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QUESTION
23
Disciple: What is absolute retention of breath?
Master:
It is making the vital air stay firmly in the heart
even without exhalation and inhalation. This is achieved
through meditation on the vital principle, etc.
QUESTION
24
Disciple: What is regulation of breath?
Master:
It is making the vital air stay firmly in the heart
through exhalation, inhalation, and retention, according
to the instructions given in the yoga texts.
QUESTION 25
Disciple: How is breath-control the means for mind-control?
Master:
There is no doubt that breath-control is the means for
mind-control, because the mind, like breath, is a part
of air, because the nature of mobility is common to
both, because the place of origin is the same for both,
and because when one of them is controlled the other
gets controlled.
QUESTION
26
Disciple: Since breath-control leads only to quiescence
of the mind (manolaya) and not to its destruction
(manonasa), how can it be said that breath-control
is the means for enquiry which aims at the destruction
of mind?
Master:
The scriptures teach the means for gaining Self-realization
in two modes - as the yoga with eight limbs (ashtanga-yoga)
and as knowledge with eight limbs (ashtanga-jnana).
By regulation of breath (pranayama) or by absolute
retention thereof (kevala-kumbhaka), which is
one of the limbs of yoga, the mind gets controlled.
Without leaving the mind at that, if one practises the
further discipline such as withdrawal of the mind from
external objects (pratyahara), then at the end,
Self-realization which is the fruit of enquiry will
surely be gained.
Copyright
Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, India.
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