New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-05

Adopts from which man desccnds being impaired
to him on his admission into the fraternity. ]
need not say that this resembles the method OF the
ancient mysteries and limitations OF classic times
and indeed the Indian teachers claim that the
Creek and Egyptian and other Western SCHOOLS OF
arcane lore were merely branches, more or less
degenerate. of their own"
The course OF preparation for Gnanam Is cai!ed
Yosam. Yogs are common all over India anu
are OF various degrees Of progress ana D'cK"d'''
ness Some cmaciate themselves and torture
their bodies others seek control only over their
minds. some retire into the iunGes and NOM
tains. others frcQuent the cities ana cNhioi'
themselves in the crowded fairs, others again carry
on the avocatlons Of lie with but HUE chahec
Of outward habit Some are humbuGs .ed on Oy
vanity or greed OF gain for TO give 10 hoIy man
il highly meritoriousj; others genuine students
or philosophers some are profoundly lhoueu WIN
the religious sense, others by mere d!staste 'or
the world The majority probably take 10 wan
dering life Of the body. some become wandering
- mind crcat many attain 10 phases of clairvoy-
ance and abnormal power OF some kind or other
ord worry few become Adopts of "a high order.
In concluding this chapter the author observes ::
"Perbaps have now ead enough to show-what.
of course, WAS sufficiently evident 10 me
that. however it may 10 disguised undcr
trivial or, in cases repclcnt Coverings there
IL some reality beneath all tAcse-some oody
of real experience. Of 10 little value ara I'M
portance. which Las been attained IN inula py
a portion. at any rate, OF those VINO ha'e
claimed il. and which has been handed down
now through vast number OF centuries
among the Hindoo peoples rs their most cherished
and precious possession" In tie chapters when
follow Mr.. Carpenter gives an interesting resume
of the Gnanams teaching upon what may more dis
,inctivcly he termed csoteric lore. Here. though
he does not refer TO the fact. the reader Ia
miliar with the religious mysticism of the Middle
Ages cannot but be struck with the frequent
and very striking analogies and rescmblances en-
countered In fact, the hegiology of Rome abounds
with pertinent illustrations of the mental states
which the Indian Guru who aspires 70 adept
ship has to pass through But at this stage
of Mr.. Carpenters inquiry lie is necessarily com
PEELED 20 throw himself upon the mercy or the
critics, inasmhch taHd this he fully zeal
izcs the phenomena TO which he invites at
tcntion are not to be considered proved by mere
statement
In fact, the whole Indian scheme Of psv
cholocy Involves complete y rupture with
Western ideas and modes OF Thought that 1t is
scarcely possible to find common standin. ground
Yet 10 deal with the questions here propoundcd
IN anything less thln Il thorough manner WOIIu
he mere waste Of time. Readers OF Mr.. Carpcn
ter will perceive that the Indian Gnanam,
whether right or wrong, certainly does not talk
nonsense but. on the contrary argues strongly
and highly. OF course the great difficulty lies in
accepting-nay, even in comprehending-his prem
ises Yet it may be that Western science and
dogmatism have not wholly lost the power of
realizing that the converse Of a good many mod
ern aXioms might By possibility be true: as, for
instance. that the mird is moro than the body
that it is the one thing in the universe of really
high importance: that it may I've thought capa-
bic of dominating and controlling the body.
Even the tentative effect Of representing such
potentialties would probably b. found useful
in bringing the philosophy of the Gnanam within
reach of the Western appreciation. In any case
the statement Of their venerable and widely held
views cannot but be interesting to all students
The questions moreover. are very ucidly stated.
and the general treatment of them is well
to arrest attention.