Raja-Yoga

YOGA APHORISMS. 163
17. The cause of that which is to be avoided is the
junction of the seer and the seen.
Who is the seer ? The Self of Man, the PuruSa.
What is the seen ? The whole of nature, beginning
with the mind, down to gross matter. All this pleas
ure and pain arises from the junction between this
P-uruia and the mind. The PuruSa, you must remem
ber, according to this philosophy, is pure;
it is when
it is joined to nature, and by reflection, that it appears
to feel either pleasure or pain.
18. The experienced is composed of elements and
organs, is of the nature of illumination, action
and inertia, and is for the purpose of exper
ience and release (of the experiencer).
The experienced, that is nature, is composed of
elements and organs the elements gross and fine
which compose the whole of nature, and the organs of
the senses, mind, etc., and is of the nature of illumina
tion, action, and inertia. These are what in Sanskrit
are called Sattva (illumination), Rajas (action), and
Tamas (inertia) each is for the ; purpose of experience
and release. What is the purpose of the whole of
nature ? That the Purua may gain experience. The
Puru$a has, as it
were, forgotten its mighty, godly
nature. There is a story that the king of the gods,
Indra^ once became a pig, wallowing in mire; he had
a she pig, and a lot of baby pigs, and was very happy.
Then some other angels saw his plight, and came to