,an ,introduction to ,yoga      ,,four  
,,lectures ,,delivered ,,at ,,the       
#cb,,nd ,,anniversary ,,of ,,the        
,,theosophical ,,society1  ,,held ,,at  
,,benares1 ,,on ,,dec4 #bg,,th1 #bh,,th1
 #bi,,th1  #cj,,th1 #aijg4      ,,by    
,,annie ,,besant1  ,president of the    
,theosophical ,society4                 
,theosophical ,publishing ,society1     
,benares ,city2 and ,london1 #afa1 ,new 
,bond ,street1  ,theosophist ,office1   
,adyar1 ,madras1 ,s4  #aijh4            
,contents     ,lecture ,i4 ,the ,nature 
of ,yoga   #a4 ,the ,meaning of the     
,universe   #b4 ,the ,unfolding of      
,consciousness   #c4 ,the ,oneness of   
the ,self   #d4 ,the ,quickening of the 
,process of ,self-,unfoldment   #e4     
,yoga is a ,science   #f4 ,man a        
,duality   #g4 ,states of ,mind   #h4   
,samadhi   #i4 ,the ,literature of ,yoga
   #aj4 ,some ,definitions   #aa4 ,god  
,without and ,god ,within   #ab4        
,changes of ,consciousness and          
,vibrations of ,matter   #ac4 ,mind     

#ad4 ,stages of ,mind   #ae4 ,inward and
 ,outward-turned ,consciousness   #af4  
,the ,cloud     ,lecture ,,ii4 ,schools 
of ,thought   #a4 ,its ,relation to     
,indian ,philosophies   #b4 ,mind   #c4 
,the ,mental ,body   #d4 ,mind and ,self
     ,lecture ,,iii4 ,yoga as ,science  
#a4 ,methods of ,yoga   #b4 ,to the     
,self by the ,self   #c4 ,to the ,self  
through the ,not-,self   #d4 ,yoga and  
,morality   #e4 ,composition of ,states 
of the ,mind   #f4 ,pleasure and ,pain  
,lecture ,,iv4 ,yoga as ,practice   #a4 
,inhibition of ,states of ,mind   #b4   
,meditation with and without ,seed   #c4
 ,the ,use of ,mantras   #d4 ,attention 
#e4 ,obstacles to ,yoga   #f4           
,capacities for ,yoga   #g4 ,forthgoing 
and ,returning   #h4 ,purification of   
,bodies   #i4 ,dwellers on the          
,threshold   #aj4 ,preparation for ,yoga
   #aa4 ,the ,end          ,foreword    
,these lectures are intended to give an 
outline of ,yoga1 in order to  prepare  
the student to take up1 for practical   

purposes1 the ,sras of  ,paajali1 the   
chief treatise on ,yoga4 ,i have on     
hand1 with my friend  ,bhagavn s as     
collaborateur1 a translation of these   
,sras1 with  ,vysa's commentary1 and a  
further commentary and elucidation      
written in  the light of ,theosophy4 ,to
 prepare the student for the mastering  
of  that more difficult task1 these     
lectures were designed2 hence the many  
references to ,paajali4 ,they may1      
however1 also serve to give to the      
ordinary lay reader some idea of the    
,science of sciences1 and perhaps  to   
allure a few towards its study4         
,,annie ,,besant4          ,lecture ,i  
,,the ,,nature ,,of ,,yoga              
,brothers3    ,in this first discourse  
we shall concern ourselves with the     
gaining of  a general idea of the       
subject of ,yoga1 seeking its place in  
nature1 its  own character1 its object  
in human evolution4      ,the ,meaning  
of the ,universe    ,let us1 first of   
all1 ask ourselves1 looking at the world

 around us1  what it is that the history
 of the world signifies4 ,when we read  
history1 what does the history tell us8 
,it seems to be a moving  panorama of   
people and events1 but it is really only
 a dance of  shadows2 the people are    
shadows1 not realities1 the kings and   
statesmen1 the ministers and armies2 and
 the events--the battles and            
revolutions1 the rises and falls of     
states--are the most shadowlike  dance  
of all4 ,even if the historian tries to 
go deeper1 if he deals  with economic   
conditions1 with social organisations1  
with the study of  the tendencies of the
 currents of thought1 even then he is in
 the midst  of shadows1 the illusory    
shadows cast by unseen realities4 ,this 
world  is full of forms that are        
illusory1 and the values are all wrong1 
the  proportions are out of focus4 ,the 
things which a man of the world  thinks 
valuable1 a spiritual man must cast     
aside as worthless4 ,the  diamonds of   
the world1 with their glare and glitter 

in the rays of the  outside sun1 are    
mere fragments of broken glass to the   
man of  knowledge4 ,the crown of the    
king1 the sceptre of the emperor1 the   
triumph of earthly power1 are less than 
nothing to the man who has had  one     
glimpse of the majesty of the ,self4    
,what is1 then1 real8 ,what is  truly   
valuable8 ,our answer will be very      
different from the answer given  by the 
man of the world4    8,the universe     
exists for the sake of the ,self40 ,not 
for what the outer  world can give1 not 
for control over the objects of desire1 
not for the  sake even of beauty or     
pleasure1 does the ,great ,architect    
plan and  build ,his worlds4 ,he has    
filled them with objects1 beautiful and 
pleasure-giving4 ,the great arch of the 
sky above1 the mountains with  snow-clad
 peaks1 the valleys soft with verdure   
and fragrant with  blossoms1 the oceans 
with their vast depths1 their surface   
now calm as  a lake1 now tossing in     
fury--they all exist1 not for the       

objects  themselves1 but for their value
 to the ,self4 ,not for themselves      
because  they are anything in themselves
 but that the purpose of the ,self may  
be  served1 and ,his manifestations made
 possible4    ,the world1 with all its  
beauty1 its happiness and suffering1 its
 joys  and pains1 is planned with the   
utmost ingenuity1 in order that the     
powers of the ,self may be shown forth  
in manifestation4 ,from the  fire-mist  
to the ,,logos1 all exist for the sake  
of the ,self4 ,the lowest  grain of     
dust1 the mightiest deva in his heavenly
 regions1 the plant  that grows out of  
sight in the nook of a mountain1 the    
star that shines  aloft over us-all     
these exist in order that the fragments 
of the one  ,self1 embodied in countless
 forms1 may realize their own identity1 
and  manifest the powers of the ,self   
through the matter that envelops them4  
,there is but one ,self in the lowliest 
dust and the loftiest deva4             
8,mamamsaha10 8,my portion10 8a portion 

of ,my ,self10 says ,sri ,krishna1  are 
all these ,jivatmas1 all these living   
spirits4 ,for them the universe  exists2
 for them the sun shines1 and the waves 
roll1 and the winds  blow1 and the rain 
falls1 that the ,self may know ,himself 
as manifested  in matter1 as embodied in
 the universe4      ,the ,unfolding of  
,consciousness    ,one of those pregnant
 and significant ideas which ,theosophy 
scatters so  lavishly around is         
this--that the same scale is repeated   
over and over  again1 the same          
succession of events in larger or       
smaller cycles4 ,if  you understand one 
cycle1 you understand the whole4 ,the   
same laws by  which a solar system is   
builded go to the building up of the    
system of  man4 ,the laws by which the  
,self unfolds his powers in the         
universe1  from the fire-mist up to the 
,,logos1 are the same laws of           
consciousness  which repeat themselves  
in the universe of man4 ,if you         
understand them  in the one1 you can    

equally understand them in the other4   
,grasp them in  the small1 and the large
 is revealed to you4 ,grasp them in the 
large1  and the small becomes           
intelligible to you4    ,the great      
unfolding from the stone to the ,god    
goes on through millions  of years1     
through aeons of time4 ,but the long    
unfolding that takes  place in the      
universe1 takes place in a shorter      
time-cycle within the  limit of         
humanity1 and this in a cycle so brief  
that it seems as  nothing beside the    
longer one4 ,within a still briefer     
cycle a similar  unfolding takes place  
in the individual--rapidly1 swiftly1    
with all the  force of its past behind  
it4 ,these forces that manifest and     
unveil  themselves in evolution are     
cumulative in their power4 ,embodied in 
the  stone1 in the mineral world1 they  
grow and put out a little more of       
strength1 and in the mineral world      
accomplish their unfolding4 ,then  they 
become too strong for the mineral1 and  

press on into the vegetable  world4     
,there they unfold more and more of     
their divinity1 until they  become too  
mighty for the vegetable1 and become    
animal4    ,expanding within and gaining
 experiences from the animal1 they again
  overflow the limits of the animal1 and
 appear as the human4 ,in the  human    
being they still grow and accumulate    
with ever-increasing force1  and exert  
greater pressure against the barrier2   
and then out of the  human1 they press  
into the super-human4 ,this last process
 of evolution  is called 8,yoga40       
,coming to the individual1 the man of   
our own globe has behind him his  long  
evolution in other chains than          
ours--this same evolution through       
mineral to vegetable1 through vegetable 
to animal1 through animal to  man1 and  
then from our last dwelling-place in the
 lunar orb on to this  terrene globe    
that we call the earth4 ,our evolution  
here has all the  force of the last     
evolution in it1 and hence1 when we come

 to this  shortest cycle of evolution   
which is called ,yoga1 the man has      
behind  him the whole of the forces     
accumulated in his human evolution1 and 
it  is the accumulation of these forces 
which enables him to make the  passage  
so rapidly4 ,we must connect our ,yoga  
with the evolution of  consciousness    
everywhere1 else we shall not understand
 it at all2 for  the laws of evolution  
of consciousness in a universe are      
exactly the  same as the laws of ,yoga1 
and the principles whereby consciousness
  unfolds itself in the great evolution 
of humanity are the same  principles    
that we take in ,yoga and deliberately  
apply to the more  rapid unfolding of   
our own consciousness4 ,so that ,yoga1  
when it is  definitely begun1 is not a  
new thing1 as some people imagine4      
,the whole evolution is one in its      
essence4 ,the succession is the same1   
the sequences identical4 ,whether you   
are thinking of the unfolding of        
consciousness in the universe1 or in the

 human race1 or in the  individual1 you 
can study the laws of the whole1 and in 
,yoga you learn  to apply those same    
laws to your own consciousness          
rationally and  definitely4 ,all the    
laws are one1 however different in their
 stage of  manifestation4    ,if you    
look at ,yoga in this light1 then this  
,yoga1 which seemed so  alien and so far
 off1 will begin to wear a familiar     
face1 and come to  you in a garb not    
wholly strange4 ,as you study the       
unfolding of  consciousness1 and the    
corresponding evolution of form1 it will
 not  seem so strange that from man you 
should pass on to superman1             
transcending the barrier of humanity1   
and finding yourself in the  region     
where divinity becomes more manifest4   
,the ,oneness of the ,self    ,the ,self
 in you is the same as the ,self        
,universal4 ,whatever powers are        
manifested throughout the world1 those  
powers exist in germ1 in  latency1 in   
you4 ,he1 the ,supreme1 does not evolve4

 ,in ,him there are no  additions or    
subtractions4 ,his portions1 the        
,jivatmas1 are as ,himself1  and they   
only unfold their powers in matter as   
conditions around them  draw those      
powers forth4 ,if you realize the unity 
of the ,self amid the  diversities of   
the ,not-,self1 then ,yoga will not seem
 an impossible  thing to you4      ,the 
,quickening of the ,process of          
,self-unfoldment    ,educated and       
thoughtful men and women you already    
are2 already you have  climbed up that  
long ladder which separates the present 
outer form of  the ,deity in you from   
,his form in the dust4 ,the manifest    
,deity sleeps  in the mineral and the   
stone4 ,he becomes more and more        
unfolded in  vegetables and animals1 and
 lastly in man ,he has reached what     
appears  as ,his culmination to ordinary
 men4 ,having done so much1 shall you   
not  do more 8 ,with the consciousness  
so far unfolded1 does it seem           
impossible that it should unfold in the 

future into the ,divine8    ,as you     
realize that the laws of the evolution  
of form and of the  unfolding of        
consciousness in the universe and man   
are the same1 and  that it is through   
these laws that the yogi brings out his 
hidden  powers1 then you will understand
 also that it is not necessary to go    
into the mountain or into the desert1 to
 hide yourself in a cave or a  forest1  
in order that the union with the ,self  
may be obtained--,he who is  within you 
and without you4 ,sometimes for a       
special purpose seclusion  may be       
useful4 ,it may be well at times to     
retire temporarily from the  busy haunts
 of men4 ,but in the universe planned by
 ,isvara1 in order  that the powers of  
the ,self may be brought out--there is  
your best field  for ,yoga1 planned with
 ,divine wisdom and sagacity4 ,the world
 is meant  for the unfolding of the     
,self3 why should you then seek to run  
away  from it8 ,look at ,shri ,krishna  
,himself in that great ,upanishad of    

yoga1  the ,bhagavad-,gita4 ,he spoke it
 out on a battle-field1 and not on a    
mountain peak4 ,he spoke it to a        
,kshattriya ready to fight1 and not to a
  ,brahmana quietly retired from the    
world4 ,the ,kurukshetra of the world   
is the field of ,yoga4 ,they who cannot 
face the world have not the  strength to
 face the difficulties of ,yoga         
practice4 ,if the outer world           
out-wearies your powers1 how do you     
expect to conquer the difficulties  of  
the inner life8 ,if you cannot climb    
over the little troubles of the  world1 
how can you hope to climb over the      
difficulties that a yogi has  to scale8 
,those men blunder1 who think that      
running away from the world  is the road
 to victory1 and that peace can be found
 only in certain  localities4    ,as a  
matter of fact1 you have practised ,yoga
 unconsciously in the past1  even before
 your self- consciousness had separated 
itself1 was aware of  itself4 ,sand knew
 itself to be different1 in temporary   

matter at least1  from all the others   
that surround it4 ,and that is the first
 idea that  you should take up and hold 
firmly3 ,yoga is only a quickened       
process of  the ordinary unfolding of   
consciousness4    ,yoga may then be     
defined as the 8rational application of 
the laws of  the unfolding of           
consciousness in an individual case04   
,that is what is  meant by the methods  
of ,yoga4 ,you study the laws' of the   
unfolding of  consciousness in the      
universe1 you then apply them to a      
special  case--and that case is your    
own4 ,you cannot apply them to another4 
,they  must be self-applied4 ,that is   
the definite principle to grasp4 ,so we 
must add one more word to our           
definition3 8,yoga is the rational      
application of the laws of the unfolding
 of consciousness1 self-applied  in an  
individual case40      ,yoga ,is a      
,science    ,next1 ,yoga is a science4  
,that is the second thing to grasp4     
,yoga is a  science1 and not a vague1   

dreamy drifting or imagining4 ,it is an 
applied science1 a systematized         
collection of laws applied to bring     
about a definite end4 ,it takes up the  
laws of psychology1 applicable to  the  
unfolding of the whole consciousness of 
man on every plane1 in  every world1 and
 applies those rationally in a          
particular case4 ,this  rational        
application of the laws of unfolding    
consciousness acts  exactly on the same 
principles that you see applied around  
you every  day in other departments of  
science4    ,you know1 by looking at the
 world around you1 how enormously the   
intelligence of man1 co-operating with  
nature1 may quicken 8natural0           
processes1 and the working of           
intelligence is as 8natural0 as anything
  else4 ,we make this distinction1 and  
practically it is a real one1  between  
8rational0 and 8natural0 growth1 because
 human intelligence can  guide the      
working of natural laws2 and when we    
come to deal with ,yoga1  we are in the 

same department of applied science as1  
let us say1 is the  scientific farmer or
 gardener1 when he applies the natural  
laws of  selection to breeding4 ,the    
farmer or gardener cannot transcend the 
laws  of nature1 nor can he work against
 them4 ,he has no other laws of nature  
to work with save universal laws by     
which nature is evolving forms  around  
us1 and yet he does in a few years what 
nature takes1 perhaps1  hundreds of     
thousands of years to do4 ,and how8 ,by 
applying human  intelligence to choose  
the laws that serve him and to          
neutralize the  laws that hinder4 ,he   
brings the divine intelligence in man to
 utilise  the divine powers in nature   
that are working for general rather than
  for particular ends4    ,take the     
breeder of pigeons4 ,out of the blue    
rock pigeon he develops  the pouter or  
the fan-tail2 he chooses out1 generation
 after  generation1 the forms that show 
most strongly the peculiarity that he   
wishes to develop4 ,he mates such birds 

together1 takes every favouring         
circumstance into consideration and     
selects again and again1 and so on  and 
on1 till the peculiarity that he wants  
to establish has become a  well-marked  
feature4 ,remove his controlling        
intelligence1 leave the  birds to       
themselves1 and they revert to the      
ancestral type4    ,or take the case of 
the gardener4 ,out of the wild rose of  
the hedge has  been evolved every rose  
of the garden4 ,many-petalled roses are 
but the  result of the scientific       
culture of the five-petalled rose of the
  hedgerow1 the wild product of nature4 
,a gardener who chooses the pollen  from
 one plant and places it on the carpers 
of another is simply doing  deliberately
 what is done every day by the bee and  
the fly4 ,but he  chooses his plants1   
and he chooses those that have the      
qualities he  wants intensified1 and    
from those again he chooses those that  
show the  desired qualities still more  
clearly1 until he has produced a flower 

so  different from the original stock   
that only by tracing it back can you    
tell the stock whence it sprang4    ,so 
is it in the application of the laws of 
psychology that we call  ,yoga4         
,systematized knowledge of the unfolding
 of consciousness applied  to the       
individualized ,self1 that is ,yoga4 ,as
 ,i have just said1 it is by  the world 
that consciousness has been unfolded1   
and the world is  admirably planned by  
the ,,logos for this unfolding of       
consciousness2  hence the would-be yogi1
 choosing out his objects and applying  
his  laws1 finds in the world exactly   
the things he wants to make his         
practice of ,yoga real1 a vital thing1 a
 quickening process for the  knowledge  
of the ,self4 ,there are many laws4 ,you
 can choose those which  you require1   
you can evade those you do not require1 
you can utilize  those you need1 and    
thus you can bring about the result that
 nature1  without that application of   
human intelligence1 cannot so swiftly   

effect4    ,take it1 then1 that ,yoga is
 within your reach1 with your powers1   
and  that even some of the lower        
practices of ,yoga1 some of the simpler 
applications of the laws of the         
unfolding of consciousness to yourself1 
will benefit you in this world as well  
as in all others4 ,for you are  really  
merely quickening your growth1 your     
unfolding1 taking advantage  of the     
powers nature puts within your hands1   
and deliberately  eliminating the       
conditions which would not help you in  
your work1 but  rather hinder your march
 forward4 ,if you see it in that light1 
it seems  to me that ,yoga will be to   
you a far more real1 practical thing1   
than  it is when you merely read some   
fragments about it taken from ,sanskrit 
books1 and often mistranslated into     
,english1 and you will begin to feel    
that to be a yogi is not necessarily a  
thing for a life far off1 an            
incarnation far removed from the present
 one4      ,man a ,duality    ,some of  

the terms used in ,yoga are necessarily 
to be known4 ,for ,yoga  takes man for a
 special purpose and studies him for a  
special end and1  therefore1 only       
troubles itself about two great facts   
regarding man1  mind and body4 ,first1  
he is a unit1 a unit of consciousness4  
,that is a  point to be definitely      
grasped4 ,there is only one of him in   
each set of  envelopes1 and sometimes   
the ,theosophist has to revise his ideas
 about  man when he begins this         
practical line4 ,theosophy quite        
usefully and  rightly1 for the          
understanding of the human constitution1
 divides man  into many parts and       
pieces4 ,we talk of physical1 astral1   
mental1 etc4  ,or we talk about         
,sthula-sarira1 ,sukshma-sarira1        
,karana-sarira1 and so  on4 ,sometimes  
we divide man into ,anna-maya-kosa1     
,prana-maya-kosa1  ,mano-maya-kosa1 etc4
 ,we divide man into so many pieces in  
order to  study him thoroughly1 that we 
can hardly find the man because of the  

pieces4 ,this is1 so to say1 for the    
study of human anatomy and  physiology4 
,but ,yoga is practical and             
psychological4 ,i am not complaining of 
the  various sub-divisions of other     
systems4 ,they are necessary for the    
purpose of those systems4 ,but ,yoga1   
for its practical purposes1  considers  
man simply as a duality--,mind and      
,body1 a ,unit of  consciousness in a   
set of envelopes4 ,this is not the      
duality of the  ,self and the           
,not-,self4 ,for in ,yoga1 8,self0      
includes consciousness plus  such matter
 as it cannot distinguish from itself1  
and ,not-,self is only  the matter it   
can put aside4    ,man is not pure      
,self1 pure consciousness1 ,samvid4     
,that is an  abstraction4 ,in the       
concrete universe there are always the  
,self and ,his  sheaths1 however tenuous
 the latter may be1 so that a unit of   
consciousness is inseparable from       
matter1 and a ,jivatma1 or ,monad1 is   
invariably consciousness plus matter4   

