To be the ruler of things we have first to shut up all our senses, and turn the currents of thoughts inward, and see ourselves as the centre of the world, and meditate that we are the beings of highest intelligence; that Buddha never puts us at the mercy of natural forces; that the earth is in our possession; that everything on earth is to be made use of for our noble ends; that fire, water, air, grass, trees, rivers, hills, thunder, cloud, stars, the moon, the sun, are at our command; that we are the law-givers of the natural phenomena; that we are the makers of the phenomenal world; that it is we that appoint a mission through life, and determine the fate of man.

3.  The Next Step in the Mental Training.

In the next place we have to strive to be the master of our bodies.  With most of the unenlightened, body holds absolute control over Self.  Every order of the former has to be faithfully obeyed by the latter.  Even if Self revolts against the tyranny of body, it is easily trampled down under the brutal hoofs of bodily passion.  For example, Self wants to be temperate for the sake of health, and would fain pass by the resort for drinking, but body would force Self into it.  Self at times lays down a strict dietetic rule for himself, but body would threaten Self to act against both the letter and spirit of the rule.  Now Self aspires to get on a higher place among sages, but body pulls Self down to the pavement of masses.  Now Self proposes to give some money to the poor, but body closes the purse tightly.  Now Self admires divine beauty, but body compels him to prefer sensuality.  Again, Self likes spiritual liberty, but body confines him in its dungeons.

Therefore, to got Enlightened, we must establish the authority of Self over the whole body.  We must use our bodies as we use our clothes in order to accomplish our noble purposes.  Let us command body not to shudder under a cold shower-bath in inclement weather, not to be nervous from sleepless nights, not to be sick with any sort of food, not to groan under a surgeon’s knife, not to succumb even if we stand a whole day in the midsummer sun, not to break down under any form of disease, not to be excited in the thick of battlefield—­in brief, we have to control our body as we will.

Sit in a quiet place and meditate in imagination that body is no more bondage to you, that it is your machine for your work of life, that you are not flesh, that you are the governor of it, that you can use it at pleasure, and that it always obeys your order faithfully.  Imagine body as separated from you.  When it cries out, stop it instantly, as a mother does her baby.  When it disobeys you, correct it by discipline, as a master does his pupil.  When it is wanton, tame it down, as a horse-breaker does his wild horse.  When it is sick, prescribe to it, as a doctor does to his patient.  Imagine that you are not a bit injured, even if it streams blood; that you are entirely safe, even if it is drowned in water or burned by fire.