ACQUIRINGFIRST-HANDKNOWLEDGE 437
government are changing. Nations, as such, have had their
day and are unwittingly working toward Universal
Brotherhood in accordance with the design of our invisible
Leaders, who are none the less potent in shaping events
because they are not officially seated in the councils of
nations.
These are the slow means by which the different bodies
of humanity at large are being purified, but the aspirant to
the higher knowledge worksconsciously to attain to these
ends, by well-defined methods, according to his constitution.
WESTERN METHODS FOR WESTERN PEOPLEIn India, certain methods under different systems of
Yoga, are used. Yoga means Union and, as in the West, the
ob ject of the aspirant is union with the Higher Self; but to b e
efficacious, the methods of seeking that union must differ.
The vehicles of a Hindu are very differently constituted from
those of a Caucasian. The Hindus have lived for many,
many thousands of years in an environment and climate
totally different from ours. They have pursued a different
method of thought and their civilization, though of a very
high order, is different from ours in its effects. Therefore it
would be useless for us to adopt their methods, which are
the outcome of the highest occult knowledge and perfectly
suited to them, but as unsuitable for the people of the West
as a diet of oats would be for a lion.
For instance, in some s yst ems it is requ ir ed that the yogi
shall sit in certain positions, that particular cosmic currents
may flow through his body in a certain way to produce
certain definite results. That instruction would be altogether
useless for a Caucasian, as he is absolutely impervious to