TALKSONTHEPATHOFOCCULTISM-VOL.IIACommentaryon“TheVoiceoftheSilence”

ANNIEBESANT,D.L.AND

TheRt.Rev.C.W.LEADBEATER1947

THETHEOSOPHICALPUBLISHINGHOUSE

Adyar,Madras,IndiaFirstEdition,1926SecondEdition,1930ThirdEdition,1947

FOREWORD

ThisbookismerelyarecordoftalksbyMr.C.W.Leadbeater—nowBishopLeadbeater—andmyselfonthreefamousbooks—bookssmall insizebutgreatincontents.Webothhope that theywillproveuseful toaspirants,andeven tothose above that stage, since the talkerswereolder than the listeners, andhadmoreexperienceinthelifeofdiscipleship.

The talks were not given at one place only; we chatted to our friends atdifferenttimesandplaces,chieflyatAdyar,LondonandSydney.Avastquantityof notes were taken by the listeners. All that were available of these werecollected and arranged. They were then condensed, and repetitions wereeliminated.

UnhappilytherewerefoundtobeveryfewnotesonTheVoiceoftheSilence,Fragment I, so we have utilized notes made at a class held by our goodcolleague, Mr. Ernest Wood, in Sydney, and incorporated these into BishopLeadbeater’stalksinthatsection.Nonotesofmyowntalksonthisbookwereavailable;thoughIhavespokenmuchuponit,thosetalksarenotrecoverable.

None of these talks have been published before, except some of BishopLeadbeater’saddressestoselectedstudentsonAttheFeetoftheMaster.AbookentitledTalkson “At the Feet of theMaster” was published a few years ago,containingimperfectreportsofsomeofthesetalksofhis.Thatbookwillnotbereprinted;theessentialmaterialinitfindsitsplacehere,carefullycondensedandedited.

May this book help some of our younger brothers to understand more ofthesepricelessteachings.Themoretheyarestudiedandlived,themorewillbefoundinthem.

AnnieBesant

FRAGMENTI

THEVOICEOFTHESILENCE

CHAPTER1

THEPREFACE

C.W.L.—Evenfromthesuperficialandwhollyphysicalpointofview,TheVoiceof theSilence is one of themost remarkable books in ourTheosophicalliterature, whether we consider its contents, its style, or the manner of itsproduction; andwhenwe look a little deeper and call to our aid thepowerofclairvoyantinvestigation,ouradmirationisbynomeansdiminished.Notthatweshouldmake themistake of regarding it as a sacred scripture, every word ofwhichmustbeacceptedwithoutquestion.Itisbynomeansthat,for,asweshallpresentlysee,variousminorerrorsandmisunderstandingshavecreptintoit;butanyonewho on that account regards it as unreliable or carelessly put togetherwillbemakinganevenlessexcusablemistakeintheoppositedirection.

MadameBlavatskywasalwaysveryreadytoadmit,andeventoemphasize,thefactthatinaccuraciesweretobefoundinallherworks;andintheearlydays,when we came across some especially improbable statement of hers we notunnaturally laidit reverentlyasideasperhapsoneof thoseinaccuracies.ItwassurprisinginwhatanumberofsuchcasesfurtherstudyshowedusthatMadameBlavatskywasafterallcorrect,sothatpresently,taughtbyexperience,wegrewmuchmorewaryinthismatter,andlearnttotrustherextraordinarilywideandminute knowledge upon all sorts of out-of-the-way subjects. Still there is noreason to suspect a hidden meaning in an obvious misprint, as some toocredulousstudentshavedone;andweneednothesitate toadmit thatourgreatFounder’s profound knowledge in occult matters did not prevent her fromsometimesmisspellingaTibetanword,orevenmisusinganEnglishone.

Shegivesusinherprefacesomeinformationastotheoriginofthebook—informationwhichatfirstseemedtoinvolvesomeseriousdifficulties,butinthelight of recent investigations becomes much more comprehensible. Much ofwhat she wrote has been commonly understood in a wider sense than sheintended it, and in that way it has beenmade to appear that she put forwardextravagantclaims;butwhenthefactsofthecasearestateditwillbeseenthatthereisnofoundationforsuchacharge.

She says: “The following pages are derived fromTheBook of theGolden

Precepts,oneoftheworksputintothehandsofmysticstudentsintheEast.Theknowledge of them is obligatory in that school the teachings of which areacceptedbymanyTheosophists.Therefore,asIknowmanyofthesePreceptsbyheart, the work of translating has been relatively an easy task for me.” And,furtheron:“TheworkfromwhichIheretranslateformspartofthesameseriesasthatfromwhichthestanzasofTheBookofDzyanweretaken,onwhichTheSecretDoctrine is based.” She also says: “TheBook of theGoldenPrecepts...containsaboutninetydistinctlittletreatises.”

Inearlydayswereadinto thismorethanshemeant,andwesupposedthatthisworkwasputintothehandsofallmysticstudentsintheEast,andthat“theschool inwhich theknowledgeof them isobligatory”meant theschoolof theGreatWhiteBrotherhood itself.Hencewhenwemetwith advanced occultistswho had never heard of The Book of the Golden Precepts we were muchsurprisedandalittleinclinedtolookaskanceatthemanddoubtgravelywhetherthey couldhave come altogether along the right lines, but since thenwehavelearntmanythings,andamongthemsomewhatmoreofperspectivethanwehadatfirst.

In due course, too, we acquired further information about the Stanzas ofDzyan,andthemorewelearntaboutthemandtheiruniquepositionthecleareritbecame to us that neither The Voice of the Silence nor any other book couldpossiblyhaveinanyrealsensethesameoriginasthey.

TheoriginalofTheBookofDzyanisinthehandsoftheaugustHeadoftheOccultHierarchy,andhasbeenseenbynone.Noneknowshowolditis,butitisrumoured that the earlier part of it (consisting of the first six stanzas), has anorigin altogether anterior to thisworld, and even that it is not a history, but aseriesofdirections—ratheraformulaforcreationthananaccountofit.Acopyof it is kept in the museum of the Brotherhood, and it is that copy (itselfprobablytheoldestbookproducedonthisplanet)whichMadameBlavatskyandseveral of her pupils have seen—which she describes so graphically in TheSecretDoctrine.Thebookhas,however,severalpeculiaritieswhichshedoesnottheremention. It appears to be very highlymagnetized, for as soon as amantakesapageintohishandheseespassingbeforehiseyesavisionoftheeventswhichitisintendedtoportray,whileatthesametimeheseemstohearasortofrhythmicdescriptionof theminhisown language, so faras that languagewillconvey the ideas involved. Its pages contain nowordswhatever—nothing but

symbols.

Whenwecametoknowthisfully,itwassomewhatstartlingtofindanotherbookclaimingthesameoriginasthesacredStanzas,andourfirstimpulsewastosuppose that some strange mistake must have arisen. Indeed, it was thisextraordinarydiscrepancy that first led toour investigating thequestionof therealauthorshipofTheBookoftheGoldenPrecepts;andwhenthiswasdone,theexplanationprovedtobeexceedinglysimple.

WereadinthevariousbiographiesofMadameBlavatskythatsheoncespentaperiodofsomethreeyearsinTibet,andalsothatonanotheroccasionshemadeanunsuccessfulattempttopenetrateintothatforbiddenland.Ononeorotherofthese visits she seems to have stayed for some considerable time at a certainmonastery in theHimalayas, theheadofwhichat that timewasapupilof theMasterMorya.TheplaceseemstometobeinNepalratherthaninTibet,butitis difficult to be sure of this. There she studiedwith great assiduity and alsogainedconsiderablepsychicdevelopment;anditisatthisperiodofherhistorythatshelearntbyheartthevarioustreatisesofwhichshemakesmentioninthePreface.The learningof themisobligatoryuponthestudentsof thatparticularmonastery, and the book from which they are taken is regarded there as ofexceedingvalueandholiness.

Thismonastery isofgreatage.Itwasfoundedin theearlycenturiesof theChristianerabythegreatpreacherandreformerofBuddhismwhoiscommonlyknown as Aryasanga. I think a claim is made that the building had alreadyexistedfortwoorthreecenturiesbeforeHistime;but,howeverthatmaybe,itshistoryas farasweareconcernedbeginswithHis temporaryoccupancyof it.Hewasamanofgreatpowerandlearning,alreadyfaradvancedalongthePathof Holiness; He had in a previous birth as Dharmajyoti been one of theimmediate followers of the Lord Buddha, and after that, under the name ofKleinias, one of the leading disciples of ourMaster Kuthumi in His birth asPythagoras. After the death of Pythagoras, Kleinias founded a school for thestudy of His philosophy at Athens—an opportunity of which several of ourpresentTheosophicalmemberstookadvantage.CenturieslaterHetookbirthatPeshawar,whichwas then calledPurushapura, under thenameofVasubandhuKanushika.WhenHewasadmittedtotheorderofMonksHetookthenameofAsanga—“the man without hindrance”—and later in His life his admiringfollowerslengthenedthistoAryasanga,bywhichHeischieflyknownasauthor

andpreacher.Heissaidtohavelivedtoaverygreatage—nearlyahundredandfiftyyears,iftraditionspeakstruly—andtohavediedatRajagriha.

Hewasavoluminouswriter:theprincipalworkofHisofwhichwehearistheYogacharyaBhumishastra.HewasthefounderoftheYogacharyaschoolofBuddhism,whichseemstohavebegunwithanattempttofusewithBuddhismthegreatYogasystemofphilosophy,orperhapsrather toadoptfromthelatterwhatcouldbeusedandinterpretedBuddhistically.Hetravelledmuchandwasamighty force in the reform ofBuddhism; in fact,His fame reached so high alevelthatHisnameisjoinedwiththoseofNagarjunaandAryadeva,andThesemenhavebeencalledthethreesunsofBuddhism,becauseofTheiractivity inpouringforthitslightandgloryupontheworld.ThedateofAryasangaisgivenvaguely as a thousand years after the Lord Buddha; European scholars seemuncertainastowhenHelived,butnoneassignHimalaterdatethantheseventhcenturyafterChrist.TousintheTheosophicalSocietyHeisknowninthislifeasaspeciallykind,patientandhelpfulteacher,theMasterDjwalKul—onewhohas for us an unique position, in that when some of us had the honour ofknowingHimaboutfortyyearsago,Hehadnotyettakenthestepwhichisthegoalofhumanevolution—theAsekaInitiation.SothatamongourMastersHeisthe only onewhomweknew in this present incarnationbeforeHebecame anAdept,whenHewasstilltheheadpupiloftheMasterKuthumi.ThefactthatasAryasangaHecarriedBuddhismintoTibetmaybethereasonwhyinthislifeHehaschosentotakeaTibetanbody;theremayhavebeenkarmicassociationsorlinksofwhichHewishedtodisposebeforetakingthefinalInitiationasAdept.

In the course of one of His great missionary journeys in His life asAryasangaHecametothisHimalayanmonasteryandtookupHisabodethere.He stayed there for nearly a year, teaching themonks, organizing the religiongenerallyoveraverylargesectionofthecountry,andmakingthismonasteryakind of headquarters for the reformed faith, and He left upon the place animpressionandatraditionwhichlastuntilthepresenttime.AmongotherrelicsofHis ispreservedabook,which is regardedwith thegreatest reverence;andthis is the scripture to which Madame Blavatsky refers as The Book of theGolden Precepts. Aryasanga seems to have commenced it as a sort ofcommonplacebook,orabookofextracts,inwhichHewrotedownanythingthatHe thought would be useful to His pupils, and he began with the Stanzas ofDzyan—not in symbol, as in the original, but in written words. Many otherextractsHemade—some from theworksofNagarjuna, asMadameBlavatsky

mentions.AfterHisdepartureHispupilsaddedtothebookanumberofreports(orperhapsratherabstracts)ofHislecturesorsermonstothem,andthesearethe“littletreatises”towhichMadameBlavatskyrefers.

ItwasAlcyone,inHislastlife,whopreparedandaddedtoTheBookoftheGoldenPreceptsthereportsofthediscoursesofAryasanga,threeofwhichformourpresentsubjectofstudy.SoweowethispricelesslittlevolumetoHiscareinreporting, just as in this life we owe to Him our possession of the exquisitecompanionvolumeAttheFeetoftheMaster.ThatlifeofAlcyonebeganinA.D.624, and was spent in Northern India. In it Alcyone entered the order ofBuddhistmonksatanearlyageandbecamedeeplyattachedtoAryasanga,whotookHimwithHimto themonastery inNepal,and leftHimthere tohelpanddirect thestudiesof thecommunitywhichHehadre-organized—aservicethatAlcyoneperformedwithdistinguishedsuccessforabouttwoyears1.Itisinthissense,andinthissenseonly,thatTheVoiceoftheSilenceclaimsthesameoriginastheStanzasofDzyan—thatthetwoarecopiedinthesamebook.Wemustnotforget also that thoughwehaveundoubtedlymuchofAryasanga’s teaching inthese treatises, itcannotbutbecolouredconsiderablyby theprepossessionsofthose who reported it; and it is probable that at least in some passages theymisunderstoodHimandfailedtoconveyHisrealmeaning.AsweexaminetheworkindetailweshallfindverseshereandtherewhichexpresssentimentsthatAryasanga could hardly have held, and show ignorancewhich for himwouldhavebeenimpossible.

ItwillbenoticedthatMadameBlavatskyspeaksoftranslatingtheprecepts—aremarkwhichraisessomeinterestingquestions,sinceweknowthatshewasunacquaintedwithanyOriental tongueexceptArabic.Thebookiswritteninascriptwithwhich I amunfamiliar, nor do I knowwhat language is used.Thelatter may be Sanskrit, Pali, or some Prakrit dialect, or possibly Nepalese orTibetan; but the script is not any of those now commonly employed to writethose languages. It isatany rate reasonablycertain, thaton thephysicalplaneneitherscriptnorlanguagecanhavebeenknowntoMadameBlavatsky.

For onewho can function freely in themental body there aremethods ofgetting at the meaning of a book, quite apart from the ordinary process ofreadingit.Thesimplestistoreadfromthemindofonewhohasstudiedit;butthisisopentotheobjectionthatonegetsnottherealmeaningofthework,butthatstudent’sconceptionofthemeaning,whichmaybebynomeansthesame

thing.Asecondplanistoexaminetheauraofthebook—aphrasewhichneedsalittle explanation for those not practically acquainted with the hidden side ofthings. An ancient manuscript stands in this respect in a somewhat differentpositionfromamodernbook.Ifitisnottheoriginalworkoftheauthorhimself,it has at any rate been copied word by word by some person of a certaineducation and understanding, who knew the subject of the book, and had hisownopinionsaboutit.Itmustberememberedthatcopying,doneusuallywithastylus,isalmostasslowandemphaticasengraving;sothatthewriterinevitablyimpresseshisthoughtstronglyonhishandiwork.

Anymanuscript,therefore,evenanewone,hasalwayssomesortofthought-auraaboutitwhichconveysitsgeneralmeaning,orrather,oneman’sideaofitsmeaningandhisestimateofitsvalue.Everytimethebookisreadbyanyoneanadditionismadetothatthought-aura,andifitbecarefullystudiedtheadditionisnaturallylargeandvaluable.Abookwhichhaspassedthroughmanyhandshasan aura which is usually better balanced, rounded off and completed by thedivergent views brought to it by its many readers; consequently thepsychometrizationofsuchabookgenerallyyieldsafairlyfullcomprehensionofitscontents,thoughwithaconsiderablefringeofopinionsnotexpressedinthebook,butheldbyitsvariousreaders.

With a printed book the case is much the same, except that there is nooriginalcopyist,so thatat thebeginningof itscareer itusuallycarriesnothingbutdisjointed fragmentsof the thoughtsof thebinderand thebookseller.Alsofewreadersatthepresentdayseemtostudysothoughtfullyandthoroughlyasdid the men of old, and for that reason the thought-forms connected with amodern book are rarely so precise and clear-cut as those which surround themanuscriptsofthepast.

Athirdplan,requiringsomewhathigherpowers,istogobehindthebookormanuscriptaltogetherandgetat themindof theauthor.If thebookis insomeforeignlanguage, itssubjectentirelyunknown,andthere isnoauraroundit togive any helpful suggestion, the onlyway is to followback its history, to seefromwhatitwascopied(orsetupintype,asthecasemaybe)andsototraceoutthelineofitsdescentuntilonereachesitsauthor.Ifthesubjectoftheworkisknown, a less tedious method is to psychometrize that subject, get into thegeneralcurrentofthoughtaboutit,andsofindtheparticularwriterrequired,andseewhathethinks.Thereisasenseinwhichalltheideasconnectedwithagiven

subject may be said to be local—to be concentrated round a certain point inspace,sothatbymentallyvisitingthatpointonecancomeintotouchwithalltheconverging streams of thought about that subject, though of course these arelinkedbymillionsoflineswithallsortsofothersubjects.

Supposing her clairvoyant powers to have been at that time sufficient,Madame Blavatskymay have adopted any of thesemethods of getting at themeaningofthetreatisesfromTheBookoftheGoldenPrecepts,thoughitwouldbealittlemisleadingtodescribeanyofthemastranslationswithoutqualifyingthe statement. The only other possibilities are somewhat remote. There is atpresentnooneinthatHimalayanmonasterywhospeaksanyEuropeanlanguage,butsinceit isprobablyat leastfortyyearssinceMadameBlavatskywasthere,there must have been many changes. It is recorded that Indian students haveoccasionally, though very rarely, come to drink from that fount of archaiclearning, and ifwemay assume that the visit of some such student coincidedwith hers, it might also be that he happened to know both English and thelanguage of the manuscript, or at least the language of other inmates of themonasterywhocouldreadthemanuscriptforthemselves,andsocouldtranslateforher.

Strangely enough, there is also just a possibility that she may have beentaughtinherownnativetongue.InEuropeanRussia,onthebanksoftheVolga,there is a fairly large settlement of Buddhist tribes, probably Tartar in theirorigin;anditappears that thesepeople, thoughsofarremovedonthephysicalplane from Tibet, still regard it as their holy land and occasionally undertakepilgrimagestoit.SuchpilgrimssometimesremainforyearsaspupilsinTibetanorNepalesemonasteries,andasoneofthemmightverywellknowRussianaswell as his own Mongolian dialect, it is obvious that we have here anotherpossiblemethodbywhichMadameBlavatskymayhavecommunicatedwithherhosts.

In any case it is obvious that we must not expect an exact verbalreproduction of what Aryasanga originally said to His disciples. Even in thearchaicbookitselfwehavenotHiswords,butHispupils’recollectionofthem,and of that recollection we have now before us either a translation of atranslation, or the recordingof ageneralmental impressionof themeaning. ItwouldofcoursebequiteeasyforoneofourMastersorfortheauthorhimselftomake adirect and accurate translation intoEnglish; but asMadameBlavatsky

distinctlyclaims theworkof translationasherown, thisevidentlywasnot theplanadopted.

At the same time, the accountwhichwe have from an eye-witness of thespeedwithwhich itwaswrittendown,doescertainlyseemtosuggest the ideathat some assistance was given to her, even though it may have beenunconsciouslytoherself.Dr.Besantwritesonthissubject:

ShewroteitatFontainebleau,andthegreaterpartwasdonewhenIwaswithher,andIsatintheroomwhileshewaswritingit.Iknowthatshedid notwrite it referring to any books, but shewrote it down steadily,hourafterhour,exactlyasthoughshewerewritingeitherfrommemoryorfromreadingitwherenobookwas.SheproducedintheeveningthatmanuscriptthatIsawherwriteasIsatwithher,andaskedmeandotherstocorrectitforEnglish,forshesaidthatshehadwrittenitsoquicklythatitwassuretobebad.Wedidnotalterinthatmorethanafewwords,anditremainsasaspecimenofmarvellouslybeautifulliterarywork.

Another possibility is that shemay have done the translation into Englishbeforehand while at the monastery, and that at Fontainebleau she may reallyhavebeenreadingitatadistance,justasourPresidentsayssheappearedtobe.Ihaveoftenseenherdothatverythingonotheroccasions.

ThesixschoolsofHinduphilosophytowhichsherefersonthefirstpageoftheprefacearetheNyaya,Vaisheshika,Sankhya,Yoga,MimansaandVedanta.She states that every Indian teacher has his own systemof training,which heusuallykeepsverysecret.Itisnaturalthatheshouldkeepitsecret,forhedoesnotdesiretheresponsibilityoftheresultsthatwouldfollowifitweretried(as,ifknown,itcertainlywouldbe),byallsortsofunsuitable,ill-regulatedpeople.NorealteacherinIndiawilltakechargeofapupilunlesshecanhavehimunderhiseye,sothatwhenheprescribesforhimacertainexercise,hecanwatchitseffectand check theman instantly if he sees that anything is goingwrong.That hasbeentheimmemorialcustomintheseoccultmatters,andunquestionablyitistheonlywayinwhichrealprogresscanbemadewithrapidityandsafety.Thefirstandmostdifficulttaskofthepupilistoreducetoorderthechaosinhimself—toeliminate the host ofminor interests, and control thewandering thoughts, andthismust be achieved by a steady pressure of thewill exercised upon all hisvehiclesthroughalongperiodofyears.

OurauthortellsusthatifthesystemsofinstructiondifferonthissideoftheHimalayas in the esoteric schools, on theother side they are all the same.Wemustemphasizeherethewordesoteric,forweknowthatintheexotericreligionthecorruptionsandevilmagicalpracticesareworseonthenorthernsideofthemountainsthanonthesouthern.Wemayperhapsevenunderstandtheexpression“beyond theHimalayas” rather in a symbolical than in a strictly geographicalsense,andmanysupposethatitisintheschoolsowingallegiancetoourMastersthat the teachingdoesnotdiffer.This isverytrue inacertainsense—themostimportant of all senses; but capable of misleading the reader if not carefullyexplained.Thesenseinwhichallarethesameisthatallrecognizethevirtuouslifeastheonlypathleadingtooccultdevelopment,andtheconquestofdesireastheonlywayofgettingridof it.Thereareschoolsofoccultknowledgewhichhold that the virtuous life imposes unnecessary limitations.They teach certainforms of psychic development, but they care nothing for the use which theirpupilsmayafterwardsmakeoftheinformationgiventothem.Thereareotherswhoholdthatdesireofallsortsshouldbeindulgedtotheutmost,inorderthatthrough satiety indifference may be attained. But no school holding either ofthesedoctrinesisunderthedirectionoftheGreatWhiteBrotherhood;ineveryestablishment even remotely connectedwith it, purity of life andnobleness ofaimareindispensableprerequisites.

The next paragraph in the Preface happens to contain two of the triflinginaccuracies to which I have referred. Our author mentions “the great mysticworkcalledParamartha,supposedtohavebeendeliveredtoNagarjunabytheNagas”.Nagarjuna’sgreatbookwasnotcalledParamartha,butPrajnaParamita—the wisdom which brings to the further shore; bat it is very true that thesubject treated in that book is the paramartha satya, that consciousness of thesagewhichvanquishesillusion.Nagarjuna,asalreadymentioned,wasoneofthethreegreatBuddhist teachersof theearliercenturiesof theChristianera;he issupposed tohavediedA.D.180.He is nowknown toTheosophists under thenameoftheMasterKuthumi.ExotericwriterssometimesdescribeAryasangaashis rival, but, knowing as we do their intimate relation in an earlier birth inGreece,andnowagaininthispresentlife,weseeatoncethatthiscannothavebeenso.Itisquitepossiblethat,aftertheirdeath,theirpupilsmayhavetriedtoset up the teaching of one against that of the other, as pupils in theirundiscriminating zeal so often do: but that they themselves were in perfectaccordisshownbythefactthatAryasangatreasuredmuchofNagarjuna’swork

andcopieditintohisbookofextractsfortheuseofhisdisciples.

It is not, however, certain that the Prajna Paramita was the work ofNagarjuna,forthelegendseemstobetotheeffectthatthebookwasdeliveredtohimbytheNagasorserpents.MadameBlavatskyinterpretsthisasanamegivento the ancient Initiates, and thatmaywell be so, though there is another veryinterestingpossibility.IhavefoundthatthenameofNagasorserpentswasgivenby theAryans to oneof thegreat tribes or clans of theToltec sub-raceof theAtlanteans, because they carried before them as a standard when going intobattleagoldensnakecoiledroundastaff.Thismaywellhavebeensometotemor tribal symbol, or perhaps merely the crest of a great family. This tribe orfamilymusthavetakenaprominentpartintheoriginalAtlanteancolonizationofIndiaandthelandswhichthenexistedtothesouth-eastofit.WefindtheNagasmentionedasamongtheoriginalinhabitantsofCeylon,foundwhenVijayaandhiscompanionslandedthere.SoapossibleinterpretationofthislegendmightbethatNagarjunareceivedthisbookfromanearlierrace—inotherwords,thatitisanAtlanteanscripture.Andif,ashasbeensuspected,certainoftheUpanishadscamefromthesamesource,therewouldbelittlereasontowonderattheidentityofteachingtowhichMadameBlavatskyrefersonthesamepage.

TheGnyaneshwari(transliteratedDhyaneshwartinthefirstedition)isnotaSanskritwork,butwaswritteninMahrathiinthethirteenthcenturyofourera.

OnthenextpagewefindareferencetotheYogacharya(ormoreaccuratelyYogachara)schooloftheMahayana.IhavealreadymentionedtheattemptmadebyAryasanga,butafewwordsshouldperhapsbesaidastothevexedquestionof the Yanas. The Buddhist Church presents itself to us to-day in two greatdivisions,theNorthernandtheSouthern.TheformerincludesChina,Japan,andTibet; the latter reigns in Ceylon, Siam, Burma and Cambodia. It is usuallystatedthattheNorthernChurchadoptstheMahayanaandtheSouthernChurchtheHinayana,butwhethereventhismuchmaybesafelysaiddependsupontheshade of meaning which we attach to a much-disputed word. Yana meansvehicle, and it is agreed that it is tobe applied to theDhammaorLawas thevesselwhichconveysusacrosstheseaoflifetoNirvana,butthereareatleastfivetheoriesastotheexactsenseinwhichitistobetaken:

ThatitreferssimplytothelanguageinwhichtheLawiswritten,theGreaterVehiclebeingbythishypothesisSanskrit,andtheLesserVehiclePali—atheory

whichseemstomeuntenable.

Hinamayapparentlybetakenassignifyingmeanoreasy,aswellassmall.OneinterpretationthereforeconsiderstheHinayanaasthemeaneroreasierroadto liberation—the irreducibleminimumof knowledge and conduct required toattain it—while the Mahayana is the fuller and more philosophical doctrinewhich includes much additional knowledge about higher realms of nature.Needlesstosay,thisinterpretationcomesfromaMahayanasource.

That Buddhism, in its unfailing courtesy towards other religions, acceptsthem all as ways of liberation, though it regards the method taught by itsFounder as offering the shortest and surest route. According to this view,Buddhism is the Mahayana, and the Hinayana includes Brahmanism,Zoroastrianism,Jainismandanyotherreligionswhichwereexistingatthetimewhenthedefinitionwasformulated.

Thatthetwodoctrinesaresimplytwostagesofonedoctrine—theHinayanafortheShravakasorhearers,andtheMahayanaformoreadvancedstudents.

That thewordYana is tobeunderstoodnotexactly in itsprimarysenseof“vehicle”,butratherinasecondarysensenearlyequivalenttotheEnglishword“career”.According to this interpretation theMahayanaputs before aman the“grandcareer”ofbecomingaBodhisattvaanddevotinghimselftothewelfareoftheworld,whiletheHinayanashowshimonlythe“smallercareer”ofsolivingastoattainNirvanaforhimself.

TheNorthernandSouthernBuddhistChurchesarerelatedsomewhatasaretheCatholicsandProtestantsamongtheChristians.TheNorthernresemblestheCatholicChurch.IthasaddedtotheteachingsoftheLordBuddha.Forinstance,itadoptedmuchoftheaboriginalworshipwhichitfoundinthecountry—suchceremoniesasthoseinhonourofnature-spiritsordeifiedforcesofnature.WhenChristian missionaries went among the Northern Buddhists, they foundceremonies so similar to their own that they said itwas plagiarismdue to theWorkof thedevil, andwhen itwasconclusivelyproved that theseceremoniesantedatedtheChristianera,theysaiditwas“plagiarismbyanticipation“!

IntheBuddhist,asinallotherscriptures,therearecontradictorystatements;so the Southern Church has founded itself on certain texts; anxious to avoidexcrescences,itignorestheothers,orcallstheminterpolations.Thishasmadeit

narrowerinitsscopethantheNorthernChurch.Totakeoneexample.TheLordBuddhapreachedconstantlyagainsttheideathatwasevidentlyprevalentinHistime,ofthecontinuationofthepersonality.ThatnotioniscommonalsoamongChristians—thatourpersonalitiessurvivetoalleternity.ButwhileHetaughtthatnothingofallthatwithwhichmengenerallyidentifythemselveslastsforever,he made most unequivocal statements about the successive lives of men. Hegaveexamplesofprecedinglives;andwhensomeKingaskedhimwhatitwaslike to recover thememory of former lives, He said it was like rememberingwhatonehaddoneyesterdayandonprecedingdayswhenvisitingthisvillageorthat.YettheSouthernChurchnowteachesthatonlykarmapersists,notanego;asthoughmaninonelifemadeacertainamountofkarma,andthendied,andnothingwasleftofhim,butanotherpersonwasborn,andhadtobearthekarmawhichhedidnotmake.

Still,whiletheSouthernBuddhiststeachthatonlythekarmasurvives,theyspeakatthesametimeoftheattainmentofNirvana;sothatifyouaskamonkwhyhewearstheyellowrobe,hewillansweryou:“ToattainNirvana,”andifyousay:“Inthislife?”hewillreplyatonce:“Oh,no,itwillneedmanylives.”So also, after every sermon that amonk preaches he blesses his congregationwiththewords:“MayyouattainNirvana”;andagain,ifyouaskedhimwhethertheycouldattainitinthislife,hewouldsay,“No,theywillneedmanylives.”Soapracticalbeliefinthecontinuedexistenceofanindividualpersists,inspiteoftheformalteachingtothecontrary.

MadameBlavatskydevotesacoupleofpagestothequestionofthevariousformsofwritingadoptedintheHimalayanmonasteries.InEuropeandAmericatheRomanalphabetissowidelyspread,soalmostuniversallyemployed,thatitisperhapswell,forthesakeofourWesternreaders,toexplainthatintheEastavery different condition of affairs prevails. Each of the numerous Orientallanguages—Tamil, Telugu, Sinhalese, Malayalam, Hindi, Gujarati, Canarese,Bengali,Burmese,Nepalese,Tibetan, Siamese, andmany others—has its ownalphabet andmethod ofwriting, and awriter in one of them,when quoting aforeign language, expresses that language in his own characters, just as anEnglishwriter,ifhehadtoquoteaGermanorRussiansentencewouldprobablywriteitnotinGermanorRussiantype,butinRoman.Sothatindealingwithanorientalmanuscriptwehave always twopoints to consider—the language andthescript,andthesetwoarebynomeansalwaysthesame.

IfItakeupapalm-leafbookinCeylon,itisalmostcertaintobewritteninthe beautiful Sinhalese script, but it does not at all follow that it is in theSinhaleselanguage.ItisquiteaslikelytobeinPah,SanskritorElu.Thesameistrueofanyof theother scripts.So thatwhenMadameBlavatskysays that theprecepts are sometimes written in Tibetan, shemay very likelymean only inTibetancharacters,andnotnecessarilyintheTibetanlanguage.Ihavenotseenanyinstancesofthecuriouscryptographswhichshedescribes,inwhichcoloursandanimalsaremadetorepresentletters.Shespeaksinthesameparagraphofthe thirty simple letters of the Tibetan alphabet. These are universallyrecognized,butitisnotclearwhatismeantbythereferencealittlelaterontothirty-threesimpleletters,sinceifshetakesthemwithoutthefourvowelsthereare but thirty, while if the vowels are includedwe should of course have notthirty-three but thirty-four. As to the compound letters, their number may bevariously stated; a grammar which is before me gives over a hundred, butprobablyMadameBlavatskyrefersonlytothoseingeneraluse.

I remember an interesting illustration of her statement as to one of theChinesemodesofwriting.WhenIwasinCeylontherecameonedaytovisitustwo Buddhist monks from the interior of China—men who could speak nolanguagewithwhichanyofuswereacquainted.But fortunatelywehad someyoung Japanese students staying with us, in pursuance of Colonel Olcott’ssplendidschemethateachChurch,theNorthernandtheSouthern,shouldsendsome of its neophytes to learn the ways and the teaching of the other. TheseyoungmencouldnotunderstandawordofwhattheseChinesemonkssaid,buttheywere able to exchange ideaswith thembymeansofwriting.Thewrittensymbols meant the same to them, though they called them by quite differentnames,justasaFrenchmanandanEnglishmanwouldeachperfectlyunderstandalineoffigures,althoughonewouldcall them“un,deux,trois,”andtheother“one, two, three”.Thesame is trueofnotesofmusic.SoIhadaverycuriousandinterestinginterviewwiththesemonks,atwhicheveryquestionwhichIputwasfirst translatedintoSinhalesebyoneofourmembers,sothattheJapanesestudentmightunderstandit; thenthelatterwrote itdownwithapaint-brushintheformofwritingcommontoChineseandJapanese;theChinesemonkreaditand wrote his reply in the same characters, which the Japanese student thentranslated into Sinhalese, and our member into English. Under thesecircumstances conversationwas slow and a little uncertain, but still itwas aninterestingexperience.

CHAPTER2

THEHIGHERANDTHELOWERPOWERS

These instructions are for those ignorant of the dangers of thelowerIddhi.

C.W.L.—Tothisopeningsentenceof theFirstFragment there isanotebyMadameBlavatskyasfellows:

ThePaliword Iddhi is theequivalentof theSanskritSiddhis,orpsychicfaculties, theabnormalpowers inman.Thereare twokindsofSiddhis—onegroupwhichembraces the lower, coarse,psychicandmental energies,whilethe other exacts the highest training of spiritual powers. Says Krishna inShrimadBhagavat:

“He who is engaged in the performance of Yoga, who has subdued hissensesandwhohasconcentratedhismindinme[Krishna],suchYogisalltheSiddhisstandreadytoserve.”

There is a vast amount of misunderstanding on this subject of psychicpowers,anditwillsavethestudentagreatdealoftroubleifhewilltrytogetareasonable conception of it to begin with. First, let him not attach a wronginterpretation to theword “abnormal”.Thesepowers are abnormalonly in thesensethattheyareatpresentuncommon—notintheleastinthesensethattheyareinanywayunnatural.Theyareperfectlynaturaltoeveryman—indeedtheyarelatentineverymanhereandnow;afewpeoplehavedevelopedthemfromlatencyintoactivity,butthemajorityhaveasyetmadenoeffortinthatdirection,andsothepowersstillremaindormant.

Thesimplestwaytograspthegeneralideaistorememberthatmanisasoul,and that hemanifests himself on various planes through bodies appropriate tothoseplanes.Ifhewishestoact,toseeortohearinthisphysicalworld,hecando so only through a bodymade of physicalmatter. Similarly if hewishes tomanifestintheastralworld,hemusthaveanastralvehicle,forthephysicalbodyis useless there and even invisible, just as the astral body is invisible to ourphysicalsight.Inthesamewayamanwhowishestoliveuponthementalplane

mustusehismentalbody.

Todeveloppsychicfacultymeanstolearntousethesensesofthesedifferentbodies.Ifamancanuseonlyhisphysicalsenses,hecanseeandhearonlythingsofthisphysicalworld;ifhelearnstousethesensesofhisastralbody,hecanseeandhearthethingsoftheastralworldaswell.Itismerelyamatteroflearningtorespondtoadditionalvibrations.Ifyouwilllookatthetableofvibrationsinanybook of physics, youwill see that a large number of them evoke no responsefrom us.A certain number appeal to our ears, andwe hear them aswaves ofsound;anothersetimpressthemselvesuponoureyes,andwecallthemraysoflight. But in between these two sets, and above and below them both, arethousandsofothersetsofoscillations thatmakeno impressionatalluponourphysical senses. It is possible for a man so to develop himself as to becomesensitivetoall theseundulationsoftheether,andofmatterevenfinerthantheether;wecallamanwhohasdone thatclairvoyantorclairaudient,becausehecanseeandhearmorethantheundevelopedmancan.

Theadvantagesofsuchanunfoldingoftheinnersightareconsiderable.Themanwhopossesses it findshimself freeof another and farwiderworld; or tospeakmoreaccurately,hefindsthattheworldinwhichhehasalwayslivedhasextensions and possibilities of all kinds of which he has previously knownnothing.His studiesmayalreadyhave informedhimof thepresenceall roundhim of a vast and complicated non-physical life—of kingdoms of devas andnature-spirits,oftheenormousarmyofhisfellow-menwhohavelaidasidetheirdensebodiesinsleepor‘indeath,offorcesandinfluencesofmanysortswhichcan be evoked and used by those who understand them; but to see all thesethingsforhimselfinsteadofmerelybelievinginthem,tobeabletocontactthemat firsthandandexperimentwith them—all thismakes life far fuller andmoreinteresting.Hewhocanthusfollowonhigherplanes theresultsofhis thoughtandaction,becomestherebyamoreefficientandmoreusefulperson.Thegainofsuchanunfoldmentofconsciousnessisobvious;butwhatoftheothersideofthestory?MadameBlavatskywritesofthedangersofthisdevelopment,andoftwokindsofit,alowerandahigher.Letustakethislatterpointfirst.

Allinformationwhichreachesmanfromwithoutcomestohimbymeansofvibrations.Vibrationsof theairconveysoundsto theears,while thoseof lightbringsightstohiseyes.Ifheseesthingsandcreaturesoftheastralandmentalworlds,itcanonlybethroughtheimpingementofvibrationsofastralandmental

matteruponthebodiesrespectivelycapableofrespondingtothem.Formancansee theastralworldonly through the sensesofhis astralbody, and thementalworldthroughthoseofhismentalbody.

Ineachoftheseworlds,asinthis,therearecoarserandfinertypesofmatter,and,roughlyspeaking,theradiationsofthefinertypesaredesirable,whilethoseofthecoarserkindsaredistinctlyundesirable.Amanhasbothkindsofmatterinhisastralbody,andheisthereforecapableofrespondingtoboththehigherandthelowervibrations;anditisforhimtochoosetowhichofthemhewillturnhisattention.Ifheresolutelyshutsoutallthelowerinfluences,andacceptsonlythehigher,hemaybegreatlyhelpedbythemevenatastralandmentallevels.ButMadameBlavatskywill have none of these—not even as temporary aids; shegroups themall together as “lower, coarse, psychic andmental energies “ andurgesustosweeponwardtofarhigherplaneswhicharebeyondtheillusionsofthe personality. She evidently regards the dangers of ordinary psychicdevelopment as outweighing its advantages; but as a certain amount of thisdevelopmentissuretocome,inthecourseoftheevolutionofthedisciple,shewarnsusofsomepointsastowhichextremecareisnecessary.

In our own experience during the forty years that have elapsed sinceMadameBlavatskywrotethis,wehaveseensomethingofthesedangersincasesof various students. Pride is the first of them, and it bulks very largely. Thepossessionofafacultywhich,thoughitistheheritageofthewholehumanrace,isasyetmanifestedonlyveryoccasionally,oftencausestheignorantclairvoyantto feel himself (or still more frequently herself) exalted above his fellows,chosenby theAlmighty for somemissionofworld-wide importance,doweredwithadiscernmentthatcannevererr,selectedunderangelicguidancetobethefounderofanewdispensation,andsoon.Itshouldberememberedthattherearealwaysplentyofsportiveandmischievousentitiesontheothersideoftheveilwho are ready and even anxious to foster all such delusions, to reflect andembodyallsuchthoughts,andtofillwhateverroleofarchangelorspirit-guidemay happen to be suggested to them. Unfortunately it is so fatally easy topersuadetheaveragemanthathereallyisaveryfinefellowatbottom,andquiteworthytobetherecipientofaspecialrevelation,eventhoughhisfriendshavethroughblindnessorprejudicesomehowfailedhithertotoappreciatehim.

Another danger, perhaps the greatest of all, because it is themother of allothers, is ignorance. If the clairvoyant knows anything of the history of his

subject, ifheatallunderstandstheconditionsof thoseotherplanesintowhichhis vision is penetrating, he cannot of course supposehimself theonlypersonwhowaseversohighlyfavoured,norcanhefeelwithself-complacentcertaintythatit isimpossibleforhimtomistake.Butwhenheis,assomanyare, inthedensestignoranceastohistory,conditionsandeverythingelse,heisliableinthefirstplacetomakeallkindsofmistakesastowhathesees,andsecondlytobethe easy prey of all sorts of designing and deceptive entities from the astralplane.Hehasnocriterionbywhichtojudgewhathesees,orthinkshesees,notesttoapplytohisvisionsorcommunications,andsohehasnosenseofrelativeproportionorthefitnessofthings,andhemagnifiesacopy-bookmaximintoafragmentofdivinewisdom,aplatitudeofthemostordinarytypeintoanangelicmessage.Thenagain,forwantofcommonknowledgeonscientificsubjectshewilloftenutterlymisunderstandwhathis facultiesenablehim toperceive,andhewillinconsequencegravelypromulgatethegrossestabsurdities.

Thethirddangeristhatofimpurity.Themanwhoispureinthoughtandlife,pure in intention and free from the taint of selfishness, is by that very factguardedfromtheinfluenceofundesirableentitiesfromotherplanes.Thereisinhimnothing uponwhich they can play; he is no fitmedium for them.On theotherhandallgoodinfluencesnaturallysurroundsuchaman,andhastentousehimasachannelthroughwhichtheymayact,andthusastillfurtherbarrieriserected about him against all which is mean and low and evil. The man ofimpure life ormotive, on the contrary, inevitably attracts to himself all that isworstintheinvisibleworldwhichsocloselysurroundsus;herespondsreadilyto it, while it will be hardly possible for the forces of good to make anyimpressionuponhim.

Butaclairvoyantwhowillbearinmindallthesedangers,andstrivetoavoidthem, who will take the trouble to study the history and the rationale ofclairvoyance,whowillseetoitthathisheartishumbleandhismotivesarepure—such amanmay assuredly learn verymuch from these powers ofwhichhefindshimselfinpossession,andmaymakethemofthegreatestusetohimintheworkwhichhehastodo.

ThesiddhisareenumeratedatconsiderablelengthinthethirdchapteroftheYogaSutrasofPatanjali.Hespeaksofthemasbeingattainedinfiveways—bybirth,bydrugs,bymantras,bytapas,andbysamadhi.

Wehavecometobirthinaparticularkindofbodyastheresultofouractionsinpreviousincarnations,andifwefindourselvesbynatureinthepossessionofpsychic powers wemay take it for granted that we haveworked for them insomewayinpreviouslives.Manyclairvoyantsofthepresentday,inwhomthefaculty has been easily awakened, but perhaps reaches no great heights ofspirituality,havebeeninsuchpositionsasthoseofthevestalvirginsofGreeceandRome,theminoryogisofIndia,oreventhemedicine-menofvarioushalf-savagetribesorthe“wisewomen”ofthemiddleages;therehasalwaysbeenaverywiderangeinthesematters.

Whatwill happen to such people, how their spiritual liveswill be shaped,dependslargelyuponthosewithwhomitistheirkarmatocomeintocontact.Ifthat karma is good enough to lead them to Theosophy, they will have theopportunityof learning something about thesedawning faculties, andofbeingtrainedinitsEsotericSchoolinthepreliminaryqualitiesofcharacterandpurityofphysicalandmagneticlifethatareprescribedbyalltrueoccultists,sothatalittle lateron theymaydevelop theirpsychicpowers in safety, andbecomeofgreatservicetomankind.

If on the other hand they come into touchwith the spiritualistic school ofthought, they are quite likely to find themselves following a line whichfrequently results in passive mediumship, the very opposite of what we aretryingtoattain.

Therearethosewhoturntopseudo-occultismfortheattainmentofmagicalpowersinordertogratifypersonalambition.Thatpathisfullofthemostseriousdangers.Sometimessuchpeoplesit inapassiveconditionand inviteunknownentitiesoftheastralworldtoworkupontheiraurasandorganismsandtoadaptthem to their purposes; sometimes they practise various formsofHatha-Yoga,consistingmainlyofpeculiarkindsofbreathing,whichhaveunfortunatelybeenwidelytaughtintheWesternworldduringthelastthirtyyearsorso.Asaresultof such proceedings mental and bodily disorders of a serious character oftenarise, while at best the contact which is gainedwith the innerworlds seldomextends beyond the lower astral levels, from which nothing can come that isupliftingtomankind.

Astothesecondmethod—theuseofdrugs—thereisanotebyVyasa,inhiscommentary upon the Yoga Sutras, to the effect that these are used “in the

housesof theasuras”for thepurposeofawakeningthesiddhis.Theasurasarethe opposite of the suras, and the word may roughly be translated as “theungodly”;thesurasarethebeingsonGod’sside,thosewhoworkforHisplanofupward-evolvinglife.

Patanjali does not recommend this method; he is merely enumerating theways inwhich the siddhis can be acquired.A study of theSutras showsveryclearlythathefavoursonlythelastofhislistoffivemethods—thatbymeansofsamadhiorcontemplation.

Wecanunderstandtosomeextenttheactionofdrugsonthebody,whentheyareusedasameansofawakeningpsychicpowers, ifweremember that in thefourthrootraceclairvoyancethroughthesympatheticnervoussystemwasquitecommon. Then the astral sheath, not yet properly organized into a body orvehicleofconsciousness, responded inageneralway to the impressionsmadeuponitbytheobjectsoftheastralplane.Thoseimpressionswerethenreflectedin the sympathetic centres in the physical body, so that consciousness in thatbody received astral and physical impressions together, and often scarcelydistinguishedbetweenthem.Indeed, in theearlierdaysof that race,and in theLemurianrace,theactivityofthesympatheticsystemwasfargreaterthanthatofthe cerebro-spinal system, so that the astral experiencesweremore prominentthan the physical. But since then the cerebro-spinal system has become thedominant mechanism of consciousness in the physical body, and man inconsequence has paid more and more attention to the physical-planeexperiences, as they have grown stronger and more insistent. Therefore thesympathetic system as a purveyor of impressions has gradually lapsed, itsbusinessnowbeingtocarryoninaninvoluntarymannermanybodilyfunctionsto which the man need not attend, because his life is mental, emotional andspiritualratherthanphysical.

Theobjection to theuseofdrugs, therefore, isnotonly that theyupset thehealthyworkingofthebodyandbringthesympatheticsystemoncemoreintoaprominencewhichitoughtnot tohave,butevenfromthepointofviewofthepsychicpowersattainedtheymerelyre-awakenthatsystemandbringagainintothe physical consciousness indiscriminate impressions from the astral world.Thesecomegenerallyfromthelowerpartoftheplane,inwhichareaggregatedall the astralmatter and all the elemental essence concernedwith exciting thelowerpassionsandimpulses.Sometimestheycomefromslightlyhigherregions

ofsensuousdelight,suchasaredescribedinthevisionsoftheCountofMonteCristo in Dumas’ famous novel, or in De Quincy’sConfessions of an OpiumEater;butthesearescarcelybetterthantheothers.

Allthatisentirelycontrarytotheplanofevolutionlaiddownforhumanity.Weareallintendedtounfoldclairvoyanceandothercognatepowers,butnotinthatway.Firstthereshouldbeadevelopmentoftheastralandmentalbodies,sothat theymay be definite vehicles of consciousness on their own planes; thenmaycometheawakeningofthechakrasintheethericdoublebymeansofwhichthe valuable knowledge gained through those higher bodies may be broughtdowntothephysicalplaneconsciousness.Butallthisshouldbedoneonlywhenandas theMasteradvises;remember, inAt theFeetof theMaster theTeachersaid:“Havenodesireforpsychicpowers.”

The thirdmethodmentioned is by the use ofmantras. The termmantra isappliedtocertainwordsofpowerwhichareusedinmeditationorinceremonialrites, and are often repeated over and over again. These are to be found inChristianritualsaswellasintheEast,ashasbeenexplainedinTheScienceoftheSacraments.Inmanyreligionssoundsarethusused,andareassociatedwithpictures,symbols,signsandgestures,andsometimesdances.

Thetermtapas,usedtodescribethefourthmethod,isoftenassociatedwithideasofextremeausterityandevenself-torture,suchas themethodofholdingthe armextendeduntil itwithers, or lyingon abedof spikes.Thesepracticescertainly develop the will, but there are other and better ways of doing that.TheseHathaYogaschemeshavethegreatdemeritofmakingthephysicalbodyuselessforthatserviceofhumanitywhichisaboveallotherthingsimportantfortheMaster’swork.Thewillmaybejustaseffectivelydevelopedindealingwiththedifficultiesoflifethatcometousbynatureandthroughkarma;thereisnonecessitytomaketrouble.

In theGita ShriKrishna speaks strongly against this superstition.He says,“The men who perform severe austerities, which are not prescribed by theScriptures,weddedtovanityandegoism,impelledbytheforceoftheirdesiresand passions, unintelligent, tormenting the aggregated elements forming thebody, and Me also, seated in the inner body—know these as asuric in theirresolves.” 2 Such antics cannot be the real tapas. The word means literally“heat”,andperhapsthenearestEnglishequivalent to thatwhenit isappliedto

human conduct is “effort”. The realmeaning of the teachingwith regard to itseems to be: “Do for the bodywhat youknow to be good for it, disregardingmerecomfort.Donotletlaziness,selfishness,orindifferencestandinthewayofyourdoingwhatyoucan tomakeyourpersonalityhealthyandefficient in thework that it ought to be doing in theworld.”3 Shri Krishna says in theGita:“Reverence to the Gods, the elders, the teachers and the wise, purity,straightforwardness, continence and harmlessness are the tapas of the body;speech truthful, pleasant andbeneficial, and studyof the sacredwords are thetapas of speech; cheerfulness, balance, silence, self-control, and being true tooneselfarethetapasofmind.”4Thesedescriptions,givenbyonewhommostoftheHindusregardasthegreatestincarnationofDeity,certainlydonotindicateany of the dreadful developments of which we sometimes see such sadexamples.

It is thefifthmeans, thatofsamadhi, that theBookof theGoldenPreceptsadvocates,and,asintheYogaSutrasandotherstandardworksofthekind,thisis preceded by dharana and dhyana, which are commonly translated asconcentration and meditation, while samadhi is interpreted as contemplation.These one-word translations from the Sanskrit are, however, often ratherunsatisfactory; the Sanskritwords, coming down to us through the ages, haveacquiredamarvellouscomplexity,haveadded to themselvesmanyfineshadesofmeaningwhicharenot tobe found in anymodernEnglish expression.Theonlywayreallytounderstandthemistostudythetermsintheircontextintheancientbooks.

Thesiddhismaybedividedinto twoclasses,notonlyashigherandlower,but also as faculties and powers. Theworld acts upon us through the senses,through our faculties of sight, hearing and the rest; but we also act upon theworld.Thisdualityappliesalsowithregardtosuper-physicalaccomplishments.We receive impressions through the newly unfolded powers of our astral andmentalvehicles;butwecanalsoactthroughthem.ItisusualinHindubookstospeakofeightsiddhis:(l)anima, thepowertoputoneselfinthepositionofanatom,tobecomesosmallastobeabletodealwiththattinything;(2)mahima,the power to be as if ofmonstrous size, so as to dealwith huge things at nodisadvantage;(3)laghima,thepowertobecomeaslightascottonborneonthewind;(4)garima,thepowertobecomeasdenseandheavyasanythingcanbe;(5)prapti,thepowerofreachingout,evenasfarasthemoon;(6)prakamya,thewillpowerwithwhichtorealizeallwishesanddesires;(7)Ishatwa,thepower

tocontrolandcreate;and(8)vashitwa,thepowerofcommandoverallobjects.Thesearecalled“thegreatpowers”,butothersarementioned,suchassteadinessand effulgence in the body, control of the senses and appetites, beauty andgracefulness,andsoon.

Westudentsoftheselaterdaysapproachalltheseproblemsfromapointofview so totally different from that of theHinduwriters of thousands of yearsago,thatitissometimesdifficultforustounderstandthem.Wearetheproductofourage,andthequasi-scientifictrainingthroughwhichweallpassmakesitamentalnecessityforustotrytoclassifyourknowledge.Eachmanendeavourstobuildforhimselfsomekindofschemeofthings,howevercrudeitmaybe,andwhenanynewfactispresentedtohimhetriestofindanicheinhisschemeforit. If it fits incomfortablyheaccepts thefact; ifhecannotmakeit fit in,heisquite likely to reject it, even though it may come to himwith the weightiestevidence.Though somepeople seemcapableofholding,quitehappily, beliefswhicharemutuallycontradictory,thereareotherswhocannotdothis,andit isoftenapainfulprocess for them to reconstruct their thought-edifice toadmit anew fact—so painful that they not infrequently avoid it by convenientlyforgettingordenying thefact.Ourancient Indianbrethrenseemtometohavecatalogued their observations and left them there—to have made no specialattempttorelatethemtooneanotherortoclassifythembytheplanesonwhichtheyoccurredorthekindoffacultywhichtheyrequired.

Wehavenodifficultyinrecognizingthefirstandsecondpowersonthislistofsiddhis;theyareinstancesofthealterationofthefocusoftheconciousness;wesometimescallthempowersofmagnificationandreduction.Theymeantheadaptationoftheconsciousnesstotheobjectswithwhichithastodeal—afeatwhichpresentsnodifficultytothetrainedoccultist,thoughitisnoteasyonthephysicalplane toexplainexactlyhow it isdone.The thirdand fourthmentionthe possibility of becoming light or heavy at will; this is achieved by thecomprehensionanduseoftherepulsiveforcewhichistheoppositeofgravity.Iamnotsosureaboutthefifth;itmayrefermerelytothepoweroftravellingintheastralbody,sincethelimitofastralmigrationisindicatedbythementionofthemoon;but I rather suspect that itmeans thepowerofproducingadefiniteresult at a distance by an effort of will. The sixth and eighth are onlydevelopmentsofwill-power,thoughveryremarkabledevelopments;theseventhis the same, with the addition of the special knowledge required for thedematerializationandrematerializationofobjects.In this list thereseemstobe

nodirectreferencetoclairvoyanceatall,eitherinspaceorintime.

It is to be noted thatTheVoice of the Silence does not say that the loweriddhis, those belonging to the astral and mental bodies, are to be neglectedaltogether; it merely points out that there are serious dangers connected withthem.Weshallhavetodealwiththemalittlefurtheron,forhewhowouldclimbtheladdermuststeponeveryrung.

He who would hear the voice of Nada, the “Sound-less sound,” andcomprehendit,hehastolearnthenatureofDharana.

Tothistherearetwofootnotes,asfollows:

The “Soundless Voice,” or the “Voice of the Silence.” Literally perhapsthiswouldread“VoiceintheSpiritualSound”,asNadaistheequivalentwordinSanskritfortheSenzarterm.

Dharanais the intenseandperfectconcentrationof theminduponsomeone interior object, accompanied by complete abstraction from everythingpertainingtotheexternaluniverse,ortheworldofthesenses.

Theword that ishere translatedconcentrationcomesfromtherootdhri, tohold.Theworddharana,withashortfinalvowel,meansholdingorsupportingin general, but here we have a special feminine substantive, with the longterminal vowel, as a technical term signifying concentration or holding of themind.

It is described in some places as a kind of pondering or dwelling upon agiven thought or object, and it is said in theHindubooks thatmeditation andcontemplationwillnotbe successfulunless this ispractised first. It isobviousthatwhilethemindisrespondingtotheappealsofthephysical,astralandlowermental planes, it is not likely to hear the message that the ego is trying totransmittothepersonalityfromhisownhigherplanes.

Concentrationisrequisite,thatattentionmaybegiventothechosenobject,nottotherestlessactivityofthelowervehicles.Itisusualtobeginthepracticeofconcentrationwithsimplethings.OnacertainoccasionsomepeoplecametoMadameBlavatsky,andaskedheruponwhattheyshouldmeditate;shethrewamatchbox down on the table, and said: “Meditate on that!” It startled themsomewhat, because they had expected her to tell them to meditate upon

ParabrahmanortheAbsolute.Itisveryimportantthatthisconcentrationshouldbedonewithoutstrain to thebody.Dr.Besanthas toldus that,whenMadameBlavatsky first instructed her to try it, she beganwith great intensity; but herteacherinterruptedher,saying:“Mydear,youdonotmeditatewithyourblood-vessels!“

Whatisrequiredistoholdthemindquiet,sothatonelooksattheobjectofthoughtwithperfectcalmness,justasonewouldlookatone’swatchtoseethetime, except that one keeps on looking for the length of time prescribed ordecided upon for the period of concentration. People often complain ofheadachesandotherpainsasa resultofmeditation; thereshouldneverbeanysuchresult;iftheywilltakecaretokeepthephysicalbodycalmandfreefromtensionofanykind,evenintheeyes,theywillprobablyfindtheirconcentrationmuch easier andmore successful, and free from physical trouble and danger.Various books have been written on this subject, and some of them offerexceedinglydangeroussuggestions.Anyonewishingfurtherinformationonthisshould read Professor Wood’s book, Concentration—a Practical Course, ofwhichDr.Besantwrote:“There isnothing in itwhich,whenpractised,candothestriverafterconcentrationtheleastphysical,mentalormoralharm.”

Inherfootnote,H.P.B.associatesdharanawiththehighermentalplane,forshesaysthemindmustbefixeduponaninteriorobjectandabstractedfromtheworldof thesenses; that is, fromthephysical,astraland lowermentalworlds.ThatisaprescriptionforthecandidatewhoisalreadyonthePath,andisaimingatthesamadhiofthenirvanicoratmicplane.Butthethreetermsconcentration,meditation and contemplation are also used in a general way. To fix one’sthought on a verse of scripture—that is concentration. To look at it in everypossiblelightandtrytopenetrateitsmeaning,toreachanewanddeepthoughtor receive some intuitional light upon it—that is meditation. To fix one’sattention steadily for a time on the light received—that is contemplation.Contemplationhasbeendefinedasconcentrationat thetopendofyourlineofthoughtormeditation.ItisusualfortheOrientalstudenttobeginhispracticeonsomesimpleexternalobject,andfromthattocarryhisthoughtinwardorupwardtohigherthings.

CHAPTER3

THESLAYEROFTHEREAL

Havingbecomeindifferenttoobjectsofperception,thepupilmustseekouttheRajaofthesenses,theThought-Producer,hewhoawakesillusion.

TheMindisthegreatSlayeroftheReal.LettheDiscipleslaytheslayer.

Thisreferstowhathastobedoneduringthepracticeofconcentration.IntheHindubooksonthesubjectitisexplainedthatpriortotheactualconcentrationthestudentwhositsforthepracticemustwithdrawhisattentionfromtheobjectsof sensation;hemust learn to takenonoticeofany sightsor sounds thatmaycome within his range; he must not be attracted by anyone or anything thatcomeswithinhis view,or affects his senseof touch.Hewill thenbe ready toobservewhatthoughtsandfeelingsriseintheminditself,andtodealwiththem.

AsIhavealreadyexplained,inmostpersonsthementalandastralbodiesareinaconstantstateofactivity,fullofvortices,whichmustberemovedbeforerealprogresscanbemade.Itisthesethatcreatethemassofillusionswhichbesettheaverageman, and render it exceedingly difficult for him to get a true viewofanythingatall.ItisanaxiomofShriShankaracharya’steachingthatjustasthephysical eye can see thingswellwhen it is steady,butnotwhen it is roamingabout,sothemindcanunderstandthingsclearlywhenitisstill.Butifitisfullofvorticestheyaresuretodistortthevisionandsocreateillusion.

Themindiscalledtherajaorkingofthesenses.Sometimesitisspokenofasoneofthem,asintheGita:

AportionofMineownSelftransformedintheworldoflifeintoanimmortalSpirit,drawethrounditselfthesenses,ofwhichthemindisthesixth,veiledinmatter.5

That themind does act as a kind of sense is obvious, since it corrects theevidence of the five senses and also indicates the presence of objects beyondtheir reach; for example,when a shadow falls across your threshold, youmayinferthatsomebodyisthere.

What is the mind, that has to be dealt with so severely by the aspirant?Patanjali speaks of it when he defines yoga practice as chitta-vritti-nirodha,whichmeans restraint (nirodha) of thewhirlpools (vritti) of themind (chitta).AmongtheVedantins,orinShriShankaracharya’sschool,thetermantahkaranaisnotusedaswegenerallyemployit,butindicatesthemindinitsfullestsense.ItmeanswiththemliterallytheentireinternalorganorinstrumentbetweentheinnermostSelfandtheouterworld,andisalwaysdescribedasoffourparts:the“I-maker” (ahamkara); insight, intuition or pure reason (buddhi); thought(maims) and discrimination of objects (chitta). It is these last two that theWesternman usually calls hismind, with its powers of abstract and concretethought; when he thinks of the other processes he imagines them to besomethingabovethemind.

TheTheosophistoughttorecognizeinthesefourVedanticdivisionshisownfamiliaratma,buddhi,manasandthelowermind.MadameBlavatskycalledthelastkama-manas,because it is thepartofmanas thatworkswithdesireand isthereforeinterestedinmaterialobjects.Kamaistobetakennotonlyasrelatingto low desires and passions, but also to any sort of desire or interest in theexternalworldforitsownsake.Thewholeofthetriplehigherselfisfromthispoint of view nothing but the antahkarana (or internal agency) between themonad and the lower self. It has become a tetrad, because manas is dual inincarnation.

The threepartsof thehigherselfareconsideredas threeaspectsofagreatconsciousnessormind;theyareallmodesofcognition.AtmaisnottheSelf,butisthisconsciousnessknowingtheSelf;buddhiisthisconsciousnessknowingthelifeintheformsbyitsowndirectperception;manasisthesameconsciousnesslookingoutupontheworldofobjects,andkama-manasisaportionof thelastimmersedinthatworldandaffectedbyit.ThetrueselfistheMonad,whoselifeissomethinggreaterthanconsciousness,whichisthelifeofthiscompletemind,theHigherSelf.ThereforePatanjali andShankaraarequite inagreement; it isthechitta,thekama-manas,thelowermind,whichistheslayerofthereal,andhastobeslain.

MuchthatisnowcalledtheastralbodybyTheosophistsmustbeincludedintheIndianideaofkama-manasorchitta.MadameBlavatskyalsospeaksoffourdivisionsofthemind.Firstthereismanas-taijasi,theresplendentorilluminatedmanas,whichisreallybuddhi,oratleastthatstateofmanwhenhismanashas

become merged in buddhi, having no separate will of its own. Then there ismanas proper, the highermanas, the abstract thinkingmind.Then there is theantahkarana, a termusedbyMadameBlavatskymerely to indicate the linkorchannel or bridge between highermanas and kama-manas during incarnation.Finallythereiskama-manas,whichisonthistheorythepersonality.

Sometimesshecallsmanasthedeva-ego,orthedivineasdistinguishedfromthepersonalself.Highermanasisdivinebecauseithaspositivethought,whichis hriya-shahti, the power of doing things. Really all our work is done bythought-power; the sculptor’s hand does not do the work, but thought-powerdirecting thathanddoes it.Thehighermanas isdivinebecause it isapositivethinker,usingthequalityofitsownlife,whichshinesfromwithinit;thatiswhatismeantby theworddivine, fromdiv, to shine.But the lowermind is only areflector;likeallothermaterialthings,ithasnolightofitsown;itissomethingthrough which the light comes, or through which the sound comes—merelypersona,amask.

TheantahkaranaisusuallyconsideredintheTheosophicalworksasthelinkbetweenthehigherselforthedivineego,andthelowerselforpersonalego.Thechittainthatlowerselfputsitatthemercyofthings,sothatourlifedownheremaybecomparedtotheexperienceofamanstrugglingtoswiminamaelstrom.Butthiswillbefollowedsooneror laterafterdeathbyaperiodintheheaven-world.Themanhas beenwhirled about; he has seenmany things; he has notdwelt upon them, however, with a calm, steady mind, but with kama-manas;thereforehehasnotunderstoodtheirsignificanceforthesoul.Butintheheaven-worldtheegocanwidenouttheantahkarana,becauseallisnowcalm;nonewexperiences are to be gathered. The old ones can be quietly turned over anddweltupon,andtheiressencetakenup,asitwere,intothedevaego,asbeingofinteresttohim.So,veryoften,theegoreallybeginshispersonallife-cyclewiththe entry into the heaven-world, and pays a minimum of attention to thepersonalityduringitsperiodofcollectingmaterials.

Inthatcasetheaspectofmindthat isantahkarana(inMadameBlavatsky’sclassification) functionsbut littlebefore theperiodof theheaven-life.But if aman is tobecomeexperton theastralandmentalplanesduring the lifeof thephysicalbody,hemustbringthepositivepowersofthehigherselfdownthroughthatchannel,by thepracticeofdharanaorconcentration,andsomakehimselfentiremasterofhispersonality.Inotherwordshemustclearouttheastraland

mentalwhirlpools.Amanwhoisgeniusonsomelinemayfinditeasytoapplytremendous concentration to his particular kind ofwork, but when he relaxesfromthat,hisordinary lifemayquitepossiblybestill fullof thesewhirlpools.That is not what we want; we are aiming at nothing less than the completedestructionofthewhirlpools,soastocomboutthelowermindandmakeitthecalmandobedientservantofthehigherselfatalltimes.

These whirlpools may and do constantly crystallize into permanentprejudices,andmakeactualcongestionsofmattercloselyresemblingwartsuponthementalbody.Thenifthemantriestolookoutthroughthatparticularpartofthat body he cannot see clearly; everything is distorted, for at that point thementalmatterisnolongerlivingandflowing,butstagnantandrotten.Thewaytocureitistoacquiremoreknowledge,togetthematterintomotionagain,andthenonebyonetheprejudiceswillbewashedawayanddissolved.

Itisinthiswaythatthemindisthegreatslayerofthereal,forthroughitwedonotseeanyobjectasitreallyis.Weseeonlytheimageswhichweareabletomakeofit,andeverythingisnecessarilycolouredforusbythesethought-formsofourowncreation.Noticehowtwopersonswithpreconceivedideas,seeingthesame set of circumstances, and agreeing as to the actual happenings, will yetmaketwototallydifferentstoriesfromthem.Exactlythissortofthingisgoingonallthetimewitheveryordinaryman,andwedonotrealizehowabsurdlywedistortthings.Thedisciplemustconquerthis;hemust“slaytheslayer”.Hemustnotofcoursedestroyhismind,forhecannotgetalongwithout it,buthemustdominateit;itishis,butitisnothe, thoughit tries tomakehimthinkso.Thebestway to overcome itswandering is to use thewill; its efforts are just likethoseoftheastralbody,whichisalwaystryingtopersuadeyouthatitsdesiresareyours;youmustdealwiththembothinapreciselysimilarmanner.

