COVER ART Concentration 2 .Blurb Concentration Concentrationtellsyouhowtoattainthepowertocontroland IocustheoperationoIyourmind.InthesepagesMouniSadhu, the author oI such well-known books as Samadhi (now available as a Mandala paperback), The Tarot, Meditation and In Davs of GreatPeace,presentsIiveseriesoIexercisesdesignedto improveyourconcentrationandbringyouto'thethresholdoI meditation'. CouplingtechniquesIromthemostancientOriental traditionswiththoseoImodernpsychology,MouniSadhu's bookisdesignednotonlyIorthosewhowanttoimprovethe quality oI their mind but oI their liIe and also those who wish to experience the higher states oI consciousness. 'A nice balance oI thought and understandable reading.' Dailv Mail 'And experience worth Iollowing.' The Buddhist 'The advice given is simple, practical and can be Iitted into a busy day to day liIe.' Times of India MANDALA BOOKS Concentration 3 . Concentration 4Other books by Mouni Sadhu Other books bv Mouni Sadhu IN DAYS OF GREAT PEACE . . . - The Highest Yoga as Lived bv Mouni Sadhu (1953) WAYS TO SELF REALIZATION - A Modern Evaluation of Occultism and Spiritual Paths bv Mouni Sadhu (1962) SAMADHI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - The Superconsciousness of the Future bv Mouni Sadhu (1962) THE TAROT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - A Contemporarv Course on the Quintessence of bv Mouni Sadhu (1962)Hermetic Occultism

THEURGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .- The Art of Effective Worship bv Mouni Sadhu (1965) MEDITATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .- An Outline for Practical Studv bv Mouni Sadhu (1967) INITIATIONS Bv Paul Sedir (Translated from the original French bv Mouni Sadhu) . Concentration 5CONCENTRATION Concentration MOUNI SADHU Concentration 6 Mandala Edition 1977 Second impression 1964 Third impression 1970 Fourth impression 1973 Concentration 7 .Dedication To mv unforgettable Guru and his true disciples this book is dedicated Concentration 8 Concentration 9 .Preface PREFACE THISbookhas beenwrittento bridgethegap betweenthemanyexistingtheoretical worksonmentalconcentrationandmeditation,andthegeneralapplicationoIthe mind's powers to everyday liIe. The extensive literature on these subjects provides plenty oI 'commandments' as to what should and should not be done and when to develop control oI the mind. But it isnoteasytoIindthemostimportantandessentialadvicewhichconcernsthe practical answers to the unavoidable questions 'How?' and 'Why?' MorethanhalIacenturyagoagiItedandexperiencedAmericanWilliam WalkerAtkinson,writingunderthepen-nameoI'YogiRamacharaka',publisheda series oI very useIul books on Eastern philosophy and Yoga, which were wisely and purposeIully based on his 'Eclectic Method'. HismainworksareHathaYoga,RafaYoga,GnaniYoga,FourteenLessonsin YogiPhilosophvandOrientalOccultism,andhis'Iinalmessage'underthetitleoI Philosophies and Religions of India. These are perhaps the best oI their kind and are unique, Iilled with practical advice. HeselectedthebestmaterialhecouldIindIromthevariousknownscripturesoI hisday,withoutanycorrespondingeIIortonthepartoIothercontemporary occultists. InthesecondhalIoIthiscentury,greatadvanceshavealreadybeenmadein psychology in general as well as in occult psychology, and to-day we know Iar more about the human mind and its workings than did our IoreIathers. To-day,detailsmayalterinthemethodsoIdealingwithman'smainmotive powerhis mind; but the Iulcrum oI this present study remains unchanged. Thewriterhasimpartiallytriedtocollectinthisbook,thebestandmosttested methodsandexercises,plusallnecessaryexplanations,whichlatermaygivethe studentabasisIorhisowndeliberations,byrevealingpreviouslyunperceived horizons.Inparticular,itishopedthattheexercisesinPartIIIwillserveIorthis purpose. This work may prove useIul Ior two types oI men: 1. For the near agnostic who wants to rule his mental powers Ior the improvement oIhisstatusandconditions.Forhim,onlyportionsoIthebookwillbeoIinterest,Concentration 10 Preface namelythepracticalexercisesinPartIIItogetherwiththeexplanatorychaptersoI PartsIandII.HehasnoneedtogobeyondthesevendoubleexercisesNos.1to 7A. 2.FortheseekeroIthingsdeeperthanhisowntemporaryphysicalappearance, whowill Iindit necessaryto studythebookasawholewithspecialattention tothe explanatory chapters in Parts I and II, and the culminating ones in Part IV treating oI theIinalconclusionsoIthesuper-mentalachievement.Thisisguidedintuitonal knowledge also called the wisdom oI the SelI, which is the ultimate aim. Inthebeginning,noparticularcreedisrequiredoIeithertypeoIstudent.The ability to reason soundly is the Ioremost condition Ior success. Such an ability will be developedintoahigherpoweroIcognitionbyusing,asabase,itssharpened toolthe perIectly controlled mind, which then begins to reIlect the reality oI man's ultimate essence, the immortal and illimitable spirit. This book is not limited to any particular system oI philosophy and its techniques, andmaterialhasbeenIreelydrawnIrombothourWesternandEasterninheritance, being selected according to its value. Theauthor,throughouthisliIetimeoIsearching,hasIoundthatthereareIew thingsknowntothehighestcircleoIadvancedEasterners,whicharenotknownto theirWesterncounterparts,andviceversa,providingthesemenareearnestenough and endowed with the requisite abilities and qualities. The outer Iorms oI the Eastern and Western traditions may diIIer, but not their innermost initiatory contents. . Concentration 11. CONTENTS Contents PREFACEpage 9 PART I INTRODUCTION 1Foreword and DeIinitions15 2The Method17 3Use oI Concentration19 4The Role oI Concentration in a Spiritual Search22 5Who is QualiIied to Study Concentration?28 6Conditions Ior Success31 7Advice to the Student33 PART II PSYCHOLOGICAL PRELIMINARIESANDKEYS 8Eastern Methods or Yoga (Mind beIore Heart)39 9The Western Tradition (Heart beIore Mind)44 10Obstacles and Aids57 11Inner AttitudeThe Key to Attainment61 12What is the Mind?63 13DiIIerent Aspects oI Consciousness67 14Psychology oI Success71 Concentration 12 Contents PART III TECHNIQUES 15Direct Preparation Ior Exercises79 16First Series (Elementary Exercises)92 17Second Series97 18Third Series (Advanced Exercises)107 19Fourth Series120 20FiIth Series (Final Exercises)128 21On the Threshold oI Meditation142 22Resurrection into a New Consciousness155 BIBLIOGRAPHY182 . Concentration 13 PART IIntroduction PART I Introduction . Concentration 14 Concentration 1501 - Foreword and DeIinitions Chapter 1 Foreword andDeIinitions THELatintermIromwhichoriginatestheEnglishword'concentration',hasaclear anddeIinitemeaning.TheprincipalideaoIwhichreIerstosomethingwhichhasa commoncentre,orismovingtowardsacentre,andisbestexpressedas'one-pointedness',whichoIcourse,etymologically,isnotsoIarIromtheliteralsenseoI that word. In this study I will try to show, in a purely practical way, how the human mind can beconcentratedinordertogaintheabilityoIone-pointedness.Thenecessary psychologicalandtechnicalexplanationswillbekepttotheminimumessentialIor the student to enable him to start his exercises with a reasonably clear understanding oI what and why he is doing it. The unavoidable and quite justiIiable questions which he will ask are: Whv, When andHowshouldastudyoIconcentrationbeundertaken?',andalso:Whatistobe attained if the studv proves to be successful? Imagine that you have an unsharpened pencil or a small stick. II you have to use either oI them to pierce a piece oI cardboard, you will Iind it diIIicult until the ends oI yoursimpleimplementshavebeenproperlysharpened.Evenconsiderablepressure exertedonanunsharpenedpencilwillnotproduceaneathole.Why?Becausea simplephysicallawisatwork.Yourpowerhasbeendissipatedoverthewhole, comparatively large surIace oI the blunt instrument, thus providing insuIIicient Iorce to separate and remove the particles oI cardboard and Iorm a clean hole. Similarly, a blunt kniIe or a saw does not cut well and the result is unsatisIactory since the eIIort is wasted by being spread over too large an area and too many points. It is not concentrated. But sharpen your tools and there will be no diIIiculty in piercing a hole or cutting a straight line. Where then lies the secret, iI any? Merely in the Iact that Iorce applied throughasinglepointactsmoreeIIectively,andseemsIargreaterthanwhenthe same Iorce is simultaneously exerted on many points. This elementary law should be clearlyandstronglyestablishedinthemindoIanyonestudyingconcentration.Concentration 16 Foreword and Definitions It is the justiIication Ior all the exercises that Iollow in Part III oI this book. HerewearenotseekingtoperIectanyphysicaltool.TheproperemploymentoI the mind is our Iirst aim. And thenthe mysterious power and attainment which can begainedonlybyuseoIawell-sharpened,one-pointedtool,whichisthesame human mind or 'thinking principle'. At this point I would like to quote Irom the sayings oI the most recent oI the great IndianRishis(orsages)SriRamanaMaharshiwhowasacontemporaryauthority on occult psychology and all questions pertaining to the human mind: 'Anaverageman'smindisIilledwithcountlessthoughts,andthereIoreeach individualoneisextremelyweak.When,insteadoIthesemanyuselessthoughts, there appears only one, it is a power in itselI and has a wide inIluence.' Weknowthatmanygreatscientistsandinventors,whoseideasarenowserving humanity,oItenascribedtheiruniquediscoveriestojusttheirabilityoIstrong, concentratedthinking.ThiswasthecasewithIsaacNewton,ThomasAlvaEdison, Louis Pasteur and many others, all oI whom were conscious oI and able to use their extraordinarypowersoIconcentration,i.e.thinkingsolelyabouttheobjectoItheir investigation to the exclusion oI all else. InLatinAmerica,peoplewhoareunabletocontroltheirmindsandIorever wander Irom one thought to another are jokingly, but very appropriately reIerred to as having 'quinhentos pensamentos' meaning 'Iive hundred thoughts' at the one time. The idea oI sharpening or concentrating our minds is neither new nor illogical, but ratheritisscientiIic,sinceithasdeIinitemeansandaimswhichcanbethoroughly investigated, applied and reached. Concentration 1702 - The Method Chapter 2 The Method ANY 'second-hand' treatment oI this subject will be oI little use to students who really want to get positive results Irom their eIIorts. So, in this book, I have systematically collectedtogetheranumberoIpracticalexercises,alloIwhichhavebeenusedand tested as regards their eIIectiveness beIore being selected Ior the Iollowing chapters. Some oI themmay already be Iamiliar to occultists who have long been engaged in the study oI concentration. Some have been developed by the writer himselI, while others were taken years ago Irom sources now no longer available, as the authors are long since dead and their books have disappeared. These latter exercises are the work oIthemostauthoritativeandcompetentexponents,butneverthelesstheyhaveall been dealt with by the one ruletest and prooI oI their useIulness and saIety. TheworstthatcanhappentoanunsuccessIulstudentlackingthewill-powerto IulIill exactly all the instructions as prescribed, is non-attainment and no results. ThiswillundoubtedlybethelotoIanyonewhoattemptstoreaptheIruitsoI concentration purely Ior his own egoistic and