14 Lessons in Yogi Philosophy – by Yogi Ramacharaka
It is with no ordinary feelings that we address ourselves to our students of the Yogi class. We see, as they perhaps do not, that to many of them this series of lessons will be as seed planted in fertile soil, which will in due time put forth sprouts which will force their way gradually into the sunlight of consciousness, where they will put forth leaves, blossom, and fruit. Many of the fragments of truth which will be presented to you will not be recognized by you at this time, but in years to come you will recognize the verity of the impressions which will be conveyed to you in these lessons, and then, and then only, will you make these truths your own. Read more
The Constitution of Man
Man is a far more complete being than is generally imagined. He has not only a body and a soul, but he is a spirit possessing a soul, which soul has several vehicles for expression, these several vehicles being of different degrees of density, the body being the lowest form of expression. These different vehicles manifest upon different “planes,” such as the “physical plane,” the “astral plane,” etc., all of which will be explained as we proceed. The real self is pure spirit, a spark of the divine fire. This spirit is encased within numerous sheaths, which prevent its full expression. As man advances in development, his consciousness passes from the lower planes to the higher, and he becomes more and more aware of his higher nature. Read more
The Physical Body
Of all the seven principles of man, the physical body is of course the most apparent. It is the lowest in the scale, and is the crudest manifestation of the man. But this does not mean that the physical should be despised or neglected. Read more
The Astral Body
This second principle of man is not nearly so well known as its physical brother, although it is closely connected with the latter and is its exact counterpart in appearance. The astral body has been known to people in all ages, and has given rise to many superstitions and mysteries, owing to a lack of knowledge of its nature. It has been called the “ethereal body”; the “fluidic body”; the “double”; the “wraith”; the “Doppelganger,” etc. Read more
Prana, or Vital Force
We have said something of Prana in our little book, “The Science of Breath,” which many of you have read. As we said in that book, Prana is universal energy, but in our consideration of it we will confine ourselves to that manifestation of Prana which we call vital force. This vital force is found in all forms of life – from the amoeba to man – from the most elementary form of plant life to the highest form of animal life. Read more
The Mental Principles
In our First Lesson we called your attention briefly to the three lower principles of man – i.e., (1) the physical body; (2) the astral body; (3) Prana, or vital force. We also led up to the subject of the mental principles, which form the fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively, of the seven principles of man. Read more
The Instinctive Mind
This plane of mentation we share in connection with the lower animals, in, at least, its lower forms. It is the first plane of mentation reached in the scale of evolution. Its lowest phases are along lines in which consciousness is scarcely evident, and it extends from this lowly place in the scale until it manifests a very high degree of consciousness in comparison with its lowest phases; in fact, when it begins to shade into the fifth principle, it is difficult to distinguish it from the lowest forms of the latter. Read more
The Intellect
We now reach the mental principle which distinguishes man from the brute. The first four principles man shares in common with the lower forms of life, but when the fifth principle begins to unfold he has reached an important stage of the journey along the path of attainment. He feels his manhood manifesting within him. Read more
The Spiritual Principles
In our Second Lesson we gave you a brief outline of the Fourth and Fifth Principles of Man, i.e.; (4) Instinctive Mind, and (5) Intellect. As we have told you before, man has passed through the Fourth Principle stage to its extreme, and has now passed on to a consciousness of the Fifth Principle, Intellect. Read more
The Spiritual Mind
The Sixth Principle, Spiritual Mind, has been styled by some writers “The Superconscious Mind,” which term is a fairly good one, as it distinguishes between the lower Subconscious Mind or Instinctive Mind, the Conscious Mind or Intellect, and itself, which latter, while outside of the realm of ordinary human consciousness, is still a very different thing from the lower or Instinctive Mind. Read more
Spirit
How shall we approach this subject, which even the most advanced minds in the flesh today can but faintly comprehend? How can the finite express or comprehend the infinite? Spirit, man’s Seventh Principle, is the Divine Spark – our most precious inheritance from the Divine Power – a ray from the Central Sun – the Real Self. Read more
Illumination or Spiritual Consciousness
With many, Spiritual Mind unfolds gradually and slowly, and, while one may feel a steady increase of spiritual knowledge and consciousness, he may not have experienced any marked and startling change. Others have had moments of what is known as “Illumination,” when they seemed lifted almost out of their normal state, and where they seemed to pass into a higher plane of consciousness or being, which left them more advanced than ever before, although they could not carry back into consciousness a clear recollection of what they had experienced while in the exalted state of mind. Read more
The Human Aura
In our previous three lessons we called your attention briefly, in turn, to the Seven Principles of Man. The subject of the Constitution of Man, however, is incomplete without a reference to what occultists know as the Human Aura. Read more
Health Aura
The grossest form of the human Aura is, of course, that emanating from the physical body. This is sometimes spoken of as the “Health Aura,” as it is a sure indication of the state of the physical health of the person from whose body it radiates. Read more
Pranic Aura
The Aura of the third principle, or Prana, is difficult to describe except to those who have seen the “X-Ray.” It looks something like a vapory cloud of the color and appearance of an electric spark. In fact, all manifestations of Prana resemble electric light or sparks. Read more
Aura of the Three Mental Principles
We now approach the most interesting features concerning the Human Aura, and we think that some of the facts to be stated in this lesson will be a revelation even to many who are perfectly familiar with the three manifestations of the Aura which we have just mentioned. Read more
Aura Auric Colors
We think it better, before proceeding further, to give you a general idea of these Auric colors, and the thought, feeling, or emotion to which each belongs. These colors shade and blend into thousands of combinations, but the following table will perhaps give you a fair idea of the subject, and will enable you more readily to understand what we will say a little later on in this lesson. Read more
Spirit
Right here it would be well to state that even when the mind is calm there hover in the Aura the shades indicative of the predominant tendencies of the man, so that his stage of advancement and development as well as his “tastes” and other features of his personality may be easily distinguished. When the mind is swept by a strong passion, feeling, or emotion, the entire Aura seems to be colored by the particular shade or shades representing it. Read more
Thought Dynamics
Had these lessons been written twenty years ago, instead of today, it would have been a most difficult task to have awakened the understanding of the Western public to the importance of the power of thought, its nature, its effects. Read more
The Nature, Quality and Power of Thought
The majority of those who read this lesson will have heard something of this subject of the power of thought, and will have doubtless had many experiences of its effect. So this lesson may come as an old story to nearly all of the members of the Class, but we will endeavor to give a brief, plain outline of the Yogi teachings upon the subject, which may help to reconcile some of the apparently conflicting theories which have been previously considered. Read more
Thought Forms
Each individual draws to himself the thoughts corresponding to those produced by his own mind, and he is of course in turn influenced by these attracted thoughts. It is a case of adding fuel to the fire. Let one harbor thoughts of malice or hate for any length of time, and he will be horrified at the vile flood of thoughts which come pouring into his mind. Read more
Thought Influences
Our strong desires create thought-forms which work toward the gratification of those desires, be they good or bad. We draw things toward us and are drawn toward things by these thought-forms. They become powerful helpers, and never sleep in their work. Read more
Telepathy and Clairvoyance
Telepathy may be roughly defined as the communication of mind with mind, other than by means of the five senses to which material science limits man, viz: sight; hearing; smell; taste and touch – sight, hearing and touch, being the senses most commonly used. Read more
Clairvoyance
It is very difficult for us to speak intelligently of the phenomena coming under the head of Clairvoyance without getting into the subject of the Astral Plane, as Clairvoyance is an incident of the Astral Plane and belongs to that subject. Read more
Simple Clairvoyance
In order to intelligently understand the several forms of clairvoyant phenomena, more particularly those forms which manifest in what we will call “space clairvoyance,” i.e., the power to see things at great distances, we must accept as facts the occult teachings (which the latest discoveries of modern physical science are verifying) that all forms of matter are constantly throwing forth radiations in all directions. Read more
Space Clairvoyance
There are several means whereby the psychic or developed occultist may perceive people, things, scenes and events far removed from the observer, and far beyond the range of the physical vision. Read more
Past Time Clairvoyance
Time clairvoyance, so far as regards the sensing of past events, is not a rare faculty among advanced occultists – in fact, it may be termed a common one among such people. And the same faculty, imperfectly manifested, is found among many ordinary psychics who are not acquainted with the nature of their power. Read more
Future Time Clairvoyance
Time clairvoyance, so far as “seership” or the seeing into the future is concerned, is even still more difficult to explain. We shall not attempt it, except to say that in the astral light there are to be found faint and imperfect reflections, the workings of the great law of cause and effect, or rather of the shadows cast before the coming events. Read more
How to Develop Psychic Powers
We are often asked the question which is probably in the minds of the majority of our students, at least those who have not yet manifested any marked exhibition of psychic power: “How can one develop the psychic power which is latent within him?” Read more
Human Magnetism
Human Magnetism, as the term is used in these lessons, is a very different thing from that which the public generally terms “Personal Magnetism.” Personal Magnetism is an attribute of the mind, and belongs to the subject of the Dynamics of Thought. Read more
