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IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GODS. 931 advanced in asceticism and self-control. It consists of four parts, limbs or steps as follows:
1. that which is characterised by the changes of yogas*, that is of the instruments or vehicles of meditation;
2. that in which there is no changing of yogas, but which is steadily maintained with the aid of only one yoga ;
3. that in which the bodily activity is the slightest;
and
4. that in which there is no bodily action whatsoever.
Of these, the first part is practised by excellent saints in the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh stages on the path, and is the cause of the destruction of mohaniya karmas. The causes of distraction being destroyed, steadiness in meditation is attained in the twelfth stage, and there is no changing of yogas any more, that is to say, that the mind can be now fixed exclusively on one out of the three channels of self-contemplation. This speedily leads to the destruction of other kinds of ghâtiya karmas, and to the acquisition of omniscience and other divine attributes which were held in check by those karmas. The saint now becomes a deified Soul in consequence of the acquisition of the divine attributes, and lingers in the world of men only so long as His dyuh-karma is not exhausted to set Him
* Self-contemplation is only possible in three ways, viz. (1) with the aid of mind, i.e., thought, (2) by means of words, and (3) with the help of the body, e.g., the fixing of the mind on the nervous centre in the forehead. Being instrumental in self-contemplation, the mind, speech and body are technically called yogas.
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