material aims; Ior concentration is not theIinaltarget.Itisonlyanecessaryabilityandtoolwhichallowsamanahigher andbetterleveloIliIe-consciousness,otherwiseunattainableIorlaymeninthis particular subdivision oI occult training. The method adopted here is based on a strict grading oI sequence oI the student's steps.Theexercisesthemselveshavebeenlimitedinnumbertotheabsolutely indispensableminimum.Thisisveryimportant,aseverychangegivesrisetosome Iluctuationswithinthemind,andthisshouldbeavoidedasIaraspossible.Butnot even the smallest detail should be omitted Irom the exercises, because the success oI the endeavour depends upon the exactness oI their application. ThebeginnermayknownothingatallaboutthemethodIacinghimandheis strongly advised Not to Read in Advance, any oI the chapters beyond those on whichConcentration 18 The Method he is working, especially the 'advanced ones (Chapters XVIII and XIX), until all the precedingoneshavebeenmastered.ItwillbeyourIirstsmallshow-downwiththe rebelliousandselIishmind.Thereareverymanycaseswherepeoplehavespoiled theirworkandextinguishedenthusiasm,byunnecessarycuriositywhichisonly harmIul and void. Why not ask your mind here and now, Which of You is Boss? InsteadoIconcentratingit,suchreadingwillonlycreateadditionalburdensto distract the mind oI an earnest student who is really working Ior positive results. And there are quite enough obstacles to overcome and troubles to avoid without adding to them. Curiosity is the true creator oI problems and by yielding to that vice, how can we expect to acquire the opposite virtue which ispeace oI mind? Thisdoesnotmeanthataswearenow,moreorlessdeveloped,weshould completely abandon thinking. It would be ridiculous and is not at all my idea. What weareIightingIorinthiswork,isourinnerIreedomandbalance,andthe inescapablebut how welcomemysterious inner, but most real knowledge. It is the Iulcrum on which then rests your whole inner world, and this is the onlv thing which amancan'takewithhim'intoEternity,nomatterinwhatIormsorworldshemay stillmaniIesthimselI.ItisessentialthatyoucurbtheexcessivecuriosityoIyour mindIoratleasttheshortperiodswhenyouareworkingIorperennialinsteadoI mortal and ephemeral things. Do you agree that these halI-hours or so should be Iree Iromtheslaveryinwhichyouareatpresentheldbyyouruncontrolledandunruly mind?Itsconquestwillyieldyou'something',whichoncegained,mayendallthe deeper questions oI your liIe. Concentration 1903 - Use oI Concentration Chapter 3 Use oI Concentration THEpoweroIconcentratedthinkingasappliedtoeverydayliIeisverywellknown and widely recognized. There is no need Ior any prooI or special explanation. But the averagemandoesnotuseevenaIractionoIthatpowerproperly.IIthereader disagrees with this, then I would like him to explain to me, or better, to himselI, iI he knows whv he is thinking in a particular way and not in another? Why some thoughts come to him, no matter whether or not he 'invited them? And iI he can Ioretell that in a Iew moments he will think about certain things? Can he really close his mind to an annoying or obsessing thought by his own will? Where do his thoughts actually come Irom? II thesequestionsremainunanswered, thenwehavetorecognizethatweare not masters oI our minds. And to put an end to this Iar Irom desirable condition is one oI the Iirst and Ioremost aims oI this study oI concentration. Control oI a machine means that we are able to put it into action, modiIy its speed and Iinally to stop it when needed. This is just what is required oI a disciplined mind. Trueconcentrationisnotmerelyanabilitytodirectandmaintainourfulland exclusive attention Ior some minutes on, say, a pin-head; but rather it is the ability to stopthethinkingmachineandlookatitwhenithasceasedrevolving.AcraItsman Ieels sure that his hands will obey him and execute the exact movements he requires. Anyway, he does not even think about it and works without worrying whether or not his hands will do just what he wants at a given moment. Under such conditions hands andotherhumanorgans,whenworkingproperly,constituteaharmoniousunit, capable oI Iunctioning in their own particular sphere oI action. Imagine now that some part oI your body reIuses to obey the impulses issued Irom the control centre oI your brain. And Ior example, instead oI pouring a glass oI water whenyouarethirsty,yourhandlightsacigaretteorevenreIusestomoveatall.Concentration 20 Use of Concentration Then surely you will consider that such a hand is oI little use. NowlookcloselyattheIunctionsoIyourmind-brain.CanyouaIIirmwithutter certainty that you are always thinking when and only about what you really want to, and that thereIore you know Irom where your thoughts and Ieelings are coming into thelightoIyourconsciousness?Canyou withhold theentryorlimitthe durationoI thoughtsinyourmindIoraslongasyouwish?IIyouareabletoanalyseyour thinking processes, a sincere answer will always be in the negative. So it would seem that the average man is not a good craItsman, because he cannot controlhischieItoolthemindanditsthoughts.HisliIeisspentonusingand accepting something which originates beyond his reach and understanding. The practical study oI concentration opens to us not only the world oI results, but alsooIcauses,andthisliItsusbeyondtheslaveryoIuncontrolledIeelingsand thoughts. An amazing example illustrating the direct inIluence oI concentrated human will-power on matter is that oI a needle turning in a glass oI water. Mme H. P. Blavatsky usedthistotrainherdiscipleMrsAnnieBesant,andtotesttheresultsoIthat training in concentration. Place a small needle in a glass oI water and to prevent it sinking, cover with a thin layeroIgreasebysmearingyourIingerswithalittleoilorbutterandpassingthe needle between them. It should then be lowered careIully and slowly onto the surIace oI the water so that it Iloats Ireely in the middle without touching the sides. Sit Iacing the glass with your chin cupped in your palms, elbows supporting them andrestingontopoIatable.ThenwhentheneedleislyingquietlyonthesurIace, gazeatitintentlywithastrongdesiretoturnitbythesheerIorceoIyourwill, centred on it as iI imaginary beams were issuing Irom both your eyes. Do not blink. AccordingtoeveryruleoIconcentration,nootherthoughtshouldbepermittedto enteryourmindandallyourattentionmustbeIocusedoncompellingtheneedleto change its position by about 45 to 90 degrees. Breathe slowly and rhythmically as this mayacceleratetheresult.IIyourconcentrationhasbeenstrongenough,theneedle will gradually start to turn as desired. Later on, the process may become much Iaster, as your experience grows and with ityour will-power. Insomeoccultschools,especiallythoseoITibet,thereismuchimportance attached to this exercise. However, in this course I wish to speak plainly about thingsConcentration 21 Use of Concentration withoutaddingunnecessarytrimmings.Theexercisehasitsvalueasitisrelatively easytounderstandandperIormandisavisibletestoIacquiredability.IIwell perIormed,itmaygivethestudentmuchselI-conIidenceandIaithinhispowers, apartIromincontestableprooIoIthepossibilityoIinIluencingmatterbythedirect concentrationoIthehumanwill,withalltheresultantsequences,whichthestudent can investigate and realize Ior himselI. Perhaps it would be better to try this exercise aIter some closer acquaintance with othersdescribedinPartIII.Forexample,itcouldbeusedinconjunctionwithNo. 4A. in Chapter XIX. Then you will be more likely to succeed. The student must not talk about his exercises, and this concerns all the techniques giveninthisbook.Donotdiscussyourprojectwithanyone,exceptperhapsthose who are known to you to be Iollowing the same line oI work. But absolute silence is still always preIerable. Talking only wastes your will-power and greatly impedes the success oI exercises. Moreover, the curious thoughts oI those who know about your eIIorts will persecute youandonlyaddtoyourburdenoItryingtodestroyunwantedthoughts.Itwillbe enoughiIyouknowthisandobservesilence,therebyavoidingdisappointment.Concentration 2204 - The Role oI Concentration in a Spiritual Search Chapter 4 The Role oI Concentration in a Spiritual Search INtheWest,weusuallyreIertothosewhoareperIormingsuchasearchassaints, mysticsandspiritually-mindedseekers:whileintheEasttheyaretermedyogis, sadhus and sannyasins. II we careIully analyse their lives and methods oI attainment, wewillundoubtedlyrecognizethattheonethingwhichdistinguishesthemIrom average men is their conscious, one-pointed and intensely concentrated lives, wholly dedicated to an idea, which they believe to be their highest. Saints and yogis gain control oI themselves by steady practice. When one oI them is merged in his prayers and pious meditations, he does it only because he possesses a certaindegree oI domination oI hismindandIeelings,and theonlytoolIor it ishis poweroIconcentration,althoughitmaystillbeIarIromperIect.OItensuchaman may even be unconscious oI the name which we are using here to deIine his ability. Usually, it is not the case with a yogi, because as a rule he is Iairly conscious oI his tools, and oIten possesses an elaborate set oI theories which he uses on his particular path.Suchaman,asthereadermayrecognize,isadirectsupportoItheIactthat concentration is essential to yogic practices. The particular ways in which an Eastern seekerapplieshispoweroIconcentrationdonotmatterasIarasthisstudyis concerned. While the saintrepeatshis prayersdayand night, theyogiwilldo thesamewith hismantras,praniccurrentsormentalimages.Thetoolalwaysremainsthesame, althoughunderdiIIerentnames.Inthisbook,thingswillbespokenoIIromanon-sectarian and impartial point oI view, which does not compel the student to accept or reject any particular creed. For those who have been Iortunate enough to see a man belonging to one oI these types oI 'seekers', there must be the recognition that their Iirst impression oI him wasConcentration 23 The Role of Concentration in a Spiritual Search that oI an inwardly, deeply-concentrated man, and not oI a helmless boat tossed in all directions by the waves oI the unconquered mind and its childrenthoughts. NowweshouldturnourattentiontoanotherveryimportantIactorinaspiritual search,alsobasedontheone-pointednessoIthemind.ItisthepoweroI concentration which can be, and so oIten is, used in the Iorm oI what we call 'prayer'. Whatistrueprayer?NowadaystheworditselIisoItenmisusedandmisinterpreted. Theso-called'elite'circlesoIanumberoIoccultandmysticalorganizationsareIar too quick at comparing and identiIying prayer with diIIerent Iorms oI their Iavourite modern term'meditation'. Some people who are negatively disposed towards prayer oIten attempt to justiIy theirattitudebyoIIeringtheIollowingsortoIreasontothegeneralpublic:'The conceptionoIprayerisridiculoustoeveryseriousthinker,Ioritimpliesthatwhen someone praysaboutanything,hintsand adviceare beinggiventotheAlmightyon howHe shouldact,andwhatHemaybestowon theworshipper.Suchaconception deprivesGodoIHismostsublimequalitiesomniscience,absolutegoodnessand love oI humanity'. UnIortunately,toomanypeopleoImediocreintelligencereadilyacceptsuch treacherous and senseless statements. WewillnowtrytoshowthedepthoIignorancehiddenbehindthismisnamed 'scientiIic point oI view'. Such an opinion is based on a childish concept which