The Path, Vol. I.—1886-'7. - A magazine devoted to the brotherhood of humanity, theosophy - in america, and the study of occult science, philosophy,

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Title: The Path, Vol. I.—1886-'7. - A magazine devoted to the brotherhood of humanity, theosophy - in america, and the study of occult science, philosophy, - and aryan literature.
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Transcriber’s Notes

Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations
in hyphenation and ligatures have been standardised but all other
spelling and punctuation remains unchanged. In particular * are used
frequently throughout in various quantities and spacings. These have
been reproduced as nearly as possible.

Rythm is spelled thus throughout and has not been corrected

Italics are represented thus _italic_.

Footnotes are presented at the end of each volume.

[Illustration]

THE PATH.

A MAGAZINE DEVOTED

THE BROTHERHOOD OF HUMANITY, THEOSOPHY IN

AMERICA, AND THE STUDY OF OCCULT

SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY, AND

ARYAN LITERATURE.

VOL. I.—1886-’7.

PUBLISHED AND EDITED AT NEW YORK
BY WILLIAM Q. JUDGE.
1887.

THE PATH.

VOL. I, 1886-1887.

INDEX.

PAGE
A Year on the Path 353

Activities in Theosophy 30, 32, 62, 64, 95, 96, 127, 158,
191, 223
Animal Magnetism and Star Colors 129

Announcement 288

Apollonius and Mahatmas 197, 274

AUM 4

Biogen Series 124

Body, Polarity of 84

Boehme, Jacob, on Soul of Man 149

Buddha’s Religion, Nature and Office of 24

Caballah of Old Testament 8, 103, 134

Chela’s Diary, Hindu 65, 97, 131, 169

Christianity, What is True 355

Common Sense of Theosophy 225

Corner Stone, The 215

Correspondence 59, 93, 95, 124, 188, 320

Diary of Hindu Chela 65, 97, 131, 169

Effects of Thought 341

Elementals and Elementary Spirits 289, 321

Environment 346

Evolution of Individual and Reticence of Mahatmas 184

Evolution and Rotation 304

Gates of Gold, Through the 372

Heralds from the Unseen 361

Hermes Trismegistus 167

Hermetic Philosophy 87, 112, 281

Higher Life, Living the 114, 152

Hindu Chela’s Diary 65, 97, 131, 169

Hindu Symbolism 220, 251, 334, 371

Human Body, Polarity of 84

Individual Evolution 184, 304

Inworld and Outworld 56

Kaballah 8, 103, 134

Karma 175

Light on the Path 335

Lines from Lower Levels 263

Literary Notes 28, 55, 89, 92, 124, 156, 189, 222, 287, 319

Living the Higher Life 114, 152

Magic, Considerations on 377

Mahatmas and Apollonius 197, 274
„ Reticence of 184
„ Theosophical 257

Man, Soul of 149

Master, Teachings of, The 253, 278

Mohammedanism or Sufism 41, 68, 108, 139, 180, 199

Morals, Theosophic 161, 165

Musings on True Theosophist’s Path 155, 208, 339

Mystery of Numbers 37

Nature and Office of Buddha’s Religion 24

Numbers, Mystery of 37

Occultism, Poetical 211, 245, 270, 331, 383

Old Testament Caballah 8, 103, 134

Papyrus 359

Path, A Year on the 353
„ Light on the 335
„ The 188, 189

Plato 102

Poetry 56, 384

Poetical Occultism 211, 245, 270, 331, 383

Polarity of Human Body 84

Prophecy, Theosophical 27, 57

Reincarnation and Spirits 232, 320

Religion of Buddha 24

Reticence of Mahatmas 184

Reviews 28, 55, 89, 92, 124, 156, 189, 222, 287, 319

Rosicrucians, Society of 217

Rotation and Individual Evolution 304

Salutatory 1

Sanscrit Pronunciation 95

Seership 14

Singing Silences 144

Society of the Rosicrucians 217

Solitude, Thoughts in 308

Soul of Man 149

Spirits and Reincarnation, Theories About 232, 320

Studies in the Upanishads 33, 121

Sufism 41, 68, 108, 139, 180, 199

Symbolism, Hindu 220, 251, 334, 370
„ Theosophical 51

Tea Table Talk 284, 314, 348, 380

Teachings of The Master 253, 278

Theories About Reincarnation and Spirits 232, 320

Theosophic Morals 161, 165

Theosophical Activities 30, 32, 62, 64, 95, 96, 127, 158,
191, 222, 317
Theosophical Mahatmas 257

Theosophical Society, What is the 193, 300

Theosophical Symbolism 51

Theosophist’s Path, Musings on the True 155, 208, 339

Theosophy, Common Sense of 225

Thought Effects 341

Thoughts in Solitude 308, 367

Through the Gates of Gold 372

True Christianity, What is 355

Udgitha, What is the 61

Universal Unity 384

Unwritten Message Becomes Visible 93

Upanishads, Studies in the 33, 121

What is the Theosophical Society? 193, 300

What is True Christianity? 355

AUM

Unveil, O Thou who givest sustenance to the world, that face of the
true sun, which is now hidden by a vase of golden light! so that we
may see the truth, and know our whole duty.

In him who knows that all spiritual beings are the same in kind
with the Supreme Spirit, what room can there be for delusion of
mind, and what room for sorrow, when he reflects on the identity of
spirit.—_Yajur Veda._

THE PATH.

VOL. I. APRIL, 1886. NO. 1.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor
will be accountable.

This magazine is not intended either to replace or to rival in America
_The Theosophist_, nor any other journal now published in the interest
of Theosophy.

Whether we are right in starting it the future alone will determine. To
us it appears that there is a field and a need for it in this country.
No cultivating of this field is necessary, for it is already ripe.

_The Theosophist_ is the organ of the Theosophical Society, now
spread all over the civilized world, its readers and subscribers are
everywhere, and yet there are many persons who will not subscribe for
it although they are aware of its existence; and furthermore, being an
Indian publication, it necessarily follows, because of certain peculiar
circumstances, that it cannot be brought to the attention of a large
class of persons whom this journal will endeavor to reach.

But while the founders of THE PATH are Theosophists, they do not speak
authoritatively for the Theosophical Society. It is true that had they
never heard of Theosophy, or were they not members of the Society, they
would not have thought of bringing out this magazine, the impulse for
which arose directly from Theosophical teachings and literature.

It is because they are men, and therefore interested in anything
concerning the human race, that they have resolved to try on the one
hand to point out to their fellows a Path in which they have found hope
for man, and on the other to investigate all systems of ethics and
philosophy claiming to lead directly to such a path, regardless of the
possibility that the highway may, after all, be in another direction
from the one in which they are looking. From their present standpoint
it appears to them that the true path lies in the way pointed out by
our Aryan forefathers, philosophers and sages, whose light is still
shining brightly, albeit that this is now Kali Yuga, or the age of
darkness.

The solution of the problem, “What and Where is the Path to Happiness,”
has been discovered by those of old time. They thought it was in the
pursuit of Raja Yoga, which is the highest science and the highest
religion—a union of both. In elaborating this, they wrote much more
than we can hope to master in the lifetime of this journal, and they
have had many kinds of followers, many devotees, who, while earnestly
desiring to arrive at truth, have erred in favor of the letter of the
teachings. Such are some of the mendicants of Hindoostan who insist
upon the verbal repetition of OM for thousands of times, or upon the
practice of postures and breathing alone, forgetting that over all
stands the real man, at once the spectator of and sufferer by these
mistakes. _This is not the path._

At the same time we do not intend to slight the results arrived at by
others who lived within our own era. They shall receive attention,
for it may be that the mind of the race has changed so as to make it
necessary now to present truths in a garb which in former times was of
no utility. Whatever the outer veil, the truth remains ever the same.

The study of what is now called “practical occultism” has some interest
for us, and will receive the attention it may merit, but is not _the_
object of this journal. We regard it as incidental to the journey
along the path. The traveller, in going from one city to another, has,
perhaps, to cross several rivers; may be his conveyance fails him and
he is obliged to swim, or he must, in order to pass a great mountain,
know engineering in order to tunnel through it, or is compelled to
exercise the art of locating his exact position by observation of the
sun; but all that is only incidental to his main object of reaching
his destination. We admit the existence of hidden, powerful forces in
nature, and believe that every day greater progress is made toward an
understanding of them. Astral body formation, clairvoyance, looking
into the astral light, and controlling elementals, is all possible, but
not all profitable. The electrical current, which when resisted in the
carbon, produces intense light, may be brought into existence by any
ignoramus, who has the key to the engine room and can turn the crank
that starts the dynamo, but is unable to prevent his fellow man or
himself from being instantly killed, should that current accidentally
be diverted through his body. The control of these hidden forces is not
easily obtained, nor can phenomena be produced without danger, and in
our view the attainment of true wisdom is not by means of phenomena,
but through the development which begins within. Besides that, mankind
in the mass are not able to reach to phenomena, while every one can
understand right thought, right speech, and right action.

True occultism is clearly set forth in the _Bhagavat-Gita_, and _Light
on the Path_, where sufficient stress is laid upon practical occultism,
but after all, Krishna says, the kingly science and the kingly mystery
is devotion to and study of the light which comes from within. The very
first step in true mysticism and true occultism is to try to apprehend
the meaning of Universal Brotherhood, without which the very highest
progress in the practice of magic turns to ashes in the mouth.

We appeal, therefore, to all who wish to raise themselves and
their fellow creatures—man and beast—out of the thoughtless jog
trot of selfish every-day life. It is not thought that Utopia can
be established in a day; but through the spreading of the idea of
Universal Brotherhood, the truth in all things may be discovered.
Certainly, if we all say that it is useless, that such highly strung,
sentimental notions cannot obtain currency, nothing will ever be done.
A beginning must be made, and has been by the Theosophical Society.
Although philanthropic institutions and schemes are constantly being
brought forward by good and noble men and women, vice, selfishness,
brutality and the resulting misery, seem to grow no less. Riches are
accumulating in the hands of the few, while the poor are ground harder
every day as they increase in number. Prisons, asylums for the outcast
and the magdalen, can be filled much faster than it is possible to
erect them. All this points unerringly to the existence of a vital
error somewhere. It shows that merely healing the outside by hanging a
murderer or providing asylums and prisons, will never reduce the number
of criminals nor the hordes of children born and growing up in hot-beds
of vice. What is wanted is true knowledge of the spiritual condition of
man, his aim and destiny. This is offered to a reasonable certainty in
the Aryan literature, and those who must begin the reform, are those
who are so fortunate as to be placed in the world where they can see
and think out the problems all are endeavoring to solve, even if they
know that the great day may not come until after their death. Such a
study leads us to accept the utterance of Prajapati to his sons: “Be
restrained, be liberal, be merciful;” it is the death of selfishness.

AUM!

The most sacred mystic syllable of the Vedas, is Aum. It is the first
letter of the Sanscrit alphabet, and by some it is thought to be the
sound made by a new born child when the breath is first drawn into the
lungs. The daily prayers of the Hindu Brahmin are begun and ended with
it, and the ancient sacred books say that with that syllable the gods
themselves address the most Holy One.

In the Chandogya Upanishad its praises are sung in these words:[1]

Let a man meditate on the syllable OM called the udgitha,[2] * * it is
the best of all essences, the highest, deserving the highest place,
the eighth.

It is then commanded to meditate on this syllable as the breath, of two
kinds, in the body—the vital breath and the mere breath in the mouth
or lungs, for by this meditation come knowledge and proper performance
of sacrifice. In verse 10 is found: “Now, therefore, it would seem to
follow that both he who knows the true meaning of OM, and he who does
not, perform the same sacrifice. But this is not so, for knowledge
and ignorance are different. The sacrifice which a man performs with
knowledge, faith and the Upanishad is more powerful.”

Outwardly the same sacrifice is performed by both, but that performed
by him who has knowledge, and has meditated on the secret meaning of
OM partakes of the qualities inhering in OM, which need just that
knowledge and faith as the medium through which they may become visible
and active. If a jeweler and a mere ploughman sell a precious stone,
the knowledge of the former bears better fruit than the ignorance of
the latter.

Shankaracharya in his _Sharir Bhashya_, dwells largely on OM, and in
the _Vayu Purana_, a whole chapter is devoted to it. Now as Vayu is
air, we can see in what direction the minds of those who were concerned
with that purana were tending. They were analyzing sound, which will
lead to discoveries of interest regarding the human spiritual and
physical constitution. In sound is tone, and tone is one of the most
important and deep reaching of all natural things. By tone, the natural
man, and the child, express the feelings, just as animals in their
tones make known their nature. The tone of the voice of the tiger is
quite different from that of the dove, as different as their natures
are from each other, and if the sights, sounds and objects in the
natural world mean anything, or point the way to any laws underlying
these differences, then there is nothing puerile in considering the
meaning of tone.

The Padma Purana says that: “The syllable OM is the leader of all
prayers; let it therefore be employed in the beginning of all prayers,”
and Manu, in his laws, ordains: “A Brahmin, at the beginning and end
of a lesson on the Vedas, must always pronounce the syllable OM, for
unless OM precede, his learning will slip away from him, and unless it
follows, nothing will be long retained.”

The celebrated Hindoo Raja, Ramohun Roy, in a treatise on this letter,
says:

“OM, when considered as one letter, uttered by the help of one
articulation, is the symbol of the Supreme Spirit. ‘One letter (OM) is
the emblem of the Most High, Manu II, 83.’ But when considered as a
triliteral word consisting of अ (a), उ (u), म (m), it implies the three
_Vedas_, the three _states_ of human nature, the three _divisions_ of
the universe, and the three _deities_—Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, agents
in the _creation_, _preservation_ and _destruction_ of this world; or,
properly speaking, the three principal attributes of the Supreme Being
personified in those three deities. In this sense it implies in fact
the universe controlled by the Supreme Spirit.”

Now we may consider that there is pervading the whole universe a single
homogeneous resonance, sound, or tone, which acts, so to speak, as the
awakener or vivifying power, stirring all the molecules into action.
This is what is represented in all languages by the vowel _a_, which
takes precedence of all others. This is the word, the _verbum_, the
_Logos_ of St. John of the Christians, who says: “In the beginning was
the Word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.”[3] This
is creation, for without this resonance or motion among the quiescent
particles, there would be no visible universe. That is to say, upon
sound, or as the Aryans called it, _Nada Brahma_ (divine resonance),
depends the evolution of the visible from the invisible.

But this sound _a_, being produced, at once alters itself into _au_,
so that the second sound _u_, is that one made by the first in
continuing its existence. The vowel _u_, which in itself is a compound
one, therefore represents preservation. And the idea of preservation
is contained also in creation, or evolution, for there could not be
anything to preserve, unless it had first come into existence.

If these two sounds, so compounded into one, were to proceed
indefinitely, there would be of course no destruction of them. But it
is not possible to continue the utterance further than the breath, and
whether the lips are compressed, or the tongue pressed against the
roof of the mouth, or the organs behind that used, there will be in
the finishing of the utterance the closure or _m_ sound, which among
the Aryans had the meaning of _stoppage_. In this last letter there
is found the destruction of the whole word or letter. To reproduce it
a slight experiment will show that by no possibility can it be begun
with _m_, but that _au_ invariably commences even the utterance of _m_
itself. Without fear of successful contradiction, it can be asserted
that all speech begins with _au_, and the ending, or destruction of
speech, is in _m_.

The word “tone” is derived from the Latin and Greek words meaning
sound and tone. In the Greek the word “tonos” means a “stretching”
or “straining.” As to the character of the sound, the word “tone” is
used to express all varieties, such as high, low, grave, acute, sweet
and harsh sounds. In music it gives the peculiar quality of the sound
produced, and also distinguishes one instrument from another; as rich
tone, reedy tone, and so on. In medicine, it designates the state of
the body, but is there used more in the signification of strength, and
refers to strength or tension. It is not difficult to connect the use
of the word in medicine with the divine resonance of which we spoke,
because we may consider tension to be the vibration, or quantity
of vibration, by which sound is apprehended by the ear, and if the
whole system gradually goes down so that its tone is lowered without
stoppage, the result will at last be dissolution for that collection of
molecules. In painting, the tone also shows the general drift of the
picture, just as it indicates the same thing in morals and manners. We
say, “a low tone of morals, an elevated tone of sentiment, a courtly
tone of manners,” so that tone has a signification which is applied
universally to either good or bad, high or low. And the only letter
which we can use to express it, or symbolize it, is the _a_ sound, in
its various changes, long, short and medium. And just as the _tone_ of
manners, of morals, of painting, of music, means the real character of
each, in the same way the tones of the various creatures, including man
himself, mean or express the real character; and all together joined
in the deep murmur of nature, go to swell the _Nada Brahma_, or Divine
resonance, which at last is heard as the music of the spheres.

Meditation on tone, as expressed in this Sanscrit word OM, will lead
us to a knowledge of the secret Doctrine. We find expressed in the
merely mortal music the seven divisions of the divine essence, for as
the microcosm is the little copy of the macrocosm, even the halting
measures of man contain the little copy of the whole, in the seven
tones of the octave. From that we are led to the seven colors, and so
forward and upward to the Divine radiance which is the Aum. For the
Divine Resonance, spoken of above, is not the Divine Light itself. The
Resonance is only the outbreathing of the first sound of the entire
Aum. This goes on during what the Hindoos call a Day of Brahma, which,
according to them, lasts a thousand ages.[4] It manifests itself not
only as the power which stirs up and animates the particles of the
Universe, but also in the evolution and dissolution of man, of the
animal and mineral kingdom, and of solar systems. Among the Aryans
it was represented in the planetary system by Mercury, who has always
been said to govern the intellectual faculties, and to be the universal
stimulator. Some old writers have said that it is shown through
Mercury, amongst mankind, by the universal talking of women.

And wherever this Divine Resonance is closed or stopped by death or
other change, the Aum has been uttered there. These utterances of Aum
are only the numerous microcosmic enunciations of the Word, which is
uttered or completely ended, to use the Hermetic or mystical style of
language, only when the great Brahm stops the outbreathing, closes
the vocalization, by the _m_ sound, and thus causes the universal
dissolution. This universal dissolution is known in the Sanscrit and
in the secret Doctrine, as the _Maha Pralaya_; _Maha_ being “the
great,” and _Pralaya_ “dissolution.” And so, after thus arguing, the
ancient Rishees of India said: “Nothing is begun or ended; everything
is changed, and that which we call death is only a transformation.”
In thus speaking they wished to be understood as referring to the
manifested universe, the so-called death of a sentient creature being
only a transformation of energy, or a change of the mode and place of
manifestation of the Divine Resonance. Thus early in the history of the
race the doctrine of conservation of energy was known and applied. The
Divine Resonance, or the _au_ sound, is the universal energy, which
is conserved during each Day of Brahma, and at the coming on of the
great Night is absorbed again into the whole. Continually appearing
and disappearing it transforms itself again and again, covered from
time to time by a veil of matter called its visible manifestation, and
never lost, but always changing itself from one form to another. And
herein can be seen the use and beauty of the Sanscrit. Nada Brahma is
Divine Resonance; that is, after saying _Nada_, if we stopped with
Brahm, logically we must infer that the _m_ sound at the end of Brahm
signified the Pralaya, thus confuting the position that the Divine
Resonance existed, for if it had stopped it could not be resounding.
So they added an _a_ at the end of the Brahm, making it possible to
understand that as _Brahma_ the sound was still manifesting itself.
But time would not suffice to go into this subject as it deserves, and
these remarks are only intended as a feeble attempt to point out the
real meaning and purpose of Aum.

For the above reasons, and out of the great respect we entertain for
the wisdom of the Aryans, was the symbol adopted and placed upon the
cover of this magazine and at the head of the text. With us OM has a
signification. It represents the constant undercurrent of meditation,
which ought to be carried on by every man, even while engaged in the
necessary duties of this life. There is for every conditioned being a
target at which the aim is constantly directed. Even the very animal
kingdom we do not except, for it, below us, awaits its evolution into a
higher state; it unconsciously perhaps, but nevertheless actually, aims
at the same target.

“Having taken the bow, the great weapon, let him place on it the arrow,
sharpened by devotion. Then, having drawn it with a thought directed
to that which is, hit the mark, O friend—the Indestructible. OM is the
bow, the Self is the arrow, Brahman is called its aim. It is to be hit
by a man who is not thoughtless; and then as the arrow becomes one
with the target, he will become one with Brahman. Know him alone as
the Self, and leave off other words. He is the bridge of the Immortal.
Meditate on the Self as OM. Hail to you that you may cross beyond the
sea of darkness.”[5]
HADJI-ERINN.
AUM!

KABBALAH.

The Kabbalah was formerly a tradition, as the word implies, and is
generally supposed to have originated with the Jewish Rabbins. The word
is of Hebrew origin, but the esoteric science it represents did not
originate with the Jews; they merely recorded what had previously been
traditional.

The Kabbalah is a system of philosophy and theosophy, that was obtained
at a very remote period of time by the wise men of the east, through
the unfoldment of the intuitive perceptions.

Self consciousness forms the basis of mind, and knowledge is acquired
through the reception of activities from without, which are recorded
in consciousness; there are two sources through which knowledge is
received—one subjective, the other objective. The former gives us
a knowledge of the causal side of the cosmos, and the latter, the
objective or material side, which is the world of effects, on account
of being evolved from the former.

“The outward doth from the inward roll,
And the inward dwells in the inmost soul.”

If this be true, the great first cause—God, has evolved out of
Himself the esoteric or subjective world, in which He is to be found
manifested. Out of the subjective, by change of energy and substance
through law, He evolved the objective world. Therefore, the antecedents
of the objective are to be found in the unseen or invisible portion of
the universe. In a work we are preparing for the press, which has been
a study for over thirty years, we will show what spirit is, that it is
self-generating and self-sustaining, and from it, through volition, the
cosmos was evolved.

Do not understand by the above remark that spirit becomes matter,
through evolution, and that the universe is a huge _Divine
Personality_. We have too high a conception and reverence for Deity,
to suppose for an instant, that He became a material being through
the evolution of the universe. He is not in any manner _personally
associated_ with _either_ the esoteric or exoteric cosmos. _Spirit
is distinct from matter but not from energy; energy is the source of
matter. It is therefore through energy and law that God is associated
with the universe. The law is His Providence, and His will the
executive._ A miracle is an impossibility, for it requires a suspension
of the law upon which the universe is reared. To suspend this law
for one moment, would disarrange the harmony of the entire universe.
Therefore, the suspension of this unique law, which controls energy
in the production of substance and matter, would immediately suspend
evolution, and the entire universe and all that is associated with it,
would at once become disintegrated.

The Providential law, being one of harmony, applies to everything
outside of the spirit of God, and therefore cannot be violated with
impunity. The beauties of nature result from its harmony, and when it
is violated, discord ensues. We see this in nationalities, society,
individuals, and in fact in all departments of nature. If the violation
goes beyond certain limits, revolution is the result, and if it is not
corrected, destruction naturally follows. The greater the violation
the more difficult it is to overcome the discordancy. Dissipation is
sure to be rewarded with sickness, and if carried too far, with death.
Luxury and licentiousness, if persisted in, will destroy society
as well as nationalities. History affords us ample proof of this.
This law, no matter how slightly violated, brings its comparative
punishment, and when obeyed, its corresponding reward.

After these preliminary remarks, we turn to our subject, the Kabbalah,
and show how it has been preserved and transmitted or handed down from
one generation to another. The study of external nature alone affords
us no evidence of a future life—on the contrary, it tends to disprove
it, which accounts for the agnostic belief, which has become so
prevalent of late years. In the investigation of external phenomena, we
recognize matter, energy and life; the latter we are told is the result
of protoplasmic cell action—the same of mind. The _continuity_ observed
through all the departments of nature, implies that there is a law
controlling energy in the production of forms. If energy had nothing
to guide it, its movements would be erratic, and nature would become
a conglomerate discordant mass. Now, the existence of a law implies a
law giver, for it is not self-creating or self-sustaining, therefore
we logically conclude that there is something back of material nature
that is not recognized by the external senses. What proof have we of
the existence of an external world, except through consciousness?
An unborn child, if it possessed reasoning faculties, would deny the
existence of its own mother. A person born blind can have no conception
of the beauties of nature, and if the sense of touch be suspended
with that of sight, we could form no conception of solidity. If born
deaf, of the harmony and discord of sound or of music. _We therefore
perceive that we can have no conception of the existence of an external
world, except through neural activities recorded in consciousness_,
and without the unfoldment of the inner consciousness, we can form no
opinion of a future life. In fact, logically speaking, we have the same
grounds for denying its existence as we would have of the external
world, providing objective consciousness was closed.

This accounts for the doubt, uncertainty, and fear respecting the
future, which is intensified by the present system of religious
teachings. The spiritual world is as much a reality as this, in fact
more so, for it undergoes no change, as this one does.

The study of Theosophy has demonstrated to the writer that there
is another source of knowledge which can only be acquired through
the cultivation of a plane of consciousness, which is not reached
by objective neural activities, but can be by unfoldment of inner
consciousness.

It is the development of this state of consciousness that brings us
_en rapport_ with the esoteric world. The question now arises, how are
we to develop this much desired condition? It can only be accomplished
through the harmony of the moral attributes of the spirit. Harmony
is the only passport to Heaven, and the absence of harmony, which
is discord, is the only passport to what christianity terms Hell.
Therefore, heaven and hell are only conditions of the spirit, which are
beautifully illustrated in the 20th chapter of the Apocalypse, where
it describes the angel descending from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit, and a chain. With the key he unlocked hell, and with
the chain he bound the devil for a thousand years. The angel is the
representative of holiness and purity, which is only attained through
the harmony of the spirit; the key is a symbol of light, and the chain
that of truth; hell is supposed to be the abode of darkness, and the
devil a spirit of falsehood and error. We will now ask the question,
is there anything to banish darkness, but light? Anything to disperse
falsehood and error, but truth?

Christ was an Essene, and this secret order was a branch of the
Kabbalah. St. John was his favorite disciple, whom he fully initiated
into the mysteries. During this disciple’s exile on the Isle of Patmos
or Patmo, he wrote the Apocalypse, which is a profound Kabbalistic
production, describing the unity, duality, ternary and septenary of
the Kabbalah. The ancient adepts found from experience, that in order
to develop the interior or subjective consciousness, it was necessary
(allegorically speaking) to “wear the cloak of Apollonius;” that is,
to withdraw from the outer world, practice to the fullest extent,
self-denial, and spend their wakeful moments in esoteric meditation.
In order to isolate themselves from society, they established secret
sanctuaries, in which they met for mutual communion and religious
exercises.

As they advanced in spiritual knowledge they found that there were
various grades of harmony in the subjective or spiritual world, and
each individual on leaving this life gravitated, as it were, to the
sphere with which he was in harmony. They divided their sanctuaries
into seven degrees to correspond with the harmonies in esoteric nature,
and to each degree there were three years of spiritual probation.
As harmony results from the analogy of contraries, there were as
many degrees of discord as there were of harmonies. The former they
designated hell. The material cosmos, that is what we call the external
world, was, as it were, middle ground between the two, which they
called Hades, into which the soul passed at death, and the spirit was
made cognizant of its record while on earth. Physical death, they
claimed was merely a change from a physical to a spiritual condition;
the soul or spiritual body being formed at the same time that the
physical was, but in a very different manner. After death, the soul
either ascended or descended, depending not upon gravity, but upon
harmony.

It will thus be perceived that each degree in the sanctuary required
a separate or distinct initiation for each one, which was intended to
represent a higher state of moral and intellectual advancement. The
last or seventh degree was the one of perfection which brought about
illumination, when the subjective world was as much a reality to the
inward or subjective consciousness as the outward world is to the
objective. When this condition of moral and intellectual unfoldment
was obtained, all interest in this life was gone and the spirit
longed for separation from its physical casket. The neophyte seeking
spiritual knowledge could only attain to the wisdom of the different
degrees by advancing morally, so as to be in harmony with the degrees.
The knowledge thus obtained was never recorded, but communicated
verbally in symbolic language. By this means it was kept a profound
secret, and handed down traditionally. The first record we have of
the Kabbalah was made by Rabbi Akiba and Rabbi Simeon Ben Jochai; the
former compiled _The Sepher Jetzirah_, “Book of Creation,” and the
latter, _The Sepherhaz Sohar_, “Book of Light.” The first is regarded
by the Kabbalist at the key of the second. The Sohar has never been
translated, and as a late Bishop of the Church of England justly
states, never will be by a Christian. This is owing to its symbolic
character, which can only be interpreted by a Kabbalist. It is in three
volumes, in unpointed Hebrew, and consists of a mixture of Armenic
and Semetic languages. The Sepher Jetzirah may be procured in three
languages, the Hebrew, Latin and German.

[Illustration: FIG. A. and FIG. B.]

We now come to the most interesting part of our subject. The key to
the Kabbalah is the “_Word_,” consisting of four Hebrew letters, which
may be arranged in a cross inclosed in a circle, Fig. A. The Christian
Kabbalist inserted the Hebrew letter Sin, as a representative of Christ
in the ineffable name, Fig. B. The four-lettered name was the one given
to Moses on the Mount, with the understanding that it represented his
(Jehovah) verbalization in the universe. The Word was held in profound
reverence by all, Kabbalists as well as the Jews, and all ancient
secret orders, and was never spoken audibly, in fact never mentioned,
except in the last initiation, when it was whispered in the initiate’s
ear by the Grand Master of Ceremonies. The knowledge and power the Word
confers upon the recipient of its meaning is given in a fragment of
a clavicle of Solomon: “I, Solomon, King of Israel and Palmyra, have
sought and obtained in part, the Holy Chocmah, which is the wisdom
of Adonai. I have become King of the spirit of heaven and of earth,
master of the inhabitants of the air, and the souls of the sea, because
I procured the key of the occult gate of light. I have accomplished
great things by the virtue of _Schema Hamphorasch_, and by the
thirty-two paths of the _Sepher Jetzirah_. Number, weight and measure
determine the form of all things, substance is one, and God created
it eternally. Happy is he who knows the letters and numbers; numbers
are ideas, and ideas are forces, and forces Elohim. The synthesis of
Elohim is Schema. Schema is one, and its pillars are two, its power is
three, its form four. Its reflection gives eight, and eight multiplied
by three, gives the twenty-four thrones of wisdom. On each throne
rests a crown of three jewels, each jewel bears a name, each name an
absolute idea. There are seventy-two names on the twenty-four crowns
of Schema. Thou shalt write these names on thirty-six talismans, two
on each talisman—one on each side. Thou shalt divide these talismans
into four series of nine each, according to the number of the letters
of the Schema. On the first series engrave the letter Jod, figure of
the blooming rod of Aaron; on the second series the letter He, figure
of the cup of Joseph; on the third series the letter Vau, the figure
of the source of David, my Father; on the fourth series the letter He,
the figure of the Jewish shekel. The thirty-six talismans will be a
book that will contain all the secrets of nature, and by their divers
combinations, thou wilt make the Genii and Angels speak.”

The Schema represents the four-lettered name; when mathematically
constructed into seventy-two different forms, it is called
Schema-hamphorasch, and represents seventy-two paths of wisdom, which
constitute the keys of universal science.

The history of the Kabbalah is yet to be written, which can only be
accomplished by one versed in its secrets. Historians have not done
it justice, they have debased it by associating it with necromancy or
the black art, which is to the Kabbalah what false religion is to pure
Christianity. The kernel lies hidden in the rubbish of the past, where
it has been preserved for future generations. When it is disrobed of
its vile and obnoxious covering it will be found to have lost none of
its beauty and brilliancy. The light of the Orient has been preserved
by the wise men of the east, in symbols and allegorical language, and
when the time arrives, which is not far distant, someone possessing the
key, which is the _Word_, will unlock its mysteries and bring it forth
in its divine purity, to enlighten the present and future generations.

The cycle of Tritheme, which commenced in 1878, will prepare someone
to bring it forth from its oblivion, and through its teachings a new
train of thought will be instituted and an impetus given to the moral
and emotional development which will be the harbinger of a bright
future. Science will take new strides, religion will throw aside her
thread-bare garment and assume a new dress, which will accord with
the teachings and example of Christ. When this occurs, the conflict
between religion and science will cease and harmony be established.
The two then will be like brother and sister, aiding each other in the
development of the intellectual and moral attributes of the spirit. It
is no fault of science that a difference between them has occurred, it
has advanced while religion has been carrying on a warfare about creeds
and dogmas, which has retarded her progress.

Christianity of to-day is as different from what it was in the first
and second centuries of the Christian era, as modern masonry is
different from what it was in ancient times. Religion has attempted to
control humanity through fear, having created a devil to keep man in
subjection, and force the belief that God, who is the quintessence of
purity and holiness, is a vindictive and angry being, who takes delight
in chastising those who through ignorance violate the Divine Law.
While this religious conflict has been progressing, christianity has
gradually lost its hold on the public mind. At the same time humanity
longs to know something of the future which science cannot give.

How is this emotional or moral want to be supplied? for humanity
cannot progress intellectually beyond objective knowledge, without the
development of the moral attributes. We venture the assertion that if
the same advancement had been made in the development of the emotional
attributes of the spirit, as has been in the intellectual, there would
have been no agnosticism, and science would be far in advance of what
it is. Science has about reached the limit of objective knowledge
and cannot advance until it acquires a knowledge of this world’s
antecedents, which will enable it to correct numerous errors and give
an impetus to further development. This cannot be done so long as they
ignore the existence of a subjective consciousness.

The Kabbalah embodies both philosophy and theosophy. The former
gives us a knowledge of the universe, and the latter teaches man
how to know himself and his God. It will also elevate masonry and
all secret organizations having their rise from it, by showing that
ancient masonry was not merely a social and beneficial order like
modern masonry, but an organization for the unfolding of the moral and
intellectual attributes.

The Kabbalah has shown its fruits in philosophy through such minds as
Thales, Solon, Plato, Pythagoras, Göethe, and many others. In religion
through Zoroaster, Confucius, Christ, Old and New Testament, and the
Early Christians, and later through the United Brethren, to which Jacob
Behmen belonged, and other theosophic sects. If the views we have
advanced be correct, that it is through the development of the inner
consciousness that man attains to a knowledge of the subjective or
causal world, and that the knowledge of the Kabbalah will enable us to
unfold these faculties, how urgent we all should be to have its secrets
revealed.
SETH PANCOAST.

SEERSHIP.

The following remarks are not intended to be a critique upon the
literary merits or demerits of the poem which is taken as the subject
of criticism. In 1882, _The Theosophist_[6] published a review of “The
Seer, a Prophetic Poem,” by Mr. H. G. Hellon, and as clairvoyance is
much talked of in the West, it seemed advisable to use the verses
of this poet for the purpose of inquiring, to some extent, into the
western views of Seership, and of laying before my fellow seekers the
views of one brought up in a totally different school.

I have not yet been able to understand with the slightest degree
of distinctness, what state is known as “Seership” in the language
of western mysticism. After trying to analyze the states of many
a “seer,” I am as far as ever from any probability of becoming
wiser on the subject, as understood here, because it appears to me
that no classification whatever exists of the different states as
exhibited on this side of the globe, but all the different states are
heterogeneously mixed. We see the state of merely catching glimpses in
the astral light, denominated _seership_, at the same time that the
very highest illustrations of that state are called _trances_.

As far as I have yet been able to discover, “Seership,” as thus
understood here, does not come up to the level of _Sushupti_,
which is the dreamless state in which the mystic’s highest
consciousness—composed of his highest intellectual and ethical
faculties—hunts for and seizes any knowledge he may be in need of. In
this state the mystic’s lower nature is at rest (paralyzed): only his
highest nature roams into the ideal world in quest of food. By _lower
nature_, I mean his physical, astral or psychic, lower emotional and
intellectual principles, including the lower fifth.[7] Yet even the
knowledge obtained during the Sushupti state must be regarded, from
this plane, as theoretical and liable to be mixed upon resuming the
application of the body, with falsehood and with the preconception of
the mystic’s ordinary waking state, as compared with the true knowledge
acquired during the several initiations. There is no guarantee held out
for any mystic that any experience, researches or knowledge that may
come within his reach in any other state whatever, is accurate, except
in the mysteries of initiation.

But all these different states are necessary to growth. _Yagrata_—our
waking state, in which all our physical and vital organs, senses and
faculties find their necessary exercise and development, is needed
to prevent the physical organization from collapsing. _Swapna_—dream
state, in which are included all the various states of consciousness
between Yagrata and Sushupti, such as somnambulism, trance, dreams,
visions, &c.—is necessary for the physical faculties to enjoy rest,
and for the lower emotional and astral faculties to live, become
active, and develop; and _Sushupti_ state, comes about in order that
the consciousnesses of both Yagrata and Swapna states may enjoy rest,
and for the fifth principle, which is the one active in Sushupti, to
develop itself by appropriate exercise. In the equilibrium of these
three states lies true progress.

The knowledge acquired during Sushupti state, might or might not be
brought back to one’s physical consciousness; all depends upon his
desires, and according as his lower consciousnesses are or are not
prepared to receive and retain that knowledge.

The avenues of the ideal world are carefully guarded by elementals from
the trespass of the profane.

Lytton makes Mejnour say:[8] “We place our tests in ordeals
that purify the passions and elevate the desires. And nature in
this controls and assists us, for it places awful guardians and
unsurmountable barriers between the ambitions of vice and the heaven of
loftier science.”

The desire for physical enjoyment, if rightly directed, becomes
elevated, as a desire for something higher, gradually becoming
converted into a desire to do good to others, and thus ascending,
ceases to be a desire, and is transformed into an element of the sixth
principle.

The control by nature to which Mejnour refers, in found in the natural
maximum and minimum limits; there cannot be too much ascension, nor can
the descent be too quick or too low. The assistance of nature is found
in the Turya state, in which the adept takes one step and nature helps
for another.

In the Sushupti state, one might or might not find the object of his
earnest search, and as soon as it is found, the moment the desire to
bring it back to normal consciousness arises; that moment Sushupti
state is at an end for the time being. But one might often find himself
in an awkward position, when he has left that state. The doors for
the descent of the truth into the lower nature are closed. Then his
position is beautifully described in an Indian proverb: “The bran in
the mouth and the fire are both lost.” This is an allusion to a poor
girl who is eating bran, and at the same time wants to kindle the fire
just going out before her. She blows it with the bran in her mouth; the
bran falls on the dying ashes, extinguishing them completely; she is
thus a double loser. In the Sushupti state, the anxiety which is felt
to bring back the experience to consciousness, acts as the bran with
the fire. Anxiety to have or to do, instead of being a help as some
imagine, is a direct injury, and if permitted to grow in our waking
moments, will act with all the greater force on the plane of Sushupti.
The result of these failures is clearly set forth by Patanjali.[9]

Even where the doors to the lower consciousness are open, the knowledge
brought back from Sushupti state, might, owing to the distractions and
difficulties of the direct and indirect routes of ascent and descent,
be lost on the way either partially or wholly, or become mixed up with
misconceptions and falsehood.

But in this search for knowledge in Sushupti, there must not remain
a spark of indifference or idle inquisitiveness in the higher
consciousness. Not even a jot of lurking hesitation about entering
into the state, nor doubt about its desirability, nor about the
usefulness or accuracy of the knowledge gleaned on former occasions,
or to be presently gleaned. If there is any such doubt or hesitancy,
his progress is retarded. Nor can there be any cheating or hypocrisy,
nor any laughing in the sleeve. In our normal wakeful state it always
happens that when we believe we are earnestly aspiring, some one or
more of the elements of one or more of our lower consciousnesses
belie us, make us feel deluded and laugh at us, for such is the
self-inconsistent nature of desire.

In this state, which we are considering there are subjective and
objective states, or classes of knowledge and experience, even as
there are the same in Yagrata. So, therefore, great care should be
taken to make your aims and aspirations _as high as possible_ while in
your normal condition. Woe to him who would dare to trifle with the
means placed at his disposal in the shape of Sushupti. One of the most
effectual ways in which western mystics could trifle with this, is to
seek for the missing links of evolution, so as to bring that knowledge
to the normal consciousness, and then with it to extend the domain of
“scientific” knowledge. Of course, from the moment such a desire is
entertained, the one who has it is shut out from Sushupti.[10]

The mystic might be interested in analyzing the real nature of the
objective world, or in soaring up to the feet of _Manus_,[11] to the
spheres where Manava intellect is busy shaping the mould for a future
religion, or had been shaping that of a past religion. But here the
maximum and minimum limits by which nature controls, are again to be
taken account of. One essential feature of Sushupti is, as far as can
now be understood, that the mystic must get at all truths through but
one source, or path, viz: through the divine world pertaining to his
own lodge (or teacher), and through this path he might soar as high as
he can, though how much knowledge he can get is an open question.

Let us now inquire what state is the seership of the author of our
poem “The Seer,” and try to discover the “hare’s horns” in it. Later on
we may try to peep into the states of Swedenborg, P. B. Randolph, and a
few of the “trained, untrained, natural born, self-taught, crystal, and
magic mirror seers.”

I look at this poem solely to point out mistakes so as to obtain
materials for our study. There are beauties and truths in it which all
can enjoy.

In ancient days it was all very well for mystics to write figuratively
so as to keep sacred things from the profane. Then symbolism was rife
in the air with mysticism, and all the allegories were understood at
once by those for whom they were intended. But times have changed. In
this materialistic age it is known that the wildest misconceptions
exist in the minds of many who are mystically and spiritually
inclined. The generality of mystics and their followers are not
free from the superstitions and prejudices which have in church and
science their counterpart. Therefore in my humble opinion there can
be no justification for writing allegorically on mysticism, and by
publication, placing such writings within reach of all. To do so is
positively mischievous. If allegorical writings, and misleading novels
are intended to popularize mysticism by removing existing prejudices,
then the writers ought to express their motives. It is an open question
whether the benefit resulting from such popularization is not more
than counterbalanced by the injury worked to helpless votaries of
mysticism, who are misled. And there is less justification for our
present allegorical writers than there was for those of Lytton’s time.
Moreover, in the present quarter of our century, veils are thrown by
symbolical or misleading utterances, over much that can be safely given
out in plain words. With these general remarks let us turn to “The
Seer.”

In the Invocation, addressed evidently to the Seer’s guru,[12] we find
these words:

“When in delicious dreams I leave this life,
And in sweet trance unveil its mysteries;
Give me thy light, thy love, thy truth divine!”

_Trance_ here means only one of the various states known as cataleptic
or somnambulic, but certainly neither Turya nor Sushupti. In such a
trance state very few of the mysteries of “this life,” or even of
the state of trance itself, could be unveiled. The so-called Seer
can “enjoy” as harmlessly and as uselessly as a boy who idly swims
in the lagoon, where he gains no knowledge and may end his sport
in death. Even so is the one who swims, cuts capers, in the astral
light, and becomes lost in something strange which surpasses all his
comprehension. The difference between such a Seer and the ordinary
sensualist, is, that the first indulges both his astral and physical
senses to excess, while the latter his physical senses only. These
occultists fancy that they have removed their interest from _self_,
when in reality they have only enlarged the limits of experience and
desire, and transferred their interest to the things which concern
their larger span of life.[13]

Invoking a Guru’s blessings on your own higher nature for the purpose
of sustaining you in this trance state, is as blasphemous and
reprehensible an act of assisting descent, and conversion of higher
into lower energies, as to invoke your Guru to help you in excessive
wine drinking; for the astral world is also material. To be able to
solve the mysteries of any consciousness whatever, even of the lowest
physical, while in trance, is as vain a boast of the hunters for such
a state, as that of physiologists or mesmerists. While you are in
trance state, if you are not ethical enough in your nature, you will be
tempted and forced, by your powerful lower elements, to pry into the
secrets of your neighbors, and then, on returning to your normal state,
to slander them. The surest way to draw down your higher nature into
the miry abyss of your physical and astral world, and thus to animalize
yourself, is to go into trance or to aspire for clairvoyance.

“And thou, (Guru) left me looking upward through the veil,
To gaze into thy goal and follow thee!”

These lines are highly presumptuous. It is impossible, even for a very
high Hierophant, in _any of his states whatever_, to gaze into his
Guru’s goal;[14] his subjective consciousness can but _barely_ come up
to the level of the normal or objective consciousness of his Guru. It
is only during the initiation that the initiated sees not only his own
immediate goal, but also Nirvana, which of course includes his Guru’s
goal also; but after the ceremony is over he recollects only his own
immediate goal for his next “class,” but nothing beyond that.[15] This
is what is meant by the God Jehovah saying to Moses: “And I will take
away mine hand and Thou shalt see my back, but my face shall not be
seen.” And in the Rig Veda it is said:[16] “Dark is the path of Thee,
who art bright; the light is before Thee.”

Mr. Hellon opens his poem with a quotation from _Zanoni_: “Man’s first
initiation is in trance; in dreams commence all human knowledge, in
dreams he hovers over measureless space, the first faint bridge between
spirit and spirit—this world and the world beyond.”

As this is a passage often quoted approvingly, and recognized as
containing no misconceptions, I may be permitted to pass a few remarks,
first, upon its intrinsic merits, and secondly, on Lytton himself and
his Zanoni. I shall not speak of the rage which prevails among mystical
writers, for quoting without understanding what they quote.

In _Swapna_ state man gets human, unreliable knowledge, while divine
knowledge begins to come in Sushupti state. Lytton has here thrown
a gilded globule of erroneous ideas to mislead the unworthy and
inquisitive mysticism hunters, who unconsciously price the globule. It
is not too much to say that such statements in these days, instead of
aiding us to discover the true path, but give rise to numberless patent
remedies for the evils of life, remedies which can never accomplish a
cure. Man-made edifices called true Raja Yoga,[17] evolved in trance,
arise confronting each other, conflicting with each other, and out of
harmony in themselves. Then not only endless disputation arises, but
also bigotry, while the devoted and innocent seekers after truth are
misled, and scientific, intelligent, competent men, are scared away
from any attempt to examine the claims of the true science. As soon as
some one sided objective truth is discovered by a Mesmer, a defender
of ancient Yoga Vidya,[18] blows a trumpet crying out, “Yoga is self
mesmerization, mesmerism is _the key_ to it, and animal magnetism
develops spirituality and is itself spirit, God, Atman,” deluding
himself with the idea that he is assisting humanity and the cause of
truth, unconscious of the fact that he is thus only degrading Yoga
Vidya. The ignorant medium contends that her “control” is divine.
There seems to be little difference between the claims of these two
classes of dupes, and the materialist who sets up a protoplasm in the
place of God. Among the innumerable hosts of desecrated terms are
_Trance_, _Yoga_, _Turya_, _initiation_, &c. It is therefore no wonder
that Lytton, in a novel, has desecrated it and misapplied it to a mere
semi-cataleptic state. I, for one prefer, always to limit the term
_Initiation_ to its true sense, viz., those sacred ceremonies in which
alone “Isis is unveiled.”

Man’s first initiation is _not_ in trance, as Lytton means. Trance is
an artificial, waking, somnambulistic state, in which one can learn
nothing at all about the real nature of the elements of our physical
consciousness, and much less any of any other. None of Lytton’s
admirers seems to have thought that he was chaffing at occultism,
although he believed in it, and was not anxious to throw pearls before
swine. Such a hierophant as Mejnour—not Lytton himself—could not have
mistaken the tomfoolery of somnambulism for even the first steps in
Raja Yoga. This can be seen from the way in which Lytton gives out
absolutely erroneous ideas about occultism, while at the same time
he shows a knowledge which he could not have, did he believe himself
in his own chaffing. It is pretty well recognized that he at last
failed, after some progress in occultism as a high accepted disciple.
His Glyndon might be Lytton, and Glyndon’s sister Lady Lytton. The
hieroglyphics of a book given him to decipher, and which he brought out
as Zanoni, must be allegorical. The book is really the master’s ideas
which the pupil’s highest consciousness endeavors to read. But they
were only the mere commonplaces of the master’s mind. The profane and
the cowardly always say that the master descends to the plane of the
pupil. Such can never happen. And precipitation of messages from the
master is only possible when the pupil’s highest ethical and intuitive
faculties reach the level of the master’s normal and objective state.
In Zanoni, this is veiled by the assertion that he had to _read_ the
hieroglyphics—they did not _speak_ to him. And he confesses in the
preface that he is by no means sure that he has correctly deciphered
them. “Enthusiasm,” he says, “is when that part of the soul which
is above intellect, soars up to the Gods, and there derives the
inspiration.” Errors will therefore be due to wilful misstatements or
to his difficulty in reading the cipher.

“In dreams I see a world so fair,
That life would love to linger there;
And pass from this to that bright sphere.
In dreams ecstatic, pure and free,
Strange forms my inward senses see,
While hands mysterious welcome me.”

Such indefinite descriptions are worse than useless. The inward senses
are psychic senses, and their perceiving strange forms and mere
appearances in the astral world is not useful or instructive. Forms
and appearances in the astral light are legion, and take their shape
not only from the seer’s mind unknown to himself, but are also in many
cases, reflections for other people’s minds.

“Oh, why should mine be ever less
And light ineffable bless
Thee, in thy starry loneliness,”

seems to be utterly unethical. Here the seer is in the first place
jealous of the light possessed by his guru, or he is grasping in the
dark, ignorant even of the _rationale_ of himself being in lower states
than his guru. However, Mr. Hellon has not erred about the existence
of such a feeling. It does and should exist in the trance and dreaming
state. In our ordinary waking state, attachments, desires, &c., are the
very life of our physical senses, and in the same way the emotional
energies manifest themselves on the astral plane in order to feed and
fatten the seer’s astral senses, sustaining them during his trance
state. Unless thus animated, his astral nature would come to rest.

No proof is therefore needed for the proposition that any state which
is sustained by desires and passions cannot be regarded as anything
more than as a means for developing one part of the animal nature. Van
Helmont is of the same opinion as Mr. Hellon.[19] We cannot, therefore,
for a moment believe that in such a state the “I” of that state is
_Atman_.[20] It is only the false “I”; the vehicle for the real one.
It is _Ahankára_—lower self, or individuality of the waking state, for
even in trance state, the lower sixth principle plays no greater part
and develops no more than in the wakeful state. The change is only
in the field of action: from the waking one to the astral plane, the
physical one remaining more or less at rest. Were it otherwise, we
would find somnambules day by day exhibiting increase of intellect,
whereas this does not occur.

Suppose that we induce the trance state in an illiterate man. He can
then read from the astral counterpart of Herbert Spencer or Patanjali’s
books as many pages as we desire, or even the unpublished ideas of
Spencer; but he can never make a comparison between the two systems,
unless that has already been done by some other mind in no matter what
language. Nor can any somnambule analyze and describe the complicated
machinery of the astral faculties, much less of the emotional ones, or
of the fifth principle. For in order to be analyzed they must be at
rest so that the higher self may carry on the analysis. So when Mr.
Hellon says:

“A trance steals o’er my spirit now,”

he is undoubtedly wrong, as Atman, or spirit, cannot go into a trance.
When a lower plane energy ascends to a higher plane it becomes silent
there for a while until by contact with the denizens of its new home
its powers are animated. The somnambulic state has two conditions, (a)
waking, which is psycho-physiological or astro-physical; (b) sleeping,
which is psychical. In these two the trance steals partly or completely
only over the physical consciousness and senses.

“And from my forehead peers the sight,” etc.

This, with much that follows, is pure imagination or misconception. As
for instance, “floating from sphere to sphere.” In this state the seer
is confined to but one sphere—the astral or psycho-physiological—no
higher one can he even comprehend.

Speaking of the period when the sixth sense shall be developed, he says:

“No mystery then her sons shall find,
Within the compass of mankind;
The one shall read the other’s mind.”

In this the seer shows even a want of theoretical knowledge of the
period spoken of. He has madly rushed into the astral world without a
knowledge of the philosophy of the mystics. Even though the twelfth
sense were developed—let alone the physical sixth—it shall ever remain
as difficult as it is now, for people to read one another’s mind.
Such is the mystery of Manas.[21] He is evidently deluded by seeing
the apparent triumphs during a transitional period of a race’s mental
development, of those minds abnormally developed which are able to look
into the minds of others; and yet they do that only partially. If one
with a highly developed sixth principle were to indulge for only six
times in reading other’s minds, he would surely drain that development
down to fatten the mind and desires. Moreover, Mr. Hellon’s seer seems
to be totally unaware of the fact that the object of developing higher
faculties is not to peer into the minds of others, and that the economy
of the occult world gives an important privilege to the mystic, in
that the pages of his life and _manas_ shall be carefully locked up
against inquisitive prowlers, the key safely deposited with his guru,
who never lends it to any one else. If with the occult world the laws
of nature are so strict, how much more should they be with people
in general. Otherwise, nothing would be safe. The sixth sense would
then be as delusive and a curse to the ignorant as sight and learning
are now. Nor shall this sixth sense man be “perfect.” Truth for him
shall be as difficult to attain through his “sense,” as it is now. The
horizon shall have only widened, and what we are now acquiring as truth
will have passed into history, into literature, into axiom. “Sense”
is always nothing else than a channel for desire to flow through and
torment ourselves and others.

The whole poem is misleading, especially such expressions as: “His
spirit views the world’s turmoil; behold his body feed the soil.—A
sixth sense race borne ages since, to God’s own zone.” Our higher
self—Atman—can never “view the world’s turmoil,” nor behold the body.
For supposing that it did view the body or the world’s turmoil, it
would be attracted to them, descending to the physical plane, where it
would be converted more or less into physical nature. And the elevation
of a sixth sense race unphilosophically supposes the raising up of that
sense, which certainly has only to do with our physical nature, at most
our astro-physical nature, to the sphere of God or Atman.

By merely training the psychical powers true progress is not gained,
but only the enjoyment of those powers; a sort of alcohol on the astral
plane, which results in unfavorable Karma. The true path to divine
wisdom is in performing our duty unselfishly in the station in which we
are placed, for thereby we convert lower nature into higher, following
Dharma—our whole duty.
MURDHNA JOTI.

THE NATURE AND OFFICE OF BUDDHA’S RELIGION.

_From a dissertation by the Rt. Rev. H. Sumangala, High Priest of
Adam’s Peak, Ceylon._[22]

What must a religion chiefly reveal? A religion, as such, must for the
most part propound what is not generally seen and felt in the nature of
sentient beings. It must also proclaim “the ways and means” by which
the good of the world is attained. These _teachings_ are essential to
a religion or it would, at best, become only a system of philosophy or
a science of nature. We find these two essentials fully treated in the
religion of Buddha.

Buddha says:[23] “The world has mounted on the passions and is
suspended therefrom—that is, the thoughts of men are hanging down from
the lusts and other evils. The whole world is encompassed by decay;
and Death overwhelms us all, (consumption and decay ever slowly but
steadily creep in and eat into each and everything in existence, and
it is here likened to something like land encircled by sea). Nature
has subjected us to birth, decay and death, _and the deeds of our past
lives are covered by the terrors of death from our view_, although
the time of their action is not very far removed from our present
state of existence. Hence it is that we do not view the scenes of our
past births. Human life before it arrives at its final destiny, is
ever inseparable from Jâti, Jarâ, Marana, etc., (birth, infirmities,
death, etc.). As we are at present we are in sorrow and pain, and we
have not yet obtained the highest object of our being. It behooves us,
therefore, to exert ourselves everytime and by all means to attain to
our _summum ultimum_, and we have to use and practice ‘the ways and
means’ shown in religion in earnestness and integrity.”

Now what are they as set forth in Buddhism? “The man who is ever fully
in the observance of the precepts of morality; who sees and understands
things well and truly; who has perfect and serene command over his
thoughts; and who has his mind fixed well in proper contemplation. I
say, that such a man alone will safely pass over the dreadful torrent
of metempsychosis, which is indeed hard to be gone over safely and
without meeting with great obstacles and difficulties.”

The way to holiness of being, to destruction of sorrows, pain and
sufferings, and to the path to Nirvana and to its attainment, is, the
starting of memory, on the body, on sensation, on mind and on the true
doctrines, largely discoursed on by the Lord Gautama Buddha. “Men are
sanctified by their deeds, their learning, their religious behavior,
their morals, and by leading a holy life; _they do not become holy by
race or wealth_.”[24]

Buddha has opened up to us a supreme path for sanctification; described
in detail in many verses of His _Dharmá_.[25] He says: “Oh Bhikkus!
what is the holy path which ought to be walked over to destroy pain
and sorrows? It is the _ariya_ path, consisting of eight members or
component parts, which are: Right Seeing or correct belief; right
Thinking; right Words; right Actions; right Living; right Exertions;
right Recollecting; and right Composing of Mind—_the practice of Yoga_.”

Of all the paths this, the eight membered one, is the Supremest; of the
Truths, the fourfold one is the highest; of all classes of knowledge,
that of Nirvana is the most excellent, and of all bipeds Buddha is the
highest and most supremely exalted and enlightened.

I. Right seeing is the correct and full comprehension of the four
facts or divisions, which are: Sorrows, the origin of sorrows, the
destruction of sorrows, and the ways and means to be used for that
destruction. Now this Right seeing may be viewed in two ways, (1)
_worldly_, (2) _over-worldly_, or above the worldly way. The first is
understanding, while still we have not overcome our lusts, passions and
desires, the effects of good and bad actions, and that such acts alone
brought about the effects; the second is brought about by destroying
lust, anger, &c., and rightly comprehending what are known as the “four
supreme verities.”

II. Right Thinking includes, pondering on the abandoning of all
merely worldly happiness, bad desires, anger, &c., and the cherishing
of thoughts to live separated from them all; loathing to take life,
and the continued mental exercise of the determination not to hurt a
sentient being.

III. Right Speech avoids lying, slandering, uttering rough or vulgar
words, and vain babbling or empty talk.

IV. Right Actions is, sanctifying the body by refraining from killing,
stealing, enjoying unlawful sexual intercourse, &c.

V. Right Living is, obtaining a livelihood by being worthily employed,
supporting one’s self.

VI. Right Exertion is, to labor willingly and earnestly to prevent
evil thoughts _from arising in the mind_, nipping even the buds of
such thoughts already sprung, and by nourishing good thoughts and by
creating morally virtuous ideas when heart and mind are vacant and
empty of them.

VII. The seventh is the four above mentioned—in possession.

VIII. The last member includes the four _dhyánas_. _Sammá Samádhi_, or
Right Meditation, is the last member of the Supreme Path. In religion
_Samádhis_ are of various natures, but now we will confine ourselves to
one particular _Samádhi_.

It is that state of mind in which dispersed thoughts are brought
together and concentrated on one particular object. The chief
feature is composure of the mind, and its essential characteristic
is the restriction of thoughts from dispersion. Stability aids its
sustentation and undisturbed happiness is its natural result.

The primary stage of this state of mind is known as Upachára
Samádhi,[26] the second, or advanced stage, as Uppaná Samádhi.[27]

It is also divided into two classes. _Lokiya_[28] which any one may
enter into; and _Lokuttara_,[29] which can be entered into only by
those who are free from worldly desires. The first is a preliminary
step to the attainment of the second. For the first, the devotee must
give himself up to devotion in the manner prescribed in 3d, 4th and
5th angas of the _Arya_ astangikamarga chatuparisuddhi silas, and
then free himself from the ten worldly troubles, which arise: from
building houses; connections with family; excessive gains; the duties
of a teacher; from manual work; journeys for another or for one’s own
gain; sickness of teacher, pupils and parents; bodily sufferings;
constant study, and worldly power and its loss. Being free from these
he must then be acquainted with the systematic process of meditation,
instructed by a friend or an eminent preceptor.

Meditation is of two classes. First, that wherein the devotee exercises
universal love of mankind, reflects that death is close at hand, and
that the human body being liable to decay is not to be regarded with
consideration. The second is that which applies to a man according to
his moral nature.[30] These are forty in number. Taking one let us see
how meditation should be practised.

Man’s moral nature is divided into six classes: Sensuous, irascible,
ignorant, faithful, discreet, reflective. The first three are evil,
and the last three good qualities. If in any man’s nature an evil
and virtue combine, that which predominates will influence his moral
character. The process of meditation, then, is to be decided by the
preceptor according to the tendency of the moral character as thus
influenced.[31] The devotee then seeks retirement resigned to Buddha.

A PROPHECY ABOUT THEOSOPHY.

There are alleged to exist in India certain Sibylline books called
_Nadigrandhams_. As the name indicates, they are compilations of
astrological statements or predictions, and are supposed to contain
actual prophecies fitting into the lives of inquirers as well as into
the history of a village. They resemble the Sibylline books of Rome,
which prophesied, it is said, for over two hundred years, all the
important events in the affairs of the Eternal City.

In May, 1885, Col. H. S. Olcott, President of the Theosophical Society,
hearing of some of these books in Madras, had an interview at the
headquarters with the astrologer who possessed them, in the presence of
two witnesses.

In reporting the predictions in the May article[32] he left certain
blanks saying that he would speak regarding it in twelve months, and
that the unpublished portion concerned the welfare of the society. The
prophecy was:

“The society is now, April 3, 1885, passing through a dark cycle,
which began August 24, 1884; it will last nine months and sixteen
days more, making seventeen months for the whole period. By the end
of fourteen months next following the seventeen dark months, the
society will have increased threefold in power and strength, and
some who have joined it and worked for its advancement, shall attain
gnyanam.[33] The society will live and survive its founders for many
years, becoming a lasting power for good; it will survive the fall of
governments. And you (H. S. O.) will live from this hour, twenty-eight
years, five months, six days, fourteen hours, and on your death the
society will have 156 principal branches, not counting minor ones,
with 50,000 enrolled members; before that, many branches will rise and
expire, and many members come and go.”

At the time the society was founded in 1875, the editor of this journal
was present in New York when the proposed name was discussed, and it
was prophesied after the selection had been made, that the organization
was destined to accomplish a great work, far beyond the ideas of those
present. Since then many members have followed the example of Buddha’s
proud disciples and deserted the cause—others have remained.

In Paris, in 1884, the Coulomb scandal had not exploded, but warnings
of it were heard. One night in the Rue Notre Dame des Champs, an
astrologer consulted a _nadigrandham_ for a reply to queries as to what
was brewing. The reply was:[34] “A conspiracy; but all will be suddenly
discovered, and will come to nothing.” Such was the result as to the
discovery and for the balance of the later prophecy let time disclose.

“The desire of the pious shall be accomplished.”

REVIEWS AND NOTES.

APOLLONIUS OF TYANA.[35]—This volume is the result of a gage thrown
down by a well known Brooklyn clergyman, who some few years ago said
that he “challenged any one to produce anything which rises to the
sublimity of the miracles of ‘the Blessed Redeemer,’ or the simplicity
of his life, or to produce from the dust of eighteen centuries, a
record of the life, sayings and doings of any personage so well
attested, and by so many reputable witnesses, as is that of our Savior
in the account of Matthew.” When we reflect upon the well known fact
that the writings of the alleged time of Jesus, contain no reference
to him, and that every precept of morality ascribed to him, can be
found abundantly through the well attested and written sayings of his
predecessors, and upon the grave doubts clustering about the same
Matthew gospel, we are not surprised to find that Mr. Tredwell has
succeeded in fully meeting the challenge. But no one ever suspected the
“Brooklyn clergyman” of being in earnest or of expecting any reply.
The book before us is replete with information, and especially in its
bibliographical references. Our only regret is that the author has
altogether put aside the so-called miracles of Apollonius. We would
like to see, in treating the subject, those occurrences taken account
of, not as miracles, but as actual incidents, the result of natural
forces, and not subject to chance, nor being a proof of claims to
divinity. In the preface he well says, that error courts investigation
and is nearly always the prelude to the discovery of truth, but,
“Falsehood seeks exemption from every scientific régime, and recoils
from the light and scrutiny of investigation, and postulates its
own canon, setting up a claim to miraculous interposition; such is
revelation.” And further on he quotes the celebrated Moody, who said:
“It is not only every man’s privilege, but every man’s duty to make
_honest_ inquiry into the truth of the gospel; but should we conclude
that it is not true, _then we will surely be damned_.” This book, and
that of John Henry Newman, D. D., on the same subject, with Rev. Edward
Berwick’s translation of the great philosopher’s life by Philostrates,
should be in the library of every student, for comparison, if for
nothing else.[36] A great deal of time and careful study have been
devoted to the preparation of this book, from a love of the subject,
which increased so fast as the author proceeded, and grew so strong,
that he says he entirely forgot the clergyman who stirred him up to the
task. We are sorry that lack of space prevents us from going further
into this valuable work.

THE SECRET DOCTRINE.—Madame H. P. Blavatsky is now engaged upon
this work, in Germany, where she went last year for her health. The
subject is interesting, and the result of the author’s endeavors will
mark an era. It will not only be an amplification and explanation of
_Isis Unveiled_, but will contain mines of further information. There
will be in it verbatim passages from the Book of Dgyan and Limri of
Tsong-ka-po, and old commentaries, to which hitherto, access has not
been possible, and great attention will be paid to the doctrine of
Human Evolution, to Divine or White Magic, and Human or Black Magic.
The portion in which the subject of the Divine Hermaphrodite is
considered, should be of absorbing interest. It will be divided in four
parts: Archaic, Ancient, Mediæval and Modern, presenting the complete
sequences of the development of Occultism and Magic in their religious
and anti-religious aspects.

BIBLE MYTHS, AND THEIR PARALLELS IN OTHER RELIGIONS.—J. W. Bouton, New
York; Royal 8vo., 600 pages.—This book should be in the hands of all
students. It is clearly the result of years of patient and plodding
research made over a vast field of reading. By an overwhelming amount
of evidence, the author proves that that which is miraculous, found
in the New Testament, cannot be of Christian origin, nor can anything
of the same kind found in the Old Testament be of Hebrew origin, the
conclusion being irresistible, that if the Christian Bibles are of
Divine origin, so must also be all the other and older books which
contain these parallels. Orthodoxy has passed this work over in
silence, leaving the people still in their ignorance. One clerical
paper said that those whose theological opinions or faith was not
settled should avoid the book. Truth-seekers, however, cannot afford to
avoid it.

WHAT IS THEOSOPHY?—By a fellow of the Theosophical Society. Cupples,
Upham & Co., Boston, 1886.—This little book has just come out of the
press, and is very attractively dressed. The sheets, all loose, have
been merely placed between covers, which are tightly bound with cords
of the same color as the covers. It is dedicated by the author to a
son whose inquiring mind daily asked his father and mother, “What is
Theosophy?” The result is good, and we are sure that this unpretentious
little waif will do much toward aiding the cause; for when mothers
and fathers all over the land see that there are families in which
Theosophy is preached and practised, as this book evidences, they will
feel attracted to it. The author rightly says, that “Theosophy means
God’s wisdom.” The principal Aryan doctrines of use to the west, are
adverted to, such as Karma, Reincarnation, Devachan, and Nirvana. One
of the exalted beings referred to by the author has said, “that it is
quite probable that the sons of Theosophists will become Theosophists.”
Such is undoubtedly the case, and if the parents of other children
will follow the example to be found in the family of our author, by
inquiring into and trying to practise real Theosophy, teaching it to
their children, instead of sneering at phenomena which never were
claimed to be Theosophy, the great Day will soon dawn when our race
may prepare to take a higher place. This book is written in an easy,
pleasant style. On page 17 we find: “In a small apple seed there lies
the harvest of many summers, and in the human soul there lie the
possibilities of hundreds of lives.” True, and more true, that there
may be tens of thousands of lives in the human soul. Natural arguments
thus addressed to children produce great effects in their minds and
life, and as from children grow the men, we ought to see to it that our
own theories are right before we permit the youthful ones to drift with
a prevailing current, and when we are really convinced of our own it
should be inculcated.

THEOSOPHICAL ACTIVITIES.

THE ROCHESTER BRANCH.—This is the elder brother in America. It was
formed in 1882, by Mr. W. B. Shelley and Mrs. J. W. Cables, who had
been engaged with several friends, before that, in studying the
problems presented to thinking minds in life and death. The coincidence
is rather curious between the first Theosophical Branch starting
in Rochester and the first sounding there so many years ago of the
spiritualistic rappings.

A great deal has been done by this Branch. They have constantly studied
_The Theosophist_, and many people have, so to say, made pilgrimages
there to become members of the Society.

Here was started the first distinctively American Theosophical paper.
It is called _The Occult Word_, and appears monthly.

We believe the Branch meets in Mrs. Cables’ house, at 40 Ambrose
street, where inquirers in that section should address her, as she
is willing to answer all. We would also suggest that correspondents
enclose return postage, which is in the majority of cases ignored or
forgotten.

* * * * *

THE ARYAN THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK.—This Branch was formed with
the idea of cementing together the New York members taken into the
Parent Society while Col. Olcott and Madame Blavatsky were here, but
it was found that a good many had merely joined under the impression
that it was a new kind of spiritualism, and then had retired. But some
staunch ones remaining, the Branch has grown gradually. Every now and
then it holds meetings, to which a great many are admitted who are not
members.

Bro. Gopal Vinayak Joshee, of Bombay, now travelling here, delivered an
address on Theosophy in India and America, and on the same evening Bro.
Judge explained the object, drift and method of Theosophy, and also
read a paper on Jacob Böhme.

In March, Bro. A. Gebhard delivered a short lecture on “The Ideals
of Richard Wagner, as they bear on Theosophy.” Several visitors from
Boston attended, and a general discussion on ancient myths in the light
of Theosophical ideas was held.

On March 25th, Mr. C. H. A. Bjerregaard, of the Astor Library, gave an
address on Historic Cycles, but we then were so near going to press
that we cannot give its substance.

The Branch is actively engaged in spreading Theosophical literature,
and now has requests for books from all parts of the U. S. It has
reprinted Mrs. Sinnett’s “Purpose of Theosophy” very cheap in form, but
well done, and has other reprints in mind. At present, meetings are
held in a private house of a member, but other permanent quarters will
soon be obtained. All inquiries should be addressed to the Secretary,
box 2,659, New York City.

* * * * *

THE PIONEER THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF ST. LOUIS, was formed in 1884, by
the efforts of Brother Elliott B. Page, who is also Secretary of the
American Board of Control. It is pursuing its way quietly and surely,
and has sent out some members to other parts of the United States,
whose influence will further spread the cause of Universal Brotherhood.
Brother Page’s address is 301 South Main Street, St. Louis, Mo.

* * * * *

CINCINNATI.—A branch is ready here, and no doubt will be very active.

* * * * *

THE CHICAGO BRANCH was founded the 27th of November, 1885, Stanley
B. Sexton, President, No. 2 Park Row, Dr. W. Phelon, Corresponding
Secretary, 629 W. Fulton.

Meetings are held every Sunday at 2 P. M. All the fellows except the
President are a little over a year old in Theosophy. The President
became an F. T. S. in 1879. One of the members is Rev. Mr. Hoisington,
the blind lecturer on Egypt, who is one of our most earnest workers,
and has been a Theosophist for many years.

We are all working with heart and soul for the spread of Theosophy.

* * * * *

THE BRANCH IN MALDEN, Massachusetts, originated in the spring of
1885, with a few persons who casually discovered that they had
mutually had an interest in Theosophy. Informal meetings were held
to discuss Theosophical subjects, and were conducted in this way
without organization until December 27, when a formal organization was
affected under the customary provisional charter from the American
Board of Control. The name chosen was the Malden Branch, Theosophical
Society. At the organization valuable assistance was rendered by
Brothers Arthur H. Gebhard of New York, and Hollis B. Page and Charles
R. Kendall of Boston. Two open meetings were held the past winter, at
which addresses were made by Brothers William Q. Judge and Arthur H.
Gebhard, respectively, and considerable outside interest was awakened.
The members have devoted themselves chiefly to the spiritual, moral and
philosophical aspects of the subject, and have laid little stress upon
the phenomenal, and have discouraged marvel-seekers from membership.
The President is Sylvester Baxter, and Frank S. Collins is Secretary.

* * * * *

THE SOCIETY’S EXTENT may be understood by the number and ramification
of its branches, of which in India there are 106; in Europe, 7; in the
United States, 9; in Australia, 1; and the West Indies, 1.

* * * * *

BOSTON has a Branch of the Society also. In various intellectual
circles in the city there is much discussion of Theosophical
literature, and in general, of the subject. Notwithstanding recent
malicious attacks on our harmless and studious Brotherhood, the current
of truth flowing through the Society’s channels makes itself felt in
Boston.

* * * * *

THE AMERICAN BOARD OF CONTROL.—The general and routine work of the
Society in America, is under the jurisdiction of the _Board of
Control_, of which the President is Prof. Elliott Coues, Washington,
D. C., and the Secretary, Elliott B. Page, 301 South Main Street, St.
Louis, Mo.

A resolution has been passed by this Board, which is binding on all
members, that no publication shall be issued as a Theosophical one,
without previous consent obtained from the officers of the Board.
This is wise, as it will tend to prevent unauthorized declarations of
so-called Theosophical doctrine from being laid at the door of the
Society. All members, therefore, intending to make publication, should
address the Secretary of the Board.

* * * * *

The Word and the verses at the head of this text, contain the verbal
exposition of the symbol on the cover, which is, in one aspect, the
radiating of the Great All. He who knows this is fortunate and will
learn to pronounce the syllable

AUM!

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Khandogya Upanishad, 1st Khanda. See Vol. 1, _Sacred Books of the
East_. Müller.

[2] Hymn of Praise to Brahm.

[3] St. John. C. I, v. 1.

[4] See _Bagavad-Gita_.

[5] _Mundaka Upanishad_, II, Kh. 2. (Müller’s Tr.)

[6] See _Theosophist_, Vol. III, p. 177.

[7] See _Esoteric Buddhism_ for the sevenfold classification adopted by
many Theosophists.

[8] _Zanoni_, Book IV, Chapter 2.

[9] _Patanjali’s Yoga Aphorisms_, 30 & 31, Part I.

[10] The following from the _Kaushitaki Upanishad_, (see Max Muller’s
translation, and also that published in the Bibliotheka Indica,
with Sankaracharya’s commentary—Cowell’s tran.) may be of interest
to students. “Agatasatru to him: Bàlàki, where did this person here
sleep? Where was he? Whence did he come back? Bàlàki did not know. And
Agatasatru said to him: ‘Where this person here slept, where he was,
whence he thus came back, is this: The arteries of the heart called
Hita extend from the heart of the person towards the surrounding body.
Small as a hair divided a thousand times, they stand, full of a thin
fluid of various colors, white, black, yellow, red. In these the person
is when sleeping, he sees no dream (Sushupti). Then he becomes one with
that prâna (breath) alone.’” (Elsewhere the number of these arteries is
said to be 101.) “And as a razor might be fitted in a razor case, or as
fire in the fire place, even thus this conscious self enters into the
self of the body, to the very hair and nails; he is the master of all,
and eats with and enjoys with them. So long as Indra did not understand
that self, the Asuras (lower principles in man) conquered him. When he
understood it, he conquered the Asuras, and obtained the pre-eminence
among all gods. And thus also he who knows this obtains pre-eminence,
sovereignty, supremacy.” And in the _Khandogya Upanishad_, VI Prap. 8,
Kh. 1: “When the man sleeps here, my dear son, he becomes united with
the True—in Sushupti sleep—he is gone to his own self. Therefore they
say, he sleeps (Swapita), because he is gone (apita) to his own (sva).”
And in _Prasna Up_ II, 1, “There are 101 arteries from the heart; one
of them penetrates the crown of the head; moving upwards by it man
reaches the immortal; the others serve for departing in different
directions.” [ED.]

[11] This opens up an intensely interesting and highly important
subject, which cannot be here treated of, but which will be in future
papers. Meanwhile, Theosophists can exercise their intuition in respect
to it. |ED.

[12] _Guru_, a spiritual teacher.

[13] Vide _Light on the Path_, Rule 1, note, part 1.

[14] There is one exceptional case where the Guru’s goal is seen, and
then the Guru has to die, for there can be no two _equals_.

[15] There is no contradiction between this and the preceding paragraph
where it is said “To see the Guru’s goal is impossible.” During the
initiation ceremony, there is no separateness between those engaged in
it. They all become one whole, and therefore, even the High Hierophant,
while engaged in an initiation, is no more his separate self, but is
only a part of the whole, of which the candidate is also a part, and
then, for the time being, having as much power and knowledge as the
very highest present. [ED.]

[16] Rig Veda, IV, VII, 9.

[17] Divine science.

[18] “The knowledge of Yoga, which is, joining with your higher self.”

[19] See _Zanoni_, Book IV, c. iii.

[20] Highest soul.

[21] Fifth principle.

[22] See Vol. 1, _Theosophist_.

[23] Taubaya uddito lókó; jaráya pari vârato: Maccuna pihito loko;
Dukkhe Loko patitthito.

[24] Kammam vijjà dhammóca; Silam jivita muttamam; Etena maccá
sujjhanti: Na-gottêna dhanenavá.

[25] Code of laws.

[26] Restraining thoughts from being dispersed.

[27] Effecting complete reconciliation and composure of mind.

[28] Worldly.

[29] Superhuman.

[30] This means the particular kind which each man, because of
heredity, education and class, exercises. It is also known as using
the path pertaining to the Lodge or Ray, to which the one meditating,
belongs.—[ED.]

[31] See Bagavad-Gita, c. 14.—[ED.]

[32] See No. 68 (May, 1886) _Theosophist_.

[33] _Gnyanam_ is translated “higher knowledge,” which does not merely
mean acquirement of greater so-called mortal or ordinary knowledge,
but that kind of knowledge which is only attained by rising to higher
spiritual planes, and which transcends the highest of ordinary
knowledge of the greatest literati or scientist.

[34] This was written then to various persons in Paris, London, New
York, and India.

[35] By D. M. Tredwell. Published by Fred Tredwell, 78 Nassau St., New
York, 1886.

[36] _The Life of Apollonius_, &c., Hist. of Chr. Church, Vol. I, p.
348. _The Life of Apollonius, of Tyana_, by Philostrates, tr. by Rev.
Edward Berwick, Ireland (1809).

AUM

The departure of the soul atom from the bosom of Divinity, is a
radiation from the life of the great All, who expends his strength
in order that he may grow again and live by its return. God thereby
acquires a new vital force provided by all the transformations that
the soul atom has undergone. Its return is the final reward. Such is
the secret of the evolution of the great Being and of the Supreme
Soul.—_Book of Pitris._

The soul is the assemblage of the Gods. The universe rests in the
Supreme Soul. It is the soul that accomplishes the series of acts
emanating from animate beings. So the man who recognizes the Supreme
Soul as present in his own soul, understands that it is his duty to
be kind and true to all, and the most fortunate destiny that he could
have desired is that of being finally absorbed in Brahma.—_Manu._, V.
12.

THE PATH.

VOL. I. MAY, 1886. NO. 2.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

STUDIES IN THE UPANISHADS.

[BY A STUDENT.]

Many American theosophists are asking, “What are the Upanishads?”
They are a portion of the ancient Aryan literature which this journal
has set itself to help lay before theosophists of America, to the end
that whatever in them is good and true may be brought out. As Max
Muller says, hitherto the Upanishads have not received at the hands of
Sanskrit and oriental scholars, that treatment which in the eyes of
philosophers and theologians they seem so fully to deserve. He also
calls them “ancient theosophic treatises” and declares that his real
love for Sanskrit literature was first kindled by them.[37] They have
received no treatment at all in the United States, because they are
almost absolutely unknown in the original tongue in this country, and
in translations, have been but little studied here. Europe and America
differ in this, that while in England and Germany nearly all such study
is confined to the book-worm or the theologian, here there is such a
general diffusion of pretty fair education in the people, that the
study of these books, as translated, may be made popular, a thing which
in Europe is perhaps impossible.

Muller returned to the study of the Upanishads after a period of thirty
years, during which he had devoted himself to the hymns and Brahmanas
of the Vedas, and found his interest in them undiminished. As for the
period of these treatises, he says that has been fixed _provisionally_,
at about 800 B. C.

The word means “secret charm,” “philosophical doctrine;” and more
strictly, “to sit down near.” Hindu theologians say the Upanishads
belong to revealed religion in opposition to that which is traditional.
In the opinion of our friend Muller, to whom all western students must
ever remain grateful no matter how much they may disagree with his
views as to the Vedas being the lispings of baby man, “the earliest
of these philosophical treatises will always maintain a place in the
literature of the world, among the most astounding productions of the
human mind in any age and in any country.”[38]

Professor Weber placed the number of Upanishads at 235[39]; in 1865
Muller put them at 149, and others added to that number, so that even
to-day the actual figures are not known. Indeed it is held by several
Orientalists, that before they assumed their present form, a large mass
of traditional Upanishads must have existed.

The meaning of the word which ought to be borne most in mind is,
“secret knowledge, or true knowledge” although there may be a Upanishad
or secret knowledge, which is false.

In the Chandogya Upanishad (I, 1,) after describing the deeper
meaning of OM, it is said that the sacrifice which a man performs
with knowledge, with faith, and with the Upanishad, _i. e._ with
an understanding of the secret charm, or underlying principles and
effects, is more powerful than when with faith, the only knowledge
possessed is of the rites themselves, their origin and regularity. The
sacrifice referred to is, not alone the one offered on the altar in the
temple, but that daily sacrifice which every breath and every thought,
brings about in ourselves.

THE MUNDAKA UPANISHAD.

This is in the _Atharva Veda_. Although it has the form of a mantra,
it is not to be used in the sacrifices, as its sole object is to teach
the highest knowledge, the knowledge of Brahman, which cannot be
obtained by either worship or sacrifices. Offerings to the Gods, in
no matter what mode or church, restraining of the breath, penances, or
cultivation of the psychic senses, will not lead to the true knowledge.
Yet some works have to be performed, and many persons require works,
sacrifices and penances as stepping stones to a higher life. In the
progress of these works and sacrificial performances, errors are
gradually discovered by the individual himself. He can then remove
them. So the Hindu commentators have explained the title of this
Upanishad as the “shaving” one. That is, it cuts off the errors of the
mind like a razor. It is said by European scholars that the title has
not yet been explained. This may be quite correct for them, but it is
very certain the Hindu explanation appears to the Hindu mind to be a
very good one. Let us proceed.

FIRST MUNDAKA.

This means, first shaving, or beginning of the process for removing
error. It may be considered as a division equivalent to “first title,”
after which follow the lesser divisions, as: _First Khanda_.

“1. Brahma was the first of the Devas, the maker of the universe,
the preserver of the world. He told the knowledge of Brahman, the
foundation of all knowledge, to his eldest son Atharva.”

Here at once should be noted, that although in Hindu theology we find
Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, as the creator, preserver and destroyer,
forming the Trinity, the Upanishad now before us—for cutting away
error—has not such a division. It says Brahma is first, also the maker
and the preserver. Even knowledge that is true for certain stages of
development becomes error when we rise up into the higher planes and
desire to know the true. Similarly we find Buddha in his congregation
teaching his disciples by means of the “three vehicles,” but when
he had raised them to the higher plane, he informed them that these
vehicles might be discarded and _sat_ or truth be approached through
one vehicle.

The knowledge here spoken of is Brahman knowledge which is the supreme
vehicle.

“2. Whatever Brahma told Atharvan that knowledge Atharvan told to
Angir, he told it to Satyavaha Bharadvaga, and he in succession told
it to Angiras.

“3. Saunaka, the great householder, approached Angiras respectfully
and asked ‘Sir, what is that through which if it is known, everything
else becomes known?’

“4. He said to him: ‘Two kinds of knowledge must be known, this is
what all who know Brahman tell us, the higher and the lower knowledge.

“5. ‘The lower knowledge is the Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda,
Atharva-Veda Phonetics, Ceremonial, Grammar, Etymology, Metre
and Astronomy; but the higher knowledge is that by which the
Indestructible (Brahma) is apprehended.

“6. ‘That which cannot be seen nor seized, which has no origin and is
without qualities, no eyes nor ears, no hands nor feet, the eternal,
the all pervading, infinitesimal, that which is imperishable, that is
what is regarded by the wise as the source of all beings.

“7. ‘As the spider sends forth and draws in its thread, as plants grow
on the earth, as from every man hairs spring forth on the head and the
body, thus does everything arise here from the Indestructible.

“8. ‘The Brahman swells by means of meditation; hence is produced
matter; from matter mind, breath and intellect, the seven worlds, and
from the works performed by men in the worlds, the eternal effects,
rewards and punishment of works.

“9. ‘From Him who perceives all and who knows all, whose meditation
consists of knowledge, from that highest Brahman is born that other
Hiranyagarbha—name, form, and matter.’”

This Khanda unfolds broadly the whole philosophy. The following ones
go into particulars. It is very easy here to see that the imperishable
doctrine could not be communicated directly by the Great Brahma to
man, but it has to be filtered down through various channels. The
communicator of it to mortals, however, would be regarded by his finite
auditors as a god. The same method is observable in the _Bagavad-Gita_
(ch. IV) where Krishna says to Arjuna that “this never failing doctrine
I formerly taught unto Vivaswat and he to Manu, who told it to Ikswaku,
succeeding whom came the Rajarshis who studied it.” Manu is regarded as
of a wholly Divine nature although not the Great Brahm.

Now, when Angiras, as detailed in the Upanishad, had received this
higher knowledge, he was approached by a great householder, by name
Saunaka. This has reference to an ancient mode of life in India when
Saunaka would be called a grihastha, or one who was performing all his
duties to his family, his tribe, and his nation while still in the
world. All the while, however, he studied the knowledge of Brahman,
so that when the proper time came for him to give up those duties of
life, he could either die or retire to solitude. It was not considered
then to be a virtue for one to violently sever all ties and assume the
garb and life of a mendicant devoted to religious contemplation, but
the better way was thought to be that one which resulted in our, so to
speak, consuming all the Karma of our family in ourselves. Otherwise
it would inevitably result that if he retired with many duties
unfulfilled, they waited, figuratively speaking, for him, sure to
attach to him in a succeeding incarnation and to work him either injury
or obstruction. So it was thought better to work out all such results
in the present life as far as possible.

We find here also a foreshadowing of some ideas held by the Greek
philosophers. In the third verse, the question is asked: “What is that
through which when it is known, the knower thereof knows everything
else.” Some of the Greeks said that we must first ascend to the
general, from which descent to the particular is easy. Such, however,
is directly opposite to the modern method, which delights in going from
particulars to generals, from effects to causes. The true knowledge
proceeds as shown in the Upanishad. By endeavoring to attain to the
Universal Soul of all, the knowledge of the particular parts may be
gained. This is not easy, but it is easy to try. At the same time do
not forsake modern methods altogether, which correspond to the lower
knowledge spoken of in Verse 5. Therefore Angiras says: Two kinds of
knowledge, the lower and the higher, must be known.

Here and there are persons who seem not to need the lower knowledge,
who pay no attention to it, and who apprehend the higher flights
impossible for others. This is what is known as the result of past
births. In previous incarnations these persons studied upon all the
lower planes so that their spiritual perceptions do not now need that
help and training which the lower knowledge gives to others. They are
approaching that state which is beautifully described by Longfellow in
his “Rain in Summer,” in these words:—

“Thus the seer,
With vision clear,
Sees forms appear and disappear,
In the perpetual round of strange,
Mysterious change
From birth to death, from death to birth;
From earth to heaven, from heaven to earth;
’Till glimpses more sublime,
Of things unseen before,
Unto his wondering eyes reveal
The Universe, as an immeasurable wheel
Turning forevermore
In the rapid and rushing river of Time.”

(_To be continued._)

THE MYSTERY OF NUMBERS.

In a previous article on the Kabbalah, we spoke of it as being
a tradition embodying a noble philosophy, which is but slightly
understood, owing to its symbolical representations.

There were three forms of symbols introduced by the Ancient
Theosophists to express their thoughts and convey their ideas from one
to another. The object of the symbolic language was for the purpose
of preventing their esoteric knowledge from becoming public property
and to obviate persecution from those who were in authority and held
different views. These three forms were: hieroglyphics, numbers and
allegories.

It is the Kabbalistic science of numbers of which we purpose to
speak. Deity in constructing the universe, employed but few means to
accomplish a great purpose. They consisted of _energy_ and _law_. The
former is under control of the latter. The first act was the positing
of energy, which formed substance. In this manner He converted chaos,
which was a motionless, dark abyss, into activity and light. Light
is not energy, but primarily resulted from the activity of atomic
substance.

God creates all things by number, weight and measure, and with an
arithmetical and geometrical precision. The universal _continuity_
observed in nature is owing to the law that controls energy. Any
interference with this law throws energy out of harmony, producing
discord, and consequently a varying of continuity.

Every seed has within it an individual life energy which gives to it
when developed into a plant or tree its type and form. Any external
interference induces a struggle for life in the forces in maintaining
their ancestral types and forms. Heredity may produce the same by
interfering with the law controlling development.

The Kabbalists never intended to convey the idea that numbers possessed
special virtues. They merely represent them; for example 3 represents
a life entity; without this ternary combination it would be impossible
for life to exist. The self-existing Deity is a Triune Entity; so
is every individual life form. Whether it be a _Monera_, the lowest
structureless life organism, or _Man_, the highest in the scale of
living beings. Number three is therefore called the generating number.

Again, 7 is the harmonic numeral, there being seven primary grades
of harmony, and in order to extend it, the scale of seven must be
repeated, and every repetition lessens the harmony and tends to discord.

The _Sepher Jetzirah_, which is recognized by the Kabbalist as the
key of the Sohar, is a wonderful and obscure work. Its wisdom is
represented in ten numbers and twenty-two letters. From the numbers
“are drawn or cut” the twenty-two letters which are divided into
three mothers, seven double and twelve single letters. According to
the Sepher there were three acts of creation; 1st, _Conception or
Idea_; 2nd, _The Word_; 3rd, _The Writings_. For example, _first_,
God conceived in His own mind, the archetype of the universe which
constituted the _design_; _second_, the Word represents the law and the
energy it controls and directs in carrying out the design; _third_, the
product arising from the second constitute the writings.

The Sepher Jetzirah teaches that the hidden ways of wisdom are in the
ten _sephiroth_, which are usually termed spheres. The Hebrews use the
word “ways,” which with us mean degrees, forms or species. These hidden
ways are the workings of the forces producing differentiation of forms,
which represents the twenty-two letters, which are expressed as one in
three, and three in seven, and seven in twelve, making twenty-two.

The ten sephiroth interest us the most for they represent the unity
and synthesis of numbers and the manifestations of Deity in nature.
The first sefir is called the Crown on account of its being the
abode of the _En Soph_[40] the unmanifested infinite Being; but
the first form by which he became known was the _Memra_ or “word,”
which is represented by the first three sephiroth, namely, _Kether_,
“the Crown,” _Chochma_, “wisdom,” _Binah_, “understanding.”[41] To
express it more clearly, the first three sephiroth comprise a Triune
Entity, the verbalized spirit of God consisting of self-consciousness,
wisdom and love which embodied the _Word_, “the heavenly man,” “the
man on high,” (Ezekiel I, 26), the Adam Kadmon of the Kabbalist, the
Paradisical Adam of Genesis, the Christ of the Christians and the
Buddha of the Buddhists.

In order to be understood, we will state that the Triune spirit of the
world contains the word, and is therefore the source of energy and life
in both the subjective and objective worlds, and in fact is the source
of all that exists outside of spirit. It is under the direction of
spirit in developing forms and giving them activity and life. We thus
perceive how a knowledge of the word gives us an insight into the work
of God in creation.

Jacob Behmen was a mystic, and acquainted with the meaning of the
word which he obtained through illumination or the unfolding of inner
consciousness. What he called the _Signatura Rerum_—the signature of
all things—is the word. He describes it as coming from a triune entity,
which he locates in the super-celestial world. It is first manifested
in the subjective or esoteric world, and afterwards in the objective.
He also alludes to the septenary which he applies to the external
world; he could not have understood the laws of harmony or he would not
have made this application, for it applies to both the subjective and
objective worlds.

We will now explain the _Tetractys_ of Pythagoras; before doing so,
however, we have a few remarks to make regarding his Kabbalistic
knowledge. He is said to have been initiated into the secrets of
nature by Daniel and Ezekiel, and subsequently admitted into the
Egyptian Sanctuaries upon a personal recommendation by King Amosis.
His tetractys proves that he was thoroughly familiar with theosophical
science, which enabled him to study nature and arrive at correct
conclusions. It is a noted fact that he was familiar with the movements
of the heavenly bodies; which science did not reveal until centuries
after his death. If he mistook some of its details, his substantial
correctness was none the less wonderful. He was the founder of the
renowned school of Crotona, about five hundred years before Christ.
He maintained that the Sun is the centre of a system around which all
the planets revolve, and that the fixed stars were each the centre of
a system. He also believed that the planets were inhabited and that
they and our earth are ever revolving in harmonious order—“keeping
up a grand celestial concert, inaudible to man, but as a music of the
spheres audible to God.” He was not permitted to declare publicly all
that he knew, but taught it privately to a few chosen friends. He
was also familiar with the laws of attraction and repulsion, which
constituted one of the most important duties of the sanctuaries. Newton
was led to the discovery of these forces through the study of the
Kabbalah.

Speaking of Pythagoras calls to mind the Kabbalistic enigma written by
Plato and sent to Dionysius: “all things surround our King, (God) He is
the cause of all things: seconds for seconds and thirds for thirds.”
This expresses the division of the Sephiroth. Plato was an earnest and
most intelligent Kabbalist.

We will now explain for the first time the Tetractys of Pythagoras,
which reveals the numerical meaning of the word. We remark, however,
before doing so, that there is a greater enigma attached to it than is
expressed by the numbers, which we cannot give for several reasons. One
is, the name has never been imparted; when obtained, it was through
self illumination; another is, it would open the doors of masonry, and
reveal the secrets of the order. It is the key to mysticism—to religion
and universal science.

In the Tetractys the four letters composing the name, are arranged in
a triangular form, enclosed with a double circle.[42] The numerical
division he has made applies to the _super-celestial_, _celestial_ and
_material_ worlds:

[Illustration: _The Tetractys of Pythagoras._]

_Super Celestial._—The first series of numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 of the
tetractys refers to the super-celestial world.

1 is the unity of God represented thus: ① God in nothing.

2 is the duality of God.

3 is the spirit of a triune entity.

4 is Divine volition, capable of determining choice and forming a
purpose, and manifesting activity.

_Celestial._—The above numerals are combined in the following
order:—1+2=3—the manifestation of the word, in the celestial world.

2+3=5—substance or quintescent matter, produced by the activity of the
word.

3+4=7—the law of harmony—the providence of God in Nature. The celestial
world is called by the Kabbalist the world of harmony, which none can
occupy save the pure in spirit. Harmony is the only passport to Heaven.

_Material._—The numeral 1, which represents the unity of God, is not
represented in this world—we only have the following numerals:

2+3+4=9—humanity with the word unmanifested in the spirit. Yet it
exists and can be made manifest through harmony of the spirit. It not
being manifested debars humanity from the pleasure of enjoying the
light of the celestial world. It is for this reason the Kabbalist
called it the world of darkness or Hades. It is also called the world
of discord. There are as many grades of discord here as there are
harmonies in the world above. When man throws off the material covering
of his soul, his consciousness reveals to him his moral standard and he
gravitates to the sphere with which he is in accord. If harmonious he
ascends, if discordant he descends.

10 is the synthesis of numbers. In the beginning before Deity
manifested himself, it stood thus ①; in the consummation of creation it
became reversed, thus 10.
SETH PANCOAST.

SUFISM,

OR THEOSOPHY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF MOHAMMEDANISM.

_A Chapter from a MS. work designed as a text book for Students in
Mysticism._

BY C. H. A. BJERREGAARD, _Stud. Theos._

In Two Parts:—Part I, Texts; Part II, Symbols.

The spirit of Sufism is best expressed in the couplet of Katebi:

“Last night a nightingale sung his song, perched on a high cypress,
when the rose, on hearing his plaintive warbling, shed tears in the
garden, soft as the dews of heaven.”

INTRODUCTION.

Sufism has not yet received fair treatment in any publication that has
appeared in Western literature.

The reason is that no Western writer upon the subject has endeavored
to understand it, either because of an intellectual bias or from
willful perversion. Most treatises are written under strong dogmatic
prejudices, or by persons intellectually and morally incapable of
rising to the A B C of a spiritual philosophy.

The present attempt to represent the doctrines and practices of Sufism
has been made in the hope of overcoming the effect of these evils. We
have studied patiently Sufism from Sufi works and claim to be in full
sympathy with our subject.

That which we here present to the judgment of the candid reader is a
part of a larger work we have been engaged on for many years; a work
designed as a text book for students in Mysticism. This fact, the
intention of making a text book for reference on all mystic questions,
will account for the unusual method adopted in this series of articles.

In the first part we shall give a resumé of Sufi doctrine with copious
quotations from Sufi works. In the second we shall give a full
exposition of Sufi practices and symbols.

The following is a partial list of works consulted and quoted without
further reference:

Tholuck, Sufismus, sive theosophia persarum—Tholuck, Blüthensammlung
der morgenl. Mystik—Malcolm, Hist. of Persia—Trans. of the lit. soc.
of Bombay, vol. I, art. by Capt. Graham—J. von Hammer, Geschichte der
Schönen Redekünste Persiens, mit einer Blüthenlese—Garcin de Tassy, la
poesie phil. et rel. chez les Persans, in Rev. cont. 1856—Fleischer,
uber die farbigen Lichterscheinungen der Sufis, in Zeitsh. f.
morgl. Geselsch. vol. 16—G. P. Brown, The Dervishes, or Oriental
Spiritualism—Journal of Am. Orient. Soc., vol. 8—The Dabistan, or
school of sects—E. H. Palmer, Oriental Mysticism—Persian Poetry by S.
Robinson—Th. P. Hughes, Dict. of Islam—Ousely, Biographical notices of
Persian poets—Omar Khayyam, see ed. illust. by Vedder—Al Gazzali, la
perle precieuse, par L. Gautier—Allegories recits poetiques traduit
de l’arabe, du persan &c., par Garcin de Tassy—Al Gazzali, Alchemy of
Happiness tr. by H. A. Homes—Hammer-Purgstall, Literatur-Geschichte
der Araber—The works of Nizami, Saadi, Attar, Jellalladin Rumi,
Hafiz, Jami, Hatifi, &c., in English, French, German and Latin
translations—Lane’s transl. of the Quran—&c., &c.

PART I.—TEXTS.

ORIGIN OF SUFISM.

It is generally conceded among the Sufis that one of the great founders
of their system, as found in Islam, was the adopted son and son-in-law
of the Prophet, Ali-ibn-Abi-Talib. But it is also admitted that their
religious system has always existed in the world, prior to Mohammed. It
is known that a tribe, Sufah, from whom possibly the name is derived,
in “the time of ignorance” separated themselves from the world and
devoted themselves to spiritual exercises like those of the present
Sufis.

Sufism in its best known forms must thus be considered to be the
philosophy of Mohammedanism and to represent the protest of the human
soul against the formalism and barrenness of the letter of the Quran.
Still there is much in favor of Schmölder’s assertion (Essai sur les
ecoles philos. chez les Arabes) that Sufism is neither a philosophical
system nor the creed of a religious sect, but simply a way of living.

Perhaps the simplest statement is this: _Sufism is theosophy from the
standpoint of Mohammedanism_.

Said-Abul-Chair (about A. D. 820) is often called the author of Sufism.
Abu Hashem (A. D. 767) has been called the first Sufi.

The _Dabistan_ maintains the identity of the pure Sufis and that of
Platonism and it has popularly been supposed that Sufism has borrowed
very much from the Vedanta and from Plato and Aristotle; it has even
been confidently asserted that the similarity is so striking to the
student, that it is a most easy matter to find identical statements
in either of them. We must confess that our study does not prove the
assertion. The similarity is to be accounted for by the universality of
truth.

ETYMOLOGY.

The root of the word implies wisdom, the Greek Sophia, purity,
spirituality, etc. Some have connected it with sûf, wool, on account of
the woolen garment worn by the devotees.

Graham[43] maintains that “any person or a person of any religion or
sect, may be a Sûfi. The mystery lies in this: a total disengagement
of the mind from all temporal concerns and worldly pursuits; an entire
throwing off not only of every superstition, doubt, or the like, but
of the practical mode of worship, ceremonies, etc., laid down in
every religion, which the Mohammedans term _Sheriat_, being the law,
or canonical law; and entertaining solely mental abstraction, and
contemplation of the soul and Deity, their affinity, etc.” In short,
Sufism may be termed the religion of the heart, as opposed to formalism
and ritualism.

“Traces of the Sufi doctrine exist in some shape or other in every
region of the world. It is to be found in the most splendid theogonies
of the ancient school of Greece and of the modern philosophers of
Europe. It is the dream of the most ignorant and the most learned,
and is seen at one time indulging in the shade of ease, at another
traversing the pathless desert.” (Malcolm Hist. of Persia.)

_Abu-Said-Abul-Chair_, the accredited founder of Sufism, when asked
what Sufism was, answered: “What you have in the head, give it up;
what you have in the hand, throw it away; whatever may meet you, depart
not from it.”

_Dschuneid_, a Sufi Shaikh, thus defined Sufism: “To liberate the mind
from the violence of the passions, to put off nature’s claims, to
extirpate human nature, to repress the sensual instinct, to acquire
spiritual qualities, to be elevated through an understanding of wisdom,
and to practice that which is good—that is the aim of Sufism.”

_Abul Hussein Nuri_ thus expressed himself: “Sufism is neither precept
nor doctrine, but something _inborn_. If it were a precept, it could
be followed; if it were a doctrine, it could be learned; it is rather
something inborn—and as the Quran says: ‘Ye are _created_ in the image
of God.’ Evidently no one can, either by application or by teaching,
possess himself of the likeness of God.”

SUFI DOCTRINES.

DEITY.

_The Deity alone_ IS _and permeates all things. All visible and
invisible things are an emanation from Deity, and are not absolutely
distinct from it._

One sect “the Unionists,” believe that God is as one with every
enlightened being. They compare the Almighty to a flame, and their
souls to charcoal; and say, that in the same manner that charcoal when
it meets flame, becomes flame, the immortal part, from its union with
God becomes God.

According to the Dabistan, the presence of the universal Deity is
fivefold. The first is the presence of “the absolute mystery.” The
absolute mystery is one with “the invariable prototypes” (or realities
of things). The second is the presence of “the relative mystery,”
and this belongs to pure intellects and spirits. The third is the
presence of “the mysterious relation,” which is nearest to the absolute
evidence; this is the world of similitude or dream. The fourth is the
presence of the “absolute evidence” which reaches from the centre of
the earth to the middle of the ninth empyrean heaven. The fifth is “the
presence of the rest,” and this is the universe in an extensive, and
mankind in a restricted acceptation.

Silvestre de Sacy gives the following explanation to the above from
Jorjani. The five divine presences are (1) the presence of the absolute
absence (or mystery); its world is the world of the fixed substances
in the scientific presence. To the presence of the absolute mystery is
opposed: (2) the presence of the absolute assistance; it is the world
of the throne or seat of God, of the four elemental natures. (3) The
presence of the relative absence; this is divided into two parts: The
one nearer the presence of the absolute mystery; the world of which is
that of spirits, which belong to what is called intelligences and bare
souls; the other: (4) Nearer the presence of the absolute assistance;
the world of which is that of models (images). (5) The presence which
comprises the four preceding ones, and its world is the world of
mankind, a world which reunites all the worlds, and all they contain.

GOOD AND EVIL: ETHICS.

_There is no absolute difference between Good and Evil; all that
exists, exists in unity and God is the real author of all the acts of
mankind._

The Sufi says that evil only came into the world through ignorance,
and that ignorance is the cause of error and disunion among men. The
following tale answers to the point: “Four travelers—a Turk, an Arab,
a Persian, and a Greek, having met together, decided to take their
meal in common, and as each one had but ten paras, they consulted
together as to what should be purchased with the money. The first said
_Uzum_, the second _Ineb_, the third decided in favor of _Inghur_, and
the fourth insisted upon _Stafilion_. On this a dispute arose between
them and they were about to come to blows, when a peasant passing by
happened to know all four of their tongues, and brought them a basket
of grapes. They now found out, greatly to their astonishment, that each
one had what he desired.”

They believe the emanating principle, proceeding from God, can do
nothing without His will and can refrain from nothing that He wills.
Some of them deny the existence of evil on the ground that nothing but
good can come from God.

The Dabistan: One sect, “the Eternals,” conceive that man is taught
his duty by a mysterious order of priesthood,[44] whose number and
ranks are fixed, and who rise in gradation from the lowest paths to the
sublimest height of divine knowledge.

Another sect, “the Enlightened,” teach that men’s actions should
neither proceed from fear of punishment nor the hope of reward, but
from innate love of virtue, and detestation of vice.

THE SOUL, ITS LIFE AND CONDITIONS.

_The soul existed before the body and is confined in it like in a cage.
To the Sufi, death is liberation and return to the Deity._

_The soul is confined in a body_ (metempsychosis) _to be purified, to
fulfill its destination, the union with Deity_.

_Without the grace of God_ (Fazlu allah) _no soul can attain this
union, but God’s grace can be obtained by fervently asking for it_.

_The soul_ of man is _of_ God, not _from_ God, an exile from Him; it
lives in the body as in a prison and banishment from God. Before its
exile the soul saw _Truth_, but here it only has glimpses “to awaken
the slumbering memory of the past.” The object of all Sufi teaching is
to lead the soul onward by degrees to reach that stage again.

“You say ‘the sea and the waves,’ but in that remark you do not believe
that you signify distinct objects, for the sea when it heaves produces
waves, and the waves when they settle down again become sea; in the
same manner men are the waves of God, and after death return to His
bosom. Or, you trace with ink upon paper the letters of the alphabet,
a, b, c; but these letters are not distinct from the ink which enabled
you to write them; in the same manner the creation is the alphabet of
God, and is lost in Him.”

RELIGIONS

_are matters of indifference_; still they serve as stepping-stones to
realities. Some are more useful than others, among which is al-Islam,
of which Sufism is the true philosophy.

THE WORLD, &c.

_The world is life_ and intellect, as far as the mineral kingdom;
but the manifestation of intellect in everybody is determined by the
temperature of the human constitution. Sometimes beauty attains an
excellence which is uttered with ecstacy, and becomes a modulation more
powerful than that which strikes the ear; and this is the work of the
prophet.

THE TARIGAH OR “JOURNEY OF LIFE” AND ITS STATES.

The main duty of this life is _Meditation on the Unity of Deity_
(wahdaniyah), the _Remembrance of God’s Name_ (Zikr), and _Progression
in the Tarigah_ (the Path, the Journey of Life).

Human life is a _journey_ (safar) and the seekers after God are
_travellers_ (salik). _Perfect knowledge_ (marifah) of Deity as
diffused throughout creation is the purpose of the journey. _Sufism is
the guide_, and the _end of the journey, is Union with God_.

The natural state of every human being is nasut. In this state the
disciple can not yet observe the Law (shariat). This is the lowest form
of spiritual existence.

The states in the Tarigah are the following:

The first state is called _Shariat_—the _state of law or method_. The
student’s passions are in this degree checked by a rigid observance of
ritual, &c., whereby he learns human nature and to respect order and
finds out for himself the rudiments of a knowledge of God.

The second state is _Tureequt_ or the way, or road. This state implies
mental or spiritual worship, abstracted totally from the above. The
student learns to see the propædeutic nature of ceremonies and devotes
himself to realities. At this stage the ascetic exercises begin and he
holds communion with _Melkut_ or the angelic world.

The third state, _Huqeequt_, or the state of truth is the state of
inspiration or greater natural knowledge. The Sufi now lives no more
in faith but in subjective truth and spiritual power; he has seen the
similarity of God’s nature and his own; all antinomies are destroyed,
even sin disappears from his reflections.

The fourth and last state is _Marifut_ or union of spirit and soul with
God. “Union (with God) is reality, or the state, truth and perception
of things, when there is neither lord nor servant.” Still “the man of
God is not God; but he is not separate from God.” At this stage man’s
“corporeal veil will be removed, and his emancipated soul will mix
again with the glorious essence, from which it had been separated,
though not divided.”[45]

_Aziz ibn Muhammad Nafasi_ in a book called _al-Maqsadu ‘l-Aqsa_ or the
“Remotest Aim,” (trans. in E. H. Palmer’s Oriental Mysticism) marks out
the journey a little differently from that already described.

