The Yoga Sutras of PatanjaliHinduismAccepted ScriptureSanskritShareYoga Sutras of Patanjali Book IVCharles Johnston (1912) - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableCharles Johnston (1912)LanguageEnglishEspañol‹Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Book IYoga Sutras of Patanjali Book IIYoga Sutras of Patanjali Book IIIYoga Sutras of Patanjali Book IV›The higher powers may be attained by birth...Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Book IVListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter11. The higher powers may be attained by birth, or by the use of psychical substances, or by the power of words, or through fervor, or through illuminated consciousness. These are the five ways in which spiritual powers may be gained. Birth is conditioned on former lives; in the course of a long series of lives, certain spiritual attainments may be carried over from one to the next, these attainments being the ripened fruit of former efforts. The psychical substances are named in certain ancient books: they are said to be specific material means for the development of psychic powers. The power of words is the power of the sacred words, or mantrams, whose repetition with full understanding and realization is a spiritual power. Fervor is that fiery intensity of will, applied to spiritual things, which burns away all impurities. Illuminated consciousness is the culmination of all these. 22. The transfer of forces from one form of life to another is through the flowing of the natural creative forces. The reincarnating soul brings with it the powers ripened in other lives; it finds their expression and working out in each new birth, through the creative forces of the body and mind it builds, these being the natural outworking of the soul's formative powers. The powers are transferred from birth to birth, in virtue of the creative forces that form and inform each new life. 33. The outer cause does not stir the creative forces into activity; it only removes the obstacles, as a husbandman clears the irrigation channels. 44. Egoism alone is the cause of the illusive minds. Here we have the fundamental idea of all yoga philosophy: the illusive mind, the personality, has its cause in egoism. The inner meaning is, that the individual self has been built up by a series of illusions, which have come about through the failure of the universal self to know itself in its unity; this ignorance being the fundamental illusion. From this, a series of illusions build up, one from another, the personal self or egoism. 55. Though the activities of the illusive minds are various, the one original mind is master of them all. There is one original mind, or self, through and beneath all the illusive personal minds. This is the Oversoul, which, by the law of its being, and through the working of karma, generates a series of personal minds or selves. 66. Among these, the mind which is the fruit of meditation is free from impressions. In the hierarchy of minds, from the Oversoul outward and downward to the personal self, there is one quality which is distinctive of the illumined stage. In the minds emanated by the Oversoul, there are impressions or residues of desires and activities left by each successive life. But the mind which is the immediate emanation of the Oversoul, the mind as it exists in its pure state, before desire and its activities have left their impressions, is free from impressions. 77. The works of those who are illumined are neither white nor black; but the works of others are of three kinds: white, or black, or mixed. 88. From these three kinds of works there follow, for each one, only those impressions of desire which are fitting for the fruition of that particular work. 99. There is a direct relation of cause and effect between the desire-impressions and the fruition of these desires, even though they may be separated by a birth, or a period between births, or many births; since there is no break in the continuity of the chain of cause and effect. 1010. These desire-impressions are without beginning, since the desire for life is eternal. 1111. Since the desire-impressions are held together by cause and effect, by the substratum, and by the support of the objects desired, therefore when these cease, the desire-impressions cease. 1212. The past and future exist in reality; since the change in the forms of things is on account of the different paths of the different moments. 1313. These changes, whether manifested or subtle, are of the nature of the three qualities. 1414. Since the transformation is from unity, therefore the object, in spite of all its various changes, remains one. 1515. Since the minds of different observers vary, each mind perceives a different aspect of the same object; hence the two minds and the object are not the same thing. 1616. Nor do all minds perceive the same object at the same time; for if they did, then when one mind was not cognizing the object, the object would not be perceived by the other minds; since they would all be affected alike. 1717. The object of perception is known or unknown, according as the mind is, or is not, colored by it. 1818. The Soul, as master, is unchanging; therefore it always knows the changing states of the mind. 1919. Nor is the mind self-luminous, since it is an object perceived by the Soul. 2020. Moreover, both aspects of the mind cannot be perceived at once. 2121. If the mind be thought to be perceived by another mind, then we should have to assume an endless series of perceiving minds, and there would result a confusion of memories. 2222. When the spiritual intelligence, which stands alone and is free from change, takes on the form of that consciousness, then self-consciousness results. 2323. The mind then reflects both the Soul and the objects of perception, and fulfills all purposes. 2424. The mind, though variegated by innumerable desire-impressions, exists for the Soul's purposes; since it acts only in association with the Soul. 2525. For him who has attained discrimination, the desire for self-glorification vanishes. 2626. Then the mind gravitates toward discrimination, and naturally tends to liberation. 2727. In the intervals between these discriminating thoughts, other thoughts arise from the impressions of the desire-nature. 2828. Their removal follows the same method as the removal of the hindrances already described. 2929. He who has no ulterior purposes even in his meditation, attains a peace called the Cloud of Virtue through the power of constant discrimination. 3030. Thereupon follows the removal of the hindrances and works. 3131. Then the infinite, freed from all the veils and impurities of knowledge, knows but little; since, compared with the infinite, the knowable is but little. 3232. Thereupon, the succession of changes in the three qualities comes to an end, since they have fulfilled their purpose. 3333. The succession of moments corresponds to moments of time, comprehensible at the end of a series. 3434. The resolution of the qualities back to their original nature, when they have fulfilled their purpose in bringing liberation to the soul, is the supreme end; or the pure consciousness established in its own nature, is the supreme end. ‹Previous chapterYoga Sutras of Patanjali Book IIISimilar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain