Chapter 32 Led
by the Spirit
While
this book is intended to treat solely upon the
care of the physical body, leaving the higher
branches of the Yogi Philosophy to be dealt with
in other writings, still the leading principle of
the Yogi teachings is so bound up with the minor
branches of the subject, and is so largely taken
into account by the Yogis in the simplest acts of
their lives, that injustice to the teachings as
well as to our students, we cannot leave the
subject without at least saying a few words about
this underlying principle.
The
Yogi Philosophy, as our students doubtless know,
hold that man is slowly growing and unfolding,
from the lower forms and manifestations to higher,
and still higher expressions of the Spirit. Spirit
is in each man, although often so obscured by the
confining sheaths of his lower nature that it is
scarcely discernable. It is also in the lower
forms of life, working up and ever seeking for
higher forms of expression. The material sheaths
of this progressing lifebodies of mineral, plant,
lower animal and manare but instruments to be used
for the best development of the higher principles.
But, although the use of the material body is but
temporary, and the body itself nothing more than a
suit of clothes to be put on, worn, and then
discarded, yet it is always the intent of Spirit
to provide and maintain as perfect an instrument
as possible. It provides the best body possible,
and gives the impulses toward right living, but if
from causes not to be mentioned here, an imperfect
body is provided for the soul, still the higher
principles strive to adapt and accommodate
themselves to it, and make the best of it.
This
instinct of self-preservationthis urge behind all
of lifeis a manifestation of the Spirit. It works
through the most rudimentary forms of the
Instinctive Mind up through many stages until it
reaches the highest manifestations of that mental
principle. It also manifests through the
Intellect, in the direction of causing the man to
use his reasoning powers for the purpose of
maintaining his physical soundness and life. But,
alas! the Intellect does not keep to its own work,
for as soon as it begins to be conscious of itself
it begins to meddle with the duties of the
Instinctive Mind, and overriding the instinct of
the latter, it forces all sort of unnatural modes
of living upon the body, and seems to try to get
as far away from nature as possible. It is like a
boy freed from the parental restraint, who goes as
far contrary to the parents' example and advice as
possiblejust to show that he is independent. But
the boy learns his folly, and retraces his
stepsand so will the Intellect.
Man
is beginning to see now, that there is something
within him that attends to the wants of his body,
and which knows its own business much better than
he does. For man with all his Intellect is unable
to duplicate the feats of the Instinctive Mind
working through the body of the plant, animal or
himself. And he learns to trust this mental
principle as a friend, and to let it work out its
own duties. In the present modes of life which man
has seen fit to adopt, in his evolution, but from
which he will return to first principles sooner or
later, it is impossible to live a wholly natural
life, and physical existence must be more or less
abnormal as a consequence. But nature's instinct
of self-preservation and accommodation is great,
and it manages to get along very well with a
considerable of a handicap, and does its work much
better than one would expect considering the
absurd and insane living habits and practices of
civilized man.
It
must not be forgotten, however, that as man
advances along the scale and the Spiritual Mind
begins to unfold, man acquires a something akin to
instinctwe call it Intuitionand this leads him
back to nature. We can see the influence of this
dawning consciousness, in the marked movement back
toward natural living and the simple life, which
is growing so rapidly the last few years. We are
beginning to laugh at the absurd forms,
conventions and fashions which have grown up
around our civilization and which, unless we get
rid of them, will pull down that civilization
beneath its growing weight.
The
man and woman in whom the Spiritual Mind is
unfolding, will become dissatisfied with the
artificial life and customs, and will find a
strong inclination to return to simpler and more
natural principles of living, thinking and acting,
and will grow impatient under the restraint and
artificial coverings and bandages with which man
has bound himself during the ages. He will feel
the homing instinct"after long ages we are coming
home." And the Intellect will respond, and seeing
the follies it has perpetrated, will endeavor to
"let go" and return to nature, doing its own work
all the better by reason of having allowed the
Instinctive Mind to attend to its own work without
meddling.
The
whole theory and practice of Hatha Yogi is based
upon this idea of return to naturethe belief that
the Instinctive Mind of man contains that which
will maintain health under normal conditions. And
accordingly those who practice its teachings learn
first to "let go," and then to live as closely to
natural conditions as is possible in this age of
artificiality. And this little book has been
devoted to pointing out nature's ways and methods,
in order that we may return to them. We have not
taught a new doctrine, but have merely cried out
to you to come with us to the good old way from
which we have strayed.
We
are not unmindful of the fact that it is much
harder for the man and woman of the West to adopt
natural methods of living, when all their
surroundings impel them the other way, but still
each may do a little each day for himself and the
race, in this direction, and it is surprising how
the old artificial habits will drop from a
personone by one.
In
this our concluding chapter, we wish to impress
upon you the fact that one may be led by the
Spirit in the physical life, as well as in the
mental. One may implicitly trust the Spirit to
guide him in the right way in the matter of
everyday living as well as in the more complicated
matters of life. If one will trust in the spirit,
he will find that his old appetites will drop away
from himhis abnormal tastes will disappearand he
will find a joy and pleasure in the simpler living
which will make life seem like a different thing
to him.
One
should not attempt to divorce his belief in the
Spirit leadings from his physical lifefor Spirit
pervades everything, and manifests in the physical
(or rather through it) as well as in the highest
mental states. One may eat with the Spirit and
drink with it, as well as think with it. It will
not do to say "this is spiritual, and that is
not," for all is spiritual, in the highest sense.
And
finally, if one wishes to make the most of his
physical lifeto have as perfect an instrument as
may be for the expression of the Spiritlet him
live his life all the way through in that trust
and confidence in the spiritual part of his
nature. Let him realize that the Spirit within him
is a spark from the Divine Flamea drop from the
Ocean of Spirit-a ray from the Central Sun. Let
him realize that he is an eternal beingalways
growing, developing and unfolding. Always moving
toward the great goal the exact nature of which
man, in his present state, is unable to grasp with
his imperfect mental vision. The urge is always
onward and upward. We are all a part of that great
Life which is manifesting itself in an infinitude
of infinitude of forms and shapes. We are all a
part of IT. If we can but grasp the faintest idea
of what this means, we will open ourselves up to
such an influx of Life and vitality that our
bodies will be practically made over and will
manifest perfectly. Let each of us form an idea of
a Perfect Body, and endeavor to so live that we
will grow into its physical form-and we can do
this.
We
have tried to tell you the laws governing the
physical body, that you may conform to them as
near as may beinterposing as little friction as
possible to the inflow of that great life and
energy which is anxious to flow through us. Let
us return to nature, dear students, and allow
this great life to flow through us freely, and
all will be well with us. Let us stop trying to
do the whole thing ourselveslet us just LET the
thing do its own work for us. It only asks
confidence and non-resistancelet us give it a
chance.
The following works by Yogi Ramacharaka are
available on this site
We would
recommend reading them, in the following order:
