Microsoft Word - Taimni - The Science of Yoga.doc

thing that happens is the result of causes known or unknown, and the fortuitous ap-
pearance of psychic powers is no exception to this Law (see IV-1).
The question now arises who are the Videhas and Prakrtilayas, the two classes
of people in whom these psychic powers appear without any apparent cause? The word
Videha literally means the ‘bodiless’ and Prakrtilaya means ‘merged-in-Prakrti’.
Some commentators have given meanings to these words which appear to be far-
fetched and unjustifiable in the context in which the Sutra is placed. Videhas most
probably refers to the large number of psychics scattered throughout the world who are
mediumistic by nature. A medium is a person with a peculiar physical constitution, the
peculiarity consisting in the ease with which the dense physical body can be partially
separated from the etheric double or the Pranamaya Kosa. It is this peculiarity which
enables the medium to pass into trance and to exercise some psychic powers. The word
Videha probably owes its origin to this peculiarity of being capable of becoming par-
tially ‘disembodied’, the peculiarity which is generally accompanied by the capacity to
exercise psychic faculties of a spurious kind.
In the same way Prakrtilayas are not high class Yogis who have obtained some
kind of Moksa as suggested by some commentators. On the other hand they are
pseudo-Yogis who have the capacity to pass into a kind of passive state or trance
which outwardly resembles Samadhi but is not real Samadhi. Such a Samadhi is called
Jada-Samadhi. In real Samadhi the Yogi's consciousness becomes merged more and
more first in the Universal Mind and then in the Universal Consciousness which is
Caitanya. How can those who are merged in Prakrti which is Jada be considered high
class Yogis? Such pseudo-Yogis are found in large numbers and undoubtedly possess
some capacity to reflect the higher consciousness in their vehicles. But such powers as
they possess are not under their control and the consciousness which they bring down
is blurred giving them at best a sense of peace and strength and a vague realization of
the Great Mystery hidden within them. These powers are undoubtedly due to Sam-
skaras brought forward from previous lives in which they have practised Yoga but also
done something to forfeit the right to make further progress for the time being. These
Samskaras give them a peculiar constitution of the lower vehicles but not the will and
capacity to tread the regular path of Yoga. It is only in the case of the true Yogis re-
ferred to in the next Sutra that these qualifications are present.
The interpretation of the Sutra as given above is at complete variance with
those given by the well-known orthodox commentators. If it has no authority to back