7rcTIX1xP

A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga644
and order the sub-conscious mentality to search out and report to them
certain information to be found only within the mind itself—some question
of philosophy or metaphysics. And when such art has been acquired, the
student or Yogi rests assured that the desired result will be forthcoming in
due time, and consequently dismisses the matter from his conscious mind,
and busies himself with other matters, knowing that day and night, incessantly,
the sub-consciousing process is going on, and that the sub-conscious mind
is actively at work collecting the information, or working out the problem.
You will see at once the great superiority of this method over the old
“hit-or-miss,” “hope-it-will-work” plan pursued by those who have stumbled
upon bits of the truth.
The Yogi teacher begins by impressing upon his students the fact that the
mind is capable of extending outward toward an object, material or mental,
and by examining it by methods inherent in itself, extracting knowledge
regarding the object named. This is not a startling truth, because it is so
common, everyone employing it more or less every day. But the process by
which the knowledge is extracted is most wonderful, and really is performed
below the plane of consciousness, the work of the conscious mind being
chiefly concerned in holding the Attention upon the object. We have spoken
of the importance of Attention in previous lessons, which it will be well for
you to re-read, at this time.
When the student is fully impressed with the details of the process of
Attention, and the subsequent unfoldment of knowledge, the Yogi proceeds
to inform him that there are other means of obtaining knowledge about an
object, by the employment of which the Attention may be firmly directed
toward the object, and then afterwards held there unconsciously—that is,
a portion of the Attention, or a sub-conscious phase of mentation, which
will hold the sub-conscious mind firmly upon the work until accomplished,
leaving the conscious Attention and mentality free to employ itself with
other things.