Title: Studies in Occultism; A Series of Reprints from the Writings of H. P. Blavatsky - No. 1: Practical Occultism—Occultism versus the Occult - Arts—The Blessings of Publicity
Author: Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna), 1831-1891
Language: English
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STUDIES
IN
OCCULTISM

by

H.P. BLAVATSKY



STUDIES IN OCCULTISM


A Series of Reprints from the Writings

of

H.P. BLAVATSKY

NO. 1


PRACTICAL OCCULTISM

OCCULTISM VERSUS THE OCCULT ARTS

THE BLESSINGS OF PUBLICITY

POINT LOMA EDITION


The Aryan Theosophical Press
Point Loma, California
1910



See Book List at the end of this volume for the other numbers of this
Series and also for other Theosophical literature.



CONTENTS


                                      PAGE

Practical Occultism                      1
  From _Lucifer_, April, 1888

Occultism versus the Occult Arts        17
  From _Lucifer_, May, 1888

The Blessings of Publicity              42
  From _Lucifer_, August, 1891



Occultism is not magic, though magic is one of its tools.

Occultism is not the acquirement of powers, whether psychic or
intellectual, though both are its servants. Neither is occultism the
pursuit of happiness, as men understand the word; for the first step is
sacrifice, the second, renunciation.

Occultism is the science of life, the art of living.--_Lucifer_, Vol. I,
p. 7.



PRACTICAL OCCULTISM

IMPORTANT TO STUDENTS


As some of the letters in the Correspondence of this month show, there
are many people who are looking for practical instruction in Occultism.
It becomes necessary, therefore, to state once for all:--

(_a_) The essential difference between theoretical and practical
Occultism; or what is generally known as Theosophy on the one hand, and
Occult science on the other, and:--

(_b_) The nature of the difficulties involved in the study of the latter.

It is easy to become a Theosophist. Any person of average intellectual
capacities, and a leaning toward the metaphysical; of pure, unselfish
life, who finds more joy in helping his neighbor than in receiving help
himself; one who is ever ready to sacrifice his own pleasures for the
sake of other people; and who loves Truth, Goodness, and Wisdom for
their own sake, not for the benefit they may confer--is a Theosophist.

But it is quite another matter to put oneself upon the path which leads
to the knowledge of what is good to do, as to the right discrimination
of good from evil; a path which also leads a man to that power through
which he can do the good he desires, often without even apparently
lifting a finger.

Moreover, there is one important fact with which the student should be
made acquainted. Namely, the enormous, almost limitless responsibility
assumed by the teacher for the sake of the pupil. From the Gurus of the
East who teach openly or secretly, down to the few Kabalists in Western
lands who undertake to teach the rudiments of the Sacred Science to
their disciples--those western Hierophants being often themselves
ignorant of the danger they incur--one and all of these "Teachers" are
subject to the same inviolable law. From the moment they begin _really_
to teach, from the instant they confer _any_ power--whether psychic,
mental, or physical--on their pupils, they take upon themselves _all_
the sins of that pupil, in connexion with the Occult Sciences, whether
of omission or commission, until the moment when initiation makes the
pupil a Master and responsible in his turn. There is a weird and mystic
religious law, greatly reverenced and acted upon in the Greek,
half-forgotten in the Roman Catholic, and absolutely extinct in the
Protestant Church. It dates from the earliest days of Christianity and
has its basis in the law just stated, of which it was a symbol and an
expression. This is the dogma of the absolute sacredness of the relation
between the god-parents who stand sponsors for a child.[A]

These tacitly take upon themselves all the sins of the newly baptized
child--(anointed, as at the initiation, a mystery truly!)--until the day
when the child becomes a responsible unit, knowing good and evil. Thus
it is clear why the "Teachers" are so reticent, and why "Chelas" are
required to serve a seven years probation to prove their fitness, and
develop the qualities necessary to the security of both Master and
pupil.

Occultism is not magic. It is _comparatively_ easy to learn the trick of
spells and the methods of using the subtler, but still material, forces
of physical nature; the powers of the animal soul in man are soon
awakened; the forces which his love, his hate, his passion, can call
into operation, are readily developed. But this is Black
Magic--_Sorcery_. For it is the motive, _and the motive alone_, which
makes any exercise of power become black, malignant, or white,
beneficent Magic. It is impossible to employ _spiritual_ forces if there
is the slightest tinge of selfishness remaining in the operator. For,
unless the intention is entirely unalloyed, the spiritual will
transform itself into the psychic, act on the astral plane, and dire
results may be produced by it. The powers and forces of animal nature
can equally be used by the selfish and revengeful, as by the unselfish
and the all-forgiving; the powers and forces of spirit lend themselves
only to the perfectly pure in heart--and this is Divine Magic.

What are then the conditions required to become a student of the "Divina
Sapientia"? For let it be known that no such instruction can possibly be
given unless these certain conditions are complied with, and rigorously
carried out during the years of study. This is a _sine quâ non_. No man
can swim unless he enters deep water. No bird can fly unless its wings
are grown, and it has space before it and courage to trust itself to the
air. A man who will wield a two-edged sword, must be a thorough master
of the blunt weapon, if he would not injure himself--or what is
worse--others, at the first attempt.

To give an approximate idea of the conditions under which alone the
study of Divine Wisdom can be pursued with safety, that is without
danger that Divine will give place to Black Magic, a page is given from
the "private rules," with which every instructor in the East is
furnished. The few passages which follow are chosen from a great number
and explained in brackets.

       *       *       *       *       *

1. The place selected for receiving instruction must be a spot
calculated not to distract the mind, and filled with
"influence-evolving" (magnetic) objects. The five sacred colors gathered
in a circle must be there among other things. The place must be free
from any malignant influences hanging about in the air.

     [The place must be set apart, and used for no other purpose. The
     five "sacred colors" are the prismatic hues arranged in a certain
     way, as these colors are very magnetic. By "malignant influences"
     are meant any disturbances through strifes, quarrels, bad feelings,
     etc., as these are said to impress themselves immediately on the
     astral light, i.e., in the atmosphere of the place, and to hang
     "about in the air." This first condition seems easy enough to
     accomplish, yet--on further consideration, it is one of the most
     difficult ones to obtain.]

2. Before the disciple shall be permitted to study "face to face," he
has to acquire preliminary understanding in a select company of other
lay _upâsakas_ (disciples), the number of whom must be odd.

     ["Face to face" means in this instance a study independent or apart
     from others, when the disciple gets his instruction _face to face_
     either with himself (his higher, Divine Self) or--his guru. It is
     then only that each receives _his due_ of information, according to
     the use he has made of his knowledge. This can happen only toward
     the end of the cycle of instruction.]

3. Before thou (the teacher) shalt impart to thy Lanoo (disciple) the
good (holy) words of Lamrin, or shalt permit him "to make
ready" for _Dubjed_, thou shalt take care that his mind is thoroughly
purified and at peace with all, especially _with his other Selves_.
Otherwise the words of Wisdom and of the good Law, shall scatter and be
picked up by the winds.

