From the Caves and Jungles of HindostanBlavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Religion
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna), 1831-1891; India -- Description and travel; India -- Religion
However, all these are physical phenomena produced by Hatha-Yogis. Each
of them ought to be investigated by physical science, but they are much
less interesting than the phenomena of the region of psychology. But Dr.
Paul has next to nothing to say on this subject. During the thirty-five
years of his Indian career, he met only three Raj-Yogis; but in spite
of the friendliness they showed to the English doctor, none of them
consented to initiate him into the mysteries of nature, a knowledge of
which is ascribed to them. One of them simply denied that he had any
power at all; the other did not deny, and even showed Dr. Paul some very
wonderful things, but refused to give any explanations whatever; the
third said he would explain a few things on the condition that Dr. Paul
must pledge himself never to repeat anything he learned from him. In
acquiring this kind of information, Dr. Paul had only one aim--to give
these secrets publicity, and to enlighten the public ignorance, and so
he declined the honor.
However, the gifts of the true Raj-Yogis are much more interesting, and
a great deal more important for the world, than the phenomena of the
lay Hatha-Yogis. These gifts are purely psychic: to the knowledge of
the Hatha-Yogis the Raj-Yogis add the whole scale of mental phenomena.
Sacred books ascribe to them the following gifts: foreseeing future
events; understanding of all languages; the healing of all diseases; the
art of reading other people's thoughts; witnessing at will everything
that happens thousands of miles from them; understanding the language
of animals and birds; Prakamya, or the power of keeping up youthful
appearance during incredible periods of time; the power of abandoning
their own bodies and entering other people's frames; Vashitva, or the
gift to kill, and to tame wild animals with their eyes; and, lastly, the
mesmeric power to subjugate any one, and to force any one to obey the
unexpressed orders of the Raj-Yogi.
Dr. Paul has witnessed the few phenomena of Hatha-Yoga already
described; there are many others about which he has heard, and which
he neither believes nor disbelieves. But he guarantees that a Yogi can
suspend his breath for forty-three minutes and twelve seconds.
Nevertheless, European scientific authorities maintain that no one can
suspend the breath for more than two minutes. O science! Is it possible
then that thy name is also vanitas vanitatum, like the other things of
this world?
We are forced to suppose that, in Europe, nothing is known about the
means which enabled the philosophers of India, from times immemorial,
gradually to transform their human frames.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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