Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

If the union of Purusa and Prakrti has been brought about by Maya or Avidya
and leads through the development of the Klesas to the misery and sufferings of em-
bodied existence it follows logically that the removal of these latter is possible only
when the union is dissolved by the destruction of Avidya. The union is the sole cause
of bondage. Its dissolution must therefore be the only means available for Emancipa-
tion or Kaivalya of the Seer. The bondage is maintained by the Purusa identifying
himself with his vehicles right from the Atmic to the physical plane. The release is
brought about by his disentangling himself in consciousness from his vehicles one af-
ter another until he stands free from them, even though using them merely as instru-
ments.
It should be clearly understood that the dissociation of consciousness from a
particular vehicle is not merely a matter of understanding brought about by a process
of reasoning and intellectual analysis; though such efforts can help us to a certain ex-
tent in relation to our lower vehicles. The illusion is destroyed completely and in the
real sense only when the Yogi is able to leave the vehicle at will in Samadhi and to
look down upon it, as it were, from a higher plane. Then he realizes definitely that he
is different from that particular vehicle and can never, after such an experience, iden-
tify himself with that vehicle as has been explained in dealing with II-6. The process
of separating off the vehicle and disentangling consciousness from it is repeated over
and over again on the superphysical planes until the last vehicle—the Atmic—is tran-
scended in Nirbija Samadhi and the Purusa stands free (Svarupe ‘vasthanam) ‘in his
own-form’. It will be seen, therefore, that the discarding of the successive vehicles of
consciousness on the subtler planes, which can be done through the practice of
Samadhi, is the only way of destroying Asmita and Avidya and people who think that
by merely repeating mentally formulas like Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman) or by
trying to imagine themselves separate from their vehicles they can gain Self-
realization do not really know the nature of the task which they are trying to accom-
plish. It is really amazing to what extent people can over-simplify problems and hyp-
notize themselves into believing that their generally trivial experiences mean realiza-
tion of the Ultimate Truth.