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Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Translation by Chester Messenger

Vibhuti Pada III:
Union Achieved And Its Results

In this pada, Patanjali discusses the achievement of union through meditative integration. This achievement is accompanied by supernatural powers or abilities. Patanjali warns the Yogi not to become attached to the powers awakened within because the ultimate goal has not yet been reached. Patanjali also warns that Yogis who achieve this level of achievement will attract the attention of high ranking deities of temptation and warns the Yogi to ignore their temptations and invitations. Until complete integration is achieved, the Yogi is in danger of a sorrowful fall and failure.

1] Focusing the conscious mind on one spot or region is called concentration.

2] A steady uninterrupted flow of attentive awareness singularly directed inward to the places of concentration containing belief and firm conviction is called meditation or profound contemplation.

3] When the object of meditation becomes as if it was in inseparatable harmony with the meditator, perfect spiritual absorption occurs (Union) and the true essential form shines into awareness.

-= Integration =-

4] These three, concentration, meditation, and spiritual absorption, jointly together are called integration or meditative integration.

5] Mastery of integration comes the insightful light of wisdom awareness.

6] Integration is applied in degrees and stages.

7] Concentration, meditation, and spiritual absorption, are internal to the mind and heart in relation to the fivefold movements.

8] However, integration is external when compared to profound reflection without seeds.

9] From restraint, thoughts emerge from subliminal impressions, play out, then disappear into restraint. By being aware of the silent void moments pervading the emptyness between thoughts, one can glimpse and expand the skill of thought subjugation which leads to transformation.

10] The restraint of thoughts develops a flow of peaceful tranquility and refines the former fivefold movements into pure soul awareness.

11] Moving the consciousness from many-pointedness to one-pointedness results in the transformation to spiritual absorption.

12] When the fivefold movements are in calm balance, one-pointedness awareness manifests itself into pure soul awareness.

13] This one-pointedness transforms the mental elements, body and sense organs to be subject to the law of virtue and this condition of quality unfolds visible to all.

14] A calm mind allows the law of virtue to manifest from its latent state which supports virtuous character and spiritual justice.

15] The law of virtue causes a succession of distinct transformative effects upon the Yogi.

-= Supernatural powers =-

16] These transformational effects manifest as control of the threefold nature of time, allowing the Yogi to comprehend past, present anf future as an integrated whole.

17] Sounds, words, meaning, emotions, and ideas internally superimpose one for the other, intermixing into one. Their differention and restraint gives the Yogi accurate knowledge of the speech produced by all living beings.

18] The law of virtue gives the Yogi the ability to instinctively realize past perceptions by bringing to the surface of consciousness the knowledge of previous lives.

19] Also, the Yogi will have the knowledge of how to perceive anothers persons mind.

20] Also, the Yogi will have living knowledge that is normally unperceivable and beyond the reach of normal minds.

21] Also, the Yogi by controlling the form of the body, will have the power to suspend light emanation from that form so as to make perceptable light invisible to the eye.

22] Also, by the same power the Yogi can disappear completely by controlling sound and other senses.

23] Actions have either immediate or delayed effect on the Yogi. By master them the Yogu gains foreknowledge of death by portents or omens.

24] A Yogi gains moral and emotional strength by perfecting friendliness and compassion to all.

25] By integration on strength the Yogi can have the strength of an elephant.

26] Also, the Yogi achieves super-sensitive perception so that the small, the remote or the concealed come to the light of knowledge,

27] Sun integration leads to knowledge of the worlds.

28] Moon integration leads to knowledge of the stars.

29] Pole star integration leads to knowledge of destiny.

30] By integration with the navel's mystical center, the Yogi aquires knowledge of the disposition of the body.

31] Integration upon the throat center, the cessation of hunger and thirst will ensue.

32] Integration upon the tube or nerve below the throat center, steadiness and immobility is achieved.

33] Perfected beings can be contacted via integration with the light on the crown of the head.

34] All knowledge can be known in the vivid light of the intuition.

35] Understanding of the mind-consciousness comes from integration with the heart center.

36] Intelligence is but a tool of the absolute soul and are distinct from each other. When the Yogi experiences them as not distinct or apart from each other, awareness manifests as self interest, but by constraining and controlling the intellect of self interest, pure soul awareness is experienced.

37] Pure soul awareness manifests as the light of spiritual perception which is psychic hearing, touch, vision, tast and smell not needing physical organs of sense.

38] These powers are obstacles to the highest spiritual realization, but serve as magical powers in the objective worlds.

39] By liberation from the causes of bondage through their weakening and by an understanding of the mode of transference, the Yogi can enter and control another body.

40] By mastery of the vital energy situated in the throat, the Yogi can float or walk on water, swamps, thorns and so forth without touching them, for this is the power of levitation and ascension.

41] By mastery of the vital energy situated in the abdomen, a Yogi can glow or emit fire.

42] Integrated meditation upon the relationship between space and sound, an organ for spiritual hearing will be developed allowing distant and divine hearing.

43] Integrated meditation upon the relationship between space and body allows the Yogi to become as light as cotton, and by becoming one with space may travel by levitation through space.

44] Integrated meditation upon bodyless awareness, where consciousness acts outside the body, the veil covering the light of illumination is dissolved.

45] Integrated meditation upon the attributes of elemental nature produces mastery over the elements. These attributes are the gross nature, subtle nature, the all-pervasiveness of nature, and the full purpose of nature.

46] Through this mastery, minuteness and the other powers are attained, likewise bodily perfection and freedom from all hindrances.

47] Bodily perfection manifests as graceful appearance, loveliness, strength and the hardness and brillance of a diamond.

48] Mastery over the senses is brought about through integrated meditation upon the power of cognition, one's appearance and the ego in conjuction with the reason and purpose for being.

49] As a result of this perfection, the Yogi achieve quickness of mind, freedom from the senses of perception and master over the laws of nature.

50] Once the Yogi discriminates between ordinary awareness and pure soul awareness the Yogi attains the supreme state of all knowingness (omniscience) and all that manifests.

-= Dangers of the supernatural powers =-

51] By maintaining non-attachment to even these supernatural powers, only then can the Yogi achieve absorption into the Supreme Soul. Otherwise these supernatural powers will become seeds of bondage and destruction.

52] When approached by high ranking deities of temptation, do not allow their wonderous invitations to bring you back into attachment, for undesirable events are still possible.

-= Sacred knowledge =-

53] By integrated meditation upon the infinitesimal unit of time, (an instant) and its orderly succesive sequences the Yogi attains total awareness and sacred knowledge, free from the limitations of time and space.

54] From this sacred knowledge is born the capacity to distinguish (between all beings) and to understand their genus, qualities and position in space.

55] This sacred knowledge, is omnipresent and omniscient and includes the past, the present and the future in the Eternal Now.

56] Pure soul awareness is equal to unmingled freedom and equates to perfection of one's self.

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Intro | Pada I | Pada II | Pada III | Pada IV

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Samoht Etsaman

Book of Chester: Introduction

Part One: History of Eternity

Part Two: Understanding God

Part Three: God Talking

Part Four: Sutras of the Seven Wisdoms

Part Five: Sutras of Devotion

Part Six: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Bonus: The Practice

Appendix: Science of Immortality

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