,,letters ,,that ,,have ,,helped ,,me ,,compiled ,,by ,,jasper ,,niemand ,reprinted from ,the ,path ,,seventh ,,edition ,,the ,,united ,,lodge ,,of ,,theosophists ,los ,angeles1 ,california #aibj ,to ,z4 ,l4 ,z4 the ,greatest of the ,exiles1 and ,friend of all ,creatures1 from his ,younger ,brother1 the ,compiler4 ,,jasper ,,niemand #ahia ,,preface ,seeking for freedom ,i go to that ,god who is the light of his own thoughts4 ,a man who knows him truly passes over death2 there is no other path to go --,,upanishads4 ,in the ,path for ,may1 #ahhg1 we find these words3 ,we need a literature1 not solely for highly intellectual persons1 but of a more simple character1 which attempts to appeal to ordinary common-sense minds who are really fainting for such moral and mental assistance as is not reached by the more pretentious works4 ,the experience of one student is1 on the whole1 the experience of all4 ,details differ1 however4 ,some are made more instantly rich than others3 they are those who put forth more vigorous and generous effort2 or they have a ,karmic store which brings aid4 ,what ,theosophists know as ,karma1 or the law of spiritual action and reaction1 decides this1 as it works on all the planes1 physical1 moral1 mental1 psychical1 and spiritual alike4 ,our ,karma may be worked out on any one of these planes when our life is chiefly concentrated upon it1 no matter upon what other plane any special initiative impulse or branch of it originated4 ,the writer1 when first he became a ,theosophical student1 had the aid of an advanced occultist in his studies4 ,this friend sent him1 among others1 the letters which1 in the hope that they may assist others as they have the original recipient1 are here published4 ,they are not exhaustive treatises2 they are hints given by one who knew that the first need of a student is to learn how to think4 ,the true direction is pointed out1 and the student is left to clarify his own perceptions1 to draw upon and enlarge his own intuitions1 and to develop1 as every created thing must at last develop1 by his own inward exertions4 ,such students have passed the point where their external environment can affect their growth favorably4 ,they may learn from it1 but the time has also come to resist it and turn to the internal adjustment to higher relations only4 ,the brevity of these letters should not mislead the reader4 ,every statement in them is a statement of law4 ,they point to causes of which life is an effect2 that life arising from the action of ,spirit in ,nature1 and which we must understand as it is manifested within us before we can advance on the ,path4 ,there is a scientific meaning within all these devotional or ethical injunctions1 for the ,wisdom-,religion never relaxes her hold upon ,science or attempts to dissever an effect from its cause4 ,most of these admonitions have their base in the constitution of the ,archus1 or ,world-,soul1 and the correlation of its energies2 others1 still1 adhere in the ,eternal4 ,no less should the reader guard himself against a slight estimate arising from the exquisite modesty of ,z4 ,an occultist is never so truly a man of power as when he has wholly learned and exhibits this truth3 ,and the power the disciple shall desire is that which shall make him appear as nothing in the eyes of men4 ,the inner eye1 the power of seeing1 looks deeper into the source of a man's knowledge and takes it at its true value4 ,those men who are sharers in the ,divine1 whose first office is to give1 are often protected from the demands and curiosity of the careless by a simple exterior which deceives the worldly sense4 ,some men are great because of the ,power which stands behind them1 the divine energies which flow through them2 they are great through having learned how to receive this celestial influx from higher spheres of ,being2 they are the appointed ministrants1 the true servitors of the ,law and pupils of ,masters whose office is humanitarian and universal4 ,such aid is never volunteered2 it follows the ,karmic behest1 and1 when given1 leaves the student free to follow it or not1 as his intuitions may direct4 ,there is not a shadow or vestige of authority in the matter1 as the world understands the word authority4 ,those who travel the unknown way send messages back1 and he who can receives them4 ,only a few of the first steps are here recorded and the first impediments surmounted4 ,no hints of magic lore are to be found2 no formulas of creed or occult powers2 the questions of an awakening soul are answered1 and the pilgrim is shown where lies the entrance to the ,path4 ,the world at large seeks the facts of occult science1 but the student who has resolved to attain desires to find the true road4 ,what may seem to others as mere ethics is to him practical instruction1 for as he follows it he soon perceives its relation to facts and laws which he is enabled to verify1 and what seemed to him the language of devotion merely1 is found to be that of science2 but the science is spiritual1 for the ,great ,cause is pure ,spirit4 ,many students must at some time stand where the writer then stood1 at the beginning of the way4 ,for all these this correspondence is made public1 and they are urged to look within the printed words for their imperishable meaning4 ,they may be cheered to find the footprints of a comrade upon the rugged ,path1 above which the light of ,truth ever shines4 ,yet even this light is not always a clear splendor4 ,it may seem in the daytime a cloud1 and by night a pillar of fire4 ,we must question every external aspect1 even that of ,faith itself1 for the secret and germ of things lies at their core4 ,let us purify even our ,faith2 let us seek ,truth herself1 and not our preconceptions of ,truth4 ,in her mirror we shall never see our own familiar face3 that which we see is still ourselves1 because our real self is truth4 ,as the ,theosophical movement gathers new momentum1 fresh recruits may be aided by those letters which so greatly sustained me1 or encouraged by some copartnership of thought1 and that1 too1 in the real issue confronting them4 ,we first take this issue to be the acquirement of occult knowledge4 ,soon we find that the meaning of all really informed occult writers eludes us4 ,we find that books only serve to remind us of what we knew in the long past1 perhaps when journeying with ,deity1 and the echoes awakened within us are so faint that they are rarely to be caught4 ,whether we study philosophies1 metaphysics1 physics1 ethics1 harmony1 astrology1 natural sciences1 astralism1 magnetism or what not1 we meet with endless contradiction and differentiation2 we forever require to strike the balance of our own intuition4 ,we discover that the final word has not yet been written down upon any of the higher subjects 7unless it be on mathematics1 and scarcely on that71 and that all our learning is but a finger-post to that supreme knowledge of ,truth which is only found and closely guarded within the human heart4 ,thrown back upon our inner perceptions for continual readjustment1 on every side of experience this warning confronts us3 ,stand ready to abandon all thou hast learned6 ,not knowing the one center1 we cannot thoroughly know any sub-center4 ,the cause unknown1 effects mislead us4 ,then we turn to that mysterious center whereby the ,one is manifest in man1 and we begin the study of the heart1 both in itself and in the life it has instituted about us4 ,to be put into more direct communication with the world of cause is now the student's most pressing need4 ,one thing alone prevents this1--himself4 ,he is of such gross fibre that he cannot be porous to thought1 bibulous of the sea of light4 ,to the refinement and dispersal of this lower self--of the man he now takes himself to be--he then directs his will4 ,each man has a different mode of doing this1 but each who advances at all finds that with every new period of his inner life a new self rises before him4 ,looking back over a group of weeks or months1 he is amazed to see what manner of man he was then1 and smiles that pitying smile which we bestow upon the faded letters of our youth4 ,yet some there be who ossify there in their rut2 let them struggle mightily to break up the mass which has resisted all environment1 all change1 all the conditions of progressive life4 ,they have done for themselves what the enemy strives to do for others2 they are the rock in their own path4 ,what our ,eastern brothers call the sheaths of the heart fall away one by one2 when the last bursts open there is a silence1 the silence of the mystic death4 ,but the dead shall arise1 and from that death springs up the first tender growth of eternal life4 ,up to this point we shall not travel in the ensuing pages4 ,yet having realized the real issue so forcibly that his whole strength was at the start directed towards self-knowledge and the right use of ,thought1 the writer offers a part of his first instructions to those of his comrades who1 single-hearted and of royal ,faith1 hold ,truth to be dearer than all material life and seek it on the hidden way4 ,there is no tie in the universe equal to that which binds such comrades together4 ,it has been forged in the fires of unspeakable anguish2 it has been rivetted by a dauntless purpose and a unique1 because ,divine1 ,love4 ,the fierce hatred of seen and unseen worlds cannot tamper with it so long as a man remains true to himself1 for this larger life is himself1 and as he grows towards it his self-imposed fetters fall away and he stands1 at last1 a free soul1 in the celestial ,light which is ,freedom itself1 obedient only to the ,law of its own divine ,being4 ,to reach it1 let us obey the law of our own ,being1 for1 truly1 ,being is ,one4 ,my comrades1 wherever you are1 ,i salute you4 ,,jasper ,,niemand1 ,f4 ,t4 ,s4 ,,letters ,,that ,,have ,,helped ,,me ,i4 ,,my ,,dear ,,jasper3 ,now let me elevate a signal4 ,do not think much of me1 please4 ,think kindly of me2 but oh1 my friend1 direct your thoughts to the ,eternal ,truth4 ,i am1 like you1 struggling on the road4 ,perhaps a veil might in an instant fall down from your spirit1 and you would be long ahead of us all4 ,the reason you have had help is that in other lives you gave it to others4 ,in every effort you made to lighten another mind and open it to ,truth1 you were helped yourself4 ,those pearls you found for another and gave to him1 you really retained for yourself in the act of benevolence4 ,for when one lives thus to help others1 he is thereby putting in practice the rule to try and kill out all sense of separateness1 and thus gets little by little in possession of the true light4 ,never lose1 then1 that attitude of mind4 ,hold fast in silence to all that is your own1 for you will need it in the fight2 but never1 never desire to get knowledge or power for any other purpose than to give it on the altar1 for thus alone can it be saved to you4 ,so many are there around me who are ardent desirers and seekers1 devotees2 but they are doing it because the possession seems valuable4 ,perhaps ,i see in you--,i hope ,i mistake not--a pure desire to seek ,knowledge for its own sake1 and that all others may be benefitted4 ,so ,i would point out to you the only royal road1 the one vehicle4 ,do all those acts1 physical1 mental1 moral1 for the reason that they must be done1 instantly resigning all interest in them1 offering them up upon the altar4 ,what altar8 ,why1 the great spiritual altar1 which is1 if one desires it1 in the heart4 ,yet still use earthly discrimination1 prudence1 and wisdom4 ,it is not that you must rush madly or boldly out to do1 to do4 ,do what you find to do4 ,desire ardently to do it1 and even when you shall not have succeeded in carrying anything out but some small duties1 some words of warning1 your strong desire will strike like ,vulcan upon other hearts in the world1 and suddenly you will find that done which you had longed to be the doer of4 ,then rejoice that another had been so fortunate as to make such a meritorious ,karma4 ,thus1 like the rivers running into the unswelling1 passive ocean1 will your desires enter into your heart4 ,i find all your remarks just2 and besides1 there seems to be a real spirit behind them4 ,do not fear nor fail because you feel dark and heavy4 ,the very rage you feel will break the shrine that covers the mystery after a while4 ,no one can really help you4 ,no one can open your doors4 ,you locked them up1 and only you can open them4 ,when you open any door1 beyond it you find others standing there who had passed you long ago1 but now1 unable to proceed1 they are there waiting2 others are there waiting for you4 ,then you come1 and1 opening a door1 those waiting disciples perhaps may pass on2 thus on and on4 ,what a privilege this1 to reflect that we may perhaps be able to help those who seemed greater than ourselves6 ,o1 what a groan ,nature gives to see the heavy ,karma which man has piled upon himself and all the creatures of the three worlds6 ,that deep sigh pierces through my heart4 ,how can the load be lifted8 ,am ,i to stand for myself1 while the few strong hands of ,blessed ,masters and ,their friends hold back the awful cloud8 ,such a vow ,i registered ages ago to help them1 and ,i must4 ,would to great ,karma ,i could do more6 ,and you6 do what you can4 ,place your only faith1 reliance1 and trust on ,karma4 ,z4 ,,ii4 ,,my ,,dear ,,brother3 ,your last long letter came duly to hand and has been read with much pleasure4 ,it is quite rare to find one willing to enter this movement on the basis you have laid down for yourself1 and my previous letter was written in order to see what your attitude really was1 and also because ,i then felt from your writing that you were really in earnest4 ,and before yours of to-day1 ,i fell to thinking about you and wondering whether a future of power1 a brilliancy of knowledge1 was not your aspiration1 and what effect certain occurrences would have upon that4 ,judge1 then1 my pleasure in reading your words exactly answering my mental inquiries of yesterday and placing you in the right position4 ,it is true1 we must aspire ardently1 and blessed is the one who1 after the first aspiration1 is wise enough to see the ,truth4 ,three qualities forever encompass us3 ,satwa 7truth and stability71 ,rajas 7action1 war1 aspiration1 ambition71 ,tamas 7indifference1 ignorance1 darkness74 ,none may be ignored4 ,so the path lies from ,tamas1 up through war1 ambition1 and aspiration1 to ,satwa1 or truth and stability4 ,we are now in ,rajasika regions1 sometimes lifting our fingers up to the hem of the garment of ,satwa1 ever aspiring1 ever trying to purify our thoughts and free ourselves from the attachment to actions and objects4 ,so1 of course1 the ardent student naturally aspires for power4 ,this is wise4 ,but he must soon begin to see what he must do for real progress4 ,for continual aspiration for power merely is sure to sow for us the giant weed of self1 which is the giant spoken of in ,light on the ,path4 ,as to the ,theosophical ,society1 all should be admitted1 for we can refuse no one4 ,if this is a ,universal ,brotherhood1 we can make no distinctions2 but we can put ourselves right in the beginning by seeing that people do not enter with mistaken notions of what we have4 ,and yet with all our precautions1 how often we find persons who are not really sincere themselves judging us by their standard1 unbelieving in our sincerity4 ,they enter2 they find that each must study for himself and that no guides are told off to each one2 then they are disgusted4 ,they forget that the kingdom of heaven must be taken by violence4 ,we have also had to suffer from our friends4 ,people who have joined us in secret like ,nicodemus2 they have stood idly by1 waiting for the ,cause to get strong or to get fashionable1 and leaving all the hard fighting to be done by a few earnest men who defied the hosts of ,materialism and of ,conventionality4 ,had they spoken for their ,cause1 more earnest people would long ago have heard of the movement1 instead of being kept away until now1 like yourself1 for want of knowledge that it existed4 ,you will find that other members care for nothing but ,theosophy1 and are yet forced by circumstances to work in other fields as well4 ,what moments they have left are devoted to the ,cause1 and in consequence they have no unoccupied hours2 each moment1 day and evening1 is filled up1 and therefore they are happy4 ,yet they are unhappy that they cannot give their entire working time to the ,cause in which some have been from the beginning4 ,they feel1 like ,claude ,st4 ,martin1 a burning desire within them to get these truths to the ears of all men4 ,they are truths1 and you are in the right path4 ,in ,america it is as easy to find the ,light of ,lights as in ,india1 but all around you are those who do not know these things1 who never heard of them1 and yet many of our fellow members are only anxious to study for their own benefit4 ,sometimes1 if it were not for my reliance on those ,great ,beings who beckon me ever on1 ,i would faint1 and1 leaving these people to themselves1 rush off into the forest4 ,so many people like ,theosophy1 and yet they at once wish to make it select and of high tone4 ,it is for all men4 ,it is for the common people1 who are ever with us4 ,others1 again1 come in and wait like young birds for food to be put into them3 they will not think1 and ages must pass before they will progress4 ,you misunderstood a little the words ,do not think much of me4 ,underline much1 but not think4 ,you will please think all the thoughts you will of me1 but do not place me on any pinnacle3 that's all ,i meant4 ,a constant endeavor towards perfecting the mere mortal machine is folly4 ,thereby we sometimes fail to live up to our own intuitions4 ,this habit goes on for some time1 but will get weaker as other senses 7inner ones7 begin to appear4 ,yet know the new fully before being off with the old4 ,inasmuch as we learn almost solely from each other--as we are all here for each other--the question of the effect of affinities upon our acts and thoughts is enormous and wide4 ,it anon saves us1 and anon damns4 ,for we may meet in our lives a person who has a remarkable effect1 either for good or ill1 because of the affinities engendered in past lives4 ,and now our eyes are open1 we act to-day for the future4 ,that you may pass beyond the sea of darkness1 ,i offer you my life and help4 ,z4 ,,iii4 ,say1 ,brother ,jasper1 are you tired8 ,i am4 ,not tired of fate or of the great ,leaders of the ,world1 but with all these people who gape and gape and are 7excuse me7 so ,americanly independent1 as if men were ever independent of each other4 ,you ask about the moment of choice4 ,it is made up of all moments4 ,it is not in space or time1 but is the aggregation of those moments flying by us each instant4 ,it is referred to in ,esoteric ,buddhism as a period not yet arrived for the race1 when it will as a whole be compelled to make choice for good or evil4 ,but any single individual can bring on the period for himself4 ,when it will or has come1 the uninstructed cannot tell4 ,for the student of occultism it may come in the next instant1 or it may come one hundred lives after4 ,but it cannot come this instant unless all the previous lives have led up to it4 ,yet as regards the student1 even if it be presented to him and he refuse1 he will be brought to the choice in future existences1 with the whole body of his race4 ,race influences are insidious and powerful4 ,for instance1 my race has its peculiarities deeply seated and inherited from an extraordinary past4 ,i must be under their influence in this body as a necessary part of my experience4 ,in another life ,i might have been a prosaic ,hottentot1 or an ,englishman1 and in a succeeding one ,i might be under the influence of other race peculiarities4 ,those influences are1 then1 guiding me every moment1 and each thought ,i have adds to them now1 for either my own future use or for some other person who will come under the power of part of the force generated now by me4 ,as to the sub-conscious mind4 ,it is difficult to explain4 ,i find constantly that ,i have ideas that internally ,i thoroughly understand1 and yet can find no language for them4 ,call it sub-conscious if you like4 ,it is there and can be affected2 indeed1 it is affected every moment4 ,it is a nearness to the universal mind4 ,so if ,i desire to influence--say your mind--,i do not formulate your sub-conscious plane1 but firmly and kindly think of you and think of the subject ,i wish you to think of4 ,this must reach you4 ,if ,i am selfish1 then it has more difficulty to get there2 but if it be brotherly1 then it gets there more easily1 being in harmony with the universal mind and the ,law4 ,the ,psychical ,society speaks of it1 and says that the influence emerges into the lower mind by one or more of the channels4 ,but they do not know what those channels are1 or even if they do exist4 ,in fact1 the whole subject of mind is only faintly understood in the ,west4 ,they say mind1 meaning the vast range and departments of that which they call mind1 whereas there must be a need for the names of those departments4 ,when the true ideas are grasped1 the names will follow4 ,meanwhile we must be satisfied with mind as including the whole thing4 ,but it does not4 ,certainly it is not ordinary mental motion--ratiocination--to grasp in an instant a whole subject1 premises and conclusions1 without stopping to reason4 ,it cannot be called a picture1 for with some it comes as an idea1 and not as a picture4 ,memory4 ,what is that8 ,is it brain-impression2 or similarity of vibration1 recognized upon being repeated and then producing a picture8 ,if so1 then the power to recognize the vibration as the same as before is separate from the matter which vibrates4 ,and if the power inhere in the brain cells1 how is it possible1 when we know they are constantly being changed8 ,yet memory is perfect1 no matter what happens4 ,that it is above brain is clear1 because a man may be killed by having his brain blown to atoms1 and yet his shell can give all the incidents of his life1 and they are not taken from the brain1 for that is dead4 ,where1 then1 is the sub-conscious mind8 ,and where are the channels1 and how are they connected8 ,i think through the heart1 and that the heart is the key to it all1 and that the brain is only the servant of the heart1,a for remember that there is in it the small dwarf who sits at the centre4 ,think it out on that line now for yourself--or any other line that you may choose1 but think4 ,as ever1 ,z4 ,footnote ,a3 ,not the physical heart1 but the real centre of life in man4--,j4 ,n4 ,,iv4 ,,dear ,,sir ,,and ,,brother3 ,in cogitating lately ,i thought of you in respect to some of my own thoughts4 ,i was reading a book and looking around within myself to see how ,i could enlarge my idea of brotherhood4 ,practice in benevolence will not give it its full growth4 ,i had to find some means of reaching further1 and struck on this1 which is as old as old age4 ,i am not separate from anything4 ,i am that which is4 ,that is1 ,i am ,brahma1 and ,brahma is everything4 ,but being in an illusionary world1 ,i am surrounded by certain appearances that seem to make me separate4 ,so ,i will proceed to mentally state and accept that ,i am all these illusions4 ,i am my friends1--and then ,i went to them in general and in particular4 ,i am my enemies2 then ,i felt them all4 ,i am the poor and the wicked2 ,i am the ignorant4 ,those moments of intellectual gloom are the moments when ,i am influenced by those ignorant ones who are myself4 ,all this in my nation4 ,but there are many nations1 and to those ,i go in mind2 ,i feel and ,i am them all1 with what they hold of superstition or of wisdom or evil4 ,all1 all is myself4 ,unwisely1 ,i was then about to stop1 but the whole is ,brahma1 so ,i went to the ,devas and ,asuras2,b the elemental world1 that too is myself4 ,after pursuing this course awhile ,i found it easier to return to a contemplation of all men as myself4 ,it is a good method and ought to be pursued1 for it is a step toward getting into contemplation of the ,all4 ,i tried last night to reach up to ,brahma1 but darkness is about his pavilion4 ,now what does all this insanity sound like8 ,i'll tell you what3 if it were not for this insanity ,i would go insane4 ,but shall ,i not take heart1 even when a dear friend deserts me and stabs me deep1 when ,i know that he is myself8 ,,namastae6 ,z4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i found the above letter still more valuable when ,i remembered that ,brahma is the universal expansive force of ,nature--from ,brih1 to expand2 and so stated in an article by ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky in ,five ,years of ,theosophy4 ,in the ,dhammapada we are told to think ourselves to be the sun and stars1 the wet and dry1 heat and cold2 in short1 to feel all experience1 for we can live all out in the mind4 ,j4 ,n4 ,footnote ,b3 ,gods and demons4--,j4 ,n4 ,v4 ,,dear ,,jasper3 ,i wish ,i could answer your letter as you ought to have it done4 ,but ,i feel my inability4 ,however1 our duty is to never consider our ability1 but to do what comes to be done in whatever way we can1 no matter how inadequate the work appears to others4 ,when we stop to consider our weakness1 we think1 by comparison1 of how another would do it4 ,our only right is in the act itself4 ,the consequences are in the great ,brahm4 ,so ,i will just say what comes4 ,i feel the sadness in your letter1 but know that you will rebound from that4 ,do not let the sadness of knowledge create despair2 that sadness is less than the joy of ,truth4 ,abstract ,truth1 even1 has necessarily in it all the mercy there is in the whole4 ,its sternness is only a reflection from our own imperfections1 which make us recognize the stern aspect alone4 ,we are not the only ones to suffer upon the ,path4 ,like ourselves1 ,masters have wept1 though ,they do not now weep4 ,one of them wrote some years ago3 ,do you suppose we have not passed through many times worse trials than you now think you are in8 ,the ,master often seems to reject and to hide his 7spiritual7 face1 in order that the disciple may try4 ,on the doors and walls of the temple the word ,,try is written4 7,the ,brothers is a better designation than ,mahtmas or ,masters47 ,along the path of the true student is sadness1 but also there is great joy and hope4 ,sadness comes from a more just appreciation of the difficulties in one's way1 and of the great wickedness of the individual and collective heart of man4 ,but look at the great fountain of hope and of joy in the consideration that the ,brothers exist1 that ,they were men too2 ,they had to fight the fight2 ,they triumphed1 and ,they work for those left after ,them4 ,then beyond ,them are the ,fathers1 that is1 the spirits of just men made perfect1 those ,who lived and worked for humanity ages ago and ,who are now out of our sphere1 but ,who nevertheless still influence us in that ,their spiritual forces flow down upon this earth for all pure souls4 ,their immediate influence is felt by ,masters1 and by us through the latter4 ,now1 as you say1 it is all ,faith2 but what is ,faith8 ,it is the intuitional feeling--that is true4 ,so formulate to yourself certain things as true that you feel to be true1 and then increase your faith in them4 ,don't be anxious4 ,don't get maddened4 ,because in the fact that you are maddened 7of course in the metaphorical sense7 is found the proof that you are anxious4 ,in a worldly sense it is perhaps well to be anxious about a highly important matter1 but in occultism it is different1 for the ,law takes no account of our projects and objects1 or our desire to be ahead or behind4 ,so1 if we are anxious1 we raise a barrier against progress1 by perturbation and straining harshly4 ,you wrote to ,b4 that what is his1 is his4 ,then the converse is true2 what is not1 is not4 ,why don't you take your own medicine8 ,yours1 ,z4 ,,vi4 ,,dear ,,jasper3 ,it is a great advance that you hear the bells1 which few hear1 and evidence that you are where you can hear them2 that is a great deal indeed4 ,do not look for the voice of the bells1 but regard the ideas which thereupon come into the head1 and apply to them the touchstone of your own ,soul1 just as you advised ,b4 ,the fact that you feel dead is something you should not worry about4 ,it is likely that you are under the operation of a law which prevails in nature1 that you will find referred to in an article in ,path ,magazine for ,april1 '#hf1 page #ad4 ,it is that the soul goes to a new place or new surroundings and becomes silent there awhile--what you call dead--and draws strength there1 begins to get accustomed to its new surroundings1 after which it begins to move about4 ,this is seen in ordinary life in the bashfulness of a boy4 ,that is1 the bashfulness is the shyness felt in new surroundings1 and is just what happens when the soul goes to a new place or into new surroundings4 ,there can be no loss or detriment to our efforts4 ,every aspiration higher brightens up the road connecting the higher and lower self4 ,no doubt of that4 ,it is not what is done1 but the spirit in which the least thing is done that is counted4 ,hear the word of the ,master4 ,he who does the best he knows how and that he can do1 does enough for us4 ,the mere fact that a man appreciates these truths and feels these aspirations is proof that he is on the right road4 ,it is well to tread it now4 ,we will not always live4 ,death must come4 ,how much better1 then1 to embrace death while thus at work than to swerve off only to be brought up with suddenness in after lives4 ,immediate rebirth is for those who are always working with their hearts on ,master's work and free from self interest4 ,the one ,spirit is in all1 is the property of each1 therefore ,it is always there1 always with us1 and1 by reflecting on that1 little room is left for sorrow or delusion4 ,if we believe that the soul of all is measured by the whole of ,time and not by a part1 then we care not for these moments which relate alone to our body4 ,if we live in our hearts we soon prove that space and time exist not4 ,nothing foreign to ,master enters there2 our faults are not there4 ,the heart reaches ,him always1 and no doubt ,he replies4 ,he does ,i know4 ,he helps us while ,he leaves us to ourselves4 ,he needs not to stoop to see our devotion1 for that is of a supernal quality and reaches anywhere4 ,no1 ,i do not say nor have ,i said that you ought to do something other than you do4 ,we each do what we can4 ,none of us can be the judge of any creature existing2 so ,i do not judge you in the least respect4 ,your life may in the great sum total be greater than any life ,i ever led or that any one has led4 ,whether you are in ,america1 ,europe1 or ,india makes no difference4 ,this is seeking conditions4 ,i have come to understand that ,masters themselves must have worked themselves up out of much worse conditions than we are in4 ,no matter where we are1 the same spirit pervades all and is accessible4 ,what need1 then1 to change places8 ,we do not change ourselves by moving the body to another locus4 ,we only put it under a different influence4 ,and in order to change we must have got to dislike the place we moved from4 ,that is attachment by opposites1 and that will produce detriment1 as does all that disturbs the equilibrium of the soul4 ,you know the same result is produced by two exact opposites1 and thus extremes meet4 ,that hot flame you speak of is one of the experiences1 as are also the sounds4 ,there are so many1 many of these things4 ,often they result from extreme tension or vibration in the aura of an aspirant of pure devotion4 ,they are himself1 and he should be on his guard against taking them for wonders4 ,often they are apparitions in ,brahm4 ,they are like new lights and sights to a mariner on an unfamiliar coast4 ,they will go on1 or alter1 or stop4 ,you are only to carefully note them1 and do not exhibit wonder nor form association4 ,i cannot say more4 ,all help you extend to any other soul is help to yourself4 ,it is our duty to help all1 and we must begin on those nearest to us1 for to run abroad to souls we might possibly help we again forsake our present duty4 ,it is better to die in our own duty1 however mean1 than to try another one4 ,so lift your head and look around upon the hulks of past imagined faults4 ,they were means and teachers4 ,cast all doubt1 all fear1 all regret aside1 and freely take of truth what you may contain right on every step4 ,it will thus be well4 ,eternal ,truth is one and indivisible1 and we may get from the ,fathers 7,pitris7 flashes now and then of what is true4 ,words are things4 ,with me and in fact4 ,upon the lower plane of social intercourse they are things1 but soulless and dead because that convention in which they have their birth has made abortions of them4 ,but when we step away from that conventionality they become alive in proportion to the reality of the thought--and its purity--that is behind them4 ,so in communication between two students they are things1 and those students must be careful that the ground of intercourse is fully understood4 ,let us use with care those living messengers called words4 ,where ,i see you mistaken ,i will speak1 to warn my ,brother who temporarily knows not4 ,for did ,i not call on the bugle1 perhaps other things might switch him off to where perhaps for the time he would be pleased1 but would again be sorry1 and then when his mistake was plain he would justly sigh to me across dark centuries of separation that ,i had been false to my duty of warning4 ,as ever1 ,z4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the new plane to which the soul may go1 referred to in this letter1 is the astral plane4 ,it is the plane next above the material one1 and consists of a subtile order of matter4 ,when a student turns his attention to the higher life and desires intensely to find the way1 his soul has begun to awaken and to speak4 ,it has heard the voice of the spirit4 ,then the inner senses begin to unfold1 at first ever so gently1 so tenderly1 we scarce hear their report4 ,but the soul has then turned its attention to the astral plane1 that being the next one to be learned on the way upward2 its energy is transferred from the material plane to this one1 and we have an influx of many confused dreams and strange experiences1 awake and asleep4 ,these may or may not continue2 all depends upon the individual soul and upon ,karma4 ,it is a most confusing plane1 and1 generally speaking1 we may say that those students are more fortunate who make a marked degree of progress in spiritual things without having any conscious experience of the astral plane4 ,for then they can later on learn it from above1 instead of from below1 and with far less danger to themselves4 ,the whole must be known1 but we may progress in various ways1 even by discontinuous degrees1 only then we must go back later on1 to what we passed by4 ,such a going back does not imply detriment or loss of degree1 for such cannot be lost when once gained in reality4 ,with regard to the astral plane being a more subtile order of matter1 this truth is often denied by clairvoyants and untrained seers4 ,they do not distinguish between the psychic senses and the spiritual4 ,they can see through gross matter1 such as a wall1 the human body1 and so forth1 as if it were glass1 but they cannot see through astral substance1 and hence they believe its forms and all the pictures and shapes in the astral light to be real4 ,only the adept sees through these illusions1 which are far more powerful because composed of a subtile order of matter3 subtile energies1 fine forces have a highly increased rate of power over grosser ones4 ,the adept has at his command the rate of vibration which dispels them or drives them asunder4 ,in speaking of the astral plane1 ,i mean the lower soul plane1 and not that higher and purified quality which the author of ,light on the ,path calls the divine astral4 ,by anxiety we exert the constrictive power of egoism1 which densifies and perturbs our magnetic sphere1 rendering us less permeable to the efflux from above4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,vii4 ,,dear ,,jasper3 ,i have your letter1 ,comrade1 in which you say how much you wish there were some ,adepts sent to the ,united ,states to help all true students4 ,yet you know well ,they do not need to come here in person1 in order to help4 ,by going carefully over your letter there appears to be the possibility of the seed of doubt in your heart as to the wise ordering of all things1 for all are under the ,law1 and ,masters first of all4 ,mind1 ,i only say the possibility of the seed of doubt4 ,for ,i judge from my own experience4 ,well do ,i remember when ,i thought as you say1 how much better 'twould be if some one were there4 ,if that is allowed to remain it will metamorphose itself into a seed and afterward a plant of doubt4 ,cast it right out6 ,it does not now show as seed of doubt1 but it will be a case of metamorphosis1 and the change would be so great as to deceive you into thinking it were never from the same root4 ,the best stand to take is that it is all right as it is now1 and when the time comes for it to be better it will be so4 ,meanwhile we have a duty to see that we do all we can in our own place as we see best1 undisturbed and undismayed by aught4 ,how much ,i have in years gone away said and thought those very words of yours and to no profit6 ,why do you care what becomes of a million human beings8 ,are not millions going to death daily with no one to tell them of all this8 ,but did you suppose that all this was not provided for8 ,and heavenly death itself is also well provided for4 ,now1 then1 you and ,i must learn to look on the deaths or the famishing of millions of beings with unfaltering heart4 ,else we had better give it all up now4 ,consider that at this moment are so many persons in various far distant places who cannot ever hear these truths4 ,do you grieve for them8 ,do you realize their state8 ,no2 you realize only partially the same thing among those with whom it was your present lot to be born--,i mean the nation4 ,do you want to do more than your best8 ,do you covet the work of another8 ,no2 you do not4 ,you will sit calmly where you are1 then1 and1 with an unaffected heart1 picture to yourself the moral and physical deaths and famines which are now without the possibility of prevention or amelioration4 ,your faith will know that all is provided for4 ,i do not say that you must attain to that calm now or give up seeking the ,way2 but ,i do say that you must admit that such an attainment must be absolutely tried for4 ,for of such is the trial1 and why should we care8 ,we must some day be able to stand any shock1 and to get ready for that time we must be now triumphant over some smaller things4 ,among others is the very position you and ,i are now in2 that is1 standing our ground and feeling ourselves so much and so awfully alone4 ,but we know that ,they have left us a commandment4 ,that we keep1 although now and then objects1 senses1 men1 and time conspire to show us that ,masters laugh at us4 ,it is all a delusion4 ,it is only one consequence of our past ,karma now burning itself out before our eyes4 ,the whole phantasmagoria is only a picture thrown up against the ,screen of ,time by the mighty magic of ,prakriti 7,nature74 ,but you and ,i are superior to ,nature4 ,why1 then1 mind these pictures8 ,part of that very screen1 however1 being our own mortal bodies1 we can't help the sensation derived therefrom through our connection with the body4 ,it is only another form of cold or heat2 and what are they8 ,they are vibrations2 they are felt2 they do not really exist in themselves4 ,so we can calmly look on the picture as it passes fragmentarily through those few square feet contained within the superficial boundaries of our elementary frame4 ,we must do so1 for it is a copy of the greater1 of the universal form4 ,for we otherwise will never be able to understand the greater picture4 ,now1 then1 is there not many a cubic inch of your own body which is entitled to know and to be the ,truth in greater measure than now8 ,and yet you grieve for the ignorance of so many other human beings6 ,grieve on2 and ,i grieve too4 ,do not imagine that ,i am what is there written4 ,not so4 ,i am grieving just the same outwardly1 but inwardly trying what ,i have just told you4 ,and what a dream all this is4 ,here ,i am writing you so seriously1 and now ,i see that you know it all quite well and much better than ,i do4 ,yet1 my dear ,jasper1 now and then ,i feel--not ,doubt of ,masters who hear any heartbeat in the right direction1 but--a terrible ,despair of these people4 ,oh1 my ,god6 ,the age is black as hell1 hard as iron4 ,it is iron1 it is ,kali ,yuga4 ,kali is always painted black4 ,yet ,kali ,yuga by its very nature1 and terrible1 swift momentum1 permits one to do more with his energies in a shorter time than in any other ,yuga4 ,but heavens1 what a combat6 ,demons from all the spheres2 waving clouds of smoky ,karma2 dreadful shapes2 stupefying exhalations from every side4 ,exposed at each turn to new dangers4 ,imagine a friend walking with you who you see is in the same road1 but all at once he is permeated by these things of death and shows a disposition to obstruct your path1 the path of himself4 ,yes2 the gods are asleep for awhile4 ,but noble hearts still walk here1 fighting over again the ancient fight4 ,they seek each other1 so as to be of mutual help4 ,we will not fail them4 ,to fail would be nothing1 but to stop working for ,humanity and ,brotherhood would be awful4 ,we cannot3 we will not4 ,yet we have not a clear road4 ,no1 it is not clear4 ,i am content if ,i can see the next step in advance only4 ,you seek ,the ,warrior4 ,he is here1 somewhere4 ,no one can find him for you4 ,you must do that4 ,still ,he fights on4 ,no doubt ,he sees you and tries to make you see ,him4 ,still ,he fights on and on4 ,how plainly the lines are drawn1 how easily the bands are seen4 ,some want a certificate1 or an uttered pledge1 or a secret meeting1 or a declaration1 but without any of that ,i see those who--up to this hour--,i find are my companions4 ,they need no such folly4 ,they are there2 they hear and understand the battle-cry1 they recognize the sign4 ,now where are the rest8 ,many have ,i halted1 and spoken the exact words to them1 have exposed to them my real heart1 and they heard nothing3 they thought that heart was something else4 ,i sigh to think how many4 ,perhaps ,i overlooked some2 perhaps some did not belong to me4 ,there are some who partly understood the words and the sign1 but they are not sure of themselves2 they know that they partake of the nature1 but are still held back4 ,do you not see1 ,jasper1 that your place in the ranks is well known8 ,you need no assurances because they are within you4 ,now what a dreadful letter2 but it is all true4 ,a student of occultism after a while gets into what we may call a psychic whirl1 or a vortex of occultism4 ,at first he is affected by the feelings and influences of those about him4 ,that begins to be pushed off and he passes into the whirl caused by the mighty effort of his ,higher ,self to make him remember his past lives4 ,then those past lives affect him4 ,they become like clouds throwing shadows on his path4 ,now they seem tangible and then fade away1 only a cloud4 ,then they begin to affect his impulse to action in many various ways4 ,to-day he has vague calling longings to do something1 and1 critically regarding himself1 he cannot see in this life any cause4 ,it is the bugle note of a past life blown almost in his face4 ,it startles him2 it may throw him down4 ,then it starts before him1 a phantom1 or1 like a person behind you as you look at a mirror1 it looks over his shoulder4 ,although dead and past they yet have a power4 ,he gets too a power and a choice4 ,if all his previous past lives were full of good1 then irresistible is the force for his benefit4 ,but all alike marshal up in front1 and he hastens their coming by his effort4 ,into this vortex about him others are drawn1 and their germs for good or ill ripen with activity4 ,this is a phase of the operation of ,karmic stamina4 ,the choice is this4 ,these events arrive one after the other and1 as it were1 offer themselves4 ,if he chooses wrong1 then hard is the fight4 ,the one chosen attracts old ones like itself perhaps1 for all have a life of their own4 ,do you wonder that sometimes in the case of those who rush unprepared into the circle of ascetics and before the ripe moment1 insanity sometimes results8 ,but then that insanity is their safety for the next life1 or for their return to sanity4 ,receive my brotherly assurances1 my constant desire to help you4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in respect to ,karmic action it is well to recall the statement of ,patanjali that works exist only in the shape of mental deposits4 7,book #b1 ,aph4 #ab1 ,a47 ,by works is here meant ,karma1 the stock of works1 or ,action4 ,its results remain as mental deposits or potential energies in the higher part of the fifth principle1 and when it rencarnates those seeds are there to ripen on the tablets of the mind whenever they are exposed to favoring circumstances4 ,sometimes they remain dormant for want of something to arouse them1 as in the case of children4 ,the mental deposits of works1 collected from time without beginning in the ground of the mind1 as they by degrees arrive at maturation1 so do they1 existing in lesser or greater measure 7the sum of merit being less than that of demerit1 or conversely7 lead to their effects in the shape of rank1 raised or lowered1 444 or experience of good or ill4 7,book #b1 ,aph4 #ac1 ,b47 ,the mind energizes and impels us to fresh action4 ,the impulse lies within1 in germ1 and may be ripened by interior or exterior suggestion4 ,can we1 then1 be too careful to guard the ground of the mind1 to keep close watch over our thoughts8 ,these thoughts are dynamic4 ,each one as it leaves the mind has a vis viva of its own1 proportionate to the intensity with which it was propelled4 ,as the force or work done1 of a moving body1 is proportionate to the square of its velocity1 so we may say that the force of thoughts is to be measured by the square or quadrupled power of their spirituality1 so greatly do these finer forces increase by activity4 ,the spiritual force1 being impersonal1 fluidic1 not bound to any constricting center1 acts with unimaginable swiftness4 ,a thought1 on its departure from the mind1 is said to associate itself with an elemental2 it is attracted wherever there is a similar vibration1 or1 let us say1 a suitable soil1 just as the winged thistle-seed floats off and sows itself in this spot and not in that1 in the soil of its natural selection4 ,thus the man of virtue1 by admitting a material or sensual thought into his mind1 even though he expel it1 sends it forth to swell the evil impulses of the man of vice from whom he imagines himself separated by a wide gulf1 and to whom he may have just given a fresh impulse to sin4 ,many men are like sponges1 porous and bibulous1 ready to suck up every element of the order preferred by their nature4 ,we all have more or less of this quality3 we attract what we love1 and we may derive a greater strength from the vitality of thoughts infused from without than from those self-reproduced within us at a time when our nervous vitality is exhausted4 ,it is a solemn thought1 this1 of our responsibility for the impulse of another4 ,we live in one another1 and our widely different deeds have often a common source4 ,the occultist cannot