Rosicrucian Digest, May 1949

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T HE I N S T I T U T I O N B E H I ND T H I S A N N O U N C E M E N T



G U A R D I A N O F T H E S A N C T U A R Y

One of the two large figures representing giants who guard the Chapel of the Wat Arun Rajvaram in Bangkok,Siam. This temple of splendor is popularly knowrn as The Tem ple of Dawn. Its golden prangs (pinnacles) shimmering in the brilliant sunlight and the soft pastel coloring of its mosaics assume the harmonious hues of a

tropical dawn. (Photo by AMOR C Camera Expedition)



You Are The MeasureOf All Things/

nf. values of life lie within your own mind

X —good, bad, order, confusion, and a thousand other aspects of your daily existence are not realities —they are just reflections of youropinions. Once- as a child -you longed forrandy suckers. Now you don't. What haschanged? It is not the candy—it is your mental attitude. If life does not hold for youwhat you have hoped, if it is devoid of thosethings that make for happiness and accom

plishment— you need four th dimension. Youneed that stimulated consciousness wherebyyou can appraise things with a newr value toyourself. You can not call the m an or woman

lucky who can convert commonplace circumstances into personal achievements and joyous

living. Fourth dimension of mind, or developed

consciousness, makes this possible.ACCEPT THIS GIFT BOOK

You clothe, bathe, and feed yourself. Nowgive thought to something deeper and equallyas important to your personal success and welfare—your concepts. Learn how to thinkrightly, how to use your mind as nature intended, not just as a storehouse for disconnected facts. Write to the Rosicrucians, aworld-wide, philosophical fraternity (not a religious organization), for a free copy of The

Mastery of Life. It tells how you may share

for study this exceptional knowledge for put-ting the mind to work. Address Scribe S. P. C.

The R O S I C R U C I A N S , A M O R C , S A N J O S E , C A L I F O R N I A



ROSICRUCIAN DIGESTC O V E R S T H E W O R L D

T H E O F F I C I A L I N T E R N A T I O N A L R O S I C R U C I A N M A G A -

Z I N E O F T H E W O R L D W I D E R O S I C R U C I A N O R D E R

Guardian of the Sanctuary (Frontispiece).

Thought of the Month: The Land of Pagodas

Psychic Radio

The Reader's Notebook

The Mystic Philosophy of Plotinus— Lesson One

Cathedral Contacts: Crossroads of Mind and Matter

Religion Inborn

Sanctum Musings: Time— Part One

As Science Sees It

Gear Your Mind to Opportunity

Temple Echoes

Comics and Our Children

Life versus Death

Symbol of Belief (Illustration)......... ....................................

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T HE R O S IC R U C I A N O R D ER — A M O R C

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ED ITO R: Frances VejtasaCopy righ t, 1949, by the Supreme Gr and L odge of AMORC. All rights reserved



This is the second of a series of articles by the Imperator about bis observations ona journey which took him and his party around the world and into remote mystical

lands.— E d i t o r .

able month in which we arrived, meetsone’s expectation of a tropical climate

—hot, steaming, sticky. The atmos phere seems to force back upon yonyour own perspiration, not being ableto absorb any more moisture. Clothesstick to your person.

The city is low and flat. It is surrounded by a network of rivers andcanals, of which the major portion of

the country consists. Outside the teeming Bangkok, with its constant chattering of people and the raucous cries socommon to an Oriental city, I he homesare mostly built on piles.

The streams flowing beneath thesehomes serve a multitude of purposes.Through apertures in the floor of thehomes refuse is disposed of. Likewise,from the same openings, the family obtains a plentiful supply of edible fish.

The combination of high temperatureand heavy rainfall provides an abun

dance of flora. The rice crops flourishand even the least industrious of thenatives can, with little effort, find am ple food. Wild fruits abound. Bananasof numerous varieties may be had justfor the effort of beating a path into thefoliage to obtain them. The childrenare always to be seen munching on

bananas, papayas, and the most lusciousvarieties of tangerines. Thus food isnot a problem to the Siamese people.The fact that there is ample sustenancehas its psychological and sociologicaladvantages. The people are happy,

h e China coast was bleakand forbidding. It stoodo u t i n s h a r p r e l i e fagainst the g re e n is hwaters of the China Sea.As we winged southwardthrough a cloudless sky,the mysterious terrainheld a fascination for us,

even at an altitude of over ten thousand

feet. Here was the coast line longfamed in historical accounts and legends. This was the refuge for China’sswashbuckling pirates. Ile re, too, wasthe center of the smuggling trade thatsapped her economic strength.

Rivers could be seen coursing throughgreat canyons, their sources lost to theeye in the rugged hills on the distanthorizon. High rocky islets, which blended with the sweep of the monochrome coast line, stood before themouths of these rivers. They concealedinlets and bays from any casual surfaceobserver, especially since at most timesa heavy fog hung low over the waters.For decades behind these natural barriers, there have lain in wait the buccaneers who preyed on the trade of theOrient. Far up these waterways in thewild country of the interior w^ere the

7 7 ie small empires of these ruthless men.Ih e accounts which have leaked out

fy O S lC T l lC l i l T l i . p .1 r 1 • r n . have come to form the fabric ot numer-

L'tgest ous tales of adventure. May We were bound for South Asia, Siam.1949 Bangkok, its capital, even in the favor

Tm m

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friendly and carefree, at least insofar asthe economic problems of most Oriental people are concerned. The vivid colorof the flora, the deep tan of the people,the high-peaked, wide-brimmed straw-

hats, which they wear, and the myriad-colored skirts make Siam a photographic and artistic dream come true.The constant and intense sunlight, withthe azure skies, heightens the opportunity to capture on film the exotic and

primitively pic turesque life of these people.

A journey up one of the numerouscanals, which are mostly rivers carrying off the excess of the heavy annual

precipita tion brought on by the monsoons, reveals the real native life. This

journey may be made in a sampan, arustic type of boat with a thatchedcanopy amidship and poled by a half-naked boatsman, or a small motorlaunch may be engaged. Though thelatter covers more miles in a shorter

period of tim e, it also has its disadvantages. It attracts the attention of therural people and causes them to become shy in the presence of foreigners.

The people up the rivers and alongthe canals virtually live in the water.As children in Occidental cities play inthe streets, so the Siamese boys and

girls are almost continuously swimmingin the water which flows behind andunde r their homes. They dive from thesteps and from the family sampansw'hich are moored to posts in the frontof the ir homes. They wrestle and chaseobjects in the water as other childrenwould on a school playground. Mostof the children are absolutely nakedand their brown little bodies are firmand well fed.

Twice weekly the Klong Bangluang (floating market) may be seen. It is a

spectacle of color ana Oriental atmos phere that is a long remembered eventto the Western visitor. Boats—in fact,almost eveiy object that will float andcarry a cargo larger than a man cancarry—take part in the event. Thesevessels come from the interior. Theyare manned by Siamese farmers andeach is bringing to market some produce to sell. Some of the vessels areheaped high with beautiful flowers;others have great bunches of bananasor baskets of tropical fruit. Still othersare laden with vegetables of various

kinds, and the variety of color constitutes a bouquet of floral beauty. The“market place” is an assemblage ofthese boats in a confluence of a riverand canals.

The colorful boats bob up and downrhythmically, as the water is agitated by the innumerable paddles of the pros pective customers who work their wayin and out of the maze of floating vendors. The laughing, the good-natured

bargaining, the carnival spiri t that prevails, all under a brilliant tropical sun,makes the whole event not unlike a pageant of old. To these people it isnot an exhibition but rather a functionof necessity. Almost everyone hassomething to sell. The price he obtainsdetermines whether he can buy what

his neighbor has to offer. Here, then , isan example of the basic laws of economy in operation and at least inherently understood. If a man cannotfreely sell his goods, he cannot buyfreely of another.

From 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., siesta prevails. A soporific and serene atmos

phere is noticeable. Almost magicallythe congestion of boats melts away.The only reminder of the former floating market is some refuse still on thewater, such as the discarded leaves of

vegetables and stalks of flowers. Upthe canals, men and their families liestretched on the plank porches of theirthatched dwellings. Hats are pulledover their faces to keep out annoyinginsects. Children lie in the shade of the

boats, their hands over the side ripplingthe cool water. Dogs and cats lie neareach other in an amity induced by lethargy from the midday warmth.

The dogs of the countryside are wellfed, principally the result of foragingfor themselves. The dogs of the city,

where food is more difficult to obtain,show neglect and indifference to theirwelfare. They are gaun t and halfstarved. Their ribs plainly show, andthe flesh is stretched so taut overthem that it looks as though it mightsplit at the least exertion. Some have

become so infected with mange thatthey are completely hairless and arecovered with huge scars and scabs.

In the late afternoon, life returns torural Siam. Peddlers pole the ir small

boats from one home to another. Theysleep and eat in their floating shops. In

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the bow of some of these boats is asmall brazier or charcoal burner uponwhich may be simmering hot foods, as banana and rice cakes. These boats areactually floating restauran ts. Women

busy themselves with weaving and per

forming household tasks while the children renew their games with vigor.

The Faith of a People

The prevailing religion of Siam isBuddhism. As with Christian ity andJudaism, Buddhism eventually emergedfar stronger in other lands than in the

place of its origin. In India, the birth place of Buddhism, it is far less a potentforce than the religions introduced therefrom elsewhere. Everywhere in Bangkok and its environs may be seen the

bright yellow robes of the bhikkus ormonks. The robes are always clean,neat in appearance, and worn accordingto the traditiona l fold. They seem to blend in with the vivid colors of Siam.The heads of these bhikkus are shavedand thei r feet sandaled. They live inViharas or Buddhist monastic centers.

Unlike the clergy of many other religious sects, they are less concerned withsecular matters and more with thespir itual doctrines of the ir faith. I donot mean to imply that the Buddhist

monk has no interest in the welfare ofhuman society. He is as anxious as anyreligionist or member of the clergy ofany sect to propagate his teachings by

preachment and to emulate their idealsin practice. However, he does not resortto pressure methods. He does not resort to infiltration into the politicalstructure of his government or into civilfunctions. He does not try to build afulcrum and lever by which to compelreligious adherence on the part of themasses. He does not try to control de partm ents of finance, state or education, the military and the police, so asto exercise temporal compulsion.

The Buddhist wants the votaries oradherents to choose the eightfold path . . . not to be driven along it by political force. Thus, Buddhist monks orhigh priests will, generally speaking,

The not be found involved in intrigues of Rosicrucian government. They do not, by sub rosa p.. means, inveigh against one politicalLJjgesf candidate and in favor of ano ther who

M ay they may believe will forward Bud-1949 dhism’s temporal interests. It is not

that the bhikkus are naive, that there isa nescience on their part of the subversive methods used by the clergy ofother sects. Rather, it is the ir honestconviction that such methods by anyreligion are a sign of doctrinal impo

tence. If a religion mu st control the political and physical forces of thestate to maintain its supremacy, it admits its lack of human appeal.

The various magnificent pagodas ortowerlike temples throughout Siam, aselsewhere in South Asia, are known aswots. The ir appearance has all themysterious allure and lavish splendorthat one imagines of the Orient. Oneof the principal wats or Buddhist tem

ples in metropolitan Bangkok is wha t is po pularly known as the Temple of the

Dawn. Its official name is Pra Buddha Prang. In the year B. E. 2363 (1820A.D.), a great celebration was held inhonor of the older monastery on thesite of this present wat. King Rama II,then ruling, took it upon himself to reconstruct the temple and give it greatergrandeur. At the very outset of theoperation, the king died, but the taskwas resumed by his successor, KingRama III.

The height of the central tower isover two hundred twenty-four feet.

Around the base of the central “prang”or pinnacle, four other “prangs” wereerected. These contain niches on allsides. In each of these niches there isan image of Phra Bai (God of theWinds) riding on his horse. The main“prang” or pinnacle in appearance resembles the upper stories of some ofour modern skyscrapers which have resorted to appropriating Oriental architectural designs for their towers.

In front of the central chapel andvihara (monastic building) of this wat stand two large figures, representingmythological giants, facing each other.They depict the protective forces surrounding the great temple. The wholestructure glistens with brilliant mosaicsand gold ornamentation. An observeris awed by its harmony of structuraland artistic beauty.

The mosaics in part carry in theirdesign images of the “Heavenly Birds”

—half-hum an and half-bird. To themystical unenlightened, these mayseem to be a religious fantasy or perhaps nothing more than an aesthetic

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ornament. To the mystic and to theBuddhist, however, they depict the “ascent of consciousness.” It is a representation of the flight of self to the higherlevels of illumination and of mystical

unfoldment, a soaring into the oneness of being.

When the structure was finally com pleted, the king held another ceremonyand a huge image of Buddha was placedin the chapel where it still is. The im posing figure makes a definite impression upon even the casual visitor. Inthis chapel it holds the same significance to the advanced Buddhist as doesthe image of Christ in a cathedral to aChristian or the image of Moses to aJew.

Another wat is known popularly asthe Marble Temple. It is of fair ly recent date. It is a structu re of whitemarble with a brilliant red tiled roofand with a plenitude of gold ornamenton the eaves. It is situated in extensiveand well-kept grounds. The verdure ofthe grass and foliage, the borders of redand blue flowers and the even infinityof blue sky, make the whole as ethereal-like as a divine visitation. The lawnsare traversed by small streams keptwithin low uniform banks. The pel

lucid waters reflect the perfect image ofthe inspiring surroundings as would ahighly polished mirror. One crossesthese streams over small arched bridges just wide enough to allow the passageof one person.

The Oriental knowledge of psychological principles, whether expressed intextual form or not, is ever present intheir religion—even in its physical as pects. One cannot, for example, en terthis wat directly, that is, by immediately climbing the series of low steps to

its portals. The visitor is obliged to follow a long approach down narrowwalks, flanked by religious images. Theapproach is long enough so that themagnitude of the temple and its intricate design and splendor produce an increasing stimulus upon the visitor before he actually enters. He is humbled by the grandeur. His respect, if notreverence, has been heightened. Further, by the time he enters, he isthoughtful, if not meditative, about thesignificance of the edifice, artisticallyand symbolically. In other words, psy

chologically an attitude of receptivityhas been induced within him.

Even the non-religious or non-mysti-cally-inclined will not be disappointed

by the vista that he finds within. The

first sight that greets the eye is thecolossal image of a seated Buddha in burnished gold. Unlike most statuesof Buddha, this one has not just a com

placent expression. An intriguingwhimsical smile seems to flash over thevisage, depending upon how intentlyone looks upon his expression. It isreminiscent of the Mona Lisa in thisregard. The floor consists of exquisitehandmade tile in which the art of theOrient has excelled for centuries. Hereand there, in a geometrical order, are

placed huge urns of incense. Wisps ofsmoke coil lazily upward to find one’snostrils. Before the altar is an arrayof candles, some of which are electrically lighted, the only modern and incongruous touch. The atmosphere breathes and imparts a reverence whicheven the most insensible person cannothelp experiencing.

