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A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga688
or attitude, and then proceeds to draw upon the outer world for material
with which to build in accordance with the plan. Not only is one’s character
built in this way, but the circumstances and incidents of his life follow the
same rule. The Yogi student is instructed into the mysteries of the power of
the mind in this direction, not that he may make use of it to build up material
success, or to realize his personal desires—for he is taught to avoid these
things—but he is fully instructed, nevertheless, that he may understand the
workings of the law around him. And it is a fact well known to close students
of the occult, that the few who have attained extraordinarily high degrees
of development, make use of this power in order to help the race. Many a
world movement has been directed by the mind, or minds, of some of these
advanced souls who were able to see the ideal of evolution ahead of the
race, and by visualizing the same, and concentrating upon it in meditation,
actually hastened the progress of the evolutionary wave, and caused to
actually manifest that which they saw, and upon which they had meditated.
It is true that some occultists have used similar plans to further their own
selfish personal ends—often without fully realizing just what power they
were employing—but this merely illustrates the old fact that the forces of
Nature may be used rightly and wrongly. And it is all the more reason why
those who are desirous of advancing the race—of assisting in the evolution
of the world—should make use of this mighty power in their work. Success is
not reprehensible, notwithstanding the fact that many have interpreted and
applied the word in such a matter as to make it appear as if it had no other
meaning or application other than the crude, material selfish one generally
attributed to it, by reason of its misuse. The Western world is playing its part
in the evolution of the race, and its keynote is “Accomplishment.” Those who
have advanced so high that they are able to view the world of men, as one
sees a valley from a mountain peak, recognize what this strenuous Western
life means. They see mighty forces in operation—mighty principles being
worked out by those who little dream of the ultimate significance of that
which they are doing. Mighty things are before the Western world to-day—