Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

the right manner bring about the desired results with the certainty of a scientific ex-
periment. The Tantras are full of such Mantras for obtaining very ordinary and some-
times highly objectionable results. The reason why the ordinary man cannot get the
desired results by simply following the directions in the books lies in the fact that the
exact conditions are deliberately not given and can be obtained only from those who
have been regularly initiated and have developed the powers. Of course, the true Yogi
regards all such practices with contempt and never goes near them.
Tapas is another well-recognized means of obtaining Siddhis. The Puranas are
full of stories of people who obtained all kinds of Siddhis by performing austerities of
various kinds and thus propitiating different deities. Those stories may or may not be
true but that Tapas leads to the development of certain kinds of occult powers is a fact
well known to all students of Yoga. The important point to be noted in this connection
is that the Siddhis acquired by this method, unless they are the result of the general
unfoldment of consciousness by the practice of Yoga, are of a restricted nature and do
not last for more than one life. And it frequently happens that the person who acquires
such a Siddhi, being morally and spiritually undeveloped, misuses it, thus not only los-
ing the power but bringing upon himself a lot of suffering and evil Karma.
The last and the most important means of developing Siddhis is the practice of
Samyama. The major portion of Section III deals with some of the Siddhis that may he
developed in this manner. The list of Siddhis referred to in that Section is not exhaus-
tive but the more important ones are given. They should be taken merely as representa-
tive of an almost innumerable class to which references are found in Yogic literature.
One fact has, however, to be noted in this connection. The Siddhis which are
developed as a result of the practice of Samyama belong to a different category and are
far superior to those developed in other ways. They are the product of the natural un-
foldment of consciousness in its evolution towards perfection and thus become perma-
nent possessions of the soul, although a little effort may be needed in each new incar-
nation to revive them in the early stages of Yogic training. Being based upon knowl-
edge of the higher laws of Nature operating in her subtler realms they can be exercised
with complete confidence and effectiveness, much in the same way as a trained scien-
tist can bring about extraordinary results in the field of physical Science.