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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Book 1 - The Problem of Union
25. In Ishvara, the Gurudeva, the germ of all knowledge expands into infinity. In the macrocosmic sense God is the Master of all and He is the sum total of omniscience, being (as is easily seen) the sum total of all states of consciousness. He is the soul of all things, and the soul of the atom of matter as well as the souls of men are a part of His infinite realization. The soul of the human being is potentially the same, and as soon as the consciousness ceases to identify itself with its vehicles or organs, the germ of all knowledge begins to expand. In the disciple, the adept, Master or Mahatma, in the Christ, the Buddha, and in the Lord of the World, Who is mentioned in the Bible as the Ancient of Days, this "germ of all knowledge" can be seen at differing stages of unfoldment. God consciousness [50] is theirs, and they pass from one initiation to another. At each stage a man is a master but ever beyond the point attained another possible expansion becomes apparent and ever the process is the same. This process may be summed up in the following statements: An urge, or determination to achieve the new knowledge, The holding of the consciousness already unfolded and its utilization, and from the point achieved working forward towards further realization, The overcoming of the difficulties incident to the limitations of the vehicles of consciousness and to karma, The occult tests which are imposed upon the pupil when he shows ability, The triumph of the pupil, The recognition of his triumph and attainment by the guides of the race, the planetary Hierarchy, The vision of what lies ahead. Thus does the unfoldment proceed and in each cycle of endeavor the evolving son of God comes into his birthright and takes the position of a knower, "One who has heard the tradition, experienced the dissolution of that hitherto held, seen that which is hidden from those who abide by the tradition, substituted that which is newly seen, donated the acquired possession to those who hold out empty hands, and passed on to inner halls of learning." Students would do well in studying these few [51] sutras relating to Ishvara to bear in mind that they have reference to the son of God, the second person of the Trinity as He manifests through the medium of the solar system, to the macrocosmic soul. The secondary meaning has reference also to the divine son of God, the second aspect monadic, as He manifests through the medium of a human being. This is the microcosmic soul. The following synonyms of the Ishvara aspect may be found of value.
The Macrocosm
Ishvara, the second aspect | Whose nature is love.
The Son of God | The revealer of the Father.
The cosmic Christ | God in incarnation.
Vishnu | Second person of the Hindu Trimurti.
The soul of all things | Atoms and souls are synonymous terms.
The All-Self | The sum total of all selves.
I am That | Group consciousness.
AUM | The Word of Revelation.
The Word | God in the Flesh.
The Gurudeva | The Master of all.
The light of the world | Shining in darkness.
The Microcosm
The second aspect | Love wisdom.
The son of the Father | The revealer of the Monad.
The Christ | Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The Soul | Consciousness.
The higher Self | The Lord of the bodies.
The Ego | The Self-realizing Identity.
The Word | God in incarnation.
AUM | The Word of revelation.
The Master | The self on the throne.
The radiant Augoeidas | The light within.
The spiritual Man | Utilizing the lower man.
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