has long since been rejected byallenlightenedseekersoITruth,IoritsupportsthegreatestoIallIallacies:That God is a person and is something separate Irom the liIe created by HimselI; that our relationshiptoHimislikethatoIoppositepolesorthetwosidesoIacoin,i.e.two things which are Ior ever diIIerent. IIitweretruethatGodandHiscreaturespossessedsuchqualities,thenthese quasi-philosophersmightevenberight;butiIthematteriscareIullystudied,the cardinal error in such a judgement will be easily seen. WearenotsomethingseparatedIromtheWholewhichwecallGod.Our consciousness is a Iragment oI His consciousness, no matter how inIinitesimal it may appeartousatIirstsight.OurliIe,whichisjustthislivingconsciousness,isa reIlection oI His liIe as the Whole. Everytruephilosophyteaches,andgreatreligionsrevealtous,thatHeis omnipresent,IorthereisnoplaceintheuniversewhereHeisabsent.AndthatweConcentration 24 The Role of Concentration in a Spiritual Search live only in Him, since we can never exist apart Irom Him. These Iacts change things completely. ThatwhichpraysisnotaIoreignandseparateentityworshippingsomeIar-oII lord oI the world. No! It is a ray oI the light oI the same Absolute which asks oI its source and not some cruel deity, and which pays homage to the same central inIinite Light. It is apparently (but only apparently) a temporary and Iinite being. Suchabeing,proceedingdirectlyIromthecentralconsciousnessdoessurely participate(althoughperhaps,atthesametimeunconsciously)inthecreationand perpetuation oI the maniIestation oI the unmaniIested Absolute. And such a being has every right to worship with the hope that its prayers may be heard and IulIilled. AnalysingtheprocessoIprayer,wewillIind,thattherearediIIerentkindsand degrees oI it, more or less perIect and pure, and thereIore, more or less eIIective. Man's consciousness is able to merge into and become one with the consciousness oI the Whole, i.e. God. One person may pray about material advantages, another about the welIare oI his closest relatives or Ior the relieI oI sickness and so on. This level corresponds to the morecommonlyknown,butprimitivetypesoI'meditation'insomeoccultschools andsimilarorganizations.Suchmeditations haveasaims,elevatedorecstatic ideas, visualizations,developmentoIdeIinitevirtues,etc.alloIwhichbelongtotherealm oI the mind, i.e. the highest maniIestation oI consciousness in the average man as we know it. ThethinkingprocesslinkedwiththeemotionsisthecommonbasisoIsuch prayers and meditations and is just what we may see round us every day. Onthislevel,prayermayhavesomeadvantageoverthecorrespondingtypeoI meditation, Ior in it appears an important Iactora degree oI devotion to the Highest Being, which is oIten lacking in the 'meditations' so beloved by occultists and similar people. ThereisnopoweronthislevelmorepuriIyingthandevotion.TheheartoIone capableoIIeelingitisalwaysnoblerthanthatoIthosewhoareconsiderablymore mentally developed, but who lack this vital quality. Inthechronicles(diariesandbiographies)oIexceptionallyadvancedhumanConcentration 25 The Role of Concentration in a Spiritual Search beings, we usually Iind that an utterly diIIerent kind oI prayer was used by these great saintsoIboththeEastandWest.TherewerenorequestsIorearthlybeneIits,no thoughtsandperhaps,noemotionsaccordingtotheeverydaymeaning;butjustthis mute, mysterious 'spiritual prayer' so well known to the Iirst Fathers oI the Christian Iaith and to the later great Iollowers oI the Teacher HimselI, like St Francis oI Assisi, StVincent,StJeandeVianneyoIFrance(wholivedonlyacenturyago)andmany others unknown to the general public like St Seraphim oI Sarov in East Russia (18th Century), and so on. When we are able to approach such a sublime Iorm oI prayer, then we may be able to understand why the highest type oI meditation by Iar transcends those appearing in books,andisveryclosetotheidealprayer-meditation,asshownbythegreatRishi Ramana Maharshi when he says: 'PerIect attainment is simply worship, and worship is attainment. . . . You should worship the Highest by giving up your whole self to Him and showing that every thought, every action, is only a working oI the One Life (God) . . . . (Instructions to F. H. Humphrevs.) What an example oI concentration! This highest Iorm is beyond all thoughts, mental images, words and emotions. In it,theprimordiallightwhichoncecreatedliIeasweknowitisreached,and nothing more remains to be attained. In the works oI that great contemporary mystic and disciple oI a true masterthe late Paul Sedir oI France who died in 1926, we may Iind many scientiIic descriptions oI this exalted Iorm oI prayer, Ior he was Iortunate enough to be able to practice such worship.InexplainingthequestionoItheso-called'unchangeable`destinyoIman, his Master once told him: 'TheimminentIuturecanbemodiIiedbytheconsciouseIIortsoIenlightened people, which take the Iorm oI prayer. As there is no "personal decision oI God'' there cannot be any irrevocable "decisions" at all, Ior who would make them? 'ThemaniIestationoItheuniversalliIeisliketheever-movingcurrentsoIa river. The waves are constantly changing shape and even the river itselI may alter the lie oI its bed.' ThereIoretherecannotbeanyso-calledunavoidableIateordestiny,inIlexibleConcentration 26 The Role of Concentration in a Spiritual Search andinexorable.ThelivingconsciousnessGodcannotbesubjectedtosuch limitations, and who could impose them? II God is the only possible, and hence selI-contained existence, embracing all and everything,penetratingthewholenessoImaniIestationliketheetheroItheancient philosophers, then His reIlections and rays must oI necessity participate in Him. And sothepoweroIprayercomingIromHisdevoteesispartoIHisownillimitable powers. TheMaharshi,substitutingtheword'God'withhisownterm'SelI'tellsusthat 'thereisnothingapartIromorbeyondthatSelI'.AndSankaracharyasays:'Intruth, this whole universe is only Spirit.' Christ spoke even more deIinitely when He stated: 'I said you are Gods.' Giving us theideaoItheIatherhoodoIGod,thegreatTeacherdeIinesourrelationtothe HighestasthatoIchildrenandtheirparent,andnotas'things'createdIorthe temporary pleasure oI a cruel deity. Sothe prayeroIachildisa diIIerentmattertothatoI acreaturebeggingIroma Iar-oII dispenser oI good and evil, as some would-be-philosophers like to imagine. Now we can better understand Irom where comes the enormous power oI prayer, so oIten noted, not only by saints but also by many average men. We can Iind many strikingexamplesoIthisincontemporaryliterature,whereprayerhashelpedin situationswhichquitelogicallyIromthestandpointoIhumanIoresightand possiblitieshave appeared to be hopeless. ThehigherIormsoImeditationleadontothesuperconsciousnessoISamadhi. TheecstasiesoIWesternsaintswhousedprayerareakintothesesamestatesoI consciousness.IItheIamousImitationofChristbyThomasaKempisisstudied,it willbeseenthatyogisdonotpossessthemonopolyoIthestateoISamadhi. KnowledgederivedIromcountriesoIdiIIeringcultureandtraditions,oItenhasan exoticappealwhichexcitesourcuriosity,butIrequentlyprovestohavebeenlong ago well known in our own countries under diIIerent names and Iorms. ThewiseoldBen-Akibastatedtrulywhenhesaid:'Allthiswas beIoreandlong ago; there is absolutely nothing new in this world.' IntrueprayerthereisanotherIactorwhichislackinginthelowerIormsoI popular meditation. And it is the surrendereven Ior a short timeto the Highest. What is really meant by even a modest and imperIect 'surrender' to the Lord? It is the surrender oI what one believes to be himselI, i.e. his triple maniIestation, mortalConcentration 27 The Role of Concentration in a Spiritual Search and Iinitebody, emotions, and thoughts, the two latter being his 'soul' as is usually accepted in theory. Is this wrong? By no means! Ior even by a temporary surrender oI the unreal part oIhim,amanalreadyeveniIunconsciouslyrecognizestheexistenceoIthe higher principle in himselI. And this is undoubtedly progress Ior a man. There are inIinitely more people who are able to pray rather than to meditate. For them,prayerissomethingmuchcloserandunderstandable,aswellasinstinctively Iar more natural. The Maharshi said: 'What is not natural is not permanent and what is not permanent is not worth striving aIter.' Those who are acquainted with the higher aspects oI meditation always preIer its snowypeaksandthemagniIicent,incomparableviewoIinIinityseenIromthose heights.AndthosewhoapproachtheInIiniteLordbytheirdevotion,devoidoI egoism and greed, will also Iind what they are seeking. Perhaps they may meet in that mysticallandoIattainment,i.e.thegreatsaintwhoreachedtheWisdomthrough love, and the great sage who attained the perIect Love through his wisdom. JustasaIallingdropmergesintotheocean,soeachwilllosehisseparate existence and be absorbed into the motionless sea oI PerIection. Concentration 2805 - Who is QualiIied to Study Concentration? Chapter 5 Who is QualiIied to Study Concentration? USUALLY the Iirst answer to suggest itselI is 'he who knows what he wants'. In other words,thestudentmusthaveadeIiniteaim,andIoritsattainmenthemustrealize that the Ioremost condition is the ability to concentrate. Mere 'interests', curiosity, or other petty motives can never be Iactors leading to success. AimsmaydiIIer,unlessone is engagedinatrue spiritualsearch, butall oI them shouldbesoundlybasedandnotimpracticable.AmongthemanyIwouldliketo mention only a Iew examples:- Thedesiretoshapeone'sliIeintoareasonableandlogicalpattern;togetthe utmostIromabilities;toacquirepeaceoImind;todeveloptheartoIavoidingany outersuggestionsasregardsone'swayoIthought;thedevelopmentoIastrongwill which enables one to steer one's liIe into any chosen channel. IIthestudenthasanypettyaimssuchas:theambitiontodevelopsomepsychic abilitiesIortheperIormanceoItheso-called'occulttricks'inordertoinIluenceand puzzleothers;toproIitmateriallyIromtheexhibitionoIhis'powers';tosuggestto othersthattheydosomethingagainsttheirconvictionsandwill,andsoonthenit wouldbebetterIorhimnottotryatall,becausetheresultwillbecontrarytothat expected. Not a strengthening, but a considerable weakening oI his powers will be the ultimate 'attainment' in such a case. EverythingwhichisunreasonableandunjustiIiedbystrictlogic,shouldbe avoidediIyouaretoreapthebestresultsIromtheexercisesyouwillIindinthe Iollowing chapters. (See Part III, Chapters XVXX.) IIyoucommitsomethingwhichyouknow-bymeansoIcoldandimpartial analysistobeunreasonableandunnecessary,thenIactorsIoreigntoyourtrueselI Concentration 29 Who is qualified to Studv Concentration? are at work in you. Then vou are not the one directing your liIe, but rather you are a slave oI some powerswhich are notexactlyknowntoyou.In religiousterminology theyarereIerredtoastemptations,passions,andoItenassins.Tosuccumbtoall thesethingsmeansanextremelyweakwill-powerinaman.Butconcentrationin itselI is prooI oI a more developed one. These two are opposite polesweakness and strength. It is a psychological law in man, that the greatest inner strength can be generated only by pure and sound inspiration, and by a will, well-armed against passions, lower desires,Iears,uncertaintyandhypocrisy,andindependentandIreeIromanyouter compulsion. For without this will-Iactor no study oI concentration and successIul achievement oI the