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THE ANATOMY OF THE TANTRAS
"Contemplation" leads to control over the functions of these Chakras or plexuses. "The intima te connection between the sympathetic nerves and the great viscera renders it highly probable that the sympathetic system has mainly to do with the organic functions.'
The sypmpathetic is the system of organic life." When one gets control over the sympathetic nervous system, he is the master of his body, he can die at will. The heart beats at will, the lungs, the intestines, nay all the different viscera of the body, carry on their allotted duties at the command of such a Yogi. Verily, verily, that is the stage of Samadhi.
253.
The learned translator has treated only of the five externalities of Yoga in his elaborate introduction. He has not dwelt on the Dhyana, Dharana and Samadhi. As "Pratyahara is not a distinct method in itself, but is a result of Pranayama," So Samadhi is the stage brought about by the processes of Dhyana and Dharana. As "by Pratyahara, the subjective world overcomes the objective," so by Samadhi, the spiritual nature of man stands predominant over the gross physical one. Pratyahara must be clearly distinguished from Samadhi. No more serious mistakes, we think, can be committed than considering the hybernation of the reptiles and other animals as illustrating the Samadhi stage of the Yogis. The hybernation corresponds with the Pratyahira and not the Samadhi stage of Yoga. The learned translator has happily compared the Pratyahara stage with the stage of insensibility
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