पातञ्जल योगसूत्र (स्वामी विवेकानन्द भाष्य एवं सूत्र व्याख्या)

Patanjali Yoga Sutras

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struggling towards knowledge, but you and I have to struggle
hard, and come to knowledge through a long tedious process
of reasoning, but the Yogi, the pure one, has gone beyond all
this. Before his mind, the past, the present, and the future, are
alike one book for him to read; he does not require to go
through all this tedious process, and his words are proofs,
because he sees knowledge in himself; he is the Omniscient
One. These, for instance, are the authors of the Sacred
Scriptures; therefore the Scriptures are proof, and, if any such
persons are living now, their words will be proof. Other
philosophers go into long discussions about this Apta, and
they say, what is the proof that this is truth? The proof is
because they see it; because whatever I see is proof, and
whatever you see is proof, if it does not contradict any past
knowledge. There is knowledge beyond the senses, and
whenever it does not contradict reason and past human
experience, that knowledge is proof. Any madman may come
into this room and say that he sees angels around him, that
would not be proof. In the first place it must be true
knowledge, and, secondly, it must not contradict knowledge
of the past, and thirdly, it must depend upon the character of
the man. I hear it said that the character of the man is not of so
much importance as what he may say; we must first hear what
he says. This may be true in other things; a man may be
wicked, and yet make an astronomical discovery, but in
religion it is different, because no impure man will ever have
the power to reach the truths of religion. Therefore, we have
first of all to see that the man who declares himself to be an
Apta is a perfectly unselfish and holy person; secondly that he
has reached beyond the senses, and thirdly that what he says
does not contradict the past knowledge of humanity. Any new
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