Raja Yoga (the Yoga Sūtras with commentary) — trans. Swami Vivekananda (1896)

In an ocean there are huge waves, like mountains, then smaller waves, and still smaller, down to little bubbles,

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but the background of all these is the infinite ocean. The bubble is connected with the infinite ocean at one end, and the huge wave at tlie other end. So, one may be a gigantic man, and another a little bubble, but each is connected with that infinite ocean of energy, and this is the common birthright of every animal that exists. Wherever there is life, the storehouse of infinite energy is behind it. Starting from some fungus, some very minute, microscopic bubble, and all the time drawing from that infinite storehouse of energy, the form is changed slowly and slowly, until, in course of time it becomes a plant, then an animal, then man, ultimately God. This is attained through millions of jeons, but what is time ? An increase of speed, an increase of struggle, is able to bridge the distance of time. That which naturally takes a long time to accomplish can be shortened by the intensity of the action, says the Yogi. A man may go on slowly drawing in this energy from the infinite mass that exists in the universe, and perhaps he will require a hundred thousand years to become a Deva, and then, perhaps, five hundred thousand years to become still higher, and perhaps five millions of years to become perfect. Given rapid growth the time will be lessened. Why is it not possible, with sufficient effort, to reach this very perfection in six months or six years ? There is no Hmit. Reason shows that. If an engine, with a certain amount of coal, runs at two miles an hour, add more coal, and it will run in quicker time. Similarly why shall not the soul, by intensif3nng its action, attain

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to that goal in this very Hfe ? All beings will at last attain to that perfection we know. But who cares to wait all these millions of xons ? Why not reach it immediately, in this body even, in this human form ? Why shall I not get that infinite knowledge, infinite power now ?

That is the ideal of the Yogi ; the whole science of Yoga is directed to that one end, to teach men how to shorten the time by adding power, how to intensify the power of assimilation, and thereby shorten the time for reaching perfection, instead of slowly advancing from point to point, and waiting until the whole human race has come out, and become perfect. All the great prophets, saints. and seers, of the world, what are they? In that ont* span of life they lived the whole life of humanity, bridged the whole length of time that it will take ordinary humanity to come to the state of perfection. In this life they perfect themselves ; they have no thought for anything else, breathe for nothing else, never live a moment for any other idea, and thus the way is shortened for them. 'Ihis is what is meant by concentration, intensifying the action or assimilation, and thus shortening the time ; and Raja Yoga is the science which teaches us how to gain the power of concentration.