Favorite excerpts.
Quoting Besant and Leadbeater:
“When a sudden wave of some emotion sweeps over a man… This change is only temporary; it passes off in a few second, and the astral body rapidly resumes its usual condition. Yet every such rush of feelings produces a permanent effect: it always adds a little of its hue to the normal coloring of the astral body, so that every time the man yields himself to a certain emotion it becomes easier for him to yield himself to it again, because his astral body is getting into the habit of vibrating at that especial rate.”
… “Each man travels through space enclosed within a case of his own building, surrounded by a mass of the forms created by his habitual thoughts. Through this medium he looks out upon the world, and naturally he sees everything tinged with its predominant colors, and all rates of vibration which reach him from without are more or less modified by its rate. Thus, until the man learns complete control of thought and feelings, he sees nothing as it really is, since all his observations must be made through this medium, which distorts and colors everything like a badly made glass.” - Page 52
“Freud argued that there are three main types of dreams:
(1) fulfilment of a consciously recognized wish,
(2) undisguised fulfilment of a repressed wish, and
(3) disguised fulfillment of a suppressed wish.” – Page 76
“Seeking the Ox: Here, the man is fully identified with his lower self (animal and psychical man). But he has an inner feeling that there must be something more than everyday worldly affairs, and he has begun to ask of himself, “Who am I? What am I doing on this Earth? What is the purpose of life?” The search for the Ox (Higher Self) has begun.
Finding the Tracks: His questions on life’s meaning naturally lead him to the religious teachings. He becomes aware that others have trod this path before and have managed to attain Realization. Their teachings are the tracks which give definite evidence to that which he feels inwardly – that there is more.
…Catching the Ox: The man has now managed to see that he is not an identity with the lower self. He is able, at least briefly, to observe the body, emotions, and thoughts as distinct from the “he” who is doing the observing. From this moment on he sees the animal and psychical selves as the Ox. The senses are spoiled and emotions freely flow from elation to depression as quickly as different thoughts enter the mind. He must now train the body and the mind if he is to be free to move on to higher states.
Taming the Ox: Training the mind is most difficult. It helps to realize that even thoughts are just Energy, the same as is all else. But he must break his identification and emotional ties with them if he is to view them objectively. The important point here is that the lower self can be trained.
Riding the Ox Home: Once the lower self is brought under control, consciousness is centered in the Spiritual Self, and a state of profound tranquility exits. Always remembering that all is the same Energy, concepts such as gain and loss lose their significance. He is free of the constant demands of the senses, be they physical, emotional, or mental.
…Entering the Market Place with Helping Hands: He goes forth to spread the Truth. His life now serves as “footprints” for others who are seeking knowledge.” – Pages 108-117