( Red is Dr. RKs additions.

Numbering, paragraph divisions, bold and blue are re-structuring with no change in Sri Aurobindos presentation. )

RECORD OF YOGA - II
Page 1371

YOGIC SADHAN A "

#he proper course o$ the Sadhan is %ust the opposite o$ the thing most peop&e do and 'ou have a&so done. (eop&e begin with the). bod' and the prana, *. go on to the chitta and the manas, and +. $inish up with the buddhi and the wi&&. #he rea& course is to start with the wi&& and $inish with the bod'. #here is no need o$ Asana, (rana'ama, Kumbha,a, -hittasuddhi, or an'thing e&se preparator' or pre&iminar' i$ one starts with the wi&&. #hat was what Sri Rama,rishna came to show so $ar as .oga is concerned. /Do the Sha,ti pasana $irst,0 he said, /get Sha,ti and she wi&& give 'ou Sat.0 1i&& and Sha,ti are the $irst means necessar' to the .ogin. #hat was wh' he said a&wa's, /Remember 'ou are 2rahman,0 and he gave that as a centra& message to Swami 3ive,ananda. .ou are "shwara. "$ 'ou choose, 'ou can be shuddha, siddha and ever'thing e&se, or, i$ 'ou choose, 'ou can be %ust the opposite. The first necessity is to believe in yourself, the second in God and the third to believe in Kali; for these things make up the world. ). 4ducate the Sha,ti 51i&&6 $irst, *. through the Sha,ti 51i&&6 educate the 7nanam, +. through the 7nanam puri$' the -hitta, 8. contro& the (rana and 9. ca&m the !anas. #hrough a&& these instruments immortalise the bod'. #hat is the rea& 'oga, the !ahapantha, that is the true and on&' #antra. #he 3edanta starts with 2uddhi, the #antra with Sha,ti. 1hat the 1i&& is 'ou have heard. "t is Sha,ti, it is not 3asana, it is not -heshta. Vasana and Cheshta are the negation of will. "$ 'ou have desire, that means 'ou doubt the power o$
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'our 1i&&. 2rahman has no desire. :e wi&&s and a&& things happen according to his 1i&&. "$ 'ou have -heshta, that means 'ou doubt 'our 1i&&. ;n&' those who $ee& or thin, the' are not strong, strugg&e and &abour to produce an e$$ect. 2rahman has no cheshta. :e wi&&s and :is 1i&& spontaneous&' produces its e$$ect. 2ut it produces it in time, space and causa&it'. To demand a result now, here and under given conditions is !nanam. #he time, space and causa&it' o$ every event and its deve&opment have been fi"ed ages ago b' 'ourse&$ and (arameswara, when the Kalpa began. "t is ignorance to strugg&e and tr' to a&ter what 'ou have 'ourse&$ decreed. -are not about time, space or conditions, but will, and leave the result to God who is your omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient self. .ou are the individua& <od and :e is the universa& <od. Nothing but <od e=ists. 4,am evadwiti'am. #here$ore 1i&& imp&ies Samata, absence o$ 3asana and -heshta. Absence o$ 3asana and -heshta imp&ies ,now&edge. nti& 'ou have ,now&edge, 'ou can never be sa$e against the return o$ 3asana and -heshta. #he >uestion is how to start. #he Sha,ti is in 'ou. ?et her wor, and assist her b' ta,ing the right attitude. .ou are the Sa,shi, Anumanta, 2ho,ta, and 2harta. ). As Anumanta, give the command, *. as Sa,shi watch her wor, out the resu&t, +. as 2ho,ta en%o' the resu&t, and 8. as 2harta he&p her b' maintaining the Adhar. #o not ruin it by tamasic udasinata or ra!asic revolt. 2e sure 'our Sha,ti 51i&&6 can never $ai& to act. .ou are the 7nata@ receive a&& ,now&edge that presents itse&$ to 'ou. Adopt the attitude " have described here and app&' it to ever' individua& act o$ the sadhana or o$ &i$e. .ou have nothing e&se to do. Ka&i wi&& do the rest. 2e not troub&ed, be not an=ious, be not in haste, 'ou have a&& eternit' be$ore 'ou, wh' be in hasteA ;n&' do not be tamasic or id&' waste 'our time. "" " sha&& spea, to-da' o$ the Sha,ti or 1i&&, since that is the $oundation o$ .oga. #he Sha,ti is situated in the $ahasradala %ust above the crown o$ the head and $rom that seat o$ activit' it wor,s %om bhur bhuvah swah&. 2e&ow it at the top o$ the brain is the higher 'uddhi %tat savitur vareniyam& and be&ow that, occup'ing the midd&e &eve& o$ the brain, is the reason or lower buddhi %bhargo devasya dhimahi&, and be&ow that, at the bottom o$ the brain, is the organ o$ communication with the !anas %dhiyoyo nah prachodyat&. 1e ma' ca&& this organ the understanding. Know&edge, reason and understanding are the three parts o$ the brain. #hese $unctions are in the subt&e bod', but the' are connected with the corresponding portions o$ the materia& brain. "n the chest %ust above the heart is the (anas, that is, the organ o$ sensation with its $ive subordinate "ndri'as. 2e&ow the !anas, $rom the heart to midwa' between the heart and the nave&, is the Chitta. Brom that point up to the nave& and be&ow it is the ps'chic or su,shma prana. A&& these are in the sukshma deha but connected at these points with the sthula deha. )n the sthula deha itself two functions
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are situated, the physical prana or the nervous system and the annam or the material body. Now the wi&& is the organ o$ the "shwara or &iving master o$ the bod'. "t wor,s through a&& these $unctions, through the 'uddhi for thought and ,now&edge, through the (anas for sensations, through the Chitta for emotions and through the *rana for en!oyment. 5(rana, that is to sa', o$ the desires6.
+ these together is called antahkarana ,

1hen it $unctions per$ect&', wor,ing in each organ according to the capacities o$ the organ, then the wor, o$ the Sha,ti becomes per$ect and in$a&&ib&e. 2ut there are two causes o$ wea,ness, error and $ai&ure. Birst, the con$usion o$ the organs. "$ the (rana inter$eres in sensation, emotion and thought, then a man becomes anisha, the s&ave o$ the *rana, that is to say, of the desires . "$ the -hitta inter$eres with sensation and thought, then the sensations and thoughts are $a&si$ied b' the emotions and their corresponding wishes. Bor instance i$ &ove inter$eres with the 2uddhi, the man becomes b&ind to the truth about the person he &oves, he is unab&e to distinguish between right and wrong, ,artav'a and a,artav'a, where the person is concerned. :e becomes to a greater or &esser e=tent the s&ave o$ the emotions, &ove, anger, hatred, pit', revenge etc. So, i$ the !anas inter$eres with the reason, the man mista,es his sensations $or %ust ideas or true arguments. :e %udges b' what he sees or hears instead o$ %udging what he sees or hears. "$ again the reason, imagination, memor' and &ogic inter$ere with ,now&edge, the man is debarred $rom higher ,now&edge and wanders in the interminab&e circ&e o$ probabi&ities and possibi&ities. Bina&&', i$ even the 2uddhi inter$eres with the 1i&&, then the man is &imited b' the power o$ his &imited ,now&edge, instead o$ moving nearer to ;mnipotence. "n brie$, i$ a machine or instrument is used $or a wor, $or which it is un$it, $or which it was not made or origina&&' adapted, then it either cannot do that wor, at a&& or it does it bad&'C dharma-sankara is created. Now what " have described is the ordinar' state o$ men be$ore the' gain ,now&edge. "t is a&& dharma-san,ara, con$usion o$ $unctions, bad administration and incompetent and ignorant government. #he 1i&&, the true minister, is rendered a puppet o$ the &ower o$$icia&s who wor, each $or his own se&$ish ends, inter$ering with and hampering each other or dishonest&' p&a'ing into each others hands, $or their own bene$it and to the detriment o$ the "shwara, the master. :e ceases to be "shwara, he becomes Anisha, the puppet and dupe o$ his servants. 1h' does he a&&ow itA 2ecause o$ A%nanam. :e does not ,now, he does not rea&ise what the ministers and o$$icia&s and their mi&&ion and one hangers-on are doing with him. 1hat is this A%nanamA "t is inabi&it' to recognise his own true nature, position and authorit'. % r!una vishada yoga&. :e began b' being deep&' interested in a sma&& portion o$ his ro'a& activit', the bod'. :e thought /#hat is m' ,ingdom.0 :e became the too& o$ his bodi&' $unctions. So with the nervous, the sensationa& (!anas), the emotiona& (-hitta) and the menta&, he identi$ies himse&$ with each o$ them. :e $orgets that he is di$$erent $rom them and much greater and stronger. 1:A# :4 ! S# D; "S #; R4S !4 #:4 R4"NS ;B
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(;14R, #; R4!4!24R #:A# :4 "S "S:1ARA, #:4 K"N<, #:4 !AS#4R AND <;D :"!S4?B. :e must on this understanding remember that he is a&&-power$u&.. -e has a mighty minister, the .ill. ?et him support and direct the 1i&& and the 1i&& wi&& introduce order into the government and compe& the o$$icia&s each to do obedient&' and per$ect&' his own dut'. Not o$ course a&& at once. "t wi&& ta,e time. #he o$$icia&s have become so much used to con$used wor, and misgovernment that at $irst the' wi&& not be wi&&ing to wor, proper&' and, second&', even when the' wish, the' wi&& $ind it di$$icu&t. #he' hard&' ,now even how to begin. %chapter /0&. Bor instance, when 'ou begin to use 'our wi&&, what is &i,e&' to happenA ). Birst 'ou wi&& tr' to use it through the *rana, through desire, wish, hope, or *. 'ou wi&& use it through the Chitta, with emotion, eagerness and e=pectation, or +. 'ou wi&& use it through the (anas using -heshta, strugg&e, e$$ort, as i$ 'ou were ph'sica&&' wrest&ing with the thing 'ou want to contro&C or 8. 'ou wi&& use it through the 'uddhi, tr'ing to dominate the sub%ect o$ 'our interest b' thought, b' thin,ing /?et this be0, /?et that happen0 etc. ll these methods are used by 1ogins to recover the power of the .ill. #he :atha-'ogin uses the (rana and the bod', the Ra%a'ogin the heart, !anas and 2uddhi, but the best method is none o$ these. 4ven the &ast o$ them is a second-best means and must entai& strugg&e, $ai&ure and $re>uent disappointment. 5chapters )8, )9, )D6. #he 1i&& is on&' per$ect in its action when it wor,s apart $rom a&& these, straight on the sub%ect $rom the sahasrada&a, without e$$ort, without emotpion and eagerness and without desire. Each function to itself and Will is its own function. "t a&wa's obe's the "shwara but it acts in itse&$ and b' itse&$. "t uses the rest, it must not be used b' them. ). "t uses the 'uddhi $or ,now&edge, not $or commandC *. it uses the (anas $or sensation, not $or either command or ,now&edgeC +. it uses the heart $or emotion +chitta,, not $or sensation, ,now&edge or commandC 8. it uses the *rana $or en%o'ment, not $or an' other $unctionC 9. it uses the body $or motion and action, not as a thing that can &imit or determine either ,now&edge, $ee&ing, sensation, power or en%o'ment. Therefore it must keep itself apart and command all these things as a thing separate from all of them. #hese are mere&' a yantra, a machine, the (urusha is the yantri or master o$ the machine, the 1i&& is the electricity or motor2power. #his is the right ,now&edge. %Chapter /3. *aram *u!ya Gurudev2 4pasana, $amarpana yoga&.

:ow to use it " sha&& te&& 'ou a$terwards. #hat is a matter o$ practice, not o$ mere instruction. #he man who has dhair'am, ca&m stead$astness, even in a sma&& degree, can gradua&&' accustom himse&$ to the master' o$ his machine b' the 1i&&. 2ut he must $irst ,now@ he must ,now the machine, he must ,now the motor-power, he must ,now himse&$. #he ,now&edge need not be per$ect in order to begin, but the e&ementar' ,now&edge at &east he must have. #hat is what " am tr'ing to give 'ou. " am e=p&aining to 'ou the di$$erent parts o$ the machine, their nature and $unctions, the nature o$ the1i&& and the nature o$ the "shwara. """ #he 1i&& when it begins to act, wi&& be hampered b' the SwabhavaC there$ore unti& 'ou are ab&e to act on the Swabhava, 'ou wi&& not, shou&d not bring 'our 1i&& to bear upon &i$e. "n other words while you are a sadhak of the $hakti marga, be a sadhak only; when 'ou have got Siddhi o$ the1i&&, then $irst use the Siddhi to get per$ection o$ the adhar, and when 'ou have got per$ection o$ the adhar, then use the siddha adhar $or Karma, $or &i$e. #he Swabhava opposes the per$ect action o$ the 1i&&. 1h'A 2ecause the nature o$ humanit' is imper$ect, on&' part&' evo&ved, asiddha, and being in a&& its dharmas asiddha, the tamasic $orce o$ habit, tamasi dhriti, ma,es it resist an' attempt to ma,e it siddha. :umanit' is evo&ving. .oga is a means o$ carr'ing that evo&ution $orward with great and victorious rapidit'. 2ut the imper$ect Swabhava sa's, /" do not wish to be per$ect, " am accustomed to imper$ection and $ind it eas' and com$ortab&e.0 5irst, then, the .ill sei6es hold of the $wabhava and removes the obstacles in the way of its own perfect development and action. As " have said, it $irst gets rid o$ the o&d sams,aras o$ impossibi&it', the sams,ara, the a%nanam that " am man, not <od, &imited, not i&&imitab&e, he&p&ess, not omnipotent. #he 1i&& has $irst to sa', 7) am omnipotent, that which the *urusha commands, ) can act8. Bor the 1i&& is the Sha,ti in action, and there is on&' one Sha,ti, Ka&i herse&$, who is <od mani$esting as Divine 4nerg'. Ne=t the 1i&& seiEes the adhar and ma,es it shuddha in order that the 1i&& ma' itse&$ be shuddha. " have e=p&ained that i$ there is con$usion and disorder among the $unctions, then the 1i&& cannot act omnipotent&'. Therefore you must first develop 9nanam and by 9nanam effect the shuddhi of the adhar. 1hen the adhar becomes shuddha, the 1i&& being entire&' $ree $rom wrong sams,aras and wrong action, is what " ca&& shuddha. "t wor,s per$ect&'. 1or,ing per$ect&' it ma,es the adhar siddha, that is the adhar rids itse&$ o$ a&& doshas, de$iciencies and wea,nesses and wor,s per$ect&'. "t becomes a per$ect instrument $or the (urushottama, the (urusha and Sha,ti to carr' on their ?i&a. Know&edge, there$ore, %nanam is the ne=t stage to be considered. 2ut be$ore " come to that, &et me $inish about the obstac&es
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in the Swabhava. #here are not on&' the wrong Sams,aras and the ashuddhi o$ the adhar, but the genera& nature o$ things has certain tendencies or &aws in it which oppose the deve&opment o$ the .oga as we&& as certain tendencies which he&p the deve&opment o$ the .oga. #here are three &aws which oppose @ ). the &aw o$ persistence, *. the &aw o$ resistance and +. the &aw o$ recurrence. #here are three &aws which assist@ ). the &aw o$ gradua& processes, *. the &aw o$ concentrated processes and +. the &aw o$ invo&ved processes. #he &aw o$ persistence is this, that a ru&e, habit or tendenc' once estab&ished has a right to survive, a natura& unwi&&ingness to be changed or annu&&ed. #he &onger it has been estab&ished, the &onger it ta,es to root out. "$ a man has been 'ie&ding to the shadripus $or man' &ives without an' serious e$$ort to dominate them or puri$' himse&$, then he cannot b' mere wish or a mere rapid e$$ort get rid o$ them and become pure and ca&m. #he' re$use to be so cava&ier&' treated. #he' sa' /.ou have given us rights in this adhar, and we persist0. Sti&& more hard to dea& with are those dharmas o$ the bod' which men ca&& the &aws o$ ph'sica& nature. 2ut the 1i&& is omnipotent and i$ patient&', ca&m&' and heroica&&' e=ercised, wi&& prevai&. Bor the 1i&&, " repeat, is Ka&i herse&$. #here$ore in the end it estab&ishes b' its action new ru&es, habits or tendencies which $ight with and gradua&&' overcome the o&d. 1hat then happens is that the o&d, though put down, wea,ened and no &onger a rea& part o$ the nature, resist eviction $rom the adhar. #he' are supported b' an arm' o$ $orces or spiritua& beings who surround 'ou and &ive upon 'our e=periences and en%o'ments. #his &aw o$ resistance mar,s the second period o$ the .oga and, unless the .ill has already become siddha and the adhar shuddha, is very trying and troublesome to the sadhak. 5or there seems to be no end to the capacity of resistance. :ere again the 1i&& is bound to triumph, i$ it is supported b' $aith or ,now&edge. 4ven then the evicted habits and tendencies strive continua&&' to re-enter the s'stem and recover their &ost seats o$ power and en%o'ment. #his is ca&&ed recurrence. "n proportion as the 1i&& is siddha and the Adhar shuddha, the recurrence becomes wea,er and &ess $re>uent or, when it comes, &ess pro&onged. 2ut in an impure adhar, or with an imper$ect 1i&&, the recurrence is o$ten as pro&onged and troub&esome as the resistance.
