,gleanings of a ,mystic ,,by ,,max ,,heindel ,illustration3 ,colophon ,a ,,series ,,of ,,essays ,,on ,,practical ,,mysticism ,,first ,,edition ,,the ,,rosicrucian ,,fellowship ,international ,headquarters ,mt4 ,ecclesia ,oceanside1 ,california ,london3 ,l4 ,n4 ,fowler ,co41 #g ,imperial ,arcade ,ludgate ,circus ,,copyright1 #aibb4 ,,by ,,mrs4 ,,max ,,heindel4 ,,fellowship ,,press ,,oceanside1 ,,calif4 ,foreword ,the contents of this book are among the last writings of ,max ,heindel1 the mystic4 ,they contain some of his deepest thoughts1 and are the result of years of research and occult investigation4 ,he1 too1 could say as did ,parsifal3 8,through error and through suffering ,i came1 through many failures and through countless woes40 ,at last he was given the living water with which he was able to quench the spiritual thirst of many souls4 ,he also developed to their depths pity and love1 and could feel the heart throbs of suffering humanity4 ,strong souls are usually endowed with great energy and impulse1 and through these very forces1 they forge to the front ranks though they often suffer much4 ,as a result they are filled with compassion for others4 ,the writer of these lessons sacrificed his physical body on the altar of service4 ,in writing the books and monthly lessons of the ,fellowship1 in his lectures and class work1 and in the arduous pioneer work of establishing ,headquarters within the short span of ten years1 ,max ,heindel accomplished more than many who are blessed with perfect health could have accomplished in a lifetime4 ,his first book1 his masterpiece1 8,the ,rosicrucian ,cosmo-,conception10 was written under the direct guidance of the ,elder ,brothers of the ,rose ,cross4 ,it carries a vital message to the world4 ,it satisfies not alone the intellect1 but also the heart4 ,his 8,freemasonry and ,catholicism10 has found its way into many ,masonic libraries4 ,the occultist has received much from the book entitled1 8,the ,web of ,destiny10 which is a mine of mystical knowledge and helpful occult truths4 ,it is also a guide to the investigator1 establishing danger signals for the venturesome ones who wish to take heaven by storm4 ,to the science of astrology he has given more in a few years than has previously been discovered in centuries4 ,his two valuable works1 8,simplified ,scientific ,astrology0 and 8,the ,message of the ,stars10 deal largely with the spiritual and medical aspects of astrology4 ,the latter gives methods of diagnosis and healing which form a valuable addition to the works of other authors1 both ancient and modern4 ,these books may be found in the libraries of many doctors of the old school4 ,in 8,gleanings of a ,mystic0 are found twenty-four lessons which were formerly sent out to students4 ,it is the wish of the writer of this introduction that these lessons may carry a message of love and cheer to the soul-hungry reader and hope to the disconsolate one4 --,augusta ,foss ,heindel4 ,table of ,contents ,chapter ,i4 ,initiation3 ,what ,it ,is and ,is ,not--,part ,i4 #g ,chapter ,,ii4 ,initiation3 ,what ,it ,is and ,is ,not--,part ,,ii4 #ad ,chapter ,,iii4 ,the ,sacrament of ,communion--,part ,i4 #ba ,chapter ,,iv4 ,the ,sacrament of ,communion--,part ,,ii4 #bh ,chapter ,v4 ,the ,sacrament of ,baptism4 #cg ,chapter ,,vi4 ,the ,sacrament of ,marriage4 #df ,chapter ,,vii4 ,the ,unpardonable ,sin and ,lost ,souls4 #ed ,chapter ,,viii4 ,the ,immaculate ,conception4 #fa ,chapter ,,ix4 ,the ,coming ,christ4 #fi ,chapter ,x4 ,the ,coming ,age4 #gg ,chapter ,,xi4 ,meat and ,drink as ,factors in ,evolution4 #he ,chapter ,,xii4 ,a ,living ,sacrifice4 #id ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,magic1 ,white and ,black4 #aja ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,our ,invisible ,government4 #ajh ,chapter ,,xv4 ,practical ,precepts for ,practical ,people4 #aad ,chapter ,,xvi4 ,sound1 ,silence1 and ,soul ,growth4 #aba ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,the 8,mysterium ,magnum0 of the ,rose ,cross4 #acj ,chapter ,,xviii4 ,stumbling ,blocks4 #ach ,chapter ,,xix4 ,the ,lock of ,upliftment4 #adg ,chapter ,,xx4 ,the ,cosmic ,meaning of ,easter--,part ,i4 #aec ,chapter ,,xxi4 ,the ,cosmic ,meaning of ,easter--,part ,,ii4 #afj ,chapter ,,xxii4 ,the ,newborn ,christ4 #afg ,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,why ,i am a ,rosicrucian4 #agc ,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,the ,object of the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship4 #ahj ,catalogue of ,publications4 ,chapter ,i ,,initiation3 ,,what ,,it ,,is ,,and ,,is ,,not ,,part ,i ,it is no rare occurrence to receive questions relating to ,initiation1 and we are also frequently asked to state whether this order or that society is genuine1 and whether the initiations they offer to all comers who have the price are bona fide4 ,for that reason it seems necessary to write a treatise on the subject so that students of the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship may have an official statement for reference and guidance in the future4 ,in the first place let it be clearly understood that we consider it reprehensible to express condemnation of any society or order1 no matter what its practices4 ,it may be perfectly sincere and honest according to its light4 ,we do not believe that we rise in the opinion of discriminating men and women by speaking in disparaging terms of others2 neither are we laboring under the delusion that we have all the truth and other societies are plunged in ,egyptian darkness4 ,we reiterate what we have often said before1 that all religions have been given to mankind by the ,recording ,angels1 who know the spiritual requirements of each class1 nation1 and race1 and have the intelligence to give to each a form of worship perfectly suited to its particular need2 that thus ,hinduism is suited to the ,hindu1 ,mohammedanism to the ,arab1 and the ,christian religion to those born in the ,western ,hemisphere4 ,the ,mystery ,schools of each religion furnish to the more advanced members of the race or nation embracing it a higher teaching1 which1 if lived1 advances them into a higher sphere of spirituality than their brethren4 ,but as the religion of the backward races is of a lower order than the religion of the pioneers1 the ,christian nations1 so also the ,mystery ,teaching of the ,east is more elementary than that of the ,west1 and the ,hindu or ,chinese ,initiate is on a correspondingly lower rung of the ladder of attainment than the ,western ,mystic4 ,please ponder this well so that you may not fall a victim to misguided people who try to persuade others that the ,christian religion is crude compared with oriental cults4 ,ever westward in the wake of the shining sun1 the light of the world1 has gone the star of empire1 and is it not reasonable to suppose that the spiritual light has kept pace with civilization1 or even preceded it as thought precedes action8 ,we hold that such is the case1 that the ,christian religion is the loftiest yet given to man1 and that to repudiate the ,christian religion1 esoteric or exoteric1 for any of the older systems is analogous to preferring the older textbooks of science to the newer ones which embrace discoveries to date4 ,neither are the practices of ,eastern aspirants to the higher life to be imitated by ,westerners2 we refer particularly to the breathing exercises4 ,they are both beneficial and necessary to the unfoldment of the ,hindu1 but it is otherwise with the ,western aspirant4 ,to him it is dangerous to practice breathing exercises for soul unfoldment2 they will even prove subversive of soul growth1 and they are1 moreover1 absolutely unnecessary4 ,the reason is this3 ,during involution the threefold spirit has become gradually incrusted in a threefold body4 ,in the ,atlantean ,epoch man was at the nadir of materiality4 ,we are just now rounding the lowest point on the arc of involution1 and starting upward on the arc of evolution4 ,at this point1 then1 all mankind is immured in this earthly prison house to such a degree that spiritual vibrations are almost killed4 ,this is1 of course1 particularly true of the backward races and the lower classes in the ,western world4 ,the atoms in such backward race bodies are vibrating at an exceedingly low rate1 and when in the course of time one of these people develops to a point where it is possible to further him upon the path of attainment1 it is necessary to raise this vibratory pitch of the atom so that the vital body1 which is the medium of occult growth1 may to a certain extent be liberated from the deadening force of the physical atom4 ,this result is attained by means of breathing exercises1 which in time accelerate the vibration of the atom1 and allow the spiritual growth necessary to the individual to take place4 ,these exercises may also be used by a great number of people in the ,western world1 particularly those who are not at all concerned about their spiritual advancement4 ,but even among those who desire soul growth there are many who are not yet at the point where the atoms of their bodies have evolved to such a pitch of vibration that acceleration beyond the usual measure would injure them4 ,here the breathing exercises would do no harm2 but if given to a person who is really at the point where he can enter the path of advancement ordinarily mapped out for the ,hindu's precocious brothers and sisters in the ,west1 in other words1 when he is nearly ready for ,initiation and when he would be benefited by spiritual exercises1 then the case is far otherwise4 ,during the aeons which we have spent in evolution since the time when we were in ,hindu bodies1 our atoms have accelerated their vibratory pitch enormously1 and as said in the case of one who is really nearly ready for ,initiation1 the pitch of vibration is higher than that of the average man or woman4 ,therefore he does not need breathing exercises to accelerate this pitch1 but certain spiritual exercises suited to him individually which will advance him on the proper path4 ,if such a person at this critical period meets some one who ignorantly or unscrupulously gives him breathing exercises1 and if he follows the instructions accurately in the hope of getting quick results1 he will get them quickly but in a manner he has not looked for1 since the vibratory rate of the atoms in his body will in a very short time become accelerated to such a pitch that it will seem to him as if he were walking on air2 then also an improper cleavage of the vital body may take place1 and either consumption or insanity follows4 ,now please put this down where it will burn itself into your consciousness in letters of fire3 ,initiation is a spiritual process1 and spiritual progress cannot be accomplished by physical means1 but only by spiritual exercises4 ,there are many orders in the ,west which profess to initiate anyone who has the price4 ,some of these orders have names closely resembling our own1 and we are constantly asked by students whether they are affiliated with us4 ,in order to settle this once and for all1 please note that the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship has constantly taught that no spiritual gift may ever be traded for money4 ,if you bear this in mind1 you may know we have no connection with any order which demands money for the transference of spiritual power4 ,he who has something to give of a truly spiritual nature will not barter it for money4 ,i received a particular injunction to this effect from the ,elder ,brothers in the ,rosicrucian ,temple1 when they told me to go to the ,english speaking world as their messenger1 a claim ,i do not expect you to believe save as you see it justified by fruits4 ,now1 however1 about ,initiation3 ,what is it8 ,is it ceremony as claimed by these other orders8 ,if so1 any order can certainly invent ceremonies of a more or less elaborate kind4 ,they may by flowing robes and clashing swords appeal to the emotions2 they may appeal to the sense of wonder and awe by rattling chains and by deep sounding gongs1 and thus produce in their members an 8occult feeling40 ,many revel in the adventures and experiences of the hero in 8,the ,brother of the ,third ,degree10 thinking that this is surely ,initiation1 but ,i tell you that it is very far from being the case4 ,no ceremony can ever give to any one that inward experience which constitutes ,initiation1 no matter how much is charged or how fearful the oaths1 how awful or beautiful the ceremony1 or how gorgeous the robes1 any more than passing through a ceremony can convert a sinner and make him a saint1 for conversion is to the exoteric religionist exactly what ,initiation is in the higher mysticism4 ,please consider this point thoroughly1 and you will have the key to the problem4 ,do you think that any one could go to a person of depraved character and agree to convert him for a certain sum and carry out his part of the agreement8 ,surely you know that no amount of money could bring about that change in a man's character4 ,ask a true convert where he got his religion and how he got it4 ,one may tell you that he received it upon the road as he was walking along2 another says that the light and the change came to him in the solitude of his room2 another that the light struck him as it struck ,paul upon the road to ,damascus1 and forced him to change4 ,every one has a different experience1 but it is in every case an inward experience1 and the outward manifestation of that inward experience is that it changes the man's whole life from the very least to the very greatest aspects4 ,so it is also with ,initiation2 it is an inward experience1 entirely separate and apart from any ceremonial whatever1 and therefore it is an absolute impossibility that any one could sell it to any one else4 ,initiation changes a man's whole life4 ,it gives him a confidence that he never possessed before4 ,it clothes him with a mantle of authority that never can be taken from him4 ,no matter what the circumstances in life1 it sheds a light upon his whole being that is simply wonderful4 ,nor can any ceremony effect such a change4 ,we therefore hold that anyone who offers initiation into an occult order by ceremonials to every one who has the price1 brands himself as an imposter4 ,for the true teacher1 if he were approached by an aspirant with an offer of money for spiritual attainment would answer indignantly in the words used by ,peter to ,simon1 the sorcerer1 who offered him money for spiritual powers3 8,thy silver perish with thee40 ,chapter ,,ii ,,initiation3 ,,what ,,it ,,is ,,and ,,is ,,not ,,part ,,ii ,to obtain a better understanding of what constitutes ,initiation and what the prerequisites are1 let the student first fix firmly in his mind the fact that humanity as a whole is slowly progressing upon the path of evolution1 and thus very slowly1 almost imperceptibly1 attaining higher and higher states of consciousness4 ,the path of evolution is a spiral when we regard it from the physical side only1 but a lemniscate when viewed in both its physical and spiritual phases4 7,see the diagram of chemical caduceus in ,the ,rosicrucian ,cosmo-,conception1 page #daj47 ,in the lemniscate1 or figure #h1 there are two circles which converge to a central point1 which circles may be taken to symbolize the immortal spirit1 the evolving ego4 ,one of the circles signifies its life in the physical world from birth to death4 ,during this span of time it sows a seed by every act and should reap in return a certain amount of experience4 ,but as we may sow seed in the field and lose return on that which falls on stony ground1 among thorns1 et cetera1 so also may the seed of opportunity be wasted because of neglect to till the soil and the life will then be barren of fruit4 ,conversely1 as diligence and care in cultivation increase the productive power of garden seed enormously1 so earnest application to the business of life--improvement of opportunities to learn life's lessons and extract from our environment the experience it holds--brings added opportunities2 and at the end of the life-day the ego finds itself at the door of death laden with the richest fruits of life4 ,the objective work of physical existence over1 the race run1 and the day of action spent1 the ego enters upon the subjective work of assimilation accomplished during its sojourn in the invisible worlds1 which it traverses during the period from death to birth1 symbolized by the other ring of the lemniscate4 ,as the method of accomplishing this assimilation has been most minutely described in various parts of our literature1 it is needless to repeat it here4 ,suffice it to say that at the time when an ego arrives at the central point in the lemniscate1 which divides the physical from the psychic worlds and which we call the gate of birth or death according to whether the ego is entering or leaving the realm where we1 ourselves1 happen to be at the time1 it has with it an aggregate of faculties or talents acquired in all its previous lives1 which it may then put to usury or bury during the coming life-day as it sees fit2 but upon the use it makes of what it has1 depends the amount of soul growth it makes4 ,if for many lives it caters mainly to the lower nature1 which lives to eat1 drink1 and be merry1 or if it dreams its life away in metaphysical speculations upon nature and ,god1 sedulously abstaining from all unnecessary action1 it is gradually passed and left behind by the more active and progressive4 ,great companies of these idlers form what we know as 8backward races02 while the active1 alert1 and wide-awake who improve a larger percentage of their opportunities1 are the pioneers4 ,contrary to the commonly accepted idea1 this applies also to those engaged in industrial work4 ,their money-getting is only an incident1 an incentive1 and entirely apart from this phase their work is as spiritual as or even more so than that of those who spend their time in prayer to the prejudice of useful work4 ,from what has been said1 it will be clear that the method of soul growth as accomplished by the process of evolution requires action in the physical life1 followed in the post-mortem state by a ruminating process1 during which the lessons of life are extracted and thoroughly incorporated into the consciousness of the ego1 though the experiences themselves are forgotten--as we forget our labor in learning the multiplication table1 though the faculty of using it remains4 ,this exceedingly slow and tedious process is perfectly suited to the needs of the masses2 but there are some who habitually exhaust the experiences commonly given1 thus requiring and meriting a larger scope for their energies4 ,difference of temperament is responsible for their division into two classes4 ,one class1 led by their devotion to ,christ1 simply follow the dictates of the heart in their work of love for their fellows--beautiful characters1 beacon lights of love in a suffering world1 never actuated by selfish motives1 always ready to forego personal comfort to aid others4 ,such were the saints2 they worked as they prayed2 they never shirked in either direction4 ,nor are they dead today4 ,the earth would be a barren wilderness in spite of all its civilization did not their beautiful feet circle it on errands of mercy1 were not the lives of sufferers made brighter by the light of hope which radiates from their beautiful faces4 ,had they but the knowledge possessed by the other class they would indeed outdistance all in the race for the ,kingdom4 ,mind is the predominating feature of the other class4 ,in order to aid it in its efforts toward attainment1 mystery schools were early established wherein the world drama was played to give the aspiring soul while he was entranced1 answers to the questions of the origin and destiny of humanity4 ,when awakened1 he was instructed in the sacred science of how to climb higher by following the method of nature--which is ,god in manifestation--by sowing the seed of action1 meditating upon the experience1 and incorporating the essential moral to make thereby commensurate soul growth2 also with this important feature1 that whereas in the ordinary course of things a whole life is devoted to sowing and a whole post-mortem existence to ruminating and incorporating the soul substance1 this cycle of a thousand years1 more or less1 may be reduced to a day1 as held by the mystic maxim1 8,a day is as a thousand years1 and a thousand years as one day40 ,to be explicit1 whatever work has been done during a single day1 if ruminated over at night before crossing the neutral point between waking and sleeping1 may thus be incorporated into the consciousness of the spirit as usable soul power4 ,when that exercise is faithfully performed1 the sins of each day thus reviewed are actually blotted out1 and the man commences each day as if it were a new life1 with the added soul power gained in all the preceding days of his probationary life4 ,but6--yes1 there is a great big ,,but2 nature is not to be cheated2 ,god is not to be mocked4 8,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap40 ,let no one think that the mere perfunctory review of the happenings of a day with perhaps the light-hearted admission of1 8,i wish ,i had not done that10 when reviewing a scene where he did something palpably wrong1 will save him from the wrath to come4 ,when we pass out of the body into purgatory at death and the panorama of our past life unfolds in reverse order to show us first the effects and then the causes which produced them1 we feel in intensified measure the pain we gave others2 and unless we perform our exercises in a similar manner so that we live each evening our hell as merited that day1 acutely sensible of every pang we have inflicted1 it will avail nothing4 ,we must also endeavor to feel in the same intense manner1 gratitude for kindness received from others1 and approbation on account of the good we ourselves have done4 ,only thus are we really living the post-mortem existence and advancing scientifically towards the goal of ,initiation4 ,the greatest danger of the aspirant upon this path is that he may become enmeshed in the snare of egotism1 and his only safeguard is to cultivate the faculties of faith1 devotion1 and an all-embracing sympathy4 ,it is difficult1 but it can be done1 and when it has been accomplished the man or woman becomes a wonderful power for good in the world4 ,now1 if the student has pondered the preceding argument well1 he has probably grasped the analogy between the long cycle of evolution and the short cycles or steps used upon the path of preparation4 ,it should be quite clear that no one can do this post-mortem work for him and transmit to him the resulting soul growth1 any more than one can eat the physical food of another and transmit to him the sustenance and growth4 ,you think it preposterous when a priesthood offers to shorten the sojourn of a soul in purgatory4 ,how1 then1 can you believe that anyone else can--no matter what the consideration--obviate the necessity of a number of purgatorial existences for your benefit and transmit to you at once the usable soul power you would have acquired had you pursued the ordinary course of life to the day you are ready for ,initiation8 ,yet this is what the offer to initiate a person not yet upon the threshold means4 ,you must have the soul power requisite for ,initiation or no one can initiate you4 ,if you have it1 you are upon the threshold by your own efforts1 beholden to no one1 and may demand ,initiation as a right which none would dare dispute or withhold4 ,if you have it not and could buy it1 it would be cheap at twenty-five million dollars1 and the man who offers it for twenty-five dollars is as ridiculous as his dupe4 ,please remember that if anyone offers to initiate you into an occult order1 no matter if he calls it 8,rosicrucian0 or by any other name1 his demand of an initiation fee at once stamps him as an impostor1 explanations to the effect that the fee is used to purchase regalia1 et cetera1 are only added evidence of the fraudulent nature of the order for it is said1 8,initiation is most emphatically not an outward ceremony1 but an inward experience40 ,i may further add that the ,elder ,brothers of the ,rose ,cross in the ,mystic ,temple where ,i received the ,light made it a condition that their sacred science must never be put in the balance against a coin4 ,freely had ,i received1 and freely was ,i required to give4 ,this injunction ,i have obeyed1 both in spirit and to the letter1 as all know who have had dealings with the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship4 ,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,sacrament ,,of ,,communion ,,part ,i ,to obtain a thorough understanding of the deep and far-reaching significance of the manner in which the ,sacrament of ,communion was instituted1 it is necessary to consider the evolution of our planet and of composite man1 also the chemistry of foods and their influence on humanity4 ,for the sake of lucidity we will briefly recapitulate the ,rosicrucian teachings on the various points involved4 ,they have been given at length in the ,rosicrucian ,cosmo-,conception and our other works4 ,the ,virgin ,spirits1 which are now mankind1 commenced their pilgrimage through matter in the dawn of time1 that by the friction of concrete existence their latent powers might be transmuted to kinetic energy as usable soul power4 ,three successive veils of increasingly dense matter were acquired by the involving spirits during the ,saturn1 ,sun1 and ,moon ,periods4 ,thus each spirit was separated from all other spirits1 and the consciousness which could not penetrate the prison wall of matter and communicate with others was forced to turn inwards1 and in so doing it discovered--,,itself4 ,thus self-consciousness was attained4 ,a further crystallization of the before mentioned veils took place in the ,earth ,period during the ,polarian1 ,hyperborean1 and ,lemurian ,epochs4 ,in the ,atlantean ,epoch1 mind was added as a focusing point between spirit and body1 completing the constitution of composite man1 who was then equipped to conquer the world and generate soul power by endeavor and experience1 each having free will and choice except as limited by the laws of nature and his own previous acts4 ,during the time man-in-the-making was thus evolving1 great creative ,hierarchies guided his every step4 ,absolutely nothing was left to chance4 ,even the food he ate was chosen for him so that he might obtain the appropriate material wherewith to build the various vehicles of consciousness necessary to accomplish the process of soul growth4 ,the ,bible mentions the various stages1 though it misplaces ,nimrod1 making him to symbolize the ,atlantean kings who lived before the ,flood4 ,in the ,polarian ,epoch pure mineral matter became a constituent part of man2 thus ,adam was made of earth1 that is1 so far as his dense body was concerned4 ,in the ,hyperborean ,epoch the vital body was added1 and thus his constitution became plantlike1 and ,cain1 the man of that time1 lived on the fruits of the soil4 ,the ,lemurian ,epoch saw the evolution of a desire body1 which made man like the present animals4 ,then milk1 the product of living animals1 was added to human diet4 ,abel was a shepherd1 but it is nowhere stated that he killed an animal4 ,at that time mankind lived innocently and peacefully in the misty atmosphere which enveloped the earth during the latter part of the ,lemurian ,epoch1 as described in the chapter on 8,baptism40 ,men were then like children under the care of a common father1 until the mind was given to all in the beginning of ,atlantis4 ,thought activity breaks down tissue which must be replaced2 the lower and more material the thought1 the greater the havoc and the more pressing the need for albumen wherewith to make quick repairs4 ,hence necessity1 the mother of invention1 inaugurated the loathsome practice of flesh eating1 and so long as we continue to think along purely business or material lines we shall have to go on using our stomachs as receptacles for the decaying corpses of our murdered animal victims4 ,yet we shall see later that flesh food has enabled us to make the wonderful material progress achieved in the ,western ,world1 while the vegetarian ,hindus and ,chinese have remained in an almost savage state4 ,it seems sad to contemplate that they will be forced to follow in our steps and shed the blood of our fellow creatures when we shall have outgrown the barbarous practice as we have ceased cannibalism4 ,the more spiritual we grow1 the more our thoughts will harmonize with the rhythm of our body1 and the less albumen will be needed to build tissue4 ,consequently1 a vegetable diet will suffice our needs4 ,pythagoras advised abstinence from legumes to advanced scholars because they are rich in albumen and apt to revive lower appetites4 ,let not every student who reads this rashly conclude to eliminate legumes from his diet4 ,most of us are not yet ready for such extremes2 we would not even advise all students to abstain entirely from meat4 ,the change should come from within4 ,it may be safely stated1 however1 that most people eat entirely too much meat for their good2 but this is in a certain sense a digression1 so we will revert to the further evolution of humanity in so far as it has a bearing upon the ,sacrament of ,communion4 ,in due time the dense mist which enveloped the earth cooled1 condensed1 and flooded the various basins4 ,the atmosphere cleared1 and concurrently with this atmospheric change a physiological adaptation in man took place4 ,the gill clefts which had enabled him to breathe in the dense water laden air 7and which are seen in the human foetus to this day7 gradually atrophied1 and their function was taken over by the lungs1 the pure air passing to and from them through the larynx4 ,this allowed the spirit1 hitherto penned up within the veil of flesh1 to express itself in word and act4 ,there in the middle of ,atlantis the sun first shone upon ,,man as we know him2 there he was first born into the world4 ,until then he had been under the absolute control of great spiritual ,hierarchies1 mute1 without voice or choice in matters pertaining to his education1 as a child is now under the control of its parents4 ,but on the day when he finally emerged from the dense atmosphere of ,atlantis2 when he first beheld the mountains silhouetted in clear1 sharp contours against the azure vault of heaven2 when he first saw the beauties of moor and meadow1 the moving creatures1 birds in the air1 and his fellow man2 when his vision was undimmed by the partial obscuration of the mist which had previously hampered perception2 above all1 when he perceived ,,himself as separate and apart from all others1 there burst from his lips the glorious1 triumphant cry1 8,i ,,am40 ,at that point he had acquired faculties which equipped him to enter the school of experience1 the phenomenal world1 as a free agent to learn the lessons of life1 untrammeled save by the laws of nature1 which are his safeguards1 and the reaction of his own previous acts1 which become destiny4 ,the diet containing an excess of albumen from the flesh wherewith he gorged himself1 taxed his liver beyond capacity and clogged the system1 making him morose1 sullen1 and brutish4 ,he was fast losing the spiritual sight which revealed to him the guardian angels whom he trusted1 and he saw only the forms of animals and men4 ,the spirits with whom he had lived in love and brotherhood during early ,atlantis were obscured by the veil of flesh4 ,it was all so strange1 and he feared them4 ,therefore it became necessary to give him a new food that could aid his spirit to overpower the highly individualized molecules of flesh 7as explained in the ,rosicrucian ,cosmo-,conception1 chapter on ,assimilation1 p4 #deg71 brace it for battle with the world1 and spur it on to self-assertion4 ,as our visible bodies composed of chemical compounds can thrive only upon chemical aliment1 so it requires spirit to act upon spirit to aid in breaking up the heavy proteid and in stimulating the drooping human spirit4 ,the emergence from flooded ,atlantis1 the liberation of humanity from the absolute rulership of visible superhuman guardians1 their placement under the law of consequence and the laws of nature1 and the gift of ,,wine are described in the stories of ,noah and ,moses1 which are different accounts of the same event4 ,both ,noah and ,moses led their followers through the water4 ,moses calls heaven and earth to witness that he has placed before them the blessing and the curse1 exhorts them to choose the good or take the consequence of their actions2 then he leaves them4 ,the phenomenon of the rainbow requires that the sun be near the horizon1 the nearer the better2 also a clear atmosphere1 and a dark rain cloud in the opposite quarter of the heavens4 ,when under such conditions an observer stands with his back to the sun1 he may see the sun's rays refracted through the rain drops as a rainbow4 ,in early ,atlantean times when there had been no rain as yet and the atmosphere was a warm1 moist fog through which the sun appeared as one of our arc lamps on a foggy day1 the phenomenon of the rainbow was an impossibility4 ,it could not have made its appearance until the mist had condensed to rain1 flooded the basins of the earth1 and left the atmosphere clear as described in the story of ,noah1 which thus points to the law of alternating cycles that brings day and night1 summer and winter1 in unvarying sequence1 and to which man is subject in the present age4 ,noah cultivated the vine and provided a spirit to stimulate man4 ,thus1 equipped with a composite constitution1 a composite diet appropriate thereto1 and divine laws to guide them1 mankind were left to their own devices in the battle of life4 ,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,sacrament ,,of ,,communion 8,in ,remembrance of ,me40 ,,part ,,ii 8,the ,lord ,jesus1 the same night in which he was betrayed took bread2 and when he had given thanks1 he brake it and said1 ,take1 eat2 this is ,,my body1 which is broken for you4 ,this do in remembrance of me4 ,after