target is ever possible. Now you may see the sequence and interdependence oI things which seem to Iorm a closed curve, or a circle. Thewisepersonusesthisknowledgeashisguide,whiletheIoolmerelytriesto Iree himselI Irom the circle, Irom which there cannot be any escape. All oI the aIoresaid should be well considered and thoroughly realized iI you wish to qualiIy Ior an earnest study oI the subject oI this book. Concentration cannot be a reIuge Ior weaklings, or an escape Irom well-earned karma, or as a means oI gaining something, despite that karma which aIIects the three lower worlds oI physical, astral and mental. Anotherexplanationmaybeevenbetter:topasssuccessIullyalltestsonthe completesetoItechniquesonconcentrationandtheaccompanyingpractical philosophymaybeIarharderthangainingauniversitydegree.Althoughmany normal men and women are capable oI satisIactorily completing a degree course, not alloIthesamepeopleareabletocreateinthemselvessomething,whichwasnot presentbefore,namely,theabilitytoconcentrate,insteadoIjustaloadoImental baggage. OIcourse,IamnotattemptingtopresentconcentrationasapanaceaIor everything and everyone. It would be illogical, iI not nonsensical; Ior, as in the case oI the innumerable painters throughout history, not everyone oI them could become a Raphael or a Rembrandt. TheideaoIinnercontrolanditsperIormancesistrueandfruitful,butonlyIor those who are able to see it. TheremustbeaninnerattractiontotheartoIconcentrationandnotjustthe expectancy oI repulsive work. Concentration 30 Who is qualified to Studv Concentration? NowtheanswertothequestionexpressedinthetitleoIthischapter-'Whois QualiIied...?'shouldcomeeasiertoyou.Havingreadthischapter,youareina positiontoanalyseanddecideIoryourselIwhetherornotyouareripeenough.But donotIorgettheothersideoIthecoin:iIvourhearttellsyoutodoitobeyits voice. Concentration 3106 - Conditions Ior Success Chapter 6 Conditions Ior Success THEREaresomephysicalconditionswhichtoacertainextentmightinIluencethe successorIailureoIyoureIIortstostudythisbook.OIcourse,thereareusually exceptional cases in everything, but such do not aIIect the general rule. I will mention just a Iew oI these conditions. 1. An extreme physical weakness, resulting Irom disease or an ailment, and which aIIectsyourwill-power,isaclearobstacletoanyinnereIIortbyabeginner.For example: a man may say'I realize the necessity oI perIecting my thinking apparatus and will-power; but my physical limitations are hindering me Irom beginning what I recognize to be very useIul.' Such a person cannot have much hope oI Iollowing our way. 2. Too many heavy engagements in everyday liIe, which leave no time or energy Ior systematic and continuous practice. For such a person a 'week-end's' concentration with all its exercises will be almost useless. 3.LackoIinner,intuitionalandIirmconviction,thatworkoIthiskindwill actuallyopenIorhimthegatewaytoanewandbetterliIe;Iortherecannotbeany compulsion in a study as subtle as this. Under such conditions a man should abandon the whole enterprise as being too premature. On the other hand, iI you completely agree with what you have read in Chapter III ('Use oI Concentration') and iI you are able to arrange the Iew preliminaries given as preparation in Part III, then you may act in the reasonable hope oI Iull success. TherightpsychologicalconditionisthatoIrecognitionthatyouarenotyour mind,whichshouldbeyourservantandnotthemaster.ThishasbeenbeautiIully expressed by H. P. Blavatsky: 'Mind is a good servant, but a cruel master.' Also, you should know, that the way oI concentration leads much Iurther than the mere ability oI one-pointedness oI mind. Actual success means nothing less than theConcentration 32 Conditions for Success understanding oI the mind's nature and source, and the simultaneous transcending oI boththeseIactors.ItistheenteringintoanewstateoIconsciousnessaboutwhich youcannotpossiblyknoworanticipateanything,untilyouachievethetwo-Iold realization just mentioned. Asarule,theconditionsIoraIruitIulstudyspontaneouslyariseIorthoseripe enough Ior the purpose. It is worth mentioning that the idea will not appear iI the possibility does not exist Ior the enlargement oI consciousness in this way. Onehasearsandeyes,itistrue,butonemustbeabletohearandseethrough these organs, which is not possible Ior everyone. Christ told us plainly that there are people who have ears and eyes, but yet, who hear not and see not. TheremustalsobeaIirmdecisioninthesematters,Ior,oncedisappointed,the student does not easily return, iI ever, to the same studies. Doubts arise in him, and as heisstillweak(theveryIactoIhesitancyisprooIoIthis)hecannotresistthe whisperings oI his own mind, which tell him to abandon the whole idea. It will be well, iI you accept even in theorywhat is a Iact Ior many oI usthat themindisinimicaltoeverveffortonthepartofmantosubdueit.Thisisbecause thissubtleIormoIenergyhasitsowndimmedconsciousnessnotalwaysidentical withthatoIaman's.ToooItentheinterestsoIbothmanandhismindare opposed. You can observe the Iollowing simple example Ior yourselI: OIten when you need touseyourmind-brain,itreIusestoco-operateandIindsmanyexcusessuchas Iatigue,lackoItime,anxiety,etc.Anyway,thewriterwasgreatlyhelpedby developingtheideaoIseparatenessbetweenmanandhismind,apartIromtheIact thathisspiritualmasterhadaIIirmedthatsuchadivisionisuseIulandcorresponds closely to the actual truth. Concentration 3307 - Advice to the Student Chapter 7 Advice to the Student SOMEpeoplehaveawrongideaaboutthemethodsandoutcomeoIastudyoI concentration.AndoIten,someoIthemcherishthebelieIthattheveryIactoI belongingtodiIIerent'occultandinitiatory'organizations,putstheminabetter position to grasp the ripe Iruit oI success which they imagine will Iall into their hands withouttoomuchtoilIromtheirside.Surely,theyarestillasIarIromtheirmisty aims as they were at the beginning oI their strivings. I myselI have seen gentlemen 'perIorming' diIIerent exercises taken Irom books oI a purely theoretical character, while reclining in easy- chairs and puIIing smoke-rings Irom their cigarettes. Similarly with ladies who oIten knit away peaceIully at perhaps someunderwearIortheirgrandchildren.IdonotknowhowIarthistypeoIperson can advance. Weshouldrealizethattheabilitytoconcentratewhichtakenpractically,isthe root oI all the higher abilities in a manis quite serious and strenuous work, calling IorthewholeoIyourattentionandnotjustaIewminuteseachday,theresultsoI whichmaybequicklyIorgottenorsubmergedinourbusydailyround.Itismuch hardertodothanearnadegreeasImentionedpreviously,anditisnotamatteroI Iillingone'smindIrombookswiththethoughtsoIothersandtryingtosolveand answer problems and questions already solved and answered long ago. ItisverydiIIerentwithconcentration.Theaveragemanisusuallybornwithout this ability, that is to a degree worthy oI mention. So he passes his way through liIe. But in this line oI study you have to change your Iormer nature and create something whichwasnotpresentbeIore.ItisquiteadiIIerentproblemtothatoIlearningthe oIIicial conceptions oI, say, philosophy Irom books and lectures. An example may be helpIul: when you matriculate, many proIessional courses are opentoyou.Youmaybecomeadoctor,proIessor,lawyer,clergymanandsoon.Concentration 34 Advice to the Student Butyoumakeyourchoice,becauseyouIeelthattheparticularproIessionandits studies and no other is best suited to you. Some simply say that they love the chosen kindoIwork.Exactlythesamemusthappentoyouwhenyoudecidetostudy concentration.EverythingwillgowelliIyoubegintheexercisesinPartIIIwith pleasureandkeeninterest.ItwouldnotbemuchusetryingtoperIormthemasiI they were an annoying and unpleasant task. This should be well understood beIore a start is made. TheeIIorttomasterconcentrationisalong-distancejourney.IntheIistplace,it willgiveyounotangibleadvantageorgain,andnodegreesorhonours.So somewhere deep inside us there must be something which whispers about the idea oI such an apparently abstruse study. SomewillsayoIcourse,thatiIandwhensuccessdoescome,youwilllateron easilyobtain practicalbeneIits likethose mentionedinthe previous paragraph.Yes! But will you then care about titles and visible honours? Concentrationwillnotnecessarilycureyourphysicaldiseasesorchangeyour personal karma. On the other hand, iI the study is successIully conducted to the end, its Iinal aim, the complete domination oI the mind, will give you the key to the new consciousness which opens the mysterious gate Irom which you can see your liIe as it really is. Thenyouwillrecognize thateven the unchanged karmabelongingtoyour petty personality, is something really apart Irom you. IIyouthinkdeeplyaboutwhatyouhavejustread,youmightIinditsreal meaning.Itisnotadvisabletogiveanyonea'ready-made'truth.Thingsmustbe discoveredandtriedpersonally,asnooneelsecaneatanddigestIoodIoryouin order to give you the necessary strength to live. AsyouwillseeIoryourselI,theIirsttwopansoIthisbookarereallyan introduction, explanation and preparation Ior Part III which is composed oI the actual exercisesandtechnicalities.Thishasbeendonedeliberatelyinordertohelpthe earnest student to Iirst lay a solid basis Ior his work and to understand why, how and underwhichconditionshemaystudyconcentrationandwhatcanbeexpectedIrom it.It is essentialto createyourownclear, individualconceptionabout theIoregoing remarks so that knowledge may substitute the Iormer uncertainty and anxiety. On psychological grounds, a continuous selI-examination (which is a consequence Concentration 35 Advice to the Student oI the anxiety and restlessness oI the mind) as to whether or not you are progressing quicklyenough,isagreathindranceinconcentration.ItrobsyouoIquietselI-conIidence which is a vital condition Ior success. WhenyouwillhaveattainedsomeadvanceddegreeoIdominationoIyourmind bythenewlygainedabilityoIone-pointedness,youwillseethatyourbestprogress wasmadewhenyouquietlvperformedtheexerciseswithoutworryingaboutthe mistakes made or how many steps ahead yet remained. Realizethattheessentialthinginconcentrationisyouractualworkaccordingto the line chosen and not just empty deliberations oI your mind. Later you will also see, that the most enlightenment, inner peace and joy come to you when your Ieverish thinking is reduced to the minimum. So why continue to do now something which you know to be an obstacle that must be removed beIore success can come? A religious man will say that this is a state oI aIIairs which involves a certain kind oI 'Iaith'. This may be so, but a label means less thansay,thereallygoodcontentsoIawinebottle.Butthen,whatoIaIullbottle without any label . . . ? Concentration 36 Concentration 37. PART IIPsychological Preliminaries and Keys PART II Psychological Preliminaries and Keys . Concentration 38 Concentration 3908 - Eastern Methods or Yoga (Mind beIore Heart) Chapter 8 Eastern Methods or Yoga (Mind beIore Heart) NOWDAYS,whenwespeakaboutconcentrationandotheroccultpractices,the EasterntraditionorYogaoIteninvoluntarilycomestomind.ButthemethodsoI innerprogressandacquisitionoIsubtlepowers(andasthecrownoIthemall,the realizationoIman'struebeingorSelI)havetheirIollowersincountriesoutsideoI India and other 'exotic' Eastern lands. TheWestpossessesitsownparticularvarietiesoImethodsandexerciseswhich ultimately