Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy and Oriental Occultism by Yogi Ramacharaka (bts books to read TXT) 📕

Prana depends very considerably upon the desires and expectations of the person, both in the matter of his absorption and its projection with a thought wave. That is to say, that while every person absorbs more or less Prana every moment of his life, and this amount may be largely increased by following the Yogi teaching regarding breathing, eating and drinking, still the thought, or desire, or expectation of the person will greatly increase the amount of Prana absorbed. And, in like manner, will the desire or will of the person greatly multiply the force with which a thought is projected, as it largely increases the amount of Prana with which the thought is charged.

To speak more plainly: If one will form a mental image of the absorption of Prana, while breathing, eating or drinking, he will bring into operation certain occult laws which will tend to release a greater amount of Prana from its confining matter, and he will be greatly strengthened in consequence. Try the experiment of taking a few deep breaths, holding the mental image that you are absorbing a large amount of Prana with each inward breath, and you will feel an influx of new strength. This is worth trying when you feel tired and exhausted. Likewise, drink slowly a cupful of water, forming the mental image that you are extracting from the water a great supply of Prana which is stored up in it, and you will experience a similar result. Likewise, in eating, if you will masticate your food slowly, holding the mental image that you are extracting the strength of the Prana in the food, you will receive a much greater per cent of nourishment and strength from the food than you would in the ordinary way. These things are all helpful - we hope that you will try them, and use them when you need them. Do not let the simplicity of these things cause you to undervalue them.

The same law causes a thought projected with the mental image that it is heavily charged with Prana, to attain a greater velocity and force than would an ordinary thought, and its potency will be greatly increased by this practice. But be careful not to send forth evil thoughts in this way. Read your lesson on “Thought Dynamics” (Fifth Lesson) carefully, and heed the warnings contained therein.

A number of interesting experiments along the lines of Human Magnetism may be tried. If you have a number of friends interested in this subject you may try this experiment: Let a party sit around in a circle, holding hands, and all concentrate their minds on the common purpose of sending a Pranic current, or current of magnetism, around the circle. There must be a common understanding of the direction, else some will be sending in one direction and some in another, and the benefit of cooperation will be lost. A good plan is to send the current in the direction of the movement of the hands of a watch around its face, that is, pick out some person to represent the figure XII, and then start the current moving in the direction of “right” from that person. If the party is harmonious, and the conditions are favorable, they will soon feel a faint tingling like a weak current of electricity moving through them. This practice, if moderately indulged in, will prove invigorating to all concerned in it, but we would not advise that the sittings be continued too long, as it might produce a sufficiently strong current that might be conducive to the production of psychic phenomena, which should not be too freely indulged in by those who are not familiar with the laws of psychic phenomena. We do not approve of indiscriminate, and unintelligent production of phenomena of this sort. One should learn something of the laws, before he attempts to produce phenomena.

Our little book, “Science of Breath,” gives in condensed form, a number of methods of using Pranic force, or Human Magnetism, and we refer the student to that book, after he has finished this lesson. All of our publications dovetail one into the other, and as each one is read others become plainer. Of necessity, we must condense our information, and must trust to a careful reading of all the lessons on the part of our students, in order that they may obtain the best results.

In order not to go over the same ground twice we must refer the student to “Science of Breath” for directions and exercises calculated to increase the absorption of Prana, and also for directions regarding its distribution.

Chapter XIV, of “Science of Breath,” gives you some valuable information along these lines. In this chapter, paragraph 2 furnishes a fine exercise for the increased absorption of Prana, and its distribution to all parts of the body, strengthening and invigorating all the cells, organs and parts of the body. This exercise will seem doubly valuable to you now that we have gone a little deeper into the subject of Prana or magnetism. Paragraph 3, of the same chapter, instructs you how to inhibit pain by the direction of Prana. Paragraph 4 instructs you in the directing of the circulation. Paragraph 5 gives you information on Self Healing, and Paragraph 6 gives you a short course on Healing of Others, which if followed carefully by you will make you a good “magnetic healer.” Paragraph 7 instructs you in Distant Healing.

The next chapter, Chapter XV, gives you information regarding thought projection by means of sending distant thoughts charged with Prana; directions for forming a Protective Aura, which will enable you to resist the thoughts and Prana of others, if desired - this information is especially valuable, and we urge upon the student that he acquire this practice of forming a Protective Aura, as he will find it of use to him many times. Our Fifth Lesson also contains directions for the same thing, going a little more into detail than does “Science of Breath.”

Chapter XV of “Science of Breath” also tells you how to Recharge yourself, and how to Recharge others, with Prana; also how to charge water, and quite a number of valuable exercises and directions for the use of Pranic force, or Human Magnetism; much of which has, so far as we know, never been printed before.

A casual reader of these concluding lines might very naturally suppose that we were trying to sell “Science of Breath” to our students, by reason of these constant references to it. We beg to inform such casual reader of a fact, which all our students realize, without being told, and that is, that nearly every student of this Class has read “Science of Breath,” generally before he has purchased this Course. Consequently, he is not a good subject for another sale of the same book, so we must be relieved of the suspicion of an inordinate desire to sell our books by means of praising them in our lessons. Our real reason for this repeated allusion to “Science of Breath” is that we have noticed that the average student, even though he had reread the little book several times, does not begin to realize the large amount of information contained within its pages, until his attention is called to it.

Then, we know that if he takes up the book, after our calling his attention to it, he will be able to understand this particular lesson much better by reason of the reference to the book. Likewise, he will understand the book better by reason of his having just read the lesson. We wish to keep hammering away at these ideas, until our students have firmly grasped them. These lessons are intended as lessons, not as mere interesting reading. They are intended to teach something - not merely to amuse our students.

So, if the student wishes to practice the workings of Pranic Energy or Human Magnetism, we cheerfully direct him to “Science of Breath,” in which he will find enough to keep him busy for a while.

In our Lesson VIII, on “Occult Therapeutics,” we will also give him some work to do, if he desires, with a few exercises new to him. As we have before said, these lessons must be read and reread, in connection with one another, as one lesson will throw light on another, and vice versa. They are all parts of the one thing - all stones going to build up the temple - each has its place, and each fits into the other.

To those among our students, who have not reached that state of perfect health which the Yogi Philosophy teaches is desirable, as it fits the body for use as a perfect instrument of the Ego - to those who are suffering from disease and ill health - we urge the practice of increasing the supply of Prana, by means of the breath, the food, and the fluids, as stated in this lesson, and in “Science of Breath.” A careful and constant practice of this absorption and storage of Prana will benefit every person, particularly those who are not in perfect health. Do not despise the body, as it is the Temple of the Living Spirit. Tend it well, and make a worthy instrument of it.

THE EIGHTH LESSON.

OCCULT THERAPEUTICS.

The student of the history of Man will find in the legends, folklore, and history of all peoples evidences of the fact that healing by some form of Occult practice has been followed by all races - all peoples - at all times.

These various forms of occult therapeutics have varied from the revolting practices accompanying the grossest form of barbaric superstition, to the most refined form of procedure accompanying some of the fashionable metaphysical cults of today. These various forms of occult healing of disease have been attached to all forms of religion, from the degraded voodooism of Africa, to the highest forms of religion known to the world. All sorts of theories have been advanced to account for the cures which have resulted from all these forms of healing - all manner of creeds built around the fact that cures have been made. Priests, teachers and healers have claimed Divine powers, and insisted that they were the representatives of the particular deity which was worshipped in their respective countries, simply because they were able to perform cures of bodily ills. And, in nearly every case, these priests and healers have claimed the cures as proof positive of the truth of the respective religion or school of religious thought which they favored; and at the same time insisted that all other forms of religions or occult healing were bogus and counterfeit, and that they, the said priests making the claim, had the only “real thing”; dire penalties being often threatened to those who dared to patronize any of the opposition healers or priests.

Human nature is much the same all over the world, and in all times. We find the same rivalry and claim of “the only real thing” existing today, both in the case of the rival Voodoo doctors of Africa and the polished leaders of the fashionable metaphysical cults of America - and among all who come in between these two poles. Alas for these claimers of a monopoly of one of Nature’s great forces - these people who make cures in spite of their theories, rather than because of them! Nature’s great recuperative force is as free as air and sunshine, and may be used by anyone who cares to do so. It is not owned or controlled by any person, cult or school - and no particular form of religious belief is necessary to one in order that he may obtain benefit from it - God’s children