Chapter 2

L. N. Fowler & Co., 7 Imperial Arcade, Ludgate Circus

✦

PUBLISHERS^ NOTICE

These lessons were originally issued in the form of monthly
booklets, forming what was known as the "Correspondence
Class Course of 1904." They met with such a hearty support
from the public, and seemed to fill so well a need of students of
Occultism and the Yogi Philosophy, that it was thought advis-
able to issue them in the present form. We consider these les-
sons the simplest, most practical, and plainest presentation of
the elementary principles of the Yogi Philosophy and Oriental
Occultism ever issued. They, of course, are elementary, but
seem to be just what the average student requires. Not only
are they adapted to the requirements of the beginner, but many
older and advanced students have written us that they have
found great pleasure and much profit from again going over
their kindergarten lessons in such plain form. The author, fol-
lowing his usual custom, declined to write a preface for this
book, holding to his oft expressed idea that "truth should be
self-evident, and in no manner dependent upon the personality
of its teachers," he feeling that he had said all that he had to
say, in the lessons themselves, and not wishing to "intrude his
personality' ' upon his readers. The reader's attention is directed
to our notice of an Advanced Course on the same subject,
appearing on the pages following reading matter.

YOGI PUBLICATION SOCIETY.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

LESSON I.— THE FIRST THREE PRINCIPLES. PAGB

On the Threshold— The Constitution of Man— The Seven
Principles of Man — The Physical Body — The Astral
Body — Prana or Vital Force 1

LESSON II.— THE MENTAL PRINCIPLES.

The Fourth and Fifth Principles — The Instinctive Mind —
The Intellect 1&

LESSON III. — THE SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES.

The Sixth and Seventh Principles— The Spiritual Mind-
Spirit — Illumination, or Spiritual Consciousness 37

LESSON IV. — THE HUMAN AURA.

The Human Aura— Health Aura — Pranic Aura — Aura of the
Three Mental Principles— Spirit Aura— Auric Colors,
Phenomena, etc 55

LESSON v.— THOUGHT DYNAMICS.

Thought Dynamics— The Nature, Quality and Power of
Thought— Thought Forms— Thought Influences— The
Occult Teachings on this great subject 78

LESSON VI.— TELEPATHY, CLAIRVOYANCE, ETC.

Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Psychometry, Telepathy, etc.
— How to develop Psychic Powers 91

LESSON VII.— HUMAN MAGNETISM.

Human Magnetism— Pranic Energy— Uses and Properties

Directions for development and use 115

TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued.

l,ESSON VIII.— OCCULT THERAPEUTICS. PAGE

Occult Therapeutics — Spiritual Healing — Mental Healings
Pranic Healing — Theory and Practice 189

LESSON IX. — PSYCHIC INFLUENCE.

Psychic Influence — Personal Magnetism — Mesmerism, etc. ,
explained, with instructions regarding self-protection
and warnings against misuse of the Power — A timely
lesson upon an important subject 165

LESSON X.— THE ASTRAL WORLD.

The Astral World ; Its Phenomena— The Astral Body-
Astral Helpers, etc 189

LESSON XI. — BEYOND THE BORDER.

Beyond the Border — The survival of the Ego after passing
out of the physical body — Where it goes and what it
does after the change called Death 207

LESSON XII. — SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION.

Spuitual Evolution — The Growth of the Soul— Its Travels
—Its Purpose— Its Goal 225

LESSON XIII. — SPIRITUAL CAUSE AND EFFECT.

Spiritual Cause and Effect— The Yogi teachings regarding
the puzzling questions of Human Life, Conduct — The
Sowing and the Reaping Explained 243

LESSON XIV. — THE YOGI PATH OF ATTAINMENT.

The Yogi's Path of Attainment— The Threefold Path-
Methods— Directions— Plans, etc.— Advice and Words
of Encouragement to the Neophyte 861

TT'OLLOWING these lessons will be
found the mantrams contained in the
original pamphlet edition of the Fourteen
Lessons. The demand for these has
been so great that it seemed the only
course to pursue, although it makes 8
additional pages of the book.

Price postpaid, $1.10.

THE FIRST LESSON.

The First Three Principles.

It is with no ordinary feelings that we address
ourselves to our students of the Yogi class of 1904.
We see, as they perhaps do not, that to many of
them this series of lessons will be as seed planted in
fertile soil, which will in due time put forth sprouts
which will force their way gradually into the sun-
light of consciousness, where they will put forth
leaves, blossom, and fruit. Many of the fragments
of truth which will be presented to you will not be
recognized by you at this time, but in years to come
you will recognize the verity of the impressions
which will be conveyed to you in these lessons, and
then, and then only, will you make these truths
your own.

We intend to speak to you just as if you were
gathered before us in person, and as if we were
standing before you in the flesh. We feel sure that
the bond of sympathy between us will soon grow so
strong and real that as you read our words you will
feel our presence almost as strongly as if we were
with you in person. We will be with you in spirit,

a YOGI PHILOSOPHY.

and, according to our philosophy, the student who
is in harmonious sympathy with his teachers really
establishes a psychic connection with them, and is in
consequence enabled to grasp the "spirit" of the
teaching and to receive the benefit of the teachers'
thought in a degree impossible to one who merely
reads the words in cold print.

