Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

planes round an individual centre of consciousness and provide the necessary stimuli
for mental perceptions which take place in consciousness. Patanjali has used the same
word, Citta, for the universal principle which serves as a medium for mental percep-
tion as well as the individual mechanism through which such perception takes place. It
is necessary to keep this distinction in mind because one or the other of the two mean-
ings is implied by the same word—Citta—at different places.
Since the object of Section IV is partly to elucidate the nature of Citta, the
question of the creation of ‘artificial minds’ has been dealt with by Patanjali in this
Section. There is, of course, a ‘natural mind’, if we may use such a phrase, through
which the individual works and evolves in the realms of Prakrti during the long course
of his evolutionary cycle. That mind, working through a set of vehicles, is the product
of evolution, carries the impressions of all experiences through which it has passed in
successive lives and lasts till Kaivalya is attained. But, during the course of the Yogic
training when the Yogi has acquired the power of performing Samyama and manipulat-
ing the forces of the higher planes, especially Mahat-Tattva, it is possible for him to
create any number of mental vehicles by duplication, vehicles which are an exact rep-
lica of the vehicle through which he normally functions. Such vehicles of conscious-
ness are called Nirmana-Cittani and the question arises: ‘How are these “artificial
minds” created by the Yogi?’ The answer to this question is given in the Sutra under
discussion.
Such artificial minds with their appropriate mechanism are created from ‘Asmita
alone’. Asmita is, of course, the principle of individuality in man which forms, as it
were, the core of the individual soul and maintains in an integrated condition all the
vehicles of consciousness functioning at different levels. It is this principle which on
identification with the different vehicles, produces egoism and other related phenom-
ena which have been dealt with thoroughly in II-6. This principle is called Mahat-
Tattva in Hindu philosophy and it is through its agency that artificial minds can be
created. The advanced Yogi who can control the Mahat-Tattva has the power of estab-
lishing any number of independent centres of consciousness for himself and as soon as
such a centre is established an ‘artificial mind’ automatically materializes round about
it. This is an exact replica of the ‘natural mind’ in which he functions normally and
remains in existence as long as he wills it to be maintained. The moment the Yogi
withdraws his will from the ‘artificial mind’ it disappears instantaneously.