separates the spirit or consciousness from its full expression. Here man lives on a self-conscious plane. Animals live on a subconscious plane without any self-awareness. The self-consciousness in man is higher than subconsciousness. Universal consciousness is above self-consciousness and is the highest state of awareness where man feels and identifies with his real self or God-self. As the mind develops, the veil covering the soul becomes thinner and finally disappears altogether. In this state, the soul realizes its immortality and its identification with the Supreme Being. This is the aim of all Yoga and this is the purpose of all religions. Yoga is a scientific way to bring about this evolution wherein there is no duality, no subject or object, wherein the knower, the knowledge, and the known are fused into one. This can be achieved only when man transcends completely the limitation of body and mind that veils his pure consciousness or divinity. In order to transcend the body and mind so that he can use these instruments in his march toward the goal, the Yogi follows a rigorous discipline of body and mind. He goes into a detailed study of the vehicles in which the soul or consciousness is enclosed. A clear study and knowledge of these bodies or vehicles by which the spirit expresses are essential before we can take up the subject of spirit. Man is far more complex than is generally assumed. Not only is he a physical body and a soul, but he is pure spirit with several vehicles or bodies for his expression. These vehicles of the soul, being of different degrees and density (the physical body being the grossest and the most perishable), manifest on such different planes as the physical, the astral, and others. The causal body is the subtlest of the three bodies. Though man possesses all three bodies, he works mainly with the physical body. To a very small extent he works with his astral body, especially during the dream state and during meditation by Yoga students. In the following chapters, we shall deal separately with the different bodies, their functions, qualifications, and other aspects of the vehicles, such as how they can be controlled and kept in a healthy condition so that we may utilize them for our particular needs at any particular time of our evolution. After attaining a thorough knowledge and control of the three bodies, the individual takes to selfintrospection or inquiry, “Who am I?” Modern psychology has not taught this process of self-introspection by which one comes face to face with truth or God; where one knows there is neither pain nor sorrow, superiority or inferiority, or any individuality and separation. This knowledge brings a feeling of oneness with the whole world and no longer does man see himself as man, but identical with the Supreme Being. This experience is beyond ordinary understanding. It brings the peace to which the Bible refers as “the peace that passeth all understanding.” This knowledge is the end of all knowledge or Vedanta. There is no distinction between knower, knowledge, and known. In this state there is nothing to know, as the spirit or real man is knowledge itself and there is nothing external for him to know. If you know how long it takes to get even theoretical knowledge of Vedanta, which puzzles even the ethnologically advanced man of today, then you can imagine how hard it is to experience these greatest truths: “Man is God,” “I am God,” “I am everywhere,” and “I am the Self of all.” The whole Yoga and Vedanta philosophy is based upon the theory of oneness, which can be attained by gradual perfection through reincarnation. Although the followers of the various religions will not believe this truth of oneness of the soul, some of the great prophets such as Jesus proclaimed, “I and my Father are one,” “I am in ye, you are in Me,” “I am He.” Most followers do not even understand the meaning of such great wisdom and they condemn the theories of reincarnation and evolution of the consciousness or soul. It is clearly stated in the Bible in St. John 3:3-7, “Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Nicodemus saith unto him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ‘Ye must be born again.’ ” If the theory of reincarnation and law of action and reaction are not accepted, then how can we explain the miseries and pains of this world? In every religion and in every age we see people suffering from disease, old age, and poverty. In every country there are people who are strong or weak, healthy or sick, and prosperous or poor irrespective of their beliefs in God and their religions. There are some whose lives seem to prosper and who apparently do not believe in a Supreme Being; yet there are many other good
file:///C|/...20books/save/Complete%20Illustrated%20Book%20of%20Yoga%20The%20-%20Devananda%20Vishnu%20Swami/index.html[5/29/2012 10:45:06 PM]