Nada Yoga

[Aetherous]

There needed to be a nada yoga thread here!

 

http://www.yogameditation.com/articles/iss...du_10/nada_yoga

 

...

 

From the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, chapter 4:

 

64. I will describe now the practice of anahata nada, as propounded by Goraksa Natha, for the benefit of those who are unable to understand the principles of knowledge -- a method, which is liked by the ignorant also.

 

65. Adinatha propounded 1 1/4 crore methods of trance, and they are all extant. Of these, the hearing of the anahata nada is the only one, the chief, in my opinion.

 

66. Sitting with Mukta asana and with the Sambhavi Mudra, the Yogi should hear the sound inside his right ear, with collected mind.

 

67. The ears, the eyes, the nose, and the mouth should be closed and then the clear sound is heard in the passage of the Susumna which has been cleansed of all its impurities.

 

68. In all the Yogas, there are four states: (1) arambha or the preliminary, (2) Ghata, or the state of a jar, (3) Parichaya (known), (4) nispatti (consummate).

 

Arambha Avastha

 

69. When the Brahma granthi (in the heart) is pierced through by Pranayama, then a sort of happiness is experienced in the vacuum of the heart, and the anahat sounds, like various tinkling sounds of ornaments, are heard in the body.

 

70. In the arambha, a Yogi's body becomes divine, glowing, healthy, and emits a divine smell. The whole of his heart becomes void.

 

The Ghata Avastha

 

71. In the second stage, the airs are united into one and begun moving in the middle channel. The Yogi's posture becomes firm, and he becomes wise like a god.

 

72. By this means the Visnu knot (in the throat) is pierced which is indicated by highest pleasure experienced, and then the Bheri sound (like the beating of a kettle drum) is evolved in the vacuum in the throat.

 

The Parichaya Avastha

 

73. In the third stage, the sound of a drum is known to arise in the Sunya between the eyebrows, and then the Vayu goes to the Mahasunya, which is the home of all the siddhis.

 

74. Conquering, then, the pleasures of the mind, ecstasy is spontaneously produced which is devoid of evils, pains, old age, disease, hunger and sleep.

 

75. When the Rudra granthi is pierced, and the air enters the seat of the Lord (the space between the eyebrows), then the perfect sound like that of a flute is produced.

 

76. The union of the mind and the sound is called the Raja-Yoga. The (real) Yogi becomes the creator and destroyer of the universe, like God.

 

77. Perpetual Happiness is achieved by this; I do not care if the mukti be not attained. This happiness, resulting from absorption (in Brama), is obtained by means of Raja-Yoga.

 

78. Those who are ignorant of the Raja-Yoga and practice only the Hatha-Yoga, will, in my opinion, waste their energy fruitlessly.

 

79. Contemplation on the space between the eyebrows is, in my opinion, best for accomplishing soon the Unmani state. For people of small intellect, it is a very easy method for obtaining perfection in the Raja-Yoga. The Laya produced by nada, at once gives experience (of spiritual powers).

 

80. The happiness which increases in the hearts of Yogiswaras, who have gained success in Samadhi by means of attention to the nada, is beyond description, and is known to Sri Guru Natha alone.

 

81. The sound which a muni hears by closing his ears with his fingers, should be heard attentively, till the mind becomes steady in it.

 

82. By practicing with this nada, all other external sounds are stopped. The Yogi becomes happy by overcoming all distractions within 15 days.

 

83. In the beginning, the sounds heard are of great variety and very loud; but, as the practice increases, they become more and more subtle.

 

84. In the first stage, the sounds are surging, thundering like the beating of kettle drums and jingling ones. In the intermediate stage, they are like those produced by conch, Mridanga, bells, &c.

 

85. In the last stage, the sounds resemble those from tinklets, flute, Vina, bee, &c. These various kinds of sounds are heard as being produced in the body.

 

86. Though hearing loud sounds like those of thunder, kettle drums, &c., one should practice with the subtle sounds also.

 

87. Leaving the loudest, taking up the subtle one, and leaving the subtle one, taking up the loudest, thus practicing, the distracted mind does not wander elsewhere.

 

88. Wherever the mind attaches itself first, it becomes steady there; and when it becomes absorbed in it.

 

89. Just as a bee, drinking sweet juice, does not care for the smell of the flower; so the mind, absorbed in the nada, does not desire the objects of enjoyment.

 

90. The mind, like an elephant habituated to wander in the garden of enjoyments, is capable of being controlled by the sharp goad of anahata nada.

 

91. The mind, captivated in the snare of nada, gives up all its activity; and, like a bird with clipped wings, becomes calm at once.

 

92. Those desirous of the kingdom of Yoga, should take up the practice of hearing the anahata nada, with mind collected and free from all cares.

 

93. Nada is the snare for catching the mind; and, when it is caught like a deer, it can be killed also like it.

 

94. Nada is the bolt of the stable door for the horse (the minds of the Yogis). A Yogi should determine to practice constantly in the hearing of the nada sounds.

