Dharana 90 of 112 · verse 95

The Part Is a Tempting Illusion

Anything small enough to have a name is a piece cut out of something undivided.

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8 minutes. Anywhere.

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The practice

Take any named thing — an object, a person, a category, yourself. Hold firmly that the naming is what made it a separate part, and that the separateness is a convenience rather than a fact. Then let the underlying undividedness be the primary thing and the name the secondary one.

What it works on

The verse calls the part a tempting illusion, which is exact: naming is genuinely useful, and its usefulness is what makes it convincing. The practice does not abolish names, it demotes them.

Notes

  • Try it on something you have strong opinions about. The demotion is more noticeable there.

Practise gently

Shoonyaka offers educational and contemplative material, not medical, psychological or religious authority. Nothing here diagnoses or treats any condition. Stop any practice that leaves you dizzy, frightened or unwell, and treat a strong reaction as a reason to rest rather than to push on.