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The Hindu Book of Astrology, by Bhakti Seva, [1902], at sacred-texts.com
The Hindu Yogi is a seer or sage who, by deep and long meditation, prayer, study of man and the universe, at last reaches illumination or wisdom, whereby he thoroughly understands the many perplexing problems of life and can solve them.
This planet leas now reached that stage of evolution where its highest order of inhabitants are beginning to awake to a realization of their wonderful greatness. The ignorance and darkness of the past ages is being dissipated by the Light of Truth —modern thought.
For thousands of years man has been ruled and governed by much false teaching. He has been
told that he is a miserable worm and been made a weakling and an arrant coward by the fear of punishment by a wrathful and angry God who ever sits in judgment on his every act. With such teachings and such a God he could make little progress, because fear is always weakening and never inspires hope or courage. The Yogis, who are the greatest lovers and worshippers of God in the world, say that the great Ruler of this universe is all mercy, all love, all helping and never punishes; that a man is all-powerful, all-forceful and not limited; that ALL are ONE. All that a man has got to do is to realize what a great and powerful being he is, and then the can accomplish anything he desires.
"What is that, knowing which, everything else is to be known?" This is the one theme that the Yogi dwells upon, and as thought can by persistent concentration solve the deepest problems, we eventually arrive at the truth of what the real man is, and his purpose here. We find that man's goal is knowledge, wisdom and freedom from all bondage; that he is an Eternal Soul with all possibilities; that he can control all the powers and forces in the universe for his own good; for health, for
wealth and happiness. To reach the highest degree of attainment or success he must stop thinking fear, doubt, disease, failure, disaster and that sort of thing. Man, therefore, according to our philosophy, is the greatest being that is in the universe, and this earth the best place, because here is the greatest chance, the only chance to become perfect. So we say always strive to improve your mind, your body, your material wealth and your environment—be cheerful and happy, and let God take care of the rest. When you can learn to think this way you will be the real God-man, and the apparent-man or shadow will vanish forever. You are then at one with the Great One, and all force and power is yours.
Countless angels, or spirits, are ever ready to help the real man—the brave, bold, true and courageous man—and do help him, in a way that it would be hard to explain in a book of this scope and to the ordinary mind. All humanity is being helped all the time by these Great Souls, who do not live in a gross body like ours. To get their best help one must be kind, gentle, calm and free from anger or hatred. That is the reason you will
always see that all great men and women have full and complete control of themselves and are invariably mild, kind and gentle people. You have no idea how much good you lose when you lose control of your temper or passion.
Look about you and on every hand you will observe that about all the men and women who reach great success have a partner—a wife or husband. God has always commanded man to marry and bring into the world children. In selecting a wife or husband be careful to take a person on the same social plane as yourself.
The Yogis have the very highest respect and the purest love for women. We know that woman is a finer organization than man, and in India, you never hear the Hindus of culture or refinement ever refer to woman as the "weaker vessel." Man to reach his highest development must look up to woman, the mother of creation, and love her with the highest and purest love, and respect her with the highest respect. No man can become great until
he has this respect for woman. Woman is the "finer vessel," and not the "weaker vessel."
In this wonderful and progressive age men and women are discovering that the study of occult science and metaphysics is of great advantage to them. The occult or secret powers and forces can only come to us by and through certain studies of this nature. The reading of books on astrology, mental science, mind reading, telepathy, etc., opens the mind to new and fresh thought which is very helpful and inspiring.
Prayers when uttered in the right spirit, and which are not made with mean or selfish motives, are always answered. If at any time you are in great distress of mind, are burdened with troubles which seem too great to overcome, if you will go off to some quiet place and open your heart and mind to God, asking for light, direction or relief, He will answer your prayer surely. Or maybe some of the Devas (angels) will hear your appeal
and come and soothe you and give you gentle thoughts which will help you. The prayer of the Yogi is always for Light, Direction and Love, and is answered.
The strong and great man is the calm, cool, collected man who holds his temper, who don't worry or hurry or get rattled, no matter whether things go against him or with him. He is a giant of patience, strength and force. Such a soul has strength and force to do things; to keep itself in the very middle of the current of success, health and happiness; by its magnificence and greatness it attracts all the good elements and forces of the universe to its aid; it aspires to be good and great and inspires all persons with love, admiration and confidence. And right here let me quote a great scientist who says: "If the blood is not right, the brain cannot be, for it can only be nourished by good blood. The chief enemies of the brain are Worry, which disorganizes the human machinery; Shock, which paralyzes the brain. Worry or excitement causes irregular nerve action. We call it confusion of ideas or nervosity. Worry is the worst disease of the age."
"In trouble to be troubled is to have your trouble doubled." The only way to overcome our troubles is to let them wear themselves out. If you will pay no attention to them they will soon go away. People worry and trouble much over troubles that do not come.
Our thoughts make us. Thinking trouble brings trouble. Thinking good brings good. We can make our life just what the mind thinks. Therefore, how important it is for all of us to think rightly.
We must first think wealth, and then use the mind to discover the true foundation of wealth. The mind in its search for the cause of wealth will soon discover that well-directed energy—work, is back of all wealth. But along with this energy we
must have faith, hope and courage. This is a busy world, and we are living in a wonderful age of big undertakings and great progress. At every hand is to be seen advancement, improvement, progress, growth and expansion. We are continually going forward, onward and upward. Nothing stands still! There is no backward movement! The world is better and busier to-day than it was yesterday, and will be better and busier to-morrow than it is to-day. It is the calm, honest, thorough, thoughtful and busy workers who make this condition of growth and progress; not the worrying, hurrying, fretful, gloomy, morbid, pessimistic minds who persist in looking at things through the wrong end of the telescope. No one will be successful or feel the glorious good times which are here to stay, unless he is hopeful and cheerful, and willing to play the part God has assigned to him.
And now, dear friends, I have tried hard in this book to inspire you with hope and courage, and I sincerely hope you will feel that we Yogis dearly love you and wish you peace, joy, prosperity and happiness, and in conclusion let me quote the saying of one of our brothers, who is a great Yogi—a great soul: "You are all God, O ye men and O ye animals, and living beings, ye are the manifestation of the One living God—the Blessed One—the
[paragraph continues] All in All, so how can you doubt your reaching perfection?"
May the peace and blessings of the Blessed One, and all the Devas (angels) and all the Yogis of the Universe be ever with you, my beloved sisters and brothers, is the prayer of
Bhakti Seva,
22 North William Street, New York City.