Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

lar unpleasant traits of human character are merely highly developed and perverted
forms of this tendency to identify ourselves with the workings of the mind.
A third aspect which may be considered in this process of identification is the
inclusion of other accessories and objects in the environment. The physical body be-
comes a centre round which get associated a number of objects which in smaller or
greater degree become part of the ‘I’. These objects may be animate or inanimate. The
other bodies which are born of one's body become ‘my children’. The house in which
one's body is kept becomes ‘my house’. So round the umbra (total shadow) created by
Asmita with the body is a penumbra (partial shadow) containing all those objects and
persons which ‘belong’ to the ‘I’ working through the body and they produce the atti-
tude or Bhava of ‘my’ and ‘mine’.
The above brief and general discussion of Asmita associated with the physical
body will give some idea to the student with regard to the nature of this Klesa. Of
course, Asmita manifesting through the physical body is the grossest form of the Klesa
and as we try to study the working of this tendency in the subtler vehicles we find it
more and more elusive and difficult to deal with. Any thoughtful man can separate
himself in thought from his physical body and see thalt he is not the bag of flesh,
bones and marrow with the help of which he comes in contact with the physical world.
But few can separate themselves from their intellect and realize that their opinions and
ideas are mere thought patterns produced by their mind just like the thought patterns
produced by other minds. The reason why we take interest in and attach so much im-
portance to our opinions lies, of course, in the fact that we identify ourselves with our
intellect. Our thoughts, opinions, prejudices and predilections are part of our mental
possessions, children of our mind, and that is why we feel and show such undue and
tender regard for them.
Of course, there are levels of consciousness even beyond that of the intellect. In
all these Asmita is present though it becomes subtler and more refined as we leave one
vehicle after another. It is no use dealing with these subtler manifestations of Asmita
here because unless one can transcend the intellect and function in these super-
intellectual fields one cannot really understand them.
Although the question of destroying the Klesas will be dealt with later in subse-
quent Sutras there is one fact which may be usefully pointed out here. Many methods
have been suggested whereby this tendency to identify ourselves with our vehicles
may be gradually attenuated. Many of these methods are quite useful and do help us in