When a man possessing the necessary requirements of fully developed
reasoning powers turns to them for a resolution of his doubts and
uncertainties concerning the real nature of the Godhead, he is called a
_talib_ “a searcher after God.”

If he has further desire for progress he is called a “murid” or “one
who inclines,” and he places himself under the instruction and guidance
of a teacher and becomes a “traveller.”

The _first_ stage of his journey is called “ubudiyah” or “service” and
is as described above.

The _second_ stage is ishq or “love.” He loves God. The divine love
filling his heart, it expels all other loves and brings him to the
_third_ stage, Zuhd or “seclusion.” He occupies himself exclusively
with contemplation of God and his attributes, and comes to the fourth
state, Marifah or “knowledge.”

When settled he is come to the _fifth_ stage, wajd or “ecstasy.” He now
receives revelations and soon reaches the sixth stage, that of hagigah
or “_truth_,” and proceeds to the final state, that of “wasl,” or “union
with God.”

He has now finished the journey and remains in the state he has come
to, still going on, however, progressing in depth of understanding.
Finally he comes to “the total absorption into Deity.”

_The Zikr_, or ecstatic exercises belonging to the training on this
journey, will be explained in our second part: Symbols.

THE SEVEN WAY-STATIONS OF PILGRIMAGE are these:[46]

The _first_ degree consists of penitence, obedience, and meditation,
and in this degree the light is, as it were, green.

The _second_ degree is the _purity of the Spirit_ from satanic
qualities, violence, and brutality, because as long as the spirit is
the slave of satanic qualities, it is subject to concupiscence, and
this is the quality of fire. In this state Iblis evinces his strength,
and when the spirit is liberated from this, it is distressed with the
quality of fierceness, which may be said to be _flashing_ and this is
conformable to the property of wind. Then it becomes insatiable (lit.
eager after anything to excess), and this is similar to water. After
this it obtains quietness, and this quality resembles earth (_i. e._
apathy or cessation from all action). In the degree of repose, the
light is as it were, blue, and the utmost reach of one’s progress is
the earthly dominion.

The _third_ degree is the _manifestation of the heart_, by laudable
qualities, which is similar to red light, and the utmost reach of its
progress is the middle of the upper dominion; and in this station
the heart praises God, and sees the light of worship and spiritual
qualities.

The _fourth_ degree is the _applying of the constitution to nothing
else but to God_, and this is similar to yellow light, and the utmost
reach of its progress is the midst of the heavenly _Malkat_ “dominion.”

The _fifth_ degree of the soul is that which resembles white light, and
the utmost aim of its progress is the extreme heavenly dominion.

The _sixth_ degree is the _hidden_, which is like a black light, and
the utmost reach of its progress is “the world of power.”

The _seventh_ degree is “the evanescence of evanescence,” which is
“annihilation” and “eternal life,” and is colorless. It _is absorption_
in God, non-existence and effacement of the imaginary in the true
being, like the loss of a drop of water in the ocean. It is _eternal_
life as the union of the drop with the sea. “Annihilation” is not to be
taken in the common acceptation, but in a higher sense, “annihilation
in God.”

SUFI SYMBOLICAL LANGUAGE.

The Sufis inculcate the doctrine, “Adore the Deity in his creatures.”
It is said in a verse of the Quran—“It is not given to man that the
Deity should speak to him: if it does so it is by inspirations, or
through a veil.” _Thus all the efforts of man should tend to raise the
veil of divine love and to the annihilation of the individuality_ which
separates him from the Divine essence; and this expression “raise up
the veil,” has remained in the language of the East as expressive of
great intimacy.

One of the most violent and able of the enemies of the Sufis, says that
they deem everything in the world a type of the beauty and power of the
Deity and adds that it appears from both their actions and writings,
that it is in the red cheeks of beautiful damsels that they contemplate
its beauty; and in the “impious” daring of Nimrod and of Pharaoh, that
they see and admire the omnipotence of its power.[47]

The Persian commentator _Suruni_ says in regard to sexual love: “the
beauty of the wife is a ray from God and not from the beloved herself.
The Mystic recognizes the fact of the divine beauty everywhere in
creation, and loves because he in beauty sees a revelation of the
blessings of the divine name. It is therefore the prophet says
he prefers these three things to all others: women, incense, and
enjoyments.”

_Jellaladdin Rumi_ said: “They (the Sufis) profess eager desire, but
with no carnal affection, and circulate the cup, but no material
goblet; since all things are spiritual, all is mystery within mystery.”

_Jami_ exclaims, addressing the Deity:

Sometimes the wine, sometimes the cup we call Thee!
Sometimes the lure, sometimes the net we call Thee!
Except Thy name, there is not a letter on the tablet of the universe:
Say, by what name shall we call Thee?

_Nizami_ explains himself:

Think not that when I praise wine I mean the juice of the grape;
I mean that wine which raiseth me above self.
“My cup-bearer” is to perform my vow to God;
“My morning draught from the tavern” is the wine of self oblivion.

* * * * *

By heaven so long as I have enjoyed existence,
Never hath the tip of my lip been stained with wine!

In regard to _Hafis_ it is maintained that by _wine_ he invariably
means _devotion_; and his admirers have gone so far as to compose a
dictionary of words of the language, as they call it, of the _Sufis_.
In that vocabulary _sleep_ is explained by _meditation_ on the divine
perfections, and _perfume_ by hope of divine favor; _gales_ (_i. e._
Zephyrs) are illapses of grace; _kisses and embraces_, the raptures
of piety; _idolators_, _infidels_, and _libertines_ are men of the
purest religion, and their _idol_ is the creator himself; _the tavern_
is the cell where the searcher after truth becomes intoxicated with
the wine of divine love. Read with this key to the esoteric meaning,
Mr. Clouston says, the gazelles of Hafis are no longer anacreontic and
bacchanalian effusions, but ecstatic lucubrations on the love of man to
his creator. The _keeper_, or wine seller, the spiritual instructor;
_beauty_ denotes the perfection of the supreme being; _tresses_ and
_curls_ are the expansion and infiniteness of his glory; _lips_, the
hidden and inscrutable mysteries of his essence; _down_ on the cheek,
the world of spirits, who encircle the creator’s throne; and a _black
mole_ is the point of indivisible unity; lastly, _wantonness_, _mirth_
and _ebriety_, mean religious ardor, ecstasy and abstraction from all
terrestrial thoughts and contempt for all worldly things.

_Mohemmed Missiree_: On the Tesavuf, or spiritual life of the Sufis.
Translated from the Turkish by John P. Brown, Esq., of the American
embassy at Constantinople. (In Journ. of Am. Orient. Soc. vol. viii.):

What is the beginning of at-Tesavuf? Faith, which has six pillars,
namely: (1) Belief in God, (2) in His Angels, (3) in His Books, (4)
in His Prophets, (5) and in the Last Day, and (6) in His decree of
Good and Evil. What is the result of the Tesavuf? It is not only
the reciting with the tongue of these pillars of faith but also
establishing them in the heart. What is the distinction between a
Sufi and an ordinary person? The knowledge of an ordinary person is a
“counterfeit faith” whereas that of the Sufi is “true faith.” What do
you mean by “counterfeit faith?” It is that which an ordinary person
has derived from his forefathers, or from the teachers and preachers
of his own day, without knowing why it is essential that a man should
believe in these six articles for his soul’s salvation. What is the
proof of faith? The proof of faith consists in a search being made
for the true origin of each of these six pillars of faith, until the
enquirer arrives at “the Truth.” The Sufis regard certain things as
lawful which are forbidden. For instance, they enjoin the use of wine,
wine-shops, the wine-cup, sweethearts; they speak of the curls of their
mistresses, and the moles on their faces, cheeks, &c., and compare the
furrows on their brows to verses of the Quran. What does this mean?
The Sufis often exchange the external features of all things for the
internal, the corporeal for the spiritual, and thus give an imaginary
signification to outward forms. They behold objects of a precious
nature in their natural character and for this reason the greater part
of their words have a spiritual and figurative meaning. For instance,
when, like Hafis, they mention wine, they mean a knowledge of God,
which, figuratively considered, is the love of God. Wine, viewed
figuratively, is also love; love and affection are here the same thing.
The wine-shop, with them, means “spiritual director,” for his heart
is said to be the depository of the love of God. The sweetheart means
the excellent preceptor, because, when anyone sees his beloved, he
admires her perfect proportions, with a heart full of love. As the
lover delights in the presence of his sweetheart, so the Salik rejoices
in the company of his beloved preceptor. The sweetheart is the object
of a worldly affection, but the preceptor of a spiritual attachment.
The curls or ringlets of the beloved are the grateful praises of the
preceptor, tending to bind the affections of the disciple; the moles
on her face signify that when the pupil, at times, beholds the total
absence of all worldly wants on the part of the preceptor, he also
abandons all the desires of both worlds—he perhaps even goes so far as
to desire nothing else in life than his preceptor; the furrows on the
brow of the beloved one, which they compare to verses of the Quran,
mean the light of the heart of the preceptor; they are compared to
verses of the Quran, because the attributes of God, in accordance with
the injunction of the Prophet, “Be ye endued with divine qualities,”
are possessed by the preceptor.

(_To be continued._)

THEOSOPHICAL SYMBOLISM.

The number 7 has, ever since the Theosophical Society was founded
November 17th, 1875, played a prominent part in all its affairs, and,
as usual, the symbols which particularly relate or pertain to the
Society are in number, seven. They are: first the seal of the Society;
second, the serpent biting his tail; third, the gnostic cross near the
serpent’s head; fourth, the interlaced triangles; fifth, the cruxansata
in the centre; sixth, the pin of the Society, composed of a cruxansata
entwined by a serpent, forming together T. S.; and seventh, OM the
sacred Vedic word.

The seal of the Society contains all of the symbols enumerated,
excepting _aum_, and is the synthesis of them. It, in fact, expresses
what the Society is itself, and contains, or ought to, in symbolic
form, the doctrines which many of its members adhere to.

A symbol to be properly so called, must be contained in the idea
or ideas which it is intended to represent. As a symbol of a house
could never be the prow of a boat, or the wing of a bird, but must
be contained somewhere in the form of the house itself; that is, it
must be an actual part chosen to represent or stand for the whole. It
need not be the whole, but may be a lower form or species used as the
representative of a higher of the same kind. The word is derived from
the Greek words meaning _to throw with_, that is to throw together. To
be a just and correct symbol, it should be such as that the moment it
is seen by one versed in symbolism, its meaning and application become
easily apparent. The Egyptians adopted to represent the soul passing
back to its source, after the trial in the Hall of Two Truths, a winged
globe, for a globe is a symbol of either the Supreme Soul or a portion
of it, and the wings were added to represent its life and flight to the
upper spheres. In another branch of their symbology they represented
justice by a scale which gives a just balance; while even there in
the Hall of Two Truths, they reverted again to the other mode and
symbolized the man being weighed by justice, in the form of his heart
over against the feather of truth in the opposite pan of the scales.

There is one very curious hieroglyph of the Egyptians which deserves
some study by those of curious mind. Here we will merely point it out,
remarking that there is a mine of great value in the Egyptian method of
picturing their ideas of the macrocosm. In one of the numerous papyri
now in the British Museum, there is a picture of a globe being held
up by a beetle by means of his head and two fore legs, while he is
standing upon a sort of pedestal which has certain divisions, looking
on the whole, like a section of an hour glass crossed by horizontal
lines that project from each side. This pedestal represents stability;
but what does the whole mean or shadow forth? Those who can follow up
suggestions should direct their thoughts to the relation which the Sun
bears to the earth in its orbital revolution.

To proceed with our analysis: The second symbol is the serpent biting
his tail. This is wisdom, and eternity. It is eternity, because that
has neither beginning nor end and therefore the ring is formed by
serpent swallowing his tail. There is an old hermetic symbol similar to
this, in which the circle is formed by two serpents interlaced and each
swallowing the tail of the other one. No doubt the symbolism in that
is, in respect to the duality of the manifested All, and hence, two
serpents inextricably entwined.

Furthermore, the scales of the reptiles form the figures of facettes
or diamonds, which shadow forth the illimitable diversity of the
aspects of wisdom or truth. This is not due to any want of coherence or
congruity in truth itself, but solely to the diverse views which each
individual takes of the one Truth. These reflecting facettes are the
beings composing the macrocosm: each one has developed himself only to
a certain degree, and therefore can only appreciate and reflect that
amount of wisdom which has fallen to his lot. As he passes again and
again through the form of man, he slowly develops other various powers
of appreciating more truth, and so at the last may become one with the
whole—the perfect man, able to know and to feel completely his union
with all. This is when he has acquired the highest Yoga. So in our
experience and in history and ethnology we find individuals, nations
and races, whose want of responsiveness to certain ideas, and others
whose power to grasp them, can only be explained by the doctrines of
Reincarnation and Karma. If those doctrines are not accepted, there is
no escape from a blank negation.

It is not necessary to express the duality of the Supreme Soul by two
serpents, because in the third component part of the Seal, elsewhere,
that is symbolized by the interlaced triangles. One of these is white,
that one with the point uppermost, and the other is black with its apex
directed downward. They are intertwined because the dual nature of the
Supreme, while in manifestation, is not separate in its parts. Each
atom of matter, so called, has also its atom of spirit This is what
the _Bagavad-Gita_[48] denominates Purusha and Prakriti, and Krishna
there says that he is at once Purusha and Prakriti, he is alike the
very best and the very worst of men. These triangles also mean, “the
manifested universe.” It is one of the oldest and most beautiful of
symbols, and can be discovered among all nations, not only those now
inhabiting the earth, but also in the monuments, carvings and other
remains of the great races who have left us the gigantic structures now
silent as far as the voice of man is concerned, but resounding with
speech for those who care to listen. They seem to be full of ideas
turned into stone.

The triangles thus combined form in the interior space, a six sided
plane figure. This is the manifested world. Six is the number of the
world, and 666 is the great mystery which is related to the symbol.
St. John talks of this number. Around the six sided centre are the
six triangles projecting into the spiritual world, and touching the
enclosed serpent of wisdom. In an old book, this is made by the great
head of the Lord rising above the horizon of the ocean of matter, with
the arms just raised so that they make the upper half of the triangle.
This is the “long face,” or macrocoscopos, as it is called. As it
rises slowly and majestically, the placid water below reflects it in
reverse, and thus makes the whole double triangle. The lower one is
dark and forbidding in its aspect, but at the same time the upper part
of the darker one is itself light, for it is formed by the majestic
head of this Adam Kadmon. Thus they shade into one another. And this
is a perfect symbolism, for it clearly figures the way in which day
shades into night, and evil into good. In ourselves we find both, or
as the Christian St. Paul says, the natural and spiritual man are
always together warring against each other, so that what we would do we
cannot, and what we desire not to be guilty of, the darker half of man
compels us to do. But ink and paper fails us in the task of trying to
elucidate this great symbol. Go to Hermes, to St. John, the Caballah,
the Hindu books, wherever you please, and there will you find the seven
times seven meanings of the interlaced triangles.

OM is the Sacred Vedic syllable: let us repeat it with a thought
directed to its true meaning.[49]

Within the small circle, placed upon the serpent, is a cross with
its ends turned back. This is called the Gnostic Cross. It signifies
evolution, among other ideas, for the turning back of its ends
is caused by the revolving of the two diameters of the circle.
The vertical diameter is the spirit moving down and bisecting the
horizontal. This completed, the revolution round the great circle
commences, and that motion is represented in the symbol by the ends
turned back. In Chapter III. of _Bagavad-Gita_, Krishna says: “He
who in this life does not cause this cycle, thus already revolved, to
continue revolving lives to no purpose, a life of sin, indulging his
senses.” That is, we must assist the great wheel of evolution and not
oppose it; we must try to help in the great work of returning to the
source from whence we came, and constantly endeavor to convert lower
nature into higher, not only that of ourselves, but also of our fellow
men and of the whole animated world.

This cross is also the symbol of the Hindu Chakkra, or discus, of
Vishnu. In the Mahabharata is described the conflict between the Asuras
and Devas, for the possession of the vase of Amreeta which had been
churned with infinite trouble, from the ocean, and which the Asuras
desired to take for themselves. The conflict began when _Rahu_, an
Asura, assuming the form of a Deva, began drinking the ambrosia.
In this case the Amreeta was spiritual wisdom, material existence,
immortality, and also magic power. The deceit of _Rahu_ was discovered
before he had swallowed, and then the battle began.

“In the midst of this dreadful hurry and confusion of the fight,
_Nar_ and _Narayan_ entered the field together. _Narayan_ beholding a
celestial bow in the hands of _Nar_, it reminded him of his Chakkra,
the destroyer of the Asuras. The faithful weapon, ready at the mind’s
call, flew down from heaven with direct and refulgent speed, beautiful,
yet terrible to behold. And being arrived, glowing like the sacrificial
flame, and spreading terror around, _Narayan_ with his right arm formed
like the elephantine trunk, hurled forth the ponderous orb, the speedy
messenger, and glorious ruin of hostile towns, who raging like the
final all destroying fire, shot bounding with desolating force, killing
thousands of the Asuras in his rapid flight, burning and involving,
like the lambent flame, and cutting down all that would oppose him.
Anon he climbeth the heavens from whence he came.” (Mahabharata, Book
I, Chap 15.)

Ezekiel, of the Jews, saw this wheel, when he was among the captives by
the river Chebar in Chaldea. In a vision he saw the four beasts and the
man of the Apocalypse, and with them “for each of the four faces,” was
a wheel, of the colour of a beryl; it was “as a wheel within a wheel,”
and they went wherever the living creatures went, “for the spirit of
the living creatures was in the wheels.” All of this appeared terrible
to him, for he says: “And when they went I heard a noise like the noise
of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like
the noise of a host.”

There are many other meanings concealed in this symbol, as in all the
others.

In the center of the interlaced triangles is placed the _Cruxansata_.
This is also extremely ancient. In the old Egyptian papyri it is
frequently found. It signifies life. As Isis stands before the
candidate, or the soul, upon his entry, she holds in one hand this
cross, while he holds up his hand that he may not look upon her
face. In another there is a winged figure, whose wings are attached
to the arms, and in each hand is held the same cross. Among other
things we find here the horizontal and vertical diameters once more,
but conjoined with the circle placed on top. This is the same as the
old astrological sign for Venus. But in the seal, its chief and most
important meaning is _the regenerated man_. Here in the centre, after
passing the different degrees and cycles, both spirit and matter are
united in the intelligent regenerated man, who stands in the middle
knowing all things in the manifested universe. He has triumphed over
death and holds the cross of life.

The last theosophical symbol is, the pin of the Society, adopted early
in its history but not used much. It is the cross we have just been
considering, entwined in such a way by a serpent, that the combination
makes T S as a monogram.

The foregoing is not exhaustive. Every symbol should have seven
meanings of principal value, and out of every one of those we have been
considering can be drawn that number of significations. Intelligent
study of them will be beneficial, for when a consistent symbol,
embodying many ideas is found and meditated upon, the thought or view
of the symbol brings up each idea at once before the mind.
NILAKANT.

REVIEWS.

THE SECRET DOCTRINE OF THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES.—An essay by J. D.
Buck, (Robert Clarke & Co., Cincinnati, O.). This little pamphlet of
32 pages, is an essay read by Dr. Buck before the Liberal Club of
Cincinnati. The author tries to show that one truth has run all through
the Ancient Mysteries, and later, is even to be found in the Christian
Church. His hint on p. 22, that “the Apostolic Catholic Church
possessed the Secret Doctrine, that some of its clergy apprehended the
great truths, but that there was wisdom for the priests and command
for the people,” is full of truth. At the present day the great Jesuit
College possesses much knowledge of the theurgy which is a part of
the practice of the Secret Doctrine, and if all the magical practices
of the disciples of Loyola were known, the Christian world would be
startled. They know enough of forecasting the future to fear all such
movements as the Theosophical Society, and have tried, as they still
try, to undermine it within its own borders.

Anyone who reads Dr. Buck’s essay with a candid spirit, will agree with
him that one core of truth underlies all religions, and will feel the
refreshing influence of the author’s clear mind and solid sense.

INWORLD.

[A poem taken from the January number of “The Dial,” 1842, the organ of
the Transcendentalists, edited by RALPH WALDO EMERSON.]

Amid the watches of the windy night
A poet sat, and listened to the flow
Of his own changeful thoughts, until there passed
A vision by him, murmuring as it moved,
A wild and mystic lay—to which his thoughts
And pen kept time—and thus the measure ran:

All is but as it seems,
The round, green earth,
With river and glen;
The din and the mirth
Of the busy, busy men;
The world’s great fever
Throbbing forever;
The creed of the sage,
The hope of the age,
All things we cherish,
All that live and all that perish,
These are but inner dreams.

The great world goeth on
To thy dreaming;
To thee alone
Hearts are making their moan,
Eyes are streaming.
Thine is the white moon turning night to day,
Thine is the dark wood sleeping in her ray.
Thee the winter chills,
Thee the spring time thrills;
All things nod to thee—
All things come to see
If thou art dreaming on.
If thy dream should break,
And thou should’st awake,
All things would be gone.

Nothing is, if thou art not,
From thee as from a root
The blossoming stars upshoot,
The flower cups drink the rain.
Joy and grief and weary pain
Spring aloft from thee,
And toss their branches free.
Thou are under, over all;
Thou dost hold and cover all;
Thou art Atlas—thou art Jove:—
The mightiest truth
Hath all its youth
From thy enveloping thought.
Thy thought itself lay in thy earliest love.

Nature keeps time to thee
With voice unbroken:
Still doth she rhyme to thee
When thou hast spoken.
When the sun shines to thee,
’Tis thy own joy,
Opening mines to thee
Nought can destroy.
When the blast moans to thee
Still doth the wind
Echo the tones to thee
Of thy own mind.
Laughter but saddens thee
When thou art sad,
Life is not life to thee,
But as thou livest,
Labor is strife to thee
When thou least strivest:—

More did the spirit sing, and made the night,
Most musical with inward melodies,
But vanished soon, and left the listening bard
Wrapt in unearthly silence—till the morn
Reared up the screen that shuts the spirit world
From loftiest poet and from wisest sage.

OUTWORLD.

The sun was shining on the busy earth.
All men and things were moving on their way—
The old, old way which we call life. The soul
Shrank from the giant grasp of Space and Time,
Yet, for it was, her dreamy hour half yielded
To the omnipotent delusion—and looked out
On the broad glare of things, and felt itself
Dwindling before the universe: Then came unto the bard
Another spirit with another voice,
And sang:—

Said he, that all but seems?
Said he, the world is void and lonely,
A strange vast crowd of dreams
Coming to thee only?
And that thy feeble soul
Hath such a strong control
O’er sovereign Space and sovereign Time
And all their train sublime?
Said he, thou art the eye
Reflecting all that is—
The ear that hears, while it creates
All sounds and harmonies—
The central sense that bides amid
All shows and tunes and realities?
Listen mortal while the sound
Of this life intense is flowing!
Dost thou find all things around
Go as thou art going?
Dost thou dream that thou art free,
Making, destroying all that thou dost see
In the unfettered might of thy soul’s liberty?

Lo, an atom troubles thee.
One bodily fibre crushes thee,
One nerve tortures and maddens thee,
One drop of blood is death to thee.
Art thou but a withering leaf,
For a summer season brief
Clinging to the tree,
‘Till the winds of circumstance,
Whirling in their hourly dance,
Prove too much for thee?
Art thou but a speck, a mote
In the system universal?
Art thou but a passing note
Woven in the great rehearsal?
Canst thou roll back the tide of Thought
And unmake the creed of the age,
And unteach the wisdom taught
By the prophet and the sage?
Art thou but a shadow
Chasing o’er a meadow?
The great world goes on
Spite of thy dreaming;
Not to be alone
Hearts are making their moan
And tear-drops streaming,
And the mighty voice of Nature
Is thy parent, not thy creature,
Is no pupil but thy teacher:
And the world would still move on
Were thy soul forever flown.
For while thou dreamest on enfolded
In nature’s wide embrace,
All thy life is daily moulded
By her informing grace.
And Time and Space must reign
And rule o’er thee forever,
And the Outworld lifts its chain
From off thy spirit never;
But in the dream of thy half-waking fever
Thou shalt be mocked with gleam and show
Of truths thou pinest for, and yet canst never know.

And then the Spirit fled and left the bard
Still wondering—for he felt that voices twain
Had come from different spheres with different truths
That seemed at war and yet agreed in one.
C.

ANOTHER THEOSOPHICAL PROPHECY.

In the first number of THE PATH was inserted a prophecy made from
certain books in India called _Nadigrandhams_, respecting the Society.

This called forth from the _N. Y. Sun_, that model of journalism, a
long tirade about the superficial knowledge which it claims pervades
the Society on the subject of oriental philosophy. Unfortunately for
the learned editorial writer in that paper, he never before heard
of _Nadigrandhams_, which are almost as common in India as the Sun
is here, nor does he appear to know what a _Nadi_ may be, nor a
_Grandham_, either.

But without trying to drag the daily press of this country into the
path of oriental knowledge, we will proceed to record another prophecy
or two.

The first will seem rather bold, but is placed far enough in the future
to give it some value as a test. It is this:—The Sanscrit language will
one day be again the language used by man upon this earth, first in
science and in metaphysics, and later on in common life. Even in the
lifetime of the Sun’s witty writer, he will see the terms now preserved
in that noblest of languages creeping into the literature and the
press of the day, cropping up in reviews, appearing in various books
and treatises, until even such men as he will begin perhaps to feel
that they all along had been ignorantly talking of “thought” when they
meant “cerebration,” and of “philosophy” when they meant “philology,”
and that they had been airing a superficial knowledge gained from
cyclopœdias of the mere lower powers of intellect, when in fact they
were totally ignorant of what is really elementary knowledge. So this
new language cannot be English, not even the English acquired by the
reporter of daily papers who ascends fortuitously to the editorial
rooms—but will be one which is scientific in all that makes a language,
and has been enriched by ages of study of metaphysics and the true
science.

The second prophecy is nearer our day, and may be interesting.—It is
based upon cyclic changes. This is a period of such a change, and we
refer to the columns of the _N. Y. Sun_ of the time when the famous
brilliant sunsets were chronicled and discussed not long ago for the
same prognostication. No matter about dates; they are not to be given;
but facts may be. This glorious country, free as it is, will not long
be calm: _Unrest_ is the word for this cycle. The people will rise. For
what, who can tell? The statesman who can see _for what_ the uprising
will be might take measures to counteract. But all your measures can
not turn back the iron will of fate. And even the City of New York
will not be able to point its finger at Cincinnati and St. Louis. Let
those whose ears can hear the whispers, and the noise of the gathering
clouds, of the future, take notice; let them read, if they know how,
the physiognomy of the United States, whereon the mighty hand of nature
has traced the furrows to indicate the character of the moral storms
that will pursue their course no matter what the legislation may be.
But enough. Theosophists can go on unmoved, for they know that as
Krishna said to Arjuna, these bodies are not the real man, and that
“no one has ever been non-existent nor shall any of us ever cease to
exist.”

CORRESPONDENCE.

THEOSOPHY.

[A LETTER FROM A FRIEND.]

DEAR BROTHER:

“It rejoices us all here more than I can tell you, to know that you
have made such a start in America with Theosophy. We have had so many
things to pull us back, that it has been quite as much as we could
manage to keep our heads above water, and this not so much from the
action of our enemies as from the apathy of our friends. It is strange
to me to see how little faith there is in the power of truth, even
among those who ought to realize this most strongly. Why should we
fear and fold our hands when men speak evil of us or of the cause, why
should we imagine that any attack on individual members can effect
the position we take as a group or that theosophy can be endangered
thereby? How few understand what theosophy is; they look upon it as
solely an intellectual movement that can be damned by the folly of
its adherents; they little dream of the strength that underlies the
apparently inconsistent workings of this manifestation of truth which
we call the Theosophical Society. And there is one thing which I
believe establishes more than any other, the fact that the Society as
a whole has true vitality within it, and that is the visible action of
Karma in its developments.

“See how the mistaken value given to phenomena in the early history
of the Society, brought immediately its Karmic development in the
troubles then, and whenever any undue importance has been given either
to individualities or any particular line of practice, it is always
on that particular point that the next attack comes. So that while
fully realizing that as an organization, the T. S. is defective in
some things, I yet believe that there is a power within it that will
purge it from its defects and carry it on in spite of the attacks of
its enemies and what is worse still, the follies of its friends. What
I do feel more and more is the necessity that we should remember and
constantly keep before us what it is we are working for and not think
we accomplish our end when we number our converts in the world of
fashion, and gather around us men and women who vainly hope for psychic
powers and the arts of fortune telling and reading the future. I do not
fear black magic in our midst, but I do feel very strongly that there
are many who will sink to the level of mere wonder-seekers and that
they will become the prey of elemental influences.

“What can be done to make men realize, as you say, a sense of universal
brotherhood and the true meaning of Theosophy. Well, let us join
you in America and the few here who do realize that psychism is not
spirituality, and let us try to stir the hearts of men with the living
truths of Theosophy.

“I am most anxious, and have been for a long time, that we should
address ourselves to another stratum of society than that (the
intellectual and the fashionable) which we have sought. It is not that
I would depreciate intellect; if I err in that matter it is in putting
too much stress on intellectual development. But I am beginning to
realize that the lower intellect can only deal with physical facts and
that it can never develop ideas; these can only be apprehended by the
higher intellectual faculties, and the ethical and emotional nature of
man has also its higher and lower aspects.

“I wish very much that we had a literature calculated to appeal to
the general masses, and I think that we should resolutely turn our
attention to this object. I think the little book that Dr. Buck has
just published very useful and I should be glad to see many more
such little works treating of the various points of doctrine such as
Reincarnation, Karma, &c. It is also encouraging to see such efforts
as that contained in the small book lately out—_What is Theosophy?_
Doubtless, in connection with that, for it seems to have been written
for the author’s children, you will call to mind what was written by
one of the adepts, not so long ago: ‘there is a great likelihood that
the sons of theosophists will become theosophists,’ and will quite
agree with me in the idea that we need a literature, not solely for
highly intellectual persons, but of a more simple character, which
attempts to appeal to ordinary common sense minds, who are really
fainting for such mental and moral assistance, which is not reached by
the more pretentious works. Indeed, we all need this. It is fortunate
that we have been able to live through the tide of mere psychism and
bare intellectuality which threatened nearly to swamp us. And you
know to whom we owe our escape, and now, that there are ten or twelve
members left who are prepared to work on independently of perturbation,
I think it a clear gain. What does it matter to us whether H. P.
Blavatsky has or has not fulfilled all of her duties, or whether
investigation has cast doubt into the minds of some. In so far as she
has done her duty, her work will remain, and if perchance she has come
to the end of her capabilities—which I do not admit—it is for us to
carry on what she has thus far done.

“In America I hope you will not fall into running after wonders and
psychic gifts to the detriment of true philosophical and moral progress.

“Believe me to be, fraternally yours, A.”

NOTE.—The whole of this letter should be carefully studied, and in
particular the point that Karma brings its attacks just on the point
or persons where or by whom stress has been laid on phenomena. It may
be accepted as almost axiomatic by our members, that if any group or
single person has paid too undue attention to phenomena, to astralism,
psychism, or whatever it is called, there will develop the next
trouble or attack upon the Society. It has been authoritatively stated
by one of the great Beings who are behind this movement, that _it must
prosper by moral worth and philosophy, and not by phenomena_. Let us
well beware then. Phenomena, powers—or _siddhis_ as the Hindu say—are
only incidental. Our real object is to spread Universal Brotherhood,
in which task we necessarily explain phenomena, but the Society is
not a _Hall for Occultism_, and that has also been asserted by an
adept in India in reply to letters written him by certain well-known
Englishmen who desired to establish a Branch then which should control
all literature and phenomena. There are no secrets to be given out to
any select persons, for no one receives a secret inaccessible to the
rest, _until he has acquired the right to it_, and the proper sense to
know when and to whom it is to be given out.—[ED.]

WHAT IS THE UDGITHA?

JAMESTOWN, April 16th, 1886.

DEAR BROTHER:—Will you kindly explain, through THE PATH, what is to
be understood by the _Udgitha_, or hymn of praise to Brahm? With best
wishes for the success of your enterprise, I remain,

Fraternally yours, L. J.

This is a vital question. It may have arisen from the peculiarity of
the word inquired about, or it may be that our brother really knows
the importance of the point. We refer him to the article upon OM in
the April number. Om is the Udgitha, and OM has been explained in that
article. Read between the lines; and read also the “Upanishad Notes” in
this month’s PATH.

In the _Maitrayana-Brahmana-Upanishad_, (Pr. VI), it is said: “The
Udgitha, called Pranava, the leader, the bright, the sleepless, free
from old age and death, three footed, (waking, dream, and deep sleep),
consisting of three letters and likewise to be known as fivefold, is
placed in the cave of the heart.”

This is the Self. Not the mere body or the faculties of the brain, but
the Highest Self. And that must be meditated on, or worshipped, with a
constant meditation. _Hymn of praise_, then, means that we accept the
existence of that Self and aspire to or adore Him. Therefore, it is
said again, in the same Upanishad:

“In the beginning Brahman was all this. He was one, and infinite. * * *
The Highest Self is not to be fixed, he is unlimited, unborn, not to be
reasoned about, not to be conceived. He is, like the ether, everywhere,
and at the destruction of the Universe, he alone is awake. Thus from
that ether he wakes all this world, which consists of (his) thought
only, and by him alone is all this meditated on, and in him it is
dissolved. His is that luminous form which shines in the sun, and the
manifold light in the smokeless fire. He who is in the fire, and he who
is in the heart, and he who is in the sun, they _are one and the same_.
He who knows this becomes one with the One.”

Now “to know” this, does not mean to merely apprehend the statement,
but actually become personally acquainted with it by interior
experience. And this is difficult. But it is to be sought after. And
the first step to it is the attempt to realize universal brotherhood,
for when one becomes identified with the One, who is all, he
“participates in the souls of all creatures;” surely then the first
step in the path is universal brotherhood.

The hymn of praise to Brahm (which is Brahman) is the real object
of this magazine, and of our existence. The hymn is used, in the
sacrifice, when verbally expressed, and we can offer it in our daily
existence, in each act, whether eating, sleeping, waking, or in any
state. A man can hardly incorporate this idea in his being and not be
spiritually and morally benefited.

But we cannot fully explain here, as it is to be constantly referred to
in this magazine.—[ED.]

THEOSOPHICAL ACTIVITIES.

ARYAN THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK.—This branch has established
the nucleus of a library to consist of Theosophical, Metaphysical,
Occult, Aryan, and other literature. It already numbers about fifty
volumes, some of which are loaned pending further accumulations and
the acquirement of a proper place to keep them. It is hoped that
this will grow to be of great value. A fund for the purpose has also
been started. During April the contributions have been: A Friend,
$5; Mr. B. X., $3: C., nine books: _Hist. of Witchcraft in Salem_;
_Zend Avesta_; _What is Theosophy?_; _Mother Clothed with the Sun_;
_Footfalls on the Boundaries of Another World, &c._; from Dr. Seth
Pancoast, _Red and Blue Light_.

The books will be loaned to resident members upon giving receipt for
a definite period. Donations of books or money towards the fund, can
be sent to THE PATH, or the Pres’t of the A. T. S., box 2659, New York
City.

Several other books are promised and will be in hand before next month.

The Branch is actively engaged in spreading Theosophical literature,
and now has requests for books from all parts of the U. S. It has
reprinted Mrs. Sinnett’s “Purpose of Theosophy” very cheap in form, but
well done, and has other reprints in mind. Since last month, permanent
quarters have been obtained, where the library will be established.
Private meetings are also held from time to time among the members, for
study and discussion.

Mr. C. H. A. Bjerregaard finished his course of lectures on “Historic
and Individual Cycles.”

All inquiries should be addressed to the Secretary, Box 2659, New York
City.

* * * * *

CINCINNATI.—Since our April issue the members here have been steadily
at work, and among other things accomplished, is the printing of Dr.
Buck’s essay upon the “Secret Doctrine of the Ancient Mysteries.”

* * * * *

BOSTON.—Interest in Boston continues unabated. A member of the Aryan
Branch of New York has been spending a month in Boston, discussing the
philosophy and ethics to be found in theosophical literature, and it is
to be hoped that the work done will be permanent, founded as it is in
ethics and not upon phenomena.

* * * * *

BULLEL.—Brother Krishnarao B. Bullel, a Bombay member, who has been
studying medicine in New York, and who constantly attended the meetings
of the Aryan Branch, graduated from the Homœopathic Medical College, of
New York, with honors. He sailed for home on April 14th, on the steamer
America, intending to stop in London. He carries back with him the best
wishes of his American brothers, and a good report of the progress of
the Cause here.

* * * * *

OLCOTT.—Col. H. S. Olcott has lately been in Ceylon looking after the
work there. Rev. Mr. Leadbeater was with him, and will remain on the
Island, where Theosophy is very strong, to work for the Society. A
theosophical paper, in Singhalese, was started there some years ago,
and still flourishes. The Colonel has just recovered from a slight
attack of fever contracted in his journeys, but his vigor remains
unabated.

* * * * *

EXPOSURES.—In reply to several inquiries made here, and also sent to
London from the U. S., we beg to say that it is true that the Society
for Psychical Research sent a prejudiced expert to India, who exposed
nothing except his own bias. Among other things, he thought he had
proved that the writing of alleged adepts was only Mme. Blavatsky’s
disguised hand. But since then, a well-known German member has
submitted specimens of adept writing, together with Mme. Blavatsky’s,
to one of the best calligraphic experts in Germany, who certifies that
the messages which have been impugned were not written by her.

Mme. Blavatsky is now in Europe, for her health, but she may be
expected to return very soon to India, spy-theory and missionaries, to
the contrary notwithstanding.

* * * * *

THE AMERICAN BOARD OF CONTROL.—The general and routine work of the
Society in America, is under the jurisdiction of the _Board of
Control_, of which the Secretary is Elliott B. Page, 301 South Main
Street, St. Louis, Mo.

YOGA VIDYA or the Knowledge of Yoga, is the name by which in India
psychic practices, or astralism, or seeking after astral-body
formation, or inducing clairvoyance and the like, is most commonly
known. At the same time, True Yoga, called _Raja Yoga_, is a different
thing. In the March _Theosophist_ a member writes giving the name of
one who will instruct in these practices, and the Editor replied:

“We cannot endorse the writer’s opinion as to the benefits of Yoga
Vidya. For one or two who succeed in it, hundreds fail and wreck both
body and mind, through its dangerous practices, and even if physical
results are obtained they are not invariably followed by spiritual
illumination.”

It certainly thus appears that our Society is not in favor of such
practices, no matter if some of its members indulge in them.

ADMISSION TO THE SOCIETY is open to any person of full age, who is
in sympathy with its objects, willing to abide by its rules; and is
obtained by signing an application which sets forth the above in a form
which is provided. This must be countersigned by any two active members
in good standing. The entrance fee is $5 and one belonging to a Branch
should also pay the annual dues thereof. Applications can be made to
Presidents of Branches or other officers. Persons may become members of
Branches or unattached members of the General Society.

* * * * *

All that we are is the result of what we have thought; it is founded
on our thoughts; it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or
acts with an evil thought pain follows him as the wheel follows the
foot of him who draws the carriage.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought; it is founded
on our thoughts; it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or
acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him like a shadow that
never leaves him.—_Dhammapada._

Receive this law, young men; keep, read, fathom, teach, promulgate
and preach it to all beings. I am not avaricious nor narrow
minded; I am confident and willing to impart Buddha knowledge, or
knowledge of the self-born. I am a bountiful giver, young men, and
ye should follow my example; imitate me in liberality, showing this
knowledge, and preaching this code of laws and conduct to those who
shall successively gather round you, and rouse unbelieving persons
to accept this law. By so doing ye will acquit your debt to the
Tathagatas.—_Saddharma Pundarika._

OM.

FOOTNOTES:

[37] _Sacred Books of the East_, Vol. I, lxv.

[38] _Sacred Books_, &c., Vol. I, lxvii.

[39] _Hist. of Sans. Lit._, p. 155, note.

[40] From the negatives _en_ and _am_, and the noun _Soph_ “end or
terminus.”

[41] See _Kabbalah_, published by R. Worthington, 770 Broadway, N. Y.

[42] See _Kabbalah_, Page 47.

[43] Trans. Bomb. lit. Soc. Comp. the Dabistan.

[44] The Dabistan: The prophet is a person who is sent to the people as
their guide to the perfection which is fixed for them in the presence
of God, according to the exigency of the dispositions determined by the
fixed substances, whether it be the perfection of faith, or another.

[45] It is to this state the Sufis refer Mohammed’s words: “I have
moments when neither prophet nor angel can comprehend me.”

[46] From the Dabistan. Comp. Zeitschrift d. morgl. Gesellsch. 16 art.
by Fleischer Ueber die farbigen lichterscheinungen der Sufis.

[47] J. P. Brown, Dervishes pp. 333.

[48] Bagavad-Gita, ch. 13; id. ch. 10.

[49] Path, No. 1. p. 24.

AUM

The great All, which is constantly in motion, and is constantly
undergoing change in the visible and invisible universe, is like the
tree which perpetuates itself by the seed and is incessantly creating
the same identical types.—_Book of Pitris._

Nothing is commenced or ended. Everything is transformed. Life and
death are only modes of transformation which rule the vital molecule
from plant up to Brahma himself.-_Atharva Veda._

THE PATH.

VOL. I. JUNE, 1886. NO. 3.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the authors name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

A HINDU CHELA’S DIARY.[50]

In the month of December he arrived at Benares, on what he hoped would
be his last pilgrimage. As much as I am able to decipher of this
curious manuscript, written in a mixture of Tamil—the South Indian
language—with Mahratta, which, as you know, is entirely dissimilar,
shows that he had made many pilgrimages to India’s sacred places,
whether by mere impulse or upon actual direction, I know not. If he
had been only any ordinary religiously disposed Hindu we might be able
to come to some judgment hereupon, for the pilgrimages might have been
made in order to gain merit, but as he must long ago have risen above
the flowery chains of even the Vedas, we cannot really tell for what
reason these journeys were made. Although, as you know, I have long had
possession of these papers, the time had not until now seemed ripe to
give them out. He had, when I received them, already long passed away
from these busy scenes to those far busier, and now I give you liberty
to print the fragmentary tale without description of his person. These
people are, you know, not disposed to have accurate descriptions of
themselves floating about. They being real disciples, never like to
say that they are, a manner quite contrary to that of those famed
professors of occult science who opportunely or inopportunely declare
their supposed chelaship from the house top.

* * * * *

* * * “Twice before have I seen these silent temples standing by the
rolling flood of sacred Ganges. They have not changed, but in me what
changes have occurred! And yet that cannot be, for the I changeth not,
but only the veil wrapped about, is either torn away or more closely
and thickly folded round to the disguising of the reality. * * * It is
now seven months since I began to use the privilege of listening to
Kunâla. Each time before, that I came to see him, implacable fate drove
me back. It was Karma, the just law, which compels when we would not,
that prevented me. Had I faltered then and returned to the life then
even so far in the past, my fate in this incarnation would have been
sealed—and he would have said nothing. Why? Happy was I that I knew
the silence would have not indicated in him any loss of interest in
my welfare, but only that the same Karma prevented interference. Very
soon after first seeing him I felt that he was not what he appeared
exteriorly to be. Then the feeling grew into a belief within a short
time so strong that four or five times I thought of throwing myself
at his feet and begging him to reveal himself to me. But I thought
that was useless, as I knew that I was quite impure and could not be
trusted with that secret. If I remained silent I thought that he would
confide to me whenever he found me worthy of it. I thought he must be
some great Hindu Adept who had assumed that illusionary form. But there
this difficulty arose, for I knew that he received letters from various
relatives in different parts, and this would compel him to practice
the illusion all over the globe, for some of those relatives were in
other countries, where he had been too. Various explanations suggested
themselves to me. * * * I was right in my original conception of Kunâla
that he is some great Indian Adept. Of this subject I constantly talked
with him since—— although I fear I am not, and perhaps shall not be in
this life worthy of their company. My inclination has always been in
this direction. I always thought of retiring from this world and giving
myself up to devotion. To Kunâla I often expressed this intention, so
that I might study this philosophy, which alone can make man happy in
this world. But then he usually asked me what I would do _there_ alone?
He said that instead of gaining my object I might perhaps become insane
by being left alone in the jungles with no one to guide me; that I was
foolish enough to think that by going into the jungles I could fall in
with an adept; and that if I really wanted to gain my object I should
have to work in the reform in and through which I had met so many good
men and himself also, and when the Higher Ones, whom I dare not mention
by any other names, were satisfied with me they themselves would
call me away from the busy world and teach me in private. And when I
foolishly asked him many times to give me the names and addresses of
some of those Higher Ones he said once to me: ‘One of our Brothers has
told me that as you are so much after me I had better tell you once for
all that I have no right to give you any information about them, but
if you go on asking Hindus you meet what they know about the matter
you might hear of them, and one of those Higher Ones may perhaps throw
himself in your way without your knowing him, and will tell you what
you should do.’ These were orders, and I knew I must wait, and still I
knew that through Kunâla only would I have my object fulfilled. * * *

“I then asked one or two of my own countrymen, and one of them said
he had seen two or three such men, but that they were not quite what
he thought to be ‘_Raj Yogs_’ He also said he had heard of a man who
had appeared several times in Benares, but that nobody knew where he
lived. My disappointment grew more bitter, but I never lost the firm
confidence that Adepts do live in India and can still be found among
us. No doubt too there are a few in other countries, else why had
Kunâla been to them.

* * * In consequence of a letter from Vishnurama, who said that a
certain X[51] lived in Benares, and that Swamiji K knew him. However,
for certain reasons I could not address Swamiji K directly, and when
I asked him if _he_ knew X he replied: “If there be such a man here
at all he is not known.” Thus evasively on many occasions he answered
me, and I saw that all my expectations in going to Benares were only
airy castles. I thought I had gained only the consolation that I was
doing a part of my duty. So I wrote again to Nilakant: “As directed
by you I have neither let him know what I know of him nor what my own
intentions are. He seems to think that in this I am working to make
money, and as yet I have kept him in the dark as regards myself, and
am myself groping in the dark. Expecting enlightenment from you, etc.”
* * * The other day Nilakant came suddenly here and I met Sw. K. and
him together, when to my surprise K at once mentioned X, saying he knew
him well and that he often came to see him, and then he offered to take
us there. But just as we were going, arrived at the place an English
officer who had done Kunâla a service in some past time. He had in some
way heard of X and was permitted to come. Such are the complications of
Karma. It was absolutely necessary that he should go too, although no
doubt his European education would never permit him to more than half
accept the doctrine of Karma, so interwoven backward and forwards in
our lives, both those now, that past and that to come. At the interview
with X, I could gain nothing, and so we came away. The next day came
X to see us. He never speaks of himself, but as ‘this body.’ He told
me that he had first been in the body of a Fakir, who, upon having his
hand disabled by a shot he received while he passed the fortress of
Bhurtpore, had to change his body and choose another, the one he was
now in. A child of about seven years of age was dying at that time,
and so, before the complete physical death, this Fakir had entered the
body and afterwards used it as his own. He is, therefore, doubly not
what he seems to be. As a Fakir he had studied Yoga science for 65
years, but that study having been arrested at the time he was disabled,
leaving him unequal to the task he had to perform, he had to choose
this other one. In his present body he is 53 years, and consequently
the inner X is 118 years old. * * * In the night I heard him talking
with Kunâla, and found that each had the same Guru, who himself is a
very great Adept, whose age is 300 years, although in appearance he
seems to be only 40[52]. He will in a few centuries enter the body of
a _Kshatriya_[53], and do some great deeds for India, but the time had
not yet come.”

[_To be continued._]

SUFISM,

OR THEOSOPHY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF MOHAMMEDANISM.

_A Chapter from a MS. work designed as a text book for Students in
Mysticism._

BY C. H. A. BJERREGAARD, _Stud. Theos._

In Two Parts:—Part I, Texts; Part II, Symbols.

The spirit of Sufism is best expressed in the couplet of Katobi:

“Last night a nightingale sung his song, perched on a high cypress,
when the rose, on hearing his plaintive warbling, shed tears in the
garden, soft as the dews of heaven.”

(CONTINUED.)

SUFI ECSTASY.

MOTTO: “Highest nature wills the capture; “Light to light!” the
instinct cries;
And in agonizing rapture falls the moth, and bravely dies.
Think not what thou art, Believer; think but what thou
mayest become
For the World is thy deceiver, and the Light thy only home.”
(_Palm Leaves._)

ABULFAZL (A.D. 1595):

O Lord, whose secrets are for ever veiled,
And whose perfection knows not a beginning!
End and beginning both are lost in thee;
No trace of them is found in thy eternal realm.

My words are lame; my tongue, a stony tract;
Slow wings my foot, and wide is the expanse.
Confused are my thoughts; but this is thy best praise—
_In ecstacy alone I see thee face to face!_

SHEMS TEBREEZ:

What advice, O Musselmans? I don’t know myself; I[54] am neither
Christian nor Jew, nor am I a fire-worshipper nor Musselman.
I am not from the East or West, nor am I of land or fire.
I am not from the country of Iran, nor am I from the land of
Khoorassan.
I am neither of water nor air, nor am I of fire or earth.
I am not of Adam or Eve, nor am I of the inhabitants of paradise.
My place is no place, my sign is without sign:
I have neither body nor soul,—what is there then? I am the soul of
my Beloved.[55]
When I took out my heart, the two worlds I saw as one. He is the
first, He is the last, He is the manifest. He is the secret.
Except Him, and that I am Him, I do not know anything else.
O thou, Shems Tebreez, why this rapture in this world?
_Except with rapture and enthusiastic ardour, this work cannot be
effected._

ECSTASY: THE HEART AS MEDIUM.

All the earth I’d wandered over, seeking still the beacon light,
Never tarried in the day time, never sought repose at night;
Till I heard a reverend preacher all the mystery declare,
Then I looked within my bosom, and ‘twas shining brightly there.
(_E. H. Palmer, Orient. Myst._)

Who so knoweth himself, knoweth the Godhead.—Thy soul is the
sufficient proof of the existence of the Godhead: When by reflection
thou hast penetrated to that deep within, thou shalt discover there
the Universal Worker of his work.
(_D’Herbelot—Persian Paraphrases._)

Wouldst know where I found the Supreme? One step beyond
self.—Behind the veil of self shines unseen the beauty of the
Beloved.—(_Aphorisms._)

Soul of the soul! Neither thought nor reason comprehend thy essence,
and no one knows thy attributes. Souls have no idea of thy being. The
prophets themselves sink into the dust before thee. Although intellect
exists by thee, has it ever found the path of thy existence? _Thou art
the interior and the exterior of the soul._—(_Attar._)

They who see God are ever rapt in ecstacy. * * * (_The Mesnevi._)

ECSTASY: NATURE AS MEDIUM.

The varied pictures I have drawn on space,
Behold what fair and goodly sights they seem;
One glimpse I gave them of my glorious face,
And lo! ‘tis now the universal theme.
(_E. H. Palmer, Orient. Myst._).

Recognise the mark of Deity in every place, and never place
the foot without its own limit. The world is the image of the
Godhead.—(_Buslami._)

* * * * *

RABIA LEGENDS.

—The widow _Rabia_[56] is reported having said “an interior wound
consumes my heart; it can only be cured by communion with a friend.[57]
I shall remain sick till the day of judgment when I shall reach my
end.”—

—It is told of _Rabia_, that once when requested to marry, she
answered: My being has for a long time been in marital communion; hence
I say that my ego is long ago lost in itself and arisen again in Him
(in God); since then I am entirely in His power, yea, I am He. He,
who would ask me for a bride, would ask me, not from myself, but from
Him (God). _Hassan Basri_ (a famous Mohamedan Theologian) asked her
how she had reached this state. She answered: In this way, everything
which I had found I lost again in Him (God). When questioned as to by
which mode she knew Him, she made answer: O, _Hassan, you_ know Him by
certain methods and means, I know Him without modes and means.—

—_Ibn Chali Kan_ tells about Rabia that she often in the middle of the
night went up upon the roof and in her loneness cried out: O, my God!
Now is silenced the noise of the day, and the lover enjoys the night
with the beloved, but I enjoy myself in my loneness with Thee; Thou art
my true lover.—

—It is told of her that once while journeying to Mecca on seeing the
Kaaba she exclaimed: What is the Kaaba to me? I need the Lord of the
Kaaba! I am so near God that I apply to myself his words: He who
approaches me by an inch, him I approach by a yard. What is the Kaaba
to me?—

—_Feri’d Eddin Attar_ tells about her, that she, once while crossing
the fields, cried out: Deep longing after God has taken possession of
me! True, Thou art both earth and stone, but I yearn to behold Thee,
Thyself. The high God spoke to her in her heart, without a medium: O,
Rabia! Do you not know that once when Moses requested to see God, only
a grain fell from the sun and he collapsed: Be satisfied with my name!—

—Once asked if she beheld God while worshipping Him, “Assuredly,” said
she, “I behold Him, for Whom I cannot see, I cannot worship.”—

—Once when Rabia was sick three famous Theologians called upon her,
namely _Hassan Basri_, _Malik Dinar_, and _Schakik Balchi_. Hassan
said: The prayers of that man are not sincere who refuses to bear the
Lord’s chastisements. Schakik added to that: He is not sincere who
does not rejoice in the Lord’s chastisements. But Rabia, who detected
selfish joy even in those words, replied: He is not sincere in his
prayers, who does not, when he beholds his Lord, forget entirely that
he is being chastised.—

—On one occasion Rabia was questioned concerning the cause of an
illness and replied: I allowed myself to think on the delights of
paradise, therefore my Lord has punished me.—

* * * * *

ACTS OF ADEPTS.[58]

_Munsoor Halaj_ attained victory of the body, by incessant prayer and
contemplation. He used to say “_I am the Truth._”

The following story is told of him. He observed his sister go out
frequently at night, and wondering what it meant, he resolved to watch
her and see where she went. He did so and found that she went to a
company of celestial spirits, who gave her of their nectar or immortal
beverage. Thinking that a drop might be left in the cup after his
sister had drank from it, he took hold of it and did, much against
her warning, get a drop of the divine fluid. Ever afterwards he went
about exclaiming “I am the Truth!” This was too much for the observers
of the canonical law and they sentenced him to be impaled alive. When
they came to take him, he told them, that he did not fear them, they
could do him no harm, and when they were putting him on the stake, he
disappeared from them and appeared in a sitting posture in the air at
a small distance over the stake. This was repeated several times. His
spirit ascended to heaven and asked the Prophet if it be right that he
should suffer. The Prophet advised him to suffer, otherwise there would
be an end to formal religion. On this Munsoor Halaj’s spirit descended
and permitted the body to take the course of nature. When about to be
impaled, he called a disciple of his, told him the secret and that his
voice, “I am the Truth” would be heard, when they after burning him,
should throw his ashes into the sea; and that the sea would rise and
overflow all the land, if they did not take his godhra[59] and place it
on the rising waves. It so all happened.—

A Sufi poet has explained the cause of Munsoor’s death, to lie in the
fact, that he revealed a mystery.

Of _Shems Tebreez_ the following story is told. He raised a King’s
only son from death by throwing his mantle over him and ordering him
“Rise by my order.” For this he was summoned before the ecclesiastical
court and sentenced to be flayed alive. When the sentence came to be
executed, no knives could cut him, his body was invulnerable. It is
related, that he ascended in spirit to heaven and the Prophet directed
him to undergo his punishment, which he subsequently did. He directed
the doctors of Law, himself, how to begin to cut the skin from his
feet, or rather made the incision himself. When they had thus flayed
him, he requested his own skin, be given to him as the letter of the
law was fulfilled, and they gave it to him. Of this he made his Khirqeh
or derwish’s habit, threw it over his shoulders, and went away.

After that the doctors of law ordered everybody to give him nothing to
eat, drink, &c. He thus remained for some days without food, &c. At
last he found a dead ox and cut out a piece, but as no one dared give
him fire, he ordered the sun to descend from the firmament and come
nearer to broil his meat. The sun obeyed—but the prince and people
fearing the consequences implored him to relieve their sufferings by
ordering the sun to return to its station. He granted their request.

* * * * *

TEXTS FROM REPRESENTATIVE SUFIS.

_Al-Ghazzali_ (Abu Hamid Muhammed ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al Ghazzali,)
surnamed Hujjatu ‘l-Islam (“the proof of Islam”). He was born at Tus
A. D. 1058 and died A. D. 1111.—

The following are his own words: “I said to myself: the aim of my life
is simply to know the truth of things; therefore I must ascertain what
_knowledge_ is. * * I then said to myself ‘the only hope of acquiring
incontestable convictions is by the perceptions of the senses and by
necessary truths.’ Their evidence seemed to me to be indubitable. I
soon began to examine the objects of sensation and speculation to
see if they were beyond doubt and doubts crowded in upon me, that my
incertitude became complete. * * I abandoned the senses, therefore,
having seen all my confidence in their truth shaken. * * * Perhaps,
said I, there is no assurance but in the notions of reason, viz., in
first principles. * * * Upon this the senses replied: ‘What assurance
have you that your confidence in reason is not of the same nature as
your confidence in us? May there not be some other judge superior
to reason? The non-appearance of such a judge is no proof of his
non-existence.’ * * * I came to reflect on sleep, how during sleep we
give to visions, reality and consistence, and have no suspicion of
their untruth. On awaking we see they were nothing but visions. What
assurance have we that all we feel and see and know when we are awake
does actually exist?”

Al Gazzali had now come to disbelief and distrust of the world of
sense. He gave his wealth away, left Bagdad and retired into Syria, to
the desert, where he spent two years in solitary struggle, combating
his passions, purified his heart and prepared for another world. _He
attained freedom._ Afterwards he said: “The life of man passes through
three degrees. The first or infantile state is that of pure sensation;
the second is that of understanding, and the third that of reason,
where the intellect perceives the necessary truths, &c. But there is
a fourth state, beyond these three, in which man perceives the hidden
things, that have been, and that will be and the things that escape
both the senses and reason. This state is Freedom.”

* * * * *

AL GAZZALI: ALCHEMY OF HAPPINESS.

CHAP. I. On the knowledge of the soul, and how knowledge of the soul is
the key to the knowledge of God.

O seeker after the divine mysteries! Know thou that the door to the
knowledge of God will be opened to a man first of all, when he knows
his own soul, and understands the truth about his own spirit, according
as it has been revealed, “he who knows himself knows his Lord also.”

If you wish, O seeker of the way! to know your own soul, know that
the blessed and glorious God created you of two things: the one is a
visible body, and the other is a something internal, that is called
spirit and heart, which can only be perceived by the mind. But when we
speak of the heart, we do not mean the piece of flesh which is in the
left side of the breast of man, for that is found in a dead body and
in animals: it may be seen with the eyes, and belongs to the visible
world. That heart, which is emphatically called spirit, does not belong
to this world, and although it has come to this world, it has only come
to leave it. It is the sovereign of the body, which is its vehicle, and
all the external and internal organs of the body are its subjects. Its
special attribute is to know God and to enjoy the vision of the Beauty
of the Lord God.—They will ask you about the spirit. Answer, “The
spirit is a creation by decree of the Lord. The spirit belongs to the
world of decrees. All existence is of two kinds, one is of the world
of decrees, and the other is of the world of creation. To Him belong
creation and decree.”

—That spirit, which has the property of knowing God is called the
heart; it is not found in beasts, nor is it matter or an accident. The
heart has been created with angelic qualities. It is a substance of
which it is difficult to apprehend the essence. The law does not permit
it to be explained, but there is no occasion for the student being
acquainted with it at the outset of his journey.

—Know, O seeker after the divine mysteries! that the body is the
kingdom of the heart, and that in the body there are many forces in
contrariety with the heart, as God speaks in his Holy Word.

—Know, O student of wisdom! that the body, which is the kingdom of the
heart, resembles a great city. The hand, the foot, the mouth and the
other members resemble the people of the various trades. Desire is
a standard bearer; anger is a superintendent of the city, the heart
is its sovereign, and reason is the vizier. The sovereign needs the
service of all the inhabitants. But desire, the standard bearer, is
a liar, vain and ambitious. He is always ready to do the contrary
of what reason, the vizier, commands. He strives to appropriate to
himself whatever he sees in the city, which is the body. Anger, the
superintendent, is rebellious and corrupt, quick and passionate. He
is always ready to be enraged, to spill blood, and to blast one’s
reputation. If the sovereign, the heart, should invariably consult
with reason, his vizier, and, when desire was transgressing, should
give to wrath to have power over him (yet, without giving him full
liberty, should make him angry in subjection to reason, the vizier, so
that passing all bounds he should not stretch out his hand upon the
kingdom), there would then be an equilibrium in the condition of the
kingdom, and all the members would perform the functions for which they
were created, their service would be accepted at the mercy seat, and
they would obtain eternal felicity.

The dignity of the heart is of two kinds; one is by means of knowledge,
and the other through the exertion of divine power. Its dignity
by means of knowledge is also of two kinds. The first is external
knowledge, which everyone understands: the second kind is veiled and
cannot be understood by all, and is extremely precious.

—In the second, by the power of thought, the soul passes from the abyss
to the highest heaven, and from the East to the West.

The most wonderful thing of all is, that there is a window in the heart
from whence it surveys the world. This is called the invisible world,
the world of intelligence, or the spiritual world.

—The heart resembles a pure mirror, you must know, in this particular,
that when a man falls asleep, when his senses are closed, and when
the heart, free and pure from blamable affections, is confronted with
the preserved tablet, then the tablet reflects upon the heart the
real states and hidden forms inscribed upon it. In that state the
heart sees most wonderful forms and combinations. But when the heart
is not free from impurity, or when, on waking, it busies itself with
things of sense, the side towards the tablet will be obscured, and it
can view nothing. For, although in sleep the senses are blunted, the
image-making faculty is not, but preserves the forms reflected upon the
mirror of the heart.

—In death, the senses are completely separated and the veil of the
body is removed, the heart can contemplate the invisible world and its
hidden mysteries, without a veil, just as lightning or the celestial
rays impress the external eye.

—If a person calls into exercise, in perfection, holy zeal and
austerities, and purifies his heart from the defilement of blamable
affections, and then sits down in a retired spot, abandons the use of
his external senses, and occupies himself with calling out “O God! O
God!” his heart will come into harmony with the visible world, he will
no longer receive notices from the material world, and nothing will
be present in his heart but the exalted God. In this revelation of the
invisible world, the windows of the heart are opened, and what others
may have seen in a dream, he in this state sees in reality. The spirits
of angels and prophets are manifested to him and he holds intercourse
with them. The hidden things of the earth and heaven are uncovered to
him. * * * Probably the knowledge of all the prophets was obtained in
this way, for it was not obtained by learning.

—When the heart is free from worldly lusts, from the animosities of
society and from distractions by the senses, the vision of God is
possible. And this course is adopted by the Mystics. It is also the
path followed by the prophets.

—The heart of man while in the spiritual world knows its Maker and
Creator: it had mingled with the angels and knows for what service it
was created.

—To whomsoever this revelation has been vouchsafed, if it directs him
to reform the world, to invite the nations to turn to God, and to a
peculiar way of life, that person is called a prophet, and his way of
life is called a law; and that influence which proceeds from him, which
transcends what is ordinary, is called a _miracle_. If he has not been
appointed to invite nations, but worships in accordance with the law
of another, he is called a _saint_, and that which proceeds from him,
which transcends what is ordinary, is called a _manifestation of grace_.

—The knowledge of God, which is the occasion of the revelation of
truth, cannot be acquired without self-denial and effort. Unless a man
has reached perfection and the rank of a Superior, nothing will be
revealed to him, except in cases of special divine grace and merciful
providence, and this occurs very rarely.

—You have now learned, O student of the divine mysteries, the dignity
of the heart through knowledge.

—Now listen to the heart’s dignity through divine power and the
greatness of which it is capable.

—When God wills it, the angels send forth the winds, cause the rain to
fall, bring forth the embryo in animals, shape their forms, cause seeds
to sprout in the earth and plants to grow, many legions of angels being
appointed to this service. The heart of man, being created with angelic
properties must also have influence and power over the material world;
* * * and if the animal and ferocious qualities should not be dominant,
if it should look upon a lion or tiger with “majesty” they would become
weak and submissive. If it should look with kindness upon one who is
sick, his infirmity might be changed to health. If it should look upon
the vigorous with majesty, they might become infirm. The reality of the
existence of these influences is known both by reason and experience.

—In whomsoever these influences are shown to have power, if he
occasions misery in the exercise of this power, he is designated a
sorcerer.

—The heart has dominion and control through three channels. One is
through visions;—the second is through the dominion which the heart
exercises over its own body;—the third source of dominion of the heart
is through knowledge.—Some persons have all things opened up to them
by the will of God. This kind of knowledge is called “infused and
illuminated” as God says in his Word: “we have illuminated him with our
knowledge.” These three specialities are all of them found in certain
measure in some men, in others two of them are found, and in others,
only one is found: but whenever the three are found in the same person,
he belongs to the rank of prophets or of the greatest of the saints.
Man cannot comprehend states of being which transcend his own nature.
No person can understand any individual who belongs to a scale of rank
above him.

—The path of mysticism is sought for by all men, and longed for by all
classes of society, yet those who attain to the end are exceedingly
rare.

—The body is but an animal to be ridden by the heart, which is its
rider, while the heart’s chief end is to acquire a knowledge of God.

CHAP. II. On the knowledge of God.

—In the books of former prophets it is written, “Know thine own soul,
and thou shalt know thy Lord,” and we have received it in a tradition,
that “He who knows himself, already knows his Lord.”

—Everyone in the sphere to which he attains, is still veiled with a
veil. The light of some is as of a twinkling star. Others see as by the
light of the moon. Others are illuminated as if by the world-effulgent
sun. To some the invisible world is even perfectly revealed, as we hear
in the holy word of God: “And thus we caused Abraham to see the heaven
and the earth.” And hence it is that the prophet says: “There are
before God seventy veils of light; if he should unveil them, the light
of His countenance would burn everything that came into His presence.”

CHAP. III. On the knowledge of the world.

—Know, that this world is one stage of our life for eternity. For those
who are journeying in the right way, it is the road of religion. It is
a market opened in the wilderness, where those who are travelling on
their way to God, may collect and prepare provisions for their journey,
and depart thence to God, without sorrow or despondency.

—The world is delusive, enchanting and treacherous.

—The world will be brought to the great assembly at the last day,
in the form of a woman with livid eyes, pendent lips, and deformed
shape, and all the people will look upon her, and will exclaim,
“what deformed and horrible person is that, whose aspect alone is
severe torture to the soul.” And they will be answered, “It was on her
account that you were envying and hating one another, and were ready
to slay one another. It was on her account that you rebelled against
God, and debased yourselves to every sort of corruption.” And then God
will order her to be driven off to hell with her followers and her
lovers.[60]

The Lord Jesus (upon whom be peace!) declares that the world is like
the man who drinks sea water. The more he drinks, the more his internal
heat increases, and unless he stops, he will destroy himself by
drinking.

CHAP. IV. On the knowledge of the future world.

—Know, beloved, that we cannot understand the future world, until we
know what death is: and we cannot know what death is, until we know
what life is: nor can we understand what life is, until we know what
spirit is.

—The following is an illustration of the duration of eternity, so far
as the human mind can comprehend it. If the space between the empyreal
heaven to the regions below the earth, embracing the whole universe,
should be filled up with grains of mustard seed, and if a crow should
make use of them as food and come but once in a thousand years and take
but a single grain away, so that with the lapse of time there should
not remain a single grain, still at the end of that time not the amount
of a grain of mustard seed would have been diminished from the duration
of eternity.—

AL GAZZALI ON PRAYER.

—Prayers are of three degrees, of which the first are those that are
simply spoken with the lips. Prayers are of the second kind, when
with difficulty, and only by a most resolute effort, the soul is able
to fix its thoughts on Divine things without being disturbed by evil
imaginations; of the third kind, when one finds it difficult to _turn
away_ the mind from dwelling on Divine things. But it is the very
marrow of prayer, when He who is invoked takes possession of the soul
of the suppliant, and the soul of him who prays is absorbed into God
to whom he prays, and his prayer ceasing, all consciousness of self
has departed, and to such a degree, that all thought whatsoever of
the praying is felt as a veil betwixt the soul and God. This state is
called by the Mystics “absorption,” for the reason that the man is so
absorbed, that he takes no thought of his body, or of anything that
happens externally, none of what occurs in his own soul, but, absent
as it were from all such matter whatsoever, is first engaged in going
_towards_ his Lord, and finally is wholly _in_ his Lord. If only the
thought occurs that he is absorbed into the Absolute, it is a blemish;
for that absorption only is worthy of the name which is unconscious
of itself. And these words of mine, although they will be called, as
I well know, but foolish babbling by raw theologians, are yet by
no means without significance. For consider, the condition of which
I speak, resembles that of a person who loves any other object, as
wealth, honor, or pleasure. We see such persons so carried away with
their love, and others with anger, that they do not hear one who speaks
to them, nor see those passing before their eyes; nay, so absorbed are
they in their passion, that they do not perceive their absorption. Just
so far as you turn your mind upon your absorption, you necessarily turn
it away from that which is the object of it.”

Again he says: “The commencement of this is the going to God, then
follows the finding Him, when the “absorption” takes place. This is,
at first, momentary, as the lightening swiftly glancing upon the eye.
But afterwards confirmed by use, it introduces the soul into a higher
world, where the most pure, essential essence meeting it, fills the
soul with the image of the spiritual world, while the majesty of deity
evolves and discovers itself.”

_Omar Khayyam_ (Ghias uddin Abul Fath Omar ibn Ibrahim Al Khayyam) was
born in Khorassan “the focus of Persian culture” and is supposed to
have died A. D. 1123.

He was not affiliated with any Sufi order, but large parts of his works
are full of true Sufi philosophy and are recognized as such.

The first part of the following quotations are taken from the
translation by E. H. Whinfield in Trübner’s Oriental Series. The second
part is extracted from B. Quarritch’s ed. 1879.

Motto: There is a mystery I know full well,
Which to all, good and bad, I cannot tell;
My works are dark, but I cannot unfold
The secrets of the “station” where I dwell.

(66)—to attain unconsciousness of self
Is the sole cause I drink me drunk with wine.—
(108) They preach how sweet those Houri brides will be,
But I say wine is sweeter—taste and see!—
(120) Ten powers, and nine spheres, eight heavens made He,
And planets seven, of six sides, as we see,
Five senses, and four elements, three souls,
Two worlds, but only one, O man, like thee.—
(124) What lord is fit to rule but “Truth?” not one.
What beings disobey His rule? not one.—
(131) Thy being is the being of Another,
Thy passion is the passion of Another.
Cover thy head, and think, and then wilt see,
Thy hand is but the cover of Another.—
(148) Allah hath promised wine in Paradise,
Why then should wine on earth be deemed a vice?—
(225) When the fair soul this mansion doth vacate,
Each element assumes its principal state,—
(266) They go away, and none is seen returning,
To teach that other world’s recondite learning;
’Twill not be shown for dull mechanic prayers,
For prayer is naught without true heartfelt yearning.—
(285) Life’s fount is wine, Khizer[61] its guardian
I, like Elias,[62] find it where I can;
’Tis sustenance for heart and spirit too,
Allah himself calls wine “a boon to man.”—
(340) Man is the whole creation’s summary,
The precious apple of great wisdom’s eye;
The circle of existence is a ring,
Whereof the signet is humanity.—
(351) The more I die to self, I live the more,
The more abase myself, the higher soar;
And, strange! the more I drink of Being’s wine,
More sane I grow, and sober than before!—
(369) This world a body is, and God its soul,
And angels are its senses, who control
Its limbs—the creatures, elements, and spheres;
_The One_ is the sole basis of the whole.—
(376) Some look for truth in creeds, and forms, and rules;
Some grope for doubts or dogmas in the schools;
But from behind the veil a voice proclaims,
“Your road lies neither here nor there, O fools.”—
(400) My body’s life and strength proceed from Thee!
My soul within and spirit are of Thee!
My being is of Thee, and Thou art mine,
And I am Thine, since I am lost in Thee!—

* * * * *

(31) Up from Earth’s Centre through the Seventh Gate
I rose, and on the Throne of Saturn[63] sate,
And many a Knot unravel’d by the Road;
But not the Master-knot of Human Fate.—
(32) There was the Door to which I found no Key;
There was the Veil through which I might not see:
Some little talk awhile of _Me_ and _Thee_
There was—and then no more of _Thee_ and _Me_.[64]—
(33) Earth could not answer; nor the Seas that mourn
In flowing Purple, of their Lord forlorn;
Nor rolling Heaven, with all his Signs reveal’d
And hidden by the sleeve of Night and Morn.
(34) Then of the _Thee in Me_ who works behind
The Veil, I lifted up my hands to find
A Lamp amid the Darkness; and I heard,
As from Without—“_The Me Within Thee Blind!_”—
(35) Then to the Lip of this poor earthern Urn
I lean’d, the Secret of my Life to learn:
And Lip to Lip it murmur’d—“While you live,
Drink!—for once dead, you never shall return.”—

(36) I think the Vessel, that with fugitive
Articulation answer’d, once did live,
And drink; and Ah! the passive lip I kiss’d.
How many kisses might it take—and give![65]—

(44) Why, if the Soul can fling the dust aside,
And naked on the Air of Heaven ride,
Wer’t not a Shame—wer’t not a Shame for him
In this clay carcase crippled to abide?—

(50-52) A Hair perhaps divides the False and True;
Yes; and a single Alif were the clue—
Could you but find it—to the Treasure-house,
And peradventure to _The Master_ too.
Whose secret Presence * * *
* * * * eludes your pains;
Taking all shapes * * *; and
They change and perish all—but He remains.
A moment guess’d—then back behind the Fold
Immerst of darkness * * *

(55-56) You know, my Friends, * * *
I made a Second Marriage in my house;
Divorced old barren Reason from my Bed,
And took the Daughter of the Vine to spouse.—
For “Is” and “Is-not” though with Rule and line,
And “Up-and-Down” by Logic I define,
Of all that one should care to fathom, I
Was never deep in anything but Wine.—

(66-67) I sent my Soul through the Invisible,
Some letter of that After-life to spell:
And by and by my Soul returned to me,
And answer’d: “I myself am Heav’n and Hell:”
Heav’n but the Vision of fulfill’d Desire
And Hell the shadow from a Soul on fire
Cast on the Darkness into which Ourselves,
So late emerg’d from, shall so soon expire.

* * * * *

* * * the Banquet is ended!

FARIDU’D-DIN SHAKRGUNJ (about A. D. 1200).

Man, what thou art is hidden from thyself,
Know’st not that morning, mid-day, and the eve
Are all within Thee? The ninth heaven art Thou,
And from the sphere into the roar of time
Didst fall ere-while, Thou art the brush that painted
The hues of all the world—the light of life
That ranged its glory in the nothingness.
Joy! Joy! I triumph now; no more I know
Myself as simply me. I burn with love.
The centre is within me, and its wonder
Lies as a circle everywhere about me.
Joy! Joy! No mortal thought can fathom me.
I am the merchant and the pearl at once.
Lo! time and space lay crouching at my feet.
Joy! Joy! When I would revel in a rapture,
I plunge into myself, and all things know.

_Saadi_ (Shaikh-Muslah-ud-Din Saadi) was born at Shiraz, the capital of
Persia, A.D. 1176.

He thus characterizes his life and his studies: “I have wandered to
various regions of the world, and everywhere have I mixed freely with
the inhabitants; I have gathered something in each corner; I have
gleaned an ear from every harvest.” The divan of Saadi is by his
countrymen reckoned to be the true Salt mine of poets. Jami calls him
“the nightingale of the groves of Shiraz.”

We would call him the moral philosopher of Sufism. His writings do not
contain much metaphysics.

SAADIS’ GULISTAN (or ROSE GARDEN):

MOTTO: The Rose may continue to bloom five or six days;
But my _Rose garden_ is fragrant for ever.

—Shame on the man * *

Who, when the drum soundeth for departure, hath not made up his burden

Who, on the morning of his journey, is still indulging in sweet sleep.

—They asked Lockman, the wise, from whence he learnt wisdom. He
answered: “From the blind; for till they have tried the ground, they
plant not the foot.”

—The world, O my brother, abideth with no one.

—Ask the inhabitants of Hell, they will tell you it is Paradise.

—The sons of Adam are limbs of one another, for in their creation they
are formed of one substance.

When Fortune bringeth affliction to a single member, not one of the
rest remaineth without disturbance.

—Know that from God is the difference of enemy and friend, for the
hearts of both are alike in His keeping.

—So long as thou art able, crush not a single heart, for a sigh has
power to overturn a world.

—Not a word can be said, even in child’s play, from which an
intelligent person may not gather instruction; but if a hundred
chapters of wisdom were read in the hearing of a fool, to his ears it
would sound as nothing but child’s play.

—Yesternight, towards morning, a warbling bird stole away my reason,
my patience, my strength, and my understanding. My exclamations, by
chance, reached the ear of a most intimate friend. “Never,” he said
“could I believe that the voice of a bird should have such a power
to disturb thy intellect!”—“It is not,” I replied, “befitting the
condition of man, that a bird should be reciting its hymn of praise,
and that I should be silent.”

—One day the Prophet said to Abu Huraizah: “Do not come _every_ day,
that our friendship may increase.”

A holy man has said: “With all the beauty which attends the sun, I
have never heard that anyone has taken him for a friend, except in
winter, when he is veiled, and _therefore_ is loved.”

—The treasure chosen by Lokman was patience: without patience there is
no such thing as wisdom.

—Were every night a night of power, _the Night of Power_, would lose
its worth. Were every pebble a ruby, the ruby and the pebble would be
of equal value.

[Quran, Chap, xcvii: Verily we sent down the Quran in the night of al
Kadr.—Therein do the angels descend, and the spirit of _Gabriel_ also,
by the permission of their Lord _with his decrees_ concerning every
matter. It is peace until morning. Comp. footnote to Lane’s transl. of
the Quran and our Part II: Symbols].

—How should the multitude find its way to their secret chambers, for,
like the waters of life, they are hidden in darkness?

They kindle themselves the flame, which, as a moth, consumeth them;
not wrapping themselves up like the silk-worm in its own web.

Seeking for the Soul’s repose on the bosom which only can give repose,
their lips are still dry with thirst on the very margin of the stream:

Not that they have no power to drink the water, but that their thirst
could not be quenched, even on the banks of the Nile.

* * * * *

“The bird of the morning only knoweth the worth of the book of the
rose; for not every one who readeth the page understandeth the
meaning.” (_Hafiz._)

SAADIS’ BOOSTAN (FRUIT GARDEN OR GARDEN OF PLEASURE).

_His_ nature’s true state all are helpless to read.
The extent of _His_ glory, no mortal has found;
_His_ exquisite beauty, no vision can bound.

* * * * *

To the skirt of _His_ praise Reason’s hand comes not nigh.

* * * * *

The mind can’t _this_ world by reflection embrace.

* * * * *

But the Lord of the sky and the earth’s rugged skin,
On none shuts the door of subsistence for sin.
Like a drop in the ocean of knowledge are seen
Both His worlds, and the faults, He sees, kindly, He’ll screen.

* * * * *

The Creator is mercy-diffusing and kind,
For He helps all His creatures and knows ev’ry mind.
In Him, self-reliance and grandeur you see,
For His kingdom is old and His nature is free.—

* * * * *

He is tardy in seizing on those who rebel,
And does not excuse—bringers rudely repel.

* * * * *

When you’ve penitent turned “_It is past_,” He will write.

* * * * *

The extent of God’s mercies, no mortal can guess;
The need of His praises, what tongue can express?

* * * * *

Who knows that communion with God you don’t share,
When without an absolution you stand to say pray’r?

* * * * *

That pray’r is the key of the portal of hell,
Over which in men’s presence a long time you dwell.
If your path does not lead to the Maker alone,
Your carpet for pray’r into Hell will be thrown!
He ordered, and something from nothing arose;
Who something from nothing but He could disclose?
Again to nonentity’s hiding He flings us.—

* * * * *

And thence to the plain of the judgment He brings us.
Let the robes of deceit, name and fame be dispersed!
For a man becomes weak if in garments immersed.
Worldly love is a veil by which nothing is gained;
When you snap the attachments the Lord is obtained.

* * * * *

Know, that the people in ecstacy drown’d,
In the eyes of the Lord special favour have found!
He watches the “friend,” in the fierce burning pile?

* * * * *

You’ve no road in yourself while to self you are wed;
The enraptured alone are informed on this head.—
Some one said to a Moth “Oh, contemptible mite!
Go! love one who will your affection requite.”

* * * * *

Between you and the candle no friendship can be!

* * * * *

No one tells you your conduct is perfectly right
In destroying your life for the love of the light!
Observe what the moth, full of hot anguish, said:
“If I burn, oh astonishing! What is the dread?”

* * * * *

* * I fancy the flame is a beautiful rose!

* * * * *

Won’t you helplessly, one day, your life give away?
For the sake of space and death, better give it to day!

* * * * *

A wild beast is not likely to change into man;
Instruction is lost on it, strive as you can.

* * * * *

Effort makes not a rose from a willow to grow;
A warm bath will not whiten a negro like snow.
Since naught can the arrow of destiny brave.
_Resignation’s_ the shield that is left to God’s slave.

POLARITY OF THE HUMAN BODY.

Mr. H. Durville, Director of the “Journal du Magnétisme,” published in
Paris, France, has made some very interesting experiments which have
led him to fix the exact Polarity of the Human Body. To understand well
what I am going to state, it is necessary to know first that the French
call the South pole of the Earth, Austral, and the North pole, Boreal,
and that they call the end of the compass needle or of a Magnet which
is attracted to the North of the Earth, Austral, and the end which is
attracted to the South, Boreal.

Mr. Durville has replaced the denominations Austral and Boreal by the
terms positive and negative, based on the following Electro-Chemical
law. If a Saline solution be submitted to the action of a Voltaic
current, the acids go to the pole +, or positive and the alkalis to the
pole-, or negative.

Also if we put in the water contained in two different glasses, the two
electrodes of a pile, uniting the two glasses by a wet woolen or cotton
thread, the water in the glass exposed to the electrode +, will take a
fresh and acidulated taste, and the water in the other glass exposed to
the electrode-, will take an alkaline, tepid and unsavoury taste. Now,
if we submit two glasses filled with water to the poles of a Magnet,
the water exposed to the Austral pole will take an acidulated taste,
and the water exposed to the Boreal pole will take an alkaline taste.

There is, then, a concordance of nature between the positive or + pole
of the pile, and the Austral or positive pole of the Magnet, both being
fresh and acids; and between the negative or-pole of the pile, and the
Boreal or negative pole of the Magnet, both being tepid, nauseous and
alkaline. Consequently we can call +, or positive, the Austral pole
of the Magnet and-, or negative, the Boreal pole. Furthermore, if we
magnetize two glasses of water, one with the right hand, and the other
with the left hand, the first will become acidulated and fresh, and the
second, tepid, nauseous and alkaline.

Then, there is again concordance of nature between the positive or +
pole of the pile, the positive or Austral pole of the Magnet, and the
right hand, which are fresh and acidulated; and between the negative
or-pole of the pile, the negative or Boreal pole of the Magnet, and the
left hand which are tepids, nauseous and alkalines.

Consequently we can call positive or +, the right hand and the Austral
pole of the Magnet, as well as the positive pole of the pile; and
negative or -, the left hand and the Boreal pole of the Magnet, as well
as the negative pole of the pile.

We know that the Earth is a Magnet and that it acts like one.

We also know that when Magnets act freely one upon another, the poles
of the same name are repulsed and the poles of contrary names are
attracted.

Now, Mr. Durville found by repeated experiments that all the right side
of a sensitive subject is strongly influenced by the positive pole of
the Magnet which produces contraction, repulsion and excitation; while,
on the contrary, the other pole relaxes, attracts and calms the same
side. The Austral pole of the Magnet presented within about 4-inches of
the forehead of the subject, repulses him and puts him to sleep; while
the left hand attracts and awakens him. It is evident, then, that the
positive pole of the Magnet and the right hand are poles of the same
name; and, if the Austral pole of the Magnet is positive, then the
Boreal or Northern pole of the Earth must be negative. The physical
laws of the Human Magnetism are consequently identical with those
governing the actions of the Magnets.

The Human body represents three horse-shoe Magnets, two of them
having the neutral point at the summit of the head and the third in
an inverted position to that of the two first ones. The axis the most
important divides us laterally from right to left, the other from the
forepart to the back part of the body. The first horse-shoe Magnet has
its neutral point at the summit of the head, and its extremities or
poles at the right hand and the left hand, the right hand being the
positive, and the left hand the negative pole.

The second horse-shoe Magnet has also its neutral point at the summit
of the head, and the extremities or poles of its two branches are the
right and the left foot, the right foot being positive and the left
foot negative.

The third horse-shoe Magnet, the one in an inverted position, has its
neutral point at the perineum and the extremities of its branches are
the forehead and the occiput. The forehead being positive and the
occiput negative.

From this it follows that in the human body, from the extremities of
the feet to the summit of the head, all the right side is positive and
the left side negative, and from the forehead to the perineum all the
forepart of the body is positive, while the opposite or back part, from
the occiput to the perineum is negative. The Human body possesses other
polary axes of less importance.

Reichenbach has found, through experiments made with many sensitives,
that the end of the Magnet which seeks the North pole of the Earth, the
end we call positive, sends to the left hand of a sensitive a fresh
breeze, while the other end emits a tepid one. He also found that the
positive end emits in the dark a blue light, while the negative one
emits a yellow red light. His sensitives found that in the dark, the
right side of the human body emits a blue light, while the left side
emits a yellow red one. Then the right side of the body has the same
quality of Magnetism as the positive, or North seeking, or Austral pole
of the Magnet, and the left side has the same quality of Magnetism as
the negative, or South seeking, or Boreal pole of the Magnet. Those
experiments of Reichenbach agree thus entirely with those made by Mr.
Durville. His polarity of the Human body is also the same as given by
Andrew Jackson Davis, page 91 of his work “The Harbinger of Health.”
There are consequently very strong reasons for believing that the
theory of Mr. Durville is the right one, since it has been confirmed by
practical experiments made by himself, Reichenbach and Davis.

Mr. Durville concludes his article in the “Journal du Magnétisme,”
January number of 1886, with some interesting points in Therapeutics.
Diseases can be classed as of two kinds, those due to atony or
paralysis of the organs, and those due to excitation or inflammation.

The object of Medicine is to excite the functions of the atonic organs
and to calm or moderate those which are too active. Magnetizers knew
that the ends of the fingers presented within a few inches of the
diseased part, will produce excitation, while the palm of the hand
applied on produces calm; but they could not always obtain the desired
effect for want of the knowledge of the true polarity of the Human body.

The right hand will produce attraction, calm and easiness on the left
and back side of the body; and repulsion, excitation and uneasiness on
the right and forepart of the body; and the left hand will produce the
same corresponding effects on the right and forepart of the body, and
on the left and backpart. The right-hand, a positive pole, will act
with more energy than the left-hand, a negative one.

He found by experiments that the most certain and active results are
produced by presenting the palm of the hand within about two inches
from the diseased part, the attractions and repulsions being in inverse
ratio of the square of the distances. Every time we want to take off
a pain, or calm an excitation, we will succeed by presenting the palm
of the right hand to the diseased part, if that part is on the left
side or the back of the body, or by presenting the palm of the left
hand, if it is on the right side or the forepart of the body. For
example, a heaviness in the head, a neuralgia and in general, all kinds
of headaches, will cease more or less rapidly under the influence of
the palm of the hand presented with the fingers upright at about two
inches from the forehead. To calm the nervous system, place yourself
on the left of the patient and apply the left hand on the epigastrium,
and the right hand on the vertebral column, on the corresponding part.
If we were to use the other hand on the same part, we should increase
for a while the intensity of the pain. To obtain the desired result,
the time necessarily varies according to the nature of the disease and
sensibility of the patient.

With a knowledge of the laws regulating the human polarity, Magnetism
becomes an exact science, a positive one. But the application of it is
also an art which constant practice may improve considerably.
CH. J. QUETIL, F. T. S.

THE HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY.

Fragments of the Ancient Wisdom Religion have come down to us from the
remotest past, through many channels, and in various forms.

The study of philology alone will be inadequate to discover the true
meaning of ancient sacred writings, though it may very greatly assist
the labors of those who have already gained a clue to the Secret
Doctrine. The Theosophist and the Antiquarian differ very widely, and
though the former has sometimes been accused of searching out obsolete
doctrines and magnifying the achievements of the past, but little
observation will be required to reveal the fact, that that for which
they search may be very old because it is valuable, but never valuable
merely because it is old. In short that of which they are in search may
truly be said to never fade, and ne’er grow old, though it is often
lost sight of. Occultism is not a new craze as some suppose, it is not
simply a line of the marvelous, it is rather the profoundest of all
sciences, conforming in its methods of research and the character of
its results to those of all sciences. The naturalist does not hesitate
to construct from a single tooth or a few fragments of bone, the entire
animal and assign to it its proper place, declare its habits, modes of
life, size, &c., &c., even though he fixed its era centuries ago, and
no one nowadays questions the general correctness of the result; the
study of comparative anatomy and the science of biology testify all
this. In like manner and by similar methods may one familiar with the
science of occultism, which deals with the operation of uniform laws
in the higher realms of nature, arrive at exact data from very small
beginnings, and with this advantage, viz., that he has the means at
hand to verify his conclusions, which the naturalist has not, for in
this realm there are no extinct species, the elements of human nature,
and the laws which underlie their unfoldment and manifestation are the
same now, as thousands of years ago.

It is the custom of many who are entirely ignorant of this higher
science, to deny its existence and ridicule its cultivators. Just as an
uneducated and conceited boor would ridicule an Agassiz for attempting
to reconstruct an animal from its thigh bone. When, therefore, one
entirely ignorant not only of the principles but of the existence of
such a thing as occult science, examines ancient records in which it is
concealed, he will arise from his task possibly better satisfied with
his own possessions as contrasted with the “ignorance” of past ages,
but seldom wiser for his endeavor. Few persons nowadays are ignorant
of the form of most ancient hierarchic writings, as consisting of, or
containing a double meaning under the garb of allegory or parable. It
is moreover becoming quite generally known that many of these ancient
records are of vital importance to us of the present day, as containing
the very knowledge of which we stand most in need, and the amount
of attention they are receiving may be determined by observing the
interest in, and almost unprecedented sales of, such works as Arnold’s
Light of Asia, while the labors of men like Max Muller in rendering the
ancient scriptures into English have made it possible for everyone to
gain some familiarity with the religious casts of antiquity. Bearing
in mind these general observations, let us briefly examine one of
the most ancient, most famous, and yet least comprehended sources of
ancient wisdom. As to the questions who was Hermes? which Hermes? when
did he write? we have these points for the philologists and historians,
quoting here the remark of Iamblichus in his treatise on the Mysteries:
“Hermes, the God who presides over language, was formerly very properly
considered as common to all priests; and the power who presides over
the true science concerning the Gods is one and the same in the whole
of things. Hence our ancestors dedicated the inventions of their wisdom
to this deity, inscribing all their own writings with the name of
Hermes,” and “the late learned Divine Doctor Everard” in the preface
to his translation of the Divine Pymander 1650, contends that Hermes
Trismegistus lived a long time before Moses, that he had “perfect and
exact knowledge of all things contained in the world,” * * “that he was
the first that invented the art of communicating knowledge to the world
by writing, that he was King of Egypt, that he styled himself the son
of Saturn, and that he was believed to have come from heaven, and not
to have been born on earth.”[66]

The above writer goes on to say that Hermes did excel in the right
understanding of, because he attained to, the knowledge of the
quintessence of the whole universe, otherwise called the _Elixir_ of
the philosophers, which secret many ignorantly deny, many have sought
after, and some have found. A description of this great Treasure is
said to have been found engraved upon a Smaragdine Tablet in the valley
of Hebron after the flood.[67]

To the modern reader, all this sounds very queer, a bundle of
contradictions and vagaries, taxing reason and even credulity. But
suppose we are told, that it was designed for exactly that purpose,
that only they who were _determined_ to find the truth, and who
therefore had faith that it existed somewhere, were expected to walk
around or dig under this stumbling-block. If we turn now to _Isis
Unveiled_ p. 507, Vol. I, we shall find the inscription said to have
been found on the tablet.
B.
[_To be continued._]

REVIEWS.

PANTANJALI’S RAJ YOGA PHILOSOPHY.—(Reprinted by the Bombay Branch
of the Theosophical Society.) We will give in subsequent numbers of
this magazine, remarks and explanations by a Hindu brother member. In
this reprint are some things which do not improve the book. They are
selections from such men as P. B. Randolph and others. We do not think
Pantanjali needs confirmation from such a source as Randolph’s. No
doubt many Theosophists will be disappointed in this great Hindu, in
consequence of their own expectations of finding explicit directions
as to developing and projecting the double and other like tricks, and
because of erroneous suppositions as to what Raj Yoga is. It is the
highest philosophy, but the work needs just the explanations which
we propose to furnish, in part at least. Pantanjali is immensely
interesting to ordinary Theosophists from an intellectual standpoint,
and to those who are somewhat advanced its instruction is very great.
At present all the Raj Yoga which the western body of Theosophists can
assimilate, is found in _Light on the Path_ and _Bagavad-Gita_.

JOURNAL OF SPECULATIVE PHILOSOPHY.—We have received from Wm. T. Harris,
(No. 3, Vol. XIX) for which we offer our thanks. Our small space will
not permit extended notice. It is full of splendid matter.

IMMORTALITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL.—(W. T. Harris, D. Appleton & Co., New
York.) On p. 5 is the basis of a great argument, that “the interaction
between soul and body can never be explained, except by a combination
of introspection with observation of physiologic facts.” The grossest
scientist exercises both and yet denies the value of introspection.

PHILOSOPHY IN OUTLINE.—(Wm. T. Harris, D. Appleton & Co., New York.)
A brief exposition of the method of Philosophy and its results in
obtaining a view of nature, man and God.

NOTES AND QUERIES.—A monthly magazine full of curious information
in art, science, mathematics, folk-lore, mysticism, etc., comes to
The Path as an exchange and the back volumes have been received for
our Theosophical library. It is published by S. C. & L. M. Gould,
Manchester, N. H., at $1.00 a year. Among its articles are many on
subjects allied with Eastern wisdom, ancient philosophy, masonry,
bibliography, etc. Write to them for a sample copy.

LIGHT ON THE HIDDEN WAY.—_Anon._ (Boston.) This book has excited a
great deal of comment in Boston.

The similarity of titles might lead one to expect something like “Light
on the Path,” but the reader would soon find that the book, whose
non-commital introduction by a distinguished Unitarian Minister has
brought it considerable earnest consideration, has nothing in common
with that priceless volume. It is the account of the experiences of the
author, a sensitive and seer from childhood, and, in some respects, it
reminds us strikingly of what Kerner tells us about the Seherin von
Prevorst. While we cannot commend untrained seership, or its results,
we can commend the earnestness and sincerity of the author and at
least say for her work that it ought to do good in turning Spiritistic
readers away from the materialistic aspects which their belief most
commonly presents, and in teaching them that immortality is only to
be obtained through “slaying the dragon Self.” For the rest, we will
submit the following comments on the work from a source which we feel
to be competent to judge:—

“I feel as if my father’s eyes were always upon me. p. 21. In this
and following instances, the evidences are, that the writer is
looking into the Astral world, or, in other words, is seeing the
impressions that have been made upon her personal aura. Not having
been effaced, they are readily mistaken for the personalities who
made the impressions. Was it her father, the individual, he would be
engaged in more important matters than watching for dust in unswept
corners. So far, all is sentimental, or in the sphere of earthly
impressions, beliefs and feelings—naturally to a great extent illusory
and unsatisfactory. A chorus of heavenly voices swelling a hymn, may
fulfill the requirements for some individuals, but we can hardly see or
feel that any chorus, no matter how earthly, much more heavenly, can
sing a song of rejoicing because a man has laid aside his robe, and in
the doing it, causing a woman, perhaps, to pass through Gethsemane. The
sorrows and demands of others are entirely lost to sight in the fancied
importance of one being passing through the change of abode called
_Death_. We do not think any man ever saw any being with wings in the
spheres above the Astral. In the Astral they do exist, for they are
creatures of the imagination. In truth, therefore, they are elementals,
clothed in this form. Imagination, properly guided, does not create
these beings, but unguided, or badly guided, it does, the result being
that it is quite possible not only to see them with wings, but with a
thousand of them, or, like a centipede, with a hundred legs.

“Similar visionaries, and this one also, have to a great extent
unconsciously permitted their thoughts to be influenced by Biblical
writers who express their visions in symbolical language. But the
Prophets say: “And I saw one _like unto_ an angel having four wings,”
etc. They do not claim to have seen this, but that which they did see
could only be expressed in this manner. They could convey their meaning
only in this form.

“The ineffable Light is not to be beheld so easily, or with so little
effort as a prayer. And _earthly eyes do not behold it_. In prayer the
will is at work in _desire_. This produces a more active condition,
or rousing of the material, causing a greater amount of motion or
vibration, thereby increasing the brilliancy of the Astral, or Aura,
of the personality, and the seer being within it and producing it,
mistakes it for the Ineffable. After all, the seer is only looking at
her physical self and calling it God.

“In regard to the higher precepts that are brought forth, we do not
find her father connected with them in any way. But we do find some
of the higher principles endeavoring to assert themselves. The words
are those of the Inner Consciousness. It is herself that is trying to
teach. It is that which is the first to assert itself when one begins
to desire wisdom, and occurs long before the advent of a teacher, or
any other individual. The teachings are good, and come to all who find
the unimportance of self. But our work is not for the spirits in the
astral, but for those who are in reality earth-bound, those in the
body. Our teachings are for man. Our workings are for him. It is quite
all we can do to instruct ourselves and fellow men, without attempting
to teach him when out of a body. We can violate no law. One law is,
that if a spirit needs instruction then he must be in possession of a
body, and striving for knowledge in that manner. We cannot, in or out
of a body, attach ourselves to any other individual and expect him to
save us from the results of our own ignorance, selfishness, or bad
Karma in general.

“The most peculiar of all the ideas suggested, as one reads farther, is
this: That these spirits, after making such sad mistakes as they said
they did in life, should come back to be saved by the reading, in some
cases, of one book. If they had discovered enough, through the mere
fact of death, to find that they were all wrong, why did they seek at
the source of all their errors for more? Why not seek at the source
that taught them that they were wrong? The fact is, Death has not the
mighty power ascribed to it. If I move from one house to another, the
mere act of going out of one does not solve the _why_ that I lived in
one, or _will_ in another. I may perceive that one is better adapted
to my wants, but the moving into it does not tell me ‘why?’ I, as the
tenant, know already the why, and perhaps if I open the windows of my
house, the house itself may become pervaded with the knowledge. But it
is ‘I’ who do the act, not Death. Death closes my windows and opens the
door. I close my door to Death and open my window to Wisdom—perhaps in
a new house, quite likely in one which has had another occupant.

“If the ‘evil-minded, malicious, and undeveloped souls’ would only
unfold their pin-feathers and fly off into the ‘Beyond,’ they would be
a source of little sorrow to earth. But they do not. Undeveloped, they
cannot fly; malicious, they remain in their proper degree; evil-minded,
they are not souls, but elementaries.

“The book is the property of Death.” “AMERICAN F. T. S.”

MEN, WOMEN AND GODS, AND OTHER LECTURES.—By Helen H. Gardener.
Introduction by Robt. G. Ingersoll, (_Truth Seeker Co., 33 Clinton
Place, N. Y._) pp. 174, with a portrait of Miss Gardener; Cloth $1.00,
paper .50. This is a valuable contribution, being compact, fervid in
its reasonings yet not at all heavy. Its statements are unanswerable.
Evidently the author read widely, thought deeply, observed keenly, and
added to all that, a native genius. On page 53 she has put 12 articles
of positive belief, and as the famous Colonel says in the introduction,
“there is no misunderstanding between her head and her heart. She says
what she thinks and feels what she says.”

The design of the book is the emancipation of woman, but in carrying
that out she does not abuse men for the position of women. She calls
upon the women to dare to think and act for themselves and to gain the
place which rightfully, in the author’s estimation, belongs to them.

THE ORDER OF CREATION.—(_Truth Seeker Co., New York._) This contains
the controversy between Gladstone, Huxley, Muller, Reville and Linton,
as to the order in which creation proceeded; p. p. 178, cloth .75 paper
.50. Those who followed this interesting dispute will find this a
valuable book, as it brings together the arguments of these masters of
rhetoric, science and philosophy into one compact volume, and enables
all who care for different kinds of authority upon vexed questions,
to see what these modern lights each have to say as to the evident
conflict which exists between Genesis and Geology.

CORRESPONDENCE.

AN UNWRITTEN MESSAGE BECOMES VISIBLE.

NEW YORK, May 16, 1886.
EDITOR OF THE PATH,

DEAR SIR:—Could you explain the following?

A friend of mine, a physician, who is a rational agnostic and scoffer
at all so called supernatural things, relates the following curious
mystery, which happened to him the other day.

He was sitting in his office holding in his hand a letter from one of
his regular patients, which asked him to come as soon as he could. It
being then towards 5 p. m., when his office hours are over, he was
thinking whether he could go that day or not as he has an extensive
practice. While thinking he found that the letter was gone. He
searched for it on his table, but in vain. A strange feeling came over
him as he could not even remember when he had received the letter, nor
when he had opened it. A feeling that the letter had after all been a
physical delusion he dismissed with scorn; he was sure it would by and
by easily explain itself. However the servant was sure that no letter
had since 2 p. m. been delivered, as she never leaves the door during
that time.

The next morning he called on his patient, who was very glad to see
him, though being a little astonished that her daughter had been very
sick the preceding day for an hour or two. It had soon passed over.
“I am glad to hear that it is nothing serious,” the doctor said, “I
wanted to excuse myself for not coming yesterday. I received your
letter only at 5 p. m.” “My letter?” the lady answered, “I never
wrote to you; it is impossible, for about that time I was with my
sick daughter, and thought very intensely to write, but as I had but
one servant in the house I concluded to wait till my son came in. By
the time he came, my daughter felt better, and so we concluded not to
trouble you.”

My friend went home, perfectly sure that in spite of all appearance,
though no letter could be found after repeated searching—— the lady
had written but forgotten it. I can vouch for the truth of the story.
Remain yours fraternally, H. P. L.

[The explanation by those who adhere to mediumship would be, that this
was what they call, “a spirit letter.” But at this time we cannot
accept that proposition; it seems rather a degradation of what we call
“spirit,” and many alleged “controls” of mediums have deprecated the
constant referring of everything to spirit agency, when in perhaps the
majority of cases, “spirits” have nothing to do in the matter. Many
so called extraordinary things occur every day which are attributed
to spirits, or classed as hallucination, which really are due to the
powers of the living man, their laws of operation being almost unknown
to western people.

The true student of Raj Yoga knows that everything has its origin in
the mind; that even this universe is the passing before the Divine Mind
of the images he desires to appear.

Now in the case before us, the doctor must be a sensitive man who
has the power, unknown to himself, of seeing very clearly the mental
images passing in the minds of those with whom he is in sympathy.
These impressions are quite common, but they are not usually seen as
apparently visible things. Some receive them as images, others as
thoughts and ideas. We are all constantly affecting each other in this
way every day of our lives, but not everyone receives the impression in
the same way. The variations of the operations of _manas_, which may be
properly called “mind,” are infinite.

The lady whose daughter was sick, desired very intently to see the
doctor, and the message was probably formulated in her mind at once.
This is evident, for she awaited the arrival of the son to whom she
would at once have given it. That message thus formed was impressed
in the astral light, and because of the sympathy existing between
patient and doctor it immediately rushed into the sphere of the doctor,
registering itself in his mind. He then saw in his hand a letter,
which apparently he could feel and read. This was either, (_a_) the
reflection from his mind, or (_b_) an actual momentary appearance in
his hand of the astral message. It was never found again because it had
no corporeal existence.

It would be easy to cry “spirits,” but it would not be common sense.
We might also say elementals did it, but that would infer that either
the doctor or the patient has elementals devoted to them. Elementals do
perform such things but the cases are not common, and therefore we are
not justified in taking that explanation when neither party knows of
elementals.

If the doctor had not been a sensitive man, he would merely have
received the message and repeated it to himself as a sudden thought of
that particular patient.

We know several persons of our acquaintance who habitually obey sudden
impressions, causing them to write to absent friends, &c., always
finding that they answer the other person’s thought or written letter
then on the way and undelivered until after the reply had been sent.

Let us then pay attention to these things in this light and not allow
ourselves, except in known cases, to fly into the arms of alleged
spirits or elementals.—ED.]

* * * * *

DEAR PATH:—Is not it an error on p. 28 of April No. in review of
_Apollonius of Tyana_, where it says:

“_Error_ courts investigation”; was not “truth” meant.
Yours, F. E. B.

[There was not a mistake. The author was trying to show how error
preludes truth, but falsehood never does; that error courts
investigation, falsehood never. Falsehood is altogether untrue and
therefore without any knowledge; and being thus false it hides itself
from investigation. But error is merely that which has not true
knowledge, and does not imply falsity. Science is full of error, but
constantly corrects itself. The process of acquiring true knowledge is
in fact the cutting away of errors.—ED.]

* * * * *

PRONUNCIATION OF SANSCRIT.

DEAR BROTHER:—Is there any dictionary or book giving the correct
pronunciation of the Oriental words so current in theosophical
literature.
Yours ——

[In Sanscrit dictionaries the true pronunciation is found. But if
our correspondent will, in these words, always read _a_ as _ah_,
_e_ as _eh_, _i_ as _ee_, _u_ as _oo_, and _o_ as _oh_, she will
be right. _Arjuna_ is sounded as _Arjoona_, _Veda_ as _Vaydah_,
_Brahma_ as _Brähmā_, _Prakriti_ as _Präkreetee_, _Mulaprakriti_ as
_Moolahprakreetee_, and so on.—ED.]

THEOSOPHICAL ACTIVITIES.

IRELAND.—A charter for a Branch of the Society in Dublin, was issued
in April. This is the first Irish charter, and it marks an era in the
history of the Society as well as of Ireland. The month of April is an
important one for the green Isle in several ways, and this charter must
bear a date of some significance.

Furthermore, Ireland’s real name signifies, “the Isle of Destiny,” and,
as if she really had some great destiny, she has long been a thorn in
England’s side, and has furnished great men, poets, and warriors, to
all western peoples.

Perhaps now some great exponent of Theosophy will arise in that island,
and the new Branch become a power for good amongst us. The name
selected is, _The Dublin Lodge of the Theosophical Society_.

* * * * *

NEW YORK: THE ARYAN THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.—Meetings are now held on the
2d and 4th Tuesdays in each month, attended by members and inquirers.
At each meeting a paper is read or address delivered followed by
discussion and questions.

The Branch does not yet devote itself to psychical experiments, but
to an inquiry into all the doctrines which have been put forth in
Theosophical literature, and to inquiring into Aryan philosophy.

Beside these open meetings, they also hold private meetings, where
further and more familiar discussions and conversations are carried on.

A series of notes of all the discussions has been started in the
form of a printed leaflet, to be distributed each month among all
the members to be found in the United States, with the object of
solidifying them in their struggle to find the truth, and if possible
to procure an interchange of questions and replies in the whole body
of American Theosophists. It is believed that this will do much toward
helping all, for there is no better way of getting new ideas and of
spreading knowledge, than by rubbing minds together, so to say, and
thus eliciting the doubts, the questions, and the views of all.

