FIVE - Which Way Within
Question: Without doubt, God and His scriptures, and those who take up a serious spiritual practice agree that the ultimate goal is within. But when the mind of man goes within, there is found an unimaginable variety of ‘species’, living in worlds within worlds of thought. What is the method of first locating, then concentrating on, and then attaining the ‘One thing needful’?
Unquestionably, the human mind is a well-seasoned traveler, with a photographic memory, through untold lifetimes of worlds of experience.
The Buddha once directed his followers to consider the vast amount of different species existing in our creation. His followers were perplexed at failing to bring to mind the vastness of the types, shapes and colors of seemingly millions of life forms. He then declared:
“The human mind is more variegated than this variety of known life.”
Yet we are told to turn within and seek the source that gave birth to these vast worlds. It is no wonder that many, due to memories of past painful struggles and failures, simply declare: “I am not going there and destroy the little peace I have.” Their steadfast stance of holding on to even a fleeting refuge from an apparently uncontrollable ‘world on fire’ seems to be supported even by the statements of Arjuna and Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna said:
“O Madhusudana, I do not see how it is possible to maintain the steady state of Yogic equanimity which you have taught. The mind is ever so restless! Verily, O Krishna, the mind is fickle, impetuous, powerful and turbulent. To me, it seems as difficult to control the mind as it is to control the wind”. Lord Krishna said: “Indeed, the mind is restless and difficult to control, but it can be brought under control by the practice of abhyas (repeated spiritual effort) and vairagya (dispassion), O son of Kunti. It is my opinion that Yoga is difficult for anyone who is lacking self-control, but it can be attained by one who has mastered the lower self, if he adopts the proper means.” 1
Our Infallible Weapon
Common sense shows us that to combat and conquer a foe that is so powerful and turbulent we must develop our own powers and stability. Meditation is the means to this end. The methods to adopt depend on “where we stand”. But first we must firmly rise to our feet before turning inwards. Practically, we must first decide to ‘invest’ the time for repeated effort, and then develop strength and perseverance to develop the right discernment and ensuing virtues that will strengthen us. Spiritual life improves much like worldly life; gradually step-by-step!
When we were babies crawling on the floor but wanting to be in the arms of our mother, we leaped forward only to come down with a crash. Innately we learned to concentrate on standing with balance and then moving towards our goal. Through our repeated efforts, and failures, at gaining concentration, we achieved success.
Likewise, in the beginning of spiritual movement the first task before us is to develop the skill of concentration within meditation. In fact, in the Pali Canons containing the words of the Buddha (whom the spiritual world-over reveres as the Master of meditation), the word in Pali used for ‘meditation’ means exactly ‘development’.
The Buddha (also being the Master of metaphor) likened this development to building a bridge over a swiftly running river. The foundations of this bridge on either shore were virtue and discernment. The most important foundation in the middle of the most dangerously turbulent currents is concentration. If our concentration rests on a weak foundation, then it is only a matter of time before our virtue and discernment are washed away. Therefore to properly address your question, the first step is not a matter of location but rather of “How to develop concentration?”
Concentration and Vigilance
We have heard from the Lord and his beloved disciple the description of the nature of the mind. We know from science that the vital nature of all life is in the blood. The life-blood of the mind is movement! To concentrate means to steady and ultimately control this movement that produces distraction (restlessness). Therefore, to establish concentration in meditation means control of the mind. Yes, now must come the ‘Ultimate Question’; “How to control the mind?”
During the years that Sri Ramana Maharshi was living on the sacred hill of Arunachala in the Virupaksha cave, a devotee whose most urgent concern was this very question was visiting him daily.
The devotee asked Bhagavan:
“Of the means for mind-control, which is the most important?”
The Master replied not just to the devotee, rather his answer was framed to all universally:
“Breath control is the means for mind control.” 2
The devotee, being a bhakta (follower and friend) of the Lord Sri Rama, was well aware of the fact that this answer was a well-established practice in the ancient religions in the world. He no doubt was aware that what was being referred to was not the complicated, misused, and the sometimes destructive practice of yogic pranayama, but rather a practice also known as ‘watching the breath’. Nevertheless, after Bhagavan briefly discussed the textual definitions of breath retention and regulation, the devotee restated his question:
“How is breath-control the means for mind-control?”
Bhagavan replied: “There is no doubt that breath-control is the means for mind-control, because the mind, like breath, is a part of air, because the nature of mobility is common to both, because the place of origin is common to both, and because when one of them is controlled the other gets controlled.” 3
Deception of the Mind
Forty-four years later Bhagavan was again requested to expand on this essential means for controlling the mind. But prior to that revelation, the need arises to address those who flatly, and paradoxically with an angry boldness, declare that the mind and this so-called ‘ego’ are all an illusion.
