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than the red. In the yellow-coloured aura the process of spiritual development is faster. What is the criterion of this development in the preliminary stages?
Ans. The most advanced stage of spiritual develop- ment is deetaragta (total freedom from passions and affections). The aura of one who has achieved veetaragta is bright and his leshya shukla. Before the stage of vee taragta is reached, padma leshya remains active. While it is active, yellowness becomes apparent in the vibrations thereof. The aura of a man possessed of padma leshya is also yellow. In a yellow aura, passions get cooled, the mind becomes tranquil and one begins to experience a feeling of self-conquest. Victory over oneself is frequently mentioned in the scriptures. It is also the subject of many discourses. The man who achieves victory over ten lakh warriors, yet far lags behind the great hero who has achieved victory over himself and sits quietly by himself.
To listen to a discourse on self-conquest is one thing; to directly experience it is quite another. What is meant by victory over oneself? How does a man grow tranquil? The need for such a discourse is felt only as long as one does not get into a transcendental state, beyond words. In that state, one experiences meaning without and beyond words. Right contemplation of the Agamas is not possible until the vibrations of padma leshya become active. The essence of the Agam sayings is not amenable to mere intellectual formulation. However, in the activation of padma leshya, one comes to directly experience, not the words but the essential meaning behind the words. A man's psychological and spiritual problems then stand resolved.
One great problem of the human world is indiscipline. What to speak of others, even a man's own body and his mind are not under his control. It is not possible
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