,,the ,,yoga ,,sutras ,,of ,,patanjali  
8,the ,book of the ,spiritual ,man0     
,an ,interpretation ,by  ,charles       
,johnston    ,bengal ,civil ,service1   
,retired2  ,indian ,civil ,service1     
,sanskrit ,prizeman2  ,dublin           
,university1 ,sanskrit ,prizeman        
,contents     ,,introduction ,,to ,,book
 ,i   ,,book ,i   ,,introduction ,,to   
,,book ,,ii   ,,book ,,ii               
,,introduction ,,to ,,book ,,iii        
,,book ,,iii   ,,introduction ,,to      
,,book ,,iv   ,,book ,,iv               
,,introduction ,,to ,,book ,i      ,the 
,yoga ,sutras of ,patanjali are in      
themselves exceedingly brief1 less  than
 ten pages of large type in the         
original4 ,yet they contain the  essence
 of practical wisdom1 set forth in      
admirable order and detail4  ,the theme1
 if the present interpreter be right1 is
 the great  regeneration1 the birth of  
the spiritual from the psychical man3   
the  same theme which ,paul so wisely   
and eloquently set forth in writing to  

his disciples in ,corinth1 the theme of 
all mystics in all lands4    ,we think  
of ourselves as living a purely physical
 life1 in these  material bodies of     
ours4 ,in reality1 we have gone far     
indeed from pure  physical life2 for    
ages1 our life has been psychical1 we   
have been  centred and immersed in the  
psychic nature4 ,some of the schools of 
,india say that the psychic nature is1  
as it were1 a looking-glass1  wherein   
are mirrored the things seen by the     
physical eyes1 and heard by  the        
physical ears4 ,but this is a magic     
mirror2 the images remain1 and  take a  
certain life of their own4 ,thus within 
the psychic realm of our  life there    
grows up an imaged world wherein we     
dwell2 a world of the  images of things 
seen and heard1 and therefore a world of
 memories2 a  world also of hopes and   
desires1 of fears and regrets4 ,mental  
life  grows up among these images1 built
 on a measuring and comparing1 on the   
massing of images together into general 

ideas2 on the abstraction of  new       
notions and images from these2 till a   
new world is built up within1  full of  
desires and hates1 ambition1 envy1      
longing1 speculation1  curiosity1       
self-will1 self-interest4    ,the       
teaching of the ,east is1 that all these
 are true powers overlaid by  false     
desires2 that though in manifestation   
psychical1 they are in  essence         
spiritual2 that the psychical man is the
 veil and prophecy of  the spiritual    
man4    ,the purpose of life1 therefore1
 is the realizing of that prophecy2 the 
unveiling of the immortal man2 the birth
 of the spiritual from the  psychical1  
whereby we enter our divine inheritance 
and come to inhabit  ,eternity4 ,this   
is1 indeed1 salvation1 the purpose of   
all true religion1  in all times4       
,patanjali has in mind the spiritual    
man1 to be born from the psychical4     
,his purpose is1 to set in order the    
practical means for the unveiling  and  
regeneration1 and to indicate the fruit1

 the glory and the power1  of that new  
birth4    ,through the ,sutras of the   
first book1 ,patanjali is concerned with
 the  first great problem1 the emergence
 of the spiritual man from the veils    
and meshes of the psychic nature1 the   
moods and vestures of the mental  and   
emotional man4 ,later will come the     
consideration of the nature and  powers 
of the spiritual man1 once he stands    
clear of the psychic veils  and         
trammels1 and a view of the realms in   
which these new spiritual  powers are to
 be revealed4    ,at this point may come
 a word of explanation4 ,i have been    
asked why ,i  use the word ,sutras1 for 
these rules of ,patanjali's system1 when
 the  word ,aphorism has been connected 
with them in our minds for a            
generation4 ,the reason is this3 the    
name ,aphorism suggests1 to me at       
least1 a pithy sentence of very general 
application2 a piece of  proverbial     
wisdom that may be quoted in a good many
 sets of  circumstance1 and which will  

almost bear on its face the evidence of 
its truth4 ,but with a ,sutra the case  
is different4 ,it comes from the  same  
root as the word 8sew10 and means1      
indeed1 a thread1 suggesting1           
therefore1 a close knit1 consecutive    
chain of argument4 ,not only has  each  
,sutra a definite place in the system1  
but further1 taken out of  this place1  
it will be almost meaningless1 and will 
by no means be  self-evident4 ,so ,i    
have thought best to adhere to the      
original word4  ,the ,sutras of         
,patanjali are as closely knit together1
 as dependent on  each other1 as the    
propositions of ,euclid1 and can no more
 be taken out  of their proper setting4 
,in the second part of the first book1  
the problem of the emergence of  the    
spiritual man is further dealt with4 ,we
 are led to the  consideration of the   
barriers to his emergence1 of the       
overcoming of  the barriers1 and of     
certain steps and stages in the ascent  
from the  ordinary consciousness of     

practical life1 to the finer1 deeper1   
radiant  consciousness of the spiritual 
man4          ,,book ,i      #a4 ,,om3  
,here follows ,instruction in ,union4   
,union1 here as always in the           
,scriptures of ,india1 means union of   
the  individual soul with the ,oversoul2
 of the personal consciousness with  the
 ,divine ,consciousness1 whereby the    
mortal becomes immortal1 and  enters the
 ,eternal4 ,therefore1 salvation is1    
first1 freedom from sin  and the sorrow 
which comes from sin1 and then a divine 
and eternal  well-being1 wherein the    
soul partakes of the being1 the wisdom  
and  glory of ,god4    #b4 ,union1      
spiritual consciousness1 is gained      
through control of the  versatile       
psychic nature4    ,the goal is the full
 consciousness of the spiritual man1    
illumined by  the ,divine ,light4       
,nothing except the obdurate resistance 
of the psychic  nature keeps us back    
from the goal4 ,the psychical powers are
 spiritual  powers run wild1 perverted1 

drawn from their proper channel4        
,therefore  our first task is1 to regain
 control of this perverted nature1 to   
chasten1 purify and restore the         
misplaced powers4    #c4 ,then the ,seer
 comes to consciousness in his proper   
nature4    ,egotism is but the          
perversion of spiritual being4 ,ambition
 is the  inversion of spiritual power4  
,passion is the distortion of love4 ,the
  mortal is the limitation of the       
immortal4 ,when these false images give 
place to true1 then the spiritual man   
stands forth luminous1 as the  sun1 when
 the clouds disperse4    #d4 ,heretofore
 the ,seer has been enmeshed in the     
activities of the  psychic nature4      
,the power and life which are the       
heritage of the spiritual man have  been
 caught and enmeshed in psychical       
activities4 ,instead of pure being  in  
the ,divine1 there has been fretful1    
combative1 egotism1 its hand  against   
every man4 ,instead of the light of pure
 vision1 there have been  restless      

senses nave been re and imaginings4     
,instead of spiritual joy1  the         
undivided joy of pure being1 there has  
been self-indulgence of body  and mind4 
,these are all real forces1 but         
distorted from their true  nature and   
goal4 ,they must be extricated1 like    
gems from the matrix1  like the pith    
from the reed1 steadily1 without        
destructive violence4  ,spiritual powers
 are to be drawn forth from the psychic 
meshes4    #e4 ,the psychic activities  
are five2 they are either subject or not
  subject to the five hindrances 7,book 
,,ii1 #c74    ,the psychic nature is    
built up through the image-making power1
 the  power which lies behind and dwells
 in mind-pictures4 ,these pictures do   
not remain quiescent in the mind2 they  
are kinetic1 restless1  stimulating to  
new acts4 ,thus the mind-image of an    
indulgence suggests  and invites to a   
new indulgence2 the picture of past joy 
is framed in  regrets or hopes4 ,and    
there is the ceaseless play of the      

desire to  know1 to penetrate to the    
essence of things1 to classify4 ,this1  
too1  busies itself ceaselessly with the
 mind-images4 ,so that we may classify  
the activities of the psychic nature    
thus3    #f4 ,these activities are3     
,sound intellection1 unsound            
intellection1  predication1 sleep1      
memory4    ,we have here a list of      
mental and emotional powers2 of powers  
that  picture and observe1 and of powers
 that picture and feel4 ,but the power  
to know and feel is spiritual and       
immortal4 ,what is needed is1 not to    
destroy it1 but to raise it from the    
psychical to the spiritual realm4    #g4
 ,the elements of sound intellection    
are3 direct observation1  inductive     
reason1 and trustworthy testimony4      
,each of these is a spiritual power1    
thinly veiled4 ,direct observation  is  
the outermost form of the ,soul's pure  
vision4 ,inductive reason rests  on the 
great principles of continuity and      
correspondence2 and these1 on  the      

supreme truth that all life is of the   
,one4 ,trustworthy testimony1  the      
sharing of one soul in the wisdom of    
another1 rests on the ultimate  oneness 
of all souls4    #h4 ,unsound           
intellection is false understanding1 not
 resting on a  perception of the true   
nature of things4    ,when the object is
 not truly perceived1 when the          
observation is  inaccurate and faulty1  
thought or reasoning based on that      
mistaken  perception is of necessity    
false and unsound4    #i4 ,predication  
is carried on through words or thoughts 
not resting on  an object perceived4    
,the purpose of this ,sutra is1 to      
distinguish between the mental process  
of predication1 and observation1        
induction or testimony4 ,predication is 
the attribution of a quality or action  
to a subject1 by adding to it a         
predicate4 ,in the sentence1 8the man is
 wise10 8the man0 is the  subject2 8is  
wise0 is the predicate4 ,this may be    
simply an interplay of  thoughts1       

without the presence of the object      
thought of2 or the things  thought of   
may be imaginary or unreal2 while       
observation1 induction and  testimony   
always go back to an object4    #aj4    
,sleep is the psychic condition which   
rests on mind states1 all  material     
things being absent4    ,in waking life1
 we have two currents of perception2 an 
outer current of  physical things seen  
and heard and perceived2 an inner       
current of  mind-images and thoughts4   
,the outer current ceases in sleep2 the 
inner  current continues1 and watching  
the mind-images float before the field  
of consciousness1 we 8dream40 ,even when
 there are no dreams1 there is  still a 
certain consciousness in sleep1 so that1
 on waking1 one says1  8,i have slept   
well10 or 8,i have slept badly40    #aa4
 ,memory is holding to mind-images of   
things perceived1 without  modifying    
them4    ,here1 as before1 the mental   
power is explained in terms of          
mind-images1  which are the material of 

which the psychic world is built1       
,therefore  the sages teach that the    
world of our perception1 which is indeed
 a  world of mind-images1 is but the    
wraith or shadow of the real and        
everlasting world4 ,in this sense1      
memory is but the psychical inversion   
of the spiritual1 ever-present vision4  
,that which is ever before the          
spiritual eye of the ,seer needs not to 
be remembered4    #ab4 ,the control of  
these psychic activities comes through  
the right use  of the will1 and through 
ceasing from self-indulgence4    ,if    
these psychical powers and energies1    
even such evil things as  passion and   
hate and fear1 are but spiritual powers 
fallen and  perverted1 how are we to    
bring about their release and           
restoration8 ,two  means are presented  
to us3 the awakening of the spiritual   
will1 and the  purification of mind and 
thought4    #ac4 ,the right use of the  
will is the steady1 effort to stand in  
spiritual being4    ,we have thought of 

ourselves1 perhaps1 as creatures moving 
upon this  earth1 rather helpless1 at   
the mercy of storm and hunger and our   
enemies4 ,we are to think of ourselves  
as immortals1 dwelling in the  ,light1  
encompassed and sustained by spiritual  
powers4 ,the steady effort  to hold this
 thought will awaken dormant and        
unrealized powers1 which  will unveil to
 us the nearness of the ,eternal4       
#ad4 ,this becomes a firm resting-place1
 when followed long1  persistently1 with
 earnestness4    ,we must seek spiritual
 life in conformity with the laws of    
spiritual  life1 with earnestness1      
humility1 gentle charity1 which is an   
acknowledgment of the ,one ,soul within 
us all4 ,only through obedience to  that
 shared ,life1 through perpetual        
remembrance of our oneness with all     
,divine ,being1 our nothingness apart   
from ,divine ,being1 can we enter our   
inheritance4    #ae4 ,ceasing from      
self-indulgence is conscious mastery    
over the thirst  for sensuous pleasure  

here or hereafter4    ,rightly          
understood1 the desire for sensation is 
the desire of being1  the distortion of 
the soul's eternal life4 ,the lust of   
sensual stimulus  and excitation rests  
on the longing to feel one's life       
keenly1 to gain  the sense of being     
really alive4 ,this sense of true life  
comes only  with the coming of the soul1
 and the soul comes only in silence1    
after  self-indulgence has been         
courageously and loyally stilled1       
through  reverence before the coming    
soul4    #af4 ,the consummation of this 
is freedom from thirst for any mode of  
psychical activity1 through the         
establishment of the spiritual man4     
,in order to gain a true understanding  
of this teaching1 study must be         
supplemented by devoted practice1 faith 
by works4 ,the reading of the  words    
will not avail4 ,there must be a real   
effort to stand as the ,soul1  a real   
ceasing from self-indulgence4 ,with this
 awakening of the  spiritual will1 and  

purification1 will come at once the     
growth of the  spiritual man and our    
awakening consciousness as the spiritual
 man2 and  this1 attained in even a     
small degree1 will help us notably in   
our  contest4 ,to him that hath1 shall  
be given4    #ag4 ,meditation with an   
object follows these stages3 first1     
exterior  examining1 then interior      
judicial action1 then joy1 then         
realization of  individual being4    ,in
 the practice of meditation1 a beginning
 may be made by fixing the  attention   
upon some external object1 such as a    
sacred image or picture1  or a part of a
 book of devotion4 ,in the second stage1
 one passes from  the outer object to an
 inner pondering upon its lessons4 ,the 
third  stage is the inspiration1 the    
heightening of the spiritual will1 which
  results from this pondering4 ,the     
fourth stage is the realization of      
one's spiritual being1 as enkindled by  
this meditation4    #ah4 ,after the     
exercise of the will has stilled the    

psychic activities1  meditation rests   
only on the fruit of former meditations4
    ,in virtue of continued practice and
 effort1 the need of an external  object
 on which to rest the meditation is     
outgrown4 ,an interior state  of        
spiritual consciousness is reached1     
which is called 8the cloud of  things   
knowable0 7,book ,,iv1 #bi74    #ai4    
,subjective consciousness arising from a
 natural cause is possessed  by those   
who have laid aside their bodies and    
been absorbed into  subjective nature4  
,those who have died1 entered the       
paradise between births1 are in a       
condition resembling meditation without 
an external object4 ,but in the         
fullness of time1 the seeds of desire in
 them will spring up1 and they  will be 
born again into this world4    #bj4 ,for
 the others1 there is spiritual         
consciousness1 led up to by  faith1     
valour1 right mindfulness1              
one-pointedness1 perception4    ,it is  
well to keep in mind these steps on the 

path to illumination3  faith1 valour1   
right mindfulness1 one-pointedness1     
perception4 ,not one  can be dispensed  
with2 all must be won4 ,first faith2 and
 then from  faith1 valour2 from valour1 
right mindfulness2 from right           
mindfulness1  a one-pointed aspiration  
toward the soul2 from this1 perception2 
and  finally1 full vision as the soul4  
#ba4 ,spiritual consciousness is nearest
 to those of keen1 intense will4    ,the
 image used is the swift impetus of the 
torrent2 the kingdom must be  taken by  
force4 ,firm will comes only through    
effort2 effort is inspired  by faith4   
,the great secret is this3 it is not    
enough to have  intuitions2 we must act 
on them2 we must live them4    #bb4 ,the
 will may be weak1 or of middle         
strength1 or intense4    ,therefore     
there is a spiritual consciousness      
higher than this4 ,for  those of weak   
will1 there is this counsel3 to be      
faithful in obedience1  to live the     
life1 and thus to strengthen the will to

 more perfect  obedience4 ,the will is  
not ours1 but ,god's1 and we come into  
it only  through obedience4 ,as we enter
 into the spirit of ,god1 we are        
permitted  to share the power of ,god4  
,higher than the three stages of the way
 is the goal1 the end of the   way4     
#bc4 ,or spiritual consciousness may be 
gained by ardent service of the         
,master4    ,if we think of our lives as
 tasks laid on us by the ,master of     
,life1 if  we look on all duties as     
parts of that ,master's work1 entrusted 
to us1  and forming our life-work2 then1
 if we obey1 promptly1 loyally1         
sincerely1 we shall enter by degrees    
into the ,master's life and share  the  
,master's power4 ,thus we shall be      
initiated into the spiritual will4      
#bd4 ,the ,master is the spiritual man1 
who is free from hindrances1  bondage to
 works1 and the fruition and seed of    
works4    ,the ,soul of the ,master1 the
 ,lord1 is of the same nature as the    
soul in  us2 but we still bear the      

burden of many evils1 we are in bondage 
through our former works1 we are under  
the dominance of sorrow4 ,the  ,soul of 
the ,master is free from sin and        
servitude and sorrow4    #be4 ,in the   
,master is the perfect seed of          
,omniscience4    ,the ,soul of the      
,master is in essence one with the      
,oversoul1 and  therefore partaker of   
the ,oversoul's all-wisdom and          
all-power4 ,all  spiritual attainment   
rests on this1 and is possible because  
the soul  and the ,oversoul are ,one4   
#bf4 ,he is the ,teacher of all who have
 gone before1 since he is not  limited  
by ,time4    ,from the beginning1 the   
,oversoul has been the ,teacher of all  
souls1  which1 by their entrance into   
the ,oversoul1 by realizing their       
oneness  with the ,oversoul1 have       
inherited the kingdom of the ,light4    
,for the  ,oversoul is before ,time1 and
 ,time1 father of all else1 is one of   
,his  children4    #bg4 ,his word is    
,,om4    ,,om3 the symbol of the ,three 

in ,one1 the three worlds in the ,soul2 
the  three times1 past1 present1 future1
 in ,eternity2 the three ,divine        
,powers1 ,creation1 ,preservation1      
,transformation1 in the one ,being2 the 
three essences1 immortality1            
omniscience1 joy1 in the one ,spirit4   
,this  is the ,word1 the ,symbol1 of the
 ,master and ,lord1 the perfected       
,spiritual ,man4    #bh4 ,let there be  
soundless repetition of ,,om and        
meditation thereon4    ,this has many   
meanings1 in ascending degrees4 ,there  
is1 first1 the  potency of the word     
itself1 as of all words4 ,then there is 
the manifold  significance of the       
symbol1 as suggested above4 ,lastly1    
there is the  spiritual realization of  
the high essences thus symbolized4 ,thus
 we  rise step by step to the ,eternal4 
#bi4 ,thence come the awakening of      
interior consciousness1 and the  removal
 of barriers4    ,here again faith must 
be supplemented by works1 the life must 
be led as  well as studied1 before the  

full meaning can be understood4 ,the    
awakening of spiritual consciousness can
 only be understood in measure  as it is
 entered4 ,it can only be entered where 
the conditions are  present3 purity of  
heart1 and strong aspiration1 and the   
resolute  conquest of each sin4         
,this1 however1 may easily be           
understood3 that the recognition of the 
three worlds as resting in the ,soul    
leads us to realize ourselves and  all  
life as of the ,soul2 that1 as we dwell1
 not in past1 present or  future1 but in
 the ,eternal1 we become more at one    
with the ,eternal2  that1 as we view all
 organization1 preservation1 mutation as
 the work  of the ,divine ,one1 we shall
 come more into harmony with the ,one1  
and  thus remove the barrier' in our    
path toward the ,light4    ,in the      
second part of the first book1 the      
problem of the emergence of  the        
spiritual man is further dealt with4 ,we
 are led to the  consideration of the   
barriers to his emergence1 of the       

overcoming of  the barriers1 and of     
certain steps and stages in the ascent  
from the  ordinary consciousness of     
practical life1 to the finer1 deeper1   
radiant  consciousness of the spiritual 
man4    #cj4 ,the barriers to interior  
consciousness1 which drive the psychic  
nature this way and that1 are these3    
sickness1 inertia1 doubt1               
lightmindedness1 laziness1 intemperance1
 false notions1 inability to  reach a   
stage of meditation1 or to hold it when 
reached4    ,we must remember that we   
are considering the spiritual man as    
enwrapped  and enmeshed by the psychic  
nature1 the emotional and mental powers2
  and as unable to come to clear        
consciousness1 unable to stand and see  
clearly1 because of the psychic veils of
 the personality4 ,nine of these  are   
enumerated1 and they go pretty          
thoroughly into the brute toughness  of 
the psychic nature4    ,sickness is     
included rather for its effect on the   
emotions and mind1  since bodily        

infirmity1 such as blindness or         
deafness1 is no  insuperable barrier to 
spiritual life1 and may sometimes be a  
help1 as  cutting off distractions4 ,it 
will be well for us to ponder over each 
of  these nine activities1 thinking of  
each as a psychic state1 a barrier  to  
the interior consciousness of the       
spiritual man4    #ca4 ,grieving1       
despondency1 bodily restlessness1 the   
drawing in and  sending forth of the    
life-breath also contribute to drive the
 psychic  nature to and fro4    ,the    
first two moods are easily understood4  
,we can well see bow a sodden  psychic  
condition1 flagrantly opposed to the    
pure and positive joy of  spiritual     
life1 would be a barrier4 ,the next1    
bodily restlessness1 is  in a special   
way the fault of our day and generation4
 ,when it is  conquered1 mental         
restlessness will be half conquered1    
too4    ,the next two terms1 concerning 
the life breath1 offer some difficulty4 
,the surface meaning is harsh and       

irregular breathing2 the deeper  meaning
 is a life of harsh and irregular       
impulses4    #cb4 ,steady application to
 a principle is the way to put a stop to
  these4    ,the will1 which1 in its    
pristine state1 was full of vigour1 has 
been  steadily corrupted by             
self-indulgence1 the seeking of moods   
and  sensations for sensation's sake4   
,hence come all the morbid and sickly   
moods of the mind4 ,the remedy is a     
return to the pristine state of the     
will1 by vigorous1 positive effort2 or1 
as we are here told1 by steady          
application to a principle4 ,the        
principle to which we should thus       
steadily apply ourselves should be one  
arising from the reality of  spiritual  
life2 valorous work for the soul1 in    
others as in ourselves4    #cc4 ,by     
sympathy with the happy1 compassion for 
the sorrowful1 delight  in the holy1    
disregard of the unholy1 the psychic    
nature moves to  gracious peace4        
,when we are wrapped up in ourselves1   

shrouded with the cloak of our  egotism1
 absorbed in our pains and bitter       
thoughts1 we are not willing  to disturb
 or strain our own sickly mood by giving
 kindly sympathy to  the happy1 thus    
doubling their joy1 or by showing       
compassion for the  sad1 thus halving   
their sorrow4 ,we refuse to find delight
 in holy  things1 and let the mind brood
 in sad pessimism on unholy things4 ,all
  these evil psychic moods must be      
conquered by strong effort of will4     
,this rending of the veils will reveal  
to us something of the grace and  peace 
which are of the interior consciousness 
of the spiritual man4    #cd4 ,or peace 
may be reached by the even sending forth
 and control of  the life-breath4       
,here again we may look for a double    
meaning3 first1 that even and quiet     
breathing which is a part of the victory
 over bodily restlessness2 then  the    
even and quiet tenor of life1 without   
harsh or dissonant impulses1  which     
brings stillness to the heart4    #ce4  

