The Supreme Course of Yoga Philosophy

This book presents the highest teachings of yoga philosophy concerning the Absolute and Its manifestations, and all this is presented with such accessibility and clarity that one would only be amazed at the misunderstanding that these indisputable truths encounter in the minds of contemporary people. The author speaks of the One Reality that underlies all life. Yogis assert that this One Reality is beyond reason or matter and that the closest term to denote it would be Spirit, which they call the “Absolute.” Although the teachings of yogis shed bright light on the theory of evolution as understood in the West, the scientific worldview of the West still differs significantly in this respect from Eastern teachings. Mental influence, as taught by yogis, is almost overlooked by Western evolutionists, who tend to regard the mind as a “byproduct” of matter. Yogis, on the contrary, view matter as a product of the mind. Western scientists adhere to a mechanical theory of life. In their understanding, life operates without the need for prior existence of the mind, and they consider the mind to be a “product” of a certain stage of development.