Even when the whirlpools that fill the mind with prejudice and error aregone,muchillusionstillremains.ThetranslationoftheSanskritwordavidyaasignorance is perhaps not very fortunate, though it is universally accepted. Sooften in Sanskrit there are delicate shades of meaning which it is difficult toconvey in English. In this case perhaps what is intended is not so muchignoranceasunwisdom.Amanmayhavevaststoresofknowledge,andyetbeunwise,forknowledgeisconcernedwithobjectsandtheirrelationsinspaceandtime,whereaswisdomisconcernedwiththesoulorconsciousnessembodiedinthose things. The wise politician understands the people’s minds; the wise

motherunderstandsherchildren’sminds.Howevermuchonemayknowaboutmaterialthings,ifonehasonlythematter-sightandnotthelife-sight,onehasinreality only unwisdom or avidya. It is at the expense ofwisdom that intellectgenerally lives,” said Madame Blavatsky. Then, out of that unwisdom orignorance spring four other great obstacles to spiritual progress, making fivealtogether,whicharecalledthekleshas.

Ifavidyabethefirstobstaclethesecondisasmita,thenotionthat“Iamthis”or what aMaster once called “self-personality”. The personality is developedthroughlifeintoquiteadefinitething,withdecidedphysical,astralandmentalform, occupation and habits; and there is no objection to that if it be a goodspecimen. But if the indwelling life can be persuaded to think that he is thatpersonality,hewillbegintoserveitsinterests,insteadofusingitmerelyasatoolforhisspiritualpurposes.

Inconsequenceof this seconderrormenseek inordinatewealthandpowerandfame.Whenamanlooksoverhiscountryhousesandhistownhouses,hisyachtsandcars,his farmsandfactories,heswellswithpride, thinkinghimselfgreat because he is called the owner of these things; or he hears his name oneverybody’s lips, and feels that thousands of people are thinking of himwithpraise (orevenwithcondemnation, fornotoriety isoftenpleasing tomenwhocannot attain fame) and he thinks himself a very great person indeed. That is“self-personality”, one of the greatest superstitions in the world, and a greatsourceof trouble foroneandall.Thespiritualman,on theotherhand,countshimself fortunate if he can be the master of his own hand and brain, and hewishes tohold the imagesof thousandsofothers inhisownmindthathemayhelpthem,ratherthantorejoiceinthethoughtthathisimageismultipliedandmagnified in theirminds.Hence self-personality is thegreatest obstacle to theuseofthepersonalitybythehigherself,andsotospiritualprogress.

The third and fourth obstacles may be taken together. They are raga anddwesha,likinganddisliking,orattractionandrepulsion.Thesetoospringfromthissameself-personality.Thatitshouldshowitslikesisinappropriate;itisasthoughamotor-carshouldhaveavoiceof itsown,andshouldraiseit ingreatdiscontent when its master drives over a broken road, or in a purr of delightwhenhegoesoveragoodroad.Theroadmaybeabadoneforthecar,butfromthepointofviewofthedriveritisagoodthingthatthereisaroadatall,becausehewantstogetsomewhere,whichwouldbeadifficultmatterwithoutaroad.It

isnicetohaveourarmchairsandfiresandelectriclightandsteamheat,buthewhowouldmake progress has to go over new country, sometimesmaterially,andalwaysinthoughtandfeeling.Peoplelikethethingsthatconsortwiththeirsettledconveniencesandhabits;anythingthatdisturbsthoseis“bad”;anythingthat fits inwith themandenhances themis“good”.Suchanoutlookupon lifedoes not harmonizewith spiritual progress;we do not refuse comfortwhen itcomes,butwemustlearntobeindifferenttoit,andtotakethingsastheycome;thisemphasisuponlikinganddislikingmustgo,andthecalmjudgmentofthehigherselfastowhatisgoodandwhatisbadmusttakeitsplace.

Thefifthobstacleisabhinivesha,theoutcomeofthelast,thestateofbeingfixed,settledin,attachedtoaformormodeoflife,ortothepersonality.Fromthis arises fear of old age and of death—eventswhich can never exist for themanhimself,butmustcomeinduecoursetothepersonality.Averitabledeathinlifemayarisebut thisfifth trouble;peoplewaste theiryouthinpreparationforcomfort and safety in age, and then waste their age in seeking for their lostyouth,orareafraidtousetheirbodies,lesttheyshouldwearout.Theyarelikeamanwho buys a beautifulmotor-car, and sits in his garage, enjoying his newpossession,butunabletobringhimselftorunitoutontheroad,lestitshouldbespoiled. Our business is to do what the higher self wants, and to be utterlywillingtodieinhisserviceifneedbe.

All the whirlpools arise from these five obstacles. Concentration andmeditationarethemeanstodispel themcompletely.Whenthekama-manasnolonger gravitates downwards, themanas can turn upwards, to becomemanas-taijasi.

Another Sanskrit word connected with this self-personality is ntana,sometimes translated pride, but perhaps better rendered by conceit. This rootappears in the word nirmanakaya, which means a being who is beyond thisillusion—nirmana.MadameBlavatskysaidthattherewerethreekindsormodesof incarnation; first, that of the avataras, those who descend from higherspheres, having reached them in a cycle of evolution prior to ours; secondly,thoseofanordinarykind,whenapersonpasses through theastral andmentalworlds and then takes up a newbody; and thirdly, that ofnirmanakayas, whoincarnateagainwithout interlude, sometimesperhapsafteronlya fewdays. InThe SecretDoctrine she cites the Cardinal de Cusa as an instance of this, hehaving been born again quickly, as Copernicus; and she says that such rapid

rebirthisnotanuncommonthing.Shespeaksofsuchpeopleasadepts,notusingthewordquiteasweemployitnow,butmeaningthattheyareadeptorexpertontheastralandlowermentalplanes;shesaysthattheysometimesactasspiritsatseances,and that theyareparticularlyopposedby theBrothersof theShadow,presumablybecauseoftheprogressthattheyaremakingforthemselvesandalsoformankindingeneral.

She explains that there are two kinds of nirnianakayas: those who haverenounced theheaven-world, asaboveexplained, and thosewhoat a later andhigherstagerenouncewhatshecallsabsoluteNirvana,inordertoremaintohelptheprogressof theworld.ModernTheosophical literatureconfines the termtothis latterclass,buthereweareconcernedwith the lowerclass.Themanwhohasslaintheslayerhaslargelydestroyedthefiveobstacles,andhasbecometheservant of the higher self, with nothing in him but what is favourable to itspurposes.Hehashisantahkaranawidenedoutsothatduringhisbodilylifeheisinfulltouchwiththehigherself,andallthetimethatselfistakingwhatitneeds;thebeecanvisittheflowerwhenhewill,forthereisnostormraging;andwhenthephysicalbodyisdead,thesubtlepartofthepersonalitycanbeusedagaininthenext incarnation, because it is not full ofwhirlpoolswhich represent fixeddesiresandrigidopinions,andselfishhabitsoffeelingandthought.

CHAPTER4

THEREALANDTHEUNREAL

For when to himself his form appears unreal, as do on waking all theforms he sees in dreams; when he has ceased to hear the many, he maydiscerntheOne—theinnersoundwhichkillstheouter.

C.W.L.—ThesimileofdreamingandwakingisfrequentlyusedinOrientalphilosophy. Ithas itsuse,butwemust takecare that itdoesnot leadus intoamisapprehension.Whenwewake from an ordinary dreamwe realize that oursenses have been deceived, that what we thought at the time to be a realexperiencewasintruthnothingofthekind.Butthisisnotexactlywhathappenswhenwewake to aperceptionof spiritual reality.Weawaken to ahigher andbroaderlife;weperceiveforthefirsttimethecrushingyetentirelyunsuspectedlimitations underwhichwe have hitherto been living.But that does notmeanthatourlifebeforethattimewasnothingbutauselessdeception.Theawakeningtohigherthingscausesourpreviousstateofmindtoappearirrational,but,afterall,itwasonlyrelativelyso.Wewereactingthenaccordingtoourlights,uponsuch information aswehad; nowwehave somuchmore that all our lines ofthoughtandactionarecompletelychanged.

EventheVedantistdoesnotdenythatthisphysicalplanedreamofourshasitsvaluefortheproductionofenlightenment.Amanmaydreamthatasnakeisthreatening him, and bemuch alarmed thereby; at last in his dream the snakestrikeshim,andwiththatshockhewakes,andismuchrelieved‘tofindthatthewholeexperiencewasanillusion.Yetitwastheblowoftheillusorysnakethatawokehimtoamorereallife.Similarly,intheGita,ShriKrishnatellshispupilthatwisdomisbetterthanworldlygoods,because,hesays,“Allactionsintheirentiretyculminate inwisdom.”6That greatTeacher did not deprecate a life ofactivity, but encouraged it to the utmost; yet he said that one should not beattached to the activities and the thingswithwhich theydeal, but should seekonly thewisdomthatcanbeobtainedfromthem.It is in thewisdomthatmanhashisowntruebeing,asheisapartoftheLogos.Ifhelistenstothevoiceofwisdomhewillbecomeincreasinglythemasterofhimselfandhislife;theinnersound will thus put a stop to the outer clamour which directs the feverish

activitiesofordinarymen.

Itisverytruethatamanshouldceasetogivehisattentiontothemanythingswhichsurroundandplayuponhim,andshouldturnitinwardstotheonewitnessof all these things; but he is not entirely free to do this until he has fullyperformed his dharma in the outerworld.Anyman at any time,whatever hisdutiesmaybe,maysethisaffectionuponthingsabove,andnotuponthingsoftheearth.Buthemaynotbeat liberty todevotehiswhole life tohigherworkuntilhehassatisfiedthedemandsofthekarmawhichhehasmadeinpastlives,orintheearlierpartofhispresentlife.Hemaycertainlyfeelvairagya,butwhileanyphysicaldutiesstillremaintohim,hemustretainsufficientinterestinthemtodothemasperfectlyastheycanbedone.

If his desire for liberation is strong enough, and unless his karma placessome insuperable obstacle in his way, he will probably find that the path tofreedomwillsoonopenbeforehim. Imyselfhadanexperienceof thatkind; Ireceivedamessage frommyMasterofferingmecertainopportunitieswhich Imostthankfullyaccepted.Butifthatgraciousofferhadbeenmadealittleearlier,Ishouldhavebeenunabletoacceptit,becauseIshouldnothavebeenfree;therelayuponmeacleardutywhichIcouldnotpossiblyhaveneglected.

Vairagyahastwoparts;thereistheaparaorlowervairagya,andtheparaorhighervairagya.

Therearethreestagesintheabandonmentofattachmenttoexternalthings.First,themanbecomestiredofthethingswhichusedtogivehimpleasure,yetheissorrythatheistiredofthem;hedesiresstilltoenjoythem,buthecannot.Then,becauseofthatsatiety,heseekselsewhereforsatisfaction.Finally,whenhehascaughtaclearglimpseofthehigherthingsbisspiritualdesiresawaken,andtheyprovesoattractivetohimthathethinksoftheothersnomore.Orelse,havinglearntoftheexistenceofthehigherthingsanddecidedtofollowthem,heinthesecondstageeithersetshimselftoobservethedefectsofthelowerthings,soas tocreatea sortofartificialdisgust for them,orhe fixeshiswill in rigiddeterminationtorejecttheirattractivenessandstarveoutdesireforthem.Finally,as in the former case, perhaps only aftermany fluctuations, theman sees thehigher; hehears the inner soundwhichkills theouter.Thenhehas thehighervairagya.

In themiddle stage of struggle, it often happens that theman conceives a

positive repugnance for the things of his erst-while pleasure; that is usually asign thathehasonly recentlyescapedfrombondage to themandhestill fearstheirattractiveness;hefeelsthatheisliabletobetaintedbytheirproximity,sohe shudders and avoids them, or he attacks and tries to destroy them withunreasoningvehemence.Allthesedifferentaspectsofthesecondstageareformsofthelowervairagya.

Thenonly,not till then, shallhe forsake the regionofAsat, the false, tocomeuntotherealmofSat,thetrue.

Letusbecarefulherenot tomisunderstand.Manyhavesupposed that thispassageimpliesthatthelowerplanesaremereillusion,butthatisbynomeanswhat is intended. I have alreadyWritten on the real and the unreal and haveexplainedthateachplaneisrealtotheconsciousnesswhichfunctionsuponit.7Whatistrueisthatuntilamanisabletoheartheinnervoiceandtolookuponlife from the standpoint of the higher planes he has no real grasp of the truthwhichliesbehindallthiscomplexityofmanifestationthatsurroundsus.

BeforetheSoulcansee,theharmonywithinmustbeattained,andfleshlyeyesberenderedblindtoallillusion.

Before the Soul can hear, the image (man) has to become as deaf toroarings as to whispers, to cries of bellowing elephants as to the silverybuzzingofthegoldenfire-fly.

Before the Soul can comprehend andmay remember, shemust unto theSilentSpeakerbeunited,justastheformtowhichtheclayismodelledisfirstunitedwiththepotter’smind.

Theharmonywithin is that between the ego andhis vehicles, and also, ofcourse, between those vehicles themselves. In the average man there is aperpetualstraingoingonbetweentheastralbodyandthementalbody,betweenthedesiresandthemind;andneitherofthesebodiesisintheleastintunewiththeego,orpreparedtoactashisvehicle.Thepersonalitymustbepurified,andthechannelbetween it and the egomustbeopenedandwidened.Until this isdone thepersonality sees everythingandeverybody from itsownvery limitedpointofview.Theegocannotseewhatisreallygoingon;heperceivesonlythedistortedpictureinthepersonality,whichislikeacamerawithadefectivelensthatdistortsthelightrays,andafaultyplateorfilmwhichmakestheresultall

blurred,indistinctandunequal.

That iswhyinmostpeopletheegocannotderiveanysatisfactionfromthepersonalityuntilitisintheheaven-world.Theegoknowsthetruefromthefalse,herecognizesthetruewhenheseesit,andrejectsthefalse;butgenerallywhenhecastsaneyedownwardsintothepersonalityhefindssocrazyaconfusionofinconsequent thought-forms that he can distinguish nothing definite; he turnsawayindespair,anddecidestowaitforthequietudeoftheheaven-worldbeforeattemptingtopickthefragmentsoftruthoutofthisunseemlychaos.Underthosemore peaceful conditions, as the emotions and thoughts of the recent physicallifecomeuponebyoneandenvisagethemselvesinthevividlightofthatworld,theyareexaminedwithclearvision,thedrossisthrownawayandthetreasureiskept. The disciple must try to bring about this condition while still in thephysicalbody,bypurifyingthepersonalityandharmonizingitwiththesoul.

Thepossibilitiesofpersonalerrorarealmostinfinite.Supposethataworm,abird,amonkey,andatravellersimultaneouslylookatatree.Thefirstwillthinkof itas food, thesecondasahouse, the thirdasagymnasium, the fourthasakindofumbrella;thepictureswillallbedifferentfromoneanother,anddifferentagainfromthetree’sconceptionofhimself.

Whileseeinghasreferencetolookingoutward,hearingreferstowhatcomesfromwithin.Themanmustbecomequiet ifhe is tohear the still smallvoice.Dharanaorconcentrationwillproduce thisquietness. If the soul is tohear theinnervoicewithcertaintyandaccuracy,theoutermanmustbeunshakenbyallexternalthings—bytheclamourofthebigbreakersoflifethatdashagainsthim,aswellasbythedelicatemurmurofthesofterripples.Hemustlearntobeverystill,tohavenodesiresandaversions.

Intuitioncanscarcelyeverbeinvokedexceptwhenthemanisutterlywillingtoreceiveitsbehestsasthebestandmostacceptableguide,withoutintrudinghispersonaldesires.Itwouldbeoflittleusetoaskfromtheintuitionanysolutionofaproblemofconduct,ifatthesametimethemanwishedthattheanswershouldbe thisor that.Exceptonrareoccasionswhen it isunusuallystrong, it isonlywhenpersonaldesiresandaversionshaveceasedtoexistwhenthevoiceoftheouterworld canno longer commandhim, that amancanhear the innervoicewhichshouldbehisunfailingguide.

Beforethesoulcanfullycomprehendthedriftofallthetuitionwhichcomes

to him from without, and the intuition that comes from within, anotherharmonizing process must take place, in which the manas gradually becomesattunedtothewill,whichgivesdirectiontohislife.

There are three stages in the development of consciousness. On theprobationarypaththeman’shighestconsciousnessworksuponthehighermentalplane; after the First Initiation and until the Fourth, it is climbing steadilythrough the buddhic plane; at the end of that stage it enters on the atmic orspiritual plane. He has then become united with the will, the directing agent,controller of his destiny.While in themiddle stage hemight have said: “ThyWill,notmine,bedone,”butnowhesays:“ThyWillandmineareone.”Justasthedesignofthepotthatistobemadeisfirstinthepotter’smind,andjustasthemodelforaraceofmenisintheManu’smind,Hehavingreceiveditfromabove,soisthegoalofachievementforeveryoneofusalreadymarkedoutbytheMonad,andthenbroughtdownintotheevolvinglifeoftheconsciousmanbythespiritualprinciplewithinhim.

Thereisthusareasonfortheuseofthewordsoulinthesethreeverses.Itisthesoulthattreadsthepathofprogress,notthepersonality.Onthefirsthalfofthepathitunitesitselfmoreandmorecompletelywiththebuddhi,formingthespiritualsoul,manas-taijasi.Butall theworkisdoneunderthedirectionoftheatma,thevoiceofthesilence.

CHAPTER5

THEWARNINGVOICE

ForthentheSoulwillhear,andwillremember.Andthentotheinnerearwillspeak

TheVoiceoftheSilence,

andsay:

IfthySoulsmileswhilebathinginthesunlightofthylife;ifthySoulsingswithinherchrysalisoffleshandmatter;ifthySoulweepsinsidehercastleofillusion; if thySoul struggles tobreak thesilver thread thatbindsher to theMaster;know,Odisciple,thySoulisoftheearth.

C.W.L.—In occult books we have frequent reference to the voice of thesilence,andweoftenfindthatwhatissaidinoneplacedoesnotagreewithwhatappears in others. In the early days of the Societywe used to puzzle over itsexact significance, trying to make it always mean the same thing. Only aftermuchstudydidwediscoverthatthetermisgeneral.Thevoiceofthesilenceforanyone is that which comes from the part of him which is higher than hisconsciousnesscanreach,andnaturallythatchangesashisevolutionprogresses.For thoseworkingwith thepersonality thevoiceof theego is thevoiceof thesilence,butwhenonehasdominatedthepersonalityentirelyandhasmadeitonewiththeegosothattheegomayworkperfectlythroughit,itisthevoiceoftheatma—thetriplespiritonthenirvanicplane.Whenthisisreachedtherewillstillbeavoiceofthesilence—thatoftheMonadontheplaneabove.WhenthemanidentifiestheegoandtheMonadandattainsAdeptship,hewillstillfindavoiceof the silence coming down to him from above, but then itwill be the voice,perhaps,ofoneoftheMinistersoftheDeity,oneofthePlanetaryLogoi,asTheyare called. Perhaps for Him in turn it will be the voice of the Solar LogosHimself;andifevenforHimthereissuchathingasthat,itmustbethevoiceofahigherLogos.Butwhocansay?

“The sunlight of thy life” refers to those periods in our personal existencewhenfortunesmilesuponus,andeverythingseemsbrightandfair.Theegowho

basksinthatpleasure,andmistakesitforthetruehappinessofthehigherself,has not yet the higher vairagya which kills the outer sounds. In The AncientWisdom our President has explained how the man who feels that nothing onearth can satisfy him, not even those things that give the greatest delight toordinarymortals,may through a strong but calm effort of thewill rise to andunitehimselfwith thehigherconsciousnessand findhimself freeof thebody;but that isonlyfor thosewhoobeythefirstcondition,whocannotbesatisfiedwithanythinglessthanthatunion.

The three bodies, physical, astral and mental, which with their habitsconstitute the personality, are in truth a chrysalis, in which a butterfly isgraduallybeing formed. Inourpresentcaterpillar state thesoulmustbe in thebodyandtheworld;yetitmustnotbeofthem;itmustnotacceptthatlifeasitsown,butmustrealizethatitisindependentofitsvehicles.Hereagainwemustbecarefulnot tomisunderstand. It is indeedwell, it isevennecessary that thesoul should rejoiceon itsupwardpath, that it shouldsmile, that it shouldsingwithin its chrysalis; there is no harm in that—there is evenmuch good in it.What it must not do is to sing because of the chrysalis, or of anything thathappens to that outer shell. It would be wrong, terribly wrong, that the soulshould weep within its castle of illusion, because depression and sadness arealwayswrong.Butthat,trueasitis,isnotwhatismeanthere.WhatAryasangaistryingtotellusinHisgracefulpoeticallanguageisthatthesoulmustneitherrejoice nor sorrow because of anything whatever that is connected with thechrysalis or the castle, or any outer form; itmust be indifferent to that form,unaffectedbywhathappenstoit.Ifitisnotindifferent,itisstilloftheearth,stillentangledwiththislowerworld,andsonotyetreadyforperfectfreedom.

Allarounduseternalchangeistakingplace;butthesoulmustpressforwardonitswayresistless,undeterredbychange,for tobeinfluencedbytheseouterthingsshowsweakness.RememberhowShakespearewritesinhisSonnets:

i.WhenIhaveseenbyTime’sfellhanddefacedii.Therichproudcostofoutwornburiedageiii.WhensometimeloftytowersIseedown-razed,iv.Andbrasseternalslavetomortalrage;v.WhenIhaveseenthehungryoceangainvi.Advantageonthekingdomoftheshore,

vii.Andthefirmsoilwinofthewaterymain,viii.Increasingstorewithlossandlosswithstore;ix.WhenIhaveseensuchinterchangeofstate,x.Orstateitselfconfoundedtodecay;xi.Ruinhathtaughtmethustoruminate,xii.ThatTimewillcomeandtakemyloveaway,xiii.Thisthoughtisasadeath,whichcannotchoosexiv.Butweeptohavethatwhichitfearstolose.xv.Sincebrass,norstonenorearth,norboundlesssea.xvi.Butsadmortalityo’er-swaystheirpower,xvii.Howwiththisrageshallbeautyholdaplea,xviii.Whoseactionisnostrongerthanaflower?xix.O,howshallsummer’shoneybreathholdoutxx.Againstthewreckfulsiegeofbatteringdays,xxi.Whenrocksimpregnablearenotsostout,xxii.Norgatesofsteelsostrong,butTimedecays?8

But timeis really thefriendof theaspirant, for it isprecisely thefiner, thehigher, the inner things which are least subject to its ravages. This truth theoccultistlearnsasamatterofcertainexperienceandknowledge,sothechangesinoutsidethingsatlastcometotroublehimnotatall.

Silver is the thread—asbefits an emblemofpurity—thatbinds the soul tothehigherself;everytrafficthatthesoulhaswithimpurityofbody,emotionsorthought,isastruggletobreakthatsilverthread,atemptationtoignorethestill,smallvoice.

MadameBlavatskyaddsthefollowingfootnotes:

The“greatMaster”isthetermusedbychelastoindicatetheHigherSelf.ItistheequivalentofAvalokiteshvara,andthesameasAdi-BuddhawiththeBuddhistoccultists,AtmawiththeBrahmanas,andChristoswiththeancientGnostics.

SoulisusedhereforthehumanEgoorManas,thatwhichisreferredtoinour occult septenary division as the human Soul in contradistinction to the

spiritualandanimalSouls.

Madame Blavatsky here employs the word Master in an unusual sense,sayingthatitissousedbythechelasorpupils.InlaterTheosophicalliteraturethis title has been reserved for that limited number of members of the GreatWhiteBrotherhoodwhoacceptpupilsfromamongthosewhoarestilllivingintheworld.Thatnumber issmall; itwouldseemthatoneAdeptoneachof theraysisappointedtoattendtothatwork,andallthosewhoarecomingalongHisparticular ray of evolution pass throughHis hands.No one below the rank ofAdept is permitted to assume full responsibility for apupil, though thosewhohave held the position of pupil for a number of years are often employed asdeputies, and receive the privilege of helping and advising promising youngaspirants. These older pupils are gradually being trained for their futureworkwhentheyinturnshallbecomeAdepts,andtheyarelearningtotakemoreandmoreoftheroutineworkoffthehandsoftheirMasters,sothatthelattermaybeset free for higher labours which only They can undertake. The preliminaryselectionofcandidatesforchelashipisnowlefttoalargeextentinthehandsofthese older pupils, and the candidates are temporarily linkedwith such pupilsratherthandirectlywiththegreatAdepts.ButthepupilsandtheMasteraresowonderfullyonethatperhapsthisisalmost“adistinctionwithoutadifference”.

The termswhichMadameBlavatsky uses in these footnoteswill be betterunderstoodifwestudyalittlethevarioustrinitiesintheuniverseandinman.Itis in theexperienceofeverybody that there isadualityof theknowerand theknown,oftheonewhoseesandthethingsthatareseen,ofthesubjectandtheobject.Thisis theolddivisionof theworldofexperienceintotwoparts,spiritand matter, using those words in a general or common sense. Spirit orconsciousness and matter are a pair of opposites—the spirit is an activeprinciple,thematterapassiveone;thespirithasacentrebutnocircumference,thematterhasacircumferencebutnocentre;thespiritisself-moving,thematterismovedfromoutside.Inthesetwowehavealsothedivisionofrealityintothedivineandthematerial;thefreeandthebound;thatwhichshineswithitsownlightandthatwhichhasonlyreflectedlight.

Whenonelookscloserstill,oneseesthatthosetwoareplaying,asitwere,onthestageinone’spresence, that theyarenotNo.1andNo.2principles,asmanypeoplethink,buttheyareNo.2andNo.3;fortheonethatnowwitnessestheirinterplayisNo.1.No.2istheGodwhoisseen,butNo.1istheGodwhois

therealSelf,whoisthecauseofalltheinterplaybetweenNo.2andNo.3.

InChristianterminology,ChrististheGodwhoisseen.“NomanhathseenGodatanytime.”9YetsaidChrist:“IandmyFatherareOne.”10

That brings us to the term Avalokiteshvara. This word is a compound ofavalokita(seen),andIshvara(God,theRuler).ItthusmeanstheHigherSelfinthedualityofspiritandmatterintheuniverse.“Therearethreethatbearrecordin heaven,” said S. John, “the Father, theWord and the Holy Ghost.”11 TheWord, theLogos,Avalokiteshvara, is the Second.He is theChristos, theGodthat is seen. This is the universal spirit, or purusha, as distinguished from thematter, or prakriti. Man is consciousness looking at matter, and this God isglorifiedoruniversalMan,thesupremesubject.Analyzeyourself,andyouwillfindthereflectionofthis—theinnerGodinyourself.Still,thatGodthatisseenonlybearswitnesstotherealGodwinmantotheSelf,the“I”whichembracesboththesubjectandtheobject.

This “I” is not a new subject, witnessing the old subject and object, puttogetherandnowmadeintoonenewcompoundobject.Itis“I”—thatisallthereis tosay.Everythinkingmancanlookathisownbody,andinsomecaseshisastralandmentalbodiesaswell,andCallit“it”,thatis,hecanlookuponitasanobject. He can also have a conception of the consciousness or subject in hisneighbour, and infer that it is of the same nature as that consciousness(containing will, feeling and thought) which he finds in himself. But on thispointhenowmakesagreatmistake,bygivingtwodifferentnamestoonething—hecallsthesamething“you”whenheseesitinhisneighbour,but“I”whenhelooksatitinhimself!Lethimlookupontheconsciousnessorsubjectwithinhimself(allofit)ashedoesuponthatinothers,andcallit“you”,regardingitasjustoneof thegreat seaof “yous” thatmakeup theLogos, asdropsofwatermakeup theocean,andhewillbereadyto transcendconsciousnessandreachthereal“I”,theSelforGodthatisnotseen.12Theconsciousness,the“you”,isaportionofAvalokiteshvara,theGodthatisseen,theChrist,thelightthatlightetheverymanthatcomethintotheworld,justasmuchasthebodiesarepartsoftheoceanofcosmicmatter;andbothequallyarenottheSelf.NoonehathseenthesupremeGodatanytime—noteventheSon.

This trinityhasbeenconsideredinvariousways:AvalokiteshvarahasbeendescribedasfollowsbySwamiT.SubbaRao:“Parabrahmanbyitselfcannotbe

seenasitis;ItisseenbytheLogoswithaveilthrownoverit,andthatveilisthemighty expanse of Cosmic Matter.” And again: “Parabrahman, after havingappearedontheonehandastheEgo,andontheotherasMulaprakriti,actsasthe one energy through the Logos.” The danger of all such descriptions isimmense;theuseoftheword“it”aloneinthisconnectioncanundoeverything.Inoneselfdeliverance, the truth,mustbesought—onlyIbeingIcansolve thismystery,whichissoeasy,butthatpeoplewillnotsee.ThereisalsothestrongestobjectioneventothewordGodasappliedtoParabrahman—fortothinkofGodis to thinkof the seen, that is,ofAvalokiteshvara; and thatGod is, after all, a“you”,orratherall“yous”.

Theconceptionofa subjector“you” involvesa time limitation; thatofanobjector“it”involvesaspacelimitation.Butmotioninbothtimeandspaceisamystery. Some ancients argued that nothing could really move, “because itcannotmoveinthespacewhereitis,anditcertainlycannotmoveinthespacewhereitisnot.”Butsubjectscanmoveintime,andobjectscanmoveinspace,becauseallmoveinParabrahman.Bothtimeandspacearesecondarytomotion,properlyconceived.13

“And these three are one.”14Mulaprakriti, the root ofmanifestation, basicmatter,externalbeing,isnotsomethingotherthanParabrahman,butisthesame,as seen through the time limitations of consciousness. Parabrahman is beyondthat time limitation, and therefore seems to be still, and from that arises theappearance of space, the characteristic of Mulaprakriti—which is in reality aspacecontainingeverythingwhicheverexistedorwillexist inallof the threeperiods of time—past, present and future. Then universal consciousness, thegreat Man, also called Daiviprakriti (the divine manifestation), as againstMulaprakriti (the material manifestation), is Avalokiteshvara, the Ishvara orRulerorGodwhoisseen,incontradistinctiontoParabrahman,thefirstmemberoftheTrinity,whoisnotseendirectlyevenbyhim.

Now,inthehighertriadintheconsciousnessofmanwehaveareflectionofthis great Trinity. ThereforeMadame Blavatsky says that the Higher Self, bywhich she means buddhi or the intuitional love, is the equivalent ofAvalokiteshvara.Any confusion in thought of the universal realitywith atma,buddhiandmanas—thethreemodesofconsciousnessinman—wouldresult inserious error, but there is an analogy between the two. The great Trinity isreflectedinmaninvariousways,andappearsinoneforminthosethreeaspects

ofhisconsciousness.Soatma,buddhiandmanasreflectintheirsmallerspherethecharacteristicsoftheuniversaltrinity.AtmaistheconsciousnessofSelf,andalso the will, which gives self-direction. Manas, at the other pole, isconsciousnessoftheworld,andits thought-powerdoesallourwork,eventhatwhich is effected through thehands.Butbuddhi, between the two, is theveryessenceofconsciousness,ofsubjectivity.ThusthegreaterTrinityisreproducedintheconsciousnessoftheego.

Beyond this middle member, triple in character, is the Monad in man,representativeinhimofParabrahman,thestateofhistrueandabsolutenirvana,beyondconsciousness.Theatmaisthestateofhisfalseandrelativenirvanaofthe nirvanic plane, his last illusion, that persists between the Fourth andFifthInitiations.AstheMonadliesabovethetrinityofconsciousness,sothepersonalbodieslieoutsideorbeneathit—theyareknownonlyinreflectioninmanas.OnthefirsthalfofthePath(fromtheFirsttotheFourthInitiation)themanisbusyshakinghimself free from those personal limitations, from the illusionof “it”.Onthesecondhalfheisengagedinreleasinghimselffromtheillusionof“you”.

TherearestillafewmorepointstoconsiderinMadameBlavatsky’snotes.HerreferencetoAdi-BuddhaandAtmarequiressomecomment,thoughthattotheChristosof theGnosticswillbeabundantlyclear fromwhathasbeen saidabove.The“AtmaoftheBrahmanas”isratherwhattheBuddhiststhoughtthattheBrahmanasmeant by the term (andwhat perhapsmany of theBrahmanaswhomissedthetruepointoftheirphilosophyreallydidthink);itisthatspiritualsoul inmanwhich theBuddhadeclared tobenotutterlypermanent.Yes,eventheChrist(thehigherself)inmanisatlastmortal.Beautifulandwonderful,andfarbeyondthevisionofordinarymenasitlies,itmustatlastgiveupitslife,tobeonewiththeFather.Itisthe“you”masqueradingasthe“I”inspiritualmen—justas, farearlier inevolution, theabsurdpersonality, the“it”pretended tobe“I”.Butwhenhesaysthattheirbeliefinatmaiswrong,theorthodoxBuddhisthas not understood the height of true Brahmana thought, and especially theteaching on this point of Shri Shankaracharya, who was really one with theBuddha in His anatma doctrine, because by atma He meant the Monad, theindescribable Parabrahmic aspect ofman. The Buddha saw that people called“you” the atma, theSelf, and tried todislodge them from that errorby sayingthatwhattheycalled“I”wasperishable.

Inthefoot-noteMadameBlavatskysaysthatAvalokiteshvaraisthesameas

Adi-Buddha.SheamplifiesherstatementonthesubjectinTheSecretDoctrine,asfollows:

Intheesoteric,andevenexotericBuddhismoftheNorth,Adi-Buddha,...theOneUnknown,withoutbeginningor end, identicalwithParabrahman, emits abright Ray from its Darkness. This is the Logos, the First, orVajradhara, theSupremeBuddha,alsocalledDorjechang.AstheLordofallMysterieshecannotmanifest, but sends into the world of manifestation his Heart—the “DiamondHeart,”VajrasattvaorDorjesempa.ThisistheSecondLogosofCreation.15

In this extract she clearly shows that the First and Second Logos arerespectively Adi-Buddha and Avalokiteshvara, for the latter is the same asVajrasattva. Therefore when she speaks of them as one it can only be as theChristiansspeakoftheChristasonewiththeFather.IwroteasfollowsonthissubjectinTheInnerLife,SectionII:

Therehasbeenmuchdiscussionas to theexactmeaningof the termsAdi-BuddhaandAvalokiteshvara.Ihavemadenospecialstudyofthesethingsfromthephilosophicalstandpoint,butsofarasIhavebeenabletogatherideasfromdiscussionof thematterwith the livingexponentsof the religion,Adi-Buddhaseems to be the culmination of one of the great lines of superhumandevelopment—whatmight be called the abstract principle of all theBuddhas.AvalokiteshvaraisatermbelongingtotheNorthernChurchandseemstobetheBuddhists’ name for their conception of the Logos. European scholars havetranslatedit:“TheLordwholooksdownfromonhigh,”butthisseemstohavein itasomewhat inaccurate implication, for it isclearlyalways themanifestedLogos;sometimestheLogosofasolarsystemandsometimeshigherthanthat,but alwaysmanifest.Wemust not forget that while the founders of the greatreligionsseeandknowthethingswhichTheyname,Theirfollowersusuallydonot see; they have only the names, and they juggle with them as intellectualcounters,andbuildupmuchwhichisincorrectandinconsistent.16

WehavealreadyseenthatbythetermHigherSelfMadameBlavatskymeansthe buddhi in man, the central member of the trinity of his immortalconsciousness.Thatisthewisdominman.Butitisareflectionoftheuniversalwisdom,withoutwhichtherecouldbenohumanwisdom.Similarly,withouttheDhyani-BuddhaAvalokiteshvara,“thecentreofenergy”oftheultimatewisdom,Adi-Buddha, no human Buddha could become. The Illumination of the sage

Gautamawasthereforenotessentiallythefloweringofamanintoagod,buttheunionofaperfectedhumanconsciousnesswiththewisdomoftheLogos.

The second of the foot-notes under consideration speaks not only of themanasasthehumanSoul,butrefersalsototheanimalsoulinman.Thisisthelowermanas, thekama-manas.On itsplane reside thegroup-soulsof animals,while thoseof thevegetablekingdomareontheplanebeneath it,andthoseofthemineral lowerstill.To thesemeaningsof the termsSoul,HigherSelf,etc.,MadameBlavatskykeepswithperfectconsistencyrightthroughthebook.

CHAPTER6

SELFANDALL-SELF

When to the world’s turmoil thy budding Soul lends ear; when to theroaringvoiceof thegreat illusion thy soul responds;when frightenedat thesightofthehottearsofpain,whendeafenedbythecriesofdistress,thySoulwithdrawsliketheshyturtlewithinthecarapaceofselfhood,learn,Odisciple,ofhersilentGodthySoulisanunworthyshrine.

Whenwaxingstronger,thySoulglidesforthfromhersecureretreat;andbreakingloosefromtheprotectingshrine,extendshersilverthreadandrushesonward;whenbeholdingherimageonthewavesofspaceshewhispers.“ThisisI”—declare,Odisciple,thatthySouliscaughtinthewebsofdelusion.

C.W.L.—Atthebeginningofthispassage,intheexpression“buddingSoul”we have a suggestion of the idea of evolution. Formany centuries in Europepeopledidnot thinkof evolution; theyhad the idea that theworld andall thevariouscreaturesinithadbeencreatedquitesuddenly,andtheydidnotsupposethatthemorecomplexformshadevolvedoutofinferiorones,andwouldevolvefurther into somethingmoreperfect.Thencame the idea,withinabout the lastcenturyandahalf, that thematerial formsof livingcreatureswereundergoingevolution, an unfoldment which has been believed by some to be due to animpulseof the indwelling life,andbyothersmerely to theselectiveagencyofnaturalenvironment.

But longago thereexisteda theoryofevolutionof theSoul,whichhasallalongbeenacentraldoctrineoftheHinduandBuddhisttraditions,andhasbeenspread extensively in theWesternworld by Theosophists during the last fiftyyears,alongwiththedoctrineofreincarnation.Thisisputforwardasthemostlogical and ethical theory of human destiny, once it has been established, onscientificorreligiousgrounds, that theSoulofamansurvivesthedeathofhisbody.Thesoulincarnatesmanytimesforthesakeofexperience,andeachonewilltherebybecomeatlastnotmerelyageniusinsomefieldofhumanthoughtorwork,butaperfectman,readyforfullconsciousdivinity.

There are twogreat stages on the path of the soul’s evolution—the first is

called the pravritti marga, the way of forth-going, and the second the nivrittimarga, the way of return. In the former the development of personality takesplace,accompaniedbytheaccumulationofmuchkarmaasthesoulpursuesitsrestless career of seeking the satisfaction of its multitudinous desires in theexternalworld.Inthelatterthesoullittlebylittleturnsitsbackupontheworld,andwithitsfacetowardsthedivine,itssourceandgoal,proceedswiththetaskofperfectingitselfsoastofinishupthehumanstageofitsevolution.

It is this second stage, the nivritti marga, that is divided up into theprobationarypathandthePathofInitiation,whichhavebeenfullydescribedinThePathofDiscipleship,Initiation,thePerfectingofMan;andTheMastersandthe Path. This marga implies a course of voluntary evolution, in which thecandidateisdeliberatelytraininghimselfinthehigherqualitiesofcharacter;theevolutionofthelowercreaturesandofmenonthepravrittimargaisinvoluntary,theyseekandrespondtoexperience,andlearnwithoutclearrealizationofwhatishappeningtothem.

Inafoot-notetothewordillusion,MadameBlavatskycallsitMaha-Maya,thegreat illusion, theobjectiveuniverse.Themeaningof the term illusion, asappliedtotheexternalworld,hasalreadybeendiscussed.Itisnotthesameideaas that referred to in the text as “webs of delusion,” which has reference, asanotherfoot-notesays,to“Sakkayaditthi,thedelusionofpersonality”.

WhentheLordBuddharevealedtomentheNobleEightfoldPath,thewaytoliberty,thepracticalmeanstobringsorrowtoanend,Hetoldthemaboutthetenfetterswhich thecandidatemustcastoff—oneafteranother.The firstof thesewascalledSakkayaditthi,thedelusionofpersonality.Letusseehowthisarises.Achildisbornsubjecttokarma—theresultofitsdeedsinpreviouslives.Ithasacertainkindofbody,andvariousthingshappentoit.Incourseoftimeithearswhatpeoplesayofit,anditfindsoutwhatitcanandwhatitcannotdo.Itseesitself in these thingsas in amirror—oneof thosedistortingmirrorswhicharesometimessetupinexhibitionstoamusepeoplewiththeirgrotesquelyflattenedorelongatedimages.Itthusobtainsideasaboutitself—thatitisclever,orstupid,beautiful or ugly,weak or strong.As its education proceeds it acquires socialstandingorpositionorcharacter,assumesthehabitsofbodyandmindofdoctor,lawyer, house-wife—whatever it may be—and thus acquires a settledpersonality.When it thinks itself to be that personality, it has what has beencalled “self-personality”—exactly the same delusion that obsesses the

unfortunate people in the lunatic asylums,who imagine themselves to be tea-pots,ear-drums,northpoles,QueenElizabethsandNapoleons.

Adefinitewell-trainedsetofbodiesandpersonality,withusefulhabits,is,ofcourse,agoodthing,justasisagoodsetoftools,oragoodmotor-car.Wedonot want to have weak or nondescript personalities. But however good ourpersonalitymaybeweshouldnotthinkittobeourself,andweshouldbeabletoenjoyallournativewill-power,love-powerandthought-powerwhileusingitforour purposes, for our spiritual life in the material world. These personalitiesshouldnotset themselvesupascandidates for immortality,and try to intrenchthemselvesagainsttheravagesofuseandtimethatbesetallmaterialthings.Amiddle-agedgentlemanoncesaidtohisson,whovolunteeredtorelievehimofsome work: “No, no, my boy. Always use up the old ones first!” Thepersonalitiesmustbewillingtobeused,tobeadaptedtothespiritualpurposesofthemoment,tobewornout—andmustbecontentwiththesolerewardofalongandgloriousdevachan, thatwill followthedeathof theouterbodyin thecase of all those who have thus served the divine indwelling self, except, ofcourse, the servantsof theMasterswho renounce this rewardand take speedyrebirthinordertoworkfortheworld.

Thisearth,disciple,isthehallofsorrow,whereinaresetalongthepathofdireprobations,trapstoensnarethyEgobythedelusioncalled“greatheresy”.

That the physical plane is a place of sorrow is awidespreadBuddhist andHindu thought. Uncongenial and often disfiguring or debilitating labour,oppression, disease, indignity and dread fall to the lot of the majority ofmankind.Thosewhosefortunehassettheminplacesofeasemaysaythattheyfindmuchpleasure in it;butPatanjalisays:“Totheenlightenedall ismisery.”Therearemanythingsthatgivenotroubletotherelativelyunevolved—suchasthesmellofalcohol,meatoronions,thenoiseoffactorysirensorcoarsemusic,grossmanners,hideousclothesandbuildings,anda thousandother things thatafflictthosewhoaremoresensitive.Inadditiontothesethereishungertogainwhatwewant,andfeartoloseitwhenitisinhand,andsufferingforothersallroundus, if not forourselves.Surelymenmustbemad tohug suchchains asthese.Surelythisworldisindeedahallofsorrow.Thinkhowpoorisitsbestinthesightofthosewhoknowthehigherplanes.

Butitissochieflybecausemanhasmadeitso.Thinkofthevastseaoflife

thatfillsthemineral,thevegetableandtheanimalkingdomsofnature,andhowall that is throbbing with pleasure. Even the dreadful picture of the poet, of“nature,redintoothandclawwithravin”losesmostofitsluridcolourwhenwerealizethattheanimalsdonot“thinkbeforeandafter”asmendo,withpainfullongingandfear,andthatwhiletheirbattlesareon,andthebloodandwoundsdistressthehumanbeholder,theexcitementoftheanimalconsciousnessisatitsgreatestheightandisoftenexperiencingitsgreatestpleasure.Earthisahallofsorrowonlyforman,whowithhisgreedandanger,bornofastrongimaginationthatfeedstheflamesofhotdesire,haspoisonedwithinnumerablehorrorsbothhispersonalandhissociallife.

Yet it onlyneeds the conquest of selfishness to removeeveryoneof thesehorrors, and open to all mankind the joys of this world—the thrill and deepstrongpeaceofbeauty,ofdiscovery,ofcreativework,ofsocialandbodilywell-being.

MadameBlavatsky’sfoot-notethenspeaksof:

Attavada,theheresyofthebeliefinSoul,orratherintheseparatenessofSoulorSelffromtheoneuniversal,infiniteSelf.

Atta is the Pali equivalent of the Sanskrit atma, and vadameansdoctrine.Thedoctrineofatma,whichwehavealreadyconsidered,isthegreatsourceofcleavage between the Hindus and Buddhists, but as a matter of fact thedistinctionismerelyoneofwords,becausewhentheHindusaysthattheSelforatmainmanisonewiththeuniversalSelf,hedoesnotmeanbythewordwhatpeople usually mean when they think or speak of themselves, but somethingaltogetherdeeper,whichonly the advancedyogi can even imagine.There is apassageintheShriVakyaSudhawhichwarnstheaspirantthatwhenherepeatsthegreatreligiousformula“IamThat,”hemusttakecarewhathemeansby“I”;it explains that the separate individual should be understood as threefold, andthat it is the union with Brahman only of the highest of these three that isproclaimed by “Thou art That” and such sayings. As already explained, thepersonality is not “I”, and even the “you” in me is not “I”, but the “I” issomethingindistinguishablefromtheuniversalSelf inwhichthemanyandtheOneareone.TheLordBuddha’s teachingdenies thepermanencyof the“you”thatmencall“I”.

It is an unfortunate thing that two such great religions as Hinduism and

Buddhismshouldbeseparatedmainlybysosmallamisunderstanding,andalsothat because of it themodernTheosophicalmovement has spreadvery slowlyamong the Buddhists. We have developed a large Theosophical literature, inwhichthewordsatmaandSelffigureextensively,andthishasalienatedagoodmanyBuddhistswhohavenot taken the trouble to clear away thisobstacleofwordswhichwehaveinadvertentlyputintheirpath.

This earth,O ignorantdisciple, isbut thedismal entrance leading to thetwilight that precedes the valley of true light—that lightwhichnowind canextinguish,thatlightwhichburnswithoutawickorfuel.

Inthisandsomelaterverseswehavepoeticalnamesfortheplanesofnature.Aspreviouslystated,itwascommonamongorientaloccultiststobunchtogethertheastralandlowermentalplanes,andMadameBlavatskyoftenfollowedthatplaninherteaching.Thiscombiningofthetwoisindicatedinthispictureofa“twilightthatprecedesthevalleyoftruelight”.Thatdescriptionofthevalleyoftrue lightshows it tobe theregionof theSouland theHigherSelf, theplaneswherebuddhiandhighermanashavetheirhabitat.

Ifwedividetheplanesbyalineseparatingthelowerfromthehighermental,wefindthatthereisaradicaldifferencebetweenthosewhichliebelowthelineandthosewhichareabove.Intheformer,matterisdominant;itisthefirstthingthatstrikestheeye;andconsciousnessshineswithdifficultythroughtheforms.Butinthehigherplaneslifeistheprominentthing,andformsarethereonlyforitspurposes.Thedifficulty in the lowerplanes is togive the lifeexpression intheforms,butinthehigheritisquitethereverse—toholdandgiveformtothefloodoflife.Itisonlyabovethedividinglinethatthelightofconsciousnessissubjecttonowind,andshineswithitsownpower.Thesymbolofaspiritualfireisveryfittingforconsciousnessatthoselevels,asdistinguishedfromthelowerplanes,wherethesymboloffireburningfuelismoreappropriate.

SaiththegreatLaw:“InordertobecometheknowerofAll-Self,thouhastfirstofSelftobetheknower.”ToreachtheknowledgeofthatSelf,thouhasttogiveupselftonon-self,beingtonon-being.

Inafoot-noteMadameBlavatskydistinguishesbetweentheAtmajnamwhois mentioned here, and the Tattvajnani. In Hindu literature generally thedistinctionisslightandisusuallyignored,butshesays:“TheTattvajnaniistheknowerordiscriminatoroftheprinciplesinnatureandinman;andAtmajnaniis

theknowerofAtma,ortheuniversalOneSelf.”Jnanimeansaknowerandtattvameansthetruthortherealnatureofthings.

IthasalwaysbeenateachingofTheosophythattomakeprogresswemustapplytheoldGreekformula“Knowthyself”.Inconsequence,averylargepartof ourmodern Theosophical literature dealswith the constitution, history anddestinyofman.Itisbythestudyofthevariousprinciplesandbodiesofmanthatweareablegradually todistinguishwhatheis,andtoseparatehimin thoughtfrom the vehicles that he uses, until at last we arrive at the real Self. Then,throughthatrealSelf inus,weshallrealizetheuniversalSelf; infact, thetwoareone.

But toknowtherealSelf inoneself, thelowerselfmustbesetaside,mustbecome as naught. As we have already seen, the utter destruction of “ self-personality “ is the very first task of the Initiate on the Path proper, sincesakkayaditthi,thedelusionofthepersonalself,isthefirstfetterwhichmustbecastoff.

And then thou canst repose between the wings of the Great Bird. Aye,sweetisrestbetweenthewingsofthatwhichisnotborn,nordies,butis theAumthroughouteternalages.

On theGreatBird,whichoccupies a prominent place inOriental religioussymbolism,MadameBlavatskyhasthefollowingfoot-note:

KalaHamsa, the bird or swan. Says theNada-vindupanishat (RigVeda)translated by the Kumbakonam Theosophical Society—“The syllable A isconsidered to be the birdHamsa’s right wing,U its left,M its tail, and theArdhamatra[halfmetre]issaidtobeitshead.”

ThewordAum,generallypronouncedOm,isusedatthecommencementofeverygoodworkorthought,becauseitisawordofpower,symbolizingdivinecreation. Innumerable Sanskrit books repeat the statement that hearing, touch,sight,tasteandsmellarecorrelatedrespectivelywiththeordersofmatternamedakasha (etherorsky),vayu (air), tejasoragni (fire),apas or jala (water), andprithivi (earth),whichareour familiar fiveplanesofhumanmanifestation, theatmic, buddhic,mental, astral and physical. These planeswere created in thisorder,beginningwiththeatmic,wheresoundwasappliedasthecreativepower.Of course, that couldnot be the same thing as our physical sound,which is a

pulsationintheairorsomeotherphysicalsubstance;itwasofthenatureofthevoiceofthesilence,thewillofatma.Yetevenonourphysicalplanesoundisagreatbuilderofforms,aseverystudentofelementaryscienceknows,whohasmadeChladni’sfiguresorperformedsimilarexperiments.Thereisagreatdealof symbolism in theHindu Scriptures connectedwith this idea that theworldwascreatedbysound.

ThewordAum is said to have special value as amantra because it is themostcompletehumanword.ItbeginswiththevowelAinthebackofthemouth,continueswiththevowelUsoundedinthecentreofthemouth,andcloseswiththeconsonantM,withwhichthelipsaresealed.Itthusrunsthroughthewholegamutof human speech and so represents inman the entire creativeword. ItsthreepartsarealsotakenassymbolicalofthemanifestationoftheTrinity,inavariety of ways, to explain which one might fill a book. Thus we haveParabrahman,DaiviprakritiandMula-prakriti;Shiva,VishnuandBrahma;will,wisdom and activity; ananda, chit and sat, or happiness, consciousness andbeing;atma,buddhiandmanas;tamas,rajasandsattva;andmanyanother.Aumisthusaconstantreminderofthistriplicityrunningthroughallthings;itisakeytherefore to the solution ofmanymysteries, aswell as aword of power. Theheadofthebirdisthentakenastheunmanifestedoriginofthetripleword.

Kala, a word which means “time” is one of the names of Vishnu orAvalokiteshvara.Kala-hamsathereforemeanstheswanoftimeorintime,hamsabeingaswan.Thissymbolofabirdcontainstheimplicationoftime,sinceitisproceeding through space. It is a characteristic of consciousness that itprogressesorevolves,andsoexistsintime.TheconsciousnessoftheLogosistime,itdoesnotbeginnorendintime,andisthereforewithoutbirthordeath.

This bird is thus a symbol of the Second Logos, which is also the greatWisdom.Thereisawell-knownHindufablewhichconnectsthehamsaorswanwiththisideaofwisdomalso,foritrelatesofthatbirdthatwhenamixtureofwaterandmilk isplacedbefore it, it can separate themilk from thewater.Sodoeswisdomoperateeven inhuman life, selecting fromourmixedexperiencetheessentialnutrimentofthesoul.Wisdomremainsinthespiritualsoulofmanwhen experiences have died away, since, as the Bhagavad-Gita says: “Allactionsintheirentiretyculiminateinwisdom.”17

A man on the Path who has passed the Third Initiation is also called a

Hamsa,orswan.Heisbusygettingridofragaanddwesha,thefourthandfifthfetters, which are liking and disliking, and is therefore especially practisingwisdom. People in theworld are full of likes and dislikes, and they thereforesuffergreatlyfromtheirownopinionsaboutthings.Throwingthesetwofettersoff,theHamsabecomeslikethesagedescribedintheGitaasonesatisfiedwithwisdomandknowledge,towhomalumpofearth,astoneandgoldarethesame,whoregardsimpartiallyfriendsandfoes,therighteousandtheunrighteous.Itisnot that thismandoesnotvaluegold and friends;hedoes, buthevalues alsoclayand foes.Thewisemancanprofit fromeverykindof experience; all areusefulforthesoul.Epictetusassertedthiswhenhedeclared:‘^ThereisonlyonethingforwhichGodhassentmeintotheworld—toperfectmyowncharacterinvirtue;andthereisnothinginalltheworldthatIcannotuseforthatpurpose.”

Again,Hamsaisalsoaformofthesaying“AhamSah”or“IamThat,”or,asitisfrequentlyused,“So’ham,”whichconsistsofthesamewordsreversed.Sowhen the aspirant repeats this sentence he also remembers that the way tobestridetheHamsaorbirdoflifeistorealizethatheistheSelf.Itissaidthatthedevoutyogiuttersthisformulawitheverybreath,ofwhichtherearesaidtobe21,600inadayandnight,fortheairisconsideredtocomeinwiththesoundof“sah”andgooutwiththatof“ha”.

As long as the bird is flying, the creative word is sounding, time exists.Although this time has neither beginning nor ending it is nevertheless ameasurableperiod—whichisagreatmystery.OnthispointMadameBlavatskyhasthefollowingnote:

EternitywiththeOrientalshasquiteanothersignificationthanithaswithus.Itstandsgenerallyforthe100yearsorageofBrahma,thedurationofaMaha-Kalpaoraperiodof311,040,000,000,000years.

Thispartofthesubjectisconcludedwiththewords:

BestridetheBirdofLife, if thouwould’stknow.GiveupthyLife, if thouwould’stlive.

Totheseareappendedthefollowingnotes:

Says the same Nadavindu, “A Yogi who bestrides the Hamsa [thuscontemplatesonAum]isnotaffectedbykarmicinfluencesorcroresofsins.”

GiveupthelifeofthephysicalpersonalityifyouwouldliveinSpirit.

A crore is tenmillions. Itmust not, however, be assumed that the yogi ispermittedtoperformthesesins;ifhedidhewouldnotbeayogi.Thisexpressionis only anOriental way of indicating that he is utterly free from taint by thematerial world. Themanwho thinks andworkswithout personal desire, withutterunselfishness, suffersnokarmicconsequences.The fruitof allhis effortsgoesintothegreatreservoirofspiritualforceforthehelpingoftheworld,ashasalreadybeenexplained.

CHAPTER7

THETHREEHALLS

Three halls, O weary pilgrim, lead to the end of toils. Three halls, OconquerorofMara,willbring thee through three states into the fourth,andthenceintothesevenworlds,theworldsofresteternal.

Ifthouwould’stlearntheirnames,thenhearken,andremember.

The name of the first hall is Ignorance—Avidya. It is the hall inwhichthousaw’stthelight,inwhichthoulivestandshaltdie.

ThenameofhallthesecondistheHallofLearning.InitthySoulwillfindtheblossomsoflife,butundereveryfloweraserpentcoiled.

ThenameofthethirdhallisWisdom,beyondwhichstretchtheshorelesswatersofAkshara,theindestructiblefountofomniscience.

C. W. L.—The three halls may be interpreted in two ways: as objectiveplanes,orasthesubjectiveconditionofman.

Intheformercasethehallofignoranceisthephysicalplane,andthehalloflearning,described in a foot-note as thehallofprobationary learning“iswhatmayperhapsbecalledtheastro-mentalplane(theastralandlowermentalplanestakentogether).WhenIwroteTheInnerLifesixteenyearsagoitseemedtomeprobable that by the termhall of learningMadameBlavatskymeant the astralplane,andbythehallofwisdomthelowermentalplane,buthavingthoughtthematterover anddiscussed itmany times since then, I now lean to theopinionthatweshallmoreaccuratelyrepresentherthoughtifwetakethehalloflearningtoincludenotonlytheastralbutalsothelowermental,andifweraisethehallofwisdomsoastoincludewithinittheplanesofhighermanasandbuddhi.

ThatAryasangawasnot thinkingof theastralplaneas thehallof learningand the lowermentalworldas thehallofwisdom is showna little furtheron,whenHespeaksofthelatterhallasone“whereinallshadowsareunknown,andwhere the light of truth shineswith unfading glory”. The lowermentalworlddoesnotanswertothisdescription;farmoregloriousanddelicatethantheastral

planeas it is, it is still amaterialworld and thehabitat of thepersonalitiesofmen.Further,theTeacheralsosaysthatthatwhichisuncreateabidesinthehallofwisdom,andit is theego,notthepersonality,whichisuncreate.Andinthelowermentalplane,aswellasintheastral,thereisaserpentcoiledundereveryflower; for if passion and foolish desires infest the one, pride and prejudicesinhabittheother.Inthehighermentalplane,thoughtheremaybemuchthattheegodoesnotknow,whatitdoesknowitknowscorrectly;butthelowermentalisaregionofpersonalityanderror.

Theextenttowhichthelowerplanesareworldsofillusionisalsoseeninthewayinwhichoursensesandpowersworkinthem.Totakesightasaninstance—weseebecauseoursightisobstructed.Ifonecouldseeperfectlythroughthewall one could not see the wall. It is the same with walking; we have somefreedomtomoveabout,becausetheearthresiststhefreemotionofourfeet.Inthehigherplanesonelivesinthelight.

The combination of the astral and mental planes is not uncommon in theOrientalschoolsofocculttraining.TheVedantinsspeakofonebody(calledthemanomayakosha, thebodymadeofmind),18whereourTheosophical literatureusuallydistinguishesthetwo(theastralandthemental),andtothatbodywhenawakened and functioning they ascribe the experiences proper to both planes.ThecandidateforthepathofyogaintheRajaYogaschoolswasalwaystrainedtoworkfromthementaldowntotheastral.Thisverycautiousprocedureisalsoshown in the teaching of Patanjali, whomakes his first two stepsmoral, andrequiresdefiniteprogressinthesebeforethepracticesleadingtothesiddhisoryogapowersaretaken.InRajaYoga:TheOccultTrainingof theHindus,Prof.Woodhadcalledthesefirststeps“Thetencommandments”,andhastranslatedthemas the five restraints:“Thoushaltnot injure, lie, steal,be incontinent,begreedy”,andthefiveobservances:“Thoushaltbeclean,content,self-controlled,studiousanddevoted.”ThesemethodswereinfullforcelongbeforethetimeofAryasanga;PanditN.BhashyacharyaandsomeotherSanskritscholarsmaintainthatPatanjali,whointurnwasnottheoriginatorofthesystem,gavehisfamousSutrastotheworldasfarbackasintheninthcenturyB.C.

InTheMasters and thePath I have explained that in the old Initiations itoftenhappened thatmuch timewas taken in instructing thecandidate inastralwork,astheawakeningofthepupiltoworkatthatlevelwaslefttoarelativelylaterstage than iscustomaryamong themodernTheosophists,whooftenhave

alreadydonemuchastralworkandhavethuslearntthedetailoftheastralworldlongbeforeInitiation.

Ifwe think of the three halls subjectively, as stages of progress in humandevelopment,wehave the following familiardivisions: (l)Themanwho livesignorantly in the world, attracted and repelled by the things around him,impelled to action by his own uncontrolled passions and desires—this is theignorantstage.(2)Themanwhoislearningthatnaturehasdefinitelaws,andisrealizingthatbyworkingwiththemhecangainmuchmorepowerthanhehadinthedaysofhisignorance—thisisthehalloflearning.(3)Themanwhohasrealized that there are spiritual laws, and is learning to obey them.He knowsabout reincarnationandkarma,and theethical andmoral laws thatgovern theprogressofhisownsoulandthoseofothers.Heisawarethatouterthingsexistonly for the purposes of the evolving soul, and lives according to thisknowledge.Heisinthehallofwisdom.

MadameBlavatskydescribesthefourstagesofconsciousness:

Thethreestatesofconsciousness,whichareJagrat, thewaking;Svapna,the dreaming; and Sushupti, the deep sleeping state. These three Yogiconditionsleadtothefourth—theTuriya,thatbeyondthedreamlessstate,theoneaboveall,astateofhighspiritualconsciousness.

Thesestatesofconsciousnessarenotfixed,butmaybecorrelatedtothesetsofplanesorobjectivehallsabovementioned,inthecaseofthecandidatewhoisbeingpreparedfortheArhatInitiation.Inthiscasethewakingstatemaybethephysical, the dreaming state the astro-mental, the sleeping state the highermentalandbuddhic,andtheturiyastatetheatmic.

Therathercurioustermswaking,dreamingandsleepingseemtohavebeenselected from a physical plane point of view to name the heights ofconsciousness reached by the candidate at different times.When themanwasgoingabouthisbusinessinthephysicalplane,withallhisfacultiesawaketothisworld, he was in the first state. To understand the second state we have torememberthattherearetwokindsofdreams—theoftennonsensicalproductionsof the brain (physical and etheric), and the true experiences of theman awayfromhisphysicalbody,workingandlearningintheastro-mentalregions.Itistothese latter that this term dreaming applies. The candidate sleeping, or almostgoing to sleep in a day-dream, would afterwards remember some such

experiences, and then ascribe them to the “consciousness of the dream state”.Suppose,however, that theaspirantoutof thebodyshouldatanytimegointowhatmay be called a second sleep, and rise into the next set of planes, to beconscious for a time at that higher level. Probably on waking physically hewouldremembernothingofwhathadbeenhappeningoutofthebody—hisbrainnotbeingattunedtorecordtheexperiencescomingfromplaneshigherthanhis“dreamingstate”.Soitwouldseemtohimthathehadhaddeepdreamlesssleep,andusuallyhisonlyfeelingwouldbeoneofgreatsatisfactionandwell-being.The“sleepingstate”isthereforeconsciousnessinthatstillhigherregion.Now,thefourthstateissometimescalledtrance,forthefollowingreason.Ithasoftenbeenexplainedthatanaspirantwhenoutofthebodycanriseastagehigherthanwheninit.Itispossiblealsoindeepmeditationforthediscipletoriseintranceto the higher state and afterwards bring that experience down into thewakingmemory.ThustheArhatcantouchthebuddhiclevelwhileinthephysicalbody,andtheatmicornirvanicplanewhenoutifit,orindeepmedidationortrance.Thetermakshara,whichishereappliedtothisfourthregion,meanssimplythatwhichdoesnotmeltaway;itistheundecaying.

The same set of termsmay be used as a relative series for less advancedoccultstudents.Onemayhavehiswakingconsciousnessonthephysicalplane,hisdreamingstateontheastralplane,hisdeepsleeponthemental;another,whoisabletousehisastralfacultiesinhisphysicalwakingconsciousness,willhavehisdreamconsciousnessonthelowermental,andhissleepstateonthehighermental,andsoon.Theturiyaisahigherstatereachedineverycasebyaspecialeffortofwillandmeditation,whichisameanstoultimatelyraisingthewholesetofthreestatestoahigherlevelthanbefore.Whilethetransitionisinprogress,beforethenewlevelisestablished,therewillalwaysbethisfourthstage.

This is seen in meditation. The candidate will sit and fix his wakingconsciousness on some object—suppose it is a cat. Then be will rise to the“dream state”, and try to realize the astral aspect of the animal. Next hewillascend to the “sleep stage”, and give his attention to themental being of thecreature.The fourth stepwouldbe samadhi—or contemplation—anattempt torealize itssignificanceandrealityfor theego, togobeyondthe threeformsofthecatintoitssubjectivemeaning.Thefixingofthemindonthecatinthefirstcase is concentration; the process of elevation of the consciousness ismeditation;thefinalconcentrationinahigherfieldofvision,beyondwhatwasreached before, is contemplation (or samadhi). The last effort may be like

piercingacloudorfog,outofwhichthenewvisionwillgraduallyformitself,orfromwhichitmaycomelikeaflashoflightning.Ineithercasethepractitionermustholdhimselfverystillinordertoretaintheimpressionaslongaspossible—onethoughtofself,oftheoldpersonalrelativity,candismissthewholething,sothatthereremainsnotevenamemoryofwhatitwaslike.

Thethreehalls,itissaid,leadtotheendoftoils—nottotheendofwork,itmust be observed. In these lower worlds we have a sense of work which iscertainlyquitedifferentfromthatofhigherlevels.Tousdownherethewordisalmostsynonymouswithtoil,andoftenwithdrudgery,butfromahigherpointofviewworkisreallyplay.Drudgeryismerelyaction;itdoesnotcreatethemanwhodoesit.Buttheleastbitofworkdoneoccultly,doneheartily“astoGodandnot untomen”, done better than ever before, is good for the evolution of himwhodoes it. If, inwritinga letter, forexample,one is atpains todo itneatly,evenbeautifully,and toexpressoneselfbriefly,clearlyandgracefully,onehasdevelopedhand,eyeandbrain,thought-power,love-powerandwill-power.Truework,suchas thatofanartist, is fullofcreative influenceandof joy.Wefindsometoileveninthesethings,however,becauseoftheobstructionsofthelowerplanes.Yetevendownherethereisnocleardividinglinebetweentoilandplay.Ifonegoesout,forexampleonalongride,theearlierpartofthejourneywillbefullofdelightforbothmanandhorse,butinsensiblythatpassesawayasfatigueincreases, until suddenly theman realizes that the ridewhichwas play in thebeginninghasnowbecomework,orratherdrudgery.Inothercases, theremaybeatask,notprolonged,butalittlebeyondourstrength;thenthereisasenseoftoil.Butallwork in reality isplaywhen there iswillingnessandnofatigueoroverstrain.

