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Kumbhaka & Pranayama

To: alt.magick
From: e_nihilist@yahoo.com (Nihilist)
Subject: Re: Kumbhaka & Pranayama
Date: 25 Nov 2003 22:55:36 -0800

> No, there isn't good reason to scrap pranayama! It's the very likes of

Then don't scrap it. Do it. Full steam ahead. It seems you had already
made up your mind before posting.

> you who put yourself and others in jeopordy with your
> mis/dis-information. 

You're saying that the dangers of hypoventilation don't apply to yogic
breath retention?

You're saying that pranayama features in every branch of yoga? There
are no yogis who focus solely on the last three (sanyama) limbs set
forth by Patanjali?

> Pranayama is a limb of Patajali's Yoga Sutra.

Indeed, it is.

> Compare also the vacuum created in the body through the use of
> Kumbhaka with that of the vacuum and contraction princliples of
> Tzimtzum in the Lurianic Kabbalah -- which is what "Light in
> Extention" refers to.

What exactly was the purpose of your first post? Were you merely
baiting? Testing the waters? Ready to smite anyone who should, in your
God-dharana opinion, offer an incorrect interpretation of the
tradition you know everything about?

> 
> > As for occult dangers of the practice, there are at least two echoed
> > by yogis: the premature awakening of kundalini
> 
> Had you done Asana will development first, next Pratyahara to the best

My operative word being "premature"; yours being "had." 

> of your ability and then Dharana until such a time that in practice
> you transcend the Tamas Guna into the Rajas Guna before attempting to
> open and clear all 72,000 Nadis with Pranayama and Kumbhaka, then
> there is nothing to fear in Kundalini awakening. The fact of the

Yet, it seems you fear.

> matter is that Dhyana will not occur until the yogi is in fact ready
> to experience it. If you skip and eliminate steps and proceses, you
> are surely doomed.

Your first post suggested that you've dabbled with step-skipping. Yet
here you are with your faculties intact, it would appear.

If there's any mis-/dis-information in the occult community, it's in
all this hogwash bandied concerning occult dangers. From oath-breaking
to spiritual catastrophes, it's a wonder that modern mystics and
magicians are able to stick their heads out their front doors. Jeez,
give the supposed divine spark in man some credit.

Let me clarify my opinion on kundalini: there might be some
physiological, or even psychological, reason to investigate the
phenomenon further. I was not thinking of some perilous spiritual
danger ready to send the aspirant through "aeons of incalculable
agony" or similar.

> > and the cultivation of
> > siddhis -- the former disruptive, the latter distractive. There are no
> > documented cases of chelas being led astray by siddhis (occult powers)
> > in the world, so there's hope for you there. The kundalini phenomenon
> > might be worth some thought, though.
> 
> Here again, siddhi does not mean "occult powers." Suprarational

It doesn't? Countless "yoga-mongers" would disagree with you. However,
I don't claim to be a yoga guru, so if you provide evidence supporting
the inaccuracy of my definition, I'll happily concede to your
definition.

> abilities are a by-product of experiencing siddhis (Read: modalities
> of existence).
> 
> > A large part of magick is learning to separate the wheat from the
> > chaff.
> 
> heh. I suggest if you wish to learn this science that you buy as many
> translations of the, "Hatha Yoga Pradipika" and, "Yoga Sutra of
> Patanjali" that you can stand to read. 

Yeah. Those fascinations in part III of the Sutras seem really cool.
We read:

"When the anti-gravitational vital force that has an ascending flow is
directly understood there follow powers of levitation, and passage
over water, mud, thorny bush, etc., without coming into contact with
them."

Surely this isn't an occult power. It's a metaphor for some lofty
spiritual notion, right? Silly, misguided TM-mattress-bouncing me.

>You'll need it, because I'll
> never write another damn thing about it.

Hey! Don't skip steps, buddy! Before you can embark on the other limbs
of Ashtanga Yoga, you have-ta master the stuff in the first two!

"Ahimsa (Harmlessness) - The word ahimsa literally mean not to injure
or show cruelty to any creature or any person in any way whatsoever.
Ahimsa is, however, more than just lack of violence as adapted in
yoga. It means kindness, friendliness, and thoughtful consideration of
other people and things. It also has to do with our duties and
responsibilities too. It could even mean that we must fight if our
life is in danger. Ahimsa implies that in every situation we should
adopt a considered attitude."

C'mon, see the divine in me, you pneumatic pretzel. I wish you the
best of luck in your kumbhaka pursuits, and may you have a speedy
enlightenment -- I won't hold my breath, though.

--
e_nihilist@yahoo.com
21/m - philosophy, magick, literature, hip hop

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