     ["Lamrin" is a work of practical instructions, by Tson-kha-pa, in
     two portions, one for ecclesiastical and exoteric purposes, the
     other for esoteric use. "To make ready" for _Dubjed_, is to prepare
     the vessels used for seership, such as mirrors and crystals. The
     "other selves," refers to the fellow students. Unless the greatest
     harmony reigns among the learners, _no_ success is possible. It is
     the teacher who makes the selections according to the magnetic and
     electric natures of the students, bringing together and adjusting
     most carefully the positive and the negative elements.]

4. The _upâsakas_ while studying must take care to be united as the
fingers on one hand. Thou shalt impress upon their minds that whatever
hurts one should hurt the others, and if the rejoicing of one finds no
echo in the breasts of the others, then the required conditions are
absent, and it is useless to proceed.

     [This can hardly happen if the preliminary choice made was
     consistent with the magnetic requirements. It is known that Chelas
     otherwise promising and fit for the reception of truth, had to
     wait for years on account of their temper and the impossibility
     they felt to put themselves _in tune_ with their companions. For--]

5. The co-disciples must be tuned by the guru as the strings of a lute
(_vina_) each different from the others, yet each emitting sounds in
harmony with all. Collectively they must form a key-board answering in
all its parts to thy lightest touch (the touch of the Master). Thus
their minds shall open for the harmonies of Wisdom, to vibrate as
knowledge through each and all, resulting in effects pleasing to the
presiding gods (tutelary or patron-angels) and useful to the Lanoo. So
shall Wisdom be impressed forever on their hearts and the harmony of the
law shall never be broken.

6. Those who desire to acquire the knowledge leading to the _Siddhis_
(occult powers) have to renounce all the vanities of life and of the
world (here follows enumeration of the Siddhis).

7. None can feel the difference between himself and his
fellow-students, such as "I am the wisest," "I am more holy and pleasing
to the teacher, or in my community, than my brother," etc.,--and remain
an upâsaka. His thoughts must be predominantly fixed upon his heart,
chasing therefrom every hostile thought to any living being. It (the
heart) must be full of the feeling of its non-separateness from the rest
of beings as from all in Nature; otherwise no success can follow.

8. A _Lanoo_ (disciple) has to dread external living influence alone
(magnetic emanations from living creatures). For this reason while at
one with all, in his _inner nature_, he must take care to separate his
outer (external) body from every foreign influence: none must drink out
of, or eat in his cup but himself. He must avoid bodily contact (i.e.,
being touched or touch) with human, as with animal being.

     [No pet animals are permitted, and it is forbidden even to touch
     certain trees and plants. A disciple has to live, so to say, in his
     own atmosphere in order to individualize it for occult purposes.]

9. The mind must remain blunt to all but the universal truths in
nature, lest the "Doctrine of the Heart" should become only the
"Doctrine of the Eye," (i.e., empty exoteric ritualism).

10. No animal food of whatever kind, nothing that has life in it should
be taken by the disciple. No wine, no spirits, or opium should be used;
for these are like the _Lhama-yin_ (evil spirits), who fasten upon the
unwary, they devour the understanding.

     [Wine and spirits are supposed to contain and preserve the bad
     magnetism of all the men who helped in their fabrication; the meat
     of each animal, to preserve the psychic characteristics of its
     kind.]

11. Meditation, abstinence in all, the observation of moral duties,
gentle thoughts, good deeds and kind words, as good will to all and
entire oblivion of Self, are the most efficacious means of obtaining
knowledge and preparing for the reception of higher wisdom.

12. It is only by virtue of a strict observance of the foregoing rules
that a Lanoo can hope to acquire in good time the Siddhis of the
Arhats, the growth which makes him become gradually One with the
Universal ALL.

       *       *       *       *       *

These 12 extracts are taken from among some 73 rules, to enumerate which
would be useless as they would be meaningless in Europe. But even these
few are enough to show the immensity of the difficulties which beset the
path of the would-be "Upâsaka," who has been born and bred in Western
lands.[B]

All western, and especially English, education is instinct with the
principle of emulation and strife; each boy is urged to learn more
quickly, to outstrip his companions, and to surpass them in every
possible way. What is mis-called "friendly rivalry" is assiduously
cultivated, and the same spirit is fostered and strengthened in every
detail of life.

With such ideas "educated into" him from his childhood, how can a
Western bring himself to feel towards his co-students "as the fingers on
one hand"? Those co-students, too, are not of his _own selection_, or
chosen by himself from personal sympathy and appreciation. They are
chosen by his teacher on far other grounds, and he who would be a
student must _first_ be strong enough to kill out in his heart all
feelings of dislike and antipathy to others. How many Westerns are ready
even to attempt this in earnest?

And then the details of daily life, the command not to touch even the
hand of one's nearest and dearest. How contrary to Western notions of
affection and good feeling! How cold and hard it seems. Egotistical too,
people would say, to abstain from giving pleasure to others for the sake
of one's own development. Well, let those who think so defer till
another lifetime the attempt to enter the path in real earnest. But let
them not glory in their own fancied unselfishness. For, in reality, it
is only the seeming appearances which they allow to deceive them, the
conventional notions, based on emotionalism and gush, or so-called
courtesy, things of the unreal life, not the dictates of Truth.

But even putting aside these difficulties, which may be considered
"external," though their importance is none the less great, how are
students in the West to "attune themselves" to harmony as here required
of them? So strong has personality grown in Europe and America, that
there is no school of artists even whose members do not hate and are not
jealous of each other. "Professional" hatred and envy have become
proverbial; men seek each to benefit himself at all costs, and even the
so-called courtesies of life are but a hollow mask covering these demons
of hatred and jealousy.

In the East the spirit of "non-separateness" is inculcated as steadily
from childhood up, as in the West the spirit of rivalry. Personal
ambition, personal feelings and desires, are not encouraged to grow so
rampant there. When the soil is naturally good, it is cultivated in the
right way, and the child grows into a man in whom the habit of
subordination of one's lower to one's higher Self is strong and
powerful. In the West men think that their own likes and dislikes of
other men and things are guiding principles for them to act upon, even
when they do not make of them the law of their lives and seek to impose
them upon others.

Let those who complain that they have learned little in the Theosophical
Society lay to heart the words written in an article in the _Path_ for
last February:--"The key in each degree is the _aspirant himself_." It
is not "the fear of God" which is "the beginning of Wisdom," but the
knowledge of SELF which is WISDOM ITSELF.

How grand and true appears, thus, to the student of Occultism who has
commenced to realize some of the foregoing truths, the answer given by
the Delphic Oracle to all who came seeking after Occult Wisdom--words
repeated and enforced again and again by the wise Socrates:--MAN KNOW
THYSELF.

