Chidakasaha Dharana

Chidakash Dharana.

The word Chid or Chitta means consciousness.

Chidakash is a space of consciousness located in the region of the head behind the forehead.

It is known as the screen of the mind,

The viewing screen of Agnya Chakra.

If you close your eyes for a few seconds you will see a space in front.

This is the screen of your mind on which you can view many subtle visions and impressions manifesting from the deeper levels of your consciousness.

At first when you look into this black room or cave of Chidakash you will see nothing.

Just like when you're in a cave and it is very dark your eyes take a while to adjust.

As you become accustomed to the darkness you begin to develop awareness of your inner being.

This is Chidakash Dharana and in this practice it is visualized as a dark cave or room with four walls,

A floor and a ceiling.

In the floor is a tunnel leading downwards into the Shishumna Nadi.

On the front wall is the mental screen on which visions appear.

This technique also tends to remove impressions which are in the process of being formed in the mind,

And that impression could also be the beginning of some other chain of events which could affect life later on.

It is very hard to know what happens in the mind,

How insignificant events can alter the mental pattern,

Mental perception,

Mental awareness.

So to continuously become aware of the engagement of the mind is the first stage in this process.

In the second aspect,

Identifying the arriving of spontaneous manifests in the mind.

And the third aspect is to consciously create images or impressions and visualize it on the mental screen.

And then finally it is followed by the practice of floating in space,

Developing the subtle sensation of levitation.

Come to a comfortable meditation posture.

Adjust your position wherever you decide to be,

Seated or lying down.

Get the body so comfortable that there is no need to move your body during the practice.

The spine erect and the head straight.

Eyelids and lips gently but firmly closed.

For a few moments,

Observe the position of the body mentally and become aware of how you are seated or lying down.

Take time to observe each part of your body.

Observe the toes,

Feet,

Ankles,

Knees,

Legs,

Fingers,

Hands,

Arms,

Shoulders,

Back,

Buttocks,

Chest,

Abdomen,

Trunk,

Neck and head.

Create a mental image of yourself.

Mentally imagine that you're seeing yourself in a full-length mirror.

See your whole body reflected in the mirror.

Try to see the reflection of the body in the mirror.

Complete awareness of the body reflected in the mirror.

You are watching the reflection of yourself.

In the reflection,

Become aware of the position,

The posture,

Your clothes in the reflection.

Observe your hair,

And your facial expression.

See yourself with the eyes open.

Shift your awareness to the breathing process.

Observe the natural breath as it moves up and down the nostrils.

There should be unceasing,

Unbroken awareness of the breathing,

From the beginning of the inhalation to the end of the exhalation.

Feel the breath flow in and out of the nostrils.

As you breathe in,

The two flows of air move upward and meet at the eyebrow center.

As you breathe out,

The two flows diverge and move downward.

The two breath flows form a triangular pathway with the top of the triangle at the eyebrow center.

Continue to experience the converging and diverging movement of the breath.

See the breath moving up and down the sides of the triangle.

Feel the awareness merging with the breath.

Bring your attention to the eyebrow center.

Become aware of the darkness.

Observe the backspace in front of the closed eyes.

The eye muscles are very soft and relaxed.

Don't concentrate too hard.

Just observe the black space,

The empty sky.

Being aware of the space of Chitta,

The aspect of the mind which perceives,

Which experiences the space of Chitta,

The space of consciousness.

Experience the Chitta Kash in its totality,

The space which extends beyond the realm of the physical senses,

The space located in the region above your throat chakra,

Bashuri,

And below the crown chakra,

Sahasra.

Physically,

The entire region of the head is the area of Chitta Kash.

Experience the black sky of Chitta Kash throughout your head.

And become aware of the dark space that's all around you,

Inside.

Awareness of Chitta Kash is the totality of the inner space,

Above you,

Below you,

Behind you,

And all around you.

There is nothing but the sensation of empty sky.

Imagine the inside of your head as we go deeper into the Chitta Kash.

Imagine the inside of your head like a cave or a small dark room.

The forehead forms the front wall.

The back of the head forms the back wall.

The sides of the head form the side walls.

The base of the brain at the level of the eyes and ears form the floor.

And the top of the head,

The crown,

Is the ceiling.

Imagine this Chitta Kash space in the form of a small room or cave.

This room is completely closed,

Completely dark.

Observe it.

Visualize yourself standing in the middle of the room and develop the same experience that you would have in a completely dark closed room without any lights,

Doors or windows.

Take your awareness to the front of the room,

Behind the wall of the forehead.

Slowly walk yourself towards the back wall,

The back of the head,

And from the back observe the front.

Now come to the center of the head and visualize yourself standing in the middle of the room.

Look all around,

Feel the vastness,

The emptiness of Chitta Kash.

Develop the experience of inner silence,

Inner stillness,

Mental immobility.