,faithful1 persistent application to any
 object1 if completely  attained1 will  
bind the mind to steadiness4    ,we are 
still considering how to overcome the   
wavering and perturbation  of the       
psychic nature1 which make it quite     
unfit to transmit the inward            
consciousness and stillness4 ,we are    
once more told to use the will1 and  to 
train it by steady and persistent work3 
by 8sitting close0 to our  work1 in the 
phrase of the original4    #cf4 ,as also
 will a joyful1 radiant spirit4         
,there is no such illusion as gloomy    
pessimism1 and it has been truly  said  
that a man's cheerfulness is the measure
 of his faith4 ,gloom1  despondency1 the
 pale cast of thought1 are very amenable
 to the will4  ,sturdy and courageous   
effort will bring a clear and valorous  
mind4 ,but  it must always be remembered
 that this is not for solace to the     
personal man1 but is rather an offering 
to the ideal of spiritual life1  a      
contribution to the universal and       

universally shared treasure in  heaven4 
#cg4 ,or the purging of self-indulgence 
from the psychic nature4    ,we must    
recognize that the fall of man is a     
reality1 exemplified in our  own        
persons4 ,we have quite other sins than 
the animals1 and far more  deleterious2 
and they have all come through          
self-indulgence1 with which  our psychic
 natures are soaked through and through4
 ,as we climbed down  hill for our      
pleasure1 so must we climb up again for 
our purification  and restoration to our
 former high estate4 ,the process is    
painful1  perhaps1 yet indispensable4   
#ch4 ,or a pondering on the perceptions 
gained in dreams and dreamless  sleep4  
,for the ,eastern sages1 dreams are1 it 
is true1 made up of images of  waking   
life1 reflections of what the eyes have 
seen and the ears heard4  ,but dreams   
are something more1 for the images are  
in a sense real1  objective on their own
 plane2 and the knowledge that there is 
another  world1 even a dream-world1     

lightens the tyranny of material life4  
,much  of poetry and art is such a      
solace from dreamland4 ,but there is    
more in  dream1 for it may image what is
 above1 as well as what is below2 not   
only the children of men1 but also the  
children by the shore of the  immortal  
sea that brought us hither1 may throw   
their images on this  magic mirror3 so1 
too1 of the secrets of dreamless sleep  
with its pure  vision1 in even greater  
degree4    #ci4 ,or meditative brooding 
on what is dearest to the heart4        
,here is a thought which our own day is 
beginning to grasp3 that love is  a form
 of knowledge2 that we truly know any   
thing or any person1 by  becoming one   
therewith1 in love4 ,thus love has a    
wisdom that the mind  cannot claim1 and 
by this hearty love1 this becoming one  
with what is  beyond our personal       
borders1 we may take a long step toward 
freedom4  ,two directions for this may  
be suggested3 the pure love of the      
artist  for his work1 and the earnest1  

compassionate search into the hearts of 
others4    #dj4 ,thus he masters all1   
from the atom to the ,infinite4         
,newton was asked how he made his       
discoveries4 ,by intending my mind on   
them1 he replied4 ,this steady pressure1
 this becoming one with what we  seek to
 understand1 whether it be atom or soul1
 is the one means to  know4 ,when we    
become a thing1 we really know it1 not  
otherwise4  ,therefore live the life1 to
 know the doctrine2 do the will of the  
,father1 if you would know the ,father4 
#da4 ,when the perturbations of the     
psychic nature have all been stilled1   
then the consciousness1 like a pure     
crystal1 takes the colour of what  it   
rests on1 whether that be the perceiver1
 perceiving1 or the thing  perceived4   
,this is a fuller expression of the last
 ,sutra1 and is so lucid that  comment  
can hardly add to it4 ,everything is    
either perceiver1  perceiving1 or the   
thing perceived2 or1 as we might say1   
consciousness1  force1 or matter4 ,the  

sage tells us that the one key will     
unlock the  secrets of all three1 the   
secrets of consciousness1 force and     
matter  alike4 ,the thought is1 that the
 cordial sympathy of a gentle heart1    
intuitively understanding the hearts of 
others1 is really a  manifestation of   
the same power as that penetrating      
perception whereby  one divines the     
secrets of planetary motions or atomic  
structure4    #db4 ,when the            
consciousness1 poised in perceiving1    
blends together the  name1 the object   
dwelt on and the idea1 this is          
perception with  exterior consideration4
    ,in the first stage of the          
consideration of an external object1 the
  perceiving mind comes to it1          
preoccupied by the name and idea        
conventionally associated with that     
object4 ,for example1 in coming to  the 
study of a book1 we think of the author1
 his period1 the school to  which he    
belongs4 ,the second stage1 set forth in
 the next ,sutra1 goes  directly to the 

spiritual meaning of the book1 setting  
its traditional  trappings aside and    
finding its application to our own      
experience and  problems4    ,the       
commentator takes a very simple         
illustration3 a cow1 where one          
considers1 in the first stage1 the name 
of the cow1 the animal itself  and the  
idea of a cow in the mind4 ,in the      
second stage1 one pushes  these         
trappings aside and1 entering into the  
inmost being of the cow1  shares its    
consciousness1 as do some of the artists
 who paint cows4  ,they get at the very 
life of what they study and paint4      
#dc4 ,when the object dwells in the     
mind1 clear of memory-pictures1         
uncoloured by the mind1 as a pure       
luminous idea1 this is perception       
without exterior or consideration4      
,we are still considering external1     
visible objects4 ,such perception as  is
 here described is of the nature of that
 penetrating vision whereby  ,newton1   
intending his mind on things1 made his  

discoveries1 or that  whereby a really  
great portrait painter pierces to the   
soul of him whom  he paints1 and makes  
that soul live on canvas4 ,these stages 
of  perception are described in this    
way1 to lead the mind up to an          
understanding of the piercing           
soul-vision of the spiritual man1 the   
immortal4    #dd4 ,the same two steps1  
when referring to things of finer       
substance1  are said to be with1 or     
without1 judicial action of the mind4   
,we now come to mental or psychical     
objects3 to images in the mind4 ,it  is 
precisely by comparing1 arranging and   
superposing these mind-images  that we  
get our general notions or concepts4    
,this process of analysis  and          
synthesis1 whereby we select certain    
qualities in a group of  mind-images1   
and then range together those of like   
quality1 is the  judicial action of the 
mind spoken of4 ,but when we exercise   
swift  divination upon the mind images1 
as does a poet or a man of genius1  then

 we use a power higher than the         
judicial1 and one nearer to the  keen   
vision of the spiritual man4    #de4    
,subtle substance rises in ascending    
degrees1 to that pure nature  which has 
no distinguishing mark4    ,as we ascend
 from outer material things which are   
permeated by  separateness1 and whose   
chief characteristic is to be separate1 
just as  so many pebbles are separate   
from each other2 as we ascend1 first1 to
  mind-images1 which overlap and        
coalesce in both space and time1 and    
then to ideas and principles1 we finally
 come to purer essences1  drawing ever  
nearer and nearer to unity4    ,or we   
may illustrate this principle thus4 ,our
 bodily1 external selves  are quite     
distinct and separate1 in form1 name1   
place1 substance2 our  mental selves1 of
 finer substance1 meet and part1 meet   
and part again1  in perpetual concussion
 and interchange2 our spiritual selves  
attain  true consciousness through      
unity1 where the partition wall between 

us  and the ,highest1 between us and    
others1 is broken down and we are all   
made perfect in the ,one4 ,the highest  
riches are possessed by all pure  souls1
 only when united4 ,thus we rise from   
separation to true  individuality in    
unity4    #df4 ,the above are the       
degrees of limited and conditioned      
spiritual  consciousness1 still         
containing the seed of separateness4    
,in the four stages of perception above 
described1 the spiritual vision  is     
still working through the mental and    
psychical1 the inner genius is  still   
expressed through the outer1 personal   
man4 ,the spiritual man has  yet to come
 completely to consciousness as himself1
 in his own realm1  the psychical veils 
laid aside4    #dg4 ,when pure          
perception without judicial action of   
the mind is  reached1 there follows the 
gracious peace of the inner self4    ,we
 have instanced certain types of this   
pure perception3 the poet's  divination1
 whereby he sees the spirit within the  

symbol1 likeness in  things unlike1 and 
beauty in all things2 the pure insight  
of the true  philosopher1 whose vision  
rests not on the appearances of life1   
but on  its realities2 or the saint's   
firm perception of spiritual life and   
being4 ,all these are far advanced on   
the way2 they have drawn near to  the   
secret dwelling of peace4    #dh4 ,in   
that peace1 perception is unfailingly   
true4    ,the poet1 the wise philosopher
 and the saint not only reach a wide and
  luminous consciousness1 but they gain 
certain knowledge of substantial        
reality4 ,when we know1 we know that we 
know4 ,for we have come to the  stage   
where we know things by being them1 and 
nothing can be more true  than being4   
,we rest on the rock1 and know it to be 
rock1 rooted in the  very heart of the  
world4    #di4 ,the object of this      
perception is other than what is learned
 from  the sacred books1 or by sound    
inference1 since this perception is     
particular4    ,the distinction is a    

luminous and inspiring one4 ,the        
,scriptures teach  general truths1      
concerning universal spiritual life and 
broad laws1 and  inference from their   
teaching is not less general4 ,but the  
spiritual  perception of the awakened   
,seer brings particular truth concerning
 his  own particular life and needs1    
whether these be for himself or others4 
,he receives defined1 precise knowledge1
 exactly applying to what he has  at    
heart4    #ej4 ,the impress on the      
consciousness springing from this       
perception  supersedes all previous     
impressions4    ,each state or field of 
the mind1 each field of knowledge1 so to
 speak1  which is reached by mental and 
emotional energies1 is a psychical      
state1 just as the mind picture of a    
stage with the actors on it1 is a       
psychical state or field4 ,when the pure
 vision1 as of the poet1 the            
philosopher1 the saint1 fills the whole 
field1 all lesser views and  visions are
 crowded out4 ,this high consciousness  

displaces all lesser  consciousness4    
,yet1 in a certain sense1 that which is 
viewed as part1  even by the vision of a
 sage1 has still an element of illusion1
 a thin  psychical veil1 however pure   
and luminous that veil may be4 ,it is   
the  last and highest psychic state4    
#ea4 ,when this impression ceases1 then1
 since all impressions have  ceased1    
there arises pure spiritual             
consciousness1 with no seed of          
separateness left4    ,the last psychic 
veil is drawn aside1 and the spiritual  
man stands with  unveiled vision1 pure  
serene4          ,,introduction ,,to    
,,book ,,ii      ,the first book of     
,patanjali's ,yoga ,sutras is called the
 ,book of  ,spiritual ,consciousness4   
,the second book1 which we now begin1 is
 the  ,book of the ,means of ,soul      
,growth4 ,and we must remember that soul
 growth  here means the growth of the   
realization of the spiritual man1 or1 to
  put the matter more briefly1 the      
growth of the spiritual man1 and the    

disentangling of the spiritual man from 
the wrappings1 the veils1 the  disguises
 laid upon him by the mind and the      
psychical nature1 wherein  he is        
enmeshed1 like a bird caught in a net4  
,the question arises3 ,by what means may
 the spiritual man be freed from  these 
psychical meshes and disguises1 so that 
he may stand forth above  death1 in his 
radiant eternalness and divine power8   
,and the second book  sets itself to    
answer this very question1 and to detail
 the means in a  way entirely practical 
and very lucid1 so that he who runs may 
read1  and he who reads may understand  
and practise4    ,the second part of the
 second book is concerned with practical
  spiritual training1 that is1 with the 
earlier practical training of the       
spiritual man4    ,the most striking    
thing in it is the emphasis laid on the 
,commandments1  which are precisely     
those of the latter part of the         
,decalogue1 together  with obedience to 
the ,master4 ,our day and generation is 

far too prone  to fancy that there can  
be mystical life and growth on some     
other  foundation1 on the foundation1   
for example1 of intellectual curiosity  
or psychical selfishness4 ,in reality1  
on this latter foundation the  life of  
the spiritual man can never be built2   
nor1 indeed1 anything but  a psychic    
counterfeit1 a dangerous delusion4      
,therefore ,patanjali1 like every great 
spiritual teacher1 meets the  question3 
,what must ,i do to be saved8 with the  
age-old answer3 ,keep the               
,commandments4 ,only after the disciple 
can say1 ,these have ,i kept1 can  there
 be the further and finer teaching of   
the spiritual ,rules4    ,it is1        
therefore1 vital for us to realize that 
the ,yoga system1 like  every true      
system of spiritual teaching1 rests on  
this broad and firm  foundation of      
honesty1 truth1 cleanness1 obedience4   
,without these1  there is no salvation2 
and he who practices these1 even though 
ignorant  of spiritual things1 is laying

 up treasure against the time to come4  
,,book ,,ii      #a4 ,the practices     
which make for union with the ,soul are3
 fervent  aspiration1 spiritual reading1
 and complete obedience to the ,master4 
,the word which ,i have rendered        
8fervent aspiration0 means primarily    
8fire02 and1 in the ,eastern teaching1  
it means the fire which gives  life and 
light1 and at the same time the fire    
which purifies4 ,we have1  therefore1 as
 our first practice1 as the first of the
 means of  spiritual growth1 that fiery 
quality of the will which enkindles and 
illumines1 and1 at the same time1 the   
steady practice of purification1  the   
burning away of all known impurities4   
,spiritual reading is so  universally   
accepted and understood1 that it needs  
no comment4 ,the very  study of         
,patanjali's ,sutras is an exercise in  
spiritual reading1 and a  very effective
 one4 ,and so with all other books of   
the ,soul4 ,obedience  to the ,master   
means1 that we shall make the will of   

the ,master our  will1 and shall confirm
 in all wave to the will of the ,divine1
 setting  aside the wills of self1 which
 are but psychic distortions of the one 
,divine ,will4 ,the constant effort to  
obey in all the ways we know and        
understand1 will reveal new ways and new
 tasks1 the evidence of new  growth of  
the ,soul4 ,nothing will do more for the
 spiritual man in us  than this1 for    
there is no such regenerating power as  
the awakening  spiritual will4    #b4   
,their aim is1 to bring soul-vision1 and
 to wear away hindrances4    ,the aim of
 fervour1 spiritual reading and         
obedience to the ,master1 is1  to bring 
soulvision1 and to wear away hindrances4
 ,or1 to use the phrase  we have already
 adopted1 the aim of these practices is1
 to help the  spiritual man to open his 
eyes2 to help him also to throw aside   
the  veils and disguises1 the enmeshing 
psychic nets which surround him1  tying 
his hands1 as it were1 and bandaging his
 eyes4 ,and this1 as all  teachers      

testify1 is a long and arduous task1 a  
steady up-hill fight1  demanding fine   
courage and persistent toil4 ,fervour1  
the fire of the  spiritual will1 is1 as 
we said1 two-fold3 it illumines1 and so 
helps  the spiritual man to see2 and it 
also burns up the nets and meshes  which
 ensnare the spiritual man4 ,so with the
 other means1 spiritual  reading and    
obedience4 ,each1 in its action1 is     
two-fold1 wearing away  the psychical1  
and upbuilding the spiritual man4    #c4
 ,these are the hindrances3 the darkness
 of unwisdom1 self-assertion1  lust     
hate1 attachment4    ,let us try to     
translate this into terms of the        
psychical and spiritual  man4 ,the      
darkness of unwisdom is1 primarily1 the 
self-absorption of the  psychical man1  
his complete preoccupation with his own 
hopes and fears1  plans and purposes1   
sensations and desires2 so that he fails
 to see1 or  refuses to see1 that there 
is a spiritual man2 and so doggedly     
resists  all efforts of the spiritual   

man to cast off his psychic tyrant and  
set  himself free4 ,this is the real    
darkness2 and all those who deny the    
immortality of the soul1 or deny the    
soul's existence1 and so lay out  their 
lives wholly for the psychical1 mortal  
man and his ambitions1 are  under this  
power of darkness4 ,born of this        
darkness1 this psychic  self-absorption1
 is the dogged conviction that the      
psychic1 personal  man has separate1    
exclusive interests1 which he can follow
 for himself  alone2 and this           
conviction1 when put into practice in   
our life1 leads  to contest with other  
personalities1 and so to hate4 ,this    
hate1 again1  makes against the         
spiritual man1 since it hinders the     
revelation of the  high harmony between 
the spiritual man and his other selves1 
a harmony  to be revealed only through  
the practice of love1 that perfect love 
which casts out fear4    ,in like       
manner1 lust is the psychic man's       
craving for the stimulus of  sensation1 

the din of which smothers the voice of  
the spiritual man1  as1 in              
,shakespeare's phrase1 the cackling     
geese would drown the song of  the      
nightingale4 ,and this craving for      
stimulus is the fruit of  weakness1     
coming from the failure to find strength
 in the primal life  of the spiritual   
man4    ,attachment is but another name 
for psychic self-absorption2 for we are 
absorbed1 not in outward things1 but    
rather in their images within our       
minds2 our inner eyes are fixed on them2
 our inner desires brood over  them2 and
 em we blind ourselves to the presence  
of the prisoner' the  enmeshed and      
fettered spiritual man4    #d4 ,the     
darkness of unwisdom is the field of the
 others4 ,these  hindrances may be      
dormant1 or worn thin1 or suspended1 or 
expanded4    ,here we have really two   
,sutras in one4 ,the first has been     
explained  already3 in the darkness of  
unwisdom grow the parasites1 hate1 lust1
  attachment4 ,they are all outgrowths  

of the self-absorption of the  psychical
 self4    ,next1 we are told that these 
barriers may be either dormant1 or      
suspended1 or expanded1 or worn thin4   
,faults which are dormant will be       
brought out through the pressure of     
life1 or through the pressure of  strong
 aspiration4 ,thus expanded1 they must  
be fought and conquered1  or1 as        
,patanjali quaintly says1 they must be  
worn thin1-as a veil  might1 or the     
links of manacles4    #e ,the darkness  
of ignorance is3 holding that which is  
unenduring1  impure1 full of pain1 not  
the ,soul1 to be eternal1 pure1 full of 
joy1  the ,soul4    ,this we have really
 considered already4 ,the psychic man is
 unenduring1  impure1 full of pain1 not 
the ,soul1 not the real ,self4 ,the     
spiritual  man is enduring1 pure1 full  
of joy1 the real ,self4 ,the darkness of
  unwisdom is1 therefore1 the           
self-absorption of the psychical1       
personal  man1 to the exclusion of the  
spiritual man4 ,it is the belief1       

carried  into action1 that the personal 
man is the real man1 the man for whom we
  should toil1 for whom we should build1
 for whom we should live4 ,this is  that
 psychical man of whom it is said3 he   
that soweth to the flesh1  shall of the 
flesh reap corruption4    #f4           
,self-assertion comes from thinking of  
the ,seer and the instrument of  vision 
as forming one self4    ,this is the    
fundamental idea of the ,sankhya        
philosophy1 of which the  ,yoga is      
avowedly the practical side4 ,to        
translate this into our terms1  we may  
say that the ,seer is the spiritual man2
 the instrument of vision  is the       
psychical man1 through which the        
spiritual man gains experience  of the  
outer world4 ,but we turn the servant   
into the master4 ,we  attribute to the  
psychical man1 the personal self1 a     
reality which  really belongs to the    
spiritual man alone2 and so1 thinking of
 the  quality of the spiritual man as   
belonging to the psychical1 we merge    

the spiritual man in the psychical2 or1 
as the text says1 we think of  the two  
as forming one self4    #g4 ,lust is the
 resting in the sense of enjoyment4     
,this has been explained again and      
again4 ,sensation1 as1 for example1  the
 sense of taste1 is meant to be the     
guide to action2 in this case1  the     
choice of wholesome food1 and the       
avoidance of poisonous and  hurtful     
things4 ,but if we rest in the sense of 
taste1 as a pleasure in  itself2 rest1  
that is1 in the psychical side of taste1
 we fall into  gluttony1 and live to    
eat1 instead of eating to live4 ,so with
 the other  great organic power1 the    
power of reproduction4 ,this lust comes 
into  being1 through resting in the     
sensation1 and looking for pleasure from
  that4    #h4 ,hate is the resting in  
the sense of pain4    ,pain comes1 for  
the most part1 from the strife of       
personalities1 the  jarring discords    
between psychic selves1 each of which   
deems itself  supreme4 ,a dwelling on   

this pain breeds hate1 which tears the  
warring  selves yet further asunder1 and
 puts new enmity between them1 thus     
hindering the harmony of the ,real1 the 
reconciliation through the ,soul4    #i4
 ,attachment is the desire toward life1 
even in the wise1 carried  forward by   
its own energy4    ,the life here       
desired is the psychic life1 the        
intensely vibrating life  of the        
psychical self4 ,this prevails even in  
those who have attained  much wisdom1 so
 long as it falls short of the wisdom of
 complete  renunciation1 complete       
obedience to each least behest of the   
spiritual  man1 and of the ,master who  
guards and aids the spiritual man4      
,the desire of sensation1 the desire of 
psychic life1 reproduces itself1        
carried on by its own energy and        
momentum2 and hence comes the circle  of
 death and rebirth1 death and rebirth1  
instead of the liberation of  the       
spiritual man4    #aj4 ,these           
hindrances1 when they have become       

