Syngrafi

Book III

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Part 1 · Passages 1–28

1The binding of the perceiving consciousness to a certain region is attention (dharana).

2A prolonged holding of the perceiving consciousness in that region is meditation (dhyana).

3When the perceiving consciousness in this meditative is wholly given to illuminating the essential meaning of the object contemplated, and is freed from the sense of separateness and personality, this is contemplation (samadhi).

4When these three, Attention, Meditation Contemplation, are exercised at once, this is perfectly concentrated Meditation (sanyama).

5By mastering this perfectly concentrated Meditation, there comes the illumination of perception.

6This power is distributed in ascending degrees.

7This threefold power, of Attention, Meditation, Contemplation, is more interior than the means of growth previously described.

8But this triad is still exterior to the soul vision which is unconditioned, free from the seed of mental analyses.

9One of the ascending degrees is the development of Control. First there is the overcoming of the mind-impress of excitation. Then comes the manifestation of the mind-impress of Control. Then the perceiving consciousness follows after the moment of Control.

10Through frequent repetition of this process, the mind becomes habituated to it, and there arises an equable flow of perceiving consciousness.

11The gradual conquest of the mind’s tendency to flit from one object to another, and the power of one-pointedness, make the development of Contemplation.

12When, following this, the controlled manifold tendency and the aroused one-pointedness are equally balanced parts of the perceiving consciousness, his the development of one-pointedness.

13Through this, the inherent character, distinctive marks and conditions of being and powers, according to their development, are made clear.

14Every object has its characteristics which are already quiescent, those which are active, and those which are not yet definable.

15Difference in stage is the cause of difference in development.

16Through perfectly concentrated Meditation on the three stages of development comes a knowledge of past and future.

17The sound and the object and the thought called up by a word are confounded because they are all blurred together in the mind. By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the distinction between them, there comes an understanding of the sounds uttered by all beings.

18When the mind-impressions become visible, there comes an understanding of previous births.

19By perfectly concentrated Meditation on mind-images is gained the understanding of the thoughts of others.

20But since that on which the thought in the mind of another rests is not objective to the thought-reader’s consciousness, he perceives the thought only, and not also that on which the thought rests.

21By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the form of the body, by arresting the body’s perceptibility, and by inhibiting the eye’s power of sight, there comes the power to make the body invisible.

22The works which fill out the life-span may be either immediately or gradually operative. By perfectly concentrated Meditation on these comes a knowledge of the time of the end, as also through signs.

23By perfectly concentrated Meditation on sympathy, compassion and kindness, is gained the power of interior union with others.

24By perfectly concentrated Meditation on power, even such power as that of the elephant may be gained.

25By bending upon them the awakened inner light, there comes a knowledge of things subtle, or concealed, or obscure.

26By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the sun comes a knowledge of the worlds.

27By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the moon comes a knowledge of the lunar mansions.

28By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the fixed pole-star comes a knowledge of the motions of the stars.

Part 2 · Passages 29–55

29Perfectly concentrated Meditation on the centre of force in the lower trunk brings an understanding of the order of the bodily powers.

30By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the centre of force in the well of the throat, there comes the cessation of hunger and thirst.

31By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the centre of force in the channel called the “tortoise-formed,” comes steadfastness.

32Through perfectly concentrated Meditation on the light in the head comes the vision of the Masters who have attained.

33Or through the divining power of tuition he knows all things.

34By perfectly concentrated Meditation on the heart, the interior being, comes the knowledge of consciousness.

35The personal self seeks to feast on life, through a failure to perceive the distinction between the personal self and the spiritual man. All personal experience really exists for the sake of another: namely, the spiritual man. By perfectly concentrated Meditation on experience for the sake of the Self, comes a knowledge of the spiritual man.

36Thereupon are born the divine power of intuition, and the hearing, the touch, the vision, the taste and the power of smell of the spiritual man.

37These powers stand in contradistinction to the highest spiritual vision. In manifestation they are called magical powers.

38Through the weakening of the causes of bondage, and by learning the method of sassing, the consciousness is transferred to the other body.

39Through mastery of the upward-life comes freedom from the dangers of water, morass, and thorny places, and the power of ascension is gained.

40By mastery of the binding-life comes radiance.

41From perfectly concentrated Meditation on the correlation of hearing and the ether, comes the power of spiritual hearing.

42By perfectly concentrated Meditation em the correlation of the body with the ether, and by thinking of it as light as thistle-down, will come the power to traverse the ether.

43When that condition of consciousness is reached, which is far-reaching and not confined to the body, which is outside the body and not conditioned by it, then the veil which conceals the light is worn away.

44Mastery of the elements comes from perfectly concentrated Meditation on their five forms: the gross, the elemental, the subtle, the inherent, the purposive.

45Thereupon will come the manifestation of the atomic and other powers, which are the endowment of the body, together with its unassailable force.

46Shapeliness, beauty, force, the temper of the diamond: these are the endowments of that body.

47Mastery over the powers of perception and action comes through perfectly concentrated Meditation on their fivefold forms; namely, their power to grasp their distinctive nature, the element of self-consciousness in them, their inherence, and their purposiveness.

48Thence comes the power swift as thought, independent of instruments, and the mastery over matter.

49When the spiritual man is perfectly disentangled from the psychic body, he attains to mastery over all things and to a knowledge of all.

50By absence of all self-indulgence at this point, when the seeds of bondage to sorrow are destroyed, pure spiritual being is attained.

51There should be complete overcoming of allurement or pride in the invitations of the different realms of life, lest attachment to things evil arise once more.

52From perfectly concentrated Meditation on the divisions of time and their succession comes that wisdom which is born of discernment.

53Hence comes discernment between things which are of like nature, not distinguished by difference of kind, character or position.

54The wisdom which is born of discernment is starlike; it discerns all things, and all conditions of things, it discerns without succession: simultaneously.

55When the vesture and the spiritual man are alike pure, then perfect spiritual life is attained.