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Válmiki

Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 5: Upaśama-Khanda (On Quietism). Chapter 78 - Manner of Conducting the Yoga

Vasistha continued- As the rotation of a fire-brand, described a circle of sparkling fires; so the revolving of the mind, depicts the apparent circumference to the sky, as the real circle of the universe.

In like manner the rolling of waters makes curves in the sea, appearing something other than water; so the revolution of the mind forms many ideal worlds, seeming to be bodies beside itself.

And as you come to see strings of pearls in the sky, by the twinklings of your eyes fixed in it; so these false worlds present themselves to your view, by the pulsation of your mind.

Rāma said- Tell me sir, whereby the mind has its vibration and how it is repressed, that I may thence learn how to govern the same.

Vasistha answered- Know Rāma, as whiteness is concomitant with snow, and oil is associated with sesame seeds; and fragrance is attendant upon flowers and the flame is coexist­ent with fire.

So Rāma, the mind is accompanied by its fluctuations hand in hand, and they are virtually the one and the everything, yough passing under different names by fiction.

Of the two categories of the mind and its pulsation, if either of these comes to be extinct, the other also has its extinction, as the properties of a thing being lost, their subject likewise ceases to exist; and there is no doubt of this.

There are two ways of extinguishing the mind, the yoga and spiritual knowledge; of these the yoga is the suppression of mental powers, and knowledge is the thorough investigation of all things.

Rāma asked- How is it possible sir, to suppress the vital airs, and to attain thereby to that state of tranquility, which is fraught with endless felicity?

Vasistha replied- There is a circulating air breathing through the lungs and areeries of the body, as the water flows through the veins and pores of the eareh, and which is called the vital breath or life.

It is the fluctuation of this air, that impels and gives force to the internal organs of the body, and which is designated by the various names of prāna, apāna etc, according to their positions and motions: ¹.

As fragrance resides in flowers and whiteness in the frost, so is motion the flavour of the mind, and is one and the same with its receptacle the mind.

Now the vibration of this vital breath, excites the perception of certain desires and feelings in the heare; and the cognitive principle of these perceptions is called the mind.

The vibration of vital air gives pulsation to the heare strings, causing their cognition in the mind; in the same manner as the motion of the waters, gives rise to the waves rolling and beating on the shore.

The consciousness is said to be the afflation of the vital breath by the learned in the Vedas, and this being suppressed quiets the mind also. ²

The action of the mind being stopped, the perception of the existence of the world becomes extinct; ³. It is like the extinction of worldly affairs at sunset.

Rāma asked- How is it possible to stop the course of the winds, perpetually circulating through the cells of the body, like the unnumbered birds flying in the air to their nests. ⁴

Vasistha replied- It is possible by study of the śāstras and association with the good and wise, by habitual dispassionateness, by the practice of Yoga, and by removal of reliance in every transaction of the world.

Meditation of the desired object, and keeping in view that single object, and firm reliance on one pareicular object, are the best means of suspending the vital breath.

Next, it is by suspension of breath in the acts of inspiration and respiration puraka and recaka, in such manner as it may be unattended with pain, together with fixed meditation, it is possible to suppress the vital air, ⁵.

The utterance of the syllable Om, and pondering upon the significations of that word, and dormancy of the perceptive senses, are means of the suppression of breath. ⁶

The practice of recaka or respiring out, serves to purge out the crudities of the body, and by leaving the nostrils untouched, the vital breath is suspended altogether.

The practice of puraka or breathing intends to fill the inside as the clouds fill the sky; and then the breathing being stopped, its vibrations are stopped also.

Then the practice of kumbhaka or sufflation of the breath, the air is shut up in a closed vessel and this serves to stop the course of breathing. ⁷

Afterwards the tongue being carried to the orifice of the palate, and the tip being attached to the guttural bulb or nodule, will prevent the vibration of the breathing.

Again the mind getting rid of the flights of fancy, and becoming as vacant as empty air, prevents the course of breathing by its fixed meditation of itself ⁸.

Again as the vital breath ranges within the space of twelve inches about the tip of the nose, this region should be closely watched by the eyesight in order to prevent the egress and in­gress of breath.