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;n the other hand there are the three $avourab&e &aws. 1hen a new habit or tendenc' is once estab&ished, it is the &aw that it sha&& deve&op towards strength and per$ection. So &ong as it is strugg&ing to estab&ish itse&$, the .ogin ma' at an' time become bhrashta, that is he ma' $rom error, wea,ness or impatience give up the strugg&e. #hat is the on&' $a&& $or the .ogin. Bai&ure, temporar' de$eat, is not bhramsa, so &ong as he re$uses to give up the strugg&e. 2ut once the right tendenc' is estab&ished, no man can destro' it, unti& it has en%o'ed supremac' and its bhoga. Sti&& at $irst, whi&e the 1i&& is comparative&' wea, or unpractised, the progress must be s&ow. "n proportion as the per$ection o$ the 1i&& brings purit' o$ the Adhar, the progress becomes rapid. 4ver'thing in this wor&d is done b' a processC a process means a series o$ actions &eading to a particu&ar resu&t b' certain recognised stages. #hese stages ma' be passed through s&ow&' or swi$t&', but so &ong as the law of gradual processes obtains, a&& the stages must be successive&' and conscious&' passed through. .ou have so man' mi&estones to passC but 'ou ma' pass them wa&,ing, in a carriage, in a rai&wa' train, but pass them 'ou must. Sti&& b' the growing strength o$ the 1i&&, 'ou can rep&ace s&ow process b' swi$t process. #hen a time comes when Ka&i begins to transcend the ordinar' human &imits and becomes no &onger the Sha,ti o$ a man, but the Sha,ti o$ <od in man. "t is then that gradua& processes are rep&aced b' concentrated processes. "t is as i$, instead o$ trave&&ing $rom mi&estone to mi&estone 'ou cou&d &eap $rom the $irst mi&estone to the third and so on to 'our %ourne's end. "n other words the process remains the same but some o$ the stages seem to be dispensed with. "n rea&it' the' are passed over so &ight&' as to escape notice and occup' &itt&e time. #here$ore it is ca&&ed a concentrated or contracted process. ?ast&', when the man himse&$ becomes <od, either in a part o$ his actions or in the who&e, then the &aw o$ concentrated processes gives p&ace to the involved processes, when no process at a&& seems to be used, when the result follows the action instantaneously, inevitably and miraculously. "n rea&it' there is no mirac&e, the process is used but so rapid&', with such a sovereign ease, that a&& the stages become invo&ved or hidden in what seems a moments action. To most men it is enough, if they can reach the second stage; it is only the vatar or the great Vibhuti who can reach the third. #here$ore do not be discouraged b' an' $ai&ure or de&a'. "t is pure&' a >uestion o$ $orce and purit' o$ the 1i&&. 2' purit' " mean $reedom $rom desire, $rom e$$ort, $rom misp&acement. "t is best to begin b' concentrating e$$ort on the se&$-puri$ication o$ the 1i&&,
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towards which the $irst necessit' is passivit' o$ desire $or the $ruit, the second the passivit' o$ the -hitta and the 2uddhi, whi&e the wi&& is being app&iedC the third the deve&opment o$ se&$-,now&edge in the use o$ the 1i&&. "t wi&& be $ound that b' this process o$ educating the 1i&&, atmanam atmana, purit' o$ the adhar wi&& a&so be automatica&&' prepared and ,now&edge wi&& begin to deve&op and act. "3 1hat is ,now&edgeA "n what does it consistA 1e must distinguish between ,now&edge in itse&$ and the means o$ ,now&edge. Again, among the means we must distinguish between the instruments and the operations per$ormed with the instruments. 2' Know&edge we mean awareness, ta,ing a thing into active consciousness, into our -haitan'am. 2ut when we sa', ta,ing it into our -haitan'am, what do we imp&'A 1hence do we ta,e itA #he 4uropean sa's $rom outside, we say from inside, $rom -haitan'am itse&$. "n other words, a&& ,now&edge is an act o$ consciousness operating on something in the consciousness itse&$. "n the $irst p&ace ever'thing we ,now e=ists in (arabrahman, that is, in our indivisib&e, universa& se&$-e=istence. "t is there, but not 'et e=pressed, not vyakta. #hen it e"ists in pure Chit, which is the womb of things as an idea of form, name and :uality . "t has name, $orm and >ua&it' in the Karana or (ahat, the causa&, t'pa& and idea& state o$ consciousness. Then it gets the possibi&it' o$ change, deve&opment or modi$ication in the $ukshma, the subtle, mental or plastic state of consciousness. 5inally it gets the actua& change, deve&opment, modi$ication or evo&ution in the $thula, the material or evolutionary state of consciousness. "n the Karana there is no evo&ution, nothing ever changes, a&& is eterna&. #he Karana is Sat'am. "n the Su,shma a&& is preparation o$ changeC it is $u&& o$ imagination or anritam, there$ore it is Swapna, not rea&&' $a&se, but not immediate&' app&icab&e to the Karana or Sthu&a. "n the Sthu&a a&& evo&ves. "t is partia& sat'am deve&oping b' the turning o$ o&d sat'am into anritam, which is ca&&ed destruction, and the turning o$ new anritam into new sat'am, which is ca&&ed creation. "n the Karana there is no creation, no birth, no death, a&& e=ists $or ever the on&' change is $rom t'pe to t'pe, $rom $u&$i&ment to $u&$i&ment. #here$ore to ,now is rea&&' to be conscious o$ the thing in an' or a&& o$ these three states.
