English
A study of some good book on the life of the higher forms of the insect family will prove of value to anyone, for it will open his or her eyes to the wonderful manifestation of life and mind among these creatures. Remember the remark of Darwin, that the brain of the ant, although not much larger than a pin point, "is one of the most marvelous atoms of matter in the world, perhaps more so than the brain of man." Closely allied to the Crustacea is the sub-family of the mollusca, which includes the oyster, clams, and similar creatures ; also the snails, cuttle-fish, slugs, nautilus, sea-squirts, etc., etc. Some are protected by a hard shell, while others have a gristly outer skin, serving as an armor, while others still are naked. Those having shells secrete the material for their construction from the water. Some of them are fixed to rocks, etc., while others roam at will. Strange as it may appear at first sight, some of the higher forms of the mollusca show signs of a rudimentary verte- bra, and science has hazarded the opinion that the sea-squirts and similar creatures were descended from some ancestor from whom also descended the verte- brate animals, of which man is the highest form known today on this planet. We shall mention this connection in our next lesson, where we will take up the story of "The Ascent of Man" from the lowly vertebrate forms. And now, in closing this lesson, we must remind 174 GNANI YOGA. the reader that we are not teaching Evolution as it is conceived by modern science. We are viewing it from the opposite viewpoint of the Yogi Teaching. Modern Science teaches that Mind is a by-product of the evolving material forms — while the Yogi Teach- ings hold that there was Mind involved in the lowest form, and that that Mind constantly pressing forward for unfoldment compelled the gradual evolution, or unfoldment of the slowly advancing degrees of or- ganization and function. Science teaches that "func- tion precedes organization," that is, that a form per- forms certain functions, imperfectly and crudely, be- fore it evolves the organs suitable for the functioning. For instance the lower forms digested food before they evolved stomachs — the latter coming to meet the need. But the Yogi Teachings go further and claim that "desire precedes function," that is, that the lowly life form "desires" to have digestive apparatus, in order to proceed in the evolutionary scale, before it begins the functioning that brings about the more complex organism. There is ever the "urge" of the Mind which craves unfoldment, and which the crea- true feels as a dim desire, which grows stronger and stronger as time goes on. Some yield more readily to the urge, and such become the parents of possible higher forms. "Many are called, but few are chosen," and so matters move along slowly from generation to generation, a few forms serving to carry on the evo- lutionary urge to their descendants. But is always the Evolutionary Urge of the imprisoned Mind striv- COSMIC EVOLUTION. 175 ing to cast aside its sheaths and to have more perfect machinery with which, and through which, to mani- fest and express itself ? This is the difference between the "Evolution" of Modern Science and the "Unfold- ment" of the Yogi Teachings. The one is all ma- terial, with mind as a mere by-product, while the other is all Mind, with matter as a tool and instrument of expression and manifestation. As we have said in this lesson — and as we shall point out to you in detail in future lessons — accom- panying this evolution of bodies there is an evolution of "souls" producing the former. This evolution of souls is a basic principle of the Yogi Teachings, but it is first necessary that you acquaint yourselves with the evolution of bodies and forms, before you may fully grasp the higher teachings. Our next lesson will be entitled "The Ascent of Man," in which the rise of man — that is, his body — from the lowly forms of the vertebrates is shown. In the same lesson we shall begin our consideration of the "evolution of souls." We trust that the students are carefully studying the details of each lesson, for every lesson has its part in the grand whole of the Teachings. THE EIGHTH LESSON The Ascent of Man. In our last lesson we led you by successive steps from the beginnings of Life in living forms up to the creatures closely resembling the family of verte- brates — the highest family of living forms on this planet. In this present lesson we take up the story of the "Ascent of Man" from the lowly vertebrate forms. The large sub-family of forms called "The Verte- brates" are distinguished from the Invertebrates by reason of the former possessing an internal bony skele- ton, the most important feature of which is the ver- tebra or spinal column. The vertebrates, be it remem- bered, possess practically the same organs as the lower forms of life, but differ from them most materially by the possession of the internal skeleton, the lower forms having an external or outside skeleton, which latter is merely a hardening of the skin. The flexibility of the vertebra creates a wonderful strength of structure, combined with an ease of move- ment peculiar to the vertebrates, and which renders them the natural forms of life capable of rapid de- velopment and evolution. By means of this strength, and ease, these forms are enabled to move rapidly in pursuit of their prey, and away from their pursuers, and also to resist outside pressure or attack. They are protected in a way similar to the invertebrates having shells, and yet have the additional advantage of easy movement. Differing in shape and appear- 177 178 GNANI YOGA. ance as do the numerous members of the sub-family of vertebrates, still their structure is easily seen to spring from a single form — all are modifications of some common pattern, the differences arising from the necessities of the life of the animal, as manifested through the desire and necessities of the species. Science shows the direct relationship between the Vertebrates, and the Invertebrates by means of sev- eral connecting-links, the most noticeable of which is the Lancelot, a creature resembling the fish-form, and yet also closely resembling the lower (invertebrate) forms of life. This creature has no head, and but one eye. It is semi-transparent, and possesses cilia for forcing in the water containing its food. It has something like gills, and a gullet like the lower forms. It has no heart, the blood being circulated by means of contracting vessels or parts. Strictly speaking, it has no back-bone, or vertebra, but still Science has been compelled to class it among the vertebrates be- cause is has a gristly cartilage where the back-bone is found in the higher forms. This gristle may be called an "elementary spine." It has a nervous sys- tem consisting of a single cord which spreads into a broadened end near the creature's mouth, and which may therefore be regarded as "something like a brain." This creature is really a developed form of Invertebrate, shaped like a Vertebrate, and showing signs of a rudimentary spin and nervous system of the latter. It is a "connecting-link." The lowest forms of the true Vertebrates are the THE ASCENT OF MAN. 179 great families of Fishes. These Fish families in- clude fishes of high and low degree, some of the higher forms being as different from the lowest as they (the highest) are different from the Reptile family. It is not necessary to go into detail regard- ing the nature of the fish families, for every student is more or less familiar with them. Some peculiar forms of fish show a shading into the Reptile family, in fact they seem to belong nearly a? auch to the latter as to their own general family. Sonns jpecies of fish known as the Dipnoi or "double- breathers," have a remarkable dual system of breath- ing. That is, they have gills for breathing while in the water, and also have a primitive or elementary "lung" in the shape of an air-bladder, or "sound," which they use for breathing on land. The Mud-fish of South America, and also other forms in Australia and other places, have a modification of fins which are practically "limbs," which they actually use for traveling on land from pond to pond. Some of these fish have been known to travel enormous distances in search of new pools of water, or new streams, having been driven from their original homes by droughts, or perhaps by instincts similar to the migrating in- stinct cf birds. Eels are fish (although many com- mon^ 2orget this fact) and many of their species are able to leave the water and travel on land from pond to pond, their breathing being performed by a peculiar modification of the gills. The climbing perch of India are able to live out of water, and have modified 180 GNANI YOGA. gills for breathing purposes, and modified fins for climbing and walking. So you see that without leav- ing the fish family proper, we have examples of land- living creatures which are akin to "connecting links." But there are real "connecting-links" between the Fish and the Reptiles. Passing over the many queer forms which serve as links between the two families, we have but to consider our common frog's history for a striking example. The Tadpole has gills, has no limbs, uses its tail like a fish's fin, eats plants, etc. Passing through several interesting stages the Tad- pole reaches a stage in which it is a frog with a tail — then it sheds its tail and is a full fledged Frog, with four legs; web- feet; no tail; and feeding on animals. The Frog is amphibious, that is, able to live on land or in water — and yet it is compelled to come to the surface of the water for air to supply its lungs.