A Series of Lessons in Raja YogaTheosophy / New ThoughtMystical / EsotericEnglishShareA Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 23Project Gutenberg #13656 - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableProject Gutenberg #13656LanguageEnglishEspañol‹A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 3A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 4A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 5A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 6A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 8A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 9A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 10A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 11A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 12A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 13A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 14A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 16A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 17A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 18A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 19A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 20A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 22A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 23A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 24A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 25A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 26A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 27A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 28A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 29A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 31A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 32A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 33A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 34A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 35A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 36A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 38A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 39A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 40A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 41A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 43A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 44A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga MA Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 46A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 48A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 49A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 50A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 51A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 52A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 53A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 54A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 56A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 57A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 58A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 59A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 63A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 64A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 65A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 67A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 68A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 70A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 71A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 72A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 74A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 75A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 76›Lesson Of This Series We Showed You That The "I" Is Superior To TheA Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 23ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1mental states, and that it can set them aside and regard and consider them as "not-I" things, yet the force of the habit of thought is very strong, and it may take some of you considerable time before you "get into the way" of realizing that your Mind is "something that you use," instead of being You--yourself. And yet, you must persevere in attaining this realization, for in the degree that you realize your dominance over your mind, so will be your control of it, and its amenability to that control. And, as is the degree of that dominance and control, so will be the character, grade and extent of the work that your Mind will do for you. So you see: Realization brings Control--and Control brings results. This statement lies at the base of the science of Raja Yoga. And many of its first exercises are designed to acquaint the student with that realization, and to develop the realization and control by habit and practice. 2The Yogi Philosophy teaches that instead of Mind being the "I." it is the thing through and by means of which the "I" thinks, at least so far as is concerned the knowledge concerning the phenomenal or outward Universe--that is the Universe of Name and Form. There is a higher Knowledge locked up in the innermost part of the "I," that far transcends any information that it may receive about or from the outer world, but that is not before us for consideration at this time, and we must concern ourselves with the "thinking" about the world of things. 3Mind-substance in Sanscrit is called "Chitta," and a wave in the Chitta (which wave is the combination of Mind and Energy) is called "Vritta," which is akin to what we call a "thought." In other words it is "mind in action," whereas Chitta is "mind in repose." Vritta, when literally translated means "a whirlpool or eddy in the mind," which is exactly what a thought really is. 4But we must call the attention of the student, at this point, to the fact that the word "Mind" is used in two ways by the Yogis and other occultists, and the student is directed to form a clear conception of each meaning, in order to avoid confusion, and that he may more clearly perceive the two aspects of the things which the word is intended to express. In the first place the word "Mind" is used as synonymous with Chitta, or Mind-substance, which is the Universal Mind Principle. From this Chitta, Mind-substance, or Mind, all the material of the millions of personal minds is obtained. The second meaning of the word "Mind" is that which we mean when we speak of the "mind" of anyone, thereby meaning the mental faculties of that particular person--that which distinguishes his mental personality from that of another. We have taught you that this "mind" in Man, functions on three planes, and have called the respective manifestations (1) the Instinctive Mind; (2) the Intellect; and (3) the Spiritual Mind. (See "Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy," etc.) These three mental planes, taken together, make up the "mind" of the person, or to be more exact they, clustered around the "I" form the "soul" of the individual. The word "soul" is often used as synonymous with "spirit" but those who have followed us will distinguish the difference. 5The "soul" is the Ego surrounded by its mental principles, while the Spirit is the "soul of the soul"--the "I," or Real Self. 6The Science of Raja Yoga, to which this series of lessons is devoted, teaches, as its basic principle, the Control of the Mind. It holds that the first step toward Power consists in obtaining a control of one's own mind. It holds that the internal world must be conquered before the outer world is attacked. It holds that the "I" manifests itself in Will, and that that Will may be used to manipulate, guide, govern and direct the mind of its owner, as well as the physical world. It aims to clear away all mental rubbish, and encumbrances--to conduct a "mental house-cleaning," as it were, and to secure a clear, clean, healthy mind. Then it proceeds to control that mind intelligently, and with effect, saving all waste-power, and by means of concentration bringing the Mind in full harmony with the Will, that it may be brought to a focus and its power greatly increased and its efficiency fully secured. Concentration and Will-power are the means by which the Yogis obtain such wonderful results, and by which they manage and direct their vigorous, healthy minds, and master the material world, acting positively upon Energy and Matter. 7This control extends to all planes of the Mind and the Yogis not only control the Instinctive Mind, holding in subjection its lower qualities and making use of its other parts, but they also develop and enlarge the field of their Intellect and obtain from it wonderful results. Even the Spiritual Mind is mastered, and aided in its unfoldment, and urged to pass down into the field of consciousness some of the wonderful secrets to be found within its area. By means of Raja Yoga many of the secrets of existence and Being--many of the Riddles of the Universe--are answered and solved. And by it the latent powers inherent in the constitution of Man are unfolded and brought into action. Those highly advanced in the science are believed to have obtained such a wonderful degree of power and control over the forces of the universe, that they are as gods compared with the ordinary man. 8Raja Yoga teaches that not only may power of this kind be secured, but that a wonderful field of Knowledge is opened out through its practice. It holds that when the concentrated mind is focused upon thing or subject, the true nature and inner meaning, of, and concerning, that thing or subject will be brought to view. The concentrated mind passes through the object or subject just as the X-Ray passes through a block of wood, and the thing is seen by the "I" as it is--in truth--and not as it had appeared before, imperfectly and erroneously. Not only may the outside world be thus explored, but the mental ray may be turned inward, and the secret places of the mind explored. When it is remembered that the bit of mind that each man possesses, is like a drop of the ocean which contains within its tiny compass all the elements that make up the ocean, and that to know perfectly the drop is to know perfectly the ocean, then we begin to see what such a power really means. 9Many in the Western world who have attained great results in the intellectual and scientific fields of endeavor, have developed these powers more or less unconsciously. Many great inventors are practical Yogis, although they do not realize the source of their power. Anyone who is familiar with the personal mental characteristics of Edison, will see that he follows some of the Raja Yoga methods, and that Concentration is one of his strongest weapons. And from all reports, Prof. Elmer Gates, of Washington, D.C., whose mind has unfolded many wonderful discoveries and inventions, is also a practical Yogi although he may repudiate the assertion vigorously, and may not have familiarized himself with the principles of this science, which he has "dropped into" unconsciously. Those who have reported upon Prof. Gates' methods, say that he fairly "digs out" the inventions and discoveries from his mind, after going into seclusion and practicing concentration, and what is known as the Mental Vision. 10But we have given you enough of theory for one lesson, and must begin to give you directions whereby you may aid yourself in developing these latent powers and unfolding these dormant energies. You will notice that in this series we first tell you something about the theory, and then proceed to give you "something to do." This is the true Yogi method as followed and practiced by their best teachers. Too much theory is tiresome, and sings the mind to sleep, while too much exercise tires one, and does not give the inquiring part of his mind the necessary food. To combine both in suitable proportions is the better plan, and one that we aim to follow. ‹Previous chapterA Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 22Next chapterA Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 24›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the USA