Mind In The Heart

Sage Vasishtha

The sage Uddalaka then sat down in the lotus posture, with his eyes half-closed, in meditation. He uttered the holy word OM which bestows the highest state. He intoned OM in such a way that its vibrations filled his whole being right up to the crown of his head. As the first part of his practice, he exhaled his breath completely.  It was as if his life-force had abandoned the body and was roaming in the space of pure consciousness. The fire that arose from his heart burnt the whole of his body. (All this, Uddalaka practised without the violence involved in Hath Yoga: for Hatha Yoga gives rise to pain.)

With the second utterance of the holy word OM, he reached the state of equilibrium and there happened in him a spontaneous retention of the breath without agitation or vibration. The life-force stood still, as it were, neither outside nor inside, neither below nor above. After reducing the body to ashes, the fire burnt itself out and vanished; only the pure ashes were visible. It was as if the very bones had turned into camphor which was being burnt in adoration. The ashes were blown by a powerful wind and dispersed in space.

In the third stage, when the holy word OM reached its culmination or tranquility, there arose the inhalation of breath (the drawing in of the life-force). During this stage the life-forces, which were in the very centre of the nectar of consciousness, spread out in space as a cool breeze. These forces reached the region of the moon. There they spread out as auspicious rays which thereupon rained on the ashes that remained of the body.

Instantly, there arose from the ashes a radiant being with four arms like lord Vishnu. Uddalaka shone like a divinity, his whole being transmuted into a divinity. The life-force filled the inner kundalini which was spread out like a spiral. Uddalaka's body had thus been completely purified. Then he, who was already seated in the lotus posture, made the posture firm, 'tied up' his senses and proceeded to make his consciousness absolutely free from the least movement of thought. With all his strength he restrained his mind from distraction. His half-closed eyes were still and motionless. With his mind established in inner silence, he equalized the movement of twin life-forces, prana and apana. He withdrew his inner senses from contact with their objects, even as oil is separated from the seed. Thereupon he became directly aware of the mental conditioning created by past experiences, and unconditioned the awareness and made it pure. Then, he firmly closed his rectum and the other outlets to the body. With his life-force and awareness thus prevented from externalization by perfect discipline, he held his mind in his heart.