subtle1 are to be removed  by a         
countercurrent4    ,the darkness of     
unwisdom is to be removed by the light  
of wisdom1  pursued through fervour1    
spiritual reading of holy teachings and 
of  life itself1 and by obedience to the
 ,master4    ,lust is to be removed by  
pure aspiration of spiritual life1      
which1  bringing true strength and      
stability1 takes away the void of       
weakness  which we try to fill by the   
stimulus of sensations4    ,hate is to  
be overcome by love4 ,the fear that     
arises through the sense  of separate1  
warring selves is to be stilled by the  
realization of the  ,one ,self1 the one 
soul in all4 ,this realization is the   
perfect love  that casts out fear4      
,the hindrances are said to have become 
subtle when1 by initial efforts1  they  
have been located and recognized in the 
psychic nature4    #aa4 ,their active   
turnings are to be removed by           
meditation4    ,here is1 in truth1 the  
whole secret of ,yoga1 the science of   

the soul4  ,the active turnings1 the    
strident vibrations1 of selfishness1    
lust and  hate are to be stilled by     
meditation1 by letting heart and mind   
dwell  in spiritual life1 by lifting up 
the heart to the strong1 silent life    
above1 which rests in the stillness of  
eternal love1 and needs no harsh        
vibration to convince it of true being4 
#ab4 ,the burden of bondage to sorrow   
has its root in these hindrances4  ,it  
will be felt in this life1 or in a life 
not yet manifested4    ,the burden of   
bondage to sorrow has its root in the   
darkness of  unwisdom1 in selfishness1  
in lust1 in hate1 in attachment to      
sensation4  ,all these are1 in the last 
analysis1 absorption in the psychical   
self2  and this means sorrow1 because it
 means the sense of separateness1 and   
this means jarring discord and          
inevitable death4 ,but the psychical    
self  will breed a new psychical self1  
in a new birth1 and so new sorrows in  a
 life not yet manifest4    #ac4 ,from   

this root there grow and ripen the      
fruits of birth1 of the  life-span1 of  
all that is tasted in life4    ,fully to
 comment on this1 would be to write a   
treatise on ,karma and its  practical   
working in detail1 whereby the place and
 time of the next  birth1 its content   
and duration1 are determined2 and to do 
this the  present commentator is in no  
wise fitted4 ,but this much is clearly  
understood3 that1 through a kind of     
spiritual gravitation1 the  incarnating 
self is drawn to a home and life-circle 
which will give it  scope and           
discipline2 and its need of discipline  
is clearly conditioned  by its          
character1 its standing1 its            
accomplishment4    #ad4 ,these bear     
fruits of rejoicing1 or of affliction1  
as they are  sprung from holy or unholy 
works4    ,since holiness is obedience  
to divine law1 to the law of divine     
harmony1 and obedience to harmony       
strengthens that harmony in the soul1   
which is the one true joy1 therefore joy

 comes of holiness3 comes1  indeed1 in  
no other way4 ,and as unholiness is     
disobedience1 and  therefore discord1   
therefore unholiness makes for pain2 and
 this  two-fold law is true1 whether the
 cause take effect in this1 or in a  yet
 unmanifested birth4    #ae4 ,to him who
 possesses discernment1 all personal    
life is misery1  because it ever waxes  
and wanes1 is ever afflicted with       
restlessness1  makes ever new dynamic   
impresses in the mind2 and because all  
its  activities war with each other4    
,the whole life of the psychic self is  
misery1 because it ever waxes and       
wanes2 because birth brings inevitable  
death2 because there is no  expectation 
without its shadow1 fear4 ,the life of  
the psychic self is  misery1 because it 
is afflicted with restlessness2 so that 
he who has  much1 finds not             
satisfaction1 but rather the whetted    
hunger for more4  ,the fire is not      
quenched by pouring oil on it2 so desire
 is not  quenched by the satisfaction of

 desire4 ,again1 the life of the psychic
  self is misery1 because it makes ever 
new dynamic impresses in the  mind2     
because a desire satisfied is but the   
seed from which springs the  desire to  
find like satisfaction again4 ,the      
appetite comes in eating1  as the       
proverb says1 and grows by what it feeds
 on4 ,and the psychic  self1 torn with  
conflicting desires1 is ever the house  
divided against  itself1 which must     
surely fall4    #af4 ,this pain is to be
 warded off1 before it has come4    ,in 
other words1 we cannot cure the pains of
 life by laying on them any  balm4 ,we  
must cut the root1 absorption in the    
psychical self4 ,so it is  said1 there  
is no cure for the misery of longing1   
but to fix the heart  upon the eternal4 
#ag4 ,the cause of what is to be warded 
off1 is the absorption of the  ,seer in 
things seen4    ,here again we have the 
fundamental idea of the ,sankhya1 which 
is the  intellectual counterpart of the 
,yoga system4 ,the cause of what is to  

be  warded off1 the root of misery1 is  
the absorption of consciousness in  the 
psychical man and the things which      
beguile the psychical man4 ,the  cure is
 liberation4    #ah4 ,things seen have  
as their property manifestation1 action1
 inertia4  ,they form the basis of the  
elements and the sense-powers4 ,they    
make for  experience and for liberation4
    ,here is a whole philosophy of life4
 ,things seen1 the total of the         
phenomena1 possess as their property1   
manifestation1 action1 inertia3  the    
qualities of force and matter in        
combination4 ,these1 in their  grosser  
form1 make the material world2 in their 
finer1 more subjective  form1 they make 
the psychical world1 the world of       
sense-impressions and  mind-images4 ,and
 through this totality of the           
phenomenal1 the soul  gains experience1 
and is prepared for liberation4 ,in     
other words1 the  whole outer world     
exists for the purposes of the soul1 and
 finds in  this its true reason for     

being4    #ai4 ,the grades or layers of 
the ,three ,potencies are the defined1  
the  undefined1 that with distinctive   
mark1 that without distinctive mark4    
,or1 as we might say1 there are two     
strata of the physical1 and two  strata 
of the psychical realms4 ,in each1 there
 is the side of form1 and  the side of  
force4 ,the form side of the physical is
 here called the  defined4 ,the force   
side of the physical is the undefined1  
that which  has no boundaries4 ,so in   
the psychical2 there is the form side2  
that  with distinctive marks1 such as   
the characteristic features of          
mind-images2 and there is the force     
side1 without distinctive marks1  such  
as the forces of desire or fear1 which  
may flow now to this  mind-image1 now to
 that4    #bj4 ,the ,seer is pure       
vision4 ,though pure1 he looks out      
through the  vesture of the mind4       
,the ,seer1 as always1 is the spiritual 
man whose deepest consciousness  is pure
 vision1 the pure life of the eternal4  

,but the spiritual man1 as  yet unseeing
 in his proper person1 looks out on the 
world through the  eyes of the psychical
 man1 by whom he is enfolded and        
enmeshed4 ,the  task is1 to set this    
prisoner free1 to clear the dust of ages
 from this  buried temple4    #ba4 ,the 
very essence of things seen is1 that    
they exist for the ,seer4    ,the things
 of outer life1 not only material       
things1 but the psychic man  also1 exist
 in very deed for the purposes of the   
,seer1 the ,soul1 the  spiritual man    
,disaster comes1 when the psychical man 
sets up1 so to  speak1 on his own       
account1 trying to live for himself     
alone1 and taking  material things to   
solace his loneliness4    #bb4 ,though  
fallen away from him who has reached the
 goal1 things seen  have not alto fallen
 away1 since they still exist for       
others4    ,when one of us conquers     
hate1 hate does not thereby cease out of
 the  world1 since others still hate and
 suffer hatred4 ,so with other          

delusions1 which hold us in bondage to  
material things1 and through  which we  
look at all material things4 ,when the  
coloured veil of  illusion is gone1 the 
world which we saw through it is also   
gone1 for  now we see life as it is1 in 
the white radiance of eternity4 ,but for
  others the coloured veil remains1 and 
therefore the world thus coloured  by it
 remains for them1 and will remain till 
they1 too1 conquer  delusion4    #bc4   
,the association of the ,seer with      
things seen is the cause of the         
realizing of the nature of things seen1 
and also of the realizing of  the nature
 of the ,seer4    ,life is educative4   
,all life's infinite variety is for     
discipline1 for  the development of the 
soul4 ,so passing through many lives1   
the ,soul  learns the secrets of the    
world1 the august laws that are written 
in  the form of the snow-crystal or the 
majestic order of the stars4 ,yet  all  
these laws are but reflections1 but     
projections outward1 of the  laws of the

 soul2 therefore in learning these1 the 
soul learns to know  itself4 ,all life  
is but the mirror wherein the ,soul     
learns to know its  own face4    #bd4   
,the cause of this association is the   
darkness of unwisdom4    ,the darkness  
of unwisdom is the absorption of        
consciousness in the  personal life1 and
 in the things seen by the personal     
life4 ,this is the  fall1 through which 
comes experience1 the learning of the   
lessons of  life4 ,when they are        
learned1 the day of redemption is at    
hand4    #be4 ,the bringing of this     
association to an end1 by bringing the  
darkness of unwisdom to an end1 is the  
great liberation2 this is the  ,seer's  
attainment of his own pure being4       
,when the spiritual man has1 through the
 psychical1 learned all life's  lessons1
 the time has come for him to put off   
the veil and disguise of  the psychical 
and to stand revealed a ,king1 in the   
house of the ,father4  ,so shall he     
enter into his kingdom1 and go no more  

out4    #bf4 ,a discerning which is     
carried on without wavering is the means
 of  liberation4    ,here we come close 
to the pure ,vedanta1 with its          
discernment between  the eternal and the
 temporal4 ,st4 ,paul1 following after  
,philo and  ,plato1 lays down the same  
fundamental principle3 the things seen  
are  temporal1 the things unseen are    
eternal4    ,patanjali means something  
more than an intellectual assent1 though
 this  too is vital4 ,he has in view a  
constant discriminating in act as well  
as thought2 of the two ways which       
present themselves for every deed or    
choice1 always to choose the higher way1
 that which makes for the  things       
eternal3 honesty rather than roguery1   
courage and not cowardice1  the things  
of another rather than one's own1       
sacrifice and not  indulgence4 ,this    
true discernment1 carried out           
constantly1 makes for  liberation4      
#bg4 ,his illuminations is sevenfold1   
rising ,in successive stages4           

,patanjali's text does not tell us what 
the seven stages of this  illumination  
are4 ,the commentator thus describes    
them3    ,first1 the danger to be       
escaped is recognized2 it need not be   
recognized a second time4 ,second1 the  
causes of the danger to be  escaped are 
worn away2 they need not be worn away a 
second time4 ,third1  the way of escape 
is clearly perceived1 by the            
contemplation which  checks psychic     
perturbation4 ,fourth1 the means of     
escape1 clear  discernment1 has been    
developed4 ,this is the fourfold release
 belonging  to insight4 ,the final      
release from the psychic is three-fold3 
,as fifth  of the seven degrees1 the    
dominance of its thinking is ended2 as  
sixth1  its potencies1 like rocks from a
 precipice1 fall of themselves2 once    
dissolved1 they do not grow again4      
,then1 as seventh1 freed from these     
potencies1 the spiritual man stands     
forth in his own nature as purity  and  
light4 ,happy is the spiritual man who  

beholds this seven-fold  illumination in
 its ascending stages4    #bh4 ,from    
steadfastly following after the means of
 ,yoga1 until impurity  is worn away1   
there comes the illumination of thought 
up to full  discernment4    ,here1 we   
enter on the more detailed practical    
teaching of ,patanjali1  with its sound 
and luminous good sense4 ,and when we   
come to detail the  means of ,yoga1 we  
may well be astonished at their         
simplicity4 ,there is  little in them   
that is mysterious4 ,they are very      
familiar4 ,the essence  of the matter   
lies in carrying them out4    #bi4 ,the 
eight means of ,yoga are3 the           
,commandments1 the ,rules1 right        
,poise1 right ,control of the           
life-force1 ,withdrawal1 ,attention1    
,meditation1 ,contemplation4    ,these  
eight means are to be followed in their 
order1 in the sense which  will         
immediately be made clear4 ,we can get a
 ready understanding of the  first two  
by comparing them with the ,commandments

 which must be obeyed  by all good      
citizens1 and the ,rules which are laid 
on the members of  religious orders4    
,until one has fulfilled the first1 it  
is futile to  concern oneself with the  
second4 ,and so with all the means of   
,yoga4  ,they must be taken in their    
order4    #cj4 ,the ,commandments are   
these3 nom injury1 truthfulness1        
abstaining  from stealing1 from         
impurity1 from covetousness4    ,these  
five precepts are almost exactly the    
same as the ,buddhist  ,commandments3   
not to kill1 not to steal1 not to be    
guilty of  incontinence1 not to drink   
intoxicants1 to speak the truth4 ,almost
  identical is ,st4 ,paul's list3 ,thou 
shalt not commit adultery1 thou  shalt  
not kill1 thou shalt not steal1 thou    
shalt not covet4 ,and in the  same      
spirit is the answer made to the young  
map having great  possessions1 who      
asked1 ,what shall ,i do to be saved8   
and received the  reply3 ,keep the      
,commandments4    ,this broad1 general  

training1 which forms and develops human
 character1  must be accomplished to a  
very considerable degree1 before there  
can be  much hope of success in the     
further stages of spiritual life4 ,first
 the  psychical1 and then the spiritual4
 ,first the man1 then the angel4 ,on    
this broad1 humane and wise foundation  
does the system of ,patanjali  rest4    
#ca4 ,the ,commandments1 not limited to 
any race1 place1 time or occasion1      
universal1 are the great obligation4    
,the ,commandments form the broad       
general training of humanity4 ,each one 
of them rests on a universal1 spiritual 
law4 ,each one of them expresses  an    
attribute or aspect of the ,self1 the   
,eternal2 when we violate one of  the   
,commandments1 we set ourselves against 
the law and being of the  ,eternal1     
thereby bringing ourselves to inevitable
 con fusion4 ,so the  first steps in    
spiritual life must be taken by bringing
 ourselves into  voluntary obedience to 
these spiritual laws and thus making    

ourselves  partakers of the spiritual   
powers1 the being of the ,eternal ,like 
the  law of gravity1 the need of air to 
breathe1 these great laws know no       
exceptions ,they are in force in all    
lands1 throughout al times1 for all     
mankind4    #cb4 ,the ,rules are these3 
purity1 serenity fervent aspiration1    
spiritual  reading1 and per feet        
obedience to the ,master4    ,here we   
have a finer law1 one which humanity as 
a whole is less ready  for1 less fit to 
obey4 ,yet we can see that these ,rules 
are the same in  essence as the         
,commandments1 but on a higher1 more    
spiritual plane4 ,the  ,commandments may
 be obeyed in outer acts and            
abstinences2 the ,rules  demand         
obedience of the heart and spirit1 a far
 more awakened and more  positive       
consciousness4 ,the ,rules are the      
spiritual counterpart of the            
,commandments1 and they have finer      
degrees1 for more advanced spiritual    
growth4    #cc4 ,when transgressions    

hinder1 the weight of the imagination   
should be  thrown' on the opposite side4
    ,let us take a simple case1 that of 
a thief1 a habitual criminal1 who  has  
drifted into stealing in childhood1     
before the moral consciousness  has     
awakened4 ,we may imprison such a thief1
 and deprive him of all  possibility of 
further theft1 or of using the divine   
gift of will4 ,or  we may recognize his 
disadvantages1 and help him gradually to
 build up  possessions which express his
 will1 and draw forth his self-respect4 
,if  we imagine that1 after he has built
 well1 and his possessions have  become 
dear to him1 he himself is robbed1 then 
we can see how he would  come vividly to
 realize the essence of theft and of    
honesty1 and would  cleave to honest    
dealings with firm conviction4 ,in some 
such way does  the great ,law teach us4 
,our sorrows and losses teach us the    
pain of the  sorrow and loss we inflict 
on others1 and so we cease to inflict   
them4    ,now as to the more direct     

application4 ,to conquer a sin1 let     
heart and  mind rest1 not on the sin1   
but on the contrary virtue4 ,let the sin
 be  forced out by positive growth in   
the true direction1 not by direct       
opposition4 ,turn away from the sin and 
go forward courageously1                
constructively1 creatively1 in          
well-doing4 ,in this way the whole      
nature  will gradually be drawn up to   
the higher level1 on which the sin does 
not even exist4 ,the conquest of a sin  
is a matter of growth and  evolution1   
rather than of opposition4    #cd4      
,transgressions are injury1 falsehood1  
theft1 incontinence1 envy2  whether     
committed1 or caused1 or assented to1   
through greed1 wrath1 or  infatuation2  
whether faint1 or middling1 or          
excessive2 bearing endless1  fruit of   
ignorance and pain4 ,therefore must the 
weight be cast on the  other side4      
,here are the causes of sin3 greed1     
wrath1 infatuation1 with their  effects1
 ignorance and pain4 ,the causes are to 

be cured by better  wisdom1 by a truer  
understanding of the ,self1 of ,life4   
,for greed cannot  endure before the    
realization that the whole world belongs
 to the ,self1  which ,self we are2 nor 
can we hold wrath against one who is one
 with  the ,self1 and therefore with    
ourselves2 nor can infatuation1 which is
  the seeking for the happiness of the  
,all in some limited part of it1        
survive the knowledge that we are heirs 
of the ,all4 ,therefore let  thought and
 imagination1 mind and heart1 throw     
their weight on the  other side2 the    
side1 not of the world1 but of the      
,self4    #ce4 ,where non-injury is     
perfected1 all enmity ceases in the     
presence of  him who possesses it4      
,we come now to the spiritual powers    
which result from keeping the           
,commandments2 from the obedience to    
spiritual law which is the keeping  of  
the ,commandments4 ,where the heart is  
full of kindness which seeks no  injury 
to another1 either in act or thought or 

wish1 this full love  creates an        
atmosphere of harmony1 whose benign     
power touches with  healing all who come
 within its influence4 ,peace in the    
heart radiates  peace to other hearts1  
even more surely than contention breeds 
contention4    #cf4 ,when he is         
perfected in truth1 all acts and their  
fruits depend on  him4    ,the          
commentator thus explains3 ,if he who   
has attained should say to a  man1      
,become righteous6 the man becomes      
righteous4 ,if he should say1  ,gain    
heaven6 the man gains heaven4 ,his word 
is not in vain4    ,exactly the same    
doctrine was taught by the ,master who  
said to his  disciples3 ,receive ye the 
,holy ,ghost3 whose soever sins ye remit
 they  are remitted unto them2 and whose
 soever sins ye retain1 they are        
retained4    #cg4 ,where cessation from 
theft is perfected1 all treasures       
present  themselves to him who possesses
 it4    ,here is a sentence which may   
warn us that1 beside the outer and      

apparent meaning1 there is in many of   
these sentences a second and  finer     
significance4 ,the obvious meaning is1  
that he who has wholly  ceased from     
theft1 in act1 thought and wish1 finds  
buried treasures in  his path1 treasures
 of jewels and gold and pearls4 ,the    
deeper truth is1  that he who in every  
least thing is wholly honest with the   
spirit of  ,life1 finds ,life supporting
 him in all things1 and gains admittance
 to  the treasure house of ,life1 the   
spiritual universe4    #ch4 ,for him who
 is perfect in continence1 the reward is
 valour and  virility4    ,the creative 
power1 strong and full of vigour1 is no 
longer dissipated1  but turned to       
spiritual uses4 ,it upholds and endows  
the spiritual man1  conferring on him   
the creative will1 the power to engender
 spiritual  children instead of bodily  
progeny4 ,an epoch of life1 that of man 
the  animal1 has come to an end2 a new  
epoch1 that of the spiritual man1 is    
opened4 ,the old creative power is      

superseded and transcended2 a new       
creative power1 that of the spiritual   
man1 takes its place1 carrying  with it 
the power to work creatively in others  
for righteousness and  eternal life4    
,one of the commentaries says that he   
who has attained is able to  transfer to
 the minds of his disciples what he     
knows concerning divine  union1 and the 
means of gaining it4 ,this is one of the
 powers of  purity4    #ci4 ,where there
 is firm conquest of covetousness1 he   
who has conquered  it awakes to the how 
and why of life4    ,so it is said that1
 before we can understand the laws of   
,karma1 we must  free ourselves from    
,karma4 ,the conquest of covetousness   
brings this  rich fruit1 because the    
root of covetousness is the desire of   
the  individual soul1 the will toward   
manifested life4 ,and where the desire  
of the individual soul is overcome by   
the superb1 still life of the  universal
 ,soul welling up in the heart within1  
the great secret is  discerned1 the     

secret that the individual soul is not  
an isolated  reality1 but the ray1 the  
manifest instrument of the ,life1 which 
turns  it this way and that until the   
great work is accomplished1 the age-long
  lesson learned4 ,thus is the how and  
why of life disclosed by ceasing  from  
covetousness4 ,the ,commentator says    
that this includes a knowledge  of one's
 former births4    #dj4 ,through purity 
a withdrawal from one's own bodily life1
 a ceasing  from infatuation with the   
bodily life of others4    ,as the       
spiritual light grows in the heart      
within1 as the taste for pure  ,life    
grows stronger1 the consciousness opens 
toward the great1 secret  places within1
 where all life is one1 where all lives 
are one4  ,thereafter1 this outer1      
manifested1 fugitive life1 whether of   
ourselves  or of others1 loses something
 of its charm and glamour1 and we seek  
rather the deep infinitudes4 ,instead of
 the outer form and surroundings  of our
 lives1 we long for their inner and     

