Bhushunda Continues to Explain Prana and Apana - 12

Sage Vasishtha

BHUSHUNDA continued:

When the impurity of one's heart and mind have been destroyed by thus being devoted to prana and apana, one is freed from delusion, attains inner awakening and rests in one's own self even while doing whatever has to be done.

Lord, prana arises in the lotus of the heart and terminates at a distance of 12 finger-breadths outside the body. Apana arises in the dvadasanta (12 finger-breadths from the body) and terminates in the lotus of the heart. Thus apana arises where prana terminates. Prana is like a flame and it goes up and out; apana is like water and it goes down towards the heart-lotus.

Apana is the moon which protects the body from outside; prana is like the sun or the fire and promotes the body's internal welfare. Prana generates heat in the heart-space every moment, and after producing this heat it generates heat in the space in front of the face. Apana, which is the moon, nourishes the space in front of the face and then it nourishes the space in the heart.

If one is able to reach that space where the apana unites with the prana, he does not grieve any more, nor is he born again.

In fact, it is only prana that undergoes a modification and appears as apana, after abandoning its burning heat. And then, the same prana, having abandoned the coolness of the moon, gains its nature as the purifying fire of the sun. The wise ones enquire into the nature of the prana as long as it does not abandon its solar nature to become lunar.  One who knows the truth concerning the rising and the setting of the sun and the moon in one's own heart, is not born again. He who sees the Lord, the sun, in one's heart, sees the truth.

In order to attain perfection one does not prevent nor protect external darkness, but one strives to destroy the darkness of ignorance of the heart. When the external darkness goes, one is able to see the world; but when the darkness of ignorance in the heart is dispelled, there arises self-knowledge. Hence one should strive to behold the prana and the apana, whose knowledge bestows liberation. 

Apana terminates in the heart where prana arises. Where prana is born, there apana perishes; where apana takes birth, there prana ceases. When prana has ceased to move and when apana is about to rise one experiences external-kumbhaka; rooted in this one does not grieve any more. When apana has ceased to move and when prana has risen just a little, one experiences internal-kumbhaka; rooted in this one does not grieve any more.