As we are a universal Brotherhood, we are each bound to help the rest,
and to do as much as we can toward communicating with each other upon
the subject of our studies. This does not mean that any one is to
give to the world any rare knowledge which ought to be hidden. It is
supposed that up to this time the whole body of American Theosophists
is upon one plane. At any rate, those who possess occult knowledge, or
think they do, ought to know where and when to keep silent. Long before
we are ready for occult knowledge, we have to study that which is the
common property of all, but which hitherto has been neglected and
allowed to lie hidden, not only in Eastern literature, but also in much
that has been produced among Christian people.

The donations of books for the Library of the Branch, during the last
month, have been as follows:

By S. C. & L. M. Gould: _Vol._ I. _and_ II. _Notes and Queries_; by
Bro. R. Hart, 10 books: _Mary Jane (spiritist inquiry)_, _Suicide, 2
vols._, _Lights and Shades of Spiritualism_, _Psychography (Oxon)_,
_Animal Magnetism_, _&c._, _England and Islam_, _Vocal Culture_, _Civil
Polity of the U. S._; by Bro. W. H. Dannat, London Lodge, 20 books:
_Modern Magic_, _Book of Mediums_, _Infinite and Finite_, _Idyll of
White Lotos_, _Possibility of not Dying_, _Col. Olcott’s Lectures_,
_Palmistry_, _Essence of Christianity_, _Mysteries of Astrology_,
_Zoroaster_, _Rosicrucians (Jennings)_, _Chaldean Magic_, _Circle
of Light_, _Gould’s Myths_, _Unseen Universe_, _Moore’s Epicurean_,
_Oriental Interpreter_, _Theosophy and the Higher Life_, _Pagan
and Christian Symbolism (Inman)_, _Man-Fragments_, _&c._, and _28
Miscellaneous Theosophical pamphlets_.

* * * * *

CINCINNATI.—The new Branch here has been organized since our last
issue, with about twenty members. Some meetings have been held at
which great interest was manifested. At the next meeting an essay upon
some theosophical subject will be read. The members are all engaged in
serious study of such subjects as: the laws of Karma, Reincarnation, &c.

“As the great universe has no boundary, and the eight quarters of
heaven no gateway, so Supreme Reason has no limits.”—_Buddha._

“Look up at it; it is higher than you can see! Bore into it; it is
deeper than you can penetrate! Look at it as it stands before you;
suddenly it is behind you!”—_Confucius._

“Looking up, you cannot see the summit of its head; go behind it, you
cannot see its back.”—_Lau-tze._

“A man who foolishly does me wrong, I will return to him the
protection of my ungrudging love; the more evil comes from him, the
more good shall go from me; the fragrance of these good actions always
rebounding to me, the harm of the slanderer’s words returning to him.
For as sound belongs to the drum, and shadow to the substance, so in
the end, misery will certainly overtake the evil doer.”—_Buddha Sutra
of 42 sections._

OM.

FOOTNOTES:

[50] The original MS. of this Diary as far as it goes is in our
possession. The few introductory lines are by the friend who
communicated the matter to us.—[ED.]

[51] I find it impossible to decipher this name.

[52] There is a peculiarity in this, that all accounts of Cagliostro,
St. Germain and other Adepts, give the apparent age as forty only.—[ED.]

[53] The warrior caste of India.—[ED.]

[54] The soul soliloquizing.

[55] The Deity.

[56] Second century.

[57] The Deity.

[58] The Work entitled “_The Acts of the Adepts_,” by Shemsu-D-Din
Ahmed, El EFlaki has been reserved for our second part: Symbols.

[59] _A Godhra_ is the counterpane of shreds the Fakirs use to lie down
upon, and throw over their shoulders.

[60] Comp. the mediæval conception “Lady World.”

[61] Khizer, the “Green Old Man” is the guardian of “the fountain of
life” and the type of the self sustaining power of Deity.

[62] Quran II. 216, Elias discovered the water of life.

[63] Saturn is lord of the seventh heaven.

[64] No more individual existence.

[65] The following is told, and attributed to Attar; A thirsty
traveller dips his hand into a spring of water to drink from. Another
comes likewise to drink and leaves his earthen bowl behind him. The
first traveller takes it up for another draught and is surprised to
find the same water bitter when drank from the earthen cup. But a voice
from heaven tells him the clay from which the bowl is made was once
_Man_; and into whatever shape renewed, _can never lose the bitter
flavour of mortality_.

[66] See Introduction to The Divine Pymander p. VI-et. seq. edition
1650.

[67] Ibid.

AUM

This is the Truth. As from a blazing fire sparks, being like unto
fire, fly forth a thousandfold, thus are various beings brought forth
from the Imperishable, and return thither also.

That heavenly Person is without body; he is both without and within,
not produced, without breath and without mind, pure, higher than the
high Imperishable. The sky in his head, his eyes the sun and the moon,
the quarters his ears, his speech the Vedas disclosed, the wind his
breath, his heart the universe; from his feet came the earth; he is
indeed the inner self of all things. _Mundaka Upanishad._ II, Mun., I.
Kh.

THE PATH.

VOL. I. JULY, 1886. NO. 4.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

A HINDU CHELA’S DIARY.

(_Continued from June Number._)

“Yesterday I went with Kunâla to look at the vast and curious temples
left here by our forefathers. Some are in ruins, and others only
showing the waste of time. What a difference between my appreciation of
these buildings now, with Kunâla to point out meanings I never saw, and
that which I had when I saw them upon my first pilgrimage, made so many
years ago with my father.” * * * * * * *

A large portion of the MS. here, although written in the same
characters as the rest, has evidently been altered in some way by
the writer, so as to furnish clues meant for himself. It might be
deciphered by a little effort, but I must respect his desire to keep
those parts of it which are thus changed, inviolate. It seems that some
matters are here jotted down relating to secret things, or at least,
to things that he desired should not be understood at a glance. So I
will write out what small portion of it as might be easily told without
breaking any confidences.

It is apparent that he had often been before to the holy city of
Benares, and had merely seen it as a place of pilgrimage for the
religious. Then, in his sight, those famous temples were only temples.
But now he found, under the instruction of Kunâla, that every really
ancient building in the whole collection had been constructed with the
view to putting into imperishable stone, the symbols of a very ancient
religion. Kunâla, he says, told him, that although the temples were
made when no supposition of the ordinary people of those eras leaned
toward the idea that nations could ever arise who would be ignorant
of the truths then universally known, or that darkness would envelop
the intellect of men, there were many Adepts then well known to the
rulers and to the people. They were not yet driven by inexorable fate
to places remote from civilization, but lived in the temples, and
while not holding temporal power, they exercised a moral sway which
was far greater than any sovereignty of earth.[68] And they knew that
the time would come when the heavy influence of the dark age would
make men to have long forgotten even that such beings had existed,
or that any doctrines other than the doctrine based on the material
rights of _mine_ and _thine_, had ever been held. If the teachings
were left simply to either paper or papyrus or parchment, they would
be easily lost, because of that decay which is natural to vegetable
or animal membrane. But stone lasts, in an easy climate, for ages. So
these Adepts, some of them here and there being really themselves Maha
Rajahs,[69] caused the temples to be built in forms, and with such
symbolic ornaments, that future races might decipher doctrines from
them. In this, great wisdom, he says, is apparent, for to have carved
them with sentences in the prevailing language would have defeated the
object, since languages also change, and as great a muddle would have
resulted as in the case of the Egyptian hieroglyphics, unless a key
stone had also been prepared; but that itself might be lost, or in its
own turn be unintelligible. The ideas underneath symbols do not alter,
no matter what might be the language, and symbols are clear immortally,
because they are founded in nature itself. In respect to this part of
the matter, he writes down that Kunâla informed him that the language
used then was not Sanscrit, but a far older one now altogether unknown
in the world.

From a detached sentence in the MS., it is shadowed out that Kunâla
referred to a curious building put up many years ago in another part
of India and now visible, by which he illustrated the difference
between an intelligent construction and unintelligent one. This
building was the product of the brain of a Chandala,[70] who had been
enriched through a curious freak. The Rajah had been told upon some
event occurring, by his astrologers, that he must give an immense
sum of money to the first person he saw next day, they intending to
present themselves at an early hour. Next day, at an usually early
season, the Rajah arose, looked out of the window, and beheld this
Chandala. Calling his astrologers and council together and the poor
sweeper into his presence, he presented him with lacs upon lacs of
rupees, and with the money the Chandala built a granite building having
immense monolithic chains hanging down from its four corners. Its only
symbology was, the change of the chains of fate; from poor low caste to
high rich low caste. Without the story the building tells us nothing.

But the symbols of the temple, not only those carved on them, but
also their conjuncture, need no story nor knowledge of any historical
events. Such is the substance of what he writes down as told him by
Kunâla. He says also that this symbology extends not only to doctrines
and cosmology, but also to laws of the human constitution spiritual and
material. The explanation of this portion, is contained in the altered
and cryptic parts of the MS. He then goes on:

* * * “Yesterday, just after sunset, while Kunâla and X were talking,
Kunâla suddenly seemed to go into an unusual condition, and about ten
minutes afterwards a large quantity of malwa flowers fell upon us from
the ceiling.

“I must now go to—— and do that piece of business which he ordered
done. My duty is clear enough, but how am I to know if I shall perform
it properly. * * * When I was there and after I had finished my work
and was preparing to return here, a wandering fakir met me and asked if
he could find from me the proper road to Karli. I directed him, and he
then put to me some questions that looked as if he knew what had been
my business; he also had a very significant look upon his face, and
several of his questions were apparently directed to getting me to tell
him a few things Kunâla had told me just before leaving Benares with
an injunction of secrecy. The questions did not on the face show that,
but were in the nature of inquiries regarding such matters, that if I
had not been careful, I would have violated the injunction. He then
left me saying: ‘you do not know me but we may see each other.’ * * * I
got back last night and saw only X, to whom I related the incident with
the fakir, and he said that, ‘it was none other than Kunâla himself
using that fakir’s body who had said those things, and if you were to
see that fakir again he would not remember you and would not be able
to repeat his questions, as he was for the time being taken possession
of for the purpose, by Kunâla, who often performs such things.’ I then
asked him if in that case Kunâla had really entered the fakir’s body,
as I have a strange reluctance toward asking Kunâla such questions, and
X replied that if I meant to ask if he had really and in fact entered
the fakir’s person, the answer was no, but that if I meant to ask if
Kunâla had overcome that fakir’s senses, substituting his own, the
answer was, yes; leaving me to make my own conclusions. * * * I was
fortunate enough yesterday to be shown the process pursued in either
entering an empty body, or in using one which has its own occupant. I
found that in both cases it was the same, and the information was also
conveyed that a Bhut[71] goes through just the same road in taking
command of the body or senses of those unfortunate women of my country
who sometimes are possessed by them. And the Bhut also sometimes gets
into possession of a part only of the obsessed person’s body, such as
an arm or a hand, and this they do by influencing that part of the
brain that has relation with that arm or hand; in the same way with the
tongue and other organs of speech. With any person but Kunâla I would
not have allowed my own body to be made use of for the experiment. But
I felt perfectly safe, that he would not only let me in again, but also
that he would not permit any stranger, man or gandharba,[72] to come in
after him. We went to—— and he * * The feeling was that I had suddenly
stepped out into freedom. He was beside me and at first I thought he
had but begun. But he directed me to look, and there on the mat I saw
my body, apparently unconscious. As I looked * * * the body of myself,
opened its eyes and arose. It was then superior to me, for Kunâla’s
informing power moved and directed it. It seemed to even speak to me.
Around it, attracted to it by those magnetic influences, wavered and
moved astral shapes, that vainly tried to whisper in the ear or to
enter by the same road. In vain! They seemed to be pressed away by the
air or surroundings of Kunâla. Turning to look at him, and expecting to
see him in a state of samadhi, he was smiling as if nothing, or at the
very most, but a part, of his power had been taken away * * * another
instant and I was again myself, the mat felt cool to my touch, the
bhuts were gone, and Kunâla bade me rise.”

He has told me to go to the mountains of—— where—— and —— usually
live, and that even if I were not to see any body the first time,
the magnetized air in which they live would do me much good. They do
not generally stop in one place, but always shift from one place to
another. They, however, all meet together on certain days of the year
in a certain place near Bhadrinath, in the northern part of India. He
reminded me that as India’s sons are becoming more and more wicked,
those adepts have gradually been retiring more and more toward the
north, to the Himálaya mountains. * * * Of what a great consequence
is it for me to be always with Kunâla. And now X tells me this same
thing that I have always felt. All along I have felt and do still feel
strongly that I have been once his most obedient and humble disciple in
a former existence. All my hopes and future plans are therefore centred
in him. My journey therefore to up country has done me one good, that
of strengthening my belief, which is the chief foundation on which the
grand structure is to be built. * * * As I was walking past the end of
Ramalinga’s compound holding a small lamp of European make, and while
there was no wind, the light there several times fell low. I could not
account for it. Both Kunâla and X were far away. But in another moment,
the light suddenly went out altogether, and as I stopped, the voice of
revered Kunâla, who I supposed was many miles away, spoke to me, and I
found him standing there. For one hour we talked; and he gave me good
advice, although I had not asked it—thus it is always that when I go
fearlessly forward and ask for nothing I get help at an actual critical
moment—he then blessed me and went away. Nor could I dare to look in
what direction. In that conversation, I spoke of the light going down
and wanted an explanation, but he said I had nothing to do with it. I
then said I wanted to know, as I could explain it in two ways, viz:
1st, that he did it himself, or 2d, that some one else did it for him.
He replied, that even if it were done by somebody else, _no Yogee will
do a thing unless he sees the desire in another Yogee’s mind_.[73] The
significance of this drove out of my mind all wish to know _who_ did
it, whether himself, or an elemental or another person, for it is of
more importance for me to know even a part of the laws governing such a
thing, than it is to know who puts those laws into operation. Even some
blind concatenation of nature might put such natural forces in effect
in accordance with the same laws, so that a knowledge that nature did
it would be no knowledge of any consequence.

[_To be continued._]

[Illustration: PLATO

_Apud Fulvium Vrsinum in gemma._]

PORTRAIT OF PLATO IN CARNELIAN STONE

BY FULVIUS URSINUS.

This portrait was taken from an old work by John Moretus, published
in 1606 at Antwerp, containing 167 other portraits of ancient Greek
and Latin philosophers, poets, orators, and scholars of renown.
Accompanying each is a description in old Latin, and a literal
translation of that which is given of the head of Plato is as follows:

“This likeness of Plato is represented on some precious stone, perhaps
a Carnelian, very beautiful, of oval shape, and in the highest style
of art, which one hundred years before, a Cardinal under Julius Cæsar
a Pontifican legate in the Florentine Council had brought from Greece.
But it is long haired and bearded, as are the other likenesses of
Plato, as the son of Ailius writes, that the first debate between Plato
and Aristotle was about the hair and beard, because Aristotle, contrary
to the fixed habit and style of Plato, was accustomed to have his hair
cut and his face shaved.

“Very like to this portrait is that which is seen cut very artistically
in Carnelian stone, and which was once in the possession of the first
Cardinal of the Holy Cross, which in addition to the likeness of Plato,
has also a likeness of the great teacher himself, Socrates.

“On the pillar of Hermes, which has the head broken off, these words
are inscribed in Greek: ‘_Plato was a son of Ariston, an Athenian._’

“This also Laertius himself confirms, since he writes that he was born
at Athens of his father Ariston, in the village Collyteum, eighteen
years after the second year of the Olympiad, Aminia being chief ruler.

“Moreover there is extant in marble, by Fulvius, a portrait of this
same Plato of the very highest artistic skill: and there is another
very like to this by the same artist cut in a most beautiful Carnelian
stone which represents Plato at that time an old man, as it would
appear, about eighty-one years old, at which time, engaged in writing
extensively he died, one hundred and eight years after the first
year of the Olympiad. In the same Carnelian portrait not only is
the forehead of Plato represented very broad on account of which he
was called by the name of Plato, prior to which he had been called
Aristocles; but also his shoulders are very broad on which account some
wished him to select a name from the Greek language.

“A statue of this same Plato was dedicated in the Academy, the work of
a Silanian sculptor of the highest rank; and Cicero reminds us in his
Brutus, of a statue which he had, in these words: ‘Then we erected a
statue of Plato on the public square, etc., etc.’”

NOTES ON THE CABBALAH OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

BY PERMISSION OF BRO. J. RALSTON SKINNER (McMillan Lodge, No. 141).

I said in my article on Hebrew Metrology,[74] that the system embracing
it was a language, veiled under the Hebrew text of Scripture, and that
“to the extent to which the language was known among the Jews, the
learning and teaching thereof was called ‘CABBALAH.’”

It is a fact that so little is known of Cabbalah that its existence
has been denied. It has seemed to possess a like property with that
of Prester John, namely, the more and further he was searched for
the less he could be found and the more fabulous he became. After
the same fashion, as very much was related of wonders connected with
Prester John, so the most marvelous things are claimed for Cabbalah.
The Cabbalistic field is that in which astrologers, necromancers,
black and white magicians, fortune tellers, chiromancers, and all the
like, revel and make claims to supernaturalism _ad nauseam_. Claim is
also made that it conceals a sublime divine philosophy, which has been
attempted to be set forth in a most confused and not understandable
way. The Christian quarrying into its mass of mysticism, claims for
it support and authority for that most perplexing of all problems the
Holy Trinity, and the betrayed character of Christ. The good, pious,
ignorant man picks up Cabbalah at will as a cheap, easy and veritable
production, and at once, with the poorest smattering of starved ideas,
gives forth to the world, as by authority, a devout jumble of stuff and
nonsense. With equal assurance, but more effrontery the knave, in the
name of Cabbalah, will sell amulets and charms, tell fortunes, draw
horoscopes, and just as readily give specific rules, as in the case of
that worthy, Dr. Dee, for raising the dead, and actually—the devil.

No wonder then that the whole affair has been discredited and condemned
by the rational and the wise.

Discovery has yet to be made of what Cabbalah really consists before
any weight or authority can be given to the name. On that discovery
will rest the question whether the name should be received as related
to matters worthy of rational acknowledgment.

The writer claims that such a discovery has been made, and that the
same embraces rational science of sober and great worth. He claims that
it will serve to clear up and take away very much of the mysticism
which up to this time has been an unexplainable part of religious
systems,—especially the Hebrew or Jewish, and the Christian, so much
so that the supernatural in those systems will have to give place to
the rational, to a very great extent. He claims that that sublime
science upon which Masonry is based, is in fact, the substance of
Cabbalah,—which last is the rational basis of the Hebrew text of Holy
writ.

Cabbalah is inseparably connected with the text of the Scriptures,
and an exposition of the inner sense of the same is as John Reuchlin
claimed necessary to a right and full understanding of the Sacred
Text. But he saw vaguely, being taught only in a mystic phraseology
which was really a blind, and he did not come into possession of the
solid, rational grounds of it which he could formulate and impart. For
this reason, though he was right in his general assertion, his scheme
failed, and his works in this regard, passed away from the common sense
world, and have ever since lived only among the mystics and dreamers.

Like all other human productions of the kind, the Hebrew text of
the Bible was in characters which could serve as sound signs for
syllabic utterance, or for this purpose what are called letters. Now
in the first place, these original character signs were also pictures,
each one of them; and these pictures of themselves stood for ideas
which could be communicated,—much like the original Chinese letters.
Gustav Seyffarth shows that the Egyptian hieroglyphics numbered
over six hundred picture characters, which embraced the modified
use, syllabically, of the original number of letters of the Hebrew
alphabet. The characters of the Hebrew text of the Sacred Scroll were
divided into classes, in which the characters of each class were
interchangeable; whereby one form might be exchanged for another
to carry a modified signification, both by letter, and picture and
number. Seyffarth shows the modified form of the very ancient Hebrew
alphabet in the old Coptic by this law of interchange of characters.
This law of permitted interchange of letters is to be found quite
fully set forth in the Hebrew dictionaries, such as Fuerst’s and
others. Though recognized and largely set forth it is very perplexing
and hard to understand, because we have lost the specific use and
power of such interchange. In the second place, these characters
stood for _numbers_—to be used for numbers as we use specific number
signs,—though, also, there is very much to prove that the old Hebrews
were in possession of the so-called Arabic numerals, as we have them,
from the straight line 1 to the _zero_ character, together making 1
+ 9 = 10. The order of these number letters run from 1 to 9, then
10 to 90, then 100 upward. In the third place it is said, and it
seems to be proven, that these characters stood for musical notes;
so that for instance, the arrangement of the letters in the first
chapter of Genesis, can be rendered musically, or by song. Another
law of the Hebrew characters was that only the consonantal signs were
characterized,—the vowels were not characterized, but were supplied.
If one will try he will find that a consonant of itself cannot be
made vocal without the help of a vowel; therefore it was said that
the consonants made the frame work of a word, but to give it life or
utterance into the air, so as to impart the thought of the mind, and
the feeling of the heart, the vowels had to be supplied. Thus the dead
word of consonants became quickened into life by the Holy Spirit, or
the vowels.

This being said then:—

First: The Holy or Sacred Text was given in consonants only, without
any voweling, or signs of vowels.

Second: The letters were written one after the other at equal
distances, without any separation whatever of distinct words, and
without any punctuations whatever, such as commas, semi-colons, colons
or periods.

It will be seen at once that a various reading of the text might be had
in many places, both by differing arrangements of letters, and by a
differing supplying of vowels. A very important difference of reading
may be instanced in the first line of Genesis. It is made to be read
“B’rashith bârâ Elohim,” etc., “In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth”; wherein Elohim is a plural nominative to a verb
in the third person singular. Nachminedes called attention to the fact
that the text might suffer the reading, “Brash ithbârâ Elohim,” etc.
“In the head (source or beginning) created itself (or developed) Gods,
the heavens and the earth,”—really a more grammatical rendering.

What the originally and intended right reading was who can tell? It may
be surmised, however, that it was made to subserve a co-ordinating,
symmetrical and harmonious working of the characters to unfold and
develop their various uses;—as sound signs to frame a narrative,—as
numbers to develop geometrical shapes and the numerical enunciations of
their elements, comparisons and applications,—as pictures to show forth
ideas in some accordance with the story told, and finally,—as musical
sounds to give an appropriate song to embrace the whole. The whole
compass was to embrace rational proof, through operations in nature,
of the existence of that Divine Contriving Willing Cause which we call
God. But be this as it may there was no end of effort for thousands
of years, by the best trained and most learned men of the Hebrews and
Jews, to give and preserve what had to be decided upon by them as the
right reading of the Sacred Text. This reading was certainly perfected
as we have it, as early as the time of Ezra; and as to the various
readings which offered, the present was perfected as the orthodox
one,—or that one to be received by the profound vulgar.

It must be known that it is claimed for the Sacred Scroll by the
Hebrew, that no letter in it has ever been changed, and that even the
marginal readings were part of the original text for a varied use
thereof, in perfect accord with the object of its writing. Unlike the
Christian Gospels, with the Hebrews and Jews, alike, the original text
was sacredly precious as to its every and very letter, and had to be
thus preserved. To the contrary of this, the Gospels can be changed in
their reading to suit the currently changing ideas of what the same
should be. The marks to indicate “_right reading_” were after the time
of Ezra gradually made public, were called _Massorah_, and finally,
edited by Ben Chajim, were published by Bomberg, in Venice, in the
fifteenth century.

After this fashion and mode the books of the Old Testament were
prepared and read by the Jews long before the time of the Christian
Era. They were thus accepted at that time; and afterwards by the
Christian World:—so that, to day, we accept the record, as thus
prepared by the ancient orthodox Jewish and Hebrew Church.

Whatever may have been the Jewish mode of complete interpretation of
these books, the Christian Church had taken them _for what they show
on their first face_,—and that only. As they may be read orally, so is
their fullest meaning to be gathered from the oral reading; and by
means of what the sound of the words may convey to the ear the full and
complete intendment of meaning is to be had. The Christian Church has
never attributed to these books any property beyond this; and herein
has existed its great error.

Now, as said, the substance of the Cabbalah is a rendering of the
secret doctrine of the Old Testament, and this is not only asserted,
but an argument is raised about the matter in the following set terms:
“If the Law simply consisted of ordinary expressions and narratives,
ex. gr. the words of Esau, Hagar, Laban, the ass of Balaam, or of
Balaam himself, why should it be called the Law of Truth, the perfect
law, the true witness of God? Each word contains a sublime source,
each narrative points not only to the single instance in question, but
also to generals.” (Sohar iii, 149 b). “Woe be to the son of man who
says that the Tora (Pentateuch) contains common sayings and ordinary
narratives. * * There is the garment that every one can see, but those
who have more understanding do not look at the garment but at the body
beneath it; while the wisest, the servants of the Heavenly King, those
who dwell at Mount Sinai, look at nothing else but the soul (i.e., the
secret doctrine), which is the root of all the real Law.” (Sohar, iii,
152 a).

Now it is a strange thing, that in the quotations made by Dr. Ginsburg
in his Essay,[75] can be gleaned a series of data wherewith to arrange
a philosophy of Cabbalistic teaching, covered by the names and remarks
on the Ten Sephiroth. The “_trick of the thing_” lays plainly before
the eyes in its development, and yet is perfectly concealed from
unintelligent observation. In other words, the very text is laughing at
the worthy doctor, while he is criticising it with an apparent aspect
of superiority and authority. The same thing is to be found in the text
of Plutarch’s Morals, by C. W. King, and in many other texts where the
like phenomenal mode is practiced. It in fact is said that the Cabbalah
is evolved by “_hints scarcely perceptible_,” and the cunning of the
concealment is something to admire and laugh at. The description in
Sohar of the mode of communication tends to explain what has been said:

“The opinion that the mysteries of the Cabbalah are to be found in
the garment of the Pentateuch is still more systematically propounded
in the following parable: ‘Like a beautiful woman, concealed in the
interior of her palace, who when her friend and beloved passes by,
opens for a moment a secret window and is seen by him alone, and then
withdraws herself immediately and disappears for a long time, so the
doctrine only shows herself to the chosen (i. e., to him who is devoted
to her with body and soul); and even to him not always in the same
manner. At first she simply beckons at the passer by with her hand,
and it generally depends upon his understanding this gentle hint. This
is the interpretation known by the name of _râmäz_. Afterwards she
approaches him a little closer, lisps him a few words, but her form
is still covered with a thick veil, which his looks cannot penetrate.
This is the so-called _dārausch_. She then converses with him with her
face covered by a thin veil; this is the enigmatic language of the
_hāgadah_. After having thus become accustomed to her society, she at
last shows herself face to face and entrusts him with the innermost
secrets of her heart. This is the secret of the Law, _sod_. He who is
thus far initiated in the mysteries of the _Tora_ will understand that
all these profound secrets are based upon the simple literal sense, and
are in harmony with it, and from this literal sense not a single iota
is to be taken and nothing is to be added to it.” (Sohar, ii, 99.)

SUFISM,

OR THEOSOPHY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF MOHAMMEDANISM.

_A Chapter from a MS. work designed as a text book for Students in
Mysticism._

BY C. H. A. BJERREGAARD, _Stud. Theos._

In Two Parts:—Part I, Texts; Part II, Symbols.

The spirit of Sufism is best expressed in the couplet of Katebi:

“Last night a nightingale sung his song, perched on a high cypress,
when the rose, on hearing his plaintive warbling, shed tears in the
garden, soft as the dews of heaven.”

(CONTINUED.)

SAADIS’ BOOSTAN (FRUIT GARDEN OR GARDEN OF PLEASURE) Continued:

CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE CANDLE AND THE MOTH:

I remember one night lying sleepless in bed,
That I heard what the moth to the fair candle said:
“A lover am I, if I burn it is well!
Why you should be weeping and burning, do tell.”
“Oh my poor humble lover!” the candle replied,
“My friend, the sweet honey away from we hied.
When sweetness away from my body departs,
A fire-like _Farhads_[76] to my summit then starts.”
Thus she spoke, and each movement a torrent of pain
Adown her pale cheeks trickled freely like rain.
“Oh, suitor! with love you have nothing to do,
Since nor patience, nor power of standing have you.
Oh, crude one! a flame makes you hasten away;
But I, till completely consumed, have to stay.
If the burning of love makes your wings feel this heat,
See how I am consumed, from the head to the feet!”
But a very small portion had passed of the night
When a fairy-fated maiden extinguished her[77] light.
She was saying while smoke from her head curled above,
“Thus ends, oh my boy, the existence of love!”
If the love-making science you wish to acquire,
You’re more happy extinguished than being on fire.
Do not weep o’er the grave of the slain for the friend!
Be glad! for to him He will mercy extend.
If a lover, don’t wash the complaint from your head!

* * * * *

I have told you: don’t enter this ocean at all!
If you do; yield your life to the hurricane squall!

The above translation is from the hand of G. S. Davie but since this
story is representative of Sufi love, I add another made by S. Robinson.

I remember that one night, when I could not close my eyes in sleep, I
heard the moth say to the taper.

“I am a lover, therefore it is right that I should be burnt, but
wherefore shouldst thou be lamenting and shedding tears?”

It replied: “O my poor airy friend, my honey-sweet Shirin is going away;

“And since my Shirin hath left me, like Ferhad’s,[78] my head is all on
fire.”

So spoke the taper, and each moment a flood of sorrow flowed down over
its pale cheek.

Then it continued: “O pretender, love is no affair of thine; for thou
hast neither patience nor persistency.

“Thou takest to flight before a slight flame; I stand firm till I am
totally consumed.

“Thou mayest just singe a wing at the fire of love; look at me, who
burn from head to foot.”

A part of the night was not yet gone, when suddenly a Peri-faced damsel
extinguished the light.

Then said the taper: “My breath is departed, the smoke is over my
head;—such my son, is the ending of love!”

If thou wouldst learn the moral of the story, it is this: Only will the
pangs of burning affection cease, when life’s taper is extinct.

Weep not over this monument of thy perished friend—rather praise Allah,
that he is accepted by Him.

If thou art indeed a lover, wash not the pains of love from thy head;
wash rather, like Saadi, thy hand from all malevolence.

The man who volunteereth a service of peril will not withdraw his grasp
from his purpose, though stones and arrows rain down upon his head.

I have said to thee: “Take heed how thou goest to the sea; but if thou
wilt go, resign thyself to its billows.”

_Jelaluddin Rumi_ (Mevlana—Our Lord—Jelalu-’d-din, Muhammed, Er Rumi of
Qonya) usually called _Jelal or Mulla_.[79] Born A. D. 1195, he died
1273.

Jelal is the greatest poet among the Sufis and is their Grand Master of
spiritual knowledge. His name means “Majesty of Faith.” He instituted
the order of the Mevlevi, the “dancing or whirling dervishes,” of which
we shall speak more later on. This order is a realization of Jelal’s
father’s prophecy about his son: “The day shall come, when this child
will kindle the fire of divine enthusiasm throughout the world.”

Jelal is truly the greatest Sufi saint, for marvelous were his powers.
In the _Menaqibu’l Afifin_ (the Acts of the Adepts) by _Shemsu-’d-din
Ahmed, el Eflaki_ the following _acts_ are recorded against his name.
“When five years old, he used at times to become extremely uneasy
and restless, so much so that his attendants used to take him into
the midst of themselves. The cause of these perturbations was that
spiritual forms and shapes of the absent (invisible world) would arise
before his sight, that is, angelic messengers, righteous Genii, and
saintly men—the concealed ones of the bowers of the True One (spiritual
spouses of God), used to appear to him in bodily shapes: * * * His
father used on these occasions to coax and soothe him by saying: “These
are the Occult Existences. They come to present themselves before you,
to offer unto you gifts and presents from the invisible world.” These
ecstasies and transports of his began to be publicly known and talked
about The honorific title of Khudavendgar[80] was conferred upon him
at this time by his father, who used to address him as “My Lord.”—“It
is related that when Jelal was six years old, he one Friday afternoon
was taking the air on the terraced roof of the house, and reciting the
Quran, when some other children of good families came in and joined him
there. After a time, one of these children proposed that they should
try and jump from thence on to a neighbouring terrace, and should lay
wagers on the result. Jelal smiled at this childish proposal, and
remarked: “My brethren, to jump from terrace to terrace is an act
well adapted for cats, dogs, and the like, to perform; but is it not
degrading to man, whose station is so superior. Come now, if you feel
disposed, let us spring up to the firmament, and visit the regions of
God’s realm.” As he yet spake, he vanished from their sight. Frightened
at Jelal’s sudden disappearance, the other children raised a shout of
dismay, that some one should come to their assistance, when lo, in
an instant, there he was again in their midst; but with an altered
expression of countenance and blanched cheeks. They all uncovered
before him, fell to the earth in humility, and all declared themselves
his disciples. He now told them that, as he was yet speaking to them, a
company of visible forms, clad in green raiment, had led him away from
them, and had conducted him about the various concentric orbs of the
spheres, and through the signs of the Zodiac, showing him the wonders
of the world of spirits, and bringing him back to them so soon as their
cries had reached his ears.

At that age, he was used not to break his fast more often than once in
three or four, and sometimes even seven, days.

When Jelal went to Damascus to study, he passed by Sis in Upper
Cilicia. There, in a cave, dwelt forty Christian monks, who had a
great reputation for sanctity, but in reality were mere jugglers. On
the approach of Jelal’s caravan to the cave, the monks caused a little
boy to ascend into the air, and there remain standing between heaven
and earth. Jelal noticed this exhibition, and fell into a reverie.
Hereupon, the child began to weep and wail, saying that the man in
the reverie was frightening him. The monks told him not to be afraid,
but to come down. “Oh!” cried the child, “I am as though nailed here,
unable to move hand or foot.” The monks became alarmed. They flocked
around Jelal, and begged him to release the child. After a time, he
seemed to hear and understand them. His answer was: “Only through the
acceptance of Islam[81] by yourselves, all of you, as well as by the
child, can he be saved.” In the end they all embraced Islam, and wished
to follow Jelal as his disciples, but he recommended them to remain in
their cave, as before, to cease from practising jugglery, and to serve
God in the spirit and in truth. So he proceeded on his journey.

To prove that man lives through God’s will alone, and not by
blood, Jelal one day, in the presence of a crowd of physicians and
philosophers, had the veins of both his arms opened and allowed them to
bleed until they ceased to flow. He then ordered incisions to be made
in various parts of his body; but not one drop of moisture was anywhere
obtainable. He now went to a hot bath, washed, performed an ablution,
and then commenced the exercise of the sacred dance.

(_To be continued._)

THE HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY.

[_Continued from June Number._]

The inscription said to have been found on the Smaragdine Tablet
and to which reference was made in a former article, and which Dr.
Everard refers to as containing the “_Elixir_ of the philosophers,” is
further explained by the author of Isis, where it is also said “It is
for the Hermetic student to watch its motions, to catch its subtile
currents, to guide and direct them with the help of the _Athanor_, the
Archimedean lever of the Alchemist.”[82] It is further stated in plain
words that this mysterious agent “is the universal magical agent, the
astral light, which in the correlation of its forces furnishes the
Alkahest, the philosophers’ stone, and the elixir of life.”[83] Now
one great advantage to the student who follows carefully these hints
is, that he soon discovers certain basic principles which reach far
and wide, and in Hermetic language enable him to ascend from Earth to
Heaven, and descend from Heaven to Earth, not in a vague, fanciful
way, but as applicable to physical phenomena as to philosophical
synthesis. These basic principles are not hypothesis, they are the
_first principles of Nature_, as manifested in the phenomenal universe,
a thread or clue to the labyrinth of phenomena.

There is a vast difference between modern and ancient science in regard
to the Ether: The former hypothecates it to bridge a gap in phenomena
and at once, as if ashamed of its weakness, turns its back upon it. Not
so our ancient Hermetic brethren. Modern speculation regarding a fourth
dimension of space apprehends the necessity for something beyond the
old conception, as does physical science. And yet the latter reaches
no solid ground, though the problem lies in the rubbish derived from
analytical science, and the necessity which has compelled it to pay
tribute. There is a logical, uniform, invariable antithesis in all
manifested nature, which at once suggests the unmanifested. Sometimes
the change of a letter or an accent in a word or its division into
syllables produces wonderful results, _e. g._, atonement, at-one-ment.
So here in the phenomenal universe, nothing and no-thing are not
synonymous. To say that the ether fills all space, penetrates the
densest matter, and gives rise by emanation to the whole phenomenal
universe, and yet that it is _nothing_ is nonsense, but that it is
no-thing is perfectly true. The ether is to the phenomenal universe
what the 0 is to the mathematician, nothing in itself and yet from
association, implication or involution, it enters into every form and
quantity. Oken has shown[84] that there are really two zeros, or that
zero exists as 0+ and 0-, and even here begins the science of symbolism
in the ancient _Mathesis_. It is in this shoreless ocean of ether that
suns and solar systems are suspended. It is the alkahest or universal
solvent from which all forms and qualities of matter and life proceeds,
and into which they return. It is luminous, and yet the abode of
darkness, the Unmoved Mover of Plato.

Take now the three dimensions of space, and we find the _idea_ of
length, breadth and thickness are associated with objects. Where there
is no object upon which the eye can rest, we have then no length, no
breadth, no thickness, _i. e._, Ether, the antithesis of objective
forms in which occur all phenomena. This ether is called the Mirror of
Isis, because in it are impressed or mirrored all forms. When these
forms are clothed upon then occurs, first, a _positing_; second,
motion; third, the “picture” in the ether is involved and the outer
material shape evolved. Nay, there is no first, second, third about it,
for all occurs coincidently. The last analysis of physics is matter,
force and motion; and these three, inseparable on the physical visual
plane, resolve back into the ocean of ether, which contains them all
_potentially_, and which sends them out as an indissoluble trinity.
Compared with matter then, the ether is transcendental, and yet we
cannot say it is nothing, as has already been pointed out. Now all
life, all matter, all forms, are in their essence cyclic. This is
readily seen in the colloidal forms incident to organic life, but even
in crystalline forms, though often overlooked, it is none the less
apparent.

In relation to objective manifestation, preserving the idea of cyclic
form, the ether is spoken of as the center which is everywhere, and the
circumference which is nowhere.

Proceeding now with the idea of center and circumference (as yet only
an idea) let us imagine a globule of protoplasm to spring instantly
into visual existence. The act of _positing_ was geometrical, _i. e._,
“position without extension.” Let this positing represent _force_, and
extension represent matter, typically, (in all directions) but this
tension and extension begets motion, all together; creation, from the
hitherto “_without form and void_” _i. e._, the ether.

What was the immediate coefficient of the positing? a picture, a Divine
idea, an essential form, projected in the ether. This idea is now
being clothed upon, or involved in matter, and coincidently the outer
material shape and structure is being evolved. Here is an equation
being solved, and from this on, it is easy to trace what occurs even
under a good microscope. We are, however, interested in principles
rather than processes, therefore we will preserve our typical sphere
with its center and circumference.

We shall presently come back to the Smaragdine inscription, and then be
able to see what a revelation it contains, and what a magical key it
affords to unlock the doors of knowledge.
B.
[_To be continued._]

LIVING THE HIGHER LIFE.

“I have no desire for any other line of life; but by the time I had
awakened to a knowledge of this life, I found myself involved by
circumstances against which I do not rebel, but out of and through
which, I am _determined_ to work, neglecting no known duty to
others.”—_Letter from a Friend._

The “Dweller of the Threshold” which stares even advanced occultists
in the face and often threatens to overwhelm them, and the ordeals of
Chelaship or of probation for Chelaship, differ from each other only in
degree. It may not be unprofitable to analyze this Dweller and those
ordeals. For our present purpose, it is enough to state, that they are
of a triune nature and depend upon these three relations: (1) To our
nationality; (2) to our family; and (3) to ourselves. And every one of
these three relations is due to the assertion of a portion of our own
past Karma, that is to say, to its effects.

Why should we be born in a particular nation and in a particular
family? Because of the effect of a particular set of our Karmic
attractions, which assert themselves in that manner. I mean that one
set of our past Karmas exhaust themselves in throwing us in our present
incarnation amidst a particular nation, another set introducing us
into a particular family; and a third set serving to differentiate
or individualize us from all the other members of the nation or of
the family. One of our Eastern proverbs says: “the five children of a
family differ like the five fingers of a hand.” Unless we look at this
difference from this standpoint, it must always appear to us a riddle,
a problem too difficult to solve, a mystery, in short, why children
born of one family, while they have some traits common to all, should
still appear to differ vastly from one another. What applies to the
family applies also to the nation, of which families are but units; and
also to mankind as a whole, of whom nations are but families or units.
The only way to decide the great question of the age, whether the laws
of nature are blind and material, or spiritual, intelligent and divine,
is, it seems to me, to point out in connection with every subject, the
absolutely intelligent and divine manner in which these laws act, and
how they force us to realize the economy of nature. This is the only
way by which we could become spiritual; and I would, once for all, call
upon my co-workers for the cause, to realize at every step of their
study, as far as possible, the Divine Intelligence thus manifesting
itself. Otherwise, how much soever you might believe or take it for
granted, that the forces that govern the universe are spiritual, the
belief, however deep rooted it might appear, would be of little use to
you when you have to pass through the ordeals of Chelaship; and then
you are sure to succumb and exclaim that the “Law is blind, unjust and
cruel,” especially when your selfishness and personality overwhelm
you. When once a practical occultist and a learned philosopher met
with, what seemed to him a “serious calamity and trial,” in spite of
himself he exclaimed to me frankly; “the law of Karma is surely blind,
there is no God; what better proofs are needed?” So deep-rooted in
human nature is infidelity and selfishness; no one need therefore to
be sure of his own spiritual nature. No amount of lip learning will
avail us in the hour of need. We have to study the law in all its
aspects and assimilate to our highest consciousness,—that which is
called by Du Prel super sensuous consciousness—all the data which go
to prove and convince us that the Power is spiritual. Look around and
see whether any two persons are absolutely identical, even for a time.
How intelligent must be the power that ever strives to keep each and
every one of us totally different _on the whole_, while, if analyzed,
we possess some traits in common, even with the Negro, with whom we are
remotely allied.

In this connection I shall refer you to a passage in the article on
“Chelas and Lay Chelas” (vide column 1, page 11 of “Supplement to the
Theosophist” for July, 1883);—“The Chela is not only called to face
all latent evil propensities of his nature, but in addition, the whole
volume of maleficent power accumulated by the community and nation
to which he belongs * * until the result is known.” I shall only ask
you to apply the same principle to your family relations affecting
your present incarnation. Thus seven things are found to secure us a
victory, or a sad, inglorious defeat in the mighty struggle known as
the Dweller of the threshold and the ordeals of Chelaship:—(1) The evil
propensities common to ourselves and to our family; (2) those common to
ourself and our nation; (3) those common to ourself and to mankind in
general, or better known as the weakness of human nature, the fruits
of Adam’s first transgression; (4 to 6) the noble qualities common to
us and to these three; (7) the peculiar way in which the 6 sets of our
past Karmas choose or are allowed to influence us now, or their effects
in producing in us the present tendency. The adept alone can take the
seventh or last mentioned item completely into his own hands; and
every mortal who would, as I have since recently begun to reiterate,
direct all his energies to the highest plane possible for him (“Desire
always to attain the unattainable”—says the author of “Light on the
Path”),—such a mortal too could more or less do the same thing as the
adept, in so far as he acts up to the rule. Every Chela, and also those
who have a desire to be Chelas even, as they suppose secretly, have to
do with the first six propensities or influences.

The world is inclined—at least in this Kali Yuga (the Dark Age)—always
to begin at the wrong end of anything and direct all its faculties to
the perception of effects and not of their causes. So the ideas of
“renunciation,” “asceticism” and of the “true feeling of universal
Brotherhood” (or “mercy,” as I call it, in accordance with South
Indian Ethics), all of which are compatible with Gnanis, or the most
exalted of Mahatmas, all these have come to be recognized by all our
Theosophists, in general, as _the means_ of progress for a beginner;
while the real means of progress for us mortals—duties to our own
families and to our own nation, or “kindness” and “patriotism” in
the highest and ethical sense of the terms—are discarded. True, from
the standpoint of a Jivanmukta, a true friend of humanity, these two
Sadhanas are really “selfishness”; still, until we attain that exalted
state, these two feelings should be made the ladders for raising
ourselves, the means of not only getting ourselves rid of our family
defects and natural idiosyncrasies, but also of strengthening in
ourselves the noble qualities of our families and of our nation. Until
we reach that ideal slate where the blessed soul has to make neither
good nor bad Karma, we must strive to be constantly doing “good” Karma,
in order that we might become Karma-less (nish Karmis).

Let it not be understood at all, that I mean by “family duties” and
“national duties,” false attachments to the family or to the nation.
Family duty consists not in sensuality or pleasure-hunting, but
in cultivating and in elevating the emotional nature (the fourth
principle), of ourselves and of our family; in being equally “kind”,
not only to the members of the family, but also to all creatures, and
in enjoying all such pleasures of the family life as are consistent
with the acquirement of “wealth” (all the means necessary for the
performance of Dharma or whole duty) according to the teachings
of Valluvar, and in utilizing such pleasures and means for the
performance of our duty to our nation. Patriotism consists similarly
in theosophising our own nation, in not only getting ourselves rid of
our national defects, as well as other members of the nation rid of
the same, but also in strengthening in ourselves and in our nation as
a whole, all the noble qualities which belong to our nation; in the
enjoyment of the privileges[85] of the nation and using them as a means
for the performance of _Dharma_. If family duties are taken due care
of, our duties to the nation and to humanity would, to a great extent,
take care of themselves unimpeded. Our national duties, if strictly
performed, serve to purify our fifth lower principle of its dross and
to establish and develop the better part of it, while the performance
of our duty to Humanity or the _realization of universal tolerance and
mercy_, purifies the lower (human) stuff in the fifth higher principle
and makes it divine, thus enabling us to free ourselves gradually from
the bonds of ignorance common to all human beings.

The above assertions, might, at first sight, seem rather bold and
untheosophical. But I should venture to state my conviction that the
whole edifice of Aryan religions and Aryan philosophy is based upon
these principles, and that, on a careful consideration of the subject,
the great importance attached to household life (Grihasta ashrama) in
that philosophy, would be fully borne out. To my mind no ascetics, no
teachers of mankind, however eminent and full of the highest knowledge,
are really such good and practical benefactors of humanity as Valluvar,
of ancient times, who incarnated on earth for the express purpose,
among others, of setting an example of an ideal household life to
mortals who were prematurely and madly rushing against the rocks of
renunciation, and of proving the possibility of leading such a life in
any age however degenerated; or as Ráma, who, even after having become
an _avatar-purusha_, came down amidst mortals and lead a household life.

It has often been contended that the world has not progressed on _the
path_, because _gnanis_, or Mahatmas, have dwindled in their number
and greatness, and because it is Kali-Yuga, or the dark age, now.
Such arguments are due to our mistaking the effects for their causes.
The only way to prepare the way for the advent of a favorable Yuga
and for the increase of the number and greatness of Mahatmas, is to
establish gradually the conditions for the leading of a true household
life. I should unhesitatingly state, that that is the duty of earnest
Theosophists and real philanthropists.

Is it not conceded by all philanthropists that unselfish labors for
humanity can alone relieve us from the ocean of Sainsara (Rebirth),
develop our highest potentialities and help us to alchemise our human
weakness? Applying the same principle to unselfish discharge of our
family and national duties, my position becomes tenable. A Mahatma has,
it appears, declared that He has still “patriotism.” But He has not
said nor would say, that He has still family “attachments.” This proves
that He has got out of the defects of the family to which He belongs,
while He is only striving to get out of national defects, some of which
at any rate cling to Him. A Buddha would say, that He has “mercy,” but
no “patriotism.”

The only effectual way to get out of family defects is to discharge
all our duty to our family before leaving it, as ascetics, or before
we die. Blessed is he[86] who, in each of his incarnations, _then and
there_, gets rid of the defects of the family into which he is ushered,
thereby converts those defects in his parents, brothers and sisters,
into noble qualities, thus strengthening and developing the good
qualities both of himself and of his family, then strives to be born in
the same family again and again, until he himself becomes a Buddha and
assists his family to become a family fit for a Buddha to be born into,
while he becomes the cream of all the noble qualities of the family
without being tainted with its idiosyncrasies. A Dugpa (Black Magician)
is frequently born in the same family and becomes the cream of all its
evil propensities. Here again is the operation of the sublime and
divinely intelligent law of universal and natural economy asserting
itself. This is beautifully allegorized in the story of a Jivanmukta
churning out of the ocean, the elixir of life and leaving the _visha_
(the poison, all the evil propensities) for the Dugpas. This is one
of the meanings of the allegory. Avoiding all personalities and
questionable facts, I shall rely solely upon our Puranas and scriptures
to prove that in every family where Adepts and Gnanis are (or choose to
be) frequently born, often Dugpas are also born, as a matter of course.
Krishna was the greatest of Gnanis and his uncle Kausa (for our present
purpose) was a terrible Dugpa. The five Pandavas had a hundred wicked
cousins, the Kauravas. Devas and the whole brood of wicked Asuras were
born of the same parent. _Vibhishana_ had for his brother, _Ravana_ the
prince of Dugpas; so had the good Sugriva a brother like Vali. Prahlada
had a monster for his father.

Take the case of one who has not done all his duty to his family,
before he dies, or before he takes the vows of renunciation and
becomes an ascetic. Such ascetics find themselves attracted by the
family defects and selfishness of themselves (which hitherto perhaps
lay more or less dormant and now become kindled and awakened by the
selfishness of the relatives) and are disturbed in the performance of
the duties of their new order or _Ashrama_, however unselfish their
relatives might have been “unconsciously” or unintentionally. In spite
of themselves these relatives arrest the progress of the ascetics
in whom the family defects become thus strengthened and developed.
Such is the mysterious law of attraction. This man must be born again
(1) either in the same family, with the family defects strengthened,
both in himself and in his family; (2) or in another family. In the
first case, the noble qualities of the family are not strengthened
and therefore gradually disappear both from him and from the family.
In the second case, he becomes an undutiful son, brother or husband,
in his new family, firstly because of the natural law of repetition,
which, with the terrible Karmic interest, strengthens the tendency
in him to disregard duty; secondly because of the “counter family
attractions” (or repulsions). Let not this unfortunate wanderer from
the post of his family duty console himself with the foolish idea that
this tendency would confine its havoc to family traits (good and evil)
and to family duties alone. It would extend itself in all directions,
wherever it can; it would make him disregard his duties to his nation
and to himself (or in other words, to humanity). He would suddenly be
surprised to find himself apathetic to his nation and to his highest
nature, or to mankind. Such are the mazes and unknown ramifications
of our evil or good propensities. Any evil or noble element of human
nature converts itself, under “favorable” conditions into any other
element however apparently remote. The conditions are there ready
wherever the element is strong; where there is a will there is a way.
Performance of family duties therefore develops patriotism and mercy.

I do not at all mean to say that the effects of Karma _always_ assert
themselves in the same shape or form; but they often might and do. Nor
do I mean that the affinities above stated, blossom and ripen in the
incarnation immediately succeeding; they might develop ten or even
one hundred incarnations after; but in such a case, the Karma only
accumulates enormous interest. The affinities might not develop _at the
same time_ in both him and her, who was once his wife; if they did at
the same time, the account could be easily settled,—otherwise, woe to
him and to her! Supposing that the attractions for him are developed
in her, while the attachments for her are not developed in him at the
same time; the result might be, that she pines and languishes for him,
sends her poisonous darts consciously or “unconsciously” against him;
if these arrows do not kindle the corresponding nature in him, for
the time being they frustrate his achievements in other directions.
Supposing by the time the affinities in him are developed, he becomes
an initiate and she becomes, (let us suppose) his pupil (male or
female). If at the time the pupil’s affinities have become converted
into devotion for the initiate, the latter becomes blinded in his
philanthropic work and noble duties of a sage, and commits, through the
infatuation of a love for the pupil, serious blunders, which result in
a catastrophe to both of them and to humanity: and both the pupil and
initiate fall down and have to mount their rugged pathway again with
increased difficulties in their way.

Once, in an age and in a country, when and where household life
continues to be ideal, one single wretch commits the first act of
transgression by impetuously rushing into the circle of ascetics, or
by dying before wholly discharging his duty to his family, the natural
result is that both himself, his family, and his nation, become thereby
seriously affected. The Akasa[87] becomes affected by the impulse to
transgress in this direction; this impulse forces itself gradually
(with accumulated interest, redoubled force) upon others; the ignoble
example becomes a precedent; other cases of a like nature follow in
quick succession. In course of time, (just when a sad descending cycle
begins, such is the divine intelligence of the law that economizes
energies and makes things fit it) the leading of the ideal family life
becomes almost impossible and very rare; the whole community is thus
ruined. Learned and great adepts retire to other spheres (where there
then is an ascending cycle) and leave the nation to be swallowed by a
cataclysm after ages of degradation and vice.

Let us now reverse this case, and suppose that in the most degenerate
nation, in the darkest of cycles, one philanthropist becomes unselfish
and intelligent enough to set a noble and intelligent example by
fulfilling all family duties; then, as naturally as in the preceding
case, the precedent gradually gains acceptance; the way is paved for
the advent of an ascending cycle; Gnanis bless the noble man and come
down from other unfavorable spheres, where descending cycles begin to
dawn.

Now it may be easy to understand why Chelas and lay Chelas (who have
not yet thrown off their family defects and thus become the cream of
their family’s good qualities) are told to be careful lest they become
Dugpas (Black Magicians).

I will ask you to apply the same kinds of arguments to the necessity
for performing (and the failure to perform) our duties to our nation
and to mankind. You can see that the phenomena of heresy, downfall
of religions, rise of new religions, the birth in Europe of a Max
Müller, who expatiates upon the greatness of the Vedic philosophy, and
of Bradlaughs and other infidel sons of Christian parents—all these
are due to the fact (and also to other causes), that the individuals
concerned had not in some one or other of their past incarnations, done
their duty to the nations (or religions), to which they respectively
belonged. A study of the times when and in the manner in which the
traits of these men are brought into play should be profitable in
several ways. Extending the analogy, it may be said that heartlessness,
murder, cannibalism, etc., are due to failure to discharge, in past
incarnations, one’s duty to humanity (that is to one’s self).

In conclusion it might be added that the most important element in the
“Dweller of the Threshold,” and in the ordeals of Chelaship, is family
defects, which ought to be _first_ “conquered;” then in order come
national defects and the “diseases of the flesh” in general. Though all
these three have to be got rid of simultaneously as far as possible,
and all the three kinds of duties performed, still beginners should pay
more attention to the first than to the second, and more to the second
than to the third, and none of these neglected.

In those happy Aryan ages, when Dharma was known and performed fully,
those men and women who did not marry, remained in the family for
performing their family duties and led a strictly ascetical and
Vedantic life as Brahmacharis and Kannikas (or virgins). Those alone
married, who were in every way qualified for leading a grihasta
(household) life. Marriage was in those days a sacred and religious
contract, and not at all a means of gratifying selfish desires and
animal passions. These marriages were of two kinds: (1) Those who
married for the express purpose of assisting each other (husband and
wife) in their determination to lead a higher life, in fulfilling their
family duties, in enjoying all pleasures enjoined for such a life
and thereby acquiring the means for attaining the qualifications for
higher ashrama of renunciation (Sannyása), and, above all, for giving
the world the benefit of children, who would become gnanis and work
for humanity. Such a husband and wife might be regarded as not having
in their previous incarnations been able enough to become ripe for
Chelaship. (2) Those who had, in their past incarnations already fitted
themselves completely for entering the sanctuary of Occultism and gnana
marga (path of wisdom). One of them, the Pati (the master or “husband”)
was the Guru who had advanced far higher than his Patni (co-worker or
pupil or “wife”). As soon as the alliance between them was made, these
retired into the forest to lead the life of celibacy and practical
Occultism. But, before so retiring, they had invariably promised to
their parents and other members of their family to assist and elevate
them even from a distance and offered to periodically adjust[88] the
inner life of all the relatives. I quote the language generally used in
making such promises:—“Whenever mother, father, sister and brothers,
any of you think of me in your hour of need, wherever or whatever I may
be, I solemnly promise to lend you a helping hand.”
MURDHNA JOTI.
[_To be continued._]

STUDIES IN THE UPANISHADS.

[BY A STUDENT.]

[_Continued from May number._]

Longfellow, in the lines last quoted, symbolized the Universe by an
immeasurable wheel forever turning in the stream of time. Allowing
for the western habit of studying effects and not causes, this is a
fair simile. Yet it is faulty in that it presupposes two co-existing
eternities; the wheel of the Universe, and the stream in which it
turns. There can be but one eternity.

Saunaka asks in this Upanishad a natural question, propounded by
nearly every thinking man, especially by students of occultism who
are continually seeking a royal road to the accomplishment of their
objects. He wishes to be told what may be the great solvent of all
knowledge. The reply of Angiras points out two great roads, which
include all the others. The lower road is the one of hard work for
countless births, during which we acquire knowledge slowly in all
directions, and, of course, when that is possessed, one rises to the
higher road.

This is the true initiation, nature, so to speak, acting as the
initiator. In replying to Saunaka, Angiras did not mean to be
understood, that a man could in one birth pass over the lower road,
but that the progress of a human monad toward perfection proceeded in
a certain fixed manner which included all experiences. Of course if we
say that we appear on the earth once only, and then disappear from it,
to the place called by the spiritualists of America, “the summer land,”
and by the christian, “heaven,” there is no need for one to acquire
the lower knowledge, for that might be obtained in the life after
death. But we regard it as true that the spirit, in order to acquire
complete knowledge, must inhabit a human form, and one term of tenancy
in such a form will not be enough for the testing of the countless
varieties of life, of temptation, of triumph, failure and success.

The sage Angiras in this Upanishad looks at man from the standpoint
of one who can see the great stream of life which flows through the
eternal plain, and therefore he could not have meant to apply his words
to one incarnation, but to the whole series through which man has to
pass until he reaches “immortal, blest nirvana.”

In the journey along this road we will encounter great differences
in the powers of our fellow travellers. Some go haltingly and others
quickly; some with eyes bent on the ground, a few with gaze fixed on
the great goal. Those who halt or look down will not reach the end,
because they refuse to take the assistance to be found in the constant
aspiration to the light. But we are not to blame them: they have not
yet been often enough initiated to understand their error. Nature is
kind and will wait for them much longer than their human fellows would
if they were permitted to be their judges. This ought to give us a
lesson in charity, in universal brotherhood. Very often we meet those
who show an utter inability to appreciate some spiritual ideas which
we quite understand. It is because they have not, so far, been able
to transmute into a part of themselves, that which we have been so
fortunate as to become possessed of, and so they seem devoted to things
that to us appear to be of small value.

The Bagavad-Gita says that there is no detriment or loss to one’s
efforts in any direction, be it good or bad; that is, in going through
these countless incarnations, all inquiry, every sort of investigation,
no matter even if it seems at the close of any one life that the life
was wasted, is so much energy and experience stored up. For although,
in the course of one existence, physical energy is expended, there is,
all the while, a storing up of spiritual energy which is again a power
in the next succeeding life.

In consequence of the modern, western system of education, we are
apt constantly to forget the existence of the great force and value
belonging to our super-sensuous consciousness. That consciousness is
the great register where we record the real results of our various
earthly experiences; in it we store up the spiritual energy, and once
stored there, it becomes immortal, our own eternal possession. The
question then will be asked: “How is one to store up such spiritual
energy: do we do it unconsciously, and how are we to know that any has
been stored up?” It is to be done by trying to know and to act truth;
by “living in the eternal,” as _Light on the Path_ directs. To live
thus in the eternal, does not mean that we shall abandon the cares
and struggles of life, for so surely as we do we must suffer, but that
we should try to make the real self direct its aspirations ever to the
eternal truth.

This series of births is absolutely necessary, so that the “lower
knowledge” can be acquired; and just so long as we do not acquire that,
we must be reborn. Here and there will occur exceptions to this rule,
in those great souls who, with “an astonishing violence,” leap beyond
and over all barriers, and by getting the higher knowledge, become at
the same time, possessors of the lower knowledge also.

In the Chaldean Oracles such souls are thus described: “More robust
souls perceive truth through themselves, and are of a more inventive
nature,” and by Proklus in I Alkibiad: “such a soul being saved,
according to the oracle, through its own strength.” But even this
rapid progress must be regarded as comparative, for even these “robust
souls,” had to go through certain incarnations in which they were
accumulating to themselves that very strength and ability to outstrip
their fellows which, later on, placed them in the front rank.

In consequence of our ignorance of what we really are, not knowing at
the time we begin the struggle in this present life whether the real
man inside has passed through incarnations full of this necessary
experience or not, we must not, because of the fancied importance we
give ourselves, neglect the _lower knowledge_. There are many pitfalls
besetting the road. Perchance we feel a certain degree of illumination,
or we are able to see or hear in the astral world, and at once the
temptation presents itself to claim to ourselves a spiritual greatness
not our own. The possession of such astral acuteness is not high
spirituality _per se_, for one might be able, as Buddha declares in
the Saddharma-Pundarika, to smell the extraordinary odors arising in
ten points of space which are not perceived by ordinary people, or to
hear the innumerable and strange voices, sounds, bells, discords and
harmonies produced by the whole host of unknown and unseen spirits
of the earth, air, water and fire, and still be altogether devoid of
spirituality. If we let ourselves then, be carried away by this, it is
only a form of pride that precedes a severe fall. Being carried away
with it, is at once a proof that we are not master, but are mastered by
what is merely a novel experience.

But if we wisely and carefully test all experience, being willing to
descend low enough to learn and study so that the instrument may be
tuned and perfected, we may avoid the pitfalls, or be able to cross
them should they be inevitable, whereas if we are deluded by supposed
self-illumination, and run after that to the exclusion of all study, we
will perhaps, enjoy a period of excitement and of self-satisfaction,
but it will end, and the end will be bitter. As Buddha says: “He
who ignores the rotation of mundane existences, has no perception of
blessed rest.”

The very fact that a man is in the world and has a continual fight
with his passions and inclinations, proves that he is not yet in any
condition to leave it. And of even the very far advanced, it was said
by those who were near the time of the Upanishads:

“The disciple who by his discrimination has escaped from the triple
world, thinks he has reached pure, blessed nirvana; but it is only by
knowing all the laws of the lower world, and the universal laws as
well, that the immortal, pure, blest nirvana is reached. There is no
real nirvana without all-knowingness; try to reach this.”

CORRESPONDENCE.

LONDON, June 17, 1886.

As No. 5 of “The Biogen Series,” Professor Coues has reprinted Robert
Dodsley’s “Œconomy of Human Life,” which he considers is based on
Theosophical Ethics. The history of this little treatise is rather
curious. It was originally published in 1750 and purported to be
by a Brahmin, but the authorship was generally ascribed to Lord
Chesterfield. The great celebrity which the book at one time attained,
was mainly due to this mistaken opinion. Dodsley, however, did not
long persist in his disguise. It went through numerous editions, found
many imitators, and has been translated into French, Italian, German
and Bengali. The moral maxims contained in this little volume are of
a character to admit of their attribution to Lord Chesterfield. Their
claim to an especial Eastern origin receives a striking comment from
the way in which the law of retribution, the nature of the soul, the
eternal paradise of God, and other similar topics are regarded. In the
treatment of these subjects, the author follows the theology of the
Christian church rather than Brahmanical philosophy. The association of
the name Kuthumi with the book, so perplexing to understand, is not a
biographical fact, as Prof. Coues explains in his “fore-word”(p. 10).
It only remains to state clearly what is implied in the fore-word that
the Theosophical Society has no special code of morals, ready made and
rigorously defined, for the acceptance of its members on admission.
Prof. Coues is deserving of praise for rescuing from oblivion a book,
in many ways calculated to do good.
Fraternally,
MOHINI M. CHATTERJI.

REVIEWS AND NOTES.

THE BIOGEN SERIES (_Estes & Lauriat, Boston, Mass._). This series of
publications is under the editorial management of Prof. Coues, the
well known Scientist and Theosophist. The series has just reached its
fifth number “_Kuthumi, or the Economy of Human Life_.” This is a
reprint of a little volume, originally issued in 1770, but under the
classical pen of Prof. Coues who has added an introduction, and the
faultless typography of Estes & Lauriat, the little book is a very
different affair from the earlier edition. Number four of the series
which is also only just out of press, bears the significant title,
“_Can Matter Think_,” and is reprint of an article which was written
in India and published some years ago in _The Theosophist_. By no
means the least important part of these publications are the notes and
editorial comments of Prof Coues. Number four of the series has both an
introduction and an appendix from the Professor’s pen. To give these
publications such extended notice as they deserve would occupy more
space and time than is at our command, while the exceedingly readable
form and low price at which they are issued, renders such review
unnecessary, as they are within reach of all.

These little books are in short, classics, and as such, substantial
additions to the literature of the age, while their bearing on the
great problems of Theosophy, can hardly be over estimated. Prof.
Coues’ familiarity with the whole field of modern research, his
exactness, which comes from scientific training, his remarkable command
of first-class English, and his insight into the complex problems
of psychology, place these books in the forefront of Theosophic
literature, and we cordially commend them to our readers.
J.D. BUCK.

THE SANSCRIT LANGUAGE.

Several letters have been written and inquiries propounded to the
Editor regarding Sanscrit, and in one or two instances the assertion
has been made that we were incorrect in saying that Sanscrit is not
really a dead language. In reply to those asking about the language, we
refer them to Perry’s _Sanscrit Primer_ (Ginn & Co., Boston), Lanman’s
_Sanscrit Reader_ and Whitney’s _Sanscrit Grammar_.

To the others, we quote from Perry’s _Primer_, § 21, p. 7: “The
Sanscrit is used in India to this day very much as Latin was used in
Europe in the previous century; it is a common medium of communication
between the learned, be their native tongues what they may, and it is
not the vernacular of any district whatever.” And in India, the Editor
was told by many Brahmins that it is in constant use in all religious
convocations and assemblies convened among people of learning who come
from widely separated parts of Hindustan.

* * * * *

THOUGHTS.—By Ivan Panin, (_Cupples, Upham & Co., Boston._) The author
says that he does not know why he writes, but the thoughts jotted down
are put forth as his own. Many of them are good and worth remembering.
The book is of size convenient for the pocket, and well bound; the
thoughts are topically arranged and numbered consecutively from 1 to
435; the first is, that to be never unhappy is the greatest misfortune;
and the last, that next to the pleasure of seeing beautiful things, is
to describe them. The best one is No. 205, that nature preaches many a
fine sermon on silence, as: the loud thunder hurts not, but the silent
lightning; silent gravity binds all worlds together; silent snow covers
the ground, but noisy rain makes puddles and then runs away. Another
good one is No. 188: “Always indeed, tell the truth, but do not always
speak it;” also No. 80: “Abhor his vice, but not the man; for he is
like thee a son of God.”

* * * * *

THE SPIRIT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.—By a woman. (_Rockwell & Churchill,
Boston, 1885._) We are informed that the author is a Theosophist and
wrote this before joining the Society. It is divided into 3 parts. I,
Relates to Jesus; II, The Warfare of the Truth; III, The Letters and
Evidences. She adheres to the idea of the immaculate conception, while
not advocating the theological dogma of the Divinity; this seems to us
not to follow. We cannot help pointing out that Jesus, the subject of
this book, apparently violated filial duty when he refused to recognize
his mother at the time he was told that she waited without. Also on
page 10, the author surmizes that “probably not more than a score of
children perished” by the order of King Herod. There is no historical
record of the “slaughter of the Innocents,” but it is important and
ought not to be lightly passed over. A similar legend is told regarding
Krishna, the Hindu incarnation, thousands of years before Jesus, for
King Kausa his uncle, ordered the slaughter of all the male infants in
his kingdom, but Krishna escaped to another city under the protection
of the great God, (see the Mahabarata). Again Gaffarel and others say,
that really it referred to the persecution of the Kabalists and wise
men of Herod’s day, for they were called “innocents” and “babes.” Now
this tale has an occult signification, in common with the incident of
Jesus refusing to recognize his mother.

The book is an excellent one, and if christendom held the same views,
the millenium would advance. The author thinks that the spirit of the
work and words of Jesus, if lived up to by his followers, would raise
the western world to a higher plane, and in that we agree with her.
But we cannot agree that Jesus came to the whole world, or that St.
John’s revelation is for humanity. Both of them were only speaking to
the races they were born in, revealing again a part of the knowledge
and doctrine which anciently prevailed among all peoples, and which,
even in their own day, were fully known in the farther East. Each time
and people has its own prophet and sacred book, but it does not follow,
if the last be the best for the people to whom it is revealed, that
therefore it is the best of all.

At the beginning of each Manvantara (the remanifestation of a world and
man upon it), a planetary spirit appears among men, and implants the
great ideas afterwards held intuitionally. They are projected with a
spiritual force and power that carries them through all the ages of
that manvantara, now appearing and again apparently lost to sight. The
original impulse every now and then, receives additions, through beings
of a lower illumination than those who started them, as: Jesus, Buddha,
Confucius and others, who appear in intermediate periods.

Similarly, great events, such as the occurrences related as anterior to
Krishna’s, Buddha’s and Jesus’ birth, as well as the slaughter of the
innocents and the death of Osiris, have an inherent spiritual force,
wherever they really took place, that carries them down the stream of
time and causes them to reappear among all peoples as a part of the
biographies of different sacred personages.

This author has our approval, though worth but little, for she shows
a keen insight. Witness on p. 517: “Believe not those who exalt woman
above man, for they are equal powers. The use of the feminine pronoun
in describing the soul, the earth, the moon * * has no profound
scientific or philosophical foundation.

“Believe not those who claim to give final wisdom to the world; for
there must be many instruments of truth.”

And on p. 519: “Sufficient guides are in that development of seership
which is the necessary and natural sequence of the ripening of the
intellect and moral sense, and which must and will grow. To man’s own
conscience] and judgment is left the supreme utilization of these first
universal efforts at intercommunion between the material and spiritual
planes of existence.”

We regret that our limited space prohibits a more extended notice.

* * * * *

SINNETT.—Mr. A. P. Sinnett of London, author of Esoteric Buddhism,
has just brought out a new novel of a theosophical cast. We have not
received a copy as there has not been time, but hope to notice it in
the August number. Its title is “_Union_”.

THEOSOPHICAL ACTIVITIES.

THE AMERICAN BOARD OF CONTROL—will meet in Rochester July 4th. This
will be an important meeting, being the first one since the new
era of American Theosophical Activity. It is hoped that each year
hereafter will see conventions of the Society when each Branch will be
represented by a delegate.

* * * * *

JOSHEE.—Bro. Gopal Vinayak Joshee was in Boston May 28th, at the annual
meeting of the Free Religion Association, and delivered an address
before them upon “What is lacking in Christianity,” which was reported
in _The Index_, of June 10th, ult. It deserves perusal, and must have
seemed to its hearers like plain speaking.

* * * * *

ALABAMA.—A new Branch of the society is being organized here, the
provisional charter having been issued. We hope also soon to hear of
another in Texas, where a good Theosophist has settled.

* * * * *

MALDEN.—The theosophists here are in earnest and active. They
have heartily adopted the suggestion of the New York Branch about
discussions in condensed form being printed for circulation among
members.

* * * * *

CINCINNATI.—This Branch has been hard at work, and has had the benefit
of several addresses and thorough explanations of hermetic doctrines
from a well known and well versed theosophist.

* * * * *

ABRIDGEMENTS OF DISCUSSIONS.—The discussions and study of every member
of the Society and of each Branch should not be kept exclusively to
themselves, except when they may relate to necessarily secret matter,
but ought to be made known in some way to all other members. To that
end, the N. Y. Branch has issued the first of a series of leaflets
for private circulation, containing abstracts of these discussions.
They contain the ideas of many different people upon the subjects of
Karma, Reincarnation, and other doctrines of Hinduism, Buddhism and
Christianity.

All branches ought to contribute notes to this work, so that the
leaflets may appeal to as many minds in the society as possible. If a
central editor could be hit upon that would also be a good idea.

* * * * *

THE ARYAN THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK.—Regular meetings have been
held each week, since our last issue, two during this month being open
ones, at which addresses were delivered and discussions had. On the 8th
ult., the subject was that of evolution as laid down in theosophical
literature, and at one meeting, the lecture was illustrated by
reference to a famous carved temple roof in India, the blackboard being
used for rough outlines of the design.

During the last month, the following books have been donated to the
library of the Branch, by Bro. Edson D. Hammond: _Ancient Mysteries
Described_ (Hone, 1823); _The Obelisk and Freemasonry_ (Weisse, 1880);
_Psychological Review_ (London), _12 Nos. 1882; 2 of 1883_, when Review
stopped. The library has now increased to over 125 vols. and has been
considerably used by the members.

* * * * *

That subtle self is to be known by thought alone; for every thought of
men is interwoven with the senses, and when thought is purified, then
the self arises.—_Mundaka Upanishad._

OM.

FOOTNOTES:

[68] In the ancient Aztec civilization in Mexico, the Sacerdotal order
was very numerous. At the head of the whole establishment were two high
priests, elected from the order, solely for their qualifications, as
shown by their previous conduct in a subordinate station. They were
equal in dignity and inferior only to the sovereign, who rarely acted
without their advice in weighty matters of private concern. (Sahagun
_Hist. de Nueva España, lib. 2; lib. 3 cap. 9_—_Torq. Mon. Ind. lib. 8
cap. 20; lib. 9, cap. 3, 56_; cited by Prescott in _vol. 1, Conq. Mex.
p. 66_).—[ED.]

[69] King or Ruler.

[70] A low caste man, _e. g._, a sweeper. Such a building can now be
seen at Bijapur, India.—[ED.]

[71] An obsessing astral shell. The Hindus consider them to be the
reliquæ of deceased persons.—[ED.]

[72] Nature spirit or elemental.—[ED.]

[73] This sentence is of great importance. The Occidental mind delights
much more in effects, personalities and authority, than in seeking for
causes, just as many Theosophists have with persistency sought to know
when and where Madame Blavatsky did some feat in magic, rather than in
looking for causes or laws governing the production of phenomena. In
this italicized sentence is the clue to many things, for those who can
see.—[ED.]

[74] _Masonic Review_, July, 1885.

[75] The Cabbalah, its Doctrine, Development and Literature.

[76] _Farhad_ was the youthful lover of _Shirin_.

[77] _Her_ refers to the candle. The moth is the lover and the candle
the beloved.

[78] See note above.

[79] Mulla is the Persian form of the Arabic Maulawi, “a learned man,”
“a scholar.”

[80] Khudawand is a Persian word signifying “lord,” “prince,” “master.”
A professor: a man of authority. It is used as a title of the Deity
and by Christian missionaries in India it is generally employed as a
translation of the Greek Kyrios, “Lord.” (Hughes’ Dic.)

[81] _Islam_ means _the resigning or devoting one’s self entirely to
God_, and his service.

[82] Isis Unveiled, p. 507, vol I.

[83] Ibid.

[84] Physio-philosophy.

[85] I use this word “privilege” in its ethical sense; privileges are
to the patriot what the “pleasures” are to the family life.

[86] This is the man to be in the family and not of the family like the
water on the lotus leaf, making only the good traits of the family the
seat of his higher self.

[87] The Ether, the Astral Light.—[ED.]

[88] I use the word in the peculiar sense which I have already attached
to it.

AUM

In the beginning this was Self alone—undeveloped. It became developed
by form and name. The Self entered thither to the very tips of the
finger nails, as the fire in the fireplace. He cannot be seen: for, in
part only, when breathing, he is breath by name; when seeing, eye by
name; when hearing, ear; when thinking, mind, by name. All these are
but the names of his acts. And he who regards him as the one or the
other, does not know him, for he is apart from them. Let men worship
him as the Self, for in the Self, all these are one. This Self is the
footstep of everything, for through it one knows everything, and as
one can find again by footsteps what was lost, thus he who knows this
may find the Self.—_Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad, 1 Adh., 4 Brah., 7 v._

THE PATH.

VOL. I. AUGUST, 1886. NO. 5.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

STAR COLORS AND ANIMAL MAGNETISM.

It is well known that yellow is the complementary of blue, and red
of green, color, and it struck me that, relating to this subject,
the remarks of Mr. Isaac Sharpless, who is an undoubted authority in
astronomical matters, are of some importance. Writing from Haverford
College Observatory, June 3d, instant, he says:

“The question of star colors has been receiving attention from the
hand of an English gentleman, W. S. Franks. He has examined carefully
the colors of a list of 1893 of the brightest stars, with especial
reference to the distribution in the heavens of the different colors.
He finds 962 white stars, 614 yellow, 168 orange, 10 red, 15 green, 59
blue, 58 purple and 7, for some reason, have no colors given. He finds
that the constellations which contain a large percentage of white
stars are in or near the Milky Way, and wherever stars are closely
associated together; while the yellow and orange stars are most
plentiful in large straggling constellations.

“It is well known that a certain kind of spectrum is connected with
certain star colors. The yellow stars belong to the class of our
sun and include such bright stars as Capella. The white stars, like
Vega, have a spectrum of a great number of fine lines, and the red
gives a banded spectrum. It has been a favorite theory that the
colors indicate the age of the stars, if not in years, at least in
development. That the white are the youngest: as they cool they become
yellow, then red, and, finally invisible, just as a piece of iron
would in cooling down from a white heat. There is much to commend this
idea, though, of course, as to the relative ages of the stars we know
very little, and some changes appear to be in the opposite direction.
Perhaps there are people to whom the idea of different colors in
stars is a novelty. They have a general idea that there are bright
points of light overhead, at night, and probably they have observed,
in a general way, that some are brighter than others. It will not
require a very close watch, however, to add to the knowledge of the
sky the additional fact that they are differently colored. Castor and
Pollux which now shine in the west in the evening, are very evidently
diverse, and a careful amateur can go over the heavens and notice
among the brighter stars quite a variety.

“But a telescope increases the capacities for this work immensely.
Nearly all the very red stars are too faint to be seen by the naked
eye, and many which show the strongest contrasts of color are double
stars, which require considerable magnifying power to separate them.
Blue and green stars are never solitary, but associated with a red
or a yellow star, which is nearly always brighter, so that color has
something to do with association. There are also sometimes clusters of
stars which show great variety of color. Sir John Herschel describes
one in the Southern Hemisphere which resembled a mass of colored gems.
There is probably a prolific field of discovery yet undeveloped in
connection with star colors.”

The experiments of Reichenbach and others have shown that from crystals
and human bodies emanate not only influences of a positive and negative
character—which are also referred to in the PATH at p. 86—but also that
certain colors are seen by sensitives to arise from the human head,
eyes, and hands. Now, as animal magnetism is slowly forcing recognition
from the scientific world, why are we not justified in giving some
credence to the views held by the old Hermetic philosophers, that the
human being derives its magnetism and vitality from the stars: that
is, that these colors seen by sensitives, are to be directly traced to
the sidereal influences and atmospheres. They gave to each color an
appropriate star, and we find curiously enough, that although it is
claimed against them that they were ignorant and had no appliances,
they, without apparatus, knew that the stars had colors, while to the
sun they ascribed life. Now in this century our astronomers tell us,
as above, of star colors of great variety and peculiar combination.
These are mere hints, however, which I would like more competent men to
enlarge upon.
ISAAC MYER.

[NOTE.—We are personally acquainted with several persons who can
see these magnetic colors, and they all agree in the main as to the
conditions of health or of temper which accompany them. Mere quick
thoughts they see as bright sparks; sensuality seems pink or reddish;
while life and wisdom, appear as blue. It is interesting to note also,
that in the Hindu system, when Krishna is represented as the life
giver, or as the principle of life, he is painted blue, which color
Reichenbach found proceeded from the _positive_ pole; while the passive
mendicant or ascetic of Hindustan, has to wear the yellow robe, which
stands for the _negative_ pole that emits the yellow ray. It is also
rather curious that the ancient Egyptians in their papyri painted
wisdom, which is cold, of a yellow color, and the son of life appears
in blue.—ED.]

A HINDU CHELA’S DIARY.[89]

(_Continued from July Number._)

“I have always felt and still feel strongly that I have already once
studied this sacred philosophy with Kunâla, and that I must have been,
in a previous life, his most obedient and humble disciple. This must
have been a fact, or else how to account for the feelings created in me
when I first met him, although no special or remarkable circumstances
were connected with that event. All my hopes and plans are centred in
him, and nothing in the world can shake my confidence in him especially
when several of my Brahmin acquaintances tell me the same things
without previous consultation. * * *

“I went to the great festival of Durga yesterday, and spent nearly
the whole day looking in the vast crowd of men, women, children and
mendicants for some of Kunâla’s friends, for he once told me to never
be sure that they were not near me, but I found none who seemed to
answer my ideas. As I stood by the ghaut at the river side thinking
that perhaps I was left alone to try my patience, an old and apparently
very decrepit Bairagee plucked my sleeve and said: ‘Never expect to see
any one, but always be ready to answer if they speak to you; it is not
wise to peer outside of yourself for the great followers of Vasudeva:
look rather within.’

“This amazed me, as I was expecting him to beg or to ask me for
information. Before my wits returned, he had with a few steps mingled
with a group of people, and in vain searched I for him: he had
disappeared. But the lesson is not lost.

“To-morrow I return to I——.

“Very wearying indeed in a bodily sense was the work of last week and
especially of last evening, and upon laying down on my mat last night
after continuing work far into the night I fell quickly sound asleep.
I had been sleeping some hour or two when with a start I awoke to find
myself in perfect solitude and only the horrid howling of the jackals
in the jungle to disturb me. The moon was brightly shining and I walked
over to the window of this European modeled house threw it open and
looked out. Finding that sleep had departed, I began again on those
palm leaves. Just after I had begun, a tap arrested my attention and
I opened the door. Overjoyed was I then to see Kunâla standing there,
once more unexpected.

“‘Put on your turban and come with me,’ he said and turned away.

“Thrusting my feet into my sandals, and catching up my turban, I
hurried after him, afraid that the master would get beyond me, and I
remain unfortunate at losing some golden opportunity.

“He walked out into the jungle and turned into an unfrequented path.
The jackals seemed to recede into the distance; now and then in the
mango trees overhead, the flying foxes rustled here and there, while I
could distinctly hear the singular creeping noise made by a startled
snake as it drew itself hurriedly away over the leaves. Fear was not
in my breast for master was in front. He at last came to a spot that
seemed bare of trees, and bending down, seemed to press his hand into
the grass. I then saw that a trap door or entrance to a stairway very
curiously contrived, was there. Stairs went down into the earth. He
went down and I could but follow. The door closed behind me, yet it was
not dark. Plenty of light was there, but where it came from I cared
not then nor can I now, tell. It reminded me of our old weird tales
told us in youth of pilgrims going down to the land of the Devas where,
although no sun was seen, there was plenty of light.

“At the bottom of the stairs was a passage. Here I saw people but they
did not speak to me and appeared not to even see me although their eyes
were directed at me. Kunâla said nothing but walked on to the end,
where there was a room in which were many men looking as grand as he
does but two more awful, one of whom sat at the extreme end.”

* * * * * * * *

[Here there is a confused mass of symbols and ciphers which I confess
I cannot decipher, and even if I had the ability to do so, I would
check myself, because I surmise that it is his own way of jotting
down for his own remembrance, what occurred in that room. Nor do I
think that even a plain reading of it would give the sense to any one
but the writer himself, for this reason, that it is quite evidently
fragmentary. For instance, I find among the rest, a sort of notation
of a division of states or planes: whether of consciousness, of
animated, or of elemental life, I cannot tell; and in each division
are hieroglyphs that might stand for animals, or denizens of the astral
world, or for anything else—even for ideas only, so I will proceed at
the place of his returning.]

“Once more I got out into the passage, but never to my knowledge went
up those steps, and in a moment more was I again at my door. It was as
I left it, and on the table I found the palm leaves as I dropped them,
except that beside them was a note in Kunâla’s hand, which read:

“‘Nilakant—strive not yet to think too deeply on those things you have
just seen. Let the lessons sink deep into your heart, and they will
have their own fruition. To-morrow I will see you.’ * * * *

“What a very great blessing is mine to have had Kunâla’s company for
so many days even as we went to——. Very rarely however he said a few
words of encouragement and good advice as to how I should go on. He
seems to leave me as to that to pick my own way. This is right, I
think, because otherwise one would never get any individual strength
or power of discrimination. Happy were those moments, when alone at
midnight, we then had conversation. How true I then found the words of
the Agroushada Parakshai to be:

“‘Listen while the Sudra sleeps like the dog under his hut, while
the Vaysa dreams of the treasures that he is hoarding up, while the
Rajah sleeps among his women. This is the moment when just men, who
are not under the dominion of their flesh, commence the study of the
sciences.’[90]

“The midnight hour must have powers of a peculiar nature. And I learned
yesterday from glancing into an Englishman’s book, that even those semi
barbarians speak of that time as ‘the witching hour,’ and it is told me
that among them ‘witching’ means to have magic power. * * * *

“We stopped at the Rest House in B—— yesterday evening, but found it
occupied and so we remained in the porch for the night. But once more I
was to be blessed by another visit with Kunâla to some of his friends
whom I revere and who will I hope bless me too.

“When every one had quieted down he told me to go with him to the
sea which was not far away. We walked for about three quarters of an
hour by the seashore, and then entered as if into the sea. At first a
slight fear came into me, but I saw that a path seemed to be there,
although water was all around us. He in front and I following, we went
for about seven minutes, when we came to a small island; on it was a
building and on top of that a triangular light. From the sea shore,
the island would seem like an isolated spot covered all over by green
bushes. There is only one entrance to go inside. And no one can find
it out unless the occupant wishes the seeker to find the way. On the
island we had to go round about for some space before we came in front
of the actual building. There is a little garden in front and there
was sitting another friend of Kunâla with the same expression of the
eyes as he has. I also recognized him as one of those who was in the
room underground. Kunâla seated himself and I stood before them. We
stayed an hour and saw a portion of the place. How very pleasant it
is! And inside he has a small room where he leaves his body when he
himself moves about in other places. What a charming spot, and what a
delightful smell of roses and various sorts of flowers! How I should
wish to visit that place often. But I cannot indulge in such idle
dreams, nor in that sort of covetousness. The master of the place put
his blessing hand upon my head, and we went away back to the Rest
House and to the morrow full of struggles and of encounters with men
who do not see the light, nor hear the great voice of the future; who
are bound up in sorrow because they are firmly attached to objects
of sense. But all are my brothers and I must go on trying to do the
master’s work which is only in fact the work of the Real Self which is
All and in All.”

NOTES ON THE CABBALAH OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

BY PERMISSION OF BRO. J. RALSTON SKINNER (McMillan Lodge, No. 141).

II.

Ginsburg and others tell us that Raymond Lully and John Picus de
Mirandola had acquired knowledge of the Hebrew and the Caballah.
Mirandola studied Hebrew and Cabbalistic theology under Jochanan
Aleman, who came to Italy from Constantinople, and—“found that there
is more Christianity in the Cabbalah than Judaism; he discovered in it
proof for the doctrine of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Divinity of
Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem, the fall of the angels, the order of
the angels,” and so on, and so on. “In 1486, when only 24 years old,
he published 900 _theses_, which were placarded in Rome, and which he
undertook to defend in the presence of all European scholars, whom
he invited to the Eternal City, promising to defray their traveling
expenses. Among the theses was the following: ‘No science yields
greater proof of the Divinity of Christ than magic and the Cabbalah.’”

Through Picus de Mirandola, Reuchlin became aware of this phase of
Hebrew philosophy or theosophy, as, by a school of the rabbins, a
recognized appurtenant to the Hebrew Scriptures. He not only examined
into the Cabbalah to satisfy his thirst for facts of literature, but,
on investigation, became a convert to the system,—“within two years
of beginning to learn the language, published (1494) his De Verbo
Mirifico, and afterwards (1516) with more matured learning, his De Arte
Cabbalistica.” And thus the joint efforts of Mirandola and Reuchlin
established a field of literature, of the Cabbalah, which has always
flourished, and will continue to flourish so long as our civilization
shall last.

It is interesting and useful to place this great fact, but it is a
matter of especially great weight and value that the knowledge of
the Cabbalah was sprung upon the world of letters, with, and _as an
essential part of_ the Reformation itself. Not that the philosophy
of the Cabbalah became engrafted into the study and development
of Hebrew (and consequently Christian) theosophy:—for, because of
lack of knowledge of what the Cabbalah really was, such could not
be the case,—but it was entitled so to be, and the assertion of its
existence as a real element of Scripture was, even then, so strongly
and enduringly made, that, though an unknown quantity except by name,
it has ever since stood firmly, and ready to have such claim made
good:—with a vitality that has outworn four hundred years of patient
waiting.

Of course there was a field of Jewish Cabbalistic literature,—not
open, but confined, for the most part, as a kind of sacred mystery,
within narrow and restricted limits, even among the Jews themselves.
It was of the same nature with what is called, to-day, The Speculative
Philosophy of Free Masonry, an ever seemingly substantive embodiment
out of surrounding shadowy mists and mental fogs, wherein a doubt
always exists whether after all there is in the nebulous matter of the
mist itself anything from whence substance may congeal; or, it may,
for illustration, be compared to the city of King Arthur, before whose
gate Gareth, standing, says: “But these my men—(your city moves so
weirdly in the mist),—doubt if the King be King at all, or come from
Fairy land: and whether this be built by magic, and by fairy kings and
queens, or whether there be any city at all, or all a vision.” It is
necessary to make a brief mention of this literature with its sources;
both that these may be known, and that a foundation may be laid for
what is stated as to the reality of Cabbalah, and its significance.

There is almost no teaching of the Cabbalah in the English language
except the Essay by Christian D. Ginsburg, LL. D., to which we have
referred. Dr. Ginsburg says: “It is a system of religious philosophy,
or more properly, of theosophy, which has not only exercised for
hundreds of years an extraordinary influence on the mental development
of so shrewd a people as the Jews, but has captivated the minds of
some of the greatest thinkers of Christendom in the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries, and which claims the greatest attention of both
the philosopher and theologian.”

It is faintly claimed that some statements applying to Cabbalah are to
be found in the Talmud; but apart from this we have:—(1) The Commentary
on the Ten Sephiroth, by R. Azariel ben Manachem (1160-1238), who was
a pupil of Isaac the Blind, and master of the celebrated R. Moses
Nachmanides, (2) The Book Sohar (Light), or Midrash, Let there be
Light, claimed to have been a revelation from God, communicated through
R. Simon ben Jochai, A. D. 70-110, to his select disciples. This book
has been pronounced by the ablest critics to have been a pseudograph
of the thirteenth century,—the composition of Moses de Leon, who lived
in Spain; who, by the admission of his wife and daughter after his
death, first published and sold it as the production of R. Simon ben
Jochai, and (3) The Book Jetzirah or Book of Creation,—of unknown age
and authorship, but mentioned as early as the eleventh century in the
Book Chazari, by R. Jehudah Ha Levi,—as the literary sources for the
entire system and scope thereof, so far as disclosed. It is from these
sources that the entire volume of Cabbalistic literature has had rise
and development.

From these sources, and the numberless treatises and expositions
thereon, the history of the subject matter and containment of Cabbalah
is laid down as follows: It was first taught by God himself to a select
company of angels. After the fall the angels taught it to Adam. From
Adam it passed to Noah, thence to Abram, the friend of God who carried
it to Egypt. Moses, who was learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, was
initiated into it from the land of his birth. He covertly laid down the
principles of its doctrines in the first four books of the Pentateuch,
but withheld them from Deuteronomy (“this constitutes the former the
‘_man_’ and the latter the ‘_woman_’”). Moses initiated the seventy
elders, and they again passed the sacred and secret doctrine down to
the heads (continually imparting the same) of the Church of Israel.
David and Solomon were adepts in it. No one dared to write it down till
the supposititious Simon ben Jochai, who really lived and taught, as
one of the most celebrated doctors, at the time of the destruction of
the second temple; and his teachings are claimed to constitute the Book
of Sohar, published, as already said, by Moses de Leon of Valladolid,
in Spain. But Ben Jochai, or whoever worked under his name, though
he wrote and published, as said, covered the true doctrine by veils,
so that no one but an initiate, or, as the saying runs, “by the gift
of God,” could penetrate behind them;—though the veils of the words
still plainly held the secret doctrine, to those who could see. The
Cabbalah, as an exposition to the Sacred Text of Holy Writ, was claimed
to contain the Wisdom of God in every branch and department of His
working,—and all terms and descriptions were exhausted to express the
ineffable reward to him who might be permitted to penetrate behind the
veil, either by initiation or “by the gift of God;” satiating every
function of enjoyment, and affording an indescribable bliss, in the
ultimate possessions of the Divine conceptions.

More definitely:—The exposition of the system treats of the impersonal
First Cause manifesting within the limits of the finite. “Before he
gave any shape to this world, before he produced any form, he was
alone, without a form and resemblance to anything else.[91] Who,
then, can comprehend him, how he was before the creation, since he
was formless? Hence, it is forbidden to represent him by any form,
similitude, or even by his sacred name, by a single letter or a single
point; and to this, the words, ‘Ye saw no manner of similitude on the
day the Lord spake unto you’ (Deut. iv. 15)—_i. e._, ye have nor seen
anything which you could represent by any form or likeness,—refer”
(Sohar 42 b, 43 a, Sec. AB):—And this shows clearly enough that the
supposed sacred names of Scripture do not have reference to the
Impersonal First Cause, as its essential designations, but rather to
its creations. * * Then—“The creation, or the universe, is simply the
garment of God _woven from the Deity’s own substance_ (The Impersonal
manifesting in the cosmos, in modes to be expressed by the sacred names
and otherwise). For although, to reveal himself to us, the Concealed of
all the Concealed, sent forth the _Ten Emanations_ (the Ten Sephiroth)
called the Form of God, Form of the _Heavenly-Man_, yet since even
this luminous form was too dazzling for our vision, it had to assume
another form, or had to put on another garment which consists of the
_universe_. The universe, therefore, or the visible world, is a further
expansion of the Divine Substance, and is called in the Cabbalah, ‘_the
Garment of God_.’” (Sohar i, 2 a)—“The whole universe, however, was
incomplete, and did not receive its finishing stroke till _man_ was
formed, who is the _acme of the creation_, and the macrocosm uniting
in himself the totality of beings,—‘the heavenly Adam,’ _i. e._, the
Ten Sephiroth, who emanated from the highest primordial obscurity
(The Impersonal First Cause), created the _earthly Adam_.” (Sohar
ii, 70 b). This is more definitely expressed in another place, where
it says:—“Jehovah (for which stands the letter _jod_, or _j or i_)
descended on Sinai _in fire_,” the word for which is _a-sh_ fire. Let
the _j, or i_, the signature for Jehovah, descend in the midst of
this word, and one will have _a i sh_, which is the Hebrew word for
_man_ man; thus _man_ became out of the _Divine fire_——“Man is both
the import and the highest degree of creation, for which reason he was
formed on the sixth day. As soon as man was created every thing was
complete, including the upper and nether world, for every thing _is
comprised in man_. He unites in himself all forms.” (Sohar iii, 48
a)—“But after he created the form of the Heavenly Man, he used it as a
chariot (Mercabah) (wheels, circles) wherein to descend, and wishes to
be called by this form, which is the sacred name Jehovah.” (Sohar i, 42
b, 43 a, section AB.)

It is to be observed especially, as to the ground work of the
Cabbalah, that the first manifestation was in the “_Ten Sephiroth_,”
or Emanations, so called, out of which came the “_Heavenly Man_”; and
the human or earth man represented these Ten Sephiroth in himself. “The
lower world is made after the pattern of the upper world; everything
which exists in the upper world is to be found as it were in a copy on
earth; still the whole is one.” (Sohar i, 20 a.)

Thus it is that the compass of the Cabbalah, by Sohar, is idealized in
the form of a _man_. This man represented the combination of the Ten
Sephiroth, or, as systematically called, _Emanations_, in which as a
unity the whole cosmos existed in its segregated detail; and through
which all knowledge thereof, physically, psychically and spiritually,
was to be had, in passiveness and in activities;—and through which
these activities, as of all potencies—as of angels and powers,—had
their special existences. These Emanations had names of qualities, as
Beauty, Strength, Wisdom, etc., etc., each name being located upon
one of nine parts marked out on the form of the man; each of which
was called a _Sephira_. The totality of the man being taken as _one_,
this added to the nine made ten; and as a number this was the letter
_jod_, already spoken of. The locations of these Sephiroth (shown as
circles) are united one with another, so that one Emanation may flow
into another; one into all, and all into one;—and the 22 letters of
the alphabet with the 10 vowel sounds, are found therein, or thereby;
and these are called the “_thirty-two ways or canals of Wisdom_”; and
as these letters stood also for numbers, there is in this containment
every possible mode of expression _by word and number_. The exposition
of the Old Testament, especially the Thora, in the secret or esoteric
way, is claimed under this statement;—that is, by numbering the letters
of words, and by their permutations and changes of positions; so that
this is one of the functions of the Emanations or Sephiroth; and a
mighty one for disclosing the Wisdom of God.

The Book Jetzirah deals especially with these letters and numbers: “_By
thirty-two paths of secret wisdom_, the Eternal, the Lord of Hosts, the
God of Israel, the living God, the King of the Universe, the Merciful
and Gracious, the High and Exalted God, He who inhabiteth eternity,
Glorious and Holy is His name, hath created the world by means of
numbers, phonetic language and writing.”

The Commentary on the Ten Sephiroth, by R. Azariel Ben Menachem, as its
name implies, is directly in consonance with the Sohar.

As to the Book Jetzirah, Dr. Ginsburg says: “The _Book Jetzirah_, which
the Cabbalists claim is their oldest document, has really nothing
in common with the cardinal doctrines of the Cabbalah. There is not
a word in it bearing on the En Soph (Impersonal First Cause), the
Archetypal Man,” and so on, and so on. But here the doctor is at fault
for this reason:—The word “_Sephiroth_” means “_Numbers_,” and the _Ten
Sephiroth_ means the Ten Numbers; and in the Cabbalistic way these are
composed out of a geometrical shape. The circle is the first _naught_,
but out of this naught develops a straight vertical line, viz: the
diameter of this circle. This is the first _One_; and having a first
one, from it comes 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and 9,—the
circle or naught and its diameter one, the embracement of all together,
forming the comprehensive _Ten_, or Ten Numbers, Ten Sephiroth, Ten
Emanations, the Heavenly Man, the great Jah, of the ineffable name.
Hence the contents of the book Jetzirah are of the very essence of the
other two, and all are one.

SUFISM,

OR THEOSOPHY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF MOHAMMEDANISM.

_A Chapter from a MS. work designed as a text book for Students in
Mysticism._

BY C. H. A. BJERREGAARD, _Stud. Theos._

In Two Parts:—Part I, Texts; Part II, Symbols.

The spirit of Sufism is best expressed in the couplet of Katebi:

“Last night a nightingale sung his song, perched on a high cypress,
when the rose, on hearing his plaintive warbling, shed tears in the
garden, soft as the dews of heaven.”

(CONTINUED.)

NOTES ON _JELALUDDIN RUMI_—Continued:

—Space forbids us to dwell any longer upon the miracles of this
wonderful man of whom _Shems Tebreez_ once asserted, in Jelal’s
College, that “whosoever wished to see again the prophets, had only
to look on Jelal, who possessed all their qualifications; more
especially of those to whom revelations were made, whether by angelic
communications, or whether in visions; the chief of such qualities
being serenity of mind with perfect inward confidence and consciousness
of being one of God’s elect. Go and look upon Jelal, if thou wish to
comprehend the signification of that saying ‘_the learned are the heirs
of the prophets_,’ together with something beyond that, which I will
not here specify.”

We must add a few passages from Jelal’s lectures, &c. These were his
last instructions, “_the best of mankind is he who benefiteth men_”
and, “_the best of speech is that which is short and to the purpose_.”
Jelal once at a funeral spoke thus: “The ordinary reciters, by their
services, bear witness that the deceased lived a Muslim. My singers,
however, testify that he was a Muslim, a believer, and a lover of
God.” He added: “Besides that; when the human spirit, after years of
imprisonment in the cage and dungeon of the body, is at length set
free, and wings its flight to the source whence it came, is not this
an occasion for rejoicings, thanks, and dancings? The soul in ecstacy,
soars to the presence of the Eternal; and stirs up others to make
proof of courage and self sacrifice. If a prisoner be released from a
dungeon and be clothed with honour, who would doubt that rejoicings are
proper? So, too, the death of a saint is an exactly parallel case.”
Once, when requested to give a lecture to men of science, he answered:
“A tree laden with fruit, had its branches bowed down to the earth
therewith. At the time, doubts and gainsayings prevented the gardeners
from gathering and enjoying the fruit. The tree has now raised its head
to the skies, and beyond. Can they hope, then, to pluck and eat of its
fruit?”—

Jelal’s chief work, and the reference-book of Sufism, is the _Mesnevi_
(_Mathnawi_) usually known as the _Mesneviyi Sherif, or Holy Mesnevi_.
It is truly one of the most famous books of the East, studied and
commented upon wherever dogmatic religion has been abandoned for
esoteric truth.

From the preface we quote the following:

“This is the book of the Rhymed Couplets (Mathnawi, Mesnevi). It
contains the roots of the roots of the roots of the one (one true)
Religion (of Islam); and treats of the discovery of the mysteries of
reunion and sure knowledge. It is the Grand Jurisprudence of God, the
most glorious Law of the Deity, the most manifest Evidence of the
Divine Being. The refulgence thereof “is like that of a lantern in
which is a lamp”[92] that scatters beams more bright than the morn. It
is the paradise of the heart, with springs and foliage. One of these
springs is “the fount named Salsabil”[93] by the brethren of this
religious order;[94] but, by saints and those miraculously endowed, it
is called “the Good Station,”[95] and “the Best Resting place.”[96]
The just shall eat and drink therein, and the righteous shall rejoice
and be glad thereof. Like the Egyptian Nile, it is a beverage for the
patient, but a delusion to the people of Pharaoh and to blasphemers;
even as God, whose name be glorified, hath said: “He misleads therewith
many, and He guides therewith many; but He misleads not therewith
(any), save the wicked.”[97]

“It is a comfort to man’s breast, an expeller of cares. It is an
exposition of the Quran, an amplification of spiritual aliments, and
a dulcifier of the disposition; written “by the hands of honorable
scribes”[98] who inscribed theron the prohibition: “Let none touch it
save the purified.”[99] It is (a revelation) “sent down (from on high)
by the Lord of (all) the worlds,[100] which vanity approacheth not from
before, nor from behind,”[101] which God watches over and observes, He
being “the best of a Preserver,”[102] and “The Most Compassionate of
the merciful ones,”[103] unto whom pertain (many) titles, his utmost
title being God, whose name be exalted.”

Further on he says: “I have exerted myself to enlarge this book of
poetry in rhyming couplets, which contains strange and rare narratives,
beautiful sayings, and recondite indications, a path for the devout,
and a garden for the pious, short in its expressions, numerous in their
applications.”—

The Mesnevi is said to contain twenty-six thousand six hundred and
sixty couplets and a large part of them ought to be cited here, but
space forbids. We offer a few selections entirely at random.

The strength of strongest man can merely split a stone;
The Power that informs man’s soul can cleave the moon.
If man’s heart but untie the mouth of mystery’s sack,
His soul soon soars aloft beyond the starry track.
If heaven’s mystery divulged should, ‘haps become,
The whole world ‘twould burn up, as fire doth wood consume.—
Saints’ ecstacy springs from a glimpse of God, his pride.
His station’s that of intimate. He’s bridegroom; God is bride.
A bride’s veiled graces are not seen by groom alone;
Her unveiled charms solely to him in private shown.
In state she first appears before the people all;
Her veil removed, the groom alone is at her call.—
Who’s not received the gift of knowledge from above,
Will ne’er believe a stock could sigh and moan for love.
He may pretend to acquiesce; not from belief;
He says: “Tis so,” to scape a name much worse than thief.
All they who’re not convinced that God’s “Be” is enough,
Will turn away their face; this tale they’ll treat as “stuff.”
If he (man) from _esse_, reach not _posse’s_ state, he’s _nil_.—
(God) Himself He’s veiled in man, as sun behind a cloud.
This seek to comprehend. God knows what mysteries shroud.
The sun He is;—the sun of spirit, not of sky;
By light from Him man lives;—and angels eke, forby.—
The soul it is originates all vital force.—
The Prophet hath assureth us God’s the soul of all.—
The world’s renewed each moment, though we still remain
In ignorance that permanence can change sustain.
Life, like a river, ceaselessly, is still renewed.—
Each night Thou settest free the soul from trap of flesh,
To scan and learn the hidden records of Thy wish.
Each night the soul is like a bird from cage set free,
To wander. Judge and judgment, then, it does not see.
By night the pris’ner loses sense of bars, of chains;
By night the monarch knows no state, no pomp retains;
The merchant counts no more, in sleep, his gains and loss;
The prince and peasant, equal, on their couches toss.
The Gnostic is so e’en by day, when wide awake;
For God hath said: “Let quietude care of him take.”
Asleep to all the things of earth by night, by day,
As pen in writer’s hand he doth his guide obey.—
Of this, the Gnostic’s privilege, a trace’d suffice
To rob of sleep and reason vulgar souls of ice.
His spirit wanders in the groves of th’ absolute.
His soul is easy; body, still, calm, quiet, mute.—
In sleep thou bearest no burden; borne thou art, instead.

