HATHA YOGA/PART 32
CHAPTER 32.
LEAD BY THE SPIRIT
While this book is intended to treat solely upon the care
of the physical body, leaving the higher branches of the Yogi Philosophy to be
dealt with in other writings, still the leading principle of the Yogi teachings
is so bound up with the minor branches of the subject, and is so largely taken
into account by the Yogis in the simplest acts of their lives, that in justice
to the teachings as well as to our students, we cannot leave the subject
without at least saying a few words about this underlying principle.
The Yogi Philosophy, as our students doubtless know, hold
that man is slowly growing and unfolding, from the lower forms and
manifestations to higher, and still higher expressions of the Spirit. Spirit is
in each man, although often so obscured by the confining sheaths of his lower
nature that it is scarcely discernible. It is also in the lower forms of life,
working up and ever seeking for higher forms of expression. The material
sheaths of this progressing life—the bodies of mineral, plant, lower animal and
man—are but instruments to be used for the best development of the higher
principles. But, although the use of the material body is but temporary, and
the body itself nothing more than a suit of clothes to be put on, worn, and
then discarded, yet it is always the intent of Spirit to provide and maintain
as perfect an instrument as possible. It provides the best body possible, and
gives the impulses toward right living, but if from causes not to be mentioned
here, an imperfect body is provided for the soul, still the higher principles
strive to adapt and accommodate themselves to it, and make the best of it.
This instinct of
self-preservation—this urge behind all of life—is a manifestation of the
Spirit. It works through the most rudimentary forms of the Instinctive Mind up
through many stages until it reaches the highest manifestations of that mental
principle. It also manifests through the Intellect, in the direction of causing
the man to use his reasoning powers for the purpose of maintaining his physical
soundness and life. But, alas! the Intellect does not keep to its own work, for
as soon as it begins to be conscious of itself it begins to meddle with the duties
of the Instinctive Mind, and overriding the instinct of the latter, it forces
all sort of unnatural modes of living upon the body, and seems to try to get as
far away from nature as possible. It is like a boy freed from the parental
restraint, who goes as far contrary to the parents' example and advice as
possible—just to show that he is independent. But the boy learns his folly, and
retraces his steps—and so will the Intellect.
Man is beginning to see now, that there is
something within him that attends to the wants of his body, and which knows its
own business much better than he does. For man with all his Intellect is unable
to duplicate the feats of the Instinctive Mind working through the body of the
plant, animal or himself. And he learns to trust this mental principle as a
friend, and to let it work out its own duties. In the present modes of life
which man has seen fit to adopt, in his evolution, but from which he will
return to first principles sooner or later, it is impossible to live a wholly
natural life, and physical existence is more or less abnormal as a consequence.
But nature's instinct of self-preservation and accommodation is great, and it
manages to get along very well with a considerable of a handicap, and does its
work much better than one would expect considering the absurd and insane living
habits and practices of civilized man.
It must not be forgotten, however, that as
man advances along the scale and the Spiritual Mind begins to unfold, man
acquires a something akin to instinct—we call it Intuition— and this leads him
back to nature. We can see the influence of this dawning consciousness, in the
marked movement back toward natural living and the simple life, which is
growing so rapidly the last few years. We are beginning to laugh at the absurd
forms, conventions and fashions which have grown up around our civilization and
which, unless we get rid of them, will pull down that civilization beneath its
growing weight.
The man
and woman in whom the Spiritual Mind is unfolding, will become dissatisfied
with the artificial life and customs, and will find a strong inclination to
return to simpler and more natural principles of living, thinking and acting,
and will grow impatient under the restraint and artificial coverings and
bandages with which man has bound himself during the ages. He will feel the
homing instinct—"after long ages we are coming home.” And the Intellect will respond, and seeing
the follies it has perpetrated, will endeavor to "let go” and return to
nature, doing its own work all the better by reason of having allowed the
Instinctive Mind to attend to its own work without meddling.
The whole theory and practice of Hatha Yoga is based upon
this idea of return to nature—the belief that the Instinctive Mind of man
contains that which will maintain health under normal conditions. And
accordingly those who practice its teachings learn first to "let go,” and
then to live as closely to natural conditions as is possible in this age of
artificiality. And this little book has been devoted to pointing out nature's
ways and methods, in order that we may return to them. We have not taught a new
doctrine, but have merely cried out to you to come with us to the good old way
from which we have strayed.
We are not unmindful of the fact that it is much harder
for the man and woman of the West to adopt natural methods of living, when all
their surroundings impel them the other way, but still each may do a little
each day for himself and the race, in this direction, and it is surprising how
the old artificial habits will drop from a person—one by one.
In this our concluding chapter, we wish to impress upon
you the fact that one may be led by the Spirit in the physical life, as well as
in the mental. One may implicitly trust the Spirit to guide him in the right
way in the matter of everyday living as well as in the more complicated matters
of life. If one will trust in the spirit, he will find that his old appetites
will drop away from him—his abnormal tastes will disappear—and he will find a
joy and pleasure in the simpler living which will make life seem like a
different thing to him.
One should not attempt to divorce his belief in the
Spirit leadings from his physical life—for Spirit pervades everything, and
manifests in the physical (or rather through
it) as well as in the highest mental states. One may eat with the Spirit and
drink with it, as well as think with it. It will not do to say "this is spiritual, and that is
not,” for all is spiritual, in the highest sense.
And finally, if one wishes to make the most
of his physical life—to have as perfect an instrument as may be for the
expression of the Spirit—let him live his life all the way through in that
trust and confidence in the spiritual part of
his nature. Let him realize that the Spirit within him is a spark from the Divine
Flame—a drop from the Ocean of Spirit—a ray from the Central Sun. Let him
realize that he is an eternal being—always growing, developing and unfolding.
Always moving toward the great goal, the exact nature of which man, in his
present state, is unable to grasp with his imperfect mental vision. The urge is
always onward and upward. We are all a part of that great Life which is
manifesting itself in an infinitude of infinitude of forms and shapes. We are
all a part of it. If we can but grasp the faintest idea of what this means, we
will open ourselves up to such an influx of Life and vitality that our bodies
will be practically made over and will manifest perfectly. Let each of us form
an idea of a Perfect Body, and endeavor to so live that we will grow into its
physical form—and we can do this.
We have tried to tell you the laws governing the physical
body, that you may conform to them as near as may be—interposing as little
friction as possible to the inflow of that great life and energy which is
anxious to flow through us. Let us return to nature, dear students, and allow
this great life to flow through us freely, and all will be well with us. Let us
stop trying to do the whole thing ourselves—let us just let the thing do its
own work for us. It only asks confidence and non-resistance—let us give it a
chance.
END OF THIS BOOK.
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