The Utilization of Powers That Arise Through the Development of the Yogic Practice

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Spiritual seekers are frequently
advised not to indulge in or

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display any powers that arise
along the way.

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Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras,
describes a number of powers

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that can arise naturally through
the practice of yoga, and

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seekers throughout the ages have
validated the reality of powers

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that develop as the
concentration of force to Persia

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effectuates openings in the
various energy centers of the

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being, and as the powers of the
vital being and the mind are

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activated.
The primary objection to the

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exercise of any of these powers
has always been the potential

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for distraction or for the
increase of egoism, which then

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works to neutralize the yogic
practice in its essential

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pursuit.
There are similar proscriptions

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to avoid involvement with money
wealth as it too tends to

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corrupt or mislead the
practitioner.

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It is not just aspirants who are
confronted by these issues.

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Seasoned yogis, some who have
taken up positions of teaching

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and guiding others are subject
to the same temptations to use

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the powers, and some succumb to
demonstrating these powers,

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initially with the idea of
providing a real example of the

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powers of the yogic practice for
the disciples, but later as an

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expression of vanity and pride.
In his book The Mother, Sri

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Aurobindo specifically addresses
the question of money as a

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representative of a universal
force or power that has been the

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source of much concern for
practitioners everywhere.

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Some paths enjoin a vow of
poverty on the seekers to help

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them avoid the distraction, the
temptation and the corruption

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that can occur through seeking
after handling or applying the

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money power.
Sri Aurobindo points out that

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money is a power of the divine
which has been frequently

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misused and corrupted, but which
can and should be applied for

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the divine manifestation in its
right form and for the right

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purpose with the right
intention.

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In this sense, money stands as a
representative of the other

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powers that develop.
The issue is not the use or

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avoidance of the powers that
arise naturally, but the proper

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use at the proper time for the
proper purpose, in the proper

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way, without intervention of the
egoistic personality and in

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furtherance of the divine
intention in the creation.

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The real issue then is the inner
poise of the practitioner or

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seeker.
It may be noted that Patanjali

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sets forth preliminary practices
intended to remove the action of

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desire and egoism, the yamas and
niyamas, as well as the

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development of a strong seat by
which to hold the powers that

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arise, and the practice of
pranayama to purify the nerves

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and prepare the energy channels
for holding and deploying the

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forces that enter the being.
Through the deeper practices

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that follow these preliminary
steps, by eliminating the pull

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of the ego, the promptings of
desire, the uprising of vanity

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and pride, or the desire for
power and control over others,

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the seeker can avoid the
pitfalls that arise from those

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causes and can then utilize the
naturally developing powers of

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action that are part of the
evolving expression of the

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divine in the manifested
universe.

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Just as various powers of vital
nature developed as a next stage

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of the evolution of
consciousness out of the

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material force, and just as the
mental powers have developed as

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a further evolution of
consciousness, so one would

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anticipate and expect further
powers to develop as the process

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continues.
These powers are essential

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elements of the future
expression of consciousness in

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the world and thus should not be
denied out of hand.

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A disciple cites an answer from
the Mother in her Questions and

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Answers. 1929 from 14th April.
They powers have to be used in

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the same way as they came.
They come by union with the

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Divine.
They must be used by the will of

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the Divine and not for display.
The Mother notes.

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If you use power to show that
you possess it, it becomes so

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full of falsehood and untruth
that finally it disappears.

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But it is not always thus,
because, as I said at the

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beginning, when it concerns a
power like the power of healing,

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or the power of changing an
altogether external thing, of

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making an unfavorable
circumstance favorable, of

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finding lost objects, all these
countless little miracles which

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are found in all religions, it
is much more easy and even more

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effective to do these miracles
with the help of the entities of

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the vital world, which are not
always recommendable.

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Far from it.
And then these beings make fun

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of you.
This begins very well, very

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brilliantly, and usually
finishes very badly.

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I know the story of a man who
had a few small powers and

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indulged in all kinds of
so-called spiritualist

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practices, and through repeated
exercises he had succeeded in

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coming into conscious contact
with what he called a spirit.

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This man was doing business.
He was a financier and was even

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a speculator.
His relations with his spirit

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were of a very practical kind.
This spirit used to tell him

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when the stocks and shares would
go up and when they would come

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down.
It told him sell this, buy that.

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It gave him very precise
financial particulars.

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For years he had been listening
to his spirit and had followed

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it and was fantastically
successful.

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He became tremendously rich and
naturally boasted a lot about

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the spirit which guided him.
He used to tell everybody, you

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see, it is really worth while
learning how to put oneself in

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contact with these spirits.
But one day he met a man who was

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a little wiser, who told him,
take care.

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He did not listen to him.
He was swollen with his power

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and ambition, and it was then
that this spirit gave him a last

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advice.
Now you can become the richest

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man in the world.
Your ambition will be fulfilled.

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You have only to follow my
direction.

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Do this, put all that you have
into this transaction, and you

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will become the richest man in
the world.

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The stupid fool did not even
realize the trap laid for him.

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For years he had followed his
guide and succeeded, so he

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followed the last direction and
he lost everything to the last

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penny.
So you see, there are small

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entities who make fun of you and
to make sure of you they work

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these little miracles to
encourage you, and when they

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feel that you are well trapped,
they play a fine trick upon you

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and it is all over with you.
End Quote Reference Sriyorobindu

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and the Mother, The Hidden
Forces of Life, Chapter 5,

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Occult Forces, pages 124 to 125.