RE: pranayama / breath

[Guest guest]

Dear Max,

 

The important thing to keep is mind is that Sri Ramana only suggests

pranayama and such like as an *aid to concentration* which should be dropped

as soon the mind is able to return to Self-enquiry. People sometimes quote

what Ramana has said on these topics out of context, giving the impression

that Sri Ramana suggested these were practices to be taken up for their own

sake. Quite often, if one looks up the source of such quotes we see the

context is only that of clarifying a question put by someone about the

traditional teachings on such practices.

 

Self-Enquiry in the form " Who am I? " like all approaches requires effort,

especially at the beginning stages. So if the mind wanders that should not

be a surprise and is not something to criticize oneself about. Bhagavan

recommends simply coming back to the question 'to whom does this thought

arise?'... It must arise to me... Therefore " Who is this 'me'? " " Who am I? "

or " Whence this feeling of 'I' " .

 

There are many practices for using the breath *as an aid to concentration*,

such as mentally noting " In " and " Out " on the respective breath. Counting

the breaths, up to 10 then starting again, or starting again from number one

if the mind gets lost before getting to ten. Practices on pranayama and

chanting mantras with their promises of profound effects and pleasant

experiences have the potential to be very seductive in drawing us away from

the Path of Self-Enquiry.

 

In the Path of Self-Enquiry, or " Who am I? " , there is nothing in it for the

ego - which is perhaps why we are so easily drawn aside.

 

Peter

 

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

thank you, peter.

 

 

 

Breath

Is the bridge

Between being

And being not.,

Called by people

" Life " and " Death " .

 

The timeless,

All containing life,

One without a second

Has nothing to oppose.

The opposite of death

Is birth.

 

Inhaling –

I am born.

Exhaling –

I die.

In the meantime

My life

Flows,

Unaffected.

 

Praise be!

 

 

 

yosy

 

jai ramanaji!