The Quest For Truth: [08.05] The Path Of Sadhana - Pran

Our vital energy (pran) and oxygen are not one. We inhale matter through oxygen. We inhale and exhale - again we inhale and exhale. This order keeps repeating itself. Pran is our life force. It is in our entire body. As long as we have pran we are alive. If there is no pran there is no life.

In Jain philosophy the decomposition of pran is understood as hinsa or violence. Pran is the electrical energy of the tejas. It can be called bioelectricity. Even though it is the brain, which thinks, if there was no flow of vital energy in the brain then it would not function. The organ of speech is the vocal cord. But if there was no flow of vital energy through it, it would not function. The nervous system has the capacity to function but not without the flow of vital energy through it. The eyes see - the ears listen. All the senses perform their respective functions. But if there was no flow of vital energy through them they would not be able to function and the senses would get no knowledge.

Since it is the flow of vital energy, which passes through the different systems of the body, it has been given different names.

• When the vital energy flows through our mind, we undertake the process of thinking and this is called man-prana, vital energy of the mind.
• When the vital energy moves through our vocal cords, we speak. This is vital energy of speech (vachan pran).
• When it moves through the body, we undertake physical action - it is called vital energy of the body (sharir pran).
• When it pervades respiratory system we call it the vital energy of the breath (shvas pran).
• We live because it passes through our digestive system and so this is called the vital energy of life span (ayushya pran).
• When vital energy pervades our senses we see, hear, smell, taste and touch then it is called life of the senses (indriya pran).

The man who is absorbed in spiritual pursuits finds his vital energy developing. Even for the person who practices exercises controlling prana, his vital energy develops. The yogic breathing exercise called pranayama is a powerful means of developing prana. The one whose vital energy is developed progresses greatly in his inner quest.