* * * * *

Know then, thy sleep’s a foretaste of what is to come,
From the rapt state of saints arriving at their home.
The saints were well prefigured by the “Sleeper’s Seven,”
“Their sleep,” “their stretchings,” “their awaking” lead to
heaven.—
Each night, in profound sleep our consciousness sinks,
Becomes non-existent;—waves on seashore’s brinks.—
The body’s a cage and a thorn to the soul.
Hence, seldom are body and soul wholly whole.—
Both men and fairies pris’ners are in earthly cage.—
If lifted could be from our souls the dark veil,
Each word of each soul would with miracles trail.—
The soul unto the flesh is joined, by God’s decree,
That it may be afflicted,—trials made to see.—
Th’ Infinites’ lovers finite’s worshippers are not
Who seek the finite lose th’ Infinite, as we wot,
When finite with the finite falls in love, perforce,
His loved one soon returns to her infinite source.—
In non-existence mirrored, being we may see;—
Annihilate thy darksome self,—thy being’s pall.
Let thy existence in God’s essence be enrolled,
As copper in alchemists’ bath is turned to gold.
Quit “I” and “We,” which o’er thy heart exert control.
’Tis egotism, estranged from God, that clogs thy soul.—
Discharge thyself of every particle of self;
So shalt thou see thyself pure, free from soil of pelf.
Within thy heart thou’lt see the wisdom of the saints,
Without a book, a teacher, or professor’s plaints.—
Thyself * * purge of self. Abstraction thou shalt gain.—
Both love and soul are occult, hidden and concealed.—
A lover’s whole life is but self-sacrifice;
He wins not a heart, save his own heart’s the price.—
When love for God is lighted in the human heart,
It fiercely burns; it suffers not effects’ dull smart;
—— love is love’s own sign, giv’n from the highest sphere.—
The heart’s with God,—the heart is God,—boundless, immense!
From all eternity, the figures of all things,
Unnumbered, multitudinous, gleam in hearts’ wings.
To all eternity each new-created form
In heart of saint reflected is, most multiform.—
Have patience, thou too, brother, with thy needle’s smart.
So shalt thou, ‘scape the sting of conscience in thy heart.
They who have conquered,—freed themselves from body’s thrall,
Are worshipped in the spheres, the sun, the moon, stars, all.
Whoever’s killed pride’s demon in his earthly frame,
The sun and clouds are slaves, to do his bidding, tame.
His heart can lessons give of flaming to the lamp;
The very sun not equals him in ardent vamp.—
The inward hymn that’s sung by all the hearts of saints
Commences: “O component parts of that thing _Not_.”
Now since they take their rise in this _Not_, negative,
They put aside the hollow phantom where we live.
Ideas and essences become “things” at His word.—
This world’s a negative; the positive seek thou.
All outward forms are cyphers; search, the sense to know.—
Mankind the songs of fairies never hear at all,
They are not versed in fairies’ ways, their voices small.—
“Allah, Allah!”[104] cried the sick man, racked with pain the long
night through;
Till with prayer his heart grew tender, till his lips like honey grew.
But at morning came the Tempter; said “Call louder, child of Pain!
See if Allah ever hear or answers ‘Here am I,’ again.”
Like a stab, the cruel cavil through his brain and pulses went;
To his heart an icy coldness, to his brain a darkness sent.
Then before him stands Elias; says, “My child, why thus dismayed?
Dost repent thy former fervor? Is thy soul of prayer afraid?”
“Ah!” he cried, “I’ve called so often; never heard the ‘Here am I;’
And I thought, God will not pity; will not turn on me his eye.”
Then the grave Elias answered, “God said, Rise, Elias, go
Speak to him, the sorely tempted; lift him from his gulf of woe.
Tell him that his very longing is itself an answering cry;
That his prayer, ‘Come, gracious Allah!’ is my answer ‘Here am I.’”
..When thy mind is dazed by colour’s magic round,
All colour’s lost in one bright light diffused around.
Those colours, too, all vanish from our view by night.
We learn from this, that colour’s only seen through light.
The sense of colour-seeing’s not from light distinct.
So, too, the sudden rainbow of our mind’s instinct.
From sunlight, and the like, all outer colours rise;
The inward tints that mark our minds, from God’s sunrise.
The light that lights the eye’s the light that’s in the heart.
Eye’s light is but derived from what illumes that part.
The light that lights the heart’s the light that comes of God,
Which lies beyond the reach of sense and reason, clod!
By night we have no light; no colour can we see.
Thus, light we learn by darkness, its converse. Agree!
A seeing of the light, perception is of tints;
And these distinguished are through darkness gloomy hints.
Our griefs and sorrows were by God first introduced,
That joy to sense apparent thence should be reduced
Occult things, thus, by converse, grow apparent, all.
Since God has no converse, apparent He can’t fall.
Sight first saw light, and then the colours saw,
From converse converse stands forth, as Frank from Negro.
By converse of the light, distinguish we the light;
A converse ‘tis that converse shows unto our sight.
The light of God no converse has in being’s bound;
By converse, then, man has not its distinction found.
Our eyes cannot distinguish God, decidedly;
Though He distinguish Moses and the Mount from thee.—

The doctrine, which Jelal was most emphatic about was the
extinguishment of Self, and his teachings are quite characteristic for
him, though the general doctrine is a common one among the Sufis. _He
argues for simplicity._ He tells us a story about a dispute between
Chinamen and Greeks before the Sultan, as to who is the more skilful of
the two nations, in the art of decoration. The Chinese ask for and get
thousands of colours and work hard, while the Greeks ask for no color;
they only polish their front,

“Effacing every hue with nicest care,”

and when the Sultan came to examine the relative merit of Chinese
gorgeousness and Greek simplicity,

“Down glides a sunbeam through the rifted clouds,
And, lo the colours of that rainbow house
Shine, all reflected on those glassy walls
That face them, rivalling: The sun hath painted
With lovelier blending, on that stony mirror
The colours spread by man so artfully.—
Know them, O friend! such Greeks the Sufis are,
Having one sole and simple task,—to make
Their hearts a stainless mirror for their God.—”

(_To be continued._)

THE SINGING SILENCES.

Theosophists may be interested in an experience which I have named
as above; “Singing”—because of a peculiar resonance which I then
hear; “Silences”—because this resonance only reaches me in moments of
retirement and silence.

Occurring throughout a lifetime, at infrequent and remote intervals,
they have, since I became a Theosophist, increased until they embrace
all isolated moments. They consist of a resonance difficult to
describe, but resembling the vibrant note of a distant locomotive,
resounding in the night atmosphere of a mountain gorge, and partaking
somewhat of that melodious wail caused by running the moistened finger
around the rim of a glass. Sometimes, though rarely, a low orchestral
harmony unites briefly with this monotone. Unable to find any word
which conveyed this cadence, I now discover that the word “_Aum_,”
(hitherto unknown to me,) does so exactly, the A sound being the
opening note, which prolongs itself into the M, or closing sound, when
the keynote is then struck over again. Thus the “Singing Silences”
mainly consist of innumerable repetitions of the word “Aum,” distinctly
and musically uttered, having a resonant or vibrant quality, and a
measured rise and fall, such as all sound assumes if one alternately
closes and uncloses the ear. If the analyst will alternately inhale air
with the mouth and expel it with the nostrils, he will gain a fair idea
of this sound minus its musical vibration.

It is, moreover, invariably accompanied by a sensation of physical
repose, even peace, and a perfect mental quiescence which falls about
me like an enfolding mantle. The frequency of these moments has
greatly increased since my attention has been specifically turned to
them. Hitherto, beyond a momentary curiosity as to their nature, I
attached no importance to their occurrence; the very rarity caused
them to be easily forgotten in the whirl of every day life; I admitted
to myself with surprise, however, that my innumerable pleasures, my
keen enjoyments, shrank to nothing before the deep delight of these
brief but peculiar moments, and I applied to them the opening lines of
Faber’s hymn to music.

Reading the article on “Aum” in the April “PATH,” I was startled by
such passages as this: “There is, pervading the whole universe, a
homogeneous resonance, sound, or tone, which acts, so to speak, as the
awakener or vivifying power, stirring all the molecules into action.”
I then called to mind various facts connected with Sound, as for
instance, that a regiment marching over a bridge is ordered to “break
step,” lest the regular footfall strike the “coefficient of vibration,”
which would destroy the bridge: also that the measured trot of the
smallest dog will cause a perceptible vibration in a wire bridge, no
matter what its size. Moreover, the monotonous sound of the railroad,
in time changes the texture of the car wheels and axles from fibrous
into crystalline, with consequent fracture.

In Reichenbach’s “Researches on Magnetism,” we find this statement. * *
* “The following laws prevail in nature. _A._ There resides in matter a
peculiar force, hitherto overlooked, which, when the crystalline form
has been assumed, is found acting in the line of the axes.”

Since then, the homogeneous tone acts upon all the molecules of
creation, may not this singing resonance cause such a transformation
of brain energy as to vivify or awaken it, in time, to the True,
or Central Idea? We have seen that Sound, so to speak, polarises
certain particles of matter attracting them to the earth, the great
magnet, from which they came; it confers upon other particles this
same magnetic power, as in the case of crystallisation; it awakens
similar tones, as when several untouched harps vibrate in harmony
when the musical key note is struck upon one alone. Why then may not
the thought awakened by a fixed musical sound be in time attracted to
the real source of that sound, of all sound? And as thought causes
a disturbance among the molecules of the brain, some sound, however
aerial, must accompany this vibration; does not my brain then answer
this singing resonance with the note homogeneous to all the ethereal
space?

In the article from “THE PATH” before quoted, I find the following
lines. “Having taken the Bow, the great weapon (Om), let him place
on it the arrow (the Self), sharpened by devotion; * * * Brahman is
called the aim. It is to be hit by a man who is not thoughtless.” The
“Singing Silences” are superinduced by meditation, thought, devotion:
the closest imitation of them possible to the human voice consists in
chanting, half aloud, the word “Aum,” over and over, as heretofore
described. Do those Yogees who repeat “Aum” thousands of times daily,
follow this practice in order to produce the resonance, or homogeneous
tone, and to calm the mind, (as they claim to do,) by means of the
harmonious monotony thus engendered? True, it fails to lead them to
the higher knowledge, but is this not because the mental condition is
self induced, like the delusive trances of self mesmerization? On the
other hand, if (as they claim again,) it throws them into a trance
like state or crystallisation of thought, is not this because it is
after all, in some measure, akin to the natural resonance? The idea
herein advanced would thus seem to be further supported, since this
mechanical repetition of “Aum,” and its sedative power, is as the
power of the microcosm, faintly outlining that of the macrocosm, (or
real resonance,) to lead towards the calm which incubates the dawning
thought and leads towards the true Illuminated State. “THE PATH” goes
on to state that we are “led by the resonance, which is not the Divine
Light itself, towards that Radiance which is Divine; the resonance is
only the outbreathing of the first sound of the entire Aum.”

This constant and peculiar singing, provocative as it is of a peaceful
abstraction so great as to exclude all outer things and thoughts,
seems to induce a state which draws the hearer into the border lands
of Spirit. Works on eastern travel and foreign witnesses, alike affirm
that many faquirs repeat “Aum,” and also “Rama,” thousands of times,
merely because they are told that such a thing is useful, while others
do it with the mind fixed on realizing the True. Studious investigation
always reveals a deep philosophy underlying religious forms, from which
there is no reason to suppose this one to be exempt.

Listening attentively to the “Singing Silence,” I fall, after a brief
space, into an unbroken and dreamless sleep which lasts for hours;
hearing, without listening, I experience a sensation of physical
refreshment and mental placidity. It came to me uncalled for,
unnoticed, unrecognized; when finally a sense of pleasure fastened upon
my mind, I idly accepted it, but without questioning, as a curious
personal peculiarity. It was only when, giving myself up to thoughts
of higher things, I met it upon the threshold of meditation, found
it daily recurring, daily growing in distinctness and power, that I
recognized it as a possible psychical experience. As I never strove to
produce it at the outset, so I never attempt to increase or evoke it
now; I should not know how to set about doing so. _It influenced me_;
I have no control whatever over it. It comes as it wills, and is not
subject to my command.

Is this then one of the practical significances or uses of “the word
Om, as expressed in tone?” Does this bell-like resonance have such an
effect upon the molecules of the human body, (including those of the
brain,) as to polarize them in time to The Spirit? If there are those
who doubt the existence of a great undercurrent of universal tone,
described by “THE PATH” as Nada Brahma,—“the divine resonance upon
which depends the evolution of the visible from the invisible,”—they
will at least grant its probability when they consider that this has
been admitted by some of the greatest intellects of the world, many of
whom firmly believed in the “music of the spheres.” Plato taught it.
Maximus Tyrius says that “the mere proper motion of the planets must
create sounds, and as the planets move at regular intervals, these
sounds must be harmonious.” The Cyclopœdia Britanica says, “the origin
of musical sounds consists in the regular, periodic vibration of some
surface in contact with the air, whereby motion is imparted to the air.
The loudness or intensity of the note depends on the magnitude of the
motion or pitch.” The regular motions of the planets of our system,
as well as those of known moving stars, such as Sirius, may well be
accompanied by a rythmical sound arising from the ether waves thus set
in motion. That we do not hear it, may be due to the density of our
atmosphere, yet it may be none the less transmitted along the ether
waves and heard by the inner ear of those whose sense is developed.
Pythagoras was the first philosopher to suggest this idea, which is
mentioned by Shakespear:

“There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st
But his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young eyed cherubims:
_Such harmony is in immortal souls_;
But while this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.”

He also speaks of it again in Pericles.

“Keppler’s idea of the universe was essentially Pythagorean and
Platonic. He thought that the planetary movements were related to
musical intervals.” (Cyclo. Brit.) Montaigne, Milton, Donne, Pope,
Newton, Tycho-Brahe and others believed in the “music of the spheres.”
Faber beautifully attributed it to the vibration caused by the
shooting rays of light on their journey earthward:

“Thou art fugitive splendors made vocal
As they glanced from that shining sea.”

All are agreed that the idea has come down to us from the earliest
times.

Finally, if this resonance exists as the great undertone of nature,
it is probable, natural and consistent that it should be a stepping
stone towards reaching Spirit, since harmony and accord are vitally
necessary to our progress in either the physical or the psychical
world. The effect of harmonious sound on the moral nature of man has
received much scientific attention in relation to its influence over
the insane. The Rev. R. H. Haweis speaks of it in “Music and Morals,”
as “the much neglected study of Musical Psychology.” His remarks are
greatly to our present point. “What has Nature done for the musician?
She has given him sound. * * Thoughts are but wandering spirits that
depend for their vitality upon the magnetic current of feeling. * * *
Emotion is often weakened by association with thought, whereas
thoughts are always strengthened by emotion. I have endeavored to * * * *
to show that there is a region of abstract emotion in human nature;
* * * * that, this region of emotion consisted of infinite varieties
of mental temperature that upon these temperatures or atmospheres
of the soul depended the degree, and often the kind of actions of
which at different times we were capable. * * Who will deny that the
experience of such soul-atmospheres must leave a definite impress upon
the character? * * * But if, as we have maintained, music has the power
of actually creating and manipulating these mental atmospheres, what
vast capacities, for good or evil must music possess!” * * * The Bible
itself pays a tribute to the emotional effect and power of changing
the soul’s atmosphere possessed by even such a primitive instrument
as David’s Harp. “When the evil Spirit from God was upon Saul, then
David took an harp, and played with his hand. So Saul was refreshed,
and was well, and the evil Spirit departed from him.” (1 Sam. xvi,
23.) I have no doubt whatever that the acknowledged influence of music
over the insane might be far more extensively used; indeed if applied
judiciously to a disorganized mind, it might be as powerful an agent
as galvanism in restoring healthy and pleasurable activity to the
emotional regions. Who can deny then, if such a mysterious command as
this is possessed by music over the realm of abstract emotion, that
music itself must be held responsible for the manner in which it deals
with that realm, and the kind of succession, proportion and degrees of
the various emotional atmospheres it has the power of generating.

Testimony upon these various points might be multiplied, but is not the
above sufficient to indicate a possibility at least that these “Singing
Silences” are closely allied to “Nada Brahma,” the omnipresent sound,
the vibration caused perhaps by the speeding of Light, (which is the
first Divine Thought,) from the Central Sun, and in the mighty harmony
of its coming, awakening and vivifying all things?

“I guess, by the stir of this music
What raptures in heaven can be,
Where the sound is Thy marvellous stillness,
And the music is light out of Thee.”
JULIUS.

ON THE SOUL OF MAN.

BEING THE REPLIES TO TWO OUT OF FORTY QUESTIONS, BY _Jacob Behmen_, IN
THE YEAR 1620. FROM THE TRANSLATION MADE IN 1647.

TO THE EIGHTH QUESTION:

_After what manner doth the soule come into the Body of Man?_

MY BELOVED FRIEND: I understand this question to be meant concerning
its propagation; for Moses telleth you how it came into Adam, and we
have declared that before; but if you ask concerning its propagation,
how it cometh into a childe in the mother’s wombe, we must put on
another habit.

2. You know what is written in our third booke very punctually and at
large, with many circumstances concerning its propagation; how Adam was
created one Image, he was both man and woman before Eve; he had (within
him) both Tincture of the Fire, and of the Water; that is soule and
spirit; he should have brought his similitude out of himself, an image
of himself, out of himself by his imagination and his owne Love, and
that he was able to do without rending of the body.

3. For, as we have mentioned before, the soule had power to change the
body into another forme, and so also it had power to bring forth a twig
out of itself, according to its property, if Adam had stood out in the
Triall.

4. But when he imagined according to the Omnipotence, and let in the
spirit of this world into the soule, and the serpent into the Tincture,
and tooke a longing in himself after the earthly fruite, to eate of
evill and good, then also his Tincture conceived such an image as was
half earthly; viz: a monster, into which also the Turba (the gross
lower elements), then instantly insinuated itself and sought the limit
(that is, filled it as far as possible).

5. And so the noble image was found in the earthly, and then
destruction and death began, and Adam could not bring forth, for his
omnipotence was lost.

6. And should indeed have ever been lost, if the heart of God had not
instantly turned itself with the word of promise, into Adam’s soule;
which did so preserve it, that its image must perish and the soule must
sinke downe with the heavenly body through death into the new life,
where its spirit will be renewed againe.

7. And thus Adam in impotence fell asleep; and then the second creation
began, for God tooke the Tincture of the Water, as a twig out of Adam’s
soule, and a rib out of Adam, and halfe of the crosse that was in Adam,
and made a woman of them.

8. As you know that the woman hath the one halfe crosse in her head,
and the man the other, for the spirit of the soule dwelleth in the
head, in the braine, out of which spirit God hath taken a twig (_viz_:
a childe out of the spirit of the soule of Adam) and hath given it to
the woman.

9. And hath given the tincture of the water to her, that she should not
bring forth Devills, and the man hath the tincture of fire, _viz_: the
true Originall of Life.

10. And therefore the woman hath gotten the matrix, _viz_: the tincture
of Venus, and the man hath the tincture of fire: understand, the woman
hath the tincture of Light, which cannot awaken Life—the Life ariseth
in the tincture of fire.

11. And so it cannot be otherwise now, but that they must propagate as
beasts doe, in two seeds: the man soweth soule, and the woman soweth
spirit; and being sowne in an earthly field, it is also brought forth
after the manner of all beasts.

12. Yet nevertheless all the three principles are in the seed, but the
inward cannot be knowne by the outward, for in the seed the soule is
not living: but when the two tinctures are brought together, then it is
a whole essence; for the soule is essentiall in the seed, and in the
conception becometh substantiall.

13. For so soon as the fire is struck upon by Vulcan, the soule is
wholly perfect in the essence and the spirit goeth instantly out of the
soule into the tincture, and attracteth the outward dominion to itself,
_viz_: the Starres together with the Aire.

14. And then it is an eternall childe, and hath the corruptible spirit
also with the _Turba_ cleaving to it, which Adam tooke in by his
imagination.

15. Then instantly the Turba seeketh the limit in the spirit of this
world, and will enter into the limit, and so soone as the soule hath
its life, the body is old enough to die: and thus, many a soule
perisheth in the Essence,[105] while it is in the sulphur in the seed.

16. But that you may perceive that the man hath the tincture of the
fire, and the woman the tincture of the light in the water, _viz_:
the tincture of Venus; you must observe the eager imagination of both
towards one another: for the seed in the essence eagerly seeketh the
life, the masculine in the woman in Venus, and the feminine in the
fire, in the originall of life in the man: as we have very cleerly
demonstrated in the third Booke, and therefore we refer the reader
thither.

17. And we answer here, that soule cometh not at all into the body, or
is breathed into it from without, but the three principles have each
of them its own artificer: one worketh with fire in the centre, and
the other maketh tincture and water, and the third maketh the earthly
_Mysterium Magnum_.[106]

18. And yet it (soule) is not any new thing, but the seed of man and
woman, and is onely conceived in the mixture, and so onely a twig
groweth out of the tree.[107]

TO THE ELEVENTH QUESTION:

_How and where is it seated in Man?_

A thing which is unsearchable, and yet seeketh and maketh a ground in
itself; that hath its originall, and seat in its first conception,
where it conceiveth itself in itself: therein is its limit, _viz_:
in the most innermost, and it goeth forth out of itself, and seeketh
forward, where then it always maketh one glasse according to the other,
untill it finds the first again, _viz_: the unsearchable limit.

2. Thus also is the soule, it is in God conceived in the heart, and the
word which conceived it was in the heart, _viz_: in the centre; and so
it continueth in the figure and in the seat, as it was comprehended by
the _fiat_; and so it is still at this day.

3. It dwelleth in three principles: but the heart is its originall; it
is the inward fire in the heart, in the inward blood of the heart; and
the spirit of it which hath a glance from the fire is in the tincture:
for it is cloathed with the tincture, and burneth in the heart.

4. And the spirit moveth upon the heart in the bosom of the heart,
where both principles part themselves, and it burneth in the tincture
in a brimstony light: and diffuseth itself abroad into all the members
of the whole body: for the tincture goeth through all the members.

5. But the true Firesmith in the centre—master workman—sitteth in
the heart, and governeth with the spirit in the head where it hath
its counsell house, _viz_: the mind and senses, also the five chief
counsellors, _viz_: the five senses, which arise from the five spirits
of understanding, as we have declared in our third booke; and in our
second, and in our first.[108]

6. The soule is indeed seated in the inward principle, but it moveth
even in the outward, _viz_: in the starres and elements, and if it be
not an ape, and suffer itself to be captivated, it hath power enough to
rule them, and if the soule plungeth itself into God, the outward must
be obedient to it.

7. And if it cometh againe into the outward, riding upon the chariot of
the bride, and so have the Holy Ghost for an assistant, no assault of
the Devill is of any consequence, it destroyeth his nest, and driveth
him out, and he must stand in scorne and shame.

8. And this is our answer to this question; but it must not be so
understood as that if a man be beheaded, and so his blood gush out and
the outward life perishes, this reacheth the soule and killeth that;
no, it loseth one principle indeed thereby, but not even the essence of
that principle, for that essence followeth it in the tincture, in the
spirit, as a shadow.

9. For the outward essence reacheth not the inward in the soule, but
onely by the imagination; there is nothing else in this world, no fire,
nor sword, that can touch the soule, or put it to death,[109] but onely
the imagination; that is its poyson.

10. For it originally proceeded from the imagination, and remaineth in
it eternally.

LIVING THE HIGHER LIFE.

[_Concluded from July Number._]

Needless to say, that such vows were conscientiously kept, and that
those who were not really able to do so never made such promises nor
retired from the side of their family, but chose to belong to the
first class of married people. This second class of persons who thus
retired into the forest and became hermits, were called Vanaprasthas.
They always obtained the full consent[110] of their near relatives and
renounced “pleasures” and material prosperity (money making, etc.).

The fourth highest order of life was complete renunciation (Sannyasis).
These were the blessed few who had, then and there, in each
incarnation, got out of family defects. Only those _were_ admitted into
this order whom the defects of no family could affect. Long before
their admission into this order, they had, by fulfilling family duties,
successively, incarnation after incarnation gone far beyond the reach
of family defects. Brahmacharis and Kannikas could, after they had
discharged family duties, become Sannyasis. All except those belonging
to the second order of life, were called upon and did take a vow to
give up one or more of their dearest and strongest defects.

Such, my friends, were the Laws of Manu. If any of you could establish
a community on a better foundation, I should be happy to give up my
allegiance to the great Sage, Saviour, and Legislator. As every Manu
establishes the same Manava Dharma again and again, and as the Manus
are higher than Buddha and other founders of religions, I should call
upon you to pay all possible attention to this subject. Manu is higher,
because he overshadows a Buddha.

I must request the readers, to study every word and the whole of this
paper (if it deserves to be so called) and not tear it piece-meal or
interpret passages and phrases in it, as they please. I must add,
that by “family duties” I do not at all mean sacrificing your duty
or conviction and Truth, to gratify the whims or selfish nature or
sectarian views of any of your “relatives.” But I use the expression
“family duties” in a peculiar sense, namely “that course and _only
that course_ of action, speech and thoughts by which you can not only
get rid of your family defects in this very incarnation, but also
strengthen in yourself all the noble qualities of your family, and
which will at the same time enable your relatives (parents, brothers,
sisters, wife, children, etc.,) also to get rid of _the same_ defects
and strengthen in themselves _the same_ good qualities—so that you
might be born again and again in the same family.” “Patriotism” is
used in a similar manner; and the article “Elixir of Life” (see
_Theosophist_) should be read in the light of this paper.

The question is asked, “Has the dweller of the threshold an objective
form; upon what does its objective form depend; does it always appear
to every one in the same form as it did to Glyndon in Bulwer’s story?”

It is objective to those who have gone very far.

It depends upon (1) a certain thing I shall not here name; (2) the
stage of development to which the chela or occultist has attained or is
near attaining; (3) the mode of regarding elementals and the Dweller,
peculiar to the chela or occultist, to his family and to his nation,
or rather to the national and family legends or religion; (4) which
form, more or less monstrous or incongruous, would be most frightful
and overpowering to him at the critical period. Subject to the above
four conditions, the Dweller assumes a form according to the manner in
which the chela or occultist _has or has not fulfilled his threefold
duties_, and according to the manner in which the sevenfold elements of
the Dweller assert themselves upon him. The better he has fulfilled the
threefold duties, the less does the Dweller affect him. Of course the
form is not necessarily the same for every one.

Why did the Dweller appear to Glyndon’s sister, who was not undergoing
probation, and why in the same form?

Because she was sympathetic and sensitive enough. The principle
involved in this case is the same as in obsession.

The Dweller might either be but one elemental, or a group or several
groups of elementals assuming one collective form. It is one elemental,
when the crisis comes at the very commencement of the chela’s or
occultist’s attempt to elevate his lower nature. This is the case when
he has the least (Karmic) stamina for the “uphill path.” The later on
his path is waylaid the more numerous are the elementals of which the
Dweller is composed.

It need not be imagined that this appearance or influence confronts the
chela only once until he reaches the first initiation, and an initiate
only once during the interval between two initiations. It appears as
often as the stock of his Karmic stamina falls below the minimum limit.

By Karmic stamina is meant the _phala_ (effect or fruit) of past
unselfish, good Karma that has become ripened. Though the occultist
might have an immense quantity of past unselfish good Karma stored up,
still, if during his crisis there be not a sufficient number of present
unselfish good thoughts to ripen a sufficient portion of that quantity,
he finds himself destitute of the necessary stock of stamina. Few are
they who have already laid up a good quantity of unselfish good Karma;
and fewer still are they who have the requisite degree of unselfish and
spiritual nature during the period of trial; and there are still fewer
who would not rush for further Yoga development, without having all the
requisite means.

When not qualified fully for it, we ought to and could go on developing
ourselves in the ordinary way, and try to secure the necessary means
by leading an unselfish life and setting an example to others, and
this is the stage of nearly all ordinary Theosophists. They, in common
with all their fellows, are influenced by a “Dweller,” which is the
effect upon them of their own, their family, and national defects;
and although they may never, in this life, see objectively any such
form, the influence is still there, and is commonly recognized as “bad
inclinations and discouraging thoughts.”

Seek then, to live the Higher life by beginning now to purify your
thoughts by good deeds, and by right speech.
MURDHNA JOTI.

MUSINGS ON THE TRUE THEOSOPHIST’S PATH.

“The way of inward peace is in all things to conform to the pleasure
and disposition of the Divine Will. Such as would have all things
succeed and come to pass according to their own fancy, are not come
to know this way; and therefore lead a harsh and bitter life; always
restless and out of humor, without treading the way of peace.”

Know then Oh Man, that he who seeks the hidden way, can only find it
through the door of life. In the hearts of all, at some time, there
arises the desire for knowledge. He who thinks his desire will be
fulfilled, as the little bird in the nest, who has only to open his
mouth to be fed; will very truly be disappointed.

In all nature we can find no instance where effort of some kind is not
required. We find there is a natural result from such effort. He who
would live the life or find wisdom can only do so by continued effort.
If one becomes a student, and learns to look partially within the veil,
or has found within his own being something that is greater than his
outer self, it gives no authority for one to sit down in idleness or
fence himself in from contact with the world. Because one sees the
gleam of the light ahead he cannot say to his fellow “I am holier than
thee” or draw the mantle of seclusion around himself.

The soul develops like the flower, in God’s sunlight, and unconsciously
to the soil in which it grows. Shut out the light and the soil grows
damp and sterile, the flower withers or grows pale and sickly. Each
and every one is here for a good and wise reason. If we find partially
_the why_ we are here, then is there the more reason that we should by
intelligent contact with life, seek in it the farther elucidation of
the problem. It is not the study of ourselves so much, as the thought
for others that opens this door. The events of life and their causes
lead to knowledge. They must be studied when they are manifested in
daily life.

There is no idleness for the Mystic. He finds his daily life among the
roughest and hardest of the labors and trials of the world perhaps,
but goes his way with smiling face and joyful heart, nor grows too
sensitive for association with his fellows, nor so extremely spiritual
as to forget that some other body is perhaps hungering for food.

It was said by one who pretended to teach the mysteries “It is needful
that I have a pleasant location and beautiful surroundings.” He who
is a true Theosoph will wait for nothing of the sort, either before
teaching: or what is first needful, learning. It would perhaps, be
agreeable, but if the Divine Inspiration comes only under those
conditions, then indeed is the Divine afar from the most of us. He
only can be a factor for good or teach how to approach the way, who
forgetting his own surroundings, strives to beautify and illumine
those of others. The effort must be for the good of others, not the
gratifying of our own senses, or love for the agreeable or pleasant.

Giving thought to self will most truly prevent and overthrow your aims
and objects, particularly when directed toward the occult.

Again there arises the thought “I am a student, a holder of a portion
of the mystic lore.” Insidiously there steals in the thought “Behold I
am a little more than other men, who have not penetrated so far.” Know
then oh, man, that you are not as great even as they. He who thinks he
is wise is the most ignorant of men, and he who begins to _believe_ he
is wise is in greater danger than any other man who lives.

You think, oh, man, that because you have obtained a portion of occult
knowledge, that it entitles you to withdraw from contact with the rest
of mankind. It is not so. If you have obtained true knowledge it forces
you to meet all men not only half way, but more than that to seek them.
It urges you not to retire but, seeking contact, to plunge into the
misery and sorrow of the world, and with your cheering word, if you
have no more (the Mystic has little else) strive to lighten the burden
for some struggling soul.

You dream of fame. We know no such thing as fame. He who seeks the
upward path finds that all is truth; that evil is the good gone astray.
Why should we ask for fame? It is only the commendation of those we
strive to help.

Desire neither notice, fame or wealth. Unknown you are in retirement.
Being fameless you are undisturbed in your seclusion, and can walk
the broad face of the earth fulfilling your duty, as commanded,
unrecognized.

If the duty grows hard, or you faint by the way, be not discouraged,
fearful or weary of the world. Remember that “Thou may’st look
for silence in tumult, solitude in company, light in darkness,
forgetfulness in pressures, vigor in despondency, courage in fear,
resistance in temptation, peace in war, and quiet in tribulation.”
AMERICAN MYSTIC.

REVIEWS AND NOTES.

THEOSOPHY IN THE PRESS.—A great many articles, both editorial and
otherwise, have within the past few months appeared in the daily
papers, the most of them full of misstatements mixed with ignorance of
not only Theosophy, but also of many things well known in literature.
One paper devoted two columns to the subject, and the editor called
them thorough and accurate, yet we find in it the mind cure treated as
Theosophy, and then all the cranky notions the writer could rake up in
New York and Boston are called “Buddhist bosh.”

But some Theosophists have been guilty of ventilating in the papers
the statement that Theosophy is _astralism_, that is to say, that the
object of the Society is to induce people to go into the study and
practice of spirit raising, cultivating the abnormal faculties, of
clairvoyance and the like, ignoring entirely the prime object, real
end, aim and _raison d’etre_ of the movement—universal brotherhood
and ethical teaching. In fact, we make bold to assert, from our own
knowledge and from written documents, that the Mahatmas, who started
the Society, and stand behind it now, are distinctly opposed to making
prominent these phenomenal leanings, this hunting after clairvoyance
and astral bodies, and that they have so declared most unmistakeably,
stating their wish and advice to be, that “_the Society should prosper
on its ethical, philosophical and moral worth alone_.”

Theosophists should haste to see that this false impression created
at large, that it is a dangerous study, or that it is in any way
dangerous, or that we conceal our reasons for what we are doing, is
done away with. There is proof enough to their hand. India has nearly
120 branches, all studying freely and openly how best to purify their
own lives, while they bring to others a knowledge of right doctrine.
America has a dozen branches, nearly all of which know that the
impressions referred to are ridiculous. If one or two persons in the
Society imagine that the pursuit of psychical phenomena is its real end
and aim and so declare, that weighs nothing against the immense body of
the membership or against its widespread literature; it is merely their
individual bias.

But at the same time, this imagination and misstatement are dangerous,
and insidiously so. It is just the impression which the Jesuit college
desires to be spread abroad concerning us, so that in one place
ridicule may follow, and in another a superstitious dread of the thing;
which ever of those may happen to obtain, they would be equally well
pleased.

Let Theosophists attend to this, and let them not forget, that the
only authoritative statement of what are the ends and objects of the
Society, is contained in those printed in its by-laws. No amount of
assertion to the contrary by any officer or member can change that
declaration.

* * * * *

“LAST WORDS” OF MONCURE D. CONWAY.—We do not refer to a book, but
to an article written by Mr. Conway in the _Forum_ upon the subject
of Theosophy. He declares to those who are honored by his personal
acquaintance, that that article is really “the _last word_ to be
said on the subject,” and he desires all people to read it, so that
their delusions may be dispelled. In this he is wise, because certain
delusions held by some people would be at once dispelled upon reading
his lucubrations.

Mr. Conway has been excessively bitter against Theosophy ever since
he went to the headquarters in Madras, and was well treated and
entertained by the unsuspecting Theosophists there. Almost in the
same hour that he was being housed and fed there, he was writing to
the _Glasgow Herald_—he had not yet got into the _Forum_—an article
abusing those who extended to him their hospitality. He had been
there but a few hours, and so great was his penetration, that in that
short time, he had succeeded, as he said, in unravelling the whole
mystery, in pricking the bubble. But how he grew so wise in such short
space, we do not know. His solution was and is, that Madame Blavatsky
produced Mahatmas, Aryan literature, Sanscrit language, Astral bodies
and all the rest, by means of a curious thing called “glamour,” which
is vulgarly called “pulling the wool.” But Conway gives a little more
power to this glamour than the vulgar phrase, for he ascribes to it
some power over the imagination. He does not say how we are to know
whether or not his own perceptions were “glamoured”; for he has the
hardihood to assert that Madame Blavatsky, the arch conspirator, was
fool enough to unburden her heart to him, a decaying English divine,
and to weakly confess upon a mere plain interrogation put by him,
that “it is all glamours.” For our part, we are led to believe, from
certain information and after having, subsequent to Mr. Conway’s
return to London, conversed with him, that the “glamour” used on the
occasion, was so powerful as to affect Mr. Conway’s perception to such
an extent, that he is willing to accuse himself of such a foolish thing
as trying to make us believe that Blavatsky made a full confession _to
him_. It is really “all glamours”; but after all, the _Forum_ is not
a bad sort of a magazine for Theosophy to get into, even through the
instrumentality of this “glamoured” clergyman.

However, as Theosophy sometimes has prophets, we hope and trust, that
his own entitlement of his thoughts on the subject may not be fateful,
and not be his “last words.”

* * * * *

SINNETT.—In our July issue a printer’s error gave the wrong title to
Mr. Sinnett’s new book. It is called “_United_” and not _Union_, as was
printed in July.

THEOSOPHICAL ACTIVITIES.

NEW YORK: THE ARYAN THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY continues to publish its short
Abridgement of Discussions, which are circulated to all Branches, and
have met with commendation.

At a recent meeting Mr. C. H. A. Bjerregaard lectured on mysticism,
showing how much the world is indebted to its mystics. Mr. Bjerregaard
promises the Society further lectures in the Fall.

* * * * *

THE ROCHESTER CONVENTION was held July 4th, 1886, at Mrs. Cable’s
house in Rochester. Delegates attended from fourteen Branches, and
enthusiastic meetings were held July 4th and 5th. The report of the
Secretary showed a gain in Branches, of over 100 per cent. since July,
1885.

Important orders were received from India, being the resolutions of a
council meeting held in Adyar, at which it was resolved that American
Theosophical Branches shall form into a general American Council,
similar and subject to the parent body, and thus being democratic and
more like a brotherhood. Arrangements were made for carrying these
orders into full effect, and soon, perhaps, we will have another
convention.

* * * * *

ROCHESTER BRANCH.—This Branch held a public meeting near the end of
July, which was duly advertised, and well attended by intelligent
people. Mr. E. Sasseville, of that Branch, read a paper on
_Reincarnation_, and Mrs. Cables addressed the meeting on the _Inner
Life of Man_. This is really the first public Theosophical meeting we
have had in America, and marks an era. Strangely too, it occurred in
Rochester, where the spiritual rappings first were heard. The members
who got it up and carried it out are not those who have become the most
famous, but are a band of devoted souls who believe in the cause and
are willing to let it be known. It is through such people always that
the most work is accomplished for the progression of any cause.

* * * * *

THE PSYCHICAL RESEARCH SOCIETIES OF LONDON AND AMERICA.—The London
society some time ago had a long report made by one of its members, a
Mr. Hodgson, in which the Theosophical Society is attacked, and Mme.
Blavatsky is branded as the greatest impostor of modern times. By many
weak people who swear by authority, and who do not rely upon their own
judgment, this report has been accepted as final, and has prevented
them from giving any further attention to the study of either Theosophy
or Aryan literature. We are not sorry for the Society, but commiserate
those who, thus deluded, have lost a golden opportunity. The cause of
theosophy does not depend, however, upon them, and still flourishes in
every land.

In the _Religio Philosophical Journal_ a long letter is printed,
signed “F. T. S.” in which the Psychical Research Society of America
is given a warning. The writer specifies his charges in the name of
theosophists, to be as follows:

“Preferring the general charge that you are not what you pretend to be,
we specify:

1. That you know nothing of psychic science.

2. That you do not know how to conduct psychic research.

3. That you do not know what it is that you are in search of.

4. That you would not know a psychic result to be such if you reached
it.

5. That you do not know how to judge the evidence upon which psychic
phenomena rests.

6. That you do not know of anything really worth investigating in
psychic science.

7. That you do not know how to learn and do not really want to be
taught.

And yet you are pleased to style yourselves ‘The American Society for
Psychical Research.’ We say to you, gentlemen, that being what you are,
your very name is an insult to psychic science, and would be, were
it known, a just cause of offense to hundreds of thousands who have
reached that goal toward which you have resolutely turned your backs.
In discussing the charges which we bring against you, we shall take
occasion to show you that you are not in the line of psychic evolution,
but surely tending in the opposite direction. If you do not heed our
warning, if you do not desist and turn to the rightabout before it is
too late, every hope that you entertain will be frustrated, your every
endeavor will yield you shame and confusion, your goal will prove to be
the pillory of public opinion, and your first real lesson in psychic
science will have been learned when psychic research into your own
souls shows you what it is to be made a laughing-stock.”

He then goes on to catechise the Society with a long list of questions
directed to showing that they never studied psychical science, that
they do not know even the rudiments of the simplest phenomenon, to all
of which questions the answer must be “No.”

As this letter applies just as well to the London Society, we hope it
will be read by those who are interested. The London gentlemen went
so far as to accept the conclusions of an investigator who got all
his _facts_ second-handed, and who could not possibly have had the
real evidence. Among other things he says that the editor of this
Magazine went to India to investigate “but was not allowed to see the
(famous) shrine.” This statement was false, and merely the result of
the ignorance of Mr. Hodgson, for we not only saw the shrine, but after
seeing everything, ordered it closed up from the prejudiced prying
eyes and steel jimmies of Englishmen who came afterwards, and the very
drawing of the premises used by Mr. Hodgson in his report, after being
falsified, was made by the editor of this Magazine.

* * * * *

From study let a man proceed to meditation, and from meditation to
study; by perfection in both, the supreme spirit becomes manifest.
Study is one eye to behold it, and meditation is the other.—_Vishnu
Purana._

Neither by the eyes, nor by spirit, nor by the sensuous organ,
by austerity, nor by sacrifices, can we see God. Only the pure,
by the light of wisdom and by deep meditation can see the pure
God.—_Upanishads._ Only the pure in heart shall see God.—_Jesus._

“Lead me from the unreal to the real! Lead me from darkness to light!
Lead me from death to immortality!”—_Saman and Yagur Vedas, and Brih.
Upan._

The small, old path stretching far away, has been found by me. On
it sages who know Brahman move on to the heavenly place, and thence
higher on, entirely free.—_Yajnavalkya._

OM.

FOOTNOTES:

[89] In reply to several inquiries as to the meaning of _Chela_, we
answer that it here means an accepted disciple of an Adept. The word,
in general, means, _Disciple_.

[90] See Agroushada Parakshai, 2d book, 23d dialogue.—[ED.]

[91] It is interesting to compare the _Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad_, 4th
Brah., with this: “In the beginning this was Self alone, in the shape
of a spirit. He looking round, saw nothing but his Self.”—[ED.]

[92] Quran xxiv, 35.

[93] ibid. lxxvi, 18.

[94] The Mevlevi or dancing devishes.

[95] Quran xix, 74.

[96] ibid. xxv, 26.

[97] ibid. ii,

[98] ibid. lxxx, 15.

[99] ibid. lvi, 78.

[100] ibid. lvi, 79.

[101] ibid. xli, 42.

[102] ibid. xii, 64.

[103] ibid. vii, 150.

[104] True transl. by J. Freeman Clark.

[105] This is also an ancient Hindu doctrine laid down in secret
books.—[ED.]

[106] See his _Clavix_, written in 1624.—[ED.]

[107] It is important to remember that Behmen gave the name spirit to
the lower soul and _soul_ with him meant what we call _spirit_.—[ED.]

[108] _Threefold life_; _Three principles_; and _Aurora_.

[109] See _Bagavad-Gita_.—[ED.]

[110] “Full consent” including the consent of all their various
consciousnesses. If the Patin or Pati saw, and they ought to be able
to see, that even in one of the consciousnesses of any of their near
relatives there lurked a latent spark of hesitation to consent or of
unwillingness, then the pair unselfishly gave up their determination to
become Vanaprasthas and remained with the family until the proper time
came.

AUM

The Supreme Universal Spirit is One, simple and indivisible; being
all, pervading all, sustaining all, the good, the bad and the ignorant
alike.

I am the origin of all. From me all proceeds. For those who are
constantly devoted, dead in me, do I, on account of my compassion,
destroy the darkness which springs from ignorance, by the brilliant
lamp of spiritual knowledge.—_Bagavad-Gita._

THE PATH.

VOL. I. SEPTEMBER, 1886. NO. 6.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

THEOSOPHIC MORALS.

Some remarks professedly concerned with “The Higher Life,” appearing in
“THE PATH” for July, over the _nom de plume_ of _Murdhna Joti_, strike
me as presenting the readers with so narrow and unwholesome a view of
Theosophic principles, that I find myself impelled to point out some
of the misconceptions from which they seem to arise. That hard-worked
phrase the “Dweller on the Threshold” has been interpreted in many
fantastic senses, but surely it has never before been saddled with so
ludicrously inappropriate a meaning as in this essay where it is made
to stand for love of kindred and love of country. That these ennobling
sentiments are what the writer means by “family defects” and “national
defects” is apparent from the passage that would be little less than
blasphemous in the ears of any real oriental Chela with whom I have
ever been acquainted,—in which:—“A Mahatma has, it appears, declared
that he has still patriotism. But he has not said nor would say that
he has still family attachment. This proves that he has got out of the
defects of the family to which he belongs, while he is only striving to
get out of national defects, some of which at any rate cling to him.”
The reference here is of course to one of the letters quoted by me in
the _Occult World_, in which the writer so beautifully shows that the
exalted rank in nature to which he has attained, leaves him as free
as ever to entertain generous emotions of sympathy with the race to
which his latest personality belongs. If he had been dealing with the
subject from another point of view he would have equally shown himself
to be,—as I have good reason to believe that he is,—animated by still
more specific attachments to certain persons of his physical kindred.
“Defects” of family and defects of nationality may undoubtedly be
reflected in given individuals, and like any other personal failings
may in such cases stand in the way of devotion to the Higher Life; but
such defects are not those which are convertible terms, according to
the extraordinary essay before me, with healthy patriotism and domestic
affection. And I can hardly imagine a more grotesquely misleading
account of occult progress than that which represents the “beginner”
as employed upon first extinguishing his regard for his relations, and
going on to teach himself indifference to the land of his birth. If the
extravagance of such a doctrine could be enhanced in an essay addressed
to Western readers, it would be thus intensified by its author’s
reference to the “family duties” which must be duly accomplished first
before the promising neophyte in the training subsequently prescribed
for him is at liberty to enter the “circle of ascetics.” A certain
haziness clings round his theory as to the nature of these duties,
but enough is said to show any reader familiar with India, that the
writer’s mind is running on the exoteric customs of the Hindu which
constitute the local superstitions of the common people,—a designation
which applies equally to one caste as to another, for modern Brahmins
may be as thoroughly dissociated from the spirit of the esoteric
doctrine and as hopelessly saturated with corrupt conventionalities as
British churchwardens or the corresponding functionaries in America.
Some such fancies derived from exoteric Hindu thinking have clearly
inspired the article under notice. In India even exoteric thinking
recognizes the existence of Mahatmas and theories concerning the
methods by which their condition may be approached, but Theosophic
students in Europe and America should be on their guard against
supposing that every thing which emanates from an Indian source, must
on that account be true occult philosophy.

Especially in India, but in other parts of the world too, in various
disguises we continually encounter the fundamental blunder of the
mere _fakir_ that progress in occult development is to be acquired
by simulating some of the external characteristics of a development
that has been accomplished. No doubt there are states of immaterial
existence to which human beings may ultimately climb,—at distances of
time as immeasureable as those heights themselves, where such relative
attributes as those which invest embodied human beings with specific
attachments, will be merged in the higher mysteries of nature, which
we can talk about already, perhaps, and assign names to, but assuredly
cannot yet realize, or even effectually comprehend. But it may be,
there is hardly any level even in Adeptship, at which still embodied
humanity is ripe to shed such attachments, and the notion of talking
about attempting this from the point of view of incipient chelaship is
as ludicrous as it would be to talk about pruning a seedling which had
just protruded its first green shoot above the ground; and suggests, in
regard to human illustrations, the notion of a beardless youngster, who
presents himself to a barber to be shaved. We Theosophists are engaged
in an undertaking which makes it very desirable that we should not
render ourselves ridiculous; and though there is no endeavor possible
for us which is better entitled to respect than an honest attempt to
lead “the Higher Life,” we may perhaps more easily bring discredit
on our movement by talking nonsense about that grand ideal, than in
any other way. We may go further, indeed, than the mere recognition
of nobility attaching to the pursuit of the Higher Life. We may grant
that no one can truly be said to have assimilated the principles of
esoteric teaching unless these have made a sensible impression on his
conduct and on the practical attitude he assumes in relation to others
and the world at large. But it will be a matter to be determined by
each man’s temperament, how far he keeps his own personal dealings, so
to speak, with the great principles of Theosophy a private transaction
between himself and his conscience, or how far he ventures to bring
them into relief by devoting himself especially as a Theosophist to the
task of preaching exalted morality. I am now of course passing out, on
my own account, into the ocean of Theosophic discussion in general,
and the sentence just penned has no reference to the article I began
by reviewing,—which appears to me to be very far from promulgating
any morality or even coherent sense, exalted or otherwise. But on the
subject at large a few general remarks at this juncture may perhaps not
be inappropriate.

The most exalted morality imaginable is inevitably deduced from the
principles of occult science, for by explaining to mankind how it is
that they really evolve through successive lives, each depending on
the last and on all its predecessors as summed up in the last, the
basic motives for good conduct are set out with far greater precision
than they can be suggested by the bribes or threats of conventional
religion. Such temptations and warnings, as experience has shown,
come to be distrusted or no longer feared as the manifestly erroneous
conceptions with which they are entangled, become apparent to advancing
intelligence. Then, loving the right still, under the influence of an
inner intuition they have not learned to interpret properly, people
attempt sometimes to supply the vacant places of their vanished faith,
with painful abstract theories of a barren duty, which take their rise
in no intelligible sanction and tend to no specific result. For mere
morality divorced from religion and justified by no prospects of future
existence, it is impossible that the human mind could permanently
furnish a nourishing soil. To provide for the gathering emergency the
esoteric doctrine is now beginning to shine on the world. In the longer
freedom with which it will shine hereafter, no doubt it will do much
more even than explain to men the scientific and satisfactory reasons
why, right is right, why the pursuit of good conduces to happiness and
_vice versa_. Already indeed, it is made apparent that the highest
degrees of exaltation possible for human beings, can only be attained
in connection with a pursuit of good which has a still more subtle
motive than the thirst for spiritual happiness—which is animated by
that unsurpassably sublime intention (often talked about so glibly,
but surely realized so seldom) unselfishness and disinterested zeal
for the welfare of others. But even if we do not handle that exalted
topic—which sits ill upon the lips of any preachers who do not at all
events outshine the average achievements of ordinary good men in the
exercise of unselfishness, is there not in what is put forward above
in the first purpose of Theosophy a sufficiently exhilarating task to
absorb our best energies? To be laying the foundations of the future
system of thought which _must_ in due time replace—as the guiding rule
of men’s lives—the earlier and cruder prescriptions of a priestcraft
that their widening comprehension of Nature is fast outgrowing,—is not
that a sufficiently magnificent task for the Theosophical Society?

Certainly esoteric teaching opens up possibilities before the sight
of ardent spiritual aspirants that suggest to some eager hearts
the pursuit of an object—which if rightly understood may be more
magnificent still, but which, as contemplated in the beginning may
often be prompted by a relatively selfish motive,—the personal pursuit
of Adeptship. But in its original purpose the welfare of mankind at
large and not the enlistment of new recruits in the army of chelaship
was as I read its design, the idea of the Theosophical Society. And
how was that design to be carried out? This question seems to me to
touch a point which it is highly important to keep in view at the
present moment. The Theosophical movement did not begin by preaching
_de haut en bas_ an all but impossible code of ethics. It began by the
highly practical course of linking its operations with one of the most
growing impulses in the most spiritually minded sections of the Western
community. These were _not_ the merely good and pious representatives
of still surviving, though decaying religious systems; they were not
the hopeless however unselfish exponents of a barren philosophy that
threw forward no light on the future; they were found mainly among
people who in one way or another, and following various false beacons,
perhaps, were realizing that discoveries were possible beyond the
barriers that had formerly seemed to set a limit to the range of the
human senses. The bold though bewildered pioneers of psychic inquiry
were naturally marked out, indeed, to be appealed to first by the
esoteric teachers. For them above all was the rudderless condition
of modern religions thought a dark and threatening danger. Along the
road they had set out to travel they would certainly not stop short.
But readers of Theosophic literature will not require to be reminded
where the study of occult phenomena un-illuminated by occult morality
must ultimately conduct its enthusiasts. The classes referred to were
best qualified to receive the new dispensation: and most urgently
in need of it. To them therefore the Theosophical propaganda in the
beginning was directed, and this is the consideration which will be
seen to explain the mystery that has so frequently been discussed in
more recent years—the free and so to speak the extravagant display of
occult wonders and marvellous phenomena with which the advent of the
Theosophical movement was heralded. Its directors as it were, had to
put themselves at the head of the psychic movement generally, in order
to direct its future course aright, and they could not do this without
commanding the attention of persons already largely experienced in
psychic investigation.

No doubt the time has now gone by when the policy that thus inaugurated
the Theosophical movement is either practicable or desirable. “The age
of miracles is past,” for us as for mankind at large,—always making
allowance for the familiar correction required by the saying that the
age for helping on the more general comprehension of those resources
of nature with which the “miracles” had to do has not passed, by
any means. The interpretation of Nature—the promulgation of truth
concerning the “powers latent in Man”—to the end that the world at
large may the better understand its own destinies and promote its own
healthier development through an immediate future, is still the ample
task that lies before the working members of our organization. Again
let us say that no one proposes to divorce this from recognition with
which it is so intimately blended, of the sublime morality expressed in
the phrase—the Brotherhood of Man. But in our zeal for the starry goal
in the far distance, it will be discreet, on our part, to avoid the
mistake of the Greek philosopher and not to forget the ground at our
feet.
A. P. SINNETT.

* * * * *

NOTE.—The admirable letter which we have printed above from the able
pen of the author of Esoteric Buddhism is a good instance of the truth
that there are many ways of arriving at the same goal, and incidentally
it also illustrates how difficult it is for those who look at any
subject by the light of their own “ray” to appreciate the view taken
of it by one whose mental constitution is different. Both Murdhna
Joti and Mr. Sinnett are right from their own points of view, and
as they understand themselves. Both seem to us to be wrong as they
probably understand each other. Patriotism and family attachments
as understood by Mr. Sinnett are good things, for he characterises
them by the adjectives “healthy” “ennobling” “generous.” It cannot be
supposed from either a critical or casual reading of “The Higher Life”
that Murdhna Joti advocates the elimination of any statement to which
these terms would apply. But patriotism and family attachments may be
narrow, bigoted, and founded upon an ignorance of other countries and
other families, and upon an inability to perceive in other nations and
persons the very qualities that make us feel warmly toward those we are
acquainted with, intensified by a corresponding blindness to faults we
have become habituated to and perhaps partake of ourselves. It is the
“provincialism” of patriotism which breeds the prejudice in favor of
things which are a part of our “larger selves,” and which is bad; and
this narrowness in the case of family attachment (a different thing
from personal affection), makes us fancy that our family geese are more
beautiful than our neighbor’s swans. It is in this sense, it seems to
us, that the family defects in question are held by Murdhna Joti as
things to get rid of, and may be said to enter into that practical
conception “the Dweller on the Threshold;” and it is in this sense
that a Mahatma may be supposed to lose them. As we rise to a higher
level we perceive in clearer distinction the lights and shades in our
own country and family, and we see also that much the same lights
and shades exist elsewhere and everywhere; we lose at the same time
the personal prejudice which made lights and shades of a particular
tint more agreeable to us than others; and thus we are brought to
view all countries and families in their true light and in their real
proportions. But the process by which this is accomplished is more of
the nature of a levelling up than of a levelling down. The attachment
of a villager is at first confined to his village; as his mind expands,
his interests extend themselves progressively to the country, the
state, and the nation. This last entails an expenditure of “generous
feeling” which is exhaustive for most men; but a Mahatma has enough
left to stretch out over the whole of humanity. Anything smaller would
not be “ennobling” or “generous” in his case.

We cannot agree, however, with Mr. Sinnett, in his criticism of Murdhna
Joti’s article, as to its presenting a false view of “Theosophic
morals.” The fact, at which the learned author of the _Occult World_
hints, that a certain Mahatma has “specific attachments” to relatives,
does not prove that He still has “family defects.” Perhaps the writer
of “Living the Higher Life” might have been better understood by Mr.
Sinnett if he had in his first paper, intimated that while family
defects were to be got rid of, the noble qualities of the family,
were to be strengthened; but this seems to be plainly inferred, and
is actually to be found in the paper, (p. 153, 3d paragraph); and
all through the first paper, it is strenuously insisted, that the
only theosophic morality, is that one which compels us to unselfishly
perform our duty in our family where we are placed by inevitable Karma.

Not only has a Mahatma said He “still had patriotism,” but He has also
stated more emphatically, that “in external Buddhism is the road to
truth.” He cannot therefore agree with Mr. Sinnett in the objection
that exoteric Indian thought and religion led to error. In complete
knowledge of this second declaration of the Mahatma, we read and
printed Murdhna Joti’s paper, as we have “Theosophic Morals.” We see in
the paper criticised high aspiration and excellent precepts.

There are many modes of life; there are lower and higher planes. No man
in one short article can write away all possible future misconceptions;
both sides must be presented, and they shall be in this Magazine. We
need therefore here warn readers, that Mr. Sinnett does not by any
means desire them to understand that in saying that the Mahatma quoted
has “certain specific attachments,” he would convey the impression that
such a great Being has to struggle with the limitations of a family, or
that he has given up one legitimate set of ties only to assume others
similar. Far from that. The nature of the attachment referred to, is
quite as undefinable at Mr. Sinnett’s hands as it is at those of the
readers, and we think it would be wise for the critic to state with
clearness what the attachment is, in order that all readers may for
themselves be able to judge of the full meaning, extent and connection
of Mr. Sinnett’s reference, and what use can properly be made of it for
comparison or analysis.

The Mahatma studies the Bagavad-Gita in its higher sense, and all
through that book the “passionless ascetic” is lauded. What does it
mean? Neglect of life and family? Never! But sometimes one gets out of
family defects quite naturally. Yet the world says that _Bagavad-Gita_
inculcates stony hearted selfishness, even as they carp at _Light on
the Path_ when it says “the eyes must be incapable of tears; ambition
and desires must be killed out.” These are hard sayings. Theosophy
is full of difficult sayings, just as Jesus of the Christians said
his parables were. But Bagavad-Gita is the divine colloquy; and it is
asserted that a Mahatma dictated Light on the Path.—[ED.]

HERMES TRISMEGISTUS.

THE FOURTH STATE OF MATTER DESCRIBED IN THE SMARAGDINE TABLET.

That a tablet, now called the SMARAGDINE, was found there is no doubt.
Its discovery is attributed by tradition to an _isarim_ or initiate,
who it is said, took it from the dead body of Hermes—this could not
have been the Egyptian god Thoth—which was buried at Hebron, in an
obscure ditch. The tablet was held between the hands of the corpse.
Some authors say that it was of emerald, which I do not believe; it
probably was of green strass or paste, an imitation of emerald, in
the manufacture of which the Egyptians excelled. Be it as it may, the
contents evidently refer to that subtile body, called by the great
scientist Sir William Thompson, “the luminiferous æther,”—to that
mysterious, invisible to us, something, in which the matter-atoms
float, the _azoth_ of the Hermetic philosophers, the _astral light_
of the occultists, the _akasa_ of the Hindus; which physical science
attempts to grasp, comprehend and sometimes use, under the name of
electricity, magnetism, heat, light, etc; which is experimentally made
visible, in one of its forms, by means of Professor Crookes “radiant
matter” and which he terms the fourth state of matter. It permeates all
things, going through flesh and blood, and steel and glass, the diamond
and sapphire, with the facility of water through a net. A translation
of this tablet is:[111]

“It is true without falsehood, certain and very veritable, that that
which is below, is as that which is above, and that that which is on
high, is as that which is below, so as to perpetuate the miracles of
all things.

“And as all things have been and come from One, by the mental desire of
One, so all things have been produced from that One only by adaptation.

“The Sun (Osiris) is thence the father, and the Moon (Isis) the mother.
The Air, its womb, carries it thence, and the Earth is its nurse.

“Here is the producer of all, the talisman of all the world.

“Its force (or potentiality) is entire, if it is changed into the
Earth, you separate the Earth from the Fire, the subtile from the
gross. Sweetly, but with great energy, it mounts from the Earth to
the Heaven, and again descends to the Earth with powerful energy, and
receives the potentiality of the superior and inferior things.

“You have, by this means, the light (or fire) of the whole universe.
And upon account of this, all obscurity itself, with that, will fly
entirely thence.

“In this is the energy the strongest of all energy, for it vanquishes
all subtile things and penetrates all the solid things.

“Thus the world was created. From this will be and will go out
admirable adaptations, of which the medium is here.

“And because of these reasons I am called Hermes Trismegistus,
possessing the three divisions of the philosophy of the universe.

“It is complete, this that I have said of the operation of the Sun.”

The reader must take note, that the fire referred to here, is not the
perceptible fire, but the hidden occult fire, which is concealed in
all things, and only becomes evident through a tearing asunder of the
atoms. The fire, which we see, is the black fire, the other the unseen,
is the white fire. So the ancient Hebrew philosophy says, the Tablets
of the Law given to Moses, were written by the Deity with black fire on
white fire. It is referred to but concealed in the Maasey B’reshith,
the great occult book of which is the Book of Genesis.
ISAAC MYER.

A HINDU CHELA’S DIARY.

[_This was begun in the June number._]

“I have been going over that message I received just after returning
from the underground room, about not thinking yet too deeply upon what
I saw there, but to let the lessons sink deep into my heart. Can it be
true—must it not indeed be true—that we have periods in our development
when rest must be taken for the physical brain in order to give it
time as a much less comprehensive machine than these English college
professors say it is, to assimilate what it has received, while at
the same time the real brain—as we might say, the spiritual brain—is
carrying on as busily as ever all the trains of thought cut off from
the head. Of course this is contrary to this modern science we hear
so much about now as about to be introduced into all Asia, but it is
perfectly consistent for me.

“To reconsider the situation: I went with Kunâla to this underground
place, and there saw and heard most instructive and solemn things. I
return to my room, and begin to puzzle over them all, to revolve and
re-revolve them in my mind, with a view to clearing all up and finding
out what all may mean. But I am interrupted by a note from Kunâla
directing me to stop this puzzling, and to let all I saw sink deep into
my heart. Every word of his I regard with respect, and consider to
hold a meaning, being never used by him with carelessness. So when he
says, to let it sink into my ‘heart,’ in the very same sentence where
he refers to my thinking part—the mind—why he must mean to separate my
heart from my mind and to give to the heart a larger and greater power.

“Well, I obeyed the injunction, made myself, as far as I could, forget
what I saw and what puzzled me and thought of other things. Presently,
after a few days while one afternoon thinking over an episode related
in the _Vishnu Purana_,[112] I happened to look up at an old house
I was passing and stopped to examine a curious device on the porch;
as I did this, it seemed as if either the device, or the house, or
the circumstance itself, small as it was, opened up at once several
avenues of thought about the underground room, made them all clear,
showed me the conclusion as vividly as a well demonstrated and fully
illustrated proposition, to my intense delight. Now could I perceive
with plainness, that those few days which seemed perhaps wasted because
withdrawn from contemplation of that scene and its lessons, had been
with great advantage used by the spiritual man in unraveling the
tangled skein, while the much praised brain had remained in idleness.
All at once the _flash_ came and with it knowledge.[113] But I must not
depend upon these flashes, I must give the brain and its governor, the
material to work with. * * * * * * * *

* * * * *

“Last night just as I was about to go to rest, the voice of Kunâla
called me from outside and there I went at once. Looking steadily at me
he said: ‘we want to see you,’ and as he spoke he gradually changed,
or disappeared, or was absorbed, into the form of another man with
awe-inspiring face and eyes, whose form apparently rose up from the
material of Kunâla’s body. At the same moment two others stood there
also, dressed in the Tibetan costume; and one of them went into my
room from which I had emerged. After saluting them reverently, and not
knowing their object, I said to the greatest,

“‘Have you any orders to give?’

“‘If there are any they will be told to you without being asked,’ he
replied, ‘stand still where you are.’

“Then he began to look at me fixedly. I felt a very pleasant sensation
as if I was getting out of my body. I cannot tell now what time passed
between that and what I am now to put down here. But I saw I was in a
peculiar place. It was the upper end of—— at the foot of the—— range.
Here was a place where there were only two houses just opposite to
each other, and no other sign of habitation; from one of these came
out the old faquir I saw at the Durga festival, but how changed, and
yet the same: then so old, so repulsive; now so young, so glorious, so
beautiful. He smiled upon me benignly and said:

“‘Never expect to see any one, but always be ready to answer if they
speak to you; it is not wise to peer outside of yourself for the great
followers of Vasudeva: look rather within.’

“The very words of the poor faquir!

“He then directed me to follow him.

“After going a short distance, of about half a mile or so, we came to
a natural subterranean passage which is under the—— range. The path is
very dangerous; the River—— flows underneath in all the fury of pent
up waters, and a natural causeway exists upon which you may pass; only
one person at a time can go there and one false step seals the fate
of the traveller. Besides this causeway, there are several valleys
to be crossed. After walking a considerable distance through this
subterranean passage we came into an open plain in L—— K. There stands
a large massive building thousands of years old. In front of it is a
huge Egyptian Tau. The building rests on seven big pillars each in the
form of a pyramid. The entrance gate has a large triangular arch, and
inside are various apartments. The building is so large that I think it
can easily contain twenty thousand people. Some of the rooms were shown
to me.

“This must be the central place for all those belonging to the—— class,
to go for initiation and stay the requisite period.

“Then we entered the great hall with my guide in front. He was youthful
in form but in his eyes was the glance of ages. * * The grandeur and
serenity of this place strikes the heart with awe. In the centre was
what we would call an altar, but it must only be the place where
focuses all the power, the intention, the knowledge and the influence
of the assembly. For the seat, or place, or throne, occupied by the
chief—— the highest—— has around it an indescribable glory, consisting
of an effulgence which seemed to radiate from the one who occupied
it. The surroundings of the throne were not gorgeous, nor was the
spot itself in any way decorated—all the added magnificence was due
altogether to the aura which emanated from Him sitting there. And over
his head I thought I saw as I stood there, three golden triangles in
the air above—Yes, they were there and seemed to glow with an unearthly
brilliance that betokened their inspired origin. But neither they nor
the light pervading the place, were produced by any mechanical means.
As I looked about me I saw that others had a triangle, some two, and
all with that peculiar brilliant light.”

[Here again occurs a mass of symbols. It is apparent that just at
this spot he desires to jot down the points of the initiation which
he wished to remember. And I have to admit that I am not competent
to elucidate their meaning. That must be left to our intuitions and
possibly future experience in our own case.]

* * * * *

“14th day of the new moon. The events of the night in the hall of
initiation gave me much concern. Was it a dream? Am I self deluded? Can
it be that I imagined all this? Such were the unworthy questions which
flew behind each other across my mind for days after. Kunâla does not
refer to the subject and I cannot put the question. Nor will I. I am
determined, that, come what will, the solution must be reached by me,
or given me voluntarily.

“Of what use to me will all the teachings and all the symbols be,
if I cannot rise to that plane of penetrating knowledge, by which I
shall myself, by myself, be able to solve this riddle, and know to
discriminate the true from the false and the illusory? If I am unable
to cut asunder these questioning doubts, these bonds of ignorance, it
is proof that not yet have I risen to the plane situated above these
doubts. * * * Last night after all day chasing through my mental sky,
these swift destroyers of stability—mental birds of passage—I lay down
upon the bed, and as I did so, into my hearing fell these words:

“‘Anxiety is the foe of knowledge; like unto a veil it falls down
before the soul’s eye; entertain it, and the veil only thicker grows;
cast it out, and the sun of truth may dissipate the cloudy veil.’

“Admitting that truth; I determined to prohibit all anxiety. Well I
knew that the prohibition issued from the depths of my heart, for that
was master’s voice, and confidence in his wisdom, the self commanding
nature of the words themselves, compelled me to complete reliance on
the instruction. No sooner was the resolution formed, than down upon my
face fell something which I seized at once in my hand. Lighting a lamp,
before me was a note in the well known writing. Opening it, I read:

“‘Nilakant. It was no dream. All was real, and more, that by your
waking consciousness could not be retained, happened there. Reflect
upon it all as reality, and from the slightest circumstance draw
whatever lesson, whatever amount of knowledge you can. Never forget
that your spiritual progress goes on quite often to yourself unknown.
Two out of many hindrances to memory are anxiety and selfishness.
Anxiety is a barrier constructed out of harsh and bitter materials.
Selfishness is a fiery darkness that will burn up the memory’s matrix.
Bring then, to bear upon this other memory of yours, the peaceful
stillness of contentment and the vivifying rain of benevolence.’”[114]
* * * * *

[I leave out here, as well as in other places, mere notes of journeys
and various small matters, very probably of no interest.]

“In last month’s passage across the hills near V——, I was irresistibly
drawn to examine a deserted building, which I at first took for a
grain holder, or something like that. It was of stone, square, with
no openings, no windows, no door. From what could be seen outside, it
might have been the ruins of a strong, stone foundation for some old
building, gateway or tower. Kunâla stood not far off and looked over
it, and later on he asked me for my ideas about the place. All I could
say, was, that although it seemed to be solid, I was thinking that
perhaps it might be hollow.

“‘Yes,’ said he, ‘it is hollow. It is one of the places once made by
Yogees to go into deep trance in. If used by a chela (a disciple) his
teacher kept watch over it so that no one might intrude. But when an
adept wants to use it for laying his body away in while he travels
about in his real, though perhaps to some unseen, form, other means of
protection were often taken which were just as secure as the presence
of the teacher of the disciple.’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘it must be that just
now no one’s body is inside there.’

“‘Do not reach that conclusion nor the other either. It may be occupied
and it may not.’

* * * * *

“Then we journeyed on, while he told me of the benevolence of not only
Brahmin Yogees, but also of Buddhist. No differences can be observed by
the true disciple in any other disciple who is perhaps of a different
faith. All pursue truth. Roads differ but the goal of all remains
alike.”

* * * * *

* * * “Repeated three times: ‘Time ripens and dissolves all beings in
the great self, but he who knows into what time itself is dissolved, he
is the knower of the Veda.’

“What is to be understood, not only by this, but also by its being
three times repeated?

“There were three shrines there. Over the door was a picture which I
saw a moment, and which for a moment seemed to blaze out with light
like fire. Fixed upon my mind its outlines grew, then disappeared,
when I had passed the threshold. Inside, again its image came before
my eyes. Seeming to allure me, it faded out, and then again returned.
It remained impressed upon me, seemed imbued with life and intention
to present itself for my own criticism. When I began to analyze it,
it would fade, and then when I was fearful of not doing my duty or
of being disrespectful to those beings, it returned as if to demand
attention. Its description:

“A human heart that has at its centre a small spark—the spark expands
and the heart disappears—while a deep pulsation seems to pass through
me. At once identity is confused, I grasp at myself; and again the
heart reappears with the spark increased to a large fiery space.
Once more that deep movement; then sounds (7); they fade. All this
in a picture? Yes! for in that picture there is life; there might
be intelligence. It is similar to that picture I saw in Tibet on my
first journey, where the living moon rises and passes across the view.
Where was I? No, not afterwards! It was in the hall. Again that all
pervading sound. It seems to bear me like a river. Then it ceased,—a
soundless sound. Then once more the picture; here is Pranava.[115] But
between the heart and the Pranava is a mighty bow with arrows ready,
and tightly strung for use. Next is a shrine, with the Pranava over
it, shut fast, no key and no keyhole. On its sides emblems of human
passions. The door of the shrine opens and I think within I will see
the truth. No! another door? a shrine again. It opens too and then
another, brightly flashing is seen there. Like the heart, it makes
itself one with me. Irresistible desire to approach it comes within me,
and it absorbs the whole picture.

“‘Break through the shrine of Brahman; use the doctrine of the
teacher.’”[116]

[There is no connection here of this exhortation with any person, and
very probably it is something that was said either by himself, in
soliloquy, or by some voice or person to him.

I must end here, as I find great rents and spaces in the notes. He
must have ceased to put down further things he saw or did in his real
inner life, and you will very surely agree, that if he had progressed
by that time to what the last portions would indicate, he could not
set down his reflections thereon, or any memorandum of facts. We,
however, can never tell what was his reason. He might have been told
not to do so, or might have lacked the opportunity.

There was much all through these pages that related to his daily
family life, not interesting to you; records of conversations; worldly
affairs; items of money and regarding appointments, journeys and
meetings with friends. But they show of course that he was all this
time living through his set work with men, and often harassed by care
as well as comforted by his family and regardful of them. All of that
I left out, because I supposed that while it would probably interest
you, yet I was left with discretion to give only what seemed to relate
to the period marked at its beginning, by his meetings with M——, and
at the end by this last remarkable scene, the details of which we can
only imagine. And likewise were of necessity omitted very much that
is sufficiently unintelligible in its symbolism to be secure from
revelation. Honestly have I tried to unlock the doors of the ciphers,
for no prohibition came with their possession, but all that I could
refine from its enfolding obscurity is given to you.

As he would say, let us salute each other and the last shrine of
Brahman; Om, hari, Om!
TRANS.]

KARMA.

The child is the father of the man, and none the less true is it:

“My brothers! each man’s life
The outcome of his former living is;
The bygone wrmongs brings forth sorrows and woes
The bygone right breeds bliss.”
* * * * *

“This is the doctrine of Karma.”

But in what way does this bygone wrong and right affect the present
life? Is the stern nemesis ever following the weary traveler, with
a calm, passionless, remorseless step? Is there no escape from its
relentless hand? Does the eternal law of cause and effect, unmoved by
sorrow and regret, ever deal out its measure of weal and woe as the
consequence of past action? The shadow of the yesterday of sin,—must
it darken the life of to-day? Is Karma but another name for fate? Does
the child unfold the page of the already written book of life in which
each event is recorded without the possibility of escape? What is the
relation of Karma to the life of the individual? Is there nothing for
man to do but to weave the chequered warp and woof of each earthly
existence with the stained and discolored threads of past actions? Good
resolves and evil tendencies sweep with resistless tide over the nature
of man and we are told:

“Whatever action he performs, whether good or bad, every thing done in
a former body must necessarily be enjoyed or suffered.” _Anugita_, cp
III.

There is good Karma, there is bad Karma, and as the wheel of life moves
on, old Karma is exhausted and again fresh Karma is accumulated.

Although at first it may appear that nothing can be more fatalistic
than this doctrine, yet a little consideration will show that in
reality this is not the case. Karma is twofold, hidden and manifest,
Karma is the man that is, Karma is his action. True that each action
is a cause from which evolves the countless ramifications of effect in
time and space.

“That which ye sow ye reap.” In some sphere of action the harvest will
be gathered. It is necessary that the man of action should realize this
truth. It is equally necessary that the manifestations of this law in
the operations of Karma should be clearly apprehended.

Karma, broadly speaking may be said to be the continuance of the nature
of the act, and each act contains within itself the past and future.
Every defect which can be realized from an act must be implicit in the
act itself or it could never come into existence. Effect is but the
nature of the act and cannot exist distinct from its cause. Karma only
produces the manifestation of that which already exists; being action
it has its operation in time, and Karma may therefore be said to be the
same action from another point of time. It must, moreover, be evident
that not only is there a relation between the cause and the effect,
but there must also be a relation between the cause and the individual
who experiences the effect. If it were otherwise, any man would reap
the effect of the actions of any other man. We may sometimes appear to
reap the effects of the action of others, but this is only apparent. In
point of fact it is our own action

“* * None else compels
None other holds you that ye live and die.”

It is therefore necessary in order to understand the nature of Karma
and its relation to the individual to consider action in all its
aspects. Every act proceeds from the mind. Beyond the mind there is no
action and therefore no Karma. The basis of every act is desire. The
plane of desire or egotism is itself action and the matrix of every
act. This plane may be considered as non-manifest, yet having a dual
manifestation in what we call cause and effect, that is the act and its
consequences. In reality, both the act and its consequences are the
effect, the cause being on the plane of desire. Desire is therefore the
basis of action in its first manifestation on the physical plane, and
desire determines the continuation of the act in its karmic relation
to the individual. For a man to be free from the effects of the Karma
of any act he must have passed to a state no longer yielding a basis
in which that act can inhere. The ripples in the water caused by the
action of the stone will extend to the furthest limit of its expanse,
but no further, they are bounded by the shore. Their course is ended
when there is no longer a basis or suitable medium in which they can
inhere; they expend their force and are not. Karma is, therefore, as
dependent upon the present personality for its fulfillment, as it was
upon the former for the first initial act. An illustration may be given
which will help to explain this.

A seed, say for instance mustard, will produce a mustard tree and
nothing else; but in order that it should be produced, it is necessary
that the co-operation of soil and culture should be equally present.
Without the seed, however much the ground may be tilled and watered,
it will not bring forth the plant, but the seed is equally inoperative
without the joint action of the soil and culture.

The first great result of Karmic action is the incarnation in
physical life. The birth seeking entity consisting of desires and
tendencies, presses forward towards incarnation. It is governed in
the selection of its scene of manifestation by the law of economy.
Whatever is the ruling tendency, that is to say, whatever group of
affinities is strongest, those affinities will lead it to the point of
manifestation at which there is the least opposition. It incarnates
in those surroundings most in harmony with its Karmic tendencies and
all the effects of actions contained in the Karma so manifesting will
be experienced by the individual. This governs the station of life,
the sex, the conditions of the irresponsible years of childhood, the
constitution with the various diseases inherent in it, and in fact all
those determining forces of physical existence which are ordinarily
classed under the terms, “heredity,” and “national characteristics.”

It is really the law of economy which is the truth underlying these
terms and which explains them. Take for instance a nation with certain
special characteristics. These are the plane of expansion for any
entity whose greatest number of affinities are in harmony with those
characteristics. The incoming entity following the law of least
resistance becomes incarnated in that nation, and all Karmic effects
following such characteristics will accrue to the individual. This
will explain what is the meaning of such expressions as the “Karma of
nations,” and what is true of the nation will also apply to family and
caste.

It must, however, be remembered that there are many tendencies which
are not exhausted in the act of incarnation. It may happen that
the Karma which caused an entity to incarnate in any particular
surrounding, was only strong enough to carry it into physical
existence. Being exhausted in that direction, freedom is obtained for
the manifestation of other tendencies and their Karmic effects. For
instance, Karmic force may cause an entity to incarnate in a humble
sphere of life. He may be born as the child of poor parents. The Karma
follows the entity, endures for a longer or shorter time, and becomes
exhausted. From that point, the child takes a line of life totally
different from his surroundings. Other affinities engendered by former
action express themselves in their Karmic results. The lingering
effects of the past Karma may still manifest itself in the way of
obstacles and obstructions which are surmounted with varying degrees of
success according to their intensity.

From the standpoint of a special creation for each entity entering the
world, there is vast and unaccountable injustice. From the standpoint
of Karma, the strange vicissitudes and apparent chances of life can
be considered in a different light as the unerring manifestation of
cause and sequence. In a family under the same conditions of poverty
and ignorance, one child will be separated from the others and thrown
into surroundings very dissimilar. He may be adopted by a rich man, or
through some freak of fortune receive an education giving him at once
a different position. The Karma of incarnation being exhausted, other
Karma asserts itself.

A very important question is here presented: Can an individual affect
his own Karma, and if so to what degree and in what manner?

It has been said that Karma is the continuance of the act, and for any
particular line of Karma to exert itself it is necessary that there
should be the basis of the act engendering that Karma in which it can
inhere and operate. But action has many planes in which it can inhere.
There is the physical plane, the body with its senses and organs; then
there is the intellectual plane, memory, which binds the impressions
of the senses into a consecutive whole and reason puts in orderly
arrangement its storehouse of facts. Beyond the plane of intellect
there is the plane of emotion, the plane of preference for one object
rather than another:—the fourth principle of the man. These three,
physical, intellectual, and emotional, deal entirely with objects of
sense perception and may be called the great battlefield of Karma.[117]
There is also the plane of ethics, the plane of discrimination of the
“I ought to do this, I ought not to do that.” This plane harmonizes the
intellect and the emotions. All these are the planes of Karma or action
what to do, and what not to do. It is the mind as the basis of desire
that initiates action on the various planes, and it is only through the
mind that the effects of rest and action can be received.

An entity enters incarnation with Karmic energy from past existences,
that is to say the action of past lives is awaiting its development
as effect. This Karmic energy presses into manifestation in harmony
with the basic nature of the act. Physical Karma will manifest in the
physical tendencies bringing enjoyment and suffering. The intellectual
and the ethical planes are also in the same manner the result of
the past Karmic tendencies and the man as he is, with his moral and
intellectual faculties, is in unbroken continuity with the past.

The entity at birth has therefore a definite amount of Karmic energy.
After incarnation this awaits the period in life at which fresh Karma
begins. Up to the time of responsibility it is as we have seen the
initial Karma only that manifests. From that time the fresh personality
becomes the ruler of his own destiny. It is a great mistake to suppose
that an individual is the mere puppet of the past, the helpless victim
of fate. The law of Karma is not fatalism, and a little consideration
will show that it is possible for an individual to affect his own
Karma. If a greater amount of energy be taken up on one plane than
on another this will cause the past Karma to unfold itself on that
plane. For instance, one who lives entirely on the plane of sense
gratification will from the plane beyond draw the energy required for
the fulfillment of his desires. Let us illustrate by dividing man into
upper and lower nature. By directing the mind and aspirations to the
lower plane, a “fire” or centre of attraction, is set up there, and in
order to feed and fatten it, the energies of the whole upper plane are
drawn down and exhausted in supplying the need of energy which exists
below due to the indulgence of sense gratification. On the other hand,
the centre of attraction may be fixed in the upper portion, and then
all the needed energy goes there to result in increase of spirituality.
It must be remembered that Nature is all bountiful and withholds not
her hand. The demand is made, and the supply will come. But at what
cost? That energy which should have strengthened the moral nature and
fulfilled the aspirations after good, is drawn to the lower desires.
By degrees the higher planes are exhausted of vitality and the good
and bad Karma of an entity will be absorbed on the physical plane. If
on the other hand the interest is detached from the plane of sense
gratification, if there is a constant effort to fix the mind on the
attainment of the highest ideal, the result will be that the past Karma
will find no basis in which to inhere on the physical plane. Karma
will therefore be manifested only in harmony with the plane of desire.
The sense energy of the physical plane will exhaust itself on a higher
plane and thus become transmuted in its effects.

What are the means through which the effects of Karma can be thus
changed is also clear. A person can have no attachment for a thing
he does not think about, therefore the first step must be to fix the
thought on the highest ideal. In this connection one remark may be
made on the subject of repentance. Repentance is a form of thought in
which the mind is constantly recurring to a sin. It has therefore to be
avoided if one would set the mind free from sin and its Karmic results.
All sin has its origin in the mind. The more the mind dwells on any
course of conduct, whether with pleasure or pain, the less chance is
there for it to become detached from such action. The _manas_ (mind) is
the knot of the heart, when that is untied from any object, in other
words when the mind loses its interest in any object, there will no
longer be a link between the Karma connected with that object and the
individual.

It is the attitude of the mind which draws the Karmic cords tightly
round the soul. It imprisons the aspirations and binds them with chains
of difficulty and obstruction. It is desire that causes the past Karma
to take form and shape and build the house of clay. It must be through
non-attachment that the soul will burst through the walls of pain, it
will be only through a change of mind that the Karmic burden will be
lifted.

It will appear, therefore, that although absolutely true that action
brings its own result, “there is no destruction here of actions good
or not good. Coming to one body after another they become ripened in
their respective ways.”—Yet this ripening is the act of the individual.
Free will of man asserts itself and he becomes his own saviour. To
the worldly man Karma is a stern Nemesis, to the spiritual man Karma
unfolds itself in harmony with his highest aspirations. He will look
with tranquility alike on past and future, neither dwelling with
remorse on past sin nor living in expectation of reward for present
action.

SUFISM,

OR THEOSOPHY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF MOHAMMEDANISM.

_A Chapter from a MS. work designed as a text-book for Students in
Mysticism_ BY C. H. A. BJERREGAARD, _Stud. Theos._

In Two Parts:—Part I, Texts; Part II, Symbols.

(CONTINUED.)

PART II.—SYMBOLS.

The practical expounders and preachers of Sufism are the Dervishes,
the monks of Islam.

It must have become clear to our readers, that the sweet and peaceful
sentiments of the couplet of Katebi, placed as motto over our first
part, are the expressions of at least one side of the inner life of
Sufism. But, if we listen more closely, we shall hear the plaintive
note of the nightingale more distinct and perceive more readily the
gloom of the cypress; both of them, like the soul of man, bewail in
melancholy our disunion from Deity. That, too, is another side of
Sufism, which now has been illustrated, and we have given enough
quotations to show, that the highest aim of the Sufi is to attain
self-annihilation by losing his humanity in Deity.

So far the direct teachings as they lie on the surface of our
quotations. The grand undercurrents are the relations of The Universal
Self and The Individual Self. The expression “Self” has not been used,
but “God” and “Soul” because of the peculiarity of the exoteric forms
of current Mohammedan Theology, which the Sufi-Doctors find themselves
bound to observe.

We have yet to quote the Sufi poets Hafiz, Jami, Nizami, Attar and
others, but as their teachings are veiled under symbols, they naturally
find their place in this our second part, and shall be treated fully
toward the end. We will begin with the more ecstatic features of
practical Sufism, with the Dervishes, the Moslem saints, and thus
develop the _subjective_ forms of Sufism. We shall come to appreciate
the use of a ritualistic service and ascetic practices, when we see
these framed in close harmony with the laws of Nature and conductive to
Union with Self.

Where we use the phrase The Personal, our readers will understand it as
the _subjective_ equivalent for the objective “Self.”—

An historic study of the rise of Sufism out of original asceticism,
will afford us an excellent view of the evolution of Sufism itself as
well as of all other forms of Mysticism. Hence we must devote some
space to it.

It must undoubtedly be maintained that asceticism and monastic life are
entirely inconsistent with Mohammedanism, and in fact Mohammed himself
was far from anything like it, and constantly preached against it,
advocating an active life and an aggressive religion.

But neither Mohammed nor his followers could stem the tide of ascetic
influences from the East, from Buddhism; nor from the West, from
Christianity. These two religious systems had existed for centuries
and were both characterized by monastic institutions, and missionary
spirit. But, much deeper than these individual influences lies the
power of a new historic cycle beginning about a century after Mohammed,
just at the time we find the greatest number of Islam saints, with
a distinctive monastic cast. The era is characterized by a new
civilization in the West, and a consolidation of the Eastern conquests.
The Mohammedan power encircles Christendom and threatens to destroy
both Church and Christianity. In the East itself a terror of existence
befell the minds of men and has left the strongest impressions in the
writings of such men as Ata Salami and Hasan, &c.

Even in Mohammed’s lifetime an attempt was made to engraft the elements
of the contemplative life upon his doctrine. The facts are well known.
One evening, after some more vigorous declamations than usual on the
prophet’s part—he had taken for his theme the flames and tortures of
hell—several of his most zealous companions, among whom the names of
Omar, Ali, Abou-Dharr, and Abou-Horeirah are conspicuous, retired to
pass the night together in a neighbouring dwelling. Here they fell into
deep discourses on the terrors of divine justice, and the means to
appease or prevent its course. The conclusion they came to was nowise
unnatural. They agreed that to this end the surest way was to abandon
their wives, to pass their lives in continued fast and abstinence, to
wear hair-cloth, and practice other similar austerities: in a word,
they laid down for themselves a line of conduct truly ascetic, and
leading to whatever can follow in such a course. But they desired
first to secure the approbation of Mohammed. Accordingly, at break of
day, they presented themselves before him, to acquaint him with the
resolution of the night, as well as its motives and purport; but they
had reckoned without their host. The prophet rejected their proposition
with a sharp rebuke, and declared marriage and war to be far more
agreeable to the Divinity than any austereness of life or mortification
of the senses whatever, and the well known passage of the Quran: “O
true believers, do not abstain from the good things of the earth which
God permits you to enjoy,” revealed on this very occasion, remains a
lasting monument of Mohammed’s disgust at this premature outbreak of
ascetic feeling. This lesson and many others of a similar character,
for the time being, checked any and all appearance of declared forms of
asceticism, but could not prevent the ultimate triumph of the truer and
better parts of human nature. “Fate” would have it, that within his
own family, lie hidden the germs, destined in after ages, down to the
present day, and probably as long as Islam shall exist, to exert the
mightiest influence in the Mohammedan world.

_Ali_, Mohammed’s cousin, and Ali’s son _Hasan_, his grandson _Zein el
Abidin_, and after them _Djaufar es Sadik_, _Mousa el Kadhim_, _Ali er
Ridha_, and others of their race, were members of a family which became
the very backbone of asceticism. They were successively looked up to by
individual ascetics as the guides and instructors in word and deed of
self-denial and abnegation.

In the Menaqibu l Arafin (the Acts of the Adepts) it is related that
the Prophet one day recited to Ali in private the secrets and mysteries
of the “Brethren of Sincerity” enjoining him not to divulge them to
any of the uninitiated, so that they should not be betrayed; also, to
yield obedience to the rule of implicit submission. For forty days, Ali
kept the secret in his own sole breast, and bore therewith until he was
sick at heart. As his burden oppressed him and he could no more breathe
freely, he fled to the open wilderness, and there chanced upon a well.
He stooped, reached his head as far down into the well as he was able;
and then, one by one, he confided those mysteries to the bowels of
the earth. From the excess of his excitement, his mouth filled with
froth and foam. There he spat out into the water of the well, until he
had freed himself of the whole, and he felt relieved. After a certain
number of days, a single seed was observed to be growing in that
well. It waxed and shut up, until at length a youth, whose heart was
miraculously enlightened on the point, became aware of this growing
plant, cut it down, drilled holes in it, and began to play upon it
airs, similar to those now performed by the dervish lovers of God, as
he pastured his sheep in the neighbourhood. By degrees, the various
tribes of Arabs of the desert heard of this flute-playing of the
shepherd, and its fame spread abroad. The camels and the sheep of the
whole region would gather around him as he piped, ceasing to pasture
that they might listen. From all directions, the nomads flocked to hear
his strains, going into ecstasies with delight, weeping for joy and
pleasure, breaking forth in transports of gratification. The rumor at
length reached the ears of the Prophet, who gave orders for the piper
to be brought before him. When he began to play in the sacred presence,
all the holy disciples of God’s messenger were moved to tears and
transports, bursting forth with shouts and exclamations of pure bliss,
and losing all consciousness. The Prophet declared that the notes of
the shepherd’s flute were the inspiration of the holy mysteries he had
confided in private to Ali’s charge.

Thus it is that, until a man acquires the sincere devotion of the
linnet-voiced flute-reed, he cannot hear the mysteries of “The
Brethren of Sincerity” in its dulcet notes, or realize the delights
thereof; for “faith is altogether a yearning of the heart, and a
gratification of the spiritual sense.”

In regard to “The Brethren of Sincerity” mentioned above it can be said
that the Mohammedans in the East know perfectly well that there exists
on earth, among the initiated, a secret hierarchy which governs the
whole human race, infidels as well as believers, but that their power
is often exercised in such a manner that the subjects influenced by it
know not from what person or persons its effects proceed.

In this hierarchy the supreme dignity is vested in the _Khidr_. This is
a man indeed, but one far elevated above ordinary human nature by his
transcendent privileges. Admitted to the Divine Vision, and possessed
in consequence of a relative omnipotence and omniscience on earth;
visible and invisible at pleasure; freed from the bonds of space and
time; by his ubiquitous and immortal powers appearing in various forms
on earth to uphold the cause of truth; then concealed awhile from men;
known in various ages as Seth, as Enoch, as Elias, and yet to come at
the end of time as the Mahdi; this wonderful being is the centre, the
prop, the ruler, the mediator of men of ascetic habits and retirement,
and as such he is honoured with the name of _Kothb_, or axis, as being
the spiritual pole round which and on which all move or are upheld.
Under him are the _Aulia_, or intimate friends of God, seventy-two
in number (some say twenty-four), holy men living on earth, who are
admitted by the Kothb to his intimate familiarity, and who are to the
rest the sources of all doctrine, authority, and sanctity. Among these
again one, pre-eminent above the rest, is qualified by the vicarious
title of _Kothb-ez-zaman_, or axis of his age, and is regarded as the
visible depositary of the knowledge and power of the supreme Kothb—who
is often named, for distinction’s sake, _Kothb el-Akthab_, or axis
of the axes—and his constant representative amongst men. But as this
important election and consequent delegation of power is invisible
and hidden from the greater number even of the devotees themselves,
and neither the Kothb-ez-zaman nor the Aulia carry any outward or
distinctive sign of dignity and authority, it can only be manifested
by its effects, and thus known by degrees to the outer world, and even
then rather as a conjecture than as a positive certainty.

On the authority of the famous saint of Bagdad, Aboo-Bekr el Kettanée,
E. W. Lane[118] states that the orders under the rule of this chief are
called _Omud_ (or Owtad), _Akhyar_, _Abdal_, _Nujaba_, and _Nukaba_,
naming them according to their precedence, and remarks that perhaps
to these should be added an inferior order called _Ashab ed-Darak_,
that is “Watchmen” or “Overseers.” The Nukaba are three hundred and
reside in El-Gharb (Northern Africa to the West of Egypt); the Nujaba
are seventy and reside in Egypt; the Abdal are forty and are found in
Syria; the Akhyar are seven and travel about the earth; the Omud are
four and stand in the corners of the earth. The members are not known
as such to their inferior unenlightened fellow-creatures, and are often
invisible to them. This is most frequently the case with the Kothb,
who, though generally stationed at Mekka, on the roof of the Kaaba, is
never visible there, nor at any of his other favorite stations, yet his
voice is often heard at these places.

Let us add that their great power is supposed to be obtained by
self-denial, implicit reliance upon God, from good genii and by the
knowledge and utterance of “the most great name.”

_Eflaki_, the historian, has given us the links of a spiritual series,
through whom the mysteries of the dervish doctrines were handed down to
and in the line of Jelaludin er Rumi.

Ali communicated the mysteries to the Imam Hasan of Bara, who died
A. D. 728. Hasan taught them to Habib, the Persian († A. D. 724) who
confided them to Dawud of the tribe Tayyi († A. D. 781) who transmitted
them to Maruf of Kerkh († A. D. 818); he to Sirri († A. D. 867)
and he to the great Juneyd († A. D. 909). Juneyd’s spiritual pupil
Shibli († A. D. 945) taught Abu-Amr Muhammed, son of Ilahim Zajjaj
(† A. D. 959) and his pupil was Abu-Bekr, son of Abdu-llah of Tus,
who taught Abu-Ahmed Muhammed, son of Muhammed Al-Gazzali († A.D.
1111), and he committed those mysteries to Ahmed el-Khatibi, Jelal’s
great-grandfather, who consigned them to the Imam Sarakhsi († A. D.
1175). Sarakhsi was the spiritual teacher of Jelal’s father Baha
Veled, who taught the Sayyid Burhanu-d-Diu Termizi, the instructor of
Jelal.—We shall now proceed with the history.

(_To be continued._)

Please note the following correction of previous article: Footnote,
page 143, August No. of the PATH, should read “Free translation by J.
Freeman Clarke.”

RETICENCE OF MAHATMAS AND EVOLUTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL.

Members of the Theosophical Society and the general public have alike
manifested a wide divergence of opinion both as regards the fundamental
aim of the Society, and its adaptation to individual cases. To get
a right view of these points, it is first absolutely necessary that
the Society should be considered as a whole, and to remember that
like every movement in the physical or spiritual world, it must be
governed by the great law of Evolution. This is its primal Cause, and
the evolution of the individual its primary work. It is not, as its
history shows, an ephemeral institution, to last for a given period,
like a hospital, or a society to benefit animals, or poor children,
or fallen women. It is a spoke of the universal wheel of Evolution.
When the world contained a body of persons sufficiently developed
on the spiritual plane, they naturally formed a nucleus, from which
rays presently diverged to various parts of the globe. Stimulating
centres of energy which are constantly expanding through the individual
efforts of their members. What is true of the whole body is true also
of its component parts, and each individual, in mental capacity and
psychical conditions is precisely what his previous experience, or his
evolutionary ratio entitles him to be. Only by means of ever increasing
effort on his own part, can he invigorate these powers.

In founding the Theosophical Society, it was hoped that the united
labors of all for each and of each for all, might result in so much
enlightenment and expansion of individuals as the friction of many
minds, all directed to one issue, should through the correlation of
moral forces afford. Hence the Society was based upon the idea of
Universal Brotherhood.

There are at present two classes of persons who misinterpret this aim
of the Society. The first class is variously composed of,—(_A_) those
persons who suppose the Society to be solely devoted to a large phase
of the subject, such as the progressive development of the entire
body of the present race, or to the united interests of great masses
of people, leaving the individual altogether alone in the uphill path
of his own spiritual development. (_B_) Various persons in different
parts of the world who have seen fit, coincidently with giving in
their adherence to the idea of Universal Brotherhood, to ridicule it
as “a mere sham” or “a pure formula” or “an utopian impossibility:”
the wavering incredulity of every such person arises no doubt from
individual or constitutional peculiarity. (_C_) Such as suppose this
basic idea to be an elastic declaration which may always be used
as a shield to ward off the unpopular or chaffing accusation of an
interest in Mysticism. (_D_) Those who base their denial of universal
brotherhood upon the very sensible rule requiring applicants for
initiation to have endorsement from active fellows of the Society. “If
you make distinctions you are not universal,” is the cry of these last.

All the above persons will sooner or later discover that the Society
as a whole progresses through the spiritual advancement of individual
members. If the individual retrogrades, the common welfare is minus
so much; if he progresses, it is plus so much, and when many rise all
are presently lifted as by specific gravity, into a higher plane.
For this reason not only the exoteric and much slandered founders of
the Society, but also the hidden and real founders have always given
much of their time and thought to individuals. At the same time they
have unceasingly insisted upon the necessity for individual efforts,
that each member might develop himself. This is the true meaning of
Evolution. It is not the expansion of the man by means of an external
force acting upon inert tissue, but an impulse from within outward and
upward, enhanced by the cumulative effect of previous impulses, and
further assisted by such favoring environment as his condition may
permit him to assimilate.

It is in this final respect that the second class under consideration
have erred. They demand greater extraneous aid for the individual.
Such persons, having joined the Society and asserted their belief in
the existence of Mahatmas, or Adepts, or highly advanced human beings,
have after a time uttered complaints because they had no personal
communications from these Great Beings, while they feel such attentions
to be their due. These persons have said,—“We have declared our belief
in these wise and holy Men; we have joined the Society, but we have
not been favored with any proofs directly from them.” Such persons
require a letter under seal, projected in a phenomenal manner through
the air or otherwise. Nothing short of this will satisfy them, and if
they do not get it, they are likely to leave the fold of the Society,
as they themselves intimate. Their complaint, in general terms, is
that the Mahatmas are reticent, altogether too reticent to suit their
requirements. They say that it is declared that certain other persons
have received such evidence in the shape of letters, and they cite
Messrs. Sinnett, Olcott, Damodar, Hume, Madame Blavatsky and several
Hindus as the favored recipients. The complainants then state that
their aspirations, their need, their merit, equal that of these
persons, that they are, to put it roughly, “every bit as good.” Some
who do not say as much, think it, and a general outcry arises of,—“Why
do we not get such letters as proofs? Are we not justified in ascribing
undue reticence to the Mahatmas?” When in addition it is said that
some others have seen the Mahatmas, or heard their voices and received
gifts from them, the injured ones reiterate the complaint,—“Why are
the Mahatmas so reticent?” This attitude has finally become that of
the press and the public at large, so that the question presents
itself,—“Are the Mahatmas unduly reticent?”

The solution of this question is bound up in the subject of the
“Evolution of the Individual.” As regards the general evolution,
the Mahatmas cannot be thus accused, for had we their knowledge of
the whole, so as to be able to feel and know what all minerals,
plants, animals and men feel collectively, we should see that in this
department Mahatmas are never accused even in thought of withholding
either knowledge, favor or blessing. The whole moves by law (which law
includes the Mahatmas themselves), and as a whole recognises this law
and knows no possible departure from it.

As heretofore stated, the work of the Theosophical Society lies within
the department of individual evolution, and just as its sphere may
only be enlarged through the constant labors of its members, so every
individual follows the same law, _will he, nil he_. The Mahatmas are
not reticent. They can justly be no more than the favoring environment
to the individual soul. They give to each human well just the water it
can hold; to overflow it would be waste. It has been well said that
the human mind, like the atmosphere, has its saturation point. To
realise when we have reached this point is the first step on the path
of self-knowledge: to strive to expand our boundaries by incessant
study and observation, carries us leagues further on our way. Those
who journey thus have neither time nor desire for complaint. We enter
into this life through our parents, subject to law. From one mystery
we pass, ignorant of the future, into another mystery: lessons are
learned in each. So is the soul born into the higher life and becomes
by degrees acquainted with its mysteries. Through each order of life
runs the law of natural selection. “A man is a method, a progressive
arrangement, a selecting principle,” says Emerson. As the man chooses
the friends and the pursuits best adapted to him, so by the law of
spiritual dynamics is the soul attracted to just such food as it can
assimilate, to the influences necessary to its present development.
If the individual mind fails to grasp this idea and to see that we
ourselves, (and not the Mahatmas,) create our own possibilities, how
far less fitted is it to profit usefully by the very opportunities it
demands. The gratification of curiosity, the quickening of interest in
personalities or phenomena as such, are not growths of the soul, nor
can they advance the evolution of the individual. The Mahatmas do not
withhold us from Truth, but we ourselves. When we come to be a part of
it, we shall know it: when we come to live in its laws, who can shut us
away from it? The upright heart cries,—“Mine is mine, if the universe
deny me, and not all the Mahatmas combined can convey to me one truth
in which I am not ready to dwell. The Spirit communicates itself; the
Masters but interpret the vision, as soothsayers the dreams of Kings.
I am a king when the Spirit exalts me, made so by the super-royal act.
I will not covet borrowed robes, nor whine as a beggar for charities,
but wait until I am come into mine own estate. Then the Wise Ones will
teach me how to rule it.” The heart that chooses in truth this noble
part, has felt already the quickening touch of the Divine. Like Jove of
old, it bids the earth-bound waggoner abate his cries, and put first
his own shoulder to the wheel.

Let complainants therefore reflect how ignorant they are of their own
capacity to understand psychological data, and how necessary it is that
they should first develop themselves in that direction. A ray of light
may shoot by us unseen and unknown, to be lost in the further space,
for want of the timely interposition of a reflective surface. Or it may
stream directly into the eye, and even so may still be lost, should
the eye lack the power to receive the impression. Thus an attempt at
direct communication or illumination may be and often is frustrated for
lack of the perceptive eye and soul. Shall we expect to receive these
at other hands, as by a miracle, when we know well that we never fully
profit by any experience which we have not lived out for ourselves. Who
amongst us has not seen a child reject with impatience the teachings of
his elders, and presently return home brimful of wonder and dogmatism
over the very same fact which some companion had knocked into him? The
strong soul must be self delivered. Amongst our number there are indeed
those who have the spiritual eye in part, and the Mahatmas, desirous to
arouse it more fully, now and then project a beam of wisdom which the
eye fails to receive and it passes on to those who are better fitted to
absorb it. “No man can learn what he has not preparation for learning,
however near to his eye is the object. A chemist may tell his most
precious secrets to a carpenter, and he shall never be the wiser,—the
secret he would not utter to a chemist for an estate. God screens us
evermore from premature ideas. Our eyes are holden that we cannot see
things that stare us in the face, until the hour arrives when the mind
is ripened; then we behold them, and the time when we saw them not is
like a dream.”[119]

Let us then press forward to this harvest time, neither asking for
help, nor doubting that it is at hand though unseen, and remembering
above all that what we consider reticence, or silence on the part of
the Mahatmas, is often but a higher order of speech which we do not as
yet understand, and to whose golden accents untiring endeavor alone can
give the key.
JULIUS.

CORRESPONDENCE.

HARTFORD, Aug., 1886.
TO THE PATH,

DEAR FRIEND:—I like the PATH much. I have noted many articles that I am
anxious to get time to read at my leisure. They are full of the meat
that satisfieth the soul. How this on-coming wave from esoteric and
mystic sources has rushed upon us within the past few years! ‘Tis a
veritable ground-swell, and it seems to stretch out to all shores, and
its sources are from Infinity itself. Surely, that that we need, does
come to us at the right time. The demands of the soul imply that the
requisite supply is somewhere in existence. The glass of sparkling cold
water tendered by Emerson to Frederika Bremer at the crystal spring at
which they halted by the road-side, is symbolic of the wants of the
spiritual nature. Her comments upon it, are in the line of thought I
have touched upon:

“A glass of water! How much may be comprised in this gift! Why this
should become significant to me on this occasion, I cannot say; but
so it was. I have silently within myself combated with Emerson from
the first time that I became acquainted with him. I have questioned
in what consisted this power of the spirit over me, while I so much
disapproved of his mode of thinking. In what consisted his mysterious,
magical power,—that invigorating, refreshing influence which I always
experience in his writings, or in intercourse with him? This cordial
draught of clear water from the spring, given by his hand, I understood
it. It is precisely this crystal, pure, fresh cold water in his
individual character, in his writings, which has refreshed, and will
again and yet again refresh me. I have opposed Emerson in thought with
myself. * * * But in long years to come, and when I am far from here
in my own native land, and when I am old and gray,—yes, always, always
will moments recur when I shall yearn toward Waldo Emerson, and long to
receive from his hand that draught of fresh water.”

Emerson drew from invisible sources, and Miss Bremer’s fine tribute is
all the stronger because it comes in spite of orthodox prejudice. But
I have turned off into an unexpected “path,” and my time is up, and I
must end abruptly, as usual.
Yours fraternally,
F. E.

* * * * *

MARSEILLES, Aug., 1886.
EDITOR OF THE PATH,

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER:—It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the
receipt of your valuable magazine.

I cannot but admire the great abilities and learning of its
contributors, and I trust and hope that a complete success will repay
you for your endeavors after the improvement of our poor and misguided
humanity, and the glorification of the Truth.
Yours fraternally,
BARON J. SPEDALIERI, F. T. S.

REVIEWS AND NOTES.

THE OPTIMISM OF EMERSON.—By Wm. F. Dana. (_Cupples, Upham & Co.,
Boston, 1886._) Price 50 c. cloth. For sale by Brentano, Union Square,
New York.

The author seeks to account for the optimism of Emerson by his
“cheerful disposition,” and for his influence in literature by the
action of that cheerfulness upon “an age of intellectual gloom” due to
“England, France, Germany and Italy, having taken a despairing view
of life.” The cause of nineteenth century pessimism Mr. Dana sums up
thus: “The root of our difficulties is the fact that we have lost faith
in a revealed religion. We do not believe the Bible to be an inspired
book, hence, we have to form a religion by ourselves out of the
material within us and about us. It has seemed impossible to us, unless
we abandoned our reason, to believe, that what appear to us _good
and evil_ could be _all good_.” Mr. Dana, though evidently a sincere
admirer of Emerson, confesses that he gave the world no new revelation,
either in religion or philosophy, and he compares his influence to the
moonlight, rather than the sunlight. But if Emerson left the mystery of
life unsolved, he influenced men’s emotional nature for good by reason
of the cheerful, hopeful tone of his own mind, which, by setting up
sympathetic vibrations in the hearts of others, gave them a renewed
assurance that “the sun is shining behind the clouds,” and that
apparent evil is but real good in disguise.

* * * * *

PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION.—A series of articles on the “Philosophy of
Religion from the Standpoint of the Mystics,” prepared by C. H. A.
Bjerregaard of the Astor Library, will be published forthwith, in the
_Religio Philosophical Journal_.

* * * * *

THE SONG CELESTIAL OR BAGAVAD-GITA, tr. from the Sanscrit by Edwin
Arnold, M. A. (_Roberts Brothers, Boston._) Cloth $1.00. This is a
poetical rendering by a master hand, of the greatest of books, and
by many will be more easily understood than the present extant prose
editions of Wilkins, Thomson, and others. But its power and beauty
depend upon the inherent qualities of the poem, and an indifferent
hand at the work could not spoil it: how much more it will be for its
readers, under the touch of Mr. Arnold, is easy to see, for he is a
scholar, a philosopher, and a true singer. So much exoterically.

But this is in every sense an esoteric poem, and as usual, an
interpreter who knows nothing of the secret doctrine, has not succeeded
in opening the lock of this great treasure box. Following all his
predecessors, Mr. Arnold opens with the old old error of ranging the
people of King Dhritirashtra upon the plain of Kurukshetra in battle
with the Pandavas, and utterly fails to translate this name of a
plain. Here is the key. This plain is the human body and is _not_
a field in the centre of India; and the king himself is material
existence possessing a _thirst_ for life. Proceeding with the details
of the generals and chiefs engaged, our poet simply gives their names
untranslated, whereas each name is a power, quality or manifestation of
the mental or spiritual man. Bhishma and Bhima of all, are untouched.

Ignorance as to the use and intention of these names is due very much
to the indifference of the Hindus who, while knowing well the errors
committed, have not raised a finger.

Mr. Arnold’s translation is very beautiful and inspiring, and is to our
knowledge, in the hands of many Theosophists.

* * * * *

THE SECRET OF DEATH, from the Sanscrit, and other poems, by Edwin
Arnold, M. A. (_Roberts Brothers, Boston._) Cloth $1.00. 45 pages
are taken up by the “Secret of Death,” and scattered through the 252
pages are, here and there, other short pieces from Sanscrit. The first
poem is a practical rendering of the episode in the Katha Upanishad
where Nachiketas is devoted to Yama, the god of death, and learns high
knowledge from him. The other Indian songs are: Rajah’s Ride, Bihari
Mill song, Funeral song, Serpent Charmer’s song, Flour Mill song and a
short discourse of Buddha held at Rajagriha, cast in the same mould as
“The Light of Asia.”

* * * * *

INDIA REVISITED.—By Edwin Arnold, M. A. C. S. I. (_Roberts Brothers,
Boston, 1886._) Cloth $2.00, illustrated. This is Mr. Arnold’s account
of his revisiting India after the lapse of some years. In prose he is
as clear as he is enchanting in poetry. The illustrations are from
photographs and lend a charm to the book. The reader’s interest is held
to the last chapter; and fair justice is done to “his India,” which is
not generally the method pursued by Englishmen who detail their travels
in the mysterious land. On returning, his adieu declares that lakhs of
true friends are left there among Hindus, and his heart roves from hut
to hut, whispering “he knows and loves.”

