Part Two

No man is free who is a slave to the flesh. -Lucius Annaeus Seneca

  It had beep almost three months since Colonel Bradford's return from India, and a great deal had happened in that time. I had immediately begun practicing the five rites, and was greatly pleased with the excellent results. The Colonel had been away tending to personal matters, so I had been out of contact with him for some time. When he finally phoned me up again, I eagerly told him all about my progress, and I assured him that I had already demonstrated to my complete satisfaction how very effective the rites can be.

  In fact, I had become so enthusiastic about the rites, I was eager to pass the information on to others who might also benefit. So I asked the Colonel if he would consider leading a class. He agreed that it was a good idea, and said that he would do it, but only on three conditions.

  The first condition was that the class must contain a cross section of men and women from all walks of life: professionals, blue collar workers, homemakers, and so on. The second condition was that no member of the class could be under 50 years of age, though they could be a hundred or more if I could find anyone that old willing to participate. The Colonel insisted on this, even though the five rites are equally beneficial to younger people. And the third condition was that the class be limited to fifteen members. This came as a considerable disappointment to me, because I had envisioned a much larger group. After trying without success to persuade the Colonel to change his mind, I agreed to all three conditions.

Before long, I had managed to assemble a group that met all of the requirements, and right from the beginning the class was a huge success. We met once a week, and as early as the second week I thought that I could see signs of improvement in several of its members. However, the Colonel had asked us not to discuss our progress with one another, and I had no way of knowing whether the others would agree. Then, at the end of the month my uncertainty was put to rest. We held a kind of testimonial meeting at which all of us were invited to share our results. Everyone present reported at least some improvement. Some had glowing accounts of progress, and a few of these could even be called remarkable. A man nearing 75 had made more gains than any of the others.

Weekly meetings of the "Himalaya Club," as we named it, continued. When the tenth week finally came, practically all of the members were performing all of the five rites 21 times a day. All claimed not only to be feeling better, they also believed that they were looking younger, and several even joked that they were no longer telling their real ages. This reminded me that when we had asked the Colonel his age some weeks back, he had said that he would hold that information until the end of the tenth week. Well, the time had arrived, but as yet the Colonel hadn't put in an appearance. Someone suggested that each of us guess the Colonel's age, and write it on a slip of paper. Then, when the truth was announced, we could see who came closest. We agreed to do this, and the slips of paper were being collected as Colonel Bradford walked in.

When we explained what we were up to. Colonel Bradford said. "Bring them here so I can see how well you've done. And then I'll tell you what my age really is." In an amused voice, the Colonel read each of the slips aloud. Everyone had guessed him to be in his forties, and most had guessed the early forties.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "thank you for your very generous compliments. And since you've been honest with me, I'll be the same with you. I shall be 73 years of age on my next birthday."

At first, everyone stared at him in disbelief. Was it really possible for a 73 year old man to look nearly half his age? Then, it occurred to them to ask, why had the Colonel achieved results so much more dramatic than their own?

"In the first place," the Colonel explained, "you have been doing this wonderful work for only ten weeks. When you have been at it two years, you will see a much more pronounced change. But there's more to it than just that. I haven't told you all that there is to know.

"I have given you five rites which are for the purpose of restoring youthful health and vitality. They will also help you regain a younger appearance. But if you really want to completely restore the health and appearance of youth, there is a sixth rite which you must practice. I've said nothing about it up until now, because it would have been useless to you without having first obtained good results from the other five."

  The Colonel warned them that in order to take advantage of this sixth rite, they would have to accept a very difficult self-restraint. He suggested that they take some time to consider whether they were willing to do this for the rest of their lives. And he invited those who wished to go on with rite number six to return the following week. After thinking it over, only five of the group came back, though the Colonel said this was a better showing than he had experienced with any of his classes in India.

When he had told them about this additional rite, the Colonel had made it clear that it would lift up the body's reproductive energy. This lifting up process would cause not only the mind to be renewed, but the entire body as well. But he warned that this would entail a restriction which most people were unwilling to accept. Now the Colonel continued with this explanation.

"In the average man or women, part-often a large part-of the vital life force that feeds the seven vortexes is channeled into reproductive energy. So much of it is dissipated in the first vortex that It never has a chance to reach the other six.

"In order to become a superman or superwoman, this powerful life force must be conserved and turned upward, so that it can be utilized by all of the vortexes, especially the seventh. In other words, it is necessary to become celibate so that reproductive energy can be re-channeled to a higher use.

"Now, turning vital life force upward is a very simple matter, and yet, through the centuries, man in attempting it usually fails. In the West, whole religious orders have tried this very thing and failed, because they sought to master reproductive energy by suppressing it. There is only one way to master this powerful urge. and that is not by dissipating or suppressing it, but by transmuting it-transmuting it, and at the same time lifting it upward. In this way, you have not only discovered the 'Elixir of Life,' as the ancients called it, you have also put it to use, which is something the ancients were seldom able to do.

  "Now, rite number six is the easiest thing in the world to perform. It should be practiced only when you feel an excess of sexual energy, and there is a natural desire for its expression. Fortunately, this rite is so simple that you can do it anywhere, at any time, whenever the urge is felt. Here's all you do:

"Stand straight up and slowly let all of the air out of your lungs. As you do this, bend over and put your hands on your knees. Force out the last trace of air, and then, with the lungs empty, return to a straight up posture. Place your hands on your hips, and press down on them. This will push your shoulders up. As you do this, pull in the abdomen as much as possible, and at the same time raise the chest.

"Now, hold this position as long as you possibly can. When you are finally forced to take air into your empty lungs, let the air flow in through the nose. When the lungs are full, exhale through the mouth. As you exhale, relax your arms, letting them hang naturally at your sides. Then take several deep breaths through the mouth or nose, allowing them to escape through either the mouth or nose. This constitutes one complete performance of rite number six. About three repetitions are required for most people to redirect sexual energy, and turn its powerful force upward.

"There is only one difference between a person who is healthy and vital, and one who is a superman or superwoman. The former channels vital life force into sexual energy, while the latter turns this force upward to create balance and harmony through all of the seven vortexes. That's why a superman or superwoman grows younger and younger day-by-day and moment-by-moment. He or she creates within themself the true 'Elixir of Life.'

"Now you can understand that the 'Fountain of Youth' was within me all the time. The five rites-or six to be more precise-were merely a key that unlocked the door. When I recall Ponce de Leon and his futile search for 'The Fountain of Youth,' I think what a pity it was that he journeyed so far in order to come up empty handed. He could have achieved his goal without ever leaving home. But like me, he believed that the 'Fountain of Youth' must be in some distant corner of the world. He never suspected that all the time it was right within himself.

"Please understand that in order to perform rite number six, it Is absolutely necessary that an individual have active sexual urge. He or she could not possibly transmute reproductive energy If there were little or nothing to transmute. It is absolutely impossible for a person who has lost sexual urge to perform this rite. He or she should not even attempt it, because it would only lead to discouragement, and more harm than good. Instead, such an individual, regardless of age, should first practice the other five rites until they regain a normal sexual urge. When this is achieved, he or she may then go into the business of being a superman or superwoman.

"Also, an individual should not attempt rite number six unless he or she is genuinely motivated to do so. If an individual feels incomplete in terms of sexual expression, and must struggle to overcome its attraction, then that individual is not truly capable of transmuting reproductive energy and directing it upward. Instead, energy will be misdirected into struggle and inner conflict. The sixth rite is only for those who feel sexually complete, and who have a real desire to move on to different goals.

  "For the great majority of people, a celibate life is simply not a feasible choice, and they should perform the first five rites only. However, in time the five rites may lead to a changing in priorities, and a genuine desire to become a superman or superwoman. At that time, the individual should make a firm decision to begin a new way of life. Such an individual must be ready to move forward without wavering or looking back. Those who are capable of this are on their way to becoming true masters, able to use vital life force to achieve anything they desire.

"I repeat, let no man or woman think of turning sexual currents upward until he or she is prepared to leave physical needs behind in exchange for the rewards of true mastership. Then. let that individual step forward, and success will crown his or her every effort."

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