go far upon his way without realizing to what a great extent he is his brother's keeper4 ,our affinities are ourselves1 in whatever ground they may live and ripen4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,viii4 ,,dear ,,jasper3 ,i seize a few moments to acknowledge your letter4 ,this is a period of waiting1 of silence4 ,nothing seems alive4 ,all oracles are silent4 ,but the great clock of the ,universe still goes on1 unheeding4 ,on ,sunday ,i engaged in ,meditation and received some benefit4 ,i wished ,i could see you to speak of it4 ,yet these things are too high for words1 and when we approach the subjects we are not able to give expression to our thoughts4 ,we do not live up to our highest soul possibilities4 ,all that prevents our reaching up to the high thoughts of the far past is our own weakness1 and not the work of any other4 ,how petty seem the cares of this earth when we indulge in deep reflection2 they are then seen for what they are1 and later on they are obliterated4 ,it is true that the road to the gods is dark and difficult1 and1 as you say1 we get nothing from them at first call2 we have to call often4 ,but we can on the way stop to look ahead1 for no matter how sombre or howsoever weak ourselves1 the ,spectator sees it all and beckons to us1 and whispers1 ,be of good courage1 for ,i have prepared a place for you where you will be with me forever4 ,he is the ,great ,self2 ,he is ourselves4 ,the ,leaders of the world are always trying to aid us4 ,may we pass the clouds and see them ever4 ,all our obstructions are of our own making4 ,all our power is the storage of the past4 ,that store we all must have2 who in this life feels it near is he who has in this life directed his thoughts to the proper channel4 ,that others do not feel it is because they have lived but blindly4 ,that you do not feel it and see it more is because you have not yet directed all your mental energies to it4 ,this great root of ,karmic energy can be drawn upon by directing the fire of our minds in that direction4 ,towards ,love of course is the right way2 the ,love of the ,divine and of all beings4 ,if we feel that after all we are not yet ,great ,souls who participate in the totality of those ,souls who wait upon the gods1 it need not cast us down3 we are waiting our hour in hope4 ,let us wait patiently1 in the silence which follows all effort1 knowing that thus ,nature works1 for in her periods of obscuration she does naught where that obscuration lies1 while doubtless she and we too are then at work on other spheres4 ,that described by you is not the soul2 it is only a partial experience4 ,did you know the ,soul1 then could you yourself reply to all those questions1 for all knowledge is there4 ,in the soul is every creature and every thought alike4 ,that sinking down of your thoughts to the center is practice4 ,it can be done and we cannot explain it2 we can only say do it4 ,still do not hunger to do these things4 ,the first step in becoming is ,resignation4 ,resignation is the sure1 true1 and royal road4 ,our subtle motives1 ever changing1 elude us when we seek it4 ,you are near to it2 it needs a great care4 ,but while the body may be requiring time to feel its full results1 we can instantly change the attitude of the mind4 ,after ,resignation1 follow 7in their own order7 ,satisfaction1 ,contentment1 ,knowledge4 ,anxiety to do these things is an obscurant and deterrent4 ,so try to acquire patient ,resignation4 ,the lesson intended by the ,karma of your present life is the higher patience4 ,i can tell you nothing on this head2 it is a matter for self and practice4 ,throw away every wish to get the power1 and seek only for understanding of thyself4 ,insist on carelessness4 ,assert to yourself that it is not of the slightest consequence what you were yesterday1 but in every moment strive for that moment2 the results will follow of themselves4 ,the ,past6 ,what is it8 ,nothing4 ,gone6 ,dismiss it4 ,you are the past of yourself4 ,therefore it concerns you not as such4 ,it only concerns you as you now are4 ,in you1 as now you exist1 lies all the past4 ,so follow the ,hindu maxim3 ,regret nothing2 never be sorry2 and cut all doubts with the sword of spiritual knowledge4 ,regret is productive only of error4 ,i care not what ,i was1 or what any one was4 ,i only look for what ,i am each moment4 ,for as each moment is and at once is not1 it must follow that if we think of the past we forget the present1 and while we forget1 the moments fly by us1 making more past4 ,then regret nothing1 not even the greatest follies of your life1 for they are gone1 and you are to work in the present which is both past and future at once4 ,so then1 with that absolute knowledge that all your limitations are due to ,karma1 past or in this life1 and with a firm reliance ever now upon ,karma as the only judge1 who will be good or bad as you make it yourself1 you can stand anything that may happen and feel serene despite the occasional despondencies which all feel1 but which the light of ,truth always dispels4 ,this verse always settles everything3 ,in him who knows that all spiritual beings are the same in kind with the ,supreme ,being1 what room can there be for delusion and what room for sorrow when he reflects upon the unity of spirit8 ,in all these inner experiences there are tides as well as in the ocean4 ,we rise and fall4 ,anon the gods descend1 and then they return to heaven4 ,do not think of getting them to descend1 but strive to raise yourself higher on the road down which they periodically return1 and thus get nearer to them1 so that you shall in fact receive their influences sooner than before4 ,adios4 ,may you ever feel the surge of the vast deeps that lie beyond the heart's small ebb4 ,perhaps our comrades are coming nearer4 ,who knows8 ,but even if not1 then we will wait2 the sun must burst some day from the clouds4 ,this will keep us strong while1 in the company of the ,dweller of the ,threshold1 we have perforce to stare and sham awhile4 ,z4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the higher patience alluded to also requires a care4 ,it is the fine line between pride and humility4 ,both are extremes and mistakes2 oscillations from one to the other are only a trifle better4 ,how shall we be proud when we are so small8 ,how dare we be humble when we are so great8 ,in both we blaspheme4 ,but there is that firm spot between the two which is the place neither too high nor too low on which ,krishna told ,arjuna to sit2 a spot of his own4 ,it is the firm place which our faith has won from the world4 ,on it we are always to stand calmly1 not overshadowed by any man however great1 because each of us contains the potentialities of every other4 ,not overshadowed does not mean that we are not to show reverence to those through whom the soul speaks4 ,it is the great soul we reverence1 and not the mortal clay4 ,we are to examine thoughtfully all that comes to us from such persons1 and all that comes to us from any source wearing the aspect of truth1 and try faithfully to see wherein it may be true1 laying it aside1 if we fail1 as fruit not ripe for us yet4 ,we are not to yield up our intuitions to any being1 while we may largely doubt our judgment at all times4 ,we are not to act without the inner asseveration1 but we must not remain ignorant of the serious difficulty of separating this intuitive voice from the babble and prattle of fancy1 desire1 or pride4 ,if we are just to ourselves we shall hold the balance evenly4 ,how can we be just to any other who are not just to ourselves8 ,in the ,law a man suffers as much from injustice to himself as to another2 it matters not in whose interests he has opposed the universal currents2 the ,law only knows that he has tried to deflect them by an injustice4 ,it takes no account of persons nor even of ignorance of the ,law4 ,it is an impartial1 impersonal force1 only to be understood by the aid of the higher patience1 which at once dares all and endures all4 ,never regret anything4 ,regret is a thought1 hence an energy4 ,if we turn its tide upon the past1 it plays upon the seeds of that past and vivifies them2 it causes them to sprout and grow in the ground of the mind3 from thence to expression in action is but a step4 ,a child once said to me when ,i used the word ,ghosts1 ,hush6 ,don't think of them4 ,what we think of always happens4 ,there are no impartial observers like children when they think away from themselves4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,ix4 ,,dear ,,sir ,,and ,,brother3 ,tell your friend and inquirer this3 ,no one was ever converted into ,theosophy4 ,each one who really comes into it does so because it is only an extension of previous beliefs4 ,this will show you that ,karma is a true thing4 ,for no idea we get is any more than an extension of previous ones4 ,that is1 they are cause and effect in endless succession4 ,each one is the producer of the next and inheres in that successor4 ,thus we are all different and some similar4 ,my ideas of to-day and yours are tinged with those of youth1 and we will thus forever proceed on the inevitable line we have marked out in the beginning4 ,we of course alter a little always1 but never until our old ideas are extended4 ,those false ideas now and then discarded are not to be counted2 yet they give a shadow here and there4 ,but through ,brotherhood we receive the knowledge of others1 which we consider until 7if it fits us7 it is ours4 ,as far as your private conclusions are concerned1 use your discrimination always4 ,do not adopt any conclusions merely because they are uttered by one in whom you have confidence1 but adopt them when they coincide with your intuition4 ,to be even unconsciously deluded by the influence of another is to have a counterfeit faith4 ,spiritual knowledge includes every action4 ,inquirers ought to read the ,bhagavad-,gt4 ,it will give them food for centuries if they read with spiritual eyes at all4 ,underneath its shell is the living spirit that will light us all4 ,i read it ten times before ,i saw things that ,i did not see at first4 ,in the night the ideas contained in it are digested and returned partly next day to the mind4 ,it is the study of adepts4 ,let no man be unaware that while there is a great joy in this belief there is also a great sorrow4 ,being true1 being the ,law1 all the great forces are set in motion by the student4 ,he now thinks he has given up ambition and comfort4 ,the ambition and comfort he has given up are those of the lower plane1 the mere reflections of the great ambitions and comforts of a larger life4 ,the rays of truth burn up the covers time has placed upon those seeds1 and then the seeds begin to sprout and cause new struggles4 ,do not leave any earnest inquirer in ignorance of this4 ,it has cost others many years and tears of blood to self-learn it4 ,how difficult the path of action is6 ,i see the future dimly1 and unconsciously in such case one makes efforts either for or against it4 ,then ,karma results4 ,i could almost wish ,i did not hear these whispers4 ,but he who conquers himself is greater than the conquerors of worlds4 ,perhaps you see more clearly now how ,karma operates4 ,if one directs himself to eliminating all old ,karma1 the struggle very often becomes tremendous1 for the whole load of ancient sin rushes to the front on a man and the events succeed each other rapidly2 the strain is terrific1 and the whole life fabric groans and rocks4 ,as is said in the ,east1 you may go through the appointed course in #gjj births1 in seven years1 or in seven minutes4 ,the sentence in ,light on the ,path referred to by so many students is not so difficult as some others4 ,one answer will do for all4 ,the book is written on the basis of ,rencarnation1 and when it says the soiled garment will fall again on you1 it means that this will happen in some other life1 not necessarily in this1 though that may be too4 ,to turn away in horror is not detachment4 ,before we can hope to prevent any particular state of mind or events reaching us in this or in another life1 we must in fact be detached from these things4 ,now we are not our bodies or mere minds1 but the real part of us in which ,karma inheres4 ,karma brings everything about4 ,it attaches to our real inner selves by attachment and repulsion4 ,that is1 if we love vice or anything1 it seizes on us by attachment thereto2 if we hate anything1 it seizes on our inner selves by reason of the strong horror we feel for it4 ,in order to prevent a thing we must understand it2 we cannot understand while we fear or hate it4 ,we are not to love vice1 but are to recognize that it is a part of the whole1 and1 trying to understand it1 we thus get above it4 ,this is the doctrine of opposites spoken of in ,bhagavad-,gt4 ,so if we turn in horror now 7we may feel sad and charitable1 though7 from the bad1 the future life will feel that horror and develop it by reaction into a rencarnation in a body and place where we must in material life go through the very thing we hate now4 ,as we are striving to reach ,god1 we must learn to be as near like ,him as possible4 ,he loves and hates not2 so we must strive to regard the greatest vice as being something we must not hate while we will not engage in it1 and then we may approach that state where we will know the greater love that takes in good and evil men and things alike4 ,good and ,evil are only the two poles of the one thing4 ,in the ,absolute1 ,evil is the same thing in this way4 ,one with absolute knowledge can see both ,good and ,evil1 but he does not feel ,evil to be a thing to flee from1 and thus he has to call it merely the other pole4 ,we say ,good or ,evil as certain events seem pleasant or unpleasant to us or our present civilization4 ,and so we have coined those two words4 ,they are bad words to use4 ,for in the ,absolute one is just as necessary as the other1 and often what seem evil and pain are not absolutely so1 but only necessary adjustments in the progress of the soul4 ,read ,bhagavad-,gt as to how the self seems to suffer pain4 ,what is ,evil now8 ,loss of friends8 ,no2 if you are self-centered4 ,slander8 ,not if you rely on ,karma4 ,there is only evil when you rebel against immutable decrees that must be worked out4 ,you know that there must be these balancings which we call ,good and ,evil4 ,just imagine one man who really was a high soul1 now living as a miser and enjoying it4 ,you call it an evil2 he a good4 ,who is right8 ,you say ,evil because you are speaking out of the ,true2 but the ,true did know that he could never have passed some one certain point unless he had that experience1 and so we see him now in an evil state4 ,experience we must have1 and if we accept it at our own hands we are wise4 ,that is1 while striving to do our whole duty to the world and ourselves1 we will not live the past over again by vain and hurtful regrets1 nor condemn any man1 whatever his deeds1 since we cannot know their true cause4 ,we are not ,karma1 we are not the ,law1 and it is a species of that hypocrisy so deeply condemned by ,it for us to condemn any man4 ,that the ,law lets a man live is proof that he is not yet judged by that higher power4 ,still we must and will keep our discriminating power at all times4 ,as to rising above ,good and ,evil1 that does not mean to do evil1 of course4 ,but1 in fact1 there can be no real ,evil or ,good2 if our aim is right our acts cannot be evil4 ,now all acts are dead when done2 it is in the heart that they are conceived and are already there done2 the mere bodily carrying out of them is a dead thing in itself4 ,so we may do a supposed good act and that shall outwardly appear good1 and yet as our motive perhaps is wrong the act is naught1 but the motive counts4 ,the great ,god did all1 good and bad alike4 ,among the rest are what appear ,evil things1 yet he must be unaffected4 ,so if we follow ,bhagavad-,gt1 second chapter1 we must do only those acts we believe right for the sake of ,god and not for ourselves1 and if we are regardless of the consequences we are not concerned if they appear to be ,good or ,evil4 ,as the heart and mind are the real planes of error1 it follows that we must look to it that we do all acts merely because they are there to be done4 ,it then becomes difficult only to separate ourselves from the act4 ,we can never as human beings rise above being the instruments through which that which is called ,good and ,evil comes to pass1 but as that ,good and ,evil are the result of comparison and are not in themselves absolute1 it must follow that we 7the real we7 must learn to rise internally to a place where these occurrences appear to us merely as changes in a life of change4 ,even in the worldly man this sometimes happens4 ,as1 say ,bismarck1 used to moving large bodies of men and perhaps for a good end1 can easily rise above the transient ,evil1 looking to a greater result4 ,or the physician is able to rise above pain to a patient1 and only consider the good1 or rather the result1 that is to follow from a painful operation4 ,the patient himself does the same4 ,so the student comes to see that he is not to do either ,good or ,evil1 but to do any certain number of acts set before him1 and meanwhile not ever to regard much his line of conduct1 but rather his line of motive1 for his conduct follows necessarily from his motive4 ,take the soldier4 ,for him there is nothing better than lawful war4 ,query4 ,does he do wrong in warring or not1 even if war is unlawful8 ,he does not unless he mixes his motive4 ,they who go into war for gain or revenge do wrong1 but not he who goes at his superior's order1 because it is his present duty4 ,let us1 then1 extend help to all who come our way4 ,this will be true progress2 the veils that come over our souls fall away when we work for others4 ,let that be the real motive1 and the quality of work done makes no difference4 ,z4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it would seem that ,good and ,evil are not inherent in things themselves1 but in the uses to which those things are put by us4 ,they are conditions of manifestation4 ,many things commonly called immoral are consequences of the unjust laws of man1 of egotistic social institutions3 such things are not immoral per se1 but relatively so4 ,they are only immoral in point of time4 ,there are others whose evil consists in the base use to which higher forces are put1 or to which ,life--which is sacred--is put1 so that here also evil does not inhere in them1 but in ourselves2 in our misuse of noble instruments in lower work4 ,nor does evil inhere in us1 but in our ignorance2 it is one of the great illusions of ,nature4 ,all these illusions cause the soul to experience in matter until it has consciously learned every part3 then it must learn to know the whole and all at once1 which it can only do by and through reunion with ,spirit2 or with the ,supreme1 with the ,deity4 ,if we take1 with all due reverence1 so much of the standpoint of the ,supreme as our finite minds or our dawning intuition may permit1 we feel that he stands above unmoved by either ,good or ,evil4 ,our good is relative1 and evil is only the limitation of the soul by matter4 ,from the material essence of the ,deity all the myriad differentiations of ,nature 7,prakriti1 cosmic substance71 all the worlds and their correlations are evolved4 ,they assist the cyclic experience of the soul as it passes from state to state4 ,how1 then1 shall we say that any state is evil in an absolute sense8 ,take murder4 ,it seems an evil4 ,true1 we cannot really take life1 but we can destroy a vehicle of the divine ,principle of ,life and impede the course of a soul using that vehicle4 ,but we are more injured by the deed than any other4 ,it is the fruit of a certain unhealthy state of the soul4 ,the deed sends us to hell1 as it were1 for one or more incarnations2 to a condition of misery4 ,the shock1 the natural retribution1 our own resultant ,karma1 both the penalties imposed by man and that exacted by occult law1 chasten and soften the soul4 ,it is passed through a most solemn experience which had become necessary to its growth and which in the end is the cause of its additional purification4 ,in view of this result1 was the deed evil8 ,it was a necessary consequence of the limitations of matter2 for had the soul remained celestial and in free ,being1 it could not have committed murder4 ,nor has the immortal soul1 the spectator1 any share in the wrong2 it is only the personality1 the elementary part of the soul1 which has sinned4 ,all that keeps the soul confined to material existence is evil1 and so we cannot discriminate either4 ,the only ultimate good is ,unity1 and in reality nothing but that exists4 ,hence our judgments are in time only4 ,nor have we the right to exact a life for a life4 ,vengeance is mine1 saith the ,lord 7,law72 ,i will repay4 ,we become abetters of murder in making such human laws4 ,i do not say that every experience must be gone through bodily1 because some are lived out in the mind4 ,nor do ,i seek to justify any4 ,the only justification is in the ,law4 ,the innocent man unjustly murdered is rewarded by ,karma in a future life4 ,indeed1 any man murdered is reimbursed1 so to say2 for while that misfortune sprang from his ,karma1 occult law does not admit of the taking of life4 ,some men are the weapons of ,karma in their wrong-doing1 but they themselves have appointed this place to themselves in their past4 ,the ,great ,soul needed just that body1 whatever the errors of its nature1 or its physical environment1 and to disappoint the soul is a fearful deed for a man4 ,for it is only man1 only the lower nature under the influence of ,tamas 7the quality of darkness71 which feels the impulse to take life1 whether in human justice1 for revenge1 for protection1 or so on4 ,the soul neither kills nor is killed4 ,what we know as ourselves is only the natural man1 the lower principles and mind1 presided over by the false consciousness4 ,of the soul we have but brief and partial glimpses--in conscience or intuition--in our ordinary state4 ,there are1 of course1 psychic and spiritual states in which more is known4 ,thus nature wars against nature1 always for the purpose of bringing about the purification and evolution of the soul4 ,nature exists only for the purpose of the soul4 ,if we think out the subject upon these lines1 we can at least see how rash we should be to conclude that any deed was unmixed evil1 or that these distinctions exist in the ,absolute4 ,it alone is2 all else is phenomenal and transitory2 these differences disappear as we proceed upward4 ,meanwhile we are to avoid all these immoral things and many others not so regarded by the crowd at all1 but which are just as much so because we know to what increased ignorance and darkness they give rise through the ferment which they cause in the nature1 and that this impedes the entrance of the clear rays of ,truth4 ,i doubt that the soul knows the moral or immoral4 ,for just consider for a moment the case of a disembodied soul4 ,what is sin to it when freed from that shell--the body8 ,what does it know then of human laws or moralities1 or the rules and forms of matter8 ,does it even see them8 ,what lewdness can it commit8 ,so ,i say that these moralities are of this plane only1 to be heeded and obeyed there1 but not to be postulated as final or used as a balance to weigh the soul which has other laws4 ,the free soul has to do with essences and powers all impersonal2 the strife of matter is left behind4 ,still higher and above as within all1 the passionless1 deathless spirit looks down1 knowing well that1 when the natural has once again subsided into its spiritual source1 all this struggle and play of force and will1 this waxing and waning of forms1 this progression of consciousness which throw up coming clouds and fumes of illusion before the eye of the soul1 will have come to an end4 ,even now1 while we cannot master these high themes1 we can have a patient trust in the processes of evolution and the ,law1 blaming and judging no man1 but living up to our highest intuitions ourselves4 ,the real test of a man is his motive1 which we do not see1 nor do his acts always represent it4 ,x4 ,,dear ,,jasper3 ,you ask me about the three qualities sprung from ,nature1 mentioned in the ,bhagavad-,gt4 ,they exist potentially 7latent7 in ,purush 7,spirit71 and during that time spoken of in the ,bhagavad-,gt as the time when ,he produces all things after having devoured them 7which is the same thing as ,saturn devouring his children71 they come forth into activity1 and therefore are found implicating all beings1 who are said not to be free from their influence4 ,being here must refer to formed beings in all worlds4 ,therefore in these forms the qualities exist for form is derived from ,nature,prakriti,cosmic ,substance4--,j4 ,n41 and at the same time implicate the spectator 7soul7 who is in the form4 ,the ,devas are gods--that is1 a sort of spiritual power who are lower than the ,ishwara in man4 ,they are influenced by the quality of ,satwa1 or ,truth4 ,they enjoy a period of immense felicity of enormous duration1 but which having duration is not an eternity4 ,it is written3 ,goodness1 badness1 and indifference--the qualities thus called--sprung from ,nature1 influence the imperishable soul within the body4 ,this imperishable soul is thus separated from the body in which the qualities influence it1 and also from the qualities which are not it4 ,it is ,ishwara4 ,the ,ishwara is thus implicated by the qualities4 ,the first or highest quality is ,satwa1 which is in its nature pure and pleasant1 and implicates ,ishwara by connection with pleasant things and with knowledge4 ,thus even by dwelling in ,satwa the soul is implicated4 ,the second quality is ,raja and causes action2 it implicates the soul because it partakes of avidity and propensity1 and causing actions thus implicates the soul4 ,the third1 ,tamo quality1 is of the nature of indifference and is the deluder of all mortals4 ,it is fed by ignorance4 ,here1 then1 are two great opposers to the soul1 ignorance and action4 ,for action proceeding from ,raja assisted by ,satwa does not lead to the highest place2 while ignorance causes destruction4 ,yet when one knows that he is ignorant1 he has to perform actions in order to destroy that ignorance4 ,how to do that without always revolving in the whirl of action ,karma1 causing rebirths4--,j4 ,n4 is the question4 ,he must first get rid of the idea that he himself really does anything1 knowing that the actions all take place in these three natural qualities1 and not in the soul at all4 ,the word qualities must be considered in a larger sense than that word is generally given4 ,then he must place all his actions on devotion4 ,that is1 sacrifice all his actions to the ,supreme and not to himself4 ,he must either 7leaving out indifference7 set himself up as the ,god to whom he sacrifices1 or the other real ,god--,krishna1 and all his acts and aspirations are done either for himself or for the ,all4 ,here comes in the importance of motive4 ,for if he performs great deeds of valor1 or of benefit to man1 or acquires knowledge so as to assist man1 and is moved to that merely because he thinks he will attain salvation1 he is only acting for his own benefit and is therefore sacrificing to himself4 ,therefore he must be devoted inwardly to the ,all2 that is1 he places all his actions on the ,supreme1 knowing that he is not the doer of the actions1 but is the mere witness of them4 ,as he is in a mortal body1 he is affected by doubts which will spring up4 ,when they do arise1 it is because he is ignorant about something4 ,he should therefore be able to disperse doubt by the sword of knowledge4 ,for if he has a ready answer to some doubt1 he disperses that much4 ,all doubts come from the lower nature1 and never in any case from higher nature4 ,therefore as he becomes more and more devoted he is able to know more and more clearly the knowledge residing in his ,satwa part4 ,for it says3 ,a man who1 perfected in devotion 7or who persists in its cultivation7 finds spiritual knowledge spontaneously in himself in progress of time4 ,also3 ,the man of doubtful mind enjoys neither this world nor the other 7the ,deva world71 nor final beatitude4 ,the last sentence is to destroy the idea that if there is in us this higher self it will1 even if we are indolent and doubtful1 triumph over the necessity for knowledge1 and lead us to final beatitude in common with the whole stream of man4 ,the three qualities are lower than a state called ,turya1 which is a high state capable of being enjoyed even while in this body4 ,therefore in that state1 there exists none of the three qualities1 but there the soul sees the three qualities moving in the ocean of ,being beneath4 ,this experience is not only met with after death1 but1 as ,i said1 it may be enjoyed in the present life1 though of course consciously very seldom4 ,but even consciously there are those high ,yogees who can and do rise up to ,nirvana1 or ,spirit1 while on the earth4 ,this state is the fourth state1 called ,turya4 ,there is no word in ,english which will express it4 ,in that state the body is alive though in deep catalepsy4 ,self-induced by the ,adept4--,j4 ,n4 ,when the ,adept returns from it he brings back whatever he can of the vast experiences of that ,turya state4 ,of course they are far beyond any expression1 and their possibilities can be only dimly perceived by us4 ,i cannot give any description thereof because ,i have not known it1 but ,i perceive the possibilities1 and you probably can do the same4 ,it is well to pursue some kind of practice1 and pursue it either in a fixed place1 or in a mental place which cannot be seen1 or at night4 ,the fact that what is called ,dharana1 ,dhyana1 and ,samdhi may be performed should be known4 7,see ,patanjali's yoga system47 ,dharana is selecting a thing1 a spot1 or an idea1 to fix the mind on4 ,dhyana is contemplation of it4 ,samdhi is meditating on it4 ,when attempted1 they of course are all one act4 ,now1 then1 take what is called the well of the throat or pit of the throat4 #ast4 ,select it4--,dharana4 #b;d4 ,hold the mind on it4--,dhyana4 #c;d4 ,meditate on it4--,samdhi4 ,this gives firmness of mind4 ,then select the spot in the head where the ,shushumna nerve goes4 ,never mind the location2 call it the top of the head4 ,then pursue the same course4 ,this will give some insight into spiritual minds4 ,at first it is difficult1 but it will grow easy by practice4 ,if done at all1 the same hour of each day should be selected1 as creating a habit1 not only in the body1 but also in the mind4 ,always keep the direction of ,krishna in mind3 namely1 that it is done for the whole body corporate of humanity1 and not for one's self4 ,as regards the passions3 ,anger seems to be the force of ,nature2 there is more in it1 though4 ,lust 7so-called7 is the gross symbol of love and desire to create4 ,it is the perversion of the ,true in love and desire4 ,vanity1 ,i think1 represents in one aspect the illusion--power of ,nature2 ,maya1 that which we mistake for the reality4 ,it is nearest always to us and most insidious1 just as ,nature's illusion is ever present and difficult to overcome4 ,anger and ,lust have some of the ,rajasika quality2 but it seems to me that ,vanity is almost wholly of the ,tamogunam4 ,may you cross over to the fearless shore4 ,z4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as regards the practices of concentration suggested in this letter1 they are only stages in a life-long contemplation2 they are means to an end1 means of a certain order among means of other orders1 all necessary1 the highest path being that of constant devotion and entire resignation to the ,law4 ,the above means have a physiological value because the spots suggested for contemplation are1 like others1 vital centers4 ,excitation of these centers1 and of the magnetic residue of breath always found in them1 strengthens and arouses the faculties of the inner man1 the magnetic vehicle of the soul and the link between matter and spirit4 ,this is a form of words necessary for clearness1 because in reality matter and spirit are one4 ,we may better imagine an infinite series of force correlations which extend from pure ,spirit to its grossest vehicle1 and we may say that the magnetic inner vehicle1 or astral man1 stands at the halfway point of the scale4 ,the secret of the circulation of the nervous fluid is hidden in these vital centers1 and he who discovers it can use the body at will4 ,moreover1 this practice trains the mind to remain in its own principle1 without energizing1 and without exercising its tangential force1 which is so hard to overcome4 ,thought has a self-reproductive power1 and when the mind is held steadily to one idea it becomes colored by it1 and1 as we may say1 all the correlates of that thought arise within the mind4 ,hence the mystic obtains knowledge about any object of which he thinks constantly in fixed contemplation4 ,here is the rationale of ,krishna's words3 ,think constantly of me2 depend on me alone2 and thou shalt surely come unto me4 ,the pure instincts of children often reveal occult truths4 ,i heard a girl of fifteen say recently3 ,when ,i was a small child ,i was always supposin'4 ,i used to sit on the window seat and stare1 stare1 at the moon1 and ,i was supposin' that1 if ,i only stared long enough1 ,i'd get there and know all about it4 ,spiritual culture is attained through concentration4 ,it must be continued daily and every moment to be of use4 ,the ,elixir of ,life 7,five ,years of ,theosophy7 gives us some of the reasons for this truth4 ,meditation has been defined as the cessation of active1 external thought4 ,concentration is the entire life-tendency to a given end4 ,for example1 a devoted mother is one who consults the interests of her children and all branches of their interests in and before all things2 not one who sits down to think fixedly about one branch of their interests all the day4 ,life is the great teacher2 it is the great manifestation of ,soul1 and ,soul manifests the ,supreme4 ,hence all methods are good1 and all are but parts of the great aim1 which is ,devotion4 ,devotion is success in actions1 says the ,bhagavad-,gt4 ,we must use higher and lower faculties alike1 and beyond those of mind are those of the ,spirit1 unknown but discoverable4 ,the psychic powers1 as they come1 must also be used1 for they reveal laws4 ,but their value must not be exaggerated1 nor must their danger be ignored4 ,they are more subtle intoxicants than the gross physical energies4 ,he who relies upon them is like a man who gives way to pride and triumph because he has reached the first wayside station on the peaks he has set out to climb4 ,like despondency1 like doubt1 like fear1 like vanity1 pride1 and self-satisfaction1 these powers too are used by ,nature as traps to detain us4 ,every occurrence1 every object1 every energy may be used for or against the great end3 in each ,nature strives to contain ,spirit1 and ,spirit strives to be free4 ,shall the substance paralyze the motion1 or shall the motion control the substance8 ,the interrelation of these two is manifestation4 ,the ratio of activity governs spiritual development2 when the great ,force has gained its full momentum1 ,it carries us to the borders of the ,unknown4 ,it is a ,force intelligent1 self-conscious1 and spiritual3 its lower forms1 or vehicles1 or correlates may be evoked by us1 but ,itself comes only of ,its own volition4 ,we can only prepare a vehicle for ,it1 in which1 as ,behmen says1 the ,holy ,ghost may ride in ,its own chariot4 ,the ,self cannot be known by the ,vedas1 nor by the understanding1 nor by much learning4 ,he whom the ,self chooses1 by him alone the ,self can be gained4 ,the ,self chooses him as his own4 ,but the man who has not first turned aside from his wickedness1 who is not calm and subdued1 or whose mind is not at rest1 he can never obtain the ,self1 even by knowledge4 ,the italics are mine2 they indicate the value of that stage of contemplation hitherto referred to as that in which the mind has ceased to energize1 and when the pure energies of ,nature go to swell the fountain of ,spirit4 ,in regard to the phrase in the above letter that the ,adept brings back what he can from ,turya1 it is to be understood as referring to the fact that all depends upon the cordination of the various principles in man4 ,he who has attained perfection or ,mahtmaship has assumed complete control of the body and informs it at will4 ,but1 of course1 while in the body he is still1 to some extent1 as a soul of power1 limited by that body or vehicle4 ,that is to say1 there are experiences not to be shared by that organ of the soul called by us the body1 and beyond a certain point its brain cannot reflect or recall them4 ,this point varies according to the degree of attainment of individual souls1 and while in some it may be a high point of great knowledge and power1 still it must be considered as limited compared with those spiritual experiences of the freed soul4 ,the work upon which all disciples are employed is that of rendering the body more porous1 more fluidic1 more responsive to all spiritual influences which arise in the inner center1 in the soul which is an undivided part of the great ,soul of all1 and less receptive of the outside material influences which are generated by the unthinking world and by those qualities which are in nature4 ,abstract thought is said to be the power of thinking of a thing apart from its qualities2 but these qualities are the phenomenal1 the evident1 and they make the most impression upon our senses4 ,they bewilder us1 and they form a part of that trap which ,nature sets for us lest we discover her inmost secret and rule her4 ,more than this3 our detention as individual components of a race provides time for that and other races to go through evolutionary experience slowly1 provides long and repeated chances for every soul to amend1 to return1 to round the curve of evolution4 ,in this ,nature is most merciful1 and even in the darkness of the eighth sphere to which souls of spiritual wickedness descend1 her impulses provide opportunities of return if a single responsive energy is left in the self-condemned soul4 ,many persons insist upon a perfect moral code tempered by social amenities1 forgetting that these vary with climate1 nationalities1 and dates4 ,virtue is a noble offering to the ,lord4 ,but insomuch as it is mere bodily uprightness and mere mental uprightness1 it is insufficient and stands apart from uprightness of the psychic nature or the virtue of soul4 ,the virtue of the soul is true ,being2 its virtue is1 to be free4 ,the body and the mind are not sharers in such experiences1 though they may afterward reflect them1 and this reflection may inform them with light and power of their own kind4 ,spirituality is not virtue4 ,it is impersonality1 in one aspect4 ,it is as possible to be spiritually wicked as to be spiritually good4 ,these attributes are only conferred upon spirituality by reason of its use for or against the great evolutionary ,law1 which must finally prevail because it is the ,law of the ,deity1 an expression of the nature and ,being of the ,unknown1 which nature is towards manifestation1 self-realization1 and rebsorption4 ,all that clashes with this ,law by striving for separate existence must in the long run fail1 and any differentiation which is in itself incapable of rebsorption is reduced to its original elements1 in which shape1 so to say1 it can be reabsorbed4 ,spirituality is1 then1 a condition of ,being which is beyond expression in language4 ,call it a rate of vibration1 far beyond our cognizance4 ,its language is the language of motion1 in its incipiency1 and its perfection is beyond words and even thought4 ,the knowledge of the ,supreme ,principle is a divine silence1 and the quiescence of all the senses4--7,clavis of ,hermes47 ,likes and dislikes1 good and evil1 do not in the least affect the knower of ,brahm1 who is bodiless and always existing4--7,crest ,jewel of ,wisdom47 ,of that nature which is beyond intellect many things are asserted according to intellection1 but it is contemplated by a cessation of intellectual energy better than with it4--7,porphyrios47 ,thought is bounded1 and we seek to enter the boundless4 ,the intellect is the first production of ,nature which energizes for the experience of the soul1 as ,i said4 ,when we recognize this truth we make use of that natural energy called ,thought for comparison1 instruction1 and the removal of doubt1 and so reach a point where we restrain the outward tendencies of ,nature1 for1 when these are resolved into their cause and ,nature is wholly conquered and restrained1 that cause manifests itself both in and beyond ,nature4 ,the incorporeal substances in descending are divided and multiplied about individuals with a diminution of power2 but when they ascend by their energies beyond bodies1 they become united and exist as a whole by and through exuberance of power4--7,porphyrios47 ,these hints may suffice for such minds as are already upon the way4 ,others will be closed to them4 ,language only expresses the experiences of a race1 and since ours has not reached the upper levels of ,being we have as yet no words for these things4 ,the ,east has ever been the home of spiritual research2 she has given all the great religions to the world4 ,the ,sanscrit has thus terms for some of these states and conditions1 but even in the ,east it is well understood that the formless cannot be expressed by form1 or the ,illimitable by the limits of words or signs4 ,the only way to know these states is to be them3 we never can really know anything which we are not4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,xi4 ,it has been with regret that ,i hear of your serious illness1 ,jasper4 ,while life hangs in the balance1 as it would seem yours does and for some time will1 you will feel much depression4 ,now it is not usual to thus calmly talk to a person of his death1 but you do not mind1 so ,i talk4 ,i do not agree with you that death is well4 ,yours is not a case like that of ---- who was to die and decided to accept life from ,great ,powers and work on for ,humanity amid all the throes and anguish of that body4 ,why should you not live now as long as you can in the present body1 so that in it you may make all the advance possible and by your life do as much good as you can to the ,cause and man8 ,for you have not yet as ,jasper ,niemand had a chance to entitle you to extraordinary help after death in getting back again soon1 so that you would die and run the chance of a long ,devachan and miss much that you might do for ,them4 ,such are my views4 ,life is better than death1 for death again disappoints the ,self4 ,death is not the great informer or producer of knowledge4 ,it is only the great curtain on the stage to be rung up next instant4 ,complete knowledge must be attained in the triune man3 body1 soul1 and spirit4 ,when that is obtained1 then he passes on to other spheres1 which to us are unknown and are endless4 ,by living as long as one can1 one gives the ,self that longer chance4 ,atmanam atmana pashya 7,raise the ,self by the self--,gt7 does not seem to be effective after the threshold of death is passed4 ,the union of the trinity is only to be accomplished on earth in a body1 and then release is desirable4 ,it is not for myself that ,i speak1 ,brother1 but for thee1 because in death ,i can lose no one4 ,the living have a greater part in the dead than the dead have in the living4 ,the doubt which you now feel as to success is morbid4 ,please destroy it4 ,better a false hope with no doubt1 than much knowledge with doubts of your own chances4 ,he that doubteth is like the waves of the sea1 driven by the wind and tossed4 ,doubt is not to be solely guarded against when applied to ,masters 7whom ,i know you doubt not74 ,it is most to be guarded and repelled in relation to oneself4 ,any idea that one cannot succeed1 or had better die than live because an injured body seems to make success unattainable1 is doubt4 ,we dare not hope1 but we dare try to live on and on that we may serve ,them as ,they serve the ,law4 ,we are not to try to be chelas or to do any one thing in this incarnation1 but only to know and to be just as much as we can1 and the possibility is not measured4 ,reflect1 then1 that it is only a question of being overcome--by what8 ,by something outside4 ,but if you accuse or doubt yourself1 you then give the enemy a rest2 he has nothing to do1 for you do it all yourself for him1 and1 leaving you to your fate1 he seeks other victims4 ,rise1 then1 from this despondency and seize the sword of knowledge4 ,with it1 and with ,love1 the universe is conquerable4 ,not that ,i see thee too despondent1 ,jasper1 but ,i fain would give thee my ideas1 even did something kill thee against our will next day4 ,am glad that although the body is painful1 you yourself are all right4 ,we have in various ways to suffer1 and ,i do not doubt it is a great advance if we can in the midst of physical suffering grasp and hold ourselves calm and away from it4 ,yet also the body must be rested4 ,rest1 and let the anxieties to do lie still and dormant4 ,by that they are not killed1 and when the body gets stronger more is known4 ,you have been in storms enough4 ,a few moments' reflection will show you that we make our own storms4 ,the power of any and all circumstances is a fixed1 unvarying quality1 but as we vary in our reception of these1 it appears to us that our difficulties vary in intensity4 ,they do not at all4 ,we are the variants4 ,if we admit that we are in the stream of evolution1 then each circumstance must be to us quite right4 ,and in our failures to perform set acts should be our greatest helps1 for we can in no other way learn that calmness which ,krishna insists upon4 ,if all our plans succeeded1 then no contrasts would appear to us4 ,also those plans we make may all be made ignorantly and thus wrongly1 and kind ,nature will not permit us to carry them out4 ,we get no blame for the plan1 but we may acquire ,karmic demerit by not accepting the impossibility of achieving4 ,ignorance of the law cannot be pleaded among men1 but ignorance of fact may4 ,in occultism1 even if you are ignorant of some facts of importance you are not passed over by ,the ,law1 for ,it has regard for no man1 and pursues ,its adjustments without regard to what we know or are ignorant of4 ,if you are at all cast down1 or if any of us is1 then by just that much are our thoughts lessened in power4 ,one could be confined in a prison and yet be a worker for the ,cause4 ,so ,i pray you to remove from your mind any distaste for present circumstances4 ,if you can succeed in looking at it all as just what you in fact desired1 then it will act not only as a strengthener of your good thoughts1 but will reflexly act on your body and make it stronger4 ,all this reminds me of ,h41 of whose failure you now know4 ,and in this be not disappointed4 ,it could hardly be otherwise4 ,unwisely he made his demands upon the ,law before being quite ready4 ,that is1 unwisely in certain senses1 for in the greater view naught can be unwise4 ,his apparent defeat1 at the very beginning of the battle1 is for him quite of course4 ,he went where the fire is hottest and made it hotter by his aspirations4 ,all others have and all will suffer the same4 ,for it makes no difference that his is a bodily affection2 as all these things proceed from mental disturbances1 we can easily see the same cause under a physical ailment as under a mental divagation4 ,strangely1 too1 ,i wrote you of the few who really do stay1 and soon after this news came and threw a light--a red one1 so to