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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Book 4 - Illumination
17. These forms are cognized or not, according to the qualities latent in the perceiving consciousness.

This has been translated most ably by Charles Johnston in the words:

"An object is perceived or it is not perceived, according as the mind is, or is not, tinged with the color of the object."

We see what we are ourselves; we become aware of that in other forms which is developed in ourselves. We fail to see aspects of life be cause as yet in ourselves, those aspects are undeveloped and latent. To illustrate: we fail to see the divine in our brother because as yet the divine in ourselves is uncontacted and unknown; the form aspect and its limitations are developed in us and the soul is so hidden that we only become aware of the form of our brother, and fail to see his soul. The moment we contact our own soul and live by its light we see the soul of our brother, [409] become aware of his light and our entire approach to him is changed.

Herein lies the clue to our limitations. Herein lies the promise of our success. Latent faculty, when developed, will reveal to us a new world. The hidden powers of the soul when brought to full expression will make us aware of a new world and reveal to us a scheme of life and a kingdom of being hitherto negated by us, because not seen. Hence the need for every investigator of the mysteries of existence to bring to his search his full equipment, and hence the necessity therefore for this process of soul unfoldment to be carried forward and potential faculties to be developed if the truth in its fullness is ever to be realized.
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