Second Conference of

The International Congress of Yoga and Spiritual Science (ICYS)

June 1 - 3, 2009

Yoga for the new millennium

Role of PRANAHUTI in Human Transformation

N.V. Raghava Rao

Research Associate, Institute of Sri Ramchandra Consciousness,

5th Floor, Laxmi Plaza, Entrenchment Road, East Marredpally,

Secunderabad - 500 026, India

E-mail: nvraghavarao@sriramchandra.org;  URL: www.sriramchandra.org

1.    The Need

In the good old days, long ago, there was a balance between spirituality and materialism and people lived in happiness with contentment and peace. The values of service, sharing and sacrifice; care and concern and many more noble qualities governed their lives.  Life is a dynamic process and even the best conditions cannot remain so. Change started. The change has taken us to the other end of the circle.

In today’s world, materialism is to the extreme, the economic situation is the worst our civilization has ever witnessed, and the inter-personal relationships are at the lowest ebb. Competition is the mantra of the day and this is leading to jealousy and envy at the individual level as well as at the national and international level.  Peace is wanted. In short, the situation is sad. People have started to realize that we can live better. There is increased awareness in this direction. Every leader worth his name is talking about peace, world peace.

Again, there is a need for change. Life is a dynamic process and this is the reason we can say that this low phase cannot last long and we have to get better. This problem was perceived sometime ago and there was a desperate need felt to set things right and a major shift in thinking had to set in.

2. The Master

There have been great saints of highest calibre in India almost at all times and they have by their teachings and preachings tried to guide and uplift the masses to a higher level of consciousness. But, of all these, one who can foment us by his own inner powers would be the best for a guide in the spiritual pursuit. It is he and he alone who perceives our inner complexities, understands our real needs and knows how to conduct us along the path up to the final limit. Pranahuti or Yogic transmission is of course the chief instrument he works with. That is the only effective process to introduce immediate change to regularise the inner tendencies of our mind so as to effect our gradual transformation.

Yoga, i.e. Yuj in Sanskrit, means to unite. It is the union of our self with the bigger Self. The kingly thing in us is ‘Thought’ which ultimately develops, steering us to our goal. When thought is used for this purpose of union, it is called as Rajayoga. Sages after sages have improved and developed it as their practical experience increased. The Master of the day, Pujya SriRamchandraji of Shahjahanpur (also known as Babuji Maharaj) has modified  Rajayoga to suit the modern man and has given us, the mankind, a new system with improved efficacy so that the goal of Human life can be easily achieved by an earnest and sincere seeker. This is SriRamchandra’s Rajayoga which is also known as Pranahuti Aided Meditation (PAM).

This shall be the yoga for the new millennium. Pranahuti is the unique feature of this system of Rajayoga.

3. Prana – The Definition

3.1 Traditional Yoga

In the traditional yoga processes, the most important thing is the control of Prana. The Chitta Vrittis or thought process is sought to be controlled by Pranayama. Pranayama is breath control. As a matter of fact anything to be achieved is to be achieved only through Pranayama. Without regulation of thought nothing is possible and that is sought to be achieved through Pranayama. Though it is clearly understood in traditional yoga that Prana is not equivalent to breath, there is no other way it was sought to be manipulated than exercises of breath control. Breath control has become synonymous with Pranayama.

3.2 Pranahuti Aided Meditation

Pujya Babuji Maharaj does not advocate the control of breath. He strikes at the root and says Prana is not breath but is the life energy which is essentially of the nature of consciousness.

The kingly thing in man is thought and that is the Prana in human context and this shall be used to reach the goal. The nature of the Ultimate is consciousness and is essentially thought substance. Hence he advocates the control of mind through the assistance taken from the ultimate psychic energy. It is ‘Thought’ that is common between Man and the Ultimate. This characteristic of man is what distinguishes him from all other forms of divine expression. Pujya Babuji Maharaj states that the real meaning of the expression that “man is made in the image of God” is this commonality between the two.

Life is a journey.  People are at various stations (levels of attainment).  There are two ways of undertaking the journey, one method is all by ourselves and the other method is by taking guidance from a co-traveler who is ahead of us and then putting in our effort. The second method is Pranahuti Aided Meditation. We do our daily practices (Abhyas) and are also helped through pranahuti by a co-traveler (Trainer).

4. Human Transformation:

The Aim of Yoga is to move from our present state of consciousness to higher levels of consciousness to the highest.  Our journey is from the Lower Consciousness through the Human Consciousness to the Divine Consciousness.

Lower Consciousness:  In Lower consciousness energy is spent primarily satisfying the animal instincts.  The rest of the energy is spent in low type of thinking / feelings like greed, jealousy, envy, hatred etc because the main driver in today’s society is Competition.

Human Consciousness:  Here, the animal instincts are in moderation.  Also, the person in this consciousness follows the following five principles:

Satya: Truthful Speech, Thought and Action.

Ahimsa: Non-injury

Astheya: Non-covetousness

Aparigraha: Non-stealing

Brahmacharya: To move with the Divine.

Divine Consciousness:  At this level, the noble qualities of sharing, service, sacrifice, cooperation, kindness, mercy, forgiveness etc are exhibited. The person will always be in a peaceful, calm and a balanced state with a happy disposition. 