the same manner also he took the cup1 when he had supped1 saying ,this cup is the ,new ,testament in ,,my blood4 ,this do ye1 as oft as ye drink it1 in remembrance of me4 ,for as often as ye eat this bread1 and drink this cup1 ye do shew the ,lord's death till he come4 ,wherefore1 whosoever shall eat this bread1 and drink this cup of the ,lord unworthily1 shall be guilty of the body and blood of the ,lord4444 ,for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily1 eateth and drinketh damnation to himself4444 ,for this cause many are weak and sickly among you1 and many sleep40--,i ,cor4 #aa3bc-cj4 ,in the foregoing passages there is a deeply hidden esoteric meaning which is particularly obscured in the ,english translation1 but in the ,german1 ,latin1 and ,greek1 the student still has a hint as to what was really intended by that last parting injunction of the ,savior to ,his disciples4 ,before examining this phase of the subject1 let us first consider the words1 8in remembrance of me40 ,we shall then perhaps be in better condition to understand what is meant by the 8cup0 and the 8bread40 ,suppose a man from a distant country comes into our midst and travels about from place to place4 ,everywhere he will see small communities gathering around the ,table of the ,lord to celebrate this most sacred of all ,christian rites1 and should he ask why1 he would be told that they do this in remembrance of ,one who lived a life nobler than any other has lived upon this earth2 ,one who was kindness and love personified2 ,one who was the servant of all1 regardless of gain or loss to self4 ,should this stranger then compare the attitude of these religious communities on ,sunday at the celebration of this rite1 with their civic lives during the remainder of the week1 what would he see8 ,every one among us goes out into the world to fight the battle of existence4 ,under the law of necessity we forget the love which should be the ruling factor in ,christian lives4 ,every man's hand is against his brother4 ,every one strives for position1 wealth1 and power that goes with these attributes4 ,we forget on ,monday what we reverently remembered on ,sunday1 and all the world is poor in consequence4 ,we also make a distinction between the bread and wine which we drink at the so-called 8,lord's ,table10 and the food of which we partake during the intervals between attendance at ,communion4 ,but there is no warrant in the ,scriptures for any such distinction1 as anyone may see1 even in the ,english version1 by leaving out the words printed in italics which have been inserted by the translators to give what they thought was the sense of a passage4 ,on the contrary1 we are told that whether we eat or drink1 or whatever we do1 all should be done to the glory of ,god4 ,our every act should be a prayer4 ,the perfunctory 8grace0 at meals is in reality a blasphemy1 and the silent thought of gratitude to the ,giver of daily bread is far to be preferred4 ,when we remember at each meal that it has been drawn from the substance of the earth1 which is the body of the indwelling ,christ ,spirit1 we can properly understand how that body is being broken for us daily1 and we can appreciate the loving kindness which prompted ,him thus to give ,himself for us2 for let us also remember that there is not a moment1 day or night1 that ,he is not suffering because bound to this earth4 ,when we thus eat and thus realize the true situation1 we are indeed declaring to ourselves the death of the ,lord1 whose spirit is groaning and travailing1 waiting for the day of liberation when there shall be no need of such a dense environment as we now require4 ,but there is another1 a greater and more wonderful mystery hidden in these words of the ,christ4 ,richard ,wagner1 with the rare intuition of the master musician1 sensed this idea when he sat in meditation by the ,zurich ,sea on a ,good ,friday1 and there flashed into his mind the thought1 8,what connection is there between the death of the ,savior and the millions of seeds sprouting forth from the earth at this time of the year80 ,if we meditate upon that life which is annually poured out in the spring1 we see it as something gigantic and awe-inspiring2 a flood of life which transforms the globe from one of frozen death to rejuvenated life in a short space of time2 and the life which thus diffuses itself in the budding of millions and millions of plants is the life of the ,earth ,spirit4 ,from that come both the wheat and the grape4 ,they are the body and blood of the imprisoned ,earth ,spirit1 given to sustain mankind during the present phase of its evolution4 ,we repudiate the contention of people who claim that the world owes them a living1 regardless of their own efforts and without material responsibility on their part1 but we nevertheless insist that there is a spiritual responsibility connected with the bread and wine given at the ,lord's ,supper3 ,it must be eaten worthily1 otherwise1 under pain of ill health and even death4 ,this from the ordinary manner of reading would seem far-fetched1 but when we bring the light of esotericism to bear1 examine other translations of the ,bible1 and look at conditions in the world as we find them today1 we shall see that it is not so far-fetched after all4 ,to begin with1 we must go back to the time when man lived under the guardianship of the angels1 unconsciously building the body which he now uses4 ,that was in ancient ,lemuria4 ,a brain was needed for the evolution of thought1 and a larynx for verbal expression of the same4 ,therefore1 half of the creative force was turned upwards and used by man to form these organs4 ,thus mankind became single sexed and was forced to seek a complement when it was necessary to create a new body to serve as an instrument in a higher phase of evolution4 ,while the act of love was consummated under the wise guardianship of the angels1 man's existence was free from sorrow1 pain1 and death4 ,but when1 under the tutelage of the ,lucifer ,spirits1 he ate of the ,tree of ,knowledge and perpetuated the race without regard for interplanetary lines of force1 he transgressed the law1 and the bodies thus formed crystallized unduly1 and became subject to death in a much more perceptible manner than had hitherto been the case4 ,thus he was forced to create new bodies more frequently as the span of life in them shortened4 ,celestial warders of the creative force drove him from the garden of love into the wilderness of the world1 and he was made responsible for his actions under the cosmic law which governs the universe4 ,thus for ages he struggled on1 seeking to work out his own salvation1 and the earth in consequence crystallized more and more4 ,divine hierarchies1 the ,christ ,spirit included1 worked upon the earth from without as the group spirit guides the animals under its protectorate2 but as ,paul truly says1 none could be justified under the law1 for under the law all sinned1 and all must die4 ,there is in the old covenant no hope beyond the present1 save a foreshadowing of one who is to come and restore righteousness4 ,thus ,john tells us that the law was given by ,moses1 and grace came by the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,but what is grace8 ,can grace work contrary to law and abrogate it entirely8 ,certainly not4 ,the laws of ,god are steadfast and sure1 or the universe would become chaos4 ,the law of gravity keeps our houses in position relative to other houses1 so that when we leave them we may know of a surety that we shall find them in the same place upon returning4 ,likewise all other departments in the universe are subject to immutable laws4 ,as law1 apart from love1 gave birth to sin1 so the child of law1 tempered with love1 is grace4 ,take an example from our concrete social conditions3 ,we have laws which decree a certain penalty for a specified offense1 and when the law is carried out1 we call it justice4 ,but long experience is beginning to teach us that justice1 pure and simple1 is like the ,colchian dragon's teeth1 and breeds strife and struggle in increasing measure4 ,the criminal1 so-called1 remains criminal and becomes more and more hardened under the ministrations of law2 but when the milder regime of the present day allows one who has transgressed to go under suspended sentence1 then he is under grace and not under law4 ,thus1 also the ,christian1 who aims to follow in the ,master's steps1 is emancipated from the law of sin by grace1 provided he forsake the path of sin4 ,it was the sin of our progenitors in ancient ,lemuria that they scattered their seed regardless of law and without love4 ,but it is the privilege of the ,christian to redeem himself by purity of life in remembrance of the ,lord4 ,john says1 8,his seed remaineth in him10 and this is the hidden meaning of the bread and wine4 ,in the ,english version we read simply3 8,this is the cup of the ,new ,testament10 but in the ,german the word for cup is 8,kelch10 and in the ,latin1 8,calix10 both meaning the outer covering of the seed pod of the flower4 ,in the ,greek we have a still more subtle meaning1 not conveyed in other languages1 in the word 8poterion10 a meaning which will be evident when we consider the etymology of the word 8pot40 ,this at once gives us the same idea as the chalice or calix--a receptacle2 and the ,latin 8potare0 7to drink7 also shows that the 8cup0 is a receptacle capable of holding a fluid4 ,our ,english words 8potent0 and 8impotent10 meaning to possess or to lack virile strength1 further show the meaning of this ,greek word1 which foreshadows the evolution from man to superman4 ,we have already lived through a mineral1 a plant1 and an animal-like existence before becoming human as we are today1 and beyond us lie still further evolutions where we shall approach the ,divine more and more4 ,it will be readily conceded that it is our animal passions which restrain us upon the path of attainment2 the lower nature is constantly warring against the higher self4 ,at least in those who have experienced a spiritual awakening1 a war is being fought silently within1 and is all the more bitter for being suppressed4 ,goethe with masterly art voiced that sentiment in the words of ,faust1 the aspiring soul1 speaking to his more materialistic friend1 ,wagner3 8,thou by one sole impulse art possessed1 ,unconscious of the other still remain4 ,two souls1 alas1 are housed within my breast1 ,and struggle there for undivided reign4 ,one1 to the earth with passionate desire1 ,and closely clinging organs still adheres2 ,above the mists the other doth aspire ,with sacred ardor unto purer spheres40 ,it was the knowledge of this absolute necessity of chastity 7save when procreation is the object7 upon the part of those who have had a spiritual awakening which dictated the words of ,christ1 and the ,apostle ,paul stated an esoteric truth when he said that those who partook of the ,communion without living the life were in danger of sickness and death4 ,for just as under a spiritual tutelage1 purity of life may elevate the disciple wonderfully1 so also unchastity has a much stronger effect upon his more sensitized bodies than upon those who are yet under the law1 and have not became partakers of grace by the cup of the ,new ,covenant4 ,chapter ,v ,,the ,,sacrament ,,of ,,baptism ,having studied the esoteric significance of our ,christian festivals1 such as ,christmas and ,easter1 and having also studied the doctrine of the ,immaculate ,conception1 it may be well now to devote attention to the inner meaning of the sacraments of the church which are administered to the individual in all ,christian lands from the cradle to the grave1 and are with him at all important points in his life journey4 ,as soon as he has entered upon the journey of life1 the church admits him into its fold by the rite of ,baptism which is conferred upon him at a time when he himself is irresponsible2 later1 when his mentality has been somewhat developed1 he ratifies that contract and is admitted to ,communion1 where bread is broken and wine is sipped in memory of the ,founder of our faith4 ,still further upon life's journey comes the sacrament of ,marriage2 and at last when the race has been run and the spirit again withdraws to ,god who gave it1 the earth body is consigned to the dust1 whence it was derived1 accompanied by the blessings of the church4 ,in our ,protestant times the spirit of protest is rampant in the extreme1 and dissenters everywhere raise their voices in rebellion against the fancied arrogance of the priesthood and deprecate the sacraments as mere mummery4 ,on account of that attitude of mind these functions have become of little or no effect in the life of the community2 dissensions have arisen even among churchmen themselves1 and sect after sect has divorced itself from the original apostolic congregation4 ,despite all protests the various doctrines and sacraments of the church are1 nevertheless1 the very keystones in the arch of evolution1 for they inculcate morals of the loftiest nature2 and even materialistic scientists1 such as ,huxley1 have admitted that while self-protection brings about 8the survival of the fittest0 in the animal kingdom and is therefore the basis of animal evolution1 self-sacrifice is the fostering principle of human advancement4 ,when that is the case among mere mortals1 we may well believe that it must be so to a still greater extent in the ,divine ,author of our being4 ,among animals might is right1 but we recognize that the weak have a claim to the protection of the strong4 ,the butterfly lays its eggs on the underside of a green leaf and goes off without another care for their well-being4 ,in mammals the mother instinct is strongly developed1 and we see the lioness caring for her cubs and ready to defend them with her life2 but not until the human kingdom is reached does the father commence to share fully in the responsibility as a parent4 ,among savages the care of the young practically ends with attainment of physical ability to care for themselves1 but the higher we ascend in civilization the longer the young receive care from their parents1 and the more stress is laid upon mental education so that when maturity has been reached the battle of life may be fought from the mental rather than from the physical point of vantage2 for the further we proceed along the path of development the more we shall experience the power of mind over matter4 ,by the more and more prolonged self-sacrifice of parents1 the race is becoming more delicate1 but what we lose in material ruggedness we gain in spiritual perceptibility4 ,as this faculty grows stronger and more developed1 the craving of the spirit immured in this earthly body voices itself more loudly in a demand for understanding of the spiritual side of development4 ,wallace and ,darwin1 ,huxley and ,spencer1 pointed out how evolution of form is accomplished in nature2 ,ernest ,haeckel attempted to solve the riddle of the universe1 but no one of them could satisfactorily explain away the ,divine ,author of what we see4 ,the great goddess1 ,natural ,selection1 is being forsaken by one after another of her devotees as the years go by4 ,even ,haeckel1 the arch materialist1 in his last years showed an almost hysterical anxiety to make a place for ,god in his system1 and the day will come in a not far distant future when science will have become as thoroughly religious as religion itself4 ,the church1 on the other hand1 though still extremely conservative is nevertheless slowly abandoning its autocratic dogmatism and becoming more scientific in its explanations4 ,thus in time we shall see the union of science and religion as it existed in the ancient mystery temples1 and when that point has been reached1 the doctrines and sacraments of the church will be found to rest upon immutable cosmic laws of no less importance than the law of gravity which maintains the marching orbs in their paths around the sun4 ,as the points of the equinoxes and solstices are turning points in the cyclic path of a planet1 marked by festivals such as ,christmas and ,easter1 so birth into the physical world1 admission to the church1 to the state of matrimony1 and finally the exit from physical life1 are points in the cyclic path of the human spirit around its central source--,god1 which are marked by the sacraments of baptism1 communion1 marriage1 and the last blessing4 ,we will now consider the rite of baptism4 ,much has been said by dissenters1 against the practice of taking an infant into church and promising for it a religious life4 ,heated arguments concerning sprinkling versus plunging have resulted in division of churches4 ,if we wish to obtain the true idea of baptism1 we must revert to the early history of the human race as recorded in the ,memory of ,nature4 ,all that has ever happened is indelibly pictured in the ether as a moving picture is imprinted upon a sensitized film1 which picture can be reproduced upon a screen at any moment4 ,the pictures in the ,memory of ,nature may be viewed by the trained seer1 even though millions of years have elapsed since the scenes there portrayed were enacted in life4 ,when we consult that unimpeachable record it appears that there was a time when that which is now our earth came out of chaos1 dark and unformed1 as the ,bible states4 ,the currents developed in this misty mass by spiritual agencies1 generated heat1 and the mass ignited at the time when we are told that ,god said1 8,let there be light40 ,the heat of the fiery mass and the cold space surrounding it generated moisture2 the fire mist became surrounded by water which boiled1 and steam was projected into the atmosphere2 thus 8,god divided the water 444 from the waters 4440--the dense water which was nearest the fire mist from the steam 7which is water in suspension71 as stated in the ,bible4 ,when water containing sediment is boiled over and over it deposits scale1 and similarly the water surrounding our planet finally formed a crust around the fiery core4 ,the ,bible further informs us that a mist went up from the ground1 and we may well conceive how the moisture was gradually evaporated from our planet in those early days4 ,ancient myths are usually regarded as superstitions nowadays1 but in reality each of them contains a great spiritual truth in pictorial symbols4 ,these fantastic stories were given to infant humanity to teach them moral lessons which their newborn intellects were not yet fitted to receive4 ,they were taught by myths--much as we teach our children by picture books and fables--lessons beyond their intellectual comprehension4 ,one of the greatest of these folk stories is 0,the ,ring of the ,niebelung01 which tells of a wonderful treasure hidden under the waters of the ,rhine4 ,it was a lump of gold in its natural state4 ,placed upon a high rock1 it illuminated the entire submarine scenery where water nymphs sported about innocently in gladsome frolic4 ,but one of the ,niebelungs1 imbued with greed1 stole the treasure1 carried it out of the water1 and fled4 ,it was impossible for him1 however1 to shape it until he had forsworn love4 ,then he fashioned it into a ring which gave him power over all the treasures of earth1 but at the same time it inaugurated dissension and strife4 ,for its sake1 friend betrayed friend1 brother slew brother1 and everywhere it caused oppression1 sorrow1 sin1 and death1 until it was at last restored to the watery element and the earth was consumed in flames4 ,but later there arose1 like the new phoenix from the ashes of the old bird1 a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness was re-established4 ,that old folk story gives a wonderful picture of human evolution4 ,the name ,niebelungen is derived from the ,german words1 nebel 7which means mist71 and ungen 7which means children74 ,thus the word ,niebelungen means children of the mist1 and it refers back to the time when humanity lived in the foggy atmosphere surrounding our earth at the stage in its development previously mentioned4 ,there infant humanity lived in one vast brotherhood1 innocent of all evil as the babe of today1 and illuminated by the ,universal ,spirit symbolized as the ,rhinegold which shed its light upon the water nymphs of our story4 ,but in time the earth cooled more and more2 the fog condensed and flooded depressions upon the surface of the earth with water2 the atmosphere cleared2 the eyes of man were opened and he perceived himself as a separate ego4 ,then the ,universal ,spirit of love and solidarity was superseded by egotism and self-seeking4 ,that was the rape of the ,rhinegold1 and sorrow1 sin1 strife1 treachery1 and murder have given place to the childlike love which existed among humanity in that primal state when they dwelt in the watery atmosphere of long ago4 ,gradually this tendency is becoming more and more marked1 and the curse of selfishness grows more and more apparent4 8,man's inhumanity to man0 hangs like a funeral pall over the earth1 and must inevitably bring about destruction of existing conditions4 ,the whole creation is groaning and travailing1 waiting for the day of redemption1 and the ,western ,religion strikes the keynote of the way to attainment when it exhorts us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves2 for then egotism will be abrogated for universal brotherhood and love4 ,therefore1 when a person is admitted to the church1 which is a spiritual institution where love and brotherhood are the mainsprings of action1 it is appropriate to carry him under the waters of baptism in symbol of the beautiful condition of childlike innocence and love which prevailed when mankind dwelt under the mist in that bygone period4 ,at that time the eyes of infant man had not yet been opened to the material advantages of this world4 ,the little child which is brought into the church has not yet become aware of the allurements of life either1 and others obligate themselves to guide it to lead a holy life according to the best of their ability1 because experience gained since the ,flood has taught us that the broad way of the world is strewn with pain1 sorrow1 and disappointment2 that only by following the straight and narrow way can we escape death and enter into life everlasting4 ,thus we see that there is a wonderfully deep1 mystic significance behind the sacrament of baptism2 that it is to remind us of the blessings attendant upon those who are members of a brotherhood where self-seeking is put into the background and where service to others is the keynote and mainspring of action4 ,while we are in the world1 he is the greatest who can most successfully dominate others4 ,in the church we have ,christ's definition1 8,he who would be the greatest among you1 let him be the servant of all40 ,chapter ,,vi ,,the ,,sacrament ,,of ,,marriage ,when stripped of nonessentials the argument of the orthodox ,christian religion may be said to be as follows3 ,first1 that tempted by the devil1 our first parents sinned and were exiled from their previous state of celestial bliss1 placed under the law1 made subject to death1 and became incapable of escaping by their own efforts4 ,second1 that ,god so loved the world that ,he gave ,christ1 ,his only begotten ,son1 for its redemption and to establish the kingdom of heaven4 ,thus death will finally be swallowed up in immortality4 ,this simple creed has provoked the smiles of atheists1 and of the purely intellectual who have studied transcendental philosophies with their niceties of logic and argument2 and even of some among those who study the ,western ,mystery ,teaching4 ,such an attitude of mind is entirely gratuitous4 ,we might know that the divine leaders of mankind would not allow millions to continue in error for millennia4 ,when the ,western ,mystery ,teaching is stripped of its exceedingly illuminating explanations and detailed descriptions1 when its basic teachings are stated1 they are found to be in exact agreement with the orthodox ,christian teachings4 ,there was a time when mankind lived in a sinless state2 when sorrow1 pain1 and death were unknown4 ,neither is the personal tempter of ,christianity a myth1 for the ,lucifer spirits may very well be said to be fallen angels1 and their temptation of man resulted in focusing his consciousness upon the material phase of existence where he is under the law of decrepitude and death4 ,also it is truly the mission of ,christ to aid mankind by elevating them to a more ethereal state where dissolution will no longer be necessary to free them from vehicles that have grown too hard and set for further use4 ,for this is indeed a 8body of death10 where only the smallest quantity of material is really alive1 as part of its bulk is nutrient matter that has not yet been assimilated1 another large part is already on its way to elimination1 and only between these two poles may be found the material which is thoroughly quickened by the spirit4 ,we have in other chapters considered the sacraments of baptism and communion1 sacraments that have to do particularly with the spirit4 ,we will now seek to understand the deeper side of the sacrament of marriage1 which has to do particularly with the body4 ,like the other sacraments the institution of marriage had its beginning and will also have its end4 ,the commencement was described by the ,christ when ,he said1 8,have ye not read that ,he which made them at the beginning made them male and female1 and said3 ,for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and cleave to his wife2 and they twain shall be one flesh8 ,wherefore they are no more twain1 but one flesh40 ,matt4 #ai3d-f4 ,he also indicated the end of marriage when he said3 8,in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage1 but are as the angels of ,god in heaven40 ,matt4 #bb3cj4 ,in this light the logic of the teaching is apparent1 for marriage became necessary in order that birth might provide new instruments to take the place of those which had been ruptured by death2 and when death has once been swallowed up in immortality and there is no need of providing new instruments1 marriage also will be unnecessary4 ,science with admirable audacity has sought to solve the mystery of fecundation1 and has told us how invagination takes place in the walls of the ovary2 how the little ovum is formed in the seclusion of its dark cavity2 how it emerges therefrom and enters the ,fallopian tube2 is pierced by the spermatozoon of the male1 and the nucleus of a human body is complete4 ,we are thus supposed to be 8at the fount and origin of life60 ,but life has neither beginning nor end1 and what science mistakenly considers the fountain of life is really the source of death1 as all that comes from the womb is destined sooner or later to reach the tomb4 ,the marriage feast which prepares for birth1 at the same time provides food for the insatiable jaws of death1 and so long as marriage is necessary to generation and birth1 disintegration and death must inevitably result4 ,therefore it is of prime importance to know the history of marriage1 the laws and agencies involved1 the duration of this institution1 and how it may be transcended4 ,when we obtained our vital bodies in ,hyperborea1 the sun1 moon1 and earth were still united1 and the solar-lunar forces permeated each being in even measure so that all were able to perpetuate their kind by buds and spores as do certain plants of today4 ,the efforts of the vital body to soften the dense vehicle and keep it alive were not then interfered with1 and these primal1 plantlike bodies lived for ages4 ,but man was then unconscious and stationary like a plant2 he made no effort or exertion4 ,the addition of a desire body furnished incentive and desire1 and consciousness resulted from the war between the vital body1 which builds1 and the desire body1 which destroys the dense body4 ,thus dissolution became only a question of time1 particularly as the constructive energy of the vital body was also necessarily divided1 one part or pole being used in the vital functions of the body1 the other to replace a vehicle lost by death4 ,but as the two poles of a magnet or dynamo are requisite to manifestation1 so also two single-sexed beings became necessary for generation2 thus marriage and birth were necessarily inaugurated to offset the effect of death4 ,death1 then1 is the price we pay for consciousness in the present world2 marriage and repeated births are our weapons against the king of terrors until our constitution shall change and we become as angels4 ,please mark that it is not stated that we are to become angels1 but that we are to become as angels4 ,for the angels are the humanity of the ,moon ,period2 they belong to an entirely different stream of evolution1 as different as are human spirits from those of our present animals4 ,paul states in his letter to the ,hebrews that man was made for a little while inferior to the angels2 he descended lower into the scale of materiality during the ,earth ,period1 while the angels have never inhabited a globe denser than ether4 ,as we build our bodies from the chemical constituents of the earth1 so do the angels build theirs of ether4 ,this substance is the direct avenue of all life forces1 and when man has once become as the angels and has learned to build his body of ether1 naturally there will be no death and no need of marriage to bring about birth4 ,but looking at marriage from another point of view1 looking upon it as a union of souls rather than as a union of the sexes1 we contact the wonderful mystery of ,love4 ,union of the sexes might serve to perpetuate the race1 of course1 but the true marriage is a companionship of souls also1 which altogether transcends sex4 ,yet those really able to meet upon that lofty plane of spiritual intimacy gladly offer their bodies as living sacrifices upon the altar of ,love of the ,unborn1 to woo a waiting spirit into an immaculately conceived body4 ,thus humanity may be saved from the reign of death4 ,this is readily apparent as soon as we consider the gentle action of the vital body and contrast it with that of the desire body in a fit of temper1 where it is said that a man has 8lost control0 of himself4 ,under such conditions the muscles become tense1 and nervous energy is expended at a suicidal rate1 so that after such an outbreak the body may sometimes be prostrated for weeks4 ,the hardest labor brings no such fatigue as a fit of temper2 likewise a child conceived in passion under the crystallizing tendencies of the desire nature is naturally short-lived1 and it is a regrettable fact that length of life is nowadays almost a misnomer2 in view of the appalling infant mortality it ought to be called brevity of existence4 ,the building tendencies of the vital body1 which is the vehicle of love1 are not so easily watched1 but observation proves that contentment lengthens the life of any one who cultivates this quality1 and we may safely reason that a child conceived under conditions of harmony and love stands a better chance of life than one conceived under conditions of anger1 inebriety1 and passion4 ,according to ,genesis it was said to the woman1 8,in sorrow shalt thou bear children10 and it has always been a sore puzzle to ,bible commentators what logical connection there may be between the eating of fruit and the pains of parturition4 ,but when we understand the chaste references of the ,bible to the act of generation1 the connection is readily perceived4 ,while the insensitive ,negro or ,indian mother may bear her child and shortly afterward resume her labors in the field1 the western woman1 more acutely sensitive and of high-strung nervous temperament1 is year by year finding it more difficult to go through the ordeal of motherhood1 though aided by the best and most skilled scientific help4 ,the contributory reasons are various3 ,in the first place1 while we are exceedingly careful in selecting our horses and cattle for breeding1 while we insist upon pedigree for the animals in order that we may bring out the very best strain of stock upon our farms1 we exercise no such care with respect to the selection of a father or mother for our children4 ,we mate upon impulse and regret it at our leisure1 aided by laws which make it all too easy to enter or leave the sacred bonds of matrimony4 ,the words pronounced by minister or judge are taken to be a license for unlimited indulgence1 as if any man-made law could license the contravention of the law of ,god4 ,while animals mate only at a certain time of the year and the mother is undisturbed during the period of pregnancy1 this is not true of the human race4 ,in view of these facts is it to be wondered at that we find such a dread of maternity1 and is it not time that we seek to remedy the matter by a more sane relation between marriage partners8 ,astrology will reveal the temper and tendencies of each human being2 it will enable two people to blend their characters in such a manner that a love life may be lived1 and it will indicate the periods when interplanetary lines of force are most nearly conducive to painless parturition4 ,thus it will enable us to draw from the bosom of nature1 children of love1 capable of living long lives in good health4 ,finally the day will come when these bodies will have been made so perfect in their ethereal purity that they may last throughout the coming ,age1 and thus make marriage superfluous4 ,but if we can love now when we see one another 8through a glass darkly10 through the mask of personality and the veil of misunderstanding1 we may be sure that the love of soul for soul1 purged of passion in the furnace of sorrow1 will be our brightest gem in heaven as its shadow is on earth4 ,chapter ,,vii ,,the ,,unpardonable ,,sin ,,and ,,lost ,,souls ,some of our students have been exercised about the unpardonable sin1 and as this subject has a certain connection with the subject of marriage1 one being a sacrilege and the other a sacrament1 it might be well to elucidate the matter from a different point of view than has been formerly taken in our literature4 ,first let us see what is meant by a sacrament1 and why the rites of baptism1 communion1 marriage1 and extreme unction are properly so called2 then we shall be in a position to understand