Raja-Yoga

PRATYAHARA AND DHARANA. 69
progressing very fast. Those who want to be Yogis,
and practise very hard, must take a little care of their
diet at first.
Those who want to make very rapid pro
gress, if they can live on milk alone for some months,
and cereals, will find it an advantage. But for those
who want only a little practice for every day business
sort of life, let them not eat too much, but otherwise
they may eat whatever they please.
For those who want to make faster progress, and to
practise hard, a strict diet is absolutely necessary.
As the organisation becomes finer and finer, at first
you will find that the least thing throws you out of bal
ance. One bit of food more or less will disturb the
whole system, until you get perfect control, and then
you will be able to eat whatever you like. You will
find that when you are beginning to concentrate, the
dropping of a pin will seem like a thunderbolt going
through your brain. The organs get finer, and the
perceptions get finer. These are the stages through
which we have to pass, and all those who persevere
will succeed. Give up all argumentation and other
distractions. Is there anything in this dry intellectual
jargon ? It only throws the mind off its balance and
disturbs it. These things have to be realised. Will
talking do that ? So give up all vain talk. Read only
those books which have been written by persons who
have had realisation
Be like the pearl oyster. There is a pretty Indian
fable to the effect that if it rains when the star Svdtt is
in the ascendant, and a drop of rain falls into an