Book Title: Pran and Pranayam
Author(s): Niranjananand Saraswati Swami
Publisher: Yoga Publication Trust

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Page 40
________________ the gateway to shoonya. It is located at the top back of the head, at the point where Hindu brahmins keep a tuft of hair called shikha. Bindu is represented by a crescent moon and a drop of white nectar. The tantric texts describe a small depression or pit within the higher centres of the brain which contains a minute secretion of fluid. In the centre of that tiny secretion is a small point of elevation, like an island in the middle of a lake. In the psycho-physiological framework, this tiny point is considered to be bindu. The moon at bindu produces amrita, the life-giving nectar, and the sun at manipura consumes it. This means that during the course of life, the drop of nectar produced at bindu falls down to manipura, where it is consumed by the fire element. Due to this process one suffers from the three ailments of vyadhi, disease, jara, old age; and mrityu, death. Yoga and tantra employ techniques by which one is able to reverse this process, so that the amrita is retained at vishuddhi, or sent back up from manipura to vishuddhi, and then to bindu. In this way perfected yogis have experienced immortality. The first manifestation of creation was nada or sound, and bindu is also the point where the original nada emanates. Bindu is associated with anandamaya kosha. When bindu is awakened, the transcendental sound of Om is heard. Bindu is very important in prana vidya and in many higher yogas. Sahasrara Sahasrara is the seat of supreme consciousness, located at the crown of the head. Actually it is not a psychic centre at all, because it is beyond the realm of the psyche. Sahasrara is the totality, the absolute, the highest point of human evolution, which results from the merging of cosmic consciousness with cosmic prana. The experience of cosmic prana is the aim of the science of prana. Once mahaprana is experienced, one no longer needs to practise techniques. Transmission of energy will take place spontaneously with a thought, gesture, word or look. 34

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