omnipotent；　loosed　from　the　finite；　and　its　contrasts　of　good　and
  evil　altogether；　and　identical　with　the　Atman　or　Universal
  Soul。〃＇245＇
  ＇245＇　My　quotations　are　from　Vivekananda；　Raja　Yoga；　London；
  1896。　　The　completest　source　of　information　on　Yoga　is　the　work
  translated　by　Vihari　Lala　Mtra：　　Yoga　Vasishta　Maha　Ramayana。　4
  vols。　　Calcutta；　1891…99。
  The　Vedantists　say　that　one　may　stumble　into　superconsciousness
  sporadically；　without　the　previous　discipline；　but　it　is　then
  impure。　　Their　test　of　its　purity；　like　our　test　of　religion's
  value；　is　empirical：　　its　fruits　must　be　good　for　life。　When　a
  man　comes　out　of　Samadhi；　they　assure　us　that　he　remains
  〃enlightened；　a　sage；　a　prophet；　a　saint；　his　whole　character
  changed；　his　life　changed；　illumined。〃＇246＇
  ＇246＇　A　European　witness；　after　carefully　comparing　the　results
  of　Yoga　with　those　of　the　hypnotic　or　dreamy　states　artificially
  producible　by　us；　says：　　〃It　makes　of　its　true　disciples　good；
  healthy；　and　happy　men。　。　。　。　Through　the　mastery　which　the　yogi
  attains　over　his　thoughts　and　his　body；　he　grows　into　a
  'character。'　By　the　subjection　of　his　impulses　and　propensities
  to　his　will；　and　the　fixing　of　the　latter　upon　the　ideal　of
  goodness；　he　becomes　a　'personality'　hard　to　influence　by　others；
  and　thus　almost　the　opposite　of　what　we　usually　imagine　a　medium
  so…called；　or　psychic　subject　to　be。　　Karl　Kellner：　　Yoga：　　Eine
  Skizze；　Munchen；　1896；　p。　21。
  The　Buddhists　used　the　word　〃samadhi〃　as　well　as　the　Hindus；　but
  〃dhyana〃　is　their　special　word　for　higher　states　of
  contemplation。　　There　seem　to　be　four　stages　recognized　in
  dhyana。　　The　first　stage　comes　through　concentration　of　the　mind
  upon　one　point。　　It　excludes　desire；　but　not　discernment　or
  judgment：　　it　is　still　intellectual。　　In　the　second　stage　the
  intellectual　functions　drop　off；　and　the　satisfied　sense　of　unity
  remains。　　In　the　third　stage　the　satisfaction　departs；　and
  indifference　begins；　along　with　memory　a　self…consciousness。　　In
  the　fourth　stage　the　indifference；　memory；　and　self…consciousness
  are　perfected。　　＇Just　what　〃memory〃　and　〃self…consciousness〃　mean
  in　this　connection　is　doubtful。　　They　cannot　be　the　faculties
  familiar　to　us　in　the　lower　life。＇　Higher　stages　still　of
  contemplation　are　mentioneda　region　where　there　exists　nothing；
  and　where　the　mediator　says：　　〃There　exists　absolutely　nothing；〃
  and　stops。　Then　he　reaches　another　region　where　he　says：　　〃There
  are　neither　ideas　nor　absence　of　ideas；〃　and　stops　again。　　Then
  another　region　where；　〃having　reached　the　end　of　both　idea　and
  perception；　he　stops　finally。〃　　This　would　seem　to　be；　not　yet
  Nirvana；　but　as　close　an　approach　to　it　as　this　life
  affords。＇247＇
  ＇247＇　I　follow　the　account　in　C。　F。　Koeppen：　　Die　Religion　des
  Buddha；　Berlin；　1857；　i。　585　ff。
  In　the　Mohammedan　world　the　Sufi　sect　and　various　dervish　bodies
  are　the　possessors　of　the　mystical　tradition。　　The　Sufis　have
  existed　in　Persia　from　the　earliest　times；　and　as　their　pantheism
  is　so　at　variance　with　the　hot　and　rigid　monotheism　of　the　Arab
  mind；　it　has　been　suggested　that　Sufism　must　have　been　inoculated
  into　Islam　by　Hindu　influences。　We　Christians　know　little　of
  Sufism；　for　its　secrets　are　disclosed　only　to　those　initiated。
  To　give　its　existence　a　certain　liveliness　in　your　minds；　I　will
  quote　a　Moslem　document；　and　pass　away　from　the　subject。
  Al…Ghazzali；　a　Persian　philosopher　and　theologian；　who　flourished
  in　the　eleventh　century；　and　ranks　as　one　of　the　greatest　doctors
  of　the　Moslem　church；　has　left　us　one　of　the　few　autobiographies
  to　be　found　outside　of　Christian　literature。　　Strange　that　a
  species　of　book　so　abundant　among　ourselves　should　be　so　little
  represented　elsewherethe　absence　of　strictly　personal
  confessions　is　the　chief　difficulty　to　the　purely　literary
  student　who　would　like　to　become　acquainted　with　the　inwardness
  of　religions　other　than　the　Christian。　M。　Schmolders　has
  translated　a　part　of　Al…Ghazzali's　autobiography　into
  French：＇248＇
  ＇248＇　For　a　full　account　of　him；　see　D。　B。　Macdonald：　　The　Life
  Of　Al…Ghazzali；　in　the　Journal　of　the　American　Oriental　Society；