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#he ,now&edge o$ the Sthu&a is science. #he ,now&edge o$ the Su,shma is phi&osoph', re&igion and metaph'sics. #he ,now&edge o$ the Karana is .oga. 1hen a man ,nows the Sthu&a, he ,nows it with his senses, that is, with the !anas, he ,nows the Su,shma with reason or the inspired inte&&ect, he ,nows the Karana with the 7nanam or spiritua& rea&isation. #here$ore comp&ete ,now&edge consists o$ three operations, $irst, ob%ective pa&abdhi or e=perience, second&', inte&&ectua& statement o$ 'our understanding o$ the thing, third&', sub%ective pa&abdhi or spiritua& e=perience. #he scientist begins $rom the bottom and c&imbs i$ he can, to the top. #he .ogin begins $rom the top and descends $or per$ect proo$ to the bottom. .ou are not scientists, 'ou are sadha,s. #here$ore, when 'ou spea, o$ ,now&edge 'ou must understand the processC 'ou rea&ise a thing b' sub%ective e=perience, 2hava, then, thin, about it and $ormu&ate 'our e=perience in Artha and 3a,, the combination which $orms thoughtC 'ou veri$' or test 'our e=perience b' ph'sica& or ob%ective e=perience. Bor instance 'ou see a man. .ou want to ,now what he is, what he thin,s and what he does. :ow does the scientist or the materia& man do itA :e watches the man, he notes what he sa's, what are his e=pressions o$ speech and $ace, what are his actions, what sort o$ peop&e he &ives with, etc. A&& this is ob%ective. #hen he reasons $rom his ob%ective e=perience. :e sa's /#he man sa's this or that, so he must thin, so and so or he must have such and such a characterC his actions show the same, his $ace shows the same,0 and so he goes on reasoning. "$ he does not get a&& the necessar' $acts, he $i&&s them up $rom his imagination or $rom his memor', that is his e=perience o$ other men, o$ himse&$ or o$ human &i$e as read o$ in boo,s or heard o$ $rom other peop&e. :e perceives, he observes, contrasts, compares, deduces, in$ers, imagines, remembers and the composite resu&t he ca&&s reason, ,now&edge, $act. "n rea&it' he has arrived at a probabi&it', $or it is impossib&e $or him to be sure that his conc&usions are correct or an'thing indeed correct in his thought, e=cept the actua& observation, perceptions o$ his e'e, ear, nose, touch, and taste. An'thing be'ond this the materia& man distrusts. Nothing is true to him e=cept what he observes with his senses or what agrees with his sensor' perceptions. Now what does the .ogin doA :e simp&' puts himse&$ into re&ation with the thing itse&$. Not with its $orm, name or >ua&it', but with itself. :e ma' never have seen the $orm, heard the name or had e=perience o$ the >ua&it', but sti&& he can ,now the thing. 2ecause it is the thing itse&$ and it is in himse&$ and one with himse&$, that is in the (ahakarana in a man. #here a&& meet the Atman and
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are so entire&' one with the Atman that b' mere&' being in contact with it, " can ,now ever'thing about it. 5ew 1ogins reach that state. 2ut a&& the same, even in the Karana " can put m'se&$ in re&ation with the thing and ,now it b' 2hava. " put m'se&$, m' sou&, into re&ation with the sou& o$ the man " stud' or the thing " stud'C *ra!na in me becomes one with the *ra!na in him or it. 5'e one with me ; hamare ang avayav says ppg& :ow do " do thisA Simp&' b' becoming passive and $acing him or it in m' 2uddhi. "$ m' 2uddhi is >uite pure or $air&' puri$ied, i$ m' !anas is shanta, then " get the truth about him. " get it b' 2hava, b' spiritua& or sub%ective rea&isation. #hen " have to ma,e the thing " have got c&ear and precise. #o do that " must state it inte&&ectua&&' to m' mind, that is, " must thin, about it. " have these ideas " am te&&ing 'ou in m'se&$ as une=pressed ,now&edgeC the' shape themse&ves in words, 3a,, and ta,e on a precise meaning, Artha. #hat is thought. 5vagarthaiv6. !ost peop&e thin, vague&', ha&$ e=pressing the thing in an imper$ect 3a, and a partia& Artha. #he .ogin must not do that. :is thoughts must e=press themse&ves in c&ear and per$ect sentences. :e ma' ,now a thing without thin,ing it out, but i$ he thin,s, he must thin, c&ear&' and per$ect&'. #he .ogin reasons when necessar', but not &i,e the man o$ science. :e sees the thing with his prophetic power interpreting the truth into thoughtC the prat'a,sha gives him the Artha, the inspiration gives him the 3a,, the intuition gives him the right conc&usion about it, the right siddhanta, the 3ive,a guards him $rom error. 'ehold the truth by these four simple operations perfectly thought out. "$ he has to argue, then the intuitions give him the right arguments. :e has not to proceed pain$u&&' $rom one s'&&ogism to another as the &ogician does. Bina&&', he veri$ies his ,now&edge b' the $acts o$ the ob%ective wor&d. :e has seen the truth about the man b' mere&' &oo,ing at him or at the idea o$ himC he has thought it out c&ear&' and now he compares his idea with the mans action, speech etc. Not to test his truthC $or he ,nows that a mans action, speech etc. on&' partia&&' e=press the man and mis&ead the studentC but in order to see how the truth he ,nows $rom the Karana is being wor,ed out in the Sthu&a. :e trusts the mans ob%ective &i$e on&' so $ar as it is in agreement with the deeper truth he has gained b' .oga. .ou see the immense di$$erence. #he on&' di$$icu&t' is that 'ou have been accustomed to use the senses and the reason to the subordination and a&most to the e=c&usion o$ the higher $acu&ties. #here$ore 'ou $ind it di$$icu&t to ma,e the higher $acu&ties active. "$ on&' 'ou cou&d start $rom the beginning, with the 2hava,
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the Atma%nana, how eas' it wou&d beF #hat wi&& 'et happen. 2ut $irst, 'ou have to get rid o$ the &ower 2uddhi, o$ the "ndri'as in the manas, and awa,en the activit' o$ the higher $acu&ties. #he' wi&& see $or 'ou, hear $or 'ou, as we&& as thin, $or 'ou. 5irst, then, get your sanskaras right. nderstand inte&&ectua&&' what " have to&d 'ou and wi&& 'et te&& 'ou. #hen b' use o$ the 1i&&, keep the reason, imagination, memory, thought, sensations sufficiently :uiet $or the higher 2uddhi to ,now itse&$ as separate and di$$erent $rom these &ower >ua&ities. As the higher separates itse&$ and becomes more and more active, the &ower, a&read' discouraged, wi&& become &ess and &ess active and $ina&&' troub&e 'ou no more. #here$ore 1i&& $irst, then b' 1i&&, b' Sha,ti, the 7nanam. Birst Ka&i (Sri Rama Krishna paramahamsa), then Sur'a (Sri Rama Sharma Acharya). " sha&& e=p&ain the various $acu&ties when " have $inished with the rest o$ the s'stem. 3 "$ men were satis$ied with indu&ging in reason, memor' and imagination, the puri$ication o$ the 2uddhi and the deve&opment o$ the higher $acu&ties wou&d be an eas' matter. 2ut there is another means o$ thought which the' habitua&&' indu&ge in and that is !anas. #he !anas is a receptive organC it receives the images e=pressed on the e'e, the ear etc., and turns them into what the 4uropeans ca&& the percepts, that is, things perceived. 2esides, it receives the ideas, images etc., sent down $rom the 3i%nana into the -hitta and passes them on to the &atter organ. "n this passage these things become what are ca&&ed concepts, that is, things conceived or thought o$. Bor instance, when the mind sees the image o$ a boo, and sa's /A boo,0, it has ho&d o$ a percept the name o$ which it conceivesC that is sensationa& thought. 1hen it sa's /A boo, contains &anguage0 that is a remoter concept, inte&&ectua& thought. ;ne mere&' puts things sensed into words, the other puts things thought into words. (ercept and concept together ma,e what is ca&&ed understanding. Reason, according to the 4uropean idea, mere&' arranges percepts and concepts and draws $rom this arrangement $resh and more e&aborate concepts. !an' be&ieve that concepts are mere&' percepts put together and converted into what is ca&&ed thought. According to this idea, a&& thought is mere&' the arrangement o$ sensation in the terms o$ &anguage. 4ven when " imagine an ange&, " mere&' put a human $igure and the wings o$ a bird together and give the combination a name, ange&. 4ven when " ta&, o$ abstract >ua&ities, $or e=amp&e, virtue, courage etc., " am not thin,ing o$ an'thing be'ond sensation, but mere&' a c&assi$ication
