Yogi Ramacharaka

The Yogi Philosophy may be divided into several great branches, or fields. What is known as "Hatha Yoga" deals with the physical body and its control; its welfare; its health; its preservation; its laws, etc. What is known as "Raja Yoga" deals with the Mind; its control; its development; its unfoldment, etc. What is known as "Bhakti Yoga" deals with the Love of the Absolute - God. What is known as "Gnani Yoga" deals with the scientific and intellectual knowing of the great questions regarding Life and what lies back of Life - the Riddle of the Universe.In this course of lessons we shall take up the subject of "Gnani Yoga" - the Yoga of Wisdom, and will endeavor to make plain some of its most important and highest teachings. And, we trust that in so doing, we shall be able to awaken in you a still higher realization of your relationship with the One, and a corresponding Love for that in which you live, and move and have your being. We ask for your loving sympathy and cooperation in our task.

TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE WATER AND PRANA, WATER AS THE BASIS FOR LIFE, THE EFFECT OF CONSUMING TOO LITTLE WATER, AN OVERVIEW OF THE ORGANS OF ASSIMILATION AND ELIMINATION, THE EFFECT OF TOXINS IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT, METHODS OF INTERNAL CLEANLINESS, THE IMPORTANCE OF SKIN AS AN ORGAN OF ELIMINATION, HOW TO USE CLEANSING BATHS, WET PACK TREATMENTS, HYDROTHERAPY, SEXUAL VITALITY TREATMENTS AND MORE.

A brief overview of Indian philosophy, Systems of Indian philosophy, India's religions, and the Vedas.

In India, the Candidates for Initiation into the science of "Raja Yoga," when they apply to the Yogi Masters for instruction, are given a series of lessons designed to enlighten them regarding the nature of the Real Self, and to instruct them in the secret knowledge whereby they may develop the consciousness and realization of the real "I" within them. They are shown how they may cast aside the erroneous or imperfect knowledge regarding their real identity.Until the Candidate masters this instruction, or at least until the truth becomes fixed in his consciousness, further instruction is denied him, for it is held that until he has awakened to a conscious realization of his Actual Identity, he is not able to understand the source of his power, and, moreover, is not able to feel within him the power of the Will, which power underlies the entire teachings of "Raja Yoga."The Yogi Masters are hot satisfied if the Candidate forms merely a clear intellectual conception of this Actual Identity, but they insist that he must feel the truth of the same - must become aware of the Real Self - must enter into a consciousness in which the realization becomes a part of his everyday self - in which the realizing consciousness becomes the prevailing idea in his mind, around which his entire thoughts and actions revolve.To some Candidates, this realization comes like a lightning flash the moment the attention is directed toward it, while in other cases the Candidates find it necessary to follow a rigorous course of training before they acquire the realization in consciousness.The Yogi Masters teach that there are two degrees of this awakening consciousness of the Real Self. The first, which they call "the Consciousness of the 'I'," is the full consciousness of real existence that comes to the Candidate, and which causes him to know that he is a real entity having a life not depending upon the body - life that will go on in spite of the destruction of the body - real life, in fact. The second degree, which they call "the Consciousness of the 'I AM'," is the consciousness of one's identity with the Universal Life, and his relationship to, and "in-touchness" with all life, expressed and unexpressed. These two degrees of consciousness come in time to all who seek "The Path." To some it comes suddenly; to others it dawns gradually; to many it comes assisted by the exercises and practical work of "Raja Yoga."