Chapter 38

Water ....................... 12,539.520 grains Carbon ...................... 1,005.408 " Hydrogen ...................... 164.736 " Nitrogen ....................... 74.880 " Oxygen ......................... 525.456 " Salts ........................... 90.000 " ----------- 14,400.000 "

Now, one seer of cow's milk requires for combustion within the animal economy 3278.88 grains of oxygen. The Brahmachari inhaled 2.27 grains of oxygen per minute. This Brahmachari spent his life in the contemplation of Om, and led a life of continence. The French adult, who is a fair specimen of well-developed sensuality, inhaled from the atmosphere 10.87 grains of oxygen every minute of his existence.

A retired, abstemious, and austere life is essentially necessary for the pronunciation of Om, which promotes the love of rigid virtue and a contempt of impermanent sensuality. Siva says "He who is free from lust, anger, covetousness and ignorance is qualified to obtain salvation, or moksha," or the Nirvana of the Buddhists. The solid residue of one seer of cow's milk is 1860.48 grains. "In 1784 a student of physic at Edinburgh confined himself for a long space of time to a pint of milk and half a pound of white bread."

The diet of this student contained 1487.5 grains of carbon and 80.1875 grains of nitrogen. This food required 4,305 grains of oxygen for the complete combustion of its elements. He inspired 2.92 grains of oxygen per minute. In this instance the intense mental culture diminished the quantity of oxygen inspired from the atmosphere. The early Christian hermits, with a view to extinguish carnal desire and overcome sleep, lived upon a daily allowance of 12 ounces of bread and water. They daily consumed 4063.084 grains of oxygen. They inhaled oxygen at the rate of 2.8215 grains per minute.

According to M. Andral, the great French physiologist, a French boy 10 years old, before the sexual appetite is developed, exhales 1852.8 grains of carbon in the twenty-four hours. He who wishes to curb his lust should consume 1852.8 grains of carbon in his daily diet.

Now, 6,500 grains of household bread contain 1852 grains of carbon, according to Dr. Edward Smith. This quantity of bread is equal to 14 ounces avoirdupois and 375 grains, but the early Christian hermits who lived upon 12 oz. of bread (avoirdupois) consumed daily 1496.25 grains of carbon. This quantity of carbon was less than that which the French boy consumed daily by 356.55 grains. The French boy consumed 1852.8 grains of carbon in his diet, but the Hindu female mendicant, who led a life of continence, consumed in her daily ration of potatoes 1587.6 grains of carbon. Hence it is evident that the French boy consumed 265.2 grains of carbon more than what was consumed by the female Hindu Yogi. There lived in Brindavana a Sannyasi, who died at the age of 109 years, and who subsisted for forty years upon the daily diet of four chuttacks of penda and four chuttacks of milk. His diet contained 1,980 grains of carbon and 90.72 grains of nitrogen. Abstemiousness shortens the length of respiration, diminishes the waste of the body, promotes longevity, and engenders purity of heart. Abstemiousness cures vertigo, cephalalgia, tendency to apoplexy, dyspnoea, gout, old ulcers, impetigo, scrofula, herpes, and various other maladies.

Cornaro, an Italian nobleman, who was given up by all his physicians, regained health by living upon 12 ounces of bread and 15 ounces of water, and lived to a great age.

He consumed less than an ounce of flesh-formers in his diet. According to Edward Smith 5401.2 grains of bread contain 1 ounce of flesh-formers.

He who wishes to lead a life of chastity, honesty, meekness, and mercy, should consume daily one ounce of flesh-formers in his diet. As an ounce of nitrogenous matter contains 70 grains of nitrogen, one should take such food as yields only 70 grains of azote.

Murder, theft, robbery, cruelty, covetousness, lust, slander, anger, voluptuousness, revenge, lying, prostitution, and envy are sins which arise from a consumption of a large quantity of aliments containing a higher percentage of azote.

