Acharya Mahaprajna
It is also an efficient tool for purifying the perception. Pure consciousness is characterized by the faculties of intuition and perception, or rather pure knowledge and pure perception. Our sensory output sends thousands of messages to our conscious mind every moment some of these are perceived, while many others are ignored. The process by which the mind converts raw sensations into perception is complicated. Perception varies by a infinity of factors, and the state of emotion, in particular, has a profound, and at time decisive effect Thus, when the intensity of emotion is low (or nil), perception will be pure. But when the emotions are strong, perception is contaminated and coloured. When this happens, mental activity is diverted and the mind begins to wander into the labyrinths of memory and imagination. Realization of truth needs application of pure consciousness, which is concomitant with pure perceptual cognition. Svasa-preksa is the first step in this direction.
Svasa-preksa is therefore, an instrument of developing the basic qualities of concentration.
In the practice of Svasa-Preksa the conscious mind is fully coupled with breath i.e. there is full awareness of each breath.
Awareness of breath does not need any thinking, and in fact, the mind is not engaged in thought but fully engaged in perception of breath. Thus, it is a practice of pure perception, which develops mental concentration.