,in order that this may come out        
clearly1 two terms are used in ,yoga as 
constituting man--,prana and ,pradhana1 
life-breath and matter4 ,prana is  not  
only the life-breath of the body1 but   
the totality of the life  forces of the 
universe or1 in other words1 the        
life-side of the  universe4    8,i am   
,prana10 says ,indra4 ,prana here means 
the totality of the  life-forces4 ,they 
are taken as consciousness1 mind4       
,pradhana is the  term used for matter4 
,body1 or the opposite of mind1 means   
for the yogi  in practice so much of the
 appropriated matter of the outer world 
as he  is able to put away from himself1
 to distinguish from his own            
consciousness4    ,this division is very
 significant and useful1 if you can     
catch clearly  hold of the root idea4   
,of course1 looking at the thing from   
beginning  to end1 you will see ,prana1 
the great ,life1 the great ,self1 always
  present in all1 and you will see the  
envelopes1 the bodies1 the  sheaths1    

present at the different stages1 taking 
different forms2 but  from the          
standpoint of yogic practice1 that is   
called ,prana1 or ,self1  with which the
 man identifies himself for the time1   
including every  sheath of matter from  
which the man is unable to separate     
himself in  consciousness4 ,that unit1  
to the yogi1 is the ,self1 so that it is
 a  changing quantity4 ,as he drops off 
one sheath after another and says3      
8,that is not myself10 he is coming     
nearer and nearer to his highest  point1
 to consciousness in a single film1 in a
 single atom of matter1 a  ,monad4 ,for 
all practical purposes of ,yoga1 the    
man1 the working1  conscious man1 is so 
much of him as he cannot separate from  
the matter  enclosing him1 or with which
 he is connected4 ,only that is body    
which  the man is able to put aside and 
say3 8,this is not ,i1 but mine40 ,we   
find we have a whole series of terms in 
,yoga which may be repeated over  and   
over again4 ,all the states of mind     

exist on every plane1 says  ,vyasa1 and 
this way of dealing with man enables the
 same significant  words1 as we shall   
see in a moment1 to be used over and    
over again1  with an ever subtler       
connotation2 they all become relative1  
and are  equally true at each stage of  
evolution4    ,now it is quite clear    
that1 so far as many of us are          
concerned1 the  physical body is the    
only thing of which we can say3 8,it is 
not  myself02 so that1 in the practice  
of ,yoga at first1 for you1 all the     
words that would be used in it to       
describe the states of consciousness1   
the states of mind1 would deal with the 
waking consciousness in the  body as the
 lowest state1 and1 rising up from that1
 all the words would  be relative terms1
 implying a distinct and recognisable   
state of the  mind in relation to that  
which is the lowest4 ,in order to know  
how you  shall begin to apply to        
yourselves the various terms used to    
describe  the states of mind1 you must  

carefully analyse your own              
consciousness1  and find out how much of
 it is really consciousness1 and how    
much is  matter so closely appropriated 
that you cannot separate it from        
yourself4      ,states of ,mind    ,let 
us take it in detail4 ,four states of   
consciousness are spoken of  amongst us4
 8,waking0 consciousness or ,jagrat2 the
 8dream0  consciousness1 or ,svapna2 the
 8deep sleep0 consciousness1 or         
,sushupti2  and the state beyond that1  
called ,turiya#a ,how are those related 
to  the body8     #a ,it is impossible  
to avoid the use of these technical     
terms1 even   in an introduction to     
,yoga4 ,there are no exact ,english     
equivalents1   and they are no more     
troublesome to learn than any other     
technical   psychological terms4        
,jagrat is the ordinary waking          
consciousness1 that you and ,i are using
  at the present time4 ,if our          
consciousness works in the subtle1 or   
astral1 body1 and is able to impress its

 experiences upon the brain1 it  is     
called ,svapna1 or in ,english1 dream   
consciousness2 it is more vivid  and    
real than the ,jagrat state4 ,when      
working in the subtler form--the  mental
 body--it is not able to impress its    
experiences on the brain1 it  is called 
,sushupti or deep sleep consciousness2  
then the mind is  working on its own    
contents1 not on outer objects4 ,but if 
it has so far  separated itself from    
connection with the brain1 that it      
cannot be  readily recalled by outer    
means1 then it is1 called ,turiya1 a    
lofty  state of trance4 ,these four     
states1 when correlated to the four     
planes1  represent a much unfolded      
consciousness4 ,jagrat is related to the
  physical2 ,svapna to the astral2      
,sushupti to the mental2 and ,turiya to 
the buddhic4 ,when passing from one     
world to another1 we should use  these  
words to designate the consciousness    
working under the conditions  of each   
world4 ,but the same words are repeated 

in the books of ,yoga  with a different 
context4 ,there the difficulty occurs1  
if we have not  learned their relative  
nature4 ,svapna is not the same for all1
 nor is  ,sushupti the same for         
everyone4    ,above all1 the word       
samadhi1 to be explained in a moment1 is
 used in  different ways and in         
different senses4 ,how then are we to   
find our way  in this apparent tangle8  
,by knowing the state which is the      
starting-point1 and then the sequence   
will always be the same4 ,all of  you   
are familiar with the waking            
consciousness in the physical body4     
,you can find four states even in that1 
if you analyse it1 and a similar        
sequence of the states of the mind is   
found on every plane4    ,how to        
distinguish them1 then 8 ,let us take   
the waking consciousness1  and try to   
see the four states in that4 ,suppose ,i
 take up a book and  read it4 ,i read   
the words2 my eyes arc related to the   
outer physical  consciousness4 ,that is 

the ,jagrat state4 ,i go behind the     
words to the  meaning of the words4 ,i  
have passed from the waking state of the
  physical plane into the ,svapna state 
of waking consciousness1 that sees      
through the outer form1 seeking the     
inner life4 ,i pass from this to the    
mind of the writer2 here the mind       
touches the mind2 it is the waking      
consciousness in its ,sushupti state4   
,if ,i pass from this contact and  enter
 the very mind of the writer1 and live  
in that man's mind1 then ,i  have       
reached the ,turiya state of the waking 
consciousness4    ,take another         
illustration4 ,i look at any watch2 ,i  
am in ,jagrat4 ,i close  my eyes and    
make an image of the watch2 ,i am in    
,svapna4 ,i call together  many ideas of
 many watches1 and reach the ideal      
watch2 ,i am in  ,sushupti4 ,i pass to  
the ideal of time in the abstract2 ,i am
 in ,turiya4  ,but all these are stages 
in the physical plane consciousness2 ,i 
have  not left the body4    ,in this    

way1 you can make states of mind        
intelligible and real1 instead  of mere 
words4      ,samadhi    ,some other     
important words1 which recur from time  
to time in the  ,yoga-sutras1 need to be
 understood1 though there are no exact  
,english  equivalents4 ,as they must be 
used to avoid clumsy circumlocutions1 it
  is necessary to explain them4 ,it is  
said3 8,yoga is ,samadhi40 ,samadhi is  
a state in which the consciousness is so
 dissociated from the body that  the    
latter remains insensible4 ,it is a     
state of trance in which the  mind is   
fully self-conscious1 though the body is
 insensitive1 and from  which the mind  
returns to the body with the experiences
 it has had in  the superphysical state1
 remembering them when again immersed in
 the  physical brain4 ,samadhi for any  
one person is relative to his waking    
consciousness1 but implies              
insensitiveness of the body4 ,if an     
ordinary  person throws himself into    
trance and is active on the astral      

plane1  his ,samadhi is on the astral4  
,if his consciousness is functioning in 
the mental plane1 ,samadhi is there4    
,the man who can so withdraw from  the  
body as to leave it insensitive1 while  
his mind is fully  self-conscious1 can  
practice ,samadhi4    ,the phrase 8,yoga
 is ,samadhi0 covers facts of the       
highest significance  and greatest      
instruction4 ,suppose you are only able 
to reach the astral  world when you are 
asleep1 your consciousness there is1 as 
we have  seen1 in the ,svapna state4    
,but as you slowly unfold your powers1  
the  astral forms begin to intrude upon 
your waking physical consciousness      
until they appear as distinctly as do   
physical forms1 and thus become  objects
 of your waking consciousness4 ,the     
astral world then1 for you1  no longer  
belongs to the ,svapna consciousness1   
but to the ,jagrat2 you  have taken two 
worlds within the scope of your ,jagrat 
consciousness--the  physical and the    
astral worlds--and the mental world is  

in your ,svapna  consciousness4 8,your  
body0 is then the physical and the      
astral bodies  taken together4 ,as you  
go on1 the mental plane begins similarly
 to  intrude itself1 and the physical1  
astral and mental all come within  your 
waking consciousness2 all these are1    
then1 your ,jagrat world4  ,these three 
worlds form but one world to you2 their 
three corresponding  bodies but one     
body1 that perceives and acts4 ,the     
three bodies of the  ordinary man have  
become one body for the yogi4 ,if under 
these  conditions you want to see only  
one world at a time1 you must fix your  
attention on it1 and thus focus it4 ,you
 can1 in that state of enlarged  waking1
 concentrate your attention on the      
physical and see it2 then the  astral   
and mental will appear hazy4 ,so you can
 focus your attention on  the astral and
 see it2 then the physical and the      
mental1 being out of  focus1 will appear
 dim4 ,you will easily understand this  
if you remember  that1 in this hall1 ,i 

may focus my sight in the middle of the 
hall1  when the pillars on both sides   
will appear indistinctly4 ,or ,i may    
concentrate my attention on a pillar and
 see it distinctly1 but ,i then  see you
 only vaguely at the same time4 ,it is a
 change of focus1 not a  change of body4
 ,remember that all which you can put   
aside as not  yourself is the body of   
the yogi1 and hence1 as you go higher1  
the  lower bodies form but a single body
 and the consciousness in that  sheath  
of matter which it still cannot throw   
away1 that becomes the  man4    8,yoga  
is ,samadhi40 ,it is the power to       
withdraw from all that you know  as     
body1 and to concentrate yourself       
within4 ,that is ,samadhi4 ,no  ordinary
 means will then call you back to the   
world that you have  left4#b ,this will 
also explain to you the phrase in ,the  
,secret  ,doctrine that the ,adept      
8begins his ,samadhi on the atmic plane0
 ,when a  ,jivan-mukta enters into      
,samadhi1 he begins it on the atmic     

plane4 ,all  planes below the atmic are 
one plane for him4 ,he begins his       
,samadhi on  a plane to which the mere  
man cannot rise4 ,he begins it on the   
atmic  plane1 and thence rises stage by 
stage to the higher cosmic planes4 ,the 
same word1 samadhi1 is used to describe 
the states of the  consciousness1       
whether it rises above the physical into
 the astral1 as  in self-induced trance 
of an ordinary man1 or as in the case of
 a  ,jivan-mukta when1 the consciousness
 being already centred in the fifth1  or
 atmic plane1 it rises to the higher    
planes of a larger world4     #b ,an    
,indian yogi in ,samadhi1 discovered in 
a forest by some ignorant   and brutal  
,englishmen1 was so violently ill used  
that he returned to   his tortured body1
 only to leave it again at once by      
death4      ,the ,literature of ,yoga   
,unfortunately for non-,sanskrit-knowing
 people1 the literature of ,yoga  is not
 largely available in ,english4 ,the    
general teachings of ,yoga are  to be   

found in the ,upanishads1 and the       
,bhagavad-,gita2 those1 in many         
translations1 are within your reach1 but
 they are general1 not special2  they   
give you the main principles1 but do not
 tell you about the  methods in any     
detailed way4 ,even in the              
,bhagavad-,gita1 while you are  told to 
make sacrifices1 to become indifferent1 
and so on1 it is all of  the nature of  
moral precept1 absolutely necessary     
indeed1 but still not  telling you how  
to reach the conditions put before you4 
,the special  literature of ,yoga is1   
first of all1 many of the minor         
,upanishads1 8the  hundred-and-eight0 as
 they are called4 ,few of these are     
translated4#c  ,then comes the enormous 
mass of literature called the ,tantras4 
,these  books have an evil significance 
in the ordinary ,english ear1 but not   
quite rightly4 ,the ,tantras are very   
useful books1 very valuable and         
instructive2 all occult science is to be
 found in them4 ,but they are  divisible

 into three classes3 those that deal    
with white magic1 those  that deal with 
black magic1 and those that deal with   
what we may call  grey magic1 a mixture 
of the two4 ,now magic is the word which
 covers  the methods of deliberately    
bringing about super-normal physical    
states  by the action of the will4      
#c ,dr4 ,otto ,schrder1 ,director of the
 ,adyar ,library1 is now engaged   on   
these1 and is busy with the laborious   
task of constructing a   critical text1 
to be followed by a complete            
translation1 copiously   annotated4 ,a  
great boon will have been bestowed on   
all interested in   ,samskrt literature1
 when this work is completed4      ,a   
high tension of the nerves1 brought on  
by anxiety or disease1 leads  to        
ordinary hysteria1 emotional and        
foolish4 ,a similarly high tension1     
brought about by the will1 renders a man
 sensitive to super-physical  vibrations
 ,going to sleep has no significance1   
but going into ,samadhi  is a priceless 

power4 ,the process is largely the same1
 but one is due  to ordinary conditions1
 the other to the action of the trained 
will4  ,the ,yogi is the man who has    
learned the power of the will1 and knows
  how to use it to bring about foreseen 
and foredetermined results4 ,this       
knowledge has ever been called magic2 it
 is the name of the ,great  ,science of 
the past1 the one ,science1 to which    
only the word 8great0  was given in the 
past4 ,the ,tantras contain the whole of
 that2 the  occult side of man and      
nature1 the means whereby discoveries   
may be  made1 the principles whereby the
 man may re-create himself1 all these   
are in the ,tantras4 ,the difficulty is 
that without a teacher they are  very   
dangerous1 and again and again a man    
trying to practice the  ,tantric methods
 without a teacher makes himself very   
ill4 ,so the  ,tantras have got a bad   
name both in the ,west and here in      
,india4 ,a good  many of the ,american  
8occult0 books now sold are scraps of   

the ,tantras  which have been           
translated4 ,one difficulty is that     
these ,tantric works  often use the name
 of a bodily organ to represent an      
astral or mental  centre4 ,there is some
 reason in that because all the centres 
are  connected with each other from body
 to body2 but no reliable teacher  would
 set his pupil to work on the bodily    
organs until he had some  control over  
the higher centres1 and had carefully   
purified the  physical body4 ,knowing   
the one helps you to know the other1 and
 the  teacher who has been through it   
all can place his pupil on the right    
path2 but it you take up these words1   
which are all physical1 and do  not know
 to what the physical word is applied1  
then you will only  become very         
confused1 and may injure yourself4 ,for 
instance1 in one of  the ,sutras it is  
said that if you meditate on a certain  
part of the  tongue you will obtain     
astral sight4 ,that means that if you   
meditate on  the pituitary body1 just   

over this part of the tongue1 astral    
sight  will be opened4 ,the particular  
word used to refer to a centre has a    
correspondence in the physical body1 and
 the word is often applied to  the      
physical organs when the other is meant4
 ,this is what is called a  8blind10 and
 it is intended to keep the people away 
from dangerous  practices in the books  
that are published2 people may meditate 
on that  part of their tongues all their
 lives without anything coming of it2   
but if they think upon the corresponding
 centre in the body1 a good  deal--much 
harm--may come of it4 8,meditate on the 
navel10 it is also  said4 ,this means   
the solar plexus1 for there is a close  
connection  between the two4 ,but to    
meditate on that is to incur the danger 
of a  serious nervous disorder1 almost  
impossible to cure4 ,all who know how   
many people in ,india suffer through    
these practices1 ill-understood1        
recognize that it is not wise to plunge 
into them without some one to  tell you 

what they mean1 and what may be safely  
practiced and what not4  ,the other part
 of the ,yoga literature is a small book
 called the sutras  of ,patanjali4 ,that
 is available1 but ,i am afraid that few
 are able to  make much of it by        
themselves4 ,in the first place1 to     
elucidate the  ,sutras1 which are simply
 headings1 there is a great deal of     
commentary  in ,sanskrit1 only partially
 translated4 ,and even the commentaries 
have  this peculiarity1 that all the    
most difficult words are merely         
repeated1 not explained1 so that the    
student is not much enlightened4        
,some ,definitions    ,there are a few  
words1 constantly recurring1 which need 
brief  definitions1 in order to avoid   
confusion2 they are3 ,unfolding1        
,evolution1 ,spirituality1 ,psychism1   
,yoga and ,mysticism4    8,unfolding0   
always refers to consciousness1         
8evolution0 to forms4  ,evolution is the
 homogeneous becoming the heterogeneous1
 the simple  becoming complex4 ,but     

there is no growth and no perfectioning 
for  ,spirit1 for consciousness2 it is  
all there and always1 and all that can  
happen to it is to turn itself outwards 
instead of remaining turned  inwards4   
,the ,god in you cannot evolve1 but ,he 
may show forth ,his powers  through     
matter that ,he has appropriated for the
 purpose1 and the matter  evolves to    
serve ,him4 ,he ,himself only manifests 
what ,he is4 ,and on  that1 many a      
saying of the great mystics may come to 
your mind3  8,become10 says ,st4        
,ambrose1 8what you are0--a paradoxical 
phrase2 but  one that sums up a great   
truth3 become in outer manifestation    
that  which you are in inner reality4   
,that is the object of the whole process
  of ,yoga4    8,spirituality0 is the   
realisation of the ,one4 8,psychism0 is 
the  manifestation of intelligence      
through any material vehicle4#d     #d  
,see ,london ,lectures of #aijg1        
8,spirituality and ,psychism04          
8,yoga0 is the seeking of union by the  

intellect1 a science2 8,mysticism0  is  
the seeking of the same union by        
emotion4#e     #e ,the word yoga may1 of
 course1 be rightly used of all union   
with   the self1 whatever the road      
taken4 ,i am using it here in the       
narrower   sense1 as peculiarly         
connected with the intelligence1 as a   
,science1   herein following ,patanjali4
      ,see the mystic4 ,he fixes his    
mind on the object of devotion2 he loses
  self-consciousness1 and passes into a 
rapture of love and adoration1  leaving 
all external ideas1 wrapped in the      
object of his love1 and a  great surge  
of emotion sweeps him up to ,god4 ,he   
does not know how he  has reached that  
lofty state4 ,he is conscious only of   
,god and his love  for ,him4 ,here is   
the rapture of the mystic1 the triumph  
of the saint4    ,the yogi does not work
 like that4 ,step after step1 he        
realises what he  is doing4 ,he works by
 science and not by emotion1 so that any
 who do  not care for science1 finding  

it dull and dry1 are not at present     
unfolding that part of their nature     
which will find its best help in  the   
practice of ,yoga4 ,the yogi may use    
devotion as a means4 ,this comes  out   
very plainly in ,patanjali4 ,he has     
given many means whereby ,yoga may  be  
followed1 and curiously1 8devotion to   
,isvara0 is one of several  means4      
,there comes out the spirit of the      
scientific thinker4 ,devotion  to       
,isvara is not for him an end in itself1
 but means to an end--the  concentration
 of the mind4 ,you see there at once the
 difference of  spirit4 ,devotion to    
,isvara is the path of the mystic4 ,he  
attains  communion by that4 ,devotion to
 ,isvara as a means of concentrating the
  mind is the scientific way in which   
the yogi regards devotion4 ,no  number  
of words would have brought out the     
difference of spirit between  ,yoga and 
,mysticism as well as this4 ,the one    
looks upon devotion to  ,isvara as a way
 of reaching the ,beloved2 the other    

looks upon it as a  means of reaching   
concentration4 ,to the mystic1 ,god1 in 
,himself is the  object of search1      
delight in ,him is the reason for       
approaching ,him1  union with ,him in   
consciousness is his goal2 but to the   
yogi1 fixing  the attention on ,god is  
merely an effective way of concentrating
 the  mind4 ,in the one1 devotion is    
used to obtain an end2 in the other1    
,god  is seen as the end and is reached 
directly by rapture4      ,god ,without 
and ,god ,within    ,that leads us to   
the next point1 the relation of ,god    
without to ,god  within4 ,to the yogi1  
who is the very type of ,hindu thought1 
there is no  definite proof of ,god save
 the witness of the ,self within to ,his
  existence1 and his idea of finding the
 proof of ,god is that you should  strip
 away from your consciousness all       
limitations1 and thus reach the  stage  
where you have pure consciousness--save 
a veil of the thin  nirvanic matter4    
,then you know that ,god is4 ,so you    

read in the  ,upanishad3 8,whose only   
proof is the witness of the ,self40     
,this is very  different from ,western  
methods of thought1 which try to        
demonstrate ,god  by a process of       
argument4 ,the ,hindu will tell you that
 you cannot  demonstrate ,god by any    
argument or reasoning2 ,he is above and 
beyond  reasoning1 and although the     
reason may guide you on the way1 it will
  not prove to demonstration that ,god  
is4 ,the only way you can know ,him  is 
by diving into yourself4 ,there you will
 find ,him1 and know that ,he  is       
without as well as within you2 and ,yoga
 is a system that enables you  to get   
rid of everything from consciousness    
that is not ,god1 save that  one veil of
 the nirvanic atom1 and so to know that 
,god is1 with an  unshakable certainty  
of conviction4 ,to the ,hindu that inner
 conviction  is the only thing worthy to
 be called faith1 and this gives you the
  reason why faith is said to be beyond 
reason1 and so is often confused  with  

credulity4 ,faith is beyond reason1     
because it is the testimony of  the     
,self to himself1 that conviction of    
existence as ,self1 of which  reason is 
only one of the outer manifestations2   
and the only true faith  is that inner  
conviction1 which no argument can either
 strengthen or  weaken1 of the innermost
 ,self of you1 that of which alone you  
are  entirely sure4 ,it is the aim of   
,yoga to enable you to reach that ,self 
constantly not by a sudden glimpse of   
intuition1 but steadily1  unshakably1   
and unchangeably1 and when that ,self is
 reached1 then the  question3 8,is there
 a ,god80 can never again come into the4
 human mind4      ,changes of           
,consciousness and ,vibrations of       
,matter    ,it is necessary to          
understand something about that         
consciousness which  is your ,self1 and 
about the matter which is the envelope  
of  consciousness1 but which the ,self  
so often identifies with himself4 ,the  
great characteristic of consciousness is

 change1 with a foundation of  certainty
 that it is4 ,the consciousness of      
existence never changes1 but  beyond    
this all is change1 and only by the     
changes does consciousness  become      
,self-consciousness4 ,consciousness is  
an everchanging thing1  circling round  
one idea that never                     
changes--,self-existence4 ,the          
consciousness itself is not changed by  
any change of position or place4  ,it   
only changes its states within itself4  
,in matter1 every change of state is    
brought about by change of place4 ,a    
change of consciousness is a change of a
 state2 a change of matter is a  change 
of place4 ,moreover1 every change of    
state in consciousness is  related to   
vibrations of matter in its vehicle4    
,when matter is  examined1 we find three
 fundamental qualities--rhythm1         
mobility1  stability--sattva1 rajas1    
tamas4 ,sattva is rhythm1 vibration4 ,it
 is more  than2 rajas1 or mobility4 ,it 
is a regulated movement1 a swinging from

  one side to the other over a definite 
distance1 a length of wave1 a           
vibration4    ,the question is often    
put3 8,how can things in such different 
categories1 as matter and ,spirit1      
affect each other8 ,can we bridge that  
great gulf which some say can never be  
crossed80 ,yes1 the ,indian has  crossed
 it1 or rather1 has shown that there is 
no gulf4 ,to the ,indian1  matter and   
,spirit are not only the two phases of  
the ,one1 but1 by a  subtle analysis of 
the relation between consciousness and  
matter1 he  sees that in every universe 
the ,,logos imposes upon matter a       
certain  definite relation of rhythms1  
every vibration of matter corresponding 
to a change in consciousness4 ,there is 
no change in consciousness1  however    
subtle1 that has not appropriated to it 
a vibration in matter2  there is no     
vibration in matter1 however swift or   
delicate1 which has  not correlated to  
it a certain change in consciousness4   
,that is the  first great work of the   

,,logos1 which the ,hindu scriptures    
trace out in  the building of the atom1 
the ,tanmatra1 8the measure of ,that10  
the  measure of consciousness4 ,he who  
is consciousness imposes on his         
material the answer to every change in  
consciousness1 and that is an  infinite 
number of vibrations4 ,so that between  
the ,self and his sheaths  there is this
 invariable relation3 the change in     
consciousness and the  vibration of     
matter1 and vice versa4 ,that makes it  
possible for the  ,self to know the     
,not-,self4    ,these correspondences   
are utilised in ,raja ,yoga and ,hatha  
,yoga1 the  ,kingly ,yoga and the ,yoga 
of ,resolve4 ,the ,raja ,yoga seeks to  
control the  changes in consciousness1  
and by this control to rule the material
  vehicles4 ,the ,hatha ,yoga seeks to  
control the vibrations of matter1 and   
by this control to evoke the desired    
changes in consciousness4 ,the weak     
point in ,hatha ,yoga is that action on 
this line cannot reach beyond the       

astral plane1 and the great strain      
imposed on the comparatively            
intractable matter of the physical plane
 sometimes leads to atrophy of  the very
 organs1 the activity of which is       
necessary for effecting the  changes in 
consciousness that would be useful4 ,the
 ,hatha ,yogi gains  control over the   
bodily organs with which the waking     
consciousness no  longer concerns       
itself1 having relinquished them to its 
lower part1 the  8subconsciousness40    
,this is often useful as regards the    
prevention of  disease1 but serves no   
higher purpose4 ,when he begins to work 
on the  brain centres connected with    
ordinary consciousness1 and still more  
when he touches those connected with the
 super-consciousness1 he enters  a      
dangerous region1 and is more likely to 
paralyse than to evolve4    ,that       
relation alone it is which makes matter 
cognizable2 the change in  the thinker  
is answered by a change outside1 and his
 answer to it and  the change in it that

 he makes by his4 answer re-arrange     
again the  matter of the body which is  
his envelope4 ,hence the rhythmic       
changes in  matter are rightly called   
its cognizability4 ,matter may be known 
by  consciousness1 because of this      
unchanging relation between the two     
sides of the manifest ,,logos who is    
one1 and the ,self becomes aware of     
changes within himself1 and thus of     
those of the external words to  which   
those changes are related4      ,mind   
,what is mind8 ,from the yogic          
standpoint it is simply the             
individualized  consciousness1 the whole
 of it1 the whole of your consciousness 
including your activities which the     
,western psychologist puts outside      
mind4 ,only on the basis of ,eastern    
psychology is ,yoga possible4 ,how      
shall we describe this individualized   
consciousness8 ,first1 it is aware  of  
things4 ,becoming aware of them1 it     
desires them4 ,desiring them1 it  tries 
to attain them4 ,so we have the three   

aspects of consciousness--              
intelligence1 desire1 activity4 ,on the 
physical plane1 activity  predominates1 
although desire and thought are present4
 ,on the astral  plane1 desire          
predominates1 and thought and activity  
are subject to  desire4 ,on the mental  
plane2 intelligence is the dominant     
note1 desire  and activity are subject  
to it4 ,go to the buddhic plane1 and    
cognition1  as pure reason1             
predominates1 and so on4 ,each quality  
is present all  the time1 but one       
predominates4 ,so with the matter that  
belongs to  them4 ,in your combinations 
of matter you get rhythmic1 active1 or  
stable ones2 and according to the       
combinations of matter in your bodies   
will be the conditions of the activity  
of the whole of these in  consciousness4
 ,to practice ,yoga you must build your 
bodies of the  rhythmic combinations1   
with activity and inertia less apparent4
 ,the  yogi wants to make his body match
 his mind4      ,stages of ,mind    ,the

 mind has five stages1 ,patanjali tells 
us1 and ,vyasa comments that  8these    
stages of mind are on every plane04 ,the
 first stage is the stage  in which the 
mind is flung about1 the ,kshipta stage2
 it is the  butterfly mind1 the early   
stage of humanity1 or1 in man1 the mind 
of  the child1 darting constantly from  
one object to another4 ,it  corresponds 
to activity on the physical plane4 ,the 
next is the confused  stage1 ,mudha1    
equivalent to the stage of the youth1   
swayed by emotions1  bewildered by them2
 he begins to feel he is ignorant--a    
state beyond the  fickleness of the     
child--a characteristic state1          
corresponding to  activity in the astral
 world4 ,then comes the state of        
preoccupation1 or  infatuation1         
,vikshipta1 the state of the man        
possessed by an idea--love1  ambition1  
or what not4 ,he is no longer a confused
 youth1 but a man with  a clear aim1 and
 an idea possesses him4 ,it may be      
either the fixed idea  of the madman1 or

 the fixed idea which makes the hero or 
the saint2 but  in any case he is       
possessed by the idea4 ,the quality of  
the idea1 its  truth or falsehood1 makes
 the difference between the maniac and  
the  martyr4    ,maniac or martyr1 he is
 under the spell of a fixed idea4 ,no   
reasoning  avails against it4 ,if he has
 assured himself that he is made of     
glass1  no amount of argument will      
convince him to the contrary4 ,he will  
always  regard himself as being as      
brittle as glass4 ,that is a fixed idea 
which  is false4 ,but there is a fixed  
idea which makes the hero and the       
martyr4 ,for some great truth dearer    
than life is everything thrown  aside4  
,he is possessed by it1 dominated by it1
 and he goes to death  gladly for it4   
,that state is said to be approaching   
,yoga1 for such a  man is becoming      
concentrated1 even if only possessed by 
one idea4 ,this  stage corresponds to   
activity on the lower mental plane4     
,where the man  possesses the idea1     

instead of being possessed by it1 that  
one-pointed  state of the mind1 called  
,ekagrata in ,sanskrit1 is the fourth   
stage4 ,he  is a mature man1 ready for  
the true life4 ,when the man has gone   
through  life dominated by one idea1    
then he is approaching ,yoga2 he is     
getting  rid of the grip of the world1  
and is beyond its allurements4 ,but when
  he possesses that which before        
possessed him1 then he has become fit   
for ,yoga1 and begins the training which
 makes his progress rapid4 ,this  stage 
corresponds to activity on the higher   
mental plane4    ,out of this fourth    
stage or ,ekagrata1 arises the fifth    
stage1 ,niruddha  or ,self-controlled4  
,when the man not only possesses one    
idea but1  rising above all ideas1      
chooses as he wills1 takes or does not  
take  according to the illumined ,will1 
then he is ,self-controlled and can     
effectively practice ,yoga4 ,this stage 
corresponds to activity on the  buddhic 
plane4    ,in the third stage1          

