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Stages of Spiritual Development
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the point of view of spiritual development. Later on, when spiritual development commences, true vision resumes. This is so because the tendency of the soul then has ceased to aim at mundane ex tence and proceeds towards liberation.
This true vision or Yogic vision has eight types in proportion to its development. In these eight types there is constantly growing knowledge and greater and greater awakening. In the first vision designated Mitrā, the force of knowledge and awakening and power of potency is like the lustre of fire in grass-blade. In the second vision, known as Tarä it is similar to the lustre of fire in a dung-cake. In the third vision, Bala by name, it is like the lustre of fire in a piece of wood. In the fourth, Diprā, it is like the lustre in a lamp; in the fifth, Sthirā, it is like the lustre in a jewel; in the sixth, Kantā, it is like the justre in constellation; in the seventh, Prabhā, it is like the lustre of the sun; in the eighth, Parā, it is like the lustre in the moon.
Here, in the course of the first four visions, there is no clear experience of Atmā, the object of knowledge; this expe Ātrā exists clearly in the last four visions. Still, the first four are considered to be true visions or Yogic visions because, once the Atmā enters these, its path of spiritual vision is fixed. The Yogic vision has eight limbs in accordance with the eight limbs of Yoga as Yama, Niyoma, Asano, Prānāvāna, Pratyähära, Dharanā, Dhyāna and Samadhi. In the first there is steadiness of Yama, of Niyama in the second and in due order of Samadhi in the eighth.
In the first four visions, Mitrā etc., there is a little spiritual developinent, but there is also dominance of ignorance and infatuation; in the last four visious, sthira etc., there is predominance of Knowledge and absence of infatuation.
Second Type-Five Parts of Yoga
In the second type of description, the Ācārya descrites only the order of spiritual development as Yoga. He has not described the previous state.
Now, Yoga is a religious activity by which liberation can be attained to. In the beginningless wheel of time, unless and untik
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