,a ,,series ,,of ,lessons in ,gnani ,yoga 7,the ,yoga of ,wisdom47 ,,by ,,yogi ,,ramacharaka4 ,,this ,,book ,,gives ,,the ,,highest ,,yogi ,,teachings ,,regarding ,,the ,,absolute ,,and ,,its ,,manifestations4 ,,index4 ,,lesson ,,page ,i4 ,the ,one #a ,,ii4 ,omnipresent ,life #bg ,,iii4 ,the ,creative ,will #ea ,,iv4 ,the ,unity of ,life #ge ,v4 ,the ,one and the ,many #aja ,,vi4 ,within the ,mind of the ,one #abg ,,vii4 ,cosmic ,evolution #aec ,,viii4 ,the ,ascent of ,man #agg ,,ix4 ,metempsychosis #bjc ,x4 ,spiritual ,evolution #bbi ,,xi4 ,the ,law of ,karma #bec ,,xii4 ,occult ,miscellany #bgg ,,the ,,first ,,lesson ,,the ,,one4 ,the ,yogi ,philosophy may be divided into several great branches1 or fields4 ,what is known as ,hatha ,yoga deals with the physical body and its control2 its welfare2 its health2 its preservation2 its laws1 etc4 ,what is known as ,raja ,yoga deals with the ,mind2 its control2 its development2 its unfoldment1 etc4 ,what is known as ,bhakti ,yoga deals with the ,love of the ,absolute--,god4 ,what is known as ,gnani ,yoga deals with the scientific and intellectual knowing of the great questions regarding ,life and what lies back of ,life--the ,riddle of the ,universe4 ,each branch of ,yoga is but a path leading toward the one end--unfoldment1 development1 and growth4 ,he who wishes first to develop1 control and strengthen his physical body so as to render it a fit instrument of the ,higher ,self1 follows the path of ,hatha ,yoga4 ,he who would develop his will-power and mental faculties1 unfolding the inner senses1 and latent powers1 follows the path of ,raja ,yoga4 ,he who wishes to develop by knowing--by studying the fundamental principles1 and the wonderful truths underlying ,life1 follows the path of ,gnani ,yoga4 ,and he who wishes to grow into a union with the ,one ,life by the influence of ,love1 he follows the path of ,bhakti ,yoga4 ,but it must not be supposed that the student must ally himself to only a single one of these paths to power4 ,in fact1 very few do4 ,the majority prefer to gain a rounded knowledge1 and acquaint themselves with the principles of the several branches1 learning something of each1 giving preference of course to those branches that appeal to them more strongly1 this attraction being the indication of need1 or requirement1 and1 therefore1 being the hand pointing out the path4 ,it is well for every one to know something of ,hatha ,yoga1 in order that the body may be purified1 strengthened1 and kept in health in order to become a more fitting instrument of the ,higher ,self4 ,it is well that each one should know something of ,raja ,yoga1 that he may understand the training and control of the mind1 and the use of the ,will4 ,it is well that every one should learn the wisdom of ,gnani ,yoga1 that he may realize the wonderful truths underlying life--the science of ,being4 ,and1 most assuredly every one should know something of ,bhakti ,yogi1 that he may understand the great teachings regarding the ,love underlying all life4 ,we have written a work on ,hatha ,yoga1 and a course on ,raja ,yoga which is now in book form4 ,we have told you something regarding ,gnani ,yoga in our ,fourteen ,lessons1 and also in our ,advanced ,course4 ,we have written something regarding ,bhakti ,yoga in our ,advanced ,course1 and1 we hope1 have taught it also all through our other lessons1 for we fail to see how one can teach or study any of the branches of ,yoga without being filled with a sense of ,love and ,union with the ,source of all ,life4 ,to know the ,giver of ,life1 is to love him1 and the more we know of him1 the more love will we manifest4 ,in this course of lessons1 of which this is the first1 we shall take up the subject of ,gnani ,yoga--the ,yoga of ,wisdom1 and will endeavor to make plain some of its most important and highest teachings4 ,and1 we trust that in so doing1 we shall be able to awaken in you a still higher realization of your relationship with the ,one1 and a corresponding ,love for that in which you live1 and move and have your being4 ,we ask for your loving sympathy and cooperation in our task4 ,let us begin by a consideration of what has been called the ,questions of ,questions--the question3 ,what is ,reality8 ,to understand the question we have but to take a look around us and view the visible world4 ,we see great masses of something that science has called matter4 ,we see in operation a wonderful something called force or energy in its countless forms of manifestations4 ,we see things that we call forms of life1 varying in manifestation from the tiny speck of slime that we call the ,moneron1 up to that form that we call ,man4 ,but study this world of manifestations by means of science and research--and such study is of greatest value--still we must find ourselves brought to a point where we cannot progress further4 ,matter melts into mystery--,force resolves itself into something else--the secret of living-forms subtly elude us--and mind is seen as but the manifestation of something even finer4 ,but in losing these things of appearance and manifestation1 we find ourselves brought up face to face with a ,something ,else that we see must underlie all these varying forms1 shapes and manifestations4 ,and that ,something ,else1 we call ,reality1 because it is ,real1 ,permanent1 ,enduring4 ,and although men may differ1 dispute1 wrangle1 and quarrel about this ,reality1 still there is one point upon which they must agree1 and that is that ,reality is ,one--that underlying all forms and manifestations there must be a ,one ,reality from which all things flow4 ,and this inquiry into this ,one ,reality is indeed the ,question of ,questions of the ,universe4 ,the highest reason of ,man--as well as his deepest intuition--has always recognized that this ,reality or ,underlying ,being must be but ,,one1 of which all ,nature is but varying degrees of manifestation1 emanation1 or expression4 ,all have recognized that ,life is a stream flowing from ,one great fount1 the nature and name of which is unknown--some have said unknowable4 ,differ as men do about theories regarding the nature of this one1 they all agree that it can be but ,one4 ,it is only when men begin to name and analyze this ,one1 that confusion results4 ,let us see what men have thought and said about this ,one--it may help us to understand the nature of the problem4 ,the materialist claims that this one is a something called ,matter--self-existent--eternal--infinit e--containing within itself the potentiality of ,matter1 ,energy and ,mind4 ,another school1 closely allied to the materialists1 claim that this ,one is a something called ,energy1 of which ,matter and ,mind are but modes of motion4 ,the ,idealists claim that the ,one is a something called ,mind1 and that ,matter and ,force are but ideas in that ,one ,mind4 ,theologians claim that this ,one is a something called a personal ,god1 to whom they attribute certain qualities1 characteristics1 etc41 the same varying with their creeds and dogmas4 ,the ,naturistic school claims that this ,one is a something called ,nature1 which is constantly manifesting itself in countless forms4 ,the occultists1 in their varying schools1 ,oriental and ,occidental1 have taught that the ,one was a ,being whose ,life constituted the life of all living forms4 ,all philosophies1 all science1 all religions1 inform us that this world of shapes1 forms and names is but a phenomenal or shadow world--a show-world--back of which rests ,reality1 called by some name of the teacher4 ,but remember this1 all philosophy that counts is based upon some form of monism--,oneness--whether the concept be a known or unknown god2 an unknown or unknowable principle2 a substance2 an ,energy1 or ,spirit4 ,there is but ,one--there can be but ,one--such is the inevitable conclusion of the highest human reason1 intuition or faith4 ,and1 likewise1 the same reason informs us that this ,one ,life must permeate all apparent forms of life1 and that all apparent material forms1 forces1 energies1 and principles must be emanations from that ,one1 and1 consequently of it4 ,it may be objected to1 that the creeds teaching a personal god do not so hold1 for they teach that their ,god is the creator of the ,universe1 which he has set aside from himself as a workman sets aside his workmanship4 ,but this objection avails naught1 for where could such a creator obtain the material for his universe1 except from himself2 and where the energy1 except from the same source2 and where the ,life1 unless from his ,one ,life4 ,so in the end1 it is seen that there must be but ,one--not two1 even if we prefer the terms ,god and his ,universe1 for even in this case the ,universe must have proceeded from ,god1 and can only live1 and move and act1 and think1 by virtue of his ,essence permeating it4 ,in passing by the conceptions of the various thinkers1 we are struck by the fact that the various schools seem to manifest a one-sidedness in their theories1 seeing only that which fits in with their theories1 and ignoring the rest4 ,the ,materialist talks about ,infinite and ,eternal ,matter1 although the latest scientific investigations have shown us ,matter fading into ,nothingness--the ,eternal ,atom being split into countless particles called ,corpuscles or ,electrons1 which at the last seem to be nothing but a unit of ,electricity1 tied up in a knot in the ,ether--although just what the ,ether is1 ,science does not dare to guess4 ,and ,energy1 also seems to be unthinkable except as operating through matter1 and always seems to be acting under the operation of ,laws--and ,laws without a ,law giver1 and a ,law giver without mind or something higher than ,mind1 is unthinkable4 ,and ,mind1 as we know it1 seems to be bound up with matter and energy in a wonderful combination1 and is seen to be subject to laws outside of itself1 and to be varying1 inconstant1 and changeable1 which attributes cannot be conceived of as belonging to the ,absolute4 ,mind as we know it1 as well as ,matter and ,energy1 is held by the highest occult teachers to be but an appearance and a relativity of something far more fundamental and enduring1 and we are compelled to fall back upon that old term which wise men have used in order to describe that ,something ,else that lies back of1 and under1 ,matter1 ,energy and ,mind--and that word is ,spirit4 ,we cannot tell just what is meant by the word ,spirit1 for we have nothing with which to describe it4 ,but we can think of it as meaning the essence of ,life and ,being--the ,reality underlying ,universal ,life4 ,of course no name can be given to this ,one1 that will fitly describe it4 ,but we have used the term ,the ,absolute in our previous lessons1 and consider it advisable to continue its use1 although the student may substitute any other name that appeals to him more strongly4 ,we do not use the word ,god 7except occasionally in order to bring out a shade of meaning7 not because we object to it1 but because by doing so we would run the risk of identifying ,the ,absolute with some idea of a personal god with certain theological attributes4 ,nor does the word ,principle appeal to us1 for it seems to imply a cold1 unfeeling1 abstract thing1 while we conceive the ,absolute ,spirit or ,being to be a warm1 vital1 living1 acting1 feeling ,reality4 ,we do not use the word ,nature1 which many prefer1 because of its materialistic meaning to the minds of many1 although the word is very dear to us when referring to the outward manifestation of the ,absolute ,life4 ,of the real nature of ,the ,absolute1 of course1 we can know practically nothing1 because it transcends all human experience and ,man has nothing with which he can measure the ,infinite4 ,spinoza was right when he said that to define ,god is to deny him1 for any attempt to define1 is1 of course an attempt to limit or make finite the ,infinite4 ,to define a thing is to identify it with something else--and where is the something else with which to identify the ,infinite8 ,the ,absolute cannot be described in terms of the ,relative4 ,it is not ,something1 although it contains within itself the reality underlying ,everything4 ,it cannot be said to have the qualities of any of its apparently separated parts1 for it is the ,,all4 ,it is all that really ,,is4 ,it is beyond ,matter1 ,force1 or ,mind as we know it1 and yet these things emanate from it1 and must be within its nature4 ,for what is in the manifested must be in the manifestor--no stream can rise higher than its source--the effect cannot be greater than the cause--you cannot get something out of nothing4 ,but it is hard for the human mind to take hold of ,that which is beyond its experience--many philosophers consider it impossible--and so we must think of the ,absolute in the concepts and terms of its highest manifestation4 ,we find ,mind higher in the scale than ,matter or ,energy1 and so we are justified in using the terms of ,mind in speaking of the ,absolute1 rather than the terms of ,matter or ,energy--so let us try to think of an ,infinite ,mind1 whose powers and capacities are raised to an infinite degree--a ,mind of which ,herbert ,spencer said that it was a mode of being as much transcending intelligence and will1 as these transcend mere mechanical motion4 ,while it is true 7as all occultists know7 that the best information regarding the ,absolute come from regions of the ,self higher than ,intellect1 yet we are in duty bound to examine the reports of the ,intellect concerning its information regarding the ,one4 ,the ,intellect has been developed in us for use--for the purpose of examining1 considering1 thinking--and it behooves us to employ it4 ,by turning it to this purpose1 we not only strengthen and unfold it1 but we also get certain information that can reach us by no other channel4 ,and moreover1 by such use of the ,intellect we are able to discover many fallacies and errors that have crept into our minds from the opinions and dogmas of others--as ,kant said3 ,the chief1 and perhaps the only1 use of a philosophy of pure reason is a negative one4 ,it is not an organon for extending1 but a discipline for limiting6 ,instead of discovering truth1 its modest function is to guard against error4 ,let us then listen to the report of the ,intellect1 as well as of the higher fields of mentation4 ,one of the first reports of the ,intellect1 concerning the ,absolute1 is that it must have existed forever1 and must continue to exist forever4 ,there is no escape from this conclusion1 whether one view the matter from the viewpoint of the materialist1 philosopher1 occultist1 or theologian4 ,the ,absolute could not have sprung from ,nothing1 and there was no other cause outside of itself from which it could have emanated4 ,and there can be no cause outside of itself which can terminate its being4 ,and we cannot conceive of ,infinite ,life1 or ,absolute ,life1 dying4 ,so the ,absolute must be ,eternal--such is the report of the ,intellect4 ,this idea of the ,eternal is practically unthinkable to the human mind1 although it is forced to believe that it must be a quality of the ,absolute4 ,the trouble arises from the fact that the ,intellect is compelled to see everything through the veil of ,time1 and ,cause and ,effect4 ,now1 ,cause and ,effect1 and ,time1 are merely phenomena or appearances of the relative world1 and have no place in the ,absolute and ,real4 ,let us see if we can understand this4 ,reflection will show you that the only reason that you are unable to think of or picture a ,causeless ,cause1 is because everything that you have experienced in this relative world of the senses has had a cause--something from which it sprung4 ,you have seen ,cause and ,effect in full operation all about you1 and quite naturally your ,intellect has taken it for granted that there can be nothing uncaused--nothing without a preceding cause4 ,and the ,intellect is perfectly right1 so far as ,things are concerned1 for all ,things are relative and are therefore caused4 ,but back of the caused things must lie ,,that which is the ,great ,causer of ,things1 and which1 not being a ,thing itself1 cannot have been caused--cannot be the effect of a cause4 ,your minds reel when you try to form a mental image of ,that which has had no cause1 because you have had no experience in the sense world of such a thing1 and there fail to form the image4 ,it is out of your experience1 and you cannot form the mental picture4 ,but yet your mind is compelled to believe that there must have been an ,original ,one1 that can have had no cause4 ,this is a hard task for the ,intellect1 but in time it comes to see just where the trouble lies1 and ceases to interpose objections to the voice of the higher regions of the self4 ,and1 the ,intellect experiences a similar difficulty when it tries to think of an ,eternal--a ,that which is above and outside of ,time4 ,we see ,time in operation everywhere1 and take it for granted that ,time is a reality--an actual thing4 ,but this is a mistake of the senses4 ,there is no such thing as ,time1 in reality4 ,time exists solely in our minds4 ,it is merely a form of perception by which we express our consciousness of the ,change in ,things4 ,we cannot think of ,time except in connection with a succession of changes of things in our consciousness--either things of the outer world1 or the passing of thought-things through our mind4 ,a day is merely the consciousness of the passing of the sun--an hour or minute merely the subdivision of the day1 or else the consciousness of the movement of the hands of the clock--merely the consciousness of the movement of ,things--the symbols of changes in ,things4 ,in a world without changes in ,things1 there would be no such thing as ,time4 ,time is but a mental invention4 ,such is the report of the ,intellect4 ,and1 besides the conclusions of pure abstract reasoning about ,time1 we may see many instances of the relativity of ,time in our everyday experiences4 ,we all know that when we are interested ,time seems to pass rapidly1 and when we are bored it drags along in a shameful manner4 ,we know that when we are happy1 ,time develops the speed of a meteor1 while when we are unhappy it crawls like a tortoise4 ,when we are interested or happy our attention is largely diverted from the changes occurring in things--because we do not notice the ,things so closely4 ,and while we are miserable or bored1 we notice the details in ,things1 and their changes1 until the length of time seems interminable4 ,a tiny insect mite may1 and does1 live a lifetime of birth1 growth1 marriage1 reproduction1 old age1 and death1 in a few minutes1 and no doubt its life seems as full as does that of the elephant with his hundred years4 ,why8 ,because so many things haze happened6 ,when we are conscious of many things happening1 we get the impression and sensation of the length of time4 ,the greater the consciousness of things1 the greater the sensation of ,time4 ,when we are so interested in talking to a loved one that we forget all that is occurring about us1 then the hours fly by unheeded1 while the same hours seem like days to one in the same place who is not interested or occupied with some task4 ,men have nodded1 and in the second before awakening they have dreamed of events that seemed to have required the passage of years4 ,many of you have had experiences of this kind1 and many such cases have been recorded by science4 ,on the other hand1 one may fall asleep and remain unconscious1 but without dreams1 for hours1 and upon awakening will insist that he has merely nodded4 ,time belongs to the relative mind1 and has no place in the ,eternal or ,absolute4 ,next1 the ,intellect informs us that it must think of the ,absolute as ,infinite in ,space--present everywhere--,omnipresent4 ,it cannot be limited1 for there is nothing outside of itself to limit it4 ,there is no such place as ,nowhere4 ,every place is in the ,everywhere4 ,and ,everywhere is filled with the ,all--the ,infinite ,reality--the ,absolute4 ,and1 just as was the case with the idea of ,time1 we find it most difficult--if not indeed impossible--to form an idea of an ,omnipresent--of ,that which occupies ,infinite ,space4 ,this because everything that our minds have experienced has had dimensions and limits4 ,the secret lies in the fact that ,space1 like ,time1 has no real existence outside of our perception of consciousness of the relative position of ,things--material objects4 ,we see this thing here1 and that thing there4 ,between them is ,nothingness4 ,we take another object1 say a yard-stick1 and measure off this ,nothingness between the two objects1 and we call this measure of ,nothingness by the term ,distance4 ,and yet we cannot have measured ,nothingness--that is impossible4 ,what have we really done8 ,simply this1 determined how many lengths of yard-stick could be laid between the other two objects4 ,we call this process measuring ,space1 but ,space is ,nothing1 and we have merely determined the relative position of objects4 ,to measure ,space we must have three ,things or objects1 i4e41 7l7 ,the object from which we start the measure2 7#b7 ,the object with which we measure2 and 7#c7 ,the object with which we end our measurement4 ,we are unable to conceive of ,infinite ,space1 because we lack the third object in the measuring process--the ending object4 ,we may use ourselves as a starting point1 and the mental yard-stick is always at hand1 but where is the object at the other side of ,infinity of ,space by which the measurement may be ended8 ,it is not there1 and we cannot think of the end without it4 ,let us start with ourselves1 and try to imagine a million million miles1 and then multiply them by another million million miles1 a million million times4 ,what have we done8 ,simply extended our mental yard-stick a certain number of times to an imaginary point in the ,nothingness that we call ,space4 ,so far so good1 but the mind intuitively recognizes that beyond that imaginary point at the end of the last yard-stick1 there is a capacity for an infinite extension of yard-sticks--an infinite capacity for such extension4 ,extension of what8 ,space8 ,no6 ,yard-sticks6 ,objects6 ,things6 ,without material objects ,space is unthinkable4 ,it has no existence outside of our consciousness of ,things4 ,there is no such thing as ,real ,space4 ,space is merely an infinite capacity for extending objects4 ,space itself is merely a name for ,nothingness4 ,if you can form an idea of an object swept out of existence1 and nothing to take its place1 that ,nothing would be called ,space1 the term implying the possibility of placing something there without displacing anything else4 ,size1 of course1 is but another form of speaking of ,distance4 ,and in this connection let us not forget that just as one may think of ,space being infinite in the direction of largeness1 so may we think of it as being infinite in the sense of smallness4 ,no matter how small may be an object thought of1 we are still able to think of it as being capable of subdivision1 and so on infinitely4 ,there is no limit in this direction either4 ,as ,jakob has said3 ,the conception of the infinitely minute is as little capable of being grasped by us1 as is that of the infinitely great4 ,despite this1 the admission of the reality of the infinitude1 both in the direction of greatness and of minuteness1 is inevitable4 ,and1 as ,radenhausen has said3 ,the idea of ,space is only an unavoidable illusion of our ,consciousness1 or of our finite nature1 and does not exist outside of ourselves2 the universe is infinitely small and infinitely great4 ,the telescope has opened to us ideas of magnificent vastness and greatness1 and the perfected microscope has opened to us a world of magnificent smallness and minuteness4 ,the latter has shown us that a drop of water is a world of minute living forms who live1 eat1 fight1 reproduce1 and die4 ,the mind is capable of imagining a universe occupying no more space than one million-millionth of the tiniest speck visible under the strongest microscope--and then imagining such a universe containing millions of suns and worlds similar to our own1 and inhabited by living forms akin to ours--living1 thinking men and women1 identical in every respect to ourselves4 ,indeed1 as some philosophers have said1 if our ,universe were suddenly reduced to such a size--the relative proportions of everything being preserved1 of course--then we would not be conscious of any change1 and life would go on the same1 and we would be of the same importance to ourselves and to the ,absolute as we are this moment4 ,and the same would be true were the ,universe suddenly enlarged a million-million times4 ,these changes would make no difference in reality4 ,compared with each other1 the tiniest speck and the largest sun are practically the same size when viewed from the ,absolute4 ,we have dwelt upon these things so that you would be able to better realize the relativity of ,space and ,time1 and perceive that they are merely symbols of ,things used by the mind in dealing with finite objects1 and have no place in reality4 ,when this is realized1 then the idea of ,infinity in ,time and ,space is more readily grasped4 ,as ,radenhausen says3 ,beyond the range of human reason there is neither ,space nor ,time2 they are arbitrary conceptions of man1 at which he has arrived by the comparison and arrangement of different impressions which he has received from the outside world4 ,the conception of ,space arises from the sequence of the various forms which fill ,space1 by which the external world appears to the individual man4 ,the conception of ,time arises from the sequence of the various forms which change in space 7motion71 by which the external world acts on the individual man1 and so on4 ,but externally to ourselves1 the distinction between repletion of ,space and mutation of ,space does not exist1 for each is in constant transmutation1 whatever is is filling and changing at the same time--nothing is at a standstill1 and to quote ,ruckert3 ,the world has neither beginning nor end1 in space nor in time4 ,everywhere is center and turning-point1 and in a moment is eternity4 ,next1 the ,intellect informs us that we must think of the ,absolute as containing within ,itself all the ,power there is1 because there can be no other source or reservoir of ,power1 and there can be no ,power outside of the ,all-,power4 ,there can be no ,power outside of the ,absolute to limit1 confine1 or conflict with ,it4 ,any laws of the ,universe must have been imposed by ,it1 for there is no other law-giver1 and every manifestation of ,energy1 ,force1 or ,power1 perceived or evident in ,nature must be a part of the ,power of the ,absolute working along lines laid down by it4 ,in the ,third ,lesson1 which will be entitled ,the ,will-to-,live1 we shall see this ,power manifesting along the lines of ,life as we know it4 ,next1 the ,intellect informs us that it is compelled to think of the ,absolute as containing within ,itself all possible ,knowledge or ,wisdom1 because there can be no ,knowledge or ,wisdom outside of ,it1 and therefore all the ,wisdom and ,knowledge possible must be within ,it4 ,we see ,mind1 ,wisdom1 and ,knowledge manifested by relative forms of ,life1 and such must emanate from the ,absolute in accordance with certain laws laid down by ,it1 for otherwise there would be no such wisdom1 etc41 for there is nowhere outside of the ,all from whence it could come4 ,the effect cannot be greater than the cause4 ,if there is anything unknown to the ,absolute1 then it will never be known to finite minds4 ,so1 therefore1 ,,all ,,knowledge that ,is1 ,has ,been1 or ,can ,be1 must be ,,now vested in the ,one--the ,absolute4 ,this does not mean that the ,absolute thinks1 in any such sense as does ,man4 ,the ,absolute must ,know1 without ,thinking4 ,it does not have to gather ,knowledge by the process of ,thinking1 as does ,man--such an ,idea would be ridiculous1 for from whence could the ,knowledge come outside of itself4 ,when man thinks he draws to himself ,knowledge from the ,universal source by the action of the ,mind1 but the ,absolute has only itself to draw on4 ,so we cannot imagine the ,absolute compelled to ,think as we do4 ,but1 lest we be misunderstood regarding this phase of the subject1 we may say here that the highest occult teachings inform us that the ,absolute does manifest a quality somewhat akin to what we would call constructive thought1 and that such thoughts manifest into objectivity and manifestation1 and become ,creation4 ,created ,things1 according to the ,occult teachings are ,thoughts of ,god4 ,do not let this idea disturb you1 and cause you to feel that you are nothing1 because you have been called into being by a ,thought of the ,infinite ,one4 ,even a ,thought of that ,one would be intensely real in the relative world--actually ,real to all except the ,absolute itself--and even the ,absolute knows that the ,real part of its ,creations must be a part of itself manifested through its thought1 for the ,thought of the ,infinite must be ,real1 and a part of ,itself1 for it cannot be anything else1 and to call it ,nothing is merely to juggle with words4 ,the faintest ,thought of the ,infinite ,one would be far more real than anything man could create--as solid as the mountain--as hard as steel--as durable as the diamond--for1 verily1 even these are emanations of the ,mind of the ,infinite1 and are things of but a day1 while the higher ,thoughts--the soul of ,man--contains within itself a spark from the ,divine ,flame itself--the ,spirit of the ,infinite4 ,but these things will appear in their own place1 as we proceed with this series4 ,we have merely given you a little food for thought at this point1 in connection with the ,mind of the ,absolute4 ,so you see1 good friends and students1 that the ,intellect in its highest efforts1 informs us that it finds itself compelled to report that the ,one--the ,absolute--,that which it is compelled to admit really exists--must be a ,one possessed of a nature so far transcending human experience that the human mind finds itself without the proper concepts1 symbols1 and words with which to think of ,it4 ,but none the less1 the ,intellect finds itself bound by its own laws to postulate the existence of such an ,one4 ,it is the veriest folly to try to think of the ,one as ,it is in ,itself--for we have nothing but human attributes with which to measure it1 and ,it so far transcends such measurements that the mental yard-sticks run out into infinity and are lost sight of4 ,the highest minds of the race inform us that the most exalted efforts of their reason compels them to report that the ,one--in ,itself--cannot be spoken of as possessing attributes or qualities capable of being expressed in human words employed to describe the ,things of the relative world--and all of our words are such4 ,all of our words originate from such ideas1 and all of our ideas arise from our experience1 directly or indirectly4 ,so we are not equipped with words with which to think of or speak of that which transcends experience1 although our ,intellect informs us that ,reality lies back of our experience4 ,philosophy finds itself unable to do anything better than to bring us face to face with high paradoxes4 ,science in its pursuit of ,truth finds it cunningly avoiding it1 and ever escaping its net4 ,and we believe that the ,absolute purposely causes this to be1 that in the end ,man may be compelled to look for the ,spirit within himself--the only place where he can come in touch with it4 ,this1 we think1 is the answer to the ,riddle of the ,sphinx--,look ,within for that which ,thou needest4 ,but while the ,spirit may be discerned only by looking within ourselves1 we find that once the mind realizes that the ,absolute ,is1 it will be able to see countless evidences of its action and presence by observing manifested ,life without4 ,all ,life is filled with the ,life ,power and ,will of the ,absolute4 ,to us ,life is but ,one--the ,universe is a living ,unity1 throbbing1 thrilling and pulsating with the ,will-to-,live of the ,absolute4 ,back of all apparent shapes1 forms1 names1 forces1 elements1 principles and substances1 there is but ,one--,one ,life1 present everywhere1 and manifesting in an infinitude of shapes1 forms1 and forces ,all individual lives are but centers of consciousness in the ,one ,life underlying1 depending upon it for degree of unfoldment1 expression and manifestation4 ,this may sound like ,pantheism to some1 but it is very different from the ,pantheism of the schools and cults4 ,pantheism is defined as the doctrine that ,god consists in the combined forces and laws manifested in the existing ,universe1 or that the ,universe taken or conceived as a whole is ,god4 ,these definitions do not fit the conception of the ,absolute1 of the ,yogi ,philosophy--they seem to breathe but a refined materialism4 ,the ,absolute is not the combined forces and laws manifested in the universe1 nor the universe conceived as a whole4 ,instead1 the ,universe1 its forces and laws1 even conceived as a whole1 have no existence in themselves1 but are mere manifestations of the ,absolute4 ,surely this is different from ,pantheism4 ,we teach that the ,absolute is immanent in1 and abiding in all forms of ,life in the ,universe1 as well as in its forces and laws--all being but manifestations of the ,will of the ,one4 ,and we teach that this ,one is superior to all forms of manifestations1 and that ,its existence and being does not depend upon the manifestations1 which are but effects of the ,cause4 ,the ,pantheistic ,universe--,god is but a thing of phenomenal appearance1 but the ,absolute is the very ,spirit of ,life--a ,living1 ,existing ,reality1 and would be so even if every manifestation were withdrawn from appearance and expression--drawn back into the source from which it emanated4 ,the ,absolute is more than ,mountain or ,ocean--,electricity or ,gravitation--,monad or ,man--,it is ,,spirit--,,life--,,being--,,reality--th e ,,one ,,that ,,is4 ,omnipotent1 ,omnipresent2 ,omniscient2 ,eternal2 ,infinite2 ,absolute2 these are ,man's greatest words1 and yet they but feebly portray a shadow thrown by the ,one ,itself4 ,the ,absolute is not a far-away ,being directing our affairs at long range--not an absentee ,deity--but an ,immanent ,life in and about us all--manifesting in us and creating us into individual centers of consciousness1 in pursuance with some great law of being4 ,and1 more than this1 the ,absolute instead of being an indifferent and unmoved spectator to its own creation1 is a thriving1 longing1 active1 suffering1 rejoicing1 feeling ,spirit1 partaking of the feelings of its manifestations1 rather than callously witnessing them4 ,it lives in us--with us--through us4 ,back of all the pain in the world may be found a great feeling and suffering love4 ,the pain of the world is not punishment or evidence of divine wrath1 but the incidents of the working out of some cosmic plan1 in which the ,absolute is the ,actor1 through the forms of ,its manifestations4 ,the message of the ,absolute to some of the ,illumined has been1 ,all is being done in the best and only possible way--,i am doing the best ,i can--all is well--and in the end will so appear4 ,the ,absolute is no personal ,deity--yet in itself it contains all that goes to make up all personality and all human relations4 ,father1 ,mother1 ,child1 ,friend1 is in ,it4 ,all forms of human love and craving for sympathy1 understanding and companionship may find refuge in loving the ,absolute4 ,the ,absolute is constantly in evidence in our lives1 and yet we have been seeking it here and there in the outer world1 asking it to show itself and prove ,its existence4 ,well may it say to us3 ,hast thou been so long time with me1 and hast thou not known me8 ,this is the great tragedy of ,life1 that the ,spirit comes to us--,its own--and we know ,it not4 ,we fail to hear ,its words3 ,oh1 ye who mourn1 ,i suffer with you and through you4 ,yea1 it is ,i who grieve in you4 ,your pain is mine--to the last pang4 ,i suffer all pain through you--and yet ,i rejoice beyond you1 for ,i know that through you1 and with you1 ,i shall conquer4 ,and this is a faint idea of what we believe the ,absolute to be4 ,in the following lessons we shall see it in operation in all forms of life1 and in ourselves4 ,we shall get close to the workings of ,its mighty ,will--close to ,its ,heart of ,love4 ,carry with you the ,central ,thought of the ,lesson3 ,,central ,,thought4 ,there is but ,one ,life in the ,universe4 ,and underlying that ,one ,life--,its ,real ,self--,its ,essence--,its ,spirit--is ,the ,absolute1 living1 feeling1 suffering1 rejoicing1 longing1 striving1 in and through us4 ,the ,absolute is all that really ,is1 and all the visible ,universe and forms of ,life is ,its expression1 through ,its ,will4 ,we lack words adequate to describe the nature of the ,absolute1 but we will use two words describing its inmost nature as best we see it4 ,these two words are ,,life and ,,love1 the one describing the outer1 the other the inner nature4 ,let us manifest both ,life and ,love as a token of our origin and inner nature4 ,peace be with you4 ,,the ,,second ,,lesson ,,omnipresent ,,life4 ,in our ,first ,lesson of this series1 we brought out the idea that the human mind was compelled to report the fact that it could not think of ,the ,absolute except as possessing the quality of ,omnipresence--,present-,everywhere4 ,and1 likewise1 the human mind is compelled to think that all there ,,is must be ,the ,absolute1 or of the ,absolute4 ,and if a thing is of the ,absolute1 then the ,absolute must be in it1 in some way--must be the essence of it4 ,granting this1 we must then think that everything must be filled with the essence of ,life1 for ,life must be one of the qualities of the ,absolute1 or rather what we call ,life must be the outward expression of the essential ,being of the ,absolute4 ,and if this be so1 then it would follow that everything in the ,universe must be ,alive4 ,the mind cannot escape this conclusion4 ,and if the facts do not bear out this conclusion then we must be forced to admit that the entire basic theory of the ,absolute and its emanations must fall1 and be considered as an error4 ,no chain is stronger than its weakest link1 and if this link be too weak to bear the weight of the facts of the universe1 then must the chain be discarded as imperfect and useless1 and another substituted4 ,this fact is not generally mentioned by those speaking and writing of ,all being ,one1 or an emanation of the ,one1 but it must be considered and met4 ,if there is a single thing in the ,universe that is dead--non-living--lifeless--then the theory must fall4 ,if a thing is non-living1 then the essence of the ,absolute cannot be in it--it must be alien and foreign to the ,absolute1 and in that case the ,absolute cannot be ,absolute for there is something outside of itself4 ,and so it becomes of the greatest importance to examine into the evidences of the presence of ,life in all things1 organic or inorganic4 ,the evidence is at hand--let us examine it4 ,the ancient occultists of all peoples always taught that the ,universe was ,alive--that there was ,life in everything--that there was nothing dead in ,nature--that ,death meant simply a change in form in the material of the dead bodies4 ,they taught that ,life1 in varying degrees of manifestation and expression1 was present in everything and object1 even down to the hardest mineral form1 and the atoms composing that form4 ,modern ,science is now rapidly advancing to the same position1 and each months investigations and discoveries serve only to emphasize the teachings4 ,burbank1 that wonderful moulder of plant life1 has well expressed this thought1 when he says3 ,all my investigations have led me away from the idea of a dead material universe tossed about by various forces1 to that of a universe which is absolutely all force1 life1 soul1 thought1 or whatever name we may choose to call it4 ,every atom1 molecule1 plant1 animal or planet1 is only an aggregation of organized unit forces1 held in place by stronger forces1 thus holding them for a time latent1 though teeming with inconceivable power4 ,all life on our planet is1 so to speak1 just on the outer fringe of this infinite ocean of force4 ,the universe is not half dead1 but all alive4 ,science today is gazing upon a living universe4 ,she has not yet realized the full significance of what she has discovered1 and her hands are raised as if to shade her eyes from the unaccustomed glare that is bursting upon her4 ,from the dark cavern of universal dead matter1 she has stepped out into the glare of the noon-day sun of a ,universe ,all-,alive even to its smallest and apparently most inert particle4 ,beginning at ,man1 the highest form of ,life known to us1 we may pass rapidly down the scale of animal life1 seeing life in full operation at each descending step4 ,passing from the animal to the vegetable kingdom1 we still see ,life in full operation1 although in lessened degrees of expression4 ,we shall not stop here to review the many manifestations of ,life among the forms of plant-life1 for we shall have occasion to mention them in our next lesson1 but it must be apparent to all that ,life is constantly manifesting in the sprouting of seeds2 the putting forth of stalk1 leaves1 blossoms1 fruit1 etc41 and in the enormous manifestation of force and energy in such growth and development4 ,one may see the life force in the plant pressing forth for expression and manifestation1 from the first sprouting of the seed1 until the last vital action on the part of the mature plant or tree4 ,besides the vital action observable in the growth and development of plants1 we know1 of course1 that plants sicken and die1 and manifest all other attributes of living forms4 ,there is no room for argument about the presence of life in the plant kingdom4 ,but there are other forms of life far below the scale of the plants4 ,there is the world of the bacteria1 microbes1 infusoria--the groups of cells with a common life--the single cell creatures1 down to the ,monera1 the creatures lower than the single cells--the ,things of the slime of the ocean bed4 ,these tiny ,things--living ,things--present to the sight merely a tiny speck of jelly1 without organs of any kind4 ,and yet they exercise all the functions of life--movement1 nutrition1 reproduction1 sensation1 and dissolution4 ,some of these elementary forms are all stomach1 that is they are all one organ capable of performing all the functions necessary for the life of the animal4 ,the creature has no mouth1 but when it wishes to devour an object it simply envelopes it--wraps itself around it like a bit of glue around a gnat1 and then absorbs the substance of its prey through its whole body4 ,scientists have turned some of these tiny creatures inside out1 and yet they have gone on with their life functions undisturbed and untroubled4 ,they have cut them up into still tinier bits1 and yet each bit lived on as a separate animal1 performing all of its functions undisturbed4 ,they are all the same all over1 and all the way through4 ,they reproduce themselves by growing to a certain size1 and then separating into two1 and so on4 ,the rapidity of the increase is most remarkable4 ,haekel says of the ,monera3 ,the ,monera are the simplest permanent cytods4 ,their entire body consists of merely soft1 structureless plasm4 ,however thoroughly we may examine them with the help of the most delicate reagents and the strongest optical instruments1 we yet find that all the parts are completely homogeneous4 ,these ,monera are therefore1 in the strictest sense of the word1 'organisms without organs1' or even in a strict philosophical sense they might not even be called organisms1 since they possess no organs and since they are not composed of various particles4 ,they can only be called organisms in so far as they are capable of exercising the organic phenomena of life1 of nutrition1 reproduction1 sensation and movement4 ,verworn records an interesting instance of life and mind among the ,rhizopods1 a very low form of living thing4 ,he relates that the ,difflugia ampula1 a creature occupying a tiny shell formed of minute particles of sand1 has a long projection of its substance1 like a feeler or tendril1 with which it searches on the bottom of the sea for sandy material with which to build the shell or outer covering for its offspring1 which are born by division from the parent body4 ,it grasps the particle of sand by the feeler1 and passes it into its body by enclosing it4 ,verworn removed the sand from the bottom of the tank1 replacing it by very minute particles of highly colored glass4 ,shortly afterward he noticed a collection of these particles of glass in the body of the creature1 and a little later he saw a tiny speck of protoplasm emitted from the parent by separation4 ,at the same time he noticed that the bits of glass collected by the mother creature were passed out and placed around the body of the new creature1 and cemented together by a substance secreted by the body of the parent1 thus forming a shell and covering for the offspring4 ,this proceeding showed the presence of a mental something sufficient to cause the creature to prepare a shell for the offspring previous to its birth--or rather to gather the material for such shell1 to be afterward used2 to distinguish the proper material2 to mould it into shape1 and cement it4 ,the scientist reported that a creature always gathered just exactly enough sand for its purpose--never too little1 and never an excess4 ,and this in a creature that is little more than a tiny drop of glue6 ,we may consider the life actions of the ,moneron a little further1 for it is the lowest form of so-called living matter--the point at which living forms pass off into non-living forms 7so-called74 ,this tiny speck of glue--an organism without organs--is endowed with the faculty called sensation4 ,it draws away from that which is likely to injure it1 and toward that which it desires--all in response to an elementary sensation4 ,it has the instinct of self-preservation and self-protection4 ,it seeks and finds its prey1 and then eats1 digests and assimilates it4 ,it is able to move about by false-feet1 or bits of its body which it pushes forth at will from any part of its substance4 ,it reproduces itself1 as we have seen1 by separation and self-division4 ,the life of the bacteria and germs--the yeasty forms of life--are familiar to many of us4 ,and yet there are forms of life still below these4 ,the line between living forms and non-living forms is being set back further and further by science4 ,living creatures are now known that resemble the non-living so closely that the line cannot be definitely drawn4 ,living creatures are known that are capable of being dried and laid away for several years1 and then may be revived by the application of moisture4 ,they resemble dust1 but are full of life and function4 ,certain forms of bacilli are known to ,science that have been subjected to degrees of heat and cold that are but terms to any but the scientific mind4 ,low forms of life called ,diatoms or living crystals are known4 ,they are tiny geometrical forms4 ,they are composed of a tiny drop of plasm1 resembling glue1 covered by a thin shell of siliceous or sandy material4 ,they are visible only through the microscope1 and are so small that thousands of them might be gathered together on the head of a pin4 ,they are so like chemical crystals that it requires a shrewd and careful observer to distinguish them4 ,and yet they are alive1 and perform all the functions of life4 ,leaving these creatures1 we enter the kingdom of the crystals1 in our search for life4 ,yes1 the crystals manifest life1 as strange as this statement may appear to those who have not followed the march of ,science4 ,the crystals are born1 grow1 live1 and may be killed by chemicals or electricity4 ,science has added a new department called ,plasmology1 the purpose of which is the study of crystal life4 ,some investigators have progressed so far as to claim that they have discovered signs of rudimentary sex functioning among crystals4 ,at any rate1 crystals are born and grow like living things4 ,as a recent scientific writer has said3 ,crystallization1 as we are to learn now1 is not a mere mechanical grouping of dead atoms4 ,it is a birth4 ,the crystal forms from the mother liquor1 and its body is built up systematically1 regularly1 and according to a well defined plan or pattern1 just as are the body and bones of the animal form1 and the wood and bark of the tree4 ,there is life at work in the growth of the crystal4 ,and not only does the crystal grow1 but it also reproduces itself by separation or splitting-off1 just as is the case with the lower forms of life1 just mentioned4 ,the principal point of difference between the growth and development of the crystals and that of the lower forms of life referred to is that the crystal takes its nourishment from the outside1 and builds up from its outer surface1 while the ,monera absorbs its nourishment from within1 and grows outwardly from within4 ,if the crystal had a soft center1 and took its nourishment in that way1 it would be almost identical with the ,diatom1 or1 if the ,diatom grew from the outside1 it would be but a crystal4 ,a very fine dividing line4 ,crystals1 like living forms1 may be sterilized and rendered incapable of reproduction by chemical process1 or electrical discharges4 ,they may also be killed and future growth prevented in this manner4 ,surely this looks like ,life1 does it not8 ,to realize the importance of this idea of life among the crystals1 we must remember that our hardest rocks and metals are composed of crystals1 and that the dirt and earth upon which we grow and live are but crumbled rock and miniature crystals4 ,therefore the very dust under our feet is alive4 ,there is nothing dead4 ,there is no transformation of dead matter into live plant matter1 and then into live animal matter4 ,the chemicals are alive1 and from chemical to man's body there is but a continuous change of shape and form of living matter4 ,any man's body1 decomposing1 is again resolved into chemicals1 and the chain begins over again4 ,merely changes in living forms--that's all1 so far as the bodies are concerned4 ,nature furnishes us with many examples of this presence of life in the inorganic world4 ,we have but to look around to see the truth of the statement that ,all is ,alive4 ,there is that which is known as the fatigue of elasticity in metals4 ,razors get tired1 and require a rest4 ,tuning forks lose their powers of vibration1 to a degree1 and have to be given a vacation4 ',machinery in mills and manufactories needs an occasional day off4 ,metals are subject to disease and infection1 and have been poisoned and restored by antidotes4 ,window glass1 especially stained glass1 is subject to a disease spreading from pane to pane4 ,men accustomed to handling and using tools and machinery naturally drop into the habit of speaking of these things as if they were alive4 ,they seem to recognize the presence of feeling in tools or machine1 and to perceive in each a sort of character or personality1 which must be respected1 humored1 or coaxed in order to get the best results4 ,perhaps the most valuable testimony along these lines1 and which goes very far toward proving the centuries-old theories of the ,yogis regarding ,omnipresent ,life1 comes from ,prof4 ,j4 ,chunder ,bose1 of the ,calcutta ,university1 a ,hindu educated in the ,english ,universities1 under the best teachers1 and who is now a leading scientific authority in the western world1 tie has given to the world some very valuable scientific information along these lines in his book entitled ,response in the ,living and ,non-living1 which has caused the widest comment and created the greatest interest among the highest scientific authorities4 ,his experiments along the lines of the gathering of evidence of life in the inorganic forms have revolutionized the theories of modern science1 and have done much to further the idea that life is present everywhere1 and that there is no such thing as dead matter4 ,he bases his work upon the theory that the best and only true test for the presence of life in matter is the response of matter to external stimulus4 ,proceeding from this fundamental theory he has proven by in-numerable experiments that so-called inorganic matter1 minerals1 metals1 etc41 give a response to such stimulus1 which response is similar1 if not identical1 to the response of the matter composing the bodies of plants1 animals1 men4 ,he devised delicate apparatus for the measurement of the response to the outside stimulus1 the degree1 and other evidence being recorded in traces on a revolving cylinder4 ,the tracings or curves obtained from tin and other metals1 when compared with those obtained from living muscle1 were found to be identical4 ,he used a galvanometer1 a very delicate and accurate scientific instrument1 in his experiments4 ,this instrument is so finely adjusted that the faintest current will cause a deflection of the registering needle1 which is delicately swung on a tiny pivot4 ,if the galvanometer be attached to a human nerve1 and the end of the nerve be irritated1 the needle will register4 ,prof4 ,bose found that when he attached the galvanometer to bars of various metals they gave a similar response when struck or twisted4 ,the greater the irritation applied to the metal1 the greater the response registered by the instrument4 ,the analogy between the response of the metal and that of the living muscle was startling4 ,for instance1 just as in the case of the living animal muscle or nerve matter1 the response becomes fatigued1 so in the case of the metal the curve registered by the needle became fainter and still fainter1 as the bar became more and more fatigued by the continued irritation4 ,and again1 just after such fatigue the muscle would become rested1 and would again respond actively1 so would the metal when given a chance to recuperate4 ,tetanus due to shocks constantly repeated1 was caused and recovered4 ,metals recorded evidences of fatigue4 ,drugs caused identical effects on metals and animals--some exciting2 some depressing2 some killing4 ,some poisonous chemicals killed pieces of metal1 rendering them immobile and therefore incapable of registering records on the apparatus4 ,in some cases antidotes were promptly administered1 and saved the life of the metal4 ,prof4 ,bose also conducted experiments on plants in the same way4 ,pieces of vegetable matter were found to be capable of stimulation1 fatigue1 excitement1 depression1 poison4 ,mrs4 ,annie ,besant1 who witnessed some of these experiments in ,calcutta1 has written as follows regarding the experiments on plant life3 ,there is something rather pathetic in seeing the way in which the tiny spot of light which records the pulses in the plant1 travels in ever weaker and weaker curves1 when the plant is under the influence of poison1 then falls into a final despairing straight line1 and--stops4 ,one feels as though a murder has been committed--as indeed it has4 ,in one of ,prof4 ,bose's public experiments he clearly demonstrated that a bar of iron was fully as sensitive as the human body1 and that it could be irritated and stimulated in the same way1 and finally could be poisoned and killed4 ,among such phenomena1 he asks1 how can we draw the line of demarkation1 and say1 ',here the physical ends1 and there the physiological begins'8 ,no such barrier exists4 ,according to his theory1 which agrees with the oldest occult theories1 by the way1 life is present in every object and form of ,nature1 and all forms respond to external stimulus1 which response is a proof of the presence of life in the form4 ,prof4 ,bose's great book is full of the most startling results of experiments4 ,he proves that the metals manifest something like sleep2 can be killed2 exhibit torpor and sluggishness2 get tired or lazy2 wake up2 can be roused into activity2 may be stimulated1 strengthened1 weakened2 suffer from extreme cold and heat2 may be drugged or intoxicated1 the different metals manifesting a different response to certain drugs1 just as different men and animals manifest a varying degree of similar resistance4 ,the response of a piece of steel subjected to the influence of a chemical poison shows a gradual fluttering and weakening until it finally dies away1 just as animal matter does when similarly poisoned4 ,when revived in time by an antidote1 the recovery was similarly gradual in both metal and muscle4 ,a remarkable fact is noted by the scientist when he tells us that the very poisons that kill the metals are themselves alive and may be killed1 drugged1 stimulated1 etc41 showing the same response as in the case of the metals1 proving the existence in them of the same life that is in the metals and animal matter that they influence4 ,of course when these metals are killed there is merely a killing of the metal as metal--the atoms and principles of which the metal is composed remaining fully alive and active1 just as is the case with the atom of the human body after the soul passes out--the body is as much alive after death as during the life of the person1 the activity of the parts being along the lines of dissolution instead of construction in that case4 ,we hear much of the claims of scientists who announce that they are on the eve of creating life from non-living matter4 ,this is all nonsense--life can come only from life4 ,life from non-life is an absurdity4 ,and all ,life comes from the ,one ,life underlying ,all4 ,but it is true that ,science has done1 is doing1 and will do1 something very much like creating life1 but of course this is merely changing the form of ,life into other forms--the lesser form into the higher--just as one produces a plant from a seed1 or a fruit from a plant4 ,the ,life is always there1 and responds to the proper stimulus and conditions4 ,a number of scientists are working on the problem of generating living forms from inorganic matter4 ,the old idea of spontaneous generation1 for many years relegated to the scrap-pile of ,science1 is again coming to the front4 ,although the theory of ,evolution compels its adherents to accept the idea that at one time in the past living forms sprung from the non-living 7so-called71 yet it has been generally believed that the conditions which brought about this stage of evolution has forever passed4 ,but the indications now all point to the other view that this stage of evolution is1 and always has been1 in operation1 and that new forms of life are constantly evolving from the inorganic forms4 ,creation1 so-called 7although the word is an absurdity from the ,yogi point of view71 is constantly being performed4 ,dr4 ,charlton ,bastian1 of ,london1 ,eng41 has long been a prominent advocate of this theory of continuous spontaneous generation4 ,laughed down and considered defeated by the leading scientific minds of a generation ago1 he still pluckily kept at work1 and his recent books were like bombshells in the orthodox scientific camp4 ,he has taken more than five thousand photo-micrographs1 all showing most startling facts in connection with the origin of living forms from the inorganic4 ,he claims that the microscope reveals the development in a previously clear liquid of very minute black spots1 which gradually enlarge and transform into bacteria--living forms of a very low order4 ,prof4 ,burke1 of ,cambridge1 ,eng41 has demonstrated that he may produce in sterilized boullion1 subjected to the action of sterilized radium chloride1 minute living bodies which manifest growth and subdivision4 ,science is being gradually forced to the conclusion that living forms are still arising in the world by natural processes1 which is not at all remarkable when one remembers that natural law is uniform and continuous4 ,these recent discoveries go to swell the already large list of modern scientific ideas which correspond with the centuries-old ,yogi teachings4 ,when the ,occult explanation that there is ,life in everything1 inorganic as well as organic1 and that evolution is constant1 is heard1 then may we see that these experiments simply prove that the forms of life may be changed and developed--not that ,life may be created4 ,the chemical and mineral world furnish us with many instances of the growth and development of forms closely resembling the forms of the vegetable world4 ,what is known as metallic vegetation1 as shown in the lead tree1 gives us an interesting example of this phenomenon4 ,the experiment is performed by placing in a wide-necked bottle a clear acidulated solution of acetate of lead4 ,the bottle is corked1 a piece of copper wire being fastened to the cork1 from which wire is suspended a piece of zinc1 the latter hanging as nearly as possible in the center of the lead solution4 ,when the bottle is corked the copper wire immediately begins to surround itself with a growth of metallic lead resembling fine moss4 ,from this moss spring branches and limbs1 which in turn manifest a growth similar to foliage1 until at last a miniature bush or tree is formed4 ,similar metallic vegetation may be produced by other metallic solutions4 ,all of you have noticed how crystals of frost form on window panes in shapes of leaves1 branches1 foliage1 flowers1 blossoms1 etc4 ,saltpeter when subjected to the effect of polarized light assumes forms closely resembling the forms of the orchid4 ,nature is full of these resemblances4 ,a ,german scientist recently performed a remarkable experiment with certain metallic salts4 ,he subjected the salts to the action of a galvanic current1 when to his surprise the particles of the salts grouped themselves around the negative pole of the battery1 and then grew into a shape closely resembling a miniature mushroom1 with tiny stem and umbrella top4 ,these metallic mushrooms at first presented a transparent appearance1 but gradually developed color1 the top of the umbrella being a bright red1 with a faint rose shade on the under surface4 ,the stems showed a pale straw color4 ,this was most interesting1 but the important fact of the experiment consists in the discovery that these mushrooms have fine veins or tubes running along the stems1 through which the nourishment1 or additional material for growth1 is transported1 so that the growth is actually from the inside1 just as is the case with fungus life4 ,to all intents and purposes1 these inorganic metallic growths were low forms of vegetable his4 ,but the search for ,life does not end with the forms of the mineral world as we know them4 ,science has separated the material forms into smaller forms1 and again still smaller4 ,and if there is ,life in the form composed of countless particles1 then must there be ,life in the particles themselves4 ,for ,life cannot come from non-,life1 and if there be not ,life in the particles1 the theory of ,omnipresent ,life must fan4 ,so we must look beyond the form and shape of the mineral--mist separate it into its constituent parts1 and then examine the parts for indications of ,life4 ,science teaches us that all forms of matter are compiled of minute particles called molecules4 ,a molecule is the smallest particle of matter that is possible1 unless the chemical atoms composing the matter fly apart and the matter be resolved into its original elements4 ,for instance1 let us take the familiar instance of a drop of water4 ,let us divide and subdivide the drop1 until at last we get to the smallest possible particle of water4 ,that smallest possible particle would be a molecule of water4 ,we cannot subdivide this molecule without causing its atoms of hydrogen and oxygen to fly apart--and then there would be no water at all4 ,well1 these molecules manifest a something called ,attraction for each other4 ,they attract other molecules of the same kind1 and are likewise attracted4 ,the operation of this law of attraction results in the formation of masses of matter1 whether those masses be mountains of solid rock1 or a drop of water1 or a volume of gas4 ,all masses of matter are composed of aggregations of molecules1 held together by the law of attraction4 ,this law of attraction is called ,cohesion4 ,this ,cohesive ,attraction is not a mere mechanical force1 as many suppose1 but is an exhibition of ,life action1 manifesting in the presence of the molecule of a like or love for the similar molecule4 ,and when the ,life energies begin to manifest on a certain plane1 and proceed to mould the molecules into crystals1 so that we may see the actual process under way1 we begin to realize very clearly that there is something at work in this building up4 ,but wonderful as this may seem to those unfamiliar with the idea1 the manifestation of ,life among the atoms is still more so4 ,the atom1 you will remember1 is the chemical unit which1 uniting with other atoms1 makes up the molecule4 ,for instance1 if we take two atoms of the gas called hydrogen and one atom of the gas called oxygen1 and place them near each other1 they will at once rush toward each other and form a partnership1 which is called a molecule of water4 ,and so it is with all atoms--they are continually forming partnerships1 or dissolving them4 ,marriage and divorce is a part of the life of the atoms4 ,these evidences of attraction and repulsion among the atoms are receiving much attention from careful thinkers1 and some of the most advanced minds of the age see in this phenomena the corroboration of the old ,yogi idea that there is ,life and vital action in the smallest particles of matter4 ,the atoms manifest vital characteristics in their attractions and repulsions4 ,they move along the lines of their attractions and form marriages1 and thus combining they form the substances with which we are familiar4 ,when they combine1 remember1 they do not lose their individuality and melt into a permanent substance1 but merely unite and yet remain distinct4 ,if the combination be destroyed by chemical action1 electrical discharge1 etc41 the atoms fly apart1 and again live their own separate lives1 until they come in contact with other atoms with which they have affinities1 and form a new union or partnership4 ,in many chemical changes the atoms divorce themselves1 each forsaking its mate or mates1 and seeking some newer affinity in the shape of a more congenial atom4 ,the atoms manifest a fickleness and will always desert a lesser attraction for a greater one4 ,this is no mere bit of imagery1 or scientific poetry4 ,it is a scientific statement of the action of atoms along the lines of vital manifestation4 ,the great ,german scientist1 ,haekel1 has said3 ,i cannot imagine the simplest chemical and physical processes without attributing the movement of the material particles to unconscious sensation4 ,the idea of ,chemical ,affinity consists in the fact that the various chemical elements perceive differences in the qualities of other elements1 and experience pleasure or revulsion at contact with them1 and execute their respective movements on this ground4 ,he also says3 ,we may ascribe the feeling of pleasure or pain 7satisfaction or dissatisfaction7 to all atoms1 and thereby ascribe the elective affinities of chemistry to the attraction between living atoms and repulsion between hating atoms4 ,he also says that the sensations in animal and plant life are connected by a long series of evolutionary stages with the simpler forms of sensation that we find in the inorganic elements1 and that reveal themselves in chemical affinity4 ,naegli says3 ,if the molecules possess something that is related1 however distantly1 to sensation1 it must be comfortable for them to be able to follow their attractions and repulsions1 and uncomfortable for them when they are forced to do otherwise4 ,we might fill page after page with quotations from eminent thinkers going to prove the correctness of the old ,yogi teachings that ,life is ,omnipresent4 ,modern ,science is rapidly advancing to this position1 leaving behind her the old idea of dead matter4 ,even the new theories of the electron--the little particles of electrical energy which are now believed to constitute the base of the atom--does not change this idea1 for the electrons manifest attraction1 and response thereto1 and form themselves into groups composing the atom4 ,and even if we pass beyond matter into the mystical ,ether which ,science assumes to be the material base of things1 we must believe that there is life there too1 and that as ,prof4 ,dolbear says3 ,the ,ether has besides the function of energy and motion1 other inherent properties1 out of which could emerge1 under proper circumstances1 other phenomena1 such as life1 mind1 or whatever may be in the substratum1 and1 that as ,prof4 ,cope has hinted1 that the basis of ,life lies back of the atoms and may be found in the ,universal ,ether4 ,some scientists go even further1 and assert that not only is ,life present in everything1 but that ,mind is present where ,life is4 ,verily1 the dreams of the ,yogi fathers are coming true1 and from the ranks of the materialists are coming the material proofs of the spiritual teachings4 ,listen to these words from ,dr4 ,saleeby1 in his recent valuable scientific work1 ,evolution1 the ,master ,key4 ,he says3 ,life is potential in matter2 life-energy is not a thing unique and created at a particular time in the past4 ,if evolution be true1 living matter has been evolved by natural processes from matter which is1 apparently1 not alive4 ,but if life is potential in matter1 it is a thousand times more evident that ,mind is potential in ,life4 ,the evolutionist is impelled to believe that ,mind is potential in matter4 7,i adopt that form of words for the moment1 but not without future criticism47 ,the microscopic cell1 a minute speck of matter that is to become man1 has in it the promise and the germ of mind4 ,may we not then draw the inference that the elements of mind are present in those chemical elements--carbon1 oxygen1 hydrogen1 nitrogen1 sulphur1 phosphorus1 sodium1 potassium1 chlorine--that are found in the cell4 ,not only must we do so1 but we must go further1 since we know that each of these elements1 and every other1 is built up out of one invariable unit1 the electron1 and we must therefore assert that ,mind is potential in the unit of ,matter--the electron itself444 ,it is to assert the sublime truth first perceived by ,spinoza1 that ,mind and ,matter are the warp and woof of what ,goethe called 'the living garment of ,god4' ,both are complementary expressions of the ,unknowable ,reality which underlies both4 ,there is no such thing as non-vital attraction or repulsion4 ,all inclinations for or against another object1 or thing1 is an evidence of ,life4 ,each thing has sufficient life energy to enable it to carry on its work4 ,and as each form advances by evolution into a higher form1 it is able to have more of the ,life energy manifest through it4 ,as its material machinery is built up1 it becomes able to manifest a greater and higher degree of ,life4 ,it is not that one thing has a low life1 or another a high life--this cannot be1 for there is but ,one ,life4 ,it is like the current of electricity that is able to run the most delicate machinery or manifest a light in the incandescent lamp4 ,give it the organ or machinery of manifestation1 and it manifests--give it a low form1 and it will manifest a low degree--give it a high form1 and it will manifest a high degree4 ,the same steam power runs the clumsy engine1 or the perfect apparatus which drives the most delicate mechanism4 ,and so it is with the ,one ,life--its manifestations may seem low and clumsy1 or high and perfect--but it all depends upon the material or mental machinery through which it works4 ,there is but ,one ,life1 manifesting in countless forms and shapes1 and degrees4 ,one ,life underlying ,all--in ,all4 ,from the highest forms of ,life down through the animal1 vegetable and mineral kingdoms1 we see ,life everywhere present--,death an illusion4 ,back of all visible forms of material life there is still the beginnings of manifested life pressing forward for expression and manifestation4 ,and underneath all is the ,spirit of ,life--longing1 striving1 feeling1 acting4 ,in the mountain and the ocean--the flower and the tree--the sunset--the dawn--the suns--the stars--all is ,life--manifestations of the ,one ,life4 ,everything is ,alive1 quick with living force1 power1 action2 thrilling with vitality2 throbbing with feeling2 filled with activity4 ,all is from the ,one ,life--and all that is from the ,one ,life is ,alive4 ,there is no dead substance in the ,universe--there can be none--for ,life cannot ,die4 ,all is ,alive4 ,and ,life is in ,all4 ,carry with you this ,central ,thought of the ,lesson3 ,,central ,,thought3 ,there is but ,one ,life1 and its manifestations comprise all the forms and shapes of the ,universe4 ,from ,life comes but ,life--and ,life can come only from ,life4 ,therefore we have the right to expect that all manifestations of the ,one ,life should be ,alive4 ,and we are not mocked in such belief4 ,not only do the highest ,occult ,teachings inform us that ,everything is ,alive1 but ,modern ,science has proven to us that ,life is present everywhere--even in that which was formerly considered dead matter4 ,it now sees that even the atom1 and what lies back of the atom1 is charged with ,life ,energy and ,action4 ,forms and shapes may change1 and do change--but ,life remains eternal and infinite4 ,it cannot ,die--for it is ,,life4 ,peace be with thee4 ,,the ,,third ,,lesson ,,the ,,creative ,,will4 ,in our first lesson of this series1 we stated that among the other qualities and attributes that we were compelled1 by the laws of our reason1 to think that the ,absolute possessed1 was that of ,omnipotence or ,all-,power4 ,in other words we are compelled to think of the ,one as being the source and fount of all the ,power there is1 ever has been1 or ever can be in the ,universe4 ,not only1 as is generally supposed1 that the ,power of the ,one is greater than any other ,power1--but more than this1 that there can be no other power1 and that1 therefore1 each and every1 any and all manifestations or forms of ,power1 ,force or ,energy must be a part of the great one ,energy which emanates from the ,one4 ,there is no escape from this conclusion1 as startling as it may appear to the mind unaccustomed to it4 ,if there is any power not from and of the ,one1 from whence comes such power1 for there is nothing else outside of the ,one8 ,who or what exists outside of the ,one that can manifest even the faintest degree of power of any kind8 ,all power must come from the ,absolute1 and must in its nature be but one4 ,modern ,science has recognized this truth1 and one of its fundamental principles is the ,unity of ,energy--the theory that all forms of ,energy are1 at the last1 ,one4 ,science holds that all forms of ,energy are interchangeable1 and from this idea comes the theory of the ,conservation of ,energy or ,correlation of ,force4 ,science teaches that every manifestation of energy1 power1 or force1 from the operation of the law of gravitation1 up to the highest form of mental force is but the operation of the ,one ,energy of the ,universe4 ,just what this ,energy is1 in its inner nature1 ,science does not know4 ,it has many theories1 but does not advance any of them as a law4 ,it speaks of the ,infinite and ,eternal ,energy from which all things proceed1 but pronounces its nature to be unknowable4 ,but some of the latter-day scientists are veering around to the teachings of the occultists1 and are now hinting that it is something more than a mere mechanical energy4 ,they are speaking of it in terms of mind4 ,wundt1 the ,german scientist1 whose school of thought is called voluntarism1 considers the motive-force of ,energy to be something that may be called ,will4 ,crusius1 as far back as #agdd said3 ,will is the dominating force of the world4 ,and ,schopenhauer based his fascinating but gloomy philosophy and metaphysics upon the underlying principle of an active form of energy which he called the ,will-to-,live1 which he considered to be the ,thing-in-,itself1 or the ,absolute4 ,balzac1 the novelist1 considered a something akin to ,will1 to be the moving force of the ,universe4 ,bulwer advanced a similar theory1 and made mention of it in several of his novels ,this idea of an active1 creative ,will1 at work in the ,universe1 building up2 tearing down2 replacing2 repairing2 changing--always at work--ever active--has been entertained by numerous philosophers and thinkers1 under different names and styles4 ,some1 like ,schopenhauer have thought of this ,will as the final thing--that which took the place of ,god--the ,first ,cause4 ,but others have seen in this ,will an active living principle emanating from the ,absolute or ,god1 and working in accordance with the laws impressed by ,him upon it4 ,in various forms1 this latter idea is seen all through the history of philosophical thought4 ,cudsworth1 the ,english philosopher1 evolved the idea of a something called the ,plastic ,nature1 which so closely approaches the ,yogi idea of the ,creative ,will1 that we feel justified in quoting a passage from his book4 ,he says3 ,it seems not so agreeable to reason that ,nature1 as a distinct thing from the ,deity1 should be quite superseded or made to signify nothing1 ,god ,himself doing all things immediately and miraculously2 from whence it would follow also that they are all done either forcibly and violently1 or else artificially only1 and none of them by any inward principle of their own4 ,this opinion is further confuted by that slow and gradual process that in the generation of things1 which would seem to be but a vain and idle pomp or a trifling formality if the moving power were omnipotent2 as also by those errors and bungles which are committed where the matter is inept and contumacious2 which argue that the moving power be not irresistible1 and that ,nature is such a thing as is not altogether incapable 7as well as human art7 of being sometimes frustrated and disappointed by the indisposition of matter4 ,whereas an omnipotent moving power1 as it could dispatch its work in a moment1 so would it always do it infallibly and irresistibly1 no ineptitude and stubbornness of matter being ever able to hinder such a one1 or make him bungle or fumble in anything4 ,wherefore1 since neither all things are produced fortuitously1 or by the unguided mechanism of matter1 nor ,god himself may be reasonably thought to do all things immediately and miraculously1 it may well be concluded that there is a ,plastic ,nature under him1 which1 as an inferior and subordinate instrument1 doth drudgingly execute that part of his providence which consists in the regular and orderly motion of matter2 yet so as there is also besides this a higher providence to be acknowledged1 which1 presiding over it1 doth often supply the defects of it1 and sometimes overrules it1 forasmuch as the ,plastic ,nature cannot act electively nor with discretion4 ,the ,yogi ,philosophy teaches of the existence of a ,universal ,creative ,will1 emanating from the ,absolute--infilled with the power of the ,absolute and acting under established natural laws1 which performs the active work of creation in the world1 similar to that performed by ,cudsworth's ,plastic ,nature1 just mentioned4 ,this ,creative ,will is not ,schopenhauer's ,will-to-,live4 ,it is not a ,thing-in-itself1 but a vehicle or instrument of the ,absolute4 ,it is an emanation of the mind of the ,absolute--a manifestation in action of its ,will--a mental product rather than a physical1 and1 of course1 saturated with the life-energy of its projector4 ,this ,creative ,will is not a mere blind1 mechanical energy or force--it is far more than this4 ,we can explain it only by referring you to the manifestation of the ,will in yourself4 ,you wish to move your arm1 and it moves4 ,the immediate force may seem to be a mechanical force1 but what is back of that force--what is the essence of the force8 ,the ,will6 ,all manifestations of energy--all the causes of motion--all forces--are forms of the action of the ,will of the ,one--the ,creative ,will--acting under natural laws established by the ,one1 ever moving1 acting1 forcing1 urging1 driving1 leading4 ,we do not mean that every little act is a thought of the moment on the part of the ,absolute1 and a reaching out of the ,will in obedience to that thought4 ,on the contrary1 we mean that the ,one set the ,will into operation as a whole1 conceiving of laws and limitations in its action1 the ,will constantly operating in obedience to that conception1 the results manifesting in what we call natural law2 natural forces1 etc4 ,besides this1 the ,absolute is believed to manifest its ,will specially upon occasions2 and moreover permits its ,will to be applied and used by the individual wills of individual ,egos1 under the general ,law and laws1 and plan of the ,one4 ,but you must not suppose that the ,will is manifested only in the form of mechanical forces1 cohesion1 chemical attraction1 electricity1 gravitation1 etc4 ,it does more than this4 ,it is in full operation in all forms of life1 and living things4 ,it is present everywhere4 ,back of all forms of movement and action1 we find a moving cause--usually a ,pressure4 ,this is true of that which we have been calling mechanical forces1 and of all forms of that which we call ,life ,energy4 ,now1 note this1 this great ,pressure that you will observe in all ,life ,action1 is the ,creative ,will--the ,will ,principle of the ,one--bending toward the carrying out of the ,great ,plan of ,life4 ,look where we will1 on living forms1 and we may begin to recognize the presence of a certain creative energy at work--building up2 moulding1 directing2 tearing down2 replacing1 etc4--always active in its efforts to create1 preserve and conserve life4 ,this visible creative energy is what the ,yogi ,philosophy calls the ,creative ,will1 and which forms the subject of this lesson4 ,the ,creative ,will is that striving1 longing1 pressing forward1 unfolding1 progressing evolutionary effort1 that all thoughtful people see in operation in all forms of life--throughout all ,nature4 ,from the lowest to the highest forms of life1 the ,effort1 ,energy1 ,pressure1 may be recognized in action1 creating1 preserving1 nourishing1 and improving its forms4 ,it is that ,something that we recognize when we speak of ,nature's ,forces at work in plant growth and animal functioning4 ,if you will but keep the word and idea--,,nature--before you1 you will be able to more clearly form the mental concept of the ,creative ,will4 ,the ,creative ,will is that which you have been calling ,nature at ,work in the growth of the plant2 the sprouting of the seed2 the curling and reaching of the tendril2 the fertilization of the blossoms1 etc4 ,you have seen this ,will at work1 if you have watched growing things4 ,we call this energy the ,creative ,will1 because it is the objective manifestation of the ,creative ,energy of the ,absolute--,its visible ,will manifested in the direction of physical life4 ,it is as much ,will in action1 as the ,will that causes your arm to move in response to its power4 ,it is no mere chance thing1 or mechanical law--it is life action in operation4 ,this ,creative ,will not only causes movement in completed life1 but all movement and action in life independent of the personal will of its individual forms4 ,all the phenomena of the so-called ,unconscious belong to it4 ,it causes the body to grow2 attends to the details of nourishment1 assimilation1 digestion1 elimination1 and all of the rest4 ,it builds up bodies1 organs1 and parts1 and keeps them in operation and function4 ,the ,creative ,will is directed to the outward expression of ,life--to the objectification of ,life4 ,you may call this energy the ,universal ,life ,energy if you wish1 but1 to those who know it1 it is a ,will--an active1 living ,will1 in full operation and power1 pressing forward toward the manifestation of objective life4 ,the ,creative ,will seems to be filled with a strong ,desire to manifest4 ,it longs to express itself1 and to give birth to forms of activity4 ,desire lies under and in all forms of its manifestations4 ,the ever present ,desire of the ,creative ,will causes lower forms to be succeeded by higher forms--and is the moving cause of evolution--it is the ,evolutionary ,urge itself1 which ever cries to its manifestations1 ,move on2 move upward4 ,in the ,hindu classic1 the ,mahabarata1 ,brahma created the most beautiful female being ever known1 and called her ,tillotama4 ,he presented her in turn to all the gods1 in order to witness their wonder and admiration4 ,siva's desire to behold her was so great that it developed in him four faces1 in succession1 as she made the tour of the assembly2 and ,indra's longing was so intense that his body became all eyes4 ,in this myth may be seen exemplified the effect of ,desire and ,will in the forms of life1 function and shape--all following ,desire and ,need1 as in the case of the long neck of the giraffe which enables him to reach for the high branches of the trees in his native land2 and in the long neck and high legs of the fisher birds1 the crane1 stork1 ibis1 etc4 ,the ,creative ,will finds within itself a desire to create suns1 and they are formed4 ,it desired planets to revolve around the suns1 and they were thrown off in obedience to the law4 ,it desired plant life1 and plant life appeared1 working from higher to lower form4 ,then came animal life1 from nomad to man4 ,some of the animal forms yielded to the desire to fly1 and wings appeared gradually1 and we called it bird-life4 ,some felt a desire to burrow in the ground1 and lo6 came the moles1 gophers1 etc4 ,it wanted a thinking creature1 and ,man with his wonderful brain was evolved4 ,evolution is more than a mere survival of the fittest2 natural selection1 etc4 ,although it uses these laws as tools and instruments1 still back of them is that insistent urge--that ever-impelling desire--that ever-active ,creative ,will4 ,lamark was nearer right than ,darwin when he claimed that ,desire was back of it all1 and preceded function and form4 ,desire wanted form and function1 and produced them by the activity of the ,creative ,will4 ,this ,creative ,will acts like a living force--and so it is indeed--but it does not act as a reasoning1 intellectual ,something1 in one sense--instead it manifests rather the feeling1 wanting1 longing1 instinctive phase of mind1 akin to those feelings and resulting actions that we find within our natures4 ,the ,will acts on the ,instinctive ,plane4 ,evolution shows us ,life constantly pressing forward toward higher and still higher forms of expression4 ,the urge is constantly upward and onward4 ,it is true that some species sink out of sight their work in the world having been done1 but they are succeeded by other species more in harmony with their environment and the needs of their times4 ,some races of men decay1 but others build on their foundations1 and reach still greater heights4 ,the ,creative ,will is something different from ,reason or ,intellect4 ,but it underlies these4 ,in the lower forms of life1 in which mind is in but small evidence1 the ,will is in active operation1 manifesting in ,instinct and ,automatic ,life ,action1 so called4 ,it does not depend upon brains for manifestation--for these lowly forms of life have no brains--but is in operation through every part of the body of the living thing4 ,evidences of the existence of the ,creative ,will acting independently of the brains of animal and plant life may be had in overwhelming quantity if we will but examine the life action in the lower forms of life4 ,the testimony of the investigators along the lines of the ,evolutionary school of thought1 show us that the ,life ,principle was in active operation in lowly animal and plant life millions of years before brains capable of manifesting ,thought were produced4 ,haekel informs us that during more than half of the enormous time that has elapsed since organic life first became evident1 no animal sufficiently advanced to have a brain was in existence4 ,brains were evolved according to the law of desire or necessity1 in accordance with the ,great ,plan1 but they were not needed for carrying on the wonderful work of the creation and preservation of the living forms4 ,and they are not today4 ,the tiny infant1 and the senseless idiot are not able to think intelligently1 but still their life functions go on regularly and according to law1 in spite of the absence of thinking brains4 ,and the life work of the plants1 and of the lowly forms of animal life1 is carried on likewise4 ,this wonderful thing that we call ,instinct is but another name for the manifestation of the ,creative ,will which flows from the ,one ,life1 or the ,absolute4 ,even as far down the scale of life as the ,monera1 we may see the ,creative ,will in action4 ,the ,monera are but tiny bits of slimy1 jelly-like substances--mere specks of glue without organs of any kind1 and yet they exercise the organic phenomena of life1 such as nutrition1 reproduction1 sensation and movement1 all of which are usually associated with an organized structure4 ,these creatures are incapable of thought in themselves1 and the phenomenon is due to the action of the ,will through them4 ,this ,instinctive impulse and action is seen everywhere1 manifesting upon ,higher and still higher lines1 as higher forms of organisms are built up4 ,scientists have used the term1 ,appetency1 defining it as1 the instinctive tendency of living organisms to perform certain actions2 the tendency of an unorganized body to seek that which satisfies the wants of its organism4 ,now what is this tendency8 ,it cannot be an effort of reason1 for the low form of life has nothing with which to reason4 ,and it is impossible to think of purposive tendency without assuming the existence of mental power of some kind4 ,and where can such a power be located if not in the form itself8 ,when we consider that the ,will is acting in and through all forms of ,life1 from highest to lowest--from ,moneron to ,man--we can at once recognize the source of the power and activity4 ,it is the ,great ,life ,principle--the ,creative ,will1 manifesting itself4 ,we can perhaps better form an idea of the ,creative ,will1 by reference to its outward and visible forms of activity4 ,we cannot see the ,will itself--the ,pressure and the ,urge--but we can see its action through living forms4 ,just as we cannot see a man behind a curtain1 and yet may practically see him by watching the movements of his form as he presses up against the curtain1 so may we see the ,will by watching it as it presses up against the living curtain of the forms of life4 ,there was a play presented on the ,american stage a few years ago1 in which one of the scenes pictured the place of departed spirits according to the ,japanese belief4 ,the audience could not see the actors representing the spirits1 but they could see their movements as they pressed up close to a thin silky curtain stretched across the stage1 and their motions as they moved to and fro behind the curtain were plainly recognized4 ,the deception was perfect1 and the effect was startling4 ,one almost believed that he saw the forms of formless creatures4 ,and this is what we may do in viewing the operation of the ,creative ,will--we may take a look at the moving form of the ,will behind the curtain of the forms of the manifestation of life4 ,we may see it pressing and urging here1 and bending there--building up here1 and changing there--always acting1 always moving1 striving1 doing1 in response to that insatiable urge and craving1 and longing of its inner desire4 ,let us take a few peeps at the ,will moving behind the curtain6 ,commencing with the cases of the forming of the crystals1 as spoken of in our last lesson1 we may pass on to plant life4 ,but before doing so1 it may be well for us to take a parting look at the ,will manifesting crystal forms4 ,one of the latest scientific works makes mention of the experiments of a scientist who has been devoting much attention to the formation of crystals1 and reports that he has noticed that certain crystals of organic compounds1 instead of being built up symmetrically1 as is usual with crystals1 were enation-morphic1 that is1 opposed to each other1 in rights and lefts1 like hands or gloves1 or shoes1 etc4 ,these crystals are never found alone1 but always form in pairs4 ,can you not see the ,will behind the curtain here8 ,let us look for the ,will in plant-life4 ,passing rapidly over the wonderful evidences in the cases of the fertilization of plants by insects1 the plant shaping its blossom so as to admit the entrance of the particular insect that acts as the carrier of its pollen1 think for a moment how the distribution of the seed is provided for4 ,fruit trees and plants surround the seed with a sweet covering1 that it may be eaten by insect and animal1 and the seed distributed4 ,others have a hard covering to protect the seed or nut from the winter frosts1 but which covering rots with the spring rains and allows the germ to sprout4 ,others surround the seed with a fleecy substance1 so that the wind may carry it here and there and give it a chance to find a home where it is not so crowded4 ,another tree has a little pop-gun arrangement1 by means of which it pops its seed to a distance of several feet4 ,other plants have seeds that are covered with a burr or sticky bristles1 which enables them to attach themselves to the wool of sheep and other animals1 and thus be carried about and finally dropped in some spot far away from the parent plant1 and thus the scattering of the species be accomplished4 ,some plants show the most wonderful plans and arrangements for this scattering of the seed in new homes where there is a better opportunity for growth and development1 the arrangements for this purpose displaying something very much akin to what we would call ingenuity if it were the work of a reasoning mind4 ,there are plants called cockle-burs whose seed-pods are provided with stickers in every direction1 so that anything brushing against them is sure to pick them up4 ,at the end of each sticker is a very tiny hook1 and these hooks fasten themselves tightly into anything that brushes against it1 animal wool1 hair1 or clothing1 etc4 ,some of these seeds have been known to have been carried to other quarters of the globe in wool1 etc41 there to find new homes and a wider field4 ,other plants1 like the thistle1 provide their seed with downy wings1 by which the wind carries them afar to other fields4 ,other seeds have a faculty of tumbling and rolling along the ground to great distances1 owing to their peculiar shape and formation4 ,the maple provides its seed with a peculiar arrangement something like a propeller screw1 which when the wind strikes the trees and looses the seed1 whirls the latter through the air to a distance of a hundred yards or more4 ,other seeds are provided with floating apparatus1 which enables them to travel many miles by stream or river1 or rain washes4 ,some of these not only float1 but actually swim1 having spider-like filaments1 which wriggle like legs1 and actually propel the tiny seed along to its new home4 ,a recent writer says of these seeds that so curiously lifelike are their movements that it is almost impossible to believe that these tiny objects1 making good progress through the water1 are really seeds1 and not insects4 ,the leaves of the ,venus' ,fly-trap fold upon each other and enclose the insect which is attracted by the sweet juice on the leaf1 three extremely sensitive bristles or hairs giving the plant notice that the insect is touching them4 ,a recent writer gives the following description of a peculiar plant4 ,he says3 ,on the shores of ,lake ,nicaragua is to be found an uncanny product of the vegetable kingdom known among the natives by the expressive name of 'the ,devil's ,noose4' ,dunstan1 the naturalist1 discovered it long ago while wandering on the shores of the lake4 ,attracted by the cries of pain and terror from his dog1 he found the animal held by black sticky bands which had chafed the skin to bleeding point4 ,these bands were branches of a newly-discovered carnivorous plant which had been aptly named the 'land octopus4' ,the branches are flexible1 black1 polished and without leaves1 and secrete a viscid fluid4 ,you have seen flowers that closed when you touched them4 ,you remember the ,golden ,poppy that closes when the sun goes down4 ,another plant1 a variety of orchid1 has a long1 slender1 flat stem1 or tube1 about one-eighth of an inch thick1 with an opening at the extreme end1 and a series of fine tubes where it joins the plant4 ,ordinarily this tube remains coiled up into a spiral1 but when the plant needs water 7it usually grows upon the trunks of trees overhanging swampy places7 it slowly uncoils the little tube and bends it over until it dips into the water1 when it proceeds to suck up the water until it is filled1 when it slowly coils around and discharges the water directly upon the plant1 or its roots4 ,then it repeats the process until the plant is satisfied4 ,when the water is absent from under the plant the tube moves this way and that way until it finds what it wants--just like the trunk of an elephant4 ,if one touches the tube or trunk of the plant while it is extended for water1 it shows a great sensitiveness and rapidly coils itself up4 ,now what causes this life action8 ,the plant has no brains1 and cannot have reasoned out this process1 nor even have acted upon them by reasoning processes4 ,it has nothing to think with to such a high degree4 ,it is the ,will behind the curtain1 moving this way and that way1 and doing things4 ,there was once a ,french scientist named ,duhamel4 ,he planted some beans in a cylinder--something like a long tomato can lying on its side4 ,he waited until the beans began to sprout1 and send forth roots downward1 and shoots upward1 according to nature's invariable rule4 ,then he moved the cylinder a little--rolled it over an inch or two4 ,the next day he rolled it over a little more4 ,and so on each day1 rolling it over a little each time4 ,well1 after a time ,duhamel shook the dirt and growing beans out of the cylinder1 and what did he find8 ,this1 that the beans in their endeavor to grow their roots downward had kept on bending each day downward2 and in their endeavor to send shoots upward1 had kept on bending upward a little each day1 until at last there had been formed two complete spirals--the one spiral being the roots ever turning downward1 and the other the shoots ever bending upward4 ,how did the plant know direction8 ,what was the moving power4 ,the ,creative ,will behind the curtain again1 you see6 ,potatoes in dark cellars have sent out roots or sprouts twenty and thirty feet to reach light4 ,plants will send out roots many feet to reach water4 ,they know where the water and light are1 and where to reach them4 ,the tendrils of a plant know where the stake or cord is1 and they reach out for it and twine themselves around it4 ,unwind them1 and the next day they are found again twined around it4 ,move the stake or cord1 and the tendril moves after it4 ,the insect-eating plants are able to distinguish between nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous food1 accepting the one and rejecting the other4 ,they recognize that cheese has the same nourishing properties as the insect1 and they accept it1 although it is far different in feeling1 taste1 appearance and every other characteristic from their accustomed food4 ,case after case might be mentioned and cited to show the operation of the ,will in plant-life4 ,but wonderful as are many of these cases1 the mere action of the ,will as shown in the growing of the plant is just as wonderful4 ,just imagine a tiny seed1 and see it sprout and draw to itself the nourishment from water1 air1 light and soil1 then upward until it becomes a great tree with bark1 limbs1 branches1 leaves1 blossoms1 fruit and all4 ,think of this miracle1 and consider what must be the power and nature of that ,will that causes it4 ,the growing plant manifests sufficient strength to crack great stones1 and lift great slabs of pavement1 as may be noticed by examining the sidewalks of suburban towns and parks4 ,an ,english paper prints a report of four enormous mushrooms having lifted a huge slab of paving stone in a crowded street overnight4 ,think of this exhibition of ,energy and ,power4 ,this wonderful faculty of exerting force and motion and energy is fundamental in the ,will1 for indeed every physical change and growth is the result of motion1 and motion arises only from force and pressure4 ,whose force1 energy1 power and motion8 ,the ,will's6 ,on all sides of us we may see this constant and steady urge and pressure behind living forces1 and inorganic forms as well--always a manifestation of ,energy and ,power4 ,and all this ,power is in the ,will--and the ,will is but the manifestation of the ,all-,power--the ,absolute4 ,remember this4 ,and this power manifests itself not only in the matter of growth and ordinary movements1 but also in some other ways that seem quite mysterious to even modern ,science4 ,how is it that certain birds are able to fly directly against a strong wind1 without visible movement of their wings8 ,how do the buzzards float in the air1 and make speed without a motion of the wing8 ,what is the explanation of the movements of certain microscopic creatures who lack organs of movement8 ,listen to this instance related by the scientist ,benet4 ,he states that the ,polycystids have a most peculiar manner of moving--a sort of sliding motion1 to the right or left1 upward1 backward1 sideways1 stopping and starting1 fast or slow1 as it wills4 ,it has no locomotive organs1 and no movement can be seen to take place in the body from within or without4 ,it simply slides4 ,how8 ,passing on to the higher animal life--how do eggs grow into chickens8 ,what is the power in the germ of the egg8 ,can the germ think1 and plan1 and move1 and grow into a chicken8 ,or is the ,will at work there8 ,and what is true in this case1 is true of the birth and growth of all animal life--all animal life develops from a single germ cell4 ,how1 and ,why8 ,there is a mental energy resident in the germ cell--of this there can be no doubt4 ,and that mental energy is the ,creative ,will ever manifesting4 ,listen to these words from ,huxley1 the eminent scientist4 ,he says3 ,the student of ,nature wonders the more and is astonished the less1 the more conversant he becomes with her operations2 but of all the perennial miracles she offers to his inspection1 perhaps the most worthy of his admiration is the development of a plant or of an animal from its embryo4 ,examine the recently laid egg of some common animal1 such as a salamander or a newt4 ,it is a minute spheroid in which the best microscope will reveal nothing but a structureless sac1 enclosing a glairy fluid1 holding granules in suspension4 ,but strange possibilities lie dormant in that semi-fluid globule4 ,let a moderate supply of warmth reach its watery cradle1 and the plastic matter undergoes changes so rapid1 and so purposelike in their succession1 that one can only compare them to those operated by a skilled modeller upon a formless lump of clay4 ,as with an invisible trowel1 the mass is divided and subdivided into smaller and smaller portions1 until it is reduced to an aggregation of granules not too large to build withal the finest fabrics of the nascent organism4 ,and1 then1 it is as if a delicate finger traced out the line to be occupied by the spinal column1 and moulded the contour of the body2 pinching up the head at one end1 the tail at the other1 and fashioning flank and limb into due salamanderine proportions1 in so artistic a way that1 after watching the process hour by hour1 one is almost involuntarily possessed by the notion that some more subtle aid to vision than the achromatic lens would show the hidden artist1 with his plan before him1 striving with skilful manipulation to perfect his work4 ,as life advances and the young amphibian ranges the waters1 the terror of his insect contemporaries1 not only are the nutritious particles supplied by its prey 7by the addition of which to its frame growth takes place7 laid down1 each in its proper spot1 and in due proportion to the rest1 as to reproduce the form1 the color1 and the size1 characteristic of the parental stock2 but even the wonderful powers of reproducing lost parts possessed by these animals are controlled by the same governing tendency4 ,cut off the legs1 the tail1 the jaws1 separately or all together1 and as ,spallanzani showed long ago1 these parts not only grow again1 but the new limb is formed on the same type as those which were lost4 ,the new jaw1 or leg1 is a newt's1 and never by any accident more like that of a frog's4 ,in this passage from ,huxley one may see the actual working of the ,creative ,will of the ,universe1--moving behind the curtain--and a very thin curtain at that4 ,and this wonderful work is going on all around us1 all the time4 ,miracles are being accomplished every second--they are so common that we fail to regard them4 ,and in our bodies is the ,will at work8 ,most certainly4 ,what built you up from single cell to maturity8 ,did you do it with your intellect8 ,has not every bit of it been done without your conscious knowledge8 ,it is only when things go wrong1 owing to the violation of some law1 that you become aware of your internal organs4 ,and1 yet1 stomach and liver1 and heart and the rest have been performing their work steadily--working away day and night1 building up1 repairing1 nourishing1 growing you into a man or woman1 and keeping you sound and strong4 ,are you doing this with your reason or with your personal will8 ,no1 it is the great ,creative ,will of the ,universe1 ,universe1--the expression of the purpose and power of the ,one1 working in and through you4 ,it is the ,one ,life manifesting in you through its ,creative ,will4 ,and not only is this all4 ,the ,creative ,will is all around us in every force1 energy and principle4 ,the force that we call mental power is the principle of the ,will directed by our individual minds4 ,in this statement we have a hint of the great mystery of ,mental ,force and ,power1 and the so-called ,psychic ,phenomena4 ,it also gives us a key to ,mental ,healing4 ,this is not the place to go into detail regarding these phases--but think over it a bit4 ,this ,will ,power of the ,universe1 in all of its forms and phases1 from ,electricity to ,thought-power1 is always at the disposal of ,man1 within limits1 and subject always to the laws of the ,creative ,will of the ,universe4 ,those who acquire an understanding of the laws of any force may use it4 ,and any force may be used or misused4 ,and the nearer in understanding and consciousness that we get to the ,one ,life and ,power1 the greater will be our possible power1 for we are thus getting closer and closer to the source of ,all ,power4 ,in these lessons we hope to be able to tell you how you may come into closer touch with this ,one ,life of which you and all living things are but forms1 shapes and channels of expression1 under the operation of the ,creative ,will4 ,we trust that this lesson may have brought to your minds the realization of the ,oneness of ,all--the fact that we are all parts of the one encircling unity1 the heart-throbs and pulsations of which are to be felt even to the outer edge of the circle of life--in ,man1 in ,monad1 in ,crystal1 in ,atom4 ,try to feel that inner essence of ,creative ,will that is within yourselves1 and endeavor to realize your complete inner unity in it1 with all other forms of life4 ,try to realize1 as some recent writer has expressed it1 that all the living world is but mankind in the making1 and that we are but part of the ,all4 ,and also remember that splendid vistas of future unfoldment spread themselves out before the gaze of the awakened soul1 until the mind fails to grasp the wondrous sight4 ,we will now close this lesson by calling your attention to its ,,central ,,thought4 ,there is but ,one ,power in the ,universe--,one ,energy--,one ,force4 ,and that ,power1 ,energy and ,force is a manifestation of the ,one ,life4 ,there can be no other ,power1 for there is none other than the ,one from whom ,power may come4 ,and there can be no manifestation of ,power that is not the ,power of the ,one1 for no other ,power can be in existence4 ,the ,power of the ,one is visible in its manifestations to us in the natural laws and forces of ,nature--which we call the ,creative ,will4 ,this ,creative ,will is the inner moving power1 urge and pressure behind all forms and shapes of ,life4 ,in atom1 and molecule2 in monad1 in cell1 in plant1 in fish1 in animal1 in man1--the ,life ,principle or ,creative ,will is constantly in action1 creating1 preserving1 and carrying on life in its functions4 ,we may call this ,instinct or ,nature1 but it is the ,creative ,will in action4 ,this ,will is back of all ,power1 ,energy1 or ,force--be it physical1 mechanical or mental force4 ,and all ,force that we use1 consciously or unconsciously1 comes from the ,one ,great ,source of ,power4 ,if we could but see clearly1 we would know that back of us is the ,power of the ,universe1 awaiting our intelligent uses1 under the control of the ,will of the ,all4 ,there is nothing to be afraid of1 for we are manifestations of the ,one ,life1 from which all ,power proceeds1 and the ,real ,self is above the effect1 for it is part of the ,cause4 ,but over and above--under and behind--all forms of ,being1 ,matter1 ,energy1 ,force and ,power1 is the ,,absolute--ever ,calm2 ever ,peaceful2 ever ,content4 ,in knowing this it becomes us to manifest that spirit of absolute ,trust1 ,faith and ,confidence in the ,goodness and ,ultimate ,justice of ,that which is the only ,reality there is4 ,peace be with you4 ,,the ,,fourth ,,lesson ,,the ,,unity ,,of ,,life4 ,in our ,first ,lesson of this series we spoke of the ,one ,reality underlying all ,life4 ,this ,one ,reality was stated to be higher than mind or matter1 the nearest term that can be applied to it being ,spirit4 ,we told you that it was impossible to explain just what ,spirit is1 for we have nothing else with which to compare or describe it1 and it can be expressed only in its own terms1 and not in the terms applicable to its emanations or manifestations4 ,but1 as we said in our ,first ,lesson1 we may think of ,spirit as meaning the essence of ,life and ,being--the ,reality underlying ,universal ,life1 and from which the latter emanates4 ,in the ,second ,lesson we stated that this ,spirit1 which we called ,the ,absolute1 expressed itself in the ,universal ,life1 which ,universal ,life manifested itself in countless forms of life and activity4 ,in the same lesson we showed you that the ,universe is alive--that there is not a single dead thing in it--that there can be no such thing as a dead object in the ,universe1 else the theory and truth of the ,one underlying ,life must fall and be rejected4 ,in that lesson we also showed you that even in the world of inorganic things there was ever manifest life--in every atom and particle of inorganic matter there is the universal life energy manifesting itself1 and in constant activity4 ,in the ,third ,lesson1 we went still further into this phase of the general subject1 and showed you that the ,creative ,will--that active principle of the ,universal ,life--was ever at work1 building up new forms1 shapes and combinations1 and then tearing them down for the purpose of rebuilding the material into new forms1 shapes1 and combinations4 ,the ,creative ,will is ever at work in its threefold function of creating1 preserving and destroying forms--the change1 however1 being merely in the shape and form or combination1 the real substance remaining unchanged in its inner aspect1 notwithstanding the countless apparent changes in its objective forms4 ,like the great ocean the depths of which remain calm and undisturbed1 and the real nature of which is unchanged in spite of the waves1 and billows of surface manifestation1 so does the great ocean of the ,universal ,life remain unchanged and unaltered in spite of the constant play of the ,creative ,will upon the surface4 ,in the same lesson we gave you many examples of the ,will in action--of its wondrous workings in the various forms of life and activity--all of which went to show you that the ,one ,power was at work everywhere and at all times4 ,in our next lesson--the ,fifth ,lesson--we shall endeavor to make plain to you the highest teachings of the ,yogi ,philosophy regarding the ,one ,reality and the ,many ,manifestations--the ,one and the ,many--how the ,one apparently becomes ,many--that great question and problem which lies at the bottom of the well of truth4 ,in that lesson we shall present for your consideration some fundamental and startling truths1 but before we reach that point in our teachings1 we must fasten upon your mind the basic truth that all the various manifestations of ,life that we see on all hands in the ,universe are but forms of manifestation of ,one ,universal ,life which is itself an emanation of the ,absolute4 ,speaking generally1 we would say to you that the emanation of the ,absolute is in the form of a grand manifestation of ,one ,universal ,life1 in which the various apparent separate forms of ,life are but centers of ,energy or ,consciousness1 the separation being more apparent than real1 there being a bond of unity and connection underlying all the apparently separated forms4 ,unless the student gets this idea firmly fixed in his mind and consciousness1 he will find it difficult to grasp the higher truths of the ,yogi ,philosophy4 ,that all ,life is ,one1 at the last1--that all forms of manifestation of ,life are in harmonious ,unity1 underlying--is one of the great basic truths of the ,yogi ,teaching1 and all the students of that philosophy must make this basic truth their own before they may progress further4 ,this grasping of the truth is more than a mere matter of intellectual conception1 for the intellect reports that all forms of ,life are separate and distinct from each other1 and that there can be no unity amidst such diversity4 ,but from the higher parts of the mind comes the message of an underlying ,unity1 in spite of all apparent diversity1 and if one will meditate upon this idea he will soon begin to realize the truth1 and will feel that he1 himself1 is but a center of consciousness in a great ocean of ,life--that he and all other centers are connected by countless spiritual and mental filaments--and that all emerge from the ,one4 ,he will find that the illusion of separateness is but a working fiction of the ,universe1 as one writer has so aptly described it--and that ,all is ,one1 at the last1 and underlying all is ,one4 ,some of our students may feel that we are taking too long a path to lead up to the great basic truths of our philosophy1 but we who have traveled ,the ,path1 and know its rocky places and its sharp turns1 feel justified in insisting that the student be led to the truth gradually and surely1 instead of attempting to make short cuts across dangerous ravines and canyons4 ,we must insist upon presenting our teachings in our own way--for this way has been tested and found good4 ,we know that every student will come to realize that our plan is a wise one1 and that he will thank us for giving him this gradual and easy approach to the wondrous and awful truth which is before us4 ,by this gradual process1 the mind becomes accustomed to the line of thought and the underlying principles1 and also gradually discards wornout mental sheaths which have served their purposes1 and which must be discarded because they begin to weigh heavily upon the mind as it reaches the higher altitudes of ,the ,path of ,attainment4 ,therefore1 we must ask you to consider with us1 in this lesson1 some further teachings regarding the ,unity of ,life4 ,all the schools of the higher ,oriental thought1 as well as many of the great philosophical minds of the ,western world1 have agreed upon the conception of the ,unity of ,life--the ,oneness of ,all ,life4 ,the ,western thinkers1 and many of the ,eastern philosophers arrived at this conclusion by means of their ,intellectual powers1 greatly heightened and stimulated by concentration and meditation1 which latter process liberated the faculties of the ,spiritual ,mind so that it passed down knowledge to the ,intellect1 which then seized upon the higher knowledge which it found within itself1 and amplified and theorized upon the same4 ,but among the ,eastern ,masters there are other sources of information open1 and from these sources come the same report--the ,oneness and ,unity of ,universal ,life4 ,these higher sources of information to which we have alluded1 consist of the knowledge coming from those ,beings who have passed on to higher planes of ,life than ours1 and whose awakened spiritual faculties and senses enable them to see things quite plainly which are quite dark to us4 ,and from these sources1 also1 comes the message of the ,oneness of ,life--of the existence of a wonderful ,universal ,life including all forms of life as we know it1 and many forms and phases unknown to us--many centers in the great ,ocean of ,life4 ,no matter how high the source of inquiry1 the answer is the same--,all ,life is ,one4 ,and this ,one ,life includes ,beings as much higher than ourselves1 as we are higher than the creatures in the slime of the ocean-bed4 ,included in it are beings who would seem as archangels or gods to us1 and they inform that beyond them are still higher and more radiant creatures1 and so on to infinity of infinities4 ,and yet all are but centers of ,being in the ,one ,life--all but a part of the great ,universal ,life1 which itself is but an emanation of ,the ,absolute4 ,the mind of man shrinks back appalled from the contemplation of such wonders1 and yet there are men who dare to attempt to speak authoritatively of the attributes and qualities of ,god1 as if ,he1 the ,absolute1 were but a magnified man4 ,verily1 indeed1 fools rush in where angels fear to tread1 as the poet hath said4 ,those who will read our next lesson and thus gain an idea of the sublime conception of the ,absolute held by the ,yogi teachers may shudder at the presumption of those mortals who dare to think of the ,absolute as possessing attributes and qualities like unto the meanest of things in this his emanated ,universe4 ,but even these spiritual infants are doing well--that is1 they are beginning to think1 and when man begins to think and question1 he begins to progress4 ,it is not the fact of these people's immature ideas that has caused these remarks on our part1 but rather their tendency to set up their puny conceptions as the absolute truth1 and then insisting upon forcing these views upon the outer world of men1 whom they consider poor ignorant heathen4 ,permit each man to think according to his light--and help him by offering to share with him the best that you possess--but do not attempt to force upon him your own views as absolute truth to be swallowed by him under threat of damnation or eternal punishment4 ,who are you that dares to speak of punishment and damnation1 when the smell of the smoke of the hell of materialism is still upon your robes4 ,when you realize just what spiritual infants you still are--the best of you--you will blush at these things4 ,hold fast to the best that you know--be generous to others who seem to wish to share your knowledge--but give without blame or feeling of superiority--for those whom you teach today may be your teachers tomorrow--there are many surprises of this kind along ,the ,path4 ,be brave and confident1 but when you begin to feel puffed up by your acquirement of some new bit of knowledge1 let your prayer--our prayer1 for we too are infants--be1 ,lord1 be merciful unto me1 a fool6 ,the above words are for us1 the students of the ,yogi ,philosophy--the teachers of the same--for human nature is the same in spite of names1 and we must avoid the vanity of vanities--,spiritual ,pride and ,arrogance--that fault which has sent many a soul tumbling headlong from a high position on ,the ,path1 and compelled it to again begin the journey1 chastened and bruised4 ,the fall of ,lucifer has many correspondences upon the occult plane1 and is1 indeed1 in itself an allegorical illustration of just this law4 ,remember1 always1 that you are but a ,centre in the ,ocean of ,life1 and that all others are ,centres in the same ocean1 and that underlying both and all of you is the same calm bed of ,life and ,knowledge1 the property of all4 ,the highest and the lowest are part of the same ,one ,life--each of you has the same life blood flowing through your veins--you are connected with every other form of life1 high or low1 with invisible bonds1 and none is separate from another4 ,we are speaking1 of course1 to the personalities of the various students who are reading these words4 ,the ,real ,self of each is above the need of such advice and caution1 and those who are able to reach the ,real ,self in consciousness have no need for these words1 for they have outlived this stage of error4 ,to many1 the consciousness of the ,one ,life--the ,universal ,life--in which all are centres of consciousness and being--has come gradually as a final step of a long series of thought and reasoning1 aided by flashes of truth from the higher regions of the mind4 ,to others it has come as a great illumination1 or flash of ,truth1 in which all things are seen in their proper relations and positions to each other1 and all as phases of being in the ,one4 ,the term ,cosmic ,consciousness1 which has been used in the previous series of these lessons1 and by other writers1 means this sudden flash of knowing in which all the illusionary dividing lines between persons and things are broken down and the ,universal ,life is seen to be actually existent as ,one ,life4 ,to those who have reached this consciousness by either route just mentioned--or by other routes--there is no sense of loss of individuality or power or strength4 ,on the contrary there is always a new sense of increased power and strength and knowing--instead of losing ,individuality1 there is a sense of having found it4 ,one feels that he has the whole ,universe at his back1 or within him1 rather than that he has lost his identity in the great ,ocean of ,life4 ,while we are speaking of this phase of the subject1 we should like to ask you if you have ever investigated and inquired into the real meaning of the much-used word ,individuality8 ,have you ever looked up its origin and real meaning1 as given by the standard authorities8 ,we are sure that many of you have no real idea of the actual meaning of the term1 as strange as this statement may appear to you at first glance4 ,stop now1 and define the word to yourself1 as you have been accustomed to think of it4 ,ninety-five people of a hundred will tell you that it means something like a strong personality4 ,let us see about this4 ,webster defines the word ,individual as follows3 ,not divided1 or not to be divided2 existing as one distinct being or object2 single2 one4 ,the same authority informs us that the word arises from the ,latin word individuus1 meaning indivisible2 not divisible4 ,does not this help you to gain a clearer idea of the ,individuality that knows itself to be a ,centre of ,consciousness in the ,one ,life1 rather than a separate1 puny1 insignificant thing apart from all other centres or forms of ,life1 or the source of ,life8 ,we think it will help to clear your mind of some of the fog that has not as yet lifted itself4 ,and while we are on the subject of definitions1 let us take a little look at the word ,personality1 that is generally believed to be a synonym of ,individuality1 and is often so used4 ,webster tells us that the word ,person originated from the ,latin word persona1 meaning a mask used by actors1 which word in turn arose from two other words1 per1 meaning through1 and sonare1 meaning to sound1 the two combined words meaning to sound through4 ,the same authority informs us that the archaic meaning of the word was a character or part1 as in a play2 an assumed character4 ,if you will think of ,personality as a mask used by an actor1 or as a part in a play1 or as something used to sound through or to speak through1 by the real ,individual behind the mask of ,personality1 then perhaps you will see a little further into the ,mystery of ,personality and ,individuality4 ,oh1 dear students1 be not deceived by the mask of ,personality which you may happen to be wearing at this moment1 or by the masks which are worn by those around you4 ,realize that back of your mask is the great ,individual--the ,indivisible--the ,universal ,life1 in which you are a centre of consciousness and activity4 ,this does not wipe out your identity--instead it gives you a greater and grander identity4 ,instead of your sinking into a ,nirvana of extinction of consciousness1 your consciousness so enlarges as you unfold1 that you will in the end feel your identity to be the identity of the ,universe4 ,instead of your gaining ,nothingness1 you gain ,allness4 ,all spiritual growth and unfoldment gives you a constantly increasing sense of relationship with1 and agreement with1 the ,all4 ,you grow into ,allness as you unfold4 ,be not deceived by this chatter about ,nothingness1 and loss of ,individuality1 in the ,oriental thought1 although some of the presentations of its teachings may so seem to mean at first reading4 ,remember always that ,personality is the mask1 and ,individuality the ,real ,one4 ,you have often heard persons1 claiming to be acquainted with the teachings of ,theosophy and other expositions of the ,oriental ,wisdom ,religion 7including our own presentation71 asserting that the ,oriental mind was ever bent upon attaining a final stage of ,nothingness or ,extinction in ,nirvana4 ,in addition to what we have said1 and to what we shall say on this subject1 let us quote from the inspired writer of the ,secret ,doctrine 7a standard ,theosophical work7 when she says1 in that work on page #bhf1 ,vol4 ,i3 ,is this annihilation1 as some think8 444 ,to see in ,nirvana annihilation1 amounts to saying of a man plunged in a sound1 dreamless sleep--one that leaves no impression on the physical memory and brain1 because the sleeper's ,higher ,self is in its original state of absolute consciousness during these hours--that he too is annihilated4 ,the latter simile answers only to one side of the question--the most material2 since reabsorption is by no means such a dreamless sleep1 but1 on the contrary1 absolute existence1 an unconditional unity1 or a state1 to describe which human language is absolutely and hopelessly inadequate444 ,nor is the individuality--nor even the essence of the personality1 if any be left behind--lost because re-absorbed4 ,as ,j4 ,wm4 ,lloyd says1 in connection with the above quotation1 ,this seems conclusive proof that ,theosophy does not regard ,nirvana as annihilation1 but as an infinite enlargement of consciousness4 ,and we would add that this is true not only as regards the ,nirvana of the ,theosophist1 but also of the consciousness of the ,unity of ,life--the ,universal ,life4 ,this too is not annihilation of individual consciousness1 but an infinite enlargement of consciousness as this ,western writer ,lloyd has so well expressed it4 ,the very consciousness of ,life that every man feels within him1 comes not from something belonging exclusively to himself as a separate or personal thing4 ,on the contrary1 it belongs to his ,individuality1 not to his ,personality1 and is a phase of his consciousness or awareness of his relation to the ,one ,universal ,life which underlies his existence1 and in which he is a center of consciousness4 ,do you grasp this idea8 ,if not1 meditate and concentrate upon it1 for it is important4 ,you must learn to feel the ,life within you1 and to know that it is the ,life of the great ,ocean of ,universal ,life upon the bosom of which you are borne as a centre of consciousness and energy4 ,in this thought there is ,power1 ,strength1 ,calm1 ,peace1 and ,wisdom4 ,acquire it1 if you are wise4 ,it is indeed a ,gift from the ,gods4 ,in this lesson we are not attempting to build up your idea of the ,unity of ,life by a series of arguments taken from a world of phenomena in which separateness and non-,unity is apparent4 ,no such arguments would suffice1 for it would be like trying to prove the existence and laws of color to a man born blind1 by arguments taken from his world of darkness4 ,on the contrary we are appealing to that region of the mind in which is stored the capacity for intuitively apprehending truth4 ,we are endeavoring to speak in tones which will awaken a similar vibration in that part of your mentality1 and if these vibrations be started into being1 then will you be able to feel and know the truth1 and then will your ,intellect eagerly seize upon the new idea that it finds within itself1 and will proceed to apply the same to the various problems that have been bothering you in the past4 ,this consciousness of ,unity must come from the higher regions of the mind1 for the ,intellect alone knows it not1--it is out of its field4 ,just as one may not know that the earth is round by means of his senses which report quite the contrary1 but may and does know this truth by abstract reasoning and higher intellectual effort2 so may one know the truth that ,all ,life is indeed ,one1 at the last1 and underlying1 by the higher faculties of the mind1 although his senses and ordinary intellectual processes fail to so inform him4 ,the senses cannot inform man that the earth is round1 because they cannot see it as a whole1 but only in part--while the higher reasoning faculties are able to visualize the earth as a whole1 and know it must be round4 ,and the ,intellect1 in its ordinary field can see only separateness1 and cannot report ,oneness1 but the ,higher ,mind sees ,life as a ,whole1 and knows it to be ,one4 ,and it is the ,higher ,mind that we are trying to bring into the field of consciousness in the appeal to you in this lesson4 ,we trust that we may be successful--in fact we know that we shall be so1 in many cases1 for we know that the field is ready for the sowing of the seed--and that the call has been heard1 and the message passed on to us to answer the call--else these words would not have been written4 ,the consciousness of the ,unity of ,life is something that must be experienced before the truth may be realized4 ,it is not necessary for one to wait until he acquire full ,cosmic ,consciousness before he may realize1 at least partially1 the ,oneness of ,all ,life1 for he may unfold gradually into the ,cosmic ,knowing1 experiencing at each stage a fuller conception of the underlying ,unity of ,life1 in which he is a centre of consciousness and manifestation4 ,but there must be at least a partial unfoldment before one is able to feel the sense of ,unity4 ,to those who have not unfolded sufficiently to gain at least a glimmering of the truth1 everything appears separate from every other thing1 and there is no ,unity of ,all4 ,it is as if every leaf on a mighty tree were to consider itself a being separate and distinct from everything else in the world1 failing to perceive its connection with the branch or limb1 and tree1 and its unity in being with every other leaf on the tree4 ,after a bit the unfolding consciousness of the leaf enables it to perceive the stem that connects it with the twig4 ,then it begins to realize certain relationships1 and feels its vital connection with the twig and the few other leaves attached to the same twig4 ,later on1 it unfolds sufficiently to perceive that certain other leaf-bearing twigs are connected with the same branch1 and it learns to feel its relationship with all twigs and leaves springing from that branch4 ,then again1 a little later on1 it begins to realize that other branches spring from the same limb as its branch1 and the sense of relationship and dawning ,unity begins to widen still further4 ,and so it goes on1 until at last1 the tiny leaflet realizes that the life of the tree is the life of all of its parts--limbs1 branches1 twigs1 leaves1 blossoms1 fruit1 seed1 etc41 and that it1 itself1 is but a centre of expression in the ,one ,life of the tree4 ,does the leaf feel less important and real from this discovery8 ,we should say assuredly not1 for it must feel that behind its tiny form and limited strength is the strength and vitality of the entire organism of the tree4 ,it must know that the tree is ever at work extracting nourishment from the earth1 air1 and water1 and transmitting that nourishment to its every part1 including our little friend the leaflet4 ,it knows that the sap will rise in the ,spring to renew the manifestations of life1 and it knows that although its leafy form may wither and die1 still the essence of its life--its real ,life--does not die but remains ever active and strong awaiting its chance for future expression and re-embodiment4 ,of course this figure of the leaf and the tree fails us if we attempt to carry it very far1 but it will give us at least a partial idea of the relationship between the life of the person1 and the ,one ,life4 ,some of the ,oriental teachers have illustrated this idea to their students by various familiar examples and figures of speech4 ,some bid the student hold up his hand1 and then point out to him that each finger is apparently separate and distinct if one does not look down to where it joins the hand4 ,each finger1 if it had consciousness1 might well argue that it was a separate individual1 having no relationship with any other finger4 ,it might prove this to its own satisfaction1 and to that of its listeners1 by showing that it could move itself without stirring the other fingers4 ,and so long as its consciousness was confined to its upper two joints it would remain under the illusion of separateness4 ,but when its consciousness at last permeated the depths of its being1 it would find that it emerged from the same hand from which also sprung the other fingers1 and that its real life and power was vested in the hand rather than in itself1 and that although apparently separate and independent1 it was really but a part of the hand4 ,and when its consciousness1 through the consciousness of the hand1 broadened and widened1 it would perceive its relationship with1 and interdependence with1 the whole body1 and would also recognize the power of the brain1 and its mighty ,will4 ,another favorite illustration of the ,eastern teachers is the stream of water flowing over a rocky bed4 ,they point to the stream before it comes to a rocky place1 and show the chela 7student7 that it is ,one4 ,then they will move a little way down the stream and show him how the rocks and stones divide the stream into countless little streams1 each of which might imagine itself a separate and distinct stream1 until later on it again joins the main united stream1 and finds that it was but a form of expression of the ,one4 ,another illustration that is frequently used by the teachers1 is that which bids the student consider himself as a minute cell1 or little-life as the ,hindus call it1 in a body4 ,it may be a cell in the blood performing the office of a carrier or messenger1 or it may be a working cell in one of the organs of the body2 or it may be a thinking cell in the brain4 ,at any rate1 the cell manifests capacity for thought1 action and memory--and a number of secondary attributes quite wonderful in the way4 7,see ,hatha ,yoga1 ,chapter ,,xviii47 ,each cell might well consider itself as a separate individual--in a certain sense it does4 ,it has a certain degree of something akin to consciousness1 enabling it to perform its work correctly and properly1 and is called upon at times to manifest something like judgment4 ,it may well be excused for thinking of itself as a person having a separate life4 ,the analogy between its illusions and that of the man when seen by a ,master1 is very close4 ,but we know that the life of the cell is merely a centre of expression of the life of the body--that its consciousness is merely a part of the consciousness of the mind animating the body4 ,the cell will die and apparently perish1 but the essence of it will remain in the life of the person whose body it occupied1 and nothing really dies or perishes4 ,would the cell feel any less real if it knew that behind its ,personality as a cell1 there was the ,individuality of the ,man--that its ,real ,self was the ,man1 not the cell8 ,of course1 even this figure of speech can be carried only so far1 and then must stop1 for the personality of the man1 when it is dissolved1 leaves behind it an essence which is called ,character1 which becomes the property of the ,ego and which accompanies it into after life according to the ,law of ,karma1 of which we shall speak in future lessons4 ,but back even of these attributes of ,personality1 is the ,ego which exists in spite of ,personality1 and lives on and on throughout many ,personalities1 and yet learning the lessons of each1 until at last it rises above ,personality and enters into higher sphere of ,knowing and ,being4 ,still another favorite illustration of the ,hindu teachers is that of the sun beating down upon the ocean and causing a portion of the water to rise in the form of vapor4 ,this vapor forms clouds which spread all over the earth1 and which eventually condense in the form of rain drops1 dew1 etc4 ,this rain and dew form streams1 rivers1 etc41 and sooner or later every drop finds its way back to ,mother ,ocean which is its ,real ,self4 ,separate though the dewdrop be1 yet it is a part of the ,ocean1 no matter how far distant it may be1 and the attraction of the ,ocean will surely1 and without fail1 draw it back to its bosom4 ,and the dewdrop1 if it could know the truth1 would be so much happier and stronger1 and braver if it could know that it was superior to accident1 time and space1 and that it could not escape its own good1 and that nothing could prevent its final triumph and victory when at last the dewdrop glides into the shining sea4 ,how cheerfully it could have met its many changes of form4 and the incidents of its journey1 if it could have gotten rid of the illusion of separateness1 and knew that instead of being a tiny insignificant dewdrop it was a part of the ,mighty ,ocean--in fact that its ,real ,self was that ,ocean itself--and that the ,ocean was continually drawing it toward it1 and that the many changes1 up and down1 were in response to that mighty power of attraction which was slowly but irresistibly drawing it back ,home to ,rest1 ,peace1 and ,power4 ,as valuable as are all these illustrations1 examples1 and figures of speech1 still all must of necessity fall short of the truth in the case of the ,soul of ,man--that wondrous something which has been built up by the ,absolute after aeons and aeons of time1 and which is destined to play an important part in the great ,cosmic ,drama which it has pleased the ,absolute to think into existence4 ,drawing its ,life from the ,universal ,life1 it has the roots of its being still further back in the ,absolute itself1 as we shall see in the next lesson4 ,great and wonderful is it all1 and our minds are but illy fitted to receive the truth1 and must be gradually accustomed to the glare of the ,sun4 ,but it will come to all--none can escape his glorious destiny4 ,the ,oriental writings are full of allusions to the underlying ,oneness1 in fact the entire ,oriental philosophies rest upon it4 ,you may find it everywhere if you will but look for it4 ,the experience of ,cosmic ,consciousness1 which is naught but a sudden or gradual awareness of the underlying ,unity of ,life1 is evidenced everywhere in the ,upanishads1 that wonderful series of teachings in the ,hindu classics4 ,every writer in the collection gives his evidence regarding this awareness of ,unity and ,oneness1 and the experiences and mental characteristics arising from the same4 ,the following quotations will give an idea of the prevalence of this thought3 ,he that beholds all beings in the ,self1 and the ,self in all things1 he never turns away from it4 ,when to a man who understands1 the ,self has become all things1 what sorrow1 what trouble1 can there be to him who once beheld that unity4 ,the ,hindu father explains to his son that the ,one ,life is in all forms and shapes1 points out object after object1 saying to the boy3 ,tat tuam asi1 ,thou art that2 ,that thou art4 ,and the ,mystics have added their testimony to that of others who have experienced this consciousness4 ,plotinus said3 ,knowledge has three degrees3 opinion1 science1 and illumination4 ,the last is absolute knowledge founded upon the identity of the knowing mind with the known object4 ,and ,eckhardt1 the ,german mystic1 has told his pupils that3 ,god is the soul of all things4 ,he is the light that shines in us when the veil is rent4 ,and ,tennyson1 in his wonderful verse describing the temporary lifting of the veil for him1 has described a phase of ,cosmic ,consciousness in the following words3 ,for knowledge is the swallow on the lake ,that sees and stirs the surface-shadow there1 ,but never yet hath dippt into the abysm1 ,the ,abysm of all ,abysms1 beneath1 within ,the blue of sky and sea1 the green of earth1 ,and in the million-millionth of a grain ,which cleft and cleft again for evermore ,and ever vanishing1 never vanishes4 4 4 ,and more1 my son1 for more than once when ,i ,sat all alone1 revolving in myself ,that word which is the symbol of myself1 ,the mortal symbol of the ,self was loosed1 ,and past into the ,nameless1 as a cloud ,melts into ,heaven4 ,i touched my limbs1 the limbs ,were strange1 not mine--and yet no shadow of doubt1 ,but utter clearness1 and through loss of ,self ,the gain of such large life as matched with ours ,were ,sun to spark1 unshadowable in words1 ,themselves but shadows of a shadow-world4 ,and not only among the mystics and poets is this universal truth experienced and expressed1 but among the great philosophers of all ages may we find this teaching of the ,unity of ,life originally voiced in the ,upanishads4 ,the ,grecian thinkers have expressed the thought2 the ,chinese philosophers have added their testimony2 the modern philosophers1 ,spinoza1 ,berkeley1 ,kant1 ,hegel1 ,schopenhauer1 ,hartman1 ,ferrier1 ,royce1 although differing widely in their theories1 all have expressed as a fundamental truth the ,unity of ,life--a ,one ,life underlying4 ,the basic teachings of the ,vedas are receiving confirmation at the hands of ,modern ,science1 which while calling itself ,rationalistic and inclining to a ,materialistic conception of the ,universe1 still finds itself compelled to say1 ,at the last1 ,all is ,one4 ,and in nearly every human soul there is a secret chamber in which the text of this knowledge lies hidden1 and in the rare moments in which the chamber door is opened in response to poetry1 music1 art1 deep religious feeling1 or those unaccountable waves of uplift that come to all1 the truth is recognized for the moment and the soul feels at peace and is content in the feeling that it is at harmony with the ,all4 ,the sense of ,beauty1 however expressed1 when keenly experienced1 has a tendency to lift us out of our consciousness of separateness into another plane of mind in which the keynote is ,unity4 ,the higher the human feeling1 the nearer is the conscious realization of the underlying ,unity4 ,this realization of the ,unity of ,life--the ,oneness of ,life--the ,great ,life--even when but faintly experienced1 renders ,life quite a different thing to the person4 ,he feels no longer that he is a mere part of something that may be destroyed--or that he is a tiny personal something1 separate from and opposed to all the rest of the ,universe--but that he is1 instead1 a ,unit of ,expression--a ,centre of ,consciousness--in the ,great ,one ,life4 ,he realizes that he has the ,power1 and ,strength1 and ,life1 and ,wisdom of the ,whole back of him1 upon which he may learn to draw as he unfolds4 ,he realizes that he is at ,home1 and that he cannot be thrust out1 for there is no outside of the ,all4 ,he feels within himself the certainty of infinite ,life and being1 for his ,life is the all ,life1 and that cannot die4 ,the petty cares1 and worries1 and griefs1 and pains of everyday personal life are seen for what they are1 and they cease to threaten and dominate him as of old4 ,he sees the things of personality as merely the costume and trappings of the part in the play of life that he is acting out1 and he knows that when he discards them he will still be ,i4 ,when one really feels the consciousness of the ,one ,life underlying1 he acquires a confident trust and faith1 and a new sense of freedom and strength comes to him1 for is he not indeed delivered from the bondage of fear that has haunted him in his world of separateness4 ,he feels within him the spiritual pulse of the ,universal ,life1 and at once he thrills with a sense of new-found power and being4 ,he becomes reconciled with ,life in all its phases1 for he knows these things as but temporary phases in the working out of some great ,universal plan1 instead of things permanent and fixed and beyond remedy4 ,he begins to feel the assurance of ,ultimate ,justice and ,god1 and the old ideas of ,injustice and ,evil begin to fade from him4 ,he who enters into the consciousness of the ,universal ,life1 indeed enters into a present realization of the ,life ,everlasting4 ,all fear of being lost or eternally damned fades away1 and one instinctively realizes that he is saved because he is of the ,one ,life and cannot be lost4 ,all the fear of being lost arises from the sense of illusion of separateness or apartness from the ,one ,life4 ,once the consciousness of ,unity is gained1 fear drops from the soul like a wornout garment4 ,when the idea and consciousness of the ,unity takes possession of one1 he feels a new sense of cheerfulness and optimism entirely different from any other feeling that he has ever experienced4 ,he loses that distrust and hardness which seems to cling to so many in this age who have arrived at the ,intellectual stage of development1 and have been unable to progress further4 ,a new sense of peace and harmony comes to one1 and illuminates his entire character and life4 ,the bitterness engendered by the illusion of separateness is neutralized by the sweetness of the sense of ,unity4 ,when one enters into this consciousness he finds that he has the key to many a riddle of life that has heretofore perplexed him4 ,many dark corners are illuminated--many hard sayings are made clear4 ,paradoxes become understandable truths1 and the pairs of opposites that dwell in all advanced intellectual conceptions1 seem to bend around their ends and form themselves into a circle4 ,to the one who understands the ,unity1 all ,nature seems akin and friendly4 ,there is no sense of antagonism or opposition--everything is seen to fit into its place1 and work out its appointed task in the ,universal plan4 ,all ,nature is seen to be friendly1 when properly understood1 and ,man regains that sense of harmonious environment and at-home-ness that he lost when he entered the stage of self-consciousness4 ,the lower animal and the children feel this ,unity1 in their poor imperfect way1 but ,man lost this ,paradise when he discovered ,good and ,evil4 ,but ,paradise ,lost becomes ,paradise ,regained when ,man enters into this new stage of consciousness4 ,but unlike the animal or child1 which instinctively feels the ,unity1 the awakened soul of man possesses the ,unity consciousness1 coupled with intelligent comprehension1 and unfolding spiritual power4 ,he has found that which he lost1 together with the accumulated interest of the ages4 ,this new kingdom of ,consciousness is before the race4 ,all must enter into it in time--all will enter into it--many are entering into it now1 by gradual stages4 ,this dawning sense of ,unity is that which is causing the spiritual unrest which is now agitating the world1 and ,which in time will bring the race to a realization of the ,fatherhood of ,god and the ,brotherhood of ,man1 and his kinship to ,every ,living ,thing4 ,we are entering into this new cycle of human unfoldment1 and the greatest changes are before the race4 ,ye who read these words are in the foremost ranks of the new dispensation1 else you would not be interested in this subject4 ,you are the leaven which is designed to lighten the heavy mass of the world-mind4 ,play well your parts4 ,you are not alone4 ,mighty forces and great ,intelligences are behind you in the work4 ,be worthy of them4 ,peace be with you4 ,carry with you the ,central ,thought of this lesson3 ,,central ,,thought4 ,there is but ,one ,life--a ,universal ,life--in the world4 ,this ,one ,life is an emanation from the ,absolute4 ,it infills all forms1 shapes and manifestations of ,life1 and is the ,real ,life that each imagines to be his personal property4 ,there is but ,one--and you are centres of consciousness and expression in that ,one4 ,there is a ,unity and ,harmony which becomes apparent to those who enter into the consciousness of the ,one ,life4 ,there is ,peace and ,calm in the thought4 ,there is ,strength and ,power in the knowledge4 ,enter ye into your ,kingdom of ,power--possess yourselves of your ,birthright of ,knowledge4 ,in the very center of your being you will find a holy of holies in which dwells the ,consciousness of the ,one ,life1 underlying4 ,enter into the ,silence of the ,shrine within4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,lesson ,,the ,,one ,,and ,,the ,,many4 ,as we have stated in previous ,lessons1 all philosophies which thinkers have considered worthy of respect1 find their final expression of ,truth in the fundamental thought that there is but ,one ,reality1 underlying all the manifold manifestations of shape and form4 ,it is true that the philosophers have differed widely in their conception of that ,one1 but1 nevertheless1 they have all agreed upon the logical necessity of the fundamental conception that there is1 at least1 but ,one ,reality1 underlying ,all4 ,even the ,materialists have conceded this conclusion1 and they speak and think of a something called ,matter1 as the ,one--holding that1 inherent in ,matter1 is the potentiality of all ,life4 ,the school of ,energists1 holding that ,matter in itself is non-existent1 and that it is merely a mode of manifestation of a something called ,energy1 asserts that this something called ,energy is ,one1 fundamental1 real1 and self-sufficient4 ,the various forms of ,western religious thought1 which hold to the various conceptions of a ,personal ,deity1 also hold to a ,oneness1 inasmuch as they teach that in the beginning there was ,god1 only1 and that all the ,universe has been created by ,him4 ,they do not go into details regarding this creation1 and1 unlike the ,oriental teachers1 they fail to distinguish between the conception of the creation of shape and form1 on the one hand2 and the creation of the substance of these shapes and forms1 on the other hand4 ,but1 even accepting the premises of these people who hold to the ,personal ,deity conception1 it will be seen that the ,reason requires the acceptance of one or two ideas1 viz41 7#a7 ,that the ,deity created the substance of these shapes and forms from ,nothing2 or else 7#b7 that he created them out of his own substance--out of ,himself1 in fact4 ,let us consider1 briefly1 these two conceptions4 ,in the first conception1 i4e41 ,creation from ,nothing1 we are brought face to face with an impregnable obstacle1 inasmuch as the human reason positively refuses to think of ,anything coming from ,nothing4 ,while it is perfectly true that the finite human mind cannot undertake to limit the powers of the ,infinite2 or to insist that the possibilities of the ,divine ,power must be measured and limited by the finite power of ,man--still it must hearken to the report of its own highest faculties1 and say ,i cannot ,think it1 or else blindly accept the teachings of other finite minds which are equally unable to ,think it1 and which have no superior sources of information4 ,the ,infinite ,power has endowed us with reasoning faculties1 and evidently expects us to use them to their full capacity--else the gift were a mockery4 ,and in the absence of information from higher sources than the ,reason1 we must use the ,reason in thinking of this matter1 or else refuse to think of it at all4 ,in view of the above thought1 let us then consider the report of the ,reason1 regarding this matter1 ,and then1 after having done so1 let us apply the test of this report of the ,reason1 to the highest teaching of the ,yogi ,philosophy1 and see how the latter stands the test4 ,and1 after having done this1 we will apply the test of the ,higher ,consciousness to the same teachings4 ,remember this always1 that while there is knowledge that transcends ,reason--that is knowledge that comes from the ,higher ,regions of the ,mind--still even such information of the ,spiritual ,mind does not run contrary to ,reason1 although it goes beyond it4 ,there is harmony between the ,spiritual ,mind and the ,highest ,reason4 ,returning to the consideration of the matter of ,creation of ,substance from ,nothing1 we again assert that the ,reason is unable to think of the creation of ,something from ,nothing4 ,it finds the statement unthinkable1 and contrary to all the laws of thought4 ,it is true that the ,reason is compelled to accept as a final truth1 many things that it cannot understand by reason of its finitude--but this is not one of them4 ,there is no logical necessity for the ,reason to accept any such conception as this--there is no warrant in the ,reason for any such theory1 idea or conclusion4 ,let us stop here1 for a moment1 and examine into this difference--it may help us to think clearer1 hereafter4 ,we find it impossible to understand the fact of the ,infinite ,being having always existed--and ,being without ,cause4 ,we find it impossible to conceive of the nature of an ,eternal1 ,causeless1 and ,infinite ,being--to conceive the nature of1 such a ,being1 remember4 ,but1 while this is so1 still our ,reason1 by its own laws1 compels us to think that there must be such a ,being1 so long as we think at all4 ,for1 if we think at all1 we must think of there being a ,fundamental ,reality--and we must think of that ,reality as being without ,cause 7because there can be no ,cause for the ,first ,cause72 and we must think of that ,reality as being ,eternal 7because ,it could not have sprung into ,being from ,nothing1 and therefore must have always been72 and we must think of that ,reality as ,infinite 7because there is nothing outside of ,itself to limit ,it74 ,think over this statement for a moment--until you grasp it fully4 ,but there is no such necessity1 or compulsion1 in the case of the question of ,creation from ,nothingness4 ,on the contrary1 the necessity and compulsion is all the other way4 ,not only is the ,reason unable to think of ,creation from ,nothing--not only does all its laws forbid it to hold such a conception--but1 more than this1 it finds within itself a conception1 full-grown and potent1 which contradicts this idea4 ,it finds within itself the strong certainty that ,whatever ,really ,is has ,always ,been1 and that all transient and finite shapes1 forms1 and manifestations1 must proceed from that which is ,real1 ,infinite1 ,causeless1 and ,infinite--and moreover must be composed of the substance of that ,reality1 for there is nothing else ,real from which they could have been composed2 and their composition from ,nothing is unthinkable1 for ,nothing is ,nothing1 and always will be ,nothing4 ,nothing is merely a name of denial of existence--an absolute denial of substantiality of any degree1 kind or form--an absolute denial of ,reality4 ,and from such could come only ,nothing--from ,nothing1 ,nothing comes4 ,therefore1 finding within itself the positive report that ,all1 and ,anything ,there ,is1 must be composed of the ,substance of the ,reality1 the ,reason is compelled to think that the ,universe is composed of the ,substance of the ,one ,reality--whether we call that ,one ,reality1 by the name of ,the ,absolute2 or whether we call it ,god4 ,we must believe that from this ,absolute-,god all things in the ,universe have flown out1 or been emanated1 rather than created--begotten1 rather than made4 ,this does not mean the ,pantheistic idea that the ,universe is ,god--but rather that ,god1 while existing separate and apart from ,his ,universe1 in his ,essence1 and ,being1 is nevertheless in ,his ,universe1 and ,his ,universe in ,him4 ,and this1 no matter what conception of ,god or ,deity is had--or whether one thinks of ,the ,absolute as ,principle4 ,the ,truth is the same--,truth no matter by what names it is called1 or by what misconception it is surrounded4 ,the ,truth is that ,one is in ,all1 and ,all is in ,one--such is the report of the highest ,reason of ,man--such is the report of the ,illumined--such is the ,highest ,teachings that have come down to the race from the great souls that have trodden ,the ,path of ,attainment4 ,and now let us submit the ,yogi ,philosophy to these conceptions1 and reports of the ,reason4 ,and let us discover just what more the ,yogi ,philosophy has to say concerning the nature of the ,substance of the ,divine1 which infills all ,life--and how it solves the ,riddle of the ,sphinx1 concerning the ,one in ,all2 and ,all in ,one4 ,we hope to show you that the ,riddle is capable of solution1 and that the old ,yogi teachers have long ago grasped that for which the human mind has ever sought4 ,this phase of the ,teachings is the highest1 and it is usually hinted at1 rather than expressed1 in the writings on the subject--owing to danger of confusion and misconception4 ,but in these ,lessons we shall speak the ,truth plainly1 and without fear--for such is the ,message which has been given us to deliver to our students--and we will perform the ,right action1 leaving the ,result1 or ,fruits of the ,action1 where it belongs1 according to the higher teachings found in the ,bhagavad ,gita1 and in the ,higher ,teachings of the ,yogi ,philosophy4 ,the fundamental ,truth embedded in the ,wisdom-,philosophies of the ,east--the ,higher ,yogi ,teachings--is the impregnable doctrine of the ,one ,self in the many selves--the many selves in the ,one ,self4 ,this fundamental ,truth underlies all the ,oriental ,philosophies which are esoteric in their nature4 ,notwithstanding the crude and often repulsive conceptions and practices of the masses of the people who represent the exoteric1 or popular1 phase of the teachings 7and these two phases are to be found in all regions7 still there is always this ,inner ,doctrine of the ,one ,self1 to be found to those who look for it4 ,not only is this true among the ,hindus2 but even among the ,mahommedans1 of all countries1 there is an ,inner ,circle of ,mystics1 known as the ,sufis1 holding to this ,truth4 ,and the inner teachings of the philosophies of all ages and races1 have held likewise4 ,and the highest thought of the philosophers of the ,western races1 has found refuge in this idea of the ,over-soul1 or ,universal ,self4 ,but1 it is only among the ,yogis that we find an attempt made to explain the real nature of the manifestation of the ,one in ,many--the holding of the ,many forms in the ,one ,self4 ,before proceeding to the consideration of how the ,one becomes as ,many1 as expounded by the ,higher ,yogi ,teachings1 it becomes necessary to speak of a matter upon which there has been much confusion and misunderstanding1 not only on the part of the students of various ,oriental ,philosophies1 but also upon the part of some of the teachers themselves4 ,we allude to the connection between ,,the ,,one--,,the ,,absolute--in ,its ,,essence--and that which has been called the ,one ,life2 the ,universal ,life1 etc4 ,many writers have spoken of the ,universal ,life1 and ,the ,one1 as being identical--but such is a grievous error1 finding no warrant in the ,highest ,yogi ,teachings4 ,it is true that all living forms dwell in1 and are infilled with the ,universal ,life--that ,all ,life is ,one4 ,we have taught this truth1 and it is indeed ,truth1 without qualification4 ,but there is still a ,higher ,truth--the ,highest ,truth1 in fact--and that is1 that even this ,universal ,life is not the ,one1 but1 instead1 is in itself a manifestation of1 and emanation from1 ,,the ,,one4 ,there is a great difference here---see that you perceive and understand it1 before proceeding further4 ,,the ,,one--,,the ,,absolute--according to the ,highest ,teachings1 is ,pure ,spirit1 and not ,life1 ,mind1 or ,being as we understand them in our finite and mortal expressions4 ,but1 still all ,life1 ,mind1 and ,being1 as we understand them1 spring from1 flow from1 and emanate from1 the ,one--and more than this1 may be spoken of as reflections of the ,life1 ,mind1 and ,being of ,the ,one1 if we may be permitted to apply the names of finite manifestations to the ,infinite ,reality4 ,so1 the ,highest ,teaching is that the ,universal ,life infilling all living things1 is not1 in itself1 the ,being and ,life of ,,the ,,one--but is rather a great fundamental emanation of ,the ,one1 the manner and nature of which will be spoken of as we proceed4 ,remember this1 please4 ,leading up to the ,supreme ,idea of the ,one in ,all--,all in ,one--let us examine into the report of the ,reason upon the nature of the ,substance--the ,divine ,substance--from which all living forms are shaped2 and from which all that we know as ,finite ,mind is likewise composed4 ,how can these imperfect and finite forms be composed of a ,divine and ,perfect ,substance8 ,this is the question that must occur to the minds of those who are capable of deep thought on the subject--and it is a question that must be answered4 ,and it can be answered--and is answered in the ,higher ,yogi ,philosophy4 ,let us examine the reports of the ,reason1 a little further--then shall we be ready for the ,teachings4 ,of what can the ,substance of the ,infinite be composed8 ,can it be ,matter8 ,yes1 if you are satisfied with the reasoning of the ,materialists1 and cannot see further into the ,truth6 ,these teach that ,matter is ,god1 and that ,god is ,matter4 ,but if you be among those who reject the ,materialistic teachings1 you will not be satisfied with this answer4 ,even if you incline toward a ,non-mental ,infinite1 still if you are familiar with the results of modern scientific investigation1 and know that ,science has seen ,matter resolve itself into something like ,electric ,energy1 you will know that the ,truth must lie behind and beyond ,matter4 ,then is it ,pure ,energy8 you may ask4 ,pure ,energy8 what's that8 ,can you think of ,energy apart from material manifestation8 ,have you ever known of such a thing8 ,do you not know that even the ,electron ,theory1 which is attracting the attention of advanced ,modern ,science1 and which holds that all things are composed of minute particles of ,electric ,energy1 called ,electrons1 from which the ,atoms are built--do you not know that even this theory recognizes the necessity of a something like ,matter1 only infinitely finer1 which they call the ,ether1 to enfold the ,electric ,energy as a unit--to give it a body1 as it were8 ,and can you escape from the fact that the most advanced scientific minds find confronting them--the fact that in all ,energy1 and governing its actions1 there 'is manifested something like ,mind8 ,and does not all this teach thinkers that just as ,energy creates from itself1 that which is called ,matter1 and then uses it as a vehicle of expression and action--so does this ,something like ,mind create from itself that which we call ,energy1 and proceeds to use it1 with its accompanying phase of ,matter1 for its expression8 ,does not all advanced research show us that in all ,matter and ,energy there are evidences of the operation of this ,something like ,mind8 ,and if this be so1 are we not justified as regarding ,matter and ,energy as mere ,effects--and to look to this ,something like ,mind as the more fundamental ,substance8 ,we think so--and ,science is beginning to think so1 too4 ,and soon will ,science be regarding with the most profound respect1 the ,metaphysical axiom that ,all is ,mind4 ,you will see by reference to our ,advanced ,course in ,yogi ,philosophy1 etc41 the general ,yogi teachings regarding the ,emanation of the ,one1 known respectively as ,mind1 ,energy1 and ,matter4 ,you will see that the ,yogis teach that ,mind1 ,energy1 and ,matter comprise a threefold emanation of the ,absolute4 ,you will also see that it is taught that ,mind was the ,parent-,emanation--the ,universal ,mind2 and that the ,universal ,energy was the ,second-,emanation 7proceeding from ,mind72 and that the ,universal ,matter was the ,third ,emanation 7proceeding from ,energy7 ,in the same book you will find that the ,teaching is that above ,matter1 ,energy1 and ,mind1 is the ,essence of the ,absolute1 which is called ,spirit--the nature of which is non-understandable to the mind of ,man1 the highest conception of which is the highest manifestation of itself--,mind4 ,but as we cannot comprehend spirit otherwise1 we are justified in thinking of it as ,something like ,infinite ,mind--,something as much higher than ,finite ,mind as that is higher than mere energy4 ,now1 then--we have seen the folly of thinking of the ,divine ,substance as ,matter or ,energy4 ,and we have come to know it as ,spirit1 something like ,mind1 only infinitely higher1 but which still may be thought of in terms of ,infinite ,mind1 for we can have no higher terms in our thinking operations4 ,so we may then assume that this ,divine ,nature or substance is ,,spirit1 which we will think of as ,infinite ,mind1 for want of a better form of conception4 ,we have seen the folly of thinking of the ,divine ,essential ,substance as the ,body of ,god4 ,we have likewise seen the folly of thinking of it as the ,vital ,energy of ,god4 ,and we have found that we could not escape thinking of it as the ,spirit1 or infinite ,mind of ,god4 ,beyond this we cannot think intelligently4 ,but do you not see that all this exercise of the ,reason has brought us to the point where we must think that this ,divine ,substance1 which the ,absolute-,god uses in the manifestation of ,universal ,life2 the ,universe2 and all the forms1 and shapes1 and manifestations of life and things in the ,universe--this ,divine ,substance which must be in ,all ,things--and in which ,all ,things must rest1 even as the bubble rests on the ,ocean--that this can be nothing less than ,spirit1 and that this ,spirit can be thought of only as ,infinite ,mind8 ,and1 if this be so1 then indeed must ,all be ,mind1 and ,mind be ,all--meaning1 of course1 the ,infinite ,mind1 not the finite manifestation that we call ,mind4 ,then1 if this reasoning has been correct1 then must we think that ,all ,life--all the ,universe--,everything except the ,absolute itself--must be held in the ,infinite ,mind of the ,absolute6 ,and1 so1 by the exercise of our ,reason--by listening to1 and examining its reports1 we have been brought face to face--eye to eye--heart to heart--with the ,teaching of the ,illumined ,ones1 which has come down to us as the ,highest ,teaching of the ,yogi ,philosophy6 ,for this1 indeed1 is the highest conception of ,truth in the ,yogi ,teachings--this1 that ,,all ,,manifestations ,,and ,,emanations ,,of ,,the ,,absolute ,,are ,,mental ,,creations ,,of ,,the ,,absolute--,,thought-,,forms ,,held ,,in ,,the ,,infinite ,,mind--,,the ,,infinite ,,spirit ,,in ,,them--,,and ,,they ,,in ,,the ,,infinite ,,spirit4 ,and that the only ,real ,thing about ,man is ,,the ,,spirit involved in the ,thought-,form1 the rest is mere ,personality1 which changes and ceases to be4 ,the ,spirit in the ,soul of ,man1 is the ,,soul ,,of ,,the ,,soul1 which is never born2 never changeth2 never dieth--this is ,the ,real ,self of ,man1 in which1 indeed1 he is ,one with the ,father4 ,this is the point where the ,reasoning ,mind of ,man has come to a sense of ,agreement with the ,highest ,yogi ,teachings4 ,let us now pass on to the ,teachings themselves--let us listen to ,the ,message of ,truth4 ,in this consideration of the ,highest ,yogi ,philosophy1 and its teaching1 we would again say to our students1 that which we said to them in ,the ,advanced ,course--that we do not attempt to teach the why of the ,manifestation of ,the ,absolute1 but rest content with delivering the ,message of the ,yogi ,sages1 which deals with the how4 ,as we stated in the lessons referred to1 we incline to that school of the ,higher ,teachings1 which holds that the ,why of the ,infinite ,manifestation must1 of necessity1 rest with the ,infinite alone1 and that the finite mind cannot hope to answer the question4 ,we hold that in all the ,universal ,mind1 or in any of its ,mind ,manifestations1 there is to be found no answer to this question6 ,wrapped in the ,essence of the ,absolute ,spirit1 alone1 is this ,final ,answer6 ,the ,sages1 and ,masters1 from their high spiritual points of observation1 possess many truths regarding the how side of the question that would appear almost like ,infinite ,wisdom itself1 compared with our puny knowledge4 ,but even these great souls report that they do not possess the answer to the ,final ,question--the ,why of the ,infinite ,manifestation4 ,and so we may be excused from attempting to answer it--and without shame or sense of shortcoming do we still say1 to this question1 ,we do not know6 ,in order that the ,final ,question may be fully understood let us consider it for a moment4 ,we find the ,question arising from the following condition3 ,the human ,reason is compelled to admit that there is an ,infinite1 ,eternal1 ,causeless ,,reality underlying all forms of manifestation in the phenomenal world4 ,it is likewise compelled to admit that this ,,reality must comprise ,all that ,really ,is--and that there can be nothing ,real outside of ,itself4 ,arising from this is the ,truth1 that all forms of phenomenal manifestation1 must emanate from the ,one ,reality1 for there is nothing else ,real from which they could emanate4 ,and the twin-,truth that these forms of manifestation1 must also be in the ,being of the ,one ,reality1 for there is nowhere outside of the ,all wherein they might find a place4 ,so this ,one ,reality is seen to be ,that from which ,all ,things flow2 and ,that in which ,all ,things live1 and move and have their being4 ,therefore ,all ,things emanate from1 and are contained in the ,one ,reality4 ,we shall consider just how later on1 but the question which confronts us1 and which has been called the ,final ,question--and that which we pronounce unanswerable--is this3 ,why has the ,infinite manifested and emanated ,finite forms of being8 ,you will see the nature of the question when you stop to consider3 7#a7 ,the ,infinite cannot have ,desire1 for that is a ,finite quality2 7#b7 ,it cannot lack anything1 for that would take away from its ,infinity2 7#c7 and even if it did lack anything1 from whence could it expect to acquire it2 for there is nothing outside of itself--if ,it lacks anything1 it must continue to always lack it1 for there is no outside source from which ,it could obtain anything which it does not already possess4 ,and ,desire would be1 of course1 a wanting for something which it lacked--so ,it could not ,desire unless it ,lacked--and it would know that ,desire would be hopeless1 even if indeed it did ,lack4 ,so you see that if we regard the ,infinite ,reality as ,perfect1 we must drop all ideas of ,it ,desiring or ,lacking--and of it ,growing or ,improving--or of it obtaining more ,power1 or ,knowledge4 ,these ideas are ridiculous1 for an ,absolute1 ,infinite ,reality1 must possess ,all-,knowledge2 ,all-,power2 ,all-,presence1 else it is not ,absolute and ,infinite4 ,and1 if ,it does not possess these attributes of ,being1 then ,it can never hope to acquire them1 for there is ,nowhere from whence they could be acquired--there is no ,source outside of the ,all-,source4 ,a ,finite ,thing1 may lack1 and desire1 and improve and develop1 for there is the ,universal ,source from which it may draw4 ,but the ,infinite has no ,universal ,source1 for it is ,its own ,source4 ,do you see the nature of the ,final ,question8 ,if not we will again state it--it is this3 ,why should the ,infinite ,reality1 which possesses all that may be possessed1 and which in itself is the only ,source of ,things--,,why should ,it ,desire to manifest a ,universe from and within ,itself8 ,a little consideration will show you that there is no intelligent answer to the ,why1 either in your own minds1 or in the writings and teachings of the greatest minds4 ,the matter is important1 to those who are confronted every day with some of the many attempts to answer this ,final ,question--it is well that our students inform them regarding the futility of such questioning4 ,and with this end in view1 we shall herein give a few of the wise guesses at the answer1 and our reasons for considering them inadequate4 ,we ask the student to consider carefully these remarks1 for by so doing he will post himself1 and will be saved much tedious and perplexing wandering along the dangerous places in the ,swamp of ,metaphysics1 following the will-o'-the-wisp of ,finite ,mind masquerading as the ,infinite ,wisdom6 ,beware of the ,false ,lights6 ,they lead to the quagmire and quicksands of thought6 ,let us now consider some of these guesses at the answer to the ,final ,question4 ,some thinkers have held that the ,absolute was bound by a ,divine ,necessity to manifest itself as ,many4 ,the answer to this is that the ,absolute could not be bound by anything1 inner or outer1 else it would not be ,absolute and ,infinite1 but would be ,relative and ,finite4 ,another set of thinkers have held that the ,absolute found within itself a ,desire to ,manifest as ,many4 ,from whence could come such an action-causing ,desire8 ,the ,absolute could lack nothing1 and there would be nothing for it to desire to gain1 other than that which ,it already possessed4 ,one does not desire things one already has1 but only what he lacks4 ,another school would tell us that the ,infinite wished to ,express itself in the phenomenal world4 ,why8 ,such a phenomenal world could only be reflection of ,its power1 witnessed only by ,itself1 and could contain nothing that was not already contained in the ,all4 ,to what end would such a wish tend8 ,what would be accomplished or gained8 ,the ,infinite ,all could not become anything more than ,it already was--so why the wish for expression8 ,some say that the whole phenomenal world is but ,maya1 or ,illusion1 and does not exist at all4 ,then who else than the ,infinite caused the ,illusion1 and why the necessity8 ,this answer only removes the question back one point1 and does not really answer it4 ,some would say that the ,universe is the dream of the ,infinite4 ,can we conceive the ,infinite ,being as exercising the finite faculty of dreaming--is not this childish8 ,others would have us believe that the ,absolute is indulging in a game or play1 when he makes ,universes1 and those inhabiting them4 ,can anyone really believe this of ,the ,absolute--playing like a child1 with men and women1 worlds and suns1 as ,its blocks and tin-soldiers8 ,why should the ,infinite play8--does ,it need amusement and fun like a child8 ,poor ,man1 with his attempts to read the ,riddle of the ,infinite6 ,we know of teachers who gravely instruct their pupils in the idea that the ,absolute and ,infinite ,one manifests ,universes and ,universal ,life1 and all that flows from them1 because ,it wishes to gain experience through objective existence4 ,this idea1 in many forms has been so frequently advanced that it is worth while to consider its absurdity4 ,in the first place1 what experience could be gained by the ,absolute and ,infinite ,one8 ,what could ,it expect to gain and learn1 that it did not already know and possess8 ,one can gain experience only from others1 and outside things--not from oneself entirely separated from the outside world of things4 ,and there would be no outside for the ,infinite4 ,these people would have us believe that ,the ,absolute emanated a ,universe from ,itself--which could contain nothing except that which was obtained from ,itself--and then proceeded to gain experience from it4 ,having no outside from which it could obtain experiences and sentences and sensations1 it proceeded to make 7from ,itself7 an imitation one--that is what this answer amounts to4 ,can you accept it8 ,the whole trouble in all of these answers1 or attempted answers1 is that the answerer first conceives of the ,absolute-,infinite ,being1 as a ,relative-,finite ,man1 and then proceeds to explain what this ,big ,man would do4 ,this is but an exaggerated form of anthropomorphism--the conception of ,god as a ,man raised to great proportions4 ,it is but an extension of the idea which gave birth to the savage conceptions of ,deity as a cruel chief or mighty warrior1 with human passions1 hates1 and revenge2 love1 passions1 and desires4 ,arising from the same cause1 and akin to the theories advanced above are similar ones1 which hold that the ,absolute cannot dwell alone1 but must forever bring forth souls from ,itself--this was the idea of ,plotinus1 the ,greek philosopher4 ,others have thought that the ,infinite was possessed of such a consuming love1 that ,it manifested objects upon which it could bestow ,its affections4 ,others have thought that ,it was lonesome1 and desired companionship4 ,some have spoken of the ,absolute as sacrificing itself1 in becoming ,many1 instead of remaining ,one4 ,others have taught that the ,infinite somehow has become entangled in ,its ,manifestations1 and had lost the knowledge of ,its ,oneness--hence their teachings of ,i ,am ,god4 ,others1 holding to a similar idea1 tell us that the ,infinite is deliberately masquerading as the ,many1 in order to fool and mystify ,itself--a show of ,itself2 by ,itself1 and for ,itself6 ,is not this ,speculative ,metaphysics run wild8 ,can one in calm thought so regard the ,infinite and ,absolute ,being--,all-,wise--,causeless--,all-,po werful--,all-,present--,all-,possessing- - ,lacking ,nothing--,perfect ,one--as acting and performing thus1 and from these motives8 ,is not this as childish as the childishness of the savage1 and barbarians1 in their ,mumbo-,jumbo conceptions8 ,let us leave this phase of the subject4 ,the ,higher ,yogi ,teachings hold to no such ideas or theories4 ,it holds that the ,answer to the ,secret is vested in the ,infinite alone1 and that finite guesses regarding the ,why are futile and pitiful4 ,it holds that while one should use the ,reason to the full1 still there are phases of ,being that can be considered only in ,love1 ,faith1 and ,confidence in ,,that from which ,all ,things flow1 and in which we live and move and have our being4 ,it recognizes that the things of the ,spirit1 are known by the ,mind4 ,it explores the regions of the ,universal ,mind to its utmost limits1 fearlessly--but it pauses before the ,closed ,door of ,the ,spirit1 reverently and lovingly4 ,but1 remember this--that while the ,higher ,yogi ,teachings contain no guess1 or speculative theory1 regarding the ,why of the ,divine ,manifestation1 still they do not deny the existence of a ,why4 ,in fact1 they expressly hold that the ,absolute ,manifestation of the ,many is in pursuance of some wondrous ,divine ,plan1 and that the ,unfoldment of the ,plan proceeds along well-established and orderly lines1 and according to ,law4 ,they trust in the ,wisdom and ,love of the ,absolute ,being1 and manifest a perfect ,confidence1 ,trust and ,peaceful ,patience in the ,ultimate ,justice1 and ,final ,victory of the ,divine ,plan4 ,no doubt disturbs this idea--it pays no attention to the apparent contradictions in the finite phenomenal world1 but sees that all things are proceeding toward some far-away goal1 and that ,all is ,well with the ,universe4 ,but they do not think for a moment1 or teach in the slightest degree1 that all this ,unfoldment1 and ,plan of the ,universe1 has for its object any advantage1 benefit or gain to the ,absolute--such a thought would be folly1 for the ,absolute is already ,perfect1 and ,its ,perfection cannot be added to1 or taken away from4 ,but they do positively teach that there is a great beneficial purpose in all the ,plan1 accruing in the end to the developed souls that have evolved through the workings of the plan4 ,these souls do not possess the qualities of the ,infinite--they are ,finite1 and thus are capable of receiving benefits2 of growing1 developing1 unfolding1 attaining4 ,and1 therefore1 the ,yogis teach that this building up of ,great ,souls seems to be the idea of the ,infinite1 so far as may be gained from an observation of the ,workings of the ,plan4 ,the ,absolute cannot need these ,great ,souls for ,its own pleasure1 and therefore their building-up must be for their own advantage1 happiness and benefit4 ,the ,yogis teach1 on this subject1 that there can be only ,,one ,real ,perfect ,being--,perfect without experience--,perfect from the ,beginning--but only ,,one6 ,in other words1 they teach that there can be no such thing as ,absolute ,perfection1 outside of the ,absolute ,itself--and that not even the ,absolute ,being can create another ,absolute ,being1 for in that case there would be no ,absolute ,being at all1 but only two ,relative ,beings4 ,think over this for a moment1 and you will see its truth4 ,the ,,absolute must always be the ,one without a ,second1 as the ,yogis express it--there cannot be two ,perfect ones4 ,and so1 all ,finite ,beings1 being ,finite1 must work their way up toward the plane of ,perfection by ,the ,path of ,life1 with all of its lessons1 tasks1 cares1 pains1 and strivings4 ,this is the only way open to them--and even the ,absolute cannot have it otherwise1 and still be the ,absolute4 ,there is a fine point here--the ,absolute is ,all-,powerful1 but even that ,all-,power is not sufficient to enable ,it to destroy ,its ,absolute ,being4 ,and so1 you who have wondered1 perhaps you may now understand our words in the ,first ,lesson of this series1 in which we said that the message of the ,absolute to some of the ,illumined has been3 ,all is being done in the best and only possible way--,i am doing the best ,i can--all is well--and in the end will so appear4 ,and1 as we also said in that ,first ,lesson3 ,the ,absolute1 instead of being an indifferent and unmoved spectator to its own creation1 is a striving1 longing1 active1 suffering1 rejoicing1 feeling ,spirit1 partaking of the feelings of ,its manifestations1 rather than callously witnessing them4 ,it lives in us--with us--through us4 ,back of all the pain in the world1 may be found a great feeling and suffering love4 ,and in this thought there is comfort to the doubting soul--peace to the troubled mind4 ,in the ,sixth ,lesson1 we shall proceed to deliver to you the further ,message of ,truth1 concerning how the ,one ,absolute manifests ,its ,mental ,images as ,universe2 ,universal ,life2 and ,forms and ,shapes2 and ,individualities1 and ,personalities4 ,we had hoped to include the whole ,message in this ,fifth ,lesson1 but now find that we have merely laid the steps by which the student may reach the ,essential ,truth4 ,but1 lest the student may be left in an uncertain state of mind1 awaiting the conclusion of the consideration of the subject--and lest he may think that we intend teaching him that the ,universe1 and all in it1 including himself are ,dreams1 because we have said that ,all ,things are ,thought-,forms in the ,mind of the ,absolute--lest this misunderstanding may arise1 we wish to add a few parting words to what we have said4 ,we wish to impress upon the mind of the student that though all ,things are but ,thought-,forms in the ,mind of the ,absolute ,being1 and that while it is true that the entire ,universe of ,universes is simply a ,thought-,form held in the ,mind of the ,absolute--still this fact does not mean that all ,things are illusions or dreams4 ,remember this1 now and forever1 ,o ,student--that that which is held in the ,absolute ,mind as a ,thought-,form ,,is1 and is all there ,,is1 outside of the ,absolute ,itself4 ,when the ,absolute forms a ,thought-,form1 ,it forms it out of ,its own mental substance--when the ,absolute holds anything in ,its ,mind1 ,it holds it in ,itself--for the ,absolute is ,,all-,,mind4 ,the ,absolute is not a material ,being1 from which ,material ,beings are created4 ,it is a ,spiritual ,being--a ,being whose ,substance is akin to that which we call ,mind1 only raised to ,infinity and ,absolute ,perfection and ,power4 ,and this is the only way it can create--by creating a ,thought-,form in ,its ,mental1 or ,spiritual ,substance4 ,the faintest ,thought of the ,absolute is more real and durable than anything that man can create--in fact1 man can create nothing1 for all the hard and real material he uses in his creations1 such as steel1 diamonds1 granite1 are but some of the minor ,forms1 thought into being by the ,absolute4 ,and also remember this1 that the ,absolute cannot think of anything1 without putting ,itself in that thing1 as its ,essence4 ,just as a man's ,mental ,images are not only in his mind1 but his mind is in them1 also4 ,why1 you doubting and timorous ones1 does not even the finite thinking of ,man manifest itself in physical and material changes of form and shape8--does not a man's every thought actually create physical forms and shapes1 in his brain-cells and physical tissue8 ,you who are reading these words--yea1 while you are reading these words--are creating changes of form and shape in your brain-cells1 and physical organism4 ,your mind is constantly at work1 also1 in building up your physical body1 along the lines of the ,instinctive ,mind 7see previous series of lessons7--you are mentally creating in a miniature universe1 every moment of your life4 ,and yet1 the idea of the ,absolute creating a ,universe by pure ,thought1 in ,its own ,mind1 and thereafter causing the work of the ,universe to proceed according to ,law1 by simply ,willing it so1 causes you to wonder1 and perhaps to doubt4 ,o1 ye of little faith1 you would deny to the ,absolute even the power you possess yourself4 ,you plan things in your mind every day1 and then proceed to cause them to appear in material manifestation1 and yet you doubt the ability of the ,absolute to do likewise4 ,why even the poets1 or writers of fiction1 create characters in their minds--and these seem so real1 that even you imagine them to be actual entities1 and you weep over their pains1 and smile at their joys--and yet all this is on the finite plane4 ,why1 even the imaginations of your petty finite1 undeveloped minds1 have sufficient power to make your physical bodies sick1 or well1 or even to cause you to die1 from some imagined ailment4 ,and yet you doubt the power of the ,absolute1 to think things into being6 ,you tiny students in the great ,kindergarten of ,life--you must learn better lessons from your little blocks and games4 ,and you will--this is the ,law4 ,and you who are filled with the sense of your smallness1 and unreality--know you that so long as you are held in the ,mind of ,god1 then so long are you remembered by ,him4 ,and so long as you are remembered by ,him1 no real harm can befall you1 and your ,reality is second only to ,his own4 ,even though you pass out of your mortal frame--doth he remember you in ,his ,mind1 and keeping you there1 he holds you safe and unharmed4 ,the greatest satisfaction that can come to one1 is to be able to fully realize that he1 or she1 is held firmly ,,in ,,the ,,mind ,,of ,,the ,,infinite ,,being4 ,to such comes the knowledge that in ,,that ,,life there can be ,,no ,,death4 ,peace be with you in this ,realization4 ,may you make it your own6 ,,the ,,sixth ,,lesson ,,within ,,the ,,mind ,,of ,,the ,,one4 ,in our last lesson we gave you the ,inner ,teachings of the ,yogi ,philosophy1 relating to the real nature of the ,universe1 and all that is therein contained4 ,we trust that you have pondered well and carefully the statements contained in that lesson1 for in them is to be found the essence of the highest ,yogi teachings4 ,while we have endeavored to present these high truths to you in the simplest possible form1 yet unless your minds have been trained to grasp the thought1 you may have trouble in fully assimilating the essence of the teachings4 ,but1 be not discouraged1 for your mind will gradually unfold like the flower1 and the ,sun of ,truth will reach into its inmost recesses4 ,do not be troubled if your comprehension seems dull1 or your progress slow1 for all things will come to you in time4 ,you cannot escape the ,truth1 nor can the ,truth escape you4 ,and it will not come to you one moment sooner than you are ready to receive it1 nor will it be delayed one moment in its coming1 when you are ready for it4 ,such is the ,law1 and none can escape it1 nor alter it1 nor modify it4 ,all is ,well1 and ,all is ,under the ,law--nothing ever happens4 ,to many1 the thought that the ,universe and all that is therein contained1 are simply ,thought ,forms in the ,infinite ,mind--,mental ,creations of the ,absolute1 may seem startling1 and a sense of unreality may pervade one4 ,this is inevitable1 but the reaction will come4 ,to some who have grasped this mighty truth there has come a feeling that ,all is ,nothing1 which idea is embodied in their teachings and writings4 ,but this is merely the ,negative ,phase of the ,truth--there is a ,positive ,phase which comes as one advances4 ,the ,negative ,phase shows us that all that we have considered as real and permanent--the foundations of the ,universe itself--is but a mental image in the mind of the ,absolute1 and therefore lacks the fundamental reality that we had previously associated with it4 ,and realizing this1 we are at first apt to feel that1 indeed all is nothing1 and to fall into a state of apathy1 and lack of desire to play our part in the world4 ,but1 then1 happily the reaction sets in1 sooner or later1 and we begin to see the ,positive ,phase of the ,truth4 ,this ,positive ,phase shows us that while all the forms1 shapes1 and phenomena of the ,universe are but parts of a great show-world1 still the essence of all must be ,reality1 itself1 else there would not be even the appearance of a ,universe4 ,before a thing can be a ,mental ,image1 there must be a ,mind to hold that ,mental ,image1 and a ,,being to possess that ,mind4 ,and1 the very essence of that ,,being must pervade and be immanent in every ,image in that ,mind4 ,just as ,you are really in your ,mental ,images1 as well as they in ,you1 so must the ,absolute be in ,its ,mental ,images1 or ,creations1 or ,thought ,forms1 as truly as they are in the ,mind of the ,absolute4 ,do you see this plainly8 ,think well over it--ponder it well--for in it lies the ,truth4 ,and so1 this ,positive ,phase of the ,truth1 is far from depressing--it is the most stimulating conception one can hold1 if he but grasps it in its entirety and fulness4 ,even if it be true that all these shapes1 and forms1 and appearances1 and phenomena1 and personalities1 be but illusion as compared to the inner ,reality--what of it8 ,are you not then assured that the ,spirit within ,yourself is the ,spirit of the ,absolute--that the ,reality within ,you is the ,reality of the ,absolute--that you ,,are1 because the ,absolute ,,is1 and cannot be otherwise8 ,does not the ,peace1 and ,calm1 and ,security1 and ,bliss that comes to you with this ,realization1 far more than counterbalance the petty nothings that you have discarded8 ,we think that there can be but one answer to this1 when you have fully ,realized the ,truth4 ,what gives you the greatest ,satisfaction and ,content in ,life8 ,let us see4 ,well1 there is the ,satisfaction of ,immortality4 ,the human mind instinctively craves this4 ,well1 what that even the highest finite conceptions of ,future ,life have given you1 can compare with the assurance of ,actual ,being1 in and of the ,absolute8 ,what are your petty conceptions of heavens1 paradises1 happy-hunting-grounds1 divine regions of the blessed1 and the other ideas of the various religious sects1 when compared with the conceptions of your ,infinite and ,eternal ,existence in ,spirit--your relation with ,the ,one--that conception of ,infinite ,wisdom1 ,being1 and ,bliss8 ,when you grasp this truth1 you will see that you are in ,eternity right ,now1 and are ,immortal even this moment1 as you have always been4 ,now1 what we have said above is not intended to deny the heaven-worlds1 or planes4 ,on the contrary1 you will find much in the teachings regarding these1 which the ,yogis enter into with much detail4 ,but1 we mean that back of all the heavens and celestial planes1 there is a still higher state of being being--the ,absolute ,being4 ,even the heavens1 and heaven-worlds1 and regions of the ,devas1 or ,archangels1 are but relative states--there is a state higher than even these exalted relative states1 and that is the ,state of the ,conscious ,unity and ,identity with the ,one4 ,when one enters into that ,state1 he becomes more than ,man--more than gods--he is then in the bosom of the ,father4 ,and now1 before proceeding to a consideration of the phenomenal manifestation of the ,absolute--the evolving of the ,universe in the ,infinite ,mind--we will again call your attention to the fact that underlies all the ,universe of forms1 shapes and appearances1 and that is1 as we stated in our last lesson3 ,all ,manifestations and ,emanations of the ,absolute are ,mental ,creations of the ,absolute--,thought-,forms held in the ,infinite ,mind--the ,infinite ,spirit in them--and they in the ,infinite ,spirit4 ,and1 the only ,real ,thing about ,man is the ,spirit involved in the ,thought-,form--the rest is mere ,personality1 which changes and ceases to be4 ,the ,spirit in the ,soul of ,man1 is the ,soul of the ,soul1 which is never born2 never changeth2 never dieth--this is ,the ,real ,self of ,man1 in which1 indeed1 he is ,one with the ,father4 ,and1 now let us consider the ,yogi ,teachings regarding the creation of the ,universe1 and the evolution of the living forms thereon4 ,we shall endeavor to give you the story as plainly as may be1 holding fast to the main thought1 and avoiding the side-paths of details1 etc41 so far as is possible4 ,in the first place1 we must imagine ourselves back to the beginning of a ,day of ,brahm1--the first dawn of that ,day1 which is breaking from the darkness of a ,night of ,brahm4 ,before we proceed further1 we must tell you something about these ,days and ,nights of ,brahm1 of which you have seen much mention in the ,oriental writings4 ,the ,yogi ,teachings contain much regarding the ,days and ,nights of ,brahm2 the ,in-breathing and ,out-breathing of the ,creative ,principle2 the periods of ,manvantara1 and the periods of ,pralaya4 ,this thought runs through all the ,oriental thought1 although in different forms1 and with various interpretations4 ,the thought refers to the occult truth that there is in ,cosmic ,nature alternate periods of ,activity and ,inactivity--,days and ,nights--,in-breathings and ,out-breathings--,wakefulness and ,sleep4 ,this fundamental law manifests in all ,nature1 from ,universes to ,atoms4 ,let us see it now in its application to ,universes4 ,at this point we would call the attention of the student that in many of the presentations of the ,hindu ,teachings the writers speak as if the ,absolute1 ,itself1 were subject to this law of ,rhythm1 and had ,its ,periods of ,rest and ,work1 like ,its manifestations4 ,this is incorrect4 ,the highest teachings do not so hold1 although at first glance it would so appear4 ,the teaching really is that while the ,creative ,principle manifests this rhythm1 still even this principle1 great though it be1 is a manifestation of the ,absolute1 and not the ,absolute itself4 ,the highest ,hindu teachings are firm and unmistakable about this point4 ,and1 another point1 in which there is much mistaken teaching4 ,in the periods of ,creative ,inactivity in a ,universe it must not be supposed that there is no ,activity anywhere4 ,on the contrary1 there is never a cessation of ,activity on the part of the ,absolute4 ,while it is ,creative ,night in one ,universe1 or ,system of ,universes1 there is intense activity of ,mid-,day in others4 ,when we say ,the ,universe we mean the ,universe of ,solar ,systems--millions of such systems--that compose the particular universe of which we have any knowledge4 ,the highest teachings tell us that this ,universe is but one of a ,system of ,universes1 millions in number--and that this ,system is but one1 in a higher ,system1 and so on and on1 to infinity4 ,as one ,hindu ,sage hath said3 ,well do we know that the ,absolute is constantly creating ,universes in ,its ,infinite ,mind--and constantly destroying them--and1 though millions upon millions of aeons intervene between creation and destruction1 yet doth it seem less than the twinkle of an eye to ,the ,absolute ,one4 ,and so the ,day and ,night of ,brahm means only the statement of the alternating periods of ,activity and ,inactivity in some one particular ,universe1 amidst the ,infinite ,universality4 ,you will find a mention of these periods of ,activity and ,inactivity in the ,bhagavad ,gita1 the great ,hindu epic4 ,the following quotations1 and page references1 relate to the edition published by the ,yogi ,publication ,society1 which was compiled and adapted by the writer of these lessons4 ,in that edition of the ,bhagavad ,gita1 on page #gg1 you will find these words attributed to ,krishna1 the ,absolute ,one in human incarnation3 ,the worlds and universes--yea1 even the world of ,brahm1 a single day of which is like unto a thousand ,yugas 7four billion years of the earth71 and his night as much--these worlds must come and go444 ,the ,days of ,brahm are succeeded by the ,nights of ,brahm4 ,in these ,brahmic ,days all things emerge from invisibility1 and become visible4 ,and1 on the coming of the ,brahmic ,night1 all visible things again melt into invisibility4 ,the ,universe having once existed1 melteth away2 and lo6 is again re-created4 ,and1 in the same edition1 on page #hj1 we find these words1 attributed to the same speaker3 ,at the end of a ,kalpa--a ,day of ,brahm--a period of ,creative ,activity--,i withdraw into my nature1 all things and beings4 ,and1 at the beginning of another ,kalpa1 ,i emanate all things and beings1 and re-perform my creative act4 ,we may say here1 in passing1 that ,modern ,science now holds to the theory of periods of ,rhythmic ,change2 of ,rise and ,fall2 of ,evolution and ,dissolution4 ,it holds that1 beginning at some time in the past aeons of time1 there was the beginning of an upward or evolutionary movement1 which is now under way2 and that1 according to the law of ,nature1 there must come a time when the highest point will be reached1 and then will come the beginning of the downward path1 which in time must come to an end1 being succeeded by a long period of inactivity1 which will then be followed by the beginning of a new period of ,creative ,activity and ,evolution--a ,day of ,brahm4 ,this thought of this law of ,rhythm1 in its ,universal form1 has been entertained by the thinkers of all times and races4 ,herbert ,spencer expressly held to it in his ,first ,principles1 expressing it in many ways akin to this3 ,evolution must come to a close in complete equilibrium or rest2 and again1 ,it is not inferable from the general progress towards equilibrium1 that a state of universal quiescence or death will be reached2 but that if a process of reasoning ends in that conclusion1 a further process of reasoning points to renewals of activity and life2 and again1 ,rhythm in the totality of changes--alternate eras of evolution and dissolution4 ,the ,ancient ,western ,philosophers also indulged in this idea4 ,heraclitus taught that the universe manifested itself in cycles1 and the ,stoics taught that the world moves in an endless cycle1 through the same stages4 ,the followers of ,pythagoras went even further1 and claimed that the succeeding worlds resemble each other1 down to the minutest detail1 this latter idea1 however--the idea of the ,eternal ,recurrence--while held by a number of thinkers1 is not held by the ,yogi teachers1 who teach infinite progression--an ,evolution of ,evolution1 as it were4 ,the ,yogi teachings1 in this last mentioned particular1 are resembled more by the line of ,lotze's thinking1 as expressed in this sentence from his ,micro-cosmos3 ,the series of ,cosmic ,periods1 444 each link of which is bound together with every other2 444 the successive order of these sections shall compose the unity of an onward-advancing melody4 ,and1 so through the pages of ,heraclitus1 the ,stoics1 the ,pythagoreans1 ,empedocles1 ,virgil1 down to the present time1 in ,nietzsche1 and his followers1 we find this thought of ,universal ,rhythm--that fundamental conception of the ancient ,yogi ,philosophy4 ,and1 now1 returning to the main path of our thought--let us stand here at the beginning of the dawn of a ,day of ,brahm4 ,it is verily a beginning1 for there is nothing to be seen--there is nothing but ,space4 ,no trace of ,matter1 ,force or ,mind1 as we know these terms4 ,in that portion of ,infinite ,space--that is1 of course1 in that portion of the ,infinite ,mind of the ,absolute ,one1 for even ,space is a conception of that ,mind1 there is ,nothing4 ,this is the darkest moment1 just before the dawn4 ,then comes the breaking of the dawn of the ,brahmic ,day4 ,the ,absolute begins the creation of a ,universe4 ,and1 how does ,it create8 ,there can be no creation of something out of nothing4 ,and except the ,absolute ,itself there is but ,nothing4 ,therefore ,the ,absolute must create the ,universe out of ,its own substance1 if we can use the word substance in this connection4 ,substance means1 literally1 that which stands under1 being derived from the two ,latin words1 sub1 meaning under1 and stare1 meaning to stand4 ,the ,english word understand means1 literally1 to stand under--the two words really meaning the same4 ,this is more than a coincidence4 ,so the ,absolute must create the ,universe from its own substance1 we have seen4 ,well1 what is this substance of the ,absolute8 ,is it ,matter8 ,no6 for ,matter we know to be1 in itself1 merely a manifestation of ,force1 or ,energy4 ,then1 is it ,force or ,energy8 ,no6 because ,force and ,energy1 in itself1 cannot possess ,mind1 and we must think of the ,absolute as possessing ,mind1 for it manifests ,mind1 and what is manifested must be in the ,manifestor1 or ,manifesting ,agent4 ,then this substance must be ,mind8 ,well1 yes1 in a way--and yet not ,mind as we know it1 finite and imperfect4 ,but something like ,mind1 only ,infinite in degree and nature--something sufficiently greater than ,mind as we know it1 to admit of it being the ,cause of ,mind4 ,but1 we are compelled to think of it as ,infinite ,mind1 for our finite ,minds can hold no higher conception4 ,so we are content to say that this substance from which the ,absolute must create the ,universe is a something that we will call ,infinite ,mind4 ,fix this in your mind1 please1 as the first step in our conception4 ,but1 how can the ,infinite ,mind be used to create finite minds1 shapes1 forms1 and things1 without it being lessened in quantity--how can you take something from something1 and still have the original something left8 ,an impossibility6 ,and1 we cannot think of the ,absolute as dividing ,itself up into two or more portions--for if such were the case1 there would be two or more ,absolutes1 or else ,none4 ,there cannot be two ,absolutes1 for if the ,absolute were to divide itself so there would be no ,absolute1 but only two ,relatives--two ,finites instead of ,one ,infinite4 ,do you see the absurdity8 ,then how can this work of ,creation be accomplished1 in view of these difficulties which are apparent even to our finite minds8 ,you may thresh this question over and over again in your minds--men have done so in all times--and you will not find the answer except in the fundamental ,idea of the ,yogi ,teachings4 ,and this ,fundamental ,idea is that the creation is purely a ,mental ,creation1 and the ,universe is the ,mental ,image1 or ,thought-,form1 in the ,mind of the ,absolute--in the ,infinite ,mind1 itself4 ,no other creation is possible4 ,and so this1 say the ,yogi ,masters1 this is the ,secret of ,universal ,creation4 ,the ,universe is of1 and in1 the ,infinite ,mind1 and this is the only way it could be so4 ,so1 fix in your mind this second step in our conception4 ,but then1 you ask us1 from whence comes ,force1 ,matter1 and ,finite ,mind8 ,well asked1 good student--your answer shall be forthcoming4 ,here it is4 ,finite ,mind2 ,force or ,energy2 and ,matter2 in themselves have no existence4 ,they are merely ,mental ,images1 or ,thought-,forms in the ,infinite ,mind of the ,absolute4 ,their whole existence and appearance depends upon their ,mental ,conception and ,retention in the ,infinite ,mind4 ,in ,it they have their birth1 rise1 growth1 decline and death4 ,then what is ,real about ,,me1 you may ask--surely ,i have a vivid consciousness of ,reality--is this merely an illusion1 or shadow8 ,no1 not so6 that sense of ,reality which you possess and which every creature or thing possesses--that sense of ,i ,am--is the perception by the ,mental ,image of the ,reality of its ,essence--and that ,essence is the ,spirit4 ,and that ,spirit is the ,,substance ,,of ,,the ,,absolute embodied in ,its conception1 the ,mental ,image4 ,it is the perception by the ,finite1 of its ,infinite ,essence4 ,or1 the perception by the ,relative of its ,absolute ,essence4 ,or1 the perception by ,you1 or ,i1 or any other man or woman1 of the ,real ,self1 which underlies all the sham self or ,personality4 ,it is the reflection of the ,sun1 in the dew-drop1 and thousands of dew-drops--seemingly thousands of ,suns1 and yet but ,one4 ,and yet1 that reflection of the ,sun in the dewdrop is more than a reflection1 for it is the substance of the ,sun itself--and yet the ,sun shines on high1 one and undivided1 yet manifesting in millions of dew-drops4 ,it is only by figures of speech that we can speak of the ,unspeakable ,reality4 ,to make it perhaps plainer to some of you1 let us remind you that even in your finite ,mental ,images there is evident many forms of life4 ,you may think of a moving army of thousands of men4 ,and yet the only ,i in these men is your own ,i4 ,these characters in your mind move and live and have their being1 and yet there is nothing in them except ,you6 ,the characters of ,shakespeare1 ,dickens1 ,thackeray1 ,balzac1 and the rest1 were such strong ,mental ,images that not only their creators were carried away by their power1 and apparent ability1 but even you who read of them1 many years after1 perhaps1 feel the apparent reality1 and weep1 or smile1 or grow angry over their actions4 ,and1 yet there was no ,hamlet1 outside of ,shakespeare's mind2 no ,micawber outside of ,dickens2 no ,pere ,goriot outside of ,balzac4 ,these illustrations are but finite examples of the ,infinite1 but still they will give you an idea of the truth that we are trying to unfold in your mind4 ,but you must not imagine that ,you and ,i1 and all others1 and things1 are but mere imaginations1 like our created characters--that would be a most unhappy belief4 ,the mental creations held by ,you and ,i1 and other finite minds1 are but finite creations of finite minds1 while ,,we1 ourselves1 are the finite creations of an ,,infinite ,,mind4 ,while our1 and ,dickens'1 and ,balzac's1 and ,shakespeare's creations live and move and have their being1 they have no other ,i than our ,finite ,minds1 while we1 the characters in the ,divine ,drama1 ,story1 or ,epic1 have for our ,i--our ,real ,self--the ,,absolute ,,reality4 ,they have merely a background of our finite personalities1 and minds1 before which they may desport themselves4 until1 alas6 the very background fades away to dust1 and both background and shadows disappear4 ,but1 we have behind our personalities the ,eternal ,background of ,reality1 which changeth not1 neither doth it ,disappear4 ,shadows on a screen though our ,personalities may be1 yet the ,screen is ,real and ,eternal4 ,take away the finite screen and the shadows disappear--but our ,screen remains forever4 ,we are ,mental ,images in the ,infinite ,mind--the ,infinite ,mind holds us safe--we cannot be lost--we cannot be hurt--we can never disappear1 unless we be absorbed in the ,infinite ,mind itself1 and then we ,,still ,,are6 ,the ,infinite ,mind never forgets--it never can overlook us--it is aware of our presence1 and being1 always4 ,we are safe--we are secure--we ,,are6 ,just as we could not be created from ,nothing--so we cannot be converted into ,nothing4 ,we are in the ,all--and there is no outside4 ,at the dawn of the ,brahmic ,day1 ,the ,absolute begins the creation of a new ,universe1 or the recreation of one1 just as you may care to state it4 ,the highest ,yogi ,teachings inform us that the information relating to this event 7which is1 of course1 beyond the personal knowledge of man as we know him7 has been passed down to the race from teachers1 who have received it from still higher teachers1 and so on1 and on and on1 higher and higher1 until it is believed to have originated with some of those wonderfully developed souls which have visited the earth from higher planes of ,being1 of which there are many4 ,in these lessons we are making no claims of this sort1 but pass on the teachings to you1 believing that their truth will appeal to those who are ready for them1 without any attempt to attribute to them an authority such as just mentioned4 ,our reference to this high source of the teachings was made because of its general acceptance in the ,eastern countries1 and by occultists generally4 ,the ,yogi teachings inform us that1 in the ,beginning1 ,the ,absolute formed a ,mental ,image1 or ,thought-,form1 of an ,universal ,mind--that is1 of an ,universal ,principle of ,mind4 ,and here the distinction is made between this ,universal ,mind ,principle1 or ,universal ,mind-,stuff1 as some have called it1 and the ,infinite ,mind itself4 ,the ,infinite ,mind is something infinitely above this creation of the ,universal ,mind ,principle1 the latter being as much an emanation as is ,matter4 ,let there be no mistake about this4 ,the ,infinite ,mind is ,spirit--the ,universal ,mind ,principle is ,mind-,stuff of which all ,finite ,mind is a part4 ,this ,universal ,mind ,principle was the first conception of ,the ,absolute1 in the process of the creation of the ,universe4 ,it was the ,stuff from which all ,finite ,mind forms1 and is formed4 ,it is the ,universal ,mental ,energy4 ,know it as such--but do not confound it with ,spirit1 which we have called ,infinite ,mind1 because we had no other term4 ,there is a subtle difference here1 which is most important to a careful understanding of the subject4 ,the ,yogi teachings inform us that from this ,mental ,principle there was developed the ,universal ,principle of ,force or ,energy4 ,and that from this ,universal ,force ,principle there developed the ,universal ,principle of ,matter4 ,the ,sanscrit terms for these ,three ,principles are as follows3 ,chitta1 or the ,universal ,mind ,substance1 or ,principle2 ,prana1 or the ,universal ,energy ,principle2 and ,akasa1 or the ,universal ,principle of ,matter4 ,we have spoken of these ,three ,principles1 or ,three ,great ,manifestations1 in our ,advanced ,course of lessons1 which followed our ,fourteen ,lessons1 several years ago1 but it becomes necessary for us to refer to them again at this place in connection with the present presentation of the subject4 ,as was stated in the lessons just mentioned1 these ,three ,manifestations1 or ,principles1 are really one1 and shade into each other4 ,this matter has been fully touched upon in the concluding lessons of the aforesaid ,advanced ,course1 to which we must refer you for further details1 in order to avoid repetition here4 ,you will find a wonderful correspondence between these centuries-old ,yogi teachings1 and the latest conceptions of ,modern ,science4 ,well1 to return to the main path once more1 the ,teachings inform us that ,the ,absolute thought into being--that is1 held the ,mental ,image1 or ,thought-,form1 of--,chitta1 or ,universal ,mind ,principle4 ,this ,chitta was finite1 of course1 and was bound and governed by the ,laws of ,finite ,mind1 imposed upon it by the ,will of ,the ,absolute4 ,everything that is ,finite is governed by ,laws imposed by the great ,,law which we call ,the ,absolute4 ,then began the ,great ,,involution which was necessary before ,evolution was possible4 ,the word ,involve1 you know1 means to wrap up2 to cover2 to hide2 etc42 and the word ,evolve means to unwrap2 to unfold2 to un-roll2 etc4 ,before a thing can be evolved1 or unfolded1 it must first have been involved or folded-in1 or wrapped up1 etc4 ,everything must be involved before it can be evolved2 remember this1 please--it is true on all planes1 mental1 physical1 and spiritual4 ,a thing must be put in before it may be taken out4 ,this truth1 if remembered and applied to metaphysical problems1 will throw the clearest light upon the darkest problems4 ,make it your own4 ,therefore before the process of ,evolution from the gross forms of ,matter up to the higher1 and then on to the ,mental1 from higher to higher1 and then on the ,spiritual plane--that ,evolution which we see being performed before our sight today--before that ,evolution became possible there was a necessary ,involution1 or wrapping-up4 ,the ,spirit of the ,absolute first involved itself in its ,mental ,image2 ,thought-,form1 or ,creation1 of the ,mind ,principle1 just as you may involve yourself in an earnest thought in deep meditation4 ,did you never lose yourself in thought1 or forget yourself in an idea8 ,have you not spoken of yourself as having been wrapped in thought8 ,well1 then you can see something of what is here meant1 at least so far as the process of involution is concerned4 ,you involve yourself in your meditations--the ,absolute involves ,itself in ,its ,mental ,creations--but1 remember the one is ,finite1 and the other ,infinite1 and the results are correspondingly weak or strong4 ,obeying the laws imposed upon it1 the ,mental ,principle then involved itself in the ,energy ,principle1 or ,prana1 and the ,universal ,energy sprang into existence4 ,then1 in obedience to the same ,laws1 the ,prana involved itself in the ,akasa1 or ,universal ,matter ,principle4 ,of course each involving practically created the wrapper1 sheath of the lower ,principle4 ,do you see this8 ,each1 therefore1 depends upon the ,principle higher than itself1 which becomes its ,parent ,principle1 as the ,yogis express it4 ,and in this process of ,involution the extreme form of ,matter was reached before the process of ,evolution became possible4 ,the extreme form of gross ,matter is not known to us today1 on this planet1 for we have passed beyond it4 ,but the teachings inform us that such forms were as much grosser that the grossest ,matter that we know today1 as the latter is gross in comparison with the most ethereal vapors known to ,modern ,science4 ,the human mind cannot grasp this extreme of the scale1 any more than it can the extreme high degree of manifestation4 ,at this point we must call your attention to certain occult teachings1 widely disseminated1 which the highest ,yogi teachers discountenance1 and contradict4 ,we allude to the teaching that in the process of ,involution there was a degeneration or devolution from higher to lower forms of life1 until the gross state of ,matter was reached4 ,such a teaching is horrible1 when considered in detail4 ,it would mean that ,the ,absolute deliberately created high forms of life1 arch-angels1 and higher than these--gods in fact--and then caused them to devolve until the lowest state was reached4 ,this would mean the exact opposite of ,evolution1 and would mean a going down in accordance with the ,divine ,will1 just as ,evolution is a going up in accordance with the ,divine ,will4 ,this is contrary to man's best instincts1 and the advanced ,yogi teachings inform us that it is but an illusion or error that men have created by endeavoring to solve spiritual mysteries by purely intellectual processes4 ,the true teaching is that the process of ,involution was accomplished by a ,principle involving itself in the lower ,principle created within itself1 and so on until the lowest plane was reached4 ,note the difference--,principles as ,principles did this1 and not as ,individual ,forms of ,life or ,being4 ,there was no more a devolution in this process than there was in ,the ,absolute involving itself in the ,mental ,image of the ,mind ,principle4 ,there was no devolution or going down--only an involution or wrapping up1 of ,principle1 within ,principle--the ,individual ,life not having as yet appeared1 and not being possible of appearance until the ,evolutionary process began4 ,we trust that we have made this point clear to you1 for it is an important matter4 ,if the ,absolute first made higher beings1 and then caused them to devolute into lower and lower forms1 then the whole process would be a cruel1 purposeless thing1 worthy only of some of the base conceptions of ,deity conceived of by men in their ignorance4 ,no6 the whole effort of the ,divine ,will seems to be in the direction of raising up ,individual ,egos to higher and still higher forms4 ,and in order to produce such ,egos the process of ,involution of ,principles seems to have been caused1 and the subsequent wonderful ,evolutionary process instituted4 ,what that ,reason is1 is ,unknowable1 as we have said over and over again4 ,we cannot pry into the ,infinite ,mind of the ,absolute1 but we may form certain conclusions by observing and studying the ,laws of the ,universe1 which seem to be moving in certain directions4 ,from the manifested ,will of the ,divine ,one1 we may at least hazard an idea as to its purposes4 ,and these purposes seem to be always in an upward lifting and evolution4 ,even the coming of the ,night of ,brahm is no exception to this statement1 as we shall see in future lessons4 ,from the starting of the process of ,involution from the ,mental ,principle1 down to the extreme downward point of the grossest ,manifestation of ,matter1 there were many stages4 ,from the highest degree of the ,finite ,mind1 down to lower and still lower degrees2 then on to the plane of ,force and ,energy1 from higher to lower degrees of ,principle within ,principle2 then on to the plane of ,matter1 the ,involutionary urge proceeded to work4 ,when the plane of ,matter was reached1 it1 of course1 showed its highest degree of manifested ,matter--the most subtle form of ,ether1 or ,akasa4 ,then down1 down1 down1 went the degrees of ,matter1 until the grossest possible form was reached1 and then there was a moment's pause1 before the ,evolutionary process1 or upward-movement1 began4 ,the impulse of the ,original ,will1 or ,thought1 had exhausted its downward urge1 and now began the upward urge or tendency4 ,but here was manifested a new feature4 ,this new feature was ,the ,tendency toward ,individualization4 ,during the downward trend the movement was en masse1 that is1 by ,principle as ,principle1 without any splitting up into portions1 or centers4 ,but with the first upward movement there was evidenced a tendency toward creating ,centers of ,energy1 or ,units of activity1 which then manifested itself1 as the evolutionary movement continued1 from electrons to atoms2 from atoms to man4 ,the gross matter was used as material for the formation of finer and more complex forms2 and these in turn combined1 and formed higher1 and so on1 and on4 ,and the forms of ,energy operated in the same way4 ,and the manifestations of centers of ,mind or consciousness in the same way4 ,but all in connection4 ,matter1 ,energy and ,mind formed a ,trinity of ,principles1 and worked in connection4 ,and the work was always in the direction of causing higher and higher forms to arise--higher and higher ,units--higher and higher ,centers4 ,but in every form1 center or unit1 there was manifested the ,three ,principles1 ,mind1 ,energy1 and ,matter4 ,and within each was the ever present ,spirit4 ,for ,spirit must be in ,all--just as ,all must be in ,spirit4 ,and1 so this ,evolutionary process has continued ever since1 and must continue for aeons yet4 ,the ,absolute is raising itself up into ,itself higher and higher ,egos1 and is providing them with higher and higher sheaths in which to manifest4 ,and1 as we shall see in these lessons1 as we progress1 this evolution is not only along the physical lines1 but also along the mental4 ,and it concerns itself not only with bodies1 but with souls1 which also evolve1 from time to time1 and bodies are given these souls in order that they may work out their evolution4 ,and the whole end and aim of it all seems to be that ,egos may reach the stage where they are conscious of the ,real ,self--of the ,spirit within them1 and its relation to the ,spirit of the ,absolute1 and then go on and on and on1 to planes of life and being1 and activities of which even the most advanced of the race may only dream4 ,as some of the ,ancient ,yogi ,teachers have said3 ,men are evolving into super-men2 and super-men into gods2 and gods into super-gods2 and super-gods into ,something still higher2 until from the lowest bit of matter enclosing life1 unto the highest being--yea1 even unto ,the ,absolute--there is an ,infinite ,ladder of ,being--and yet the ,one ,spirit pervades all2 is in all1 as the all is in ,it4 ,the ,creative ,will1 of which we have spoken in these lessons1 is in full operation all through ,life4 ,the ,natural ,laws are laws of ,life imposed by ,the ,absolute in his ,mental ,image4 ,they are the ,natural ,laws of this ,universe1 just as other ,universes have other ,laws4 ,but ,the ,absolute ,itself has no ,laws affecting ,it--,it1 in ,itself is ,,law4 ,and these ,laws of ,life1 and ,nature1 along its varying planes1 ,material1 of ,energy2 and ,mental2 are also1 in the ,divine ,mind1 else they would not be at all1 even in appearance4 ,and when they are transcended1 or apparently defied by some man of advanced development1 it is only because such a man is able to rise above the plane upon which such laws are operative4 ,but even this transcending is1 in itself1 in accordance with some higher law4 ,and so1 we see that ,all1 high and low--good and bad--simple or complex--all are contained ,within the ,mind of the ,one4 ,gods1 angels1 adepts1 sages1 heavens1 planes1--all1 everything--is within the ,universe1 and the ,universe is ,within the ,mind of the ,one4 ,and all is proceeding in accordance with ,law4 ,and all is moving upward and onward1 along the lines of ,evolution4 ,all is ,well4 ,we are held firmly in ,the ,mind of the ,one4 ,and1 just as the tendency was from the general ,principle toward the particular ,individual ,soul1 so is there a ,reconciliation later on1 for the ,individual soul1 as it develops and unfolds1 loses its sense of ,separateness1 and begins to feel its identity with the ,one ,spirit1 and moves along the lines of unfoldment1 until it becomes in ,conscious ,union with ,god4 ,spiritual ,evolution does not mean the growth of the ,spirit1 for the ,spirit cannot grow--it is already ,perfect4 ,the term means the unfoldment of the ,individual ,mind1 until it can recognize the ,spirit ,within4 ,let us close this lesson with the ,,central ,,thought4 ,there is but ,,one4 ,that ,,one is ,spirit4 ,in the ,infinite ,mind of that ,,one ,,spirit there arose the ,mental ,image or ,thought-,form of this ,universe4 ,beginning with the ,thought of the ,principle in ,mind2 and passing on to the ,principle of ,energy2 and then on to the ,principle of ,matter2 proceeded the ,involutionary ,process of ,creation4 ,then1 upward began the ,evolutionary ,process1 and ,individual ,centers or ,units were formed4 ,and the tendency1 and evolutionary urge is ever in the direction of unfolding within the ,ego of the ,realization of the ,indwelling ,spirit4 ,as we throw off sheath after sheath1 we approach nearer and nearer to the ,,spirit within us1 which is the ,one ,spirit pervading all things4 ,this is the ,meaning of ,life--the ,secret of ,evolution4 ,all the ,universe is contained ,within the ,mind of ,the ,one4 ,there is ,nothing outside of that ,infinite ,mind4 ,there is no ,outside1 for the ,one is ,all in ,all2 ,space1 ,time1 and ,laws1 being but ,mental ,images in that ,mind1 as are likewise all shapes and forms1 and phenomena4 ,and as the ,ego unfolds into a realization of ,itself--,its ,real ,self--so does its ,wisdom and ,power expand4 ,it thus enters into a greater and greater degree of its ,inheritance4 ,within the ,mind of the ,one1 is ,all there is4 ,and ,i1 and ,thou1 and ,all ,things are ,,here within that ,infinite ,mind4 ,we are always held in ,mind by ,the ,absolute--are always safe here4 ,there is nothing to harm us1 in ,reality1 for our ,real ,self is the ,real ,self of the ,infinite ,mind4 ,all is ,within the ,mind of the ,one4 ,even the tiniest atom is under the ,law1 and protected by the ,law4 ,and the ,,law is ,all there ,is4 ,and in that ,law we may rest ,content and ,unafraid4 ,may this ,realization be ,,yours4 ,,peace ,,be ,,with ,,you ,,all4 ,,the ,,seventh ,,lesson ,,cosmic ,,evolution4 ,we have now reached a most interesting point in this course of lessons1 and a period of fascinating study lies before us from now until the close of the course4 ,we have acquainted ourselves with the fundamental principles1 and will now proceed to witness these principles in active operation4 ,we have studied the ,yogi ,teachings concerning the ,truth underlying all things1 and shall now pass on to a consideration of the process of ,cosmic ,evolution2 the ,cyclic ,laws2 the ,law of ,spiritual ,evolution1 or ,reincarnation2 the ,law of ,spiritual ,cause and ,effect1 or ,karma2 etc4 ,in this lesson we begin the story of the upward progress of the ,universe1 and its forms1 shapes1 and forces1 from the point of the moment's pause following the ceasing of the process of ,involution--the point at which ,cosmic ,evolution begins4 ,our progress is now steadily upward1 so far as the evolution of ,individual ,centres is concerned4 ,we shall see the principles returning to the ,principle--the centres returning to the great ,centre from which they emanated during the process of ,involution4 ,we shall study the long1 gradual1 but steady ascent of ,man1 in his journey toward god-hood4 ,we shall see the ,building of an ,universe1 and the ,growth of the ,soul4 ,in our last lesson we have seen that at the dawn of a ,brahmic ,day1 the ,absolute begins the creation of a new ,universe4 ,the ,teachings inform us that in the beginning1 the ,absolute forms a ,mental ,image1 or ,thought-,form of an ,universal ,mind ,principle1 or ,universal ,mind-,stuff1 as some of the teachers express it4 ,then this ,universal ,mind ,principle creates within itself the ,universal ,energy ,principle4 ,then this ,universal ,energy ,principle creates within itself the ,universal ,matter ,principle4 ,thus1 ,energy is a product of ,mind2 and ,matter a product of ,energy4 ,the ,teachings then further inform us that from the rare1 tenuous1 subtle form of ,matter in which the ,universal ,matter ,principle first appeared1 there was produced forms of ,matter less rare2 and so by easy stages1 and degrees1 there appeared grosser and still grosser forms of matter1 until finally there could be no further involution into grosser forms1 and the ,involutionary ,process ceased4 ,then ensued the moment's pause of which the ,yogi teachers tell us4 ,at that point ,matter existed as much grosser that the grossest form of ,matter now known to us1 as the latter is when compared to the most subtle vapors known to science4 ,it is impossible to describe these lower forms of matter1 for they have ages since disappeared from view1 and we would have no words with which to describe them4 ,we can understand the situation only by comparisons similar to the above4 ,succeeding the moment's pause1 there began the ,evolutionary ,process1 or ,cosmic ,evolution1 which has gone on ever since1 and which will go on for ages to come4 ,from the grossest forms of ,matter there evolved forms a little more refined1 and so on and on4 ,from the simple elementarv forms1 evolved more complex and intricate forms4 ,and from these forms combinations began to be formed4 ,and the urge was ever upward4 ,but remember this1 that all of this ,evolutionary ,process is but a ,returning ,home4 ,it is the ,ascent after the ,descent4 ,it is not a ,creation but an ,unfoldment4 ,the ,descent was made by principles as principles--the ,ascent is being made by ,individualized ,centres evolved from the principles4 ,matter manifests finer and finer forms1 and exhibits a greater and greater subservience to ,energy or ,force4 ,and ,energy or ,force shows a greater and greater degree of mind in it4 ,but1 remember this1 that there is ,mind in even the grossest form of ,matter4 ,this must be so1 for what springs from a thing must contain the elements of its cause4 ,and the ,cosmic ,evolution continues1 and must continue for aeons of time4 ,higher and higher forms of ,mind are being manifested1 and still higher and higher forms will appear in the scale1 as the process continues4 ,the evolution is not only along material lines1 but has passed on to the mental planes1 and is now operating along the spiritual lines as well4 ,and the end1 and aim seems to be that each ,ego1 after the experiences of many lives1 may unfold and develop to a point where it may become conscious of its ,real ,self1 and realize its identity with the ,one ,life1 and the ,spirit4 ,at this point we may be confronted with the objection of the student of material science1 who will ask why we begin our consideration of ,cosmic ,evolution at a point in which matter has reached the limit of its lowest vibrations1 manifesting in the grossest possible form of matter4 ,these students may point to the fact that ,science begins its consideration of evolution with the nebulae1 or faint cloudlike1 vaporous matter1 from which the planets were formed4 ,but there is only an apparent contradiction here4 ,the nebulae were part of the ,process of ,involution1 and ,science is right when it holds that the gross forms were produced from the finer4 ,but the process of change from finer to grosser was ,involution1 not ,evolution4 ,do you see the difference8 ,evolution begins at the point when the stage of ,unfoldment commenced4 ,when the gross forms begin to yield to the new upward urge1 and unfold into finer forms--then begins ,evolution4 ,we shall pass over the period of ,evolution in which ,matter was evolving into finer and still finer forms1 until at last it reached a degree of vibration capable of supporting that which we call life4 ,of course there is life in all matter--even in the atom1 as we have shown in previous lessons4 ,but when we speak of life1 as we now do1 we mean what are generally called living forms4 ,the ,yogi ,teachings inform us that the lowest forms of what we call life were evolved from forms of high crystal life1 which indeed they very much resemble4 ,we have spoken of this resemblance1 in the previous lessons of this series4 ,and1 so we shall begin at the point where living forms began4 ,speaking now of our own planet1 the ,earth1 we find matter emerging from the molten state in which it manifested for ages4 ,gradually cooling and stratifying1 the ,earth contained none of those forms that we call living forms4 ,the temperature of the ,earth in that period is estimated at about #ae1jjj times hotter than boiling water1 which would1 of course1 render impossible the existence of any of the present known forms of life4 ,but the ,yogi ,teachings inform us that even in the molten mass there were elementary forms that were to become the ancestral forms of the later living forms4 ,these elementary forms were composed of a vaporous1 peculiar form of matter1 of minute size1--little more than the atoms1 in fact1 and yet1 just a little more advanced4 ,from these elementary forms1 there gradually evolved1 as the ,earth cooled and solidified1 other forms1 and so on until at last the first living form manifested4 ,as the globe cooled at the poles1 there was gradually created a tropical climate1 in which the temperature was sufficiently cool to support certain rudimentary forms of life4 ,in the rocks in the far northern latitudes1 there are found abundant traces of fossils1 which goes to prove the correctness of the ,yogi ,teachings of the origin of life at the north pole1 from which the living forms gradually spread south toward the equator1 as the ,earth's surface cooled4 ,the elementary evolving life forms were of a very simple structure1 and were but a degree above the crystals4 ,they were composed of identically the same substance as the crystals1 the only difference being that they displayed a greater degree of mind4 ,for that matter1 even the highest physical form known to us today is composed of simple chemical materials4 ,and these chemical materials are obtained1 either directly or indirectly1 from the air1 water1 or earth4 ,the principal materials composing the physical bodies of plants1 animals1 and man1 are oxygen1 carbon1 hydrogen1 nitrogen1 with a still smaller proportion of sulphur and phosphorus1 and traces of a few other elements4 ,the material part of all living things is alike--the difference lies in the degree of ,mind controlling the matter in which it is embodied4 ,of these physical materials1 carbon is the most important to the living forms4 ,it seems to possess properties capable of drawing to it the other elements1 and forcing them into service4 ,from carbon proceeds what is called protoplasm1 the material of which the cells of animal and vegetable life is composed4 ,from protoplasm the almost infinite varieties of living forms have been built up by the process of ,evolution1 working gradually and by easy stages4 ,every living form is made up1 or composed1 of a multitude of single cells1 and their combinations4 ,and every form originates in a single cell which rapidly multiplies and reproduces itself until the form of the amoeba2 the plant2 the animal2 the man1 is completed4 ,all living forms are but a single cell multiplied4 ,and every cell is composed of protoplasm4 ,therefore we must look for the beginning of life in the grade of matter called protoplasm4 ,in this both modern ,science and the ,yogi ,teachings agree fully4 ,in investigating protoplasm we are made to realize the wonderful qualities of its principal constituent--,carbon4 ,carbon is the wonder worker of the elements4 ,manifesting in various forms1 as the diamond1 graphite1 coal1 protoplasm--is it not entitled to respect8 ,the ,yogi ,teachings inform vis that in ,carbon we have that form of matter which was evolved as the physical basis of life4 ,if any of you doubt that inorganic matter may be transformed into living forms1 let us refer you to the plant life1 in which you may see the plants building up cells every day from the inorganic1 chemical or mineral substances1 in the earth1 air1 and water4 ,nature performs every day the miracle of transforming chemicals and minerals into living plant cells4 ,and when animal or man eats these plant cells1 so produced1 they become transformed into animal cells of which the body is built up4 ,what it took ,nature ages to do in the beginning1 is now performed in a few hours1 or minutes4 ,the ,yogi ,teachings1 again on all-fours with modern ,science1 inform us that living forms had their beginning in water4 ,in the slimy bed of the polar seas the simple cell-forms appeared1 having their origin in the transitional stages before mentioned4 ,the first living forms were a lowly form of plant life1 consisting of a single cell4 ,from these forms were evolved forms composed of groups of cells1 and so proceeded the work of evolution1 from the lower form to the higher1 ever in an upward path4 ,as we have said1 the single cell is the physical centre1 or parent1 of every living form4 ,it contains what is known as the nucleus1 or kernel1 which seems to be more highly organized than the rest of the material of the cell--it may be considered as the brain of the cell1 if you wish to use your imagination a little4 ,the single cell reproduces itself by growth and division1 or separation4 ,each cell manifests the functions of life1 whether it be a single-celled creature1 or a cell which with billions of others1 goes to make up a higher form4 ,it feels1 feeds1 grows1 and reproduces itself4 ,in the single-celled creature1 the one cell performs all of the functions1 of course4 ,but as the forms become more complex1 the many cells composing a form perform certain functions which are allotted to it1 the division of labor resulting in a higher manifestation4 ,this is true not only in the case of animal forms1 but also in the case of plant forms4 ,the cells in the bone1 muscle1 nerve-tissue and blood of the animal differ according to their offices2 and the same is true in the cells in the sap1 stem1 root1 leaf1 seed and flower of the plant4 ,as we have said1 the cells multiply by division1 after a period of growth4 ,the cell grows by material taken into its substance1 as food4 ,when sufficient food has been partaken1 and enough new material accumulated to cause the cell to attain a certain size1 then it divides1 or separates into two cells1 the division being equal1 and the point of cleavage being at the kernel or nucleus4 ,as the two parts separate1 the protoplasm of each groups itself around its nucleus1 and two living forms exist where there was but one a moment before4 ,and then each of the two cells proceed to grow rapidly1 and then separate1 and so on to the end1 each cell multiplying into millions1 as time passes4 ,ascending in the scale1 we next find the living forms composed of cell-groups4 ,these cell-groups are formed by single cells dividing1 and then subdividing1 but instead of passing on their way they group themselves in clusters1 or masses4 ,there are millions of forms of these cell-group creatures1 among which we find the sponges1 polyps1 etc4 ,in the early forms of life it is difficult to distinguish between the animal and the plant forms1 in fact the early forms partake of the qualities of both4 ,but as we advance in the scale a little there is seen a decided branching out1 and one large branch is formed of the evolving plant forms1 and the other of the evolving animal forms4 ,the plant-branch begins with the sea-weeds1 and passes on to the fungi1 lichens1 mosses1 ferns1 pines and palm-ferns1 grasses1 etc41 then to the trees1 shrubs and herbs4 ,the animal-branch begins with the monera1 or single-cell forms1 which are little more than a drop of sticky1 glue-like protoplasm4 ,then it passes on to the amoebae1 which begins to show a slight difference in its parts4 ,then on the foraminifera1 which secretes a shell of lime from the water4 ,then on a step higher to the polycystina1 which secretes a shell1 or skeleton of flint-like material from the water4 ,then come the sponges4 ,then the coral-animals1 anemones and jelly-fish4 ,then come the sea-lilies1 star-fish1 etc4 ,then the various families of worms4 ,then the crabs1 spiders1 centipedes1 insects4 ,then come the mollusca1 which include the oysters1 clams and other shell-fish2 snails1 cuttle-fish1 sea-squirts1 etc4 ,all of the above families of animal-forms are what are known as invertebrates1 that is1 without a backbone4 ,then we come to the vertebrates1 or animals having a backbone4 ,first we see the fish family with its thousands of forms4 ,then come the amphibia1 which include the toads1 frogs1 etc4 ,then come the reptiles1 which include the serpents1 lizards1 crocodiles1 turtles1 etc4 ,then come the great family of birds1 with its wonderful variety of forms1 sizes1 and characteristics4 ,then come the mammals1 the name of which comes from the ,latin word meaning the breast1 the characteristic of which group comes from the fact that they nourish their young by milk1 or similar fluid1 secreted by the mother4 ,the mammals are the highest form of the vertebrates4 ,first among the mammals we find the aplacentals1 or those which bring forth immature young1 which are grouped into two divisions1 i4e41 7#a7 the monotremes1 or one-vented animals1 in which group belong the duck-bills1 spiny ant-eaters1 etc42 and 7#b7 the marsupials1 or pouched animals1 in which group belong the kangaroo1 opossum1 etc4 ,the next highest form among the mammals are known as the placentals1 or those which bring forth mature young4 ,in this class are found the ant-eaters1 sloth1 manatee1 the whale and porpoise1 the horse1 cow1 sheep1 and other hoofed animals2 the elephant1 seal1 the dog1 wolf1 lion1 tiger1 and all flesh eating animals2 the hares1 rats1 mice1 and ail other gnawing animals2 the bats1 moles1 and other insect-feeders2 then come the great family of apes1 from the small monkeys up to the orang-outang1 chimpanzee1 and other forms nearly approaching man4 ,and then comes the highest1 ,man1 from the ,kaffir1 ,bush-man1 ,cave-man1 and ,digger ,indian1 up through the many stages until the highest forms of our own race are reached4 ,from the ,monera to ,man is a long path1 containing many stages1 but it is a path including all the intermediate forms4 ,the ,yogi ,teachings hold to the theory of evolution1 as maintained by modern ,science1 but it goes still further1 for it holds not only that the physical forms are subject to the evolutionary process1 but that also the souls embodied in these forms are subject to the evolutionary process4 ,in other words the ,yogi ,teachings hold that there is a twin-process of evolution under way1 the main object of which is to develop souls1 but which also finds it necessary to evolve higher and higher forms of physical bodies for these constantly advancing souls to occupy4 ,let us take a hasty glance at the ascending forms of animal life1 as they rise in the evolutionary scale4 ,by so doing we can witness the growth of the soul1 within them1 as manifested by the higher and higher physical forms which are used as channels of expression by the souls within4 ,let us first study soul-evolution from the outer viewpoint1 before we proceed to examine it from the inner4 ,by so doing we will have a fuller idea of the process than if we ignored the outer and proceed at once to the inner4 ,despise not the outer form1 for it has always been1 and is now1 the ,temple of the ,soul1 which the latter is remodelling and rebuilding in order to accommodate its constantly increasing needs and demands4 ,let us begin with the ,protozoa1 or one-celled forms--the lowest form of animal life4 ,the lowest form of this lowest class is that remarkable creature that we have mentioned in previous lessons--the ,moneron4 ,this creature lives in water1 the natural element in which organic life is believed to have had its beginning4 ,it is a very tiny1 shapeless1 colorless1 slimy1 sticky mass--something like a tiny drop of glue--alike all over and in its mass1 and without organs or parts of any kind4 ,some have claimed that below the field of the microscope there may be something like elementary organs in the ,moneron1 but so far as the human eye may discover there is no evidence of anything of the kind4 ,it has no organs or parts with which to perform particular functions1 as is the case with the higher forms of life4 ,these functions1 as you know1 may be classed into three groups1 i4e41 nutrition1 reproduction1 and relation--that is1 the function of feeding1 the function of reproducing its kind1 and the function of receiving and responding to the impressions of the outside world4 ,all of these three classes of functions the ,moneron performs--but with any part of its body1 or with all of it4 ,every part1 or the whole1 of the ,moneron absorbs food and oxygen--it is all mouth and lungs4 ,every part1 or the whole1 digests the food--it is all stomach4 ,every part1 or the whole1 performs the reproductive function--it is all reproductive organism4 ,every part of it senses the impressions from outside1 and responds to it--it is all organs of sense1 and organs of motion4 ,it envelops its prey as a drop of glue surrounds a particle of sand1 and then absorbs the substance of the prey into its own substance4 ,it moves by prolonging any part of itself outward in a sort of tail-like appendage1 which it uses as a foot1 or finger with which to propel itself2 draw itself to1 or push itself away from an object4 ,this prolongation is called a pseudopod1 or false-foot4 ,when it gets through using the false-foot for the particular purpose1 it simply draws back into itself that portion which had been protruded for the purpose4 ,it performs the functions of digestion1 assimilation1 elimination1 etc41 perfectly1 just as the higher forms of life--but it has no organs for the functions1 and performs them severally1 and collectively with any1 or all parts of its body4 ,what the higher animals perform with intricate organs and parts--heart1 stomach1 lungs1 liver1 kidneys1 etc41 etc4--this tiny creature performs without organs1 and with its entire body1 or any part thereof4 ,the function of reproduction is startlingly simple in the case of the ,moneron4 ,it simply divides itself in two parts1 and that is all there is to it4 ,there is no male or female sex in its case--it combines both within itself4 ,the reproductive process is even far more simple than the budding of plants4 ,you may turn one of these wonderful creatures inside out1 and still it goes on the even tenor of its way1 in no manner disturbed or affected4 ,it is simply a living drop of glue1 which eats1 digests1 receives impressions and responds thereto1 and reproduces itself4 ,this tiny glue-drop performs virtually the same life functions as do the higher complex forms of living things4 ,which is the greater miracle--the ,moneron or ,man8 ,a slight step upward from the ,moneron brings us to the ,amoeba4 ,the name of this new creature is derived from the ,greek word meaning change1 and has been bestowed because the creature is constantly changing its shape4 ,this continual change of shape is caused by a continuous prolongation and drawing-in of its pseudopods1 or false-feet1 which also gives the creature the appearance of a many-fingered organism4 ,this creature shows the first step toward parts1 for it has something like a membrane or skin at its surface1 and a nucleus at its centre1 and also an expanding and contracting cavity within its substance1 which it uses for holding1 digesting and distributing its food1 and also for storing and distributing its oxygen--an elementary combination of stomach and lungs6 ,so you see that the amoeba has taken a step upward from the moneron1 and is beginning to appreciate the convenience of parts and organs4 ,it is interesting to note1 in this connection1 that while the ordinary cells of the higher animal body resemble the monera in many ways1 still the white corpuscles in the blood of man and the animals bear a startling resemblance to the amoebae so far as regards size1 general structure1 and movements1 and are in fact known to ,science as amoeboids4 ,the white corpuscles change their shape1 take in food in an intelligent manner1 and live a comparatively independent life1 their movements showing independent thought and will4 ,some of the amoebae 7the diatoms1 for instance7 secrete solid matter from the water1 and build therefrom shells or houses1 which serve to protect them from their enemies4 ,these shells are full of tiny holes1 through which the pseudopods are extended in their search for food1 and for purposes of movement4 ,some of these shells are composed of secreted lime1 and others of a flinty substance1 the selection of these substances from the ether mineral particles in the water1 evidencing a degree cf thought1 and mind1 even in these lowly creatures4 ,the skeletons of these tiny creatures form vast deposits of chalk and similar substances4 ,next higher in the scale are the ,infusoria4 ,these creatures differ from the amoebae inasmuch as instead of pseudopods1 they have developed tiny vibrating filaments1 or thread-like appendages1 which are used for drawing in their prey and for moving about4 ,these filaments are permanent1 and are not temporary like the pseudopods of the monera or amoebae--they are the first signs of permanent hands and feet4 ,these creatures have also discovered the possibilities of organs and parts1 to a still greater degree than have their cousins the amoebae1 and have evolved something like a mouth-opening 7very rudimentary7 and also a short gullet through which they pass their food and oxygen--they have developed the first signs of a throat1 wind-pipe and food-passage4 ,next come the family of ,sponges1 the soft skeletons of which form the useful article of everyday use4 ,there are many forms who weave a home of far more delicacy and beauty than their more familiar and homely brothers4 ,the sponge creature itself is a slimy1 soft creature1 which fills in the spaces in its spongy skeleton4 ,it is fastened to one spot1 and gathers in its food from the water around it 7and oxygen as well71 by means of numerous whip-like filaments called cilia1 which flash through the water driving in the food and oxygen to the inner positions of its body4 ,the water thus drawn in1 as well as the refuse from the food1 is then driven out in the same manner4 ,it is interesting to note that in the organisms of the higher animals1 including man1 there are numerous cilia performing offices in connection with nutrition1 etc4 ,when ,nature perfects an instrument1 it is very apt to retain it1 even in the higher forms1 although in the latter its importance may be dwarfed by higher ones4 ,the next step in the ascending scale of life-forms is occupied by the polyps1 which are found in water1 fastened to floating matter4 ,the polyps fasten themselves to this floating matter1 with their mouths downward1 from the latter dangling certain tentacles1 or thin1 long arms4 ,these tentacles contain small thread-like coils in contact with a poisonous fluid1 and enclosed in a cell4 ,when the tentacles come in contact with the prey of the creature1 or with anything that is sensed as a possible enemy1 they contract around the object and the little cells burst and the tiny thread-like coils are released and twist themselves like a loop around the object1 poisoning it with the secreted fluid4 ,some of the polyps secrete flint-like tubes1 which they inhabit1 and from the ends of which they emerge like flowers4 ,from these parent polyps emerge clusters of young1 resembling buds4 ,these bud-like young afterwards become what are known as jelly-fishes1 etc41 which in turn reproduce themselves--but here is a wonder--the jelly-fish lay eggs1 which when hatched produce stationary polyps like their grandparent1 and not moving creatures like their parents4 ,the jelly-fishes have a comparatively complex organism4 ,they have an intricate system of canal-like passages with which to convey their food and oxygen to the various parts4 ,they also have something like muscles1 which contract and enable the creature to swim4 ,they also possess a nervous system1 and1 most wonderful of all1 they have rudimentary eyes and ears4 ,their tentacles1 like those of the parent-polyp1 secrete the poisonous fluid which is discharged into prey or enemy4 ,akin to the polyps are the sea-anemones1 with their beautiful colors1 and still more complex structure and organism1 the tentacles of which resemble the petals of a flower4 ,varying slightly from these are the coral-creatures1 which form in colonies and the skeletons of which form the coral trees and branches1 and other forms1 with which we are familiar4 ,passing on to the next highest family of life-forms1 we see the spiny-bodied sea-creatures1 such as the sea-urchin1 star-fish1 etc41 which possess a thick1 hard skin1 covered by spines or prickly projections4 ,these creatures abound in numerous species4 ,the star-fish has rays projecting from a common centre1 which gives it its name1 while the sea-urchin resembles a ball4 ,the sea-lilies1 with their stems and flowers 7so-called7 belong to this family1 as do also the sea-cucumbers1 whose name is obtained from their shape and general appearance1 but which are animals possessing a comparatively complex organism1 one of the features of which is a stomach which may be discarded at will and replaced by a new one4 ,these creatures have a well defined nervous system1 and have eyes1 and some of them even rudimentary eyelids4 ,ascending the scale of life-forms1 we next observe the great family of the ,annulosa1 or jointed creatures1 which comprises the various families of the worm1 the crab1 the spider1 the ant1 etc4 ,in this great family are grouped nearly four-fifths of the known life-forms4 ,their bodies are well formed and they have nervous systems running along the body and consisting of two thin threads1 knotted at different points into ganglia or masses of nerve cells similar to those possessed by the higher animals4 ,they possess eyes and other sense organs1 in some cases highly developed4 ,they possess organs1 corresponding to the heart1 and have a well-developed digestive apparatus4 ,note this advance in the nutritive organism3 the moneron takes its food at any point of its body2 the amoeba takes its food by means of its false-feet1 and drives it through its body by a rhythmic movement of its substance2 the polyp distributes its food to its various parts by means of the water which it absorbs with the food2 the sea-urchin and star-fish distribute their food by canals in their bodies which open directly into the water2 in the higher forms of the annulosa1 the food is distributed by a fluid resembling blood1 which carries the nourishment to every part and organ1 and which carries away the waste matter1 the blood being propelled through the body by a rudimentary heart4 ,the oxygen is distributed by each of these forms in a corresponding way1 the higher forms having rudimentary lungs and respiratory organs4 ,step by step the life-forms are perfected1 and the organs necessary to perform certain definite functions are evolved from rudimentary to perfected forms4 ,the families of worms are the humblest members of the great family of the ,annulosa4 ,next come the creatures called ,rotifers1 which are very minute4 ,then come the ,crustacea1 so called from their crustlike shell4 ,this group includes the crabs1 lobsters1 etc41 and closely resembles the insects4 ,in fact1 some of the best authorities believe that the insects and the crustacea spring from the same parent form1 and some of the ,yogi authorities hold to this belief1 while others do not attempt to pass upon it1 deeming it immaterial1 inasmuch as all life-forms have a common origin4 ,the western scientists pay great attention to outward details1 while the ,oriental mind is apt to pass over these details as of slight importance1 preferring to seek the cause back of the outward form4 ,on one point both the ,yogi teachers and the scientists absolutely agree1 and that is that the family of insect life had its origin in some aquatic creature4 ,both hold that the wings of the insect have been evolved from organs primarily used for breathing purposes by the ancestor when it took short aerial flights1 the need for means of flight afterwards acting to develop these rudimentary organs into perfected wings4 ,there need be no more wonder expressed at this change than in the case of the transformation of the insect from grub to chrysalis1 and then to insect4 ,in fact this process is a reproduction of the stages through which the life-form passed during the long ages between sea-creature and land-insect4 ,we need not take up much of your time in speaking of the wonderful complex organism of some of the insect family1 which are next on the scale above the crustacea4 ,the wonders of spider-life--the almost human life of the ants--the spirit of the beehive--and all the rest of the wonders of insect life are familiar to all of our readers4 ,a study of some good book on the life of the higher forms of the insect family will prove of value to anyone1 for it will open his or her eyes to the wonderful manifestation of life and mind among these creatures4 ,remember the remark of ,darwin1 that the brain of the ant1 although not much larger than a pin point1 is one of the most marvelous atoms of matter in the world1 perhaps more so than the brain of man4 ,closely allied to the crustacea is the sub-family of the mollusca1 which includes the oyster1 clams1 and similar creatures2 also the snails1 cuttle-fish1 slugs1 nautilus1 sea-squirts1 etc41 etc4 ,some are protected by a hard shell1 while others have a gristly outer skin1 serving as an armor1 while others still are naked4 ,those having shells secrete the material for their construction from the water4 ,some of them are fixed to rocks1 etc41 while others roam at will4 ,strange as it may appear at first sight1 some of the higher forms of the mollusca show signs of a rudimentary vertebra1 and science has hazarded the opinion that the sea-squirts and similar creatures were descended from some ancestor from whom also descended the vertebrate animals1 of which man is the highest form known today on this planet4 ,we shall mention this connection in our next lesson1 where we will take up the story of ,the ,ascent of ,man from the lowly vertebrate forms4 ,and now1 in closing this lesson1 we must remind the reader that we are not teaching ,evolution as it is conceived by modern science4 ,we are viewing it from the opposite viewpoint of the ,yogi ,teaching4 ,modern ,science teaches that ,mind is a by-product of the evolving material forms--while the ,yogi ,teachings hold that there was ,mind involved in the lowest form1 and that that ,mind constantly pressing forward for unfoldment compelled the gradual evolution1 or unfoldment of the slowly advancing degrees of organization and function4 ,science teaches that function precedes organization1 that is1 that a form performs certain functions1 imperfectly and crudely1 before it evolves the organs suitable for the functioning4 ,for instance the lower forms digested food before they evolved stomachs--the latter coming to meet the need4 ,but the ,yogi ,teachings go further and claim that desire precedes function1 that is1 that the lowly life form desires to have digestive apparatus1 in order to proceed in the evolutionary scale1 before it begins the functioning that brings about the more complex organism4 ,there is ever the urge of the ,mind which craves unfoldment1 and which the creature feels as a dim desire1 which grows stronger and stronger as time goes on4 ,some yield more readily to the urge1 and such become the parents of possible higher forms4 ,many are called1 but few are chosen1 and so matters move along slowly from generation to generation1 a few forms serving to carry on the evolutionary urge to their descendants4 ,but is always the ,evolutionary ,urge of the imprisoned ,mind striving to cast aside its sheaths and to have more perfect machinery with which1 and through which1 to manifest and express itself8 ,this is the difference between the ,evolution of ,modern ,science and the ,unfoldment of the ,yogi ,teachings4 ,the one is all material1 with mind as a mere by-product1 while the other is all ,mind1 with matter as a tool and instrument of expression and manifestation4 ,as we have said in this lesson--and as we shall point out to you in detail in future lessons--accompanying this evolution of bodies there is an evolution of souls producing the former4 ,this evolution of souls is a basic principle of the ,yogi ,teachings1 but it is first necessary that you acquaint yourselves with the evolution of bodies and forms1 before you may fully grasp the higher teachings4 ,our next lesson will be entitled ,the ,ascent of ,man1 in which the rise of man--that is1 his body--from the lowly forms of the vertebrates is shown4 ,in the same lesson we shall begin our consideration of the evolution of souls4 ,we trust that the students are carefully studying the details of each lesson1 for every lesson has its part in the grand whole of the ,teachings4 ,,the ,,eighth ,,lesson ,,the ,,ascent ,,of ,,man4 ,in our last lesson we led you by successive steps from the beginnings of ,life in living forms up to the creatures closely resembling the family of vertebrates--the highest family of living forms on this planet4 ,in this present lesson we take up the story of the ,ascent of ,man from the lowly vertebrate forms4 ,the large sub-family of forms called ,the ,vertebrates are distinguished from the ,invertebrates by reason of the former possessing an internal bony skeleton1 the most important feature of which is the vertebra or spinal column4 ,the vertebrates1 be it remembered1 possess practically the same organs as the lower forms of life1 but differ from them most materially by the possession of the internal skeleton1 the lower forms having an external or outside skeleton1 which latter is merely a hardening of the skin4 ,the flexibility of the vertebra creates a wonderful strength of structure1 combined with an ease of movement peculiar to the vertebrates1 and which renders them the natural forms of life capable of rapid development and evolution4 ,by means of this strength1 and ease1 these forms are enabled to move rapidly in pursuit of their prey1 and away from their pursuers1 and also to resist outside pressure or attack4 ,they are protected in a way similar to the invertebrates having shells1 and yet have the additional advantage of easy movement4 ,differing in shape and appearance as do the numerous members of the sub-family of vertebrates1 still their structure is easily seen to spring from a single form--all are modifications of some common pattern1 the differences arising from the necessities of the life of the animal1 as manifested through the desire and necessities of the species4 ,science shows the direct relationship between the ,vertebrates1 and the ,invertebrates by means of several connecting-links1 the most noticeable of which is the ,lancelot1 a creature resembling the fish-form1 and yet also closely resembling the lower 7invertebrate7 forms of life4 ,this creature has no head1 and but one eye4 ,it is semi-transparent1 and possesses cilia for forcing in the water containing its food4 ,it has something like gills1 and a gullet like the lower forms4 ,it has no heart1 the blood being circulated by means of contracting vessels or parts4 ,strictly speaking1 it has no back-bone1 or vertebra1 but still ,science has been compelled to class it among the vertebrates because is has a gristly cartilage where the back-bone is found in the higher forms4 ,this gristle may be called an elementary spine4 ,it has a nervous system consisting of a single cord which spreads into a broadened end near the creature's mouth1 and which may therefore be regarded as something like a brain4 ,this creature is really a developed form of ,invertebrate1 shaped like a ,vertebrate1 and showing signs of a rudimentary spine and nervous system of the latter4 ,it is a connecting-link4 ,the lowest forms of the true ,vertebrates are the great families of ,fishes4 ,these ,fish families include fishes of high and low degree1 some of the higher forms being as different from the lowest as they 7the highest7 are different from the ,reptile family4 ,it is not necessary to go into detail regarding the nature of the fish families1 for every student is more or less familiar with them4 ,some peculiar forms of fish show a shading into the ,reptile family1 in fact they seem to belong nearly as much to the latter as to their own general family4 ,some species of fish known as the ,dipnoi or double-breathers1 have a remarkable dual system of breathing4 ,that is1 they have gills for breathing while in the water1 and also have a primitive or elementary lung in the shape of an air-bladder1 or sound1 which they use for breathing on land4 ,the ,mud-fish of ,south ,america1 and also other forms in ,australia and other places1 have a modification of fins which are practically limbs1 which they actually use for traveling on land from pond to pond4 ,some of these fish have been known to travel enormous distances in search of new pools of water1 or new streams1 having been driven from their original homes by droughts1 or perhaps by instincts similar to the migrating instinct of birds4 ,eels are fish 7although many commonly forget this fact7 and many of their species are able to leave the water and travel on land from pond to pond1 their breathing being performed by a peculiar modification of the gills4 ,the climbing perch of ,india are able to live out of water1 and have modified gills for breathing purposes1 and modified fins for climbing and walking4 ,so you see that without leaving the fish family proper1 we have examples of land living creatures which are akin to connecting links4 ,but there are real connecting-links' between the ,fish and the ,reptiles4 ,passing over the many queer forms which serve as links between the two families1 we have but to consider our common frog's history for a striking example4 ,the ,tadpole has gills1 has no limbs1 uses its tail like a fish's fin1 eats plants1 etc4 ,passing through several interesting stages the ,tadpole reaches a stage in which it is a frog with a tail--then it sheds its tail and is a full fledged ,frog1 with four legs2 web-feet2 no tail2 and feeding on animals4 ,the ,frog is amphibious1 that is1 able to live on land or in water--and yet it is compelled to come to the surface of the water for air to supply its lungs4 ,some of the amphibious animals possess both lungs and gills1 even when matured2 but the higher vertebrates living in the water breathe through lungs which are evolved from the air-bladder of fishes1 which in turn have been evolved from the primitive gullet of the lower forms4 ,there are fishes known which are warm-blooded4 ,students will kindly remember that the ,whale is not a fish1 but an aquatic animal--a mammal1 in fact1 bringing forth its young alive1 and suckling it from its breasts4 ,so we readily see that it is but a step1 and a short step at that1 between the land-traveling and climbing fishes and the lower forms of ,reptiles4 ,the ,frog shows us the process of evolution between the two families1 its life history reproducing the gradual evolution which may have required ages to perfect in the case of the species4 ,you will remember that the embryo stages of all creatures reproduce the various stages of evolution through which the species has passed--this is true in ,man as well as in the ,frog4 ,we need not tarry long in considering the ,reptile family of living forms4 ,in its varieties of serpents1 lizards1 crocodiles1 turtles1 etc41 we have studied and observed its forms4 ,we see the limbless snakes2 the lizards with active limbs2 the huge1 clumsy1 slow crocodiles and alligators--the armor-bearing turtles and tortoises--all belonging to the one great family of ,reptiles1 and nearly all of them being degenerate descendants of the mighty ,reptile forms of the geological ,age of ,reptiles1 in which flourished the mighty forms of the giant reptiles--the monsters of land and water4 ,amidst the dense vegetation of that pre-historic age1 surrounded by the most favorable conditions1 these mighty creatures flourished and lived1 their fossilized skeleton forms evidencing to us how far their descendants have fallen1 owing to less favorable conditions1 and the development of other life-forms more in harmony with their changed environment4 ,next comes the great family of ,birds4 ,the ,birds ascended from the ,reptiles4 ,this is the ,eastern ,teaching1 and this is the teaching of ,western ,science ,it was formerly taught in the text-books that the line of ascent was along the family of winged reptiles which existed in the ,age of ,reptiles1 in the early days of the ,earth4 ,but the later writers on the subject1 in the ,western world1 have contradicted this4 ,it is now taught that these ancient winged-reptiles were featherless1 and more closely resembled the ,bat family than birds4 7,you will remember that a ,bat is neither a reptile nor a bird--it is a mammal1 bringing forth its young alive1 and suckling them at its breast4 ,the ,bat is more like a mouse1 and its wings are simply membrane stretched between its fingers1 its feet1 and its tail47 ,the line of ascent from ,reptile to ,bird was along the forms of the ,reptiles that walked on land4 ,there are close anatomical and physiological relations and correspondences between the two families 7,reptiles and ,birds7 which we need not refer to here4 ,and1 of course1 many modifications have occurred since the branching-out4 ,the scales of the reptiles1 and the feathers of the birds1 are known to be but modifications of the original outer skin1 as are also the hair1 claws1 hoofs1 nails1 etc41 of all animals4 ,even teeth arose in this way1 strange as it may now seem--they are all secreted from the skin4 ,what a wonderful field for thought--this gradual evolution from the filmy outer covering of the lowest living forms to the beautiful feathers1 beaks1 and claws of the bird6 ,the evolving of wings meant much to the ascending forms of life4 ,the ,reptiles were compelled to live in a narrow circle of territory1 while the ,birds were able to travel over the earth in wide flights4 ,and travel always develops the faculties of observation1 memory1 etc41 and cultivates the senses of seeing1 hearing1 etc4 ,and the creature is compelled to exercise its evolving thinking faculties to a greater extent4 ,and so the ,birds were compelled by necessity of their travels to develop a greater degree of thinking organism4 ,the result is that among birds we find many instances of intelligent thought1 which cannot be dismissed as mere instinct4 ,naturalists place the ,crow at the head of the family of ,birds1 in point of intelligence1 and those who have watched these creatures and studied the mental processes1 will agree that this is a just decision4 ,it has been proven that ,crows are capable of counting up to several figures1 and in other ways they display a wonderful degree of almost human sagacity4 ,next above the ,bird family comes the highest form of all--the ,mammals4 ,but before we begin our consideration of these high forms1 let us take a hasty glance at the connecting-links between the ,birds and the ,mammals4 ,the lowest forms of the ,mammals resemble ,birds in many ways4 ,some of them are toothless1 and many of them have the same primitive intestinal arrangements possessed by the birds1 from which arises their name1 ,monotremes4 ,these ,monotremes may be called half-bird and half-mammal4 ,one of the most characteristic of their family is the ,ornithorhynchus1 or ,duck-bill1 which the early naturalists first thought was a fraud of the taxidermists1 or bird-stuffers1 and then1 when finally convinced1 deemed it a freak-of-nature4 ,but it is not a freak creature1 but a connecting-link between the two great families of creatures4 ,this animal presents a startling appearance to the observer who witnesses it for the first time4 ,it resembles a beaver1 having a soft furry coat1 but also has a horny1 flat bill like a duck1 its feet being webbed1 but also furnished with claws projecting over the edge of the web-foot4 ,it lays eggs in an underground nest--two eggs at a time1 which are like the eggs of birds1 inasmuch as they contain not only the protoplasm from which the embryo is formed1 but also the yolk4 on which the embryo feeds until hatched4 ,after the young ,duck-bill is hatched1 it feeds from teatless glands in the mother's body1 the milk being furnished by the mother by a peculiar process4 ,consider this miracle--an animal which lays eggs and then when her young are hatched nourishes them with milk4 ,the milk-glands in the mother are elementary breasts4 ,the above-mentioned animal is found in ,australia1 the land of many strange forms and connecting-links1 which have survived there while in other parts of the globe they have vanished gradually from existence1 crowded out by the more perfectly evolved forms4 ,darwin has called these surviving forms living fossils4 ,in that same land is also found the ,echidna or spiny ant-eater1 which lays an egg and then hatches it in her pouch1 after which she nourishes it on milk1 in a manner similar to that of the ,duck-bill4 ,this animal1 like the ,duck-bill1 is a ,monotreme4 ,scientists are divided in theories as to whether the ,monotremes are actually descended directly from the ,reptiles or ,birds1 or whether there was a common ancestor from which ,reptiles and ,birds and ,mammals branched off4 ,but this is not important1 for the relationship between ,reptiles1 ,birds and ,mammals is clearly proven4 ,and the ,monotremes are certainly one of the surviving forms of the intermediate stages4 ,the next higher step in the ascent of ,mammal life above the ,monotreme is occupied by the ,marsupials1 or milk-giving1 pouched animals1 of which family the opossum and kangaroo are well known members4 ,the characteristic feature of this family of creatures is the possession of an external pouch in the female1 in which the young are kept and nourished until they can take care of themselves as the young of other animals are able to do4 ,the young of the ,marsupials are brought forth1 or born1 in an imperfect condition1 and undeveloped in size and strength4 ,there are fossil remains of ,marsupials showing that in past ages creatures of this kind existed which were as large as elephants4 ,in the more common form of ,mammals the young are brought forth fully formed1 they having received nourishment1 before birth1 from the mother's body1 through the placenta1 the appendage which connects the fetus with the parent4 ,the ,placental ,mammals were the best equipped of all the life-forms for survival and development1 for the reason that the young were nourished during their critical period1 and the care that the mammal must of necessity give to her young operated in the direction of affording a special protection far superior to that of the other forms4 ,this and other causes acted to place the ,placentals in the ,royal line from which ,man was evolved4 ,the following families of ,placental ,mammals are recognized by ,science1 each having its own structural peculiarities3 ,the ,edentata1 or ,toothless creatures1 among which are the sloths1 ant-eaters1 armadillos1 etc4 ,these animals seem to be closer to the ,monotremes than they are to the ,marsupials2 ,the ,sirenia1 so called by reason of their fanciful resemblance to the sirens of mythology1 among which are the sea-cows1 manatees1 dugongs1 etc41 which are fish-like in structure and appearance1 the fore-limbs being shaped like paddles1 or fins1 and the hind-limbs being absent or rudimentary2 ,the ,cetacea1 or ,whale ,family1 including whales1 ,porpoises1 dolphins1 etc41 which are quite fish-like in appearance and structure1 their forms being adapted for life in the sea1 although they are1 of course1 ,mammals1 bringing forth matured young which are suckled at the breast2 ,the ,ungulata1 or ,hoofed ,animals1 which comprise many varied forms1 such as the horse1 the tapir1 the rhinoceros1 the swine1 the hippopotamus1 the camel1 the deer1 the sheep1 the cow1 etc41 etc42 ,the ,hyracoidea1 which is a small family1 the principal member of which is the coney1 or rock rabbit1 which has teeth resembling those of the hoofed animals1 in some ways1 and those of the gnawing animals in the others4 ,the ,proboscidea1 or ,trunked ,animals1 which family is represented in this age only by the families of elephants1 which have a peculiar appendage called a trunk1 which they use as an additional limb2 ,the ,carnivora1 or ,flesh-eaters1 represented by numerous and various forms1 such as the seal1 the bear1 the weasel1 the wolf1 the dog1 the lion1 the tiger1 the leopard1 etc4 ,the wolf and similar forms belong to the sub-family of dogs2 while the lion1 tiger1 etc41 belong to the sub-family of cats2 ,the ,rodentia1 or ,gnawers1 comprising the rat1 the hare1 the beaver1 the squirrel1 the mouse1 etc41 etc42 ,the ,insectivora1 or ,insect ,feeders1 comprising the mole1 the shrew1 the hedgehog1 etc42 ,the ,chiroptera1 or ,finger-,winged ,animals1 comprising the great family of ,bats1 etc41 which are very highly developed animals2 ,the ,lemuroidea1 or ,lemurs1 the name of which is derived from the ,latin word meaning a ghost1 by reason of the ,lemur's habits of roaming about at night4 ,the ,lemur is a nocturnal animal1 somewhat resembling the ,monkey in general appearance1 but with a long1 bushy tail and sharp muzzle like a fox4 ,it is akin to a small fox having hands and feet like a monkey1 the feet being used to grasp like a hand1 as is the case with the true ,monkey family4 ,these creatures are classed by some naturalists among the ,monkeys by reason of being four-handed1 while others are disposed to consider as still more important their marked relationship with1 and affinity to1 the marsupials1 gnawers and insect-feeders4 ,on the whole1 these creatures are strangely organized and come very near to being a connecting-link between other forms4 ,one of the ,lemurs is what is known as the colugo1 or flying lemur1 which resembles a squirrel in many particulars1 and yet has a membranous web extending from its hands1 which enables it to make flying leaps over great distances4 ,this last named variety seems to furnish a link between the insect-feeders and the ,primates2 ,the ,primates1 which is a large family comprising the various forms of monkeys1 baboons1 man-apes1 such as the gibbon1 gorilla1 chimpanzee1 orang-outang1 etc41 all of which have big jaws1 small brains1 and a stooping posture4 ,this family also includes ,,man1 with his big brain and erect posture1 and his many races depending upon shape of skull1 color of skin1 character of hair1 etc4 ,in considering the ,ascent of ,man 7physical7 from the lowly forms of the ,monera1 etc41 up to his present high position1 the student is struck with the continuity of the ascent1 development and unfoldment4 ,while there are many missing-links1 owing to the disappearance of the forms which formed the connection1 still there is sufficient proof left in the existing forms to satisfy the fair-minded inquirer4 ,the facts of embryology alone are sufficient proof of the ascent of ,man from the lowly forms4 ,each and every man today has passed through all the forms of the ascent within a few months1 from single cell to the new-born1 fully formed infant4 ,embryology teaches us that the eggs from which all animal forms evolve are all practically alike so far as one can ascertain by microscopic examination1 no matter how diverse may be the forms which will evolve from them1 and this resemblance is maintained even when the embryo of the higher forms begins to manifest traces of its future form4 ,von ,baer1 the ,german scientist1 was the first to note this remarkable and suggestive fact4 ,he stated it in the following words3 ,in my possession are two little embryos1 preserved in alcohol1 whose names ,i have omitted to attach1 and at present ,i am unable to state to what class they belong4 ,they may be lizards1 or small birds1 or very young mammals1 so complete is the similarity in the mode of the formation of the head and trunk in these animals4 ,the extremities1 however1 are still absent in these embryos4 ,but even if they had existed in the earliest stage of their development1 we should learn nothing1 for the feet of lizards and mammals1 the wings and feet of birds1 no less than the hands and feet of man1 all arise from the same fundamental form4 ,as has been said by ,prof4 ,clodd1 the embryos of all living creatures epitomize during development the series of changes through which the ancestral forms passed if their ascent from the simple to the complex2 the higher structures passing through the same stages as the lower structures up to the point when they are marked off from them1 yet never becoming in detail the form which they represent for the time being4 ,for example1 the embryo of man has at the outset gill-like slits on each side of the neck1 like a fish4 ,these give place to a membrane like that which supersedes gills in the development of birds and reptiles2 the heart is at first a simple pulsating chamber like that in worms2 the backbone is prolonged into a movable tail2 the great toe is extended1 or opposable1 like our thumbs1 and like the toes of apes2 the body three months before birth is covered all over with hair except on the palms and soles4 ,at birth the head is relatively larger1 and the arms and legs relatively longer than in the adult2 the nose is bridgeless2 both features1 with others which need not be detailed1 being distinctly ape-like4 ,thus does the egg from which man springs1 a structure only one hundred and twenty-fifth of an inch in size1 compress into a few weeks the results of millions of years1 and set before us the history of his development from fish-like and reptilian forms1 and of his more immediate descent from a hairy1 tailed quadruped4 ,that which is individual or peculiar to him1 the physical and mental character inherited1 is left to the slower development which follows birth4 ,this1 then1 in brief is the ,western theory of ,evolution--the ,physical ,ascent of ,man4 ,we have given it as fully as might be in the small space at our disposal in these lessons on the ,yogi ,philosophy4 ,why8 ,because we wish to prove to the ,western mind1 in the ,western way1 that ,western ,science corroborates the ,ancient ,yogi ,teachings of the ,unfoldment of ,living ,forms1 from ,monad to ,man4 ,the ,eastern teachers scorn to prove anything to their pupils1 who sit at the feet of teachers and accept as truth that which is taught them1 and which has been handed down from the dim ages long past4 ,but this method will never do for the ,western student--he must have it proven to him by physical facts and instances1 not by keen1 subtle1 intellectual reasoning alone4 ,the ,eastern student wishes to be told--the ,western student wishes to be shown4 ,herein lies the racial differences of method of imparting knowledge4 ,and so we have recognized this fact and have heaped up proof after proof from the pages of ,western ,science1 in order to prove to you the reasonableness1 from the ,western point of view1 of the doctrine of ,physical ,unfoldment as taught for ages past by the ,yogi gurus to their chelas4 ,you have now the ,eastern ,teachings on the subject1 together with the testimony of ,western ,science to the reasonableness of the idea4 ,but1 alas6 ,western ,science1 while performing a marvelous work in piling up fact after fact to support its newly-discovered theory of ,evolution1 in a way utterly unknown to the ,oriental thinker who seeks after principles by mental concentration--within rather than without--while actually proving by physical facts the mental conceptions of the ,oriental ,teachings1 still misses the vital point of the subject-thought4 ,in its materialistic tendencies it has failed to recognize the mental cause of the physical unfoldment4 ,it is true that ,lamark1 the real ,western discoverer of ,evolution1 taught that ,desire and ,mental ,craving1 was the real force behind ,evolution1 but his ideas were jeered at by his contemporaries1 and are not regarded seriously by the majority of ,evolutionists even today4 ,and yet he was nearer to the truth than ,darwin or any other ,western ,evolutionist4 ,and time will show that ,science has overlooked his genius1 which alone throws the true light upon the subject4 ,in order to see just this difference between the ,darwinian school and the ,yogi ,teachings let us examine into what causes the ,western ,evolutionists give for the fact of ,evolution itself4 ,we shall do this briefly4 ,the ,darwinians start out to explain the causes of the ,origin of ,species1 with the statement that no two individuals of the same species are exactly alike2 each tends to vary4 ,this is a self-evident fact1 and is very properly used as a starting point for ,variation4 ,the next step is then stated as variations are transmitted1 and therefore tend to become permanent1 which also is self-evident1 and tends to prove the reasonableness of the gradual evolution of species4 ,the next step in the argument is as man produces new species and forms1 by breeding1 culture1 etc41 so has ,nature in a longer time produced the same effect1 in the same way4 ,this also is reasonable1 although it tends to personify ,nature1 and to give it a mind before the evolutionists admit mind was evolved4 ,it will be as well to quote ,darwin himself on this point4 ,he says2 ,as man can produce1 and certainly has produced1 a great result by his methodical and unconscious means of selection1 what may not natural selection effect8 ,man can act only on external and visible characters1 while ,nature1 if ,i may be allowed to personify the natural preservation or survival of the fittest1 cares nothing for appearances except in so far as they are useful to any being4 ,she can act on every internal organ1 on every shade of constitutional difference1 on the whole machinery of life4 ,man selects only for his own good2 ,nature only for the good of the being which she tends4 ,every selected character is fully exercised by her1 as is implied by the fact of their selection4 ,man keeps the natives of many climates in the same country2 he seldom exercises each selected character in some peculiar and fitting manner2 he feeds a long-beaked and a short-beaked pigeon on the same food2 he does not exercise a long-backed or long-legged quadruped in any peculiar manner2 he exposes sheep with long hair and short wool in the same climate4 ,he does not allow the most vigorous males to struggle for the females4 ,he does not rigidly destroy all inferior animals1 but protects during each varying season1 so far as lies in his power1 all his productions4 ,he often begins his selection by some half-monstrous form1 or at least by some modification prominent enough to catch the eye or to be plainly useful to him4 ,under ,nature the slightest differences of structure or constitution may- well turn the nicely balanced scale in the struggle for life1 and so be preserved4 ,how fleeting are the wishes and efforts of man6 how short his time6 and consequently how poor will be his results1 compared with those accumulated by nature during whole geological periods6 ,can we wonder1 then1 that ,nature's productions should be far 'truer' in character than man's productions2 that they should be infinitely better adapted to the most complex conditions of life1 and should plainly bear the stamp of far higher workmanship8 ,darwin's theory of survival of the fittest is begun by the statement of the fact that the number of organisms that survive are very small compared with the number that are born4 ,to quote his own words1 ,there is no exception to the rule that every organic being naturally increases at so high a rate that1 if not destroyed1 the earth would soon be covered by the progeny of a single pair4 ,even slow-breeding man has doubled in twenty-five years1 and at this rate in less than a thousand years there would literally not be standing room for the progeny4 ,it has been computed that if the offspring of the elephant1 which is believed to be the slowest breeding animal known1 were to survive1 there would be about #bj1jjj1jjj elephants on the earth in #gej years4 ,the roe of a single cod contains eight or nine millions of eggs1 and if each egg were to hatch1 and the fish survive1 the sea would shortly become a solid mass of codfish4 ,the house fly is said to have #bj1jjj1jjj descendants in a season1 counting several generations of progeny1 from its several broods4 ,and some scientist has computed that the aphis1 or plant-louse1 breeds so rapidly1 and in such enormous quantity1 that the tenth generation of one set of parents would be so large that it would contain more ponderable animal matter than would the population of ,china1 which is estimated at #ejj1jjj1jjj6 ,and this without counting the progeny preceding the tenth generation6 ,the result of the above conditions is very plain4 ,there must ensue a ,struggle for ,existence1 which necessitates the ,survival of the ,fittest4 ,the weak are crushed out by the strong2 the swift out-distance the slow4 ,the individual forms or species best adapted to their environment and best equipped for the struggle1 be the equipment physical or mental1 survive those less well equipped or less well adapted to environment4 ,animals evolving variations in structure that give them even a slight advantage over others not so favored1 naturally have a better chance to survive4 ,and this1 briefly1 is what ,evolutionists call ,the ,survival of the ,fittest4 ,as appertaining to the ,struggle for ,existence1 color and mimicry are important factors4 ,grant ,allen1 in his work on ,darwin1 says concerning this1 and also as illustrating ,natural ,selection3 ,in the desert with its monotonous sandy coloring1 a black insect or a white insect1 still more a red insect or a blue insect1 would be immediately detected and devoured by its natural enemies1 the birds and the lizards4 ,but any greyish or yellowish insects would be less likely to attract attention at first sight1 and would be overlooked as long as there were any more conspicuous individuals of their own kind about for the birds and lizards to feed on4 ,hence1 in a very short time the desert would be depopulated of all but the greyest and yellowest insects2 and among these the birds would pick out those which differed most markedly in hue and shade from the sand around them4 ,but those which happened to vary most in the direction of a sandy or spotty color would be more likely to survive1 and to become the parents of future generations4 ,thus1 in the course of long ages1 all the insects which inhabit deserts have become sand-colored1 because the less sandy were perpetually picked out for destruction by their ever-watchful foes1 while the most sandy escaped1 and multiplied and replenished the earth with their own likes4 ,prof4 ,clodd1 remarking upon this fact1 adds3 ,thus1 then1 is explained the tawny color of the larger animals that inhabit the desert2 the stripes upon the tiger1 which parallel with the vertical stems of bamboo1 conceal him as he stealthily nears his prey2 the brilliant green of tropical birds2 the leaf-like form and colors of certain insects2 the dried1 twig-like form of many caterpillars2 the bark-like appearance of tree-frogs2 the harmony of the ptarmigan's summer plumage with the lichen-colored stones upon which it sits2 the dusky color of creatures that haunt the night2 the bluish transparency of animals which live on the surface of the sea2 the gravel-like color of flat-fish that live at the bottom2 and the gorgeous tints of those that swim among the coral reefs4 ,all this does not run contrary to the ,yogi ,philosophy1 although the latter would regard these things as but the secondary cause for the variation and survival of species1 etc4 ,the ,oriental teachings are that it is the desire of the animal that causes it to assume the colors and shapes in accordance with its environment1 the desire of course operating along sub-conscious lines of physical manifestation4 ,the mental influence1 which is the real cause of the phenomena1 and which is taught as such by the ,yogis1 is almost lost sight of by the ,western ,evolutionists1 who are apt to regard ,mind as a by-product of matter4 ,on the contrary1 the ,yogis regard ,matter as the product of ,mind4 ,but there is no conflict here as far as regards the law of the ,survival of the ,fittest4 ,the insects that most desired to become sand-colored became so1 and were thus protected1 while their less desireful brethren were exterminated4 ,the ,western scientist explains the outward phenomena1 but does not look for the cause behind it1 which is taught by the ,oriental sages4 ,the doctrine of ,sexual ,selection is another of the leading tenets of the ,darwinists4 ,briefly1 it may be expressed as the theory that in the rivalry and struggle of the males for the females the strongest males win the day1 and thus transmit their particular qualities to their offspring4 ,along the same lines is that of the attraction exerted by bright colors in the plumage of the males of birds1 etc41 which give them an advantage in the eyes of the females1 and thus1 naturally1 the bright colors are perpetuated4 ,this1 then1 is the brief outline of the ,story of ,man's ,physical ,evolution1 as stated by ,western ,science1 and compared with the ,yogi ,teachings4 ,the student should compare the two ideas1 that he may harmonize and reconcile them4 ,it must be remembered1 however1 that ,darwin did not teach that ,man descended from the monkeys1 or apes1 as we know them now4 ,the teaching of ,western ,evolution is that the apes1 and higher forms of monkey life descended from some common ancestral form1 which same ancestor was also the ancestor of ,man4 ,in other words1 ,man and ,apes are the different branches that emerged from the common trunk ages ago4 ,other forms doubtless emerged from the same trunk1 and perished because less adapted to their environments4 ,the ,apes were best adapted to their own environments1 and ,man was best adapted to his4 ,the weaker branches failed4 ,one must remember that the most savage races known to us today are practically as far different from the highest ,american1 ,european or ,hindu types of ,man as from the highest ,apes4 ,indeed1 it would seem far easier for a high ,ape to evolve into a ,kaffir1 ,hottentot1 or ,digger ,indian1 than for the latter to evolve into an ,emerson1 ,shakespeare1 or ,hindu ,sage4 ,as ,huxley has shown1 the brain-structure of ,man compared with that of the ,chimpanzee shows differences but slight when compared with the difference between that of the ,chimpanzee and that of the ,lemur4 ,the same authority informs us that in the important feature of the deeper brain furrows1 and intricate convolutions1 the chasm between the highest civilized man and the lowest savage is far greater than between the lowest savage and the highest man-like ape4 ,darwin1 describing the ,fuegians1 who are among the very lowest forms of savages1 says3 ,their very signs and expressions are less intelligible to us than those of the domesticated animal4 ,they are men who do not possess the instinct of those animals1 nor yet appear to boast of human reason1 or at least of arts consequent upon that reason4 ,professor ,clodd1 in describing the primitive man1 says3 ,doubtless he was lower than the lowest of the savages of today--a powerful1 cunning biped1 with keen sense organs always sharper1 in virtue of constant exercise1 in the savage than in the civilized man 7who supplements them by science71 strong instincts1 uncontrolled and fitful emotions1 small faculty of wonder1 and nascent reasoning power2 unable to forecast tomorrow1 or to comprehend yesterday1 living from hand to mouth on the wild products of ,nature1 clothed in skin and bark1 or daubed with clay1 and finding shelter in trees and caves2 ignorant of the simplest arts1 save to chip a stone missile1 and perhaps to produce fire2 strong in his needs of life and vague sense of right to it and to what he could get1 but slowly impelled by common perils and passions to form ties1 loose and haphazard at the outset1 with his kind1 the power of combination with them depending on sounds1 signs and gestures4 ,such was the ancestral man4 ,those who are interested in him are referred to the two wonderful tales of the cave-man written in the form of stories by two great modern novelists4 ,the books referred to are 7#a7 ,the ,story of ,ab1 by ,stanley ,waterloo1 and 7#b7 ,before ,adam1 by ,jack ,london4 ,they may be obtained from any bookseller4 ,both are works of fiction1 with the scientific facts cleverly interwoven into them4 ,and now in conclusion before we pass on the subject of ,spiritual ,evolution1 which will form the subject of our next lesson1 we would again call your attention to the vital difference between the ,western and the ,eastern ,teachings4 ,the ,western holds to a mechanical theory of life1 which works without the necessity of antecedent ,mind1 the latter appearing as a product at a certain stage4 ,the ,eastern holds that ,mind is back of1 under1 and antecedent to all the work of ,evolution--the cause1 not the effect or product4 ,the ,western claims that ,mind was produced by the struggle of ,matter to produce higher forms of itself4 ,the ,eastern claims that the whole process of ,evolution is caused by ,mind striving1 struggling and pressing forward toward expressing itself more fully--to liberate itself from the confining and retarding ,matter--the struggle resulting in an ,unfoldment which causes sheath after sheath of the confining material bonds to be thrown off and discarded1 in the effort to release the confined ,spirit which is behind even the ,mind4 ,the ,yogi ,teachings are that the ,evolutionary ,urge is the pressure of the confined ,spirit striving to free itself from the fetters and bonds which sorely oppress it4 ,the struggle and pain of ,evolution is the parturition-pangs of the ,spiritual deliverance from the womb of ,matter4 ,like all birth it is attended by pain and suffering1 but the end justifies it all4 ,and as the human mother forgets her past suffering in the joy of witnessing the face1 and form1 and life1 of her loved child1 so will the soul forget the pain of the ,spiritual birth by reason of the beauty and nobility of that which will be born to and from it4 ,let us study well the story of ,physical ,evolution1 but let us not lose ourselves in it1 for it is but the preliminary to the story of the ,unfoldment of the ,soul4 ,let us not despise the tale of the ,body of ,man--for it is the story of the ,temple of the ,spirit which has been built up from the most humble beginnings1 until it has reached the present high stage4 ,and yet even this is but the beginning1 for the work will go on1 and on1 and on1 in the spirit of those beautiful lines of ,holmes3 ,build thee more stately mansions1 oh1 my soul6 ,as the swift seasons roll6 ,leave thy low-vaulted past6 ,let each new temple1 nobler than the last1 ,shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast1 ,till thou at last art free1 ,leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea4 ,,the ,,ninth ,,lesson ,,metempsychosis4 ,as we have said in our last lesson1 while the ,yogi ,teachings throw an important light upon the ,western theory of ,evolution1 still there is a vital difference between the ,western scientific teachings on the subject and the ,eastern theories and teachings4 ,the ,western idea is that the process is a mechanical1 material one1 and that mind is a by-product of ,matter in its evolution4 ,but the ,eastern ,teachings hold that ,mind is under1 back of1 and antecedent to all the work of ,evolution1 and that ,matter is a by-product of ,mind1 rather than the reverse4 ,the ,eastern ,teachings hold that ,evolution is caused by ,mind striving1 struggling1 and pressing forward toward fuller and fuller expression1 using ,matter as a material1 and yet always struggling to free itself from the confining and retarding influence of the latter4 ,the struggle results in an ,unfoldment1 causing sheath after sheath of the confining material bonds to be thrown off and discarded1 as the ,spirit presses upon the ,mind1 and the ,mind moulds and shapes the ,matter4 ,evolution is but the process of birth of the ,individualized ,spirit1 from the web of ,matter in which it has been confined4 ,and the pains and struggles are but incidents of the spiritual parturition4 ,in this and following lessons we shall consider the ,spiritual ,evolution1 of the race--that is the ,unfoldment of ,individualized ,spirit--just as we did the subject ,physical ,evolution in the last two lessons4 ,we have seen that preceding ,spiritual ,evolution1 there was a ,spiritual ,involution4 ,the ,yogi ,philosophy holds that in the ,beginning1 the ,absolute meditated upon the subject of ,creation1 and formed a ,mental ,image1 or ,thought-,form1 of an ,universal ,mind--that is1 of an ,universal ,principle of ,mind4 ,this ,universal ,principle of ,mind is the ,great ,ocean of ,mind-,stuff from which all the phenomenal ,universe is evolved4 ,from this ,universal ,principle of ,mind1 proceeded the ,universal ,principle of ,force or ,energy4 ,and from the latter1 proceeded the ,universal ,principle of ,matter4 ,the ,universal ,principle of ,mind was bound by ,laws imposed upon it by the mental-conception of the ,absolute--the ,cosmic ,laws of ,nature4 ,and these laws were the compelling causes of the ,great ,involution4 ,for before ,evolution was possible1 ,involution was necessary4 ,we have explained that the word involve means to wrap up2 to cover2 to hide1 etc4 ,before a thing can be evolved1 that is unfolded1 it must first be involved1 that is wrapped up4 ,a thing must be put in1 before it may be taken out4 ,following the laws of ,involution imposed upon it1 the ,universal ,mental ,principle involved itself in the ,universal ,energy ,principle2 and then in obedience to the same laws1 the latter involved itself in the ,universal ,material ,principle4 ,each stage of ,involution1 or wrapping-up1 created for itself 7out of the higher principle which in being involved7 the wrapper or sheath which is to be used to wrap-up the higher principle4 ,and the higher forms of the ,material ,principle formed sheaths of lower forms1 until forms of ,matter were produced far more gross than any known to us now1 for they have disappeared in the ,evolutionary ascent4 ,down1 down1 down went the process of ,involution1 until the lowest point was reached4 ,then ensued a moment's pause1 preceding the beginning of the ,evolutionary ,unfoldment4 ,then began the ,great ,evolution4 ,but1 as we have told you1 the ,upward movement was distinguished by the ,tendency toward ,individualization4 ,that is1 while the ,involuntary ,process was accomplished by ,principles as ,principles1 the ,upward ,movement was begun by a tendency toward splitting up1 and the creation of individual forms1 and the effort to perfect them and build upon them higher and still higher succeeding forms1 until a stage was reached in which the ,temple of the ,spirit was worthy of being occupied by ,man1 the self-conscious expression of the ,spirit4 ,for the coming of ,man was the first step of a higher form of ,evolution--the ,spiritual ,evolution4 ,up to this time there had been simply an ,evolution of ,bodies1 but now there came the ,evolution of ,souls4 ,and this ,evolution of ,souls becomes possible only by the process of ,metempsychosis 7pronounced me-temp-si-ko-sis7 which is more commonly known as ,reincarnation1 or ,re-embodiment4 ,it becomes necessary at this point to call your attention to the general subject of ,metempsychosis1 for the reason that the public mind is most confused regarding this important subject4 ,it has the most vague ideas regarding the true teachings1 and has somehow acquired the impression that the teachings are that human souls are re-born into the bodies of dogs1 and other animals4 ,the wildest ideas on this subject are held by some people4 ,and1 not only is this so1 but even a number of those who hold to the doctrine of ,reincarnation1 in some of its forms1 hold that their individual souls were once the individual souls of animals1 from which state they have evolved to the present condition4 ,this last is a perversion of the highest ,yogi ,teachings1 and we trust to make same plain in these lessons4 ,but1 first we must take a look at the general subject of ,metempsychosis1 that we may see the important part it has played in the field of human thought and belief4 ,while to many the idea of ,metempsychosis may seem new and unfamiliar1 still it is one of the oldest conceptions of the race1 and in ages past was the accepted belief of the whole of the civilized race of man of the period4 ,and even today1 it is accepted as ,truth by the majority of the race ,the almost universal acceptance of the idea by the ,east with its teeming life1 counterbalances its comparative non-reception by the ,western people of the day4 ,from the early days of written or legendary history1 ,metempsychosis has been the accepted belief of many of the most intelligent of the race4 ,it is found underlying the magnificent civilization of ancient ,egypt1 and from thence it traveled to the ,western world being held as the highest truth by such teachers as ,pythagoras1 ,empedocles1 ,plato1 ,virgil and ,ovid4 ,plato's ,dialogues are full of this teaching4 ,the ,hindus have always held to it4 ,the ,persians1 inspired by their learned ,magi1 accepted it implicitly4 ,the ancient ,druids1 and ,priests of ,gaul1 as well as the ancient inhabitants of ,germany1 held to it4 ,traces of it may be found in the remains of the ,aztec1 ,peruvian and ,mexican civilizations4 ,the ,eleusinian ,mysteries of ,greece1 the ,roman ,mysteries1 and the ,inner ,doctrines of the ,cabbala of the ,hebrews all taught the ,truths of ,metempsychosis4 ,the early ,christian ,fathers2 the ,gnostic and ,manichaeans and other sects of the ,early ,christian people1 all held to the doctrine4 ,the modern ,german philosophers have treated it with the greatest respect1 if indeed they did not at least partially accept it4 ,many modern writers have considered it gravely1 and with respect4 ,the following quotations will give an idea of how the wind is blowing in the ,west3 ,of all the theories respecting the origin of the soul1 ,metempsychosis seems to me the most plausible and therefore the one most likely to throw light on the question of a life to come4--,frederick ,h4 ,hedge4 ,it would be curious if we should find science and philosophy taking up again the old theory of metempsychosis1 remodelling' it to suit our present modes of religious and scientific thought1 and launching it again on the wide ocean of human belief4 ,but stranger things have happened in the history of human opinions4--,james ,freeman ,clarke4 ,if we could legitimately determine any question of belief by the number of its adherents1 the ---- would apply to metempsychosis more fitly than to any other4 ,i think it is quite as likely to be revived and to come to the front as any rival theory4--,prof4 ,wm4 ,knight4 ,it seems to me1 a firm and well-grounded faith in the doctrine of ,christian metempsychosis might help to regenerate the world4 ,for it would be a faith not hedged around with many of the difficulties and objections which beset other forms of doctrine1 and it offers distinct and pungent motives for trying to lead a more ,christian life1 and for loving and helping our brother-man4--,prof4 ,francis ,bowen4 ,the doctrine of ,metempsychosis may almost claim to be a natural or innate belief in the human mind1 if we may judge from its wide diffusion among the nations of the earth1 and its prevalence throughout the historical ages4--,prof4 ,francis ,bowen4 ,when ,christianity first swept over ,europe1 the inner thought of its leaders was deeply tinctured with this truth4 ,the ,church tried ineffectually to eradicate it1 but in various sects it kept sprouting forth beyond the time of ,erigina and ,bonaventura1 its mediaeval advocates4 ,every great intuitional soul1 as ,paracelsus1 ,boehme1 and ,swedenborg1 has adhered to it4 ,the ,italian luminaries1 ,giordano ,bruno and ,campanella4 embraced it4 ,the best of ,german philosophy is enriched by it4 ,in ,schopenhauer1 ,lessing1 ,hegel1 ,leibnitz1 ,herder1 and ,fichte1 the younger1 it is earnestly advocated4 ,the anthropological systems of ,kant and ,schelling furnish points of contact with it4 ,the younger ,helmont1 in ,de ,revolutione ,animarum1 adduces in two hundred problems all the arguments which may be urged in favor of the return of souls into human bodies according to ,jewish ideas4 ,of ,english thinkers1 the ,cambridge ,platonists defended it with much learning and acuteness1 most conspicuously ,henry ,more2 and in ,cudsworth and ,hume it ranks as the most rational theory of immortality4 ,glanvil's ,lux ,orientalis devotes a curious treatise to it4 ,it captivated the minds of ,fourier and ,leroux4 ,andre ,pezzani's book on ,the ,plurality of the ,soul's ,lives works out the system on the ,roman ,catholic idea of expiation4--,e4,d4 ,,walker1 in ,re-,incarnation1 a ,study of ,forgotten ,truth4 ,and in the latter part of the ,nineteenth ,century1 and this the early part of the ,twentieth ,century1 the general public has been made familiar with the idea of ,metempsychosis1 under the name of ,re-incarnation1 by means of the great volume of literature issued by ,the ,theosophical ,society and its allied following4 ,no longer is the thought a novelty to the ,western thinker1 and many have found within themselves a corroborative sense of its truth4 ,in fact1 to many the mere mention of the idea has been sufficient to awaken faint shadowy memories of past lives1 and1 to such1 many heretofore unaccountable traits of character1 tastes1 inclinations1 sympathies1 dislikes1 etc41 have been explained4 ,the ,western world has been made familiar with the idea of the re-birth of souls into new bodies1 under the term of ,re-incarnation1 which means a re-entry into flesh1 the word incarnate being derived from the words in1 and carnis1 meaning flesh--the ,english word meaning to clothe with flesh1 etc4 ,the word ,metempsychosis1 which we use in this lesson1 is concerned rather with the passage of the soul from one tenement to another1 the fleshly idea being merely incidental4 ,the doctrine of ,metempsychosis1 or ,re-incarnation1 together with its accompanying doctrine1 ,karma1 or ,spiritual ,cause and ,effect1 is one of the great foundation stones of the ,yogi ,philosophy1 as indeed it is of the entire system of systems of ,oriental ,philosophy and ,thought4 ,unless one understands ,metempsychosis he will never be able to understand the ,eastern ,teachings1 for he will be without the ,key4 ,you who have read the ,bhagavad ,gita1 that wonderful ,hindu ,epic1 will remember how the thread of ,re-,birth runs through it all4 ,you remember the words of ,krishna to ,arjuna3 ,as the soul1 wearing this material body1 experienceth the stages of infancy1 youth1 manhood1 and old age1 even so shall it1 in due time1 pass on to another body1 and in other incarnations shall it again live1 and move and play its part4 ,these bodies1 which act as enveloping coverings for the souls occupying them1 are but finite things--things of the moment--and not the ,real ,man at all4 ,they perish as all finite things perish--let them perish4 ,as a man throweth away his old garments1 replacing them with new and brighter ones1 even so the ,dweller of the body1 having quitted its old mortal frame1 entereth into others which are new and freshly prepared for it4 ,weapons pierce not the ,real ,man1 nor doth the fire burn him2 the water affecteth him not1 nor the wind drieth him nor bloweth him away4 ,for he is impregnable and impervious to these things of the world of change--he is eternal1 permanent1 unchangeable1 and unalterable--,real4 ,this view of life gives to the one who holds to it1 an entirely different mental attitude4 ,he no longer identifies himself with the particular body that he may be occupying1 nor with any other body for that matter4 ,he learns to regard his body just as he would a garment which he is wearing1 useful to him for certain purposes1 but which will in time be discarded and thrown aside for a better one1 and one better adapted to his new requirements and needs4 ,so firmly is this idea embedded in the consciousness of the ,hindus1 that they will often say ,my body is tired1 or ,my body is hungry1 or ,my body is full of energy1 rather than that ,i am this or that thing4 ,and this consciousness1 once attained1 gives to one a sense of strength1 security and power unknown to him who regards his body as himself4 ,the first step for the student who wishes to grasp the idea of ,metempsychosis1 and who wishes to awaken in his consciousness a certainty of its truth1 is to familiarize himself with the idea of his ,i being a thing independent and a part from his body1 although using the latter as an abiding place and a useful shelter and instrument for the time being4 ,many writers on the subject of ,metempsychosis have devoted much time1 labor and argument to prove the reasonableness of the doctrine upon purely speculative1 philosophical1 or metaphysical grounds4 ,and while we believe that such efforts are praiseworthy for the reason that many persons must be first convinced in that way1 still we feel that one must really feel the truth of the doctrine from something within his own consciousness1 before he will really believe it to be truth4 ,one may convince himself of the logical necessity of the doctrine of ,metempsychosis1 but at the same time he may drop the matter with a shrug of the shoulders and a still1 who knows8 ,but when one begins to feel within himself the awakening consciousness of a something in the past1 not to speak of the flashes of memory1 and feeling of former acquaintance with the subject1 then1 and then only1 does he begin to believe4 ,many people have had peculiar experiences that are accountable only upon the hypothesis of ,metempsychosis4 ,who has not experienced the consciousness of having felt the thing before--having thought it some time in the dim past8 ,who has not witnessed new scenes that appear old1 very old8 ,who has not met persons for the first time1 whose presence awakened memories of a past lying far back in the misty ages of long ago8 ,who has not been seized at times with the consciousness of a mighty oldness of soul8 ,who has not heard music1 often entirely new compositions1 which somehow awakens memories of similar strains1 scenes1 places1 faces1 voices1 lands1 associations and events1 sounding dimly on the strings of memory as the breezes of the harmony floats over them8 ,who has not gazed at some old painting1 or piece of statuary1 with the sense of having seen it all before8 ,who has not lived through events1 which brought with them a certainty of being merely a repetition of some shadowy occurrences away back in lives lived long ago8 ,who has not felt the influence of the mountain1 the sea1 the desert1 coming to them when they are far from such scenes--coming so vividly as to cause the actual scene of the present to fade into comparative unreality4 ,who has not had these experiences--we ask8 ,writers1 poets1 and others who carry messages to the world1 have testified to these things--and nearly every man or woman who hears the message recognizes it as something having correspondence in his or her own life4 ,sir ,walter ,scott tells us in his diary3 ,i cannot1 ,i am sure1 tell if it is worth marking down1 that yesterday1 at dinner time1 ,i was strangely haunted by what ,i would call the sense of preexistence1 viz41 a confused idea that nothing that passed was said for the first time2 that the same topics had been discussed and the same persons had stated the same opinions on them4 ,the sensation was so strong as to resemble what is called the mirage in the desert and a calenture on board ship4 ,the same writer1 in one of his novels1 ,guy ,mannering1 makes one of his characters say3 ,why is it that some scenes awaken thoughts which belong as it were1 to dreams of early and shadowy recollections1 such as old ,brahmin moonshine would have ascribed to a state of previous existence4 ,how often do we find ourselves in society which we have never before met1 and yet feel impressed with a mysterious and ill-defined consciousness that neither the scene nor the speakers nor the subject are entirely new2 nay1 feel as if we could anticipate that part of the conversation which has not yet taken place4 ,bulwer speaks of that strange kind of inner and spiritual memory which so often recalls to us places and persons we have never seen before1 and which ,platonists would resolve to be the unquenched consciousness of a former life4 ,and again1 he says3 ,how strange is it that at times a feeling comes over us as we gaze upon certain places1 which associates the scene either with some dim remembered and dreamlike images of the ,past1 or with a prophetic and fearful omen of the ,future4 ,every one has known a similar strange and indistinct feeling at certain times and places1 and with a similar inability to trace the cause4 ,poe has written these words on the subject3 ,we walk about1 amid the destinies of our world existence1 accompanied by dim but ever present memories of a ,destiny more vast--very distant in the bygone time and infinitely awful4 ,we live out a youth peculiarly haunted by such dreams1 yet never mistaking them for dreams4 ,as memories we know them4 ,during our youth the distinctness is too clear to deceive us even for a moment4 ,but the doubt of manhood dispels these feelings as illusions4 ,home relates an interesting incident in his life1 which had a marked effect upon his beliefs1 thereafter4 ,he relates that upon an occasion when he visited a strange house in ,london he was shown into a room to wait4 ,he says3 ,on looking around1 to my astonishment everything appeared perfectly familiar to me4 ,i seemed to recognize every object4 ,i said to myself1 ',what is this8 ,i have never been here before1 and yet ,i have seen all this1 and if so1 then there must be a very peculiar knot in that shutter4' ,he proceeded to examine the shutter1 and much to his amazement the knot was there4 ,we have recently heard of a similar case1 told by an old lady who formerly lived in the far ,west of the ,united ,states4 ,she states that upon one occasion a party was wandering on the desert in her part of the country1 and found themselves out of water4 ,as that part of the desert was unfamiliar even to the guides1 the prospect for water looked very poor indeed4 ,after a fruitless search of several hours1 one of the party1 a perfect stranger to that part of the country1 suddenly pressed his hand to his head1 and acted in a dazed manner1 crying out ,i know that a water-hole is over to the right--this way1 and away he started with the party after him4 ,after a half-hour's journey they reached an old hidden water-hole that was unknown even to the oldest man in the party4 ,the stranger said that he did not understand the matter1 but that he had somehow experienced a sensation of having been there before1 and knowing just where the water-hole was located4 ,an old ,indian who was questioned about the matter1 afterward1 stated that the place had been well known to his people who formerly travelled much on that part of the desert2 and that they had legends relating to the hidden water-hole1 running back for many generations4 ,in this case1 it was remarked that the water-hole was situated in such a peculiar and unusual manner1 as to render it almost undiscoverable even to people familiar with the characteristics of that part of the country4 ,the old lady who related the story1 had it direct from the lips of one of the party1 who regarded it as something queer1 but who had never even heard of ,metempsychosis4 ,a correspondent of an ,english magazine writes as follows3 ,a gentleman of high intellectual attainments1 now deceased1 once told me that he had dreamed of being in a strange city1 so vividly that he remembered the streets1 houses and public buildings as distinctly as those of any place he ever visited4 ,a few weeks later he was induced to visit a panorama in ,leicester ,square1 when he was startled by seeing the city of which he had dreamed4 ,the likeness was perfect1 except that one additional church appeared in the picture4 ,he was so struck by the circumstance that he spoke to the exhibitor1 assuming for the purpose the air of a traveller acquainted with the place1 when he was informed that the church was a recent erection4 ,the fact of the addition of the church1 seems to place the incident within the rule of awakened memories of scenes known in a past life1 for clairvoyance1 astral travel1 etc41 would show the scene as it was at the time of the dream1 not as it had been years before4 ,charles ,dickens mentions a remarkable impression in his work ,pictures from ,italy4 ,in the foreground was a group of silent peasant girls1 leaning over the parapet of the little bridge1 looking now up at the sky1 now down into the water2 in the distance a deep dell2 the shadow of an approaching night on everything4 ,if ,i had been murdered there in some former life ,i could not have seemed to remember the place more thoroughly1 or with more emphatic chilling of the blood2 and the real remembrance of it acquired in that minute is so strengthened by the imaginary recollection that ,i hardly think ,i could forget it4 ,we have recently met two people in ,america who had very vivid memories of incidents in their past life4 ,one of these1 a lady1 has a perfect horror of large bodies of water1 such as the ,great ,lakes1 or the ,ocean1 although she was born and has lived the greater part of her life inland1 far removed from any great body of water1 ,she has a distinct recollection of falling from a large canoe-shape vessel1 of peculiar lines1 and drowning4 ,she was quite overcome upon her first visit to the ,field ,museum in ,chicago1 where there were exhibited a number of models of queer vessels used by primitive people4 ,she pointed out one similar in shape1 and lines1 to the one she remembers as having fallen from in some past life4 ,the second case mentioned is that of a married couple who met each other in a country foreign to both1 on their travels4 ,they fell in love with each other1 and both have felt that their marriage was a reunion rather than a new attachment4 ,the husband one day shortly after their marriage told his wife in a rather shamed-faced way that he had occasional flashes of memory of having held in his arms1 in the dim past1 a woman whose face he could not recall1 but who wore a strange necklace1 he describing the details of the latter4 ,the wife said nothing1 but after her husband had left for his office1 she went to the attic and unpacked an old trunk containing some odds and ends1 relics1 heirlooms1 etc41 and drew from it an old necklace of peculiar pattern that her grandfather had brought back from ,india1 where he had lived in his younger days1 and which had been in the family ever since4 ,she laid the necklace on the table1 so that her husband would see it upon his return4 ,the moment his eyes fell upon it1 he turned white as death1 and gasped ,my ,god6 that's the necklace6 ,a writer in a ,western journal gives the following story of a ,southern woman4 ,when ,i was in ,heidelberg1 ,germany1 attending a convention of ,mystics1 in company with some friends ,i paid my first visit to the ruined ,heidelberg ,castle4 ,as ,i approached it ,i was impressed with the existence of a peculiar room in an inaccessible portion of the building4 ,a paper and pencil were provided me1 and ,i drew a diagram of the room even to its peculiar floor4 ,my diagram and description were perfect1 when we afterwards visited the room4 ,in some way1 not yet clear to me1 ,i have been connected with that apartment4 ,still another impression came to me with regard to a book1 which ,i was made to feel was in the old library of the ,heidelberg ,university4 ,i not only knew what the book was1 but even felt that a certain name of an old ,german professor would be found written in it4 ,communicating this feeling to one of the ,mystics at the convention1 a search was made for the volume1 but it was not found4 ,still the impression clung to me1 and another effort was made to find the book2 this time we were rewarded for our pains4 ,sure enough1 there on the margin of one of the leaves was the very name ,i had been given in such a strange manner4 ,other things at the same time went to convince me that ,i was in possession of the soul of a person who had known ,heidelberg two or three centuries ago4 ,a contributor to an old magazine relates1 among other instances1 the following regarding a friend who remembers having died in ,india during the youth of some former life4 ,he states3 ,he sees the bronzed attendants gathered about his cradle in their white dresses3 they are fanning him4 ,and as they gaze he passes into unconsciousness4 ,much of his description concerned points of which he knew nothing from any other source1 but all was true to the life1 and enabled me to fix on ,india as the scene which he recalled4 ,while comparatively few among the ,western races are able to remember more than fragments of their past lives1 in ,india it is quite common for a man well developed spiritually to clearly remember the incidents and details of former incarnations1 and the evidence of the awakening of such power causes little more than passing interest among his people4 ,there is1 as we shall see later1 a movement toward conscious ,metempsychosis1 and many of the race are just moving on to that plane4 ,in ,india the highly developed individuals grow into a clear recollection of their past lives when they reach the age of puberty1 and when their brains are developed sufficiently to grasp the knowledge locked up in the depths of the soul4 ,in the meantime the individual's memory of the past is locked away in the recesses of his mind1 just as are many facts and incidents of his present life so locked away1 to be remembered only when some one mentions the subject1 or some circumstance serves to supply the associative link to the apparently forgotten matter4 ,regarding the faculty of memory in our present lives1 we would quote the following from the pen of ,prof4 ,william ,knight1 printed in the ,fortnightly ,review4 ,he says3 ,memory of the details of the past is absolutely impossible4 ,the power of the conservative faculty1 though relatively great1 is extremely limited4 ,we forget the larger portion of experience soon after we have passed through it1 and we should be able to recall the particulars of our past years1 filling all the missing links of consciousness since we entered on the present life1 before we were in a position to remember our ante-natal experience4 ,birth must necessarily be preceded by crossing the river of oblivion1 while the capacity for fresh acquisition survives1 and the garnered wealth of old experience determines the amount and character of the new4 ,another startling evidence of the proof of ,metempsychosis is afforded us in the cases of infant prodigies1 etc41 which defy any other explanation4 ,take the cases of the manifestation of musical talent in certain children at an early age1 for instance4 ,take the case of ,mozart who at the age of four was able to not only perform difficult pieces on the piano1 but actually composed original works of merit4 ,not only did he manifest the highest faculty of sound and note1 but also an instinctive ability to compose and arrange music1 which ability was superior to that of many men who had devoted years of their life to study and practice4 ,the laws of harmony--the science of commingling tones1 was to him not the work of years1 but a faculty born in him4 ,there are many similar cases of record4 ,heredity does not explain these instances of genius1 for in many of the recorded cases1 none of the ancestors manifested any talent or ability4 ,from whom did ,shakespeare inherit his genius8 ,from whom did ,plato derive his wonderful thought8 ,from what ancestor did ,abraham ,lincoln inherit his character--coming from a line of plain1 poor1 hard-working people1 and possessing all of the physical attributes and characteristics of his ancestry1 he1 nevertheless1 manifested a mind which placed him among the foremost of his race4 ,does not ,metempsychosis give us the only possible key8 ,is it not reasonable to suppose that the abilities displayed by the infant genius1 and the talent of the men who spring from obscure origin1 have their root in the experiences of a previous life8 ,then take the cases of children at school4 ,children of even the same family manifest different degrees of receptivity to certain studies4 ,some take to one thing1 and some to another4 ,some find arithmetic so easy that they almost absorb it intuitively1 while grammar is a hard task for them2 while their brothers and sisters find the exact reverse to be true4 ,how many have found that when they would take up some new study1 it is almost like recalling something already learned4 ,do you student1 who are now reading these lines take your own case4 ,does not all this ,teaching seem to you like the repetition of some lesson learned long ago8 ,is it not like remembering something already learned1 rather than the learning of some new truth8 ,were you not attracted to these studies1 in the first place1 by a feeling that you had known it all before1 somewhere1 somehow8 ,does not your mind leap ahead of the lesson1 and see what is coming next1 long before you have turned the pages8 ,these inward evidences of the fact of pre-existence are so strong that they outweigh the most skillful appeal to the intellect4 ,this intuitive knowledge of the truth of ,metempsychosis explains why the belief in it is sweeping over the ,western world at such a rapid rate4 ,the mere mention of the idea1 to many people who have never before heard of it1 is sufficient to cause them to recognize its truth4 ,and though they may not understand the laws of its operation1 yet deep down in their consciousness they find a something that convinces them of its truth4 ,in spite of the objections that are urged against the teaching1 it is making steady headway and progress4 ,the progress of the belief in ,metempsychosis however has been greatly retarded by the many theories and dogmas attached to it by some of the teachers4 ,not to speak of the degrading ideas of re-birth into the bodies of animals1 etc41 which have polluted the spring of ,truth1 there are to be found many other features of teaching and theory which repel people1 and cause them to try to kill out of the minds the glimmer of ,truth that they find there4 ,the human soul instinctively revolts against the teaching that it is bound to the wheel or re-birth1 willy-nilly1 compulsorily1 without choice--compelled to live in body after body until great cycles are past4 ,the soul1 perhaps already sick of earth-life1 and longing to pass on to higher planes of existence1 fights against such teaching4 ,and it does well to so fight1 for the truth is nearer to its hearts desire4 ,there is no soul longing that does not carry with it the prophecy of its own fulfillment1 and so it is in this case4 ,it is true that the soul of one filled with earthly desires1 and craving for material things1 will by the very force of those desires be drawn back to earthly re-birth in a body best suited for the gratification of the longings1 desires and cravings that it finds within itself4 ,but it is likewise true that the earth-sick soul is not compiled to return unless its own desires bring it back4 ,desire is the key note of ,metempsychosis1 although up to a certain stage it may operate unconsciously4 ,the sum of the desires of a soul regulate its re-birth4 ,those who have become sickened of all that earth has for them at this stage of its evolution1 may1 and do1 rest in states of existence far removed from earth scenes1 until the race progresses far enough to afford the resting soul the opportunities and environments that it so earnestly craves4 ,and more than this1 when ,man reaches a certain stage1 the process of ,metempsychosis no longer remains unconscious1 but he enters into a conscious knowing1 willing passage from one life to another4 ,and when that stage is reached a full memory of the past lives is unfolded1 and life to such a soul becomes as the life of a day1 succeeded by a night1 and then the awakening into another day with full knowledge and recollection of the events of the day before4 ,we are in merely the babyhood of the race now1 and the fuller life of the conscious soul lies before us4 ,yea1 even now it is being entered into by the few of the race that have progressed sufficiently far on the ,path4 ,and you1 student1 who feel within you that craving for conscious re-birth and future spiritual evolution1 and the distaste for1 and horror of1 a further blind1 unconscious re-plunge into the earth-life--know you1 that this longing on your part is but an indication of what lies before you4 ,it is the strange1 subtle1 awakening of the nature within you1 which betokens the higher state4 ,just as the young person feels within his or her body strange emotions1 longings and stirrings1 which betoken the passage from the child state into that of manhood or womanhood1 so do these spiritual longings1 desires and cravings betoken the passage from unconscious re-birth into conscious knowing ,metempsychosis1 when you have passed from the scene of your present labors4 ,in our next lesson we shall consider the history of the race as its souls passed on from the savage tribes to the man of to-day4 ,it is the history of the race--the history of the individual--your own history1 student--the record of that through which you have passed to become that which you now are4 ,and as you have climbed step after step up the arduous path1 so will you1 hereafter climb still higher paths1 but no longer in unconsciousness1 but with your spiritual eyes wide open to the ,rays of ,truth pouring forth from the great ,central ,sun--the ,absolute4 ,concluding this lesson1 we would quote two selections from the ,american poet1 ,whitman1 whose strange genius was undoubtedly the result of vague memories springing from a previous life1 and which burst into utterances often not more than half understood by the mind that gave them birth4 ,whitman says3 ,facing ,west from ,california's shores1 ,inquiring1 tireless1 seeking what is yet unfound1 ,a1 a child1 very old1 over waves1 toward the house of maternity1 the land of migrations1 look afar1 ,look off the shores of my ,western sea1 the circle almost circled3 ,for starting ,westward from ,hindustan1 from the vales of ,kashmere1 ,from ,asia1 from the north1 from ,god1 the sage1 and the hero1 ,from the south1 from the flowery peninsulas and spice islands1 ,long having wandered since1 round the earth having wandered1 ,now ,i face home again1 very pleased and joyous4 7,but where is what ,i started for so long ago8 ,and why is it yet unfound87 99 99 99 99 99 ,i know ,i am deathless4 ,i know that this orbit of mine cannot be swept by a carpenter's compass2 ,and whether ,i come to my own to-day1 or in ten thousand or ten million years1 ,i can cheerfully take it now or with equal cheerfulness can wait4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as to you1 ,life1 ,i reckon you are the leavings of many deaths4 ,no doubt ,i have died myself ten thousand times before4 99 99 99 99 99 ,births have brought us richness and variety1 and other births have brought us richness and variety4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and this quotation from the ,american poet ,n4,p4 ,willis3 ,but what a mystery this erring mind8 ,it wakes within a frame of various powers ,a stranger in a new and wondrous world4 ,it brings an instinct from some other sphere1 ,for its fine senses are familiar all1 ,and with the unconscious habit of a dream ,it calls and they obey4 ,the priceless sight ,springs to its curious organ1 and the ear ,learns strangely to detect the articulate air ,in its unseen divisions1 and the tongue ,gets its miraculous lesson with the rest1 ,and in the midst of an obedient throng ,of well trained ministers1 the mind goes forth ,to search the secrets of its new found home4 ,,the ,,tenth ,,lesson ,,spiritual ,,evolution4 ,one of the things that repel many persons who have had their attention directed to the subject of ,metempsychosis for the first time1 is the idea that they have evolved as a soul from individual lowly forms1 for instance that they have at one time been an individual plant1 and then an individual animal form1 and then an individual higher animal form1 and so on until now they are the particular individual human form contemplating the subject4 ,this idea1 which has been taught by many teachers1 is repellent to the average mind1 for obvious reasons1 and naturally so1 for it has no foundation in truth4 ,while this lesson is principally concerned with the subject of the ,spiritual ,evolution of the human soul1 since it became a human soul1 still it may be as well to mention the previous phase of evolution1 briefly1 in order to prevent misconception1 and to dispel previously acquired error4 ,the atom1 although it possesses life and a certain degree of mind1 and acts as an individual temporarily1 has no permanent individuality that reincarnates4 ,when the atom is evolved it becomes a centre of energy in the great atomic principle1 and when it is finally dissolved it resolves itself back into its original state1 and its life as an individual atom ceases1 although the experience it has gained becomes the property of the entire principle4 ,it is as if a body of water were to be resolved into millions of tiny dew-drops for a time1 and each dew-drop was then to acquire certain outside material in solution4 ,in that case1 each dew-drop when it again returned to the body of water1 would carry with it its foreign material1 which would become the property of the whole4 ,and subsequently formed dew-drops would carry in their substance a particle of the foreign matter brought back home by the previous generation of dewdrops1 and would thus be a little different from their predecessors4 ,and this process1 continuing for many generations of dew-drops1 would ultimately cause the greatest changes in the composition of the successive generations4 ,this1 in short1 is the story of the change and improving forms of life4 ,from the atoms into the elements2 from the lower elements into those forming protoplasm2 from the protoplasm to the lower forms of animal life2 from these lower forms on to higher forms--this is the story4 ,but it is all a counterpart of the dew-drop and the body of water1 until the human soul is evolved4 ,the plants and the lower forms of animal life are not permanent individual souls1 but each family is a group-soul corresponding to the body of water from which the dew-drop arose4 ,from these family group-souls gradually break off minor groups1 representing species1 and so on into sub-species4 ,at last when the forms reach the plane of man1 the group-soul breaks itself up into permanent individual souls1 and true ,metempsychosis begins4 ,that is1 each individual human soul becomes a permanent individual entity1 destined to evolve and perfect itself along the lines of spiritual evolution4 ,and from this point begins our story of ,spiritual ,evolution4 ,the story of ,man1 the ,individual1 begins amidst humble surroundings4 ,primitive man1 but little above the level of the lower animals in point of intelligence1 has nevertheless that distinguishing mark of ,individuality--,self-,consciousness1 which is the demarkation between ,beast and ,man4 ,and even the lowest of the lowest races had at least a trace of this ,self-,consciousness1 which made of them individuals1 and caused the fragment of the race-soul to separate itself from the general principle animating the race1 and to fasten its ,i conscious upon itself1 rather than upon the underlying race-soul1 along instinctive lines4 ,do you know just what this ,self-,consciousness is1 and how it differs from the ,physical ,consciousness of the lower animals8 ,perhaps we had better pause a moment to consider it at this place4 ,the lower animals are of course conscious of the bodies1 and their wants1 feelings1 emotions1 desires1 etc41 and their actions are in response to the animating impulses coming from this plane of consciousness4 ,but it stops there4 ,they know1 but they do not know that they know2 that is1 they have not yet arrived at a state in which they can think of themselves as ,i1 and to reason upon their thoughts and mental operations4 ,it is like the consciousness of a very young child1 which feels and knows its sensations and wants1 but is unable to think of itself as ,i1 and to turn the mental gaze inward4 ,in another book of these series we have used the illustration of the horse which has been left standing out in the cold sleet and rain1 and which undoubtedly feels and knows the unpleasant sensations arising therefrom1 and longs to get away from the unpleasant environment4 ,but1 still1 he is unable to analyze his mental states and wonder whether his master will come out to him soon1 or think how cruel it is to keep him out of his warm comfortable stable2 or wonder whether he will be taken out in the cold rain again tomorrow2 or feel envious of other horses who are indoors2 or wonder why he is kept out cold nights1 etc41 etc4 ,in short1 the horse is unable to think as would a reasoning man under just the same circumstances4 ,he is aware of the discomfort1 just as would be the man2 and he would run away home1 if he were able1 just as would the man4 ,but he is not able to pity himself1 nor to think about his personality1 as would a man--he is not able to wonder whether life is worth the living1 etc41 as would a man4 ,he knows but is not able to reflect upon the knowing4 ,in the above illustration1 the principal point is that the horse does not know himself as an entity1 while even the most primitive man is able to so recognize himself as an ,i4 ,if the horse were able to think in words1 he would think feel1 cold1 hurt1 etc41 but he would be unable to think ,i feel2 ,i am cold2 ,i am hurt1 etc4 ,the thought ,i would be missing4 ,it is true that the ,i consciousness of the primitive man was slight1 and was but a degree above the ,physical ,consciousness of the higher apes1 but nevertheless it had sprung into being1 never again to be lost4 ,the primitive man was like a child a few years old--he was able to say ,i1 and to think ,i4 ,he had become an individual soul4 ,and this individual soul inhabited and animated a body but little removed from that of an ape4 ,but this new consciousness began to mould that rude body and the ascent was begun4 ,each generation showed a physical improvement over that of the preceding one1 according to the lines of physical evolution1 and as the developing soul demanded more perfect and developed bodies the bodies were evolved to meet the demand1 for the mental demand has ever been the cause of the physical form4 ,the soul of the primitive man reincarnated almost immediately after the death of the physical body1 because the experiences gained were mostly along the lines of the physical1 the mental planes being scarcely brought into play1 while the higher and spiritual faculties were almost entirely obscured from sight4 ,life after life the soul of the primitive man lived out in rapid succession4 ,but in each new embodiment there was a slight advance over that of the previous one4 ,experience1 or rather the result of experiences1 were carried over1 and profited by4 ,new lessons were learned and unlearned1 improved upon or discarded4 ,and the race grew and unfolded4 ,after a time the number of advancing souls which had outstripped their fellows in progress became sufficiently large for sub-races to be formed1 and so the branching off process began4 ,in this way the various races and types were formed1 and the progress of ,mankind gained headway4 ,at this point we may as well consider the history of the ,races of ,mankind1 that we may see how the great tide-wave of ,soul has ever pressed onward1 marking higher and still higher stages of progress1 and also how the various minor waves of the great wave pushed in and then receded1 only to be followed by still higher waves4 ,the story is most interesting4 ,the ,yogi ,teachings inform us that the ,grand ,cycle of ,man's ,life on the ,earth is composed of ,seven ,cycles1 of which we are now living in the third-seventh part of the ,fifth ,cycle4 ,these ,cycles may be spoken of as the ,great ,earth ,periods1 separated from each other by some great natural cataclysm which destroyed the works of the previous races of men1 and which started afresh the progress called civilization1 which1 as all students know1 manifests a rise and fall like unto that of the tides4 ,man in the ,first ,cycle emerged from a gross animal-like state into a condition somewhat advanced4 ,it was a slow progress1 but nevertheless a distinct series of advances were made by the more progressive souls who passed over on to the ,second ,cycle1 embodying themselves as the ruling races in the same1 their less progressive brothers incarnating in the lower tribes of the ,second ,cycle4 ,it must be remembered that the souls which do not advance during a ,cycle reincarnate in the next ,cycle among the lower races4 ,so that even in this ,fifth ,cycle we have remnants of the previous cycles1 the lives of the members of which give us an idea of what life in the earlier cycles must have been4 ,the ,yogi ,teachings give us but little information regarding the people of the ,first and ,second ,cycles1 because of the low state of these ages4 ,the tale1 if told1 would be the story of the ,cave-dweller1 and ,stone-age people2 the ,fire-peoples1 and all the rest of savage1 barbarian crew2 there was but little trace of anything like that which we call civilization1 although in the latter periods of the ,second ,cycle the foundations for the coming civilizations were firmly laid4 ,after the cataclysm which destroyed the works of ,man of the ,second ,cycle1 and left the survivors scattered or disorganized1 awaiting the touch of the organizing urge which followed shortly afterward1 there dawned the first period of the ,third ,cycle4 ,the scene of the life of the ,third ,cycle was laid in what is known to ,occultists as ,lemuria4 ,lemuria was a mighty continent situated in what is now known as the ,pacific ,ocean1 and parts of the ,indian ,ocean4 ,it included ,australia1 ,australasia1 and other portions of the ,pacific islands1 which are in fact surviving portions of the great continent of ,lemuria1 its highest points1 the lower portion having sunk beneath the seas ages and ages ago4 ,life in ,lemuria is described as being principally concerned with the physical senses1 and sensual enjoyment1 only a few developed souls having broken through the fetters of materiality and reached the beginnings of the mental and spiritual planes of life4 ,some few indeed made great progress and were saved from the general wreck1 in order to become the leaven which would lighten the mass of mankind during the next ,cycle4 ,these developed souls were the teachers of the new races1 and were looked upon by the latter as gods and supernatural beings1 and legends and traditions concerning them are still existent among the ancient peoples of our present day4 ,many of the myths of the ancient peoples arose in this way4 ,the ,yogi traditions hold that just prior to the great cataclysm which destroyed the races of the ,second ,cycle1 there was a body of the ,chosen ,ones which migrated from ,lemuria to certain islands of the sea which are now part of the main land of ,india4 ,these people formed the nucleus of the ,occult ,teachings of the ,lemurians1 and developed into the ,fount of ,truth which has been flowing ever since throughout the successive periods and cycles4 ,when ,lemuria passed away1 there arose from the depths of the ocean the continent which was to be the scene of the life and civilization of the ,fourth ,cycle--the continent of ,atlantis4 ,atlantis was situated in a portion of what is now known as the ,atlantic ,ocean1 beginning at what is now known as the ,caribbean ,sea and extending over to the region of what is now known as ,africa4 ,what are now known as ,cuba and the ,west ,indies were among the highest points of the continent1 and now stand like monuments to its departed greatness4 ,the civilization of ,atlantis was remarkable1 and its people attained heights which seem almost incredible to even those who are familiar with the highest achievements of man in our own times4 ,the ,chosen ,ones preserved from the cataclysm which destroyed ,lemuria1 and who lived to a remarkably old age1 had stored up within their minds the wisdom and learning of the races that had been destroyed1 and they thus gave the ,atlanteans an enormous starting-advantage4 ,they soon attained great advancement along all the lines of human endeavor4 ,they perfected mechanical inventions and appliances1 reaching far ahead of even our present attainments4 ,in the field of electricity especially they reached the stages that our present races will reach in about two or three hundred years from now4 ,along the lines of ,occult ,attainment their progress was far beyond the dreams of the average man of our own race1 and in fact from this arose one of the causes of their downfall1 for they prostituted the power to base and selfish uses1 and ,black ,magic4 ,and1 so the decline of ,atlantis began4 ,but the end did not come at once1 or suddenly1 but gradually4 ,the continent1 and its surrounding islands gradually sank beneath the waves of the ,atlantic ,ocean1 the process occupying over #aj1jjj years4 ,the ,greeks and ,romans of our own ,cycle had traditions regarding the sinking of the continent1 but their knowledge referred only to the disappearance of the small remainder--certain islands--the continent itself having disappeared thousands of years before their time4 ,it is recorded that the ,egyptian priests had traditions that the continent itself had disappeared nine thousand years before their time4 ,as was the case with the ,chosen ,ones of ,lemuria1 so was it with the ,elect of ,atlantis1 who were taken away from the doomed land some time prior to its destruction4 ,the few advanced people left their homes and migrated to portions of what are now ,south ,america and ,central ,america1 but which were then islands of the sea4 ,these people have left their traces of their civilization and works1 which our antiquaries are discovering to-day4 ,when the ,fifth ,cycle dawned 7our own cycle1 remember7 these brave and advanced souls acted as the race-teachers and became as gods to those who came afterward4 ,the races were very prolific1 and multiplied very rapidly under the most favorable conditions4 ,the souls of the ,atlanteans were pressing forward for embodiment1 and human forms were born to supply the demand4 ,and now begins the history of our own ,cycle--the ,fifth ,cycle4 ,but before we begin a consideration of the ,fifth ,cycle1 let us consider for a moment a few points about the laws operating to cause these great changes4 ,in the first place1 each ,cycle has a different theatre for its work and action4 ,the continent of ,lemuria was not in existence during the ,second ,cycle1 and arose from the ocean bed only when its appointed time came4 ,and1 likewise the continent of ,atlantis reposed beneath the waves while the ,lemurian races manifested during the ,third ,cycle1 rising by means of a convulsion of the earth's surface to play its part during its own period--the ,fourth ,cycle--only to sink again beneath the waves to make way for the birth of the ,fifth ,cycle with its races4 ,by means of these cataclysms the races of each ,cycle were wiped out when the time came1 the few ,elect or ,chosen ones1 that is those who have manifested the right to live on1 being carried away to some favorable environment where they became as leaven to the mass--as gods to the new races that quickly appear4 ,it must be remembered1 however1 that these ,chosen ,ones are not the only ones saved from the destruction that overtakes the majority of the race4 ,on the contrary a few survivors are preserved1 although driven away from their former homes1 and reduced to first principles of living in order to become the parents of the new races4 ,the new races springing from the fittest of these survivors quickly form sub-races1 being composed of the better adapted souls seeking reincarnation1 while the less fit sink into barbarism1 and show evidences of decay1 although a remnant drags on for thousands of years1 being composed of the souls of those who have not advanced sufficiently to take a part in the life of the new races4 ,these left-overs are in evidence in our own times in the cases of the ,australian savages1 and some of the ,african tribes1 as well as among the ,digger ,indians and others of similar grade of intelligence4 ,in order to understand the advance of each race it must be remembered that the more advanced souls1 after passing out of the body1 have a much longer period of rest in the higher planes1 and consequently do not present themselves for reincarnation until a period quite late when compared with the hasty reincarnation of the less advanced souls who are hurried back to rebirth by reason of the strong earthly attachments and desires4 ,in this way it happens that the earlier races of each ,cycle are more primitive folk than those who follow them as the years roll by4 ,the soul of an earth-bound person reincarnates in a few years1 and sometimes in a few days1 while the soul of an advanced man may repose and rest on the higher planes for centuries--nay1 even for thousands of years1 until the earth has reached a stage in which the appropriate environment may be afforded it4 ,observers1 unconnected with ,occultism1 have noted certain laws which seem to regulate the rise and fall of nations--the procession of ruling races4 ,they do not understand the law of ,metempsychosis that alone gives the key to the problem1 but nevertheless they have not failed to record the existence of the laws themselves4 ,in order to show that these laws are recognized by persons who are not at all influenced by the ,occult ,teachings1 we take the liberty of quoting from ,draper's ,history of the ,intellectual ,development of ,europe4 ,dr4 ,draper writes as follows3 ,we are1 as we often say1 the creatures of circumstances4 ,in that expression there is a higher philosophy than might at first appear4 ,from this more accurate point of view we should therefore consider the course of these events1 recognizing the principle that the affairs of men pass forward in a determinate way1 expanding and unfolding themselves4 ,and hence we see that the things of which we have spoken as if they were matters of choice1 were in reality forced upon their apparent authors by the necessity of the times4 ,but in truth they should be considered as the presentation of a certain phase of life which nations in their onward course sooner or later assume4 ,to the individual1 how well we know that a sober moderation of action1 an appropriate gravity of demeanor1 belonging to the mature period of life1 change from the wanton willfulness of youth1 which may be ushered in1 or its beginnings marked by many accidental incidents2 in one perhaps by domestic bereavements1 in another by the loss of fortune1 in a third by ill-health4 ,we are correct enough in imputing to such trials the change of character2 but we never deceive ourselves by supposing that it would have failed to take place had these incidents not occurred4 ,there runs an irresistible destiny in the midst of these vicissitudes4 ,there are analogies between the life of a nation1 and that of an individual1 who1 though he may be in one respect the maker of his own fortunes1 for happiness or for misery1 for good or for evil1 though he remains here or goes there as his inclinations prompt1 though he does this or abstains from that as he chooses1 is nevertheless held fast by an inexorable fate--a fate which brought him into the world involuntarily1 so far as he was concerned1 which presses him forward through a definite career1 the stages of which are absolutely invariable1--infancy1 childhood1 youth1 maturity1 old age1 with all their characteristic actions and passions1--and which removes him from the scene at the appointed time1 in most cases against his will4 ,so also is it with nations2 the voluntary is only the outward semblance1 covering but hardly hiding the predetermined4 ,over the events of life we may have control1 but none whatever over the law of its progress4 ,there is a geometry that applies to nations an equation of their curve of advance4 ,that no mortal man can touch4 ,this remarkable passage1 just quoted1 shows how the close observers of history note the rise and fall of the tides of human race progress1 although ignorant of the real underlying causing energy or force4 ,a study of the ,occult ,teachings alone gives one the hidden secret of human actions and throws the bright light of ,truth upon the dark corners of phenomena4 ,at the beginning of the ,fifth ,cycle 7which is the present one71 there were not only the beginnings of the new races which always spring up at the beginning of each new cycle and which are the foundations for the coming races which take advantage of the fresh conditions and opportunities for growth and development--but there were also the descendants of the ,elect ,saved from the destruction of ,atlantis by having been led away and colonized far from the scene of danger4 ,the new races were the descendant of the scattered survivors of the ,atlantean peoples1 that is1 the common run of people of the time4 ,but the ,elect few were very superior people1 and imparted to their descendants their knowledge and wisdom4 ,so that we see at the beginning of the ,fifth ,cycle hordes of new1 primitive people in certain lands1 and in other places advanced nations like the ancestors of the ,ancient ,egyptians1 ,persians1 ,chaldeans1 ,hindus1 etc4 ,these advanced races were old souls--advanced souls--the progressed and developed souls of ,ancient ,lemuria and ,atlantis1 who lived their lives and who are now either on higher planes of life1 or else are among us to-day taking a leading part in the world's affairs1 striving mightily to save the present races from the misfortunes which overtook their predecessors4 ,the descendants of the people were the ,assyrians and ,babylonians4 ,in due time the primitive new races developed and the great ,roman1 ,grecian1 and ,carthaginian peoples appeared4 ,then came the rise of other peoples and nations down to the present time4 ,each race or nation has its rise1 its height of attainment1 and its decline4 ,when a nation begins to decline it is because its more advanced souls have passed on1 and only the less progressive souls are left4 ,the history of all nations show the truth of the ,occult the term4 ,men are forsaking old ideals1 creeds and dogmas1 and are running hither and thither seeking something they feel to be necessary1 but of the nature of which they know nothing4 ,they are feeling the hunger for ,peace--the thirst for ,knowledge--and they are seeking satisfaction in all directions4 ,this is not only the inevitable working of the ,law of ,evolution1 but is also a manifestation of the power and love of the great souls that have passed on to higher planes of existence1 and who have become as angels and arch-angels4 ,these beings are filled with the love of the race1 and are setting into motion influences that are being manifest in many directions1 the tendency of which are to bring the race to a realization of its higher power1 faculties1 and destiny4 ,as we have said in other places1 one of the greatest difficulties in the way of the seeker after ,truth in his consideration of the question of ,spiritual ,evolution is the feeling that rebirth is being forced upon him1 without any say on his part1 and against his desires4 ,but this is far from being correct4 ,it is true that the whole process is according to the ,great ,law1 but that ,law operates through the force of ,desire and ,attraction4 ,the soul is attracted toward rebirth by reason of its desire or rather the essence of its desires4 ,it is reborn only because it has within itself the desire for further experience1 and opportunity for unfoldment4 ,and it is reborn into certain environments solely because it has within itself unsatisfied desires for those environments1 etc4 ,the process is just as regular and scientific as is the attraction of one atom of matter for another4 ,each soul has within itself certain elements of desire and attraction1 and it attracts to itself certain conditions and experiences1 and is in turn attracted by these things4 ,this is the law of life1 in the body and out of it4 ,and there is no injustice in the law it is the essence of justice itself1 for it gives to each just what is required to fill the indwelling desires1 or else the conditions and experiences designed to burn out the desires which are holding one back1 and the destruction of which will make possible future advancement4 ,for instance1 if one is bound by the inordinate desire for material wealth1 the ,law of ,karma will attract him to a rebirth in conditions in which he will be surrounded by wealth and luxury until he becomes sickened with them and will find his heart filled with the desire to flee from them and toward higher and more satisfying things4 ,of course the ,law of ,karma acts in other ways1 as we shall see in our next lesson--it deals with one's debts and obligations1 also4 ,the ,law of ,karma is closely connected with ,metempsychosis1 and one must be considered in connection with the other1 always4 ,not only is it true that man's rebirths are in strict accordance with the law of ,attraction and ,desire1 but it is also true that after he attains a certain stage of spiritual unfoldment he enters into the conscious stage of rebirth1 and thereafter he is reborn consciously and with full foreknowledge4 ,many are now entering into this stage of development1 and have a partial consciousness of their past lives1 which also implies that they have had at least a partial consciousness of approaching rebirth1 for the two phases of consciousness run together4 ,those individuals of a race who have outstripped their fellows in spiritual unfoldment1 are still bound by the ,karma of the particular race to which they belong1 up to a certain point4 ,and as the entire race1 or at least a large proportion of it1 must move forward as a whole1 such individuals must needs wait also4 ,but they are not compelled to suffer a tiresome round of continued rebirths amid environments and conditions which they have outgrown4 ,on the contrary1 the advanced individual soul is allowed to wait until the race reaches its own stage of advancement1 when it again joins in the upward movement1 in full consciousness1 however4 ,in the interim he may pass his well earned rest either on some of the higher planes of rest1 or else in conscious temporary sojourn in other material spheres helping in the great work as a ,teacher and worker for ,good and ,spiritual ,evolution among those who need such help4 ,in fact there are in the world to-day1 individual souls which have reached similar stages on other planets1 and who are spending their rest period here amidst the comparatively lower ,earth conditions1 striving to lift up the ,earth souls to greater heights4 ,so long as people allow themselves to become attached to material objects1 so long will they be reborn in conditions in which these objects bind them fast4 ,it is only when the soul frees itself from these entangling obstructions that it is born in conditions of freedom4 ,some outgrow these material attachments by right thinking and reasoning1 while others seem to be compelled to live them out1 and thus outlive them1 before they are free4 ,at last when the soul realizes that these things are merely incidents of the lower personality1 and have naught to do with the real individuality1 then1 and then only1 do they fall from it like a wornout cloak1 and are left behind while it bounds forward on ,the ,path fresh from the lighter weight being carried4 ,the ,yogi ,philosophy teaches that ,man will live forever1 ascending from higher to higher planes1 and then on and on and on4 ,death is but the physical symbol of a period of ,soul ,rest1 similar to sleep of the tired body1 and is just as much to be welcomed and greeted with thanks4 ,life is continuous1 and its object is development1 unfoldment and growth4 ,we are in ,eternity now as much as we ever shall be4 ,our souls may exist out of the body as well as in it1 although bodily incarnation is necessary at this stage of our development4 ,as we progress on to higher planes of life1 we shall incarnate in bodies far more ethereal than those now used by us1 just as in the past we used bodies almost incredibly grosser and coarser than those we call our own to-day4 ,life is far more than a thing of three-score and ten years--it is really a succession of such lives1 on an ascending scale1 that which we call our personal self to-day being merely the essence of the experiences of countless lives in the past4 ,the ,soul is working steadily upward1 from higher to higher1 from gross to finer forms and manifestations4 ,and it will steadily work for ages to come1 always progressing1 always advancing1 always unfolding4 ,the ,universe contains many worlds for the ,soul to inhabit1 and then after it has passed on to other ,universes1 there will still be ,infinitude before it4 ,the destiny of the ,soul of ,man is of wondrous promise and possibilities--the mind to-day cannot begin to even dream of what is before the ,soul4 ,those who have already advanced many steps beyond you--those ,elder ,brethren--are constantly extending to you aid in many directions4 ,they are extending to you the ,unseen ,hand1 which lifts you over many a hard place and dangerous crossing--but you recognize it not except in a vague way4 ,there are now in existence1 on planes infinitely higher than your own1 intelligences of transcendent glory and magnificence--but they were once ,men even as you are to-day4 ,they have so far progressed upon the ,path that they have become as angels and archangels when compared with you4 ,and1 blessed thought1 even as these exalted ones were once even as you1 so shall you1 in due course of ,spiritual ,evolution1 become even as these mighty ones4 ,the ,yogi ,philosophy teaches that ,you who are reading these lines have lived many lives previous to the present one4 ,you have lived in the lower forms1 and have worked your way arduously along the ,path until now you are reaching the stage of ,spiritual ,consciousness in which the past and future will begin to appear plain to you for the first time4 ,you have lived as the cave-man--the cliff-dweller--the savage--the barbarian4 ,you have been the warrior--the priest--the ,medieval scholar and occultist--the prince--the pauper4 ,you have lived in ,lemuria--in ,atlantis--in ,india--in ,persia--in ,egypt--in ancient ,rome and ,greece--and are now playing your part in the ,western civilization1 associating with many with whom you have had relations in your past lives4 ,in closing this lesson1 let us quote from a previous writing from the same pen that writes this lesson3 ,toward what goal is all this ,spiritual ,evolution tending8 ,what does it all mean8 ,from the low planes of life to the highest--all are on ,the ,path4 ,to what state or place does ,the ,path lead8 ,let us attempt to answer by asking you to imagine a series of millions of circles1 one within the other4 ,each circle means a stage of ,life4 ,the outer circles are filled with life in its lowest and most material stages--each circle nearer the ,centre holds higher and higher forms--until ,men 7or what were once ,men7 become as gods4 ,still on1 and on1 and on4 does the form of life grow higher1 until the human mind cannot grasp the idea4 ,but what is the ,centre8 ,the ,,mind of the entire ,spiritual ,body--the ,,absolute6 ,and we are traveling toward that ,centre6 ,and again from the same source3 ,but beyond your plane1 and beyond mine1 are plane after plane1 connected with our earth1 the splendors of which man cannot conceive4 ,and there are likewise many planes around the other planets of our chain--and there are millions of other worlds--and there are chains of universes just as there are chains of planets--and then greater groups of these chains--and so on greater and grander beyond the power of man to imagine--on and on and on and on--higher and higher--to inconceivable heights4 ,an infinity of infinities of worlds are before us4 ,our world and our planetary system and our system of suns1 and our system of solar systems1 are but as grains of sand on the beach of the mighty ocean4 ,but then you cry1 ',but what am ,i--poor mortal thing--lost among all this inconceivable greatness8' ,the answer comes that ,you are that most precious thing--a living soul4 ,and if you were destroyed the whole system of universes would crumble1 for you are as necessary as the greatest part of it--it cannot do without you--you cannot be lost or destroyed--you are a part of it all1 and are eternal4 ',but1' you ask1 'beyond all of this of which you have told me1 what is there--what is the ,centre of it ,all8' ,your ,teacher's face takes on a rapt expression--a light not of earth beams forth from his countenance4 ',,the ,,absolute6' he replies4 ,,the ,,eleventh ,,lesson4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,karma4 ,karma is a ,sanscrit term for that great ,law known to ,western thinkers as ,spiritual ,cause and ,effect1 or ,causation4 ,it relates to the complicated affinities for either good or evil that have been acquired by the soul throughout its many incarnations4 ,these affinities manifest as characteristics enduring from one incarnation to another1 being added to here1 softened or altered there1 but always pressing forward for expression and manifestation4 ,and1 so1 it follows that what each one of us is in this life depends upon is what we have been and how we have acted in our past lives4 ,throughout the operations of the ,law of ,karma the manifestation of ,perfect ,justice is apparent4 ,we are not punished for our sins1 as the current beliefs have it1 but instead we are punished by our sins4 ,we are not rewarded for our good acts1 but we received our reward through and by characteristics1 qualities1 affinities1 etc41 acquired by reason of our having performed these good acts in previous lives4 ,we are our own judges and executioners4 ,in our present lives we are storing up good or bad ,karma which will stick to us closely1 and which will demand expression and manifestation in lives to come4 ,when we fasten around ourselves the evil of bad ,karma1 we have taken to shelter a monster which will gnaw into our very vitals until we shake him off by developing opposite qualities4 ,and when we draw to ourselves the good ,karma of ,duty well performed1 kindness well expressed1 and ,good ,deeds freely performed without hope of reward1 then do we weave for ourselves the beautiful garments which we are destined to wear upon the occasion of our future lives4 ,the ,yogi ,teachings relating to the ,law of ,karma do not teach us that ,sin is an offense against the ,power which brought us into being1 so much as it is an offense against ourselves4 ,we cannot injure the ,absolute1 nor harm ,it in any way4 ,but we may harm each other1 and in so doing harm ourselves4 ,the ,yogis teach that ,sin is largely a matter of ignorance and misunderstanding of our true nature1 and that the lesson must be well learned until we are able to see the folly and error of our former course1 and thus are able to remedy our past errors and to avoid their recurrence4 ,by ,karma the effects arising from our sins cling to us1 until we become sick and weary of them1 and seek their cause in our hearts4 ,when we have discovered the evil cause of these effects1 we learn to hate it and tear it from us as a foul thing1 and are thence evermore relieved of it4 ,the ,yogis view the sinning soul as the parent does the child who will persist in playing with forbidden things4 ,the parent cautions the child against playing with the stove1 but still the child persists in its disobedience1 and sooner or later receives a burn for its meddling4 ,the burn is not a punishment for the disobedience 7although it may seem so to it7 but comes in obedience to a natural law which is invariable4 ,to child finds out that stoves and burns are connected1 and begins to see some sense and reason in the admonitions of the parent4 ,the love of the parent sought to save the child the pain of the burn1 and yet the child-nature persisted in experimenting1 and was taught the lesson4 ,but the lesson once thoroughly learned1 it is not necessary to forbid the child the stove1 for it has learned the danger for itself and thereafter avoids it4 ,and thus it is with the human soul passing on from one life to another4 ,it learns new lessons1 gathers new experiences1 and learns to recognize the pain that invariably comes from ,wrong ,action1 and the ,happiness that invariably comes from ,right ,action4 ,as it progresses it learns how hurtful certain courses of action are1 and like the burnt child it avoids them thereafter4 ,if we will but stop to consider for a moment the relative degrees of temptation to us and to others1 we may see the operations of past ,karma in former lives4 ,why is it that this thing is no temptation to you1 while it is the greatest temptation to another4 ,why is it that certain things do not seem to have any attraction for him1 and yet they attract you so much that you have to use all of your will power to resist them8 ,it is because of the ,karma in your past lives4 ,the things that do not now tempt you1 have been outlived in some former life1 and you have profited by your own experiences1 or those of others1 or else through some teaching given you by one who had been attracted to you by your unfolding consciousness of ,truth4 ,we are profiting to-day by the lessons of our past lives4 ,if we have learned them well we are receiving the benefit1 while if we have turned our backs on the words of wisdom offered us1 or have refused to learn the lesson perfectly1 we are compelled to sit on the same old school-benches and hear the same old lesson repeated until it is fairly driven into our consciousness4 ,we wonder why it is that other persons can perform certain evil acts that seem so repulsive to us1 and are apt to pride ourselves upon our superior virtue4 ,but those who know1 realize that their unfortunate brethren have not paid sufficient attention to the lesson of the past1 and are having it repeated to them in a more drastic form this time4 ,they know that the virtuous ones are simply reaping the benefit of their own application in the past1 but that their lesson is not over1 and that unless they advance and hold fast to that which they have attained1 as well1 they will be outstripped by many of those whose failure they are now viewing with wonder and scorn4 ,it is hard for us to fully realize that we are what we are because of our past experiences4 ,it is difficult for us to value the experiences that we are now going through1 because we do not fully appreciate the value of bitter experiences once lived out and outlived4 ,let us look back over the experiences of this present life1 for instance4 ,how many bitter episodes are there which we wish had never happened1 and how we wish we could tear them out of our consciousness4 ,but we do not realize that from these same bitter experiences came knowledge and wisdom that we would not part with under any circumstances4 ,and yet if we were to tear away from us the cause of these benefits1 we would tear away the benefits also1 and would find ourselves back just where we were before the experience happened to us4 ,what we would like to do is to hold on to the benefits that came from the experience---the knowledge and wisdom that were picked from the tree of pain4 ,but we cannot separate the effect from the cause in this way1 and must learn to look back upon these bitter experiences as the causes from which our present knowledge1 wisdom and attainment proceeded4 ,then may we cease to hate these things1 and to see that good may come from evil1 under the workings of the ,law4 ,and when we are able to do this1 we shall be able to regard the painful experiences of our present day as the inevitable outcome of causes away back in our past1 but which will work surely toward increased knowledge1 wisdom and attainment1 if we will but see the ,good underlying the working of the ,law4 ,when we fall in with the working of the ,law of ,karma we recognize its pain not as an injustice or punishment1 but as the beneficent operation of a ,law which1 although apparently working ,evil1 has for its end and aim ,ultimate ,good4 ,many object to the teachings of the ,law of ,karma by saying that the experiences of each life not being remembered1 must be useless and without value4 ,this is a very foolish position to take concerning the matter4 ,these experiences although not fully remembered1 are not lost to us at all--they are made a part of the material of which our minds are composed4 ,they exist in the form of feelings1 characteristics1 inclinations1 likes and dislikes1 affinities1 attractions1 repulsions1 etc41 etc41 and are as much in evidence as are the experiences of yesterday which are fresh in our memory4 ,look back over your present life1 and try to remember the experiences of the past years4 ,you will find that you remember but few of the events of your life4 ,the pressing and constant experiences of each of the days that you have lived have been1 for the most part1 forgotten4 ,though these experiences may have seemed very vivid and real to you when they occurred1 still they have faded into nothingness now1 and they are to all intents and purposes lost to you4 ,but are they lost8 ,not at all4 ,you are what you are because of the results of these experiences4 ,your character has been moulded and shaped1 little by little1 by these apparently forgotten pains1 pleasures1 sorrows and happinesses4 ,this trial strengthened you along certain lines2 that one changed your point of view and made you see things with a broader sweep of vision4 ,this grief caused you to feel the pain of others2 that disappointment spurred you on to new endeavors4 ,and each and every one of them left a permanent mark upon your personality--upon your character4 ,all men are what they are by reason of what they have lived through and out4 ,and though these happenings1 scenes1 circumstances1 occurrences1 experiences1 have faded from the memory1 their effects are indelibly imprinted upon the fabric of the character1 and the man of to-day is different from what he would have been had the happening or experience not entered into his life4 ,and this same rule applies to the characteristics brought over from past incarnations4 ,you have not the memory of the experiences1 but you have the fruit in the shape of characteristics1 tastes1 inclinations1 etc4 ,you have a tendency toward certain things1 and a distaste for others4 ,certain things attract1 while others repel you4 ,all of these things are the result of your experiences in former incarnations4 ,your very taste and inclination toward occult studies which has caused you to read these lessons is your legacy from some former life in which some one spoke a word or two to you regarding the subject1 and attracted your interest and desire4 ,you learned some little about the subject then--perhaps much--and developed a desire for more knowledge along these lines1 which manifesting in your present life has brought you in contact with further instruction4 ,the same inclination will lead to further advancement in this life1 and still greater opportunities in future incarnations4 ,nearly every one who reads these lines has felt that much of this occult instruction imparted is but a re-learning of something previously known1 although many of the things taught have never been heard before in this life4 ,you pick up a book and read something1 and know at once that it is so1 because in some vague way you have a consciousness of having studied and worked out the problem in some past period of your lives4 ,all this is the working of the ,law of ,karma1 which caused you to attract that for which you have an affinity1 and which also causes others to be attracted to you4 ,many are the reunions of people who have been related to each other in previous lives4 ,the old loves1 and old hates work out their ,karmic results in our lives4 ,we are bound to those whom we have loved1 and also to those whom we may have injured4 ,the story must be worked out to the end1 although a knowledge of the ,law undoubtedly relieves one of many entangling attachments and ,karmic relationships1 by pointing out the nature of the relation1 and enabling one to free himself mentally from the bond1 which process tends to dissolve much of the ,karmic entanglements4 ,life is a great school for the learning of lessons4 ,it has many grades1 many classes1 many scales of progress4 ,and the lessons must be learned whether we will or no4 ,if we refuse or neglect to learn the lesson we are sent back to accomplish the task1 again and again1 until the lesson is finally learned4 ,nothing once learned is ever forgotten entirely4 ,there is an indelible imprint of the lesson in our character1 which manifests as predispositions1 tastes1 inclinations1 etc4 ,all that goes to make up that which we call ,character is the workings of the ,law of ,karma4 ,there is no such thing as ,chance4 ,nothing ever happens4 ,all is regulated by the ,law of ,cause and ,effect or ,karma4 ,as a man sows so shall he reap1 in a literal sense4 ,you are what you are to-day1 by reason of what you were in your last life4 ,and in your next life you will be what you are making of yourself to-day4 ,you are your own judge1 and executioner--your own bestower of rewards4 ,but the ,love of the ,absolute is ever working to lead you upward to the ,light1 and to open your soul to that knowledge that1 in the words of the ,yogis1 burns up ,karma1 and enables you to throw off the burden of ,cause and ,effect that you have been carrying around with you1 and which has weighted you down4 ,in the ,fourteen ,lessons we quoted from ,mr4 ,berry ,benson1 a writer in the ,century ,magazine for ,may1 #ahid4 ,the quotation fits so beautifully into this place1 that we venture to reproduce it here once more1 with your permission4 ,it reads as follows3 ,a little boy went to school4 ,he was very little4 ,all that he knew he had drawn in with his mother's milk4 ,his teacher 7who was ,god7 placed him in the lowest class1 and gave him these lessons to learn3 ,thou shalt not kill4 ,thou shalt do no hurt to any living thing4 ,thou shalt not steal4 ,so the man did not kill2 but he was cruel1 and he stole4 ,at the end of the day 7when his beard was gray--when the night was come7 his teacher 7who was ,god7 said3 ,thou hast learned not to kill1 but the other lessons thou hast not learned4 ,come back tomorrow4 ,on the morrow he came back a little boy4 ,and his teacher 7who was ,god7 put him in a class a little higher1 and gave him these lessons to learn3 ,thou shalt do no hurt to any living thing4 ,thou shalt not steal4 ,thou shalt not cheat4 ,so the man did no hurt to any living thing2 but he stole and cheated4 ,and at the end of the day 7when his beard was gray--when the night was come7 his teacher 7who was ,god7 said3 ,thou hast learned to be merciful4 ,but the other lessons thou hast not learned4 ,come back tomorrow4 ,again1 on the morrow1 he came back1 a little boy4 ,and his teacher 7who was ,god7 put him in a class yet a little higher1 and gave him these lessons to learn3 ,thou shalt not steal4 ,thou shalt not cheat4 ,thou shalt not covet4 ,so the man did not steal2 but he cheated and he coveted4 ,and at the end of the day 7when his beard was gray--when the night was come7 his teacher 7who was ,god7 said3 ,thou hast learned not to steal4 ,but the other lessons thou hast not learned4 ,come back1 my child1 tomorrow4 ,this is what ,i have read in the faces of men and women1 in the book of the world1 and in the scroll of the heavens1 which is writ with stars4 ,under the operation of the ,law of ,karma every man is master of his own destiny--he rewards himself--he punishes himself--he builds1 tears down and develops his character1 always1 however1 under the brooding influence of the ,absolute which is ,love ,infinite and which is constantly exerting the upward spiritual urge1 which is drawing the soul toward its ultimate haven of rest4 ,man must1 and does1 work out his own salvation and destiny1 but the upward urge is always there--never tiring--never despairing--knowing always that ,ultimate ,victory belongs to the soul4 ,under the ,law of ,karma every action1 yea1 every thought as well1 has its ,karmic effect upon the future incarnations of the soul4 ,and1 not exactly in the nature of punishment or rewards1 in the general acceptation of the term1 but as the invariable operation of the ,law of ,cause and ,effect4 ,the thoughts of a person are like seeds which seek to press forward into growth1 bud1 blossom and fruit4 ,some spring into growth in this life1 while others are carried over into future lives4 ,the actions of this life may represent only the partial growth of the thought seed1 and future lives may be necessary for its full blossoming and fruition4 ,of course1 the individual who understands the ,truth1 and who has mentally divorced himself from the fruits of his actions--who has robbed material ,desire of its vital force by seeing it as it is1 and not as a part of his ,real ,self--his seed-thoughts do not spring into blossom and fruit in future lives1 for he has killed their germ4 ,the ,yogis express this thought by the illustration of the baked-seeds4 ,they show their pupils that while ordinary seeds sprout1 blossom and bear fruit1 still if one bakes the seeds their vitality is gone1 and while they may serve the purposes of a nourishing meal still they can never cause sprout1 blossom or fruit4 ,then the pupil is instructed in the nature of ,desire1 and shown how desires invariably spring into plant1 blossom and fruit1 the life of the person being the soil in which they flourish4 ,but ,desires understood1 and set off from the ,real ,man1 are akin to baked-seeds--they have been subjected to the heat of spiritual wisdom and are thus robbed of their vitality1 and are unable to bear fruit4 ,in this way the understood and mastered ,desire bears no ,karmic fruit of future action4 ,the ,yogis teach that there are two great principles at work in the matter of ,karmic ,law affecting the conditions of rebirth4 ,the first principle is that whereby the prevailing desires1 aspirations1 likes1 and dislikes1 loves and hates1 attractions and repulsions1 etc41 press the soul into conditions in which these characteristics may have a favorable and congenial soil for development4 ,the second principle is that which may be spoken of as the urge of the unfolding ,spirit1 which is always urging forward toward fuller expression1 and the breaking down of confining sheaths1 and which thus exerts a pressure upon the soul awaiting reincarnation which causes it to seek higher environments and conditions than its desires and aspiration1 as well as its general characteristics1 would demand4 ,these two apparently conflicting 7and yet actually harmonious7 principles acting and reacting upon each other1 determine the conditions of rebirth1 and have a very material effect upon the ,karmic ,law4 ,one's life is largely a conflict between these two forces1 the one tending to hold the soul to the present conditions resulting from past lives1 and the other ever at work seeking to uplift and elevate it to greater heights4 ,the desires and characteristics brought over from the past lives1 of course1 seek fuller expression and manifestation upon the lines of the past lives4 ,these tendencies simply wish to be let alone and to grow according to their own laws of development and manifestation4 ,but the unfolding ,spirit1 knowing that the soul's best interests are along the lines of spiritual unfoldment and growth1 brings a steady pressure to bear1 life after life1 upon the soul1 causing it to gradually kill out the lower desires and characteristics1 and to develop qualities which tend to lead it upward instead of allowing it to remain on its present level1 there to bring to blossom and fruit many low thoughts and desires4 ,absolute ,justice reigns over the operations of the ,law of ,karma1 but back of that and superior even to its might is found the ,infinite ,love of the absolute which tends to ,redeem the race4 ,it is that love that is back of all the upward tendencies of the soul1 and which we all feel within our inner selves in our best moments4 ,the light of the ,spirit 7,love7 is ever there4 ,our relationship to others in past lives has its effect upon the working of the ,law of ,karma4 ,if in the past we have formed attachments for other individuals1 either through love or hate2 either by kindness or cruelty2 these attachments manifest in our present life1 for these persons are bound to us1 and we to them1 by the bonds of ,karma1 until the attachment is worn out4 ,such people will in the present life have certain relationships to us1 the object of which is the working out of the problems in which we are mutually concerned1 the adjustment of relationship1 the squaring up of accounts1 the development of both4 ,we are apt to be placed in a position to receive hurts from those whom we have hurt in past lives1 and this not through the idea of revenge1 but by the inexorable working out of the ,law of ,compensation in ,karmic adjustments4 ,and when we are helped1 comforted and receive favors from those who we helped in past lives1 it is not merely a reward1 but the operation of the same law of ,justice4 ,the person who hurts us in this way may have no desire to do so1 and may even be distressed because he is used as an instrument in this way1 but the ,karmic ,law places him in a position where he unwittingly and without desire acts so that you receive pain through him4 ,have you not felt yourselves hurting another1 although you had no desire and intention of so doing1 and1 in fact1 were sorely distressed because you could not prevent the pain8 ,this ,is the operation of ,karma4 ,have you not found yourself placed where you unexpectedly were made the bestower of favors upon some almost unknown persons8 ,this is ,karma4 ,the ,wheel turns slowly1 but it makes the complete circle4 ,karma is the companion law to ,metempsychosis4 ,the two are inextricably connected1 and their operations are closely interwoven4 ,constant and unvarying in operation1 ,karma manifests upon and in worlds1 planets1 races1 nations1 families and persons ,everywhere in space is the great law in operation in some form4 ,the so-called mechanical operations called ,causation are as much a phase of ,karma as is the highest phases manifest on the higher planes of life1 far beyond our own4 ,and through it all is ever the urge toward perfection--the upward movement of all life4 ,the ,yogi teachings regard the ,universe as a mighty whole1 and the ,law of ,karma as the one great law operating and manifesting through that whole4 ,how different is the workings of this mighty ,law from the many ideas advanced by man to account for the happenings of life4 ,mere ,chance is no explanation1 for the careful thinker must inevitably come to the conclusion that in an ,universe governed by law1 there can be no room for ,chance4 ,and to suppose that all rewards and punishments are bestowed by a personal deity1 in answer to prayers1 supplications1 good behavior1 offerings1 etc41 is to fall back into the childhood stage of the race thought4 ,the ,yogis teach that the sorrow1 suffering and affliction witnessed on all sides of us1 as well as the joy1 happiness and blessings also in evidence1 are not caused by the will or whim of some capricious deity to reward his friends and punish his enemies--but by the working of an invariable ,law which metes out to each his measure of good and ill according to his ,karmic attachments and relationships4 ,those who are suffering1 and who see no cause for their pain1 are apt to complain and rebel when they see others of no apparent merit enjoying the good things of life which have been denied their apparently more worthy brethren4 ,the churches have no answer except ,it is ,god's will1 and that the ,divine motive must not be questioned4 ,these answers seem like mockery1 particularly when the idea of ,divine ,justice is associated with the teaching4 ,there is no other answer compatible with ,divine ,justice other than the ,law of ,karma1 which makes each person responsible for his or her happiness or misery4 ,and there is nothing so stimulating to one as to know that he has within himself the means to create for himself newer and better conditions of life and environment4 ,we are what we are to-day by reason of what we were in our yesterdays4 ,we will be in our tomorrows that which we have started into operation to-day4 ,as we sow in this life1 so shall we reap in the next--we are now reaping that which we have sown in the past4 ,st4 ,paul voiced a world truth when he said3 ,brethren1 be not deceived4 ,god is not mocked1 for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap4 ,the teachers divide the operation of ,karma into three general classes1 as follows3 7#a7 ,the ,karmic manifestations which are now under way in our lives1 producing results which are the effects of causes set into motion in our past lives4 ,this is the most common form1 and best known phase of ,karmic manifestation4 7#b7 ,the ,karma which we are now acquiring and storing up by reason of our actions1 deeds1 thoughts and mental and spiritual relationships4 ,this stored up ,karma will spring into operation in future lives1 when the body and environments appropriate for its manifestation presents itself or is secured2 or else when other ,karma tending to restrict its operations is removed4 ,but one does not necessarily have to wait until a future life in order to set into operation and manifestation the ,karma of the present life4 ,for there come times in which there being no obstructing ,karma brought over from a past life1 the present life ,karma may begin to manifest4 7#c7 ,the ,karma brought over from past incarnations1 which is not able to manifest at the present time owing to the opposition presented by other ,karma of an opposite nature1 serves to hold the first in check4 ,it is a well known physical law1 which likewise manifests on the mental plane1 that two opposing forces result in neutralization1 that is1 both of the forces are held in check4 ,of course1 though1 a more powerful ,karma may manage to operate1 while a weaker is held in check by it4 ,not only have individuals their own ,karma1 but families1 races1 nations and worlds have their collective ,karma4 ,in the cases of races1 if the race ,karma generated in the past be favorable on the whole1 the race flourishes and its influence widens4 ,if on the contrary its collective ,karma be bad1 the race gradually disappears from the face of the earth1 the souls constituting it separating according to their ,karmic attractions1 some going to this race and some to another4 ,nations are bound by their ,karma1 as any student of history may perceive if he studies closely the tides of national progress or decline4 ,the ,karma of a nation is made up of the collective ,karma of the individuals composing it1 so far as their thoughts and acts have to do with the national spirit and acts4 ,nations as nations cease to exist1 but the souls of the individuals composing them still live on and make their influence felt in new races1 scenes and environments4 ,the ancient ,egyptians1 ,persians1 ,medes1 ,chaldeans1 ,romans1 ,grecians and many other ancient races have disappeared1 but their reincarnating souls are with us to-day4 ,the modern revival of ,occultism is caused by an influx of the souls of these old peoples pouring in on the ,western worlds4 ,the following quotation from ,the ,secret ,doctrine1 that remarkable piece of occult literature1 will be interesting at this point3 ,nor would the ways of ,karma be inscrutable were men to work in union and harmony instead of disunion and strife4 ,for our ignorance of those ways--which one portion of mankind calls the ways of ,providence1 dark and intricate1 while another sees in them the action of blind fatalism1 and a third simple ,chance with neither gods nor devils to guide them--would surely disappear if we would but attribute all these to their correct cause4 ,with right knowledge1 or at any rate with a confident conviction that our neighbors will no more work harm to us than we would think of harming them1 two-thirds of the world's evil would vanish into thin air4 ,were no man to hurt his brother1 ,karma-,nemesis would have neither cause to work for1 nor weapons to act through 444 ,we cut these numerous windings in our destinies daily with our own hands1 while we imagine that we are pursuing a track on the royal road of respectability and duty1 and then complain of those ways being so intricate and so dark4 ,we stand bewildered before the mystery of our own making and the riddles of life that we will not solve1 and then accuse the great ,sphinx of devouring us4 ,but verily there is not an accident in our lives1 not a misshapen day or a misfortune1 that could not be traced back to our own doings in this or another life 444 ,knowledge of ,karma gives the conviction that if-- ',virtue in distress and vice in triumph ,makes atheists of ,mankind1' it is only because that mankind has ever shut its eyes to the great truth that man is himself his own savior as his own destroyer2 that he need not accuse heaven1 and the gods1 fates and providence1 of the apparent injustice that reigns in the midst of humanity4 ,but let him rather remember that bit of ,grecian wisdom which warns man to forbear accusing ,,that which ',just though mysterious1 leads us on unerring ,through ways unmarked from guilt to punishment'--which are now the ways and the high road on which move onward the great ,european nations4 ,the ,western ,aryans have every nation and tribe like their eastern brethren of the fifth race1 their ,golden and their ,iron ages1 their period of comparative irresponsibility1 or the ,satya age of purity1 while now several of them have reached their ,iron ,age1 the ,kali ,yuga1 an age black with horrors4 ,this state will last 444 until we begin acting from within instead of ever following impulses from without4 ,until then the only palliative is union and harmony--a ,brotherhood in actu and altruism not simply in name4 ,edwin ,arnold1 in his wonderful poem1 ,the ,light of ,asia1 which tells the story of the ,buddha1 explains the doctrine of ,karma from the ,buddhist standpoint4 ,we feel that our students should become acquainted with this view1 so beautifully expressed1 and so we herewith quote the passages referred to3 ,karma--all that total of a soul ,which is the things it did1 the thoughts it had1 ,the 'self' it wove with woof of viewless time ,crossed on the warp invisible of acts4 99 99 99 99 99 ,what hath been bringeth what shall be1 and is1 ,worse--better--last for first and first for last2 ,the angels in the heavens of gladness reap ,fruits of a holy past4 ,the devils in the underworlds wear out ,deeds that were wicked in an age gone by4 ,nothing endures3 fair virtues waste with time1 ,foul sins grow purged thereby4 ,who toiled a slave may come anew a prince ,for gentle worthiness and merit won2 ,who ruled a king may wander earth in rags ,for things done and undone4 ,before beginning1 and without an end1 ,as space eternal and as surety sure1 ,is fixed a ,power divine which moves to good1 ,only its laws endure4 ,it will not be contemned of any one3 ,who thwarts it loses1 and who serves it gains2 ,the hidden good it pays with peace and bliss1 ,the hidden ill with pains4 ,it seeth everywhere and marketh all3 ,do right--it recompenseth6 ,do one wrong-- ,the equal retribution must be made1 ,though ,,dharma tarry long4 ,it knows not wrath nor pardon2 utter-true ,its measures mete1 its faultless balance weighs2 ,times are as naught1 to-morrow it will judge1 ,or after many days4 ,by this the slayer's knife did stab himself2 ,the unjust judge hath lost his own defender2 ,the false tongue dooms its lie2 the creeping thief ,and spoiler rob1 to render4 ,such is the law which moves to righteousness1 ,which none at last can turn aside or stay2 ,the heart of it is love1 the end of it ,is peace and consummation sweet4 ,obey6 99 99 99 99 99 ,the books say well1 my brothers6 each man's life ,the outcome of his former living is2 ,the bygone wrongs bring forth sorrow and woes1 ,the bygone right breeds bliss4 ,that which ye sow ye reap4 ,see yonder fields6 ,the sesamum was sesamum1 the corn ,was corn4 ,the silence and the darkness knew2 ,so is a man's fate born4 ,he cometh1 reaper of the things he sowed1 ,sesamum1 corn1 so much cast in past birth2 ,and so much weed and poison-stuff1 which mar ,him and the aching earth4 ,if he shall labor rightly1 rooting these1 ,and planting wholesome seedlings where they grew1 ,fruitful and fair and clean the ground shall be1 ,and rich the harvest due4 ,if he who liveth1 learning whence woe springs1 ,endureth patiently1 striving to pay ,his utmost debt for ancient evils done ,in love and truth always2 ,if making none to lack1 he thoroughly purge ,the lie and lust of self forth from his blood2 ,suffering all meekly1 rendering for offence ,nothing but grace and good3 ,if he shall day by day dwell merciful1 ,holy and just and kind and true2 and rend ,desire from where it clings with bleeding roots1 ,till love of life have end3 ,he--dying--leaveth as the sum of him ,a life-count closed1 whose ills are dead and quit1 ,whose good is quick and mighty1 far and near1 ,so that fruits follow it4 ,no need hath such to live as ye name life2 ,that which began in him when he began ,is finished3 he hath wrought the purpose through ,of what did make him man4 ,never shall yearnings torture him1 nor sins ,stain him1 nor ache of earthly joys and woes ,invade his safe eternal peace2 nor deaths ,and lives recur4 ,he goes ,unto ,,nirvana4 ,he is one with ,life ,yet lives not4 ,he is blest1 ceasing to be4 ,,om1 ,,mani ,,padme ,,om6 the dewdrop slips ,into the shining sea6 ,this is the doctrine of the ,karma4 ,learn6 ,only when all the dross of sin is quit1 ,only when life dies like a white flame spent4 ,death dies along with it4 ,and so1 friends1 this is a brief account of the operations of the ,law of ,karma4 ,the subject is one of such wide scope that the brief space at our disposal enables us to do little more than to call your attention to the existence of the ,law1 and some of its general workings4 ,we advise our students to acquaint themselves thoroughly with what has been written on this subject by ourselves and others4 ,in our first series of lessons--the ,fourteen ,lessons--the chapter or lesson on ,spiritual ,cause and ,effect was devoted to the subject of ,karma4 ,we advise our students to re-study it4 ,we also suggest that ,mr4 ,sinnett's occult story entitled ,karma gives its readers an excellent idea of the actual working of ,karma in the everyday lives of people of our own times4 ,we recommend the book to the consideration of our students4 ,it is published at a popular price1 and is well worth the consideration of every one interested in this wonderful subject of ,reincarnation and ,karma4 ,,the ,,twelfth ,,lesson4 ,,occult ,,miscellany4 ,in this1 the last lesson of this series1 we wish to call your attention to a variety of subjects1 coming under the general head of the ,yogi ,philosophy1 and yet apparently separated from one another4 ,and so we have entitled this lesson ,occult ,miscellany1 inasmuch as it is made up of bits of information upon a variety of subjects all connected with the general teaching of the series4 ,the lesson will consist of answers to a number of questions1 asked by various students of the courses in ,yogi ,philosophy coming from our pen4 ,while these answers1 of necessity1 must be brief1 still we will endeavor to condense considerable information into each1 so that read as a whole the lesson will give to our students a variety of information upon several important subjects4 ,,question #a3 ,are there any ,brotherhoods of ,advanced ,occultists in existence1 in harmony with the ,yogi ,teachings8 ,and if so1 what information can you give regarding them8 ,,answer3 ,yes1 there are a number of ,occult ,brotherhoods1 of varying degrees of advancement1 scattered through the various countries of the earth4 ,these ,brotherhoods agree in principle with the ,yogi ,teachings1 although the methods of interpretation may vary somewhat4 ,there is but one ,,truth1 which becomes apparent to all deep students of ,occultism1 and therefore all true ,occultists have a glimpse of that ,truth1 and upon this glimpse is founded their philosophies and teachings4 ,these ,occult ,brotherhoods vary in their nature4 ,in some1 the members are grouped together in retired portions of the earth1 dwelling in the community life4 ,in others the headquarters are in the large cities of the earth1 their membership being composed of residents of those cities1 with outlying branches4 ,others have no meeting places1 their work being managed from headquarters1 their members being scattered all over the face of the earth1 the communication being kept up by personal correspondence and privately printed and circulated literature4 ,admission to these true ,occult ,brotherhoods is difficult4 ,they seek their members1 not the members them4 ,no amount of money1 or influence1 or energy can gain entrance to these societies4 ,they seek to impart information and instruction only to those who are prepared to receive it--to those who have reached that stage of spiritual unfoldment that will enable them to grasp and assimilate the teachings of the ,inner ,circles4 ,while this is true1 it is also true that these ,societies or ,brotherhoods are engaged in disseminating ,occult ,knowledge1 suited to the minds of the public1 through various channels1 and cloaked in various disguises of name1 authority and style4 ,their idea is to gradually open the mind of the public to the great truths underlying and back of all of these various fragmentary teachings4 ,and they recognize the fact that one mind may be reached in a certain way1 and another mind in a second way1 and so on4 ,and1 accordingly1 they wrap their teachings in covers likely to attract the attention of various people1 and to cause them to investigate the contents4 ,but1 under and back of all of these various teachings1 is the great fundamental ,,truth4 ,it has often been asked of us how one might distinguish the real ,brotherhoods from the spurious ones which have assumed the name and general style of the true societies1 for the purpose of exploiting the public1 and making money from their interest in the great occult truths4 ,answering this1 we would say that the true ,occult ,brotherhoods and ,societies never sell their knowledge4 ,it is given free as water to those who seek for it1 and is never sold for money4 ,the true adept would as soon think of selling his soul as selling ,spiritual ,knowledge for gain4 ,while money plays its proper place in the world1 and the laborer is worthy of his hire2 and while the ,masters recognize the propriety of the sale of books on ,occultism 7providing the price is reasonable and not in excess of the general market price of books7 and while they also recognize the propriety of having people pay their part of the expenses of maintaining organizations1 magazines1 lecturers1 instructors1 etc41 still the idea stops there--it does not extend to the selling of the ,inner ,secrets of ,occultism for silver or gold4 ,therefore if you are solicited to become a member of any so-called ,brotherhood or ,occult ,society for a consideration of money1 you will know at once that the organization is not a true ,occult ,society1 for it has violated one of the cardinal principles at the start4 ,remember the old occult maxim3 ,when the ,pupil is ready1 the ,master appears--and so it is with the ,brotherhoods and ,societies--if it is necessary for your growth1 development1 and attainment1 to be connected with one of these organizations then1 when the time comes--when you are ready--you will receive your call1 and then will know for a certainty that those who call are the true messengers of ,truth4 ,,question ,,ii3 ,are there any exalted human beings called ,masters1 or ,adepts1 or are the tales regarding them mere fables1 etc8 ,,answer3 ,of a truth there are certain highly developed1 advanced and exalted souls in the flesh1 known as ,masters and ,adepts1 although many of the tales told concerning them are myths1 or pure fiction originating in the minds of some modern sensational writers4 ,and1 moreover1 these souls are members of the ,great ,lodge1 an organization composed of these almost super-human beings--these great souls that have advanced so very far on ,,the ,,path4 ,before beginning to speak of them1 let us answer a question often asked by ,western people1 and that is1 ,why do not these people appear to the world1 and show their powers8 ,each of you may answer that question from your own experiences4 ,have you ever been foolish enough to open your soul to the crowd1 and have it reveal the sacred ,truth that rests there8 ,have you ever attempted to impart the highest teachings known to you1 to persons who had not attained sufficient spiritual development to even understand the meaning of your words8 ,have you ever committed the folly of throwing spiritual pearls to material swine8 ,if you have had these experiences1 you may begin to faintly imagine the reasons of these illumined souls for keeping away from the crowd--for dwelling away from the multitude4 ,no one who has not suffered the pain of having the vulgar crowd revile the highest spiritual truths to him1 can begin to understand the feelings of the spiritually illumined individuals4 ,it is not that they feel that they are better or more exalted than the humblest man--for these feelings of the personality have long since left them4 ,it is because they see the folly of attempting to present the highest truths to a public which is not prepared to understand even the elementary teachings4 ,it is a feeling akin to that of the master of the highest musical conceptions attempting to produce his wonderful compositions before a crowd fit only for the rag-time and slangy songs of the day4 ,then again1 these ,masters have no desire to work miracles which would only cause the public to become still more superstitious than they now are4 ,when one glances back over the field of religions1 and sees how the miraculous acts of some of the great leaders have been prostituted and used as a foundation for the grossest credulity and basest superstition1 he may understand the wisdom of the masters in this respect4 ,there is another reason for the non-appearance of the ,masters1 and that is that there is no occasion for it4 ,the laws of ,spiritual ,evolution are as regular1 constant and fixed as are the laws of ,physical ,evolution1 and any attempt to unduly force matters only results in confusion1 and the abortive results soon fade away4 ,the world is not ready for the appearance of the ,masters4 ,their appearance at this time would not be in accordance with ,the ,plan4 ,the ,masters or ,adepts are human beings who have passed from lower to higher planes of consciousness1 thus gaining wisdom1 power and qualities that seem almost miraculous to the man of the ordinary consciousness4 ,a ,hindu writer speaking of them has said3 ,to him who hath traveled far along ,the ,path1 sorrow ceases to trouble2 fetters cease to bind2 obstacles cease to hinder4 ,such an one is free4 ,for him there is no more fever or sorrow4 ,for him there are no more unconscious re-births4 ,his old ,karma is exhausted1 and he creates no new ,karma4 ,his heart is freed from the desire for future life4 ,no new longings arise within his soul4 ,he is like a lamp which burneth from the oil of the ,spirit1 and not from the oil of the outer world4 ,lillie in his work on ,buddhism1 tells his readers3 ,six supernatural faculties were expected of the ascetic before he could claim the grade of ,arhat4 ,they are constantly alluded to in the ,sutras as the six supernatural faculties1 usually without further specification4444 ,in this transitory body the intelligence of ,man is enchained4 ,the ascetic finding himself thus confused1 directs his mind to the creation of ,manas4 ,he represents to himself1 in thought1 another body created from this material body1--a body with a form1 members and organs4 ,this body in relation to the material body is like a sword and the scabbard1 or a serpent issuing from a basket in which it is confined4 ,the ascetic then1 purified and perfected1 begins to practice supernatural faculties4 ,he finds himself able to pass through material obstacles1 walls1 ramparts1 etc42 he is able to throw his phantasmal appearance into many places at once4 ,he acquires the power of hearing the sounds of the unseen world as distinctly as those of the phenomenal world--more distinctly in point of fact4 ,also by the power of ,manas he is able to read the most secret thoughts of others1 and to tell their characters4 ,these great ,masters are above all petty sectarian distinctions4 ,they may have ascended to their exalted position along the paths of the many religions1 or they may have walked the path of no-denomination1 sect1 or body4 ,they may have mounted to their heights by philosophical reasoning alone1 or else by scientific investigation4 ,they are called by many names1 according to the viewpoint of the speaker1 but at the last they are of but one religion2 one philosophy2 one belief--,,truth4 ,the state of ,adeptship is reached only after a long and arduous apprenticeship extending over many lives4 ,those who have reached the pinnacle were once even as ,you who read these lines4 ,and some of you--yes1 perhaps even ,you who are now reading these words may have taken the first steps along the narrow path which will lead you to heights equally as exalted as those occupied by even the highest of these great beings of whom we are speaking4 ,unconsciously to yourself1 the urge of the ,spirit has set your feet firmly upon ,the ,path1 and will push you forward to the end4 ,in order to understand the occult custom that finds its full fruit in the seclusion of the ,masters1 one needs to be acquainted with the universal habit among true occultists of refraining from public or vulgar displays of occult power4 ,while the inferior occultists often exhibit some of the minor manifestations to the public1 it is a fact that the true advanced occultists scrupulously refrain from so doing4 ,in fact1 among the highest teachers1 it is a condition imposed upon the pupil that he shall refrain from exhibitions of his developing powers among the uninitiated public4 ,the ,neophyte is bound over to the most inviolable secrecy as to everything connected with his entrance and further progress in the schools4 ,in ,asia1 in the same way1 the chela1 or pupil of occultism1 no sooner becomes a chela than he ceases to be a witness on behalf of the reality of occult knowledge1 says ,sinnett in his great work on ,esoteric ,buddhism1 ,and he then adds3 ,i have been astonished to find1 since my own connection with the subject1 how numerous such chelas are4 ,but it is impossible to imagine any human act more improbable than the unauthorized revelation by any such chela1 to persons in the outer world1 that he is one2 and so the great esoteric school of philosophy guards its seclusion4 ,,question ,,iii3 ,does the ,yogi ,philosophy teach that there is a place corresponding to the ',heavens' of the various religions8 ,is there any basis for the belief that there is a place resembling ',heaven'8 ,,answer3 ,yes1 the ,yogi ,philosophy does teach that there is a real basis for the popular religious beliefs in ,heaven1 and that there are states of being1 the knowledge of which has filtered through to the masses in the more or less distorted theories regarding heavens4 ,but the ,yogis do not teach that these heavens are places at all4 ,the teaching is that they are planes of existence4 ,it is difficult to explain just what is meant by this word plane4 ,the nearest approach to it in ,english is the term or word ,state4 ,a portion of space may be occupied by several planes at the same time1 just as a room may be filled with the rays of the sun1 those of a lamp4 ,x-rays1 magnetic and electric vibrations and waves1 etc41 each interpenetrating each other and yet not affecting or interfering with each other4 ,on the lower planes of the ,astral ,world there are to be found the earth-bound souls which have passed out from their former bodies1 but which are attracted to the earthly scenes by strong attractions1 which serve to weight them down and to prevent them from ascending to the higher planes4 ,on the higher planes are souls that are less bound by earthly attractions1 and who1 accordingly1 are relieved of the weight resulting therefrom4 ,these planes rise in an ascending scale1 each plane being higher and more spiritual than the one lower than itself4 ,and dwelling on each plane are the souls fitted to occupy it1 by reason of their degree of spiritual development1 or evolution4 ,when the soul first leaves the body it falls into a sleep-like stage1 from which it awakens to find itself on the plane for which it is fitted1 by reason of its development1 attractions1 character1 etc4 ,the particular plane occupied by each soul is determined by the progress and attainment it has made in its past lives4 ,the souls on the higher planes may1 and often do1 visit the planes lower in the scale than their own1 but those on the lower planes may not visit those higher than their own4 ,quoting from our own writings on this subject1 published several years ago1 we repeat3 ,this prohibition regarding the visiting of higher planes is not an arbitrary rule1 but a law of nature4 ,if the student will pardon the commonplace comparison1 he may get an understanding of it1 by imagining a large screen1 or series of screens1 such as used for sorting coal into sizes4 ,the large coal is caught by the first screen2 the next size by the second2 and so on until the tiny coal is reached4 ,now1 the large coal cannot get into the receptacle of the smaller sizes1 but the small sizes may easily pass through the screen and join the larger sizes1 if force be imparted to them4 ,just so in the ,astral ,world1 the soul with the greatest amount of materiality1 and gross nature1 is stopped by the spiritual screen of a certain plane1 and cannot pass on to the higher ones1 while other souls have cast off some of the confining and retarding material sheaths1 and readily pass on to higher and finer planes4 ,and it may be readily seen that those souls which dwell on the higher planes are able to re-visit the lower and grosser planes1 while the souls on the grosser cannot penetrate the higher boundries of their plane1 being stopped by the spiritual screen4 ,the comparison is a crude one1 but it almost exactly pictures the existing conditions on the spiritual world4 ,souls on the upper planes1 may1 and often do1 journey to the lower planes for the purpose of visiting the souls of friends who may be dwelling there1 and thus affording them comfort and consolation4 ,in fact1 the teaching is that in many cases a highly developed soul visits souls on the lower planes in whom it is interested1 and actually imparts spiritual teaching and instruction to those souls1 so that they may be re-born into much better conditions than would have been the case otherwise4 ,all of the planes have ,spiritual ,instructors from very high planes1 who sacrifice their well-earned rest and happiness on their own planes in order that they may work for the less-developed souls on the lower planes4 ,as we have said1 the soul awakens on the plane to which it is suited4 ,it finds itself in the company of congenial souls1 in whose company it is enabled to pursue those things which were dear to its heart when alive4 ,it may be able to make considerable advancement during its sojourn in heaven1 which will result to its benefit when it is reborn on earth4 ,there are countless sub-planes1 adapted to the infinite requirements of the advancing souls in every degree of development1 and each soul finds an opportunity to develop and enjoy to the fullest the highest of which it is capable1 and to also perfect itself and to prepare itself for future development1 so that it may be re-born under the very best possible conditions and circumstances in the next earth life4 ,but1 alas1 even in this higher world1 all souls do not live up to the best that is in them1 and instead of making the best of their opportunities for development1 and growing spiritually1 they allow the attractions of their material natures to draw them downward1 and too often spend much of their time on the planes beneath them1 not to help and assist1 but to live the less spiritual lives of their friends on the lower planes4 ,in such cases the soul does not reap the benefit of the sojourn in the after-life1 but is born again according to the attractions of its lower1 instead of its higher nature1 and is compelled to learn its lesson over again4 ,the ,yogi teachings inform us that the lower planes of the ,astral ,world are inhabited by souls of a very gross and degraded type1 undeveloped and animal-like4 ,these low souls live out the tendencies and characteristics of their former earth lives1 and reincarnate rapidly in order to pursue their material attractions4 ,of course1 there is slowly working even in these undeveloped souls an upward tendency1 but it is so slow as to be almost imperceptible4 ,in time these undeveloped souls grow sick and tired of their materiality1 and then comes the chance for a slight advance4 ,of course these undeveloped souls have no access to the higher planes of the ,astral world1 but are confined to their own degraded plane and to the sub-planes which separate the ,astral ,world from the material world4 ,they cling as closely as possible to the earthly scenes1 and are separated from the material world by only a thin screen 7if we may use the word74 ,they suffer the tantalizing condition of being within sight and hearing of their old material scenes and environments1 and yet unable to manifest on them4 ,these souls form the low class of spirits of which we hear so much in certain circles4 ,they hang around their old scenes of debauchery and sense gratification1 and often are able to influence the minds of living persons along the same line and plane of development4 ,for instance1 these creatures hover around low saloons and places of ill-repute1 influencing the sodden brains of living persons to participate in the illicit gratifications of the lower sensual nature4 ,souls on the higher planes are not bound by these earthly and material attractions1 and take advantage of their opportunities to improve themselves and develop spiritually4 ,it is a rule of the ,astral ,world that the higher the plane occupied by a soul1 the longer the sojourn there between incarnations4 ,a soul on the lowest planes may reincarnate in a very short time1 while on the higher planes hundreds and even thousands of years may elapse before the soul is called upon to experience re-birth4 ,but re-birth comes to all who have not passed on to other spheres of life4 ,sooner or later the soul feels that inward urge toward re-birth and further experience1 and becomes drowsy and falls into a state resembling sleep1 when it is caught up in the current that is sweeping on toward re-birth1 and is gradually carried on to re-birth in conditions chosen by its desires and characteristics1 in connection with the operation of the laws of ,karma4 ,from the soul-slumber it passes through what may be called a death on the ,astral plane1 when it is re-born on the earth plane4 ,but1 remember this1 the soul1 when it is re-born on earth1 does not fully awaken from its ,astral sleep4 ,in infancy and in early childhood the soul is but slowly awakening1 gradually from year to year1 the brain being built to accommodate this growth4 ,the rare instances of precocious children1 and infant genius are cases in which the awakening has been more rapid than ordinary4 ,on the other hand1 cases are known where the soul does not awaken as rapidly as the average1 and the result is that the person does not show signs of full intellectual activity until nearly middle age4 ,cases are known when men seemed to wake up when they were forty years of age1 or even later in life1 and would then take on a freshened activity and energy1 surprising those who had known them before4 ,on some of the planes of the ,astral world the souls dwelling there do not seem to realize that they are dead1 but act and live as if they were in the flesh4 ,they have a knowledge of the planes beneath them1 just as we on earth know of conditions beneath us 7spiritually71 but they seem to be in almost absolute ignorance of the planes above them1 just as many of us on earth cannot comprehend the existence of beings more highly developed spiritually than ourselves4 ,this1 of course1 is only true of the souls who have not been made acquainted with the meaning and nature of life on the ,astral ,plane4 ,those who have acquired this information and knowledge readily understand their condition and profit thereby4 ,it will be seen from this that it is of the greatest importance for persons to become acquainted with the great laws of ,occultism in their present earth life1 for the reason that when they pass out of the body and enter some one of the ,astral ,planes they will not be in ignorance of the condition1 but will readily grasp the meaning and nature of their surroundings and take advantage of the same in order to develop themselves more rapidly4 ,it will be seen from what has been written by us here and elsewhere that there are planes after planes on the ,astral side of life4 ,all that has been dreamt of ,heaven1 ,purgatory or ,hell has its correspondence there1 although not in the literal sense in which these things have been taught4 ,for instance1 a wicked man dying immersed in his desires and longings of his lower nature1 and believing that he will be punished in a future life for sins committed on earth--such a one is very apt to awaken on the lower planes or sub-planes1 in conditions corresponding with his former fears4 ,he finds the fire and brimstone awaiting him1 although these things are merely figments of his own imagination1 and having no existence in reality4 ,murderers may roam for ages 7apparently7 pursued by the bleeding corpses of their victims1 until such a horror of the crime arises in the mind that at last sinking from exhaustion into the soul-sleep1 their souls pass into re-birth with such a horror of bloodshed and crime as to make them entirely different beings in the new life4 ,and1 yet the hell that they went through existed only in their imaginations4 ,they were their own ,devil and ,hell4 ,just as a man in earth life may suffer from delirium tremens1 so some of these souls on the ,astral plane suffer agonies from their delirium arising from their former crimes1 and the belief in the punishment therefor which has been inculcated in them through earth teachings4 ,and these mental agonies1 although terrible1 really are for their benefit1 for by reason of them the soul becomes so sickened with the thought and idea of crime that when it is finally re-born it manifests a marked repulsion to it1 and flies to the opposite4 ,in this connection we would say that the teaching is that although the depraved soul apparently experiences ages of this torment1 yet1 in reality1 there is but the passage of but a short time1 the illusion arising from the self-hypnotization of the soul1 just as arises the illusion of the punishment itself4 ,in the same way the soul often experiences a heaven in accordance with its hopes1 beliefs and longings of earth-life4 ,the heaven that it has longed for and believed in during its earth-life is very apt to be at least partially reproduced on the ,astral plane1 and the pious soul of any and all religious denominations finds itself in a heaven corresponding to that in which it believed during its earth-life4 ,the ,mohammedan finds his paradise2 the ,christian finds his2 the ,indian finds his--but the impression is merely an illusion created by the ,mental ,pictures of the soul4 ,but the illusion tends to give pleasure to the soul1 and to satisfy certain longings which in time fade away1 leaving the soul free to reach out after higher conceptions and ideals4 ,we cannot devote more space to this subject at this time1 and must content ourselves with the above statements and explanations4 ,the principal point that we desire to impress upon your minds is the fact that the heaven-world is not a place or state of permanent rest and abode for the disembodied soul1 but is merely a place or temporary sojourn between incarnations1 and thus serves as a place of rest wherein the soul may gather together its forces1 energies1 desires and attractions preparatory to re-birth4 ,in this answer we have merely limited ourselves to a general statement of the states and conditions of the ,astral ,world1 or rather of certain planes of that world4 ,the subject itself requires far more extensive treatment4 ,,question ,,iv3 ,is ,nirvana a state of the total extinction of consciousness2 and is it a place1 state or condition8 ,,answer3 ,the teaching concerning ,nirvana1 the final goal of the soul1 has been much misunderstood1 and much error has crept into the teaching even among some very worthy teachers4 ,to conceive of ,nirvana as a state of extinction of consciousness would be to fall into the error of the pessimistic school of philosophy which thinks of life and consciousness as a curse1 and regards the return into a total unconsciousness as the thing to be most desired4 ,the true teaching is that ,nirvana is a state of the fullest consciousness--a state in which the soul is relieved of all the illusion of separateness and relativity1 and enters into a state of ,universal ,consciousness1 or ,absolute ,awareness1 in which it is conscious of ,infinity1 and ,eternity--of all places and things and time4 ,nirvana instead of being a state of ,nothingness1 is a state of ,everythingness4 ,as the soul advances along the ,path it becomes more and more aware of its connection with1 relation to1 and identity with the ,whole4 ,as it grows1 the ,self enlarges and transcends its former limited bounds4 ,it begins to realize that it is more than the tiny separated atom that it had believed itself to be1 and it learns to identify itself in a constantly increasing scale with the ,universal ,life4 ,it feels a sense of ,oneness in a fuller degree1 and it sets its feet firmly upon the ,path toward ,nirvana4 ,after many weary lives on this and other planets--in this and other ,universes--after it has long since left behind it the scale of humanity1 and has advanced into god-like states1 its consciousness becomes fuller and fuller1 and time and space are transcended in a wonderful manner4 ,and at last the goal is attained--the battle is won--and the soul blossoms into a state of ,universal ,consciousness1 in which ,time and ,place disappear and in which every place is ,here2 every period of ,time is ,now2 and everything is ,i4 ,this is ,nirvana4 ,,question ,v3 ,what is that which ,occultists call 'an ,astral ,shell1' or similar name8 ,is it an entity1 or force1 or being8 ,,answer3 ,when the soul passes out from the body at the moment of death it carries with it the ,astral ,body as well as the higher mental and spiritual principles 7see the first three lessons in the ,fourteen ,lessons74 ,the ,astral ,body is the counterpart of the material or physical body1 although it is composed of matter of a much finer and ethereal nature than is the physical body4 ,it is invisible to the ordinary eye1 but may be seen clairvoyantly4 ,the ,astral ,body rises from the physical body like a faint1 luminous vapor1 and for a time is connected with the dying physical body by a thin1 vapory cord or thread1 which finally breaks entirely and the separation becomes complete4 ,the ,astral ,body is some time afterward discarded by the soul as it passes on to the higher planes1 as we have described a few pages further back1 and the abandoned ,astral ,body becomes an ,astral ,shell1 and is subject to a slow disintegration1 just as is the physical body4 ,it is no more the soul than is the physical body--it is merely a cast off garment of fine matter4 ,it will be seen readily that it is not an entity1 force or being--it is only cast off matter--a sloughed skin4 ,it has no life or intelligence1 but floats around on the lower ,astral ,plane until it finally disintegrates4 ,it has an attraction toward its late physical associate--the physical body--and often returns to the place where the latter is buried1 where it is sometimes seen by persons whose astral sight is temporarily awakened1 when it is mistaken for a ghost or spirit of the person4 ,these ,astral ,shells are often seen floating around over graveyards1 battlefields1 etc4 ,and sometimes these shells coming in contact with the psychic magnetism of a medium become galvanized into life1 and manifest signs of intelligence1 which1 however1 really comes from the mind of the medium4 ,at some seances these re-vitalized shells manifest and materialize1 and talk in a vague1 meaningless manner1 the shell receiving its vitality from the body and mind of the medium instead of speaking from any consciousness of its own4 ,this statement is not to be taken as any denial of true spirit return1 but is merely an explanation of certain forms of so-called spiritualistic phenomena which is well understood by advanced spiritualists1 although many seekers after psychic phenomena are in ignorance of it4 ,,question ,,vi3 ,what is meant by the ,days and ,nights of ,brahm2 the ,cycles2 the ,chain of ,worlds1 etc41 etc48 ,,answer3 ,in ,lesson ,sixth1 of the present series1 you will find a brief mention of the ,days and ,nights of ,brahm--those vast periods of the ,in-breathing and ,out-breathing of the ,creative ,principle which is personified in the ,hindu conception of ,brahma4 ,you will see mentioned there that universal philosophical conception of the ,universal ,rhythm1 which manifests in a succession of periods of ,universal ,activity and ,inactivity4 ,the ,yogi ,teachings are that all ,time is manifested in ,cycles4 ,man calls the most common form of ,cyclic ,time by the name of a ,day1 which is the period of time necessary for the earth's revolution on its axis4 ,each ,day is a reproduction of all previous ,days1 although the incidents of each day differ from those of the other--all ,days are but periods of ,time marked off by the revolution of the earth on its axis4 ,and each ,night is but the negative side of a ,day1 the positive side of which is called day4 ,there is really no such thing as a ,day1 that which we call a ,day being simply a record of certain physical changes in the earth's position relating to its own axis4 ,the second phase of ,cyclic ,time is called by man by the name a ,month1 by which is meant certain changes in the relative positions of the moon and the earth4 ,the true month consists of twenty-eight lunar days4 ,in this ,cycle 7the ,month7 there is also a light-time or day1 and a dark-time or night1 the former being the fourteen days of the moon's visibility1 and the second being the fourteen days of the moon's invisibility4 ,the third phase of ,cyclic ,time is that which we call a ,year1 by which is meant the time occupied by the earth in its revolution around the sun4 ,you will notice that the year has its positive and negative periods1 also1 known as ,summer and ,winter4 ,but the ,yogis take up the story where the astronomers drop it1 at the ,year4 ,beyond the ,year there are other and greater phases of ,cyclic ,time4 ,the ,yogis know many cycles of thousands of years in which there are marked periods of ,activity and ,inactivity4 ,we cannot go into detail regarding these various cycles1 but may mention another division common to the ,yogi teachings1 beginning with the ,great ,year4 ,the ,great ,year is composed of #cfj earth years4 ,twelve thousand ,great ,years constitute what is known as a ,great ,cycle1 which is seen to consist of #d1cbj1jjj earth years4 ,seventy-one ,great ,cycles compose what is called a ,manwantara1 at the end of which the earth becomes submerged under the waters1 until not a vestige of land is left uncovered4 ,this state lasts for a period equal to #ga ,great ,cycles4 ,a ,kalpa is composed of #ad ,manwantaras4 ,the largest and grandest ,cycle manifested is known as the ,maya-,praylaya1 consisting of #cf1jjj ,kalpas when the ,absolute withdraws into ,itself its entire manifestations1 and dwells alone in its awful ,infinity and ,oneness1 this period being succeeded by a period equally long--the two being known as the ,days and ,nights of ,brahm4 ,you will notice that each of these great ,cycles has its ,day period and its ,night period--its ,period of ,activity4 and its ,period of ,inactivity4 ,from ,day to ,maya-,praylaya1 it is a succession of ,nights and ,days--,creative ,activity and ,creative ,cessation4 ,the ,chain of ,worlds1 is that great group of planets in our own solar system1 seven in number1 over which the ,procession of ,life passes1 in ,cycles4 ,from globe to globe the great wave of soul life passes in ,cyclic ,rhythm4 ,after a race has passed a certain number of incarnations upon one planet1 it passes on to another1 and learns new lessons1 and then on and on until finally it has learned all of the lessons possible on this ,universe1 when it passes on to another ,universe1 and so on1 from higher to higher until the human mind is unable to even think of the grandeur of the destiny awaiting each human soul on ,,the ,,path4 ,the various works published by the ,theosophical organizations go into detail regarding these matters1 which require the space of many volumes to adequately express1 but we think that we have at last indicated the general nature of the question1 pointing out to the student the nature of the subject1 and indicating lines for further study and investigation4 ,,conclusion4 ,and now1 dear students1 we have reached the end of this series of lessons4 ,you have followed us closely for the past four years1 many of you having been with us as students from the start4 ,we feel many ties of spiritual relationship binding you to us1 and the parting1 although but temporary1 gives a little pang to us--a little pull upon our heart strings4 ,we have tried to give to you a plain1 practical and simple exposition of the great truths of this world-old philosophy--have endeavored to express in plain simple terms the greatest truths known to man on earth to-day1 the ,yogi ,philosophy4 ,and many have written us that our work has not been in vain1 and that we have been the means of opening up new worlds of thought to them1 and have aided them in casting off the old material sheaths that had bound them for so long1 and the discarding of which enabled them to unfold the beautiful blossom of ,spirituality4 ,be this as it may1 we have been able merely to give you the most elementary instruction in this world-philosophy1 and are painfully conscious of the small portion of the field that we have tilled1 when compared with the infinite expanse of ,truth still untouched4 ,but such are the limitations of ,man--he can speak only of that which lies immediately before him1 leaving for others the rest of the work which is remote from his place of abode4 ,there are planes upon planes of this ,truth which every soul among you will some day make his or her own4 ,it is yours1 and you will be impelled to reach forth and take that which is intended for you4 ,be not in too much haste--be of great patience--and all will come to you1 for it is your own4 ,,mystic ,,christianity4 ,we have here to make an announcement that will please our readers1 judging from the many letters that we have received during the several years of our work4 ,we will now enter upon a new phase of our work of presenting the great truths underlying life1 as taught by the great minds of centuries ago1 and carefully transmitted from master to student from that time unto our own4 ,we have concluded our presentation of the mystic teachings underlying the ,hindu ,philosophies1 and shall now pass on to a consideration and presentation of the great ,mystic ,principles underlying that great and glorious creed of the ,western world--the religion1 teachings1 and philosophy of ,,jesus ,,the ,,christ4 ,these teachings1 too1 as we should remember1 are essentially ,eastern in their origin1 and source1 although their effects are more pronounced in the ,western world4 ,underlying the teaching and philosophy of the ,christ are to be found the same esoteric principles that underlie the other great systems of philosophies of the ,east4 ,covered up though the ,truth be by the additions of the ,western churches and sects1 still it remains there burning brightly as ever1 and plainly visible to one who will brush aside the rubbish surrounding the ,sacred ,flame and who will seek beneath the forms and non-essentials for the ,mystic ,truths underlying ,christianity4 ,we realize the importance of the work before us1 but we shrink not from the task1 for we know that when the bright ,light of the ,spirit1 which is found as the centre of the ,christian philosophy1 is uncovered1 there will be great rejoicing from the many who while believing in and realizing the value of the ,eastern ,teachings1 still rightly hold their love1 devotion and admiration for ,him who was in very ,truth the ,son of ,god1 and whose mission was to raise the ,world spiritually from the material quagmire into which it was stumbling4 ,and now1 dear pupils1 we must close this series of lessons on the ,yogi ,philosophy4 ,we must rest ere we so soon engage upon our new and great work4 ,we must each take a little rest1 ere we meet again on ,the ,path of ,attainment4 ,each of these temporary partings are milestones upon our ,journey of ,spiritual ,life4 ,let each find us farther advanced4 ,and now we send you our wishes of ,peace4 ,may ,the ,peace be with you all1 now and forever1 even unto ,,nirvana1 which is ,,peace itself4 ,the ,complete ,works of ,,yogi ,,ramacharaka ,,science ,,of ,,breath ,,fourteen ,,lessons--,,yogi ,,philosophy ,,advanced ,,course ,,in ,,yogi ,,philosophy ,,raja ,,yoga ,,gnani ,,yoga ,,philosophies ,,and ,,religions ,,of ,,india ,,hatha ,,yoga ,,psychic ,,healing ,,mystic ,,christianity ,,life ,,beyond ,,death ,,bhagavad ,,gita ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,the ,,upanishads ,,practical ,,water ,,cure