Chelaship has nothing _whatever_ to do with means of subsistence or
anything of the kind, for a man can isolate his mind entirely from his
body and its surroundings. Chelaship is a _state of mind_, rather than a
life according to hard and fast rules, on the physical plane. This
applies especially to the earlier, probationary period, while the rules
given in _Lucifer_ for April last pertain properly to a later stage,
that of actual occult training and the development of occult powers and
insight. These rules indicate, however, the mode of life which ought to
be followed by all aspirants _so far as practicable_, since it is the
most helpful to them in their aspirations.

It should never be forgotten that Occultism is concerned with the _inner
man_, who must be strengthened and freed from the dominion of the
physical body and its surroundings, which must become his servants.
Hence the _first_ and chief necessity of Chelaship is a spirit of
absolute unselfishness and devotion to Truth; then follow self-knowledge
and self-mastery. These are all-important; while outward observance of
fixed rules of life is a matter of secondary moment.--_Lucifer_: IV,
348, note.



OCCULTISM VERSUS THE OCCULT ARTS

    "I oft have heard, but ne'er believed till now,
    There are, who can by potent magic spells
    Bend to their crooked purpose Nature's laws."
                                        _Milton_


In this month's Correspondence several letters testify to the strong
impression produced on some minds by our last month's article "Practical
Occultism." Such letters go far to prove and strengthen two logical
conclusions:--

(_a_) There are more well-educated and thoughtful men who believe in the
existence of Occultism and Magic (the two differing vastly) than the
modern materialist dreams of; and:--

(_b_) That most of the believers (comprising many theosophists) have no
definite idea of the nature of Occultism and confuse it with the Occult
sciences in general, the "Black art" included.

Their representations of the powers it confers upon man, and of the
means to be used to acquire them are as varied as they are fanciful.
Some imagine that a master in the art, to show the way, is all that is
needed to become a Zanoni. Others, that one has but to cross the Canal
of Suez and go to India to bloom forth as a Roger Bacon or even a Count
St. Germain. Many take for their ideal Margrave with his ever-renewing
youth, and care little for the soul as the price paid for it. Not a few,
mistaking "Witch-of-Endorism" pure and simple, for Occultism--"through
the yawning Earth from Stygian gloom, call up the meager ghost to walks
of light," and want, on the strength of this feat, to be regarded as
full blown Adepts. "Ceremonial Magic" according to the rules mockingly
laid down by Éliphas Lévi, is another imagined _alter ego_ of the
philosophy of the Arhats of old. In short, the prisms through which
Occultism appears, to those innocent of the philosophy, are as
multicolored and varied as human fancy can make them.

Will these candidates to Wisdom and Power feel very indignant if told
the plain truth? It is not only useful, but it has now become
_necessary_ to disabuse most of them and before it is too late. This
truth may be said in a few words: There are not in the West half-a-dozen
among the fervent hundreds who call themselves "Occultists," who have
even an approximately correct idea of the nature of the Science they
seek to master. With a few exceptions, they are all on the highway to
Sorcery. Let them restore some order in the chaos that reigns in their
minds, before they protest against this statement. Let them first learn
the true relation in which the Occult Sciences stand to Occultism, and
the difference between the two, and then feel wrathful if they still
think themselves right. Meanwhile, let them learn that Occultism differs
from Magic and other secret Sciences as the glorious Sun does from a
rush-light, as the immutable and immortal Spirit of Man--the reflection
of the absolute, causeless, and unknowable all,--differs from the mortal
clay--the human body.

In our highly civilized West, where modern languages have been formed,
and words coined, in the wake of ideas and thoughts--as happened with
every tongue--the more the latter became materialized in the cold
atmosphere of Western selfishness and its incessant chase after the
goods of this world, the less was there any need felt for the production
of new terms to express that which was tacitly regarded as obsolete and
exploded "superstition." Such words could answer only to ideas which a
cultured man was scarcely supposed to harbor in his mind. "Magic," a
synonym for jugglery; "Sorcery," an equivalent for crass ignorance; and
"Occultism," the sorry relic of crack-brained, medieval
Fire-philosophers, of the Jacob Boehmes and the St. Martins, are
expressions believed more than amply sufficient to cover the whole field
of "thimble-rigging." They are terms of contempt, and used generally
only in reference to the dross and residues of the Dark Ages and its
preceding aeons of paganism. Therefore have we no terms in the English
tongue to define and shade the difference between such abnormal powers,
or the sciences that lead to the acquisition of them, with the nicety
possible in the Eastern languages--pre-eminently the Sanskrit. What do
the words "miracle" and "enchantment" (words identical in meaning after
all, as both express the idea of producing wonderful things by _breaking
the laws of nature_ [!!] as explained by the accepted authorities)
convey to the minds of those who hear, or who pronounce them? A
Christian--_breaking_ "of the laws of nature," notwithstanding--while
believing firmly in the _miracles_, because said to have been produced
by God through Moses, will either scout the enchantments performed by
Pharoah's magicians, or attribute them to the devil. It is the latter
whom our pious enemies connect with Occultism, while their impious foes,
the infidels, laugh at Moses, Magicians, and Occultists, and would
blush to give one serious thought to such "superstitions." This, because
there is no term in existence to show the difference; no words to
express the lights and shadows and draw the line of demarcation between
the sublime and the true, the absurd and the ridiculous. The latter are
the theological interpretations which teach the "breaking of the laws of
Nature" by man, God, or devil; the former--the _scientific_ "miracles"
and enchantments of Moses and the Magicians _in accordance with natural
laws_, both having been learned in all the Wisdom of the Sanctuaries,
which were the "Royal Societies" of those days--and in true OCCULTISM.
This last word is certainly misleading, translated as it stands from the
compound word _Guptâ-Vidyâ_, "Secret Knowledge." But the knowledge of
what? Some of the Sanskrit terms may help us.

There are four (out of the many other) names of the various kinds of
Esoteric Knowledge or Sciences given, even in the exoteric Purânas.
There is (1) _Yajña-Vidyâ_,[C] knowledge of the occult powers awakened
in Nature by the performance of certain religious ceremonies and rites.
(2) _Mahâ-Vidyâ_, the "great knowledge," the magic of the Kabalists and
of the _Tântrika_ worship, often Sorcery of the worst description. (3)
_Guhyâ-Vidyâ_, knowledge of the mystic powers residing in Sound (Ether),
hence in the _Mantras_ (chanted prayers or incantations) and depending
on the rhythm and melody used; in other words a magical performance
based on Knowledge of the Forces of Nature and their correlation; and
(4) Âtma-Vidyâ, a term which is translated simply "Knowledge of
the Soul," _true Wisdom_ by the Orientalists, but which means far more.

