| Untying | Body | Mind | Spirit | Vision |
| Lesson | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII |
Yoga of the Mind
By YOGI RAMACHARAKA
1906
- when the Sun knows that it is a Sun, surrounded by its whirling planets
The lessons which compose this volume,
originally appeared in the shape of monthly lessons, the
first of which was issued in October, 1905, and the
twelfth in September, 1906. These lessons met with a
hearty and generous response from the public, and the
present volume is issued in response to the demand for the
lessons in a permanent and durable form. There have been
no changes made in the text.
The publishers take the liberty to call the attention of
the reader to the great amount of information condensed
within the space given to each lesson. Students have told
us that they have found it necessary to read and study
each lesson carefully, in order to absorb the varied
information contained within its pages. They have also
stated that they have found it advisable to re-read the
lessons several times, allowing an interval between
each reading and that at each re-reading they would
discover information that had escaped them during the
course of the previous study. This has been repeated to us
so often that we feel justified in mentioning it, that
other readers might avail themselves of the same course
and plan of study.
Following his usual custom, the writer of the lessons has
declined to write a preface for this book, claiming that
the lessons speak for themselves, and that those for whom
they are intended will receive the message contained
within them, without any prefatory talk.
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 not 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 Candidate
That which is the Real Self of Man is the Divine Spark
sent forth from the Sacred Flame. It is the Child of the
Divine Parent. It is Immortal<- Eternal- Indestructible<-
Invincible. It possesses within itself Power, Wisdom, and
Reality. But like the infant that contains within itself
the sometime Man, the mind of Man is unaware of its latent
and potential qualities, and does not know itself. As it
awakens and unfolds into the knowledge of its real nature,
it manifests its qualities, and realizes what the Absolute
has given it. When the Real Self begins to awaken, it sets
aside from itself those things which are but appendages to
it, but which it, in its half-waking state, had regarded
as its Self. Setting aside first this, and then that, it
finally discards all of the "Not I," leaving the Real Self
free and delivered from its bondage to its appendages.
Then it returns to the discarded appendages, and makes use
of them.
In considering the question: "What is the Real Self?" let
us first stop to examine what man usually means when he
says "I."
The lower animals do not possess this "I" sense. They are
conscious of the outer world; of their own desires and
animal cravings and feelings. But their consciousness has
not reached the Self-conscious stage. They are not able to
think of themselves as separate entities, and to reflect
upon their thoughts. They are not possessed of a
consciousness of the Divine Spark- the Ego- the Real Self.
The Divine Spark is hidden in the lower forms of life-
even in the lower forms of human life- by many sheaths
that shut out its light. But, nevertheless, it is there,
always. It sleeps within the mind of the savage- then, as
he unfolds, it begins to throw out its light. In you, the
Candidate, it is fighting hard to have its beams pierce
through the material coverings. When the Real Self begins
to arouse itself from its sleep, its dreams vanish from
it, and it begins to see the world as it is, and to
recognize itself in Reality and not as the distorted thing
of its dreams.
The savage and barbarian are scarcely conscious of the
"I." They are but a little above the animal in point of
consciousness, and their "I" is almost entirely a matter
of the consciousness of the wants of the body; the
satisfaction of the appetites; the gratification of the
passions; the securing of personal comfort; the expression
of lust, savage power, etc.
In the savage the lower part of the
Instinctive Mind is the seat of the "I." (See "Fourteen
Lessons" for explanation of the several mental planes of
man.) If the savage could analyze his thoughts he would
say that the "I" was the physical body, the said body
having certain "feelings," "wants" and "desires." The "I"
of such a man is a physical "I," the body
representing its form and substance. Not only is this true
of the savage, but even among so-called "civilized" men of
to-day we find many in this stage. They have developed
powers of thinking and reasoning, but they do not "live in
their minds" as do some of their brothers. They use their
thinking powers for the gratification of their bodily
desires and cravings, and really live on the plane of the
Instinctive Mind. Such a person may speak of "my mind," or
"my soul," not from a high position where he looks upon
these things from the standpoint of a Master who realizes
his Real Self, but from below, from the point-of-view of
the man who lives on the plane of the Instinctive Mind and
who sees above ' himself' the higher attributes. To such
people the body is the "I." Their "I" is bound up with the
senses, and that which comes to them through the senses.
