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A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga520
Oriental Philosophy. Such people confound the “Absolute” and “Relative”
aspects of the One, and, being unable to reconcile the facts of Life and the
Universe with their theories of “I Am God,” they are driven to the desperate
expedient of boldly denying the Universe, and declaring it to be all “an
illusion” or “Maya.”
You will have no trouble in distinguishing the pupils of the teachers
holding this view. They will be found to exhibit the most negative mental
condition—a natural result of absorbing the constant suggestion of
“nothingness”—the gospel of negation. In marked contrast to the mental
condition of the students, however, will be observed the mental attitude
of the teachers, who are almost uniformly examples of vital, positive, mental
force, capable of hurling their teaching into the minds of the pupils—of
driving in their statements by the force of an awakened Will. The teacher, as
a rule, has awakened to a sense of the “I” consciousness, and really develops
the same by his “I Am God” attitude, because by holding this mental
attitude he is enabled to throw off the influence of the sheaths of the lower
mental principles, and the light of the Self shows forth fiercely and strongly,
sometimes to such an extent that it fairly scorches the mentality of the less
advanced pupil. But, notwithstanding this awakened “I” consciousness, the
teacher is handicapped by his intellectual misconception and befogging
metaphysics, and is unable to impart the “I” consciousness to his pupils, and,
instead of raising them up to shine with equal splendor with himself, he
really forces them into a shadow by reason of his teachings.
Our students, of course, will understand that the above is not written
in the spirit of carping criticism or fault-finding. We hold no such mental
attitude, and indeed could not if we remain true to our conception of Truth.
We are mentioning these matters simply that the student may avoid this “I
Am God” pitfall which awaits the Candidate just as he has well started on
the Path. It would not be such a serious matter if it were merely a question
of faulty metaphysics, for that would straighten itself out in time. But it is far
more serious than this, for the teaching inevitably leads to the accompanying