Book III: Powers (Vibhuti Pada)

(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org, please feel free to visit the school website)

 

1. Dharana is focusing the attention of the mind on a particular place or object.

2. When in Dharana the flow of thought becomes continuous it is called dhyana.

3. When in Dhyana the object of concentration is seen in its own light free from distortion by the mind it is called samadhi.

4. These three operating together is called Samyama.

5. From the mastery of that comes the light of discriminative knowledge.

6. The application of discriminative knowledge is to discover higher and higher states.

7. These three constitute internal or direct means to Yoga in comparison with the first five limbs (called the external means).

8. But these three are external means compared to the samadhi "without seed" (nirvikalpa samadhi). [Refer to Book I:51]

9. By conscious control the non-meditative state (vyutthana) disappears as a wave of mental control is generated. The moment of control when the mind is concerned with both states is called the mode of control (nirodhaparinamah).

10. When this mode becomes a uniform flow the mind is peaceful due to its inherent nature.

11. When the mind reaches the mode of samadhi (samadhiparinamah) the apparent multiplicity of the universe disappears and its unity arises.

12. When the mind reaches the mode of one-pointedness (ekagrataparinamah) the mental wave that has subsided is similar to the wave that has risen.

13. In a similar way the three-fold changes in form, character, and state regarding the elements and senses are explained.

14. A substance (dharmi) is that which undergoes changes in properties (dharma) either past, present, or yet to come.

15. The effects of the succession of changes becomes the cause of subsequent changes.

16. By Samyama on the three-fold change already explained one gains knowledge of the past and future.

17. By Samyama on the distinction between the name, the object named, and its idea—three aspects normally considered intermingled—comes understanding of the sounds of all living beings.

18. By Samyama on subconscious impressions (samsara) one gains knowledge of previous lives.

19. By Samyama on mental processes one gains knowledge of the minds of others.

20. But not the contents of other minds as the aim is not to be identified with the lives of others.

21. By Samyama on the form of the body the power of observing that form is checked as its light is displaced from the eyes of an observer. This is called the power of concealment.

22. Also by this the power of the concealment of speech is explained.

23. By Samyama on actions (karma) which will bear fruit either soon or much later, or from the portents of extraordinary happenings, comes knowledge of the time of death.

24. By Samyama on friendliness, compassion, etc. [refer to Book I:33] arises the fruits of these attitudes.

25. By Samyama on various powers such as the strength of an elephant one obtains this strength.

26. By Samyama on the shining Inner Light [refer to Book I:36] comes knowledge of what is subtle, hidden, or remote.

27. By Samyama on the sun comes knowledge of the world.

28. By Samyama on the moon comes knowledge of the star systems.

29. By Samyama on the pole star comes knowledge of the motions of the stars.

30. By Samyama on the navel comes knowledge of the systems of the body.