YOGA TELL ABOUT YOUR CONCENTRATION

                                                       CONCENTRATION

                     MORTIFICATION, STUDY, AND SURRENDERING FRUITS OF WORK TO GOD ARE CALLED KRIYA YOGA.

                     THOSE SAMADHIS WITH WHICH WE ENDED OUR LAST CHAPTER ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO ATTAIN, SO WE MUST TAKE THEM UP SLOWLY. THE FIRST STEP, THE PRELIMINARY STEP, IS CALLED KRIYA YOGA. LITERALLY THIS MEANS WORK, WORKING TOWARDS YOGA. THE ORGANS ARE THE MEANS WORK, WORKING TOWARDS YOGA.  THE LITERALLY THIS MEANS WORK, WORKING TOWARDS YOGA. THE ORGANS ARE THE HORSES, THE MIND IS THE REINS, THE INTELLECT IS THE CHARIOTEER, THE SOUL IS THE RIDER, AND THIS BODY IS THE CHARIOT. THE MASTER OF THE HOUSEHOLD, THE KING, THE SELF OF MAN, IS SITTING IN THIS CHARIOT.

                      IF THE HORSES ARE VERY STRONG, AND DO NOT OBEY THE REINS, IF THE CHARIOTEER, THE INTELLECT, DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO CONTROL THE HORSES, THEN THIS CHARIOT WILL COME TO GRIEF. BUT IF THE ORGANS, THE HORSES, ARE WELL CONTROLLED, AND IF THE REINS, THE MIND, ARE WELL HELD IN THE BANDS OF THE CHARIOTEER, THE INTELLECT, THE CHARIOT, REACHES THE GOAL. WHAT IS MEANT, GUILDING THIS BODY AND MIND. NOT LETTING THE BODY DO ANYTHING IT LIKES, BUT KEEPING THEM BOTH IN PROPER CONTROL. STUDY. WHAT IS MEANT BY STUDY IN THIS CASE? NOT STUDY OF NOVELS, OR FICTION, OR STORY BOOKS, BUT STUDY OF THOSE BOOKS WHICH TEACH THE LIBERATION OF THE SOUL. THEN AGAIN THIS STUDY DOES NOT MEAN CONTOVERSIAL STUDIES AT ALL. THE YOGI IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE FINISHED HIS PERIOD OF CONTROVERSY.

                     HE HAS HAD ENOUGH OF ALL THAT, AND HAS BECOME SATISFIED. HE ONLY  STUDIES TO INTENSIFY HIS CONVICTIONS. VADA AND SIDDHANTA ARE THE TWO SORTS OF SCRIPTUAL KNOWLEDGE, VADA( THE ARGUMENTATIVE) AND SIDDHARTA ( THE DECISIVE). WHEN A MAN IS ENTIRELY IGNORANT HE TAKES UP THE FIRST PART OF THIS, THE ARGUMENTATIVE FIGHTING, AND REASONING, PRO AND CON, AND WHEN HE HAS FINISHED, HETAKES UP THE SIDDHARTA, THE DECISIVE, ARRIVING AT A CONCLUTION. SIMPLY ARRIVING AT THIS CONCLUTION WILL NOT DO. IT MUST BE INTESIFIED. BOOKS ARE INFINITE IN NUMBER, AND TIME IS SHORT, THEREFORE THIS IS THE SECRET OF KNOWLEDGE, TO TAKE WHICH IS ESSENTIAL. TAKE THAT OUT, AND THEN TRY TO LIVE UP TO IT. THERE IS AN OLD SIMILE IN INDIA THAT IF YOU PLACE OF CUP OF MILK BEFORE A RAJA HAMSA(SWAN) WITH PLENTY OF WATER IN IT, HE WILL TAKE ALL THE THE MILK AND LEAVE THE WATER. IN THAT WAY WE SHOULD TAKE WHAT IS OF VALUE IN KNOWLEDGE, AND LEAVE THE DROSS. ALL THESE INTELLECTUAL GYMNASTICS ARE NECESSARY AT FIRST. WE MUST NOT GO BLINDLY INTO ANYTHING.

                    THE YOGI GAS PASSED THE ARGUMENTATIVE STAGE, AND HAS COME TO A CONCLUSION, WHICH IS LIKE THE ROCKS, IMMOVABLE. THE ONLY THING HE NOW SEEKS TO DO IS TO INTENSIFY THAT CONCLUSION. DO NOT ARGUE, HE SAYS, IF ONE FORCES ARGUMENTS UPON YOU, BE SILENT.

 DO NOT ANSWER ANY ARGUMENT, BUT GO AWAY FREE, BECAUSE ARGUMNENTS ONLY DISTURB THE MIND. THE ONLY THING IS TO TRAIN THE INTELLECT, SO WHAT IS THE USE OF DISTURBING IT ANYMORE. THE INTELLECT IS BUT A WEAK INSTRUMENT, AND CAN GIVE ONLY KNOWLEDGE LIMITED BY THE SENSE, THE YOGI WANTS TO GO BEYOND THE SENSES. THEREFORE THE INTELLECT IS OF NO USE OF HIM. HE IS CERTAIN OF THIS, AND THEREFORE, IS SILENT, AND DOES NOT ARGUE. EVERY ARGUMENT THROWS HIS MIND OUT OF BALANCE, CREATES A DISTURBANCE IN THE CHITTA, AND THIS DISTURBANCE IS A DRAWBACK. THESE ARGUMENTATIONS AND SEARCHINGS OF THE REASON ARE ONLY ON THE WAY. THERE ARE MUCH HIGHER THINGS BEHIND THEM. THE WHOLE OF LIFE IS NOT FOR SCHOOLDBOY FIGHTS AND DEBATING SOCIETIES. BY " SURROUDERING THE FRUITS OF WORK TO GOD" IS TO TAKE TO OURSELVES NEITHER CREDIT NOR BLAME, BUT TO GIVE BOTH UP TO THE LORD, AND BE AT PEACE.