11

o$ virtuous and courageous sensations and actions put together and &abe&&ed with the name virtue or courage. A&& these ideas are correct so $ar as the !anas or understanding is concerned. The (anas is an organ of sensation, not of thought. "t catches thoughts on their wa' $rom the 2uddhi to the -hitta, but in catching them it turns them into the stu$$ o$ sensations, as described above. "t regards them $rom the point o$ view o$ sensations. nimals think with their (anas and animals are not able to form ideas that do not relate themselves to some image, form, sound, smell, touch, taste, etc. They are bound by their sensations. #hat is wh' in anima&s the 2uddhi is dormantC so $ar as it acts, it acts behind the vei&. 2ut man can become aware o$ things which the senses cannot grasp, buddhigrahyam atndriyam. #he proo$ o$ that 'ou can get dai&', when the .ogic power is deve&oped. #his sing&e $act that man can see with his 2uddhi the truth about a thing he has never seen or ,nown be$ore, is enough to destro' the materia&istic idea o$ thought [need of Gayatri Mantra].#hat idea is on&' true o$ the !anas. #he !anas responds to the senses and is a&wa's $orming percepts and concepts about the sensations it receives. #hese ideas it sometimes gets $rom the outside wor&d, sometimes $rom the passive memor' in the -hitta, sometimes $rom the 2uddhi. 2ut it tries to impose them a&& on the 2uddhi. "t tests ever'thing which it does not ta,e $or granted b' re$erence to the senses. /" saw that0, /" heard that0, there$ore it is true, that is the reasoning o$ the !anas. #hat is wh' peop&e who have a poor&' deve&oped 2uddhi, attach so much importance to what the' have seen or read. /" have seen it in print0 sa's the %ust &iterate man, and he thin,s he has c&osed the argument. 1hat are we to do with the !anasA Get it to be still, says the 1ogin. .hile it is busy, knowledge is impossible. .ou can get on&' $ragments o$ ,now&edge. #hat is true and the >uiet mind is no doubt essentia& to the .ogin. 2ut what o$ the sensesA -oncepts in the !anas 'ou ma' get rid o$, but what are 'ou to do with the perceptsA .ou cannot stop seeing, hearing etc., e=cept when 'ou are in Samadhi. #hat is wh' the 3edantin attaches so much importance to samadhi. "t is the on&' condition in which he is sa$e $rom the persistent siege o$ the percepts o$ the senses. 2ut i$ 'ou can on&' e=ercise ,now&edge when 'ou are in Samadhi, then 'ou wi&& have to become an ascetic or rec&use, a man who gives up &i$e or thought. #hat is a necessit' which cuts the unit' o$ <ods wor&d into two and ma,es an unnatura& division in what shou&d be indivisib&e. #he #antric ,nows that this is not necessar', that Samadhi is a great instrument, but not the on&' instrument. :e so arranges his antah,arana that he can ,now when he is wa&,ing, ta&,ing, acting, s&eeping, whatever he is doing. :owA 2' not on&' stilling the conceptual activity of the (anas but by transferring to
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the 'uddhi its perceptual activity. )n other words he sees, hears etc., not with the senses in the manas, but with the )ndriya in the 'uddhi. .ou wi&& $ind what a di$$erence this ma,es. Not on&' do 'ou see much more per$ect&', minute&', accurate&' than be$ore, but 'ou are ab&e to appreciate co&ours, $orms, sounds etc., in a wa' 'ou never did be$ore. And besides 'ou are ab&e to catch the sou&, the <una, the essentia& >ua&it' and emotion o$ a thing, the moment 'ou are aware o$ it. #his is part o$ what the .oga ca&&s *rakamya, the abso&ute and sovereign activit' o$ the "ndri'a. #here$ore when the .oga is per$ect, 'ou wi&& not be troub&ed b' the !anas. "t wi&& cease to perceive. )t will be merely a passage, a channel for things from the 'uddhi to the Chitta. #here are man' wa's o$ bringing this about, but most o$ them su$$er $rom this de$ect, that 'ou get the thin,ing part o$ the !anas sti&&, but the perceiving part retains its in$erior and hampering activit'. #he best wa' is to use the 1i&& simu&taneous&' $or awa,ing the 7nanam and $or sti&&ing the !anas. #his method has two advantages. Birst, 'ou do not, as in the ordinar' method, have to ma,e 'our mind a b&an,. #hat is a power$u& but ver' di$$icu&t and tr'ing discip&ine or #apas'a. 1ou simply replace by degrees the activity of the lower reason by the activity of the higher thought, the activity of the mind by the activity of the same organ and the sense2perceptions by the activity of the *rakamya. This process is less painful and more easy. Second&', 'ou cannot stop perceiving so &ong as 'ou are not in Sushupti, 'ou on&' stop thin,ing. So 'ou cannot ma,e 'our mind b&an,. n&ess 'ou wa,e the 7nanam $irst, how are 'ou going to get rid o$ this intrusive e&ementA #he (ra,am'a must be there a&read' active be$ore the ordinar' perceptions can stop wor,. #his then is the third operation o$ the #antric method. .ou deve&op the 1i&&, 'ou use the 1i&& to awa,en the 7nanam, 'ou use the 1i&& to sti&& the mind and the &ower 2uddhi and 'ou use the 7nanam to rep&ace them. 3" " come ne=t to -hitta. #here are two &a'ers in the -hitta, one $or the emotions, the other $or passive memor'. "n the &ower &a'er o$ the -hitta, the impressions o$ a&& things seen, thought, sensed, $e&t are recorded and remain unti& the 7iva &eaves this bod'. 4ven a$terwards a&& these impressions are ta,en up with the Su,shma bod' and go with the 7iva into the other wor&ds. 1hen he is born again, the' are brought with him as &atent sams,aras in the !u&adharaC that is wh' peop&e do not remember their past births, but can get bac, the memor' b' awa,ening the Kunda&ini in the !u&adhara. #hese impressions are &atent in the -hitta unti& the active memor' in the 2uddhi ca&&s $or them. #hose which are continua&&' brought to
