The Shoonya Process

The condition before starting is considered very important.

Keep these four things:

• Slightly hungry
• Slightly tired
• No expectation
• No reaction

1. Slightly hungry

Sit when you are slightly hungry.

2. Slightly tired

Sit when you are slightly tired.

3. No expectation

Sit as though you are sitting for the first time.

Do not sit with expectations such as:

• What am I going to get?
• What is going to happen?
• Is something going to happen?
• Am I doing it correctly?

Simply sit.

If something happens — good.
If something does not happen — very good.

4. No reaction

No reaction to anything:

• Whatever happens outside, do not react.
• Whatever happens inside, do not react.

The instruction given is to consciously become like a dead person:

Whatever happens outside, a dead person does not react. Whatever happens inside, also no reaction.

So simply sit without reaction.

The main thing is comfortable sitting.

You can sit:

• comfortably cross-legged;
• in another comfortable position;
• on a chair.

If sitting on a chair is more comfortable, you can sit on a chair and cross your legs.

You do not have to force the body into a particular position.

You do not have to:

• bring your head down;
• force a posture;
• make something happen naturally.

Comfortable sitting is the main thing.

Once you have established the condition and are sitting comfortably:

Step 1 — Close Your Eyes

Simply close your eyes.

Do not try to do anything else.

Step 2 — Remind Yourself of the Shoonya Mantra 3 Times

Mentally remind yourself of the Shoonya mantra three times.

Important:

• You do not have to speak it.
• You do not have to utter it.
• You simply remind yourself mentally.

Mantra → 3 times → mentally.

After reminding yourself of the mantra:

Simply sit.

There is:

• nothing to focus on;
• nothing to create;
• nothing to stop;
• nothing to achieve.

The mind has its own answers.

Let:

• the mind do its own things;
• the body do its own things;
• everything do its own things.

You simply sit.

This is one of the most important parts.

When you close your eyes, many thoughts may come.

Do not:

• resist the thought;
• create a thought;
• follow the thought;
• try to stop the thought.

Instead:

Simply Observe

Whatever thought comes:

Just sit and observe.

You become aware of the thought process.

You are:

• not reacting;
• not engaging;
• not resisting;
• not creating another thought.

The thought simply comes and goes.

It is described as being like a passing cloud:

It comes → it goes → it comes → it goes.

The energy of the thought will not be there when you simply observe it.

There is an important correction here.

The practice is NOT:

"I should have nothing to think."

If you try to have nothing to think, you are actually trying to stop thoughts.

And when you try to stop thoughts:

hundreds of thoughts can come.

Therefore:

Do not try to stop thinking.

Instead:

Whatever comes → simply sit → observe.

There is nothing specific to focus on during this part.

You do not have to find an object of concentration.

You simply:

• sit;
• observe;
• remain uninvolved.

You are like a dead person in the sense of no reaction.

Do not make a distinction between thoughts.

For example:

• Your job comes into your thought → okay
• Sadhguru comes into your thought → okay
• Shiva comes into your thought → okay
• Anybody comes into your thought → okay
• Even Sadhguru comes → okay
• Any other thought comes → okay

You do not have to do anything about it.

Thought is not the problem.
Following, resisting or creating thought is what you don't do.

This can happen.

The sequence is:

Thought comes → you follow it → you get lost in it.

That is okay.

The important thing is what you do when you realize you are lost.

When You Realize You Got Lost:

• Use the Shoonya mantra once.
• Then simply sit again.
• Continue observing.

You do not have to criticize yourself or worry that you lost awareness.

Just restart.