The caste system in Siam is exceptionally strong with all its inherentevils. An offense against one’s caste orsocial status results not only in his becoming socially ostracized but it also

dishonors his family. Thus, to losecaste adumbrates almost all social evils.This caste system arrogates strict observances. One of these proscribes funerals such as would be beneath the dignity of one’s social level. Those of eachcaste must meet the requirements ofthe ir caste. This includes funeral ex penses considered appropria te for mem bers of the families and as outlined bytradition.

Those of the aristocracy must have pretentious funerals. Though cremation is customary and a religious rite forall castes, there is a gradual elaborationon the extent of the actual services asone moves up in caste. The minimumcost for the funeral for one of the highercastes is approximately one thousandUnited States dollars. The Siameseequivalent of this amount is about tenthousand dollars of their money. Wemet a young chap, a Siamese, cultured,intelligent and of the aristocracy. Heis now employed as an interpreter. Hewas forced into this work by family

(Continued on Page 146)

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Psychic Radio By D r . H. S p e n c e r L e w is , F.R.C.

(From The Myst ic Triangle, June, 1925)

Since thousands of readers of the Rosicrucian Digest have not read many of the

earlier articles of our late Imperator, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, we adopted the editorial policy of publishing each month one of his ou tstand ing art icles, so th at his thoughtswould continue to reside within the pages of this publication.

The Rosicrucian Digest May

1949

h e Radio Chief in the De par tm ent of Commerceat Washington reports anew phase of inquirywith which he is contending to the best of hisability but which astounds him and perplexes

his scientific knowledge.Frankly, he looks upon most of thestrange letters that come to him as being unworthy of his time and attention, but quite a few have warrantedsome investigation and have led to acall for opinions and assistance in solving the seeming mystery.

The letters report the developmentin certain persons of a faculty or functioning of the mind or consciousness,aptly termed psychic radio receptivity. While all this correspondence may be

new to government officials, and although it has no place in any of the bureaus in Washington, the phenomenaare not new.

Such experiences as have been related to the government and to the editors of many radio magazines came under the writer’s attention fifteen ormore years ago when he was experimenting with many of the advanced principles of “wireless” which have re cently become popular. In my associations with many wireless enthusiasts inthose days and in attending the early

sessions of the Radio League of Americalong before the broadcasting of musicand speech was considered possible as a

popular attraction, the strange functionings of the psychic consciousness ofman were discussed in terms less psychological than they are discussed today.

It was not uncommon for those whohad been “pounding the brass” forhours, sending long messages by thestill familiar Morse code, and listeningfor several hours in the stillness of asmall room late into the hours of themorning for weak and distant answers,to finally throw themselves upon acouch for rest or retire for the nightonly to find the room, the atmosphere,filled with code messages although thewireless equipment was in a remote part of the home and completely shut

down in its operation. Nor, was it uncommon for many toreport that they could hear such codemessages at different hours of the dayor night while walking, or talking, onthe street, in the parks, in theatres orother places far from any sort of wireless or electrical equipment of anykind.

Many special cases were reported,investigated, and tabulated as being im

possible of solution at the time, of messages received very definitely, andseemingly by the sense of hearing,

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while persons were at rest or in a relaxed condition and away from anyradio equipment. I may also refer tothe many experiences recorded by operators of wireless equipment at sea who

have made affidavits that they have been called from their sleep by hearingthe famous SOS call independent of thewdreless devices.

Some very notable experiences arestill referred to whenever the “oldtimers” get together and comparenotes. Not one of them would callengethe statements made by “Hal” Smithof Brooklyn, New York, who had oneof the finest private wireless transmitting stations in that part of the country.He had worked long and well to im

prove the quality of his old spark transmitter until with a revolving spark-gapand efficient condensers he had raisedthe pitch or tone of his spark to a beautiful musical note high in the scale. Wealways knew when “Hal’s” station wason the air by that note. It w7as like thehighest note of a flute. It could be

picked out of a hundred other high and1o w t pitch sounds constantly in the air.It was common practice to speak of“Hal” or rather refer to him by whistling a high note—which by the waycould never approach in pureness and pitch the note of his spark. I am ex plaining this note at length because,from a scientific point of view, it would

be mater ial indeed in considering hiscase.

Mani n ner near ing

“Hal” lived with his old mother,who was his companion in many waysand was considered by the “wirelessgang” of boys and young men as thesweetest little old lady that ever lived.Her home was always open to them,and that means really open, day andnight!

But one day “Hal” was over in NewYork. He was visiting Battery Park atthe lower end of Manhattan, for it wasSunday afternoon and he liked to lookover some of the vessels, as they passed,with their improved wireless equipment. While sitting on a bench in the park, apparently wratching hundreds go by and hundreds sitting or standingaround, “Hal” suddenly heard the highnote of his wireless station at home.Like many of the boys, he had locked

that little wireless room and was sureof it, and no one but his mother couldunlock it when he was not there. Helistened again. It was surely his“note .” He had gone to a fan’s home

and listened to that pitch during themonths he was perfecting it, and onsuch occasions he had asked his motherto press the key at a certain minute ofthe hour with four short dots and onedash, followed by a pause and then thefour dots again and a dash, over andover for two or three minutes. Th atwas all of the code he had ever taughther. It was enough for him to judge his

pitch.An then, on this Sunday afternoon,

he distinctly heard that same, unmis

takable pitch, and the same four dotsand dash, pause, four dots and dash.He looked at the old clock on the

tower. It was 4:46. His mother must be showing the “set” to someone. Astrange thing for her to do in his absence, thought “Hal.” And then camethe sudden realization that he was noteven near a wireless set and was not listening in to any radio waves in theordinary sense. His first impressionwas one of awe, then that of doubt. Hetried to smile off the incident, butnevertheless listened—listened withthat inner consciousness that we knowso well. Again and again came thesame four dots and dash, but a littleless even or regular, and with longer

pauses. Suddenly there were three dots —and no thing more. At the same in stant a terrifying fear or impressionswept over “Hal,” and he rushed fromhis seat madly for a car and made hisway over the Brooklyn Bridge and upFulton Street to his home.

He claims that it took him just forty-eight minutes to get home. At any rate,when he rushed into that little wirelessroom just off the kitchen in the rear ofthe apartment he was stunned with thesight of his mother’s limp form lyingacross his operating table with her onehand near the telegraph key. She waslifeless and had sent out the call forhelp—the only call she knew, and her

boy had “heard” and responded whenit was too late.

For verification of his story, there isthe testimony of four others who, listening in at their sets that afternoonalso heard, in a truly physical sense,

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The Rosicrucian Digest May 1949

that high pitch note of “Hal's” asthough tunin g his spark again. One ofthem called “Hal’s” “call letters” anumber of times but received no answer. And, all of them say it was abouta quarter to five when they heard the

pure notes of th at station.Receipt ot Mental Message*

How did “Hal” hear that call sent byhis mother? One school of occultistswill say that her mind was on her boy,that she mentally transmitted her message to him, that he in his receptivestate received the impression of whathis mother was doing and thinking, andthat his consciousness transmuted theimpression into sounds. It is the familiar telepathic interpretation and ex

planation of sim ilar phenomena.Another school will explain it as Divine impulses translated and transmitted by the Angels of Space. The materialists will explain it, as I have heardthem explain it often, upon the basis ofcoincidence.

I have another explanation to offer.I base my contention upon many othercases apart from this one, and upon

personal experiences as well.It is this: As we use and perfect any

function or sense of the body and con

sciousness we make it more sensitive, broader in its scope and less limited.That is to say, man physically and psychically is evolving to such a degreeand in such a way that those organs,

parts of the body, functionings andsenses which he no longer needs are

becoming smaller, dormant, atrophied,and disappearing from his organization.In the physical sense we have much

proof of this throughout the whole body. In the psychic sense we are just beginning to realize th at evolution isdoing for the psychic body of man ex

actly what it is doing for the physicalman.

And, through the systematic or prolonged practice of concentration onhearing (as is necessary with listening-in to distant or faint radio signals), onemore and more loses all consciousnessof the outer self and the outer environment and becomes attuned to the consciousness of mental messages. Such

V

experiences make the consciousnesskeen and alive to every incoming im

pression.Radio waves that pass through the

ether are not different from other soundwaves of any kind, except in their rate

of vibration. Radio waves are like untothe waves of light, so far as their rateis concerned. Our eyes are constructed

by natu re to take or receive those highvibrations and translate them into lowervibrations that we may sense. Someanimals can sense rates of vibrations oflight that we cannot. Some animalshave no eyes at all because they livewhere there is no light, as at the bottom of the sea in very deep water.Those animals which live where thereis little light have more sensitive eyes.

The same is true of the organ of hearing. It varies in animals according towhere their state of evolution has placedthem. Modifying environmen t has modified their sense of hearing.

In order that we may h ear the sounds being carried on the radio waves, werequire electrical devices in a receivingset to translate the high rate of vibrations into a lower rate to accommodateour organ of hearing. But such a process is only a makeshift. In all the pastof civilization we find that nature has

gradually changed, improved, or modified the organs and senses of man tomeet the conditions of his environmentsand needs; and, therefore, I contendthat if we continue to concentrate andexperiment with the higher waves andrates of vibrations, both in sight andsound, nature will gradually adjust thereceptive organs to receive those ratesof vibrations without the interventionof electrical or mechanical devices.

Those who, today, are hearing radiodots and dashes, as they report to theGovernment, without the use of any

electrical or radio equipment, are, inmy opinion, the early proteges of nature’s great change that is coming tomankind. And the day is not far distant, relatively near so far as manycycles of evolution are concerned, whenmental messages, traveling at an evenhigher rate than radio, will be receivedalso by the mind of man as easily asthe lower rates are received today.

A V

REM EM BER TH E CO N V EN TIO N — August 14 to 19, 1949

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shall have to evaluate its content forthe future.

It is no easy task to move back 300years in time and imagine a worldshorn of all the gadgets and common

places of our everyday living. It means projecting ourselves into a state of consciousness where even the methods bywhich we now discover new facts would

be ridiculed as pretentious. Such pro jection is as difficult as trying to beawed by a doorbell’s ringing when a

button is pressed and being willing to ponder the causes philosophically foran hour or so.

Experimen t and research are so mucha part of our daily scheme of thingsthat it seems incredible that they should

ever have been questioned and ridiculed. Likewise, they are so much the province of the specialist and the ex pert th at wre are nonplussed by the factthat they once evoked interest only inthe layman and am ateur. Yet, suchwas the case. And the Royal Society inits pioneering days ran the gamut ofcriticism from ridicule to vituperation.

Thus, it is easy to underestimate themental revolution which these learnedamateurs brought about; and for thatreason, all aspects of the institution it

self and the age of which it was a partare perpetually intriguing to the Rosi-crucian.

In Elizabethan times, learning wasshifted from philosophical axiom toscientific experiment. Matters earlierdecided by reference to Aristotle werethen for the first time subjected to careful observation and referred to naturallaw. Analysis and experim ent becamethe means by which facts were determined.

“Credulity in respect of certain authors,” Francis Bacon had written, “andmaking them dictators instead of consuls, is a principal cause that the sciences are no fur ther advanced.” Hemay have had in mind the experienceof the youth who told his teacher, aconfirmed Aristotelian, th at his observa-

T he tion of the sun had caused him to be- Rn<irrurisin lieve that there wras a condition existing

which could be called sunspots. “Myson,” said his teacher, “I have read

M ay Aristotle many times and find therein1949 no mention of sunspots; so I take it the

spots are in your eyes and not on thesun.”

Such pronouncements had been theold way; and knowledge was often lostin argum ent and speculation. Patientobservation and careful experiment inthe field of natural phenomena was to be the new way, bu t only those couldwalk it who were zealous for truth andwho were courageous enough to committhemselves to wrays untried and risk being belittled in the eyes of authority .

Amateurs they truly were—thesemen of the Royal Society—but nonetheless pioneers. Bacon said of himselfthat he was only the bell ringer, callingthe wits together; yet, if Emerson’sstatement be true, the Royal Society is

bu t his lengthened shadow.It is true that Bacon often failed togo far in the direction he pointed out,for it is known that he persisted in oldviewpoints after experiment and observation had established better ones.He remained dissatisfied with Gilbert’sexperiments with the magnet when undoubtedly he should have been inwholehearted agreement; and he continued to hold with Ptolemy wheneveryone else had accepted Copernicus.

Nevertheless, to Bacon belongs the

credit for ushering in the modernworld, and Thomas Sprat in his His-tory of the Royal Society wrote: “If mydesires could have prevailed with someexcellent friends of mine, who engagedme to write this work, there shouldhave been no other preface to my account of the Royal Society but some ofhis (Bacon’s) writings.”

All that the Royal Society aimed atwas not only envisaged in Bacon’s New

Atlantis, but also given practical impetus a t Solomon’s House at Gorhambury.

The Elizabethan scene was exceedingly busy laying the foundations for theRoyal Society and if its early effortswere often abortive and its members,child scientists rather than adult ones,they were at least making a sincereattempt to learn from the past and toadvance on the basis of that learning.

If, too, as Disraeli in the mid-nineteenth century thought, the memberswere a bit sanguine in their hopes, today has seen their vision become fact.I quote the passage which Disraeli ridi-

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cules, for it indicates that smugness andcondescension can be equally far froma just appraisal. Disraeli quotes as extravagant this statement of a memberof the Royal Society. We should proba

bly commend it as a justifiable pre

diction:“Should these heroes go on (the

Royal Society) as they have happily begun, they will fill the world withwonders; and posterity will find manythings that are now but rumors, verifiedinto practical realities. It may be, someages hence, a voyage to the Southernunknown tracts, yea, possibly to themoon, will not be more strange thanone to America. To them tha t comeafter us, it may be as ordinary to bu y a pair of wings to fly into remotest re

gions, as now a pair of boots to ride a journey. And to confer at the distanceof the Indies, by sympathetic convey-ances, may be as usual to future times,as to us in a literary correspondence.The restoration of grey hairs to juven il-ity, and renewing the exhausted mar-row, may at length be effected withouta miracle; and the turning the nowcomparative desert world into a para-dise, may not improbably be expectedfrom late agriculture.” (Quarrels ofAuthors, 1814.)