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the 2uddhi have a habit o$ recurring even when not wanted, habitua& thoughts, ideas, sentiments, opinions etc., which are the .ogins chie$ troub&e unti& the !anas in which the' occur becomes >uiet. #he second and the upper &a'er is that o$ emotion. The emotions are the acts of .ill sent down into the Chitta and there assuming the form of impulses. #here are three divisions, thought impu&ses, impu&ses o$ $ee&ing, and impu&ses o$ action. #he $irst are ca&&ed b' various names, instincts, inspirations, insights, intuitions etc. #he' are rea&&' messages sent down b' the 7iva $rom the Sahasrada&a into the -hitta, the' pass unobserved through the 2uddhi, &odge in the -hitta and, whenever e=cited b' an' contact e=terna& or interna&, start up sudden&' and stri,e the 2uddhi with the same $orce as the rea& inspirations etc., which come down direct $rom the 3i%nana to the 2uddhi. 2ut the' come up co&oured b' emotions, distorted b' associations and memories in the -hitta, perverted b' the imagination which brings them up. !uch o$ what is ca&&ed $aith, 2ha,ti, genius, poetic inspiration etc., comes $rom this source. "t is use$u& to the ordinar' man, a&& important to the anima&, but a hindrance to the .ogin. #he impu&ses o$ $ee&ing are what are ordinari&' ca&&ed emotions. #he emotions are o$ two ,inds, natura& or eterna&, arti$icia& or 3i,aras. ?ove is natura&, it proceeds $rom 7nanam and tends to endure in the evo&utionC hatred is a 3i,ara $rom &ove, a distortion or reaction caused b' A%nanam. So courage is eterna&, $ear is 3i,araC compassion is eterna&, ghrina or wea, pit', repu&sion, disgust etc., are 3i,aras. #hose which are natura& and eterna&, &ove, courage, pit', truth, nob&e aspirations, are DharmaC the others are Adharma. 2ut this is $rom the eterna& standpoint and has nothing to do with Sama%ic or ?au,ic or temporar' Dharma or Adharma. !oreover, Adharma is o$ten necessar' as a passage or preparation $or passing $rom an undeve&oped to a deve&oped, a &ower to a higher Dharma. The 1ogin has to get rid of Vikaras, but not of $anatana #harmas. #he third ,ind o$ impu&se is the impu&se to action. "ts presence in the -hitta is a temporar' arrangement due to the ra%asic deve&opment o$ the human being. #he asuddha ra%asic man cannot easi&' be stirred into action, e=cept through two $orces, desire or emotion. ?ove, hatred, ambition, rage etc., must stir in him or he cannot act, or acts $eeb&'. -e cannot understand shuddha pravritti, action without desire and independent of emotion. 4motion shou&d on&' give a co&our to the mans swabhava or temperament. :e shou&d be habitua&&' $u&& o$ $ee&ings o$ &ove, courage, honour, true ambition, se&$-re&iance etc., but he shou&d not act $rom an' individua& impu&se o$ however nob&e a character. :e shou&d act in obedience to the impu&se $rom the 1i&& in direct communication with the (urusha in the 3i%nana, understanding with the 2uddhi wh' the 1i&& acts
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in that particu&ar wa' and co&ouring the act with the emotion appropriate to his Swabhava. 'ut neither the 'uddhi nor the emotion should directly interfere with or try to determine his action. #he 2uddhi is $or thought and the -hitta $or emotion. Neither o$ them have an'thing to do with action in the shuddha state. #he inte&&ectua& Asura determines his actions b' his reason or his idea&, the emotiona& Asura b' his $ee&ings. 2ut the shuddha determines them b' the higher inspiration proceeding $rom the divine e=istence in the 3i%nana. #hat is what peop&e o$ten ca&& the Adesha. ;n&' the shuddha can sa$e&' re&' on having this ,ind o$ Adesha, the asuddha .ogin o$ten mista,es his own ideas, imaginations, emotions or even desires $or the Adesha. #here$ore what the .ogin must aim at, is to get rid o$ the activit' o$ his &ower -hitta or the o&d impressions b' sti&&ing the !anas as described in m' &ast &ectureC get rid o$ his instinctive thought or thought-impu&ses b' the same meansC get rid o$ the habit o$ acting on his emotions b' a&&owing the wi&& to si&ence his impu&ses and puri$' his emotions. :e shou&d prohibit and inhibit b' the 1i&& a&& action or speech that starts b&ind&' $rom the passions or emotions surging in his heart. #he emotions wi&& then become >uiet and must be habituated to come as a sort o$ wave $a&&ing into a sea, instead o$ surging $urious&' into action. #hese >uiet waves which are satis$ied with e=isting and do not demand satis$action in action or see, to dominate the &i$e or the ideas, are the puri$ied emotions. #hose which rise upward into the 2uddhi and tr' to shape the thought or opinion, those which move outward into speech or action, are asuddha emotions. 1hat " mean is that the emotions in the -hitta are $or en%o'ment on&'C the action must be dominated b' a higher princip&e. #here again it is the 1i&& that must puri$', govern and renew the heart. ;n&', it has the best chance o$ doing it i$ the ,now&edge has $irst become active and the mind is sti&&. A sti&& mind means a heart easi&' puri$ied. 3"" " come ne=t to (rana, the nervous or vita& e&ement in man which is centra&ised be&ow the !anas and -hitta in the subt&e bod' and connected with the nave& in the Sthu&a Deha. -ere ) must distinguish between the $ukshma *rana and the $thula *rana, the former moving in the nervous system of the subtle body as described in the 1ogic books, the latter in the nervous system of the gross body. #he two are c&ose&' connected and a&most a&wa's act upon each other. #he prana $orms the &in, between the ph'sica& and the menta& man. " must here warn 'ou against stumb&ing into the error o$ those who tr' to harmonise .ogic Science with the ph'sica&
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science o$ the 4uropeans and search $or the .ogic Nadis and -ha,ras in the ph'sica& bod'. .ou wi&& not $ind them there. #here are certain centres in the ph'sica& nervous s'stem with which the -ha,ras correspond, otherwise :atha'oga wou&d be impossib&e. 2ut the -ha,ras are not these centres. #he 4uropeans are masters in their own province o$ ,now&edge and there 'ou need not hesitate to &earn $rom them, but $or <ods sa,e do not sub%ect 'our higher ,now&edge to their &owerC 'ou wi&& on&' create a most horrib&e con$usion. Deve&op 'our higher ,now&edge $irst, then stud' their sciences and the &atter wi&& at once $a&& into their p&ace. "t is with the Su,shma (rana that " am principa&&' concernedC $or the $thula *rana belongs to the nnam rather than to the ntahkarana and ) will speak of it in connection with the nnam. #he Su,shma (rana is the seat o$ desire and its puri$ication is o$ the utmost importance to the .ogin. 4ntil you have got rid of desire, you have accomplished nothing permanent. 1hen 'ou have got rid o$ desire, 'ou are sure o$ ever'thing e&se. #hat is wh' the <ita sa's /Get rid of desire first8. ;n&' unti& 'ou have got ,now&edge and can &earn to use 'our wi&& to sti&& the mind and puri$' the emotions, 'ou cannot utter&' get rid o$ desire. .ou ma' drive it out b' Sam'ama, 'ou ma' ho&d it down b' Nigraha but eventua&&' it is o$ no use, $or it wi&& return. /(ra,ritim 'G anti bhG utGani nigrahah ,im ,arish'ati.0 -reatures $o&&ow a$ter natureC what is the use o$ coercionA #hat is to sa', it has a temporar' resu&t and the coerced desires come bac, ravening and more $urious than be$ore. #hat was what -hrist meant b' the parab&e o$ the devi&, the unc&ean spirit who is driven out o$ a man on&' to return with seven spirits worse than himse&$. 5or it is the nature of things, the unalterable nature of things, that unpurified emotion must clamour after desire, an unstilled (anas give it harbourage whenever it returns, an unilluminated 'uddhi contain the seed of it ready to sprout up at the first opportunity . #here$ore un&ess the who&e Antah,arana is puri$ied, un&ess 'ou get a new heart and a new mind, desire cannot be got rid o$C it returns or it remains. 1hen however an i&&uminated understanding &ighting up the action o$ a strengthened 1i&& and supported b' a pure heart, casts desire into the Su,shma (rana and attac,s it there in its native p&ace, it can be utter&' destro'ed. 1hen 'ou have a visuddha 2uddhi 'ou wi&& be ab&e to distinguish these various organs and &ocate a&& 'our menta& activities. Desire can then be iso&ated in the (rana and the heart and mind ,ept pure o$ its insistent inroads. Bor desire is on&' e$$ective when it can get ho&d o$ the -hitta and 2uddhi, generating 3i,aras o$ emotion and perversions o$ ,now&edge which give it strength to impose itse&$ on the 1i&& and so in$&uence interna& being when it mas,s itse&$ as a princip&e or idea& or as a %usti$iab&e emotion.