This last is the only kind of Occultism that any Theosophist who admires
_Light on the Path_, and who would be wise and unselfish, ought to
strive after. All the rest is some branch of the "Occult Sciences,"
i.e., arts based on the knowledge of the ultimate essence of all things
in the Kingdom of Nature--such as minerals, plants, and animals--hence
of things pertaining to the realm of _material_ Nature, however
invisible that essence may be, and howsoever much it has hitherto eluded
the grasp of Science. Alchemy, Astrology, Occult Physiology, Chiromancy
exist in Nature, and the _exact_ Sciences--perhaps so called because
they are found in this age of paradoxical philosophies the reverse--have
already discovered not a few of the secrets of the above _arts_. But
clairvoyance, symbolized in India as the "Eye of Siva," called in
Japan, "Infinite Vision," is _not_ Hypnotism, the illegitimate son of
Mesmerism, and is not to be acquired by such arts. All the others may be
mastered and results obtained, whether good, bad, or indifferent; but
_Âtma-Vidyâ_ sets small value on them. It includes them all, and may
even use them occasionally, but it does so after purifying them of their
dross, for beneficent purposes, and taking care to deprive them of every
element of selfish motive. Let us explain: Any man or woman can set
himself or herself to study one or all of the above specified "Occult
Arts" without any great previous preparation, and even without adopting
any too restraining mode of life. One could even dispense with any lofty
standard of morality. In the last case, of course, ten to one the
student would blossom into a very decent kind of sorcerer, and tumble
down headlong into black magic. But what can this matter? The _Voodoos_
and the _Dugpas_ eat, drink and are merry over hecatombs of victims of
their infernal arts. And so do the amiable gentlemen vivisectionists and
the _diploma-ed_ "Hypnotizers" of the Faculties of Medicine; the only
difference between the two classes being that the Voodoos and the Dugpas
are _conscious_, and the Charcot-Richet crew _unconscious_ Sorcerers.
Thus, since both have to reap the fruits of their labors and
achievements in the black art, the Western practitioners should not have
the punishment and reputation without the profits and enjoyments they
may get therefrom. For we say it again, _hypnotism_ and _vivisection_ as
practised in such schools, are _Sorcery_ pure and simple, _minus_ a
knowledge that the Voodoos and Dugpas enjoy, and which no Charcot-Richet
can procure for himself in fifty years of hard study and experimental
observation. Let then those who will dabble in magic, whether they
understand its nature or not, but who find the rules imposed upon
students too hard, and who, therefore, lay Âtma-Vidyâ or Occultism
aside--go without it. Let them become magicians by all means, even
though they do become _Voodoos_ and _Dugpas_ for the next ten
incarnations.

But the interest of our readers will probably center on those who are
invincibly attracted towards the "Occult," yet who neither realize the
true nature of what they aspire towards, nor have they become
passion-proof, far less truly unselfish.

How about these unfortunates, we shall be asked, who are thus rent in
twain by conflicting forces? For it has been said too often to need
repetition, and the fact itself is patent to any observer, that when
once the desire for Occultism has really awakened in a man's heart,
there remains for him no hope of peace, no place of rest and comfort in
all the world. He is driven out into the wild and desolate spaces of
life by an ever-gnawing unrest he cannot quell. His heart is too full of
passion and selfish desire to permit him to pass the Golden Gate; he
cannot find rest or peace in ordinary life. Must he then inevitably fall
into sorcery and black magic, and through many incarnations heap up for
himself a terrible Karma? Is there no other road for him?

Indeed there is, we answer. Let him aspire to no higher than he feels
able to accomplish. Let him not take a burden upon himself too heavy for
him to carry. Without ever becoming a "Mahâtmâ," a Buddha, or a Great
Saint, let him study the philosophy and the "Science of Soul," and he
can become one of the modest benefactors of humanity, without any
"superhuman" powers. _Siddhis_ (or the Arhat powers) are only for those
who are able to "lead the life," to comply with the terrible sacrifices
required for such a training, and to comply with them _to the very
letter_. Let them know at once and remember always, that _true Occultism
or Theosophy_ is the "Great Renunciation of SELF," unconditionally and
absolutely, in thought as in action. It is ALTRUISM, and it throws him
who practises it out of calculation of the ranks of the living
altogether. "Not for himself, but for the world, he lives," as soon as
he has pledged himself to the work. Much is forgiven during the first
years of probation. But, no sooner is he "accepted" than his
personality must disappear, and he has to become _a mere beneficent
force in Nature_. There are two poles for him after that, two paths, and
no midward place of rest. He has either to ascend laboriously, step by
step, often through numerous incarnations and _no Devachanic break_, the
golden ladder leading to Mahâtmâship (the _Arhat_ or _Bodhisattva_
condition), or--he will let himself slide down the ladder at the first
false step, and roll down into _Dugpa-ship_....

All this is either unknown or left out of sight altogether. Indeed, one
who is able to follow the silent evolution of the preliminary
aspirations of the candidates, often finds strange ideas quietly taking
possession of their minds. There are those whose reasoning powers have
been so distorted by foreign influences that they imagine that animal
passions can be so sublimated and elevated that their fury, force, and
fire can, so to speak, be turned inwards; that they can be stored and
shut up in one's breast, until their energy is, not expanded, but
turned toward higher and more holy purposes; namely, _until their
collective and unexpanded strength enables their possessor to enter the
true Sanctuary of the Soul_ and stand therein in the presence of the
_Master_--the Higher Self! For this purpose they will not
struggle with their passions nor slay them. They will simply, by a
strong effort of will put down the fierce flames and keep them at bay
within their natures, allowing the fire to smolder under a thin layer of
ashes. They submit joyfully to the torture of the Spartan boy who
allowed the fox to devour his entrails rather than part with it. Oh,
poor, blind visionaries!

As well hope that a band of drunken chimney-sweeps, hot and greasy from
their work, may be shut up in a Sanctuary hung with pure white linen,
and that instead of soiling and turning it by their presence into a heap
of dirty shreds, they will become masters in and of the sacred recess,
and finally emerge from it as immaculate as that recess. Why not imagine
that a dozen of skunks imprisoned in the pure atmosphere of a _Dgon-pa_
(a monastery) can issue out of it impregnated with all the perfumes of
the incenses used?... Strange aberration of the human mind. Can it be
so? Let us argue.

