Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

the objective through the subjective. If we take a powerful electric light and cover it
up with a number of concentric semi-transparent and coloured globes, one within the
other, the outermost globe will be illuminated in some measure by the light of the elec-
tric lamp. But though this illumination will be derived from the light of the electric
lamp we will not be able to see the light of the electric lamp as it is, but only as it
comes out after being filtered and dimmed by all the intervening globes. If we remove
the outermost globe the next globe comes into view and the light becomes stronger and
purer. But do we now see the light of the electric lamp? No! It is still hidden behind
the remaining globes. As we remove globe after globe, the light becomes stronger and
purer but we never see it in its purity and fullness as long as any globe remains cover-
ing the electric lamp. It is only when the last globe is removed that the pure light of
the electric lamp in its total brilliance comes into view. Can the man who has never
seen an electric lamp know by observing the outermost globe what the light of the
electric lamp is like? Not until he has removed all the globes, one by one.
The relation of the Purusa to the vehicles through which he manifests is similar.
The light of his consciousness comes streaming through the complete set of vehicles,
each vehicle removing, as it were, some of the constituents and decreasing its inten-
sity, until in the physical body it is at its dullest and encumbered with the largest num-
ber of limitations. The only way to see the light of his pure consciousness is to sepa-
rate off all the vehicles and see that light in its purity without the obscuration even of
the subtlest vehicle as pointed out in IV-22. This is the isolation of pure consciousness
(Kaivalya) involved in the attainment of Kaivalya, the ultimate goal of Yogic life.
The first point we should note in this Sutra is that the Seer who is the subjective
element in the phenomenal world is pure consciousness and nothing else. The word
Matrah of course means ‘only’ and is used to emphasize the necessity of not mistaking
the Seer for any partial manifestation of his consciousness through a subtler vehicle.
When consciousness withdraws, step by step, from the lower worlds in Samadhi and
begins to function in the higher realms of the Spirit the change is so tremendous and
the sudden influx of power, knowledge and bliss, on the progressive removal of limita-
tions, is so overwhelming that one is apt to mistake this partial manifestation for the
ultimate Reality. But the fact is that the consciousness is still encumbered by veils of
matter, thin veils it is true, but veils all the same which impose certain limitations and
illusions. Not until the last vehicle has been transcended can consciousness be known
in its purity. That is the Purusa, the real Drasta.