Wehavemuch to learnfromtheanimals,andevenfromtheplants, in thisrespect. “Grow as the flower grows,” says Light on the Path, “opening yourheart to the sun.” Said the Christ: “Consider the lilies of the field, how theygrow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that evenSolomoninallhisglorywasnotarrayedlikeoneofthese.”19Itisdeadlyfearofthemorrowthatmakesmen’sworkatoil, thatmakesthemsweatinbitterness.But theLawsays:“Do thewiseand right thing to-day,and leave the result totakecareof itself.”This isnot adoctrineof idleness,butofwork that isplayinsteadoftoil.

Anillustrationofthisisalsotobeseeninthewayinwhichdifferentpeople

takealongjourney.OnemanwillgetintothetrainatChicago,andremaininafeverofimpatienceforthethreeorfourdays’timewhichthetraintakestogotoSanFrancisco,hisdestination.Hehasfixedhismindonsomethingthathewantstodothere;inthemeantimehisjourneyisatoilandamisery.Anotherfindsathousandthingsofinterestontheway—thescenery,thepeople,thetrainitself;for him the journey is a happy holiday. And in the end he has accomplishedmuchmorethantheotherman.TheHinduvillagerlivesveryneartonature,andcertainlygrowsastheflowergrows.Amanwillsetoutfromhisvillagetogetthemail from thePostOfficeor topost some letters there, perhaps sixteenortwentymiles away.Hedoesnot trampalong stolidly andpainfully, jarringhisnerves with the graceless movements that spring from a discontented orimpatientmind. The vision of hismail is not amania that shuts out all otherinterests, and makes him curse the length of the track. No; there are insects,birds, flowers, trees, streams, clouds in the sky, fields, houses, people andanimals,andlastlytheblessedearthitself,tolieonwhichforawhileistobeonvelvetinthedivinearms.Howlittlethewhitemanknowsoflife,howmuchoftoil!

TheHindushavelongheldthatGodplays.TheLilaorplayofShriKrishna,asitiscalled,isthegreatworkofevolution,whichlookssotoilsometousthatweshudderatthelongagesofworkthatlieinfront,andcryoutforrest.Thinkofthe311,040,000millionyearsofourmahakalpa.Whatanillusion!Whenwecometotheendoftoilslifewillbeallplay,allhappiness.

Theendoftoils,thoughnotofwork,comeswiththeentryofthecandidate,onthefourthPath,intothenirvanicplane.Hehasfinishedthetoilofcastingoffthefirstfivefetters—self-personality,doubt,superstition,likinganddisliking—allofwhichmarkedhisbondagetomaterialthings,withwhichhislifewasonelongstruggleonanup-hillroad.Butnowhisremainingfivefettersareinternal;he has to conquer them, truly, but his weapon will be serenity, quietness,calmness—the use of thewill,which is the quietest thing in theworld.Thesefetters are: desire for life in form and formless life, pride, agitation andignorance. Little profit is to be derived from examining these in detail in thisplace; it is enough tonotice their internal character, and to say that todestroythemthemanmustquietenhimselfandhisvehiclesabovethelinethatdividesthepersonalityfromtheego.

Atearlierstages,beforetheendoftoils,thestudentwilldowelltoorganize

hislifewisely,sothathisworkfortheMastermaybeasfaraspossibleplay.Itshouldbepuredelight, unmixedhappiness—such a conditionwouldmake forthe swiftest progress. Toil is notmeritorious, nor especially profitable, thoughsometimesitmaybenecessary.Howoftenastudentdoesmeditation,feelingitanirksomething,butregardingitasadutytobedone,thoughwithtravailandsuffering.Doithappilyandrejoicing,asplay,oratleastlookforwardtothetimewhenyoucando so.Somemen sink luxuriously into the armsof thepresent,and say, “Wewill enjoy ourselves now, and let the future take care of itself.”Othersstandaloofinproudstrengthandsay,“Werefusetorespondtothatwhichcan distress us.” But the disciple must bare his back to the strokes of time,rejoicinginthelongfuture,inthegameinwhicheverymovecanbeadancingpoemofdelight.Onthesubjectofthesevenworlds,MadameBlavatskysays:

Some Oriental mystics locate seven planes of being, the seven spiritualLokas or worlds within the body of KalaHamsa, the swan out of time andspace,convertible intotheswanintime,whenitbecomesBrahmainsteadofBrahman.

All the manifestations of seven in nature, such as the seven principles inman,or thesevenplanes in theworld,comefromasevenfolddivisionarisingfromParabrahman.Threeof the sevenprinciples aremanifest in theuniversalconsciousness, and threemore inmulaprakriti. One remains at its source andincludesalltheothers,forthepresenceofmanydoesnotmartheunityofThatwhichistrulyOne.So,athislowerlevel,themanwhotranscendshismiddlesetofprinciples(atma-buddhi-manas),andrises into thefirst (theMonad), thoughheescapesfromtheworldsorplanes,findsthemallpresentinthatnewstateofrealnirvana,whichisbeyondtheconsciousness-stateasmuchasthatisbeyondthe mere matter-state. We speak thus of it, in the third person, only as aconcession to ignorance,andmustpointout thatwhathasbeensaidshouldbetranslatedintotermsof“you”forconsciousnessand“I”forthetruelifeofsuper-conscious nirvana, if it is to be understood.These “worlds,” however, are notenteredbytheArhat,butbythefullAdept.

There are several other ways in which the Arhat may be thought of asenteringthesevenworldsofresteternal:

Inonewaythoseworldsarethesub-planesoftheatmicplane,throughwhichtheArhatbeginstoclimb.Thecharacteristicofthemanwhodwellsinthemisa

changelessserenity,foreverythingisseenasintheOneSelf,andwherethatisrealized, fear and anxiety can have no place.As theGita says: “For the sageenthronedinyoga,serenityiscalledthemeans.”20Itisnotthatthereisanylackofactivityinthoseregions—itisonevastwaveofever-movinglife—buttherearenoobstructions to thewillof theOne.On thebuddhicplanewehave stillduality in a sense, since there one sees others, though the same Self is seendwelling in them as in ourselves. But buddhi has to be transcended, for loveimpliesaduality.

The serenity that the Arhat increasingly acquires puts a new face on thecommonplanesofourexistence.Heenjoysinthemalibertythatothersdonotknow;hehasfoundthatworkisplay.Havingtouchedthevaleofbliss,hehasdiscoveredthatlifenotonlytherebutonallplanesispuredelight.Henotonlysees and loves the advancing life behind the perishing forms, but feels andrejoices in the DivineWill behind the changing life. The rest eternal that heenjoysisnotidleness,buttheutterinternalpeaceofonewhoknowsthatall iswell, that the Divine Will is present even in what may to others seem theobstructionstoprogress,aswellasintheapparentprogressitself.Aphilosopheronce caught a glimpse of this idea when he said: “Be serene; for if you failthroughnofaultofyourOwn,thefailureisasuccessbetterthanyouknew,sincetheDivineWill is beingdone.”TheArhat knows somethingof thepeace thatpassesunderstanding,becausehe isbeginning todwell in theEternal.This is,MadameBlavatskysays,“Theregionofthefullspiritualconsciousness,beyondwhichthereisnolongerdangerforhimwhohasreachedit.”

Ifthouwould’stcrossthefirsthallsafely,letnotthymindmistakethefiresoflustthatburnthereinforthesunlightoflife.

If thou would’st cross the second safely, stop not the fragrance of itsstupefying blossoms to inhale. If freed thou would’st be from the karmicchains,seeknotforthyGuruinthosemayavicregions.

Thewiseonestarrynotinpleasure-groundsofsenses.

Thewiseonesheednotthesweet-tonguedvoicesofillusion.

Seek for him who is to give thee birth in the Hall of Wisdom, the hallwhichliesbeyond,whereinallshadowsareunknown,andwherethelightoftruthshineswithunfadingglory.

TheguruherespokenofistheMaster,theTeacher.MadameBlavatskyputsit:

TheInitiatewholeadsthedisciple, throughtheknowledgeheimparts, tohisspiritual,orsecondbirth,iscalledthefather,GuruorMaster.

AstatementofthelivesandworkoftheGurusorMastershasbeengiveninTheMastersandthePath.Aglimpseof themarvelofTheirexaltedpowers isseen in theaccount theregivenofameditationof theMasterKuthumi.AsHesitsinHisgardenorHisroom,Heseemstobemeditating,butis,infact,givingattentiontosomemillionsofpeople,dealingwitheachoneasindividuallyasanordinarymancouldifheweretogivehisfullattentiontothatone.

EveryegoisbeinghelpedbyoneoftheMasters,sothemanwhocanvivifythelinkinhimselfbetweenthelowerselfandthehighermayreceivethathelpinhis personal life.The guruswho are to bemetwith on the physical plane aregenerallyInitiates,advancedpupilsofthefullAdepts,asstatedbefore.

Thatwhichisuncreateabidesinthee,disciple,asitabidesinthathall.Ifthouwould’streachitandblendthetwo,thoumustdivestthyselfofthydarkgarmentsofillusion.Stiflethevoiceofflesh,allownoimageofthesensestoget between its light and thine, that thus the twain may blend in one. Andhaving learnt thineownAjnana flee from theHallofLearning.Thishall isdangerous in its perfidious beauty, is needed but for thy probation. BewareLanoo,lestdazzledbyillusiveradiancethySoulshouldlingerandbecaughtinitsdeceptivelight.

Thislightshinesfromthejewelofthegreatensnarer(Mara).Thesensesitbewitches,blindsthemind,andleavestheunwaryanabandonedwreck.

That which is uncreate refers to the higher triad, atma-buddhi-manas, asdistinguishedfromthepersonalityanditsbodies.Thestatementthatthehalloflearningisneededbutforprobationappliestothehallofignoranceaswell.Theset ofmaterial planes, physical, astral and lowermental, are but the buildingsand equipment of a school forman, in which he is taught bymeans of toys.Thereisnoexperiencethatdoesnotmodifythesoulandgiveitsomewisdom;buthewhoisalivetotheeducativepurposeofitall,andiseagertolearnandtoextract from the experienceof embodied life lessonsof eternalvalue,will notfindthetoysattractiveinthemselves.Hewillbelikethebeethattakesthehoney

fromtheflowerandgoesaway,notintoxicated,byitsscentandcolour.

Mara is a personification of the attractiveness of external things.MadameBlavatskydescribeshimasfollows:

Maraisinexotericreligionsademon,anAsura,butinesotericphilosophyitispersonifiedtemptationthroughmen’svices,andtranslatedliterallymeans“thatwhichkills” thesoul. It is representedasaking (of theMaras)withacrowninwhichshinesajewelofsuchlustrethatitblindsthosewholookatit,thislustrereferringofcoursetothefascinationexercisedbyviceuponcertainnatures.

InTheLightofAsia21SirEdwinArnoldhasgivenusavividpictureofthisprinceofdarkness,ashecameforthleadingthetenchiefsins,hisangelsofevil,against the Lord Buddha, as He sat under the Bodhi Tree, when nearing HisIllumination.

Themothattracted to the dazzling flameof thynight-lamp is doomed toperishintheviscidoil.TheunwarySoulthatfailstograpplewiththemockingdemonofillusion,willreturntoearththeslaveofMara.

Behold the hosts of Souls.Watchhow they hover o’er the stormy sea ofhumanlife,andhow,exhausted,bleeding,broken-winged,theydroponeafteranotherontheswellingwaves.Tossedbythefiercewinds,chasedbythegale,theydriftintotheeddiesanddisappearwithinthefirstgreatvortex.

Thesubjectof“lostsouls”isverycomplex.Somearelikethechildreninaclass at school who are not ready to pass on with the bulk of their fellow-students into thenextgradeat theendof theyear, eitherbecause theyare tooyoung or because they have been lazy. Then, too, there are cases where thepersonality has become so immeshed in matter during bodily life that it hasnothing to give to the ego, and it may then be cut off. Thirdly, there are theterriblefruitsofthepracticeofblackmagic.Itwouldtaketoolongtodiscussthesubjecthere; Ihavedealtwith itat some length in thearticleonLostSouls inVolumeIofTheInnerLife.

Someof theexpressions in thesepassageshaveall thestrengthofOrientalimagination.Wemust not think too literally of abandonedwrecks and brokenwings.HewhofallsfromthePathonaccountofmaterialdesirecertainlydoes

wreck his spiritual prospects for the time being, but even in that case he haslearntsomethingwhichwillbeusefultothesoullateron.Inallcasesitisbestfor a man to learn with wise thought; only when that is neglected will bitterexperiencebenecessarytotakeitsplace.

Itisbynomeansrequisitethatanyhumanbeingshallgothrougheverykindofexperience.Themoreadvancedand thewiseramanbecomes, themorehewillseeineverything,andhewilllearnmuchfromtriflesthatothersmightpassbyasinsignificant.Itissaidthatafoolcannotlearnevenfromawiseman,butawisemancanalwayslearn,evenfromafool.Toknowthatfire ishot it isnotnecessarytoputone’shandintoit;afoolmaydoso,butthewisemanhasotherwaysoflearningthefactthatfireburns.Yetitisagreatblessingthatthosewhowill not think and thus learnwillingly, shouldbe taught in the stern schoolofexperience,withoutwhichtheywouldlearnnothingatallandmakenoprogress.

Thelawofkarma,thatbringstomentheexperiencesthattheyhavegiventoothers, is thus a benefactor and ultimately a liberator, not an instrument ofvengeance or punishment. Suppose, for example, that a foot-pad waylaid agentleman,knockedhimdown,perhapskilledhim,andtookhismoney.Underthe law he would have to meet with some such painful experience himself,soonerorlater.Therobberwascapableofsuchanactbecausehehimselfwasacoarse being, lacking sensitiveness and imagination; otherwise hewould havethoughtofthefeelingsofhisvictimorofthelatter’swifeandfamily,andsuchthoughtwouldhavestayedhishand.Becauseheiscoarse,crass,unimaginative,thefoot-padneedstheviolentkindofexperiencethathegivestoothers;nothingless will stir him. Later, when through karmic retribution he has had somesuffering,hewillrememberitwhenheisabouttostrikeanother,andwillsaytohimself:“Thatisnotaverynicethingforthatpoorman.”Hewillthenbegintoreform,thankstothelaw,whichisalwayseducative,neverpunitive.

CHAPTER8

THEWORLD’SMOTHER

If through the Hall of Wisdom thou would’st reach the vale of bliss,disciple, close fast thy senses against the great dire heresy of separate-ness,thatweanstheefromtherest.

C.W.L.—Herbert Spencer came very near to a revelation of the spiritualtruthaboutevolution,whenhedescribeditasaprogressivechangefromastateof incoherent homogeneity to one of coherent heterogeneity of structure andfunction.Tohimevolutionmeantthatthingswhichinthebeginningweresimilarandseparate,laterbecomedifferentbutunited.Thisspecializationisseeninthehuman body, which has different organs which work for the whole; thus thedigestivesystemdigestsfoodforthewholebody,andthehandsgrasp,thefeetwalk,theeyeslook,notforthesakeofthehands,thefeetandtheeyes,butforthewholebody.Similarly,societybecomesmoreandmorehighlyorganizedastimegoeson.Menbecomemoreandmoredifferentiated fromoneanother, astheprofessionsinlifeadvanceinknowledgeandskill.Thedoctorcuresall,theteacherteachesall,thebridge-builderbuildsbridgesforall.Onemanworksforthebenefitofmany,andtheworkofmanyflowsbacktobenefithim.

Whenmengettheorganicsenseandfeelingfortheirfellowstheyceasetobeamobofincoherenthomogeneoushumanbeingsandbecomeheterogeneousandcoherent.Amanwiththatspiritwilldohisbestforhiscommunity,ornation,orhumanity, leaving it to the law of unity to bring himwhat he needs from theotherorgansofthegreatbody.Theincoherenthomogeneouselementsofmatterorofsocietycannotorganizethemselves;itistheinnerprinciplethatdrawsthemtogetherandmakesswiftprogresspossible for them throughmutualhelp.Theunity is love, the force behind evolution, the energy of life; it is buddhi, thegreatest wisdom. There is a profound difference between co-operation andbrotherhood—theformerspringsfromanintelligentappreciationof themutualrelations of men, the latter from a realization in feeling that the same life isdwellinginall.

In theevolutionofan individual it isusually thespiritofco-operation thatdevelopsfirst;thebusinessoftheworldbringspeopletogether,thenbycontact

the divine fire of buddhi is struck. Two men, for example, go prospectingtogether,andsupporteachotherinthework.Truefriendshipsupervenes.Butifitshouldchance,asitsometimesdoes,thatbrotherhoodcomesfirst,itwillnotdevelop into perfect and useful co-operation unless the intelligence is alsoawakened and applied to the business of life. An instance in point was thebeautifullovebetweenDavidCopperfieldandhisimpracticalwifeDora,whomthenovelistwasconstrainedtokillinordertomakeroomforthemorepracticalAgnes,andsogivethestoryahappiertermination.

In theoccult lifecandidateswhohavedeveloped thehigher intelligencesothat they have a keen appreciation of the principle of co-operation and ofspirituallaws,oftenstillfindthemselvesdullandapparentlyincapableofrapidprogress.Theyawaittheawakeninginthemselvesoftruelove,buddhi.Thatistheburning energyof the innerman.Still, in this secondof the stagesof truespiritualunfoldment therewill oftenbemuchagitationand trouble; thedivineenergygushesforthirregularlyandnotalwaysinthewisestway,causingmuchsorrowtoitspossessor—untilthethirdspiritualstage,theplaceofserenity,hasbeen reached.As that serenity is the goal towhich the voice of the silence isdirecting thecandidate,he is told topass through theHallofWisdom into thevaleofbliss.Eveninthebuddhicplanethereisacertainduality,orseparateness.Wecannotloveourselves;loveneedsanobject,eventhoughitbenotamaterialobject,butthedivinelifemanifestedinmanyspiritualsouls.Buddhiisthefirstveil, the Avalokiteshvara of the Higher Self, not the Parabrahman. The “direheresy of separateness” has to be disposed of on every plane in turn, thephysical,theastral,thementalandeventhebuddhic.

Let not thy “heaven-born,” merged in the sea ofMaya, break from theuniversalParent(Soul),butletthefierypowerretireintotheinmostchamber,thechamberoftheheart,andtheabodeoftheworld’sMother.

Thenfromtheheartthatpowershallriseintothesixth,themiddleregion,theplacebetweenthineeyes,whenitbecomesthebreathoftheOne-Soul,thevoicewhichfillethall,thyMaster’svoice.

The“heaven-born”ischitta,thelowermind.Itisbornfromthesoulabove,whenmanasbecomesdualinincarnation.Theplanesofatma-buddhi-manasaretypified by heaven,while those of the personality are spoken of as earth.Wehavealreadyobservedthedistinctionofcharacterwhichdividesthefiveplanes

ofhumanmanifestationintotwo.Themonadicanddivineplanes,beyondthesefive, taken together form a third division. So the seven worlds can also begroupedasthree.Thelowestdivisionisintheregionofsattwaorlaw.Herewefindeverythingregulated,butmanhassomefreedombecausethe“heaven-born”is in him—somuchof the energyof theLaw-makerworks throughhim. It isbecausemanhasthislibertyandpowertogohisownwaythathislifeisusuallymore disorderly, less regulated, than that of the lower kingdoms of externalnature.

Themiddle set of planes contains those of spiritual energy, the indwellinglife,withoutwhichtherestwouldbedeadandmotionless.Theyaretheplanesofthedivine,theshining,theAvalokita,or“seen”,God—thelifeseenbywisdom,nottheformseenbyknowledge.

Thehighestgroupofplanes is thatof theMonad, theSelf that isblissandfreedom, where are the realities behind every human ideal and the ecstasybeyond consciousness that is the extracted quintessence of beauty, goodness,truth,harmony,comprehension,unionandfreedom.

WhatisherecalledthefierypoweristheforcenamedkundaliniinSanskrit.Thismaybedescribed as a latent fire, coiledup like a sleeping serpent at thebase of the spine in all men except those few in whom it has been speciallyawakened,andisactivelyworkingintheethericbody.Itshouldnotbedifficulttorealizetheexistenceofsuchafire,sinceitiswellknownthatthebreathinourlungs constantly feeds a slow fire, and that digestion also is a kind of fire.Kundalini ismore like electrical fire—a force developing heat where there isresistance—thanfire thatburnsfuel,but it isnotof thesameorderof forceaselectricity.

I have written on this subject in the articles on the Serpent-Fire and theForce-CentresinTheInnerLifeandthatonVitalityinChapterIVofTheHiddenSideofThings,andIhopetopublishshortlyasomewhatfullerstudy,illustratedwith coloured plates.22 There is also an extensive, if somewhat obscure,literature on the subject in Sanskrit, including the Shat-chakranirupana, theAnandaLahari,andmanyotherworks.There isanexcellent translationof thefirstofthese,withacommentary,byArthurAvalon,calledTheSerpentPower,publishedbyGanesh&Co.,Madras.

Thefollowingisaverybriefsummaryofthesubject.Kundaliniisthelower

endofastreamofacertainkindoftheforceoftheLogos,anditcommonlyliessleepinginthechakraorforce-centreatthebaseofthespine.Ifitisawakenedprematurely, that is,before themanhaspurifiedhischaracterofevery taintofsensual impurity and selfishness, it may rush downwards and vivify certainlower centres in the body (used only in some objectionable forms of blackmagic), and irresistibly carry the unfortunate man into a life of indescribablehorror; at best, it will intensify all that the man has in him, including suchqualities as ambition and pride. Kundalini should bewakened only under thepersonaldirectionofaMaster,whowillinstructthestudentintheuseofthewilltoarouseit,inthemannerinwhichitshouldbemovedwhenaroused,andinthespiralcoursealongwhichitmustbecarriedthroughthechakrasorforce-centres,from that near the base of the spine, to thosewhich lie on the surface of theetheric double at the spleen, 23 the navel, the heart, the throat, between theeyebrows,andatthetopofthehead.Thiscoursedifferswithdifferenttypesofpeople,anditisquiteadefinitephysicalthing,fortheforcehasliterallytoburnapathwayforitselfthroughtheimpuritiesoftheethericdouble.

There are chakras in the astral body also, which are already aroused bykundaliniworkinginthatplaneinalltheculturedpeopleofthehigherraces.Theprocessofdevelopingthosecentreshasrenderedtheastralbodysensitivetotheplane,awakeningitsfeeling,itpowertotravelabout,itssympatheticresponsetootherentitiesthere,itsvisionandhearing,andastralfacultiesgenerally.Butthememory of those experiences or the use of the astral faculties while in thephysicalbody,becomespossibleinadefiniteandwell-controlledwayonlywhenkundalini in the etheric double has been carried through the correspondingcentres.

Thespecialmentionoftheplacebetweentheeyesinourtexthasreferenceto thepineal gland and thepituitarybody.The forces fromboth the sixth andseventhastralcentres(whicharebetweentheeyebrowsandontopofthehead)usuallyconvergeon thepituitarybody,whentheethericcentre isaroused,andthenvivify itandact throughit.But there isacertain typeofpeople(whoarebeingaddressedinourtext)inwhomtheseventhastralchakravivifiesthepinealgland instead of the pituitary body, and it in that case forms a line ofcommunicationdirectlywiththelowermentalplane,withoutapparentlypassingthrough the astral plane in the ordinary way. Through that channel come forthem thecommunications fromwithin,while for theother typeofpeople theycomethroughthepituitarybody.

When kundalini awakens of itself, which it rarely does, or is accidentallyaroused,itusuallytriestopassuptheinteriorofthespine,insteadoffollowingthespiralcourseinwhichtheoccultististrainedtoguideit.Inthiscaseitwillprobablyrushoutthroughthehead,andthemanwillsufferfromnothingworsethanatemporaryunconsciousness.

TheHindubookshintat, rather thanexplain,whathappens.Theymakenoreferencestothechakrasonthesurfaceoftheethericdouble,butspeakoftheirroots,which are in the spine. In the spine, running from its base to the top iswhatiscalledMerudanda,therodofMeru,thecentralaxisofcreation.Inthatrod is the channel called sushumna, and in that again is the channel calledchitrini, which is “as fine as a spider’s thread”. Upon that are threaded thechakras, like the knots on a bamboo rod. The lowest of the chakras, calledmuladhara, lies at thebaseof the spine, and in it kundalini sleeps, closing themouthofthemerudanda.

Theaimoftheaspirant is toraisekundalini throughall thechakrastillshereachesthatwhichisbetweentheeyebrows.Thenthecandidatewillfindthathe,asitwere,remainsbehind,whilesheleapsforwardintothesahasrara,thegreat“thousand-petalled”lotusatthetopofthehead.Ifhegoeswithher,itwilltakehim out of the body and put a stop for the time being to his practice ofmeditationinthebody.Sherisesupchitrinilittlebylittleasthecandidateuseshiswillinmeditation.Inonepracticehemaynotgetveryfar,butinthenexthewill go a little further, and so on.When she comes to one of the chakras orlotuses shepierces it and the flower,whichwas turneddownwards,now turnsupwards. The candidate meditates upon her in some form, and upon herassociates, seated in that lotus.Anelaboratedhyanaormeditation, fullof richsymbology, is prescribed for each lotus. When the meditation is over, thecandidateleadskundalinibackagainbythesamepathintothemuladhara;butinsomeschoolssheisbroughtbackonlyasfarastheheartchakra,andtheresheenterswhatiscalledherchamber.

Kundalinicanbeawakenedbyvariousmethods,butitshouldbedoneonlyunderthedirectionofaguruorcompetentteacher,theMasterwhoisresponsibletotheBrotherhoodforthetrainingofthecandidate.HeisnotlikelytoconductthisawakeninguntilthefirstthreefettersonthePathhavebeendestroyedbythecandidate’sownpower,sothatheisnolongerinseriousdangerofbeingstirredby sensuous or material things. Then his “heaven-born”, closely united or

harmonized with the higher manas, can remain master of the triple house ofpersonality,andwhen theenergyofkundalini is set free in thebody itwillbelikelytoruninpurechannelsofservicetothehigherself.Hencetheawakeningofkundaliniwill takeplaceusuallysomewherenear theThirdInitiation,or, inthepresentkaliyuga,ordarkage,itissaid,evenlater.Eventhenitisawakenedin various layers, so that in the early stages itmay give nothingmore than ageneralsensitivenesstothehigherplanes.

Kundalini is thought of as a goddess. She is what is called theshabdabrahmaninthebody.Shabdameanssound.Soundisthecreativeforce,asbeforedescribed.Speechisconsideredtobethemostoutwardformofit.Itisanexpressionofthought,whichinitstrueactiveformiskriyashakti.Certainlettersofthealphabet,whicharethefoundationofhumanspeech,aresaidtoresideineachofthechakras,andthepowerofthoseletters(theirportionofthecreativeword)isawakenedwhenkundalinientersthemafterherunionwithShivainthehighest centre, causing them to shine brilliantly with her light. The creativespeechofBrahma,thethirdLogos,hasfourformsorstages;henceHeiscalledthefour-facedone.Whenkundalinirepresentshiminthebodyshealsoexhibitsthosefourforms,assherisesthroughthechakras.

Kundalini is called the world’s mother because the outward action of thepowersofconsciousnessisalwaysregardedasfeminine.Thuswill,wisdomandactivity are feminine, being shaktis or powers, outward turned aspects of thedivine. She is’ the representative of all these, as they were expressed in thecreationoftheworld,intheactivityofBrahma,theThirdLogos.Ithasalsobeensaid that she is the world’s mother because it is through her that the variousplanesarebroughtintoconsciousexistencefortheoccultist.

Thefollowingfoot-notebyMadameBlavatskywillalso throwlighton theforegoingexplanations.

The inner chamber of the heart, called in Sanskrit, Brahma-pura. The“fierypower”isKundalini.

The“power”andthe“world-mother”arenamesgiventoKundalini—oneof themysticYogi powers. It isBuddhi considered as an active instead of apassiveprinciple(whichitisgenerally,whenregardedonlyasthevehicle,orcasket,ofthesupremespirit,Atma).Itisanelectro-spiritualforce,acreativepowerwhichwhenarousedintoactioncanaseasilykillasitcancreate.

It is by no means certain what Madame Blavatsky meant by saying thatkundaliniisactivebuddhi,butseveralspeculationsmaybeoffered:

Innormalmenbuddhiisnotpositivelyactiveintheouterlife,butwhenthefirstthreefettershavebeencastoff,thepersonalityissopurifiedthattheastralbody will no longer be active merely on its own account, but will faithfullyrespondtobuddhi,nowactive.Atornearthisstagekundaliniisoftenaroused,aswehaveseen,andwhenthefacultiesoftheastralbodyarethenlaidopentothecandidatewhile inhisphysicalbody it is anastralbody reflectingbuddhi,whichnowbecomesaveritablefireofloveintheman’slife.Thatclairvoyanceandotherpsychicpowersneednotbeawakenedinthephysicalbrainevenatthisadvanced stage of human progress, is also indicated by Dr. Besant, in herInitiation,thePerfectingofMan.ShetheresaysthatbeforeamancancometotheThirdInitiationhemustlearntobringthespiritofintuition(buddhi)downtohisphysicalconsciousness,sothatitmayabideenhimandguidehim.Thensheadds:“Thisprocessisusuallycalled‘thedevelopmentofpsychicfaculties,’andit is so, in the truemeaning of the word ‘psychic’. But it does notmean thedevelopment of clairvoyance and clairaudience, which depend on a differentprocess.”24

Theentirehighertriad(atma-buddhi-manas)isbutthecentralmemberorthebuddhi of the still more inclusive triad of Monad, ego and personality. Thatlarger buddhi is triple (will, wisdom and activity), and now its third aspect(activity,kriyashakti)comesintooperationinthebody,toawakenitsorgansandliberateitslatentpowers.

‘Tis only then thou canst become a “walker of the sky,”who treads thewindsabovethewaves,whosesteptouchesnotthewaters.

Onthis,MadameBlavatskysays:

Kechara,“sky-walker”or“goer”.Asexplainedinthe6thAdhyayaof thatking of mystic works, the Jnaneshvari—the body of the Yogi becomes as oneformed of the wind; as “a cloud from which limbs have sprouted out,” afterwhich—“he[theYogi]beholds the thingsbeyond the seasandstars;hehearsthelanguageoftheDevasandcomprehendsit,andperceiveswhatispassinginthemindoftheant.”

Theterm“walkerofthesky”hasvariousgradesofmeaning.InIndianstory

itis,forexample,appliedtothegreatRishiNarada,asanemissaryoftheLogos,who could travel through the pure akasha from globe to globe. On the lowerplanestheastralbodyorthemayavi-rupamaybetakenasanillustration,astheycanbeusedtotravelinwhatistheairorskytoordinarypeople.

Intheastralworldtheordinarymanisakindofcloud,abeingfullofkama,thatis,desireandemotion,butnotbyanymeansadefiniteentitysuchasheisonthephysicalplane.Butwhenhemastershiskama,andgivesitdefiniteness,theastralbodyisorganizedasavehicle;itisnolongerkamabutkamarupa.Stillfurther, about the time when the first three fetters are dispensed with, themayavi-rupaisformed,andthatenablesthemantooperatewithhismentalbodyin the astral as well as the lower mental plane. This may be taken as oneinterpretationofthestatementthathisstep“touchesnotthewaters”,whichareasymbolfortheastralplane.

CHAPTER9

THESEVENSOUNDS

Beforethousett’stthyfootupontheladder’supperrung,theladderofthemysticsounds,thouhasttohearthevoiceofthyinnerGodinsevenmanners.

C.W.L.—It has already been mentioned that The Voice of the Silence isintendedtoguidethecandidateasfarastheFourthInitiation.Atthatpointhisconsciousness is raised to the seventh principle and begins to function in theatmicor nirvanicplane.Theman is then ready to commence treadingwhat isherecalledtheladder’supperrung,togothroughthecourseof/trainingwhichprepares for the Fifth Initiation, that of the Asekha Adept. The Path has twoequaldivisions,whichmaybecalledtheladder’slowerandupperrungs.

It issaid that theInitiateonthe ladder’s lowerrungmusthear thevoiceofhisinnerGodinsevenmanners.ThatinnerGodathispresentstageisthehigherself,thebuddhi,thesecondprinciple.Inhismeditationtheaspirantmayormaynothearaseriesofsevensounds,markinghisattainmentofthesevensub-planesofthebuddhicplane;thatdependsuponhispsychictemperament.Butwhathemustdo, inall cases, is tobring the influenceofbuddhidown intohis lifeoneachofthelowerplanes,sothattheactivityofallhisprincipleswillbegovernedbyit,andthushisinnerGodwillbeever-presentinhislife.

The latter stage is called the ladder of the mystic sounds; this is perhapsbecause they are the soundsof thevoiceof the silence, hidden in the atmaorSelf.OnemustnotpushtoofartheexactinterpretationofanyEnglishwordinourtext,asitisonlyatranslation;thougheverySanskritandPaliwordinitisrichwithtechnicalsignificance.Still,thewordmystic,comingfromarootthatmeanstoclosetheeyes,indicatesherecertainsoundswhichdonotmingleintheoutwardlifeatall,butgivedirectionasfromabove,intheexcathedramannerofpureconscience.Itisimpliedthatthesoundsabouttobementionedaremoreaccessible, are not “mystic” at all events to the candidate at the stage underconsideration. True conscience does not tell youwhat to do, as is commonlysupposed,butitcommandsyoutofollowthatwhichyoualreadyreallyknowtobe best, when your mind is trying to invent some excuse to do otherwise. Itspeakswiththeauthorityofthespiritualwill,determiningourpathinlife.Itis

nottheatma,butthebuddhi,thesecondprinciple,thatgivesintuitiveknowledgeastorightandwrong.Manasgivesinspiration,buddhiintuitionastorightandwrong,atmathedirectingconscience.

Thefirstislikethenightingale’ssweetvoice,chantingasongofpartingtoitsmate.

The second comes as the sound of a silver cymbal of the Dhyanis,awakeningthetwinklingstars.

Thenext is as the plaintmelodious of the ocean-sprite imprisoned in itsshell.

Andthisisfollowedbythechantofthevina.

Thefifthlikethesoundofbamboo-fluteshrillsinthineear.

Itchangesnextintoatrumpet-blast.

Thelastvibrateslikethedullrumblingofathunder-cloud.

Theseventhswallowsalltheothersounds.Theydie,andthenareheardnomore.

The series of seven sounds mentioned here has caused much puzzlementamongthosewhomeditateuponthislittlebook.Wemustnoticefirstofallthecharacterofthesounds;thenweshallseethatthereareseveralinterpretationsofthem.Theyareincreasinginmaterialityandlosinginpenetratingqualityintheorderheregiven.Onemaynotice,forexample,thedifferencebetweenthevinaandanIndiantrumpetoftheold-fashionedkind.ItisnearlyalwaysasurprisetotheEuropean,when he first hears thewonderfully delicatemusic of the vina,perhaps in a large and crowded hall, how, without any exhibition of force, itreaches every corner, and how it gives the impression of sound half-removedfromourmaterialplanes.

The highest sound in the series is likened to a certain chant of thenightingale. It is said that thereareoccasionswhen thevoiceof thisbird riseshigher and higher in pitch until it is beyond the range of human hearing,althoughonemay still see the throatof thewarbler tremblingwith song.Thatsuchhighsoundsexistiswellknowntostudentsofscience.Thenoteofasiren,

forexample,canberaisedbyincreasedpressureofairorsteam,untiloneafteranotherofthosewhoarelisteningdeclarethattheycannolongerhearit.ThereisacertainkindofwhistlewithwhichGermanpolicedogscanbecalled.Whenoneblowsupon this instrument,which looks likeanordinarywhistle,nomancanheartheslightestsound,butthedog,inanotherroomorsomedistanceaway,willinstantlyprickupitsears,andcomeleapingandboundingtotheexactspotwherewhatispresumablytoitthesoundoriginated.

Theinterpretationsofthesoundsfallintotwogroups.Thefirstmentionedinthelistmayrepresentthelastheardbythecandidate.Thesoundsareenumerateddownwards in theorderof theircreation,after theOrientalmanner,so that thefirstsoundincreationistheseventhwhentheaspirantisapproachingtheLordof that creation.So, first comes thedull rumblingof a thunder-cloud, a soundrepresentingorcorrelatedtothephysicalprincipleinman, inthemiddleis thevina, representing the antahkarana (according to Madame Blavatsky’sclassification),andlastlythereisthenightingale’smelody,associatedwithatma,the silence.Thatwell typifies the seventh, the soundless sound, intowhichallthe others have to be raised, until they die away and are heard nomore. Thecandidate must learn to hear God in the dull rumbling sound of the physicalplane, then in the trumpet-blast of the astral, then in the sound of the lowermentalthatislikenedtothemusicofabamboo-flute,andsoonrightuptotheworldofhishighestprinciple.

Thesamesoundsmaybetakeninanotherwayastypicaloftheintensitywithwhichtheaspiranthearsthevoiceofthehigherself.Itisonevoice,butisheardinsevenmanners.At first it is delicate and sweet, like thenightingale’s song,and it often disappears into silence; next it becomes stronger, like “the silvercymbal of the Dhyanis”. Louder and louder it becomes, until at last it isconstantlyheard,asfillingalltheair,likethedullrumblingofathunder-cloud.IntheearlystagesofourprogressthevoiceofthehigherSelfmayseemthinandfaint,butlateritwillhaveforusalltherealityofthunder.

Again,inthetextthedescriptionofthesesoundsfollowsuponthementionofkundalini,whichiscarriedthroughthechakras.Thatforceawakensinsevenlayers, or degrees, and so gives the psychic results already mentioned inincreasing power. The voice that is heard when kundalini rises to the placebetweentheeyeswillthereforebeheardwithsevendegreesofintensity,typifiedbythesevensoundsherementioned.

Oncemore, it isnatural that in thedensestplane thecandidateshouldheartheinnervoicebutfaintly,likethenightingale’svoice.Whenherisestothenextplane,wherethecoveringoftheinnerSelfisnotsodense,itsvoicewillbemoreeasilyheard;untilfinally,whenhereachesthehighestprincipleitwillbeliketherumbling of a thunder-cloud. It is only the illusion of the lower planes thatcausesustoascribedelicacytothehigherthings.Ultimatelyweshallfindthattheyhavethefullbodyandrealityofthunder.

These interpretationsarenotmutuallyexclusive.All theexperienceswhichtheysuggestarepossibleforthecandidateatthesametime.

IrememberthatononeoccasionaquestionaboutthesesoundswasaskedinoneofourtalksontheroofatAdyar.ThePresidentandIrespectivelyansweredasfollows:

A.B.—Inmeditation,oneofthesoundsthatyoubegintohear(forinstance,onethingthatIheardquitedistinctly)wasasoundwhichwaslikethebeatingofatom-tominanIndianvillage.IdescribedthattoH.P.B.,whosaid:“Thatisverygood,goon.”NextIheardsomestrainsofbeautifulmusic,andthensomethinglikesilverchimes.Anothersoundwasliketheringingofatemplebell,suchasyouhear inBenares. Ineverfoundout that thesesoundsmeantanythingmorethanthatIwasbecomingabletohearintheastralworld.

In India there is a school formedbyamanofwhom theMasterM. spokehighly.Thepeoplewhobelong to that,afteracertainamountofpractice,hearsoundsquite clearly in thebrain, but I havenever found that anyof themgotfurtheronthataccount.ManypeoplecometomeintheNorth,askingwhatthesoundsmean. I reply: “I think it is nothingmore than that you are becomingclairaudient.”

ThesesevensoundsmentionedbyH.P.B.Ihaveneverbeenabletosortout.Theymaymeanthatyouhavetowakeyourconsciousnessinplaneafterplane,andthateachismeanttosymbolizethenoteofaparticularplane,justasdownhereFaisthecombinationofthecountlesssoundsinthephysicalplaneblendedtogether.Butthatdoesnotreallyexplainmatters.

C.W.L.—Icannotmakethemexactlycorrespondwiththeplanes;theymaypossibly be sub-planes. They may also be intended to symbolize the soundswhich accompany the awakening of the seven centres by the Kundalini, for

sound is one of the expressions that take place in that particular case. I haveneverfeltatallcertainofwhatshemeant.Onewouldbeinclinedtosaythatthesilvercymbalindifferenttoneswoulddoforall.Thethundercertainlydoesnotseemtofitinverywell.

A.B.—Of course there are a certain number of sounds in the head whichbelong entirely to the vascular system. If a person hears such sounds verystronglyitmeansthatheisgettingintoadangerousstateofanaemia.

Thesoundsarenotprogressive.H.P.B.putthingsveryofteninacircle;shesometimesbeginswithnumberfourand thenworksroundon the twosides. Itmayalsobethatshegivesthesesoundsinnosortoforder.Youmightpossiblybeginwith the thunder, then the trumpetblast, andnext theocean sprite; thenyoumightcometothecymbalforthefourth,thefluteforthefifthandthevina,which is amoredelicate sound, for the sixth, and then thenightingale for theseventh,thetop.

C.W.L.—Ifweareallowedto turnthemroundlike that, theywillbegintomeansomethingdefinite.

A.B.—H.P.B.,whenconsultedastrallysaid:“Whatfoolsyouallweretotakethem in that way: you might have arranged them before: thunder, trumpet,ocean-shell,cymbal,flute,vina,nightingale.”Shesaidthatwewereabominablyliteral.

C.W.L.—Similar listsofsoundsare tobefoundinvariousSanskritworks.WehavetakenthefollowingexamplefromtheShivaSamhita:

Thefirstsoundis like thehumof thehoney-intoxicatedbee,next thatofaflute,thenofaharp;afterthis,bythegradualpracticeofYoga,thedestroyerofthedarknessoftheworld,hehearsthesoundsofringingbells;thensoundsliketheroarof thunder.Whenonefixeshis fullattentionon thissound,beingfreefrom fear, he gets absorption, O my beloved!When the mind of the Yogi isexceedinglyengagedinthissound,heforgetsallexternalthings,andisabsorbedinthissound.”25

WhenthesixareslainandattheMaster’sfeetarelaid, thenisthepupilmergedintotheOne,becomesthatOneandlivestherein.

MadameBlavatskyspeaksofthesixas:

The six principles;meaningwhen the lowerpersonality is destroyedandtheinnerindividualityismergedintoandlostintheseventhorSpirit.

AndoftheOneherespokenofshesays:

ThediscipleisonewithBrahmanorAtma.

When the six principles are “slain”, in other words, when they no longerassert their independence,buthavebecomeentirelyobedient to thewillof theSelf,theaspirantlivesinthatOne.TheseventhvoiceofbuddhiwillcarryhimupintoAtma.MadameBlavatskyappliesthetermBrahmantothehumanatmaby analogy. Brahman (neuter) is the One containing the Three; so does atmacontainbuddhiandmanaswithinitself,whenthemanhasbecomeanArhat,andlearnedtoliveinthetriplespirit.

Beforethatpathisentered,thoumustdestroythylunarbody,cleansethymind-body,andmakecleanthyheart.

Totheterm“lunarbody”MadameBlavatskyaddsthenote:

Theastralformproducedbythekamicprinciple,theKamaRupa,orbodyofdesire.

Ontheterm“mind-body”shecomments:

ManasaRupa.Thefirstreferstotheastralorpersonalself;thesecondtotheindividuality,orthereincarnatingEgo,whoseconsciousnessonourplane,orthelowerManas,hastobeparalysed.

MadameBlavatskydidnotthinkinplanessocompletelyasdomostoftheTheosophists of to-day. She had her eyemore on the principles, and saw thematterofdifferentlevelstakingformundertheirinfluence.

Hereshespeaksof“ourplane”,meaningtheregionofpersonalexistence—physical,astralandlowermental.The“astralform”isbynomeansnecessarilytheastralbody,butratherthepersonalformbuiltupinthesubjectiveregionsofourpersonal life (theastraland lowermentalplanes)onaccountofourbodilyformandthepersonalfeelingsandthoughtsconnectedwithit.InmylittlebookTheDevachanicPlaneandinDr.Besant’sAncientWisdomanaccountisgivenofthefourtypesoflifeintheheaven-world:(1)personalfriendship,(2)personal

devotion,(3)thetruemissionaryspirit,and(4)humanachievement.Theyareallemotive—thoughunselfish,theyarenotimpersonal,butkamic.Theytaketheirform from the character of the physical plane experience. But the pure lowermanaswouldbe theantahkarana—itwouldbe the soul’smind,not thebody’smind. It would have its activity stimulated only from above. It must now becleansedfromallthekama,tobecomeapurechannelforthesoul.

Think of the condition of the astral body of an advanced person. It givespracticallynodirectresponsetoimpactsfromoutside.Itis,byitself,deadtotheworld.Ithasnoindependentlifeofitsown;ithasbeen“slain”.Ifsomeonewentup to the average man and struck him, probably his astral body would burstinstantlyintoflamesofanger;thatisitsimmediateresponse.Notsothatoftheadvancedman.Theimpactinhiscasewouldgoinwardsthroughtheastraltothebuddhicvehicle.Thatwouldrespondinitsownway.Then its impactupon theastralwouldcall forth thebeautifulcoloursof the loveemotionswhichare itscorrespondencesintheastralbody.Dr.Besanthasoftenexplainedthattheastralauraofanadvancedmaniscolourless,orrather,slightlymilky-white,wheninrepose, but that all themost lovely colourswhich the plane can exhibit floodthroughitinresponsetothegreatman’sbuddhicresponsetotheworld.

Eternal life’s purewaters, clear and crystal,with themonsoon tempest’smuddytorrentscannotmingle.

Heaven’sdew-dropglitteringinthemorn’sfirstsunbeamwithinthebosomofthelotus,whendroppedonearthbecomesapieceofclay;behold,thepearlisnowaspeckofmire.

Strivewiththythoughtsuncleanbeforetheyoverpowerthee.Usethemastheywillthee,forifthousparestthemandtheytakerootandgrow,knowwell,these thoughtswilloverpowerandkill thee.Beware,disciple,suffernote’enthoughitbe theirshadowtoapproach.For itwillgrow, increase insizeandpower,andthenthisthingofdarknesswillabsorbthybeingbeforethouhastwellrealizedtheblackfoulmonster’spresence.

TherearesomepeopleintheworldwhoimaginethatitispossibletocarryonthelowerthingsandstillmakeprogressonthePath.Sometimestheyactuallythinkthatbyvariousformsofviciousexcitementtheycangenerateagreatdealofenergywhichwillhelptocarrythemonwardandupward.Theyareafraidofbecomingcolourless,shouldtheyrepresstheloweractivitiesentirely.Ithasbeen

said, of course, that the colourless person, the feeble goodman, cannotmakeprogress. “I would thou wert cold or hot,” says the Spirit inRevelation, and“Becausethouartlukewarm,andneithercoldnorhot,Iwillspuetheeoutofmymouth.”26

This very well represents the facts. The most promising persons, in order ofpreference, are (1) the vigorous goodman, (2) the vigorous badman, (3) theordinarygoodman.Nomancanbeaneffectivecriminalunlesshehasastrongdevelopment of some divine quality.His badness is the result of unbalance—suchasgreatwill-powerandcourage,orgreatintelligence,withoutloveforhisfellow-beings.Orgreat loveandwill-power,without intelligence,canmakeanequally dangerous and harmfulman, for hemay become a fanatical leader offorcesofdiscontentanddisruption.Themeregoodman,weakinallqualities—inwill, intelligence and love—makes little progress, though itmay be steady.Greatmen have great faults, but theymay get rid of them quickly; littlemenhavelittlefaults,whichoftenseemtolastforever.

There is inall thisnorecommendation toevil living. It indicates thatmererepressionof lower tendencieswillnotmake for rapidprogress,but that theremust be positive and vigorous exertion in the expression ofwhat is high andgood.Whilemakingthateffortapersonmaypossiblyfall.Theverywill-powerorknowledgeor love thathehasgainedbyhis exertionswillmake theman’sJaildeepand terrible, shouldhebecomeunbalanced.Thus themagnitudeof aman’s sin may be a sign of possible rapid future progress for him; but thatprogresswillbeginonlywhenthemanthroughkarmicsufferinghasrealizedhiserrorandpurgedawaytheimpuritiesincidentaltohisfall.Nothingmuchcanbedone,however,untilthatpurificationhastakenplace.MadameBlavatskydealsvigorouslywiththispointinherFirstStepsinOccultism,asfollows:

Thereare thosewhose reasoningpowershavebeensodistortedby foreigninfluences that they imagine that animal passions can be so sublimated andelevatedthat theirfury,forceandfirecan,so tospeak,be turnedinwards; thatthey can be stored and shut up in one’s breast, until their energy is, notexpanded,butturnedtowardshigherandmoreholypurposes:namely,untiltheircollective and unexpanded strength enables their possessor to enter the trueSanctuary of the Soul and stand therein in the presence of the Master—theHigherSelf.Forthispurposetheywillnotstrugglewiththeirpassionsnorslaythem,Theywillsimply,byastrongeffortofwill,putdownthefierceflamesand

keepthematbaywithintheirnaturesallowingthefiretosmoulderunderathinlayer of ashes. They submit joyfully to the torture of the Spartan boy whoallowed the fox to devour his entrails rather than partwith it.Oh, poor, blindvisionaries!

Aswellhopethatabandofdrunkenchimney-sweeps,hotandgreasyfromtheirwork,maybeshutupinaSanctuaryhungwithpurewhitelinen,andthatinsteadofsoilingandturningitbytheirpresenceintoaheapofdirtyshreds,theywillbecomemasters inandof thesacred recess,andfinallyemerge fromitasimmaculateasthatrecess.WhynotimaginethatadozenskunksimprisonedinthepureatmosphereofaDgon-pa(amonastery),canissueoutofitimpregnatedwith all the perfumes of the incenses used? Strange aberration of the humanmind.

This portion of our text concludes with the following uncompromisingpassages:

BeforethemysticpowercanmakeoftheeaGod,Lanoo,thoumusthavegainedthefacultytoslaythylunarformatwill.

TheSelfofmatterandtheSelfofSpiritcannevermeet.Oneofthetwainmustdisappear;thereisnoplaceforboth.

Ere thy Soul’s mind can understand, the bud of personality must becrushedout,thewormofsensedestroyedpastresurrection.

Themysticpowerisoncemorekundalini,therepresentativeinthebodyof“the great pristine force which underlies all organic and inorganic matter”.MadameBlavatsky’snoteonthesubjectisafollows:

Kundalini, the serpentpowerormystic fire; it is called the serpentineortheannularpoweronaccountofitsspiral-likeworkingorprogressinthebodyoftheasceticdevelopingthepowerinhimself.Itisanelectricfieryoccultorfohatic power, the great pristine force which underlies all organic andinorganicmatter.

CHAPTER10

BECOMETHEPATH

ThoucanstnottravelonthePathbeforethouhastbecomethatPathitself.

C.W.L.—Tothisthefollowingfoot-noteisappended:

This Path is mentioned in all the mystic works. As Krishna says in theJnaneshvan:“Whenthispathisbeheld...whetheronesetsouttothebloomoftheeast,ortothechambersofthewest,withoutmoving,Oholderofthebow,isthetravellinginthisroad.Inthispath,towhateverplaceonewouldgo,thatplaceone’sownselfbecomes.”“Thouartthepath,”issaidtotheAdeptGuru,andbythelattertothedisciple,afterInitiation.“Iamthewayandthepath,”saysanotherMaster.

It has already been explained (in the commentary on At the Feet of theMaster) that the thoughts and feelingswhich are at first difficult to grasp andmaintain become quite easy in the course of time.When the aspirant has sotrained and developed himself that the buddhic outlook and response to lifebecomeperfectlynaturalandspontaneoustohim,wemaysayhehasbecomethePath itself- Sometimes such a consequence of continued effort and practice iscalled “second nature”. That expression, however, gives one something of afeelingthatthenewqualitieshavebeenputon,andafterwardsbecomehabitual.That is unfortunate. It is our original and best nature, our higher nature, thatshowsitselfinthehigherlife;itseemstobesomethingnewtousonlybecauseithas heretofore been obscured by ourmaterial integuments and the pressure ofcircumstancesintheworldsofourpersonalbeing.

Aninterestingmetaphysicaltruthisindicatedinthefoot-note.Ourevolutionisnotatransit,norevenagrowth.Itisnotaprocessofgoingsomewhere,noranincrease of size. It is an unfoldment of the powers potential in our lives. Asalreadystated,intheplanesoftheegomaterialitytakessecondplace,thepowersof consciousness—will, wisdom and activity, (or will, love and thought)—dominatealmostcompletelythematteroftheplanes.Thereforespaceisnotthejailor which it is down here, and consciousness need not travel through it inorder to appear in another place. The following conversation between aGuru

andhispupilhasbeenrelatedtoillustratethispoint.TheGurutoldthepupiltowalkacrosstheroom,andthenasked:

“Whatwereyoudoing?Wereyoumoving?”

After meditating upon the matter, the disciple gave the following answer,whichwasdeclaredtobecorrect:

“No, I was not moving. I was watching the body move. I was thinking,feelingandwilling;thebodyalonewasmoving.”27

Thisfactistrueforallofus;weknowofthebody’smotionmerelyonaccountofobserving itbymeansof the senses, justaswedo thatofanyotherobject.Thesensationofrushingalonginanopenmotor-car,forexample,resolvesitself,whenoneshutsone’seyes,intoanactualfeelingofairrushingby,andasenseofpower which, acting through the imagination, exhilarates the body. The sameexperience could be reproduced by suitable apparatus, composed ofwind andmotionmachines, without any transportation of the body. Again,most peoplewhohavetravelledatnightinPullmanberthshavehadtheexperienceofwakingandwonderingwhethertheyweregoingheadfirstorfeetfirst,orevenwhetherthe train was moving or not, and they have usually settled the question byslippinguptheblindandinferringtheirdirectionfromanobservationofpassinglightsandshadows.

The fact that, in order to go from one place to another, travelling is notnecessaryfor theego, isshownalsointhewayinwhichitcansimultaneouslyappearinthedevachanicimagesofanumberofpeopleinthelowermentalplaneindifferentpartsoftheworld.

Though, at the stage of development presupposed in this teaching, thecandidate isworking at the perfection of his personality, at the same time hisinner work is particularly concerned with the development of buddhi, thespiritualsoul.Toputitinotherwords,heisclimbingthroughthebuddhicplane.HencehisbecomingthePathisshowninagreatdevelopmentofsympathyandloveforothers,asindicatedinthefollowingverses:

LetthySoullenditseartoeverycryofpainlikeasthelotusbaresitshearttodrinkthemorningsun.

Letnotthefiercesundryonetearofpainbeforethyselfhastwipeditfrom

thesufferer’seye.

Butleteachburninghumanteardroponthyheartandthereremain;noreverbrushitoffuntilthepainthatcauseditisremoved.

These tears, O thou of heart most merciful, these are the streams thatirrigate the fields of charity immortal. ‘Tis on such soil that grows themidnightblossomofBuddha,moredifficulttofind,moreraretoview,thanisthefloweroftheVogaytree.Itistheseedoffreedomfromrebirth.ItisolatestheArhat both from strife and lust, it leadshim through the fields of beinguntothepeaceandblissknownonlyinthelandofsilenceandnon-being.

WhenChristsaid,“Iamtheway,andthetruth,andthelife:nomancomethuntotheFather,butbyme,”28Hedeclaredamystic truth,for theChrist isonewith the buddhic aspect of the world-consciousness. There is only oneconsciousness;onfullrecognitionofthisfacttheInitiatecanbecomeanArhat—butunlesshegoesthroughthatChrist-principlehecannotreachtheFather,theatmS,above.Thattruth,explainedwithwonderfulinspirationandclarityinDr.AnnieBesant’sEsotericChristianity,is,however,onlyoneaspectofthematter,for the Christ incarnate embodied the same principle in His outward life inPalestine,whichhasmovedmillionsofmen—becauseHedidnot shrink frompain.Mostmentrytoescapepainasmuchaspossible,butChristacceptedHisownandaddedtoitthatofallotherpeopleaswell.Menwhofollowthebuddhicpath instinctively say,when trouble comes to them: “Manyare suffering;whyshouldIdesiretobeexempt?”Morethanthat,inthefullnessoftheirsympathy,theyfeelthatothersufferingtothebreakingpoint,beforetheyreachtheserenityofArhatship,theilluminationthatputsdeathunderthem,thatmakesthemglowwith the joy of liberty, whatever painmay betide. Such libertywould lead tocarelessrest,couldmenhaveitbeforeexperiencingthesufferingoftheChrist,inwhich the pain of the cross is as nothing beside that ofHis compassionateresponsetothecryofaworldinpain.Thencomesthepointatwhichthemansays:“Whatdoes itmatterwhether I sufferornot?”Hismind is sobusywithservicethathecanscarcelyattendtohimself.

Suchanexpressionas“thepeaceandblissknownonlyinthelandofsilenceandnon-being” canbeunderstoodonlyby thosewho arewilling to thinkofmetaphysicalrealities.MostofsuchOrientalexpressionsasthisarebasedon the fundamental idea that theuniversalGodexpresseshimself as sat,

chitandananda,thatis,asbeing,consciousnessandbliss.

Beingiswellunderstood;peopleseeitallaroundthem;consciousnesstheyalso know by experience; but happiness they seek. All seek themselves.Happinessisnotsomethingthatweshallgain,obtainandpossess;itisourtruestate of Self. But beyond bothmatter and consciousness is the real inner life,whichissilenceandnon-beingfromthestandpointoftheexternal,andyetistheblissoftruebeing.

Killoutdesire;butifthoukillestit,takeheedlestfromthedeaditshouldagainarise.

Kill loveof life;but if thouslayestTanha, let thisnotbefor thirstof lifeeternal,buttoreplacethefleetingbytheeverlasting.

Desirenothing.ChafenotatKarma,noratnature’schangelesslaws.Butstruggle only with the personal, the transitory, the evanescent and theperishable.

Common desire is the love of external things for the sake of astral orsensuous enjoyment.Wehave already seen that thedisciplemustnot seek thesatisfactionofsuchdesires,butmustgiveupalltheenergyofhispersonality—physical, emotional, and mental—to the work of spiritual evolution and theserviceoftheinnerlifeinhimselfandothermen.

Tanhaistherootofthesedesires,becauseitisthethirstforsentientlife.Theegoonitsownplaneisfarfrombeingfullyconscious,butwhatconsciousnessithasgivesitafeelingofgreatpleasure,andarousesakindofhungerforafullerrealizationoflife.Itisthatwhichisbehindtheworld’sgreatclamourforafullerlife.Asbeforeexplained,theforcesofthehighermentalplanepassthroughthecausalbodyforthemostpartwithoutaffectingitinthecaseofordinarypersons,astheegoisnotyetdevelopedandtrainedsoastorespondtomorethanafewofthevibrationsofitsownlevel.Therearenocoarsevibrationsonthatplane,suchasitcanrespondtoinitsyoungerdays,soitdescendstothelowerplanesforthesakeof feelingmore fullyalive.Fora long time therefore its consciousness ismostvividwhenthingsofthephysicalplanearepresentedtoit,butlater,whentheastralnatureisawakened,thepleasuresofthatplaneprovetobestillmoreintense.

Itisnotpossibleinthephysicalbodytorealizehowkeenarethedelightsofthe astral life. So much is that the case that they often turn aside and delaypersonswhohaveovercomethesamesortofpleasureofthephysicalplane.YetthatdangerisnotgreatforthosewhoinphysicallifearedefinitelyseekingthethingsofthePath,iftheyarepersonsofadvancedtype,astheyareinapositionto realize still higher delights, which have a far greater attraction. The samethingistrueofeachplaneinturn.

Still,thedisciplemustbeonguardnottogiveupthelowerpleasuresmerelyforthesakeofrelativelyhigherones,butalwaystokeephiseyeuponhisidealgoal, beyondall transitory pleasures.Hemust not thirst to enjoy the age-longpleasures of the heaven-world, but must give up all that is transitory andpersonal.While,ontheonehand,hewillnotseektoobtaintheobjectsofdesire,ontheotherhewillnotshrinkfromthelessonsthatkarmaplacesbeforehim;hewillnotwish thathis fieldofexperience shouldbeother than it is.Heknowsthat it is because nature’s laws are unchanging that he can use experience forgrowth.Wereitnotfor theorderlynatureof theworld, itwouldbeimpossiblefor the intellect to grow or for man to use his powers at all. So he has noresentmentagainstkarma,whichistheembodimentoftheLaw.

Helpnatureandworkonwithher;andnaturewillregardtheeasoneofhercreatorsandmakeobeisance.

Andshewillopenwidebeforetheetheportalsofhersecretchambers,laybarebeforethygazethetreasureshiddenintheverydepthsofherpurevirginbosom.Unsulliedby thehandofmatter, sheshowsher treasuresonly to theeyeofSpirit—theeyewhichnevercloses,theeyeforwhichthereisnoveilinallherkingdoms.

Thenwillsheshowtheethemeansandway,thefirstgateandthesecond,thethird,uptotheveryseventh.Andthen,thegoal;beyondwhichlie,bathedinthesunlightoftheSpirit,gloriesuntold,unseenbyanysavetheeyeoftheSoul.

Allstudentsofthematerialsciencesarefamiliarwiththefactthat“natureisconqueredbyobedience”.Alltheforcesthatweemployinmodernlife,suchasthepressureofsteamorelectricity,areexamplesofourworking”withnature.Itisperhapsratherunsympathetictousethewordconquered,whenthefactisthatallourpowerintheworldistheresultofharmonybetweenmanandnature.The

man in a boat who sets his sail so that he may go against the wind is notovercoming thewind,but isharmonizinghisaffairswith its laws.Byworkingwiththelawsmangainsinpower,notbyfightingagainstthem.

Theoccultistknowsthat thesameprinciple is trueoneveryplane,andnotonlywith regard to thematter of eachworldbut also to the formsof life thatdwell there,highor low in thescaleofevolution.Therefore theknowledgeofnature’s mechanical laws, which has led to so much power and wealth formankind,representsonlyoneaspectoftheharmonythatshouldsubsistbetweenthetwo.Afeelingoffriendlysympathytowardstheanimal,theplantsandeventheminerals,andtowardsthenaturespiritsandthedevas,isequallyimportant,ifnot more so, for the progress of man. Nature is composed of life as well asmatter,andit is throughsympatheticfeelingthat that lifebecomesknown,andharmonizedwithhumanlife.Tolookupontheworldasaplacefullofforbiddingentitiesistheunfortunatecustomofourage,butthemanwhofaceslifewithafeelingofkindliness to all living thingswill notonly see and learnmore thanothers, butwill have a smoother passage on life’s sea. There is a tradition inIndia of the “lucky hand” of certain personswhohave this sympathy, and forwhomplantswillgrowwellwhenforotherstheyfail.Ithasalsobeenexplainedmanytimesbyauthoritiesinoccultsciencethatbecauseofhisloveforallbeingsthe true yogi or sannyasimaywander among themountains and in the junglequitewithoutdangerfromwildanimalsorreptiles.

In ordinary human life this sympathy works in many ways. The modernbusiness man knows that the first requisite for his success is to establishfriendliness with those with whom he wants to deal. The same quality isnecessary for teachingchildren,whooften regardgrown-uppeopleas strange,arbitrary beings, not all of their own class, but somewhat foreign, as an earthman might regard one of Mr. Wells’ fanciful men from Mars. But whensympathy is established, all that strangenessgoes, and real educationbecomespossible.

Thenaturespiritsare in thesamepositionas thechildren,except that theyarenotdependentuponusandcaneasilyavoidourvicinity,asthemorepleasingkinds of them usually do whenmodern civilizedman arrives, with his noisy,clumsy and cruelways, and his unclean, repellant aura and cloud of thought-forms.Itisafactthatweremensympatheticwiththeotherkingdoms,didtheyplantforestsandnotonlydestroythem,anddidtheyfeelkindlytowardsnature

in general, we should enjoy more equable climate and more successfulcultivation. Itmust,ofcourse,be said that themodernmovement in favourofgardensroundhouses,andtreesandflowersevenintheroadsofourcities,alltends in the rightdirection,and that inspecialwaysofcultivationof theearthandofparticularflowersandfruitsandgrainsandtrees,andevenanimals,menhavedonemuchtohelptheworkofthenature-spirits.Butwithmoresympathystillbetterresultswouldhaveaccrued.

This sympathy has occasionally been shown, especially by the poets. Dr.RabindranathTagore’sessaysandpoemsexhibititinaveryhighdegree;infact,thespreadofthisqualitymayberegardedalmostashisspecialcontributiontomodern civilization. Another well-known instance is that of the philosopherEmersonwho,onreturningfromhiswinterlecturetourstohishomeatConcord,used to shake handswith the lower branches of his trees.Hedeclared that hecould feel that the trees were glad at his return, and no doubt that quality ofsympathywasagreataidtohisinspiration.

Menwholiveintheirgardens,likeLutherBurbankofCalifornia,oftensaythattheyaredistinctlyconsciousofthefeelingthatcomestothemfromcertainplants, bushes and trees. Men in Canada, whose duty calls them to liveconstantlyintheforests—toinspectthem,marktreesanddootherwork—havetoldmethattheyfeelalifeinthewoodsdistinctfromthatelsewhere,thattheyknowthattherearesomeplacesandtreeswhichlikemen,andotherswhichdonot.

Suchsympathy isperfectlynatural. Ifyou feel special loveandadmirationforacertainhumanbeing,thereisatendencyonhisparttobecomeinterestedinyou and to return the affection.A stage lower, if you are affectionatewith ananimal it becomes strongly attached to you. Still lower, in the vegetable andmineral kingdoms, the same rule obtains, though its effects are less obvious.Fromthisarises the tradition that flowersandplantswillgrowbetter forsomepersons thanforothers,other thingsbeingequal. It ispersonalmagnetismthatcallsitout;andthatiswhatatahigherlevelwecallaffection.

Thereisnoneedtosayanythinghereaboutthesevengatesmentionedinthispassage, for thewholeof the thirdFragmentof thisbook is takenupwith thesevenportals,andthereweshallstudythemindetail.