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Remember moreover that a&& desires have to be got rid o$, those which are ca&&ed good, as we&& as those which are ca&&ed bad. Some peop&e wi&& te&& 'ou, ,eep the good desires and drive out the bad. Do not &isten to that specious piece o$ ignorance. .ou can use the good desires to drive out the bad on condition that immediate&' a$ter 'ou drive out the good a&so b' the one desire o$ !umu,shutwa, &iberation and union with <od. And even that &ast desire $ina&&' 'ou must renounce and give 'ourse&$ up who&&' to <ods wi&&, even in that &ast and greatest matter, becoming utter&' desire&ess, nish,Gama nihspriha. ;therwise 'ou wi&& $ind 'ourse&$ trave&&ing in a vicious circ&e. Bor i$ 'ou ,eep desire at a&&, he is such a born traitor that he wi&& eventua&&' open the door to 'our enemies. 1hen the unc&ean spirit returned to his house, he $ound it swept and garnished, that is, puri$ied o$ bad thoughts and adorned with good desires, and immediate&' he got in and made the &ast state o$ that man worse than his $irst. So get rid o$ a&& desires utter&', good, bad and indi$$erent. <et be'ond virtue as we&& as be'ond vice. 2e satis$ied with no bondage even though the $etters be o$ pure go&d. Admit no guide or master but <od, even though the' be gods or ange&s who c&aim 'our homage. Desire is composed o$ three e&ements, attachment or Asa,ti, &onging or Kamana, and pre$erence or Raga dwesha. <et rid o$ attachment $irst. se 'our wi&& and puri$ied Antah,arana to throw out that c&inging and insistence on things, which sa's /" must have that, " cannot do without that,0 and returns on the idea o$ it, even when it is persistent&' denied. 1hen the emotions are >uiet, this Asa,ti wi&& o$ itse&$ die awa', but $or a time it wi&& rage a great dea& and tr' to get the emotions active again. App&' the 1i&& steadi&' and patient&' and do not get disturbed b' $ai&ureC $or desire is a terrib&e thing, as di$$icu&t to get rid o$ as a &eech. "t is indeed the daughter o$ the horse-&eech cr'ing /<ive, give.0 Do not vio&ent&' si&ence the cr'C ignore it and use 'our 1i&& to get rid o$ the c&amourer. 1hen Asa,ti becomes wea,, Kamana &oses nine tenths o$ its $orce and 'ou can easi&' throw it o$$. Sti&& $or some time, out o$ sheer habit, the &onging $or certain things wi&& come, not in the heart or 2uddhi, but in the and e=terna& action. "t is most power$u& in the higher ,ind o$ human (ranaC on&' i$ Asa,ti is gone, the re$usa& o$ the thing craved wi&& not &eave behind it a permanent grie$ or continua& hunger. #here wi&& on&' be temporar' disturbance o$ the peace o$ the heart. 1hen 'ou have got rid o$ the Kamana, even then Raga ma' remain, and i$ Raga is there, Dwesha is sure to come in. .ou wi&& not as, or crave $or an'thingC $or Kamana is goneC but when some things come, 'ou wi&& not &i,e themC when other things come, 'ou wi&& $ee& g&ad and e=u&tant. .ou wi&& not rebe& or c&ing to what 'ou have, but 'ou wi&& not &i,e the coming o$ the evi&, 'ou wi&& not &i,e the &oss o$ 'our
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%o', even though 'ou sa' /3er' good0 and submit. <et rid o$ that Raga and Dwesha and have per$ect Samata. 1hen 'ou have per$ect Samata, then either 'ou wi&& have per$ect Shanti, divine peace, or e&se per$ect or Shuddha 2hoga, divine en%o'ment. Shanti is the negative Ananda and those have it who rest in the Nirguna 2rahman. Shuddha 2hoga is the positive Ananda and those have it who rest in the #rigunatita Ananta 2rahman. .ou can have both and it is best to have both. God en!oys the world with $huddha 'hoga based on the perfect $hanti. !ost peop&e cannot imagine 2hoga without Kama, en%o'ment without desire. "t is a $oo&ish notion, none the &ess $oo&ish because it is natura& and a&most universa&. "t is A%nanam, a $undamenta& part o$ ignorance. 4n%o'ment does not rea&&' begin unti& 'ou get rid o$ desire. #hat which 'ou get as the resu&t o$ satis$ied desire is troub&ed, unsa$e, $everish, or &imited, but Shuddha 2hoga is ca&m, se&$-possessed, victorious, un&imited, without satiet' and 3airag'a, immorta&&' b&iss$u&. "t is in a word, not :arsha, not Su,ha, but Ananda. "t is Amrita, it is divinit' and immorta&it', it is becoming o$ one nature with <od. #he sou& has then no ,ama, but it has pure &ipsa, an in$inite readiness to ta,e and en%o' whatever <od gives it. <rie$, pain, disgrace, ever'thing that is to ra%asic men a torture, changes then to b&iss. 4ven i$ such a sou& were to be cast into he&&, it wou&d not $ee& he&&, but heaven. "t wou&d not on&' sa' with the 2ha,ta /#his is $rom the be&oved0 but with the per$ect 7nani /#his is the 2e&ovedC this is the Anandam 2rahman@ this is the Kantam, the Shivam, Shubham, Sundaram.0 " need not repeat the process b' which this puri$ication is e$$ected. " have indicated it su$$icient&'. #his #antric process is the same throughout, the re&iance on the Sha,ti, the divine 1i&& wor,ing in the Adhar, without an' e$$ort on the part o$ the (urusha, who remains A,arta throughout the sadhana, but sti&& "shwara, the source o$ the command and the sanction, the ru&er dispossessed b' his sub%ects and gradua&&' recovering contro& o$ his rebe&&ious and disordered ,ingdom. 3""" #here remains the Sthu&a, the gross part o$ man which is composed o$ the Sthu&a (rana or ph'sica& nervous s'stem and the annam or bod' in which the prana operates. #he prana is the princip&e o$ &i$e, death is brought about b' the disso&ution o$ the tie between the su,shma deha and the sthu&a deha. #hat tie is the prana. #he su,shma deha ta,es the prana into itse&$ and departsC the &itt&e that is &e$t in the gross bod' is o$ the nature o$ apana with a tendenc' to that species o$ disso&ution which we ca&& corruption. #he prana part o$ it, which can a&one ho&d the bod' together, evaporates and
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the apana &eads to swi$t disintegration. "n some anima&s, however, the prana is so abundant that the bod' shows signs o$ &i$e even a$ter the su,shma deha has departed. " have been dea&ing throughout with the puri$ication o$ the su,shma part o$ man, the Antah,arana or mind, the sub%ect o$ the bod' is a &itt&e $oreign to m' purpose. Neverthe&ess a $ew words are necessar'. #he princip&e upon which this .oga " am e=p&aining to 'ou stands, is that the gross bod' is mere&' the shadow or creation o$ the subt&e. 'ody is a mould into which mind pours itself, but the mould itself has been prepared by the mind and can be changed by the mind. A mind puri$ied, &iberated and per$ected (siddha) can do whatever it &i,es with the bod'. "t ma' &eave it as it is, a&&owing the past ,arma to do its wi&& with the ph'sica& part in the $orm o$ disease, su$$ering, mis$ortune and death, without the mind being in the &east a$$ected. A&& that is impurit' and bondage, which is the ph'sica& trans&ation and resu&t o$ menta& impurit' and bondage. 1ith the cessation o$ the cause, the e$$ect ceasesC but not at once. "t is again &i,e the steam and the &ocomotive. #he habits, the resu&ts created b' past &ives, are e=pe&&ed $rom the mind and precipitated entire&' into the bod'. .ou ma' a&&ow them to wor, themse&ves out there, man' do that. ;n the other hand, 'ou ma' pursue them into the bod' and drive them out $rom there as we&&. "n that case 'ou get the Ka'ashuddhi and the Ka'asiddhi. #he' are usua&&' sought a$ter b' the :atha'ogic or Ra%a'ogic processes, but these are not necessar'. "t is even better and certain&' much easier and surer to $o&&ow the process " have been indicating. #he ver' $act o$ having a puri$ied mind ma,es $or purit' o$ the bod', a &iberated mind $or &iberation o$ the bod', a per$ected mind $or per$ection o$ the bod', and to a certain e=tent as you go on with the yoga in the ntahkarana, the body will automatically begin to respond to the new influences. 2ut 'ou shou&d not conscious&' medd&e with the bod' unti& 'ou have $inished with the mind. ?et nature do its wor,. Detach 'ourse&$ as much as possib&e $rom the bod', thin, o$ it as a mere case, &eave it to the care o$ <od and :is Sha,ti. !an' sadha,s are $rightened b' i&&ness in the course o$ the .oga. .ou need not be $rightened, $or 'ou have put 'ourse&$ in <ods hands and :e wi&& see to it. "t wi&& come to 'ou on&' as a part o$ the necessar' process $or puri$ication o$ the bod', wor, itse&$ out, $ade and return no more. ;ther disturbances o$ the bod' wi&& come which are incidenta& to the turning o$ an un$it ph'sica& adhar into a $it one. (ro$ound a&terations are necessar' in 'our brain ce&&s, 'our nervous s'stem, 'our digestive and secretive processes and the' cannot be e$$ected without some ph'sica& disturbance, but it wi&& never be more than is necessar' $or the process. Do no vio&ence o$ an' ,ind to the bod'C i$ 'ou use ph'sica& remedies, &et
