Yoga Unveiled: part three

The final part of a three part investigation of the origins, philosophy, and principles and practise of yoga

Introduction

As we said in our introduction to the first part of this investigation, there can be very few people sincerely interested in Occultism or Mysticism who have not at some time or another delved into the study of what is popularly thought to constitute yoga. Countless books and now limitless videos, blogs and websites have explored this subject, brimming with all manner of breathing exercises, postures, meditations, confirmations, mantras, mudras (gestures) and so on and so forth. Many of these resources are utterly fantastic, others ridiculous, some highly dangerous. Few are good. It is for this reason, as well as others, that we long ago decided that our work would not be complete without a thorough investigation of yoga. But there were many other subjects we needed to write about first and misunderstandings that required clearing up. We feel the time is now right to thoroughly investigate what yoga really is, what it isn't, and explore and explain the philosophy and principles which underlie it.

In the first two parts of this investigation we drew your attention to the many erroneous ideas which, like corroding barnacles, have attached themselves to the primitive doctrine of yoga. In doing so it is likely that we may have upset those who imagine that yoga consists of nothing more than physical jerks and a dash of mindfulness. We will certainly have upset the fans of Laya or Kundalini yoga discussed in part two. That will be all to the good if it leads to an opening of those eyes which are often wholly blind to all Truth; being blinded by the misleading information to be found in countless books, videos, blogs and websites about yoga, all promoting breathing exercises, postures, meditations, prayers, mantras and mudras guaranteed to bring health, happiness and success to the practitioner. We have already shown that this wishy-washy, touchy-feely exposition of yoga is unworthy of the name and that the practises of Kundalini and Mantra yoga are fraught with danger to body, mind and spirit. The true aim and purpose of yoga differs from this mound of misinformation, superficiality and pseudoscience as the glorious Sun differs from a burning rag soaked in the rancid fat of vampire bats. Readers who disagree with this may stop reading now as nothing we have to say in the final part of this investigation is likely to alter their viewpoint.

To sum up, in part one we discussed what yoga is and what it isn't, explored the profound philosophy which gave it birth and the eight stages of which it consists. In part two we discussed the antiquity and origins of yoga, the main schools into which it is divided and the practises associated with each of them. In this third and final part of our exploration we discuss some of the lesser known schools of yoga and the ultimate aim and purpose of this grand Science. If you have not read the first two parts of this investigation and the accompaniments to them; we suggest that you do so now, otherwise you will obtain an incomplete and distorted understanding of the subjects discussed in this final part. In the last of our three accompaniments we conclude our exploration of the occult knowledge and wisdom to be found in the sayings and parables of the Sages of ancient India. Readers who wish to explore this rich heritage further will find a short list of the principal sources we have drawn upon for our investigation in the Further reading list at the end of the sidebar.

The lesser known schools of Yoga

The objective side of yoga is clearly seen in the formula of Tat tvam asi, meaning 'thou art He'. Thou being the object of cognition, is here made the absolute subjective. This formula is often reduced to just one word: tattvam, denoting 'truth'. This consisted in viewing everything as Himself, or having subordinated all cosmical speculations to the objective method. The Pantheistic or Visvatma yoga consists in the meditation of 'everything in God and God in everything': Sarvam khalvidam Brahma. It is believed that such contemplation leads to immortality. This corresponds with the pantheism of the Persian Sufis in the East and that of the 17th century philosopher Spinoza in the West. Even the thirteenth century Persian poet Sa'adi, also written 'saadi' and 'sadi', says: Hamah nestand unche hasti tui, meaning there is nothing else but thyself. Some readers may recall that we recounted the rude awakening experienced by an enthusiastic devotee of this school in The Mystic and the Elephant; a short story which forms the commentary to our investigation of the sacred text known as the Lotus Sutra.

In contrast to the pantheism of Visvatma yoga, we have the monotheistic or Advaita Brahma yoga which consists in the meditation upon the creed of the Brahmans that "God is One." This form of yoga is embodied in the Svetasvatara and other Upanishads. It is like the severe monotheism of Judaism and Islam, whose tenets are "Thou shalt have no other God but Me" and "There is no god but Allah." This contrasts sharply with the Dualistic, or Dwaita yoga originated with Patanjali, which substitutes his Ishvara for the Purusha of Samkhya, and taking the Prakriti as his associate. From these the doctrine seems to rest substantially upon a dualism of the Purusha male and Prakriti female principles. A further development of these schools is Traita yoga, or the trialistic doctrines of the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. This inculcates the worship and meditation of the three persons in One, so that in adoring one of them, one worships unknowingly all the three together.

