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MYSTICISM IN INDIA
gama the mind becomes fit for being quite absorbed in the subject thought of. It befits the Yogi to enter the fifth stage that of Pratyahara--abstraction--imitating by the senses, the thinking principle by 'withdrawing themselves from their objects. It consists in the senses becoming entirely assimilated to or controlled by the mind. They must be drawn away from their objects and fixed upon the mind and assimilated to it, so that by preventing the transformations of the thinking principle, the senses also will follow it and will be immediately controlled. Not only that, but they will be ever ready to contribute collectively towards the absorbing meditation of any given thing at any moment and even always.
Passing through these five stages, Yama, Niyama, Asāna, Pranayama and Pratyahāra the Yogi purifies the inner-self by avoiding the outer distractions. We then come to the sixth stage-Dhäranä or contemplation. It is the fixing of the mind on something external or internal. If internal, it may be the tip of the tongue or the nose or any convenient spot. If external it may be any suitable image of the deity or a picture or any similar object. Of course it is necessary to bear in mind that any such thing contemplated upon externaily or interually should be strictly associated with nothing but holiness and purity. The mind should be able to picture to itself the object even
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