#95 States of God

At the commencement and end of a sneeze, during danger, sorrow, weeping, flight from a battlefield, during curiosity, at the commencement and end of hunger. These states are full of the State of God.

Verse 118, Vigyan Bhairava Tantra

What is so special about these states?

At the commencement or at the end of a sneeze. During danger or sorrow. At the beginning or end of hunger. How. are these states full of the state of God? These states are special, because during these moments the mind on its own becomes silent. In any of the moments described in this verse, the mind is quiet. Sometimes it is because of a shock during danger, sorrow, or retreat from a battlefield. At other moments, it is due to a natural phenomena of the body. Just as we begin to sneeze, or just as a sneeze ends. You will notice that during these moments the mind does not think.

Something similar also happens with hunger. When you start to feel hungry, at that moment there are no thoughts. It is the initial moment, when the feeling of hunger first arises. Similarly when hunger ends. You were feeling hungry and now you take that first bite of food. At that moment, you feel some joy, some fulfillment, as you start to end your hunger. During all these moments, the mind becomes silent. To make use of these moments, one should be aware when they occur. These are the two critical words missing in the verse. One should be aware when these moments arise. It is during these moments that the path to God can be seen. The mind has fallen silent and the door to eternity has been opened. However, if you are not aware when these moments arise, then this golden opportunity will be missed. These moments pass, and the mind starts working again. Then, one returns to a normal state. When the mind falls silent, we can get insight into our Divine Nature. To receive this insight and realize our true self, awareness is necessary. Awareness is always the key to our salvation. When we are aware, the mind is silent. But when the mind has fallen silent on its own, due to an external shock, and we are aware at that time, then there is a greater chance of us permanently remaining aware.