Dharana 54 of 112 · verse 70

The Same Joy, Remembered

The joy can be reached through memory alone, with no one present.

00:00Ready

8 minutes. Seated, eyes closed.

Intermediate8 min

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The practice

The verse states that even with no partner present, the memory of an intense joy can bring about the same flood of feeling — and that this feeling, once arisen, is what the practice attends to.

What it works on

This verse is the proof of the previous one. If remembering produces the same joy, the joy was never located in the other person or the event. The general form of the practice is entirely available: recall any moment of real delight vividly enough that the feeling returns, then let the memory go and keep only the feeling.

Notes

  • That general form — recall, then drop the recollection and stay with what it produced — is safe and effective with any happy memory at all.
  • The memory is a match. Once the feeling is lit, put the match down.

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.