YOGA

                                             SAMADHI AND MINIMISING

 

          MOST OF US MAKE OUR MINDS LIKE SPOILED CHILDREN, ALLOWING THEM TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT. THEREFORE, IT IS NECESSARY THAT THERE SHOULD BE CONSTANT PRACTICE OF THE PREVIOUS MORTIFICATIONS, IN ORDER TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE MIND, AND BRING IT INTO SUBJECTION. THE OBSTRUCTIONS TO YOGA ARISE FROM LACK OF THIS CONTROL AND CAUSE UP PAIN. THEY CAN ONLY BE REMOVED BY DENYING THE MIND, AND HOLDING IT IN CHECK, THROUGH THESE VARIOUS MEANS. THE PAIN- BEARING OBSTRUCTIONS ARE - IGNORANCE, EGOISM, ATTACHMENT, AVERSION AND CLINGING TO LIFE.

         THESE ARE THE FIVE PAINS, THE FIVEFOLD TIE THAT BLINDS US DOWN, OF COUSE IGNORANCE IS THE MOTHER OF ALL THE REST. SHE IS THE ONLY CAUSE OF ALL OUR MISERY. WHAT ELSE CAN MAKE US MISERABLE? THE NATURE OF THE SOUL IS ETERNAL BLISS. WHAT CAN MAKE IT SORROWFUL EXPECT IGNORANCE, HALLUCINATION, DELUSION, ALL THIS PAIN OF THE SOUL IS SIMPLY DELUSION.

        IGNORANCE ARE THE CAUSE OF THESE, AND THESE IMPRESSIONS EXIST IN DIFFERENT DEGREES. THERE ARE THE DORMANT. YOU OFTEN HEAR THE EXPRESSION, INNOCENT AS A BABY, YET IN THE BABY MAY BE THE STATE OF A DEMON OR OF A GOD WHICH WILL COME OUT BY PAST ACTIONS, ARE ATTENUATED, THAT IS, IN A VERY FINE STATE, AND HE CAN CONTROL THEM, AND NOT ALLOW THEM TO BECOME MANIFEST.

         OVERPOWERED MEANS THAT SOMETIMES ONE SET OF IMPRESSIONS IS HELD DOWN FOR A WHILE BY THOSE THAT ARE STRONGER, BUT THEY WILL COME OUT WHEN THAT REPRESSION CAUSE IS REMOVED. THE LAST STATE IS THE EXPANDED, WHEN THE SAMSKARAS, HAVING HELPFUL SURROUNDINGS, HAVE ATTAINED TO GREAT ACTIVITY, EITHER AS GOOD OR EVIL.

        IGNORANCE IS TAKING THAT WHICH IS NON-ETERNAL, IMPURE, PAINFUL, AND NON-SELF, THE ETERNAL, PURE, HAPPY, ATMAN(SELF).

       ALL THESE VARIOUS SORTS OF IMPRESSIONS HAVE ONE SOURCE IGNORANCE. WE HAVE FIRST TO LEARN WHAT IGNORANCE IS. ALL OF US THINK THAT, I AM THE BODY, AND NOT THE SELF, THE PURE, THE EFFULGENT, THE EVER BLISSFUL, AND THAT IS IGNORANCE. WE THINK OF MAN, AND SEE MAN AS BODY. THIS IS THE GREAT DELUSION.

        EGOISM IS THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE SEER WITH THE INSTRUMENT OF SEEING.

        THE SEER IS REALLY THE SELF, THE PURE ONE, THE EVER HOLY, THE INFINITE, THE IMMORTAL. THAT IS THE SELF OF MAN. AND WHAT ARE THE INSTRUMENTS? THE CHITTA, OR MIND-STUFF, THE BUDDHI, DETERMINATIVE FACULTY, THE MANAS, OR MIND, AND THE INDRIYAN, OR SENSE ORGANS. THESE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS FOR HIM TO SEE THE EXTERNAL WORLD. AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE SELF WITH THE INSTRUMENTS IS WHAT IS CALLED THE IGNORANCE OF EGOISM. WE SAY, I AM THE MIND, I AM THOUGHT, I AM ANGRY, OR I AM HAPPY, HOW CAN WE BE ANGRY, AND HOW CAN WE HATE? WE SHOULD IDENTIFY OURSELVES WITH THE SELF, THAT CANNOT CHANGE. IF IT IS UNCHANGEABLE, HOW CAN IT BE ONE MOMENT HAPPY, AND ONE MOMENT UNHAPPY? IT IS FORMLESS, INFINITE, OMNIPRESENT. WHAT CAN CHANGE IT? BEYOND ALL LAW. WHAT CAN AFFECT IT? NOTHING IN THE INIVERSE CAN PRODUCE AM EFFORT ON IT, YET, THROUGH IGNORANCE, WE IDENTIFY OURSELVES WITH THE MIND-STUFF, AND THINK WE FEEL PLEASURE OR PAIN.