Spaciousness and the Teachings of the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra

 Satsang with Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati

1^st May 2004 at Mandala Yoga Ashram

Qestion: Can you explain what you mean by the term ‘spaciousness’?
Answer: This is a word I use a lot when we practise techniques from the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra. In Sanskrit, the word for ‘spaciousness’ is shoonyata. This word has many layers of meaning, but in the context of this text, it means the sense of space or a feeling of space in any given moment. It is more of an inner quality than an outer reality (that is, with practice, we are able to feel this spaciousness even if we are in a most congested room).

Many of the practices are done in nature (which is very easy here in the Ashram), looking at the mountains or the clouds or the rolling fields, or walking around the lake. In these situations it is easy to get the ‘feeling’ or the ‘sense’ of ‘spaciousness’.

When you are on a cliff, or looking down from the top of a mountain into the valley, the sense of ‘space’ can be quite exhilarating. Seeing houses, fields and cows below can put things into perspective. Our daily concerns - the problems that we take to be deadly serious – are seen with a bit more distance and a different point of view. And this is what we gain by coming to the Ashram for a few days – it gives us a wider perspective and spaciousness in relation to our daily preoccupations. We feel less oppressed by our daily concerns (in a sense, we take a holiday from our anxieties). And we are thus enabled to face and handle them more easily when we get on with our lives. So this is what I mean when I say ‘spaciousness.’

Remember that the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra is a system that evolved in Kashmir, in the Himalayas, a region of massive mountains. In any mountainous area you automatically get a tremendous feeling of ‘external space’ and this external ‘space’ somehow evokes in us a sense of inner ‘space’. So it doesn’t surprise me that the idea and practice of spaciousness should have grown up in this system - it could have grown up anywhere in the Himalayas, or perhaps anywhere where people live in the mountains. But for those of us (even all of us) in the modern world, who are lost in words and concepts and who are busy most of the time, its teachings and practices are very relevant. It doesn’t ask us to reject anything – it merely asks us to periodically ‘feel’ space in whatever we are doing – waking up in the morning, washing the dishes, in a meeting, using the computer – for just a few seconds or a minute. Not only does it rest the mind, but it gives perspective to what we are doing. And it reminds us, regularly, that the basis for all ‘things’ and ‘actions’ – in fact, everything that is so important in our life – is underlying spaciousness. This is also a scientific fact: the dominant aspect of ‘seemingly’ solid objects is space. After all, science tells us that 99.999% of matter is empty space (even though it doesn’t seem to be the case from the level of our sensory perception). So the practice of ‘spaciousness’ reminds us of this fact even though it is so contrary to our superficial perception.

Initially we have to create a habit of feeling spaciousness. It is easier to do this by looking at a mountain, or down a valley, but with practice it can also be done in our daily lives: at home, at work, or even in the middle of a city. Through practice we can develop spaciousness even in furious activity. It is possible, though I am not saying that it is easy. But, with practice, it becomes a constant factor; we continue our lives - doing this and doing that – whilst simultaneously feeling within ourselves a sense of space. Do you think it is possible? The Vigyana Bhairava Tantra says it is and from my own experience I know it is.

In some of the practices of Vigyana Bhairava Tantra we sit facing a wall, on a large rock, or under a big oak tree; or we lean against a tree trunk or a wall. And even in this type of situation we develop the feeling of spaciousness. We feel spaciousness in ‘solid lumps’ of matter. Or we pay attention to the flow of breath, or the sound of music, or visualise different images – and in each of these practices we try to feel spaciousness. And in time, this practice of spaciousness actually creates the ‘existential feeling of spaciousness’ – it becomes a constant factor in our lives. Spaciousness allows us to get in touch with the timeless element in everything. With time and practice it transforms our daily life. For one thing, we are much less stressed, even if we are loaded with work. It can be done. And this spaciousness is the stepping stone, or the launching pad, to a deeper perception and understanding of life.