He who intends to be free from every earthly thought, desire and passion should abstain from fish, flesh, woman, and wine, and live upon the most innocent food.

The following table shows approximately the quantities of various aliments furnishing 70 grains of nitrogen:

Wheat dried in vacuo ............ 3181.81 grains Oats ............................ 3181.81 " Barley .......................... 3465.34 " Indian corn ..................... 3500 " Rye dried ........................4117.64 " Rice dried .......................5036 " Milk dried .......................1750 " Peas dried .......................1666.6 " White haricots dried ..... .......1627.67 " Horse beans dried ................1272.72 " Cabbage dried ....................1891.89 " Carrots dried ....................2916.66 " Jerusalem artichokes .............4375 " Turnips dried ....................3181.81 " Bread ............................5401.2 " Locust beans .....................6110 " Figs .............................7172.13 " Cow's milk fresh .................1346.2 "

Abstemiousness begets suspension of breath. From the suspension of breath originates tranquillity of mind, which engenders supersensuous knowledge. From supersensuous knowledge originates ecstasy which is the Samadhi of the ancient Hindu sages.

Instead of walking and running, which lengthen the respiration, the devotees of Om should practice the two tranquil postures termed the padmasana and siddhasana, described in my mystic tract called "The Yoga Philosophy." According to Siva the normal length of expiration is 9 inches. He says that one can subdue his lust and desire by shortening his expiration to 8.25 inches, whether by the inaudible pronunciation of Om or by the suspension of breath (Pranayama); that one can enjoy ecstasy by diminishing the length of his expiration to 7.50 inches.

One acquires the power of writing poetry by reducing his expiration to 6.75 inches.

When one can reduce his expiration to 6 inches long he acquires the power of foretelling future events. When one reduces the length of his expiration to 5.25 inches he is blessed with the divine eye. He sees what is occurring in the distant worlds.

When the inaudible pronunciation of Om reduces the length of the expiration to 4.50 inches it enables its votary to travel to aerial regions. When the length of expiration becomes 3.75 inches, the votary of Om travels in the twinkling of an eye through the whole world.

When by the inaudible muttering of Om a man reduces his expiration to 3 inches, he acquires ashta Siddhis or consummations (or superhuman powers). When the expiration is reduced to 2.25 inches, the votary of Om can acquire the nine precious jewels of the world (Nava nidhi). Such a man can attract the wealth of the world to him.*

* Supposing he had any care or use for it--Ed. Theos. --------

When the expiration becomes 1.50 inches long from the above practice, he sees the celestial sphere where the Supreme Soul resides. When the inaudible pronunciation of Om reduces the length of expiration to .75 inch, the votary becomes deified and casts no shadow.

"Om Amitaya! measure not with words The immeasurable; nor sink the string of thought Into the Fathomless! Who asks doth err; Who answers errs. Say nought!"

"Om mani padma hum. Om the jewel in the lotus."

By the muttering of the above formula the Great Buddha freed himself from selfishness, false faith, doubt, hatred, lust, self-praise, error, pride, and attained to Nirvana.

"And how man hath no fate except past deeds, No Hell but what he makes, no Heaven too high For those to reach whose passions sleeps subdued."

According to Siva a man acquires Nirvana when his breathing becomes internal and does not come out of the nostrils. When the breathing becomes internal--that is, when it is contained within the nostrils, the Yogi is free from fainting, hunger, thirst, languor, disease and death. He becomes a divine being, he feels not when he is brought into contact with fire; no air can dry him, no water can putrefy him, no poisonous serpent can inflict a mortal wound. His body exhales fragrant odours, and can bear the abstinence from air, food, and drink.

When the breathing becomes internal, the Yogi is incapable of committing any sin in deed, thought, and speech, and thereby inherits the Kingdom of Heaven, which is open to sinless souls.

