Sri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra: The Ascent

The theme of Vijnana Bhairava Tantra is dharana, or concentration, a subject most relevant today. This new translation and commentary of a classical tantric text sheds much light on the practice of dharana, which until now has been revealed only by pheripheral explanations. The text comprises 112 different dharanas, or techniques of concentration, which can easily be incorporated into one's daily life. Although dharana is a practice intended for an adept, whose mind is steady and controlled, the techniques contained within this book provide a way even for the aspirant with a distracted mind to gradually develop concentration and meditation.

This work is the result of an in-depth study of dharana in relation to the tantric view of meditation, substantiated by the personal experience of the author. Included is a detailed introduction followed by the original Sanskrit slokas, with transliteration, translation and extensive commentary.

Preface

The knowledge of history, geography, astrology, astronomy, languages and other subjects that we study is recorded in their respective texts. Similarly, the knowledge of the mind and consciousness is recorded in the texts of the Tantras, Vedas and Puranas. These texts were written in Sanskrit, which was the language of their time, but this factor now limits the access to information contained within them to a very small minority who know that language. However, there are students of the science of the mind who have studied these texts and explained them in modern languages so that sincere seekers can avail themselves of this valuable information. This is not an easy task as these texts are written in a coded and abbreviated way, which only the discerning and enlightened can shed light on. On account of this limitation very few texts are available today that elucidate these ancient forms of spiritual knowledge.

It is often said that when the student is ready the teacher appears, and also when the time is right conditions conducive to spiritual dissemination arise. In that sense the subject of dharana, or concentration, which is the theme of Vijmnana Bhairava Tantra (VBT), is most relevant today. Spiritual seekers the world over, who have maintained personal disciplines for the evolution of consciousness, are now in need of this knowledge. For this reason the time is now ripe to introduce the tantric system of dharana as it was practiced by the ancients. Of course, the techniques of dharna are not new to practitioners of meditation, yet very few are aware of the full scope of the tantric system and its application.

Whether one is a materialist or a spiritualist, it is important to realize that the practice of dharana is most vital for progress in all spheres of life. Even the materialists pay homage to energy, because they realize that this whole world is nothing but a play of energy. The materialists exploded the atom through a physical process in order to harness its immense energy for the benefit of mankind. In the same way, the practice of dharana explodes the atom of energy within the mind through a spiritual process, so that it can be harnessed to accelerate the evolution of individual consciousness. For this reason dharana is as valuable as the nuclear sciences and should, therefore, receive the same recognition and status.

Very few translations and commentaries of VBT are currently available. Therefore, the publication of this work is very significant as it will shed a great deal of light on the practice of dharana, which until now has been revealed only by peripheral explanations. The main aim of this text is to convey the relevance of dharana and the means or techniques to incorporate it into one's life. It also reassures that this can be done quite easily, even if one does not have any expertise in this field. Although dharana is a practice intended for a practitioner whose mind is steady and controlled, this book provides a way even for those of unsteady mind to gradually develop one-pointedness.

All the wealth, assets, luxuries and comforts that one can have in this world are of no use if the mind is uncontrolled and dissipated. In this sense a mind that travels on the desired path is the most valuable asset that a man can possess. If one has such a mind, nothing more is needed.

The great poet-saint Kabir Das has rightly said, "Mein to unsantan Ka dass jinhone man maar liya": I bow only before that saint who has conquered his mind. Although we may not realize it, we are all slaves to our minds. Throughout the day we do whatever the mind directs us to do. If the mind is worried, we feel anxious; if it is happy, we are pleased if it is envious, we are ridden with jealousy; if it is furious, we become violently angry. Is there ever a moment in our life when we put our foot down and say, "No, I will not be angry, or happy, or vengeful?"

We simply cannot put an end to this process without knowing the practice of dharana. There is no other way to gather the vagrant tendencies of this powerful substance known as mind, except by the practice of dharana, the path of concentration. Dharana is a practice with generates the momentum to override the dissipated energies of the mind and convert them into a stream of awareness. Therefore, we are very happy to present this work, which is the result of an in-depth study of dharana in relation to the tantric view of meditation, substantiated by the personal experience of the author.

About the Author :

Swami Satyasangananda (Satsangi) was born on 24th March 1953, in Chandorenagore, West Bengal. From the age of 22 she experienced a series of inner awakenings, which led her to her guru, Swami Satyananda. From 1981 she traveled ceaselessly with her guru in India and overseas and developed into a scholar with deep insight into the yogic and tantric traditions as well as modern sciences and philosophies. She is an efficient channel for the transmission of her guru's teachings. The establishment of Sivananda Math in Rikhia is her creation and mission, and she guides all its activities there, working tirelessly to uplift the weaker and underprivileged areas. She embodies compassion with clear reason and is the foundation of her guru's vision.

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