Throughout its long history, then, theRoyal Society has had to prove itself.First, it was necessary to overcome

prejudice—optical glasses (telescope

and microscope) were considered atheistic instruments designed to pervert thesight and make everything appear in anew and false light. Again, RobertBoyle’s use of the term “Invisible College,” and the fact that the Society car

ried on a “universal correspondence”gave rise to a fear that it was aimingto lead Protestantism again captive. Always, there was money to be thoughtof, for although King Charles hadgranted a charter, there had been nolike grant of money to carry forwardits work. Always, too, there was apathyand indifference to dog its pathwaywhen nothing else threatened.

In one instance, a prospective mem ber hesitated to accept membership lestit increase the circle of his acquaintances. Here one wonders a little whatmight have happened if Sir Isaac Newton had held out against membership,for much of the Society’s importancecame as a result of his efforts.

It may be that Rosicrucians will bemore interested in the first phase of theRoyal Society’s development since that phase was so largely the resu lt of theirlabors; yet, there is little doubt thatthey have been as active if not so conspicuous in the years of its fullerachievement. It is a field for unen dingspeculation and research and happilyMiss Stimson’s book sets one off with atrue questing spirit to find out a fewthings on his own.

V A V

THE ROSICRUCIAN PLANETARIUM

The drama of the stars is poi*trayed weekly at two shows on Sundays in the

THEA TR E OF TH E SKY, 3 and 8 p.m. Admission for star-shows—following the free

lecture in the lobby—is 50 cents for adults and 18 cents for children, including tax.

W eekly changes are made in the star projector to matc h the sky. M onthly changes

in subject with up -to-the-minute refresher lectures in astronomy. Lear ning is fun here!

Inqu ire concerning special shows during th e week, by appointment. These ar

ranged, evening or daytime shows have special rates for a minimum of 25 persons—

any age, any organization.

SCHEDULE FOR THREE MONTHS

MAY — The Story of the Stars —W ha t is the hid den meaning of the constellations?

JUNE — Our Star, the Sun —How does the Sun , as well as othe r stars, affect us?

JULY — How Did It A ll Begin?—Where did we come from?



O h ijxtic o f < Lp[o£inui

EARLY ROOTS OF CURRENT TRUTHS

By R a l p h M. L e w i s , F.R.C.

LESSON ONE

h e r e are no ent i re ly o r ig ina l

thoughts. Psychologically, no matter howdifferent or how radical our thoughts orviews of things may

be, actually they arecomposed of antecedent ideas. Each ex

perience w h ic h wehave is composed ofsensations, either sensations of the externalworld, the great sea ofexistence in which wefind ourselves, or sensations of our own being, the “I,” the ego.Color, heat, pain, fear,

all of these are sensations.In the brain each of these sensations

is given identity, that is, a specialmeaning or significance. It is placed intime or it is given purpose. These sensations then, in turn, form our ideas,and we use our ideas in a manner notunlike that of a child using his toy

building-blocks. We arrange them ininnumerable patterns which we find pleasing or useful to us. The reasoning mind is continually assemblingideas, and this assembly causes us tohave many emotional responses. These,then, become new sensations. Fromthem come additional ideas.

Each thought which we have, therefore, has a certain immortality. It continues to live long beyond the experi-

T he ence from which it was derived. Each Rosicrucian t 1̂0uRht influences future ideas, be-

comes associated with them, at least as£ an element. Extensive experiences and

M ay numerous sensations arising from them1949 do not necessarily produce a creative

mind. Ju st becau seone has c r am m edmany experiences into a life does not makehim a genius or conferupon him exceptionalcreative ab ility . We

know, for example,that many travelers,although having traversed the world withtheir eyes open, haveactually seen nothing.By that I mean thatthey have mentallynot seen. They haveno mental sight.

T h e r e a r e m any persons who live a longlife and yet the ex

periences which longevity has providedhave filtered through tlieir minds. Littlesubstance of such experiences remainsin their consciousneess to become useful to them as essentials of thought.However, one who does think, one whodoes devote time to contemplation orwho has creative work required of him,must first have a considerable amountof experience from which arise sensations and from which, in turn, ideasare formed. Every great thinker, whose

ideas we admire or which have had avalue to society, has been a man ofkeen perception. He has been an individual who has been alert to his environment and analyzed it thoroughly.He has, as well, been alert to all thecharacteristics and vicissitudes of human nature, and has made the most ofhis experiences.

Thoughts which have long endured,and which have found their way intoour classics, have their elements rootedin an environment or environments of

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centuries past. Some of our most current ideas actually originated in some past environm ent. Some sensitive mind, perhaps centuries ago, was influenced by an experience. The sensation left adefinite impression on his consciousness, and he has evolved it into athought and transmitted that thought toothers, where it has grown. Such environmental influences are often geographic. The location of men’s homes,the lands in which they live, the fertility of the soil, the climatic conditions, natural transportation—that is,whether they are adjacent to waterways—the resources of the land, all ofthese things result in the kind ofthoughts men have.

Across 1,000 Years In considering the teachings of Plo

tinus, mystic philosopher of the thirdcentury after Christ, it is, therefore,necessary that we go back at least onethousand years before his time. Therewe shall discover the roots of his greatthoughts, thoughts which at least hegave voice to in his time.

In the history of the ancient Greeks,we find that interests were not centeredalone in the peninsula. Th eir interests

were also distributed along the coastsand in the numerous islands of theAegean Sea. These islands and thecoasts, in fact, form Hellas proper. Itwas only after the zenith of the Greekcivilization—when it was, actually, inits decline—that the people turned inland and the interior of the peninsula became prom inent. I would suggest th atyou turn to your atlas and look at theMediterranean region or, if you have ahistory map, look at one that indicatesthe Hellenic World. Look at the East

ern end of the Mediterranean. It wasalong there that civilization emergedfrom barbarism, that is, a civilizationcomparable to the one we know today,with such institutions as marriage,schools, system of taxation, et cetera.

The first great civilizations sprang upin the twin valleys, namely, the Nilevalley and that of the Tigris-Euphrates.Finally, civilization came to the regionof the Aegean Sea. The Eastern end ofthe Mediterranean was particularlykind to civilization. We find many con

ditions conducive to it, particularly the

climate, which is mild in comparison tothe enervating climate of equatorialAfrica and mild in comparison to therigorous climate of the temperate zoneof middle Europe.

The soil of the Nile and that of theTigris-Euphrates valley is very fertile.Crops are abundant. Food supplies areeasily obtainable. Consequently, menwere not obliged to devote every moment of their conscious state to providing for subsistence. They were not com

pelled to work long hours from sunriseto sunset, resulting in falling into sleepor stupor from fatigue. A little effortwould produce considerably. Therefore, the men of the Eastern end of theMediterranean found that they had

leisure time. They had time to contem plate the ways of life, to wonder aboutthe world, to gaze up at the stars in theheavens, to chart the movements of theCosmic bodies, and to start the arts andcrafts and develop them. It is onlywhen the necessities of life have beenmet tha t culture is able to arise because,then, the minds of men are free.

Immediately south of the Aegean Seais the island of Crete. On it once existed a highly developed civilization inthe period known to history as the

Minoan Age. It derived its name fromKing Minos, a partly historical and partly legendary character, one of theso-called sea kings of Crete. At thistime there was considerable traffic between the island of Crete and Egypt,Babylonia, and other civilizations of theTigris-Euphrates valley. The little barks, with linen sails, covered the distance of approximately three hundredforty miles from Alexandria to Cnossus,with favorable winds and the aid ofoarsmen, in three or four days. They

brought with them the glazed tile ofEgypt, the beautiful gold work of thegoldsmiths, and the fine linen which isalmost like the silk of today. Out ofSyria came other barks bearing bronzework and excellent pottery. The Aegean Sea, with its rugged coast line andmany harbors, itself formed a greatharbor between southern Europe andAnatolia.

individual I ndependence

The people of Greece, or rath er of the

Hellenic world, lived mainly on the[ 1 35]



islands of the Aegean Sea and alongthe coast. The coasts formed a narrow

plain. Directly behind the people wereranges of rugged mountains, silhouettedagainst the sky. All of these factors contributed greatly to influencing the char

acter of the ancient Greeks. Large populated areas were not possible. The plains or shores of the islands were toosmall. The fringe of coast land on the peninsula was not great enough to holda large populace. The towns were, consequently, very small, being separatedfrom each other by water or by mountain ranges. This made each of theselittle communities very selfsuff icient. They had to make, grow or develop, allthe things which they needed. As aresult, the individual became independ

ent. Such circumstances encouraged individuality, resourcefulness. One eithermade wh at he needed or he did withoutit.

It was not necessary to depend uponrulers, to wait for kings to begin conquests of neighboring nations, to rapethose nations and pilfer their suppliesand resources. People met collectively,discussed their needs and went aboutsatisfying them. The Greek mainlandwas not very fertile. The ancientGreeks raised mostly sheep, flax, andolives. The foothills were stony with a

thin covering of soil. There was littleor no timber, and the great mountainswere almost inaccessible and practicallydevoid of metals with the exception ofiron. However, the climate of ancientGreece, as is also true today, was conducive to the growing of flowers. Flowers were very prolific on the peninsula.This, of course, attracted bees and resulted in the production of a very excellent honey which was exported inantiquit}' and is still looked upon todayas the most delectable of all honeys.

The people of these islands of theAegean and of the coast had little intercourse with their neighbors, eventhough some of the islands are actuallyso close that they can be reached by agood swimmer. Whatever battles hadto be fought were individual. TheGreeks developed skill in personal com

bat. Since there were no large communities, there was no need for a largearmy. If an opposing force was toogreat for the warriors of the little community, it was only necessary for them

to retreat into the security of the mountain fastnesses behind them. Thus theindividual acquired courage. He acquired love of life and a desire to personally accomplish something. Sincethese communities were so separated,

each city had its own separate culture,its own customs and traditions which itcherished and perpetuated. Althoughsome of the cities were, from the stand point of distance, comparatively close, being only a few miles apar t, their customs were unaffected by each other.We find an excellent example of this inthe case of Athens and Sparta. One hadculture and learning as its ideal and theother had military prowess and mightas its end.

Since it was difficult to develop the

interior of the many islands of theAegean and the peninsula itself, theGreeks eventually built a large navy.Th at encouraged trade with distant peo

ple— th at is, distant for the times—suchas the Egyptians, the Phoenicians, theSyrians, and Babylonians. Establishinga navy and journeying to distant lands and meeting people with entirely foreign customs and speech, with strangemethods of living, required an open mind on the par t of the Greeks. Theyhad to be willing to accept differentcustoms, meet people on their own

ground, and these factors created in theancient Greeks an attitude of tolerance and broadmindedness.

Span of I magination

The great mountain ranges, like awall behind the Greek community,stimulated the imagination of the peo

ple. In our mind’s eye we can see theGreek citizen turning and looking atthe rugged silhouette of the mountains behind his city on the coast, wonderingwhat terrain lay beyond, what people

may exist there, what strange happenings may be going on behind that wallof rock. Then, again, as he would lookat the snow-capped peaks, some of themdisappearing into the clouds, he couldnot help thinking, as his imaginationwas stimulated, that those peaks mightreach up into another world where peo ple lived as did he and his fellow citizens. Perhaps, because they were abovehis world, they might be more powerful beings and see things which he perhapscould not see. This stimulatio ii of the

[ 1 36]



imagination engendered by the mountainous region of his homeland causedthe Greek to develop a mythology. Outof that, in turn, came abstraction andthe rise of philosophy.

The ancient Greek travelers or mem bers of the trade expeditions brought back many interesting things to theirisland and coast homes from the distant lands of Egypt and Babylonia.There were not only material products but points of knowledge. They brought back with them the elements of suchsciences as arithmetic, geometry, andastronomy. The active intelligence ofthe Greeks quickly fastened on theseideas and, equally as rapidly, advancedthem. During the seventh century , theGreeks were rapidly tiring of theogony.Theogony is the technical name for thereligious concept that there is a familyof gods. To the Greeks it seemed tha tthe gods were immortals, but with anthropomorphic characteristics, such asthe figures of humans and the character of humans with all their virtues andvices, and with all the strength andweakness of mortals. They loved, theyfought, they were jealous, they were

brilliant, they were degenerate. Consequently, the Greeks tried to explainman’s nature and even the cosmologicalorigin of the universe through theogony.

Each god or combination of gods inthe family were said to have createdthe different manifestations of nature.This conception, fantastic and appealing to a primitive mind or to a barbarous mentality, was beginning to wanein popularity. The individual Greekwas now displaying a sincere desire toknow something personally of the mysteries of life, to delve into them bymeans of his intellect, and to be able to

probe the meaning of birth, life anddeath. He desired to have his intellectual curiosity satisfied, as well as tohave such emotions as fear, awe, andecstasy satisfied, by the mythology oftheogony.

Mystery Schools Establ ished

It was during this time that the mystery schools were beginning to appearand make themselves definitely felt inancient Greece. “Myste ry” was a nameassigned by the ancients to any sort ofesoteric wisdom, to any wisdom thatwas different from the common knowledge of the day. A wisdom whichsought to explain the origin of the universe, the purpose of human existence,was termed a “mystery.” The mysteries were only imparted to those individuals who were prepared to receivethem, who had shown a desire forknowledge, had led a chaste life, andwhose object in receiving such knowledge was acceptable. It was held, too,that he who had such knowledge, aswas included in the mysteries, impartedto him, would find that a tremendous

power of accomplishment accompaniedthe knowledge. With such knowledgeand the consequent power, the individual’s life was transformed.

Initiatory rites were the specialmethod of imparting the wisdom or themysteries. The initiations were intended not merely to give the individual anumber of facts or points or information, terms and words, but also to produce a corresponding psychic effectupon the inner self of the individual.For every intellectual comprehension,there would be an emotional response,a concomitant development of the twoselves. The individual must come to

feel what he knows. In other words, itis not sufficient merely to see a vista butone must respond to a vista as well.When we stand upon the beach andlook out across the sea, which seems todisappear into infinity , to gaze upon theglowing sunset, the beauty of that ex

perience is not just in what is visually perceivable, bu t also in what we feelas a resu lt of what we see. So a trueinitiation is what we feel as well aswhat we know.

(To be continued.)

To insure your being “with us,” we suggest that you mark upon your calendar thedate for the next special Hierarchy Meditation Period in which the Imperators ofAm erica and Europe will participate. Pacific standard tim e is indicated.

Those who have attained to the Hierarchy understand the purpose and importanceof this attunem ent, and will report to the Imperator. Kindly indicate degree and keynum ber. The schedule is: Ju ly 14, 8:00 p.m.

