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9190
Hargazg.
however at least a practical force comes in at a later stage of high perfection.
The Prena is not only a forçe for the action of physical ind vital energy, but supports also the mental and spiritual action. Therefore the full and free working of the pranic shakti is required not only for the lower but still necessary use, but also for the free and full operation of mind and supermind and spirit in the instrumentality of our complex hañian nature. That is the main sense of the use of exercises of Pranayana for control of the vital force and its motions which is so important and indispensable a part of certain systems of Yoga. The same mastery must be got by the seeker of the integral Yyga; but he may arrive at it by other means and in any case he must not be dependent on any physical or breathing exercise for its possession and maintenance, for that will at once bring in a limitation and subjection to Prakriti. Her instrumentation has to be used flexibly by the Purusha, but not to be a fixed control on the Purusha. The necessity of the Pranic force, however, remains and will be evident to our self study and experience. It is in the Vedic image the steed and conveyance of the embodied mind and will, vahana. If it is full of strength and swiftness and a plenitude of all its powers, then the mind can go on the courses of its action with a plenary and unbampered movement. But if it is lame or soon tired or sluggish or weak, then an incapacity is laid on the effectu. ation of the will and activity of the mind. The same rule holds good of the supermind when it first comes into action. There are indeed states
