THE CHITTA (YOGA)

 

                              THE POWER OF CHITTA!

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                        THIS CHITTA IS ALWAYS TRYING TO GET BACK TO ITS NATURAL PURE STATE, BUT THE ORGANS DRAW IT OUT. TO RESTRAIN IT, AND TO CHECK THIS OUTWARD TENDENCY, AND TO START IT ON THE RETURN JOURNEY TO THAT ESSENCE OF INTELLIGENCE IS THE FIRST STEP IN YOGA, BECAUSE ONLY IN THIS WAY CAN THE CHITTA GET INTO ITS PROPER COURSE.

                       ALTHOUGH THIS CHITTA IS IN EVERY ANIMAL, FROM THE LOWEST TO THE  HIGHEST , IT IS ONLY IN THE HUMAN FORM THAT WE FIND INTELLIGENT, AND UNTIL THE MIND-STUFF CAN TAKE THE FORM OF INTELLECT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR IT TO RETURN THROUGH ALL THESE STEPS, AND LIBERATE THE SOUL. IMMEDIATE SALVATION IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE COW AND THE DOG, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE MIND, BECAUSE THEIR CHITTA CANNOT AS YOU TAKE THAT FORM WHICH WE CALL INTELLECT. 

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                      CHITTA MANIFEST ITSELF IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT FORMS - SCATTERING, DARKENING, WEAKENING, AND CONCENTRATING, THESE ARE THE FOUR STATES IN WHICH THE MIND-STUFF MANIFESTS ITSELF. FIRST A SCATTERED FORM, IS ACTIVITY. ITS TENDENCY IS TO MANIFEST IN THE FORM OF PLEASURE OR OF PAIN. THEN THE DULL FORM IS DARKNESS, THE ONLY TENDENCY OF WHICH IS TO INJURE OTHERS. THE COMMENTATOR SAYS THE FIRST FORM IS NATURAL TO THE DEVAS, THE ANGELS, AND THE SECOND IS THE DEMONIACAL FORM. THE EKAGRA, THE CONCENTRATED FORM OF THE CHITTA, IS WHAT BRINGS US TO SAMADHI.

                      AT THAT TIME (THE TIME OF CONCENTATION ) THE SEER (THE PURUSHA) RESTS IN HIS OWN (UNMODIFIED) STATE.

                       AS SOON AS THE WAVES HAVE STOPPED, AND THE LAKE HAS BECOME QUIET, WE SEE THE GROUND BELOW THE LAKE. SO WITH THE MIND, WHEN IT IS CALM, WE SEE WHAT OUR OWN NATURE IS, WE DO NOT MIX OURSELF BUT REMAIN OUR OWN SELVES.

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                       AT OTHER TIMES (OTHER THAN THAT OF CONCENTRATION) THE SEER IS IDENTIFIED WITH THE MODIFICATIONS.

                        FOR INSTANCE, I AM IN A STATE OF SORROW, SOMEONE BLAMES, ME, THIS IS A MODIFICATION, VRITTI, AND I IDENTIFY MYSELF WITH IT, AND THE RESULT IS MISERY.

                          THERE ARE FIVE CLASSES OF MODIFICATION, PAINFUL AND NOT PAINFUL.

                         (THESE ARE) RIGHT KNOWLEDGE, INDISCRIMINATION, VERBAL DELUSION, SLEEP, AND MEMORY.

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                         THE POWER OF WORDS. THERE ARE CERTAIN SACRED WORDS CALLED MANTRAMS, WHICH HAVE POWER, WHEN REPEATED UNDER PROPER CONDITIONS, TO PRODUCE THESE EXTRAORDINARY POWERS. WE ARE LIVING IN THE MIDST OF SUCH A MASS OF MIRACLES, DAY AND NIGHT, THAT WE DO POWER, THE POWER OF WORDS AND THE POWER OF MIND.

                        MORTIFICATION. YOU WILL FIND THAT IN EVERY RELIGION MORTIFICATIONS AND ASCETICISMS HAVE BEEN PRACTISED. 

                          IN THESE RELIGIOUS CONCEPTIONS THE HINDUS ALWAYS GO TO THE EXTREMES. YOU WILL FIND MEN STANDING WITH THEIR HANDS UP ALL THEIR LIVES. UNTIL THEIR HANDS WITHER AND DIE. MEN SLEEP STANDING, DAY AND NIGHT, UNTIL THEIR FEET SWELL, AND IF THEY LIVE, THE LEGS BECOME SO STIFF IN THIS POSITION THAT THEY CAN NO MORE BEND THEM, BUT HAVE TO STAND ALL THEIR LIVES. I ONCE SAW A MAN WHO HAD RAISED HIS HANDS IN THIS WAY, AND I ASKED HIM HOW IT FELT WHEN HE DID IT FIRST. HE SAID IT WAS AWFUL TORTURE. IT WAS SUCH TORTURE THAT HE HAD TO GO TO A RIVER AND PUT HIMSELF IN WATER, AND THAT ALLAYED THE PAIN FOR A LITTLE. AFTER A MONTH HE DID NOT SUFFER MUCH. THROUGH SUCH PRACTICES POWERS (SIDDHIS) CAN BE ATTAIN CONCENTRATION.

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                   THE CONCENTRATION IS SAMADHI, AND THAT IS YOGA PROPER, THAT IS THE PRINCIPLE THEME OF THIS SCIENCE, AND IT IS THE HIGHEST MEANS. THE PRECEDING ONCES ARE ONLY SECONDARY, AND WE CANNOT ATTAIN TO THE HIGHEST THROUGH THEM. SAMADHI IS THE MEANS THROUGH WHICH WE CAN GAIN ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, MENTAL, MORAL OR SPIRITUAL.