We are sure that the members of the class of
1904 will get into harmony with each other, and
with us, from the very start, and that we will obtain
results that will surprise even ourselves, and that
the term of the class will mark a wonderful spiritual
growth and unfoldment for many of the class. This
result would be impossible were the class composed
of the general public, in which the adverse thought
vibrations of many would counteract, or at least
retard, the impelling force generated in the minds
of those who are in sympathy with the work. But
we will not have this obstacle to overcome, as the
class has been recruited only from that class of stu-
dents who are interested in the occult. The an-
nouncements sent out by us have been worded in
such a way as to attract the attention only of those
for whom they were intended. The mere sensation-
hunters and the " faddists " have not been attracted
by our call, while those for whom the call was in-
tended have heard and have hastened to communicate
with us. As the poet has sung: "Where I pass,
all my children know me." The members of the

TEE FIRST THREE PRINCIPLES. 3

class having been attracted to us, and we to them,
will form a harmonious body working with us to the
common end of self-improvement, growth, develop-
ment, and unfoldment. The spirit of harmony and
unity of purpose will do much for us, and the united
thought of the class, coupled with our own, will be
a tower of strength, and each student will receive the
benefit of it, and will be strengthened and sustained
thereby.

We will follow the system of instruction of the
East, rather than that of the Western world. In the
East, the teacher does not stop to "prove" each
statement or theory as he makes or advances it ; nor
does he make a blackboard demonstration of spiritual
truths ; nor does he argue with his class or invite
discussion. On the contrary, his teaching is authori-
tative, and he proceeds to deliver his message to his
students as it was delivered to him, without stopping
to see whether they all agree with him. He does
not care whether his statements are accepted as truth
by all, for he feels sure that those who are ready for
the truth which he teaches will intuitively recognize
it, and as for the others, if they are not prepared to
receive the truth, no amount of argument will help
matters. When a soul is ready for a spiritual
truth, and that truth, or a part of it, is uttered in its
presence or presented to its attention by means of
writings, it will intuitively recognize and appropriate
it. The Eastern teacher knows that much of his

4 YOGI PHILOSOPHY.

teaching is but the planting of seed, and that for
every idea which the student grasps at first there
will be a hundred which will come into the field of
conscious recognition only after the lapse of time.

We do not mean that the Eastern teachers insist
upon the student blindly accepting every truth that
is presented to him. On the contrary, they in-
struct the pupil to accept as truth only that which
he can prove for himself, as no truth is truth to one
until he can prove it by his own experiments. But
the student is taught that before many truths may be
so proven he must develop and unfold. The teacher
asks only that the student have confidence in him as
a pointer- out of the way, and he says, in effect, to
the student: "This is the way; enter upon it, and
on the path you will find the things of which I have
taught you; handle them, weigh them, measure
them, taste them, and know for yourself. When
you reach any point of the path you will know as
much of it as did I or any other soul at that partic-
ular stage of the journey; but until you reach a par-
ticular point, you must either accept the statements
of those who have gone before or reject the whole
subject of that particular point. Accept nothing as
final until you have proven it; but, if you are wise,
you will profit by the advice and experience of those
who have gone before. Every man must learn by
experience, but men may serve others as pointers of
the way. At each stage of the journey it will be

TEE FIBST THREE PSINCIPLES. S

found that those who have progressed a little further
on the way have left signs and marks and guide-
posts for those who follow. The wise man will take
advantage of these signs. I do not ask for blind
faith, but only for confidence until you are able to
demonstrate for yourselves the truths I am passing
on to you, as they were passed on to me, by those
who went before."

We ask the student to have patience. Many
things which will appear dark to him at first will be
made clear as we progress.

The Constitution of Man.

Man is a far more complex being than Is generally
imagined. He has not only a body and a soul, but
he is a spirit possessing a soul, which soul has sev-
eral vehicles for expression, these several vehicles
being of different degrees of density, the body being
the lowest form of expression. These different ve-
hicles manifest upon different " planes," such as the
"physical plane," the "astral plane," etc., all of
which will be explained as we proceed.

The real self is pure spirit — a spark of the
divine fire. This spirit is encased within numer-
ous sheaths, which prevent its full expression. As
man advances in development, his consciousness
passes from the lower planes to the higher, and he
becomes more and more aware of his higher nature.

6 YOGI PHILOSOPHY.

The spirit contains within it all potentialities, and
as man progresses he unfolds new powers, new qual-
ities, into the light.

The Yogi philosophy teaches that man is com-
posed of seven principles — is a sevenfold creature.
The best way to think of man is to realize that the
spirit is the real self, and that the lower principles
are but confining sheaths. Man may manifest upon
seven planes, that is, the highly developed man, as
the majority of men of this age can manifest only
upon the lower planes, the higher planes not having
as yet been reached by them, although every man,
no matter how undeveloped, possesses the seven
principles potentially. The first five planes have
been attained by many, the sixth by a few, the sev-
enth by practically none of this race at this time.

The Seven Principles of Man.

The seven principles of man, as known to the
Yogi philosophy, are herewith stated, English terms
being substituted for Sanscrit words, so far as may
be:

7. Spirit.

6. Spiritual- Mind.

5. Intellect.

4. Instinctive- Mind.

3. Prana, or Vital Force.

2. Astral Body.

I . Physical Body.

TBE FIRST TSEEE FEINCIFLES. f

We will briefly run over the general nature of
each of these seven principles, that the student may-
understand future references to them ; but we will
defer our detailed treatment of the subject until later
on in the lessons.