Be aware when breathing stops
When breath is all out (up) and stopped of itself, or all in (down) and stopped- in such universal pause, one’s small self vanishes. This is difficult only for the impure. But who is the pure one?
Any sudden, unexpected, unbelievable thing can create the pause for the impure. But for the pure there is no need of such things. For the pure, the pause is always there. Many times, for pure minds, breathing stops. If your mind is pure – pure means you are not desiring, hankering, seeking anything – silently pure, innocently pure, you can be sitting and suddenly your breath will stop.
The breathing stopping itself can be felt sometimes suddenly. You are driving a car and suddenly you feel there is going to be an accident. Breathing will stop. If it is out, it will remain out. If it is in, it will remain in. You cannot breathe in such an emergency; you cannot afford it. Everything stops, departs.
Your small self is only a daily utility. In emergencies you cannot remember it. Who you are – the name, the bank balance, the prestige, everything – just evaporates. Your car is just heading toward another car; another moment and there will be death. In this moment there will be a pause. Even for the impure there will be a pause. Suddenly breathing stops. If you can be aware in that moment, you can reach the goal.
Mind movement needs breath movement. Mind moving fast needs fast movement in breath. That is why when you are in anger, breath will move fast. In the sex act, the breath will move very fast. That is why in Ayurveda- a system of herbal medicine in India- it is said that your life will be shortened if too much sex is allowed. Your life will be shortened, according to Ayurveda, because Ayurveda measures your life in breaths. If your breathing is too fast, your life will be shortened.
In sex breathing will become fast; in anger breathing will become fast. In sex the mind is filled with desire, lust, impurity. When the mind is pure – no desire in the mind, no seeking, no motivation; you are not going anywhere, but just remaining here and now as an innocent pool… not even a ripple –then breathing stops automatically. There is no need for it.
On this path, the small self vanishes and you attain to the higher self, the supreme self.