CHAPTER11

THEONEROAD

There is but one road to thePath; at its very endalone theVoiceof theSilencecanbeheard.Theladderbywhichthecandidateascendsisformedofrungsofsufferingandpain;thesecanbesilencedonlybythevoiceofvirtue.Woethentothee,disciple,ifthereisonesinglevicethouhastnotleftbehind;forthentheladderwillgivewayandoverthrowthee;itsfootrestsinthedeepmire of thy sins and failings, and ere thou canst attempt to cross this wideabyssofmatterthouhasttolavethyfeetinwatersofrenunciation.Bewarelestthoushould’st seta foot still soiledupon the ladder’s lowest rung.Woeuntohimwhodarespolluteonerungwithmiryfeet.Thefoulandviscousmudwilldry,becometenacious,thengluehisfeetuntothespot;andlikeabirdcaughtinthewilyfowler’slime,hewillbestayedfromfurtherprogress.Hisviceswilltake shape and drag him down. His sins will raise their voices, like as thejackal’slaughandsobafterthesungoesdown;histhoughtsbecomeanarmy,andbearhimoffacaptiveslave.

C.W.L.—We have seen, inTheMasters and the Path, that there are fourwaysofcomingtothebeginningoftheprobationarypath:bycontactwiththosewhoarealreadyonthePath;bydeepthought;byhearingandreadingthesacredword,andbythepracticeofvirtue.29Then,ontheprobationarypath, therearefourqualificationstobeattained,ofwhichthelastisgiveninAttheFeetoftheMaster as Love, and it is said thatwithout this the other qualifications are invain.30

This, then, is the one road to the path proper—the way of love, ofunselfishnessinthought,wordanddeed.

All the old selfish habits of body andmindmust be overcomebypositivevirtue. The word virtue as used here cannot mean mere passive goodness orabsenceofwrong-doing;itmustbetakeninitsoldmeaningofstrength.Virtuesare formsof strengthof thesoul.When thesouldominates thepersonal life itwillbeseentobefullofsuchvirtue.Inthemeantimeagreatbattleisnecessary.In very many cases the candidate for the Path must bring forth all hisdeterminationtostampoutcompletelyanyfaultofselfishnessthathemayfind

inhimselfinthecourseofhisdailyself-examination.Thiscanbestbedonebypicturingasceneinwhichthefaulthasbeenexhibited,andthenreconstructingitintheimagination,sothatinitthecorrespondingvirtueisshown;thenonemaydwell on that for a little while, and resolve that henceforth, under suchcircumstances,thevirtue,notthefault,willbeexpressed.

It is sometimes very hard to overcome habitual faults; hence the frequentmentionofsufferingandpain.Itgivesgreatpain,forexample,tothedrunkard,toresist“justonemore,onelastdrink”.Butifheholdsfirmtohisresolvesneverto take strongdrinkagain,not evenonce, in time the sufferingwilldisappear,andhewillknowahigherkindofpleasurethanthatwhichheobtainedfromthestimulus of drink. It is exactly the samewith impure or selfish emotions andthoughts;manyamanfailsbecausehedwellsuponanunworthy thought“justoncemore”.Itisjustthatonethathemustgiveup,andrefusetoharbourinhismind.Togiveup their faultspeoplehavesometimes tosuffergreatwounds totheir pride. In all these cases humility is a great help, because it makes menwillingtochangethemselves.

Still, there aremanywhose lives have already been considerably purified,whofeellittleornothingofthispain.Ithas,indeed,beensuggestedthatinthispassage Aryasanga has exaggerated the suffering. That is not so, but He hasexpressed it in extreme terms, so that no onewillmeetwith suffering on thePath,expectingthereverse,andallwillbereadytopaytolltothepast,tofacewhatsufferingthereis,andtobringittoanendforeverbythepracticeofvirtue.WemayrememberheretheencouragingwordsoftheGita:“Evenifthouartthemostsinfulofallsinners,yetshaltthoucrossoverallsinbytheraftofwisdom.Astheburningfirereducesfueltoashes,OArjuna,sodoththefireofwisdomreduce all karmas to ashes.”31 And again: “Never doth any who workethrighteousness,Obeloved,treadthepathofwoe.”32

The necessity of getting rid of vices at the very beginning has beenemphasized inallyogasystems,asmentionedbefore.33Onlywhen thevirtueswerefirmlyestablishedinhischaractercouldthestudentbeallowedtopassontothelaterstepsofthePath,includingpracticesofposture,breathing,controlofthe senses and meditation. The reason for this demand is that as the pupiladvances on the Path the forces of his will and thought become much morepowerful than ever before, and therewill come timeswhen the ego pours hisenergydownintothebody.Iftherebestillremnantsofanyviceinthebodythat

energywillgiveitnewstrength,sothatthefalloftheaspirantwillbefargreaterthananything that ispossible foronenotso faradvanced.Powersarepowers,forgoodorill,sothecandidateshouldpurifyhimselfbeforeseekingthem,lestheinjureothersandhimself.ThereisoneplaceonthePath,justaftertheSecondInitiation,wherethedangerisgreatestofall,especiallyfromtheviceofpride,ashasbeenexplainedatlengthinTheMastersandthePath.34

Killthydesires,Lanoo,makethyvicesimpotent,erethefirststepistakenonthesolemnjourney.

Stranglethysins,andmakethemdumbforever,beforethoudostliftonefoottomounttheladder.

SilencethythoughtsandfixthywholeattentiononthyMaster,whomyetthoudostnotsee,butwhomthoufeelest.

Mergeintoonesensethysenses,ifthouwouldstbesecureagainstthefoe.‘Tisby thatsensealonewhich liesconcealedwithin thehollowof thybrain,that the steep pathwhich leadeth to thyMastermay be disclosed before thysoul’sdimeyes.

Aryasanga’srepetitionoftheinjunctiontogetridofdesiresandvicesshowstheimportancewhichHeattachedtothispartofthework.Notonlyareanysuchdefectsenormouslyintensifiedasthepowersofthecandidatedevelop,butalsohisresponsibilityincreases,andhebecomescapableofmakingfarmorekarmathanbefore.

Thesixthsense,themind,hasitsphysicalorganinthebrain.Peopledonotusuallyemploy thiswhenfacedby thevariousobjectsandexperiencesof life.They live too much in their astral bodies. They “like” certain things, and“dislike”others,quitewithoutreason,quitewithoutconsideringwhat theyare,andwhichare reallygoodandbad,orusefulanduseless.Thatwillnotdo,ofcourse, for anyone who wants to tread the occult path. He must consider allthingsdispassionately,andrevaluethemaccordingtotheirusefulnesstothesoul.

Inthebraintherearealsotheorgansbymeansofwhichdirectperceptionofthingsbeyondthereachofthephysicalsensesmaybehad.Thepituitarybodyisa link between the physical body and the astral body, and so on. In the samehollow in the brain, but a little further back, lies the pineal gland, which is

connecteddirectlywiththementalbody,andservestobringimpressionsdownfromthementalplane.Somepeopledevelop thepituitarybodyfirst, some thepinealgland—eachmustfollowthemethodprescribedbyhisownguru.

Long and weary is the way before thee, O disciple. One single thoughtabout the past that thouhast left behindwill drag thee down, and thouwilthavetostarttheclimbanew.

Killinthyselfallmemoryofpastexperience.Looknotbehindorthouartlost.

OncemorewefindAryasangaemphasizingtheworstaspectofthematter,sothat none shall find the path harder than hemay have thought it to be beforeenteringuponit.Relatively, thatpath isnot long,whenoneconsiders that it isonlythelastfourteenlives,outofaseriesofmanyhundredsoreventhousands,whichareusuallyspentbetweentheFirstandFifthInitiations.Further,inmanycasestheworkofthosefourteenlivesisdoneinbutafew,takenconsecutively,withoutdevachanicinterludes—whichmakesthetimeshortindeed.

Itistruethat“theroadwindsuphillalltheway”,butitneednotnecessarilybeweary. It iswhen one thinks only of the goal that the journey isweary.AstudententeringCollegewillfindhisthreeorfouryearsthereintenselywearyifheisthinkingonlyofgettinghisdegreeandgoingoutintotheworldwithit,andisnotreallyinterestedinhisstudies.Butifhehasplannedouthiswork,whichwillbringhimnaturallytohisdegreeifproperlycarriedout,andifheisreallyinterestedinthesubjectsofhisstudy,hemaythenforgetallabouttheyearsthatlieahead,andmayhaveafascinatingtime.SoalsoonthePaththeworkisfullofinterestforheartandmind,andhewhofindsitsowillmakeitshorterinfactaswellasinappearancethanhewhocaresonlyforreachingacertainprescribedgoal.

It is the same inmeditation; somewhopractise it faithfully feel it to be atediousthing,butdoitallthesame,forthesakeofitsresults.Othersfinditfullofinterest,andthereforegainmuchmorefromit.LetthecandidatenotthinkofhisownprogressonthePath;assooftenrecommended,lethimforgethimselfand work for the world, and his progress will take care of itself. Self-examinationandself-trainingarenecessary,but that isonly likepreparingandoilingmachinery; it should not takemuch time, thework being the importantthing.

Itistruethatsometimespeoplefinditnecessarytoforcethemselvesatfirstalongcertainlinesofworkandthought,ormeditation,whichtheyfeelthattheyoughttotakeup.Verywell,goonwiththedrearytask,ifsuchitappearstobe,andif themotive ispure,youwillsoonfindthat thedrearinessdeparts,anewinterestarises,andtheworkbecomesfullofdelight.

ThestatementthatonesinglethoughtaboutthepastcandragthecandidaterightdowntoearthagainshouldcertainlygivepausetoanyonewhoproposestoenterthePath,andyetisunwillingtogiveupsomepetvice,howevertrifling.Itis not the act so much as the thought of it that drags one down. MadameBlavatskysays,inTheSecretDoctrine:

Purityofmindisofgreaterimportancethanpurityofbody....Anactmaybeperformedtowhichlittleornoattentionispaid,anditisofcomparativelysmallimportance. But if thought of, dwelt on in themind, the effect is a thousandtimesgreater.Thethoughtsmustbekeptpure.35

IrecollectastoryaboutColonelOlcottwhichillustratesthispoint.Ayoungmanwhomuchwanted to live thehigher life came tohimonedayandaskedhim ifhemustgiveup smoking.TheColonel replied: “Well, ifyoucan’tyoumust, but if you can you needn’t.” Certainly strength of will and purity ofthoughtareofparamountimportance,andthereisnoprogresswithoutthem,nomatter how clean the body; and the Colonel emphasized the fact verysuccessfully.Butitmightbeaddedalsothatsmokingisadirtyhabit;itbefoulsthe bodies, and often causes much annoyance and discomfort to others. Theworst of its dirty selfishness physically is that the smoke ismade dampwithsalivaandthensentoff toenterotherpeople’s lungs.It isahorriblefeatureofmodernlifethatweareoftencompelledtocontactandbreathesmokewhichhasbeensotreated.

As to the effect of a thought of a quality belonging to the past,MadameBlavatskyalsosays:

The studentmust guard his thoughts. Fiveminutes’ thoughtmay undo theworkof fiveyears; and though the fiveyears’workwill be run throughmorerapidlythesecondtime,yettimeislost.36

Adistinctionmustbemadeherebetweena thoughtwhich ismerelya floatingformwhichhasenteredthemind,andthoughtproper,whichisadeliberateact.

Itisthelatterthatcandosomuchharm.Anunworthythoughtmaydriftintothemind, but if it is not dwelt upon, encouraged and strengthened, little harm isdone.

That one who falls thus may quickly rise again is encouraging. That oldGreekallegory inwhichevery time that thehero falls to earth,worsted in theconflict,hegainsnewstrengthfromit,appliestoman.Betterthatheshouldwinthe battle once and for all without falling; but in any case he is destined totriumph ultimately.Muchmay be learned by the intelligent and willing pupilwithoutbitterexperience, justasonemay learn that fire ishotwithoutputtingone’shandintoit;butall that isnecessarywillbelearntsooneror later inonewayoranother.

Donotbelievethatlustcaneverbekilledputifgratifiedorsatiated,forthisis an abomination inspired byMara. It is by feeding vice that it expands andwaxesstrong,liketothewormthatfattensontheblossom’sheart.

The rose must re-become the bud, born of its parent stem, before theparasitehaseatenthroughitsheartanddrunkitslife-sap.

Thegoldentreeputsforthitsjewel-budsbeforeitstrunkiswitheredbythestorm.

Thepupilmustregainthechild-statehehaslosterethefirstsoundcanfalluponhisear.

SirEdwinArnoldspeaksofMara,asheisunderstoodbytheBuddhists, invigorous and graphic terms, in connectionwith the temptation ofBuddha justbeforeHisillumination:

i.ButhewhoisthePrinceii.OfDarkness,Mara—knowingthiswasBuddhiii.WhenheshouldfindtheTruthandsavetheworlds—iv.Gaveuntoallhisevilpowerscommand.v.Whereforetheretroopedfromeverydeepestpitvi.ThefiendswhowarwithWisdomandtheLight,vii.Arati,Trishna,Raga,andtheircrew

viii.Ofpassions,horrors,ignorances,lusts,ix.Thebroodofgloomanddread;allhatingBuddh,

x.Seekingtoshakehismind.37

Still,MadameBlavatskysays:“ButMaraisalsotheunconsciousquickenerof thebirthof theSpiritual.”The resistance thatMaraopposes to the aspirantenables him to develop his strength. An athletemightmove his arms up anddownmucheasierwithoutdumb-bellsthanwiththem,yethewouldnotdevelopthesamestrengthsoquickly,ifatall.ThatevenevilismadeuseofforgoodwasonceillustratedbytheremarkofaveryspiritualmanwhotookahighInitiation.Forsometimebeforeithehadbeenterriblymaligned,andtheimportantworkonwhichhehadsethishearthadbeenspoiled.Onedaysomeoneofferedhimawordofsympathy,whichwasquiteunnecessary,forhesaid:“Thefactis,Iowea debt of gratitude to those people who tried to injure me, though I did notrealize it at the time; for without their aid I should not yet have taken thatInitiation.”Anordinarymanwouldhavebeenfullofangerorofdepression,butinsuchamanasthisMaracallsoutanequalstrengthonlyoflovingsorroworcompassion.Thusmayeventhegreatestenemybecomeourfriendwhileweareinthewaywithhim.

It is, of course, not the ignorance but the innocence of childhood that isrequisite for real spiritual progress.Mere goodness is not progress; it is onlypreparatory purification. Progress is the development of the ego on its ownplanes,which,whenshowninthepersonality,appearsasstrengthofcharacter—inwillandloveandthought.InthethreestagesoftherelationofapupiltohisMaster, it is the thirdandhighest thatcontains the ideaofchildhood, forhe isfirstaprobationarypupil,thenanacceptedone,andthirdlyaSonoftheMaster.

CHAPTER12

THELASTSTEPS

The light from the oneMaster, the one unfading golden light of Spirit,shootsitseffulgentbeamsonthedisciplefromtheveryfirst.

Itsraysthreadthroughthethick,darkcloudsofmatter.

Nowhere,nowthere,theseraysillumineit,likesun-sparkslighttheearththroughthethickfoliageofthejunglegrowth.But,Odisciple,unlessthefleshis passive, head cool, the Soul as firm and pure as flaming diamond, theradiancewillnotreachthechamber,itssunlightwillnotwarmtheheart,norwillthemysticsoundsoftheakashicheightsreachtheear,howevereager,attheinitialstage.

C.W.L.—Asthesunisalwaysshiningbehindtheclouds,soisthehigherselfconstantly shedding its beams on the aspirant. The flashes of inspiration andintuitionthatcomenowandagainintothedarknessofourmindsinwhatwecallourbestmomentsarederivedfromthathighsource.Itisawisepolicytotrytocapture those best moments, to hold them in imagination, and to dwell uponthem in meditation, and thus to bring the whole life into that diamond-likeconditionthatismentionedinthetext.

With reference to the “mystic sounds of the akashic heights” MadameBlavatskyaddsthefollowingfootnote:

Themysticsounds,orthemelody,heardbytheasceticatthebeginningofhiscycleofmeditation, calledAnahatashabdaby theYogis.TheAna-hata isthefourthoftheChakras.

The fourthcentreor chakra is that at theheart.When theconsciousness iscentred in theheartduringmeditation it ismostsusceptible to the influenceofthespiritualsoulorhigherself.Theheartisthecentreinthebodyforthehighertriad,atma-buddhi-manas.Theheadistheseatofthepsycho-intellectualman;ithas itsvariousfunctions insevencavities, including thepituitarybodyandthepinealgland.Hewhoinconcentrationcantakehisconsciousnessfromthebraintotheheartshouldbeabletounitekama-manastothehighermanas,throughthe

lowermanas,which,whenpureandfreefromkama,istheantahkarana.Hewillthenbe inaposition tocatchsomeof thepromptingsof thehigher triad.Thathigherconsciousnesstriestoguidehim,throughtheconscience;hecannotguideit until he is onewith buddhi-manas. The foregoing explanation is condensedfromnotesonsomeoralteachingsofMadameBlavatsky,appendedtothethirdvolumeofTheSecretDoctrine.38

Indian traditionon the subject says thatwhenkundalini rises shedissolvesthequalitiesof thevarious chakras throughwhich shepasses and carries theiressenceupwards.Whenshereachesthefourth,theheartchakra,theyogihearsthesoundfromabove,calledanahata-shabda.Shabdaissound;an-ahatameans“notbeaten”;soitisthatsoundwhichismadewithoutbeatingthingstogether.Thetermisthereforesymbolicalofthatwhichisabovetheplanesofpersonality.The practitioner’s touchwith the higher triad begins at this point. Thosewhowant to increase the contact between the higher and lower manas should notdwell inmeditationonanythingbelow it.The followingmeditation, translatedfromtheGherandaSamhita, is one of those prescribed for the heart centre. ItillustratesthewayinwhichtheyogigraduallywithdrawshisattentionfromhissurroundingsandconcentratesituponhisIdeal.

i.Lethimfindinhisheartabroadoceanofnectar,ii.Withinitabeautifulislandofgems,iii.Wherethesandsarebrightgoldenandsprinkledwithjewels,iv.Fairtreeslineitsshoreswithamyriadofblooms,v.Andwithinitrarebushes,trees,creepersandrushes,vi.Onallsidesshedfragrancemostsweettothesense.vii.Whowouldtasteofthesweetnessofdivinecompletenessviii.Shouldpicturethereinamostwonderfultree.ix.Onwhosefar-spreadingbranchesgrowfruitofallfancies—x.ThefourmightyTeachingsthatholduptheworld,xi. There the fruit and the flowers know no death and nosorrows,

xii.Whiletothemthebeeshumandsoftcuckoossing.xiii.Now,undertheshadowofthatpeacefularbour

xiv.Atempleofrubiesmostradiantisseen,xv.Andhewhoshallseektherewillfindonaseatrare,xvi.HisdearlyBeloved,enshrinedtherein.xvii.Lethimdwellwithhismind,ashisTeacherdefines,

xviii.OnthatDivineForm,withHismodesandHissigns.39

Unless thouhear’st thoucanstnot see.Unless thouseest, thoucanstnothear.Tohearandsee,thisisthesecondstage.

******

Wehavealreadyconsideredthesignificanceofseeingandhearing.40Unlessthe candidate is responsive to the inner voice, that is, unless he understandsspiritual laws,hewillnever see theouter things as theyare.Hemust learn tolook at the things of matter with the eyes of the spirit, as a Master onceexpressed it.Whenhe sees thematerialoroutward things in thatway,hewillmoreandmoreunderstandtheinnervoice.Thisislikethealternationwhichisnecessarybetweenmeditationandexperience.Togothroughlifeinabusyway,withoutstoppingtomeditateuponit, is tomissmuchof thesignificanceof itsevents;one should spare a little timeeachday to let the inner lightplayuponthem.On the other hand, to shut oneself in one’s study and give one’swholetimetothoughtwouldyieldlittleprofit;inthatwayamanwouldacquireendlessmisconceptions,forexperienceisrequiredtocorrectandenlargeourmeditation.Itisthebalancedinterplayoftheinnerandtheouterthatthepupilmustseek.Hemustaimtobeharmonized—tousetheexpressionrepeatedagainandagainintheGita.

The inner and outer worlds correspond perfectly to one another, point forpointinGod’ssystem.SaysMadameBlavatskyinTheSecretDoctrine:

In the realmofhidden forces, anaudible sound is but a subjective colour,andaperceptiblecolour,butaninaudiblesound.41

Colourisspokenofhere,notform;itmakesthestatementmoreaccurate,forwereallyseeonlycolours,notforms.

Itisimpossibletosaywithanycertaintywhythisstateofhearingandseeingharmonized together is called the secondstage.Wecannot tellwhat systemof

stagesAryasangawas expounding, for a veil is drawn over his instructions atthispoint.Thelineofstopsmarksamissingportiondealingwiththethirdstage.Whentheteachingemergesagain(afterthishiatus)wefindAryasangadealingwith later stages exactly as theYogaSutras give them, namely (5) pratyahara,entirecontrolof thesenses,(6)dharana,concentration,(7)dhyana,meditation,and(8)samadhi,contemplation.

When the disciple sees and hears, and when he smells and tastes, eyesclosed,earsshut,withmouthandnostrilsstopped;whenthefoursensesblendandreadyaretopassintothefifth,thatoftheinnertouch—thenintostagethefourthhehathpassedon.

Therearesomeyogiswhodoliterallystopthemouthandnosewhengoinginto meditation or trance. The fingers are so placed as to keep the eyes, thenostrilsandthemouthclosed,andthesemenhavealsotrainedthetonguesothatthey can turn it upwards and backwards into the cavity above themouth, andthuspreventtheinletofair.Thisiscalledkhecharimudra,aspractisedbycertainhathayogis.Itisnotdonebytherajayogis,andisnotrecommendedhere.Thereisastageatwhichthepupilcanclosehiseyesandreproducewithinhimselforexperience in the astro-mental region the sensations of smell, taste, sight andtouch.Now,inordertowithdrawhimselftoastillhigherstatehemustattendtothe inner touch,which ishearing.Bygivinghis attention to the soundwithin,and tracing it into its finer and finer recesses, he brings himself to the pointwherehemaypractisepratyahara,therestraintofallsensation,theinneraswellastheouter,thatOfthehalloflearningaswellasthatofthehallofignorance.Thispracticeisdescribedinthenextverse:

Andinthefifth,Oslayerofthythoughts,alltheseagainhavetobekilledbeyondre-animation.

Theattentionisquitecommonlywithdrawntoalargeextentbymostpeoplewhen, for example, they are especially interested in a book; they do not thenrespondto the impressionsmadeuponthesensesby thevariousodours,sightsand sounds surrounding them. To put oneself into that condition at will ispratyahara, and it is a preparation for really successfulmeditation.Thekillingbeyondre-animationmeansnothingmore than that thesenses, likegooddogs,willliedownwhentoldtodoso,andwillnotgetupagainuntiltheyarecalled.Thereisafoot-noteatthispoint,asfollows:

This means that in the sixth stage of development which in the occultsystem,isDharana,everysenseasanindividualfacultyhastobe“killed”(orparalysed)onthisplane,passingintoandmergingwiththeseventhsense,themostspiritual.

Dharana is the sixth step of yoga, as given in the Yoga Sutras. It is thatconcentration of mind which we have already studied,42 and it follows uponpratyahara.Sincemindor chitta is regarded as a sixth sense,whendharana iscompleteandthatmindtherebyceasestofunctioninrelationtothethingsoftheexternalworld,intuition,herecalledtheseventhsense,arises.Lifeteachesusintwoways,bytuitionthattheworldgivesus,andbyintuition,theworkingoftheinner self. As men proceed on their evolutionary pilgrimage, their intuitionincreasesandtheydonotdependsomuchasbeforeontheinstructionthat theworldgives.Thisisonlyanotherwayofsayingthatthemanwhouseshisinnerpowerscanlearnmuchmorefromalittleexperiencethanothermencanfromagreatdeal.Becauseoftheactivityofhisinnateintelligencethedevelopedmanisabletoseethegreatsignificanceofevensmallthings;buttheundevelopedmindisfullofcuriosity.Itisconstantlyeagerfornovelty,because,notbeinggoodatthinking,itsoonexhauststheobvioussignificanceofcommonplacethings.Thismindistheonethatcravesmiraclesinconnectionwithitsreligiousexperience,asitisblindtothecountlessmiraclesthatsurrounditallthetime.

Withholdthymindfromallexternalobjects,allexternalsights.Withholdinternalimages,lestonthySoul-lightadarkshadowtheyshouldcast..ThouartnowinDharana,thesixthstage.

In thepracticeof concentration it is alwaysnecessary to considerboth theexternal and the internal sources of interruption. One must prevent the mindfromtakinganinterestinanyexternalthing,forifthisisnotdone,theslightestsoundwillawakenitscuriosityandspoiltheconcentration.Alsoonemuststopthemindfrombringingupwithinitselfimagesrelatingtothepastorthefuture;during the practice one must be completely uninterested in what happenedyesterday orwhat is likely to happen to-morrow.When this concentration hasbeensuccessfullyachieved,thenextandseventhstageofpracticebegins,whichiscalleddhyana,thatis,meditation.

Whenthouhastpassedintotheseventh,Ohappyone,thoushaltperceiveno more the sacred Three, for thou shalt have become that Three thyself.

Thyself and mind, like twins upon a line, the star which is thy goal burnsoverhead. The Three that dwell in glory and in bliss ineffable, now in theworld of Maya have lost their names. They have become one star, the firewhichistheUpadhioftheflame.

Andthis,OYogiofsuccess,iswhatmencallDhyana,therightprecursorofSamadhi.

Passing from dharana to dhyana, from concentration to meditation, theaspirant on this Path enters the buddhic consciousness. That is then “thyself”.Themind here spoken of is the highermanas, for the lowermanas has beensilenced.Themanasicprinciplehasbeenraisedinto thatofbuddhi,so thetwoarelike“twinsuponaline”,thetwolowercornersofatriangle,asisindicatedbythefollowingfoot-note:

Every stage of development inRajaYoga is symbolized by a geometricalfigure.ThisoneisthesacredtriangleandprecedesDharana.The∆isthesignofthehighchelas,whileanotherkindoftriangleisthatofhighInitiates.Itisthesymbol“I”discourseduponbyBuddhaandusedbyHimasasymboloftheembodiedformofTathagatawhenreleasedfromthethreemethodsofthePrajna. Once the preliminary and lower stages passed, the disciple sees nomorethe∆butthe—theabbreviationofthe—thefullseptenary.Itstrueformisnotgivenhere,asitisalmostsuretobepounceduponbysomecharlatansanddesecratedinitsuseforfraudulentpurposes.

The star that burns overhead is the atma. But it refers also, as MadameBlavatskysaysinanotherfootnote,tothestarofInitiation,whichshinesovertheheadoftheInitiate.AstheobjecttobeattainedistheFourthInitiation,thatoftheArhat, it is the star of that Initiation,which leads to the atmic or nirvanicplane,thatishisgoal.

Atthisstage,insteadoflookingupwardsinthought,andregardingthehighertriad (atma-buddhi-manas) as above oneself, as was the case heretofore, onefinds oneself to be in the buddhic state, manas being united with buddhi asmanas-taijasi.The“meditation”of theInitiateat thisstagewillultimately leadontoafurtherunionofbuddhiandatma.Upontheattainmentofthatunionthehigher triadwill have become one star, described in a foot-note as “the basis,Upadhi,oftheeverunreachableflame,solongastheasceticisstillinthislife”.Thefuel is thepersonality; thefire is this triplespirit; theflameis theMonad.

Even theAdept,while remaining in physical incarnation, does not enter fullyintothestateoftheMonad.SaysMadameBlavatsky:

Dhyanaisthelaststagebeforethefinalonthisearthunlessonebecomesafull Mahatma. As said already, in this state the Raja Yogi is yet spirituallyconsciousofself,andtheworkingofhishigherprinciples.Onestepmore,andhe will be on the plane beyond the seventh, the fourth according to someschools. These, after the practice of Pratyahara—a preliminary training, inorder to control one’s mind and thoughts—count Dharana, Dhyana andSamadhi, and embrace the three under the generic name of Sannyama.Samadhi is the state in which the ascetic loses the consciousness’ of everyindividuality,includinghisown.HebecomestheAll.

Itissignificantthatthethreeshouldlosetheirnames.Theyarenotforms,fortheir region is that of consciousness. The lower planes of the personality areplanesof form; then come theplanesof nameormeaning”, but theMonad isbeyondname,beyondwhatmencallconsciousness.

Thetextgoesontoindicatethat,havingattainedtothepracticeofsamadhi,the aspirant has now become an Arhat, and has reached the goal of theendeavourdiscussedinthisFragment.

CHAPTER13

THEGOAL

Andnow thyself is lost in Self, thyself untoThyself,merged in that Selffromwhichthoufirstdidstradiate.

Whereisthyindividuality,Lanoo,wheretheLanoohimself?Itisthesparklostinthefire,thedropwithintheocean,theever-presentraybecometheAllandtheeternalradiance.

Andnow,Lanoo, thouart thedoerand thewitness, the radiatorand theradiation,lightinthesound,andthesoundinthelight.

C.W.L.—Asamanrisesinlifetoarealizationthatthepersonalityismerely“it”,andthusraiseshiscentreofconsciousnesstothehigherself,sotherecomesthetimewhenhediscoversasafactofexperiencethatthatconsciousnessisonly“you”,not“I”.43When thatcomesabout, atorabout theFourth Initiation, thelowerselfbecomeslostinthetrueSelf,andwhatthemanhasthoughtorfelttobe his individuality goes. And just as he who has achieved the buddhic staterecognizes and accepts the consciousness of others as his own, and feels theirjoysandsorrowsashisown;sonowdoesthismanfindonlyonetrue“I”inall.

The distinction between the realization obtained by the initiate of lowerdegree, and thatof theArhat,between theconsciousnessof thebuddhicplaneandthatoftheatmic,hasbeengivenintheBhagavad-Gita.Intheformerstatethemansees thesameSelfequallydwelling inallbeings; in the latterheseesthatallareintheoneSelf.

This, according to Yoga Sutras, is the state of kaivalya, of “oneness”, offreedom,onthefullattainmentofwhichthedistinctionbetweenseerandseen,betweensubjectandobject,isdestroyed.

Thouart acquaintedwith the five impediments,Oblessed one.Thouarttheirconqueror,themasterofthesixth,delivererofthefourmodesoftruth.

The light that falls upon them shines from thyself, O thou who wastdisciple,butartTeachernow.

Andofthesemodesoftruth:

Hastthounotpassedthroughknowledgeofallmisery—truththefirst?

Hast thounotconquered theMaras’kingatTu, theportalofassembling—truththesecond?

Hastthounotsinatthethirdgatedestroyed,andtruththethirdattained?

Hast thounot enteredTau, thepath that leads toknowledge—the fourthtruth?

MadameBlavatskyadds:.

The four modes of truth are, in Northern Buddhism: Ku, suffering ormisery;Tu, the assembling of temptations:Mu, their destructions; andTau,the Path. The “five impediments” are the knowledge of misery, truth abouthuman frailty,oppressive restraints,and theabsolutenecessityof separationfromallthetiesofpassion,andevenofdesires.The“Pathofsalvation”isthelastone.

There are theFourNobleTruths taught to theworld by theLordBuddha.ThesewereSorrow,Sorrow’sCause,Sorrow’sCeasingandtheWay.Thesehavebeenputbefore theWesternworldwithwonderfulbeautyaridaccuracy inSirEdwinArnold’smatchlesspoem,TheLightofAsia, fromwhich the followingversesarequoted.ButallwhoseekinspirationonthePathshouldnotfailtoreadthewholework.

i.YethatwilltreadtheMiddleRoad,whosecourse

ii.BrightReasontracesandsoftQuietsmoothes;iii.YewhowilltakethehighNirvana-way,iv.ListtheFourNobleTruths.

v.TheFirstTruthisofSorrow.Benotmocked!

vi.Lifewhichyeprizeislong-drawnagony:vii.Onlyitspainsabide;itspleasuresareviii.Asbirdswhichlightandfly.

ix.Acheofthebirth,acheofthehelplessdays,x.Acheofhotyouthandacheofmanhood’sprime;xi.Acheofthechillgreyyearsandchokingdeath,xii.Thesefillyourpiteoustime.xiii.SweetisfondLove,butfuneral-flamesmustkissxiv.Thebreastswhichpillowandthelipswhichclingxv.GallantiswarlikeMight,butvulturespickxvi.ThejointsofchiefandKing.xvii.BeauteousisEarth,butallitsforest-broodsxviii.Plotmutualslaughter,hungeringtolive;xix.Ofsapphirearetheskies,butwhenmencryxx.Famished,nodropstheygive.xxi.Askofthesick,themourners,askofhimxxii.Whototterethonhisstaff,loneandforlorn,xxiii.“Likeththeelife?.”—thesesaythebabeiswisexxiv.Thatweepeth,beingborn.

xxv.TheSecondTruthisSorrow’sCause.Whatgrief

xxvi.SpringsofitselfandspringsnotofDesire?xxvii.Senses,andthingsperceivedmingleandlightxxviii.Passion’squicksparkoffire:xxix.SoflamethTrishna,lustandthirstofthings.xxx.Eageryecleavetoshadows,doteondreams;xxxi.AfalseSelfinthemidstyeplant,andmakexxxii.Aworldaroundwhichseems;xxxiii.Blindtotheheightsbeyond,deaftothesoundxxxiv.OfsweetairsbreathedfromfarpastIndra’ssky;xxxv.Dumbtothesummonsofthetruelifekept

xxxvi.Forhimwhofalseputsby.xxxvii.Sogrowthestrifesandlustswhichmakeearth’swar,xxxviii.Sogrievepoorcheatedheartsandflowsalttears;xxxix.Sowaxthepassions,envies,angers,hates;xl.Soyearschaseblood-stainedyearsxli.Withwildredfeet.So,wherethegrainshouldgrowxlii.Spreadsthebiran-weedwithitsevilrootxliii.Andpoisonousblossoms;hardlygoodseedsfindxliv.Soilwheretofallandshoot;xlv.And,druggedwithpoisonousdrink,thesouldeparts,xlvi.And,fiercewiththirsttodrink,Karmareturns;xlvii. Sense-struck again the sodden Self begins, And newdeceitsitearns.

xlviii.TheThirdisSorrow’sCeasing.Thisispeace

xlix.Toconquerloveofselfandlustoflife,l.Toteardeep-rootedpassionfromthebreast.li.Tostilltheinwardstrife;lii.ForlovetoclaspEternalBeautyclose;liii.ForglorytobeLordofself;forpleasureliv.Tolivebeyondthegods;forcountlesswealthlv.Tolayuplastingtreasurelvi.Ofperfectservicerendered,dutiesdonelvii.Incharity,softspeech,andstainlessdayslviii.Theserichesshallnotfadeawayinlife,lix.Noranydeathdispraise.lx.ThenSorrowends,forLifeandDeathhaveceased;lxi.Howshouldlampsflickerwhentheiroilisspent?lxii.Theoldsadcountisclear,thenewisclean;

lxiii.Thushathamancontent.

1.****

lxiv.TheFourthTruthisTheWay.Itopenethwide

lxv.Plainforallfeettotread,easyandnear,

lxvi.TheNobleEightfoldPath;itgoethstraight

lxvii.Topeaceandrefuge.Hear!lxviii.Manifoldtracksleadtoyonsister-peakslxix.Aroundwhosesnowsthegildedcloudsarecurled;lxx.Bysteeporgentleslopestheclimbercomeslxxi.Wherebreaksthatotherworld.lxxii.Stronglimbsmaydaretheruggedroadwhichstorms,lxxiii.Soaringandperilous,themountain’sbreast;lxxiv.Theweakmustwindfromslowerledgetoledge,lxxv.Withmanyaplaceofrest.lxxvi.SoistheEightfoldPathwhichbringstopeace;lxxvii.Bylowerorbyupperheightsitgoes.lxxviii.Thefirmsoulhastes,thefeebletarries.All

lxxix.Willreachthesunlitsnows.44

The five impediments in the way of the candidate for Arhatship may betakeninvariousforms.TheyarethefivementionedbyMadameBlavatskyinthefoot-notejustquoted,ortheyarethefirstfivefetters,ortheyarethefivekleshasmentionedintheYogaSutras,andalreadydiscussed.45

Andnow,rest‘neaththeBodhitree,whichisperfectionofallknowledge,for,know,thouartthemasterofSamadhi—thestateoffaultlessvision.

Behold!thouhastbecomethelight,thouhastbecomethesound,thouartthyMasterand thyGod.Thouart thyself theobjectof thy search: thevoiceunbroken,thatresoundsthroughouteternities,exemptfromchange,theseven

soundsinone,theVoiceoftheSilence.

AumTatSat.

TheterminationAumTatSatisoneoftheMaha-vakyamsor“greatsayings”oftheHindus.ThemeaningofAumwehavealreadyconsidered.46TatreferstotheSupreme.Philosophically,thepronounsheandsheareunsuitabletorefertothe Supreme, so Tat,meaning “That”, is employed.Beyond “it” and “you” isThat,whichis“I”.SotheexpressionmeansthatitisThatwhichistheReal.Allgoodworksbeginandendwiththisthought.

FRAGMENTII

THETWOPATHS

CHAPTER1

THEOPENGATE

C.W.L.—Wecomenow to thesecondFragmentwhichMadameBlavatskytranslatedfromTheBookoftheGoldenPrecepts—entitledTheTwoPaths.Thisis not necessarily a continuationof the firstFragment, calledTheVoiceof theSilence,althoughitdoesbeginbyaddressingonewhohasjustreachedthegoalofArhatship. There is nothing to show that the three Fragments stand in anyspecialrelationtooneanother.Theyaretoallintentsandpurposesthreeseparatebooksdealinginmuchthesamemannerwiththesamesubject.Itis,however,agreat advantage to the aspirant to hear the teaching about the Path again andagain in slightly different forms. It renews his enthusiasm, draws attention topoints which he may have overlooked, and generally gives him breadth ofvision.

ThepresentFragmentbeginsby addressingonewhohas just achieved thesummit of the Path, and the question arises:will he go onwards into nirvanicbliss,heedlessofthosewhoremainbehind,orwillheturnbackatthethresholdandhelpotherswhoareclimbing;willhetakeliberationforhimself,orwillhestaytohelptheworld?

Andnow,OTeacherofcompassion,pointThoutheway toothermen.Behold all those who, knocking for admission, await in ignorance anddarknesstoseethegateofthesweetLawflungopen!

Thevoiceofthecandidates:

ShaltnotThou,MasterofThineownmercy,reveal thedoctrineof theheart?ShaltThourefusetoleadThyservantsuntothePathofliberation?

TheopeningparagraphofthisFragmentmayatfirstseemalittlestrangetousinthesemoderndays.WearefamiliarwiththethoughtthatthePathisopentoanyoneanywhere, regardlessof race,creed, sex,casteorcolour,who lives thelifethatisprescribedforit.Why,then,shouldanypeoplebewaitingindarknessandignoranceforagatetobeflungopenforthem?

The fact is that at the time when the Lord Buddha taught in India, the

religionoftheBrahmanashadbecomeveryrigid.Originally,thatfaithhadbeenintensely joyous and free, but in course of time the caste system had beenextendedbythepriestsandrulerstoallkindsofdetails.TheplainsofIndiawerethickly populated with Atlanteans and Atlanto-Lemurians when the AryansdescendedintothecountryabouttenthousandyearsB.C.SotheManufounditnecessary to forbid intermarriage, and about 8,000B.C. he ordained the castesysteminorderthatnofurtheradmixturemightbemade,andthatthosealreadymademight be perpetuated.He founded at first only three castes—Brahmana,RajanandVish.The firstwerepureAryans, the secondAryanandToltec, thethirdAryanandMongolian.

ThecasteswerehencecalledtheVarnas,orcolours—thepureAryanswhite,theAryan and Toltec intermixture red, and theAryan andMongolian yellow.Thecasteswereallowedtointermarryamongthemselves,butafeelingquicklygrewup thatmarriages should be restrictedwithin the caste.Later, thosewhowerenotAryanat allwere includedunder thegeneral appellationofShudras,butevenhereinmanycasesacertainsmallamountofAryanbloodmayappear.Many of the hill tribes are partly Aryan—some few are wholly so, like theSiaposhpeopleandtheGipsytribes.

Therearepassages in theHinduscriptures toshowthat itwaspossible forindividualsofexceptionalcharacterandabilitytoberaisedincasterank,butitmusthavebeenavery rareoccurrence,andcertainly forsome timebefore theadvent of the Lord Buddha it had been generally held that only a Brahmanacouldhopefor liberation,andanyonewhowishedtoreachthatgoalmustfirstcontrivetobebornasaBrahmana.Thiswasnotaveryhopefuldoctrineforthemajorityofthepeople,sincetheBrahmanaswerenevernumerous—evento-daythere are only about thirteen millions of them in a population of some threehundredmillions—and they did not allow the lower caste people to study thesacredbooks.

But theBuddha’s teaching flung thegateswideopen.He taught thatequalrespectshouldbeshowntooneofanycastewholivedthelife,andconverselythataBrahmanawhodoesnotlivethelifewasnotworthyofrespect,asinthefollowingversefromtheVasalaSutta:

i.Notbybirthdoesonebecomelowcaste,

ii.NotbybirthdoesonebecomeaBrahmana;

iii.Byactionsaloneonebecomeslowcaste,

iv.ByhisactionsaloneonebecomesaBrahmana.

Many Brahmanas have told me that they actually feel the truth of this inpracticallife;theyfindthemselvesmoredrawntothoseoflowercasteswholivetheidealsoftheBrahmanalifethantomembersoftheirowncastewhoneglectitsidealsandliveatalowerstandard.

TheaimoftheLordBuddhawasnottofoundanewreligion,buttoreformHinduism. For a time almost all India called itself Buddhist. There wereBuddhistHindus just as at present in the north-west there aremanywho callthemselvesSikhHindus.BuddhismasareligionhaslongvanishedfromIndia;thetwentymillionorsoofwhomwereadinstatisticsasbeinginIndiabelongtothe-Province of Burma, which is geographically and ethnographically quite aseparate land. But the effect that the Lord Buddha desired to produce stillremainstoalargeextentintheHindureligionofthepresentday.Asaninstanceof this one maymention the effect upon animal sacrifices, against which theBuddhaspokeverystrongly;theywereverycommonbeforeHistime,butnowthey are quite rare. Again, in India today every holy man is regarded withreverencebyall,whatevermayhavebeenhiscastebeforehebecameasannyasi.And people all over the country respect theBhagavad-Gita as of the highestauthority,yetitisabookofthemostliberalcharacter.InittheLordsays:

ThesameamItoallbeings;thereisnonehatefultomenordear.Theyverilywhoworshipmewithdevotion, theyare inme,andIalso in them.Even if themost sinful worship me, with undivided heart, he too must be accountedrighteous,forhehathrightlyresolved;speedilyhebecomethdutifulandgoethtoeternal peace, O Kaunteya; know thou for certain that my devotee perishethnever. They who take refuge with me, O Partba, though of the womb of sin,women,Vaishyas,evenShudras,theyalsotreadthehighestpath.47

ItmustnotbeassumedthatShriKrishnaishereplacingwomenandothersonalower level, but that he is refuting a number of popular superstitions, amongthemtheideathatthosewhoareinfemalebodiesarenecessarilyinferiorandsocannotsucceedinhighspiritualaims.

MadameBlavatskyexplainsinafoot-notethattherearetwoSchoolsoftheBuddha’sdoctrine, theesotericandtheexoteric,respectivelycalledthe“heart”

and the“eye”doctrine, and that the formeremanated from theBuddha’sheartwhile the latterwas theworkofHisbrainorhead.Another interpretation thatwas given to me relates the terms to the eye and heart of the candidate: theschemeof thingsmaybe learntby theeye,but thehigherpathcanbeenteredonlywhentheheartisintunewiththeinnerlife.

The whole passage is based upon an alleged hesitation on the part of theBuddhaastowhetherHeshouldpreach.ItissaidthatasHesatundertheBodhitreeonthemorningfollowingHisIllumination,Hedoubtedwhether theworldwouldunderstandandfollowHim,untilHeheardavoiceasoftheearthinpain,which cried: “Surely I am lost; I and my creatures!” And then, again: “Oh,Supreme,letThygreatLawbeuttered!”48

QuoththeTeacher: The paths are two; the great perfections three; six are the

virtuesthattransformthebodyintothetreeofknowledge.

TothisMadameBlavatskyaddsthefollowingfootnote:

The treeofknowledge isa titlegivenby thefollowersof theBodhidharma(WisdomReligion)tothosewhohaveattainedthe height of mystic knowledge—Adepts. Nagarjuna, thefounderoftheMadhyamikaSchool,wascalledthedragon-tree, the dragon standing as a symbol of wisdom andknowledge. The tree is honoured because it is under theBodhi (wisdom) tree that Buddha received His birth andenlightenment,preachedHisfirstsermon,anddied.

SwamiT.SubbaRowhadasomewhatdifferentinterpretationofthissymbolof a tree. He said that the body of the candidate had become a channel ofknowledge(andwemayaddofforceaswell),sothatitwasoneofthetwigsontheTreewhichisthetotalwisdomoftheworld.Wemayadd,too,theideathatthe Initiate is part of the great tree that is the Hierarchy, the Great WhiteBrotherhood,thathasitsrootsfarupinthehigherplanes,andwhosebranchesramify into every part of human life, and even down to the lower kingdoms.Those who have read the later chapters of The Masters and the Path willappreciate this ancient symbol of a tree, for there it is shown how theOccultHierarchybranchesoutwardfromonegreatRoot.

Inthisstatementaboutthetwopaths,thethreegreatperfections,andthesixvirtues, we have an instance of the methodical character of the Buddha’steaching.HealwayshelpedHisfollowerstorememberHisteachingbygivingittotheminatabularform.Therewere,forexample,theFourNobleTruths,eachrepresentedbyasinglewordwhichwouldcalltorecollectionaquitedefinitesetofideas.TherewerealsotheNobleEightfoldPath,theTenSins,classedasthreeof thebody, fourofspeechand threeof themind,and theTwelveNidanas,orsuccessivecausesofmateriallifeandsorrowforman.

The transcendental virtues, or paramitas, are sometimes reckoned as six,sometimesseven,butmorecommonlyasten.WheninCeylon,IlearnedofthemastenfromtheHighPriestSumangala:thefirstsix,hesaid,areperfectcharity,perfect morality, perfect truth, perfect energy, perfect kindness, and perfectwisdom; theother four that are sometimes added especially for thepriests areperfectpatience,perfect resignation,perfect resolution,andperfectabnegation.In theAwakening of Faith of Ashvagosha, translated into English by TeitaroSuzuki, the Paramitas are thus enumerated: Charity (dana) morality (sila),patience(ksanti),energy(virya),meditation(dhyana),wisdom(prajna)andthefouradditionalones:expediency(upaya),prayerorvow(pranidhana),strength(bala), knowledge (jnana). In the foot-note to the Voice of the Silence, 1924edition, a list taken from Eitel’s Chinese Buddhism is given thus: charity,morality, patience, energy, contemplation andwisdom; and in addition for thepriests:useofrightmeans,science,piousvows,andforceofpurpose.

WheninCeylonIcomparedthestatementsofOrientalistswiththefeelingsand thoughtsof theBuddhists themselves.There is agreatdifferencebetweenthetwo,fortheformeraregenerallyverywooden,butthelatterarefulloflife.Yet the learnedmonkshaveanaccuracyofknowledgeat leastequal to thatofthemosteruditeOrientalists.SirEdwinArnold,inhisLightofAsia,hasgivenavery remarkably accurate representationof the living sideofBuddhism.SomehavesaidthathereadChristianideasandfeelingsintoBuddhism,butthatwasnotsointheleast;IcantestifythatthesentimentsdescribedinthepoemreallyexistamongtheBuddhistpeople.

Whoshallapproachthem?Whoshallfirstenterthem?Whoshallfirsthearthedoctrineoftwopathsinone,thetruth

unveiledabout theSecretHeart?Thelawwhich,shunninglearning,teacheswisdom,revealsataleofwoe.

Alas,alas,thatallmenshouldpossessAlaya,beonewiththegreat Soul, and that, possessing it, Alaya should so littleavailthem!

Behold how, like the moon reflected in the tranquil waves,Alayaisreflectedbythesmallandthegreat,ismirroredinthetiniestatoms,yetfailstoreachtheheartofall.Alas,thatso fewmen should profit by the gift, the priceless boon oflearning truth, the right perception of existing things, theknowledgeofthenon-existent!

TheSecretHeartistheesotericdoctrine.ItisasymbolthatcomesdowntousfromAtlanteandays.IntheinnermostshrineofthegreattempleintheCityoftheGoldenGatetherelayuponthealtaramassivegoldenboxintheshapeofaheart,thesecretopeningofwhichwasknownonlytothehighpriest.Thiswascalled“theHeartof theWorld”,andsignified to themthe innermostmysteriesthat they knew. In it they kept their most sacred objects, and much of theirsymbolismcentredaround it.Theyknewthateveryatombeatsasaheart,andtheyconsideredthatthesunhadasimilarmovement,whichtheyconnectedwiththesun-spotperiod.Sometimesonecomesacrosspassagesintheirbookswhichgive the impression that they knew more than we do in matters of science,thoughtheyregardeditallfromthepoeticratherthanfromthescientificpointofview. They thought, for example, that the earth breathes andmoves, and it iscertainly true that quite recently scientificmenhavediscovered that there is aregular daily displacement of the earth’s surface whichmay be thought of ascorrespondinginacertainwaytobreathing.

WhenAryasanga uses the term “secret heart”He alsomeans all the innermysteries.MadameBlavatsky’sfoot-notesays:

TheSecretHeartistheesotericdoctrine.

HeretheTeacherby“shunninglearning”certainlymeansthattherearetimeswhenwemustturnourattentionawayfromthemeregainingofknowledgefromtheoutsidethroughthesenses,thatwemaygivetimetothedevelopmentoftheinner learning through intuition.We cannot be wise without having sufficientlearningorknowledgewithregardtothethingsthatwehavetodealwithinthe

world,inourparticularsphereofduty;butontheotherhandweshouldbemuchin error if we thought that the greatest thing in life was to accumulate greatstoresofknowledge,orwereeventoimaginethatsuchknowledgehadintrinsicvalue,apartfromtheusethatwecanmakeofitintheserviceofmankind.

InEurope there is a tendency to approach things and study them from theoutside,whiletheEasternmethodisrathertoconsiderthemfromwithin.Bothmethods are necessary at our present state of evolution. When the buddhicvehicleisdeveloped,andintuitioncomesdownintothephysicalbrainfromthatlevel,itwillgiveustruewisdom,perfectknowledge,butinveryfewpeopleisityetsufficientlydeveloped.

Evenifweareabletokeepourheadsamongtheclouds,itisnecessarythatourfeetshouldrestfirmlyontheearth,andwemust treat impressionscomingfrom within with balanced judgment, just as we apply common sense to theexperiences of everyday life. This is necessary, because it is quite easy tomistakeimpulses,comingfromtheastralbody,forintuitionswhichcomefromthe higher self. Sometimes it happens, for example, that a dead person seeingthatweareinterestedinsomeparticularpoint,offersasuggestionontheastralplane,andthismaycomedownintothebrainandseemlikeintuition.Yet,asamatteroffact,thatdeadpersonmaybeaveryincompetentobserverontheastralplane,andmaythereforebegivingquitewronginformation.

ThisadvicetoshunlearningisusefulnotonlytothosewhoareonthePath,butalsotoeveryonewhoisatallstudious,ifwetakeittomean,asitdoes,thatweshouldavoidmorelearning.Agreatamountofstudyofthemereoutsideofthings often leads to materialism. Because they see around them greatcataclysms, sacrifice, oppression, sorrow and suffering, and a vast amount ofprayingtowhichnoanswerseemstobevouchsafed,manypeoplecometothinkthatconflictandstruggleisthelawoflife,thatnatureisnotcompassionate.Buttostudytheworldasfullyaspossible,allthetimeregardingitasagreatschoolfor the lifedwelling in itsmultifarious forms, leads towisdom,whichenablesonetoseethatallthingsaremovingtogetherforgood.Whenonedevelopsastralandhigher formsofvision this fact thatall iswell isno longeramatter tobeunderstoodbycareful reasoning; it leaps to theeyes.Noonewith suchvisioncouldbeamaterialist.

ThewordAlayameans simply a dwelling or house. Esoterically,Madame

Blavatskysays,ithasatleastadoublemeaning,asbeingboththeuniversalsoul,andtheSelfofanadvancedAdept.It is therealdwellingorhomeofman,theuniversal aspect of thatwhich is buddhi in the spiritual triad inman. It is themaleorpositive aspectof theuniversal soul, theLogos. It is theOver-soulofEmerson,theuniversalHigherSelfofallbeings.ItiswhatPlatocalledNous,aprinciplefreefrommatteryetactingwithdesign,thejivatmaoftheHindus,thesourceofthedivinecreativethought.InotherwordsitisintheSecondLogos,theuniversalspiritualsoul,ofwhichthebuddhiineachmanisaray.Thatoneshould have “knowledge of the non-existent” must certainly look strange tothosewho do not know the exact philosophicalmeaning of the lastword. Toexistmeanstostandoutsideof,tohaveexternalorobjectivebeing.Thekindofbeing that is called existence belongs to all the world that is seen as outsideourselves,buttheindwellinglifeorconsciousnesshasitsownstateofbeing—callit“istence”ifyoulike,butnot“existence”.Nothingcouldbemorerealthantherealityof thisconsciouslife,whichwealsopossessbecausewearepartofthesameLogos—andthatisthe“non-existent”ofwhichtheaspirantmustgainknowledge.Everymanisessentiallydivine;buttorealizeithemuststandoutofhisownlight—thentherewillbenoshadow,noillusion.

CHAPTER2

HEAD-LEARNINGANDSOUL-WISDOM

Saiththepupil:

Teacher,what shall I do to reach towisdom?Owise one,what, to gainperfection?

Searchforthepaths.But,OLanoo,beofcleanheartbeforethoustartestonthyjourney.Beforethoutakestthyfirststep,learntodiscerntherealfromthe false, the ever-fleeting from the everlasting. Learn above all to separatehead-learningfromSoul-wisdom,the“eye”fromthe“heart”doctrine.

C.W.L.—Thereisnothingthatcanbesaidhereonthesubjectoftherealandthe unreal that has not already been dealt with at length in the comment on“Fromtheunrealleadmetothereal”inAttheFeetoftheMaster.49

Yea,ignoranceislikeuntoaclosedandairlessvessel;theSoulabirdshutupwithin.Itwarblesnot,norcanitstirafeather;butthesongstermuteandtorpidsits,andofexhaustiondies.

But even ignorance is better thanhead-learningwithnoSoul-wisdom toilluminateandguideit.

Nooccultprogressatallispossibleforamanwhileheisextremelyignorant,howevermuchhemaybedevelopedinotherways.WithoutsomeknowledgeoftheTruth,andofthePath,hewillnotmoveinadefinitedirection.Mostpeoplehave very little knowledge ofwhat itmeans to be really aman,what are thequalities and actionswhichmake for progress andwhat for retrogression, andthey have no conception of the great destiny towhich all are slowlymoving.Therefore theirprogress isvery,veryslow.Wehave investigatedclairvoyantlyasmanyasahundredsuccessivelivesofsomesecondclasspitris,ormenofthesecondgrade,andfindscarcelyanyperceptiblegrowthattheendofthatseries.

Thereis,however,,asteadythoughslowevolutionofthewholemassoflifegoing on all the time, and the man has shared in this general progress.Absolutely he has gone forward, but relatively he has done little.Mr. Sinnett

comparedthisadvancetothatofapersongoingroundandroundatowerbyawindingstaircase;hecomes to thesamepositionandoutlookagainandagain,buteverytimejustalittlebithigherthanbefore.Itwouldseemalmostasthoughmenwerebeingtreatedalittlebetterthantheydeserve,forweseethateventheignorantman,whosethoughtsareselfishinninecasesoutoften,isadvancinginthisway.Butthefactisthatevenalittleforcedirectedtowardsthehigherthingsisfarmorepotentthanagreatdealofforceturnedtowardsthelowerthings.Ifonetenthofaman’sthoughtsarespiritualheisbeyondtheaverage;eveninsucha case the man is taking nine steps backward for one step forward, butfortunately thenine stepsbackwardarevery short and theone step forward isvery long. It takesabad life tobalancegoodandevil, and to fallbackamanmust be exceptionally bad. Then again, the effect of a little good is very far-reaching on account of the close association that obtains amongmen, and hewhosetsitgoingreceivesmuchgoodkarma.

Butifignoranceisagreatobstacletoprogress,knowledgethatisnotappliedislittlebetter;italsodoesnotcountforverymuch.Evenifamanisinterestedinoccultmattershemaystayapparentlyatthesamelevellifeafterlife;forifitisnotappliedtheknowledgedoeslittlegood.Toputknowledgeintopracticeisanabsolutelynecessaryconditionforrapidprogress.

Theseedsofwisdomcannotsproutandgrowinairlessspace.Toliveandreap experience, the mind needs breadth and depth and points to draw ittowards theDiamondSoul.Seeknot thosepoints inMaya’s realm;but soarbeyondillusion,searchtheeternalandthechangelessSat,mistrustingfancy’sfalsesuggestions.

Inherfoot-note,MadameBlavatskysaysthattheDiamondSoul,Vajrasattva,isatitleofthesupremeBuddha,theLordofallmysteries,calledVajradharaandAdi-Buddha. In The Secret Doctrine, however, she points out the distinctionbetween Vajrasattva and Vajradhara. Vajra is a diamond; sattva in such aconnectionasthismeans“bynature”,thatis,acharacterorsoul,soVajrasattvais one whose nature or character is like a diamond.Dhara means holding orbearing,soVajradharaisonewhoholdsadiamond.Avalokiteshvara,“theLordwho is seen”, is Vajrasattva, theDiamond-Soul orDiamond-Heart, and is thesynthetic reality of all the Dhyani-Buddhas. The First Logos is Vajradhara orVajrapani, the Diamond-Holder, or the Diamond-Handed One, also calledDorjechanginTibetan.Heis theonebeyondallconditioningormanifestation,

butHe sends into theworldof subjectivemanifestation, the expressionofHisHeart—VajrasattvaorDorjesempa,theSecondLogos.50

That thereshouldbespecialpoints required todrawthecandidate intofulltouch with That is analogous to what we have seen in the process ofindividualizationofananimal.Inthiscase,thepointsarethefinerqualitiesthatitdevelops,suchasaffectionanddevotion,bymeansofwhichitreachesupintothe human condition of consciousness. The mind of man must also put outspecialpointsinorderthatitmayunitewiththeSoul,andfortheInitiatethosepointsmustriseupintobuddhi,whichis theprinciple in thereincarnatingselfcorrespondingtotheVajrasattvaatastillhigherlevel.SwamiT.SubbaRowsaidthatitreferredtotheatmadrawingtheegointotheMonad.Thesamesimilecanthusbeemployedatmanydifferentlevels.

Formindislikeamirror;itgathersdustwhileitreflects.

This,saysMadameBlavatsky,isfromthedoctrineofShin-Sien,whotaughtthat thehumanmind is likeamirrorwhichattractsand reflectseveryatomofdust,andhas tobe, like thatmirror,watchedoveranddustedeveryday.Shin-SienwasthesixthpatriarchofNorthChina,whotaughttheesotericdoctrineofBodhidharma.

InTheSecretDoctrinesheexplainsthepositionofBodhidharma,asfollows:

WhenthemisuseofdogmaticalorthodoxBuddhistScriptureshadreacheditsclimax,and the true spiritof theBuddha’sPhilosophywasnearly lost, severalreformers appeared from India, who established an oral teaching. Such wereBodhidharma and Nagarjuna, the authors of the most important works of thecontemplativeSchoolinChinaduringthefirstcenturiesofourera.51

Thedustonthemirrortypifiestheprejudices,illusionsandfancieswhicharein the astral and mental bodies ‘ these are clearly visible to the sight of therespectiveplanesasdecidedobstaclestobetterthoughtorfeeling.TheeffectsoftheseimpedimentsandthemeanstogetridofthemwehavealreadyconsideredcarefullyinthetalksonAttheFeetoftheMaster.52

Itneeds thegentlebreezesofSoul-wisdomtobrushawaythedustofourillusions.Seek,Obeginner,toblendthymindandSoul.

Shun ignorance and likewise shun illusion. Avert thy face from world

deceptions;mistrustthysenses;theyarefalse.Butwithinthybody—theshrineof thy sensations—seek in the impersonal for theEternalMan; and havingsoughthimout,lookinward:thouartBuddha.

Common experience tells us that the senses must be mistrusted. Theimpressions of sight, for example, must be corrected by careful study of thefacts,andjudgmentaboutthem,asinthematteroftheapparentmovementofthesunroundtheearth.Caremustbetaken,however,nottoreadintothisstatementthe idea that the senses are not to be used. Theymust be employed on everyplane for the gaining of knowledge, and for doing thework and dutywithoutwhichthereisnoprogress.

Theeternalmanisthereincarnatingego,whoselifeisage-longascomparedwiththatofthepersonality,persistingasitdoesthroughourcompleteseriesofhumanbirthsanddeaths.

ThewordBuddhaisusedinthreedistinctsenses.Sometimes,asinthiscase,it means simply enlightened, illuminated, or wise. Sometimes it is used as anamefortheLordGautama.InothercasesitmeansthehighofficeintheOccultHierarchyoftheHeadoftheSecondRay,thegreatdepartmentofteachingandreligion,whichhasbeendescribedinTheMastersandthePath.TheBuddhistshavealistoftwenty-fourBuddhas,ofwhomthepresentholderoftheofficeistheLordGautama,whowillbesucceededinthefarfuturebytheLordMaitreya.

Shunpraise,Odevotee:praiseleadstoself-delusion.ThybodyisnotSelf,thySelfisinitselfwithoutabody,andeitherpraiseorblameaffectsitnot.

Self-gratulation,Odisciple,islikeuntoaloftytower,upwhichahaughtyfoolhasclimbed.There-onhesitsinpridefulsolitudeandunperceivedbyanybuthimself.

Verymanymenhavebeen spoiledbyunduepraise; it leads topride in allwhodonotseeclearlywhatliesaheadofthemorabovethem.ThosepupilswhoaresufficientlyclairvoyanttoseetheMastersfrequentlyarenotsopronetothisdangerasmanyothersare,becausetheycannotbutcomparetheirownlittlenesswith the Master’s greatness, their own farthing rushlight with His glorioussunlight. It is themanwho is lookingdownward, andcomparinghimselfwiththosewhoarebeneathhimself,whoismostlikelytofallthroughpride.

But the best way of all is not to think of oneself, but to be constantlyoccupiedwiththeworkoftheMaster.Thereisforallofuseverydayfarmoreofthattobedonethanwecanpossiblyaccomplish:anditisonlytakingenergyandtimeawayfromthatifwespenditinthinkingaboutourlittleselves.Therearenodoubt several reasonswhy theMastersdonot showThemselvesmore thanTheydotothosewhoareintheearlierstagesofTheirservice.Oneoftheseisthatthepupil,seeingtheMastersofarabovehim,mightbeoverwhelmedwithhis own insignificance and lose confidence in his own ability towork for theMaster. So, while it is necessary to avoid pride on the one hand, one mustequallyavoidtheunder-estimationofone’spowersontheother.Here,asever,themiddlepathistherightone.

Thesimileofatowerisindeedagoodone,forpridedoesshutamanawayfromhisfellows.If,forexample,heisproudofhislearning,hewillbeanxioustokeepothersmoreignorant thanhimself,soastoenjoyhissuperiorposition,andevenwhenhedoesgiveouthisknowledge itwillonlybe for the sakeofdisplayingit.Suchamanisengagedallthetimeinenlargingthegulfbetweenhimselfandotherpeople,sothathemaylookdownonthemfromabove.

False learning is rejected by thewise, and scattered to thewinds by theGoodLaw.Itswheelrevolvesforall,thehumbleandtheproud.Thedoctrineof the eye is for the crowd; the doctrine of the heart for the elect. The firstrepeat in pride: “Behold, I know”; the last, they who in humbleness havegarnered,lowconfess:“ThushaveIheard.”

Everyreligionincourseoftimegathersrounditselfmanyspeculationsandotheraccretions.Forexample,inHinduism,inthePuranasonereadsofdozensof things thatpeopleare told that theymustdoormustnotdo;manyof thosehave been invented by the priests, either for their own convenience andadvantageorbecauseof an excessive estimationof thevalueofmanyprayersandceremonies.Alsoparticular interpretationsofearliersayingsaredevelopedintodogmasandattachedto theoriginal teaching,as, for instance, thehorribleeternalhellteachingwhichstillpersistsamongmostChristians.

The esoteric teaching at once scatters these to the winds, as it brings theattentionbacktotheessentialandvitaltruths.Still, toactfromtheheartisthewayonlyofastrongandadvancedman.Forthemasses,wanderingslowlyalongthebroad roadofevolutionwhichwindsgentlyup thehill-side, thebooksare

stillthemainguide.Thosepeoplearenotyetinthepositionthatisdescribedasfollows in theGarudaPurana: “Having practised theVedas and the Shastras,andhavingknowntheTruth,thewisemancanabandonallthescriptures,justasonerichingrainsabandonsthestraw.”

370.EveryBuddhistscripturebeginswith,“Thussays—”,or,“ThushaveIheard.”Itisahumblebeginning.Itdoesnotsay,“Thisisabsolutelyso,andyoumustbelieveit,”but,“Thisiswhathasbeensaid,anditwouldbewelltotrytounderstandit,andsocometoaknowledgeoftherealfacts.”Itistheattitudeofenquiry,notofdogmatism.Yet,strangetosay,therehavebeenthosewhohavetakenitinanother,andquiteawrongsense.Theysay,“Itisnousepropoundinganythingdifferentonthissubject,forthusithasbeensaidwithauthority”!

“GreatSifter“isthenameoftheheartdoctrine,Odisciple.

Thewheelof theGoodLawmovesswiftlyon.Itgrindsbynightandday.Theworthlesshusks itdrives fromout thegoldengrain, therefuse from theflour.ThehandofKarmaguidesthewheel;therevolutionsmarkthebeatingsofthekarmicheart.

Trueknowledgeistheflour,falselearningisthehusk.Ifthouwould’steatthebreadofwisdom,thyflourthouhasttokneadwithAmrita’sclearwaters.ButifthoukneadesthuskswithMaya’sdew,thoucanstcreatebutfoodfortheblackdovesofdeath,thebirdsofbirth,decayandsorrow.

The heart doctrine is called the Great Sifter because as one works in theworldinthemannerwhichitdirects,themistakesonemakesandthedefectsonehas aregradually siftedout and removed. If oneweredoingworkwithout theidealsoftheinnerdoctrine,onemightgoonmakingthesamekindofmistakesagainandagain,lifeafterlife.MadameBlavatskysomewherewrotethatitwasonethingtodesiretodogood,andanothertoknowwhatisgoodtodo.Yet,withour imperfect knowledge, we must go forth and do the best we can. It issomething like learning a language. It is a mistake to try to learn it quiteperfectlyfrombooksbeforeonemakesanyattempttospeakit;onemustplungeintoit,andmakemistakesinit,andintheeffortonewilllearninduecoursetospeak without mistakes. But that will come about, of course, only if oneconversesinitwithotherswhoalreadyknowthelanguagecorrectly.

