English
He notices these gleams of light, but, not under¬ standing them, he proceeds to erect elaborate theological and creedal structures to account for them, the work of the Intellect, however, always lacking that “ feeling ” that the Intuition itself possesses. True religion, no matter under what name it may masquerade, comes from the “ heart,” and is not comforted or satisfied with these Intellectual explanations, and hence comes that unrest MIN/Sr^ RAJA YOGA /graving for satisfaction which comes to Man right begins to break through. But we must postpone a further discussion of this part of the subject for the present. We shall consider it again in a future lesson in connection with other matters. As we have said, our next two lessons will take upon the inquiry regarding the regions outside of the consciousness of the ordinary man. You will find it a most fascinating and instructive inquiry and one that will open up new fields of thought for many of you. *- MANTRAM (AFFIRMATION) I Am a Being far greater and grander than I have as yet conceived. I am unfolding gradually but surely into higher planes of consciousness. I am moving For¬ ward and Upward constantly. My goal is the Realization of the True Self, and I welcome each stage of Unfoldment that leads me toward my aim. I am a manifestation of REALITY. I AM. THE EIGHTH LESSON THE HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS OF MIND Ths Self of each of us has a vehicle of expression which we call the Mind, but which vehicle is much larger and far more complex than we are apt to realize. As a writer has said, “ Our Self is greater than we know ; it has peaks above, and lowlands below the plateau of our conscious experience.” That which we know as the “ conscious mind ” is not the Soul. The Soul is not a part of that which we know in consciousness, but, on the contrary, that which we know in consciousness is but a small part of the Soul—the conscious vehicle of a greater Self, or (( J 55 The Yogis have always taught that the mind has many planes of manifestation and action—and that many of its planes operated above and below the plane of consciousness. Western science is beginning to realize this fact, and its theories regarding same may be found in any of the later works on psychology. But this is a matter of recent development in Western science. Until very recently the text books held that Consciousness and Mind were synonymous, and that the Mind was conscious of all of its activities, changes and modifications. Liebnitz was one of the first Western philosophers to advance the idea that there were planes of mental activity outside the plane of consciousness, and since his time the leading thinkers have slowly but surely moved forward to his position. At the present time it is generally conceded that at least 90 per cent of our mental operations take place 149 misr^ RAJA YOGA out-of-conscious realm. Prof. Elmer Gatei nown scientist, has said: “At least 90 per our mental life is sub-conscious. If you will analyse your mental operations you will find that conscious think¬ ing is never a continuous line of consciousness, but a series of conscious data with great intervals of sub-con¬ scious. We sit and try to solve a problem, and fail. We walk around, try again, and fail. Suddenly an idea dawns that leads to the solution of the problem. The sub-conscious processes were at work. We do not volitionally create our own thinking. It takes place in us. We are more or less passive recipients. We cannot change the nature of a thought, or of a truth, but we can, as it were, guide the ship by a moving of the helm. Our mentation is largely the result of the great Cosmic Whole upon us.” Sir William Hamilton says that the sphere of our con¬ sciousness is only a small circle in the centre of a far wider sphere of action and thought, of which we are conscious through its effects. Taine says: “ Outside of a little luminous circle lies a large ring of twilight, and beyond this an indefinite night; but the events of this twilight and this night are as real as those within the luminous circle.” Sir Oliver Lodge, the eminent English scientist, speak¬ ing of the planes of the mind, says: “ Imagine an ice¬ berg glorying in its crisp solidity, and sparkling pinnacles, resenting attention paid to its submerged self, or support¬ ing region, or to the saline liquid out of which it arose, and into v/hich in due course it will some day return. Or, reversing the metaphor, we might liken our present state to that of the hulls of ships submerged in a dim ocean among strange monsters, propelled in a blind man¬ ner through space; proud perhaps of accumulating many barnacles as decoration! only recognizing our destination misrfy .LANDS and lowlands of mind ping against the dock-wall; and with no of the deck and cabins above us, or the spars sails—no thought of the sextant, and the compass, and the captain—no perception of the lookout on the mast—of the distant horizon. With no vision of objects far ahead—dangers to be avoided—destinations to be reached—other ships to be spoken to by means other than by bodily contact—a region of sunshine and cloud, of space, or perception, and of intelligence utterly inac¬ cessible to parts below the waterline.” We ask our students to read carefully the above expres¬ sion of Sir Oliver Lodge, for it gives one of the clearest and most accurate figures of the actual state of affairs concerning the mental planes that we have seen in Western writings. And other Western writers have noted and spoken of these out-of-conscious realms. Lewes has said: “ It is very certain that in every conscious volition—every act that is so characterized—the larger part of it is quite uncon¬ scious. It is 'equally certain that in every perception there are unconscious processes of reproduction and inference. There is a middle distance of sub-conscious¬ ness, and a background of unconsciousness.” Taine has told us that: “ Mental events imperceptible to consciousness are far more numerous than the others, and of the world that makes up our being we only perceive the highest points—the lighted-up peaks of a continent whose lower levels remain in the shade. Beneath ordinary sensations are their components, that is to say, the elemen¬ tary sensations, which must be combined into groups to reach our consciousness.” Maudslcy says: “Examine closely and without bias the ordinary mental operations of daily life, and you will find that consciousness has not one-tenth part of the function therein which it is commonly assumed to raja yoga In every conscious state there are at wor._ , ; / sub-conscious, and infra-conscious energies 1 ■aS' indispensable as the first.” Sl Oliver Wendell Holmes said: “ There are thoughts that never emerge into consciousness, which yet make their influence felt among the perceptible mental currents, just as the unseen planets sway the movements of those that are watched and mapped by the astronomer.” Many other writers have given us examples and instances of the operation of the out-of-consciousness planes of thought. One has written that when the solution of a problem he had long vainly dealt with flashed across his mind, he trembled as if in the presence of another being who had communicated a secret to him. All of us have tried to remember a name or similar thing with¬ out success, and have then dismissed the matter from our minds, only to have the missing name or thought suddenly presented to our conscious mind a few minutes, or hours, afterwards. Something in our mind was at work hunting up the missing word, and when it found it it presented it to us. A writer has mentioned what he called “ unconscious rumination,” which happened to him when he read books presenting new points of view essentially opposed to his previous opinions. After days, weeks, or months, he found that to his great astonishment the old opinions were entirely rearranged, and new ones lodged there. Many examples of this unconscious mental digestion and assimi¬ lation are mentioned in the books on the subject written during the past few years. It is related of Sir W. R. Hamilton that he discovered quarternions one day while walking with his wife in the observatory at Dublin. He relates that he suddenly felt “ the galvanic circle of thought ” close, and the sparks that fell from it were the fundamental mathematical rela- misfy % iNDS AND LOWLANDS OF MIND lis problem, which is now an important la’ itics. Thompson has written: “ At times I have had a feeling of the uselessness of all voluntary effort, and also that the matter was working itself clear in my mind. It has many times seemed to me that I was really a passive instrument in the hands of a person not myself. In view of having to wait for the results of these unconscious processes, I have proved the Habit of getting together material in advance, and then leaving the mass to digest itself till I am ready to write about it. I delayed for a month the writing of my book, * System of Psychology,’ but, continued reading the authorities. I would not try to think about the book. I would watch with interest the people passing the windows. One evening when reading the paper, the substance of the missing part of the book flashed upon my mind, and I began to write. This is only a sample of many such experiences.” Berthelot, the founder of Synthetic Chemistry, has said that the experiments leading to his wonderful dis¬ coveries have never been the result of carefully followed trains of thought—of pure reasoning processes—but have come of themselves, so to speak, from the clear sky. Mozart has written : “ I cannot really say that I can account for my compositions.