Detach yourself,

Your awareness,

From the mind and its perceptions,

From the body and its perceptions.

Become aware of the inner state of silence,

Quietness and immobility.

Continue observing the space of Chitta Kash and observe any sensory impressions that are active in your mind at this moment,

Any sensorial experiences.

Observe and become aware of any auditory inputs,

Tactile inputs,

Any kind of active experiences within the mind,

Within Chitta Kash.

Observe the sensorial manifestations in Chitta Kash in the forms of colors,

Shapes,

Streams of light,

Speckles of light,

Shadows,

Dancing and any physiological sensations.

Look deep into the dark space as your eyes get accustomed to looking into the space.

Keeping your attention focused in Chitta Kash,

Be aware of any movement of color and light.

Any form,

Any shades of darkness,

Any shadowy movements.

All phenomena are created and dissolved every passing moment.

Sometimes a cluster of light or color manifests in Chitta Kash and remain for a few moments before it dissolves.

Continue observing the movement in Chitta Kash.

Be aware of nothing but the movement of the spaciousness,

The light,

The color,

The shadows in Chitta Kash.

If there is any mental chattering in the form of inquiry,

In the form of analysis,

Be fully aware of what you are observing in Chitta Kash.

You do not have to rationalize anything,

Simply observe.

Developing the awareness of Chitta Kash,

The emptiness,

The vast sky.

Imagine how an astronaut feels traveling in space.

Complete darkness all around.

In that darkness,

The twinkling stars in different colors,

Sizes,

Shapes.

Evolve a similar experience.

One part of the consciousness is experiencing and the other part is only observing the experience,

Observing the sensations objectively.

Now we're going to create imagery.

Think of anything.

The first thought that comes to your mind,

Whatever it may be,

See a picture of it.

Imagine it.

Give shape to your thought.

If you think of a flower,

Create an image of a flower in Chitta Kash.

If you think of a tree,

Create the image of a tree.

Try not to think about it,

Just let the images arise.

Think of fire,

Create fire.

Create an image of the points of color and light which float around in Chitta Kash.

Fill up the image that you create with colors,

Light and shadows.

Make a conscious effort to give colors to the shape that you create in Chitta Kash.

Now think of a geometrical shape or a combination of shapes,

Like a yantra or a sigil.

Think of any shape or form and intensify it in your mind.

Observe it naturally and spontaneously.

Whether the geometrical shape actually appears within the mind's eye or not,

The thought,

The idea,

The perception of the yantra or sigil has to come from the subconscious mind.

When thoughts appear from the subconscious and there is intensity of thinking and feeling,

An image of a yantra is bound to come up.

It doesn't matter whether you see the image of the yantra in one practice or in ten practices,

Now or later.

You are only concerned with the intensity of concentration,

With the awareness of Chitta Kash.

Do not allow mental dissipation to distract your awareness.

Do not lose intensity of your concentration and awareness.

The next stage of Chitta Kash Dharana is psychic writing.

Imagine the whole space of Chitta Kash to be like a big blackboard.

You are going to write on the blackboard with different colored chalks.

First of all,

With a white colored chalk,

Write down your name and the time.

Then draw the top left hand corner of the Chitta Kash blackboard in capital letters.

After that,

With yellow chalk underneath the name that has been written,

Write down the numbers from 1 to 10 with commas in between.

Then with orange chalk,

Draw small circles in the third line.

First,

Draw a circle underneath number 1.

Draw a second circle underneath number 2.

And so forth.

Now with a red colored chalk,

Draw small squares below the circles.

And again with a white colored chalk,

Underneath the squares,

Draw triangles.

Now look at the whole blackboard.

See your name written on the left hand corner,

The numbers on the second line,

Circles on the third,

Squares on the fourth,

And triangles on the fifth.

Now wipe off all the writing.

Come back to the awareness of Chitta Kash.

Visualize the whole headspace.

Visualize this vast sky in the form of a circle,

A sphere,

With a small round opening.

Enter into the sphere through the round opening,

And you are floating in the sphere.

Your body is physically balanced and steady.

And once this is achieved,

There is a sensation of floating or levitation.

Strive to attain the subtle experience of floating in space by controlling the body,

The sensations,

The sensations of the body.

Entering into the sphere of Chitta Kash and experience yourself floating.

Intensify this feeling.

It is the harmony between physiological experience and the experience of entering Chitta Kash.

And now,

Ready to end the practice.

Become aware of Chitta Kash,

The mental space.

Be aware of the same space pervading your whole body.

Develop awareness of the physical body.

Feel the weight of your body against the earth.

Total awareness of the physical body.

Develop the awareness of the room in which you are.

And turn your awareness to the breathing process.

Listen to any external sounds.

Mentally or externally chant OM.

Deep inhale.

The practice of Chitta Kash Dharana is now complete.

Hare Om Tat Sat