SimilarlytheMaster,thoughHemaybeunseen,willguidethepupilwhois

sincerelytryingtodohisbest,intotheexperiencesthatwillsiftouthisfaultsandmistakes.Keepinmindtheconvictionthatthefinalgoodwillinevitablycome,and let theheartbe fullof love; thenyoumayworkwithout fearofmistakes.Theywillbecomesmallerandsmaller,andfewerandfewer,andwilleventuallydieaway.

Thereisamoraltobedrawnfromtheanalogyofflourandbread.Thetrueknowledge that you gain does not give you bread, but merely the flour withwhich thebreadofwisdomhas tobemade.Thekneading is theactionof thehigherself,whichworksuponexperiencesandconvertsthemintorealwisdom.Inordinarymenmostofthiskneadingisdoneduringthedevachanicperiod,butthepupiloftheMasterhassobroadenedthechannelbetweenthehigherandthelowerselfthatheisgainingwisdomallthetime.

Hewho takes only external knowledge, and studies it overwith the lowermind,inthelightofmerepersonalnecessityandpleasures,iscertainlykneadinghuskswithmaya’sdew.Heisnotpreparingforthetriumphofthehigherself;heisnot treadingthePath,but ispreparingthekarmaoffuturebirthsanddeaths,forthefuturevehiclesandpersonalitiesthatwilldecayanddie.

CHAPTER3

THELIFEOFACTION

IfthouarttoldthattobecomeArhanthouhasttoceasetoloveallbeings—tellthemtheylie.

If thou art told that to gain liberation thou hast to hate thymother anddisregard thy son; to disavow thy father and call himhouseholder; formanandbeastallpitytorenounce—tellthemtheirtongueisfalse.

ThusteachtheTirthikas,theunbelievers.

Ifthouarttaughtthatsinisbornofactionandblissofabsoluteinaction,thentellthemthattheyerr.Non-permanenceofhumanaction,deliveranceofmindfromthraldombythecessationofsinandfaults,arenotforDevaEgos.Thussaiththedoctrineoftheheart.

C.W.L.—To call a man a householder is to say that his interests are stillcentredinworldlythings,buttodothiswithcontempt,asisimpliedinthetext,would certainly indicate the proud and austere qualities of the left-hand path,leadinguptotheheightsoftheblackmagicians,whoregardthebestofhumanlove as nothing butmere sentimentality. Even though the candidatemay haverisenabovepersonaldesires,hecannotdespisethosewhoarestillattheearlierstageofevolution,norcanhe ignore them.Compassionandeagerness tohelparethequalitiesofhisnature.

That the expression householdermust be taken in ametaphorical sense isindicatedinafoot-notebyMadameBlavatsky,asfollows:

Rathapala,thegreatArhat, thusaddresseshisfatherinthelegendcalledRathapala Sutrasanne. But as all such legends are allegorical (e.g.,Rathapala’sfatherhadamansionwithsevendoors)hencethereprooftothosewhoacceptthemliterally.

MadameBlavatsky describes the Tirthikas as “ascetic Brahmanas, visitingholyshrines,especiallysacredbathing-places.”ATirthaisliterallya“crossing-place”. It is thusa landingorbathingplace,oranyshrine,which isacrossing

placetotheotherworldsorthehigherlife.Ashrineisthusaplacewherethereisa special connection between the inner and the outer worlds. Probably theorthodox Brahmanas and Hindus in general who visit such Tirthas as, forexample,BenaresorHardwar,werecalledunbelieversbecause theydidnot inmostcasesfollowtheBuddhainHisassertionthat“withinoneselfdeliverancemustbesought.”

In the talksonAt theFeetof theMasterwehaveconsideredat length thenecessityforaction,andhowtheremaybeintenseactivityofthebody,andyetthemanwithinmaybecalm,steady,sereneandstrong.TheDevaEgosmeansthe reincarnating egos, according toMadame Blavatsky, but Swami T. SubbaRowexplained the termasmeaning thosewhoaspire toworkwith theDevasandforthehelpingoftheworld.

The teachingof theBookof theGoldenPrecepts isobviously intended forthosewhowishtofollowthatlineofwork.Atpresenttherearenotverymanyegosinincarnationwhoarereadyforspecialteachingandtraining—itwouldbeoflittleuse,forexample,toseekamongthedwellersintheeastendofLondonforpeoplewhoarereadytobecomepupilsoftheMasters.Butastimegoesonthe numbers requiring attention will increase very rapidly, and within a fewhundredyearstheremustbemanyArhatspreparedtoteachthem.Thusalargenumber of helperswill be needed, and it is to thatwork thatmany of us arecalled.

TheDharma of the eye is the embodiment of the external and the non-existing.

TheDharmaoftheheartistheembodimentofBodhi,thepermanentandeverlasting.

Theworddharmamayherebetranslated“formofreligion”or“belief”,andbodhiissimply“wisdom”.

Thelampburnsbrightwhenwickandoilareclean.Tomakethemcleanacleaner is required. The flame feels not the process of the cleaning. “Thebranchesofatreeareshakenbythewind;thetrunkremainsunmoved.”

Both action and inactionmay find room in thee; thy body agitated, thymindtranquil,thySoulaslimpidasamountainlake.

Whateversufferingtheremaybeonthepathofprogressisexperiencedonlyby the lower self.TheSelf seatedwithin knows the value evenof the painfulexperienceandisthereforequitesatisfied.Manypeopledonotunderstandthatsuffering is very largely a question of attitude; in Esoteric Christianity ourPresidenthasexplainedhowsomeofthegreatmartyrswerefilledwithjoywhileundergoingwhatwouldbeterriblepaintoothers,becausetheywerethinkingofthegreathonour thatwas theirs tosuffersofor thesakeof theirLord.Soit istruethatatlastwrongideasorignorancearethebasisofallsuffering.

Physical suffering is the most difficult to deal with. We may be ablesometimestodrawawayfromthephysicalbodywhenitisinpain,butthatdoesnot mean that we have conquered the pain. If it is the result of a particulardisease inwhich amicrobe has to run its course, no amount of assertionwillenable anordinaryperson todrive it away;but in all cases a cheerful attitudemakes a big difference. Most people can conquer astral pain, if they setthemselves the task; theycan refuse topermit their feelings todwellupon theideathatgivesthemsorrow.Undesirableemotions,suchasjealousy,envy,prideandfear,maybedescribedasastraldiseases;theycanalwaysbeeradicatedbypersistentefforttofeeltheoppositeemotions.Mentalsuffering,chieflyworry,iseveneasiertocontrol.

Inthecausalbodyamanmighthaveanuneasysenseofincompletenessorinsufficiency—butnothingmorethanthat.Thoughhemayfeeldisappointmentatthedefectsofhislowerrepresentative,heknowsenoughtobepatientandtopersevere. He is not ignorant; but it is ignorance thatmakes our suffering sopoignantdownhere.Inchildhood,whenwewerestillmoreignorant,atroublelastingonedayseemedaterribletragedy;ifwefailedtopassanexaminationtheideaofwaitingawholeyearfor thenextopportunityseemedtousacalamity,thoughinlaterlifeayeardoesnotseemalongperiodoftime.Tothepersonalityalife’sfailuremayseematragedy,buttotheego,whohasknownhundredsorthousandsofincarnations,itmaynotappearsovastlyimportant.

Theegohasputdownapersonalitymuchasafishermanmakesacast.Hedoesnotexpectthateverycastwillbesuccessful,andheisnotdeeplytroubledifoneprovesafailure.Tolookafterapersonalityisonlyoneofhisactivities,sohemayverywellconsolehimselfwithsuccessesinotherlinesofactivity.Inanycase,itisthelossofaday,andhemaysay,“Oh,well,wewillhopetodobetterto-morrow.”Oftenthepersonalitywouldlikemoreattentionfromtheegoabove

him,andhemaybesurethathewillreceiveitassoonashedeservesit,assoonas the ego finds it worth while. Mr. Sinnett put forward this desire of thepersonalityinahumorouswaybysayingthatwhatwasneededwasaschoolforteachingegostopayattentiontotheirpersonalities.

One stage further on, in the buddhic plane, the man begins to touch theintensityofblissthatisthelifeoftheLogos.Atthesametimehecomescloserintotouchwithothermen;onthelowerplaneshebeginstosharetheirsuffering,but on the higher side he knows them as sparks of the divine, and that givesindescribablebliss,whichmakesthesufferingseemasnaught.Thussorrowandsuffering are for the personality only, and they exist merely while theconsciousnessisfixedinthelowerplanes.

Would’stthoubecomeaYogioftime’scircle?Then,OLanoo:

Believethounotthatsittingindarkforests, inproudseclusionandapartfrommen;believethounot that lifeonrootsandplants, that thirstassuagedwith snow from the greatRange—believe thounot,O devotee, that thiswillleadtheetothegoaloffinalliberation.

Thinknotthatbreakingbone,thatrendingfleshandmuscleunitestheetothysilentSelf.Thinknotthatwhenthesinsofthygrossformareconquered,Ovictimofthyshadows,thydutyisaccomplishedbynatureandbyman.

Aryasanga ishereoncemorepreachingagainst theseekingof liberationasmereescapefromthewheelofbirthsanddeaths.Theyogioftime’scircleistheonewhoiswillingtoremainwithintheprocessoftime,forthesakeofhelpingothers.WhenoneconsidersthevastperiodoftimeforwhichtheLordBuddhaand the LordMaitreya had been preparing Themselves for Their great work,which has been explained inTheMasters and thePath,53 one cannot but feeloppressed by the thought of such enormous periods of incarnate existence.Undoubtedly,however,timecannotbetoThemexactlywhatitistous.Evenif“athousandagesinThysightarelikeaneveninggone”doesnotapplytoThem,Theirsenseoftimemustbevastlydifferentfromours.CertainlyTheyarealsointensely happy in Their work, and where there is happiness, as everybodyknowsbyexperience,timeisofnoaccount—infact,underthosecircumstanceswealwayswishthatitcouldbelengthened.

Very wrong ideas have arisen in most of the religions on the subject of

asceticism. In the original Greek the word asketes meant simply one whoexercises himself as an athlete does. But ecclesiasticism impounded the wordandchangeditssense,applyingittothepracticeofself-denialinvariouswaysforthepurposeofspiritualprogress,onthetheorythatthebodilynaturewithitspassionsanddesireshasbeenthestrongholdoftheevilinherentinmansincethefallofAdam,andthatitmustthereforebesuppressedbyfastingandpenance.Inthe Oriental religions we sometimes encounter a similar idea, based on theconceptionofmatterasessentiallyevil, and following from that thedeductionthatanapproachtoidealgoodoranescapefromthemiseriesofexistencecanbeeffectedonlybysubduingortorturingthebody.

In both these theories there is dire confusionof thought.Thebody and itsdesiresarenotinthemselvesevilorgood,butitistruethatbeforerealprogresscanbemadetheymustbebroughtunderthecontrolofthehigherselfwithin.Togovernthebodyisnecessary,buttotortureitisfoolish.

Thereappearstobeawide-spreaddelusionthattobereallygoodonemustalways be uncomfortable—that discomfort in itself is directly pleasing to theLogos. Nothing can be more grotesque than this idea. In Europe thisunfortunately common theory is one of themany horrible legacies left by theghastlyblasphemyofCalvinism.Imyselfhaveactuallyheardachildsay:“Ifeelso happy that I am sure I must be very wicked”—a truly awful result ofcriminallydistortedteaching.

Anotherreasonfor thegospelof theuncomfortable isaconfusionofcauseandeffect.Itisobservedthatthereallyadvancedpersonissimpleinhishabitsand often careless about a large number ofminor luxuries that are consideredimportantandreallynecessarybytheordinaryman.Butsuchcarelessnessaboutluxury is the effect, not the cause of his advancement. He does not troublehimself about these small matters because he has largely outgrown them andthey no longer interest him—not in the least because he considers them aswrong; and one who, while still craving for them, imitates him in abstainingfromthemdoesnottherebybecomeadvanced.

It is true that our duty to the world is not accomplished when we havepurifiedourselves.Thenindeeddoesitbecomereallypossibleforustodoourbestworkforourfellow-men,andsinceinthehigherlifethemaxim“Fromeachaccordingtohispower,toeachaccordingtohisneed”prevails,ourmostserious

duty begins at this point, when the shadows, the lower bodies, have beenmastered.

ThesilentSelfinthispassage,refers,saysMadameBlavatsky,totheseventhprinciple,which isatma.Ourstudies in thefirstFragmenthavealreadyshownhowthisideaofsilenceisattachedtothatpartofthehigherSelf.

Theblessedoneshavescornedtodoso.TheLionoftheLaw,theLordofMercy,perceivingthetruecauseofhumanwoe,immediatelyforsookthesweetbut selfish rest of quiet wilds. From Aranyaka he became the Teacher ofmankind. After Julai had entered the Nirvana, he preached on mount andplain,andhelddiscoursesinthecities,toDevas,menandGods.

AlltheNorthernandSouthernBuddhisttraditionsagreeinthestatementthattheBuddhaquittedHissolitudeassoonasHehadreachedinnerenlightenmentandhadsolvedtheproblemoflife,andthatHeatoncebeganteachingpublicly.

The termAranyakameansa forest-dweller.Thebooks relate thatGautamawentintotheforestinordertomeditate,andthereheseatedHimselfunderthebodhi tree and resolved to attain illumination. When that was achieved. Heconsidered, whether He would give His teaching to the world; He knew thatmostofthepeoplewouldnotunderstandit,andthatitmightthereforedoharm.But then,aswas remarkedat thebeginningofour studyof thisFragment, thevoiceoftheearthcametoHim,andbeggedHimtoteach.Idonotknowexactlywhat wasmeant by the voice of the earth, but it is said that that ledHim todecidetoteachmankindonthephysicalplane.

InthispassagethereareseveraltitlesgiventotheBuddha.HeiscalledJulai.ThatistheChinesenameforTathagata,whichisthetitlegiventoeveryBuddha.Tathagatameans literally “hewho has gone likewise”, he has followed in thestepsofhispredecessors.

It is a fact that when the Buddha preached, others besides men gatheredroundtolistentoHisteachingandenjoyHisaura.

Sowkindlyactsandthoushaltreaptheirfruit.Inactioninadeedofmercyisactioninadeadlysin.

IhavealreadyquotedthisincommentingonAttheFeetoftheMaster.Eachmanhastheresponsibilityforexercisingthepowersofconsciousnessthathehas

sofardeveloped.Ifhefailstoexerthimselfandneglectstousethem,heisguiltyof sins of omission, which are just as serious as sins of commission. Forexample,itisourdutytointerfere,whenwecandosowithoutdoingmoreharmthangood, incasesofwrongorcruelty,suchascrueltytoanimalsorchildren.Thewiseman,seeingsuchthings,willnotletindignationmasterhim.Hemustfeelalsoforthemanwhoisguiltyofthecruelty.Hisstateisinmanywaysmorepitiablethanthatofhisvictim,andhewillhavetosufferinturn,onaccountofkarmic law.So, ifwecaninducehimtosee theerrorofhiswaysandstophiscruelty,wehavedonegoodtoboth.Whenitisourdutytointerfere,andwefailto do so,we share the karma of thewrong-doing. The same is truewhenweallowothers to injureourselves,without resistance.Wearemaking it easy forthemtodowrong;wearetemptingthem,andassistingthem,andthekarmaispartlyours.

ThussaiththeSage:

Shaltthouabstainfromaction?NotsoshallthySoulgainherfreedom.Toreach Nirvana one must reach Self-knowledge, and Self-knowledge is oflovingdeedsthechild.

Itisnotuntilwebegintoworkforothersthatwecanacquirerealknowledgeof life. In the attempt we learn where we stand, and what qualities must bedeveloped.TherewasanoldblindmanlivinginthesouthofIndia,whosaidthathisblindnesshadbeenindirectlyasourceofgreathappinesstohim.Hewasalsoin the deepest poverty, and had spent his life in wandering from village tovillage,whereheused toadvise thepeople in theirdifficulties, andalsoassisttheminsomecaseswithhisyogapowers.Heusedtotellhow,bymeditation,hehadmanagedtoawakenthememoryofhispastlives;andherememberedthat,somehundredsofyearsbefore,hehadbeenaveryrichandpowerfulman,andhadusedhispowertoinjurethosewhohappenedtodowhathedidnotlike.Herecognized thathisblindnessandpovertyweredue tohiswrongdeeds in thatformerlife.Hesaidhewassurethatifhehadgoneonbeingarichmanhemightneverhavelearnedtolovehisfellows,ashehadbeenquitesetinaselfishpathoflife.Butnowhehadhadtominglewithothers,mostofwhomknewsuffering;theyhadbeenverykindtohim,andhehadlearnedtolovethem.Thehappinessofthatlove,hesaid,ascomparedwithhispreviouscondition,wassomethingsogreatandincomparablethatnosufferingwasinhisopiniontoogreattopurchaseit.ThismanclaimedtobeapupilofoneofourMasters,andhecertainlywasan

illustrationoftheteachingthatself-knowledgeisoflovingdeedsthechild.

Havepatience,candidate,asonewhofearsnofailure,courtsnosuccess.Fix thy Soul’s gaze upon the star whose ray thou art, the flaming star thatshines within the lightless depths of ever-being, the boundless fields of theunknown.

ThedisciplefearsnofailurebecauseheknowsthattheplanoftheLogoswillbecarriedout;noone’sfailurecanmakeanydifferencetothat.WemayhavetheopportunitytodoapieceofHiswork.Ifweshouldfailtodoit,itwillbedoneinsome other way through someone else. It makes no difference to the Logos,though itmaymakeaverygreatdifference toourselves. Ithappensconstantlythat people miss their opportunities, but the great plans are made in view ofevery contingency. Our Masters never appear to notice when we lose anopportunity,butIthinkthatTheyarequiteawareofit.MadameBlavatskyusedsometimes to say about some person: “He has earned the right to have hischance.”TheMastersalwaysassumethatwearegoingtotakeouropportunities.

Thestudentwhohastriedtodosomegoodworkandhasfoundtheopposingforces too great for him, will not be disappointed or lose patience if heunderstandsthatalleffortsputforthforgoodmustproduceaproportionateresultinsomeway,thoughtheresultsmaybeunseen,andthoughtheremaybeforthepersonalitynoneofthesatisfactionwhichcomesfromseeingthegoodthathasbeendone.Itisthesameinthecaseofastralworkatnight.Thatworkisnonethe lessgoodandeffectivewhendoneby thosewhoarenotable tobringanymemoryof it back into thephysicalbrain.The lawsofnaturedonot cease tooperate because we cannot see the result, or do not remember what we havedone.

Usuallythepeoplewhohavedonethegreatestworkintheworlddonotseethe result of it. Take, for instance, the example of theChrist’s three years’ ofpreaching.Hediedasamalefactor,execratedbythepopulace,andathisdeaththenumberofHisfollowerswasonlyahundredandtwenty;nowtherearemanymillions.WilliamWilberforce,whoworkedsteadilyforoverfortyyearsagainstthegreatestoddsfortheabolitionofslaveryintheBritishColonies,heardonlythreedaysbeforehisdeaththattotalabolitionofslaveryhadatlastbecomelaw.Impatience and depressionwould have lost his cause.We are all in the sameposition,inourlesserways.Thereisnonewhocannottakeupsomegoodwork,

andpushonwith itwith tirelessandendlesspatience, regardlessof immediatesuccessorfailure.

“Thestarwhoseraythouart”isalwaysthatwhichshinesaboveus;foroneitis theego, foranother,moreadvanced, theMonad,andsoon to thePlanetaryLogos,andeventheLogosofoursystem.Toknowourownstarisalsotoknowthe ray to which we belong—which of the seven great rays is the one thatespecially connects us with the Logos. These seven rays are indicated in thechapterdealingwiththeChohansoftheRaysinTheMastersandthePath,andalsoinTheSevenRays,byProf.ErnestWood.Whenthehigherselfisthemasterofthepersonality,itbecomespossibleforthediscipletospecializeintheworkof the ray towhich that higher self belongs, and thenhe canmakevery rapidprogressinpowerandusefulness.

Haveperseveranceasonewhodothforevermoreendure.Thyshadowsliveandvanish;thatwhichintheeshallliveforever,thatwhichintheeknows(foritisknowledge)isnotoffleetinglife:itistheManthatwas,thatis,andwillbe,forwhomthehourshallneverstrike.

Besidespatienceweneedperseverance,andnothingcandevelopthisqualityin us better than a clear perception of the fact thatwe endure all through theages,andthatdeathisonlyapassingincident,withnopowertodeflectusfromourpath.Sometimespeoplesay:“WhyshouldItakeupsuchandsuchwork?Icannotpossibly finish it in this life.”But the fact is that there isonlyone reallifetime—thatoftheego,whichenduresforever,forallpracticalpurposes.Itiswise to begin any work in which you are interested, or the great task ofeliminatingfaults,eveninoldage,forallthegoodthatisdoneiscarriedforwardtothenextbody,andinittheimpulsetocontinuetheworkwillbefeltwhileitisyoung.Ifonepostponestheworktoafuturelife,oncemoreoldagemayarrivebefore one has the opportunity that will draw attention to it. If you are nowninety,andyouhavejustheardofTheosophy,andyouwanttohearofitinyouryouthinyournextlife,throwyourselfintoitnowwithwhatevervigouryoumayhave. There is also the great benefit to be derived from the stay in devachan(unlessyouhappen tobeoneof thosewhohave theprivilegeofbeingable torenounce that period) for in that statewhateverwork you have done is dweltupon and worked up into faculty which will be a great help in the nextincarnation.

Perseveranceisnecessaryalsobecausenogreatworkcanbecompletedinp.short time.Think, forexample,of theartistwhoispaintingagreatpicture;hewillhaveverylittletoshowforitinthefirstfewdays,perhapsevenweeks,anditisalsoquitepossiblethathemaynotbepleasedwithwhathehasbeenabletoachieveattheendofafewweeks,sothathehastobeginalloveragain.

A very useful lesson in perseverancemay be derived from a study of thehistoryof theTheosophicalSociety in theearlydays.The twogreat founders,MadameBlavatskyandColonelOlcott,couldnothavesucceededinestablishingtheSocietypermanently,andgiving it thematerial for futuregrowth,had theynothadaclearvisionoftheinnersideofthings,arealizationthattheirworkwaspart of a plan lasting throughout eternity, and was therefore sure to succeed.TheyfoundedtheSocietyinNewYorkin1875,andworkedprodigiouslyatIsisUnveiled, which was duly published. Still, some five years later they werealmost alone in thework, and they found it necessary to go to India, to somefriends there, to make a new start. Even then there were endlessly variedtroubles, year after year, which would have crushed almost anybody else-Madame Blavatsky, with a body seldom free from pain, could still worktirelessly,couldproduceTheSecretDoctrineandothergreatworks,becauseofherknowledgeoftheMastersandtheinnersideofthings.

CHAPTER4

THESECRETPATH

Ifthouwould’streapsweetpeaceandrest,disciple,sowwiththeseedsofmeritthefieldsoffutureharvests.

Acceptthewoesofbirth.

C.W.L.—Aryasangaisallthetimeendeavouringtopersuade’thediscipletofollow thehigherpathof renunciation,andnot toaccept thepeaceofnirvana.Lifeintheatmicornirvanicplanehasbeendefinedasrestinomniscience,butwemustunderstandthatitisrestonlyinthesensethatthereisnoconsciousnessof exertion followed by fatigue. There is on that plane the most tremendousactivity; that is theveryessenceofthenatureofbeingonthatplane,asIhavealreadytriedtoexplain.54Peoplewantrestbecausetheyfeelfatigue,butwhenone isoutof thebody in full consciousnessone finds that the fatigue isgone,andthenonenolongerdesiresrest.Insuchconditionswelookuponrestratheraswedoupondeathdownhere;wedonotwantlessbutmoreofthepowerandenergythatweenjoy.TheSolarLogosdoesnotrest,evenforamoment.IfHedidso,evenforasecond,weshouldallceasetobe.

Many of thosewho have reached nirvana have nothing further to dowith theworld’sevolution;yetitdoesnotseempossibleforanyonetohavereachedthatlevelandnottobepouringforthgloryandsplendouronthosebelow.Eveninthecase of one so devoted that he continually turns all his thought upwards, andnonedownwards,onewouldthinkhecouldnothelpsheddingdevotiononthosebelow.

There are seven paths open to the Adept, and most of them take thecandidate away from the earth, yet they are all equally ways of serving theLogos.Presumably everyAdept iswilling togowherehe ismostneededandcanbemostserviceable,butatleastitseemsnecessarytobeperfectlywillingtoremain and accept “thewoesof birth”, if calledupon.Anyother attitude, andespeciallytheideaofselfishescapefromtheworld,liberationforone’sseparateself,couldnotcarrytheaspirantsohigh.Tousitmayseemthattostaywithandhelpourhumanityis thekindest thingtodo,andthat isverynatural,for ifwe

cannotthuslovethosewhoarealreadynearandknowntous,howshallweloveothers who are not known? Still, wemust not forget that if the Lords of theFlamefromVenushadnotleftTheirsystemandcomedownintoourstohelpus,weshouldbeatleastoneroundbehindthepositionthatwehavesofarachieved.Itmaybe thedutyofsomeofus in thefuture togo to thehelpofsomeothersystemlessadvancedthanours.

Atthesametime,thereisnoquestionthatmoreandmoreadvancedpupilsoftheMasterswill be needed to carry onTheirwork on earth. It is open to theArhattotakenomorephysicalbirthsifhesochooses;butitisevidentthatourMasterswishustocontinuetakingbirthforthesakeofthework.

Stepoutofsunlight intoshade, tomakemoreroomforothers.The tearsthatwater theparchedsoilofpainandsorrowbring forth theblossomsandthefruitsofkarmicretribution.Outofthefurnaceofman’slifeanditsblacksmoke,wingedflamesarise, flamespurified, thatsoaringonward,‘neaththekarmiceye,weave in theend the fabricglorifiedof the threevesturesof thePath.

Theopeningportionofthispassageseemstoimplythatthereisnotenoughsunlight forall;but that is surelynot so.Allcanbehappy.Wemakeourownshadow,astheearthdoes.Sorrowsandtroubleareofourownmaking;theyareourownkarma,asiseverythingthatcomestous.WhatAryasangameansisthatoneshouldalwaysbereadytohelpothers,evenatthecostoftroubleorlosstooneself.

Therearefewkindsofactionthatbringgreatkarmicsuffering.Crueltydoes,ofcourse,andtherearesomeothers.Butmostofpeople’sactualsufferingcomesfromthewayinwhichtheytaketheinconveniencesoflifethatkarmabringstothem. The suffering is then very distinctly “ready-money karma”. Such, forexample,istheselfishmourningforthosewhohavepassedontoahappierstateofexistence,whichcausessufferingtoeverybodyconcerned,oftenincludingthedead,whofeelthedepressionandsorrowverygreatly.Whatkarmabringstoamanisnevermorethanhecanbear,andbeareasily;butthatisnotthecasewithwhatheaddstoitoffoolishthought,andfeelingandaction.

Thesevesturesare:Nirmanakaya,SambhogakayaandDharmakaya,robesublime.

ThethreevestureswillbediscussedfullyinourstudyofthethirdFragment.They represent three possibilitieswhich lie open to themanwho has attainedAdeptship.Hecanatonceacceptnirvana,or take itafterhavinggone throughother high spiritual experiences, or remain in touch with the earth as aNirmanakaya in order to fill the spiritual reservoir, or he can take upwork inotherglobesorsystems.Thislastchoiceisbynomeansselfish,ofcourse;itisanimpossiblesuppositionthatanyselfishnesscouldbepossibleatsuchalevel.

Therewasareferenceinthefirsteditionofthisbookto“selfishBuddhas”,but Madame Blavatsky, after her death, asked our President to remove thepassage which contained it, because it was causing so much dangerousmisunderstanding. It referred to those who are called the Pratyeka Buddhas.ThesearegreatAdeptsattheleveloftheBuddha,butonthefirstray.Because“eka” means “one”, some Northern Buddhists have thought that a PratyekaBuddhaisonewhoworksforhimselfalone,whichappearsablasphemousideatoanyonewhoknowswhereTheystand.ThethreeLordsoftheFlame,whoarethe pupils of theLord of theWorld, are PratyekaBuddhas.They came to theearthtoserveitandhastenitsevolutionalongthelineofthefirstray,whiletheBuddhaworksonthesecond.ItisfoolishtocriticizeThemfornotdoingworkwhichisnotTheirs.Itwouldbeassensibletofindfaultwithamagistratefornotbeing a schoolmaster, saying, “See how little he cares about the education ofchildren!”OfthesegreatBeingsIhavetriedtogivesomeslightaccountinTheMastersandthePath.55

TheShangnarobe,‘tistrue,canpurchaselighteternal.TheShangnarobealonegives theNirvanaofdestruction; it stops rebirth,butOLanoo, it alsokills compassion. No longer can the perfect Buddhas, Who don theDharmakaya glory, help man’s salvation. Alas! shall selves be sacrificed toself;mankind,untothewealofunits?

Know,Obeginner,thisistheopenpath,thewaytoselfishbliss,shunnedbytheBodhisattvasoftheSecretHeart,theBuddhasofcompassion.

TheShangna robe is something very far beneath any of the three vesturesabovementioned.Itmeansherethebalancingofkarma,andthedestructionofthe personality by quenching all desires, including that for life. It implies anevolutionofthecausalbodyfarhigherthanmostmenhaveattained,butwithoutthedevelopmentofloveandcompassionandthedesiretohelptheworld.Aman

whohasthusfreedhimselffromthenecessityofrebirthmayliveasanegoonthehigherlevelsofthementalworldforanenormouslylongtime.

In thispassage, it isalmostas thoughAryasangawerecomplainingagainstthosewhotaketheDharmakayavesture,andretiretodistantplanesorsystems.Butitwouldbereallyimpossibleforhimtodothat.HecouldnothavethoughtthattherewereselfishBuddhas.ThePratyekaBuddhascertainlyareatthesamelevel of attainment as the Lord Buddha; They have the same quality ofcompassionthatHehas,butitisnotTheirdutytofilltheoffice.Forthousandsof years before Their attainment of such heights theseGreat Onesmust havebeenutterlyincapableofanythinglikeselfishness.WemustrememberthatTheVoiceoftheSilencewaswrittendownbyadiscipleofAryasangaafterthedeathofthelatter,soHeisnotwhollyresponsibleforit,anditappearsthatherethedisciple must have allowed his ownmisconception to colour the ideas of hisTeacher.

To live to benefit mankind is the first step. To practise the six gloriousvirtuesisthesecond.TodonNirmanakaya’shumblerobeistoforegoeternalbliss for self, to help on man’s salvation. To reach Nirvana’s bliss but torenounceit,isthesupreme,thefinalstep—thehighestonrenunciation’spath.

Know, O disciple, this is the secret path, selected by the Buddhas ofperfection,whosacrificedtheSelftoweakerselves.

Thesixgloriousvirtuesaretheparamitas,alreadyconsideredinChapter1ofFragment II. They represent one of the systems of travelling on the path.Another is given in the set of qualifications expounded inAt the Feet of theMaster,followedbythefourstagesofthePathproper.

ItisnotquitetruethattheNirmanakayagivesupbliss,forAdeptshipisitselftheattainmentofbliss.WhatistrueisthattheAdeptcouldremainalwaysonthestupendouslevelswhichHehasreachedbutinsteadHecomesdowntohelp.Bydoing that, however,He does not forego the eternal blisswhich is inherent inHim;Hemerelydecidestoworkatlowerlevels.

Yet,ifthedoctrineoftheheartistoohigh-wingedforthee,ifthouneedesthelp thyselfandfearest toofferhelp toothers—then, thouof timidheart,bewarned in time:remaincontentwith theeyedoctrineof theLaw.Hopestill.ForifthesecretPathisunattainablethisday,itiswithinthyreachtomorrow.

Learnthatnoefforts,notthesmallest—whetherinrightorwrongdirection—canvanishfromtheworldofcauses.E’enwastedsmokeremainsnottraceless.“Aharshworduttered in past lives isnot destroyed, but ever comesagain.”Thepepperplantwillnotgivebirth toroses,not thesweet jessamine’ssilverstartothornorthistleturn.

Thou canst create this day thy chances for thy morrow. In the greatjourney, causes sown each hour bear each its harvest of effects, for rigidjusticerules theworld.Withmightysweepofnever-erringactionitbrings tomortals livesofwealorwoe, thekarmicprogenyofall our former thoughtsanddeeds.

Takethenasmuchasmerithathinstoreforthee,Othouofpatientheart.Beofgoodcheerandrestcontentwithfate.SuchisthyKarma,theKarmaofthecycleofthybirths,thedestinyofthosewho,intheirpainandsorrow,arebornalongwiththee,rejoiceandweepfromlifetolife,chainedtothypreviousactions.

Ifonecannotriseimmediatelytotheresolvetobeutterlyunselfishthereisnoneedtodespair.Onemustworkonintherightdirectionuntilonereachesthepositionwherethatidealwillseemperfectlynaturalandcomparativelyeasyofaccomplishment.Sometimespeople feel thatbecause theycannot fulfil agreatideal that is put before them there is nothing that they can dowhich isworthdoing.Theycollapse,anddonothingatall, inconsequence.Butthatisagreatmistake.TheLordBuddhawasverywiseindealingwithallkindsofpeople,andHe tookcare toavoid thiskindofdiscouragement,by speakingof thehighestpathtoHismonksalone.Hepreachedthemiddlepathtothegeneralpublic,andtoldthemtolivethehighestandnoblestlifeofwhichtheywerecapable,sothatlaterontheywouldbeinapositiontoenterHisOrder.Hesaidthat theyweretodaycreatingtheiropportunitiesfortomorrow,thatisfortheirnextincarnation.There is no need to despair, for the man who takes one opportunity receivestenfold more opportunities, and he who uses what powers he has as fully aspossible, without overstraining himself, certainly develops those powers at asurprisingrate.

The last paragraphmakes reference to thosewho are born together. It is afact that people evolve in groups, the same people coming closely together indifferentrelationshipsagainandagain.Whathappenstooneinanysuchgroup

reacts very much upon the others, for both good and ill. It should be anadditional incentive to thosewhoareaspiring to realize thatwhatever theyareabletoattainwillbeofgreatbenefittoanumberofpeoplewhosedestiniesarethusboundupcloselywiththeirown.

CHAPTER5

THEWHEELOFLIFE

Actthouforthemtoday,andtheywillactfortheetomorrow.

‘Tisfromthebudofrenunciationoftheself,thatspringeththesweetfruitoffinalliberation.

To perish doomed is he who out of fear ofMara refrains from helpingman,lestheshouldactforself.Thepilgrimwhowouldcoolhiswearylimbsinrunningwaters,yetdaresnotplungeforterrorofthestream,riskstosuccumbfromheat.Inactionbasedonselfishfearcanbearbutevilfruit.

Theselfishdevoteelivestonopurpose.Themanwhodoesnotgothroughhisappointedworkinlifehaslivedinvain.

Followthewheeloflife;followthewheelofdutytoraceandkin,tofriendandfoe,andclosethymindtopleasuresastopain.Exhaustthelawofkarmicretribution.GainSiddhisforthyfuturebirth.

C.W.L.—Therearepeoplewhofeelthatbecausetheycannotdogreatthingsormake rapid advance no effort isworthmaking.That is a greatmistake.Atleasttheycanlivetohelpthosewithwhomkarmahasbroughtthemintocontact.Theywillneverfindthemselvesinabetterpositionuntiltheymakethemostoftheirpresentenvironment.Iftheywilldothis,whenthetimecomesforthemtomakethegreateffortinvolvedintakingtheFirstInitiation,lovingfriendswillbetheretohelp.Realfriendsarethosewhoarethefriendsoftheego.Theseneverbind one down for the satisfaction of their own very limited and human, andoftenreallyselfish,emotions.Theyalwaysgiveonethefreedomthatisrequiredtofollowthehigherpath.

Somegoodpeoplerefrainfromhelpingothers,fearingthattheythemselvesmaybepromptedbyaselfishmotive.Veryoftencharity isbestowedupontheunfortunatenotreallywiththedesiretohelpthem,buttorelievethegiveroftheunhappinessthathefeelsatthesightofsuffering.Suchapersonwouldnevergoout of his way to find people in trouble, in order that they might be helped.Again,thereareotherswhosystematicallygiveaportionoftheirlargeincomes

tocharitableorganizations,sothattheymayenjoytheremainderwithnoqualmsof conscience. Knowing this, a disciple sometimes questions himself as towhetherhisownmotiveispure.Buttorefrainfromhelpingbecausehedoubtshisownmotiveissurelyaformofselfishness.Whateverourmotivemaybe,wemusthelp, thoughonlythatcountsforrealprogressonthePathwhichisdonepurelytohelpthesufferer,withoutthoughtofself.

It is necessary to use discrimination in helping. As the Hindus say, helpshouldbegiventotherightperson,attherighttime,andintherightplace.Yetthe necessity for thought should not cause hesitation.Wemay not always becertainwhich is thewiser of two courses of action, butwemust neverthelessdecideupononeofthem,sothattheopportunitytodogoodmaynotbeentirelyoverlooked.Sometimesitisonlybythoughtthatwecanhelp,butthat,asIhavesaid before, is very important.56 The strength of many a man who is doingvigorous work in the world comes largely from others who are engaged inradiatingspiritualforceinmeditation.

Thewheelofduty toraceandkin, tofriendandfoe,does,asamatterof fact,offer thebest of opportunities for progress.TheLordsofKarma see to it thateachpersonisgiventheconditionswhicharesuitedtohisgrowth.Theygiveamantheparticularworkthatislikelytodevelopthequalitiesthatheneeds.Atalow level of development theremay be ten thousand placeswhere aman canhave the conditions needed for his progress. But when aman ismore highlyevolvedhis environmenthas tobechosenwith thegreatest care, for everyonemustbeputabsolutelyinthepositionwherehecanbestadvance.Itisthereforequite inaccurate to say that a man succeeds in spite of his circumstances;difficultiesareputinhiswayinorderthathemaytranscendthem,andthathischaracterandpowersmaygrow.

Themanwho does his daily dutieswell, will soon be trustedwith higherones. Every one who can be trusted to do good and conscientious work iseagerlywantedbyThosewhoguidethedestinyofmankind.Befaithfulinsmallthings,andyouwillbemade rulerovermany things,as theBible says.Toberulerovermanythingsisaresponsibleposition,andinoccultismitisgivenonlytothosewhohaveprovedthemselvesfaithfulinthesmallthings.Thatisthetestthat the Master gives. Many people neglect plain everyday duty for somevisionary work in the future, perhaps of doubtful utility, and not intendedspeciallyforthem.Manyalsoregretthetiesthattheyformedbeforetheyknew

of Theosophy, when they now find them hampering. But they do their duty.Unsuitabletieswilldropawaywhenthetimecomeswhenthatfreedomwillbemostusefulfortheaspirant’sdevelopment,andwhatismoreimportant,fortheworld’s work. But if they are broken prematurely theywill only entangle themanagainandmuchtroubleandpainwillbecaused.

If sun thou canst not be, then be the humble planet. Aye, if thou artdebarredfromflaminglikethenoon-daysunuponthesnow-cappedmountofpurityeternal,thenchoose,Oneophyte,ahumblercourse.

Pointout theway—howeverdimly,andlostamongthehost—asdoes theeveningstartothosewhotreadtheirpathindarkness.

BeholdMigmar, as in his crimson veils his eye sweeps over slumberingEarth.BeholdthefieryauraofthehandofLhagpaextendedinprotectingloveover the heads of his ascetics. Both are now servants to Nyima, left in hisabsence silent watchers in the night. Yet both in Kalpas past were brightNyimas,andmayinfuturedaysagainbecometwosuns.Sucharethefallsandrisesofthekarmiclawinnature.

Be,OLanoo,likethem.Givelightandcomforttothetoilingpilgrim,andseekouthimwhoknowsstill less than thou;who inhiswretcheddesolationsits starving for thebreadofwisdomand thebreadwhich feeds theshadow,withoutaTeacher,hopeorconsolation,andlethimheartheLaw.

Inafoot-note,H.P.B.says:

Nyima,thesuninTibetanastrology.MigmarorMarsissymbolisedbyaneye,andLhagpa,orMercury,byahand.

There are here several points of interesting analogy. The two planetsmentionedgivetheirlightatnight,whenthesunisoutofsight,andallisdark.Itissowithus.Wehavetohelpthosewhoareingreaterdarknessthanourselves;thereisnoonewhocannotfindsomeonemoreignorantthanhimselfwhomhemayteach.EvenifthosearoundusarenotreadytoenterthePath,wecanleadthemintherightdirectiontowardsit.

Atthetimeofthetransferenceoflifefromthemoontotheearth,theplanetsglowedandshonelikesmallsuns.ButMarsismainlyadesertnow,andthatiswhy he reflects the yellowor reddish light. From the standpoint of the poetic

authoroftheseverses,theyaredoingtheirbestworkingivinglighttomannow.Theideaillustratesthefactthatwearenotnecessarilydoingourbestworkwhenweshinemost.Also,whenabuildinghastobeerected,thefoundationsmustbeput in first.Theydonotcount foranything in thematterofappearance,beinghiddenoutofsight,butonthemthebuildingwillbeerected.Sointhecommonworkofeveryday thecandidate isperformingusefulservice tosociety,andatthesametimedevelopingthehighersiddhiswhicharethespiritualpowersoftheego.

TheTeachernowtellsthecandidatewhattosaytothosewhomheistryingtobringtothePath.

Tellhim,Ocandidate, thathewhomakesofprideandself-regardbond-maidenstodevotion;thathe,whocleavingtoexistence,stilllayshispatienceandsubmission to theLawasa sweet flowerat the feetofShakya-Thub-pa,becomesaSrotapattiinthisbirth.TheSiddhisofperfectionmayloomfar,faraway;but the first step is taken, the stream is entered,andhemaygain theeye-sightofthemountaineagle,thehearingofthetimiddoe.

Tellhim,Oaspirant,thattruedevotionmaybringhimbacktheknowledge,that knowledge which was his in former births. The deva-sight and deva-hearingarenotobtainedinoneshortbirth.

Shakya-Thub-pa is the Lord Buddha. The Srotapatti is, as has beenexplained,“hewhoenters thestream“.Ananalogycanbedrawnbetween theoutward act of laying one’s service at the feet of the Teacher, and the innerchange when the well-developed manas realizes the presence of buddhi, andbows down before that higher principle, resolving henceforth to use all itspowersinobediencetoitsbehests.Intheordinarylifeofmenitisgenerallythementalnaturethatisallowedtohavethelastword.Forexample,inthematterofvivisection,57 many people whose feelings shrink from the practice withloathing,stilldecidethatitmustgoon,becausetheythinkitistheonlywaytoobtaincertainknowledgewhichwillhelphumanity.Buttheminority,whoareintheright,say:“No,itisimpossiblethatvivisectioncanleadtogood.Ourhighernaturesayswithaclearvoicethatitisutterlywrong.”Ifthesepeoplewereinthemajoritytheywouldstopit,andthensomeotherwaywouldbefoundtosecurehumanhealth;themindwouldbesettoworkinobediencetothehigherintuitiontofindabetterway.

Every one who feels enthusiasm on hearing about the Path is sure to haveworkedforitinaformerbirth,perhapsinmanypreviouslives.Itisencouragingto know this, for then one may expect to recover quickly the attainments offormer lives, the deva-sight and deva-hearing which are the faculties ofrespondingtotheinnervoiceandofseeinglifeandtheworldwiththeeyesofthespirit.

Be humble, if thou would’st attain to wisdom: be humbler still, whenwisdomthouhastmastered.

Be like the ocean which receives all streams and rivers; The ocean’smightycalmremainsunmoved;itfeelsthemnot.

Restrainbythydivinethylowerself.Restrainbytheeternalthedivine.

Aye,greatishewhoistheslayerofdesire:stillgreaterheinwhomtheSelfdivinehasslaintheveryknowledgeofdesire.

Guardthouthelowerlestitsoilthehigher.

AsIhavesaidbefore,hewhostandsinthepresenceoftheMasterscannotbutbehumble,consciousasheisofthegreatgulfthatexistsbetweenThemandhimself.NotthateventhephysicalpresenceoftheMaster,however,causesanyuneasinessordepression;onthecontrary,inHisPresencewefeelatourbestandwerealize thatwecanachievebecauseHehasachieved. It is soalsowith thegainingofknowledge.Themanwhocangraspsomebigideascanalsoseewhatremainstobelearnedthathedoesnotyetknow,andhowmuchmysterythereisinfamiliarthingsthatothersthinktobequitesimpleandwell-understood.Sohewhohasmuchknowledgeislikelytobehumble,andtheaspirantiswarnedthatwhenpriderisesinhim,itisasignthatheisunconsciouslyshuttinginfrontofhimselfthedoortofurtherandhigherknowledge.

The candidate must also practise moving among the disturbances of theworld,which play upon him all the time—physically, astrally andmentally—withoutpermittingthemtoagitatehim.Hemustsotrainthelowervehiclesthattheywillrespondnottotheseoutercalls,buttotheinnercommands.Theegoisdivine;withitsaidthelowerselfmustbecontrolled;andwhenthatisdoneeventheegowillhave tobecontrolledby theMonad, theeternalSelf.Thatall thismaybedone,thepupilmustconstantlyguardthevehicles,attendingtopurityof

foodanddrinkandmagnetism,ofwordsandfeelingsandthoughts,ashasbeenfullyexplainedinTheMastersandthePath.

The way to final freedom is within thy Self. That way begins and endsoutsideofself.

Unpraised by men and humble is the mother of all rivers in Tirthika’sproudsight;emptythehumanform,thoughfilledwithAmrita’ssweetwaters,in the sightof fools.Withal thebirth-placeof the sacredrivers is the sacredland,andhewhowisdomhathishonouredbyallmen.

The orthodoxChristian usually considers that there are three stages in thegrowthofasoul.First,themanactsrightlyforfearofhell.Secondly,hedoessowiththedesireofreachingheaven.Thirdly,hedoesrightforloveofChrist,whosacrificedHimselftobringmentothatconditionoffeeling.Thereis,however,afourthstage,whenthewayisfoundbyrealizingourselvesasonewiththeSelf.Thenthemandoesrightbecauseitisright,notevenforthesakeofmakingtheMaster happyor of expressinggratitude toHim.Ourdeliverance is thus fromwithin. No external consideration can determine our steps of progress on thePath.Itisnotaquestionofhowlongwehavebeenatacertainlevel;weshalltakethenextstepwhenwehavedevelopedthenecessaryqualitiesandpowerswithinourselves.Nooneneedbeanxiousabout this, for as theTamilproverbsays:“Ripefruitdoesnotremainuponthebranch.”

TheTirthika,aswesawbefore,istheBrahmanaasceticwhovisitsthesacredshrines, and is evidently regarded here as feeling somewhat proud of havingdone so. Just so, some of the Hadjis—the Muhammadans who have made apilgrimage toMecca—are proud because they have done that. Such men aresomewhatlikethesocietypeopleofourowndaywhoareproudtosaytheyhaveseen the latestplayorhave read thebookof theday—thoughwhat theyhavelearned in the process it may be difficult to say. Perhaps Aryasanga’s scribe,beingaBuddhist,wasnotabovesectarianfeeling,forHeseemstoregardalltheTirthikasasbeingofthistype!

ThegreatattractionofBenares,Hardwar,KumbhakonamandotherTirthasisthebathinginthesacredrivers.Attheplacelastnamedthepilgrimsresorttoahugetank,but theybelievethat it isfedfromundergroundbytheGanges.ButourBuddhistscribepointsout,withsomeapparentpride,thatthesourceoftheprincipalsacredriversofIndiaisthesacredland,thatis,Tibet.Itisaremarkable

factthatthegreatrivers,theGanges,theIndusandtheAiravatiorIrrawadidorise all very near together in theHimalayas, and, going in different direction,east, south andwest, sweep roundandenclose theupperpartof India in theirgiantembraceofthousandsofmiles.ThoseproudasceticsdonotrecognizethatTibet,acountrywhichtheydespise,isthemotheroftheirsacredrivers,saysthewriter,andhedrawsananalogybetweenTibetandIndia,makingIndiathebody,which contains the sweetwatersof immortalityonly in the incorrect visionoffools, and Tibet the source ofwisdom, to be honoured by allmen, that is allthosewhoarenotfools!

CHAPTER6

THEWAYOFTHEARHAT

ArhansandSages theboundless visionare rareas is theblossomof theUdambara tree.Arhansare bornatmidnighthour, togetherwith the sacredplant of nine and seven stalks, the holy flower that opens and blooms indarkness,outofthepuredewandonthefrozenbedofsnow-cappedheights,heightsthataretroddenbynosinfulfoot.

C.W.L.—AtthepresentstageofevolutionmenwhohaveattainedtheArhatlevelareveryrare.Thatisquitenatural,sincehumanityisexpectedtoattaintheAsekha initiation only at the end of the seventh round, and the Arhat stageprecedes that usually by only seven lives. Still, Arhatship is quite within ourreach; it is principally amatter of our understandingwhat to aim at, and thenusing ourwills to achieve that goal.Under the influence of the LordBuddhathousandsbecameArhats.AllthatwasduetoHistremendousmagnetism.SoonHissuccessorwillbewithus,andweshallthenalsohaveunusualadvantages.

The symbolism of this passage is probably capable of several differentinterpretations. The midnight hour may very well be taken as that darkestmomentbeforethedawnwhenthecandidateseemstobeforsakenbyeverybody,evenbyhisMaster.ItisatthefourthInitiationthattheseventhprinciplecomesintooperation,asthecandidateadvancestotheatmicplane.Thesacredplantofsevenstalksmaysymbolizethis,andthenumberninealso,becausethatseventhprincipleisreallythreeinone,whichwiththeothersixmakesnine.ThenumbernineisconsideredmostsacredbytheHindus.

It is only bygoing through the greatest trials, bydescending into the verydepthsofdarkness,thatthequalitiesrequiredinthecandidateforthisinitiationmay be attained. The holy flower opens and blooms in that darkness, yet itcomesasaresultofdevelopmentonthebuddhicplane.

NoArhan,OLanoo,becomesoneinthatbirthwhenforthefirsttimetheSoulbegins to long for final liberation.Yet,O thouanxiousone,nowarriorvolunteeringfightinthefiercestrifebetweenthelivingandthedead,notonerecruitcaneverberefusedtherighttoenteronthepaththatleadstowardthe

fieldofbattle.

Foreitherheshallwinorheshallfall.

Yea,ifheconquers,Nirvanashallbehis.Beforehecastshisshadowoff,hismortal coil, that pregnant cause of anguish and illimitable pain, in himwillmenagreatandholyBuddhahonour.

Andifhefalls,e’enthenhedoesnotfallinvain;theenemiesheslewinthelastbattlewillnotreturntolifeinthenextbirththatwillbehis.

Butifthouwould’stNirvanareach,orcasttheprizeaway,letnotthefruitofactionandinactionbethymotive,Othouofdauntlessheart.

KnowthattheBodhisattvawholiberationchangesforrenunciationtodonthemiseriesofsecretlife,iscalledthricehonoured,Othoucandidateforwoethroughoutthecycles.

SwamiT.SubbaRowinterpretedthefightbetweenthelivingandthedeadastheoppositionbetweenthosewhoknowandthosewhodonotknow.Itwillberemembered that this distinctionwas alsomade by theMasterKuthumiwhenteachingAlcyone;hesaidthattherewereonlytwoclassesofpeople,thosewhoknowandthosewhodonotknow,thosewhohaveseenthewayandthosewhohave not yet seen it. He also said that those to be pitied most were not thebigotedandintolerant,butthemillionswhodonotknowthatthereisanythingbeyondtheworldworthstrivingfor,andarehappyintheirignorance.MadameBlavatsky interpreted thestrife tobebetween the immortalhigheregoand thelowerpersonalego,thesebeingthelivingandthedeadrespectively.

Thedoorisneverclosedagainstthosewhoreallywishtodrawnearertotheoccultpath.Hewhowants todo somustbegivenhisopportunity to try.Andthen,evenifhefailsitwillnotbeinvain,forsomeofhisenemies,hisvicesandweaknesses,willhavebeendestroyed,andwillnottroublehimagain.Itisrareforanyonetoblundersobadlyastobeputhimselfbackintoadistinctlylowergrade in life,asfor instance, inIndia intoa lowercaste;but ifamantakesupblackmagic containing a great deal of powerful evil and exerts himself verymuchinthatline,hemaywrenchawaythepersonalityaltogetherfromtheego,and create such bad karma as to make it necessary for him to go back toprimitive conditions. Such cases are very rare. A person who has been really

unworthy of his class or caste, is usually thrown back into unpleasantsurroundings in the same class or just below it. It would, however, be greatunwisdomnottotrytorisebecausetheremaybedangerofafallfromahigherandmoreresponsibleposition.

Ontheotherhand,amanwhoattains,itissaidinthetext,willbehonouredasagreat andholyBuddha.Ofcourse, theArhat isnot technicallyaBuddha.ButheisBuddha,thatistosay,wiseorenlightened.

Madame Blavatsky explained that “the secret life” is that of theNirmanakaya. His greatness is hidden from the sight of man, and yet hecontinuestoliveinthisworld.Thetermishereusedinageneralwaynotonlyforthosewhoremainonthethresholdofliberationinordertofillthereservoirof spiritual force, but for all who remain behind, thus including the officialMembersoftheHierarchy,suchasourMasters.Wegenerallyreservetheterminthese days, however, for those who follow one of the seven great lines aftertakingtheFifthInitiation—Thosewhofillthereservoir.

We meet here once more the idea of the path of woe. The statement issomewhat misleading, and rather a misuse of the term woe. It is true that aMasterwhoisusingthephysicalbodydoesnotobtaintheenjoymentofworkingonthenirvanicplane,butHewouldsmileatthesuggestionthatHewasinwoe.Whenamangains thenirvanicconsciousness,Hedoesnot lose itbecauseHekeepsaphysicalbody,exceptwhenHeisactivelyengagedonthelowerplanes.Atanymoment,betweenwriting two lettersorany twopiecesofworkon thephysicalplane,Hecanslipawayatonceintothehigherconsciousness,andcarryonitswork,whichisinfinitelymoresatisfying,andaltogethermoregloriousandblissfulthananyonecanimaginedownhere.

Itistruethatcomingbackfromthehigherplanestophysicalexistenceislikegoingdownfromthesunlightintoaverydarkdungeon;butyouwouldnotthinkof that if in that place there was someone whom you very much loved andwished tohelp.Physical lifedoes involve the renunciationof thehigherglorybut thedefiniteobject of helping fills the soul to such an extent that certainlythereisnosuffering.Indeed,atamuchlowerstageofevolution,apersonwhoknowsthatsomeoneelse issufferingandneedsrealhelp thathecangive,andyet neglects that call and goes away to enjoy himself somewhere else,wouldafterwardsbedeeplytroubledbyremorse,sothathissufferingwouldultimately

be greater than if he had renounced his pleasure in the first place.Really, thegreatesthappinessforallofuscomesfromdoingthebestthatweknow.

Thereis-alargenumberofcandidateswhodonotactuallyfall,butarenotconscious of making progress. Many of these are subject occasionally todepression,andhavethefeelingthattheireffortshavebeeninvain,sincethereisnothingtoshowforthem.Theyshouldnotallowthemselvestobedepressed,because that spoils the astral atmosphere for other people, and is thereforeselfish.Butquiteapartfromthat,itisfoolish,becausetheyoughttoknowthatallthetimetheyaremakingrealinnerprogress.Longbeforetheybecomeawareof it in the physical brain, the astral and perhaps themental body have beenorganizedby theirmeditation, and theymaybedoingverydefiniteandusefulworkintheinnerworldsinavarietyofways.Thewholelifemayseemtobeafailure,butneverthelessmuchhasbeendonewhichwillbecarriedforwardintothenext life, andwill thenmakepossible someconspicuousprogress,perhapsevenonthephysicalplane-Inanygivenlifeamandevelopsbothgoodandevilqualities.The latter showthemselves in the four lowersub-planesof theastralworld.Asthesereflecttheirinfluenceinthementalplaneonlyonitsfourlowersub-planes,theydonotaffecttheegoatall.Theonlyemotionsthatcanappealinthe three higher astral sub-planes are those which are good, such as love,sympathyanddevotion.Theseaffecttheegointhecausalbody,sinceitresideson the corresponding sub-planes of thementalworld. Therefore every feelingandthoughtofahigherkindcanbeseen,eveninthismechanicalway,tohaveapermanentresultinthehigherself.AndsinceitistheegothattreadsthePath,heismakingquitedefinitestepsofprogresswitheveryrighteffort.Sothereisnoreason to despair, nor to put off until tomorrow what we can do today justbecausewecannotdoeverythingatonce.

ThePathisone,disciple,yetintheend,twofold.Markedareitsstagesbyfour and seven portals. At one end bliss immediate, and at the other blissdeferred.Bothareofmeritthereward:thechoiceisthine.

Theonebecomesthetwo,theopenandthesecret.Thefirstoneleadethtothegoal,thesecondtoself-immolation.

When to the permanent is sacrificed themutable, the prize is thine; thedropreturnethwhenceitcame.TheopenPathleadstothechangelesschange—Nirvana,thegloriousstateofabsoluteness,theblisspasthumanthought.

Thus,thefirstPathisliberation.

Yes,thereisonlyoneway,andthatisbytheunfoldingofcharacter.Thereisnolimittothepossibilitiesoftheegointhatrespect;thenoblestqualitiesofthegreatest men exist in bud in all our fellow-men and will unfold into flowersooner or later.And at the end,when one has done all that is possible in thehumankingdom,with the limitationsof thehumanbrainandenvironment, thepath becomes twofold, and one must choose between liberation andrenunciation.Herethetermliberationmeanstheacceptanceofnirvana, thoughsometimes it isused formereescape from thewheelofbirths anddeaths at alowerlevel,aswehavealreadyseeninstudyingAttheFeetoftheMaster.

Thosewhodonot followtheWhiteLodgeuseothermethods,whichoftendeveloppsychicpowerstoarelativelyhighpoint.Butasthepathofgreymagicisnothedgedroundbyrestrictions,asisthattaughtbytheGreatWhiteLodge,sooner or later the man misuses his powers—for the temptation is too great.Sometimes,however,thefollowersofotherlinesendbycomingintotouchwiththe true teachingandpledging themselves to theLodge. InAmericaespeciallythereisagreatamountofmoreorlesspublicteachingofoccultismofthegreyvariety.Buttherealpathisone—thePathofHoliness,thebuildingofcharacter.

ThefourportalsmentionedherearethefourinitiationsleadingtoArhatship,describedatlengthinTheMastersandthePath.Anotherarrangementdividesitintosevenstages,asweshallseeinthethirdFragmentofthisbook.

Atthehighestlevelsofattainmentonthispaththeaspirantwillrecoverthememoryofhispast lives, thoughat thesame timehisconsciousnesswillhavewidenedenormously,soas to take in thatofgreathostsofbeings,andhewillrealize that his power and love are not his own, butGod’s.Only separatenesswillhavebeenlost,andlookingbackhewillseethathehasbeenlivingunderadelusion of separateness. He will see, too, that his past lives were verycommonplace;thattheturning-pointinthemwerenotusuallytheeventsthatheconsidered to be the most striking and important while he was experiencingthem,butthatveryoftenthelittlethingsofdailylifeweretheeventsthatreallymadeforthegreatestprogress.

ButPaththesecondisrenunciation,andthereforecalledthePathofwoe.

Thesecretpath leads theArhan tomentalwoeunspeakable;woe for the

livingdead,andhelplesspityforthemenofkarmicsorrow;thefruitofKarmaSagesdarenotstill.

For it iswritten:“Teach toeschewallcauses; therippleofeffect,as thegreattidalwave,thoushaltletrunitscourse.”

Bythe“mentalwoeunspeakable”oftheArhan,whichisanotherformoftheword Arhat, on the secret path is meant the suffering that comes throughsympathy.Heseesallthepainandsorrowoftheworld;butatthesametimeheseesallthejoyaswell.Hefeelsthegreatestcompassionforthe“livingdead”,that is, for thegreatmajorityofmankind,whodonot evenknow that there issomethingtostrivefor.Then,secondly,thereis“helplesspity”thatisarousedbyseeing the karmic suffering, the results of foolishness, which he cannot—weshould say, rather, dare not—still. We can explain to people the principle ofkarma,sothattheywilltaketheirpainfulexperiencesinthebestway,andthusmitigatethesufferingtosomeextent,butwecannotdoawaywiththeresultsofpastactions.

Even in exotericChristianity, the “forgiveness” of sins is not explained asmeaning that the resultsof sinswillbeabolished. In theAnglicanChurch, forinstance,whenapriestisordainedandthepowerisconferredonhimtoforgivesins, in accordance with the words which in the Christian scriptures areattributedtotheChrist:“Whosoeversinsyeremit,theyareremitteduntothem,andwhosoeversinsyeretain,theyareretained”,itisexplainedtohimthatwhathehaspowertodoistosettheoffenderrightagainwithGod,whenbyhissinhehasputhimselfinthewrong,or,inotherwords,hecanturnthemanoncemoreintothecurrentofevolution,afterhehassethimselfathwart itandsoblockedhisownadvance.BehindthatChristianconceptionthereisabeautifulidea,butmorebeautifulstill istheTheosophicalrealizationthatonecannevergetawayfromtheDivine,thateventhemanwhofallsintoavichiisstillpartoftheDeity.

It has repeatedly happened that good and earnest students have refrainedfromgivinghelplesttheyshouldbeinterferingwithaperson’skarma.Noonecaninterferewiththelawofkarma,anymorethanwiththelawofgravitation.Ifyouholdupabookinyourhand,itcontainsthepotentialenergyofgravitation,andthemomentthattheforceyouareemployingtoholditupiswithdrawnthebook falls.The lawofkarmaoperates in the sameway.Karmanotpaidoff issimilar to potential energy; itmay be suspended for thousands of years or for

hundredsoflives,butwhenthetimecomesitwillmanifestitself.

Peoplesometimesthinkofkarmaasmerciless.But it isnotso.It is justasimpersonalasanyotherlawofnature.Onthephysicalplanelawsworkwithoutanyregardtogoodorbadintentions.Ifachildfallsoveraprecipicetheamountofinjuryitsustainsdependsupontheheightofthefall,andwhetherthegroundis hard or soft, and not at all on suchmoral considerations aswhether itwastrying to pull a companion out of danger, or wanted to pick a flower for itsmother, orwhether it threw itself over in a fit of passion. Similarly, if amancatchesholdofahotbarofiron,hemaydoittopreventitsfallingonsomeoneelse,orwithintenttostrikesomeonewithit;theinjurydonetothehandwillbethesameineithercase.That is thewayinwhichkarmaworksonthephysicalplane.Butonthementalplaneintentionscountforagreatdeal,forwemakeourowncharacterforthefuturebyourthinking.Sooneshouldneverabstainfromgivinghelpwhenpossible.Ifwhenyouhavedoneyourbestyoufail,thenyoumaysay:“Hiskarmadidnotallowofhisbeinghelped,”orelse:“Mykarmadidnotgivemetheprivilegeofhelpinghim”,butthatisall.Allthatreallymattersisthatwework for others.Work is expansive and cumulative; if you bring onepersonintoTheosophy,hemaybringanotherten,andeachofthose,tenmore.

Anothersenseinwhichwecantakethisverse,“thefruitofkarmasagesdarenotstill”,isthatevenifagreatAdeptweretodoawaywithsomeapparentevil—with all poverty, for instance—He would effect no real good, but only goagainst the lawof theLogos. I do notmean that theLogoswills such evil; itwouldbeblasphemoustosaythatHisschemeincludesnecessarysuffering,thatHecausesit.SufferingcomesonlybydoingwhatHehasexpresslytoldusnottodo.Itistruethatallhavesuffered;noone,sofarasweknow,hasalwayschosenthe right thing and nevermademistakes; but the suffering has always put usrightwhenwehaverefusedtolearninanyotherway,andthusthelawhasmadecertainforallofustheultimateattainmentoftheindescribableblissofnirvana.

Theopenway,nosoonerhastthoureacheditsgoal,willleadtheetorejectthe Bodhisattvic body, and make thee enter the thrice glorious state ofDharmakaya,whichisoblivionoftheworldandmenforever.

ThesecretwayleadsalsotoParanirvanicbliss—butatthecloseofKalpaswithout number; Nirvanas gained and lost from boundless pity andcompassionfortheworldofdeludedmortals.

But it is said: “The last shall be the greatest.” Samyak Sambuddha, theTeacher of perfection, gave up his Self for the salvation of the world, bystoppingatthethresholdofNirvana,thepurestate.

We have already considered the three vestures, and seen that no idea ofselfishnesscanattachtoonewhotakesanyofthem.TheNirmanakayasarelikethecontemplativeorders,fillingthereservoirofspiritualforcefortheuseoftheAdepts who are in touch with our world. There are some fifty or sixty postswhichthelattermayfill.TheNirmanakayastillretainshispermanentatoms,andsocould,Isuppose,ifhewanted,filloneofthesepostsifitbecamevacant.Thepost of Bodhisattva falls vacant once in each root-race, but there are alreadymanyappointedtofilltheofficefarintothefuture,whoarenowbeingprepared.Manyof thosewhobecameArhatsduring the incarnationof theLordBuddharemainasNirmanakayas,becauseofHisteaching.

All these offices and positions must be filled, and those who renouncenirvana are only volunteering to do what we might call the dirty work. TheAdept, if one may put it so, feels not so much the loss of pleasure, as theknowledge that working on the nirvanic levelwould be amillion timesmoreeffective thandownbelow.Andyet someonemust do that lowerwork. In theschemeoftheLogos,thesmallestbitofworkisasnecessaryasthegreatest,justastheoilingofagreatlocomotiveisasnecessaryasthedrivingofit.

TheBodhisattvicbodyherealludedtoisthatofallthosewhoremaintohelpthe world—not only that of the very limited number of those who will beBuddhas.