what sacrilege is and why it is unpardonable4 ,the ,rosicrucians teach1 only with more detail1 the same doctrine that ,paul preached in the #aeth chapter of #ast ,corinthians1 starting at the thirty-fifth verse1 that in addition to the body of flesh and blood we have a soul body1 soma psuchicon1 7mistranslated 8natural0 body71 and a spiritual body2 that each of these bodies is grown from a different seed atom and that there are three stages of unfoldment for ,adam1 or man4 ,the first ,adam was taken from the ground and was without sentient life4 ,soul was added to the second ,adam2 thus he had life within1 a leaven laboring to elevate the clod to ,god4 ,when the potential of the soul extracted from the physical body has been raised to the spiritual1 the last ,adam will become a life giving spirit1 capable of transmitting the life impulse to others directly as flame from one candle can be communicated to many without diminishing the magnitude of the original light4 ,in the meantime the germ for our earthly body had to be properly placed in fruitful soil to grow a suitable vehicle1 and generative organs were provided from the beginning to accomplish this purpose4 ,it is stated in ,genesis #a3bg1 that ,elohim created them male and female4 ,the ,hebrew words are 8sacre va n'cabah40 ,these are names of the sex organs4 ,literally translated1 sacr means 8bearer of the germ40 ,thus marriage is a sacr-ament1 for it opens the way for transmission of a physical seed atom from the father to the mother1 and tends to preserve the race against the ravages of death4 ,baptism as a ,sacrament signifies the germinal urge of the soul for the higher life4 ,holy ,communion1 in which we partake of bread 7made from the seed of chaste plants71 and of wine 7the cup symbolizing the passionless seed-pod71 points to the age to come1 an age wherein it will be unnecessary to transmit the seed through a father and mother1 but where we may feed directly upon cosmic life and thus conquer death4 ,finally1 extreme unction is the sacrament which marks the loosening of the silver cord1 and the extraction of the sacred germ1 freeing it until it shall again be planted in another n'cabah1 or mother4 ,as the seed and ovum are the root and basis of racial development1 it is easy to see that no sin can be more serious than that which abuses the creative function1 for by that sacr-ilege we stunt future generations and transgress against the ,holy ,spirit1 ,jehovah1 who is warder of the creative lunar forces4 ,his angels herald births1 as in the cases of ,isaac1 ,john the ,baptist1 and ,jesus4 ,when he wanted to reward his most faithful follower1 he promised to make his seed as numerous as the sands on the seashore4 ,he also meted out a most terrible punishment to the ,sodomites who committed sacr-ilege by misdirecting the seed4 ,he even visits the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations1 for under his regime ,law reigns supreme4 ,man has not yet evolved to the point where he can respond to love4 ,he requires from his enemies an eye for an eye1 and with the same measure that he metes1 it is meted unto him4 ,though this seems very cruel to us who are each day evolving more and more the faculties of love and mercy1 we must remember that this retributive justice relates purely to the physical body1 which is under the laws of ,nature just as much as any other chemical composition in the universe4 ,when abuses have weakened it1 it is incapable of fulfilling its mission and meeting our demands in any respect1 just as is the case with any other machinery which we have made from the materials around us4 ,there are no miracles such as would be required to generate a sound and healthy body from parents who have transgressed the laws of nature by their abuses2 therefore that sin cannot be remitted but must be expiated2 but when time and care have restored the necessary strength and vigor1 the body will again perform its functions in a normal and healthy manner4 ,thus we understand that under the law there is no mercy1 for mercy is dictated by love4 ,therefore it was perfectly in consonance with cosmic order when ,christ1 the ,lord of ,love1 said that all things would be forgiven to men which they did against ,him1 as love is the reigning feature in ,his kingdom2 but whatsoever was done contrary to the law of ,jehovah must meet its full retribution4 ,we cannot be sufficiently thankful for the wonderful religion which ,he gave us1 particularly if we compare it with those under which less evolved peoples are now struggling4 ,take the ,buddhists1 for instance3 grand and beautiful though their leader was1 he saw only sorrow1 a constant struggle against the laws of nature4 ,he aimed to teach his followers to transcend that condition by perfect obedience such as that whereby we have conquered the laws of electricity and other forces in nature4 ,the ,buddhist sees nothing but the cold and merciless law2 on the other hand1 we of the ,western ,world have before our eyes from the cradle to the grave a beautiful picture of ,one who said1 8,come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest40 ,but it may be asked1 8,what about lost souls2 are they a figment of the imagination also80 ,to this question may be answered1 8yes10 although it needs some qualification4 ,we shall best understand the case if we go back into the history of mankind and view the experiences of some who have transgressed1 for they will furnish us an example of what may happen4 ,in order to establish the point properly we shall reiterate a few of the ,rosicrucian teachings regarding the genesis of the earth and of man upon it4 ,three great stages of unfoldment have preceded the present ,earth ,period4 ,the ,father is the highest ,initiate of the ,saturn ,period1 inhabiting particularly the ,spiritual ,sun4 ,the ,son1 the cosmic ,christ1 is the highest ,initiate of the ,sun ,period1 inhabiting the ,central ,sun and guiding the planets in their orbits by a ray from ,himself1 which becomes the indwelling spirit of each planet when it has been sufficiently ripened to contain such a great ,intelligence4 ,jehovah1 the ,holy ,spirit1 is the highest ,initiate of the ,moon ,period and dwelling in the physical1 visible sun4 ,he is regent of the various moons thrown off by the different planets for the purpose of giving beings who have fallen behind in the march of evolution more rigid discipline under a firmer law1 to awaken them and spur them on in the proper direction if possible4 ,when we look into space1 we perceive that some planets have a number of moons and others have none2 but as there are laggards in any large company1 and as moons are required to aid these stragglers to retrieve their lost estate if possible1 we may be sure that these planets which have no moons now have had them in the past4 ,those ,great ,beings of whom the ,rosicrucian ,cosmo-,conception speaks as 8,lords of ,venus0 and 8,lords of ,mercury0 were1 in fact1 stragglers from those two planets4 ,in the dim distant past they inhabited moons which encircled their respective planets1 and were successful in retrieving their loss in a large measure under the discipline given them there4 ,later they received the opportunity to serve the humanity of our earth1 and by that service to secure a return to the home planet whence they had been exiled4 ,they were lost under the law1 but redeemed by love2 and thus we may infer that opportunities for service will also bring to other beings1 who may become 8lost10 the opportunity to retrieve the past4 ,since it may puzzle the student as to what becomes of the moons upon which such beings dwell for a time1 we may say that the solar system is to be regarded as the body of the ,great ,spirit whom we call ,god1 and as any growth caused by an abnormal process pains us when it occurs in our body1 so also such crystallizations as moons are sources of discomfort to that ,great ,being4 ,furthermore1 as our own systems endeavor to eliminate such abnormalities as growths1 so also the universe endeavors to expel moons which have served their purpose4 ,while the beings who have been exiled to a moon are there1 the ,planetary ,spirit of the primary planet by his care for these beings1 holds the moon in its orbit1 and we speak of his love for them as the ,law of ,attraction2 but when they have returned to the parent planet1 the ,planetary ,spirit has no further interest in their cinder-like habitation4 ,then slowly the orbit of the vacated moon widens1 it commences to disintegrate1 and it is finally expelled into interstellar space4 ,the asteroids are remnants of moons which once encircled ,venus and ,mercury4 ,there are also other seeming moons and lunar fragments in our solar system1 but the ,rosicrucian ,cosmo-,conception does not concern itself with them as they are outside the pale of evolution4 ,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,immaculate ,,conception ,the periodical ebb and flow of the material and spiritual forces which invest the earth are the invisible causes of the physical1 moral1 and mental activities upon our globe4 ,according to the hermetic axiom1 8,as above so below10 a similar activity must take place in man1 who is but a minor edition of ,mother ,nature4 ,the animals have twenty-eight pairs of spinal nerves and are now in their ,moon stage1 perfectly attuned to the twenty-eight days in which the moon passes around the zodiac4 ,in their wild state the group spirit regulates their mating4 ,therefore there is no overflow with them4 ,man1 on the other hand1 is in a transition stage2 he is too far progressed for the lunar vibrations for he has thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves4 ,but he is not yet attuned to the solar month of thirty-one days1 and he mates at all times of the year2 hence the periodical flow in woman1 which under proper conditions is utilized to form part of the body of a child more perfect than its parent4 ,similarly1 the periodical flow in mankind becomes the sinew and backbone of racial advancement2 and the periodical flow of the earth's spiritual forces1 which occurs at ,christmas1 results in the birth of ,saviors who from time to time give renewed impetus to the spiritual advancement of the human race4 ,there are two parts to our ,bible1 the ,old and the ,new ,testaments4 ,after briefly reciting how the world came into being1 the former tells the story of the 8,fall40 ,in view of what has been written in our literature we understand the ,fall to have been occasioned by man's impulsive and ignorant use of the sex forces at times when the interplanetary rays were inimical to conception of the purest and best vehicles4 ,thus man became gradually imprisoned in a dense body crystallized by sinful passion and consequently an imperfect vehicle1 subject to pain and death4 ,then commenced the pilgrimage through matter1 and for millennia we have been living in this hard and flinty shell of body1 which obscures the light of heaven from the spirit within4 ,the spirit is like a diamond in its rough coat1 and the celestial lapidaries1 the ,recording ,angels1 are constantly endeavoring to remove the coating so that the spirit may shine through the vehicle which it ensouls4 ,when the lapidary holds the diamond to the grindstone1 the diamond emits a screech like a cry of pain as the opaque covering is removed2 but gradually by many successive applications to the grindstone the rough diamond may become a gem of transcendent beauty and purity4 ,similarly1 the celestial beings in charge of our evolution hold us closely to the grindstone of experience4 ,pain and suffering result1 which awaken the spirit sleeping within4 ,the man hitherto content with material pursuits1 indulgent of sense and sex1 becomes imbued with a divine discontent which impels him to seek the higher life4 ,the gratification of that aspiration1 however1 is not usually accomplished without a severe struggle upon the part of the lower nature4 ,it was while wrestling thus that ,paul exclaimed with all the anguish of a devout1 aspiring heart3 8,oh wretched man that ,i am 99 99 99 ,the good that ,i would1 ,i do not2 but the evil which ,i would not1 that ,i do 99 99 99 ,i delight in the law of ,god after the inward man2 but ,i see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing it into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members40 7,rom4 #g3ai-bd47 ,when the flower is crushed1 its scent is liberated and fills the surroundings with grateful fragrance1 delighting all who are fortunate enough to be near4 ,crushing blows of fate may overwhelm a man or woman who has reached the stage of efflorescence2 they will but serve to bring out the sweetness of the nature and enhance the beauty of the soul till it shines with an effulgence that marks the wearer as with a halo4 ,then he is upon the path of ,initiation4 ,he is taught how unbridled use of sex regardless of the stellar rays has imprisoned him in the body1 how it fetters him1 and how by the proper use of that same force in harmony with the stars he may gradually improve and etherealize his body and finally attain liberation from concrete existence4 ,a shipwright cannot build a staunch oak ship from spruce lumber2 8men do not gather grapes of thorns20 like always begets like1 and an incoming ego of a passionate nature is drawn to parents of like nature1 where its body is conceived upon the impulse of the moment in a gust of passion4 ,the soul who has tasted the cup of sorrow incident to the abuse of the creative force and has drunk to the dregs the bitterness thereof1 will gradually seek parents of less and less passionate natures1 until at length it attains to ,initiation4 ,having been taught in the process of ,initiation the influence of the stellar rays upon parturition1 the next body provided will be generated by ,initiate parents without passion1 under the constellation most favorable to the work which the ego contemplates4 ,therefore the ,gospels 7which are formulae of ,initiation7 commence with the account of the immaculate conception and end with the crucifixion1 both wonderful ideals to which we must some time attain1 for each of us is a ,christ-in-the-making1 and will sometime pass through both the mystic birth and the mystic death adumbrated in the ,gospels4 ,by knowledge we may hasten the day1 intelligently co-operating instead of as now often stupidly frustrating through ignorance the ends of spiritual development4 ,in connection with the immaculate conception misunderstandings prevail at every point2 the perpetual virginity of the mother even after giving birth to other children2 the lowly station of ,joseph1 the supposed foster-father1 etc4 ,we will briefly view them in the light of facts as revealed in the ,memory of ,nature3 ,in some parts of ,europe people of the higher classes are addressed as 8wellborn10 or even as 8highwellborn10 meaning that they are the offspring of cultured parents in high station4 ,such people usually look down with scorn upon those in modest positions4 ,we have nothing against the expression 8wellborn20 we would that every child were well born1 born to parents of high moral standing no matter what their station in life4 ,there is a virginity of soul that is independent of the state of the body1 a purity of mind which will carry its possessor through the act of generation without the taint of passion and enable the mother to carry the unborn child under her heart in sexless love4 ,previous to the time of ,christ that would have been impossible4 ,in the earlier stages of man's career upon earth quantity was desirable and quality a minor consideration1 hence the command was given to 8go forth1 be fruitful1 and multiply40 ,besides1 it was necessary that man should temporarily forget his spiritual nature and concentrate his energies upon material conditions4 ,indulgence of the sex passion furthers that object1 and the desire nature was given full sway4 ,polygamy flourished1 and the larger the number of their children1 the more a man and a woman were honored1 while barrenness was looked upon as the greatest possible affliction4 ,in other directions the desire nature was being curbed by ,god-given laws1 and obedience to divine commands was enforced by swift punishment of the transgressor1 such as war1 pestilence or famine4 ,rewards for dutiful observance of the mandates of the law were not wanting either2 the 8righteous0 man's children1 his cattle and crops were numerous2 he was victorious over his enemies and the cup of his happiness was full4 ,later when the earth had been sufficiently peopled after the ,atlantean ,flood1 polygamy became gradually more and more obsolete1 with the result that the quality of the bodies improved1 and at the time of ,christ the desire nature had become so far amenable to control in the case of the more advanced among humanity that the act of generation could be performed without passion1 out of pure love1 so that the child could be immaculately conceived4 ,such were the parents of ,jesus4 ,joseph is said to have been a carpenter1 but he was not a worker in wood4 ,he was a 8builder0 in a higher sense4 ,god is the ,grand ,architect of the universe4 ,under ,him are many builders of varying degrees of spiritual splendor1 down even to those whom we know as ,freemasons4 ,all are engaged in building a temple without sound of hammer1 and ,joseph was no exception4 ,it is sometimes asked why ,initiates are always men4 ,they are not2 in the lower degrees there are many women1 but when an ,initiate is able to choose his sex he usually takes the positive masculine body1 as the life which brought him to ,initiation has spiritualized his vital body and made it positive under all conditions1 so that he has then an instrument of the highest efficiency4 ,there are times1 however1 when the exigencies of a case require a female body1 such as1 for instance1 providing a body of the highest type to receive an ego of superlatively high degree4 ,then a high ,initiate may take a female body and go through the experience of maternity again1 after perhaps having eschewed it for several lives1 as was the case with the beautiful character we know as ,mary of ,bethlehem4 ,in conclusion1 then1 let us remember the points brought out1 that we are all ,christs-in-the-making2 that sometime we must cultivate characters so spotless that we may be worthy to inhabit bodies that are immaculately conceived2 and the sooner we commence to purify our minds of passionate thoughts1 the sooner we shall attain4 ,in the final analysis it only depends upon the earnestness of our purpose1 the strength of our wills4 ,conditions are such now that we can live pure lives whether married or single1 and cold2 sister-and-brother relationships are not necessary either4 ,is the life of absolute purity beyond some of us yet8 ,be not discouraged2 ,rome was not built in a day4 ,keep on aspiring though you fail again and again1 for the only real failure consists in ceasing to try4 ,so may ,god strengthen your aspirations to purity4 ,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,coming ,,christ ,we have previously seen how infant humanity in ,atlantis lived in unity under direct guidance of divine leaders1 and how they were eventually brought out of the water into a clear atmosphere where the separateness of each individual from all others became obvious at once4 8,god is ,light0--the ,light which became life in man4 ,it was dim and achromatically diffused in the misty atmosphere of early ,atlantis1 as colorless as the air on a densely foggy day in the present age1 hence the unity of all beings who lived in that light4 ,but when man rose above the waters1 when he emerged into the air where the godly manifestation1 ,light1 was refracted in multitudinous hues1 this variously colored light was differently absorbed by each4 ,thus diversity was inaugurated1 when mankind went through the mighty arch of the rainbow with its variegated and beautiful colors4 ,that bow may therefore be considered an entrance gate to 8the promised land10 the world as now constituted4 ,here the light of ,god is no longer an insipid single tint as in early ,atlantis4 ,the present dazzling play of color tells us that the watchword of the present age is segregation1 and therefore so long as we remain in the present condition under the law of alternating cycles1 where summer and winter1 ebb and flow1 succeed each other in unbroken sequence1 so long as ,god's bow stands in the sky1 an emblem of diversity1 it is yet the day of the kingdoms of men1 and the kingdom of ,god is held in abeyance4 ,nevertheless1 as surely as the ,edenic conditions upon the fire girt islands of ancient ,lemuria ended in separation into sexes1 each expressing one element of the creative fire1 and making the union of man and woman as necessary to the generation of a body as is the union of hydrogen and oxygen to the production of water2 and as surely as emergence from the watery atmosphere of ,atlantis into the airy environment of ,aryana1 the world of today1 promoted further segregation into separate nations and individuals1 who war and prey upon one another 7because the sharply differentiated forms which they behold blind them to the inalienable unity of each soul with all others72 just as certainly will this world condition give place to a 8new heaven and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness40 ,in early ,atlantis we lived in the deepest basins of the earth where the mist was densest2 we breathed by means of gills and would have been unable to live in an atmosphere such as we have now4 ,in the course of time desire to explore beyond caused the invention of airships1 which were propelled by the expansive force of sprouting grain4 ,the 8ark0 story is a perverted remembrance of that fact4 ,those ships actually did founder upon mountain tops where the atmosphere was too rare to sustain them4 ,today our ships float upon the element in which the ,atlantean ships were at one time immersed4 ,we have now contrived various means of propulsion able to carry us over the highlands of the earth which we occupy at present1 and are commencing to reach out into the atmosphere to conquer that element as we have subjected the waters2 and as surely as our ,atlantean ancestors made a highway of the watery element which they breathed and then rose above it to live in a new element1 just as certainly shall we conquer the air and then rise above it into the newly discovered element which we call ether4 ,thus each age has its own peculiar conditions and laws2 the beings who evolve have a physiological constitution suited to the environment of that age1 but are dominated by the nature forces then prevailing until they learn to conform to them4 ,then these forces become most valuable servants1 as for instance1 steam and electricity1 which we have partially harnessed4 ,the law of gravity still holds us in its powerful grip1 although by mechanical means we are trying to escape into the new element4 ,we shall at a not distant time attain to mastery of the air1 but as the ships of the ,atlanteans foundered upon the mountains of the earth because their buoyancy was insufficient to enable them to rise higher in the light mist of those altitudes1 and because respiration was difficult1 so also will the increasing rarity of our present atmosphere prevent us from entering the 8new heaven and the new earth10 which are to be the scene of the ,new ,dispensation4 ,before we can reach that state1 physiological as well as moral and spiritual changes must take place4 ,the ,greek text of the ,new ,testament does not leave us in doubt as to this1 though lack of knowledge of the mystery teachings prevented the translators from bringing it out in the ,english version4 ,did we but believe the ,bible even as we have it1 we should be spared many delusions and much uneasiness concerning the time of this4 ,whole sects have disposed of their belongings in anticipation of the advent of ,christ on a certain day1 and have suffered untold privations afterwards4 ,schemers have passed themselves off as ,christ or even as ,god1 have married1 raised families1 and died1 leaving their sons1 who were supposed to be ,christs1 to fight for the kingdom4 ,a temporal government was forced to banish one of these militant 8,christs0 to an island of the ,mediterranean1 and another to an ,asiatic city where he is now under military supervision4 ,nor is there any sign that the future will lack similar claimants2 rather1 the sacrilegious imposture is spreading4 ,we may rest assured that the divine leaders of evolution made no mistake when they gave the ,christian ,religion to the ,western ,world--the most advanced teaching to the most precocious among mankind4 ,it may therefore be regarded as a detriment when an organization undertakes to graft a ,hindu religion 7which is excellent for the people to whom it was divinely given7 upon our people4 ,the imported ,hindu breathing exercises have certainly sent many people to insane asylums4 ,if we believe ,christ's words3 8,my kingdom is not of this world10 7kosmos1 the ,greek word used for 8world0 meaning 8order of things0 rather than our planet1 the earth1 which is called gee17 we shall know better than to look for ,christ today4 8,flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of ,god0 any more than the gill breathing creature of early ,atlantean times was fit to live under the natural conditions prevailing in the present age where 8the kingdom of men0 exists4 ,paul1 in discussing the resurrection1 does not say as in the ,english translation1 8,there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body40 ,i ,cor4 #ae3dd4 ,he affirms that there is a 8soma psuchicon10 a soul body1 and tells in the preceding verses how this is generated from a 8seed0 in the same way as explained in the ,rosicrucian teachings4 ,the ,bible affirms that our bodies are corruptible4 7,it also teaches that one organ1 the heart1 is an exception4 ,this has reference to the seed atom in the heart4 ,ps4 #bb3bf47 ,therefore our bodies must be changed before ,christ can come4 ,if these things were believed1 few would run after impostors1 and the latter would have their labors for their pains4 ,but ,western papers unfortunately give notoriety to such schemers1 though regarding them as a joke as well they may1 for it would be preposterous to believe that the great and wise ,being who guides evolution could be so shortsighted as not to know that the ,western ,world would never accept the scion of what it regards as a semi-barbaric race for its ,savior4 ,when preparations were made #bjjj years ago1 for the embodiment of the ,savior of the world1 ,galilee was the ,mecca for roving spirits4 ,thither flocked people from ,asia1 ,africa1 ,greece1 ,italy1 and all other parts of the world of that day4 ,conditions there were exceptionally congenial and attractive so that1 as declared by various scholars who have investigated the matter1 ,galilee was as cosmopolitan as ,rome itself4 ,it was1 in fact1 the 8melting pot0 of that day4 ,among others1 ,joseph and ,mary1 the parents of ,jesus1 had emigrated from ,judea to ,nazareth in ,galilee before the advent of their firstborn1 and the body generated in that environment was different from the ordinary ,jewish race body4 ,it is an incontrovertible fact that environment plays a great part in evolution4 ,we have today upon earth three great races4 ,one1 the ,negro1 has hair which is flat in section1 and the head is long1 narrow1 and flattened on the sides4 ,the orbit of the eye is also long and narrow4 ,the ,negroes are descendants of the ,lemurian ,race4 ,the ,mongols and kindred peoples have round heads4 ,their hair is round in section1 and the orbits of their eyes are also round4 ,they are the remnants of the ,atlantean ,race4 ,the ,aryan ,race have oval hair1 oval skulls1 and oval orbits of the eyes1 these features being especially pronounced in the ,anglo-,saxons1 who are the flower of the race at present4 ,in ,america1 the ,mecca of nations today1 these various races are of course represented4 ,here is the 8melting pot0 in which they are being amalgamated4 ,it has been ascertained that here there is a difference in children belonging to the same family4 ,the skulls of younger children born in ,america are more nearly oval than the heads of their older brothers and sisters born abroad4 ,from this fact and from others which need not be mentioned here1 it is evident that a new race is being born on the ,american continent2 and reasoning from the known fact that the ,christ came from the most cosmopolitan part of the civilized world of #bjjj years ago1 it would be but logical to expect that if a new embodiment were sought for that exalted ,being1 ,his body would more likely be taken from the new race than from an ancient one4 ,otherwise1 if there is virtue in obtaining a ,savior from the older races1 why not get a ,bushman or a ,hottentot8 ,but we may be sure that though impostors deceive for a time1 they are found out sooner or later1 and their plans come to naught4 ,meanwhile1 progression continues to bring us nearer the ,aquarian ,age1 and a ,teacher is coming to give the ,christian ,religion impetus in a new direction4 ,chapter ,x ,,the ,,coming ,,age ,when we speak of the 8,coming ,age10 of the 8,new ,heaven and the ,new ,earth0 mentioned in the ,bible1 and also of the 8,aquarian ,age10 the differences may not be quite clear in the minds of our students4 ,confusion of terms is one of the most fertile seed grounds of fallacy1 and the ,rosicrucian teachings aim to avoid it by a particularly definite nomenclature4 ,sometimes an extra effort seems necessary to disperse the haze engendered by current cloudy conceptions of others as sincere as the present writer1 but not so fortunate in having access to the incomparable ,western ,wisdom ,teachings4 ,it has been taught in our literature that four great epochs of unfoldment preceded the present order of things2 that the density of the earth1 its atmospheric conditions1 and the laws of nature prevailing in one epoch were as different from those of the other epochs as was the corresponding physiological constitution of mankind in one epoch different from those in the others4 ,the bodies of ,,adm 7the name means red earth71 the humanity of fiery ,lemuria1 were formed of the 8dust of the ground10 the red1 hot1 volcanic mud1 and were just suited to their environment4 ,flesh and blood would have shriveled up in the terrible heat of that day1 and though suited to present conditions1 ,paul tells us that they cannot inherit the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,it is therefore manifest that before a new order of things can be inaugurated1 the physiological constitution of mankind must be radically changed1 to say nothing of the spiritual attitude4 ,aeons will be required to regenerate the whole human race and fit them to live in ethereal bodies4 ,on the other hand1 neither does a new environment come into existence in a moment1 but land and people are evolved together from the smallest and most primitive beginnings4 ,when the mists of ,atlantis commenced to settle1 some of our forbears had grown embryonic lungs and were forced to the highlands ages before their compeers4 ,they wandered in 8the wilderness0 while 8the promised land0 was emerging from the lighter fogs1 and at the same time their growing lungs were fitting them to live under present atmospheric conditions4 ,two more races were born in the basins of the earth before a succession of floods drove them to the highlands3 the last flood took place at the time when the sun entered the watery sign ,cancer1 about ten thousand years ago as told ,plato by the ,egyptian priests4 ,thus we see there is no sudden change of constitution or environment for the whole human race when a new epoch is ushered in1 but an overlapping of conditions which makes it possible for most of the race by gradual adjustment to enter the new condition1 though the change may seem sudden to the individual when the preparatory change has been accomplished unconsciously4 ,the metamorphosis of a tadpole from a denizen of the watery element to one of the airy gives an analogy of the past1 and the transformation of the earthworm to a butterfly soaring in the air is an apt simile of the coming age4 ,when the heavenly time marker came into ,aries by precession1 a new cycle commenced1 and the 8glad tidings0 were preached by ,christ4 ,he said by implication that the new heaven and earth were not ready then when ,he told ,his disciples3 ,whither ,i go you cannot now follow1 but you shall follow afterwards4 ,i go to prepare a place for you and will come again and receive you4 ,later ,john saw in a vision the new ,jerusalem descending from heaven1 and ,paul taught the ,thessalonians 8by the word of the ,lord0 that those who are ,christs at ,his coming shall be caught up in the air to meet ,him and be with ,him for the age4 ,but during this change there are pioneers who enter the kingdom of ,god before their brethren4 ,christ1 in ,matt4 #aa3ab1 said that 8the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence1 and the violent take it by force40 ,this is not a correct translation4 ,it ought to be3 ,the kingdom of the heavens has been invaded 7biaxetai71 and invaders seize on her4 ,men and women have already learned through holy1 helpful lives to lay aside the body of flesh and blood1 either intermittently or permanently1 and to walk the skies with winged feet1 intent upon the business of their ,lord1 clad in the ethereal 8wedding garment0 of the new dispensation4 ,this change may be accomplished through a life of simple helpfulness and prayer as practiced by devoted ,christians1 no matter with what church they affiliate1 as well as by the specific exercises given in the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship4 ,the latter will prove barren of results1 unless accompanied by constant acts of love for love will be the keynote of the coming age as ,law is of the present order4 ,the intense expression of the former quality increases the phosphorescent luminosity and density of the ethers in our vital bodies1 the fiery streams sever the tie to the mortal coil1 and the man1 once born of water upon his emergence from ,atlantis1 is now