Of course, as Man advances in "culture" and
"civilization," his senses become educated, and are
satisfied only with more refined things, while the less
cultivated man is perfectly satisfied with the more
material and gross sense gratifications. Much that we
call"cultivation" and "culture" is naught but a
cultivation of a more refined form of sense gratification,
instead of a real advance in consciousness and unfoldment.
It is true that the advanced student and Master is
possessed of highly developed senses, often far surpassing
those of the ordinary man, but in such cases the senses
have been cultivated under the mastery of the Will,
and are made servants of the Ego instead of things
hindering the progress of the soul - they are made servants instead of masters.
As Man advances in the scale, he begins to have a somewhat
higher conception of the "I." He begins to use his mind
and reason, and he passes on to the Mental Plane- his mind
begins to manifest upon the plane of Intellect. He
finds that there is something within him that is
In this second stage, Man soon becomes perplexed. He finds
problems that demand an answer, but as soon as he thinks
he has answered them the problems present themselves in a
new phase, and he is called upon to "explain his
explanation." The mind, even although not controlled and
directed by the Will, has a wonderful range, but,
nevertheless, Man finds himself traveling around and
around in a circle, and realizes that he is confronted
continually by the Unknown. This disturbs him, and the
higher the stage of "book learning" he attains, the more
disturbed does he become. The man of but little knowledge
does not see the existence of many problems that force
themselves before the attention of the man of more
knowledge, and demand an explanation from him. The
tortures of the man who has attained the mental growth
that enables him to see the new problems and the
impossibility of their answer, cannot be imagined by one
who has not advanced to that stage.
The man in this stage of consciousness thinks of his "I"
as a mental thing, having a lower companion, the body. He
feels that he has advanced, but yet his "I" does not give
him the answer to the riddles and questions that perplex
him. And he becomes most unhappy. Such men often develop
into Pessimists, and consider the whole of life as utterly
evil and disappointing- a curse rather than a blessing.
Pessimism belongs to this plane, for neither the Physical
Plane man or the Spiritual Plane man have this curse of
Pessimism. The former man has no such disquieting
thoughts, for he is almost entirely absorbed in gratifying
his animal nature, while the latter man recognizes his
mind as an instrument of himself, rather than as '
himself' , and knows it to be imperfect in its present
stage of growth. He knows that he has in himself the key
to all knowledge- locked up in the Ego- and which the
trained mind, cultivated, developed and guided by the
awakened Will, may grasp as it unfolds.
Knowing this the advanced man no longer
despairs, and, recognizing his real nature, and his
possibilities, as he awakens into a consciousness of his
powers and capabilities, he laughs at the old despondent,
pessimistic ideas, and discards them like a worn-out
garment. Man on the Mental Plane of consciousness is like
a huge elephant who knows not his own strength. He could
break down barriers and assert himself over nearly any
condition or environment, but in his ignorance of his real
condition and power he may be mastered by a puny driver,
or frightened by the rustling of a piece of paper.
When- when he passes from the purely Mental Plane on to
the Spiritual Plane- he realizes that the "I," the Real
Self- is something higher than either body or mind, and
that both of the latter may be used as tools and
instruments by the Ego or "I." This knowledge is not
reached by purely intellectual reasoning, although such
efforts of the mind are often necessary to help in the
unfoldment, and the Masters so use it. The real knowledge,
however, comes as a special form of consciousness. The
Candidate becomes "aware" of the real "I," and this
consciousness being attained, he passes to the rank of the
Initiates. When the Initiate passes the second degree of
consciousness, and begins to grow into a realization of
his relationship to the Whole- when he begins to manifest
the Expansion of Self- then is he on the road to
Mastership.
