Conscious Immortality

by Paul Brunton

What is pranayama? A. Prana is equivalent to Self, Soul, Atma etc. as it is the life-current or whatever name you give it. Pranayama is the control of the body, the senses and the intellect through the breath. Mind is thus controlled and thus dies down with this practice. Mind and prana originate from the same source. By control of breath the mind subsides and then an unconscious blank state is produced, a swoon or trance-like death. Although that state is the natural state, the man who has not controlled the mind is dazed and is merged in it. It is a state of great peace, true, but it is temporary, and when it ends the yogi wants to get it back again and so he does his breath control again. It is necessary for him to go beyond pranayama and to gain direct-control of the mind, and thus practise a permanent peace, sahaja samadhi — not merely temporary samadhi. The thing is to get the capacity to bring mind to peace, to make it still, and not allow it to wander. For that pranayama is given out as instruction. Retention of breath leads to contemplation but that is for the advanced man. Puraka [inhalation] is the beginning, then comes kumbhaka [retention] and last is rechaka [exhalation]. Pranayama is useful only in so far as it helps to get mind-control. For those who seek mental peace this is enough, but there is a highly-detailed, complicated pranayama for those who seek siddhis — occult powers.