Bindu
Bindu means point or dot; the word is derived from the root verb ‘bhid’ or ‘bhind’, which means to burst, to break through. Piercing, breaking, or bursting through the bindu (bindu vedhana) is the last stage of practice. But at this point it can hardly be called practice, since only grace is involved. The bindu is the transition point from duality into Pure Consciousness. The bindu is the doorway beyond or out of the mind, because the concept or phenomenon of bindu is; the point out of which time, space, causality and all other concepts manifested. The bindu is the point out of which multiplicity seems to expand. Thus finding your way back to the bindu is finding your way back to the edge of space, time and apparent manifestation; which is not an edge but a point. The concept of bindu can be found in several mystical writing as the yogis, mystics, tantrics, and sages who have experienced Pure Consciousness, speak of encountering this point–for example symbolized as a mustard seed–because there is no other way out! The bindu is the center of the Sri Yantra and the dot in the symbol of AUM.
Us, sadhakas, want to know about the bindu because:
It guides us in the only “right” direction.
No matter which path we follow, if we truly walk all the way, the bindu will be encountered.
Knowing that there is such point guides us in discriminating what is real and what is unreal; everything up to the bindu is an appearance, maya, leela, or the play of shakti and not yet Pure Consciousness. Even the bindu itself is still maya.
Knowing about the bindu guides us in our meditation practice. The only thing I am interested in is the bindu, nothing else.
Plus, contemplating the existence of the phenomenon called bindu increases the understanding of how non-duality appears to be dual, how multiplicity seems to be manifested.
Bindu explained in a very simple way:
What is the first thing that seems to appear when anything is drawn within infinity?
What appears first when unlimited goes to limited? When formless goes to form?
What will a child draw first when it is drawing a picture on a piece of paper?
Start to draw anything and you start with a point…thus, when shakti begins to dance, the first “thing” that appears is a point, is bindu.
Regulating space
“In the ancient teachings it is said that time, space, and causation are the three prime conditionings or filters that affect the mind; however, you can lead your mind beyond these conditions… It is important to understand and recognize how time affects the mind. You can better understand the effect of time by considering the nature of space. If you can fully understand how space is created, then time will no longer deter you; you will go beyond both time and space. For example, if I draw two lines, then there is a space between the first line and another, If there is no space, there is only One; then where is time? Time and space exist only when there is division, when you are divided within yourself. When you are One with yourself, the Self of all, then time, space, and causality—the three conditionings and limitations of the mind—are left behind and you go forward to a higher experience.” ~ Swami Rama ‘Art of Joyful Living”
Thus, by regulating space, you will go beyond all limitations of the mind. Remember the video above? The last three things that we saw on our way back were a form, a line and a point. These are all spaces. This is exactly what we do in meditation. First meditation on body = form, then meditation on subtle spine = line, then meditation in a point = bridge at the nostrils, then space between breasts or eyebrows…
Important for us sadhakas:
If the bindu is our last destination, then anything encountered on the way is not what we are looking for. This means that anything made out of space, time, and causality is not what we are looking for. Anything confined or defined by space, time, matter, energy, causality is not who we really are. With constant practice we increase our non-attachment and the awareness to what we really are; Pure Consciousness, the Absolute Reality.
Nothing can be done to imagine the bindu, as it is the first bursting out of Pure Consciousness. Thus, it is not an object to visualize. Visualization on the bindu is mentioned in the texts (bindu bhedana), but this is not a visualization exercise. Don’t think of the bindu as an object. Imagination = image within, thus minimizing the phenomenon of bindu to a mere image is actually creating an obstacle in your practice. Because, anything that is made of space, time, matter, energy and causation is NOT what we are looking for. Thus, an image of bindu is definitely not what we are looking for.
Instead be amazed, be in awe, and prepare awareness to be conscious of subtler and subtler levels of existence within yourself. Ignore during practice all that has to do with space, time, matter, energy and causation, so that you gravitate inwards toward the bindu. By this gravitational pull the edge of the mind can be reached and from here bindu might appear and “looked” at, but this is not mere visualization. Thus, don’t even go look for the bindu!