In the present lesson we shall endeavor to point out to
the Candidate the methods of developing or increasing the
realization of this "I"consciousness- this first degree
work. We give the following exercises or development
drills for the Candidate to practice. He will find that a
careful and conscientious following of these directions
will tend to unfold in him a sufficient degree of the "I"
consciousness, to enable him to enter into higher stages
of development and power. All that is necessary is for the
Candidate to feel within himself the dawn of the awakening
consciousness, or awareness of the Real Self. The higher
stages of the "I" consciousness come gradually, for once
on the Path there is no retrogression or going backward.
There may be pauses on the journey, but there is no such
thing as actually losing that which is once gained on The
Path.
This "I" consciousness, even in its highest stages, is but
a preliminary step toward what is called "Illumination,"
and which signifies the awakening of the Initiate to a
realization of his actual connection with and relation to
the Whole. The full sight of the glory of the "I," is but
a faint reflected glow of "Illumination." The Candidate,
once that he enters fully into the "I" consciousness,
becomes an "Initiate." And the Initiate who enters into
the dawn of Illumination takes his first step upon the
road to Mastery. The Initiation is the awakening of the
soul to a knowledge of its real existence - the Illumination is the revelation of the
real nature of the soul, and of its relationship with the
Whole.
After the first dawn of the "I" consciousness
has been attained, the Candidate is more able to grasp the
means of developing the consciousness to a still higher
degree- is more able to use the powers latent within him;
to control his own mental states; to manifest a Centre of
Consciousness and Influence that will radiate into the
outer world which is always striving and hunting for such
centres around which it may revolve.
Man must master himself before he can hope to exert an
influence beyond himself. There is no royal road to
unfoldment and power- each step must be taken in turn, and
each Candidate must take the step himself, and by his own
effort. But he may, and will, be aided by the helping hand
of the teachers who have traveled The Path before
him, and who know just when that helping hand is needed to
lift the Candidate over the rough places.
We bid the Candidate to pay strict attention to the
following instruction, as it is all important. Do not
slight any part of it, for we are giving you only what is
necessary, and are stating it as briefly as possible. Pay
attention, and follow the instruction closely. This lesson
must be mastered before you progress. And it must be
practiced not only now, but at many stages of the journey,
until full Initiation and Illumination is yours.
The first instruction along the line of Initiation is
designed to awaken the mind to a full realization and
consciousness of the individuality of the "I." The
Candidate is taught to relax his body, and to calm his
mind and to meditate upon the "I" until it is presented
clearly and sharply before the consciousness. We herewith
give directions for producing the desired physical and
mental condition, in which meditation and concentration
are more readily practiced. This state of Meditation will
be referred to in subsequent exercises, so the Candidate
is advised to acquaint himself thoroughly with it.
STATE OF MEDITATION. If possible, retire to a quiet place
or room, where you do not fear interruption, so that your
mind may feel secure and at rest. Of course, the ideal
condition cannot always be obtained, in which case you
must do the best you can. The idea is that you should be
able to abstract yourself, so far as is possible, from
distracting impressions, and you should be alone with
yourself- in communion with your Real Self.
It is well to place yourself in an easy chair, or on a
couch, so that you may relax the muscles and free the
tension of your nerves. You should be able to "let go" all
over, allowing every muscle to become limp, until a
feeling of perfect peace and restful calm permeates every
particle of your being. Rest the body and calm the mind.
This condition is best in the earlier stages of the
practice, although after the Candidate has acquired a
degree of mastery he will be able to obtain the physical
relaxation and mental calm whenever and wherever he
desires.
But he must guard against acquiring a "dreamy" way of
going around, wrapped in meditation when he should be
attending to the affairs of life.' Remember this' , the State of Meditation
should be entirely under the control of the Will, and
should be entered into only deliberately and at the proper
times. The Will must be master of this, as well as of
every other mental state. The Initiates are not "day
dreamers," but men and women having full control of
themselves and their moods. The "I" consciousness while
developed by meditation and consciousness, soon becomes a
fixed item of consciousness, and does not have to be
produced by meditation. In time of trial, doubt, or
trouble, the consciousness may be brightened by an effort
of the Will (as we shall explain in subsequent lessons)
without going into the State of Meditation.
