Yoga Of Inner Light And Sound

Author(s): Achyutanand Swami, Praveshkumar Singh
Publisher: Santmat Sangh Samiti Chandrapur

Page 31

"In these three quartets the secret of Yoga of Light (drishti sādhan/yoga) has been clearly elucidated. The hawk-cuckoo keeps gazing fixedly at the clouds above in the fervent hope of raindrops that fall in a particular constellation called Swāti, disregarding numerous ponds, rivers and seas. As soon as it gets a glimpse of these raindrops (of Swāti Constellation) it becomes ecstatic and feels deep contentment while accepting these drops. In the same way, a practiser of drishti yoga or bindu dhyān keeps looking at the dark clouds (dark sky) within, keeps perseveringly practising drishti-yoga. He cares not for the spectacular scenes or tapestries that unfold within, but gets lost in bliss as he visualizes the effulgent point. The heart of such a devotee is without doubt a blissful home for Lord Shri Ram or God. Valmiki Ji advises Shri Ram to reside in precisely such a home.”
It is entirely improper to practice bindu dhyān without having learnt its appropriate technique from an adept Guru. The right way of meditating or focussing the sight is a special skill that can be learnt only from a true Guru, in spite of the fact that such clues or hints abound in sacred scriptures and literature of Sants. Sant Kabir Sahab tells in his inimitable style,
"Making the eyes into a room and the pupils into a cot...
I hung the curtain of the eyelids (i.e. closed the eyes) and thus delighted and charmed my Lord."
These lines again hint at bindu dhyān. In order to save our attention from straying outwards, Kabir Sahab advises us to make our eyes into a room, i.e. to close our eyes by dropping down the curtain of our eyelids and thus to orient our attention inwards, and then to still or focus our attention at a point in the inner void. This is how, he says, we can please the Lord so to bless us with His glimpse.
In another place, Kabir Sahab further clarifies upon the idea:
"Close your eyes, ears and mouth; listen to the countless sounds ringing within.
Merge the two currents of sight into one, and behold the magnificent spectacles."
He again says, "Without uttering a word (keeping the mouth shut), hang curtains on the outer world (by closing the eyes) and practise chanting of the sacred mantra (a process known as 'sumiran', 'simran' or mental recitation of the charged sacred words or mantra given by the Guru) and dhyan (Yoga of Light) with utmost concentration. This is how the inner veil of darkness can be torn asunder."
Bindu dhyān is also called shūnya dhyān (meditation in/on void; shunya meaning void or emptiness) because this meditation has to be done in the inner void or sky where the target is hidden. That is why, Kabir Sahab utters,