The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
was not conscious of anything.”¹ This state is accordingly that which has as its object the sense of nothingness.² Whilst the two former states enjoy the gross and subtle objects respectively, this is the enjoyer of bliss only (Ānandabhuk)— that is, simple bliss without an object. The Lord is always the enjoyer of bliss, but in the first two states he enjoys bliss through objects. Here he enjoys bliss itself free from both subject and object. In this way the Sushupti state approaches the Brahman Consciousness. But it is not that in its purity, because it, as the other two states, are both associated with ignorance (Avidyā)—the first two with Vikriti, and the last with Prakriti. Beyond, therefore, this state there is the “fourth” (Turīya). Here the pure experience called Shuddhavidyā is acquired through Samādhi-yoga. Jīva in the Sushupti state is said to be in the causal (Kārana) body, and Jīva in the Turīya state is said to be in the great causal (Mahākārana) body.³
Beyond this there is, some say, a fifth state, “beyond the fourth” (Turīyātīta), which is attained through firmness in the fourth. Here the Īshvara Tattva is attained. This is the Unmesha⁴ state of consciousness, of which the Sadā- khya Tattva is the Nimesha.⁴ Passing beyond “the spotless one attains the highest equality,” and is merged in the Supreme Shiva.
The above divisions—Vishva, Taijasa, and Prājna—are those of the individual Jīva. But there is also the collective or cosmic Jīva, which is the aggregate of the individual Jīvas of each particular state.¹ In the macrocosm these collective² Jīvas are called Vaishvānara (corresponding to the individual Vishva body), Hiranyagarba, and Sūtrātmā³ (corresponding to the individual Taijasa body); and Īshvara is the name of the collective form of the Jīvas described as Prājna. Cosmically, these are the conscious Lords of the objective, subjective, and causal worlds, beyond which there is the Supreme Consciousness.
1 See Pātanjala yoga-sūtra: Sukhamahamasvāpsang na kinchid avedisham iti smaranāt.
2 Abhāvapratyayālambanā-vrittir nidrā. See also Prapanchasāra Tantra: Ātmanirudyuktatayā nairākulyang bhavet sushuptir api (Ch. XIX, Vol. III, of Tantrik Texts).
3 Bhāskararāya in his Comm. on Lalitā says: Ata eva sushuptidashāpannajīvopādheh kāranasharīratvena turīyadashāpannajīvopādheh mahākāranasharīratvena vyavahārah.
4 Opening and closing of the eyes (of consciousness). The latter is the last stage before the perfect Shiva-consciousness is gained.
Supreme Yoga-experience and liberation is attained by passing beyond the first three states of ordinary experience.
The Yoga-process is a return-movement to the Source which is the reverse of the creative movement therefrom. The order of production is as follows: Buddhi, then Ahangkāra, from the latter the Manas, Indriya and Tanmātra and from the last the Bhūta. As the seat of the Source is in the human body the cerebrum in which there is the greatest display of Consciousness, the seat of Mind is between the eyebrows and the seats of Matter in the five centres from the throat to the base of the spine. Commencement of the return-movement is made here and the various kinds of Matter are dissolved into one another, and then into Mind and Mind into Consciousness as described later in Chapter V. To the question whether man can here and now attain the supreme state of Bliss, the answer in Yoga is “yes”.
1 Accounts vary in detail according as a greater or less number of stages of ascent are enumerated. Thus Nirvāna Tantra, cited in Comm. to v. 43 post, says the Paramātmā is the Devatâ in the Turīya state; and Prapanchasāra Tantra (Ch. XIX) says Jāgrat is Bīja, Svapna is Bindu, Sushupti is Nāda, Turīya is Shakti, and the Laya beyond is Shānta.
2 The nature of the collectivity is not merely a summation of units, but a collectivity the units of which are related to one another as parts of an organised whole. Thus Hiranyagarbha is he who has the consciousness of being all the Jīvas. Samashtyabhimānī Hiranyagarbhātmakah (Bhāskararāya, op. cit., v. 61). He is the aggregate of these Jīvas.
3 There is said to be this distinction between the two, that the Paramātmā manifested as the collective Antahkarana is Hiranyagarbha, and as the collective Prāna it is called Sūtrātmā. When manifest through these two vehicles without differentiation it is Antaryāmin. See Bhāskararāya, loc. cit.