say--upon the information of ,h's retreat4 ,see how thought interlinks with thought on all planes when the ,true is the aim4 ,we ourselves are not wholly exempt1 inasmuch as we daily and hourly feel the strain4 ,accept the words of a fellow traveller2 these3 ,keep up the aspiration and the search1 but do not maintain the attitude of despair or the slightest repining4 ,not that you do4 ,i cannot find the right words2 but surely you would know all1 were it not that some defects hold you back4 ,the darkness and the desolation are sure to be ours1 but it is only illusionary4 ,is not the ,self pure1 bright1 bodiless1 and free1--and art thou not that8 ,the daily waking life is but a penance and the trial of the body1 so that it too may thereby acquire the right condition4 ,in dreams we see the truth and taste the joys of heaven4 ,in waking life it is ours to gradually distill that dew into our normal consciousness4 ,then1 too1 remember that the influences of this present age are powerful for producing these feelings4 ,what despair and agony of doubt exist to-day in all places4 ,in this time of upturning1 the wise man waits4 ,he bends himself1 like the reed1 to the blast1 so that it may blow over his head4 ,rising1 as you do1 into the plane where these currents are rushing while you try to travel higher still1 you feel these inimical influences1 although unknown to you4 ,it is an age of iron4 ,a forest of iron trees1 black and forbidding1 with branches of iron and brilliant leaves of steel4 ,the winds blow through its arches and we hear a dreadful grinding and crashing sound that silences the still small voice of ,love4 ,and its inhabitants mistake this for the voice of ,god2 they imitate it and add to its terrors4 ,faint not1 be not self-condemned4 ,we both are that soundless ,,om2 we rest together upon the bosom of ,master4 ,you are not tired2 it is that body1 now weak1 and not only weak but shaken by the force of your own powers1 physical and psychical4 ,but the wise man learns to assume in the body an attitude of carelessness that is more careful really than any other4 ,let that be yours4 ,you are judge4 ,who accepts you1 who dares judge but yourself8 ,let us wait1 then1 for natural changes1 knowing that if the eye is fixed where the light shines1 we shall presently know what to do4 ,this hour is not ripe4 ,but unripe fruit gets ripe1 and falls or is plucked4 ,the day must surely strike when you will pluck it down4 ,you are no longer troubled by vain fears or compromises4 ,when the great thought comes near enough1 you will go4 ,we must all be servants before we can hope to be masters in the least4 ,i have been re-reading the life of ,buddha1 and it fills me with a longing desire to give myself for humanity1 to devote myself to a fierce1 determined effort to plant myself nearer the altar of sacrifice4 ,as ,i do not always know just what ought to be done1 ,i must stand on what ,master says3 ,do what you can1 if you ever expect to see ,them4 ,this being true1 and another ,adept saying1 ,follow the ,path ,they and ,i show1 but do not follow my path1 why then1 all we can do1 whether great or small1 is to do just what we can1 each in his proper place4 ,it is sure that if we have an immense devotion and do our best1 the result will be right for ,them and us1 even though we would have done otherwise had we known more when we were standing on a course of action4 ,a devoted ,chela once said3 ,i do not mind all these efforts at explanation and all this trouble1 for ,i always have found that that which was done in ,master's name was right and came out right4 ,what is done in those names is done without thought of self1 and motive is the essential test4 ,so ,i am sad and not sad4 ,not sad when ,i reflect on the great ,ishwar1 the ,lord1 permitting all these antics and shows before our eyes4 ,sad when ,i see our weakness and disabilities4 ,we must be serene and do what we can4 ,ramaswamier rushed off into ,sikkhim to try and find ,master1 and met someone who told him to go back and do his duty4 ,that is all any of us can do2 often we do not know our duty1 but that too is our own fault2 it is a ,karmic disability4 ,you ask me how you shall advise your fellow student4 ,the best advice is found in your own letter to me in which you say that the true monitor is within4 ,that is so4 ,ten thousand ,adepts can do one no great good unless we ourselves are ready1 and ,they only act as suggestors to us of what possibilities there are in every human heart4 ,if we dwell within ourselves1 and must live and die by ourselves1 it must follow that running here and there to see any thing or person does not in itself give progress4 ,mind1 ,i do not oppose consorting with those who read holy books and are engaged in dwelling on high themes4 ,i am only trying to illustrate my idea that this should not be dwelt on as an end2 it is only a means and one of many4 ,there is no help like association with those who think as we do1 or like the reading of good books4 ,the best advice ,i ever saw was to read holy books or whatever books tend to elevate yourself1 as you have found by experience4 ,there must be some4 ,once ,i found some abstruse theological writings of ,plotinus to have that effect on me--very ennobling1 and also an explanation of the wanderings of ,ulysses4 ,then there is the ,gt4 ,all these are instinct with a life of their own which changes the vibrations4 ,vibration is the key to it all4 ,the different states are only differences of vibration1 and we do not recognize the astral or other planes because we are out of tune with their vibrations4 ,this is why we now and then dimly feel that others are peering at us1 or as if a host of people rushed by us with great things on hand1 not seeing us and we not seeing them4 ,it was an instant of synchronous vibration4 ,but the important thing is to develop the ,self in the self1 and then the possessions of wisdom belonging to all wise men at once belong to us4 ,each one would see the ,self differently and would yet never see it1 for to see it is to be it4 ,but for making words we say1 ,see it4 ,it might be a flash1 a blazing wheel1 or what not4 ,then there is the lower self1 great in its way1 and which must first be known4 ,when first we see it1 it is like looking into a glove1 and for how many incarnations may it not be so8 ,we look inside the glove and there is darkness2 then we have to go inside and see that1 and so on and on4 ,the mystery of the ages is man2 each one of us4 ,patience is needed in order that the passage of time required for the bodily instrument to be altered or controlled is complete4 ,violent control is not as good as gentle control continuous and firmly unrelaxed4 ,the ,seeress of ,prevorst found that a gentle current did her more good than a violent one would4 ,gentleness is better because an opposition current is always provoked1 and of course if that which produces it is gentle1 it will also be the same4 ,this gives the unaccustomed student more time and gradual strength4 ,i think your fellow-student will be a good instrument1 but we must not break the silence of the future lest we raise up unknown and difficult tribes who will not be easy to deal with4 ,every situation ought to be used as a means4 ,this is better than philosophy1 for it enables us to know philosophy4 ,you do not progress by studying other people's philosophies1 for then you do but get their crude ideas4 ,do not crowd yourself1 nor ache to puzzle your brains with another's notions4 ,you have the key to self and that is all2 take it and drag out the lurker inside4 ,you are great in generosity and love1 strong in faith1 and straight in perception4 ,generosity and love are the abandonment of self4 ,that is your staff4 ,increase your confidence1 not in your abilities1 but in the great ,all being thyself4 ,i would to ,god you and all the rest might find peace4 ,z4 ,,xii4 ,,dear ,,jasper3 ,there are so many questioners who ask about ,chelaship,c that your letter comes quite apropos to experiences of my own4 ,you say that these applicants must have some answer1 and in that ,i agree with you4 ,and whether they are ready or unready1 we must be able to tell them something4 ,but generally they are not ready1 nor1 indeed1 are they willing to take the first simple step which is demanded4 ,i will talk the matter over with you for your future guidance in replying to such questions2 perhaps also to clear up my own mind4 ,the first question a man should ask himself 7and by man we mean postulants of either sex7 is3 ,when and how did ,i get a desire to know about chelaship and to become a chela82 and secondly1 ,what is a chela1 and what chelaship8 ,there are many sorts of chelas4 ,there are lay chelas and probationary ones2 accepted chelas and those who are trying to fit themselves to be even lay chelas4 ,any person can constitute himself a lay chela1 feeling sure that he may never in this life consciously hear from his guide4 ,then as to probationary chelas1 there is an invariable rule that they go upon seven years' trial4 ,these trials do not refer to fixed and stated tests1 but to all the events of life and the bearing of the probationer in them4 ,there is no place to which applicants can be referred where their request could be made1 because these matters do not relate to places and to officials3 this is an affair of the inner nature4 ,we become chelas2 we obtain that position in reality because our inner nature is to that extent opened that it can and will take knowledge3 we receive the guerdon at the hands of the ,law4 ,in a certain sense every sincere member of the ,theosophical ,society is in the way of becoming a chela1 because the ,masters do some of ,their work with and for humanity through this ,society1 selected by ,them as ,their agent4 ,and as all ,their work and aspiration are to the end of helping the race1 no one of ,their chelas can hope to remain 7or become7 such1 if any selfish desire for personal possessions of spiritual wealth constitutes the motive for trying to be a chela4 ,such a motive1 in the case of one already a chela1 acts instantly to throw him out of the ranks1 whether he be aware of his loss or not1 and in the case of one trying to become a chela it acts as a bar4 ,nor does a real chela spread the fact that he is such4 ,for this ,lodge is not like exoteric societies which depend upon favor or mere outward appearances4 ,it is a real thing with living ,spirit-men at its head1 governed by laws that contain within themselves their own executioners1 and that do not require a tribunal1 nor accusations1 nor verdicts1 nor any notice whatever4 ,as a general thing a person of ,european or ,american birth has extreme difficulty to contend with4 ,he has no heredity of psychical development to call upon2 no known assembly of ,masters or ,their chelas within reach4 ,his racial difficulties prevent him from easily seeing within himself2 he is not introspective by nature4 ,but even he can do much if he purifies his motive1 and either naturally possesses or cultivates an ardent and unshakeable faith and devotion4 ,a faith that keeps him a firm believer in the existence of ,masters even through years of non-intercourse4 ,they are generous and honest debtors and always repay4 ,how ,they repay1 and when1 is not for us to ask4 ,men may say that this requires as blind devotion as was ever asked by any ,church4 ,it does1 but it is a blind devotion to ,masters who are ,truth itself2 to ,humanity and to yourself1 to your own intuitions and ideals4 ,this devotion to an ideal is also founded upon another thing1 and that is that a man is hardly ready to be a chela unless he is able to stand alone and uninfluenced by other men or events1 for he must stand alone1 and he might as well know this at the beginning as at the end4 ,there are also certain qualifications which he must possess4 ,these are to be found in ,man1 a ,fragment of ,forgotten ,history towards the close of the book1 so we will not dwell upon them here4 ,the question of the general fitness of applicants being disposed of1 we come to the still more serious point of the relations of ,guru and ,chela1 or ,master and ,disciple4 ,we want to know what it really is to be a pupil of such a ,teacher4 ,the relation of ,guru and ,chela is nothing if it is not a spiritual one4 ,whatever is merely outward1 or formal1 as the relation established by mere asking and acceptance1 is not spiritual1 but formal1 and is that which arises between teacher and pupil4 ,yet even this latter is not in any way despicable1 because the teacher stands to his pupil1 in so far forth as the relation permits1 in the same way as the ,guru to his ,chela4 ,it is a difference of degree2 but this difference of degree is what constitutes the distinction between the spiritual and the material1 for1 passing along the different shadings from the grossest materiality to as far as we can go1 we find at last that matter merges into spirit4 7,we are now speaking1 of course1 about what is commonly called matter1 while we well know that in truth the thing thus designated is not really matter1 but an enormous illusion which in itself has no existence4 ,the real matter1 called mulaprakriti by the ,hindus1 is an invisible thing or substance of which our matter is a representation4 ,the real matter is what the ,hermetists called primordial earth2 a1 for us1 intangible phase of matter4 ,we can easily come to believe that what is really called matter is not really such1 inasmuch as we find clairvoyants and nervous people seeing through thick walls and closed doors4 ,were this matter1 then they could not see through it4 ,but when an ordinary clairvoyant comes face to face with primordial matter1 he or she cannot see beyond1 but is met by a dead wall more dense than any wall ever built by human hands47 ,so from earliest times1 among all but the modern western people1 the teacher was given great reverence by the pupil1 and the latter was taught from youth to look upon his preceptor as only second to his father and mother in dignity4 ,it was among these people a great sin1 a thing that did one actual harm in his moral being1 to be disrespectful to his teacher even in thought4 ,the reason for this lay then1 and no less to-day does also lie1 in the fact that a long chain of influence extends from the highest spiritual guide who may belong to any man1 down through vast numbers of spiritual chiefs1 ending at last even in the mere teacher of our youth4 ,or1 to restate it in modern reversion of thought1 a chain extends up from our teacher or preceptors to the highest spiritual chief in whose ray or descending line one may happen to be4 ,and it makes no difference whatever1 in this occult relation1 that neither pupil nor final guide may be aware1 or admit1 that this is the case4 ,thus it happens that the child who holds his teacher in reverence and diligently applies himself accordingly with faith1 does no violence to this intangible but mighty chain1 and is benefited accordingly1 whether he knows it or not4 ,nor again does it matter that a child has a teacher who evidently gives him a bad system4 ,this is his ,karma1 and by his reverent and diligent attitude he works it out1 and transcends erstwhile that teacher4 ,this chain of influence is called the ,guruparampara chain4 ,the ,guru is the guide or readjuster1 and may not always combine the function of teacher with it4 ,z4 ,footnote ,c3 ,chela means disciple4 ,it is a ,sanscrit word4--,j4 ,n4 ,,xiii4 ,,dear ,,jasper3 ,we now have passed from the mere usual and worldly relations of teacher and pupil to that which we will call the ,lodge for the nonce4 ,this ,lodge is not to be taken up in the pincers of criticism and analyzed or fixed4 ,it is at once everywhere and nowhere4 ,it contains within its boundaries all real ,masters1 students1 guides1 and ,gurus1 of whatever race or creed or no creed4 ,of it has been said3 ,beyond the ,hall of ,learning is the ,lodge4 ,it is the whole body of ,sages in all the world4 ,it cannot be described even by those who are in it1 but the student is not prohibited from imagining what it is like4 ,so therefore at any time any one of its real teachers or disciples will gladly help any other teacher or disciple4 ,but we are not to conclude that1 because all are trying to spread truth and to teach the world1 we1 who call ourselves chela-aspirants or known chelas of any certain person whom we call ,guru1 can place ourselves at the same moment under the direct tutelage of more than one ,guru4 ,each man who determines in himself that he will enter the ,path1 has a ,guru4 ,but the time between that determination and the hour when he will really know ,the ,master may be long indeed2 in some cases it is very short4 ,we must now occupy a moment in some consideration of divisions4 ,just as the merest private in the army has a general who guides the whole but whom he cannot reach except through the others who are officers1 so in this order we find divisions of ,gurus as well as divisions of disciples4 ,there is the ,great ,guru1 who is such to many who never know ,him or see ,him4 ,then there are others who know ,him1 and who are ,gurus to a number of chelas1 and so on until we may imagine a chela who may be a known ,guru to another chela below him4 ,then1 again1 there may be chelas who are acting as ,guru--unacknowledged1 because pro tempore in function--to one or more other chelas4 ,now he who makes the resolution above-mentioned1 does thereby make a bond that rests in the highest ,law4 ,it is not a thing to be lightly done1 because its consequences are of a serious nature4 ,not serious in the way of disasters or awful torments or such1 but serious in respect to the clearness and brilliancy of those rays of ,truth which we wish to reach us4 ,we have thereby in a sense--its degree determined by the sincerity and power of our motive--taken ourselves out of the common1 vast1 moving herd of men who are living--as to this--like dumb animals1 and have knocked at a door4 ,if we have reverenced our teacher we will now revere our unknown ,guru4 ,we must stand interiorly in a faithful attitude4 ,we must have an abiding1 settled faith that nothing may shake4 ,for it is to mighty ,karma we have appealed1 and as the ,guru is ,karma in the sense that ,he never acts against ,karma1 we must not lose faith for an instant4 ,for it is this faith that clears up the air there1 and that enables us to get help from all quarters4 ,then perhaps this determinant or postulant or neophyte decides for himself that he will for the time take as teacher or guide some other chela whose teachings commend themselves4 ,it is not necessary that any out-spoken words should pass between these two4 ,but having done this1 even in thought1 he should then apply himself diligently to the doctrine of that teacher1 not changing until he really finds he has another teacher or has gone to another class4 ,for if he takes up one merely to dispute and disagree--whether outwardly or mentally1 he is thereby in danger of totally obscuring his own mind4 ,if he finds himself not clearly understanding1 then he should with faith try to understand1 for if he by love and faith vibrates into the higher meaning of his teacher1 his mind is thereby raised1 and thus greater progress is gained4 ,we now come to the possible case of an aspirant of that royal and kingly faith who in some way has really found a person who has advanced far upon the ,path4 ,to this person he has applied and said3 ,may ,i be accepted1 and may ,i be a chela of either thee or some other8 ,that person applied to then perhaps says3 ,not to me2 but ,i refer you to some other of the same class as yourself1 and give you to him to be his chela3 serve him4 ,with this the aspirant goes1 say to the one designated1 and deliberately both agree to it4 ,here is a case where the real ,master has recommended the aspirant to a co-worker who perchance is some grade higher than our neophyte1 and the latter is now in a different position from the many others who are silently striving and working1 and learning from any and all teachers1 but having no specialized ,guru for themselves4 ,this neophyte and his little guru are connected by a clear and sacred bond1 or else both are mere lying children1 playing and unworthy of attention4 ,if the little guru is true to his trust1 he occupies his mind and heart with it1 and is to consider that the chela represents ,humanity to him for the time4 ,we postulated that this little guru was in advance of the chela4 ,it must then happen that he says that which is sometimes not clear to his chela4 ,this will all the more be so if his chela is new to the matter4 ,but the chela has deliberately taken that guru1 and must try to understand the doctrine of that teacher4 ,the proper function of the ,guru is to readjust1 and not to pour in vast masses of knowledge expressed in clear and easily comprehended terms4 ,the latter would be a piece of nonsense1 however agreeable1 and not any whit above what any well-written book would do for its reader4 ,the faith and love which exist between them act as a stimulus to both1 and as a purifier to the mind of the chela4 ,but if the chela1 after a while1 meets another person who seems to know as much as his little guru1 and to express it in very easy terms1 and the chela determines to take him as a teacher1 he commits an error4 ,he may listen to his teaching and admire and profit by it1 but the moment he mentally determines and then in words asks the other to be his teacher1 he begins to rupture the bond that was just established1 and possibly may lose altogether the benefit of both4 ,not necessarily1 however2 but certainly1 if he acquaints not his little guru with the fact of the new adoption of teacher1 there will be much confusion in that realm of being wherein both do their real work2 and when he does acquaint his little guru with the fact of the newly-acquired teacher1 that older guru will retire4 ,none of this is meant for those minds which do not regard these matters as sacred4 ,a ,guru is a sacred being in that sense4 ,not1 of course1 in a general sense--yet even if so regarded when worthy it is better for the chela1--but in all that pertains to the spiritual and real life4 ,to the high-strung soul this is a matter of adoption2 a most sacred and valuable thing1 not lightly taken up or lightly dropped4 ,for the ,guru becomes for the time the spiritual ,father of the chela2 that one who is destined to bring him into life or to pass him on to ,him who will do so4 ,so as the ,guru is the adjuster in reality1 the chela does not--except where the ,guru is known to be a great ,sage or where the chela does it by nature--give slavish attention to every word4 ,he hears the word and endeavors to assimilate the meaning underneath2 and if he cannot understand he lays it aside for a better time1 while he presently endeavors to understand what he can4 ,and if even--as is often so in ,india--he cannot understand at all1 he is satisfied to be near the ,guru and do what may properly be done for him2 for even then his abiding faith will eventually clear his mind1 of which there are many examples1 and regarding which how appropriate is the line3 ,they also serve who only stand and wait4 ,z4 ,,xiv4 ,,dear ,,jasper3 ,what ,i wrote in my last is what may be properly said to earnest inquirers who show by their perseverance that they are not mere idle curiosity-seekers1 desirous of beguiling the tedium of life with new experiments and sensations4 ,it is not what is done1 but the spirit in which the least thing is done for ,them who are all1 that is counted4 ,you ask the names of the seven rays or lodges4 ,the names could not be given if known to me4 ,in these matters names are always realities1 and consequently to give the name would be to reveal the thing itself4 ,besides1 if the names were given1 the ordinary person hearing them would not understand them4 ,just as if ,i should say that the name of