[73] (1). THE Pali word Iddhi , is the synonym of the Sanskrit Siddhis , or psychic faculties, the abnormal powers in man. There are two kinds of Siddhis . One group which embraces the lower, coarse, psychic and mental energies; the other is one which exacts the highest training of Spiritual powers. Says Krishna in Shrimad Bhagavat: - "He who is engaged in the performance of yoga, who has subdued his senses and who has concentrated his mind in me (Krishna), such yogis all the Siddhis stand ready to serve."

(2). The "Soundless Voice," or the "Voice of the Silence." Literally perhaps this would read "Voice in the Spiritual Sound ," as Nada is the equivalent word in Sanskrit, for the Sen-sar term.

(3). Dhâranâ , is the intense and perfect concentration of the mind upon some one interior object, accompanied by complete abstraction from everything pertaining to the external Universe, or the world of the senses.

(4). The "great Master" is the term used by lanoos or chelas to indicate one's "Higher Self." It is the equivalent of Avalôkitêswara , and the same as Adi-Budha [74] with the Buddhist Occultists, ATMAN the "Self" (the Higher Self) with the Brahmins, and CHRISTOS with the ancient Gnostics.

(5). Soul is used here for the Human Ego or Manas, that which is referred to in our Occult Septenary division as the "Human Soul" (Vide the Secret Doctrine ) in contradistinction to the Spiritual and Animal Souls.

(6). Maha-Maya "Great Illusion," the objective Universe.

(7). Sakkâyaditthi "delusion" of personality.

(8). Attavâda , the heresy of the belief in Soul or rather in the separateness of Soul or Self from the One Universal, infinite SELF.

(9). The Tatwagyanee is the "knower" or discriminator of the principles in nature and in man; and Atmagyanee is the knower of ATMAN or the Universal, ONE SELF.

(10). Kala Hamsa , the "Bird" or Swan (Vide No. 11). Says the Nada-Bindu-Upanishad (Rig Veda) translated by the Kumbakonam Theos. Society - "The syllable A is considered to be its (the bird Hamsa's) right wing, U, its left, M, its tail, and the Ardha-matra (half metre) is said to be its head."

(11). Eternity with the Orientals has quite another signification than it has with us. It stands generally for [75] the 100 years or "age" of Brahmâ, the duration of a Kalpa or a period of 4,320,000,000 years.

(12). Says the same Nada-Bindu , "A Yogî who bestrides the Hamsa (thus contemplates on Aum) is not affected by Karmic influences or crores of sins."

(13). Give up the life of physical personality if you would live in spirit.

(14). The three states of consciousness, which are Jagrat , the waking; Swapna , the dreaming; and Sushupti , the deep sleeping state. These three Yogi conditions, lead to the fourth, or -

(15). The Turya , that beyond the dreamless state, the one above all, a state of high spiritual consciousness.

(16). Some Sanskrit mystics locate seven planes of being, the seven spiritual lokas or worlds within the body of Kala Hamsa , the Swan out of Time and Space, convertible into the Swan in Time, when it becomes Brahmâ instead of Brahma (neuter).

(17). The phenomenal World of Senses and of terrestrial consciousness - only.

(18). The astral region, the Psychic World of supersensuous perceptions and of deceptive sights - the world of Mediums. It is the great "Astral Serpent" of Éliphas Lévi. No blossom plucked in those regions has ever yet [76] been brought down on earth without its serpent coiled around the stem. It is the world of the Great Illusion .

(19). The region of the full Spiritual Consciousness beyond which there is no longer danger for him who has reached it.

(20). The Initiate who leads the disciple through the Knowledge given to him to his spiritual, or second, birth is called the Father guru or Master.

(21). Agnyana is ignorance or non -wisdom the opposite of "Knowledge" gnyana .

(22). Mara is in exoteric religions a demon, an Asura , but in esoteric philosophy it is personified temptation through men's vices, and translated literally means "that which kills" the Soul. It is represented as a King (of the Maras) with a crown in which shines a jewel of such lustre that it blinds those who look at it, this lustre referring of course to the fascination exercised by vice upon certain natures.

(23). The inner chamber of the Heart, called in Sanskrit Brahma poori . The "fiery power" is Kundalini.

(24). The "Power" and the "World-mother" are names given to Kundalini - one of the mystic "Yogi powers." It is Buddhi considered as an active instead of a passive [77] principle (which it is generally, when regarded only as the vehicle, or casket of the Supreme Spirit ATMA). It is an electro-spiritual force, a creative power which when aroused into action can as easily kill as it can create.