everlasting essence4 ,we  desire not so 
much outer converse and closeness to our
 friends1 but  rather that quiet        
communion with them in the inner chamber
 of the soul1  where spirit speaks to   
spirit1 and spirit answers2 where       
alienation and  separation never enter2 
where sickness and sorrow and death     
cannot  come4    #da4 ,to the pure of   
heart come also a quiet spirit1         
one-pointed thought1  the victory over  
sensuality1 and fitness to behold the   
,soul4    ,blessed are the pure in      
heart1 for they shall see ,god1 who is  
the  supreme ,soul2 the ultimate ,self  
of all beings4 ,in the deepest sense1   
purity means fitness for this vision1   
and also a heart cleansed from  all     
disquiet1 from all wandering and        
unbridled thought1 from the  torment of 
sensuous imaginings2 and when the spirit
 is thus cleansed  and pure1 it becomes 
at one in essence with its source1 the  
great  ,spirit1 the primal ,life4 ,one  
consciousness now thrills through both1 

for the psychic partition wall is broken
 down4 ,then shall the pure in  heart   
see ,god1 because they become ,god4     
#db4 ,from acceptance1 the disciple     
gains happiness supreme4    ,one of the 
wise has said3 accept conditions1 accept
 others1 accept  yourself4 ,this is the 
true acceptance1 for all these things   
are what  they are through the will of  
the higher ,self1 except their          
deficiencies1 which come through        
thwarting the will of the higher ,self1 
and can be conquered only through       
compliance with that will4 ,by the  true
 acceptance1 the disciple comes into    
oneness of spirit with the  overruling  
,soul2 and1 since the own nature of the 
,soul is being1  happiness1 bliss1 he   
comes thereby into happiness supreme4   
#dc4 ,the perfection of the powers of   
the bodily vesture comes through  the   
wearing away of impurities1 and through 
fervent aspiration4    ,this is true of 
the physical powers1 and of those which 
dwell in the  higher vestures4 ,there   

must be1 first1 purity2 as the blood    
must be  pure1 before one can attain to 
physical health4 ,but absence of        
impurity  is not in itself enough1 else 
would many nerveless ascetics of the    
cloisters rank as high saints4 ,there is
 needed1 further1 a positive  fire of   
the will2 a keen vital vigour for the   
physical powers1 and  something finer1  
purer1 stronger1 but of kindred essence1
 for the  higher powers4 ,the fire of   
genius is something more than a phrase1 
for  there can be no genius without the 
celestial fire of the awakened          
spiritual will4    #dd4 ,through        
spiritual reading1 the disciple gains   
communion with the  divine ,power on    
which his heart is set4    ,spiritual   
reading meant1 for ancient ,india1      
something more than it does  with us4   
,it meant1 first1 the recital of sacred 
texts1 which1 in their  very sounds1 had
 mystical potencies2 and it meant a     
recital of texts  which were divinely   
emanated1 and held in themselves the    

living1 potent  essence of the divine4  
,for us1 spiritual reading means a      
communing with the recorded teachings   
of the ,masters of wisdom1 whereby we   
read ourselves into the ,master's  mind1
 just as through his music one can enter
 into the mind and soul of  the master  
musician4 ,it has been well said that   
all true art is  contagion of feeling2  
so that through the true reading of true
 books we  do indeed read ourselves into
 the spirit of the ,masters1 share in   
the  atmosphere of their wisdom and     
power1 and come at last into their very 
presence4    #de4 ,soul-vision is       
perfected through perfect obedience to  
the ,master4    ,the sorrow and darkness
 of life come of the erring personal    
will which  sets itself against the will
 of the ,soul1 the one great ,life4 ,the
 error  of the personal will is         
inevitable1 since each will must be free
 to  choose1 to try and fail1 and so to 
find the path4 ,and sorrow and  darkness
 are inevitable1 until the path be      

found1 and the personal will  made once 
more one with the greater ,will1 wherein
 it finds rest and  power1 without      
losing freedom4 ,in ,his will is our    
peace4 ,and with that  peace comes      
light4 ,soul-vision is perfected through
 obedience4    #df4 ,right poise must be
 firm and without strain4    ,here we   
approach a section of the teaching which
 has manifestly a  two-fold meaning4    
,the first is physical1 and concerns the
 bodily  position of the student1 and   
the regulation of breathing4 ,these     
things  have their direct influence upon
 soul-life1 the life of the spiritual   
man1 since it is always and everywhere  
true that our study demands a  sound    
mind in a sound body4 ,the present      
sentence declares that1 for  work and   
for meditation1 the position of the body
 must be steady and  without strain1 in 
order that the finer currents of life   
may run their  course4    ,it applies   
further to the poise of the soul1 that  
fine balance and  stability which       

nothing can shake1 where the            
consciousness rests on the  firm        
foundation of spiritual being4 ,this is 
indeed the house set upon a  rock1 which
 the winds and waves beat upon in vain4 
#dg4 ,right poise is to be gained by    
steady and temperate effort1 and by     
setting the heart upon the everlasting4 
,here again1 there is the two-fold      
meaning1 for physical poise is to be    
gained by steady effort of the muscles1 
by gradual and wise training1  linked   
with a right understanding of1 and      
relation with1 the universal  force of  
gravity4 ,uprightness of body demands   
that both these  conditions shall be    
fulfilled4    ,in like manner the firm  
and upright poise of the spiritual man  
is to be  gained by steady and continued
 effort1 always guided by wisdom1 and by
  setting the heart on the ,eternal1    
filling the soul with the atmosphere  of
 the spiritual world4 ,neither is       
effective without the other4            
,aspiration without effort brings       

weakness2 effort without aspiration     
brings a false strength1 not resting on 
enduring things4 ,the two  together make
 for the right poise which sets the     
spiritual man firmly  and steadfastly on
 his feet4    #dh4 ,the fruit of right  
poise is the strength to resist the     
shocks of  infatuation or sorrow4    ,in
 the simpler physical sense1 which is   
also coveted by the wording of  the     
original1 this sentence means that wise 
effort establishes such  bodily poise   
that the accidents of life cannot       
disturb it1 as the  captain remains     
steady1 though disaster overtake his    
ship4    ,but the deeper sense is far   
more important4 ,the spiritual man1 too1
  must learn to withstand all shocks1 to
 remain steadfast through the           
perturbations of external things and the
 storms and whirlwinds of the  psychical
 world4 ,this is the power which is     
gained by wise1 continuous  effort1 and 
by filling the spirit with the          
atmosphere of the ,eternal4    #di4     

,when this is gained1 there follows the 
right guidance of the  life-currents1   
the control of the incoming and outgoing
 breath4    ,it is well understood      
to-day that most of our maladies come   
from impure  conditions of the blood4   
,it is coming to be understood that     
right  breathing1 right oxygenation1    
will do very much to keep the blood     
clean  and pure4 ,therefore a right     
knowledge of breathing is a part of the 
science of life4    ,but the deeper     
meaning is1 that the spiritual man1 when
 he has gained  poise through right     
effort and aspiration1 can stand firm1  
and guide  the currents of his life1    
both the incoming current of events1 and
 the  outgoing current of his acts4     
,exactly the same symbolism is used in  
the saying3 ,not that which goeth  into 
the mouth defileth a man2 but that which
 cometh out of the mouth1  this defileth
 a man'''4 ,those things which proceed  
out of the mouth come  forth from the   
heart ''' out of the heart proceed evil 

thoughts1 murders1  uncleanness1 thefts1
 false witness1 blasphemies4 ,therefore 
the first  step in purification is to   
keep the ,commandments4    #ej4 ,the    
life-current is either outward1 or      
inward1 or balanced2 it is  regulated   
according to place1 time1 number2 it is 
prolonged and subtle4    ,the technical1
 physical side of this has its value4   
,in the breath1  there should be right  
inbreathing1 followed by the period of  
pause1  when the air comes into contact 
with the blood1 and this again followed 
by right outbreathing1 even1 steady1    
silent4 ,further1 the lungs should  be  
evenly filled2 many maladies may arise  
from the neglect and  consequent        
weakening of some region of the lungs4  
,and the number of  breaths is so       
important1 so closely related to health1
 that every  nurse's chart records it4  
,but the deeper meaning is concerned    
with the currents of life2 with  that   
which goeth into and cometh out of the  
heart4    #ea4 ,the fourth degree       

transcends external and internal        
objects4    ,the inner meaning seems to 
be that1 in addition to the three       
degrees of  control already described1  
control1 that is1 over the incoming     
current  of life1 over the outgoing     
current1 and over the condition of pause
 or  quiesence1 there is a fourth degree
 of control1 which holds in complete    
mastery both the outer passage of events
 and the inner currents of  thoughts and
 emotions2 a condition of perfect poise 
and stability in  the midst of the flux 
of things outward and inward4    #eb4   
,thereby is worn away the veil which    
covers up the light4    ,the veil is the
 psychic nature1 the web of emotions1   
desires1  argumentative trains of       
thought1 which cover up and obscure the 
truth  by absorbing the entire attention
 and keeping the consciousness in the   
psychic realm4 ,when hopes and fears are
 reckoned at their true worth1  in      
comparison with lasting possessions of  
the ,soul2 when the outer  reflections  

of things have ceased to distract us    
from inner realities2  when             
argumentative-thought no longer         
entangles us1 but yields its place  to  
flashing intuition1 the certainty which 
springs from within2 then is  the veil  
worn away1 the consciousness is drawn   
from the psychical to  the spiritual1   
from the temporal to the ,eternal4 ,then
 is the light  unveiled4    #ec4 ,thence
 comes the mind's power to hold itself  
in the light4    ,it has been well said1
 that what we most need is the faculty  
of  spiritual attention2 and in the same
 direction of thought it has been       
eloquently declared that prayer does not
 consist in our catching ,god's         
attention1 but rather in our allowing   
,god to hold our attention4    ,the     
vital matter is1 that we need to        
disentangle our consciousness from  the 
noisy and perturbed thraldom of the     
psychical1 and to come to  consciousness
 as the spiritual man4 ,this we must do1
 first1 by  purification1 through the   

,commandments and the ,rules2 and1      
second1  through the faculty of         
spiritual attention1 by steadily heeding
 endless  fine intimations of the       
spiritual power within us1 and by       
intending our  consciousness thereto2   
thus by degrees transferring the centre 
of  consciousness from the psychical to 
the spiritual4 ,it is a question1       
first1 of love1 and then of attention4  
#ed4 ,the right ,withdrawal is the      
disengaging of the powers from          
entanglement in outer things1 as the    
psychic nature has been withdrawn  and  
stilled4    ,to understand this1 let us 
reverse the process1 and think of the   
one  consciousness1 centred in the      
,soul1 gradually expanding and taking on
  the form of the different perceptive  
powers2 the one will1 at the same  time1
 differentiating itself into the varied 
powers of action4    ,now let us imagine
 this to be reversed1 so that the       
spiritual force1  which has gone into   
the differentiated powers1 is once more 

gathered  together into the inner power 
of intuition and spiritual will1 taking 
on that unity which is the hall-mark of 
spiritual things1 as diversity  is the  
seal of material things4    ,it is all a
 matter of love for the quality of      
spiritual consciousness1  as against    
psychical consciousness1 of love and    
attention4 ,for where  the heart is1    
there will the treasure be also2 where  
the consciousness  is1 there will the   
vesture with its powers be developed4   
#ee4 ,thereupon follows perfect mastery 
over the powers4    ,when the spiritual 
condition which we have described is    
reached1 with  its purity1 poise1 and   
illuminated vision1 the spiritual man is
 coming  into his inheritance1 and      
gaining complete mastery of his powers4 
,indeed1 much of the struggle to keep   
the ,commandments and the ,rules has    
been paving the way for this mastery2   
through this very struggle and          
sacrifice the mastery has become        
possible2 just as1 to use ,st4 ,paul's  

simile1 the athlete gains the mastery in
 the contest and the race  through the  
sacrifice of his long and arduous       
training4 ,thus he gains  the crown4    
,,introduction ,,to ,,book ,,iii        
,the third book of the ,sutras is the   
,book of ,spiritual ,powers4 ,in        
considering these spiritual powers1 two 
things must be understood and  kept in  
memory4 ,the first of these is this3    
,these spiritual powers can  only be    
gained when the development described in
 the first and second  books has been   
measurably attained2 when the           
,commandments have been  kept1 the      
,rules faithfully followed1 and the     
experiences which are  described have   
been passed through4 ,for only after    
this is the  spiritual man so far grown1
 so far disentangled from the psychical 
bandages and veils which have confined  
and blinded him1 that he can use  his   
proper powers and faculties4 ,for this  
is the secret of all  spiritual powers3 
they are in no sense an abnormal or     

supernatural  overgrowth upon the       
material man1 but are rather the powers 
and  faculties inherent in the spiritual
 man1 entirely natural to him1 and      
coming naturally into activity1 as the  
spiritual man is disentangled  and      
liberated from psychical bondage1       
through keeping the ,commandments  and  
,rules already set forth4    ,as the    
personal man is the limitation and      
inversion of the spiritual  man1 all his
 faculties and powers are inversions of 
the powers of the  spiritual man4 ,in a 
single phrase1 his self seeking is the  
inversion of  the ,self-seeking which is
 the very being of the spiritual man3   
the  ceaseless search after the divine  
and august ,self of all beings4 ,this   
inversion is corrected by keeping the   
,commandments and ,rules1 and           
gradually1 as the inversion is overcome1
 the spiritual man is  extricated1 and  
comes into possession and free exercise 
of his powers4  ,the spiritual powers1  
therefore1 are the powers of the grown  

and  liberated spiritual man4 ,they can 
only be developed and used as the       
spiritual man grows and attains         
liberation through obedience4 ,this is  
the first thing to be kept in mind1 in  
all that is said of spiritual  powers in
 the third and fourth books of the      
,sutras4 ,the second thing to  be       
understood and kept in mind is this3    
,just as our modern sages have discerned
 and taught that all matter is          
ultimately one and eternal1 definitely  
related throughout the whole  wide      
universe2 just as they have discerned   
and taught that all force is  one and   
eternal1 so coordinated throughout the  
whole universe that  whatever affects   
any atom measurably affects the whole   
boundless realm  of matter and force1 to
 the most distant star or nebula on the 
dim  confines of space2 so the ancient  
sages had discerned and taught that  all
 consciousness is one1 immortal1        
indivisible1 infinite2 so finely        
correlated and continuous that whatever 

is perceived by any  consciousness is1  
whether actually or potentially1 within 
the reach of  all consciousness1 and    
therefore within the reach of any       
consciousness4  ,this has been well     
expressed by saying that all souls are  
fundamentally  one with the ,oversoul2  
that the ,son of ,god1 and all ,sons of 
,god1 are  fundamentally one with the   
,father4 ,when the consciousness is     
cleared of  psychic bonds and veils1    
when the spiritual man is able to stand1
 to  see1 then this superb law comes    
into effect3 whatever is within the     
knowledge of any consciousness1 and this
 includes the whole infinite  universe1 
is within his reach1 and may1 if he     
wills1 be made a part of  his           
consciousness4 ,this he may attain      
through his fundamental unity  with the 
,oversoul1 by raising himself toward the
 consciousness above  him1 and drawing  
on its resources4 ,the ,son1 if he would
 work miracles1  whether of perception  
or of action1 must come often into the  

presence  of the ,father4 ,this is the  
birthright of the spiritual man2 through
 it  he comes into possession of his    
splendid and immortal powers4 ,let it be
  clearly kept in mind that what is here
 to be related of the spiritual  man1   
and his exalted powers1 must in no wise 
be detached from what has  gone before4 
,the being1 the very inception1 of the  
spiritual man  depends on the           
purification and moral attainment       
already detailed1 and  can in no wise   
dispense with these or curtail them4    
,let no one imagine that the true life1 
the true powers of the spiritual  man1  
can be attained by any way except the   
hard way of sacrifice1 of  trial1 of    
renunciation1 of selfless self-conquest 
and genuine devotion  to the weal of all
 others4 ,only thus can the golden gates
 be reached  and entered4 ,only thus can
 we attain to that pure world wherein   
the  spiritual man lives1 and moves1 and
 has his being4 ,nothing impure1        
nothing unholy can ever cross that      

threshold1 least of all impure  motives 
or self seeking desires4 ,these must be 
burnt away before an  entrance to that  
world can be gained4    ,but where there
 is light1 there is shadow2 and the     
lofty light of the  soul casts upon the 
clouds of the mid-world the shadow of   
the spiritual  man and of his powers2   
the bastard vesture and the bastard     
powers of  psychism are easily attained2
 yet1 even when attained1 they are a    
delusion1 the very essence of unreality4
    ,therefore ponder well the earlier  
rules1 and lay a firm foundation of     
courage1 sacrifice1 selflessness1       
holiness4          ,,book ,,iii      #a4
 ,the binding of the perceiving         
consciousness to a certain region is    
attention 7dharana74    ,emerson quotes 
,sir ,isaac ,newton as saying that he   
made his great  discoveries by intending
 his mind on them4 ,that is what is     
meant here4  ,i read the page of a book 
while inking of something else4 ,at the 
end of  he page1 ,i have no idea of what

 it is about1 and read it again1 still  
thinking of something else1 with the    
same result4 ,then ,i wake up1 so to    
speak1 make an effort of attention1 fix 
my thought on what ,i am  reading1 and  
easily take in its meaning4 ,the act of 
will1 the effort of  attention1 the     
intending of the mind on each word and  
line of the page1  just as the eyes are 
focussed on each word and line1 is the  
power here  contemplated4 ,it is the    
power to focus the consciousness on a   
given  spot1 and hold it there          
,attention is the first and             
indispensable step  in all knowledge4   
,attention to spiritual things is the   
first step to  spiritual knowledge4     
#b4 ,a prolonged holding of the         
perceiving consciousness in that region 
is meditation 7dhyana74    ,this will   
apply equally to outer and inner things4
 ,i may for a moment  fix my attention  
on some visible object1 in a single     
penetrating  glance1 or ,i may hold the 
attention fixedly on it until it reveals

 far  more of its nature than a single  
glance could perceive4 ,the first is    
the focussing of the searchlight of     
consciousness upon the object4 ,the     
other is the holding of the white beam  
of light steadily and  persistently on  
the object1 until it yields up the      
secret of its  details4 ,so for things  
within2 one may fix the inner glance for
 a  moment on spiritual things1 or one  
may hold the consciousness steadily     
upon them1 until what was in the dark   
slowly comes forth into the  light1 and 
yields up its immortal secret4 ,but this
 is possible only for  the spiritual    
man1 after the ,commandments and the    
,rules have been kept2  for until this  
is done1 the thronging storms of        
psychical thoughts  dissipate and       
distract the attention1 so that it will 
not remain fixed  on spiritual things4  
,the cares of this world1 the           
deceitfulness of  riches1 choke the word
 of the spiritual message4    #c4 ,when 
the perceiving consciousness in this    

meditative is wholly given  to          
illuminating the essential meaning of   
the object contemplated1 and  is freed  
from the sense of separateness and      
personality1 this is  contemplation     
7samadhi74    ,let us review the steps  
so far taken4 ,first1 the beam of       
perceiving  consciousness is focussed on
 a certain region or subject1 through   
the  effort of attention4 ,then this    
attending consciousness is held on its  
object4 ,third1 there is the ardent will
 to know its meaning1 to  illumine it   
with comprehending thought4 ,fourth1 all
 personal bias--all  desire merely to   
indorse a previous opinion and so prove 
oneself right1  and all desire for      
personal profit or gratification must be
 quite put  away4 ,there must be a      
purely disinterested love of truth for  
its own  sake4 ,thus is the perceiving  
consciousness made void1 as it were1 of 
all personality or sense of             
separateness4 ,the personal limitation  
stands aside and lets the               

,all-consciousness come to bear upon the
  problem4 ,the ,oversoul bends its ray 
upon the object1 and illumines it  with 
pure light4    #d4 ,when these three1   
,attention1 ,meditation ,contemplation1 
are exercised  at once1 this is         
perfectly concentrated ,meditation      
7sanyama74    ,when the personal        
limitation of the perceiving            
consciousness stands  aside1 and allows 
the ,all-conscious to come to bear upon 
the problem1  then arises that real     
knowledge which is called a flash of    
genius2 that  real knowledge which makes
 discoveries1 and without which no      
discovery  can be made1 however         
painstaking the effort4 ,for genius is  
the vision  of the spiritual man1 and   
that vision is a question of growth     
rather  than present effort2 though     
right effort1 rightly continued1 will in
  time infallibly lead to growth and    
vision4 ,through the power thus to  set 
aside personal limitation1 to push aside
 petty concerns and cares1  and steady  

the whole nature and will in an ardent  
love of truth and  desire to know it2   
through the power thus to make way for  
the  ,all-consciousness1 all great men  
make their discoveries4 ,newton1        
watching the apple fall to the earth1   
was able to look beyond1 to see  the    
subtle waves of force pulsating through 
apples and worlds and suns  and         
galaxies1 and thus to perceive universal
 gravitation4 ,the ,oversoul1  looking  
through his eyes1 recognized the        
universal force1 one of its  own        
children4 ,darwin1 watching the forms   
and motions of plants and  animals1 let 
the same august consciousness come to   
bear on them1 and  saw infinite growth  
perfected through ceaseless struggle4   
,he perceived  the superb process of    
evolution1 the ,oversoul once more      
recognizing its  own4 ,fraunhofer1      
noting the dark lines in the band of    
sunlight in his  spectroscope1 divined  
their identity with the bright lines in 
the  spectra of incandescent iron1      

sodium and the rest1 and so saw the     
oneness of substance in the worlds and  
suns1 the unity of the materials  of the
 universe4 ,once again the ,oversoul1   
looking with his eyes1  recognized its  
own4 ,so it is with all true knowledge4 
,but the mind must  transcend its       
limitations1 its idiosyncrasies2 there  
must be purity1  for to the pure in     
heart is the promise1 that they shall   
see ,god4    #e4 ,by mastering this     
perfectly concentrated ,meditation1     
there comes the  illumination of        
perception4    ,the meaning of this is  
illustrated by what has been said       
before4 ,when  the spiritual man is able
 to throw aside the trammels of         
emotional and  mental limitation1 and to
 open his eyes1 he sees clearly1 he     
attains to  illuminated perception4 ,a  
poet once said that ,occultism is the   
conscious cultivation of genius2 and it 
is certain that the awakened  spiritual 
man attains to the perceptions of       
genius4 ,genius is the  vision1 the     

power1 of the spiritual man1 whether its
 possessor  recognizes this or not4 ,all
 true knowledge is of the spiritual man4
 ,the  greatest in all ages have        
recognized this and put their testimony 
on  record4 ,the great in wisdom who    
have not consciously recognized it1     
have ever been full of the spirit of    
reverence1 of selfless devotion to      
truth1 of humility1 as was ,darwin2 and 
reverence and humility are the          
unconscious recognition of the nearness 
of the ,spirit1 that ,divinity  which   
broods over us1 a ,master o'er a slave4 
#f4 ,this power is distributed in       
ascending degrees4    ,it is to be      
attained step by step4 ,it is a         
question1 not of miracle1  but of       
evolution1 of growth4 ,newton had to    
master the multiplication  table1 then  
the four rules of arithmetic1 then the  
rudiments of  algebra1 before he came to
 the binomial theorem4 ,at each point1  
there  was attention1 concentration1    
insight2 until these were attained1 no  

progress to the next point was possible4
 ,so with ,darwin4 ,he had to  learn the
 form and use of leaf and flower1 of    
bone and muscle2 the  characteristics of
 genera and species2 the distribution of
 plants and  animals1 before he had in  
mind that nexus of knowledge on which   
the  light of his great idea was at last
 able to shine4 ,so is it with all      
knowledge4 ,so is it with spiritual     
knowledge4 ,take the matter this way3   
,the first subject for the exercise of  
my spiritual insight is my day1  with   
its circumstances1 its hindrances1 its  
opportunities1 its duties4  ,i do what  
,i can to solve it1 to fulfil its       
duties1 to learn its  lessons4 ,i try to
 live my day with aspiration and faith4 
,that is the  first step4 ,by doing     
this1 ,i gather a harvest for the       
evening1 ,i gain a  deeper insight into 
life1 in virtue of which ,i begin the   
next day with  a certain advantage1 a   
certain spiritual advance and           
attainment4 ,so  with all successive    

days4 ,in faith and aspiration1 we pass 
from day to  day1 in growing knowledge  
and power1 with never more than one day 
to  solve at a time1 until all life     
becomes radiant and transparent4    #g4 
,this threefold power1 of ,attention1   
,meditation1 ,contemplation1 is  more   
interior than the means of growth       
previously described4    ,very naturally
 so2 because the means of growth        
previously described  were concerned    
with the extrication of the spiritual   
man from psychic  bondages and veils2   
while this threefold power is to be     
exercised by  the spiritual man thus    
extricated and standing on his feet1    
viewing  life with open eyes4    #h4    
,but this triad is still exterior to the
 soul vision which is  unconditioned1   
free from the seed of mental analyses4  
,the reason is this3 ,the threefold     
power we have been considering1 the     
triad of ,attention1 ,contemplation1    
,meditation is1 so far as we have yet   
considered it1 the focussing of the beam

 of perceiving consciousness  upon some 
form of manifesting being1 with a view  
of understanding it  completely4 ,there 
is a higher stage1 where the beam of    
consciousness is  turned back upon      
itself1 and the individual consciousness
 enters into1  and knows1 the ,all      
consciousness4 ,this is a being1 a being
 in  immortality1 rather than a knowing2
 it is free from mental analysis or     
mental forms4 ,it is not an activity of 
the higher mind1 even the mind  of the  
spiritual man4 ,it is an activity of the
 soul4 ,had ,newton risen  to this      
higher stage1 he would have known1 not  
the laws of motion1 but  that high      
,being1 from whose ,life comes eternal  
motion4 ,had ,darwin risen  to this1 he 
would have seen the ,soul1 whose        
graduated thought and being  all        
evolution expresses4 ,there are1        
therefore1 these two perceptions3  that 
of living things1 and that of the ,life2
 that of the ,soul's works1  and that of
 the ,soul itself4    #i4 ,one of the   

ascending degrees is the development of 
,control4 ,first  there is the          
overcoming of the mind-impress of       
excitation4 ,then comes  the            
manifestation of the mind-impress of    
,control4 ,then the perceiving          
consciousness follows after the moment  
of ,control4    ,this is the development
 of ,control4 ,the meaning seems to be  
this3 ,some  object enters the field of 
observation1 and at first violently     
excites  the mind1 stirring up          
curiosity1 fear1 wonder2 then the       
consciousness  returns upon itself1 as  
it were1 and takes the perception firmly
 in  hand1 steadying itself1 and viewing
 the matter calmly from above4 ,this    
steadying effort of the will upon the   
perceiving consciousness is  ,control1  
and immediately upon it follows         
perception1 understanding1  insight4    
,take a trite example4 ,supposing one is
 walking in an ,indian forest4 ,a       
charging elephant suddenly appears4 ,the
 man is excited by astonishment1  and1  

perhaps1 terror4 ,but he exercises an   
effort of will1 perceives the  situation
 in its true bearings1 and recognizes   
that a certain thing  must be done2 in  
this case1 probably1 that he must get   
out of the way  as quickly as possible4 
,or a comet1 unheralded1 appears in the 
sky like a flaming sword4 ,the  beholder
 is at first astonished1 perhaps        
terror-stricken2 but he takes  himself  
in hand1 controls his thoughts1 views   
the apparition calmly1  and finally     
calculates its orbit and its relation to
 meteor showers4    ,these are extreme  
illustrations2 but with all knowledge   
the order of  perception is the same3   
first1 the excitation of the mind by the
 new  object impressed on it2 then the  
control of the mind from within2 upon   
which follows the perception of the     
nature of the object4 ,where the  eyes  
of the spiritual man are open1 this will
 be a true and penetrating  spiritual   
perception4 ,in some such way do our    
living experiences come  to us2 first1  

with a shock of pain2 then the ,soul    
steadies itself and  controls the pain2 
then the spirit perceives the lesson of 
the event1  and its bearing upon the    
progressive revelation of life4    #aj4 
,through frequent repetition of this    
process1 the mind becomes  habituated to
 it1 and there arises an equable flow of
 perceiving  consciousness4    ,control 
of the mind by the ,soul1 like control  
of the muscles by the  mind1 comes by   
practice1 and constant voluntary        
repetition4    ,as an example of control
 of the muscles by the mind1 take the   
ceaseless  practice by which a musician 
gains mastery over his instrument1 or a 
fencer gains skill with a rapier4       
,innumerable small efforts of  attention
 will make a result which seems         
well-nigh miraculous2 which1  for the   
novice1 is really miraculous4 ,then     
consider that far more  wonderful       
instrument1 the perceiving mind1 played 
on by that fine  musician1 the ,soul4   
,here again1 innumerable small efforts  

of attention  will accumulate into      
mastery1 and a mastery worth winning4   
,for a  concrete example1 take the      
gradual conquest of each day1 the effort
 to  live that day for the ,soul4 ,to   
him that is faithful unto death1 the    
,master gives the crown of life4    #aa4
 ,the gradual conquest of the mind's    
tendency to flit from one object  to    
another1 and the power of               
one-pointedness1 make the development of
  ,contemplation4    ,as an illustration
 of the mind's tendency to flit from one
 object to  another1 take a small boy1  
learning arithmetic4 ,he begins3 two    
ones are  two2 three ones are three-and 
then he thinks of three coins in his    
pocket1 which will purchase so much     
candy1 in the store down the  street1   
next to the toy-shop1 where are         
base-balls1 marbles and so  on1--and    
then he comes back with a jerk1 to four 
ones are four4 ,so with  us also4 ,we   
are seeking the meaning of our task1 but
 the mind takes  advantage of a moment  

of slackened attention1 and flits off   
from one  frivolous detail to another1  
till we suddenly come back to           
consciousness after traversing leagues  
of space4 ,we must learn to  conquer    
this1 and to go back within ourselves   
into the beam of  perceiving            
consciousness itself1 which is a beam of
 the ,oversoul4 ,this  is the true      
onepointedness1 the bringing of our     
consciousness to a  focus in the ,soul4 
#ab4 ,when1 following this1 the         
controlled manifold tendency and the    
aroused one-pointedness are equally     
balanced parts of the perceiving        
consciousness1 his the development of   
one-pointedness4    ,this would seem to 
mean that the insight which is called   
one-pointedness has two sides1 equally  
balanced4 ,there is1 first1 the         
manifold aspect of any object1 the sum  
of all its characteristics and          
properties4 ,this is to be held firmly  
in the mind4 ,then there is the         
perception of the object as a unity1 as 

a whole1 the perception of its  essence4
 ,first1 the details must be clearly    
perceived2 then the essence  must be    
comprehended4 ,when the two processes   
are equally balanced1 the  true         
onepointedness is attained4 ,everything 
has these two sides1 the  side of       
difference and the side of unity2 there 
is the individual and  there is the     
genus2 the pole of matter and diversity1
 and the pole of  oneness and spirit4   
,to see the object truly1 we must see   
both4    #ac4 ,through this1 the        
inherent character1 distinctive marks   
and  conditions of being and powers1    
according to their development1 are     
made clear4    ,by the power defined in 
the preceding sutra1 the inherent       
character1  distinctive marks and       
conditions of beings and powers are made
 clear4  ,for through this power1 as    
defined1 we get a twofold view of each  
object1 seeing at once all its          
individual characteristics and its      
essential character1 species and genus2 

we see it in relation to  itself1 and in
 relation to the ,eternal4 ,thus we see 
a rose as that  particular flower1 with 
its colour and scent1 its peculiar fold 
of each  petal2 but we also see in it   
the species1 the family to which it     
belongs1 with its relation to all       
plants1 to all life1 to ,life itself4   
,so in any day1 we see events and       
circumstances2 we also see in it the    
lesson set for the soul by the ,eternal4
    #ad4 ,every object has its          
characteristics which are already       
quiescent1  those which are active1 and 
those which are not yet definable4      
,every object has characteristics       
belonging to its past1 its present and  
its future4 ,in a fir tree1 for example1
 there are the stumps or scars  of dead 
branches1 which once represented its    
foremost growth2 there are  the branches
 with their needles spread out to the   
air2 there are the  buds at the end of  
each branch and twig1 which carry the   
still closely  packed needles which are 

the promise of the future4 ,in like     
manner1 the  chrysalis has1 as its past1
 the caterpillar2 as its future1 the    
butterfly4 ,the man has1 in his past1   
the animal2 in his future1 the  angel4  
,both are visible even now in his face4 
,so with all things1 for  all things    
change and grow4    #ae4 ,difference in 
stage is the cause of difference in     
development4    ,this but amplifies what
 has just been said4 ,the first stage is
 the  sapling1 the caterpillar1 the     
animal4 ,the second stage is the growing
  tree1 the chrysalis1 the man4 ,the    
third is the splendid pine1 the         
butterfly1 the angel4 ,difference of    
stage is the cause of difference of     
development4 ,so it is among men1 and   
among the races of men4    #af4 ,through
 perfectly concentrated ,meditation on  
the three stages of  development comes a
 knowledge of past and future4    ,we   
have taken our illustrations from       
natural science1 because1 since  every  
true discovery in natural science is a  

divination of a law in  nature1 attained
 through a flash of genius1 such        
discoveries really  represent acts of   
spiritual perception1 acts of perception
 by the  spiritual man1 even though they
 are generally not so recognized4 ,so we
  may once more use the same            
illustration4 ,perfectly concentrated   
,meditation1 perfect insight into the   
chrysalis1 reveals the caterpillar  that
 it has been1 the butterfly that it is  
destined to be4 ,he who knows  the seed1
 knows the seed-pod or ear it has come  
from1 and the plant  that is to come    
from it4 ,so in like manner he who      
really knows today1  and the heart of   
to-day1 knows its parent yesterday and  
its child  tomorrow4 ,past1 present and 
future are all in the ,eternal4 ,he who 
dwells in the ,eternal knows all three4 
#ag4 ,the sound and the object and the  
thought called up by a word are         
confounded because they are all blurred 
together in the mind4 ,by  perfectly    
concentrated ,meditation on the         

distinction between them1  there comes  
an understanding of the sounds uttered  
by all beings4    ,it must be remembered
 that we are speaking of perception by  
the  spiritual man4    ,sound1 like     
every force1 is the expression of a     
power of the ,eternal4  ,infinite shades
 of this power are expressed in the     
infinitely varied  tones of sound4 ,he  
who1 having entry to the consciousness  
of the  ,eternal knows the essence of   
this power1 can divine the meanings of  
all  sounds1 from the voice of the      
insect to the music of the spheres4     
,in like manner1 he who has attained to 
spiritual vision can perceive  the      
mind-images in the thoughts of others1  
with the shade of feeling  which goes   
with them1 thus reading their thoughts  
as easily as he hears  their words4     
,every one has the germ of this power1  
since difference of  tone will give     
widely differing meanings to the same   
words1 meanings  which are intuitively  
perceived by everyone4    #ah4 ,when the

 mind-impressions become visible1 there 
comes an  understanding of previous     
births4    ,this is simple enough if we 
grasp the truth of rebirth4 ,the fine   
harvest of past experiences is drawn    
into the spiritual nature1  forming1    
indeed1 the basis of its development4   
,when the consciousness  has been raised
 to a point above these fine subjective 
impressions1 and  can look down upon    
them from above1 this will in itself be 
a  remembering of past births4    #ai4  
,by perfectly concentrated ,meditation  
on mind-images is gained the            
understanding of the thoughts of others4
    ,here1 for those who can profit by  
it1 is the secret of thought-reading4   
,take the simplest case of intentional  
thought transference4 ,it is the        
testimony of those who have done this1  
that the perceiving mind must be        
stilled1 before the mind-image projected
 by the other mind can be seen4  ,with  
it comes a sense of the feeling and     
temper of the other mind and  so on1 in 

higher degrees4    #bj4 ,but since that 
on which the thought in the mind of     
another rests is  not objective to the  
thought-reader's consciousness1 he      
perceives the  thought only1 and not    
also that on which the thought rests4   
,the meaning appears to be simple3 ,one 
may be able to perceive the  thoughts of
 some one at a distance2 one cannot1 by 
that means alone1  also perceive the    
external surroundings of that person1   
which arouse  these thoughts4    #ba4   
,by perfectly concentrated ,meditation  
on the form of the body1 by  arresting  
the body's perceptibility1 and by       
inhibiting the eye's power  of sight1   
there comes the power to make the body  
invisible4    ,there are many instances 
of the exercise of this power1 by       
mesmerists1  hypnotists and the like2   
and we may simply call it an instance of
 the  power of suggestion4 ,shankara    
tells us that by this power the popular 
magicians of the ,east perform their    
wonders1 working on the mind-images  of 

others1 while remaining invisible       
themselves4 ,it is all a question  of   
being able to see and control the       
mind-images4    #bb4 ,the works which   
fill out the life-span may be either    
immediately or  gradually operative4 ,by
 perfectly concentrated ,meditation on  
these  comes a knowledge of the time of 
the end1 as also through signs4    ,a   
garment which is wet1 says the          
commentator1 may be hung up to dry1  and
 so dry rapidly1 or it may be rolled in 
a ball and dry slowly2 so a  fire may   
blaze or smoulder4 ,thus it is with     
,karma1 the works that fill  out the    
life-span4 ,by an insight into the      
mental forms and forces which  make up  
,karma1 there comes a knowledge of the  
rapidity or slowness of  their          
development1 and of the time when the   
debt will be paid4    #bc4 ,by perfectly
 concentrated ,meditation on sympathy1  
compassion and  kindness1 is gained the 
power of interior union with others4    
,unity is the reality2 separateness the 

illusion4 ,the nearer we come to        
reality1 the nearer we come to unity of 
heart4 ,sympathy1 compassion1  kindness 
are modes of this unity of heart1       
whereby we rejoice with  those who      
rejoice1 and weep with those who weep4  
,these things are  learned by desiring  
to learn them4    #bd4 ,by perfectly    
concentrated ,meditation on power1 even 
such power as  that of the elephant may 
be gained4    ,this is a pretty image4  
,elephants possess not only force1 but  
poise and  fineness of control4 ,they   
can lift a straw1 a child1 a tree with  
perfectly judged control and effort4 ,so
 the simile is a good one4 ,by          
detachment1 by withdrawing into the     
soul's reservoir of power1 we can  gain 
all these1 force and fineness and poise2
 the ability to handle  with equal      
mastery things small and great1 concrete
 and abstract alike4    #be4 ,by bending
 upon them the awakened inner light1    
there comes a  knowledge of things      
subtle1 or concealed1 or obscure4    ,as

 was said at the outset1 each           
consciousness is related to all         
consciousness2 and1 through it1 has a   
potential consciousness of all  things2 
whether subtle or concealed or obscure4 
,an understanding of  this great truth  
will come with practice4 ,as one of the 
wise has said1  we have no conception of
 the power of ,meditation4    #bf4 ,by  
perfectly concentrated ,meditation on   
the sun comes a knowledge  of the       
worlds4    ,this has several meanings3  
,first1 by a knowledge of the           
constitution of  the sun1 astronomers   
can understand the kindred nature of the
 stars4  ,and it is said that there is a
 finer astronomy1 where the spiritual   
man  is the astronomer4 ,but the sun    
also means the ,soul1 and through       
knowledge of the ,soul comes a knowledge
 of the realms of life4    #bg4 ,by     
perfectly concentrated ,meditation on   
the moon comes a knowledge  of the lunar
 mansions4    ,here again are different 
meanings4 ,the moon is1 first1 the      

companion  planet1 which1 each day1     
passes backward through one mansion of  
the  stars4 ,by watching the moon1 the  
boundaries of the mansion are learned1  
with their succession in the great      
time-dial of the sky4 ,but the moon     
also symbolizes the analytic mind1 with 
its divided realms2 and these1  too1 may
 be understood through perfectly        
concentrated ,meditation4    #bh4 ,by   
perfectly concentrated ,meditation on   
the fixed pole-star comes a  knowledge  
of the motions of the stars4            
,addressing ,duty1 stern daughter of the
 ,voice of ,god1 ,wordsworth finely     
said3         ,thou cost preserve the   
stars from wrong1       ,and the most   
ancient heavens through thee are fresh  
and strong--      thus suggesting a     
profound relation between the moral     
powers and the  powers that rule the    
worlds4 ,so in this ,sutra the fixed    
polestar is the  eternal spirit about   
which all things move1 as well as the   
star toward  which points the axis of   

the earth4 ,deep mysteries attend both1 
and the  veil of mystery is only to be  
raised by ,meditation1 by open-eyed     
vision  of the awakened spiritual man4  
#bi4 ,perfectly concentrated ,meditation
 on the centre of force in the  lower   
trunk brings an understanding of the    
order of the bodily powers4    ,we are  
coming to a vitally important part of   
the teaching of ,yoga3  namely1 the     
spiritual man's attainment of full      
self-consciousness1 the  awakening of   
the spiritual man as a self-conscious   
individual1 behind  and above the       
natural man4 ,in this awakening1 and in 
the process of  gestation which precedes
 it1 there is a close relation with the 
powers  of the natural man1 which are1  
in a certain sense1 the projection1     
outward and downward1 of the powers of  
the spiritual man4 ,this is  notably    
true of that creative power of the      
spiritual man which1 when  embodied in  
the natural man1 becomes the power of   
generation4 ,not only  is this power the

 cause of the continuance of the bodily 
race of  mankind1 but further1 in the   
individual1 it is the key to the        
dominance  of the personal life4        
,rising1 as it were1 through the        
life-channels of  the body1 it flushes  
the personality with physical force1 and
 maintains  and colours the illusion    
that the physical life is the dominant  
and  all-important expression of life4  
,in due time1 when the spiritual man    
has begun to take form1 the creative    
force will be drawn off1 and  become    
operative in building the body of the   
spiritual man1 just as it  has been     
operative in the building of physical   
bodies1 through  generation in the      
natural world4    ,perfectly            
concentrated ,meditation on the nature  
of this force means1  first1 that rising
 of the consciousness into the spiritual
 world1  already described1 which gives 
the one sure foothold for ,meditation2  
and then1 from that spiritual point of  
vantage1 not only an insight  into the  

creative force1 in its spiritual and    
physical aspects1 but  also a gradually 
attained control of this wonderful      
force1 which will  mean its direction to
 the body of the spiritual man1 and its 
gradual  withdrawal from the body of the
 natural man1 until the over-pressure1  
so general and such a fruitful source of
 misery in our day1 is abated1  and     
purity takes the place of passion4 ,this
 over pressure1 which is the  cause of  
so many evils and so much of human      
shame1 is an abnormal1 not  a natural1  
condition4 ,it is primarily due to      
spiritual blindness1 to  blindness      
regarding the spiritual man1 and        
ignorance even of his  existence2 for by
 this blind ignorance are closed the    
channels through  which1 were they open1
 the creative force could flow into the 
body of  the spiritual man1 there       
building up an immortal vesture4 ,there 
is no  cure for blindness1 with its     
consequent over-pressure and attendant  
misery and shame1 but spiritual vision1 

spiritual aspiration1  sacrifice1 the   
new birth from above4 ,there is no other
 way to lighten  the burden1 to lift the
 misery and shame from human life4      
,therefore1  let us follow after        
sacrifice and aspiration1 let us seek   
the light4 ,in  this way only shall we  
gain that insight into the order of the 
bodily  powers1 and that mastery of     
them1 which this ,sutra implies4    #cj4
 ,by perfectly concentrated ,meditation 
on the centre of force in the  well of  
the throat1 there comes the cessation of
 hunger and thirst4    ,we are          
continuing the study of the bodily      
powers and centres of force  in their   
relation to the powers and forces of the
 spiritual man4 ,we  have already       
considered the dominant power of        
physical life1 the  creative power which
 secures the continuance of physical    
life2 and1  further1 the manner in      
which1 through aspiration and sacrifice1
 it is  gradually raised and set to the 
work of upbuilding the body of the      

spiritual man4 ,we come now to the      
dominant psychic force1 the power  which
 manifests itself in speech1 and in     
virtue of which the voice may  carry so 
much of the personal magnetism1 endowing
 the orator with a  tongue of fire1     
magical in its power to arouse and rule 
the emotions of  his hearers4 ,this     
emotional power1 this distinctively     
psychical force1  is the cause of       
8hunger and thirst10 the psychical      
hunger and thirst  for sensations1 which
 is the source of our two-sided life of 
emotionalism1 with its hopes and fears1 
its expectations and memories1  its     
desires and hates4 ,the source of this  
psychical power1 or1 perhaps  we should 
say1 its centre of activity in the      
physical body is said to  be in the     
cavity of the throat4 ,thus1 in the     
,taittiriya ,upanishad it is  written3  
8,there is this shining ether in the    
inner being4 ,therein is  the spiritual 
man1 formed through thought1 immortal1  
golden4 ,inward1 in  the palate1 the    