the first is ,x1 which expresses nothing at all to the mind of the hearing person4 ,all that can be said is that there exist those seven rays1 districts1 or divisions1 just as we say that in a town there are legislators1 merchants1 teachers1 and servants4 ,the difference is that in this case we know all about the town1 and know just what those names mean4 ,the name only directs the mind to the idea or essential quality4 ,again ,i must go4 ,but ,brothers are never parted while they live for the ,true alone4 ,z4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the foregoing letters point clearly to one conclusion concerning that great ,theosophist1 ,madame ,blavatsky1 though she is unnamed and perhaps unthought of there4 ,since she sacrificed--not so calling it herself--all that mankind holds dear to bring the glad tidings of ,theosophy to the ,west1 that ,west1 and especially the ,theosophical ,society1 thereby stands to her as a chela to his ,guru1 in so far as it accepts ,theosophy4 ,her relation to these ,theosophists has its being in the highest ,law1 and cannot be expunged or ignored4 ,so those who regard her personality1 and1 finding it discordant from theirs1 try to reach ,the ,masters by other means while disregarding or underrating scornfully her high services1 violate a rule which1 because it is not made of man1 cannot be broken with impunity4 ,gratitude and the common sentiment of man for man should have taught them this1 without occult teaching at all4 ,such persons have not reached that stage of evolution where they can learn the higher truths4 ,she who accepts the pains of the rack in the torments of a body sapped of its life force by superb torrents of energy lavished on her high ,cause2 she who has braved the laughter and anger of two continents1 and all the hosts of darkness seen and unseen2 she who now lives on1 only that she may take to herself the ,karma of the ,society and so ensure its well being1 has no need of any man's praise2 but even she has need of justice1 because1 without that impulse in our hearts and souls toward her1 she knows that we must fail for this incarnation4 ,as the babe to the mother1 as harvest to the earth1 so are all those bound to her who enjoy the fruit of her life4 ,may we try1 then1 to understand these occult connections brought about by the workings of ,karma1 and bring them to bear upon our diurnal1 as well as our theosophical1 life4 ,madame ,blavatsky is for us the next higher link in that great chain1 of which no link can be passed over or missed4 ,in further illustration of this letter1 ,i might cite the case of a friend of mine who was at once fired with ,theosophy on first hearing of it and ardently desired to become a chela4 ,certainly he had known these truths in other lives1 for all seemed familiar to him1 and1 though he was what is called a man of the world1 he accepted the philosophy1 measured some of its possibilities intuitively1 and while careful to do his duty and cause no jars1 he ranged his life1 especially his inner life1 to suit these views4 ,the question of chelaship assumed great prominence in his mind4 ,he knew of no chelas2 knew not where to knock or whom to ask4 ,reflection convinced him that real chelaship consisted in the inner attitude of the postulant2 he remembered magnetic and energetic laws1 and he said to himself that he could at will constitute himself a chela to the ,law1 at least so far as his own attitude went1 and if this did not satisfy him1 it was a proof that he desired some personal reward1 satisfaction1 or powers in the matter1 and that his motive was not pure4 ,he was slow to formulate his desires1 even to his own mind1 for he would not lightly make demands upon the ,law2 but he at last determined to put his own motives to the test2 to try himself and see if he could stand in the attitude of a faithful chela1 unrecognized and apparently unheard4 ,he then recorded in his own mind an obligation to serve ,truth and the ,law as a chela should1 always seeking for light and for further aid if possible1 recognizing meanwhile that the obligation was on his side only1 and that he had no claims on ,masters1 and only such as he himself could by the strength of his own purpose institute upon the ,law4 ,wherever he could hear of chelas and their duties he listened or read2 he tried to imagine himself in the position of an accepted chela1 and to fill1 so far as in him lay1 the duties of that place1 living up to all the light he had4 ,for he held that a disciple should always think and act towards the highest possibilities1 whether or not he had yet attained these1 and not merely confine himself to that course of action which might be considered suited to his lower class or spiritual estate4 ,he believed that the heart is the creator of all real ties1 and it alone4 ,to raise himself by himself was then his task4 ,this attitude he resolved to maintain life after life1 if needs were1 until at last his birthright should be assured1 his claim recognized by the ,law4 ,he met with trials1 with coldness from those who felt rather than saw his changed attitude2 he met with all the nameless shocks that others meet when they turn against the whirlpool of existence and try to find their way back into the true currents of life4 ,great sorrows and loneliness were not slow to challenge his indomitable will4 ,but he found work to do2 and in this he was most fortunate1 for to work for others is the disciple's joy1 his share in the ,divine life1 his first accolade by which he may know that his service is accepted4 ,this man had called upon the ,law in faith supreme1 and he was answered4 ,karma sent him a friend1 and soon he began to get new knowledge1 and after a time information reached him of a place or person where he might apply to become a chela on probation4 ,it was not given him as information usually is2 nothing of the sort was told him2 but with his extending knowledge and opening faculties a conviction dawned upon him that he might pursue such and such a course4 ,he did so1 and his prayer was heard4 ,he said to me afterwards that he never knew whether he would not have shown greater strength of mind by relying wholly upon the reality of his unseen1 unacknowledged claim1 until the moment should come when ,masters should accept and call him4 ,for of course he held the ideal of ,masters clearly before his mind all this while4 ,perhaps his application showed him to be weaker than he supposed1 in so far as it might evidence a need on his part for tangible proof of a fact in which his higher nature prompted him to believe without such proof4 ,perhaps it was but natural and right1 on the other hand1 that after silent service for some time he should put himself on record at the first opportunity granted him by ,karma4 ,he applied1 then4 ,i am permitted to give a portion of the answer he received1 and which made clear to him the fact that he was already accepted in some measure before his application1 as his intuition had told him4 ,the answer may be of untold value to others1 both as clearly setting forth the dangers of forcing one's way ahead of one's race1 and also by its advice1 admonitions1 and evidence that the ,great ,beings of the ,orient deal most frankly and gently with applicants4 ,also it may mark out a course for those who take the wise plan of testing themselves in silence before pushing their demands upon the ,law4 ,for this at once heightens their magnetic vibrations1 their evolutionary ratio2 their flame burns more brilliantly and attracts all kinds of shapes and influences within its radius1 so that the fire is hot about him4 ,and not for him alone3 other lives coming in contact with his feel this fierce energy2 they develop more rapidly1 and1 if they have a false or weak place in their nature1 it is soon discovered and overthrows them for a time4 ,this is the danger of coming into the circle of ascetics2 a man must be strong indeed who thus thrusts himself in2 it is better as a rule to place oneself in the attitude of a disciple and impose the tests oneself3 less opposition is provoked4 ,for forces that are foiled by the ,adept may hurl themselves on the neophyte who cannot be protected unless his ,karma permits it1 and there are always those opposing forces of darkness waiting to thin the ranks of the servitors of the ,good ,law4 ,up to this point1 then1 we may follow this student1 and then we lose sight of him2 not knowing whether he progressed or failed1 or still serves and waits1 because such things are not made known4 ,to tell so much as this is rare1 and1 since it is permitted1 it must be because there are many earnest students in this country who need some such support and information4 ,to these ,i can say that1 if they constitute themselves faithful1 unselfish disciples1 they are such in the knowledge of the ,great ,law1 so long as they are true1 in inmost thought and smallest deed1 to the pledges of their heart4 ,,answer ,,to ,y4 ,says ,master3 ,is ,y4 fully prepared for the uphill work8 ,the way to the goal he strives to reach is full of thorns and leads through miry quagmires4 ,many are the sufferings the chela has to encounter2 still more numerous the dangers to face and conquer4 ,may he think over it and choose only after due reflection4 ,no ,master appealed to by a sincere soul who thirsts for light and knowledge1 has ever turned his face away from the supplicant4 ,but it is the duty of those who call for laborers and need them in their fields1 to point out to those who offer themselves in truth and trust for the arduous work1 the pitfalls in the soil as the hardship of the task4 ,if undaunted by this warning ,y4 persists in his determination1 he may regard himself as accepted as----4 ,let him place himself in such case under the guidance of an older chela4 ,by helping him sincerely and devotedly to carry on his heavy burden1 he shall prepare the way for being helped in his turn4 7,here follow private instructions47 ,verily if the candidate relies upon the ,law1 if he has patience1 trust1 and intuition1 he will not have to wait too long4 ,through the great shadow of bitterness and sorrow that the opposing powers delight in throwing over the pilgrim on his way to the ,gates of ,light1 the candidate perceives that shining ,light very soon in his own soul1 and he has but to follow it4 ,let him beware1 however1 lest he mistake the occasional will-o'-the-wisp of the psychic senses for the reflex of the great spiritual ,light2 that ,light which dieth not1 yet never lives1 nor can it shine elsewhere than on the pure mirror of ,spirit4444 ,but ,y4 has to use his own intuitions4 ,one has to dissipate and conquer the inner darkness before attempting to see into the darkness without2 to know one's self before knowing things extraneous to one's senses4 ,and now1 may the ,powers to which my friend ,y4 has appealed be permitted by still greater and much higher ,powers to help him4 ,this is the sincere and earnest wish of his truly and fraternally1 ,symbol3 ,triangle 99 99 99 99 99 ,this letter also shows incidentally how one ,adept may serve another still higher by reporting or conveying ,his reply4 ,,to ,,aspirants ,,for ,,chelaship ,sincere interest in ,theosophic truth is often followed by sincere aspiration after ,theosophic life1 and the question continually recurs1 ,what are the conditions and the steps to chelaship2 to whom should applications be made2 how is the aspirant to know that it has been granted8 ,as to the conditions and the discipline of chelaship1 not a little has been disclosed in ,the ,theosophist1 ,man1 ,esoteric ,buddhism1 and other works upon ,theosophy2 and some of the qualifications1 difficulties1 and dangers have been very explicitly set forth by ,madame ,blavatsky in her article upon ,theosophical ,mahatmas in the ,path of ,december1 #ahhf4 ,to everyone cherishing even a vague desire for closer relations to the system of development through which ,masters are produced1 the thoughtful study of this article is earnestly commended4 ,it will clear the ground of several misconceptions1 deepen the sense of the seriousness of such an effort1 and excite a healthy self-distrust which is better before than after the gate has been passed4 ,it is entirely possible1 however1 that the searching of desire and strength incited by that article may only convince more strongly of sincerity1 and that not a few readers may emerge from it with a richer purpose and a deeper resolve4 ,even where there is not a distinct intention to reach chelaship1 there may be an eager yearning for greater nearness to the ,masters1 for some definite assurance of guidance and of help4 ,in either of these cases the question at once arises before the aspirant1 ,who is to receive the application1 and how is its acceptance to be signified8 ,the very natural1 indeed the instinctive1 step of such an aspirant is to write to an officer of a ,theosophical ,society4 ,none the less is this a mistake4 ,for a ,theosophical ,society is an exoteric body1 the ,lodge of ,masters wholly esoteric4 ,the former is a voluntary group of inquirers and philanthropists1 with avowed aims1 a printed ,constitution1 and published officers1 and1 moreover1 expressly disavowing any power1 as a ,society1 to communicate with ,masters2 the latter is an ,occult ,lodge1 of whose address1 members1 processes1 functions1 nothing is known4 ,it follows1 therefore1 that there is no person1 no place1 no address to which an aspirant may appeal4 ,let it be supposed1 however1 that such an inquiry is preferred to a person advanced in ,occult study1 versed in its methods and tests and qualifications4 ,assuredly his reply would be directly to this effect3-- ,if you were now fitted to be an accepted chela1 you would of yourself know how1 where1 and to whom to apply4 ,for the becoming a chela in reality consists in the evolution or development of certain spiritual principles latent in every man1 and in great measure unknown to your present consciousness4 ,until these principles are to some degree consciously evolved by you1 you are not in practical possession of the means of acquiring the first rudiments of that knowledge which now seems to you so desirable4 ,whether it is desired by your mind or by your heart is still another important question1 not to be solved by any one who has not yet the clew to ,self4 ,it is true that these qualities can be developed 7or forced7 by the aid of an ,adept4 ,and most applicants for chelaship are actuated by a desire to receive instructions directly from the ,masters4 ,they do not ask themselves what they have done to merit a privilege so rare4 ,nor do they consider that1 all ,adepts being servants of the ,law of ,karma1 it must follow that1 did the applicant now merit ,their visible aid1 he would already possess it and could not be in search of it4 ,the indications of the fulfilment of the ,law are1 in fact1 the partial unfolding of those faculties above referred to4 ,you must1 then1 reach a point other than that where you now stand1 before you can even ask to be taken as a chela on probation4 ,all candidates enter the unseen ,lodge in this manner1 and it is governed by ,laws containing within themselves their own fulfilment and not requiring any officers whatever4 ,nor must you imagine that such a probationer is one who works under constant and known direction of either an ,adept or another chela4 ,on the contrary1 he is tried and tested for at least seven years1 and perhaps many more1 before the point is reached when he is either accepted 7and prepared for the first of a series of initiations often covering several incarnations71 or rejected4 ,and this rejection is not by any body of men just as they incline1 but is the natural rejection by ,nature4 ,the probationer may or may not hear from his ,teacher during this preliminary period2 more often he does not hear4 ,he may be finally rejected and not know it1 just as some men have been on probation and have not known it until they suddenly found themselves accepted4 ,such men are those self-developed persons who have reached that point in the natural order after many incarnations1 where their expanded faculties have entitled them to an entrance into the ,hall of ,learning or the spiritual ,lodge beyond4 ,and all ,i say of men applies equally to women4 ,when anyone is regularly accepted as a chela on probation1 the first and only order he receives 7for the present7 is to work unselfishly for humanity--sometimes aiding and aided by some older chela--while striving to get rid of the strength of the personal idea4 ,the ways of doing this are left to his own intuition entirely1 inasmuch as the object is to develop that intuition and to bring him to self-knowledge4 ,it is his having these powers in some degree that leads to his acceptance as a probationer1 so that it is more than probable that you have them not yet save as latent possibilities4 ,in order to have in his turn any title to help1 he must work for others1 but that must not be his motive for working4 ,he who does not feel irresistibly impelled to serve the ,race1 whether he himself fails or not1 is bound fast by his own personality and cannot progress until he has learned that the race is himself and not that body which he now occupies4 ,the ground of this necessity for a pure motive was recently stated in ,lucifer to be that 'unless the intention is entirely unalloyed1 the spiritual will transform itself into the psychic1 act on the astral plane1 and dire results may be produced by it4 ,the powers and forces of animal nature can be equally used by the selfish and revengeful as by the unselfish and all-forgiving2 forgiving2 the powers and forces of spirit lend themselves only to the perfectly pure in heart4' ,it may be stated1 however1 that even those natural forces cannot be discovered by any man who has not obtained the power of getting rid of his personality in some degree4 ,that an emotional desire to help others does not imply this freedom from personality may be seen by the fact that1 if you were now perfected in unselfishness in the real sense1 you would have a conscious existence separate from that of the body and would be able to quit the body at will3 in other words1 to be free from all sense of self is to be an ,adept1 for the limitations of self inhibit progress4 ,hear also the words of the ,master1 taken from ,sinnett's ,the ,occult ,world4 ',perhaps you will better appreciate our meaning when told that in our view the highest aspirations for the welfare of humanity become tainted with selfishness if1 in the mind of the philanthropist1 there lurks the shadow of a desire for self-benefit or a tendency to do injustice1 even when these exist unconsciously to himself4' ,while setting forth these facts1 as well as the dangers and difficulties--both those set ones appointed by the laws of the ,lodge and the more innumerable ones adjudged by ,karma and hastened by the efforts of the neophyte1 it should also be stated that the ,masters desire to deter no man from entering the path4 ,they are well aware1 however1 from the repeated trials and records of centuries1 and from their knowledge of our racial difficulties1 how few are the persons who have any clew to their own real nature1 which is the foe they attempt to conquer the moment they become pupils of the occult4 ,hence ,they endeavor1 so far as ,karma permits1 to hold unfit individuals back from rash ventures1 the results of which would recoil upon their unbalanced lives and drive them to despair4 ,the powers of evil1 inadequately defied by the ignorant man1 revenge themselves upon him as well as upon his friends1 and not upon those who are above their reach4 ,although these powers are not hideous objective shapes coming in tangible ways1 they are none the less real and dangerous4 ,their descent in such instances cannot be prevented2 it is ,karma4 ,to lose all sense of self1 then1 implies the loss of all that ordinary men must value in themselves4 ,it therefore behooves you to seriously consider these points3 #ast4 ,what is your motive in desiring to be a chela8 ,you think that motive is well known to you1 whereas it is hidden deep within you1 and by that hidden motive you will be judged4 ,it has flared up from unseen regions upon men sure of themselves1 has belched out in some lurid thought or deed of which they esteemed themselves incapable1 and has overthrown their life or reason4 ,therefore test yourself ere ,karma tests you4 #b;d4 ,what the place and duties of a true neophyte are4 ,when you have seriously considered both for twenty-one days1 you may1 if your desire remains firm1 take a certain course open to you4 ,it is this4 ,although you do not now know where you can offer yourself to ,masters themselves as a chela on probation1 yet1 in forming that desire in your heart and in re-affirming it 7if you do7 after due consideration of these points1 you have then to some extent called upon the ,law1 and it is within your power to constitute yourself a disciple1 so far as in you lies1 through the purity of your motive and effort if both are sufficiently sustained4 ,no one can fix a period when this effort will bear fruit1 and1 if your patience and faith are not strong enough to bear you through an unlimited 7so far as you know7 period of unselfish work for humanity1 you had better resign your present fancy1 for it is then no more than that4 ,but if otherwise1 you are to work for the spiritual enlightenment of ,humanity in and through the ,theosophical ,society 7which much needs such laborers71 and in all other modes and planes as you best can1 remembering the word of ,masters3 ',he who does what he can and all that he can1 and all that he knows how to do1 does enough for us4' ,this task includes that of divesting yourself of all personality through interior effort1 because that work1 if done in the right spirit1 is even more important to the race than any outward work we can do4 ,living as you now are1 on the outward plane chiefly1 your work is due there and is to be done there until your growth shall fit you to pass away from it altogether4 ,in following this course you work towards a fixed point under observation1--as is1 indeed1 the whole ,theosophic body1 which is now1 as a body1 a chela of ,masters1 but specialized from other members in the sense that your definite aim and trust are understood and taken into consideration by the unseen ,founders and the ,law4 ,the ,theosophical ,society then stands to you1 for the time being1 as any older chela might who was appointed for you to aid and to work under4 ,you are not1 understand1 a chela on probation1 since no one without authority can confer or announce such a privilege4 ,but if you succeed in lifting yourself and others spiritually1 it will be known1 no matter what the external silence may seem to be1 and you will receive your full dues from ,those who are honest debtors and ministers of the ,just and ,perfect ,law4 ,you must be ready to work1 to wait1 and to aspire in silence1 just as all do who have fixed their eyes on this goal4 ,remember that your truest adviser is to be found1 and constantly sought1 within yourself4 ,only by experience can you learn to know its voice from that of natural instinct or mere logic1 and strengthen this power1 by virtue of which the ,masters have become what ,they are4 ,your choice or rejection of this course is the first test of yourself4 ,others will follow1 whether you are aware of them or not1 for the first and only right of the neophyte is--to be tried4 ,hence silence and sorrow follow his acceptance instead of the offer of prompt aid for which he looks4 ,yet even that shall not be wanting2 those trials and reverses will come only from the ,law to which you have appealed4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,xv4 ,,dear ,,jasper3 ,i gave your letter to a distressed soul3 she returned thanks1 saying it was a cooling draught to one athirst4 ,the thanks of course are yours4 ,now this lady says it was refreshment to the weary1 that letter4 ,true1 or she would not say it4 ,but it was not so to me nor to you4 ,we needed it not4 ,but she illustrates a certain state of progress4 ,she is not yet where we are2 but which is happier8 ,she is happier1 but poorer in hope4 ,we are not all too happy1 but are rich in hope1 knowing the prize at the end of time1 and not deterred by the clouds1 the storms1 the miasms and dreadful beasts of prey that line the road4 ,let us1 then1 at the very outset wash out of our souls all desire for reward1 all hope that we may attain4 ,for so long as we thus hope and desire1 we shall be separated from the ,self4 ,if in the ,self all things are1 then we cannot wish to be something which we can only compass by excluding something else4 ,so being beyond this lady so grateful1 we find that everything we meet on this illusory plane of existence is a lure that in one way or another has power to draw us out of our path4 ,that is the point we are at1 and we may call it the point where lures of ,maya have omnipresent power4 ,therefore we must beware of the illusions of matter4 ,before we got to this stage we knew well the fateful lure1 the dazzling mirror of the elemental ,self1 here and there in well-defined places1 and intrenched as it was1 so to say1 in strongly-marked defenses4 ,those we assaulted2 and that was what it desired1 for it did think that it then had no need to exercise the enchantment which is hard because so subtle1 and so distributed here and there that we find no citadels to take1 no battalions in array4 ,but now our dearest friends are unconsciously in league with the deceptive in nature4 ,how strongly do ,i realize the dejection of ,arjuna as he let his bow drop from his hand and sat down on his chariot in despair4 ,but he had a sure spot to rest upon4 ,he used his own4 ,he had ,krishna near1 and he might fight on4 ,so in passing along those stages where the grateful lady and others are1 we may perhaps have found one spot we may call our own and possess no other qualification for the task4 ,that spot is enough4 ,it is our belief in the ,self1 in ,masters3 it is the little flame of intuition we have allowed to burn1 that we have fostered with care4 ,then come these dreadful lures4 ,they are1 in fact1 but mere carcasses1 shells of monsters from past existences1 offering themselves that we may give them life to terrify us as soon as we have entered them either by fear or love4 ,no matter which way we enter1 whether by attachment or by repugnant horror1 it is all one3 they are in one case vivified by a lover2 in the other by a slave who would be free but cannot4 ,here it is the lure of enjoyment of natural pleasures1 growing out of life's physical basis2 there it is self-praise1 anger1 vanity1 what not8 ,even these beautiful hills and river1 they mock one1 for they live on untrammelled4 ,perhaps they do not speak to us because they know the superiority of silence4 ,they laugh with each other at us in the night1 amused at the wild struggle of this petty man who would pull the sky down4 ,ach6 ,god of ,heaven6 ,and all the sucklings of ,theosophy wish that some great1 well-diplomd ,adept would come and open the secret box2 but they do not imagine that other students have stepped on the spikes that defend the entrance to the way that leads to the gate of the ,path4 ,but we will not blame them1 nor yet wish for the things--the special lots--that some of them have abstracted1 because now that we know the dreadful power that despair and doubt and violated conscience have1 we prefer to prepare wisely and carefully1 and not rush in like fools where angels do not pass uninvited4 ,but1 ,companion1 ,i remind you of the power of the lure4 ,this ,path passes along under a sky and in a clime where every weed grows a yard in the night4 ,it has no discrimination4 ,thus even after weeks or months of devotion1 or years of work1 we are surprised at small seeds of vanity or any other thing which would be easily conquered in other years of inattentive life1 but which seem now to arise as if helped by some damnable intelligence4 ,this great power of self-illusion is strong enough to create a roaring torrent or a mountain of ice between us and our ,masters4 ,in respect to the question of sex4 ,it is1 as you know1 given much prominence by both women and men to the detriment of the one sex or the other1 or of any supposed sex4 ,there are those who say that the female sex is not to be thought of in the spirit2 that all is male4 ,others say the same for the female4 ,now both are wrong4 ,in the ,true there is no sex1 and when ,i said ,there all men are women and all women are men1 ,i was only using rhetoric to accentuate the idea that neither one nor the other was predominant1 but that the two were coalesced1 so to say1 into one4 ,in the same way you might say1 men are animals there and vice versa4 ,mind1 this is in regard to ,spirit1 and not in regard to the psychical states4 ,for in the psychical states there are still distinctions1 as the psychical1 though higher than the material1 is not as high as ,spirit1 for it still partakes of matter4 ,for in the ,spirit or ,atma all experiences of all forms of life and death are found at once1 and he who is one with the ,atma knows the whole manifested ,universe at once4 ,i have spoken of this condition before as the ,turya or fourth state4 ,when ,i say that the female principle represents matter1 ,i do not mean women1 for they in any one or more cases may be full of the masculine principle1 and vice versa4 ,matter is illusionary and vain1 and so the female element is illusionary and vain1 as well as tending to the established order4,d ,so in the ,kaballa it is said that the woman is a wall about the man4 ,a balance is necessary1 and that balance is found in women1 or the woman element4 ,you can easily see that the general tendency of women is to keep things as they are and not to have change4 ,woman--not here and there women--has never been the pioneer in great reforms4 ,of course many single individual women have been1 but the tendency of the great mass of the women has always been to keep things as they are until the men have brought about the great change4 ,this is why women always support any established religion1 no matter what1--,christian1 ,jewish1 ,buddhist1 or ,brahmin4 ,the ,buddhist women are as much believers in their religion and averse from changing it as are their ,christian sisters opposed in the mass to changing theirs4 ,now as to telling which element predominates in any single person1 it is hard to give a general test rule4 ,but perhaps it might be found in whether a person is given to abstract or concrete thought1 and similarly whether given to mere superficial things or to deep fundamental matters4 ,but you must work that out1 ,i think1 for yourself4 ,of course in the spiritual life no organ disappears1 but we must find out what would be the mode of operation of any organ in its spiritual counterpart4 ,as ,i understand1 the spiritual counterparts of the organs are powers1 and not organs1 as the eye is the power to see1 the ear the power to hear1 and so on4 ,the generative organs would then become the creative power and perhaps the ,will4 ,you must not suppose that in the spirit life the organs are reproduced as we see them4 ,one instance will suffice4 ,one may see pictures in the astral light through the back of the head or the stomach4 ,in neither place is there any eye1 yet we see4 ,it must be by the power of seeing1 which in the material body needs the specialized place or specializing organ known as the eye4 ,we hear often through the head without the aid of the auricular apparatus1 which shows us that there is the power of hearing and of transmitting and receiving sounds without the aid of an external ear or its inside cerebral apparatus4 ,so of course all these things survive in that way4 ,any other view is grossly material1 leading to a deification of this unreal body1 which is only an image of the reality1 and a poor one at that4 ,in thinking over these matters you ought always to keep in mind the three plain distinctions of physical1 psychical1 and spiritual1 always remembering that the last includes the other two4 ,all the astral things are of the psychical nature1 which is partly material and therefore very deceptive4 ,but all are necessary1 for they are1 they exist4 ,the ,deity is subject to this law1 or rather it is the law of the ,deity4 ,the ,deity desires experience or self-knowledge1 which is only to be attained by stepping1 so to say1 aside from self4 ,so the ,deity produces the manifested universes consisting of matter1 psychical nature1 and spirit4 ,in the ,spirit alone resides the great consciousness of the whole2 and so it goes on ever producing and drawing into ,itself1 accumulating such vast and enormous experiences that the pen falls down at the thought4 ,how can that be put into language8 ,it is impossible1 for we at once are met with the thought that the ,deity must know all at all times4 ,yet there is a vastness and an awe-inspiring influence in this thought of the ,day and ,night of ,brahman4 ,it is a thing to be thought over in the secret recesses of the heart1 and not for discussion4 ,it is the ,all4 ,and now1 my ,brother1 for the present ,i leave you4 ,may your restored health enable you to do more work for the world4 ,i salute you1 my ,brother1 and wish you to reach the terrace of enlightenment4 ,z4 ,footnote ,d3 ,through its negative or passive quality4--,j4 ,n4 ,letters ,that ,have ,helped ,me ,volume ,,ii ,,letters ,,that ,,have ,,helped ,,me ,,vol4 ,,ii ,,compiled ,,by ,,thomas ,,green and ,,jasper ,,niemand ,,third ,,edition ,,the ,,united ,,lodge ,,of ,,theosophists ,los ,angeles1 ,california #aibj ,in ,devotion ,,to ,,the ,,immortals and in ,the ,service of ,humanity ,this little book is laid ,upon the ,altar ,june1 #aije ,,the ,,master',s ,,love ,,is ,,bountiful2 ,,its ,,light ,,shines ,,upon ,,thy ,,face ,,and ,,shall ,,make ,,all ,,the ,,crooked ,,ways ,,straight ,,for ,,thee4 ,farewell ,book4 ,,hitherto ,i ,,have ,,been ,,an ,,exile ,,from ,,my ,,true ,,country2 ,,now ,i ,,return ,,thither4 ,,do ,,not ,,weep ,,for ,,me2 ,i ,,return ,,to ,,that ,,celestial ,,land ,,where ,,each ,,goes ,,in ,,his ,,turn4 ,hermes ,trismegistos4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,foreword #g ,,letters #aa ,,extracts ,,from ,,letters #ei ,,an ,,occult ,,novel #hi ,,william ,q4 ,,judge #aje ,,foreword ,one marked difference will be noticed between this1 the second volume of ,,letters ,,that ,,have ,,helped ,,me1 and the earlier volume4 ,that first volume had a unity of purpose and development1 setting forth1 as it did1 in due sequence1 the salient points of the eastern teaching4 ,this unity palpably arose from the fact that the series of letters was written to one individual1 and thus followed along a line suited to the unfolding needs and the studies of that individual1 as to those of all fellow students pursuing an identical line of thought4 ,the present volume1 on the contrary1 consists of letters1 and extracts from letters1 written to a number of people in different parts of the world4 ,in many instances1 an extract only was sent to the compilers by individuals appealed to1 that of their store something might be given to their fellow-men4 ,in other instances1 the entire letter was sent1 but contained personal or other matter1 which could not be published4 ,in still other instances1 the entire letter is given4 ,it has been thought best to omit all headings and endings to these letters1 in order that no discrimination shall be made in respect of the recipients1 thus leaving the truths which the letters embody to stand out in their own relief1 unmarred by a label and a name4 ,many of the extracts were published in ,the ,irish ,theosophist1 and others still in the ,tea-,table of ,the ,path1 where ,quickly stood for ,mr4 ,judge4 ,it was the wish of ,mr4 ,judge1 expressed in writing to one of the compilers1 that the series should be republished 7with the addition of other matter7 as a second volume of the earlier work4 ,the compilers are thus carrying out the direct wishes of ,mr4 ,judge4 ,during the lifetime of ,mr4 ,judge1 it was possible to rearrange1 to suggest excision or amplification1 or the grouping of various extracts as one letter2 and it was possible as well to annotate1 since ,mr4 ,judge read all proof1 and was always ready to consider any suggestions1 while he was also pleased to see that his annotator had grasped his meaning1 or to correct errors in this respect4 ,it is evident that such rearrangement1 adding as it would to the completeness and the unity of a series1 is much to be desired4 ,it was hoped to continue this method with the present volume2 but the death of the writer has made it impossible4 ,we can only publish some letters completely1 as they stand1 and group together such extracts as remain4 ,one point more4 ,a great number of letters have thus come up4 ,one compiler alone has many score1 all written since the publication of the first volume1 and ranging over that period of years in which the trials of ,mr4 ,judge became increasingly heavy1 a period to which his unexpected death set a term4 ,how great were these trials1 none well knew except the ,master ,whom he so devotedly served4 ,the last letter of all was written but a very short while before his death4 ,in no single letter out of all these numbers--in no letter that the compilers have seen--is there a harsh or condemnatory word said of the authors of his trials4 ,he accepts the bitter1 the profound injustice done him without one word which could impugn the faith he held1 the teachings he gave out4 ,surprise there is2 annoyance once or twice at the waste of time1 the irrational deeds and words4 ,and then he turns him to that wise compassion which knows that it is not he who is wronged who is in truth the sufferer1 but he who inflicts a wrong4 ,mr4 ,judge always taught the truest ,occultism1 the highest path4 ,when his hour of trial struck1 step by step he followed along that path4 ,in the destiny of the crucified1 whether ,christs1 or ,christ-disciples1 it is always seen that the loudest denial comes from those most helped1 most served4 ,it is he who sits at meat with them who betrays them4 ,and of all the long time of martyrs1 never one has been exonerated to his era1 justified to his age4 ,this fact alone should make thinking men pause1 remembering further that the crowd always prefers that ,barabbas should be released unto them4 ,the great drama ever follows the same lines4 ,the initiate1 be he disciple or be he adept1 cannot defend himself2 this is the inexorable law4 ,but he has all the tenderest support that his great predecessors along the path of thorns can bestow2 all the joy of a battle nobly fought2 all the gratitude of those among his fellows whose intuition can follow him behind the veil which screens the initiate from our sight4 ,so it comes about that these letters breathe the compassion1 the patience1 the brotherliness their author lived to inculcate4 ,sorrow1 indeed1 he felt2 but he put it bravely by4 ,his great and kind heart remained sound to the core4 ,he sweetened the hours of bitterness by profound resignation to ,the ,law4 ,he was one of those of whom it is written3 ,he that loseth his life for ,my sake shall find it4 ,for the helping of mankind we publish these letters4 ,to the judgment of posterity we commit them1 knowing well that in the eternal spaces the ,truth alone prevails4 ,he who is here seen sustaining and consoling his fellows during the saddest hours of his life and down to the doors of the tomb1 was in his turn upheld--not alone by a great faith and by an ,all-,compassionate ,hand--but also by the ,love enshrined in his own quiet heart4 ,to ,the ,master he left the rest4 ,,the ,,compilers4 ,,letters ,i4 ,,dear ,,brothers ,,and ,,sisters3 ,i do not think that you will take it amiss that ,i again intrude myself before you4 ,i am so far off1 and the place where my old friend and teacher--the one who pointed out to me the way that must bring us1 if followed1 to the light and peace and power of truth--is so dear to me1 ,i would fain speak with those1 my fellow-workers1 who now live where she worked1 and where her mighty soul left the body she used for our advantage4 ,this is surely sufficient reason4 ,refer to the ,master's letter in ,the ,occult ,world and you will find him saying that the ,masters are philanthropists and care only for that4 ,hence1 the very oldest ,f4,t4,s4 who has been selfish1 and not philanthropic1 has never come under the notice of the ,masters1 has never done anything1 in fact1 toward the development of the soul in his possession1 nothing for the race of man4 ,it is not membership in the ,t4,s41 or any other mystical body1 that brings us near the ,masters1 but just such philanthropic work with just the pure motive4 ,then ,i know1 and say plainly--for as so close to each other we should plainly speak--that some of us1 maybe all1 have waited and wondered1 and wished and hoped1 for what8 ,variously expressed thus3 one wants to go to the ,master1 not knowing even if it be fitting2 another wants to know what is the vague longing inside2 another says that if the inner senses were but developed and hopes the ,master would develop them1 and so on2 all1 however1 expressed by what the ,master has himself written1 ,you want to find out about us1 of our methods of work1 and for that you seek along the line of occultism4 ,well1 it is right for us to seek and to try and to want to reach to ,them1 for otherwise we never will in any age get where such ,beings are4 ,but as wise thinkers we should act and think wisely4 ,i know many of you and what ,i am saying should help some as it does me also4 ,you are all on the road to ,masters1 but as we are now1 with the weak and hereditarily diseased bodies we have1 we could not live an hour with ,masters did we jump suddenly past space to ,them4 ,some too have doubt and darkness1 the doubt mostly as to themselves4 ,this should not be harboured1 for it is a wile of the lower man striving to keep you back among the mediocre of the race4 ,when you have lifted yourself up over that level of the race1 the enemy of man strikes and strives at all times to bring clouds of doubt and despair4 ,you should know that all1 everyone1 down to the most obscure1 who are working steadily1 are as steadily creeping on to a change1 and yet on and on to other changes1 and all steps to the ,master4 ,do not allow discouragement to come in4 ,time is needed for all growth1 and all change1 and all development4 ,let time have her perfect work and do not stop it4 ,how may it be stopped8 ,how many have thought of this ,i do not know1 but here is a fact4 ,as a sincere student works on1 his work makes him come every day nearer to a step1 and if it be an advance then it is certain there is a sort of silence or loneliness all around in the forest of his nature4 ,then he may stop all by allowing despair to come in with various reasons and pretexts2 he may thus throw himself to where he began4 ,this is not arbitrary law but ,nature's4 ,it is a law of mind1 and the enemies of man take advantage of it for the undoing of the unwary disciple4 ,i would never let the least fear or despair come before me1 but if ,i cannot see the road1 nor the goal for the fog1 ,i would simply sit down and wait2 ,i would not allow the fog to make me think no road was there1 and that ,i was not to pass it4 ,the fogs must lift4 ,what then is the panacea finally1 the royal talisman8 ,it is ,,duty1 ,selflessness4 ,duty persistently followed is the highest yoga1 and is better than mantrams or any posture1 or any other thing4 ,if you can do no more than duty it will bring you to the goal4 ,and1 my dear friends1 ,i can swear it1 the ,masters are watching us all1 and that without fail when we come to the right point and really deserve ,they manifest to us4 ,at all times ,i know ,they help and try to aid us as far as we will let ,them4 ,why1 the ,masters are anxious 7to use a word of our own7 that as many as possible may reach to the state of power and love ,they are in4 ,why1 then1 suppose they help not8 ,as they are ,atman and therefore the very law of ,karma itself1 ,they are in everything in life1 and every phase of our changing days and years4 ,if you will arouse your faith on this line you come nearer to help from ,them than you will recognise4 ,i send you my love and hope1 and best thoughts that you may all find the great light shining around you every day4 ,it is there4 ,your brother1 ,,william ,q4 ,,judge4 ,,ii4 ,once more in the absence of ---- ,i send you a word of brotherly greeting4 ,i would ask you to read it impersonally in every part1 as ,i have no reserved thoughts and no ulterior aim in it1 and have not had any letters or news from anyone to lead me to write4 ,we are so far away from each other that now and then such a greeting is well1 and should be taken in the spirit it is sent4 ,it is not possible to send to any other household as none other exists in the ,society1 you being unique in this1 that you are the only one4 ,here we have no such thing1 all nearly living at other places1 and this being merely a centre for work4 ,many times have co-operative households been tried and failed4 ,one was tried here and is famous4 ,it was called the ,brook ,farm1 but it had no such high aim and philosophy behind it as you have1 and thus the personal frictions developed at any place of close intimacy broke it up4 ,that should be a guide to you to enable you to watch and avoid4 ,yours may alter in number and in personnel1 but can never really be broken up if the aim is high and the self-judgment is strict and not self-righteous4 ,i am not accusing you of this1 but only stating a common human danger1 from which the ,theosophist is not at any time exempt4 ,indeed1 he is in danger in your centre from the fact that strong force revolves around it4 ,hence all must be ever careful1 for the personal element is one that ever has a tendency to delude us as it hides behind various walls and clothes itself in the faults1 real or imaginary1 of others4 ,your centre being the only one as yet of such size1 it is useful to think how you may best all act as to make it truly international4 ,each one has a right to his or her particular crank1 of course1 but no one ought to think that anyone else is to be judged from not being of the same stripe of crank4 ,one eats meat1 another does not4 ,neither is universally right1 for the kingdom of heaven does not come from meat1 or from its absence4 ,another smokes and another does not2 these are neither universally right nor wrong1 as smoke for one is good and for another is bad2 the true cosmopolitan allows each to do in such matters as he likes4 ,essentials are the only things on which true occultism and ,theosophy require an agreement1 and such temporary matters as food and other habitual daily things are not essentials4 ,one may make a mistake1 too1 of parading too much his or her particular line of life or act4 ,when this is done the whole world is bored1 and nothing effective or lasting is gained except a cranky impression4 ,in a place like yours1 where so many of all sorts of nature are together1 there is a unique opportunity for gain and good in the chance it gives one for self-discipline4 ,there friction of personality is inevitable1 and if each one learns the great give and take1 and looks not for the faults of the others but for the faults he sees in himself1 because of the friction1 then great progress can be made4 ,the ,masters have said that the great step is to learn how to get out of the rut each one has by nature and by training1 and to fill up the old grooves4 ,this has been misconstrued by some who have applied it to mere outer habits of life1 and forgotten that its real application is to the mental grooves and the astral