The Thirty Subsidiary Attainments

(25) FREE WANDERING OF THE MIND OUTSIDE THE BODY (mahavideha dharana). By concentrating on the idea of the free wandering of the mind the yogi sees the envelope of light, which imprisons the mind, fade away. The wanderings of the mind remain "imaginary" so long as these are bound to the body by the notion of I-ness. But by concentrating on I-ness, its power to bind is weakened and the mind becomes free to roam afield; the inner faculties no longer knowing any bounds, the mind travels where it wills for long periods at a time without maintaining any contact with the body. These wanderings are called "non-imaginary" (akalpita) and through them alone can the intellect reach its full development and the adept be freed from suffering and from the results of his actions which are bound up with I-ness.

(26) THE CONQUEST OF NATURE. The five elements have each five states: gross (sthula), formal (sva-rupa), subtle (sukshma), conditioning (anvaya) and causal (arthavattva).

The gross state is that which is visible; the formal state is still physical though not visible; the subtle state refers to the elemental principles (tanmatra-s): the conditioning state is that of the relative pervasion of the three fundamental qualities the ascending, expanding and descending tendencies; the causal state is that of which things are the result. Concentrating on these five states, the adept gradually conquers the five elements and Nature, of her own accord, comes under his sway.

(27) THE VICTORY OVER THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF SENSORY PERCEPTION. The five senses by which the five elements are grasped have likewise five states; these are the grasping state (grahana), the formal state (sva-rupa), the notion of individual existence (asmita), the conditioning state (anvaya) and the causal state (arthavattva).

All perceived objects are "grasped" by a grasper. The motion of the senses to perceive is the "grasping". When, without previous thought, an object is perceived, the first notion which appears in the mind is its "form". The relation which establishes itself between the form of the object and the I-ness of the grasper is the "notion of the individual existence" of the object. When this same form is taken hold of by the intellect which discusses its reality or unreality, its similarities or particularities, this is the "Conditioning state of the senses" and the causal state of the senses is the notion of I-ness which pervades all the senses, directs their motion and illumines all perception.

By concentrating on these five states of sensory perception they are brought under complete control.

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