born of the spirit into the kingdom of ,god4 ,the dynamic force of his love has opened a way to the land of love1 and indescribable is the rejoicing among those already there when new invaders arrive1 for each new arrival hastens the coming of the ,lord and the definite establishment of the ,kingdom4 ,among the religiously inclined there is a definite unceasing cry3 ,how long1 ,o ,lord2 how long8 ,and despite the emphatic statement of ,christ that the day and hour are unknown1 even to ,himself1 prophets continue to gain credence when they predict ,his coming on a certain day1 though each is discomfited when the day passes without development4 ,the question has also been mooted among our students1 and the present chapter is an attempt to show the fallacy of looking for the ,second ,advent in a year or fifty or five hundred4 ,the ,elder ,brothers decline to commit themselves further than to point out what must first be accomplished4 ,at the time of ,christ the sun was in about seven degrees of ,aries4 ,five hundred years were required to bring the precession to the thirtieth degree of ,pisces4 ,during that time the new church lived through a stage of offensive and defensive violence well justifying the words of ,christ3 8,i came not to bring peace but a sword40 ,fourteen hundred years more have elapsed under the negative influence of ,pisces1 which has fostered the power of the church and bound the people by creed and dogma4 ,in the middle of the last century the sun came within orb of influence of the scientific sign ,aquarius1 and although it will take about six hundred years before the ,aquarian ,age commences1 it is highly instructive to note what changes the mere touch has wrought in the world4 ,our limited space precludes enumeration of the wonderful advances made since then2 but it is not too much to say that science1 invention1 and resultant industry have completely changed the world1 its social life1 and economic conditions4 ,the great strides made in means of communication have done much to break down barriers of race prejudice and prepare us for conditions of ,universal ,brotherhood4 ,engines of destruction have been made so fearfully efficient that the militant nations will be forced ere long to 8beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks40 ,the sword has had its reign during the ,piscean ,age1 but science will rule in the ,aquarian ,age4 ,in the land of the setting sun we may expect to first see the ideal conditions of the ,aquarian ,age3 ,a blending of religion and science1 forming a religious science and a scientific religion1 which will promote the health1 happiness and the enjoyment of life in abundant measure4 ,sugar ,for ,alcohol ,in the chapter elucidating the ,law of ,assimilation in the ,rosicrucian ,cosmo-,conception1 we stated that minerals cannot be assimilated because they lack a vital body1 which lack makes it impossible for man to raise their vibratory rate to his own pitch4 ,plants have a vital body and no self-consciousness1 hence are most easily assimilated and remain with man longer than cells of animal flesh1 which is permeated by a desire body4 ,the vibratory rate of the latter is high1 and much energy is required in assimilation2 its cells also quickly escape and make it necessary for the flesh eater to forage often4 ,we are aware that alcohol is a 8foreign spirit0 and a 8spirit of decay10 because it is generated by fermentation ,,outside the consumer's system4 ,being 8spirit10 it vibrates with such intense rapidity that the human spirit is incapable of tuning it down and controlling it as food must be1 hence metabolism is out of the question4 ,nay1 more1 as we cannot reduce its vibratory rate to that of our bodies1 this foreign spirit may accelerate their vibratory pitch and control us as happens in the state of intoxication4 ,thus alcohol is a great danger to mankind and one from which we must be emancipated ere we can realize our divine nature4 ,a stimulant spirit is necessary while we live on a diet of flesh or progress would stop1 and a food has been provided for the pioneers of the ,west that answers all requirements2 its name is 8sugar40 ,from sugar the ego itself generates alcohol ,,inside the system by the very processes of metabolism4 ,this product is therefore both food and stimulant1 perfectly keyed to the vibratory pitch of the body4 ,it has all the good qualities of alcohol in enhanced measure and none of its drawbacks4 ,to perceive properly the effect of this food1 consider the peoples of eastern ,europe where but little sugar is consumed4 ,they are slavish2 they speak of themselves in terms of depreciation2 the pronoun 8,i0 is always spelled with small letters but 8you0 with a capital4 ,england consumes five times as much sugar per capita as ,russia4 ,in the former we meet a different spirit1 the big 8,i0 and the little 8you40 ,in ,america the candy store becomes a most dangerous rival of the saloon1 for the man who eats sweets will not drink1 and there is no surer cure for alcoholism than to induce the sufferer to eat freely of sweets4 ,the drunkard abhors sugar1 however1 while his system is under the sway of the 8foreign spirit40 ,the temperance movement was begun in the land where most sugar is consumed1 and has generated 8the spirit of self-respect40 ,chapter ,,xi ,,meat ,,and ,,drink ,,as ,,factors ,,in ,,evolution ,in previous chapters we saw how infant humanity was cared for by superhuman guardians1 provided with appropriate food1 led out of danger's way1 and sheltered in all respects until grown to human stature and fit to enter the school of experience to learn the lessons of life in the phenomenal world4 ,we saw also how the rainbow points to natural laws peculiar to the present age1 how man was given free will under these laws1 and how the spirit of wine was given to cheer and to stimulate his own timid1 fearful spirit1 to nerve it for the war of the world4 ,in an analogous manner the irresponsible little child who has been brought under the waters of baptism by its natural guardians is cared for through the years of childhood while its various vehicles are being organized4 ,when the parental blood stored in the thymus gland has been exhausted and the child thus emancipated from the parents1 it awakes to individuality1 to the feeling of 8,i ,,am40 ,it has then been prepared with a knowledge of good and evil with which to fight the battle of life2 and at that time the youth is taken to the church and given the bread and wine to nerve and nourish him spiritually1 also as a symbol that henceforth he is a free agent1 only responsible to the laws of ,god4 ,a blessing or a curse1 this freedom1 according to the way it is used4 ,in early ,atlantis mankind was a universal brotherhood of submissive children with no incentive to war or strife4 ,later they were segregated into nations1 and wars inculcated loyalty to kin and country4 ,each sovereign was an absolute autocrat with power over life and limb of his subjects1 who were numbered in hundreds of millions1 and who yielded ungrudging and slavish submission1 an attitude maintained to the present day among the millions of ,asiatics1 who are vegetarians and consequently need no alcohol4 ,as flesh eating came into vogue1 wine became a more and more common beverage4 ,in consequence of flesh eating much material progress was made immediately preceding the advent of ,christ1 and because of the practice of drinking wine an increasing number of men asserted themselves as leaders1 with the result that instead of a few large nations such as people ,asia1 many small nations were formed in the southwestern portion of ,europe and ,asia ,minor4 ,but though the great mass of people who formed these various nations were ahead of their ,asiatic brethren as craftsmen1 they continued submissive to their rulers and lived as much in their traditions as did the latter4 ,christ upbraided them because they gloried in being ,abraham's seed4 ,he told them that 8before ,abraham was1 ,i ,,am10 that is1 the ego has always existed4 ,it is ,his mission to emancipate humanity from ,law and lead it to ,,love1 to destroy 8the kingdoms of men0 with all their antagonism to one another1 and to build upon their ruins 8the kingdom of ,god40 ,an illustration will make the method clear3 ,if we have a number of brick buildings and desire to amalgamate them into one large structure1 it is necessary to break them down first and free each brick from the mortar which binds it4 ,likewise each human being must be freed from the fetters of family1 hence ,christ taught 8,unless a man leave father and mother he cannot be my disciple40 ,he must outgrow religious partisanship and patriotism and learn to say with the much misunderstood and maligned ,thomas ,paine3 8,the world is my country1 and to do good is my religion40 ,christ did not mean that we are to forsake those who have a claim upon our help and support1 but that we are not to permit the suppression of our individuality out of deference to family traditions and beliefs4 ,consequently ,he came 8not to bring peace1 but a sword20 and whereas the eastern religions discourage the use of wine1 ,christ's first miracle was to change water to wine4 ,the sword and the wine cup are signatures of the ,christian religion1 for by them nations have been broken to pieces and the individual emancipated4 ,government by the people1 for the people1 is a fact in northwestern ,europe1 the rulers being that principally in name only4 ,but the fostering of the martial spirit such as prevails in ,europe was only a means to an end4 ,the segregation which it has caused must give place to a regime of brotherhood such as professed by ,paine4 ,a new step was necessary to bring this about2 a new food must be found which would act upon the spirit in such a way as to foster individuality through assertion of self without oppression of others and without loss of self-respect4 ,we have enunciated it as a law that only spirit can act upon spirit1 and therefore that food must be a spirit but differing in other respects from intoxicants4 ,before describing this let us see what flesh has done for the evolution of the world4 ,we have noted previously that during the ,polarian ,epoch man had only a dense body2 he was like the present minerals in this respect1 and by nature he was as inert and passive4 ,by absorbing the crystalloids prepared by plants he evolved a vital body during the ,hyperborean ,epoch and became plantlike both in constitution and by nature1 for he lived without exertion and as unconsciously as the plants4 ,later he extracted milk from the then stationary animals4 ,desire for this more readily digestible food spurred him on to exertion1 and gradually his desire nature was evolved during the ,lemurian ,epoch4 ,thus he became constituted like the present day ,herbivora4 ,though possessed of a passional nature1 he was docile and could not be induced to fight save to defend himself1 his mate1 and family4 ,hunger alone had the power to make him aggressive4 ,therefore1 when animals began to move and sought to elude this ruthless parasite1 increasing difficulty of obtaining the coveted food aroused his craving to such an extent that when he had hunted and caught an animal1 he was no longer content to suck its udders dry but commenced to feed upon its blood and flesh4 ,thus he became as ferocious as our present day ,carnivora4 ,digestion of flesh food requires much more powerful chemical action and speedy elimination of the waste than that of a vegetable diet as proved by chemical analysis of the gastric juices from animals1 and by the fact that the intestines of ,herbivora are many times longer than those of a carnivorous animal of even size4 ,carnivora easily become drowsy and averse to exertion4 ,when prodded by the pangs of hunger the ferocious wolf does indeed pursue its prey with unwavering perseverance1 and the spring of the crouching king of beasts overmatches the speed of the wing-footed deer4 ,by ambush the feline family foil the fleetest in their attempts to escape4 ,the cunning of the fox is proverbial1 and the slinking nocturnal habits of the hyena and kindred scavengers illustrate the depth of depravity resulting from a diet of decayed flesh4 ,the vices generated by flesh eating may be said to be lassitude1 ferocity1 low cunning1 and depravity4 ,we may tame the herbivorous ox and elephant4 ,their diet makes them docile and stores enormous power which they obediently use in our service to perform prolonged and arduous labor4 ,the flesh food required by the constitutional peculiarities of ,carnivora makes them dangerous and incapable of thorough domestication4 ,a cat may scratch at any moment1 and the muzzling ordinances of large cities are ample proof of the danger of dogs4 ,besides1 energy contained in the diet of ,carnivora is so largely expended in digestion that they are drowsy and unfitted for sustained labor like the horse or elephant4 ,the drowsiness following a heavy meal of meat is too well known to require argument1 and the custom of taking stimulants with food is an outgrowth of the desire to counteract the deadening effect of dead flesh4 ,the intensified effect of feasting upon flesh in an advanced state of decay is well illustrated in 8society10 where banquets of game that is 8high0 are accompanied by orgies of the wildest nature and followed by indulgence of the vilest instincts4 ,the ,westerner who can live upon a clean1 sweet1 wholesome diet of vegetables1 cereals1 and fruits1 does not become drowsy from his food2 he needs no stimulant4 ,there are no vegetarian drunkards4 ,the soothing effects of vegetable food manifest as finer feelings1 which replace the ferocity fostered by flesh food4 ,many need the mixed diet yet1 for the practice of flesh eating has furthered the progress of the world as nothing else except perhaps its companion vice--drunkenness2 and though we cannot say that they have been blessings in disguise1 they have at least not been unmitigated curses1 for in the ,father's kingdom all seeming evil nevertheless works for good in some respect1 though it may not be apparent upon the surface4 ,we shall see how presently4 ,a private corporation1 the ,east ,india ,company1 commenced and practically achieved the subjugation of ,india with her three hundred million people1 for the ,english are voracious flesh eaters1 while the ,hindu's diet fosters docility4 ,but when ,england fought the flesh eating ,boers1 ,greek met ,greek1 and the valor displayed by both sides is a matter of brilliant record4 ,courage1 physical as well as moral1 is a virtue and cowardice a vice4 ,flesh has fostered self-assertion and helped us to develop a backbone1 though unfortunately often at the expense of others who still retain the wishbone4 ,it has done more as will be illustrated3 ,as said previously1 the crouching cat is forced to employ strategy to save strength when procuring its prey1 so that it may retain sufficient energy to digest the victim4 ,thus brain becomes the ally of brawn4 ,in ancient ,atlantis desire for flesh developed the ingenuity of primitive man and led him to trap the elusive denizens of field and forest4 ,the hunter's snare was among the first ,,labor-,,saving ,,devices--which mark the beginning of the evolution of mind1 and of the uncompromising1 unflagging struggle of the meat fed mind for supremacy over matter4 ,we say 8the meat fed mind10 and we reiterate it1 because we wish to emphasize that it is by the nations which have adopted flesh food that the most noteworthy progress has been made4 ,the vegetarian ,asiatics remain upon the lower rungs of civilization4 ,the further west we travel1 the more the consumption of meat increases as does the disinclination for bodily exercise1 and consequently the activity of the mind is increased to a higher and higher pitch in the invention of labor-saving devices4 ,the ,american agriculturists' acres are counted by thousands1 and they harvest large crops with less labor than the peasant of the ,east who has only a small patch of ground4 ,the reason is that the poor1 plodding1 grain fed ,easterner has only his hands and his hoe1 which he keeps in motion all day and day after day1 while the meat fed1 progressive ,westerner turns power-driven implements into his fertile fields and sits down in a comfortable seat to watch them work4 ,one uses muscle1 the other mind4 ,thus the indomitable courage and energy which have transformed the face of the ,western ,world are virtues directly traceable to flesh food1 which also fosters love of ease and invention of labor-saving devices2 while alcohol stimulates enterprise in execution of schemes thus hatched to procure the maximum of comfort with a minimum of labor4 ,but the spirit of alcohol is obtained by a process of fermentation4 ,it is a spirit of decay1 altogether different from the spirit of life in man4 ,this counterfeit spirit lures man on and on1 always holding before his vision dreams of future grandeur1 and goading him to strenuous efforts of body and mind in order to attain and obtain4 ,then when he has achieved and attained1 he awakens to the utter worthlessness of his prize4 ,possession soon shatters illusion as to the worth of whatever he may have acquired2 nothing the world has to give can finally satisfy4 ,then again the lethal draught drowns disappointment1 and the mind conjures up a new illusion4 ,this he pursues with fresh zeal and high hopes to meet disappointment again and again1 for lives and lives1 until at last he learns that 8wine is a mocker10 and that 8all is vanity but to serve ,god and to do ,his will40 ,chapter ,,xii ,a ,,living ,,sacrifice ,volumes1 or rather libraries1 have been written to explain the nature of ,god1 but it is probably a universal experience that the more we read of other people's explanations1 the less we understand4 ,there is one description1 given by the inspired apostle ,john when he wrote 8,god is ,light10 which is as illuminating as the others are befogging to the mind4 ,anyone who takes this passage for meditation occasionally will find a rich reward waiting1 for no matter how many times we take up this subject1 our own development in the passing years assures us each time a fuller and better understanding4 ,each time we sink ourselves in these three words we lave in a spiritual fountain of inexhaustible depth1 and each succeeding time we sound more thoroughly the divine depths and draw more closely to our ,father in heaven4 ,to get in touch with our subject1 let us go back in time to get our bearing and the direction of our future line of progress4 ,the first time our consciousness was directed towards the ,light was shortly after we had become endowed with mind and had entered definitely upon our evolution as human beings in ,atlantis1 the land of the mist1 deep down in the basins of the earth1 where the warm mist emitted from the cooling earth hung like a dense fog over the land4 ,then the starry heights of the universe were never seen1 nor could the silvery light of the moon penetrate the dense1 foggy atmosphere which hung over that ancient land4 ,even the fiery splendor of the sun was almost totally extinguished1 for when we look in the ,memory of ,nature pertaining to that time1 it appears very much as an arc lamp on a high pole looks to us when it is foggy4 ,it was exceedingly dim1 and had an aura of various colors1 very similar to those which we observe around an arc light4 ,but this light had a fascination4 ,the ancient ,atlanteans were taught by the divine ,hierarchs who walked among them1 to aspire to the light1 and as the spiritual sight was then already on the wane 7even the messengers1 or ,elohim1 being perceived with difficulty by the majority71 they aspired all the more ardently to the new light1 for they feared the darkness of which they had become conscious through the gift of mind4 ,then came the inevitable flood when the mist cooled and condensed4 ,the atmosphere cleared1 and the 8chosen people0 were saved4 ,those who had worked within themselves and learned to build the necessary organs required to breathe in an atmosphere such as we have today1 survived and came to the light4 ,it was not an arbitrary choice2 the work of the past consisted of body building4 ,those who had only gill clefts1 such as the foetus still uses in its prenatal development1 were as unfit physiologically to enter the new era as the foetus would be to be born were it to neglect to build lungs4 ,it would die as those ancient people died when the rare atmosphere made gill clefts useless4 ,since the day when we came out of ancient ,atlantis our bodies have been practically complete1 that is to say1 no new vehicles are to be added2 but from that time and from now on those who wish to follow the light must strive for soul growth4 ,the bodies which we have crystallized about us must be dissolved1 and the quintessence of experience extracted1 which as 8soul0 may be amalgamated with the spirit to nourish it from impotence to omnipotence4 ,therefore1 the ,tabernacle in the ,wilderness was given to the ancients1 and the light of ,god descended upon the ,altar of ,sacrifice4 ,this is of great significance3 ,the ego had just descended into its tabernacle1 the body4 ,we all know the tendency of the primitive instinct towards selfishness1 and if we have studied the higher ethics we also know how subversive of good the indulgence of the egotistic tendency is2 therefore1 ,god immediately placed before mankind the ,divine ,light upon the ,altar of ,sacrifice4 ,upon this altar they were forced by dire necessity to offer their cherished possessions for every transgression1 ,god appearing to them as a hard taskmaster whose displeasure it was dangerous to incur4 ,but still the ,light drew them4 ,they knew then that it was futile to attempt to escape from the hand of ,god4 ,they had never heard the words of ,john1 8,god is ,light10 but they had already learned from the heavens in a measure the meaning of infinitude1 as measured by the realm of light1 for we hear ,david exclaim3 8,whither shall ,i go from thy ,spirit8 or whither shall ,i flee from thy presence8 ,if ,i ascend up into heaven1 thou art there3 if ,i make my bed in hell1 thou art there4 ,if ,i take the wings of the morning1 and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea1 even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me4 ,if ,i say1 surely the darkness shall cover me1 even the night shall be light about me4 ,yea1 the darkness hideth not from thee1 but the night shineth as the day1 for the darkness and the light are both alike to thee40 ,with every year that passes1 with the aid of the greatest telescopes which the ingenuity and mechanical skill of man have been able to construct to pierce the depths of space1 it becomes more evident that the infinitude of light teaches us the infinitude of ,god4 ,when we hear that 8men loved darkness rather than ,light because their deeds were evil10 that also rings true to what we unfortunately know as present day facts1 and illumines the nature of ,god for us2 for is it not true that we always feel endangered in the dark1 but that the light gives us a sense of safety which is akin to the feeling of a child who feels the protecting hand of its father8 ,to render permanent this condition of being in the ,light was the next step in ,god's work with us1 which culminated in the birth of ,christ1 who as the bodily presence of the ,father1 bore about in ,himself that ,light1 for the ,light came into the world that whosoever should believe in ,christ should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,he said1 8,i am the ,light of the ,world40 ,the altar in the ,tabernacle had illustrated the principle of sacrifice as the medium of regeneration1 so ,christ said to ,his disciples3 ,greater love hath no man than this1 that he lay down his life for his friends4 ,ye are my friends4 ,and forthwith ,he commenced a sacrifice1 which1 contrary to the accepted orthodox opinion was not consummated in a few hours of physical suffering upon a material cross1 but is as perpetual as were the sacrifices made upon the altar of the ,tabernacle in the ,wilderness1 for it entails an annual descent into the earth and an endurance of all that the cramping earth conditions must mean to such a great spirit4 ,this must continue till a sufficient number have evolved who can bear the burden of this dense lump of darkness which we call the earth1 and which hangs as a millstone about the neck of humanity1 an impediment to further spiritual growth4 ,until we learn to follow 8in ,his steps10 we can rise no higher towards the ,light4 ,it is related that when ,leonardo da ,vinci had completed his famous painting1 8,the ,last ,supper10 he asked a friend to look at it and tell him what he thought of it4 ,the friend looked at it critically for a few minutes and then said3 8,i think you have made a mistake in painting the goblets from which the apostles drink so ornamental and to resemble gold4 ,people in their positions would not drink from such expensive vessels40 ,da ,vinci then drew his brush through the entire set of vessels which had drawn the criticism of his friend1 but he was heartbroken1 for he had painted that picture with his soul rather than with his hands1 and he had prayed over it that it might speak a message to the world4 ,he had put all the greatness of his art and the whole-hearted devotion of his soul into that effort to paint a ,christ who should speak the word that would lead men to emulate ,his deeds4 ,can you see ,him as ,he sits there at that festive board1 ,,the ,,embodiment ,,of ,,light1 and speaks those wonderful1 mystic words3 ,this is my body1 this is my blood1 given for you--a living sacrifice4 ,in the past period of our spiritual career we have been looking for a ,light exterior to ourselves1 but now we have arrived at the point where we must look for the ,christ light within and emulate ,him by making of ourselves 8living sacrifices0 as ,he is doing4 ,let us remember that when the sacrifice which lies before our door seems pleasant and to our liking1 when we seem able to pick and choose our work in ,his vineyard and do what pleases us1 we are not making a real sacrifice as ,he did1 nor are we when we are seen of men and applauded for our benevolence4 ,but when we are ready to follow ,him from that festive board where ,he was the honored one among friends1 into the garden of ,gethsemane where ,he was alone and wrestled with the great problem before ,him while ,his friends slept1 then are we making a living sacrifice4 ,when we are content to follow 8in ,his steps0 to that point of self-sacrifice where we can say from the bottom of our hearts1 8,thy will1 not mine10 then we have surely the light within1 and there will never henceforth be for us that which we feel as darkness4 ,we shall walk in the light4 ,this is our glorious privilege1 and the meditation upon the words of the apostle1 8,god is ,light10 will help us to realize this ideal provided we add to our faith1 works1 and say by our deeds as did the ,christ of da ,vinci1 8,this is my body and this is my blood10 a living sacrifice upon the altar of humanity4 ,chapter ,,xiii ,,magic1 ,,white ,,and ,,black ,from time to time as occasion requires we warn students of the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship in our private individual letters not to attend spirit seances1 hypnotic demonstrations1 or places where incense is burned by dabblers in occultism4 ,black ,magic is practiced both consciously and unconsciously to an extent that is almost unbelievable4 8,malicious animal magnetism10 which is only another name for the ,black ,force1 is responsible for more failures in business1 loss of health1 and unhappiness in homes than most people are aware of4 ,even the perpetrators of such outrages are1 as said1 often unconscious of what harm they have done4 ,therefore it seems expedient to devote a chapter to an explanation of some of the laws of magic1 which are the same for the white as for the black4 ,there is only one force1 but it may be used for good or evil2 and according to the motive behind it and the use that is made of it1 it becomes either black or white4 ,it is a scientific axiom that 8,ex nihil1 nihil fit0 7out of nothing nothing comes74 ,there must be a seed before there can be a flower1 but where the first seed came from is something which science has failed to explain4 ,the occultist knows that all things have come from arche1 the infinite essence of chaos1 used by ,god1 the ,grand ,architect1 for the building of our universe2 and1 given the nucleus of anything1 the accomplished magician can draw upon the same essence for a further supply4 ,christ1 for instance1 had some loaves and some fishes2 by means of that nucleus ,he drew upon the primordial essence of chaos for the rest needed in performing the miracle of feeding a multitude4 ,a human magician whose power is not so high can more easily draw upon the things which have already materialized out of chaos4 ,he may take flowers or fruit belonging to some one else1 miles or hundreds of miles away1 disintegrate them into their atomic constituents1 transport them through the air1 and cause them to assume their regular physical shape in the room where he is entertaining friends in order to amaze them4 ,such magic is grey at best1 even if he sends sufficient of his coin to pay for what he has taken away2 if he does not1 it is ,black ,magic to thus rob another of his goods4 ,magic to be white must always be used unselfishly1 and in addition1 for a noble purpose--to save a fellow being suffering4 ,the ,christ1 when ,he fed the multitude from chaos1 gave as ,his reason that they had been with ,him for several days1 and if they had to journey back to their homes without physical food they would faint by the wayside and suffer privation4 ,god is the ,grand ,architect of the ,universe and the ,initiates of the ,white ,schools are also arche-tektons1 builders from the primordial essence in their beneficent work for humanity4 ,these ,invisible ,helpers require a nucleus from the patient's vital body1 which is1 as students of the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship know1 given to them in the effluvia from the hand1 which impregnates the paper when the patient makes application for help and healing4 ,with this nucleus of the patient's vital body they are able to draw upon virgin matter for whatever they need to restore health by building up and strengthening the organism4 ,the ,black ,magicians are despoilers1 actuated by hatred and malice4 ,they also need a nucleus for their nefarious operations1 and this they obtain most easily from the vital body at spiritualistic or hypnotic seances1 where the sitters relax1 put themselves into a negative frame of mind1 drop their jaws1 and sink their individualities by other distinctly mediumistic practices4 ,even people who do not frequent such places are not immune1 for there are certain products of the vital body which are ignorantly scattered by all and which may be used effectively by the ,black ,magicians4 ,chief in this category are the hair and finger nails4 ,the ,negroes in their voodoo magic use the placenta for similar evil purposes4 ,one particularly evil man1 whose practices were exposed a decade ago1 obtained from boys the vital fluid which he used for his demoniac acts4 ,even so innocent a thing as a glass of water placed in close proximity to certain parts of the body of the prospective victim1 while the ,black ,magician converses with him can be made to absorb a part of the victim's vital body4 ,this will give the ,black ,magician the requisite nucleus1 or it may be obtained from a piece of the person's clothing4 ,the same invisible emanation contained in the garment1 which guides the bloodhound upon the track of a certain person1 will also guide the ,magician1 white or black1 to the abode of that person and furnish the ,magician with a key to the person's system whereby the former may help or hurt according to his inclination4 ,but there are methods of protecting oneself from inimical influences1 which we shall mention in the latter part of this chapter4 ,we have debated much whether it were wise or not to call the attention of students to these facts1 and have come to the conclusion that it does not help anyone to imitate the ostrich which sticks its head into a hole in the sand at the approach of danger4 ,it is better to be enlightened concerning things that threaten so that we may take whatever precautions are necessary to meet the emergency4 ,the battle between the good and the evil forces is being waged with an intensity that no one not engaged in the actual combat can comprehend4 ,the ,elder ,brothers of the ,rosicrucians and kindred orders which1 we may say1 in their totality represent the ,holy ,grail1 live on the love and essence of the unselfish service which they gather and garner as the bees gather honey1 from all who are striving to live the life4 ,this they add to the lustre of the ,holy ,grail1 which in turn grows more lustrous and radiates a stronger influence upon all who are spiritually inclined1 imbuing them with greater ardor1 zeal1 and zest in the good work and in fighting the good fight4 ,similarly the evil forces of the ,black ,grail thrive on hate1 treachery1 cruelty1 and every demoniac deed on the calendar of crime4 ,both the ,black and the ,white ,grail forces require a pabulum1 the one of good and the other of evil1 for the continuance of their existence and for the power to fight4 ,unless they get it1 they starve and grow weaker4 ,hence the relentless struggle that is going on between them4 ,every midnight the ,elder ,brothers at their service open their breasts to attract the darts of hate1 envy1 malice1 and every evil that has been launched during the past twenty-four hours4 ,first1 in order that they may deprive the ,black ,grail forces of their food2 and secondly1 that they may transmute the evil to good4 ,then1 as the plants gather the inert carbon dioxide exhaled by mankind and build their bodies therefrom1 so the ,brothers of the ,holy ,grail transmute the evil within the temple2 and as the plants send out the renovated oxygen so necessary to human life1 so the ,elder ,brothers return to mankind the transmuted