Until the Ego recognizes itself as a Centre of
Thought, Influence and Power, it will not be able to '
manifest' these qualities. And in proportion as it
recognizes its position as a centre, so will it be able to
manifest its qualities. It is not necessary that you
should compare yourself with others, or imagine yourself
greater or higher than them. In fact, such comparisons are
to be regretted, and are unworthy of the advanced Ego,
being a mark and indication of a lack of development,
rather than the reverse. In the Meditation simply ignore
all consideration of the respective qualities of others,
and endeavor to realize the fact that YOU are a great
Centre of Consciousness- a Centre of Power- a Centre of
Influence- a Centre of Thought. And that like the planets
circling around the sun, so does your world revolve around
YOU who are its centre. It will not be necessary for you
to argue out this matter, or to convince yourself of its
truth by intellectual reasoning.The knowledge does not
come in that way. It comes in the shape of a realization
of the truth gradually dawning upon your consciousness
through meditation and concentration. Carry this thought
of yourself as a "Centre of Consciousness- Influence-
Power" with you, ' for it is an occult truth,' and in the
proportion that you are able, to realize it so will be
your ability to manifest the qualities named.
No matter how humble may be your position- no matter how
hard may be your lot- no matter how deficient in
educational advantages you may be- still you would not
change your "I" with the most fortunate, wisest and
highest man or woman in the world. You may doubt this, but
think for a moment and you will see that we are right.
When you say that you "would like to be" this person or
that, you really mean that ' you' would like to have their
degree of intelligence, power, wealth, position, or what
not. What you want is something that is theirs, or
something akin to it. But you would not for a moment wish
to merge your ' identity' with theirs, or to exchange '
selves' . Think of this for a moment To ' be' the other
person you would have to let ' yourself' die, and instead
of ' yourself' you would be the other person. The real '
you' would be wiped out of existence, and you would not be
' you' at all, but would be ' he' .
If you can but grasp this idea you will see that not for a
moment would you be willing for such an exchange. Of
course such an exchange is impossible. The "I" of you
cannot be wiped out. It is eternal, and will go on, and
on, and on, to higher and higher states- but it always
will be the same "I." Just as you, although a far
different sort of person from your childhood self, still
you recognize that the same "I" is there, and always has
been there. And although you will attain knowledge,
experience, power and wisdom in the coming years, the same
"I" will be there. The "I" is the Divine Spark and cannot
be extinguished.
The majority of people in the present stage of the race
development have but a faint conception of the reality of
the "I." They accept the statement of its existence, and
are conscious of themselves as an eating, sleeping, living
creature- something like a higher form of animal. But they
have not awakened to an "awareness" or realization of the
"I, which must come to all who become real centres of
Influence and Power. Some men have stumbled into this
consciousness, or a degree of it, without understanding
the matter. They have "felt" the truth of it, and they
have stepped out from the ranks of the commonplace people
of the world, and have become powers for good or bad. This
is unfortunate to some extent, as this "awareness" without
the knowledge that should accompany it may bring pain to
the individual and others.
The Candidate must meditate upon the "I," and recognize
it- 'feel' it- to be a Centre. This is his first
task. Impress upon your mind the word "I," in this sense
and understanding, and let it sink deep down into your
consciousness, so that it will become a part of you. And
when you say "I," you must accompany the word with the
picture of your Ego as a Centre of Consciousness, and
Thought, and Power, and Influence. See yourself thus,
surrounded by your world. Wherever you go, there goes the
Centre of your world. YOU are the Centre, and all outside
of you revolves around that Centre. This is the first
great lesson on the road to Initiation
Learn it!
The Yogi Masters teach the Candidates that their
realization of the "I" as a Centre may be hastened by
going into the Silence, or State of Meditation, and
repeating their first name over slowly, deliberately and
solemnly a number of times. This exercise tends to cause
the mind to centre upon the "I," and many cases of dawning
Initiation have resulted from this practice. Many original
thinkers have stumbled upon this method, without having
been taught it. A noted example is that of Lord Tennyson,
who has written that he attained a degree of Initiation in
this way. He would repeat his own name, over and over, and
the same time meditating upon his identity, and he reports
that he would become conscious and "aware" of his reality
and immortality in short would recognize himself as a '
real' center of consciousness.
