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The Yoga Series
Lessons in Gnani Yoga: The Yoga of Wisdom
Originally published in 1906. From the title "This book gives the highest Yogi teachings regarding the Absolute and its manifestations."
The One - Omnipresent Life - The Creative Will - The Unity of Life - The One and the Many - Within the Mind of the One - Cosmic Evolution - The Ascent of Man - Metempsychosis - Spiritual Evolution - The Law of Karma - Occult Miscellany.
'Yogi Ramacharaka' is one of several pseudonyms of American-born author and attorney William Walker Atkinson (1862 -1932). Atkinson was an occultist and pioneer in the New Thought Movement. He authored more than 100 books in the last 30 years of his life under pseudonyms, with more than a dozen as Yogi Ramacharaka.
The One - Omnipresent Life - The Creative Will - The Unity of Life - The One and the Many - Within the Mind of the One - Cosmic Evolution - The Ascent of Man - Metempsychosis - Spiritual Evolution - The Law of Karma - Occult Miscellany.
'Yogi Ramacharaka' is one of several pseudonyms of American-born author and attorney William Walker Atkinson (1862 -1932). Atkinson was an occultist and pioneer in the New Thought Movement. He authored more than 100 books in the last 30 years of his life under pseudonyms, with more than a dozen as Yogi Ramacharaka.
302 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1906
42 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
William Walker Atkinson
2,488 books399 followersPseudonyms: Theron Q. Dumont, Yogi Ramacharaka, Swami Bhakta Vishita & Swami Panchadasi
William Walker Atkinson (December 5, 1862 – November 22, 1932) was an attorney, merchant, publisher, and author, as well as an occultist and an American pioneer of the New Thought movement. He is also known to have been the author of the pseudonymous works attributed to Theron Q. Dumont, Swami Panchadasi and Yogi Ramacharaka and others.
Due in part to Atkinson's intense personal secrecy and extensive use of pseudonyms, he is now largely forgotten, despite having obtained mention in past editions of Who's Who in America, Religious Leaders of America, and several similar publications—and having written more than 100 books in the last 30 years of his life. His works have remained in print more or less continuously since 1900.
William Walker Atkinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 5, 1862, to William and Emma Atkinson. He began his working life as a grocer at 15 years old, probably helping his father. He married Margret Foster Black of Beverly, New Jersey, in October 1889, and they had two children. The first probably died young. The second later married and had two daughters.
Atkinson pursued a business career from 1882 onwards and in 1894 he was admitted as an attorney to the Bar of Pennsylvania. While he gained much material success in his profession as a lawyer, the stress and over-strain eventually took its toll, and during this time he experienced a complete physical and mental breakdown, and financial disaster. He looked for healing and in the late 1880s he found it with New Thought, later attributing the restoration of his health, mental vigor and material prosperity to the application of the principles of New Thought.
Some time after his healing, Atkinson began to write articles on the truths he felt he had discovered, which were then known as Mental Science. In 1889, an article by him entitled "A Mental Science Catechism," appeared in Charles Fillmore's new periodical, Modern Thought.
By the early 1890s Chicago had become a major centre for New Thought, mainly through the work of Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Atkinson decided to move there. Once in the city, he became an active promoter of the movement as an editor and author. He was responsible for publishing the magazines Suggestion (1900–1901), New Thought (1901–1905) and Advanced Thought (1906–1916).
In 1900 Atkinson worked as an associate editor of Suggestion, a New Thought Journal, and wrote his probable first book, Thought-Force in Business and Everyday Life, being a series of lessons in personal magnetism, psychic influence, thought-force, concentration, will-power, and practical mental science.
He then met Sydney Flower, a well-known New Thought publisher and businessman, and teamed up with him. In December, 1901 he assumed editorship of Flower's popular New Thought magazine, a post which he held until 1905. During these years he built for himself an enduring place in the hearts of its readers. Article after article flowed from his pen. Meanwhile he also founded his own Psychic Club and the so-called "Atkinson School of Mental Science". Both were located in the same building as Flower's Psychic Research and New Thought Publishing Company.
Atkinson was a past president of the International New Thought Alliance.
Throughout his subsequent career, Atkinson wrote and published under his own name and many pseudonyms. It is not known whether he ever acknowledged authorship of these pseudonymous works, but all of the supposedly independent authors whose writings are now credited to Atkinson were linked to one another by virtue of the fact that their works were released by a series of publishing houses with shared addresses and they also wrote for a series of magazines with a shared roster of authors. Atkinson was the editor of a
William Walker Atkinson (December 5, 1862 – November 22, 1932) was an attorney, merchant, publisher, and author, as well as an occultist and an American pioneer of the New Thought movement. He is also known to have been the author of the pseudonymous works attributed to Theron Q. Dumont, Swami Panchadasi and Yogi Ramacharaka and others.
Due in part to Atkinson's intense personal secrecy and extensive use of pseudonyms, he is now largely forgotten, despite having obtained mention in past editions of Who's Who in America, Religious Leaders of America, and several similar publications—and having written more than 100 books in the last 30 years of his life. His works have remained in print more or less continuously since 1900.
