The practice
Pick up or look at any ordinary thing. Understand it as empty inside — not hollow, but without any solid core that makes it the thing it is. Then notice that this emptiness is not particular to this object; it is a feature of every object you can see. Hold that while still plainly perceiving the thing.
What it works on
The last clause is what makes this dharana unusual: the object stays fully perceived. Nothing disappears. The practice is a change in how what is there is held, not a removal of it, and that makes it available in the middle of an ordinary day.
Notes
- Good to do with something you handle often, so the recognition recurs by itself.
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.