lead to the same unique aim. From the many existing branches oI Yoga we will examine only those which use concentration as their motive power. We may Iind a perIect parallel to our own study in the mental Yoga called Raja-Yoga (i.e. Royal Yoga). Its object is to attain perIect controloIthemindwhichthensometimesacquireswhattolaymenarewonderIul qualitiesand powers.On thesearebased allthetricksand phenomena oI the lowest typeoIIndianoccultistssuchasIakirsandothers,manyoIwhomarenoteven occultists and are merely more or less able showmen. Anyway, in Raja-Yoga the mind and its Iunctions are put beIore another power in man which is oIten called 'the heart'. From the start we hear little about Ieelings and emotions apart Irom constant admonitions, that both must be dominated and removed IromtheIieldoIconsciousnessoIaRaja-yogi.ThishappensbecauseoIan assumption,thatiIthemind,assuperiortotheemotionalcounterpartinman,has beensubdued,theloweronealsocalledthe'astral-body'willautomaticallybe controlled.Thismaybesoattimes,butnotalways.BeIoreyoubecomeayogi,an advanced occultist or a saint, the astral-body (Ieelings) and mental-body (thoughts) in youreverydayconsciousnessarepracticallyindivisible.AndthissideoIthingsis oItenoverlookedbysecond-classteachersoIYoga.TheprooI?Yes!wehaveit.Concentration 40 Eastern Methods or Yoga (Mind before Heart) Forexample,doyouknowwhyaparticularIeelingsometimesarisesinyouwhich hasastreamoIthoughtsasadirectconsequence?Orwhy,whencertainthoughts occur, they bring with them particular emotions and remembrance oI Ieelings? It is very hard Ior an untrained beginner to penetrate into the origin oI the currents in his consciousness. But as Raja-Yoga insists, we should start with the mind Iirst and a very accurate conception is put Iorwardyou and your mind are not identical. This isquitealogicalstatement.Otherwise,howcouldateacheroIYogatrainyouto dominate your mind iI both you and he are the same as your minds? You will also Iind another important statement, with which, however, I am not in Iull agreement. It has been observed, that during the time oI eIIective concentration, when the consciousness begins to rise above the usual level oI thoughts and excludes them Ior a while, that the breath becomes slower and more rhythmical. This is a Iact which need not be contested. But the process can go much deeper, Ior in due time the breathwillstopcompletelywithoutanyharmtothebodyoIthestudent.Lateryou are given the reverse oI this; Ior iI a result oI Samadhi (i.e. the deepest concentration) is the regulation and even stoppage oI breath then: (a) rhythmical breathing should Iacilitate, or (b) produce one-pointedness oI the mind. In my opinion (a) is true and can easily be proved, but (b) is not quite correct and iI Iirmly believed can bring the danger oI disappointment to the student. I have known Hatha-yogis who have perIected their domination oI breath, and by thesameIactthevitalenergyoIthebodyorprana,butwhowerestillIaroIIany worth-whilementalconcentrationandtherulingoIthoughtsaccordingtotheirown will. Also, there is no doubt that a suitable position oI the body may contribute to more balanced thinking and so help considerably in concentration. However, the reverse oI this,i.e.thatsomespecialasanas(orpostures)andcertainwaysoIbreathingmay create one-pointedness in your mind, or even bring you to Samadhi, as many Indians believe, is highlv doubtful and experience speaks rather directly against this theorv. Many people have studied and reached great ability in perIorming asanas and the artiIicial methods oI rhythmical breathing and retention oI breath, and despite all this they died without reaching any worth-whilemind control, let alone Samadhi. In this course,thestudentwillbegivensomereasonableandnotcumbersomeartiIicialConcentration 41 Eastern Methods or Yoga (Mind before Heart) methods Ior breathing and sitting (i.e. pranayamas and asanas) which might be useIul Iorhimasabeingstillcopingwithphysicalconditions.ButheshouldIirmly remember, that all oI them are by no means decisive Iactors, as his own will-power is exclusively the major one. II the student then wishes to engage in a wider and higher search, the more advanced degree oI his development must be aided by the grace oI a true spiritual master. WeareconsciousoIthepowerofhabitinconcentration.SoiIyouhavethe conviction that a certain way oI sitting or breathing has contributed greatly to a well-perIormedexercise(seePartIII),thenyouwillprobablybelievethatthereissome connection,andwhennextyouassumethepositionandmethodoIbreathing,the whole mental exercise will proceed Iairly well. Thereisnoharminsuchimagination,whichwilleventuallydisappearoIitselI, when in due course you learn more about how to use pure will-power to achieve your aim.Manyyearsago,whenIightingthebattleIorsupremacyoImymind,IIound that suppression oI persistent thoughts is easily done when the body is subjected to a sudden and unexpected shock, such as an icy-cold bath. As a result oI this discovery, I developed the habit oI swimming Ior a Iew minutes inanearbyhalI-IrozenriverwithitsdarkswollenwatersIlowingbetweensnow-coveredbanks.Therewerealsootherthingsachievedbythissimplepractice,but stimulationoIthewill-powerwasoneoIthemostimportant.Whenyouplaceyour bodyinunusualandslightlydangerousconditions(IoracertainelementoIdanger always exists in such experiences), the subtle sense oI separation Irom the body may appear, and this is the beginning oI Iurther and better things, Ior then you show who is boss. TherearenoicyriverswhereIlivenow,butthewintermonthsprovidequitea suIIiciently low temperature in the sea-water oI the wide bay near my home. Did these exercises oI physical endurance bring any real ability, or were they only temporary stimulants and conditioning oI outer circumstances? The student had best decidethisIorhimselI,anditshouldnotprovediIIicultiIhehasbeenattentively reading this chapter. It is not my intention to expound the insuIIerable techniques oI yogic practices, as theirnameistruly'legion',andeveryoccultistisperIectlyentitledtomodiIythe existingonesandinventothers.InthiscourseyouwillIind,apartIromtheConcentration 42 Eastern Methods or Yoga (Mind before Heart) explanatory sections (which are by no means less decisive than the exercises, Ior Iinal success), a complete series oI practical activities, some oI which are apparently very similar to yogic ones. They have been arranged Irom the elementary stages up to the mostadvancedandhencediIIicultones.QuiteaIewoIthelatterwouldbevery suitable Ior our Eastern brothers who are trying to Iollow the same way. Some oI the exercises, especially in the Iirst and second series are the same as, or parallel to those which were known to me manyyears ago, when I personally Iound them quite adequate and reliable Ior the average student oI concentration. They are all based on the training of the attention, making it possible to Iix it on onesimpleobjectoIthought,byIirstusingthepowerofvisuali:ation.Anothersort oI exercise concerns sound instead oI sight. Here we have the mantras or holy names, andoItenjustwordsalonewhichhavenothingincommonwithreligion.SomeoI these are renowned and used in many Western circles because oI their simplicity and rich inner content like 'Aum' or 'Om', 'Hari' the Iamous Gayatri, names oI Christ and Siva,andmanyothers.TheattentionmustbedirectedtothepronunciationoIthe words which should then be said many thousands oI times daily. The. mind cannot be occupiedwithanythingelsebutthemantraandeventuallywiththecountingoIthe numberoIrepetitionswhichisveryhelpIul.ThistypeoIuseIulexercisewillbe Iound in Part III. There is another variety oI Yoga which also uses concentration, but in a diIIerent way. It is the Yoga oI wisdom orJnana-Yoga. In it the meticulous exercises oI the Raja-Yoga and eIIorts to control the physical body are banned, as they are considered non-essential.ThestudentissupposedtobesuIIicientlyadvancedtobeabletouse hispowersoIconcentrationIortheonlyworthyaimselI-knowledgeorSelI-realization. But the degree oI concentration needed Ior such a loIty goal is inIinitely greater than that required Ior Raja- or Mantra-Yoga. Some people believe that it is impossible to practise Jnana beIore some degrees oI Raja- and Hatha-Yogas have been mastered. The writer agrees with this opinion. The centralideaoItheJnana-Yogaisthat,byincessantlydirectingone'sdynamic attention to any problem, a man can arrive at the right solution. So,byexcludingeverythingIromhisconsciousnessasbeingunreal,exceptthe bare essence of being (rays oI which are maniIested in himselI), man can and shouldConcentration 43 Eastern Methods or Yoga (Mind before Heart) reachtheIullachievementoIhisspiritualstruggles.AcontemporarymasteroIthe modernversionoIthehighestJnanagavehisdisciplesamightvweapon,whichcan break through the thick veils oI ignorance, in which we usually spend our lives. It is theJichara,andyouwillhearmoreaboutitinPartIVwhenyouhavealready mastered the other three parts. Toresume,theEasternmethodsoIconcentrationarebasedIirstlyontheminds domination and secondly on the purification of the heart. I speak here oI the views oI theeminentclassicalrepresentativesoIIndianYogalikePatanjali,Sankaracharya and Sri Ramana Maharshi (the master oI the 'Direct Path', which is not a Yoga, since it is Iar beyond any oI them). This excludes the opinions held by the many sectarian yogisandswamis,whoarestillintheschooloIYogaandthereIorearenot authorities on it. PerhapstheconceptionoIthegreatRishiRamanaMaharshi,whodiedonlysix years ago, will be more explicit. He points out that there are two ways to attainment, which by the Iact oI mention he evidently supports:- Firstlv,trytodiscoverthetruthwithinvourselfbymeansoIVichara(SelI-inquiry);onlythenwhenyouknowyourtrueSelI,willyouknowthegreatSelIor God and His relationship to the illusory universe. Secondlv,iIyouareunabletoworksuccessIullywithSelI-inquiry,surrender yourselI together with all your problems to the Supreme Being. II you persevere the solution will come oI itselI as in the Iirst case, and attainment is alwavs the same. Quitelogically,SriMaharshiascribeseveryevilandallmiserytotheprimary ignorance(i.e.senseoIduality),whichistherootoIeverytrouble.Mendesireand striveaItermanythingsbelievingthatthepossessionoIthemwillbringhappiness. This inevitably leads to disappointment with its attendant suIIering. The wise person who knows who he is and what he really needs, avoids all trouble as he is seeking Ior real and not temporal things. So,Iromthis pointoIview,truewisdomistheIirstandcardinalremedyagainst errors and suIIering. In this short resume we can grasp the idea oI the Eastern classical attainment and the way to it. Concentration 4409 - The Western Tradition (Heart beIore Mind) Chapter 9 The Western Tradition (Heart beIore Mind) AStheEasternoccultschoolstreatconcentrationasameansoIachievementIorthe highest goal, so the mind takes precedence over the heart. But in the Western spiritual traditionthisisreversed.Thebestexponents,apartIromaIewdissentients,Iix attentionIirstandIoremostonthemoralpurificationoImanandhisreligious, devotionalsense.Iamnotincludingthenumerousandusuallyshort-livedoccult societies and groups, most oI which were and still are occupied with aims