Drishti Shiva | “Third Eye One” | Tryambakam
Seeing is a form of sensory reasoning.
How and where we look guides us through life because our minds follow what our eyes produce.
The Yogi’s prerogative is to directly experience and “see into” the essential luminosity of the mind and heart center. To become the Seer, to choose to set our sights on the grander scheme of our relationships and comprehensive vision of our universe.
Drishti is first mentioned in the Sanskrit text - The Yoga Vasishta as “one’s relationship with the universe” it is a technique of looking for the Divine everywhere—and thus for seeing correctly, the world around us.
Yogi’ use the practice of drishti as a technique to remove the ignorance that obscures true vision, a technique that allows us to see God in everything - it reorganizes our perceptual apparatus to recognize and overcome the limits of "normal" vision.
Anyone who walks sincerely on the path of yoga will tell you that transformation and understanding of wisdom comes through the navigation of a vision of ourselves.
What we choose to set our sights on in the grander scheme – is all drishti.
Ya drishti sa srishti,” Here drishti is juxtaposed with the word Srishti = Creation or more literally, emission – “That which flows forth”. Yoga Vasishta
While yogis pacify their anatomical eyes - there is a corollary opening and a resonating with the Mystical Eye, this gaze is associated not just with our Outer seeing but with our Inner seeing. Antara dristhi, the inner vision which lies at the heart of all spiritual development.
Swami Satchidananda, once said: “Life is a lot like holding a hot pot in your bare hands…. It hurts! Yoga is realizing that you can let go of the pot.” We hold hard to the vision of our identity, and repeatedly only see though our egoic selves.
In Pranayama practices the long and subtle stopping of the breath after exhale and after inhale or pausing the breath skillfully at any point, (as Sri T Krishnamacharya) says) allows the “unseen prana to become seen “ in your body.
The practice of drishti, was set long before it was referred to as the placement of your gaze in Yogasana. In Krishnamacharya’ Talasana krama the dristhi is the first action taken and becomes the guiding focal point throughout this ingenious pranic krama.
This focal point can also be referred to as Padayoragre Sanskrit: पाडयोरग्रे;
Gra + padagra meaning "to the tips of the toes" - gazing at the toes”.
Similarly, some important yogasanas such as Paschimottanasana, Janu Sirsasana, and Mahamudra kramas all secure the padayoragre Drishti.
This synergetic unity awakens us to our oscillating patterns of distraction, permits the satisfaction of letting go and allows us to abide in the Still Point of the singular perspective of our inner harmony.
A drishti is not passive, it is activated, it is a brilliant discerning and conscious creation (sristhi) that permits us to witness the mysteries, dignity and holiness of being fully human.
Find the essence of “Seeing” become the Drastr - the observer of self.
OM, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma.
Om Shanthi
Pam Johnson