The "Master" in the Sanctuary of our souls is "the Higher Self"--the
divine spirit whose consciousness is based upon and derived solely (at
any rate during the mortal life of the man in whom it is captive) from
the Mind, which we have agreed to call the _Human Soul_ (the "Spiritual
Soul" being the vehicle of the Spirit). In its turn the former (the
_personal_ or human soul) is a compound in its highest form, of
spiritual aspirations, volitions and divine love; and in its lower
aspect, of animal desires and terrestrial passions imparted to it by its
associations with its vehicle, the seat of all these. It thus stands as
a link and a medium between the animal nature of man which its higher
reason seeks to subdue, and his divine spiritual nature to which it
gravitates, whenever it has the upper hand in its struggle with the
_inner animal_. The latter is the instinctual "animal Soul" and is the
hotbed of those passions, which, as just shown, are lulled instead of
being killed, and locked up in their breasts by some imprudent
enthusiasts. Do they still hope to turn thereby the muddy stream of the
animal sewer into the crystalline waters of life? And where, on what
neutral ground can they be imprisoned so as not to affect man? The
fierce passions of love and lust are still alive and they are allowed to
still remain in the place of their birth--_that same animal soul_; for
both the higher and the lower portions of the "Human Soul" or Mind
reject such inmates, though they cannot avoid being tainted with them as
neighbors. The "Higher Self" or Spirit is as unable to assimilate such
feelings as water to get mixed with oil or unclean liquid tallow. It is
thus the mind alone--the sole link and medium between the man of earth
and the Higher Self--that is the only sufferer, and which is in the
incessant danger of being dragged down by those passions that may be
reawakened at any moment, and perish in the abyss of matter. And how
can it ever attune itself to the divine harmony of the highest
Principle, when that harmony is destroyed by the mere presence, within
the Sanctuary in preparation, of such animal passions? How can harmony
prevail and conquer, when the soul is stained and distracted with the
turmoil of passions and the terrestrial desires of the bodily senses, or
even of the "Astral man"?

For this "Astral"--the shadowy "double" (in the animal as in man)--is
not the companion of the _divine Ego_ but of the _earthly body_. It is
the link between the personal Self, the lower consciousness of
_Manas_ and the Body, and is the vehicle of _transitory_, _not
of immortal life_. Like the shadow projected by man, it follows his
movements and impulses slavishly and mechanically, and leans therefore
to matter without ever ascending to Spirit. It is only when the power of
the passions is dead altogether, and when they have been crushed and
annihilated in the retort of an unflinching will; when not only all the
lusts and longings of the flesh are dead, but also the recognition of
the personal Self is killed out and the "astral" has been reduced in
consequence to a cipher, that the Union with the "Higher Self" can take
place. Then when the "astral" reflects only the conquered man, the still
living, but no more the longing, selfish personality, then the brilliant
_Augoeides_, the divine Self, can vibrate in conscious harmony
with both the poles of the human Entity--the man of matter purified, and
the ever pure Spiritual Soul--and stand in the presence of the
Master Self, the Christos of the mystic Gnostics, blended,
merged into, and one with IT for ever.[D]

How then can it be thought possible for a man to enter the "strait gate"
of occultism when his daily and hourly thoughts are bound up with
worldly things, desires of possession and power, with lust, ambition
and duties, which, however honorable, are still of the earth earthy?
Even the love for wife and family--the purest as the most unselfish of
human affections--is a barrier to _real_ occultism. For whether we take
as an example the holy love of a mother for her child, or that of a
husband for his wife, even in these feelings, when analysed to the very
bottom, and thoroughly sifted, there is still _selfishness_ in the
first, and an _égoisme à deux_ in the second instance. What mother would
not sacrifice without a moment's hesitation hundreds and thousands of
lives for that of the child of her heart? and what lover or true husband
would not break the happiness of every other man and woman around him to
satisfy the desire of one whom he loves? This is but natural, we shall
be told. Quite so; in the light of the code of human affections; less
so, in that of divine universal love. For, while the heart is full of
thoughts for a little group of _selves_, near and dear to us, how shall
the rest of mankind fare in our souls? What percentage of love and care
will there remain to bestow on the "great orphan"? And how shall the
"still small voice" make itself heard in a soul entirely occupied with
its own privileged tenants? What room is there left for the needs of
Humanity _en bloc_ to impress themselves upon, or even receive a speedy
response? And yet, he who would profit by the wisdom of the universal
mind, has to reach it through _the whole of Humanity_ without
distinction of race, complexion, religion or social status. It is
_altruism_, not _ego-ism_ even in its most legal and noble conception,
that can lead the unit to merge its little Self in the Universal Selves.
It is to _these_ needs and to this work that the true disciple of true
Occultism has to devote himself, if he would obtain _theo_-sophy, divine
Wisdom and Knowledge.

The aspirant has to choose absolutely between the life of the world and
the life of Occultism. It is useless and vain to endeavor to unite the
two, for no one can serve two masters and satisfy both. No one can serve
his body and the higher Soul, and do his family duty and his universal
duty, without depriving either one or the other of its rights; for he
will either lend his ear to the "still small voice" and fail to hear the
cries of his little ones, or, he will listen but to the wants of the
latter and remain deaf to the voice of Humanity. It would be a
ceaseless, a maddening struggle for almost any married man, who would
pursue true practical Occultism, instead of its _theoretical_
philosophy. For he would find himself ever hesitating between the voice
of the impersonal divine love of Humanity, and that of the personal,
terrestrial love. And this could only lead him to fail in one or the
other, or perhaps in both his duties. Worse than this; for, _whoever
indulges, after having pledged himself to_ OCCULTISM, _in the
gratification of a terrestrial love or lust_, must feel an almost
immediate result; that of being irresistibly dragged from the impersonal
divine state down to the lower plane of matter. Sensual, or even mental
self-gratification, involves the immediate loss of the powers of
spiritual discernment; the voice of the MASTER can no longer
be distinguished from that of one's passions or _even that of a Dugpa_;
the right from wrong; sound morality from mere casuistry. The Dead Sea
fruit assumes the most glorious mystic appearance, only to turn to ashes
on the lips, and to gall in the heart, resulting in:--

    Depth ever deepening, darkness darkening still;
    Folly for wisdom, guilt for innocence;
    Anguish for rapture, and for hope despair.

And once being mistaken and having acted on their mistakes, most men
shrink from realizing their error, and thus descend deeper and deeper
into the mire. And, although it is the intention that decides primarily
whether _white_ or _black_ magic is exercised, yet the results even of
involuntary, unconscious sorcery cannot fail to be productive of bad
Karma. Enough has been said to show that _sorcery is any kind of evil
influence exercised upon other persons, who suffer, or make other
persons suffer, in consequence_. Karma is a heavy stone splashed in the
quiet waters of Life; and it must produce ever widening circles of
ripples, carried wider and wider, almost _ad infinitum_. Such causes
produced have to call forth effects, and these are evidenced in the just
laws of Retribution.

Much of this may be avoided if people will only abstain from rushing
into practices neither the nature nor importance of which they
understand. No one is expected to carry a burden beyond his strength and
powers. There are "natural-born magicians"; Mystics and Occultists by
birth, and by right of direct inheritance from a series of incarnations
and aeons of suffering and failures. These are passion-proof, so to say.
No fires of earthly origin can fan into a flame any of their senses or
desires; no human voice can find response in their souls, except the
great cry of Humanity. These only may be certain of success. But they
can be met only far and wide, and they pass through the narrow gates of
Occultism because they carry no personal luggage of human transitory
sentiments along with them. They have got rid of the feeling of the
lower personality, paralysed thereby the "astral" animal, and the
golden, but narrow gate is thrown open before them. Not so with those
who have to carry yet for several incarnations the burden of sins
committed in previous lives, and even in their present existence. For
such, unless they proceed with great caution, the golden gate of Wisdom
may get transformed into the wide gate and the broad way "that leadeth
unto destruction," and therefore "many be they that enter in thereby."
This is the Gate of the Occult arts, practised for selfish motives and
in the absence of the restraining and beneficent influence of
Âtma-Vidyâ. We are in the Kali Yuga and its fatal influence is
a thousand-fold more powerful in the West than it is in the East; hence
the easy preys made by the Powers of the Age of Darkness in this cyclic
struggle, and the many delusions under which the world is now laboring.
One of these is the relative facility with which men fancy they can get
at the "Gate" and cross the threshold of Occultism without any great
sacrifice. It is the dream of most Theosophists, one inspired by desire
for Power and personal selfishness, and it is not such feelings that
can ever lead them to the coveted goal. For, as well said by one
believed to have sacrificed himself for Humanity--"Strait is the gate
and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life" eternal, and therefore
"few there be that find it." (_Matt._ vii, 14) So strait indeed, that at
the bare mention of some of the preliminary difficulties the affrighted
Western candidates turn back and retreat with a shudder....

Let them stop here and attempt no more in their great weakness. For if,
while turning their backs on the narrow gate, they are dragged by their
desire for the Occult one step in the direction of the broad and more
inviting gates of that golden mystery which glitters in the light of
illusion, woe to them! It can lead only to Dugpa-ship, and they will be
sure to find themselves very soon landed on that _Via Fatale_ of the
_Inferno_, over whose portal Dante read the words:--

    _Per me si va nella citta dolente_
    _Per me si va nell' eterno dolore_
    _Per me si va tra la perduta gente...._



THE BLESSINGS OF PUBLICITY


A well-known public lecturer, a distinguished Egyptologist, said, in one
of his lectures against the teachings of Theosophy, a few suggestive
words, which are now quoted and must be answered:--

     It is a delusion to suppose there is anything in the experience or
     wisdom of the past, the ascertained results of which can only be
     communicated from beneath the cloak and mask of mystery....
     Explanation is the Soul of Science. They will tell you _we cannot
     have their knowledge without living their life_.... Public
     experimental research, the printing press, and a free-thought
     platform, have abolished the need of mystery. It is no longer
     necessary for science to take the veil, as she was forced to do for
     security in times past....

This is a very mistaken view in one aspect. "Secrets of the purer and
profounder life" not only _may_ but _must_ be made universally known.
But _there are secrets that kill_ in the arcana of Occultism, and unless
a man _lives the life_ he cannot be entrusted with them.

The late Professor Faraday had very serious doubts whether it was quite
wise and reasonable to give out to the public at large certain
discoveries of modern science. Chemistry had led to the invention of too
terrible means of destruction in our century to allow it to fall into
the hands of the profane. What man of sense--in the face of such
fiendish applications of dynamite and other explosive substances as are
made by those incarnations of the Destroying Power, who glory in calling
themselves Anarchists and Socialists--would not agree with us in
saying:--Far better for mankind that it should never have blasted a rock
by modern perfected means, than that it should have shattered the limbs
of one per cent even of those who have been thus destroyed by the
pitiless hand of Russian Nihilists, Irish Fenians, and Anarchists. That
such discoveries, and chiefly their murderous application, ought to
have been withheld from public knowledge may be shown on the authority
of statistics and commissions appointed to investigate and record the
result of the evil done. The following information gathered from public
papers will give an insight into what may be in store for wretched
mankind.

England alone--the center of civilization--has 21,268 firms fabricating
and selling explosive substances.[E] But the centers of the dynamite
trade, of infernal machines, and other such results of modern
civilization, are chiefly at Philadelphia and New York. It is in the
former city of "Brotherly Love" that the now most famous manufacturer of
explosives flourishes. It is one of the well-known respectable
citizens--the inventor and manufacturer of the most murderous "dynamite
toys"--who, called before the Senate of the United States anxious to
adopt means for the repression of a _too free trade_ in such implements,
found an argument that ought to become immortalized for its cynical
sophistry--"My _machines_," that expert is reported to have said--"are
quite _harmless to look at_; as they may be manufactured in the shape of
oranges, hats, boats, and anything one likes.... Criminal is he who
murders people by means of such machines, not he who manufactures them.
The firm refuses to admit that were there no supply there would be no
incentive for demand on the market; but insists that every demand should
be satisfied by a supply ready at hand."

That "supply" is the fruit of civilization and of the publicity given to
the discovery of every murderous property in matter. What is it? As
found in the Report of the Commission appointed to investigate the
variety and character of the so-called "infernal machines," so far the
following implements of instantaneous human destruction are already on
hand. The most fashionable of all among the many varieties fabricated
by Mr. Holgate are the "Ticker," the "Eight Day Machine," the "Little
Exterminator," and the "Bottle Machines." The "Ticker" is in appearance
like a piece of lead, a foot long and four inches thick. It contains an
iron or steel tube full of a kind of gunpowder invented by Holgate
himself. That gunpowder, in appearance like any other common stuff of
that name, has, however, an explosive power two hundred times stronger
than common gunpowder; the "Ticker" containing thus a powder which
equals in force two hundred pounds of the common gunpowder. At one end
of the machine is fastened an invisible clock-work meant to regulate the
time of the explosion, which time may be fixed from one minute to
thirty-six hours. The spark is produced by means of a steel needle which
gives a spark at the touch-hole, and communicates thereby the fire to
the whole machine.

The "Eight Day Machine" is considered the most powerful, but at the same
time the most complicated, of all those invented. One must be familiar
with handling it before a full success can be secured. It is owing to
this difficulty that the terrible fate intended for London Bridge and
its neighborhood was turned aside by the instantaneous killing instead
of the two Fenian criminals. The size and appearance of that machine
changes, Proteus-like, according to the necessity of smuggling it in, in
one or another way, unperceived by the victims. It may be concealed in
bread, in a basket of oranges, in a liquid, and so on. The Commission of
Experts is said to have declared that its explosive power is such as to
reduce to atoms instantly the largest edifice in the world.

The "Little Exterminator" is an innocent-looking plain utensil having
the shape of a modest jug. It contains neither dynamite nor powder, but
secretes, nevertheless, a deadly gas, and has a hardly perceptible
clock-work attached to its edge, the needle of which points to the time
when that gas will effect its escape. In a shut-up room this new "vril"
of lethal kind will _smother to death, nearly instantaneously_, every
living being within a distance of a hundred feet radius of the murderous
jug. With these three "latest novelties" in the high season of Christian
civilization, the catalog of the dynamiters is closed; all the rest
belongs to the old "fashion" of the past years. It consists of hats,
_porte cigars_, bottles of ordinary kind, and even _ladies' smelling
bottles_, filled with dynamite, nitro-glycerin, etc., etc.--weapons,
some of which, following unconsciously Karmic law, killed many of the
dynamiters in the last Chicago _revolution_. Add to this the forthcoming
long-promised Keeley's vibratory force, capable of reducing in a few
seconds a dead bullock to a heap of ashes, and then ask yourself if the
_Inferno_ of Dante as a locality can ever rival earth in the production
of more hellish engines of destruction?

