Enter the space within

What the method is

The meditation method “Enter the space within” refers to the process of moving one’s consciousness from the outer periphery of mind and senses to the innermost core of one’s being. While the provided texts do not explicitly detail a specific “sutra” for “Enter the space within” as a standalone instruction, it is a fundamental aim of numerous Tantric meditation techniques to discover this inner space. This inner space is described as the true self, the void (shunya), nothingness, or pure consciousness. It is the state of no-mind where the individual center dissolves into the cosmos.

How it is done

Since a direct, specific “how-to” for the phrase “Enter the space within” is not provided in the given excerpts from The Book of Secrets, the process can be inferred from various Tantric techniques aimed at uncovering the inner self and transcending the mind. The core principles for achieving this state involve:

  • Centering the Consciousness: The primary goal of many Tantric methods is to throw you to your center, moving consciousness from the periphery to the core. Any point in the body can be used as an object for centering, and once consciousness is centered anywhere, it automatically “falls down to the navel,” which is the original source.
  • Creating Stillness and Inactivity: To encounter oneself, everything must become still, silent, and quiet. Techniques such as the “Stop!” method involve abruptly ceasing all physical movement and even breathing, which can momentarily stop the mind and throw one to the center “at rocket speed”. Similarly, the technique of “lying down as dead” aims to make the body inactive like a dead man, breaking the bridge from the self to the world and forcing energy inwards.
  • Transcending Sensory and Mental Processes: The goal is to go beyond the senses and mental activities. This involves:
    • Closing sensory doors: Actively closing the seven openings of the head (eyes, ears, nose, mouth) can stop the outward flow of consciousness, concentrating it between the eyebrows at the third eye, which is the source of consciousness.
    • Moving beyond words and thoughts: Techniques guide the practitioner from words (philosophy) to sounds, then to subtle feelings, and finally, by leaving feelings aside, one can be free in pure being. This means moving from the constant “minding” to no-mind.
    • Focusing on the subtle aspects of breath: Observing the small, momentary gaps between breaths, or the turning/fusion points, can lead to the “happening” because when one is not breathing, one is “not in the world”. This helps to reach the “energy-less, energy-filled center”.
  • Cultivating Awareness/Alertness: This is the fundamental quality for all Tantric methods. It’s about being present and aware of “what is happening to you this very moment”. Self-remembering (“I am”) is a key technique to maintain awareness and detach from dreams and external reality.
  • Total Acceptance and Non-Judgment: Tantra emphasizes total acceptance of oneself and reality without judgment or condemnation. This non-division allows energy to be relieved from conflict and penetrate inwards. When there is acceptance, awareness becomes possible, leading to transformation. This implies embracing aspects like anger, sex, or any desire, but doing so with awareness, allowing the energy to return to its source rather than being suppressed or expressed outwardly.
Commentaries and Insights
  • The Nature of Inner Space: This “space within” is your true nature, your pure being, often described as a nothingness, an abyss, a bottomless void that Buddha called shunya. It is the center that persists in every situation, remaining rooted amidst the flux of life. When thoughts are removed, this space is not created but recovered or reclaimed, as it was always there, only occupied by thoughts.
  • Mind as the Disease and Barrier: Osho emphasizes that the mind itself is the disease, not merely something that can be ill. We are identified with the mind, which is a process of words and accumulated past experiences, leading to a false and unreal existence. The mind operates by dividing everything into dualities (e.g., knowing/not-knowing, good/bad, pure/impure), but reality is indivisible.
  • The Mind as a Door: Despite being the barrier, the mind is also the “jumping board” or “door” to transcendence. Techniques are not against the mind but are for “putting the mind aside”. When the mind comes to the present, it “stops, it is no more”.
  • Beyond Duality and Concepts: Entering this space means moving beyond intellectual propositions and dualistic thinking. Words and philosophies are seen as barriers; the self is “beyond the words”. The state is “energy-less” in terms of personal, fuel-based energy, but “energy-filled” with cosmic energy.
  • The Experience of Transformation: When one enters inner space, the small self vanishes, and one attains the higher or supreme self. This is a transformation of being, not a mere adjustment or mental peace. It leads to a profound coldness following warmth, signifying an inner rebirth and liberation, where the self is identified as light and becomes omnipresent.
  • Fear and Resistance: There is often a deep-seated fear of losing the “I” or ego, of becoming “not”. The mind tricks one into avoiding genuine practice by presenting excuses like “too simple” or “too difficult”. To genuinely enter, one must be ready to “die in the spiritual sense”.
  • Simplicity and Effortless Effort: The path to inner space is inherently simple because the truth is “always here” and “already the case”. No “big effort” is needed, only “small efforts,” sometimes described as “effortless effort”. However, the mind will create difficulty. Initial effort is often needed to remove barriers, not to attain the state itself, which is a sudden happening.
  • Guidance and Warnings: While techniques are generalized, personalized initiation by a master can make the process more effective and quicker, as the master can choose the right method for the individual and transmit energy. Warnings are given about not leaving energy “in the middle” during intense visualizations, as it can be harmful; the energy must be fully released.