(avidya) of separation between Creator and created. It is truth incar
nate. It is truth in spirit. It is the divine marriage of Nature and the Uni
versal Soul. It is existential and supra-existential bliss, total absorption
in Origin and End. It is to be born to the eternal.
For most of us, now and throughout past history, samadhi remains
theoretical. Yet yoga shows the way to this lofty peak. For the vast ma
jority of readers, it is envisageable only as a heavenly landscape of beat
itude that we conjure up through imagination (vikalpa). Yet do not
think for a second that I am saying it is not real or that you cannot
reach it. The ultimate freedom is not beyond your grasp. Examine your
imagination. Are you daydreaming of the future or trying to remember
the face of a long lost love whose features have melted in the mists of
time? It is the latter. And does not the longing you feel spring from the
core of your being? Is it not a desire for an end to duality, for a One
ness that is not achieved through complementarity, but a Oneness that
exists because there is no Other.
To discover the individual soul you need inspiration, the creative
force of breathing in. To discover the Cosmic Soul you need the
courage to release, to breathe out, to make the ultimate surrender. Do
not be discouraged. The Divine Will impels humankind to this end.
Hold the soul (atman), not just the breath. There is a space between
surrender and acceptance. You surrender to the Lord, and the Lord ac
cepts your surrender. And, to accept, time and space are needed. That
is retention (kumbhaka).
The Final Ascension
I have deliberately given a sneak preview of the majestic crescendo of
our quest. This is because there remains much to learn and much liter
ally soul-searching work to be done. I said that we have to apply our
ohservation concerning the afflictions to ourselves. Therefore we nel·d
a mirror. So we have to continue our practice of yo�a. all aspl'Cts of tlw
Il l. I\\ I II 1'. Il l VI N 1'. II lIllY ( II N .1 N I I II I