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YOGA.
475
Thus, neither jnána, nor bhakti, nor mental control, nor physical asceticism is by itself sufficient to translate the ideal into an actuality of experience. These are all valuable adjuncts along with one another, but, taken separately, they all lack that causal validity of scientific thought which is the hall-mark of practicability. It will be seen that knowledge and salvation are not actually synonymous terms, while bhakti (devotion) is not even possible where the object thereof is unknown. Hence, bhakti may be said to begin truly when knowledge reaches the degree of certitude implied in faith, and devotion to an ideal marks the first stage of progress when knowledge is translated into action.
To sum up, the real Yoga for man is to know and realize his own divine nature, and to establish himself in the beatific state of blessedness and bliss by subduing and mortifying the little, self-deluded, bodily self. The process of realization is threefold, and consists in Right Insight or Faith, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct, that is to say, in singeing the wings of sin,
.., ignorance, by the fire of Wisdom, in destroying the delusion of duality by faith in the Godhood of the Self, and in radiating peace and goodwill and joy to all beings in the universe ; in short, in settling down to the enjoyment of one's true Self, here and now. Let the world call it idleness, if it likes ; what does it matter to the soul ? Neither Mahavira, nor Jesus, nor any other Saviour of the race kept shop, or sold merchandise. Yet, who ever dared consider them idle ? What is the value of the opinion of the worldly mortals to him who depends not on the opinion of others or
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