- In his case the highest stage of Enlightenment is reached by seven stages.
This Sutra merely points out that the state of uninterrupted awareness of Reality
is attained through seven stages. After the Yogi has obtained his first glimpse of Real-
ity he has to pass through seven stages of increasing awareness before he reaches the
final goal of Kaivalya, The word Pranta-bhumih is used to indicate that progress
through these stages does not take place by sudden jumps, as it were, but by gradual
transition from one stage to another like traversing a country divided into seven adja-
cent provinces.
A good deal of rigmarole has been written in explaining this Sutra by some
commentators. It is quite natural that the process of attaining full Enlightenment
should be gradual and should be attained by stages. But to identify these transcendent
changes in consciousness with ordinary processes of thinking as has been done by
some commentators is really absurd. It is better to leave the problem as it is, as a mat-
ter of transcendent experiences which cannot be interpreted in terms of the thinking
processes.
- From the practice of the component exercises of Yoga, on the destruction
of impurity, arises spiritual illumination which develops into awareness of Reality.
II-28 deals with the problem of guidance needed on the path of Yoga. It has
been said already that ordinary Viveka, is an expression of the spiritual consciousness
hidden behind the mind. If it is real it gives a sufficiently strong urge to the aspirant to
take to the path of Yoga and adopt its discipline. But it is not sufficiently definite to