The mind is _My_ instrument
and I am bringing it to a state of capacity for perfect work.

MANTRAM (OR AFFIRMATION).

There is but One Life--One Life Underlying. This Life is manifesting
through ME, and through every other shape, form, and thing. I am resting
on the bosom of the Great Ocean of Life, and it is supporting me, and
will carry me safely, though the waves rise and fall--though the storms
rage and the tempests roar. I am safe on the Ocean of Life, and rejoice
as I feel the sway of its motion. Nothing can harm me--though changes may
come and go, I am Safe. I am One with the All Life, and its Power,
Knowledge, and Peace are behind, underneath, and within Me. O! One Life!
express Thyself through me--carry me now on the crest of the wave, now
deep down in the trough of the ocean--supported always by Thee--all is
good to me, as I feel Thy life moving in and through me. I am Alive,
through thy life, and I open myself to thy full manifestation and inflow.

THE SIXTH LESSON.

CULTIVATION OF PERCEPTION.

Man gains his knowledge of the outside world through his senses. And,
consequently, many of us are in the habit of thinking of these senses as
if _they_ did the sensing, instead of being merely carriers of the
vibrations coming from the outside world, which are then presented to the
Mind for examination. We shall speak of this at greater length a little
later on in this lesson. Just now we wish to impress upon you the fact
that it is the Mind that perceives, not the senses. And, consequently, a
development of Perception is really a development of the Mind.

The Yogis put their students through a very arduous course of practice
and exercises designed to develop their powers of perception. To many
this would appear to be merely a development of the Senses, which might
appear odd in view of the fact that the Yogis are constantly preaching
the folly of being governed and ruled by the senses. But there is nothing
paradoxical about all this, for the Yogis, while preaching the folly of
sense life, and manifesting the teaching in their lives, nevertheless
believe in any and all exercises calculated to "sharpen" the Mind, and
develop it to a keen state and condition.

They see a great difference between having a sharpened perception, on the
one hand, and being a slave to the senses on the other. For instance,
what would be thought of a man who objected to acquiring a keen eyesight,
for fear it would lead him aw