Mention must be made of the modern school of Kriya yoga which owes its popularity in the West to Paramahansa Yogananda's book Autobiography of a Yogi first published in the United States in 1946. Despite claims to the contrary by its followers there is no evidence that this school is any older than the mid-19th century, having first been taught by Lahiri Mahasaya (1828-1895) an Indian accountant and later 'guru'. Kriya yoga consists of a number of different postures, breathing techniques, sacred chants (mantras) and gestures (mudras) which are intended to 'fast-track' spiritual development. As such it has much in common with Hatha and Laya yoga discussed in part two of our investigation, both of which are not without their dangers.

In addition to this multiplicity of different systems, there is the Polytheistic yoga, or Sarva Devopàsana. This consists in the adoration of a plurality of deities in the mythology by every Hindu, though every one has a special divinity of whom he is the votary for his particular meditation. The later Upanishads have promulgated the worship of several forms of Vishnu and Shiva; and the Tantras have given rise to the adoration of a vast number of deities in various forms and aspects. Finally, the Atheistic, or Niraswara yoga is found in the hylo-theistic system of Kapila, who transmitted his faith "in nothing" to the Buddhists and Jains, who, having no God to adore, worship themselves in sedate and silent meditation! So yoga is not such a simple matter after all, and bristles with complexities and contradictions of all kinds. If our survey of the schools of yoga shows nothing else it shows the tendency among all religious and mystical systems towards endless differentiation and multiplication, until the poor seeker is lost in a labyrinth of often contradictory laws, principles and practises. No wonder so few ever get beyond 'stretching in spandex' when taking up yoga. Perhaps they are not so foolish after all?

The aim and purpose of Yoga

In The Quest of Ruru the mysterious stranger who visits the eponymous seeker when he is yet a child exclaims: "The end and aim of life should be virtue!" We might say that virtue is the essence of yoga, for what greater virtue can there be than emancipation, or liberation from earthly bondage? In the Bhagavad Gita equilibrium is called yoga, another word for Inner Peace. But what does emancipation really mean and how do we acquire equilibrium? To answer these questions we need to learn what yoga leads to in the end if practised sincerely and wisely. The consummation of yoga is said to be the acquirement of Siddhi, a Sanskrit noun meaning 'knowledge', accomplishment', 'attainment', 'success', and the like. In other words, extraordinary power over nature attained by the practice of yoga or concentration on Peace, for as we may also read in The Quest of Ruru mentioned above, "the ultimate secret of yoga is concentration; but only an occasional seeker has the strength of will and purpose to penetrate its mysteries." It is taught that each Kosmic Law, when properly understood and harmonised with the Higher Self, becomes a Siddhi to be wielded by man. There are eight of these powers (Ashta Siddhi) mentioned in Hindu books, and they are: Animan, Prapti, Prakamya, Laghima, Mahima, Ashita, Vashita, and Kamavasayita. Each power is attained by the yogi continually meditating on the perfections of the All Perfect Being, so that in the end he himself becomes All Perfect too, just as a man who devotes his sole attention to the acquisition of a particular science or art, attains in time not only to perfection in it, but becomes identified with it, such as Mozart with music, Michelangelo with painting and sculpture, or Einstein with physics. These eight powers are defined as follows:

Animan: the power of becoming as small as an atom; or the power of reducing consciousness to a point.
Prapti: the power of getting to any place by volition or act of will.
Prakamya: the power of an irresistible will.
Laghima: the power to neutralise gravitation.
Mahima: the power of increasing the size.
Ashita: the power of attaining supremacy.
Vashita: the power to hypnotize.
Kamavasayita: the power of suppressing all desires.

To shed further light on this we must turn to the argument Plotinus used to prove the elevation of the meditative yogi to the perfection of the Being he meditates upon. We discussed the life and teachings of this important Neoplatonist philosopher in part two of our investigation of Esoteric Philosophy, as well as in other articles. Plotinus argued that: "Man is a finite being, how can he comprehend the Infinite? But as soon as he comprehends the Infinite, he is infinite himself: that is to say, he is no longer himself, no longer that finite being having a consciousness of his own separate existence; but is lost and becomes one with the Infinite." The English philosopher and scientist George Henry Lewes (1817-1878), in his History of Philosophy, says: "I attain to a knowledge of the Infinite, it is not by my reason which is finite, but by some higher faculty which identifies itself with its object. Hence the identity of subject and object, of the thought and the thing thought of is the only possible ground of knowledge. Knowledge and Being are identical, and to know more is to be more."

But says Plotinus: "if knowledge is the same as the thing known, the finite as finite, can never know the Infinite, because he cannot be Infinite." Therefore the yogi begins by meditating upon some particular attribute or perfection of the deity, to which he is assimilated in thought. This is called his 'state of lower perfection'. As he continues to mediate his consciousness is gradually perfected until he attains the highest degree of ecstasy and loses the sense of his own personality. He then becomes absorbed in the Infinite Intelligence which makes him One with the Infinite, and unites the knower and the known in perfect concord. This process bears a striking resemblance to Ma'rifa, the mystical union of the Sufis. Lewes wrote in connection with this: "From the very first the Sufis have such astonishing revelations, that they are enabled, while walking, to see visions of angels and the souls of prophets; they hear their voices and receive their favours. Afterwards a transport exalts them beyond the mere perception of forms, to a degree which exceeds all expression, and concerning which one cannot speak without employing a language that would sound blasphemous. In fact some have gone so far as to imagine themselves amalgamated with God, others identified with Him, and others to be associated with Him."

This is the reason why many persons sincerely believe that they have been in the presence of Jesus Christ, or the Virgin Mary, or any other sainted being, such as we find in many, but not all near-death-experiences (NDEs). In reality contact with such elevated beings is quite impossible. Real Divinities do not descend to earth, nor can we reach them from the earth, for they are so far removed from us in spirituality, in goodness, in purity and in everything else that there is no point of contact between their consciousness and ours, however highly evolved a human being may be. What then, do people see when they behold Jesus, or the Buddha or God? They see one of the great Masters who dwell in the Higher realms, such as we find described in Vision 8 of The Golden Star. Or they may see one of the Devas or angels whose work it is to minister to those who are able to see beyond the veil, each according to his need and preconceptions. All these beings emanate vast knowledge and power, are calm, yet utterly irresistible, and altogether God-like and glorious in appearance. It is these august personages which great seers such as Swedenborg and Hildegard of Bingen beheld in their visions.

The eight powers or Siddhis described earlier may seem utterly fantastic to any one who is unable to understand what is really meant by them and who has not learnt certain Occult Laws such as those we told you about in our series of articles about Hermes. Let us see which of these powers are literally true and which are not.

Animan: the power of becoming as small as an atom; or the power of reducing consciousness to a point.
The power known as Animan is best explained as the Microcosmos, whilst its opposite Siddhi, Mahima is the Macrocosmos. By meditating on the property of the minuteness of the soul or universal spirit, the yogi is able to transfer his consciousness into the smallest of bodies and behold the conditions within them. The seer Geoffrey Hodson was able to do this and accurately describe conditions inside an atom.

Prapti: the power of getting to any place by volition or act of will.
The power called Prapti enables the yogi to reach any place by an act of will. In other words, by extending his consciousness or by astral projection. But Prapti has several other meanings too. The yogi in a state of trance acquires the power of predicting future events, of understanding unknown languages, of curing diverse diseases, of hearing distant sounds, of reading the minds of others, of seeing distant scenes and objects, and of understanding the minds of birds and animals. The Hindus call this 'knowing their speech', but this is only poetical form of exaggeration in which the Oriental mind delights. The trained yogi can understand the mind, or the inner properties, of anything or any being on earth, by blending his own mind with that mind or inner property he wishes to understand more perfectly. By blending his mind with that of a wild beast such as a lion or tiger, the yogi is able to foresee every future action of the animal, and also impose his own will upon it. This power explains the feat which has so often baffled Westerners who have observed a tiger lying down like a docile puppy at the feet of an Indian yogi. In this way did the great prophets of the past blend their inner minds with the future, and the oracles foretell events, and the great healers cure infirmities.

Prakamya: the power of an irresistible will.
A yogi can obtain all objects through the exercise of his trained, irresistible will. If you doubt us consider what a dictator is able to accomplish through the exercise of will-power alone without any occult or spiritual training. He or she can sway millions with their voice alone. Even a fat, bumbling buffoon can become Prime Minister given sufficient will-power and hubris! A yogi can also develop powers of seership, by means of meditation exercises, thus having an inkling of the past, present and future, without being there in person. He can escape rebirth by perfect attunement with the Higher Realms of being, and by living in such a manner that he has earned the reward of liberation when his time on earth is over.

Laghima: the power to neutralise gravitation.
That a yogi can make himself lighter or heavier in the material sense of the word is quite true. He may even levitate to almost any height above the earth. The scientific explanation for this seemingly impossible ability is given in the preface to Isis Unveiled, which we quote in the afterword to our investigation of the so-called 'law' of gravity. Although the definitions of the other seven powers are also true up to a point, unless we know the real, inner meaning of such statements they only serve to lead us astray into the realms of fantasy and fiction. A yogi can reach any place by a volition or act of will without leaving his body, but he cannot do so physically. Unless, of course, he catches a plane or travels by some other physical means. Teleportation is the stuff of science fiction not Occult fact!

Mahima: the power of increasing the size.
As we said earlier, by meditating on the property of the minuteness of the soul or universal spirit, the yogi is able to transfer his consciousness into the smallest of bodies and behold the conditions within them. Conversely, by meditating on the property of the vastness of the soul, he is able to extend his consciousness into all space and comprehend the entire universe within himself. This represents Mahima, or the Macrocosmos.

Ashita: the power of attaining supremacy.
Ashita is the power of obtaining universal dominion in this life or the next by the practise of yoga. It is by means of Ashita Siddhi that the yogi attains to divine powers.

Vashita: the power to hypnotize.
Vashita is another name for hypnotism which we discussed in our investigation of this power. It can refer to the taming of animals and bringing them under control, but also the restraint of passions and emotions, and similarly of bringing men and women under subjection. It is recorded that Orpheus tamed wild animals and stopped the course of rivers by the music of his Lyre; a poetical way of concealing the practise of hypnosis. Pythagoras is credited with the power of subduing a furious bear by the influence of his will and stopping an eagle in its flight. This again was done by hypnosis, a power he learnt from his Indian teachers. The Magi of Persia are also said to have derived their powers of hypnosis from India where it is believed it was first cultivated. Actually it came to India, and to Egypt, from Atlantis, the cradle of all the magical arts as we have pointed out before. A yogi can make himself 'invisible' by hypnotizing the person (or persons) from whom he desires to conceal himself. This is another illustration of the power of Vashita. But very few Adepts can do this, and there was a case during the last century in which a notorious self-styled 'magician' was challenged in open court to make himself invisible, or else be condemned as a rogue and charlatan. Needless to say, he was unable to perform the feat of which he had previously boasted to have the secret. Some readers may know to whom we are referring!

Kamavasayita: the power of suppressing all desires.
The greatest of the Siddhis so far enumerated is the power called Kamavasayita. This enables the perfect yogi to attain anything and suppress all desires. As such it is an epitome of the previous seven powers we have described.

The attentive reader will have noted that all these eight powers are nothing more nor less than the result of the regular, consistent and sincere practise of the spiritual exercises of meditation, concentration and visualization or imaging. Note that we said 'imaging' not imagination. It is one thing to imagine something in one's mind, quite another to bring it into manifestation so that all can see it. The man or woman who can do this is a true magician. Socrates, in Plato's Phaedrus, confirms some of these Siddhis when he delivers a highly poetical speech respecting the partial intercourse of the human soul, or Higher Mind, with eternal intellectual Realities. He says moreover that all objects which are invisible can be apprehended only by cognition (yoga); and that none but philosophers (yogis), and but a few of these, can attain such mental energy during life on earth; and not even these few can attain to this fully and perfectly in the present state. But they will attain it fully after death, he says, if their lives have been passed in sober philosophical training, or yoga, in other words. And he also says that all souls enjoyed it before birth, before junction with the body, but forgot it during childhood, though they may later recall it by the association of ideas. Lewes, whose History of Philosophy we quoted from earlier, says: "the faculty by which the soul divests itself of its personality is Ecstasy. In this state the soul becomes loosened from its material prison, separated from individual consciousness, and becomes absorbed in the Infinite Intelligence from which it emanated. In this ecstasy it contemplates real existence and identifies itself with that which it contemplates." By 'soul' he means what we call the Higher Self or Mind.

There are many scholars and supposedly 'educated' men and women who discredit the efficiency of yoga to produce supernatural results or to be good for anything 'useful' at all. They remind us of the retort of Sir Isaac Newton to the astronomer Edmund Halley (he of cometary fame), when the latter dismissed astrology as mere superstitious bunkum. "I have studied the subject, sir, and you have not," the great and noble scientist replied sternly. There are many who have not studied yoga with anything like the thoroughness the subject deserves. Among them we may count most (we almost said 'all') of those who fondly imagine that 'stretching in spandex', a few muttered mantras and a dash of mindfulness is all that constitutes this grand science. In addition to the ignorant and uninformed we must include those who have been misled by the many pretenders to occult knowledge, of which the world is as full today as it ever was and will be. Professor Monier Williams, notwithstanding some of the more sensible statements he made about yoga which we quoted earlier, is a perfect specimen of such pretension. In the first section of part one of our investigation (What is Yoga?) we said that he dismissed yoga as "a mere contrivance of getting rid of all thought, or at least of concentrating the mind with the utmost intensity upon nothing in particular." He went on to say that yoga "is a strange compound of mental and bodily exercises consisting of unnatural constraint, forced and painful postures, twistings and contortions of the limbs, suppression of breath and utter absence of mind." He is perfectly correct insofar as Hatha yoga is concerned, but not so in regard to the elevated philosophy of mental and spiritual training we have discussed with you. Yoga, as we said earlier, may with every justification be called the greatest of all Sciences, since it includes within its compass a complete knowledge of all things, of the physical, intellectual, and spiritual parts of man and the universe which surrounds him on all sides.

The true Yogi

But what of the true yogi? What is he like? The Hindu saviour Krishna tells us that when you behold a man who is indifferent to earthly things, to other men's opinions, his Mind having derived comfort and enlightenment from the Soul, that is yoga, and he is the yogi, independent and free. If you have followed this investigation from the very beginning, you will agree with this definition. Let us examine the character and attainments of the perfect yogi further. In this way we shall recapitulate all we have discussed with you about yoga and be able to recognise its presence whenever and wherever we behold it, together with its opposite, pretend yoga and the false yogi.

The yogi does not show his sorrows outwardly; nor his joys; he is above all praise and blame, and fame, and all contumely. When the foolish correct him, he smiles within, rejoindering meekly or with banter. He knows the thoughts and aims of every man, without telling what he knows, and forgives them for their waywardness and passion, knowing how easily the Higher Self is led astray by the lower. He knows that life on earth is an illusion; a dream, pleasant for some, less so for others, and death an awakening to a worse or better life. He knows all without betraying what he knows, and his mind is ever fixed on lofty contemplation, thus attuning with the holy place whence there is no return to earth for him. Such men and women too, for women can be yogis no less than men, are veritable Sages, Munis, Men and Women of Silence; for though they speak to all they do not mention the things that truly matter. Why is this? Because the imparting of holy things to the foolish or the ignorant is as a waft of wind that leaves no trace upon the minds of those who are uncouth of intellect and spirit. Loving all men, yet being indifferent to their love, the yogi has no ties that bind him down to earth. He neither despairs when fate obstructs his path, nor yet exults when fortune smiles upon him, taking things calmly as they come: for this is Wisdom's mark. He knows, within, the good things of the earth, and values them according to their worth; and so he draws them to himself with bonds of sympathy and understanding, and he lacks for nothing.

He veers away from evil thoughts and men, and they know him not, for there is no answering echo in his mind to evil passions or base desires. Yet, being only a man, disasters may descend upon his mind and flesh, snapping the root of self-control, and overthrowing his hard-won equilibrium. But if he conquers such catastrophes, his kingdom is one more regained, enriched with fresh experience, and new roots will sprout and find an secure anchorage in the divine soil of the Spirit.

Then his ascent will exceed his previous fall, and armed with greater mastery he will rise higher than the clouds which cover the sky in the rainy season; beholding far below himself the strivings and the vanities of lesser man, yet is his mind enriched with compassionate understanding of all their vanities and weaknesses. In actuality he neither loves nor hates, though his mind is filled with love, and tranquillity reigns within the inner chambers of his heart, and this is All-Wisdom. Although he dwells in the world of men, he is not of it outwardly, nor inward; nor does he, living here, renounce the world of men and things: for this brings no perfection; though worldly influences pass him by, for these are weak, and weakness cannot conquer strength, nor touch it to its detriment, if the strength is of the Spirit: he knows all influences for what they are, and whence they come, and this is All-Perception. For the minds of many men and women are of a material nature only. All their actions are prompted by the animal that dwells within them, while the Angel of God which would sanctify and redeem their shadowy selves, sits, unrecognised and uninvited by the wayside of their lives. But the yogi's Mind is purest Spirit, freed from earthly dross. And, being free and spiritual, the spiritual parts of others he may reach, untrammelled, unhindered and in strength. Thus he brings higher thoughts to those, who, lacking this spiritual strength, and poise, and Wisdom, could not otherwise perform the work preserved for them within their incarnation.

Such is the Master's work; unseen, unheard, yet showering untold blessings on his fellow-men and women on earth, who, being blind, can never know him as he is. And so they pass him by, never knowing the sacrifices he makes on their behalf. This is the only form of active renunciation of the world, approved by God and all the Lords below him. The man who sits in idleness, mortifying the flesh, and neither thinks nor acts (though he may think he is thinking), thus hoping to gain entrance into Heaven, is a smirking hypocrite, a smug lump of clay, a lowly serpent in the grass; a dissembling humbug and spiritual quack; a grimacer of puritanical contortions; pragmatical, conceited, and a simpering liar in the face of Deity Himself. Despising the body he despises his Creator and his works. He talks grandiloquently, chattering like an ignorant ape, misleading other apes who ape his apishness with glee; being made of the same worthless mud and adapting any excuse for sloth to justify their own lazy purposelessness. Those who think themselves wise call them yogis, but lie abominably, and in the end they join the slaves within the lower realms.

The veritable yogi does not act as lesser men do, building up some great enterprise with sweat and tears, only to bequeath it to those who will undermine and disperse it in years to come. Nay, he finds other work to do. For to each man on earth there is a task allotted. The yogi gives out Wisdom to the Seeker, provided such is genuine and not a sham, or works at given toil such as his Destiny provides to make him worthy of his present calling and future attainments. In this lies praise indeed, and worship of the Gods who build in Thought and Spiritual Action. For to take the fruits of the earth and not repay the debt with thoughts or acts, or both, inactive acts or active, is robbery of both the genesis of Heaven and of earth. Let all heed these words, lest they suffer the fate that awaits the base ingrate. There is a special hell appointed for those who live the life of thieving parasites. When they depart this life their tutelary genius, enthroned in ebon Darkness, lit by lurid gleams of torturing fire, exacts full payment for their crimes. Thus, long ago did the Wise Sages of ancient India expound the ways in which to know the veritable yogi, and his opposites.

Conclusion

We would like to end this investigation with a beautiful prayer used by the yogis that sums up the true Art and Science of yoga in all its primitive perfection.

"Hail the Eternal.
Salutation to the self-same Reality,
From whom all beings proceed,
By whom they are manifest,
Upon whom they depend,
And in whom they become extinct.
He is the knower, the knowledge and all that is to be known.
He is the seer, the seeing, and all that is to be seen.
He is the actor, the cause and the effect
Therefore salutations to Him who is all knowledge Himself.
Salutation to Him who is supreme bliss itself,
From whom flow the dews of delight,
As water springs from a fountain
Both in heaven and earth, and who is the life of all."

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The Wisdom of India

In the third and final part of this accompaniment to our investigation of yoga we conclude our exploration and explanation of the occult truths to be found in the sayings and parables of the Sages of ancient India

There is a most important doctrine of the Indian Sages which we touched upon in our investigation; a doctrine that has been misinterpreted not only by many thousands of seekers in Europe and America, but by the Brahmans in India, themselves, who really should know better. It is the Doctrine of the extinction of the Self and of all desires, which, teach the modern Brahmans of the last 2,000 years or so, leads to eternal bliss and freedom from rebirth on earth.

Now what is wrong with this Doctrine? Nothing if rightly understood; everything if not rightly understood. Extinction of the Self and of all desires means the taming and controlling of the lower mind, and it means nothing else, whatever anyone tells you to the contrary. Regarded from this point of view, the Doctrine is entirely reasonable. But extinction of desires does not mean that we should re-locate to a damp and dismal cave, dress in sackcloth and ashes and subsist on nuts and berries.

One writer has said that, "Heart's ease is a flower which blooms from the grave of desire." Here is something to analyse, for he was perfectly correct. Happy is the man or woman who learns the wide gap that lies between the desires of the Higher Self and those of the lower, of which Fame is one of the most beguiling. The Indian Sages tell the following short story about the deceptive nature of Fame.

"Some people become celebrated by accident, like the crow who alighted on a palm-tree just when it was about to fall. To the ignorant it seemed as if the weight of this bird was so great that the tree collapsed under it."

