Karma Sanyasa Yoga
Chapter 5, Verses 27-28
sparśān kṛtvā bahir-bāhyān
cakṣuś-caivāntare bhruvoḥ
prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā
nāsābhyantara cāriṇau
yatendriya mano-buddhih
munir mokṣa parāyaṇaḥ
vigat-ecchābhaya krodho
yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ
Shutting out all external sense objects and concentrating the vision between the eyebrows, making the prana and the apana move equally within the nostrils, controlling the senses, the mind and the intellect, the sage devoted to liberation, who has discarded fear, desire, and anger, is ever free.
The one whose mind is only concentrated on the external reality, dwelling on the sense objects and being charmed and delighted by them, stores those external experiences in his mind. And due to these images which constantly revolve in the mind, one after the other, attachments and desires become more and more intense. Then the mind is never free and depression arises. Memories of the past keep stalking the mind, even when one is sitting and meditating on God; even when one is in a secluded corner at home, or in the most quiet place in the Swiss mountains.
Krishna says that you should let go of the outside reality and focus “…the vision between the eyebrows, making the prana and the apana move equally within the nostrils, controlling the senses, the mind and the intellect.” Meditating in this manner, “…the sage devoted to liberation, who has discarded fear, desire, and anger, is ever free.” Here Krishna uses the word munir referring to the yoga practitioner. When you do your sadhana, you should let the outside reality stay outside. When you divert your attention inside, you dive within yourself. You can’t say, “I am going to meditate”, and then when you sit for meditation your eyes keep running left, right, left, right, or you keep looking at your watch to check when the meditation will be finished. Krishna says, “Your mind should be focused and not running towards the outer reality. Let the outside reality stay outside!” When you are sitting for meditation, nothing should disturb you. When you do your daily puja, when you are serving the Lord, you need to concentrate! You need to focus! If you are focused and concentrated, then your mind is not flying from left to right and you are not a prey to distraction.
Here Lord Krishna emphasises that one should “…concentrate the vision between the eyebrows.” You all know very well that this point is the Ajna chakra, the third eye. It is here. Lord Krishna says, “Focus in this point where the Ajna chakra is located!” Of all the seven chakras, this chakra is one of the most important. Atma Kriya Yoga teachers explain it this way:
The Ajna chakra is the sixth chakra and is situated in the head; it is a special chakra which has two poles, a negative and a positive pole. The negative pole is in the medulla oblongata at the back of the skull and the positive pole is between the eyebrows.
This chakra is actually the seat of the soul. When it’s time for the soul to leave the body, it leaves through this chakra. If you were pious and righteous in this life, if you were practising your Atma Kriya Yoga properly, practicing level one twice a day, and if you have also received the second level of Atma Kriya Yoga, then at the moment of death, your soul will be able to leave the body through the positive pole of this chakra, which is between the eyebrows. The good news is that if you correctly practise Atma Kriya Yoga at the moment of death, then you’ll receive Realisation. But for worldly people, at the moment of death, the soul leaves the body in pain, during sleep, or according to their karma, through the negative pole of the chakra. The sad news is that they will have to come back again to this cycle of birth and death.
If you practise your Atma Kriya Yoga correctly and your mind is still, and you focus your attention at the point between the eyebrows, the scriptures say that you will see light in this point between the eyebrows.
In this state, the unsteadiness and restlessness of the mind automatically disappear and this enables one to fully and easily concentrate on God in the meditation. When you learn to do Japa Kriya, you learn to chant the mantra with the breathing. The
mental repetition of God’s Name continues along with the breathing.
When we practise the pranayamas in Atma Kriya Yoga, we do it using the mantra OM. This helps a sadhak to be constantly aware of Brahman, while breathing. Where is the mind when you are breathing in OM? Your mind is focused on OM. So you are focusing your mind on the Absolute while doing your pranayama. If you practise pranayama regularly and gently, this also helps the mind become calm, and one becomes free!
Therefore, practise your Atma Kriya Yoga every day! This will help you to attain Him. That’s why Mahavatar Babaji said, “I am giving you Atma Kriya Yoga, which is infused with Bhakti.” He didn’t advise to do the practice just mechanically! To do yoga and pranayamas mechanically, won’t give the full benefits! Whereas if you do your Atma Kriya Yoga with an attitude of surrendering to God, putting God first, you will be free. Otherwise you will only attain a low state of evolution and then you’ll take birth again. Lord Krishna emphasises that you can liberate yourself in this lifetime itself. That’s why He gave Atma Kriya Yoga to humanity. Therefore, dedicate yourself!
Bhagavad Gita
