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Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book II · 27 of 55 · tr. Charles Johnston

Sutra 27

His illuminations is sevenfold, rising in successive stages. Patanjali's text does not tell us what the seven stages of this illumination are. The commentator thus describes them; First, the danger to be escaped is recognized; it need not be recognized a second time. Second, the causes of the danger to be escaped are worn away; they need not be worn away a second time. Third, the way of escape is clearly perceived, by the contemplation which checks psychic perturbation. Fourth, the means of escape, clear discernment, has been developed. This is the fourfold release belonging to insight. The final release from the psychic is three-fold: As fifth of the seven degrees, the dominance of its thinking is ended; as sixth, its potencies, like rocks from a precipice, fall of themselves; once dissolved, they do not grow again. Then, as seventh, freed from these potencies, the spiritual man stands forth in his own nature as purity and light. Happy is the spiritual man who beholds this seven-fold illumination in its ascending stages.
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Themes
Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

The path to liberation is described as contemplation that 'checks psychic perturbation' and the development of 'clear discernment' — knowledge gained through direct experiential insight rather than faith, ritual, or moral works.

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Inner Lightanthropology

The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.

The liberated spiritual man is described as standing forth in his own nature as purity and light.

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Meditationpraxis

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

The text references 'contemplation' and 'clear discernment' as key practices for achieving liberation.

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Pneumatic Electsoteriology

A spiritual elite who possess the divine spark and are predestined for salvation, contrasted with psychic (faithful) and hylic (material) persons.

The passage explicitly contrasts the 'psychic' (whose thinking, potencies, and perturbation are dissolved) with the 'spiritual man' who emerges in purity and light, mirroring the Gnostic pneumatic/psychic distinction.

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Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

The sevenfold illumination is explicitly a staged ascent in which the spiritual man, freed from psychic bondage, 'stands forth in his own nature as purity and light' — a complete reversal of the fall into psychic perturbation.

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Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

The liberation is achieved through recognizing danger, wearing away causes, and perceiving the way of escape within oneself.

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Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The passage describes a sevenfold illumination rising in successive stages toward higher states of liberation.

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