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A passage for editorial review. gnani Yoga By Yogi Ramacharaka !9 Q 9 A ° '/ r // -> 7 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FROM 'pi'iieti" The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022985422 Cornell University Library BF 1999.A87S4 A series of lessons in Gnani yoga (the 3 1924 022 985 422 A SERIFS OF Lessons in Gnani Yoga (The Yoga of Wisdom.) Bv YOGI RAMACHARAKA. This Book Gives the Highest Yogi Teachings Regarding the Absolute and its Manifestations. THE YOGI PUBLICATION SOCIETY, Chicago, 111. LONDON AGENTS: L.'N. Fowler & Co., 7 Imperial Arcade, Ludgate Circus. Copyright 1906 by The Yogi Publication Society. Copyright 1907 by The Yogi Publication Society, Entered at Stationers' Hall. All righti reserved. Ai'kwscn, Wt\Wv^\Na\W a Wt£ c'j PUBLISHERS' NOTICE. The lessons which compose this volume, originally appeared in the shape of monthly lessons, the first of which was issued in October, 1906, and the twelfth in September, 1907. 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 con- densed 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 inter- val 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 men- tioning it, that other readers might avail themselves of the same course and plan of study. Following his usual custom, the writer of the les- sons 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. THE YOGI PUBLICATION SOCIETY. September 1, 1907. INDEX. Paee Lesson I. The One i Lesson II. Omnipresent Life 27 Lesson III. The Creative Will 51 Lesson IV. The Unity of Life 75 Lesson V. The One and the Many 101 Lesson VI. Within the Mind of the One 127 Lesson VII. Cosmic Evolution 153 Lesson VIII. The Ascent of Man 177 Lesson IX. Metempsychosis 203 Lesson X. Spiritual Evolution 229 Lesson XI. The Law of Karma 253 Lesson XII. Occult Miscellany 277 THE FIRST LESSON The One. The Yogi Philosophy may be divided into several great branches, or fields. What is known as "Hatha Yoga" deals with the physical body and its control; its welfare; its health; its preservation; its laws, etc. What is known as "Raja Yoga" deals with the Mind ; its control ; its development ; its unfoldment, etc. What is known as "Bhakti Yoga" deals with the Love of the Absolute — God. What is known as "Gnani Yoga" deals with the scientific and intellectual knowing of the great questions regarding Life and what lies back of Life — the Riddle of the Universe. Each branch of Yoga is but a path leading toward the one end — unfoldment, development, and growth. He who wishes first to develop, control and strengthen his physical, body so as to render it a fit instrument of the Higher Self, follows the path of "Hatha Yoga." He who would develop his will-power and mental faculties, unfolding the inner senses, and latent pow- ers, follows the path of "Raja Yoga." He who wishes to develop by "knowing" — by studying the funda- mental principles, and the wonderful truths under- lying Life, follows the path of "Gnani Yoga." And he who wishes to grow into a union with the One Life by the influence of Love, he follows the path of "Bhakti Yoga." But it must not be supposed that the student must ally himself to only a single one of these paths to power. In fact, very few do. The majority prefer 1 z GNANI YOGA. to gain a rounded knowledge, and acquaint them- selves with the principles of the several branches, learning something of each, giving preference of course to those branches that appeal to them more strongly, this attraction being the indication of need, or requirement, and, therefore, being the hand point- ing out the path. It is well for every one to know something of "Hatha Yoga," in order that the body may be puri- fied, strengthened, and kept in health in order to be- come a more fitting instrument of the Higher Self. It is well that each one should know something of "Raja Yoga," that he may understand the training and control of the mind, and the use of the Will. It is well that every one should learn the wisdom of "Gnani Yoga," that he may realize the wonderful truths underlying life — the science of Being. And, most assuredly every one should know something of Bhakti Yogi, that he may understand the great teach- ings regarding the Love underlying all life. We have written a work on "Hatha Yoga," and a course on "Raja Yoga" which is now in book form. We have told you something regarding "Gnani Yoga" in our Fourteen Lessons, and also in our Advanced Course. We have written something regarding "Bhakti Yoga" in our Advanced Course, and, we hope, have taught it also all through our other les- sons, for we fail to see how one can teach or study any of the branches of Yoga without being filled with a sense of Love and Union with the Source of THE ONE. * all Life. To know the Giver of Life, is to love him, and the more we know of him, the more love will we manifest. In this course of lessons, of which this is the first, we shall take up the subject of "Gnani Yoga" — the 'Yoga of Wisdom, and will endeavor to make plain some of its most important and highest teachings, And, we trust that in so doing, we shall be able to awaken in you a still higher realization of your re- lationship with the One, and a corresponding Love for that in which you live, and move and have your being. We ask for your loving sympathy and co- operation in our task. Let us begin by a consideration of what has been called the "Questions of Questions" — the question: "What is Reality?" To understand the question we have but to take a look around us and view the vis- ible world. We see great masses of something that science has called "matter." We see in operation a wonderful something called "force" or "energy" in its countless forms of manifestations. We see things that we call "forms of life," varying in manifestation from the tiny speck of slime that we call the Moneron, up to that form that we call Man. But study this world of manifestations by means of science and research — and such study is of greatest value — still we must find ourselves brought to a point where we cannot progress further. Matter melts into mystery — Force resolves itself into something else — the secret of living-forms subtly elude us — and mind 4 GNANI YOGA. is seen as but the manifestation of something even finer. But in losing these things of appearance and manifestation, we find ourselves brought up face to face with a Something Else that we see must under- lie all these varying forms, shapes and manifestations. And that Something Else, we call Reality, because it is Real, Permanent, Enduring. And although men may differ, dispute, wrangle, and quarrel about this Reality, still there is one point upon which they must agree, and that is that Reality is One — that underlying all forms and manifestations there must be a One Reality from which all things flow. And this in-i quiry into this One Reality is indeed the Question of Questions of the Universe. The highest reason of Man — as well as his deepest intuition — has always recognized that this Reality or Underlying Being must be but ONE, of which all Nature is but varying degrees of manifestation, emanation, or expression. All have recognized that Life is a stream flowing from One great fount, the nature and name of which is unknown — some have said unknowable. Differ as men do about theories regarding the nature of this one, they all agree that it can be but One. It is only when men begin tol name and analyze this One, that confusion results. \\ Let us see what men have thought and said about this One — it may help us to understand the nature of the problem. - \ The materialist claims that this one is a something called Matter — self-existent — eternal — infinite — con- THE ONE. S taming within itself the potentiality of Matter, En- ergy and Mind. Another school, closely allied to the materialists, claim that this One is a something called \ Energy, of which Matter and Mind are but modes of motion. The Idealists claim that the One is a something called Mind, and that Matter and Force are but ideas in that One Mind. Theologians claim that this One is a something called a personal God, to whom they attribute certain qualities, characteristics, etc., the same varying with their creeds and dogmas. The Naturistic school claims that this One is a some- thing called Nature, which is constantly manifesting itself in countless forms. The occultists, in their va- rying schools, Oriental and Occidental, have taught that the One was a Being whose Life constituted the life of all living forms.