The Theosophical Society,
The Writings of Annie Besant
(1847 -1933)
The Hatha-Yoga and
Raja-Yoga of
From
"The Annals of Psychical Science,"
November, 1906
In
the first place, allow me to explain why I have chosen this subject for
discussion:
I have lived in India for twelve years; I have made a fairly
thorough
study of Indian psychology. I thought it might be useful to speak about those
matters of which I have some knowledge, and which are but little studied by the
Western world.
There
exists in India a psychological science, the origin of which dates back
thousands
of years. It is known that India possesses a very ancient literature. Now,
everywhere in that literature we find traces of psychology and also the
exposition of an ancient psychology, in its practical, and not merely in its
theoretical aspect.
Since
this science has been put into practice for so long a period, is it not
reasonable
to conclude that there may be in these ideas, these theories, based
on
repeated experiments, something which may prove useful to modern psychology?
This
psychological science of the East is called Yoga, a word signifying to
bind,
to unite. When we speak of Yoga, we express the idea of forming a union,
of
binding. Of binding what? Consciousness itself, by realizing the union of the
separate
consciousnesses of men with the universal consciousness. Yoga includes all the
practical methods by which this union may be attained.
Yoga
is thus a science which may be both studied and practised; it is practised
in
order to obtain a complete union between the ordinary individual
consciousness
of man and the superconsciousness, by rising from plane to plane, until at last
this union is completely attained: then one is said to be free.
In
order to understand this science, and also the experiments which I wish to
explain,
allow me to give a short account of the fundamental ideas on which
these
experiments are based. It is probable that you will not accept these
ideas;
but you may, nevertheless, understand them as theories: theory concerning man
and, more particularly, theory concerning the consciousness of man.
The
theory, then, must be considered first of all, in order to be able to explain
the
aim; otherwise the experiments of the East will always remain unintelligible
to
western minds. If you will accept these theories, for the moment, you will
understand
the ensemble of these experiments, and you may perhaps deduce for
yourselves
conclusions from them which will afford clues with regard to other
experiments.
Herein lies the value, for western minds--so it seems to me--of a
knowledge
of this science of the East.
The
first proposition is, that consciousness is one and universal. Everywhere,
beneath
appearances, behind phenomena, a consciousness is revealed; under the
diversity
of forms persists the unity of consciousness; a unique energy, a
unique
force, is everywhere in the universe.
This
theory may be regarded as closely related to the western conception of one
single
energy of which all the forces are but the manifestations, the example.
But,
in India, this energy is always regarded as conscious, that is to say, no
division
is made between consciousness, life and energy; these are but three
words
denoting the same essence, but which establish also a distinction between
the
manifestations of this essence, a distinction which it is useful to remember
when
experiments are being made But it must be recognized that this energy is
one,
and is conscious; is, in fact, consciousness itself.
The
second proposition is that this energy, this consciousness--I prefer the
word
consciousness--manifests itself in the universe through the different forms
of
matter. The manifestations of consciousness depend on those forms by which it
is conditioned. The differences which are perceived are simply differences of
form and not differences of consciousness. Consciousness is always present, but
it cannot express itself in a complete manner in a restricted form.
The
evolution of forms depends on this manifestation of consciousness; and when we
place side by side consciousness and form, energy and matter, it is
consciousness
which directs, which is sovereign, which disposes of matter, and
each
functioning of consciousness creates a form for its revelation. When I use
the
word "creates," I do not mean creation out of nothing; I mean that
consciousness
disposes of matter so as to express itself, that all the powers
reside
in consciousness, but that in order to reveal, manifest its powers, it is
absolutely
necessary to find the vehicle of consciousness, that is to say, to
organize
the material by which it can express itself.
I
may on this point quote a very ancient line of a Upanishad, the Chhandogya:
"The
Self, that is to say consciousness, desires to see: the eye appeared; it
desired
to hear: the ear made its appearance; it desired to think: intelligence
was
there"; that is to say the efforts of consciousness are shown in obedient
matter,
directed by that energy which incarnates itself in forms.
You
will find the same idea in the physical universe, in the transformations of
electricity.
You may make different instruments to enable the energy called
electricity
to manifest, the energy is ever the same, it is only the
manifestation
that varies. According to the instrument you provide, you can
obtain
light, sound, heat, chemical dissociations, all these being merely
manifestations
of electricity, manifestations which are possible because you
have
provided instruments which afford suitable conditions for each kind of
manifestation.
But the instrument remains inert without electricity; it
conditions
the form, it does not produce the energy.
It
is the same with consciousness and forms; according to Indian ideas, if you
can
fabricate the instrument necessary for the manifestation of an energy, that
energy
can show itself, and what is called consciousness in men is only a part
of
the universal consciousness which is found everywhere in the universe, and
which
is translated into human forms.
But
they go further: this consciousness is divided into millions of separate
parts
called Jivas (souls). I do not much care for this word souls--it is quite
a
theological expression; they are fragments of life, germs, grains of life,
sown
in matter. The most subtle form of matter is the first veil of the Jiva, an
intelligent,
conscious being; this intelligent, conscious being clothes itself
with
forms of matter of different degrees of subtlety; these are termed Koshas,
a
word signifying sheath (the scabbard of a sword, for example), a covering.
There
are six of these veils, of these vehicles of consciousness, each coarser
than
the last. Hence, when consciousness thus veils itself and enters into these
vehicles
which it has to govern, organize and render fit for its functioning,
each
vehicle of coarser matter detracts from some of its power. In the first and
most
subtle matter, it can operate freely; in the coarser matter some of its
powers
are lost. Thus consciousness, enveloped in these veils of matter--which
are
not yet vehicles for consciousness because they cannot act, which are not
yet
organized--loses some of its liberty, of its powers, with each additional
veil
with which it surrounds itself.
It
may be asked, why does consciousness clothe itself with these veils? It is
because
on the highest plane consciousness is vague; it cannot very clearly
discern
things; it is in the physical body, the vehicle of the coarsest matter,
that
consciousness can first fabricate the vehicle, of a kind almost perfect,
for
its manifestation on this plane. Evolution proceeds. Consciousness strives
unceasingly
to manifest its powers; the Jiva works upon the matter, and the
vehicles
become better and better adapted to its desires.
The
man who wishes to evolve more rapidly than by natural processes, adopts
methods
which have been urged for thousands of years, and by which he tries
gradually
to withdraw consciousness from the coarser material in order that it
may
function freely in a vehicle of finer material; he endeavours to connect
vehicle
with vehicle, until he reaches a yet finer vehicle, without ever losing
consciousness.
In this way it becomes possible to perceive worlds composed of subtler matter,
and to observe them, as we observe here, scientifically and
directly;
and afterwards to remember these observations even whilst wearing the
coarsest
vehicle, that is to say, the physical body. Such are the ideas of the
:East.
When
man is awake his powers are at their lowest; when he withdraws from the
physical
body in the state of sleep, he begins to act in a world composed of
somewhat
subtler matter. But when he begins to function there, he is not really
conscious
of himself; his consciousness is like that of an infant who cannot
distinguish
between himself and others. But by continuing to function in this
way,
by repeated experiments, he can attain to self-consciousness on the second
plane.
If the sleep becomes yet more profound, a yet higher consciousness is
revealed,
and so on from plane to plane.
Let
us note, in passing, that if this theory, proved by many experiments, is
true,
you have a very lucid interpretation of many of the phenomena of hypnotism and
of trance. If it is true that consciousness withdraws from the physical body
and functions in a more refined vehicle with enlarged powers, many of these
phenomena become intelligible. If, then, you could provisionally accept this
theory, it would be possible for you to make some very definite experiments, in
order to test the truth of this theory.
I
come to another point, and here I am much afraid of clashing with some
scientific
opinions. It is believed, by those who hold the Indian theory, that
man
is not the only conscious being in the universe; they believe that there are
many
other beings besides man who are intelligent, and who are manifestations of the
universal consciousness, and that these beings exist in all the worlds;
sometimes
they resemble man, at other times they do not resemble him. All around us, in
space, that is to say in the other worlds which are in relation with the
physical world, are multitudes of intelligent conscious beings, who pursue
their lives as we pursue ours; the life is independent, the world is
independent, but relations may be established between these worlds.
You
doubtless think that you are being transported to the Middle Ages, but these
are the Indian ideas of to-day.
It
is possible for man when his consciousness begins to function on a
supra-conscious
plane, to get into relation with these beings and even sometimes
to
make them obedient to his will, because many of these things are inferior to
man.
I have thought it necessary to tell you this because I wish to relate to you
two or three experiences which, to me, are unintelligible without this
explanation.
If
you think that this explanation is not valid, find another; for my part I am
incapable
of doing so.
There
are in India two great systems of Yoga: the Hatha-Yoga, that is to say,
union
by effort; which begins on the physical plane, and does not lead to great
heights;
and the Raja-Yoga, that is to say, the royal union, an entirely mental
system,
which does not begin with physical practices, but with mental practices.
These
then are the two great systems; the Hatha-Yoga for the body, the Raja-Yoga for
the mind, the intelligence.
Those
who follow Yoga are called Yogis. The Hatha-Yogis have two aims; one is to
secure perfect bodily health and a long extension of life on the earth; the
other
is to subjugate, for their own advantage, the entities of the other plane,
who
are not of a very advanced order. It is usually the Hatha-Yogis who display
phenomena.
There is much prejudice in India against other races; they mistrust
Westerns
and are often reluctant to show them phenomena. I have been able to see a great
deal because I have lived among Indians, as an Indian. Indians are very proud;
they cannot bear that their ideas, their religion, or their theories,
should
be laughed at.
The
Hatha-Yogi forces himself to subjugate completely his body and all the
functions
of his life. Life is called "Prana," a word usually translated as
breath,
but it signifies, rather, the aggregation of all the powers of life
which
are found everywhere. The Hatha-Yogi strives to bring under the control of the
human will all the vital functions and to render them absolutely subservient
to
the will. This is done in two ways; the regulation of the respiration, called
"Pranayama,"
a word which means much more than control of the breath, and which signifies
control of all the powers of life in the body and even outside the
body.
The second is "Dharana," the perfect concentration of attention and
of
will
on a portion of the body. The results obtained by these means are
wonderful.
The so-called involuntary muscles can be controlled. You may convince yourself
by a small experiment on yourself that this is possible. You can easily learn
how to move your ear by exercising those muscles which are rudimentary in man.
The
same can be done with all the muscles of the body. It is possible to
entirely
stop the heart from beating. The movements first become slower; then
the
heart ceases to beat and life is as if suspended; the man becomes
unconscious
on this plane; then little by little, movement is restored until the
heart
beats regularly. In the same way, the lungs are controlled, always by
keeping
the attention absolutely fixed on the part that is to be subjugated to
the
will. One part of the body after another is thus dealt with. These practices
last
for years.
The
Yogi wishes to obtain perfect health; he desires that all the interior of
the
body should be absolutely clean. The Yogis make a habit of bathing the
interior
of their bodies as they do the exterior. They do it sometimes by
swallowing
through the mouth quantities of water, but they frequently do it also
by
reversing the peristaltic action of the intestines; they take in water by the
lower
orifice and eject it by the mouth. I have seen a man who could do that for
two
or three minutes; he placed himself in water and, after a few moments of
these
reversed peristaltic movements, he ejected from his mouth what seemed like a
fountain of water as long as it was desired that he should do so. This
experiment
is not beautiful, but it is interesting because it shows the power of
the
human will when directed upon a portion of the body. It is not then
surprising
that experiments can be carried out with the human body which seem
even
less credible.
The
result of all these practices is a marvellous state of health, a bodily
strength
that nothing can break. I have been told--I cannot guarantee this, I am
not
personally acquainted with an example--that they can sometimes prolong life
for
a century and a half. Those who have told me this are persons in whom I have
the greatest confidence, but, I repeat, I can put forth no proof on this point;
what I have observed is the perfect health of these Yogis.
They
attain to complete suppression of the feeling of physical pain. It is thus
that
a man, whose skin is apparently quite sensitive, can lie on a bed of iron
points,
and yet appear to feel very comfortable; he feels no pain whatever.
Similarly,
what would ordinarily be regarded as dreadful suffering is not even
felt.
A man may have an arm atrophied by holding it raised for years. Imagine
the
firmness of a will that can do such things. You can understand that with
such
a will a man can do what he likes with his body.
These
life forces in the body which are half conscious, or what you call the
Unconscious,
do not constitute an elevated order of consciousness; but they can respond to a
higher consciousness, and, in making this response, permit it to control the
whole machinery of the body.
This
power over the body of suppressing the sensation of pain is found sometimes
among those who have not practised the Hatha-Yoga. One of my friends, of the
warrior class, is very fond of tiger hunting; he is in the habit of going alone
into the forest to hunt for tigers; it is in this way that the warrior class
hunt tigers. They do not employ elephants or anything that can protect them in
their attack; they go on foot and quite alone.
One
day, however, my friend went tiger hunting with some Englishmen, mounted on
their elephants, as is their wont. At the moment when the tiger attacked the
elephant,
one of the huntsmen lost his presence of mind, his gun went off and
the
ball lodged in the leg of my friend, who fell. When the surgeon arrived he
insisted
on putting him under chloroform to extract the ball. My friend refused,
and
said: "I have never lost consciousness and I do not wish to begin now.
Besides,
I shall not feel any pain, you may use your knife." The surgeon
demurred,
saying: "But if you were to make an involuntary movement it might be
very
dangerous." My friend replied: "I will not move; if I make a single
movement
I authorise you to use chloroform." The operation was performed; my friend
was entirely conscious; he did not make a single movement. What to
another
would have been horrible torture, was nothing to him.
Afterwards
I questioned him on the subject; I thought at first that it was pride
of
caste that had prevented his showing the lest sense of pain. He said to me;
"I
assure you that I did not feel the least pain. I fixed my consciousness in my
head;
it was not in my leg; I felt nothing." He was not a Yogi; but he had this
power
of concentrating his mentality, which is sometimes found among educated
Indians. A hereditary physique is transmitted from generation to generation
among those who practice Yoga.