which have practically nothing in common with the great task oI transIormation and puriIication oI the human mind. Myinteresthasbeendirectedtotheplaceswheremen'sinnerworkhasalways produced the greatest results. When I studied the lives oI the Iirst and later Christian saints oI the Egyptian desert, the caves oI Anatolia, the catacombs oI Rome, and the monasteries oI Kiev and Western Europe, I reached the Iirm conviction that Western adepts knew as much, if not more about the value oI a one-pointed mind in spiritual achievement, than their Eastern brothers. It is impossible within the Iramework oI a book dedicated to a particular aspect oI innerwork,suchasthis,togivemanyexamplestoprovetheseIacts,soIwill mention only a Iew oI the most interesting and striking ones. DuringtheThirdCenturyoIthisera,amongthehotsandsandrocksoIthe EgyptiandesertwestoItheNileandalsoaroundtheIertiledeltaoIthatgreatriver, there were the abodes oI manymen oI the Iirst Christian Churchthe ascetics, who were recognized as saints. They had Iled Irom the pagan and decadent cities which were Iull oI immorality, inordertopursuetheirownwayunmolested.TheirpracticeswereverydiIIerent Irom those oI the average IaithIul Christian. Living as they did, so many miles Irom Concentration 45 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) habitation, they could seldom even visit a church to hear the services because oI the diIIiculty in walking long distances in that climate, especially Ior men emaciated by Iasting. Their caves and poor cells and huts were Ior them, places oI spiritual resurrection, everydayliIeandburial.WheninIndia,Isawmanysimilarcavesinwhich,itwas said,somegreatsaintoryogiwasburied,althoughnoinscriptionsrevealedtheir names.TheearlyChristiansaintsspentyearsinconstantprayerwithoutthe complicated rituals oI the sacred books, and using only a kind oI mantra which they repeatedalltheirwakinghours,nomatterwhattheirbodieswereengagedinatthe time. ManyoIthemhadvisionswhichwerenotalwayspleasantandastheysaiddid notcomefrontGod.SometimesthesetooktheIormoIterribletemptations,oIten violentandoIhideousappearancewhichtestedthesaints'moraleandstrengthoI character. Incertainoldchronicles,whicharestillextant,thereismuchmaterialaboutthe liIe oI the well-known St Anthony the Great, who had to Iace the most insidious and Iierce attacks oI evil. He began to lead the liIe oI an ascetic as a young man and died well over the age oI I00 years, probably nearer I06. None oI his contemporaries were able to stand the burden oI aggressive evil, so Irequently demonstrated in the Saint's presence, and so his cave was a lonely place in the desert. At night, visions as realistic as anything seen by day Iollowed one aIter the other. Sometimes hordes oI lions tried to Irightening deIenseless man and on one occasion a giantwhoseheadtoweredintothecloudsthreatenedtoslayhim,shoutingwitha voicelikethunder:'WhereisthatsinnerAnthony?IwillcrushouthisliIewithmy IeetandcarryhissoulintothedepthsoIhell!'PoisonoussnakesoImonstroussize writhedtheirhideousbodiesroundthebareneckoItheprayingSaint,while scorpionstriedtonestinhishair.BeautiIulangel-likewomentriedtoIorcehimto look at them in the hope oI inciting him to commit a sin. But the Saint knew that all thesevisionsandvisitationswereonlyillusionsarisingIromhisownmind.He endured and leIt to posterity an example oI the human spirit's power and strength, as have done many other saints and yogis. Amongthespecialprayersandexorcismswhichwereusedtocombatthe attackingevilIorces,wasonethatattractedmynoticebyitsexceptionalIorceand depth,whichhelpedconcentrationmorethananythingIhadknownpreviously.Concentration 46 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) BehindthesomewhatdogmaticexpressiongiventoitbytheChurch,therelies hiddena deepmeaningandconsequenteIIectiveness.Moreover,thisexorcismisan impersonalone,whichgreatlyenhancesitsethicalpower,sinceitleavesthe Almighty HimselI to deal with oIIenders and aggressors. Whenslowlyspokenaloud,itwasbelievedtohavethepropertyoIimmediate dissipationoIallevilapparitions,aswellassinfulthoughtsandmoodsandother inner troubles. BeIore giving it, some explanation seems to be necessary. In Christian mysticism, God is considered according to the dogmas, as omni- presenti.e. being even in the worst maniIestation oI the dark Iorces. But, when He is conscious and fullv active in goodness He is considered as being in a dormant state in the things we call evil. So theword'resurrection'IoundintheIollowingexorcismhasaverydeepmeaning. Perhaps it would be better to use the term 'awakening', but who are we to change the tradition oI almost 1,800 years? (1) 'May God be resurrected and His Ioes vanish. As wax melts beIore Iire, as smoke is dispersed by the wind, So may all who hate the Lord Ilee Irom His sight, And the just rejoice!' This is a literal translation Irom the old Greek because in such texts the exactness seemstobemoreimportantthanthesmoothouterIormoIthewords.Itisstill occasionallyusedintheGreekOrthodoxChurch,andgreatpowersareascribedto this old verse as a guard against the evil will, inner troubles, temptations and mental disturbances. OI course, eIIective use oI the words implies strong concentration, and this is just themotive-forcewhichacts.Butourwillmayalsobestronglystimulatedbyother suitable outer means, thus enabling us to reach a level oI concentration never beIore known by us. IIusedwithIaithandstrength,theaboveexorcismmaybeoIvaluetostudents who experience serious diIIiculty in creating the 'astral or odic armour' (see last paras. oI Chapter XVIII). I would also like to quote another 'mantra' in the Iorm oI a short prayer which is used in both Western and Eastern Christian Churches: (2) 'God the Holy, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortalbe graciousunto me!' ThiswasandisstillusedinsomemonasteriesandisrepeatedthousandsoIConcentration 47 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) times daily, oIten with the name oI Christ added. II you read the meditations and instructions oI St Ignace Loyola written by him Ior themembersoItheorderwhichheIounded,itiscertainthat,providingyouare acquaintedwiththem,youwillimmediatelythinkoIRajaandBhaktiYogas.The buildingupoImentalpicturesoItremendousrealitybyconcentrationandthe creation (by the same means) oI currents oI emotion directed into certain channels oI consciousness,alloI whichare described beIoretheactualexercises,will showyou whether the Eastern Yogas have any monopoly in their ideas, methods and results. ThemethodsoI'mentaltravel'usedinsomeoccultmanualsasameansIorone-pointedness have their equivalents although perhaps more pronounced, in the Iamous Loyola exercises. By his liIe and wisdom, the East-Russian saint, Seraphim oI Sarov, was one oI the greatestandmostinteresting.HetaughtanalmostdirectcombinationoIRajaand MantraYogatohispupil-monks.Headvisedthemtorepeatthealreadymentioned short prayer (see 2 p. 41) at Iirst one thousand times daily increasing to two thousand and then later to three and more until 7,000 was reached. At the same time he advised theuseoIamorningandeveningexerciseIortryingtoretainthebreathIorIairly longperiodswhileincessantlyrepeatingthesameprayerinwardly.When demonstratingthis,Seraphimsaid:'YouwillIeelawonderIul warmth inyour heart, and the repetition will soon become automatic and easy.' Many Hindu Swamis Iirmly believe that they may reach Samadhi by practicing the rhythmical retention oI breath Ior as long as they can. Who then actually possesses the 'copyright' Ior such methods? While I was in India I heard oI some yogis and even yoginis who were sealed up alive incavesontheslopes oIaholymountain,andwhoreceived onlyalittleIood through a small window or hole in a wall. In 1918 when I was occasionally in Kiev, the ancient capital oI the Ukraine, I used tovisittheIamousoldmonasteryoIPetchersk,builtabout700yearsago,whose subterraneangallerieswentdeepundertheRiverDnieper.OnbothsidesoIthe passagesweresinglecells,somewithonlyalittlesquareholeinplaceoIadoor.It wassaidthatatonetimethesecellsusedtohousegreatasceticswhospentmany years in darkness and solitude praying both day and night. One oI the monks told me thatinsuchcases,theonlymeansoIknowingwhetherornotthehermitwasstill alive was by the untouched Iood leIt Ior him in the window-like hole. Concentration 48 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) IwasshownsomeoItheirbodies,takenIromthecellsmanyyearsaItertheir deaths. They lay in open coIIins in the usual modest black clothes oI monks, with thin parchment-like Iaces, and wax-yellow hands crossed on their breasts. But there were nosignsofdecompositionandnosmelloIdecay.'Howdidtheyspendtheirlong lives?' I asked the prior. 'Only repeating the holy name oI Christ' was the answer. An unrivalled example oI a perIect combination oI Mantra and Bhakti Yogas. I think that many Iamous Indian yogis oI tile past would have liked to have known their advanced Western brethren. **** In theearliestaswellasthemorerecentchroniclesoIthelivesoIthesaints,we Iind a record oI many mysterious happenings which we call 'miracles'. I am reIerring tothecuresandothersuper-physicalactivitiesoIthoseIew'IriendsoIGod'asPaul Sedirso beautiIullystyledthem.Thereisnoroom herenorpurposeinenumerating many oI them, so I shall limit the examples to one which is the most striking because oI its superb simplicity, authenticity and modesty, so typical oI the Christian saints oI the highest order. The scientiIic elimination oI the mortal ego-personality in man, as taught by the great Rishi Ramana also shines here, but in a diIIerent Iorm. WhenStSeraphimoISarovwasmiddle-aged,theIameoIhiscuresandother miraculousactivitiesinrestoringtheinnerhuman balance becamewidelyknownin the district surrounding the Saint's hut. Thethengovernorwashopelesslybed-riddenwithparalysedlimbsandatthe time,accordingtothedoctors,deathwasonlyaIewweeksdistant.HiswiIe desperatelytriedthe last hope bytakingherhusband toStSeraphim.TheIollowing account oI that strange visit is taken Irom the still preserved oIIicial records. Whenthecoachcarryingthedyingnoblemanwasstillsometwoorthreehours riding distance away, St Seraphim said to his disciples: 'General K. is corning to seek IorGod'sGrace.Sweeptheclearingroundthehut(itwassetintheIorest)and prepare a place Ior His Excellency to sit.' The monks placed the only available chair outside the Saint's humble dwelling. When the coach arrived the servants brought the helpless man beIore St Seraphim and placed him in the waiting chair. Concentration 49 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) 'How do you do Your Excellency!' Said the Smiling Saint. The patient who could onlySpeakwithgreatdiIIicultymurmured:'Iamdying,myFather.Icannolonger move.Havepityonme.'('Whotoldyousuchthings?'laughinglysaidSeraphim.'I think you will be better iI you come Ior a walk, Ior the air in this Iorest oI ours is very good.' 'Why do you mock me, Father? You see that I am unable to move even one step,' sadly replied the Governor. 'All right, all right but we shall try it in God's name,' And sosaying,theSainttookthesickman'shandinhisownmeagrepalmandgently raised the inert body Irom its Seat. 