meditation, and which is extremely easy and useful, owing to the fact that reading of the subject matter and thinking about it have to be done simultaneously. Further, in making the exposition of the subject-matter clear and concise, he has eliminated the probability of any disturbance owing to irrelevant thoughts, which are almost unavoidable when the exposition is unnecessarily long-drawn. It is extremely difficult to avoid the disturbance of irrelevant thoughts while meditating upon the subject-matter of some long-drawn article or book, even if it is committed to memory; and spon­taneous meditation about it, therefore, becomes impracticable.

Further, the appearance of irrelevant thoughts in the mind becomes very probable not only in a long-drawn meditation of abstract thoughts, but also in a meditation of some concrete object of experience. On the contrary, irrelevant thoughts are extremely improbable if the subject-matter of meditation consists of a brief exposition of the Super-sensible Truth.

It is therefore confidently expected, that if the aspirants sincerely meditate upon the subject-matter of the following exposition (in the manner which has been elaborately indicated above), meditation will become for them not only spontaneous and easy, delightful and inspiring, but also helpful and successful. And they will be thus taking a very important step towards the realization of the goal of life.

THE SOUL AND ITS ILLUSION:

TMAN OR THE SOUL is in reality identical with Paramatman or the Over-Soul,* which is One, Infinite and Eternal. The soul is in fact beyond the gross, subtle and mental worlds;‡ but it experiences itself as being limited owing to its identification with the Sharira or the gross body, Prana or the subtle body (which is the vehicle of desires and vital Forces), or Manas or the mental body† (which is the seat of the mind). The soul, in its transcendental state, is One, Formless, Eternal and

____________

*See Appendix, page 34, A       †Appendix C       ‡ Appendix B