Who but a truly wise man shall be able to say who has a claim to real fame? To fools, almost anyone who does things in a different way without offending another may seem to be a superior sort of person. Need we quote modern examples of those who are famous for being famous? But the fools produced by the creators are very strange beings whose intellect is darkened by the clouds of ignorance; therefore their opinion has no more weight than the crow in the Indian story.

The path to Wisdom

The Indian Sages all affirm that it needs no wisdom to become rich, only shrewdness, aided by Destiny. "But," they add, "only a wise man knows how to control riches rightly. They have value only when applied to relieve the distress of the deserving. Otherwise, riches are useless and a curse instead of a blessing. The six faults that are the enemy of man are: desire, wrath, covetousness, bewilderment, pride and envy.

In The Quest of Ruru, a book which is filled with the wisdom of the Sages of ancient India, we may read: "When great wealth, or even prosperity, is not used for the benefit of others, it flickers like a flash of lightning and is lost, and no one benefits. A selfish wish is likewise in vain. When a man aspires to the spiritual, even the smallest grain of merit will develop and become a tree, laden with the richest fruit.

"But when a man turns towards the material, and from thence descends to error and darkness, even his previous virtues will be corrupted by and become misfortunes in the end; for a man's evil actions bear fruit within himself and destroy him. It is the same with man's realisation of his individual being. His sense of Self has no stability and is easily overthrown by the winds of calamity. Yet there is within the mind of Man the germ of everlasting continuity of Being; but this germ can be developed only by right conduct and right thinking, and by an ever faithful holding on to the idea that Man is a Son of the Gods — and can become a God in the end.

"But before this can happen the man or woman must have full realisation of the difference between the illusionary dream of being a real Ego in the material worlds, and the truth of Egohood in the Spirit. The manner in which this knowledge can be acquired is very difficult.

"Apart from Service there is, however, another Royal Road which never fails to lead to this Knowledge, and that is the Road of True Love; a love not of the senses but of the Spirit; though the first kind of love can lead to the second in rare instances.

"Those who truly love are not of the Earth, for their Souls are filled with a strange nectar, flowing from the vessels of Heaven into their thirsty Minds. Love overcomes the strongest at the right moment, like the ascetic Vishvamitra, who forsook his austerities when he beheld Menaka. But theirs was at first a love caused by the senses, though no man can judge another and say if and when such love can become spiritual in the end. Only the wise Gods can tell.

"The next Road to Glory is by learning, and by instruction from the real Masters and Adepts, whose duty it is to impart Wisdom to those who are worthy, for when learning is imparted to one who is not fit to receive it, it does not tend to merit or glory, but only to regret.

"Whichever Road a man may take, or if he takes them all, there is one thing needed to succeed on any; and that is courage. Nothing is gained by despondency, for calamities depart far away from the resolute, as if terrified at them. Therefore, whatever calamities may befall him, the wise man remains steadfast and resolute; for nothing in this world is impossible for the enterprising. To the brave their own valour is the only cause of success; for a brave man obtains prosperity — in whatever direction his thoughts are turned — by himself, without any visible or obvious support.

"Above all, the wise man holds fast to the truth that great grief often ends in greater happiness, for grief is the Key of the Gods with which they unlock the portals of our Minds, so that we may behold the higher things of the Spirit, which is true Bliss; while in earthly things lies hidden the evil worm of unhappiness. Hence, the wise pray that Victory may come to them by means of the Protection of Ganesha, the Conqueror of Obstacles."

From all we have said in this accompaniment you will have noted how the Indian Sages taught the precepts of true yoga by means of wise sayings and examples. If you have also read our articles that deal with the wisdom of China, the Magic of Egypt and the wisdom teachings of the British Druids, you will also have realized that there is nothing new in the precepts of yoga. And how can there be? For the Great Truths never change or they would not be truths but theories, speculation and opinion.

For this reason we should like to conclude our exploration with a final allegory concerning Brahma, which shows that only the Supreme Deity is in possession of All-Truth, those below Him in rank, even the highest gods, having only a portion of it.

The Wisdom of Brahma

"After the Lord Brahma, seated upon the lotus in deep meditation, had brought forth the youthful Sage who was to descend into the world in order to spread divine wisdom, he beheld His creation, who leaned toward his Father like the wave leans to the sea that has brought it forth, and he sent to His son insanity and illusion, so that he exclaimed: 'Ah, woeful is this world, and how came evil to dwell in it?'

