[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Guide To Advanced Yoga Techniques
CONTENTS
PART 1
A SERIES OF LESSONS IN RAJA YOGA
LESSON I. The "I"
LESSON II. The Ego's Mental Tools
LESSON III. The Expansion of the Self
LESSON IV. Mental Control
LESSON V. The Cultivation of Attention
LESSON VI. Cultivation of Perception
LESSON VII. The Unfoldment of Consciousness
LESSON VIII. The Highlands and Lowlands of Mind
LESSON IX. The Mental Planes
LESSON X. Sub-Consciousing
LESSON XI. Sub-Conscious Character Building
LESSON XII. Sub-Conscious Influences
PART 2
A SERIES OF Lessons in Gnani Yoga (The Yoga of Wisdom.)
LESSON I. The One
LESSON II. Omnipresent Life
LESSON III. The Creative Will
LESSON IV. The Unity of Life
LESSON V. The One and the Many
LESSON VI. Within the Mind of the One
LESSON VII. Cosmic Evolution
LESSON VIII. The Ascent of Man
LESSON IX. Metempsychosis
LESSON X. Spiritual Evolution
LESSON XI. The Law of Karma
LESSON XII. Occult Miscellany
PART 1
THE FIRST LESSON.
THE "I."
In India, the Candidates for Initiation into the science of "Raja Yoga,"
when they apply to the Yogi Masters for instruction, are given a series
of lessons designed to enlighten them regarding the nature of the Real
Self, and to instruct them in the secret knowledge whereby they may
develop the consciousness and realization of the real "I" within them.
They are shown how they may cast aside the erroneous or imperfect
knowledge regarding their real identity.
Until the Candidate masters this instruction, or at least until the truth
becomes fixed in his consciousness, further instruction is denied him,
for it is held that until he has awakened to a conscious realization of
his Actual Identity, he is not able to understand the source of his
power, and, moreover, is not able to feel within him the power of the
Will, which power underlies the entire teachings of "Raja Yoga."
The Yogi Masters are hot satisfied if the Candidate forms merely a clear
intellectual conception of this Actual Identity, but they insist that he
must feel the truth of the same--must become aware of the Real
Self--must enter into a consciousness in which the realization becomes a
part of his everyday self--in which the realizing consciousness becomes
the prevailing idea in his mind, around which his entire thoughts and
actions revolve.
To some Candidates, this realization comes like a lightning flash the
moment the attention is directed toward it, while in other cases the
Candidates find it necessary to follow a rigorous course of training
before they acquire the realization in consciousness.
The Yogi Masters teach that there are two degrees of this awakening
consciousness of the Real Self. The first, which they call "the
Consciousness of the 'I'," is the full consciousness of real existence
that comes to the Candidate, and which causes him to know that he is a
real entity having a life not depending upon the body--life that will go
on in spite of the destruction of the body--real life, in fact. The
second degree, which they call "the Consciousness of the 'I AM'," is
the consciousness of one's identity with the Universal Life, and his
relationship to, and "in-touchness" with all life, expressed and
unexpressed. These two degrees of consciousness come in time to all who
seek "The Path." To some it comes suddenly; to others it dawns gradually;
to many it comes assisted by the exercises and practical work of "Raja
Yoga."
The first lesson of the Yogi Masters to the Candidates, leading up to the
first degree, above mentioned, is as follows: That the Supreme
Intelligence of the Universe--the Absolute--has manifested the being that
we call Man--the highest manifestation on this planet. The Absolute has
manifested an infinitude of forms of life in the Universe, including
distant worlds, suns, planets, etc., many of these forms being unknown to
us on this planet, and being impossible of conception by the mind of the
ordinary man. But these lessons have nothing to do with that part of the
philosophy which deals with these myriad forms of life, for our time will
be taken up with the unfoldment in the mind of man of his true nature and
power. Before man attempts to solve the secrets of the Universe without,
he should master the Universe within--the Kingdom of the Self. When he
has accomplished this, then he may, and should, go forth to gain the
outer knowledge as a Master demanding its secrets, rather than as a slave
begging for the crumbs from the table of knowledge. The first knowledge
for the Candidate is the knowledge of the Self.
Man, the highest manifestation of the Absolute, as far as this planet is
concerned, is a wonderfully organized being--although the average man
understands but little of his real nature. He comprises within his
physical, mental and spiritual make-up both the highest and the lowest,
as we have shown in our previous lessons (the "Fourteen Lessons" and the
"Advanced Course"). In his bones he manifests almost in the form of
mineral life, in fact, in his bones, body and blood mineral substances
actually exist. The physical life of the body resembles the life of the
plant. Many of the physical desires and emotions are akin to those of the
lower animals, and in the undeveloped man these desires and emotions
predominate and overpower the higher nature, which latter is scarcely in
evidence. Then Man has a set of mental characteristics that are his own,
and which are not possessed by the lower animals (See "Fourteen
Lessons"). And in addition to the mental faculties common to all men, or
rather, that are in evidence in a greater or lesser degree among all men,
there are still higher faculties latent within Man, which when manifested
and expressed render Man more than ordinary Man. The unfoldment of these
latent faculties is possible to all who have reached the proper stage of
development, and the desire and hunger of the student for this
instruction is caused by the pressure of these unfolding latent
faculties, crying to be born into consciousness. Then there is that
wonderful thing, the Will, which is but faintly understood by those
ignorant of the Yogi Philosophy--the Power of the Ego--its birthright
from the Absolute.
But while these mental and physical things belong to Man, they are
not the Man himself. Before the Man is able to master, control, and
direct the things belonging to him--his tools and instruments--he must
awaken to a realization of Himself. He must be able to distinguish
between the "I" and the "Not I." And this is the first task before the
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]