The cobra breath

In truth, our in-breath comprises part of someone else’s out-breath and our exhale makes part of their inhale. When we breathe out, the trees and forests breathe in and vice versa. Our out-breath, carried by the wind, gradually fans out across the planet and permeates all that exists. If you are attentive, you should be able to see your breath on the other side of the planet—in the rain, the rivers and the oceans.

In fact, a person following the path of the Buddhadharma can draw inspiration from the truth that part of their inhale contains some breath particles that were once exhaled by the Buddha. The same applies to people walking the path of the Christian dharma—with each inhalation they are nourished by the breath of Christ.

If someone is practising the awareness of breathing correctly, they should eventually come to realise that in essence there exists just one breath—it is the breath of the universe that flows through everyone. Everything that someone requires in order to attain the wisdom of the enlightened ones is present in every single breath. Living beings breathe enlightenment. They are nourished by enlightenment. Enlightenment reaches into each cell of their body and, although most beings fail to recognize it, enlightenment accompanies them wherever they go.

There’s nothing to write anymore—
Scarce wisdom to be found.
Much has been said,
Happy and sad,
Alive or dead.

The poem that follows is intended to guide practitioners towards gradually encountering the breath of the universe. However, people who choose to practise this should understand that if they meditate with the desire to finding a spiritual phenomenon, the Universal Breath will never reveal itself. Given that we are already in contact with the Cobra Breath, it is really an obstacle to our progression if we try to attain that which we already possess. If a wave seeks outside of itself in order to find the ocean, it will remain in ignorance due to perceiving in dualistic terms. However, by simply relaxing into its true nature, the wave will realise that it already IS the ocean.

Here are some verses of inspiration. Remember that intuition is the whisper of the soul: