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Page 1 of 11912 · PDF PAGE 101
…will be described in Part II. There are also various “ nerves”, equally mythical. The second class is ob./eois ofdooofz'ofz, such as the idea or form of the Deity, or the heart or body of your Teacher, or of some man whom you respect profoundly. This practice is not to be commended, because it implies a bias of the mind. You can also meditate on your dreams. This sounds superstitious; but the idea is that you have already a tendency, independent of your conscious will, to think of those things, which will consequently be easier to think of than…
1912 · PDF PAGE 97
…in our lives are concerned. We began this book, it will be remembered, with considerations of death. Death has now lost all meaning. The idea of death depends on those of the ego, and of time; these ideas have been destroyed; and so “ Death is swallowed up in victory.” We shall now only be interested in what Samadhi is in itself, and in the conditions which cause it. Let us try a final definition. Dhyana resembles Samadhi in many respects. There is a union of the ego and the non-ego, and a loss of the senses of time and space and causality. Duali…
1912 · PDF PAGE 47
…But in this sceptical system one had better content one’s self with statements which are not worth the trouble of doubting. The ultimate idea of meditation being to still the mind, it may be considered a useful preliminary to still conscious- ness of all the functions of the body. This has been dealt with in the chapter on Asana. One may, however, mention that some Yogis carry it to the point of trying to stop the beating of the heart. Whether this be desirable or no it would be useless to the beginner, so he Will endeavour to make the breathin…
1912 · PDF PAGE 107
…ed only on the ascer- tained facts of anatomy, physiology, and psychology. . Can you give me a brief abstract of this method? . The main idea is that the Infinite, the Absolute, God, the Over- soul, or whatever you may prefer to call it, is always present; but veiled or masked by the thoughts of the mind, just as one cannot hear a heart-beat in a noisy city. . Yes? . Then to obtain knowledgeof That, it is only necessaryto still all thoughts.
1912 · PDF PAGE 18
…o, it seems possible that it may be worthy of really thorough consideration. It is certainly not to be found in dogma. Even so simple an idea as that of a supreme and eternal being is denied by a third of the human race. Legends of miracle are perhaps universal, but these, in the absence of demonstrative proof, are repugnant to common sense. But what of the origin of religions? How is it that unproved assertion has so frequently compelled the assent of all classes of man- kind? Is not this a miracle? There is, however, one form of miracle which…
1912 · PDF PAGE 25
II This mental activity is so great, and seems so natural, that it is hard to understand how any one first got the idea that it was a weakness and a nuisance. Perhaps it was because in the more natural practice of “devotion,” people found that their thoughts interfered. In any case calm and self-controlare to be preferred to restlessness. Darwin in his study presents a marked contrast with a monkey in a cage. Generallyspeaking, the larger and stronger and more highly developed any animal is, the less does it move about, and such movements as it …
1912 · PDF PAGE 49
…ry centres which he was using. By in killing thoughts, came the words “and push it down,’ keeping on with this he got his “ result.” The ideal mantra should be rhythmical, one might even say musical; but there should be sufficient emphasis on some syllable to assist the faculty of attention. The best mantras are of medium length, so far as the beginner is concerned. If the mantra is too long, one is apt to forget it, unless one practises very hard for a great length of time. On the other hand, mantras of a single syllable, such as Aumf are rathe…
1912 · PDF PAGE 75
…k, which is a sort of aberration of the control itself. You think, “ How well I am doing it! ” or perhaps that it would be rather a good idea if you were on a desert
1912 · PDF PAGE 102
…ive methods in Liber HHH (Equinox VI).1 At the same time, one would not like to deny positively that it is very much easier to take some idea towards which the mind would naturally flow. The Hindus assert that the nature of the object determines the Samadhi; that is, the nature of those lower Samadhis which confer so— called “magic powers.” For example, there are the Yogapravritti. Meditating on the tip of the nose, one obtains what may be called the “ideal smell”; that is, a smell which is not any particular smell, but is the archetypal smell, …
1912 · PDF PAGE 26
…e shall also have a watch. We shall then endeavour to count how often, during the first quarter of an hour, the mind breaks away from the idea upon which it is determined to concentrate. We shall practice this twice daily; and, as we go, ex- perience will teach us which conditions are favourable and which not. Before we have been doing this for very long we are almost certain to get impatient, and we shall find that we have to practice many other things in order to assist us in our work. New problems will constantly arise which must be faced, and…
1912 · PDF PAGE 28
…the day, and you will probably be constantly having presenti- ments that something is about to happen. You may also be terrified with the idea that your brain may be giving way ; but you will have learnt the real symptoms of mental fatigue, and you will be careful to avoid them. They must be very carefully distinguished from idleness! At certain times you will feel as if there were a contest between the will and the mind; at other times you may feel as if they were in har- mony; but there is a third state, to be distinguished from the latter fee…