Volume
The Healing Papers
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2,1: Breath
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7
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The Healing Papers
2,1: Breath
Breath is termed by Sufis Kasif and Latif. Kasif means dense and Latif means fine.
Dense breath is that which is noisy and labored, which strains the nerves and lungs. The exercises of dense breathing are useful for developing the muscles and for gaining control over the nerves; they are helpful also to the lungs and useful to the physical health. But in spiritual development, unless the breath be made fine it cannot penetrate through the important centers in the body and it cannot reach far enough into the innermost parts of one's life.
Breath, to a Sufi, is a bridge between himself and God. It is a rope for him, hanging down to earth, attached to Heaven. The Sufi climbs up by help of this rope. In the Quranic language it is called Buraq, a steed which was sent to the Prophet for his journey to the Heavens. Hindus call it Prana, which means life, but they picture it symbolically as a bird which is named in Sanskrit Garuda, on which rode Narayana, the godhead.
There is no mystical cult in which the breath is not given the greatest importance in spiritual progress. Once man has touched the depths of his own being by the help of the breath, then it becomes easy for him to become one with all that exists on earth and in Heaven.
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