* * * * *

DOGMA AND RITUAL OF HIGH MAGISM.—By Eliphas Lévi, translated by a
fellow of the Theosophical Society, is now in hand for publication as
soon as may be convenient. It will be issued in two volumes, about 600
pages, and put at as low a price as possible, $5.00. THE PATH has taken
charge of the issuing of the book, and will receive subscriptions for
it. All the illustrations in the French edition will be reproduced.

* * * * *

A FALLEN IDOL.—By F. Anstey. This is a novel devoted to a plot in which
_Theosophy_, _Chelas_, _astral bodies_, _currents_, and what not,
figure on every page. It tells of the power and wanderings, the evil
deeds and influence of a strong bad man’s shell, attached to an eastern
idol. There is a German _Chela_ included, and also a fraudulent message.

THEOSOPHICAL ACTIVITIES.

THE AMERICAN THEOSOPHICAL COUNCIL.—In the July _Theosophist_, it
was announced that the General Council had resolved to organize
the American Branches upon a better and more permanent basis, than
previously existed, and that instructions to postpone the Board of
Control meeting had been sent.

The formal orders have arrived, and are in brief, that all the
Branches here are to be formed into the American Council, which is
to be the Western Section of the General Council, but subordinate to
it, whereupon the Board of Control goes out of existence; all Branch
presidents and the present members of the Board of Control are to
be _ex-officio_ members of this Council which the orders direct to
be formed on call of the Board of Control as soon as possible after
receipt of advices. Other members of the Council, to be selected from
the whole body of American Theosophists, may be elected, and the
Council is to meet in time to forward reports to the regular Council at
Adyar in December.

This action is eminently wise, as the term _Board of Control_ was
misleading, inasmuch as the very foundation of the Society is
democratic in its nature, and _control_ savored to much of form,
ceremonies, discipline, officers, secret reports and all the
paraphernalia of an established church.

In all other respects the routine is unchanged by the orders. With 14
Branches and others contemplated, these great United States ought to
stand in fair way of being soon theosophized.

* * * * *

MALDEN.—Members are working and studying. They enjoy advantages in
having a few who thoroughly understand the subject.

NEW YORK.—The ARYAN THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY meets regularly. Not many open
meetings have occurred in August or July, but frequent private ones
have been held, and the members are deeply in earnest. The library has
received several additions, and the books are regularly used by members.

* * * * *

RUMORS—are afloat that some very learned and distinguished theosophists
from abroad will be here in the fall. If so—and we think our
information is reliable—the whole host of newspapers, critics, and
Conways, may expect to hear a few more final “last words on Theosophy.”
Gentlemen of the opposition! the cycle runs its course, the terrible
wheel of Karma turns round resistlessly, and you cannot stop it,
astonishing as may seem to you to be the senility of people in running
after Theosophy.

* * * * *

ROSICRUCIANS.—The Society of the R. C. is being revived in Germany it
is said, and theosophists are in it. Next month we will give a resumé
of some of their ideas.

* * * * *

“A knot of ignorance binds all men’s hearts; this, action looses and
God’s grace imparts.”—_Hindi verse._

“Study all Scriptures written, near or far;

Worship all images and saints of earth; But if you do not study who
you are, All your best actions are nothing worth.”—_Sanscrit verse._
OM!

FOOTNOTES:

[111] The emerald table is from the collection commencing with Le
Miroirs d’ Alquimie de Jean de Mehun, philosophe, tres—excellent.
Traduict de Latin on François, A Paris, 1613, pp. 36-39, to which is
also attached, the Petit Commentaire de L’Hortulain, philosophe, dict
des Jardins maritimes, sur la Table d’ Esmerande d’ Hermes Trismegiste
pp. 42-64.

[112] An ancient Hindu book full of tales as well as doctrines.—[ED.]

[113] These _flashes_ of thought are not unknown even in the scientific
world, as, where in such a moment of lunacy, it was revealed to an
English scientist, that there must be iron in the sun; and Edison gets
his ideas thus.—[ED.]

[114] The careful student will remember that Jacob Bœhme speaks of
the “harsh and bitter anguish of nature which is the principle that
produces bones and all corporification.” So here the master, it
appears, tells the fortunate chela, that in the spiritual and mental
world, anxiety, harsh and bitter, raises a veil before us and prevents
us from using our memory. He refers, it would seem, to the other memory
above the ordinary. The correctness and value of what was said in this,
must be admitted when we reflect that, after all, the whole process of
development is the process of _getting back the memory of the past_.
And that too is the teaching found in pure Buddhism as well also as in
its corrupted form.—[ED.]

[115] The mystic syllable OM.—[ED.]

[116] There is some reference here apparently to the Upanishad, for
they contain a teacher’s directions to break through all shrines until
the last one is reached.—[ED.]

[117] See _Bagavad-Gita_ where the whole poem turns upon the
conflict in this battle field, which is called the “sacred plain of
_Kurukshetra_” meaning, the “body which is acquired by Karma.”—[ED.]

[118] Arabian Soc. in the Middle Age.—D’Ohsson describing the Turkish
Dervishes gives another account.

[119] Emerson.

AUM

Every period of soul is measured by time. The period of other
souls indeed is measured by a certain time; but that of the first
soul, since it is measured by time, is measured by the whole of
time.—_Proklos’ Elements of Theology._

Time, like a seven-wheeled, seven-naved car, moves on; His rolling
wheels are all the worlds. His axle is immortality.—_Atharva Veda._

The moving finger writes, and having writ,
Moves on, nor all your piety and wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.—_The Rubaiyat._

THE PATH.

VOL. I. OCTOBER, 1886. NO. 7.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

WHAT IS THE “THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY”?

AN OPINION IN REGARD TO WHAT IT OUGHT TO BE.

[BY A MEMBER.]

I am often asked by strangers who have heard some accounts of the
doings of the Theosophists: What is the Theosophical Society, and
what is its purpose? Some believe it to be a sect, in which no
opinion is suffered to exist unless it is first sanctioned by certain
“Headquarters” or “Boards of Control”; others believe it to be a school
for occultism and witchcraft; others think that it is a new form of
Buddhism, coming under some disguise to overthrow Christianity, while
some of those who do not belong to the Christian church suspect it of
being an effort to spread Christian doctrines among them by clothing
them in some new and more acceptable form. Nearly everyone of such
inquirers sees in the T. S. only a bug-bear, and there are all sorts of
opinions except the right one prevailing about it.

To all such objections I can only answer by showing to them the printed
“Rules of the Theosophical Society,” where under the head “Objects of
the Society,” it says: “_The Society represents no particular religious
creed, interferes with no man’s caste, is entirely unsectarian and
includes professors of all faiths._” This sounds so beautifully, that
people who have been accustomed all their life to cling to creeds and
dogmas and “recognized authorities” are unable to believe that it can
be true. Moreover the objectors have heard of “Boards of Control,”
of “Presidential Orders,” of “Official Organs,” etc., and all these
things have such an air of sectarianism, that they seem to be hardly
compatible with the spirit of freedom, so loudly proclaimed by the
T. S. It is asked: What has a “Board of Control” to control? Who
enforces obedience to presidential orders? Does the official organ
promulgate the dogmas of the sect; and if not, what then is the use of
these things? It seems therefore time that we should once more consider
what the T. S. is, or what it ought to be.

It must be plain to every lover of truth, that, however great the
progress may be, which modern civilization has made in regard to the
material and temporal welfare of man, the world is still far from
having attained physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual perfection.
Disease and crime, suffering and death, poverty, tyranny and ignorance
are still in existence, and although there are many organized bodies,
whose purpose it is to do good and to cure the ills of humanity,
still the majority of such bodies are hampered to a certain extent
by old beliefs, usages, creeds and superstitions, their activity is
not sufficiently free, because their opinions are not free; they may
benefit a certain class of humanity, but not all mankind; they know
perhaps a part of the truth, but not all of it; their charity extends
over a small circle, but not over the whole world. The root of all evil
is ignorance, with its children, superstition, fear, crime and disease;
the only remedy against ignorance is to spread the knowledge of truth.

There have been at all times men and societies, willing to spread _that
which they believe to be the truth_, by all means which were at their
command, whether fair or foul; there have been people ready to force
their opinions in regard to the truth upon others, by the power of
the sword, the faggot, the rack and the fire; but the truth cannot be
spread in this manner. Real knowledge of the good, the beautiful and
the true can only be attained by obtaining the knowledge of self, and
the knowledge of self must grow in every individual in the course of
his development. It can no more be implanted by others or be forced
upon another, than a tree be made to grow by pulling its trunk. The
object of the true Theosophist is therefore to attain self-knowledge,
and to employ the knowledge which he possesses, for the purpose of
accomplishing the greatest good.

There is perhaps not a single country upon the face of the earth,
in which may not be found a number of persons, who desire to obtain
self-knowledge, to find the truth by means of a free and unrestricted
investigation, and to employ their knowledge for the benefit of
humanity. There are persons who desire to see true progress in the
place of stagnation, knowledge in the place of accepted but still
dubious opinions, wisdom in the place of sophistry, universal love and
benevolence in the place of selfishness. Such men and women may be
found here and there, and each one acts in the way he considers the
best. Some work by means of the school, others by means of the pulpit;
some teach science, others influence the sense of the beautiful and
true by their works of art, others speak the powerful language of
music; but the most advanced of these give an example to others by
their own Christlike conduct in the affairs of every-day life.

The great majority of such persons, interested in the welfare of
humanity, live isolated although they may be residing in crowded
cities; for they find few who share their mode of feeling and thought
and who have identical objects in view. They are often living
in communities where little more but selfishness, the greed for
money-making or perhaps bigotry and superstition are found. They are
isolated and without the support of those who sympathize with their
ideas; for although one universal principle unites all those who have
the same object in view; still their persons are unknown to each other
and they seldom find means for mutual intercourse and exchange of
thought.

Now let us suppose that in each country a centre of communication were
to be established, by means of which such persons could come into
contact with each other, and that at each such centre a journal or
newspaper were to be established, by means of which such persons could
exchange their thoughts;—not a centre from which supreme wisdom was
to be dispensed and from whence dogmas were to be doled out for the
unthinking believers; but a centre through which the thought of the
members of the society could freely flow; and we could then have an
ideal “Theosophical Society.” Such a centre would resemble a central
telephone station to which all the different wires extend, and it would
require a trustworthy servant at the office to connect the wires and
to attend to the _external_ affairs connected with the affairs of the
office; but if such a “telephone operator” would attempt to interfere
with the messages running over the wires, and to assume an authority to
say what kinds of opinions should be wired and what messages should be
suppressed; if he were to assume the role of a dictator and permit only
such messages to pass over the wires as would be in harmony with his
own ideas; then the object of the centre of communication would come to
nought; we would again have papal dictates and presidential orders in
the place of liberty of thought and speech, and there would be an end
of the object and purpose of the society.

But on the other hand, if every unripe mind were to be permitted to
have his effusions printed at the expense of the society, and to teach
things, which perhaps a few months afterwards, having learned to
know better, he would be sorry to think that they had ever seen the
light, such a proceeding would throw discredit upon the society and be
moreover altogether impracticable.

Our “telephone operator” should therefore be a man possessed of the
greatest circumspection and discrimination, and while he should never
interfere with the expression of any opinion, no matter how much
opposed the latter may be to his own opinion, he should at the same
time be permitted to cut down the messages sent over his wires to
certain limits and to present them, if necessary, in a more suitable
form.

As regards the liberty of speech, it would be an absurdity if such a
society were to attempt to prescribe to any of its members what kind
of opinions or dogmas he should express; because whatever opinions
he may pronounce, they could never be regarded as being the opinions
of the society as a whole; for the society as such _“represents no
particular creed” and “is entirely unsectarian.”_ If in spite of this
solemn assertion anyone chooses to believe that the opinions publicly
expressed by a member of the society represent the creed of the
society, such an unfortunate circumstance can only be deplored, but
will do no serious harm. On the other hand if a “president” or “board
of control” should attempt to preside over more important things than
merely over the meetings of the members, and if a “board of control”
would attempt to control the conscience and the opinions of the
members, instead of merely exercising its control over the external
affairs of the society; and if an “official organ” would attempt to
postulate what ought and what ought not to be believed by the members
of the society, such a proceeding would be in direct opposition
to the spirit, the object and the purpose of that society, and in
contradiction to the principles upon which it was founded; and while it
should be the object of every lover of truth to assist the growth of a
true “Theosophical Society,” and to maintain its purity of principle,
it should also be his aim to suffocate in the germ everything that is
opposed to liberty and freedom of speech.

I beg every member of the Theosophical Society to well consider these
points, for upon their consideration and decision, depends the solution
of the question, whether the Theosophical Society shall end in a farce,
or whether it shall be the great movement which it was intended to be.
F. HARTMANN.
_Kemplen (Bavaria), Aug. 23, 1886._

APOLLONIUS AND THE MAHATMAS.

[READ BEFORE THE MALDEN BRANCH, T. S.]

The journey to India made by the great adept, Apollonius of Tyana, has
a special interest for us modern students of occultism. The story of
this journey, related in the life of Apollonius by Philostratus, has
been held by many to be a fable, and Mr. Tredwell, in his laudable
work, omits any account of it. To an earnest Theosophist, however,
the internal evidence of the narration is too strong to be resisted,
although it is told at third hand probably with the adornments which an
accomplished Greek author thought needful for the requisite grace of
style.

Apollonius may perhaps be said to have been the Master whose mission
was to set the temples in order for the departure of the glorious
classic era. Born in the same century as Jesus of Nazareth, nowhere did
the teachings of the two, so far as it appears, come into open contact,
although the fame of the former spread far and wide in Europe, Asia and
Africa during his lifetime. It is said, however, that although no creed
bears his name, his work in the world was nevertheless immense and his
teachings have, in many unperceived ways, influenced millions of human
beings down to the present day.

Apollonius was still a young man when he went to India, but even then
he was famous for his wisdom. He had been sent, as a boy of fourteen
years, to school in Tarsus by his wealthy father, but he did not like
the ways of that city and he was allowed to remove to Aegæ, also in
Sicily, where he studied the great philosophers and was specially drawn
to the teachings of Pythagoras. At the age of sixteen he fully adopted
the Pythagorean life and held firmly to it ever after, letting his
hair grow long, eating no flesh, and drinking no wine, and wearing no
clothing made of animal products. He took up his abode in the temple
of Asclepius, and thousands were attracted thither by the wisdom of
the wonderfully beautiful youth. Grown to manhood, he made a vow of
silence and spoke not a word for five years. Then for a time he taught
in Antioch. When asked how the wise man should treat questions of
learning, he replied: “Like the law-giver. For the law-giver must make
that, of whose truth he has convinced himself, into commandments for
the multitude.”

He now conceived the idea of a journey to India to meet the wise men
known as Brahmins and Hyrkanians. He afterwards told the Egyptian
Gymnosophists that his thoughts were directed to them in his youth, but
his teacher pointed out to him that in India lived the men who stood
nearest the source of wisdom, and from whom the Egyptians themselves
derived their light.

His seven disciples in Antioch had not the courage to undertake the
journey with him, and he departed with two of his family servants, “one
for writing rapidly and the other finely,” according to Philostratus.
At Ninus he was joined by Damis the Ninivite. This young Assyrian was
thenceforth his devoted disciple, accompanying him on all his many
journeys throughout his long career. It is to Damis that we chiefly owe
the detailed accounts of the doings of the Master thenceforward. We are
thereby enabled to see Apollonius in his daily life; in his various
deeds and actions, his familiar sayings recorded as he talks with his
faithful companion about the common sights and occurrences around them.
The picture is therefore exceptionally intimate, and the man himself
is brought near to us as well as his divine teachings. When Damis was
reproached for writing down such trifles about his master, and compared
with a dog devouring the crumbs from a table, he replied: “When the
gods are feasting they doubtless have servants who take care that no
crumbs of ambrosia are lost.”

A year and eight months were spent in Babylon, where King Bardanus,
who was a friend of wisdom, received Apollonius with great honors.
Considerable intercourse was had with the Magi; he learnt something of
them and also taught them something. Damis was forbidden to accompany
him in his visits to them, but he said that Apollonius visited them
at noon and at midnight. Once Damis asked “What are the Magi?” and
was answered, “They are indeed wise, but not in everything.” The King
became ill, and Apollonius spoke so much and so divinely about the soul
that the monarch said to those around: “Apollonius not only relieves me
of concern for the Kingdom, but also for Death.”

Apollonius, in departing, refused all gifts, but the King provided him
with camels and all things needful for the journey. When the King asked
what he would bring him from India he replied. “A joyful gift, O King!
For if intercourse with the men there makes me wiser, I shall come back
to thee better than I now am.”

Upon this the King embraced him and said: “May’st thou but come; for
this gift is great.”

They crossed what they called the Caucasus mountains, separating India
and Medea. May it not be that from this ancient designation we get
the name of the Caucasian race, rather than from what is now known as
the Caucasus? This would make the place of origin identical with that
commonly ascribed to the Aryans.

Crossing the Indus they soon came to Taxila, which they called the
capital of India. It is difficult to trace out their exact course, the
present names of most geographical features being quite different from
the designations given by Damis. It would probably require a thorough
Occultist to tell just what places they did visit. King Phraotes
was the ruler at Taxila, and in him Apollonius found an initiate.
The latter was struck with the modest simplicity of the monarch’s
surroundings on entering the palace, and inferred that he must be a
philosopher. The King told Apollonius the course which a youth took
who proposed to dedicate himself to the pursuit of Wisdom. When he had
reached his 18th year he had to cross the Hyphasis river to those men
who had attracted Apollonius to India. Beforehand, however, he had to
make his intention publicly known, in order that he might be restrained
in case he was not pure. To be pure one had to be without blemish in
respect to father and mother, and moreover with an upright ancestry for
three generations. If without fault in this respect the youth himself
was then examined as to whether he had a good memory, whether he was
naturally inclined to uprightness or would only have it appear so,
whether given to drink or gluttony, of boastful habits, evil or foolish
ways, whether obedient to father, mother and instructors, and finally
if he had made no evil use of the bloom of his youth. “Since wisdom
stands in great esteem here,” said the King, “and is honored by the
Indians, it is of great moment that those who seek to devote themselves
unto it should be carefully examined and made to undergo thousandfold
tests.”
B.
(_Concluded in November._)

SUFISM,

OR THEOSOPHY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF MOHAMMEDANISM.

_A Chapter from a MS. work designed as a text book for Students in
Mysticism._

BY C. H. A. BJERREGAARD, _Stud. Theos._

In Two Parts:—Part I, Texts; Part II, Symbols.

(CONTINUED.)

PART II.—SYMBOLS.

The practical expounder and preachers of Sufism are the Dervishes, the
monks of Islam.

_Zaous Abou Add er-Rahman_, of Persian origin, but born in Yemen,
led the way. He had passed his early youth in the society of Zein el
Abidin, the son of Hasan, and grandson of Ali, and the first of that
family who in life and writing professed the mystical ideas and austere
practices, which ever afterwards distinguished the race. Abou-Horeirah,
the devoutest of Mohammed’s own companions, and Ebn Abbas were also
his masters. He took up his abode at Mecca, the centre of religious
feeling, and soon Zaous’ influence began to appear among the crowd of
pilgrims from all parts of the Mohammedan empire; they began to imitate
his long prayers, his fasts, and extreme poverty, and above all his
open contempt for all worldly dignity and rank, and many adopted the
peculiarity of his dress, the long and patched garment and the high
woollen cap, both of which later became so characteristic of the Sufi.

One of his most distinguished followers was _Hasan Yesar_, like Zaous,
of Persian origin, but born in Arabia, in Medinah. Having received his
liberty (he was born after his mother had become a slave of Omm Salma,
one of the numerous wives of the Prophet), he retired to Basra, on the
Persian Gulf, a town known for its attachment to the family of Ali and
their doctrines, and henceforth a stronghold of the ascetic sect. His
life proved the truth and strength of his doctrines, and Basra was now
their headquarters.

_Malik Ebn Dinar_, a Persian, and a slave by birth, known for his love
of manual labor, poverty and humility, next appears as chief among the
ascetics of his age.

_Omar Abou Othman_, was a disciple of Hasan Yesar and also an
inhabitant of Basra. Hasan Yesar described him as one worthy of angels
and prophets for preceptors and guides, one who never exhorted save to
what he had first put in practice, nor deterred from anything except
what he himself inviolably abstained from. He was a vigorous asserter
of man’s free-will.

About the same time _Omar Abou Durr_ at Coufa and _Sofein Abou Abd
Allah_ displayed similar examples of austerity and virtue, and so did
_Hammad Abou Ismail_, son of the celebrated Abou Hanifah, Abd Allah
Meroujï, and _Mohammed Ebn es Semmak_.

But whether at Mecca or at Basra, the various ascetics already
mentioned, and the many not mentioned; whatever personal influence they
exercised, and virtues they possessed, they did not form a particular
and distinct association or brotherhood. No common rule united them,
nor did they group themselves around any superior or chief, as yet.

But the next prominent man among them was not only a remarkable man
as an ascetic, but also the father and founder of all the numerous
Dervish family. His name was _Fodheil Abou Ali Zalikani_. He was
born of Persian parents and spent his youth as a highway robber. One
night he had scaled the walls of a house where the girl of whom he
was enamored dwelt, and concealed on the roof, awaited the moment to
descend and gratify his passion. But while thus occupied he heard a
voice repeating the well-known verse of the Quran: “Is it not high time
for those who believe to open their hearts to compunction?” “Lord, it
is high time indeed,” replied Fodheil; and leaving the house, as well
as his evil design, he retired to a half-ruined caravansarai not far
off, there to pass the rest of the night. Several travellers were at
the moment lodged in the caravansarai, and, concealed by the darkness,
he overheard their conversation: “Let us start on our journey,” said
one; and the others answered: “Let us wait till morning, for the robber
Fodheil is out on the roads.” This completed the conversion of the
already repentant highwayman. He advanced towards the travellers, and,
discovering himself to them, assured them that henceforth neither they
nor any others should have aught to fear from him. He then stripped
himself of his weapons and worldly gear, put on a patched and tattered
garment, and passed the rest of his life in wandering from place to
place, in the severest penitence and in extreme poverty, sometimes
alone, sometimes with numerous disciples, whom he took under his
direction, and formed into a strict and organized brotherhood. But
with all his austerity of life, his prolonged fasts and watchings, his
ragged dress and wearisome pilgrimages, he preferred the practice of
interior virtue and purity of intention to all outward observances,
and used often to say that “he who is modest and compliant to others,
and lives in meekness and patience, gains a higher reward by so doing
than if he fasted all his days, and watched in prayer all his nights.”
At so high a price did he place obedience to a spiritual guide, and
so necessary did he deem it, that he declared: “Had I a promise of
whatever I should ask in prayer, yet would I not offer that prayer save
in union with a superior.” But his favorite virtue was the love of
God in perfect conformity to his will, above all hope and fear. Thus
when his only son—whose virtues resembled his father’s—died in early
age, Fodheil was seen with a countenance of unusual cheerfulness; and
being asked by his intimate disciple Ragi Abou Ali, afterwards Kadhi of
the town of Rei, the reason therefor, he answered: “It was God’s good
pleasure, and it is therefore my good pleasure also.” We must notice
one more of his famous sentences: “Much is he beguiled who serves
God from fear or hope, for this true service is for mere love;” and,
speaking of himself: “I serve God because I cannot help serving Him for
very love’s sake.”

Fodheil died in the year 187 of the Hegira. His disciple was _Ibrahim
Ebn Adhem_, son of noble parents and also a Persian by birth, and he
is an example upon the forbearance under injury and reluctance to have
their right manifested, so prominent amongst the disciples of Fodheil.

After the death of Fodheil the supreme direction of the brotherhood
was vested in _Bishar el Hafi_, a native of Meron and inhabitant of
Bagdad. When young he had, like Fodheil, led a reckless life, till one
day walking in the streets he saw written on a piece of paper, torn and
trampled on by the feet of the passers-by, the name of God. He picked
it up and, having cleaned it to the best of his ability, took it home
and placed it out of the reach of further profanation. The same night
he heard a voice saying to him; “Bishar, thou has honoured my name.
I will accordingly render thy name honourable in this world and in
that to come.” He awoke from sleep a changed man, and began a new life
of penance and virtue. The name Hafi signifies _barefoot_. He walked
barefooted. His greatest trial was from the veneration of man: “O God,”
he used to say, “save me from this honour, the requital of which may
perchance be confusion in another life.”

Our space forbids us to dwell upon the Egyptian ascetics who helped to
lay the foundation for the future Sufism. We pass by them and dwell
mainly with the Persian representatives.

About this time—the beginning of the fourth century—two events occurred
of greatest importance in the history we are narrating. The Samanide
princes had gained ascendency in the empire over the Abbaside Caliphs.
All the princes of the Samanide race were remarkable for their piety
and patronage of learning. _Nasser Ebn Ahmed_, signalized himself by
his love of retirement and religious meditation. He founded an oratory
at Bokhara which soon became the resort of the now numerous ascetics,
and soon other similar institutions arose throughout the country and
_the dervishes of the East now took on them their permanent name and
manner of life_.

The other event which characterized this era was the outbreak of open
heterodoxy among the ascetics. Hitherto they had concealed their tenets
and practices, opposed as they were to the prevailing system, much
after the fashion of Ali Zein el Abidin, grandson of the famous Ali,
grand-master of the secret order:

“Above all things I conceal the precious jewel of my knowledge,
Lest the uninitiated should behold it, and be bewildered;
Ah, how many a rare jewel of this kind, should I openly display it,
Men would say to me: ‘Thou art one of the worshippers of idols;’
And Zealous Muslims would set my blood at price,
Deeming the worst of crimes an acceptable and virtuous action.”

After these ascetics had learned their strength from their union they
began to take part in politics and worked zealously with that party
that wished to overthrow the family and religion of Mohammed and place
Ali and mysticism in their stead. They accordingly soon had martyrs
in their ranks. Thus died at Bagdad the famous _Hosain Abou Meghith
el Halladj_. To his school belonged the three giants of learning and
piety: Abd-el-Kadir el Ghilani, Mohi ed Din Ebn-Aarabi el Moghrebi, and
Omar Ebn el Faridh. We pen a few of his words:

“I am He whom I love, and He whom I love is I;
We are two spirits, inhabiting one outward frame:
And when you behold me, you behold Him,
And when you behold Him, you behold us twain.”

He taught the freedom of the human will and wrote the following satire
on the predestinarian system of Islam:

“What can man do, if the decrees of predestination surround him,
Binding him in his every state? answer me, O learned professor.
He (_i. e._, as if He, that is God) cast him into the ocean, bound
hand and foot, and then said to him,
Woe to you, woe to you, should you get wet with the water.”

He it is who thus in his verse addresses God:

“I love Thee with a twofold love, the love of friendship,
And the love grounded on this alone, that Thou art worthy of it.
But as to that my love which is the love of friendship,
It is a love which leaves me no thought for any save Thee;
And as to the love of Thee according to Thy worthiness,
O raise from betwixt us the vail, that I may behold Thee.
Nor is any praise due to me either for this or for that (love),
But to Thee alone the praise both for this and that.”

Halladj’s three famous disciples gave their names to the three
principal brotherhoods among the Mohammedans, and their work remains to
this day.

_Abd-el-Kadir el Ghilani_ was a Persian by birth and resided at Bagdad.
Nobody doubted that he was the Kothb of his time, and as such he
announced himself in his ecstatic state, though ordinarily he strove
to conceal himself under the veil of a mean and despicable appearance.
He founded the order of the Qadiriyah which association counted in its
ranks some of the greatest names among Eastern mystics and poets. The
doctrine of the order was that of Hosein el Halladj, whom he taught the
order to look upon as their master, though their doctrine was commonly
veiled under a seemingly orthodox terminology. They subsist to this day
and are counted among the most prominent.

M. D’hosson in his celebrated work on the Ottoman empire traces the
origin of the Faquirs to the time of Mohammed in the following manner:
In the first year of the Hegira, forty-five citizens of Mecca joined
themselves to many others from Medina. They took an oath of fidelity
to the doctrines of their Prophet, and formed a sect or fraternity,
the object of which was to establish among themselves a community of
property, and to perform every day certain religious practices in a
spirit of penitence and mortification. To distinguish themselves from
other Mohammedans, they took the name of Sufis. This name, which later
was attributed to the most zealous partizans of Islam, is the same
still in use to indicate any Muselman who retires from the world to
study, to lead a life of pious contemplation, and to follow the most
painful exercises of an exaggerated devotion. To the name of Sufi they
added also that of Faquir, because their maxim was to renounce the
goods of the earth, and to live in an entire abnegation of all worldly
enjoyments, following thereby the words of the Prophet: “Poverty is my
pride.” Following their example, _Abu Bakr and Ali_ established, even
during the lifetime of the Prophet and under his own eyes, religious
orders, over which each presided, with Zikrs or peculiar religious
exercises, established by them separately, and a vow taken by each
of the voluntary disciples forming them. On his decease, Abu Bakr
made over his office of president to one _Salmann l-Farisi_, and Ali
to _al-Hasann l-Basri_, and each of these charges were consecrated
under the title of _Khalifah_, or successor. The two first successors
followed the example of the Khalifahs of Islam, and transmitted it
to their successors, and these in turn to others, the most aged and
venerable of their fraternity. Some among them, led by the delirium
of the imagination, wandered away from the primitive rules of their
society, and converted, from time to time, these fraternities into a
multitude of religious orders. * * * It was about A. H. 49 (A. D. 766)
that the Shaikh Alwan, a mystic renowned for his religious fervor,
founded the first regular order of the Faquirs, now known as the
Alwaniyah.

The Bastamiyah, the Nagshbandiyah, and the Bakhtashiyah descend from
the original order established by Abu Bakr. All the others come from
Ali.

THE FAQUIRS OR DERVISHES.

The Arabic word _Faqir_ signifies _poor_, poor in the sense of being
in need of mercy, poor in the sight of God. The Persian equivalent
_Darvish_ is derived from _dar_ “a door”—those who “beg from door to
door.”

The dervishes are, as stated before, the _practical_ expounders of
Mohammedanism. They are divided into two great classes, the _ba Shara_
(with the law), or those who govern their conduct according to the
principles of Islam: and the _be Shara_ (without the law), or those
who do not rule their lives according to the formal principles of any
religious creed, although they call themselves Muslims. To the latter,
the Sufis principally belong. These Faquirs are called either _Azad_,
the free, or _Majnub_, the absorbed. The former shave their beards,
whiskers, eyebrows, etc., and live a life of celibacy.

Every school and every brotherhood has its own distinctive teachings
and technicalities, and its peculiar practices and observances, its
saints and doctors, great men and founders.

A student will also readily discover a different character in Arabic
and Persian Sufism. The Arabic being nearer to Christianity takes up
much from it, but moulds it in its peculiar way; the Persian being
nearer the traditions of Zoroaster and in immediate contact with
Manechaism, naturally borrows from thence. Thus the “pantheistic”
tendencies, such as Divine absorption, universal manifestation of the
Deity under the seeming appearances of limited forms, the final return
of all things to the unity of God, a tendency to regard matter as evil,
the reprobation of marriage, etc.—these were ideas that rose from
Persian soil, while the ideas of a radiant Divinity mediating between
the supreme fountain-head of Being and the created world; of an
all-prevading Spirit of love; of detachment from the world; of poverty,
humility, etc., were more akin to Christian belief.

Still Saadis’ description applies to all: “The outward tokens of a
dervish are a patched garment and a shaven head; and the inward signs,
those of being alive in the spirit, and dead in the flesh:—‘not he who
will sit apart from his fellow-creatures at the door of supplication
with God; and, if he shall reject his prayer, will stand up in
disobedience; or if a millstone come rolling down a mountain, he is not
intelligent in the ways of providence, that would rise to avoid it.’

“The ritual of the Dervishes is gratitude and praise, worship and
obedience, contentment and charity, and a belief in the unity and
providence of God, having a reliance on and being resigned to his will,
confident of his favour, and forbearant of all: whosoever is endowed
with these qualifications is in truth a dervish, notwithstanding he be
arrayed in gorgeous apparel: whereas, the irreligious and hypocritical
vainboaster, sensualist, and whoremonger, who turn days into nights in
his slavish indulgences, and converts nights into days in his dreams of
forgetfulness; who eats whatever falls in his way, and speaks whatever
comes uppermost, is a profligate, though clothed in the sackcloth of a
saint.——”

The dervishes differ, says A. Vambery,[120] from each other only by the
manner in which they demonstrate their enthusiasm; still the more we
penetrate towards the East, the greater is the purity with which they
have been preserved. In Persia the dervishes play a much more important
part than in Turkey, and in Central Asia, isolated as it has been from
the rest of the world for centuries, this fraternity is still in full
vigor, and exercises a great influence upon society.

According to A. Vambery, the _Bektashi_, _Mevlevi_, and _Rufai_ orders
are principally found in Turkey; the _Kadrie_ and _Djelali_ in Arabia;
the _Oveisi_ and the _Nurbakhchi Nimetullahi_ in Persia; the _Khilali_
and _Zahibi_ in India, and the _Nakishbendi_ and _Sofi_ (a recent
order) in Central Asia.

According to Th. P. Hughes[121] the following are the chief orders of
Faqirs met with in North India: (1) The _Naqshbandia_, the followers
of Khwajah Pir Mohammed Naqshband, and are a very numerous sect; they
usually perform the Zikr-i-Khafi[122] or the silent devotion. (2) The
_Qadiria_ sprung from the celebrated Sayyid Abdul Qadir, surnamed
Pir Dustagir, whose shrine is at Bagdad. They practice both forms of
the Zikr. Most of the Sunni Moulavis of the north-west frontier of
India are members of this order. In Egypt it is most popular among
the fisherman. (3) The _Chishtia_ are followers of Banda Nawaz, whose
shrine is at Calburgah; they are partial to vocal music, for the
founder of the order remarked, that singing was the food and support
of the soul. They perform the Zikr-i-Jali. (4) The _Jalalia_ founded
by Sayyid Jalal-ud-din of Bokhara; they are met with in Central Asia.
Religious mendicants are often of this order. (5) The _Sarwardia_ are
popular in Afganistan and comprise many learned men. They are the
followers of Hasan Bisri of Basra, near Bagdad. These five are all
ba-Shara Faqirs.

The be-Shara Faqirs are very numerous. The most popular order is that
of the _Mudaria_, founded by Zinda Shah Murdar of Syria, whose shrine
is at Mukanpur, in Oudh. From these have sprung the _Malang_ Faqirs who
crowd the bazaars of India. They wear their hair matted or tied in a
knot. The _Rafia_ order is also a numerous one in some parts of India.
They practice the most severe discipline and mortify themselves by
scourging.

The secrets of the dervish orders cannot be learned. An initiation is
described in Lane’s Society is the Middle Ages and the following is
another.

The following is the account of the admission of Tewekkul Bêg into the
order of the Qadiriyahfaqirs, one of the four most prominent ones, by
Moolla Shah, a Saint and poet of some celebrity, who died in the year
of the Hegira 1072 (1661-62 of our era), at Lahore, where his shrine
was reared by the Princess Fatima, daughter of Shah-Jihan. Tewekkul is
himself the narrator:

“Having been introduced, by means of Akhônd Mollâ Mohammed Say’d
into the intimate circle of Mollâ Shah, my heart through frequent
intercourse with the Sheikh was filled with a burning desire of
reaching the sublime goal [of the mystical science], and I no longer
found sleep by night nor rest by day * * I passed the whole of that
night without being able to shut my eyes, and betook myself to reciting
a hundred thousand times the one hundred and twelfth chapter of the
Qoran. I accomplished this in several days. It is well known that in
this chapter of the Qoran the great Name of God is contained, and
that through the power of that Name, whoever recites it a hundred
thousand times may obtain all that he desires. I conceived then the
wish that the Master should bestow his affection upon me. And, in
fact, I convinced myself of the efficacy of this means, for hardly had
I finished the hundred thousandth recitation of this chapter of the
book of God, when the heart of the Master was filled with sympathy
for me, and he gave order to Senghin Mohammed, his vicar, to conduct
me on the following night to his presence. During that whole night he
concentrated his mind upon me, while I directed my meditation upon my
own heart; but the knot of my heart was not unloosed. So passed three
nights, during which he made me the object of his spiritual attention,
without any result being manifested. On the fourth night Mollâ Shâh
said, ‘This night Mollâ Senghin and Sâlih Bêg, who are both very
susceptible to ecstatic emotions, will direct their whole mind upon the
neophyte.’ They obeyed this order, while I remained seated the whole
night, my face turned towards Mecca, at the same time concentrating all
my mental faculties upon my own heart. Towards daybreak, a little light
and brightness came into my heart, but I could distinguish neither
form nor color. After morning prayer I presented myself, and the two
persons I have just mentioned, before the Master who saluted me and
asked them what they had done to me. They replied: ‘Ask him, himself.’
Then, addressing me, he told me to relate to him my impressions. I said
that I had seen a brightness in my heart; whereupon the Sheikh became
animated, and said to me: ‘Thy heart contains an infinity of colors,
but it is become so dark that the looks of these two crocodiles of the
infinite ocean [the mystic science] have not availed to bestow upon
it either brightness or clearness; the moment is come when I myself
will show thee how it is enlightened.’ With these words he made me
sit in front of him, while my senses were, so to speak, inebriated,
and ordered me to reproduce within me his appearance. Then, having
blindfolded me, he bade me concentrate all my mental faculties upon
my heart. I obeyed, and in an instant, by the divine favor and the
spiritual assistance of the Sheikh, my heart was opened. I saw then
within me something like a cup, turned upside down; and this object
having been turned up again, a feeling of illimitable happiness filled
my whole being. I said to the Master, ‘This cell, where I am sitting
before you—I see a faithful reproduction of it within me, and it seems
as if another Téwekkul Bêg were seated before another Mollâ Shâh.‘ He
answered, ‘It is well; the first vision which presents itself to thy
view is the figure of the Master.’ * * * He next bade me uncover my
eyes, which I did, and I then saw him, by the material organ of vision,
seated in front of me. Again he made me bandage them, and I perceived
him by my spiritual vision, seated in front of me just the same. Full
of wonder I cried out, ‘O my Master, whether I look with my bodily
eyes or my spiritual vision, it is always you that I see.’ Meanwhile
I saw advance towards me a dazzling figure, and upon my telling the
Master of it, he bade me ask the apparition its name. In my spirit I
put to it that question, and the figure answered me by the voice of
the heart, ‘My name is Abd Alkâdir Glilâny.’ I heard this answer by my
spiritual ear. The Master then advised me to pray the Saint to give me
his spiritual help and succor. I made this petition; and the apparition
said to me, ‘I had already granted to thee my spiritual assistance;
hence it is that the knots of thy heart have been loosed.’ Full of deep
gratitude, I imposed on myself the obligation of reciting every Friday
night the whole Qoran in honor of this great Saint, and for two whole
years I never neglected this practice. Mollâ Shâh then said, ‘The
spiritual world has been shown to thee in all its beauty: remain there
seated, effacing thyself completely in the marvels of this unknown
world.’

“I obeyed strictly the directions of my Master, and, day by day, the
spiritual world became more and more unveiled before me. The next day I
saw the figures of the Prophet and his chief Companions, and legions of
Saints and Angels passed before my inner vision. Three months passed in
this manner, after which the sphere where all color is effaced opened
before me, and then all the figures disappeared. During all this time
the Master ceased not to explain to me the doctrine of the union with
God and of mystical intuition. But, nevertheless, the Absolute Reality
would not show itself to me. It was not until after a year that the
knowledge of the Absolute Reality, in its relation with the conception
of my own existence came to me. The following verses revealed
themselves at that moment to my heart, whence they passed unbidden to
my lips:—

‘That this corruptible frame was other than water and dust
I knew not: the powers of the heart and the soul and the body I knew
not,
Woe is me! that so much of my life without Thee has for ever fled
from me.
Thou wert I; but dark was my heart: I knew not the secret transcendent.’

“I submitted to Mollâ Shâh this poetical inspiration, and he rejoiced
that the idea of the union with God was at last manifested to my heart;
and addressing his disciples, he said: ‘Tèwekkul Bêg has heard from
my mouth the words of the doctrine of the union with God, and he will
never betray the mystery. His inner eye is opened; the sphere of color
and images is shown to him, and at last the sphere where all color is
effaced has been revealed to him. Whoever after having passed through
these phases of the union with God, has obtained the Absolute Reality,
shall no more be led astray, whether by his own doubts or by those
which sceptics may suggest to him.”

(_To be continued._)

MUSINGS ON THE TRUE THEOSOPHIST’S PATH.

II.

“Work as those work who are ambitious.—Respect life as those do who
desire it.—Be happy as those are who live for happiness.”—_Light on
the Path._

We are tried in wondrous ways, and in the seemingly unimportant affairs
of life, there often lie the most dangerous of the temptations.

Labor, at best, is frequently disagreeable owing either to mental or
physical repugnance. When he who seeks the upward path, begins to find
it, labor grows more burdensome, while at the time, he is, owing to his
physical condition, not so well fitted to struggle with it. This is
all true, but there must be no giving in to it. It must be forgotten.
He _must work_, and if he cannot have the sort he desires or deems
best suited to him, then must he take and perform that which presents
itself. It is that which he most needs. It is not intended either, that
he do it to have it done. It is intended that he work as if it was the
object of his life, as if his whole heart was in it. Perhaps he may be
wise enough to know that there is something else, or that the future
holds better gifts for him, still this also must to all intents be
forgotten, while he takes up his labor, as if there were no to-morrow.

Remember that life is the outcome of the Ever-Living. If you have
come to comprehend a little of the mystery of life, and can value its
attractions according to their worth; these are no reasons why you
should walk forth with solemn countenance to blight the enjoyments of
other men. Life to them is as real, as the mystery is to you. Their
time will come as yours has, so hasten it for them, if you can, by
making life brighter, more joyous, better.

If it be your time to fast, put on the best raiment you have, and go
forth, not as one who fasts, but as one who lives for life.

Do your sighing and crying within you. If you can not receive the small
events of life and their meanings without crying them out to all the
world, think you that you are fitted to be trusted with the mysteries?

The doing away with one or certain articles of diet, _in itself_, will
not open the sealed portals. If this contained the key, what wise
beings must the beasts of the field be, and what a profound Mystic must
Nebuchadnezar have been, after he was “turned out to grass!”

There are some adherents of a faith, which has arisen in the land, who
deem it wise to cast away all things that are distasteful to them; to
cut asunder the ties of marriage because they deem it will interfere
with their spiritual development, or because the other pilgrim is not
progressed enough. Brothers, there lives not the man who is wise enough
to sit as a judge upon the spiritual development of any living being.
He is not only unwise but blasphemous who says to another: “Depart! you
impede my exalted spiritual development.”

The greatest of all truths lies frequently in plain sight, or veiled
in contraries. The impression has gone abroad that the Adept or the
Mystic of high degree, has only attained his station by forsaking the
association of his fellow creatures or refusing the marriage tie. It
is the belief of very wise Teachers that all men who had risen to the
highest degrees of Initiation, have at some time passed through the
married state. Many men, failing in the trials, have ascribed their
failure to being wedded, precisely as that other coward, Adam, after
being _the first transgressor_ cried out “It was Eve.”

One of the most exalted of the Divine Mysteries lies hidden
here—therefore, Oh Man, it is wise to cherish that which holds so much
of God and seek to know its meaning; not by dissolution and cutting
asunder, but by binding and strengthening the ties. Our most Ancient
Masters knew of this and Paul also speaks of it. (Ephesians v. 32.)

Be patient, kindly and wise, for perhaps in the next moment of life,
the light will shine out upon thy companion, and you discover that you
are but a blind man, claiming to see. Remember this, that you own not
one thing in this world. Your wife is but a gift, your children are
but loaned to you. All else you possess is given to you only while you
use it wisely. Your body is not yours, for Nature claims it as her
property. Do you not think, Oh Man, that it is the height of arrogance
for you to sit in judgment upon any other created thing, while you, a
beggar, are going about in a borrowed robe?

If misery, want and sorrow are thy portion for a time, be happy that it
is not death. If it is death be happy there is no more of life.

You would have wealth, and tell of the good you would do with it. Truly
will you lose your way under these conditions. It is quite probable,
that you are as rich as you ever will be, therefore, desire to do good
with what you have—and _do it_. If you have nothing, know that it is
best and wisest for you. Just so surely as you murmur and complain just
so surely will you find that “from him that hath not, shall be taken
even that which he hath.” This sounds contradictory, but in reality is
in most harmonious agreement. Work in life and the Occult are similar;
all is the result of your own effort and will. You are not rash enough
to believe that you will be lifted up into Heaven like the Prophet of
old—but you really hope some one will come along and give you a good
shove toward it.

Know then, Disciples, that you only can lift yourselves by your own
efforts. When this is done, you may have the knowledge that you will
find many to accompany you on your heretofore lonely journey; but
neither they or your Teacher will be permitted to push or pull you one
step onward.

This is all a very essential part of your preparation and trial for
Initiation.

You look and wait for some great and astounding occurrence, to show you
that you are going to be permitted to enter behind the veil; that you
are to be Initiated. It will never come. He only who studies all things
and learns from them, as he finds them, will be permitted to enter,
and for him there are no flashing lightnings or rolling thunder. He
who enters the door, does so as gently and imperceptibly, as the tide
rises in the night-time.

Live well your life. Seek to realize the meaning of every event. Strive
to find the Ever Living and wait for more light. The True Initiate
does not fully realize what he is passing through, until his degree is
received. If you are striving for light and Initiation, remember this,
that your cares will increase, your trials thicken, your family make
new demands upon you. He who can understand and pass through these
patiently, wisely, placidly—may hope.
AMERICAN MYSTIC.

POETICAL OCCULTISM.

SOME ROUGH STUDIES OF THE OCCULT LEANINGS OF THE POETS.

In the _Bagavad-Gita_ and the _Upanishads_ it is held that:

Ishwara, the Lord of all things, dwells in the heart of every mortal
being, and from that place causes the illusions of the world to appear
to man as reality.

_Light on the Path_ dwells upon the necessity of understanding your
own heart: It tells us to seek for the source of evil there, where it
lives, as fruitfully in the heart of the devoted disciple as in that of
the man of desire, and that your heart is the profoundest mystery of
all the great obscurities.

Longfellow felt this when, in _The Beleaguered City_, he sang:—

I have read, in the marvelous heart of man,
That strange and mystic scroll,
That an army of phantoms vast and wan
Beleaguer the human soul.

This verse occurs to him in connection with the old story that the
City of Prague was once beleaguered by a vast phantom army, which
camped down on the opposite bank of the river, and he likens the
human heart to Prague. Here, in the city dwells Ishwara, who, while
thus imprisoned, is beleaguered by the vast army—the phantoms of
all the acts and thoughts of the person in this and other lives.
Occultism declares with the poet, that the heart is a mystic scroll;
it is a veritable field also, in which are sown many seeds that
may lie unnoticed, not only during one life, but often for many
many incarnations, but sure to blossom forth one day under favoring
circumstances. And as they begin to grow, they evoke the phantoms of
the deeds that sowed them, and those ghostly hosts sweep round the soul
in its prison house.

In _Resignation_, Longfellow wrote: “There is no death! What seems so
is transition.”

This is one of the propositions of Occultism. The poet was writing
upon the death of the physical body of a girl much beloved, and was
considering the change which in common life is known as “death.” But
the followers of the Wisdom Religion know that this terrible change is
not really death, is not in any sense the moment of decease of even the
physical man. The visible being is a congeries of energies or elements
which are by no means all dead when the person breathes his last, nor
when the body is consigned to the grave. It is only the transition, as
Longfellow says, of the informing spirit, to another sphere of action.

The same view is taken in the _Atharva Veda_, where it says,
“Everything is transformed. Life and death are only modes of
transformation, which rule the vital molecule from plant up to Brahma
himself.”

The occult philosophy considers as death, only that process, and
period, of separation between _all_ the various elements of one’s lower
human and animal nature; so that, in the case of suicides and other
sudden and premature deaths, what occultists know as “death,” extends
over a long period of time. The moment called death by the world, is
only the time of separation between the body and the life principle,
which the Hindus call _jiva_; this is the moment when the transition
begins.

Goethe was a profound student of occultism. Its influence is to be
traced throughout his works, and a leading motive in many of his dramas
is the dominance over the lives of men of that power which we call
_Karma_. His masterpiece, _Faust_, upon which a library of commentaries
has been written, can only be truly read in the light of Occultism.
_Faust_ comes to an end with the following “Mystic Chorus” sung by the
assembled Hosts of Heaven:

All that’s impermanent
Is but a likeness.
The Unattainable
Here findeth witness;
The Indescribable,
Here is it done;
The Ever-womanly
Leadeth us on.

A wealth of occult meaning is packed into these eight closing lines of
the grand drama, which is designed to depict the course of the soul
from Heaven, through earth, back to Heaven. All that is impermanent,
or of the earth, belonging to the realm of matter, is but a likeness,
or symbol, designed for the instruction of man, who must learn to
read the lesson if he is to progress. The Unattainable in the desires
of those on and of the earth finds witness, or comes to pass, in the
realization of all aspirations in the life beyond. The indescribable
is done there, because man in the flesh has no senses adequate to
comprehend those things pertaining to a higher plane of existence. The
Ever-womanly is that which makes progress of the soul possible—the
feminine principle which attracts the masculine, or pure spirit, to
its opposite pole and thereby causes it to manifest itself. It is by
these successive manifestations that the individual is carried forward,
enriched by the experience which only thus, through the attraction
of the Ever-womanly, or eternal feminine principle, is attained. So
the Ever-womanly, or that whereby God the spirit is made manifest in
matter, is the means to lead the soul of man on its course through the
grandest possibilities of the Universe to the most exalted heights of
the Indescribable.

Wordsworth, in his _Ode on Immortality_, says:

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The soul that rises with us, our life’s star,
Had had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar.
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory, do we come
From God, who is our home.
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
Upon the growing boy;
But he beholds the light, and whence it flows—
He sees it in his joy.
The youth, who daily farther from the east
Must travel, still is nature’s priest.
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended;
At length the man perceives it die away,
And fade into the light of common day.

It is very clear here that Wordsworth is setting down the theory of
“Reincarnation.” For he says the soul had elsewhere its setting; in
order to set elsewhere, it must have had elsewhere an existence. He
also refers, quite as curiously as do Whitman and Whittier, to a
coming from the east, as if he had memories of a previous life in some
oriental land where such ideas prevailed.

Shelley in _Prometheus Unbound_, sings:

Man, O not men! a chain of linked thought,
Of love and might to be divided not,
Compelling the elements with adamantine stress;
As the sun rules, even with a tyrant’s gaze,
The unquiet republic of the maze
Of Planets, struggling fierce towards heaven’s free wilderness.

Man, one harmonious soul of many a soul,
Whose nature is its own divine control,
Where all things flow to all, as rivers to the sea;
Familiar acts are beautiful through love;
Labor and pain and grief, in life’s green grove,
Sport like tame beasts,—none knew how gentle they could be!

In the foregoing verses, the doctrine of Brotherhood is enunciated.
Shelly refers to humanity as one, composed of its many units,—the
one-life running through all; and also, in the first two lines, to the
fact admitted by occultism, but sneered at by science, and dogmatic
theology, that this “chain of linked thought,” compels the elements,
and actually affects the course and destiny of the world. That is, that
the Karma of the physical world, indissolubly bound up in that of the
individuals upon it, is moulded and concentrated by the force of men’s
thoughts and lives. To carry this out in one direction, we say that
esoteric theosophy teaches that the inclination of the earth’s axis is
made greater or less by the influence of the wickedness or goodness
of the people upon the earth, thus bringing down what the people call
evils, such as glacial disturbances, cyclones, earthquakes and other
vicissitudes of earthly life. However fanciful this theory may appear,
it remains for us quite true; and as the scientific world has no reason
to give for the inclination of the axis, or for the precession of the
equinoxes, we are entitled to hold an opinion where they have none. For
the devout Christian this theory ought to have merits, if he chooses to
remember that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for their wickedness.
They grew so horribly bad that fire was brought upon them either from
heaven or beneath. If it ever happened, it must have been a cyclic
disturbance. Science pooh-poohs it. Did it take place, then it was the
culminating point for the dynamic power of the evil deeds and thoughts
of the inhabitants.

In many places in the Christian bible, reference is made to the crying
out to the Lord of the blood of the slain. Now as blood has no power to
cry out, we must try in some way to make sense of these expressions,
and the only way is by giving to the thoughts which produce deeds of
violence, a dynamic power. It would then be easy to attribute to the
blood the ability to cry out for justice, instead of saying that the
deeds of blood require compensation.

But when blood is shed, elemental spirits pour in to the spot, drawn
there by the emanations arising from it, and they become important
factors in this supposed “calling out of the blood from the ground.”
Being strengthened by the human exhalations, they are a new force
composed not only of the thoughts of the murdered, but also of the
despair, hate and revenge of the slain. Science of course of this knows
nothing, and cares less. She cannot tell how long this new force, thus
compounded of elementals, blood, and the thought of slayer and his
victim, will last. But the God of the Christians knew all about this.
In Genesis, Ch. iv, Verse 10, He says to Cain:

“What hast thou done? _the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me
from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath
opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand._”

The blood furnishes the _occasion_, the thoughts of each give it
_force_, and the elementals give it a _voice_ to call on God.
S. B. J.

THE CORNER STONE.

Tradition relates that in the building of King Solomon’s temple there
was a stone of such peculiar shape that the workmen could find no place
for it, though it was regularly cut and with great care, and contained
the _sign_ of the Master. When the temple was near completion a place
was found for the stone which the builders had through ignorance
rejected. It was the _Keystone_ of the _Royal Arch_.

Those who have opened the halls of learning to this generation
have given a foundation stone, and repeatedly declared that no
other foundation can endure, that the floods of time and the storms
of passion will surely sweep with the besom of destruction every
superstructure not founded on this rock. And yet there are those who
wear the garb of fellow-crafts, and claim the wages of workmen, who
not only reject this stone but ridicule it, and laugh it to scorn.
The result is manifest in the confusion of the workmen, and it will
presently become manifest that those who thus reject the corner-stone
of Theosophy are brothers of the shadow literally, rather than Sons of
Light; they will find no designs on the tracing-board, and they will be
accused of murdering the “widow’s son.”

The time for wages will surely come, and even they who have come in at
the ninth hour and labored faithfully in the vineyard will receive due
wages.

The corner stone of Theosophy is distinctly stated to be _Universal
Brotherhood_. A firm belief in this principle is required of every
candidate for membership in the Theosophical Society. This is the sole
requirement for affiliation, it is made plain, and no one can plead
ignorance of this one requirement. To claim fellowship in the society,
and ignore or repudiate its cardinal doctrine is not only the most
pronounced hypocrisy, but works in every way to the injury of the
individual and the society. Those therefore who are not ashamed to
repudiate this cardinal principle ought in all fairness to retire from
the society, and direct their energies into more congenial channels.

But aside from explicit repudiation of this principle of Brotherhood
there is too often a tacit disregard of its requirements. It has been
charged against the Society, that in the enunciation of this simple
doctrine, they have announced nothing new, and it may at once be
answered that it is not claimed as a novelty, but an _actuality_. And
yet it is too often the case, that the application of this principle
of universal brotherhood reaches no further than to the admission to
membership in the T. S. of persons of either sex, and of every creed,
color, and nationality, while in the relations of members and the
necessary work of the society, the principle of brotherhood is too
often practically ignored. It may therefore be profitable to inquire
into the reasons assigned by the Masters for giving out to the world
at this time their priceless treasures, and the purpose for which
the Theosophical Society was instituted, though these purposes have
been time and again stated, in plain English, and are printed in the
rules and by-laws of the society, as well as in every application for
membership. The misinterpretation of these plain declarations leads to
constant disappointment, and hinders the legitimate work of the Society.

We have been repeatedly told that the Masters are no respecters of
persons. They have on every occasion persistently and consistently
refused to teach occultism to individuals. They have stated over and
over again the terms on which anyone can gain their notice, or hope to
advance in spiritual knowledge or power, viz: by working unselfishly
and unceasingly for the advancement of the Brotherhood of man. This
is the plan on which the masters work. Whatsoever they have given out
has been designed for the elevation and well-being of the _whole human
race_.

They have chosen such agents or assistants as were available for the
promulgation of their doctrines, and they have distinctly stated, that
not for this generation alone, but more especially for the coming Yuga,
do they labor, like wise husbandmen, sowing now the seed for future
harvests.

The meaning of Universal Brotherhood, and the mission of the
Theosophical Society become thus perfectly plain, and we can
misinterpret only at our peril. The masters have said, work with us,
and become a part of us, and share with us.

Creeds and sects are innately selfish, dividing mankind into selfish
circles of conceited and selfish men. Creeds are crumbling; replace
them with universal benevolence, toleration, charity, justice—in one
word, BROTHERHOOD. He, therefore, who repudiates brotherhood, denies
all. He who forgets charity, kindness, forbearance, forgiveness, has
no right to call himself a Theosophist. We should have charity for
everything but for uncharitableness. Let those who will in the face
of all this, strive for occult power. Let them in spite of constant
warning force, if they can, themselves into the astral plane, to be
driven back in ever lasting terror by the “Demon of the Threshold,” or
end their days in an Asylum for the Insane, but let them look for no
assistance or protection from the Masters.

Pure and undefiled Theosophy leads man only to higher planes of thought
and life. It puts him in possession of the true philosopher’s stone, by
enabling him to convert the energies of life, into higher uses, for the
welfare and elevation of his race. It teaches him neglect of no common
duty or obligation, and it nowhere holds out the inducement that a
Mahatma can be evolved by some secret hocus-pocus out of a mountebank.
The mountebanks will presently denounce Mahatmas and repudiate
theosophy, but they will prove as powerless to stay the tide of truth
as to achieve mahatmahood. They may deceive the foolish and unwary,
and console themselves with the company of Coloumb, Hodgson & Co., but
those who have accepted in deed and in truth the simple doctrine of
universal brotherhood _with all that it implies_, will possess their
souls in patience and perfect trust, for they have heard the music of
BATH COL.
J. D. BUCK.

THE SOCIETY OF THE ROSICRUCIANS.

A ROUGH SKETCH OF THEIR FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES.

(_Communicated._)

The following are in outline the fundamental doctrines of the Brothers
of the Rosy Cross. He who fulfills the required conditions, may find
all necessary information in the “Book of Initiation,” and they say
that when he is ready he finds with ease, a guide who, through his
_higher self_ instructs and directs him infallibly.

It is understood that the Society desires to be truly spiritual and
asks no fees, but it seeks as members only those who are practical
workers in the cause of humanity. But it is a secret body, not from
fear of enemies, but in order to spread the truth, unimpeded by the war
of opinions. The truth being eternal, is not subject to opinion, but to
those who are able to see, it stands revealed in its own light.

1. The _Universe_ as a whole is a _Unity_, having only _one_,
eternal, universal and fundamental cause for its existence. All the
multifarious forms, essences, powers or principles, are not originally
self-existent, but are merely various manifestations of that one and
universal cause. They are various modes of one original activity, and
their shapes or organisms are the products of that activity, working
upon different planes of existence and in various stages of evolution.

2. This cause, being eternal, unlimited and infinite, is beyond the
power of the intellectual comprehension of any mortal and limited
being. Its presence may be perceived everywhere, but in its highest
aspect it can fully be known only to itself. Beings lower than itself,
may intuitively feel its presence, but cannot intellectually know it,
until they have risen up to its own level on the plane of existence.
To avoid circumlocution, we call that eternal (spiritual) principle
in its highest aspect “_God_” or “_Brahm_”; both words signifying
originally “Good.”[123]

3. In this eternal and universal cause, the centre or fountain
of _All_, is contained potentially everything existing in the
Universe. It is itself, germinally or in a more or less developed
state contained in everything that exists. It forms the (spiritual)
centre of every living organism, and life itself is only a mode of
manifestation of its own power. It is the cause and the architect of
every form; it builds the form which it inhabits, from that centre,
by the power of its own (consciously or unconsciously active) _will_
and _thought_, and by the means offered by eternal nature, the latter
being itself a product of previous states of its own existence and
eternal action.

4. The highest form of activity of this principle requires for its
perfect expression, perfect means. The perfect cannot manifest its
perfection in an imperfect organism. The place which a being occupies
on the ladder of evolution, depends on the progress which that divine
principle, acting in the centre of each being, has made in evolving an
organism, adapted to its manifestation.

5. The most perfect organism for the manifestation of the divine and
universal principle in its highest aspect, of which we know, is the
(spiritual) organism of Man. In this organism, this divine principle,
after having attained _sensation_ and _consciousness_ in the lower
forms of nature, may acquire (spiritual) _self-consciousness_ and
_self-knowledge_, evolving what is called the individual _mind_, with
all its powers and faculties, for (spiritual) perception and _real
knowledge_ or wisdom.

6. The (ordinarily) visible so called physical-body of man is not
the _real_ Man, but merely a more or less imperfect representation
of the real, or “inner man,” whose sphere of activity may extend as
far as the sphere of his mind; in other words—as far as the power of
his (spiritual) perception. The “inner man” is a reality, which after
having attained—by the power of self differentiation—an individual
existence, will retain its individuality, after the physical forms,
which it has occupied for the purposes of evolution during its life
upon a planet, have been disintegrated and changed into other forms.

7. Every being continues to exist in its essence after the (physical)
form which expressed its essential character, has dissolved and
disappeared; but as long as it has not acquired (spiritual)
self-consciousness and self-knowledge, it is forced, after a time of
rest, to reappear in a new form (mask or personality), to resume the
process of its further development.[124] After the divine principle
in man has attained individual (spiritual) self-consciousness and
self-knowledge, it requires no more embodiments in (physical) forms,
and may, harmoniously united with the _All_, continue to exist as a
self-conscious intelligence.

8. The attainment of spiritual self-consciousness and self-knowledge
and the necessarily resulting perfection, therefore involves the
attainment of immortality, and the latter can only be acquired
by acquiring the former. Only that which is perfect remains; the
imperfect is continually subject to change.

9. Although the individual human monad, without (spiritual)
self-consciousness and knowledge, may arrive at that state of
perfection in the slow course of its evolution, extending perhaps over
many millions of years, nevertheless there is no necessity to wait
until nature may, perhaps slowly and unaided, accomplish her object,
but she may be assisted by the individual will and effort of those who
know how to proceed.

10. The _first_ necessary requirement for all who desire perfection,
is therefore _to know_ the laws that rule in the visible and invisible
universe, and the attainment of the knowledge involves a study of the
constitution of the _Universe_ and of the constitution of (the soul
of) _Man_.

11. From knowledge springs power, but those who possess knowledge,
will be in the possession of something that will not benefit them,
unless they desire to put it to some practical use. The _second_
requirement is therefore _to will_, and as an individual will,
deviating from the direction of the will of universal good, or acting
in opposition to the latter, is evil, and can only bring final
destruction upon him that exercises it, consequently the will of the
individual must act in accordance with the universal will of God.

12. To act evil is for the majority of men far easier than to do good.
Good will and desires to become useful must be made to accomplish some
work. To overcome the resistance of evil and to put good into practice
requires energy, courage and effort, and the _third_ necessary
requirement is therefore _to dare_ to practice the good which we know
and desire.

13. But as a power, after it has once been obtained, may be employed
for good or for evil purposes, and as it is not desirable that persons
with evil inclinations and tendencies, should be taught the way
to prolong their personal existence after the dissolution of their
physical form, because their existence would cause the infliction
of injury upon others, and expose themselves to a long, slow and
painful final disintegration; therefore, the deepest secrets of the
Rosicrucians, and the way to the practical application of the secret
knowledge, should be taught only to those who are good and pure to
a degree sufficient to warrant that the mysteries communicated and
revealed to them, may not be misapplied. The _fourth_ necessary
requirement for the Rosicrucian is, therefore, _to be silent_, in
regard to that which it is not expedient to speak.

[Illustration:]

HINDU SYMBOLISM.

The student of Hindu metaphysical religious philosophy, will find most
of its important formulations, veiled under a mystical symbolism; to
understand which, is a key to the hints in the Upanishads and other
esoteric writings.

We propose to give those interested, a series of illustrations from
Hindu drawings with descriptions; in the latter, our study of the
Kabbalah has been of great assistance.

The figure is a symbolical representation of Brahman (neuter) intwined
in Itself.[125] It is the highest deity of the Hindus, the principle of
the universe; the representation is, of It, at the immediate instant
of Its revealing Itself in the emanation of the universe, and before
Its entrance into any kind of matter and before Its self renunciation.
It symbolises the God-dawn between the pauses of emanative creation,
its preservation, and the dissolution of created forms. Wrapped in Its
cloak-sphere, Brahman conducts Its toe into Its mouth, perhaps to make,
an eternal circle of Itself, perhaps to signify the union of the linga
and yoni, perhaps to indicate the retrogression of Itself into Itself,
or may be the eternity and unfathomableness of Its nature, plunged
in the contemplation of Its own essence. Compare with this the great
figure of Néith or Typhé, the Heaven goddess of the Egyptian Zodiac of
Dendera. Brahman (neuter) or Para-brahma, _i. e._, the Great Brahma,
as an unrevealed deity, has neither temple or image in India. It is
in effect considered in Itself without form or figure, but exteriorly
It manifests Itself in many figures and symbols. It is the unit and
the multiplied in all, at the same instant, smaller than an atom, it
is greater than the whole universe, which cannot contain It, and is
ineffable and inexpressible in Its essence. The ancient Hindus say
of it in the Vedas:—“Brahman is eternal, the being above all others,
revealing Itself in felicity and joy. The universe is Its name, Its
image, but that first existence, which contains all in Itself, is the
soul really existing. All the phenomena have their cause in Brahman,
It is not limited by time or space, is imperishable, is the soul of
the world and of each particular existence.” * * * “That universe is
Brahman, it comes from Brahman, exists in Brahman, and it will return
to Brahman.”

“Brahman, the Being existing in Itself, is the form of all wisdom and
of all the worlds without end. All the worlds are made only one with
It, because they are through Its Will. That eternal Will is innate in
all things. It reveals Itself in the emanation (or creation), in the
preservation, and in the destruction (which is also a re-creation),
and in the movements and forms, of Time and Space.” The Atharva-Veda
says:—“All the gods are in (Brahman) as cows in a cow-house. In the
beginning Brahman was this (universe). It created gods. Having created
gods, It placed them in these worlds, viz: Agni in this world, Vāyu in
the atmosphere, and Surya in the sky.[126] And in the worlds which are
yet higher, It placed the gods which are still higher. Then Brahman
proceeded to the higher sphere.” This is explained by a commentator
to be Satyaloka,[127] the most excellent limit of all the worlds.
In the “Taitteriya Brāhmana” it is; “Brahman generated the gods,
Brahman (generated or emanated) this entire world. Within It are all
these worlds. Within It is the entire universe. It is Brahman who is
the greatest of beings. Who can vie with It.” Brahman (neuter) is the
only real eternal true essence; when It passes in to actual manifested
existence It is called Brahma; when It develops Itself in the universe
It is called Vishnu, and when It again dissolves Itself into simple
being, It is called Siva; all the other deities are only symbols or
manifestations of the eternal neuter Brahman.[128]

The Vishnu Purana says: “Glory to Brahman, who is addressed by that
mystic word AUM,[129] who is associated eternally with the triple
universe (heaven, sky, earth), and who is one with the four Vedas.
Glory to Brahman, who both in the destruction and renovation of the
universe is called the great and mysterious cause of the intellectual
principle, who is without limit in time or space, and exempt from
diminution and decay, etc. To that supreme Brahman be for ever
adoration.”

In its highest development, the doctrine of the Vedas is a rational
and philosophical pantheism, combined with the most ideal, pure, and
absolute monotheism, that the mind can conceive. The doctrines as to
Brahman (neuter) in their higher conceptions, are similar in many
respects to the exalted ideas as to the Ain Soph or Non Ego, of the
Kabbalah.

Brahman, the Eternal, in Itself, Being, goes out of Its profundity in
Its eternity, to emanate the universe of all the things, and undeniably
establishes that great law of production, through the opposition and
yet a harmonious blending, as to which, all nature offers everywhere a
similitude, evidence, and image. Its first emanation is the creating
energy, force or potentiality, which manifests Itself in Time, the
mother and the matrix of the existences, that is the Sakti, Para Sakti
or Maya, the first virgin and first female or plasticity, containing
all in germ, symbolized by the Yoni. Its spouse, the spiritualizing,
the man-type, is symbolized by the Lingam.
ISAAC MEYER.

LITERARY NOTES.

BETTY’S VISIONS.—By Rhoda Broughton. (_Geo. Routledge & Sons, London._)
The prominence which occultism is acquiring, despite the attacks of so
called scientific bodies and the constant sneers of savants and their
parrot-like followers, is shown in the fact that such a book as this is
published by a firm like Routledge and written by Rhoda Broughton. It
is one of the one and sixpenny English books, in cloth. The visions are
five—through a long life—each preceding a death in the family.

* * * * *

ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY, OR MENTAL THERAPEUTICS.—By Dr. W. F. Evans.
(_Carter & Karrick, Boston._) Extra cloth, $1.00. This is designed to
complete a series of books on the subject of the Mind Cure, commenced
some fifteen years ago. It contains twelve lectures intended to
instruct in the philosophy of the subject. “To aid the student of
Christian Theosophy to explore the inner realm of truth into which his
spirit opens is the object of this volume,” and he believes that the
principles are “identical with the philosophy of the New Testament and
with primitive Christianity.” The book is well written, and is full
of excellent arguments, but it covers so much ground that it would be
impossible to properly review it in the limits allowable here.

We must disagree with him, however, in his statement: “That this system
must ever be kept within the domain of a genuine Christianity,” to be
successful. It is well known that hundreds of persons are practising
mind cure, are helping many people, and none of these either believe in
or talk of Christianity, genuine or otherwise. If mind cure have a real
basis, no monopoly of it can be had by either Christian or dissenter.

* * * * *

BUDDHIST DIET BOOK.—A New York publishing house announces this book,
prepared by Laura C. Holloway. It is a compilation of dishes used by
Buddhists in Europe and the East, interspersed with explanations of
the religious convictions of this great Sect regarding foods. The work
will be of value to vegetarians—of whom there are many in this country.
Mrs. Holloway writes with authority on this subject, having enjoyed in
Europe and Prussia the advantages of an unmixed vegetarian diet in the
homes of those who eat no meat. The book is a quaint brown-and-white
conceit in parchment covers. Price 50 cents. Theosophists who desire to
have this vegetarian cook book, can order it through THE PATH.

* * * * *

CAN MATTER THINK.—This number of Prof. Coues’ Biogen Series was noticed
in the July PATH, and through a mistaken assumption of the proof reader
it was stated that it was a reprint of an article which previously
appeared in _The Theosophist_. Prof. Coues assures us that “Can Matter
Think,” is a thoroughly original composition and has never been within
10,000 miles of India. The proof reader was thinking of the reprint of
an English book under the title “Kuthumi,” in the same series, and also
of the fact that the same subject was treated of in _The Theosophist_
some years ago. We hasten, therefore, to correct the statement made in
July.

THEOSOPHICAL ACTIVITIES.

JOSHEE.—Bro. Gopal Vinayak Joshee and his wife Anandabai, who graduated
in Medicine at Philadelphia, return to India in October.

* * * * *

RAMABAI.—Pandita Ramabai, who has been some time in America,
accompanies Bro. Joshee and his wife to India.

* * * * *

PHILADELPHIA.—The charter for a new Branch here has been received and
probably soon the organization will be complete.

* * * * *

SECRECY IN THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.—The question is frequently asked:
“Is the Society a secret body; and how can a person enter it?” The
reply can be found in the proceedings of the general Council last year,
when it was resolved, that from thenceforth any person of good moral
character, upon being recommended by two active members, and paying the
usual fee, could become a member upon signing the application in which
the declaration is made that the signer is in sympathy with the objects
of the Society.

The old obligation is retained merely for those Branches desiring to
use it in giving the signs and passwords of the Society, which are the
only points about which the new member is pledged to secrecy, it being
left to his own discretion and sense of propriety, not to make public
matters which do not concern the public. For that matter, however,
there is nothing in the teachings or practices of the lower section of
the Society requiring secrecy.

* * * * *

NEW YORK.—The New York Branch has issued its third number of the
_Abridgements of Discussions_ on Theosophical subjects. The object of
these leaflets is to increase interest among all Theosophists, and to
strengthen the feeling of union. Col. H. S. Olcott, the President in
India, has written to say, that he thinks the idea of the Abridgements
is excellent. All Branches ought to co-operate in this movement, either
by contributing questions and answers to New York, or by starting
leaflets of their own and exchanging and distributing them.

* * * * *

CINCINNATI.—The Branch here has held its first fall meeting, and has
arranged for a series of essays of an interesting character, and also
for meetings, to which strangers are to be invited by members.

* * * * *

OLCOTT.—It may be interesting to Theosophists to know that a statue was
offered to Col. Olcott in Ceylon some months ago, but was refused by
him on the ground that his work was not yet done, and no one could say
whether he would deserve a statue until his death.

* * * * *

There is a limit beyond which the sun, moon and the planets cannot
rise, and when they reach their point of climax, they come down
again. But the souls that have attained to perfection never come down
again.—_Jain Precept._

OM!

FOOTNOTES:

[120] Intell. Obs. Vol. 7.

[121] Notes on Mohammedanism.

[122] The Zikrs will be described in next number of THE PATH.

[123] Those words are continually giving rise to misunderstandings and
misinterpretations, because nearly every one has a different opinion of
what is “Good.”

[124] See Bagavad-Gita, c. 6.

[125] Taken from the Glauben, Wissen und Kunst der alten Hindus, etc.,
von Niklas Müller. Erster Band, Mainz, 1822.

[126] Fire, Æther, Light.

[127] _Satya-Loka_, the place, world, or region of Truth.—[ED.]

[128] See Indian Wisdom by Monier Williams, p. 12.

[129] This occurs at the beginning of prayers, etc., as our word AMeN
occurs at the end. It is so sacred that none must hear it pronounced.
Originally its three letters typified the three Vedas, afterwards it
became a mystical symbol of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva in unity; see
further as to AUM _supra_.

AUM

Sri Krishna is the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings; his unthinkable
glory irradiates all that is manifest and all that is unmanifest.
This infinite universe, its life and its beauty, and its joy, rest
but on his foot, from which flows the sacred stream of the Ganges,
whose mortal aspect alone is known on this earth. Krishna reveals his
infinity of attributes to his beloved worshipper, and yet he is devoid
of attributes.

It is the crown of devotion to have these mysteries revealed to the
inner gaze. May all his lovers reach that goal.—_Vaishnara Scriptures._

Inquire about him by prostration, by question, and by service,
and the wise men who know the truth, will give you the
knowledge.—_Bagavad-Gita._

THE PATH.

VOL. I. NOVEMBER, 1886. NO. 8.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

THE COMMON SENSE OF THEOSOPHY.

[REPRINTED FROM THE _Dublin University Review_, MAY, 1886, BY
PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.]

It is difficult to break down the Chinese wall of misconceptions with
which all new movements of thought become more or less completely
surrounded. The assimilation by the public mind of ideas which
lie outside its mechanically-regulated every-day life is a slow
process, which the vigour of the constitution does not justify. For
all movements, which possess any vitality at all, always provoke to
an unusual degree of activity the imaginative faculties of their
opponents. More or less fantastic caricatures of the aims and methods
of a struggling movement are generated by an unconscious process of
invention, fathered upon the movement, and then knocked down with
solemn pomposity. At the end of the achievement, when the invader of
orthodox indolence and respectable indifference is found to gain ground
in the midst of the dust-storm of misrepresentations, a wondering sneer
is directed against personalities who have not had the decency and good
sense to die at the command of their antagonists. The Theosophical
movement has proved no exception to this general rule. Oppositions
against it are generally but attempts to remove this disturber of
established ease by finding some excuse for ignoring its existence.
False issues are raised in every direction, and a candid examination
of the truths that Theosophy embodies is evaded in the confusion. It
is a profitless task to hunt the brood of Error which, like the giants
of Norse folk-lore, sally forth at night to slay and devour, but melt
into thin air when surprised by a ray of sunlight. Kicking at nothing
is an exhausting process. Unmindful of this, many, in the words of the
author of _Religio Medici_, have “rashly charged the troops of Error,
and remained as trophies unto the enemies.” It is therefore proposed to
set forth a “plain, unvarnished” statement of what Theosophy really is,
and of the work in which the Theosophical Society is engaged, and leave
the decision to the common sense of the reader. The transcendental
metaphysics of Theosophy will be but slightly touched upon here. For
fuller information the inquirer is referred to sources indicated by
the publications of the Theosophical Society and the writings of the
Theosophists of the day.

What, then, is Theosophy? Numberless are the misconceptions to which
the word has given rise. Etymology does not throw any great light
on it. The interpretation of “God-wisdom” can be spread over a very
large area. Without following the history of the word, it may be
stated that the chief exponents of the present revival of Theosophy
take it to mean Wisdom-religion. Their interpretation, while open
to no great philological objection, is sufficiently precise for all
literary purposes. Theosophy from this standpoint is synonymous with
Truth—the Truth that has been clothed in various garbs of religion; it
also implies that this Truth is attainable by a natural development
of wisdom, without the intervention of supernatural means. Thus it
will be seen that Theosophy does not attach infallibility to any
particular system of revelation, but maintains that under suitable
conditions Truth reveals itself to every individual. The sun shines
equally on all; the crystal reflects it; the clod of earth does not.
Yet Theosophy sets great value on all systems of revelation, looking
upon them as finger-posts which indicate the direction in which Truth
is to be sought, although it declines to accept them as invitations
to surrender personal inquiry. This tenet of Theosophy is founded
upon the consideration that Truth is the result of real experience,
and does not consist in the transfer of intellectual symbols from one
person to another. To speak about Truth is one thing, and to perceive
it is quite another. It is a fact of common experience that the
most accurate and elaborate description of, say, a flower is by no
means an efficient substitute for a visual contact with it, although
the description has an abundant value of its own. Hence individual
consciousness is consistently upheld as the only criterion of Truth,
but this consciousness derives material help in its development and
expansion by the study of the experiences of others. Thus Theosophy
teaches that _personal exertion is the only means by which progress
can be achieved_. But in the effort for growth the ultimate unity
of consciousness must not be ignored. Individuals are not distinct
crystals, placed side by side, but the varied manifestations of one
unchanging universal consciousness. As light from one single source
produces the appearance of different lights by reflection from a
number of surfaces, so this universal consciousness, remaining itself
unchanged, produces endless individualities, which in the course of
their evolution reach perfection by recognising this essential unity.
According to Theosophical thinkers this doctrine forms the fundamental
truth upon which all religions are based; it is the final consummation
of all philosophical thought and the crowning experience of all
practical mysticism.

The search for this truth, and the practical realization of it are not
considered as mere gratification of intellectual curiosity, but as the
very _summum bonum_ of evolutionary progress. It is the Nirvâna of the
Buddhists, the Moksha of the Brahmins, and not very different from
the Beatific Vision of the Christians. When this condition, or rather
want of condition, is realized in consciousness, pain is for ever
extinguished. Nirvâna is by no means the annihilation of consciousness,
but its rest in the infinite plenitude of being. Needless to discuss
the Nihilist view of Buddhism which some scholars of ability have
brought forward; suffice it to say, that the Theosophists on this
point share the responsibility of their opinion with many names of
great eminence. Nirvâna is the extinction of all pain because, being
the ultimate unity of all being, it cannot be the playground of those
contending forces which alone produce pain.

Proceeding upon this basis, the essential features of Theosophy can
be thrown into relief by determining its relations to Religion and
Science. As the Science of Religion, it looks upon the different
systems of faith as so many languages seeking to express the truth
about man, his origin, nature, and destiny, as well as his relations to
the surrounding world of objects. But, as a word or phrase is nothing
but a sound in the absence of experience of the object connoted, so the
proper comprehension of religious symbology can be acquired only by
realizing the truths that underlie it. From the Theosophic standpoint
the different systems of religion appear as the various forms evolved
by the peculiarities of time, place, and other special causes, to
embody the bodiless truth.

It is necessary to guard against a misconception which may arise here.
Theosophy is not eclecticism, which is a mosaic, while Wisdom-Religion
is an organic whole. Theosophy is like an abstract mathematical
formula of which each religion is a particular application. It does
not select bits from all religions and piece them together according
to some fanciful standard of symmetry. But being the inner truth
itself, Theosophy regards religions as various descriptions of that
truth. It will no more recognise antagonism between religions than the
linguist will condemn the description of the same thing in different
languages because of peculiarities of idiom and grammar. Theosophy is
not hostile to any religion, but is bound, in the interest of truth, to
oppose the tyranny of ecclesiastical forms on individuals. Humanity,
in the course of its evolution, produces individuals who outstrip
the generality in the realization of truth, and are thus enabled to
perceive the capabilities of the truth to be manifested within a
certain period of time. To help the masses struggling blindly for
the light of truth, these teachers of mankind construct a symbology
of words and emblems to represent the truth. But, as acquisition of
wisdom is a change in the quality of the consciousness of the acquirer,
and not merely a surface expansion of it, the symbology, though
eminently useful, is not in itself spiritual knowledge, and can never
be converted into it except when “inwardly digested.” The physical
process of digestion supplies a striking analogy in this matter. Food,
assimilated by different organisms, follows their original differences.
Spiritual food, on assimilation, partakes of the peculiarities of the
individual, and two individuals cannot be exactly identical, whether
physically or otherwise. A contrary supposition would violate the _lex
parsimoniæ_ in nature. Consequently, Theosophy is the uncompromising
supporter of the freedom of individual conscience. On the other hand,
it condemns a selfish desire for self-development as wrong, on account
of its violation of the essential unity of being. One of the greatest
Theosophists of the world, Gautama Buddha, declared, “Let the sins
of the Kali Yuga[130] fall upon me, and let the world be redeemed.”
This noble saying found an echo in the Christian Apostle, who would be
anathema from Christ if he could save the world thereby.

Nor has Theosophy any antagonism to the scientific spirit. Claiming
to be the religion of Truth, it must show itself to be the most exact
of all exact sciences. According to it truth cannot be dissociated
from real experience; the mere intellectual form of it can never
be the truth any more than the word man can be the human being. It
opposes the dogmatisms of science which deny independent reality to
facts of mental experience because of their eminently unscientific
character. If there be no operation of thought matter itself will
disappear. The contrary of this—existence of matter without relation
to a conscious knower—has never been experienced. Therefore matter and
consciousness are both eternal or neither. Further, it rejects the
mechanical theory of the universe on account of its unreasonableness.
If consciousness is derivable from unconsciousness, a fundamental
law of reason becomes stultified. Unconsciousness is the negation of
consciousness, and therefore an affirmation of the absence of all
relations to consciousness is its essential property. How, then, can
it be related to consciousness so as to produce it? If the atoms
themselves are considered conscious the difficulty is not removed. For
consciousness must be associated with the notion of I, and if this
egoism is to be postulated for each atom it is inexplicable how a
man, composed of myriads of atoms, possesses yet a single indivisible
notion of I. It is clear therefore that there is in nature a principle
of consciousness whose units are not atoms but individualities,
and as the principle is eternal its units must also be so. For the
ocean cannot be salt unless the quality of saltness inhered in every
one of its drops. Theosophy for these, among other reasons, holds
against materialism that the individuality in man is immortal. In
this, however, it does not maintain that the present body, emotion or
thought of a man will as such abide for ever, but that the unit of
consciousness which is now manifested as the man, will never undergo
any change in essence. For change, independent of consciousness, is
unthinkable. It is in fact the unchangeableness of consciousness that
by comparison renders the conception of change a reality. In ordinary
language no doubt such phrases as the “growth and development of
consciousness” are in use, but strictly speaking it is the basis in
which the consciousness inheres that changes, the phrases in question
being of the same character as those which ascribe motion to the sun
in relation to the earth. Moreover, if one unit of consciousness were
to change in essence, that is, become annihilated, the same liability
must attach to all other units, and we shall be driven to hold that
the principle of consciousness in nature is destructible, while
matter which cannot exist in its absence is indestructible. From the
indestructibility of individual consciousness, and its relations to
matter, two important deductions follow. First, that this relation,
which is perpetually changing, changes according to a definite law. The
products of the change are bound each to each in a definite way. What
is now is not wholly unrelated to what was before. This is a matter
of experience, and in fact experience is based upon it. Without the
law of causation experience would be impossible, on whatever plane
we take experience—mental or physical. Thus by the application of
the law of causation to our being, it follows that the experience of
pleasure and pain in the present must be the necessary consequence of
causes generated in the past. A contention may here be raised that it
is a fact of experience that many sufferings and enjoyments come to
us of which we are not conscious of having generated the causes. But
it is without any real force. What connection is there between _our_
consciousness of a cause and its power to produce effect? If we receive
in the system malarious germs, the disease is not prevented because we
were unconscious of the reception. Whatever you sow the same you reap,
whether you are conscious of the sowing or not. The law of causation,
thus applied to personal experience of suffering and enjoyment, is
called by the Brahmins and Buddhists the Law of Karma.

The second deduction hinges on to the first and forms with it a
harmonious whole. If the individual consciousness is immortal, and its
experiences are governed by the Law of Karma, then it follows that
so long as all causes, capable of producing effects on the present
plane of life, are not exhausted, and the generation of similar causes
is not stopped, the individual consciousness will remain connected
with the experience of earthly existence. Thus the ego successively
incarnates itself on this earth until it has collected all experiences
that life on this planet can offer. The doctrine of reincarnation is
taught by all religions of the world, Christianity not excepted. In the
Gospel of St Matthew it is declared in no uncertain tone that John the
Baptist was the incarnation of Elias (chap. xvii. 12, 13). It is not
intended fully to discuss the scientific and metaphysical bases of the
doctrine of reincarnation, as the subject has been adequately dealt
with in a recent Theosophical publication.[131] But it will not be
out of place to consider the ethical objection which is so frequently
brought forward against the doctrine. Is it just that a person should
experience pleasure or pain for acts done in a previous life of which
no recollection is preserved? The argument thus implied is based upon
the confusion of the two different meanings of the word justice as
applied to the regulation of human affairs, and to the operation of
natural laws. Human beings are admittedly imperfect in knowledge, and
it is required for the well-being of society that all its members
should feel confident that they are not liable to arbitrary punishment.
For this reason it is necessary that before inflicting punishment the
grounds for it should be disclosed. But justice, as affecting the
operation of natural laws, is a totally different thing. The workings
of nature being invariably governed by the law of Causation are not
amenable to conditions which depend upon admitted inability to apply
that law without failure. The moral amelioration, which it is fancied
that a knowledge of the precise cause of our sufferings would produce,
is more than compensated for by the numberless incentives to good,
which gratitude and other similar motives supply.

The teachings of Theosophy from the standpoint of common sense can be
briefly summed up thus:—

1. That there is a principle of consciousness in man which is immortal.

2. That this principle is manifested in successive incarnations on
earth.

3. That the experiences of the different incarnations are strictly
governed by the law of causation.

4. That as each individual man is the result of a distinct causal
necessity in nature, it is not wise for one man to dominate the life
and action of another, no matter what their relative development
may be. On the other hand it is of paramount importance that each
individual should ceaselessly work for the attainment of the highest
ideal that he is capable of conceiving. Otherwise, pain will arise from
the opposition of the real and the ideal. Be as perfect as your Father
in heaven is perfect.

5. That for the above reasons it is wise and just to practise the most
ungrudging toleration towards all our fellow-creatures.

6. That as absolute unity of all nature subsists for ever, all
self-centred actions are bound to end in pain to the actor on account
of their opposition to this fact. The foundation of morals must
therefore lie in the feeling of Universal Brotherhood of Man.

7. That the harmony of the unit with the whole is the only condition
which can remove all pain, and as each individual represents a distinct
causal operation of nature, this harmony is attainable only through the
individual’s own exertions.

The Theosophical Society is an organization having for its object the
study of truth upon the most unsectarian basis, and as a result of such
study it believes that the truths enumerated above are, if generally
accepted, calculated greatly to benefit the age. It is necessary,
however, to add that there are many members in the Society, earnest
in the pursuit of truth, who are not prepared to subscribe to all
these doctrines without further thought and study; but all are agreed
as to the ethical principles involved therein. The chief aim of the
Theosophical Society is “to form the nucleus of a universal Brotherhood
of mankind without distinction of race, color or creed.” The basis of
brotherhood, which the Theosophical Society considers scientific has
already been adverted to. The Theosophic brotherhood does not limit the
freedom of individual development. It requires nothing from its members
but a desire to recognise the unity of the human family as a natural
fact which cannot be ignored with impunity, and a living conscious
feeling of which is sure to lead to the highest development of the
individual.

The Theosophical Society is convinced that the most efficacious
means for the study of truth is furnished by the ancient religious
and philosophical systems of the world, as they are free from the
disturbing influences by which contemporary forms are surrounded. The
Society therefore earnestly labours to promote an appreciative study
of Eastern philosophy, built up by generations of Theosophists, as
affording easy access to the Wisdom-Religion of the world.

Further, the Society seeks to combat materialism by the investigation
of abnormal phenomena which afford a practical demonstration of the
existence of a Psyche in man and to lead to a proper comprehension of
the laws which underlie those phenomena. Theosophists do not believe
in supernaturalism, and discard the notion of miracles as involving an
unreasonable limitation of the possibilities of nature. The views of
the leading Theosophists with regard to this subject are to be found
very ably expounded in Madame Blavatsky’s _Isis Unveiled_, and Mr.
Sinnett’s _Esoteric Buddhism_. All Theosophists, whether in perfect
agreement with these views or not, look upon them as opening immense
vistas of thought on subjects which are as important as they are
neglected.

In conclusion, it is to be clearly stated that the Theosophical
Society is composed of a body of earnest students and inquirers, and
not of dogmatic teachers. But naturally a large number of members
hold convictions in common on many points. Yet in each case the final
authority comes from no external source but from within.

“There is no religion higher than Truth,” is the motto of the Society.
MOHINI M. CHATTERJI.

THEORIES: ABOUT REINCARNATION AND SPIRITS.

BY H. P. BLAVATSKY.

Over and over again the abstruse and mooted question of Rebirth
or Reincarnation has crept out during the first ten years of the
Theosophical Society’s existence. It has been alleged on _prima facie_
evidence, that a notable discrepancy was found between statements made
in “_Isis Unveiled_” Vol. I, 351-2, and later teachings from the same
pen and under the inspiration of the same master.[132]

In _Isis_, it was held,—reincarnation is denied. An occasional return,
only of “depraved spirits” is allowed. “Exclusive of that rare and
doubtful possibility, ‘_Isis_’ allows only three cases—abortion, very
early death, and idiocy—in which reincarnation on this earth occurs.”
(“C. C. M.” in _Light_, 1882.)

The charge was answered then and there as every one who will turn to
the _Theosophist_ of August, 1882, can see for himself. Nevertheless,
the answer either failed to satisfy some readers or passed unnoticed.
Leaving aside the strangeness of the assertion that _reincarnation_—_i.
e._, the serial and periodical rebirth of every individual _monad_
from _pralaya_ to _pralaya_[133] is denied in the face of the fact
that the doctrine is part and parcel and one of the fundamental
features of Hinduism and Buddhism, the charge amounted virtually to
this: the writer of the present, a professed admirer and student of
Hindu philosophy, and as professed a follower of Buddhism years before
_Isis_ was written, by rejecting reincarnation must necessarily reject
KARMA likewise! For the latter is the very _corner_-stone of Esoteric
philosophy and Eastern religions; it is the grand and one pillar _on
which hangs the whole philosophy of rebirths_, and once the latter is
denied, the whole doctrine of Karma falls into meaningless verbiage.

Nevertheless, the opponents without stopping to think of the evident
“discrepancy” between charge and fact, accused a Buddhist by profession
of faith of denying reincarnation hence also by implication—Karma.
Adverse to wrangling with one who was a friend and undesirous at the
time, to enter upon a defence of details and internal evidence—a loss
of time indeed,—the writer answered merely with a few sentences. But
it now becomes necessary to well define the doctrine. Other critics
have taken the same line, and by misunderstanding the passages to
that effect in _Isis_ they have reached the same rather extraordinary
conclusions.

To put an end to such useless controversies, it is proposed to explain
the doctrine more clearly.

Although, in view of the later more minute renderings of the esoteric
doctrines, it is quite immaterial what may have been written in
“_Isis_”—an encyclopedia of occult subjects in which each of these is
_hardly sketched_—let it be known at once, that the writer maintains
the correctness of every word given out upon the subject in my earlier
volumes. What was said in the _Theosophist_ of August, 1882, may now
be repeated here. The passage quoted from it may be, and is, most
likely “incomplete, chaotic, vague, perhaps clumsy, as are many more
passages in that work the first literary production of a foreigner who
even now can hardly boast of her knowledge of the English language.”
Nevertheless it is quite correct so far as that collateral feature of
reincarnation is therein concerned.

I will now give extracts from _Isis_ and proceed to explain every
passage criticised, wherein it was said that “a few _fragments_
of this mysterious doctrine of reincarnation as _distinct from_
metempsychosis”—would be then presented. Sentences now explained are in
italics.

“Reincarnation _i. e._ the appearance of the same individual, _or
rather of his astral monad, twice on the same planet_ is not a rule
in nature, it is an exception, like the teratological phenomenon of
a two-headed infant. It is preceded by a _violation of the laws of
harmony of nature_, and happens only when the latter _seeking_ to
_restore_ its _disturbed equilibrium, violently throws back into
earth-life the astral monad which had been tossed out of the circle
of necessity by crime or accident_. Thus in cases of abortion, of
infants dying before a certain age, and of congenital and incurable
idiocy, nature’s original design to produce a perfect human being,
has been interrupted. Therefore, while the gross matter of each of
these several entities is suffered to disperse itself at death,
through the vast realm of being, _the immortal spirit and astral
monad of the individual—the latter having been set apart_ to animate
a frame and the former to shed its divine light on the corporeal
organization—_must try a second time to carry out the purpose of the
creative intelligence_.” (Vol. 1. p. 351.)

Here the “astral monad” or body of the deceased personality—say of
John or Thomas—is meant. It is that which, in the teachings of the
Esoteric philosophy of Hinduism, is known under its name of _bhoot_;
in the Greek philosophy is called the _simulacrum_ or _umbra_, and in
all other philosophies worthy of the name is said, as taught in the
former, to disappear after a certain period more or less prolonged in
_Kama-loka_—the Limbus of the Roman Catholics, or _Hades_ of the the
Greeks.[134] It is “a violation of the laws of harmony of nature,”
though it be so decreed by those of _Karma_—every time that the astral
monad, or the _simulacrum_ of the personality—of John or Thomas—instead
of running down to the end of its natural period of time in a
body—finds itself (a) violently thrown out of it by whether early death
or accident; or (b) is compelled in consequence of its unfinished task
to reappear, (_i. e. the same astral body wedded to the same immortal
monad_) on earth again, in order to complete the unfinished task.
Thus “it must try a second time to carry out the purpose of creative
intelligence” or _law_.

If reason has been so far developed as to become active and
discriminative there is no[135] (_immediate_) _reincarnation_ on
this earth, for the three parts of the triune man have been united
together, and he is capable of running the race. But when the new
being has not passed beyond the condition of Monad, or when, as in
the idiot, the trinity has not been completed on earth and therefore
cannot be so after death, the immortal spark which illuminates it, has
to re-enter on the earthly plane as it was frustrated in its first
attempt. Otherwise, the mortal or astral, and the immortal or divine
souls, _could not progress in unison and pass onward to the sphere
above_[136] (_Devachan_). Spirit follows a line parallel with that
of matter; and the spiritual evolution goes hand in hand with the
physical.

The Occult Doctrine teaches that:—

(1) There is no _immediate_ reincarnation on Earth for the Monad, as
falsely taught by the Reincarnationists Spiritists; nor is there any
second incarnation at all for the “_personal_” or _false_ Ego—the
_perisprit_—save the exceptional cases mentioned. But that (_a_) there
are rebirths, or periodical reincarnations for the immortal Ego—(“Ego”
during the cycle of rebirths, and _non_-Ego, in Nirvana or Moksha when
it becomes _impersonal_ and _absolute_); for that Ego is the root of
every new incarnation, the string on which are threaded, one after the
other, the false personalities or illusive bodies called men, in which
the Monad-Ego incarnates itself during the cycle of births; and (_b_)
that such reincarnations take place not before 1,500, 2,000, and even
3,000 years of Devachanic life.

(2) That _Manas_—the seat of _Jiv_, that spark which runs the round
of the cycle of birth and rebirths with the Monad, from the beginning
to the end of a Manvantara,—is the real _Ego_. That (_a_) the _Jiv_
follows the divine monad that gives it spiritual life and immortality
into Devachan,—that therefore, it can neither be reborn before its
appointed period, nor reappear on Earth _visibly_ or _invisibly_ in the
_interim_; and (_b_) that, unless the fruition, the spiritual aroma
of the Manas—or all these highest aspirations and spiritual qualities
and attributes that constitute the higher SELF of man become united
to its monad, the latter becomes as _Non_ existent; since it is _in
esse_ “impersonal” and _per se_ Ego-less, so to say, and gets its
spiritual colouring or flavour of Egotism only from each _Manas_ during
incarnation and after it is disembodied, and separated from all its
lower principles.

(3) That the remaining four principles, or rather the—2½—as they
are composed of the terrestrial portion of _Manas_ of its Vehicle
_Kama~Rupa_ and _Lingha Sarira_,—the body dissolving immediately, and
_prana_ or the life principle along with it,—that these principles
having belonged to the _false_ personality are unfit for Devachan.
The latter is the state of Bliss, the reward for all the undeserved
miseries of life,[137] and that which prompted man to sin, namely his
terrestrial passionate nature can have no room in it.

Therefore the reincarnating principles are left behind in _Kama-loka_,
firstly as a material residue, then later on as a reflection on the
mirror of Astral light. Endowed with _illusive_ action, to the day
when having gradually faded out they disappear, what is it but the
Greek _Eidolon_ and the _simulacrum_ of the Greek and Latin poets and
classics?

“What reward or punishment can there be in that sphere of disembodied
human entities for a _fœtus_ or a human embryo which had not even
time to breathe on this earth, still less an opportunity to exercise
the divine faculties of its spirit? Or, for an irresponsible infant,
whose senseless monad remaining dormant within the astral and physical
casket, could as little prevent him from burning himself as any other
person to death? Or again for one idiotic from birth, the number of
whose cerebral circumvolutions is only from twenty to thirty per cent.
of those of sane persons, and who therefore is irresponsible for
either his disposition, acts, or for the imperfections of his vagrant,
half-developed intellect.” (_Isis_, vol. 1, p. 352.)

These are then, the “exceptions” spoken of in _Isis_, and the doctrine
is maintained now as it was then. Moreover, there is no “discrepancy”
but only _incompleteness_—hence, misconceptions arising from later
teachings. Then again, there are several important mistakes in _Isis_
which, as the plates of the work had been _stereotyped_ were not
corrected in subsequent editions.

One of such is on page 346, and another in connection with it and as a
sequence on page 347.

The discrepancy between the first portion of the statement and the
last, ought to have suggested the idea of an evident mistake. It is
addressed to the spiritists, _reincarnationists_ who take the more
than ambiguous words of Apuleius as a passage that corroborates their
claims for their “spirits” and reincarnation. Let the reader judge[138]
whether Apuleius does not justify rather _our_ assertions. We are
charged with denying reincarnation and this is what we said there and
then in _Isis_!

“The _philosophy_ teaches that nature _never leaves her work
unfinished; if baffled at the first attempt, she tries again_. When
she evolves a human embryo, the intention is that a man shall be
perfected—physically, intellectually, and spiritually. His body is
to grow, mature, wear out, and die; his mind unfold, ripen, and be
harmoniously balanced; his divine spirit illuminate and blend easily
with the inner man. No human being completes its grand cycle, or
the “circle of necessity,” until all these are accomplished. As the
laggards in a race struggle and plod in their first quarter while
the victor darts past the goal, so, in the race of immortality,
some souls outspeed all the rest and reach the end, while their
myriad competitors are toiling under the load of matter, close to
the starting point. Some unfortunates fall out entirely and lose all
chance of the prize; some retrace their steps and begin again.“

Clear enough this, one should say. Nature baffled _tries again_. No
one can pass out of this world, (our earth) without becoming perfected
”_physically_, _morally_ and _spiritually_.” How can this be done,
unless there _is a series of rebirths_ required for the necessary
perfection in each department—to evolute in the “circle of necessity,”
can surely never be found in one human life? and yet this sentence is
followed without any break by the following parenthetical statement:
“This is what the Hindu dreads above all things—_transmigration_ and
_reincarnation_; only on other and inferior planets, never on this
one!!!”

The last “sentence” is a fatal mistake and one to which the writer
pleads “_not guilty_.” It is evidently the blunder of some “reader”
who had no idea of Hindu philosophy and who was led into a subsequent
mistake on the next page, wherein the unfortunate word “planet” is
put for _cycle_. “_Isis_” was hardly, if ever, looked into after its
publication by its writer, who had other work to do; otherwise there
would have been an apology and a page pointing to the _errata_ and
the sentence made to run: “The Hindu dreads transmigration in other
_inferior_ forms, on this planet.”

This would have dove-tailed with the preceding sentence, and would
show a fact, as the Hindu _exoteric_ views allow him to believe and
fear the possibility of reincarnation—human and animal in turn by
jumps, from man to beast and even a plant—and _vice versa_; whereas
_esoteric_ philosophy teaches that nature never proceeding backward
in her evolutionary progress, once that man has evoluted from every
kind of lower forms—the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms—into
the human form, he can never become an animal except morally,
hence—_metaphorically_. Human incarnation is a cyclic necessity, and
law; and no Hindu dreads it—however much he may deplore the necessity.
And this law and the periodical recurrence of man’s rebirth is shown
on the same page (346) and in the same unbroken paragraph, where it is
closed by saying that:

“But there is a way to avoid it. Buddha taught it in his doctrine
of poverty, restriction of the senses, perfect indifference to the
objects of this earthly vale of tears, freedom from passion, and
frequent intercommunication with the Atma—soul-contemplation. _The
cause of reincarnation is ignorance[139] of our senses, and the idea
that there is any reality in the world, anything except abstract
existence._ From the organs of sense comes the “hallucination” we call
contact; “from contact, desire; from desire, sensation (which also is
a deception of our body,) from sensation, the cleaving to existing
bodies; from this cleaving, reproduction; and from reproduction,
disease, decay, and death.”

This ought to settle the question and show there must have been some
carelessly unnoticed mistake and if this is not sufficient, there is
something else to demonstrate it, for it is further on:

“Thus, like the revolutions of a wheel, _there is a regular succession
of death and birth_, the moral cause of which is the cleaving to
existing objects, while the instrumental cause is _Karma_ (the power
which controls the universe, prompting it to activity,) merit and
demerit. It is therefore, the great desire of all beings who would
be released _from the sorrows of successive birth_, to seek the
destruction of the moral cause the cleaving to existing objects, or
evil desire.”

“They in whom evil desire is entirely destroyed are called _Arhats_.
Freedom from evil desire insures the possession of a _miraculous_
power. At his death, the Arhat is never reincarnated; he invariably
attains nirvana—a word, by the by, falsely interpreted by the
Christian scholar and skeptical commentators. Nirvana is the world of
_cause_, in which all deceptive effects or delusions of our senses
disappear. Nirvana is the highest attainable sphere. The _pitris_ (the
pre-Adamic spirits) are considered as reincarnated by the Buddhistic
philosopher, though in a degree far superior to that of the man of
earth. Do they not die in their turn? Do not their astral bodies
suffer and rejoice, and feel the same curse of illusionary feelings as
when embodied?”

And just after this we are again made to say of Buddha and his Doctrine
of “Merit and Demerit,” or Karma:

“But this _former life_ believed in by the Buddhists, is not a life
on _this planet_ for, more than any other people, the Buddhistical
philosopher appreciated the great doctrine of cycles.”

Correct “life on this planet” by “_life in the same cycle_,” and you
will have the correct reading: for what would have appreciation of
“the great doctrine of cycles” to do with Buddha’s philosophy, had the
great sage believed but in one short life on this Earth and in the same
cycle. But to return to the real theory of reincarnation as in the
esoteric teaching and its unlucky rendering in _Isis_.

Thus, what was really meant therein, was that, the principle which
_does not reincarnate_—save the exceptions pointed out—is the _false_
personality, the illusive human Entity defined and individualized
during this short life of ours, under some specific form and name;
but that which _does_ and has to reincarnate _nolens volens_ under
the unflinching, stern rule of Karmic law—is the real EGO. This
confusing of the real immortal Ego in man, with the false and ephemeral
_personalities_ it inhabits during its Manvantaric progress, lies at
the root of every such misunderstanding. Now what is the one, and what
is the other? The first group is—

1. The immortal Spirit—sexless, formless (arupa) an emanation from the
One universal BREATH.

2. Its Vehicle—the _divine_ Soul—called the “Immortal Ego,” the “Divine
monad,” etc. etc., which by accretions from _Manas_ in which burns
the ever existing _Jiv_—the undying spark—adds to itself at the close
of each incarnation the essence of that individuality _that was_, the
aroma of the culled flower that is no more.

What is the _false_ personality? It is that bundle of desires,
aspirations, affection and hatred, in short of _action_, manifested by
a human being on this earth during one incarnation and under the form
of one personality.[140] Certainly it is not all _this_, which as a
fact for us, the deluded, material, and and materially thinking lot—is
Mr. So and So, or Mrs. somebody else—that remains immortal, or is ever
reborn.

All that bundle of _Egotism_ that apparent and evanescent “_I_”
disappears after death, as the costume of the part he played disappears
from the actor’s body, after he leaves the theatre and goes to bed.
That actor re-becomes at once the same “John Smith” or Gray, he was
from his birth and is no longer the Othello or Hamlet that he had
represented for a few hours. Nothing remains now of that “bundle”
to go to the next incarnation, except _the seed for future Karma_
that _Manas_ may have united to its immortal group, to form with
it—the disembodied _Higher Self_ in “Devachan.” As to the four lower
principles, that which becomes of them is found in most classics, from
which we mean to quote at length for our defence. The doctrine of the
_perisprit_ the “false personality,” or the remains of the deceased
under their astral form—fading out to disappear in time, is terribly
distasteful to the spiritualists, who insist upon confusing the
temporary with the immortal EGO.

Unfortunately for them and happily for us, it is not the modern
Occultists who have invented the doctrine. They are on their defense.
And they prove what they say, _i.e._, that no “_personality_” has ever
yet been “reincarnated” “on the same planet” (_our earth_, this once
there is _no_ mistake) save in the three exceptional cases above cited.
Adding to these a fourth case, _which is the deliberate, conscious
act of adeptship_; and that such an _astral_ body belongs _neither to
the body nor the soul_ still less to the immortal spirit of man, the
following is brought forward and proofs cited.

