinking.  Real answers come when there is no thinking’.

So out of this dialogue, Shiva explains that instead of answers, he will give practices, hence the 112 Dharanas in the VBT.

Please refer to the previous post in the blog, the Introduction to this Vigyana Bhairava series, for a discussion on the different meaning here of the word ‘Dharana’.

Different Dharanas use different aspects of our life to bring us to the present moment; breath, body awareness, spaciousness etc. Also, the dharanas put us into a receptive state. The word Vigyana means ‘insight’, which only comes in the present moment. 

The practices of the VBT can be confronting. They bring aspects of our personality and subconscious mind to the surface which have been suppressed, because we have been unable or unwilling to deal with them. But through the practices these issues can be recognised and we can be free of them.  

Swamiji takes some time to define terms, including the ‘Dwa dash (twelve) anta (at the extreme of)’ meaning twelve finger widths, measured outwards from any point on the skin.  This represents the extent beyond the body of the energy body. Of course it can vary according to the person and the state you’re in. The Dwadashanta is a significant practice used in some of the dharanas.

Please enjoy this recording.