English
Let your thought sink to the depths of the ocean, and realize your kinship with the Life back of the forms dwelling there. Do not con- found the forms (often hideous from your personal point of view) with the principle behind them. Look at the p ant life, and the animal life, and seek to see behind tiie vei of foini into the real Life behind and underneath the form Learn to fed y0U r Life throbbing and thrilling with the Life Principle in these other forms, and in the terms oi those of your own race. Gaze into the starry skies and see there the numerous suns and worlds, all peopled with life in some of its myriad forms, and feel your kinship to it. If you can grasp this thought and consciousness, you will find yourself at-one-ment with those whirling worlds, and, instead of feeling small and insignificant by comparison, you will be conscious of an expansion of Self, until you feel that in those circling worlds is a part of yourself—that You are there also, 'v lile standing upon the Earth—that you are akin to an parts of t.ie Universe—nay, more, that they are as much your home, as is the spot upon which you are stand- mg. You will find sweeping upon you a sense of con¬ sciousness that the Universe is your home- -not merely a Part of it, as you had previously thought. You will experi¬ ence a sense of greatness, and broadness and grandness such as you have never dreamed of. You will begin l0 ie alize at least a part of your Divine inheritance, and RAJA YOGA indeed that you are a Child of the Inlinic essence of your Divine Parent being in the being. At such times of realization one becomes conscious of what lies before the soul in its upward path, and how small the greatest prizes that Earth has to offer are when compared with some of these tilings before the soul, as seen by the eyes of the Spiritual Mind in moments j of clear vision. * You must not dispute with these visions of the great-, ness of the soul, but must treat them hospitably, for- they are your very own, coming to you from the regions of your Spiritual Mind which are unfolding into consciousness. (7) The highest step in this dawning consciousness of the Oneness of All, is the one in which is realized that there is but One Reality, and at the same time the sense ( of consciousness that the “ I ” is in that Reality. It is most difficult to express this thought in words, for it is something that must be felt, rather than seen by the Intellect. When the Soul realizes that the Spirit within it is, at the last, the only real part of it, and that the Abso¬ lute and its manifestation as Spirit is the only real thing in the Universe, a great step has been taken. But there is still one higher step to be taken before the full sense of the Oneness and Reality comes to us. That step is the one in which we realize the Identity of the “ I ” with the great “ I ” of the Universe. The mystery of the manifesta¬ tion of the Absolute in the form of the Spirit is veiled from us—the mind confesses its inability to penetrate behind the veil shielding the Absolute from view, although it will give us a report of its being cons.ious of the pres¬ ence of the Absolute just at the edge of the boundary line. But the highest region of the Spiritual Mind, when , explored by the advanced souls who are well along the Path, reports that it sees beyond the apparent • THE EXPANS1 ON OF THE SELF IN# tion of Spirit from Spirit, and realizes that'* Mi one Reality of Spirit, and that all the “ I ”s are Jy but different views of that One—Centres of Con¬ sciousness upon the surface of the One Great “ I,” the Centre of which is the Absolute Itself. This certainly penetrates the whole region of the Spiritual Mind, and gives us all the message of Oneness of the Spirit, just ?? mCll t Ct satlsfies us with its message of the Oneness of Matter, Energy, and Mind. The idea of Oneness permeates all planes of Life. The sense of Reality of the “I” that is apparent to ou in the moments of your clearest mental vision is really the reflection of the sense of Reality underlying the Wnole—it is the consciousness of the Whole, manifest¬ ing through your point or Centre of Consciousness. The advanced student or Initiate- finds his consciousness gradually enlarging until it realizes its identity with the ™ e - .Hf realizes that under all the forms and names oi the visible world there is to be found One Life- One rvMrf P n ? Substance—One Existence— One Reality— ONE. And, instead of his experiencing any sense of die oss of identity or individuality, he becomes conscious oi an enlargement, of an expansion of individuality or identity— instead of feeling himself absorbed in the Whole, lie feels that he is spreading out and embracing the Whole, this is most hard to express in words, for there are no a or s to fit the conception, and all that we can hope to do is to start into motion, by means of our words, the vibrations that will find a response in the minds of those who road the words, to the end that they will experience the consciousness which will bring its own understanding. 1 his consciousness cannot be transmitted by words pro¬ ceeding from the Intellect, but vibrations may be set up that will prepare the mind to receive the message from its own higher planes. mtST/fy RAJA YOGA . hi the early stages of this dawning consciou: enabled to identify the real part of himself part of all the other forms of life that pass before his notice. In every other man—in ..every animal in every plant—in every mineral—he sees behind the sheath and form of appearance, an evidence of the presence of the Spirit which is akin to his own Spirit—yea, more than akin, for the two are One. He sees Himself in all forms of life, in all time, in all places. He realizes that the Real Self is everywhere present and everlasting, and that the Life within himself is also within all the Universe in everything, for there is nothing dead in the Universe, and all Life, in all of its varying phases, is simply the One Life, held, used and enjoyed in common by all. Each Ego is a Centre of Consciousness in this great ocean of Life, and while apparently separate and distinct, is yet really in touch with the Whole, and with every apparent part. . It is not our intention, in this lesson, to go into the details of this great mystery of Life, or to recite the com¬ paratively little of the Truth that the most advanced teachers and Masters have handed down. 1 his is not the place for it—it belongs to the subject of Gnani Yoga rather than to Raja Yoga—and we touch upon it here, not for the purpose of trying to explain the scientific side of it to you, but merely in order that your minds may be led to take up the idea and gradually manifest it in con¬ scious realization. There is quite a difference between the scientific, intellectual teaching of Gnani Yoga whereby the metaphysical and scientific sides of the Yog. teachings are presented to the minds of the students, in a logical, scientific manner, and the methods of Ra;a Yoga in which the Candidate is led by degrees to a conscious ness (outside of mere intellectual belief) of bis real nature and powers. We are following the latter plan, for this THE EXPANSION OF THE SELF is a Course in Raja Yoga. We are aiming ie matter to the mind in such a manner that it may >are the way for the dawning consciousness, by brush¬ ing away the preconceived notions and prejudices, and allowing a clean entrance for the new' conception. Much that we nave said in this lesson may appear, on the one hand, like useless repetition, and, on the other hand, like an incomplete presentation of the scientific side of the Yogi teachings. But it will be found, in time, that the eflect has been that the mind of the student has undergone a change from the absorbing of the idea of the Oneness of Life, and the Expansion of the Self. The Candidate is urged not to be in too much of a hurry. Development must not be forced. Read what we have written, and practise the Mental Drills we have given, even if they may appear trifling and childish to some of you—we know what they will do for you, and you will agree with us in time. Make haste slowly. You will find that the mind will work out .the matter, even though you be engaged in your ordinary work, and have forgotten the subject for the time. The greater portion of mental work is done in this way. while you are busy with somethin" else, or even asleep, for the sub-conscious portion of the mind works along the lines pointed out for it. and per¬ forms its task. As we have said, the purpose of this lesson is to bring you in the way of the unfoldment of consciousness, rather uian to teach you the details of the scientific side of the \ogi teachings. Development is the keynote of Raja Yoga. And the reason that we wish to develop this sense of the Reality of the “I,” and the Expansion of the Self, at t ns place is that thereby you may assert your Mastery over Matter, F.nej gy, and Mind. Before you may mount your throne as King, you must fully realize in conscious¬ ness that you are the Reality in this w’orld of appear- miST/fy. RAJA YOGA 'S•/ .You must realize that you—the real You—an? .existent, and real, but that you are in touch that is real, and that the roots of your being are grounded in the Absolute itself. You .