Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

Incredible as it may sound, morality of a high order is not always necessary for
the practice of Yoga. There are two kinds of Yoga—lower and higher. The lower has
for its object the development of certain psychic faculties and supernormal powers and
for this the transcendent morality implied in Yama-Niyama is not at all necessary; in
fact, it acts as a hindrance because it causes inner conflict and prevents the Yogi from
going ahead with his pursuit of personal power and ambitions. There are a large num-
ber of Yogis scattered throughout India, Tibet and other countries who undoubtedly
possess supernormal powers and faculties but who are not distinguishable from the
ordinary man of the world by any special moral or spiritual traits of character. Some of
these men are good people, self-centred or vain but harmless. Others, of another class,
cannot be considered innocent and haimless. They are prone to take part in question-
able activities and under provocation can cause injury to those who cross their path.
There is a third class of Yogis who definitely tread the Left-hand path and are called
Brothers of the Shadow. They have powers of various kinds developed to a high de-
gree, are unscrupulous and dangerous, though outwardly they may adopt a mode of life
which makes them appear religious. But anyone in whom intuition is developed can
spot these people and distinguish them from the followers of the Right-hand path by
their tendency to cruelty, unscrupulousness and conceit.
The higher Yoga which is expounded in the Yoga-sutras should be distinguished
very carefully from the lower Yoga referred to above. It has for its objective not the
development of powers which can be used for self-aggrandizement or satisfaction of
conceit but Enlightenment and consequent freedom from the illusions and limitations
of the lower life. Since in gaining this Enlightenment the Sadhaka has to undergo cer-
tain physical and mental disciplines which are the same as those adopted by the fol-
lowers of the Left-hand path, the two paths seem to run parallel for some distance. But
the time comes at an early stage when the paths begin to diverge rapidly. One leads to
an ever-increasing concentration of power in the individual and his isolation from the
One Life, the other to the progressive merging of the individual consciousness in the
One Consciousness and freedom from bondage and illusion. The hope of the former is
naturally very limited and confined to the realm of the intellect while there is no limit
to the achievement of the Yogi on the other.
On the path of higher Yoga morality of a high order is essential and it is a mo-
rality not of the conventional type, not even of ordinary religious type. It is a transcen-
dent morality based on the higher laws of Nature and organized with a view to bring