The Yoga of Patanjali

Lesson - 9 147inertia and dynamism create a necessity to try for a poise. Miseryis an experience of the lower self, which serves as a lesson totake the leap into the higher self. When once you take a leapthrough poise into your real self, the need of the three qualitiesis over. Poise is the positive pole of yourself and it opens thegate to the real self. Then the three teachers (Rajas, Tamasand Satwa) can go to some other institute and give the lessonsto the new recruit. In you the purpose is finished. Hence theyhave no influence upon you when you get at Samadhi.Consciousness was hitherto existing as a point in you, buthenceforth, it becomes a circle around you.Now it is a body of light in which every point is a centre.You will be a globe of the light of consciousness with its centreeverywhere and circumference nowhere. This is what Patanjalipoints out among the splendours (Vibhoothis) of the Samadhistate. The three qualities continue to work in co-operation withthe Devas, who build your body. To build up the protoplasm,to conduct the vital functions, and to sustain in the body,through the process of combustion and metabolism, the threequalities continue to work. They help Yogi on the physical andvital planes and they do not interfere with your mental activityand the higher functions. Inertia is called Tamas, Dynamism isRajas, poise is Satwa. Satwa is the quality which opens thegates to your real self. You are, expected to know this in orderto apply your Samadhi and Samyama (simultaneous existence)to live the life of Yogi. This is what the 18th Chapter of theBhagavadgita supplements.The third and most important point to know is abouthabit. Previously you were conditioned by the three qualitiesand your habits belonged to a blend of the three qualities. Unequalblends made your individual nature different from anyone ofthe millions of natures of this earth. There are as many as speciesof plants on this earth as there are grains of sand. Each is blend