essence of evil as qualms of conscience along with the good in order that the world may grow better day by day4 ,the ,black ,brothers1 instead of transmuting the evil1 infuse a greater dynamic energy into it and speed it on its mission in vain endeavors to conquer the powers of good4 ,they use for their purposes elementals and other discarnate entities which1 being themselves of a low order1 are available for such vile practices as required4 ,in the ages when men burned animal oil or candles made from the tallow of animals1 elementals swarmed around them as devils or demons1 seeking to obsess whoever would offer an occasion4 ,even wax tapers offer food for these entities1 but the modern methods of illumination by electricity1 coal oil1 or even paraffin candles1 are uncongenial to them4 ,they still flock around our saloons1 slaughter houses1 and similar places where there are passionate animals1 and animal-like men4 ,they also delight in places where incense is burned1 for that offers them an avenue of access1 and when the sitters at seances inhale the odor of the incense they inhale elemental spirits with it1 which affect them according to their characters4 ,this is where the protection we spoke about before may be used4 ,when we live lives of purity1 when our days are filled with service to ,god and to our fellow-men1 and with thoughts and actions of the highest nobility1 then we create for ourselves the ,golden ,wedding ,garment1 which is a radiant force for good4 ,no evil is able to penetrate this armor for the evil then acts as a boomerang and recoils on the one who sent it1 bringing to him the evil he wished us4 ,but alas1 none of us are altogether good4 ,we know only too well the war between the flesh and the spirit4 ,we cannot hide from ourselves the fact that like ,paul1 8the good that we would do1 we do not1 and the evil that we would shun1 that we do40 ,far too often our good resolutions come to naught and we do wrong because it is easier4 ,therefore we all have the nucleus of evil within ourselves1 which affords the open sesame for the evil forces to work upon4 ,for that reason it is best for us not unnecessarily to expose ourselves at places where seances are held with spirits invisible to us1 no matter how fine their teachings may sound to the unsophisticated4 ,neither should we take part even as spectators at hypnotic demonstrations1 for there also a negative attitude lays one liable to the danger of obsession4 ,we should at all times follow the advice of ,paul and put on the whole armor of ,god4 ,we should be positive in our fight for the good against the evil and never let an occasion slip to aid the ,elder ,brothers by word or deed in the ,great ,war for spiritual supremacy4 ,chapter ,,xiv ,,our ,,invisible ,,government ,it is well known to students of the ,rosicrucian ,philosophy that each species of animals is dominated by a group spirit1 which is their guardian and looks after these1 its wards1 with a view to bringing them along the path of evolution that is best suited to their development2 it does not matter what the geographical position of these animals is2 the lion in the jungles of ,africa is dominated by the same group spirit as is the lion in the cage of a menagerie in our northern countries4 ,therefore these animals are alike in all their principal characteristics2 they have the same likes and dislikes with respect to diet1 and they act in an almost identical manner under similar circumstances4 ,if one wants to study the tribe of lions or the tribe of tigers1 all that is necessary is to study one individual1 for it has neither choice nor prerogative1 but acts entirely according to the dictates of the group spirit4 ,the mineral cannot choose whether it will crystallize or not2 the rose is bound to bloom2 the lion is compelled to prey2 and in each case the activity is dictated entirely by the group spirit4 ,but man is different2 when we want to study him we find that each individual is as a species by himself4 ,what one does under any given circumstances is no indication of what another may do2 8one man's meat is another man's poison02 each has different likes and dislikes4 ,this is because man as we see him in the physical world is the expression of an individual indwelling spirit1 seemingly having choice and prerogative4 ,but as a matter of fact man is not quite as free as he seems2 all students of human nature have observed that on certain occasions a large number of people will act as though dominated by one spirit4 ,it is also easy to see without recourse to occultism that the different nations have certain physical characteristics4 ,we all know the ,german1 ,french1 ,english1 ,italian1 and ,spanish types4 ,each of these nations has characteristics which differ from those of the other nations1 thus indicating that there must be a race spirit at the root of these peculiarities4 ,the occultist who is gifted with spiritual sight knows that such is the case1 and that each nation has a different race spirit which broods as a cloud over the whole country4 ,in it the people live and move and have their being2 it is their guardian and is constantly working for their development1 building up their civilization and fostering ideals of the highest nature compatible with their capacity for progress4 ,in the ,bible we read that ,jehovah1 ,elohim1 who was the race spirit of the ,jews1 went before them in a pillar and a cloud1 and in the ,book of ,daniel we gain considerable insight into the workings of these race spirits4 ,the image seen by ,nebuchadnezzar with its head of gold and feet of clay showed plainly how a civilization built up in the beginning with golden ideals degenerated more and more until in the latter part of its existence the feet were of unstable1 crumbling clay1 and the image was doomed to topple4 ,thus all civilizations when started by the different race spirits have great and golden ideals1 but humanity by reason of having some free will and choice does not follow implicitly the dictates of the race spirits as the animals follow the commands of the group spirits4 ,hence in the course of time a nation ceases to rise1 and as there can be no standing still in the cosmos1 it begins to degenerate until finally the feet are of clay and it is necessary to strike a blow to shatter it1 that another civilization may be built up on its ruins4 ,but empires do not fall without a strong physical blow1 and therefore an instrument of the race spirit of a nation is always raised up at the time when that nation is doomed to fall4 ,in the tenth and eleventh chapters of ,daniel we are given an insight into the workings of the invisible government of the race spirits1 the powers behind the throne4 ,daniel is much disturbed in spirit2 he fasts1 for fully three weeks1 praying for light1 and at the end of that time an archangel1 a race spirit1 appears before him and addresses him3 8,fear not1 ,daniel1 for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand1 and to chasten thyself before thy ,god1 thy words were heard1 and ,i am come for thy words4 ,but the prince of the kingdom of ,persia withstood me one and twenty days1 but lo1 ,michael1 one of the chief princes1 came to help me2 and ,i remained there with the king of ,persia40 ,after he explains to ,daniel what is to happen1 he says3 8,knowest thou wherefore ,i came unto thee8 and now will ,i return to fight with the prince of ,persia3 and when ,i am gone forth1 lo1 the prince of ,grecia shall come1 and there is none that holdeth with me in these things1 but ,michael1 your prince40 ,the archangel also says3 8,in the first year of ,darius the ,mede1 even ,i stood to confirm and to strengthen him40 ,so when the handwriting is on the wall1 some one is raised up to administer the blow2 it may be a ,cyrus1 a ,darius1 an ,alexander1 a ,caesar1 a ,napoleon1 or a kaiser4 ,such a one may think himself a prime mover1 a free individual acting by his own choice and prerogative1 but as a matter of fact he is only the instrument of the invisible government of the world1 the power behind thrones1 the race spirits1 who see the necessity of breaking up civilizations that have outlived their usefulness1 so that humanity may get a new start and evolve under a new and a higher ideal than that which ensouled it before4 ,christ himself when upon earth1 said3 8,i came not to bring peace1 but a sword10 for it was evident to ,him that as long as humanity was divided into races and nations there could be no 8peace on earth and good will among men40 ,only when the nations have become united in a universal brotherhood is peace possible4 ,the barriers of nationalism must be done away with1 and to this end the ,united ,states of ,america has been made a melting pot where all that is best in the old nations is being brought together and amalgamated1 so that a new race with higher ideals and feelings of universal brotherhood may be born for the ,aquarian ,age4 ,in the meantime the barriers of nationalism have been partially broken down in ,europe by the terrible conflict just past4 ,this brings nearer the day of universal amity and the realization of the ,brotherhood of ,man4 ,there is also another object to be gained4 ,of all the terrors to which mankind is subjected1 there is none so great as death1 which separates us from those we love1 because we are unable to see them after they have stepped out of their bodies4 ,but just as surely as the day follows the night1 so will every teardrop wear away some of the scale that now blinds the eyes of man to the unseen land of the living dead4 ,we have said repeatedly and we now reaffirm that one of the greatest blessings which will come from the war will be the spiritual sight which a great number of people will evolve4 ,the intense sorrow of millions of people1 the longing to see again the dear ones who have so suddenly and ruthlessly been torn from us1 are a force of incalculable strength and power4 ,likewise those who have been snatched by death in the prime of life and who are now in the invisible world are equally intense in their desires to be reunited with those near and dear to them1 so that they may speak the word of comfort and assure them of their well-being4 ,thus it may be said that two great armies comprising millions upon millions are tunneling with frantic energy and intensity of purpose through the wall that separates the invisible from the visible4 ,day by day this wall or veil is growing thinner1 and sooner or later the living and the living dead will meet in the middle of the tunnel4 ,before we realize it1 communication will have been established1 and we shall find it a common experience that when our loved ones step out of their worn and sick bodies1 we shall feel neither sorrow nor loss because we shall be able to see them in their ethereal bodies1 moving among us as they used to do4 ,so out of the great conflict we shall come as victors over death and be able to say3 8,o death1 where is thy sting8 ,o grave1 where is thy victory80 ,chapter ,,xv ,,practical ,,precepts ,,for ,,practical ,,people 8,if ,i were to do business on the principles laid down in the ,sermon on the ,mount ,i would be down and out in less than a year10 said a critic recently4 8,why1 the ,bible is utterly impracticable under our present economic conditions2 it is impossible to live according to it40 ,if that is true there is a good reason for the unbelief of the world1 but in a court the accused is always allowed a fair trial1 and let us examine the ,bible thoroughly before we judge4 ,what are the specific charges8 8,why1 they are countless10 answered the critic1 8but to mention only a few1 let us take such passages as1 #8,blessed are the poor in spirit1 for theirs is the ,kingdom of ,heaven2' #8,blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth2' #8,take no thought for the morrow1 what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink4' ,such ideas point the way to the poor-house40 8,very well10 says the apologist1 8let us take the last charge first4 ,king ,james' version says3 ',no man can serve two masters4 ,ye cannot serve ,god and mammon1 therefore ,i say unto you1 take no thought for your life1 what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink1 nor yet for your body what ye shall put on4 ,is not the life more than food and the body than raiment8 ,behold the fowls of the air3 they sow not1 neither do they reap nor gather into barns2 yet your heavenly ,father feedeth them4 ,are ye not much better than they8 ,which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature8 ,and why take ye thought for raiment8 ,consider the lilies of the field1 how they grow3 they toil not1 neither do they spin4 ,and yet ,i say unto you that ,solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these4 ,wherefore1 if ,god so clothe the grass of the field1 which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven1 shall ,he not much more clothe you1 ,o ye of little faith8 ,therefore take no thought1 saying1 ,what shall we eat8 or1 ,what shall we drink8 or1 ,wherewithal shall we be clothed8 for after all these things do the ,gentiles seek2 your heavenly ,father knoweth that ye have need of all these things4 ,but seek ye first the ,kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you4'0 ,if this is intended to mean that we should wastefully squander all we have in prodigal or riotous living1 then it is of course not only impractical but demoralizing4 ,such an interpretation is1 however1 out of keeping with the tenor and teaching of the whole ,book1 and it does not say so4 ,the ,greek word merimnon means being overly careful or anxious1 and if we read the passage with this alteration we shall find that it teaches a different lesson which is entirely practical4 ,mammon is the ,syriac word for riches1 desired by foolish people4 ,in the preceding paragraph ,christ exhorted them not to become servants or slaves to riches1 which they must leave behind when the silver cord is broken and the spirit returns to ,god1 but seek rather to live lives of love and service and lay up treasures of good deeds1 which they might take with them into the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,in the meantime1 ,he exhorted1 be not overly anxious regarding what you shall eat and drink and clothe yourself with4 ,why worry8 ,you cannot add a hairbreadth to your height or a hair to your head by worrying4 ,worry is the most wasteful and depleting of all our emotions1 and it does no good whatever4 ,your heavenly ,father knows you need material things1 therefore seek first ,his kingdom and righteousness and all else needed will be added4 ,on at least two occasions when multitudes came to ,christ in places far from their homes and distant from towns where refreshment was obtainable1 ,he demonstrated this2 ,he gave them first the spiritual food they sought and then ministered to their bodily needs direct from a spiritual source of supply4 ,does it work out in these modern days8 ,surely there have been so many demonstrations of this that it is not at all necessary to recount any special one4 ,when we work and pray1 pray and work1 and make our lives a living prayer for opportunities to serve others1 then all earthly things will come of their own accord as we need them1 and they will keep coming in larger measure according to the degree to which they are used in the service of ,god4 ,if we regard ourselves only as stewards and custodians of whatever earthly goods we possess1 then we are really 8poor in spirit0 so far as the evanescent earthly treasures are concerned1 but rich in the more lasting treasures of the ,kingdom of ,heaven2 and if we are not out and out materialists1 surely this is a practical attitude4 ,it is not so long ago that 8caveat emptor10 8,let the buyer beware10 was the slogan of the merchants who sought after earthly treasures and regarded the buyer as their legitimate prey4 ,when they had sold their wares and received the money1 it did not matter to them whether the buyer was satisfied or not4 ,they even prided themselves on selling an inferior article which would soon wear out1 as evident in the shortsighted motto1 8,the weakness of the goods is the strength of the trade40 ,but gradually even people who would scorn the idea of introducing religion into their business are discarding this caveat emptor as a motto1 and are unconsciously adapting the precept of ,christ1 8,he that would be the greatest among you1 let him be the servant of all40 ,everywhere the best business men are insistent in their claim to patronage on the ground of the service they give to the buyer1 because it is a policy that pays1 and may therefore be classed as another of the practical precepts of the ,bible4 ,but it sometimes happens that in spite of their desire to serve their customers1 something goes wrong and an angry1 dissatisfied buyer comes blustering in1 decrying their goods4 ,under the old shortsighted regime of caveat emptor the merchant would have merely laughed or thrown the buyer out of the door4 ,not so the modern merchant1 who takes his ,bible into business4 ,he remembers the wisdom of ,solomon that 8a soft answer turneth away wrath10 and the assertion of ,christ that 8the meek shall inherit the earth10 so he apologizes for the fault in the goods1 offers restitution1 and sends the erstwhile dissatisfied customer away smiling and eager to sing the praises of the concern that treats him so nicely4 ,thus by obeying the practical precept of the ,bible1 keeping his temper in meekness1 the business man gains additional customers who come to him in full faith of fair treatment1 and the added profit in sales made to them soon overbalances the loss on goods which may have caused the dissatisfaction of other customers4 ,it pays dividends in dollars and cents to keep one's temper and be meek2 it pays greater dividends from the moral and spiritual standpoints4 ,what better business motto can be found than in ,ecclesiastes3 8,wisdom is better than weapons of war4 ,be not rash in thy mouth1 be not hasty in thy speech to be angry1 for anger resteth in the bosom of fools40 ,tact and diplomacy are always better than force2 as the ,good ,book says3 8,if the iron be blunt we must use more strength1 but wisdom is profitable to direct40 ,the line of least resistance1 so long as it is clean and honorable1 is always the best4 ,therefore1 8,love your enemies1 do good to them that despitefully use you40 ,it is good practical business policy to try to reconcile those who do us harm lest they do more2 and it is better for us to get over our ill feeling than to nurse it1 for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap1 and if we sow spite and meanness1 we breed and beget in others the same feelings4 ,furthermore1 all these things will apply in private life and in social intercourse just as in ordinary business4 ,how many quarrels could be avoided if we cultivated the virtue of meekness in our homes2 how much pleasure would be gained2 how much happiness would come into our lives if in our social and business relations we learned to do unto others as we would that they should do unto us6 ,there is no need for the great mental strain that so many of us are working under concerning what we shall eat and what we shall drink4 ,our ,father in ,heaven does own the earth and the fullness thereof2 the cattle on a thousand hills are ,his4 ,if we learn truly to cast our cares upon ,him1 there is no doubt that the way out of our difficulties will be provided4 ,it is a fact1 acknowledged by all authorities who have investigated the subject1 that comparatively few people die from lack of necessities of life1 but a great many die because of overindulgence of the appetites4 ,it is the practical experience of the writer and numerous others that if we do our work day by day as it appears before us1 faithfully and to the best of our ability1 the wherewithal for the morrow will always be provided4 ,if we go according to the instruction of the ,bible1 doing all 8as unto the ,lord10 it does not matter what line of honest work we follow2 we are then at the same time seeking the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,but if we are only time servers1 working for fear or favor1 we cannot expect to succeed in the long run2 health1 wealth1 and happiness may attend us for a little while1 but outside the solid foundation of the ,bible there can be no lasting joy in life and no real prosperity in business4 ,chapter ,,xvi ,,sound1 ,,silence1 ,,and ,,soul ,,growth ,sincere students of the ,science of the ,soul are naturally anxious to grow in grace that they may serve so much better in the ,great ,work of ,human ,upliftment4 ,being humble and modest they are only too painfully aware of their shortcomings1 and frequently while casting about for means to facilitate progress they ask themselves1 8,what hinders80 ,some1 particularly in bygone ages when life was lived less intensely than now1 realized that the everyday life among ordinary humanity had many drawbacks4 ,to overcome these and further their soul growth they withdrew from the community to a monastery or to the mountains where they could give themselves over to the spiritual life undisturbed4 ,we know1 however1 that that is not the way4 ,it is too well established in the minds of most of our students that if we run away from an experience today1 it will confront us again tomorrow1 and that the victor's palm is earned by overcoming the world1 not by running away from it4 ,the environment in which we have been placed by the ,recording ,angels was our own choice when we were at the turning point of our life cycle in the ,third ,heaven1 we then being pure spirit unblinded by the matter which now veils our vision4 ,hence it is undoubtedly the one that holds lessons needed by us1 and we should make a serious mistake if we tried to escape from it altogether4 ,but we have received a mind for a definite purpose--to reason about things and conditions so that we may learn to discriminate between essentials and nonessentials1 between that which is designed to hinder for the purpose of teaching us a virtue by overcoming it1 and that which is an out and out hindrance1 which jars our sensibilities and wrecks our nerves without any compensating spiritual gain4 ,it will be of the greatest benefit if we can learn to differentiate for the conservation of our strength1 accepting only that which we must endure for the sake of our spiritual well-being4 ,we shall then save much energy and have much more zest in profitable directions than now4 ,the details of that problem are different in every life2 however1 there are certain general principles which it will benefit us all to understand and apply in our lives1 and among them is the effect of silence and sound on soul growth4 ,at first blush it may surprise us when the statement is made that sound and silence are very important factors in soul growth1 but when we examine the matter we shall soon see that it is not a far-fetched notion4 ,consider first the graphic expression1 8,war is hell10 and then call up in imagination a war scene4 ,the sight is appalling1 even more so to those who see it with the undimmed spiritual vision than to those who are limited to physical sight1 for the latter can at least shut their eyes to it if they want to1 but the whole horror lies heavily upon the heart of the ,invisible ,helper who not only hears and sees but feels in his own being the anguish and pain of all the surrounding suffering as ,parsifal felt in his heart the wound of ,amfortas1 the stricken ,grail king2 in fact1 without that intensely intimate feeling of oneness with the suffering there could be no healing nor help given4 ,but there is one thing which no one can escape1 the terrible noise of the shells1 the deafening roar of the cannon1 the vicious spitting of the machine guns1 the groans of the wounded1 and the oaths of a certain class among the participants4 ,we shall need no further argument to agree that it is really a 8hellish noise0 and as subversive of soul growth as possible4 ,the battle field is the last place anyone with a sane mind would choose for the purpose of soul growth1 though it is not to be forgotten that much of this has been made by noble deeds of self-sacrifice there2 but such results have been achieved in spite of the condition and not because of it4 ,on the other hand1 consider a church filled with the noble strains of a ,gregorian chant or a ,handel oratorio upon which the prayers of the aspiring soul wing their way to the ,author of our ,being4 ,that music may surely be termed 8heavenly0 and the church designated as offering an ideal condition for soul growth1 but if we stayed there permanently to the neglect of our duties we should be failures in spite of the ideal condition4 ,there remains1 therefore1 only one safe method for us1 namely1 to stay in the din of the battle field of the world1 endeavoring to wrest from even the most unpromising conditions the material of soul growth by unselfish service1 and at the same time to build within our own inner selves a sanctuary filled with that silent music which sounds ever in the serving soul as a source of upliftment above all the vicissitudes of earthly existence4 ,having that 8living church0 within1 being in fact under that condition 8living temples10 we may turn at any moment when our attention is not legitimately required by temporal affairs to that spiritual house not made with hands and lave in its harmony4 ,we may do that many times a day and thus restore continually the harmony that has been disturbed by the discords of terrestrial intercourse4 ,how then shall we build that temple and fill it with the heavenly music we so much desire8 ,what will help and what will hinder8 are the questions which call for a practical solution1 and we shall try to make the answer as plain and practical as possible1 for this is a very vital matter4 ,the little things are particularly important1 for the neophyte needs to take even the slightest things into account4 ,if we light a match in a strong wind it is extinguished ere it has gained a fair start1 but if the little flame is laid on a brush-heap and given a chance to grow in comparative calm1 a rising wind will fan the flame instead of extinguishing it4 ,adepts or ,great ,souls may remain serene under conditions which would upset the ordinary aspirant1 hence he should use discrimination and not expose himself unnecessarily to conditions subversive of soul growth2 what he needs more than anything is poise1 and nothing is more inimical to that condition than noise4 ,it is undeniable that our communities are 8,bedlams10 and that we have a legitimate right to escape some noises if possible1 such as the screeching made by street cars rounding a curve4 ,we do not need to live on such a corner to the detriment of our nerves or endeavors at concentration1 but if we have a sick1 crying child that requires our attention day and night1 it does not matter how it affects our nerves1 we have no right in the sight of ,god or man to run away or neglect it in order to concentrate4 ,these things are perfectly obvious and produce instant assent1 but the things that help or hinder most are1 as said1 the things that are so small that they escape our attention entirely4 ,when we now start to enumerate them1 they may provoke a smile of incredulity1 but if they are pondered upon and practiced they will soon win assent1 for judged by the formula that 8by their fruits ye shall know them10 they will show results and vindicate our assertion that 8,silence is one of the greatest helps in soul growth10 and should therefore be cultivated by the aspirant in his home1 his personal demeanor1 his walk1 his habits1 and paradoxical as it seems1 even in his speech4 ,it is a proof of the benefit of religion that it makes people happy1 but the greatest happiness is usually too deep for outward expression4 ,it fills our whole being so full that it is almost awesome1 and a boisterous manner never goes together with that true happiness for it is the sign of superficiality4 ,the loud voice1 the coarse laugh1 the noisy manner1 the hard heels that sound like sledge hammers1 the slamming of doors1 and the rattling of dishes are the signatures of the unregenerate1 for they love noise1 the more the merrier1 as it stirs their desire bodies4 ,for their purpose church music is anathema2 a blaring brass band is preferable to any other form of entertainment1 and the wilder the dance1 the better4 ,but it is otherwise1 or should be1 with the aspirant to the higher life4 ,when the infant ,jesus was sought by ,herod with murderous intent1 his only safety lay in flight1 and by that expedient were preserved his life and power to grow and fulfill his mission4 ,similarly1 when the ,christ is born within the aspirant he can best preserve this spiritual life by fleeing from the environment of the unregenerate where these hindering things are practiced1 and seek a place among others of kindred ambitions provided he is free to do so2 but if placed in a position of responsibility to a family1 it is his duty to strive to alter conditions by precept and example1 particularly by example1 so that in time that refined1 subdued atmosphere which breathes harmony and strength may reign over the whole house4 ,it is not essential to the happiness of children that they be allowed to shout at the top of their voices or to race pell-mell through the house1 slamming doors and wrecking furniture in their mad race2 it is indeed decidedly detrimental1 for it teaches them to disregard the feelings of others in self-gratification4 ,they will benefit more than mother by being shod with rubber heels and taught to reserve their romps for outdoors and to play quietly in the house1 closing doors easily1 and speaking in a moderated tone of voice such as mother uses4 ,in childhood we begin to wreck the nerves that bother us in later years1 so if we teach our children the lesson above indicated1 we may save them much trouble in life as well as further our own soul growth now4 ,it may take years to reform a household of these seemingly unimportant faults and secure an atmosphere conducive to soul growth1 especially if the children have grown to adult age and resent reforms of that nature1 but it is well worth while4 ,we can and must at least cultivate the virtue of silence in ourselves1 or our own soul growth will be very small4 ,perhaps if we look at the matter from its occult point of view in connection with that important vehicle1 the vital body1 the point of this necessity will be more clear4 ,we know that the vital body is ever storing up power in the physical body which is to be used in this 8,school of ,experience10 and that during the day the desire body is constantly dissipating this energy in actions which constitute experience that is eventually transmuted to soul growth4 ,so far so good1 but the desire body has the tendency to run amuck if not held in with a tight rein4 ,it revels in unrestrained motion1 the wilder the better1 and if unbridled makes the body whistle1 sing1 jump1 dance1 and do all the other unnecessary and undignified things which are so detrimental to soul growth4 ,while under such a spell of inharmony and discord the person is dead to the spiritual opportunities in the physical world1 and at night when he leaves his body the process of restoration of that vehicle consumes so much time that very little1 if any1 time is left for work1 even if the person has the inclination to think seriously of doing such work4 ,therefore we ought by all means to flee from noises which we are not obliged to hear1 and cultivate personally the quiet yet kindly demeanor1 the modulated voice1 the silent walk1 the unobtrusive presence1 and all the other virtues which make for harmony1 for then the restorative process is quickly accomplished and we are free the major part of the night to work in the invisible worlds to gain more soul growth4 ,let us in this attempt at improvement remember to be undaunted by occasional failures1 remembering ,paul's admonition to continue in well-doing with patient persistence4 ,chapter ,,xvii ,,the 8,,mysterium ,,magnum0 ,,of ,,the ,,rose ,,cross ,occasionally we get letters from students voicing their regret that they are alone in the study of the ,rosicrucian ,philosophy1 that their husbands1 wives1 children1 or other relatives are unsympathetic or even antagonistic to the teachings1 despite all efforts of the said students to interest favorably these friends and thus obtain companionship in their studies1 or at least freedom to follow their bent4 ,this friction causes them a certain amount of unhappiness according to their various temperaments1 and we are asked by these students to advise them how to overcome the antagonism and convert their relatives4 ,this we have done by personal letters and have been privileged to help change conditions in not a few homes when our advice has been followed2 but we know that frequently those who suffer most acutely are silent1 and we have therefore decided to devote a little time to a discussion of the subject4 ,it is truly said1 very truly1 that 8a little knowledge is a dangerous thing10 and this applies with the same force to the ,rosicrucian teachings as to any other subject4 ,therefore1 the very first step is to find out if you have enough knowledge to be on the safe side4 ,so let me ask the question3 ,what is the ,rosicrucian teaching which you are so anxious to have others share and to which they object8 ,is it the twin laws of 8,causation0 and 8,rebirth80 ,they are excellent for explaining a great many problems of life1 and they are a great comfort when the grim reaper appears and robs our home of some one near and dear4 ,but then you must remember that there are many who do not feel the need of any explanation whatever4 ,they are constitutionally as unfit to apply it as a deaf mute is to use a telephone4 ,it is true that we work to better advantage when conscious of the law and its purpose1 but let us take comfort from the fact that these laws work for good to all whether they know it or not1 and therefore this knowledge is not essential4 ,they will suffer no great loss because they do not embrace this doctrine1 and they may escape the danger incident to