Yoga and the Intellect

This was to be done little by little, said Shri Krishna. Arjuna, however, did not view the task hopefully. He exclaimed, 'The mind (manas) is very restless, O Krishna Impetuous, powerful, and firm. I think it is as hard to control as the wind. The teacher's reply was definite and simple Undoubtedly the mind (manas) is restless and hard to control, but it is held by practice (abhyasa) and uncoloured. ness (vairagya).

The word 'un colored ness' may seem rather uncouth but it well expresses the idea, that one must not let one's emotions be colored by the various things and ideas which come up. Some have translated this word as 'dispassion' indifference', 'non-attachment', etc., but 'uncolouredness is absolutely literal. The student should notice that anxiety and the feelings of difficulty and of hankering for success are colouring the feelings and the mind, and so he should think of what he is doing, not of results. Then success will accrue.

A further anxiety is next shown by Arjuna. He asks what happens if the aspirant falls away from his purpose, or fails to attain success. Krishna replies that after death he will live in the inner worlds according to his merit, for a long time, and then: 'He who fell from yoga is born (again) in a pure and fortunate house. Or he even comes into a family of wise yogis, though a birth such as this is very hard to obtain in this world. There he obtains the buddhic attainments of his previous incarnations, and thence he again strives for full accomplishment.

A description of the psychic powers available to man, and appearing occasionally among the yogis of India and also quite often in spiritualist and psychic research circles in the West, will find its most appropriate place in this book in

this chapter on 'Yoga and the Intellect'. These powers are considered by their students to be an extension of our per captions and abilities, and therefore further adjuncts to the mind. They are not either in the West or in the East regarded as unnatural or supernatural, but rather just further developments of our natural powers, and subject to acceleration of growth by appropriate means. Almost all persons have at some time or other had some small (and sometimes large) indications of such things as telepathy, clairvoyance, and premonition.

One frequently reads about the psychic faculties and powers shown occasionally by yogic experts in India and sometimes in other places. We must distinguish faculties from powers because these phenomena fall into two classes, as indeed our ordinary sense and mind activities also do. Men can perceive things through the sense organs (Joanndriyas); they can also act upon the world by the action organs (karmendriyas). Indeed it is sometimes said that man lives in 'the ten organs' and the rest of the body is only there to contain them.

The body is thus two-fold with respect to ordinary affairs. The same is true, it is said, with respect to the mind, but the mind is less developed than the body. As it develops more it will use its subtle organs for perceiving, showing the abilities popularly called second sight, psychometric, clairvoyance, clairaudience, etc. Later, when further developed, it is maintained, the mind of each person will show its abilities of action, or what is called direct action of the mind upon matter. The former are called faculties and the latter powers.