Patanjali system / breath control

The first process of spiritualizing the mind by mechanical chanting of the praṇava (oṁkāra) and by control of the breathing system is technically called the mystic or yogic process of prāṇāyāma, or fully controlling t

Gradually, as the mind becomes progressively spiritualized, withdraw it from sense activities, and by intelligence the senses will be controlled. The mind, being too much absorbed in material activities, can be engaged in the service of the Personality of Godhead and become fixed in full transcendental consciousness. (More...)

The first process of spiritualizing the mind by mechanical chanting of the pranava omkara and controlling the breathing system is technically called the mystic or yogic process of pranayama, or fully controlling the breathing air. The ultimate state of this pranayama system is to become fixed up in trance, technically called the stage of samadhi. But experience has proven that even the samadhi stage also fails to control the materially-absorbed mind. For example, the great mystic Visvamitra Muni, even in the stage of samadhi, became a victim of the senses and cohabited with Menaka. History has already recorded it. The mind, although ceasing to think of sensual activities at present, remembers past sensual activities from the subconscious status and thus disturbs one from cent per cent engagement in self-realization. Therefore, Sukadeva Gosvami recommends the next step of assured policy, namely to fix one's mind in the service of the Personality of Godhead. Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, also recommends this direct process in the Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 6.47). Thus, the mind being spiritually cleansed, one should at once engage himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord by the different devotional activities of hearing, chanting, etc. That is the surest path of progress even for the disturbed mind, if performed under proper guidance. (More...)

The yoga system conceived by Patanjali is referred to herein.

Those who are interested in self-realization, in terms of mind and sense control, offer the functions of all the senses, as well as the vital force [breath], as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind. (More...)

Pradyumna: "The yoga system conceived by Patanjali is referred to herein. In the Yoga-sūtra of Patanjali, the soul is called pratyag-atma and parag-atma. As long as the soul is attached to sense enjoyment, it is called parag-atma. The soul is subjected to the functions of ten kinds of air at work within the body, and this is perceived through the breathing system. The Patanjali system of yoga instructs one on how to control the functions of the body's air in a technical manner so that ultimately all the functions of the air within become favorable for purifying the soul of material attachment. According to this yoga system, pratyag-atma is the ultimate goal. This pratyag-atma is a withdrawal from activities in matter. The senses interact with the sense objects, like the ear for hearing, eyes for seeing, nose for smelling, tongue for tasting, hand for touching, and all of them are thus engaged in activities outside the self. They are called the functions of the prana-vayu. The apana-vayu goes downwards, vyana-vayu acts to shrink and expand, samana-vayu adjusts equilibrium, udana-vayu goes upwards-and when one is enlightened, one engages all these in searching for self-realization." (More...)

Yoga practice is more or less based on the principles of the Patanjali system.

By practice of yoga one becomes gradually detached from material concepts. This is the primary characteristic of the yoga principle. And after this, one becomes situated in trance, or samadhi which means that the yogi realizes the Supersoul through transcendental mind and intelligence, without any of the misgivings of identifying the self with the Superself. Yoga practice is more or less based on the principles of the Patanjali system. Some unauthorized commentators try to identify the individual soul with the Supersoul, and the monists think this to be liberation, but they do not understand the real purpose of the Patanjali system of yoga. There is an acceptance of transcendental pleasure in the Patanjali system, but the monists do not accept this transcendental pleasure out of fear of jeopardizing the theory of oneness. The duality of knowledge and knower is not accepted by the nondualist, but in this verse transcendental pleasure-realized through transcendental senses-is accepted. And this is corroborated by the Patanjali Muni, the famous exponent of the yoga system. The great sage declares in his Yoga-sūtras: purusartha-sūnyanam gunanam pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyam svarūpa-pratistha va citi-saktir iti. (More...)

This citi-sakti, or internal potency, is transcendental. Purusartha means material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, at the end, the attempt to become one with the Supreme. This "oneness with the Supreme" is called kaivalyam by the monist. But according to Patanjali, this kaivalyam is an internal, or transcendental, potency by which the living entity becomes aware of his constitutional position. In the words of Lord Caitanya, this state of affairs is called ceto-darpana-marjanam, or clearance of the impure mirror of the mind. This "clearance" is actually liberation, or bhava-mahadavagni-nirvapanam. The theory of nirvana-also preliminary-corresponds with this principle. In the Bhagavatam this is called svarūpena vyavasthitiḥ. The Bhagavad-gita also confirms this situation in this verse. (More...)

"After nirvana, or material cessation, there is the manifestation of spiritual activities, or devotional service of the Lord, known as Krsna consciousness. In the words of the Bhagavatam, svarūpena vyavasthitiḥ: this is the real life of the living entity. Maya, or illusion, is the condition of spiritual life contaminated by material infection. Liberation from this material infection does not mean destruction of the original, eternal position of the living entity. Patanjali also accepts this by his words kaivalyam svarūpa-pratistha va citi-saktir iti. This citi-sakti, or transcendental pleasure, is real life. This is confirmed in the Vedanta-sūtras as anandamayo 'bhyasat [Vedanta-sūtra ]. This natural, transcendental pleasure is the ultimate goal of yoga and is easily achieved by execution of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga will be vividly described in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita." Should I keep reading, Srila Prabhupada? (More...)

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