Dharana 67 of 112 · verse 88

The Darkness Behind the Eyes

When there is no dark night to be had, close the eyes and use the dark that is already there.

00:00Ready

10 minutes. Seated, eyes closed then open.

Beginner10 min

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The practice

Close the eyes and attend to the darkness in front of you. Stay with it a good while, as though it extended a long way. Then open the eyes and let the same quality you were resting in remain over everything you can see.

What it works on

The second half is what distinguishes this from an ordinary eyes-closed sitting. The practice is not the darkness — it is carrying the condition the darkness produced across the boundary into open-eyed seeing.

Notes

  • Available anywhere, at any hour, which is exactly why the text supplies it.
  • Open the eyes slowly. Doing it abruptly loses what you came for.

Practise gently

Shoonyaka offers educational and contemplative material, not medical, psychological or religious authority. Nothing here diagnoses or treats any condition. Stop any practice that leaves you dizzy, frightened or unwell, and treat a strong reaction as a reason to rest rather than to push on.