,vikshipta1 where he is possessed by the
 idea1 he is  learning ,viveka or       
discrimination between the outer and the
 inner1 the  real and the unreal4 ,when 
he has learned the lesson of ,viveka1   
then he  advances a stage forward2 and  
in ,ekagrata he chooses one idea1 the   
inner life2 and as he fixes his mind on 
that idea he learns ,vairagya or        
dispassion4 ,he rises above the desire  
to possess objects of enjoyment1        
belonging either to this or any other   
world4 ,then he advances towards  the   
fifth stage-- ,self-controlled4 ,in     
order to reach that he must  practice   
the six endowments1 the ,shatsamapatti4 
,these six endowments  have to do with  
the ,will-aspect of consciousness as the
 other two1  ,viveka and ,vairagya1 have
 to do with the cognition and activity  
aspects  of it4    ,by a study of your  
own mind1 you can find out how far you  
are ready to  begin the definite        
practice of ,yoga4 ,examine your mind in
 order to  recognize these stages in    

yourself4 ,if you are in either of the  
two  early stages1 you are not ready for
 ,yoga4 ,the child and the youth are    
not ready to become yogis1 nor is the   
preoccupied man4 ,but if you find       
yourself possessed by a single thought1 
you are nearly ready for ,yoga2  it     
leads to the next stage of              
one-pointedness1 where you can choose   
your idea1 and cling to it of your own  
will4 ,short is the step from  that to  
the complete control1 which can inhibit 
all motions of the  mind4 ,having       
reached that stage1 it is comparatively 
easy to pass into  ,samadhi4            
,inward and ,outward-,turned            
,consciousness    ,samadhi is of two    
kinds3 one turned outward1 one turned   
inward4 ,the  outward-turned            
consciousness is always first4 ,you are 
in the stage of  ,samadhi belonging to  
the outward-turned waking consciousness1
 when you  can pass beyond the objects  
to the principles which those objects   
manifest1 when through the form you     

catch a glimpse of the life4 ,darwin    
was in this stage when he glimpsed the  
truth of evolution4 ,that is the        
outward-turned ,samadhi of the physical 
body4    ,this is technically the       
,samprajnata ,samadhi1 the 8,samadhi    
with  consciousness10 but to be better  
regarded1 ,i think1 as with             
consciousness outward-turned1 i4e4      
conscious of objects4 ,when the  object 
disappears1 that is1 when consciousness 
draws itself away from  the sheath by   
which those objects are seen1 then comes
 the ,asamprajnata  ,samadhi2 called the
 8,samadhi without consciousness04 ,i   
prefer to call  it the inward-turned    
consciousness1 as it is by turning away 
from the  outer that this stage is      
reached4    ,these two stages of        
,samadhi follow each other on every     
plane2 the  intense concentration on    
objects in the first stage1 and the     
piercing  thereby through the outer form
 to the underlying principle1 are       
followed by the turning away of the     

consciousness from the sheath which  has
 served its purpose1 and its withdrawal 
into itself1 i4e41 into a  sheath not   
yet recognised as a sheath4 ,it is then 
for a while conscious  only of itself   
and not of the outer world4 ,then comes 
the 8cloud10 the  dawning sense again of
 an outer1 a dim sensing of 8something0 
other  than itself2 that again is       
followed by the functioning of the      
nigher  sheath and the ,recognition of  
the objects of the next higher plane1   
corresponding to that sheath4 ,hence the
 complete cycle is3 ,samprajnata        
,samadhi1 ,asamprajnata ,samadhi1 ,megha
 7cloud71 and then the ,samprajnata     
,samadhi of the next plane1 and so on4  
,the ,cloud    ,this term--in full1     
,dharma-megha1 cloud of righteousness1  
or of  religion--is one which is very   
scantily explained by the commentators4 
,in fact1 the only explanation they give
 is that all the man's past  karma of   
good gathers over him1 and pours down   
upon him a rain of  blessing4 ,let us   

see if we cannot find something more    
than this meagre  interpretation4       
,the term 8cloud0 is very often used in 
mystic literature of the ,west2  the    
8,cloud on the ,mount10 the 8,cloud on  
the ,sanctuary10 the 8,cloud on  the    
,mercy-,seat10 are expressions familiar 
to the student4 ,and the  experience    
which they indicate is familiar to all  
mystics in its lower  phases1 and to    
some in its fullness4 ,in its lower     
phases1 it is the  experience just      
noted1 where the withdrawal of the      
consciousness into a  sheath not yet    
recognised as a sheath is followed by   
the beginning of  the functioning of    
that sheath1 the first indication of    
which is the  dim sensing of an outer4  
,you feel as though surrounded by a     
dense mist1  conscious that you are not 
alone but unable to see4 ,be still2 be  
patient2 wait4 ,let your consciousness  
be in the attitude of suspense4         
,presently the cloud will thin1 and     
first in glimpses1 then in its full     

beauty1 the vision of a higher plane    
will dawn on your entranced sight4      
,this entrance into a higher plane will 
repeat itself again and again1  until   
your consciousness1 centred on the      
buddhic plane and its  splendouis having
 disappeared as your consciousness      
withdraws even from  that exquisite     
sheath1 you find yourself in the true   
cloud1 the cloud  on the sanctuary1 the 
cloud that veils the ,holiest1 that     
hides the  vision of the ,self4 ,then   
comes what seems to be the draining away
 of  the very life1 the letting go of   
the last hold on the tangible1 the      
hanging in a void1 the horror of great  
darkness1 loneliness  unspeakable4      
,endure1 endure4 ,everything must go4   
8,nothing out of the  ,eternal can help 
you40 ,god only shines out in the       
stillness2 as says  the ,hebrew3 8,be   
still1 and know that ,i am ,god40 ,in   
that silence a ,voice  shall be heard1  
the voice of the ,self1 ,in that        
stillness a ,life shall  be felt1 the   

life of the ,self4 ,in that void a      
,fullness shall be  revealed1 the       
fullness of the ,self4 ,in that darkness
 a ,light shall be  seen1 the glory of  
the ,self4 ,the cloud shall vanish1 and 
the shining of  the ,self shall be made 
manifest4 ,that which was a glimpse of a
 far-off  majesty shall become a        
perpetual realisation and1 knowing the  
,self and  your unity with it1 you shall
 enter into the ,peace that belongs to  
the  ,self alone4          ,lecture ,,ii
  ,,schools ,,of ,,thought              
,brothers3    ,in studying psychology   
anyone who is acquainted with the       
,sanskrit  tongue must know how valuable
 that language is for precise and       
scientific dealing with the subject4    
,the ,sanskrit1 or the well-made1  the  
constructed1 the built-together1 tongue1
 is one that lends itself  better than  
any other to the elucidation of         
psychological difficulties4  ,over and  
over again1 by the mere form of a word1 
a hint is given1 an  explanation or     

relation is suggested4 ,the language is 
constructed in a  fashion which enables 
a large number of meanings to be        
connoted by a  single word1 so that you 
may trace all allied ideas1 1or truths1 
or  facts1 by this verbal connection1   
when you are speaking or using          
,sanskrit4 ,it has a limited number of  
important roots1 and then an  immense   
number of words constructed on those    
roots4    ,now the root of the word yoga
 is a word that means 8to join10 yuj1   
and  that root appears in many          
languages1 such as the ,english--of     
course1  through the ,latin1 wherein you
 get jugare1 jungere1 8to join0--and out
  of that a number of ,english words are
 derived and will at once suggest       
themselves to you3 junction1            
conjunction1 disjunction1 and so on4    
,the  ,english word 8yoke0 again1 is    
derived from this same ,sanskrit root so
  that all through the various words1 or
 thoughts1 or facts connected  with this
 one root1 you are able to gather the   

meaning of the word yoga  and to see how
 much that word covers in the ordinary  
processes of the  mind and how          
suggestive many of the words connected  
with it are1  acting1 so to speak1 as   
sign-posts to direct you along the road 
to the  meaning4 ,in other tongues1 as  
in ,french1 we have a word like rapport1
  used constantly in ,english2 8being en
 rapport10 a ,french expression1  but so
 ,anglicized that it is continually     
heard amongst ourselves4 ,and  that     
term1 in some ways1 is the closest to   
the meaning of the ,sanskrit  word yoga2
 8to be in relation to02 8to be         
connected with02 8to enter  into02 8to  
merge in02 and so on3 all these ideas   
are classified  together under the one  
head of 8,yoga04 ,when you find ,sri    
,krishna saying  that 8,yoga is         
equilibrium10 in the ,sanskrit ,he is   
saying a perfectly  obvious thing1      
because ,yoga implies balance1 yoking   
and the ,sanskrit of  equilibrium is    
8samvata--togetherness02 so that it is a

 perfectly  simple1 straightforward     
statement1 not connoting anything very  
deep1  but merely expressing one of the 
fundamental meanings of the word ,he is 
using4 ,and so with another word1 a word
 used in the commentary on the  ,sutra  
,i quoted before1 which conveys to the  
,hindu a perfectly  straightforward     
meaning3 8,yoga is ,samadhi40 ,to an    
only ,english-knowing  person that does 
not convey any very definite idea2 each 
word needs  explanation4 ,to a          
,sanskrit-knowing man the two words are 
obviously  related to one another4 ,for 
the word yoga1 we have seen1 means      
8yoked  together10 and ,samadhi derived 
from the root dha1 8to place10 with the 
prepositions sam and a1 meaning         
8completely together04 ,samadhi1        
therefore1 literally means 8fully       
placing together10 and its  etymological
 equivalent in ,english would be 8to    
compose0 7comsam2  posita place74       
,samadhi therefore means 8composing the 
mind10  collecting it together1 checking

 all distractions4 ,thus by             
philological1 as well as by practical1  
investigation the two words yoga  and   
samadhi are inseparably linked together4
 ,and when ,vyasa1 the  commentator1    
says3 8,yoga is the composed mind10 he  
is conveying a clear  and significant   
idea as to what is implied in ,yoga4    
,although ,samadhi  has come to mean1 by
 a natural sequence of ideas1 the       
trance-state  which results from perfect
 composure1 its original meaning should 
not  be lost sight of4    ,thus1 in     
explaining ,yoga1 one is often at a loss
 for the ,english  equivalent of the    
manifold meanings of the ,sanskrit      
tongue1 and ,i  earnestly advise those  
of you who can do so1 at least to       
acquaint  yourselves sufficiently with  
this admirable language1 to make the    
literature of ,yoga more intelligible to
 you than it can be to a person  who is 
completely ignorant of ,sanskrit4       
,its ,relation to ,indian ,philosophies 
,let me ask you to think for a while on 

the place of ,yoga in its  relation to  
two of the great ,hindu schools of      
philosophical thought1  for neither the 
,westerner nor the non-,sanskrit-knowing
 ,indian can ever  really understand the
 translations of the chief ,indian      
books1 now  current here and in the     
,west1 and the force of all the         
allusions they  make1 unless they       
acquaint themselves in some degree with 
the outlines  of these great schools of 
philosophy1 they being the very         
foundation on  which these books are    
built up4 ,take the ,bhagavad-,gita4    
,probably there  are many who know that 
book fairly well1 who use it as the book
 to help  in the spiritual life1 who are
 not familiar with most of its precepts4
  ,but you must always be more or less  
in a fog in reading it1 unless you      
realise the fact that it is founded on a
 particular ,indian philosophy  and that
 the meaning of nearly all the technical
 words in it is  practically limited by 
their meaning in philosophy known as the

  ,samkhya4 ,there are certain phrases  
belonging rather to the ,vedanta1 but   
the great majority are ,samkhyan1 and it
 is taken for granted that the  people  
reading or using the book are familiar  
with the outline of the  ,samkhyan      
philosophy4 ,i do not want to take you  
into details1 but ,i must  give you the 
leading ideas of the philosophy4 ,for if
 you grasp these1  you will not only    
read your ,bhagavad-,gita with much more
 intelligence  than before1 but you will
 be able to use it practically for yogic
  purposes in a way that1 without this  
knowledge1 is almost impossible4        
,alike in the ,bhagavad-,gita and in the
 ,yoga-sutras of ,patanjali the  terms  
are ,samkhyan1 and historically ,yoga is
 based on the ,samkhya1 so  far as its  
philosophy is concerned4 ,samkhya does  
not concern itself  with1 the existence 
of ,deity1 but only with the becoming of
 a universe1  the order of evolution4   
,hence it is often called ,nir-isvara   
,samkhya1  the ,samkhya without ,god4   

,but so closely is it bound up with the 
,yoga  system1 that the latter is called
 ,sesvara ,samkhya1 with ,god4 ,for its 
understanding1 therefore1 ,i must       
outline part of the ,samkhya            
philosophy1 that part which deals with  
the relation of ,spirit and  matter2    
note the difference from this of the    
,vedantic conception of  ,self and      
,not-,self1 and then find the           
reconciliation in the ,theosophic       
statement of the facts in nature4 ,the  
directions which fall from the  lips of 
the ,lord of ,yoga in the ,gita may     
sometimes seem to you opposed  to each  
other and contradictory1 because they   
sometimes are phrased in  the ,samkhyan 
and sometimes in the ,vedantic terms1   
starting from  different standpoints1   
one looking at the world from the       
standpoint of  matter1 the other from   
the standpoint of ,spirit4 ,if you are a
 student  of ,theosophy1 then the       
knowledge of the facts will enable you  
to  translate the different phrases4    

,that reconciliation and understanding  
of these apparently contradictory       
phrases is the object to which ,i  would
 ask your attention now4    ,the        
,samkhyan ,school starts with the       
statement that the universe  consists of
 two factors1 the first pair of         
opposites1 ,spirit and  ,matter1 or more
 accurately ,spirits and ,matter4 ,the  
,spirit is called  ,purusha--the ,man2  
and each ,spirit is an individual4      
,purusha is a unit1 a  unit of          
consciousness2 they are all of the same 
nature1 but distinct  everlastingly the 
one from the other4 ,of these units     
there are many2  countless ,purushas are
 to be found in the world of men4 ,but  
while they  are countless in number they
 are identical in nature1 they are      
homogeneous4 ,every ,purusha has three  
characteristics1 and these three  are   
alike in all4 ,one characteristic is    
awareness2 it will become  cognition4   
,the second of the characteristics is   
life or prana2 it will  become activity4

 ,the third characteristic is           
immutability1 the essence  of eternity2 
it will become will4 ,eternity is not1  
as some mistakenly  think1 everlasting  
time4 ,everlasting time has nothing to  
do with  eternity4 ,time and eternity   
are two altogether different things4    
,eternity is changeless1 immutable1     
simultaneous4 ,no succession in time1   
albeit everlasting--if such could       
be--could give eternity4 ,the fact that 
,purusha has this attribute of          
immutability tells us that ,he is       
eternal2  for changelessness is a mark  
of the eternal4    ,such are the three  
attributes of ,purusha1 according to the
 ,samkhya4  ,though these are not the   
same in nomenclature as the ,vedantic   
,sat1  ,chit1 ,ananda1 yet they are     
practically identical4 ,awareness or    
cognition is ,chit2 life or force is    
,sat2 and immutability1 the essence  of 
eternity1 is ,ananda4    ,over against  
these ,purushas1 homogeneous units1     
countless in number1  stands ,prakriti1 

,matter1 the second in the ,samkhyan    
duality4 ,prakriti  is one2 ,purushas   
are many4 ,prakriti is a continuum2     
,purushas are  discontinuous1 being     
innumerable1 homogeneous units4         
,continuity is the  mark of ,prakriti4  
,pause for a moment on the name         
,prakriti4 ,let us  investigate its root
 meaning4 ,the name indicates its       
essence4 ,pra means  8forth10 and kri is
 the root 8make04 ,prakriti thus means  
8forth-making04 ,matter is that which   
enables the essence of ,being to        
become4 ,that which is ,being--is-tence1
 becomes ex-is-tence--outbeing1 by      
,matter1 and to describe ,matter as     
8forth-making0 is to give its essence   
in a single word4 ,only by ,prakriti can
 ,spirit1 or ,purusha1 8forth-make0  or 
8manifest0 himself4 ,without the        
presence of ,prakriti1 ,purusha is      
helpless1 a mere abstraction4 ,only by  
the presence of1 and in ,prakriti1  can 
,purusha make manifest his powers4      
,prakriti has also three                

characteristics1 the well-known         
gunas--attributes or qualities4 ,these  
are rhythm1 mobility and inertia4       
,rhythm enables awareness to become     
cognition4 ,mobility enables life to    
become activity4 ,inertia enables       
immutability to become will4    ,now the
 conception as to the relation of       
,spirit to ,matter is a very  peculiar  
one1 and confused ideas about it give   
rise to many  misconceptions4 ,if you   
grasp it1 the ,bhagavad-,gita becomes   
illuminated1  and all the phrases about 
action and actor1 and the mistake of    
saying  8,i act10 become easy to        
understand1 as implying technical       
,samkhyan  ideas4    ,the three         
qualities of ,prakriti1 when ,prakriti  
is thought of as away  from ,purusha1   
are in equilibrium1 motionless1 poised  
the one against  the other1             
counter-balancing and neutralizing each 
other1 so that  ,matter is called jada1 
unconscious1 8dead04 ,but in the        
presence of  ,purusha all is changed4   

,when ,purusha is in propinquity to     
,matter1 then  there is a change in     
,matter--not outside1 but in it4        
,purusha acts on ,prakriti by           
propinquity1 says ,vyasa4 ,it comes near
  ,prakriti1 and ,prakriti begins to    
live4 ,the 8coming near0 is a figure of 
speech1 an adaptation to our ideas of   
time and space1 for we cannot  posit    
8nearness0 of that which is timeless and
 spaceless--,spirit4 ,by the  word      
propinquity is indicated an influence   
exerted by ,purusha on  ,prakriti1 and  
this1 where material objects are        
concerned1 would be  brought about by   
their propinquity4 ,if a magnet be      
brought near to a  piece of soft iron or
 an electrified body be brought near to 
a neutral  one1 certain changes are     
wrought in the soft iron or in the      
neutral  body by that bringing near4    
,the propinquity of the magnet makes the
  soft iron a magnet2 the qualities of  
the magnet are produced in it1 it       
manifests poles1 it attracts steel1 it  

attracts or repels the end of an        
electric needle4 ,in the presence of a  
postively electrified body the          
electricity in a neutral body is        
re-arranged1 and the positive retreats  
while the negative gathers near the     
electrified body4 ,an internal  change  
has occurred in both cases from the     
propinquity of another  object4 ,so with
 ,purusha and ,prakriti4 ,purusha does  
nothing1 but from  ,purusha there comes 
out an influence1 as in the case of the 
magnetic  influence4 ,the three gunas1  
under this influence of ,purusha1       
undergo a  marvellous change4 ,i do not 
know what words to use1 in order not to 
make a mistake in putting it4 ,you      
cannot say that ,prakriti absorbs the   
influence4 ,you can hardly say that it  
reflects the ,purusha4 ,but the         
presence of ,purusha brings about       
certain internal changes1 causes a      
difference in the equilibrium of the    
three gunas in ,prakriti4 ,the three    
gunas were in a state of equilibrium4   

,no guna was manifest4 ,one guna  was   
balanced against another4 ,what happens 
when ,purusha influences  ,prakriti8    
,the quality of awareness in ,purusha is
 taken up by1 or  reflected in1 the guna
 called ,sattva-- rhythm1 and it becomes
 cognition  in ,prakriti4 ,the quality  
that we call life in ,purusha is taken  
up by1  or reflected1 in the guna called
 ,rajas--mobility1 and it becomes force1
  energy1 activity1 in ,prakriti4 ,the  
quality that we call immutability in    
,purusha is taken up by1 or reflected1  
in the guna called ,tamas--inertia1  and
 shows itself out as will or desire in  
,prakriti4 ,so that1 in that  balanced  
equilibrium of ,prakriti1 a change has  
taken place by the mere  propinquity of1
 or presence of1 the ,purusha4 ,the     
,purusha has lost  nothing1 but at the  
same time a change has taken place in   
matter4  ,cognition has appeared in it4 
,activity1 force1 has appeared in it4   
,will  or desire has appeared in it4    
,with this change in ,prakriti another  

change occurs4 ,the three attributes of 
,purusha cannot be separated from  each 
other1 nor can the three attributes of  
,prakriti be separated each  from each4 
,hence rhythm1 while appropriating      
awareness1 is under the  influence of   
the whole three-in-one ,purusha and     
cannot but also take up  subordinately  
life and immutability as activity and   
will4 ,and so with  mobility and        
inertia4 ,in combinations one quality or
 another may  predominate1 and we may   
have combinations which show            
preponderantly  awareness-rhythm1 or    
life- mobility1 or immutability-inertia4
 ,the  combinations in which            
awareness-rhythm or cognition           
predominates become  8mind in nature10  
the subject or subjective half of       
nature4  ,combinations in which either  
of the other two predominates become the
  object or objective half of nature1   
the 8force and matter0 of the  western  
scientist4#f     #f ,a friend notes that
 the first is the ,suddha ,sattva of the

