Page:Hatha yoga - or the yogi philosophy of physical well-being, with numberous excercises.djvu/223



students are, of course, more or less familiar with the fundamental scientific principles of astronomy. That is to say, they are aware that even in that infinitesimally small portion of the Universe of which we have any knowledge through the sense of sight, even when aided by the most powerful telescopes, there are millions of fixed stars—all of which are suns, equal in size to, and in some cases many times larger than the sun governing our particular planetary system. Each sun is a centre of energy for its planetary system. Our sun is the greater radiator of energy for our planetary system, which is composed of several planets known to science, and several still unknown to astronomers—our own planet, the Earth, being but one of a large family.

Our sun, like the other suns, is continually throwing off energy into space, which energy vitalizes its sur­rounding planets and makes life possible on them. Without the rays of the sun, life would be impossible on the earth—even the most simple forms of life known to us. We are all dependent upon the sun for vitality—vital force. This vital force or energy is of course that which the Yogis know as Prana. Prana is of course everywhere, yet certain centres are constantly being used to absorb and again send this energy—to keep up a perpetual current as it