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Five types of breath have been described - 1. Sahaja Shwas 2. Shanta Shwas 3. Ukhadi Shwas 4. Vikshipt Shwas and 5. Tez Shwas.
In the first practice, the practitioner takes a deep and long breath. In the second practice, rhythmic breathing is practiced. In the third stage, subtle, calm and frozen breathing is practiced. In the fourth practice, there is a state of natural Kumbhaka. This state is created by Pranayama, Pralamb Jap and meditation. Pranayama has a direct effect on the body, but to strike the mental knot, it is necessary for the mind to be determined. Many Jain Acharyas have considered long breath to be useful, but not fast breath. Their opinion is that due to the injury of fast breath, the body and mind become weak due to excessive fatigue, there is no state of alertness towards consciousness. In that state, it becomes difficult to save oneself from the emptiness of drowsiness that comes due to fainting and fatigue. Therefore, the breath should not be pulled out. It should be made long and deep. The slower the breath, the less activity in the body. The subtlety of breath is peace. In the beginning, there is no expansion of energy and new production. Only energy is conserved and after a few days, that accumulated energy makes the mind unidirectional and engages it in a goal. Due to the slowness of breath, the body also becomes inactive, the breath becomes calm. The mind becomes thoughtless and intense dispassion arises in the inner mind. As the breath becomes fickle, so does the mind. When the breath becomes stable, the fickleness of the mind is also destroyed. Breath is a machine that remains in the body, when it becomes more active, there is turmoil in the body centers and when it becomes normal, a kind of peace prevails in it. The inactivity of breath is the peace and samadhi of the mind. When we get angry, our breathing rate increases, but in meditation, the breathing rate becomes calm, which makes the mind stable.
The ability of Kayotsarga comes after Pratikraman. In Pratikraman, the mind becomes completely pure due to the criticism of sins, due to which the practitioner can achieve concentration in Dharma Dhyan and Shukla Dhyan. If the practitioner performs Kayotsarga without purifying the mind, then he does not get that much success. For this reason, Kayotsarga has been ordained after Pratikraman in the Shadavasya.
To perform Kayotsarga correctly, it is necessary to avoid the defects of Kayotsarga. In the texts like Pravachansarothhar, 19 defects of Kayotsarga are described - 1. Ghotak Dosha 2. Lata Dosha 3. Stambh Kudya Dosha 4. Mal Dosha 5. Shabri Dosha 6. Vadhu Dosha 7. Nigad Dosha 8. Lambothar Dosha 9. Stan Dosha 10. Urdhika Dosha 11. Sanayati Dosha 12. Khalin Dosha 13. Vayas Dosha 14. Kapitya Dosha 15. Shirshothkampit Dosha 16. Muk Dosha 17. Angulika Bhru Dosha 18. Varuni Dosha and 19. Prajna Dosha.
These defects are mainly related to the body and the posture of sitting and standing etc. Therefore, the practitioner should practice Kayotsarga free from these defects.
Just as Kayotsarga is ordained in Jainism, it has been given great emphasis, in the same way, it has been accepted in other religious traditions to a greater or lesser extent. Acharya Shantirakshit has written in the 'Bodhicharyavatara' text - All beings who have a body,
1. If the breath moves, the mind moves, if the breath is still, the mind is still.
One should know that the breath that has gone into rhythm is useless. || 2. Bodhicharyavatara 3. 12-13
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