Before one brings out on the strength of undeniable manifestations,
theories as to _what_ produces them and claims at once on _prima
facie_ evidence that it is the _spirits_ of the departed mortals
that re-visit us, it behooves one to first study what antiquity has
declared upon the subject. Ghosts and apparitions, materialized and
semi-material “SPIRITS” have not originated with Allan Kardec, nor
at Rochester. If those beings whose invariable habit it is to give
themselves out for _souls_ and the phantoms of the dead, choose to do
so and succeed, it is only because the cautious philosophy of old is
now replaced by an _a priori_ conceit, and unproven assumptions. The
first question is to be settled—“Have spirits any kind of substance to
cloth themselves with?” _Answer_: That which is now called _perisprit_
in France, and a “materialized Form” in England and America, was
called in days of old _peri-psyche_, and _peri-nous_, hence was well
known to the old Greeks. Have they _a body_ whether gaseous, fluidic,
etherial, material or semi-material? No; we say this on the authority
of the occult teachings the world over. For with the Hindus _atma or
spirit_ is _Arupa_ (bodiless,) and with the Greeks also. Even in the
Roman Catholic Church the angels of Light as those of Darkness _are
absolutely incorporeal_: “_meri spiritus, omnes corporis expertes_,”
and in the words of the “SECRET DOCTRINE,” _primordial_. Emanations of
the undifferentiated Principle, the Dhyan Chohans of the ONE (First)
category or pure Spiritual Essence, are formed of the _Spirit of the
one Element_; the second category of the second Emanation of the Soul
of the Elements; the third have a “_mind_ body” to which they are
not subject, but that they can assume and govern as a body, subject
_to them_, pliant to their will in form and substance. Parting from
this (third) category, they (the spirits, angels, Devas or Dhyan
Chohans) have BODIES the first _rupa_ group of which is composed of
one element _Ether_; the second, of two—ether and fire; the third, of
three—Ether, fire and water; the fourth of four—Ether, air, fire and
water. Then comes man, who, besides the four elements, has the fifth
that predominates in him—Earth: therefore he suffers. Of the Angels,
as said by St. Augustine and Peter Lombard, their bodies are made _to
act_ not to suffer. It is earth and water, _humor et humus_, that gives
an aptitude for suffering and passivity, _ad patientiam_, and _Ether_
and _Fire_ for action. The spirits or human _monads_, belonging to the
first, or indifferentiated essence are thus incorporeal; but their
third principle (or the human Fifth—_Manas_) can in conjunction with
its vehicle become _Kama rupa_ and _Mayavi rupa_—body of desire or
“illusion body.” After death, the best, noblest, purest qualities of
_Manas_ or the _human_ soul ascending along with the divine Monad into
Devachan whence no one emerges from or returns, except at the time of
reincarnation—what is that then which appears under the double mask
of the spiritual _Ego_ or soul of the departed individual? _The Kama
rupa element with the help of elementals._ For we are taught that those
spiritual beings that can assume a form at will and appear, _i.e._,
make themselves objective and even tangible—are the angels alone (the
Dhyan Chohans) and the _nirmanakaya_[141] of the adepts, whose spirits
are clothed in sublime matter. The astral bodies—_the remnants_ and
_dregs_ of a mortal being which has been disembodied, when they do
appear, are not the individuals they claim to be, but only their
simulachres. And such was the belief of the whole of antiquity, from
Homer to Swedenborg; from the _third_ race down to our own day.

More than one devoted spiritualist has hitherto quoted Paul as
corroborating his claim that spirits do and can appear. “There is a
natural and there is a spiritual body,” etc., etc., (1 Cor. xv, 44);
but one has only to study closer the verses preceding and following the
one quoted, to perceive that what St. Paul meant was quite different
from the sense claimed for it. Surely there is a _spiritual_ body, but
it is not identical with the _astral_ form contained in the “natural”
man. The “spiritual” is formed only by our individuality _unclothed_
and _transformed after death_; for the apostle takes care to explain in
Verses 51 and 52, “_Immut abimur sed non omnes_.” Behold, I tell you
_a mystery_: we shall _not all sleep_ but we _shall all be changed_.
This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on
immortality.

But this is no proof except for the Christians. Let us see what the old
Egyptians and the Neo-Platonists—both “_theurgists_” _par excellence_,
thought on the subject: They divided man into three principal groups
subdivided into principles as we do: pure immortal spirit; the
“Spectral Soul” (_a luminous phantom_) and the gross material body.
Apart from the latter which was considered as the terrestrial shell,
these groups were divided into six principles; (1) _Kha_ “vital body”;
(2) _Khaba_ “astral form,” or shadow, (3) _Khou_ “animal soul” (4)
_Akh_ “terrestrial intelligence;” (5) _Sa_ “the divine soul” (_or
Buddhi_;) and (6) _Sah_ or mummy, the functions of which began after
death. _Osiris_ was the highest uncreated spirit, for it was, in
one sense a generic name, every man becoming after his translation
_Osirified_, _i. e._, absorbed into _Osiris_—_Sun_ or into the glorious
divine state. It was _Khou_, with the lower portions of _Akh_ or _Kama
rupa_ with the addition of the dregs of _Manas_ remaining all behind
in the astral light of our atmosphere—that formed the counterparts
of the terrible and so much dreaded _bhoots_ of the Hindus (our
“elementaries.”) This is seen in the rendering made of the so-called
“Harris. Papyrus on magic.” (_papyrus magique_, translated by Chabas)
who calls them _Kouey_ or _Khou_, and explains that according to the
hieroglyphics they were called _Khou_ or the “revivified dead,” the
“resurrected shadows.”

When it was said of a person that he “_had a Khou_” it meant that
he was possessed by a “Spirit.” There were two kinds of _Khous_—the
justified ones,—who after living for a short time _a second life_ (_nam
onh_) faded out, disappeared; and those _Khous_ who were condemned
to wandering without rest in darkness _after dying for a second
time_—_mut, em, nam_—and who were called the _H’ou-mêtr_ (“second time
dead”) which did not prevent them from clinging to a vicarious life
after the manner of Vampires. How dreaded they were is explained in our
Appendices on Egyptian Magic and “Chinese Spirits” (_Secret Doctrine_.)
They were exorcised by Egyptian priests as the evil spirit is exorcised
by the Roman Catholic _curé_; or again the Chinese _houen_, identical
with the _Khou_ and the “Elementary,” as also with the _lares_ or
_larvæ_—a word derived from the former by _Festus_, the grammarian; who
explains that they were “the shadows of the dead _who gave no rest in
the house they were in_ either to the Masters or the servants.” These
creatures when evoked during theurgic, and especially _necromantic_
rites, were regarded, and are so regarded still, in China—as neither
the Spirit, Soul nor any thing belonging to the deceased personality
they represented, but simply, as his reflection—_simmulacrum_.

“The human soul,” says Apuleius, “is an _immortal God_” (Buddhi) which
nevertheless has his beginning. When death rids it (the Soul), from its
earthly corporeal organism, it is called _lemure_. There are among the
latter not a few which are beneficent, and which become the gods or
demons of the family, _i. e._, its domestic gods: in which case they
are called _lares_. But they are vilified and spoken of as _larvae_
when sentenced by fate to wander about, they spread around them evil
and plagues. (_Inane terriculamentum, celerum noxium malis_;) or if
their real nature is doubtful they are referred to as simply _manes_
(_Apuleius_. see—_Du Dieu de Socrate_, pp. 143-145. Edit. Niz.) Listen
to Yamblichus, Proclus, Porphyry, Psellus and to dozens of other
writers on these mystic subjects.

The Magi of Chaldea believed and _taught that the celestial or divine
soul_ would participate in the bliss of eternal light, while the animal
or _sensuous_ soul would, if good, rapidly dissolve, and if wicked, go
on wandering about in the Earth’s sphere. In this case, “it (the soul)
assumes at times the forms of various human phantoms and even those
of animals.” The same was said of the _Eidôlon_ of the Greeks, and of
their _Nephesh_ by the Rabbins: (See _Sciences Occultes_, Count de
Resie. V. II) All the _Illuminati_ of the middle ages tell us of our
_astral Soul_, the reflection of the dead or his _spectre_. At _Natal_
death (birth) the pure spirit remains attached to the _intermediate_
and _luminous_ body but as soon as its lower form (the physical body)
is dead, the former ascends heavenward, and the latter descends into
the nether worlds, or the _Kama loka_.

Homer shows us the body of Patroclus—the true image of the terrestrial
body lying killed by Hector—rising in its spiritual form, and Lucretius
shows old Ennius representing Homer himself, shedding bitter tears,
amidst the _shadows and the human simulachres_ on the shores of
Acherusia “_where live neither our bodies nor our souls_, but only our
images.”

“* * * Esse _Acherusia_ templa,
* * * Quo _neque_ permanent _animæ, neque corpora_ nostra,
_Sed quædam simulacra_ * *”

Virgil called it _imago_ “image” and in the Odyssey (I. XI) the author
refers to it as the type, the model, and at the same time the copy of
the body; since Telemachus will not recognize Ulyssus and seeks to
drive him off by saying—“No thou are not my father; thou art a demon,——
trying to seduce me!” (_Odys._ I. XVI. _v._ 194.) “Latins do not lack
significant proper names to designate the varieties of their demons;
and thus they called them in turn, _lares_, _lemures_, _geni_ and
_manes_.” Cicero, in translating Plato’s _Timaeus_ translates the word
_daimones_ by _lares_; and Festus the grammarian, explains that the
inferior or lower gods were the _souls_ of _men_, making a difference
between the two as Homer did, and between _anima bruta_ and _anima
divina_ (animal and divine souls). Plutarch (in _proble. Rom._) makes
the lares preside and inhabit the (haunted) houses, and calls them,
cruel, exacting, inquisitive, etc., etc. Festus thinks that there
are good and bad ones among the lares. For he calls them at one time
_præstites_ as they gave occasionally and watched over things carefully
(_direct apports_,) and at another—_hostileos_.[142] “However it may
be” says in his queer old French, Leloyer, “they are no better than our
devils, who, if they do appear helping sometimes men, and presenting
them with property, it is only to hurt them the better and the more
later on. _Lemures_ are also devils and _larvæ_ for they appear at
night in various human and animal forms, but still more frequently with
features that THEY _borrow from dead men_.” (_Livre des Spectres_. V.
IV p. 15 and 16).

After this little honour rendered to his Christian preconceptions, that
see Satan everywhere, Leloyer speaks like an Occultist, and a very
erudite one too.

“It is quite certain that the _genii_ and none other had mission to
watch over every newly born man, and that they were called _genii_, as
says Censorius, because they had in their charge our race, and not only
they _presided_ over every mortal being but over whole generations and
tribes, being the _genii of the people_.”

The idea of guardian angels of men, races, localities, cities, and
nations, was taken by the Roman Catholics from the prechristian
occultists and pagans. Symmachus (Epistol, I. X) writes: “As souls
are given to those who are born, so _genii_ are distributed to the
nations. Every city had its protecting genius, to whom the people
sacrificed.” There is more than one inscription found that reads:
_Genio civitates_—“to the genius of the city.”

Only the ancient profane, never seemed sure any more than the modern
whether an apparition was the _eidolon_ of a relative or the genius of
the locality. Enneus while celebrating the anniversary of the name of
his father Anchises, seeing a serpent crawling on his tomb knew not
whether that was the _genius_ of his father or the genius of the place
(Virgil). “The _manes_[143] were numbered and divided between good and
bad; those that were _sinister_, and that Virgil calls _numina larva_,
were appeased by sacrifices that they should commit no mischief, such
as sending bad dreams to those who despised them, etc:”

Tibullus shows by his line:—

_Ne tibi neglecti mittant insomnia manes._ (Eleg., 1. II.)

“Pagans thought that the _lower Souls_ were transformed after death
into _diabolical aerial_ spirits.” (Leloyer p. 22.)

The term _Eteroprosopos_ when divided into its several compound words
will yield a whole sentence, “an other than I under the features of my
person.”

It is to this terrestrial principle, the _eidolon_, the _larva_, the
_bhoot_—call it by whatever name—that reincarnation was refused in
_Isis_.[144]

The doctrines of Theosophy are simply the faithful echoes of
Antiquity. Man is a _Unity_ only at his origin and at his end. All
the Spirits, all the Souls, gods and demons emanate from and have
for their root-principle the SOUL OF THE UNIVERSE—says Porphyry (_De
Sacrifice_). Not a philosopher of any notoriety who did not believe (1)
in reincarnation (metempsychosis), (2) in the plurality of principles
in man, or that man had _two_ Souls of separate and quite different
natures; one perishable, the _Astral Soul_, the other incorruptible
and immortal; and (3) that the former was not the man whom it
represented—“neither his spirit nor his body, but his _reflection_,
at best.” This was taught by Brahmins, Buddhists, Hebrews, Greeks,
Egyptians, and Chaldeans; by the post-diluvian heirs of the prediluvian
Wisdom, by Pythagoras and Socrates, Clemens Alexandrinus, Synesius,
and Origen. the oldest Greek poets as much as the Gnostics, whom
Gibbon shows as the most refined, learned and enlightened men of all
ages (“See Decline and Fall,” etc.). But the rabble was the same in
every age: superstitious, self-opinionated, materializing every most
spiritual and noble idealistic conception and dragging it down to its
own low level, and—ever adverse to philosophy.

But all this does not interfere with that fact, that our “fifth
Race” man, analyzed esoterically as a septenary creature, was ever
_exoterically_ recognized as mundane, sub-mundane, terrestrial and
supra mundane, Ovid graphically describing him as—

“Bis duo sunt hominis; _manes_, _caro_, _spiritus_, _umbra_
Quatuor ista loca bis duo suscipiunt.
Terra tegit carnem, tumulum circumvolat umbra,
Orcus habet manes, spiritus astra petit.”

OSTENDE, _Oct., 1886_.

POETICAL OCCULTISM.

SOME ROUGH STUDIES OF THE OCCULT LEANINGS OF THE POETS.

II.

Perhaps no passage in _Light on the Path_ is more forcible than that
which warns the disciple against allowing the idea of separateness from
any evil thing or person to grow up within him. He is bidden to, “be
wary, lest too soon you fancy yourself a thing apart from the mass.”
The Bagavad-Gita utters the same truth in other words by picturing man
as led astray by the pride of self-sufficiency and the great danger
underlying the desires and passions of the individual soul. Throughout
life the student of occultism daily renews the struggle of soul against
flesh, of faith against desire. This combat is finely pictured in
Tennyson’s _Palace of Art_. It is truly an occult palace. Four courts
are made, east, west, south and north, with a squared lawn in each, and
four great fountains “stream in misty folds.” Here we are reminded of
the Garden of Eden with its four rivers, of which Eliphas Levi says:
“this description of the terrestrial paradise is resumed in the figure
of a perfect pentacle. It is circular or square, since it is equally
watered by four rivers disposed in a cross.” The square, answering to
the number four was indeed the great kabbalistic figure, representing
the Trinity in Unity. Nor is the mystic circle wanting in our occult
palace, for there are “cool rows of circling cloisters” about the
squares, and a gilded gallery that “lent broad verge to distant
lands,” and “incense streaming from a golden cup,” another mystic
symbol, representing the passive or negative side of nature. Full of
sumptuousness was this palace, built for the soul that she might dwell
in sensuous luxury, remote from the struggling world. Then the poet
shows us further into the recesses of his sweet thought, and we see in
the pictures with which the palace was hung, a portrayal of the various
life experiences of the soul as it passes from phase to phase, from
room to room of this great palace which is human life.

“Full of great rooms and small the palace stood,
All various, _each a perfect whole
From living nature_, fit for every mood
And change of my still soul.”

From high estate to low the soul thus passes, from a “glimmering land”
to “iron coast and angry wave;” from uplands of toil and harvest, to
the “high bleak crags of sorrow,” from Greece and Sicily to India or
the North, until “every landscape, as fit for every mood was there,
not less than truth designed,” a rich panorama of reincarnations.
Amongst all these the soul moves joyful and feasting, “Lord of the
senses five,” communing with herself that all these are her own in the
“God-like isolation which is hers.”

“Then of the moral instinct would she prate,
And of the rising from the dead,
As hers by right of full-accomplished Fate,
And at the last she said:

I take possession of man’s mind and deed.
I care not what the sects may brawl.
I sit as God, holding no form of creed
But contemplating all.”

So three years she throve and prospered, but in the fourth year, (mark
again the occult number of perfection,) a great dread came upon her,
she was plagued in “the abyssmal deeps of personality” with a sore
despair. The moment of choice, the turning point had come, that period
of which Esoteric Buddhism speaks as occurring for the race in the
fifth round but to which some exceptional personalities have forced
themselves in this our fourth round. Many occultists will see their
own experience mirrored in that of this tormented and lonely soul,
contemplating her “palace of strength whereof the foundation stones
were laid since her first memory,” only to see in its dark corners,
“uncertain shapes, horrible nightmares, white-eyed phantasms and
hollow shades enclosing hearts of flame.” Do we not seem to see all
the elemental world, led on by the dread Dweller of the Threshold here
confronting us? The struggle is even more powerfully depicted but the
lesson is learned; the soul may retrieve herself by a lowly life; she
throws aside her royal robes, and recognizing the need of mixing with
her kind, begs for a “cottage in the vale.”

The poet reserves for his last verse the final lesson that only when
we lead others to the heights and share these with our kind, can we
ourselves stand steadfast there:

“Yet pull not down my palace towers, that are
So lightly, beautifully built;
Perchance I may return with others there
When I have purged my guilt.”

A footnote in the September PATH states:—“After all, the whole process
of development is the process of _getting back the memory of the past_.
And that too is the teaching found in pure Buddhism, etc.” Sometimes we
are conscious of vague callings to do a certain thing, and critically
regarding ourselves, we cannot see in this life any cause. It seems the
bugle note of a past life blown almost in our face: it startles us;
sometimes we are overthrown. These memories affect us like the shadows
of passing clouds across our path, now tangible; then fading, only a
cloud. Now they start before us like phantoms, or like a person behind
you as you look at a mirror, it looks over the shoulder. If they are
indeed reminiscences of other lives, although dead and past, they yet
have a power. Hear what Lowell whispers in “_The Twilight_” of these
mysterious moments:

“Sometimes a breath floats by me,
An odor from Dreamland sent,
Which makes the ghost seem nigh me
Of a something that came and went,
Of a life lived somewhere, I know not
In what diviner sphere:
Of mem’ries that come not and go not;
Like music once heard by an ear
That cannot forget or reclaim it;
A something so shy, it would shame it
To make it a show.
A something too vague, could I name it,
For others to know:
As though I had lived it and dreamed it,
As though I had acted and schemed it
Long ago.

And yet, could I live it over,
This Life which stirs in my brain;
Could I be both maiden and lover,
Moon and tide, bee and clover,
As I seem to have been, once again.
Could I but speak and show it.
This pleasure more sharp than pain.
Which baffles and lures me so!
The world would not lack a poet,
Such as it had
In the ages glad,
Long Ago.”

Emerson, who saw further into the world of nature than any poet of our
race, gives us this:

“And as through dreams in watches of the night,
So through all creatures in their form and ways,
Some mystic hint accosts the vigilant,
Not clearly voiced, but waking a new sense,
Inviting to new knowledge, _one with old_.”

The hermetic maxim, “As above so below,” sends us indeed to nature for
initiation, and the Gita follows up this nail with a hammer by saying:
“The man, O Arjoona, who, from what passeth in his own breast, whether
it be pain or pleasure, beholdeth the same in others, is esteemed a
supreme Yogi.” Analogy, Harmony, Unity, these are the words traced
over and over for us, the shining rays of the one Law. These are the
thoughts in which the poets delight. Emerson speaks again with still
clearer voice:

“Brother, sweeter is the Law
Than all the grace Love ever saw,
If the Law should thee forget.
More enamored serve it yet.

* * * * *

* * I found this;
That of goods I could not miss
If I fell within the line;
Once a member, all was mine:
Houses, banquets, gardens, fountains,
Fortune’s delectable mountains.
But if I would walk alone
Was neither cloak nor crumb my own.”

The Biblical verse:—“It is more blessed to give than to receive,” is
a great occult teaching. As we strengthen the muscles by exercise, so
we enlarge the intelligence and the heart by constantly dispensing our
means, whether these be golden thoughts, or time, or affections, all
along the line of Brotherhood. Not because of a sentiment, but because
Life is made up of vibrations which our scientists, cautious as they
are, admit may affect the farthest stars.

“Like warp and woof, all destinies
Are woven fast,
Linked in sympathy, like the keys
Of an organ vast.
Pluck but one thread, and the web ye mar;
Break but one of a thousand keys, and the paining jar
Through all will run.”

This from Whittier reminds us of the lines on Karma in _Light on the
Path_. “Remember that the threads are living,—are like electric wires,
more, are like quivering nerves. How far, then, must the stain, the
drag awry, be communicated.” Yes, the communion of saints is a living
fact. We all commune, not alone with one another; with those above us
and with those below, but essentially with our time. Not one of us can
escape its influence: we oppose its conclusions, deny its powers, and
meanwhile it speaks through us, without our knowledge, the passwords
we do not yet understand. This “dark age” is still the birth-place of
spiritual development, of an awakening belief in the supernatural, or
that which overshadows nature. We have had no more safe, practical
sober poet than Whittier, who sweetly sings the life of every day, when
he is not stirred by the fret of the times, to Freedoms larger issues.
Yet hear him describing the power of a “wizard:”

“All the subtle spirits hiding
Under earth or wave; abiding
In the caverned rock, or riding
Misty clouds, or morning breeze.
Every dark intelligence,
Secret soul, and influence
Of all things, which outward sense
Feels, or hears, or sees,—
These the wizard’s skill confessed.—”

Is not here an “outward sense” of Professor Denton’s discoveries of the
“soul of things?” But hear further the poet’s confession of faith in
the occult power of will:

“Not untrue that tale of old!
Now as then, the wise and bold
All the powers of nature hold,
Subject to their kingly will.

* * * * *

Still to such, life’s elements,
With their sterner laws dispense,
_And the chain of consequence_
_Broken in their pathway lies_.
To his aid the strong reverses,
Hidden powers and giant forces,
And the high stars in their courses,
Mingle in his strife.”

The italicized lines are almost an echo of the words of an Adept when
speaking of the possibility for the disciple, of an ultimate escape
from the laws of Karma, which give him the right to demand the secrets
of nature. “He obtains this right by having escaped from the limits of
nature, and by having freed himself from the rules which govern human
life.” So does Whittier’s initiate. For every one of us there looms a
danger in our being prone to mistake desire for will. The paradox of
Levi is sound and true: “The will obtains all that it does not desire.”
Meditation in this direction will reveal some deep and useful truths to
the practical occultist.

But to return to our poets. There are many butterfly hints to be found
fluttering through their lines. Time has spared us this one from Marvel:

“At some fruit-tree’s mossy root,
Casting the body’s vest aside
My soul into the bows does glide;
There, like a bird, it sits and sings.”

And Matthew Arnold, turned dreamer for the nonce, has netted us
one, more meaty than diaphanous, in which we find hints of periodic
Devachanic sleep, between every period of earth struggle, of man’s
threefold nature which serves to hide the memory of his other lives,
and a touch of Karma as well:

“The Guide of our dark steps a triple veil
Betwixt our senses and our sorrow keeps;
Hath sown with cloudless passages the tale
Of grief, and eased us with a thousand sleeps.”

It would sometimes seem, as in the above quotation, that the poet
himself was scarcely conscious of the full bearing of what he wrote,
as if that dim something from another life of which Lowell spoke,
had brushed him with its wing unawares. Often the higher Self speaks
out from a man’s work, to other men whose consciousness has a higher
development than his own, while it has not as yet revealed itself
to him. How many men tremble thus on the borders of the unseen. Let
us beware whom we set down as remote from our communion, “for in an
instant a veil may fall down from his spirit, and he will be far
ahead of us all.” There is an occult verse from Goethe which has been
quoted by Tyndall in one of those sad and baffled paragraphs which
darkle through the works of our scientists, shadowy witnesses that
these distinguished materialists and physicists are often nearer our
path than they or we suspect. Through such they seem to call for
deliverance. We give the verse in its setting, leaving Tyndall’s prose
to point its poetic meaning.

“As regards knowledge, physical science is polar. In one sense it
knows, or is destined to know everything. In another sense it knows
nothing. Science understands much of this intermediate phase of things
that we call nature, of which it is the product; but science knows
nothing of the origin or destiny of nature. Who or what made the sun,
and gave his rays their alleged power? Who or what made and bestowed
upon the ultimate particles of matter their wondrous power of varied
interaction? Science does not know: the mystery, though pushed back,
remains unaltered. To many of us who feel that there are more things
in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in the present philosophy of
science, but who have been also taught by baffled efforts, how vain is
the attempt to grapple with the Inscrutable, the ultimate frame of mind
is that of Goethe:”

“Who dares to name His name,
Or belief in him proclaim,
Veiled in mystery as He is, the All-enfolder?
Gleams across the mind His light,
Feels the lifted soul His might;
Dare it then deny His reign, the All-upholder?”
JULIUS.

[Illustration:]

HINDU SYMBOLISM.

II.

This figure represents Brahma-Maya or Mahat-Maya, Brahma Viraj, or the
great Illusion.

The androgene or male-female, the Great Appearance, the first
revelation of the Being or Brahman (neuter), under the form of the
double-sexed first emanation. The neuter, became male and female, by
separation into the male, positive, forming the spiritual—the entities
or the noumena, and his sakti or female, the negative, or plastic,
matter, the illusionary or phenomenal existence. The sakti, is his
developing energy, force or potentiality. This symbol, the divine
type of the first male and female, which can be compared with the
terrestrial Adam before the final separation of Eve, is really in
consonance with this Adam’s perfect ideal, the Adam Kadmon or Heavenly
Adam of the Kabbalah. The Brahma-half is on the right side, the good
side, man’s, the Maya-half is on the left, the evil side, the woman’s.
So according to the Hebrew sacred writings, through Eve the woman,
evil was brought into the world. Compare with this the Greek myth of
Pandora. Issuing from the linga-yoni is the pearl chain, or connected
circle of the existences, looked upon as united atoms, and the symbol
of all the existing. It is held up by the hand on the male side.

Brahman (neuter), appears here as manifested in the male in union
with the female sakti, of the preformatory imagination, as the ante
creative monarch and Pearl King, richly decorated with the circles of
the soul-monads and atoms. On his head is the world egg cap. The veil
of the existences, upon which are woven the ideas or models of the
to-be-emanated existences, flows from the linga-yoni to the highest
part of the head and thence down the right side. He as the male, has
a tendency to twist himself upon himself and his face bears the stamp
of deep meditation. The aureole of fire is on the male side and from
it scintillate sparks upon the veil of Maya. On the Maya side, the
attitude is that of joy or dancing; the hand raised as if in play,
holds up the veil, bells are hanging on her robe and singularly the
Egyptian hieroglyphic for the water of life is shown; while the bust is
developed. Portrayed upon the veil are the prototypes of the creatures.
Compare the symbolism of the girdle of Aphrodite and that of Venus.

As the double spouse of Brahman (neuter) considered apart and in
opposition to It. The Brahma-Maya is the life in nature, of which,
Brahman (neuter) is the soul. The Brahma-Maya is that blind energy
and force, potential and powerful, and eternally fecund, which is
incessantly producing under forms which are without cessation renewed;
and which is adored in India to-day, as the Great Mother, the Universal
Mother, in other words all nature deified. Maya is the mother of Love
or Desire, the first principle or affinity of all affection, creation,
matter. She is even matter itself, but the primitive subtile matter
co-existing with God (Brahman, neuter) from all eternity, contained
in It, and symbolized by the three colors, red, white, black; the
three qualities or powers of creation, preservation and destruction,
consequently the Trimurti, and also the three _gunas_ (qualities),
Truth, Action, and Indifference, of the Bhagavadgitâ.[145] It is Maya,
who through the attraction of her beauty, causes the Most High, from
the bosom of Its ineffable profoundity, forgetting Itself, to unite
Itself, in the intoxication of desire with that divine enchantress.

The mysterious veil, which she had woven with her hands, received
entirely from both, and the thought of the Eternal Almighty became
fecundated, and fell into Time. The innumerable forms of the creatures,
represent the perfect ideals woven upon the magic tissue, the woven
warp and woof of all existence, with which veil Maya[146] envelops her
spouse and causes the recurrence of the gift of life.
ISAAC MYER.

TEACHINGS OF THE MASTER.

RECORDED BY ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF “MAN: FRAGMENTS OF FORGOTTEN HISTORY.”

(_Copyrighted._)

THE JOURNEY.

The Master stood on a great ledge of rock extending far out over a
precipice that seemed miles below. With his face lighted by the first
rays of the coming day that shot across the peaks above him and with
his hands clasped behind him he waited in silence for the coming of
the pupil to whom he had signalled. A Brother lying on the grass not
far removed from the natural platform upon which he stood, questioned
kindly the possibility of so long a journey by so feeble a student—but
the Master waited looking piercingly across the distance. His eyes
gazed intently before him turning neither to the right nor to the left,
and when in the far azure of the clouds he saw approaching the soul
that had projected itself at his bidding, he impelled his thought to
his Brother who instantly recognized the approaching visitant. The Soul
gaining in velocity every moment was in the presence of the Master
before the twinkling of an eye could be noted—and prostrate before him
could only articulate: “Master! Master!”

A touch of the purified hand pacified the terrible emotions of the new
comer, who in suppliant attitude awaited the command of the Beloved
Guru. “Rise my child,” came from the lips of the Teacher; who, when he
was obeyed continued:

“Your progress is clogged by your indifference to duty. There can
be no relations between us unless you disembody your desires and
spiritualize every thought. Imprison the latter when they wander, and
live to teach the lessons so often inculcated in your higher mind. Help
your fellow-beings to better comprehend the capabilities of the inner,
living Self.

“By the known laws of attraction and repulsion illustrate to them
the impossibility of a higher life on earth for any but clean souls.
There can be no mutuality of thought between clean and unclean
natures—and the only hope of advancement is by casting off the latter
and enveloping the real self in the shelter of noble thoughts. Teach
that it is matter that is illusionary—life that is a transitory
vision—earthly vanities that blind the eyes of the world.

“Try to speak of these secret things to the lowly and the burdened
who are often endowed with a wisdom not to be found among the other
and opposite classes. Tell them that the Spirit does have a real
existence here in matter—does exercise absolute philanthropy, divine
goodness—supreme self sacrifice; does know the power it possesses.
Return to your duty refreshed. Let the sunlight now breaking over the
hills and the mountains of Himavat radiate through your transparent
spirit. Drink of the dew of the morning and feed upon the honey
of wisdom that flows in upon your hungry Soul. Thus will you be
strengthened to meet the conflict in the plain of action wherein you
are constrained by your weakness to work. Thus will you escape from it
and find in the mountain the repose and intuition for which you are
yearning.”

The Brother whose form had lain in repose on the grass now approached
and looking intently at the disciple entranced with delight and
gratitude—said in stronger tones than the Beloved Master:

“In the land where your body lies secure from an intrusion that would
result in your absolute separation from it—the great conflict is about
to be fought. All the preliminary preparations have been made. A people
freed from many chains—fast sinking into a materialism only recognized
absolutely when some momentary impulse to generosity moves them—is to
rise or fall with this closing cycle. To such a Babe as you is revealed
a fact not perceived by the best minds among them. Go back there to
work! Obey the impulse to throw aside every barrier—to do away with
subterfuges deemed best for the personality, and go the rugged way
lone and alone. In the time of greatest need we will comfort you and
send the comforter to those whose Karma leads them to do battle in
the same field. To you the sustaining force of our Fraternity will be
contributed so long as the battle is waged for the race: the conquered
rescued from their low estate and the Light of the Logos offered to
every one who walks in the night of earth-life without guide and
compass.”—Then there was silence.

The Beloved Master touching the speaker’s uplifted head said in softest
accents: “Go now. If ye love me keep these commands.”

THE LESSONS.

The path of Wisdom is the path of duty. They are not separate roads as
many erroneously conclude. Men fail to associate wisdom with duty—they
consider them as apart. The disciple performs the action (duty), and in
so doing finds wisdom.

There is, in each incarnation, but one birth, one life, one death.
It is folly to duplicate these by persistent regrets for the past—by
present cowardice or fear of the future. There is no time—it is
eternity’s Now that man mistakes for past, present and future.

The forging of earthly chains is the occupation of the indifferent, the
awful duty of unloosing them through the sorrows of the heart is also
their occupation. Both are foolish sacrifices.

As mortal conscience is within, so also is the evidence of the spirit’s
omnipotence. The soul of man is a tangible proof to his _bodily_ senses
that he is immortal. The existence of soul is not susceptible of proof
on any but its own plane.

Compromise in the service of the weak. The starving must have food
suited to the limitations of the irritated system—but be thou firm in
thine own place of duty.

Liberate thyself from evil actions by good actions. The man accustomed
to actions cannot at once become a Muni; he must work out his
action-impelling qualities, and thus he transforms them into higher
energies.

Meditation is but a name to the bewildered; the word is not understood
until it is translated by the hungry spirit.

Fight the unknown force within you—it is evil. The good that is in you
is written without, and is apparent.

Inquire of the stranger the earthly road you seek, but ask your higher
self for the torch that will light you on your way. In the silence
of one’s own being, is lighted the candle of will and aspiration. No
wind can put it out, no heat can melt it. The flame is of the spirit’s
quality—pure and of even temperature.

There is no vacillation in the mind of the initiated. Half-knowledge is
the pitfall of the student.

Do not run aimlessly about saying lo, here is the light—lo, there
is the truth. The light that illuminates the Atma is kindled in the
mountain heights. It is the symbol of divine truth.

Wait in the morning for inspiration, at noon for guidance, and in the
evening for a full understanding of the road thou hast travelled.

Man’s higher nature is invisible or rather the Divine Principle is.
The individual human soul is universal: a right comprehension of
where there is difference and where identity between the _6th and
7th_ Principles in man will free the subject of much confusion and
misapprehension.

There is real affiliation as well as an occult connection existing
between the seven principles in man and the seven classes of minerals
under the earth. There are truths connected with the properties of the
latter which man may find out by learning the constitution of his own
sevenfold nature.

The law of embodied principles is to follow magnets. Is this not also
true of the higher nature? We draw to us the attention of the Mahatma
by a purified heart and a right development of will. From his heights
he sees the valleys below and reaches out to give to him who is
straining every faculty to receive.

Agitation that comes from mortal qualities affects the physical body
alone: this deep unrest is not felt by the Atma, for the Atma is Spirit
or pure bliss. But the ocean of matter, which includes the Soul, feels
these waves of trouble and thus is the soul bewildered, ignorantly
imagining that the spirit is affected. Learn to know the distinction
and to realize that the spirit is eternally unaffected.

Life is a compromise—hasten to acquit yourself of the debt contracted
in a former life, and remove its oppressing influence in this sphere.

When you re-enter the world of mortals again, let it be without
the three disqualifications for enlightenment, fear, passion and
selfishness: the sea of rebirths is half crossed already by the man who
has overcome these three drawbacks.

Meat for the thoughtless, wine for the weak, but devotion for him who
has overcome the appetites.

To be lord of self is to be selfless, a condition of perfect
tranquility.

Forget not this lesson—that every one is so placed in this world as to
exhibit his worst qualities. The purpose of this life is to strengthen
the weak places of the spiritual man. His external life is for this
only, therefore, all are seen at a disadvantage.

A lesson in meekness may be learned of the little child. It has come so
recently from its previous field of life that it walks with the air of
a stranger in a strange country and as one who must be led.

The divine quality is charity. Whenever it has been attained, the
remainder of the spirit’s work with the lower nature, is to acquire a
contrite heart.

(_To be continued._)

* * * * *

“Alas we reap what seed we sow; the hands that smite us are our own.”

OM.

FOOTNOTES:

[130] _I. e._, the present age of spiritual blindness.

[131] See “Transactions of the London Lodge of the Theosophical
Society,” No. 5.

[132] See charge and answer, in _Theosophist_, August, 1882.

[133] The cycle of existence during the manvantara—period before and
after the beginning and completion of which every such “monad” is
absorbed and reabsorbed in the ONE soul, _anima mundi_.

[134] Hades has surely never been meant for _Hell_. It was always
the abode of the sorrowing _shadows_ of astral bodies of the dead
personalities. Western readers should remember Kama-loka is not
_Karma_-loka, for Kama means _desire_, and Karma does not.

[135] Had this word “immediate” been put at the time of publishing
_Isis_ between the two words “no” and “reincarnation” there would have
been less room for dispute and controversy.

[136] By “sphere above,” of course “Devachan” was meant.

[137] The reader must bear in mind that the esoteric teaching maintains
that save in cases of wickedness when man’s nature attains the acme
of Evil, and human terrestrial sin reaches _Satanic_ universal
character, so to say _as some Sorcerers_ do—there is no punishment
for the majority of mankind after death. The law of retribution as
_Karma_, waits man at the threshold of his new incarnation. Man is
at best a wretched tool of evil, unceasingly forming new causes and
circumstances. He is not always (if ever) responsible. Hence a period
of rest and bliss in Devachan, with an utter temporary oblivion of all
the miseries and sorrows of life. _Avitchi_ is a _spiritual_ state of
the greatest misery and is only in store for those who have devoted
_consciously_ their lives to doing injury to others and have thus
reached its highest spirituality of EVIL.

[138] Says Apuleius: “The soul is born in this world upon leaving the
soul of the world (_anima mundi_) in which her existence precedes the
one we all know (on earth). Thus, the Gods who consider her proceedings
in all the phases of various existences and as a whole, punish her
sometimes for sins committed during an _anterior_ life. _She dies_ when
she separates herself from a body in which she crossed this life as in
a frail bark. And this is, if I mistake not, the secret meaning of the
tumulary inscription, so simple for the initiate: ”_To the Gods manes
who lived._“ But this kind of death does not annihilate the soul, it
only transforms (one portion of it) it into a _lemure_. ”_Lemures_“
are the _manes_, or ghosts, which we know under the name _tares_. When
they keep away and _show us a beneficent protection_, we honour in them
the protecting divinities of the family hearth; but if their crimes
sentence them to err, we call them _larvæ_. They become a plague for
the wicked, and the vain terror of the good.” (“Du Dieu de Socrate”
Apul. class, pp., 143-145.)

[139] “The cause of reincarnation is ignorance”—therefore there is
“reincarnation” once the writer explained the causes of it.

[140] A proof how our theosophical teachings have taken root in
every class of Society and even in English literature may be seen by
reading Mr. Norman Pearson’s article “Before Birth” in the “Nineteenth
Century” for August, 1886. Therein, theosophical ideas and teachings
are speculated upon without acknowledgment or the smallest reference
to theosophy, and among others, we see with regard to the author’s
theories on the _Ego_, the following: “How much of the _individual
personality_ is supposed to go to heaven or hell? Does the whole of the
mental equipment, good and bad, noble qualities and unholy passions,
follow the soul to its hereafter? Surely not. But if not, and something
has to be stripped off, how and when are we to draw the line? If, on
the other hand, the Soul is something distinct from all our mental
equipment, except the sense of self, are we not confronted by the
incomprehensible notion of a personality without any attributes.”

To this query the author answers as any true theosophist would: “The
difficulties of the question really spring from a misconception of
the true nature of these attributes. The components of our mental
equipment—appetites, aversions, feelings, tastes and qualities
generally—are not absolute but relative existences. Hunger and thirst
for instance are states of consciousness which arise in response to
the stimuli of physical necessities. They are not inherent elements of
the soul and _will disappear_ or become modified, etc.,” (pp. 356 and
357). In other words the theosophical doctrine is adopted, Atma and
Buddhi having culled off the _Manas_ the aroma of the personality or
_human soul_—go into Devachan: while the lower principles the astral
_simulacrum_ or false personality void of its Divine monad or spirit
will remain in the _Kama-loka_—the “Summerland.”

[141] _Nirmanakaya_ is the name given to the astral forms (_in their
completeness_) of adepts, who have progressed too high on the path of
_knowledge_ and absolute truth, to go into the state of Devachan; and
have on the other hand, deliberately refused the bliss of nirvana,
in order to help Humanity by invisibly guiding and helping on the
same path of progress elect men. But these _astrals_ are not empty
shells, but complete monads made up of the 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th
principles. There is another order of _nirmanakaya_, however, of which
much will be said in the _Secret Doctrine_.—H. P. B.

Placing these parallel with the division in esoteric teaching we see
that (1) _Osiris_ is Atma; (2) _Sa_ is Buddhi; (3) _Akh_ is Manas; (4)
_Khou_ is Kama-rupa, the seat of terrestrial desires. (5) _Khaba_ is
Lingha Sarira; (6) _Kha_ is Pranatma (vital principle) (7) _Sah_, is
mummy or body.

[142] Because they drove the enemies away.

[143] From _manus_—“good,” an _antiphraris_, as Festus explains.

[144] Page 12. Vol I. of “_Isis Unveiled_” belief in reincarnation
is asserted from the very beginning, as forming part and parcel of
universal beliefs. “Metempsychosis” (or transmigration of souls) and
reincarnation being after all the same thing.

[145] These three qualities are explained by Krishna in the
_Bhagavadgitâ_, as _Satwa_ good or inactive being purely spiritual;
_Rajas_ bad and active; and _Tamas_ inactive or indifferent and
bad. They exist in every human mind and are mingled in greater or
less proportions at all times, according to the individual and also
according to his varying circumstances. His teaching in regard to the
_Tamo guna_ is the same as that taught in the Christian Bible, for
he says that for the indifferent man there is no salvation—he is as
it were “ejected like a broken cloud;” and in I James v, 6, 7, the
doubting man is declared incapable of obtaining anything, while in Rev.
iii, 16, the Laodiceans are accused of being neither cold nor hot, that
is of being indifferent, and they are condemned to be “spewed out of
the mouth,” which is the same as the fate described as awaiting those
in whom indifference predominates, Krishna declaring that they become
more and more deluded at each succeeding generation until at last they
reach the lowest round of the ladder in the shape of primordial matter.
The difference between the two schools is, that Krishna’s allows the
doctrines of Reincarnation and Karma, while the modern Christians,
blind to their own Bible, reject these supremely important laws, or
rather ignore them as yet. [ED.]

[146] _Maya_ is the sanscrit for _illusion_. [ED.]

AUM

When there was neither day nor night, neither earth or sky, neither
light nor darkness: when there was nothing that could be seen or felt
by the physical senses or the faculties of the mind, there existed the
One Great Being—God.—_Vishnu Purana._

Resignation: the action of rendering good for evil; temperance;
probity; purity; repression of the senses; knowledge of holy books,
and of the Supreme Soul; truthfulness, and abstaining from anger: such
are the ten virtues in which consists duty. * * Those who study these
ten precepts of duty, and after having studied them conform their
lives thereto, will reach to the Supreme Condition.—_Manu, Book_ vi,
_sloka_ 92.

THE PATH.

VOL. I. DECEMBER, 1886. NO. 9.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

“THE THEOSOPHICAL MAHATMAS.”

It is with sincere and profound regret—though with no surprise,
prepared as I am for years for such declarations—that I have read in
the Rochester _Occult Word_, edited by Mrs. J. Cables, the devoted
president of the T. S. of that place, her joint editorial with Mr.
W. T. Brown. This sudden revulsion of feeling is perhaps quite natural
in the lady, for she has never had the opportunities given her as Mr.
Brown has; and her feeling when she writes that after “a great desire
* * to be put into communication with the Theosophical Mahatmas we
(they) have come to the conclusion that it is useless to strain the
psychical eyes toward the Himalayas * *” is undeniably shared by many
theosophists. Whether the complaints are justified, and also whether it
is the “Mahatmas” or theosophists themselves who are to blame for it is
a question that remains to be settled. It has been a pending case for
several years and will have to be now decided, as the two complainants
declare over their signatures that “we (they) need not run after
Oriental Mystics, _who deny their ability to help us_.” The last
sentence, in italics, has to be seriously examined. I ask the privilege
to make a few remarks thereon.

To begin with, the tone of the whole article is that of a true
_manifesto_. Condensed and weeded of its exuberance of Biblical
expressions it comes to this paraphrastical declaration: “We have
knocked at their door, and they have not answered us; we have prayed
for bread, they have denied us even a stone.” The charge is quite
serious; nevertheless, that it is neither just nor fair—is what I
propose to show.

As I was the first in the United States to bring the existence of our
Masters into publicity; and, having exposed the holy names of two
members of a Brotherhood hitherto unknown to Europe and America, (save
to a few mystics and Initiates of every age) yet sacred and revered
throughout the East, and especially India, causing vulgar speculation
and curiosity to grow around those blessed names, and finally leading
to a public rebuke, I believe it my duty to contradict the fitness of
the latter by explaining the whole situation, as I feel myself the
chief culprit. It may do good to some, perchance, and will interest
some others.

Let no one think withal, that I come out as a champion or a defender
of those who most assuredly need no defense. What I intend, is to
present simple _facts_, and let after this the situation be judged on
its own merits. To the plain statement of our brothers and sisters
that they have been “living on husks,” “hunting after strange gods”
without receiving admittance, I would ask in my turn, as plainly: “Are
you sure of having knocked at the right door? Do you feel certain that
you have not lost your way by _stopping so often on your journey at
strange doors, behind which lie in wait the fiercest enemies of those
you were searching for_?” Our MASTERS are not “a jealous god;” they
are simply holy mortals, nevertheless, however, higher than any in
this world, morally, intellectually and spiritually. However holy and
advanced in the science of the Mysteries—they are still men, members of
a Brotherhood, who are the first in it to show themselves subservient
to its time-honored laws and rules. And one of the first rules in it
demands that those who start on their journey _Eastward_, as candidates
to the notice and favors of those who are the custodians of those
Mysteries, should proceed by the straight road, without stopping on
every sideway and path, seeking to join other “Masters” and professors
often of the Left-Hand Science, that they should have confidence and
show trust and patience, besides several other conditions to fulfill.
Failing in all of this from first to last, what right has any man or
woman to complain of the liability of the Masters to help them?

Truly “‘The Dwellers of the threshold’ are within!”

Once that a theosophist would become a candidate for either
_chelaship_ or favours, he must be aware of the mutual pledge,
tacitly, if not formally offered and accepted between the two parties,
and, _that such a pledge is sacred_. It is a bond of _seven_ years
of probation. If during that time, notwithstanding the many human
shortcomings and mistakes of the candidate (save two which it is
needless to specify in print) he remains throughout every temptation
_true to the chosen Master_, or Masters, (in the case of _lay_
candidates), and as faithful to the Society founded at their wish and
under their orders, then the theosophist will be initiated into——
thenceforward allowed to communicate with his _guru_ unreservedly,
all his failings, save this one, as specified, may be overlooked:
they belong to his future _Karma_, but are left for the present, to
the discretion and judgment of the Master. He alone has the power of
judging whether even during those long seven years the _chela_ will
be favoured regardless of his mistakes and sins, with occasional
communications with, and from the guru. The latter thoroughly posted
as to the causes and motives that led the candidate into sins of
omission and commission is the only one to judge of the advisability or
inadvisability of bestowing encouragement; as he alone is entitled to
it, seeing that he is himself under the inexorable law of Karma, which
no one from the Zulu savage up to the highest archangel can avoid—and
that he has to assume the great responsibility of the causes created by
himself.

Thus, the chief and the only indispensable condition required in the
candidate or chela on probation, is simply unswerving fidelity to the
chosen Master and his purposes. This is a condition _sine qua non_; not
as I have said, on account of any jealous feeling, but simply because
_the magnetic rapport between the two once broken, it becomes at each
time doubly difficult to re-establish it again_; and that it is neither
just nor fair, that the Masters should strain their powers for those
whose future course and final desertion they very often can plainly
foresee. Yet, how many of those, who, expecting as I would call it
“favours by anticipation,” and being disappointed, instead of humbly
repeating _mea culpa_, tax the Masters with selfishness and injustice.
They will deliberately break the thread of connection ten times in
one year, and yet expect each time to be taken back on the old lines!
I know of one theosophist—let him be nameless though it is hoped he
will recognize himself—a quiet, intelligent young gentleman, a mystic
by nature, who, in his ill advised enthusiasm and impatience, changed
_Masters_ and his ideas about half a dozen times in less than three
years. First he offered himself, was accepted on probation and took
the vow of chelaship; about a year later, he suddenly got the idea of
getting married, though he had several proofs of the corporeal presence
of his Master, and had several favours bestowed upon him. Projects of
marriage failing, he sought “Masters” under other climes, and became an
enthusiastic Rosicrucian; then he returned to theosophy as a Christian
mystic; then again sought to enliven his austerities with a wife; then
gave up the idea and turned a spiritualist. And now having applied once
more “to be taken back as a chela” (I have his letter) and his Master
remaining silent—he renounced him altogether, to seek in the words of
the above manifesto—his old “Essenian Master and _to test the spirits_
in his name.”

The able and respected editor of the “Occult Word” and her Secretary
are right, and have chosen the only true path in which with a very
small dose of blind faith, they are sure to encounter no deceptions
or disappointments. “It is pleasant for some of us,” they say, “to
obey the call of the ‘Man of Sorrows’ who will not turn any away,
because they are unworthy or have not scored up a certain percentage of
personal merit.” How _do_ they know? unless they accept the cynically
awful and pernicious dogma of the Protestant Church, that teaches the
forgiveness of the blackest crime, provided the murderer _believes
sincerely_ that the blood of his “Redeemer” has saved him at the last
hour—what is it but _blind_ unphilosophical faith? Emotionalism is
_not_ philosophy; and Buddha devoted his long self sacrificing life to
tear people away precisely from that _evil breeding_ superstition. Why
speak of Buddha then, in the same breath? The doctrine of salvation by
_personal_ merit, and _self_ forgetfulness is the corner-stone of the
teaching of the Lord Buddha. Both the writers may have and very likely
they did—“hunt after _strange_ gods;” but these _were not our_ MASTERS.
They have “denied Him thrice” and now propose “with bleeding feet and
prostrate spirit” to “pray that He (Jesus) may take us (them) once more
under his wing,” etc. The “Nazarene Master” is sure to oblige them so
far. Still they will be “living on _husks_” _plus_ “blind faith.” But
in this they are the best judges, and no one has a right to meddle with
their private beliefs in our Society; and heaven grant that they should
not in their fresh disappointment turn our bitterest enemies one day.

Yet, to those Theosophists, who are displeased with the Society in
general, no one has ever made to you any rash promises; least of all,
has either the Society or its founders ever offered their “Masters”
as a _chromopremium_ to the best behaved. For years every new member
has been told that _he was promised nothing_, but had everything to
expect only from his own personal merit. The theosophist is left free
and untrammeled in his actions. Whenever displeased—_alia tentanda
via est_—no harm in trying elsewhere; unless, indeed one has offered
himself and is decided to win the Masters’ favors. To such especially,
I now address myself and ask: Have you fulfilled _your_ obligations
and pledges? Have you, who would fain lay all the blame on the Society
and the Masters—the latter the embodiment of charity, tolerance,
justice and universal love—have you _led the life_ requisite, and the
conditions required from one who becomes a candidate? Let him who feels
in his heart and conscience that he has,—that he has never once failed
seriously, never doubted his Master’s wisdom, never sought _other_
Master or Masters in his impatience to become an Occultist with powers;
and that he has never betrayed his theosophical duty in thought or
deed,—let him, I say, rise and _protest_. He can do so fearlessly;
there is no penalty attached to it, and he will not even receive a
reproach, let alone be excluded from the Society—the broadest and most
liberal in its views, the most Catholic of all the Societies known
or unknown. I am afraid my invitation will remain unanswered. During
the eleven years of the existence of the Theosiphical Society I have
known, out of the seventy-two regularly accepted chelas on probation
and the hundreds of _lay_ candidates—only _three_ who have not hitherto
failed, and _one only_ who had a full success. No one forces anyone
into chelaship; no promises are uttered, none except the mutual pledge
between Master and the would-be-chela. Verily, Verily, many are the
called but few are chosen—or rather few who have the patience of going
to the bitter end, if bitter we can call simple perseverance and
singleness of purpose. And what about the Society, in general, outside
of India. Who among the many thousands of members does _lead the life_?
shall any one say because he is a strict vegetarian—_elephants and cows
are that_—or happens to lead a celibate life, after a stormy youth
in the opposite direction; or because he studies the _Bhagavat-Gita_
or the “Yoga philosophy” _upside down_, that he is a theosophist
_according to the Master’s hearts_? As it is not the cowl that makes
the monk, so, no long hair with a poetical vacancy on the brow are
sufficient to make of one a faithful follower of _divine_ Wisdom.
Look around you, and behold our UNIVERSAL Brotherhood so called! The
Society founded to remedy the glaring evils of christianity, to shun
bigotry and intolerance, cant and superstition and to cultivate real
universal love extending even to the dumb brute, what has it become in
Europe and America in these eleven years of trial? In one thing only
we have succeeded to be considered higher than our Christian Brothers,
who, according to Lawrence Oliphant’s graphic expression “Kill one
another for Brotherhood’s sake and fight as devils for the love of
God”—and this is that we have made away _with every dogma_ and are
now justly and wisely trying to make away with the last vestige of
even nominal authority. But in every other respect we are as bad as
they are: backbiting, slander, uncharitableness, criticism, incessant
war-cry and ding of mutual rebukes that Christian Hell itself might be
proud of! And all this, I suppose is the Masters’ fault: THEY will not
help those who help others on the way of salvation and liberation from
selfishness—with kicks and scandals? Truly _we are_ an example to the
world, and fit companions for the holy ascetics of the snowy Range!

And now a few words more before I close. I will be asked: “And who are
you to find fault with us? Are you, who claim nevertheless, communion
with the Masters and receive daily favors from Them; Are you so holy,
faultless, and so worthy?” To this I answer: I AM NOT. Imperfect
and faulty is my nature; many and glaring are my shortcomings—and
for this my Karma is heavier than that of any other Theosophist.
_It is_—and must be so—since for so many years I stand set in the
pillory, a target for my enemies and some friends also. Yet I accept
the _trial_ cheerfully. Why? Because I know that I have, all my faults
nothwithstanding, Master’s protection extended over me. And if I have
it, the reason for it is simply this: for thirty-five years and more,
ever since 1851 that I saw any Master _bodily_ and personally for the
first time, _I have never once denied or even doubted Him_, not even in
thought. Never a reproach or a murmur against Him has escaped my lips,
or entered even my brain for one instant under the heaviest trials.
From the first I knew what I had to expect, for I was told that,
which I have never ceased repeating to others: as soon as one steps
on the Path leading to the _Ashrum_ of the blessed Masters—the last
and only custodians of primitive Wisdom and Truth—his Karma, instead
of having to be distributed throughout his long life, falls upon him
in a block and crushes him with its whole weight. He who believes in
what he professes and in his Master, will stand it and come out of the
trial victorious; he _who doubts_, the coward who fears to receive his
just dues and tries to avoid justice being done—FAILS. He will not
escape Karma just the same, but he will only lose that for which he
has risked its untimely visits. This is why having been so constantly,
so mercilessly slashed by my Karma using my enemies as unconscious
weapons, that I have stood it all. I felt sure that Master would
not permit that I should perish; that he would always appear at the
_eleventh_ hour—_and so he did_. Three times I was saved from death by
Him, the last time almost against my will; when I went again into the
cold, wicked world out of love for Him, who has taught me what I know
and made me what I am. Therefore, I do His work and bidding, and this
is what has given me the lion’s strength to support shocks—physical and
mental, one of which would have killed any theosophist who would go
on doubting of the mighty protection. Unswerving devotion to Him who
embodies the duty traced for me, and belief in the Wisdom—collectively,
of that grand, mysterious, yet actual Brotherhood of holy men—is my
only merit, and the cause of my success in Occult philosophy. And
now repeating after the _Paraguru_—my Master’s MASTER—the words He
had sent as a message to those who wanted to make of the Society a
“miracle club” instead of a Brotherhood of Peace, Love and mutual
assistance—“Perish rather, the Theosophical Society and its hapless
Founders,” I say perish their twelve years’ labour and their very
lives rather than that I should see what I do to-day: theosophists,
outvying political “rings” in their search for personal power and
authority; theosophists slandering and criticizing each other as two
rival Christian sects might do; finally theosophists refusing to _lead
the life_ and then criticizing and throwing slurs on the grandest and
noblest of men, because tied by their wise laws—hoary with age and
based on an experience of human nature milleniums old—those Masters
refuse to interfere with Karma and to play second fiddle to every
theosophist who calls upon Them and whether he deserves it or not.

Unless radical reforms in our American and European Societies are
speedily resorted to—I fear that before long there will remain but
one centre of Theosophical Societies and Theosophy in the whole
world—namely, in India; on that country I call all the blessings of my
heart. All my love and aspirations belong to my beloved brothers, the
Sons of old Aryavarta—the Motherland of my MASTER.
H. P. BLAVATSKY.

LINES FROM LOWER LEVELS.

Many will turn from this heading. Whether they really live upon the
upper levels or only imagine such to be their dwellings, these words
are probably mute to them. A laggard in the great race, one who has
only just rounded the starting buoy in stress of weather, here signals
to his unseen companions amid heavy seas. If a score of blind men,
turned loose to beat the city’s by-ways, should meet and compare
mischances, some light would presently dawn among them. We are not
isolated in spiritual experience. Though Falsehood wears myriad masks,
when Truth looks in, she turns the same face on all.

It is of the beginning of the Way that I speak. Confusions and
perplexities beset us. Most of these are of our own conjuring. The
insidious canker of Doubt is first, is worst of all. Better stop right
where you are for a lifetime than advance with this moral leprosy
unexterminated. It will spread through future existences until it has
eaten the heart to the core. Now it is in our power. Wrestle boldly
with every doubt until you have converted it to a certainty; thus you
force it to bless you in departing, as Jacob did the Angel. Why should
we doubt? The day on which I first heard of the Wisdom-Religion is
for me set apart like a potent jewel in the crest of Time. My thought
salutes its messengers with the grand old words,—“How beautiful upon
the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that
publisheth Peace.” The Peace of this religion is the proof absolute of
its Wisdom. Our vitality is exhausted with the life struggle; it seems
a dead pull against the current. Reason tells us we ought to be able
to move with the stream. Man has a false idea of his own requirements;
this is why possession satiates all. We are ignorant that the desire
for Unity lies hidden in the deeps of every human heart. This is the
Truth at the bottom of the well; it is the basic need of all mankind.
Recognise it, and you may sweep unwearied along the resistless current
of evolutionary progress. We begin to realize the inability of existing
creeds to sound and explain our Being. Every one of us craves a belief
which shall not be a formula, but Life itself, which shall develop and
complete the constituency of lives.

Our religions violate the golden rule of Architecture,—“Ornament
construction; do not construct ornamentation.” Their slight framework
is florid with theological detail, garlanded with the varying ideals
of centuries. Not so does the Master Builder plan. Yet the keystone of
each arch is the Truth manifest in the Past, that Truth which still
bears witness to Divinity to the new Age.

When men meet their belief in every department of life, when it assists
them on every plane, so that they eat better, sleep better, love
better, create better and die better by it, then will it be a vital law
to them, not a garment to be laid aside on work days. Theosophy does
all this. It informs every deed, makes of each fact a new revelation,
and testifies to more religion in one chapter of Natural Philosophy,
than in all the sermons of next Sunday. Study these grand similitudes
and we find how single is Truth, so that the three great laws of Motion
are also those of Emotion, and Newton spoke for my heart, as well as
for the universe. All life is thus related; if you doubt the validity
of theory or action, test them by this law of correspondence.

Do I revolt from the rule of gentle procedure in the teeth of wrath or
abuse. I recall the axiom of mechanics,—“Motion seeks the line of least
resistance,”—and my moral force proves itself perpetual motion by its
avoidances of friction. _Truth is the same in every part._ You shall
pass every beam of thought through this prism; if it is a pure ray each
component will have its distinct value on its own plane, and all will
blend again to Light.

Sometimes we are chilled as by a sense of isolation from the main body
of our kind. This is imaginary; you shall not think we are few, or
stand alone. Even now the thoughtful listener hears the soughing of
the rising flood of Public Opinion. This was the mainstay of Science
in her late tilt with the Church. The People, weary of barren Theology
demanded in facts, in laws, the manifestation of the Divine. Now it
begins to call Science to account for her limitations. Do we doubt the
bubbling interest in Psychology? We should scan our newspapers, novels,
magazines, boudoir gossip even, to feel the pulse of the general tide.
Science yields so far to the pressure as to explain why she cannot or
does not make thorough and sustained psychical investigations, and with
a blunt,— “so much the worse for you,” the public turns expectantly to
the broader or younger men who better gauge the tendency of our time.

This tendency is to coöperation, to unification. Science and Religion
are one, are Truth, and blindness is the portion of those who dismember
her kingdom. A pertinent case is that of a physician well known to
New York clinics who used his mesmeric power in putting patients to
sleep in the presence of his students and maintaining their complete
unconsciousness during painful operations, thus carried to successful
conclusions without the dangerous drawback of anesthetics. Less gifted
confreres frowned down the “irregularity.” This is a thinking Age, and
men are losing confidence in the judgment of scientists whose biased
attitude would bar them from jury service in the pettiest court of the
land.

Again there are those who are tried by the mistakes, the treachery,
or the public misunderstanding of other adherents of Theosophy. What
does it matter? The world swung on while Galileo recanted, and though
a disciple betrayed his Master, the Christian world still kneels.
Our noblest opponents are often unconscious Theosophists, judging
them by their fervid search for Truth. When _their hour_ strikes,
they will find her; meanwhile Wisdom needs no converts. Man passes;
_Truth is_, and needs no concern of ours. Do nut think either that the
Wisdom-Religion is only for the strong or the intellectual; it is for
all. Food is meant to sustain life, and Love to develop it, but excess
in either may kill. So those whose nature is morbid, exaggerate the
aspect of Truth and go mad of their own phantasms. Every Science, every
Art, every Religion has its list of these moral suicides and those who
confront you with it are like the old nurses who scare children from
the jam closet with “bogies.”

I said that we breed our own perplexities. Take the first day of the
new life, when with fledgling resolves aflutter we come glowing and
resolute down the stairs. We had ordered a spartan meal which Love has
spared us. Frowning, we order the dainties away and sit reflecting on
the encumbrances of earthly affection; wounded, it leaves our side.
Our plain food comes; it is ill cooked and the retarded servant has a
scowl which we resent: the household jangles and jars. The meal has
not refreshed us, and the lack of the soothing but condemned cigar
brings our irritability to a head. We hasten to lock ourselves into the
study for meditation; but a bird sings in at the window, and Love’s
voice pleads at the door. We shut out the song and chide the syren.
Why is our heart so heavy now when bent on eternal things? Knocking!
We open with a martyr face. A friend is there, a dogged churchman;
his salvation is in our hands! He chats of the weather, our club,
state politics. We broach a higher theme, we denounce, cut and thrust,
argue. Surprised he listens in courteous silence, and as he leaves us
we remember too late that he too cherishes his religion, we curse
the follies of the wretched day and call Theosophy for the nonce
“impracticable.” Brothers! the man of creeds who can hear our dogmatism
with self control is perhaps nearer the Essential than we are. He who
plunges into restraints which unhinge and irritate him is no better
than the man who loses his reason through drink. Both lack moderation,
the result is the same, and we have only to do with results. Devote
your thoughts to ascetic meals, and no Lucullus of the town is more
prostrate before his viands than yourself. Moderation declares the
sage. Accept all that comes with equal content, the thought held high
above all. When the daily functions are fulfilled I have done nothing;
the soul is no participant in these. Advance towards the Eternal and
the Transient will imperceptibly drop away from you. No shirking of
the duties of our position avails. _Comrades! The battle field is
there where the long roll finds you standing._ Your past acts enlisted
you under just that flag; fight it out there! The universal charge is
carried through the vigor of individuals, each acting from his own
headcentre and not from that of another. “The duties of a man’s own
particular calling, although not free from faults, is far preferable
to the duty of another, let it be ever so well pursued.”[147] On this
plane we are a body militant; on the next plane we shall transform this
activity, but as long as individuality exists, it would seem that each
must move in an orbit of his own. There is as much egotism in snatching
at the burden not meant for us, as in refusing that which is. Do all
necessary acts promptly and with your best ability, abandoning at once
all care for the result. Do you say this is not Theosophy? You mistake.
True Theosophy is everything that elevates or aids mankind, were it but
the singing of a ballad to lighten another’s toil. “It is not that you
must rush madly or boldly out _to do, to do_. Do what you find to do.
Desire ardently to do it, and even when you shall not have succeeded
in carrying out anything but some small duties, some words of warning,
your strong desire will strike like Vulcan upon other hearts in the
world, and suddenly you will find that done which you had longed to be
the doer of. Then rejoice, that another had been so fortunate as to
make such a meritorious Karma. Thus like the rivers running into the
unswelling passive ocean, will your desires enter into your heart.”
Drop this concern for ephemera and forms; heed essentials only. Get to
the centre of every vital fact and live there as at the heart of an
opal, darting forth prismatic rays of Love and Faith upon all created
things.

If we set out upon a journey to lands unknown, we should observe the
inhabitants, gathering the spirit of their laws from their manners,
ourselves courteous yet cautious with all. So in this passage to the
unseen, that which is essential is the spirit of things. What affair
is it of mine if this man glows with gratified desire, or that woman
shines in undue laces and coquetries? Do I know the principles of
their constitution? Can I vouch that these errors are not the mere husk
of habit, which dropping off may reveal a larger kernel of Virtue than
I possess? Nor will I hastily become the spiritual bondsman of him
who stands above me. He has not exhausted the sum of Truth; to-morrow
I shall find a fraction of my own. All these finical distinctions
are not of the Eternal. The substratum of all things is Wisdom. The
twist of Failure has its strands of silver. The pratings of the fool
dissuade men from folly. I have never done anything of myself: a
clarion impulse commands my best deeds; high thoughts radiate to me
from I know not what sphere. Ask yourself before friend or foe,—“How
does the spirit manifest in him?” For above and below it manifests
equally. The undeviating brute, true to its every principle, has a
volume of teaching for us. We cannot read until we know the alphabet
and Nature holds our primer daily before us. Do not hawk Truth about to
the careless crowd. Not because you belittle it, (that is impossible,)
nor yet yourself, (that is immaterial,) but because you must hold fast
in silence to all that you possess to support you in the tests of the
future. Nor is Truth a nostrum to be forced down the unready throat.
Thereby you disgust a man with Truth; who covets that responsibility?
Ah, gentle hearts and virile minds! Are you wounded by the wantonness
of those you long to save? These errors are perhaps their appointed
teachers in your stead. Error is not exempt from the law! Can Love
check a cyclone in mid career, or does Reason outrun the whirlwind?
Desire has a lustier voice than yours. Let these errant ones wisely
alone. Presently when success is at an ebb, or the complacent Ego is
stung by pride or pain, they will hear the low plaint of the soul.
Then, their state related to yours, they will turn to you as the
heliotrope to the sun. Trust to the law of spiritual affinity. He for
whom you have a thought will be attracted to you for it; he will in
some way ask it of you. Distrust the intellect in these replies. Only
the dwellers of the upper levels draw their thought crystal pure from
the Fountain-head of Mind. Below, sympathy is the universal solvent;
its ardent fusion welds mankind. Speak to me in our common language; it
is that of the heart. You cannot so much as tie up a straying rosetree
without sympathy. Try it, and the tender shoots are nipped as by a
frost. Do you say that it is hard that you should not help others?
Perhaps you only want to help them in your own way. The difference
between loving a man for himself, and loving him for myself, is the
difference between “heaven” and “hell.” There is no hell but that
which we create in our hearts, and selfishness is its yawning portal.
Effort for Wisdom is help for all; he who thinks wisely does a deed
of beneficence. Beneath generous yearnings lurks sometimes the wish
that this “I,” shall become influential or admired, have clients and
suitors in the anteroom. Lest I deceive myself I will mutely speed my
good wishes to all. Only when we have learned how to preserve a wise
silence, will the first stammerings of speech come to us. Speak then
from your own knowledge, simply, without trying to adorn Truth. Many of
our most valued writers are at times too transcendent, too erudite for
us of the lower level. As the great orator or actor sees one face grow
towards his from out the vast field of faces, and concentrating his
burning purpose into that focus, sees streaming thence the homogeneous
force which electrifies the throng,—so I would have each writer among
you address his thought to some especial comrade within his mind, that
you may drop this mantle of remoteness, and let us feel you tense and
vibrant with helpfulness, pressing close to our side. The West needs a
more ringing note than the mystic Orient mind. Let the spirit of your
nation speak through your work and to your fellows every word will be
an occult charm.

Why are we so impatient that we do not receive the accolade of accepted
duty from those Royal Souls who procede us on the Way? “They also serve
who only stand and wait.”[148] He who cannot wait contentedly may be
sure he cannot serve. We must master the diurnal before we can overcome
the spiritual. Some say that a heroic deed is easier than submission
to pinpricks. We may survive Niagara when a drop of water per second
on the brain is madness. Friends; the struggle for the Eternal is
not one daring deed nor yet hundreds of them. It is a calm unbroken
forgetfulness of the lower self for all time. Begin it on your present
plane. You have within you the same guide that the Masters possess.
By obeying It, they have become what they are. Hark! A voice resounds
within. “Know thy true Self; it is thy guide.” If the voice seems
silent, it is perhaps because you ask with the mind only, which is a
higher kind of curiosity. When a spiritual need cries out within you,
the answer will come with a flash to the reverent listener. But in
all the three worlds there is no power to save you but your own. When
we have exhausted the possibilities of growth on our present plane,
we rise naturally to a higher level. If here we find a Master, it is
because we have come into the region where he dwells. Better than
desiring to deserve is deserving to desire. Of this be sure. All that
is rightfully yours will come to you. So reads the Law.

As a mountain climber leans forward, treads zig-zag, counteracting
gravity and the air’s resistance, so shall you walk with care. We do
not know what moral resistance we arouse, what unseen evil lurks near,
what stone our passage may loosen to fall on those below. We do not
know the delicate adjustment of this aerial world. Keep eyes and mind
fixed on the heights above, lest the yawning abyss from which you
rose, attract you. Distrust your emotions, your thoughts above all. An
insidious thought, like a traitor in the fortress, tends outward to the
legions of evil and would deliver you up to them. Who knows where the
ripples of a hasty thought may end? We are pledged by our theosophic
vow to do naught that can dishonor our Society. What more dishonoring
than unjust, angered or vagrant fancies which corrupt the atmosphere of
others and may breed a moral pestilence. “He that hateth his brother is
a murderer.”[149] Perhaps there are times when this is literally true.
“If he does not love his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love
God, Whom he hath not seen?” Pass this word along the line;—“Eternal
vigilance is the price of safety.”

You who are inclined to dispute these thoughts, do better; ignore them.
They are a life experience, not meant for you who have it not, nor are
you once named herein. They are true from one standpoint and for those
upon the same plane. Hereafter all must alchemize virtues and vices
alike. Be not discouraged at these necessary transitions; they do not
convict you of radical error. Give me an unknown seed; its potentiality
is a secret from me, but in faith I plant and tend it. As it waxes to
the budding glories of branch and flower, and thrills with the fecund
boon of fruitage, I am no whit the loser, and hidden at the root of
this larger heritage, the same seed remains life bestowing and true.
Thus Knowledge is not final; it must expand and germinate or it is but
a dead thing. “Veil upon veil shall lift, but there shall be veil upon
veil behind.”[150]

Does he who writes thus always follow his own teachings? _No!_ A
hundred, a thousand times, no! Deluded, he climbs by devious paths and
from the very brink of attainment, falls!

“Jove strikes the Titans down. Not when they set about their mountain
piling, but when one stone more would complete the work.”[151]

Then with toil and pain he rises and cons the chart once more. Beloved
Brothers!—and there is nowhere one so lost, so estranged, so low or so
great whom this name does not call—he will have received these blows
to a benign purpose, if their teachings shall roll away a single stone
from your upward path.
J——.

POETICAL OCCULTISM.

SOME ROUGH STUDIES OF THE OCCULT LEANINGS OF THE POETS.

III.

Many will find in Whitman, the fullest measure of mystic truths,
plainly and significantly stated, to be met with in any modern poet.
For instance, a recognition of the reality of Reincarnation, and of its
necessity, constantly recurs in his poems. Passages like these attest
it: “Believing I shall come again upon the earth after five thousand
years.” Births have brought us richness and variety, and other births
have brought us richness and variety. “And as to you Life, I reckon
you are the leavings of many deaths, (no doubt I have died myself ten
thousand times before.)” In contemplating an idiot he muses:

“And I knew for my consolation what they knew not,
I knew of the agents that emptied and broke my brother,
The same wait to clear the rubbish from the fallen tenement,
And I shall look again in a score or two of ages,
And I shall meet the real landlord, perfect and unharmed, every inch
as good as myself.”

Are not the “agents,” mentioned above, the operations of Karmic
law? Among the last lines of the closing poem of his volume are the
following:

“I receive now again of my many translations, from my avatars
ascending, while others doubtless await me,
An unknown sphere more real than I dream’d, more direct, darts
awakening rays about me, _So long!_
Remember my words, _I may again return_.”

Neither rhyme nor verse are essential to true poetry. Even words
are but its vehicle, and not the poetry itself. Poetry is that
manifestation of the mind which excites the imagination and arouses in
responsive minds a sense of beauty. All that which does this is poetic
in quality: that which does not, which awakens no response, leaving
one cold and unimpressed, is prosaic. Poetry, therefore, possesses the
rythmic quality, for beauty appeals to no sense, except through its
power of producing rythmic action upon the brain through the nerves
of sight, hearing, etc. Rythm is a product of harmonious vibration
and produces the sensation of beauty by its play upon the nerves in a
succession of reiterated, regular groups of impressions. All sensations
of ugliness, etc., which are the causes of pain and disease, are due
to the discordant impressions made by irregularity in the series of
vibrations. Thus does strict mathematical law underlie all effects of
beauty. All poetry is in some way rythmic, and arouses rythmic action.

The highest poetry is truth made manifest in the guise of beauty. Poets
have often expressed in verse their feeling of the total inadequacy of
words to present to others the sublimity and beauty of the thoughts
which at moments occur to them. The poetic temperament is one which
enables an approach to that state which some exalted men attain in
perfection, and which is the ultimate destiny of the entire human
race. The poet perceives fragments of the Divine thought as embodied
in natural materials; he reads pages of the great book of Creation and
interprets more or less clearly the significance of the symbols that
exist on every hand in growing things, in things inanimate, in the
waters and the heavens, and in the thoughts, sentiments, passions and
emotions of men. In assuming the mental state which may be called the
_poetic attitude_, he throws himself into rapport with his Higher self,
his _atma_, and thus obtains a glimpse of the eternal truth, so much of
which his memory retains as accords with his personality and with the
nature of his mood; of this he incorporates in poetic form that which
his power of expression enables him to give. Walt Whitman characterizes
this state in his lines:

“I lie abstracted and hear beautiful tales of things and the reasons
of things,
They are so beautiful I nudge myself to listen,
I cannot say to any person what I hear—I cannot say it to myself—it
is very wonderful!”

The more unconscious one becomes of physical surroundings the more
clearly does his mind act; its operations are attended with less
friction. By withdrawing his attention from bodily environment he
enters upon the plane of the higher consciousness. This accounts for
the greater ease with which mental work proceeds after one has been
engaged in it for some little time; it absorbs his attention so that
the surrounding objects and circumstances no longer distract it. In
other words, the mental machinery settles down to smooth running, after
overcoming the various hitches and obstructions attending the starting
of the train of thought. Everyone knows how earnest devotion to any
object makes him oblivious to all else. Under such conditions one, in
reality, loses consciousness and is merged in the object. Self, the
illusory Self, simply consists in a sense of the existence of the body
and the relations borne to it by surrounding objects.

Therefore, in concentration of the mind upon the object lies the true
secret of power, and the man who best knows how to do this is the most
powerful among his fellows. The best work is that done when one is
least conscious of material environment. This accounts for remarkable
examples of work done in a somnambulistic state when all consciousness
of physical surroundings is lost, and the Self becomes so absorbed
in the object that on returning to ordinary consciousness it cannot
remember the process of its most perfect activity of thought. And yet
people refuse to accept the truth of Reincarnation because they cannot
remember, in this gross physical state, their former existences through
the intervening _Devachanic_ periods when their consciousness was
lifted to a plane above the thralldom of matter!

Whoever knows anything of ceremonial magic, whether practically or
theoretically, recognizes the necessity of rythmic action, or the
institutions of a regularly recurring set of vibrations. Many will
testify to the marvels wrought by the earnest repetitions of a rythmic
formula. It seems likely that the transfer of consciousness and the
performance of phenomenal feats by Adepts are wrought by their command
of some formula or method which enables them instantly and perfectly to
achieve the harmonious condition of mental vibration crudely acquired
by novices only by elaborate processes. The logical inference may be
drawn that the purpose of the rythmic form of poetry is not only to
arouse harmonious thoughts in the minds of hearers or readers, but is
due to the fact that the poet, by subjecting his mind to a rythmic
flow of thought, opens it to the reception of impressions from the
highest source of thought. In the words “I nudge myself to listen” the
poet strikingly and graphically depicts the effort to maintain his
concentration of mind as he lies abstracted when he feels his attention
slipping away from the sublime mysteries which, in the greatness of
their wonder, are beyond his power to realize in any thoughts he may
frame. Poets are often unconscious of the full greatness of the truths
they reveal after the moment of their receptive state has passed, but
they, perhaps, awake to a sense of the true significance of their words
years after.

This concentration of mind is insisted on in the Hindu systems in many
different ways. It is called by them Ekkragrata or _one-pointedness_.
In the dialogues the expression is constantly used, and Krishna is said
to say to Arjuna (in _Bagavad-Gita_). “Has thou listened to me with
thy mind fixed on one point?” It is to bring about such a condition
that practitioners of Hatha Yoga—which in English simply means any
practice tending to develop psychical powers, such as mediumship and
the like—prescribe that the Yogee shall sit with his sight concentrated
upon the tip of his nose. And this practice, although scarcely
commendable, has a scientific basis which shows that the much belittled
Aryans had a wonderful fund of knowledge. The fixing of the eyes upon
the tip of the nose puts the focus about three inches from the eyeball,
and that produces first, concentration, because of the effort to remain
fixed, and secondly, a hypnotic state in which trance results with
psychic vision and the like. They prescribed it for another reason not
likely to be admitted by our science; three inches from the eyes was
said by them to be the clairvoyant point.

Our poet Whitman, whether he was aware of it or not, constantly
enunciated the doctrine of Karma. In “Assurances,” to be found in
_Leaves of Grass_, he says:

I need no assurances. I am a man who is pre-occupied of his own soul;
I do not doubt that from under the feet and beside the hands and face
I am cognizant of, are now looking faces I am not cognizant of,
calm and actual faces.
I do not doubt but the majesty and beauty of the world are latent in
any iota of the world.
I do not doubt I am limitless, and that the universes are limitless;
in vain I try to think how limitless.
I do not doubt that the orbs and the systems of orbs play their swift
sports through the air on purpose, and that I shall one day be
eligible to do as much as they, and more than they.
I do not doubt that temporary affairs keep on and on millions of years.
I do not doubt interiors have their interiors, and exteriors have their
exteriors, and that the eyesight has another eyesight, and the
hearing another hearing, and the voice another voice.
I do not doubt that the passionately-wept deaths of young men are
provided for, and that the deaths of young women and the deaths
of little children are provided for.
(Did you think life was so well provided for, and Death, the purport
of all life, not well provided for?)
I do not doubt that wrecks at sea, no matter what the horror of them,
no matter whose wife, child, husband, father, lover, has gone
down, are provided for to the minutest points.
I do not doubt that whatever can possibly happen anywhere at any time,
is provided for in the inherences of things.
I do not think Life provides for all and for Time and Space, but I
believe Heavenly Death provides for all.

Here he dwells upon the belief that all things are provided for. It
would be error to say that he was a fatalist, just as it is a mistake
to hold that the Mohammedan doctrine of “Kismet” is pure fatalism.
Edwin Arnold in “Pearls of the Faith,” enlarges on that pearl called
_Al-Kadar_, in these words:

“When ye say _Kismet_, say it wittingly, O, true believers! under
Allah’s throne place is not left for those accursed three, ‘Destiny,’
‘Fortune,‘ ‘Chance.’ Allah alone ruleth his children: _Kismet_ ye
shall deem each man’s alloted portion * * *”

And Whitman plainly states that the provision which is made for all the
happenings is a provision existing “in the inherences of things,” and
not a fatalistic decree by an irresponsible Almighty.

He also says that he is limitless. This is the doctrine of the
Upanishads. Everyone is limitless, for Ishwara, the Lord, dwells in the
heart of every mortal being. Jesus also, said; “the kingdom of heaven
is _within_ you.” Now the kingdom of heaven cannot be apart from God,
so that the Nazarene herein says the same thing as the Upanishads.

Again, in the lines, “I do not doubt that interiors have their
interiors, and exteriors have their exteriors, and that the eyesight
has another eyesight, and the hearing another hearing, and the voice
another voice,” Whitman might be said to be taking the words from the
mouths of those sages who in ancient India penned the Upanishads. In
those it is incessantly insisted that these interiors really are the
Universal Self which is “the eye of the eye and the hearing of the
ear.” And a knowledge of that is the key to unlock the doors of glory
and praise. As it is beautifully said in Brihadaranyaka-Upanishad:[152]

“This Self is the footstep of everything, for through it one knows
everything. And as one can find again by footsteps what was lost, thus
he who knows this finds glory and praise.”

And further, “Therefore, now, also, he who thus knows that he is
Brahman (the Self) becomes all this, and even the Devas cannot prevent
it, for he himself is their Self.”
S. B. J.

APOLLONIUS AND THE MAHATMAS.

[READ BEFORE THE MALDEN BRANCH, T. S.]

(_Concluded._)

When Apollonius asked about the wise men whom Alexander the Great was
said to have conquered and then held converse with, Phraotes said that
they were the Oxydraks, a warlike people who claimed Wisdom though
they knew nothing of consequence; the truly wise men dwelt between
the Hyphasis and Ganges. Had Alexander gone thither he could not have
conquered them, even with ten thousand Achilles and thirty thousand
Ajaxes. “For they fight not in battle against advancing enemies, but
being holy men, beloved by God, they repulse them through aerial
apparitions and lightning flashes.”

When Apollonius took his departure Phraotes gave him the following
significant letter to the Brahmins:

“The King Phraotes greets his teacher Iarchas and the Wise men with
him. Apollonius, the wisest of men, regards you as wiser than himself,
and comes to learn from you. Let him not depart without knowledge of
all which you yourselves know. For thus nothing of your wisdom will be
lost; since no one speaks better than he, or has a truer memory. Let
him also behold the throne whereon I sat when thou, Father Iarchas,
gavest me my kingdom. His attendants also deserve praise for their
attachment to such a man. Be thou happy. Be happy all of you.”

When they came near the hill where the wise men dwelt their guide was
filled with fear, for the Indians stood more in awe of these men than
of their own King, and the King who ruled the land where they lived was
accustomed to consult them about everything he said or did.

When near a village not a stadium from the hill, a youth approached
them, blacker than any Indian, with a gleaming, moon-shaped mark
between his eyebrows. He bore a golden anchor, which in India took
the place of the Herald’s staff. He addressed Apollonius in Greek,
which did not astonish him, since all the dwellers in the village
[a lamasary?] spoke that tongue, but it did astonish the others to
hear their master called by name; Apollonius, however, it filled with
confidence as he remembered the purpose of his journey. “We have come
to men truly wise,” he said to Damis, “for they have a fore-knowledge
of things.” Asking the youth what was to be done, he was told: “Those
with you remain _here_; thou, however, shalt come just as thou art, for
so _They_ command.” In this _They_ Apollonius recognized Pythagorean
language and he followed with joy.

In one of his conversations with the Egyptian Gymnosophists, years
afterwards, Apollonius thus characterized the wise men of India: “I saw
the Indian Brahmins who dwell upon the earth and not upon the earth;
in a strong fortress though unfortified; and, without possessions,
possessing everything.” The deep, interior significance of this is
evident to a Theosophist. Damis, in the matter-of-fact way often
customary with him, also gives these words a literal interpretation,
saying that they had their bed upon the earth and strewed the ground
with herbs selected by themselves; he himself had seen them floating
in the air two ells above the earth; not for hocus pocus—for they
despised vain striving—but in order, by thus floating with the sun, to
be near and pleasing unto the god. This was what was meant by “upon
the earth and not upon the earth.” The strong fortress, unfortified,
meant the air in which they dwelt, for although they appeared to live
under the open heaven, they spread a shadow over themselves, were not
wet by the rain, and were in the sunshine whenever they wished. And
since they obtained everything the moment they wished it, Apollonius
rightly said that they possessed what they did not possess. “They wear
their hair long, they bind a white mitra around their heads, their feet
are bare. The form of their clothing resembles that of a sleeveless
under-garment; the material is a wool produced by the earth of itself,
white like the Pamphylian, but softer, and so fat that oil flows from
it. Of this they make their sacred garments, and when another than
these men seeks to gather this wool the earth will not release it. By
the power of the ring and the staff which they bear every thing can
be done, but both are kept as a secret.” This personal description by
Damis corresponds in certain particulars with what we are told of the
Masters to-day. The account of the wool leads some commentators to
believe that asbestos is meant.

Iarchas welcomed Apollonius in Greek and asked him for the letter
from Phraotes; when Apollonius wondered at his gift of prescience he
remarked that a _delta_ was lacking in the letter, left out by mistake,
and so it proved. After reading the letter Iarchas asked: “What dost
thou think of us?”

And Apollonius replied: “As no other person in the land whence I came,
as my journey hither shows.”

“What makest thou think that we know more than thou dost?”

“I believe,” answered Apollonius, “that your knowledge is deeper and
much more divine.”

Iarchas hereupon said: “Others are accustomed to ask the new comer
whence he comes and for what purpose; the first sign of our wisdom
shall be this: that the stranger is not unknown to us. So then, test
this:”

Hereupon he told Apollonius his history from father and mother down,
what he had done in Aegæ, how Damis had come to him, what things
of importance had happened on the way, etc. As Apollonius asked in
surprise whence came that knowledge, Iarchas answered: “Thou also
camest gifted with this wisdom, but not yet with all of it.”

“And wilt thou teach me all thy wisdom?” asked Apollonius.

“By all means, and in ungrudging abundance, for this is wiser
than miserly to conceal that which is worthy of knowing. Besides,
Apollonius, I see thou hast been richly gifted by Mnemosyne, and she is
the one among the gods whom we most love.”

“Dost thou also behold,” asked Apollonius, “of what manner my nature
is?”

“We see all peculiarities of the soul, for we know them by thousandfold
indications,” replied Iarchas.

When mid-day came they rose in the air and did homage to the sun. The
youth who bore the anchor was then told to go and provide for the
companions of Apollonius. Swifter than the swiftest of birds he went
and returned, saying: “I have provided for them.” He was then commanded
to bring the throne of Phraotes, and when Apollonius had seated himself
thereon they continued their conversation. Iarchas told him to ask what
he wished, for he had come to men who knew all things. Apollonius asked
if they knew themselves, for he believed that they, like the Greeks,
held knowledge of self to be difficult. But Iarchus answered with an
unexpected turning: “We know all things, because first of all we know
ourselves; for no one of us can approach this wisdom without first
attaining knowledge of self.”

Apollonius asked further, what they held themselves to be?

“Gods,” answered Iarchas.

“And wherefore?”

“Because we are good men.”

Apollonius found so much wisdom in this saying that he made use of it
in his speech of defence before the Emperor Domitian.

They talked about the soul and reincarnation, and Iarchas told him
that the truth was “as Pythagoras taught you, and as we taught the
Egyptians.” They spoke about the previous incarnation of Apollonius as
steersman of an Egyptian ship, in which capacity he had refrained from
following the inducements held out by pirates to let his vessel come
into their hands.

Concerning this Iarchas said that refraining from unrighteousness did
not constitute righteousness.

The King came to visit the Brahmins and a wonderful feast was prepared
for him; everything came of itself: Pythian tripods, and automatic
attendants of black bronze, the earth spread out herbs softer than
beds to recline on, delicate viands appeared in orderly succession,
etc. The accounts of these phenomena occasioned great remark during
the subsequent career of Apollonius, and people would persist in
mixing them up with the teachings of the master just as to-day they
inextricably confound Madame Blavatsky’s famous cup and saucer with
Theosophy. But we are told that Apollonius did not concern himself
with phenomena; when he saw these wonderful things he did not ask how
they were done, nor to be taught to do them, but he contented himself
with admiring them. And we are also told that the marvelous things he
did were not accomplished through ceremonial magic, but through the
perfection of his wisdom.

Damis was subsequently allowed to come to the Brahmins and when he
asked about the composition of the world and the four elements they
replied that there were five—the fifth being ether, which was to be
regarded as the primal source of the gods.

“For everything that breathes the air is mortal; that which drinks the
ether is immortal and divine,” said Iarchas. He also said that the
world was to be regarded as a living being of both sexes, having a more
ardent love for itself than that of one person to another, being united
and bound to itself. Damis learnt much from his intercourse with the
Brahmins, but he wrote that at the secret discourses Apollonius was
alone with Iarchas, and from there originated the four books written by
the former. Iarchas, said Damis, gave Apollonius seven rings bearing
the names of the seven planets, and Apollonius wore them one after the
other according to the name of the day of the week.

The foregoing is an incomplete account of the remarkable journey and
experience of Apollonius, as is necessitated by the limits of a brief
article. Many passages of deep wisdom have had to be passed over, and
many remarkable things are told, hard to understand, but which, there
is reason to believe, have an occult significance.
S. B.

TEACHINGS OF THE MASTER.

RECORDED BY ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF “MAN: FRAGMENTS OF FORGOTTEN HISTORY.”

(_Copyrighted._)

The master walked beside the river at evening-time. In the instant
that his signal was recognized he walked no longer alone. By his side
appeared one—as a little child clinging close to his garments. The
master said—“When you have obtained mastery over the senses then you
will no longer totter in your step or falter in your flight. Realize
the divine atma within you. Realize it!” he repeated, and then raising
his hand slowly upward the stature of the child lengthened until a
man’s proportions were outlined. Only this form could hold the expanded
soul. Disenthralled the soul perceived a world with every pulsation and
in every faculty there was absolute harmony. This was divine. This is
man’s rightful condition into which only the Mahatmas have fully come;
but to which every one is heir. The Mahatma teaches with the thought
unexpressed, but formulated in his own mind and sent with sudden power,
into yours. It strikes with resounding force against the spirit’s
prison house. In great agony the pupil cried out: “Master! Master!
redeem me from this state with your great power.” The Master answering
said: “Burst by concentration of spiritual energy the bonds that bind
you.” No pen can describe the force of the Master’s thought. For the
instant it seemed possible; a moment’s hesitation to make the effort
through mortal fear, and the supreme moment was passed. The Master
looked sadly upon his suffering disciple and then was alone again.

The latter had gone back to try again through duty—if need be through
death.

THE LESSON.

The pupil goes to the Master without conditions. He goes, but not to
return. The illusions of matter are dispelled for him and thenceforth
he is a stranger in the world of actions, even though he should be in
it again.

Fiery is the furnace of probation, and great is the danger when the
neophyte has reached the “states of exaltation.” About each advance
step wait the enemies of the spirit—to overthrow its sovereignty and
hurl it back to the plane of matter. These enemies live in matter
and are persuaded that their existence is confined to it—hence their
determination to keep matter from a knowledge of spirit. In darkness
and sin is their safety, for they are children of these conditions and
will cease to exist when the lamp that is lighted from within is turned
upon the world.

Temptations are in the way of those who would _demand_ much without
_deserving_ even a little. So soon as the student comes in contact with
the occult he encounters on the threshold the demons who loiter by—the
demons of worldliness, inconstancy, suspicion and faint-heartedness.

The student should find in his own intuitions all the proof needed of
the existence on this earth of the Wisdom teachers. Behind the screen
of the senses reposes the soul of man—an unfathomable factor in the
Universe—as unknown to its possessor as to its observers. Intuition is
its only avenue of communication, and the language it speaks is known
only to him who understands arcane knowledge or occultism.

When the Master has initiated his pupil he puts the seal of the
mysteries upon his lips and locks them even against the chance of
weakness or indiscretion.

It is the sense of personal isolation that brings on death; genuine
philanthropy puts the individual _en rapport_ with the _Divine
Spirit_ and thus gives him the eternal life. The Divine Spirit
being all-pervading, those who put themselves _en rapport_ with it,
necessarily put themselves _en rapport_ with all other entities in
the same _rapport_. Hence, the Mahatmas are necessarily in constant
magnetic relation with those who succeed in extricating themselves from
the lower animal nature. It is by this means that the Mahatmas must
first be known.

Until the Master chooses you to come to Him be with humanity, and
unselfishly work for its progress and advancement. This alone can bring
true satisfaction.

What is a Mahatma? Is it His physical body? No; for that must perish
sooner or later—though it can be preserved through what is to us an
endless age. A Mahatma is one who lives in His higher individuality,
and to know Him truly, He must be known through the individuality in
which He is centered.

Knowledge increases in proportion to its use—that is, the more we teach
the more we learn. Therefore, seeker after Truth, with the faith of a
little child and the _will_ of a Initiate give of your store to him
who hath not wherewithal to comfort him on his journey. A whisper of
the divine mystery into the ear of a weary wayfarer frees you from
the stain of many evil deeds done in your migrations through matter.
Philosophy can never be learned through phenomena. Try to break through
the desire for it. Occult students the world over have been warned by
their teachers that it is a habit which grows with gratification. It is
better to abandon the study than to risk the dangers of black magic.

What is Self? Only a passing guest, whose concerns are all like a
mirage of the great desert. Man is the victim of his surroundings while
he lives in the atmosphere of society. The Mahatma may be willing to
befriend such as he has an interest in, and yet be helpless to do so.
The _will of the neophyte_, also, must be the magnet which alone can
compel a Mahatma’s notice. He follows his attractions as the needle
does the poles. Will and Purity—these are the qualities which open the
arcane to the presence of an adept—mere enthusiastic regard has no
effect.

Feeble souls content themselves with wishes; great ones have _wills_.

In every man lie concealed the germs of faculties that are never
unfolded on earth, and which have no reference to this state of
knowledge.

No man can judge another, save by the measure of his own understanding:
do not injure your own chance for growth by condemning in others the
possession of faculties not known to yourself.

Thought runs swifter than the electric fluid; every bright aspiration
sparkles and attracts the attention of the distant, but ever-watchful
Master.

“Lay your burden upon the Lord”—that is, put your reliance in the
Higher Self. Use the body as a means of strengthening the connection
with the spirit and opening the road for its descents.

Slay Ambition: it is a deadly and cowardly foe, whose power over you is
augmented by the approbation of others.

It is Karma that sends you into this world—to which you come alone—that
leaves you alone in it and which takes you out of it alone. The law
of Karma is the law of the conservation of energy on the moral and
spiritual planes of nature.

The body is the mind’s portrait. The artist seeing its inharmonies
regrets his failure, but knows not how to improve upon it. This is the
spirit’s work, which, accomplished, leaves the outward a reflection of
the indwelling Soul.

The manna that feeds the spirit is hidden from sight. The universal
spirit supplies it.

Duty is the River that flows through life. Its tide is silvery to those
who are on it, but threatening to those who approach it seldom.

Seek to recover your soul. It is the hidden treasure lost in the
caverns of sense. Its recovery is redemption from many rebirths.

The vain and the arrogant demand our pity—the weak and erring our
forbearance—the indifferent our sympathy—and the wise, alone, our
admiration.

You have learned of Krishna that death is better than the performance
of another’s duty. In persevering in the erroneous idea that we were
put here to do the duties of others, woes have resulted that follow one
through many lives.

Your perception of the inner self is clearer than the vision of the
natural eye.

Earnestly regard the plane upon which you seek truth, do not expect to
secure soul knowledge through the avenues of the senses.

Karma is like the vine that gathers strength through uninterrupted
years, and which fastens its tendrils so closely that it is as strong
as the structure to which it adheres. There is no way to destroy
its power except by the separation of the parts, these parts renew
themselves in other forms of life, but the structure is freed when its
root is destroyed.

Evil thoughts corrode the character. Only the spirit has power over
character to purify it.

We carry the accumulated results of many lives from one to another.
This is the clue to the perfect fairness of nature. The apparent
injustice of all differences of well-being are explained by the fact
that we have known former states of existence. Every spiritual effort
now made will tell not only now, but in the next incarnation as well.

The clue to many of the great mysteries of life is to be found in
reincarnation; it is the only possible solution of the enigmas of
existence.

The rule of the Mahatma is to approach every one where there exists
even only the slightest glimmer of the true Light within him. None are
left to perish who desire to be succored.

We write in every aspiration for truth, in thought and deed by day,
and in soul-struggles by night, the story of our desire for spiritual
development. Upon the pages of the Book of Karma are written the
minutest particulars of individual efforts: when the feeble will is
strong enough to prevent further births in this world, which is the
spirit’s dream life, we shall find in Real existence all the chapters
that we have written in all our transitions. Only then will we be able
to read the whole book through and know the nature of the long journey
out of spirit through matter and back again to the All.

The conflict of intuition against intellect has covered mankind in the
crumbling ruin of despair. Man will never surrender himself to be the
permanent vehicle of any set of ideas unless it completely satisfies
the whole of his nature; the union of intellect and intuition only will
end the conflict.

Take what you can of the teachings, and in developing devotion keep
before you your example—THE TEACHER.

THE HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY.

[_Concluded from the July Number._]

“The music of the spheres” is not a mere figure of speech, but an
actuality.

The Soul of the World has its central Sun whose life throbs pulsate
throughout immensity. If we study the phenomena and conditions of
either crystallization or organization we shall find that every atom
in the vast universe is set to music. There is the pean of life, and
the dirge of death, the major and the minor key. The rythm is the same
whether in the ebb or flow of life, but the serried columns march
in opposite directions. The Unity lies back of all phenomena in the
infinite ocean, the universal solvent, as the crystal lies latent,
potential, unmanifested, in the solution of salt. So all things exist
potentially in the ether. The real form of everything is perfect,
essential, divine. Only the effigy appears with ebb and flow; with
swell and cadence like martial music. Only in the Garden of the Gods
can the perfect flower and fruit appear. There is but one approximation
to perfect form to be apprehended by mortals—the Sphere—and even this
is ideal or geometrical, not actual. The dimensions of space pertain to
objects: objects exist in time, and the essence of time is motion.[153]
Imagine the intelligence of man posited in an ocean of Ether, a
thinking principle, without form or extension, and the fallacy of space
as generally conceived becomes manifest, and disappears. Matter, space,
time, and motion, these pertain to outwardly manifested existence. Read
backward the genesis of crystal, plant, animal or man, and one plan,
one basis is discovered in all.

“_Out from the shore of the great unknown_” come trooping these
effigies of diviner being, these shapes of diviner forms. In the
beginning was the Word, the Fiat has gone forth. Listen O! man to
the music of Bath Col the voice of thine own soul. Adonai speaks. If
thou art _conscious_, His voice is _conscience_. It is the memory of
the voice of God in fields elysian, thy former divine abode. Thou
mayest involve in thy life on earth thine Augoeides, “being of light,”
a “gleaming brightness.” This is thy holy mission, the meaning of
thy human shape, thy manly powers, thy subtle intellect, thy holy
intuitions. These are but the seed of larger life, the bird of promise.
The unfolded flower shall be thy highest aspiration, thy holiest wish,
and its ripened fruit shall bear thee to the garden of the gods, with
knowledge and power as thy servants. Ask but thine own soul, counsel
with thy better self, and if thou findest not within the silence the
answering voice, then return to thy wallowing in the mire, and the
husks which the swine do eat, rather than to thy _father’s house_ which
thou hast made, and will henceforth continue to make a den of thieves,
at best, a whited sepulchre.

Now let us read the Tablet of Hermes, bearing in mind the fact that man
is an epitome of the universe, thus actually or potentially containing
all that is, and if he knows how to read and to unfold his own nature,
powers and possibilities, he may read thereby the universe, unfold
its laws, comprehend its plan, and if he be master of himself, thus
revealed to his understanding, his powers shall be co-extensive with
knowledge. He shall possess the MASTERS’ WORD.

This tablet is printed in full in September _Path_ at p. 167.

The reader is referred to _Isis Unveiled_ for explanation of the Azoth
to which, on the physical plane, the tablet refers,[154] and I might
say in passing, that those who complain that the Brothers closely guard
occult secrets, will do well, even at this late day, to _read Isis
Unveiled_. There are several matters contained in those two volumes
which the careless reader, and complaining “theosophist” has possibly
overlooked. In fact there is less concealment in all occult matters
than the ignorant and time-serving suppose. There can be no better
safe-guards to Royal Secrets, than ignorance and defective vision, for
which defects there is no surgery or remedy outside ourselves.

“God saith, Let the man endued with a _mind_, mark, consider, and _know
himself well_. * * And before they give up their bodies to the death of
them, they hate their senses, knowing their works and operations.

“Rather I, that am the mind itself, will not suffer the operations
or works, which belong to the body, to be finished and brought to
perfection in them, but being the _Porter_ and _Doorkeeper_ I will shut
up the entrances of evil, and cut off the thoughtful desires of filthy
works.

“But to the foolish, and evil, and wicked, and envious, and covetous,
and profane, I am far off, giving place to the revenging demon * *

“For the sleep of the body is the sober watchfulness of the mind, and
the shutting of my eyes, the true sight, and my _silence_ great with
child; and full of good, and the pronouncing of my words the blossoms
and fruits of good things.[155]

“Wherefore we must be bold to say that _an earthly man is a mortal god,
and that the heavenly God is an immortal Man_[156].”

Compare with this the following from the writings of Plato:

“He who has not even a knowledge of common things, is a brute among
men; he who has an accurate knowledge of human concerns alone, is a man
among brutes; but he who knows all that can be known by intelligent
inquiry is a god among men.”

In these brief and imperfect outlines enough has been given to show
the thoughtful student, the agreement of the Hermetic doctrines
with the teachings of Theosophy, indeed, any real progress in the
comprehension of the one, may be taken as a key to the other. These,
together with the teachings of the Kabala, are but different forms of
the _Secret Doctrine_; none of them are to be fully apprehended by the
intellect alone; but only when the mind is _illuminated_ by the light
of understanding, and the process by which this illumination is to be
achieved, through diligent inquiry, unselfish work, and repression of
the senses, appetites and passion, has been often pointed out, and is
found repeated and reiterated in all these writings. If any, therefore,
are disposed to complain that they are left to grope in darkness, they
have no one to blame but themselves. To the conscientious student, the
constant wonder is at the richness of the feast spread out on every
hand.

Like a beautiful landscape to the blind, or music to the deaf, are the
pages of wisdom to the ignorant and selfish. Eyes have they but they
see not, ears have they but they hear not, and so long as they are
joined to their idols they may as well be let alone. But to the earnest
disciple, to the true seeker of _The Path_ these are the everlasting
verities: let them run and not be weary, walk and not faint, seek, and
they shall _surely find_, desire, and they shall attain, knock, and the
door of knowledge shall open, obey, and they shall in turn command,
labor, and they shall obtain rest.

“Rest is not quitting
The busy career,
Rest is the fitting
Of self to one’s sphere.
’Tis the brook’s motion,
Clear, without strife,
Fleeting to ocean
After this life.
’Tis living and serving
The highest and best,
’Tis _onward unswerving_,
And this is true rest.”
B.

TEA TABLE TALK.

THOUGHT TRANSFERENCE AND DREAMS.

Have you ever noticed the swiftness of thought transference in cases
where the thinker is not consciously projecting his thought to another
mind? The writer had lately a notable instance of this. I was seated
at the breakfast table, thinking over an order from THE PATH which had
come the night before. It was an order for “1000 words on dreams, etc.”
and not being such stuff as dreams are made of, I pondered intently
albeit silently:—“Where the deuce am I to get any authentic dreams?”

“_Mr. Julius, do you like dreams?_”

So spoke a clear young voice at my elbow. It was the voice of Sue. I
am not qualified to judge whether Sue is a child or a girl. She is,
however, an embodiment of that young America who rules these United
States from Atlantic coast to Pacific wave, and although a bachelor, I
respect her accordingly. Sue represents my possible fate.

“_Dreams!_” I stammered. “What do you know about dreams?”

“Me? Why I have ‘em. Lots! But only the horrid kind, you know.”

I venture to ask, most respectfully, what she calls “the horrid kind.”

“The kind you can’t remember, so’s to tell ‘em and scare the girls.
All mixed up, you see.” Here Sue snaps down the lid of the maple syrup
cruet with an air which indicates that the subject is closed. But I
venture on. I fear Sue a trifle less than I do my Editor and his demand
for contracted copy.

“What made you think of dreams just now, Sue. if you please?”

“Oh! I don’t know. They just came spang into my head. Perhaps you were
thinking about them.”

“Why, my child! You do not mean to say that you believe in thought
transference!”

“What’s that? Some nonsense! What I mean is that when I’m thinkin’
‘bout somethin’, an ‘I don’t want the other girls to talk about it, I
put it out of my head, quick,—(another hot cake, please,) so they won’t
get it into their heads too. They always do, unless. Understand?”

I did indeed. “Verily out of the mouths of babes and sucklings proceed
the words of wisdom.”

This to myself of course. What I said aloud was merely, “I should like
to hear a real good dream this minute, a true one.”

Sue gives her head that capable toss. “Why didn’t you ask me? You
people always think children don’t know anything. Guess you’ve changed
your mind since you were a child. Anyhow, Mrs. D. was tellin’ it t’
Sister an’ some ladies, and it gives your blood a lovely curdle.”

Here Sue settled herself in her chair and gave herself up with gusto to
the joy of curdling my blood. Making careful inquiry afterward, I found
true, in all its details, the dream which I now give to my readers.

Mrs. D. was at her country place. She dreamed one night that she rose,
and walking to her window looked out upon the familiar scene just then
lit by the moon. To her surprise she noticed persons walking two by two
across the lawn towards her; then more people, many of whom she knew.
As she watched this procession, there came finally a hearse driven by
a boy. He stopped the ghastly vehicle under her window, and raising a
scarred face on which the moonbeams played, he called out; “_Are you
ready?_” Mrs. D. shrieked and awoke, to find herself in bed and the
sport of a dream, but telling it afterwards to her family she remarked;
“If ever I were to see that boy, I should know him by the awful scars
on his face.”

Some time afterward this lady was standing in a hotel corridor,
waiting for the lift. As it rose slowly into view, she was attracted
by the head of the boy running it: “Where have I seen that head?” was
her thought, and so puzzling, she delayed to step into the waiting
lift. Just as she moved forward and entered, the boy turned his face
towards her saying: “_Are you ready?_” and she saw again those great
scars, and across her inner vision moved that slow funereal scene.
Sickened, startled, she felt an impulse of escape, and profited by
the stoppage of the lift at the next floor to get off, instead of
continuing to a higher floor, as she had proposed. She paused a few
moments to recover herself, and to reason with herself as well, when
suddenly a horrible crash was heard; then a _dead silence_; afterward
the murmur of excited voices. The machinery had broken, the lift had
fallen to the ground floor, and every person in it had been killed. As
I thought over this strange story, the decided young voice streamed
on: “Do you know, Mr. Julius, they were discussing it at dinner, and I
heard some quite stylish people say they believed it was God Himself
warning her. Fancy! They weren’t church people of course.”

Humanity is divided by Sue into two classes. Class 1. Members of The
Protestant Episcopal Church. Class 2. Heathen. She finds this very
convenient. So, I doubt not, do many older persons.

“And what do you think it was, my child?”

“Me? Oh, well! I just think it was her soul, somehow, Mr. Julius! Why
do you stare at me like that? I do believe you know something about it!
Nobody will ever tell me. Put down your coffee cup, its spilling all
over your beard, and tell me straight off all you know about our souls.”

But here the Skye terrier comes bouncing in, and offers himself for
dissection instead. Nevertheless, I know a few people, (and I fancy
THE PATH knows scores more) who expect you to tell between the roast
and the relevé, all that is known about the soul. Go instead to the
children, question their fresh instincts, their curious methods, their
habitual impulses and freaks, above all, their _esprit de corps_, and
what you learn about occultism from these still plastic minds will
surprise you. It has me!
JULIUS.

* * * * *

A REMARKABLE OCCURRENCE.

This story was told me by my step-father about an uncle of his.

The uncle was large, broad-shouldered, loved fun, and yet had strange
pre-occupied ways. He was fond of playing strange tricks upon the
little ones, and was known by them all as: “the—queer uncle.”

Indeed he did not confine his experiments wholly to the small folks.

One evening he came into the sitting-room where his sister was, his
face pale, with great drops of perspiration upon it, and his whole body
shaking as with ague. She asked him what the matter was, and then said
she was glad if he who had been frightening other people all his life,
was really frightened himself. It was sometime before he could speak.
At last he said he would tell her what had happened as well as he could.

He went into the woods and found a large tree (Beech, I think) standing
alone.

