English
” A writer in an English magazine says: “ When waiting on a pier for a steamer, I went on to the first, which was the wrong one. I came back and waited, losing my boat, which was at another part of the pier, on account of the unconscious assumption I had made, that this was the only place to wait for the steamer. I saw a man enter a room and leave by another door. Shortly after, I saw another man exactly like him do the same. It was the same man ; but I said it must be his twin brother, in the unconscious assumption that there was no exit for the first man but by the way he came (that by returning).” Maudsley says: “ The firmest resolve or purpose some¬ times vanishes issueless when it comes to the brink of an act, while the true will, which determines perhaps a different act, springs up suddenly out of the depths of the unconscious nature, surprising and overcoming the conscious.” Schofield says: “ Our unconscious influence is the projection of our unconscious mind and personality un¬ consciously over others. This acts unconsciously on their unconscious centres, producing effects in character and conduct, recognized in consciousness. For instance, the entrance of a good man into a room where foul language is used will unconsciously modify and purify the tone of the whole room. Our minds cast shadows of which we are as unconscious as those cast by our bodies, but which affect for good or evil all who unconsciously pass within [LANDS AND LOWLANDS OF MIND iange. This is a matter of daily experience, a: strong -- j v/\j^viivuvV/, 1111011 t0 all, though more noticeable with 'ersonalities. Now we have given much time and space to the expres¬ sions of opinion of various Western writers regarding mis subject of there being a plane or planes of the mind utside of the field of consciousness. We have given space ° this valuable testimony, not alone because of its intrinsic value and merit, but because we wished to impress upon the minds of our students that these out-of- ( i' 1S f !0Lis P^nes of mind are now being recognized by the best authorities in the Western world, although it nas been only a few years back when the idea was laughed te-icL?^[ous and as a mere “dream of the Oriental eacfiers. Each writer quoted has brought out some —^ r akab,C point of the sub i ect > and the tudent will find that his own experiences corroborate ,? p r S C ' ted by the several writers - In this way we fi “S . the . matter wil1 be made plainer, and will become of lesscm^ mind ° f th ° Se Wh ° 3re studying this course But we must caution our students from hastily adopt- 2. h ' severa the °rics of Western writers, advanced ^ PaSt fe ! v , years ’ yarding these out-of-conscious Jr . . P ie troublc has been that the Western writers, ctazzled by the view of the sub-conscious planes of men- ation that suddenly burst upon the Western thought, nastily adopted certain theories which they felt would account for all the phenomena known as “ psychic,” and which they thought would fully account for all the prob¬ lems of the subject. These writers, while doing a most valuable work, which has helped thousands to form new ideas regarding the nature and workings of the mind, nevertheless did not sufficiently explore the nature of the problem before them. A little study of the Oriental philo- RAJA YOGA is might have saved them and their reader^ sion. for instance, the majority of these writers hastily assumed that because there was an out-of-conscious plane of mentation, therefore all the workings of the mind might be grouped under the head of “ conscious ” and “ sub¬ conscious,” and that all the out-of-conscious phenomena might be grouped under the head of “ sub-conscious mind,” “ subjective mind,” etc., ignoring the fact that this class of mental phenomena embraced not only the highest but the lowest forms of mentation. In their newly found “ mind ” (which they called “ subjective ” or “ sub¬ conscious ”) they placed the lowest traits and animal passions, insane impulses, delusions, bigotry, animal-like intelligence, etc., etc., as well as the inspiration of the poet and musician, and the high spiritual longings and feelings that one recognizes as having come from the higher regions of the soul. This mistake was a natural one, and at first reading the Western world was taken by storm, and accepted the new ideas and theories as Truth. But when reflection came, and analysis was applied there arose a feeling of disappointment and dissatisfaction, and people began to feel that there was something lacking. They intuitively recognized that their higher inspirations and intuitions came from a different part of the mind than the lower emotions, passions, and other sub-conscious feelinfs and instincts. A glance at the Oriental philosophies will give one the key to the problem at once. The Oriental teachers have