joys of the world, one day or the other. The first step is the awareness or discovery
that pain is present and it cannot be avoided under any circumstance as long as
things continue to be in the present set-up.
The second stage is the discovery that there is a cause of this pain, that it has not
come suddenly from the blue. How has this pain come—this suffering, this sorrow?
What is the reason for this defect behind everything? There is a reason. Without a
cause, there is no effect. The discovery of the cause of this troublesome situation is
the second stage of knowledge. That is a greater control that we gain over our
situation. When we know that there is some trouble, and we do not know how the
trouble has arisen, we are in a difficulty. But the difficulty is a little bit ameliorated
when the cause of it is known, because we feel a confidence that, after all, this is the
cause, and we shall try to tackle it. So, in the second stage of awareness there is a
recognition of the causal background of the troubles of life, the pains of experience.
The third stage is the recognition of a way out of these causative factors. Even if we
know the causes of the trouble, is there a way out of it, or is it impossible to do
anything? That must be seen first. We will find out that there is a way. We can get
over these causes of pain and trouble. This gives greater confidence and a satisfaction
that, after all, we are not going to suffer like this for all time; there is going to be an
end to it. That is the discovery that there is a possibility of getting over the causes of
pain. But this stage comes very late, because while everyone can feel the pain and can
sometimes attribute the pain to certain causes, they cannot find the way out. Not
finding the way out is samsara, the essence of suffering. When the way is discovered,
there is an effort that automatically arises in oneself to work out this way which is the
redemption of the sorrows of life. The awareness that there is a state which is beyond
the sufferings of life is itself a great solace.
These stages directly correspond to the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, what the
Buddha taught originally as his gospel. The stages of yoga are nothing but these,
mentioned here in a new language altogether.
There is an awareness of the presence of a state beyond all suffering; and when the
existence of this state beyond suffering becomes an object of one’s awareness,
coupled with a feeling that there is a way to it—that is the beginning of the actual
freedom of the soul. Then, there is a complete shaking up from the very roots of one’s
being. The internal organ, the mind, whose purpose is to bring about bhoga and
aparvarga to consciousness, begins to withdraw its sway over consciousness. The
power that the mind has over us gets lessened, and instead of our being mastered by
it, we seem to have a chance of gaining mastery over it. This awareness arises only
when experiences in the world which are to be undergone in this span of life are
about to be exhausted. Until that time, the awareness itself will not be there.
When we are fast asleep, snoring, we are not even aware that the sun is about to rise.
The awareness felt subtly within that perhaps the day is dawning is an indication that
we are not fully asleep. We are half-aware of the coming dawn. Likewise, when the
mind becomes aware of these stages it puts forth effort, as it has slowly risen from
the slumber of life and is now dreaming of the possibility of a higher experience.
The efforts that are mentioned here are nothing but the efforts of the practice of
yoga. When the mind loses control over the consciousness, which is the fifth stage,