Fixing the Mind in the Void created by the encircling of the Thumb and the Index finger

On the margin you find the picture of three hands with a little circles formed by the index finger. In the second you find ‘Ka’ the first letter of the Tamil equivalent of ‘shopping’. When it crawls out the navel, close your eyes and, through introspection, fix your attention on the letter ‘Ka’ in the region of the navel and peremptorily say ‘Stop', you I mind I where do you try to stroll?’ and immediately you will find that the mind stops short. The eye, for instance, will not perceive an object except for sun light in the day or lamp light at night. This means that the light in the eye should mix with the light of the sun or lamp before perception could ensue. In the same fashion will the light in the mental eye coming with that in the Chidakasa referred to with the result that the light of all lights – the sole Truth (the Noumenon) – will shine forth supreme and all phenomena vanish. We depend for this statement on the Siva Prakasa and Vasishtham.

When what strikes the mind as lovely is given up resolutely, it is as good as having killed the mind and Ignorance. When the mind runs after sense objects, it naturally gets done up and feels miserable. But when it is set at rest, the pain and unhappiness cease. You should all therefore see to it that you deliberately fix your attention on the first letter which issues forth prior to the rise of the thought wave and thereby suppress the latter. When this is done the form of the letter will vanish, yielding place to the empty Void (as in the third hand) and in due time, both the mind and the sight will merge in the infinite space and become one with it thus leading to the realization of Absolute Oneness.

Give up your love for the perishable finite things and you will be able to comprehend the infinite. The mind is that which plays like mirage between the eternally existent Brahman (the Noumenon) and the unreal phenomenon of the universe. With the mind on it appears as the universe of objects, and when it is extinguished, it is knowledge, true and absolute. The mind is thus the mischief maker, the cause of all evil sensations and Relativity. Those who grasp this secret doctrine and practice it sedulously need go through no Vedic books nor need hear sermons and lectures on Religion. Kill out the mind and real bliss results. Pray acquire and enjoy such bliss. Those who practice the methods taught in this book will be able to control all mental activity as easily and effectively as a fast running mail train is when the vacuum brake is applied.

Focussing the mind in the Chidakasa of the hand

Shut your eyes, mentally post up the above illustration between your eye brows and fix your attention on it. The mind will easily settle on it. See that it is not distracted from the circular void in the hand; in a few minutes the fingers will slip away from your mental vision and you will forget yourself. This sort of forgetting is called in Yogic parlance ‘sleep in wakefulness’ or ‘bliss in sleepless sleep’.

For those who find this too difficult, we shall in next chapter suggest another method with the aid of a picture of the open mouth. Please try it. We feel sure that every reader will succeed in any one of these three ways and thereby get full control over the fleeting mind. We have given out these simple methods purely from our own experience and yogic skill attained through constant practice. Practice this with perseverance and your mind will stop working, sooner or later. There need be no despair. With the cessation of the mind will assuredly accrue true divine bliss. For a full size photo of the author witness mouth open, you may apply to the firm in which this book is available for sale. With that photo before you may try and regulate your posture and other details and take up to the practice of controlling the mind.