Lesson 31: Online Education in Yoga by Sri Prashant S Iyengar [only audio]

There is no ‘ Manas vidya’ in any Indian s̍āstra. Why? Because mind is matter and has to be comprehended by philosophical processes. Mind is also imp for spiritual pursuit, and has been explored in Indian and oriental thought. Mind is related to breath and prāṇa. In Upanishads and Brahmasutras, prāṇa is described to be companion of mahat or buddhi which is an intelligent principle. Then follows the process of creation from mahat or buddhi. Prāṇa and intelligent principle (buddhi) are of one generation. They are brothers, twins. Prāṇa is in all living creation. This is the signature condition of all living beings Breath is not prāṇa. Breath starts from birth. And ends on death. No living creation is deathless. But Prāṇa comes and goes but does not stop as in the case of breath. Death means end of breath. But not end of Prāṇa. Prāṇa leaves and not ends. It is eternal. There is an inseparable relation between breath and Prāṇa. They are not one and the same. Breath is the vehicle of Prāṇa. All mārgas become yoga…Bhakti mārga leads to bhakti yoga. Jñāna mārga leads to jñāna yoga and so on. Karma mārga must become karma yoga. So also dhyāna mārga and dhyāna yoga. In vedic philosophy, breath has a position, which is used as an internal agency. Mind must collaborate with breath and breathing, and then later with prāṇa. Mind must sub-serve or get sub-served by breath. Mind has schemes given by the tendency body (vāsanas) which are the internal stimulus. Then the stimulations from outside will activate it… which are, s̍abda, spars̍a, rupa, rasa, gandha (external stimulus). Usually in the business activity of life, in yutthāna avasthā, the mind which is functioning is the vāsanic mind. In adhyātma we need sublime mind to work rather than tainted mind. We need transparent mind, pure mind. Breath has to be driven in prāṇayāma. Not taken or done. Just as water seeps to internal layers, there should be seepage of breath in diff layers of the body. Hence the word to be used is ‘drive’. We have to drive the breath. Āsanas are a wonderful field to understand the breath. Once you have learned the āsanas and have maturity in them, you will learn to drive the breath Breath and mind can work like two sides of the same coin in adhyātmic activity. For worldly activity, that is not the case. We were trying to differentiate between the breathing of animate system and the breathing of a yogi or in prāṇayāma. What happens to your mind when you are in satsanga? What happens to your tendencies? They are almost put to sleep. Hence we feel transcendent. Likewise, the vāsanās are put to sleep during yogic practices. Just as the prasāda sanctifies you, so also, in the internal realm, the breath sanctifies you.