THE HARMONY OF VIRTUE

VII. 15. Rajayoga409nÀsÀgra or the bhrÓmadhya for preference; dhyÀna or the continuationof this state for a fixed period; samÀdhi or the withdrawinginto oneself for an indefinite time. The preliminary exerciseonce successful, the rest follows with comparative ease,but the preliminary process is so enormously difficult that oneshould be amazed at Patanjali's putting it first, if one did notperceive that he is relying on the rigorous and thorough masteryof each step, before the next is attempted; he trusts to the Hathayogickumbhaka to bring about pratyÀhÀra with comparative ease.Even as it is, most Yogins prefer to take dhÀraÍÀ first (on asingle object), trusting to the practice of dhÀraÍÀ to bring aboutpratyÀhÀra by a natural process. This is undoubtedly the moreeasy and straightforward process, though Patanjali's is the morelogical and scientific and if mastered may lead to greater results.Concentration, once attained, we proceed to what Patanjali evidentlyconsiders the essence of Yoga, the coercion of all vÐttisor functionings of the mental or moral qualities, so as to arriveat saÌyama or throwing the whole passionless intelligent will inthe spirit on whatsoever he wishes to possess from the realisationof God to the enjoyment of mundane objects. But how isthis silencing of the vÐttis to be effected? For the yamas andniyamas only establish certain good habits of life, they do notthoroughly purify the mind and heart. We have to do it by aprocess of removal, by replacement, always depending on abhyÀsa,replacing bad vÐttis by good, the many good by the fewbetter, the few better by the still few best, until we arrive atabsolute saÌyama. This can be done, not easily but daily withoutinsuperable difficulty, if the power of concentrating is thoroughlyobtained by Patanjali's method. SaÌyama is a mightypower. Whatever the Yogin does saÌyama upon, says Patanjali,that he masters. The knowledge of one's past lives, of thethoughts of men in this world and spirits in the other, the visionof the past and the future, the knowledge of all that is, is in hisgrasp. As to what he shall do with the power, Patanjali leavesthe choice to the successful Yogin.