A Series of Lessons in Raja YogaAtkinson, William Walker
Religion
A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga
Atkinson, William Walker
Yoga; Yoga, Raja
We cannot attempt, in the short space of a single lesson, to map out a
course of instruction in Character Building adapted to the special needs
of each individual. But we think that what we have said on the subject
should be sufficient to point out the method for each student to map out
a course for himself, following the general rules given above. As a help
to the student, however, we will give a brief course of instruction for
the cultivation of one desirable trait of character. The general plan of
this course may be adapted to fit the requirements of _any other case_,
if intelligence is used by the student. The case we have selected is that
of a student who has been suffering from "a lack of Moral Courage--a lack
of Self-Confidence--an inability to maintain my poise in the presence
of other people--an inability to say 'No!'--a feeling of Inferiority to
those with whom I come in contact." The brief outline of the course of
practice given in this case is herewith given:
PRELIMINARY THOUGHT. You should fix firmly in your mind the fact that you
are the Equal of any and every man. You come from the same source. You
are an expression of the same One Life. In the eyes of the Absolute you
are the equal of any man, even the highest in the land. Truth is "Things
as God sees them"--and in Truth you and the man are equal, and, at the
last, One. All feelings of Inferiority are illusions, errors, and lies,
and have no existence in Truth. When in the company of others remember
this fact and realize that the Life Principle in you is talking to the
Life Principle in them. Let the Life Principle flow through you, and
endeavor to forget your personal self. At the same time, endeavor to see
that same Life Principle, behind and beyond the personality of the person
in whose presence you are. He is by a personality hiding the Life
Principle, just as you are. Nothing more--nothing less! You are both
One in Truth. Let the conscious of the "I" beam forth and you will
experience an uplift and sense of Courage, and the other will likewise
feel it. You have within you the Source of Courage, Moral and Physical,
and you have naught to Fear--Fearlessness is your Divine Heritage, avail
yourself of it. You have Self-Conscience, for the Self is the "I" within
you, not the petty personality, and you must have confidence in that "I."
Retreat within yourself until you feel the presence of the "I," and then
will you have a Self-Confidence that nothing can shake or disturb. Once
having attained the permanent consciousness of the "I," you will have
poise. Once having realized that you are a Center of Power, you will have
no difficulty in saying "No!" when it is right to do so. Once having
realized your true nature--your Real Self--you will lose all sense of
Inferiority, and will know that you are a manifestation of the One Life
and have behind you the strength, power, and grandeur of the Cosmos.
Begin by realizing YOURSELF, and then proceed with the following methods
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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