Thread by @Satyamshakti9

Is meditation on the Self and Atma Vichara/Neti Neti higher in tantra?
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Mind's Concentration is common to gyana & Yoga. Yoga aims at union of individual with universal, the Reality - which cannot be new, must exist now, and it does. Thus Path of Knowledge tries to find out how viyoga (separation) came about - separation is from Reality.
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Ravi marga is jnana( path of knowledge). Moon marga is Yoga. They think that after purifying the 72,000 nadis in the body, sushumna is entered and the mind( kundalini) passes up to the sahasrara and there is nectar trickling.
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These are all mental concepts. The man is already overwhelmed by world concepts. Other concepts are now added in the shape of this Yoga.
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The object of all these is to rid the man of concepts and to make him in here as the PURE SELF - i.e., absolute consciousness, bereft of thoughts! WHY NOT GO STRAIGHT TO IT? Why add new encumbrances to the already existing ones?
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“Na aham” I am not this = out-breathing

“Koham” Who am I? = in-breathing

“Soham” I am He = Retention of breath
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This is vichara( investigation). This vichara brings about the desired result. For one not so advanced as to engage in it, some meditation brings about suspension of breath and the mind ceases to be restless.
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Control of mind spontaneously effects control of breath; rather kevala kumbhaka (spontaneous retention of breath), without attention to inhalation or exhalation results.
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For one unable to do this also, regulation of breath is prescribed (yoga) for making the mind quiescent. Quiescence lasts only so long as the breath is controlled. So it is transient. The goal is clearly not pranayama.
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It goes on to pratyahara, dharana, dhyana & samadhi. These deal with control of mind. This becomes easier for one who had earlier practiced pranayama which leads him to higher stages involving mind control - which is the aim of yoga also.
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A more advanced man will naturally go direct to control of mind without wasting his time in practising control of breath. A simple development of pranayama alone may confer siddhis (psychic powers) which so many hanker for.
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The yogi may have his methods of breath control, tantriks have their mantras yantras etc Gyani’s method is only one of enquiry. When the mind is merged in Self, the shakti or kundalini, which is NOT APART FROM THE SELF, rises automatically.
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The yogis and tantriks attach the highest importance to sending the kundalini up to the sahasrara, the brain centre or the thousand petalled lotus.
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They point out the scriptural statement that the life current enters the body through the fontanelle and argue that, viyoga [separation] having come about that way, yoga [union] must also be effected in the reverse way.
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They say we must by yoga practice gather up pranas & enter the fontanelle for the consummation of yoga. The Gnanis on the other hand point out that the yogi and tantriks ASSUME THE EXISTENCE OF THE BODY and its separateness from the Self.
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Only if this standpoint of separateness is adopted can the yogi and tantriks advise effort for reunion by the practices prescribed.
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In fact the body is in the mind which has the brain for its seat. That the brain functions by light borrowed from another source is admitted by the yogis themselves in their fontanelle theory.
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The Gyani further argues: if the light is borrowed it must come from its native source. GO TO THE SOURCE DIRECT and do not depend on borrowed resources.
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