IV
THE GARLAND OF LETTERS (VARNAMĀLĀ)
REFERENCE is made in the Text and in this Introduction to Shabda, Varna, Mantra. It is said that the letters (Varna) of the alphabet are distributed throughout the bodily centres on the petals of the lotuses, as is shown on Plates II-VII. In each of the lotuses there is also a Seed- Mantra (Bīja) of the Tattva of the centre. Kundalinī is both light (Jyotirmayī) and Mantra (Mantramayī),¹ and Mantra is used in the process of rousing Her.
was not conscious of anything.”¹ This state is accordingly that which has as its object the sense of nothingness.² Whilst the two former states enjoy the gross and subtle objects respectively, this is the enjoyer of bliss only (Ānandabhuk)— that is, simple bliss without an object. The Lord is always the enjoyer of bliss, but in the first two states he enjoys bliss through objects. Here he enjoys bliss itself free from both subject and object. In this way the Sushupti state approaches the Brahman Consciousness. But it is not that in its purity, because it, as the other two states, are both associated with ignorance (Avidyā)—the first two with Vikriti, and the last with Prakriti. Beyond, therefore, this state there is the “fourth” (Turīya). Here the pure experience called Shuddhavidyā is acquired through Samādhi-yoga. Jīva in the Sushupti state is said to be in the causal (Kārana) body, and Jīva in the Turīya state is said to be in the great causal (Mahākārana) body.³
Beyond this there is, some say, a fifth state, “beyond the fourth” (Turīyātīta), which is attained through firmness in the fourth. Here the Īshvara Tattva is attained. This is the Unmesha⁴ state of consciousness, of which the Sadā- khya Tattva is the Nimesha.⁴ Passing beyond “the spotless one attains the highest equality,” and is merged in the Supreme Shiva.
The above divisions—Vishva, Taijasa, and Prājna—are those of the individual Jīva. But there is also the collective or cosmic Jīva, which is the aggregate of the individual Jīvas of each particular state.¹ In the macrocosm these collective² Jīvas are called Vaishvānara (corresponding to the individual Vishva body), Hiranyagarba, and Sūtrātmā³ (corresponding to the individual Taijasa body); and Īshvara is the name of the collective form of the Jīvas described as Prājna. Cosmically, these are the conscious Lords of the objective, subjective, and causal worlds, beyond which there is the Supreme Consciousness.
1 See Pātanjala yoga-sūtra: Sukhamahamasvāpsang na kinchid avedisham iti smaranāt.
2 Abhāvapratyayālambanā-vrittir nidrā. See also Prapanchasāra Tantra: Ātmanirudyuktatayā nairākulyang bhavet sushuptir api (Ch. XIX, Vol. III, of Tantrik Texts).
3 Bhāskararāya in his Comm. on Lalitā says: Ata eva sushuptidashāpannajīvopādheh kāranasharīratvena turīyadashāpannajīvopādheh mahākāranasharīratvena vyavahārah.
4 Opening and closing of the eyes (of consciousness). The latter is the last stage before the perfect Shiva-consciousness is gained.
Supreme Yoga-experience and liberation is attained by passing beyond the first three states of ordinary experience.
The Yoga-process is a return-movement to the Source which is the reverse of the creative movement therefrom. The order of production is as follows: Buddhi, then Ahangkāra, from the latter the Manas, Indriya and Tanmātra and from the last the Bhūta. As the seat of the Source is in the human body the cerebrum in which there is the greatest display of Consciousness, the seat of Mind is between the eyebrows and the seats of Matter in the five centres from the throat to the base of the spine. Commencement of the return-movement is made here and the various kinds of Matter are dissolved into one another, and then into Mind and Mind into Consciousness as described later in Chapter V. To the question whether man can here and now attain the supreme state of Bliss, the answer in Yoga is “yes”.
1 Accounts vary in detail according as a greater or less number of stages of ascent are enumerated. Thus Nirvāna Tantra, cited in Comm. to v. 43 post, says the Paramātmā is the Devatâ in the Turīya state; and Prapanchasāra Tantra (Ch. XIX) says Jāgrat is Bīja, Svapna is Bindu, Sushupti is Nāda, Turīya is Shakti, and the Laya beyond is Shānta.
2 The nature of the collectivity is not merely a summation of units, but a collectivity the units of which are related to one another as parts of an organised whole. Thus Hiranyagarbha is he who has the consciousness of being all the Jīvas. Samashtyabhimānī Hiranyagarbhātmakah (Bhāskararāya, op. cit., v. 61). He is the aggregate of these Jīvas.
3 There is said to be this distinction between the two, that the Paramātmā manifested as the collective Antahkarana is Hiranyagarbha, and as the collective Prāna it is called Sūtrātmā. When manifest through these two vehicles without differentiation it is Antaryāmin. See Bhāskararāya, loc. cit.
IV
THE GARLAND OF LETTERS (VARNAMĀLĀ)
REFERENCE is made in the Text and in this Introduction to Shabda, Varna, Mantra. It is said that the letters (Varna) of the alphabet are distributed throughout the bodily centres on the petals of the lotuses, as is shown on Plates II-VII. In each of the lotuses there is also a Seed- Mantra (Bīja) of the Tattva of the centre. Kundalinī is both light (Jyotirmayī) and Mantra (Mantramayī),¹ and Mantra is used in the process of rousing Her.
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