the possession of 8a little knowledge40 ,in ,india where these truths are known and believed by millions1 people make little effort at material progress because they know that they have endless time1 and what they do not accomplish in this life may wait till the next or a later life4 ,many ,westerners who have embraced the doctrine of rebirth have ceased to be useful members of their community by adopting a life of indolence1 thereby bringing reproach on these so-called higher teachings4 ,if your friends will have none of this teaching1 leave them alone4 ,making converts is by no means the essential point of the ,rosicrucian teaching4 ,the ,guardian of the ,gate will not examine them as to knowledge1 and he may admit some who are entirely ignorant of this matter and shut the door in the face of others who have devoted their lives to studying1 lecturing on1 and teaching these laws4 ,then if the doctrines of 8,causation0 and 8,rebirth0 are unessential1 what about the complex constitution of ,man8 ,surely it is essential to know that we are not merely this visible body1 but have a vital body to charge it with energy1 a desire body to spend this force1 a mind to guide our exertions in channels of reason1 and that we are virgin spirits enmeshed in a threefold veil as egos4 ,is it not essential to know that the physical body is the material counterpart of the ,divine ,spirit1 that the vital body is a replica of the ,life ,spirit1 and that the desire body is the shadow of the ,human ,spirit1 the mind forming the link between the threefold spirit and the threefold body8 ,no1 it is not essential to know these things4 ,properly used1 this knowledge is an advantage1 but it may also be a very decided disadvantage in the case of those who have only 8a little knowledge0 in that direction4 ,there are many such who are always meditating on 8the higher self0 while entirely forgetful of the many 8lower selves0 groaning in misery at their very doors4 ,there are many who dream day and night of the time when they will take their daily soul flights as 8invisible helpers0 and ease the sufferings of the sick and sorrowful1 yet would not spend a five cent car fare and an hour's time to bring a poor1 friendless soul in a city hospital a flower and a word of cheer4 ,again ,i say that the ,guardian of the ,gate is more likely to admit him who did what he could than him who dreamed much and did nothing to help his suffering fellow man4 ,if you could get people to study the ,rosicrucian teachings about death and the life after1 you would feel it important that they should also know about the silver cord remaining unbroken for a period approximating three and one-half days after the spirit has left the body1 and that it must be left undisturbed while the panorama of its past life is being etched into the desire body to serve as arbiter of its life in the invisible world4 ,you would like them to know all about the spirit's life in purgatory--how the evil acts of its life react upon it as pain to create conscience and keep it from repeating in a later life the acts that caused the suffering4 ,you would have them know how the good acts of life are transmuted into virtues usable in later lives as set forth in our philosophy4 ,you have no doubt been surprised at the assertion that a knowledge of the great twin laws is unessential4 ,probably the next assertion that it is immaterial whether others learn about the constitution of man as we know it may have scandalized you2 and you will undoubtedly feel shocked to have it stated that the ,rosicrucian teachings concerning death and the passing of the spirit into the unseen worlds are also comparatively unnecessary to the purpose we aim to accomplish4 ,it really does not matter whether your relatives understand or believe in these teachings4 ,so far as your own passing is concerned1 an earnest request that they leave your body quiet and undisturbed for the proper period will probably be carried out to the letter1 for people have an almost superstitious regard for such 8last requests02 and if any of your friends pass over1 you are there with your knowledge and can do the right thing for them4 ,so never mind if they refuse to take up that part of the ,rosicrucian teaching4 ,but the student may say1 8,if a knowledge of the before mentioned subjects which seems of such practical value is immaterial to advancement1 then it follows that study of the ,periods1 ,revolutions1 ,world ,globes1 etc41 is entirely so4 ,that disposes of everything taught in the 0,cosmo18 and there is nothing left of the ,rosicrucian teaching which we have embraced and to which we have pinned our faith60 ,is nothing left8 ,yes1 indeed1 ,,all ,,is ,,left1 for those things mentioned are only the husks which you must remove to get at the meat in the nut1 the kernel of it all4 ,you have read the 8,cosmo0 many times perhaps4 ,maybe you have studied it and feel proud of your knowledge of the world mystery1 but have you ever read the mystery hidden in every line8 ,that is the great and essential teaching1 the one teaching to which your friends will respond1 if you can find it and give it to them4 ,the 8,cosmo0 preaches on every page ,,the ,,gospel ,,of ,,service4 ,for our sakes ,deity manifested the universe4 ,the great creative ,hierarchies have all been and some of them still are our servants4 ,the luminous star angels1 whose fiery bodies we see whirling through space1 have worked with us for ages1 and in due time ,christ came to bring us the spiritual impetus needed at that time4 ,it is also significant in the extreme that in the parable of the last judgment ,christ does not say1 8,well done1 thou great and erudite philosopher1 who knoweth the ,bible1 the ,kabala1 the #8,cosmo1' and all the other mysterious literature which reveals the intricate workings of nature02 but ,he says1 8,well done1 thou good and faithful servant3 99 99 99 enter thou into the joy of thy lord4 99 99 99 99 ,for ,i was an hungered1 and ye gave me meat3 ,i was thirsty1 and ye gave me drink2 99 99 9940 ,not one single word about knowledge2 the whole emphasis was laid upon faithfulness and service4 ,there is a deep occult reason for this3 service builds the soul body1 the glorious wedding garment without which no man can enter into the kingdom of the heavens1 occultly termed 8,the ,new ,galilee10 and it does not matter whether we are aware of what is going on1 so long as we accomplish the work4 ,moreover1 as the luminous soul body grows in and around a person1 this light will teach him or her about the ,mysteries without the need of books1 and one who is thus ,god-taught knows more than all the books in the world contain4 ,in due time the inner vision will be opened and the way to the ,temple shown4 ,if you want to teach your friends1 no matter how skeptical they may be1 they will believe you if you preach the gospel of service4 ,but you must preach by practice4 ,you must become a servant of men yourself if you would have them believe in you4 ,if you want them to follow1 you must lead1 or they will have the right to question your sincerity4 ,remember1 8ye are a city upon a hill10 and when you make professions they have a right to judge you by your fruits2 therefore say little1 serve much4 ,there are many who love to discuss the harmless1 peaceful life at dinner1 oblivious of the fact that the red roast on the table and the cigar in the mouth dull the effect4 ,there are others who make a god of the stomach and would rather study dietetics than the ,bible2 they are always ready to buttonhole their friends and discourse upon the latest food fad4 ,i knew one man who was at the head of an esoteric group4 ,his wife was antagonistic to occultism and the meatless diet4 ,he forced her to cook his vegetables at home1 and told her that if she ever dared to bring meat into his kitchen or contaminate his dishes with it1 he would pitch her and the dishes into the street1 adding that if she must make a pig of herself she could go and get flesh food in a restaurant4 ,is it to be wondered at that she judged the religion by the man and would have none of it8 ,surely he was to blame1 being 8his brother's keeper10 and though this is an extreme case1 it makes the lesson more obvious4 ,it is to the everlasting praise of ,mahomet that his wife became his first disciple1 and it speaks volumes for his kindness and consideration in the home4 ,his is an example we should all do well to follow if we would win our friends to the higher life1 for though all religious systems differ outwardly the kernel of all is ,,love4 ,chapter ,,xviii ,,stumbling ,,blocks ,not infrequently the remark is made by people who have no sympathy with or aspirations to live the higher life1 that it unfits people for the world's work4 ,unfortunately it cannot be denied that there is seeming justification for the assertion1 though in reality the very first requisite for living the higher life involves an obligation to comport oneself irreproachably in dealing with material matters1 for unless we are faithful in the little things1 how can we expect to be trusted with greater responsibilities8 ,it has therefore been deemed expedient to devote a lesson to the discussion of some of the things which act as stumbling blocks in the life of aspirants4 ,in the ,bible story where the king sent out his servants with invitations to the feast he had prepared1 we are told that his invitations were refused on various grounds4 ,each one had material cares1 buying1 selling1 marrying1 therefore they could not attend to the spiritual things1 and such people we may say represent the greater number of humanity today1 who are too engrossed in the cares of the world to devote even a thought to aspiration in the higher direction4 ,but there are others who become so enthusiastic upon the first taste of the higher teachings that they are ready to give up all work in the world1 repudiate every obligation1 and devote their time to what they are pleased to call 8helping humanity40 ,they will readily admit that it takes time to learn how to be a watchmaker1 a shoemaker1 an engineer1 or a musician1 and they would not for a moment dream of giving up their present material business to establish themselves as shoemaker1 watchmaker1 or music teacher just because they felt enthusiastic about or inclined to take up such work4 ,they would know that lacking the proper preparation and training they would be doomed to failure1 and yet they think that just because they have become enthusiastic over the higher teachings they are at once fitted to step out of the world's work and devote their time to service similar1 even though in a lesser degree1 to that rendered by the ,christ in ,his ministry4 ,one writes to ,headquarters3 8,i have given up flesh eating1 and ,i long to live the ascetic life1 far from the world's noise that jars upon me4 ,i want to give my life for humanity40 ,another says3 8,i want to live the spiritual life1 but ,i have a wife who needs my care and support4 ,do you think ,i would be justified in leaving her to help my fellow men80 ,still another says3 8,i am in a business which is unspiritual2 every day ,i must do things which are against my higher nature1 but ,i have a daughter dependent upon me for an education4 ,what shall ,i do3 continue or give up80 ,there are of course many other problems presented to us1 but these serve as fair samples1 for they represent a class which is ready to give up the world at the slightest word of encouragement1 and rush off to the hills in the expectation of sprouting wings immediately4 ,if the people who are in that class have any ties1 they break them without a scruple or a moment's consideration4 ,another class still feels some obligation1 but could be easily persuaded to repudiate it in order that they might live what they call 8the spiritual life40 ,it cannot be denied that when people get into this state of mind1 when they lose their ambition to work in the world1 when they become shiftless and neglectful of their duties1 they merit the reproach of the community4 ,but as already said such conduct is based upon a misunderstanding of the higher teachings and is not at all sanctioned by the ,bible or the ,elder ,brothers4 ,it is a step in the right direction when a person ceases to feed on flesh because he feels compassion for the suffering of the animals4 ,there are many people who abstain from flesh foods for health's sake1 but theirs being a selfish motive1 the sacrifice carries with it no merit4 ,where the aspirant to the higher life is prompted to abstain from flesh food because he realizes that the refining influence of a meatless diet upon the body will aid him in his quest by making the body more sensitive to spiritual influences1 there is no real merit either4 ,truly1 the person who abstains from flesh foods for the sake of health will be much benefited1 and the person who abstains to make his body more sensitive will also get his reward in that respect1 but from the spiritual point of view neither will be very much better4 ,on the other hand1 whoever abstains from flesh food because he realizes that ,god's life is immanent in every animal just as in himself1 that in the final analysis ,god feels all suffering felt by the animal1 that it is a divine law1 8,thou shalt not kill10 and that he must abstain out of compassion1 this person is not only benefited in health and by making his body more sensitive to spiritual impacts1 but because of the motive which prompts him he reaps a reward in soul growth immeasurably more precious than any other consideration4 ,therefore we would say by all means abstain from flesh food1 but be sure to do so prompted by the right spiritual motive or it will not affect your spiritual interests one iota4 ,when the enthusiast says that he wants to get away from the world and the noise that jars upon him to live the ascetic life1 it is truly a strange idea of service4 ,the reason why we are here in this world is that we may gather experience1 which is then transmuted into soul growth4 ,if a diamond in the rough were laid away in a drawer for years and years1 it would be no different than before1 but when it is placed against the grindstone by the lapidary the harsh grinding process removes the last atom of the rough coating and brings out the beautiful1 luminous gem4 ,every one of us is a diamond in the rough1 and ,god1 the ,great ,lapidary1 uses the world as a grindstone which rubs off the rough and ugly coating1 allowing our spiritual selves to shine forth and become luminous4 ,the ,christ was a living example of this4 ,he did not go away from the centers of civilization1 but moved constantly among the suffering and the poor1 teaching1 healing1 and helping until by the glorious service rendered1 ,his body was made luminous on the ,mount of ,transfiguration1 and ,he who had trodden the ,way exhorted ,his followers to be 8in the world but not of it40 ,that is the great lesson that every aspirant has to learn4 ,it is one thing to go out in the mountains where there is no one to contradict or to jar upon our sensibilities and keep our poise there2 it is another thing entirely to maintain our spiritual aspirations and keep our balance in the world where everything jars upon us2 but when we stay on this path1 we gain a self-control which is unattainable in any other manner4 ,however1 though we are careful to prepare our food well and to abstain from flesh eating or any other contaminating outward influence1 though we want to get away to the mountains to escape the sordid things of city life1 and we want to rid ourselves of every outward thing that may prove a stumbling block to our progress1 still what about the things that come from within1 the thoughts we have in our minds and our mental food8 ,it will avail us not one iota of good if we could feed our bodies upon nectar and ambrosia1 the ethereal food of the gods1 when the mind is a charnel house1 a habitat of low thoughts1 for then we are only as whited sepulchres1 beautiful to behold from without but inwardly full of a nauseating stench2 and this mental delinquency can be maintained just as easily and perhaps it is even more apt to be maintained in the solitude of the mountains or in a so-called spiritual retreat than in a city where we are busy with the work of our vocation4 ,it is indeed a true saying that 8an idle brain is the devil's workshop10 and the safest way to attain to interior purity and cleanliness is to keep the mind busy all the time1 guiding our desires1 feelings1 and emotions toward the practical problems of life1 and working1 each one in his own immediate environment1 to find the poor and the needy that he may give them whatever help their cases require and merit4 ,that class which has no ties of its own may profitably make ties of love and friendship with those who are loveless and friendless4 ,or if it is the care of a relative--wife1 daughter1 husband1 or anyone else that claims us1 let us remember the words of ,christ when ,he said1 8,who are my mother and my brother80 and answered the question by saying1 8,those who do the will of my ,father40 ,this saying has been misconstrued by some to mean that the ,christ repudiated ,his physical relationships for the spiritual1 but it is only necessary to remember that in the last moments of ,his life on earth ,he called to ,him the disciple whom ,he loved and brought him to ,his mother1 giving him to her as a son and charging the disciple to care for ,his parent4 ,love is the unifying force in life1 and according to the higher teachings we are required to love our kin1 but also to extend our love natures so that they may also include everyone else4 ,it is good that we love our own mother and father1 but we should also learn to love other people's mothers and fathers1 sisters and brothers1 for universal brotherhood can never become a fact so long as our love is confined only to the family4 ,it must be made all inclusive4 ,there was one among the disciples of ,christ whom ,he loved especially1 and following ,his example we also may bestow a particular affection upon certain ones1 though we ought to love everyone and do good even to them that despitefully use us4 ,these are high ideals and difficult of accomplishment at our present stage of development1 but as the mariner steers his ship by a guiding star and reaches his desired haven though never the star itself1 so also by setting our ideals high we shall live nobler and better lives than if we do not aspire1 and in time and through many births we shall eventually attain1 because the inherent divinity in ourselves makes it imperative4 ,finally then1 to sum up1 it does not really matter where we are placed in life1 whether in a high station or a low4 ,present environment with its opportunities and limitations is such as suits our individual requirements as determined by our self-made destinies in previous existences4 ,therefore it holds for us the lesson we must learn in order to progress properly4 ,if we have a wife1 a daughter1 or other family relations to hold us to that environment1 they must be considered as part of what we have to reckon with1 and by doing our duty to them we learn the required lesson4 ,if they are antagonistic to our belief1 if they have no sympathy with our aspirations1 if we have on their account to stay in a business and do things which we are not pleased with1 it is because we must learn something from these things1 and the proper way for the earnest aspirant is to look conditions squarely in the face with a view to finding out just what it is that is needed4 ,this may not be an easy matter4 ,it may take weeks1 months1 or years to solve the problem1 but so long as the aspirant applies himself prayerfully to the task1 he may be sure that the light will shine some day1 and then he will see what is required and why these conditions were imposed upon him4 ,then having learned the lesson or found out its purpose1 he will if he has the right spirit prayerfully bear the burden1 for he will know that he is upon the right road and that it is an absolute certainty that as soon as the lesson of that environment has been learned a new way will be opened up showing him the next step upon the path of progress4 ,thus the 8stumbling blocks0 will have been turned into 8stepping stones10 which would never have happened if he had run away from them4 ,in this connection we would quote the beautiful little poem3 8,let us not waste our time in longing ,for bright but impossible things4 ,let us not sit supinely waiting ,for the sprouting of angel wings4 ,let us not scorn to be rush-lights1 ,everyone can't be a star1 ,but let us fulfill our mission ,by shining just where we are4 ,there is need of the tiniest candle ,as well as the garish sun2 ,and the humblest deed is ennobled ,when it is worthily done4 ,we may never be called on to brighten ,those darkened regions afar1 ,so let us fulfill our mission ,by shining just where we are40 ,chapter ,,xix ,,the ,,lock ,,of ,,upliftment ,have you ever seen how ships going up a canal or river are lifted from one level to another8 ,it is a very interesting and instructive process4 ,first the ship is floated into a small enclosure where the water level is the same as that of the lower part of the river where the ship has previously been sailing4 ,then the gates of the enclosure are shut and the ship is cut off from the outside world by the high walls of the lock4 ,it cannot go back to the river without2 even the light is dimmed around it1 but above the moving clouds or the bright sunshine are seen beckoning4 ,the ship cannot rise without assistance1 and the law of gravitation makes it impossible for the water in that part of the river where the ship has been sailing to float it to a higher level1 hence no help may be looked for from that source4 ,there are also gates in the upper part of the lock which prevent the waters on the higher levels from rushing into the lock from above1 otherwise the inrushing water would flood the lock in a moment and crush the ship lying at the bottom level because acting in conformity with that same law of gravitation4 ,it is from above1 nevertheless1 that the power must come if the ship is ever to be lifted to the higher level of the river1 and so to do this safely a small stream is conducted to the bottom of the lock1 which lifts the ship very slowly and gradually but safely to the level of the river above4 ,when that level has been reached1 the upper gates may be opened without danger to the ship1 and it may sail forth upon the expansive bosom of the higher waterway4 ,then the lock is slowly emptied and the water it contained added to the water at the lower level1 which is thereby raised even if but slightly4 ,the lock is then ready to raise another vessel4 ,this is1 as said in the beginning1 a very interesting and instructive physical operation1 showing how human skill and ingenuity overcome great obstacles by the use of nature's forces4 ,but it is a source of still greater enlightenment in a spiritual matter of vital importance to all who aspire and endeavor to live the higher life1 for it illustrates the only safe method whereby man can rise from the temporal to the spiritual world1 and it confutes those false teachers who for personal gain play upon the too ardent desires of the unripe1 and who profess ability to unlock the gates of the unseen worlds for the consideration of an initiation fee4 ,our illustration shows that this is impossible1 because the immutable laws of nature forbid4 ,for the purpose of elucidation we may call our river the river of life1 and we as individuals are the ships sailing upon it2 the lower river is the temporal world1 and when we have sailed its length and breadth for many lives1 we inevitably come to the lock of upliftment which is placed at the end4 ,we may for a long time cruise about the entrance and look in1 impelled by an inner urge to enter but drawn by another impulse towards the broad river of life without4 ,for a long time this lock of upliftment with its high1 bare walls looks forbidding and solitary1 while the river of life is gay with bunting and full of kindred craft gaily cruising about2 but when the inner urge has become sufficiently intense1 it finally drives us into the lock of upliftment1 and it imbues us with a determination not to go back to the river of worldly life4 ,but even at that stage there are some who falter and fear to shut the gate behind them2 they aspire ardently at times to the life on the higher level1 but it makes them feel less alone to look back upon the river of worldly life1 and sometimes they stay in this condition for lives1 wondering why they do not progress1 why they experience no spiritual downpouring1 why there is no uplift in their lives4 ,our illustration makes the reason very plain2 no matter how hard the captain might beg1 the lock keeper would never think of releasing the stream of water from above until the gate had been closed behind the ship1 for it could never lift the ship an inch under such conditions but would flow through the open gates to waste in the lower river4 ,neither will the guardians of the gates of the higher worlds open the stream of upliftment for us1 no matter how hard we pray1 until we have shut the door to the world behind us1 and shut it very tight with respect to the lust of the eyes and the pride of life1 the sins that so easily beset us and are fostered by us in the careless worldly days4 ,we must shut the door on them all before we are really in a condition to receive the stream of upliftment1 but once we have thus shut the door and irrevocably set our faces forward1 the downpouring begins1 slowly but surely as the stream of the lock keeper which lifts the vessel4 ,but having left the temporal world with all its deeds behind and having set his face towards the spiritual worlds1 the yearning of the aspirant becomes more intense4 ,as time passes he feels in increasing measure the void on both sides of himself4 ,the temporal world and its deeds have dropped from him as a garment2 he may be bodily in that world1 performing his duties1 but he has lost interest2 he is in the world but not of it1 and the spiritual world where he aspires to citizenship seems equally distant4 ,he is all alone and his whole being cries and writhes in pain1 longing for light4 ,then comes the turn of the tempter3 8,i have a school of initiation1 and am able to advance my pupils quickly for a fee10 or words to that effect1 but usually more subtle2 and who shall blame the poor aspirants who fall before the wiles of these pretenders8 ,lucky are they if1 as is generally the case1 they are merely put through a ceremonial and given an empty degree1 but occasionally they meet one who has really dabbled in magic and is able to open the flood gates from the higher level4 ,then the inrush of spiritual power shatters the system of the unfortunate dupe as the waters of the river above would wreck a vessel at the bottom of the lock if an ignorant or malicious person were to open the gates4 ,the vessel must be lifted slowly for safety's sake1 and so must the aspirant to spiritual upliftment2 patience and unwavering persistence in well-doing are absolutely indispensable1 and the door to the pleasures of the world must be kept closed4 ,if that is done we shall surely and certainly accomplish the ascent to the heights of the unseen world with all the opportunities for further soul growth there found1 for it is a natural process governed by natural laws1 just as is the elevation of a ship to the higher levels of a river by a system of locks4 ,but how can ,i stay in the lock of upliftment and serve my fellow man8 ,if soul growth comes only by service1 how can ,i gain by isolation8 ,these are questions that may not unnaturally present themselves to students4 ,to answer them we must again emphasize that no one can lift another who is not himself upon a higher level1 not so far above as to be unreachable1 but sufficiently close to be within grasp of the reaching hand4 ,there are1 alas1 too many who profess the higher teachings but live lives on the level with ordinary men and women of the world or even below that level4 ,their professions make the higher teachings a byword and call down the scorn of scoffers4 ,but those who live the higher teachings have no need to profess them orally2 they are isolated and marked in spite of themselves1 and though handicapped by the misdeeds of the 8professors10 they do in time win the respect and confidence of those about them2 eventually they call out in their associates the desire of emulation1 they convert them in spite of themselves1 reaping in return for this service a commensurate soul growth4 ,now is the time of the year 7,christmas7 when the crest wave of spiritual power envelops the world4 ,it culminates at the winter solstice1 when the ,christ is reborn into our planet1 and though hampered by the present 7from the limited viewpoint7 deplorable war conditions1 ,his life given for us may be most easily drawn upon by the aspirant at this season to further spiritual growth2 therefore all who are desirous of attaining the higher levels would do well to put forth special efforts in that direction during the winter season4 ,chapter ,,xx ,,the ,,cosmic ,,meaning ,,of ,,easter ,,part ,i ,on the morning of ,good ,friday1 #aheg1 ,richard ,wagner1 the master artist of the nineteenth century1 sat on the verandah of a ,swiss villa by the ,zurich ,sea4 ,the landscape about him was bathed in most glorious sunshine2 peace and good will seemed to vibrate through nature4 ,all creation was throbbing with life2 the air was laden with the fragrant perfume of budding pine forests--a grateful balm to a troubled heart or a restless mind4 ,then suddenly1 as a bolt from an azure sky1 there came into ,wagner's deeply mystic soul a remembrance of the ominous significance of that day--the darkest and most sorrowful in the ,christian year4 ,it almost overwhelmed him with sadness1 as he contemplated the contrast4 ,there was such a marked incongruity between the smiling scene before him1 the plainly observable activity of nature1 struggling to renewed life after winter's long sleep1 and the death struggle of a tortured ,savior upon a cross2 between the full-throated chant of life and love issuing from the thousands of little feathered choristers in forest1 moor1 and meadow1 and the ominous shouts of hate issuing from an infuriated mob as they jeered and mocked the noblest ideal the world has ever known2 between the wonderful creative energy exerted by nature in spring1 and the destructive element in man1 which slew the noblest character that ever graced our earth4 ,while ,wagner meditated thus upon the incongruities of existence1 the question presented itself3 ,is there any connection between the death of the ,savior upon the cross at ,easter1 and the vital energy which expresses itself so prodigally in spring when nature begins the life of a new year8 ,though ,wagner did not consciously perceive and realize the full significance of the connection between the death of the ,savior and the rejuvenation of nature1 he had1 nevertheless1 unwittingly stumbled upon the key to one of the most sublime mysteries encountered by the human spirit in its pilgrimage from clod to ,god4 ,in the darkest night of the year1 when earth sleeps most soundly in ,boreas' cold embrace1 when material activities are at the very lowest ebb1 a wave of spiritual energy carries upon its crest the divine creative 8,word from ,heaven0 to a mystic birth at ,christmas2 and as a luminous cloud the spiritual impulse broods over the world that 8knew it not10 for it 8shines in the darkness0 of winter when nature is paralyzed and speechless4 ,this divine creative 8,word0 has a message and a mission4 ,it was born to 8save the world10 and 8to give its life for the world40 ,it must of necessity sacrifice its life in order to accomplish the rejuvenation of nature4 ,gradually it buries itself in the earth and commences to infuse its own vital energy into the millions of seeds which lie dormant in the ground4 ,it whispers 8the word of life0 into the ears of beast and bird1 until the gospel or good news has been preached to every creature4 ,the sacrifice is fully consummated by the time the sun crosses its ,easter7n7 node at the spring equinox4 ,then the divine creative ,word expires4 ,it dies upon the cross at ,easter in a mystical sense1 while uttering a last triumphant cry1 8,it has been accomplished0 7consummatum est74 ,but as an echo returns to us many times repeated1 so also the celestial song of life is re-echoed from the earth4 ,the whole creation takes up the anthem4 ,a legion-tongued chorus repeats it over and over4 ,the little seeds in the bosom of ,mother ,earth commence to germinate2 they burst and sprout in all directions1 and soon a wonderful mosaic of life1 a velvety green carpet embroidered with multicolored flowers1 replaces the shroud of immaculate wintry white4 ,from the furred and feathered tribes 8the word of life0 re-echoes as a song of love1 impelling them to mate4 ,generation and multiplication are the watchwords everywhere--the ,spirit has risen to more abundant life4 ,thus1 mystically1 we may note the annual birth1 death1 and resurrection of the ,savior as the ebb and flow of a spiritual impulse which culminates at the winter solstice1 ,christmas1 and has egress from the earth shortly after ,easter when the 8word0 8ascends to ,heaven0 on ,whitsunday4 ,but it will not remain there forever4 ,we are taught that 8thence it shall return10 8at the judgment40 ,thus when the sun descends below the equator through the sign of the scales in ,october1 when the fruits of the year are harvested1 weighed1 and assorted according to their kind1 the descent of the spirit of the new year has its inception4 ,this descent culminates in birth at ,christmas4 ,man is a miniature of nature4 ,what happens on a large scale in the life of a planet like our earth1 takes place on a smaller scale in the course of human events4 ,a planet is the body of a wonderfully great and exalted ,being1 one of the ,seven ,spirits before the ,throne 7of the parent sun74 ,man is also a spirit and 8made in their likeness40 ,as a planet revolves in its cyclic path around the sun whence it emanated1 