Franklin Merrell-Wolff discusses the orientation to wholeness and goodness. He begins by contrasting the iti-iti path of inclusion and the neti-neti path of exclusion, and notes that both are valid approaches to yoga. He then describes the autonomous process of an inversion of consciousness from the “point-I” to the “Space-I,” a process that brings one to the threshold of Nirvana. Wolff calls attention to the Arya path of the renunciation of the nirvanic withdrawal that allows one to remain in the world to work toward the redemption of all creatures. He then goes on to formulate a description of a still vaster Realization of Consciousness, which he calls “The High Indifference,” making it possible to abide in a state that integrates the sangsaric consciousness and the nirvanic consciousness into the unity of the Paramatman.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this discourse by exploring the distinction between the Oriental tendency to formulate metaphysical statements concerning yogic Realization and the Western inclination to produce psychological-epistemological statements. He addresses the question of how we determine truth by examining the approach from the empirical scientific base and from the zone of logical relationships. He comments upon the irrational, Dionysian side of man that views nature as arbitrarily ruled by the gods, and the rational, Apollonian side, which seeks to gain control over nature through scientifically understanding natural law. Wolff then returns to his analysis of truth determination by asserting that in addition to determination by empirical fact and logical relationship, there is an approach through the penetration into a transcendental way of Consciousness wherein truth becomes that with which the self is identical. He elaborates upon his description of levity, which he described in part 1 of this discourse as having a sense of returning home, and he suggests that the story of the descent of the Manasaputra offers an explanation of this imperience. He concludes by speculating that the lowest aspect of the Manasaputra can meet man only on the conceptual level but not on the sensational level.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff discusses the vertical and horizontal relationships with which man is confronted in terms of the following pairs of opposites: purity-impurity for the vertical relationships and compassion-incompassion for the horizontal relationships. He represents these relationships by plotting them on a rectilinear Cartesian coordinate system. He goes on to expand the definition of these pairs of opposites by introducing the concepts of goodness, righteousness, and benignity, and suggests a more comprehensive understanding of purity as a single-pointed devotion to the transcendental Consciousness. Wolff describes his imperience of levity during the ascension of consciousness in his transformation cycle of 1936.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff examines the distinction that William James makes between two types of judgment: existential judgment and spiritual judgment. He offers several examples of this distinction and submits that the truth or validity of a statement or thesis is not determined by the circumstances on the occasion of the thesis, but by the content and value of the thesis itself. Wolff refers to the Declaration of Independence, to an article on creativity written by the mathematician Henri Poincare, to the sometimes peculiar behavior of Sir Isaac Newton, and to the philosophic thesis of Immanuel Kant to clarify this position.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff addresses several questions in this discourse that are not directly related. He first examines the question of whether thoughts occur spontaneously without out thinking them, as Aurobindo asserts, or are actively formulated by self-effort, as implied by Descartes. He contrasts these two perspectives in light of Keyserling’s comment regarding the influence of tropical climates upon the thought process. He goes on to make a distinction between the imaginal thinking of the sense mind and the conceptual thinking of the Buddhi, and offers a description of his thought process before and since his Realizations of 1936, and suggests that we may have two kinds of thinking—one laborious and self-directed, and the other effortless and spontaneous. Wolff next takes up a new line of reflection in connection with the Last Supper of the Christ as represented in the Gospels, and he discusses the difference between racial and pan-racial orientations of religious groups. He concludes these random thoughts by turning his attention to a discussion of the problem of evil prompted by a lengthy statement in the tenth letter of The Mahatma Letters.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff considers the ethical background that forms the basis of the moral discipline necessary for following the yoga of knowledge. He restricts this discourse to the subject of yogic purification of the individual and is not here discussing the orientation of compassion toward others. He begins by noting that purification consists of three aspects; namely, physical, vital, and mental. He comments on diet, city life, general physical influences, sexuality, and cravings; he insists that cravings of all sorts whatsoever must be overcome by the power of will in the practice of a self-imposed discipline. Wolff goes on to outline what is necessary to achieve purity and clarity of thought, and for this he advocates a protracted experience working with pure mathematical conceptions. He proceeds to offer a description of a super-conceptual state of consciousness transcending this purity of thought and again asserts that purity is the supreme requirement for attaining this consciousness. He continues by describing the role of a competent guru and discusses the nature of the Current and his experience with it.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff discusses his need for more personal time to allow for the “brooding” necessary preceding the production of a discourse. He then comments upon the influence Ramana had in helping to bring about his propaedeutic Realization, “I am Nirvana.” He asserts that his series of five realizations and the continuing action of the “transcendental function” form the basis of what he has to give, although he does acknowledge correlation with Buddhism, Vedanta, and the Greek current of thought represented by the mathematical spirit of Pythagoras. He asserts that it is this mathematical element that characterizes the authentically Western contribution to yoga. He then makes a distinction between the aesthetic yoga of the East and the theoretic yoga characteristic of the West noting that in addition to Northrop’s designation of the “indeterminate aesthetic continuum,” he is working to formulate the notion of a corresponding “indeterminate theoretic continuum.” Wolff offers a description of the experience of mathematical beauty and again expresses a desire to be somewhat withdrawn from making new contacts so that he may direct his attention to completing his fundamental philosophical statement during his remaining years of production.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff presents an extemporaneous discourse on the subject of synchronicity. He comments upon the need to maintain an attitude of spontaneous delight in the thought process to be open to the wisdom of the transcendental function. Wolff contrasts the empirical approach to the concept of synchronicity taken by Jung to an approach in the mathematical spirit as exemplified by Riemann’s development of non-Euclidean geometry. He goes on to explore the meaning of synchronicity by positing the existence of a macrocosmic Monad from which microcosmic Monads are derived and by analyzing the properties of infinite sets. He submits that in addition to the inner order of monadic relationships, there could also be an external order of relationships that arises by the “colliding” of the microcosmic Monads experiencing the painful consciousness of sangsaric existence. Wolff asserts that it is from this experience that the law of karma or causality is derived and that by turning sufficiently inward we can transcend the law of karma and come back under the law of parallelism or synchronicity.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues his discourse on the principles of moral behavior by examining the problem of good and evil that arises within the dualistic consciousness when considering the “equipotency” of the pairs of opposites. He suspects that it may be in principle possible to realize the nirvanic Consciousness following the negative or evil path, and though he finds this possibility extremely obnoxious, he can find no logical basis for dismissing it. He goes on to describe the deterioration of moral discipline that he sees in the world today by offering a description of the asuric orientation to ugliness, sensuality, irrationality, pornography, and chemically-induced intoxication. Wolff concludes by emphatically reaffirming the principle of purity as the most important element in the yogic orientation. Please note that part 13 of “Three Fundamentals of the Introceptive Philosophy” may be considered as part 1 of this discourse.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff expresses his reverence for the aspirant who, at the threshold to Nirvana, takes the path of the Great Renunciation thereby making of himself a channel so that the illuminating Light of that state of Consciousness may be spread to all creatures as far as karmic law permits.