Thus, if purely material implements are capable of blowing up, from a
few corners, the greatest cities of the globe, provided the murderous
weapons are guided by expert hands--what terrible dangers might not
arise from magical _occult_ secrets being revealed, and allowed to fall
into the possession of ill-meaning persons! A thousand times more
dangerous and lethal are these, because neither the criminal hand, nor
the _immaterial_ invisible weapon used, can ever be detected.

The congenital _black_ magicians--those who, to an innate propensity
towards evil, unite highly-developed mediumistic natures--are but too
numerous in our age. It is nigh time then that the psychologists and
believers, at least, should cease advocating the beauties of publicity
and claiming knowledge of the secrets of nature for all. It is not in
our age of "suggestion" and "explosives" that Occultism can open wide
the doors of its laboratories except to those who _do_ live the life.

                                                            H.P.B.


FOOTNOTES:

[A] So holy is the connexion thus formed deemed in the Greek
Church, that a marriage between god-parents of the same child is
regarded as the worst kind of incest, is considered illegal, and is
dissolved by law; and this absolute prohibition extends even to the
children of one of the sponsors as regards those of the other.

[B] Be it remembered that _all_ "Chelas," even lay disciples,
are called Upâsaka until after their first initiation, when they become
Lanoo-Upâsaka. To that day, even those who belong to Lamaseries and are
_set apart_, are considered as "laymen."

[C] "The _Yajña_," say the Brâhmans, "exists from eternity, for
it proceeded forth from the Supreme One ... in whom it lay dormant from
'_no_ beginning.' It is the key to the Traividya, the thrice
sacred science contained in the Rig verses, which teaches the Yajus or
sacrificial mysteries. 'The Yajña' exists as an invisible thing at all
times; it is like the latent power of electricity in an electrifying
machine, requiring only the operation of a suitable apparatus in order
to be elicited. It is supposed to extend from the _Ahavaniya_ or
sacrificial fire to the heavens, forming a bridge or ladder by means of
which the sacrificer can communicate with the world of gods and spirits,
and even ascend when alive to their abodes."--Martin Haug's _Aitareya
Brâhmana_.

"This _Yajña_ is again one of the forms of the _Âkâsa_; and the
mystic word calling it into existence and pronounced mentally by the
initiated Priest is the Lost Word receiving impulse through WILL
POWER."--_Isis Unveiled_, Vol. I. Introduction. See _Aitareya
Brâhmana_, Haug.

[D] Those who would feel inclined to see three _Egos_ in one
man will show themselves unable to perceive the metaphysical meaning.
Man is a trinity composed of Body, Soul and Spirit; but _man_ is
nevertheless _one_ and is surely not his body. It is the latter which is
the property, the transitory clothing of the man. The three "Egos" are
MAN in his three aspects on the astral, intellectual or
psychic, and the Spiritual planes, or states.

[E] Nitro-glycerin has found its way even into medical
compounds. Physicians and druggists are vying with the Anarchists in
their endeavors to destroy the surplus of mankind. The famous chocolate
tablets against dyspepsia are said to contain nitro-glycerin! They may
save, but they can kill still more easily.



_There is No Religion Higher than Truth_

The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society

_Established for the benefit of the people of the earth & all creatures_

       *       *       *       *       *

OBJECTS

This BROTHERHOOD is part of a great and universal movement which has
been active in all ages.

This Organization declares that Brotherhood is a fact in Nature. Its
principal purpose is to teach Brotherhood, demonstrate that it is a fact
in nature and make it a living power in the life of humanity.

Its subsidiary purpose is to study ancient and modern religions,
science, philosophy and art; to investigate the laws of nature and the
divine powers in man.

       *       *       *       *       *

The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, founded by
H.P. Blavatsky at New York, 1875, continued after her death under the
leadership of the co-founder, William Q. Judge, and now under the
leadership of their successor, Katherine Tingley, has its Headquarters
at the International Theosophical Center, Point Loma, California.

This Organization is not in any way connected with nor does it endorse
any other societies using the name of Theosophy.

The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society welcomes to
membership all who truly love their fellow men and desire the
eradication of the evils caused by the barriers of race, creed, caste or
color, which have so long impeded human progress; to all sincere lovers
of truth and to all who aspire to higher and better things than the mere
pleasures and interests of a worldly life, and are prepared to do all in
their power to make Brotherhood a living energy in the life of humanity,
its various departments offer unlimited opportunities.

The whole work of the Organization is under the direction of the Leader
and Official Head, Katherine Tingley, as outlined in the Constitution.

       *       *       *       *       *

Do not fail to profit by the following:

     It is a regrettable fact that many people use the name of Theosophy
     and of our Organization for self-interest, as also that of H.P.
     Blavatsky, the Foundress, to attract attention to themselves and to
     gain public support. This they do in private and public speech and
     in publications, also by lecturing throughout the country. Without
     being in any way connected with the Universal Brotherhood and
     Theosophical Society, in many cases they permit it to be
     inferred that they are, thus misleading the public, and many honest
     inquirers are hence led away from the truths of Theosophy as
     presented by H.P. Blavatsky and her successors, William Q. Judge
     and Katherine Tingley, and practically exemplified in their
     Theosophical work for the uplifting of humanity.



The International Brotherhood League

Founded in 1897 by Katherine Tingley


ITS OBJECTS ARE:

1. To help men and women to realize the nobility of their calling and
their true position in life.

2. To educate children of all nations on the broadest lines of Universal
Brotherhood, and to prepare destitute and homeless children to become
workers for humanity.

3. To ameliorate the condition of unfortunate women, and assist them to
a higher life.

4. To assist those who are, or have been, in prisons, to establish
themselves in honorable positions in life.

5. To abolish capital punishment.

6. To bring about a better understanding between so-called savage and
civilized races, by promoting a closer and more sympathetic relationship
between them.

7. To relieve human suffering resulting from flood, famine, war, and
other calamities; and, generally, to extend aid, help and comfort to
suffering humanity throughout the world.

For further information regarding the above Notices, address

KATHERINE TINGLEY
International Theosophical Headquarters,
Point Loma, California

Books Recommended to Inquirers

For _complete_ Book List write to

The Theosophical Publishing Co., Point Loma, California

       *       *       *       *       *

Isis Unveiled (H.P. Blavatsky). 2 vols., royal 8vo, about
1400 pages; cloth; with portrait of the author. _Point Loma
Edition, with a preface._ Postpaid                               4.00

Key to Theosophy, The (H.P. Blavatsky). _Point Loma Edition,
with Glossary and exhaustive Index. Portraits of H.P.
Blavatsky and W.Q. Judge._ 8vo, cloth, 400 pages. Postpaid       2.25

     A clear exposition of Theosophy in form of question and
     answer. The book for Students.

