THE TECHNIQUE OF ANTARA IN THE VIJŇANA BHAIRAVA TANTRA: A TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT ON THE GAP IN CONSCIOUSNESS

Summary

The concept of antara, or interval, in the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra serves as a method for recognizing nondual consciousness within Kashmir Śaivism. Through textual hermeneutic analysis, it is shown that terms like antara and madhya guide attention to experiential gaps where subject-object duality diminishes. This study identifies various techniques related to intervals, with breath pauses being key to revealing non-conceptual awareness. The findings suggest that antara is an effective tool for exploring reflexive awareness and contributes to contemporary discussions on consciousness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article analyzes the concept of antara (interval/gap) in the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra as a direct method for recognizing nondual consciousness within the Kashmir Śaivism tradition. The study employs a textual hermeneutic analysis of dhāraṇā verses that contain instructions concerning the middle point (madhya), the pause between breaths, the gap between thoughts, and the cessation of perception. Terminological analysis shows that the terms antara, madhya, śūnya, and visrānti function operationally rather than merely descriptively, as they guide attention to experiential intervals where subject object duality weakens. The linguistic structure of the text is instructive-performative, marked by aphoristic and paradoxical formulas that encourage experiential realization rather than conceptual construction. A typology of interval techniques can be mapped into respiratory, cognitive, and sensory forms, with breath pauses serving as the most explicit model of the mechanism for revealing non-conceptual awareness. This study also places the concept of antara in critical dialogue with contemporary consciousness studies, particularly gap awareness theory and micro-phenomenology, while emphasizing the limits of cross-traditional interpretation. The findings indicate that antara functions as a practical epistemological device for deconstructing duality and recognizing reflexive awareness. Thus, the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra makes a significant contribution to contemplative discourse and the philosophy of consciousness.

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