--N.C. Paul

Glossary

Ab-e-Hyat, Water of Life, supposed to give eternal youth. Abhava, negation or non-being of individual objects; the substance, the abstract objectivity. Adam Kadmon, the bi-sexual Sephira of the Kabalists. Adept, one who, through the development of his spirit, has attained to transcendental knowledge and powers. Adhibhautika, arising from external objects. Adhidaivika, arising from the gods, or accidents. Adhikamasansas, extra months. Adhishthanum, basis a principle in which some other principle inheres. Adhyatmika, arising out of the inner-self. Advaiti, a follower of the school of Philosophy established by Sankaracharya. Ahankara, personality; egoism; self identity; the fifth principle. Ahriman, the Evil Principle of the Universe; so called by the Zoroastrians. Ahum, the first three principles of septenary human constitution; the gross living body of man according to the Avesta. A'kasa, the subtle supersensuous matter which pervades all space. Amulam Mulam (lit. "the rootless root"); Prakriti; the material of the universe. Anahatachakram, the heart, the seat of life. A'nanda, bliss. A'nanda-maya-kosha, the blissful; the fifth sheath of the soul in the Vedantic system; the sixth principle. Anastasis, the continued existence of the soul. Anima Mundi, the soul of the world. Annamaya Kosha, the gross body; the first sheath of the divine monad (Vedantic). Antahkarana, the internal instrument, the soul, formed by the thinking principle and egoism. Anumiti, inference. Aparoksha, direct perception. Apavarya, emancipation from repeated births. Apporrheta, secret discourses in Egyptian and Grecian mysteries. Arahats (lit."the worthy ones"), the initiated holy men of the Buddhist and Jain faiths. Aranyakas, holy sages dwelling in forests. Ardhanariswara, (lit. "the bisexual Lord"); the unpolarized state of cosmic energy; the bi-sexual Sephira, Adam Kadmon. Arka, sun. Aryavarta, the ancient name of Northern India where the Brahmanical invaders first settled. A'sana, the third stage of Hatha Yoga; the posture for meditation. Asat, the unreal, Prakriti. A'shab and Laughan, ceremonies for casting out evil spirits, so called among the Kolarian tribes. Ashta Siddhis, the eight consummations of Hatha Yoga. Asoka (King), a celebrated conqueror, monarch of a large portion of India, who is called "the Constantine of Buddhism," temp. circa 250 B.C. Astral Light, subtle form of existence forming the basis of our material universe. Asuramaya, an Atlantean astronomer, well known in Sanskrit writings. Asuras, a class of elementals considered maleficent; demons. Aswini, the divine charioteers mystically they correspond to Hermes, who is looked upon as his equal. They represent the internal organ by which knowledge is conveyed from the soul to the body. Atharva Veda, one of the four most ancient and revered books of the ancient Brahmans. Atlantis, the continent that was submerged in the Southern and Pacific Oceans. Atmabodha (lit. "self-knowledge"), the title of a Vedantic treatise by Sankaracharya. Atman, &c Atma. A'tma, the spirit; the divine monad; the seventh principle of the septenary human constitution. A'ttavada, the sin of personality (Pali). Aum, the sacred syllable in Sanskrit representing the Trinity Avalokitesvara, manifested wisdom, or the Divine Spirit in man. Avasthas, states, conditions, positions. Avatar, the incarnation of an exalted being, so called among the Hindus. Avesta, the sacred books of the Zoroastrians. Avyakta, the unrevealed cause.