  1899；　vol。　xx。；　p。　71。
  〃The　Science　of　the　Sufis；〃　says　the　Moslem　author；　〃aims　at
  detaching　the　heart　from　all　that　is　not　God；　and　at　giving　to　it
  for　sole　occupation　the　meditation　of　the　divine　being。　　Theory
  being　more　easy　for　me　than　practice；　I　read　＇certain　books＇
  until　I　understood　all　that　can　be　learned　by　study　and　hearsay。
  Then　I　recognized　that　what　pertains　most　exclusively　to　their
  method　is　just　what　no　study　can　grasp；　but　only　transport；
  ecstasy；　and　the　transformation　of　the　soul。　　How　great；　for
  example；　is　the　difference　between　knowing　the　definitions　of
  health；　of　satiety；　with　their　causes　and　conditions；　and　being
  really　healthy　or　filled。　　How　different　to　know　in　what
  drunkenness　consistsas　being　a　state　occasioned　by　a　vapor　that
  rises　from　the　stomachand　BEING　drunk　effectively。　　Without
  doubt；　the　drunken　man　knows　neither　the　definition　of
  drunkenness　nor　what　makes　it　interesting　for　science。　　Being
  drunk；　he　knows　nothing；　whilst　the　physician；　although　not　drunk
  knows　well　in　what　drunkenness　consists；　and　what　are　its
  predisposing　conditions。　　Similarly　there　is　a　difference　between
  knowing　the　nature　of　abstinence；　and　BEING　abstinent　or　having
  one's　soul　detached　from　the　world。Thus　I　had　learned　what
  words　could　teach　of　Sufism；　but　what　was　left　could　be　learned
  neither　by　study　nor　through　the　ears；　but　solely　by　giving　one's
  self　up　to　ecstasy　and　leading　a　pious　life。
  〃Reflecting　on　my　situation；　I　found　myself　tied　down　by　a
  multitude　of　bondstemptations　on　every　side。　　Considering　my
  teaching；　I　found　it　was　impure　before　God。　　I　saw　myself
  struggling　with　all　my　might　to　achieve　glory　and　to　spread　my
  name。　　＇Here　follows　an　account　of　his　six　months'　hesitation　to
  break　away　from　the　conditions　of　his　life　at　Bagdad；　at　the　end
  of　which　he　fell　ill　with　a　paralysis　of　the　tongue。＇　Then；
  feeling　my　own　weakness；　and　having　entirely　given　up　my　own
  will；　I　repaired　to　God　like　a　man　in　distress　who　has　no　more
  resources。　　He　answered；　as　he　answers　the　wretch　who　invokes
  him。　　My　heart　no　longer　felt　any　difficulty　in　renouncing　glory；
  wealth；　and　my　children。　　So　I　quitted　Bagdad；　and　reserving　from
  my　fortune　only　what　was　indispensable　for　my　subsistence；　I
  distributed　the　rest。　　I　went　to　Syria；　where　I　remained　about
  two　years；　with　no　other　occupation　than　living　in　retreat　and
  solitude；　conquering　my　desires；　combating　my　passions；　training
  myself　to　purify　my　soul；　to　make　my　character　perfect；　to
  prepare　my　heart　for　meditating　on　Godall　according　to　the
  methods　of　the　Sufis；　as　I　had　read　of　them。
  〃This　retreat　only　increased　my　desire　to　live　in　solitude；　and
  to　complete　the　purification　of　my　heart　and　fit　it　for
  meditation。　　But　the　vicissitudes　of　the　times；　the　affairs　of
  the　family；　the　need　of　subsistence；　changed　in　some　respects　my
  primitive　resolve；　and　interfered　with　my　plans　for　a　purely
  solitary　life。　　I　had　never　yet　found　myself　completely　in
  ecstasy；　save　in　a　few　single　hours；　nevertheless；　I　kept　the
  hope　of　attaining　this　state。　　Every　time　that　the　accidents　led
  me　astray；　I　sought　to　return；　and　in　this　situation　I　spent　ten
  years。　　During　this　solitary　state　things　were　revealed　to　me
  which　it　is　impossible　either　to　describe　or　to　point　out。　　I
  recognized　for　certain　that　the　Sufis　are　assuredly　walking　in
  the　path　of　God。　　Both　in　their　acts　and　in　their　inaction；
  whether　internal　or　external；　they　are　illumined　by　the　light
  which　proceeds　from　the　prophetic　source。　　The　first　condition
  for　a　Sufi　is　to　purge　his　heart　entirely　of　all　that　is　not　God。
  The　next　key　of　the　contemplative　life　consists　in　the　humble
  prayers　which　escape　from　the　fervent　soul；　and　in　the
  meditations　on　God　in　which　the　heart　is　swallowed　up　entirely。
  But　in　reality　this　is　only　the　beginning　of　the　Sufi　life；　the
  end　of　Sufism　being　total　absorption　in　God。　　The　intuitions　and
  all　that　precede　are；　so　to　speak；　only　the　threshold　for　those
  who　enter。　　From　the　beginning　revelations　take　place　in　so
  flagrant　a　shape　that　the　Sufis　see　before　them；　whilst　wide
  aw