Having tied his handkerchief around it, he placed his back against
the tree and took so many paces in a straight line away from it.
Then without looking towards the tree he walked three times around
it—keeping the circle as nearly as possible. The night was very calm
with a beautiful full moon.

After he had been round it once, there appeared to be no change. The
second time the wind began to blow, and before he had completed the
third circuit, the moon was overcast and the wind blew a gale. When he
had reached the point, for the third time, from which he first started,
he turned and faced the tree. Soon the wind ceased to blow, and the
moon shone clear. Then, coming in an opposite direction, he saw a young
lady approaching the tree.

She walked directly to it, untied the handkerchief and brought it to
him and then disappeared on the spot. Upon concluding his narrative he
said if ever he should meet that girl he should know her. The moonlight
fell upon her face so that each feature was distinctly visible.

Six months later business called him to another town. While waiting in
the parlor of the Hotel, before being called to dinner, the lady he had
seen in the forest walked into the room.

Sometime after he obtained an introduction, and eventually became
engaged. One day while discussing different matters, he told her of his
singular experience in the woods.

“Why” said she “at that very time I had a most singular feeling, and
fainted.” Her mother was appealed to and corroborated the fact. She
said she was unconscious for such a length of time they thought her
dead.

The day of the month and the hour corresponded exactly with the time
the lady untied the handkerchief and brought it to him in the forest.
F. C.

REVIEWS AND NOTES.

THE THEOSOPHIST for October is a notably good number of that admirable
magazine. Madame Blavatsky contributes the leading article, “Ancient
Magic in Modern Science,” the reading of which makes us eager for the
publication of her “Secret Doctrine,” the first volume of which, we
learn, will soon be ready for publication.

Mohini M. Chatterji contributes a short article on “Mother Ganga,” and
his strong tale, “Sowing and Reaping,” is concluded.

Maurice Fredal writes of Apollonius of Tyana, anent Mr. Tredwell’s
valuable book on the Master. It is a “coincidence” that the October
numbers of both _The Theosophist_ and THE PATH should contain articles
on Apollonius, the two complementing each other. It has been said that
the teachings of Apollonius will have much to do in the new religion
which is destined to become the leading faith of the world.

Col. Olcott has a highly interesting article on “Phantom Pictures in
the Astral Light,” in which the various traditions of “The Flying
Dutchman” are given prominence, and mention is made of a phantom ship
seen from the man-of war which carried the two sons of the Prince of
Wales on their voyage around the world.

Two articles of this issue are contributed from Chicago—a thoughtful
essay on “Theosophy and Theosophists” by M. M. Phelon, and “A World-Old
Story Still Unlearned,” by M. L. Brainard, the Secretary of the
Chicago Branch; an allegory that will take, and repay, much pains
to discover its true significance. “Some Hypnotic Experiments” is a
valuable scientific article, and Miss L. S. Cook’s ideas “On Prayer”
will probably meet approval among all Theosophists, who object only
to the common forms of prayer, such as those designed to be “heard of
men” like the prayers offered up in churches, and also the requests of
people for divine favors which they have done nothing to merit.

The Unpublished Writings of Eliphas Levy, a mine of occult information,
are continued, and an article on Raj Yoga will be appreciated by
students of Indian philosophy.

MADAME BLAVATSKY: INCIDENTS IN HER LIFE. Edited by A. P. Sinnett.
(_London, 1886._) Price, $3.00. These memoirs are of absorbing
interest, containing as they do authentic narratives written by the
relatives and friends of Madame Blavatsky. They are divided into ten
chapters, beginning with her childhood and ending with the present
time when she rests in sickness in Germany, and bristle with stories
of the most extraordinary character. Read in connection with the first
article in the present number of this magazine, they become of greater
interest. At page 257 Mr. Sinnett says she was not able to foresee
the annoyances in the future. But we think she could see those quite
clearly, and therein lay one of her constant trials: that she might
see those troubles to come and yet refrain from trying to avert them.
Inquirers can purchase the book through THE PATH.

* * * * *

ANNOUNCEMENT.

_We beg to announce that with this date we sever our partnership._ THE
PATH _henceforth will be the exclusive property and under the sole
management of Mr. William Q. Judge_.
WILLIAM Q. JUDGE,
_New York, Dec. 1, 1886._ ARTHUR H. GEBHARD.

* * * * *

“There is a living creature in heaven which by day has “Truth” upon
its forehead, by which the angels know it is day; but in the evening
it has “Faith” on its forehead, whereby the angels know that night is
near.”—_From the Kabbalistic book, Kitzur-Sh’lh, fol. 42, col. 2._

OM!

FOOTNOTES:

[147] Bagavad-Gita.

[148] Milton.

[149] Bible.

[150] Light of Asia.

[151] Browning.

[152] _Bri-Up._ 1. Adh., 4 Brah., 7.

[153] ‘We take no notice of time save by its loss’, _i. e._ its passage
or motion.

[154] _Isis Unveiled_, vol. I. p. 507, _et seq._

[155] Pymander, p. 33, _et seq._, edition of 1650.

[156] IV Book, p. 60.

AUM

But there is another invisible eternal existence, higher, deeper,
innermost; not like this life of sense, escaping sight, unchanging.
This endures when all created things have passed away. This is the
highest walk and very supreme abode.—_Bagavad-Gita_, ch. 8.

Hear the secret of the wise. Be not anxious for subsistence; it is
provided by the maker. When the child is born the mother’s breasts
flow with milk. He who hath clothed the birds with their bright
plumage will also feed thee.—_Hitapodesa._

THE PATH.

VOL. I. JANUARY, 1887. NO. 10.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

THE ELEMENTALS, THE ELEMENTARY SPIRITS,

AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM AND HUMAN BEINGS.

_A paper read before the Aryan Theosophical Society of New York,
December 14th, 1886._

BY C. H. A. BJERREGAARD.

The subject of my paper is “_The Elementals, the Elementary Spirits,
and the relation between them and human beings_.”

I will endeavor to give an outline of some of the teachings of the
occult science relative to these beings, their relationship to the
universal powers and to us, and our power over them.

In the general statement I shall probably not be able to say anything
new to students of the occult forces of nature, except it be in the
illustrations I shall bring forth from what I consider new sources,
from Leibnitz’s Monadology, namely:

In Leibnitz’s Monads, I think we may see the very substance of the
astral sphere, in which the elementary spirits “wrap themselves,”
according to a statement in the Kabbala. We may even see more, we may
even look upon them as the Elementals themselves.

If Leibnitz’s Monads may be considered not only as Elementals, but
also the very substance of the astral sphere, and if it be so, that
according to the Zohar, “the spirits, when they come down clothe
themselves with air, or wrap themselves in elements,” then it becomes
a subject of the greatest importance to us how or by what means we
may influence the astral sphere, or in other words, it becomes very
important by _what kind of Monads_ we are surrounded.

As a help to the proper consideration of this momentous question, I
shall offer some information regarding the natural auras or objective
spheres, that surround us, and also some historic facts regarding the
use of aromatic vapors, odors, &c.

Having come so far with my paper, I shall say a few words about our
power over the elementals “clothed with air and wrapped in elements,”
by defining the power of _Mind_ and by describing those—almost
unknown—small nerve centres of the human hand, called _the Pacinian
corpuscles_.

I shall only stop to define these two tools, the _head_ and the _hand_,
and leave out, for the present, the third of the human trinity, the
_heart_.

Having defined the power of mind and the hand, I shall come to a close
with a few suggestions as to the use of these powers regarding the
subject under consideration.

* * * * *

_Elementary Spirits_ are defined in “Isis Unveiled” to be “the
disembodied _souls_. The depraved souls have at some time prior to
death separated from themselves their divine spirits, and so lost their
chance for immortality. Eliphas Levi and some other Kabbalists make
little distinction between elementary spirits who have been men, and
those beings which people the elements, and are the blind forces of
nature.”

The points to mark in this definition are these: (1) Elementary Spirits
are disembodied _souls_; (2) they are disembodied souls of _the good_,
and (3) of _the depraved_, _i. e._, of those, in whom the higher
principles have never been developed, nor even born into light. They
are the _shades_ of those who, by their sins and moral misery, have
closed the most interior principles of the constitution of man, and
having closed the door against them, have no part in life, but sooner
or later become dissolved and disintegrated in the surrounding elements.

In the manifestations common among Spiritualists, these Elementary
Spirits play the most prominent parts. The Elementals do not. We shall
concern ourselves mainly with the Elementals.

_Elementals_ are defined in “Isis Unveiled” as “the creatures _evolved_
in the four kingdoms of earth, air, fire, and water, and called by
the Kabbalists gnomes, sylphs, salamanders, and undines. They may be
termed the forces of nature, and will either operate effects as the
servile agents of general law, or may be employed by the disembodied
spirits—whether pure or impure—and by living adepts of magic and
sorcery, to produce desired phenomenal results. _Such beings never
become men._”

They are in popular mythology and folktales called by a great many
names, peris, fauns, elves, brownies, nixies, &c., &c.

They are not disembodied human spirits, but distinct Creations. They
have their homes in the astral sphere but are found commonly on earth.

The definition already given from “Isis Unveiled” I will amplify by a
few lines I have extracted and translated from the various works of
Paracelsus:

“All elements have a soul and are living. The inhabitants of the
elements are named _Saganes_ (Saganae), _i. e._, elements. They are
not inferior to men; they differ from men by having no immortal soul.
They are the powers of Nature, _i. e._, _they are the ones who do that
which is usually ascribed to Nature_. We may call them beings, but they
are not of Adam’s kin. They eat and drink such substances as in their
element serve for eating and drinking. They are clothed, they marry and
multiply themselves. They can not be incarcerated, and die like the
animals, having no soul.”

“They know all that is going on, and do often reveal it to men, who
are able to converse with them. But they are very unreliable, and some
are very treacherous. They like children and simple minded persons the
best. They avoid drunken and beastly men. They reveal more of their
nature to the simple minded and innocent ones than to the learned and
arrogant ones. They are rather simple minded themselves.”

“There are more women among them than men, and a congregation of women
is called a Venus-mount. The fable told about Tannhauser is no mere
tale, it is true.”

Thus far, we have, perhaps, no difficulty in following Paracelsus, but
when we read further into his revelations, our common sense fails to
comprehend the mysteries laid open. Yet, I will say for myself, that
though I can not comprehend it, I can readily apprehend such a state of
things as that described in the following words:

“They can come to us and mix with our society. They can bear us
children; but such children do not belong to them, _they belong to us_.
We may bring these elemental wives to us by faith, pure thinking and
our image-making powers. When they enter our sphere of existence and
copulate with us, they appear, on account of their strange manners,
like gods.”

“Those that live in the water are called Nymphs or Undines, those in
the air Sylphs, those of the earth Pygmies or Gnomes, those of the fire
Salamanders. Nymphs or Undines look much like human beings, the others
differ more or less.”

“It is particularly the Undines or Nymphs that unite with men. When an
Undine marries a man, both she and her child become souls.”

From the Kabbala we can draw many statements corroborating the
testimony of Paracelsus. In fact all the most valuable teachings we
possess, relative to Elementals, as far _as they are printed and given
to the public_, are derived from the Kabbala. According to it all
activity, all events, in History and in Nature, are in the hands of
spirits, either Elementals or Elementary. We find them as ministering
everywhere, from the Zodiac down to the smallest worm. We find them
mentioned by name, those of the sphere of the Shechina as well as those
presiding over the four elements.

In _Jalkut Chadash_ it is stated: “There is not a thing in the world,
not the least herb, over which is not set a spirit.”

The Kabbalistic work _Berith Menucha_ (by Abraham, a son of Isaac, a
Jew from Granada), their names are given:

The spirit that presides over fire is named _Jehuel_, and under him
range seven other spirits. Prince _Michael_ is set over water, and
under him rule seven other spirits. _Jechiel_ rules over the wild
animals and these rule under him. _Anpiel_ rules over the birds and two
princes rule beside him. _Hariel_ controls the cattle and besides him
three spirits. _Samniel_ rules the creatures of earth and water and
_Mesannahel_ the worms. _Deliel_ together with three princes command
the fishes; _Ruchiel_ and three others, the winds; _Gabriel_, the
thunder; _Nariel_, the hailstorm; _Maktuniel_, the rocks and _Alpiel_
the fruitful trees, while _Saroel_, the unfruitful. _Sandolfon_ governs
men.

These names are important, as you know, for they are the key to the
respective powers of each of these spirits.

As stated in “Isis Unveiled,” Eliphas Levi and other Kabbalists make no
or very little distinction between Elementals and Elementary Spirits.
This cannot be right by Levi to do. There are essential differences.
The _Elementals never become men, nor were they ever men_. The
Elementary spirits as defined by Levi resemble very much such spirits
as those we are familiar with in ordinary spiritism. I shall in this
paper only give them a passing notice and speak about the Elementals
mainly.

From the definition already given, it is evident that the Elementals
exist in a great variety of forms, some are mere forces of nature, pure
abstract beings; others have some kind of body, at least, when we speak
of gnomes, sylphs, undines, &c., we represent them in figures more or
less human.

In the Kabbala and other Jewish secret books and traditions, the
Elementals are represented as a middle race of beings, which, by a
general name, the Jews called _Schedim_ (the male Ruchin and the female
Lilin). They are really the lowest and the dregs of the spiritual
orders. They are divided into four classes: (1) Those of Fire; these
cannot be seen with the eye; they mean to do good, and often help men.
They understand the Thora and have communion with the angelic world.
They are masters of many of nature’s secrets.

It was these beings which Solomon employed, according to Mohammedan
traditions, in erecting the temple. We are told,[157] that “he obliged
the male genii to erect various public buildings, among others also,
the temple. The female genii he obliged to cook, to bake, to wash, to
weave, to spin, to carry water, and to perform other domestic labors.
The stuffs they produced Solomon distributed among the poor.”

Much curious information can be had from these Mohammedan traditions.
Solomon, we are told, once asked an Elemental, who appeared to him
in the form of a fish, as to how many there were of that kind, and
received the following reply: “There are of my species alone, seventy
thousand kinds, the least of which is so large that thou would appear
in its body like a grain of sand in the wilderness.”

We are further told, that Solomon, by means of a certain stone, “had
dominion over the kingdom of spirits, which is much greater than that
of man and beasts, and fills up the whole space between the earth and
heaven.” Part of these spirits believe in the only God, but others are
unbelieving. Some adore the fire; others the sun; others, again, the
different stars; and many of them even water. The first continually
hover round the pious, to preserve them from evil and sin; but the
latter seek in every possible manner to torment and to seduce them,
which they do the more easily, since they render themselves invisible,
or assume any form they please. Solomon desired to see the genii in
their original form. An angel rushed like a column of fire through the
air, and soon returned with a host of demons and genii, whose appalling
appearance filled Solomon, spite of his dominion over them, with
horror. He had no idea that there were such misshapen and frightful
beings in the world. He saw human heads on the necks of horses, with
asses’ feet; the wings of eagles on the dromedary’s back; and the
horns of the gazelle on the head of the peacock. Astonished at this
singular union, he prayed the angel to explain it to him: “This is the
consequence,” replied the angel, “of their wicked lives and their
shameless intercourse with men, beasts and birds; for their desires
know no bounds; and the more they multiply, the more they degenerate.”

(2) The second group consists of those of Fire and Air; they are lower
in order than the former, those of Fire, but they are good and wise.
They are also invisible. They inhabit, like the former, the upper
regions.

(3) The third group consists of those of Fire, Air and Water, they are
sometimes visible to our senses.

(4) The fourth class is also made of Fire, Air and Water, but have
besides an element of Earth in their constitution. They may be fully
seen by human eyes.

This class and those of the third are of a wicked disposition and
deceive men, and are glad to do us harm. They have no moral sense
at all. Some of them live in the waters, some in the mountains and
deserts, and some in filthy places. Some of them are hideous to look
upon, and are said to be met with even in open daylight.

The two first classes mentioned stand bodily next to men and are very
dangerous. They possess extraordinary powers, standing, as they do,
between the visible and the invisible worlds. They have some knowledge
of the future and are particularly wise in regard to natural things.
Some of these have in the time past been worshipped as gods and
national deities. The Kabbala is quite emphatic in warnings against
them, saying that they are untrustworthy because “their natural
affinities are towards the lower realms of existence, rather than the
higher.”

All these elementals, whatever class they belong to are subject to
dissolution. _Their lives are not centred on an eternal principle._
They die—and that is the end of them.

It is also worthy of notice that there is a close parallel between the
teachings of the Kabbala on this point with that of the _Vishnu Purana_
regarding the composition of the descending order of emanations.
According to the Kabbala, as we have just heard, the Elementals of
the first order were pure Fire, those of the next were Fire plus Air,
those of the next Fire, Air, and Water, while those of the lowest order
consisted of Fire, Air, Water plus Earth. Each of them as they live on
a lower plane add a new element to their constitution. The same law is
found in the groupings of the elements according to the Vishnu Purana.
The purest one is Ether and has only one property, sound. The next is
Air which to sound adds touch; the next is Fire, which to sound and
touch adds colour; the next is Water, which to the three former adds a
fourth, taste; the last is _Earth_, which to all the former adds smell,
thus possessing five properties.

The harmony in the teachings of these two authorities, resting as they
do on so different a basis is an additional argument for the truths of
their teachings on the main subject.

Thus far I have been speaking of _Elementals_ in the commonly accepted
sense. But, it appears to me that there is another order of beings
which also may be called _Elementals_, though perhaps in another sense.

I mean the ten _Sephiroth_.

The Kabbala teaches that the _En-Soph_ (the One without end, the
Boundless) is present in the _Sephiroth_ or “intelligences,” by means
of which creation is effected.

These Sephiroth, these “intelligences” or spheres, as they also have
been called, these spiritual substances are emanations from the
_En-Soph_ in which they existed from all eternity. They are emanations,
not creations. A creation implies diminution of strength, but an
emanation does not, hence the ten Sephiroth form among themselves,
and with the En-Soph, a strict unity. They are in fact only differing
from the En-Soph in the same way as light differs from its source,
the fire. They are boundless on one side of their being, but finite
manifestations on the other. They are both infinite and finite.

It has been stated that the whole world is like a gigantic tree full of
branches and leaves, the root of which is the spiritual world of the
Sephiroth; or it is like an immense sea, which is constantly filled by
a spring everlastingly gushing forth its streams. That which thus has
been said about the world applies equally to the Sephiroth. They are
like trees rooted in the En-Soph, but blossoming and bearing fruit in
the world. They are open within but closed without. Though they partake
of the divine nature, they are on the outer side the garments of the
Most High. This _their outer side is their bodily form_, and it is with
this _we_ may come in contact.

It is almost blasphemy to call the outer side of the Sephiroth
bodily—for body is to us something very low. Let us, therefore,
beware of attaching anything low or mean to Body, when we speak of
the Sephiroth. Let us bow down and revere, for we are in the presence
of the Holy, even when we in thought rise to the bodily form of the
Sephiroth.

The Sephiroth, through the divine power immanent in them, uphold the
World. _They are the Elemental Forces of the World._ Through them
flows all Power and all Mercy. Yea, the En-Soph is revealed through
the Sephiroth, and becomes incarnate in them. It is stated in the
Kabbala that the En-Soph, through various Sephiroth, became incarnate
in Abraham as love, in Isaac as power, in Jacob as beauty, in Moses as
firmness, in Aaron as splendor, in Joseph as foundation, etc.

The soul, notwithstanding its connection with the body, if it remain
uncontaminated and pure, is able to ascend to the Kingdom of the
Sephiroth and to “command them”. But great mysteries surround the
secrets connected with this power, and but few have they been who have
been pious enough and strong enough to be admitted.

That the Sephiroth are powers, “Elementals,” and not individual beings
is evident from their division into three groups, intelligence,
animation and matter.

Each of the three groups is again subdivided, the first into (1) the
Crown or the inscrutable Height, (2) the creative Wisdom, (3) the
conceiving Intellect. The result of the combination of the latter two:
the creative Wisdom and the conceiving Intellect, is in the Kabbala
called knowledge (= Logos), which certainly shows these three Sephiroph
to be spiritual substances, rather than individualities according
to the common acceptation of the term. But it is not enough that
we escape the mistakes which we would fall into if we regarded the
Sephiroth as individualities, we must also beware of regarding them as
mere _abstractions_, which the terms wisdom and intellect might lead
us into. We shall never arrive at the truth, much less the power of
associating with these celestials, until we return to the simplicity
and fearlessness of the primitive ages, when men mixed freely with the
gods, and the gods descended among men and guided them in truth and
holiness.

The _first_ group of the Sephiroth rests in so sublime an atmosphere
and so near the Deity, that we can know nothing of their nature or
activity.

The _second_ group of the Sephiroth exercises its power over the moral
world, and consists of (1) infinite Grace, (2) divine Justice, and (3)
Beauty, which is the connecting link between Grace and Justice.

Here again we have to do neither with mere moral states nor with
abstractions, but with embodiments of living and moving realities.
Human eyes can, however, neither see them, nor can human hands touch
them, for they are far removed from them, existing as they do on
another plane of existence. Yet, he who _keeps his virtue_, and who
knows the key to the chain of existences, can bring them out from their
own realm and into his own and cause them to act.

The _third_ group of the Sephiroth stands in relation to Matter in the
same way as the other two stand to the Mind and the Heart, and may be
called _Elementals par excellence_. They are called Firmness, Splendor,
primary Foundation and Kingdom.—

I now wish to engage your attention by describing to you Leibnitz’s
Monads. His monads have all the characteristics of Elementals, at the
same time, that they seem to be purely physical molecules. But this
very duplicity is an argument for my theory, that Leibnitz’s monad is a
faithful definition of an Elemental. If it should be proved that they
are not Elementals, and I doubt that that can be proved, they will at
least serve as _illustrations_ as to what an Elemental is.

Leibnitz[158] formulates his conception of substance in direct
opposition to Spinozism. To Spinoza substance is dead and inactive,
but to Leibnitz’s penetrating powers of mind everything is living
activity and active energy. In holding this view he comes infinitely
nearer the Orient than any other thinker of his day or after him. His
discovery that an _active energy forms the essence of substance_ is a
principle that places him in direct relationship to the seers of the
East.

This fact, that the chief points of Leibnitz’s philosophy are derived
from this conception of an active energy forming the essence of
substance, places it at once in our confidence.

From Leibnitz’s _Monadology_ I translate the following paragraphs:

§1. “The Monad is a _simple substance_, entering into those which are
compound; simple, that is to say, without parts.”

§2. “Monads are the veritable Atoms of Nature, in one word, the
elements of things.”

When _Leibnitz_ speaks of atoms it must not be understood that he is
a materialist. He is far from it. Indeed, his system has been called
a spiritualistic _atomistic_. Atoms and Elements to him are SUBSTANCE
not _Matter_. They are centres of force or better “spiritual beings,
whose very nature it is to act.” These elementary particles are vital
forces, not acting mechanically, but from an internal principle. They
are incorporeal or spiritual units, inaccessible to all change from
without, but only subject to internal movement. They are indestructible
by any external force. Leibnitz’s monads differ from atoms in the
following particulars, which are very important for us to remember,
otherwise we shall not be able to see the difference between Elementals
and mere matter.

Atoms are not distinguished from each other, they are qualitatively
alike, but one monad differs from every other monad, qualitatively;
and every one is a peculiar world to itself. Not so with the atoms;
they are absolutely alike quantitatively and qualitatively and possess
no individuality of their own. Again, the atoms of materialistic
philosophy can be considered as extended and divisible, while the
monads are mere “metaphysical points” and indivisible. Finally, and
this is a point where these monads of Leibnitz closely resemble the
Elementals of mystic philosophy, these monads are representative
beings. Every monad reflects every other. Every monad is a living
mirror of the universe, within its own sphere. And mark this, for upon
it depends the power possessed by these monads, and upon it depends the
work they can do for us: in mirroring the world, the monads are not
mere passive reflective agents, but _spontaneously self-active_; they
produce the images spontaneously, as the soul does a dream. In every
monad, therefore, the adept may read everything, even the future. Every
monad—or elemental—is a looking-glass that can speak.

The monads may from one point of view be called _force_, from another
_matter_. To occult science _force_ and _matter_ are only two sides of
the same substance.

Such a doctrine is of course much objected to by people of the modern
age, who pretend to possess very fine analytical powers, and yet are
unable to conceive of matter under any other conditions than those
cognizable by our coarse senses.

Those who have _intellectual_ difficulties in seeing that Brahm is
everything and everything is Brahm must take this doctrine _on faith_
for awhile. A little earnest practice will lead them to see that truth
is not attained through reflection, but through immediate intuition.

If we should desire to look upon these monads as matter, I know of no
better comparison than with that which has been called Matter in a
_Fourth_ state or condition, a condition as far removed from the state
of gas as a gas is from a liquid.

If we should desire to look upon these monads as _force_, I know of no
better comparison than with that which Faraday called “Radiant Matter”
and which by Crooke’s experiments has been shown to be so much like
mere _force_, or matter completely divested of all the characteristics
of bodies that its physical properties have been so modified that it
has changed nature and appears under the _form_ of force.

In §8 of the Monadology Leibnitz declares that “The Monads have
_qualities_—otherwise they would not even be entities.” The qualities
attributed to them make them appear very much like living rational
beings. I am disposed to look upon them as upon those little beings
represented by Raphael, as heads resting upon a pair of wings: pure
intelligence, or spirits who have not yet attained to bodily life. If
they have not a _thinking_ soul, they are at least forces that resemble
life. Continuing, Leibnitz (§11) says: “We might give the name of
_Perfection_ (Entelechies) to all monads inasmuch as there is in them
a certain Completeness or Perfection. There is a sufficiency which
makes them the sources of their own internal actions, and, as it were,
incorporeal automata.” Says Leibnitz: (§19) “If we choose to give the
name of soul to all that has perceptions and desires, in the general
sense which I have just indicated, all simple substances or monads may
be called souls.”

You see these infinitesimal beings are regarded by the great
philosopher very much like intelligent existences; and yet they are
very far removed from our conceptions of soul-life and existence. They
are like the Elementals of the Kabbala: they never become men.

Continuing his definitions, he says (§60): “The monads are limited, not
in the object, but in the mode of their knowledge of the object.” That
is, the objective would have no power over them, but they themselves
have only a limited knowledge of the objectivity, hence also a limited
power. But that does not preclude the possibility of their being the
means of the greatest influence upon the objective world—in the hands,
namely, of an intelligent human being or spirit. “They all”, says
Leibnitz, “tend (confusedly) to the infinite, to the whole; but they
are limited and distinguished by the degrees of distinctness in their
perception.”

Now I quote (§62) a sentence that reëchoes the most beautiful
philosophy of the Orient. Leibnitz has seen as distinctly as the old
nature worshippers of the early Aryans, that “every monad represents
the entire universe.” This short sentence is the key to all mystical
philosophy and to all magic; it is only second to such sentences as
these: “God dwells in all things in His fullness,” (Vemana verse), and
“The world is the image of God,” (Sufi philosophy).

It is a common mistake in the world to believe that God and his truth
is only to be found in the Grand, in the Large, in the infinitely large.

In opposition to this, much of our mystical and esoteric philosophy
points to the infinitely _Small_, declaring, that if we can become
humble enough to descend to nature’s workshop, we shall learn more
from the “atoms in space” upon which God let fall a “beam of his
glory,” than from all the magnificent systems of the learned. Hear what
Leibnitz himself says, though he is not a mystic. He ought to have
been, for his insight was truly remarkable. He declares: (§66) “There
is a world of creatures, of living things, of animals, of Perfection
of souls, in the minutest portion of matter.” (§67) “Every particle of
matter may be conceived as a garden of plants, or as a pond full of
fishes—all swarming with life!“

Keep this in mind, that I am not talking about _atoms of_ MATTER,
but of _atoms of substance_, real unities, the first principles in
the composition of things. _Leibnitz_ himself, besides calling these
corpuscular units Monads, has also called them _Metaphysical points_,
and _Scaliger_ called them _seeds of eternity_, and a Persian poet has
put it very clearly before us, that an atom is not a unit, by saying,
”_Cleave an atom, and you will find in it a Sun_.” Here is the kernel
of our subject, the substance of an atom in space is the storehouse of
the immanent forces to which elementals, and elementary spirits to some
extent, have access, and by means of which they work.

This view is fully corroborated by a representative of modern science,
Sir John F. W. Herschel, who has approached very near to the teachings
of occult science by declaring the presence of mind in atoms. In the
_Fortnightly Review_ of 1865, Sir John Herschel stated as follows:
“All that has been predicated of Atoms, ‘the dear little creatures,’
as Hermione said, all their hates and loves, their attractions and
repulsions, _according to the primary laws of their being_, only
becomes intelligible when we assume the presence of MIND.”

These various definitions of the Monads as given by Leibnitz, answer
in many important points exactly to what we find in occult teachings
about the Elementals, and I can see no good reason why we should not
look upon Leibnitz’s Monadology as a work on Elementals.

We are really done with him as far as our subject is concerned, but
before dismissing him to turn to other wisdom, permit me to quote a few
more passages, though they do not bear directly upon the subjects of
monads. He says (§83-86): “Among other differences which distinguish
spirits from ordinary souls, there is also this: ‘That souls in general
are living mirrors, or images of the _universe of creatures_, but
spirits are, furthermore, images of Divinity itself, or of the Author
of Nature, capable of cognizing the system of the universe, and of
imitating something of it by architectonic experiments, each spirit
being, as it were, a little divinity in its own department.’—Hence
spirits are able to enter into a kind of fellowship with God.—All
spirits constitute the City of God—that is to say, the most perfect
state possible under the most perfect of monarchs.—The City of God,
this truly universal monarchy, is a moral world within the natural; and
it is the most exalted and the most divine among the works of God.”

(_To be continued._)

WHAT IS THE “THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY”?

The subjoined extracts from the writings and public utterances of some
of the leading members of the Theosophical Society will it is believed
throw considerable light on the issues raised in Dr. Hartmann’s article
in the number for October entitled “What is the Theosophical Society”;
not so much perhaps as testing the validity of his observations as
expanding their scope, and throwing into relief the true character of
the Theosophical Society. Anything done or said by anybody without
exception, not in harmony with the spirit of these extracts is entirely
without binding power on the Theosophical Society or any of its members.

UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD THE MAIN OBJECT OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

In support of this assertion it may be noticed that in the April number
of the Theosophist for the year 1880 in the extract of the rules of
the Society as given in 1879, it is alternatively described as the
Theosophical Society or Universal Brotherhood, and further stated
that “The Theosophical Society is formed upon a basis of a Universal
Brotherhood.”

In March, 1880, in a speech by Ráo Báhádur Gopálráo Hurry Deshmuk,
the Society is described in the following words: “This Society was
established in America four years ago (_i.e._ in 1875) and its object
is to inquire into the philosophies of the East, to announce the
brotherhood of man, and to create the bonds of fellowship among nations
and sects of different denominations.”

In the June number of the _Theosophist_ for 1881, the name of the
Society is again put forward as, “Universal Brotherhood” and its first
object is stated to be—To form the nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood
of Humanity.

The same sentiment is to be found enunciated by Mr. Sinnett in a
speech made on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the Society.
He says: “But even this philosophical search for truth is hardly
the primary object of the Society. That object is promoted by the
philosophical search for truth, as I hope directly to show, that object
itself is that pressed in the foremost watchword of the Society,
Universal Brotherhood.” (_Supplement Theosophist, January, 1883._)

In the last edition of his lectures, published in 1885, Col. Olcott
quotes a passage from Lange’s “History of Materialism” p. 361, in which
it is stated:—“That the new epoch will not conquer unless it be under
the banner of a great idea which sweeps away egoism, and sets human
perfection in human fellowship as a new aim in the place of reckless
toil, which looks only to personal gain.” Col. Olcott then proceeds:
“It is to such an idea as this that the Theosophical Society seeks to
give a formal if not already a quite practical expression,” p. 30.
Further on in the same book, p. 117, he states “Our Society might have
added to the name ‘Theosophical’ that of ‘Philadelphian’ as it was
always meant to be a Society of Universal Brotherhood and for promoting
brotherly love among all races.”

In No. 8, Transactions of the London Lodge Theosophical Society, Mr.
Mohini M. Chatterji, in a paper “On the Theosophical Society and its
Work,” after enumerating the three objects of the Society, makes the
following observation:—“Of these three the first (_i.e._ Universal
Brotherhood) is to be looked upon as the crown and end, the other two
are merely accessories and means. Every member of the Theosophical
Society must be inspired by that end, but may or may not be interested
in the other two objects.”

A letter from Dewan Bahadoor Ragoonath Row published in the
_Theosophist_ for March, 1884, and quoted in the same “Transaction,”
still further accentuates this position. He says:—“Theosophy, as
understood by me, is made up of three elements, viz, universal
brotherhood, knowledge of truths discovered by science generally known
to the ordinary scientist, and knowledge of truths still in store for
them. It may be described in another way, viz, ‘universal religion
and science reconciled.’ To be a Theosophist he must acknowledge and
practice universal brotherhood. If he is not prepared to admit the
principle, he cannot be a Theosophist. In addition to this, he should
be a student of truths generally known, of course to the extent of
his capacity. He should, besides, be a searcher of truths hitherto
unknown. If he be all these three, he is undoubtedly a Theosophist. It
is, however, possible that one may not be capable of knowing scientific
truths, extant or prospective, and yet may be able to recognize and
practice universal brotherhood; he is still a Theosophist. No one who
does not admit and practice universal brotherhood, though he be a
scientist of the first degree, can ever be a Theosophist.”

In the last published report (1886) of the Rules of the Theosophical
Society it will also be seen that the first object of the Society is
again stated as the promotion of a “Universal Brotherhood of Humanity.”

It is evident from these extracts, dating from the first formation of
the Society to the present year, that Universal Brotherhood has been
the one and only constant object of the Theosophical Society. The
other objects which have at different times been added to this can
only be looked upon as additions forming no part of the basic nature
of the original, admissible only on the principle of toleration but
in no sense binding on the Society. Whatever may be the statement put
forward by individuals, from the President to the youngest member of
the Society, or by any groups of individuals, such statements ought to
be considered as representing individual opinion only and as having no
authoritative legislation over the members of the Society.

THE UNSECTARIAN CHARACTER OF THE SOCIETY.

This point which is the logical outcome of the former position, is
likewise as clearly enunciated in Theosophical literature.

In October, 1879, in an article entitled “What are Theosophists,” which
has since been acknowledged by Madame Blavatsky, it is stated:

“With how much, then, of this nature-searching, God-seeking science
of the ancient Aryan and Greek mystics, and of the powers of modern
spiritual mediumship, does the Society agree? Our answer is:—with
it all. But if asked what it believes in, the reply will be:—‘_as a
body_—Nothing.’ The Society, as a body, has no creed, as creeds are but
the shells around spiritual knowledge; and Theosophy in its fruition
is spiritual knowledge itself—the very essence of philosophical and
theistic enquiry. Visible representative of Universal Theosophy, it
can be no more sectarian than a Geographical Society, which represents
universal geographical exploration without caring whether the explorers
be of one creed or another. The religion of the Society is an
algebraical equation, in which so long as the sign = of equality is not
omitted, each member is allowed to substitute quantities of his own,
which better accord with climatic and other exigencies of his native
land, with the idiosyncracies of his people, or even with his own.
Having no accepted creed, our Society is very ready to give and take,
to learn and teach, by practical experimentation, as opposed to mere
passive and credulous acceptance of enforced dogma. It is willing to
accept every result claimed by any of the foregoing schools or systems,
that can be logically and experimentally demonstrated. Conversely it
can take nothing on mere faith, no matter by whom the demand may be
made. * *

“Born in the United States of America, the Society was constituted on
the model of its Mother Land. The latter, omitting the name of God from
its constitution lest it should afford a pretext one day to make a
state religion, gives absolute equality to all religions in its laws.
All support and each is in turn protected by the state. The Society,
modelled upon this constitution, may fairly be termed a ‘Republic of
Conscience.’

“We have now, we think, made clear why our members, as individuals, are
free to stay outside or inside any creed they please, provided they
do not pretend that none but themselves shall enjoy the privilege of
conscience, and try to force their opinions upon the others. In this
respect the Rules of the Society are very strict. It tries to act upon
the wisdom of the old Buddhistic axiom: ‘Honor thine own faith, and do
not slander that of others;’ echoed back in our present century, in the
‘Declaration of Principles’ of the Brahmo Samaj, which so nobly states
that: ‘no sect shall be vilified, ridiculed, or hated.’” * * * * *

“In conclusion, we may state that, broader and far more universal in
its views than any existing mere scientific Society, it has _plus_
science its belief in every possibility, and determined will to
penetrate into those unknown spiritual regions which exact science
pretends that its votaries have no business to explore. And, it has one
quality more than any religion in that it makes no difference between
Gentile, Jew or Christian. It is in this spirit that the Society has
been established upon the footing of a Universal Brotherhood.”

In the supplement of the _Theosophist_, January, 1886, in the Preamble
or Statement of Principles, first put forth in 1875 are these words:
“Whatever may be the private opinions of its members, the Society has
no dogmas to enforce, no creed to disseminate. It is formed neither
as a Spiritualistic schism, nor to serve as the foe or friend of any
sectarian or philosophical body. Its only axiom is the omnipotence
of truth, its only creed a profession of unqualified devotion to
its discovery and propagation. In considering the qualification of
applicants for membership, it knows neither race, sex, color, nor creed.

In the rules of the Theosophical Society, published in 1886, it is also
stated “That the Society represents no particular religious creed, is
entirely unsectarian, and includes professors of all faiths.”

In the paper before alluded to No. 8, Transactions of the London
Lodge—Mr. Mohini M. Chatterji makes the following remark:—“All attempts
to fasten the authority of the Society to any creed, philosophical
or otherwise, which is not covered by these rules (viz, the printed
objects of the Society) are void _ab initio_; not because of the merits
of such creed or doctrine, or of their exponents, but simply for the
reason that the Theosophical Society, by its constitution, is not
capable of holding any creed or doctrine in its corporate character.”

It is important that each individual member should clearly realize
what the Theosophical Society is, what its fundamental principles
and what is required of its members. It has been with the thought of
giving further emphasis to the idea set forth by Dr. Hartmann in his
concluding paragraph that these few extracts have been put together. A
little attention to these statements will it is believed show the true
character and purpose of the Theosophical Society and aid people to
discern what is and what is _not_ consistent with that character and
purpose.
F. A.

ROTATION-INDIVIDUAL EVOLUTION.

[BY THE AUTHOR OF “LINES FROM LOWER LEVELS.”]

The paper on “The Higher Life,”[159] and the remarks which it has
called forth, have led me to further reflections upon the subject. That
subject is in fact, Individual Evolution, and the warning expressed
by Murdhna Joti, in that article about “impetuously rushing into the
circle of ascetics,” opens up an important phase of the topic most
vital to humanity. For this sentence is not a mere advisory caution; it
points out the only available procedure, the one course conducive to
successful evolution, or final perfection. This course may be briefly
summed up in one word,—Rotation. Upon examination we shall find this
fact proved by the laws governing Universal Brotherhood.

To begin with, when we take into consideration the personalities of the
real Founders of the Theosophical Society, we find ourselves safely
concluding that the institution of this principle of Brotherhood as
the basis of that Society, did not occur from any arbitrary selection,
nor yet from ethical or even humanitarian considerations merely. We
may say that it was not chosen; it presented itself as a central fact,
one which correlates with all things, and is itself one of the aspects
of the Great, the Mysterious Law. It must be moreover that level of
the Law most nearly related to the human being, and by which alone he
can raise himself from this “Slough of Despond” called matter. Upon no
lesser precedent than this would the Masters, those supreme exponents
of the Law, proceed. The outcome and teaching of that Law is Unity;
the power of Unity is its exoteric expression. (Its hidden expression,
Great Spirits alone can declare.) This power is conferred by the
economic tendency of Nature, which uniformly moves along the line of
least resistance and of larger currents of energy, which draw in turn
all minor streams of being into their resistless tide. In order to
bring home to all mankind the primary fact that only as a united body,
only by living in and working with and for all, can unbroken advance
to the Perfect Goal be achieved, this unitarian necessity had to be
conveyed by a term which would appeal to the untrained, as well as to
the cultured mind. No man or woman so grossly ignorant but can sense
the advantages of “Universal Brotherhood,” while the more profound the
thinker, the more he warms to the sublime comprehensiveness of this
idea.

Many readers will doubtless recall an italicised sentence in the “Diary
of a Hindu,” also published in THE PATH. It ran as follows:—“_No Yogee
will do a thing unless he sees the desire in another Yogee’s mind._”
These were the words of a teacher, and those who may require it have
here an authoritative recognition of the need of humanitarian unity.
For man’s strength lies in his perfect equilibrium, and by man I now
mean the whole, triune man. That this fact is also true on the physical
plane alone, is evidenced by medical testimony to the effect that while
perfect health is perfect balance, the more complete this balance,
the more readily is it disturbed. Thus trained athletes are compelled
to take dietetic and other precautions, which men of minor strength
disregard with apparent impunity. I say “apparent,” because the result
is of course visible in their inferior physical powers. Only when the
triune man has attained equilibrium is he a moral force; then alone is
he in complete harmony. Harmony with what? With the Law that works for
perfection or reunion, faith in which and accordance with which, is
the sum of the highest consciousness of the human being. Now remember
that there is at all times a body, (be it numerically large or small,)
of individuals cognizing and waiting upon this Law. They perceive
its tendency, they only act with and through it, and the cumulative
energy of this compact body, plus certain impersonal forces, is in
itself a tremendous power, so vast in fact, that plus the energizing
spirit again, it may be said to form the exoteric expression of the Law
itself. Imagine some one member of this body attempting to act from his
separate impulse, and not from the general instinct. By disengaging his
unit of force from the sum total, he at once neutralizes its effect
and limits its expansive ratio; hence it is that action from self,
however disinterested, is enfeebling in its tendency. This man may join
himself to the powers of evil and act in opposition to the Law: he
has then the accruing benefit of that energetic total, but this must
fail in the long run, because it is minus the creative spirit, which
works for eventual harmony. So true is it that a given cause produces
similar results on all the planes alike, that in the spiritual as
in the physical world, there must be united action to produce large
results. The inutility of weak, single effort was acknowledged by
St. Paul when he said—“Because thou art neither cold nor hot I will
spew thee out of my mouth.” Unless the Yogee therefore, perceives an
idea in other related minds, as the reflection of the Universal mind,
he does not act. When the individual mind has freed itself from all
desire for personal action and resting in the Universal Mind, acts
passively with it alone, saying: “I rise with thy rising, with thee
subside,”—then the individual has attained Nirvana. So that our present
unit of power depends upon our greater or lesser assimilation with the
highest aggregate of mind, and its continuance, upon our adherence
to that manifested body of the Universal Mind which works for Good,
with faith into the Perfect Law. This body in turn depends upon the
individual efforts of its members, for the continuous elevation and
expansion of its highest Ideal. Being thus interdependent, I think we
may easily recognize that Universal Brotherhood is the starting point
towards final success, and that its complete realization is the goal
itself. Each may attain Omniscience, but only as one of a body, not as
a separate part. “You shall enter the light, but you shall never touch
the flame.”[160] So we may be part of the universal spirit, yet never
that spirit itself.

This Brotherhood then, in its harmonious equilibrium, implies
subservience to the Law of Evolution. The course marked out by this
Law is one of gradual progression through a series of interlinked
processes, not one of which can be intermitted or dropped, any more
than we can omit a link from a chain without break of continuity, which
would in this case imply a break of individuality, either as applied
to a member or to the whole body. We find this course substantiated by
Nature, who is our great initiator. Murdhna Joti’s phrase about not
rushing “into the circle of ascetics,” refers to the rotation prevalent
in Nature, and may be used in a large general sense, and not merely
applied to any especial circle, such as the Hindu, Mahomedan, Christian
or other group of ascetics. He refers to the disadvantages consequent
upon any violation of this rotatory course; these apply quite as
much to the farmer who fails to rotate his crops, as to any thing or
person rushing into any plane, before being in all respects fitted to
go there. Each plane in itself constitutes a “circle of ascetics,”
and must be entered in the proper manner. In every department of Life
we meet with an acceptance of this fact. No man is admitted to the
privileges of naturalization until he has resided in a country, and
has had time to accustom himself to its manners and laws. It is ever
held necessary to serve a certain apprenticeship before entering any
profession or trade. The social usages even make “circles of ascetics”
in this sense. A boor, a ploughman, or even unsuitably attired persons,
are not desired or admitted in a parlor full of people in splendid
array, and a natural instinct makes them shrink from entering there.
When exceptions occur, there is an undercurrent of discord perceptible;
all are alike ill at ease. So in Nature, minerals, plants and animals
are limited to their proper sphere. Birds cannot swim nor fishes fly.
I would say, as birds or as fish _per se_ they cannot do so, nor can
the boor, as a boor, be at ease with elevated minds. But advancement is
the common lot of all, provided it be made step by step in the natural
series of succession.

What then is this process in practical Life? It is, firstly, the
identification of yourself with the highest consciousness accessible on
your present plane, the engrafting upon your entire life of the best
ideal attainable, so that you may act upon it in every thought and
word. If you can do no more, select in your own mind the most unselfish
and pure-hearted person in your horizon, and study the workings of such
gracious aspirations and deeds. Noble ideals will soon spring up within
you, and by this lodestone similar minds will swiftly be attracted,
until you shall collectively form a nucleus of persons identical in
aim and influence. If one receives a ray of Truth, he will speedily
reflect it to all, and thus our attainment is largely regulated by that
of our compeers. Largely, but not entirely. There are exceptional souls
who progress with amazing velocity, far outstripping the comrades of
their starting-level. But even these hearts of power reach up to the
more perfect spirits above them, and to feel this attraction they must
have prepared themselves for it, in the uniform, if rapid, rotation
of previous existences. Each must trace out the prescribed circuit,
but he may travel fast or slow. Let him not rashly conceive himself to
be endowed with unusual spiritual momentum: time is better spent in
caution than in failure.

Murdhna Joti gives valid warning not to rush in until all is ready. The
circle is prepared, but you may not be so. Again, your fitness may be
assured and the circle for the moment closed. The course of physical
nature will exemplify my meaning. The blood leaves the heart by the
arteries and goes on to the capillary interchange with the venous
system, even as man descends from Spirit into matter, and at the point
of choice, turns, and reascends towards Spirit. The veins take up the
function of returning the blood to the heart; in these are valves; they
receive, hold and transmit the impulse from the central heart. All the
blood between any two valves has to stay there until the next impulse
comes from the heart; when this arrives, it passes on. The valves close
behind each quantum of blood thus ejected through: it is not possible
for the blood to recede; retrogression is impeded by the closed valve.
Nor can it remain; progress is imperative when the next impulse
drives it forward, and so it goes on to the heart In the same manner
each person should stay in his appropriate place, not only until he is
ready, but also until the great Heart of all is ready to give the next
impulse. Then he will inevitably go on to the next place.

Masters have said that for “chelas and adepts alike there is an abyss
behind each step; a door closed. To stop or to go back is impossible.”
That which is true for the Adept is true for the humblest disciple,
each in his own manner and degree. It behooves us then to concentrate
our attention upon the natural and fitting method of progression, and
to assist those about us in maintaining a high average of ideality,
that the entire body may progress evenly, steadily, and that nowhere
may ignorance or undue haste clot or clog the way. In the end, the
reward of patience is holy. In every effort you make to lighten the
mind of another and open it to Truth, you help yourself. “Those pearls
you find for another and give to him, you really retain for yourself in
the act of benevolence. Never lose, then, that altitude of mind. Never,
never desire to get knowledge or power for any other purpose than to
give it on the altar, for thus alone can it be saved to you. When you
open any door, beyond it you find others standing there who had passed
you long ago, but now, unable to proceed, they are there waiting;
others are there _waiting for you_! Then you come, and opening a door,
those waiting disciples perhaps may pass on; thus on and on. What a
privilege this, to reflect that we may perhaps be able to help those
who seemed greater than ourselves.”[161]

The consent of the Spirit has hallowed those thoughts. Another
Messenger of Truth once said:—“The first shall be last and the last
first; contain yourselves, therefore, in Peace.”
JASPER NIEMAND, F. T. S.

THOUGHTS IN SOLITUDE.

Within the symbols and doctrines of the Christian Church may indeed
lie hidden all the truths of the Occult Philosophy, and another and
abler pen has already traced the correspondences, but it is necessary
to realize differences as well as likenesses, and while Christianity,
as a definite system, has embodied for the world many noble ideas, it
seems to the writer to have been able to display only one fact of the
divine jewel of Truth—to have been able to trace only a short line of
the celestial circle of Wisdom.

Putting aside all such unphilosophical dogmas, as a personal
anthropomorphic God—atonement by the vicarious sacrifice of
another—eternal damnation and such like, which may be regarded as the
outworks of the Creed, and which indeed many of its own professors
deny or minimize, and coming to the essential kernel of the system—the
inner stronghold of the faith—that which would be regarded as such by
all its truest sons throughout these nearly nineteen centuries of its
existence, it would yet seem to be but a one-sided statement—a partial
view—compared with the all-embracing Catholicity of the Occult Wisdom.

Unfortunately the outworks and excrescences above referred to, have,
during these many centuries, so warped the thoughts and feelings of
the populations professing this religion that it is no longer the pure
and exalted doctrine as preached by its founder, but something very
different. There are, no doubt, here and there good and noble souls,
who practice the higher virtues of Christianity, but they are in such a
minority that they are quite unable to affect the popular standard.

When one begins to analyse the stupendous outgrowth called Western
Civilization, of which steam and electricity, in their practical uses,
may be regarded as the types, and to ask how and by what means this
vast fabric has arisen, we are informed by those who are able to see
below the mere surface of things that the setting of men’s minds in a
certain direction must have been the factor, and it is only logical
that if a man’s highest religious duty is put before him as the saving
of his own soul from perdition, a tendency of mind which may be
characterized as the supremely selfish must naturally be set in motion.
When the converging lines of heredity through many generations have
so strengthened this tendency that it has become a potent factor, the
development “_in excelsis_” of the purely intellectual faculties as
dissociated from the moral will be seen to be the inevitable result,
and from this has naturally evolved the Western Civilization which is
spoken of with so much pride. But are not nations like trees to be
known by their fruits? “Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of
thistles?”

What sins are dwelt on with more emphatic reprobation throughout the
whole teachings of Christ than those of hypocrisy and cupidity? And
where is hypocrisy deeper than within the Christian fold? So deep
indeed, that it has become an integral part of the nature, and is no
more recognized as a vice than it was by the Pharisees of old. And
where is the worship of mammon more rampant than throughout the length
and breadth of Christendom? The preachers of the Churches may utter
faint-hearted protests, but the nations nevertheless remain prostrate
before their idol, and as steam and electricity extend their sway, and
new countries are laid open to modern progress, the more primitive
races, to avoid extinction, join in the mad competition for wealth. But
whether conspicuously shown in the acts of States lustful to conquer
fresh territory, or hidden in the individual character, where it
displays itself in the haste to grow rich by fair means or foul, it
remains none the less a gnawing canker at the heart of Christendom.

What a gulf there lies between the practice of modern Europe and the
divine teachings of the Master.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon Earth, where moth and rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where
your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

And again: “Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.”

There is probably no teaching more thoroughly altruistic in its
character, and which, if it could be literally applied, would exercise
so direct and beneficial an influence on the human race as the teaching
of Christ, but to the impartial student there seems to be none, the
spirit of whose revelation has been more perverted and degraded by
his followers of all denominations, and following the spiritual law
whose complement on the physical plane may be recognized in the axiom
that action and reaction are equal, the moral light to which Christ’s
teachings soared is the measure which decides the depth to which such
teaching, when perverted, must inevitably fall, and Christendom may
veritably be said to have become Anti-Christian.[162] All the religions
of the world have more or less lost the divine afflatus by which they
were originally vivified, but it has been reserved for Christianity to
mould the life of the nations from the very blackness of the shadows
cast by the “Light of the World.”

When we ask to what goal or catastrophe this Western Civilization is
hurrying, it is still more necessary to have the eyes of those who are
able to read the signs of the times. The following is an extract from a
letter to which many of the above ideas may be traced which was signed
“a Turkish Effendi” (in the absence of any right to suggest the real
and more authoritative name), and was published by his correspondent in
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine of January, 1880:

“The persistent violation for centuries of the great altruistic
laws propounded and enjoined by the great founder of the Christian
religion, must inevitably produce a corresponding catastrophe; and the
day is not far distant when modern civilization will find, that in its
great scientific discoveries and inventions, devised for the purpose
of ministering to its own extravagant necessities, it has forged the
weapons by which it will itself be destroyed. No better evidence of
the truth of this can be found than in the fact that Anti-Christendom
alone is menaced with the danger of a great class revolution: already
in every so-called Christian country we hear the mutterings of the
coming storm, when labor and capital will find themselves arrayed
against each other—when rich and poor will meet in deadly antagonism,
and the spoilers and the spoiled solve, by means of the most recently
invented artillery, the economic problems of modern ‘progress.’ It
is surely a remarkable fact that this struggle between rich and poor
is specially reserved for those whose religion inculcates upon them
as the highest law—the love of their neighbor—and most strongly
denounces the love of money. No country which does not bear the name
of Christian is thus threatened.”

But to return from this long digression, take Christianity, I say,
in its loftiest ideal, as taught and practiced by its founder—and
it certainly is a very lofty one—altruism in its most sublimated
form—self-sacrifice incarnate upon Earth—giving of its life-blood to
raise the sons of men, and drawing all to Him by the sheer force of
divine love, until the believer’s heart is set on flame, and nothing
seems worthy in his eyes short of absolute union with this divine
personality who is at once his Saviour, his brother and his God.

Yet were you to analyse the thoughts and feelings of the most ecstatic
saint, would they display more than an ardent soul, a devout mind and a
holy life?

Those of the Dualist Philosophy might indeed argue that such an one
had his feet well planted on the narrow way—but the students of the
wider Philosophy of Nature know well that everything on Earth—religion
included—is under the governance of natural law. The attainment of
perfection is not to be achieved by sentiment alone—_it is a scientific
process_, and knowledge is the supreme enlightener.

The devotion of Bhakti is indeed a necessary prelude to progress in
the religious life, under the guidance of whichever special cult the
neophyte may aspire, but it is as it were the outer court of the
Temple, and the Holy of Holies cannot be reached by any save those who
have attained knowledge.

Without some previous study of occult writings, this word knowledge
will entirely fail to carry home the idea which it is intended to
express, and let alone the liability to misinterpretation from this
cause, how can anyone pretend to describe it who has himself none of
this knowledge, who has not yet trodden one step of the path that
leads there, and who can only strain with vague imagination towards
the sublime conception of the inmost workings of Nature through her
manifold diversity laid bare before the intuitive vision? However,
although it is an act of temerity on the writer’s part, these few words
may convey some idea to those who are no further on the path than
himself.

When the lower states of consciousness have been so welded in
the fire of supreme emotion that duty, though involving the most
appalling sacrifice, is no longer a thing to strive after with pain
and struggle, but is a natural outcome of the life—the absolute
expression of unity with nature—when the higher faculties, emotional,
ethical and intellectual, whose respective functions may be said
to be the perceiving of the Beautiful, the Good, and the True,
have been so merged in one that the Buddhi or divine spark which
hitherto flickered, becomes a bright, steady, luminous flame—when the
“Explosion,” as St. Martin called it, has taken place, “by which our
natural will is forever dispersed and annihilated by contact with the
divine,”—then and then only is one fit to begin to tread the path of
knowledge.

That it leads altogether beyond human experience, and entirely
transcends what we can conceive is but too apparent.

The 15th and 16th Rules in the second part of “_Light on the Path_” may
help towards a vague apprehension of what this knowledge means.

15th. Inquire of the earth, the air and the water of the secrets they
hold for you. The development of your inner senses will enable you to
do this.

16th. Inquire of the holy ones of the earth of the secrets they hold
for you. The conquering of the desires of the outer senses will give
you the right to do this.

And the final secret of all may be said to be wrapped up in the mystery
of “self.” When the knowledge of the individualization of Being is
reached, man has learned all that this world can teach him, and in the
words “Know thyself” lie folded the ultimate possibilities of Humanity.
Knowledge is indeed the supreme enlightener.

“There is no purifier like thereto
In all this world, and he who seeketh it
Shall find it—being grown perfect—in himself.”

Whether any intelligible idea as to the knowledge itself can be
evolved from what is here written—it will at least be apparent that a
goodness so exalted as to be scarcely imaginable as a human attribute
is required as the necessary qualification for the commencement of the
search.

Well did Shelley write in his Prometheus:

“The good want power but to weep barren tears
The powerful goodness want—worse need for them.
The wise want love; and those who love want wisdom.
And all best things are thus confused to ill.
Many are strong and rich, and would be just
But live among their suffering fellow-men
As if none felt: they know not what to do.”

and the current Theologies of the world have not been able to remove
the reproach. In the case of Christianity the failure may, to a great
extent, be owing to its sentimentality and its failure to realize that
to be supremely good it is necessary to be wise—though wise with a
higher wisdom than that referred to in the above lines.

But Christianity’s greatest fall has probably been its disregard of
the facts of Reincarnation. Whatever interpretation may be put on the
great Master’s utterance on this subject, and however the early church
may have regarded it, it is notorious that Christianity, as interpreted
by its mediæval and modern professors alike, has entirely ignored
the evolution of the soul progressing through innumerable earthly
existences, and has instead adopted the illogical and unphilosophic
dogma of a human soul born into the world from nothingness and meriting
by its 70 or 80 years of earth-life an Eternity of bliss or an Eternity
of misery.

But one does not expect of the child the reason-guided actions of
mature manhood—its teachings must be given in the form of dogma, to
which it must yield implicit obedience. Nor do we expect the infant
school to provide the same training that the University does for the
cultured intellect. Similarly the various Religions of the world have
been the infant schools for growing Humanity until the complete stature
of manhood should be reached.

It has been remarked by some Christians who are much enamored of the
self-devoted love exhibited by the Founder of their faith, and the
strong feeling of personal love and attachment thereby called forth
from them, that Theosophy is cold because it does not dwell exclusively
on that side of the nature, but while each separate Religion that has
existed in the world may be regarded as the analysis of one special
characteristic of the mind, the occult philosophy gathers into one
synthetical whole all its varied characteristics. The different
religions accentuating as they do different truths may be regarded at
the same time—according as one looks at them from the scientific or
religious standpoint—and both views are equally tenable and mutually
comprehensive—as natural evolutions of the peoples among whom they
arose, and as revelations from the unseen universe of partial truths
which have to be received and assimilated before mankind can be fitted
to comprehend the Supreme Truth in its abstract purity.

It will be seen from the foregoing that what we call Theosophy is the
supreme expression of all Religion, as it is the final synthesis of all
Science—for it is faith merged in Knowledge.

When one looks abroad on the world and sees how few even among the
Religious, the Cultured and the Intellectual are able to grasp the
Truth by intuitive vision—while the masses of mankind are sunk in
degradation and semi-barbarity, the mind is lost in the vistas of the
future, during which the present Religions or those which may have
taken their place will have to continue their work of teaching.

Education is slow and Evolution is tardy, and the whole circle of
wisdom is slow to trace; but the march of Nature has been as it was
bound to be—for the best—and the line of Pope

“One truth is clear, whatever is is right.”

seems more and more to be borne in upon the mind as an Eternal verity.

Destiny has guided us till now, and has made us what we are, but we
who now realize the omnipotence of the divinely guided _Will_, have
become potentially the makers—let us take it in our hands and shape our
own career, for the sooner we rise to the heights of our Being, the
sooner shall we be able to stretch down helping hands to the suffering
Humanity of To-day.
PILGRIM.

TEA TABLE TALK.

THE TENDENCY OF THE PRESENT CIVILIZATION.—AN ANCIENT HINDU STORY.

Pretty much every subject comes up for discussion at our afternoon
tea-table. Hence I was not surprised lately, walking in upon our
five-o’clock callers, to find an argument on crime going the rounds
with the bread and butter.

“What is the worst thing you have seen in the papers lately?” This
question imparted the flavor of caviare to the mild refreshment of the
ladies. The Club Bachelor held a certain divorce case to be——; the
mother drowned the rest in the peremptory rattle of her tea-cups and
instanced cruelty to the child slave of an Italian padrone. Sue let
off a pyrotechnic series of wrath-compelling wrongs to animals, whom
she considers “miles above horrid humans.” The widow pilloried that
brutal subject of recent press dispatches “who murdered his fifth wife
at her tea-table. Fancy! What an invasion of the Sanctuary.” Pretty
Polly was also heard battling _vi et armis_ with the Medical Student
over a breach of promise case, and all were moderately heated over
these comparative claims to condemnation when the professor entered.
Tumultuously appealed to, he replied in his serious way that if he must
discriminate between evils, he should give precedence to the matter
of the Chicago Anarchists. First, because of the blood-shed and riot;
second, because of recent manifestations of incipient public sympathy
with the criminals. “For,” said he, “considering the infectious nature
of the evil, a crime which strikes at principles as well as at humanity
is a thousandfold crime.”

A murmur of approbation showed that as usual, he had conveyed the
ultimate sense of the tea-table,—minus a paltry minority. For the widow
fixing her eyes on me where I had edged between Polly and the Student,
remarked that Mr. Julius looked “as if he sympathised with incitors of
riots rather than with their victims.”

The prompt horror visible on Polly’s face nettled me into this reply.
“Madam, your discrimination merits my homage, I am not totally devoid
of all sympathy with the incitors of riots,”(gutturals of dismay from
every throat,) “for those incitors,” here I bowed in a semi circle,
“are yourselves.”

The silent indignation of my peers was brought presently home to my
recreant soul by the mother’s gentle—“Really, Mr. Julius, you will
excuse me if I regret what you have just said.”

“Excuse _me_, you who are Charity itself, and read my clumsy speech
in the light of a declaration made by a Hindu theosophist—Mr. Mohini:
“Whence springs the great diversity of conditions, the contemplation of
which breeds Socialism? Is it not the direct outgrowth of the passion
of acquisitiveness? The more a Western man gets, the more he wants, and
while your world holds to this principle you can never be free from the
danger and fear of socialism. The Brotherhood of Man which Jesus Christ
believed in has become unthinkable to you, with your millionaires at
one end of the scale and your tramps at the other.”[163]

“Do I understand you to conclude that Society, being responsible for
crime, should permit criminals to go unpunished?”

“By no means, Professor, but if you will excuse another
quotation,—‘Give moral restraint to moral maladies, and not impious
chastisements. Do not travel in a bloody circle in punishing murder
by murder, for so you sanction assassination in one sense and you
perpetuate a war of cannibals.’ * * Remember the condemned man who
said: ‘In assassinating I risked my head. You gain; I pay; we are
quits.’ And in his heart he added: ‘we are equals.’”

“Who said that?” queried the widow.

“Eliphas Levi, at your service.”

“Thanks. I’ve no use for _French morals_!” Under cover of this dart she
retired. What I love most in woman is her way of retreating from the
field of defeat with all the honors of war!

“Seems to me,” said Sue, emerging from a monopoly of tea bun, “that
things are just perfectly awful anyhow.”

“My Dear! What can you know about it?” remonstrated the mother.
Sue silently pointed a sticky and accusing finger towards those
philanthropic journals which cheerfully fulfil their mission of
household enlightenment] _ad nauseam_.

“Things are as they always were,” said the Professor smoothing his
philosophic beard.

The old Lady ruffled up in her shady corner. “By no means. When I was
young—”

The mother looked deprecatingly at me. “Mr. Julius, have you never
wondered why Life should be so dark? And yet there was once a Golden
Age!”

“The occultists say that every age has its own characteristics. This is
Kali Yuga, the dark age. In the Satwa Yuga, cycle of causes or truth,
the highest of the three conditions or states, known as Satwa Guna,
prevailed.[164] Consequently in that age, men lived longer, happier and
more spiritual lives. In Treta, the second age, prevailed Raja Guna the
second condition, and the life period and happiness of men decreased.
In the Dwarapa, (third age) there was less of Raja Guna. In the present
Kali Yuga, there is more of Tamo Guna, and this is the worst of the
cycles.

“The characteristics of these grand cycles and the different minor
cycles are elaborately described in the sacred literature of the
Hindus. If it would not weary you I could tell a story which gives some
idea of the nature of cyclic influence and how coming events cast their
shadows before.”

Popular opinion, led by Sue, clamored for the story.

“This story is taken from a secret sanscrit book, called the Diary of
the Pandavas. It gives a diurnal account of the 18 years forest life
of five exiled princely brothers immediately previous to our dark age.
This book contains 18 x 360 stories describing the cumulative tendency
of sin, and it is said was used in the last yugas as the first book of
morals for boys;[165] every story has its moral; the series reveals the
genealogy of evil, or of the descent of spirit into matter.

“The volume is secretly preserved for the training of occultists, and
the entire order in which the stories are arranged is only revealed
during initiations. An initiate who has passed three initiations and is
preparing for the fourth, is only shown that series treating of such
especial elements of his evil nature as he is then preparing to convert
into higher energies. In this story, the five brothers are ideal kings.
The eldest is regarded as an embodiment of Dharma, (the Law itself,)
an incarnation of the God of Justice, yet so strong was the influence
of the coming dark cycle, that one Adharma, (transgression of law,
injustice) occurred daily within the palace. Late one evening the
Maharaja, (elder brother) had retired and was chatting with his wife.
The four younger brothers were as usual respectively guarding the four
palace gates. Bhima, (the terrible) _wisest_ of the younger brothers
was invariably at the chief gate during the first three hours. To him
comes a poor injured Brahmin who asks to see the Maharaja immediately
and knocks the “Bell of Complaint.” The Maharaja sends a servant to
say that he is in bed and will hear the complaint next morning. The
Brahmin saw that the shadow of Kali Yuga had come and smiling, turned
away.[166] But Bhima would not let him go without knowing whether
justice had been done him. The Brahmin refused to reply; he would not
sit in judgment nor reveal the king’s faults. Bhima knew from the
petitioner’s silence that no attention had been paid to his case, and
ordered that a trumpet be sounded and a proclamation be thus issued:
“Strange that our just brother the Monarch has relied upon to-morrow
and sacrificed duty to pleasure.” The king heard the cry of the
trumpeter and coming hastily on foot, he overtook the Brahmin, fell at
his feet, heard and redressed his complaint, then walked sullenly back.
Kali’s influence was thus doubly seen. First in the Monarch’s conduct
and secondly, in that the younger brother should presume to judge and
to teach the elder. If even in the palace of the five most law abiding
persons, Kali played so powerful a part, we may imagine her influence
in other circles of life, amongst the ignorant, or amongst us later
mortals now when her momentum has full swing.”

There was a brief silence. Then a shooting fire ray revealed a divine
gem in the Mother’s eye and her soft voice said lowly; “After all, it
seems that we _are_ our brother’s keeper.” And no one gainsayed her.
JULIUS.

* * * * *

NOTE.—Any one desirous of having queries answered, or of relating
authentic dreams, experiences, etc., is invited to communicate with
“Julius, Care THE PATH, P. O. Box 2659.” No attention will be paid to
anonymous letters.

THEOSOPHICAL WORK IN AMERICA.

BOSTON.—The Boston T. S. meets every Friday evening. Mr. Mohini M.
Chatterji is stopping quietly with friends in Boston. He is not here
on a public mission, feeling that a different instrument is needed
for arousing general interest in Theosophy. He is always glad to see
Theosophists, however, and has set apart Monday, Wednesday and Friday
afternoons to receive them and other earnest inquirers. He has a small
class in the _Bhagavat-Gita_ Tuesdays and Thursdays. Interest in
occult subjects is largely increasing this winter. Some experiments
by Mr. W. I. Bishop in “Thought Transference” have done their share
in directing public interest that way. It is amusing to observe the
crude theories to account for the phenomenon put forward by some of
the members of the American Society for Psychical Research, which
seems to have been organized for the special purpose of not finding
out anything. One of the members, Rev. Minot J. Savage, however, comes
out with the declaration that three things are proven beyond doubt;
Thought Transference, Hypnotism, and Clairvoyance. There are rumors of
a notable book by a strictly anonymous author, and of special interest
to Theosophists, soon to be issued by a Boston publisher.

On Tuesday evening, December 21, by invitation of a well known
theosophist, the Boston and Malden Societies held a largely attended
joint meeting, to listen to Mr. Mohini Chatterji, who spoke on various
phases of Theosophy, and with his spiritual insight, eloquence and
learning, afforded questioners much light in the course of the
discussion that followed.

In the field of psychical research much interest has been aroused by
an able article by Mr. Charles Howard Montague, city editor of THE
GLOBE, describing the results and nature of experiments by which,
after a few days’ trial, he was enabled to accomplish all that was
done by Mr. W. I. Bishop, in his so-called feats of mind-reading. Mr.
Montague says that it is not “muscle-reading,” but “impulse reading,”
or close attention to unconscious impulses given by the subject. As
it is absurd to seek a psychical explanation for what proves to be
physical phenomena, it is well for the public to know the truth and not
be deluded by the claims of Mr. Bishop and other public performers.
Mr. Montague does not pretend to account, by his solutions, for the
well-known cases of genuine thought transference.

* * * * *

MALDEN.—A largely attended open meeting of the Malden Branch, T. S.,
held Monday evening, December 6, was addressed by Mohini M. Chatterji
on the Theosophical Aspects of the Christian Religion, based on a study
of the New Testament. The broad and tolerant attitude of the speaker
made a deep impression. At one of the recent previous meetings a record
of some religious conversations held by the three Zuñi Indians who
have been spending the summer on the neighboring coast with Mr. Frank
Hamilton Cushing, the Ethnologist, was read and discussed, with one of
their beautiful folktales, both showing deep veins of pure Theosophy.

* * * * *

NEW YORK.—The Aryan Theosophical Society continues to hold bi-monthly
meetings, which have been well attended. In November, Brother Mohini M.
Chatterji and Col. Aymé addressed meetings. Col. Aymé gave an address
on Theosophy and Mathematics, with illustrations on the blackboard. On
the first meeting in December, Bro. C. H. A. Bjerregaard read a paper
upon the Elementals, which was of great value and interest; the first
part of it is printed in this number and will be finished in February.

* * * * *

CALIFORNIA.—The work here is being carried on by the Branches in Los
Angeles and Oakland, and some new members are reported.

* * * * *

THE AMERICAN THEOSOPHICAL COUNCIL.—In October, a Convention was held
at Cincinnati, O., at which all the active Branches were represented.
The American section of the General Theosophical Council was then
formed, to take the place of the Board of Control, which went out of
existence. Dr. Buck acted as Chairman, and a General Secretary who is
to act as the means of communication between Branches and Headquarters
was elected. The choice fell upon Mr. William Q. Judge, of New York, to
whom hereafter all application and official communications should be
sent. Since this convention, new applications have been coming in and
the work shows no signs of abatement.

It is expected that another meeting of the Council will be held very
soon for the purpose of carrying out some proposals for slight changes
in the management of formal matters. The Council assumes no control of
Branches who are left perfectly free so long as they act within the
general rules of the Society.

* * * * *

CHICAGO.—At the annual election of this Branch, held December 4th,
1886, the following officers were elected: President, Stanley B.
Sexton; Vice-President, Annie G. Ordway; Recording Secretary, Ursula
N. Gestefeld; Corresponding Secretary, M. L. Brainard; Treasurer and
Librarian, Mrs. A. V. Wakeman. Address all official correspondence to
the Corresponding Secretary, 376 W. Adams St.

REVIEWS AND NOTES.

THE THEOSOPHIST.—The leading article in _The Theosophist_ for
November is again by Madame Blavatsky—a notable contribution on
animated images, in the course of which it is shown that some of
the circumstances in that amusing travesty of Occultism, Anstey’s
“Fallen Idol,” are based on true occult principles. By the way, every
Theosophist should read Mr. Sinnett’s “_Incidents in the Life of
Madame Blavatsky_,” for thereby a clearer conception of the character
of that illustrious and heroic woman will be gained, with a better
understanding of her nature and mission. Col. Olcott’s second and
concluding article on “The Seeress of Prevorst,” is a careful and
scholarly piece of work, throwing some light from Eastern sources
on that remarkable case of occult development in an obscure German
village. Dr. Hartman has a paper on “Occultism in Germany,” in
which he gives an important hint concerning one of the methods of
practically developing one’s higher nature. Srinivas Rao’s new story
opens interestingly. The Eliphas Levy series continue, and a second
article on Hypnotic Experiments is given. Several other interesting
contributions must remain unnoticed. It is a valuable number. _The
Theosophist_ deserves to increase its circulation with the increasing
interest in Theosophy.

NOTES AND QUERIES.—Brother Gould continues this useful and interesting
publication. We are indebted to him for November and December numbers.
Many of the replies are by our old friend, Prof. Alex. Wilder, who is
learned in all that is curious in history, archæology and philology.
The December number has 40 pages of extremely valuable matter. Address
S. C. & L. M. Gould, Manchester, N. H.; price $1 a year.

PSYCHOMETRY AND THOUGHT TRANSFERENCE, by N. C. F. T. S., with an
introduction by H. S. Olcott, is one of the Adyar series. It has been
compiled with a view of putting in a small compass the main facts
available relating to these two subjects, with an outline of the
occult explanation of the same.

ESOTERIC BUDDHISM.—A new American edition of this book has been
brought out by Houghton, Mifflin & Co., containing all the new
matter and notes of the latest English edition, besides a special
introduction; it is sold at a less price. Inquirers can order through
THE PATH.

THE PLATONIST is to be revived, and will shortly appear in a new
shape—octavo, 56 pp.; $3 per year. Thos. M. Johnson, Osceola, St.
Clair Co., Mo.

CORRESPONDENCE.

AN IMPORTANT CORRECTION.
TO ALL THE READERS OF THE PATH.

In the November number of Path in my article “_Theories about
Reincarnation and Spirits_,” the entire batch of elaborate arguments
is upset and made to fall flat owing to the mistake of either copyist
or printer. On page 235, the last paragraph is made to begin with
these words: “Therefore the _reincarnating_ principles are left
behind in _Kama-loka_, etc.,” whereas it ought to read “Therefore the
NON-_reincarnating_ principles (the false personality) are left behind
in Kama-loka, etc.,” a statement fully corroborated by what follows,
since it is stated that those principles fade out and _disappear_.

There seems to be some fatality attending this question. The
spiritualists will not fail to see in it the guiding hand of their dear
departed ones from “Summerland;” and I am inclined to share that belief
with them in so far that there must be some mischievous spook between
me and the printing of my articles. Unless immediately corrected and
attention drawn to it, this error is one which is sure to be quoted
some day against me and called a _contradiction_.
Yours truly,
_November 20th, 1886._ H. P. BLAVATSKY.

NOTE.—The MS. for the article referred to was written out by some
one for Mme. Blavatsky and forwarded to us as it was printed, and it
is quite evident that the error was the copyist’s, and not ours nor
Madame’s; besides that, the remainder of the paragraph clearly shows a
mistake. We did not feel justified in making such an important change
on our own responsibility, but are now glad to have the author do it
herself. Other minor errors probably also can be found in consequence
of the peculiar writing of the amanuensis, but they are very trivial
in their nature.—[ED.]

* * * * *

For thoughts alone cause the round of rebirths in this world; let a
man strive to purify his thoughts. What a man thinks, that he is: this
is the old secret.—_Maitrayana Brahmana Upanishad_, vi _Prap._, 34.

OM.

FOOTNOTES:

[157] Dr. G. Weil: The Bible, the Koran, and the Talmud.

[158] Leibnitz was born 1646 at Leipzig, and died 1716. According to
Schwegler’s Hist. of Phil. he was, next to Aristotle, the most highly
gifted scholar that ever lived, and according to F. Papillon (“Nature
and Life”) modern students in various departments of science and
philosophy have verified his ideas and endorsed then to a large extent.

[159] See July and August PATH.

[160] _Light on the Path._

[161] Letter from a friend.

[162] It is an old declaration of the esoteric doctrine that “the
counterfeit religion will last as long as the true one.”—[ED.]

[163] See _N. Y. Tribune_, Nov. 28. 1886.

[164] See _Bag.-Gita_, Ch. 14.

[165] The numbers used here are significant. In _Bagavad-Gita_ are 18
chapters, and Krishna as there revealed has a special meaning under the
No. 18. The five Pandavas are the same as those who are concerned in
the _Gita_ story. If the product of 18 x 360 be added, the sum is 18.
The correspondences in all the Hindu stories will repay study.—[ED.]

[166] This injured Brahmin was a sage who assuming that disguise
desired to make a test.—[ED.]

AUM

There is not anything amongst the hosts of heaven which is free from
the influence of the three qualities which arise from the first
principles of nature.—_Bagavad-Gita_, ch. xviii.

Know that there is no enlightenment from without; the secret of things
is revealed from within. From without cometh no Divine Revelation, but
the spirit heareth within. Do not think I tell you that which you know
not; for except you know it, it cannot be given you. To him that hath
it is given, and he bath the more abundantly.—_Hermetic Philosophy._

THE PATH.

VOL. I. FEBRUARY, 1887. NO. 11.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

THE ELEMENTALS, THE ELEMENTARY SPIRITS,

AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM AND HUMAN BEINGS.

_A paper read before the Aryan Theosophical Society of New York,
December 14th, 1886._

BY C. H. A. BJERREGAARD.

(_Continued._)

There are several designations for “angels” in the Bible, which
clearly show that beings like the elementals of the Kabbala and the
monads of Leibnitz, must be understood by that term rather than that
which is commonly understood. They are called “morning stars,” (Job
38, 7); “flaming fires,” (Ps. 104, 4.); “the mighty ones,” (Ps. 103,
20) and St. Paul sees them in his cosmogonic vision (1 Col. 1, 16) as
“principalities and powers.” Such names as these preclude the idea
of personality, and we find ourselves compelled to think of them as
impersonal existences, in the same way as we conceive the angel that
troubled the waters of the pool of Bethesda, as an _influence_, a
spiritual substance or _conscious_ force.

I stated above that the Kabbala taught that all events in Nature and
History were under the immediate superintendence of spirits, elementals
and elementary. It was in harmony with such teachings, that the
translators of the Septuagint translated Deuteronomy 32, 8-9, thus:
“When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, he set
the bounds of the Heathen according to the number of the spirits, but
He Himself took His abode in Israel.”

According to this translation, which differs radically[167] from the
orthodox, spirits _i.e._ Elementals and Elementary Spirits, are the
rulers, the principalities and powers, among the heathen, _i. e._ all
people outside of Israel. Whatever we may think of the exclusiveness of
this passage, and the work given the “chosen people” to perform, we can
verify this passage historically.

All people of the earth—so far as we know their religious and
philosophical ideas—have drawn their spiritual life from sources very
different from those whence the leaders of Israel derived _their_
inspiration. I say the leaders of Israel, for the Israelites as
a people, never comprehended the mission imposed upon them, they
constantly fell back into what has been called the “idolatry” of the
nations around. The people, as a people, were true to their natural
instincts, which led them to follow the guiding influence of natural
_ideas_, (_i. e._ Elementals and Elementary Spirits).

I need not tell you that the _Ideas_ now spoken of are not merely
Conceptions, such as we, according to common usage, are wont to
believe. Ideas to the antique world, were exactly the same thing
as Leibnitz called monads, and the Kabbala Elements and Elementary
Spirits. Plato, for instance, attributes to ideas an independent,
singular existence and hypostative power. He calls them Gods (in the
Timœus), and asserts that movement, life, animation, and reason belong
to them, (in the Sophistes).

The nations of the earth, all those not belonging to the chosen few,
have indeed been—for good and for evil—guided by the Spirits, now
called Elementals, now Ideas and now Gods. Therefore, if any one will
study the history of mankind, he must begin with a knowledge of these
occult powers. If any one will guide mankind’s history, he must follow
the laws of these occult forces.

If we recognize the translation of the Septuagint as given above, and
find ourselves outside the pale of the chosen people, whose work is in
“the plan of salvation,” we know where to look for the intermediate
powers between ourselves and the Deity, we know that they are the
Elementals, the powers of Nature, the silent, but invincible giants of
the Elements.

The importance to Theosophists of the modern school of clear
conceptions on these points are evident. I need not point out to you
why and wherefore.

In the Zohar it is stated that, “when spirits come down, they clothe
themselves with air or wrap themselves in Elements.” It is also stated
that, “some spirits have a natural affinity for the air-(elements),
others for fire-(elements), and when they come down to the earth,
they envelop themselves either in air-(elements) or fire-(elements),
according to their nature.”

These statements, which can easily be supplemented with many more like
them, are of the greatest importance, when the question is of spirit
manifestations, for it becomes a matter of grave consequence by what
kind of monads we are surrounded.

But, before speaking of the atmosphere of monads that surround us, I
must define the auras or emanations that proceed from all objects in
nature.

As an aromatic scent emanates from a flower, so all other bodies emit
either colors or rays of “imponderable” matter. Copper and Arsenic
send out auras of red matter; Lead and Sulphur emit a blue colored
substance; Gold, Silver Antimony green, etc. In short, Science teaches
that all matter is luminous, _i. e._ shines by its own light.

Human beings, be they spiritual-minded or not, are also surrounded
by their spheres. We all know this. We have all felt these sphere
influences, and some of you have perhaps seen them. It it said that
persons of a high and spiritual character have beautiful auras of white
and blue, gold and green, in various tints; while low natures emit
principally dark red emanations, which in brutal and vulgar persons
darken almost to black.

The impulse or motive power, the cause, if you choose, of these
emanations is the soul of man, of course. According to the condition
of the soul, these emanations are more or less powerful, more or less
extensive, more or less clear. The stuff they are made of, what is it?
It is of course physical, though they may not be measured and weighed
by any scientific instrument known at this day.

_These emanations are soul-rays and they become reflected upon those
small_ MONADIC _bodies already described_. I can not prove this to
you experimentally, but I can see these reflections as clearly as a
physical experiment can demonstrate to you the light-reflection of the
sun’s rays upon a raindrop.

Swedenborg claimed to have _smelled_ the inner nature of certain
spirits he met with in the spiritual world, and to have determined
their moral value by these rays. In his work “Heaven and Hell,” he has
recorded several such experiences.

It is an innate power of the soul, that enables it to throw off these
rays and it does it by necessity, for without going beyond itself, to
express itself, the soul would never realize itself.

The soul can, however, also be trained to emit these rays or auras,
consciously.

If we will believe the famous Norse traveller and explorer of
Spiritland, already referred to, Em. Swedenborg, we may learn from his
Arcana Celestia, that “the particular quality of a spirit is perceived
immediately on his entrance into the other life, _from his sphere_,”
that “the sphere is _the image_ of the spirit extended beyond him;”
“indeed, it is the image of _all_ that is in him.” The cause of the
spheres around spirits, the same author states to be from “the activity
of things in the interior memory,” from “_the ruling love_.”

Swedenborg further states, that “by the sphere which exhales from the
spirit of man, even while he lives in the body, every deed, however
secret, becomes manifest in clear light,” and that good or evil spirits
recognize him by his sphere; and that good spirits can not be present
with those who are in worldly and corporeal loves, however pious
exteriorly, because they instantly perceive their sphere of evil as
something filthy; and, on the other hand, that good spirits readily
associate with those surrounded by pure and heavenly spheres. But it
is not necessary to have recourse to the seers and those spiritually
illuminated, most of us have some knowledge of these facts from daily
life. Who has not perceived the low and filthy sphere that surrounds
the sensual, or the intolerable atmosphere of a proud and haughty
spirit, or been depressed in the surroundings of a melancholy and
passionate man or woman? Indeed, we all have perceptions as to these
things; some stronger, some less developed.

It is, as I said, the very life of the soul to diffuse itself through
all its surroundings. Without such an activity it would not be soul. An
inactive, an inert soul has no existence.

Next, the soul, while thus actualizing itself, takes its material from
the monads, just described, and moulds them into such shapes and forms
as are requisite for its own life and the influence it endeavors to
exert. The Soul has the power to mould and shape them into any possible
condition. (More about this later on.) This faculty is its image-making
power or the form-making power of the soul.

In order to understand this image-making power, let it first be
remembered, that it is an axiom in all mystical and spiritual
philosophy, that the spiritual degree in man (Atman) contains in its
unity with the Universal soul, the patterns of all things and that
these are reflected through the soul (Buddhi and Manas).

This being so, _the soul (Buddhi and Manas) to understand the
principle of creation has only to descend to its own deep, the spirit
(Atman), there to find it reflected_. Having found and realized the
idea of creation, the soul may take material from the ethereal world,
called by the Orientals Akasa, and out of it build any form—image, I
call it—it likes.

Unless the soul gives such form and shape to the ideas and life, that
dwells in its own inner deep, these will remain uncreated and the soul
uneducated by not approving of its opportunities.

This is what I call the image-making power of the soul. Upon it depends
all Kardialogy or the science of the heart, and all Rationality. Upon
it depends our attainment of psychic powers.

It is not only an innate and natural tendency of the soul (Manas) to go
beyond its body to find material with which to clothe the life that it
wants to give expression to. The soul (Manas) can and must _be trained
to do this_ CONSCIOUSLY.

You can easily see that this power possessed _consciously_ will give
its possessor the power to work magic.

And this leads me directly to the subject of the use of aromas,
odors, etc., wherewith to create a suitable atmosphere around us; an
atmosphere congenial to the nature of spirits.

You all remember the splendid scene in Bulwer’s Zanoni where Glyndon
meets the Dweller of the Threshold. In that scene is described all the
mystery of aromatic vapors, their effect upon the human mind, and the
assistance they offer to spirit manifestations.

In short, it is of the greatest importance that we produce the right
environment by the right kind of emanations or auras, and atmospheres:
“As we give, so we shall receive!”

It would require a volume to relate the religious, political, economic,
and gallant history of odors and perfumes. I shall mention a few
instances only.

From the highest antiquity we find that priests have employed
odoriferous substances. The worshippers of light, the Zoroastrians,
laid perfumes five times a day upon the sacred flame, that symbolized
light and life. The Greeks were very profuse in the use of ambrosia,
and believed that the gods always appeared in fragrant clouds. You all
know the importance of smoke and perfumes in the rituals used at the
Mysteries and around the sacred tripod on which rested the prophetesses
at Delphi. The Romans almost carried the use of incense and odoriferous
substances too far. From the classic people the custom was borrowed by
the Christian Church. There was even a time, when the Romish Church
owned large estates in the East, devoted exclusively to the cultivation
of balms and essences to be used in the rites of worship.

But it was not only in religious practices that these delicate media
were used to facilitate the descent of spiritual beings. All through
the Orient, even to this day, they are employed in the private life
for the same purpose; not for mere luxury, as some people will have us
believe. It was very appropriate indeed, that the Greeks should burn
aromatic substances during their banquets, and who can estimate the
soothing influence upon the wild and warlike Romans of their beautiful
custom of perfuming their baths, their sleeping rooms and beds, and
their drinks. It is not at all likely that the Romans should have been
ignorant of the high spiritual significance of these practices. Why
should they before battle anoint the Roman eagles with the richest
perfumes, if they did not think it pleasing to the god of war and
his followers, if they did not thereby expect to prepare a suitable
atmosphere for their descent.

I pass by the modern use of these things. Among the many abuses with
which we are familiar, the strong human instinct asserts itself
everywhere. We expect, for instance, that Youth and Beauty shall be
surrounded by a sphere, sweet-smelling and elevating; and our instincts
are true in this, for there is a close parallel between purity and
aromatic odors.

It is a truth well understood that Spirit does not act immediately upon
Matter. There always is a medium between them. It seems rational that
it should be so. Spirit and Matter being the two poles of one and the
same substance need the intermediate middle as a point of conjunction
and exchange of energy.

_Applying this general law to the particulars before us, it seems most
natural to conclude that the Elementals are the media by means of which
all our spiritual efforts are exerted upon Nature, and that nothing can
be done without their intervention._

But the question also arises: how do we make the Elementals perform
this work for us? By what means do we influence them?

Occult Science teaches that “the pure of heart,” those that, having
travelled over “the Path,” have come to “freedom,” can, by a mere
mental effort or by stretching out the hand, “do these things.”

In view of this teaching, I shall state a few facts relative to the
power of the Mind and the Hand.

(1) The Word spoken consists of the thought or idea we want to convey
to the person spoken to, and (2) this thought clothed in a form, a kind
of vessel, by means of which we send the thought flying through space.
These two elements are the main factors of the Word.

Let us now look a little closer upon each of these two factors.

When an animal in distress calls for another, we, human beings,
understand that it throws its desire or animal life into the sounds
which proceed from that throat, and the other animal answers
_instinctively_, we say quite correctly, for we do not think that the
animals _reason_ about their doings.

This kind of “language,” if it can be so called, is not much different
from the language of mankind at large. All language as used in ordinary
daily life is but slightly higher in character, but not different in
degree.

_Language—the Word—is spoken when an Idea or Spiritual Life is
communicated._ In the true sense, we only speak or pronounce the Word
when the Highest finds a channel into the actual world by means of our
vocal organs.

That is the Word! Now, about its Form. Whence comes its material? For
form is something substantial. It is not enough that an architect has
a design to a building in his mind, he needs actual material with
which to erect the house if it is to be realized on the actual side
of existence. As surely as he procures stones and wood, etc., so do
we also need material substances with which to construct our mental
edifices. From what world do we draw these substances? From the astral
or ethereal molecules! From the Monads!

By a pre-established harmony, the suitable monads glomerate around the
heavenly idea that proceeds to reveal itself upon our tongue when we
speak the Word. Thus the thought gets its Form.

Thus far I have spoken of the thought or idea descending to utter
itself upon our tongue, we being the mere tools of the idea. And such
is almost always the case. We neither originate thought nor its form.
Thought or Spirit speaks through us as the passive agents. Yet we all
know how we boast of our oracles, of our prophets and our seers, even
because they act as passive agents.

But there is a language still higher. It is possible for man to
originate thought and to control the form to such thought. The adepts
know this secret and they have arrived at that power by getting beyond
the “ordinary” laws of life. They are not mere channels for the flux
and reflux of thought; they originate and control thought.

Heaven’s first law is order. As we know some of the laws according
to which we formulate speech in a logical way, so that other sphere
outside (or inside, if you like), which is full of the germs of life,
has its laws. Hence the adepts, too, follow certain rules or laws, when
they want to originate or control thought and its form. Vulgarly, the
laws or methods are called spells or incantations.

Before we consciously can work spells or control spirits and their
energies, we must arrive at the state of the adept, where he is beyond
the laws that govern, so to say, the surface of things. But we cannot
come there on any highroads nor by any short cuts. We must travel the
road of self-denial and that of illusion.

As it is possible to enter into the sanctuary of a temple by sheer
brutal force, so it is possible to get into possession of formulas and
spells which work wonders, though we be neither pure of mind nor strong
of heart.

Would formulas and spells under such conditions be useful to us? They
may! They may not! They may also work our destruction. We have been
taught that they are more dangerous to us than a naked sword in the
hands of a child. The child may accidentally do some useful work with
its sharp instrument, but it may also destroy itself.

From this we should learn that the true course to pursue in regard to
the performing of wonders by means of Elementals or Elementary Spirits
is to first to attain to the state of an adept: to learn to control
life and thought.

If we should happen to come in possession of spells or incantations
without knowing the proper use of them—better not use them!

But how do we attain to that state just described?

I can not define the way nor teach anybody how to do so, but I think
that the way must be very much like that travelled by the Lord Buddha
and now followed by “the Adepts.”

But, as it is not our immediate duty to prepare for the performance of
miracles, we have been warned to abstain from such vain pursuits.

Far better is it for us to follow the directions given for moral life:

“Try to get as near to wisdom and goodness as you can in this
life. Trouble not yourself about the gods. Disturb yourself not by
curiosities or desires about any future existence. Seek only after the
fruit of the noble path of self-culture and of self-control.” These are
words from Buddhist Scriptures.

It is not only by mind that we may control the Elementals and the
Elementary spirits. The hand forms a most important element among the
tools used in occult science.

I shall not define the science of chiromancy, but describe the magnetic
points of the fingers.

Have you given any thought and attention to the hand? Generally we
consider the head of a man and put our estimate upon him according to
the size of his brain. But we neglect the hand. And yet the hand is as
important a factor in the execution of spiritual acts as is the brain.

The hand is the executive organ of the dynamico-mysterious actions of
the Spirit of man. Through the hand its psychico-somatic operations
take place, through it its whole spiritual-psychical energy flows out,
when laid upon the sick, for instance.

It may be readily enough understood that the spiritual activity of the
spirit of man ultimates itself in acts, and that almost all of these
are executed by the hand, but it is probably but little known that in
healing, for instance, there is a peculiar physical basis in the hand,
upon which the healing power is dependent, _the Pacinian corpuscles_,
namely.

It is now many years ago (it was in 1830 and 1840) that Pacini, a
physician of Pistola, made his discovery; but with the exception of
the literature to which it gave rise, and which is known only to a few
learned men and a few librarians of larger libraries, little or nothing
is known of his discovery.

Pacini found in all the sensible nerves of the fingers many small
elliptical, whitish corpuscles. He compared them to the electrical
organs of the torpedo and described them as animal magneto-motors, as
organs of animal magnetism. And so did Henle and Kólliker, two German
anatomists, who have studied and described these corpuscles very
minutely.

In the human body they are found in great numbers in connection with
the nerves of the hand, also in those of the foot. Why should they
not be in the feet? Let us remember the rythmical structure of the
human body, particularly the feet, and it becomes clear why they are
there; the ecstatic dances of the enthusiasts and the not-sinking of
somnambulists in water or their ability to use the soles of their feet
as organs of perception and the ancient art of healing by the soles of
the feet—all these facts explain the mystery.

They are found sparingly on the spinal nerves, and on the plexuses of
the sympathetic, but never on the nerves of motion.

They are most numerous on the small twigs of nerves and generally
placed parallel to them, though often at an acute angle. They are
more or less oval, sometimes elongated and bent. They are nearly
transparent, with a whitish line traversing their axis. The corpuscles
of the human subject are from one-twentieth to one-tenth of an inch in
length.

They consist of a series of membranous capsules, from thirty to sixty
or more in number, enclosed one within the other. Inside of these
capsules there is a single nervous fibre of a tubular kind enclosed in
the stalk, and advancing to the central capsule, which it traverses
from end to end. Sometimes the capsules are connected by transverse
bands.

Anatomists are interested in these Pacinian corpuscles because of
the novel aspect in which they present the constituent parts of the
nerve-tube, placed in the heart of a system of concentric membranous
capsules with intervening fluid, and divested of that layer which
they (the anatomists) regard as an isolator and protector of the more
potential central axis within.

This apparatus—almost formed like a voltaic pile, is the instrument
for that peculiar vital energy, known more or less to all students as
Animal Magnetism.

Since the cat is somewhat famous in all witchcraft, let me state, that
in the mesentary of the cat, they can be seen in large numbers with the
naked eye, as small oval shaped grains a little smaller than hempseeds.
A few have been found in the ox (the symbol of the priestly office);
but they are wanting in all birds, amphibia and fishes.

Though his discovery was disputed it has since been verified and the
theory strongly supported. These organs are the beneficent media
through which the Spirit operates.

From time immemorial the human hand has been regarded as the life-point
of a mysterious magical power, but not until Pacini’s discovery do
we know its seat. These corpuscles are its seat. Are they perhaps
agglomerations of such monads as I have described and thus the media by
means of which the highest spiritual powers perform their work?

We find the Elementals under all forms of existence, as mere natural
forces, totally, to our perceptions, destitute of any self-conscious
life; we find them also attaining a form very near the human. There is
no valid reason against supposing them to be the stuff out of which we
form thoughts, much less against considering them to be the life-giving
elements in the Pacinian corpuscles.

Let us maintain the theory that there is no _such thing as a dead or
inanimate force_ in the universe. _Every atom, itself a form of power,
is alive with force._ Every atom in space _reflects the Universal
Self_, who is:

_The Soul of Things._

I shall now come to the end of my paper by a few words which contain
the practical purpose of my lecture.

(1) The monads, just described, whether they reflect the auras, that
surround us consciously or unconsciously, whether they are used as
mind-stuff or be located in the Pacinian corpuscles of the hand, are
physical media of intercourse between the Elementaries and the adepts.

Why not! If Eastern adepts and Western mediums are in possession of
power to atomize “the body,” to make it become the smallest of the
smallest, to enter into a diamond, for instance, if they have power to
magnify “the body” to any dimensions; to change the polarity of the
body, to make it become the lightest of the lightest as in the well
known phenomena of levitation, why should the Elementaries, existing,
as they do, under much more favorable circumstances, not be able to
enter into matter, to enter into atoms which “contain a Sun” and
there, for the time being direct its vital principle and its universal
orbs, to such purposes as they choose, to make it serve the adept’s or
magician’s will, who seeks aid or enlightenment?

(2) I contend that they do! And I argue for the necessity of producing
such surroundings of auras of monads as will facilitate and raise the
standard of what is commonly called “Mediumship.”

(3) I argue for a cultivation of the image-making power of the soul,
that we may be able to direct and utilize consciously the intercourse
with the Elementaries.

(4) I wish to have a knowledge spread abroad about the Pacinian
corpuscles, that we may lay our hands upon mankind and cure its ills.

I feel personally convinced that there is both “Light and Life” to be
found upon these lines of study and conduct.

POETICAL OCCULTISM.

SOME ROUGH STUDIES OF THE OCCULT LEANINGS OF THE POETS.

IV.

Whitman, in his short and remarkable poem, “To him that was Crucified,”
perceives very clearly the verity of Mahatmahood; the existence of men
who live upon a higher plane than that of ordinary mortals, and who are
united in an order of spiritual brotherhood. The poem runs:[168]

My spirit to yours, dear brother,
Do not mind because many sounding your name do not understand you,
I do not sound your name, but I understand you,
I specify you with joy, O my comrade, to salute you, and to salute
those who are with you, before and since, and those to come also,
That we all labor together transmitting the same charge and succession,
We few equals indifferent of lands, indifferent of times,
We, enclosers of all continents, all castes, allowers of all
theologies,
Compassionaters, perceivers, rapport of men,
We walk silent among disputes and assertions, but reject not the
disputers nor anything that is asserted,
We hear the bawling and din, we are reached at by divisions,
jealousies, recriminations on every side,
They close peremptorily upon us to surround us, my comrade,
Yet we walk unheld, free, the whole earth over, journeying up and down
till we make our ineffaceable mark upon time and the diverse eras,
Till we saturate time and eras, that the men and woman of races, ages
to come, may prove brethren and lovers as we are.

These lines, sublime as they are, will probably be regarded as little
short of blasphemous by many of our good friends who, _sounding
his name, do not understand him_; who, worshipping him as the only
Man-God, have lost sight of the God in man, the _Christ_, the potential
development of which in all men was the great lesson which the Nazarene
sought to convey. They little think that he whose name they sound
may perhaps be walking the earth to-day, striving to bring men to
the light, but despised and rejected by themselves because in an
unrecognized and strange guise, while the same old truths are again
trampled upon, since they lack the endorsement of established authority.

The poet, however, shows that he, too broad to be limited by one
name, truly understands the mission of Jesus; he, with his own grand
teachings of universal brotherhood despised and misunderstood because
of their unfamiliar form, is elevated by the sublimity of the truths
that inspire himself to the level which gives him the right to address
the founder of Christianity as a comrade. He sees, too, with a
directness that probably has come to no other modern poet, that there
is a band of “Equals” working for the same end, “transmitting the same
charge and succession,” through all races, through all ages, and giving
vitality to all religions. The free, uninfluenced attitude which he who
would grow towards the light must maintain is expressed here with most
effective simplicity, as is the end for which THEY are striving—so to
saturate the world and all eras with their precepts as finally to lift
all mankind into the unity of perfect Brotherhood.

The true mental abnegation is here referred to, just as Krishna in the
Bagavad-Gita tries to teach Arjuna. In speaking of the necessity for
retiring to the forest so as to attain perfection untroubled by man,
he says to Arjuna that the true philosopher will look with equal mind
upon all classes of men, upon all systems of thought and all objects
of sense, esteeming all alike, inasmuch as they are all one in the
Supreme Spirit, and that spirit found in each, so that to retire to the
forest is not a necessity. Thus Whitman says that he and all others of
the same mind, are indifferent of lands, times, disputes or disputers,
allowers of all theologies, because they well know—as occultism
teaches—that each theology and each assertion is one facet of the great
Truth.

The result of this state of mind is beautifully set forth in the lines
which say that amid the bawling and din, reached at by divisions and
jealousies on every side that close peremptorily upon us to surround
and fetter us, we walk free, unheld by all, because we are fixed upon
the immutable rock of the True. This is the imperturbability sought
by the ancient Chinese philosophers, who, themselves students of
occultism, esteemed that equanimity above all else.

There are various passages throughout Whitman’s poems that intimate a
perception, perhaps intuitive, of the existences of the Masters. For
instance, he says, “I see the serene company of philosophers,” and in
“A Song of the Rolling Earth” are the lines:

“The workmanship of souls is by those inaudible words of the earth,
The masters know the earth’s words and use them more than audible
words.”

And again, towards the end of the same poem:

“When the materials are all prepared and ready, the architects shall
appear.”

The thought here is identical with that in “_Light on the Path_” (note
to Rule 21, First Section):

“Therefore in the Hall of Learning, when he is capable of entering
there, the disciple will always find his master.”

And in the following note:

“When the disciple is ready to learn, then he is accepted,
acknowledged, recognized. It must be so; for he has lit his lamp, and
it cannot be hidden.”

The poem in question concludes with the following exalted lines which
contain a significant statement of one of the great truths of Occultism:

“I swear to you the architects shall appear without fail,
I swear to you they will understand you and justify you,
The greatest among them shall be he who best knows you, and encloses
all and is faithful to all.
He and the rest shall not forget you, they shall perceive that you
are not an iota less than they,
You shall be fully glorified in them.”

It is hardly possible to say whether or not the poet means that these
architects are in one sense the various, changeful mortal costumes the
human monad had here and there, in many races and places, assumed while
passing through the wheel of rebirths. When he says that the architects
“will understand you and justify you,” we may easily picture the time
when the regenerated man, now able to see all his illusionary entrances
upon the stage of life under the costume of varied personalities, can
understand that all these different incarnations were fully justified
by the need for the particular experience found in each new life, and
thus he himself is glorified and justified by these architects, who
were really himself.

Complete proof of Whitman’s belief in reincarnation is to be found in
the following lines from “_Facing West from California’s Shores_:”

Facing west from California’s shores,
Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound,
I a child, very old, over waves, towards the house of maternity, the
land of migrations, look afar,
Look off the shores of my Western sea, the circle almost circled;
For starting westward from Hindustan, from the vales of Kashmere,
From Asia, from the north, from the God, the sage, and the hero,
From the south, from the flowery peninsulas and the spice islands,
Long having wander’d since, round the earth having wander’d.
Now I face home again, very pleas’d and joyous.
(But where is what I started for so long ago?
And why is it yet unfound?)

This last query is answered in _Light on the Path_ (rule 12, § I.):
“You will enter the light, but you will never touch the flame.” The
Self is what we seek. It resides in the heart of every mortal creature
“smaller than a grain of mustard seed;” the heart is in the Sun—and now
we speak of the real heart and the real spiritual sun which is “now
hidden by a vase of golden light”—(as the Upanishads say)—the Sun in
the mouth of Brahman and Brahman is the All.
S. B. J.

[Illustration:]

HINDU SYMBOLISM.

III.

This figure represents the Mystic Brahma espousals with Parasakti.
The latter is the divine principle of intellectual emanative
potentiality or energy, and the ideal of archi-typal womanhood. The
Sakti is conceived of as the female part of the energy of Brahma’s
intellectual, creative power and creative wisdom. Brahma is here the
true Para-Brahma, and Para-Sakti a true Para-sarasvadi. The sexless in
Brahman (neuter) is here transmuted into the male or energizing power,
as the principal symbolic type of the divine emanative, yet immanent,
creative power, as the masculine principle of the ideal or Great
Androgynic Man or the Makrokosm; and the flaming Sun is here depicted
as the flaming sun-face, representative of the male-active deity,
also called Purusha. The Sakti or Para-Sakti, the fructifying energy
and potentiality of Brahman’s wisdom, wears upon her head a bright
fire-flaming crown or nimbus.

The veil surrounding them, is the mystic veil produced by the ideation
of the eternal thought of the eternal Mind. In the left hand of the
sun-figure on the first finger, is carried a bird or perhaps a dove,
which is intended to symbolize the flight of the ideal creation from
the eternal Mind before the appearance of that which appears to us to
be the real world. In the right hand he holds the end of the mystic
veil. On the head of Maya—the woman—is the world-egg cap. Below, in the
shadow of the spherical cloak of the God-dawn, is seen the world-egg
surrounded by the spiritualizing Ananda the snake of eternity, which as
if asleep and inactive, is suspended around the egg.

In India the principal general symbols are fire and water, sun and
moon, man and woman, bull and cow, the linga and yoni, the lotus and
the sacred fig (_ficus indica_). The lotus is formed of red, white and
blue colors; blue is considered the same as black.
ISAAC MYER.

“LIGHT ON THE PATH.”

“The Soul of man is immortal and its future is the future of a thing
whose growth and splendour has no limit.”

It is with extreme diffidence that I venture to undertake a short
commentary or analysis of the book whose title heads this article;
not only because of the nature of the work itself, but also because
it has already been twice commented upon, once by the author, and
once by a very learned student of Eastern Literature. The author’s
notes, however, were rather an extension of the original text than
a commentary in the strict sense of the word; while the object of
the second annotator was more an attempt to show the identity of the
doctrines contained in _Light on the Path_ with those of ancient
Brahamanical Philosophy, than to give the nature of those doctrines in
themselves.

The object of this paper on the contrary, is to attempt to analyze the
scheme of Philosophy in accordance with which this little book has
been written; in other words, to attempt to set forth the intellectual
counterpart of the spiritual doctrines of _Light on the Path_. It is
inevitable that, in thus changing the doctrine from the Spiritual to
the intellectual plane, so to speak, the intellectual counterpart
should be inferior to the Spiritual original. To counterbalance this
loss, however, it is true on the other hand that the intellectual
counterpart may render the spiritual original accessible to some,
the conformation of whose minds renders them unable to appreciate it
directly. It is in the hope that this may be so that the present paper
has been attempted.

To begin with, then, the work we are considering indicates a possible
enlightenment of the Soul, and development of the higher part of our
nature; and further states that these results cannot take place before
a certain battle has been fought and won: we have, therefore, to
discover what the soul is; what is the nature of the battle; what are
the opposing forces; and what are the results of the struggle.

The combatants are the higher nature, or Soul on the one side; and the
lower nature or egotism on the other. The higher nature includes the
intellectual, Spiritual, and æsthetical powers: that is to say, the
powers which deal with the perception of truth, goodness, and beauty.

The sense of truth is characteristically manifested in the conquest of
some intricate mathematical problem, or in following successfully some
difficult chain of reasoning.

The sense of beauty is manifested in the joy with which we behold the
splendor of a glorious sunset.

The sense of goodness is manifested in the voice of an approving
conscience, or in the reverence and admiration we feel for some godlike
and noble character.

It is undeniable that the intellect can discriminate between what is,
and what is not, true, within its own domain, the æsthetical faculty
also can pronounce with certainty as to the presence or absence of that
quality which we call beauty.

So can the moral nature decide without hesitation as to what is or what
is not in accordance with Righteousness. These three powers of the
higher nature are subject to development, that is to say, at different
periods they will perceive the qualities of beauty, truth, and goodness
in different objects, and in different degrees; but as to the reality
of the three qualities their voice is ever the same.

The three powers perceive three harmonies, each in its own domain;
when the three are harmoniously developed the three harmonies are
perceived to be one, and to this one great harmony are given the names
of the Eternal and the Law of God. The seer of old feeling the sense of
Rightousness’ within him exclaimed: “I will rejoice in the Eternal, and
in him will I put my trust.” When the powers of the higher nature are
developed, under all temporary disharmony and chaotic disturbance, are
perceived a deeper order and more enduring harmony ever at work. Marcus
Aurelius had perception of a deep Spiritual truth, when he wrote the
concluding sentences of the following utterance.