organ that hangs down like a            
nipple1-this is the womb  of ,indra4    
,and there1 where the dividing of the   
hair turns1 extending  upward to the    
crown of the head40    ,indra is the    
name given to the creative power of     
which we have spoken1  and which1 we are
 told1 resides in 8the organ which hangs
 down like a  nipple1 inward1 in the    
palate40    #ca4 ,by perfectly          
concentrated ,meditation on the centre  
of force in the  channel called the     
8tortoise-formed10 comes steadfastness4 
,we are concerned now with the centre of
 nervous or psychical force  below the  
cavity of the throat1 in the chest1 in  
which is felt the  sensation of fear2   
the centre1 the disturbance of which    
sets the heart  beating miserably with  
dread1 or which produces that sense of  
terror  through which the heart is said 
to stand still4    ,when the truth      
concerning fear is thoroughly mastered1 
through  spiritual insight into the     
immortal1 fearless life1 then this force

 is  perfectly controlled2 there is no  
more fear1 just as1 through the  control
 of the psychic power which works       
through the nerve-centre in  the throat1
 there comes a cessation of 8hunger and 
thirst40 ,thereafter1  these forces1 or 
their spiritual prototypes1 are turned  
to the building  of the spiritual man4  
,always1 it must be remembered1 the     
victory is first a spiritual one2  only 
later does it bring control of the      
bodily powers4    #cb4 ,through         
perfectly concentrated ,meditation on   
the light in the head  comes the vision 
of the ,masters who have attained4      
,the tradition is1 that there is a      
certain centre of force in the head1    
perhaps the 8pineal gland10 which some  
of our ,western philosophers have       
supposed to be the dwelling of the soul1
 a centre which is1 as it were1  the    
door way between the natural and the    
spiritual man4 ,it is the seat  of that 
better and wiser consciousness behind   
the outward looking  consciousness in   

the forward part of the head2 that      
better and wiser  consciousness of 8the 
back of the mind10 which views spiritual
 things1  and seeks to impress the      
spiritual view on the outward looking   
consciousness in the forward part of the
 head4 ,it is the spiritual man  seeking
 to guide the natural man1 seeking to   
bring the natural man to  concern       
himself with the things of his          
immortality4 ,this is suggested  in the 
words of the ,upanishad already quoted3 
8,there1 where the  dividing of the hair
 turns1 extending upward to the crown of
 the head02  all of which may sound very
 fantastical1 until one comes to        
understand  it4    ,it is said that when
 this power is fully awakened1 it brings
 a vision  of the great ,companions of  
the spiritual man1 those who have       
already  attained1 crossing over to the 
further shore of the sea of death and   
rebirth4 ,perhaps it is to this divine  
sight that the ,master alluded1  who is 
reported to have said3 8,i counsel you  

to buy of me eye-salve1  that you may   
see40 ,it is of this same vision of the 
great ,companions1  the children of     
light1 that a seer wrote3    8,though   
inland far we be1  ,our souls have sight
 of that immortal sea  ,which brought us
 hither1  ,can in a moment travel       
thither1  ,and see the ,children sport  
upon the shore  ,and hear the mighty    
waters rolling evermore40      #cc4 ,or 
through the divining power of tuition he
 knows all things4    ,this is really   
the supplement1 the spiritual side1 of  
the ,sutra just  translated4 ,step by   
step1 as the better consciousness1 the  
spiritual  view1 gains force in the back
 of the mind1 so1 in the same measure1  
the  spiritual man is gaining the power 
to see3 learning to open the  spiritual 
eyes4 ,when the eyes are fully opened1  
the spiritual man  beholds the great    
,companions standing about him2 he has  
begun to 8know  all things40    ,this   
divining power of intuition is the power
 which lies above and  behind the       

so-called rational mind2 the rational   
mind formulates a  question and lays it 
before the intuition1 which gives a real
 answer1  often immediately distorted by
 the rational mind1 yet always embodying
  a kernel of truth4 ,it is by this     
process1 through which the rational     
mind brings questions to the intuition  
for solution1 that the truths of        
science are reached1 the flashes of     
discovery and genius4 ,but this  higher 
power need not work in subordination to 
the so-called rational  mind1 it may act
 directly1 as full illumination1 8the   
vision and the  faculty divine40    #cd 
,by perfectly concentrated ,meditation  
on the heart1 the interior  being1 comes
 the knowledge of consciousness4    ,the
 heart here seems to mean1 as it so     
often does in the ,upanishads1  the     
interior1 spiritual nature1 the         
consciousness of the spiritual man1     
which is related to the heart1 and to   
the wisdom of the heart4 ,by  steadily  
seeking after1 and finding1 the         

consciousness of the spiritual  man1 by 
coming to consciousness as the spiritual
 man1 a perfect  knowledge of           
consciousness will be attained4 ,for the
 consciousness of  the spiritual man has
 this divine quality3 while being and   
remaining a  truly individual           
consciousness1 it at the same time flows
 over1 as it  were1 and blends with the 
,divine ,consciousness above and about  
it1 the  consciousness of the great     
,companions2 and by showing itself to be
 one  with the ,divine ,consciousness1  
it reveals the nature of all            
consciousness1 the secret that all      
consciousness is ,one and ,divine4      
#ce4 ,the personal self seeks to feast  
on life1 through a failure to  perceive 
the distinction between the personal    
self and the spiritual  man4 ,all       
personal experience really exists for   
the sake of another3  namely1 the       
spiritual man4 ,by perfectly            
concentrated ,meditation on  experience 
for the sake of the ,self1 comes a      

knowledge of the spiritual  man4    ,the
 divine ray of the ,higher ,self1 which 
is eternal1 impersonal and  abstract1   
descends into life1 and forms a         
personality1 which1 through  the stress 
and storm of life1 is hammered into a   
definite and concrete  self-conscious   
individuality4 ,the problem is1 to blend
 these two  powers1 taking the eternal  
and spiritual being of the first1 and   
blending with it1 transferring into it1 
the self-conscious  individuality of the
 second2 and thus bringing to life a    
third being1  the spiritual man1 who is 
heir to the immortality of his father1  
the  ,higher ,self1 and yet has the     
self-conscious1 concrete individuality  
of  his other parent1 the personal self4
 ,this is the true immaculate           
conception1 the new birth from above1   
8conceived of the ,holy ,spirit40  ,of  
this new birth it is said3 8that which  
is born of the ,spirit is  spirit3 ye   
must be born again40    ,rightly        
understood1 therefore1 the whole life of

 the personal man is  for another1 not  
for himself4 ,he exists only to render  
his very life  and all his experience   
for the building up of the spiritual    
man4 ,only  through failure to see this1
 does he seek enjoyment for himself1    
seek  to secure the feasts of life for  
himself2 not understanding that he  must
 live for the other1 live sacrificially1
 offering both feasts and  his very     
being on the altar2 giving himself as a 
contribution for the  building of the   
spiritual man4 ,when he does understand 
this1 and lives  for the ,higher ,self1 
setting his heart and thought on the    
,higher ,self1  then his sacrifice bears
 divine fruit1 the spiritual man is     
built up1  consciousness awakes in him1 
and he comes fully into being as a      
divine  and immortal individuality4     
#cf4 ,thereupon are born the divine     
power of intuition1 and the hearing1    
the touch1 the vision1 the taste and the
 power of smell of the  spiritual man4  
,when1 in virtue of the perpetual       

sacrifice of the personal man1 daily    
and hourly giving his life for his      
divine brother the spiritual man1  and  
through the radiance ever pouring down  
from the ,higher ,self1  eternal in the 
,heavens1 the spiritual man comes to    
birth1-there awake  in him those powers 
whose physical counterparts we know in  
the personal  man4 ,the spiritual man   
begins to see1 to hear1 to touch1 to    
taste4 ,and1  besides the senses of the 
spiritual man1 there awakes his mind1   
that  divine counterpart of the mind of 
the physical man1 the power of direct   
and immediate knowledge1 the power of   
spiritual intuition1 of  divination4    
,this power1 as we have seen1 owes its  
virtue to the unity1  the continuity1 of
 consciousness1 whereby whatever is     
known to any  consciousness1 is knowable
 by any other consciousness4 ,thus the  
consciousness of the spiritual man1 who 
lives above our narrow barriers  of     
separateness1 is in intimate touch with 
the consciousness of the  great         

,companions1 and can draw on that vast  
reservoir for all real  needs4 ,thus    
arises within the spiritual man that    
certain knowledge  which is called      
intuition1 divination1 illumination4    
#cg4 ,these powers stand in             
contradistinction to the highest        
spiritual  vision4 ,in manifestation    
they are called magical powers4    ,the 
divine man is destined to supersede the 
spiritual man1 as the  spiritual man    
supersedes the natural man4 ,then the   
disciple becomes a  ,master4 ,the opened
 powers of tile spiritual man1 spiritual
 vision1  hearing1 and touch1 stand1    
therefore1 in contradistinction to the  
higher divine power above them1 and must
 in no wise be regarded as the  end of  
the way1 for the path has no end1 but   
rises ever to higher and  higher        
glories2 the soul's growth and splendour
 have no limit4 ,so that1  if the       
spiritual powers we have been           
considering are regarded as in any      
sense final1 they are a hindrance1 a    

barrier to the far higher powers  of the
 divine man4 ,but viewed from below1    
from the standpoint of normal  physical 
experience1 they are powers truly       
magical2 as the powers  natural to a    
four-dimensional being will appear      
magical to a  three-dimensional being4  
#ch4 ,through the weakening of the      
causes of bondage1 and by learning the  
method of sassing1 the consciousness is 
transferred to the other body4    ,in   
due time1 after the spiritual man has   
been formed and grown stable  through   
the forces and virtues already          
enumerated1 and after the senses  of the
 spiritual man have awaked1 there comes 
the transfer of the  dominant           
consciousness1 the sense of             
individuality1 from the physical  to the
 spiritual man4 ,thereafter the physical
 man is felt to be a  secondary1 a      
subordinate1 an instrument through whom 
the spiritual man  works2 and the       
spiritual man is felt to be the real    
individuality4 ,this  is1 in a sense1   

the attainment to full salvation and    
immortal life2 yet  it is not the final 
goal or resting place1 but only the     
beginning of  the greater way4    ,the  
means for this transfer are described as
 the weakening of the  causes of        
bondage1 and an understanding of the    
method of passing from  the one         
consciousness to the other4 ,the first  
may also be described as  detach meet1  
and comes from the conquest of the      
delusion that the  personal self is the 
real man4 ,when that delusion abates and
 is held in  check1 the finer           
consciousness of the spiritual man      
begins to shine in  the background of   
the mind4 ,the transfer of the sense of 
individuality  to this finer            
consciousness1 and thus to the spiritual
 man1 then  becomes a matter of         
recollection1 of attention2 primarily1 a
 matter of  taking a deeper interest in 
the life and doings of the spiritual    
man1  than in the pleasures or          
occupations of the personality4         

,therefore it  is said3 8,lay not up for
 yourselves treasures upon earth1 where 
moth  and rust cloth corrupt1 and where 
thieves break through and steal3 but    
lay up for yourselves treasures in      
heaven1 where neither moth nor rust     
cloth corrupt1 and where thieves do not 
break through nor steal3 for  where your
 treasure is1 there will your heart be  
also40    #ci4 ,through mastery of the  
upward-life comes freedom from the      
dangers  of water1 morass1 and thorny   
places1 and the power of ascension is   
gained4    ,here is one of the          
sentences1 so characteristic of this    
author1 and1  indeed1 of the ,eastern   
spirit1 in which there is an obvious    
exterior  meaning1 and1 within this1 a  
clear interior meaning1 not quite so    
obvious1 but far more vital4    ,the    
surface meaning is1 that by mastery of a
 certain power1 called here  the        
upward-life1 and akin to levitation1    
there comes the ability to  walk on     
water1 or to pass over thorny places    

without wounding the feet4    ,but there
 is a deeper meaning4 ,when we speak of 
the disciple's path as  a path of       
thorns1 we use a symbol2 and the same   
symbol is used here4  ,the upward-life  
means something more than the power1    
often manifested  in abnormal psychical 
experiences1 of levitating the physical 
body1 or  near-by physical objects4 ,it 
means the strong power of aspiration1 of
  upward will1 which first builds1 and  
then awakes the spiritual man1 and      
finally transfers the conscious         
individuality to him2 for it is he who  
passes safely over the waters of death  
and rebirth1 and is not pierced  by the 
thorns in the path4 ,therefore it is    
said that he who would tread  the path  
of power must look for a home in the    
air1 and afterwards in  the ether4      
,of the upward-life1 this is written in 
the ,katha ,upanishad3 8,a hundred  and 
one are the heart's channels2 of these  
one passes to the crown4  ,going up     
this1 he comes to the immortal40 ,this  

is the power of  ascension spoken of in 
the ,sutra4    #dj4 ,by mastery of the  
binding-life comes radiance4    ,in the 
,upanishads1 it is said that this       
binding-life unites the  upward-life to 
the downward-life1 and these lives have 
their analogies  in the 8vital breaths0 
in the body4 ,the thought in the text   
seems to  be1 that1 when the personality
 is brought thoroughly under control of 
the spiritual man1 through the          
life-currents which bind them together1 
the personality is endowed with a new   
force1 a strong personal  magnetism1 one
 might call it1 such as is often an     
appanage of genius4    ,but the text    
seems to mean more than this and to have
 in view the  8vesture of the colour of 
the sun0 attributed by the ,upanishads  
to the  spiritual man2 that vesture     
which a disciple has thus described3    
8,the  ,lord shall change our vile body1
 that it may be fashioned like unto his 
glorious body02 perhaps 8body of        
radiance0 would better translate the    

,greek4    ,in both these passages1 the 
teaching seems to be1 that the body of  
the  full-grown spiritual man is radiant
 or luminous1-for those at least1  who  
have anointed their eyes wit6 eye-salve1
 so that they see4    #da4 ,from        
perfectly concentrated ,meditation on   
the correlation of  hearing and the     
ether1 comes the power of spiritual     
hearing4    ,physical sound1 we are     
told1 is carried by the air1 or by      
water1 iron1  or some medium on the same
 plane of substance4 ,but then is a     
finer  hearing1 whose medium of         
transmission would seem to be the ether2
  perhaps no that ether which carries   
light1 heat and magnetic waves1  but1 it
 may be1 the far finer ether through    
which the power of gravity  works4 ,for1
 while light or heat or magnetic waves1 
travelling from the  sun to the earth1  
take eight minutes for the journey1 it  
is  mathematically certain that the pull
 of gravitation does not take as  much  
as eight seconds1 or even the eighth of 

a second4 ,the pull of  gravitation     
travels1 it would seem 8as quick as     
thought02 so it may  well be that1 in   
thought transference or telepathy1 the  
thoughts travel  by the same way1       
carried by the same 8thought-swift0     
medium4    ,the transfer of a word by   
telepathy is the simplest and earliest  
form  of the 8divine hearing0 of the    
spiritual man2 as that power grows1 and 
as1 through perfectly concentrated      
,meditation1 the spiritual man comes    
into more complete mastery of it1 he    
grows able to hear and clearly          
distinguish the speech of the great     
,companions1 who counsel and comfort    
him on his way4 ,they may speak to him  
either in wordless thoughts1 or  in     
perfectly definite words and sentences4 
#db4 ,by perfectly concentrated         
,meditation em the correlation of the   
body  with the ether1 and by thinking of
 it as light as thistle-down1 will  come
 the power to traverse the ether4    ,it
 has been said that he who would tread  

the path of power must look  for a home 
in the air1 and afterwards in the ether4
 ,this would seem to  mean1 besides the 
constant injunction to detachment1 that 
he must be  prepared to inhabit first a 
psychic1 and then an etheric body2 the  
former being the body of dreams2 the    
latter1 the body of the spiritual  man1 
when he wakes up on the other side of   
dreamland4 ,the gradual  accustoming of 
the consciousness to its new etheric    
vesture1 its  gradual acclimatization1  
so to speak1 in the etheric body of the 
spiritual man1 is what our text seems to
 contemplate4    #dc4 ,when that        
condition of consciousness is reached1  
which is  far-reaching and not confined 
to the body1 which is outside the body  
and not conditioned by it1 then the veil
 which conceals the light is  worn away4
    ,perhaps the best comment on this is
 afforded by the words of ,paul3 8,i    
knew a man in ,christ above fourteen    
years ago1 7whether in the body1 ,i     
cannot tell2 or whether out of the body1

 ,i cannot tell3 ,god knoweth27  such a 
one caught up to the third heaven4 ,and 
,i knew such a man1  7whether in the    
body1 or out of the body1 ,i cannot     
tell3 ,god knoweth27  how that he was   
caught up into paradise1 and heard      
unspeakable or1  unspoken words1 which  
it is not lawful for a man to utter40   
,the condition is1 briefly1 that of the 
awakened spiritual man1 who sees  and   
hears beyond the veil4    #dd4 ,mastery 
of the elements comes from perfectly    
concentrated  ,meditation on their five 
forms3 the gross1 the elemental1 the    
subtle1  the inherent1 the purposive4   
,these five forms are analogous to those
 recognized by modern physics3  solid1  
liquid1 gaseous1 radiant and ionic4     
,when the piercing vision of  the       
awakened spiritual man is directed to   
the forms of matter1 from  within1 as it
 were1 from behind the scenes1 then     
perfect mastery over  the 8beggarly     
elements0 is attained4 ,this is1        
perhaps1 equivalent to  the injunction3 

8,inquire of the earth1 the air1 and the
 water1 of the  secrets they hold for   
you4 ,the development of your inner     
senses will  enable you to do this40    
#de4 ,thereupon will come the           
manifestation of the atomic and other   
powers1 which are the endowment of the  
body1 together with its  unassailable   
force4    ,the body in question is1 of  
course1 the etheric body of the         
spiritual  man4 ,he is said to possess  
eight powers3 the atomic1 the power of  
assimilating himself with the nature of 
the atom1 which will1 perhaps1  involve 
the power to disintegrate material      
forms2 the power of  levitation2 the    
power of limitless extension2 the power 
of boundless  reach1 so that1 as the    
commentator says1 8he can touch the moon
 with  the tip of his finger02 the power
 to accomplish his will2 the power of   
gravitation1 the correlative of         
levitation2 the power of command2 the   
power of creative will4 ,these are the  
endowments of the spiritual man4        

,further1 the spiritual body is         
unassailable4 ,fire burns it not1 water 
wets it not1 the sword cleaves it not1  
dry winds parch it not4 ,and1 it  is    
said1 the spiritual man can impart      
something of this quality and  temper to
 his bodily vesture4    #df4            
,shapeliness1 beauty1 force1 the temper 
of the diamond3 these are  the          
endowments of that body4    ,the        
spiritual man is shapely1 beautiful     
strong1 firm as the diamond4  ,therefore
 it is written3 8,these things saith the
 ,son of ,god1 who hath  his eyes like  
unto a flame of fire1 and his feet are  
like fine brass3  ,he that overcometh   
and keepeth my works unto the end1 to   
him will ,i  give power over the        
nations3 and he shall rule them with a  
rod of iron2  and ,i will give him the  
morning star40    #dg4 ,mastery over the
 powers of perception and action comes  
through  perfectly concentrated         
,meditation on their fivefold forms2    
namely1  their power to grasp their     

distinctive nature1 the element of      
self-consciousness in them1 their       
inherence1 and their purposiveness4     
,take1 for example1 sight4 ,this        
possesses1 first1 the power to grasp1   
apprehend1 perceive2 second1 it has its 
distinctive form of perception2  that   
is1 visual perception2 third1 it always 
carries with its  operations            
self-consciousness1 the thought3 8,i    
perceive02 fourth sight  has the power  
of extension through the whole field of 
vision1 even to  the utmost star2 fifth1
 it is used for the purposes of the     
,seer4 ,so  with the other senses4      
,perfectly concentrated ,meditation on  
each sense1  a viewing it from behind   
and within1 as is possible for the      
spiritual  man1 brings a mastery of the 
scope and true character of each sense1 
and of the world on which they report   
collectively4    #dh4 ,thence comes the 
power swift as thought1 independent of  
instruments1 and the mastery over       
matter4    ,we are further enumerating  

the endowments of the spiritual man4    
,among  these is the power to traverse  
space with the swiftness of thought1 so 
that whatever place the spiritual man   
thinks of1 to that he goes1 in  that    
place he already is4 ,thought has now   
become his means of  locomotion4 ,he is1
 therefore1 independent of instruments1 
and can bring  his force to bear        
directly1 wherever he wills4    #di4    
,when the spiritual man is perfectly    
disentangled from the psychic  body1 he 
attains to mastery over all things and  
to a knowledge of all4    ,the spiritual
 man is enmeshed in the web of the      
emotions2 desire1 fear1  ambition1      
passion2 and impeded by the mental forms
 of separateness and  materialism4 ,when
 these meshes are sundered1 these       
obstacles completely  overcome1 then the
 spiritual man stands forth in his own  
wide world1  strong1 mighty1 wise4 ,he  
uses divine powers1 with a divine scope 
and  energy1 working together with      
divine ,companions4 ,to such a one it is

  said3 8,thou art now a disciple1 able 
to stand1 able to hear1 able to  see1   
able to speak1 thou hast conquered      
desire and attained to  self-knowledge1 
thou hast seen thy soul in its bloom and
 recognized it1  and heard the voice of 
the silence40    #ej4 ,by absence of all
 self-indulgence at this point1 when the
 seeds of  bondage to sorrow are        
destroyed1 pure spiritual being is      
attained4    ,the seeking of indulgence 
for the personal self1 whether through  
passion or ambition1 sows the seed of   
future sorrow4 ,for this self           
indulgence of the personality is a      
double sin against the real2 a sin      
against the cleanness of life1 and a sin
 against the universal being1  which    
permits no exclusive particular good1   
since1 in the real1 all  spiritual      
possessions are held in common4 ,this   
twofold sin brings its  reacting        
punishment1 its confining bondage to    
sorrow4 ,but ceasing from               
self-indulgence brings purity1          

