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Speaker 1: The fourth lesson mental control, Part one. In our first

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three lessons of this series, we have endeavored to bring

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into realization within your mind. One the consciousness of the eye,

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its independence from the body, its immortality, its invincibility and invulnerability.

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Two the superiority of the eye over the mind as

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well as over the body. The fact that the mind

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is not the eye, but is merely an instrument for

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the expression of the eye. The fact that the eye

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is master of the mind as well as of the body.

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That the eye is behind all thought. That the eye

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can set aside for consideration the sensations, emotions, passions, desires,

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and the rest of the mental phenomena, and still realize

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that it the eye is apart from these mental manifestations

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and remains unchanged, real and fully existent. That the eye

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can set aside any and all of its mental tools

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and instruments as not i things, and still consciously realize

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that after so setting them aside, there remains something itself,

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the eye, which cannot be set aside or taken from

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That the eye is the master of the mind and

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not its slave. Three, that the eye is a much

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greater thing than the little personal eye. We have been

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considering it to be that the eye is a part

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of that great one reality which pervades all the universe.

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That it is connected with all other forms of life

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by countless ties, mental and spiritual filaments and relations. That

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the eye is the center of consciousness in that great

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one reality or spirit, which is behind and back of

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all life and existence, the center of which reality or

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existence is the Absolute or God. That the sense of

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reality that is inherent in the eye is really the

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reflection of the sense of reality inherent in the whole,

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the great eye of the universe. The underlying principle of

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these three lessons is the reality of the eye in

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itself over and above all matter, force, or mind, positive

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to all of them, just as they are positive or

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negative to each other, and negative only to the center

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of the One, the Absolute. And this is the position

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for the candidate or initiate to take. I am positive

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to mind, energy, and matter, and control them all. I

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am negative only to the Absolute, which is the center

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of being, of which being I am. And as I

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exert my mastery over mind, energy, and matter and exercise

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my will over them, so do I acknowledge my subordination

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to the Absolute and gladly open my soul to the

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inflow of the Divine will and partake of its power, strength,

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and wisdom. In the present lesson and those immediately following it,

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we shall endeavor to assist the candidate or initiate in

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acquiring a mastery of the subordinate manifestations matter, energy, and mind.

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In order to acquire and assert this mastery, one must

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acquaint himself with the nature of the thing to be controlled.

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In our advanced course, we have endeavored to explain to

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you the nature of the three great manifestations known as

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Hita or mind, substance, Prana or energy, and Akasa or

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the principle of matter. We also explain to you that

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the eye of men is superior to these three, being

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what is known as Atman or spirit, Matter, energy, and mind,

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as we have explained, are manifestations of the absolute in

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our relative things. The Yogi philosophy teaches that matter is

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the grossest form of manifested substance, being below energy and

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mind and consequently negative to and subordinate to both. One

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stage higher than matter is energy or force, which is

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positive to and has authority over matter, matter, being a

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still grosser form of substance, but which is negative to

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and subordinate to mind, which is a still higher form

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of substance. Next in order comes the highest of the three, Mind,

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the finest form of substance, and which dominates both energy

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and matter, being positive to both. Mind, however, is negative

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and subordinate to the Eye, which is spirit, and obeys

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the orders of the latter when firmly and intelligently given.

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The eye itself is subordinate only to the absolute, the

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center of being, the I, being positive and dominant over

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the threefold manifestation of mind, energy, and matter. The eye,

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which for the sake of the illustration, must be regarded

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as a separate thing, although it is really only a

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center of consciousness in the great body of Spirit, finds

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itself surrounded by the triple ocean of mind, energy, and matter,

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which ocean extends into infinity. The body is but a

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physical form through which flows an unending stream of matter.

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For as you know, the particles and atoms of the

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body are constantly changing, being renewed, replaced, thrown off, and

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supplanted one's body of a few years ago, or rather,

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the particles composing that body have passed off and now

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form new combinations in the world of matter, and one's

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body of today is passing away and being replaced by

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new particles. And one's body of next year is now

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occupying some other portion of space, and its particles are

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now parts of countless other combinations from its space, and

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combinations they will later come to combine and form the

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body of next year. There is nothing permanent about the body.

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Even the particles of the bones are being constantly replaced

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by others. And so it is with the vital energy

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force or strength of the body, including that of the brain.

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It is constantly being used up and expended, a fresh

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supply taking its place. And even the mind of the

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person is changeable, and the mind substance or keita is

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being used up and replenished, the new supply coming from

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the great ocean of mind into which the discarded portion slips,

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just as is the case with the matter and energy.

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While the majority of our students, who are more or

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less familiar with the current material scientific conceptions, will readily

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accept the above idea of the ocean of matter and

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energy and the fact that there is a continual using

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up and replenishing of one store of both, they may

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have more or less trouble in accepting the idea that

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mind is a substance or principle amenable to the same

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general laws as are the other two manifestations or attributes

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of substance. One is so apt to think of his

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mind as himself the eye, notwithstanding the fact that in

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our second lesson of this series, which showed you that

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the eye is superior to the mental states, and that

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it can set them aside and regard and consider them

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as not i things. Yet the force of the habit

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of thought is very strong, and it may take some

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of you considerable time before you get into the way

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of realizing that your mind is something that you use

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instead of being you yourself. And yet you must persevere

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in attaining this realization. For in the degree that you

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realize your dominance over your mind, so will be your

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control of it and its amenability to that control. And

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as is the degree of that dominance in control, so

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will be the character, great and extent of the work

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that your mind will do for you. So you see,

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realization brings control and control brings results. This statement lies

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at the base of the science of Raja yoga, and

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many of its first exercises are designed to acquaint the

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student with that realization and to develop the realization and

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control by habit and practice. The Yogi philosophy teaches that

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instead of mind being the eye, it is the thing

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through and by means of which the eye thinks, at

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least so far as is concerned the knowledge concerning the

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phenomenal or outward universe, that is, the universe of name

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and form. There is a higher knowledge locked up in

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the innermost part of the eye that far transcends any

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information that it may receive about or from the outer world.

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But that is not before us for consideration at this time,

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and we must concern ourselves with the thinking about the

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world of things. Mind substance in Sanskrit is called kita,

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and a wave in the kita, which wave is the

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combination of mind and energy, is called frita, which is

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akin to what we call a thought. In other words,

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it is mind in action, whereas kita is mind in repose. Frita,

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when literally translated, means a whirlpool or eddy in the mind,

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which is exactly what a thought really is. But we

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must call the attention of the student at this point

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to the fact that the word mind is used in

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two ways by the Yogis, and other occultists, and the

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student is directed to form a clear concept of each

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meaning in order to avoid confusion, and that he may

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more clearly perceive the true aspects of the things which

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the word is intended to express. In the first place,

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the word mind is used as synonymous with kita or

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mind substance, which is the universal mind principle. From this kita,

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mind substance, or mind, all the material of the millions

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of personal minds is obtained. The sacond meaning of the

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word mind is that which we mean when we speak

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of the mind of any one, thereby meaning the mental

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faculties of that particular person, that which distinguishes his mental

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personality from that of another. We have taught you that

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this mind in men functions on three planes, and have

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called the respective manifestations one the instinctive mind, two the intellect,

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and three the spiritual mind see fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy,

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et cetera. These three mental planes, taken together, make up

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the mind of the person, or, to be more exact,

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they clustered around the eye form the soul of the individual.

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The word soul is often used as synonymous with spirit,

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but those who have followed us will distinguish the difference.

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The soul is the ego surrounded by its mental principles,

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while the spirit is the soul of the soul, the eye,

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or real self. The science of Raja Yoga to which

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these series of lessons is devoted, teaches as its basic

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principle the control of the mind. It holds that the

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first step toward power consists in obtaining a control of

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one's own mind. It holds that the internal world must

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be conquered before the outer world is attacked. It holds

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that the eye manifests itself in will, and that that

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will may be used to manipulate, guide, govern, and direct

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the mind of its owner, as well as the physical world.

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It aims to clear away all mental rubbish and encumbrances,

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to conduct a mental house cleaning, as it were, and

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to secure a clear, clean, healthy mind. Then it proceeds

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to control that mind intelligently and with effect, saving all

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waste power, and by means of concentration, bringing the mind

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in full harmony with the will, that it may be

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brought to a focus and its power greatly increased, and

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its efficiency fully secured. Concentration and will power are the

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means by which the Yogis obtain such wonderful results and

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by which they manage and direct their vigorous, healthy minds

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and master the material world, acting positively upon energy and matter.

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This control extends to all planes of the mind, and

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the yogis not only controlled the instinctive mind, holding in

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subjection its lower qualities and making use of its other parts,

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but they also develop and enlarge the field of their

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intellect and obtain from it wonderful results. Even this spiritual

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mind is mastered and aided in its unfoldment, and urged

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to pass down into the field of consciousness some of

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the wonderful secrets to be found within its area. By

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means of Raja yoga, many of the secrets of existence

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and being, many of the riddles of the universe are

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answered and solved, and by it, the latent powers inherent

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in the constitution of men are unfolded and brought into action.

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Those highly advanced in the science are believed to have

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attained such a wonderful degree of power and control over

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the forces of the universe that they are as gods

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compared with the ordinary men. Raja Yoga teaches that not

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only may power of this kind be secured but that

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a wonderful field of knowledge is opened out through its practice.

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It holds that when the concentrated mind is focused upon

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thing or subject, the true nature and inner meaning of

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and concerning that thing or subject will be brought to view.

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The concentrated mind passes through the object or subject, just

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as the X ray passes through a block of wood,

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and the thing is seen by the eye as it

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is in truth and not as it had appeared before,

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imperfectly and erroneously. Not only may the outside world be

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thus explored, but the mental ray may be turned inward

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and the secret places of the mind explored. When it

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is remembered that the bit of mind that each man

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possesses is like a drop of the ocean, which contains

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within its tiny compass all the elements that make up

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the ocean, and that to know perfectly the drop is

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to know perfectly the ocean, then we begin to see

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what such a power really means. Many in the Western world,

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who have attained great results in the intellectual and scientific

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fields of endeavor, have developed these powers, more or less unconsciously.

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Many great inventors are practical yogis, although they do not

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realize the source of their power. Any One who is

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familiar with the personal mental characteristics of Edison will see

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that he follows some of the Raja yoga methods, and

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that concentration is one of his strongest weapons. And from

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all reports, Professor Elmer Gates of Washington, d c. Whose

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mind has unfolded many wonderful discoveries and inventions, is also

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a practical yogi, although he may repudiate the assertion vigorously

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and may not have familiarized himself with the principles of

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the science which he has dropped into unconsciously. Those who

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have reported upon Professor Gates's methods say that he fairly

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digged out the inventions and discoveries from his mind after

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going into seclusion and practicing concentration in what is known

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as the mental vision. But we have given you enough

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of theory for one lesson, and must begin to give

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you directions whereby you may aid yourself in developing these

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latent powers and unfolding these dormant energies. You will notice

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that in this series we first tell you something about

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the theory and then proceed to give you something to do.

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This is the true yogi method, as followed and practiced

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by their best teachers. Too much theory is time and

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sings the mind to sleep, while too much exercise tires

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one and does not give the inquiring part of his

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mind the necessary food. To combine both in suitable proportions

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is the better plan, and one that we aim to

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follow Part two Mental drill and exercises. Before we can

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get the mind to do good work for us, we

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must first tame it and bring it to obedience to

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the will of the eye. The mind, as a rule,

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has been allowed to run wild and follow its own

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sweet will and desires without regard to anything else. Like

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a spoiled child or badly trained domestic animal, it gets

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into much trouble and is of very little pleasure, comfort,

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or use. The minds of many of us are like

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menagries of wild animals, each pursuing the bent of its

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own nature and going its own way. We have the

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whole managery within us, the tiger, the ape, the peacock,

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the ass, the goose, the sheep, the hyena, and all

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the rest, and we have been letting these animals rule us.

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Even our intellect is erratic, unstable, and like the quicksilver

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to which the ancient occultists compared it shifting and uncertain.

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If you will look around you, you will see that

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those men and women in the world who have really

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accomplished anything worth while have trained their minds to obedience.

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They have asserted the will or were their own minds,

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and learned mastery and power in that way. The average

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mind chafes at the restraint of the will and is

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like a frisky monkey that will not be taught tricks,

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but taught it must be if it wants to do

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good work, and teach it you must if you expect

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to get any use from it, if you expect to

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use it instead of having it use you. And this

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is the first thing to be learned in Raja yoga,

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this control of the mind. Those who had hoped for

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some royal road to mastery may be disappointed. But there

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is only one way, and that is to master and

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control the mind by the will. Otherwise it will run

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away when you most need it. And so we shall

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give you some exercise design to aid you in this direction.

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The first exercise in Raja yoga is what is called pratyahara,

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or the art of making the mind introspective or turned

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inward upon itself. It is the first step toward mental control.

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It aims to turn the mind from going outward and

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gradually churning it inward upon itself or inner nature. The

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object is to gain control of it by the will.

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The following exercises will aid in that direction. Exercise one

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A place yourself in a comfortable position and, so far

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as possible, free from outside disturbing influences. Make no violent

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effort to control the mind, but rather allow it to

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run along for a while and exhaust its efforts. It

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will take advantage of the opportunity and will jump around

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like an unchained monkey at first, until it gradually slows

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down and looks to you for orders. It may take

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some time to tame down at first trial, but each

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time you try, it will come round to you in

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shorter time. The Yogis spend much time in acquiring this

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mental peace and calm, and consider themselves well paid for it. B.

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When the mind is well calmed down and peaceful, fix

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the thought on thee. I am. As taught in our

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previous lessons, picture the eye as an entity independent of

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the body, deathless and vulnerable, immortal real Then think of

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it as independent of the body and able to exist

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without its fleshly covering. Meditate upon this for a time,

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and then gradually direg the thought to the realization of

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the eye as independent and superior to the mind and

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controlling saying. Go over the general ideas of the first

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two lessons, and endeavor to calmly reflect upon them and

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to see them in the mind's eye. You will find

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that your mind is gradually becoming more and more peaceful

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and calm, and that the distracting thoughts of the outside

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world are farther and farther removed from you. See. Then,

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let the mind pass on to a calm consideration of

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the third lesson, in which we have spoken of the

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oneness of all and the relationship of the eye to

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the one life power intelligence being. You will find that

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you are acquiring a mental control and calm heretofore unknown

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to you. The exercises in the first three lessons will

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have prepared you for this. The following is the most

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difficult of the variations or degrees of this exercise, but

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the ability to perform it will come gradually. The exercise

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consists in gradually shutting out all thought or impression of

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the outside world, of the body, and of the thoughts themselves,

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the student concentrating and meditating upon the word and idea

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I am, the idea being that he shall concentrate upon

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the idea of mere being or existence, symbolized by the

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words I am, not I am this, or I am that,

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or I do this or I think that, but simply

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I am. This exercise will focus the attention at the

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very center of being within oneself, and will gather in

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all the mental energies instead of allowing them to be

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scattered upon outside things. A feeling of peace, strength, and

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power will result. For the affirmation and the thought back

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of it is the most powerful and strongest that one

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may make, for it is a statement of actual being

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and the turning of the thought inward to that truth.

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Let the mind first dwell upon the word I, identifying

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it with the self, and then let it pass on

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to the word M, which signifies reality and being. Then

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combine the two with the meanings thereof, and the result

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a most powerful focusing of thought inward and most potent

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statement of being. It is well to accompany the above

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exercise with a comfortable and easy physical attitude, so as

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to prevent the distraction of the attention by the body.

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In order to do this, one should assume and e

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easy attitude, and then relax every muscle and take the

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tension from every nerve until a perfect sense of ease, comfort,

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and relaxation is obtained. You should practice this until you

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have fully acquired it. It will be useful to you

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in many ways. Besides rendering concentration and meditation easier, it

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will act as a rest cure for tired body nerves

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and mind exercise too. The second step in Raja yoga

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is what is known as tarana or concentration. This is

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a most wonderful idea in the direction of focusing the

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mental forces, and may be cultivated to an almost incredible degree.

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But all this requires work, time, and patience, but the

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student will be well repaid for it. Concentration consists in

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the mind focusing upon a certain subject or object and

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being held there for a time. This, at first thought,

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seems very easy, but a little practice will show how

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difficult it is to firmly fix the attention and hold

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it there. It will have a tendency to waver and

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move to some other object or subject, and much practice

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will be needed in order to hold it at the

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desired point. But practice will accomplish wonders. As one may

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see by observing people who have acquired this faculty and

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who use it in their everyday life. The following point

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should be remembered. Many persons have acquired the faculty of

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concentrating their attention, but have allowed it to become almost involuntary,

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and they become a slave to it forgetting themselves and

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everything else, and often neglecting necessary affairs. This is the

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ignorant way of concentrating, and those addicted to it become

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slaves to their habits instead of masters of their minds.

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They become day dreamers and absent minded people. Instead of masters.

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They are to be pitied as much as those who

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cannot concentrate at all. The secret is in a mystery

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of the mind. The yogis can concentrate at will and

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completely bury themselves in the subject before them, and extract

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00:33:01,839 --> 00:33:06,319
from it every item of interest, and kim then pass

383
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the mind from the thing at will, the same control

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being used in both cases. They do not allow fits

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of abstraction or absent mindedness to come upon them, nor

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are they day dreamers. On the contrary, they are very

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wide awake individuals. Close observers clear thinkers, correct reasoners. They

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are masters of their minds, not slaves to their moods.

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The ignorant concentrator buries himself in the object or subject

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and allows it to master and absorb himself, while the

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00:33:47,559 --> 00:33:52,240
trained yogi thinkers assert the eye and then directs his

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mind to concentrate upon the subject or object, keeping it

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well under control and in view all the time. Do

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you see the difference, then heed the lesson. The following

395
00:34:07,839 --> 00:34:12,880
exercises may be found useful in the first steps of concentration.

396
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A concentrate the attention upon some familiar object, a pencil,

397
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for instance. Hold the mind there and consider the pencil

398
00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:34,320
to the exclusion of any other object. Consider its size, color, shape,

399
00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:41,480
kind of wood, consider its uses and purposes, its materials,

400
00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:46,960
the process of its manufacture, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

401
00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:53,480
In short, think as many things about the pencil as possible,

402
00:34:54,159 --> 00:34:59,559
allowing the mind to pursue any associated bypaths, such as

403
00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:04,480
a consideration of the graphite of which the lead is made,

404
00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:08,159
the forests from which came the wood used in making

405
00:35:08,199 --> 00:35:13,519
the pencil, the history of pencils and other inclements used

406
00:35:13,519 --> 00:35:19,800
for writing, et cetera. In short, exhaust the subject of pencils.

407
00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:25,920
In considering a subject under concentration, the following plan of

408
00:35:26,039 --> 00:35:30,760
synopsis will be found useful. Think of the thing in

409
00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:37,119
question from the following viewpoints. One the thing itself, two,

410
00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:43,119
the plays from whence it came, three, its purpose or use,

411
00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:51,840
four its associations, five its probable end. Do not let

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the apparently trivial nature of the inquiry discourage you, for

413
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the simplest form of mental training is us useful and

414
00:36:01,159 --> 00:36:06,119
will help to develop your will and concentration. It is

415
00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:11,000
akin to the process of developing a physical muscle by

416
00:36:11,159 --> 00:36:16,840
some simple exercise, and in both cases one loses sight

417
00:36:17,079 --> 00:36:21,719
of the unimportance of the exercise itself in view of

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00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:28,480
the end to be gained. B Concentrate the attention upon

419
00:36:28,639 --> 00:36:32,960
some part of the body, the hand, for instance, and

420
00:36:33,119 --> 00:36:38,440
fixing your entire attention upon it, shut off or inhibit

421
00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:43,519
all sensation from the other parts of the body. A

422
00:36:43,639 --> 00:36:47,960
little practice will enable you to do this. In addition

423
00:36:48,079 --> 00:36:53,000
to the mental training, this exercise will stimulate the part

424
00:36:53,079 --> 00:36:57,480
of the body concentrated upon, for reasons that will appear

425
00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:03,800
in future lessons. Change the parts of the body concentrated upon,

426
00:37:04,599 --> 00:37:09,320
and thus give the mind a variety of exercises, and

427
00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:17,039
the body the effect of a general stimulation. See These

428
00:37:17,119 --> 00:37:22,800
exercises may be extended indefinitely upon familiar objects about you.

429
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Remember always that the thing in itself is of no importance,

430
00:37:29,679 --> 00:37:33,519
the whole idea being to train the mind to obey

431
00:37:33,599 --> 00:37:37,920
the will, so that when you really wish to use

432
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:42,760
the mental forces upon some important object, you may find

433
00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:47,679
them well trained and obedient. Do not be tempted to

434
00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,039
slight this part of the word because it is dry

435
00:37:51,199 --> 00:37:54,920
and uninteresting, for it leads up to things that are

436
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:59,320
most interesting and opens a door to a fascinating subject.

437
00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:08,000
D practice focusing the attention upon some abstract subject, that is,

438
00:38:08,599 --> 00:38:12,519
upon some subject of interest that may offer a field

439
00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:17,920
for mental exploration. Think about the subject in all its

440
00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:23,679
phases and branches, following up one by path and then another,

441
00:38:24,559 --> 00:38:27,639
until you feel that you know all about the subject

442
00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:31,960
that your mind has acquired. You will be surprised to

443
00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:35,800
find how much more you know about any one thing

444
00:38:36,199 --> 00:38:41,719
or subject than you have believed possible. In hidden corners

445
00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:45,639
of your mind, you will find some useful or interesting

446
00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:50,199
information about the thing in question. And when you are

447
00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:54,760
through you will feel well posted upon it and upon

448
00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:59,800
the things connected with it. This exercise will not only

449
00:39:00,079 --> 00:39:04,840
help to develop your intellectual powers, but will strengthen your

450
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:09,440
memory and broaden your mind and give you more confidence

451
00:39:09,519 --> 00:39:14,679
in yourself. And in addition, you will have taken a

452
00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:21,679
valuable exercise in concentration or tarana. The importance of concentration.

453
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:28,039
Concentration is a focusing of the mind, and this focusing

454
00:39:28,159 --> 00:39:32,480
of the mind requires a focusing or bringing to a

455
00:39:32,599 --> 00:39:38,159
center of the will. The mind is concentrated because the

456
00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:43,239
will is focused upon the object. The mind flows into

457
00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:48,760
the mold made by the will. The above exercises are

458
00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:52,840
designed not only to accustom the mind to the obedience

459
00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:57,480
and direction of the will, but also tend to accustom

460
00:39:57,639 --> 00:40:02,880
the will to command. We speak of strengthening the will,

461
00:40:03,679 --> 00:40:06,840
when what we really mean is training the mind to

462
00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:12,760
obey and accustoming the will to command. Our will is

463
00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:17,480
strong enough, but we do not realize it. The will

464
00:40:17,639 --> 00:40:21,559
takes root in the very center of our being, in

465
00:40:21,639 --> 00:40:27,960
the eye, but our imperfectly developed mind does not recognize

466
00:40:28,039 --> 00:40:33,159
this fact. We are like young elephants that do not

467
00:40:33,559 --> 00:40:38,800
recognize their own strength, but allow themselves to be mastered

468
00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:43,079
by puny drivers, whom they could brush aside with a movement.

469
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The will is back of all action, all doing, mental

470
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and physical. We shall have much to say touching the

471
00:40:54,039 --> 00:40:57,480
will in these lessons, and the student should give the

472
00:40:57,519 --> 00:41:02,840
matter his careful attention. Let him look around him, and

473
00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:06,599
he will see that the great difference between the men

474
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:10,800
who have stepped forward from the ranks and those who

475
00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:16,039
remain huddled up in the crowd consists in determination and will.

476
00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:21,440
As Buxton has well said, the longer I live, the

477
00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:25,119
more certain I am that the great difference between men,

478
00:41:25,679 --> 00:41:30,199
the feeble and the powerful, the great and insignificant, is

479
00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:36,760
energy and invincible determination. And he might have added that

480
00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:42,679
the thing behind that energy and invincible determination was will.

481
00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:49,239
The writers and thinkers of all ages have recognized the

482
00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:55,480
wonderful and transcendent importance of the will. Tennyson sings, all

483
00:41:55,599 --> 00:41:59,760
living will thou shalt endure when all that seems shall

484
00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:05,519
see of her shock. Oliver Wendell Holmes says the seat

485
00:42:05,639 --> 00:42:09,079
of the will seems to vary with the organ through

486
00:42:09,119 --> 00:42:14,440
which it is manifested to transport itself to different parts

487
00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:17,960
of the brain. As we may wish to recall a picture,

488
00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:22,159
a phrase, a melody, to throw its force on the

489
00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:27,920
muscles or the intellectual processes. Like the general in chief,

490
00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:32,719
its place is everywhere in the field of action. It

491
00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:36,320
is the least like an instrument of any of our faculties,

492
00:42:37,159 --> 00:42:41,480
the farthest removed from our conceptions of mechanism and matter

493
00:42:42,159 --> 00:42:47,239
as we commonly define them. Holmes was correct in his idea,

494
00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:52,880
but faulty in his details. The will does not change

495
00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:56,519
its seat, which is always in the center of the ego.

496
00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:01,239
But the will forces the mind to all hearts and

497
00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:07,039
in all directions, and it directs the prana or vital force. Likewise,

498
00:43:08,559 --> 00:43:12,320
the will is indeed the general in chief, but it

499
00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:16,360
does not rush to the various points of action. But

500
00:43:16,559 --> 00:43:21,679
since its messengers and couriers there to carry out its orders.

501
00:43:23,079 --> 00:43:27,159
Buxton has said, the will will do anything that can

502
00:43:27,199 --> 00:43:32,679
be done in this world, and no talents, no circumstances,

503
00:43:33,320 --> 00:43:37,440
no opportunities, will make a two legged creature a man

504
00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:44,599
without it. Ike Marvel truly says, resolve is what makes

505
00:43:44,639 --> 00:43:50,760
a man manifest, Not puny, resolve, not crue determinations, not

506
00:43:51,079 --> 00:43:56,159
er and purpose, but that strong and indefatigable will which

507
00:43:56,280 --> 00:44:00,760
treads down difficulties in danger as a boy treads down

508
00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:05,199
the heaving frostlens of winter, which kindles his eye and

509
00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:10,599
brain with a proud pulse beat toward the unattainable will

510
00:44:11,039 --> 00:44:16,320
makes men giants. The great obstacle to the proper use

511
00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:18,920
of the will in the case of the majority of

512
00:44:18,960 --> 00:44:23,000
people is the lack of ability to focus the attention.

513
00:44:24,519 --> 00:44:28,719
The yogis clearly understand this point, and many of the

514
00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:32,800
Raja Yoga exercises which are given to the students by

515
00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:39,400
the teachers are designed to overcome this difficulty. Attention is

516
00:44:39,440 --> 00:44:43,840
the outward evidence of the will. As a French writer

517
00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:48,480
has said, the attention is subject to the superior authority

518
00:44:48,639 --> 00:44:52,800
of the ego I yielded, where I withhold it as

519
00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:57,639
I please, I direct it in turn to several points.

520
00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:02,760
I concentrated upon each point, as long as my will

521
00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:07,920
can stand the effort. Professor James has said the essential

522
00:45:08,039 --> 00:45:12,760
achievement of the will, when it is most voluntary, is

523
00:45:12,800 --> 00:45:16,800
to attend to a difficult object and hold it fast

524
00:45:17,159 --> 00:45:22,559
before the mind. Effort of attention is the essential phenomenon

525
00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:28,159
of the will, and Professor Haleck says the first step

526
00:45:28,400 --> 00:45:32,679
toward the development of will lies in the exercise of attention.

527
00:45:33,679 --> 00:45:38,280
Ideas grow in distinctness and motive power as we attend

528
00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:42,599
to them. If we take two ideas of the same

529
00:45:42,679 --> 00:45:47,599
intensity and center the attention upon one, we shall notice

530
00:45:47,800 --> 00:45:53,880
how much it grows in power. Professor Sully says attention

531
00:45:54,119 --> 00:45:58,320
may be roughly defined as the active self direction of

532
00:45:58,400 --> 00:46:02,880
the mind to any object which presents itself at the moment.

533
00:46:03,800 --> 00:46:09,400
The word attention is derived from two Latin words ad tendity,

534
00:46:10,039 --> 00:46:14,719
meaning to stretch towards, and this is just what the

535
00:46:14,800 --> 00:46:18,679
Yogis know it to be. By means of their psychic

536
00:46:19,159 --> 00:46:23,199
or clearvoyant sight. They see the thought of the attentive

537
00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:28,440
person stretched out toward the object attended to, like a

538
00:46:28,519 --> 00:46:32,440
sharp wedge, the point of which is focused upon the

539
00:46:32,519 --> 00:46:38,199
object under consideration, the entire force of the thought being

540
00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:43,639
concentrated at that point. This is true not only when

541
00:46:43,679 --> 00:46:47,719
the person is considering an object, but when he is

542
00:46:48,159 --> 00:46:53,400
earnestly impressing his ideas upon another or upon some task

543
00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:59,239
to be accomplished. Attention means reaching the mind out to

544
00:46:59,840 --> 00:47:06,079
a focusing it upon something. The trained will exhibits itself

545
00:47:06,159 --> 00:47:10,280
in a tenacious attention, and this attention is one of

546
00:47:10,320 --> 00:47:15,119
the signs of the trained will. The student must not

547
00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:19,480
hastily conclude that this kind of attention is a common

548
00:47:19,559 --> 00:47:24,360
faculty among men. On the contrary, it is quite rare

549
00:47:25,119 --> 00:47:30,480
and is seen only among those of strong mentality. Any

550
00:47:30,519 --> 00:47:35,920
One may fasten his attention upon some passing, pleasing thing,

551
00:47:36,880 --> 00:47:40,840
but it takes a trained will to fasten it upon

552
00:47:41,079 --> 00:47:46,840
some unattractive thing and hold it there. Of course, the

553
00:47:46,920 --> 00:47:51,599
trained occultist is able to throw interest into the most

554
00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:57,480
unattractive thing upon which it becomes advisable to focus his attention.

555
00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:02,840
But this in itself comes with the trained will, and

556
00:48:02,960 --> 00:48:08,000
is not the possession of the average man. Voluntary attention

557
00:48:08,360 --> 00:48:13,480
is rare and is found only amongst strong characters. But

558
00:48:13,599 --> 00:48:17,679
it may be cultivated and grown, until he who has

559
00:48:17,719 --> 00:48:21,159
scarcely a shade of it to day in time may

560
00:48:21,199 --> 00:48:27,199
become a giant. It is all a matter of practice, exercise,

561
00:48:27,559 --> 00:48:32,199
and will. It is difficult to say too much in

562
00:48:32,280 --> 00:48:36,480
favor of the development of the faculty of tenacious attention.

563
00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:42,440
One possessing this developed faculty is able to accomplish far

564
00:48:42,519 --> 00:48:46,199
more than even a much brighter man who lacks it,

565
00:48:47,239 --> 00:48:50,440
And the best way to train the attention under the

566
00:48:50,480 --> 00:48:55,440
direction of the will is to practice upon uninteresting objects

567
00:48:55,480 --> 00:48:59,719
and ideas, holding them before the mind until they begin

568
00:48:59,840 --> 00:49:04,920
to assume an interest. This is difficult at first, but

569
00:49:05,039 --> 00:49:09,039
the task soon begins to take on a pleasant aspect,

570
00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:13,639
for one finds that his will, power and attention are growing,

571
00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:18,880
and he feels himself acquiring a force and power that

572
00:49:19,039 --> 00:49:24,599
were lacking before he realizes that he is growing stronger.

573
00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:30,719
Charles Dickens said that the secret of his success consisted

574
00:49:30,800 --> 00:49:35,159
in his developing a faculty of throwing his entire attention

575
00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:38,719
into whatever he happened to be doing at the moment,

576
00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:43,320
and then being able to turn that same degree of

577
00:49:43,360 --> 00:49:47,960
attention to the next thing coming before him for consideration.

578
00:49:49,199 --> 00:49:52,719
He was like a man behind a great searchlight which

579
00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:58,440
was successively turned upon point after point, illuminating each in turn.

580
00:49:59,639 --> 00:50:02,840
The eye is the man behind the light, and the

581
00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:08,280
will is the reflector, the light being the attention. This

582
00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:12,719
discussion of will and attention may seem somewhat dry to

583
00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:16,280
the student, but that is all the more reason that

584
00:50:16,360 --> 00:50:19,840
he should attend to it. It is the secret that

585
00:50:20,039 --> 00:50:23,159
lies at the basis of the science of Raja yoga,

586
00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:27,639
and the yogi masters have attained a degree of concentration,

587
00:50:28,079 --> 00:50:32,440
will and attention that would be inconceivable to the average

588
00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:36,360
men of the street. By reason of this, they are

589
00:50:36,440 --> 00:50:40,280
able to direct the mind here and there, outward or

590
00:50:40,360 --> 00:50:45,880
inward with an enormous force. They are able to focus

591
00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:51,360
the mind upon a small thing with remarkable intensity, just

592
00:50:51,519 --> 00:50:54,639
as the rays of the sun may be focused through

593
00:50:54,760 --> 00:50:59,760
a sunglass and caused to ignite linen. Or on the

594
00:51:00,039 --> 00:51:03,639
other hand, they are able to send forth the mind

595
00:51:04,119 --> 00:51:10,480
with intense energy, illuminating whatever it rests upon, just as

596
00:51:10,559 --> 00:51:15,280
happens in the case of the strong electric searchlight with

597
00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:20,679
which many of us are familiar. By all means, start

598
00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:25,599
in to cultivate the attention and will practice on the

599
00:51:25,719 --> 00:51:30,079
unpleasant tasks. Do the things that you have before you,

600
00:51:30,760 --> 00:51:34,920
and from which you have been shrinking because they were unpleasant,

601
00:51:36,159 --> 00:51:41,280
Throw interest into them, and the difficulty will vanish, and

602
00:51:41,320 --> 00:51:44,679
you will come out of it much stronger and filled

603
00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:52,519
with a nuisance of power. Mentrum affirmation. I have a will.

604
00:51:53,559 --> 00:51:58,639
It is my inalienable property and right. I determine to

605
00:51:58,760 --> 00:52:04,559
cultivate and develo by practice and exercise. My mind is

606
00:52:04,599 --> 00:52:09,639
obedient to my will. I desert my will over my mind.

607
00:52:10,840 --> 00:52:15,079
I am master of my mind and body. I asert

608
00:52:15,079 --> 00:52:20,280
my mastery. My will is dynamic, full of force and

609
00:52:20,559 --> 00:52:26,320
energy and power. I feel my strength. I am strong,

610
00:52:27,360 --> 00:52:34,760
I am forceful, I am vital. I am center of consciousness, energy,

611
00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:39,719
strength and power. And I claim my birthright