Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book I

The text opens with OM and defines Union as the joining of the individual soul with the Oversoul, gained through control of the psychic nature so the Seer comes to consciousness in his proper nature. It lists five psychic activities: sound intellection, unsound intellection, predication, sleep, and memory, then names the elements of sound intellection as direct observation, inductive reason, and trustworthy testimony, and defines each of the remaining activities. Control is said to come through right use of the will and ceasing from self-indulgence, followed by persistent practice, whose consummation is freedom from thirst for psychic activity through establishment of the spiritual man. Meditation with an object is described in stages: exterior examining, interior judicial action, joy, and realization of individual being; afterward meditation rests on the fruit of former meditations. The text distinguishes subjective consciousness from a natural cause (those who have laid aside bodies) from spiritual consciousness led up to by faith, valour, right mindfulness, one-pointedness, and perception, nearest to those of keen will. It offers ardent service of the Master as another means, describing the Master as the spiritual man free from hindrances, bearing the seed of Omniscience, Teacher of all, whose word is OM; soundless repetition of OM brings awakening of interior consciousness and removal of barriers. The second part enumerates barriers—sickness, inertia, doubt, and others—plus grieving, despondency, restlessness, and the life-breath, and prescribes remedies: steady application to a principle; sympathy with the happy, compassion, delight in the holy, disregard of the unholy; control of the life-breath; persistent application; a joyful spirit; purging self-indulgence; pondering dreams and dreamless sleep; and brooding on what is dearest. When perturbations are stilled, consciousness takes the colour of perceiver, perceiving, or perceived. Perception is described with and without exterior consideration, and with and without judicial action for finer substance, rising through subtle substance toward pure nature. When the final impression ceases, pure spiritual consciousness arises with no seed of separateness.