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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Book 2 - The Steps to Union
36. When truth to all beings is perfected, the effectiveness of his words and acts is immediately to be seen.

This question of truth is one of the great problems which the aspirant has to solve, and he who attempts to speak only that which is entirely accurate will find himself confronted by very definite difficulties. Truth is entirely relative whilst evolution proceeds, and is progressive in its manifestation. It might be defined as the demonstration on the physical plane of as much of the divine reality as the stage in evolution and the medium [196] employed permit. Truth, therefore, involves the ability of the perceiver or aspirant to see correctly the amount of the divine which a form (tangible, objective, or of words) clothes. It involves, therefore, the capacity to penetrate to the subject and to contact that which every form veils. It involves also the ability of the aspirant to construct a form (tangible, objective, or of words) which will convey the truth as it is. This is in reality the first two stages of the great creative process:

  1. Correct perception,
  2. Accurate construction,

and it leads on to the consummation dealt with in the sutra under consideration - the effectiveness of all words and acts to convey reality or truth as it is. This sutra gives the clue to the work of the magician and is the basis for the great science of mantras or of words of power which are the equipment of every adept.

Through an understanding of,

  1. The law of vibration,
  2. The science of sound,
  3. The purpose of evolution,
  4. The present cyclic stage,
  5. The nature of form,
  6. The manipulation of atomic substance,

the adept not only sees truth in all things but comprehends how to make truth visible, thus aiding the evolutionary process and "casting images upon the screen of time." This he does through certain words and acts. For the aspirant, the development of this capacity comes through a constant [197] effort to fulfil the following requirements:

  1. Strict attention to every formulation of words used,
  2. The wise use of silence as a factor of service,
  3. The constant study of the causes lying back of every act so that the reason for the effectiveness or non-effectiveness of action is understood.
  4. A steady endeavor to see the reality in every form. This literally involves a study of the law of cause and effect, or karma, the object of the karmic law being to bring the opposite pole of Spirit, matter, into strict conformity with the requirements of spirit so that matter and form can perfectly express the nature of spirit.
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