Becoming
a Master of Pranayama
or
Tsa Lung
Our
mind is like an engine that runs on the fuel of prana (tib. lung),
through the numerous pipes and bits of machinery, or channels (skt.
nadi, tib. tsa) and centers (skt. chakra). Obstructions (skt. klesha)
and karmic files are stored on the inner walls of channels and
centers, like dirt and grease sticks to the kitchen drain. This dirt
is the impulsive self-based reactions we experience in our everyday
mind. Me this, me that, on and on, round and round.
Buddhist
meditation adresses the existential confusion (skt. dukkha) created
by this with emptiness meditation which means removing the sense of
self from all and any dirt that arises. The dirt from the inner walls
of the pipes is removed and in this way the fuel or prana that
courses through the system becomes a manifestation of wisdom and
natural liberation.
It is a somewhat common belief in the world of yoga, that this could be achieved through breathing practices, that is, pranayama or tsalung. That is not the case. In fact, anyone who has tried solving existential confusion mainly with breathing practices of any sort, knows that it simple cannot achieve that. Actually, increasing the amount of prana in the system can make one's confusion even worse, even physically and mentally ill. Imagine a greater quantity of prana coursing through the system without the reduction of selfing... That's a recipe for disaster. For this reason, in all old yogic systems I am aware of, breathing practices were never practiced separately from prayers, mantras, guru yoga and deity yoga, that cultivate energy subtler than prana, that is, energy of awareness. Energy of awareness keeps prana in check, so one who follows this principle never ends up having health problems because of pranic overload, although problems can arise from one's karma.
As
a principle, mastery of prana is mastery of the mind. In other words,
mastery of prana is the mastery of samsara. Only fully liberated ones
have complete mastery of prana. Others don't.
Mastery
of the yogic practice of pranayama or tsalung, on the other hand, I
would say, is when the mind and the prana coursing through it makes
no surprises anymore. By surprises I mean not having entirely new
experiences, positive or negative, anymore.
In
the context of Open Heart practice and Open
Heart Bhumi Model, this comes about around opening of all bhumis
and perfecting few of them.
Thank
you,
- Kim, 20.6.2019
Open
Heart, www.en.openheart.fi
