Guest guest Posted March 11, 2002 Report Share Posted March 11, 2002 Pranayama and Self-Enquiry To the visitor who pursued the question about pranayama (breath contol), Bhagavan said, "The aim is to make the mind one-pointed. For that pranayama is a help, a means. Not only for dhyana, but in every case where we have to make the mind one-pointed - it may be even for a purely secular or material purpose - it is good to make pranayama and then start the work." "Those who have not the mental strength to concentrate or control their mind and direct it on the quest are advised to watch their breathing, since such watching will naturally and as a matter of course lead to cessation of thought and bring the mind under control. Breath and mind arise from the same place and when one of them is controlled, the other is also controlled. As a matter of fact in the quest method - which is more correctly 'Whence am I?' and not merely 'Who am I?' - we are not simply trying to eliminate saying 'We are not the body, not the senses and so on,' to reach what remains as the ultimate reality, but we are trying to find whence the 'I' thought for the ego arises within us. The method contains within it, though implicitly and not expressly, the watching of the breath. When we watch wherefrom the 'I' thought, the root of all thoughts, springs, we are necessarily watching the source of the breath also, as the 'I' thought and the breath arise from the same source. Retaining breath, etc., is more violent and may be harmful in some cases, e.g., when there is no proper Guru to guide the sadhaka at every step and stage. But merely watching the breath is easy and involves no risk." - Day by Day with Bhagavan http://www.ramana-maharshi.org/publish/mayjun92.htm regards Sundar Rajan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 12, 2002 Report Share Posted March 12, 2002 There is a stanza in Bhagwan's "Upadesasaara" which clearly highlights the connection between breathing and mind. One who observes one's breathing will, no doubt, find that mental agitations invariably subside with slow breathing. So, praanayaama, where the breath is controlled in a very systematic manner, should produce beneficial results on one's mental equipoise at least. Looks like our mantras and sthothras are constructed in such a way as to produce spontaneous pranayama. They tend to influence breathing in a beneficial manner even if chanted without training and without proper intonations. Personally, I have found this to be very true in the case of Lalithaa Sahasranama, Devi Mahathmya (Saptha Sathi) (particularly the Devi sthuthis in Chapter 4, 5 and 11) and Hanuman Chaalisa. Madathil Nair ____________ advaitin, "avsundarrajan" <avsundarrajan> wrote: > Pranayama and Self-Enquiry > > To the visitor who pursued the question about pranayama (breath > contol), Bhagavan said, "The aim is to make the mind one-pointed. For > that pranayama is a help, a means. Not only for dhyana, but in every > case where we have to make the mind one-pointed - it may be even for > a purely secular or material purpose - it is good to make pranayama > and then start the work." > > " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2002 Report Share Posted March 16, 2002 Hi than u very much for the mail on pranayama, please give me more information on this subject regards kannan On Tue, 12 Mar 2002 avsundarrajan wrote : > Pranayama and Self-Enquiry > >To the visitor who pursued the question about pranayama (breath >contol), Bhagavan said, "The aim is to make the mind one-pointed. >For >that pranayama is a help, a means. Not only for dhyana, but in >every >case where we have to make the mind one-pointed - it may be even >for >a purely secular or material purpose - it is good to make >pranayama >and then start the work." > >"Those who have not the mental strength to concentrate or >control >their mind and direct it on the quest are advised to watch >their >breathing, since such watching will naturally and as a matter >of >course lead to cessation of thought and bring the mind under >control. >Breath and mind arise from the same place and when one of them >is >controlled, the other is also controlled. As a matter of fact in >the >quest method - which is more correctly 'Whence am I?' and not >merely 'Who am I?' - we are not simply trying to eliminate saying >'We >are not the body, not the senses and so on,' to reach what >remains as >the ultimate reality, but we are trying to find whence the 'I' >thought for the ego arises within us. The method contains within >it, >though implicitly and not expressly, the watching of the breath. >When >we watch wherefrom the 'I' thought, the root of all thoughts, >springs, we are necessarily watching the source of the breath >also, >as the 'I' thought and the breath arise from the same source. >Retaining breath, etc., is more violent and may be harmful in >some >cases, e.g., when there is no proper Guru to guide the sadhaka >at >every step and stage. But merely watching the breath is easy >and >involves no risk." > >- Day by Day with Bhagavan >http://www.ramana-maharshi.org/publish/mayjun92.htm > >regards >Sundar Rajan > > > >------------------------ Sponsor > >Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of >nonseparablity of Atman and Brahman. >Advaitin List Archives available at: >http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/ >To Post a message send an email to : advaitin >Messages Archived at: >advaitin/messages > > > >Your use of is subject to > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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