(25). Keshara or "sky-walker" or "goer." As explained in the 6th. Adhyaya of that king of mystic works the Dhyanéswari - the body of the Yogi becomes as one formed of the wind ; as "a cloud from which limbs have sprouted out," after which - "he (the Yogi) beholds the things beyond the seas and stars; he hears the language of the Devas and comprehends it, and perceives what is passing in the mind of the ant."

(26). Vina is an Indian stringed instrument like a lute.

(27). The six principles; meaning when the lower personality is destroyed and the inner individuality is merged into and lost in the Seventh or Spirit.

(28). The disciple is one with Brahmâ or ATMAN.

(29). The astral form produced by the Kamic principle, the Kama rupa or body of desire.

(30). Manasa rupa . The first refers to the astral or personal Self; the second to the individuality or the reincarnating Ego whose consciousness on our plane or the lower Manas - has to be paralyzed.

(31). Kundalini is called the "Serpentine" or annular [78] power on account of its spiral-like working or progress in the body of the ascetic developing the power in himself. It is an electric fiery occult or Fohatic power, the great pristine force, which underlies all organic and inorganic matter.

(32). This "Path" is mentioned in all the Mystic Works. As Krishna says in the Dhyanéswari : "When this Path is beheld ... whether one sets out to the bloom of the east or to the chambers of the west, without moving , O holder of the bow, is the travelling in this road . In this path, to whatever place one would go, that place one's own self becomes." "Thou art the Path" is said to the adept guru and by the latter to the disciple, after initiation. "I am the way and the Path", says another MASTER.

(33). Adeptship - the "blossom of Bôdhisattva ."

(34). Tanha-- "the will to live," the fear of death and love for life, that force or energy which causes rebirths.

(35). These mystic sounds or the melody heard by the ascetic at the beginning of his cycle of meditation called Anâhad-shabd by the Yogis.

(36). This means that in the sixth stage of development which, in the occult system is Dhâranâ , every sense as an individual faculty has to be "killed" (or paralyzed) on this [79] plane, passing into and merging with the Seventh sense, the most spiritual.

(37). See number 3.

(38). Every stage of development in Raja Yoga is symbolised by a geometrical figure. This one is the sacred Triangle and precedes Dhâranâ . The is the sign of the high chelas, while another kind of triangle is that of high Initiates. It is the symbol "I" discoursed upon by Buddha and used by him as a symbol of the embodied form of Tathâgata when released from the three methods of the Prajna . Once the preliminary and lower stages passed, the disciple sees no more the but the - the abbreviation of the -, the full Septenary. Its true form is not given here, as it is almost sure to be pounced upon by some charlatans and - desecrated in its use for fraudulent purposes.

(39). The star that burns overhead is "the star of initiation." The caste-mark of Saivas, or devotees of the sect of Siva, the great patron of all Yogins, is a black round spot, the symbol of the Sun now, perhaps, but that of the star of initiation, in Occultism, in days of old.

(40). The basis (upadhi ) of the ever unreachable "FLAME," so long as the ascetic is still in this life.

[80] (41). Dhyâna is the last stage before the final on this Earth , unless one becomes a full MAHATMA. As said already in this state the Raj Yogi is yet spiritually conscious of Self, and the working of his higher principles. One step more, and he will be on the plane beyond the Seventh (or fourth according to some schools). These, after the practice of Pratyêhara - a preliminary training, in order to control ones mind and thoughts - count Dhâsena [Dhârana], Dhyâna and Samâdhi and embraces the three under the generic name of SANNYAMA.

(42). Samâdhi is the state in which the ascetic loses the consciousness of every individuality including his own. He becomes - the ALL.

(43). The "four modes of truth" are, in Northern Buddhism, Ku "suffering or misery;" Tu the assembling of temptations; Mu "their destructions" and Tau , the "path." The "five impediments" are the knowledge of misery, truth about human frailty, oppressive restraints, and the absolute necessity of separation from all the ties of passion and even of desires. The "Path of Salvation" - is the last one.

(44). At the portal of the "asssembling" the King of the Maras the Maha Mara stands trying to blind the candidate by the radiance of his "Jewel."

[81] (45). This is the fourth "Path" out of the five paths of rebirth which lead and toss all human beings into perpetual states of sorrow and joy. These "paths" are but sub-divisions of the One, the Path followed by Karma.