Guest guest Posted January 25, 2003 Report Share Posted January 25, 2003 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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