 

95. Mind gets the properties of calcined mercury. When deprived of its unsteadiness it is calcined, combined with the sulphur of nada, and then it roams like it in the supportless akasa or Brahma.

 

96. The mind is like a serpent, forgetting all its unsteadiness by hearing the nada, it does not run away anywhere.

 

97. The fire, catching firewood, is extinguished along with it (after burning it up); and so the mind also, working with the nada, becomes latent along with it.

 

98. The antahkarana (mind), like a deer, becomes absorbed and motionless on hearing the sound of bells, etc.; and then it is very easy for an expert archer to kill it.

 

99. The knowable interpenetrates the anahata sound when it is heard, and the mind interpenetrates the knowable. The mind becomes absorbed there, which is the seat of the all-pervading, almighty Lord.

 

100. So long as the sounds continue, there is the idea of akasa. When they disappear, then it is called Para Brahma, Paramatmana.

 

101. Whatever is heard in the form of nada, is the sakti (power). That which is formless, the final state of the Tatwas, is the Parameswara.

[~jK~]

There needed to be a nada yoga thread here!

 

http://www.yogameditation.com/articles/iss...du_10/nada_yoga

 

 

Nad Yoga is also in The Five Tibetans Not as detailed and I haven't tried it but aim to begin this week.

 

Thanks for the link !

 

By the way - have you worked with it?

[宁]

i did work with it, it does refine the vibes... there is a level in Kan and Li where you use hearing to continue the cultivation...

what about the five tibetans and the inner sound? how do they mix?

[~jK~]

i did work with it, it does refine the vibes... there is a level in Kan and Li where you use hearing to continue the cultivation...

what about the five tibetans and the inner sound? how do they mix?

I see the five tibetian exercises purpose, in essence, just to open up the flow for kundalini.

The blockages of energy flow is what cause the trauma, Gopi Krishna experienced, when they released.

During my opening the Kundalini, happening over about 9 months, the adjustments of flow were like orgasims.

A little embarassing but pleasurable. My back would suddenly straighten with energy streaming up to my head.

In electronic terms, I think that its like a twisted wire connection turning to a soldered one.

'Much' more "refined" AKA: "cultivated".

If you don't have it, I would get the book as the author really gives quite a bit of information in an orderly, step by step fashon that I haven't seen elsewhere.

 

What is Kan and Li ?

[Inedible]

I think Kan and Li have to do with working with inner fire and inner water, with the body as a container to build up steam. They are definitely terms in Taoist alchemy. I think the natural order of things is to have the fire above the water and the practices move the fire under the water, but I always considered this sort of thing a bit too advanced for me because I don't have a solid background in Taoist practices. The MCO, inner smile, and healing sounds are about all I know.

[宁]

Kan and Li? Loong story, and I haven't practiced it enough to make a valid working description... Basically, it's a type of meditation in Mantak Chia's system....

[Aetherous]

Enjoying this technique a lot...even though I don't think I'm totally ready for it.

 

I have been trying to find more info on it, but it's rare to find anything real on the anahata nada...most "nada yoga" seems to be about Indian music or is just quoting the same stuff over and over.

 

One interesting thing is the connection with Bill Bodri's idea of the buddharandhra, at the back of the head.

 

I'd say more, but I'm exhausted after having dealt with car problems all day yesterday.

[Aetherous]

From http://www.yogichen.org/cw/cw28/bk030.html

 

Appendix: Brahmarandhra and Buddharandhra

 

The distance between the Buddha-aperture and the Brahma-aperture is only four fingers in length, but those two places are the gateways to two different goals, and therefore we should understand this and choose the gate according to our goal.

 

The smouldering fire can burn a great building or a great forest. The error of one moment becomes the sorrow of a whole lifetime, and one finger in front of the eyes hides a high mountain in the distance. These adages are mentioned only to emphasize my main point here. The following stories may also serve the same purpose:

 

Once an evil neophyte asked his guru, "What is the best place to make a hole in a wall in order to steal?" His guru replied in a scholarly fashion, "Everyplace is good, for every hole is good for stealing." The neophyte, following this good information, dug a hole through the wall of a rich man's building next to where the servants were sleeping. He was of course caught by the servants. Likewise, he who is unable to discriminate the aperature of Buddha will surely be caught by the ruler of Hades.

 

Once a fool named "Almost" went to the railway station but reached there just minutes after the train had started. He rebuked the train saying, "Why do you not wait a little while as I am just a few minutes late." Again during the first night of his wedding, Almost went to his wife and touched her anus. His wife said that he should put it a little higher. Then he touched her urethra and said that he could not get it in. She told him to put it just a little lower. Finally he got it in with great pleasure. In the midst of this pleasure he suddenly stopped and began to ponder over the openings. When he could not figure it out, he asked his wife why there was so much pleasure in that hole and not in the others when they are only a little distance from one another. His wife begged him not to be silly.