“Figs, when they are quite ripe, gape open: and in the ripe olives, the
very circumstance of their being near to rottenness, adds a peculiar
beauty to the fruit, and ears of corn bending down, and foam which
flows from the mouth of wild boars, and many other things,—though they
are far from being beautiful, in a certain sense,—still, because they
come in the course of nature, have a beauty in them, and they please
the mind; so that if a man should have a feeling and a deeper insight
with respect to the things which are produced in the universe, there
is hardly anything which comes in the course of nature, which will not
seem to him to be, in a manner, disposed so as to give pleasure.” That
is,—in all things, could we but perceive it, is the harmony of the
Eternal.

The first harmony, the harmony of truth, is perceived by the scientific
materialist; that is to say, he is capable of perceiving the reign of
Law in the physical universe.

The artistic nature can perceive the harmony of beauty in nature and
art.

By the spiritually-minded is perceived the moral harmony.

It is the distinctive mark of modern Civilization that the harmonies
of truth and beauty, of Science and Art are perceived and openly
recognized by all, while the harmony of Holiness is passed over,
in silence and oblivion. It is the object of Theosophy, rightly
understood, to arouse the world to a renewed sense of the harmony of
Righteousness.

So much for the higher nature. Confronting it stands the Egotism. For
where the moral sense dictates peace and goodwill to all men, the
Egotism raises a selfish claim for a monopoly of all good things, all
pleasures, all enjoyments. The first enjoyment the Egotism demands
is to surpass and dominate all other Egotisms which it seems to see
pursuing the same pleasures as itself. Hence the command: “Kill out
ambition.” Having once gained this domination the self cries out for
enjoyments both sensual and sensuous, for all the pleasures of life.
Hence the need for the command “Kill out the desire of life;” the self
is also deterred by indolence from carrying out any good inspirations
that may descend through the thick mist which surrounds it, from the
higher nature: against indolence it is written “Kill out the desire of
comfort.”

But the moral sense condemns the existence of this self, this centre
of force, which is not in accordance with its perception of Harmony.
When once the moral nature comes to perceive the evil of egotism,
the question inevitably arises for solution, “Shall this cause of
disharmony cease or continue?” If the decision is for its continuance
one of two things will happen. Either, before the moral nature has
been completely paralysed and atrophied by neglect,—before the seared
conscience is completely silenced,—the fact will be recognised, in the
midst of pain and sorrow unspeakable, that “to work for self is to work
for disappointment;” and in that case the moral nature may at last
meet with its development and all may be well; “the weak must wait
for its growth, its fruition, its death, and it is a plant that lives
and increases through the ages.” It has been said also “the forging
of earthly chains is the occupation of the indifferent, the awful
duty of unloosing them through the sorrows of the heart is also their
occupation” and truly “both are foolish sacrifices.” Either this takes
place, or,—the moral nature at last becomes completely deadened, all
the force and vital power which has been drawn away from it goes to
strengthen the Egotism which becomes from henceforth a centre of evil,
of destruction; an enemy of the eternal.

It seems that individual existence means a certain amount of force,
which may vitalise either the powers of the higher nature or those of
the egotism; or those of both, in part. It seems also that the egotism
is a group of centres, so to speak, from some or all of which the
energic force of the individual may work; so that, for example, when
this force works from one centre in the egotism sensuality arises; when
from another centre, hate; from another, evil ambition, and so on.
When the energic force is raised to the higher nature it may act from
various centres; from one, as charity; from another, as holiness, and
so on. Hence, “any good quality may become any other good quality”—if
the conditions are favorable. It seems also that the Will can degrade
the energic force from the soul to the egotism; or, conversely, can
raise it from the egotism to the soul; so that, by the alchemical
power of the will, so to speak, the baser metal becomes converted and,
rising to the top of the still, becomes pure gold. Besides the higher
and lower natures we have been considering there resides also, in the
complete being, consciousness or sense of existence and will. When
all the portions of energic force,—or the Satwaic sparks, as they are
elsewhere called,—rise to the higher nature, the individual becomes
one with the Eternal, and a part of the United Spirit of Life, and
individual existence ceases, in a sense. When the question is asked
“Shall the self cease or continue?” the moral nature answers decisively
“It ought to cease.” If the truth of this mandate is recognised, at
once a terrible struggle arises; self opposed rises with tenfold force
and violence; again and again it craftily casts doubt on the truth of
the moral nature; raises obstacles, temptations and hindrances; all
the pleasures it has enjoyed are to be swept away forever; all the
momentum and power that the egotism has gained, through long continued
indulgence and unhindered growth, are brought to bear at once on
the struggle; the whole nature is torn by the conflict, the will is
tried to the uttermost; but under all this turmoil and strife lies
the assured consciousness of final victory; it is felt that sooner or
later the self must be destroyed, that it is built for time and not for
eternity, that its days are numbered.

During the struggle intervals of peace occur, and grow greater and
longer as the end approaches; till at last, when the final victory is
won this peace becomes habitual.

But as the conflict goes on, the will at last gains strength to say,
once for all “Henceforth, forever, will I serve self no more.” And
immediately the first struggle is ended. The dominance of self is
forever destroyed. In reply to the command “Seek in the heart the
source of evil, and expunge it” the soul can say “this also have I
done,” then comes “peace to the troubled spirit” peace deep and pure.
The soul recognises that the self has been the cause of individual
existence; when the self is removed the soul tends to harmonise itself
with the great harmony, to become one with the eternal; but all the
evil tendencies to selfishness and sin, must be gradually overcome,
for though their cause and source has been destroyed, yet they still
maintain a certain momentum. Not yet can it be said that the soul is
perfectly at one with the United Spirit of Life. Much remains to be
done, yet much has been done already, for during the struggle the
energic force has become loosened from the centres of self, and has
ascended to strengthen and vivify the soul, which becomes strong, fully
awakened, and in harmony with the eternal; the flower of the soul is
opening, the first step on the Path is taken. In the _Idyll of the
White Lotus_ the same author has given the same history in another
form. The New-Testament story is the same, and so is the scheme of
Christian Theology for those who have eyes to see it; for that story is
“the tragedy of the soul, it has been told in all ages and among every
people.”

“Enter the Path! there spring the healing streams
Quenching all thirst! there bloom the immortal flowers
Carpeting all the way with joy! there throng
Swiftest and sweetest hours.”
_Dublin, Ireland._ CHARLES JOHNSTON.

MUSINGS ON THE TRUE THEOSOPHIST’S PATH.

If you desire to labor for the good of the world, it will be unwise for
you to strive to include it all at once in your efforts. If you can
help elevate or teach but one soul—that is a good beginning, and more
than is given to many.

Fear nothing that is in Nature and visible. Dread no influence exerted
by sect, faith, or society. Each and every one of them originated upon
the same basis—Truth, or a portion of it at least. You may not assume
that you have a greater share than they, it being needful only, that
you find all the truth each one possesses. You are at war with none.
It is peace you are seeking, therefore it is best that the good in
everything is found. For this brings peace.

It has been written that he who lives the Life shall know the doctrine.
Few there be who realize the significance of The Life.

It is not by intellectually philosophizing upon it, until reason
ceases to solve the problem, nor by listening in ecstatic delight to
the ravings of an _Elemental clothed_—whose hallucinations are but
the offspring of the Astral—that the life is realized. Nor will it be
realized by the accounts of the experiences of other students. For
there be some who will not realize Divine Truth itself, when written,
unless it be properly punctuated or expressed in flowery flowing words.

Remember this: that as you live your life each day with an uplifted
purpose and unselfish desire, each and every event will bear for you a
deep significance—an occult meaning—and as you learn their import, so
do you fit yourself for higher work.

There are no rose-gardens upon the way in which to loiter about, nor
fawning slaves to fan one with golden rods of Ostrich plumes. The
Ineffable Light will not stream out upon you every time you may think
you have turned up the wick, nor will you find yourself sailing about
in an astral body, to the delight of yourself and the astonishment of
the rest of the world, simply because you are making the effort to find
wisdom.

He who is bound in any way—he who is narrow in his thoughts—finds it
doubly difficult to pass onward. You may equally as well gain wisdom
and light in a church as by sitting upon a post while your nails grow
through your hands. It is not by going to extremes or growing fanatical
in any direction that the life will be realized.

Be temperate in all things, most of all in the condemnation of other
men. It is unwise to be intemperate or drunken with wine. It is equally
unwise to be drunken with temperance. Men would gain the powers; or
the way of working wonders. Do you know, O man, what the powers of the
Mystic are? Do you know that for each gift of this kind he gives a part
of himself? That it is only with mental anguish, earthly sorrow, and
almost his heart’s blood, these gifts are gained? Is it true, think
you, my brother, that he who truly possesses them desires to sell them
at a dollar a peep, or any other price? He who would trade upon these
things finds himself farther from his goal than when he was born.

There _are_ gifts and powers. Not just such as you have created in
your imagination, perhaps. Harken to one of these powers: He who has
passed onward to a certain point, finds that the hearts of men lie
spread before him as an open book, and from there onward the motives of
men are clear. In other words he can read the hearts of men. But not
selfishly; should he but once use this knowledge selfishly, the book is
closed—and he reads no more. Think you, my brothers, he would permit
himself to _sell_ a page out of this book?

Time—that which does not exist outside the inner circle of this little
world—seems of vast importance to the physical man. There comes to him
at times, the thought that he is not making any progress, and that he
is receiving nothing from some Mystic source. From the fact that he
has the thought that no progress is being made the evidence is gained
that he is working onward. Only the dead in living bodies need fear.
That which men would receive from Mystic sources is frequently often
repeated, and in such a quiet, unobtrusive voice, that he who is
waiting to hear it shouted in his ear, is apt to pass on unheeding.

Urge no man to see as yourself, as it is quite possible you may see
differently when you awake in the morning. It is wiser to let the
matter rest without argument. No man is absolutely convinced by that.
It is but blowing your breath against the whirlwind.

It was at one time written over the door: “Abandon Hope, all ye who
enter here.” It has taken hundreds of years for a few to come to
the realization that the wise men had not the slightest desire for
the company of a lot of hopeless incurables in the mysteries. There
is to be abandoned hope for the gratification of our passions, our
curiosities, our ambition or desire for gain. There is also another
Hope—the true; and he is a wise man who comes to the knowledge of it.
Sister to Patience, they together are the Godmothers of Right Living,
and two of the Ten who assist the Teacher.
AMERICAN MYSTIC.

THOUGHT EFFECTS.

Some thirty years ago, I began a five years’ residence in a foreign
land. Whilst there, I was conscious of a stern conflict going on within
me to keep myself from falling into some of the ways and beliefs of
the people of that land. So strong was the assault in one direction
upon the Idol of Right which had been set up within me by a New England
training, that for fear it should topple and fall, I was constrained to
withdraw myself little by little from social relations, until finally I
came to be pretty much alone, living on the pampas with flocks, herds,
nature generally, and a few books for company. Even after this change
the fight went on, though in a less active form and on a more desultory
scale.

After I went from there, reflection upon the subject brought me to this
conclusion among others, viz.: that one of the most powerful forces
emanating from distinct societies of mankind works by mental action
upon man from the unseen atmosphere surrounding him.

It is said advisingly, “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” It may be
said, warningly: “When one enters upon living in Rome, he can scarce
help _but_ do as the Romans do.”

In these later days, investigation of Theosophy has shown me of what
nature was the obstacle against which I had been contending so stoutly.

It was of the Karma of that nation. It has shown me also the method
of that unseen, unheard influence which “is in the air,” ever about
us, ever ready to move us, to govern us. And this method of influence,
unseen and unheard, is the action upon us of forces existing on the
Astral Plane. Among these forces are the thoughts of men living upon
the objective plane of Earth.

After so much of preface, I come to a more particular consideration of
some of the effects of those thoughts of man, which are unexpressed by
speech or action, upon others and upon himself:

1st. How may we effectually resist the force of bad influence of
locality operating on _us_ from the Astral Plane?

2nd. How may we do something, otherwise than by precept and example,
towards overcoming the evil Karma of Locality which may be affecting
_others_?

3rd. How may we in individual cases help some unfortunates with whose
needs we are acquainted?

An answer is—by Thoughts.

In man’s advancement from darkness into light, in the “Human Soul’s”
departure from lower materiality to entrance into right Spiritual
living, among other means to be used to attain that end are right
thought, right action, right speech and right meditation. Of these,
_right thought_, is of primary importance, for it is the foundation
from which only the others can spring into life. Actions in objectivity
are illusions; they are shadows of our personality created by thoughts.
Thoughts are nearer, more akin to our personality than actions are,
for they are primary expressions from personality, always preceding
conscious speech and action. Of all the indices to our personality
of which we have knowledge thoughts are the clearest; we are as our
thoughts are. In compliance with that grand mandate, “Know Thyself,”
why scan life’s _page_ of speech and actions—shadows—when a vast
_volume_ of thoughts—realities—expressions of our personality, lies
open to us for finding knowledge of self?

Though independent of speech and action, thoughts are realities. They
are real, living, active forces, until their force is expended,—but
the effects of right thoughts last forever. Space does not necessarily
limit their reach. They are in the air, so to speak, everywhere, and
can move with a rapidity that is instantaneous. They may not only be
sent, but are received. It takes but the veriest morsel of time to send
a thought to the Sun; at the Sun it takes as little time to receive a
thought from the Earth.

To the first question—“how may we effectually resist the force of bad
influence of Locality operating on _us_ from the Astral Plane?”—one
way is to search for Spiritual Truth. That truth is “in the air.” It
is conveyed to us by Thoughts. But a thought “from the air” is as a
seed. A mustard seed planted in ice will not fructify; a spiritual
thought-seed falling upon a “Human Soul” which is bound and tied to
Earth by its “Animal Soul” will not fructify. The mustard seed must
fall into ground properly prepared for its reception, ere by culture
it can sprout, grow, and bear fruit. And so, too, must the soil of
the “Human Soul,” be made ready in order that it shall afford an
appropriate bed upon which the ever-present Spiritual thought-seed
shall alight. On such a prepared soil it will _surely_ fall; as surely
as the magnetic needle points to its pole, and once there, by our own
culture it may grow into “an everlasting tree of Holiness.”

How is that bed prepared? How is it that we become ready to receive
Spiritual Truth? By right thought, right action, right speech and
right meditation. It lies within our _inner selves_ whether we shall
advance in Spiritual knowledge and life, and nowhere else; it must
be our purpose, our business. No dictum of the Schools can bring it
about. No printed book on esoteric wisdom or on ethics, or on the
multitudinous religions of man can give it to us;—belonging to the
Theosophical Society does not necessarily lead us into Spiritual life.
These, to the hungry “Human Soul,” may be of immense importance, but if
the “Human Soul”—principle 5, be not first prepared, if we do not look
upward and build upward, all these means,—Spiritual thoughts that are
“in the air,” wise books, this society of yours—they are all to such
a spiritually-desert soul, but as of old—“pearls before swine”—hidden
light—a force shut out by ourselves from acting within us.

_When we are engaged in right searching for Spiritual Truth, bad forces
from the Astral Plane are inoperative upon us_: Thus may we effectually
resist the force of bad influence of Locality operating on _ourselves_
from the Astral Plane.

The second question we are considering is, “How may we do something,
otherwise than by precept and example, towards overcoming the evil
Karma which may be affecting _others_?”

Surely, again, it is by right thought, and right action, speech and
meditation. For, not only do they prepare the way for the reception
of Spiritual Truths, but the ego, so thinking, acting, speaking and
meditating, is, while so employed, disseminating Spiritual light on all
sides through the Astral Plane. He is throwing out Spiritual truth-seed
which is reaching far and near. Wherever a “Human Soul” is in need of
it, and hungering for it, it _will surely fall_; for there the soil is
ready for its reception. These right thoughts have gone into “the air,”
and are certain to strike in somewhere for good.

Thus by _right thought_ we may do something otherwise than by precept
and example, towards obliterating the evil Karma of locality which is
affecting _others_.

Regarding the third question; it seems to me that we all know some
particular individuals to whose high needs we can minister by direct
intention through the power of thought.

Who, that observes and reflects, cannot gather from his own experience
the fact that thought can fly to a person at a distance? How common
to say “I was thinking of one and he appeared.” It is not an uncommon
experience for one to unexpectedly entertain serious, at any rate
marked thoughts about another, and subsequently to find that the
other was similarly occupied in mind with him at the same time. It
is odd if there be not some among you who know that thought messages
have been sent, received and acted on by the object-person when the
receiver was in an abnormal condition to the sender. By these and other
illustrations which doubtless will occur to you, we _know_ that it
is within the province of cause and effect that thought has power to
operate on others at a distance by direct intention of the sender, by
mental action alone.

Believing in the reality of thought—_knowing_ the reality of thought—in
its power to shield us from evil; in its power to affect others
unknown to us; in our power to project it to special individuals, what
opportunities it affords us for conferring high good.

But in order to do positive good to another by this direct thought
unexpressed by speech or action, some certain conditions are necessary,
which we may consider as milestones that shall indicate the progress
of our own ascending path from materiality to spirituality. To be a
power by thought influence,—(I do not refer now to thought sent by will
power to a particular “sensitive” who is in subjective state to the
sender—which condition is on a lower plane than that which we are now
considering,) presupposes intensity of love born of and nurtured by
Spirituality for those whose high good we thus seek to establish. There
must first be born in us an enthusiasm for giving high and positive
good to another unconciously enthusiasm, as is our enthusiasm, shall be
the energy of our missive-thought; and according to the energy of that
thought will be its effect upon the object to which it is sent,—the
more powerfully intense the thought the deeper it will penetrate;—the
longer its effects will endure.

Right meditation will be required of us to determine what we really
desired to effect. If we arrive at the position within ourselves
necessary for obtaining power for affecting another for good by
thought message, there will be engendered within us a portion of that
grand principle on which this Society is founded, viz: Universal
Brotherhood—unselfish love for others.

In making thought message to others, on the basis of lifting them to a
higher plane of action, a part of our daily life, by its reaction upon
ourselves we shall surely be “laying up treasures in Heaven”—and full
will be our material for Devachanic life.

As in Devachan one shall live in the good he has done while in
objective earth life—shall live in the true beauty he has learned to
perceive—shall live in the effects of his good-life, his thoughts while
here on earth can be made for the Devachanic period of his existence
a vast storehouse of “good-life” of purest water. But it must be of
thoughts untinged by selfish considerations. It must be of thoughts
evolved through love of others for _their_ good.

Right thought being the grand power it is:

1st. To resist within _ourselves_ the bad Karma of Locality.

2nd. By which to weaken and destroy the bad Karma of Locality, which is
disastrously affecting _others_.

3rd. By which from a basis of spiritual love we may send light to a
groping soul,—what heavy responsibility is ever over us that it shall
be our purpose, our study to “think aright.”—To live much in thus right
thinking—we shall ever be lifting some of the heavy Karma from off the
world. It is thus, that we can “live in the Eternal, for right thought
is of the Universal Mind, and Universal Mind is of the Eternal.”

Reflect that persistent right thinking affects humanity constantly in
the right direction, ever from the gross and material to the refined
and Spiritual. It will ever be a constant force so long as evil exists.
Let this idea sink into our consciousness. Let right thought be to
us as the strong arm with which to do good to others. One need not
long for wealth, for position or power that he may do good to others;
the poorest in material wealth, the humblest in station, the most
insignificant among men has within himself this ever open storehouse of
power for conferring good on which he can draw without limit; a wealth
he can scatter broadcast, or can give by direct selection of object
with the surety that he is bestowing benefits broadly,—knowing that he
is successfully contending against Spiritual poverty—which is the sum
of evil.

He who uses this wealth, can do so—_must_ do so only by sacrifice
of thought of self. He must be interested only in combating evil by
helping humanity at large; of offering special help to those whom he
knows are desirous of help. As his life-love for the objects in view is
the only foundation upon which he can do these works,—love of self can
not be a power within him.

To put it the other way. Begin the work of thought for the good of
others by first forgetting self; as fast as possible get away from
the dominion of materiality. Live in the love of doing _enduring_
good to others—these conditions _are_ the true and upward advancement
of ourselves. The doing of these things _is the reward_;—it is the
advancing into _God-life_. It is part of our real Eternal selves. It
is living in the Eternal—the everlasting good; for the God-life—the
good-life is the only eternally active one. By living thus, the gross
and material now enchaining our entities will be broken down and will
die and leave us—and die they must sooner or later or the “I am I”
shall perish.
H. N. H., F.T.S.
Brooklyn, Oct 15, 1886.

ENVIRONMENT.

To the Western mind the doctrines of Karma and Reincarnation contain
difficulties which while they seem imaginary to the Eastern student,
are nevertheless for the Western man as real as any of the other
numerous obstructions in the path of salvation. All difficulties are
more or less imaginary, for the whole world and all its entanglements
are said to be an illusion resulting from the notion of a separate I.
But while we exist here in matter, and so long as there is a manifested
universe, these illusions are real to that man who has not risen above
them to the knowledge that they are but the masks behind which the
reality is hidden.

For nearly twenty centuries the Western nations have been building up
the notion of a separate I—of _meum_ and _tuum_—and it is hard for them
to accept any system which goes against those notions.

As they progress in what is called material civilization with all its
dazzling allurements and aids to luxury, their delusion is further
increased because they appraise the value of their doctrine by the
results which seem to flow from it, until at last they push so far
what they call the reign of law, that it becomes a reign of terror.
All duty to their fellows is excluded from it in practice, although
the beautiful doctrines of Jesus are preached to the people daily by
preachers who are paid to preach but not to enforce, and who cannot
insist upon the practice which should logically follow the theory
because the consequences would be a loss of position and livelihood.

So when out of such a nation rises a mind that asks for help to find
again the path that was lost, he is unconsciously much affected by the
education not only of himself but also of his nation through all these
centuries. He has inherited tendencies that are hard to be overcome. He
battles with phantasms, real for him but mere dreams for the student
who has been brought up under other influences.

When, therefore, he is told to rise above the body, to conquer it, to
subdue his passions, his vanity, anger and ambition, he asks, “what
if borne down by this environment, which I was involuntarily born
into, I shall fail.” Then when told that he must fight or die in the
struggle, he may reply that the doctrine of Karma is cold and cruel
because it holds him responsible for the consequences which appear to
be the result of that unsought environment. It then becomes with him
a question whether to fight and die, or to swim on with the current
careless as to its conclusion but happy if perhaps it shall carry him
into smooth water whose shores are elysian.

Or perhaps he is a student of occultism whose ambition has been fired
by the prospect of adeptship, of attaining powers over nature, or what
not.

Beginning the struggle he presently finds himself beset with
difficulties which, not long after, he is convinced are solely the
result of his environment. In his heart he says that Karma has unkindly
put him where he must constantly work for a living for himself and a
family: or he has a life long partner whose attitude is such that he is
sure were he away from her he could progress: until at last he calls
upon heaven to interpose and change the surroundings so opposed to his
perfecting himself.

This man has indeed erred worse than the first. He has wrongly supposed
that his environment was a thing to be hated and spurned away. Without
distinctly so saying to himself, he has nursed within the recesses of
his being the idea that he like Buddha could in this one life triumph
over all the implacable forces and powers that bar the way to Nirvana.
We should remember that the Buddha does not come every day but is the
efflorescence of ages, who when the time is ripe surely appears in one
place and in one body, not to work _for his own_ advancement but for
the _salvation of the world_.

What then of environment and what of its power over us?

Is environment Karma or is it Reincarnation? THE LAW is Karma,
reincarnation is only an incident. It is one of the means which The Law
uses to bring us at last to the true light. The wheel of rebirths is
turned over and over again by us in obedience to this law, so that we
may at last come to place our entire reliance upon Karma. Nor is our
environment Karma itself, for Karma is the subtle power which works in
that environment.

There is nothing but the SELF—using the word as Max Müller does to
designate the Supreme Soul—and its environment. The Aryans for the
latter use the word _Kosams_ or sheaths. So that there is only this
Self and the various sheaths by which it is clothed, beginning with the
most intangible and coming down to the body, while outside of that and
common to all is what is commonly known as environment, whereas the
word should be held to include all that is not The Self.

How unphilosophical therefore it is to quarrel with our surroundings,
and to desire to escape them? We only escape one kind to immediately
fall into another. And even did we come into the society of the wisest
devotees we would still carry the environment of the Self in our own
bodies, which will always be our enemy so long as we do not know what
it is in all its smallest details. Coming down then to the particular
person, it is plain that that part of the environment which consists
in the circumstances of life and personal surroundings is only an
incident, and that the real environment to be understood and cared
about is that in which Karma itself inheres in us.

Thus we see that it is a mistake to say—as we often hear it said—“If
he only had a fair chance; if his surroundings were more favorable
he would do better,” since he really _could not_ be in any other
circumstances at that time, for if he were it would not be he but some
one else. It must be necessary for him to pass through those identical
trials and disadvantages to perfect the Self; and it is only because
we see but an infinitesimal part of the long series that any apparent
confusion or difficulty arises. So our strife will be, not to escape
from anything, but to realize that these _Kosams_, or sheaths, are an
integral portion of ourselves, which we must fully understand before
we can change the abhorred surroundings. This is done by acknowledging
the unity of spirit, by knowing that everything, good and bad alike, is
the Supreme. We then come into harmony with the Supreme Soul, with the
whole universe, and no environment is detrimental.

The very first step is to rise from considering the mere outside
delusive environment, knowing it to be the result of past lives, the
fruition of Karma done, and say with Uddalaka in speaking to his son:

“All this Universe has the Deity for its life. That Deity is the Truth.
He is the Universal soul. He Thou art, O Svetaketu!”[169]
HADJII ERINN.

TEA TABLE TALK.

Recently the tea-table was chatting about the Widow’s escape from the
Romish fold. She was nearly converted by the urbane Monsignor Capel,
but escaped at the critical moment, she said, “by reason of a sudden
preoccupation.” This turned out to be the death of her worthy husband.
The Widow is a pretty and amiable creature, approved even by the ladies
who say “she is a good little soul and mourns most expensively.” Hence
she never appears at the tea-table without an escort, and the most
frequent of these is one Didymus, lawyer by profession, good humored,
sceptic by nature, whose careless, semi-flippant manner makes it
difficult to know him, though he and I frequent the same clubs and
make our bows in the same drawing rooms. On the day in question the
lady said that she brought him often because she “wanted him converted
to Theosophy.”

“But, my dear Madam,” said I, “you know we don’t believe in converts.
Theosophy is simply an extension of previous beliefs and like Victor
Hugo it says, ‘in the name of Religion, I protest against religions.’
People have to grow into it. When they are ready for it a crisis of
some kind, now moral, now physical, seems to occur just before they
accept the Light from the East as a man receives back something he has
lost. It seems as if those elemental creatures, who attend man, foresaw
his determination and strove to frighten him away from the initial
moment of choice. Great momentum, even of misapplied energies, often
indicates the nearness of radical change.”

“Yes,” broke in Didymus quietly, “I believe that of the Elemental and
the astral world. I’ve been there myself, don’t you know!”

Imagine the feelings of Balaam upon a noted occasion! Unlike the
excellent but misunderstood animal of scripture, Didymus was urged to
continue.

“No,” said he, “I can’t profess to explain my experiences, but I’ll
tell them by way of illustrating Mr. Julius’ remark, as I find most
people do go through a climax of some kind before they round the
turning point of the Age.” The tea-table settled itself comfortably and
Didymus proceeded.

“I was in a good deal of trouble last winter, trouble of various kinds,
and needless to specify, and I had foolishly taken to a pretty lively
life. I don’t mind saying that one of the chief causes of my trouble
was the fact that I couldn’t believe in anything that made life worth
living; all my ideals were pretty well played out. One Sunday I awoke
with an overwhelming sense of terrible calamity, I recalled the events
of the previous day, but all was in due order from the matutinal
cocktail to the vesper toddy, so I finally concluded that my depression
was a hint that I had been living too hard and I resolved to stop it.
This resolve, by the way, I carried out from that hour, nor have I
ever touched liquor since. I passed the day otherwise as usual with
various friends and dined out with a glorious appetite. Returning to
my hotel, I was engaged in making notes of one of Herbert Spencer’s
works, when my attention was attracted by voices in the adjoining room,
and I was astounded to find that they were detailing with startling
accuracy, certain of my affairs which I not unnaturally supposed were
hidden from the world at large. Conquering my blank amazement I sprang
into the corridor, when the voices as suddenly ceased and I found my
neighbor’s door ajar and the room entirely empty. This rather took me
down, and I concluded to turn in, and was just falling asleep, when I
seemed to see two fellows in evening dress whom I somehow knew to be
jugglers. They advanced, bowed, and thereupon began a series of the
most fascinating and laughable tricks I ever saw. I looked on with
interest for what appeared to me a long time but at last the rapidity
and variety of the illusions produced a feeling of intense weariness,
and I said, ‘Gentlemen, thanks for your interesting performance, but
you will pardon my remarking that it is late, and I am very tired.’
They bowed, said nothing, and continued their performance which became
even more ludicrous. I repeated my request; again the bows and tricks
of increasing absurdity. Worn out I exclaimed angrily, ‘I consider this
a beastly imposition, you know, and if you persist I shall be obliged—’
but I never finished the sentence, for the two distorted their faces
into masks of indescribable comicality and were off while I laughed—and
awoke. As I did so, I was amazed to see a broad patch of vivid scarlet
light slide down the wall from ceiling to floor and before I could give
a second thought to this phenomenon, a big white cat sprang from the
foot of my bed and vanished in the darkness.

“This aroused me thoroughly, for though I had never experienced the
like before, I said to myself ‘Old Boy, you must have a touch of D. T.
though why the devil you should have with your seasoned head, I can’t
say.’ I got up and lit my gas; it was after midnight but I concluded
to go out and get some medicine. The halls were quite dark save for a
light in the front vestibule and I felt my way down by the balustrade.
Turning the corner of the staircase I became aware of a shape—I cannot
call it a form—which was distinguishable from the surrounding darkness
only by being more intensely black. It seemed about seven feet high,
the body was indistinct but in the sharply defined head two fiery eyes
glowed with a malice and menace that were truly appalling. The shape
stood directly before me and barred my way. I felt an icy chill down my
back, and I’d wager that my hair stood up, but summoning all my courage
I said,—‘Well; what do you want?’ The silent shape bowed mockingly and
the eyes became more malignant and threatening. My temper, which is
really hasty,” (cries of “Oh! no!” from the ladies,) “got the better
of my fears, and advancing in furious anger I cried; ‘Stand aside and
let me pass.’ The shape vanished and I reached the front door without
further incident.

“The cold night somewhat calmed me, but as I crossed Madison Square
I imagined that some one was following me. I turned sharply about;
the square was deserted. I resumed my walk; again the swift footsteps
ever coming closer: again I turned; nothing! By this time I began to
be alarmed. For visible foes a man cares little, but those ghastly
footsteps,—they curdled my very blood, by Jove! I walked on and
reaching Broadway, I was struck with the tumult of voices that filled
the air though there were but few people about. The street cars
seemed crowded with noisy men, laughing, swearing, telling more or
less questionable stories, and from every cab and wagon came similar
sounds: it was like the rumpus on the Stock Exchange on a field day.
The invisible footsteps, at first drowned in the noise recommenced, and
constantly turning, I found myself ever duped. By this time I began to
think the whole thing an illusion, but presently I saw a man just ahead
of me look out from a doorway. As I approached, he apparently drew
back, but getting opposite the door I found it closed by barred iron
shutters: this occurred over and over. Then as I would approach anyone,
pedestrian or driver, he would shout at me, mockingly, jovially,
profanely or inconsequently, yet I could see that his lips were closed
and that he was only mechanically aware of my presence.

“I now began to feel that there were two of me, so to speak. One
recognized that this was all a delusion; the other self was alarmed
and unstrung. I walked quietly but rapidly, attracting no attention.
Looking at myself in a chance mirror I saw that in outward appearance
I was the same as ever. Reaching the drug store by the Herald Office,
I sat down completely unstrung, but my voice was steady as I asked for
some Bromide of Potash, and the attendant gave me a dose in a glass of
soda water at my request without remark. Having no excuse for remaining
I reluctantly turned homeward, hoping that fatigue and the drug would
dissipate my delusions. In vain! I no longer heard the dogging steps
or saw the peeping men, but the voices were louder and more confusing
in a perfect chorus of commonplace talk, intensified in volume.
Arrived home, I took another dose of Bromide and threw myself on the
bed. Instantly it seemed to sink under me and then rose violently. I
rose, lit the gas and my cigar, but the voices began again in the next
room. Though tired out, I sought the street again. By this time the
sense of being ‘double’ was intensified, and I recognized with anger
that my higher self was under the control of a lower portion which it
ridiculed and reprobated. I walked up Broadway this time, and as I
passed the hotels from doors and windows came invitations to drink, to
dine, to play billiards and less innocent suggestions. A man and woman
came towards me, and I was amazed at the breadth, or depth of their
conversation, ranging over topics not whispered in general, much less
proclaimed on the highway, yet as I met them I saw that their lips
moved not; with heads bent slightly against the keen air of the winter
morning they sped silently on their way. Jeers and mockeries saluted me
from the cab stands, yet the cabbies dozed on their boxes. Hour after
hour I walked thus, ready to drop with hunger and fatigue but unable
to stop. At last in the cold grey of the morning I returned home, took
a tub and a meal, and went to my Doctor, having heard the irrational
tumult of voices all the while. The Doctor was vastly amused at some
points of my narration; he thought my cat might be D. T. but could
make nothing out of all the rest except a threatening of insanity, and
giving me some beastly powders, advised me to live quietly, and keep
out of doors as much as possible. I attended to my routine business,
all the time hearing the voices, except when someone addressed me.
Getting restless as the day wore on I walked down along the East River
piers, went on board vessels, into holds and engine rooms, climbed over
cargo and chatted with stevedores. No one saw anything unusual about
me; friends asked me to wine and dine, yet still the hateful voices
mingled with the real ones till I hardly knew them apart and feared I
should commit some noticeable indiscretion. The day passed in misery;
as I got to my bed at last, a red setter appeared by my side. An inmate
owned a dog of this species, and at first I thought this was he, but
my door was locked and as I turned to him he vanished, which upset my
nerves again. Again I sought my Doctor’s aid, and taking a second worse
prescription, passed another hideous night in desperate wandering, ever
with the voices at my ear. It was useless to try to sleep or even to
lie down; my bed heaved like a ship in a tempest. The next day I passed
at my office again or with any acquaintances I could muster, talking
as much as possible in the hope of a brief respite from the maddening
sounds. At last the medicines did their work; the next day found me
clear headed, the sights and sounds of the astral plane had vanished;
I don’t want to experience them again, but I believe in them, you
bet! Later I found out what they really were when my life had wholly
changed, and I had joined the Theosophical Society.”

The ladies turned on him with one voice. “_You!_ A Theosophist! and you
never told us!”

“Well,” said he humbly, “I tried hard, but—you never gave me a chance.”

Pretty Polly says that under cover of the laughter the Widow whispered
to Didymus that she had thought he was trying to tell her something
else. But I don’t believe it, for Didymus is still a bachelor; some say
he is a chela.

* * * * *

In answer to queries, I would say that all occurrences related in this
department are strictly true, as is the above experience of an F. T. S.
communicated since the published invitation to correspondents in our
last number. All such will be hospitably received by the Tea-Table. I
may add further that “Julius” is now the name of a department merely;
though it has at times sheltered groups of personalities of both sexes,
there has always been one fixed quantity directing these, and that’s he
who now signs
JULIUS.

* * * * *

“These sons belong to me; this wealth belongs to me:” with such
thoughts is a fool tormented. He himself does not belong to himself,
much less sons and wealth.—_Buddhaghosha Parables._

OM.

FOOTNOTES:

[167] The orthodox translation is “When the Most High divided to the
nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set
the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of
Israel.”

[168] From _Leaves of Grass_.

[169] _Chandogya-Upanishad_, vi.

AUM

Let us adore the supremacy of that divine Sun, the Godhead who
illuminates who recreates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all must
return, whom we invoke: may he direct our understanding aright in our
progress toward his holy seat.—_The Gayatri._

The spiritual mind which by study hath forsaken the fruit of
works, and which by wisdom hath cut asunder the bond of doubt,
cannot be brought back to mortal birth by reason of any human
action.—_Bagavad-Gita_, ch. iv.

THE PATH.

VOL. I. MARCH, 1887. NO. 12.

_The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion
or declaration in this magazine, by whomsoever expressed, unless
contained in an official document._

Where any article, or statement, has the author’s name attached, he
alone is responsible, and for those which are unsigned, the Editor will
be accountable.

A YEAR ON THE PATH.

The present issue of this Magazine closes the first year of its
publication. It was not started because its projectors thought that
they alone knew the true Path, but solely out of an intense longing to
direct inquiring minds towards a way which had seemed to many persons
who had tried it, to hold out the possibility of finding an answer to
the burning questions that vex the human heart.

The question is always naturally asked “What is the Path?” or “What is
the Philosophy?” which is the same thing, for of course the following
of any path whatever will depend upon the particular philosophy or
doctrines believed in. The path we had in view is held by us to be
the same one which in all ages has been sought by Heathen, Jew and
Christian alike. By some called the path to Heaven, by others the path
to Jesus, the path to Nirvana, and by the Theosophists the path to
Truth. Jesus has defined it as a narrow, difficult and straight path.
By the ancient Brahmins it has been called, “the small old path leading
far away on which those sages walk who reach salvation;” and Buddha
thought it was a noble fourfold path by which alone the miseries of
existence can be truly surmounted.

But of course mental diversities inevitably cause diversity in the
understanding of any proposition. Thus it happens that Theosophists
have many different views of how the path should be followed, but none
of them disagree with the statement that there must be _one_ Truth,
and that no religion can be called higher than Truth. We therefore
have pursued, as far as possible, a course which is the result of the
belief that the prevalence of similar doctrines in the writings and
traditions of all peoples points to the fact that _the true religion is
that one which will find the basic ideas common to all philosophies and
religions_.

We turned most readily and frequently to the simple declarations found
in the ancient books of India, esteeming most highly that wonderful
epic poem—the Bagavad-Gita. And in that is found a verse that seems to
truly express in powerful words what philosophers have been blindly
grasping after in many directions.

“It is even a portion of myself (the Supreme) that in this material
world is the universal spirit of all things. It draweth together the
five organs and the mind, which is the sixth, in order that it may
obtain a body, and that it may leave it again; and that portion of
myself (Ishwar) having taken them under his charge, accompanieth them
from his own abode as the breeze the fragrance from the flower.”[170]

To catch the light which gleams through this verse, is not for mortal
minds an easy task, and thus it becomes necessary to present as many
views from all minds as can be obtained. But it seems plain that in
every religion is found the belief that that part of man which is
immortal must be a part of the Supreme Being, for there cannot be two
immortalities at once, since that would give to each a beginning, and
therefore the immortal portion of man must be derived from the true and
only immortality.

This immortal spark has manifested itself in many different classes
of men, giving rise to all the varied religions, many of which have
forever disappeared from view. Not any one of them could have been
the whole Truth, but each must have presented one of the facettes of
the great gem, and thus through the whole surely run ideas shared by
all. These common ideas point to truth. They grow out of man’s inner
nature and are not the result of revealed books. But some one people
or another must have paid more attention to the deep things of life
than another. The “Christian” nations have dazzled themselves with the
baneful glitter of material progress. They are not the peoples who will
furnish the clearest clues to the Path. A few short years and they
will have abandoned the systems now held so dear, because their mad
rush to the perfection of their civilization will give them control
over now undreamed of forces. Then will come the moment when they must
choose which of two kind of fruit they will take. In the meantime it is
well to try and show a relation between their present system and the
old, or at least to pick out what grains of truth are in the mass.

In the year just passing we have been cheered by much encouragement
from without and within. Theosophy has grown not only in ten years, but
during the year past. A new age is not far away. The huge, unwieldy
flower of the 19th century civilization, has almost fully bloomed,
and preparation must be made for the wonderful new flower which is to
rise from the old. We have not pinned our faith on Vedas nor Christian
scriptures, nor desired any others to do so. All our devotion to Aryan
literature and philosophy arises from a belief that the millions of
minds who have trodden weary steps before ours, left a path which might
be followed with profit, yet with discrimination. For we implicitly
believe that in this curve of the cycle, the final authority is _the
man himself_. In former times the disclosed Vedas, and later, the
teachings of the great Buddha, were the right authority, in whose
authoritative teachings and enjoined practices were found the necessary
steps to raise Man to an upright position. But the grand clock of the
Universe points to another hour, and now Man must seize the key in his
hands and himself—as a whole—open the gate. Hitherto he has depended
upon the great souls whose hands have stayed impending doom. Let us
then together enter upon another year, fearing nothing, assured of
strength in the Union of Brotherhood. For how can we fear death, or
life, or any horror or evil, at any place or time, when we well know
that even death itself is a part of the dream which we are weaving
before our eyes.

Our belief may be summed up in the motto of the Theosophical Society
“There is no religion higher than Truth,” and our practice consists
in a disregard of any authority in matters of religion and philosophy
except such propositions as from their innate quality we feel to be
true.

WHAT IS TRUE “CHRISTIANITY”?

“Christianity” is a _religion_; but the word “religion” has evidently
three distinct meanings:

1. In the first place it signifies the practice of a certain kind of
spiritual training, by which the higher principles in the constitution
of man are developed and reunited (bound back) to the divine source
to which they belong. In this sense it is the same as _yogism_ (from
_yog_, to bind).

2. In the second aspect it implies the knowledge of the true relation
existing between microcosmic man as a part of the All and the macrocosm
of the spiritual and material universe. In this sense it is a science.

3. In the third and common acceptation of the term, “religion” means a
certain system of forms, ceremonies and usages, by which some supposed
eternal deity is worshipped or propitiated and his favor obtained, so
that the sinner may escape the deserved punishment and evade the law.
In this sense it is a superstition.

To become a “Christian” of the third order, it is merely necessary
to submit to a certain ceremony called baptism, whose mode of
administration varies in the different sects; but it seems that to
become a real Christian some other baptism is necessary, namely, the
baptism of the _water of Truth_, the baptism of _Blood_, and the
baptism of the _living Fire_ of the Spirit.

The first baptism, with the _water of Truth_, means the attainment of
spiritual knowledge, and corresponds to the first of the _four noble
truths_ taught by Buddha: “_right doctrine_.”

The second, or the baptism of _Blood_, is commonly supposed to mean
a shedding of blood by martyrdom, in the defense of a belief in a
historical Christ. But such a process would be a loss of blood and not
a reception of it, and could not properly be called a “baptism.” The
best way to obtain information in regard to this “baptism of blood,”
will be to ask those who have received it or who are receiving it at
present.

There is a certain class of “practical occultists,” whose inner senses
are opened to a great extent, and who have been taught by no one but
the spirit within themselves and their own experience. They say that
the “baptism of blood” means a penetration of the growing spiritual
germ in man, through the flesh and blood and bones of the physical
body, by which even the gross elements of the physical form are
attenuated and purified,[171] and that this process produces pains and
sufferings, typically represented by the suffering, crucifixion and
death of the man Jesus of Nazareth. They say that no one can be a true
follower of Christ, or a “real Christian,” who has not undergone this
baptism of blood, and experienced the pains of crucifixion,[172] but
that man having passed through that occult process becomes an Adept,
when only the highest baptism (or the last initiation)—the baptism
of _Fire_—will be necessary to enter the highest attainable state
(Spiritual Power), and to become a _Son of Light_.

But, it is asked, what has Jesus of Nazareth to do with that process?
How does the latter come to be typified by his suffering, and what is
the _rationale_ of it?

It is claimed that at the beginning of certain historical periods, when
old religious truths are about to be forgotten, and the idolatry of
form assumes the place of true religion, some great spirit (planetary)
appears upon the Earth, incarnated into a human form, and by his
word and _example_ impresses the old truths forcibly upon a number
of receptive minds, to communicate them to others, and thus lay the
foundation of a new religious system, embodying old truths in a new
form.

It is believed that the man Jesus of Nazareth was the mortal form in
which such a Spirit was embodied; the latter being no less than what
I believe every planetary spirit to be—an emanation of the Universal
_Logos_ or the _Word_.[173]

But what is the _Logos_? or, to express it better, how can we form a
conception of it? We can conceive of no other _God_ (or Supreme Good)
but the one which lives within ourselves, and which is said to be the
image of the Universal God reflected in the purified human soul, where
it (He) may attain self-consciousness and the knowledge of self. The
Universal God may be described as the incomprehensible centre from
which proceed the elements of _Love_, _Life_ and _Light_ in the various
modes of manifestation on the different planes. The whole of Nature is
a product of the _Spirit of God_, being poured out throughout the _All_
by the power of _The Word_, which is the _Life_—or _thought_ rendered
active by _will_.

The same process which took place in the eternal Macrocosm of the
Universe, takes place in the inner world belonging to the microcosm
of man. “No one can come to the _Father_, but through the _Son_;”
that is to say: No _God_ will take his seat in the interior temple of
Man, except through the power of the _Word_—in other words; by the
concentration of thought and good will upon the divine germ which
rests in the innermost centre of every human being. If we concentrate
our _Love_ upon that centre of _Good_, the divine germ will begin
its active _Life_, and the interior world will gradually become
illuminated by the _Light_ of the spirit. As this principle grows, it
will penetrate the soul and through the soul all the lower principles,
even the physical body, throwing off the impurities of soul and body,
and the more such impurities are present, the greater will be the
suffering, typically represented by Jesus, until finally the _baptism
of blood_ is completed, the soul purified, the animal _ego_ dead and
the man has become a “Christ” or an _Adept_,—that is to say one in whom
the (6th) _Christ_ principle has taken form.

It will readily be seen that this process is much more difficult to
accomplish, than merely to go to church, pay the dues to the priests,
attend to prayer-meetings and perform the prescribed ceremonies. To
accomplish this process requires a constant meditation of the highest
kind, and a continual employment of will power to keep away the
disturbing elements of evil, which in a person who strives for _light_
are still more boisterous than in one who is indifferent, for as
soon as the spiritual light kindled in the centre begins to radiate
its life-giving rays throughout our interior world, the “_dwellers
of the threshold_”—the evil _egos_, created by evil thoughts and
selfish desires, floating at the periphery of the soul-sphere like
clouds sailing through the atmosphere of our earth, begin to feel the
destroying influence of the central sun and battle for their existence.
Still this atmosphere of evil must be penetrated before we can reach
the luminous centre and the tranquil heaven within, and this is done by
clinging to the principle of Good and virtue whose rays radiate from
the centre. This principle will at first only be felt intuitionally but
as we feed it with good thoughts, it grows and the interior spiritual
senses become opened, so that we may _see_ and _hear_ its voice
distinctly and without any fear of misunderstanding its meaning.

The “below” is always in exact correspondence to and related with
the “above.” We are immersed in an all surrounding but invisible
ocean of life, whose waves pervade our psychic organization, in the
same sense as volumes of air enter our lungs, and as the latter
stimulates the life of the body, likewise the former stimulates the
growth of the elements of the spirit; which draw their substance from
the lower-animal-principles. In the same way the caloric rays of the
sun enter the bodies of plants and stimulate the assimilation of the
elements which are drawn from earth, water and air.

Those who have gone through that occult process, will require no proof
of the truth of these assertions: because they know it to be true
by experience; but the “exoteric Christian” and sceptic, having no
such experience to assist his faith, may arrive at a certain degree
of conviction by using his reasoning powers and logic in conjunction
with the teachings of the _Bible_. Christ is reported in the _New
Testament_ to have said: “Except Ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood, ye have no life in You” (John vi, 53); and again:
“I am the living bread, which came down from heaven; if any man eat
of this bread, he shall live forever” (John vi, 51.) Now this seems
plain enough to every student of occultism, and if translated into
the scientific language of modern occultists, it would mean: “Unless
you absorb and assimilate within your psychic organization the sixth
principle (The Christ), which is the only permanent and immortal
principle in the constitution of Man, you will have no sixth principle
developed within you, and consequently possess no immortal life—at
least as far as Your personality is concerned (for the divine and now
unconscious germ within you cannot die, but will reincarnate again).
But if you absorb the principle or spiritual life and develop the
spirit within you, so that it grows through your flesh and blood,
then will you have drunk from the _Elixir of Life_ and received the
_Baptism of Blood_ and become a _Christian_, an _Adept_; for ‘Christ’
will have taken form in your body, and being himself immortal you will
be immortal through him.”

These views are corroborated by the great Christian mystic _Jacob
Boehme_, by _Jane Leade_, _Paracelsus_, the Rosicrucians, and I can
find nothing in them which would in any way conflict with the _Esoteric
Doctrine_, as taught by the Eastern Adepts. If any difference in
opinion could arise, it could be only, in regard to the person of
_Jesus of Nazareth_ or _Jehoshua_, and whether he lived exactly at the
time claimed by modern Christians. This question I must leave to some
one wiser than myself to settle; but it seems of no great importance to
me; for the existence of the Christ-principle is disputed by none, and
the man, Jesus—having died—can only be a Savior to us at present, if we
study his character and imitate his example.
F. HARTMANN, M. D.

PAPYRUS—THE GEM.

The roads were thronged with the people moving toward the great square,
for it was a feast of the Goddess. The temples were crowded, while long
lines of men and maidens in the robes of “The Sacred” wound in and out
toward the river.

Music and song rose and fell upon the evening breeze, like the pulse of
a throbbing heart. Here and there could be seen the Scribes, and seated
in an open space, the Tale-tellers. One of these, as I rested near him,
told the tale of

ONE WHO FOUND THE GEM.

“In the land of the Wise-men, there dwelt a young man. Many years
had he labored in a strange mine; the ‘Mine of the Priceless
Gems;’—hopefully, bravely, but fruitlessly. He had long known that he
who should find the Master Stone, would be free, be full of peace and
dig no more, for nothing better could be found. He also knew that he
who found the stone should seek to share it with all men.

“Many small stones had he found, but they were laid aside to be used
when the great stone was reached.

“Silently and steadily he worked on, until one gloomy day when he had
grown so weak that he could make but one more effort, that effort was
rewarded, and before him lay the great gem. Weary, weak, but joyful, he
gathered it into his bosom, and went forth to share it with others; for
he who told not of his gem, or shared it not with all men, must lose
the stone.

“Far he wandered, telling his wonderful story, the _finding of the
Priceless Stone_—the stone that made men greater, wiser, more loving
than all things living; the stone that no man could keep unless he gave
it away.

“Far he wandered in his own country, seeking to tell his story and give
of the Stone to each one he met. Silently they listened—gravely they
meditated and gently they said to him: ‘This is Kali-yuga, the dark
age. Come to us a hundred thousand years from now. Until then—the stone
is not for us. It is Karma.’

“Far into another land he wandered, ever trying for the same end.
Gravely they listened, quietly they spoke: ‘Peace be with you. When the
Lotus ceases to bloom and our Sacred River runs dry, come to us. Until
then we need not the stone.’

“Over the seas unto another land he went, for fully he believed that
there they would hear and share with him. The many days of wandering
and the long journey across the sea had made him thin and ragged. He
had not thought of this, but as he told his story he was reminded of it
and many other things, for here the people answered in many ways, and
not always gently.

“Some listened, for his story was new to them, but the gem was uncut,
and they wished it polished.

“Others paused and desired him to tell his story in their tents, for
that would make them exalted and famous, but they wanted not the gem.
As he did not belong to their tribe, it would bring discredit upon them
to receive anything from him.

“One paused to listen and desired some of the stone, but he desired to
use it to elevate his own position and assist him in overreaching his
fellows in bartering and bargaining. The Wanderer was unable to give
any of the stone to such as this one.

“Another listened, but inasmuch as the Wanderer refused to make the gem
float in the air, he would none if it.

“Another heard, but he already knew of a better stone, and was sure he
would find it, because he ate nothing but star-light and moonbeams.

“Another could not receive any of the stone or listen to the story, for
the Wanderer was poor and ragged. Unless he was dressed in purple and
fine linen and told his story in words of oil and honey, he could not
be the possessor of the gem.

“Still another heard, but he knew it was not the gem. As the Wanderer
had been unsuccessful before, surely he could not have found the stone.
Even had he found it, he could not have the proper judgment to divide
it. So he wanted none of the stone.

“Near and far went the Wanderer. Still ever the same. Some wanted it,
but the stone was too hard, or not bright enough. He was not of their
people, or was ignorant. He was too ragged and worn to suit their
ideas, so they wanted none of the stone.

“Saddened, aged and heart-sore, he wandered back to the land of the
Wise men. To one of these he went, telling of his journeyings and that
no man would share with him the magnificent stone, and also of his
sorrow that he too must lose it.

“‘Be not troubled, my son,’ said the Wise One, ‘the stone is for you,
nor can you lose it. He who makes the effort to help his fellow man
is the rightful owner and still possesses the entire stone, although
he has shared it with all the world. To each and every one to whom
you have spoken, although they knew it not, you have given one of the
smaller stones which you first found. It is enough. When the Master
Stone is cut and polished, then is the labor of the fortunate possessor
ended. The long journeying and weary wandering, the sorrow-laden heart
and tear-dimmed eyes, have cut and polished your gem. Behold, it is a
white and a fair stone!’

“Drawing it from his bosom, the Wanderer gazed into the wonderful light
of the stone while an expression of great peace stole over his face.
Folding the gem close to his bosom his eyelids closed, and he fell
asleep, a wanderer no more.”
RAMESES.

HERALDS FROM THE UNSEEN.

“Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be changed.”—I Cor. xv, 51. “I have found the small old path
leading far away.”—UPANISHAD.

To him who without murmuring, confident in the perfect justice of the
law, waits and watches, there comes a herald from heights unseen. The
just man follows him and attains; the unwise may surprise him and
follow also. But when the fool has rushed unbidden in where angels
fear to tread, he meets a mailed Truth with a drawn sword, on whose
point he dies. Now there are two deaths. From the one he may rise,
“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, * * * for the dead shall be
raised,”[174] and this by the vivifying power of truth, if so be he
have one identical incorruptible atom in his spiritual make up, or else
that rash being is dead forever, and the spirit monad creates another
in the dream of three thousand years.

The indivisible Truth in its entirety is incommunicable in the words
of our plane. A clue may indeed be given; it is the herald to those
who await him. It is useless to turn the page to see who this is that
offers the clue. Of myself I know nothing, yet through me may much be
made known. I am the trumpet; through it the herald may proclaim a
mystery.

It was in a night of silence that a Power bade me waken, and drew
me to a dark cave wherein It passed. Not so I, for the entrance was
narrow and I had encumbrances about me. Only many nights later, when I
had parted with effort, hope and fear, did I stand within. All of me
that was essential had entered; this was enough. Then a musical chord
breathed low, the darkness dispersed, and I saw the Unknown Land.

It was a circling land of streams, Light everywhere, flowing, flowing,
flowing. The flow was cadenced and welled from a mysterious Centre of
blackness at the edges of which spouted cataracts of flame. My thought
shrank with awe of the Darkness, but an unknown grasp of Might expanded
within me and drew me to that flaming verge. On the knees of the soul
I fall and am not. I become one with the All, and consciously resting
in Omniscience I know the whole. Yet _what_ forever dwells, wakeful
and brooding with that dark pavillion, nor man nor angel may discover.
Profounder than all Being, _It is_, girt about by unfathomed fires. “Ye
shall enter the light, but ye shall never touch the flame.”[175]

A stir was over that central Dark, a titanic breath, like the sighing
of myriad seas, measured, omnipotent. Where its harmonious friction
fretted the verges of space, the flames burst forth, and with fecund
pulsations gave birth to heat, light, motion and sound. The Centre felt
a boundless attraction for the circumference, pouring toward it with
inexhaustible energy, for “the heart of it is Love.” This was the force
centrifugal, which in a dazzle of starry scintillations thrusts the
universal glooms apart with a song. Were this all, Discord and Division
were the end. But the circumference trembled also with a vast yearning
toward the Centre, so that it ever tended to return there, as the
prodigal, enriched in experience, returns to the mystic house of the
Father. This was the centripetal force, and these two caused the double
vibration of the Astral Light, and they are all you shall know though
you blend with the infinite forever. “Whatever there is, the whole
world when gone forth trembles in His breath: that Brahman is a great
terror, like a drawn sword. They who know it become immortal.”[176]

Then a voice said—“The Absolute evolves thought from Himself, and the
vibration of this thought in the passive wells of space generates Light
and its correlated forces. The Thought is,—‘_Creation!_’ The singing
breath is the Word; the Light is the Absolute made manifest, and the
Universe begins.” At once I saw divergent lances of light pour their
serried splendors into the void, and the point of each spear displaced
the mist which curling backward from the centre of energy thus formed,
communicated the movement to sister vapors in turn. Activities shoot,
play back and forth, elongate, crystalize, and so great planets spring
into the arena, feel the first instinct of separate Being, struggle to
depart,—an estranged Self—in meteoric desolation, when the magnetic
impulse of the Centre streams along the creative ray, meets the
responsive principle, and lo! each chafing Orb, held in leash by Love,
wheels into the circle of attraction and obeys the Law. The astral
world has begun!

Thence presently the Light spreads afresh, reflected and repeated
from every facet of every star, till arrowy glories, vibrant with
each vibration sped forth by the primary pencils of light, in turn
create dull planetary masses in the luminous abyss; then ever renewed
coruscations quicken their dust with whose initial tremor shining
crystals sparkle out and glide together about a glistering ring whose
centre is ever a darkness ruffled by the outreaching current from that
first tinted Gloom. So new spheres form, these, repeating the parent
movement, with wide spreading auras touch and arouse their neighbors,
and interpenetrating, revolving, throwing off, taking on, converging,
diverging, modifying and modified, a world of forms is evolved whose
final expression of Being is Man. Thus further departing, the infinite
variations end in individuality and the greater the individuality, the
more it leans to the centrifugal force, and the lack of equilibrium in
the forces draws man further from the Eternal and he forgets the Law.
His aura, his rays are nerve currents centred in the personality, but
linked by star-beam and moon-ray to the quivering Source of all light,
so that each man vibrating, imparts to the Akasa about him his own
specific rate of vibration, and all men, all things, suspended as it
were in this fine ether which fills the universe, act and react each
on each, every one striving to modify the others to his own vibratory
ratio, while the Light in the same way attacks all, and the battle of
the giants is here. So the final expression of “evil” is inertia, and
the highest attribute of Spirit is the Thought which is Life.

Once again the Voice spoke then saying: “What gives Life?” Someone
answered: “Vibration.” And when It said, “Look back to the earth
world,” I obeyed. I saw the modern sage reducing all the great forces,
all the intoxicating play of colors and the bewildering tangle of
harmonies to this one source,—Vibration. I saw wondering students
bending over sensitive flames that danced or died at the mandate of
sound. I saw a child playing with iron filings on glass, and as he
drew a bow athwart the pane they marshalled into tiny mimicries of
the primitive crystalline creation. I saw the Frost spirit, tracing
his white wonders of tropical forests on vibrant surfaces, blazoning
symbols of summer on the grim escutcheon of the snow. I saw Sound
disintegrating granite and iron, taming wild beasts with a lure,
transforming brothers into demons at the sibilant hiss of a scathing
word.[177] I saw Light fecundating the soil, and the teeming battalions
of the underworld issuing from the palpitating spark in their germs;
the selective art of the flower, choosing the kindred color of her
tribe from all the flashing scale, gave up to me its secret of the
synchronous vibration of that hue with the astral soul within her
fragrant form. Passion I saw also, flaming in two breasts that for one
tumultuous moment became one, and knew it for an instant of similar
vibration. Aye, and saw that Love was a steadfast quality of motion
between loyal hearts, saw too that Anger and Hatred had their rise in
the same source, and mounting upward I saw that Faith was a similitude
of vibration with Truth itself. Again the Voice spoke; “Dost thou see
aught but Vibration anywhere?” I answered: “Such all life is, and from
such all proceeds. He who cons its secret laws and can institute its
musical numbers at will, is a God! He can create and destroy.” “Go
then, and by analogy learn what thou art,” said the Voice, and like
the rebel fraction of a star I fell from Glory, and found myself alone
in the Maya world again, with these words thrilling my brain. “But
He, that Highest Person, who wakes in us while we sleep, shaping one
lovely sight after another, He indeed is called the Light, He is called
Brahman, He alone is called The Immortal. All worlds are founded on It
and no one goes beyond. This is that.”[178]

It is rarely that a man gets the whole of his thought; often others
supply it. Analogy is the power of following a thought into all its
correlations, and I shall ask you to do this in a measure with mine.
These puny pages cannot contain the theme of cycles, and falling
short, it scarce matters by how many pen strokes I fail. Consider this
first; what are we? Look abroad over our Society, largely; we see each
member working on his own particular line. So it must be with man for
ages. When you shall have exhausted your special hobby, when through
astral perception, or mesmeric control or mental acumen, you shall
have attained high powers, the hour of your limitation will strike,
as its awful knell can strike, even from the towers of Futurity, and
you will know that you have not found that corner-stone on which alone
the Eternal rests,—your indivisible Self. “Great ones fall back, even
from the threshold, unable to sustain the weight of responsibility;
unable to pass on.”[179] Follow from the start that solitary beacon
which informs the ultimate goal: _Unity_. Make it your touchstone and
your guide; other stars are reflected lights only. The doctrine of
unselfishness is no sentiment, but of logical, practical utility. The
individual way lies from limited Being, through Becoming, to unlimited
Being, precisely as the universal way lies from sterile Unity, through
Division to fecund Unity, or from the one Life through Death to the
Life of the All. He who in final choice elects the path of Division,
chooses Death eternal. You may indeed wend homeward through the devious
tangle of reflected rays, but how long, how hard are such paths! I
would see your souls with eagle swoop make straight for the Central
Sun. Look then within you. Man! Woman! Are you what you seem? Till this
thought daily; it will bear the harvest of Life.

With analogy for our guide we observe that the first forms of life are
crystalline and have two poles. You man, are also a magnetic sphere
with physical and spiritual poles. On the physical side of the subject
we find modern scientists telling us that man is matter in a state of
low vibration, and thought, matter in a state of high vibration.[180]
In this ascertained view, Spirit is a higher state of vibration than we
at present cognize. “Does the fact look crass and material, threatening
to degrade thy theory of Spirit? Resist it not; it goes to refine and
raise thy theory of matter just as much.”[181] Nor do I say this is
all. Trust your highest ideal to the unconditioned causation lying back
of that primal vibration—Absolute Thought.

The vibrant tension of fixed thought must in time heighten the
vibratory ratio of the man, for tension excites increased pulsation.
This rarefies the density of all bodies, and the friction of
intensified chemical action establishes light, heat and odic force.
The increased porosity of the physical body tends to disengage the
atoms of the astral body, and the generation of a strong odic current
forces it out to the astral world, (always attracting it) all the
sooner because the intensified pulsation of thought-tension sends the
auric emanations further into space, thus draughting a larger portion
of the world-soul to the entity. All vibration being attended with
sound (which may or may not escape the ear) we proceed to examine
tones and find them varying from the lowest of eight vibrations per
second, to the highest known to western science of 24,000 per second.
Remember that the tones of anger, hatred, scorn are all deep notes,
those of cheerfulness, love, hope are treble. Here we discover the
apparently inexplicable effect of spoken words which raise or depress
our vibrations to their own by means of the etheric medium. To resist
the wildfire spread of passion or anger we have but to check the
vibration by holding steadily to our own; this maintained, may raise
that of others, precisely as the high musical note constantly sounded,
raises all lower ones at all related, to its own pitch. Tyndall says:
“Scientific education ought to teach us to see the invisible as well
as the visible in nature; to picture with the vision of the mind those
operations which entirely elude bodily vision; to look at the very
atoms of matter in motion and at rest, and to follow them forth without
once losing sight of them * * to see them integrating themselves in
natural phenomena.” So I shall ask you to imagine a tone at a high rate
of vibration, to see it striking the hearer’s brain at a certain focus,
creating there a centre of energy, which tending to crystallization,
fixes the thought in the mind. And the more permanent duration of
pleasant (which are high) thoughts and tones is evident if we glance
back over a long period of time and note how the joys stand out and
the griefs disappear; so we always forget physical suffering. Moreover
we may see this tone raising his vibratory ratio and glancing off at
an angle of reflection equal to that of incidence, reacting upon the
surrounding ether and upon all hearers. The magical success of eastern
mantras depends upon the exact intonation, which governs the vibratory
result, and the proper intonation of the sacred books, learned from
the priests, doubtless increased their effect. Turning to colors, we
find them varying in vibration from violet 1/60000 inch to red 1/38000
inch, and the violet has greater actinism; so it would seem to follow
that the more extended the undulation the greater the chemical action
and resultant odic force. Hence the tone of animals or man is not such
a poor test of their nature as we might suppose, and a certain clue to
character is given in a preferred color. The higher sounds thus create
greater akasic disturbance through increased undulation. Deleuze in
his work on magnetism says: “The word which indicates our will can
often exert an action. * * The very tones of the magnetizer, being
produced by the vital energy, act upon the organs of the patients.”
Reichenbach proved that all chemical action is a source of odic force,
and the transmertion of air being nothing less, additional witness is
born to the occult power of a word. All mesmerizers are now agreed that
motions and words are unnecessary; the will suffices; what is this
but the tension of fixed thought. Everything in Nature has its own
specific rate of vibration; if we know and can reproduce and heighten
it we can call the thing into existence or pass ourselves within its
consciousness. Hence the old saying that numbers are the names of
things. The “lost word” itself is, doubt it not, a sound of the highest
possible vibration, represented by the Aum, or sound of the eternal
outpour of Light, the Logos of the Christians. The ordinary ear may
not grasp this sound, but Tyndall tells us such are not dead because
they have passed from our ken.[182] When we remember that this astral
vibration can in time elevate that of all matter, we glimpse alike the
great factor of Evolution and of the use of Aum. The thought being
spiritually fixed, an unbroken vital current sets in between the man
and the “One eternal Thinker, thinking non-eternal thoughts. He though
one, fulfils the desire of many. The wise, who perceive Him within
their Self, to them belong eternal joy, eternal peace!”[183] Here we
perceive the force of the repeated injunction to be calm; how else
can the harmonious medium act upon us? “The man who is not calm and
subdued, or whose mind is not at rest, he can never obtain the Self,
even by knowledge.”[184]

Follow me now to the plane of soul. As all things from planet to
molecule have their mystic centre, that of man is found in the heart,
whose systole and diastole are regulated by the double movement of the
Astral Light. There, hemmed about by the light of the semi-material
soul, is the dusky centre, where the spirit may awaken and breathe.
“The self is smaller than small, greater than great, hidden in the
heart of the creature.” Air is breathed by the lungs; the soul breathes
the astral light. As that spiritual monad who is your own Augoides,
breathed first upon the plastic Akasa and drew together the principles
of a man, so It must again breathe upon this silent centre to create
the spiritual man. It does not inhabit him, It overshadows him. It
is his “Father in Heaven” to whom Jesus bade him pray; his Creator.
In each heart stands this shrouded altar to an unknown God. “Whom ye
therefore ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.” He has created
the physical man hundreds of times, for His mission is unfulfilled
until through Evolution, He shall have made “one higher than the
angels.” In that illimitable future which evades the mind, my soul sees
ultimate beings in their glory, raise the swelling tide of Being higher
still. So Divinity raises Itself by Itself and man expands God. Here is
the adhesion of Jesus to the destiny latent in Humanity. “Be ye perfect
as your Father in Heaven is also perfect.”
JASPER NIEMAND, F. T. S.
(_Concluded in April._)

THOUGHTS IN SOLITUDE.

II.

The votaries of Religions that preach salvation only through the
acceptance of their dogmas must inevitably be more or less animated by
the proselytising spirit, and the more pretentious the claims of power
to save by the inculcation of orthodox opinion, the more urgent must
appear the necessity to spread those opinions as widely as possible.
Indeed it seems imperative on one who holds such a faith in his heart
of hearts, that he should spend his life in trying to spread it.

But when the true philosophic thought is attained and the law of Karma
with its infinite ramifications realized as the all pervading power,
how vain will seem all attempts to control or even deeply affect the
destiny of others. Truly Occultism teaches the widest tolerance, and
though its student will doubtless as formerly try to influence all who
are brought into contact with him in his journey through life, and if
possible instil into them the thoughts that actuate him and give his
life a definite purpose, yet will he realize that over his own life
alone has he paramount power. He may exercise his worldly wisdom as the
sower of seed, may avoid what is most patently the rocky or the thorny
ground, but he will gradually learn to cease to look for results from
even the most promising, and will rise more and more on the wings of
devotion to the true giver of the increase.

While therefore it is a subject for satisfaction if the Theosophical
Society should indeed prove to be the dawn of that better hope
for mankind the nucleus of that Universal Brotherhood which shall
overspread all lands, and which shall plant in the hearts of men the
Science-Religion along whose lines will move the spiritual progress of
all future Humanity, yet as a Society it can scarcely be expected to be
free from the imperfections inherent in all organization, which being
of the earth is necessarily earthly—and after all it is a matter of
very small moment in what form truth is given to the world. This only
is certain that truth must advance that no man can stay the wheel of
evolution—that the Divine Wisdom which we believe animates us will one
day be recognized by all mankind as the only solution of the problem of
the Universe, and as the guide to Life Eternal.

And Destiny will not be hurried—spite of our impatience—any more than
she can be retarded. The evil Karma of the World must work itself out.
The unclean man let him be unclean still, let him measure every depth
of vice and taste of every spring of passion till the hour strikes for
him also and his painful upward progress has to begin. So have the
Rishis done who went before us, so have we done in past existences,
indeed we may have but extricated ourselves from the slough, and the
mire may still be clinging to our feet. For no man can transcend
experience, and all earthly places, foul and clean alike, must be
trodden by him. Nor when the words or acts of others come into direct
antagonism with our own personality, any more than when the cruelty
and injustice in the world at large are brought painfully before us,
shall we continue to blame the actors, or allow the old prejudices
“with their lurid colourings of passion” to dominate us any longer, for
the true philosophic thought will have taught us to recognize that all
acts are but the result of the “Three Qualities” blended in infinite
combination—the great Karma of the World working itself out.

The deeper one looks into this Western Civilization of ours, and the
more one realizes in what degrading depths its masses are sunk, in what
heartless frivolity so many of the more opulent spend their lives, and
in what superstitious intolerance its so-called Religious World moves,
it seems indeed a forlorn hope to attempt to carry conviction of the
Occult Truth or expect a widespread acceptance of it. But though this
age of Darkness may exhibit an appalling depth of materiality, yet in
all ages of the world, the blind multitude are many and the lovers of
Wisdom few. And indeed this love of Wisdom is no light attainment,
but one for which the soul has been educated through life times of
experience and paroxysms of pain, for while the gratification of any
of the senses still continues to give supreme satisfaction, there is
no room in the soul for Theosophic thought. Not until by the slow
education of repeated experience it is realized that the senses can
no longer satisfy, that even the higher joys of communion with ones
kind—though culminating in the ideal union of two souls—are but steps
in the ladder to the Supreme Thought, can any true idea of the Divine
Wisdom have been formed. Indeed a time will come for the student when
the gratification of the senses will actually cause pain. It may be
ushered in for one through the sense of sight, when the most beautiful
scenery of earth, and the most perfect combinations of mountain wood
and water only accentuate by their faint reflex the passionate desire
for that land which no eye hath seen, that land which no eye can see.
Or the symphonies of earthly music which once enthralled the soul may
raise the longing for the song of the celestial choir to that ecstatic
point where it becomes unrecognisable from pain. And so the student is
driven inward to find at last his refuge in pure Thought, and he begins
to perceive that the Eternal World of ideas is the only real World, the
only one in which pure Being is to be found, and that this phenomenal
existence is indeed but the circling of the nets of delusion, the
restless tossing of the false salt waves of sense which reward “with
droughts that double thirst” the deluded souls that float on them.

The more the student lives in this ideal world, the more will he find
that the association with those whose interests are exclusively centred
on earthly things becomes repugnant to him, and that even the calls of
duty to descend from the tranquil heights of Thought, to the jarring
discord of action in the world, are responded to with increasing pain,
though duty in such cases is likely to be in process of changing her
sphere of action. When the inner struggles of one still bound by ties
of earth suggest such thoughts as these, surely the isolation from
contact with the rude world of the most spiritual men, those who have
achieved the sublime heights of Mahatmaship, is no longer a thing to
wonder at, but becomes apparent as an absolute necessity.

The desires above referred to of seeing the invisible, and realizing
the divine, will probably if practised continuously enough, and with
sufficient intensity, be the prelude to some partial lifting of the
veil, when the ecstatic may reap in a moment of beatific vision more
than he ever dreamed of, and receive accretion of strength for the
coming years, though this is more likely to be the immediate reward
of some supreme self-devotion whether in act or thought, and when the
words of Krishna, “near to renunciation—very near—dwelleth eternal
peace” will flash upon the soul as truth that requires no word of
mortal man to give it authority.

But woe to the man who unduly cultivates his spiritual faculties
without being a complete master of his lower nature—the beast below
will turn and rend him some day—the little bit of lust unconquered may
be the means of his complete undoing. For as his astral consciousness
develops his whole being intensifies, including the small unconquered
part of his physical nature, which he will then have to fight upon
the Astral plane, in far more terrible struggle than had he conquered
on the physical. It becomes in fact what is symbolically known as the
“Dweller on the threshold” that has to be fought and conquered before
the neophyte can aspire to gain the first glimmering of vision on
the true spiritual plane. For it must always be remembered that our
nature is threefold, “body, soul and spirit” as the initiate St. Paul
expressed it, and until the personality has transferred all its forces
unto the soul plane, it cannot expect to attain to that of spirit.
From this it will be evident how necessary it is to live more and more
continuously in the Eternal Thought until all fleshly appetites and
desires of sense die off by sheer inanition.

The vague dreams with which life began, and which the child with
memories fresh from “that imperial palace whence he came” pictured
in a material way of a golden city with walls of jasper and with
gates of pearl, and into which no unclean thing was permitted to
enter, are lost for a while in the frenzied rush of youth and early
manhood, but maturer years bring them back with an added pathos and a
more spiritualized meaning. It is indeed the Golden city we all seek
for—“the city that hath foundations whose builder and whose maker is
God.”
PILGRIM.

[Illustration:]

HINDU SYMBOLISM.

IV.

AUM symbolized as in unison with the attributes of the Trimurti, as
the symbolic foundation of the elementary universe. This has a certain
connection with figures Nos. 1 and 2 and 3.

The idea is to represent the mystic body of Brahman (neuter) and the
ideal type of the Trimurti. The representation is of a four-handed
cloud picture. A wreath of clouds forms the outline of the head which
is without any tiara. Two suns indicate the eyes without lids, always
open. This symbolism is also found in the Hebrew books, _e. g._ the
Zohar. The nose and eyebrows are formed by a palm tree divided on the
top, in the centre. This tree was considered as androgynous. The mouth
is merely an opening in the clouds; from it emanate, four principal
rays, the four-worlds of the Kabbalah. AUM is winged, Brahman (neuter)
is not, for the latter is also AUM—Prana, the breath of the highest
life and mystic carrier of the Will of Brahman (neuter). AUM is the
bird of the Brahman Desire or Wish.

The four hands of AUM are holding the architypes of the four elements,
fire, water, air, earth, in their height and depth. The lower are
supporting the Himalayah Mountains, the mountains of the gods. From
which comes the German Himmel _i. e._ Heaven. The linga yoni is shown
as the symbol of all the creative and emanative powers which lie in
the mystic cloud garment of AUM. In this figure are nearly all the
principal symbols of the Brahmanical religious metaphysics.

The bond which unites Prakriti to Brahman (neuter) is Prana, the
subtile body of Brahman, the form of the Being, the divine breath, the
principle of the organism, the respiration so to say, of the Deity; in
Sanscrit it also means “breath of man,” more correctly it is AUM, the
first form of the creator, the Sun engendered before Time, the first
Word (the Logos) which went from Its mouth, the ‘Hokhmah or Wisdom of
the Kabbalah, when It prepared Its work, the creative Word. Prana and
AUM are confounded in Maya, and as it, they have formed the Cow. AUM is
the son of Maya as he is the son of Brahman (neuter), because Maya is
Brahman. AUM is the first born Word or Logos of the Deity, the Memrah
of the Jews, the Honover of the Persians, the origin of the Vedas. It
has revealed and manifested all the emanated things, the so-called
creation. It appeared before all things, and contains all qualities,
all the elements, and is the name and body of Brahman (neuter), and
consequently as infinite as It. The Will, Desire, Word is the master
architect and creator of all the things. Brahma meditating upon the
divine Word, therein found the primitive water, the common bond of
all the creatures, the primitive fire, and the Trimurti of the Vedas,
also the worlds and universal harmony of all the things. The image of
AUM is the Cow, which is also a symbol of the universe. The universe
was concealed and at first was hidden under the waters, and the waters
were in Atma. These waters are those without any shores, all that which
exists is water, and the water and AUM make but one; these primitive
waters are the sea of Maya, the celestial ocean of all existence.

There are to be found further in this symbolical picture many other
suggestions flowing from the Ancient Aryan or Hindu system. That system
is believed to contain in germ all the others which have since arisen,
as: the Hermetic, the Jewish, the Christian and others. Space, however,
forbids a more extended explanation at present, and the student is
recommended to study the four which have appeared in this magazine.
ISAAC MYER.

THROUGH THE GATES OF GOLD.

The most notable book for guidance in Mysticism which has appeared
since _Light on the Path_ was written has just been published under
the significant title of “Through the Gates of Gold.”[185] Though the
author’s name is withheld, the occult student will quickly discern that
it must proceed from a very high source. In certain respects the book
may be regarded as a commentary on _Light on the Path_. The reader
would do well to bear this in mind. Many things in that book will be
made clear by the reading of this one, and one will be constantly
reminded of that work, which has already become a classic in our
literature. Through the Gates of Gold is a work to be kept constantly
at hand for reference and study. It will surely take rank as one of the
standard books of Theosophy.

The “Gates of Gold” represent the entrance to that realm of the soul
unknowable through the physical perceptions, and the purpose of
this work is to indicate some of the steps necessary to reach their
threshold. Through its extraordinary beauty of style and the clearness
of its statement it will appeal to a wider portion of the public than
most works of a Theosophical character. It speaks to the Western World
in its own language, and in this fact lies much of its value.

Those of us who have been longing for some thing “practical” will find
it here, while it will probably come into the hands of thousands who
know little or nothing of Theosophy, and thus meet wants deeply felt
though unexpressed. There are also doubtless many, we fancy, who will
be carried far along in its pages by its resistless logic until they
encounter something which will give a rude shock to some of their old
conceptions, which they have imagined as firmly based as upon a rock—a
shock which may cause them to draw back in alarm, but from which they
will not find it so easy to recover, and which will be likely to set
them thinking seriously.

The titles of the five chapters of the book are, respectively, “The
Search for Pleasure,” “The Mystery of Threshold,” “The Initial Effort,”
“The Meaning of Pain,” and “The Secret of Strength.” Instead of
speculating upon mysteries that lie at the very end of man’s destiny,
and which cannot be approached by any manner of conjecture, the work
very sensibly takes up that which lies next at hand, that which
constitutes the first step to be taken if we are ever to take a second
one, and teaches us its significance. At the outset we must cope with
sensation and learn its nature and meaning. An important teaching of
_Light on the Path_ has been misread by many. We are not enjoined to
kill out sensation, but to “kill out _desire_ for sensation,” which
is something quite different “Sensation, as we obtain it through the
physical body, affords us all that induces us to live in that shape,”
says this work. The problem is, to extract the meaning which it holds
for us. That is what existence is for. “If men will but pause and
consider what lessons they have learned from pleasure and pain, much
might be guessed of that strange thing which causes these effects.”

“The question concerning results seemingly unknowable, that concerning
the life beyond the Gates,” is presented as one that has been
asked throughout the ages, coming at the hour “when the flower of
civilization had blown to its full, and when its petals are but slackly
held together,” the period when man reaches the greatest physical
development of his cycle. It is then that in the distance a great
glittering is seen, before which many drop their eyes bewildered and
dazzled, though now and then one is found brave enough to gaze fixedly
on this glittering, and to decipher something of the shape within it.
“Poets and philosophers, thinkers and teachers, all those who are the
‘elder brothers of the race’—have beheld this sight from time to time,
and some among them have recognized in the bewildering glitter the
outlines of the Gates of Gold.”

Those Gates admit us to the sanctuary of man’s own nature, to the place
whence his life-power comes, and where he is priest of the shrine
of life. It needs but a strong hand to push them open, we are told.
“The courage to enter them is the courage to search the recesses of
one’s own nature without fear and without shame. In the fine part, the
essence, the flavor of the man, is found the key which unlocks those
great Gates.”

The necessity of killing out the sense of separateness is profoundly
emphasized as one of the most important factors in this process. We
must divest ourselves of the illusions of the material life. “When
we desire to speak with those who have tried the Golden Gates and
pushed them open, then it is very necessary—in fact it is essential—to
discriminate, and not bring into our life the confusions of our sleep.
If we do, we are reckoned as madmen, and fall back into the darkness
where there is no friend but chaos. This chaos has followed every
effort of man that is written in history; after civilization has
flowered, the flower falls and dies, and winter and darkness destroy
it.” In this last sentence is indicated the purpose of civilization. It
is the blossoming of a race, with the purpose of producing a certain
spiritual fruit; this fruit having ripened, then the degeneration of
the great residuum begins, to be worked over and over again in the
grand fermenting processes of reincarnation. Our great civilization
is now flowering and in this fact we may read the reason for the
extraordinary efforts to sow the seed of the Mystic Teachings wherever
the mind of man may be ready to receive it.

In the “Mystery of Threshold,” we are told that “only a man who has
the potentialities in him both of the voluptuary and the stoic has any
chance of entering the Golden Gates. He must be capable of testing
and valuing to its most delicate fraction every joy existence has to
give; and he must be capable of denying himself all pleasure, and that
without suffering from the denial.”

The fact that the way is different for each individual is finely set
forth in “The Initial Effort,” in the words that man “may burst the
shell that holds him in darkness, tear the veil that hides him from the
eternal, at any moment where it is easiest for him to do so; and most
often this point will be where he least expects to find it.” By this we
may see the uselessness of laying down arbitrary laws in the matter.

The meaning of those important words, “All steps are necessary to make
up the ladder,” finds a wealth of illustration here. These sentences
are particularly pregnant: “Spirit is not a gas created by matter,
and we cannot create our future by forcibly using one material agent
and leaving out the rest. Spirit is the great life on which matter
rests, as does the rocky world on the free and fluid ether; whenever we
can break our limitations we find ourselves on that marvellous shore
where Wordsworth once saw the gleam of the gold.” Virtue, being of the
material life, man has not the power to carry it with him, “yet the
aroma of his good deeds is a far sweeter sacrifice than the odor of
crime and cruelty.”

“To the one who has lifted the golden latch the spring of sweet waters,
the fountain itself whence all softness arises, is opened and becomes
part of his heritage. But before this can be reached a heavy weight
has to be lifted from the heart, an iron bar which holds it down and
prevents it from arising in its strength.”

The author here wishes to show that there is sweetness and light in
occultism, and not merely a wide dry level of dreadful Karma, such as
some Theosophists are prone to dwell on. And this sweetness and light
may be reached when we discover the iron bar and raising it shall
permit the heart to be free. This iron bar is what the Hindus call “the
knot of the heart!” In their scriptures they talk of unloosing this
knot, and say that when that is accomplished freedom is near. But what
is the iron bar and the knot? is the question we must answer. It is the
astringent power of self—of egotism—of the idea of separateness. This
idea has many strongholds. It hold its most secret court and deepest
counsels near the far removed depths and centre of the heart. But it
manifests itself first, in that place which is nearest to our ignorant
preceptions, where we see it first after beginning the search. When
we assault and conquer it there it disappears. It has only retreated
to the next row of outworks where for a time it appears not to our
sight, and we imagine it killed, while it is laughing at our imaginary
conquests and security. Soon again we find it and conquer again, only
to have it again retreat. So we must follow it up if we wish to grasp
it at last in its final stand just near the “kernel of the heart”.
There it has become an “iron bar that holds down the heart”, and there
only can the fight be really won. That disciple is fortunate who is
able to sink past all the pretended outer citadels and seize at once
this _personal devil_ who holds the bar of iron, and there wage the
battle. If won there, it is easy to return to the outermost places and
take them by capitulation. This is very difficult, for many reasons.
It is not a mere juggle of words to speak of this trial. It is a
living tangible thing that can be met by any real student. The great
difficulty of rushing at once to the centre lies in the unimaginable
terrors which assault the soul on its short journey there. This being
so it is better to begin the battle on the outside in just the way
pointed out in this book and _Light on the Path_, by testing experience
and learning from it.

In the lines quoted the author attempts to direct the eyes of a very
materialistic age to the fact which is an accepted one by all true
students of occultism, that the true heart of a man-which is visibly
represented by the muscular heart—is the focus point for spirit, for
knowledge, for power; and that from that point the converged rays begin
to spread out fan-like, until they embrace the Universe. So it is the
Gate. And it is just at that neutral spot of concentration that the
pillars and the doors are fixed. It is beyond it that the glorious
golden light burns, and throws up a “burnished glow.” We find in this
the same teachings as in the Upanishads. The latter speaks of “the
ether which is within the heart,” and also says that we must pass
across that ether.

“The Meaning of Pain” is considered in a way which throws a great
light on the existence of that which for ages has puzzled many learned
men. “Pain arouses, softens, breaks, and destroys. Regarded from a
sufficiently removed standpoint, it appears as a medicine, as a knife,
as a weapon, as a poison, in turn. It is an implement, a thing which
is used, evidently. What we desire to discover is, who is the user;
what part of ourselves is it that demands the presence of this thing so
hateful to the rest?”

The task is, to rise above both pain and pleasure and unite them to
our service. “Pain and pleasure stand apart and separate, as do the
two sexes; and it is in the merging, the making the two into one, that
joy and deep sensation and profound peace are obtained. Where there is
neither male nor female, neither pain nor pleasure, there is the god in
man dominant; and then is life real.”

The following passage can hardly fail to startle many good people:
“Destiny, the inevitable, does indeed exist for the race and for the
individual; but who can ordain this save the man himself? There is no
clew in heaven or earth to the existence of any ordainer other than
the man who suffers or enjoys that which is ordained.” But can any
earnest student of Theosophy deny, or object to this? Is it not a
pure statement of the law of Karma? Does it not agree perfectly with
the teaching of the Bhagavat-Gita? There is surely no power which
sits apart like a judge in court, and fines us or rewards us for this
misstep or that merit; it is we who shape, or ordain, our own future.

God is not denied. The seeming paradox that a God exists within each
man is made clear when we perceive that our separate existence is an
illusion; the physical, which makes us separate individuals, must
eventually fall away, leaving each man one with all men, and with God,
who is the Infinite.

And the passage which will surely be widely misunderstood is that in
“The secret of strength.” “Religion holds a man back from the path,
prevents his stepping forward, for various very plain reasons. First,
it makes the vital mistake of distinguishing between good and evil.
Nature knows no such distinctions.” Religion is always man-made.
It cannot therefore be the whole truth. It is a good thing for the
ordinary and outside man, but surely it will never bring him to the
Gates of Gold. If religion be of God how is it that we find that same
God in his own works and acts violating the precepts of religion?
He kills each man once in life; every day the fierce elements and
strange circumstances which he is said to be the author of, bring on
famine, cold and innumerable untimely deaths; where then, in The True,
can there be any room for such distinctions as right and wrong? The
disciple, must as he walks on the path, abide by law and order, but
if he pins his faith on any religion whatever he will stop at once,
and it makes no matter whether he sets up Mahatmas, Gods, Krishna,
Vedas or mysterious acts of grace, each of these will stop him and
throw him into a rut from which even heavenly death will not release
him. Religion can only teach morals and ethics. It cannot answer the
question “what am I?” The Buddhist ascetic holds a fan before his eyes
to keep away the sight of objects condemned by his religion. But he
thereby gains no knowledge, for that part of him which is affected by
the improper sights has to be known by the man himself, and it is by
experience alone that the knowledge can be possessed and assimilated.

The book closes gloriously, with some hints that have been much needed.
Too many, even of the sincerest students of occultism, have sought
to ignore that one-half of their nature, which is here taught to be
necessary. Instead of crushing out the animal nature, we have here
the high and wise teaching that we must learn to fully understand the
animal and subordinate it to the spiritual. “The god in man, degraded,
is a thing unspeakable in its infamous power of production. The animal
in man, elevated, is a thing unimaginable in its great powers of
service and of strength,” and we are told that our animal self is a
great force, the secret of the old-world magicians, and of the coming
race which Lord Lytton foreshadowed. “But this power can only be
attained by giving the god the sovereignty. Make your animal ruler over
your self, and he will never rule others.”

This teaching will be seen to be identical with that of the closing
words of “The Idyll of the White Lotus”: “He will learn how to expound
spiritual truths, and to enter into the life of his highest self, and
he can learn also to hold within him the glory of that higher self,
and yet to retain life upon this planet so long as it shall last, if
need be; to retain life in the vigor of manhood, till his entire work
is completed, and he has taught the three truths to all who look for
light.”

There are three sentences in the book which ought to be imprinted in
the reader’s mind, and we present them inversely:

“Secreted and hidden in the heart of the world and the heart of man is
the light which can illumine all life, the future and the past.”

“On the mental steps of a million men Buddha passed through the Gates
of Gold; and because a great crowd pressed about the threshold he was
able to leave behind him words which prove that those gates will open.”

“This is one of the most important factors in the development of
man, the recognition—profound and complete recognition—of the law of
universal unity and coherence.”

CONSIDERATIONS ON MAGIC.

We hear a good deal nowadays and are likely to hear still more of
occult science. In this regard we may as well accept the inevitable.
All things have their day, and all things revolve in cycles; they come
and go, and come again, though never twice the same. Even our very
thoughts conform to this universal law. The life, the teachings, and
the fate of Pythagoras are involved in mystery, but the fate of the
schools which he established and of the followers who succeeded him
are matters of history. The slaughter of the Magi stands over against
the abuses and abominations which were perpetrated in their name, and
doubtless by many styling themselves Magicians.

It is not the object of this brief paper to attempt to define
magic, or elucidate occult Science as such, but rather to suggest a
few considerations which are of vital import at the present time,
equally important to those who utterly deny to magic any more than an
imaginative basis, as to those who convinced of its existence as a
science, are, or are to become investigators. In both the publications
and conversations of the day, frequently occur the expressions “black
magic,” and “white magic” and those who follow these studies are
designated as followers of the “_left hand path_,” or the “_right
hand path_“. It ought to be understood that up to a certain point all
students of magic, or occultism, journey together. By and by is reached
_a place where two roads meet_, or where the common path divides, and
the _awful voice from the silence_, heard only in the recesses of the
individual soul utters the stern command: ”_Choose ye this day whom ye
will serve._” Instead of black and white magic, read, black and white
_motive_.

The student of occultism is rushing on his destiny, but up to a certain
point that destiny is in his own hands, though he is constantly shaping
his course, freeing his soul from the trammels of sense and self, or
becoming entangled in the web, which, with warp and woof will presently
clothe him as with a garment without a seam.

If early in the race he finds it difficult to shake off his chains, let
him remember that at every step they grow more and more tyrannical,
and often before the goal is reached where the ways divide, the battle
is lost or won, and the decision there is only a matter of form. That
decision once made is irrevocable, or so nearly so that no exception
need be made. Man lives at once in two worlds: the natural and the
spiritual, and as in the natural plane he influences his associates,
and is in turn influenced by them, so let him not imagine that in the
spiritual plane he is alone. This will be a fatal mistake for the
dabbler in magic, or the student in occultism. Throughout this vast
universe, the good will seek the good, and the evil the evil, each will
be unconsciously _drawn to its own kind_.

But when man faces his destiny in full consciousness of the issues
involved, as he must before the final decision is reached, he will
be no longer unconscious of these influences, but will recognize his
companions: companions, alas! no longer, _Masters_ now, inhuman,
pitiless; and the same law of attraction which has led him along the
tortuous path, unveils its face, and by affinity of evil, the slave
stands in the presence of his master, and the fiends that have all
along incited him to laugh at the miseries of his fellow men, and
trample under his feet every kindly impulse, every tender sympathy,
now make the measureless hells within his own soul resound with their
laughter at him, the poor deluded fool whose selfish pride and ambition
have stifled and at last obliterated his humanity.

Blind indeed is he who cannot see why those who are in possession of
arcane wisdom, hesitate in giving it out to the world, and when in the
cycles of time its day has come, they put forth the only doctrine which
has power to save and bless, UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD, with all that the
term implies.

There may be those who have already in this new era, entered the
left-hand road. But now as of old, “by their works ye shall know them”.
To labor with them is in vain. Selfishness, pride and lust for power
are the signs by which we may know them. They may not at once cast
off disguise, and they will never deceive the true Theosophist. They
can nevertheless deceive to their ruin the ignorant, the curious, the
unwary, and it is for such as these that these lines are penned, and
the worst of it is, that these poor deluded souls, are led to believe
that no such danger exists, and this belief is fortified by the
so-called scientists, who are quoted as authority, and who ridicule
everything but rank materialism. Yet notwithstanding all this, these
simple souls flutter like moths around the flame till they are drawn
within the vortex. It is better a million times, that the proud, the
selfish and time-serving should eat, drink and be merry, and let
occultism alone, for these propensities unless speedily eradicated,
will bear fruit and ripen into quick harvests, and the wages thereof is
death, literally the “_second death_”.

The purpose of Theosophy is to eradicate these evil tendencies of man,
so that whether on the ordinary planes of daily life, or in the higher
occult realms, the Christ shall be lifted up, and draw all men unto him.

“Man’s inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn.”

The Christs of all the ages have preached this one doctrine: Charity
and Brotherhood of Man. To deny the law of charity is to deny the
Christ. The Theosophical Society is not responsible for unveiling to
the present generation the occult nature of man. Modern Spiritualism
had already done this; nor is the responsibility to be charged to the
Spiritualists, for these unseen forces had revealed themselves in the
fullness of time, and many millions had become convinced, many against
their wills, of the reality of the unseen universe. These things _are
here_, and neither crimination, or recrimination is of any use. The
responsibility therefore, rests entirely with the individual, as to
what use he makes of his opportunities, as to his purposes and aims,
and as he advances in his course, involved in the circle of necessity,
he influences whether he will or no, those whose spheres of life touch
at any point his own. _As ye sow, so shall ye also reap._ By and by the
cycle will close and both the evil and the good will return like bread
cast upon the waters. This is a law of all life.

Imagine not that they are weak and vacillating souls who enter the
left-hand road: Lucifer was once a prince of light, admitted to the
councils of the Most High. He fell through pride, and dragged downward
in his fall all who worshiped the demon pride. This is no foolish
fable, but a terrible tragedy, enacted at the gates of paradise, in
the face of the assembled universe, and reënacted in the heart of
man, the epitome of all. Only Infinite pity can measure the downfall
of such an one, only Infinite love disarm by annihilation, and so put
an end to unendurable woe, and that only when the cycle is complete,
the measure of iniquity balanced by its measure of pain. Occultism
and magic are not child’s-play, as many may learn to their sorrow, as
many visitants of dark circles have already and long ago discovered.
Better give dynamite to our children as a plaything, than Magic to
the unprincipled, the thoughtless, the selfish and ignorant. Let all
who have joined the Theosophical Society remember this, and search
their hearts before taking the first step in any magical formulary.
_The motive determines all._ Occult power brings with it unknown and
unmeasured responsibility.

If in the secret councils of the soul, where no eye can see, and no
thought deceive that divine spark conscience, we are ready to forget
self, to forego pride, and labor for the well-being of man, then may
the upright man face his destiny, follow this guide and fear no evil.
Otherwise it were far better that a millstone were hung about his neck,
and he were cast into the depths of the sea.
PYTHAGORAS.

TEA TABLE TALK.

The Tea Table has had a sensation!

Do you remember the case of “Chalanka”? He was the “Fallen Idol,” in
Anstey’s book of that name, and played the very deuce with people
and bric-a-brac alike. There’s a deal of truth in that clever little
satire, and the author shows up the elementals quite correctly without
in the least suspecting it.

The Chalanka of the Tea Table arrived very demurely one winter
afternoon, per Adams Express, in a promising box which bore the mark
of a great china firm and contained as well, securely moored in its
harbor of cotton wool, a tea-pot which the Tea Table pronounced
“Adorable” were it not smashed. Nothing else was near this brittle
loveliness save and except Chalanka. To all appearances he was a
pencil sketch of the head of a young Brahmin of high caste, folded in
the typical turban. The drawing is powerful and the subtle sidelong
glance of the eyes to the extreme left has one peculiarity, viz: if
you come round from behind the picture on the extreme right, the eyes
meet you equally, and so from any position. I cannot escape that dark
and searching gaze. Still, one would say there was nothing dynamic
about a sketch, and yet the tea-pot arrived literally crushed to
pieces within its perfect casing, and the indignant ladies, with the
acumen of their sex, soon spotted Chalanka and held him responsible.
Presently I noticed that everyone had a more or less sidelong glance
in return for his, towards where he glowered from an étagère on which
we had put him, and in the course of the social hour I collected these
remarks upon him.

_The Professor_, sauntering up.—“H-m. Who have we here? The fellow has
a beautiful face and—the devil’s in it!”

_Sue._ “Goodness! who’s that? Makes me feel like when I step down in
the dark.”

_The Mother._ “That man’s face is not human.”

_The Widow._ “I have it! I wondered what Chalanka made me think
of. Don’t you know that thing in the Bible about ‘the serpent that
listeneth not to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely?’”
(The Widow was wiser than she knew.)

_The Student._ “You ladies always go in for poetry. Now he looks to
me as if he said,—‘Get me if you can, my boy; if you don’t, _I’ll get
you_!’” Great sensation and nervous shivers from the ladies, followed
by instant demands for the lamp. The maid who brings it being observed
to fix a fascinated gaze on Chalanka, is asked what she thinks of him.
After a little urgency she replies. “That gentlemaen’s so sad, ain’t
he? I do’n’ know, he’s unnatr’al like. Seems like there’s somethin’ he
can’t get over.” Flings her apron over her head suddenly, and breaks
from the room. Apologizes later and says “nerves is in her family” but
always thereafter calls Chalanka “that gentleman,” as for instance;
“I couldn’t bring meself to dust that gentleman.” Or, “I knocked that
gentleman down but he ain’t hurt.”

Now the curious fact about the above remarks is this: A fellow F. T.
S. felt impelled to draw one night. As he did so, a mist gathered near
him, and gradually this Brahmin stood plainly before him, just as the
sketch shows him, with his magnetic gaze which affects everyone who
sees him. Many callers come into the room where the 5 by 8 drawing
stands inconspicuously, surrounded by all the Heaven-only-knows-what,
of modern decoration, but the Tea Table has yet to see the person who
does not comment upon Chalanka with a baffled sense of mystery. The
artist, a student well up in such matters and a man of unimpeachable
veracity, knew his strange visitor for an elemental who assumed
that shape to attract attention, the artist knowing many Hindus and
thinking often of them.

What do you suppose it is that tells the story of this silent,
watchful face, even to the incurious? Does some odic fluid inhere
in it, or does the clue rest with the akasic vibrations from it? In
consequence of its arrival, conversation has turned to coincidences,
and from this I have collected the following items of interest:

A. “I dreamed the other night that I had a talk with a fellow student;
next day he told me he dreamed same night—that I came and said: ‘I’m
tired of your nonsense; you must get serious.’ That was just what I
dreamed I had said to him myself. So when Father died; four times my
Brother and I dreamed on the same night that we saw Father and talked
with him on the same subject.”

C. “Three times I dreamed of getting a letter in a blue envelope,
each time I received one such next day. Dreamed one night of reading
_Sun_ paragraph that a new gun shield had come out to shield artillery
men. Next morning’s _Sun_ had the exact paragraph. I had never
previously thought of gun shields. Another night I dreamed I was in a
town all on fire. Next morning’s _Sun_ had an account of the burning
of Little Rock, Ark.”

W. had some second sight in his family. One night when twelve years
old, in Roumania, as he lay down in his bed, on looking towards the
foot of the bed saw in the bright gaslight the head and shoulders of
a beautiful child. He was very much frightened: his brother, who was
with him saw nothing. A few years later W. emigrated to the U. S.,
married later in life, and his first child, a boy, grew up to be the
exact image of the vision which had gone out of his mind until the
developed features of the child reproduced it. The same lad when 11,
desired a dictionary, but could not find it after much search. The
same night he dreamed that he got up and took it from a certain other
shelf: looked the next morning and there it was.

Several curious instances of thought sent ahead have also been sent in
to the Tea Table, where persons seemed to see some one they knew and
in a few moments met a member of that family.

Some one suggested that the sketch might represent a black magician,
(Dugpa) and the mother asks me what such a man really was. I had just
been reading a Hindu MSS on this subject and I was able to explain,
vide its able pages, as follows: As the Yogi is a person busied in
converting his lower nature into higher, so the Dugpa endeavors to
sink all his higher elements and changes them gradually into lower
ones. He might remain in our earth life until the last spark of
ethical nature or kindly emotion had been transmitted into love of
evil for its own sake. He would then presumably go to any of the lower
states from the eighth to the thirteenth. We know well, as Sinnett has
put it for us, that “nature sets no trap for any of her creatures,”
and so it happens that having been long immersed in the lower spheres,
our Dugpa might once more ascend into the realms of light and begin
to develop his higher nature. Many will ask whence the impulse is
derived, if the ethical nature was completely destroyed. From the
great law-giver; from Karma! In such a case, if there remained but a
small balance of good Karma in his favor, even though it were at the
very moment of his descent, he could necessarily rise again, (sooner
or later,) until he had exhausted it, for the _lex parsimonae_ of
nature gives every possible chance for the recovery of lost ground.
These opportunities are said to occur whenever one or more items of
the balance of good Karma have ripened, and often when the momentum of
the lower nature was for the time exhausted, and he could no longer
descend. In this view it will be seen that we only receive from time
to time a part of our deserts. The whole bulk of our Karma does not
fall at once, but is distributed throughout the series of lives.
When a man goes into the extreme of occultism unadvisedly however,
the resistance he encounters is apt to draw down the whole weight of
Karma at once. If the balance is in his favor then great is the power
for his benefit, otherwise he is crushed and fails. He has then an
additional opportunity of choice along with his race, when the race
period of choice occurs, as it will in the next round, we are told. In
the fourth chapter of the Koran occurs a confirmation of the occult
teaching as regards this distribution of deserts. “Covet not that
which God hath bestowed on some of you preferably to others. Unto the
men shall be given _a portion_ of what they shall have gained, and
unto the women shall be given _a portion_ of what they shall have
gained.”

“Well, Sir,” said the professor, “I should like to know the exact
rationale of this Karmic process. Why does a student professing
chelaship draw down the bulk of his Karma?”

“There are many who want to know quite as much as you do,” I replied.
“All they have to do is to study the operations of cyclic law for
themselves. And mind, if you dig for ore, you bring down other things
in the debris, while if a miner hands you a lump, you’re not much
more of a miner than you were at the start. You will find these laws
represent perfect, equilibrated Justice.”

“Humph! I’m rather like the man in a recent novel, who said: ‘who am
I that should yearn to deal out strict Justice? I never got it, thank
God!’”

The fact is, Justice is a gun too heavily loaded for the use of man;
its backward kick is more than I like to think of.
JULIUS.

POETICAL OCCULTISM.

DEAR EDITOR: The following Poetical Occultism may be of interest.
FROM THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE “BANQUET” OF DANTE.

“As the Philosopher (Aristotle) has said at the beginning of
“Metaphysics,” all men naturally desire to know. The reason of this
may be, that everything by an impulse of its own nature, tends towards
perfection; therefore, since knowledge is the ultimate perfecting of
our soul, in the which consists our ultimate felicity, we are all by
nature filled with this desire. None the less are many deprived of
this most noble perfection, by divers causes, which, acting upon man
from within and from without, remove him from the estate of knowledge
* * * Manifest is it, therefore, to him who considereth well, that
there are but few who can attain to that estate desired of all, and
that almost innumerable are they who are forever famishing for this
food. Oh! blessed are those few that are seated at the table where the
bread of the angels is eaten, and miserable are they who feed in common
with the sheep! But because every man is by nature a friend to every
other man, and because every friend is grieved by the necessities of
him he loves; so they who are fed at so lofty a table, are not without
compassion toward them whom they see wandering in the pastures of the
brutes, and feeding upon acorns. And because compassion is the mother
of benevolence, therefore always liberally do they who know, share of
their great riches with the truly poor, and are like a living fountain,
whose waters slack the thirst of nature before named, (for knowledge).
And I, therefore, who do not sit at the blessed table, but have fled
from the pasture of the herd, and at the feet of those who are seated
there, gather up what they let fall, and who know the miserable life of
those whom I have left behind me, moved to mercy by the sweetness of
that which I have gained little by little, and not forgetting myself,
have reserved something for these wretched ones, which I have already,
and for some time, held before their eyes, making them thereby all the
more desirous of it.”
Yours,
K. H.
ROME, ITALY, _Nov., 1886_.

UNIVERSAL UNITY.

[READ AT A MEETING OF THE FIRST THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF CINCINNATI, O.]

’Tis said they who the starry heavens watch
Spending their time in silent contemplation
And view the worlds and systems moving round
Become so filled with peace and perfect trust
That unto them life, death, grief, care and fear
Are almost naught. So, I, a long time past
Having passed my time in watching night by night
The stare move in their orbits; and my days
In making out their past and future course
One August night, while that the quiet moon
Flooded tree and bush, and vale and hill-top
Stream, and bank and spire and roof with light
And whistling and rustling leaves added
Their voices to the myriad sounds
Of insect life, fell fast asleep. And then
I saw the moon swinging slowly to and fro,
And round our Sun the earth and other satellites
Revolving ceaselessly. And as they moved
I heard a sweet melodious sound
And felt a soft and mellow light
And still I saw our Sun with other suns
All circling round one common central point
All these centres round some other centre circling.
The sound increased till all things seemed but sound
The light increased till all things seemed but light
The heat increased till all things seemed but heat
And then I felt my soul beat rapturously
Against the throbbing pulsing central life.
From thence I felt the light, the heat, the sound,
The life, the love, the peace pass out unceasingly.
From thence I knew all life to flow. And passing out
I knew all life was part of it, and it of life;
I knew that I was it, and it was I;
That sound and light, and life, and I and it were one
That life and death and tree and bush and stream
And bank and flower and seed and it are one
Then there passed into my soul, a perfect,
Great content. And rising from my sleep,
I passed into my life a happy man.
HENRY TURNER PATTERSON.

* * * * *

A delicious fragrance spreads from the Leaders of the World over all
quarters, a fragrance by which, when the wind is blowing, all these
creatures are intoxicated.—_Saddharma-Pundarika._

OM.

FOOTNOTES:

[170] _Bagavad-Gita, ch. 15._

[171] Compare the “Elixir of Life” in _The Theosophist_.

[172] This has nothing whatever to do with so-called “stigmatization”:
the latter being merely the result of a strong imagination upon a weak
body.

[173] “That which was from the beginning.” etc.—John. Epistle I, i.

[174] I Cor. xv.

[175] _Light on the Path._

[176] Vedanta.

[177] It is known that in Ireland and other places, many peasants
possess words whose sound can thrill a man and make a horse
unmanageable. [ED.]

[178] Vedanta.

[179] _Light on the Path._

[180] See Fiske, Stuart, _et al._

[181] Emerson.

[182] On sound, P. 54.

[183] Vedanta.

[184] Idem.

[185] Through the Gates of Gold: a Fragment of Thought. Boston: Roberts
Brothers. 1887. Price, 50 cents.

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