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Advanced Course in Yogi Philosophy and Oriental Occultism390
it is making us kinder and more considerate of others, because it makes us
more and more conscious of our relationship with each other. This is the
cause of the increasing feeling of brotherhood that is possessing the race,
although those who feel it may not realize the real cause.
The evolution and unfoldment of the soul results in higher ideals of thought
and conduct for the race, and accounts for the changing conceptions of
morality which is apparent to anyone who studies history, and who notices
the signs of the times. An understanding of this theory of Dharma, enables us
to understand comparative morality, and prevents us from condemning our
less developed brethren who have cruder ideals of conduct than ourselves.
The higher the degree of unfoldment, the higher the ideal of conduct and
morality, although the unfoldment causes the soul to cast off many old forms
and ideals which seemed the best for it in the past. Bearing these facts in
mind, let us consider the three sources of authority.
The Yogi Philosophy recognizes the theory of Revelation as one of the
pillars supporting the edifice of Dharma. It holds that at different times in the
history of the race the Absolute has inspired certain advanced souls to give
forth the teachings needed by the race at that particular time in its history.
These inspired men were souls that had voluntarily returned from higher
stages of development in order to render service to their less developed
brethren. They lived the life of the people around them, and took the part
of prophets, priests, seers, etc. Accounts of these people come down to us
from the ages, distorted, magnified and elaborated by legends, superstition,
and myths of the people among whom they lived. They seldom wrote, but
their teachings often written down by others, (often after long years had
past), and, although colored by the views of the compilers, these writings
still give a fair idea of the teachings of the particular prophet or teacher.
These prophets were of varying degrees of advancement, some coming
from great heights of attainment, and others from comparatively lower
planes, but each carried a message to his people, suited to their needs at
that particular time. These messages were accepted, more or less, by the