Dharana 68 of 112 · verse 113

The Unblinking Gaze

Eyes fixed and unmoving, and the text says union follows immediately.

00:00Ready

5 minutes. Seated, eyes open and still.

Advanced5 min

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Before you try this

Blink whenever you need to. Stop if the eyes ache or dry out. As with all the gazing practices, skip this if you have an eye condition.

The practice

Fix the eyes and simply stop moving them — not staring hard at an object, but ceasing the constant small motion the eyes make. Let the gaze be still while remaining soft. The verse presents this as the mystic tradition told plainly, and says the result is immediate.

What it works on

This is subtler than the trataka of dharana 64. There the object holds the eye; here the eye is stilled on its own account and the object is incidental. Stopping the small movements without gripping is a fine skill and takes time.

Notes

  • Soft and still, never hard and fixed. If there is effort in the eyes, it is the wrong thing.

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.