We are generally at the Lower type of consciousness and most of the time, energy and effort is spent here itself.  The attractions here don’t let us think of anything higher.  Even for a sincere seeker, inspite of his best efforts, these binds pull him down and it is extremely difficult to move higher.  The thought generally operates in this plane and there is no way to control it and lift it upwards. PRANAHUTI helps us to loosen these binds and move into higher levels of consciousness.  Pranahuti helps us in regulation of the mind and gets the mind absorbed in higher ideals while there could be superficial thoughts of the lower plane.

5. Pranahuti

Pranahuti is an act of pure and simple will backed by Divine will on the part of the capable person transmitting the thought, to improve the spiritual condition of the aspirant.  It does not require words or touch. Pranahuti is offering (ahuti) of thought (prana) done through silent suggestions.

The suggestions given by the trainer are positive and help the aspirant to grow into higher levels of consciousness.  This helps us to move into and live in higher planes of consciousness. The energy and effort is spent in improving the positive and noble qualities and as a corollary it is observed that the negative qualities are ignored.   When the negative qualities are denied attention, they wither away over a period of time.  This is such a positive and refreshing approach when compared to the traditional ways in which there is a constant war with the negative qualities and we seldom succeed.  In this approach, there is increased momentum, renewed energy and a rejuvenated aspiration to move into higher planes of consciousness. 

In the very first session of Pranahuti, the link to the pure consciousness is established and this gets strengthened further and further.  In a sense Yoga (to Unite) happens in the first instance itself and we continue the Yoga.  There are no pre requisites at all and all are welcome to practice it.  The willingness to transform and the seriousness in following the practices are the only requirements.

6. Pranahuti – Who can offer it?                

People generally live at a level where they can think about themselves, their family, their property and/or anything pertaining to them.  They cannot think beyond these boundaries.  They always think about their small self and are selfish.  A person who is at this level of Individual consciousness (Pind Desh) is not fit to impart pranahuti.

A person who has crossed the boundary of the limited self and his selfish interests, is said to have an entry into or access to the Universal consciousness (Brahmand Mandal).  At this level, his consciousness is not limited to his body and flows beyond to cover a vaster sphere which includes others.  At this stage, the person feels that there is no difference between him and others.  He has concern for others, not out of selfishness but out of fraternal duty to the other brother who too shares the same pure consciousness.  He feels that the other man is himself.  He is capable of percolating his consciousness through others for their benefit.  He is fit to offer pranahuti and can become a trainer who can take up the responsibility of assisting others in the path.  He can guide the fellow travelers who are behind him to move upto his level.  While the trainer has his journey to undertake, he does this additional service to his fellow brethren as a fraternal duty.

If the number of persons who are capable of such ahuti increase, the possibility of having a better world of harmonious beings comes true.  Universal peace is a possibility. 

7. Pranahuti Aided Meditation – A Study

Imperience, the centre for research and training in Pranahuti Aided Meditation has conducted a study and published a report on “The efficacy of Pranahuti Aided Meditation on human transformation – some case studies”. In this report, the practice and efficacy of PAM is presented through the self evaluation reports of the practicants of the system on the transformation of their lives. The practicants have been following the system of PAM for some time.  From this report, it can be inferred that the transformation of a human being from one being fearful, restless, impulsive, selfish / self centered individual to a one who is contented, composed, balanced, peaceful, moderated, selfless, and who is in harmony with himself and also with others is possible.  All the individuals who have presented their case studies are leading a family life and have been active in various professions.

The objectives of this report are to show that:

i)                    Though each individual is unique yet the stages of development are similar.  Also the problems encountered are mostly similar.

ii)                  The individual tends to be universal in thoughts and feelings.

iii)                The transformation from lower consciousness to higher levels of consciousness is possible.

iv)                The human transformation is expressed in our day-to-day living and is not something we hope to achieve after-life.

All the above changes are possible through PRANAHUTI and our individual effort.  Pranahuti is essential for our transformation.

The methodology followed was that the practicants were asked to record their thoughts and feelings in their dairies.  They were also advised to evaluate themselves using the self-evaluation tools developed by Imperience.  They were asked to record the transformation that they think has occurred in them after taking up the practice of PAM. 

The objectives that were set forth for the study were verified which proves that Human transformation is possible by following the practice of PAM in which Pranahuti is an important aspect.  The practicants are all householders leading a normal family life.  The need of the day is such a system which can be followed by the human race at large and not by a select few who are supposed to be endowed differently. 

8. Conclusion

The ideal of world peace is possible only when individual transformation is sought.  The Master of the day has graciously given us, the mankind the tool of Pranahuti which helps us to grow into higher levels of consciousness easily. 

This is the need of the day and this shall be the Yoga for the new Millennium.

There is a group of people being equipped for the new Millennium and we invite you all to join us. 

References:

1.  “The Efficacy of Pranahuti Aided Meditation on Human Transformation – Some case studies” An article published by Imperience in Aug 2008

www.imperience.org/Research/ResearchBookList.htm

2.   Pranahuti: Book published by Sri Ramchandra Publishers, 2008 

www.sriramchandra.org/Books/BooksList.htm

For details, please visit www.sriramchandra.org.  All the reports, books, and other publications are available for free download.  Please read it and share it with all your friends.

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