 ,ramanuja   ,school1 and the second and
 third the ,prakriti1 or spirit-matter1 
in   the lower sense of the same4       
,we have thus nature divided into two1  
the subject and the object4 ,we  have   
now in nature everything that is wanted 
for the manifestation of  activity1 for 
the production of forms and for the     
expression of  consciousness4 ,we have  
mind1 and we have force and matter4     
,purusha has  nothing more to do1 for he
 has infused all powers into ,prakriti  
and  sits apart1 contemplating their    
interplay1 himself remaining unchanged4 
,the drama of existence is played out   
within ,matter1 and all that ,spirit    
does is to look at it4 ,purusha is the  
spectator before whom the drama  is     
played4 ,he is not the actor1 but only a
 spectator4 ,the actor is the           
subjective part of nature1 the mind1    
which is the reflection of  awareness in
 rhythmic matter4 ,that with which it   
works--objective  nature1 is the        
reflection of the other qualities of    

,purusha--life and  immutability--in the
 gunas1 ,rajas and ,tamas4 ,thus we have
 in nature  everything that is wanted   
for the production of the universe4 ,the
  ,putusha only looks on when the drama 
is played before him4 ,he is  spectator1
 not actor4 ,this is the predominant    
note of the  ,bhagavad-,gita4 ,nature   
does everything4 ,the gunas bring about 
the  universe4 ,the man who says3 8,i   
act10 is mistaken and confused2 the     
gunas act1 not he4 ,he is only the      
spectator and looks on4 ,most of the    
,gita teaching is built upon this       
conception of the ,samkhya1 and unless  
that is clear in our minds we can never 
discriminate the meaning under  the     
phrases of a particular philosophy4     
,let us now turn to the ,vedantic idea4 
,according to the ,vedantic view  the   
,self is one1 omnipresent1              
all-permeating1 the one reality4        
,nothing  exists except the ,self--that 
is the starting-point in ,vedanta4 ,all 
permeating1 all-controlling1 all-       

inspiring1 the ,self is everywhere      
present4 ,as the ether permeates all    
matter1 so does the ,one ,self          
permeate1 restrain1 support1 vivify all4
 ,it is written in the ,gita that  as   
the air goes everywhere1 so is the ,self
 everywhere in the infinite  diversity  
of objects4 ,as we try to follow the    
outline of ,vedantic  thought1 as we try
 to grasp this idea of the one universal
 ,self1 who is  existence1              
consciousness1 bliss1                   
,sat-,chit-,ananda1 we find that we are 
carried into a loftier region of        
philosophy than that occupied by the    
,samkhya4 ,the ,self is ,one4 ,the ,self
 is everywhere conscious1 the ,self is  
everywhere existent1 the ,self is       
everywhere blissful4 ,there is no       
division between these qualities of the 
,self4 ,everywhere1  all-embracing1     
these qualities are found at every      
point1 in every  place4 ,there is no    
spot on which you can put your finger   
and say 8,the  ,self is not here40      

,where the ,self is--and ,he is         
everywhere--there is  existence1 there  
is consciousness1 and there is bliss4   
,the ,self1 being  consciousness1       
imagines limitation1 division4 ,from    
that imagination of  limitation arises  
form1 diversity1 manyness4 ,from that   
thought of the  ,self1 from that thought
 of limitation1 all diversity of the    
many is  born4 ,matter is the limitation
 imposed upon the ,self by ,his own will
 to  limit ,himself4 8,eko'ham1 bahu    
syam10 8,i am one2 ,i will to he many02 
8let me be many10 is the thought of the 
,one2 and in that thought1 the  manifold
 universe comes into existence4 ,in that
 limitation1  ,self-created1 ,he exists1
 ,he is conscious1 ,he is happy4 ,in    
,him arises  the thought that ,he is    
,self-existence1 and behold6 all        
existence  becomes possible4 ,because in
 ,him is the will to manifest1 all      
manifestation at once comes into        
existence4 ,because in ,him is all      
bliss1 therefore is the law of life the 

seeking for happiness1 the  essential   
characteristic of every sentient        
creature4 ,the universe  appears by the 
,self-limitation in thought of the      
,self4 ,the moment the  ,self ceases to 
think it1 the universe is not1 it       
vanishes as a dream4  ,that is the      
fundamental idea of the ,vedanta4 ,then 
it accepts the  spirits of the          
,samkhya-- the ,purushas2 but it says   
that these spirits  are only reflections
 of the one ,self1 emanated by the      
activity of the  ,self and that they all
 reproduce ,him in miniature1 with the  
limitations  which the universal ,self  
has imposed upon them1 which are        
apparently  portions of the universe1   
but are really identical with ,him4 ,it 
is the  play of the ,supreme ,self that 
makes the limitations1 and thus         
reproduces within limitations the       
qualities of the ,self2 the             
consciousness of the ,self1 of the      
,supreme ,self2 becomes1 in the         
particularised ,self1 cognition1 the    

power to know2 and the existence of  the
 ,self becomes activity1 the power to   
manifest2 and the bliss of the  ,self   
becomes will1 the deepest part of all1  
the longing for happiness1  for bliss2  
the resolve to obtain it is what we call
 will4 ,and so in the  limited1 the     
power to know1 and the power to act1 and
 the power to  will1 these are the      
reflections in the particular ,self of  
the essential  qualities of the         
universal ,self4 ,otherwise put3 that   
which was  universal awareness becomes  
now cognition in the separated ,self2   
that  which in the universal ,self was  
awareness of itself becomes in the      
limited ,self awareness of others2 the  
awareness of the whole becomes  the     
cognition of the individual4 ,so with   
the existence of the ,self3 the         
,self-existence of the universal ,self  
becomes1 in the limited ,self1          
activity1 preservation of existence4 ,so
 does the bliss of the universal  ,self1
 in the limited expression of the       

individual ,self1 become the will  that 
seeks for happiness1 the                
,self-determination of the ,self1 the   
seeking for ,self-realisation1 that     
deepest essence of human life4    ,the  
difference comes with limitation1 with  
the narrowing of the  universal         
qualities into the specific qualities of
 the limited ,self2  both are the same  
in essence1 though seeming different in 
manifestation4 ,we have the power to    
know1 the power to will1 and the  power 
to act4 ,these are the three great      
powers of the ,self that show           
themselves in the separated ,self in    
every diversity of forms1 from the      
minutest moneron to the loftiest ,logos4
    ,then just as in the ,samkhya1 if   
the ,purusha1 the particular ,self1     
should identify himself with the matter 
in which he is reflected1 then  there is
 delusion and bondage1 so in the        
,vedanta1 if the ,self1  eternally free1
 imagines himself to be bound by matter1
 identifying  himself with his          

limitations1 he is deluded1 he is under 
the domain of  ,maya2 for ,maya is the  
self-identification of the ,self with   
his  limitations4 ,the eternally free   
can never be bound by matter2 the       
eternally pure can never be tainted by  
matter2 the eternally knowing  can never
 be deluded by matter2 the eternally    
,self-determined can never  be ruled by 
matter1 save by his own ignorance4 ,his 
own foolish fancy  limits his inherent  
powers2 he is bound1 because he imagines
 himself  bound2 he is impure1 because  
he imagines himself impure2 he is       
ignorant1 because he imagines himself   
ignorant4 ,with the vanishing of        
delusion he finds that he is eternally  
pure1 eternally wise4    ,here is the   
great difference between the ,samkhya   
and the ,vedanta4  ,according to the    
,samkhya1 ,purusha is the spectator and 
never the actor4  ,according to ,vedanta
 the ,self is the only actor1 all else  
is maya3  there is no one else who acts 
but the ,self1 according to the ,vedanta

  teaching4 ,as says the ,upanishad3 the
 ,self willed to see1 and there were    
eyes2 the ,self willed to hear1 and     
there were ears2 the ,self willed to    
think1 and there was mind4 ,the eyes1   
the ears1 the mind exist1 because  the  
,self has willed them into existence4   
,the ,self appropriates matter1  in     
order that ,he may manifest ,his powers 
through it4 ,there is the  distinction  
between the ,samkhya and the ,vedanta3  
in the ,samkhya the  propinquity of the 
,purusha brings out in matter or        
,prakriti all these  characteristics1   
the ,prakriti acts and not the ,purusha2
 in the ,vedanta1  ,self alone exists   
and ,self alone acts2 ,he imagines      
limitation and  matter appears2 ,he     
appropriates that matter in order that  
,he may  manifest ,his own capacity4    
,the ,samkhya is the view of the        
universe of the scientist3 the ,vedanta 
is the view of the universe of the      
metaphysician4 ,haeckel unconsciously   
expounded the ,samkhyan philosophy      

almost perfectly4 ,so close to the      
,samkhyan is his exposition1 that       
another idea would make it purely       
,samkhyan2 he has not yet supplied that 
propinquity of consciousness  which the 
,samkhya postulates in its ultimate     
duality4 ,he has ,force and  ,matter1 he
 has ,mind in ,matter1 but he has no    
,purusha4 ,his last book1  criticised by
 ,sir ,oliver ,lodge1 is thoroughly     
intelligible from the  ,hindu standpoint
 as an almost accurate representation of
 ,samkhyan  philosophy4 ,it is the view 
of the scientist1 indifferent to the    
8why0  of the facts which he records4   
,the ,vedanta1 as ,i said1 is the view  
of  the metaphysician he seeks the unity
 in which all diversities are  rooted   
and into which they are resolved4       
,now1 what light does ,theosophy throw  
on both these systems8 ,theosophy       
enables every thinker to reconcile the  
partial statements which are  apparently
 so contradictory4 ,theosophy1 with the 
,vedanta1 proclaims the  universal      

,self4 ,all that the ,vedanta says of   
the universal ,self and the  ,self-     
limitation1 ,theosophy repeats4 ,we call
 these ,self-limited selves  ,monads1   
and we say1 as the ,vedantin says1 that 
these ,monads reproduce  the nature of  
the universal ,self whose portions they 
are4 ,and hence you  find in them the   
three qualities which you find in the   
,supreme4 ,they  are units1 and these   
represent the ,purushas of the ,samkhya2
 but with a  very great difference1 for 
they are not passive watchers1 but      
active  agents in the drama of the      
universe1 although1 being above the     
fivefold  universe1 they are as         
spectators who pull the strings of the  
players of  the stage4 ,the ,monad takes
 to himself from the universe of matter 
atoms  which show out the qualities     
corresponding to his three qualities1   
and  in these he thinks1 and wills and  
acts4 ,he takes to himself rhythmic     
combinations1 and shows his quality of  
cognition4 ,he takes to himself         

combinations that are mobile2 through   
those he shows out his activity4  ,he   
takes the combinations that are inert1  
and shows out his quality of  bliss1 as 
the will to be happy4 ,now notice the   
difference of phrase and  thought4 ,in  
the ,samkhya1 ,matter changed to reflect
 the ,spirit2 in fact1  the ,spirit     
appropriates portions of ,matter1 and   
through those expresses  his own        
characteristics--an enormous difference4
 ,he creates an actor for               
,self-expression1 and this actor is the 
8spiritual man0 of the  ,theosophical   
teaching1 the spiritual ,triad1 the     
,atma-buddhi-manas1 to  whom we shall   
return in a moment4    ,the ,monad      
remains ever beyond the fivefold        
universe1 and in that sense  is a       
spectator4 ,he dwells beyond the five   
planes of matter4 ,beyond the  ,atmic1  
or ,akasic2 beyond the ,buddhic plane1  
the plane of ,vayu2 beyond  the mental  
plane1 the plane of ,agni2 beyond the   
astral plane1 the plane  of ,varuna2    

beyond the physical plane1 the plane of 
,kubera4 ,beyond all  these planes the  
,monad1 the ,self1 stands               
,self-conscious and  ,self-determined4  
,he reigns in changeless peace and lives
 in eternity4  ,but as said above1 he   
appropriates matter4 ,he takes to       
himself an atom  of the ,atmic plane1   
and in that he1 as it were1 incorporates
 his will1  and that becomes ,atma4 ,he 
appropriates an atom of the ,buddhic    
plane1  and reflects in that his aspect 
of cognition1 and that becomes buddhi4  
,he appropriates an atom of the manasic 
plane and embodies1 as it were1  his    
activity in it1 and it becomes ,manas4  
,thus we get ,atma1 plus  ,buddhi1 plus 
,manas4 ,that triad is the reflection in
 the fivefold  universe of the ,monad   
beyond the fivefold universe4 ,the terms
 of  ,theosophy can be easily identified
 with those of other schools4 ,the      
,monad of ,theosophy is the ,jivatma of 
,indian philosophy1 the ,purusha of  the
 ,samkhya1 the particularised ,self of  

the ,vedanta4 ,the threefold            
manifestation1 ,atma-buddhi-manas1 is   
the result of the ,purusha's            
propinquity to ,prakriti1 the subject of
 the ,samkhyan philosophy1 the  ,self   
embodied in the highest sheaths1        
according to the ,vedantic  teaching4   
,in the one you have this ,self and ,his
 sheaths1 and in the  other the         
,subject1 a reflection in matter of     
,purusha4 ,thus you can  readily see    
that you are dealing with the same      
concepts but they are  looked at from   
different standpoints4 ,we are nearer to
 the ,vedanta than  to the ,samkhya1 but
 if you know the principles you can put 
the  statements of the two philosophies 
in their own niches and will not be     
confused4 ,learn the principles and you 
can explain all the theories4  ,that is 
the value of the ,theosophical teaching2
 it gives you the  principles and leaves
 you to study the philosophies1 and you 
study them  with a torch in your hand   
instead of in the dark4    ,now when we 

understand the nature of the spiritual  
man1 or ,triad1 what  do we find with   
regard to all the manifestations of     
consciousness8 ,that  they are duads1   
,spirit-,matter everywhere1 on every    
plane of our  fivefold universe4 ,if you
 are a scientist1 you will call it      
spiritualised ,matter2 if you are a     
metaphysician you will call it          
materialised ,spirit4 ,either phrase is 
equally true1 so long as you  remember  
that both are always present in every   
manifestation1 that what  you see is not
 the play of matter alone1 but the play 
of ,spirit-,matter1  inseparable through
 the period of manifestation4 ,then1    
when you come1  in reading an ancient   
book1 to the statement 8mind is         
material10 you  will not be confused2   
you will know that the writer is only   
speaking on  the ,samkhyan line1 which  
speaks of ,matter everywhere but always 
implies  that the ,spirit is looking on1
 and that this presence makes the work  
of  ,matter possible4 ,you will not1    

when reading the constant statement in  
,indian philosophies that 8mind is      
material10 confuse this with the        
opposite view of the materialist which  
says that 8mind is the product  of      
matter0--a very different thing4        
,although the ,samkhyan may use         
materialistic terms1 he always posits   
the vivifying influence of  ,spirit1    
while the materialist makes ,spirit the 
product of ,matter4  ,really a gulf     
divides them1 although the language they
 use may often be  the same4      ,mind 
8,yoga is the inhibition of the         
functions of the mind10 says ,patanjali4
  ,the functions of the mind must be    
suppressed1 and in order that we may  be
 able to follow out really what this    
means1 we must go more closely  into    
what the ,indian philosopher means by   
the word 8mind04    ,mind1 in the wide  
sense of the term1 has three great      
properties or  qualities3 cognition1    
desire or will1 activity4 ,now ,yoga is 
not  immediately concerned with all     

these three1 but only with one1         
cognition1 the ,samkhyan subject4 ,but  
you cannot separate cognition1 as  we   
have seen1 completely from the others1  
because consciousness is a  unit1 and   
although we are only concerned with that
 part of  consciousness which we        
specifically call cognition1 we cannot  
get  cognition all by itself4 ,hence the
 ,indian psychologist investigating     
this property1 cognition1 divides it up 
into three or1 as the ,vedanta  says1   
into four 7with all submission1 the     
,vedantin here makes a  mistake74 ,if   
you take up any ,vedantic book and read 
about mind1 you  will find a particular 
word used for it which4 translated1     
means  8internal organ04 ,this          
antah-karana is the word always used    
where in  ,english we use 8mind02 but it
 is only used in relation to cognition1 
not in relation to activity and desire4 
,it is said to be fourfold1  being made 
up of ,manas1 ,buddhi1 ,ahamkara1 and   
,chitta2 but this fourfold  division is 

a very curious division4 ,we know what  
,manas is1 what ,buddhi  is1 what       
,ahamkara is1 but what is this ,chitta8 
,what is ,chitta1 outside  ,manas1      
,buddhi and ,ahamkara8 ,ask anyone you  
like4 and record his answer2  you will  
find that it is of the vaguest kind4    
,let us try to analyse it  for          
ourselves1 and see whether light will   
come upon it by using the  ,theosophic  
idea of a triplet summed up in a fourth1
 that is not really  a fourth1 but the  
summation of the three4 ,manas1 ,buddhi 
and ,ahamkara  are the three different  
sides of a triangle1 which triangle is  
called  ,chitta4 ,the ,chitta is not a  
fourth1 but the sum of the three3       
,manas1  ,buddhi and ,ahamkara4 ,this is
 the old idea of a trinity in unity4    
,over  and over again ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky
 uses this summation as a fourth to her 
triplets1 for she follows the old       
methods4 ,the fourth1 which sums up  the
 three but is not other than they1 makes
 a unity out of their  apparent         

diversity4 ,let us apply that to        
,antahkarana4    ,take cognition4       
,though in cognition that aspect of the 
,self is  predominant1 yet it cannot    
exist absolutely alone1 ,the whole ,self
 is  there in every act of cognition4   
,similarly with the other two4 ,one     
cannot exist separate from the others4  
,where there is cognition the  other two
 are present1 though subordinate to it4 
,the activity is there1  the will is    
there4 ,let us think of cognition as    
pure as it can be1  turned on itself1   
reflected in itself1 and we have        
,buddhi1 the pure  reason1 the very     
essence of cognition2 this in the       
universe is  represented by ,vishnu1 the
 sustaining wisdom of the universe4 ,now
 let  us think of cognition looking     
outwards1 and as reflecting itself in   
activity1 its brother quality1 and we   
have a mixture of cognition and         
activity which is called ,manas1 the    
active mind2 cognition reflected in     
activity is ,manas in man or ,brahma1   

the creative mind1 in the universe4     
,when cognition similarly reflects      
itself in will1 then it becomes         
,ahamkara1 the 8,i am ,i0 in man1       
represented by ,mahadeva in the         
universe4  ,thus wee have found within  
the limits of this cognition a triple   
division1 making up the internal organ  
or ,antahkarana--,manas1 plus  ,buddhi1 
plus ,ahamkara--and we can find no      
fourth4 ,what is then ,chitta8  ,it is  
the summation of the three1 the three   
taken together1 the  totality of the    
three4 ,because of the old way of       
counting these things1  you get this    
division of ,antahkarana into four4     
,the ,mental ,body    ,we must now deal 
with the mental body1 which is taken as 
equivalent to  mind for practical       
purposes4 ,the first thing for a man to 
do in  practical ,yoga is to separate   
himself from the mental body1 to draw   
away from that into the sheath next     
above it4 ,and here remember what ,i    
said previously1 that in ,yoga the ,self

 is always the consciousness plus  the  
vehicle from which the consciousness is 
unable to separate itself4  ,all that is
 above the body you cannot leave is the 
,self for practical  purposes1 and your 
first attempt must be to draw away from 
your mental  body4 ,under these         
conditions1 ,manas must be identified   
with the ,self1  and the spiritual      
,triad1 the ,atma-buddhi-manas1 is to be
 realised as  separate from the mental  
body4 ,that is the first step4 ,you must
 be able  to take up and lay down your  
mind as you do a tool1 before it is of  
any  use to consider the further        
progress of the ,self in getting rid of 
its  envelopes4 ,hence the mental body  
is taken as the starting point4         
,suppress thought4 ,quiet it4 ,still it4
 ,now what is the ordinary  condition of
 the mental body8 ,as you look upon that
 body from a higher  plane1 you see     
constant changes of colours playing in  
it4 ,you find that  they are sometimes  
initiated from within1 sometimes from   

without4  ,sometimes a vibration from   
without has caused a change in          
consciousness1 and a corresponding      
change in the colours in the mental     
body4 ,if there is a change of          
consciousness1 that causes vibration in 
the matter in which that consciousness  
is functioning4 ,the mental body  is a  
body of ever-changing hues and colours1 
never still1 changing  colour with swift
 rapidity throughout the whole of it4   
,yoga is the  stopping of all these1 the
 inhibition of vibrations and changes   
alike4  ,inhibition of the change of    
consciousness stops the vibration of the
  mental body2 the checking of the      
vibration of the mental body checks  the
 change in consciousness4 ,in the mental
 body of a ,master there is no  change  
of colour save as initiated from within2
 no outward stimulus can  produce any   
answer1 any vibration1in that perfectly 
controlled mental  body4 ,the colour of 
the mental body of a ,master is as      
moonlight on the  rippling ocean4       