 

The Buddhist opening was given the same name as that of Brahma, but I mention them with different names because they are different, originally and traditionally. This term "Brahma" in Hinduism is like "Tao" in Taoism. It has its special and common meaning. "Tao" may also be found in Confucianism because it means "path" in Chinese. Many Western scholars have made errors in translation by mistaking the two meanings of this one word. Thus in "A Buddhist Bible" edited by Dwight Goddard, we find the principle sutra of Taoism "The Tao-Teh-Ching." It is quite a joke! With this in mind, I have taken liberty to use the word, or I should say create the word, Buddharandhra to mean the aperture of Buddha, for the sake of clarity.

 

It has been said that the gate through which the soul rises to heaven is the fontanelle, but the gate through which the soul rises to Buddha's Pure Land is not the fontanelle but is located four fingers behind it. The fontanelle is situated on the skull four fingers distance back from the edge of the hairline on the forehead. This is the Brahmarandhra. The Buddharandhra is at the center of the skull, the mouth of the median nerve. It is eight fingers distance from the edge of the hairline of the forehead, and the same distance from there to the cerebellum.

 

The soul rises up through the Brahmarandhra to the heavens of desire or of form. Both will be destroyed by fire, water and wind.

 

On page 143-144 of "The Serpent Power" by John Woodroffe, "Below visarga which is the upper part of Brahmadhara, is the situation of the fontanelle . . . is liberated through living and attains bodiless liberation on the dissolution of his physical body." Hindu doctrine also says, "The creator of the human beings body puts his glory light into it through this hole at the beginning. They who die should also go back to Brahma's heaven through this hole." On this point, Buddhism does not disagree with Hinduism, and the Buddhist who does not practice the voidness meditation of that of non-ego but has done many good deeds can go to the Brahma heaven, even if he does not believe in Him, through this hole.

 

The soul which rises up to the Pure Land of Buddha through the Buddharandhra will never fall into transmigration since the Pure Land is established on the wisdom of voidness or non-ego which is without creation and destruction. The Pure Land is not beset with the three great calamities and he who goes there has no selfishness, no ego, no ignorance, ever again. It is the place of real everlasting life.

 

This distance of only four fingers means the difference between transmigration and freedom from it. What a dangerous thing it is to make a mistake here. Let us give thanks to Buddha Gautama who through his own precious experience or enlightenment showed us the priceless, precious gate.

[TheSongsofDistantEarth]

I see the five tibetian exercises purpose, in essence, just to open up the flow for kundalini.

The blockages of energy flow is what cause the trauma, Gopi Krishna experienced, when they released.

During my opening the Kundalini, happening over about 9 months, the adjustments of flow were like orgasims.

A little embarassing but pleasurable. My back would suddenly straighten with energy streaming up to my head.

In electronic terms, I think that its like a twisted wire connection turning to a soldered one.

'Much' more "refined" AKA: "cultivated".

If you don't have it, I would get the book as the author really gives quite a bit of information in an orderly, step by step fashon that I haven't seen elsewhere.

 

What is Kan and Li ?

 

 

~jk~,

 

I did the 5 Tibetans for about 2 months many years ago, and didn't notice much. You seem to be saying that the 5 Tibetans opens up/raises Kundalini flow? Can you tell us more about this?

[Aetherous]

Wow, just my luck, I was at the bookstore and stumbled upon an excellent book written by a nada/swara yogi. Just when I thought there wasn't much info out there...

 

Microchakras by Sri Shyamji Bhatnagar

[zazaza]

~jk~,

 

I did the 5 Tibetans for about 2 months many years ago, and didn't notice much. You seem to be saying that the 5 Tibetans opens up/raises Kundalini flow? Can you tell us more about this?

i suspect that there is not a 100% success rate with any of the methods for kundalini activation,

or perhaps there _is_ a 100% success rate but for some people it takes longer.

 

for many different possible reasons,

some people will probably have a kundalini activation much more quickly than others.

 

 

 

i would suspect that if you want kundalini activation badly,

then during your practice you will probably be focusing on wanting to have quick effects.

 

in many cases, when people want things to happen nothing happens.

when they adopt the attitude of "if this is all there is, i'll just accept it as it is"

...then stuff started to happen.

 

when people r too focused on "wanting to get something out of their practice real fast",

they they could easily miss the fact the very energy they want to come in contact with is already there,

because they are looking at the finger instead of at the moon

i would suspect that practices designed to activate kundalini can actually become a hindrance

to kundalini activation for that reason.

 

 

 

what i've written below is just some speculation of mine

i have come to suspect the following as a possibility (i'm not sure, but i guess this is possible...)

kundalini could be active in everyone, but not everyone gets the typical kundalini experiences... (?)

 

in people where kundalini is experienced as dormant, this could be because their mind is too caught up in the

mental fantasies, and for this reason they don't notice "all the energy" from their amreadu active kundalini which they believe is inactive?

 

maybe in people with "inactive kundalini",

the kundalini energy is unconsciously massively being wasted into thoughts and emotions.

when they would stop unconsciously investing so much energy in thoughts and emotions,

energy gets freed up and becomes more noticeable again.. and it can consciously be invested in new activities.

Edited December 16, 2009 by zazaza