Fourteen Lessons In Yogi Philosophy And Oriental Occultis — Yogi Ramacharaka

Man is a far more complex being than is generally imagined He has not only a body and a soul but he is a spirit possessing a soul which soul has several vehicles for expression these several vehicles being of different degrees of density the body being the lowest form of expression These different vehicles manifest upon different planes such as the physical plane the astral plane etc all of which will be explained as we proceed The real self is pure spirit a spark of the divine fire This spirit is encased within numerous sheaths which prevent its full expression As man advances in development his consciousness passes from the lower planes to the higher and he becomes more and more aware of his higher nature The spirit contains within it all potentialities and as man progresses he unfolds new powers new qualities into the light The Yogi philosophy teaches that man is composed of seven principles is a sevenfold creature The best way to think of man is to realize that the spirit is the real self and that the lower principles are but confining sheaths Man may manifest upon seven planes that is the highly developed man as the majority of men of this age can manifest only upon the lower planes the higher planes not having as yet been reached by them although every man no matter how undeveloped possesses the seven principles potentially The first five planes have been attained by many the sixth by a few the seventh by practically none of this race at this time