'Now walk with me, do not Iear Ior I am holding you,' said Seraphim. Andtheoldmanwhoweighedabout15 stone,began towalkroundtheclearing beside the Saint with every step becoming Iirmer. I can walk! I can walk!' he cried, as iI scarcely able to credit the miracle. 'Yes,andyouwalkverywell,Excellency.Goon!Goon!Alittlemorepractice willdoyougood.''Icanevenruncan'tI?''Yes,itisGod'swillthatyouwillbeall right now,' remarked the smiling Seraphim. Then the Saint took the cured man into his hut Ior a Iew minutes as iI Ior a chat; butwhentheyreappeared,thosepresentsawapeculiar,inspiredexpressiononthe Iormerly pain-marked Iace oI the Governor. All were Silent. The oIIicial took leave oI his beneIactor, prostrating on the earth beIore the serene Seraphim.ButtheSaintwasbynomeanspleasedwiththegestureandhequickly liIted the Governor saying to him: 'What are you doing, Excellency? I am only God's servant, a man like yourselI. It is God who should be praised and worshipped, not His servants.' Seraphim who was approximately the same age as the Governor, outlived him by onlyayearortwo.WhenthedeathoIhispupilwasreportedtohim,heremarked: 'NowthetimeisalsocomingIorSeraphim.Ihopeweshallmeetagainwhereno Sickness or sadness exists any more.' Through the Iollowing centuries, many miracles have occurred at the graveside oI the Saint. InthelivesoItheEasternsaintsandyogistherehavenotbeenmanysimilar examplesoIthiskindoIserviceandhelpgiventothoseroundthem.Probably because many oI them were so indiIIerent towards things physical. Concentration 50 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) FromtheIoregoing wecanseethat thelawsgoverning inner humanstrengthare as well known and applied in the West as in the East. Only, in the Western countries theheartaspectpredominates,andthemind'ssubordinationIollowslater.This means,thatitisrecognizednotwithoutgoodreasonthatfirstmustcomethe purification and strengthening oI the seat oI human emotions, which oIten creates so many diIIiculties Ior aspirants oI spirituality. The seat oI our moral law must Iirst be balanced,andthenordercomestodwellinthepureheart.Itisthenthatthe development oI the mind's powers cannot be dangerous, either Ior their owners or Ior their surroundings. The West still remembers with caution, the misuse oI powers oI concentration by immoral men (black magicians). In the East even renowned authors like Patanjali and Sankaracharyaseemtobelessconcernedaboutthequestion.Theyclaimthatany psychic powers worth mentioning are too hard to develop without an adequate moral standard having been reached beIorehand. One may or may not agree with this idea, IorinthepasttherehasbeenagreatdealknownabouttheuseoItheIruitsoI concentration Ior illegal purposes and this is still the case. Inthisrealmaseverywhere,thereexistsasaIety-valvewhichcontrolsthe activities and numbers oI those eager to possess psychical powers, which in India are called 'siddhis'. It isendurance. Humannatureissoarranged,thatIorpettyordoubtIulaspirationsininner training,oneusuallylacksthenecessarystaminaIortheeIIort.ThereIore,evilin occultismisalwaysrestrictedtoacertaindegreebytheweaknessandlackoIpure aims on the part oI the prospective 'black magician'. However,assuchapersonisnecessarilyamaterialist,sinceallloweraims invariably have a body as their base, then sickness or death oI that body may put an end to the mischievous career, leaving the man with a Iormidable account to settle Ior hismisdeeds.ThereisonlyoneIormoIpaymentIorsuchadebt.Itsnameis suIIering, no matter whether in this or other worlds. InmyyouthIreadaterriblebookauniqueandrarevolumeIromaneditionoI only a Iew copies, written by the once well-known occultistStanislas de Guaita oI Paris.InthislargeworkwasexplainedhowtoperIormvariousoccultpractices complete with all the technicalities. AmongthemwasakindoInecromancyandalsotheexteriorizationoItheastral Concentration 51 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) body oI a living person and its projection, with the intention oI inIluencing others Ior theoperator'sownpurposes,withoutanyIearoIjudicialretribution.Thelawstill doesnotoIIiciallyrecognizemostoccultphenomenaandactivities,accordingthem merely the status oI 'superstition'. In spite oI this the danger exists. Recipescontainingrarebutprocurabledrugsweregivenwhichcouldand should, as the author advisedproduce the most deplorable eIIects, including death, ifmisusedorwronglvapplied.Fortunately,evenIorsuchmaliciousdeedsa considerabledegreeoIthesameabilitvofconcentrationisalwavsneeded.Andnot evervoneisableorwillingtodevelopthedangerousability,sothatmorebungling than real magic is the outcome. While the black magicians oI the West put themselves in opposition to good (as a maniIestationoIGod)andtoreligion,intheEastthereseemstohavebeenaless obvious demarcation between the two poles oI good and evil. This does not apply to the greatest spirits oI the East, such as the ancient and modern rishis, who are beyond all reproach and blame. ItmaybeuseIulIoryoutoknowsomethingmoredeIiniteabout'siddhis',which are so much discussed in occult circles. AsadeIinition,wemayassumethatsiddhis,alsocalledoccultpowersor psychicalIorces,consistoIevervthingwhichcannotbepracticallyortheoretically explained by the known physical laws, or those as yet unknown but in the course oI discovery. OneoItheirpeculiaritiesisthattheytranscendphysicallawsandtheresultsoI theirapplicationcannotbeexplained bythoselaws.Telepathy,hypnotism,thought-reading,miraclecures,transportationoIsolidobjectswithoutanyphysicalmeans, apparent creation oI such objects Irom 'nothing' (or so it seems to our live senses), use oIlanguagesneverheardbeIore,'secondsight'orabilitytoIoreseepastorIuture eventsall oI these and many other things could be termed psychical powers. PerhapsinnoothersubdivisionoIhumanknowledgedoestherereignsuch disorderorlackoIasystem,asinoccultproblems.ThereIore,whenthestudent comesintotouchwithsiddhis, he sometimesIeelsas iI hewereina denseIorestoI mixed and unexplained Iacts. To begin with, we will deIine two aspects oI siddhisinvoluntary and voluntary. TheIirst oneis themostcommonlyknown.ManyoIushavehad'presentiments'oI eventsIaraheadintime,whichwerelaterIulIilled;had'intuitional'knowledgeoIConcentration 52 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) another person's thoughts, and experienced strange dreams which later proved to be a hint Ior one's most intimate inner world. Cases have been known where the presence oI certain people has had an unquestionable inIluence on the health or well-being oI others. In all such instances the phenomena cannot be produced at will: they are only happenings,chancesandnothingmore.Wemayexperiencethemonlyonceinour lives or many times; but always we are not in control of them. OI course, men try to Iindoneoranotherexplanation,accordingtotheirmentalityandinclinations.But theycanonlyguessandnotarriveatanydeIiniteIindingsonthecausesoIthe phenomena.SomepeoplehaveseenanapparitionoIadistantIriendorrelativeand then later received news oI death or oI a peculiar accident aIIecting that person, and eveniIthevhadwishedtoknow,theycouldnototherwisehavelearnedanything about the person apart Irom letters or communications Irom others. BytheIoregoingremarksIwanttounderlinetheinvoluntarycharacteroImost psychicoccurrences.Ihaveknownpeoplewhopossessedaninvoluntaryabilityto curecertaindiseasesbytheuseoItouchorprayer.IIsuchpeoplearehonestwith themselves,theymustIreelyacknowledgetheirignoranceaboutthecausesand proceedingswhichcreatesuchphenomena.AtthesametimesomeoItheminvent diIIerenttheorieswhichapparentlysupporttheirguesses.Buttheycannotalways producetheirabilitiesatwill,andsotheysaythat'someconditionsareIavourable orunIavourable'Then,becausethereisnothingdeIinite,theynevertrytopossess the occult powers by the practice oI exercises in order to develop them. As such types oI siddhis are exempt Irom any logical or scientiIic examination we mayleavethemaloneand pass ontoanother variety,i.e.to the siddhis acquired bv definite and directefforts suchasthose practised bydiIIerent occult schoolsin both East and West. Lower kinds oI Indian Yoga are also occupied with the same purpose. Men who try to acquire occult power always do it in order to inIluence others or even themselves. Listen to what the Master Sri Maharshi has to say oI such people: 'All siddhis need two conditions: the person who exercises them and the "others" whomayseethem;thereIore,thereisdualityandnotunity.Asdualityisonlyan illusion,soallsuchsiddhisinvariablybelongtotherealmoIillusion.Theyare, indeed,onlytemporaryanddonotexistIorever.Whateverdoesnotpossessthe attributeoIpermanence,isonlyillusoryandthereIorenotworthstrivingtoobtain.`Concentration 53 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) The Rishi pointed out the true aim oI liIe when he said: 'The spiritual power oI SelI-realization is inIinitely greater than all the siddhis put together. '...DonotthinktoomuchoIpsychicalphenomenaandsuchthings.Their numberislegion;clairvoyance,clairaudienceandsuchthingsarenotworthhaving, when somuchIargreaterillumination and peaceoImindare possiblewithout them thanwiththem.TheMastertakesonthesepowersasaIormoIselI-sacriIice!The MasterbecomesonlytheinstrumentoIGod,andwhenhismouthopensitspeaks God'swordswithouteIIortorIorethought;andwhenheraisesahand,GodIlows again through that to work a miracle. 'Theideathatamasterissimplyonewhohasattainedpoweroverthevarious occult senses by long practice and prayer or anything oI the kinds is absolutely Ialse. No true master ever cared a rap Ior occult powers, Ior he has no need oI them in his daily liIe. 'DonotIixyourattentiononallthesechangingthingsoIliIe,deathand phenomena. Do not think oI even the actual act oI seeing or perceiving them, but only oIthatwhichseesallthesethings-thatwhichisresponsibleIoritall.'(i.e.the unique SelI.) Nevertheless, those who are strong and persistent enough to achieve concentration oIten notice, that these siddhis actually begin to maniIest in them. As Sri Maharshi said : ' The results oI concentration (Vichara) will be seen in all sorts of unconscious clairvovance,in peaceoImind, in power to dealwith troubles, in power all round, yet always unconscious power.' Thepersonswhoobtaintheseunconsciouspowers,neverIeelthat'theyarethe ones using the siddhis'. And why? Simply because they do not believe in the old myth oI their ego-personality. ThereIore, the thought that such and such an individual who bears their name, possesses the siddhis, cannot Ilourish in their consciousness. II this werenotaIact,thenrealizationwouldstillbeaverydistantthingIorsuchmen, because they would not as yet have transcended the illusion oI the separate perishable being. To recapitulate we can say that: 1.Theuncontrollableandaccidentalphenomenaexhibitedbysomepeople,who are not engaged in any particular spiritual search are not worthy oI our attention. 2.ThestrivingaItertheseoccultpowersasanaim,iswronganddoesnottakeConcentration 54 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) usclosertothespiritualrealizationoIbeing.ThereisalwaysagreatdangeroI creatingapowerfulegowhichcouldbesubstituted(intheeyesoIsuchamistaken person) Ior the true aim oI the perennial realizationthe immortal Truth. 