A MASTER OF THE TEMPLE March 22. Feel sorry I missed exercise this morning through slackness. (When you detect slackness, double the exercise, if it kills you. Sure cure! O.M.). March 25. Dragon Asana. Mantra A.M.P.H. 9.39 to 10.34 P.M.=55 mins, Breaks 14 to 18, mostly very slight. Interruptions none. Results: Dharana, got feeling on skin and automatic rigidity. Lost all personality most of the time, but only found this out by ‘break’ which revived it. Brain soon took up Mantra automatically. Illumination in brain after a while. Towards the last saw some visions of sea, &c. (very slight). Space and time annihilated during most of the practice. Good. (Beginning good—end bad. O.M.) Mar. 30, 5.15 to 5.46 P.M.=31 Mins. Counted first seven breaks, then became concentrated and lost count. Interruptions. (1) A safety pin, falling on floor, made me start violently (2) R. called. Results: Breath arose on skin and the ‘light’ arose. Started to concentrate on spine. Towards the end started a sort of automatic chant of apparently senseless words. Have noticed before that when this occurs, it leads to a kind of ecstasy. Had to leave off, as was called to tea by Ruby. (Good, but a virtuous woman is above Rubies, and never calls holy men to tea. O.M.) Apr. 4. Control of Body. While at office kept left elbow at side for 3 hours. Wished to see if this would be quite easy and found I had no difficulty in remem- bering. (Good: try something harder. O.M.) Apr. 6, 9.20-10 P.M. Dragon. This meditation was the best lately. Quickly felt the Prana gripping the body. Conceived the blackness of Understanding becoming penetrated by Wisdom. Brain became luminous. Body rigid. Tension passed and force concentrated at bridge of nose. Concentrated on Ajna. Per- sonality gone. Tried to project consciousness straight up. Was suddenly in- terrupted by R. who was in bed just by my side. Hardly knew where I was for the moment and had to concentrate on body to regain normal. (Too big a handicap, having anyone in the room. O.M.) Apr. 8, 9.25 to 10.11 P.M.=46 Mins. Dragon. The mind and seer alone remain. Turning back on the seer there seem intervals of blank. This is accompanied with no illumination or joy, and one almost wonders why one has gone so far to obtain this. Probably desire not entirely obliterated. Some disinclination to leave the state. (This sounds better. O.M.) 159