On Pranayama - Ramana Maharshi
Extracts from questions on pranayama from:
Conscious Immortality - Conversations with Sri Ramana Maharshi - Recorded by Paul Brunton and Munagala Venkatramiah
Q. What is pranayama?
A. Prana is equivalent to Self, Soul, Atman etc. as it is the life current or whatever you name it. Pranayama is the control of the body, the senses, 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 practice permanent peace, sahaja samadhi - not merely temporary samadhi. The thing is to get the capacity to bring the 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 only helpful 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.
Pranayama is for one not endowed with the strength to control the mind. There is no way so sure as the sages' company for this purpose. Pranayama need not be exactly as described in hatha yoga. If engaged in devotion or meditation, just a little control of breath will suffice to control the mind. Mind is the rider and breath is the horse. Pranayama is a check on the horse. By that check the rider is checked. It may be done just a little. Watching the breath is one way to do it. The mind is abstracted from other activities and engaged in watching the breath. That controls breath and in its turn controls mind. If you are unable to do rechaka and puraka, it does not matter. Breath may be retained for a short while during meditation. Then, too, good results will accrue. Regulation of breath is gained by watching its movements. Similarly, if the mind is watched the thoughts will cease too. That is what the mind quest really is.
Some meditation brings about suspension of breath; while vice versa, the mind ceases to be restless after some breath control. Control of mind spontaneously effects control of breath or kumbhaka.
The person who uses breath-control especially are those who are practicing without a guru's presence. Then the mind becomes controlled as a result, but mind control spontaneously begins to arise in the presence of a superior power like a guru.
When life is imperilled the whole interest begins to centre round saving it. Similarly, when breath is held in pranayama, the mind cannot afford to jump at its accustomed external objects; thus there is rest for it, so long as the breath is held. Since all attention is being turned on the breath and its regulation, other interests are lost.
Thought and respiration are both different aspects of the same individual life-current upon which both depend. If respiration is forcibly repressed, thought follows suit and is fixed to the usual dominant thought. If thought is forcibly slowed down and pinned to a point, the vital activity of respiration is slowed down, made even and confined to the lowest level compatible with the continuance of life. Thus the mind grasps the subtle and merges into it.
Control of breath calms the mind; then see who is aware of the calmness! Mechanical pranayama will not lead one to the goal. It is only an aid. While doing it mechanically, take care to alert the mind and remember the I-thought and seek its source. Then you will find that where prana sinks, there the I-thought arises. They sink and arise together. The I-thought also will sink along with the prana. Simultaneously, another luminous "I-I" will manifest and it will be continuous and unbroken. That is the goal. It goes by different names - God, bhakti, jnana etc. When the attempt is made it will itself take you to the goal.
Q. What is the difference and effect of the three methods, viz. enquiry, bhakti and control of breath?
A. Kumbhaka is an aid to control of mind, i.e. suppression or annihilation of thoughts. One may practice pranayama, rechaka, puraka and kumbhaka or practice only kumbhaka. Still another, a jnanai, on controlling the mind, control of the prana and kumbhaka automatically results. Watching the inhalation and expiration is also pranayama. These methods are threefold apparently. They are in fact only one because they lead to the same goal. They are however adopted differently according to the stage of the aspirant and his antecedent vasanas (latent tendencies; conditioning) or samskaras (predispositions).
Breath control is meant for one who cannot directly control his thoughts. It serves as a brake serves a car. But one should not stop with it but proceed to concentration and contemplation. The postures help breath control which helps contemplation, hence hatha yoga, which is also a cleansing process.