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them be o$ the simp&est and purest ,indC above a&& dismiss an=iet' and $ear. .ou cannot care more $or 'ourse&$ than <od cares $or 'ou. ;n&' 'our care is &i,e&' to be ignorant and unwiseC :is is with ,now&edge and uses the right means to the right end. "mpurities in the bod' show themse&ves chie$&' as disease, as pain, as the discom$ort o$ heat and co&d, as the necessit' o$ the e=cretive processes. #he $irst sign o$ Ka'ashuddhi is the disappearance o$ a&& tendenc' to diseaseC the second is &iberation $rom the dwandwa o$ heat and co&d, which wi&& either go a&together or change to p&easurab&e sensations o$ten mar,ed b' e&ectrica& phenomenaC and the third, the diminution or disappearance o$ e=cretive activit'. (ain a&so can be entire&' e&iminated $rom the bod', but even be$ore the reaction ca&&ed pain is got rid o$, or even without its being got rid o$, the discom$ort o$ pain can be removed and rep&aced b' a sort o$ bodi&' Ananda. Bina&&', the craving o$ hunger and thirst disappears $rom the prana to which it be&ongs and the dependence on $ood diminishes or ceases. #he per$ection o$ a&& this is the basis o$ Ka'asiddhi. 2ut per$ect Ka'asiddhi inc&udes other deve&opments such as the siddhis o$ !ahima, ?aghima, Anima and the invu&nerabi&it' and incorruptibi&it' o$ the bod', powers hitherto attained in the Ka&i'uga on&' b' ver' advanced Siddhas. They depend primarily on the replacement of the ordinary fivefold processes of prana, apana, vyana, samana and udana by the single simplified action of the original or elemental force of prana, the infinite vital energy surcharged with electricity, vaidyutam. A&& these are important e&ements o$ #antric .oga, but " have mentioned them on&' cursori&' because the' are $oreign to m' purpose. #he' can a&& be deve&oped i$ the menta& siddhi is per$ected and it is on this per$ection that " wish 'ou to concentrate 'our energ' and attention. 1hen 'ou get that, 'ou get ever'thing. #he centres o$ mans activit', at present, are the buddhi, the heart and the manas, and the bod', though e=treme&' important, is a dependent and subordinate $unction. "t has not to be despised on that account, but most peop&e give it an undue importance. 1hen the 7iva is "shwara o$ his mind, his bod' $a&&s into its proper p&ace and instead o$ inter$ering and o$ten domineering over the mind and wi&&, it obe's and ta,es its stamp $rom them. #he 4uropeans are obsessed with the idea o$ the ph'sica& as the master o$ the menta&. " wou&d have 'ou ho&d $ast to the opposite standpoint and a&wa's remember that $or the bod' to impose its conditions on the mind is an abnorma& state o$ mans being, which has to be got rid o$C it is the mind that must command, condition and modi$' the bod'. "H -;N-? S";N
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" have $inished what " had to sa'. " wi&& on&' add a word in conc&usion. .ou must not thin, that what " have given 'ou, is a&& the ,now&edge 'ou need about 'ourse&$ or about the .oga. ;n the contrar', these are on&' certain indications necessar' at a particu&ar stageC the' are chie$&' important $or puri$ication, which is the $irst part o$ the .oga. A$ter the shuddhi is comp&ete one has to per$ect the mu,ti, to get &iberation, a thing eas' a$ter shuddhi, impossib&e be$ore it. 2' mu,ti " do not mean laya, which is a thing not to be pursued or desired, but waited $or whenever <od wi&&s, but &iberation $rom ignorance, Ahan,ara and a&& dua&ities. 1ith the progress o$ the puri$ication, there wi&& be a natura& tendenc' towards &iberation and the $arther stages o$ 'oga, bhu,ti and siddhi, &iberated en%o'ment and per$ection. As 'ou go $orward 'ou wi&& have to change 'our attitude, not radica&&' but in certain important points. #hat, however, " wi&& not medd&e with. "t is we&& to do one thing at a time. "n a&& that " have written, " have ta,en one standpoint to which man' o$ 'ou have not been accustomed. "$ 'ou regard 3airag'am as the beginning o$ a&& wisdom, 'ou wi&& not be satis$ied with me. 3airag'am is to me mere&' a use$u& temporar' state o$ mind which <od uses to en$orce re%ection o$ that to which the o&d sams,aras c&ing too obstinate&' to be unseated $rom it b' mere abh'asa. 7nanam is essentia& to shuddhi and mu,tiC but 7nanam must be assisted either b' abh'asa or b' vairag'a unti& the mind is sti&& and &ets ,now&edge do its own wor,. s soon as the mind is still and not susceptible to resuscitation of its old energies from outside, the 9nanam develops, the $hakti pursues its task unhampered; there is then no sadhan for you, only a progressive siddhi without any deliberately adopted method, increasing by the mere easy and natural process of <ature as a man breathes or sees or walks. ll necessity for either abhyasa or vairagya ceases. ttachment to vairagya is as harmful as attachment to lobha itself. Again i$ 'ou thin, with the 2uddhists that a&& &i$e is a miser' and e=tinction o$ some ,ind the highest good, or i$ 'ou thin, with the !a'avadin that we came into this wor&d with no other ob%ect but to get out o$ it again as soon as possib&e, &i,e the $amous genera& whose greatest mi&itar' e=p&oit was to march up a hi&& in order to march bac, again, 'ou had better pass me b'. " am a #antric. " regard the wor&d as born o$ Ananda and &iving b' Ananda, whee&ing $rom Ananda to Ananda. nanda and $hakti, these are the two real terms of e"istence. Sorrow and wea,ness are vi,aras born o$ a%nanam, o$ the $orget$u&ness o$ the high and true se&$. #hese are not universa& or eterna& things, but &oca& and
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temporar', &oca& main&' o$ this earth, temporar' in the brie$ periods o$ the Ka&i 'uga. =ur business is to bring down heaven on earth for ourselves and mankind, to eliminate sorrow and weakness from the little corners of e"istence and time, where they are allowed to e"ist. " do not give an' assent to the g&oom' doctrine which preaches a wor&d o$ sorrow and inaction and withdrawa& $rom it as the so&e condition o$ b&iss and $reedom, which thin,s, contrar' to a&& reason and ,now&edge, that <od in himse&$ is b&essed, but <od in mani$estation accursed. " wi&& not admit that the 2rahman is a $oo& or a drun,ard dreaming bad dreams, se&$-h'pnotised into miserab&e i&&usions. " do not $ind that teaching in the 3edaC it does not agree with m' rea&isations which are o$ the actua&it' o$ una&terab&e b&iss and strength and ,now&edge in the midst o$ desire&ess phenomena& action. " am o$ the mind o$ Sri Krishna in the !ahabharata when he sa's, /Some preach action in this wor&d and some preach inactionC but as $or those who preach inaction, " am not o$ the opinion o$ those wea,&ings.0 a me matam tasya durbalasya. 2ut the action he ho&ds up as an e=amp&e, is the action o$ the great <ods, even as <oethe spea,s o$ the action o$ the great natura& $orces, disinterested, unwear'ing, se&$-poised in b&iss, not inert with the tamas, not $ret$u& with the ra%as, not &imited even b' the sattwic ahan,ara action made one in di$$erence with the (urushottama, m' being in :is being, m' sha,ti on&' a particu&ar action o$ :is in$inite sha,ti, o$ Ka&i. " am not ignorant, " am not bound, " am not sorrow$u&@ " on&' p&a' at being ignorant, " on&' pretend to be boundC &i,e an actor or &i,e an audience " on&' ta,e the rasa o$ sorrow. " can throw it o$$ when " p&ease. 1ho ca&&s me degraded and sin$u&, a worm craw&ing upon the earth among other wormsA " am 2rahman, " am :eC sin cannot touch me. 1ho ca&&s me miserab&eA " am <od, a&& b&iss$u&. 1ho ca&&s me wea,A " am one with the ;mnipotent. :e, being ;ne, has chosen to be !an'. :e, being in$inite, &oca&ises himse&$ in man' centres and in each centre :e is sti&& in$inite. #hat is the m'ster' o$ e=istence, the uttamamrahasyams, <ods great, wonder$u& and b&iss$u& secret, a secret &ogic re%ects, but ,now&edge grasps at, a ,now&edge not to be argued out but rea&ised, but proved b' e=perience, b' the puri$ied, &iberated, a&&en%o'ing, a&&-per$ect sou&.

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