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Page 1 of 11912 · PDF PAGE 23
…y also suppose that the others thought it inadvisable to explain too clearly to their followers ; St. Paul evidently took this line. Our best document will therefore be the system of Buddha ; 1 but it is so complex that no immediate summary will serve ; and in the case of the others, if we have not the accounts of the Masters, we have those of their immediate followers. 1 We have the documents of Hinduism, and of two Chinese systems. But Hinduism has no single founder. Lao Tze is one of our best examples of a man who went away and had a mysteri…
1912 · PDF PAGE 29
… the unconscious is the torpid; and yet nothing is more certain than that bodily organs which are functioning well do so in silence. The best sleep is dreamless. Even in the case of games of skill our very best strokes are followed by the thought, “I don’t know how I did it ; ” and we cannot repeat those strokes at will. The moment we begin to think consciously about a stroke we get “nervous,” and are lost. In fact, there are three main classes of stroke; the bad stroke, which we associate, and rightly, with wandering attention ; the good strok…
1912 · PDF PAGE 48
32 The best way to time the breathing, once some little skill has been acquired, with a watch to bear witness, is by the use of a mantra. The mantra acts on the thoughts very much as Pranayama does upon the breath. The thought is bound down to a recurring cycle; any intruding thoughts are thrown off by the mantra, just as pieces of putty would be from a fly-wheel; and the swifter the wheel the more difficult would it be for anything to stick. This is the proper way to practise a mantra. Utter it as loudly and slowly as possible ten times, then no…
1912 · PDF PAGE 92
…ess to the average man. They ignore the essential conditions of Dhyana, and insist on the inessential, to a much greater extent than the best lndian writers. But to any one with experienceand some knowledgeof comparativereligion the identity is certain. We may now proceed to Samadhi.
1912 · PDF PAGE 17
…od, or even in any system which, if not proved guilty, is at least unable to demonstrate its innocence. Being more or less bankrupt, the best thing that we can do is to attack the problem afresh without preconceived ideas. Let us begin 3
1912 · PDF PAGE 49
… rhythmical, one might even say musical; but there should be sufficient emphasis on some syllable to assist the faculty of attention. The best mantras are of medium length, so far as the beginner is concerned. If the mantra is too long, one is apt to forget it, unless one practises very hard for a great length of time. On the other hand, mantras of a single syllable, such as Aumf are rather jerky; the rhythmical idea is lost. Here are a few useful mantras: ᾿See Part II. 2 However, in saying a mantra containing the word Azmz, one sometimes forget…
1912 · PDF PAGE 41
…o be strained; and yet they are not allowed to be altogether slack. It is difficult to find a good descriptive word. Braced is perhaps the best. A sense of physical alertness is desirable. Think of the tiger about to spring, or of the oarsman waiting for the gun. After a little there will be cramp and fatigue. The student must now set his teeth, and go through with it. The minor sensations of itching, etc., will be found to pass away, if they are resolutely neglected, but the cramp and fatigue may be expected to increase until the end of the prac…
1912 · PDF PAGE 24
…mind to a single act, state, or thought. If we sit down quietly and investigate the contents of our minds, we shall find that even at the best 05 times the principal characteristics are wandering and distraction. Any one who has had anything to do with children and untrained minds generally knows that fixity of attention is never present, even when there is a large amount of intelligence and good will. If then we, with our well-trained minds, determine to control this wandering thought, we shall find that we are fairly well able to keep the though…
1912 · PDF PAGE 38
…th the subject of Prana, which will be dealt with in its proper place. The positions illustrated in Liber E (Equinox I and VII) form the best guide.1 The extreme of Asana is practised by those Yogis who remain in one position without moving, except in the case of absolute neces— 1 Here are four: 1. Sit in a chair; head up, back straight, knees together, hands on knees, eyes closed. (“The God.”) 2. Kneel; buttocks resting on the heels, toes turned back, back and head straight, hands on thighs. (“ The Dragon.’ ’) _ 3. Stand; hold left ankle with …
1912 · PDF PAGE 42
…lly gifted. Similarly a man who has never touched a golf club will take his umbrella and carelessly hole a putt which would frighten the best putter alive. In a few days, however, in all cases, the discomforts will begin. As you go on, they will begin earlier in the course of the hour’s exercise. The disinclination to practise at all may become almost unconquerable. One must warn the student against imagining that some other position would be easier to master than the one he has selected. Once you begin to change about you are lost. Perhaps the…