Raja Yoga (the Yoga Sūtras with commentary) — trans. Swami Vivekananda (1896)
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The translator’s English as printed (Swami Vivekananda). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
124 Rk]A YOGA.
Other part, the Philosophy, or the Psychology, which deals with the inner nature of man, is so frequently neglected. We must remember the definition of this world of ours ; it is only the Infinite Existence projected into the plane of consciousness. A little of the Infinite is projected into consciousness, and that we call our world. So there is an Infinite beyond, and religion has to deal with both, with the little lump we call our world, and with the Infinite beyond. Any religion which deals alone with either one of these two will be defective. It must deal with both. That part of religion which deals with this part of the Infinite which has come into this plane of consciousness, got itself caught, as it were, in the plane of consciousness, in the cage of time, space, and causation, is quite familiar to us, because we are in that already, and ideas about this world have been with us almost from time immemorial. The part of religion which deals with the Infinite beyond comes entirely new to us, and getting ideas about it produces new channels in the brain, disturbing the whole system, and that is why you find in the practice of Yoga ordinary people are at first turned out of their grooves. In order to lessen these disturbances as much as possible all these methods are devised by Patanjali, that we may practise any one of them best suited to us.
35. Those forms of concentration that bring extraordinary sense perceptions cause porsevcrance of the mind.
YOGA APHORISMS. I35
This naturally comes with Dharana, concentration ; the Yogis say, if the mind becomes concentrated on the tip of the nose one begins to smell, after a few days, v.'onderful perfumes. If it becomes concentrated at the root of the tongue one begins to hear sounds ; if on the tip of the tongue one begins to taste wonderful flavours ; if on the middle of the tongue, one feels as if he were coming in contact with something. If one concentrates his mind on the palate he begins to see peculiar things. If a man whose mind is disturbed wants to take up some of these practices of Yoga, yet doubts the truth of them, he will have his doubts set at rest when, after a little practice, these things come to him, and he will persevere.
36. Or (by the meditation on) the Effulgent One, which is beyond all sorrow.
This is another sort of concentration. Think of the lotus of the heart, wdth petals downwards, and running through it the Susumna ; take in the breath, and while throwing the breath out imagine that the lotus is turned with the petals upwards, and inside that lotus is an effulgent light. Meditate on that.
37. Or (by meditation on) the heart that has given up all attachment to sense objects.
Take some holy person, some great person whom you revere, some saint whom you know to be perfectly non-attached, and think of his heart. That heart has become non-attached, and meditate on that heart ; it will calm the mind. If you cannot do that, there is the next way :
38. Or by meditating on the knowledge that comes in sleep.
Sometimes a man dreams that he has seen angels coming to him and talking to him, that he is in an ecstatic condition, that he has heard music floating through the air. He is in a blissful condition in that dream, and when he wakes it makes a deep impression on him. Think of tliat dream as real, and meditate upon it. If you cannot do that, meditate on any holy thing that pleases you.
39. Or by the meditation on anything that appeals to one as good.
This does not mean any wicked subject, but anything good that you like, any place that you like best, any scenery that you like best, any idea that you like best, anything that will concentrate the mind.
40. The Yogi's mind thus meditating, becomes unobstructed from the atomic to the Infinite.
The mind, by this practice, easily contemplates the most minute thing, as well as the biggest thing. Thus the mind waves become fainter.
YOGA APHORISMS.
41. The Yogi whose Yrittis have thus become po'werless (controlled) obtains in the receiver, receiving, and received (the self, the mind, and external objects), concentratedness and sameness, like the crystal (before different coloured objects).