,within that whiteness of moon-like     
refulgence lie all  possibilities of    
colour1 but nothing in the outer world  
can make the  faintest change of hue    
sweep over its steady radiance4 ,if a   
change of  consciousness occurs within1 
then the change will send a wave of     
delicate hues over the mental body which
 responds only in colour to  changes    
initiated from within and never to      
changes stimulated from  without4 ,his  
mental body is never ,his ,self1 but    
only ,his tool or  instrument1 which ,he
 can take up or lay down at ,his will4  
,it is only an  outer sheath that ,he   
uses when ,he needs to communicate with 
the lower  world4    ,by that idea of   
the stopping of all changes of colour in
 the mental  body you can realise what  
is meant by inhibition4 ,the functions  
of mind  are stopped in ,yoga4 ,you have
 to begin with your mental body4 ,you   
have  to learn how to stop the whole of 
those vibrations1 how to make the       
mental body colourless1 still and quiet1

 responsive only to the  impulses that  
you choose to put upon it4 ,how will you
 be able to tell  when the mind is      
really coming under control1 when it is 
no longer a  part of your ,self8 ,you   
will begin to realise this when you find
 that1  by the action of your will1 you 
can check the current of thought and    
hold the mind in perfect stillness4     
,sheath after sheath has to be          
transcended1 and the proof of           
transcending is that it can no longer   
affect you4 ,you can affect it1 but it  
cannot affect you4 ,the moment  that    
nothing outside you can harass you1 can 
stir the mind1 the moment  that the mind
 does not respond to the outer1 save    
under your own  impulse1 then can you   
say of it3 8,this is not my ,self40 ,it 
has become  part of the outer1 it can no
 longer be identified with the ,self4   
,from this you pass on to the conquest  
of the causal body in a similar  way4   
,when the conquering of the causal body 
is complete then you go to  the         

conquering of the ,buddhic body4 ,when  
mastery over the ,buddhic body  is      
complete1 you pass on to theconquest of 
the ,atmic body4      ,mind and ,self   
,you cannot be surprised that under     
these conditions of continued           
disappearance of functions1 the         
unfortunate student asks3 8,what becomes
  of the mind itself8 ,if you suppress  
all the functions1 what is left80  ,in  
the ,indian way of teaching1 when you   
come to a difficulty1 someone  jumps up 
and asks a question4 ,and in the        
commentaries1 the question  which raises
 the difficulty is always put4 ,the     
answer of ,patanjali is3  8,then the    
spectator remains in his own form40     
,theosophy answers3 8,the  ,monad       
remains40 ,it is the end of the human   
pilgrimage4 ,that is the  highest point 
to which humanity may climb3 to suppress
 all the  reflections in the fivefold   
universe through which the ,monad has   
manifested his powers1 and then for the 
,monad to realise himself1  enriched by 

the experiences through which his       
manifested aspects have  passed4 ,but to
 the ,samkhyan the difficulty is very   
great1 for when he  has only his        
spectator left1 when spectacle ceases1  
the spectator  himself almost vanishes4 
,his only function was to look on at the
 play  of mind4 ,when the play of mind  
is gone1 what is left8 ,he can no longer
  be a spectator1 since there is nothing
 to see4 ,the only answer is3 8,he      
remains in his own form40 ,he is now out
 of manifestation1 the duality  is      
transcended1 and so the ,spirit sinks   
back into latency1 no longer  capable of
 manifestation4 ,there you come to a    
very serious difference  with the       
,theosophical view of the universe1 for 
according to that view  of the universe1
 when all these functions have been     
suppressed1 then  the ,monad is ruler   
over matter and is prepared for a new   
cycle of  activity1 no longer slave but 
master4    ,all analogy shows us that as
 the ,self withdraws from sheath after  

sheath1 he does not lose but gains in   
,self- realisation4  ,self-realisation  
becomes more and more vivid with each   
successive  withdrawal2 so that as the  
,self puts aside one veil of matter     
after  another1 recognises in regular   
succession that each body in turn is not
  himself1 by that process of withdrawal
 his sense of ,self-reality  becomes    
keener1 not less keen4 ,it is important 
to remember that1  because often        
,western readers1 dealing with ,eastern 
ideas1 in  consequence of               
misunderstanding the meaning of the     
state of liberation1  or the condition  
of ,nirvana1 identify it with           
nothingness or  unconsciousness--an     
entirely mistaken idea which is apt to  
colour the  whole of their thought when 
dealing with ,yogic processes4 ,imagine 
the  condition of a man who identifies  
himself completely with the body1 so    
that he cannot1 even in thought1        
separate himself from it--the state of  
the early undeveloped man--and compare  

that with the strength1 vigour  and     
lucidity of your own mental             
consciousness4    ,the consciousness of 
the early man limited to the physical   
body1 with  occasional touches of dream 
consciousness1 is very restricted in its
  range4 ,he has no idea of the sweep of
 your consciousness1 of your  abstract  
thinking4 ,but is that consciousness of 
the early man more  vivid1 or less      
vivid1 than yours8 ,certainly you will  
say1 it is less  vivid4 ,you have       
largely transcended his powers of       
consciousness4 ,your  consciousness is  
astral rather than physical1 but has    
thereby increased  its vividness4 ,,as  
the ,self withdraws himself from sheath 
after sheath1  he realises himself more 
and more1 not less and less2            
,self-realisation  becomes more intense1
 as sheath after sheath is cast aside4  
,the centre  grows more powerful as the 
circumference becomes more permeable1   
and at  last a stage is reached when the
 centre knows itself at every point of  

the circumference4 ,when that is        
accomplished the circumference          
vanishes1 but not so the centre4 ,the   
centre still remains4 ,just as you  are 
more vividly conscious than the early   
man1 just as your  consciousness is more
 alive1 not less1 than that of an       
undeveloped man1  so it is as we climb  
up the stairway of life and cast away   
garment  after garment4 ,we become more 
conscious of existence1 more conscious  
of  knowledge1 more conscious of        
,self-determined power4 ,the faculties  
of  the ,self shine out more strongly1  
as veil after veil falls away4 ,by      
analogy1 then1 when we touch the ,monad1
 our consciousness should be  mightier1 
more vivid1 and more perfect4 ,as you   
learn to truly live1  your powers and   
feelings grow in strength4    ,and      
remember that all control is exercised  
over sheaths1 over portions  of the     
,not-,self4 ,you do not control your    
,self2 that is a misconception2  you    
control your ,not-,self4 ,the ,self is  

never controlled2 ,he is the  ,inner    
,ruler ,immortal4 ,he is the controller1
 not the controlled4 ,as  sheath after  
sheath becomes subject to your ,self1   
and body after body  becomes the tool of
 your ,self1 then shall you realise the 
truth of the  saying of the ,upanishad1 
that you are the ,self1 the ,inner      
,ruler1 the  immortal4          ,lecture
 ,,iii  ,,yoga ,,as ,,science           
,brothers3    ,this afternoon1 ,i       
propose now to deal first with the two  
great methods  of ,yoga1 one related to 
the ,self and the other to the          
,not-,self4 ,let me  remind you1 before 
,i begin1 that we are dealing only with 
the science  of ,yoga and not with other
 means of attaining union with the      
,divine4  ,the scientific method1       
following the old ,indian conception1 is
 the one  to which ,i am asking your    
attention4 ,i would remind you1 however1
 that1  though ,i am only dealing with  
this1 there remain also the other two   
great ways of ,bhakti and ,karma4 ,the  

,yoga we are studying specially         
concerns the ,marga of ,jnanam or       
knowledge1 and within that way1 within  
that ,marga or path of knowledge1 we    
find that three subdivisions occur1  as 
everywhere in nature4      ,methods of  
,yoga    ,with regard to what ,i have   
just called the two great methods in    
,yoga1  we find that by one of these a  
man treads the path of knowledge by     
,buddhi--the pure reason2 and the other 
the same path by ,manas--the  concrete  
mind4 ,you may remember that in speaking
 yesterday of the sub-  divisions of    
,antah-karana1 ,i pointed out to you    
that there we had a  process of         
reflection of one quality in another2   
and within the limits  of the           
cognitional aspect of the ,self1 you    
find ,buddhi1 cognition  reflected in   
cognition2 and ,ahamkara1 cognition     
reflected in will2 and  ,manas1         
cognition reflected in activity4        
,bearing those three  sub-divisions in  
mind1 you will very readily be able to  

see that these  two methods of ,yoga    
fall naturally under two of these heads4
 ,but what  of the third8 ,what of the  
will1 of which ,ahamkara is the         
representative  in cognition8 ,that     
certainly has its road1 but it can      
scarcely be said  to be a 8method04     
,will breaks its way upwards by sheer   
unflinching  determination1 keeping its 
eyes fixed on the end1 and using either 
buddhi or manes indifferently as a means
 to that end4 ,metaphysics is  used to  
realise the ,self2 science is used to   
understand the ,not-,self2  but either  
is grasped1 either is thrown aside1 as  
it serves1 or fails  to serve1 the needs
 of the moment4 ,often the man1 in whom 
will is  predominant1 does not know how 
he gains the object he is aiming at2 it 
comes to his hands1 but the 8how0 is    
obscure to him2 he willed to have  it1  
and nature gives it to him4 ,this is    
also seen in ,yoga in the man of        
,ahamkara1 the sub-type of will in      
cognition4 ,just as in the man of       

,ahamkara1 ,buddhi and ,manas are       
subordinate1 so in the man of ,buddhi1  
,ahamkara and ,manas are not absent1 but
 are subordinate2 and in the man  of    
,manas1 ,ahamkara and ,buddhi are       
present1 but play a subsidiary part4    
,both the metaphysician and the         
scientist must be supported by          
,ahamkara4  ,that ,self-determining     
faculty1 that deliberate setting of     
oneself to a  chosen end1 that is       
necessary in all forms of ,yoga4        
,whether a ,yogi is  going to follow the
 purely cognitional way of ,buddhi1 or  
whether he is  going to follow the more 
active path of ,manas1 in both cases he 
needs  the self-determining will in     
order to sustain him in his arduous     
task4  ,you remember it is written in   
the ,upanishad that the weak man cannot 
reach the ,self4 ,strength is wanted4   
,determination is wanted4  ,perseverance
 is wanted4 ,and you must have1 in every
 successful ,yogi1  that intense        
determination which is the very essence 

of individuality4    ,now what are these
 two great methods8 ,one of them may be 
described as  seeking the ,self by the  
,self2 the other may be described as    
seeking the  ,self by the ,not-,self2   
and if you will think of them in that   
fashion1 ,i  think you will find the    
idea illuminative4 ,those who seek the  
,self by  the ,self1 seek him through   
the faculty of ,buddhi2 they turn ever  
inwards1 and turn away from the outer   
world4 ,those who seek the ,self by  the
 ,not-,self1 seek him through the active
 working ,manas2 they are               
outward-turned1 and by study of the     
,not-,self1 they learn to realise the   
,self4 ,the one is the path of the      
metaphysician2 the other is the path  of
 the scientist4      ,to the ,self by   
the ,self    ,let us look at this a     
little more closely1 with its           
appropriate  methods4 ,the path on which
 the faculty of ,buddhi is used         
predominantly  is1 as just said1 the    
path of the metaphysician4 ,it is the   

path of the  philosopher4 ,he turns     
inwards1 ever seeking to find the ,self 
by diving  into the recesses of his own 
nature4 ,knowing that the ,self is      
within  him1 he tries to strip away     
vesture after vesture1 envelope after   
envelope1 and by a process of rejecting 
them he reaches the glory of  the       
unveiled ,self4 ,to begin this1 he must 
give up concrete thinking and  dwell    
amidst abstractions4 ,his method1 then1 
must be strenuous1  long-sustained1     
patient meditation4 ,nothing else will  
serve his end2  strenuous1 hard         
thinking1 by which he rises away from   
the concrete into  the abstract regions 
of the mind2 strenuous1 hard thinking1  
further  continued1 by which he reaches 
from the abstract region of the mind up 
to the region of ,buddhi1 where unity is
 sensed2 still by strenuous  thinking1  
climbing yet further1 until ,buddhi as  
it were opens out into  ,atma1 until the
 ,self is seen in his splendour1 with   
only a film of  atmic matter1 the       

envelope of ,atma in the manifested     
fivefold world4 ,it  is along that      
difficult and strenuous path that the   
,self must be found  by way of the      
,self4    ,such a man must utterly      
disregard the ,not-,self4 ,he must shut 
his senses  against the outside world4  
,the world must no longer be able to    
touch  him4 ,the senses must be closed  
against all the vibrations that come    
from without1 and he must turn a deaf   
ear1 a blind eye1 to all the            
allurements of matter1 to all the       
diversity of objects1 which make up  the
 universe of the ,not-,self4 ,seclusion 
will help him1 until he is  strong      
enough to close himself against the     
outer stimuli or  allurements4 ,the     
contemplative orders in the ,roman      
,catholic ,church  offer a good         
environment for this path4 ,they put the
 outer world away1  as far away as      
possible4 ,it is a snare1 a temptation1 
a hindrance4  ,always turning away from 
the world1 the ,yogi must fix his       

thought1 his  attention1 upon the ,self4
 ,hence for those who walk along this   
road1  what are called the ,siddhis are 
direct obstacles1 and not helps4 ,but   
that statement that you find so often1  
that the ,siddhis are things to  be     
avoided1 is far more sweeping than some 
of our modern ,theosophists  are apt to 
imagine4 ,they declare that the ,siddhis
 are to be avoided1  but forget that the
 ,indian who says this also avoids the  
use of the  physical senses4 ,he closes 
physical eyes and ears as hindrances4   
,but  some ,theosophists urge avoidance 
of all use of the astral senses and     
mental senses1 but they do not object to
 the free use of the physical  senses1  
or dream that they are hindrances4 ,why 
not8 ,if the senses are  obstacles in   
their finer forms1 they are also        
obstacles in their  grosser             
manifestations4 ,to the man who would   
find the ,self by the ,self1  every     
sense is a hindrance and an obstacle1   
and there is no logic1 no  reason1 in   

denouncing the subtler senses only1     
while forgetting the  temptations of the
 physical senses1 impediments as much as
 the other4  ,no such division exists   
for the man who tries to understand the 
universe in which he is4 ,in the search 
for the ,self by the ,self1 all  that is
 not ,self is an obstacle4 ,your eyes1  
your ears1 everything that  puts you    
into contact with the outer world1 is   
just as much an obstacle  as the subtler
 forms of the same senses which put you 
into touch with  the subtler worlds of  
matter1 which you call astral and       
mental4 ,this  exaggerated fear of the  
,siddhis is only a passing reaction1 not
 based  on understanding but on lack of 
understanding2 and those who denounce   
the ,siddhis should rise to the logical 
position of the ,hindu ,yogi1 or  of the
 ,roman ,catholic recluse1 who denounces
 all the senses1 and all  the objects of
 the senses1 as obstacles in the way4   
,many ,theosophists  here1 and more in  
the ,west1 think that much is gained by 

acuteness of  the physical senses1 and  
of the other faculties in the physical  
brain2  but the moment the senses are   
acute enough to be astral1 or the       
faculties begin to work in astral       
matter1 they treat them as objects of   
denunciation4 ,that is not rational4 ,it
 is not logical4 ,obstacles1 then1  are 
all the senses1 whether you call them   
,siddhis or not1 in the search  for the 
,self by turning away from the          
,not-,self4    ,it is necessary for the 
man who seeks the ,self by the ,self to 
have the  quality which is called       
8faith10 in the sense in which ,i       
defined it  before--the profound1       
intense conviction1 that nothing can    
shake1 of the  reality of the ,self     
within you4 ,that is the one thing that 
is worthy to  be dignified by the name  
of faith4 ,truly it is beyond reason1   
for not  by reason may the ,self be     
known as real4 ,truly it is not based on
  argument1 for not by reasoning may the
 ,self be discovered4 ,it is the        

witness of the ,self within you to his  
own supreme reality1 and that           
unshakable conviction1 which is         
shraddha1 is necessary for the treading 
of this path4 ,it is necessary1 because 
without it the human mind would  fail1  
the human courage would be daunted1 the 
human perseverance would  break1 with   
the difficulties of the seeking for the 
,self4 ,only that  imperious conviction 
that the ,self is1 only that can cheer  
the pilgrim  in the darkness that comes 
down upon him1 in the void that he must 
cross before--the life of the lower     
being thrown away--the life of the      
higher is realised4 ,this imperious     
faith is to the ,yogi on this path  what
 experience and knowledge are to the    
,yogi on the other4      ,to the ,self  
,through the ,not-self    ,turn from him
 to the seeker for the ,self through the
 ,not- ,self4 ,this is  the way of the  
scientist1 of the man who uses the      
concrete1 active  ,manas1 in order      
scientifically to understand the        

universe2 he has to  find the real among
 the unreal1 the eternal among the      
changing1 the  ,self amid the diversity 
of forms4 ,how is he to do it8 ,by a    
close and  rigorous study of every      
changing form in which the ,self has    
veiled  himself4 ,by studying the       
,not-,self around him and in him1 by    
understanding his own nature1 by        
analysing in order to understand1 by    
studying nature in others as well as in 
himself1 by learning to know  himself   
and to gain knowledge of others2 slowly1
 gradually1 step by  step1 plane after  
plane1 he has to climb upwards1         
rejecting one form of  matter after     
another1 finding not in these the ,self 
he seeks4 ,as he  learns to conquer the 
physical plane1 he uses the keenest     
senses in  order to understand1 and     
finally to reject4 ,he says3 8,this is  
not my  ,self4 ,this changing panorama1 
these obscurities1 these continual      
transformations1 these are obviously the
 antithesis of the eternity1  the       

lucidity1 the stability of the ,self4   
,these cannot be my ,self40 ,and  thus  
he constantly rejects them4 ,he climbs  
on to the astral plane and1  using there
 the finer astral senses1 he studies the
 astral world1 only  to find that that  
also is changing and manifests not the  
changelessness  of the ,self4 ,after the
 astral world is conquered and rejected1
 he  climbs on into the mental plane1   
and there still studies the             
ever-changing forms of that ,manasic    
world1 only once more to reject  them3  
8,these are not the ,self40 ,climbing   
still higher1 ever following  the track 
of forms1 he goes from the mental to the
 ,buddhic plane1 where  the ,self begins
 to show his radiance and beauty in     
manifested union4  ,thus by studying    
diversity he reaches the conception of  
unity1 and is  led into the             
understanding of the ,one4 ,to him the  
realisation of the  ,self comes through 
the study of the ,not-,self1 by the     
separation of the  ,not-,self from the  

,self4 ,thus he does by knowledge and   
experience what  the other does by pure 
thinking and by faith4 ,in this path of 
finding  the ,self through the          
,not-,self1 the so-called ,siddhis are  
necessary4  ,just as you cannot study   
the physical world without the physical 
senses1 so you cannot study the astral  
world without the astral senses1  nor   
the mental world without the mental     
senses4 ,therefore1 calmly  choose your 
ends1 and then think out your means1 and
 you will not be in  any difficulty     
about the method you should employ1 the 
path you should  tread4    ,thus we see 
that there are two methods1 and these   
must be kept separate  in your thought4 
,along the line of pure thinking--the   
metaphysical  line--you may reach the   
,self4 ,so also along the line of       
scientific  observation and             
experiment--the physical line1 in the   
widest sense of  the term physical--you 
may reach the ,self4 ,both are ways of  
,yoga4 ,both  are included in the       

directions that you may read in the     
,yoga ,sutras of  ,patanjali4 ,those    
directions will cease to be             
self-contradictory1 if you  will only   
separate in your thought the two        
methods4 ,patanjali has  given1 in the  
later part of his ,sutras1 some hints as
 to the way in  which the ,siddhis may  
be developed4 ,thus you may find your   
way to the  ,supreme4      ,yoga and    
,morality    ,the next point that ,i    
would pause upon1 and ask you to        
realise1 is the  fact that ,yoga is a   
science of psychology4 ,i want further  
to point out  to you that it is not a   
science of ethic1 though ethic is       
certainly the  foundation of it4        
,psychology and ethic are not the same4 
,the science of  psychology is the      
result of the study of mind4 ,the       
science of ethic is  the result of the  
study of conduct1 so as to bring about  
the harmonious  relation of one to      
another4 ,ethic is a science of life1   
and not an  investigation into the      

nature of mind and the methods by which 
the  powers of the mind may be developed
 and evolved4 ,i pause on this  because 
of the confusion that exists in many    
people as regards this  point4 ,if you  
understand the scope of ,yoga aright1   
such a confusion  ought not to arise4   
,the confused idea makes people think   
that in ,yoga  they ought to find       
necessarily what are called precepts of 
morality1  ethic4 ,though ,patanjali    
gives the universal precepts of morality
 and  right conduct in the first two    
angas of ,yoga1 called yama and niyama1 
yet they are subsidiary to the main     
topic1 are the foundation of it1 as     
just said4 ,no practice of ,yoga is     
possible unless you possess the         
ordinary moral attributes summed up in  
yama and niyama2 that goes  without     
saying4 ,but you should not expect to   
find moral precepts in a  scientific    
text book of psychology1 like ,yoga4 ,a 
man studying the  science of electricity
 is not shocked if he does not find in  

it moral  precepts2 why then should one 
studying ,yoga1 as a science of         
psychology1 expect to find moral        
precepts in it8 ,i do not say that      
morality is unimportant for the ,yogi4  
,on the contrary1 it is  all-important4 
,it is absolutely necessary in the first
 stages of ,yoga  for everyone4 ,but to 
a ,yogi who has mastered these1 it is   
not  necessary1 if he wants to follow   
the left-hand path4 ,for you must       
remember that there is a ,yoga of the   
left-hand path1 as well as a ,yoga  of  
the right-hand path4 ,yoga is there also
 followed1 and though  asceticism is    
always found in the early stages1 and   
sometimes in the  later1 true morality  
is absent4 ,the black magician is often 
as rigid in  his morality as any        
,brother of the ,white ,lodge4 ,of the  
disciples of the  black and white       
magicians1 the disciple of the black    
magician is often  the more ascetic4    
,his object is not the purification of  
life for the  sake of humanity1 but the 

purification of the vehicle1 that he may
 be  better able to acquire power4 ,the 
difference between the white and the    
black magician lies in the motive4 ,you 
might have a white magician1 a  follower
 of the right-hand path1 rejecting meat 
because the way of  obtaining it is     
against the law of compassion4 ,the     
follower of the  left-hand path may also
 reject meat1 but for the reason that be
 would  not be able to work so well with
 his vehicle if it were full of the     
rajasic elements of meat4 ,the          
difference is in the motive4 ,the outer 
action is the same4 ,both men may be    
called moral1 if judged by the  outer   
action alone4 ,the motive marks the     
path1 while the outer actions  are often
 identical4    ,it is a moral thing to  
abstain from meat1 because thereby you  
are  lessening the infliction of        
suffering2 it is not a moral act to     
abstain  from meat from the yogic       
standpoint1 but only a means to an end4 
,some  of the greatest yogis in ,hindu  

literature were1 and are1 men whom you  
would rightly call black magicians4 ,but
 still they are yogis4 ,one of  the     
greatest yogis of all was ,ravana1 the  
anti-,christ1 the ,avatara of  evil1 who
 summed up all the evil of the world in 
his own person in  order to oppose the  
,avatara of good4 ,he was a great1 a    
marvellous yogi1  and by ,yoga he gained
 his power4 ,ravana was a typical yogi  
of the  left-hand path1 a great         
destroyer1 and he practiced ,yoga to    
obtain the  power of destruction1 in    
order to force from the hands of the    
,planetary  ,logos the boon that no man 
should be able to kill him4 ,you may    
say3  8,what a strange thing that a man 
can force from ,god such a power40 ,the 
laws of ,nature are the expression of   
,divinity1 and if a man follows a  law  
of ,nature1 he reaps the result which   
that law inevitably brings2  the        
question whether he is good or bad to   
his fellow men does not touch  this     
matter at all4 ,whether some other law  

is or is not obeyed1 is  entirely       
outside the question4 ,it is a matter of
 dry fact that the  scientific man may  
be moral or immoral1 provided that his  
immorality  does not upset his eyesight 
or nervous system4 ,it is the same with 
,yoga4 ,morality matters profoundly1 but
 it does not affect these  particular   
things1 and if you think it does1 you   
are always getting  into bogs and       
changing your moral standpoint1 either  
lowering or making  it absurd4 ,try to  
understand2 that is what the            
,theosophist should do2  and when you   
understand1 you will not fall into the  
blunders nor suffer  the bewilderment   
many do1 when you expect laws belonging 
to one region  of the universe to bring 
about results in another4 ,the          
scientific man  understands that4 ,he   
knows that a discovery in chemistry does
 not  depend upon his morality1 and he  
would not think of doing an act of      
charity with a view to finding out a new
 element4 ,he will not fail in a        

well-wrought experiment1 however vicious
 his private life may be4 ,the  things  
are in different regions1 and he does   
not confuse the laws of  the two4 ,as   
,ishvara is absolutely just1 the man who
 obeys a law reaps  the fruit of that   
law1 whether his actions1 in any other  
fields1 are  beneficial to man or not4  
,if you sow rice1 you will reap rice2 if
 you  sow weeds1 you will reap weeds2   
rice for rice1 and weed for weed4 ,the  
harvest is according to the sowing4 ,for
 this is a universe of law4 ,by  law we 
conquer1 by law we succeed4 ,where does 
morality come in1 then8  ,when you are  
dealing with a magician of the          
right-hand path1 the  servant of the    
,white ,lodge1 there morality is an     
all-important factor4  ,inasmuch as he  
is learning to be a servant of humanity1
 he must observe  the highest morality1 
not merely the morality of the world1   
for the  white magician has to deal with
 helping on harmonious relations between
  man and man4 ,the white magician must 

be patient4 ,the black magician may     
quite well be harsh4 ,the white magician
 must be compassionate2  compassion     
widens out his nature1 and he is trying 
to make his  consciousness include the  
whole of humanity4 ,but not so the black
  magician4 ,he can afford to ignore    
compassion4    ,a white magician may    
strive for power4 ,but when he is       
striving for  power1 he seeks it that he
 may serve humanity and become more     
useful to  mankind1 a more effective    
servant in the helping of the world4    
,but not  so the brother of the dark    
side4 ,when he strives for power1 he    
seeks if  for himself1 so that he may   
use it against the whole world4 ,he may 
be  harsh and cruel4 ,he wants to be    
isolated2 and harshness and cruelty     
tend to isolate him4 ,he wants power2   
and holding that power for  himself1 he 
can put himself temporarily1 as it were1
 against the ,divine  ,will in          
evolution4    ,the end of the one is    
,nirvana1 where all separation has      

ceased4 ,the end  of the other is       
,avichi--the uttermost isolation--the   
kaivalya of the  black magician4 ,both  
are yogis1 both follow the science of   
yoga1 and  each gets the result of the  
law he has followed3 one the kaivalya of
  ,nirvana1 the other the kaivalya of   
,avichi4      ,composition of ,states of
 the ,mind    ,let us pass now to the   
8states of the mind0 as they are called4
 ,the  word which is used for the states
 of the mind by ,patanjali is ,vritti4  
,this admirably constructed language    
,sanskrit gives you in that very  word  
its own meaning4 ,vrittis means the     
8being0 of the mind2 the ways  in which 
mind can exist2 the modes of the mind2  
the modes of mental  existence2 the ways
 of existing4 ,that is the literal      
meaning of this  word4 ,a subsidiary    
meaning is a 8turning around10 a 8moving
 in a  circle04 ,you have to stop1 in   
,yoga1 every mode of existing in which  
the  mind manifests itself4 ,in order to
 guide you towards the power of         

stopping them--for you cannot stop them 
till you understand them--you are  told 
that these modes of mind are fivefold in
 their nature4 ,they are  pentads4 ,the 
,sutra1 as usually translated1 says 8the
 ,vrittis are  fivefold 7panchatayyah710
 but pentad is a more accurate rendering
 of  the word pancha-tayyah1 in the     
original1 than fivefold4 ,the word      
pentad  at once recalls to you the way  
in which the chemist speaks of a monad1 
triad1 heptad1 when he deals with       
elements4 ,the elements with which the  
chemist is dealing are related to the   
unit-element in different ways4  ,some  
elements are related to it in one way   
only1 and are called monads2  others are
 related in two ways1 and are called    
duads1 and so on4    ,is this applicable
 to the states of mind also8 ,recall the
 shloka of the  ,bhagavad-,gita in which
 it is said that the ,jiva goes out into
 the  world1 drawing round him the five 
senses and mind as sixth4 ,that may     
throw a little light on the subject4    

