The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: The Book of the Spiritual ManPatañjali
Religion
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: The Book of the Spiritual Man
Patañjali
Yoga -- Early works to 1800
6. This power is distributed in ascending degrees.
It is to be attained step by step. It is a question, not of miracle,
but of evolution, of growth. Newton had to master the multiplication
table, then the four rules of arithmetic, then the rudiments of
algebra, before he came to the binomial theorem. At each point, there
was attention, concentration, insight; until these were attained, no
progress to the next point was possible. So with Darwin. He had to
learn the form and use of leaf and flower, of bone and muscle; the
characteristics of genera and species; the distribution of plants and
animals, before he had in mind that nexus of knowledge on which the
light of his great idea was at last able to shine. So is it with all
knowledge. So is it with spiritual knowledge. Take the matter this way:
The first subject for the exercise of my spiritual insight is my day,
with its circumstances, its hindrances, its opportunities, its duties.
I do what I can to solve it, to fulfil its duties, to learn its
lessons. I try to live my day with aspiration and faith. That is the
first step. By doing this, I gather a harvest for the evening, I gain a
deeper insight into life, in virtue of which I begin the next day with
a certain advantage, a certain spiritual advance and attainment. So
with all successive days. In faith and aspiration, we pass from day to
day, in growing knowledge and power, with never more than one day to
solve at a time, until all life becomes radiant and transparent.
7. This threefold power, of Attention, Meditation, Contemplation, is
more interior than the means of growth previously described.
Very naturally so; because the means of growth previously described
were concerned with the extrication of the spiritual man from psychic
bondages and veils; while this threefold power is to be exercised by
the spiritual man thus extricated and standing on his feet, viewing
life with open eyes.
8. But this triad is still exterior to the soul vision which is
unconditioned, free from the seed of mental analyses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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