Childlike Mind
Even after years of meditation practice, a yogi must be on the lookout for small mental adjustments which are executed by the mid, and which could cause the self to digress. One should never assume that one is so advanced that one cannot return to a primitive thinking stage or an emotionally corrupt view-point.
After becoming successful at the fifth stage of yoga, pratyahar sensual energy withdrawal, the mind becomes a little afraid of a yogi. This is in contrast to non-proficiency where the core-self is afraid of the mind and becomes captivated by it simply because the self has no control of its interest.
Due to this fear of the yogi when that person becomes proficient at man-handling the mind, the mind itself assumes a pleasant attitude out of necessity, just to get along with the core-self which has up-ended the usual behavior of the mind and has somehow or the other, figured how to maintain itself with the upper hand.
However even though it was placed in the position as the underdog, as the stooge of the self instead of being the master of the psyche, the mind still has a desire to dominate the psyche and to put the core-self where it was before the proficiency.
Facing the reality of its bleak future without control of the psyche, being told to what to do, and having to serve at the beck and call of the core-self, the mind will make slight or very weak suggestions to regain control of the psyche. If the core-self gives in to these suggestions without checking their yogic value, then eventually the yogi will find himself to be under the wing of the mind again. This will lead to a complete reconquest by the mind.
A yogi should know the psyche inside-out. Any slight suggestion which in any way, big or small, will contravene the aims of yoga, should be stopped, or for the least, monitored. When the mind makes these slight transgressions it will act like a child does with the parent when the child wants to influence the parent’s disciplinary view. Then if the parent gives in the child will, over time, gain control and even though it is a dependent of the parent, it will function as the director of the household.