"And he became as helpless as a person afflicted with distress and sorrow. Then His Father asked: 'Ah, my son, why art thou so afflicted? Ask of me for the remedy, and thou shalt become happy.' And he asked Brahma why the world was so full of misery, and how could the people get rid of it, and the Creator of the world told him that he had sent insanity and illusion to him in order to force him to make enquiry into the essence of true knowledge for the welfare of mankind.

"As soon as man realises this, he becomes free from all affliction and commences the Search for Truth. He will know that the world and all that is in it is but one great illusion, though very real indeed to those who dwell within it, and as soon as he knows this he becomes as One Soul with the great Oversoul, and turns from dross into pure gold, like unto the golden lotus which constitutes the throne of Brahma: in other words, the Sun!

"And the son was sent forth to the earth with the mission to ask all mankind who was dissatisfied with his earthly status as a man or woman and to offer such good counsel and esoteric knowledge which would confer true felicity to the heart and mind. Being thus appointed, he spent many lives upon the earth, teaching during a long succession of lives, until he had done his task and was liberated in turn." asterisks

Let us pause here and ask ourselves why did not Brahma, after he had created the world, send transcendental knowledge to the human beings at the very beginning? Because He, not being the Supreme Deity, lacked the complete Wisdom of the Deity, and made many errors, the same as did all those who functioned under His directions. For true perfection is the attribute of the Supreme Deity alone. Let us continue with our allegory.

"So, when the great Lord Brahma saw the imperfection of the creations under Him, he began to devise ways and means to remedy these ills, and He saw the whole course of His creations, past, present and future at one view. He saw the decay of the ceremonial rites after the Golden Age of Wisdom had passed away, and the trials and tests of all the following ages, yet there was a purpose behind all these happenings that was hid even from Him, the great Lord.

"For as long as men dwelt in happiness and content, there was no need, nor wish, to strive for anything higher. But where there is no progress there comes decay, and it was for this reason that the Golden Age ended and men became slack in their religious rites and ceremonies, and ceased to strive for true learning, neglecting their proper duties to God and themselves. All that concerned the peoples of the earth was to seek daily maintenance, and there arose disputes, followed by penalties inflicted by the strong upon the weak if the latter raised their voice in protest.

"Then came wars, and crime and disease with them: for these evils are the inevitable companions of war. From time to time re-action set in and people once more strove to find the Light, the Wisdom and the Love without which they must perish. And Messengers came down to earth from Heaven, to be slain by the cruel and the ignorant, but still they came, and occasionally a voice was heard by a few, and the few that listened were saved from rebirth, after much tribulation.

"The unceasing excitement of the senses, if not under control, and the fears and miseries of the world will continually disturb the mind if it lacks the remedy of right reason. There is naught beside this rational knowledge that can enable man to endure the afflictions of the opposite extremes of happiness and despair, of heat and cold, of health and disease.

"The incessant cares and miseries which may befall men, if right understanding is lacking, serve to torment the lower self, as a flame will burn away straw. But the troubles of this world cannot afflict the wise man, who discerns all things in their true light and true relationships; just as it is impossible for the flame of fire to burn down a wood drenched by rain. The man knowing Truth resembles the firm oak, which no wind has the power to uproot."

So ends our allegory and with it our final accompaniment to this investigation. True knowledge is the greatest of all things, as we have endeavoured to show you throughout our survey of yoga. The journey through this world can become delightful to those of us who, after the removal of our errors and alleviation of our ignorance, come to the knowledge of Truth. The Indian Sages teach that this body of ours is a carriage or car. Our five senses are the horses that pull it; our breath is the wind that blows upon it. The lower mind is the driver that feels the delight of driving while the Higher Mind is the rider who is conscious of wandering about the world.

The realization of this truth can make our earthly sojourn a pleasant one, and then Life's breath shall be our friend, and the Sun shall envelop us with his life and light all the days of our life. Go forth then, if you are one who hungers after truth and thirsts after knowledge, and take your fill of the Wisdom of the Ages that lies all around you in plain sight. And do not forget to give silent thanks to your Creator who has made all these things possible for you.

We hope that this exploration of the occult truths to be found in the sayings and parables of the Sages of ancient India has been as interesting and profitable for you to read as it was for us to research and write it. Readers who wish to explore this rich mine of wisdom further will find a list of the principal sources we have drawn upon for this investigation below.

occult mysteries