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The “Cathedral of the Soul” is a Cosmic meeting place for all minds of themost highly developed and spiritually advanced members and workers of theRosicrucian frate rnity . It is a focal point of Cosmic radiations and thoughtwaves from which radiate vibrations of health, peace, happiness, and innerawaken ing. Various periods of the day are set aside when ma ny thousandsof minds are attuned with the Cathedral of the Soul, and others attuning withthe Cathedral at the time will receive the benefit of the vibrations. Those whoare not members of the organization may share in the unusual benefits as wellas those who are members. The book called Liber 777 describes the periodsfor various contacts with the C athedral. Copies will be sent to persons whoare not members if they address their requests for this book to Friar S. P. C.,care of AMORC Temple, San Jose, California, enclosing three cents in postagestamps. (Please state whether m ember or not— this is important.)

CROSSROADS OF MIND AND MATTER

h e crossroads of mind andmatter are found in manmore than in any otherform of life. Althoughlife in any expression isan obvious indication ofthe evidence of mind and

matter operating in uni- ___________

ty, it is the particular manifestation of human intelligenceand action that, as far as we can conceive, brings to the highest form ofmanifestation the operation of these twoforces at one point. Mind and matter

The is a frequently repeated phrase, but

Rosicrucian ^ke many such. and combina-tions of words, it expresses only part of

Utgest an jdgg Merely to refer to mind and M ay matter is to limit rather than to make1949 an all-inclusive phrase. This common

concept of mind and matter is usuallyused in the argument that one can affect the other. The phrase particularlyrefers to the power or influence thatmind may have over matter, and various schools of thought or individualsholding one idea or another may draw

conclusions based upon the premiseswhich they themselves accept as thevalidity of one or the other of these conditions.

The controversy concerning the statusor place of mind and m atter in the universe resolves around the concept ofman’s duality. Obviously man is dual;fewr would deny that. We see evidenceof material or matter in his body; wesee evidence also of forces, which, although they have certain chemical ex planations, do not completely explain

[ 138]



the mental and life forces resident within tha t material body. Therefore, ifman is an example of the operation oftwo forces or two forms of energy, thereis no use denying that both mind andmatter exist and that, regardless ofwhether we make an interpretationfrom the standpoint of the idealist orthe materialist, the interdependence between the two forces is obvious.

It has already been stated that to thisextent the phrase “mind and matter”is true, but the explanation is incom plete at that point. In addition to mindand matter, or between them, there isan intermediate point. This intermediate position concerns the process or the

bringing into manifestation the function and use of matter. The making ofmatter useful to mind is the phase ofthe question sometimes forgotten. Inancient symbology and in the sym-

bologv of the present-day Rosicrucians,the triangle represents three points orthree phases of most things with whichman deals. In considering the questionof mind and matter, the symbology ofthe triangle also applies. One point ismind, one is matter, and the third is therelationship or application between thetwo. Each is of equal importance, andfor that reason mind and matter aloneis an incomplete concept.

Wherever three things function ormanifest, one cannot be consideredmore important than the other, just asit would be impossible to indicate whichof the three legs of a three-legged stoolwas most important, insofar as the sup port of the stool was concerned. Thethree phases of our environment, mind,matter, and their relation to each otheror their function, need careful consideration when our thought revolvesabout this question.

Achievement and accomplishment inlife is the result of the use of mind,ma tter, and effort. Effort, then, is thethird point, if we continue the symbology of the triangle. Effort in this sensemeans physical exertion and infersknowledge. In this sense effort is a com bination of mind and body. It is the practical use of the mat ter with whichwe are most intimately associated, directed by the content of the mind. Manhas a tendency to avoid this third point.There is a tendency on the part of

many to avoid effort at any time. This

is particularly true in more recentyears. There was a time when labordignified the human personality, butmore and more a tendency exists to consider labor and effort as something to beavoided rather than to assume a certaindignity. This late tendency is unfortunately not in accord with the creativescheme of the universe, becausethroughout the manifestation of the universe of matter we find energy andforce constantly being expended.

Energy is as much a law of the Cosmic as is the very existence of mind andmatter. Man sometimes directs his attention not toward the necessary effortto be expended to assist him to relatethe concepts of mind and matter, but

rather toward the discovery of a secretmethod or a magic key by which he canaccomplish material ends purely withhis mind.

Although no one will underestimatethe creative powers of the mind, themind alone can accomplish very little.It would be wronderful for some peopleif it were possible to hold in the mindsecret formulas, magic use of wordswhich would directly affect materialthings, but the reality and the fact isthat the magic of mind—the secret keys

of mental application—is in its creativeability and the resultant potentialitiesof the material body to respond to thecreative urges of the mind. Great accomplishments, inventions, discoverieshave had their origin, it is true, in thecreative mind of man, but the effort andapplication on matter has been the

process by which the ultimate manifestation, the physical world and the mental world have been brought into being.Thomas Edison would never have produced the phonograph or the electric

light by merely holding the idea in hismind.

Man’s mental, psychic, and physicaldevelopment must follow this threefoldformula. He can create mentally, hecan perform acts physically, but it isthe relation between the two that produces a desired and immediate use ofany material thing. Would you go to afield of wheat and demand a loaf of

bread? True, bread comes from wheat, but it comes through man ’s creativeability of knowing how to process that

wheat into flour, the flour into dough[ 139]



of proper consistency, and then by heatto transform it into bread.

It is man’s lot to modify material toinfluence environment, and to use thetotal of material environment availableto him. His key is a creative power ofthe mind applied through physical ef

fort to material things. His achievement will be in proportion to the degree that he recognizes that the humanheing constitutes the crossroads of mindand matter, and has the responsibilityand potentiality of tying them together

in constructive and worth-while manifestation.

V A V

Religion Inborn By E. R e y n e r


s ma l l , ancient man of the hills, a reader of phi-losophy, a singer, assay er, chemist—one of that

lonely legion we, in the mining states, call pros- pectors —gave me this picture of religion as we sat and talked until two

o’clock one morning:“Religion,” said the old man, “grows

like a plant. It can be acquired by theyoung only as the plant by means of itsinnate desires acquires nourishmentfrom the sun and the soil. It is the old,those who have followed life’s cycle tothe end, that understandingly realizereligion and its nature.

“In the wintertime of man’s life, thefruits of religion are gathered. In him,religion has grown a lifetime and hasfinally produced its fruit—the understanding of life, the appreciation ofeternity, and all tha t is a part of it. Ayoung person can depend only on faithto point his way. He is interested inliving life, not thinking it. Time passes,and he becomes gradually aware ofever-repeating cycles. He does less physical living and more thinking.What once seemed of great importance,now becomes only a small part of aneternal pattern. Living is almost finished before one realizes the full pattern,” the man explained as he reviewed his eighty-five years of experience—and night stretched into morn-ing.

“It is the very old who come truly tocomprehend the true significance of existence. Jus t as a plan t may be shriveled by sour soil and lack of water, soa life lived without concern as to theMaker’s pattern comes to a barren

end. The sturdiness of some plantsmakes them thrive under adverse conditions, that same sturdiness in somehuman beings makes the religion with

in them come to full fruitfulness regardless of circumstances.”This self-evolved sage then told me

that the great majority of human beings must follow a course of guidance,otherwise the religion in them woulddie from the effects of evil living in thesame manner as obnoxious weeds areable to starve or kill a plant. We arelike plants that must be cultivated until we become aware of the essentialtruths. When these have gathered momentum, they continue to grow bythemselves.

However, a complete realization ofthe great truths comes only to the oldas the fruit comes only to the mature

plant, he insisted. When an organismis done with living, it becomes a symbolof the whole process of life. Whenmeditation is based on decades of ex perience, the universality of all goodthings becomes apparent. Even in theuniversality of death one realizes theever-continuing life.

“You are young now and wantmostly to live,” said the aged one, fixing his eyes thoughtfully upon me.“As you live the experiences of generations of men who have gone beforeyou, the plant of true religion lives andgrows with you. Each day you dofew^er of the animal things and more ofthe spiritua l. At long last you will become old, and the eternal truths willstand revealed to you. Now is the timeto start the growth of true religionwithin you; later, the why and wherefore of it all wall become clear.”

[ 14 0]



SYNOPTIC HISTORY(From The American Rosae Crucis)

Because of the many requests from Masters of Lodges and from members, forvarious important dates connected with the establishment of the Order in this country,

the following outline is printed:

H. Spencer Lewis initiated in Europe, August, 1909.

The first meeting of formation of the Order in America held on the evening ofFebruary 8, 1915, in New York City.

First semi-public meeting of men and women of New York to come together for

organization held on evening of March 3, 1915.

Second organization meeting for purpose of selecting executives and planning program of work took place on the evening of March 23, 1915, in New York City.

First formal secret session for the purpose of adopting the name and appointing

the Imperator and Councilors held on evening of April 1, 1915, when the first charterof the organization in America was signed in New York City, forming the American

Supreme Council.

The first initiation of men and women into the Order, according to the established

rites, held on the evening of May 13, 1915, when sixty-one were initiated by the

officers.

Presentation of the Imperator’s jewel to him by the officers and members of theSupreme Council and the Supreme Lodges, July 1915.

First charter to be granted by the Supreme Council to any branch lodge, was made

in the name of the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge in Pittsburgh on November 25, 1915.

First national headquarters established in the first American R. C. Temple buildingin February, 1916.

First national convention of many lodges throughout America held in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, week of July 31 to August 4, 1917, when the National Constitution of

the Order was passed upon and adopted, paragraph by paragraph, by all delegates

and representatives.

The dates of important events from that time until the present would be too numerous to itemize here.

V A V

ITALIAN GRAND MASTER PASSES

Frater Dunstano Cancellieri, Grand Master of Italy, passed through transition to a

Higher Initiation at 2:00 p.m. on March 8, in Rome, at the age of seventy-nine.

Struggling against great odds—first the restrictions of fascism, and then the politicaland economic aftermath of the war—he organized the nucleus for re-establishing the

Rosicrucian Order in Ita ly. A man of grea t mystical discernment, and a scholar, helabored long and with limited means to further his idealism, taxing his waning strength

and health. No one has ever displayed a more unselfish and more noble Rosicrucianspirit than Dunstano Cancellieri—a true Grand Master. Ma y he experience Peace

Profound!



TIME

By R o d m a n R . C l a y s o n , Grand Master

PART ONE

h r o u g h o u t the history of philosophy, the natu re oftime has occupied the attention of philosophers.This subject raises questions which are very difficult to answer. However, with the acceptanceof Albert Einstein’s theo

ry of relativity, scientists and philoso phers have to a large extent reached anagreement on this enigma of time.

As an abstract thing, time is mostelusive and mysterious. We encounterit in everything we do and observe; yet,in our scrutiny, it seems to escape us,for what was the present is now the

past. Time may be thought of as a re la tion between things, for our intellectrequires that we conceive of things inrelation to time, that is, as succeedingone another. Like the generally accepted three dimensions of space, timeis a universal condition, and is oftenspoken of as the fourth dimension.Time and space are always found con

jointly . Any th ing th at is affected 'bytime is also affected by space.

Bergson defines time as duration. Hetells us that we belong to the stream of

p ’"- duration and that we can become conscious of the pulsing of duration. Dura tion has a close relationship to existence. We imply the idea of existencewhen we conceive of duration. To say

The

Digest May 1949

that a thing exists for a minute, anhour, a day, or a year, is to say that ithas the duration of a minute, an hour,a day, or a year. It is erroneous, however, to consider duration and existenceas being identical in meaning. Whileduration implies existence, the reverseis not true. Existence need not implyduration. A continued existence, no

matter how short, is required for duration. Thu s dura tion is defined as continued existence.

Since time is measured in instants—seconds, minutes, and hours—it necessarily involves the concept of continuedexistence. Duration cannot be spokenof without bringing in the concept oftime. For instance, the duration ofGod’s existence is termed eternity. ToHis existence there seems to be no beginning nor end, past or future. He possesses being in infinite fullness,without increase or decrease in an everlasting present. The duration of God’sexistence is not concerned with themeasurements of time, for it is theeternal present. To us the present corresponds to every moment of time as itflows from the future to the present andinto the past. Perhaps, in a strict sense,time applies to the duration of physicalobjects and awareness through consciousness. It is from observation thatwe have a concept of time. It is fromconscious perception that we have

[ 142]



awareness of our own body and otherobjects in their movements and changing states.

Time is a notion common to all menin all periods of history. Quite unlikespace, time is not immobile or stationary. Continuously it moves onward.The march of time is a well-known

phrase in every language. If tim e is amovement, it moves with an ever even pace; nothing can stop, retard , or hastenit. Its movement is un changeable in progress and speed. Seemingly to the contrary,we say that time flies,time drag s, tim e isshort, and time is long.But in the over-all as pect, time is viewed assomething that em braces within its capacity universal movements and activities.

When we state thatthe world was createdin time, we conceivetime as some sort ofan entity precedingthe creation of theworld. We also thinkof time as extendingwithout limit into thefuture, irrespective ofthe existence of theworld or its future. Totime we seem to givecertain attributes ofinfinity; yet, on theother hand, it is considered to be finite,

because the tim e may be one second, onehour, or one day. Someclassify time as beingof the past, present, and future . Stillthe only time of which we are consciousis the present, because the future is notyet and the past is no more.

A Challenge to Thought

What, then, is this time which is somysterious and contradictory? It will be noted that to a large extent the properties of time parallel those of space;therefore, it is quite natural for philosophers to relate the nature of time tospace. Probab ly the first but unresolved

controversy arose in ancient Greece

when Parmenides stated that that ofwhich we are not conscious has no existence. Heraclitus asserted tha t thereis no permanence in anything and thatchange characterizes everything. Aristotle and the scholastics who followedhim maintained that time is not a reality. Th ey stated that the concept oftime is based on movement and changein themselves and in other bodies. In sofar as actual movements and changes

occur in nature theyare concerned withreal time.

Ep icurus v iewedtime as an entity inexistence independentof the mind. Descarteslooked upon it as amere mode of thought,while Spinoza made itan attribute of his pantheistic D iv in e Substance. It was maintained by Kant thattime is a subjective, a

priori sense form ofinternal intuition antecedent to all experience, which seems tomake all things andexperiences appear asoccurring in time. ToKant, time was not anobjective attribute ofthings in themselvesand, therefore, had noreality in nature. Hisview is reflected todayin the beliefs of philosophers and scientists.

New rton identifiedtime with the eternityof God. He stated:

“Absolute time and mathematical timeof itself and from its own nature flowsequably without regard to anything externa l.” Leibniz, on the other hand,said that there can be no time inde

pendent of events, for tim e is formed byevents and relations among them andconstitutes the universal order of succession. Bergson maintains that thereis no real duration of time except inour mental concepts. We obtain theidea of time and succession by introducing spatial relations within our

states of consciousness. In the physical

By Erwin W. E. Watermeyer, M.A., F.R.C.