William Walker Atkinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 5, 1862, to William and Emma Atkinson. He began his working life as a grocer at 15 years old, probably helping his father. He married Margret Foster Black of Beverly, New Jersey, in October 1889, and they had two children. The first probably died young. The second later married and had two daughters.
Atkinson pursued a business career from 1882 onwards and in 1894 he was admitted as an attorney to the Bar of Pennsylvania. While he gained much material success in his profession as a lawyer, the stress and over-strain eventually took its toll, and during this time he experienced a complete physical and mental breakdown, and financial disaster. He looked for healing and in the late 1880s he found it with New Thought, later attributing the restoration of his health, mental vigor and material prosperity to the application of the principles of New Thought.
Some time after his healing, Atkinson began to write articles on the truths he felt he had discovered, which were then known as Mental Science. In 1889, an article by him entitled "A Mental Science Catechism," appeared in Charles Fillmore's new periodical, Modern Thought.
By the early 1890s Chicago had become a major centre for New Thought, mainly through the work of Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Atkinson decided to move there. Once in the city, he became an active promoter of the movement as an editor and author. He was responsible for publishing the magazines Suggestion (1900–1901), New Thought (1901–1905) and Advanced Thought (1906–1916).
In 1900 Atkinson worked as an associate editor of Suggestion, a New Thought Journal, and wrote his probable first book, Thought-Force in Business and Everyday Life, being a series of lessons in personal magnetism, psychic influence, thought-force, concentration, will-power, and practical mental science.
He then met Sydney Flower, a well-known New Thought publisher and businessman, and teamed up with him. In December, 1901 he assumed editorship of Flower's popular New Thought magazine, a post which he held until 1905. During these years he built for himself an enduring place in the hearts of its readers. Article after article flowed from his pen. Meanwhile he also founded his own Psychic Club and the so-called "Atkinson School of Mental Science". Both were located in the same building as Flower's Psychic Research and New Thought Publishing Company.
Atkinson was a past president of the International New Thought Alliance.
Throughout his subsequent career, Atkinson wrote and published under his own name and many pseudonyms. It is not known whether he ever acknowledged authorship of these pseudonymous works, but all of the supposedly independent authors whose writings are now credited to Atkinson were linked to one another by virtue of the fact that their works were released by a series of publishing houses with shared addresses and they also wrote for a series of magazines with a shared roster of authors. Atkinson was the editor of a
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 5, 2012
You need to read 14 lesssons in Yoga first, and I suggest that you already have a background knowledge of yoga before reading this as it isn't light reading.
September 17, 2018
Excellent Book On Metaphysics That Explains The True Wisdom Of Yoga. This Is A Must Read For Those Interested In Esoteric And Occult Sciences. Yoga Is A Very Ancient Philosophy That Goes Beyond The Mere Physical Simulations That Are Now Being Practiced By The General Masses. It Is Not A Mere Exercise Routine But A Spiritual Methodology That Guides Us On The Path Of True Spiritual Knowledge And Wisdom. One Must Do Yoga In Its Complete Essence Then Only He Will Get The Real Benefits Of Physical, Mental, Emotional, And Spiritual Wellbeing. It Is The Way Of The Soul Journey Across Lifetimes In Its Quest For Consciousness Awakening! I Love Researching On These Kind Of Topics.
August 22, 2014
The first part of this book is fairly dense, philosophical reading, which actually made me believe that eating plants has as much karmic ramifications as eating meat (score one for the carnivores). Then the book degrades into a dated argument about how some people (mostly white people) are superior and these other groups (like the "digger Indians, which Wikipedia describes as the Maidu, a tribe from the Sierra Nevada) are less evolved. At that point I really just got annoyed with Atkinson, although I do realize that that was common thinking at the time. Perhaps 21st century people are more evolved than he was...
Unfortunately, I stepped on my Kindle so I can't quote some of the more outrageous passages.
Unfortunately, I stepped on my Kindle so I can't quote some of the more outrageous passages.
August 17, 2014
I liked this glimpse into early Western exploration of yoga's spiritual aspects. It was a bit repetitive and sometimes a cumbersome read, but much of that is attributable to the age of the writing. It is a worthwhile foundational read for devoted yogis or those in teacher training. We read and discussed it as part of Goodreads' Yoga Folks group which I help moderate. Join us if you're interested in exploring the intersection of your yogic and literary sides! In many ways it supports the idea of yoga's use as a spiritual tool within a variety of religious traditions.
May 30, 2013
For me, reading this book (my first by this author) was a mind-opening experience. It is rational, articulate, and positive. And I sort of like that it was written over a hundred years ago because I didn't get the impression that it was motivated by ego or monetary lust. Atkinson has a lot to say about life in his books and I find him as credible as any other source I have encountered (which is not to say I buy it all).
October 19, 2014
There are sections of this book that are quite outdated, but if you can sift through that stuff, the book contains some Truths that I have never seen anywhere else. There is a nice attempt to blend spirituality and science, but stick to the spiritual discussions and you'll find wisdom.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews