WATCHING THE BREATH

In phase two of the journey, that of going within, we shall share our experiences. But never expect the same experiences for we are a unique combination of several bodies that there cannot be two exact experiences. 

Even in broad daylight, in the midst of the devotees hurriedly stopping to raise their hands in prayer and moving on to the next shrine, wanting to cover every inch of the temple before hurriedly making their way to the next temple, no one took notice of the mystical events broiling, be it at Lord Dhaksanamurthy's sannadhi at Tiruvanaikaval, or Swami Jeganathar's samadhi in Tapah, or at Palani Murugan's sannadhi, or at Sivavakiyar's cave at Sivanmalai, or at Nattukkottai Chettiar Arulmigu Thandayuthapani Temple in Penang and several other places. As for other similar miracles that took place in India, Agathiyar told in the Nadi subsequently that the sight and miracles were only meant to be seen by the three of us  - Tavayogi, my brother and me. https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-mysterious-siddhas-their-grace.html

Similarly, the formless took a form that his children wanted and wished to see. Erai appeared to an ex-colleague and friend Muralitharan Saminathan, in Kailash as Goddess Madhurai Meenakshi, just for his eyes only.

As every other devotee was engaged in prayer and immersed in divine bliss looking into the inner chamber as the arati was shown to Bhagavathi Amman of Chottanikkara, Kerala, again my friend, had the rare blessing of witnessing the darshan of Ma standing majestically in the skies. Another friend Perarulalan was blessed to have a darshan of Lord Muruga, standing majestically in front of him as he rang the bells of the temple at Carey island feeling sad within, that he could not have a glance of the Lord while others were having a field day taking in the beauty of Erai as the arati was shown. These miracles remind me of watching the movie on the life story of Arunagiri, where he is called over to the back of his chariot while everyone else is eagerly watching from the front. Arunagiri is given darshan. 

How does the divine veil or cover these moments of sheer amazement in the midst of the crowd or marketplace to show his miracles to a selected few? It is akin to the nurses and doctors drawing up the curtain before attending to their patients at the wards. In the case of the divine, the veil or curtain is invisible but does its job of keeping out intruders and curious bystanders quite well.

Continuing from the last post that dealt with cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning, after cleansing the home and the self through Deha Sutti and Nadi Sutti, we need to keep the place and the thoughts sparkling clean forever respectively. As Shoukei Matsumoto says it is an uphill battle continuously keeping both the place and the mind clean and clear of debris, dust, and dirt, one needs vairagya in their charts to be consistently agile and persistently battle this foe that we face. For a strong-willed person, it might be possible but we are easily swayed and distracted. Even Yogi Ramsuratkumar says there are days he loses the battle and becomes a victim to all these overpowering thoughts.

JN Bhasin who studied the birth charts of prominent people including saints writes in his book "Events and Nativities Explained", Sagar Publications, 1974,

Rama Krishna Paramhansa had all the signs that pointed to or denoted a high type of vairagya in the mind. It was written that he would attain sainthood and rise to great spiritual heights, reminding us of Agathiyar's 1st Tenet, that of knowing our purpose and mission and taking up a life that was attuned to the desires and wishes of the divine as charted in the stars and horoscope. The Buddhist too have a practice of identifying potential souls and past gurus taking rebirth and work on these children from a very young age leading them along so that the soul can continue its work and not become deviated from its mission.

Arvind Ghosh or Aurobindo Ghosh too took to a saintly life as it was in the chart showing a mind full of vairagya.  Swami Yogananda too had all the right ingredients for sanyas.

We need a tool to subdue the thoughts. The tool is the breath that comes with us, stays with us 24/7, that is not easily misplaced or lost or needs an upgrade or to be purchased, hired or renewed. Agathiyar and Tavayogi taught us to use the breath to tame the thoughts. A Siddha too came during our prayers and led us on a technique of observing the breath.

A reader messaged me after reading a post,

Sir.. When I sit for meditation I always used to focus on between the eye brows... Of Course I realised after your article.. It does have role of Ego... I need your blessings to move my focus to heart... 

Do not switch the techniques but continue with what comes best to you. I too was told to focus between the eyebrows initially. On later initiations, I was told to pay attention to the breath. I was given a mantra too to recite silently while watching the breath. Today just by sitting the thoughts settle. Its an evolution too over time I suppose. It should come naturally and spontaneously without having to put effort, for otherwise your attention will be diverted to the action and effort placed. It would remain a method as Ram Dass says.

She understood.

Ok... Got it.. Just surrender during the prayers and meditation.... Things will automatically happen... According to our readiness.. 

Another reader wrote,

Sir just like you I have also started doing meditation by observing breath. It seems to be working. Actually Appa asked me to start doing meditation and I was looking for method to do it as there are many ways to do it. Then it happened in one of your blog that you mentioned observing breath for meditation and it was suggested by Appa too. So I took it as clue and blessings and started doing that way immediately. Thanks.

Swami Vivekananda explains the results of yoga and pranayama, giving us an overview of what to expect in just a couple of lines.

Nerve currents will have to be displaced and given a new channel. New sorts of vibration will begin, the whole constitution will be remodelled, as it were.

He shows us the way to begin the inner journey too.

But the main part of the activity will lie along the spinal column, so that the one thing necessary for the posture is to hold the spinal column free, sitting erect, holding the three parts - the chest, neck, and head - in a straight line. Let the whole weight of the body be supported by the ribs, and then you have a natural easy posture, with the spine straight. 

After learning to sit straight as explained, he brings us to the practice of Nadi Sutti or purification of the nerves. Agathiyar on the onset, as his first lesson for me on Yoga, taught me this technique, through the Nadi reading.

Swami Vivekananda quotes from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad on Nadi Sutti:

First the nerves are to be purified, then comes the power to practise pranayama. Stopping the right nostril with the thumb, through the left nostril fill in air, according to capacity; then, without any interval, throw the air out throught the right nostril, closing the left. Again inhaling through the right nostril eject through the left, according to capacity; practising this three or four times at four hours of the day, before dawn, during midday, in the evening, and at midnight, in 15 days or a month purity of the nerves is attained; then begins pranayama. 

Swami Vivekananda in his "Raja Yoga - Conquering the Internal nature", Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, 1998, proposes a method.

The science of Raja Yoga, in the first place, proposes to give us such a means of observing the internal states. The instrument is the mind itself. The power of attention, when properly guided, and directed towards the internal world, will analyse the mind, and illuminate facts for us. The powers of the mind are like rays of light dissipated; when they are concentrated, they illumine. This is our only means of knowledge.

Among the many works of the Siddhas, one stands out prominently. It is Patanjali's "Ashtaanga Yogam". P.Karthigayan explains vividly in his book "History of Medical and Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu", Notion Press, 2016, how the Siddhas prepare us to move up the ladder through laying out eight components along the path. https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-saintly-works.html

Iyamam and Niyamam prepare us for a new way of life, lifting us from the current thoughts and run of the mill life. Iyamam is instilled by parents and teachers and can happen upon self-reflection too. A man who adopts and achieves these will stand out and be unique among his fellow men. He will be a truthful person or utaman. After perfecting his qualities, he moves to Niyamam, he fulfills this part of his spiritual development. He becomes divine by nature. Having tune his thoughts he now works on his body with the aid of two tools, Aasanam and Pranayamam, physically preparing him to adopt a new style of living taking on a virtuous character. Perfecting his body through performing Aasanam, he then moves to perfect his inside through Pranayama. The Siddhas begin to move his breath. He now becomes a yogi, one who has perfected his breath. 

Assuming we have done, gone through and covered the first have of the journey where we bring about mastery of the self and self-control and discipline through engaging in external activities, we are then brought to halt to all forms of engaging activities, brought within, not even in engaging with our thoughts. Hence begins the second half of the journey.

Next Prathyagaram and Tharanai shall mentally prepare him to move into a new realm of perception. From here, one travels on to the Kesari Margam, to the cosmos and back as mentioned by P.Karthigayan. The mystical flight and inner journey to countless universes start here.

Dyanam and Samadhi bring one to be receptive of the spirituality of oneself, the Siddhas and their wisdom. Going within and with internal worship, one arrives at Samadhi. 

Relating these practices to the chakras, we see a similar pattern taking shape.

Ganesa and Vallabai (Vallabah Ganesa) at Muladhara, remove the prevalent existing blocks so that one could progress without hindrances and delays. It is sort of christening a new ship before its maiden journey or flagging the race to begin it.

Coming to Svathisthana, creativity arises in leaps and bounds, as a result of blessings from Brahma and Saraswathi. 

At Manipuragam he is able to sustain our endeavors by the grace of Thirumaal and Laxmi.

At Anagatham, he is gifted with endurance, a much-needed element to travel farther on this path, by Rudra and Rudri. Rudra defeats the fear of death and other fears and burns past karma. A deeper understanding of the mystery dawns.

At Visukthi, Maheswaran and Maheswari wait to pick him up from the gloom and frustration that falls upon us while traveling the path. 

At Ajna, both Sadasivan and Manonmani shall grant him the fruits of yoga. Mounam the state of silence sets in without effort. Engrossed in a state of continuous bliss, the body goes into a state of Samadhi while the spirit attains Mukti. One attains the powers of the creator. All of the cosmos becomes a teacher. He will come to know that he is one with the matrix or prapanjam. He who has reached this state is a gnani. 

Remember though that the results are not distinctively defined and that they might not appear as suggested or listed in these stages or levels of the journey within, but can move to and fro, bringing one to a high state of exaltation or being - one moment - and fall back into darkness the very next moment. This is where we need the grace of Erai to constantly watch over us, besides our attempt to watch our thoughts, breath, movements and internal activities. Bring the divine to stand watch over us and the journey will turn out well. As Ruzbeh Bharucha quotes Baba at https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/the-ether-element-divine-silence,

"This happens once and only comes through The One. The divinity of the Ultimate Father and Mother comes through the way S(H)e imparts Knowledge. S(H)e gives us the Knowledge of the New World. We have come from Amar Lok or from immortality to Mrutyu Lok, which is the land of death. How was the world created? Where are the Deities? How was our soul created? All these answers one can get via dhyān or meditation", informed Bapuji. 

Once you are in tune with Divine Silence, all knowledge, power, radiance, goodness, the very essence of Oneness begins to fill the individual and it is through Divine Silence that the Masters know the past, present and the future. 

I believe that the one who goes deep within, meditates, becomes one with his or her breath, merges with his or her breath, thus becoming one with the Source and through the Source, the individual taps into the universal grid of Knowledge.