Pāda III — Vibhūti Pāda (On Powers)

The binding of the perceiving consciousness to a certain region is attention (dharana).

A prolonged holding of the perceiving consciousness in that region is meditation (dhyana).

When the perceiving consciousness in this meditative is wholly given to illuminating the essential meaning of the object contemplated, and is freed from the sense of separateness and personality, this is contemplation (samadhi).

When these three, Attention, Meditation Contemplation, are exercised at once, this is perfectly concentrated Meditation (sanyama).

By mastering this perfectly concentrated Meditation, there comes the illumination of perception.

This power is distributed in ascending degrees.

This threefold power, of Attention, Meditation, Contemplation, is more interior than the means of growth previously described.

But this triad is still exterior to the soul vision which is unconditioned, free from the seed of mental analyses.

One of the ascending degrees is the development of Control. First there is the overcoming of the mind-impress of excitation. Then comes the manifestation of the mind-impress of Control. Then the perceiving consciousness follows after the moment of Control.

Through frequent repetition of this process, the mind becomes habituated to it, and there arises an equable flow of perceiving consciousness.

The gradual conquest of the mind's tendency to flit from one object to another, and the power of one-pointedness, make the development of Contemplation.

When, following this, the controlled manifold tendency and the aroused one-pointedness are equally balanced parts of the perceiving consciousness, his the development of one-pointedness.

Through this, the inherent character, distinctive marks and conditions of being and powers, according to their development, are made clear.

Every object has its characteristics which are already quiescent, those which are active, and those which are not yet definable.

Difference in stage is the cause of difference in development.

Through perfectly concentrated Meditation on the three stages of development comes a knowledge of past and future.

The sound and the object and the thought called up by a word are confounded because they are all blurred together in the mind. By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the distinction between them, there comes an understanding of the sounds uttered by all beings.

When the mind-impressions become visible, there comes an understanding of previous births.

By perfectly concentrated Meditation on mind-images is gained the understanding of the thoughts of others.

But since that on which the thought in the mind of another rests is not objective to the thought-reader's consciousness, he perceives the thought only, and not also that on which the thought rests.

By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the form of the body, by arresting the body's perceptibility, and by inhibiting the eye's power of sight, there comes the power to make the body invisible.

The works which fill out the life-span may be either immediately or gradually operative. By perfectly concentrated Meditation on these comes a knowledge of the time of the end, as also through signs.

By perfectly concentrated Meditation on sympathy, compassion and kindness, is gained the power of interior union with others.

By perfectly concentrated Meditation on power, even such power as that of the elephant may be gained.

By bending upon them the awakened inner light, there comes a knowledge of things subtle, or concealed, or obscure.

By perf ectly concentrated Meditation on the sun comes a knowledge of the worlds.

By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the moon comes a knowledge of the lunar mansions.

By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the fixed pole-star comes a knowledge of the motions of the stars.

Perfectly concentrated Meditation on the centre of force in the lower trunk brings an understanding of the order of the bodily powers.

By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the centre of f orce in the well of the throat, there comes the cessation of hunger and thirst.

By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the centre of force in the channel called the "tortoise-formed," comes steadfastness.

Through perfectly concentrated Meditation on the light in the head comes the vision of the Masters who have attained.

Or through the divining power of tuition he knows all things.

The personal self seeks to feast on life, through a failure to perceive the distinction between the personal self and the spiritual man. All personal experience really exists for the sake of another: namely, the spiritual man. By perfectly concentrated Meditation on experience for the sake of the Self, comes a knowledge of the spiritual man.

Thereupon are born the divine power of intuition, and the hearing, the touch, the vision, the taste and the power of smell of the spiritual man.

These powers stand in contradistinction to the highest spiritual vision. In mani- festation they are called magical powers.

Through the weakening of the causes of bondage, and by learning the method of sassing, the consciousness is transf erred to the other body.

Through mastery of the upward-life comes freedom from the dangers of water, morass, and thorny places, and the power of ascension is gained.

By mastery of the binding-life comes radiance.

From perfectly concentrated Meditation on the correlation of hearing and the ether, comes the power of spiritual hearing.

By perfectly concentrated Meditation em the correlation of the body with the ether, and by thinking of it as light as thistle-down, will come the power to traverse the ether.

When that condition of consciousness s reached, which is far-reaching and not con- fined to the body, which is outside the body and not conditioned by it, then the veil which conceals the light is worn away.

Mastery of the elements comes from perfectly concentrated Meditation on their five forms: the gross, the elemental, the subtle, the inherent, the purposive.

Thereupon will come the manifestation of the atomic and other powers, which are the endowment of the body, together with its unassailable force.

Shapeliness, beauty, force, the temper of the diamond: these are the endowments of that body.

Mastery over the powers of perception and action comes through perfectly concentrated Meditation on their fivefold forms; namely, their power to grasp their distinctive nature, the element of self-consciousness in them, their inherence, and their purposiveness.

Thence comes the power swift as thought, independent of instruments, and the mastery over matter.

When the spiritual man is perfectly disentangled from the psychic body, he attains to mastery over all things and to a knowledge of all.

By absence of all self-indulgence at this point, when the seeds of bondage to sorrow are destroyed, pure spiritual being is attained.

There should be complete overcoming of allurement or pride in the invitations of the different realms of life, lest attachment to things evil arise once more.

From perfectly concentrated Meditatetion on the divisions of time and their succession comes that wisdom which is born of discernment.

Hence comes discernment between things which are of like nature, not distinguished by difference of kind, character or position.

The wisdom which is born of discerns ment is starlike; it discerns all things, and all conditions of things, it discerns without succession: simultaneously.

When the vessture and the spiritual man are alike pure, then perfect spiritual life is attained.