so also the human spirit moves in an orbit around its central source--,god4 ,planetary orbits1 being ellipses1 have points of closest approach to and extreme deviation from their solar centers4 ,likewise the orbit of the human spirit is elliptical4 ,we are closest to ,god when our cyclic journey carries us into the celestial sphere of activity--heaven1 and we are farthest removed from ,him during earth life4 ,these changes are necessary to our soul growth4 ,as the festivals of the year mark the recurring events of importance in the life of a ,great ,spirit1 so our births and deaths are events of periodical recurrence4 ,it is as impossible for the human spirit to remain perpetually in heaven or upon earth as it is for a planet to stand still in its orbit4 ,the same immutable law of periodicity which determines the unbroken sequence of the seasons1 the alternation of day and night1 the tidal ebb and flow1 governs also the progression of the human spirit1 both in heaven and upon earth4 ,from realms of celestial light where we live in freedom1 untrammeled by limitations of time and space1 where we vibrate in tune with infinite harmony of the spheres1 we descend to birth in the physical world where our spiritual sight is obscured by the mortal coil which binds us to this limited phase of our existence4 ,we live here awhile2 we die and ascend to heaven1 to be reborn and to die again4 ,each earth life is a chapter in a serial life story1 extremely humble in its beginnings1 but increasing in interest and importance as we ascend to higher and higher stations of human responsibility4 ,no limit is conceivable1 for in essence we are divine and must therefore have the infinite possibilities of ,god dormant within4 ,when we have learned all that this world has to teach us1 a wider orbit1 a larger sphere of superhuman usefulness1 will give scope to our greater capabilities4 8,build thee more stately mansions1 ,o my ,soul4 ,as the swift seasons roll1 ,leave thy low vaulted past2 ,let each new temple1 nobler than the last1 ,shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast1 ,till thou at length art free1 ,leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea40 ,thus says ,oliver ,wendell ,holmes1 comparing the spiral progression in the widening coil of a chambered nautilus to the expansion of consciousness which is the result of soul growth in an evolving human being4 8,but what of ,christ80 someone will ask4 8,don't you believe in ,him8 ,you are discoursing upon ,easter1 the feast which commemorates the cruel death and glorious1 triumphant resurrection of the ,savior1 but you seem to be alluding to ,him more from an allegorical point of view than as an actual fact40 ,certainly we believe in the ,christ2 we love ,him with our whole heart and soul1 but we wish to emphasize the teaching that ,christ is the first fruits of the race4 ,he said that we shall do the things ,he did1 8and greater40 ,thus we are ,christs-in-the-making4 8,though ,christ a thousand times in ,bethlehem be born1 ,and not within thyself1 thy soul will be forlorn4 ,the cross on ,golgotha thou lookest to in vain1 ,unless within thyself it be set up again40 ,thus proclaims ,angelus ,silesius1 with true mystic understanding of the essentials of attainment4 ,we are too much in the habit of looking to an outside ,savior while harboring a devil within2 but till ,christ be formed ,,in ,,us1 as ,paul says1 we shall seek in vain1 for as it is impossible for us to perceive light and color1 though they be all about us1 unless our optic nerve registers their vibrations1 and as we remain unconscious of sound when the tympanum of our ear is insensitive1 so also must we remain blind to the presence of ,christ and deaf to ,his voice until we arouse our dormant spiritual natures within4 ,but once these natures have become awakened1 they will reveal the ,lord of ,love as a prime reality2 this on the principle that when a tuning fork is struck1 another of identical pitch will also commence to sing1 while tuning forks of different pitches will remain mute4 ,therefore the ,christ said that ,his sheep knew the sound of ,his voice and responded1 but the voice of the stranger they heard not4 7,john #aj3e74 ,no matter what our creed1 we are all brethren of ,christ1 so let us rejoice1 the ,lord has risen6 ,let us seek ,him and forget our creeds and other lesser differences4 ,chapter ,,xxi ,,the ,,cosmic ,,meaning ,,of ,,easter ,,part ,,ii ,once more we have reached the final act in the cosmic drama involving the descent of the solar ,christ ,ray into the matter of our earth1 which is completed at the ,mystic ,birth celebrated at ,christmas1 and the ,mystic ,death and ,liberation1 which are celebrated shortly after the vernal equinox when the sun of the new year commences its ascent into the higher spheres of the northern heavens1 having poured out its life to save humanity and give new life to everything upon earth4 ,at this time of the year a new life1 an augmented energy1 sweeps with an irresistible force through the veins and arteries of all living beings1 inspiring them1 instilling new hope1 new ambition1 and new life1 impelling them to new activities whereby they learn new lessons in the school of experience4 ,consciously or unconsciously to the beneficiaries1 this outwelling energy invigorates everything that has life4 ,even the plant responds by an increased circulation of sap1 which results in additional growth of the leaves1 flowers1 and fruits whereby this class of life is at present expressing itself and evolving to a higher state of consciousness4 ,but wonderful though these outward physical manifestations are1 and glorious though the transformation may be called which changes the earth from a waste of snow and ice into a beautiful1 blooming garden1 it sinks into insignificance before the spiritual activities which run side by side therewith4 ,the salient features of the cosmic drama are identical in point of time with the material effects of the sun in the four cardinal signs1 ,aries1 ,cancer1 ,libra1 and ,capricorn1 for the most significant events occur at the equinoctial and solstitial points4 ,it is really and actually true that 8in ,god we live and move and have our being40 ,outside ,him we could have no existence2 we live by and through ,his life2 we move and act by and through ,his strength2 it is ,his power which sustains our dwelling place1 the earth1 and without ,his unflagging1 unwavering efforts the universe itself would disintegrate4 ,now we are taught that man was made in the likeness of ,god1 and we are given to understand that according to the law of analogy we are possessed of certain powers latent within us which are similar to those we see so potently expressed in the labor of ,deity in the universe4 ,this gives us a particular interest in the annual cosmic drama involving the death and resurrection of the sun4 ,the life of the ,god ,man1 ,christ ,jesus1 was moulded in conformity with the solar story1 and it foreshadows in a similar manner all that may happen to the ,man ,god of whom this ,christ ,jesus prophesied when ,he said3 ,the works that ,i do shall ye do also2 and greater works shall ye do2 whither ,i go thou canst not follow me now1 but thou shalt follow me afterwards4 ,nature is the symbolic expression of ,god4 ,she does nothing in vain or gratuitously1 but there is a purpose behind every thing and every act4 ,therefore we should be alert and regard carefully the signs in the heavens for they have a deep and important meaning concerning our own lives4 ,the intelligent understanding of their purpose enables us to work so much more efficiently with ,god in ,his wonderful efforts for the emancipation of our race from bondage to the laws of nature1 and for its liberation into a full measure of the stature of the sons of ,god--crowned with glory1 honor1 and immortality1 and free from the power of sin1 sickness1 and suffering which now curtail our lives by reason of our ignorance and nonconformity to the laws of ,god4 ,the divine purpose demands this emancipation1 but whether it is to be accomplished by the long and tedious process of evolution or by the immensely quicker pathway of ,initiation depends upon whether or not we are willing to lend our cooperation4 ,the majority of mankind go through life with unseeing eyes and with ears that do not hear4 ,they are engrossed in their material affairs1 buying and selling1 working and playing1 without an adequate understanding or appreciation of the purpose of existence1 and were it unfolded to them it is scarcely to be expected that they would conform and co-operate because of the sacrifice it involves4 ,it is no wonder that the ,christ appeals particularly to the poor and that ,he emphasizes the difficulty of the rich entering the kingdom of heaven1 for even to this day when humanity has advanced in the school of evolution for two millenia since ,his day1 we find that the great majority still value their houses and lands1 their pretty hats and gowns1 the pleasures of society1 dances1 and dinners more than the treasures of heaven which are garnered by service and self-sacrifice4 ,although they may intellectually perceive the beauty of the spiritual life1 its desirability fades into insignificance in their eyes when compared with the sacrifice involved in attaining4 ,like the rich young man they would willingly follow ,christ were there no such sacrifice involved4 ,they prefer rather to go away when they realize that sacrifice is the one condition upon which they may enter discipleship4 ,so for them ,easter is simply a season of joy because it is the end of winter and the beginning of the summer season with its call of outdoor sports and pleasures4 ,but for those who have definitely chosen the path of self-sacrifice that leads to ,liberation1 ,easter is the annual sign given them as evidence of the cosmic basis of their hopes and aspirations4 ,as ,paul properly states in that glorious fifteenth chapter of #ast ,corinthians1 8,if ,christ be not risen1 then is our preaching vain1 and your faith is also vain4 8,yea1 and we are found false witnesses of ,god1 because we have testified of ,god that ,he raised up ,christ1 whom ,he raised not up if so be that the dead rise not4 8,for if the dead rise not1 then is not ,christ raised4 8,and if ,christ be not raised your faith is vain2 ye are yet in your sins4 8,if in this life only we have hope in ,christ1 we are of all men most miserable4 8,if after the manner of men ,i have fought with beasts at ,ephesus1 what advantageth it me if the dead rise not8 8,but now is ,christ risen from the dead1 and become the first fruits of them that slept40 ,but in the ,easter sun which at the vernal equinox commences to soar into the northern heavens after having laid down its life for the earth1 we have the cosmic symbol of the verity of resurrection4 ,when taken as a cosmic fact in connection with the law of analogy that connects the macrocosm with the microcosm1 it is an earnest that some day we shall all attain the cosmic consciousness and know positively for ourselves by our own experience that there is no death1 but that what seems so is only a transition into a finer sphere4 ,it is an annual symbol to strengthen our souls in the work of well-doing that we may grow the golden wedding garment required to make us sons of ,god in the highest and holiest sense4 ,it is literally true that unless we walk in the light as ,god is in the light1 we are not in fellowship2 but by making the sacrifices and rendering the services required of us to aid in the emancipation of our race we are building the soul body of radiant golden light which is the special substance emanated from and by the ,spirit of the ,sun1 the ,cosmic ,christ4 ,when this golden substance has clothed us with sufficient density1 then we shall be able to imitate the ,easter sun and soar into the higher spheres4 ,with these ideals firmly fixed in our minds1 ,easter time becomes a season when it is in order to review our life during the preceding year and make new resolutions for the coming season to serve in furthering our soul growth4 ,it is a season when the symbol of the ascending sun should lead us up to a keen realization of the fact that we are but pilgrims and strangers upon earth1 that our real home as spirits is in heaven1 and that we ought to endeavor to learn the lessons in this life school as quickly as is consistent with proper service1 so that as ,easter ,day marks the resurrection and liberation of the ,christ ,spirit from the lower realms1 so we also may continually look for the dawn of that day which shall permanently free us from the meshes of matter1 from the body of sin and death1 together with our brethren in bondage1 for no true aspirant would conceive of a liberation that did not include all who were similarly placed4 ,this is a gigantic task2 the contemplation of it may well daunt the bravest heart1 and were we alone it could not be accomplished2 but the divine hierarchies who have guided humanity upon the path of evolution from the beginning of our career are still active and working with us from their sidereal worlds1 and with their help we shall eventually be able to accomplish this elevation of humanity as a whole and attain to an individual realization of glory1 honor1 and immortality4 ,having this great hope within ourselves1 this great mission in the world1 let us work as never before to make ourselves better men and women1 so that by our example we may waken in others a desire to lead a life that brings liberation4 ,chapter ,,xxii ,,the ,,newborn ,,christ ,it has often been said in our literature that the sacrifice of ,christ was not an event which1 taking place on ,golgotha1 was accomplished in a few hours once and for all time1 but that the mystic births and deaths of the ,redeemer are continual cosmic occurrences4 ,we may therefore conclude that this sacrifice is necessary for our physical and spiritual evolution during the present phase of our development4 ,as the annual birth of the ,christ ,child approaches1 it presents a never old1 ever new theme for meditation1 from which we may profit by pondering it with a prayer that it may create in our hearts a new light to guide us upon the path of regeneration4 ,the inspired apostle gave us a wonderful definition of ,deity when he said that 8,god is ,light10 and therefore 8light0 has been used to illustrate the nature of the ,divine in the ,rosicrucian teachings1 especially the mystery of the ,trinity in ,unity4 ,it is clearly taught in the ,holy ,scriptures of all times that ,god is one and indivisible4 ,at the same time we find that as the one white light is refracted into three primary colors1 red1 yellow1 and blue1 so ,god appears in a threefold role during manifestation by the exercise of the three divine functions of creation1 preservation1 and dissolution4 ,when ,he exercises the attribute of creation1 ,god appears as ,jehovah1 the ,holy ,spirit2 ,he is then ,lord of law and generation and projects the solar fertilizing principle indirectly through the lunar satellites of all planets where it is necessary to furnish bodies for their evolving beings4 ,when ,he exercises the attribute of preservation for the purpose of sustaining the bodies generated by ,jehovah under the laws of nature1 ,god appears as the ,redeemer1 ,christ1 and radiates the principles of love and regeneration directly into any planet where the creatures of ,jehovah require this help to extricate themselves from the meshes of mortality and egotism in order to attain to altruism and endless life4 ,when ,god exercises the divine attribute of dissolution1 ,he appears as ,the ,father who calls us back to our heavenly home to assimilate the fruits of experience and soul growth garnered by us during the day of manifestation4 ,this ,universal ,solvent1 the ray of the ,father1 emanates from the ,invisible ,spiritual ,sun4 ,these divine processes of creation and birth1 preservation and life1 and dissolution1 death and return to the ,author of our being we see everywhere about us1 and we recognize the fact that they are activities of the ,triune ,god in manifestation4 ,but have we ever realized that in the spiritual world there are no definite events1 no static conditions2 that the beginning and the end of all adventures of all ages are present in the eternal 8here0 and 8now80 ,from the bosom of the ,father there is an everlasting outwelling of the essence of things and events1 which enters the realms of 8time0 and 8space40 ,there it gradually crystallizes and becomes inert1 necessitating dissolution that there may be room for other things and other events4 ,there is no escape from this cosmic law2 it applies to everything in the realm of time and space1 the ,christ ray included4 ,as the lake which empties itself into the ocean is replenished when the water that left it has been evaporated and returns to it as rain1 to flow again ceaselessly toward the sea1 so the ,spirit of ,love is eternally born of the ,father1 day by day1 hour by hour1 endlessly flowing into the solar universe to redeem us from the world of matter which enmeshes us in its death grip4 ,wave upon wave is thus impelled outward from the sun to all the planets1 giving a rhythmic urge to the evolving creatures there4 ,and so it is in the very truest and most literal sense a newborn ,christ that we hail at each approaching ,yule-feast1 and ,christmas is the most vital annual event for all humanity whether we realize it or not4 ,it is not merely a commemoration of the birth of our beloved ,elder ,brother1 ,jesus1 but the advent of the rejuvenating love life of our ,heavenly ,father1 sent by ,him to redeem the world from the wintry death grip4 ,without this new infusion of divine life and energy we should soon perish physically1 and our orderly progress would be frustrated so far as our present lines of development are concerned4 ,this is a point we should endeavor to realize thoroughly in order that we may learn to appreciate ,christmas as keenly as we should4 ,we may learn a lesson in this respect as in many others from our children or from reminiscences of our own childhood4 ,how keen were our anticipations of the approaching feast6 ,how eagerly we waited for the hour when we should receive the gifts which we knew would be forthcoming from ,santa ,claus1 the mysterious universal benefactor who brought the toys for the coming year6 ,how would we have felt had our parents given us the dismembered dolls and broken drums of yesteryear8 ,it would surely have been felt as an overwhelming misfortune and would have left a deep sense of broken trust which even time would have found it difficult to heal2 yet it would have been as nothing compared with the cosmic calamity that would befall mankind if our ,heavenly ,father should fail to provide the newborn ,christ for our cosmic ,christmas gift4 ,the ,christ of last year cannot save us from physical famine any more than last year's rain can drench the soil again and swell the millions of seeds that slumber in the earth awaiting the germinal activities of the ,father's life to begin their growth2 the ,christ of last year cannot kindle anew in our hearts the spiritual aspirations which urge us onward in the ,quest any more than last summer's heat can warm us now4 ,the ,christ of last year gave us ,his love and ,his life to the last breath without stint or measure2 when ,he was born into the earth last ,christmas1 he endued with life the sleeping seeds which have grown and gratefully filled our granaries with the bread of physical life2 ,he lavished the love given ,him by the ,father upon us1 and when ,he had wholly spent ,his life1 ,he died at ,eastertide to rise again to the ,father1 as the river by evaporation rises to the sky4 ,but endlessly wells the divine love2 as a father pities his children1 so does our ,heavenly ,father pity us1 for ,he knows our physical and spiritual frailty and dependence4 ,therefore we are now confidently awaiting the mystic birth of the ,christ of another year1 laden with new life and love sent by the ,father to preserve us from the physical and spiritual famine which would ensue were it not for this annual love offering4 ,younger souls usually find it difficult to disabuse their minds of the personality of ,god1 of ,christ1 and of the ,holy ,spirit1 and some can only love ,jesus1 the man4 ,they forget ,christ1 the ,great ,spirit1 who ushered in a new era in which the nations established under the regime of ,jehovah will be broken to pieces that the sublime structure of ,universal ,brotherhood may be built upon their ruins4 ,in time all the world will realize that 8,god is spirit1 to be worshiped in spirit and in truth40 ,it is well to love ,jesus and to imitate him2 we know of no nobler ideal and none more worthy4 ,could a nobler one have been found1 ,jesus would not have been chosen as a vehicle of that ,great ,one1 the ,christ1 in whom dwelt the ,godhead4 ,we shall therefore do well to follow 8in ,his steps40 ,at the same time we shall exalt ,god in our own consciousness by taking the word of the ,bible that ,he is spirit1 and that we cannot make any likeness which will portray ,him for ,he is like nothing in heaven or on earth4 ,we can see the physical vehicles of ,jehovah circling as satellites around the various planets2 we can also see the sun1 which is the visible vehicle of the ,christ2 but the ,invisible ,sun1 which is the vehicle of the ,father and the source of all1 appears to the greatest of human seers only as a higher octave of the photosphere of the sun1 a ring of violet-blue luminosity behind the sun4 ,but we do not need to see2 we can feel ,his love1 and that feeling is never so great as at ,christmas time when ,he is giving us the greatest of all gifts1 the ,christ of the new year4 ,chapter ,,xxiii ,,why ,i ,,am ,a ,,rosicrucian ,not infrequently we find that some one takes the platform to explain why he is a ,baptist1 ,methodist1 or ,christian ,scientist1 and what his particular faith may be4 ,we have often been asked by our students for something which would help make plain to their associates why they had embraced the teachings of the ,elder ,brothers given through the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship1 in preference to the faith which they had left4 ,we will1 therefore1 endeavor to give a succinct resume of reasons which appeal to us as sufficient1 but students will doubtless find many other reasons equally good or better1 which they may add verbally to what is here said4 ,it should be made clear in the very beginning that students in the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship do not call themselves ,rosicrucians4 ,that title applies alone to the ,elder ,brothers1 who are the hierophants of the ,western ,wisdom ,teaching4 ,they are as far beyond the greatest living saint in spiritual development as that saint is above the lowest fetish worshiper4 ,when the bark of our life sails lightly upon smooth summer seas1 wafted along by the fair winds of health and prosperity1 when friends are present on every hand1 eager to help us plan pleasures which will increase our enjoyment of this world's goods1 when social favors or political powers come to us to gratify our every wish in whatever sphere our inclinations seek expression1 then1 indeed1 we may say and seem justified in saying with our whole heart and soul3 8,this world is good enough for me40 ,but when we come to the end of the smiling sea of success2 when the whirlwind of adversity has blown us upon the rocky shores of disaster1 and a wave of suffering threatens to engulf us2 when friends have failed and every human help is as far off as it is unavailing1 then we must look for guidance to the skies as does the mariner when he steers his ship over the waste of waters4 ,but when the skipper scans the sky in search of a star whereby to steer the ship safely1 he finds that the whole heavens are in motion4 ,therefore to follow almost any one of the myriad of wandering stars visible to the eye would be disastrous4 ,to meet the requirements the guiding star must be perfectly steadfast and immovable1 and there is only one such1 namely1 the ,north ,star4 ,by its guiding light the mariner may steer in full confidence and bring his ship to a haven of rest and safety4 ,likewise one who is looking for a guide which he may trust in days of sorrow and trouble should embrace a religion founded on eternal laws and immutable principles1 able to explain the mystery of life in a logical manner so that his intellect may be satisfied1 and at the same time containing a system of devotion that may satisfy the heart1 so that these twin factors in life may receive equal satisfaction4 ,only when man has a clear intellectual conception of the scheme of human development is he in a position to range himself in line therewith4 ,when it is made clear to him that this scheme is beneficent and benevolent in the very highest degree1 that all is truly ruled by divine love1 then this understanding will sooner or later call out in him a true devotion and heartfelt acquiescence which will awaken in him a desire to become a co-worker with ,god in the world's work4 ,when seeking souls come to the door of the church to seek surcease from sorrow1 they cannot be satisfied with the platitudes that it is the will of ,god that sorrow and suffering have come to them1 that in ,his divine providence ,he has seen fit to scourge them1 and that they must take it as an indication that ,he regards them as ,his beloved children and be satisfied no matter what happens4 ,they cannot see that ,deity does justice when ,he makes some rich and many poor1 a few healthy and many sickly2 and it is only too often in evidence that iniquity is prosperous while rectitude is in rags4 ,the ,rosicrucian teachings give clear and logical information concerning the world and man2 they invite questions instead of discouraging them1 so that the seeker after spiritual truth may receive full satisfaction intellectually2 their explanations are strictly scientific as they are reverently religious4 ,they refer us for information regarding life's problems to laws that are as unchangeable and immutable in their realm of action as the ,north ,star is in the heavens4 ,though the world whirls upon its axis at the rate of one thousand miles an hour1 we stand safely anywhere upon its surface because the principle of gravity prevents us from being hurled into space by the terrific speed4 ,we know that the law of gravity is eternal2 it will not act today and suspend action tomorrow4 ,when we enter a hydraulic elevator we rest safely upon a column of water because that fluid is more incompressible than most solids1 and this property is the same yesterday1 today1 and forever4 ,were its action suspended for even a few moments1 thousands of people would fall to their death2 but it is steadfast and sure1 therefore we trust it implicitly4 ,the law of cause and effect is also immutable2 if we throw a stone into the air1 the act is not complete until by gravitation it has returned to earth4 8,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap10 is the way this law is expressed in the realm of morals4 8,the mills of ,god grind slowly1 but they grind exceeding small10 and once an act has been done1 the reaction will come some time1 some where1 as surely as the stone that was thrown into the air will return to the earth4 ,but it is manifest that all of the causes that we set going in life do not ripen in the present existence1 and it therefore follows that they must find their fruition somewhere else at some other time1 or the law would be invalidated1 a proposition that would be as absolutely impossible as that the law of gravitation could be suspended1 for either would make chaos out of cosmos4 ,the ,rosicrucian teachings explain this by a statement that man is a spirit attending the ,school of ,life for the purpose of unfolding latent spiritual power1 and that for this purpose he lives many lives in earthly bodies of increasingly finer texture1 which enable him to express himself better and better4 ,in the lower grades of this school of evolution man has few faculties4 ,each life-day he comes to school in the morning of childhood1 and is given lessons to learn1 and at night when old and gray the nurse maid of nature1 8,death10 puts him to sleep that he may rest from his labors until the dawn of another life-day1 when he is given a new child body and new lessons4 ,each day 8,experience10 the teacher of the school helps him to learn some of the lessons of life1 and gradually he becomes more and more proficient4 ,some day he will have learned the entire curriculum of the school1 which includes building of bodies as well as using them4 ,thus when we see one who has few faculties1 we know that he is a young soul who has gone to life's school only a few days2 and when we find a beautiful character1 we recognize an old soul who has spent much time in mastering its lessons4 ,therefore we do not despair of ,god's love when we see the inequalities of life1 for we know that in time all will be perfect as our ,father in ,heaven is perfect4 ,the ,rosicrucian teachings also take the sting of sorrow out of the greatest of all trials1 the loss of loved ones1 even if they have been what is called wayward or black sheep2 for we know that it is an actual fact that in ,god we live and move and have our being2 hence1 if one single soul were lost1 a part of ,god would be lost1 and such a proposition is absolutely impossible4 ,under the immutable law of cause and effect we are bound to meet these loved ones some time in the future under other circumstances1 and there the love that binds us together must continue until it has found its fullest expression4 ,the laws of nature would be violated if a stone thrown from the earth were to remain suspended in the atmosphere1 and under the same immutable laws those who pass into the higher spheres must return4 ,christ said1 8,ye must be born again10 and 8,if ,i go to my ,father1 ,i will return40 ,but although our reason may reach into the mysteries of life1 there is still a higher stage1 actual first-hand knowledge4 ,as a matter of fact the foregoing propositions are capable of verification by each one1 for we all have a sixth sense latent in our being1 which will sometime enable us to view the spiritual world with the same distinctness as that with which we see the temporal4 ,this sixth sense will be developed by all in the course of evolution1 and there are certain means whereby it may be developed now by all who care to take the necessary time and trouble to do so4 ,some have done this1 and they have told us of their travels in the land of the soul4 ,we believe their testimony concerning that place just as we believe what people who have traveled in ,africa or ,australia tell us of those countries4 ,and just as we say that we know the earth rotates upon its axis and revolves in its orbit around the sun because we have been thus informed by scientists who have made the investigations and calculations that establish these facts1 so also we say that we know the dead live1 and that whether dead or alive1 in the body or out of it1 we are all enfolded in the love of our ,father in ,heaven1 without whose ,will not the smallest sparrow falls to the ground1 and that ,he cares for all and orders our steps in harmony with ,his plans to develop our spiritual powers to the highest possible degree4 ,so because of the logical1 soul-satisfying philosophy of life given by the ,rosicrucians1 we follow their teachings in preference to other systems1 and invite others who wish to share the blessings thereof to investigate4 ,chapter ,,xxiv ,,the ,,object ,,of ,,the ,,rosicrucian ,,fellowship ,the object of the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship has been clearly stated in our literature1 as have the means whereby it is hoped to attain the end in view1 but in response to requests for a succinct summary we devote this chapter to that subject4 ,the world is ,god's training school4 ,during the past we have learned to build different vehicles1 among others the physical body4 ,by this work we are promoted from class to class1 each with its particular scope of consciousness4 ,we evolved eyes that we might see1 ears that we might hear1 and other organs that we might taste1 smell1 and feel4 ,but not all egos were promoted at every step4 ,when the mist in the air at the time of ,atlantis condensed and filled the basins of the earth with oceans of water1 driving men to the highlands1 many perished by asphyxiation because they had not evolved lungs4 ,they could not pass through the portal of the rainbow1 which was1 so to speak1 the entrance gate to the new age with its dry atmospheric conditions4 ,another great world transformation is coming1 we know not when2 even the ,christ confessed ,his ignorance of the day and the hour2 but ,he warned us that the day would come as a thief in the night1 and ,he prophesied that the conditions in the world would then be similar to those prevailing in the days of ,noah2 they were living then in carefree enjoyment of life when suddenly the floodgates of heaven were opened1 and death and destruction spread before them4 ,christ told us that it is possible to take the kingdom of ,god by storm and attain to the consciousness and conditions there prevailing4 ,but ,paul informs us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of ,god2 he states that we have a soul body 7soma psuchicon--#a ,cor4 #ae3 #dd71 and that we shall meet the ,lord in the air when ,he comes4 ,this soul body is therefore as necessary to entrance into the new age of the kingdom of ,god1 as a body equipped with lungs was to the ,atlanteans who desired to enter into the age in which we are now living4 ,therefore it is necessary that we make our calling and election sure by preparing the ,golden ,wedding ,garment1 the soul body1 which alone can secure our admission to the mystic marriage4 ,the multitude is slowly moving in the right direction as led by the different churches1 but there is an ever growing class that1 so to speak1 feels the wings of the soul body sprouting1 people who feel an inner urge to take the kingdom of ,god by storm4 ,though unaware of any definite ideal1 they sense a greater truth and a more certain light than those which the ,church radiates2 they are tired of parables and long to learn the underlying facts at the very feet of ,christ4 ,the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship was started for the purpose of reaching this class1 to show them the way to illumination1 to help them build their soul body and evolve the soul powers which will enable them to enter consciously into the kingdom of ,god and obtain first-hand knowledge4 ,this is a large undertaking1 none greater and even under the most favorable existing conditions progress must be slow1 but if the aspirant will continue with patient perseverance in well doing1 it can be done4 ,the methods are definite1 scientific1 and religious2 they have been originated by the ,western ,school of the ,rosicrucian ,order1 and are therefore specially suited to the western people4 ,sometimes1 but very rarely1 they bring results in a short time2 generally it requires years and even lives before the aspirant attains1 but the following system will in the end bring all to their hearts' desire4 ,the ,tabernacle in the ,wilderness was a symbolic representation of the way to ,god1 and1 as ,paul says1 held a shadow of better things to come4 ,everything in it had its spiritual meaning4 ,the table of shewbread gives us an important lesson germane to our present consideration4 ,students will remember that the ancient ,israelites were commanded to bring the shewbread to the tabernacle at stated intervals4 ,the grain from which this was made was given them by ,god but they must prepare the soil in which it was to grow1 they must plant and cultivate1 they must weed and water1 so as to secure the greatest possible increase2 they must harvest and thresh1 grind and bake1 ere they had the loaves which they brought to the tabernacle as bread to shew for their toil4 ,similarly1 ,god gives to all the grain of opportunity to serve1 but it is our duty to cultivate these opportunities and nurse and nourish them in the soil of loving kindness so that they may bring a great increase4 ,we must always bear in mind the words of ,christ that ,he came to minister and to serve4 ,therefore anyone aspiring to follow in ,his steps and to be great in the kingdom of ,god must ever be on the lookout for opportunities to serve his fellows4 ,each day must be filled as full as possible with kind and considerate deeds1 for they are the warp and woof of which the golden wedding garment is woven4 ,without these 8works0 no amount of prayer1 fasting1 or other religious exercises will avail4 ,it is useless to repair to the temple without this bread to shew that we have really worked in the ,master's service4 ,the foregoing is also the teaching of the exoteric churches2 but the following is the exclusively ,rosicrucian scientific teaching and method1 based upon the deepest knowledge of spiritual facts whereby the aspirant is enabled to gain the maximum soul growth in each life1 so that his spiritual advancement is accelerated beyond his very wildest dreams4 ,therefore this is the most important spiritual teaching that has been given to man in modern times1 and no one who tries honestly to follow this simple method can fail to be enormously benefited3 ,ether is the medium of transmission of light1 that which etches a picture on the photographic film4 ,it permeates the air1 and with every breath we draw from birth to death ether enters our system and etches a picture of our surroundings and actions on a little atom in the heart4 ,thus each carries with him a complete record of his life1 which is assimilated after death4 ,expiation of the evil deeds causes pain and anguish in purgatory4 ,these are thus transmuted to conscience to prevent repetition of the same mistakes in succeeding lives3 the good deeds are transmuted to love and benevolence4 ,instead of waiting for this post-mortem transmutation of the shewbread of life1 the aspirant who desires to take heaven by storm may assimilate the fruits of each day after retiring and before going to sleep by running over the deeds done4 ,the events of the day are considered in reverse order1 so that that which happened in the evening is taken first1 then the happenings of the afternoon1 forenoon1 and morning4 ,this is important for it conforms to the way the life panorama acts after death1 taking first the events just prior to death1 last the events of infancy4 ,the object is to show the effects and then refer them to their antecedent causes4 ,in this retrospection it will do the aspirant no good to run over the events of the day and mildly blame himself where he did wrong--he is usually sure enough to praise himself sufficiently for his good deeds4 ,but he must remember the altar of burnt offerings where the sacrifices for sin were offered4 ,they were first rubbed with salt and then placed on the altar to be consumed by a divinely enkindled fire4 ,anyone knows what an intense pain is caused when salt is rubbed into a wound1 and this rubbing with salt is symbolic of the pain the aspirant must feel for his wrongdoing4 ,now mark that it was not permissible to place the sacrifice on the altar until it had been thus rubbed with salt4 ,god would not accept it before1 but when it had been salted it was consumed by a fire kindled by ,god ,himself4 ,this tells us that unless we have washed our evil deeds of the day in the salt of our tears and heartfelt contrition1 ,god will not accept our sacrifice of repentance2 but when we have really repented1 our sins will be washed away and our recording atom will be clean as the driven snow4 ,with respect to our good deeds we may remember that there were two little piles of frankincense on the top of the shewbread4 ,these were offered upon the altar of incense1 where the smoke ascended as a sweet savor to the ,lord1 so different from the nauseating stench that went up from the altar where the sin offerings were burned4 ,is it any wonder that ,god took no delight in the sacrifice of bulls and calves1 but delighted in a contrite heart and a repentant spirit8 ,it is this spiritual aromatic extract of our good deeds that builds our soul body4 ,by the ordinary natural process it takes about one-third as many years in our post-mortem existence as we lived in the body1 to reap what we have sowed4 ,but when an aspirant has assimilated the fruits of life by faithful retrospection at the end of each day1 he is free as soon as he leaves the body and may use the years spent by others in purgatory and the first heaven as he pleases4 ,furthermore1 as he needs neither food1 shelter1 nor sleep1 he may spend twenty-four hours a day doing good4 ,thus he has practically as many years of service and soul growth after death as the number of his earth life2 and being trained and schooled in this work his attainments are probably greater than could be made in a number of lives lived in the ordinary way4 ,to aid deserving aspirants1 still deeper and more definite teachings are given by the ,elder ,brothers through the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship4 ,students who feel the inner urge may ask for information concerning these teachings4 ,index ,abel1 man of ,lemuria1 #bc4 ,action1 desirability of1 #af4 ,action1 good1 required for soul body1 #ahc4 ,a4 ,d4 ,m41 red earth1 #gh4 ,adam1 a ,polarian1 #bb4 ,airships of ,atlantis1 #ga4 ,albumen not needed by spiritual1 #bd4 ,alcohol1 action1 #hc4 ,altar of sacrifice1 #if4 ,america1 the melting pot1 #aab4 ,angels1 humanity of ,moon ,period1 #ej4 lived in etheric world1 #ej4 guided man1 #cb4 ,anglo-,saxons1 pioneers of race1 #ge4 ,animals ruled by group spirits1 #ajh4 ,aquarian ,age1 science to rule in1 #hb4 six hundred years until1 #ha4 teacher of1 #gf4 ,arche-,tektons1 ,initiates are1 #ajc4 ,ark1 airship of ,atlantis1 #ga4 ,aryan ,age1 invaders of1 #hj4 ,aryana1 national segregation of1 #gj4 ,assimilation of life experiences1 #ahd4 ,asteroids1 remnants of ,moons1 #fj4 ,astrology1 value of in marriage1 #ec4 ,atlantis1 destruction of1 #ahj4 ,atlantean epoch1 the nadir of materiality1 #i4 ,atlanteans aspire to light1 #ie4 divinely guided1 #fi4 ,atlantis1 airships of1 #ga4 atmosphere of1 #fi4 man becomes man in1 #be4 peaceful conditions of1 #hf4 ,atmosphere1 changes of1 #ahj4 ,attainment1 method of1 #aga4 ,baptism1 soul's urge for higher life1 #ee4 ,black ,brothers1 increase evil1 #ajf4 ,black ,magic1 frequent practice of1 #aja4 golden1 wedding garment protects against1 #ajf4 practices of1 #ajc4 ,blood hound1 follows invisible emanation1 #ajd4 ,born of water and spirit1 #hj4 ,brain gained at sacrifice of creative force1 #cb4 ,breathing exercises1 danger of1 #i4 use of1 #aj4 ,brotherhood1 all members of1 #dd4 ,cain1 a ,hyperborean1 #bc4 ,candles1 tallow1 attract elementals1 #ajf4 ,causation1 #agg4 ,children1 training of1 #abg4 ,chosen people1 #ie4 ,christ1 annual coming of1 #aga4 bodily presence of the ,father1 #ih4 forgiveness of1 #eg4 ,inhabits central sun1 #eh4 man a ,christ-in-the-making1 #aeh4 mission of1 #dg1 #hg4 power of1 #aeh1 #aei4 preservation1 principle of1 #afh4 sacrifice of1 #ih4 ,christ1 see also ,earth ,spirit4 ,civilization1 evolution of1 #aaa4 ,communication with dead1 #aac4 ,communion1 points to age to come1 #ee4 worthy celebration of1 #ca4 ,conscience gained in purgatory1 #ahd4 ,consciousness result of war between vital and desire bodies1 #di4 ,conservation of strength1 #abb4 ,contentment lengthens life1 #ea4 ,contrition1 importance of1 #ahe4 ,conversion and ,initiation1 #ab4 inner experience1 #ac4 ,converts1 making of1 #acb4 ,courage1 #ia4 ,creation1 principle of ,jehovah1 #afh4 ,creative hierarchies guide man1 #bb4 ,crystalloids aid in evolving vital body1 #hh4 ,dead1 communication with1 #aac4 ,death1 care of body after1 #acd4 conquest of1 #ef4 price of consciousness1 #ej4 ,dense body1 care of after death1 #acd4 crystallized state of1 #dg4 raising vibrations of1 #aj4 restoration of in sleep1 #abh4 spiritualization of1 #gd4 under laws of nature1 #eg4 ,desire body1 control of1 #abh4 destroys dense body1 #di4 gained in ,lemuria1 #bc4 reaction of man's acts1 #be4 ,dietetics1 albumen not needed by spiritual1 #bd4 legumes not needed by advanced1 #bd4 ,diplomacy and force1 #aai4 ,dissolution the ,father's power1 #afh4 ,divine hierarchies work upon man1 #bb4 ,divine leaders abolish religious errors1 #df4 ,divine spirit and physical body1 #acb4 ,earth conditions cramp humanity1 #ii4 crystallization of due to man1 #cb4 ,earth ,spirit body and blood1 #ca4 ,earth ,spirit1 see also ,christ4 ,earthly goods1 use of1 #aag4 ,easter1 ,christ's liberation1 #afj4 vital1 force of1 #afa4 ,effort brings opportunities1 #ae4 ,ego chooses work of life1 #fd4 ,egotism1 protection from1 #ai4 ,elder ,brothers hierophants of western wisdom teaching1 #agc4 high status of1 #agc4 not mercenary1 #bj4 transmute evil1 #aje4 ,elementals inhaled with incense1 #ajf4 ,emancipation1 ,god's purpose1 #afb4 ,environment chosen by ego1 #fd1 #abb4 power of1 #gd4 ,epochs1 changes of1 #gg4 ,ether etches pictures on seed atom1 #ahd4 medium of transmission of light1 #ahd4 new element1 #ga4 ,evolution1 #agg4 ,evolution of man1 #ce4 path of spiral1 #ad4 ,exercises3 ,breathing practices1 #i1 #aj4 ,experience1 a grindstone1 #fc4 ,extreme unction1 #ef4 ,faculties1 evolution of1 #agg4 ,fall1 unchastity1 #fb4 ,family1 duty to1 #abg4 ,father1 ,the1 dissolution principle of1 #afh4 highest ,initiate of ,saturn ,period1 #eh4 inhabits spiritual sun1 #eh4 ,finger nails used in ,black ,magic1 #ajc4 ,flesh1 eating of1 difficult to digest1 #ij4 material progress result of1 #bc1 #hf1 #ib4 necessitated by materialism1 #bc4 sins of1 #ij4 ,flood1 sun in ,cancer1 #gh4 ,food1 significance of1 #bb4 ,forgiveness of ,christ1 #eg4 ,free ,will1 #bb4 of ,initiate in choice of environment1 #fd4 in ,atlantis1 #be4 ,galilee1 melting pot1 #gd4 ,gill clefts replaced by lungs1 #bd4 ,gills of early ,atlantis1 #gj4 ,glass of water in ,black ,magic1 #ajd4 ,god1 immanence of1 #afa4 ,golden wedding garment1 see ,soul ,body4 ,good ,friday1 #aec4 ,gospels formulae of ,initiation1 #fd4 ,grace and forgiveness of sin1 #cd4 ,grail1 see1 ,holy ,grail4 ,group ,spirit1 #ajh4 ,hair used in ,black ,magic1 #ajc4 ,healing1 ,rosicrucian method of1 #ajc4 ,help1 practical1 #acc4 ,hierarchies1 service of1 #ace4 still active1 #aff4 ,hindu breathing exercises1 #gc4 ,holy ,grail1 many orders constitute1 #aje4 two forces of1 #aje4 ,holy ,spirit1 see ,jehovah4 ,human spirit and desire body1 #acb4 ,humanity1 salvation of1 #afj4 slowly progressing1 #ad4 ,hyperborea1 generation in1 #di4 ,hyperborean epoch1 man plantlike in1 #bb4 vital body gained in1 #bb4 ,hypnotism1 danger of1 #ajg4 ,i as pronoun1 #hc4 ,inactivity causes straggling1 #af4 ,incense1 ,black ,forces use1 #ajf4 ,inequalities1 harmonizing of1 #agh4 ,initiates1 arche-tektons1 #ajc4 bodies of1 immaculately conceived1 #fd4 choose own life work1 #fd4 purity of1 #fd4 may be women1 #fg4 ,initiation1 changes life1 #ac4 confers authority1 #ac4 free1 #ac4 inner experience1 #ab4 money cannot buy1 #aa4 requirements for1 #bj4 spiritual process1 #aa4 spiritualizes vital body1 #fg4 through spiritual exercises1 #aa4 tribulation leads to1 #fc4 ,initiation fee1 impossibility of1 #bj4 ,inner vision opened1 #acf4 ,intellectual conception of life1 #age4 ,intensity of feeling1 #ai4 ,jehovah1 creation principle of1 #afh4 dwells in physical sun1 #eh4 highest ,initiate of ,moon ,period1 #eh4 race spirit of the ,jews1 #aaj4 regent of various moons1 #eh4 warder of creative forces1 #ef4 ,jesus race body of1 #gd4 ,judgment1 ,sun in ,libra1 #aef4 ,justice of life1 #age4 with mercy1 #cc4 ,knowledge1 necessity for1 #aca4 ,larynx gained at sacrifice of creative force1 #cb4 ,law1 knowledge of1 #aca4 ,law of ,consequence given to ,atlanteans1 #bf4 ,laws of nature and destiny1 #be4 ,legumes not needed by advanced1 #bd4 ,lemurian epoch1 desire body gained in1 #bc4 ,life ,spirit and vital body1 #acb4 ,light1 ,atlanteans aspire to1 #ie4 symbol of ,god1 #afg4 ,living church within1 #abd4 ,lords of ,mercury1 stragglers of past1 #ei4 ,lords of ,venus1 stragglers of past1 #ei4 ,lord's ,supper1 see communion4 ,lost souls1 #eh4 ,love endlessly born1 #afi4 keynote of coming age1 #hj4 of souls1 #ec4 transcends sex1 #ea4 ,lucifer spirits cause body's crystallization1 #cb4 ,lungs related to spirits' freedom1 #bd4 ,man becomes man in ,atlantis1 #be4 mineral-like in ,polarian ,epoch1 #hh4 ,marriage necessitated by disintegration and death1 #di4 sacrament of1 #ee4 transcends sex1 #ea4 ,materialism1 predominance of1 #afc4 ,matter1 limitation of causes self-confidence1 #bb4 ,materialization1 varieties of1 #ajb4 ,meat non-permanent as food1 #hb4 ,meat eating1 see ,flesh eating4 ,michael1 race spirit1 #aaa4 ,milk aid in evolving desire body1 #hi4 given in ,lemuria1 #bc4 ,mind1 effect of meat upon1 #ic4 given during ,atlantean epoch1 #bb4 given for discrimination1 #abb4 link between spirit and matter1 #acb4 ,minerals1 assimilation impossible1 #hb4 ,moderation in food1 #acf4 ,mongols1 descendants of ,atlanteans1 #ge4 ,moons1 discipline stragglers1 #ei4 physical vehicles of ,jehovah1 #agb4 tumors of universe1 #fj4 ,moses led followers through water1 #bf4 ,motive1 importance of1 #aja4 ,mysteries1 soul body teaches1 #acf4 ,mystery schools furnish higher teaching1 #h4 ,nationalism must pass1 #aab4 ,nations1 rise and fall of1 #aaj4 ,negroes1 descendants of ,lemurians1 #ge4 ,new ,galilee1 #ace4 ,new heaven and new earth1 see ,aquarian ,age4 ,new race1 #ge4 ,niebelungen ring1 #db4 ,nimrod1 ,atlantean king1 #bb4 ,noah1 #bg4 ,noise1 evil effects of1 #abe4 stirs desire bodies1 #abf4 ,nucleus in magic practices1 #ajc4 ,orthodoxy1 arguments of1 #df4 ,panorama etched into desire body1 #acc4 ,passion1 crystallizing power of1 #cb4 ,periodic flow of earth1 #fb4 ,philosophy1 hidden meaning in1 #ace4 ,physical body1 see ,dense body4 ,pioneers the active workers1 #af4 two classes of1 #ag4 ,pisces1 creed and dogma of1 #ha4 ,planet1 body of ,great ,spirit1 #aef4 evolution of1 #da4 orbit of1 #aef4 ,poise1 necessity for1 #abe4 ,polarian had only dense body1 #hh4 ,polarian epoch1 dense body in1 #bb4 mineral-like state of man in1 #bb4 ,polygamy1 #ff4 ,possession cures desire1 #ic4 ,post mortem experience1 #ae4 ,post mortem state1 #af4 ,preservation1 ,christ principle1 #afh4 ,progress1 impossible to unworthy1 #aej4 ,proselyting unnecessary1 #acb4 ,providence of ,god1 #abj4 ,purity1 redemption of1 #ce4 ,race spirits cause racial characteristics1 #aji4 high ideals of1 #aaj4 ,racial characteristics1 #aji4 ,rainbow1 advent of1 #bg4 emblem of diversity1 #gj4 entrance to new age1 #ahj4 gates to promised land1 #fi4 ,reconciliation1 desirability of1 #aai4 ,recording angels give religions1 #g4 ,religion1 happiness from1 #abf4 ,religion given by ,recording ,angels1 #g4 suited to nations1 #h4 ,religious errors1 not long permitted1 #df4 ,responsibility not to be shirked1 #abg4 ,resurrection1 ,easter ,sun symbolizes1 #afc4 ,retrospection1 good gained by1 #ahd4 importance of1 #ah4 ,rhine ,gold1 #db4 ,rosicrucian messengers1 #aa4 ,sacrament1 ,hebrew derivation of1 #ee4 importance of1 #ch4 ,sacrifice1 evolution result of1 #ig4 soul growth from1 #afe4 ,sanctuary1 inner1 #abd4 ,saints1 #ag4 ,salt1 #ahe4 ,science becomes religious1 #dj4 to rule ,aquarian ,age1 #hb4 ,seances1 danger of1 #ajg4 ,seasons symbolize diversity1 #gj4 ,self-,sacrifice1 advancement from1 #ch4 of ,christ1 #ajj4 ,selfishness bane of race1 #dc4 ,separation of sexes1 #cb4 ,service builds soul body1 #ace4 essential in life1 #ace4 the policy that pays1 #aah4 redemption of stragglers1 #ei4 ,sexes1 separation of1 #cb4 ,silence1 great help in soul growth1 #abf4 ,sin must be expiated1 #eg4 ,sixth sense1 #agh4 ,sleep1 work during gains soul growth1 #abi4 ,solar system body of ,god1 #ei4 ,son1 see ,christ4 ,sorrow1 keynote of ,buddhism1 #eg4 ,soul amalgamates with spirit1 #if4 ,soul body1 #ed4 from seed1 #gc4 light of teaches man1 #acf4 of new age1 #aha4 methods of building1 #hj4 protects against ,black ,magic1 #ajf4 wedding garment of new age1 #hj4 ,soul growth dissolves crystallized bodies1 #if4 helps in1 #abf4 method of1 #ag4 ,sound1 effect of1 #abd4 ,spinal nerves1 animal twenty-eight pairs of1 #fa4 man thirty-one pairs of1 #fa4 ,spirit orbit of1 #aef4 ,spiritual forces1 ebb and flow of1 #fa4 ,spiritual sight result of war1 #aab4 ,spiritual world1 time non-existent1 #afi4 ,spring and ,earth ,spirit1 #ca4 ,stellar ray1 #fd4 ,strength1 conservation of1 #abb4 ,sugar beneficial effects of1 #hc4 cure of alcoholism by1 #hd4 ,sun ascends at ,easter1 #afe4 in ,cancer1 the flood1 #gh4 invisible vehicle of ,god1 #agb4 visible vehicle of ,christ1 #agb4 ,tact1 value of1 #aai4 ,talents of ego1 #ae4 ,teacher of ,new ,age1 #gf4 ,temple1 way to shown1 #acf4 ,thought breaks down tissue1 #bc4 ,time1 non-existent in spiritual world1 #afi4 ,tolerance for our families1 #acg4 ,tree of knowledge1 #cb4 ,tribulation prepares for ,initiation1 #fc4 ,trinity1 mystery of1 #afg4 ,unfoldment1 three stages of1 #ee4 ,universal solvent1 #afh4 ,vegetarianism1 advantages of1 #ia4 ,vegetarian needs no alcohol1 #ia4 ,virgin spirits enmeshed in matter as egos1 #acb4 self-consciousness attained by1 #bb4 ,vital body charges body with energy1 #acb4 constructive energy of1 #di4 evolved by ,hyperborean1 #bb1 #hh4 medium of occult growth1 #i4 spiritualized by ,initiation1 #fg4 stores up power1 #abh4 vehicle of love1 #ea4 ,war1 spiritual aspects of1 #abc4 spiritual intensity of1 #ajd4 spiritual sight result of1 #aab4 ,water1 ,noah and ,moses led followers through1 #bf4 used in ,black ,magic1 #ajd4 ,wedding garment1 see ,soul ,body4 ,western ,initiates more advanced1 #h4 ,western ,mystery ,teaching ,christian1 #dg4 ,white ,magic1 unselfish1 #ajb4 ,wine1 given in ,atlantis1 #bf4 self-assertion from drinking1 #hf4 stimulates spirit of man1 #bg4 ,word1 cosmic meaning of1 #aee4 ,workers1 the pioneers1 #af4 ,world1 ,god's training school1 #ahj4 ,world change to come1 #aha4 ,worry1 evil of1 #aaf4 ,you as pronoun1 #hc4 ,rays ,from the ,rose ,cross ,,the ,,rosicrucian ,,fellowship ,,magazine ,a ,monthly ,magazine of ,,mystic ,,light ,subscription #b4jj per year ,general ,contents ,the ,mystic ,light ,department is devoted to articles on ,occultism1 ,mystic ,masonry1 ,esoteric ,christianity and similar spiritual subjects4 ,the ,question ,department is designed to give further light upon the various subjects dealt with in the different departments4 ,the ,astral ,ray ,department gives ,cosmic ,light on life's problems4 ,so far as space permits horoscopes of subscribers' children are read each month4 ,these readings show the hidden faults and talents to help the parents bring out the best in their charges4 ,vocational ,readings for young men and women are given to show them the sphere in the world's work for which they are best fitted4 ,studies in the ,rosicrucian ,cosmo-,conception4 ,our ,origin1 ,evolution and ,ultimate ,destiny are religiously1 reasonably and scientifically explained in this department4 ,children's ,department4 ,stories for the children4 ,nutrition and ,health4 ,in this department articles on health and diet teach how to build bodies wisely and well4 ,the ,rosy ,cross ,healing ,circle4 ,its meetings and their results4 ,the ,rosicrucian ,cosmo-,conception ,seventh ,edition #fjj pp4 cloth ,price #b4jj1 postfree4 ,this remarkable book by ,max ,heindel marks an entirely new departure in mystic literature4 ,for the first time in history the ,western ,wisdom ,teaching concerning ,life and ,being which the ,rosicrucians have guarded for centuries1 is here given by an authorized messenger1 for it is held that the world is ready to receive this advanced science of the soul1 the religious philosophy of the ,aquarian ,age1 now at hand4 ,the existing soul-hunger and the satisfying nature of the ,rosicrucian teachings are equally well attested by the phenomenal sale of this great book1 and many thousands of letters received by the author from grateful students located all over the world1 who testify that they there found what they have long sought elsewhere in vain4 ,we give herewith some headings of chapters and subdivisions as a slight indication of what is contained in this mine of mystic light and knowledge4 ,part ,i4 ,the ,visible and ,invisible ,worlds1 ,the ,four ,kingdoms1 ,man and the ,method of ,evolution4 ,spirit1 ,soul and ,body2 ,thought1 ,memory and ,soul-growth4 ,the conscious1 subconscious and superconscious mind4 ,the science of death1 the beneficence of purgatory1 life in heaven4 ,rebirth and the ,law of ,consequence4 ,part ,,ii4 ,the ,scheme of ,evolution4 ,the ,path of ,evolution4 ,the ,work of ,evolution4 ,genesis and ,evolution of ,our ,solar ,system4 ,chaos the seed-ground of ,cosmos1 ,birth of the ,planets1 ,planetary ,spirits4 ,evolution of the ,earth4 ,the ,moon1 the eighth sphere--retrogression4 ,occult ,analysis of ,genesis4 ,the ,nebular ,theory4 ,part ,,iii4 ,christ and ,his ,mission4 ,the ,star of ,bethlehem1 the ,mystery of ,golgotha and the cleansing blood4 ,future ,development and ,initiation4 ,alchemy and ,soul-growth4 ,the ,method of ,acquiring ,first-hand ,knowledge4 ,western ,methods for ,western ,people4 ,esoteric ,training4 ,christian ,rosenkreuz and the ,order of ,rosicrucians4 ,the ,rosicrucian ,initiation4 ,the ,rosicrucian ,philosophy ,,in ,,questions ,,and ,,answers ,price #b4jj1 ,postfree4 ,a book of ready reference upon all mystic matters1 which ought to be in the library of every occult student4 ,it covers #dcb pages2 has a considerable number of illuminating diagrams1 is printed on fine paper in clear type1 reinforced binding of cloth with the beautiful ,rosicrucian ,symbols stamped upon the cover in red1 black and gold2 and the three edges are also gold4 ,,partial ,,list ,,of ,,subjects ,section ,i4--,life on ,earth4 ,social ,conditions1 ,marriage1 ,children1 ,sleep and ,dreams1 ,health and ,disease ,section ,,ii4--,life ,after ,death4 ,cremation4 ,purgatory1 ,the ,first ,heaven1 ,the ,second ,heaven1 ,the ,third ,heaven1 ,guardian ,angels4 ,section ,,iii4--,rebirth4 ,the ,law of ,rebirth1 ,the ,law of ,causation1 ,transmigration4 ,section ,,iv4--,the ,bible ,teachings4 ,the ,creation1 ,the ,fall1 ,the ,immaculate ,conception1 ,sayings of ,christ4 ,section ,v4--,spiritualistic ,phenomena4 ,mediumship1 ,obsession1 ,materialization4 ,section ,,vi4--,clairvoyance4 ,dangers of ,psychism1 ,true ,spiritual ,unfoldment1 ,initiation4 ,section ,,viii4--,animals4 ,their ,life ,here and ,hereafter4 ,it is truly ,,an ,,occult ,,information ,,bureau6 ,how ,shall ,we ,know ,christ ,when he ,comes8 ,by ,max ,heindel #ae;c ,postfree4 ,the title indicates sufficiently the scope of the book4 ,it is direct and to the point like all the writings of this author4 ,the ,rosicrucian ,mysteries ,,an ,,elementary ,,exposition ,,by ,,max ,,heindel #bjj pp4 cloth4 #a4ej postfree4 ,this is the ,book for the ,busy ,man who is seeking a solution to the ,great ,mystery called ,life1 but lacks leisure to wade through volumes of metaphysical speculations4 ,the lucid and logical explanations carry conviction--they bear ,,the ,,stamp ,,of ,,truth ,nevertheless1 the language is so simple1 clear and devoid of technicalities that a child can understand its message4 ,it is therefore specially suited to beginners1 but advanced students will find ,,the ,,mystery ,,of ,,light ,,color ,,and ,,consciousness1 and similar subjects of vital interest4 ,christ or ,buddha8 ,annet ,c4 ,rich4 ,foreword by ,max ,heindel4 #cj;c4 ,postfree4 ,the idea that ,india is the main repository of occult knowledge is held by many who have forsaken the ,christian ,religion to embrace ,hinduism4 8,christ or ,buddha80 shows most clearly that ,,the ,,western ,,wisdom ,,teachings throw a light upon the problems of life which is much more intense1 far-reaching and soul satisfying in every respect than that of the ,eastern teachings4 ,a partial list of contents will indicate its scope4 ,freemasonry and ,catholicism ,by ,,max ,,heindel ,an ,esoteric ,exposition of the ,cosmic ,facts underlying these two ,great ,institutions1 as determined by ,occult ,investigation ,describes the influence of each of these institutions upon the evolution of mankind and the ultimate destiny of each4 ,the building of ,king ,solomon's ,temple has always remained a theme of great interest2 but add to this the story of the ,queen of ,sheba and the real builder of the ,temple1 ,hiram ,abiff1 so seldom read of in current literature1 and truly one is confronted by a story of exquisite and transcendent interest4 ,to have read this book is to have delved deep into the past and to have gained a glimpse into the mysteries that have puzzled philosophers in ages gone by4 ,only a ,mystic and a trained ,seer who has the divine gift of reading the ,akashic ,records of the past could give such a lucid description of this great subject4 ,,this ,,book ,,should ,,be ,,in ,,every ,,mason',s ,,library ,bound in cloth4 #ih pages4 ,price #a4jj ,the ,web of ,destiny ,,how ,,made ,,and ,,unmade ,,including ,the ,occult ,effect of our ,emotions ,prayer--,a ,magic ,invocation ,practical ,methods of ,achieving ,success ,by ,max ,heindel #age pp4 ,cloth ,bound ,two ,dollars ,postfree ,these four series of lessons in one volume are the collected fruits of a ,mystic's investigations showing the unseen forces which shape our destiny4 ,this valuable information is now given for the first time in book form4 ,rosicrucian ,interpretation of ,christianity ,,ancient ,,truths ,,in ,,modern ,,dress ,price #aj;c ,each1 ,postfree ,no4 #a4 ,the ,riddle of ,life and ,death4 ,no4 #b4 ,where ,are the ,dead8 ,no4 #c4 ,spiritual ,sight and the ,spiritual ,worlds4 ,no4 #d4 ,sleep1 ,dreams1 ,trance1 ,hypnotism1 ,mediumship and ,insanity4 ,no4 #e4 ,death and ,life in ,purgatory4 ,no4 #f4 ,life and ,activity in ,heaven4 ,no4 #g4 ,birth a ,fourfold ,event4 ,no4 #h4 ,the ,science of ,nutrition1 ,health and ,protracted ,youth4 ,no4 #i4 ,the ,astronomical ,allegories of the ,bible4 ,no4 #aj4 ,astrology2 ,its ,scope and ,limitations4 ,no4 #aa4 ,spiritual ,sight and ,insight4 ,no4 #ab4 ,parsifal4 ,no4 #ac4 ,the ,angels as ,factors in ,evolution4 ,no4 #ad4 ,lucifer1 ,tempter or ,benefactor8 ,no4 #ae4 ,the ,mystery of ,golgotha and the ,cleansing ,blood4 ,no4 #af4 ,the ,star of ,bethlehem2 ,a ,mystic ,fact4 ,no4 #ag4 ,the ,mystery of the ,holy ,grail4 ,no4 #ah4 ,the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,no4 #ai4 ,the ,coming ,force2 ,vril or ,what8 ,no4 #bj4 ,fellowship and the ,coming ,race4 ,these lectures are particularly suitable for beginners4 ,read consecutively1 they give a comprehensive outline of our philosophy4 ,,they ,,fit ,,the ,,pocket and allow a busy man to utilize time on cars en route to or from business4 ,,give ,,one ,,to ,a ,,friend ,it is an inexpensive and a helpful gift4 ,mysteries of the ,great ,operas ,,by ,,max ,,heindel ,faust1 ,parsifal1 ,the ,ring of the ,niebelung1 ,tannhauser1 ,lohengrin ,the ,secret ,teachings concealed in the ,great ,myths as embodied in the major operas are here interpreted4 ,the ,evolutionary ,plan and ,methods of ,spiritual ,unfoldment are shown to lie hidden in the imagery of ,folk ,tales4 ,the treatment of this subject adapts the book to the use of the musician and student of folklore as well as to the occultist4 ,bound in ,cloth with the usual three colored gold covers used on all ,rosicrucian ,fellowship ,books4 #b4jj ,postfree ,in the ,land of ,the ,living ,dead ,,an ,,occult ,,story ,,by ,,prentiss ,,tucker ,this is a fascinating story of a young mystic's experiences during the ,great ,war1 both upon the seen and the unseen planes4 ,the author possesses great aptitude for portraying conditions upon the superphysical planes so that the layman can form a concrete conception regarding them4 ,published by ,the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship #afh ,pages ,cloth ,bound #a4ej postfree4 ,the ,message of the ,stars ,,max ,,and ,,augusta ,,heindel #gjh pp4 ,cloth4 #c4ej1 ,postpaid ,this book gives a complete system of reading the horoscope for character and the various fortunes of life4 ,the progressed horoscope1 and the art of prediction are fully dealt with4 ,an exposition of ,medical ,astrology and a system of diagnosing disease from the horoscope1 used for many years by the authors in their extensive and successful practice1 are included1 and also a number of articles on the philosophy of ,astrology4 ,the subject of ,medical ,astrology is illustrated by #cf example horoscopes4 ,a new index has been added to both ,natal and ,medical ,astrology4 ,this will be invaluable to the student in quickly locating any desired information in either department4 ,this book is the classic of modern ,astrology4 ,it is set in a most attractive style1 printed on fine paper1 with durable binding1 the cover stamped in colors like other ,rosicrucian textbooks4 ,simplified ,scientific ,astrology ,,by ,,max ,,heindel ,fourth ,edition1 ,revised and ,enlarged ,,with ,,max ,,heindel',s ,,portrait #aih pp4 ,bound in ,cloth4 #a4ej ,postpaid4 ,a complete textbook on the art of erecting a horoscope1 making the process simple and easy for beginners4 ,it also includes a ,philosophic ,encyclopedia --,,and-- ,tables of ,planetary ,hours ,the ,philosophic ,encyclopedia fills a long felt want of both beginners and advanced students for information concerning the underlying reasons for astrological dicta4 ,it is a mine of knowledge arranged in such a manner as to be instantly accessible4 ,simplified ,scientific ,ephemeris #ahfj ,,to ,,date4 ,,price1 #be;c ,,each ,,year ,the increasing difficulty experienced by ,astrologers in obtaining ,ephemerides has induced us to enter the field and produce ,a ,better ,ephemeris ,,at ,,half ,,the ,,price ,,usually ,,charged ,,by ,,others ,the type is as large as used in this book1 the print is clear and beautiful4 ,it will save eye strain4 ,,simplified ,scientific ,tables of ,houses ,latitudes #be to #fj ,degrees1 ,inclusive ,volume #a4 #be-cf degrees ,volume #b4 #cg-dh degrees ,volume #c4 #di-fj degrees ,,with ,,longitudes and ,,latitudes of about ,,fifteen ,,hundred ,,cities ,,of ,,the ,,world #ej;c each volume postpaid4 ,earthbound ,,by ,,augusta ,,foss ,,heindel ,this is a new lecture in our ,rosicrucian ,christianity ,series4 ,it is a very interesting description of the soul who is earthbound after death1 the conditions which surround him on the superphysical planes1 his activities there1 and the causes which hold him in that state4 ,the dangers of the ouija board1 as affording a field of operation for earthbound spirits1 are also described4 #ac ,pages4 ,paper ,bound4 ,price #aj;c4 ,the ,mystical ,interpretation of ,christmas ,,by ,,max ,,heindel ,five dissertations in one volume1 upon this most interesting ,subject of ,,christmas from the ,mystical ,viewpoint1 showing the occult significance of this great event4 ,attractively ,bound in ,heavy ,paper4 #a4jj postfree4 ,correspondence ,courses ,,in ,,christian ,,mysticism ,,and ,,astrology ,christian ,mysticism3 ,a correspondence course of twelve lessons upon the ,rosicrucian ,philosophy1 using the ,cosmo-,conception by ,max ,heindel1 as a textbook4 ,this philosophy gives a logical analysis of the origin1 evolution1 and future development of the world and man1 showing both the spiritual and scientific aspects4 ,it is entirely ,christian1 aiming to make religion a living factor in the world and to lead to ,christ those who cannot reach ,him by faith alone4 ,this course is open to all who are interested4 ,astrology3 ,we want to help you to help others1 and for that reason we have instituted a correspondence course in ,astrology4 ,astrology is to us a phase of religion1 a ,divine ,science4 ,we teach it to others on condition that they will not prostitute it for gain4 ,anyone who is not engaged in fortune telling or similar methods of commercializing spiritual knowledge may be admitted to this course4 ,address3-- --,,secretary-- ,the ,rosicrucian ,fellowship1 ,oceanside1 ,california4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes ,obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected4 ,variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged4 ,the entry 8,catalogue of ,publications0 has been added to the ,table of ,contents4 ,italics are represented thus italic4