3. There is a possibility Ior a person who enters on the path oI realization, to have some occult senses and powers appear, but without any eIIort or striving on his part. He would never exhibit such powers beIore anyone, Ior he ignores them, considering them unworthy oI mention. In the 'Voice oI the Silence' by Madame H. P. Blavatsky, it is said oI a disciple approaching close to the Iinal liberation: 'Acquiring the siddhis in the course oI his previous path, he will again consciously renounce all oI them.' 4. There exists a mysterious spiritual siddhi or power which only a perIect master canpossess.Itistheability,unaidedbyanyspecialwordsordeeds,tohelpand promote the evolution oI his disciple's consciousness. It is actually unexplainable; but I believe it to be something like an invisible radiation which can reach to the deepest recesses oI thedisciple's soul.Then, iIthemanisable to tune thisconsciousnessto thevibrationsoIthemaster'sspirit,heknowsmanythingswhichremainhiddenIor others.Buthedoesnotknowthewayinwhichthelightreacheshim,andis indiIIerenttothecauseoIit.HeisquitesatisIiedwiththemerefactitself,and nothing else is oI any interest. **** ForadiscriminatingmanthereisnoabsolutecureIordiseaseinanyYoga, medical science, and so-called 'spiritual healing' etc., oI which, nowadays, we hear so muchaboutandreadoIinnumerousadvertisements.Westernoccultismaswellas EasternYogaoItenclaimtheirmethodstobeall-curingordiseasepreventives.But when the authors Iall ill, which usually happens to them sooner or later as with most people,theynearlyalwayshurrytomakeIulluseoIoIIicialmedicalscienceby taking drugs, injections and inoculations. I know oI many such examples. They also die much about the same age as average men despite their assertions (in books), that by Iollowing their methods, men may enjoy perIect health and live to an almostincredibleage.Buteverythingislimitedinthisphysicalworld.Doctors cannot always help, but at least thev are honest enough to admit the fact. 'Spiritualhealers'andothersprobablyeIIectIarlessapercentageoIcuresthanConcentration 55 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) do doctors, but by comparison, they publicize the successIul cases Iar too much. Even Christ did not cure all the sick and disabled when He walked amongst us in Palestine. Where then lies help? In the clear understanding that: A man, who chording to his karma hasto becured ofhis affliction,willsurelyIind thearight doctor,a suitable 'spiritual healer', or a yogic book to Iollow, no matter what it may be; but if it is not meanttobe,i.e.iIthemancannotavoidhisdiseaseordeath,helpwillnotbe forthcoming from anv source. Lourdes, Iamous Ior the many miracle cures, does not restore the health oI all the thousands seeking relieI, but only oI an inIinitesimal number oI the persons who pray in the miraculous grotto. II you have understood all this, you will be reasonable about theneedsoIyourphysicalshell,andwillnevermadlypursuediIIerentsystemsand methods oI occult healing. When stricken by disease, the great saints do not usually seek a cure, Ior they have practical knowledge oI the source oI suIIering and inIirmity and their meaning. So it would be a mistake Ior an average man to ascribe an inIallible eIIectiveness toanymedicalorocculttreatment,asallsuchthingsareonlyrelativelyhelpIul. Whoeverclaimstheopposite,isdeceivinghimselI,orasmoreoIten happensothers. From our point oI view, physical and other aIIlictions are only necessary lessons, unavoidableuntilonehaslearnedtheminIull.Theredoes,however,existinthe higherdegreesoItheoccult(ratherthanspiritual)wisdomameanswhichcan apparently dispose oI even incurable diseases. It is when one deliberately learns in advance, the lesson which is to cause misery. Then it becomes unnecessary, just as it would be pointless to send a graduate back to an elementary school, Ior he has nothing to learn Irom it. Thisisthatmysteriousandusuallymuchmisunderstood'burningupoIpast karma' by certain actions and inner work. It is possible, but only in very rare cases, as it calls Ior an exceptional intelligence and knowledge oI laws which are inaccessible to the majority oI us. I know oI an example where a man was stricken with a disease, incurable Irom the medicalpointoIview,butwhowashealedwithoutanyouterhelporattemptto obtainit.WhenaskedtoexplaintheincredibleIact,heansweredsimply:'Ionly accepted the coming test with all its consequences, Iully known to me, without trying Concentration 56 The Western Tradition (Heart before Mind) toavoidanythingwhichmighthappen.Thenperhaps,becauseitwasnolonger necessary, there was no Iurther reason Ior the disease to appear.' And the statement made nearly 2,000 years ago came to my mind: 'Not even a hair dares to Iall Irom your head without My Father's will . . .' To realize this means to reach the inner peace. Concentration 5710 - Obstacles and Aids Chapter 10 Obstacles and Aids THEchieIobstacletoconcentrationistheuncontrolledemotionalnatureoIthe averageuntrainedman.IntheEasterntraditionthereisahandywordIorthese uncontrolled elements'vasanas', or innate mental and astral tendencies. Vasanas can bebothgoodandevilalike,andallofthemareobstaclesIorthehigherdegreesoI concentration.ThereIore,Iorthisstudy,bothkindsareunwanted,andatleast,they should be controlled. Inotherwords,weshouldbeabletochooseIromamongstthesevibrations,just what we actually need Ior our everyday liIe and deIinitely reIuse to occupy ourselves withthemwhenwehavebetterworktodo.WhatresultscanIexpectIrommy exercises,iIIamunable,atthedesiredmomenttostopmyangerorgreedagainst someone near me and consequently ceaselessly think about him? Or, iI I am occupied with lustIul thoughts and cannot break the unclean chain? ImaybesounreasonablyattachedtomyIamilythatIorexample,Irommy egotisticalpointoIview,IimaginethatIhavetobecontinuallyanxiousaboutits welIare, Iorgetting that every human being has its own destiny and karma, which no onecaninIluencebeyondthenarrowlimitsoIhisactivities.TheresultisthatIam unable to stop the unnecessarv and persistent thoughts in order to begin work on my IiIteenminutesoIexercises.ThosedeliberationsabouttheclothesIhavetobuyIor my son tomorrow, or about a birthday giIt Ior my wiIe, etc. can have plenty oI time devoted to them apart Irom these Iew minutes. The vasansa then, are the Iirst serious obstacle which must be pitilessly destroyed iI we want to raise our inner status by the study oI concentration. A weak state oI physical health can also be a serious hurdle Ior beginners. Usually suchpeopleliketoidentiIythemselveswiththeirbodies,andbeingphysically deIective,theyIeelthesameintheirthoughtsandemotions,i.e.intheastralandConcentration 58 Obstacles and Aids mentalplanes.Withoutsomeinnerstrengthnostudyispossible.ThereIoresuch people would do better iI they abandoned their ambitions to become stronger in this way,becauseitisnotappropriateIorthem.AliIeoIsurrendertotheHighestisas eIIective as that oI the 'Direct Path' and much more suited to them. Another obstacle is 'instinctive materialism' on the part oI the prospective student. Atthepresenttimetherearestillmanyindividualswhoareunabletobelieveorto Ieelsomethingwhichtheycannottouchorsee.ThesestudiesarealsonotIorthem because without a sense oI subtle things, the result will be void. To be in the power oI superstition is a very serious hindrance, barring us Irom any success.ThisviceisnothinglessthanakindoIslaveryoIourmind,compelledto thinkinaIaultyway.FanaticismalsooItencomestotheaidoIitsunholy brothersuperstition. IntolerancebelongstothesameunpleasantIamilyoIhandicaps.Imaginea Ianatical and intolerant sectarian or religious bigot reading these chapters. How much 'material to condemn' would be Iound in them! And by so doing, such people would loseanytrusttheymighthavehad inthe mattersdiscussedplusthe developmentoI an unreasonable contempt Ior the writer. How could they then perIorm the exercises in this book? StillanotherbarrierIormanypeoplewhichclosesthedoortosuccess,isthe maniaorpassionIorreadingtoomanvbooks,becauseoItheirinabilitytomakea deIinitechoice.Gettingoneonathemewhichintereststhem,theyinvariablysoon seeksomething'new',andassoonasthathasbeenreadtheyagainstarttheir interminable searching. Their lives pass without being properly and reasonably used. Such men Iorget that books are much more numerous than the weeks and months theyhaveyetto live through.Sowhat isthe goodoIhavingreadeven halIoIthem and to die, beIore making any use oI the things which men know only mentally? AIterall,booksareIorususuallyonlycrystallizedstoresoIborrowedthoughts createdbyothermenandnotalwaysoIusetoussincesoIrequentlyoIIeringonly Iictionornear-IictioninallIieldsoIliterature,whichcanhardlyhelpanearnest seeker. Althoughthemindisonlyasecondarypowerinman,comparedtothehigher wisdom-consciousness, known in Samadhi, which is devoid oI thoughts, Iaults in the structureoIthatmindarealmostanabsolutebarrierimpossibletoovercomeinany study, and especially in the present one. Inadequate comprehension is the same as anConcentration 59 Obstacles and Aids insuIIicientknowledgeoIaIoreignalphabetIorsomeonewhowantstoreadinthe particular language. It may happen that it is not just an unquenchable thirst Ior reading which drives a manIromoneauthortoanother,buttheIactthatheisnotsatisIiedwithanysoIar encountered. In such a case there is nothing more to say than: 'Seek and ve shall find.' Addictsofdrunkennessorotherhabit-Iormingvicescannotpossiblyhopetobe students oI concentration Ior the simple reason that their real will-power is too close to:ero.IItheycannotstoptheirbadhabits,whichtheyknowperIectlywellare harmIulIorthem,wherethenwouldtheyIindenoughinnerstrengthtoovercome their mental apathy and laziness? ExcessivenervousnessisasicknesswhichmayeasilyaIIectthewill-poweroIa man.ItshouldbesuccessIullytreatedbeIoreaneIIectivestudycanbeundertaken. Concentration itselI, i.e. its study, is still not a remedv for all our faults. On the other hand,anaverageman,notaIIectedbyanyoItheabove-mentionedblemishesoI character or body, will undoubtedly enjoy a Iair reward Irom an earnestly undertaken study oI the subject. Now, what may be most helpIul Ior the student? In contemporary occult and psychological literature we can Iind an excess of 'aids' in all directions. Everyone only speaks about the things which were 'apparently very helpIultohim'andeveryoneisendlesslyseekingIorhelpandstillmorehelp.Itis wrongoIcourse.IIpeopledecidedtowalkonlywiththeaidoIsticksorcrutches, theirlimbswouldsoon becomeweakanduseless.ThisIaulty attitudeoIthe present dayis based onthe subconscious belieI,thatsomething'Iromoutsidemaybeadded to pull us as a mother cat pulls her kitten by its neck'. It is basically a lack of faith in man's own inner strength and value. Be careIul, and do not succumb to this malady. Anyway, speaking practically, the lack oI all these vices and imperIections is the besthelpamancanhave,andthepresenceoIvirtuesisthemostIavourableoI conditions.ButonethingisoIoverwhelmingvalueIorthestudent:theabilityoI quiet, cold and clear thinking and judgement about liIe in general. The next is sincere interest in possessing the abilities given by concentration. Sometimestheprospectivestudentknowswhyhewantstoparticipateinsucha course. But it may also happen that he does not and simply Ieels a strong urge to do Concentration 60 Obstacles and Aids so.This