Director, AMORC Technical Dept.

• Absolutely clean water , f reed f romal l impuri t ies by special methods,f r eezes a t a t em pera t u re o f ap

p ro x im a te ly zero deg re es F a h re n hei t instead of at th i r ty- two degrees, according to invest igat ionscarr ied out by Dr . R. Smi th-

Johannse n o f the General Electr ic resea rch laborator ies . Even when

po w dere d im p u ri ti es w ere adde dto the water , i t s f reezing pointrose only to approximately twentydegrees above zero Fahrenhei t ,

t hus cas t i ng doub t upon one i m p o r ta n t e xpe ri m e n ta l ‘‘fa c t’’ of physi cs.

• The s ix th i sotope of oxygen , ofmass number 14, has been discovered by Drs. Sherr , Muether , andWhi te, of Pr inceton Universi ty .I t s l i fe span i s only approximately76 seconds, af ter which i t t ransforms in to ni t rogen. (Ordinaryoxygen possesses a mass numberof 16. Isotopes of m ass numb ers15, 17, 18, and 19 have already been dis covere d.)

• According to D r . F. L. W hipple,Harvard as t ronomer , fou r t een newcomets were discovered dur ing theyear 1948.

[ 143 ]




world, time does not exist, for it is amental product, according to Bergson.

Alexander gives an unusual meaningto space-time. He states that space-timeis the stuff of which matter and allthings are specifications. He said tha t

it is the basis of the evolution of theuniverse. The stuff of the world, whichis space-time, is referred to as motion—motion before matter has been generated in it. Space-time, to Alexander,does not exist; it is existence itselftaken as a whole.

Notably among those who follow theschool of Einstein, space-time is inter preted, to a large measure, as beingmore or less a mental construction im posed on the universe; that is to say,time cannot exist independent of the

mind. Time cannot be pure fiction ofthe mind, however, as it has a foundation in reality, inasmuch as it is an abstraction derived from actual movement and change in nature. Some thinkers state that if time were real it would be in the na ture of an en tity existingin itself and for itself; that is, it would be a substance, and consequently finitein nature. They say that time cannot be a pu re ly conceptual th ing withoutfoundation in the realities of nature.

Three Elements

Time must be based on definite occurrences of motion and changes whichtake place in and among physical andorganic bodies. We experience suchmovements and changes in our own being. We know our being is notstatic; it is dynamic. We activelychange and develop. We move from place to place. Our bodily and mentalstates change from hour to hour. Wecan no more deny these facts than wecan doubt our own existence. Theserealities are not instantaneous in char

acter, but gradually successive and progressive. To us the element of timelies therein.

But can we judge the nature of timeexternally by what we find within ourselves? Some philosophers postulatethat in order to understand the truenature of time we must understandmovement, because the concept of time presupposes the concept of movementand is therefoi~e derived from it. Movement means change. Change is the

transition of a thing from one state of being to another.

In a change three elements are required. First, we have the starting

point; second, the transition or passagefrom one to the other; and third, the

concluding point. The starting andconcluding points are hypothetical conditions of rest. The change consists ofthe transition or passage between thetwo points. The thing is at rest whenit is at the starting point. There it hasno movement, and there is no change.When it has arrived at its goal, it isagain at rest. It is only during the

period when the thing passes from onestate to another that change or movemen t occurs. This, of course, is veryelementary. However, we know thatthere is continuous change in somethings; in others there are alternations;and in time there are qualities, quantities, motions, and movements.

Scientifically all statements having a bearing on time contain the inferencethat time consists of progressive, successive movement. Actual ly we cannotthink of time without thinking of movement. This brings the thought that weconceive time as being composed of past, present, and future. The presentmoves into the past as the future movesinto the present, moment after mo

ment. This indicates constant change, progression, succession, and movement.It is understood, then, that the standards of measurement wThich wre applyto time are all taken from movement.

The fundamental units of time as weknow them are measured by the dayand the year. Both are taken from themotion of the earth in its orbit aroundthe sun, and from the earth’s rotationon its own axis. Such units of measu rement have been found to be the mostappropriate for the purpose of measuring and marking off time in its forward progress. But such measurements couldnot be used if time itself did not consistof movement or did not have its foundation in movement.

Time and movement, however, arenot identical. Time does not go any place. The progression of time hasnothing to do with motion or withmovement within itself. Time, thoughassociated with motion, cannot travelfrom place to place. It is not like thevibratory waves of light, the speeding

[ 14 4]



train, the revolving wheel, or theswinging pendulum, which have to dowith movement. We often speak ofslow time or fast time with respect tomoving bodies. W hat we real ly meanis the distance covered in a given timeand not the time itself. Hence timeand movement are not identical. Theremust, however, be something in movement which is the essence of time, without which there could be no time.

Now, there is one th ing that is common to all types of movement. This issuccession, the before and the after ofmovement. It is precisely this uniformsuccession of movements with its character of before and after which constitutes the essence of duration referredto by Bergson which we designate by

the name time. If, then, the differentvarieties and the different rates of motion and change are removed frommovement, and if we remove massfrom the bodies which have movementso that we retain in mind nothing butabstract movement itself consisting ofuniform succession—whether real, possible, or absolute—we then have time.

Within ourselves we feel that wehave an appreciation of the passing oftime, that it is related to all that we door think. We obtain knowledge of time

through the observation of movement orthe succession of changes. Time for usconsists of that by which we know itand can measure it, for the essence of athing is known by its properties, andits measure must correspond to thething measured.

We are aware of the passage of timewhen we are conscious of movement, but we are unconscious of the passingof time when we are not conscious ofmovement. If we observe the movements of the second and minute hands

on our watch, we are painfully conscious of the progress of time, for itseems to move very slowly. When weare engrossed in thought or are asleepor unconscious, so that motion escapesour observation, we are unaware of theminutes and hours, and then that whichwe call time seems to have moved veryrapidly, although we had no awarenessof its passing.

Measuring Eterni ty

To have a measurement of time it is

necessary to use some unit of motion or

change as a standard. For instance, wemeasure time by the movements of thestars, of the earth, of clocks, et cetera.In our comprehension of this subject,time then consequently consists of thesuccession of movements or changes.However, since movements and changesare conceived in time, time can bemovement only in the abstract and can be considered as the receptacle of movement. Time which is viewed as theabstract receptacle of all actual movement past, present, and future, seemsto be very real.

Because of our concept of time, wefeel that it is a movement which goeson and on at a uniform rate without break or gap. We feel that it is a spe

cies of duration having to do with continued existence and, since time is considered to be abstract movement, weconceive it as being continuous in its

progress. From the occurrence of actualmovements, time is an abstraction made

by the mind. As such it is a mental product, conveying to us the impression that only the present action exists,even though time is said to consist of

past, present, and future. However, itmust be construed that the present isan indivisible instant; it has no measurable duration.

From time to time we shall refer tothe postulations of Einstein because oftheir universal appeal to thinkingminds. According to Einstein, nature isso constituted in its phenomena andlaws that it is impossible to demonstratethe existence of absolute motion. Hefeels that the Newtonian concept of absolute space and absolute time is meaningless, that they cannot be separated.Time and space concepts must be recast and reconstructed to fit the condi

tions of relativity.Although there are a large number

of different systems of space and time,all are equivalent in value dependingupon the particular systems in whichthey are found. Events, for instance,are said to occur in time. Time hereinvolves the concepts of succession andsimultaneity. When events succeed eachother in time, the one is before and theother is after. When they occur at thesame moment, they are said to besimultaneous.

As seen from the present, past events[ 145 ]



have a fixed chronological order, andfuture events will fall as they eventuatefrom the present into the past. Regardless of what happens, time is an ever-rolling stream which flows on and on,and in this stream events have fixed lo

cations. It is postulated tha t space isa three-dimensional continuum inwhich all things are located and inwhich all things change. Objects inspace must have the three dimensionsof length, width, and height, and alsothat of time.

Minkowsky said that the three dimensions have duration and movement;therefore, they must have time. Distances and lengths are fixed in time itself. Our lives are lived in time, but atgreat variance. Time as we live it with

all of life’s experience is independent ofspace and it is the source of all of ourviews as to the direction of time’s arrow. As we have said, from one pointof view time means the succession ofevents which overlap one another.

Space and time are nothing in themselves; they are names for order of relations of events.

In this connection philosophers forhundreds of years have meditated uponthe curious statement made by St. Augustine: “If no thing went by therewould be no past time, and if nothing•came there would be no future time.The present, if it always remained the present, would not be time—it would be etern ity.”

(To be continued.)

V A V

THE LAND OF THE PAGODAS

(Continued from Page 127)

financial reverses. His wife had passedthrough transition over a year before.He could not afford a funeral servicefor her in accordance with the requirements of his caste, and so her body waskept in a casket in a mortuary awaiting the time when he would have accumulated the minimum sum of onethousand United States dollars for the

proper funeral ceremony. In the meantime, there was the expense of preserving the body.

We wrere permitted, through the connections of this young man, to witnessone of these ornate ceremonies. Thefuneral shrine, where the casket is placed for the ceremony, was of whitegranite, austere in its massiveness. Itconsisted of a platform wdth a gradualstairway of four flights of stairs of seven

steps each. A stone peaked roof is sup ported at each comer by four squaregranite pillars. A red plush carpetleads up the steps to the funeral bier.The casket is placed on a bronze sup port and against it are banked large andornate floral pieces. The relatives and

. . friends in turn must personally place Ros icrucian their flower contributions against or

near the casket.

The

Digest M ay

1949The spectators then retire to a low,

roofed grandstand in one corner of

which are the musicians. There is thena procession of the officiating Buddhist priests up the sta irway. They carry thesacerdotal regalia with them. The casket itself is very ornate. It is made ofexpensive carved woods. Costly incenseis burned at this ceremony and feescharged for all services rendered areexpensive. After this ceremony, thecremation rites follow.

The Opium Scourge

Siam is afflicted with the opiumscourge. It has innumerable addicts ashave most of the countries of the Orient.While we were in Bangkok, the government had adopted an optimistic five-year plan for the eradication, by degrees, of the smoking of opium. At

present, opium smoking is permitted bylicensing certain dens or establishments. These, in theory at least, aresubject to a periodic inspection. Of whatthis inspection consists we could not determine. Though we were told thatthere were one hundred such dens inBangkok alone, there were also an average of five in the other sixty-nine provinces. The closing of these dens, if itdoes come to pass, is admittedly analtruistic step on the part of the government. The closing will mean a sizeable

[ 14 6]



financial loss to the government inrevenue derived from the importation ofopium.

We paid a visit to one of these licensed opium dens to determine pre

vailing conditions. We were, in fact,curious as to what kind of compromisethe governing licensing made with theevils and horrors that must attend such practices. This pa rticular establishmentwas located in obviously a slum district.Gutters were filled with filth over whichdroves of flies hovered. Stench assailedour nostrils as we entered the cobbledstreet. The houses on either side of thenarrow street were of a drab clapboardtype. They were not unlike the onesseen in the old ghost towns of California

and other far-western states of America.The shops were of the older bazaar-type—dark alcoves in which were sus pended from the ceilings the heterogeneous collection of objects offered forsale.

We stopped midway down the cob bled street before two swinging ha lfdoors reminiscent of the old saloons

prior to America’s prohibition era. Wehad to push our way through a throngof little Siamese street urchins whowere playing noisily before the en

trance of this depressing structure. Onceinside, we were in a semidark corridor.We hesitated for a moment in order to

become accustomed to the darkness,having entered from the bright glare ofthe sunlight.

Walking a few steps ahead, we sawthat there were small rooms off eachside of the corridor. The partitions between the rooms consisted of heavywire-mesh screens. Against these wirescreens were erected tiers of crude

bunks, three high. The inmates whomwe saw—th ere were some private roomsnot accessible—were all men. Theywere naked except for a trunklike garment. They assumed grotesque postures while apparently under the influence of the narcotic. Their arms andlegs were twisted into unnatural positions. Some of them were half crouch

ing, with their heads twisted in a waythat would seem a most uncomfortable

position. This was perhaps due to aninvoluntary response of the muscles tothe stimuli which the nerves were receiving. Their distorted facial expressions added to the nefarious setting.There was an intermingling on our part of the emotions of profound sym pathy and revulsion for these hu manderelicts.

Some of the men—they were mostlyyoung, being under thirty-five—werefully conscious, even selfconscious. They smiled sheepishly and turnedtheir faces from us. This caused us toregret that we had intruded upon their

private vices and weaknesses. W hat was

strikingly pathetic was their emaciated bodies. The ir arms were as th in asthose of a small child. Their ribs were

prom inent and their skin had a dry unnatural appearance. Some had theireyes wide open, producing the effect ofa haunting stare.

The all-consuming craving of thedrug subordinates the natural desire forfood. The addict must be compelled toeat or he will starve. Concomitant withtheir desire for the drug is an intensethirst. Attendants continuously bring

in small cups of tea for those who arenot wholly under the influence of thedrug.

In the small room at the entrance ofthe corridor, the attendants are “cooking” the opium which resembles small ball-like pills. These are placed in pipes and the pipes are hung fromracks, awaiting those who can affordthe fees. It is asserted that after five indulgences in the drug one becomes aconfirmed addict.

Let us not forget that certain of thewhite or Occidental nations encouragedfor years the smoking of opium in Oriental countries because of the profitablereturns it afforded and the political control which it would make possible overa shattered people.

(To be continued.)

V A V

REM EM BER T HE C O N V EN T IO N — August 14 to 19, 1949




e

Gear your Mind to Opportunity By H e r b e r t G a y S i s s o n

(Reprinted from Forbes . Issue of December 15, 1948)

ow often, on hearing ofsome new product orservice that clicked in a big way, have you saidto yourself: “What asimple idea—why didn’tI think of that?”

Well, you might have,if you had given the mat

ter a little solid thought—if you hadmade it a habit to do a bit of “opportunity-thinking” each day, to keep onthe alert for practical ideas.

When old Ben Franklin was Ambas

sador to France he was bothered abouthaving to keep two kinds of glasses—one for reading, the other for generaluse. But, unlike other men, who accepted this as one of the unavoidablenuisances of advancing age, Franklindecided to do a little thinking about the

problem. Observing that he alwayslooked downward when reading, buteither straight in front or up when not,he hit upon the simple idea of dividingthe lenses of his glasses by mountinga far-sighted half above a near-sightedhalf in each compartment. Result: Millions of people since have had the benefit of bifocals.