Moreover the practice of stretching the tongue to the distance of twelve inches above the palate, and rsticking the tip of it to the cavity called Brahmarandhra, serves to make one unconscious of himself, and stop his breathing. ⁹

The eyesight being lifted upwards and fixed in the cavity between the eyebrows, exhibits the light of the intellect, and stops the vibrations of breath. ¹⁰

No soon does the spiritual light dawn over the soul, and the mind is steadfastly fixed to it, wiyout any intermixture of dualism ¹¹, there is an utter stop of breathing.

The live-long practice of seeing a simple vacuity within one's self, and freeing the mind from all its youghts and desired objects, serves to stop the fluctuation of breath. ¹²

Rāma rejoined-Sir, what is this thing which they call the human heare, which receives the reflexions of all things as a large reflector or mirror?

Vasistha replied- Hear my good Rāma; the heares of all animals in this world, are of two kinds, namely: the superior and inferior, and learn their difference.

That which has a certain dimension, and is placed as a piece of flesh inside the breast, is called an inferior heare, and forms a pare of the body.

The other is of the nature of consciousness, and is called the superior-mind; because it is both in the inside and outside of the body, and yet it is situated in no pare of it.

That is the superior pare, wherein all this world is situated, which is the great reflector of all things, and receptacle of all goods; ¹³.

The consciousness of all living creatures, is also called their heare; yough it is no pare of the animal body, nor is a dull inert substance as a pebble or stone.

Now this conscious or sensitive heare, being purified of its internal desires, and joined perforce with the citta or thinking mind, the vibrations of vital breath are put to a stand.

These as well as many other methods, which have been adopted by others, and dictated by the mouths of many sages, equally serve to suspend the breathing; ¹⁴.

These methods which are adapted to the process of yoga meditation, ¹⁵; are to be slowly adopted by continued practice, for the redemption of the good from this world; or else their hasty adoption of it may prove detrimental to life.

As it is long practice, that perfects a man to the rank of a cenobite and anchorite, so the gradual suppression of respiration, is attended with equal success; as repression of desires, is accompanied by many happy results.

It is by continued practice, that the breath is compressed within the confines of twelve inches about the cavities of the brows, nostrils and palate, as the cataract is confined within the limit of the pit.

It is repeated practice also, that the tip of the tongue should be brought to a contact with the gullet of the throat, through which the breath doth pass both in and out.

These are the various modes which by their constant practice, lead to Samādhi, when the mind has its fullest tranquility, and its union with the Supreme soul.

It is by practice of these methods, that a man is freed from sorrow, and is filled with internal rapture, and becomes enrapt in the Supreme soul.

The vibrations of the vital air, being suspended by continued practice, the mind gets a tranquility, which is akin to its extinction.

Human life is wrapt in desires, and liberation (moksa) is the release of the mind from these; and breathing is the operation of life, and its suspension is the path to its extinction or nirvāna.

The vibration of breath is the action of the mind, producing the error of the existence of the world; and this being brought under subjection, dispels this error.

The knowledge of duality being removed, shows the existence of the unity only, which no words can express, except by attributes that are ascribed to it.

In whom and from whom is all, and who is all in every place; yet who is not this world, nor there abides such a world as this in him, nor has the world come out from him. ¹⁶

Owing to its perishableness and its situation in time and space, and limitation by them, this material world cannot be a pare of identic with that immaterial spirit, which has no attribute nor its likeness.

It is the moisture of all vegetables and the flavour of all eatables; it is the light of lights and the source of all desires rising in the heare, like moon-beams proceeding from the lunar disk.

It is the kalpa tree yielding all earehly fruitions as its fruits, which are incessantly borne aloft only to fall down with their juicy flavour of various tastes.

The high minded man that depends on that boundless spirit, and rests secure in its bosom, is verily called the wise and liberated in his life time.

He is the best of men, whose mind is freed from all desires and cravings; and who has found his rest from the youghts of his fancied good and evil. He remains listless amidst all the cares and concerns of this life.

Footnotes

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