always held that the conscious mentation was but a small fraction of the entire volume of thought, but they have always taught that just as there was.a field of mentation below consciousness, so was there a field of mentation above consciousness as much higher than WHlST/fy ANDS AND LOWLANDS OF MIND pet as the other was lower than it. The mere met SQLJhis fact will prove a revelation to those who have not heard it before, and who have become entangled with the several “ dual-mind ” theories of the recent Western writers. The more one has read on this subject the more he will appreciate the superiority of the Oriental theory over that of the Western writers. It is like the chemical which at once clears the clouded liquid in the test-tube. In our next lesson we shall go into this subject of the above-conscious planes, and the below-conscious planes, bringing out the distinction clearly, and adding to what we have said on the subject in previous books. And all this is leading us toward the point where we may give you instruction regarding the training and culti¬ vation—the retraining and guidance of these out-of-con- scious faculties. By retraining the lower planes of men¬ tation to their proper work, and by stimulating the higher ones, man may “ make himself over,’’ mentally, and may acquire powers of which he but dreams now. This is why we are leading you up to the understanding of this subject, step by step. We advise you to acquaint yourself with each phase of the matter, that you may be able to apply the teachings and instructions to follow in later lessons of the course. wmsr^ RAJA YOGA MANTRAM (AFFIRMATION) <SL recognize that my Self is greater than it seems—that above and below consciousness are planes of mind—that just as there are lower planes of mind which belong to my past experience in ages past and over which I must now assert my Mastery—so are there planes of mind into which I am unfolding gradually, which will bring me wisdom, power, and joy. I Am Myself, in the midst of this mental world—I am the Master of my Mind—I assert my control of its lower phases, and I demand of its higher all that it has in store for me. msr Ry THE NINTH LESSON THE MENTAL PLANES In our last lesson we told you something about the opera¬ tion of the mind outside of the field of consciousness. In this lesson we will attempt to classify these out-of¬ consciousness planes, by directing your attention to the several mental planes above and below the plane of con¬ sciousness. As we stated in the last lesson, over 90 per cent, of our mental operations are conducted outside of the field of consciousness, so that the consideration of the planes is seen to be an important subject. Man is a Centre of Consciousness in the great One Life of the Universe. His soul has climbed a great many steps before it reached its present position and stage of unfoldment. And it will pass through many more steps, until it is entirely free and delivered from the necessity of its swaddling clothes. In his mental being man contains traces of all that has gone before—all the experiences of himself and the great race movement of which he is a part. And, likewise, his mind contains faculties and mental planes which have not as yet unfolded into consciousness, and of the existence of which he is but imperfectly aware. All of these mental possessions, however, are useful and valu¬ able to him—even the lowest. The lowest may be used to advantage, under proper mastery, and are only danger¬ ous to the man who allows them to master him instead of serving him as they should, considering his present stage of development. In this consideration of the several mental planes we F* 169 mtST/fy RAJA YOGA (ct ilt itpAsj not confine ourselves to the technical occult I ^these several planes, but will place them in general groups and describe the features and char¬ acteristics of each, rather than branch olf into long explanations of the growth and reason of the several planes, which would take us far away from the practical consideration of the subject. Beginning at the lowest point of the scale we see that man has a body. The body is composed of minute cells O' protoplasm. These cells are built up of countless molecules, atoms and particles of matter—precisely the same matter that composes the rocks, trees, air, etc., around him. The Yogi philosophy tells us that even the atoms of matter have life and an elementary manifesta¬ tion of mind, which causes them to group together accord¬ ing to the law of attraction, forming different elements, combinations, etc. This law of attraction is a mental operation, and is the first evidence of mental choice, action and response. Below this is Prana or Force, which, strictly speaking, is also a manifestation of mind, although for convenience we designate it as, a separate manifestation of the Absolute.