Baddha, bound or conditioned; the state of an ordinary human being who has not attained Nirvana. Bahihpragna, the present state of consciousness. Baodhas, consciousness; the fifth principle of man. Barhaspatyamanam, a method of calculating time prevalent during the later Hindu period in North-eastern India. Bhadrasena, a Buddhist king of Magadha. Bhagats (or called Sokha and Sivnath by the Hindus), one who exorcises an evil spirit. Bhagavad Gita (lit, the "Lord's Song"), an episode of the Maha-Bharata, the great epic poem of India. It contains a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna on Spiritual Philosophy. Bhao, ceremony of divination among the Kolarian tribes of Central India. Bhashya, commentary. Bhon, religion of the aborigines of Tibet. Bikshu, a religious mendicant and ascetic who suppresses all desire and is constantly occupied in devotion; a Buddhist monk. Boddhisatwas, Egos evolving towards Buddhahood. Brahma, the Hindu Deity which personifies the active cosmic energy. Brahmachari, a Bushman ascetic. Brahmagnani, one possessed of complete illumination. Brahman, the highest caste in India; Brahman, the absolute of the Vedantins. Brahmana period, one of the four periods into which the Vedic literature has been divided. Brihadranyaka Upanishad, one of the sacred books of the Brahmins; an Aranyaka is a treatise appended to the Vedas, and considered the subject of special study by those who have retired to the forest for purposes of religious meditation. Buddha, the founder of Buddhism; he was a royal prince, by name Siddhartha, son of Suddhodhana, king of the Sakyas, an Aryan tribe. Buddhi, the spiritual Ego. Buru Bonga, spirit of the hills worshiped by the Kolarian tribes of Central India.

Canarese, one of the Dravidian tongues, spoken in Southern India. Chandragupta, one of the kings of Magadha, an ancient province of India. Chandramanam, the method of calculating time by the movements of the moon. Charaka, the most celebrated writer on medicine among the Hindus. Chaturdasa Bhuvanam, the fourteen lokas or states. Chela, a pupil of an adept in occultism; a disciple. Chichakti, the power which generates thought. Chidagnikundum (lit. "the fireplace in the heart"), the seat of the force which extinguishes all individual desires. Chidakasam, the field of consciousness. Chinmatra, the germ of consciousness, abstract consciousness. Chit, the abstract consciousness. Chitta suddhi (Chitta, mind, and Suddi, purification), purification of the mind. Chutuktu, the five chief Lamas of Tibet.

Daemon, the incorruptible part of man; nous; rational soul. Daenam (lit. "knowledge"), the fourth principle in man, according to the Avesta. Daimonlouphote, spiritual illumination. Daityas, demons, Titans. Dama, restraint of the senses. Darasta, ceremonial magic practised among the Kolarian tribes of Central India. Darha, ancestral spirits of the Kolarian tribes of Central India. Deona or Mati, one who exercises evil spirits (Kolarian). Deva, God; beings of the subjective side of Nature. Devachan, a blissful condition in the after-life; heavenly existence. Devanagari, the current Sanskrit alphabet. Dharmasoka, one of the kings of Magadha. Dhatu, the seven principal substances of the human body --chyle, flesh, blood, fat, bones, marrow, semen. Dhyan, contemplation. There are six stages of Dhyan, varying in the degrees of abstraction of the Ego from sensuous life. Dhyan Chohans, Devas or Gods planetary spirits. Dik, space. Diksha, initiation. Dosha, fault. Dravidians, a group of tribes inhabiting Southern India. Dravya, substance. Dugpas, the "Red Caps," evil magicians, belonging to the left-hand path of occultism, so called in Tibet. Dukkhu, pain. Dwija Brahman, twice born; the investiture with the sacred thread constitutes the second birth.

Elementals, generic name for all subjective beings other than disembodied human creatures. Epopta, Greek for seer.

Fakir, a Mahomedan recluse or Yogi. Fan, Bar-nang, space, eternal law. Fohat, Tibetan for Sakti; cosmic force or energizing power of the universe. Fravashem, absolute spirit.

Gaudapada, a celebrated Brahmanical teacher, the author of commentaries on the Sankhya Karika, Mundukya Upanishad, &c. Gayatri, the holiest verse of the Vedas. Gehs, Parsi prayers. Gelugpas, "Yellow Caps," the true Magi and their school, so called in Tibet. Gnansaki, the power of true knowledge, one of the six forces. Gujarathi, the vernacular dialect of Gujrat, a province of Western India. Gunas, qualities, properties. Gunava, endowed with qualities. Guru, spiritual preceptor.

