We often experience that we know other people's condition, their feelings, their joy or sorrow, pleasure or displeasure, without their saying anything or making any sign. This is because, though it is not otherwise shown outwardly, it manifests in the breath. Sometimes if a very mirthful person comes among people who are all very sad, their mood changes. Sometimes if someone who is very gloomy comes into a gathering of people who are all very cheerful, without his saying anything, they all become sad. If someone laughs very much without any cause, other people want to laugh. If we see somebody yawn, even if we are not at all sleepy we want to yawn.

It is the breath that communicates this inclination to others. In the presence of a sage his influence is felt without his speaking. There are some sages who do not speak at all; their influence is felt. This is the influence of their breath. According as a person is more or less sensitive, he is affected by it. We know what the condition of our friend is even if he is in America. We feel his pleasure or displeasure, his faithfulness or unfaithfulness. You may say, "If this is so, why do we not know about everybody in America? Why do we not know about President Wilson?" In order to know our mind must be focused with the mind of President Wilson. It is focused with the mind of our friend, and we know about him, whether he be in America, or in China, or Japan.

You may say, "Why are we not all conscious by the breath?" There are two things that make a person less sensitive. One is the impurity of the breath, the physical impurity, and the impurity of mind. For this purification is needed, not merely the outward purification, but the purification of the veins and tubes, of the lungs and all the passages. The body becomes impure because of the artificial life that we lead. The animals lead a much more natural life than we, and they are much more sensitive. If we go near a horse or a cow, an ox, before we put our hand on it, it shivers all over. Such a thick skin as the horse's is so sensitive. For this reason the brahmans had in their houses the bare boards, no carpet. They did not fill up their houses with furniture. They ate on the floor, from leaves, and wore only one dhoti, one cloth. If we were to examine the carpet, perhaps the microbes of every disease in the world would be found in it. There are the mystical ways of purification, the purification of the earth, water, fire, air, and other.

Then the breath must be made vital. Sometimes the breath is not vital, it is weak, and for that reason it cannot be discerned. What must be done to make it vital? When we want to strengthen our muscles we exercise them. The breath must be exercised. The jelal breath has a connection with the sun. The jemal breath has its connection with the moon. The breath flows either through one nostril or the other, but there are times when it flows through both nostrils. This is kemal, the uniting of the two currents which brings about the destruction of the effect of both. There are ways of changing the breath from jelal to jemal, from jemal to jelal.

The mystic knows by the breath the success or failure of an undertaking, the illness or death of a person long before it takes place. There are people who, without any training, see sometimes a green color before them, sometimes another color: sometimes a square, a circle, or some form on the wall. Sometimes he sees a green color and a square. He goes out, meets a friend, and has success in what he is doing. But he does not know that what he has seen has any connection with it.

His friends say, "He is mad, he is quite crazy, he says he always sees a color." And because they always tell him he is mad, he thinks there must be something the matter and he really becomes crazy.

People speak of clairvoyance, clairaudience. Clairvoyance and clairaudience are nothing but these same things that manifest in the finer vibrations. But the pity is that both in the West, and in the East also, those who know least speak the most. Those who generally do not speak, their lips are closed, they never let it be supposed that they know. They are humble, meek. Without this humility, with a very little that we have learnt, what a conceit comes, what a pride. I say this to you because you are the students of mysticism. If you could learn this lesson of humility it would be a great thing.

I remember a great sage. Whenever I went to see him and I wanted to bow at his feet, before I could bow at his feet, he was bowing at mine.