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A passage for editorial review. A SERIES OF LESSONS IN RAJA YOGA By YOGI RAMACHARAKA f A erm Author of “Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy and The Gc re. within us that each U inform, stated lesson Oriental Occultism,” “ Advanced Course in Yogi Philosophy, etc.,” “ Hatha Yogi,” “ Psychic Healing,” “ Science of Breath,” Etc. “ When the soul sees itself as a Centre surrounded by its circumference—when the Sun knows that it is a Sun, sur¬ rounded by its whirling planets—then it is ready for the Wisdom and Power of ter of the Masters.’ readers might I plan of study. ) Following rfj has declined i lO'7-JC‘ that the le whom ti tained witt LONDON: L. N. FOWLER & Co. Ltd., 29 Ludgate Hill, London, E.C.4 Qf INDIA t it. Copyrighted By Yogi Publication Society Entered at Stationers’ Hall All rights reserved 2045 )’ lade and Printed in Great Britain by *. & J. Mackay and Co., Ltd., Chatham. pirsr^. 5 ' PUBLISHERS’ NOTICE J JE lessons which compose this volume originally • ppeared in the shape of monthly lessons, the first of which was issued in October, 1905, and the twelfth in eptember, 1906. These lessons met with a hearty and enerous response from the public, and the present volume issued in response to the demand for the lessons in a ermanent and durable form. There have been no changes made in the text. The publishers take the liberty to call the attention of ♦lie 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 con¬ tained within them without any prefatory talk. THE YOGI PUBLICATION OCIETY. WNIST/fy. \ TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Lesson I The “I”. 9 Lesson II The Ego’s Mental Tools 29 Lesson III The Expansion of the Self 49 Lesson IV Mental Control .... 70 Lesson V The Cultivation of Attention . 90 Lesson VI Cultivation of Perception 110 Lesson VII The Unfoldment of Consciousness . 129 Lesson VIII The Highlands and Lowlands of Mind. 149 Lesson IX The Mental Planes.... 169 Lesson X Sub-Consciousing .... 189 Lesson XI Sub-Conscious Character Building . 209 Lesson XII Sub-Conscious Influences 229 misfy THE FIRST LESSON THE “I” 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 con¬ sciousness becomes the prevailing idea in his mind, around which his entire thoughts and actions revolve. To some Candidates this realization comes like a light¬ ning flash the moment the attention is directed toward it, while in other cases the Candidates find it necessary to RAJA YOGA Vigorous course of training before they acqi realisation 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 relation¬ ship 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 som C -l 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 M an —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 mtST/ty. THE “ i ,s /ledge as a Master demanding its secrets, rathepji&n./ 7 slave begging for the crumbs from the table of know- >dge. 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. 1 he physical life of the body resembles the life of the plant. Many of the physical desires and emo¬ tions arc 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. 1 hen 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 addi¬ tion 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 facul¬ ties 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 conscious¬ ness. 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 mmsr^ RAJA YOGA are not the Man himself. $L .. Before the M; fi^aster, control, and direct the things belonging 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.