Technique 51 of 112 — The All-Pervasive Space

Dharana 51 utilizes the physical blocking of sensory inputs to force the consciousness into a state of 'Sunya' or void. By using the fingers to close the ears (and often the eyes and nose in related variations like Shanmukhi Mudra), the practitioner cuts off the 'five streams' of external perception. This creates an immediate sensory vacuum. Metaphysically, the 'Vigraha' (body) becomes a laboratory for experiencing the void. When the external world is silenced, the internal sounds (Anahata Nada) and internal spaces become vastly magnified. The practitioner is instructed to gaze into the 'Shunya' (the void) that arises when the senses are stilled. This practice targets the core of 'Dvaita' (duality)—the distinction between 'me' inside and the 'world' outside. By creating a physical barrier to the outside, the mind ironically discovers that the internal space is identical to the external space. The walls of the ego, which are built on sensory data, begin to crumble. The resulting state is one of non-dual awareness where the practitioner no longer feels confined by the physical skin, but rather experiences themselves as the vast space in which all things occur.