We think we have given you the key to the first stage of
meditation and concentration. Before passing on, let us
quote from one of the old Hindu Masters. He says,
regarding this matter: "When the soul sees itself as a
Centre surrounded by its circumference - when the Sun
knows that it is a Sun, and is surrounded by its whirling
planets - then is it ready for the Wisdom and Power of the
Masters."
Many of the Candidates find themselves
prevented from a full realization of the "I" (even after
they have begun to grasp it) by the confusing of the
reality of the "I" with the sense of the physical body.
This is a stumbling block that is easily overcome by
meditation and concentration, the independence of the "I"
often becoming manifest to the Candidate in a flash, upon
the proper thought being used as the subject of
meditation.
The exercise is given as follows: Place yourself in the
State of Meditation, and think of YOURSELF - the Real "I" - as being independent of the
body, but using the body as a covering and an instrument.
Think of the body as you might of a suit of clothes.
Realize that you are able to leave the body, and still be
the same "I." Picture yourself as doing this, and looking
down upon your body. Think of the body as a shell from
which you may emerge without affecting your identity.
Think of yourself as mastering and controlling the body
that you occupy, and using it to the best advantage,
making it healthy, strong and vigorous, but still being
merely a shell or covering for the real "You." Think of
the body as composed of atoms and cells which are
constantly changing, but which are held together by the
force of your Ego, and which you can improve at Will.
Realize that you are merely inhabiting the body, and using
it for your convenience, just as you might use a house.
In meditating further, ignore the body entirely, and place
your thought upon the Real "I" that you are beginning to
feel to be "you," and you will find that your identity -
your "I" - is something entirely apart from the body. You
may now say "my body" with a new meaning. Divorce the idea
of your being a physical being, and realize that you are
above body.
But do not let this conception and realization cause you
to ignore the body. You must regard the body as the Temple
of the Spirit, and care for it, and make it a fit
habitation for the "I." Do not be frightened if, during
this meditation, you happen to experience the sensation of
being out of the body for a few moments, and of returning
to it when you are through with the exercise. The Ego is
able (in the case of the advanced Initiate) of soaring
above the confines of the body, but it never severs its
connection at such times. It is merely as if one were to
look out of the window of a room, seeing what was going on
outside, and drawing in his head when he wishes. He does
not leave the room, although he may place his head outside
in order to observe what is doing in the street. We do not
advise the Candidate to try to cultivate this sensation -
but if it comes naturally during meditation, do not fear.
While the majority accept on faith the belief
in the Immortality of the Soul, yet but few are aware that
it may be demonstrated by the soul itself. The Yogi
Masters teach the Candidates this lesson, as follows: The
Candidate places himself in the State of Meditation, or at
least in a thoughtful frame of mind, and then endeavors to
"imagine" himself as "dead" - that is, he tries to form a
mental conception of himself as dead. This, at first
thought, appears a very easy thing to imagine, but as a
matter of fact it is ' impossible' to do so, for the Ego
refuses to entertain the proposition, and finds it
impossible to imagine it. Try it for yourself.
You will find that you may be able to imagine your ' body'
as lying still and lifeless, but the same thought finds
that in so doing ' You' are standing and looking at the
body. So you see that ' You' are not dead at all, even in
imagination, although the body may be. Or, if you refuse
to disentangle yourself from your body, in imagination,
you may think of your body as dead but ' You' who refuse
to leave it are still ' alive' and recognize the
dead body as a thing apart from your Real Self. No matter
how you may twist it you ' cannot' imagine yourself as
dead. The Ego insists upon being ' alive' in any of these
thoughts, and thus finds that it has within itself the
sense and assurance of Immortality. In case of sleep or
stupor resulting from a blow, or from narcotics or
anaesthetics, the mind is apparently blank, but the "I" is
conscious of a continuity of existence. And so one may
imagine himself as being in an unconscious state, or
asleep, quite easily, and sees the possibility of such a
state, but when it comes to imagining the "I" as dead, the
mind utterly refuses to do the work. This wonderful fact
that the soul carries within itself the evidence of its
own immortality is a glorious thing, but one must have
reached a degree of unfoldment before he is able to grasp
its full significance.