liberation1 spiritual life4    #ea4     
,there should be complete overcoming of 
allurement or pride in the  invitations 
of the different realms of life1 lest   
attachment to things  evil arise once   
more4    ,the commentator tells us that 
disciples1 seekers for union1 are of    
four  degrees3 first1 those who are     
entering the path2 second1 those who are
  in the realm of allurements2 third1   
those who have won the victory over     
matter and the senses2 fourth1 those who
 stand firm in pure spiritual  life4 ,to
 the second1 especially1 the caution in 
the text is addressed4  ,more modern    
teachers would express the same truth by
 a warning against  the delusions and   
fascinations of the psychic realm1 which
 open around  the disciple1 as he breaks
 through into the unseen worlds4 ,these 
are  the dangers of the anteroom4       
,safety lies in passing on swiftly into 
the  inner chamber4 8,him that          
overcometh will ,i make a pillar in the 
temple  of my ,god1 and he shall go no  

more out40    #eb4 ,from perfectly      
concentrated ,meditation on the         
divisions of time and  their succession 
comes that wisdom which is born of      
discernment4    ,the ,upanishads say of 
the liberated that 8he has passed beyond
 the  triad of time02 he no longer sees 
life as projected into past1 present    
and future1 since these are forms of the
 mind2 but beholds all things  spread   
out in the quiet light of the ,eternal4 
,this would seem to be the  same        
thought1 and to point to that clear-eyed
 spiritual perception  which is above   
time2 that wisdom born of the unveiling 
of ,time's  delusion4 ,then shall the   
disciple live neither in the present nor
 the  future1 but in the ,eternal4      
#ec4 ,hence comes discernment between   
things which are of like nature1  not   
distinguished by difference of kind1    
character or position4    ,here1 as also
 in the preceding ,sutra1 we are close  
to the doctrine that  distinctions of   
order1 time and space are creations of  

the mind2 the  threefold prism through  
which the real object appears to us     
distorted  and refracted4 ,when the     
prism is withdrawn1 the object returns  
to its  primal unity1 no longer         
distinguishable by the mind1 yet clearly
  knowable by that high power of        
spiritual discernment1 of illumination1 
which is above the mind4    #ed4 ,the   
wisdom which is born of discernment is  
starlike2 it discerns  all things1 and  
all conditions of things1 it discerns   
without  succession3 simultaneously4    
,that wisdom1 that intuitive1 divining  
power is starlike1 says the             
commentator1 because it shines with its 
own light1 because it rises on  high1   
and illumines all things4 ,nought is hid
 from it1 whether things  past1 things  
present1 or things to come2 for it is   
beyond the threefold  form of time1 so  
that all things are spread before it    
together1 in the  single light of the   
divine4 ,this power has been beautifully
 described  by ,columba3 8,some there   

are1 though very few1 to whom ,divine   
grace has  granted this3 that they can  
clearly and most distinctly see1 at one 
and  the same moment1 as though under   
one ray of the sun1 even the entire     
circuit of the whole world with its     
surroundings of ocean and sky1 the      
inmost part of their mind being         
marvellously enlarged40    #ee4 ,when   
the vesture and the spiritual man are   
alike pure1 then perfect  spiritual life
 is attained4    ,the vesture1 says the 
commentator1 must first be washed pure  
of all  stains of passion and darkness1 
and the seeds of future sorrow must be  
burned up utterly4 ,then1 both the      
vesture and the wearer of the vesture   
being alike pure1 the spiritual man     
enters into perfect spiritual life4     
,,introduction ,,to ,,book ,,iv         
,the third book of the ,sutras has      
fairly completed the history of the     
birth and growth of the spiritual man1  
and the enumeration of his  powers2 at  
least so far as concerns that first     

epoch in his immortal  life1 which      
immediately succeeds1 and supersedes1   
the life of the  natural man4    ,in the
 fourth book1 we are to consider what   
one might call the  mechanism of        
salvation1 the ideally simple working of
 cosmic law which  brings the spiritual 
man to birth1 growth1 and fulness of    
power1 and  prepares him for the        
splendid1 toilsome further stages of his
 great  journey home4    ,the ,sutras   
are here brief to obscurity2 only a few 
words1 for example1  are given to the   
great triune mystery and illusion of    
,time2 a phrase or  two indicates the   
sweep of some universal law4 ,yet it is 
hoped that1 by  keeping our eyes fixed  
on the spiritual man1 remembering that  
he is the  hero of the story1 and that  
all that is written concerns him and his
  adventures1 we may be able to find our
 way through this thicket of  tangled   
words1 and keep in our hands the clue to
 the mystery4    ,the last part of the  
last book needs little introduction4 ,in

 a sense1  it is the most important part
 of the whole treatise1 since it unmasks
  the nature of the personality1 that   
psychical 8mind10 which is the  wakeful 
enemy of all who seek to tread the path4
 ,even now1 we can hear  it whispering  
the doubt whether that can be a good    
path1 which thus  sets 8mind0 at        
defiance4    ,if this1 then1 be the most
 vital and fundamental part of the      
teaching1  should it not stand at the   
very beginning8 ,it may seem so at      
first2 but  had it stood there1 we      
should not have comprehended it4 ,for he
 who  would know the doctrine must lead 
the life1 doing the will of his  ,father
 which is in ,heaven4          ,,book   
,,iv      #a4 ,psychic and spiritual    
powers may be inborn1 or they may be    
gained by  the use of drugs1 or by      
incantations1 or by fervour1 or by      
,meditation4    ,spiritual powers have  
been enumerated and described in the    
preceding  sections4 ,they are the      
normal powers of the spiritual man1 the 

antetype1 the divine edition1 of the    
powers of the natural man4 ,through     
these powers1 the spiritual man stands1 
sees1 hears1 speaks1 in the  spiritual  
world1 as the physical man stands1 sees1
 hears1 speaks in the  natural world4   
,there is a counterfeit presentment of  
the spiritual man1 in the world  of     
dreams1 a shadow lord of shadows1 who   
has his own dreamy powers of  vision1 of
 hearing1 of movement2 he has left the  
natural without  reaching the spiritual4
 ,he has set forth from the shore1 but  
has not  gained the further verge of the
 river4 ,he is borne along by the       
stream1  with no foothold on either     
shore4 ,leaving the actual1 he has      
fallen  short of the real1 caught in the
 limbo of vanities and delusions4 ,the  
cause of this aberrant phantasm is      
always the worship of a false1 vain     
self1 the lord of dreams1 within one's  
own breast4 ,this is the psychic  man1  
lord of delusive and bewildering psychic
 powers4    ,spiritual powers1 like     

intellectual or artistic gifts1 may be  
inborn3  the fruit1 that is1 of seeds   
planted and reared with toil in a former
  birth4 ,so also the powers of the     
psychic man may be inborn1 a delusive   
harvest from seeds of delusion4         
,psychical powers may be gained by      
drugs1 as poverty1 shame1 debasement    
may be gained by the self-same drugs4   
,in their action1 they are  baneful1    
cutting the man off from consciousness  
of the restraining  power of his divine 
nature1 so that his forces break forth  
exuberant1  like the laughter of        
drunkards1 and he sees and hears things 
delusive4  ,while sinking1 he believes  
that he has risen2 growing weaker1 he   
thinks  himself full of strength2       
beholding illusions1 he takes them to be
  true4 ,such are the powers gained by  
drugs2 they are wholly psychic1  since  
the real powers1 the spiritual1 can     
never be so gained4    ,incantations are
 affirmations of half-truths concerning 
spirit and  matter1 what is and what is 

not1 which work upon the mind and slowly
  build up a wraith of powers and a     
delusive well-being4 ,these1 too1 are   
of the psychic realm of dreams4         
,lastly1 there are the true powers of   
the spiritual man1 built up and         
realized in ,meditation1 through        
reverent obedience to spiritual law1 to 
the pure conditions of being1 in the    
divine realm4    #b4 ,the transfer of   
powers from one venture to another comes
 through the  flow of the natural       
creative forces4    ,here1 if we can    
perceive it1 is the whole secret of     
spiritual birth1  growth and life       
,spiritual being1 like all being1 is but
 an expression  of the ,self1 of the    
inherent power and being of ,atma4      
,inherent in the  ,self are             
consciousness and will1 which have1 as  
their lordly heritage1  the wide sweep  
of the universe throughout eternity1 for
 the ,self is one  with the ,eternal4   
,and the consciousness of the ,self may 
make itself  manifest as seeing1        

hearing1 tasting1 feeling1 or whatsoever
 perceptive  powers there may be1 just  
as the white sunlight may divide into   
many-coloured rays4 ,so may the will of 
the ,self manifest itself in the        
uttering of words1 or in handling1 or in
 moving1 and whatever powers of  action 
there are throughout the seven worlds4  
,where the ,self is1 there  will its    
powers be4 ,it is but a question of the 
vesture through which  these powers     
shall shine forth4 ,and wherever the    
consciousness and  desire of the        
ever-creative ,self are fixed1 there    
will a vesture be  built up2 where the  
heart is1 there will the treasure be    
also4    ,since through ages the desire 
of the ,self has been toward the natural
  world1 wherein the ,self sought to    
mirror himself that he might know       
himself1 therefore a vesture of natural 
elements came into being1  through which
 blossomed forth the ,self's powers of  
perceiving and of  will3 the power to   
see1 to hear1 to speak1 to walk1 to     

handle2 and when  the ,self1 thus come  
to self-consciousness1 and1 with it1 to 
a knowledge  of his imprisonment1 shall 
set his desire on the divine and real   
world1  and raise his consciousness     
thereto1 the spiritual vesture shall be 
built up for him there1 with its        
expression of his inherent powers4 ,nor 
will migration thither be difficult for 
the ,self1 since the divine is  no      
strange or foreign land for him1 but the
 house of his home1 where he  dwells    
from everlasting4    #c4 ,the apparent1 
immediate cause is not the true cause of
 the creative  nature-powers2 but1 like 
the husbandman in his field1 it takes   
obstacles away4    ,the husbandman tills
 his field1 breaking up the clods of    
earth into  fine mould1 penetrable to   
air and rain2 he sows his seed1         
carefully  covering it1 for fear of     
birds and the wind2 he waters the       
seed-laden  earth1 turning the little   
rills from the irrigation tank now this 
way  and that1 removing obstacles from  

the channels1 until the even ,how of    
water vitalizes the whole field4 ,and so
 the plants germinate and grow1  first  
the blade1 then the ear1 then the full  
corn in the ear4 ,but it is  not the    
husbandman who makes them grow4 ,it is1 
first1 the miraculous  plasmic power in 
the grain of seed1 which brings forth   
after its kind2  then the alchemy of    
sunlight which1 in presence of the green
 colouring  matter of the leaves1       
gathers hydrogen from the water and     
carbon from  the gases in the air1 and  
mingles them in the hydro-carbons of    
plant  growth2 and1 finally1 the wholly 
occult vital powers of the plant        
itself1 stored up through ages1 and     
flowing down from the primal  sources of
 life4 ,the husbandman but removes the  
obstacles4 ,he plants  and waters1 but  
,god gives the increase4    ,so with the
 finer husbandman of diviner fields4 ,he
 tills and sows1 but  the growth of the 
spiritual man comes through the surge   
and flow of  divine1 creative forces and

 powers4 ,here1 again1 ,god gives the   
increase4 ,the divine ,self puts forth1 
for the manifestation of its  powers1 a 
new and finer vesture1 the body of the  
spiritual man4    #d4 ,vestures of      
consciousness are built up in conformity
 with the ,boston  of the feeling of    
selfhood4    ,the ,self1 says a great   
,teacher1 in turn attaches itself to    
three  vestures3 first1 to the physical 
body1 then to the finer body1 and       
thirdly to the causal body4 ,finally it 
stands forth radiant1 luminous1  joyous1
 as the ,self4    ,when the ,self       
attributes itself to the physical body1 
there arise the  states of bodily       
consciousness1 built up about the       
physical self4    ,when the ,self1      
breaking through this first illusion1   
begins to see and  feel itself in the   
finer body1 to find selfhood there1 then
 the states  of consciousness of the    
finer body come into being2 or1 to speak
  exactly1 the finer body and its states
 of consciousness arise and grow        

together4    ,but the ,self must not    
dwell permanently there4 ,it must learn 
to find  itself in the causal body1 to  
build up the wide and luminous fields of
  consciousness that belong to that4    
,nor must it dwell forever there1 for   
there remains the fourth state1  the    
divine1 with its own splendour and      
everlastingness4    ,it is all a        
question of the states of consciousness2
 all a question of  raising the sense of
 selfhood1 until it dwells forever in   
the ,eternal4    #e4 ,in the different  
fields of manifestation1 the            
,consciousness1 though  one1 is the     
elective cause of many states of        
consciousness4    ,here is the splendid 
teaching of oneness that lies at the    
heart of the  ,eastern wisdom4          
,consciousness is ultimately ,one1      
everywhere and  forever4 ,the ,eternal1 
the ,father1 is the ,one ,self of ,all  
,beings4 ,and  so1 in each individual   
who is but a facet of that ,self1       
,consciousness  is ,one4 ,whether it    

breaks through as the dull fire of      
physical life1 or  the murky flame of   
the psychic and passional1 or the       
radiance of the  spiritual man1 or the  
full glory of the ,divine1 it is ever   
the ,light1  naught but the ,light4 ,the
 one ,consciousness is the effective    
cause of  all states of consciousness1  
on every plane4    #f4 ,among states of 
consciousness1 that which is born of    
,contemplation  is free from the seed of
 future sorrow4    ,where the           
consciousness breaks forth in the       
physical body1 and the full  play of    
bodily life begins1 its progression     
carries with it inevitable  limitations4
 ,birth involves death4 ,meetings have  
their partings4 ,hunger  alternates with
 satiety4 ,age follows on the heels of  
youth4 ,so do the  states of            
consciousness run along the circle of   
birth and death4    ,with the psychic1  
the alternation between prize and       
penalty is swifter4  ,hope has its      
shadow of fear1 or it is no hope4       

,exclusive love is  tortured by         
jealousy4 ,pleasure passes through      
deadness into pain4  ,pain's surcease   
brings pleasure back again4 ,so here1   
too1 the states of  consciousness run   
their circle4 ,in all psychic states    
there is egotism1  which1 indeed1 is the
 very essence of the psychic2 and where 
there is  egotism there is ever the seed
 of future sorrow4 ,desire carries      
bondage  in its womb4    ,but where the 
pure spiritual consciousness begins1    
free from self and  stain1 the ancient  
law of retaliation ceases2 the penalty  
of sorrow  lapses and is no more        
imposed4 ,the soul now passes1 no longer
 from  sorrow to sorrow1 but from glory 
to glory4 ,its growth and splendour     
have no limit4 ,the good passes to      
better1 best4    #g4 ,the works of      
followers after ,union make neither for 
bright pleasure  nor for dark pain ,the 
works of others make for pleasure or    
pain1 or a  mingling of these4    ,the  
man of desire wins from his works the   

reward of pleasure1 or incurs  the      
penalty of pain2 or1 as so often happens
 in life1 his guerdon1 like  the        
passionate mood of the lover1 is part   
pleasure and part pain4 ,works  done    
with self-seeking bear within them the  
seeds of future sorrow2  conversely1    
according to the proverb1 present pain  
is future gain4    ,but1 for him who has
 gone beyond desire1 whose desire is set
 on the  ,eternal1 neither pain to be   
avoided nor pleasure to be gained       
inspires  his work4 ,he fears no hell   
and desires no heaven4 ,his one desire  
is1 to  know the will of the ,father and
 finish ,his work4 ,he comes directly in
  line with the divine ,will1 and works 
cleanly and immediately1 without        
longing or fear4 ,his heart dwells in   
the ,eternal2 all his desires are  set  
on the ,eternal4    #h4 ,from the force 
inherent in works comes the             
manifestation of those  dynamic mind    
images which are conformable to the     
ripening out of each  of these works4   

,we are now to consider the general     
mechanism of ,karma1 in order that we   
may pass on to the consideration of him 
who is free from ,karma4 ,karma1        
indeed1 is the concern of the personal  
man1 of his bondage or freedom4  ,it is 
the succession of the forces which built
 up the personal man1  reproducing      
themselves in one personality after     
another4    ,now let us take an         
imaginary case1 to see how these forces 
may work  out4 ,let us think of a man1  
with murderous intent in his heart1     
striking with a dagger at his enemy4 ,he
 makes a red wound in his  victim's     
breast2 at the same instant he paints1  
in his own mind1 a  picture of that     
wound3 a picture dynamic with all the   
fierce will-power  he has put into his  
murderous blow4 ,in other words he has  
made a deep  wound in his own psychic   
body2 and1 when he comes to be born     
again1  that body will become his       
outermost vesture1 upon which1 with its 
wound  still there1 bodily tissue will  

be built up4 ,so the man will be born   
maimed1 or with the predisposition to   
some mortal injury2 he is  unguarded at 
that point1 and any trifling accidental 
blow will pierce  the broken ,joints of 
his psychic armour4 ,thus do the dynamic
  mind-images manifest themselves1      
coming to the surface1 so that works    
done in the past may ripen and come to  
fruition4    #i4 ,works separated by    
different nature1 or place1 or time1 are
 brought  together by the correspondence
 between memory and dynamic impression4 
,just as1 in the ripening out of        
mind-images into bodily conditions1 the 
effect is brought about by the ray of   
creative force sent down by the  ,self1 
somewhat as the light of the magic      
lantern projects the details  of a      
picture on the screen1 revealing the    
hidden1 and making secret  things       
palpable and visible1 so does this      
divine ray exercise a  selective power  
on the dynamic mind-images1 bringing    
together into one  day of life the seeds

 gathered from many days4 ,the memory   
constantly  exemplifies this power2 a   
passage of poetry will call up in the   
mind  like passages of many poets1 read 
at different times4 ,so a prayer may    
call up many prayers4    ,in like       
manner1 the same over-ruling selective  
power1 which is a ray of  the ,higher   
,self1 gathers together from different  
births and times and  places those      
mind-images which are conformable1 and  
may be grouped in  the frame of a single
 life or a single event4 ,through this  
grouping1  visible bodily conditions or 
outward circumstances are brought about1
  and by these the soul is taught and   
trained4    ,just as the dynamic        
mind-images of desire ripen out in      
bodily  conditions and circumstances1 so
 the far more dynamic powers of         
aspiration1 wherein the soul reaches    
toward the ,eternal1 have their         
fruition in a finer world1 building the 
vesture of the spiritual man4    #aj4   
,the series of dynamic mind-images is   

beginningless1 because ,desire  is      
everlasting4    ,the whole series of    
dynamic mind-images1 which make up the  
entire  history of the personal man1 is 
a part of the mechanism which the ,self 
employs1 to mirror itself in a          
reflection1 to embody its powers in an  
outward form1 to the end of             
self-expression1 selfrealization1       
self-knowledge4 ,therefore the initial  
impulse behind these dynamic            
mind-images comes from the ,self and is 
the descending ray of the ,self2  so    
that it cannot be said that there is any
 first member of the series  of images1 
from which the rest arose4 ,the impulse 
is beginningless1  since it comes from  
the ,self1 which is from everlasting4   
,desire is not  to cease2 it is to turn 
to the ,eternal1 and so become          
aspiration4    #aa4 ,since the dynamic  
mind-images are held together by        
impulses of  desire1 by the wish for    
personal reward1 by the substratum of   
mental  habit1 by the support of outer  

things desired2 therefore1 when these   
cease1 the self reproduction of dynamic 
mind-images ceases4    ,we are still    
concerned with the personal life in its 
bodily vesture1  and with the process   
whereby the forces which have upheld it 
are  gradually transferred to the life  
of the spiritual man1 and build up  for 
him his finer vesture in a finer world4 
,how is the current to be changed8 ,how 
is the flow of self-reproductive        
mind-images1 which have built the       
conditions of life after life in this   
world of bondage1 to be checked1 that   
the time of imprisonment may come  to an
 end1 the day of liberation dawn8       
,the answer is given in the ,sutra just 
translated4 ,the driving-force is       
withdrawn and directed to the upbuilding
 of the spiritual body4    ,when the    
building impulses and forces are        
withdrawn1 the tendency to  manifest a  
new psychical body1 a new body of       
bondage1 ceases with them4    #ab4 ,the 
difference between that which is past   

and that which is not yet  come1        
according to their natures1 depends on  
the difference of phase of  their       
properties4    ,here we come to a high  
and difficult matter1 which has always  
been held  to be of great moment in the 
,eastern wisdom3 the thought that the   
division of time into past1 present and 
future is1 in great measure1 an         
illusion2 that past1 present1 future all
 dwell together in the eternal  ,now4   
,the discernment of this truth has been 
held to be so necessarily a part  of    
wisdom1 that one of the names of the    
,enlightened is3 8he who has  passed    
beyond the three times3 past1 present1  
future40    ,so the ,western ,master    
said3 8,before ,abraham was1 ,i am02 and
 again1 8,i  am with you always1 unto   
the end of the world02 using the eternal
  present for past and future alike4    
,with the same purpose1 the ,master     
speaks of himself as 8the alpha and the 
omega1 the beginning and the  end1 the  
first and the last40    ,and a ,master  

of our own days writes3 8,i feel even   
irritated at having  to use these three 
clumsy words--past1 present1 and future4
 ,miserable  concepts of the objective  
phases of the subjective whole1 they are
  about as ill adapted for the purpose1 
as an axe for fine carving40    ,in the 
eternal ,now1 both past and future are  
consummated4    ,bjorklund1 the ,swedish
 philosopher1 has well stated the same  
truth3    8,neither past nor future can 
exist to ,god2 ,he lives undividedly1   
without limitations1 and needs not1 as  
man1 to plot out his existence  in a    
series of moments4 ,eternity then is not
 identical with unending  time2 it is a 
different form of existence1 related to 
time as the  perfect to the imperfect   
''' ,man as an entity for himself must  
have the  natural limitations for the   
part4 ,conceived by ,god1 man is eternal
 in  the divine sense1 but conceived1 by
 himself1 man's eternal life is  clothed
 in the limitations we call time4 ,the  
eternal is a constant  present without  