No mental gian t was Jacob Ritty, anOhio saloon-keeper of the ’70s. Deciding to take a pleasure trip to Europe,his fun was marred somewhat by therealization that his bartenders might pocket some of his profits in his absence. On a tour through the ship’s engine room he was shown a gadget thatindicated the revolutions of the pro

peller shaft. The other passengers sim

ply found the gadget interesting, butRitty began to toss its implications overin his mind constructively. Could thesame principle be adapted to makinga machine that would record cash salesin a store—or a saloon? He cut his tripshort and returned home. And, withhis machinist brother, he concocted thefirst cash register.

Here’s another example of how gearing your mind to opportunity-thinkingcan pay off: In the late ’90s CobumHaskell, a retired businessman, tookup golf to occupy his leisure time.

Along with most other players, he wasdissatisfied with the lack of “bounce”in the gutta percha balls then in use.But Haskell was apparently the onlyone who did any serious thinking aboutthe matter. Chatting with a GoodrichCompany executive one day, he suggested that perhaps a solid rubber ballwould be better.

“Too soft,” said his friend.Haskell thought a bit more and said:

“How about compressing it?”“Rubber isn’t compressible,” was the

answer.

After pondering this awhile, Haskellcame back with: “If you’d take thinstrips of rubber, stretched as tight as possible, and then wind them around asmall rubber core, couldn’t you makea hard enough ball?”

That was worth trying, and Haskell’sidea was soon a reality. The new ball,capable of adding a good many yardsto every golfer’s drive, was an important factor in the subsequent popularization of the game.

[ 148]



In each of these three examples themental activity followed a definite pattern, from which we can arrive at aformula for bringing opportunitieswithin our thinking range. First, each

man was dissatisfied with something—one with his glasses, one with the recording methods in his business, thethird with a golf ball. Second, eachman thought about something that atleast offered possibilities of improvement. One saw possibilities in dividedlenses, another in a recording instrument, the third in a man’s hobby.

To gear your mind to opportunity,think from a dissatisfaction to a possi bility.

This type of thinking requires prac

tice, but you can practice it anywherein a store or a restaurant, an office, athome or on the street—wherever youcan observe and think. Look for thingsyou don’t like and try to think of ways

to improve them, or look for things youdo like and think how you can applythem to improve something you don’tlike.

In either case, you marry possibil-ity-thoughts to dissatisfaction-thoughts.And that’s how opportunity-ideas are born.

Try it. You may not come up withany million-dollar ideas, but many littleideas, over the months, can add up to a

big volume of profit and satisfaction—if you put them in action.

f TH E RESOUR CES OF A.M.O.R.C.

i Occas ionally there are individuals with mercenary motives who claim that theyhave, in some way, a financial interest in the assets of AMORC. Such claims must bedisabused. The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, is a philosophical, fraterna l organ ization,

i The Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC, the corporate body of the Order, is a nonprofit

corporation. It holds in trust the properties of the Order for the perpetuation of the

i objectives and ideals of the Order. None of such properties or funds are the possessions

' of any individual or individuals and none of the revenues or incomes of the Order may

r inu re to the benefit of an individual. Every mem ber should be fam iliar with the Con-

i stitution and Statutes of the Grand Lodge. In this Constitution, Article X, Section 30a|i provides, as follows:

' “None of the moneys of these funds deposited in the banks by theSupreme Grand Lodge and its Roard of Directors shall inure to the benefitof any member, officer or supreme executive of the Order, nor shall such

i funds be held in trus t for any lodge or group of lodges or chapters, or for i t he genera l m em bersh ip , or any indiv idua l m em ber o r officer, but exclu-1 sively for the maintenance and perpetuat ion of the idea ls of the organiza-\ tion in accordance with the Constitution of the Supreme Grand Lodge.”

\ The recently publicized suit, wherein Mrs. Thor Kiimalehto, the plaintiff, whoi brought the action, claims to have a financial interest in the assets of the organization,

1 is without any foundation, as every member of the Rosicrucian Order knows.

1 Although this is known to all members, we reiterate, as a point of information, that

/ the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC, pop ularly known as the Rosicrucian Order, is

i recognized as a nonprofit corporation by the United States Government, the Dominion

' of Canada, and various other governments und er which it is chartered. The m embers

i of the Roard of Directors and the officers of the AMORC have vigorously resisted,

1 throughout the years, attempts to extort money from the organization under one pretext or another, and they will continue to do so.

The books and records of the organization are available at any time to any memberi for inspection. These books and records are audited by public accountants, and their

statements are on file. We also have always invited every member attending our

i International Conventions to volunteer to be part of the committee which examines all)f the organization and determines that the provisions of the Constitution and

have been met.

[ 149 ]



usic and dancing are asfundamental to childrenas light and air. Com bined with a story, theymake a very completetriangle. So Mr. Straw- bridge d e c id e d som e

years ago, and his children’s productions have

become outstanding in the theatreworld. There have been many: “Johnny Appleseed,” “Daniel Boone,” “Christopher Columbus,” “Pinocchio”; “Bob-inson Crusoe” is promised. The proofof their continuing popularity is indicated by the fact that repeat performances are always demanded—on theaverage, seven.

On a recent Saturday afternoon,“The Snow Maiden,” adapted by Vir

ginia Dorris and danced to Chopin’smusic, was given in San Jose. It heldan overflow audience of children—andquite a few adults—delighted throughout.

Mr. Strawbridge was animation itselfand his eyes sparkled as he called hiswork a contribution to right education —filling the awrakening consciousnesswith only the best. He sees his workas a very rewarding way to put Rosi-crucianism into practice. We thoughthis success would interest you, for Fra-ter Strawbridge has been a member ofthe Order for many years.

V A V

“Out of some forty families I have been able to observe, I know hard ly

j ' f ie four in which the parents do not act inP . . such a way tha t nothing would be moreKostcructan desirabie jfor the child than to escapeDigest their influence.”May So wrote Andre Gide in his Journals.1949 If you think his judgment severe, you

might reread “Juvenile Delinquency?” by the Director, Junior Order of TorchBears, in the March issue of the Rosi-crucian Digest.

V A V

“Time—Space—Mind” perpetuallyintrigue the Neophyte, and make hisearly studies both rewarding and full ofsurprises. Oftentimes he is amazed tofind his thoughts following those ofEinstein. This is the way one Neophyteexpressed it: “There is no barrie r between one object or force and another.The so-called ‘mental and optical illusion of time and space’ is overcome by

penetration —w ith projection of directforce of a thought vibration—resultingin the immediate ‘contact with an ob

ject’; in other words, before one can

project a thought vibration in an y direction, there has to be a ‘mental picture’ of its destination through the visualization of a goal. Thus, the key toattainment is first reached through themind; therefore, time and space have been automatically eliminated without physical effort.”—Mrs. E. H. B.

V A V

Dr. Albert Einstein has just cele brated his seventieth birthday. His lifemission has been one of liberating

man’s thought from limiting views oftime and space. W ith true humility,however, he remains modest in the faceof such accomplishment. He says: “Myown career was undoubtedly determined, not by my own will, but byvarious factors over which I have nocontrol, primarily those mysteriousglands in which nature prepares thevery essence of life, our internal secretions.”

Rosicrucians would agree as to the

[ 15 0]



value of the glands’ contribution, butthey would feel that the doctor errs in believing he can exercise no controlover them. They are daily proving itto be otherwise through their Rosicru

cian studies. V A V

Bulletins from Lodges and Chapterscontinue to indicate the value of groupassociation — The Microcosm (Indianapolis, Indiana, Chapter) gives two reasons: “In the last two months the attendance of the Study Group has dou

bled. Why? The first reason is thatwe are reading our monographs in agroup and having very informal discussions. The second reason is that mem

bers attending the Study Group havetold others of the advantage of meetingtogether in order to understand themonographs more fully.”

* * * * *

From the Bulletin of the San Diego,California, Chapter a Soror’s remarkson “Discontent” are provocative: “Discontent has ever been the pulse beat ofProgress. They who achieve, invent, orconquer have known the gnawing ofdiscontent. A saturation in indolence

never results in anything save, at thehighest, the achievement of discontent.And that creates the germ of Doing,Daring! . . .

“Be discontented therefore, with your present lot. . . . Let your soul go straightas an arrow toward your dreaming.They who are discontented at the rootwill strive and go far.”—Tanya South.

* * * * *

From the Myst ic Triangle (First

Pennsylvania Lodge AMORC, Pitts burgh) a pungent paragraph by Fra terEldon Nichols, Lodge Master duringthe past year: “Life in a lump is toomuch for any of us. . . . It’s a back- breaker. But one hour—we can standthat—and that is all we have to stand. So let’s go through this hour doing the

best we can and not tackle the secondhour until it comes to meet us. Everyday is a new life. Every evening is aDay of Judgment. Every morning is aresurrection. One day is all there is to

it and that isn’t too much. We don’thave to drink up the ocean—just a

glassful. Nor jump a mile—just a stepat a time.”

* * * * *

How the individual member maycontribute valuably to the good of hislodge or chapter is indicated in the comments of a member in England. Lodgeand chapter masters take notice: “In theChapter to which I belong, half themembers attend because they want to be grounded in Rosicrucian principles.The others, because they would enlargetheir viewpoints by comparison. It isright and proper that each learn by themethod best for him and a multiplicityof theories discussed, questioned, mixed,and reassembled does seem provocativeand conducive to many pleasant flashesof wit, learning, and insight. It is obvious, though, that this method canfunction only on the objective planeand the harmony and concord of sub jective attunement seem sacrificed.

“The inner man feels the need ofritual, symbolism, the chanting thatheals, the sacredness of quiet. If it istrue that the teachings seek to bring tothe student the technique of stilling theouter mind, raising his vibrations and perfecting the conditions of contact withthe Fount of all knowledge, then themeans for furthering such developmentshould be found in chapters and lodges,too. Such groups, it would seem, must provide both kinds of opportunities forgrowth if all are to benefit from them.”

—A. S. L.

V A V

Among the meager personal effects ofMahatma Gandhi were three very familiar little figures that Gandhi calledhis teachers: the monkeys “Speak No

Evil,” “See No Evil,” and “Hear NoEvil.” To one of our Sorors, these threelittle figures suggest a fourth: “Think No Evil.” She writes:

“We may master our lips, eyes, andears (how many of us do?); but whatwill it avail us if we do not master ourthoughts? We bring upon ourselvesgrief, sorrow, pain, and discouragement because in our thoughts we har bor destructive impulses. Wre know howto avoid negative thoughts, and weknow that our thoughts affect not only

others but ourselves also; yet, we sendout thoughts that if not positively hate

[151 ]



ful are oftentimes unloving. Whenthey boomerang back to us, we feel thehu rt keenly. We moan, ‘W hy shouldthis happen to me?’ or like Job ‘thething that I greatly feared has come

upon me’; but we do not recognize thatthese are our own thoughts returningto us.

“Kind thoughts likewise return,laden with a rare perfume. They areas easily sent as the negative ones andtheir homecoming brings joy and satisfaction instead of pain and regret.

“We may not be able to prevent certain thoughts from entering consciousness, but we can decide the ones weshall send forth and the ones that willremain. In our minds, deeds are con

ceived W'hich wn'II later be born whenwe least expect. Truly , ‘As a manthinketh in his heart, so is he.’ ”

—K. W. J.

V A V

With the 1949 Session of Rose-CroixUniversity not far off—undoubtedlymany even now have uncompletedmatriculation monographs on hand—old and new students will be interestedin the following comment. It was written by an enrollee in last year’s advanced Alchemy Class: “It seems to me

that R.C.U. is a great alchemical retort,in which many distillations take place.During the first week of distillation, oldconcepts, old habits of living, old phi

losophies are challenged. Negative attitudes begin to rise to the surface likeslag. As distillation and calcination continue, wrong concepts are dissipatedand the consciousness prepares for re

bir th .” —M. G. V A V

Responses to “ Fell Me Your Story”(see March issue) are coming in witheach mail delivery . . . from end to endof the continent . . . and from across theoceans. The Editor wishes to informthe contributors that she appreciatesthis promptness. The returns are promising for worthwhile reading. Just aswas hoped for, most of the responsesare not merely a series of words; they

are alive with warmth and enthusiasm. No worry as to how to say it . . . theemotion behind the thought (the feeling which was created wrhen the incident happened) helps select the rightword.

Since publication procedure is alwaysa process requiring time, the contributors are asked to be patien t. You understand, of course, that individual acknowledgments will not be made;rather, the Editor will spend this timein contemplating and relating these

various messages into one bond of universal experience.Remember that the incidents reported

must be true to fact and not be fiction.

V A V

The Rosicrucian Digest May

1949

CLASS INSTRUCTION AT ROSICRUCIAN PARK

All members of the Rosicrucian Order are eligible to take part in actual class in

struction in the subjects offered by the Rose-Croix University at its 1949 term, from

Ju ly 25 to August 13. At this ye ar’s term of the Rose-Croix Un iversity, th ere will becourses offered in science, philosophy, psychology, art, and music, as well as special

lectures by officials of the organization on the application or the relation to the Rosicrucian teachings of the subjects being taught. Elective courses will be available in other

fields of inte rest to all Rosicrucians. The faculty of the Rose-Croix Un iversity will be

composed of Rosicrucian members, some of whom are instructors during the rest of the

year in othe r colleges and educational institutions. Th ey w ill be well qualified to pre

sent their subject matter.

To participate in these classes you should write now for a copy of The Story of

Learning, which describes the courses to be offered. Fu ll info rmation wil l be forwarded

with this booklet to explain how you can participa te in the se special studies. Addressyour request to: The Registrar of the Rose-Croix University, Rosicrucian Park, San

Jose, California.

[ 152]



d o m ia i. a ndoux Ckti% £ n

By H a r r i e t R u t h B a l d w i n , F.R.C.

H a v e educatorsoverlooked the

possibilities of comic books as an educational medium? To whatextent do certain comics contribute to juven i le de l inquency?What is being done

about it, and what canyou do?These questions are

pertinent and related,in view of the recentepidemic of news stories on juvenile delinquency wherein crimecomics wrere named asa contributing factor.

The comic magazines, many of whichlong ago forsook com

edy for adventure, love, and satire, aresaid to have a circulation of 50,000,000copies per month with boys and girls asthe ir principal readers. Certainly thisconstitutes an influential medium worthy of earnest consideration.

Psychiatrists have offered variousviewpoints on the problem.

Dr. Warren W. Sones, Professor ofEducation at the University of Pitts burgh, often quoted as an au thor ity, isamong those who believe that comicshave possibilities as an educational

medium, and, also, that comic strip preference offers a reliable means oftesting personality.

