The Supreme Energy -Life of our Life

 The five-fold expression of Prana (Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana, and Vyana) can be seen not only in our own adhara, but also in nature’s processes including inanimate things. Prana cannot be explained by material workings or their descriptions, just as lightning cannot be explained by wind and clouds, or static by silk and comb. What is involved is the cause, not the effect.

To detect Prana, one has to (1) Purify one’s adhara (stilling and cleansing) (2) Subtilize one’s sensibility (detect signal from noise). This enables analysis of the qualities and characteristics of life-force, rather than the ordinary material-constitutional reductionism; also distinction of attributes across the 3 layers of nature (mental, vital, physical), both gross and subtle-energetic. From that comes extraordinary capacities of managing one’s body and mind, which both depend on Prana. The key to the freedom of the gross body is in the subtle body, of which it is but a materialized image; there are points of correspondence which we call the chakras, whose opening and energetic manipulation increases the freedom from ailments and limitations.

Since the Prana is yoked both by mind and body for their respective operations, there may be disconnects, competition and disharmony between the mental and physical consciousness w.r.t use of available and harnessed life-force. The Self as the charioteer controlling the horse and the carriage is a great Rig-Vedic metaphor for the sovereign life operation. The horse has to be controlled by the rider, not vice versa.

There is a correspondence of the three higher principles of consciousness, self-existent truth-being, and active dynamis with the three lower principles of mind, body and life-energy. The lower triplicity is hampered because the higher principles apparently dull, constrict and divide themselves for the sake of the phenomenal play and the evolutionary impetus. Since Nature as of today is situated in the lower planes, its struggling efforts are fail-prone, wasteful, repetitive, even as it nurses the secret aspiration to the higher ideal.

Tapas and Chit-Shakti are two terms used to denote the Life of our life, the Supreme Energy; the first indicates a self-gathered concentration of intensified & potent energy, the second indicates the spontaneous effectuation of knowledge into willed manifestation. The smallest to the biggest action in phenomena are suitably balanced configurations of infinite force against itself with a ‘netting off’.

'Transform effort into an easy and sovereign overflowing of the soul-strength

Let all thyself be Conscious Force; that is thy goal.'

~ Inspired by the commentary on the Kena Upanishad, Chapter 10