beginning or end1 without past or       
future40    #ac4 ,these properties1     
whether manifest or latent1 are of the  
nature of  the ,three ,potencies4       
,the ,three ,potencies are the three    
manifested modifications of the one     
primal material1 which stands opposite  
to perceiving consciousness4  ,these    
,three ,potencies are called ,substance1
 ,force1 ,darkness2 or viewed  rather   
for their moral colouring1 ,goodness1   
,passion1 ,inertness4 ,every  material  
manifestation is a projection of        
substance into the empty  space of      
darkness4 ,every mental state is either 
good1 or passional1 or  inert4 ,so1     
whether subjective or objective1 latent 
or manifest1 all  things that present   
themselves to the perceiving            
consciousness are  compounded of these  
three4 ,this is a fundamental doctrine  
of the  ,sankhya system4    #ad4 ,the   
external manifestation of an object     
takes place when the  transformations   
ore in the same phase4    ,we should be 

inclined to express the same law by     
saying1 for example1  that a sound is   
audible1 when it consists of vibrations 
within the  compass of the auditory     
nerve2 that an object is visible1 when  
either  directly or by reflection1 it   
sends forth luminiferous vibrations     
within the compass of the retina and the
 optic nerve4 ,vibrations below  or     
above that compass make no impression at
 all1 and the object remains  invisible2
 as1 for example1 a kettle of boiling   
water in a dark room1  though the kettle
 is sending forth heat vibrations       
closely akin to  light4    ,so1 when the
 vibrations of the object and those of  
the perceptive power  are in the same   
phase1 the external manifestation of the
 object takes  place4    ,there seems to
 be a further suggestion that the       
appearance of an object  in the         
8present10 or its remaining hid in the  
8past10 or 8future10 is  likewise a     
question of phase1 and1 just as the     
range of vibrations  perceived might be 

increased by the development of finer   
senses1 so the  perception of things    
past1 and things to come1 may be easy   
from a  higher point of view4    #ae4   
,the paths of material things and of    
states of consciousness are  distinct1  
as is manifest from the fact that the   
same object may produce  different      
impressions in different minds4         
,having shown that our bodily condition 
and circumstances depend on  ,karma1    
while ,karma depends on perception and  
will1 the sage recognizes  the fact that
 from this may be drawn the false       
deduction that material  things are in  
no wise different from states of mind4  
,the same thought  has occurred1 and    
still occurs1 to all philosophers2 and1 
by various  reasonings1 they all come to
 the same wise conclusion2 that the     
material world is not made by the mood  
of any human mind1 but is rather  the   
manifestation of the totality of        
invisible ,being1 whether we call  this 
,mahat1 with the ancients1 or ,ether1   

with the moderns4    #af4 ,nor do       
material objects depend upon a single   
mind1 for how could  they remain        
objective to others1 if that mind ceased
 to think of them8    ,this is but a    
further development of the thought of   
the preceding  ,sutra1 carrying on the  
thought that1 while the universe is     
spiritual1  yet its material expression 
is ordered1 consistent1 ruled by law1   
not  subject to the whims or            
affirmations of a single mind4          
,unwelcome  material things may be      
escaped by spiritual growth1 by rising  
to a  realm above them1 and not by      
denying their existence on their own    
plane4 ,so that our system is neither   
materialistic1 nor idealistic in  the   
extreme sense1 but rather intuitional   
and spiritual1 holding that  matter is  
the manifestation of spirit as a whole1 
a reflection or  externalization of     
spirit1 and1 like spirit1 everywhere    
obedient to  law4 ,the path of          
liberation is not through denial of     

matter but through  denial of the wills 
of self1 through obedience1 and that    
aspiration  which builds the vesture of 
the spiritual man4    #ag4 ,an object is
 perceived1 or not perceived1 according 
as the mind is1  or is not1 tinged with 
the colour of the object4    ,the       
simplest manifestation of this is the   
matter of attention4 ,our  minds        
apprehend what they wish to apprehend2  
all else passes unnoticed1  or1 on the  
other hand1 we perceive what we resent1 
as1 for example1 the  noise of a passing
 train2 while others1 used to the sound1
 do not  notice it at all4    ,but the  
deeper meaning is1 that out of the vast 
totality of objects  ever present in the
 universe1 the mind perceives only those
 which  conform to the hue of its       
,karma4 ,the rest remain unseen1 even   
though  close at hand4    ,this         
spiritual law has been well expressed by
 ,emerson3    8,through solidest eternal
 things the man finds his road as if    
they did  not subsist1 and does not once

 suspect their being4 ,as soon as he    
needs  a new object1 suddenly he beholds
 it1 and no longer attempts to pass     
through it1 but takes another way4 ,when
 he has exhausted for the time  the     
nourishment to be drawn from any one    
person or thing1 that object  is        
withdrawn from his observation1 and     
though still in his immediate           
neighbourhood1 he does not suspect its  
presence4 ,nothing is dead4 ,men  feign 
themselves dead1 and endure mock        
funerals and mournful  obituaries1 and  
there they stand looking out of the     
window1 sound and  well1 in some new and
 strange disguise4 ,jesus is not dead1  
he is very  well alive3 nor ,john1 nor  
,paul1 nor ,mahomet1 nor ,aristotle2 at 
times we  believe we have seen them all1
 and could easily tell the names under  
which they go40    #ah4 ,the movements  
of the psychic nature are perpetually   
objects of  perception1 since the       
,spiritual ,man1 who is the lord of     
them1 remains  unchanging4    ,here is  

teaching of the utmost import1 both for 
understanding and for  practice4    ,to 
the psychic nature belong all the ebb   
and flow of emotion1 all  hoping and    
fearing1 desire and hate3 the things    
that make the multitude  of men and     
women deem themselves happy or          
miserable4 ,to it also belong  the      
measuring and comparing1 the doubt and  
questioning1 which1 for the  same       
multitude1 make up mental life4 ,so that
 there results the  emotion-soaked      
personality1 with its dark and narrow   
view of life3 the  shivering1 terror    
driven personality that is life itself  
for all but  all of mankind4    ,yet the
 personality is not the true man1 not   
the living soul at all1  but only a     
spectacle which the true man observes4  
,let us under stand  this1 therefore1   
and draw ourselves up inwardly to the   
height of the  ,spiritual ,man1 who1    
standing in the quiet light of the      
,eternal1 looks  down serene upon this  
turmoil of the outer life4    ,one first

 masters the personality1 the 8mind10 by
 thus looking down on  it from above1   
from within2 by steadily watching its   
ebb and flow1 as  objective1 outward1   
and therefore not the real ,self4 ,this 
standing back  is the first step1       
detachment4 ,the second1 to maintain the
  vantage-ground thus gained1 is        
recollection4    #ai4 ,the ,mind is not 
self-luminous1 since it can be seen as  
an object4    ,this is a further step   
toward overthrowing the tyranny of the  
8mind03  the psychic nature of emotion  
and mental measuring4 ,this psychic     
self1  the personality1 claims to be    
absolute1 asserting that life is for it 
and through it2 it seeks to impose on   
the whole being of man its  narrow1     
materialistic1 faithless view of life   
and the universe2 it  would clip the    
wings of the soaring ,soul4 ,but the    
,soul dethrones the  tyrant1 by         
perceiving and steadily affirming that  
the psychic self is  no true self at    
all1 not self-luminous1 but only an     

object of  observation1 watched by the  
serene eyes of the ,spiritual ,man4     
#bj4 ,nor could the ,mind at the same   
time know itself and things external  to
 it4    ,the truth is that the 8mind0   
knows neither external things nor       
itself4  ,its measuring and analyzing1  
its hoping and fearing1 hating and      
desiring1 never give it a true measure  
of life1 nor any sense of real  values4 
,ceaselessly active1 it never really    
attains to knowledge2 or1  if we admit  
its knowledge1 it ever falls short of   
wisdom1 which comes  only through       
intuition1 the vision of the ,spiritual 
,man4    ,life cannot be known by the   
8mind10 its secrets cannot be learned   
through the 8mind40 ,the proof is1 the  
ceaseless strife and  contradiction of  
opinion among those who trust in the    
mind4 ,much less  can the 8mind0 know   
itself1 the more so1 because it is      
pervaded by the  illusion that it truly 
knows1 truly is4    ,true knowledge of  
the 8mind0 comes1 first1 when the       

,spiritual ,man1  arising1 stands       
detached1 regarding the 8mind0 from     
above1 with quiet  eyes1 and seeing it  
for the tangled web of psychic forces   
that it truly  is4 ,but the truth is    
divined long before it is clearly seen1 
and then  begins the long battle of the 
8mind10 against the ,real1 the 8mind0   
fighting doggedly1 craftily1 for its    
supremacy4    #ba4 ,if the ,mind be     
thought of as seen by another more      
inward ,mind1 then  there would be an   
endless series of perceiving ,minds1 and
 a confusion  of memories4    ,one of   
the expedients by which the 8mind0 seeks
 to deny and thwart the  ,soul1 when it 
feels that it is beginning to be        
circumvented and seen  through1 is to   
assert that this seeing is the work of a
 part of itself1  one part observing the
 other1 and thus leaving no need nor    
place for  the ,spiritual ,man4    ,to  
this strategy the argument is opposed by
 our philosopher1 that this  would be no
 true solution1 but only a postponement 

of the solution4 ,for  we should have to
 find yet another part of the mind to   
view the first  observing part1 and then
 another to observe this1 and so on1    
endlessly4    ,the true solution is1    
that the ,spiritual ,man looks down upon
 the  psychic nature1 and observes it2  
when he views the psychic pictures      
gallery1 this is 8memory10 which would  
be a hopeless1 inextricable  confusion1 
if we thought of one part of the 8mind10
 with its memories1  viewing another    
part1 with memories of its own4    ,the 
solution of the mystery lies not in the 
8mind0 but beyond it1 in  the luminous  
life of the risen ,lord1 the ,spiritual 
,man4    #bb4 ,when the psychical nature
 takes on the form of the spiritual     
intelligence1 by reflecting it1 then the
 ,self becomes conscious of its  own    
spiritual intelligence4    ,we are      
considering a stage of spiritual life at
 which the psychical  nature has been   
cleansed and purified4 ,formerly1 it    
reflected in its  plastic substance the 

images of the earthy2 purified now1 it  
reflects  the image of the heavenly1    
giving the spiritual intelligence a     
visible  form4 ,the ,self1 beholding    
that visible form1 in which its         
spiritual  intelligence has1 as it were1
 taken palpable shape1 thereby reaches  
self-recognition1 self-comprehension4   
,the ,self sees itself in this  mirror1 
and thus becomes not only conscious1 but
 self-conscious4 ,this  is1 from one    
point of view1 the purpose of the whole 
evolutionary  process4    #bc4 ,the     
psychic nature1 taking on the colour of 
the ,seer and of things  seen1 leads to 
the perception of all objects4    ,in   
the unregenerate man1 the psychic nature
 is saturated with images of  material  
things1 of things seen1 or heard1 or    
tasted1 or felt2 and this  web of       
dynamic images forms the ordinary       
material and driving power of  life4    
,the sensation of sweet things tasted   
clamours to be renewed1 and  drives the 
man into effort to obtain its renewal2  

so he adds image to  image1 each dynamic
 and importunate1 piling up sin's       
intolerable  burden4    ,then comes     
regeneration1 and the washing away of   
sin1 through the  fiery1 creative power 
of the ,soul1 which burns out the stains
 of the  psychic vesture1 purifying it  
as gold is refined in the furnace4 ,the 
suffering of regeneration springs from  
this indispensable purifying4    ,then  
the psychic vesture begins to take on   
the colour of the ,soul1 no  longer     
stained1 but suffused with golden light2
 and the man red  generate gleams with  
the radiance of eternity4 ,thus the     
,spiritual ,man  puts on fair raiment2  
for of this cleansing it is said3       
,though your  sins be as scarlet1 they  
shall be white as snow2 though they be  
as  crimson1 they shall be as wool4     
#bd4 ,the psychic nature1 which has been
 printed with mind-images of            
innumerable material things1 exists now 
for the ,spiritual ,man1 building  for  
him4    ,the 8mind10 once the tyrant1 is

 now the slave1 recognized as outward1  
separate1 not ,self1 a well-trained     
instrument of the ,spiritual ,man4      
,for it is not ordained for the         
,spiritual ,man that1 finding his high  
realm1 he shall enter altogether there1 
and pass out of the vision of  mankind4 
,it is true that he dwells in heaven1   
but he also dwells on  earth4 ,he has   
angels and archangels1 the hosts of the 
just made  perfect1 for his familiar    
friends1 but he has at the same time    
found a  new kinship with the prone     
children of men1 who stumble and sin in 
the  dark4 ,finding sinlessness1 he     
finds also that the world's sin and     
shame  are his1 not to share1 but to    
atone2 finding kinship with angels1 he  
likewise finds his part in the toil of  
angels1 the toil for the  redemption of 
the world4    ,for this work1 he1 who   
now stands in the heavenly realm1 needs 
his  instrument on earth2 and this      
instrument he finds1 ready to his hand1 
and fitted and perfected by the very    

struggles he has waged against it1  in  
the personality1 the 8mind10 of the     
personal man4 ,this once tyrant  is now 
his servant and perfect ambassador1     
bearing witness1 before men1  of        
heavenly things and even in this present
 world doing the will and  working the  
works of the ,father4    #be4 ,for him  
who discerns between the ,mind and the  
,spiritual ,man1 there  comes perfect   
fruition of the longing after the real  
being of the ,self4    ,how many times  
in the long struggle have the ,soul's   
aspirations seemed  but a hopeless1     
impossible dream1 a madman's counsel of 
perfection4 ,yet  every finest1 most    
impossible aspiration shall be realized1
 and ten  times more than realized1 once
 the long1 arduous fight against the    
8mind10 and the mind's worldview is won4
 ,and then it will be seen that  unfaith
 and despair were but weapons of the    
8mind10 to daunt the ,soul1  and put off
 the day when the neck of the 8mind0    
shall be put under the  foot of the     

,soul4    ,have you aspired1 well-nigh  
hopeless1 after immortality8 ,you shall 
be  paid by entering the immortality of 
,god4    ,have you aspired1 in misery   
and pain1 after consoling1 healing love8
  ,you shall be made a dispenser of the 
divine love of ,god ,himself to  weary  
souls4    ,have you sought ardently1 in 
your day of feebleness1 after power8    
,you  shall wield power immortal1       
infinite1 with ,god working the works of
  ,god4    ,have you1 in lonely         
darkness1 longed for companionship and  
consolation8  ,you shall have angels and
 archangels for your friends1 and all   
the  immortal hosts of the ,dawn4       
,these are the fruits of victory4       
,therefore overcome4 ,these are the     
prizes of regeneration4 ,therefore die  
to self1 that you may rise again  to    
,god4    #bf4 ,thereafter1 the whole    
personal being bends toward             
illumination1  toward ,eternal ,life4   
,this is part of the secret of the      
,soul1 that salvation means1 not  merely

 that a soul shall be cleansed and      
raised to heaven1 but that the  whole   
realm of the natural powers shall be    
redeemed1 building up1 even  in this    
present world1 the kingly figure of the 
,spiritual ,man4    ,the traditions of  
the ages are full of his footsteps2     
majestic1  uncomprehended shadows1      
myths1 demi-gods1 fill the memories of  
all the  nobler peoples4 ,but the time  
cometh1 when he shall be known1 no      
longer  demi-god1 nor myth1 nor shadow1 
but the ever-present ,redeemer1 working 
amid men for the life and cleansing of  
all souls4    #bg4 ,in the internals of 
the batik1 other thoughts will arise1   
through  the impressions of the dynamic 
mind-images4    ,the battle is long and 
arduous4 ,let there be no mistake as to 
that4 ,go  not forth to this battle     
without counting the cost4 ,ages have   
gone to  the strengthening of the foe4  
,ages of conflict must be spent1 ere the
  foe1 wholly conquered1 becomes the    
servant1 the ,soul's minister to        

mankind4    ,and from these long past   
ages1 in hours when the contest flags1  
will  come new foes1 mind-born children 
springing up to fight for mind1         
reinforcements coming from forgotten    
years1 forgotten lives4 ,for once  this 
conflict is begun1 it can be ended only 
by sweeping victory1 and  unconditional1
 unreserved surrender of the vanquished4
    #bh4 ,these are to be overcome as it
 was taught that hindrances should be   
overcome4    ,these new enemies and     
fears are to be overcome by ceaselessly 
renewing  the fight1 by a steadfast1    
dogged persistence1 whether in victory  
or  defeat1 which shall put the         
stubbornness of the rocks to shame4 ,for
 the  ,soul is older than all things1   
and invincible2 it is of the very nature
  of the ,soul to be unconquerable4     
,therefore fight on1 undaunted2 knowing 
that the spiritual will1 once  awakened1
 shall1 through the effort of the       
contest1 come to its full  strength2    
that ground gained can be held          

permanently2 that great as is  the      
dead-weight of the adversary1 it is yet 
measurable1 while the  ,warrior who     
fights for you1 for whom you fight1 is1 
in might1  immeasurable1 invincible1    
everlasting4    #bi4 ,he who1 after he  
has attained1 is wholly free from self1 
reaches  the essence of all that can be 
known1 gathered together like a cloud4  
,this is the true spiritual             
consciousness4    ,it has been said     
that1 at the beginning of the way1 we   
must kill out  ambition1 the great      
curse1 the giant weed which grows as    
strongly in  the heart of the devoted   
disciple as in the man of desire4 ,the  
remedy  is sacrifice of self1 obedience1
 humility2 that purity of heart which   
gives the vision of ,god4 ,thereafter1  
he who has attained is wrapt about  with
 the essence of all that can be known1  
as with a cloud2 he has that  perfect   
illumination which is the true spiritual
 consciousness4 ,through  obedience to  
the will of ,god1 he comes into oneness 

of being with ,god2  he is initiated    
into ,god's view of the universe1 seeing
 all life as ,god  sees it4    #cj4     
,thereon comes surcease from sorrow and 
the burden of toil4    ,such a one1 it  
is said1 is free from the bond of       
,karma1 from the burden  of toil1 from  
that debt to works which comes from     
works done in  self-love and desire4    
,free from self-will1 he is free from   
sorrow1 too1  for sorrow comes from the 
fight of self-will against the divine   
will1  through the correcting stress of 
the divine will1 which seeks to         
counteract the evil wrought by          
disobedience4 ,when the conflict with   
the  divine will ceases1 then sorrow    
ceases1 and he who has grown into       
obedience1 thereby enters into joy4     
#ca4 ,when all veils are rent1 all      
stains washed away1 his knowledge       
becomes infinite2 little remains for him
 to know4    ,the first veil is the     
delusion that thy soul is in some       
permanent way  separate from the great  

,soul1 the divine ,eternal4 ,when that  
veil is  rent1 thou shalt discern thy   
oneness with everlasting ,life4 ,the    
second  veil is the delusion of enduring
 separateness from thy other selves1    
whereas in truth the soul that is in    
them is one with the soul that is  in   
thee4 ,the world's sin and shame are thy
 sin and shame3 its joy also4    ,these 
veils rent1 thou shalt enter into       
knowledge of divine things and  human   
things4 ,little will remain unknown to  
thee4    #cb4 ,thereafter comes the     
completion of the series of             
transformations of  the three nature    
potencies1 since their purpose is       
attained4    ,it is a part of the beauty
 and wisdom of the great ,indian        
teachings1  the ,vedanta and the ,yoga  
alike1 to hold that all life exists for 
the  purposes of ,soul1 for the making  
of the spiritual man4 ,they teach that  
all nature is an orderly process of     
evolution1 leading up to this1  designed
 for this end1 existing only for this3  

to bring forth and  perfect the         
,spiritual ,man4 ,he is the crown of    
evolution3 at his coming1  the goal of  
all development is attained4    #cc4    
,the series of transformations is       
divided into moments4 ,when the  series 
is completed1 time gives place to       
duration4    ,there are two kinds of    
eternity1 says the commentary3 the      
eternity of  immortal life1 which       
belongs to the ,spirit1 and the eternity
 of change1  which inheres in ,nature1  
in all that is not ,spirit4 ,while we   
are  content to live in and for ,nature1
 in the ,circle of ,necessity1 ,sansara1
  we doom ourselves to perpetual change4
 ,that which is born must die1 and  that
 which dies must be reborn4 ,it is      
change evermore1 a ceaseless  series of 
transformations4    ,but the ,spiritual 
,man enters a new order2 for him1 there 
is no longer  eternal change1 but       
eternal ,being4 ,he has entered into the
 joy of his  ,lord4 ,this spiritual     
birth1 which makes him heir of the      

,everlasting1  sets a term to change2 it
 is the culmination1 the crowning       
transformation1 of the whole realm of   
change4    #cd4 ,pure spiritual life is1
 therefore1 the inverse resolution of   
the  potencies of ,nature1 which have   
emptied themselves of their value for   
the ,spiritual man2 or it is the return 
of the power of pure  ,consciousness to 
its essential form4    ,here we have a  
splendid generalization1 in which our   
wise philosopher  finally reconciles the
 naturalists and the idealists1         
expressing the  crown and end of his    
teaching1 first in the terms of the     
naturalist1  and then in the terms of   
the idealist4    ,the birth and growth  
of the ,spiritual ,man1 and his entry   
into his  immortal heritage1 may be     
regarded1 says our philosopher1 either  
as the  culmination of the whole process
 of natural evolution and involution1   
where 8that which flowed from out the   
boundless deep1 turns again  home02 or  
it may be looked at1 as the ,vedantins  

look at it1 as the  restoration of pure 
spiritual ,consciousness to its pristine
 and  essential form4 ,there is no      
discrepancy or conflict between these   
two  views1 which are but two accounts  
of the same thing4 ,therefore those  who
 study the wise philosopher1 be they    
naturalist or idealist1 have no  excuse 
to linger over dialectic subtleties or  
disputes4 ,these things  are lifted from
 their path1 lest they should be tempted
 to delay over  them1 and they are left 
facing the path itself1 stretching      
upward and  onward from their feet to   
the everlasting hills1 radiant with     
infinite  ,light4