sions are left behind ... When that new light of wisdom is also relin
quished, seedless samadhi dawns."
Yoga describes seven inner transformations of consciousness.
They are purely subjective, that is to say, not visible in any external
way. They are known only to the practitioner, which is why describing
them is rather like describing the colors of the rainbow to the blind.
But to give an idea of them, I refer you back to the five objective states
of consciousness, right and wrong perception, imagination, sleep, and
memory. We know when we are in them and so, to a large extent, do
other people. We saw that there is much to be learned from them by
defining, refining, and cultivating them. Remember that Patanjali rec
ommended the Healing States of Mind to help us. These also were ex
ternal or objective and were friendliness, rejoicing in the success of
others, compassion towards suffering, and indifference toward the
vice of others, all powerful tools that we can cultivate externally by
our behavior.
The inner seven states of mind are 1) the observation of emerging
thoughts, 2) the ability to nip them in the bud before they occupy and
control our minds, 3) the calm and tranquil state that results from that
restraint of rising thought, 4) one-pointed attention that is the one
great tidal wave of concentration on a given object, 5) the cultivated
and refined consciousness that results from this combination of both
restraint and power, 6) fissured consciousness, and 7) pure divine con
sciousness where the practitioner is alone and at one with all.
Any reasonable person must be asking, "Why is the sixth state, al
most the most elevated, defined as fissured consciousness, surely a neg
ative or pejorative description?" One-pointed consciousness is like the
two edges of the blade. If one is proud of one's achievement, one can
be intoxicated by success and then cracks open up in consciousness and
asmita is tainted. But if one crosses to the other side, consciousness re
mains pure and a state of divinity is reached. This is nothing more than
the dangerous crossroads of manolaya, in which the consciousness,
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