For instance, the reader who fightsfor each installment of high adventure,mass homicide, glamor, and love comicsis an “ego enhancement” type—a person who nurses ambitions for heroism,swashbuckling adventure, and glamor.Readers who follow the “domestic”comic strips usually are members ofhappy families.

The strips Dr. Sones refers to as“hate art” include those in which theunscrupulous villain is foiled. Often

the villain is a commonly respected typeof citizen for whom a

p a r t ic u la r cla ss ortype of individual reserves a special dislike.A c c o r d i n g t o D r.Sones, the frustrationof the villain serves to

give the “hate art”r e a d e r s v i c a r i o u s pleasure.

In the “strictly foradults” classification,are listed a limitedn u m b e r o f c om ic swhich appeal either directly to adult minds,or use a broad brushin daubing the strips’continuity with socialsatire.

An adult who regularly reads none but the adventure and danger strips isoften a man or woman who nurses afeeling of persecution, or a grudgeagainst a superior, or perhaps simplydissatisfaction with the existing socialorder.

More Observati ons

At the 1948 session of the Rose-CroixUniversity, as an experiment, the students in the Creative Writing classwere required to read comic strips and

then to write their reactions, observations, likes, and dislikes.These observations, in nearly every

instance, gave a definite clue to a personality tra it of the observer. One student, commenting on three entirely different types of “strips,” observed inevery instance the one element of “trying to get something for nothing” or“trying to take away something thatrightfully belonged to someone else.”

Four identical strips given to fourdifferent students resulted in widelydivergent observations, indicating theinfluence of the individual personalities

[ 153]




and their background of particular anddefinite causes. It was a domestic strip,and one student felt that the father wasmartyred by the demands of the wifeand daughter; another thought it wasthe child who was abused; a third, thatthe mother was overworked; the fourthobserved detachedly “shows disintegration of the family.” This experiment by adults, of course, was limited to theviewpoint of the adult. There was nofollow-up as to the background reasonsfor their decisions. However, one must bear in mind th at to reach the child,one must first understand the parent.

If we consider that the personality pattern is usua lly set in the first threeyears of a child’s life, it is evident that

by the time he is old enough to read

he has already acquired certain tendencies, for good or ill. It is obvious, then,that although comics might be an addedstimulus, they cannot be cited as theoriginal one; however, their influencecannot be minimized.

Dr. Frederic Wertham, senior psychiatrist of the New York City Department of Hospitals, who has been publicly focusing attention to the comic book as a crime stim ulan t for children,offers the following viewpoint:

In the Science Digest of April, 1948,

Dr. Wertham states: “Comic books aredefinitely harmful to impressionable people— and most young people are im pressionable. They interfere with normal sexual development, make violencealluring, and take away the dignity ofwomen by making them appear asnecessarily seductive as objects to befought over by villain and hero.

“In almost every comic-magazine plot the girl is bound, gagged, about to be tortured, sold as a slave, chained,whipped, choked or thrown to wild

animals.“These situations are developed onone page after another, showing younggirls, with their prominent secondarysex characteristics, dashing around halfnude. At the last moment the heroineis rescued—but only after the readerhas seen the suggestive and shapely loveobject abused in some way.

“The often-heard contentions thatcomics provide an aggressive outlet forchildren’s natural tendencies and havecathartic value—and that the sex-be-havior characteristics of a child are

formed before he even can read—areeither misapplied or misunderstoodFreud.”

It is Dr. Wertham’s belief that thecomics deliberately attempt to arouse

semi-sadistic fantasies in young children. “Certainly we cannot forbidchildren to read comics,” he admits.“But it is elementary child hygiene to

prevent their taking possession of children’s minds as they have been allowedto do.”

To prove his accusations, Dr. Wertham from his records as active psychiatrist has outlined case after case of

juvenile delinquency where comic books were responsible both as a stimulus and as having provided the method

for procedure.Dr. Wertham’s findings and beliefshave received wide publication in news papers and national magazines, such asThe Christian Science Monitor , This Week Magazine, Reader’s Digest,

Friends Intelligencer , Tomorrow , Col-lier’s, The Saturday Review of Litera-ture, and others.

Crime and itn Technique

However, to get at the very roots ofevery problem viewpoints from morethan one angle must be considered, andagain we come to the parent. In specific instances of juvenile delinquencyin which comics were a contributingfactor, psychiatrists have found thatthe basic problem was that of unsatisfactory parent-child relationship andthat comics played only a secondaryrole.

Five boys, ranging from eleven tothirteen years of age. formed a gang,committed eight burglaries spaced overseveral months, and, still undetected,culminated these exploits by firing three bullets into the back of a man they hadselected as a hold-up victim. The victim, though critically wounded, recovered.

One of the boys confessed to a schoolteacher benefactor. The boys were heldin custody for six weeks while psychiatrists delved for the answers.

Only one of these children belongedto the depressed economic group butthe case histories of all five revealedsimilar patterns. All were neglected inlove and esteem by one of the parents,

[ 154 ]



tory relationship between themselvesand their children, and who see that thechild’s desire for dramatic literature isadequately satisfied, have little to fearfrom the influence of the so-calledcomics.

There are many who share in the belief that the comics have begun to progress tow ard usage that is more constructive. This is certain ly a worthy

cue for the crusaders. Where are thetalented men and women who will bring this prediction to fru ition? Whowill adequately and intelligently utilize, in the writing of textbooks, thegraphic and alluring technique of the

comic strip—the illustrative action-pic-ture combined with words? Herein isoffered a challenge to the talent ofevery sincere worker.

V A V

Life versus Death By A. H. d e M a r i c h

(A Rosicrucian European Exile in Germany)


I

t w a s a day in Spring.The sun gave us her golden gift—while a worldwar raged at the frontiers. Very tired fromthe duties of my painfuloffice—I was chief inspector of police at thetime—I reported at head

quarters to receive a list of places tovisit as my duty. There were two theatres, a concert, a cabaret, and a danceregistered for me. This dance, which Iinspected last, was organized as a farewell entertainment for the soldiers going to the front.

When I entered the hall, where thedance was in progress, I could not atfirst see anything; clouds of smokeveiled the lights. Five orchestras were play ing successively and al ternately sothat there would be no interruption.Chairs and tables were moved to thewall and the middle space was used for

the dancers. The atmosphere of the place reeked with the smell of perspiration, smoke, drinks, body odors, soap,and cheap perfume. The dance seemedlike an infernal mixture not of menand women, but only of bodies swinging together. In the eyes one could readthe convulsive wish to live and love fora few hours. There were mingled

beastly instincts, longings and impulses,and always the unanswerable question:What will the morning bring? Deathgrinned from their eyes. It knew it

would be victorious. W ith horror I leftthe diabolical spectacle and fled outdoors.

My heart and soul were depressed. Itwas already night as I hurried along,farther and farther, without plan. Palaces, bridges, houses, and squares went past. Finally, very weary, I arrived ina park which was unknown and unfa

miliar to me. Because of the darkness,I could not find a bench, so I lay on thegrass, my head finding support on alittle mound.

When I awoke, I saw the azure bluesky above. Round me were many flowers in all colors, welcoming their flyingsisters, the gay butterflies. The treeswere in spring dress and in their foliagea magnificent choir of little birds wassinging hym ns to the spring. The air

was full of life and love and the ground —I was in an old churchya rd and waslying on a tomb. The tombstones werenot marks of the past but only a picturesque stage of natu ral harm ony. Thenames of the persons buried there wereillegible. The powerful roots of treeshad thrown many of the stones out of place and the grass had covered allwith an artistic carpet. The churchyardwas very old but the life therein wasnew and fresh. Only death had diedthere. The eterna l life was victorious.

r 156 3



a g a t e s

SYMBOL OF BELIEF

This orna te W at (Tem ple) in Siam is consecrated to the religio-philosophy of Buddhism. It seeks to combine

the qualities of physical beauty with the beauty of spiritual truths. On each of the pavilions in the lower terrace are images of Buddha representing the four impo rtan t episodes in his life. Rows of “Heave nly Birds”—half human and half bird—depict the gradual ascent of the consciousness of the devout.

(Photo by AMORC Camera Expedition)



THE MYSTERY OF LIFE

m i t l ier . . . Wh er e . . . Wh e n c e ?

I ' k o m WHKNC'h arises the idea of self, of immortality, ol everlasting life. ' ' ( an we prove

by lo gi c tli. it li fe cont inues al ter d e a t h ? O r is the conc ep t but a lo ibl e ol m a n k i n d /I lave you ever stood in sol i tude u pon the brink ol a yaw ni ng <liasm. a deep canyon , in

the de ad of ni gh t/ I )o you r eal ize that each hou r ol your l i fe yon stan d upon the brinkof just such a chasm . . . the chasm ol eter ni ty / Is the span ol your l ile susp end ed between a vast mystery pr eceding you r birth and a great mystery sti l l to co me / Are you

satisfied to endure years ol conscious life in ignorance ol the purpose ol lile . . . the endtow ard which l ife is movi ng? II these subjects appea l to you, rl they present a chal le ngel<> your thinking, then one ol the lol lo wing series of discourses w i ll part icularly interest

you. I hey are profo und in thought , bu t s im ply and forceful ly wri t ten. Do not missreading them.

For Only

75cMonthly

You Receive Two

Large Discourses

Every Month

No. 3. The Faiths of the World No. 15. Life's Mysteries No. 17. Life Everlasting I wo dis cour ses will he sent you every m on th lor only 75 cents,

' tou may subscr ibe lor only one month or for as many months

as you pleas e until one or all o I the cour ses ar e complet ed.

W h e n order i ng, pl e ase ( l i ve number as well as the name ol the

( nurse (or courses) you select . Sen d yo ur order to the addres s

bel ow.

i f o i n : i t s i t i < ; s i < ; . \ n r i i i r . t « i ; w vs .1 v ./ o s t: . 1 i i. i F o it v #.1 f . s.



Member of“PUDOSI”

(Federation Uni-verselle des

Ord res etSocietes

Inl t ia t iques)

T H E P U R P O S E O F

THE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER The Rosicrucian Order, existing i .n all civilized lands, is a nonsectarian

fraternal body of men and women devoted to the inves t igat ion, s tudy, and p ra cti ca l appli catio n of na tu ral and sp ir it u a l laws. The p urp ose of th e o r ganization is to enable all to live in harmony with the creative, constructiveCosmic forces for the a t ta inment of heal th, happiness , and peace. The Orderis internat ional ly known as ‘ 'AMORC" (an abbreviat ion), and the AMORC

in America and al l other lands const i tutes the only form of Rosicrucianact ivi t ies uni ted in one body for a representat ion in the internat ional federation. The AMORC does not sell i ts teaching s. It gives them freely toaff il ia ted mem bers toge ther wi th many othe r benefi ts . Fo r complete informat ion about the benefi ts and advantages of Rosicrucian associat ion wri tea le t ter to the address below, and ask for the free book The Mastery of Life. Ad dress Scribe S. P. C.. in care of

AMORC TEMPLE Rosicrucian Park, San .lose, California, I'.S.A.

(Cable Address: “AMORCO")

Supreme Executive for the Jurisdiction of North, Central, and South A merica, Au stralasia, and AfricaRalph M. Lewis, F.K.C.—Imperator

D I R E C T O R Y PRINCIPAL AMKRICAN BRANCHES OF THE A.M.O.R.C.

The fol lowing are the principal chartered R osicrucian L odges and Ch apters in the Uni ted States , i t sterr i tories and possessions . The nam es and add resses of othe r Am erican Branches will be given uponwri t ten reques t .

CALIFORNIA Long Beach:*Abdiel Lodg e, 2155 Atla ntic Ave. Rex B. Barr.M aster; Ethy l I. Rom ans. Sec. Sessions everyFri., 8 p.m.

Los Angeles:*H erm es Lod ge, 1-18 N. Gram ercy P lace, Tel.GL adsto ne 1230. Ben F. Gename, Ma ster; M yrle N ew m an , Sec . L ib ra ry op en 2 p. m . to 5 p .m .:7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Review clas ses Mon. thro ug hFri. Sessions every Sun.. 3 p.m.

Oakland :*

Oakland Lodge, Office and Library—610 16th St.,Tel. I lig at e 4-5996. L. E. Bla nch ard, M aster:Helen D. Papp ageo rge. Sec. Lib rary open Mon.,Wed. , Fri . af ternoons: Mon. , Tues . , Thurs . , Fri .evening s. Sessions 1st and 3rd Wed., 8 p.m., atSciots Hall, 5117 E. 14tli St.

Pasadena:Akhnaton Chapter , Al tadena Masonic Temple.Geneva O. Beston . Sec. Session s 2nd and 4thTues., 8 p.m.

Sacramento:Clement B. LeBrun Chapter . 2130 “L" St. P e t e rJosseran d, M aster; Ma rgaret S. Irwin, Sec. Sessions 2nd and 4th W ed., 8 p.m.

San Diego:San Diego Chapter. Sunset Hall. 3911 Kansas St.Mrs. Vesta Dowell. Master. 1036 Edgemont, Tel.F-4598: Mrs. Nell D. Joh nso n, Sec. Sessio ns 1st.

2nd. and 4th Thurs . , 8 p.m.San Francisco:*Francis Bacon Lodge, 1957 Chestnut St.. Tel.TU-5-6340. H ans Kram er, Maste r; Jessie H.Ro bbin s, Sec., Tel. PR-5-8526. Sessio ns for allmembers every Mon., 8 p.m., for review classes ph one sec re ta ry .

COLORADO Denver:

Denv er Ch apter, 1009 17th St. H ays L. Livin gston . M aster : E. J. L ewis, Sec., 405 E. & C. Bklg.Sess ions every Friday. , 8 p.m.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington:Thomas Jefferson Chapter, 1322 Vermont Ave.Prue Yarbrough, Master; Mrs . Minnie PearlStough, Sec., 1437 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.Sessions every Fri., 8 p.m.

FLORIDA Miami:

Miami Chapter, Biscayne Temple, 120 N.W. 15thAve. J. Coker Anderson, Master; Florence M.Fra nc ois, Sec., 2787 S.W. 33rd Ave. Session severy Sun., 8 p.m.

ILLINOIS Chicago :* N eferti ii Lodge. 2539 N. K edzi e Ave., Te ). E v erglad e 4-8627. Geo rge L. Ah lborn . M aster; EileenShirey, Sec. L ibra ry open dailv. 1 to 5 p.m. and7:30 to 10 p.m .; S un., 2 to 5:30 p.m. on ly. Ses sions every Tues. and Thurs., 8 p.m.

