In this beautiful and atmospheric book, Bô Yin Râ sets the tone for concepts he develops in all his future works. Rich in allegory, metaphor, and poetic language, The Book on the Royal Art invites readers to enter the path of the inner journey towards an awakening of their timeless, true self. The path is simple, straightforward, and quiet. At the core of Bô Yin Râ's teaching is the importance of cultivating an inner silence so that one's eternal self can slowly emerge. It is the work of a lifetime, and transcends death. Bô Yin Râ stresses that there is no need to look outside for masters, to renounce the world or engage in unusual practices: We can develop ourselves in our everyday, familiar surroundings. All experiences in life can be of use. Even the most painful grief and sufferings of life can be used to strengthen us and bring us into greater aliveness and joy. The royal art refers to the preparation received by the Luminaries, beings who live among us, almost always in obscurity, who act as mediators of eternal light. The Luminaries form a bridge helping us to receive, in a gradual and gentle way, spiritual light that would otherwise be too powerful to absorb. They function as inner protectors, buoying us up with strength and insights that speak to us in silence and from within. Bô Yin Râ disabuses us of the temptation to think of Luminaries as godlike, emphasizing that they are ordinary people who have been chosen, often to their horror, to bear the burdens and risks of their compassionate task. "Know that on your quest for light," Bô Yin Râ tells us, "your path will be protected by the spirit's luminaries..." The Book on the Royal Art is the first volume of the 32-volume cycle The Gated Garden, in which Bô Yin Râ further develops different aspects of the path towards consciousness of one's eternal self. Contents: PART ONE: The Light from Himavat and the Words of the MastersThe Luminary's Self-Disclosure to the Seeking Soul. The Harvest. The One whose Being is Infinity. Know Thyself. On the Masters of the Spirit's World. Pitfalls of Vanity. PART TWO: From the Lands of the LuminariesThe Threshold. The King's Question. The Pillar in the Mountains. The Night of Easter. Communion. PART THREE: The Will to JoyTo All who Strive Toward Timeless Light. The Teachings on Joy. Epilogue. The Kober Press publishes the only English translations of the books of Bô Yin Râ authorized by the Kober Verlag, Switzerland. The Kober Verlag publishes the books of Bô Yin Râ in the original German and has protected their integrity since the author's lifetime.