Stopping at the threshold of nirvanameans that one does not enter in andentirelyleavethelowerplanes,assomedo,andastheBuddhamighthavedonehad He so chosen. He who thus remains has the higher consciousness to thefullest extent, and also retains His consciousness even down to the physicalplane,andsocanworkonanyplanerequired.ItissaidthattheBuddhais,atHislevel, free of the solar system, thatHe canmove to any of the planets of thesystem,justassomeofuscanmovetootherplanetsofourchain.YetevenforHimtheremustbealimit,becauseHehasnotyetenteredintotheconsciousnessoftheLogos.IdonotknowwhetherHisconsciousnessincludesthesun;SwamiT. SubbaRowonce spoke of the sun as a place of life so intense that even aDhyanChohancanhardlyenterit.

Thebuddhicplaneappearstotakeusanywherethroughourchainofworlds.Nirvanic consciousness would mean consciousness anywhere in the solarsystem.At the Fourth Initiation a touch of nirvana is given, but that does notmean the full consciousnessof thatplane. It isentry into the lowestpartof it,andonehasstilltorise,sub-planebysub-plane,untilfullconsciousnessoftheplaneisacquired.

OftheBuddhaitissaidthatHeattainedParanirvana.Thusitispossibletoconsiderdifferentlevelsofnirvana—thedifferentsub-planesoftheatmicplane,then the twoplanesof our systembeyond that, andon into thehigher cosmicplanes.

Thou hast the knowledge now concerning the two ways. Thy time willcomeforchoice,O thouofeagerSoul,when thouhastreached theendandpassed the seven portals. Thymind is clear.Nomore art thou entangled indelusivethoughts,forthouhastlearnedall.UnveiledstandsTruthandlookstheesternlyintheface.Shesays:

“Sweetarethefruitsofrestandliberationforthesakeofself;butsweeterstillthefruitsoflongandbitterduty:aye,renunciationforthesakeofothers,ofsufferingfellow-men.”

TheBodhisattvawho haswon the battle, who holds the prizewithin hispalm,yetsaysinhisdivinecompassion:

“For others’ sake this great reward I yield”—accomplishes the greaterrenunciation.

ASaviouroftheworldishe.

****

Behold!ThegoalofblissandthelongPathofwoeareatthefurthestend.Thoucanstchooseeither,Oaspiranttosorrow,throughoutthecomingcycles!

Aumvajrapanihum.

The greater renunciation is renouncing the higherwork, after seeing it, inordertodothelesserwork,whichwehaveseentobejustasnecessary.Suchamatterastherenunciationofthedesiresofthepersonalityisanaltogetherlower

renunciation.

WemustnotimportintoourthoughthereanytingeofthepopularChristianidea of aSaviourwho comes to save us from eternal torment.The idea is, ofcourse, nothing but a horrible distortion of the earlier and truly Christianteaching,asforexamplethatofOrigen,whobelievedinthedeificationofmanthroughChrist.Everyonewhohas risen into truecommunionwith theMasterhasbecomeidentifiedwithHim,andissafeorsuretocompletethetreadingofthePathinthepresentcycle.Theoriginalmeaningoftheterm“saved”hasbeenexplainedinTheMastersandthePath58

When we speak of the Nirmanakayas as the GuardianWall, we do not for amomentimaginethattheyareprotectingusagainstevilpowerswhoarewaitingforanopportunitytopounceuponmankind.Theyareengaged,assaidbefore,infilling the reservoir with force used by theGreatWhite Brotherhood, to givehelp and guidance intelligently wherever it is possible, and to save mankindfrommanymistakeswhich itmight otherwise commit, and from the sufferingwhichwouldthenensue.

ThisFragmentendsnotwith“Ommanipadmehum”,asdidthefirst,butadifferentformula:“Aumvajrapanihum,”Vajrameansathunder-bolt,aswellasadiamond.ThetermremindsusofJovewithhisthunderboltsandoftheNorseGodThor.Thisthunderboltisthedorje,therodofpower,ofwhichIhavegivenasketchinTheMastersandthePath.59

FRAGMENTIII

THESEVENPORTALS

CHAPTER1

THEPARAMITAHEIGHTS

Acharya,thechoiceismade,Ithirstforwisdom.NowhastThourenttheveil before the secretpath,and taught thegreaterYana.Thy servanthere isreadyforThyguidance.

C.W.L.—Thereisafoot-notetothewordAcharya,whichmeansaspiritualpreceptor or guru. It explains that among the Northern Buddhists these arechosenfromamongthesaintlymenlearnedingotrabhu-jnana.ThegotrabhuisthemanwhoisreadyforanyoneoftheInitiations,hewhohasallthequalitiesandonlyawaitspermissiontopresenthimself.Gotrabhu-jnanaistheknowledgeof thosequalifications.TheMasters—Adeptswhotakepupilsorapprentices—areTheywhohavethatknowledge.

ThetermYanahasalreadybeendiscussedinChapter1ofthefirstFragment.

‘Tiswell,Shravaka.Preparethyself,forthouwilthavetotravelonalone.Thyteachercanbutpointtheway.ThePathisoneforall,themeanstoreachthegoalmustvarywiththepilgrims.

Theword shravaka comes from the root shru whichmeans to listen. The“listener”isonewhoattendstothereligiousinstructions,saysafoot-note,andwhen from theoryhepasses into thepracticeorperformanceofasceticism,hebecomes a Shramana, from shrama, exertion. The two terms have much thesamemeaningastheakoustikoiandaskitaiamongtheGreeks.

AllwhotreadthePathmustgainthesamequalitiesorvirtues,butthemodesoftrainingforthisareveryvaried.Therearesevengreattypesofmen,orsevenrays,andalongeachoftheseaspirantsaredrawntoteachersoftheirownrays.Evenwithin the same type the teaching is adapted to individual needs, so thepupilsofoneMasteroftenreceivequitedifferenttreatment.ThusaMastermaysend one ofHis pupils into seclusion and another out into the struggle of theworld.Hemaygiveonethesatisfactionofknowingthatheisbeingtaught,andleaveanotherwithoutthatknowledgeforagreatlengthoftime.OfthistrainingandthedifferenttypessomeconsiderableaccounthasbeengiveninTheMasters

andthePath.

Whichwill thou choose, O thou of dauntless heart? The Samtan of eyedoctrine, fourfold Dhyana, or thread thy way through Paramitas, six innumber,noblegatesofvirtueleadingtoBodhiandtoPrajna,seventhstepofwisdom?

TheruggedpathoffourfoldDhyanawindsuphill.Thricegreatishewhoclimbstheloftytop.

TheParamitaheightsarecrossedbyastillsteeperpath.Thouhasttofightthywaythroughportalsseven,sevenstrongholdsheldbycruel,craftypowers—passionsincarnate.

LittleissaidinthisFragmentaboutthefourfolddhyana,butmuchabouttheparamitas.Thesteps inmeditationordhyanaarealwaysspokenofas three,aswehaveseeninstudyingthefirstFragment,andthesetakentogetherarecalledsannyama. These three are dharana, dhyana and samadhi, or concentration,meditation and contemplation, and there is the preliminary practice ofpratyahara,makingthefourth.WehavealsostudiedtheparamitasinthesecondFragment. Here the path for the attainment of those virtues is spoken of ashaving seven portals, at each ofwhich the candidate has to strugglewith andslayagreatfaultorsin.

It seemsa littlemisleading toputmeditationand thedevelopmentof thesequalities one against the other, for both are necessary. One cannot meditatewithouthavingthesequalities,andonecannotdevelopthequalitiestoperfectionwithout meditation. It may have been that even at His day Aryasanga wascontrasting thepathof retirement,of themanwhoavoided thedifficultiesanddistractionsoftheworldinordertogobyhimselftomeditateapartfrommen,withthepathofthespirituallifelivedinthemidstoftheworldofmen,whichrequiresthepracticeofidealsinalltheaffairsofdailylife.Hewouldthenhavebeenspeakingof theformerasa loftypath,butof the latterasgreaterstill,orrathersteeperstill.Instancesofmenachievingperfectionamidstthebusinessofdaily life are quite common in the Hindu books. The great gurus of theMahabharatawere active in the council-chamber andon thebattlefield, and amerchant is alsomentioned, in thepersonofTuladhara. In theBhagavad-Gltathepathofdutyandaction is taught,andShriKrishna tellsArjuna,Hispupil,that Janaka and others attained to perfection by action, and he should do the

same,performingactionwithoutpersonalattachmenttothefruitofit,butforthesakeofmankind.60

A glance at the opposites of the paramitas will show the nature of the cruel,craftypowerswhichmustbefought.Themanwhoisself-centredforgetsthatheisoneunit inawhole, that,asEpictetussaid,withoutmankindaroundhimhewouldnotevenbeaman.Charityandgeneralethicaldevelopmentormoralityinitsfullsensedoawaywiththisself-centredness,andopenthemanupsothathethinksmoreofothers thanofhimself, andbecomesabenefactor to thosewhosuffer,agoodcompaniontohispeers,andaresponsivepupiltohisteacher.

People often allow their patience to be ruffled by resentment. They “feelhurt”,andarediscontented,complaininginwardly,ifnotoutwardly.Thismeansthat theyforget that justbecausethereisa lawof justice,whichisall thetimeengaged in repaying past debts between man and man, there must be someapparentinjustice.Sometimesamanwantstoseetheresultofhisownworkatanearlystage,becauseheisthinkingofhimself,notofthework,andhewantstoboastabout itorat least tocongratulatehimselfupon itsachievement.Atalaterstage,heissorrybecausehiseffortsmadeforagoodpurposeseemtofail;there is still something of discontent and impatience in that.Later hewill seethat itwas the effort thatwas the important thing, not the results.When thesefeelingstroublehimnomore,hewillhaveacquiredpatience.

Again,thenaturalmanislazy.Helikestobaskinthesun,andwillnotexerthimself until hungermoves him, or there arises a vainglorious desire to hangmore scalps to his belt, which urges him to rise while his fellow-savages aresleeping. Tireless, dauntless energy is not “natural”. Observe our President,utilizingeverymomentoftheday,alwaysworking,neverwastingtime.Doyousuppose it was natural to her in the past to be always at work? She does itbecauseshehasseenthebeautyofthegoal—tobeahelperofmankind.

Meditationalsoisnot“natural”.Itcallsformuchtrouble,astrongexertionof the mind, and the keeping of the body in subjection. The acquirement ofwisdom also involves study and effort, and sometimes the courage to faceuncomfortableandevendangerousexperiences.

Beofgoodcheer,disciple;bear inmind thegoldenrule.Once thouhastpassed the gateSrotapatti, “hewho the streamhath entered”; once thy foothathpressedthebedofthenirvanicstreaminthisoranyfuturelife;thouhast

butsevenotherbirthsbeforethee,Othouofadamantinewill.

SevenlivesistheaverageperiodbetweentheFirstInitiationandtheFourth,but if the will is sufficiently strong, a man can attain the goal in less. It isanalogoustothepreparationofastudentforanexamination;itisconsideredthatacertainperiodoftimespentinstudyshouldfittheaveragecandidatetopass,but any givenmanmay take a longer or a shorter time.Two lives have oftenbrought a man from his First Initiation to Arhatship; some few people haveachievedthatgoalinonelife.ThesamerulethenholdsgoodfortheattainmentofAdeptship,fortheArhatisjusthalfway.

Lookon.Whatseestthoubeforethineeye,OaspiranttoGod-likewisdom?

“The cloak of darkness is Upon the deep of matter; within its folds Istruggle.Beneathmygazeitdeepens,Lord;itisdispelledbeneaththewavingofThyhand.Ashadowmoveth,creepinglikethestretchingserpentcoils....Itgrows,swellsout,anddisappearsindarkness.”

It is the shadow of thyself outside the Path, cast on the darkness of thysins.

Here one would prefer to say faults and failings rather than sins. ThesebecomemuchmoredangerousonthePaththanevertheywerebefore.Thereforean iron determination to eradicate them utterly and at once is required fortreadingtheway.Whenoneseesafaultinoneself,oneshouldgoanddoexactlytheopposite,unflinchinglyandsteadily,untilitiscompletelygone.Fewpeoplearewilling to do this. Sometimes they beg one to be openwith them and tellthemjustwhat it is thatkeeps themback. Ifonedoes it,onerisks losing theirfriendship.Generally they become indignant and say that they know that theyhavemany faultsbutnot theone towhichyouhavedrawn theirattentionandthattheydonotthinkmuchofyourjudgmentorintuition.Thereareexceptions,butthatisthegeneralrule.

OnthePathamanhastolivebyhisownrules,notsimplytofollowtherulesor conventions of the social environment in which he finds himself. Thisincreaseshisdifficultiesanddangers.Heistryinghisutmost—ofthatwemaybesure,for ifhewerenot,hewouldbethrowingawaythefruitsof theeffortsofmanylives,andthatwouldbemadness.Othershavenomeansofjudginghim.Heholdsinhishandakeywhichothersdonotpossess,andforhimthereforeall

thingswearanewaspect.Heneedsthekindthoughtsofothers—notcriticismofwhattheydonotunderstand—forheisnotinsensitive,andtheywillaidhimtoriserapidlyandbecomeapowertouplifttheworld.

“Yea,Lord;IseethePath;itsfootinmire,itssummitlostingloriouslightnirvanic: and now I see the ever-narrowing portals on the hard and thornyroadtoJnana.”

Thouseestwell,Lanoo.Theseportals leadtheaspirantacrossthewatersontotheothershore.

“Theothershore”isaphrasethatisconstantlyused.Therearetwodistinctformsofsymbologywhichmakeuseofthismetaphor.Inone,thewholeoflifeislikenedtotheocean,andmenareferriedtotheothershore,tothestatebeyonddeath’ and rebirth, by the Mahayana or the Hinayana. The second is a moretechnicalmeaning.AtthefirstgreatInitiation,amanstepsoutfromthegeneralevolution,whichhehasnowcompleted,andbeginsthespecial.one.Asmuchasis permissible of the ceremony that then takes place has been printed in TheMastersandthePath,includingthewords:“Youhaveentereduponthestream.Mayyousoonreachthefurthershore.”61Thatshoreis,ofcourse,Adeptship.

Eachportalhathagoldenkeythatopenethitsgate;andthesekeysare:

Dana,thekeyofcharityandloveimmortal.

Thisisnotmerecharityinthesenseofgivingalms,norwhatiscommonlycalledacharitableattitude,thoughthatismuchmorethantheformer.Itmeansutter readiness to give oneself and all one has in service.There are notmanypeople in theworldwhohave reached that stage,whoare ready toemployalltheirtime,energy,money,feelingsandthoughtstothisend.Andevenforthosewhohavereachedthatpointthereisafurtherstage,fortheremaystillexistthefaultofidentifyingtheworkwithoneselfinsteadofoneselfwiththework.Thereare many who are willing to take up great work, but few who will forgetthemselves to the point of doing any insignificant piece ofwork ofwhich nonotice will be taken and for which no thanks are given. The disciple of theMasterhastolookroundandseewhathastobedonethathecandothatisnotbeingdone.Hemustnotlookwithdisfavouruponthehumblesttask,thinking,“Iamtoogoodforthis.”IntheMaster’sworknopartismoreimportantthananyother,thoughsomeportionsaremoredifficultthanothers,andthereforerequire

specialtrainingorunusualfacultiesorability.

To sacrifice yourself thoroughly, you must also sacrifice your feelings. Iftheseare liable tobehurt,youwillwastea lotof force inbeingoffended thatshouldhavebeenputintothework.Wemustalwaysdoourbest,andnotstoptothink:“WhatafinefellowIam.”

Thenwemustalsohave“loveimmortal”.Tennysonsaidofthedead:

i.TheywatchlikeGodtherollinghoursii.Withlarger,othereyesthanours,iii.Tomakeallowanceforusall.

Godknowsall, andHedoesnot losepatience.Weareapt to losepatiencewithoneanother,andquicklygettiredofmakingallowances,butHedoesnot.Ithasbeenwellsaid:“Toutcomprendre,c’esttoutpardonner.”62

Shila, thekeyofharmony inwordandact, thekey that counterbalancesthecauseandtheeffect,andleavesnofurtherroomforkarmicaction.

Thewordshilaisgenerallytranslatedsimply“conduct”,butherethewriteremphasizestheideaofharmony.Hewhopractisesshilawillbeeverattentivetohisowndharma,studiousofwhathecandowiththepowersthathehasinthepositioninwhichkarmahasplacedhim.Thisisthequalityalsowhichwillcloseup his karmic account as quickly as possible, and enable him to enjoy ever-increasingfreedomandopportunitytodogood.

Kshanti,patiencesweet,thatnoughtcanruffle.

Whilethecandidateatthisstageofhisjourneymustacquireagreatmeasureofthisquality,itstillremainstobeperfectedlateron.Tobeutterlyunruffledisaveryhighcondition.TheArhatisspokenofastheperfect—thevenerable—yethehasfivefetterstocastoffbeforereachingAdeptship,andofthesethelastbutoneisthepossibilityofbeingruffledbyanythingwhatever.

Vairagya, indifference to pleasure and to pain, illusion conquered, truthaloneperceived.

ThewholeofthethirdpartofourcommentaryonAttheFeetoftheMasteristakenupwiththequalityofvairagya,whichistheretranslateddesirelessness.

Aswassaidbefore,itisusuallytranslatedindifferenceordispassion.

Thisqualityispossessedbythemanwhoiskeenlyalertabouthiswork,butnever allows personal considerations to stand in his way. He has got rid offeelingsthatcanbehurt,buthasnotlostsympathy.Heisindifferenttothethingswhich commonly swaymen, is not disturbed by passions, but has calm, cooljudgment.This so-called indifferencedoesnotmean that themanwill not putenthusiasm into his work, but that he will do so when it is painful andtroublesomejustasmuchaswhenitisfullofpleasure.Whenthequalityiswelldeveloped, themanwill see thatmostofourpleasuresandpainsare illusions,and are caused by awrongway of taking things.Hewill see the truth of thesaying of the ancient Stoic that it is our opinions about things that trouble usmorethanthethingsthemselves.

Virya,thedauntlessenergythatfightsitswaytothesupernaltruth,outofthemireofliesterrestrial.

Each person who approaches the Path has his own special qualities, onaccountofwhichhewillfindSomeoftheseportalsespeciallyeasytopassandothersdifficult.Thequalityofpatience,forexample,wouldgenerallybemucheasierfortheEasterndisciple,andthequalityofenergyfortheWestern.Whenthislistwasfirstplacedbeforeus,someofuswonderedwhythemoredifficultqualitieswereplacedat thebeginning.Really itwasnotso.TheLordBuddhawasanIndianandhedrewitupfortheIndianpeople,andprobablyHeplacedfirstonthelistthestepswhichtheywerelikelytofindtheeasiest.

Itcertainlyisdifficult,whenonehasfirstdevelopedagreatdealofenergy,orvirya,toacquirethesweetpatience,orkshanti,afterwards.Apersonwhohasthisenergyandhearsaboutthepathwantsimmediatelytotreadittotheveryend—butwithoutpatiencehewillcausesuchadisturbanceallalongtheway,andcreate such a quantity of troublesome karma that he will delay himselfconsiderably.Ontheotherhandthemanwhohasthepatienceandnottheenergywillperhapsbecontenttogoalongveryslowly—andhisprogresswillthenbeslowindeed.

There is a tendencyof this kind at present in theEast. I remember that inCeylonIwasoncetoldthatinancienttimespeoplereallyattainednirvana,butthatnowtimeswereevil—itwaswhatwascalledadarkage,akaliyuga—andtheseachievementswerenolongerpossible,thoughperhapsinsomefar-distant,

golden future theywould again become so.But the great teachers arewith usstill,andthough,astheChristianScripturesays,straitisthegateandnarrowistheway,yetnowaseverthatgatecanbefoundandthatwaycanbetrodden.

In these matters, no man can tell where he stands. To many Theosophycomesasarecollection;thatmeansthattheyknewsomethingaboutitinformerlives.IfinthoselivesamanhasworkedhardtoreachthePath,inthislifealittlemoreworkwillbringhimtoit.Butifheisonlynowbeginningthatefforthehasalongwaytogo,anditwouldbeanalmostsuperhumanfeatforhimtoenterthestreaminthisincarnation.

Theefforts thatmanyTheosophistsaremaking implyagreatstrain; that iswhy there is sometimes so much disturbance in the Theosophical Society, somuch irritability and quarrelling. I have heard people say that other Societieshave far less trouble of this kind. That is naturally the case. If you join ageographicalorgeologicalorothersimilarsociety,youaresimplyjoiningasetofpeoplewhoareworkingtogethertoacquiremoreknowledge,generallyofaparticularkind.ButintheTheosophicalSocietymanypeopleareputtingagreatstrain upon their astral and mental bodies and that reacts upon their physicalbodies.Ithink,therefore,thatasweshallcontinuetodealwithasetofsensitiveandnotyetperfectpeople,whoarepressingforwardmorerapidlythannatureinitsnormalcourseintended,thehistoryoftheSocietywillprobablycontinuetorecordmanydisturbances,thoughthetimeisboundtocomeforeachoneofitsmemberswhenhewillacquirethe“patiencesweetthatnaughtcanruffle”.

Dhyana, whose golden gate once opened leads the Narjol towards therealmofSateternalanditsceaselesscontemplation.

Inearliereditionsofthisbook,youwillfindthatthewordnarjolismis-speltnaljor.Thiswasamistake,correctedinthelatereditions.Themis-spellingwasduetothefactthatMadameBlavatskyreadthewordastrally,andreadingabookastrallyyouseeat the same timewhat iswrittenon the frontof thepage,andalsothereverseofthecharactersasfrombehind.Ofcourse,youwouldnotfocusyourattentiononthereverseaspectoftheprintorwriting;youwouldnormallynoticeonlythepagesspreadoutbeforeyou—thosewouldbequitedistinct,andthereversewouldthenbeoutoffocus.Still,readinginthiswayitisquiteeasyto make mistakes and get some things reversed. This is especially true ofnumbers;youcanseeatonceifyouarelookingat7thewrongwayabout,but

18caneasilybemistakenfor81.

MadameBlavatsky sometimesgotnumbers reversed in thisway.Sheusedoftentolookastrallyatrarebooks,ofwhichonlyoneortwocopiesexist,andsomeofuswouldgototheBritishMuseumtoverifyaquotationwhichshehadstatedasbeing,letussay,onpage139,andwouldfindthatitwasonpage931.Generallywefoundherquotationsaccurate,thoughsometimesthereweresmallinaccuracies; once, I remember, she left out the word “not”, which didmakequite a difference to the sense! Seeing thatMadame Blavatsky did not knowSanskrit,PaliorTibetan,andhadtodependentirelyonhermemorywhenusingwords in those languages, as she so frequentlydid, thewonder is not that shemadesomemistakes,butthatshemadesofew.

Thewordnarjol,whichhasledusintothislittledigression,isaTibetanwordwhichmeansadeptorsaint,or,evenbetter,yogi.Itsderivationisfromawordmeaning“peace”.Thenarjolisthereforeonewhostrivesaftertheinnerpeace.

Itisdhyanaormeditationwhichopensthegatesofthehigherself.MostofourTheosophical information,andofwhat iswritten in theancientScriptures,hascometousbywayofclairvoyance.Thereisamassofinvestigationwaitingtobedonebyclairvoyance.Inoccultchemistry,forexample,wehaveexaminedtheelementsandsomecompounds,but there isavastwork tobedone in thatfieldby someonewhohas the facultyofethericvisionandmagnification, andthepatiencetoobserveandcounttheatomsoverandoveragain.

The Stanzas ofDzyanmust have beenwritten by onewho could read themindsofthedirectingDevas,andthusseewhattheywereaimingat.Whatwesayaboutringsandroundsmaynotbeexact,buttheinformationgivenabouttheastral and mental planes, being the result of thousands of observations, isreasonably sure to be so. There may still arise errors from prematuregeneralization—that happens in every science—from the mistaking of theabnormal for the normal, or from the oversight of some class of phenomenabearingonageneral theory.Such, forexample,wasour former ideaabout theinterval between lives, and the way in which egos incarnated regularly insuccessive sub-races,whichwas announced as the normal course of evolutionuntilwediscoveredanother typeofegoswhokeptmostly toonesub-raceandreincarnatedtwiceasfrequentlyastheothers.Theremaybehalfadozenmoretypesforallweknow;allwecansayisthatwehavenotyetcomeacrossthem.

TheoldScripturesareespeciallyvaluablebecausetheywerelargelywrittenbypeoplewhocouldseeclairvoyantly.Manyarerepelledfromthembecauseoftheway inwhich they present their ideas, sometimes by their archaic flavour.Everyagehashaditsownmethodsofexpression.Ourmodernwayisquitebald;weputthingsasplainlyaswecan.InancientEgypt,totakeadifferentexample,everything was told in a very poetic garb. The Gnostic books also wrappedeverythingupinelaboratesymbology.Therefore,ifonewantstostudytheBookof theDead,orPistisSophia, evensupposingonegetsanaccurate translation,which is not always the case, one has still to try to put oneself back into theattitudeofmindofthetimeswhentheywerewritten,andthatisverydifficult.Italsotakestime—morethanthemodernmancanusuallygivetoit,ifheisalsoengagedinearninghislivelihoodinsomeotherway.

In theolddays in everypartof theworld lifewasmuchmore leisurely. Itwas the custom to make things comfortable and easy for everybody, andgenerally to put off till tomorrowanybusiness that couldpossiblybe avoidedtoday. In looking up a great number of past lives, I found the same thingeverywhere.Therewerenotrainstocatchornewspapersormagazinestobringoutbyacertaintimeofdayoronacertaindate.ThenearestapproachthatIhavefound to a regular serial publication was a series of letters, brought out atintervalswhichwerevery longandquite irregular—so that sometimesmonthselapsedbetweentheissues.

Inspiteofallthis,mendidattainAdeptshipinthoseolddays,buttheymusthavefound ithard toacquirevirya, thedauntlessenergyrequiredfor thepath.Still,theunrestingactivity,theceaselesshurryofourmodernWesternworld,isnot exactly the same thing as virya. It is often by outward compulsion thatpeopleshowtheirenergy.Iftheyarenotpunctualandassiduousinbusiness,thecompetitionissuchthatothermenwillpassaheadofthemandtheywillnotbeable tomakea living.But thestudentofoccultismismovedbyhisowninnercompulsion,andisalwaysworkingsteadily—butwithouthurryorflurry,forhewantshisworktobewelldone.

Probably the principal danger in this matter is that of doing too little, ofletting things go undonewhich ought to be done.Yet some people spoil theirwork by undertaking toomuch.Mrs. Besant is a magnificent example of themiddle course; she is always at work, and plans all her time to the bestadvantage, but shedoesnot attemptmore than she cando.Shewill often say

aboutathing:“Thisisnotmywork,forIhavenotimeforit.”

Thereistruthinthesayingthatthebusiestmanalwayshasthemosttime.Itissobecausehedoesnotmismanagehistime.Buttherearemenwhotakeuponthemselvesmoreworkthantheycanreallydo,sometimesbecausetheyhavethefeeling,whichmaybewellfounded,thatnooneelseamongthepeoplearoundthemcandotheworkquiteaswell.ThiswasoncethecasemanyyearsagowithacertainGeneralSecretaryofoneoftheSectionsoftheTheosophicalSociety.Hewasasplendidworkerofgreatability,andhisopinionthathecoulddothingsbestwasprobablyjustified.Butheundertooksomuchthatworkleftundoneforlackoftimeaccumulateduntil,whenhissuccessorcameintooffice,thingswereinanalmosthopelessmuddle.

It isbetter totreadthemiddlepathinthismatter, toportionoutyourworkcarefully,andtosparesomeofthetimetoteachandtotrainotherworkers.Itisoftenmuchmoretroubletoshowsomeoneelsehowtodoapieceofworkthantodoitoneself,butonehopesthat,whenonehasshownhimonceortwice,orifnecessarytentimes,hewillbeabletodoitaloneahundredtimes,sothatintheendtherewillbegain.

Prajna, the key to which makes of a man a God, creating him aBodhisattva,sonoftheDhyanis.

Suchtotheportalsarethegoldenkeys.

Wehavenowcometothelastofthesequalities.Prajna,whichmeans,oncemore, wisdom—more in the sense of a faculty of consciousness than ofknowledge that is wisdom because it penetrates to the life behind the form.Jnana,alsotranslatedwisdom,isnotafaculty,butprajnais.

ItissaidthatthisqualitymakestheBodhisattva.Thislattertermisusedhereinawidesense.Technically,aBodhisattvaisonewhoisdestinedtobecomeaBuddha,whohasgiventoalivingBuddhathepledgethatinafuturelifehewilltake up that office. But all men alike will pass through the level of theBodhisattva, on their various lines. There are seven great planetary lines, andMasterstakingpupilsareatworkalongeachof them.Everyman,goingalonghisownline,willultimatelybedrawnintocontactwithaMasterstandingattheheadofthatline.Thereis,however,thepossibilityofaman’schangingfromonelinetoanotherthroughdevotiontoaparticularMaster,butthisrequiresacertain

extraamountofstudyandeffort;foramanmostreadilyadaptshimselftoocculttrainingonhisownline.

HewhobecomesaBuddhamustthousandsofyearsbeforehandhavemadehis vow to a living Buddha, and it is said that from that time onward theinfluence of the Buddha overshadows him, and that when in due course heattainsBuddhahood,thegreatinfluenceofthespiritualBuddhahoversovertheincarnateBuddha.TheLordGautamaissaidtohavetakenHisvowtoBuddhaDlpankara, and the latter is supposed to have been also present in thebackgroundduringtheyearswhentheBuddhaGautamawaspreaching.Onecanonlyrepeatwhathasbeensaidon thesehighmatters,butcertainly it isaverybeautifulidea.Itisalsoanaturalone,forweknowthatonamuchlowerlevelthe Master is always overshadowing the disciple, who is part of Hisconsciousness.

CHAPTER2

TUNINGTHEHEART

Beforethoucanstapproachthelast,Oweaverofthyfreedom,thouhasttomaster theseParamitasofperfection—thevirtues transcendental sixand teninnumber—alongthewearypath.

For,Odisciple!beforethouwertmadefittomeetthyTeacherfacetoface,thyMasterlighttolight,whatwertthoutold?

Beforethoucanstapproachtheforemostgatethouhasttolearntopartthybody from thymind, to dissipate the shadow, and to live in the eternal.Forthis,thouhasttoliveandbreatheinall,asallthatthouperceivestbreathesinthee;tofeelthyselfabidinginallthings,allthingsinSelf.

C.W.L.—To meet thy Master light to light expresses a wonderful truth.WhenthepupilcomesintotouchwithhisMaster’sconsciousness,andthelatterenfoldshimforthefirsttime,hisaurashinesforthbrilliantlywiththeMaster’slight,asIhaveexplainedinTheMastersandthePath.63

TheseversesgoagainovermuchofthegroundtraversedatthebeginningoftheFirstFragment.Topartthebodyfromthemindmeansliterallythatonemustlearn tomake themayavi rupa, andmetaphorically that onemust discriminatewhat is reality andunderstand that one is not thebody.The astral body is theshadowofthephysicalone;thismustnotbedestroyed,butitsinfluenceoverthepupilmustbedoneawaywith.Onemustuseit,butnotallowittodominateone.Tolive in theeternal isnot to leave theworld,but to judgethingsall the timefrom the standpoint of the eternal life.All these thingswehave considered instudyingAttheFeetoftheMaster.

He who learns to live from the point of view of the eternal, of thereincarnatingego,soonlearnsthatnothingthathappenstoonefromtheoutsidematters at all.When we read the Lives of Alcyone, we see that many of thecharactersinthemwentthroughmuchsuffering.Someofthosecharacterswereourselves,andweknowthatthesufferingwastemporaryanddoesnotaffectusnow.Lookingback,wesometimeswonderhowsomeofthecharactersendured

such suffering.Well, they did, and came through it safely. It is not always soeasytofeelthatonewillcomethroughpresentsufferingallright,becauseoneisinthemidstofit,insteadoflookingatitinperspective.Onecannotexpecttoseeclearly the whole of an experience or an event in which one is actuallyimmersed.A soldier on thebattlefield, for example, seesvery little ofwhat isgoingon,anddoesnotusuallyknowtheimportanceoftheparticularmovementormanoeuvreinwhichheistakingpart;hisshareoftheworkmayseemtrivial,and yet it may be an important factor in deciding the battle, or it may bespectacularandprominentandyetnotbereallyvitaltothesuccessofhisside.

Nevertheless, I do not think we can overrate the importance of theTheosophicalSociety.Itisoneofthemostimportantmovementsthattheworldhas ever seen. To the outer world, the rulers and statesmen, it looks like anyotherSociety—amerehandfulofpeople.YetitwasfoundedbythetwoMasterswhowillbetheheadsofthesixthroot-race,andTheyarechoosingfromamongusthepeoplewhoarefit totakepartinthatraceinitsearlydevelopment.ButwecanveryeasilyoverrateourownpersonalshareintheworkoftheSociety.Nooneisindispensable,aswehavehadoccasiontofindoutinthecourseoftheSociety’shistory.Evenourgreatleaders,MadameBiavatskyandColonelOlcott,havedeparted,buttheSocietyhassurvivedtheirloss,andgoneonspreadingitsidealsandpermeatingtheworldwiththem,becausetheMastersremain.

Disciples of theMasters have to learn to identify their consciousnesswiththat of their fellow-men and therefore certain exercises are often set for thepurpose.Theresultsareoftensurprisingwhenthepupilbeginsbytryingtoentertheconsciousnessofvariousanimals.Theyhavevery limited linesof thought,and actions forwhich peoplewill often credit themwithmotives drawn fromhumanexperienceareoftenduetosomethingdifferent.Ontheotherhand,theyfollowtheirfewlinesofthoughtmuchfurtherthaniscommonlyrealized;sothatinsomewayswecreditthemwithverymuchmorethanisinthem,butinotherswithverymuchless.

Often a pupil is put into the body of someone else, in order that he mayunderstandthatother’sposition,andalsothathemayrealizehimselfindifferentforms.AratherdrasticexperienceofthekindwasrelatedtomebyMr.DamodarK.Mavalankarmanyyearsago.Hewasonedaytakenoutofhisbody,andflunginto that of a drunken sailor in some dock in a foreign country. He was aBrahmana, with all the Brahmana’s hereditary shrinking, if it may be so

described, from contact with what is low or unclean—a feeling stronger thanalmost any Western person can quite understand. Naturally, it was a terribleshock.Hefoundhimselfimmersedinwhattohimwasunspeakablefilth.Yetinthe midst of this horror which had suddenly fallen upon him he was able tocontinuetorealizehimself,andtosaytohimself:“Iamnotthis;IamDamodar.”Andhewasabletoremaincalm,andtothink:“Thistooishumanity;Ihavetosympathizealsowiththis.”Sohecameoutofthetestwithcredit.

Manypeople,ifsubjectedtosuchatest,wouldhavegotintoagreatflurry,wouldhavethoughtitadreadfulnightmare,andinstrugglingmadlytogetfreewouldhave injured themselves.Tomost,perhaps, the first feelingwouldhavebeenoneofdisgust.ButanAdeptdoesnotfeellikethat.Hedoesnotcondoneanywrong;Hewouldrealizethatverymuchmorethanwecould,butHeisnotdisgusted.Herecognizesallthestagesofhumanlife.HeremembersthatHehasbeen through something like this Himself—ages ago, perhaps on some otherplanet.Hisbuddhic consciousness is alsoperfectlyunfolded, andwhen that isthecaseoneisabletoenfoldsinnerswithinoneself.Thereisnorepulsionfortheman who is doing wrong; one feels only the desire to give whatever help ispossible.Generally,however,onlyalittlecanbegiventopeopleinthosestages,and that must be given cautiously. Not only sympathy is necessary, but alsowisdomtounderstandwhathecanrespondto,andpatienceandtacttomakehimrealizetheexcellenceofalifealittlesuperiortothatwhichhehasbeenleading.

Itisthroughthisexperienceofidentificationthatonelearnswisesympathy,andIthinkthatistheonlywayinwhichitcanbedoneperfectly.Oneseesthenwhyamandoescertainthings,andhowtheyappeartohim.Thosewhohavenotthatexperiencemustdotheirbesttotrytoseethingsfromthepointofviewofothers.

Thoushaltnotletthysensesmakeaplaygroundofthymind.

ThoushaltnotseparatethybeingfromBeing,andtherest,butmergetheoceaninthedrop,thedropwithintheocean.

So shalt thou be in full accord with all that lives; bear love to men asthoughtheywerethybrother-pupils,disciplesofoneTeacher,thesonsofonesweetmother.

The first of these verses reminds one of the earlier portion of the first

Fragment, where it says: “The mind is the great slayer of the real. Let thediscipleslaytheslayer.”Itissuchaslayerbecausewehaveallowedprejudicestogrowupinit.Itiscommonplaceknowledgethatweneverseeanotherperson,butonlyourthoughtofhim.Toslaytheslayer,however,doesnotmeanthatweare to try to get along without the intellect, and trust solely to our impulses,whichareastagelower.Wemustrisetotheintuitionallevel,whichisabovetheintellect, and allow that to determine to what objects our thoughts shall bedirected.

Ifpeoplecouldseetheeffectofprejudiceinthementalbody,theywouldbesurprised.Thematterofthatbodyis,orshouldbe,inaconstantrhythmicalflow,anddifferentpartsofit,orrings,havetodowiththoughtalongdifferentlines.Ifonehasaprejudicealongsomeonelineofthinking,thereisacongestioninthering which has to do with that line; the matter in that place no longer flowsfreely.The appearancemadeon themental bodyby this congestion is exactlylikethatofagreatwart.Weoughttobeabletolookoutthroughanyportionofthementalbody,buttheeffectofthatwartistointerferewithourvision.Whenwe try to look out through this part of the mental body things will appeardistorted,ashasbeenexplainedbefore.64

Itisinthiswaythatthemindistheslayerofthereal.Eventhebestpeoplehavesomeprejudices.Someone,forexample,whoprideshimselfonbeingfreefromtheminonedirection—letussayaboutcasteorcolour—willhavetheminanother,perhapsinregardtomanners.Hedoesnotmindwhetheraman’sskinbebrown,orwhite,orred,oryellow;butifthemanshouldhappentoeatoffhisknife,orpronouncewordsinaprovincialway,heisnotatallindifferent.

Theworstof theseprejudicesaregenerally thoseof theexistenceofwhichwearequiteunaware,withwhichperhapswehavegrownup fromchildhood.They are exceedingly hard to eradicate. The only way to conquer themcompletelyisbylove.Iftheman’smannersoffendus,hewilllearnbetteronesin time—ifnot in this incarnation, thenin thenext—but themanispartof theLogos, just as we are. The love of God, like the peace of God, passethunderstanding,andnotonlyexcusesall,butfeelsnoneedtoexcuse.

Wemustlearntobearlovetoallmenasthoughtheywereourbrother-pupils.ThetiebetweenpupilsofthesameMasteristhestrongestintheworld,exceptthatwhichexistsbetweenmembersof theBrotherhood. In time, thepupilwill

learntoextendthequalityoflovethathehasacquiredundertheseconditionsofunity,untilhefeelsittowardsallwhomhesees.

Of teachers therearemany: theMaster-Soul isone,Alaya, theuniversalSoul.LiveinthatMasterasitsrayinthee.Liveinthyfellowsastheyliveinit.

Thisisthesameideaofunity,putevenmorebeautifully.

BeforethoustandestonthethresholdofthePath;beforethoucrossesttheforemost gate, thou hast to merge the two into the one and sacrifice thepersonaltotheSelfimpersonal,andthusdestroythepathbetweenthetwo—Antahkarana.

Thegeneralmeaningofthisverseisquitecleartous,buttheuseofthewordantahkaranaisalittleunusual,especiallyasMadameBlavatskyhasannotatedit.She says: “Antahkarana is the lower Manas, the path of communication orcommunion between the personality and the higherManas or humanSoul.Atdeath it is destroyed as a path ormedium of communication, and its remainssurviveinaformasaKamarupa—theshell.”

In the latter part of the third volume of The Secret Doctrine, MadameBlavatskysometimesusesthewordkama-manasforwhatwenowcallthelowermind,meaningamindthecharacterofwhichisbuiltupduringthepersonallifeunder the influence of kama. The antahkarana could then be regarded as thelowermanaspureandundented, the rayof thehighermanas.During life, it ispossibleforamantogetintotouchwiththehighermanasthroughthatchannel,andaswehaveseeninTheMastersandthePath,65thepupiladdresseshimselftothetaskofsowideningthechannelthatitisalwaysfullyopen,andtheactivehighermanasmayexpresshimselfallthetimeinthepersonality.Butafterdeaththeaveragemanhasnotthefreedomthathehadbeforetoinitiatenewactivitiesortotrynewexperiments;heisnowintheworldoftheeffectsofthecauseshesetgoingduringearthlife,andmustfirstworkouthiscollectedloweremotionsontheastralplane,andthenhiscollectedhigheremotionsonthelowermentalplane,inthedevachaniccondition.So,inasense,hisantahkaranahasceasedtofunctionasadownwardchannel.Thisdoesnotapply,however,tothemanwhois themaster of his own feelings and thoughts or to the pupilwho ranges theastralandlowermentalplanesatwill.

Duringlifetheegointhecausalbodyhasentrustedsomeofhisownenergy,asit

were, to the search for useful experience to which his personality wasadapted,andinsofarasthepersonalityfailedinitsmission,thatenergy,thoseraysofthehighermanas,havebeenlost,remainingbutasacentrefor the shell, or even for the production of a dweller on the threshold iftheyarestrongenoughtolastovertothenextincarnation.

IncurrentTheosophicalterms,afterdeaththemanremainsintheastralplaneforaperiod,longerorshorter,accordingtothequantityandvirilityofhisselfishdesires,betheygrossorrefinedormixed.Thenhemeetswithhisseconddeath,thedeathof theastralbody,andgoeson intodevachan,aspecialconditiononthe lower mental plane, in his lower mental body, in which he works up toperfectionallhisunselfishambitionsanddesires.Whileheisinthislatterstate,some part of the discarded astral corpse may still be roaming about in acongenial environment, if that body was coarse. All this has been very fullyexplained in my little works The Astral Plane and The Devachanic Plane.Anythinglikeafulldescriptionoftheseafter-deathstatesherewouldswellthisbooktounwieldyproportions.

WhenwritingthearticleonLostSouls,whichhasbeenincorporatedinTheInner Life, I thought of a simple explanation of the connection between thehigherandlowermind.Byfarthegreaterpartoftheegobelongstothehighestsub-planeof themental; a lesserportionbelongs to the second sub-plane, andstilllesstothethird.Wemaythereforeimagineadiagramrepresentingtheegoonthosethreesub-planes,asbeingshapedsomethinglikeaconventionalheart,tapering to a point at the bottom. In the ordinary person only that little pointcomesdowninto thepersonality—so thataverysmallportionof theego is inactivityinreferencetoit.

Probably notmore than a hundredth part of it is active in peoplewho areunevolved.Withoccult studentsa littleof thesecondsub-plane isgenerally inactivity also. More advanced students have a great deal of that sub-plane inactivity,andinthestagebelowthatoftheArhat,aboutonehalftheegoisactive.

Theholdthattheegohasoverhislowervehiclesisonlyverypartial,andtheantahkaranamayberegardedasthearmstretchedoutbetweenthelittlepieceofthe ego that is awakened, and the part put down, the hand, which frequentlyforgets about the higher and often even works against it. When the two areperfectlyjoinedthisattenuatedthreadceasestoexist.

InSanskritthewordantahkaranameanstheinnerorganorinnerinstrument,and thedestructionof thatwould imply that the egowouldno longerneedaninstrument,butwouldworkdirectlyonthepersonality.Theegoactuallylosesapartofhimselfwhenthecohesionoftheegoasawholeisweakerthantheforcesofentanglement,buthehasalsogainedsomethingduringthelife,andgenerally(alwaysexceptingthecaseofaverywickedlife)thegainismorethanthelosssustainedthroughtheentanglementwiththelowermanas.Alittleofhimselfanda little of the lower manas is left in the kama-rupa at the second death. Theantahkaranashouldthereforebethoughtofasthelinkwhichjoinsthehigherandthelowerself,andwhichdisappearswhenonewilloperatesthetwo.

Thouhast to be prepared to answerDharma, the stern law,whose voicewillasktheeatthyfirst,atthyinitialstep:

“Hastthoucompliedwithalltherules,Othouofloftyhopes?

Hast thouattuned thyheartandmind to thegreatmindandheartofallmankind?Foras the sacred river’s roaringvoicewherebyallnature-soundsareechoedback,somusttheheartofhimwhointhestreamwouldenterthrillinresponsetoeverysighandthoughtofallthatlivesandbreathes.”

Madame Blavatsky here gives us a long foot-note, explaining that theNorthernBuddhists,andindeedallChinamen,findinthedeeproarofsomeofthegreatandsacredriversthekey-noteofnature.Shepointsoutthatitisawell-knownfactinphysicalscience,aswellasinoccultism,thattheaggregatesoundofnature—suchasisheardintheroarofgreatrivers,thenoiseproducedbythewavingtopsoftreesinlargerforests,orthatofacityheardatadistance—isadefinitesingle toneofquiteanappreciablepitch.All that is true,andonewhohaslearnedtodosocanalwaysheartheunderlyingtoneofnature.Everyplanetalsohasitsownsound;itintonesitsownnotesasitmovesthroughspace,andby this tone the Logos knows whether all is going well, with His worlds,somewhatinthesamewaythatapractisedengineercantellbythesoundofhisengine whether all is well with his machinery. So must the aspirant listenconstantly to the life in all around him.This brings us back to that quality ofsympathy which this book so strongly insists upon. Often we think weunderstandournearestfriends,butreallywedonot,asisoftenquiteapparenttoan outside observer.66 But a Master always understands; He cannot possiblymisunderstand.HemaysaythatHedoesnotapproveofsomethingthatHesees;

yetHe is always inperfect sympathy, andunderstandswithoutourneeding tosay a single word.We must try to understand others by endeavouring to seethingsastheyseethem,byunderstandingwhattheirthoughtsare,notbydoingwhattheydo.

Disciplesmaybelikenedtothestringsofthesoul-echoingvina;mankind,unto itssounding-board; thehand thatsweeps it to the tunefulbreathof thegreatWorld-Soul.ThestringthatfailstoanswerneaththeMaster’stouchindulcetharmonywithalltheothers,breaksandiscastaway.SothecollectivemindsofLanooShravakas.TheyhavetobeattunedtotheAcharya’smind—onewiththeOver-Soul—orbreakaway.

The Occult Hierarchy makes use of disciples as the strings of a vina, onwhich itmaysound thesplendidmusicof themarchofevolution, thatall thatmusic may then resound among mankind. What would you do, were you amusician,withastringthatdidnotwishtoblenditselfwiththerest,buttriedtoforceitselfintomoreprominentnotice?Youwouldthrowitaway.Anyonewhohasanaxeofhisowntogrind,whowantsknowledgeorliberation,oranythingelse forhimself, isnot fit tobeapupilof theMaster.With this invieweverypupilwillbetested.Hewillbegivenpiecesofworkwhich,ifheneglectsthem,will be left undone. If thework is important, theMasterwill always have anunderstudyready,butwhenit is justonthefringeofthingsitmaybeleft,andthatstringwillbecastaside.

The disciple must have not only harmony with the great purpose of theMaster,butalsowiththerestoftheworkers.Amanmustdotheworkofhisowndepartmentandnotinterferewiththatofothers;whentheirworktoucheshis,hecanonlyeitherhelporhinderthem,anditishisdutytohelp,tomakethingsaseasyaspossibleforabrother.Thismutualforbearanceandhelpactslikeoilinmachinery;whenoil is lacking itmay stillwork,butnot so smoothlyorwell,andmoreenergywillbeneededtomakeitgo.Ifoneputsallone’senergyintothework,andyetwastesmuchofitinfriction,thatisalmostthesameasgivingbutapartofit.Onemusthaveinmind,nothisownadvancement,noreventhesuccessofhisowndepartment,butthegoodofthewhole.

Thus do the brothers of the shadow—the murderers of their Souls, thedreadDad-Dugpaclan.

AllthroughherwritingsMadameBlavatskyappliesthenameDugpatothe

brothers of the shadow—blackmagicians, asweoften call them.Perhaps it israther an unfortunate name to have chosen, because the dugpas do not quitedeserveallthehardthingsshehassaidaboutthem.

InTibet,beforeBuddhismpenetratedthatland,therewasmuchworshipofelementals and nature-spirits, and offerings of a propitiatory character wereregularlymade to them.The religionwas on a low level, as all religions of apropitiatorynaturemustbe.“TheBhonsandDugpas,”saysMadameBlavatsky,“and the various sects of the ‘Redcaps’, are regarded as the most versed insorcery. They inhabitWestern and Little Tibet and Bhutan.” The old religionthusstilllives.

Thesamethinghashappenedinotherreligions.InChristianity,forexample,as I have before pointed out,67 Jehovah still lingers—a tribal deity, who wasjealousofothergods.TheJewsknewnothingofonesupremeDeityuntil theywere carried away into Assyrian captivity; then they tried to identify theSupremeGodwhom they then heard of with their own tribal god, andmuchconfusionresulted.UnhappilyChristianitybecameentangledinthis,anditstillappearsintheEnglishCommunion’Service.IntheearlypartofthatservicetheJewishTenCommandmentsareread,whereajealousgodisspokenof,butlateroninthesameservicewefindthatGodiscalled“GodofGod,LightofLight,Very God of Very God”. The old idea of propitiation also passed on intoChristianity,inthecuriousideathatGodwasboughtoffbythedeathofHisownSon.

InTibet,thoughBuddhismsentnolessthanthreemissionstothatcountry,andthepeoplearemostlyBuddhistsofasort,theoldreligioncomesupagainand again, for it had a great hold on the hearts of the people.The samephenomenon may be found in the Italian Apennines, where the oldEtruscan religion, far older than the Roman, is still to be seen. TheCatholic Church has set itself against this in vain. Another instance isevident in Ceylon. The people there are Buddhists, and there are someChristians, descendants of thosewhowere converted by the Portuguese.Still, in moments of real necessity—of serious illness or calamity—BuddhistsandChristiansalikereverttotheold“devil-worship”.Ifyouaskthem why they do so, they will reply: “Of course we are Buddhists orChristians,andarecivilized;buttheremay,afterall,besomethingmoreintheoldfaith,andthereisnoharminmakingthingsquitesafe.”

The termination pa means simply “people”. Thus, the followers of theMasterKuthumiarecalledinTibetKut-Hum-pa.TheBhon-paarethefollowersof the aboriginal religion. The descendants of the converts made by the firstmissionarecalledNinma-pa.That first incursionofBuddhismrapidlybecamecorruptedbytheoldfaith.TheKargyusectrepresentstheconvertsofthesecondmission,whichwassenttoTibetsomecenturieslaterthanthefirst.TheDug-pa,orRed-caps,belong to this sect,andsoare two removes from theBhon-pa. Italsobecameimpure,andallowedtheoldbeliefstocreepin.

Thencamethethirdandlastreform,byTsong-ka-pa.Thefollowersofthisare theGelug-pa, orYellow-caps.To this sect belong theDalaiLama and theTeshu Lama, and the present government of the country. To it also belongoutwardly our twoMasters. The people of this sect wear, on great occasions,yellowrobes,andcurioushigh-pointedhelmet-likecaps.

Aryasangabelonged to theYellow-caps; so,ofcourse,didAlcyone, inHislast incarnation, as the former’s disciple. Perhaps Alcyone somewhatstrengthenedHis teacher’sexpressionswhenspeakingof theRed-caps.Tocallthem “murderers of their souls” is hardly in keeping with the spirit of theBuddhistreligion.

TheDug-paclan, then, isnotquitesobadas ithasbeenpainted.TheyareBuddhists, with nature-worship super-imposed. This old worship, its enemiessay,includedanimalsacrifices,andevenhumansacrificesatonetime.

TheYellow-capsareopposedtothem,becausetheyarestrivingtomaintainapurerBuddhism.Theirrulesarestricter,andadmitmuchlessofnature-worship,thougheventheyhavenotbeenabletokeepentirelyfreefromit,sothatsomedaya fresh reformmaywellbeundertaken.From theDug-paclan somehavejoinedtheYellow-caps,andhaveevenattractedtheattentionofourMasters,sotheycannotbealtogetherbad.TheBhon-paarenotaveryadvancedordignifiedkindof blackmagicians, so to call them“brothers of the shadow”gives themmorecreditthantheydeserve,evenontheirownline.

Hast thou attuned thy being to humanity’s great pain, O candidate forlight?

Thouhast?...Thoumayestenter.Yet,erethousettestfootuponthedrearypathofsorrow,‘tiswellthoushould’stfirstlearnthepitfallsonthyway.

Oncemorewehavethatideaofthepathofwoe.ThereisnosorrowonthisPath;strenuouseffortthereis,butwithitthegreatestjoyinthework.Ofthisjoymany teachers have spoken, with the result sometimes that their pupils,encounteringtheearlydifficulties,havebeendisappointed.Aryasangaevidentlywasanxioushottomisleadanypupilofhis,sohelaidstressonthedifficulties.

There is a difficult stage throughwhich all have to pass—a stagebetweentwocertainties.Many in thispositioncarenothing for the thingsof theworld.They do not care, for example, whether they have money, fine houses andclothes,ornot.Ifwealthshouldcometothem,itwouldbearesponsibilitythattheywouldmeet likeanyother,but theywouldbeequallycontent if theyhadjust sufficient.The lower thingshave fallen away, andyet thehigherones arestillmattersoffaith,notofknowledgeandexperience.Inthisconditionthemaninevitably has amonotonous and sometimes amiserable time,whichmay lastforalongerorshorterperiod,andmaypossiblyoccurseveraltimes.

Butwhen the higher is clearly seen, all is changed, and the Path becomesradiantwithhappiness.Then the lower thingshave lostallattraction.Take thecaseofourPresident. If shedevotedher timeand talents toworldlyends, shecouldcertainlywingreatfameandpositionalongoneorotherofseverallines;butifyouweretoaskherwhetheritwouldbeapleasuretogiveupwhatshehaschosenandfollowalineofworldlyambition,shewouldsurelysay;“Certainlynot; why should I? Nothing could possibly equal the delight of the Master’sservice.”

There is far greater joy in the life of the disciple than in anyworldly life,howeverbeautifulthesurroundingsmaybe.Herenouncespersonalpossessionsofeverysort,butwhatdoeshewantwiththem?InIndiaoftenagreatman,whohas been perhaps the PrimeMinister of a State, and has had great influence,fameandwealth,onedayquietlydropsthewholething,putsonayellowrobe,and goes out owning nothing whatever. He does it knowing quite well bothformsoflife,andclearlyseeingthatthelifethathehasleftispoorinrealwealthandjoyincomparisonwiththatwhichhewill leadasahermitorawanderingsannyasi. It isoften thecase thatone inaprominentposition, suchas the lateCzar ofRussia, can do very little to help theworld. Such a position does nottherefore appeal to the occultist. I remember the case of a highly advancedstudent who was given the choice between remaining an obscure person andrising to a leading position in one of the greatest countries of the world. He

chosethelatteralternative,andinduecoursebecamePrimeMinisterofBritain.Inthatpositionhefoundhimselfcrampedbypowerfulandselfishinterests,andopposedbythetoweroftheChurch.FeelingtheweightofhisresponsibilityhewasdrivenintoapolicyofConciliation.ThoughhisobjectsweretogivegreaterfreedomtothepeopleandtoconsolidatetheEmpire,andhedidachievesuccessin the latter aim, he always regretted his choice—perfectly unselfish as it hadbeen—andhediedadisappointedman.

CHAPTER3

THEFIRSTTHREEGATES

Armedwith thekeyof charity,of loveand tendermercy, thouart securebeforethegateofDana,thegatethatstandethattheentranceofthePath.

C.W.L.—Aryasanga now runs over once again the seven portals, takingthemasstagesonthepath,andlookingatthemespeciallyfromthestandpointofthe pitfalls that endanger the aspirant. The brighter side of the matter, theencouragementandstrengththatthecandidatereceives,areforthemomentnotbeingthoughtof;itisdesirabletorememberthis,lestthePathshouldseemtoosad.

Dana,asalreadyexplained,meansmorethansimplealmsgiving,moreeventhan the feeling of charity; it implies the complete giving of oneself to theserviceofhumanity,holdingnothingback.

Behold, O happy pilgrim! The portal that faceth thee is high and wide,seemseasyofaccess.Theroadthatleadstherethroughisstraightandsmoothand green.Tis like a sunny glade in the dark forest depths, a spot on earthmirrored fromAmitabha’sparadise.Therenightingalesofhopeandbirdsofradiantplumage sing,perched ingreenbowers, chanting success to fearlesspilgrims.TheysingofBodhisattva’svirtuesfive, thefivefoldsourceofBodhipower,andofthesevenstepsinknowledge.

Passon!Forthouhastbroughtthekey;thouartsecure.

ThisversegivesusabeautifulandpoeticdescriptionofthePathasitsfirstpart appears to the happy pilgrim.At first he thinks it is full of joy and verypleasantandeasytotread.Itiseasy,whenonehasseentheHolyGrailtogiveupallelseandfollowit.Butafterawhilethevisionmayfade,thefirstenthusiasmwears itself out, and the man begins to grow weary. It is the way of humannature towantconstantchange.Seehowpeoplerushafteranovelty,andhow,afterashort time their interest slackens, thepursuitbecomesmonotonous,andtheyturntheirattentiontosomethingelse.

StudiesinthelivesofAlcyoneshowedusthatmostpeoplemakeverylittle

progress,eveninaseriesoftwentyorthirtylives.Onemanwrote,afterhearingwhatnamehebore in theLives, and learning thathewasverymuch thesamefiftythousandyearsagoasheisnow:Ifanyonehadtoldmebeforethattwenty-five thousandyearsagoIwasanythingbutasavage in thewoods, Icouldnothave believed it. I answered him: “If twenty-five thousand years ago you hadbeenasavageinthewoods,thechancesarethatyouwouldstillbeonetoday.”

If, however, apersondoesbecomeenthusiastic for a spiritualobject, he atoncemakesa rapidmoveforward; ifhecannotcontinuehisenthusiasmit isapity,butprobablyintherushhehasaccomplishedasmuchaswasintendedforhiminthepresentlife.Nowwehavenotonlythemotivetogoforward,butwehave also a great deal of knowledge to enable us to do so, and that helps topreventusfromfallingback.

Wemust try tokeepourenthusiasmalways,andnotallowourselves tobeaffectedbymoodssothatitisatthemercyofwhathappenstoinfluenceusonthe physical plane, or on the psychical planes.We had a great testing of ourenthusiasmwhenMadameBlavatsky died. I remember how it tended to fadewhensheleftus.Shehadthefacultyofkeepingusallgoing,andwhenshewentwefeltlimp,thoughsomeofushadsucceededingettingintodirecttouchwiththeMasters.

And to the second gate theway is verdant too, but it is steep andwindsuphill; yea, to its rocky top. Grey mists will overhang its rough and stonyheight,andallbedarkbeyond.Asonhegoes,thesongofhopesoundethmorefeebleinthepilgrim’sheart.Thethrillofdoubtisnowuponhim;hissteplesssteadygrows.

Bewareofthis,Ocandidate;bewareoffearthatspreadeth,liketheblackandsoundlesswingsofmidnightbat,betweenthemoonlightofthySoulandthygreatgoalthatloomethinthedistancefaraway.

Fear,Odisciple,kills thewillandstaysallaction.If lackingintheShilavirtue, the pilgrim trips, and karmic pebbles bruise his feet along the rockypath.

The pupil generally comes in with a splendid outburst, and then slackensdown.Thisisbecauseheexpected,thoughhemaynothaveconfessediteventohimself, thathis lifewasgoing tobeallchanged;perhapshe imagined thathe

wouldhavealifefullofphenomenaorthathewouldalwaysrealizethepresenceoftheMaster,andsobeabletokeepconstantlyathishighestlevel.Hislife ischanged,butnotinthewayhethought.

When doubt appears it is for some students doubt of the entire body ofTheosophicalknowledge;theyhavenotyetcomeintoconscioustouchwiththeMasters,and theybegin todoubtTheirveryexistence,and towonderwhethertheyarefollowinganignisfatuus.Ihopenosuchdoubtwillcometoanyofus,butifitdoesitisbesttofallbackonfirstprinciples.Gobacktothebeginning;inspectyourmotives;examinetheevidence.

Then there is doubt of oneself,which sometimes assails the beginner; onemaynotbeshowingoutthedivinitythatonewishes.Butonemustgoontrying,without doubting, because success is absolutely assured for every man, anddoubtisagreatobstacletoattainment.Letapersonwhoissurefromtheoutsetthathewillnotbeabletodoittrytolearnswimming.Hewillneverlearn.Thedoubtsendshimunderthewatermorethananyrealdifficulty.Another,whohasconfidence,willlearnalmostatonce.

ThetroublewithmanyaspirantstothePathisthattheyhavethisdoubtastowhether theycanachieve.Well, theymustgoonworkingfor it,andgetridoftheir prejudice against themselves, for that iswhat it is, by reasoning it away.Theymustsaytothemselves:“Iamgoingtodoit,whetherIcanornot!”

Aryasanga’ssimilesarealwaysbeautiful.Hespeakshereofthemoonlightofthesoul.ItshineswithareflectedlightfromtheLogos,thesun,andalsofromthe spiritual soul, buddhi, and the spirit, atma. He must let nothing comebetween,orthesoulwillbeleftindarkness.

“Thesoundlesswingsofthemidnightbat”givesavividpictureofthewayinwhich fear steals uponaman.Fear is oneof themost deadly things, and it ispressing inuponuson every side, for theworld is full of it in amultitudeofvarietiesofform.Themaninbusiness,forexample,isinaconstantlittleturmoiloffear;theemployeeisafraidofwhathissuperiorwillthinkofhim,oroflosinghis place. Religious people are afraid of death, of hell, of the fate of theirdeparted friends,andall sortsofabsurd things.Manychildren live inconstantfearof their elders, their fathers and schoolmasters, as I haveexplained in theearliercommentary.68

Aryasanga well says: “Beware of fear.” It darkens the soul, and makes it adimmerreflectionof theLogos.TheLogos is love,and,saidS.John,“Perfectlovecastethoutfear.”69

The Shila virtue is harmony, good conduct. The occultist has a moral codedifferent from that of theworld—different in being farmore strict. He is notboundbytherulesandconventionsofsociety,butbysomethingfarstronger—theprinciplesof thespiritual life,whichallownot theslightestdeviation fromtruth,loveandalifeofservice,withnoroomatallforpersonalself-indulgence.

Beofsurefoot,Ocandidate.InKshantisessencebathethysoul;fornowthoudostapproachtheportalofthatname,thegateoffortitudeandpatience.

Wehavecometo the thirdportal.Kshanti ispatienceandfortitude.Steadyenthusiasmisrequired;notthenervous,anxious,spasmodickindofenthusiasmthatwearsoutitspossessorbeforeithasaccomplishedanythinguseful.

Closenotthineeyes,norlosethysightofDorje;Mara’sarrowseversmitethemanwhohasnotreachedVairagya.

Maraisthekingofdesire,thepersonificationofdesire;soitissaidthathisarrows ever strike those who have not reached the condition of vairagya ordesire-lessness.

MadameBlavatskygivesusanoteaboutDorje,orVajra,thethunderbolt,theRodofPower,whichwasalsomentionedinthesecondFragment.Shesays:

DorjeistheSanskritVajra,aweaponorinstrumentinthehandsofsomeGods(theTibetanDragshed,theDevaswhoprotectmen),andisregardedashavingthesameoccultpowerofrepellingevilinfluencesbypurifyingtheairasozoneinchemistry.ItisalsoaMudra,agestureandpostureusedinsittingformeditation.It is, inshort,asymbolofpoweroverinvisibleevil influence,whetherasapostureoratalisman.TheBhonsandDugpas,however,havingappropriated the symbol, misuse it for purposes of black magic. With theyellow-caps, or Gelugpas, it is a symbol of power, as the cross is with theChristians,whileitisinnowaymoresuperstitious.WiththeBhons,itis,likethedoubletrianglereversed,thesignofsorcery.

TheRodofPowerwhichiskeptatShamballaandusedinInitiationsandatothertimes,isprobablythestrongesttalismanonthisplanet.Atthesametimeit

is a great symbol of that power which is resistless, which, felt in ourselves,makesfearimpossibleforus.

Talismans are not mere relics of mediaeval superstition, as some peoplethink. If anyonewho is in the least degree sensitivewill go to the case in theBritishMuseumthatcontainsoldGnosticgems,hemayeasilyconvincehimselfofthatfact,fortheinfluenceemanatingfromsomeofthemisveryplainlytobefelt.A talisman isa smallobject loadedwithmagnetism,and itspurpose is torepelall influences thatdonotharmonizewith themagnetismwithwhich it ischarged. Itsactionmaybecompared to thatofagyroscope,whichrevolves insuchawaythatitwillsometimesbreaktopiecesratherthanallowitsmotiontobechangedindirection.

A jewelmakes thebest talisman, since itpreserves ‘magnetismbest,beingthehighest typeofmineral. Inordinarycircumstances, fearbegins faintly, andonly gradually gathers strength. In all such cases, a talisman chargedwith therightkindofmagnetism isahelp, for it repels those first faintvibrations.Thewearerthushastimetogatherhimselftogether,tocalluphisownstrengthandtosetinmotioninhisastralbodyvibrationsoftheoppositekind.

Aryasangareturnstothesubjectoffear:

Beware of trembling. ‘Neath the breath of fear the key ofKshanti rustygrows;therustykeyrefusethtounlock.

Themorethoudostadvance,themorethyfeetpitfallswillmeet.Thepaththatleadethonislightedbyonefire—thelightofdaringburningintheheart.Themoreonedares, themorehe shallobtain.Themorehe fears, themorethatlightshallpale—andthatalonecanguide.Forasthelingeringsunbeamthatonthetopofsometallmountainshinesisfollowedbyblacknightwhenoutitfades,soisheart-light.Whenoutitgoes,adarkandthreateningshadewillfallfromthineownheartuponthePath,androotthyfeetinterrortothespot.

Beware,disciple,ofthatlethalshade.NolightthatshinesfromSpiritcandispel the darkness of the nether Soul unless all selfish thought has fledtherefrom,andthatthepilgrimsaith:“Ihaverenouncedthispassingframe;Ihavedestroyedthecause;theshadowscastcan,aseffects,nolongerbe.”Fornowthe lastgreatfight, thefinalwarbetweenthehigherandthe lowerself,

hathtakenplace.Behold,theverybattlefieldisnowengulfedinthegreatwar,andisnomore.

ButoncethouhastpassedthegateofKshantistepthethirdistaken.Thybodyisthyslave.

Itisclearfromtheseversesthatthecandidatemustlearntoputthelowerselfasideutterly.Fearbelongstothat,forthehigherselfcanhavenothingtofearinall the world—the only fear that a real man can have, said an old Romanphilosopher, is that he himself should fail to use to the full all his virtues orpowersforgood.

Selfishness also belongs to it, and in this matter the habit of hundreds ofincarnations may have to be reversed; for some time one may find oneselfsomewhat selfish even when the heart is definitely turned against it; it iscomparable to what happens when the engines of a steamboat are suddenlyreversed,inordertostopit—theboatstillgoesforward,againsttheengines.Butpresentlytheforwardmomentumwillbeentirelyneutralized,andthentheboatwillobeytheenginesperfectly.

Untilonegetsridofthisselfishnessthehigherselfcannotshinefullyintothepersonality.Theegoorsoulitselfmayhavewhatlookslikeselfishness,thoughitisquitedifferentfromthatofthepersonality.Itmayignoreothers,ifitremainsjustmanas,andnotmanas-taijasi,manasstronglyconnectedwithbuddhi,andsomaybeselfishinthatway;butitcouldnevermakethemistakeofthinkingthatitcangainthroughthelossofanother,anerrorthatiscommonenoughdownhere.Menoftendothingsintrade,forexample,whichtheyknowtobewrong;theythink theyhavegained, that theyhaveover-reached theirneighbours,but theymake a greatmistake. Quite apart from the law of karma, which is bound tooperate,themanhassethismindtoplanhowtocheat,andhewillhavetosufferthe reactionofall the forceof thoughtanddesire thathehas setgoing in thatdirection.Hehassetupahabit,andthenexttimethatanopportunityoccurstodo some underhand thing, it will be a little easier for him to yield to thetemptation,andalittlehardertocheckhimselfanddotheright.Ifhecouldseethe whole of the transaction and not merely one little corner of it, he wouldrealizethathehasnotgained,buthaslostenormously.

Anegocouldnotbeasblindasthat.Themanwhocheats,becauseheseesonly the immediate resultson thephysicalplane, is likeageneralwho should

neglect all the rest of the battle-field in order to take one small position. Hemightcapturethatposition,buthewouldlosethebattle.

Ifyouhavereachedthestagewhereyouhavedestroyedselfishness,youcansay: “I have destroyed the cause”;—the cause of all trouble and sorrowdownhere.

The battle-field that is now engulfed and is no more is the antahkarana,which disappearswhen the higher has swallowedup the lower, and no longerexists.

ItappearsthatAryasangahadinthebackgroundofhismindanideaofthecorrespondence between these seven portals and the seven principles in man.The first three are related in some way to the three lower principles in thepersonality,whilethefourthisconcernedwiththatpurelowermindwhichistherayofhighermanas,andistheantahkarana.Atthispointthetemptationsbegintobethoseofthehigherprinciples,andthusbelongtotheinnerman.

CHAPTER4

THEFOURTHGATE

Now for the fourthprepare, theportal of temptationswhich ensnare the innerman.

Ere thou canst near that goal, before thine hand is lifted to upraise thefourthgate’slatch,thoumusthavemasteredallthementalchangesinthyself,andslainthearmyofthethoughtsensationsthat,subtleandinsidious,creepunaskedwithintheSoul’sbrightshrine.

C.W.L.—It iswithin the experienceofmanyaspirants to thePath that thecommon faults which have beenmet and conquered in ordinary life reappearlater on in a different form. You may have killed pride, for example, in itsordinaryworldlyforms,butitwillreappearagainasspiritualpride.Soalsoyoumayhavegotridofdesireforworldlygain,butitcomesupagainasdesireforpersonalprogressorknowledgeforpersonalsatisfaction,forthesakeoffeelingthatonehasknowledge.Then,evenwhensympathyhasbeguntomakeitselfapowerinthelife,selfishnesstriestocaptureitandmakeyoudesireonlytogetridofthecauseofyourowndiscomfortandunhappiness,byputtingtheobjectofsufferingoutofsight.Itissomethinglikethecaseofahousewife—iftherebeoneof thiskind—whodislikes toseedust in the room,sosweeps itunder thecarpet,insteadofkeepingtheplaceproperlyclean.

Evenhatredturnsupagain, incredibleas itmayseemthatsocoarseaviceshouldappearamongthosewhoarestrivingtolivethehigherlife.Someofourstudentscomeperilouslynearit,ifanotherdiffersfromthemonanysubject,letus say that of the planetary chains, or the question as to whether Mars andMercury belong to our earth chain or not!Of course, if one asks point-blank,“Do you hate So-and-so because his opinion on this point is different fromyours?” hewill deny it; but hewill not go to visit the otherman, and if theyshouldchancetomeethewillfeelmuchdisturbedandbedisagreeable,orelsehewillcoverthatfeelingupwithanartificialease,asmoothsurface,likeoilonwater.

Thisisasingularlypersistentfault,andithasbeenresponsibleforsomeof

theworld’sbigtroubles.WasnotthewholeChristianworldconvulsedandrentasunderinthefourthcenturybecauseofonedotononeletterofaword?Itmadethe difference in the word as to whether the Second Logos was of the samesubstance as the First or of like substance. Thiswas thewhole disputewhichraged round Alexandria between the so-called Arians and the orthodox. Andnow,arenotmillionsofChristiansontheonesideandmillionsofChristiansontheotherkeptapart,allbecauseof thequestionas towhether theThirdLogoscameoutdirectfromtheFirst,orfromtheFirstthroughtheSecond?Thisisthefamous “filioque controversy” on what is called the Procession of the HolyGhost, which led to the disruption between the two great sections of theChristianChurch.TheEastern,orGreek,ChurchholdsthattheHolyGhost,theThirdLogos, proceeded from theFather—single procession—but theWestern,or Roman, Church. holds that He proceeded from the Father and the Son—doubleprocession.Thequarrelisallaboutsomethingofwhichnoonecanknowanything,andisofnopracticalimportancetoanybody.Fromdiagramsshowntous,weTheosophistscaninferthatbothsidesareright,butneitherwillwelcomethesuggestion.

InBuddhism, to takeanotherexample, twolargesectionsofco-religionistsaredividedbythequestionastowhethertheplatformerectedonthewaterfortheperformanceofcertainceremoniesshouldbecomposedofthreeplanksoroffour.Theyhavetoperformtheirceremoniesseparatelyonthisaccount!

WhatdoesitmatterwhetherMarsandMercurybelongtoourchainornot?Wecanbe just asgoodmenandwomen, just asgoodcitizens, just as earnestTheosophists, justasgoodservantsof theMasters,andonehopesjustasgoodfriends, whatever our opinions may be. Personally, I study and observe ascarefullyasIcan,andthengiveoutwhatIknow,asitseemstomemydutytodo,butIhaveneverpretendedtoinfallibility,andamlearningmoreeveryday.IshouldneverthinkoffindingfaultwithanybodywhodisagreeswithwhatIsay.I have indeed more than once heard our great President say how deeply shehopesthatnoonewillevermakeadogmaofanythingshehassaid,andputherupasanobstacletofutureprogressinourSociety,andasacauseofdivision.Ifshehasanyanxietyatall,itisinregardtothisdanger.

Theosophists are supposed to have given up the idea of the infallibility ofany particular source of knowledge. The question for us when a new idea ispromulgated is, “Does it ring true?Does it inspire, elevate, illuminate?”—not,

“Who said it?What book did you get that from?” There are, however, somewho,havinggivenupblindfaithintheBible,havetransferredit toTheSecretDoctrine, which, though a mine of wonderful wisdom, is not perfect, as itsauthorsaid.Itis,shesaid,butaselectionoffragmentsofthefundamentaltenetsof the secret doctrine, paying special attention to some factswhich have beenseizeduponbyvariouswriters,anddistortedoutofallresemblancetothetruth.AndshequotedthewordsofMontaigne:“Ihaveheremadeonlyanosegayofculled flowers, and have brought nothing of my own but the string that tiesthem.” The Secret Doctrine will be a treasure house for Theosophists forhundredsofyears;letusnotattachtoitthecurseofdogmatism.Noonecansaythe last word in occultism. The knowledge that we have acquired up to thepresentisonlyliketheliftingofalittlecornerofagreatveil;wehavehoideaofwhatmayberevealedbytheraisingofanotherpart.

Before one can hope to pass this fourth portal, says Aryasanga, onemusthavemastered thementalchanges inoneself.Moodscomeandgo,andcolourone’soutlookveryeffectually.Itisdifficultforamantorealizethatwhenheisinacloudofdepressiontheworldoutsideisreallynoblackerthanitwasbefore.Whenagreat,upsetting sorrowhas fallenuponhim, it iswith somethingof ashock that he goes out and sees that the sun is still shining and people aresmilingandevenlaughing.

Amanwhoisverymiserablehimselfsometimesfeelsquiteangryatseeingothersashappyasusual.Hethinkstheworldisveryhard,andthatitdoesnotcaremuchabouthim.Heforgetsthatyesterday,whenhewashappy,someotherswere distressed, and he did not care about them, but went along quitecomfortably. I know that depression is a very real thing, but it is always self-created or self-permitted. Sometimes it comes from ill-health, over-fatigue ornervousstrain.Atothers itcomesfromtheastralworld,where therearemanyso-calleddeadpeople in a state of depression. It is thereforenot alwaysone’sownfaultthatthedepressionshouldcome,butitisone’sownfaultifoneallowsittostay.

Quitea largenumberofpeopleseemto imagine that theirattitude towardsthingsmakesadifference.“Oh,no,youwillnevergetmetobelievethat!”suchapersonwillsay,imaginingthathisdisbeliefdisposesofthematterinquestion.Butifathingisafact,itremainsafact,whetherhebelievesitornot.Thisisoneofthequeerlittlewaysinwhichhumanconceitshowsitself.

One must also take care that casual thoughts do not interfere with one’sbeing of service, nor be blind to a chance of doing a good service to a manbecauseonedoesnot like somethingabouthim—thewayhe cutshishair, forexample.Suchathingsoundstrifling,butitshowstheconditionofone’smindandcharacter.Often it isa thoughtabout race,classorcaste thatstands in theway. The Brahmana in India frequently neglects his duty to the pariah onaccountof this.Noonedenies theenormousdifferenceofclass,buteveryoneoughttohaveafairopportunitytoraisehimselfsociallyandmorallyasmuchasispossible forhim.Ofcourse,onecannot change theconditionofmillionsofpeopleverygreatlyinashorttime,onecannotraisethePanchamastothestateofBrahmanas,butonecanalwaysshowthegreatestkindnessandconsiderationtothesepeople,andhelpanyoneofthemwhocanreceivethehelp.

If thouwould’stnotbeslainby them, thenmust thouharmlessmake thyowncreations, the childrenof thy thoughts,unseen, impalpable, that swarmround humankind, the progeny and heirs to man and his terrestrial spoils.Thouhasttostudythevoid-nessoftheseemingfull,thefulnessoftheseemingvoid.

Thefulnessoftheseemingvoidisaphraserepletewithmeaning.Itappliestomanydifferentconditions.Firstonethinksofthekoilon,theaetherofspace.Commonlypeoplethinkofspaceassomethingthatisempty,butthefactisthatit is filledwith a density of substance that can scarcely be imagined. It is theapparentlysolidmatterthatis“empty”.Thematterthatweseeconsistsofholesintherealmatter,ofbubblesblowninkoilon.

AsaFrenchscientistrecentlysaid:“Iln’yaplusdematiere.Iln’yaquedestrousdans l’etere.”70The latest verdict of sciencewith regard to the aether ofspace is that its density is ten thousand times that of water, and about fivehundredtimesthedensityoftheheaviestmetal,thedensestthingyoucanthinkof.

The Hindus speak of root-matter or mulaprakriti; of which koilon is adensification,Ithink.TheysaythatwhentheLogosrealizesHimself,whenHedifferentiatesHimself from theAbsolute and looksback, as itwere,upon thatAbsolute, He does not see it, but a veil thrown over it—and that veil ismulaprakriti. InThe SecretDoctrine,Madame Blavatsky quotes the words ofSwarmT.SubbaRowonthissubject,asfollows:

When once it [i.e., the Logos, “... the first manifestation (or aspect) ofParabrahman‘‘] starts intoexistenceasaconsciousbeing,... fromitsobjectivestandpoint,ParabrahmanappearstoitasMulaprakriti.Pleasebearthisinmind...forhereistherootofthewholedifficultyaboutPurushaandPrakritifeltbythevariouswritersonVedanticphilosophy...ThisMulaprakritiismaterialtoit(theLogos), as any material object is to us. This Mulaprakriti is no moreParabrahman than the bundle of attributes of a pillar is the pillar itself;Parabrahmanisanunconditionedandabsolutereality,andMulaprakritiisasortofveilthrownOverit.Parabrahmanbyitselfcannotbeseenasitis.Itisseenbythe Logos with a veil thrown over it, and that veil is the mighty expanse ofCosmicMatter...”71

TheLogosherementionedistheLogosofourUniverse,inwhicharemillionsofsolar systems—not the Logos of one solar system. It was He who blew Hisbreath into the root-matter,whodugholes in space, so that theuniverse cameintobeing.Fourteen thousandmillionsof thesebubblesmakeaphysicalatom,and eighteen of thesemake an atom of hydrogen,which is the lightest of thechemicalelements.

Itisthereforeafactthatallthatweknowasmatterisnothingelsebutholesin the realmatter. The pressure of that root-matter is severalmillion tons persquare inch.Whenmen learn toexclude thispressure, theywillbeable tousethat tremendous force to run theirmachinery. Theywill be able to utilize theforce of the Logos that is in the atom, which holds itself against that greatpressure. But it will first be the force involved in the disintegration of thephysicalatomthatwillbetapped.

Thefulnessoftheseemingvoidandthevoidnessoftheseemingfullcanbestudied in a variety of familiar experiences. The atmosphere is full of thethoughtsofotherpeopleandotherbeings.AsitsaysinTheOccultWorld:

Every thoughtofmanuponbeingevolvedpasses into the innerworld,andbecomes an active entity by associating itself, coalescing we might term it,whichanelemental—thatistosay,withoneofthesemi-intelligentforcesofthekingdoms. It survives as an active intelligence—a creature of the mind’sbegetting—foralongerorshorterperiodproportionatewiththeoriginalintensityofthecerebralactionwhichgeneratedit.Thusgoodthoughtisperpetuatedasanactive, beneficent power, an evil one as a maleficent demon. And so man is

continuallypeoplinghiscurrentinspacewithaworldofhisown,crowdedwiththeoffspringofhisfancies,desires,impulsesandpassions;acurrentwhichre-actsuponanysensitiveornervousorganizationwhichcomesincontactwithit,inproportiontoitsdynamicintensity.72

Again,onemaybemeditatinginaroomthatisemptyorfullofotherpeople.Inthe latter case, it may be empty for him, because those other people are notgreatlyaffectinghim.In theformercase itmayyetbefullofpowerfulunseenpresences and influences attracted there by the meditation, and engaged inpouringouttheirforceuponhimwhoseemstobealone.

Something similar is to be seen in the varied circumstances of life.Manyseemingly big events pass over us and leave us unaffected, while some tinyoccurrencemayaffectthewholelife.Thedeathofanearrelation,orthelossofone’s fortune, looks so great when it happens that one thinks it will make apermanentlandmarkinone’slife,andyetitmaymakescarcelyanydifferenceintheend.Thathasbeenmyexperience.AsayoungmanIlostalltheconsiderablemoneywhich I possessed, in the great financial disaster of 1866. It seemed agreat event at the time; yet it hasmade no difference tome.ButmymeetingcasuallywithapersonwhotoldmeaboutMadameBlavatskyhasmadeall thedifferencetomylife.Themeetingseemedtobebychance,butitmusthavebeenintendedandarrangedinthatseemingvoidthatisreallysofullineverypossibleway.

In the sameway, a passingDeva locked in uponmeoneSundaymorningwhenIwasgivingatalktosomeTheosophistsatAdyar.Heshowedmesomeofthe ways in which the Devas would influence men through religion in thebeginningsofthesixthroot-race.Ithenthoughtitbutthekindlyactofafriendpassingby,butnowIamsureitwasmuchmorethanthat,inviewofwhathasresultedfromit.It ledtoourknowledgeofverymuchaboutthebeginningsofthe new race, to the investigation onwhich the second part ofMan:Whence,HowandWhitherwasbased,andalittlelatertojointinvestigationbyDr.Besantandmyself,whichresultedinthefirstpartof thesamebook.Lookingforwardintothatcommunityofthefuture,Isawthatshewouldberememberedbythatbookwhen all that she haswritten before itwill have been forgotten; but hergreatestbook,bywhichshewillberememberedinhistory,hasstilltobewritten.

fearlessaspirant,lookdeepwithinthewellofthineownheart,andanswer.

KnowestthouofSelfthepowers,Othouperceiverofexternalshadows?

Purityisagreatthing,butitisnotenough.Thelittlebabyispure,becauseitknowsnothingofgoodorevil.Knowledgealsoisneededinorderthatwemayact, andalso thewill toput thatknowledge intoaction.Theanimalsarepurerthanman,thevegetablespurerstill;theyhavenottheimaginationofman,thatcauseshimtoseekmaterialpleasureindefianceordisregardofnaturallaws.Yetit isnecessarythatmanshouldgothroughthisexperiencewithmatter inorderthathemayhaveknowledge,andmaythenreturntotheDivinefromwhichhedescended,regaininghispurity.WecomeoutfromtheLogosadivinecloud,butreturntoHimadivinebeingwithdefinitepowers.

The man on the Path has recognized the divine Self in himself, and isemerging from the influence of the world of shadows. Their reality is onlyrelative, and isnowno reality tohimbeside thatof the indwelling life,whichoffers him a far richer field of conscious experience than the excitementproducedby the impactsof external things.Hehas thought the shadows tobereal,absolutelyreal,morerealthananythingelse,throughoutmanyincarnations,and it was all necessary, for without their attraction he would never haveawakened,neverhavepaidattention,neverhavelearnedanythingatall.

Ifthoudostnot,thenthouartlost.

For, on path fourth, the lightest breeze of passion or desire will stir thesteady light upon the pure white walls of the Soul. The smallest wave oflongingorregretforMaya’sgiftsillusive,alongAntahkarana—thepaththatlies between thy Spirit and thy self, the highway of sensations, the rudearousersofAhamkara—athoughtasfleetingasthelightningflashwillmaketheethythreeprizesforfeit—theprizesthouhastwon.

Aryasangaisnowtalkingaboutvairagya,andHesaysthatwhenoneisstrivingto perfect that, the least response to the attractiveness of things, or desire forthem throws one back again into the ranks of those who are disturbed. Thisrecalls the simile of the soul as limpid as a mountain lake in the secondFragment.73HereHe takes the simile of a lamp to express the steadiness thatmustbeattainedinthisstage.Evenacasualthoughtwillthrowoneback;thatistrue, butwemust remember thequalification: if it is one’s own thought.As Ihave before explained, if it is merely a reflection of someone else’s thought,merely a drifting thought-form that has attracted the attention, and that is not

takenup andmadeone’sown, then there is not the samedisturbance toone’spurityandtranquillity,toone’svairagya.Sometimesverygoodpeoplearedistressedbysuchpassingthoughts,andtheyfeel that theymustbeverywicked tohavesuch ideas.But if theydonot takethemupandnourish themandsend themout reinforced todogreaterworkofdestruction,theyhavenotreallycommittedafault.Itisquitetruethatweshouldnotbeconsciousofanevilorimpurethoughtifitdidnottouchsomethingakintoitselfinus.Butthatisonlysayingthatwearenotyetperfect.IfathoughtofthatnaturefloatedthroughthemindofanAdept,Hewouldnotevennoticeit;but if there were many of them round Him, Hemight require to brush themaside,asonebrushesawayfliesandmosquitoes.Donot,therefore,betroubledunnecessarily about the instinctive stirrings of anger, or selfishness, orundesirablestraythoughts;theyarealegacyfromthepastortheybelongtoyourenvironment.Butdonotadoptthem,forifyoudoyouwillnotonlyfailtoattainvairagya,butwillforfeit thethreeprizesalreadywon,andstartclimbingagainfromtheverybeginningofthePath.

Antahkarana is here called the highway of sensations. It is themysteriousmeansbywhichmaterial thingscanaffectconsciousness, thechannelbetweenobjectandsubject,thatwhichcausesanimpactuponasense-organtoappearinconsciousnessasasensation.Suchsensation,directperceptionofthings,ismorevividthananydescriptioninwords.Tohaveheard,seenorfeltsomethinggivesone agreater senseof its reality thanmerely tohave thought about it.That iswhyclairvoyantperceptionoftheotherplanesisworthsomuchmorethanthedescriptionsthatwecangive.Itisalsothereasonwhytheyogabookssaythatallthetestimonyofothers,andallhisjudgmentsaboutthingsasyetunseenbyhim, will at last have to be replaced by the aspirant with his own directperception,whichalonecangiveaclearvisionofthetruth.

Sensationsareherecalled the rudearousersofahamkara.Ahammeans“I”and kara is “making”; therefore ahamkara means the “I-maker”. The veryvividness of that direct experience calls out the vividness of our sense of ourownexistencebythecontrast.Andasthisprocessoccursatalllevels,itcallsoutthe vividness of the false personality while the man is still in the world; butwhenheiswellonthePathandtheillusionofthepersonalselfhasbeenquitedestroyed,itcallsouttheSelfthatistheAtma,thewill,inthespiritualman.Wehave already studied this higher form of ahamkara, oftenmentioned inHindu

philosophy,inthefirstFragment.74

ForknowthattheEternalknowsnochange.

Briefly,onemustbewillingtogiveupthelowerforthesakeofthehigher;one cannot take worldly goods into the kingdom of heaven. The laws andconditionsofthehigherworldwillnotchangetosuitthedesireofanyaspirant.

“Theeightdiremiseriesforsakeforevermore;ifnot,towisdomsurethoucanstnotcome,noryet to liberation,”saith thegreatLord, theTathagataofperfection,“hewhohasfollowedinthefootstepsofhispredecessors.

The eight dire miseries are: malice, sloth, pride, doubt, desire, delusion,ignorance and future lives. The last one seems curious at first sight; but themeaningisquiteclear—thatlifeinthisworldismiseryincomparisonwithwhatthehigherplaneshavetoofferus.

The title Tathagata is here translated “He who walks in the steps of hispredecessors“.InCeylonweweretoldthatitmeant“Hewhohasbeenrightlysent”.ThatmeansonewhohasbeensentbytheGreatWhiteBrotherhoodasitsMessengertotheworld;andonesosentwouldnecessarilyfollowinthestepsofthosewho came beforeHim. That iswhy the story of Initiation appearswithlittle variation in the traditions of different nations, especially in the form ofwhatiscalledthesolarmyth.

Stern and exacting is the virtue of Vairagya. If thou its path would’stmaster, thoumust keep thymind and thy, perceptions far freer than beforefromkillingaction.

ThouhasttosaturatethyselfwithpureAlaya,becomeasonewithnature’sSoul-thought.Atonewithitthouartinvincible;inseparation,thoubecomesttheplaygroundofSamvritti,originofalltheworld’sdelusions.

Thenthereisalongfoot-noteexplainingSamvritti:

Samvritti is that one of the two truths which demonstrates the illusivecharacter or emptiness of all things. It is relative truth in this case. TheMahayana school teaches the difference between these two truths—Paramarthasatya arid Samvritti-satya (Satya, truth). This is the bone ofcontention between the Madhyamikas and the Yoga-chayyas, the former

denyingand the latter affirming that everyobject exists owing to a previouscause or by a concatenation. TheMadhyamikas are the great Nihilists anddeniers, forwhom everything is Parikalpita, an illusion and an error in theworldofthoughtandthesubjective,asmuchasintheobjectiveuniverse.TheYogacharyas are the great spiritualists. Samvritti, therefore, as only relativetruth,istheoriginallillusion.

It is discrimination, the first of the four qualifications, that can enable onealways to distinguish between the real and the relatively real which wesometimescall theunreal.Every time thatonepierces theunreal and sees therealitbecomeseasiertodoitagain,becausethatbywhichwerecognizetherealis theGodwithinus.Themorethat isawakenedtheeasierwill itbetoseeitspurposeinallthings,anditslifeinotherpeople.

The same pureAlaya,which is in us and also behind theDivineMind innature,hasbeenrealizedby theseersofall religions.AlearnedMuhammadanoncetoldmethatthewell-knownsentenceofIslam;“Lailahailia‘ilah”,meansnot “There is no God but God,” as it is generally translated, but “There isnothingbutGod.”HeexplainedthattheArabicwordscouldbeliterallytakentohave the former meaning, but the latter was the esoteric meaning, impartedsecretly among themselves. This is the true proclamation of monotheism; notsimply that there aremanyGods, but one only isworthy of the name, and ofadoration.Thisesotericinterpretation,ifaccurate,constitutesastronglinkwithHinduism,which speaks of “One only, without a second”, theOne in whom,theysay,isbothbeingandnon-being.

AllisimpermanentinmanexceptthepurebrightessenceofAlaya.Manisits crystal ray; a beam of light immaculate within, a form of clay materialupon the lower surface. That beam is thy life-guide and thy true Self, thewatcherandthesilentthinker,thevictimofthylowerself.ThySoulcannotbehurtbutthroughthyerringbody;controlandmasterboth,andthouartsafewhencrossingtothenearing“gateofbalance”.

Nothing but the One is permanent. The personality of a man lasts a veryshorttime—tilltheendofhisdevachanicperiod;theegolaststhroughthewholeseriesofhumanincarnations,perhapstotheextentofachain-period;themonadnodoubtlastslongerstill,buteventhatisimpermanent.OnlytheOneremains.Notthatweshallloseourselves.Wecantrulysay,withEmilyBronte:

i.Thoughearthandmanweregone,ii.Andsunsanduniversesceasedtobe,iii.AndThouwertleftalone,iv.EveryexistencewouldexistinThee.

TheMonadinmanisasparkoftheoneflame.Aslongasitisintimeitwillappear to be evolving. Speaking with the deepest reverence, even the Logosappearstobedoingthesame.HeanswerstoallthatisbestandgreatestinourconceptionofGod,yet it is truethatHewillnotbethesameat theendof thesolarsystemasHewasatthebeginning;forthattoHimisanincarnation.

The “formof claymaterial” is onlyuseful toman in so far as it helps thedevelopment of the divine spark in him. The material part cannot affect thedivinesparkinthesenseofactuallyharmingit,butitcanadvanceorretarditsunfolding,whichforitaretheequivalentsofhelporinjury.Thereforeitiscalledthevictimofthelowerself.

Thefourthportalisherecalledthegateofbalance,asitconcernsthemiddleprincipleinman.Itisalwaysaquestionastowhethertheouterortheinnerwillnowgaintheascendancy;thecandidatehavingdevelopedandpurifiedhislowerprinciples,physical,astralandmental,mustnowputhisweighton thesideofthehigherprinciples,andmaketheirdevelopmenthischiefbusiness.

Be of good cheer, O daring pilgrim to the other shore. Heed not thewhisperingsofMara’shosts;waveoff the tempters, those ill-natured sprites,thejealousLhamayininendlessspace.

There isanote to thewordLhamayin,whichsays theyareelementalsandevilspiritsadversetomen,andtheirenemies.Therearenocreaturesthatdoevilforevil’ssake,butthereareelementalswhoareharmfultoman;theyarelivingtheirown life,andweget in theirway.Theelementalsaremuch like thewildcreatures.Theyarenotman’senemies,buttheydislikeman’sintrusionintotheirdomain,andtheyfeelresentmentbecausemenhavetreatedthembadly.

Nature-spiritsarejoyouscreatures;theworstthatcanbesaidofthemisthattheyplay littlemischievous trickswhichare tiresome to thepeopleconcerned.Theyobject tomanbecausehedoessomany thingswhich to themareodiousandasourceof trouble.Theyliveagladandcontentedlife inthecountryside,

andlovetofrolicaboutwiththeyoungofthewildcreatures,andtheylovethemandtheflowersandtrees.Theyhavenotroubleintheirinnocentlife;andtheyfeelnopressureofnecessity,fortheyneednottoilforfoodandclothingasmanhastodo.

Intothissylvanhappinesscomesman;hehuntsandkillstheanimalswhoaretheir friends:hecutsdown the trees they love, inorder toplantcropsorbuildhouses:hepollutestheairwiththefilthyemanationsofalcoholandtobacco.Alltheirbeautifulcountryismadetothemahorriblewilderness,andtheyareforcedto flee away. They may feel somewhat as an artist does when he sees somebeautiful landscape spoilt and made hideous with factories, whose chimneysbelchforthblacksmoke,andfumeskillthegrassandflowersandtrees.Wecallitprogress; itmaybeso forus,but thenature-spirit feels itdifferently, forhishomeisruinedandhisfriendsarekilled.

Soitcomesaboutthatthenature-spiritsshunman,andwhenamantakesawalkinawoodoralongalanetheyslipawayathisapproach.Hemaybeabletoovercome this aversion of theirs, just as one can sometimes overcome thetimidityofthewildcreatures.AYogicancaressthewildanimalsthatcomenearhimashesitsinmeditation.Ifonegoesintothecountryandforcesoneselftoliequiet and still for an hour or two, the littlewild things, such as squirrels andbirds, will come near. Similarly, if one lives for a long time in one place thenature-spiritsgraduallyfindoutthatoneisaharmlessspecimenofmankind,andin timewillbequitewilling tomake friends, andat last theywill sport roundone, and be quite proud of having a human friend. In the astral plane thesecreatures regard men as intruders of a troublesome and dangerous character,much as we should regard an invading army. They therefore make it theirbusinesstotrytofrightenthenew-comer.Thesearenot,however,tempters.Itisprincipallytheevilthought-formsofmanhimselfthatplaythatrole.

Therearecertainmen,whomwesometimescall theblackmagicians,whoworktoopposethespiritualprogressofhumanity,believingquitehonestlythatour high emotions are not good things, but relics of animal desires andsentiments.Suchmagiciansmayseeapersoninsomespecialsituation,onewhoismakingswiftprogressonthePath,andmayatthetimebeinaconditiontobeaffected by them. Itmay then seemworth theirwhile to send against him anelementalcalculatedtoupsethim,andsocauseadisturbancewhichwillblocktheMasters’work.Thisisthenearestthingthatexiststothetemptingdemonof

popularChristianbelief.Still,noaspirantshouldfearthese,fortheworstblackmagiciancandonothingtoorthroughamanwhoisone-pointed,thinkingonlyoftheMaster’swork,notofhimself.

Hold firm!Thounearestnow themiddleportal, thegateofwoe,with itstenthousandsnares.

Havemasteryo’er thy thoughts,Ostriver forperfection, if thouwould’stcrossitsthreshold.

Havemasteryo’erthySoul,Oseekeraftertruthsundying,ifthouwould’streachthegoal.

Thy Soul-gaze centre on the one pure light, the light that is free fromaffection,andusethygoldenkey.

Aryasangamaywellspeakoftenthousandsnares,formanytimesdoesthecandidate imagine thathehasachievedvairagyaordesirelessness,only tofindthatinsomesubtlewayheencountersthesamesnaresoverandoveragain.Eventhesoul,thehighermanas,hastobeunderthecontrolofthebuddhicnature.Aswehaveseen,atthefirstInitiationthebuddhiclifebegins,ifnotbefore,andthecandidate treads that plane sub-plane by sub-plane. This work can only becarriedtoperfectionifthesoulitself,thehighermanas,co-operates,becomingaservant in turn to thathigherprinciple.Then,when thatwork isdone,and thecandidateisreadyforthenextplane,hewilltakehisFourthInitiation,andstepoveranotherthreshold.

To be free from affection here means from being affected; as we havealreadyseen,thatisthesignificanceofvairagya.

CHAPTER5

THEFIFTHANDSIXTHGATES

The dreary task is done, thy labour well-nigh o’er. The wide abyss thatgapedtoswallowtheeisalmostspanned.

******

Thou hast now crossed the moat that circles round the gate of humanpassions.ThouhastnowconqueredMaraandhisfurioushost.

Thou hast removed pollution from thine heart and bled it from impuredesire.

C.W.L.—We must not misunderstand the statement that the candidate’slabouriswell-nighover.TheNirmanakaya,atHisfarhigherlevel,stilllabours,andthesamemaybesaidoftheLogosHimself.Butperhapsadistinctionshouldbedrawnbetween thedrudgeryof the labourofgettingridof thefaultsof thepersonality,and thegloriouswork thatcontinueson thehigherplanesafter thepersonalityisconquered.

The same thought applies to the question of strain. Incessant work is a greatstrainonthephysicalbody,butintheplanesoftheegoworkispurejoy;thereisthennodifferencebetweenworkandplay,suchasexistsonthelowerplanes.75OnceamanhasseenthegreatsacrificeoftheLogos,andthewayinwhichtheMasters throwThemselves intoHiswork, there remainsnopossibility forhimbuttoplungeintothestreamofit,anddoallthathecantohelp.Wearestillconsideringamanwhoisnotquitepure,becauseheisstillcapableofalittleselfishness.Athoughtisimpurethathastheslightesttingeofselfinit,howevergooditmayotherwisebe.Theremaybealittlethoughtofpride,suchas:“Peoplewillthinkwellofmefordoingthis.”Thatwouldbecalledimpure,whenwe are considering this high level of the Path. Not onlymust we keepimpurityaway,butwemustseethatitneveroccurstousatall.

But, O thou glorious combatant, thy task is not yet done. Build high,Lanoo,thewallthatshallhedgeintheholyisle,thedamthatwillprotectthy

mindfromprideandsatisfactionatthoughtsofthegreatfeatachieved.

A senseofpridewouldmar thework.Aye, build it strong, lest the fiercerushofbattlingwaves,thatmountandbeatitsshorefromoutthegreatWorldMaya’s ocean, swallow up the pilgrim and the isle—yea, even when thevictory’sachieved.

Thine‘isle’isthedeer,thythoughtsthehoundsthatwearyandpursuehisprogresstothestreamoflife.Woetothedeerthatiso’ertakenbythebarkingfiends before he reach the vale of refuge—“Jnana-marga,” “path of pureknowledge”named.

Tohold theposition thathehasnowgained,against thestrongpressureofthethoughtsofmillionsofotherpeoplearoundhim,ofwhichwehavesooftenspoken, the aspirant now needs strong concentration and positive power ofthought. This strength is necessary before he can successfully carry out thatmeditationwhichwillraisehimtothehighestlevelsofthebuddhicplane.

The “isle”,MadameBlavatsky tells us, is the higher ego or thinking self.Fromitalllowerthoughtsmustbewipedout,sothatthehighermaymanifest.Yetonemustbecomeinnosenseamedium.Thereisavastdifferencebetweenmaking a place empty, and letting someone from the outside enter into it andtakepossession; that is thedifferencebetween theyogi and themedium.HerealsoliesthedifferencebetweentheTheosophistandtheSpiritualist.Bothagreethatmaniseternalandthathisprogresshasnolimit.Butthelatterconsidersthatit is good for aman tobe amedium forgood spirits,while the former insistsuponthepreservationofhisownpositiveconsciousnessunderallcircumstances,andmaintainsthatthereisnothingwhichpassivemediumshipcangivewhichisnotobtainablebyconsciousclairvoyance.

Aryasangasays,“Woetothedeerthatisovertaken.”Thatmeanswoetotheego that falls into prejudice because he has beenovercomeby the pressure ofoutside thoughts. He cannot then reach the place of true thought. MadameBlavatskysaysofthepathofpureknowledge,orJnana-marga,thatit“isliterallythe path of Jnana, or the path of pure knowledge, of Paramartha or (Sanskrit)Svasamvedana,theself-evidentorself-analysingreflection.”Jnanais,amongtheHindus,thehigherknowledge,wisdom,notthelowerknowledgeconcerningtheworld,whichiscalledvijnana.

Ere thou canst settle in Jnana-marga and call it thine, thy Soul has tobecomeastheripemangofruit:assoftandsweetasitsbrightgoldenpulpforothers’woes,ashardasthatfruit’sstoneforthineownthroesandsorrows,Oconquerorofwealandwoe.

MakehardthySoulagainst thesnaresofself;deserveforit thenameofDiamond-Soul.

Foras thediamondburieddeepwithin the throbbingheart of earth cannevermirror back the earthly lights, so are thymind and Soul; plunged inJnana-marga,thesemustmirrornoughtofMaya’srealmillusive.

OfourpersonalsorrowLongfellowhassung:

i.Butnowithasfallenfromme.ii.Ithassunkenintothesea,iii.Andonlythesorrowsofothersiv.Throwtheirshadowsoverme.

Wemust go a step further than that and not let any sorrows cast shadowsoverus.Whenyoumerelyfeel thesorrowofanotheryouarenothelpinghim,butaddingtohistrouble;butwhenyoufeelrealsympathyyouarepouringoutvibrationsoflove,andaregivingrealhelptohim.TheMasteralwaysfeelsthesympathy,butnever thesorrow.Hecannotsuffer,even thoughhebe trulyonewiththosewhoaresuffering,becauseHeisonewiththemandknowsthejoyoftheir existence on higher planes and thewonderful glory of that state towardswhichtheyareevolvingwithunerringcertainty.Thedangerformostpeopleisthatwhentheycastoutsorrowfromtheirhearts,theytendtolosesympathyaswell, and in such a case theymay enter the left-hand path, the path of blackmagic.Thebrothersof the shadowbecomeperfectlycallous to the feelingsofothers,aswellastotheirown;theyruthlesslyrepressallfeelingsonthegroundthattheyareawasteofforce.

Whenthouhastreachedthatstate,theportalsthatthouhasttoconqueronthe path fling open wide their gates to let thee pass, and nature’s strongestmights possess no power to stay thy course. Thou wilt be master of thesevenfoldPath;butnottillthen,Ocandidatefortrialspassingspeech.

It seems probable that the trials passing speech are not dangers anddifficulties so great as to be quite indescribable, but of a kind unknown toordinarymen,andknownonly to theego.ThepathalongwhichAryasanga isguidinghispeople isan innerpathfor theego.Whenthepersonalityhasbeenconqueredintheouterworlds,theegohastoscaletheheightsofplanesabovehim,andthereforehastodowhatcannotbedescribed.

Anotherpossible interpretation is that thecandidatefindshimselfnowableto dowhat at first bewas unable to believe that he could. The ordinarymanwouldbeinclinedtosay,forexample,thatthepurityandunselfishnessofwhichwe have constantly been speaking are beyond him, and quite impossible ofattainment, that they are a counsel of perfection. But some day, if he tries toacquirethem,ifhekeepsondesiringitandtrying,hewillawaketofindthatitisperfectlynaturalandeasyforhimtohavethesequalities.

Theordinarymansaysthatathingisimpossible,andsohedoesnottry;butwehavelearned,likeNapoleon,toerasethatwordfromourdictionary.Itisnotimpossible for the reader of this page to attain Adeptship within twenty-fourhours; thatwouldbepossible ifhehadsufficientwill—awill,however,whichnooneseemstohave.Butleavingtimeoutofthequestion,itispossibleforhimto attain Adeptship; if he fixes his eye on the goal, and goes straight aheadwithout thinking about the passage of time, he will comparatively soon findhimselfthere.

Till then, a task for harder still awaits thee; thou hast to feel thyself allthought,andyetexileallthoughtsfromoutthySoul.

Thouhasttoreachthatfixityofmindinwhichnobreeze,howeverstrong,can waft an earthly thought within. Thus purified, the shrine must of allaction,sound,orearthly lightbevoid;e’enas thebutterfly,o’ertakenbythefrost, falls lifeless at the threshold—so must all earthly thoughts fall deadbeforethefane.

Beholditwritten:

“Erethegoldflamecanburnwithsteadylight, thelampmuststandwellguardedinaspotfreefromallwind.”Exposedtoshiftingbreeze,thejetwillflickerandthequiveringflamecastshadesdeceptive,darkandeverchanging,ontheSoul’swhiteshrine.

Hereisapoeticaldescriptionofconcentration—suchfixityofthehighermanasthatevenonthatplanenothingcanenterfromtheoutside.Thisisthesamethingas dharana, mentioned in the first Fragment,76 though in this Fragment it iscalled virya, which means strength—not physical strength, of course, but thedauntlessandunshakenmanhoodoftheego.Dharanaiscalledthesixthstage,inthefirstFragment,buthereviryaisthefifthportal.Thereisnoconfusionofnumbersinthis,forthefifthportalleadstothesixthstage; in thatstage theman isusing thequalitywhichheacquired in thefifthstagetoadmithimtothesixththroughthefifthportal.

The same quality is the passport to the buddhic plane;when theman hasrisen to this level he has silenced the highermental activity for the time, andnow, insteadof his own thoughts he feels himself all thought—he is onewithothers,andtheirthoughtsarehis.AtthisstagehefeelsthequalityofunityoftheSolarLogos;tohimitisnowadefinitereality,amatterofdirectexperience,nolonger abeautiful ideaor anoccasional thrilling inspiration.As towhether allthiswillcomedowntoanyextentintothephysicalbrain—thatisanothermatter;mostofitcannot.Andtheconcentrationandmeditationofthesehighstagesaredoneforthemostpartoutofthebodyduringsleep.

We often talk of fighting earthly thoughts and feelings. That is a stage inwhichoneisputtingoneselfonanequalitywiththem;butthestageofwhichwearenowspeakingisoneinwhichtheyfalldeadatthethresholdoftheaura.Therates of vibration of the respective bodies are so tremendous that the lowerthought-forms are knocked aside and cannot penetrate. There are manyillustrationsof this in thephysicalplane.Ifawheel isrotatingslowly,onecanthrowaballthroughthespokes,butnotifitisturningrapidly.Ifajetofwaterissufficientlystrong,onecannotcutitwithasword;theweaponisthrownbackasthoughthewaterweresolid.Oneofthewell-knownchildren’sfairystoriestellsofamanwhocouldstandoutintherain,andwhirlhisswordsorapidlyabovehisheadthatnotonedropcouldgetthroughthecircleandfalluponhim!

ThequotationaboutthelampistakenfromtheBhagavad-Gita.Itfurthersays:“To such is likened theYogi of subdued thought, absorbed in the yoga of theSelf,”77andgoesontoexplainthathethenseestheSelfbytheSelf,andintheSelf is satisfied, that he thinks there is no greater gain beyond it, and is notshakenanymore,evenbyheavysorrow.22ibid.,VI,22.

This experience of the yogi is a true intuition, because it comes fromwithin,from a deeper part of the nature than even the causal levels. How such anintuitionwill come down into the personality, if it does so, depends upon thetype of person who experiences it. There are two main modes for itstransmission—onewhich comes through thehigher to the lowermental plane,andtheotherdirectfromthebuddhitotheastralbody.

Whichoftheselinesonewillmoreeasilyfollowdependsuponthemannerinwhichonewasindividualizedfromtheanimalkingdomlongago.Someattainedthat level through deep understanding, others through a rush of high emotion,probablyofdevotiontoahumanmaster.Intheformermodeitwillcomeintothelower mind as a conviction, requiring no reasoning to establish its truth atpresent,thoughitmusthavebeenunderstoodinpreviouslivesoroutofthebodyin the lowermentalplane. In thecaseof thosewho individualizedbyemotiontheintuitionisreceivedthroughthefeelings,notthemind.

In neither case can these intuitions come through satisfactorily unless thevehiclesaresteady.Itisliketransmittingamusicalnote.Ifithascomenotonlythroughtheair,butthroughathickwall,itmaybemuffled,andthesoundmaybecome quite different from what it was. If it has to pass through somedisturbance—ahurricaneforexample—itwillbestilllessclear.

The latter simile very well indicates the case when the astral and mentalbodiesarefullofdisturbance.

Andthen,Othoupursuerofthetruth,thymind-soulwillbecomeasamadelephant, that rages in the jungle.Mistaking forest trees for living foes, heperishesinhisattemptstokilltheever-shiftingshadowsdancingonthewallofsunlitrocks.

Idonotknowwhethersuchathingasthisreallyhappensinthejungle;buttheideaisthatwhenanelephantgoesmad,heeithermistakesthetreesforlivingfoesor,whatisevenworse,chargesagainsttherocksandperishes.Inthesameway, some have had the experience that when the mind feels the newlyawakenedenergyofthehigherselfcomingfromabove,itrebelswithalastburstofferocityagainst itsnewmaster,unwillingin itsprideandfear togiveupitsindependence,whichithasenjoyedsolong.Thenitrages,andthelastreservesofthearmyofdoubtsandsuspicionsareroutedoutfromeverydepthandcorner,andcomeforthtodobattleagainstthelight,mistakingitseverymovementfora

hostile foe. The mind is a stronghold of pride, and what there is left of thatqualityrisesupinhatredagainstitssuperior,justasthepersecutorsofJesusroseandkilledHim,unabletobearthecomparisonofHispurityandgreatnesswiththeirownearthlymould.

Beware, lest in thecareofSelf thySoulshould loseherfoot-holdonthesoilofDeva-knowledge.

Beware,lestinforgettingSelfthySoulloseo’eritstremblingmindcontrol,andforfeitthustheduefruitionofitsconquests.

Deva-knowledge here refers, as before, to the knowledge of the divineunderlyingallmanifestation.Thereisadangerthatthecandidate,anxioustoseethatheisgoingtherightway,shouldbecome,notselfish,butself-centred.Thereisarealdistinctionbetweenthesetwo.Noneofuswouldwillinglytakeanythingforourselvesknowingthatitwouldinjureanotherperson.Thatdefectwouldbeindicatedin theaurabyadullbrown-grey.But there isadangerofbeingself-centred,takingthingstoomuchfromone’sownpointofview.Thatisindicatedintheaurabyahardeningoftheoutersurface,whichpreventsimpressionsfromcomingin.

TheotherwarningrelatestotheoneSelf,whichmustnotbeforgotten.Theaspirantmust ever remember that all are one, that the divine unity is in each.This isapractical instructionforeveryplane.Physicallyamanmustbeclean,honest and true, so as not to contaminate society; astrally and mentally hisfeelingsandthoughtsmustbepureandlofty,notthathemayhavethepleasureofbeingso,butforthesakeofallaround.

Bewareofchange,forchangeisthygreatfoe.Thischangewillfighttheeoff, and throw thee back out of the path thou treadest, deep into viscousswampsofdoubt.

Thewarningagainstchangelooksalittlecuriousatfirst,especiallywhenwerememberthatweareallthetimechangingandthatintreadingthePathwehavebecomethatPath,andarethusverybusilyengagedinchangingourselves.Whatismeantis thatonemusttakecare,duringtheperiodofchange,nottochangeone’sbasis,oressentialattitude.There isa trying timewhenonegivesup theworldlythingsthatoneusedtovalue,andhasnotyetapermanentholdonthenewandhigherthings.Theselatterhavebeenvisibleinspecialmomentswhen

wehavebeenatourbest,butwehavefallenawayfromthemagainandagain,intothatconditionofspiritualdrynessmentionedbysomanymystics.Whatisrequired is that one shall hold to the vision all through those fluctuations, notchangingthatessentialposition.

Thesechangesmaybecaused inseveralways.Sometimes it ismerely thatthephysicalbraingetsalittlecongestedoranaemic;thataffectsthevehicles,butmust not be allowed to affect the real man.When the fluctuations come, weshouldsay:“Iknewthiswouldcome.IknowthatIsawclearlybefore.Nowthevision is dim and I begin to doubt; but I know I shall come out of thisdepression,thatitismerelyafluctuationinmyastralbody.”

Sometimesitisagreatshockandtrialforpeopletogiveupthepicturesquefaithoftheirchildhood,whentheyrealizethatitcannotfitthefactsoflife,andcannolongersatisfytheneedsofmindandheart.Thenthereoftencomesdoubtof everything, and a rudderless condition which has in extreme cases beenknowntolastforseverallives.Inthatcaseonemustlistenandreadandthink,andholdon to thehypotheses thatbestexplain the facts,untildoubthasbeenlaid to rest by the knowledge that sooner or later will surely come. It is, ofcourse, not necessary to pass through a sceptical stage; it is quite possible todroptheaccretionsandwidenoutone’sreligionlittlebylittle,untilonearrivesattheTheosophicalunderstandingofitsmessage.

Prepare, and be forewarned in time. If thou hast tried and failed, Odauntless fighter, yet lose not courage; fight on, and to the charge returnagainandyetagain.

The fearless warrior, his precious life-blood oozing from his wide andgaping wounds, will still attack the foe, drive him from out his stronghold,vanquishhim,erehehimselfexpires.Actthen,allyewhofailandsuffer,actlike him; and from the stronghold of your Soul chase all your foes away—ambition, anger, hatred, e’en to the shadow of desire—when even you havefailed...

Remember,thouthattightestforman’sliberation,eachfailureissuccess,andeachsincereattemptwinsitsrewardintime.Theholygermsthatsproutand growunseen in the disciple’s Soul, their stalkswax strong at eachnewtrial,theybendlikereedsbutneverbreak,norcantheye’erbelost.Butwhenthehourhasstruck,theyblossomforth.

****

Butifthoucan’stprepared,thenhavenofear

Inthecourseofafoot-notetothis,H.P.B.referstothewell-knownbeliefthatevery additional saint is a new soldier in the armyof thosewhowork for theliberation of mankind, and that in Northern Buddhist countries, where thedoctrine of the Nirmanakayas is taught, every new Bodhisattva is called aliberatorofmankind.Wemust remember,ofcourse, that she refers toallwhohave become Arhats, not only to the great being who fills the office ofBodhisattva.Everyonewhomakesprogressmakesitforall.

Thecandidatecannothavepersonalambitiononthispath.Theideaofgloryforoneselfisselfish,andlongbeforethisstageisreachedtheaspiranthassethiswillresolutelyagainstsuchdesires.ThepupiloftheMasterthinksnot“WhatdoIwant?”,but“WhatdoestheMasterwant?”Whenwerealizethatwearesparksof thedivineFirewecanthinkonlyofwhatGodwants.WearepartsofHim;separately we can have no glory; so the idea of glory for oneself is quite adelusion.

Nomanwhogoesontryingcanpossiblyfail.Hemaynotsucceedindoingjustwhathewantedtodoatagiventime;butifhehasputforceintohiseffortitcannotbewasted,andasactionandreactionareequalandopposite,everytimehe tried it reacted upon himself to give him greater strength for the future.Further,everymanwhotriesmustsucceed,becausethewholetrendofevolutionisonhisside.Hedoesnotknowwhatmaybethethicknessofthekarmicwallofobstacles through which he must break, nor at what moment he may comethroughtolightontheotherside.

Under thesecircumstances it is simply foolish todespair,or tostop trying,becauseasyetonehasnovisiblesuccess.InFrederickMyers’grandpoem,St.Paul,wefinditsaid:“Oman,whyartthoudespairing?Godwillforgivetheeallbutthydespair.”TodespairisthesinagainsttheHolyGhost;todespairofyourownpoweristodespairofHispowerthatisworkingthroughyou,sothatyoushutyourselfofffromHim.

Aryasangatellsthecandidatetobelikethewarriorwhofights,andwinsthebattle just as he himself expires.Hemust hold out to the very last, andnevergive in.The teacherknewthatdeath isbuta trivial thing,not tobe taken into

accountinourwork.Itwillcometoeachofusatitspropertime;somewhoareoldmaystillhavemanyyearstolive,andotherswhoareyoungwillbesuddenlytakenaway.Weshallgoonwithourworkjustthesameafteritcomesaswedidbefore.

Henceforththywayisclearright throughtheViryagate, thefifthoneofthesevenportals.ThouartnowonthewaythatleadethtotheDhyanahaven,thesixth,theBodhiportal.

TheDhyanagate is likeanalabastervase,whiteand transparent;withinthereburnsasteadygoldenfire,theflameofPrajnathatradiatesfromAtma.

Thouartthatvase.

Wehavehereawonderfullybeautifulillustration—thealabastervase,withasteadygoldenfirewithin. Itwell typifies thebuddhicbodyorsheath,which isutterly transparent and offers no obstruction to the unity of life at that level.Dhyanaisthehighermeditationinthatbody—inwhichonetakessomethingandtries tounderstand its innermostmeaning,or inwhichone fixesone’s thoughtupon aGreatOne and tries to understand oneself as part ofHim.There is nolonger anyouterknowledge;no standingoutsideand thinkingof theobject asapart from oneself; one realizes its nature by becoming one with it,contemplatingitfromwithin.

Thou hast estranged thyself from objects of the senses, travelled on thepathofseeing,onthepathofhearing,andstandestinthelightofknowledge.ThouhastnowreachedTitikshastate.

Narjol,thouartsafe.

The sameword titiksha has been applied, as we have seen, to one of thequalifications,oneofthepointsofgoodconduct,meaningendurance.Thetermisnowappliedagainatahigherstage.Inafoot-noteMadameBlavatskysaysitmeans “supreme indifference; submission, if necessary, to what is called‘pleasure and pain for all’, but deriving neither pleasure nor pain from suchsubmission—inshort,thebecomingphysically,mentallyandmorallyindifferentandinsensibletoeitherpleasureorpain.”

Thatisnotveryclearlyput.Thecandidatedoesnotactfromconsiderationsofpleasureandpain;hesimplydoeswhatheknowstobehisduty.Hestillfeels

pleasureandpaininhisvehicles,asotherpeopledo.Yetitmaybesaidthatsogreatisthejoyofthislevel,sointentlyarethethoughtsfixeduponthegoal,thatpleasureandpainhavelosttheirpower.ThoughtheChristmightfeeltothafullandcryout,“MyGod,MyGod,whyhastThouforsakenme?”stillthereringsinhis heart the cry, “My God,My God, how Thou dost glorify me,” as I haveexplainedindescribingtheFourthInitiation,inTheMastersandthePath.78

CHAPTER6

THESEVENTHGATE

Know, conqueror of sins, once that a Sowani hath crossed the seventhpath,allnaturethrillswithjoyousaweandfeelssubdued.Thesilverstarnowtwinkles out the news to the night-blossoms, the streamlet to the pebblesripples out the tale; dark ocean waves will roar it to the rocks surf-bound,scent-ladenbreezessingittothevales,andstatelypinesmysteriouslywhisper:“AMasterhasarisen,aMasteroftheDay.”

C.W.L.—TheMaster of theDaymeans onewho has become safe for thepresent cycle; therefore it refers to the candidate who has taken the firstInitiation,aswellas tohimwhohas reached the further shore.Thatallnaturerejoices at such an event is the simple fact, which is here so beautifully andpoeticallyexpressed.Manypeopleatsuchatimefindthemselvesunaccountablyhappy,andsometimesareconsciousofadecidedspiritualthrill.Themajorityofpeopleofourcivilizedracesarescarcelysufficientlysensitivetobeconsciousofthese events, but sensitive individuals might very well feel: “I am curiouslyhappytoday.Iwonderwhathashappened.”Itisfeltinnatureinthatway—asageneralsenseofwell-being.

Most people are busy developing themind, and they have in consequencelost much sensitiveness, which arises much more with the development offeelingsandemotions thanwith thatof themind.Thehigher typesof savagesarefarmoresensitiveinmanyways,butusuallyonlyinavagueandindefinitemanner and without any control over their sensitiveness. They receiveimpressions,andareoftenabletoforetelleventsinageneralway.Allthiscomesbacktous,butinaclearanddefiniteformonahigherturnofthespiral,withthedevelopmentofthehigheremotions.Whenthatunfoldmentcomesweshallnotonlyfeelthesenseofwell-beingandhappinessofthesegreatoccasions,butwillalsoknowwhywefeel,andfromwhatcentrecomesthegreatsongofjoy.Therestofnature,althoughbelowourlevel,isnotyetcentredonmaterialthingsasmuchasmanymenare.Unlesshe isbusilyoccupiedwithadesirerisingfromhungeror someotherneedof thebody,ananimalwillgenerallybesomewhatresponsivetothethrill.

Thegreatobjectof theTheosophicalSociety isnotsomuchtoprovidethemental development, as to raise those who are ready into responsiveness tobuddhicinfluences,toreawakenthesensitivenessofitspeopleonahigherturnof the spiral, and prepare them for the new race. It does not deprecatementaldevelopment—far from it—but it prepares for the next stage,when intuitionallove will produce harmony and brotherhood; and will employ the developedintellecttobuildanewcivilization,basedonthoseideals.OurSociety,beinginclosesympathywith thehigherplanes, isverysensitive to the forces liberatedwhenanother“SonofMan”comestobirth.Itreceivesthefirsttouchofthegreatoutrush,andthisgivesitnewimpetus;itsworkincreasesandspreads,andthereisanadvanceinnumbersandinbrotherlyfeelings.

Sometimes,however,thisstimulationoflifeproducesfriction,duetoalossofthesenseofproportion.Somegreatideaarisesinthemindofamember;theinrushofforceintensifiesit—andthatisverygoodifheisawell-balancedman,and can pursue his own ideaswithout depreciating those of other people.Butwhere there isunbalanceandnarrowness,differencesofopinionmaybemadestronger.We have our special lines ofwork in Theosophy. Some take up oneformofactivityandsomeanother,butdangerariseswhenamanbeginstothinkthathislineistheonewhichthewholeSocietyoughttotakeupandemphasize.Whenotherpeople try tofollowout their ideas,be tends to thinkthat theyarenotdoingthebestfortheSociety,becausetheydonotcomeandhelphim.Itisnot unnatural that enthusiasm should sometimes cause friction in such cases,whenbrotherlyloveandrealtolerancefallalittlebehind.

Our great President has occasionally explained how she has oftenworkedwithothersata“secondor thirdbest idea”of theirs.Sheknewwhatwasbest,butwouldquietlyyieldforthesakeofharmony,andthatpeoplemighthavetheexperienceofcarryingouttheirideas.Ifapersoncomestoherwithsomeplanofwhich he is very full, though it is often not the best thing, she does notdiscouragehim,butsays,“Goahead,tryit,andprosper.”Themantriesit,andperhapsafterayearortwohefindsthatitwasnotthebest,andhemodifiesit;butsometimesgoodresultshavebeenbroughtaboutinthisway.

It is nearly alwayswise to let people try their ideas, but always sadwhentheyurgethemtoostronglyuponothers.Experiencetellsusevermoreandmorethat the most important thing in the Society is harmony among the workers.Indeed,itmaybesaidthatharmonyamongtheworkersismoreimportantthan

success inanypieceofwork.So, leteachmanfollow thebest inspiration thatcomestohim,but lethimhavethefullestpossiblesympathyforothersalsointheirindividualideas.IfwithoutperiltothespiritofharmonywhichmakestheSocietyaperfectchannelforhigherforces,anopendoortotheGreatOnes,wecanengageinvigorousactivity,itiswellindeed,butnototherwise.

The silver starmentioned in the textmayalsobe thoughtof as the starofInitiation. It is the sign of the thought and the presence of the King. In theceremonyofInitiationtheonewhoactsforHim,theOneInitiator,callstoHimtoratifythatwhichhasbeendone,andtheansweristheflashingoutofthesilverstar.

Hestandethnowlikeawhitepillartothewest,uponwhosefacetherisingsunof thoughteternalpoureth forth its firstmostgloriouswaves.Hismind,like a becalmed and boundless ocean, spreadeth out in shoreless space. Heholdethlifeanddeathinhisstronghand.

Yea,heismighty.Thelivingpowermadefreeinhim,thatpowerwhichisHimself,canraisethetabernacleofillusionhighabovetheGods,abovegreatBrahmaandIndra.

ThroughtheGreatWhiteBrotherhoodcomestotheworldalltheLightthatrelievesthedarknessofhumanlife,andacceleratesenormouslytheevolutionofmankind.OftenthesymboloftheEasthasbeenusedtotypifythepositionoftheBrotherhood,andthememberthereofwhohashisfaceturnedtohelptheouterworldmaythereforebesaidtobeturnedtotheWest.

The illusion referred to here is that of separateness. The aspirant has nowwonhisfreedomfromthatillusion,andonthePathhewillraisehimselfstepbystep,planebyplane,untilhehasdestroyedtheillusiononeachofthem,andismasterofhimselfonalltheplanesofhumanlife.Thereseemstobenolimittotheheighttowhichamancanrise,sothereferencetoBrahmaandIndraisnoexaggeration, though it is no doubt intended in a general sense. It reminds usalsoofthelineinTheLightofAsia:“HigherthanIndra’syemayliftyourlot.”79

Apractical bearing of this illustration is to be found in the change of ray,described inTheMasters and the Path. It is possible in theHierarchy of ourearth toadvancefurtheron thefirst ray thanon thesecond,andfurtheron thesecondthanonanyoftheremainingfive;so,anyonewhohasraisedhimselfto

theSeventhInitiationononeofthelastfiveraysmustchangetothesecondorthefirstray,ifhewantstogoontotheEighthInitiation,andontothefirstrayonlyifhewishestogostillfurther.TheSecretDoctrinecompares Indra to theSecondLogos,theSun-God,andBrahmaistheThirdLogos,theCreator.IntheHierarchy these two are represented by (1) the Head of the second ray, theBuddha,and(2)theMahachohan,whogovernsthefiverays,threetoseven.TheLordoftheWorldisonthefirstray,andHehasraisedHislothigherthanthatoftheothertwo.

Nowheshallsurelyreachhisgreatreward!

Shallhenotuse thegiftswhich it confers forhisownrestandbliss,hiswell-earnedwealandglory—he,thesubduerofthegreatdelusion?

Nay,Othoucandidatefornature’shiddenlore!IfonewouldfollowinthestepsofholyTathagata,thosegiftsandpowersarenotforself.

Would’stthouthusdamthewatersbornonSumeru?Shaltthoudivertthestreamforthineownsake,orsenditbacktoitsprimesourcealongthecrestsofcycles?

Oncemorewecome to thequestionof liberation from thewheelofbirthsanddeaths,withitsattendantideaofrest.Atthisstagetherecanbenofeelingoffatigueandlaboursuchaswehavedownhere,butlookingfrombelowthelotofanAdeptwhoremainsembodied formillionsofyearsdoesappearappallinglytedious. Still, the candidate to whom Aryasanga is speaking is looking frombelow,and theTeacherdesires thatheshallhavenounwillingness to face thatfuture, though he may at present be able to see only the darker side of thepicture.ItisperhapsimpossibleforHimtodescribethejoysofthathigherlife;theycannotbeexpressedintermsofanyworldlyhappinessthatweknow;itissomewhat dangerous therefore to hold out its joys as an attraction to thecandidate, as it might cause him to fix his mind on some lower form ofhappiness,allunwitting,andthatwoulddelayhisprogress.

Mount Meru or Sumeru, is the Mount of the Gods, corresponding in ageneralwaytotheOlympusoftheGreeks.Allgoodflowsfromthatsource;thatstreamflowsintoeverymemberoftheBrotherhood,anditshouldflowthroughhimtotheworld—otherwiseheisliterallydammingupthestream.Butinthatcase,ofcourse,bewillbecomeoneofthefailures.

If thou would’st have that stream of hard-earned knowledge, of wisdomheaven-born, remain sweet running waters, thou should’st not leave it tobecomeastagnantpond.

Know, if of Amitabha, the Boundless Age, thou would’st become co-worker,thenmustthoushedthelightacquired,liketotheBodhisattvastwain,uponthespanofallthreeworlds.

OnthisMadameBlavatskyhasthefollowingnote:

In the Northern Buddhist symbology, Amitabha or boundless space(Parabrahman) is said to have inhis paradise twoBodhisattvas—Kwan-shi-yin and Tashishi—who ever radiate light over the three worlds where theylived,includingourown,inordertohelpwiththislight(ofknowledge)intheinstructionofYogis,whowill,intheirturn,savemen.TheirexaltedpositioninAmitabha’s realm is due to deeds of mercy performed by the two, as suchYogis,whenonearth,saystheallegory.

This is a little complicated, and requires some explanation. MadameBlavatskyheremakesAmitabhatheequivalentofParabrahman,butitisdifficultto see how that could be so, when the former is the Boundless Light, theBoundlessWisdom, the Essence of all the Buddhas. Parabrahman is the firstmember of the great Trinity, andAvalokiteshvara is the second,which is alsoAmitabha,describedasthe“middleprinciple”oftheBuddha.Withthatsecondor middle principle it is possible for us to become co-workers, but not withParabrahman.

However, she often speaks of the two as one, as the Parabrahman is theconcealedwisdom,andHemanifestsasAvalokiteshvara,themanifestedIshvara,theLogos.Lookingupwardfrombelow,thereisinus,andinall,aGodwhoisseen (the second of the Three) and a God who is concealed (the first of theThree).80

Themiddle principle is also called the Bodhisattva, and is described as dual,male and female, namely, Kwan-shi-yin, the male aspect, and Kwan-yin thefemale aspect of Avalokiteshvara. The latter, it is said, “assumes any form atpleasureinordertosavemankind.”

Allthethreeworlds,saysafoot-note,refersto“thethreeplanesofbeing,the

terrestrial, astral and spiritual.” Madame Blavatsky is here using the term“astral” in anunusualway, as shehas alsodone inTheSecretDoctrine whentouching on the present topic. She takes the whole of man, from theMonaddowntothematerialbodies,anddivideshimintothreeparts,firstthespiritual,which is the Monad; secondly, the astral, which comprises our atma-buddhi-manas, or the rupa beyond sense; and thirdly the material or terrestrial,comprisingourlowermental,astralandphysicalbodies.

WemaytakethereferencetothetwoBodhisattvasalsoinanothersense,asreferring to the twogreatBrothers, theLordGautama and theLordMaitreya,whorepresentthemiddleprincipleintheHierarchy,theformerdealingwiththehigher worlds, and the latter turned downwards, as it were, to deal with thepersonalitiesofmenin thelowerplanes.Thestoryof thewonderfuleffortandsacrificeofthesetwoBrothershasbeentoldinTheMastersandthePath.81

But perhaps the most practical interpretation of the allegory from the humanpointofviewisthis.GautamabecameonewithAmitabha—thatis,HebecametheBuddha.He continuesHiswork on the higher planes, but in theworld ofmenHeworksthroughthedualBodhisattva,whosemaleformisKwan-shi-yin,the Lord Maitreya, and whose female form is Kwan-yin, the mysteriouscompanionandshaktioftheformerinalmostallreligions.

Know that the stream of superhuman knowledge and the Deva-wisdomthouhastwon,must,fromthyself,thechannelofAlaya,bepouredforthintoanotherbed.

Know,ONarjol,thouofthesecretpath,itspurefreshwatersmustbeusedtosweetermaketheocean’sbitterwaves—thatmightyseaofsorrowformedofthetearsofmen.