INDIANASouth Bend:So uth Ben d Ch apte r. 207M- S. Main St. Mrs.Irene Newsome. Master; Amelia Nyers, Sec.,1031 W. D ubai 1 Ave. Sessio ns ever y Sun ., 7 p.m.

Indianapolis:

Ind ianap olis Ch apter, 2615'̂ E. 30th SI. H arryA. M ilburn . M aster; Osc ar R. Small, Sec.. 849 E.M orris St. Sessions every Fri.. 8:15 p.m.

MARYLAND Baltimore :*John O'Donnell Lodge. 100 W. Saratoga St.Clifford F. Van Warmer, Master: Eugene W.Spen cer, Sec., 7 E. Eag er St. Session s 1st and3rd Wed., 8:15 p.m.

MASSACHUSETTS Boston :*Joh ann es Kelp ius Lod ge. 281 M arlboro St FelixGreg ory, M aster; Carl G. Saudi,; , Sec. Sessionsevery Sun. and Wed., 7:30 p.m.

MICHIGAN Detroit :*Th ebes Lodge. 616 W. Hancock Ave. Elias Syria.

Master. 1478 Hanford. Lincoln Park 25. Mich.;Inez M. Oys ter, Sec.. Tel. Bed ford 1180. Sessions every Tues., 8:15 p.m.

MINNESOTA Minneapolis':Essene Chapter, Traficante Accordion SchoolAud ., 41 So. 8th St. Sylv an Seve rtsen, M aster;Delia Coose, Sec., 2016 Em erso n Ave. So. Sessions 2nd and 4th Sun., 3 p.m.

MISSOCRI St. Louis:*Thu tmose Lodg e, George W ashin gton H otel, 600 N. K in g sh ig h w ay Bl vd . R oy L es te r W al ls , Mas ter: Earl Tidrow. Jr., Sec., 7918 KingsburyBlvd., Clayton, Mo. Sessions every Tues., 8 p.m.

NEW JERSEY Newark:H. Spencer Lewis Ch apter. 29 Jam es St. F. P.Vander Meulen, Master; Louis M. Spatz, Sec..

128 Ch estnut St., R uth erfo rd, N. J. Sessionsevery Mon., 8:30 p.m.

NEW YORK Buffalo:Rama Chapter, 225 Delaware Ave., Room 9.H ans He ndrichs, M aster: Ca rolyn A. Wood. Sec.,23 Terra ce. Sessions every Wed., 7:30 p.m.

tDirectory Cont inued on Next Page)



New York City:* Ne w Yor k City L od ge . 250 W. 57 th St. Mich ae lKohanow , Jr . , M aster; Florenc e E. Grabow , Sec.Sessions Wed., 8:15 p.m. and Sun., 3:00 p.m.L ibrary open week days and Sun. , 1 to 8 p .m.Book er T. W ashing ton C hapter, 69 W. 125th St ..Room 63. Mrs. Alice Edw ards, M aster: DavidW aldro n, Sec., 1449 5th Ave. Session s everySun., 8 p.m.

OHIOC i n c i n n a t i :Cincinnati Chapter, 204 Hazen Bldg., 9th andMain St. Vada E. Fi sher , M aster : Ber tha Ab

bo tt , Sec. Sess io ns ev er y W ed . and F ri ., 7:30 p.m .Dayton :Elbe rt Hu bb ard Cha pter, 56 Ea st 4th St . GilbertR. Titsch, M aster; M ary Tu rner, Sec.. 436 HoltSt . Sessions every Wed., 8 p.m.Toledo:Michael Faraday Chapter, Roi Davis Bldg.. 3rdFL, 905 Jeffe rson Ave. Mrs. M arie A. Sand ers,M aster; H azel Schram m. Sec., 1514 Fre em an St.Sessions every Thurs., 8:30 p.m.

OREGONPortland :•Po rtland Rose Lodge, 2712 S. E. Salmon. FloydK. Riley, M aster; Dorothy Hall , Sec. Sessionsevery Wed., 8 p.m. and Sun., 7 p.m.

PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia:*Benjamin Franklin Lodge, 1303 Girard Ave.Rudolph J. Klug, Master; Fred A. Thomas, Sec.,2706 W. Allegh eny Ave. Ses sions every Su n.,7:30 p.m. Tem ple and l ibrary open Tu es., Thu rs. ,7-10 p.m.Pittsburgh :•The Fi rs t Pennsylvania Lodge, 615 W. DiamondSt., N orth Side. Eldon Nichols, M aster; Amelia

M. Kom arc, Sec. Sessions Wed. and Sun., 8 p.m.

TEXAS Dal las:Lone Star Chapter , Mercant i l e Bank Audi tor ium.Mrs. Helen D. Goad, M aster; L. T. Cameron,Sec. Sessions 1st Tues. and 3rd Wed ., 8 p.m.

El Paso:El Amarna Chapter , 519 Nor th San ta Fe . Law rence Fra nco, M aster, 4101 Alameda Ave.; Mrs.Obaldo Garcia, Sec. Sessions 1st and 3rd Sun.,2 p.m.Fort Worth:Fo rt W orth C hapter. 512 W. 4th St. Moses M.Alfrey, M aster; M arjorie P. Doty, Sec. Sessionsevery Fri . , 8 p.m.

Houston:Ho uston Ch apter, 1320 Ru sk Ave. W. C. Putney .M aster: A lyce M. La R ue. Sec., 2010 Lee landAve. Ses sion s eve ry F ri., 7:31) p.m.

I T A HSalt Lake C ity:Salt Lake City Chapter, 211 Hopper Bldg., 23E. 1s t South. Stanley F. Leonard, Master ; Dou glas Bu rge ss, Sec., 866 S. 8th W. Sessio ns everyTh urs., 8:15 p.m. L ibra ry open daily exceptSun., 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

WASHINGTONSeattle:*Michael M aier Lodge, W intonia Hotel . 1431 Minor.H. F. Mack, M aster; E. M. Sh ana fel t . Sec. Sess ions every Fr i . , 8 p .m. L ibrary open Tues . ,Thurs. , Sat . , 1-4 p.m.; Wed. and Fri . , 7-9 p.m.

WISCONSINMilwaukee:Karnak Chapter, 3431 W. Lisbon Ave.. Room 8.C. W. Sclimid. Ma ster; M arilyn Bub en. Sec.Sessions every Mon., 8:15 p.m.

Principal Canadian Branches and Foreign JurisdictionsThe addresses of other fore ign Grand Lodges , or the names and addresses of the i r representa t ives , wi l l

be g iv en up on re qu est .

AUSTRALIASydney, N.S.W.:Sydney Chapter, I .O.O.F. Bldg.. 100 Clarence St .Sessions 1st , 3rd, and 5th Saturday afternoons.Melbourne, Victoria:Melbou rne Chapter, 25 Russell St . StephenLands , M ast er; Oliv e Orp ah Co x. Se c.. 179 R ath mines Rd. , Hawthorn, EE3.

BRAZILSao Paulo:Sao Pau lo Ch apter, Rua Tab ating ue ra 165. Dr.II. de Paula Franca , Master ; George Craig Smi th,Sec., Caixa P osta l 4633. Sess ions 2nd and 4thSat., 8:30 p.m.

CANADAMontreal, P.Q.:Mount Royal Chapter , The Lodge Room, Vic tor iaHall , W estmo unt. Allan Nickerson. M aster:David Reid, Sec., 4201 Lafontaine St., Apt. 5.Sessions 1st and 3rd Thurs., 8 p.m.Toronto, Ontario:Toronto Chapter, Sons of England Hall , 58 Richmon d St ., East . K. V. H arrold , Ma ster; Jean W.Camp bell , Sec., 94 H ighb ourn e Rd. Sessionsevery Mon., 8:15 p.m.Vancouver, B.C.:*Vanco uver Lod ge, 878 Ho rnby St . De nnis Cri-toph , Ma ster, Tel. KE-2615-Y ; L ettie C. Flee t,Sec., 1142 H arw oo d St.. Tel. MA-3208. Sessionsevery Mon. through Fr i . Lodge open, 7:30 p.m.Victoria, B.C.:*Victoria Lodge, 725 Cou rtney St . J . V. Kent-Faw kes, M aster; R . Gibson, Sec., 141 Mo ntreal St .Windsor, Ont.:W inds or Ch apter, 808 Marion Ave. W illiam G.Wilson, Master; George H. Brook, Sec., 2089Arg yle Ct. Sessions every Wed ., 8:15 p.m.

Winnipeg, Man.:Char les Dana Dean Chapter , I .O.O.F. Temple ,293 Ke nned y St . Joh n A. Sunde, M aster; W illiam M. Glanvill, Sec.. 180 Arn old Ave. Sessions1st and 3rd Thurs., 7:45 p.m.

DENMARK AND NORWAY Copenhagen:*T h e AM ORC Grand L od ge o f D enm ar k an d N or way. A r thur Sundst rup, Grand Master ; Car liAndersen, S.R.C., Gr. Sec., Manogade 13, Strand.

EGYPT Cairo:Am enhotep Gran d Lodge. Salim C. Saad, GrandMas t e r. 1 K as r - E l- N i l S t.

ENGLANDThe AMORC Grand Lodge of Great Br i ta in .Raymund Andrea, F.R.C., Gr. Master, 34 Bays-w ater Ave., W estbury Pa rk, B r i s tol 6.Lon d on :London Ch apter . Richard L ake, Master , 38Cranbrouk Rise , I l ford, Essex.

FRANCEMile. Jeanne Guesdon, Sec.. 56 Rue Gambetta.Vil leneuve Sainte Georges (Seine & Oise).

HOLLANDAmsterdam :*De Rozekruisers Orde , Groot -Loge der Neder lan-den. J . Coops, F.R.C., Gr . Master , Hu nzes t raa t141.

ITALY R o m e :I ta l i an Grand Lodg e of AMORC. Or lando Tim- p an a ro P e r ro tt a , Se c., C/ o M rs . De G org a, V ia G.Baglivi , 5-D. 1, Quart iere I tal ia.

MEXICOMexico. D.F . :•Qu etzalcoatl Lodge, C alle de Colombia 24. Sr.Carlos Nunez A., M aster; Sr. Bern ardo L ira M.,Sec., Londres 8, Bis.

NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES Semarang, Java:*Mrs. M. C. Zey del, Gr. M aster-G ene ral. D jang li 47.

NEW ZKALANI) A u c k l a n d :Auckland Chapter, Victoria Arcade, Room 317.Eric C. Franklin, Master, 55 Speight Rd., Kehi-m aram a, E. 1; Joh n O. And erson, Sec. Sessionsevery Mon., 8 p.m.

SWEDEN Malmo :*Grand Lodge “ Ro senko rse t ." Albin Roimer , Gr .Master, Box 30, Skalderviken; Tnez Akesson,Sec., Vastergatan 55, Malmo.

SWITZERLAND Lausanne :*AMORC Grand L odge, 21 Ave. Dapples. Dr. Ed.Bertholet , F.R.C., Gr. Master, II Ave. GeneralGuisan.

VENEZUELA Caracas:Alden Ch apter, V elazquez a Miseria. 19. Sra.P ilar de Carrizales, M aster; Sra. Carmen S. Salazar, Sec., Calle C ua rta 2. Be llavista. Session s 1stand 3rd Fri . , 6 p.m.

‘ ( I n i ti a t ions a r e pe r f o r m ed . )

Latin-American DivisionArinando Font. De La Jara, F.R.C., Deputy Grand Master

Direct inqui r ies regarding thi s divi s ion to the Lat in-Amer ican Divis ion, Rosicrucian Park, San Jose ,California, U.S.A.

JUNIOR ORDER OF TORCH BEARERSA chi ldren 's organiza t ion sponsored by the AMORC.Fo r complete informat ion as to i t s a ims and benef i t s, ad dress S ecre tary Genera l . Jun ior O rder . Rosi

crucian Park. San Jose, California.THE ROSICRUCIAN PRESS, LTD. usitSsS* , PRINTED IN U . S . A .



Will Man Create Life ?P V O E S t he s ec re t of life bel ong

to Divin i ty a lone?

Wil l Nature s las t f ront ier give

way to ma n s inqui r ing mind.' '

Can man become a creator , peo

pling the wor ld w i th creatures ol

fiis own fancy? W a s the ancient

sage r ight , wh o said: lo t lie

Gods the Soul belongs , but to

man wil l belong the power ol

Life. ? W il I the future know a

superior, Ciodlil<e race of humans

—ea ch a gen ius a n d each the

master lul creat ion of an unerr ing

formula—or will Soulless beings,

shorn o f the leelin gs wh ich have

bo u nd mortal s together in u n d e r

s t anding. dominate the ear th /

For centur ies , man has dared to

inva de realms which theology has

declared sacred. He has revealed

the secret ol organic functions

and measured the forces of mind

—rio w, breathlessly, he tears at

the veil wh ich conceals the n a

ture of life itself. W i ll this be

his crowning achievement—or his

ut t e r annihi l a t ion?

It is one of the greatest contro

vers ies of the day. Ort ho do x re

l igion pronounces i t a diabol ical

experiment—some schools of sci

ence declare i t possible and ju s t i -

fi able — but metaphys ic i ans s t ar t-

l ingly announce . . .

T h i s M a n u s c r i p t

0 ree

Let the Manusc r ipt , W' i II Sci

ence Ever Produc e Life? tel l

you, in i ts own words, just what

the metaphysicians do say of this

am azi ng exper iment . Here is an

ins t ruct ive discourse that reads

like fiction, and yet i t is a rational

pos tula t ion of s t range facts.

we are putting no price on this

manuscript. I t is given fr ee for

each n e w s ix mo nt hs ’ subscri ption

to the Rosicruc ia n Dige st. Jus t

send $1-75 (the regular price) for

a s ix months subscr ipt ion, to

the Rosicrucia n Dige st , for vour-

self or a friend, and this dis

course, W i l l Sc ience l iver Pro

du ce Life? will be sent to you at

once, wi th pos tag e prep aid . I al<e

advantage of this offer today.

T HE R O S I C R U C I A N S U P P L Y R U R E AUR O S I C U U C I A IV P A IKK. SAW J O S E . C A L I F O R N I A , U .S .A .



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THE T ECHNIQUE OF THE DISCIPLE By Ray mund Andrea, K. R. C.The path that the maste rs t rod> A mode rn descript ion of the ancie nt esoteric p at h to sp ir it ua l il lu min a ti on tr od by th e m as te rs a n d a v a t a r s o! yo re . Rev eal smethod s for obtai ning the gre at l ight . Price, postpaid, $2.15.

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Rosicrucian Digest, May 1949

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Transcript of Rosicrucian Digest, May 1949