A Series of Lessons in Raja YogaTheosophy / New ThoughtMystical / EsotericEnglishShareA Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 24Project 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›Mental Drill And Exercises.A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 24ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1Before we can get the mind to do good work for us, we must first "tame" it, and bring it to obedience to the Will of the "I." The mind, as a rule, has been allowed to run wild, and follow its own sweet will and desires, without regard to anything else. Like a spoiled child or badly trained domestic animal, it gets into much trouble, and is of very little pleasure, comfort or use. The minds of many of us are like menageries of wild animals, each pursuing the bent of its own nature, and going its own way. We have the whole menagerie within us--the tiger, the ape, the peacock, the ass, the goose, the sheep the hyena, and all the rest. And we have been letting these animals rule us. Even our Intellect is erratic, unstable, and like the quicksilver to which the ancient occultists compared it, shifting and uncertain. If you will look around you you will see that those men and women in the world who have really accomplished anything worth while have trained their minds to obedience. They have asserted the Will over their own minds, and learned Mastery and Power in that way. The average mind chafes at the restraint of the Will, and is like a frisky monkey that will not be "taught tricks." But taught it must be, if it wants to do good work. And teach it you must if you expect to get any use from it--if you expect to use it, instead of having it use you. 2And this is the first thing to be learned in Raja Yoga--this control of the mind. Those who had hoped for some royal road to mastery, may be disappointed, but there is only one way and that is to master and control the mind by the Will. Otherwise it will run away when you most need it. And so we shall give you some exercise designed to aid you in this direction. 3The first exercise in Raja Yoga Is what is called Pratyahara or the art of making the mind introspective or turned inward upon itself. It is the first step toward mental control. It aims to turn the mind from going outward, and gradually turning it inward upon itself or inner nature. The object is to gain control of it by the Will. The following exercises will aid in that direction: ‹Previous chapterA Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 23Next chapterA Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga 25›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