CHAPTER XV i. 

 YOGI SPIRITUAL BREATHING. 



The Yogis not only bring about desired mental quail- 

 lies and properties by will-power coupled with rhythmic 

 oreathing, but they also develop spiritual faculties, or 

 rather aid in their unfoldinent, in the same way. The 

 Oriental philosophies teach that man has many faculties 

 which are at present in a dormant state, but which will 

 become unfolded as the race progresses. They also teach 

 that man, by the proper effort of the will, aided by ravor- 

 able conditions, may aid in the unfoldment of these spirit- 

 ual faculties, and develop them much sooner than in the 

 ordinary process of evolution. In other words, one may 

 even now develop spiritual powers of consciousness which 

 will not become the common property of the race until 

 after long ages of gradual development under the law of 

 evolution. In all of the exercises directed toward this end, 

 rhythmic breathing plays an important part. There is of 

 course no mystic property in the breath itself which pro- 

 duces such wonderful results, but the rhythm produced 

 by the Yogi breath is such as to bring the whole system, 

 including the brain, under perfect control, and in perfect 

 harmony, and by this means, the most perfect condition 

 is obtained for the unfoldment of these latent faculties. 



In this work we cannot go deeply into the philosophy 

 of the East regarding spiritual development, because this 

 subject would require volumes to cover it, and then again 

 the subject is too abstruse to interest the average reader. 

 There are also other reasons, well known to occultists, why 

 tbis knowledge should not be spread broadcast at this time. 

 Rest assured, dear student, that when the time comes for 

 you to take the next step, the way will be opened out before 

 you. "When the chela (student) is ready, the guru (mas- 

 ter) appears/' In this chapter we will give you directions 

 for the development of two phases of spiritual conscious- 

 ness, i. e., (1) the consciousness of the identity of the Soul 

 nd (2) the consciousness of the connection of the Soul 



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