Evening star., 1909-06-20
VISITS OLD LONDON TOWN
Declares He Is More Than One Hun
dred, Looks About Forty.
EXAMINED BY LEARNED MEN
Discourses on Religion Of Vedanta
Attaches No Importance to
Food or Drink.
Special Cablegram to The Star.

| LONDON, June 1910 millions OF
people the claim that perfect self-control
| over mind and body can be acquired by
correct method of breathing will come
as a great surprise. The claim is put
forward by picturesque Hindu philoso-
pher, the Swami Abhadanada, who has
come to London to teach eastern secrets
of health and longevity to the. people of
the western world.
Robed in scarlet and sitting in an un-
pretentious and scantily furnished room
In Bond street. he received representa-
tives of the London Medical Society,
scientists and members Of the press, and
discoursed with them on the religion OF
Vedanta, which Prof. Max Mueller, the
philologist, once described as 1.-The most
sublime of all PHILOSOPHERS and the most
comforting Of all religions" There IS
nothing of the charlatan or hypnotist
about the Swami. He is a handsome
man, apparently about forty, though ne
claims to have passed the century mark
and to be well on in the second.
"Vedanta" the Swami said, us as old
as the world. and much older tnan the
western world. 1t dates back thousands
of centuries, and it is the greatest Won
der working system ever known to man
kind.
Mans Best Friend.
'It is mans best friend in time OF
distress; it is most comforting in sor-
row and it uplifts the soul above all the
trouble, anxiety and worry arising from
failure in business. No other rehgion
teaches SO perfect method OF gaining
self-control. peace and happiness"
The means Of realizing this blissful con-
t., olof I'd 70 ho QriQnf1fin
ing as taught by the Swami to the clients
of both sexes who flock to his classes
and enroll themselves as his stuoehts-
There is no charge for instructions. no
contributions asked or wanted and there
is nothing to sell-al Is free.
Some of the devotees at the rooms OF
the Vendanta Society asserted they had
reaped incalculable benefits from me
Swami's methods. He himself looks the
embodiment of all that he teaches ms
discinles. He told some astonishing
stories of a certain yogi in India. who IS
q disciple Of vendanta. One of his feats
is to fill his chest with air by scientific
breathing, till his body became IKE
driven over him, each containing nifty
nersons. The Swami explained that 1t
was concentration and will power that
enabled him to survive this test, anu =
was scientific breathing that impaired
the will power.
May Even Counteract uraVl'a'iou'
"By proper breathing exercises the
Swami explained, "a man may deVeiop
sufficient will power to counteract even
the forces of gravitation. For example
he could throw himself off chair oy
merely willing to do so. lie couio a'so
withdraw his subtle self, or "hal soiiie
call his astral self, from his body Whhe
reclining on a couch, and literally stano
aside and look at his body lying there.
To suspend the action of the heart ana
pulse for some seconds is one or the
simplest feats. I teach the fundamental
nrinciples of Christian Science, which
have been taught in India for ages. with
this difference, that scientific breathing
az OppoSed to mere faith, is the means
I employ. Self-cure Is easy by the re-
Iigion Of Vendanta which means ..ie
end ofwisdom' There is nothing tnat
nhysical societies have discovered which
cannot be accomplished by following my
method Of breathing. All the student mas
to do Is to practice half an hour tWce a
day and perfect health OF mind arnisas ana noog
mean that process by which control ot
tho motion of the lungs and nerve centeis
and command over vital energy can pe
obtained The yogi declares that the pIdc
tice of scientific breathing will bring what
ever result is desired, Wnether phs
psychical or spiritual
The Swami attached no great lmpor-
tance to diet in food or drink, while smok-
ing. he said, did not matter.
Examination by Learned Men.
subjecting himself to an examination OF
the scientists and physicians. Abhadanda
inhaled slowly for ones minute. then, hold
ing his breath for three and one-half
minutes, he began exhaling with the same
slow precision as practlced In the inhaia-
tion. His lungs were then without air
for nearly three minutes. This is his nor
NAL breathing. which, he says, mas peen
materially quickened by the excitement
here. The scientists marveled at the eA-
hibition and propose to further study the
Swami and make records of observations
10 aid in their study and discussion Inc
Swami declares quick breathing destroys
the cells Of the lungs and ruins the nerves:
.It is q mere habit" he declared, ana
can be overcome. Quick breathing does
not permit OF the absorption of the oxy-
gen and destroys the cellular formation.
The exhausting of the lungs and allowing
them to remain dormant gives rest ana
nermits Of the assimilation OF the oxygen
injected into them by proper breathing.
"The secret of life and health lies IN
correct breathing. There are thousands
of Hindus who are past the century mark
80 arn vet vOuthful and vigorous. 1t Is