Agni: The Fire of Self-Inquiry - 5

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Agni: The Fire of Self-Inquiry

 

by David Frawley

 

 

 

 

These three internal forms of Agni create the three main paths of yoga practice.

 

Agni's speech form is the basis of Mantra Yoga or the repetition of sacred sounds

like OM or longer prayers like the Gayatri Mantra. Mantra practice creates an

internal fire that helps purify the subconscious mind and make the mind receptive

to meditation.

 

AGni's prana form is the basis of Prana Yoga or the yogic breathing practices of pranayama.

Pranayama increases the fire of prana ( Pranagni ) within us that cleanses the nadis of the

subtle body and helps unlosen the knots or granthis of the heart.

 

Agni's mind form is the basis of Dhyana Yoga or the yoga of meditation.

The mind form of Agni or the buddhi is the discriminating part of the mind

that allows us to distinguish truth from falsehood , reality from unreality

and the Self from the not-Self.

 

These three forms of Agni and their related yogic paths take us to the Jivatman

or our individual self and help us understand its basis in the Paramatmam

or Supreme Self.

 

.................................................

 

.............. to be continued

 

from THE MOUNTAIN PATH , January-March 2003