Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

As the states of consciousness which the Yogi has to pass through in Samadhi
before he is released from the domination of the Gunas are four, there should naturally
be four stages of the Gunas. While it is easy to understand why there should be four
stages, still, when we come to the nature of these stages as defined in the present Su-
tra, we find some difficulty in grasping the subtle significance of the words used for
these stages. Since these stages correspond to the four stages of the unfoldment of con-
sciousness in Samadhi, let us see whether we can find some help in studying these cor-
respondences.
The characteristics of the four states of consciousness, the stages of the Gunas
and the vehicles through which these states of consciousness find expression are
shown in the following table:

Characteristics of the

states of consciousness

Stages of the Gunas Vehicle for expression in

Vedantic terminology

Vitarka

Vicara

Ananda

Asmita

Visesa

Avisesa

Linga

Alinga

Manomaya Kosa Vijnana-

maya Kosa Anandamaya

Kosa

Atma

The four stages of Samprajnata Samadhi have already been discussed in dealing
with I-17 and it has been shown that these stages correspond to the functioning of con-
sciousness through the four vehicles as shown above. When the stages of the Gunas
are studied in the light of these correspondences the meanings of the words which are
used to denote these stages become clear to some extent though it is impossible to
grasp their full significance on account of the limitations of the intellect and the physi-
cal brain. Let us do the best we can under our present limitations.
The word Visesa means particular and the Visesa stage of the Gunas obviously
refers to the stage of the lower mind which sees all objects only as particular things
with names and forms. To the lower mind every object seems to have a separate and
independent existence and a separate identity. It is isolated, seen apart from its arche-
type and from the Divine consciousness of which it is a part and in which it is embed-
ded, as it were. This stage of the Gunas corresponds to the Vitarka stage of Samadhi
because while consciousness is functioning through the lower mind Vitarka is its most
important and essential function. Vitarka is that activity of the lower mind through