Eto, buduci da je bilo rijeci o Raja-yogi te da se materijali o istoj ne
nalaze bas na svakom cosku, pustio sam prvo poglavlje Ramacharakine
knjige kroz scanner. Ako naidjete na cudne znakove po tekstu, zna se
odakle su - to su bugovi iz Recognite. :)

----
Yogi Ramacharaka: "RAJA YOGA or mental development"

                   THE FIRST LESSON.
                       THE "I."

In India, the Candidates for Initiation into the science of
"Raja Yoga," when they apply to the Yogi Masters for instruction, are
given a series of lessons designed to enlighten them regarding the
nature of the Real Self, and to instruct them in the secret knowledge
whereby they may develop the consciousness and realization of the real
"I" within them. They are shown how they may cast aside the erroneous or
imperfect knowledge regarding their real identity. Until the Candidate
masters this instruction, or at least until the truth becomes fixed in
his consciousness, further instruction is denied him, for it is held
that until he has awakened to a conscious realization of his Actual
Identity, he is not able to understand the source of his power, and,
moreover, is not able to feel within him the power of the Will, which
power underlies the entire teachings of "Raja Yoga." The Yogi Masters
are not satisfied if the Candidate forms merely a clear intellectual
conception of this Actual Identity, but they insist that he must feel
the truth of the same-must become aware of the Real Self-must enter into
a consciousness in which the realization becomes a part of his everyday
self-in which the realizing consciousness becomes the prevailing idea in
his mind, around which his entire thoughts and actions revolve. To some
Candidates, this realization comes like a lightning flash the moment the
attention is directed toward it, while in other cases the Candidates
find it necessary to follow a rigorous course of training before they
acquire the realization in consciousness. The Yogi Masters teach that
there are two degrees of this awakening consciousness of the Real Self.
The first, which they call "the Consciousness of the 'I'," is the full
consciousness of real existence that comes to the Candidate, and which
causes him to know that he is a real entity having a life not depending
upon the body-life that will go on in spite of the destruction of the
body-real life, in fact. The second degree, which the call "the
Consciousness of the 'I AM'" , is the consciousness of one's identity
with the Universal Life, and his relationship to, and "in-touchness"
with all Life, expressed and unexpresscd. These two degrees of
consciousness come in time to all who seek "The Path." To some it comes
suddenly; to others it dawns gradually; to many it comes assisted by the
exercises and practical work of Raja Yoga. The first lesson of the Yogi
Masters to the Candidates, leading up to the first degree, above
mentioned, is as follows: That the Supreme Intelligence of the
Universe-the Absolute-has manifested the being that we ca11 Man-the
highest manifestation on this planet. The Absolute has manifested an
infinitude of forms of life in the Universe, including distant worlds,
suns, planets, etc., many of these forms being unknown to us on this
planet, and being impossible of conception by the mind of the ordinary
man. But these lessons have nothing to do with that part of the
philosophy which deals with these myriad forms of life, far our time
will be taken up with the unfoldment in the mind of man of his true
nature and power. Before man attempts to solve the secrets of the
Universe without, he should master the Universe within-the Kingdom of
the Self. When he has accomplished this, then he may, and should, go
forth to gain the outer knowledge as a Master demanding its secrets,
rather than as a slave begging for the crumbs from the table of
knowledge. The first knowledge for the Candidate is the knowledge of the
Self. Man, the highest manifestation of the Absolute, as far as this
planet is concerned, is a wonderfully organized being-a1though the
average man understands but little of his real nature. He comprises
within his physical, mental and spiritual make-up both the highest and
the lowest, as we have shown in our previous lessons (the "Fourteen
Lessons" and the "Advanced Course"). In his bones he manifests almost in
the form of mineral life, in fact, in his bones, body, and blood mineral
substances actually exist. The physical life of the body resembles the
life of the plant. Many of the physical desires and emotions are akin to
those of the lower animals, and in the undeveloped man these desires and
emotions predominate and overpower the higher nature, which latter is
scarcely in evidence. Then Man has a set of mental characteristics that
are his own, and which are not possessed by the lower animals (See
"Fourteen Lessons"). And in addition to the mental faculties common to
all men, or rather, that are in evidence in a greater or lesser degree
among all men, there are still higher faculties latent within Man, which
when manifested and expressed render Man more than ordinary Man. The
unfoldment of these latent faculties is possible to all who have reached
the proper stage of development, and the desire and hunger of the
student for this instruction is caused by the pressure of these
unfolding latent faculties, crying to be born into consciousness. Then
there is that wonderful thing, the Will, which is but faintly understood
by those ignorant of the Yogi Philosophy-the Power of the Ego -its
birthright from the Absolute. But while these mental and physical things
belong to Man, they are not the Man himself. Before the Man is able to
master, control, and direct the things belonging to him-his tools and
instruments-he must awaken to a realization of Himself. He must be able
to distinguish between the "I" and the "Not I." And this is the first
task before the Candidate. That which is the Real Self of Man is the
Divine Spark sent forth from the Sacred Flame. It is the Child of the
Divine Parent. It is Immortal-Eternal-Indestructible-Invincible. It
possesses within itself Power, Wisdom, and Reality. But like the infant
that contains within itself the sometime Man, the mind of Man is unaware
of its latent and potential qualities, and does not know itself. As it
awakens and unfolds into the knowledge of its real nature, it manifests
its qualities, and realizes what the Absolute has given it. When the
Real Self begins to awaken, it sets aside from itself those things which
are but appendages to it, but which it, in its half waking state, had
regarded as its Self. Setting aside first this, and then that, it
finally discards all of the "Not I," leaving the Real Self free and
delivered from its bondage to its appendages. Then it returns to the
discarded appendages, and makes use of them. In considering the
question: "What is the Real Self ?" let us first stop to examine what
man usually means when he says "I." The lower animals do not possess
this "I" sense. They are conscious of the outer world; of their own
desires and animal cravings and feelings. But their consciousness has
not reached the Self-conscious stage. They are not able to think of
themselves as separate entities, and to reflect upon their thoughts.
They are not possessed of a consciousness of the Divine Spark-the
Ego-the Real Self. The Divine Spark is hidden in the lower forms of
life-even in the lower forms of human life-by many sheaths that shut out
its light. But, nevertheless, it is there, always. It sleeps within the
mind of the savage-then, as he unfolds, it begins to throw out its
light. In you, the Candidate, it is fighting hard to have its beams
pierce through the material coverings When the Real Self begins to
arouse itself from its sleep, its dreams vanish from it, and it begins
to see the world as it is, and to recognize itself in Reality and not as
the distorted thing of its dreams. The savage and barbarian are scarcely
conscious of the "I." They are but a little above the animal in point of
consciousness, and their "I" is almost entirely a matter of the
consciousness of the wants of the body; the satisfaction of the
appetites; the gratification of the passions; the securing of personal
comfort; the expression of lust, savage power, etc. In the savage the
lower part of the Instinctive Mind is the seat of the "I." ( See
"Fourteen Lessons" for explanation of the several mental planes of man.)
If the savage could ana1yze his thoughts he wou1d say that the "I" was
the physical body, the said body having certain "feelings," "wants" and
"desires." The "I" of such a man is a physical "I," the body
representing its form and substance. Not only is this true of the
savage, but even among so-called "civilized" men of to-day we find many
in this stage. They have developed powers of thinking and reasoning, but
they do not "live in their minds" as do some of their brothers. They use
their thinking powers for the gratification of their bodily desires and
cravings, and really live on the plane of the Instinctive Mind. Such a
person may speak of "my mind," or "my soul," not from a high position
where he looks upon these things from the standpoint of a Master who
realizes his Real Self, but from below, from the point-of-view of the
man who lives on the plane of the Instinctive Mind and who sees above
himself the higher attributes. To such people the body is the "I." Their
"I" is bound up with the senses, and that which comes to them through
the senses. Of course, as Man advances in "culture'' and "civilization,"
his senses become educated, and are satisfied only with more refined
things, while the less cultivated man is perfectly satisfied with the
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 * OLX 2.2 * aham brahma asmi
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