Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book III · 19 of 55 · tr. Charles Johnston
Sutra 19
By perfectly concentrated Meditation on mind-images is gained the understanding of the thoughts of others. Here, for those who can profit by it, is the secret of thought-reading. Take the simplest case of intentional thought transference. It is the testimony of those who have done this, that the perceiving mind must be stilled, before the mind-image projected by the other mind can be seen. With it comes a sense of the feeling and temper of the other mind and so on, in higher degrees.
§ Ask Guru about this passage →Themes
Hidden Sayingssoteriology
Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.
The text refers to the 'secret of thought-reading' reserved for those who can profit from it.
All passages →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 passage explicitly describes 'perfectly concentrated Meditation' as the central practice required for gaining insight into others' thoughts.
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e.
The material things (cf.
Myst.
Theol.
I.).
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e.
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83 Luke xx.
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Shared concept: Meditation — Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting. (derived)