The Candidate is advised to investigate the above
statement for himself, by meditation and concentration,
for in order that the "I" may know its true nature and
possibilities, it must realize that it cannot be destroyed
or killed. It must know what it is before it is able to
manifest its nature. So do not leave this part of the
teaching until you have mastered it. And it is well
occasionally to return to it, in order that you may
impress upon the mind the fact of your immortal and
eternal nature. The mere glimmering of this conception of
truth will give you an increased sense of strength and
power, and you will find that your Self has expanded and
grown, and that you are more of a power and Centre than
you have heretofore realized.
The following exercises are useful in bringing about a
realization of the invincibility of the Ego - its
superiority to the elements.
Place yourself in the State of Meditation, and imagine the
"I" as withdrawn from the body. See it passing through the
tests of air, fire and water unharmed. The body being out
of the way, the soul is seen to be able of passing through
the air at will - of floating like a bird - of soaring - of traveling in the ether. It may be seen
as able to pass through fire without harm and without
sensation, for the elements affect only the physical body,
not the Real "I." Likewise it may be seen as passing
through water without discomfort or danger or hurt.
This meditation will give you a sense of superiority and
strength, and will show you something of the nature of the
real "I." It is true that you are confined in the body,
and the body may be affected by the elements, but the
knowledge that the Real "I" is superior to the body -
superior to the elements that affect the body - and cannot
be injured any more than it can be killed, is wonderful,
and tends to develop the full "I" consciousness within
you. For You - the Real "I" - are
not body. You are Spirit. The Ego is Immortal and
Invincible, and cannot be killed and harmed. When you
enter into this realization and consciousness, you will
feel an influx of strength and power impossible to
describe. Fear will fall from you like a worn-out cloak,
and you will feel that you are "born again." An
understanding of this thought, will show you that the
things that we have been fearing cannot affect the Real
"I," but must rest content with hurting the physical body.
And they may be warded off from the physical body by a
proper understanding and application of the Will.
In our next lesson, you will be taught how to separate the
"I" from the mechanism of the mind - how you may realize
your mastery of the mind, just as you now realize your
independence of the body. This knowledge must be imparted
to you by degrees, and you must place your feet firmly
upon one round of the ladder before you take the next
step.
The watchword of this First Lesson is "I." And the
Candidate must enter fully into its meaning before he is
able to progress. He must realize his real existence -
independent of the body. He must see himself as invincible
and impervious to harm, hurt, or death. He must see
himself as a great Centre of Consciousness - a Sun
around which his world revolves.
He will be able to look the world in the face
without flinching, and without fear, for he will realize
the nature and power of the "I." He will realize that he
is a Centre of Power - of Influence. He will realize that
nothing can harm the "I," and that no matter how the
storms of life may dash upon the personality, the real "I:
- the Individuality - is unharmed.Like a rock that stands
steadfast throughout the storm, so does the "I" stand
through the tempests of the life of personality. And he
will know that as he grows in realization, he will be able
to control these storms and bid them be still.
In the words of one of the Yogi Masters: "The 'I' is
eternal. It passes unharmed through the fire, the air, the
water. Sword and spear cannot kill or wound it. It cannot
die. The trials of the physical life are but as dreams to
it. Resting secure in the knowledge of the 'I,' Man may
smile at the worst the world has to offer, and raising his
hand he may bid them disappear into the mist from which
they emerged.
Blessed is he who can say (understandingly) 'I'."
So dear Candidate, we leave you to master the First
Lesson. Be not discouraged if your progress be slow. Be
not cast down if you slip back a step after having gained
it. You will gain two at the next step.
Success and realization will be yours.
Mastery is before. You will Attain. You will
Accomplish.
Peace be with you.
MANTRAMS (AFFIRMATIONS) FOR THE FIRST LESSON.
"I" am a Centre. Around me revolves my world.
"I" am a Centre of Influence and Power.
"I" am a Centre of Thought and Consciousness.
"I" am Independent of the Body.
"I" am Immortal and cannot be Destroyed.
"I" am Invincible and cannot be Injured.