Secret Doctrine, The (H.P. Blavatsky). The Synthesis of
Science, Religion, and Philosophy. New Point Loma Edition, 2
vols., royal 8vo, about 1500 pages; cloth. Postpaid             10.00

Voice of the Silence, The (For the daily use of disciples).
Translated and annotated by H.P. Blavatsky. Pocket size,
leather                                                           .75

Mysteries of the Heart Doctrine, The. Prepared by Katherine
Tingley and her pupils. Square 8vo, cloth                        2.00
Paper                                                            1.00

A Series of Eight Pamphlets, comprising different articles
in above, paper, each                                             .25

Life at Point Loma, The. Some notes by Katherine Tingley,
Leader and Official Head of the Universal Brotherhood and
Theosophical Society                                              .15

     Reprinted from the _Los Angeles Post_, Dec., 1902.

Katherine Tingley, Humanity's Friend; A Visit to Katherine
Tingley (by John Hubert Greusel); A Study of Râja Yoga at
Point Loma (Reprint from the San Francisco _Chronicle_,
January 6th, 1907).

The above three comprised in a pamphlet of 50 pages,
published by the Woman's Theosophical Propaganda League,
Point Loma                                                        .15

Light on the Path (M.C.), with comments, and a chapter on
Karma; leather .75 Embossed paper                                 .25

Bhagavad Gîtâ (W.Q. Judge, Amer. Edition) Pocket size,
morocco, gilt edges                                              1.00

     _The pearl of the Scriptures of the East._

Yoga Aphorisms (trans. by William Q. Judge). Pocket size,
leather                                                           .75

Echoes from the Orient (W.Q. Judge); cloth                        .50
Paper                                                             .25

     21 valued articles, giving a broad outline of the
     Theosophical doctrines, written for the
     newspaper-reading public.

Epitome of Theosophical Teachings, An (W.Q. Judge), 40 pages      .15

Concentration, Culture of. (W.Q. Judge)                           .15

Errors of Christian Science, Some of the. Criticism by H.P.
Blavatsky and William Q. Judge                                    .15

Hypnotism: Theosophical views on. (40 pp.)                        .15

Nightmare Tales. (H.P. Blavatsky). _Newly illustrated by R.
Machell._ A collection of the weirdest tales ever written
down. They contain paragraphs of the profoundest mystical
philosophy. Cloth                                                 .60
Paper                                                             .35



Theosophical Manuals

Elementary Handbooks for Students

Price, each, paper .25; cloth                                     .35

No.  1. Elementary Theosophy.
No.  2. The Seven Principles of Man.
No.  3. Karma.
No.  4. Reincarnation.
No.  5. Man After Death.
No.  6. Kâmaloka and Devachan.
No.  7. Teachers and Their Disciples.
No.  8. The Doctrine of Cycles.
No.  9. Psychism, Ghostology, and the Astral Plane.
No. 10. The Astral Light.
No. 11. Psychometry, Clairvoyance, and Thought-Transference.
No. 12. The Angel and the Demon. (2 vols., 35c. each)
No. 13. The Flame and the Clay.
No. 14. On God and Prayer.
No. 15. Theosophy: the Mother of Religions.
No. 16. From Crypt to Pronaos
    An Essay on the Rise and Fall of Dogma
No. 17. Earth
    Its Parentage; its Rounds and its Races
No. 18. Sons of the Firemist
    A Study of Man


The Path Series

_Specially adapted for inquirers in Theosophy._

ALREADY PUBLISHED

No. 1. The Purpose of the Universal Brotherhood and
Theosophical Society                                              .05

No. 2. Theosophy Generally Stated (W.Q. Judge)                    .05

No. 3. Mislaid Mysteries (H. Coryn, M.D.)                         .05

No. 4. Theosophy and its Counterfeits                             .05

No. 5. Some Perverted Presentations of Theosophy (H.T. Edge,
B.A.)                                                             .05

Thirty copies $1.00; 100 copies $3.00

       *       *       *       *       *


Occultism, Studies in (H.P. Blavatsky). Pocket size, 6
vols., cloth; per set                                            1.50

Vol. 1. Practical Occultism. Occultism _vs._ the Occult
Arts. The Blessing of Publicity                                   .35

Vol. 2. Hypnotism. Black Magic in Science. Signs of the
Times                                                             .35

Vol. 3. Psychic and Noetic Action                                 .35

Vol. 4. Kosmic Mind. Dual Aspect of Wisdom                        .35

Vol. 5. Esoteric Character of the Gospels                         .35

Vol. 6. Astral Bodies. Constitution of the Inner Man              .35


Lotus Group Literature

Lotus Library for Children

Introduced under the direction of Katherine Tingley

1. The Little Builders and their Voyage to Rangi. (R. N.)         .50

2. The Coming of the King (Machell); cloth, gilt edges            .35

Lotus Song Book. Fifty original songs with copyrighted music      .50

Lotus Song--"The Sun Temple"--_with music_                        .15

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Theosophical Periodicals

Century Path. Illustrated Weekly, Edited by Katherine Tingley

     A Magazine devoted to the Brotherhood of Humanity, the
     Promulgation of Theosophy and the Study of Ancient and
     Modern Ethics, Philosophy, Science and Art.

Year $ 4.00                                           Single copy .10

Write for a sample copy to
New Century Corporation
Point Loma, California, U.S.A.

Râja Yoga Messenger. _Illustrated._ Monthly.
Yearly subscription                                               .50

     Unsectarian publication for Young Folk, conducted by a
     staff of pupils of the Râja Yoga School at Lomaland.

     Address Master Albert G. Spalding, Business Manager
     Râja Yoga Messenger, Point Loma, California.

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International Theosophical Chronicle. _Illustrated._
Monthly. Yearly subscription, postpaid                           1.00

     The Theosophical Book Co., 18 Bartlett's Buildings,
     Holborn Circus, London, E.C.

Theosophia. _Illustrated._ Monthly. Yearly subscription,
postpaid                                                         1.50

     Universella Broderskapets Förlag, Box 265 Stockholm 1,
     Sweden.

Universale Bruderschaft. _Illustrated._ Monthly. Yearly
subscription, postpaid                                           1.50

     J. Th. Heller, Vestnertorgraben 13, Nürnberg, Germany.

Lotus-Knoppen. _Illustrated._ Monthly. Yearly subscription,
postpaid                                                          .75

     A. Goud, Steentilstraat 40, Groningen, Holland.

Subscriptions to the above four Magazines may be secured
also through the Theosophical Publishing Co., Point Loma,
California.

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Neither the editors of the those publications, nor the officers of the
Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, or of any of
its departments, receive salaries or other remuneration.

All profits arising from the business of The Theosophical Publishing Co.
are devoted to Humanitarian Work. All who assist in this work are
directly helping that cause.





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