PATANJALI
YOGA SUTRAS
Verse.2.51
bahya abhyantara
vishaya aakshepi chaturthah
Ø baahya = external
Ø abhyantara = internal
Ø vishaya = realms
Ø aakshepi = going beyond
Ø chaturthah = is the fourth
The fourth
pranayama goes beyond the immediate
spheres of external and internal Pranayama.
OSHO – gives a
beautiful definition of pranayam – “breathe with the whole”.
It indeed is so –
especially when it comes to going beyond the immediate spheres of the three
pranayamas earlier mentioned.
The first three are
body-mind oriented and most of the mechanics happen inside the body or in the
immediate vicinity where the external retention happens.
But, though we call
it external retention – the names given in yoga
treatises is baahya kumbhaka
and antah kumbhaka. Either you are filling your lungs with the
inhaled air or with vacant space.
Pooraka
is inhalation. Rechaka is
exhalation. Kumbhaka is retention.
If the air is inside, it is antah-kumbhaka; If it is outside, then, space fills
the lungs and air (or praana) is outside and it is bahya-kumbhaka.
But, these
processes of pooraka, rechaka and kumbhaka are done by sadhaka’s EFFORT in pranayama.
In the fourth type
of Pranayama – the sadhaka needs to beyond these three. How? Watch the three
processes. Become a witness to them. Become A Sakshi. Then, breathing of all
three types occurs but, slowly the sadhaka goes beyond them. Pranayama happens –
but he remains not the active doer – but the sakshi. It is true that pranayama
is still done within his body-mind complex. But, he himself becomes a witness
of the whole process. The mind-body complex totally becomes calm – and becomes
prepared for Dharana and other steps of Yoga.
Patanjali – at the
very beginning of yoga sutras has indirectly hinted – that becoming a witness,
a drasta – is a key aspect of reaching
the ultimate goal. Becoming a Drasta – for the pranayama process is the fourth
method of pranayama.
When he becomes a
witness to the whole process – he is slowly transcending the mind-body limits too – and is
becoming a witness of the breathing process happening in the whole universe.
The total movement of praanic energy is now witnessed by him. It is no more the
Sadhaka who is breathing – but the Universe.
Verse.2.52
thathah ksheeyathe
prakasha avaranam
Ø thathah = thereby
Ø ksheeyathe = Gets destroyed
Ø prakaasha = illumination
Ø avaranam = outer veil
What happens when
the Sadhaka does Pranayama? This is explained now.
The manas (or mind)
– which participates in the pranayama – is usually covered by a veil of maya;
all negative qualities can be taken as maya for this purpose. All dualities can
be taken as maya. These are destroying the clearsightedness, the focus of the
mind, always – and distracting the sadhaka.
Pranayama can
gradually reduce, and destroy this veil and make the mind shine in its original
splendor. After practice of Pranayama – it is the experience of every sadhaka
that mind rejects all dualities, becomes calmer and calmer and settles down to a blissful period of internal
peace. The veil covering the mind now stands
destroyed by the pranayama.
Verse.2.53
Dhaaranaasu cha
yogyathaa manasah
Ø dharanasu = for concentration (dhaarana)
Ø cha = and
Ø yogyathaa = qualifying,
achieving capability
Ø manasah = mind
When the mind has
practiced pranayama – what further happens?
Mind becomes
qualified and competent for performing Dhaarana, the sixth step of Ashtaanga
Yoga. Pranayama is the fourth step and Dhaarana
is the six the step.
Though mind is now
qualified to enter into the sixth step – there is yet another step between the
two – called pratyaahaara. We will
deal with pratyaahaara in the next Post.
*
* * E
N D *
* *
No comments:
Post a Comment