“The universe is a dance of energies that vibrate at many frequencies. They ebb and flow, merge and part, form ripples, tides, currents, eddies, and whirlpools. They become units of all sizes, from atoms to stars, from individual souls to cosmic beings, and again they dissolve into each other. As rays, streaks, streams, rivers, oceans of light, they flow into each other and separate again, changing frequencies—and in changing frequencies, they become suns, galaxies, spaces, airs, winds, fires, liquids, solids. They become bodies of human beings into which the energy called consciousness comes and is embodied.
Of all the flowing energies in the universe, consciousness is the most dominant, the one from which all the others proceed and into which they all merge. The ancient texts are fond of the phrase “from consciousness down to solid earth,” for all this is a single matrix, a tantra of energy, and within it are myriads of matrices, woven and interwoven. The human being is one such matrix of energies—ebbing, flowing, dancing at frequencies ranging from those of solid bones all the way to the subtlest waves of consciousness. Those who understand this personality matrix will understand the whole universe.
The vast, all-pervading oceanic energy of consciousness barely touches us with its outer fringes, and we come alive, becoming persons. The vibration frequencies in us that are too solid, too dense, not subtle enough to flow in consonance with consciousness, become our material body, the non-I. Energy thus condensed becomes a cell. The cell is filled with the vital energy called prana, which is maneuvered by the mind-energy. The I in us is pure consciousness. It owns and operates the body-vehicle, and guides the mind. It is the purest, finest vibrating energy.
Thus, like the rest of the universe, we are layer upon layer of energy or light, which form complex patterns in which the subtler layers are aware of the grosser ones but not vice versa (which is why they are hierarchical). Through the process of meditation and self-awareness, however, it is possible for us to attune ourselves to these energy processes.”
~ Swami Rama ‘Inspired Thoughts of Swami Rama’
Comment to video:
I would like to share the story behind this video. Somewhere I encountered a comment by a known and respected swami. He said that everything is connected and inquired something like “Can you imagine how many connections there are if you connect all 61-points?” Thus this creative mind became curious. Out of pure curiosity I started to draw these lines, not claiming that there really is something exactly like this! It is pure imagination, that’s all! It is the result of a visual curiosity after hearing this comment. While making it, I knew I was getting lost in subtle realm stuff. Fortunately during the process the known insight came up again: Seek only the bindu! It was this thought that convinced me to publish the animation. We all can lose ourselves in finding meaning in the inner lights, in the inner subtler realm experiences. Swami Rama once advised Swami Jnaneshvara, when he started to see the inner part of the Sri Yantra, to ignore it!
The following are two passages from the manuscript of Swami Jnaneshvara of his life with Swami Rama called “Witness Everything”
Download the whole manuscript here
Ignoring the sri yantra
There came a point when several of the centermost chakras of sri yantra—the high symbol of tantra—started to appear in my meditations. I had two responses to this: one was the intuition this was not really so important, and the other was that this was a sign of advancement. Ego popped up—not a lot, but a little. I went to Swamiji to tell him, some part of ego thinking he would tell me how wonderful I am with this advancement. Instead, he told me, “Ignore it.” He explained that I should only seek the bindu, the dot in the center of the sri yantra, the symbol of the ever-present union of shiva and shakti. Ego took a little bit of a hit with that, but I already sensed that it was not really very important; a small sign of advancement maybe, but mostly a signal to just keep going. I learned to follow his advice to ignore this and to pursue only the bindu and beyond.
Piercing the Bindu
It took virtually no time. If I was to put a time on it, the whole process would have been less than three seconds, probably less than one. Baba’s face showed up in front of me in the inner world. I had the sensation of accelerating forward at the rate of race car, going right through Swamiji’s face, up a tunnel (brahma nadi), and crashing through walls of consciousness and light. The image was like a pearl, just as I had read in explanations of the bindu. There was red (pinkish) and blue and black. It was like explosions. Then there was only what has been described as “the light of a thousand suns.” It happened very quickly. Time, space, and causation were literally gone. With meditation there is usually the sense of going into meditation, and then coming out of meditation. This was different. There was no into and no out of. There was only through, as if going into meditation, but coming out the other side. Where did I go after this piercing of the bindu, after going through? I reemerged and was here, right here in this world. A mahavakya (great contemplation) went through my mind several times, “sarvam khalvidam brahman” (verily, everything is brahman, the one, nondual, absolute Reality). “It’s true, it’s true, it’s true!” rang through my mind repeatedly. It was unbelievably awesome.
Read also the article on www.SwamiJ.com:
“Bindu: Pinnacle of the Three Streams of Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra”
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