s whom you have been thinking about as mere
dreamers, far removed from the practical. These men, and their students,
are intensely practical. They have gained the mastery of the Mind, and
its faculties, and are able to use them as sharp edged tools, while the
untrained man finds that he has but a dull, unsharpened blade that will
do nothing but hack and hew roughly, instead of being able to produce the
finished product.

The Yogi believes in giving the "I" good tools with which to work, and he
spends much time in tempering and sharpening these tools. Oh, no, the
Yogi are not idle dreamers. Their grasp of "practical things" would
surprise many a practical, matter-of-fact Western business man, if he
could but observe it.

And so, we ask you to practice "observing things." The two exercises we
have given are but indications of the general line. We could give you
thousands, but you can prepare them yourselves as well as could we.
The little Hindu boy is taught Attention by being asked to note and
remember the number, color, character and other details of a number of
colored stones, jewelry, etc., shown for an instant in an open palm,
the hand being closed the moment after. He is taught to note and
describe passing travelers, and their equipages--houses he sees on his
journeys--and thousands of other everyday objects. The results are almost
marvelous. In this way he is prepared as a _chela_ or student, and he
brings to his _guru_ or teacher a brain well developed--a mind thoroughly
trained to obey the Will of the "I"--and with faculties quickened to
perceive instantly that which others would fail to see in a fortnight. It
is true that he does not turn these faculties to "business" or other
so-called "practical" pursuits, but prefers to devote them to abstract
studies and pursuits outside of that which the Western man considers to
be the end and aim of life. But remember that the two civilizations are
quite different--following different ideals--having different economic
conditions--living in different worlds, as it were. But that is all a
matter of taste and ideals--the faculty for the "practical life" of the
West is possessed by the _chela_, if he saw fit to use it. But all Hindu
youths are not _chelas_, remember--nor are all Western youths "captains
of industry," or Edisons.

MANTRAM (AFFIRMATION).

I am using my Attention to develop my mental faculties, so as to give the
"I" a perfect instrument with which to work.