The
other Hatha-Yoga which aims at subjugating the beings of another place,
begins
always by painful experiments--the tapas--such as the one I have just
mentioned,
namely, holding the arm raised until it becomes absolutely atrophied.
They
say that it is possible to develop the powers of the consciousness of a
plane
superior to the physical plane by these extreme austerities (and they do
it),
and that they can use these powers of the consciousness of the astral
plane--that
is what they call it--to make use of the inferior entities on that
plane.
They can thus obtain apports of objects without contact; they can seek
what
they will, within limits which I will presently indicate; they can do
extraordinary
things, which here we should call jugglery, but which are done
without
apparatus, by will power alone, by the aid, as they say, of these
elementals.
Ten years ago, I saw one of these Yogis who wished to display some of his
powers. He was nearly naked, a consideration of importance when it is a
question of the apports of objects. He had no sleeves in which he could conceal
things. He wore only a little piece of cloth round his loins; his legs and the
upper part of his body--from his waist upwards--were absolutely naked.
He
began by one of those feats that can be done here with apparatus, whereas he had
only a small table which we ourselves had supplied and a small box with two
drawers in it which he allowed us to examine as long and as much as we wished;
he had, in addition, an ordinary bottle containing an absolutely clear liquid,
like water, but which seemed to me not to be pure water, at least I think not,
although I am not sure. We were all seated quite near him; we could touch the
table and assure ourselves that it was not a platform which could conceal
trickery.
He
first said that he wished to show us some apports of objects, and that he had
elementals
under his domination. For a moment, he carefully regarded each of
those
present. He looked at me fixedly and said: "You must not interrupt me, nor
offer any opposition during my operation." I promised, I assured him that
I
would
remain quite passive. I must tell you that I practised Yoga myself before
going
to India; I think this man was aware of it and clearly perceived that I
could
oppose his amusements.
He
asked three or four of us to entrust him with our watches, and he wrapped
them
in a handkerchief which we lent him. Then he said to us: "I am going to
give
this parcel to one of you, that you may take it and throw it into the
well."
This well was in a little courtyard about fifty yards off. One of our
party,
a gentleman, took the parcel and went towards the well, when another
stopped
him, saying: "Perhaps we are the victims of some trickery; let me assure
myself
that the watches are really in the parcel." The man who said this was a
European
and thought that this was simply a juggler's trick; he supposed that
the
Yogi had kept the watches. I do not know where he could have hid them since he
was naked. The Yogi got very angry, and said: "Throw the parcel down on
the table then." (This anger shows that these men are by no means saints.)
One of us opened the parcel; the watches were there. He wrapped them up again,
and said: "Give them to Mrs. Besant, who will herself throw them into the
well." I took the parcel in my hand, and I went and threw it into the
well.
The
Yogi was standing by the table. He raised his arms in the air, his hands
were
empty. He pronounced some words: the watches were in his hands.
Explain
that as you like; I confine myself to stating the fact. The man said it
was
his elemental who had fetched the watches out of the well. Perhaps you think
these things are quite impossible; they will seem to you incredible if you have
not been present at spiritistic seances where just the same kind of things are
done,
where objects are brought as apports without contact. The handkerchief
which
was wrapped round the watches was quite wet.
The
man next suggested cutting off the head of a bird, assuring us that it would
not
hurt it. I did not wish to witness such a painful experiment. I only wished
to
see what could be seen without horror. He assured us that he could perform
this
experiment; but I think that this must be produced by collective
hallucination,
whilst I do not think that in the experiment with the watches
there
was any hallucination. And assuredly, there was no hallucination in the
following
experiment: -
"Ask
me," he said, "to bring something to you; my elemental will bring it
in a
box."
Someone enquired if he could cause objects to be brought from a distant
country.
"I can if they are in India," he replied, "but it is not
possible if
the
sea must be crossed." Here, therefore, was a limit to his powers. Someone
then
said to him: "At a distance of a hundred miles from here there is a town
where
a kind of sweet is made that is found nowhere else in India. Will you
bring
us some of these sweets?" The man stood in the midst of our circle in full
light,
it was morning. He opened the box and began emptying it with both hands;
he
threw some sweets on the table and soon made a pile of them much higher than
the box. He said that it was his elemental who had brought them. They were
really
the sweets asked for; we distributed them among the neighbouring
children,
who ate them with much pleasure.
These
are but a few of those experiments which are very difficult for Western
minds
to comprehend, but very easy for an Indian to explain by his theory of
consciousness
and of the elemental. You might try to make these experiments;
perhaps
you may succeed, perhaps you may not succeed.
I
have been told of an experiment which I have not seen; it is very well known,
it
is that of the basket and the little child; perhaps I should say that I have
seen
it once, but I am convinced that it was jugglery and not the effect of
Hatha-Yoga.
One of my friends, an officer in the English army, told me that he
had
seen this experiment performed in the courtyard of his own house. He stood
on
one side of the basket and a brother officer stood on the other; they saw the
child
who was put into the basket; they themselves tied it with cords; they did
not
move away from the basket, and they did not lose sight of it for a single
moment.
The man was in front of the basket; he began singing in a low voice a
strange
refrain, which lasted for ten minutes. After that he proceeded in the
usual
way. (That is to say, he pierced the basket repeatedly, in every
direction,
with a sword.) When that was over, and after a great quantity of
blood
had been seen issuing from the basket, the child appeared amidst the crowd of
onlookers safe and sound.
I
can only explain that as a collective hallucination. There are things which
can
be achieved by those who have a more extended knowledge of nature; but on the
physical plane, to stick a sword into the body of a child, to shed its blood
abundantly and to cause the child afterwards to reappear is impossible, it is
contrary to known physical laws. It was his strange chant that induced the
collective
hallucination. They have very strange chants which produce marvellous effects
on the brain; it is thus that they hypnotise a crowd, which sees only what the
hypnotiser wills shall be seen.
This
experiment, therefore, is not interesting to me; it is fairly easy; it
consists
in the knowledge of a succession of sounds that hypnotise. This is the
secret
which is generally in the possession of some family, and is transmitted
from
generation to generation. Moreover, each family can perform only one kind
of
experiment, one sort of hallucination.
These
Yogis can put themselves into auto-hypnotic trances with great facility;
but
these trances, when they come out of them, do not seem to leave them with
any
fresh knowledge; the trance is therefore absolutely useless. I have seen a
Yogi
who was always in a state of absolute unconsciousness on the physical
plane;
his disciples took care of him, and fed him; he was like an idiot and had
nothing
to teach.
These
men have developed the power of hypnotising themselves; but they have not
developed the capacity of possessing consciousness on a superior plane which
can be transmitted to the brain.
The
Yogis can predict the exact hour of their death, that is to say they can
choose
this hour. I know one who said: "I will die to-day at five o'clock."
His
disciples
were with him, and at five o'clock exactly he died They are able to
quit
their bodies either in a trance, from which they can return, or in death,
from
which they do not return. They generally die in this way, choosing the
exact
hour at which they wish to quit their bodies.
The
other method, the Raja-Yoga, is quite different. There are in Yoga eight
successive
degrees: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranavama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi;
in Hatha-Yoga one begins with the third degree, that is to say with Asana, the
posture. The posture in which the body is held is of great
importance
in relation to the vital currents. Some of these postures are very
difficult,
some are quite easy. The Hatha-Yogi assumes very difficult and
painful
postures. The Raja-Yogi does not as a rule assume difficult postures for
the
body, but chooses, rather, the easy ones. Patanjali says:*1 "An easy and
pleasant
posture."
In
the Raja-Yoga one begins by the first two degrees, that is to say, by the
moral;
purification is needful. This is not necessary for the Hatha-Yoga. The
first
step, Yama, is negative purification: that is, complete abstinence from
all
that is evil; not a single creature must be injured, a man must live in
perfect
charity towards all. The second step is Niyama, that is, positive
purification:
the practice of the virtues helpful to humanity Without this there
is
no Raja-Yoga; these two rungs of the ladder are absolutely necessary. Then a
bodily
posture must be chosen (Asana) which can be maintained for a long time
without
fatigue; it is only necessary to keep the back, the throat and the head
in
a straight line, that is to say, that the vertebrate column should be quite
straight
in order that the currents may pass without obstacle. The head must not
be
turned to the right or to the left; to keep the body quite straight is the
only
position necessary for the Raja-Yoga.
After
this comes Pranayama, that is to say, the control of the powers of life in
the
body. Then the Pratyahara, in which the mind is not concentrated upon one
part
of the body; but all the mental faculties are gathered together. They are
diverted
from external objects in order to observe nothing of the environment in
which
one is placed. All the avenues of sense are closed. At first they are
usually
closed in a physical manner; there is a way of placing the fingers so as
to
close at one and the same time the nostrils, the eyes and the ears. But when
concentration
has been developed, it is no longer necessary to employ these
means;
the senses cease to function. This is attained simply by mental effort, a
method
the very opposite of that employed in hypnotism, where the senses are
fortified
by turning a mirror, for example. This is called the collection of
forces,
turning the mentality within; there is then perfect concentration
(Dharana),
not upon one part of the body, but upon an idea; there is a mental
image,
an image which one must strive to make very clear, very precise.
These
are the inferior degrees: their object is to liberate consciousness from
the
body. When the senses no longer function, when the exterior environment has
disappeared, when one has become insensible to external contact, consciousness
begins to function in a more subtle vehicle belonging to the Beyond; it truly
functions; this is what is called in the West the supraliminal or
supra-consciousness.
The superior consciousness must work in the world beyond and make observations;
this is termed Dhyana, meditation.
If
a yet higher plane is reached, one which is called Samadhi (a
supra-consciousness
which is conscious of itself) it is possible on returning
then
to the body to use the physical brain to remember the observations which
have
been made on other planes.
Such
is the conception of the Raja-Yoga, a development more and more intense of the
mental powers, complete insensibility to the senses, but perfect interior
consciousness.
In
this condition the Yogi can vacate his body consciously without losing
consciousness,
and having left his body can perceive it distinctly lying there
as
an exterior object beside him. Then the conscious being, who is thus able to
regard
his body like a cast-off garment, can rise from one sphere to another,
make
his observations, fix them on the memory, and impress them on the brain, so
that they will persist when he returns to the body.
The
proof that the body has been really vacated is that knowledge may thus be
acquired
which is not possessed on the physical plane; and different persons may compare
their experiences. Their observations will not be entirely identical,
because
the play of personality always enters as a factor into the experience,
but
it is possible to make observations of so precise a kind, that it may easily
be
perceived that the slight variations in detail are due to differences in the
observers,
and not to differences in the objects observed.
If
you interrogate a dozen persons who have passed at the same hour down the
same
street, they will tell you very different things; because as the mentality
of
each person differs, their observations are different. Nevertheless, by their
several
accounts, even though different, you will have no difficulty in
recognising
the street of which they speak.
Thus
many persons have been able to observe the same objects in another world
and
to register their observations when they have returned to the physical body.
If
this is possible, it explains many phenomena noted in psychical research. We
can
understand why consciousness in a state of trance is something much keener, and
has a much more extended knowledge than in the waking state. If, however, we
can have this personal experience of the supra-consciousness, and return to the
physical body, we possess satisfying proof and invincible certitude of the
persistence of consciousness apart from the physical body.
May
I suggest that modern psychologists should make very careful study of the
class
of experiences called religious;*2 the religious consciousness of monks
and
nuns and saints is still consciousness. It may be said that it is a deformed
consciousness;
but sometimes a deformed consciousness exhibits facts of great
value.
In
India they tell us that the brain is destroyed if it is not trained in a
certain way before it is allowed to receive the impressions of the
supra-consciousness. The brain, indeed, cannot bear, without risk, these
intense, rapid vibrations of the supra-consciousness; and, before trying these
experiments, it is necessary to exercise the brain by thinking the highest and
sublimest thoughts. If by intense emotion a man throws himself into the other
world, when he returns to his body, hysteria is sure to follow those
vibrations; the brain cannot endure these vibrations without preparation, but
they can be endured by means of Yoga practices. It has often been stated that
those who have given themselves up to these experiments in monasteries or
elsewhere, have suffered from lack of sleep or from nervous troubles suggestive
of hysteria.
That
is quite true and I do not wish to deny it; but I say that this is not
inevitable.
If we proceed step by step, if a strong will creates a suitable
condition
of the nervous system, the brain may become keener, and at the same
time
remain absolutely healthy; then you have the Yogi instead of the hysteric.
In
conclusion: I have sketched a theory which you can study; you can make
experiments
in order to discover whether this theory does, or does not, explain
the
problems that modern psychology cannot solve. The latter collects numbers of
facts, but it cannot always explain them. It appeals to the Unconsciousness:
but there is not only one Unconsciousness: there is the unconsciousness which
is derived from the past, that is, the sub-consciousness; the Hatha-Yogi makes
this,
too become conscious and governs all the movements of the body. Then there is
the supra-consciousness, which is the Consciousness of the future, for which
the physical body is not yet sufficiently evolved. Therefore experiments with
this supra-consciousness present many dangers. It will however be the normal
consciousness of the future. Human evolution is not finished; man is still very
imperfect; it is possible to put pressure on the body, to make it work in such
a way as to hasten the normal advances of evolution. If this is done with
precaution,
with knowledge, with the help of those who know the way, it is
possible
to walk along this path without danger, without injuring the body,
without
becoming a hysteric, without nervous degeneration, and it is just this
idea
that I have desired to lay before you in this paper.
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Helena Petrovna Blavatsky 1831 – 1891
The Founder of Modern Theosophy
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Nature is infinite in space and
time -- boundless and eternal, unfathomable and ineffable. The all-pervading
essence of infinite nature can be called space, consciousness, life, substance,
force, energy, divinity -- all of which are fundamentally one.
2) The finite and the infinite
Nature is a unity in
diversity, one in essence, manifold in form. The infinite whole is composed of
an infinite number of finite wholes -- the relatively stable and autonomous
things (natural systems or artefacts) that we observe around us. Every natural
system is not only a conscious, living, substantial entity, but is
consciousness-life-substance, of a particular range of density and form.
Infinite nature is an abstraction, not an entity; it therefore does not act or
change and has no attributes. The finite, concrete systems of which it is
composed, on the other hand, move and change, act and interact, and possess
attributes. They are composite, inhomogeneous, and ultimately transient.
3)
Vibration/worlds within worlds
The one essence manifests not
only in infinitely varied forms, and on infinitely varied scales, but also in
infinitely varying degrees of spirituality and substantiality, comprising an
infinite spectrum of vibration or density. There is therefore an endless series
of interpenetrating, interacting worlds within worlds, systems within systems.
The energy-substances of
higher planes or subplanes (a plane being a particular range of vibration) are
relatively more homogeneous and less differentiated than those of lower planes
or subplanes.
Just as boundless space is
comprised of endless finite units of space, so eternal duration is comprised of
endless finite units of time. Space is the infinite totality of worlds within
worlds, but appears predominantly empty because only a tiny fraction of the
energy-substances composing it are perceptible and tangible to an entity at any
particular moment. Time is a concept we use to quantify the rate at which
events occur; it is a function of
change and motion, and
presupposes a succession of cause and effect. Every entity is extended in space
and changes 'in time'.
All change (of position,
substance, or form) is the result of causes; there is no such thing as absolute
chance. Nothing can happen for no reason at all for nothing exists in
isolation; everything is part of an intricate web of causal interconnections and
interactions. The keynote of nature is harmony: every action is automatically
followed by an equal and opposite reaction, which sooner or later rebounds upon
the originator of the initial act. Thus, all our thoughts and deeds will
eventually bring us 'fortune' or 'misfortune' according to the degree to which
they were harmonious or disharmonious. In the long term, perfect justice
prevails in nature.
Because nature is
fundamentally one, and the same basic habits and structural, geometric, and
evolutionary principles apply throughout, there are correspondences between
microcosm and macrocosm. The principle of analogy -- as above, so below -- is a
vital tool in our efforts to understand reality.
All finite systems and their
attributes are relative. For any entity, energy-substances vibrating within the
same range of frequencies as its outer body are 'physical' matter, and finer
grades of substance are what we call energy, force, thought, desire, mind,
spirit, consciousness, but these are just as material to entities on the
corresponding planes as our physical world is to us. Distance and time units
are also relative: an atom is a solar system on its own scale, reembodying perhaps
millions of times in what for us is one second, and our whole galaxy may be a
molecule in some supercosmic entity, for which a million of our years is just a
second. The range of scale is infinite: matter-consciousness is both infinitely
divisible and infinitely aggregative.
All natural systems consist
of smaller systems and form part of larger systems. Hierarchies extend both
'horizontally' (on the same plane) and 'vertically' or inwardly (to higher and
lower planes). On the horizontal level, subatomic particles form atoms, which
combine into molecules, which arrange themselves into cells, which form tissues
and organs, which form part of organisms, which form part of ecosystems, which
form part of planets, solar systems, galaxies, etc. The constitution of worlds
and of the organisms that inhabit them form 'vertical' hierarchies, and can be
divided into several interpenetrating layers or elements, from physical-astral
to psychomental to spiritual-divine, each of which can be further divided.
The human constitution can be
divided up in several different ways: e.g. into a trinity of body, soul, and
spirit; or into 7 'principles' -- a lower quaternary consisting of physical
body, astral model-body, life-energy, and lower thoughts and desires, and an
upper triad consisting of higher mind (reincarnating ego), spiritual intuition,
and inner god. A planet or star can be regarded as a 'chain' of 12 globes, existing
on 7 planes, each globe comprising several subplanes.
The highest part of every
multilevelled organism or hierarchy is its spiritual summit or 'absolute',
meaning a collective entity or 'deity' which is relatively perfected in
relation to the hierarchy in question. But the most 'spiritual' pole of one
hierarchy is the most 'material' pole of the next, superior hierarchy, just as
the lowest pole of one hierarchy is the highest pole of the one below.
Each level of a hierarchical
system exercises a formative and organizing influence on the lower levels
(through the patterns and prototypes stored up from past cycles of activity),
while the lower levels in turn react upon the higher. A system is therefore
formed and organized mainly from within outwards, from the inner levels of its
constitution, which are relatively more enduring and developed than the outer
levels. This inner guidance is sometimes active and selfconscious, as in our
acts of free will (constrained, however, by karmic tendencies from the past),
and sometimes it is automatic and passive, giving rise to our own automatic
bodily functions and habitual and instinctual behavior, and to the orderly,
lawlike operations of nature in general. The 'laws' of nature are therefore the
habits of the various grades of conscious entities that compose reality,
ranging from higher intelligences (collectively
forming the universal mind) to elemental nature-forces.
10) Consciousness and its vehicles
The core of every entity --
whether atom, human, planet, or star -- is a monad, a unit of consciousness-life-substance,
which acts through a series of more material vehicles or bodies. The monad or
self in which the consciousness of a particular organism is focused is animated
by higher monads and expresses itself through a series of lesser monads, each
of which is the nucleus of one of the lower vehicles of the entity in question.
The following monads can be distinguished: the divine or galactic monad, the
spiritual or solar monad, the higher human or planetary-chain monad, the lower
human or globe monad, and the animal, vital-astral, and physical monads. At our
present stage of evolution, we are essentially the lower human monad, and our
task is to raise our consciousness from the animal-human to the spiritual-human
level of it.
Evolution means the
unfolding, the bringing into active manifestation, of latent powers and
faculties 'involved' in a previous cycle of evolution. It is the building of
ever fitter vehicles for the expression of the mental and spiritual powers of
the monad. The more sophisticated the lower vehicles of an entity, the greater
their ability to express the powers locked up in the higher levels of its
constitution. Thus all things are alive and conscious, but the degree of
manifest life and consciousness is extremely varied.
Evolution results from the
interplay of inner impulses and environmental stimuli. Ever building on and
modifying the patterns of the past, nature is infinitely creative.
12) Cyclic evolution/re-embodiment
Cyclic evolution is a
fundamental habit of nature. A period of evolutionary activity is followed by a
period of rest. All natural systems evolve through re-embodiment. Entities are
born from a seed or nucleus remaining from the previous evolutionary cycle of
the monad, develop to maturity, grow old, and pass away, only to re-embody in a
new form after a period of rest. Each new embodiment is the product of past
karma and present choices.
Nothing comes from nothing:
matter and energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but only transformed.
Everything evolves from preexisting material. The growth of the body of an
organism is initiated on inner planes, and involves the transformation of higher
energy-substances into lower, more material ones, together with the attraction
of matter from the environment.
When an organism has
exhausted the store of vital energy with which it is born, the coordinating
force of the indwelling monad is withdrawn, and the organism 'dies', i.e. falls
apart as a unit, and its constituent components go their separate ways. The
lower vehicles decompose on their respective subplanes, while, in the case of
humans, the reincarnating ego enters a dreamlike state of rest and assimilates
the experiences of the previous incarnation. When the time comes for the next
embodiment, the reincarnating ego clothes itself in many of the same atoms of
different grades that it had used previously, bearing the appropriate karmic
impress. The same basic processes of birth, death,
and rebirth apply to all entities, from atoms to humans to stars.
14)
Evolution and involution of worlds
Worlds or spheres, such as
planets and stars, are composed of, and provide the field for the evolution of,
10 kingdoms -- 3 elemental kingdoms, mineral, plant, animal, and human
kingdoms, and 3 spiritual kingdoms. The impulse for a new manifestation of a
world issues from its spiritual summit or hierarch, from which emanate a series
of steadily denser globes or planes; the One expands into the many. During the
first half of the evolutionary cycle (the arc of descent) the energy-substances
of each plane materialize or condense, while during the second half (the arc of
ascent) the trend is towards dematerialization or etherealization, as globes
and entities are reabsorbed into the spiritual hierarch for a period of nirvanic
rest. The descending arc is characterized by the evolution of matter and
involution of spirit, while the ascending arc is characterized by the evolution
of spirit and involution of matter.
In each grand cycle of
evolution, comprising many planetary embodiments, a monad begins as an
unselfconsciousness god-spark, embodies in every kingdom of nature for the
purpose of gaining experience and unfolding its inherent faculties, and ends
the cycle as a self conscious god. Elementals ('baby monads') have no free
choice, but automatically act in harmony with one another and the rest of
nature. In each successive kingdom differentiation and individuality increase,
and reach their peak in the human kingdom with the attainment of
selfconsciousness and a large measure of free will.
In the human kingdom in
particular, self-directed evolution comes into its own. There is no superior
power granting privileges or handing out favours; we evolve according to our
karmic merits and demerits. As we progress through the spiritual kingdoms we
become increasingly at one again with nature, and willingly 'sacrifice' our
circumscribed selfconscious freedoms (especially the freedom to 'do our own
thing') in order to work in peace and harmony with the greater whole of which
we form an integral part. The highest gods of one hierarchy or world-system
begin as elementals in the next. The matter of any plane is composed of
aggregated, crystallized monads in their nirvanic sleep, and the spiritual and
divine entities embodied as planets and stars are the electrons and atomic
nuclei -- the material building blocks -- of worlds on even larger scales.
Evolution is without beginning and without end, an endless adventure through
the fields of infinitude, in which there are always new worlds of experience in
which to become selfconscious masters of life.
There is no absolute
separateness in nature. All things are made of the same essence, have the same
spiritual-divine potential, and are interlinked by magnetic ties of sympathy.
It is impossible to realize our full potential, unless we recognize the
spiritual unity of all living beings and make universal brotherhood the keynote
of our lives.
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