,you have five senses1 the five  ways of
 knowing1 the five jnanendriyas or      
organs of knowing4 ,only by  these five 
senses can you know the outer world4    
,western psychology says  that nothing  
exists in thought that does not exist in
 sensation4 ,that  is not true          
universally2 it is not true of the      
abstract mind1 nor  wholly of the       
concrete4 ,but there is a great deal of 
truth in it4 ,every  idea is a pentad4  
,it is made up of five elements4 ,each  
element making  up the idea comes from  
one of the senses1 and of these there   
are at  present five4 ,later on every   
idea will be a heptad1 made up of seven 
elements4 ,for the present1 each has    
five qualities1 which build up the      
idea4 ,the mind unites the whole        
together into a single thought1         
synthesises the five sensations4 ,if you
 think of an orange and analyse  your   
thought of an orange1 you will find in  
it3 colour1 which comes  through the    
eye2 fragrance1 which comes through the 

nose2 taste1 which  comes through the   
tongue2 roughness or smoothness1 which  
comes through  the sense of touch2 and  
you would hear musical notes made by the
  vibrations of the molecules1 coming   
through the sense of hearing1 were  it  
keener4 ,if you had a perfect sense of  
hearing4 you would hear the  sound of   
the orange also1 for wherever there is  
vibration there is  sound4 ,all this1   
synthesised by the mind into one idea1  
is an orange4  ,that is the root reason 
for the 8association of ideas04 ,it is  
not only  that a fragrance recalls the  
scene and the circumstances under which 
the fragrance was observed1 but because 
every impression is made  through all   
the five senses and1 therefore1 when one
 is stimulated1 the  others are         
recalled4 ,the mind is like a prism4 ,if
 you put a prism in  the path of a ray  
of white light1 it will break it up into
 its seven  constituent rays and seven  
colours will appear4 ,put another prism 
in  the path of these seven rays1 and as

 they pass through the prism1 the       
process is reversed and the seven become
 one white light4 ,the mind is  like the
 second prism4 ,it takes in the five    
sensations that enter  through the      
senses1 and combines them into a single 
precept4 ,as at the  present stage of   
evolution the senses are five only1 it  
unites the five  sensations into one    
idea4 ,what the white ray is to the     
seven- coloured  light1 that a thought  
or idea is to the fivefold sensation4   
,that is the  meaning of the much       
controverted ,sutra3 8,vrittayah        
panchatayych10 8the  vrittis1 or modes  
of the mind1 are pentads40 ,if you look 
at it in that  way1 the later teachings 
will be more clearly understood4    ,as 
,i have already said1 that sentence1    
that nothing exists in thought  which is
 not in sensation1 is not the whole     
truth4 ,manas1 the sixth  sense1 adds to
 the sensations its own pure elemental  
nature4 ,what is  that nature that you  
find thus added8 ,it is the             

establishment of a  relation1 that is   
really what the mind adds4 ,all thinking
 is the  8establishment of relations10  
and the more closely you look into that 
phrase1 the more you will realise how it
 covers all the varied  processes of the
 mind4 ,the very first process of the   
mind is to become  aware of an outside  
world4 ,however dimly at first1 we      
become aware of  something outside      
ourselves--a process generally called   
perception4 ,i  use the more general    
term 8establishing a relation10 because 
that runs  through the whole of the     
mental processes1 whereas perception is 
only a  single thing4 ,to use a         
well-known simile1 when a little baby   
feels a  pin pricking it1 it is         
conscious of pain1 but not at first     
conscious of  the pin1 nor yet conscious
 of where exactly the pin is4 ,it does  
not  recognise the part of the body in  
which the pin is4 ,there is no          
perception1 for perception is defined as
 relating a sensation to the  object    

which causes the sensation4 ,you only1  
technically speaking1  8perceive0 when  
you make a relation between the object  
and yourself4  ,that is the very first  
of these mental processes1 following on 
the  heels of sensation4 ,of course1    
from the ,eastern standpoint1 sensation 
is a mental function also1 for the      
senses are part of the cognitive        
faculty1 but they are unfortunately     
classed with feelings in ,western       
psychology4 ,now having established that
 relation between yourself and  objects 
outside1 what is the next process of the
 mind8 ,reasoning3 that  is1 the        
establishing of relations between       
different objects1 as  perception is the
 establishment of your relation with a  
single object4  ,when you have perceived
 many objects1 then you begin to reason 
in order  to establish relations between
 them4 ,reasoning is the establishment  
of  a new relation1 which comes out from
 the comparison of the different        
objects that by perception you have     

established in relation with  yourself1 
and the result is a concept4 ,this one  
phrase1 8establishment  of relations10  
is true all round4 ,the whole process of
 thinking is the  establishment of      
relations1 and it is natural that it    
should be so1  because the ,supreme     
,thinker1 by establishing a relation1   
brought matter  into existence4 ,just as
 ,he1 by establishing that primary      
relation  between ,himself and the      
,not-,self1 makes a universe possible1  
so do we  reflect ,his powers in        
ourselves1 thinking by the same method1 
establishing relations1 and thus        
carrying out every intellectual         
process4      ,pleasure and ,pain       
,let us pass again from that to another 
statement made by this great  teacher of
 ,yoga3 8,pentads are of two kinds1     
painful and non-painful40  ,why did he  
not say3 8painful and pleasant08        
,because he was an accurate  thinker1 a 
logical thinker1 and he uses the logical
 division that  includes the whole      

universe of discourse1 ,a and ,not-,a1  
painful and  non-painful4 ,there has    
been much controversy among             
psychologists as to  a third kind       
--indifferent4 ,some psychologists      
divide all feelings into  three3        
painful1 pleasant and indifferent4      
,feelings cannot be divided  merely into
 pain and pleasure1 there is a third    
class1 called  indifference1 which is   
neither painful nor pleasant4 ,other    
psychologists say that indifference is  
merely pain or pleasure that is  not    
marked enough to be called the one or   
the other4 ,now this  controversy and   
tangle into which psychologists have    
fallen might be  avoided if the primary 
division of feelings were a logical     
division4 ,a  and ,not-,a--that is the  
only true and logical division4         
,patanjali is  absolutely logical and   
right4 ,in order to avoid the quicksand 
into  which the modern psychologists    
have fallen1 he divides all vrittis1    
modes of mind1 into painful and         

nonpainful4    ,there is1 however1 a    
psychological reason why we should say  
8pleasure  and pain10 although it is not
 a logical division4 ,the reason why    
there  should be that classification is 
that the word pleasure and the word     
pain express two fundamental states of  
difference1 not in the ,self1 but  in   
the vehicles in which that ,self dwells4
 ,the ,self1 being by nature  unlimited1
 is ever pressing1 so to say1 against   
any boundaries which  seek to limit him4
 ,when these limitations give way a     
little before the  constant pressure of 
the ,self1 we feel 8pleasure10 and when 
they resist  or contract1 we feel       
8pain04 ,they are not states of the     
,self so much as  states of the         
vehicles1 and states of certain changes 
in consciousness4  ,pleasure and pain   
belong to the ,self as a whole1 and not 
to any aspect  of the ,self separately  
taken4 ,when pleasure and pain are      
marked off as  belonging only to the    
desire nature1 the objection arises3    

8,well1 but  in the exercise of the     
cognitive faculty there is an intense   
pleasure4  ,when you use the creative   
faculty of the mind you are conscious of
 a  profound joy in its exercise1 and   
yet that creative faculty can by no     
means be classed with desire40 ,the     
answer is3 8,pleasure belongs to the    
,self as a whole4 ,where the vehicles   
yield themselves to the ,self1 and      
permit it to #8expand' as is its eternal
 nature1 then what is called  pleasure  
is felt40 ,it has been rightly said3    
8,pleasure is a sense of  moreness40    
,every time you feel pleasure1 you will 
find the word  8moreness0 covers the    
case4 ,it will cover the lowest         
condition of  pleasure1 the pleasure of 
eating4 ,you are becoming more by       
appropriating to yourself a part of the 
,not-,self1 food4 ,you will find  it    
true of the highest condition of bliss1 
union with the ,supreme4 ,you  become   
more by expanding yourself to ,his      
infinity4 ,when you have a  phrase that 

can be applied to the lowest and highest
 with which you are  dealing1 you may be
 fairly sure it is all-inclusive1 and   
that1  therefore1 8pleasure is moreness0
 is a true statement4 ,similarly1 pain  
is 8lessness04    ,if you understand    
these things your philosophy of life    
will become more  practical1 and you    
will be able to help more effectively   
people who  fall into evil ways4 ,take  
drink4 ,the real attraction of drinking 
lies  in the fact that1 in the first    
stages of it1 a more keen and vivid life
  is felt4 ,that stage is overstepped in
 the case of the man who gets  drunk1   
and then the attraction ceases4 ,the    
attraction lies in the first  stages1   
and many people have experienced that1  
who would never dream of  becoming      
drunk4 ,watch people who are taking wine
 and see how much more  lively and      
talkative they become4 ,there lies the  
attraction1 the  danger4    ,the real   
attraction in most coarse forms of      
excess is that they give an  added sense

 of life1 and you will never be able to 
redeem a man from  his excess unless you
 know why he does it4 ,understanding the
  attractiveness of the first step1 the 
increase of life1 then you will  be able
 to put your finger on the point of     
temptation1 and meet that in  your      
argument with him4 ,so that this sort of
 mental analysis is not  only           
interesting1 but practically useful to  
every helper of mankind4  ,the more you 
know1 the greater is your power to help4
    ,the next question that arises is3  
8,why does he not divide all feelings   
into pleasurable and not-pleasurable1   
rather than into #8painful and          
not-painful'80 ,a ,westerner will not be
 at a loss to answer that3 8,oh1  the   
,hindu is naturally so very pessimistic1
 that he naturally ignores  pleasure and
 speaks of painful and not-painful4 ,the
 universe is full of  pain40 ,but that  
would not be a true answer4 ,in the     
first place the  ,hindu is not          
pessimistic4 ,he is the most optimistic 

of men4 ,he has not  got one solitary   
school of philosophy that does not put  
in its  foreground that the object of   
all philosophy is to put an end to pain4
  ,but he is profoundly reasonable4 ,he 
knows that we need not go about  seeking
 happiness4 ,it is already ours1 for it 
is the essence of our own  nature4 ,do  
not the ,upanishads say3 8,the ,self is 
bliss08 ,happiness  exists perennially  
within you4 ,it is your normal state4   
,you have not to  seek it4 ,you will    
necessarily be happy if you get rid of  
the obstacles  called pain1 which are in
 the modes of mind4 ,happiness is not a 
secondary thing1 but pain is1 and these 
painful things are obstacles to  be got 
rid of4 ,when they are stopped1 you must
 be happy4 ,therefore  ,patanjali says3 
8,the vrittis are painful and           
non-painful40 ,pain is an  excrescence4 
,it is a transitory thing4 ,the ,self1  
who is bliss1 being  the all-permeating 
life of the universe1 pain has no       
permanent place in  it4 ,such is the    

,hindu position1 the most optimistic in 
the world4    ,let us pause for a moment
 to ask3 8,why should there be pain at  
all if  the ,self is bliss80 ,just      
because the nature of the ,self is      
bliss4 ,it  would be impossible to make 
the ,self turn outward1 come into       
manifestation1 if only streams of bliss 
flowed in on him4 ,he would have        
remained unconscious of the streams4 ,to
 the infinity of bliss nothing  could be
 added4 ,if you had a stream of water   
flowing unimpeded in its  course1       
pouring more water into it would cause  
no ruffling1 the stream  would go on    
heedless of the addition4 ,but put an   
obstacle in the way1  so that the free  
flow is checked1 and the stream will    
struggle and fume  against the obstacle1
 and make every endeavour to sweep it   
away4 ,that  which is contrary to it1   
that which will check its current's     
smooth  flow1 that alone will cause     
effort4 ,that is the first function of  
pain4  ,it is the only thing that can   

rouse the ,self4 ,it is the only thing  
that  can awaken his attention4 ,when   
that peaceful1 happy1 dreaming1 inturned
  ,self finds the surge of pain beating 
against him1 he awakens3 8,what is      
this1 contrary to my nature1            
antagonistic and repulsive1 what is     
this80  ,it arouses him to the fact of a
 surrounding universe1 an outer world4  
,hence in psychology1 in yoga1 always   
basing itself on the ultimate  analysis 
of the fact of nature1 pain is the thing
 that asserts itself  as the most       
important factor in ,self-realisation2  
that which is other  than the ,self will
 best spur the ,self into activity4     
,therefore we find  our commentator1    
when dealing with pain1 declares that   
the karmic  receptacle the causal body1 
that in which all the seeds of karma are
  gathered ,up1 has for its builder all 
painful experiences2 and along  that    
line of thought we come to the great    
generalisation3 the first  function of  
pain in the universe is to arouse the   

,self to turn himself  to the outer     
world1 to evoke his aspect of activity4 
,the next function of pain is the       
organisation of the vehicles4 ,pain     
makes the man exert himself1 and by that
 exertion the matter of his  vehicles   
gradually becomes organised4 ,if you    
want to develop and  organise your      
muscles1 you make efforts1 you exercise 
them1 and thus  more life flows into    
them and they become strong4 ,pain is   
necessary  that the ,self may force his 
vehicles into making efforts which      
develop  and organise them4 ,thus pain  
not only awakens awareness1 it also     
organises the vehicles4    ,it has a    
third function also4 ,pain purifies4 ,we
 try to get rid of that  which causes us
 pain4 ,it is contrary to our nature1   
and we endeavour to  throw it away4 ,all
 that is against the blissful nature of 
the ,self is  shaken by pain out of the 
vehicles2 slowly they become purified by
  suffering1 and in that way become     
ready for the handling of the ,self4    

,it has a fourth function4 ,pain        
teaches4 ,all the best lessons of life  
come from pain rather than from joy4    
,when one is becoming old1 as ,i am  and
 ,i look on the long life behind me1 a  
life of storm and stress1 of            
difficulties and efforts1 ,i see        
something of the great lessons pain can 
teach4 ,out of my life story could      
efface without regret everything that   
it has had of joy and happiness1 but not
 one pain would ,i let go1 for  pain is 
the teacher of wisdom4    ,it has a     
fifth function4 ,pain gives power4      
,edward ,carpenter said1 in  his        
splendid poem of 8,time and ,satan10    
after he had described the  wrestlings  
and the overthrows3 8,every pain that ,i
 suffered in one body  became a power   
which ,i wielded in the next40 ,power is
 pain transmuted4    ,hence the wise    
man1 knowing these things1 does not     
shrink from pain2 it  means             
purification1 wisdom1 power4    ,it is  
true that a man may suffer so much pain 

that for this incarnation  he may be    
numbed by it1 rendered wholly or        
partially useless4  ,especially is this 
the case when the pain has deluged in   
childhood4 ,but  even then1 he shall    
reap his harvest of good later4 ,by his 
past1 he may  have rendered present pain
 inevitable1 but none the less can he   
turn it  into a golden opportunity by   
knowing and utilising its functions4    
,you may say3 8,what use then of        
pleasure1 if pain is so splendid a      
thing80 ,from pleasure comes            
illumination4 ,pleasure enables the     
,self to  manifest4 ,in pleasure all the
 vehicles of the ,self are made         
harrnonious2 they all vibrate together2 
the vibrations are rhythmical1  not     
jangled as they are in pain1 and those  
rhythmical vibrations permit  that      
expansion of the ,self of which ,i      
spoke1 and thus lead up to              
illumination1 the knowledge of the      
,self4 ,and if that be true1 as it is   
true1 you will see that pleasure plays  

an immense part in nature1 being  of the
 nature of the ,self1 belonging to him4 
,when it harmonises the  vehicles of the
 ,self from outside1 it enables the     
,self more readily to  manifest himself 
through the lower selves within us4     
,hence happiness is  a condition of     
illumination4 ,that is the explanation  
of the value of  the rapture of the     
mystic2 it is an intense joy4 ,a        
tremendous wave of  bliss1 born of love 
triumphant1 sweeps over the whole of his
 being1 and  when that great wave of    
bliss sweeps over him1 it harmonises the
 whole  of his vehicles1 subtle and     
gross alike1 and the glory of the ,self 
is  made manifest and he sees the face  
of his ,god4 ,then comes the wonderful  
illumination1 which for the time makes  
him unconscious of all the lower        
worlds4 ,it is because for a moment the 
,self is realising himself as  divine1  
that it is possible for him to see that 
divinity which is  cognate to himself4  
,so you should not fear joy any more    

than you fear  pain1 as some unwise     
people do1 dwarfed by a mistaken        
religionism4 ,that  foolish thought     
which you often find in an ignorant     
religion1 that  pleasure is rather to be
 dreaded1 as though ,god grudged joy to 
,his  children1 is one of the nightmares
 born of ignorance and terror4 ,the     
,father of life is bliss4 ,he who is joy
 cannot grudge ,himself to ,his         
children1 and every reflection of joy in
 the world is a reflection of  the      
,divine ,life1 and a manifestation of   
the ,self in the midst of  matter4      
,hence pleasure has its function as well
 as pain and that also  is welcome to   
the wise1 for he understands and        
utilises it4 ,you can  easily see how   
along this line pleasure and pain become
 equally  welcome4 ,identified with     
neither1 the wise man takes either as it
  comes1 knowing its purpose4 ,when we  
understand the places of joy and of     
pain1 then both lose their power to bind
 or to upset us4 ,if pain comes1  we    

take it and utilise it4 ,if joy comes1  
we take it and utilise it4 ,so  we may  
pass through life1 welcoming both       
pleasure and pain1 content  whichever   
may come to us1 and not wishing for that
 which is for the  moment absent4 ,we   
use both as means to a desired end2 and 
thus we may  rise to a higher           
indifference than that of the stoic1 to 
the true  vairagya2 both pleasure and   
pain are transcended1 and the ,self     
remains1  who is bliss4                 
,lecture ,,iv  ,,yoga ,,as ,,practice   
,brothers3    ,yesterday1 in dealing    
with the third section of the subject1  
,i drew  your attention to the states of
 mind1 and pointed out to you that1     
according to the ,samskrit word vritti1 
those states of mind should be  regarded
 as ways m which the mind exists1 or1 to
 use the philosophical  phrase of the   
,west1 they are modes of mind1 modes of 
mental existence4  ,these are the states
 which are to be inhibited1 put an end  
to1  abolished1 reduced into absolute   

quiescence4 ,the reason for this        
inhibition is the production of a state 
which allows the higher mind to  pour   
itself into the lower4 ,to put it in    
another way3 the lower mind1  unruffled1
 waveless1 reflects the higher1 as a    
waveless lake reflects  the stars4 ,you 
will remember the phrase used in the    
,upanishad1 which  puts it less         
technically and scientifically1 but more
 beautifully1 and  declares that in the 
quietude of the mind and the tranquility
 of the  senses1 a man may behold the   
majesty of the ,self4 ,the method of    
producing this quietude is what we have 
now to consider4      ,inhibition of    
,states of ,mind    ,two ways1 and two  
ways only1 there are of inhibiting these
 modes1 these  ways of existence1 of the
 mind4 ,they were given by ,sri ,krishna
 in the  ,bhagavad-,gita1 when ,arjuna  
complained that the mind was impetuous1 
strong1 difficult to bend1 hard to curb 
as the wind4 ,his answer was  definite3 
8,without doubt1 ,o mighty-armed1 the   

mind is hard to curb and  restless2 but 
it may be curbed by constant practice   
7abhyasa7 and by  dispassion            
7vai-ragya740#g     #g loc4 cit41 vi4   
#ce1 #ce      ,these are the two        
methods1 the only two methods1 by which 
this  restless1 storm-tossed mind can be
 reduced to peace and quietude4         
,vai-ragya and abhyasa1 they are the    
only two methods1 but when steadily     
practiced they inevitably bring about   
the result4    ,let us consider what    
these two familiar words imply4         
,vai-ragya1 or  dispassion1 has as its  
main idea the clearing away of all      
passion for1  attraction to1 the objects
 of the senses1 the bonds which are made
 by  desire between man and the objects 
around him4 ,raga is 8passion1          
addiction10 that which binds a man to   
things4 ,the prefix 8vi0--changing  to  
8vai0 by a grammatical rule --means     
8without10 or 8in opposition to04       
,hence vai-ragya is 8non-passion1       
absence of passion10 not bound1 tied  or

 related to any of these outside        
objects4 ,remembering that thinking  is 
the establishing of relations1 we see   
that the getting rid of  relations will 
impose on the mind the stillness that is
 ,yoga4 ,all raga  must be entirely put 
aside4 ,we must separate ourselves from 
it4 ,we must  acquire the opposite      
condition1 where every passion is       
stilled1 where  no attraction for the   
objects of desire remains1 where all the
 bonds  that unite the man to           
surrounding objects are broken4 8,when  
the bonds  of the heart are broken1 then
 the man becomes immortal40    ,how     
shall this dispassion be brought about8 
,there is only one right way  of doing  
it4 ,by slowly and gradually drawing    
ourselves away from outer  objects      
through the more potent attraction of   
the ,self4 ,the ,self is  ever attracted
 to the ,self4 ,that attraction alone   
can turn these  vehicles away from the  
alluring and repulsive objects that     
surround  them2 free from all raga1 no  

more establishing relations with        
objects1  the separated ,self finds     
himself liberated and free1 and union   
with the  one ,self becomes the sole    
object of desire4 ,but not instantly1 by
 one  supreme effort1 by one endeavour1 
can this great quality of dispassion    
become the characteristic of the man    
bent on ,yoga4 ,he must practice        
dispassion constantly and steadfastly4  
,that is implied in the word  joined    
with dispassion1 abhyasa or practice4   
,the practice must be  constant1        
continual and unbroken4 8,practice0 does
 not mean only  meditation1 though this 
is the sense in which the word is       
generally  used2 it means the           
deliberate1 unbroken carrying out of    
dispassion in  the very midst of the    
objects that attract4    ,in order that 
you may acquire dispassion1 you must    
practice it in the  everyday things of  
life4 ,i have said that many confine    
abhyasa to  meditation4 ,that is why so 
few people attain to ,yoga4 ,another    

error is  to wait for some big          
opportunity4 ,people prepare themselves 
for some  tremendous sacrifice and      
forget the little things of everyday    
life1 in  which the mind is knitted to  
objects by a myriad tiny threads4 ,these
  things1 by their pettiness1 fail to   
attract attention1 and in waiting  for  
the large thing1 which does not come1   
people lose the daily  practice of      
dispassion towards the little things    
that are around them4  ,by curbing      
desire at every moment1 we become       
indifferent to all the  objects that    
surround us4 ,then1 when the great      
opportunity comes1 we  seize it while   
scarce aware that it is upon us4 ,every 
day1 all day  long1 practice--that is   
what is demanded from the aspirant to   
,yoga1 for  only on that line can       
success come2 and it is the             
wearisomeness of this  strenuous1       
continued endeavour that tires out the  
majority of  aspirants4    ,i must here 
warn you of a danger4 ,there is a       

rough-and- ready way of  quickly        
bringing about dispassion4 ,some say to 
you3 8,kill out all love  and affection2
 harden your hearts2 become cold to all 
around you2  desert your wife and       
children1 your father and mother1 and   
fly to the  desert or the jungle2 put a 
wall between youself and all objects of 
desire2 then dispassion will be yours40 
,it is true that it is  comparatively   
easy to acquire dispassion in that way4 
,but by that you  kill more than desire4
 ,you put round the ,self1 who is love1 
a barrier  through which he is unable to
 pierce4 ,you cramp yourself by         
encircling  yourself with a thick shell1
 and you cannot break through it4 ,you  
harden yourself where you ought to be   
softened2 you isolate yourself  where   
you ought to be embracing others2 you   
kill love and not only  desire1         
forgetting that love clings to the ,self
 and seeks the ,self1  while desire     
clings to the sheaths of the ,self1 the 
bodies in which the  ,self is clothed4  