The superhumanknowledge refersprobably to thekeyofknowledgewhich isgiven to the Initiate when he takes his first step. The man who has passedthrough several Initiations has certain blocks of knowledge which he is notallowed to communicate to others. He acts under that knowledge, andnecessarily itmakes certain differences inwhat he does and thewayhe lives.Others may observe these things, and follow them by imitation or throughdevotion.Thosewho are natural protestants object to this kindof imitationofgreatpeople.Theydrawattentiontothefactthatapersonmaybegreatinsomedirectionsbutnotatallsoinmanyothers,thatonewhofollowsmayeasilyfall

intosuperstition,asthepeopledidinthestoryofthecatandthebedpost.82Theyalsosaythatalifeofself-reliancedevelopspower.All that is true;butthereisbenefittobegainedanddangertobefacedinbothmethods;soeachshouldgothewaythatisnaturaltohim,takingcareatthesametimetotrytounderstandand respect themanwho follows the other path. Ifwe imitate the action of aperson who knows a little more than we do, it is not unreasonable. A childimitatesgrown-uppeoplebecauseheisconvincedthattheyknowmorethanhedoes,andinmostcasesheisright.Itisjustaswellthattheaveragechildregardshis fatheras thegreatestman in theworld,andonewouldnot thinkof tellinghimthathisideaiswrong.TheDeva-wisdomisprobablytheDivineWisdom,whichwecallTheosophy.Itis knowledge of theworlds as the dwelling-place ofGod’s life, notmerely asexternalregions.Aryasangaalwaysmakesadistinctionbetweenwhatonereallyknows and what one only believes. If He were speaking at one of ourTheosophicalmeetingsHemightsay:“Yououghttobelieveintheexistenceoftheastral andmentalplanes,because it is a rationalnecessity.Butyoudonotknowitunlessyouhavedirectexperience.”Suchknowledgeissuperhumanonlyinthesensethatitisbeyondthereachofnormalhumanityatthepresenttime,thoughitwillbewithinthereachoftheaveragepersoninduecourse.

Direct experience makes a great difference to one’s realization of theseverities. I rememberMr.W.T. Stead once saying that he hadmade extensivestudiesandinvestigationsintothingspsychic,butonedayhehadaclairvoyantvisionwhichgavenewcolourandrealitytoitall.Hewasfallingasleepwhenhesawbeforehimalittlepictureofthesea-shore,withthewavesdashingagainstthe rocks. It was a small thing, but it taught him much. “Now,” he said, “Iunderstandwhataclairvoyantmeanswhenhesaysheseesthisorthat.”

ItmadeanenormousdifferencetoDr.Besantandmyselfwhenwebegantoseetheinnerplanesforourselves.Wewerefamiliarfromtheoutsidewithfactsabouttheastralandmentalworlds,butdirectvisiongavethemlifeforus.Evenwithregardtophysicalplanematters,themanwholearnsonlyfrombookshasacutanddriedtypeofknowledge,butthemanwhohaslivedhisknowledgehasitfull of colour and light. I remember well this difference among the Buddhistmonks whom I used to meet in Ceylon. One would be perfect master of thebooks, and could quote from them to illustrate every point about his religion;whileanother,whohadhadsomeexperienceinmeditation,would.quotelessbut

sayfarmore.

Clairvoyancedoesnotspringsuddenlyintoexistence,inaforminwhichitcanbereliedupon.Muchcareful training is required toenableaperson toseeaccurately, to realize the significance of what he sees, and to eliminate thepersonalequation.Onemayputatelescopeintoaman’shandsandexpectthathewill thenknowallaboutthestars—buthewillknowverylittleuntilhehasbeentrainedtouseitproperly,andhasbroughttobearuponwhatheseesagreatdealofknowledgeandintelligence.Astronomershavefound-thattheymustalsomakeallowanceforthepersonalequationintheirconsiderations.

Inclairvoyancethisappearsinmanyforms—onemayseethingsalittletoolarge,alittletooblue,ortoored,andsoforth.Personalbiasalsoisevidentintheformofprejudice—one ladyclairvoyant, forexample,whowasalsoanardentChristian,wouldpersistinassociatingideasofbaptismwithanypouringoutofwater that she might happen to see, and she was quite offended when otherscouldnotagreewithherview.Withalloureffortswecannotseethingsfully,aswouldbenecessary forperfect accuracy. Itmaybe that evenatTheir levelofAdeptship, theMastersmake allowances for Their “personal equations”whenworkinginthelowerplanes.

TheInitiatehas,however,absolutecertainty, fromexperience,ofanumberofmatters,whichenableshimtobeachannelforthehigherforces.Italtersthepolarity of his mental and causal vehicles, so that he can be used as otherscannot,howeverhighlytheymaybedevelopedalongotherlines.

Alas!Whenoncethouhastbecomelikethefixedstarinhighestheaven,thatbrightcelestialorbmustshinefromoutthespatialdepthsforall,saveforitself;givelighttoall,buttakefromnone.

Itmustnotbeassumedthatthestarissorrytohavetoshine;itdoessobecauseitcannothelpit.“Beingsfollowtheirownnature;whatshallrestraintavail?”saysTheBhagavadGita.83Restraintalwaysproducessorrow;hewholovestheworldwantstoshineuponitforever;thesorrowwouldbeifhecouldnotdoso.Onegreatexampleofthisisgivenbythemightyentitieswholiveintheformsofthericegrainsorwillowleavesof thesun, inorder that throughthemlight,heat andvitalitymaybe shedupon the system.This is always spokenof as asacrificeontheirpart.Butitisspontaneous,theirwayofexpressingtheirinner

nature.Insteadoflivingalifeofsplendidactivityonsomehigherplaneofwhichwehavenoidea,theykeepphysicalbodies,andlivethereforthebenefitoftheworldswhich floataroundoursun.Theyformaguardianwall invery truth,achannelthroughwhichAlayamayflowintoanotherbed.

Alas!When once thou hast become like the pure snow inmountain vales,cold andunfeeling to the touch,warmandprotective to the seed that sleepethdeepbeneathitsbosom—‘tisnowthatsnowwhichmustreceivethebitingfrost,thenorthernblasts,thusshieldingfromtheirsharpandcrueltooththeearththatholdsthepromisedharvest,theharvestthatwillfeedthehungry.

Thesimileofthesnowisverybeautiful,butmustnotbepushedtoofar.Thedisciple has to become like pure snow—white, stainless, spotless. No doubtwhenAryasangaspokeof this tohisdisciples,hepointed to thesnow-coveredpeakswhichwerealwaysinsight.

Thesnowisunfeelingnotinthesenseofbeingharmfulinanyway,butasbeingnotitselfaffectedbythecold.Nomatterhowmuchcolderthetemperatureof the air may become, the snow remains just the same. Because it is itselfunaffecteditisabletoprotecttheearthfromthemoreintensecold.Thatisthepositiontowhichtheaspirantmustrise.Hemustbeunfeelingonlyinthesensethathedoesnotmindifhehimselfistroubledorinjuredbyanyoutwardthing,whateveritmaybe,buthemustremainprotectivetotheseedthatsleepsbelow.

Theseedisthedeityinman.Itisbeginningtoawakeninallthosewhoareturningtheirattentiontohigherthingsandarestrivingtodevelopthemselves.Itis this seed thatmustbecherished inothers.AnUpanishad tellsus that in theacornexiststheoaktreepotentially;ithasonlytounfolditself,anddrawinfromthe air, the earth and the sunlight thatwhichwill enable it tomanifest. In thesamewaythedivinesparkwithinus,theMonad,hasthewholepossibilityoftheLogosthatweshallbeoneday,butithasstilltounfolditself.

Wemustprovideforthosedivineseedstheconditionsunderwhichtheycanbestunfoldthemselvesinthelowerworlds.Wemustthereforereceivethebitingfrost,thenorthernblast,soastoshieldtheotherpeople,whomightbeaffectedandkept backby it.There are somewho are ready for spiritual teaching, andtheymust be fedwith spiritual food.These are the hungry, andwemust givethemthefoodtheyneedforgrowth.Theydonotquiteknowwhattheywant,butas soonas it isputbefore them theygrasp it.Thathasbeen theexperienceof

someof uswith regard toTheosophy.Themoment that it camebefore uswefelt:“ThatisexactlywhatIhavebeenwaitingfor,”althoughbeforeweheardofitwedidnotknowwhatwewanted.Therearemanyotherpeoplewaitinginthesameway to recognize it, andwemustbe like the snow,whose function is toprotectwhile the cold lasts, and then,when the sun shines, tomelt away andeffaceitself.

Thatisexactlywhatwedoforchildreninthehome;whentimesarehardorthereistroubleofanykind,wetakecarethatthechildrendonotknowofit.Ifthere is a lackof food the childrenare fed first, and the father andmothergoshort.Mercifullythereissomuchofthedivineinstinctinusthatweknowthatitisourdutytoprotecttheyoungandhelpless.

Thesamespirithastobecarriedintootherbranchesof life.Wearea littleaheadof thepeoplewhoknownothing.Theyare thepeople tobepitiedmost,not thosewho think they are in greatmental trouble and difficulty, strugglingtowardsthelight,suchasthepeoplewhoareworriedbecausetheirreligiondoesnotexpresstothemall that theyneed;thesearenotthepeoplewhomostneedsympathy,becauseatleasttheyareawakeandstrugglingtowardsthelight.Itisthegreatorphanhumanity,thosewhodonotknowthereisanythingtostrugglefor,whomostneedsympathy.Wecannotdomuchforthem.Theonlythingonecandoforachickinashellistokeepitcomfortablywarm.Thewarmthisthelifethatwecanpourout.Wemustbekindly,brotherlyandupright,Whentheyneed teaching,we cangive it to them;butwe canalways give them love andmake beautiful thoughts for them, for though they will not receive the exactthoughttheywillfeelthewarmth,asthechickendoesintheegg.

Ithasbeensaidthatitisverywelltopreachandteach,butthegreatestofallsermons is a noble life.One reason for that is that such preaching affects thepeoplewhodonotyetknowwhattheywant.Themassofpeopleareengagedinmaking a living and looking after their families, and they do not troublethemselves about Theosophy or religion. In England, which is regarded inEuropeasareligiouscountry,theaccommodationprovidedinplacesofworshipis insufficient for one-tenth of the population. The churches and chapels ofvariouskindsaregenerallynotevenhalf-full,sowemaysaythatnotmorethanatwentiethofthepopulationhabituallyattendanysortofreligiousservice.Ourbeautiful Theosophical lectures make little or no impression on this mass ofpeople;onemightjustaswellwhistleatuneorreadapieceofpoetry.Butthey

are alwayswatching themore educated and developed people, and they formtheirownopinionofthosewhoarebetterplacededucationallyorsocially.Themanwholeadsagood,honest,pure,unselfishlifeisthusactuallypreachingallthetimetoallthosepeoplewhocannotbeaffectedbyanythingthatissaid.

An objection tomanymissionary efforts is that they put preaching beforeexample.Amissionarysettles,forexample,inabungalowinanIndiancountrytown,closetotheEuropeanmagistrateandtaxcollector,whoisalmostakinginhis division. Nearly all the Hindus round about are strict vegetarians andteetotallers; but the missionary has meat killed for himself, and generally hekeepsadecanterofwhiskeyorotherstrongdrinkathand,evenwhenhedoesnot share in the shooting of birds and small animals in which his Europeanfriendsindulge.ThenhepreachesthepurityandloveofChrist,andsometimesdares to abuse the objects of worship of the people. Usually he produces noeffect,exceptamongsomehypocriteswhocanobtainmaterialbenefitsthroughconnectionwithhim.Inschools,heoftenmanagestounderminethechildren’sreligion without implanting his own. He rarely converts a good Hindu into agoodChristian,which inanycasewouldbenoadvantage,butoccasionallyhechanges a good Hindu into an indifferent Christian. It would be better if hewouldsethimself to liveasaintly lifesuchas theHinduscanunderstand,andthen speak ofChrist as his divineGuru,who has inspired him andmade himwhatheis.Evenforhisownpurposethiswouldbebetterpropaganda,becausetheHindus are broad-minded, and are generallywilling to allowThosewhomothersworshipaplacebesidetheirownDivineIncarnations.

WeoftenhearpeoplesaythatEasternlandsarebeingrapidlyChristianizedwhen what is meant is that they are taking up modern civilization—such aselectriclightandsanitation,andaredroppingcertainsocialcustoms,suchastheseclusion of the better-class women and earlymarriage, whichwere commonenough inChristianEuropeacenturyor twoago.Perhaps theyforgethowtheorthodoxChristiansinEuropefoughtagainstscienceandsocialreform,andhowthese improvements had to win their way in the teeth of the kind of“Christianity” which the missionaries are themselves for the most part stillpreaching. The situation would be comical, were it not both hypocritical andcruel.

Self-doomedtolivethroughfutureKalpas,unthankedandunperceivedbymen;wedgedasastonewithcountlessotherstoneswhichformtheGuardian

Wall,suchisthyfutureiftheseventhgatethoupassest.BuiltbythehandsofmanyMastersofcompassion,raisedbytheirtortures,bytheirbloodcemented,it shields mankind, since man is man, protecting it from further and fargreatermiseryandsorrow.

Withalman sees itnot,willnotperceive it,norwillheheed thewordofwisdom...forheknowsitnot.

Butthouhastheardit,thouknowestall,Othouofeager,guilelessSoul...andthoumustchoose.Thenhearkenyetagain.

IcannothelpthinkingthatAryasanga’spupilsmusthavebeenratherinferiorin certain ways, because again and again He seems to find it necessary toreiteratethattheymustnotexpectanythingforthemselves.Thathasbeensaidtoustoo,butIventuretohopethatwewhoarestudentsofoccultismhavereachedastagewherewedonotmindbeingunthankedandunperceivedbymen.

The idea ofwanting these recognitions seems to be significant of rather alowerstage.Oneisnotlookingforanythanksorpleasureinconnectionwiththeresultsofone’swork,yetoneactscarefullyandwithprevision.Itisthedutyofthe occultist to see beforehand what will be the probable consequence of hisactionorspeech,andnottodoanythingrash.It isourbusinesstodoourbest,andtoseethatfailureisnotduetoourlackofeffort,butitisallthesametouswhetherweseeresultsornot.

Suppose, for example, that amember of our Society is sent out to start aLodgeinsomenewdistrict.Hegivesallthedevotionthathehas,showsallthetactathiscommand,anddoeshisbestineveryway.Then,whethermanyorfewjoin does not trouble him. It would be foolish for him to say regretfully: “Ifsomebodyelsehadbeenhere theywouldhave succeeded.”Themanwas senttheretodohisownbest,notthatofsomeotherperson.Itisamistakeforamantocomparehimselfwithothers.

The expression “Guardian Wall” has caused a great deal ofmisunderstanding.Itisabeautifulsymbol,but,likeothersymbols,itmustnotbepressedtoofar.Thereisnoevilofanysortmenacinghumanitywhichisnotofitsowngenerating.Weourselvesareouronlypossibleenemies.Noonecanhurtaman save himself, and no one can really help him save himself.Others canonlyputhimin thewayto learnhowtohelphimself,orputhiminaposition

whereifheisnotcarefulhemayinjurehimself.Themanintheouterworldsaysthatheisinjuredbyanothermanwhodefameshim;butthefactisthatwhenheisangrythemaninhisangerinjureshimself.Heneednotfeelangry.Peoplesaythatitisnaturaltodoso;thatmaybesofortheundevelopedman,butitisnotsoforhimwhohaslearnedalittlemore.

Theexpression“sinceman isman” iscapableof twomeanings. Itmaybetakenas indicating that theGuardianWall has existed ever sincemanbecameman,oritmaymeanthatitwasbroughtintoexistencebecausemanisonlyman,and is therefore liable to injurehimselfvery seriously,unlesshe receiveshelpandprotectionandguidancefromabove.Probablybothmeaningsare true.Weknow that theLodgeofAdepts is very ancient, that it existed longbeforeourhumanity reached the level when it could produce Adepts, and in those daysTheybelongedtootherandpreviouschains.

CHAPTER7

THEARYAPATH

OnSowan’sPath,OSrotapatti,thouartsecure.Aye,onthatMarga,wherenoughtbutdarknessmeetsthewearypilgrim,wheretornbythornsthehandsdrip blood, the feet are cut by sharp, unyielding flints, andMarawields hisstrongestarms—thereliesagreatrewardimmediatelybeyond.

CalmandunmovedthepilgrimglidethupthestreamthattoNirvanaleads.He knoweth that the more his feet will bleed, the whiter will himself bewashed.He knowethwell that after seven short and fleeting birthsNirvanawillbehis...

Such is the Dhyana path, the haven of the Yogi, the blessed goal thatSrotapattiscrave.

C.W.L.—The term Sowan is another Buddhist expression, which has thesamemeaningasSrotapatti—themanwhohastakentheFirstInitiation.Attheend of what is here called the path of dhyana, the meditation by which hesteadilyworkshiswayupwardthroughthelevelsofthebuddhicplane,hetakeshisFourthInitiation,andimmediatelyentersthenirvanicplane.

Hedoesnotrestatthatpoint,however,butthentreadstheArhatpathtothegateofPrajna.That termisnodoubtconnectedwiththecastingoffof thelastfetter,which is ignorance or avidya. It has been suggested that the translationignorance,which is so common, is somewhat unfortunate, and that unwisdomwouldhavebeenbetter.Theideaisthatnomatterhowmuchknowledgeaboutthingsasseenfromtheoutsideamanmayhaveheisstillignorant;butwhenherealizes those thingsfromwithin,whenhehasrealized thesameSelf, theOnedwellingequallyinall,hecanseetheinnersideofallthesethings,andthenhehaswisdom.Jnanaiswisdom,andthejna inprajnahasthesamemeaning,thepra being a prefix implying activity or moving forth. Therefore prajna issometimestranslatedconsciousness,andsometimesintelligence,discernmentorsimplywisdom.

ItmeansinpracticenotthattheAdepthasallknowledge,butthatHeisina

position to obtain the result of any knowledge he wishes. For example, theMasterMorya, when first I had the privilege of meeting Him, spoke Englishveryimperfectlyandwithastrongaccent.Sincethenhehasacquiredfargreaterfluency in English, though something of the accent still remains. TheMasterKuthumi has always, within our experience, spoken English with the greatestfluencyandwithoutany traceofaccent,butat thesame timewithoneor twolittlepeculiaritiessuchasanymanmighthave,whichenableonetoidentifyHisstyle.

I rememberanearlyexperiencewhenoneof theMasterswished tosendaletter in theTamil language.AsHedidnotknow that tongue,He instructed apupilofHis,whodidknowit,tothinkwhatHewantedtosay;thenHewatchedinthatman’smindhowthethoughtswouidbeexpressed,andsoprecipitatedaletterwhichwascorrect,thoughHedidnotinHisbodyknowthemeaningofthewrittensymbolsused.

IrememberthatmyinnerfeelingsofdevotionandreverencereceivedalittleshockattheideathataMasterdidnotknowTamil;butIdiscoveredverysoonthatitwouldnotbeworthwhileforanAdepttoknoweverythingfromourpointofview.Irememberedaremarkmadebyanexceedinglyclevermanwithregardto some matter of astronomy or some other science. A friend of his hadexpressedsurprisewhenheshowedignoranceofthematter,andsaid:“What,doyoumeantosayyoudidn’tknowthat?”Hereplied:“No,Ididnotknowit,andeven now that you have told me, 1 shall put the thought aside and probablyforgetallaboutit.Mybrainwillholdonlyacertainamountofinformation,andIamgoingtobeaspecialistonmyownline.”

Braincapacity is limited, and to acquire avast amountof information thathasscarcelyanybearingonourlifeandworkisnotwise.Ionceknewayoungmanwhotoldmethathehadbeenaveryardentreaderofthebooksofalargereferencelibraryin,thenorthofEngland,untilonedayhemadeacalculationastohow long itwould takehimmerely to read all thebooks that hewanted tostudyinthatparticularlibraryalone.Hiscomputationshowedthatitwouldtakehim about five hundred life-times if he spent eight hours a day in thatoccupation!Hethendecidedtoselecthisfuturereadingverycarefully.

Itisoneofthebigproblemsoflifetodecidejustwhatknowledgeoneshouldtrytoacquire.Karmabringswithinourreachall thatweneedtoknowforour

immediateprogress. It ispossible forus togobeyond thatandspendour timeand energy on study which is not useful in our lives, though it may be ofimportance to someone else. The more we learn the more we realize theparalyzing immensity of things; we are like small insects in a great room,lookingatitfromonecorner.

Werealizedsomethingof this immensitywhen lookingupa longseriesoflives.Forthelongtimeinvolvedwehadtousetheprecessionoftheequinoxesto mark periods of time; the astronomers make that period about twenty-fivethousand years, but higher vision showed it to be thirty-one thousand. Theinexactitudeofscientificinformationinthesemattersisduetothelimitedperiodof timeoverwhich the investigationscouldextend—afewhundredyears,orafewthousandif therecordsof theChaldeansare tobe takenintoaccount.Theobservationshavethusbeenlimitedtoaverysmallarcofacircle,fromwhichthe dimensions of the whole had to be calculated, so the least error inapproximation becomes multiplied many times. But that is nothing beside anAgeofBrahma,with its311,040,000millionyears.And thegreatestdistanceswe can clearly imagine are naught besides the light-years which separate thestars.

We can imagine two kinds or types of learned men. One might becomelearnedbyacquiringanimmenseamountofknowledge;another,bysurroundinghimselfwithawell-chosensetofbooksandhavingtheknowledgehowtoturnto those books and get from them the information which he needed. TheknowledgeoftheAdeptissomewhatofthesecondtype;Hedoesnotnecessarilypossess books, but He has the power to get at any knowledge that He wantsalmost inamoment. If theAdeptwantsknowledgeonaparticularsubject,HecanmakeHimselfonewithitandgetatthecoreofitinstantly,andthenobservethesurroundingdetailsasHemayrequirethem.

TheAdeptapproachesthesubjectfromahigherplane,andthereforeitmightappeartousonlowerlevelsthatthereweremanythingswhichHedidnotknow.It seems tomepossible that ifanAdeptmovedamongusnow,wemight findthat we knewmore than He along certain lines; but if we came to deal withrealities, with the core of thematter, with the real grasp of its essentials, theMaster would know more than any of us. Let us try to understand it byconsidering the studyof geology.The student buys a numberofmanuals, andstudiesthesubjectmonthaftermonth,andperhapsyearafteryear.Whatwoulda

Master do if He wanted to know geology? Somewhere on the buddhic ornirvanicplane,HewouldgrasptheideathatliesatthebackofthescienceandmakeHimselfonewiththat;then,fromthatpointofview,HewouldreachdownintoanydetailsHemightrequire.Therefore,whileundoubtedlysomeofusmayhave detailed information of which a given Master is not possessed, He haspowersofknowledgedifferentfromours.

AnAdept,wishing tooccupyHisphysicalenergiesand timewith theverydefinite purposes that He always has in view,may very well put asidemanythings and not bother about them. But in addition to that, we must take intoaccount thefact thatHisconsciousness isnotonlydefinitelygreater thanours,butalsodifferent inkind,andnodoubtquiteindescribabletouswhohavenotyetreachedthatstate.

TheArhathasstillsevenlivesbeforehimasageneralrule,beforeheattainsAdeptship,buttheyneednotbelivedinaphysicalbody.Hemustdescendasfaras theastralplane,but the takingofaphysicalvehicle for thoseseven lives isquiteoptional.Whileintheastralbodyhemayatanymomentthathechoosesenjoythenirvanicconsciousness,butasinthephysicalbodyitisonlypossibleforonetoreachaplanebelowthehighestthatonecanreachwhileintheastralbody, the Arhat incarnated physically can have that nirvanic experience onlywhen he leaves his body during sleep or in trance. The normal home of theArhat’sconsciousnessisthebuddhicplane.Ifhewerespeakingtoanyoneonthephysical plane, or doing a piece of work that required attention, hisconsciousnesswouldbefixedinthephysicalbrain,butwhenheturnsasideandrestsforamomentitslipsbacktoitsnormalhome.Hehasanumberofplanesopen to him, and can focus his consciousness at any particular level, as hechooses, although there will always be a background of the buddhic or thenirvanicconsciousness.

Onemustbe carefulnot tomisjudgepeoplewhohabituallyuse thehigherconsciousness.Therehavebeencaseswheresuchapersonwasmisunderstoodbysomepeoplewhospoketohimanddidnotimmediatelygetacomprehensiblereply,becauseofthefactthathisattentionwasabstractedatthetime.Sometimespeople have got an impression of coldness or aloofness under thesecircumstances.Itiswisertobeonthealerttounderstandwhatishappening,andifwe receive apreoccupied answer, togo awayand try another time.ManyatimeIhaveapproachedtheMasterinHishome,andnoticedbytheappearance

ofHisaurathatHewaspreoccupied;insuchacaseonewaitsuntil theMasterhasfinished,oronegoesawaytodosomeotherworkandthenreturns.

All the symbolism, in this and similar passages, about the weary pilgrimbeingtornbythornsandwashedwithbloodandsoforthisratherunpleasanttome. It is, of course, a materialistic way of symbolizing difficulties which allaspirants feel to some extent, but I should prefer to employ more agreeableillustrations.Peoplediffer,naturally,andonerecognizesthatwhatseemsalmostrepulsive to some is taken verymuch as amatter of course by others. I haveneverbeenabletobringmyselftoliketheSufisymbolisminwhichtheyspeakof drinking wisdom as wine, or some parts of the symbolism in the PuranastypifyingquitemateriallythedevotionoftheGopistoShrlKrishna.Ofcourse,IknowwhattheSufimeans—thatjustasthemanisentirelyfilledwithhiswineandforgetseverythingelse,somusthebefilledwiththedivinewisdomuntilitis everything to him. Iwould rather say,with thePsalm, “As the hart pantethafterthewaterbrooks,sopantethmysoulafterthee,OGod.”84Nevertheless,wedonotwishtocriticisethosewhouseasymbolismdifferentfromourown.

NotsowhenhehathcrossedandwontheArhataPath.

There Klesha is destroyed for ever, Tanha’s roots torn out. But stay,disciple...yetoneword.Canstthoudestroydivinecompassion?Compassionisnoattribute.Itisthelawoflaws—eternalharmony,Alaya’sSelf;ashorelessuniversalessence, the lightofeverlasting right,and fitnessofall things, thelawofloveeternal.

Themorethoudostbecomeatonewithit,thybeingmeltedinitsbeing,themore thy Soul unites with that which is, the more thou wilt becomecompassionabsolute.

SuchistheAryapath,pathoftheBuddhasofperfection.

Infoot-notestothispassageMadameBlavatskywrites:“Kleshaistheloveofpleasureorofworldlyenjoyment,evilorgood,”and“Tanha,thewilltolive,that which causes rebirth.” The kleshas are technically considered among theHindusasfiveformsofattachmenttotheworldwhicharethegreattroublesandobstaclesof thepath.Theyhavebeendealtwith inour commentson the firstFragment.85 Tanha, as explained before, is the thirst of the ego for the strongvibrationsofmaterialexistence,which,intheearlystagesofhisevolution,help

toawakenhimtoamorevividrealizationofhisownexistence.

Thereisalsoafoot-noteonthesubjectofcompassion,asfollows:

This compassion must not be regarded in the same light as “God, thedivine Love” of the Theists. Compassion stands here as an abstract,impersonal law, whose nature, being absolute harmony, is thrown intoconfusionbydiscord,sufferingandsin.

IhavealwaysfeltthatperhapsourgreatFounderdidalittlelessthanjusticeto the Theists there. She says that one must not think of the AbsoluteCompassionasGod,theDivineLove.Ibelievemyselfthatoneshouldsothinkofit,onlythatoneshouldmakeone’sideaofGod,theDivineLove,ahigher,agreaterandnoblerthingthanmanyhavemadeit.

Inmanydevotionalbooksithasbeenmadeverypersonalindeed.InsomeoftheRomanCatholic books of devotion, and in books of theQuietistswe findexpressionssuchas“Christ,theLoverofhisChurch”whicharemoresuitedtolove between people on the physical plane. In India also those who followChaitanya,andsomeothers,employsimilarmaterialexpressions;theyspeakofalovelikehumanlove,thoughglorified.

ProbablyMadameBlavatskywas thinking of these things, andwarning usnottoidentifyabsolutecompassionwiththatideaofdivinelove.Divineloveisstrongerthanthat,yettooabstracttobeputintowords;itisnotaqualityofGod,butit isHe;Heisall loveandthereisnothingthat isnot love.SoI thinkthiscompassionabsolute issimplywhatwemeanbyGod,notapersonalGod,butthe utter Realitywhich lies behind all. And because that is absolute lovewe,beingonewithallothersinthat,mustfeeltheneedtohelpothers.

Withal,whatmeanthesacredscrollswhichmaketheesay:

“Aum! I believe it is not all theArhats that get of thenirvanic path thesweetfruition.”

“Aum! 1 believe that the Nirvana-dharma is entered not by all theBuddhas.”

Yea,ontheAryapaththouartnomoreSrotapatti,thouartaBodhisattva.Thestreamiscrossed.

Whenitissaidthatthenirvana-dharmaisnotenteredbyalltheBuddhas,theterm buddha is used in a general way,meaning thosewho are illuminated orenlightened or wise. Madame Blavatsky said: “In the Northern Buddhistphraseology all the greatArhats,Adepts and saints are calledBuddhas.”Andwhenitsays“ThouartaBodhisattva”itmeansonewhoispreparingtobecomea Buddha in that general sense, and may be taken as equivalent to the termArhat.Here the text speaks of the arya path,where before it said “the arhatapath.”Thewordjiryameansnoble,anditmaybethatthetermarhatappliedtothe path has a tinge of its generalmeaning ofworthy or venerable, so that itwouldbenotsimply thepathof theArhat,but thevenerableornoblepath,asdistinguishedfromtheotherpath,thatpiacceptingnirvana,which,aswehaveseenbefore,AryasangaorHisreporterisinclinedtoslight.

It has already been explained that the word bodhisattva has at least threemeanings,ofwhichoneisthatitnamestheofficeintheHierarchyofthefutureBuddhawho is the Teacher ofDevas andmen for a particular root-race. In afoot-note hereMadameBlavatsky says that popular feeling rightly places thisgreatbeingevenhigherinitsreverencethanaperfectBuddha.TheBuddhais,ofcourse,ahigherofficial,butinasmuchastheBodhisattvawhoforourroot-raceistheLordMaitreya,isthegreatTeacherinthelowerworlds,Hemaybesaidtobemoredirectlyandcloselyintouchwiththem,andthereforemaytakeamorevitalandlivingplaceintheirdevotion,inmuchthesamewayasaffectionandloyaltyforsomePrincewhoisinchargeofaprovincemaybegreaterthanthatfeltforthegreatEmperorfaraway,whoisseldomorneverseen.

Ithasoftenbeenasked“DotheBuddhistsworshipBuddha?”ColonelOlcott,whenwritinghisBuddhistCatechism had to dealwith the question: “Was theBuddhaGod?” To his answer, “No”, theBurmeseBuddhists raised objection,though the Sinhalese Buddhists were quite satisfied. The Lord Buddha isregarded in Ceylon as the PerfectMan, a Teacher towardswhom the deepestgratitudeisfelt.ButinBurmathereligionismorecolouredwithdevotion,andtheLordBuddha ispracticallyworshipped. Ina sense,bothviewsarecorrect.Allmenaredivineinessence;inimperfectmenthedivinityisveiled,butintheLordBuddhaGodwasshiningforth.

These local differences of philosophical and devotional outlook are due tothe temperament of the people of the two countries; Buddhism contains bothaspects.Everygreatreligionhasbegunbyprovidingforalltypesofmen;butin

eachcase as the centuries rolledoncertainportionsor aspectsof the teachingwere allowed to fadewhile otherswere brought into prominence.Christianitynowadaysprovidesalmostexclusivelyforthedevotionaltypeofpeople;oftheknowledge and philosophy that it had in the formof theGnostic teaching butlittleisleft.TheMuhammadanreligionalsoappealsprincipallytothedevotionalelement, thoughthere isphilosophyamongtheSufis.TheJewishreligionis inthesameplight;init,however,theTalmudoffersaphilosophicalsystem.Ofallreligions, it is perhaps only Hinduism that at present shows out both thephilosophicalanddevotionalsideswithequalbrillianceandfervour.

CHAPTER8

THETHREEVESTURES

‘Tis true thouhastaright toDharmakayavesture;butSambhogakaya isgreater than aNirvani, and greater still is a Nirmanakaya—the Buddha ofCompassion.

C.W.L.—Wecomenowtothethreevestures,onwhichMadameBlavatskyhasaverylongnote,whichIwillcommentuponpiecemeal.ThevesturesrefertothelinesofactivityopentohimwhohastakentheFifthInitiation.VerylittlehaseverbeensaidaboutthesevenpathsthatliebeyondAdeptship,butwehavesummarizedwhatinformationisavailableinthefollowingpassage:86

WhentheHumanKingdomistraversed,andmanstandsonthethresholdofHis superhuman life, a liberated Spirit, seven paths open before Him for Hischoosing: He may enter into the blissful omniscience and omnipotence ofNirvana,withactivitiesfarbeyondourknowing,tobecome,perchance,insomefutureworldanAvatara,ordivineIncarnation:thisissometimescalled,‘takingthe Dharmakaya vesture’. He may enter on ‘the Spiritual Period’—a phrasecovering unknown meanings, among them probably that of ‘taking theSambhogakayavesture’.Hemaybecomepartofthattreasure-houseofspiritualforces on which the Agents of the Logos draw for Their work, ‘taking theNirmanakayavesture’.HemayremainamemberoftheOccultHierarchywhichrulesandguardstheworldinwhichHehasreachedperfection.Hemaypassonto the next Chain, to aid in building up its forms.Hemay enter the splendidAngel—Deva—Evolution.HemaygivehimselftotheimmediateserviceoftheLogos, to be used by Him in any part of the Solar System, His Servant andMessenger,wholivesbuttocarryoutHiswillanddoHisworkoverthewholeofthesystemwhichHerules.AsaGeneralhashisStaff,themembersofwhichcarryhismessages toanypartof thefield,soareThese theStaffofHimwhocommandsall,“MinistersofHisthatdoHispleasure.”

In earlier days, in themoonchain, thesepathsprobablyopenedbefore theArhat, because thatwas the levelof attainment set forhumanity in that chain.The lineof thosewho remain in theHierarchyonour earth leads to theSixthInitiation, that of the Chohan, and still further to a seventh, that of the

Mahachohan.ThatisthelastInitiationthatispossibleonraysthreetoseven,buton the second raya further stepmaybe taken, thatof theBuddha,andon thefirstrayyetonemore,thatoftheLordoftheWorld.

Inthedivisionofthesevenwaysintothreesectionsasgivenhere,nodoubtthepathofworkintheHierarchywouldbeincludedamongthosedescribedasNirmanakayas, along with the other path of the Nirmanakaya proper. OurMasters, who keep Their physical bodies for certain purposes connectedwithTheirwork, still givemost ofTheir help tomen on higher levels. Theyworkhabituallyonthecausalbodiesofmen,andsometimesonthebuddhicandatmicsheaths.

TheNirmanakayausuallyretainshiscausalbody,thatistheAugoeides,theglorifiedformwhichhehasbeenbuildingupinthecourseofhisevolution.Withthat he usually also retains the permanent atoms of the lowermental and theastralandphysicalbodies,sothathecanwheneverhechooses(whichisaveryrarething)makeforhimselfavehicleonanyofthoseplanes,andshowhimselfinit.Ordinarily,helivesinhiscausalbody,andspendshistimeinthegenerationofspiritual force,which ispoured into thereservoir,and is thendistributedbythe members of the Hierarchy and Their pupils. Both these classes,MadameBlavatskysaid,“prefer toremaininvisibly(inspirit,so tospeak) in theworld,andcontributetowardsmen’ssalvationbyinfluencingthemtofollowthegoodLaw.”

FurtheronshespeaksoftheNirmanakayaas“thatetherealformwhichonewouldassumewhen leavinghisphysicalhewouldappear inhisastralbody—havinginadditionalltheknowledgeofanAdept.TheBodhisattvadevelopsitinHimself as he proceeds on the path. Having reached the goal and refused itsfruition,he remainsonearth,asanAdept;andwhenhedies, insteadofgoinginto Nirvana, he remains in that glorious body he has woven for himself,invisibletouninitiatedmankind,towatchoverandprotectit.”

Madame Blavatsky is here using the term astral body in quite a differentsensefromthatinwhichshecommonlyemployeditandinwhichitisnowused,butsheuseditinthiswayalsoinherarticleonTheMysteryofBuddhainthethird volume of The Secret Doctrine. She there explains that ShriShankaracharya, who appeared in India shortly after the death of the LordBuddha,wasinasenseareincarnationoftheBuddha,inasmuchasHeusedthe

“astral” remains of Gautama, and she says, such “astral bodies” must beregarded in the light of separate or independent Powers or Gods rather thanmaterialobjects.Sheconcludes:“Hencetherightwayofrepresentingthetruthwouldbetosaythatthevariousprinciples,theBodhisattva,ofGautamaBuddha,which did not go to Nirvana, re-united to form the middle principle ofShankaracharya,theearthlyEntity.”87

In order to understand this mystery of Buddha we must first realize theconstitutionof thephysicalatomsand thenhowtheseevolvebybeingused inthehumanbodybothinageneralwaytobuildupitsparticlesandinaspecialway as permanent atoms. When you look at a physical ultimate atom withethericsightyoufirstofallseethatitresemblesawirecage;then,lookingmoreclosely,youfindthateachwireismadeupofafinercoil,andthatinalltherearesevensetsof suchspirillae.Oneof these spirillae isdeveloped intoactivity ineachroundofevolution,so,aswearenowinthefourthroundofourearthchainincarnation,thereareonlyfourspirillaeinactivityatpresentinthemajorityofatoms.Ineachroundanewsetwillbedeveloped,sothatintheseventhroundtheentiresevenspirillaewillbeactive;theatomswillthereforebebetteratomsin the seventh round than they are now, and the people whowill live in thatroundwill therefore find it fareasier thanpeopledo today to respond to innerthingsandtolivethehigherlife.

Thisawakeningorevolutionof theatoms isdue to theirbeingused in thebodiesoflivingcreatures,fromthemineraltoman.Everythingisbuiltofatoms,which are floating around us in unthinkable numbers. Theremust be some ofthemwhichhaveneverbeenusedatall,butothershavefrequentlybeentakeninto and thrown off from the bodies of living beings. Some few haveexperiencedconstant associationwithman,havingbeenadoptedaspermanentatoms,tobecarriedfromlifetolifethroughtheman’scycleofreincarnations.Theatoms thus livewithusand formourbodies. It is said thatonce in sevenyearseveryparticleinthephysicalbodyischanged;somescientistshavestatedthe period as three years. It is probable that the bony structure changesmuchmoreslowly,butitseemstomereasonabletoimaginethatthefleshymaterialisrenewed entirely in about three years.The particles of the blood changemorerapidlystill;onewouldnotbesurprisedtolearnthat theyareentirelyreplacedeveryfewdays.

Allatomsabsorbedintolivingthingsarechangedconsiderably.Thosewhich

formpartof theearthareverylittleevolvedbythat,but thosewhichcomposepreciousstonesareconsiderablydeveloped.Vegetablesandanimalsofferastillbetteropportunity,butthebestpossibleevolutionforatomsistobedrawnintothe bodies of humanbeings.Amongmen, thosewho are living the occult lifeoffer better conditions than men less advanced, since they have purer bodiesbecauseofwhattheyeatanddrink(orratherbecauseofwhattheydonoteatnordrink).Asweevolvewealsoattractbetteratomsandourbodiesmoreandmoretendtorejectthoselessevolved.

When a man reaches Adeptship he cannot express himself through theordinary atoms that we find about us. They must be specially advanced andrefined atoms, because his various vehicles are required to be so very muchpurer than ours, and capable of vibrating at rateswhich ours cannotmaintain.Whenapersonreaches the levelofaBuddha, it isquite impossibleforhimtofind atomsuseful to him, except such as havebeenused as permanent atoms,and have therefore been in the human body all the time, except during theintervals between incarnations. Permanent atoms are verymuchmore evolvedthanothers.Theyareatthefullestdevelopmentofseventhroundatomsinmenwhoare‘abouttobecomeAdepts.Theyareashighlydevelopedasatomscanpossiblybe,andarechargedwithallthequalitieswhichtheyhavebroughtoverfrompreviousbirths.

All the permanent atoms of all who, in connection with this world orprobablyeventhischainofworlds,haveattainedAdeptshipandhavecastthemoff,havebeencollectedtogetherbytheLordGautama,orforHim.HewasthefirstBuddhaofourhuman race.All thosewhohadbeenBuddhasbeforeHimhadcomefromsomeotherevolution,andhadnodoubtbroughtwhatevertheyneededinthewayofbodieswiththem.ButtheLordGautama,whowasthefirstreally humanBuddha, had to findHis bodies from thematerial of this chain.Therefore He, or some greater Ones for Him, made these bodies. His causalbodywasbuiltupofthe“remains”,orpermanentatomsofallthecausalbodieswhich had been used by such great Ones; His mental body was built of thementalunitsgatheredfromsuchpeople,andHisastralbodywasmadeofTheirpermanentastralatoms.Therewerenotquiteenoughofthesetomaketheentirevehicle,sosomeordinaryatoms,thebestavailable,hadalsotobeemployed;butthese were galvanized into activity, by the others, and they are replaced bypermanentatomsobtainedfromeverynewAdeptwhotakestheSambhogakayaor the Dharmakaya vesture. Thus has been built up a set of bodies which is

absolutelyunique.Therearenoothersuchbodiesintheworld,andthereisnomaterial tomake another such set. Theywere used byGautamaBuddha, andafterwards preserved. We are now in a position to understand MadameBlavatsky’s statement that the principles of theBuddhawere employed as themiddleprinciplesofShriShankaracharya,butthephysicalShankaracharyawasquiteadifferentman,and theAtmaofShankaracharyawasabsolutelydistinctfrom that of the Buddha. These three intermediary bodies were used byShankaracharya, and are now being used by the Lord Maitreya. MadameBlavatskyemployedacuriousnomenclatureinherarticle.S.Pauldividedmanintothreeparts—spirit,soulandbody.Bythespirithemeantwhatwecall theMonad;bythesoultheego,andbythebodythepersonality,nodoubt.MadameBlavatskyisalludingtothesametripledivision;butshesaysthattheBuddhaisa person so exalted that you cannot think ofHis component principles in thesamewayasthoseofaman.SoinsteadofspeakingoftheMonadoftheBuddha,shespeaksofitastheDhyaniBuddha.ThenshecallstheintermediateprinciplesHis Bodhisattva. Thirdly, she calls the physical body of the Buddha theManushyaBuddha.And sowehave these three thingsas theprinciplesof theBuddha: theMonadof theBuddha,which,becauseHe isonewith it inawaywhichisnotthecasewithusnow,iscalledtheDhyaniBuddha;theBodhisattva;and then the Manushya Buddha, which is His manifestation on the physicalplane. The astral andmental bodies,which have not been dissipated, are alsoincludedintheBodhisattva.

At first many of us were much confused by Madame Blavatsky’sterminology,but as the facts becamemore fullyknown touswebegan to seewhatshemeanswhenshesaysthattheManushyaBuddhadiesandpassesaway,theDhyaniBuddhaentersNirvana,andtheBodhisattvaremainsontheearthtocarryon theworkof theBuddha.TheBodhisattvameans theprinciplesof theBuddha, which the present Bodhisattva uses. As the Lord Maitreya is usingthese, it is not these which we see on the Wesak day, for that is called theShadowof theBuddha.88 It is but a reflectionofHim in the samewayas thelivingimageisareflectionoftheastralandmentalbodiesofthepupil,89butHefunctionsthroughitandusesit.

I have explained in TheMasters and the Path that the work of the LordBuddhawas, in someway incomprehensible to us, not entirely successful.HeandtheLordMaitreyawerebothfar inadvanceof therestofhumanity,butatthe timewhenthefirsthumanBuddhawasneeded,neitherofThemwasquite

sufficientlyadvancedtotakethathighposition.Whenthetimecame,theLordGautama, in his great love for humanity, said that He would at any cost fitHimselftofillthisposition,thatHewouldmakethegreatsacrificenecessarytopushHimselfonverymuchmorequickly.90

Hedidthis,andthewholeoftheBuddhistworldveneratesHimforittoanextentwhichnoonecanunderstandunless,hehaslivedthere.Helivedthelifeof the Buddha and did the work, and it would seem to us looking at it awonderfullife.Itisimpossibletofindanydefectinit,todiscoveranythingshortofperfectioninHislifeandteachingandwork,andyetitissaidthatsomepartsofitwerenotfullycompleted.Inordertocompensateforwhateverwaslacking,two arrangements were made. The first was that the Lord Buddha Himselfundertook toappearonceayearandgiveHisblessing—HeappearsonWesakday,andgivesanoutpouringofspiritualforcewhichhelpstheworldverymuch.ThentherewastobeanincarnationalmostimmediatelyafterHisdeath,andthatrequirementwasfulfilledbythebirthofShriShankaracharya.

Thefirstweeverheardabout theoccult relationbetweentheLordBuddhaandShriShankaracharyawasfromtheteachinggiveninEsotericBuddhism,byMr.Sinnett.InthathesaidthattheBuddhareincarnatedasShriShankaracharya,that Shankaracharyawas simplyGautama in a new body.Now very earlyweknew that that was not so, for the reason—besides many others—thatShankaracharyawasafirst rayman,andtheLordBuddhawastheheadof thesecondray.MadameBlavatskyquotesthatremarkofMr.Sinnett’s,andsaysthatit is true inacertainoccultway,but that itwasverymisleadingas itwasput.ShewasaskedifShankaracharyawastheLordGautamaunderanewform.Heranswer was that there was the astral Gautama inside the outwardShankaracharya, whoseAtmawas neverthelessHis own divine prototype, theheavenlymind-bornsonofLight.

WhenMadameBlavatskysaysthatShriShankaracharyawasaBuddha,butnotanincarnationoftheBuddha,shemeansthatHeisaPratyekaBuddha,thatis aBuddhaon the first ray.He still lives atShamballa in thebodywhichHebroughtfromVenus.Thebodiesof theLordsof theFlamearenot likeoursatall. They do not change their particles, but have been compared to bodies ofglass;theylooklikeours,butverymuchmoreglorified,andIsupposethatTheybroughtthementirefromVenus,andthattheyarebuiltofthephysicalmatterofthatevolution.MadameBlavatskysays thatShankaracharyawasanAvatara in

the full sense of theword, the abode of a flame of the highest ofmanifestedspiritualbeings.AsanAvataraisliterallyonewho“crossesover”or“descends”,notoneofourhumanity,thetermisstrictlyappliedinthiscase,asHeisoneofthethreeLordsoftheFlamefromVenuswhoremainonourearthasassistantsandpupilsoftheLordoftheWorld.

Toreturn to thegeneral subjectof theNirmanakayas,MadameBlavatsky’sfoot-note furthersays:“It ispartof theexotericNorthernBuddhismtohonourall such great characters as saints, and even to offer prayers to them, as theGreeks and Catholics do to their saints and patrons; on the other hand, theesoteric teachingscountenancenosuchthing.”ByGreeksshemeansmembersof theGreekChurch—the ancientGreek did not usuallymake it a custom tooffer prayers, and certainly not to saints. When she says that the esotericteachings do not countenance prayer to theNirmanakayas, shemeans that noesoteric student would pray to a Nirmanakaya to give him help, because heknowsthatTheyarenotconnectedwithindividualsatall,butarefullyengagedinpouringoutTheirsplendidenergiesinTheirownlineofwork.

Still, it is said that these Great Beings, the Buddhas of Compassion, arereverencedpopularlymorethanthosewhohavetakentheotherpaths.MadameBlavatsky also says “This same popular reverence calls ‘Buddhas ofCompassion’thoseBodhisattvaswho,havingreachedtherankofanArhat(i.e.,having completed the fourth or seventh Path), refuse to pass into the nirvanicstateor‘wontheDharmakayarobeandcrosstotheothershore,’asitwouldthenbecomebeyondtheirpowertoassistmenevensolittleasKarmapermits.”

The main ideas here are perfectly clear, but the terminology is a littleconfusing.EveryAdepthascrossedtotheothershore;thatistheterminationofthepathwhichhebegantotreadwhenheentereduponthestream.Asissaidinthe text, “the stream is crossed” before the choice of these three vestures ismade;and it is theAdept,not theArhat in theordinarysense,whomakes thechoice.HewhodonstheDharmakayavesturecrossestotheothershore,butinafullersense.

TheSambhogakaya,MadameBlavatskycontinues,‘‘isthesamebutwiththeadditional lustre of three perfections, one ofwhich is entire obliteration of allearthlyconcerns.”Heentersaspirituallineofevolution,andtakesnirvanaatalaterstage.Heretainsthenirvanicatom,thenirvanicbody,butI thinknoneof

the lower atoms. He usually shows himself at that level as the triple spirit.Included in thisclass isprobably thatorderofperfectedmenwhohave joinedtheStaffCorpsoftheLogos.Theyarenolongerespeciallyattachedtoourearth,but are in the service of the Logos, to be sent by Him anywhere within Hissystem.

Then comes theDharmakaya robe,which is “That of a completeBuddha,i.e., nobodyat all, but an idealbreath; consciousnessmerged in theuniversalconsciousness,orsouldevoidofeveryattribute.”Thismeansthatthemanwhotakes theDharmakayavesture retires into theMonad.Hedropshis permanentatomsaltogether,andworksonlyonhighplanes, the lowest forhimbeing thenirvanic.Heburnshisboatsbehindhim,asitwere,andstartsoutoncosmiclife,butIbelievethatifhechooseshemayyetshowhimselfasthetriplespirit,buthedoesnotretain,Ithink,eventhenirvanicatom.

Allthroughourevolutionwekeepthesamecausalbodyuntilweareabletoraiseourconsciousnesstothebuddhicplane,andthenthemereactoffocusingoneself in the buddhic body causes the causal vehicle to vanish. As soon,however,asonebringsone’sconsciousnessdownagainontothehighermentalplanethecausalbodyreappears;itisnotthesameasitwasbefore,becausetheparticleshavebeendissipated,butitseemsineverywayexactlythesamebody.Asimilarprocess takesplace in thecaseof theDharmakayavesture.Themanhas dropped his nirvanic atom, his manifestation on the nirvanic plane, but Ibelieveifheputshimselfdowntothatlevelforamomentheinstantlydrawstohimself an atom exactly similar, a nirvanic vesture through which he maymanifestasthetriplespirit.

Comparing the three, it may be said that the Dharmakaya keeps nothingbelow theMonad, thoughwhat the vesture of theMonadmay be on its ownplanewedonotknow.TheSambhogakaya retainshismanifestationasa.triplespirit, and I think he can reach down and show himself in a temporaryAugoeides.TheNirmanakayaappears topreservehisAugoeidesandkeepsallhispermanentatoms,andthereforehasthepowertoshowhimselfatwhicheverlevel he chooses.Yet the three are all equal in development; the difference isonly that hewho casts aside thepermanent atoms is thereforeunable tomakehimself visible on the lower levels, and he throws them away because he nolonger needs them for his kind of work. The man who retains them has thepowertocomedowntothoselevelsandworkuponthem,butitcannotrightlybe

saidthatthosewhochoosetodotheotherworkareinanywaylessimportant,lowerinvalueorhonour.Wemightthinkofhimwhoisdealingatahigherlevelwithgreatsolar forcesas themore important,but thatwouldbeamistake, forthewholesolarsystemisamanifestationoftheLogos.

MadameBlavatskyspeaksofallthesekayasasbuddhicbodies.Insodoing,sheisusingthetermbuddhicasanadjectiveofbuddha,andisusingbuddhaasthe equivalent of our term Asekha Adept, one who has passed the FifthInitiation. We have restricted the term to those who have taken the BuddhaInitiation;ourMastersstandtwostepslowerthanthat,butTheyarespokenofas“livingBuddhas”inTibet.

The closing passage in the note says: “The esoteric school teaches thatGautamaBuddha,withseveralofHisArhats,issuchaNirmanakayahigherthanwhom,onaccountofHisgreatrenunciationandsacrificeformankind,thereisnoneknown.”WemustnottakethistomeanthatGautamaBuddhaandseveralofHisArhatsmakeoneNirmanakaya,butthatHeissuchaBeing,andseveralofHisfollowershavealsotakenthesameline.Thenitissaidthatnonehigherisknown tomankind.This statement isperfectlyaccurate if itmeans thatofourhumanitynootherhasyetreachedsohighalevelastheLordGautama.

EventheBodhisattva, theLordMaitreyaHimself,wholongagowasequalwithHim,asIhaveexplainedinTheMastersandthePath,hasnotyettakenthestepwhichwouldmakeHimaBuddha.HadHedoneso,HecouldnotoccupyHispresentpositionasHeadoftheteachingdepartmentoftheworld.HeisoftencalledMaitreyaBuddhabytheBuddhists,butthatisanhonorifictitle.

ThereisonelevelintheHierarchy,highereventhanthatoftheBuddha—thelevelofthegreatKingwhoistheOneInitiator,butasHeisoneoftheLordsoftheFlamewho came fromVenus, it remains true thatGautamaBuddha is thehighestofourhumanity.

Now bend thy head and listen well, O Bodhisattva—compassion speaksandsaith:“Cantherebeblisswhenall that livesmustsuffer?Shalt thoubesavedandhearthewholeworldcry?“

Now thou hast heard that which was said: Now thou shalt attain theseventh step and cross the gate of final knowledge, but only towedwoe—ifthou would’st be Tathagata, follow upon thy predecessor’s steps, remain

unselfishtotheendlessend.

Thouartenlightened-—choosethyway.

Once more Aryasanga brings forward His prevailing idea, and urges Hisfollowers to take the path of compassion. He says one cannot desert one’sbrotherswhen they are suffering.We have already considered the question ofsuffering quite fully, and realized that though theArhatmay stillwork in theworldthatisfullofsuffering,hisconsciousnessonthehigherplanesknowstheglory that is behind it all, knows the heights of happinesswhich allmenwillinfalliblyreach,sothatitisimpossibleforhimtosufferasordinarymendowhosee so little of the glory of life. The Arhat, who is here addressed as aBodhisattva,isinapositiontosharethetriumphantsongoftheLordBuddha,sowellexpressedinTheLightofAsia:

i.Yearenotbound!TheSoulofthingsissweet,ii.TheHeartofBeingiscelestialrest;iii.Strongerthanwoeiswill:thatwhichwasGoodiv.DothpasstoBetter—Best.v.I,Buddh,whoweptwithallmybrothers’tears,vi.Whoseheartwasbrokenbyawholeworld’swoe,vii.Laughandamglad,forthereisLiberty!91

WhenAryasangaurgesHisfollowerstoremainunselfishtotheendlessend,He uses an expression curiously similar to a phrase which in Christianity istranslated “Worldwithout end”; the Latin form is in secula seculorum, in theagesoftheages.Itmeansuntiltheendofoursetofworlds,orperhapsuntiltheendofourpresentchain.Thesuggestionisthatweshouldremainintouchwithhumanityuntil theworkofthepresenthumancycleiscomplete,andhumanityhasreacheditsgoal.

Ourownmethodofoffering,ourselvesisalittledifferentfromthat;wehaveput ourselves completely at the disposal of theMasters, not asking that Theyshould sendus to thisworkor that,but leaving it absolutely toThem, saying:“HereamI;sendme.”Aryasanga’sdesirewasthatHispupilsshouldfollowthelinethatHeHimselfhadchosen.PerhapsHefeltthatmanymoreworkerswereurgentlyneeded in thatparticular field.HewasspeakingatacertainperiodofIndian history, in the reign ofKingHarsha,when there seems to have been a

decayofreligion,whenpeoplewerethinkingmoreofoutwardformsthanofthereal lifebehind,wheneverythinghadbecomemuchspecializedandsomewhatartificial; under these circumstances perhaps he felt the necessity for moreteachers,fortherevivalofthereligiouslifeandtheidealofservice.

FinallyheurgesthepupilstobeTathagata,tofollowinthestepsoftheLordBuddha.He tells them that they are now enlightened and should choose theirway.Nextcomesa lineofdots—while theperson ischoosing,apparently,andthenhebreaksoutintoamagnificentperoration:

Behold,themellowlightthatfloodstheeasternsky.Insignsofpraisebothheavenandearthunite.Andfromthefour-foldmanifestedpowersachantoflove ariseth, both from the flaming fire and flowingwater, and from sweet-smellingearthandrushingwind.

Hark!... fromthedeepunfathomablevortexof thatgoldenlight inwhichthe Victor bathes, all nature’s wordless voice in thousand tones ariseth toproclaim:

Joyunto you,OmenofMyalba.A pilgrimhath returned back from theothershore.AnewArhanisborn.

Ihavealready spokenof theway inwhichall nature rejoiceswhenanewInitiateisborn.Inthis,itisnowsaid,bothheavenandearthunite.Thespiritoftheearthgainsanaddedsenseofwell-being.Thatspiritisagreatentity,notonour human line at all, forwhom thewhole earth acts as a physical body. It isdifficult to grasp the nature of such a being.When we think of the earth asmerely a huge globe, whirling through space, without specialized organs, wemightwonderhowitcanserveanybeingasabody.Butifallthecreaturesthatliveuponitcontributetotheconsciousnessofthespiritoftheearthitneedsnoothereyes than theirs. It lives in their life and sogainsexperience.Again, theearthmovesonitswayasoneofamightychoirofplanets,eachonesoundingitsown note in the music of the spheres, possessing within itself all the thingswhichwehavetoreachouttoget.

Thisentity livesona scaleverydifferent fromours.Ourbodieshappen tohave a certain size and to live for a certain time; that seems to us the correctstandard, so a tiny creaturewith a small span of life seems despicable, and alargecreaturewithalonglife-periodisrespected.Butsizeandlengthoflifeare

no criteria of development or advancement. Some antediluvian animals wereenormouslybiggerthantheelephant,buttheyweremuchlessintelligent,justastoday the rhinocerosandhippopotamushave lessmind than thedog.Weneednot assume, therefore, that because the spirit of the earth has a globe eightthousandmilesindiameterforabody,andbecauseforhimoneincarnationisanentireworldperiod,heismoreintelligentthanweare.Consciousnessisapointineachofus.Thatofthespiritoftheearthseemstobecuriouslymultiplex,and,notwithstanding his great size, to be less advanced in someways than that ofmanyofthegreatDevaswhomoveabouthisbody.

If we stand upon a hill and look over the surrounding country we find itpermeatedwithsomethingofthelifeofthespiritoftheearth.Thatlifeseemstodivideitselfintoparts,temporarilyorpermanently.Abeautifulview,whichhasbeenadmiredbymanypeople,isensouledbyavagueindividualitywhichispartof that spirit. Such admiration, whether from human beings or great Devas,seemstoexcitethelifeinthatportion,sothatitanswerstothefeelingofdelight.Whenweadmireafineviewitisactinguponus,butwealsoareactinguponit.Thisresponseis inadditiontowhat isfeltbythelife inthemineral,vegetableandanimalkingdoms.

When a man is initiated the influence to which he has tuned himself onhigherplanesrushesthrougheverypartofhisbeing.Thoughthereislittleeffectin the solids, liquids and gases of the physical plane, there is a great deal ofradiationfromtheethericdouble,andfromhisastralandmentalbodies,andthisisfelt,aswehavealreadyseenbythekingdomsofnature,andbysuchmenasareinaconditiontorespond.

The fourfoldmanifestedpowersare thoseofearth,water, fireandair—thefourDevarajasorMaharajas,whoare theadministratorsofkarmaforusdownhere, the under-servants, as itwere, of the Lipika, theGreat Lords ofKarma.Their names among the Hindus are, it is said, Dhritarashtra, Virudhaka,Virupaksha and Vaishravana, and each of them is at the head of one line ofdevelopment.DhritarashtraissaidtobetheheadoftheGandharvas,thespiritsoftheair,thegreatDevaswhoexpressthemselvesbymusic;tothemisalwaysassigned the east and they are always symbolized by the colour white, ashorsemen arrayed inwhite, ridingwhite horses, and carrying targets of pearl.UnderVirudhakacometheKumbhandas.TheyaretheAngelsofthesouth,thespiritsofwater,soconnectedbecausethesouthernpartoftheworldhasfarmore

waterthanearth.Theyarerepresentedasblue,thecolourofwater,andaresaidtocarrysapphireshields.UnderVirupakshaaretheNagas,Angelsofthewest,spiritsofthefire,whosecolourisredandwhocarrycoralshields.TheseEzekieldescribedasfierycreaturesfullofeyeswithin,andalsoaswingedwheels.ThencometheYakshas,ruledbyVaishravana.Tothemthenorthisconsecrated;theyaretheearthDevasorAngels,andtheircolourisalwaysgold—thatofthegoldhiddenintheearth.92

MadameBlavatsky explainsMyalba as “our earth—pertinently calledhell,andthegreatestofallhells,bytheesotericschool.Theesotericdoctrineknowsof no hell or place of punishment other than a man-bearing planet or earth.Avichiisastate,notalocality.”Althoughsomepeoplesufferafterdeathintheastralplane,itcannotquiteberegardedaspunishment.Theyaresufferingfromtheir own disordered imaginations or low desires, and although things maysometimes be had on that plane, theworst of it is not somean and sordid assomeof the thingswhich happen downhere; allwhohave had experience onhigherplaneswillagreewithMadameBlavatsky that there isnothingquitesobadasphysicallifeanywhereelse.

“A pilgrim hath returned back from the other shore” evidentlymeans thatsomeonehasgainedthehigherlevel,butstillchoosestoremainandworkamongmeninthisworld.GenerallywethinkoftheothershoreastheFifthInitiation,notastheFourth,buthereitisusedinthemorerestrictedsense.

Aryasangacloseswiththesalutation:

PeacetoallBeings

Similar blessings are to be found at the end of every Buddhist or Hindureligious book. Aryasanga closes His book with very great rejoicing. He hassometimesspokenofthepathofwoe,butHeendswithapaeanofwonderfuljoyandbeautifulpeace.

Notes

[←1]SeeTheLivesofAlcyone.

[←2]Op.cit.,xvii,5-6.

[←3]SeeRajaYoga,byErnestWood,p.18.

[←4]Op.cit.,xvii,14-16.

[←5]Op.cit.,v,7.

[←6]Op,cit.,iv,33.

[←7]“The occult Path and the interests of the World” in the first Volume of Talks on the Path ofOccultism.

[←8]Sonnets,xliv,xlv.

[←9]IJohn,4,12.

[←10]St.Johnx,30.

[←11]IJohn,5,7.

[←12]ThisargumentisexpoundedinTheSevenRays,byErnestWood,Ch.xxi.

[←13]

SeeTheSevenRays,Ch,viii.

[←14]IJohn,4,12.

[←15]Op.cit..Vol.I,p.624.

[←16]Op.cit.,Vol.I,p.169.

[←17]Op.cit.,iv.53.

[←18]SeeTheSecretDoctrine,Vol.I,p.181.

[←19]S.Matthew,vi,7.7

[←20]Op.cit,,vi,3.

[←21]Op.cit.,Bookvi.

[←22]BookonChakrashasbeensinceissuedbyT.P.H.,Adyar.

[←23]Hinduworksusuallymentionthechakraattherootofthegenitalorgansasthesecond.Werecognize

the existence of such a centre, but we follow the ancient Egyptians in thinking it eminentlyundesirablethatitshouldbestirredintoactivity.

[←24]Op,cit„p.82.

[←25]Op.cit.,v,27-8.

[←26]Revelation3,15-16.

[←27]SeeTheSevenRays,p.13.

[←28]S.John,14,6.

[←29]Op.cit.,Ch.vi.

[←30]VolumeI,Ch.24,Liberation,NirvanaandMoksha.

[←31]Op.cit.,iv,36-37.

[←32]Ibid.,vi,40.

[←33]Ante,p,91.

[←34]Op.cit.,Ch.xi.

[←35]Op.cit.,Vol,III,570

[←36]Ibid.,p.573.

[←37]TheLightofAsia,BooktheSixth.

[←38]Op.cit.,Vol.Ill,pp.582-4.

[←39]SeeConcentration,Ch.x.

[←40]Ante,p.59.

[←41]Op.cit.,Vol.Ill,p.508.

[←42]Ante,p.40.

[←43]Seeante,pp.72,81.

[←44]Op.cit.,BooktheEighth.

[←45]Ante,pp.49-52.

[←46]Ante,pp.84-5.

[←47]Op.cit.,ix,29-32.

[←48]TheLightofAsia,BooktheSeventh.

[←49]Op.cit.,Ch.IV.

[←50]SeeAnte,pp,73-4.

[←51]Op.,cit..Vol.III,p.429.

[←52]Ante,Vol.I,Part4,Chapter1,ControlofMind,

[←53]Op.cit.,Ch.xiv.

[←54]Ante,p.96.

[←55]Op.cit.,Ch.xv.

[←56]Ante,Vol.I,PartII,Ch.2,5;PartIV,Ch.1;PartV,Ch.6.

[←57]Seeante,Vol.I,PartV,Chapter4.

[←58]Op.cit.,p.146.

[←59]Op.cit.,p.325.

[←60]Op.cit..III.20.

[←61]Op,cit.,Ch.VII.

[←62]“Tounderstandallistopardonall.”

[←63]Op.cit.,Ch.V.

[←64]AnteVol.I,PartIV,Chapter1,ControlofMind.

[←65]Op.cit.,Ch.VIII.

[←66]Ante,Vol.I,PartII,Ch.4,andPartV,Ch.2.

[←67]Ante,Vol.I,PartV,Ch.5:Superstition.

[←68]Ante,Vol.I,PartV,Ch.4,Cruelty.

[←69]I.John,4,18.

[←70]“Thereisnolongeranymatter.Thereisnothingbutholesintheether.”

[←71]Op.cit.,Vol.I,p.462,Seealsoante.p.69.

[←72]Op.cit.,p.111.

[←73]Ante,p.203.

[←74]Ante,p.71.

[←75]Ante,p.96.

[←76]1Ante,p.40.

[←77]Op.cit.,VI,19.

[←78]Op.cit.,Ch.,X

[←79]Op.cit..BooktheEighth.

[←80]Ante,p.68.

[←81]Op.cit.,Ch.xiv.

[←82]Ante.,Vol.I,PartIV,Ch.3,Tolerance.

[←83]Op.cit.,Ill,33.

[←84]Psalm,42,1.

[←85]Ante.,pp.49-52,)

[←86]FromMan:Whence,HowandWhither,pp.12-13.

[←87]TheSecretDoctrine,Vol.Ill,p.381.

[←88]SeeTheMastersandthePath,Ch.XIV.

[←89]Ibid.,Ch.V.

[←90]SeeTheMastersandthePath,Ch.XIV.

[←91]Op.cit..BooktheEighth.

[←92]SeeTheLightofAsia,BooktheFirst.