Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

pressions which define the relations of different parts to one another, determine their
mutual actions and reactions and ensure a harmonious, ordered and continuous World
Process are the Tattvas of Hindu philosophy. Though these Tattvas are innumerable
they are not unrelated to one another, because they are all derived by progressive dif-
ferentiation from the One Principle which constitutes the very essence of Divine na-
ture. Though they differ from each other and sometimes counteract each other they
form an integrated whole in which each Tattva is harmonized and balanced by its op-
posite. When Pralaya takes place and the manifested Universe disappears these Tatt-
vas are resolved into their Ultimate source to remain there in their balanced and latent
state until another Universe is born and the World Process begins again.
The Panca-Bhutas are five of these innumerable Tattvas which have a special
function in the manifested Universe, that of relating matter with consciousness. The
translation of the word Bhutas as elements, in the sense in which the word element was
used formerely (earth, water, air, etc.), has been a great mistake, reducing the whole
conception behind this word to an absurd and incomprehensible dogma. The identifica-
tion of the Panca-Bhutas with states of matter (solid, liquid, gaseous, etc.) again does
not give a correct idea about them though it is certainly an improvement on the previ-
ous interpretation. It is not possible to deal at length with the philosophy of the Panca-
Bhutas here but the essential idea behind this doctrine of Hindu philosophy may be put
in a nutshell as follows.
The external world is cognized through our five Jnanendriyas or sense-organs.
We can know the things which exist outside us only as they affect our sense-organs.
Now, the things around us have innumerable qualities which are shared by them in
different degrees and manners. How can these qualities or attributes which form a jun-
gle of sense impressions be classified scientifically and simply? The Seers who dived
through the practice of Yoga into the inner and essential nature of all things and whose
main objective was to unravel the innermost mystery of life adopted a perfectly scien-
tific and yet very simple method of classifying these qualities. This consisted in divid-
ing them into five groups according as they affected our five Jnanendriyas. All the
multitudinous qualities through which all objects of the external world are cognized
are classified under five heads and these five modes in which all things affect the mind
through the five sense-organs are called Panca-Bhutas or Panca Tattvas. Thus Tejas is
that all-inclusive quality which in one way or another affects the retina of the eye,
Akasa is that quality which affects the ear and so on.