Last night, I was at the movies. I was curious if I could go into meditation without pranayama. I would close my eyes, do the Jyoti mudra (without using my hands) and immediately the prana would flow back from my hands and start moving within to the Brahmanadi. My hanands and feet would become numb. I would no longer hear the movie and even though the part of the movie was interesting, at will I was able to terminate my attachment or thoughts to it. This is the example Yogananda gave in his books for eg. Science of Religion – Just shut off the supply to the limbs.
In the bible, the same thing has been described as “If thy hinds and feet offend thee, cut them off” This is part of both Mark and Mathew. Here, in effect, you are cutting it off meaning cutting off the life or sensation to the limbs and entering eternal life – which is the consciousness present in the Brahmanadi.
There is no delay in knowledge or joy when the prana enters Brahmanadi. It is instant. The joy lasts for hours even by a second of contact in the Brahmanadi. In fact, the joy can be so overwhelming that one can go quite “insane” wanting to stay there. Those who remain immersed in it, become incapable of performing worldly duties. Thus the story of Mirabai and Narsinh Mehta.
Another thing, when the Brahmanadi open, and it opens while your eyes remain open, your eyes will not shut, it will remain open and not blink. This is why in the SRF lessions, by Yogananda, he gives the following signs of a guru – purity, eyes that remain unblinking etc. There is one more secret to the unblinking eye. This is a secret only known to Yogis Gurudev shared it with me. Everytime someone blinks they are forming a desire or sankalpa. When in the brahmanadi, there is no possibility of sankalpa or desire. Just pure devine existence full of joy, just pure consciousness which exists for ever. This is the beginning of Sacchidananda – the true state of God – existence forever and joy.
There are no words to describe it. Just the happiness of existence. I wish I could stay there forever, but till the Karmas and desires are finished, no one can stay there.
A few more words on Brahmanadi
1) Instant joy
2) The eyes never blink
3) It is pure existence
4) Knowledge is instant when prana reverses its course and goes in Brahmanadi
5) Prana entering the Brahmanadi is called Vedha Diksha. The books on Yoga consider awakening of the Shakti only when this happens. Awakening of the shakti can be in the gross body, subtle body or causal body. Or in other words in the shushumna, chitra and vajra or Brahmanadi. The highest awakening is when it occurs in the causal or Brahmanadi. Gurudev Sombargiriji awakened most of his disciples in sukshma or subtle body or in the chitra and vajra. Shivohum tirthji Maharaja in the Sushumna. There were a few exceptions in which Gurudev and Vishnutirthji Maharaja awakened some disciples in Brahmanadi, but this is extremely rare.
6) Maya or illusion deludes everyone to the last step. Even and perhaps especially in meditation. Just before the Brahmanadi opens fully (partial openings occur for a long time before the full opening), there is a sudden pulse or activity of the prana in the lower chakras and then there is a sort of pop or physical sensation of everything flipping over and it is done. You are within, you are outside, you are everywhere, there is joy, there is understanding. This is the beginning. The illusion of Maya is that a feeling of pulse or a strong heartbeat occurs with activity of the heart also. This is at a gross level. The thing that occurs at the Brahmanadi is not a pulse of the heart. It is something different. You can only understant it when you experience it. If you feel the heart beat but it does not give you the above feelings of joy, being everywhere etc immediately, then it is not the “prana” activity of the pop of the brahmanadi opening.
7) There are a lot of Bhajans which describe this and the word used is “Ulti re nadi, niranjan nirkhya” meaning when the nadi or consciousness flips over then you see the divine
8) Gurudev said in his Bhajan Yogamruta, Nabhi thi upde ohumkara, meaning from the manipur or Umbilical area, the om begins. This is a reference to the “pop” or “pulse” felt once and very strongly before the prana enters the brahmanadi.
9) The joy of existence is here! That is why in the Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, “therefore, I am tell you to be a Yogi” I just wish I could stay there for ever!
Bhavin