,love is the desire of the separated    
,self for union  with all other         
separated ,selves4 ,dispassion is the   
non-attraction to  matter--a very       
different thing4 ,you must guard        
love--for it is the very  ,self of the  
,self4 ,in your anxiety to acquire      
dispassion do not kill out  love4 ,love 
is the life in everyone of us1 separated
 ,selves4 ,it draws  every separated    
,self to the other ,self4 ,each one of  
us is a part of one  mighty whole4      
,efface desire as regards the vehicles  
that clothe the  ,self1 but do not      
efface love as regards the ,self1 that  
never-dying  force which draws ,self to 
,self4 ,in this great up-climbing1 it is
 far  better to suffer from love rather 
than to reject it1 and to harden your   
hearts against all ties and claims of   
affection4 ,suffer for love1 even       
though the suffering be bitter4 ,love1  
even though the love be an avenue  of   
pain4 ,the pain shall pass away1 but the
 love shall continue to grow1  and in   

the unity of the ,self you shall finally
 discover that love is  the great       
attracting force which makes all things 
one4    ,many people1 in trying to kill 
out love1 only throw themselves back1   
becoming less human1 not superhuman2 by 
their mistaken attempts4 ,it is  by and 
through human ties of love and sympathy 
that the ,self unfolds4  ,it is said of 
the ,masters that ,they love all        
humanity as a mother loves  her         
firstborn son4 ,their love is not love  
watered down to coolness1 but  love for 
all raised to the heat of the highest   
particular loves of  smaller souls4     
,always mistrust the teacher who tells  
you to kill out  love1 to be indifferent
 to human affections4 ,that is the way  
which  leads to the left-hand path4     
,meditation ,with and ,without ,seed    
,the next step is our method of         
meditation4 ,what do we mean by         
meditation8 ,meditation cannot be the   
same for every man4 ,though the  same in
 principle1 namely1 the steadying of the

 mind1 the method must  vary with the   
temperament of the practitioner4        
,suppose that you are a  strong-minded  
and intelligent man1 fond of reasoning4 
,suppose that  connected links of       
thought and argument have been to you   
the only  exorcise of the mind4 ,utilise
 that past training4 ,do not imagine    
that  you can make your mind still by a 
single effort4 ,follow a logical chain  
of reasoning1 step by step1 link after  
link2 do not allow the mind to  swerve a
 hair's breadth from it4 ,do not allow  
the mind to go aside to  other lines of 
thought4 ,keep it rigidly along a single
 line1 and  steadiness will gradually   
result4 ,then1 when you have worked up  
to your  highest point of reasoning and 
reached the last link of your chain of  
argument1 and your mind will carry you  
no further1 and beyond that you  can see
 nothing1 then stop4 ,at that highest   
point of thinking1 cling  desperately to
 the last link of the chain1 and there  
keep the mind  poised1 in steadiness and

 strenuous quiet1 waiting for what may  
come4  ,after a while1 you will be able 
to maintain this attitude for a         
considerable time4    ,for one in whom  
imagination is stronger than the        
reasoning faculty1 the  method by       
devotion1 rather than by reasoning1 is  
the method4 ,let him  call imagination  
to his help4 ,he should picture some    
scene1 in which  the object of his      
devotion forms the central figure1      
building it up1  bit by bit1 as a       
painter paints a picture1 putting in it 
gradually all  the elements of the scene
 ,he must work at it as a painter works 
on his  canvas1 line by line1 his brush 
the brush of imagination4 ,at first the 
work will be very slow1 but the picture 
soon begins to present itself  at call4 
,over and over he should picture the    
scene1 dwelling less and  less on the   
surrounding objects and more and more on
 the central figure  which is the object
 of his heart's devotion4 ,the drawing  
of the mind to  a point1 in this way1   

brings it under control and steadies it1
 and thus  gradually1 by this use of the
 imagination4 he brings the mind under  
command4 ,the object of devotion will be
 according to the man's  religion4      
,suppose--as is the case with many of   
you--that his object of  devotion is    
,sri ,krishna2 picture ,him in any scene
 of ,his earthly life1  as in the battle
 of ,kurukshetra4 ,imagine the armies   
arrayed for battle  on both sides2      
imagine ,arjuna on the floor of the     
chariot1 despondent1  despairing2 then  
come to ,sri ,krishna1 the ,charioteer1 
the ,friend and  ,teacher4 ,then1 fixing
 your mind on the central figure1 let   
your heart  go out to ,him with         
onepointed devotion4 ,resting on ,him1  
poise yourself  in silence and1 as      
before1 wait for what may come4    ,this
 is what is called 8meditation with     
seed04 ,the central figure1 or  the last
 link in reasoning1 that is 8the seed04 
,you have gradually made  the vagrant   
mind steady by this process of slow and 

gradual curbing1  and at last you are   
fixed on the central thought1 or the    
central  figure1 and there you are      
poised4 ,now let even that go4 ,drop the
  central thought1 the idea1 the seed of
 meditation4 ,let everything go4  ,but  
keep the mind in the position gained1   
the highest point reached1  vigorous and
 alert4 ,this is meditation without a   
seed4 ,remain poised1  and wait in the  
silence and the void4 ,you are in the   
8cloud10 before  described1 and pass    
through the condition before sketched4  
,suddenly  there will be a change1 a    
change unmistakable1 stupendous1        
incredible4  ,in that silence1 as said1 
a ,voice shall be heard4 ,in that void1 
a ,form  shall reveal itself4 ,in that  
empty sky1 a ,sun shall rise1 and in the
  light of that ,sun you shall realise  
your own identity with it1 and know     
that that which is empty to the eye of  
sense is full to the eye of  ,spirit1   
that that which is silence to the ear of
 sense is full of music  to the ear of  

,spirit4    ,along such lines you can   
learn to bring into control your mind1  
to  discipline your vagrant thought1 and
 thus to reach illumination4 ,one  word 
of warning4 ,you cannot do this1 while  
you are trying meditation  with a seed4 
until you are able to cling to your seed
 definitely for a  considerable time1   
and maintain throughout an alert        
attention4 ,it is  the emptiness of     
alert expectation4 not the emptiness of 
impending  sleep4 ,if your mind be not  
in that condition1 its mere emptiness is
  dangerous4 ,it leads to mediumship1 to
 possession1 to obsession4 ,you can     
wisely aim at emptiness1 only when you  
have so disciplined the mind  that it   
can hold for a considerable time to a   
single point and remain  alert when that
 point is dropped4    ,the question is  
sometimes asked3 8,suppose that ,i do   
this and succeed in  becoming           
unconscious of the body2 suppose that ,i
 do rise into a higher  region2 is it   
quite sure that ,i shall come back again

 to the body8  ,having left the body1   
shall ,i be certain to return80 ,the    
idea of  non-return makes a man nervous4
 ,even if he says that matter is nothing
  and ,spirit is everything1 he yet does
 not like to lose touch with his  body  
and1 losing that touch1 by sheer fear1  
he drops back to the earth  after having
 taken so much trouble to leave it4 ,you
 should1 however1  have no such fear4   
,that which will draw you back again is 
the trace of  your past1 which remains  
under all these conditions4    ,the     
question is of the same kind as3 8,why  
should a state of ,pralaya  ever come to
 an end1 and a new state of ,manvantara 
begin80 ,and the  answer is the same    
from the ,hindu psychological           
standpoint2 because1  although you have 
dropped the very seed of thought1 you   
cannot destroy  the traces which that   
thought has left1 and that trace is a   
germ1 and  it tends to draw again to    
itself matter1 that it may express      
itself  once more4 ,this trace is what  

is called the privation of matter--     
samskara4 ,far as you may soar beyond   
the concrete mind1 that trace1  left in 
the thinking principle1 of what you have
 thought and have  known1 that remains  
and will inevitably draw you back4 ,you 
cannot  escape your past and1 until your
 life-period is over1 that samskara     
will bring you back4 ,it is this also   
which1 at the close of the  heavenly    
life1 brings a man back to rebirth4 ,it 
is the expression of  the law of rhythm4
 ,in ,light on the ,path1 that wonderful
 occult  treatise1 this state is spoken 
of and the disciple is pictured as in   
the silence4 ,the writer goes on to say3
 8,out of the silence that is  peace a  
resonant voice shall arise4 ,and this   
voice will say3 #8,it is not  well2 thou
 hast reaped1 now thou must sow4' ,and  
knowing this voice to  be the silence   
itself1 thou wilt obey40    ,what is the
 meaning of that phrase3 8,thou hast    
reaped1 now thou must  sow80 ,it refers 
to the great law of rhythm which rules  

even the ,logoi1  the ,ishvaras --the   
law of the ,mighty ,breath1 the         
out-breathing and the  in-breathing1    
which compels every fragment which is   
separated for a  time4 ,a ,logos may    
leave ,his universe1 and it may drop    
away when ,he  turns ,his gaze inward1  
for it was ,he who gave reality to it4  
,he may plunge into the infinite depths 
of being1 but even then there is  the   
samskara of the past universe1 the      
shadowy latent memory1 the germ  of maya
 from which ,he cannot escape4 ,to      
escape from it would be to  cease to be 
,ishvara1 and to become ,brahma         
,nirguna4 ,there is no ,ishvara  without
 maya1 there is no maya without         
,ishvara4 ,even in pralaya1 a time      
comes when the rest is over and the     
inner life again demands  manifestation2
 then the outward turning begins and a  
new universe comes  forth4 ,such is the 
law of rest and activity3 activity      
followed by rest2  rest followed again  
by the desire for activity2 and so the  

ceaseless  wheel of the universe1 as    
well as of human lives1 goes on4 ,for in
 the  eternal1 both rest and activity   
are ever present1 and in that which we  
call ,time1 they follow each other1     
although in eternity they be            
simultaneous and ever-existing4         
,the ,use of ,mantras    ,let us see how
 far we can help ourselves in this      
difficult work4 ,i will  draw your      
attention to one fact which is of       
enormous help to the  beginner4    ,your
 vehicles are ever restless4 ,every     
vibration in the vehicle  produces a    
corresponding change in consciousness4  
,is there any way to  check these       
vibrations1 to steady the vehicle1 so   
that consciousness  may be still8 ,one  
method is the repeating of a mantra4 ,a 
mantra is a  mechanical way of checking 
vibration4 ,instead of using the powers 
of  the will and of imagination1 you    
save these for other purposes1 and use  
the mechanical resource of a mantra4 ,a 
mantra is a definite succession  of     

sounds4 ,those sounds1 repeated         
rhythmically over and over again in     
succession1 synchronise the vibrations  
of the vehicles into unity with         
themselves4 ,hence a mantra cannot be   
translated2 translation alters the      
sounds4 ,not only in ,hinduism1 but in  
,buddhism1 in ,roman ,catholicism1 in   
,islam1 and among the ,parsis1 mantras  
are found1 and they are never           
translated1 for when you have changed   
the succession and order of the  sounds1
 the mantra ceases to be a mantra4 ,if  
you translate the words1  you may have a
 very beautiful prayer1 but not a       
mantra4 ,your  translation may be       
beautiful inspired poetry1 but it is not
 a living  mantra4 ,it will no longer   
harmonise the vibrations of the         
surrounding  sheaths1 and thus enable   
the consciousness to become still4 ,the 
poetry1  the inspired prayer1 these are 
mentally translatable4 ,but a mantra is 
unique and untranslatable4 ,poetry is a 
great thing3 it is often an  inspirer of

 the soul1 it gives gratification to the
 ear1 and it may be  sublime and        
beautiful1 but it is not a mantra4      
,attention    ,let us consider          
concentration4 ,you ask a man if he can 
concentrate4 ,he  at once says3 8,oh6 it
 is very difficult4 ,i have often tried 
and  failed40 ,but put the same question
 in a different way1 and ask him3  8,can
 you pay attention to a thing80 ,he will
 at once say3 8,yes1 ,i can do  that40  
,concentration is attention4 ,the fixed 
attitude of attention1 that is          
concentration4 ,if you pay attention to 
what you do1 your mind will be          
concentrated4 ,many sit down for        
meditation and wonder why they do not   
succeed4 ,how can you suppose that half 
an hour of meditation and  twenty- three
 and a half hours of scattering of      
thought throughout the  day and night1  
will enable you to concentrate during   
the half hour8 ,you  have undone during 
the day and night what you did in the   
morning1 as  ,penelope unravelled the   

web she wove4 ,to become a ,yogi1 you   
must be  attentive all the time4 ,you   
must practice concentration every hour  
of  your active life4 ,now you scatter  
your thoughts for many hours1 and you   
wonder that you do not succeed4 ,the    
wonder would be if you did4 ,you  must  
pay attention every day to everything   
you do4 ,that is1 no doubt1  hard to do1
 and you may make it easier in the first
 stages by choosing  out of your day's  
work a portion only1 and doing that     
portion with  perfect1 unflagging       
attention4 ,do not let your mind wander 
from the  thing before you4 ,it does not
 matter what the thing is4 ,it may be   
the  adding up of a column of figures1  
or the reading of a book4 ,anything     
will do4 ,it is the attitude of the mind
 that is important and not the  object  
before it4 ,this is the only way of     
learning concentration4 ,fix  your mind 
rigidly on the work before you for the  
time being1 and when  you have done with
 it1 drop it4 ,practise steadily in this

 way for a few  months1 and you will be 
surprised to find how easy it becomes to
  concentrate the mind4 ,moreover1 the  
body will soon learn to do many  things 
automatically4 ,if you force it to do a 
thing regularly1 it will  begin to do   
it1 after a time1 of its own accord1 and
 then you find that  you can manage to  
do two or three things at the same time4
 ,in ,england1  for instance1 women are 
very fond of knitting4 ,when a girl     
first learns  to knit1 she is obliged to
 be very intent on her fingers4 ,her    
attention  must not wander from her     
fingers for a moment1 or she will make a
  mistake4 ,she goes on doing that day  
after day1 and presently her  fingers   
have learnt to pay attention to the work
 without her  supervision1 and they may 
be left to do the knitting while she    
employs  the conscious mind on something
 else4 ,it is further possible to train 
your mind as the girl has trained her   
fingers4 ,the mind also1 the  mental    
body1 can be so trained as to do a thing

 automatically4 ,at last1  your highest 
consciousness can always remain fixed on
 the ,supreme1  while the lower         
consciousness in the body will do the   
things of the  body1 and do them        
perfectly1 because perfectly trained4   
,these are  practical lessons of ,yoga4 
,practice of this sort builds up the    
qualities you want1 and you become      
stronger and better1 and fit to go on to
 the definite study of ,yoga4           
,obstacles to ,yoga    ,before          
considering the capacities needed for   
this definite practice1  let us run over
 the obstacles to ,yoga as laid down by 
,patanjali4    ,the obstacles to ,yoga  
are very inclusive4 ,first1 disease3 if 
you are  diseased you cannot practice   
,yoga2 it demands sound health1 for the 
physical strain entailed by it is great4
 ,then languor of mind3 you must  be    
alert1 energetic1 in your thought4 ,then
 doubt3 you must have  decision of will1
 must be able to make up your mind4     
,then carelessness3  this is one of the 

greatest difficulties with beginners2   
they read a  thing carelessly1 they are 
inaccurate4 ,sloth3 a lazy man cannot be
 a  ,yogi2 one who is inert1 who lacks  
the power and the will to exert         
himself2 how shall he make the desperate
 exertions wanted along this  line8 ,the
 next1 worldly-mindedness1 is obviously 
an obstacle4 ,mistaken  ideas is another
 great obstacle1 thinking wrongly about 
things4 ,one of  the great              
qualifications for ,yoga is 8right      
notion0 8,right notion0  means that the 
thought shall correspond with the       
outside truth2 that a  man shall he     
fundamentally true1 so that his thought 
corresponds to  fact2 unless there is   
truth in a man1 ,yoga is for him        
impossible4  ,missing the point1        
illogical1 stupid1 making the important1
 unimportant  and vice versa4 ,lastly1  
instability3 which makes ,yoga          
impossible1 and  even a small amount of 
which makes ,yoga futile2 the unstable  
man cannot  be a yogi4      ,capacities 

of ,yoga    ,can everybody practise     
,yoga8 ,no4 ,but every well-educated    
person can  prepare for its future      
practice4 ,for rapid progress you must  
have  special capacities1 as for        
anything else4 ,in any of the sciences a
 man  may study without being the       
possessor of very special capacity1     
although he cannot attain eminence      
therein2 and so it is with ,yoga4       
,anybody with a fair intelligence may   
learn something from ,yoga which he  may
 advantageously practice1 but he cannot 
hope unless he starts with  certain     
capacities1 to be a success in ,yoga in 
this life4 ,it is only  right to say    
that2 for if any special science needs  
particular  capacities in order to      
attain eminence therein1 the science of 
sciences  certainly cannot fall behind  
the ordinary sciences in the demands    
that  it makes on its students4         
,suppose ,i am asked3 8,can ,i become a 
great mathematician80 ,what must be  my 
answer8 8,you must have a natural       

aptitude and capacity for  mathematics  
to be a great mathematician4 ,if you    
have not that capacity1  you cannot be a
 great mathematician in this life40 ,but
 this does not  mean that you cannot    
learn any mathematics4 ,to be a great   
mathematician  you must be born with a  
special capacity for mathematics4 ,to be
 born  with such a special capacity     
means that you have practiced it in very
  many lives and now you are born with  
it ready-made4 ,it is the same with     
,yoga4 ,every man can learn a little of 
it4 ,but to be a great ,yogi means      
lives of practice4 ,if these are behind 
you1 you will have been born  with the  
necessary faculties in the present      
birth4    ,there are three faculties    
which one must have to obtain success in
  ,yoga4 ,the first is a strong desire4 
8,desire ardently40 ,such a desire is   
needed to break the strong links of     
desire which knit you to the outer      
world4 ,moreover1 without that strong   
desire you will never go through  all   

the difficulties that bat your way4 ,you
 must have the conviction  that you will
 ultimately succeed1 and the resolution 
to go on until you  do succeed4 ,it must
 be a desire so ardent and so firmly    
rooted1 that  obstacles only make it    
more keen4 ,to such a man an obstacle is
 like  fuel that you throw on a fire4   
,it burns but the more strongly as it   
catches hold of it and finds it fuel for
 the burning4 ,so difficulties  and     
obstacles are but fuel to feed the fire 
of the yogi's resolute  desire4 ,he only
 becomes the more firmly fixed1 because 
he finds the  difficulties4    ,if you  
have not this strong desire1 its absence
 shows that you are new  to the work1   
but you can begin to prepare for it in  
this life4 ,you can  create desire by   
thought2 you cannot create desire by    
desire4 ,out of  the desire nature1 the 
training of the desire nature cannot    
come4    ,what is it in us that calls   
out desire8 ,look into your own mind1   
and  you will find that memory and      

imagination are the two things that     
evoke  desire most strongly4 ,hence     
thought is the means whereby all the    
changes in desire can be brought about4 
,thought1 imagination1 is the  only     
creative power in you1 and by           
imagination your powers are to be       
unfolded4 ,the more you think of a      
desirable object1 the stronger  becomes 
the desire for it4 ,then think of ,yoga 
as desirable1 if you want  to desire    
,yoga4 ,think about the results of ,yoga
 and what it means for  the world when  
you have become a yogi1 and you will    
find your desire  becoming stronger and 
stronger4 ,for it is only by thought    
that you can  manage desire4 ,you can do
 nothing with it by itself4 ,you want   
the  thing1 or you do not want it1 and  
within the limits of the desire  nature 
you are helpless in its grasp4 ,as just 
said1 you cannot change  desire by      
desire4 ,you must go into another region
 of your being1 the  region of thought1 
and by thought you can make yourself    

desire or not  desire1 exactly as you   
like1 if only you will use the right    
means1 and  those means1 after all1 are 
fairly simple4 ,why is it you desire to 
possess a thing8 ,because you think it  
will make you happier4 ,but  suppose you
 know by past experience that in the    
long run it does not  make you happier1 
but brings you sorrow1 trouble1         
distress4 ,you have at  once1 ready to  
your hands1 the way to get rid of that  
desire4 ,think of  the ultimate results4
 ,let your mind dwell carefully on all  
the painful  things4 ,jump over the     
momentary pleasure1 and fix your thought
 steadily  on the pain which follows the
 gratification of that desire4 ,and when
  you have done that for a month or so1 
the very sight of those objects  of     
desire will repel you4 ,you will have   
associated it in your mind with         
suffering1 and will recoil from it      
instinctively4 ,you will not want it4   
,you have changed the want1 and have    
changed it by your power of             

imagination4 ,there is no more effective
 way of destroying a vice than  by      
deliberately picturing the ultimate     
results of its indulgence4  ,persuade a 
young man who is inclined to be         
profligate to keep in his  mind the     
image of an old profligate2 show him the
 profligate worn out1  desiring without 
the power to gratify2 and if you can get
 him to think  in that way1             
unconsciously he will begin to shrink   
from that which  before attracted him2  
the very hideousness of the results     
frightens  away the man from clinging to
 the object of desire4 ,and the would-be
  yogi has to use his thought to mark   
out the desires he will permit1 and  the
 desires that he is determined to slay4 
,the next thing after a strong desire is
 a strong will4 ,will is desire4        
transmuted1 its directing is changed    
from without to within4 ,if your  will  
is weak1 you must strengthen it4 ,deal  
with it as you do with other  weak      
things3 strengthen it by practice4 ,if a

 boy knows that he has weak  arms1 he   
says3 8,my arms are weak1 but ,i shall  
practice gymnastics1 work  on the       
parallel bars3 thus my arms4 will grow  
strong40 ,it is the same  with the will4
 ,practice will make strong the little1 
weak will that you  have at present4    
,resolve1 for example1 saying3 8,i will 
do such and such thing every  morning10 
and do it4 ,one thing at a time is      
enough for a feeble will4  ,make        
yourself a promise to do such and such a
 thing at such a time1 and  you will    
soon find that you will be ashamed to   
break your promise4 ,when  you have kept
 such a promise to yourself for a day1  
make it for a week1  then for a         
fortnight4 ,having succeeded1 you can   
choose a harder thing  to do1 and so on4
 ,by this forcing of action1 you        
strengthen the will4  ,day after day it 
grows greater in power1 and you find    
your inner  strength increases4 ,first  
have a strong desire4 ,then transmute it
 into  a strong will4    ,the third     

requisite for ,yoga is a keen and broad 
intelligence4 ,you  cannot control your 
mind1 unless you have a mind to control4
 ,therefore  you must develop your mind4
 ,you must study4 ,by study1 ,i do not  
mean the  reading of books4 ,i mean     
thinking4 ,you may read a dozen books   
and your  mind may be as feeble as in   
the beginning4 ,but if you have read one
  serious book properly1 then1 by slow  
reading and much thinking1 your         
intelligence will be nurtured and your2 
mind grow strong4    ,these are the     
things you want--a strong desire1 an    
indomitable will1 a  keen4 intelligence4
 ,those are the capacities that you must
 unfold in  order that the practice of  
,yoga may be possible to you4 ,if your  
mind is  very unsteady1 if it is a      
butterfly mind like a child's1 you must 
make  it steady4 ,that comes by close   
study and thinking4 ,you must unfold the
  mind by which you are to work4        
,forthgoing and ,returning    ,it will  
help you1 in doing this and in changing 

your desire1 if you  realise that the   
great evolution of humanity goes on     
along two  paths--the ,path of          
,forthgoing1 and the ,path of ,return4  
,on the ,path1 or marga1 of             
,pravritti--forthgoing on which are the 
vast  majority of human beings1 desires 
are necessary and useful4 ,on that      
path1 the more desire a man has1 the    
better for his evolution4 ,they are  the
 motives that prompt to activity4       
,without these the stagnates1 he is     
inert4 ,why should ,isvara have filled  
the worlds with desirable objects  if   
,he did not intend that desire should be
 an ingredient in evolution8  ,he deals 
with humanity as a sensible mother deals
 -with her child4 ,she  does not give   
lectures to the child on the advantages 
of walking nor  explain to it learnedly 
the mechanism of the muscles of the leg4
 ,she  holds a bright glittering toy    
before the child1 and says3 8,come and  
get  it40 ,desire awakens1 and the child
 begins to crawl1 and so it learns to   

walk4 ,so ,isvara has put toys around   
us1 but always just out of our  reach1  
and ,he says3 8,come1 children1 take    
these4 ,here are love1 money1  fame1    
social consideration2 come and get them4
 ,walk1 make efforts for  them40 ,and   
we1 like children1 make great efforts   
and struggle along to  snatch these     
toys4 ,when we seize the toy1 it breaks 
into pieces and is  of no use4 ,people  
fight and struggle and toil for wealth1 
and1 when  they become                  
multi-millionaires1 they ask3 8,how     
shall we spend this  wealth80 ,i read of
 a millionaire in ,america1 who was     
walking on foot  from city to city1 in  
order to distribute the vast wealth     
which he  accumulated4 ,he learned his  
lesson4 ,never in another life will that
 man  be induced to put forth efforts   
for the toy of wealth4 ,love of fame1   
love of power1 stimulate men to most    
strenuous effort4 ,but when they  are   
grasped and held in the hand1 weariness 
is the result4 ,the mighty  statesman1  

the leader of the nation1 the man       
idolised by  millions--follow him home1 
and there you will see the weariness of 
power1 the satiety that cloys passion4  
,does then ,god mock us with all  the   
objects8 ,no4 ,the object has been to   
bring out the power of the ,self  to    
develop the capacity latent in man1 and 
in the development of human  faculty1   
the result of the great lila may be     
seen4 ,that is the way in  which we     
learn to unfold the ,god within us2 that
 is the result of the  play of the      
divine ,father with ,his children4      
,but sometimes the desire for objects is
 lost too early1 and the lesson  is but 
half learned4 ,that is one of the       
difficulties in the ,india of  today4   
,you have a mighty spiritual philosophy1
 which was the natural  expression for  
the souls who were born centuries ago4  
,they were ready  to throw away the     
fruit of action and to work for the     
,supreme to carry  out ,his ,will4      
,but the lesson for ,india at the       

present time is to wake up the desire4  
,it may look like going back1 but it is 
really a going forward4 ,the  philosophy
 is true1 but it belonged to those older
 souls who were ready  for it1 and the  
younger souls now being born into the   
people are not  ready for that          
philosophy4 ,they repeat it by rote1    
they are hypnotised  by it1 and they    
sink down into inertia1 because there is
 nothing they  desire enough to force   
them to exertion4 ,the consequence is   
that the  nation as a whole is going    
downhill4 ,the old lesson of putting    
different objects before souls of       
different ages1 is forgotten1 and  every
 one is now nominally aiming at ideal   
perfection1 which can only  be reached  
when the preliminary steps have been    
successfully mounted4  ,it is the same  
as with the 8,sermon on the ,mount0 in  
,christian  countries1 but there the    
practical common sense of the people    
bows to  it and--ignores it4 ,no nation 
tries to live by the 8,sermon on the    

