Methods of Yoga

Methods of Yoga

With regard to what I have just called the two great methods in

Yoga, we find that by one of these a man treads the path of

knowledge by Buddhi--the pure reason; and the other the same path

by Manas--the concrete mind. You may remember that in speaking

yesterday of the sub- divisions of Antah-karana, I pointed out to

you that there we had a process of reflection of one quality in

another; and within the limits of the cognitional aspect of the

Self, you find Buddhi, cognition reflected in cognition; and

Ahamkara, cognition reflected in will; and Manas, cognition

reflected in activity. Bearing those three sub-divisions in mind,

you will very readily be able to see that these two methods of

Yoga fall naturally under two of these heads. But what of the

third? What of the will, of which Ahamkara is the representative

in cognition? That certainly has its road, but it can scarcely be

said to be a "method". Will breaks its way upwards by sheer

unflinching determination, keeping its eyes fixed on the end, and

using either buddhi or manes indifferently as a means to that

end. Metaphysics is used to realise the Self; science is used to

understand the Not-Self; but either is grasped, either is thrown

aside, as it serves, or fails to serve, the needs of the moment.

Often the man, in whom will is predominant, does not know how he

gains the object he is aiming at; it comes to his hands, but the

"how" is obscure to him; he willed to have it, and nature gives

it to him. This is also seen in Yoga in the man of Ahamkara, the

sub-type of will in cognition. Just as in the man of Ahamkara,

Buddhi and Manas are subordinate, so in the man of Buddhi,

Ahamkara and Manas are not absent, but are subordinate; and in

the man of Manas, Ahamkara and Buddhi are present, but play a

subsidiary part. Both the metaphysician and the scientist must be

supported by Ahamkara. That Self-determining faculty, that

deliberate setting of oneself to a chosen end, that is necessary

in all forms of Yoga. Whether a Yogi is going to follow the

purely cognitional way of Buddhi, or whether he is going to

follow the more active path of Manas, in both cases he needs the

self-determining will in order to sustain him in his arduous

task. You remember it is written in the Upanishad that the weak

man cannot reach the Self. Strength is wanted. Determination is

wanted. Perseverance is wanted. And you must have, in every

successful Yogi, that intense determination which is the very

essence of individuality.

Now what are these two great methods? One of them may be

described as seeking the Self by the Self; the other may be

described as seeking the Self by the Not-Self; and if you will

think of them in that fashion, I think you will find the idea

illuminative. Those who seek the Self by the Self, seek him

through the faculty of Buddhi; they turn ever inwards, and turn

away from the outer world. Those who seek the Self by the

Not-Self, seek him through the active working Manas; they are

outward-turned, and by study of the Not-Self, they learn to

realise the Self. The one is the path of the metaphysician; the

other is the path of the scientist.