Raja-Yoga

YOGA APHORISMS. 2O$
strengthened. This is
by making a Samyama on a
particle of time.
53. Those which cannot be differentiated by species,
sign and place, even they will be discriminated
by the above Samyama.
The misery that we suffer comes from ignorance,
from non-discrimination between the real and the
unreal. We are all taking that which is bad for that
which is
good, and that which is a dream for that
which is real. Soul is the only reality, and we have
forgotten it. Body is an unreal dream, and we think
we are all bodies. So this non-discrimination is the
cause of misery, and it is caused by ignorance. When
discrimination comes it
brings strength, and then alone
can we avoid all these various ideas of body, and
heavens, and gods and Devas. This ignorance arises
through differentiating by species, sign or place. For
instance, take a cow. The cow is differentiated from
the dog, as species. Even with the cows alone how
do we make the distinction between one cow and
another ?
By signs. If two objects are exactly similar
they can be distinguished if they are in different
places. When objects are so mixed up that even these
differentiae will not help us, the power of discrimina
tion acquired by the above-mentioned practice will
give us the ability to distinguish them. The highest
philosophy of the Yogi is based upon this fact, that
the Puruta is
pure and perfect, and is the only simple
that exists in this universe. The body and mind are