,mount0  ,it is not meant for ordinary  
men and women1 but for the saint4 ,for  
all  those who are on the ,path of      
,forthgoing1 desire is necessary for    
progress4    ,what is the ,path of      
,nivritti8 ,it is the ,path of ,return4 
,there desire  must cease2 and the      
,self-determined will must take its     
place4 ,the last  object of desire in a 
person commencing the ,path of ,return  
is the  desire to work with the ,will of
 the ,supreme2 he harmonises his will   
with the ,supreme ,will1 renounces all  
separate desires1 and thus works  to    
turn the wheel of life as long as such  
turning is needed by the law  of ,life4 
,desire on the ,path of ,forthgoing     
becomes will on the ,path of  ,return2  
the soul1 in harmony with the ,divine1  
works with the law4  ,thought on the    
,path of ,forthgoing is ever alert1     
flighty and changing2  it becomes reason
 on the ,path of ,return2 the yoke of   
reason is placed  on the neck of the    
lower mind1 and reason guides the bull4 

,work1  activity1 on the ,path of       
,forthgoing1 is restless action by which
 the  ordinary man is bound2 on the     
,path of ,return work becomes sacrifice1
  and thus its binding force is broken4 
,these are1 then1 the  manifestations of
 three aspects1 as shown on the ,paths  
of ,forthgoing  and ,return4    ,bliss  
manifested as desire is changed into    
will ,wisdom manifested as  thought is  
changed into reason4 ,activity          
manifested as work is changed  into     
sacrifice4    ,people very often ask    
with regard to this3 8,why is will      
placed in the  human being as the       
correspondence of bliss in the ,divine80
 ,the three  great ,divine qualities    
are3 chit or consciousness2 ananda or   
bliss2 sat  or existence4 ,now it is    
quite clear that the consciousness is   
reflected  in intelligence in man--the  
same quality1 only in miniature4 ,it is 
equally clear that existence and        
activity belong to each other4 ,you can 
only exist as you act outwards4 ,the    

very form of the word shows ,it  --8ex1 
out of02 it is manifested life4 ,that   
leaves the third1 bliss1 to  correspond 
with will1 and some people are rather   
puzzled with that1 and  they ask3 8,what
 is the correspondence between bliss and
 will80 ,but if  you come down to       
desire1 and the objects of desire1 you  
will be able to  solve the riddle4 ,the 
nature of the ,self is bliss4 ,throw    
that nature  down into matter and what  
will be the expression of the bliss     
nature8  ,desire for happiness1 the     
seeking after desirable objects1 which  
it  imagines will give it the happiness 
which is of its own essential  nature1  
and which it is continually seeking to  
realise amid the  obstacles of the      
world4 ,its nature being bliss1 it seeks
 for happiness  and that desire for     
happiness is to be transmuted into will4
 ,all these  correspondences have a     
profound meaning if you will only look  
into  them1 and that universal          
8will-to-live0 translates itself as the 

8desire for happiness0 that you find in 
every man and woman1 in every  sentient 
creature4 ,has it ever struck you how   
surely you are justifying  that analysis
 of your own nature by the way you      
accept happiness as  your right1 and    
resent misery1 and ask what you have    
done to deserve  it8 ,you do not ask the
 same about happiness1 which is the     
natural  result of your own nature4 ,the
 thing that has to be explained is not  
happiness but pain1 the things that are 
against the nature of the ,self  that is
 bliss4 ,and so1 looking into this1 we  
see how desire and will  are both the   
determination to be happy4 ,but the one 
is ignorant1 drawn  out by outer        
objects2 the other is self-conscious1   
initiated and ruled  from within4       
,desire is evoked and directed from     
outside2 and when the  same aspect rules
 from within1 it is will4 ,there is no  
difference in  their nature4 ,hence     
desire on the ,path of ,forthgoing      
becomes will on  the ,path of ,return4  

,when desire1 thought and work are      
changed into will1 reason and           
sacrifice1 then the man is turning      
homewards1 then he lives by             
renunciation4    ,when a man has really 
renounced1 a strange change takes place4
 ,on the  ,path of ,forthgoing1 you must
 fight for everything you want to get2  
on  the ,path of ,return1 nature pours  
her treasures at your feet4 ,when a man 
has ceased to desire them1 then all     
treasures pour down upon him1 for  he   
has become a channel through which all  
good gifts flow to those  around him4   
,seek the good1 give up grasping1 and   
then everything will  be yours4 ,cease  
to ask that your own little water tank  
may be filled1  and you will become a   
pipe1 joined to the living source of all
 waters1  the source which never runs   
dry1 the waters which spring up         
unfailingly4 ,renunciation means the    
power of unceasing work for the  good of
 all1 work which cannot fail1 because   
wrought by the ,supreme  ,worker through

 ,his servant4    ,if you are engaged in
 any true work of charity1 and your     
means are  limited and the wealth does  
not flow into your hands1 what does it  
mean8 ,it means that you have not yet   
learnt the true renunciation4 ,you  are 
clinging to the visible1 to the fruit of
 action1 and so the wealth  does not    
pour through your hands4                
,purification of ,bodies    ,the        
unfolding of powers belongs to the side 
of consciousness2  purification of      
bodies belongs to the side of matter4   
,you must purify  each of your three    
working bodies--mental1 astral and      
physical4 ,without  that purification   
you had better leave yoga alone4 ,first 
of all1 how  shall you purify the       
thought body8 ,by right thinking4 ,then 
you must use  imagination1 your great   
creative tool1 once more4 ,imagine      
things1 and1  imagining them1 you will  
form your thought-body into the         
organisation  that you desire4 ,imagine 
something strongly1 as the painter      

imagines  when he is going to paint4    
,visualise an object if you have the    
power of  visualisation at all3 if you  
have not1 try to make it4 ,it is an     
artistic faculty1 of course1 hut most   
people have it more or less4 ,see  how  
far you can reproduce perfectly a face  
you see daily4 ,by such  practice you   
will be strengthening your imagination1 
and by  strengthening your imagination  
you will be making the great tool with  
which you have to practice in ,yoga4    
,there is another use of the imagination
 which is very valuable4 ,if you  will  
imagine in your thought-body the        
presence of the qualities that  you     
desire to have1 and the absence of those
 which you desire not to  have1 you are 
half-way to having and not having them4 
,also1 many of the  troubles of your    
life might be weakened if you would     
imagine them on  right lines before you 
have to go through them4 ,why do you    
wait  helplessly until you meet them in 
the physical world4 ,if you thought of  

your coming trouble in the morning1 and 
thought of yourself as acting  perfectly
 in the midst of it 7you should never   
scruple to imagine  yourself perfect71  
when the thing turned up in the day1 it 
would have  lost its power1 and you     
would no longer feel the sting to the   
same  extent4 ,now each of you must have
 in your life something that troubles   
you4 ,think of yourself as facing that  
trouble and not minding it1 and  when it
 comes1 you will be what you have been  
thinking4 ,you might get  rid of half   
your troubles and your faults1 if you   
would deal with them  through your      
imagination4    ,as the thought body1   
becomes purified in this way1 you must  
turn to the  astral body4 ,the astral   
body is purified by right desire4       
,desire nobly1  and the astral body will
 evolve the organs of good desires      
instead of  the organs of evil ones4    
,the secret of all progress is to think 
and  desire the highest1 never dwelling 
on the fault1 the weakness1 the  error1 

but always on the perfected power1 and  
slowly in that way you  will be able to 
build up perfection in yourself4 ,think 
and desire1  then1 in order to purify   
the thought body and the astral body4   
,and how shall you purify the physical  
body8 ,you must regulate it in all  its 
activities--in sleep1 in food1 in       
exercise1 in everything4 ,you  cannot   
have a pure physical body with impure   
mental and astral bodies  so that the   
work of imagination helps also in the   
purification of the  physical4 ,but you 
must also regulate the physical body in 
all its  activities4 ,take for instance1
 food4 ,the ,indian says truly that     
every  sort of food has a dominant      
quality in it1 either rhythm1 or        
activity1  or inertia1 and that all     
foods fall under one of these heads4    
,now the  man who is to be a yogi must  
not touch any food which is on the way  
to  decay4 ,those things belong to the  
tamasic foods--all foods1 for  instance1
 of the nature of game1 of venison1 all 

food which is showing  signs of decay   
7all alcohol is a product of decay71 are
 to be avoided4  ,flesh foods come under
 the quality of activity4 ,all flesh    
foods are  really stimulants4 ,all forms
 in the animal kingdom are built up to  
express animal desires and animal       
activities4 ,the yogi cannot afford to  
use these in a body meant for the higher
 processes of thought4  ,vitality1 yes1 
they will give that2 strength1 which    
does not last1 they  will give that2 a  
sudden spurs of energy1 yes1 meat will  
give that2 but  those are not the things
 which the yogi wants2 so he puts aside 
all  those foods as not available for   
the work he desires1 and chooses his    
food out of the most highly vitalised   
products4 ,all the foods which  tend to 
growth1 those are the most highly       
vitalised1 grain1 out of  which the new 
plant will grow1 is packed full of the  
most nutritious  substances2 fruits2 all
 those things which have growth as their
 next  stage in the life cycle1 those   

are the rhythmic foods1 full of life1   
and building up a body sensitive and    
strong at the same time4      ,dwellers 
on the ,threshold    ,of these there are
 many kinds4 ,first1 elementals4 ,they  
try to bar the  astral plane against    
man4 ,and naturally so1 because they are
 concerned  with the building up of the 
lower kingdoms1 these elementals of     
form1  the ,rupa ,devas2 and to them man
 is a really hateful creature1 because  
of his destructive properties4 ,that is 
why they dislike him so much4 ,he       
spoils their work wherever he goes1     
tramples down vegetable things1 and     
kills animals1 so that the whole of that
 great kingdom of nature hates  the name
 of man4 ,they band themselves together 
to stop the one who is  just taking his 
first conscious steps on the astral     
plane1 and try to  frighten him1 for    
they fear that he is bringing           
destructiveness into  the new world4    
,they cannot do anything1 if you do not 
mind them4 ,when  that rush of elemental

 force comes against the man entering on
 the  astral plane1 he must remain      
quiet1 indifferent1 taking up the       
position3 8,i am a higher product of    
evolution than you are2 you can do      
nothing to me4 ,i am your friend1 not   
your enemy1 ,peace60 ,if he be  strong  
enough to take up that position1 the    
great wave of elemental  force will roll
 aside and let him through4 ,the        
seemingly causeless  fears which some   
feel at night are largely due to this   
hostility4 ,you  are1 at night1 more    
sensitive to the astral plane than      
during the day1  and the dislike of the 
beings on the plane for man is felt more
  strongly4 ,but when the elementals    
find you are not destructive1 not an    
embodiment of ruin1 they become as      
friendly to you as they were before     
hostile4 ,that is the first form of the 
dweller on the threshold4 ,here  again  
the importance of pure and rhythmic food
 comes in2 because if you  use meat and 
alcohol1 you attract the lower          

elementals of the plane1  those that    
take pleasure in the scent of blood and 
spirits1 and they  will inevitably      
prevent your seeing and understanding   
things clearly4  ,they will surge round 
you1 impress their thoughts upon you1   
force their  impressions on your astral 
body1 so that you may have a kind of    
shell  of objectionable hangers-on to   
your aura1 who will much obstruct you in
  your efforts to see and hear          
correctly4 ,that is the chief reason why
  every one who is teaching ,yoga on the
 right-hand path absolutely  forbids    
indulgence in meat and alcohol4    ,the 
second form of the dweller on the       
threshold is the thought forms of  our  
own past4 ,those forms1 growing out of  
the evil of lives that lie  behind us1  
thought forms of wickedness of all      
kinds1 those face us when  we first come
 into touch with the astral plane1      
really belonging to us1  but appearing  
as outside forms1 as objects2 and they  
try to scare back  their creator4 ,you  

can only conquer them by sternly        
repudiating them3  8,you are no longer  
mine2 you belong to my past1 and not to 
my present4  ,i will give you none of my
 life40 ,thus you will gradually exhaust
 and  finally annihilate them4 ,this is 
perhaps one of the most painful         
difficulties that one has to face in    
treading the astral plane in            
consciousness for the first time4 ,of   
course1 where a person has in any  way  
been mixed up with objectionable thought
 forms of the stronger  kind1 such as   
those brought about by practicing black 
magic1 there this  particular form of   
the dweller will be much stronger and   
more  dangerous1 and often desperate is 
the struggle between the neophyte and   
these dwellers from his past backed up  
by the masters of the black  side4      
,now we come to one of the most terrible
 forms of the dwellers on the           
threshold4 ,suppose a case in which a   
man during the past has steadily        
identified himself with the lower part  

of his nature and has gone  against the 
higher1 paralysing himself1 using higher
 powers for lower  purposes1 degrading  
his mind to be the mere slave of his    
lower desires4  ,a curious change takes 
place in him4 ,the life which belongs to
 the ,ego  in him is taken up by the    
physical body1 and assimilated with the 
lower  lives of which the body is       
composed4 ,instead of serving the       
purposes of  the ,spirit1 it is dragged 
away for tile purposes of the lower1 and
  becomes part of the animal life       
belonging to the lower bodies1 so that  
the ,ego and his higher bodies are      
weakened1 and the animal life of the    
lower is strengthened4 ,now under those 
conditions1 the ,ego will  sometimes    
become so disgusted with his vehicles   
that when death  relieves him of the    
physical body he will cast the others   
quite aside4  ,and even sometimes during
 physical life he will leave the        
desecrated  temple4 ,now after death1 in
 these cases1 the man generally         

reincarnates  very quickly2 for1 having 
torn himself away from his astral and   
mental  bodies1 he has no bodies with   
which to live in the astral and mental  
worlds1 and he must quickly form new    
ones and come again to rebirth  here4   
,under these conditions the old astral  
and mental bodies are not  disintegrated
 when the new mental and astral bodies  
are formed and born  into the world1 and
 the affinity between the old and new1  
both having  had the same owner1 the    
same tenant1 asserts itself1 and the    
highly  vitalised old astral and mental 
bodies will attach themselves to the    
new astral and mental bodies1 and become
 the most terrible form of the  dweller 
on the threshold4    ,these are the     
various forms which the dweller may     
assume1 and all are  spoken of in books 
dealing with these particular subjects1 
though ,i do  not know that you will    
find anywhere in a single book a        
definite  classification like the above4
 ,in addition to these there are1 of    

course1 the direct attacks of the ,dark 
,brothers1 taking up various  forms and 
aspects1 and the most common form they  
will take is the form  of some virtue   
which is a little bit in excess in the  
yogi4 ,the yogi is  not attacked through
 his vices1 but through his virtues2 for
 a virtue  in excess becomes a vice4 ,it
 is the extremes which are ever the     
vices2  the golden mean is the virtue4  
,and thus1 virtues become tempters in   
the  difficult regions of the astral and
 mental worlds1 and are utilised by  the
 ,brothers of the ,shadow in order to   
entrap the unwary4    ,i am not here    
speaking of the four ordinary ordeals of
 the astral  plane3 the ordeals by      
earth1 water1 fire and air4 ,those are  
mere  trifles1 hardly worth considering 
when speaking of these more serious     
difficulties4 ,of course1 you have to   
learn that you are entirely master  of  
astral matter1 that earth cannot crush  
you1 nor water drown you1  etc4 ,those  
are1 so to speak1 very easy lessons4    

,those who belong to a  ,masonic body   
will recognise these ordeals as parts of
 the language they  are familiar with in
 their ,masonic ritual4    ,there is one
 other danger also4 ,you may injure     
yourself by  repercussion4 ,if on the   
astral plane you are threatened with    
danger  which belongs to the physical1  
but are unwise enough to think it can   
injure you1 it will injure your physical
 body4 ,you may get a wound1 or  a      
bruise1 and so on1 out of astral        
experiences4 ,i once made a fool of     
myself in this way4 ,i was in a ship    
going down and1 as ,i was busy  there1  
,i saw that the mast of the ship was    
going to fall and1 in a  moment's       
forgetfulness1 thought3 8,that mast will
 fall on me0 that  momentary thought had
 its result1 for when ,i came back to   
the body in  the morning1 ,i had a large
 physical bruise where the mast fell4   
,that is  a frequent phenomenon until   
you have corrected the fault of the     
mind1  which thinks instinctively the   

things which it is accustomed to think  
down here4    ,one protection you can   
make for yourself as you become more    
sensitive4  ,be rigorously truthful in  
thought1 in word1 in deed4 ,every       
thought1  every desire1 takes form in   
the higher world4 ,if you are careless  
of  truth here1 you are creating a whole
 host of terrifying and deluding  forms4
 ,think truth1 speak truth1 live truth1 
and then you shall be free  from the    
illusions of the astral world4          
,preparation for ,yoga    ,people say   
that ,i put the ideal of discipleship so
 very high that  nobody can hope to     
become a disciple4 ,but ,i have not said
 that no one  can become a disciple who 
does not reproduce the description that 
is  given of the perfect disciple4 ,one 
may4 ,but we do it at our own peril4  ,a
 man may be thoroughly capable along one
 line1 but have a serious  fault along  
another4 ,the serious fault will not    
prevent him from  becoming a disciple1  
but he must suffer for it4 ,the initiate

 pays for  his faults ten times the     
price he would have had to pay for them 
as a  man of the world4 ,that is why ,i 
have put the ideal so high4 ,i have     
never said that a person must come      
utterly up to the ideal before  becoming
 a disciple1 but ,i have said that the  
risks of becoming a  disciple without   
these qualifications are enormous4 ,it  
is the duty of  those who have seen the 
results of going through the gateway    
with  faults in character1 to point out 
that it is well to get rid of these     
faults first4 ,every fault you carry    
through the gateway with you  becomes a 
dagger to stab you on the other side4   
,therefore it is well to  purify        
yourself as much as you can1 before you 
are sufficiently evolved  on any line to
 have the right to say3 8,i will pass   
through that  gateway40 ,that is what ,i
 intended to be understood when ,i spoke
 of  qualifications for discipleship4 ,i
 have followed along the ancient road   
which lays down these qualifications    

which the disciple should bring  with   
him2 and if he comes without them1 then 
the word of ,jesus is true1  that he    
will be beaten with many stripes2 for a 
man can afford to do in  the outer world
 with small result what will bring      
terrible results upon  him when once he 
is treading the ,path4      ,the ,end   
,what is to be the end of this long     
struggle8 ,what is the goal of the      
upward climbing1 the prize of the great 
battle8 ,what does the yogi  reach at   
last8 ,he reaches unity4 ,sometimes ,i  
am not sure that large  numbers of      
people1 if they realised what unity     
means1 would really  desire to reach it4
 ,there are many 8virtues0 of your      
ordinary life  which will drop entirely 
away from you when you reach unity4     
,many  things you admire will be no     
longer helps but hindrances1 when the   
sense of unity begins to dawn4 ,all     
those qualities so useful in  ordinary  
life--such as moral indignation1        
repulsion from evil1 judgment  of       

others--have no room where unity is     
realised4 ,when you feel repulsion  from
 evil1 it is a sign that your ,higher   
,self is beginning to awaken1  is seeing
 the dangers of evil3 he drags the body 
forcibly away from it4  ,that is the    
beginning of the conscious moral life4  
,hatred of evil is  better at that stage
 than indifference to evil4 ,it is a    
necessary  stage4 ,but repulsion cannot 
be felt when a man has realised unity1  
when  he sees ,god made manifest in man4
 ,a man who knows unity cannot judge    
another4 8,i judge no man10 said the    
,christ4 ,he cannot be repelled by      
anyone4 ,the sinner is himself1 and how 
shall he be repelled from  himself8 ,for
 him there is no 8,i0 or 8,thee10 for we
 are one4    ,this is not a thing that  
many honestly wish for4 ,it is not a    
thing that  many honestly desire4 ,the  
man who has realised unity knows no     
difference between himself and the      
vilest wretch that walks the earth4  ,he
 sees only the ,god that walks in the   

sinner1 and knows that the sin  is not  
in the ,god but in the sheath4 ,the     
difference is only there4 ,he  who has  
realised the inner greatness of the     
,self never pronounces  judgment upon   
another1 knows that other as himself1   
and he himself as  that other--that is  
unity4 ,we talk brotherhood1 but how    
many of us  really practice it8 ,and    
even that is not the thing the yogi aims
 at4  ,greater than brotherhood are     
identity and realisation of the ,self as
  one4 ,the ,sixth ,root ,race will     
carry brotherhood to the highest point4 
,the ,seventh ,root ,race will know     
identity1 will realise the unity of the 
human race4 ,to catch a glimpse of the  
beauty of that high conception1  the    
greatness of the unity in which 8,i0 and
 8mine10 8you0 and 8yours0  have        
vanished1 in which we are all one life1 
even to do that lifts the  whole nature 
towards divinity1 and those who can even
 see that unity is  fair2 they are the  
nearer to the realisation of the ,beauty

 that is ,god4