They retort that what is being asked to be controlled simply does not exist, and absolutely no effort need be exercised to attain this Divine state referred to as the ‘One thing needful’. They refer to the Master saying that this ‘One thing is absolute Knowledge of the Self’, and it is always there. In response I will restate from a previous chapter:
“And yet, paradoxically, it is also an impediment to assert that no effort need be made, on the pretext that, as “there is no being of the unreal and no not-being of the Real”, one is that now and has therefore no need to strive to become That. It sounds plausible, but it is an impediment because it is the pseudo-self, the illusory unreal, that is saying it. The Master can say that there is nothing to achieve because one is That already; the disciple can’t. Bhagavan expected the devotee to make effort, even while appreciating the paradox that there is no effort to make.” 4
Bhagavan often said that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras were the quintessence of asthanga yoga (the eight-limbed yoga followed by millions and respected by all). Let us apply this Sage’s wisdom to decide whether we posses the obstacles to knowledge he describes and therefore must use all of our powers to remove them, or whether for us it is simply all an illusion.
Patanjali declares: “Sickness, mental laziness, doubt, lack of enthusiasm, sloth, craving for sense-pleasure, false perception, despair caused by failure to concentrate and unsteadiness in concentration; these distractions are the obstacles to knowledge. These distractions are accompanied by grief, despondency, trembling of the body and irregular breathing.” 5
To those who assert that they do not believe these human traits are anything other than illusion, all that can be possibly said is: “Try wishing them away, and good luck!”
Strength of Breath
In the year 1945, Bhagavan was again requested to expand on how breath-control or watching the breath was an essential means for controlling the mind.
The conversation between Master and disciple was:
“In continuation of an old question of his with reference to a certain passage in Maha Yoga, the disciple asked Bhagavan whether it was necessary and a condition precedent for a man to watch his breathing before beginning the mental quest ‘Who am I?’ ”
Bhagavan: “All depends on a man’s pakva (his aptitude and fitness). Those who do not have the mental strength [another translation of ‘mental strength’ in Tamil is ‘pakweed’, or maturity gained through repeated practice] to concentrate or control their mind and direct it on the quest are advised to watch the breathing, since such watching will naturally and as a matter of course lead to cessation of thought and bring the mind under control. Breath and mind arise from the same place and when one of them is controlled, the other is also controlled. As a matter of fact, in the quest method, which is more correctly ‘Whence am I?’ and not merely ‘Who am I?’- we are not simply trying to eliminate saying ‘we are not the body, not the senses and so on,’ to reach what remains as the ultimate reality, but we are trying to find whence the ‘I’ thought for the ego within us arises. The method contains within it, though implicitly and not expressly, the watching of the breath. When we watch wherefrom the ‘I’ thought, the root of all thoughts, springs, we are necessarily watching the source of the breath also, as the ‘I’ thought and the breath arise from the same source.”
The disciple again asked whether, for controlling the breath, the regular pranayama (of regulated inhalation, retention and exhalation i.e. 1:4:2) is not better?
Bhagavan replied: “All those proportions, sometimes regulated not by counting but by uttering mantras, etc., are aids for controlling the mind. That is all. Watching the breath is also one form of pranayama. Retaining breath, etc., is more violent and may be harmful in some cases, e.g. where there is no proper guru to guide the sadhak (the one performing the spiritual practice) at every step and stage. But merely watching the breath is easy and involves no risk.” 6
Watch and Pray
This method is indeed easy, and can be joined to any form of sadhana (spiritual practice) that one is engaged in. The breath is not controlled but merely watched with acute attention. Its movement should at all times remain natural and comfortable. It is helpful at first to center one’s attention without stress on any area where the movement of the breath is physically palpable or noticeable. The attention of the mind with alert awareness on the movement of the breath satisfies the mind’s life-sustaining urge to circulate through movement.
Thus we ‘watch and pray’ with calm but steady concentration. The place of our origin, that forgotten abode of the Self, is Self-revealing. Becoming truly still, and calling on God with patient perseverance, we will enter and experience “The Way, the Truth and the Light.”
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1. Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, verses 33-36.
2. Self-Enquiry (Vichara Sangraham) of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, trans. By Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan, Sri Ramanashramam 2005, p. 17.
3. Ibid. p. 18.
4. Be Still, It is The Wind That Sings, Arthur Osborne, Sri Ramanashramam 2000, p. 76.
5. Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Swami Prabhavananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math 2005, Sutras 30-31, p. 38.
6. Day by Day With Bhagavan, A. Devaraja Mudaliar, Sri Ramanashramam 2002, p. 55-56.
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