Ha, a magic syllable used in sacred formula; represents the power of Akasa Sakti. Hangsa, a mystic syllable standing for evolution, it literally means "I am he." Hatha Yog, a system of physical training to obtain psychic powers, the chief feature of this system being the regulation of breath. Hierophants, the High Priests. Hina-yana, lowest form of transmigration of the Buddhist. Hiong-Thsang, the celebrated chinese traveler whose writings contain the most interesting account of India of the period. Hwun, spirit; the seventh principle in man (Chinese).

Ikhir Bongo, spirit of the deep of the Kolarian tribes. Indriya, or Deha Sanyama, control over the senses. "Isis" ("Isis Unveiled"), book written by Madame Blavatsky on the Esoteric Doctrine. Iswara, Personal God, Lord, the Spirit in man, the Divine principle in its active nature or condition, one of the four states of Brahma. Itchasakti, will power; force of desire; one of the six forces of Nature. Itchcha, will. Ivabhavat, the one substance.

Jagrata, waking. Jagrata Avasta, the waking state; one of the four aspects of Pranava. Jains, a religious sect in India closely related to the Buddhists. Jambudvipa, one of the main divisions of the world, including India, according to the ancient Brahminical system. Janaka, King of Videha, a celebrated character in the Indian epic of Ramayana. He was a great royal sage. Janwas, gross form of matter. Japa, mystical practice of the Yogi, consisting of the repetition of certain formula. Jevishis, will; Karma Rupa; fourth principle. Jiva or Karana Sarira, the second principle of man; life. Jivatma, the human spirit, seventh principle in the Microcosm. Jnanam, knowledge. Jnanendrayas, the five channels of knowledge. Jyotisham Jyotih, the light of lights, the supreme spirit, so called in the Upanishads.

Kabala, ancient mystical Jewish books. Kaliyuga, the last of the four ages in which the evolutionary period of man is divided. It began 3,000 years B.C. Kalpa, the period of cosmic activity; a day of Brahma, 4,320 million years. Kama Loka, abode of desire, the first condition through which a human entity passes in its passage, after death, to Devachan. It corresponds to purgatory. Kama, lust, desire, volition; the Hindu Cupid. Kamarupa, the principle of desire in man; the fourth principle. Kapila, the founder of one of the six principal systems of Indian philosophy--viz., the Sankhya. Karans, great festival of the Kolarian tribes in honour of the sun spirit. Karana Sarira, the causal body; Avidya; ignorance; that which is the cause of the evolution of a human ego. Karma, the law of ethical causation; the effect of an act for the attainment of an object of personal desire, merit and demerit. Karman, action; attributes of Linga Sarira. Kartika, the Indian god of war, son or Siva and Parvati; he is also the personification of the power of the Logos. Kasi, another name for the sacred city of Benares. Keherpas, aerial form; third principle. Khanda period, a period of Vedic literature. Khi (lit, breath); the spiritual ego; the sixth principle in man (Chinese). Kiratarjuniya of Bkaravi, a Sanskrit epic, celebrating the encounters of Arjuna, one of this heroes of the Maha-bharata with the god Siva, disguised as a forester. Kols, one of the tribes in Central India. Kriyasakti, the power of thought; one of the six forces in Nature. Kshatriya, the second of the four castes into which the Hindu nation was originally divided. Kshetrajnesvara, embodied spirit, the conscious ego in its highest manifestation. Kshetram, the great abyss of the Kabbala; chaos; Yoni, Prakriti; space. Kumbhaka, retention of breath, regulated according to the system of Hatha Yoga. Kundalinisakti, the power of life; one of the six forces of Nature. Kwer Shans, Chinese for third principle; the astral body.

Lama-gylongs, pupils of Lamas. Lao-teze, a Chinese reformer.