ones also4 ,each mind has a groove1 and is not naturally willing to run in the natural groove of another mind4 ,hence comes often friction and wrangle4 ,illustrate it by the flanged wheel of the steam-engine running on a track4 ,it cannot run off nor on a track of broader or narrower gauge1 and so is confined to one4 ,take off the flange and make the face of the wheel broader1 and then it can run on any road that is at all possible4 ,general human nature is like the engine1 it is flanged and run for a certain size of track1 but the occultist or the would-be one should take off the flange and have a broad-faced wheel that will accommodate itself to the other mind and nature4 ,thus in one life even we might have the benefit of many1 for the lives of other men are lived beside us unnoticed and unused because we are too broad and flanged in wheel1 or too narrow and flanged also4 ,this is not easy1 it is true1 to change1 but there is no better opportunity than is hourly presented to you in the whole world1 to make the alteration4 ,i would gladly have such a chance1 which ,karma has denied me1 and ,i see the loss ,i incur each day by not having it there or here4 ,you have it1 and from there should go out to all the earth soon or late1 men and women who are broad and free and strong for the work of helping the world4 ,my reminding you of all this is not a criticism1 but is due to my own want of such an opportunity1 and being at a distance ,i can get a clearer view of the case1 and what you have for your own benefit and also for all others4 ,it is natural for one to ask3 ,what of the future1 and what of the defined object1 if any1 for our work8 ,that can be answered in many ways4 ,there is1 first1 our own work1 in and on ourselves1 each one4 ,that has for its object the enlightenment of oneself for the good of others4 ,if that is pursued selfishly some enlightenment comes1 but not the amount needed for the whole work4 ,we have to watch ourselves so as to make of each a centre from which1 in our measure1 may flow out the potentialities for good that from the adept come in large and affluent streams4 ,the future then1 for each1 will come from each present moment4 ,as we use the moment so we shift the future up or down for good or ill2 for the future being only a word for the present--not yet come--we have to see to the present more than all4 ,if the present is full of doubt or vacillation1 so will be the future2 if full of confidence1 calmness1 hope1 courage and intelligence1 thus also will be the future4 ,as to the broader scope of the work1 that comes from united effort of the whole mass of units4 ,it embraces the race1 and as we cannot escape from the destiny of the race we have to dismiss doubt and continue at work4 ,the race is1 as a whole1 in a transition state1 and many of its units are kept back by the condition of the whole4 ,we find the path difficult because1 being of the race1 the general race tendencies very strongly affect us4 ,this we cannot do away with in a moment4 ,it is useless to groan over it2 it is also selfish1 since we1 in the distant past1 had a hand in making it what it now is4 ,the only way we can alter it is by such action now as makes of each one a centre for good1 a force that makes for righteousness1 and that is guided by wisdom4 ,from the great power of the general badness we each one have a greater fight to wage the moment we force our inner nature up beyond the dead level of the world4 ,so before we attempt that forcing we should1 on the lower plane1 accumulate all that we can of merit by unselfish acts1 by kind thoughts1 by detaching our minds from the allurements of the world4 ,this will not throw us out of the world1 but will make us free from the great force which is called by ,bhme the ,turba1 by which he meant the immense power of the unconscious and material basis of our nature4 ,that material base being devoid of soul is more inclined on this plane to the lower things of life than to the higher4 ,hence1 until we have in some degree conquered that1 it is useless for us to be wishing1 as so many of us do1 to see the ,masters and to be with ,them4 ,they could not help us unless we furnish the conditions1 and a mere desire is not the needed condition4 ,the new condition calls for a change in thought and nature4 ,so the ,masters have said this is a transition age1 and he who has ears to hear will hear what has thus been said4 ,we are working for the new cycles and centuries4 ,what we do now in this transition age will be like what the great ,dhyan ,chohans did in the transition point--the midway point--in evolution at the time when all matter and all types were in a transition and fluid state4 ,they then gave the new impulse for the new types1 which resulted later in the vast varieties of nature4 ,in the mental development we are now at the same point and what we now do in faith and hope for others and for ourselves will result similarly on the plane to which it is all directed4 ,thus in other centuries we will come out again and go on with it4 ,if we neglect it now1 so much the worse for us then4 ,hence we are not working for some definite organisation of the new years to come1 but for a change in the ,manas and ,buddhi of the ,race4 ,that is why it may seem indefinite1 but it is1 nevertheless1 very defined and very great in scope4 ,let me refer you to that part of ,the ,secret ,doctrine1 penned by ,master ,himself1 where the midway point of evolution is explained in reference to the ungulate mammals4 ,it should give you a glimpse of what we have to do1 and remove all vain longings for a present sojourn with our unseen guides and brothers4 ,the world is not free from superstition1 and we1 a part of it1 must have some traces left of the same thing4 ,they have said that a great shadow follows all innovations in the life of humanity2 the wise one will not bring on that shadow too soon and not until some light is ready to fall at the same time for breaking up the darkness4 ,masters could give now all the light and knowledge needed1 but there is too much darkness that would swallow up all the light1 except for a few bright souls1 and then a greater darkness would come on4 ,many of us could not grasp nor understand all that might be given1 and to us would result a danger and new difficulty for other lives1 to be worked out in pain and sorrow4 ,it is from kindness and love that ,masters do not blind us with the electric flash of truth complete4 ,but concretely there is a certain object for our general work4 ,it is to start up a new force1 a new current in the world1 whereby great and long-gone ,gnanis1 or wise ones1 will be attracted back to incarnate among men here and there1 and thus bring back the true life and the true practices4 ,just now a pall of darkness is over all that no ,gnani will be attracted by4 ,here and there a few beams strike through this4 ,even in ,india it is dark1 for there1 where the truth is hid1 the thick veil of theological dogma hides all2 and though there is a great hope in it the ,masters cannot pierce through to minds below4 ,we have to educate the ,west so that it may appreciate the possibilities of the ,east1 and thus on the waiting structure in the ,east may be built up a new order of things for the benefit of the whole4 ,we have1 each one of us1 to make ourselves a centre of light2 a picture gallery from which shall be projected on the astral light such scenes1 such influences1 such thoughts1 as may influence many for good1 shall thus arouse a new current1 and then finally result in drawing back the great and the good from other spheres from beyond the earth4 ,this is not spiritualism at all1 for it has no reference to the denizens of spook-land in any way4 ,let us then have great faith and confidence4 ,see how many have gone out from time to time from your centre to many and distant parts of the world1 and how many will continue to go for the good and the gain of man of all places4 ,they have gone to all parts1 and it must be that even if the centre should be disrupted from causes outside of you1 its power and reality will not be destroyed at all1 but will ever remain1 even after all of it may have gone as far as bricks and mortar are concerned4 ,i give you my best wishes and brotherly greeting for the new year and for every year that is to come4 ,affectionately yours1 ,,william ,q4 ,,judge4 ,,iii4 ,i send you this1 and you will keep it1 using it later on when ,i give the word4 ,it is to be headed by me later4 ,the ,theosophical movement was begun as a work of the ,brotherhood of which ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 is a member1 and in which the great ,initiate1 who was by her called ,master1 is one of the ,chiefs4 ,it was started among ,western people by ,western people1 the two chief agents being ,h4 ,p4 ,b41 a ,russian1 and ,h4 ,s4 ,olcott1 an ,american4 ,the place where it was started was also ,western--the ,city of ,new ,york4 ,but notwithstanding that the ,brotherhood thus had it begun1 it must1 as a ,society1 be kept with a free platform1 while1 at the same time1 its members are individually free to take and hold what belief they find approved by conscience1 provided that belief does not militate against ,universal ,brotherhood4 ,hence they are at perfect liberty to believe in the ,lodge of that ,brotherhood and in its messengers1 and also to accept their doctrines as to man1 his nature1 powers and destiny as given out by the messengers on behalf of the ,lodge4 ,the fact is significant that the ,theosophical movement was thus1 as said1 begun in the ,western world1 in the country where the preparations for the new root race are going on1 and where that new root is to appear4 ,this was not to give precedence to any one race or country over another1 or to reduce any race or country1 but was and is according to the law of cycles1 which is a part of evolution4 ,in the eye of that great ,law no country is first or last1 new or old1 high or low1 but each at the right time is appropriate for whatever the work is that must be performed4 ,each country is bound up with all the others and must assist them4 ,this movement has1 among others1 an object which should be borne in mind4 ,it is the union of the ,west with the ,east1 the revival in the ,east of those greatnesses which once were hers1 the development in the ,west of that ,occultism which is appropriate for it1 so that it may1 in its turn1 hold out a helping hand to those of older blood who may have become fixed in one idea1 or degraded in spirituality4 ,for many centuries this union has been worked towards and workers have been sent out through the ,west to lay the foundations4 ,but not until #ahge could a wide public effort be made1 and then the ,theosophical ,society came into existence because the times were ripe and the workers ready4 ,organisations1 like men1 may fall into ruts or grooves of mental and psychic action1 which1 once established1 are difficult to obliterate4 ,to prevent those ruts or grooves in the ,theosophical movement1 its guardians provided that necessary shocks should now and then interpose so as to conduce to solidarity1 to give strength such as the oak obtains from buffetting the storm1 and in order that all grooves of mind1 act1 or thought1 might be filled up4 ,it is not the desire of the ,brotherhood that those members of the ,theosophical movement who have1 under their rights1 taken up a belief in the messengers and the message should become pilgrims to ,india4 ,to arouse that thought was not the work nor the wish of ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 ,nor is it the desire of the ,lodge to have members think that ,eastern methods are to be followed1 ,eastern habits adopted1 or the present ,east made the model or the goal4 ,the ,west has its own work and its duty1 its own life and development4 ,those it should perform1 aspire to and follow1 and not try to run to other fields where the duties of other men are to be performed4 ,if the task of raising the spirituality of ,india1 now degraded and almost suffocated1 were easy1 and if thus easily raised could it shine into and enlighten the whole world of the ,west1 then1 indeed1 were the time wasted in beginning in the ,west1 when a shorter and quicker way existed in the older land4 ,but in fact it is more difficult to make an entry into the hearts and minds of people who1 through much lapse of time in fixed metaphysical dogmatism1 have built1 in the psychic and psycho-mental planes1 a hard impervious shell around themselves1 than it is to make that entry with ,westerners who1 although they may be meat eaters1 yet have no fixed opinions deep laid in a foundation of mysticism and buttressed with a pride inherited from the past4 ,the new era of ,western ,occultism definitely began in #ahge with the efforts of that noble woman who abandoned the body of that day not long ago4 ,this does not mean that the ,western ,occultism is to be something wholly different from and opposed to what so many know1 or think they know1 as ,eastern ,occultism4 ,it is to be the ,western side of the one great whole of which the true ,eastern is the other half4 ,it has1 as its mission1 largely entrusted to the hands of the ,theosophical ,society1 to furnish to the ,west that which it can never get from the ,east2 to push forward and raise high on the circular path of evolution now rolling ,west1 the light that lighteth every man who cometh into the world--the light of the true self1 who is the one true ,master for every human being2 all other ,masters are but servants of that true ,one2 in it all real ,lodges have their union4 ,woe is set apart--not by ,masters but by ,nature's laws--for those who1 having started in the path with the aid of ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 shall in any way try to belittle her and her work1 still1 as yet not understood and by many misunderstood4 ,this does not mean that a mere person is to be slavishly followed4 ,but to explain her away1 to belittle her1 to imagine vain explanations with which to do away with what is not liked in that which she said1 is to violate the ideal1 is to spit back in the face of the teacher through whom the knowledge and the opportunity came1 to befoul the river which brought you sweet waters4 ,she was and is one of those servants of the universal ,lodge sent to the ,west to take up the work1 well knowing of the pain and obloquy and the insult to the very soul--worst of all insults--which were certain from the first to be hers4 ,those who cannot understand her had best not try to explain her3 those who do not find themselves strong enough for the task she plainly outlined from the beginning had best not attempt it4 ,she knew1 and you have been told before1 that high and wise servants of the ,lodge have remained with the ,west since many centuries for the purpose of helping it on to its mission and destiny4 ,that work it would be well for the members of the ,theosophical movement to continue without deviating1 without excitement1 without running to extremes1 without imagining that ,truth is a matter of either longitude or latitude3 the truth of the soul's life is in no special quarter of the compass1 it is everywhere round the whole circle1 and those who look in one quarter will not find it4 7,this letter is marked in red pencil1 by the hand of ,mr4 ,judge1 unfinished4 ,in fact1 it ends with the word will1 as above1 but in publishing earlier some extracts from this letter1 the owner had the permission of the writer to supply the last three words1 which he had intended to place there when called away1 and in his haste for the post1 in returning1 had omitted to add47 ,,iv4 ,,to ,,the ,,theosophical ,,publication ,,society3 ,it is with great regret that ,i learn from recent ,london advices that the ,managers of the ,society there think that the ,tract1 ,epitome of ,theosophy1 which appeared in ,the ,path1 is too advanced to be reprinted now1 and that what is needed is 'a stepping-stone from fiction to philosophy4' ,permit me to say that ,i cannot agree with this opinion1 nor with the policy which is outlined by it4 ,the opinion is erroneous1 and the policy is weak as well as being out of accord with that of the ,masters4 ,those ,masters have approved the project of the new ,society and are watching the unfolding of its policy4 ,if ,i had made up that ,epitome wholly myself ,i might have some hesitation in speaking in this way1 but ,i did not4 ,the general idea of such a series of tracts was given to me some two years ago1 and this one was prepared by several students who know what the people need4 ,it is at once comprehensive and fundamental4 ,it covers most of the ground1 and if any sincere reader grasps it he will have food for his reflection of the sort needed4 ,if1 however1 we are to proceed by a mollified passage from folly 7which is fiction7 to philosophy1 then we at once diverge from the path marked out for us by the ,masters2 and for this statement ,i can refer to letters from ,them in my hands4 ,i need only draw your attention to the fact that when those ,masters began to cause ,their servants to give out matter in ,india1 ,they did not begin with fiction1 but with stern facts such as are to be found in the ,fragments of ,occult ,truth1 which afterwards became ,mr4 ,sinnett's ,esoteric ,buddhism4 ,we are not seeking to cater to a lot of fiction readers and curiosity hunters1 but to the pressing needs of earnest minds4 ,fiction readers never influenced a nation's progress4 ,and these earnest minds do not desire1 and ought not to be treated to a gruel which the sentence just quoted would seem to indicate as their fate4 ,then again1 ,i beg to remind my ,english brothers in this enterprise that they should remember that the ,united ,states contain more theosophists and possible subscribers and readers than the whole of ,europe4 ,they do not want fiction4 ,they want no padding in their search for truth4 ,they are perfectly able to grasp that which you call too advanced4 ,the ,master some years ago said that the ,u4 ,s4 needed the help of the ,english body of theosophists4 ,that they did not get1 and now do not require it so much1 and their ideas and needs must be considered by us4 ,we have twenty-one ,branches to your three in ,great ,britain1 and each month1 nearly1 sees a new ,branch4 ,several have written me that they understand the ,t4,p4,s4 is to give them good and valuable reprints and not weak matters of fiction4 ,i therefore respectfully urge upon you that the weak and erroneous policy to which ,i have referred shall not be followed1 but that strong lines of action be taken1 and that we leave fiction to the writers who profit by it or who think that thus people's minds can be turned to the ,truth4 ,if a contrary line be adopted then we will not only disappoint the ,master 7if that be possible7 but we will in a very large sense be guilty of making false representations to a growing body of subscribers here as well as elsewhere4 ,i am1 ,fraternally ,yours1 ,,william ,q4 ,,judge4 ,v4 ,it is a relief to turn from these eternal legal quibbles 7of my business7 to say a word or two on eternal matters4 ,now and then there are underlined sentences occurring in ,the ,path4 ,these ought to be studied4 ,one about one yogee not doing anything not seen in another yogee's mind will open up a subject4 ,reticence does not always mean ignorance3 if we dig out the knowledge we drag down at the same time rocks and debris of other sorts1 whereas1 if a miner hands us the nugget1 that is all we get at the time4 ,so a slight reticence often results in our going at the digging ourselves4 ,in ,september ,path is another4 ,getting back the memory of other lives is really the whole of the process1 and if some people don't understand certain things it is either because they have not got to that point in their other lives or because no glimmer of memory has yet come4 ,the communion of saints is a reality1 and it often happens that those brought up in the same school speak the same language4 ,while not being one1 such are very like co-scholars no matter when or where4 ,furthermore1 there are some peculiar natures in this world who1 while they are like mirrors or sponges that reflect and absorb from others certain information1 still retain a very strong individuality of their own4 ,so it is with this gentleman whose letter you enclose4 ,there is scarcely any doubt that he1 if he tells true tales1 sees in the astral light4 ,the description of things moving about like fishes in the sea is a real description of one of the manners in which many of these elemental forms are seen4 ,so it may1 as premised above1 be settled that he sees in the astral light4 ,he should know that that astral light exists in all places and interpenetrates everything1 and is not simply in the free air alone4 ,further should he know that to be able to see as he sees in the light is not all of the seeing thus4 ,that is1 there are many sorts of such sight1 e4g41 he may see now certain airy shapes and yet not see many others which at the same time are as really present there as those he now sees4 ,so it would seem that there are layers or differences of states in the astral light4 ,another way to state it is that elementals are constantly moving in the astral light--that is1 everywhere4 ,they1 so to say1 show pictures to him who looks1 and the pictures they show will depend in great part upon the seer's thoughts1 motives and development4 ,these differences are very numerous4 ,it therefore follows that in this study pride must be eliminated4 ,that pride has disappeared from ordinary life does not prove that it has done any more than retreat a little further within4 ,so one must be careful of becoming even inwardly vain of being able to see any such things2 for if that happens it will follow that the one limited plane in which one may be a seer will be accepted as the whole4 ,that1 then1 will be falsity4 ,but if recognized as delusive because partial1 then it remains true--so far as it goes4 ,all true things must be total1 and all totalities exist at once1 each in all1 while these partial forms exist partially in those that are total4 ,so it follows that only those that are total reveal entire truth1 and those that partake of lower nature--or are partial--receive but a limited view of truth4 ,the elementals are partial forms1 while the man's individual soul is total1 and according to the power and purity of that form which it inhabits waits upon the ,gods4 ,now our bodies1 and all false ,i powers up to the individual soul1 are partial forms in common with the energic centres in astral light4 ,so that it must follow that no matter how much we and they participate in each other the resulting view of the one ,truth is partial in its nature because the two partial forms mingling together do not produce totality4 ,but it intoxicates4 ,and herein lies the danger of the teaching of such men as ,p4 ,b4 ,randolph1 who advocates participation with these partial beings by means of sensual excesses glorified with a name and gilded with the pretence of a high purpose--viz41 knowledge3 ,,knowledge ,,must ,,be ,,carefully ,,obtained ,,with ,a ,,pure ,,motive4 ,this motive is the point for this gentleman to study4 ,he says that he will know1 and that he desires to escape from present limitations of this personality1 which is all loneliness4 ,as he did go forward on the path of knowledge1 he would find that this imaginary loneliness of which he speaks is by comparison with the utter loneliness of that path1 a howling mob1 a tramping regiment4 ,as he is fighting alone his own fight let him carefully note his motive in seeking to know more1 and in seeking to escape from his present loneliness4 ,must it not be true that loneliness cannot be escaped from by abhorrence of it or even by its acceptance1 but by its recognition8 ,what next8 ,well1 this2 and perhaps it is too simple4 ,he ought to assure himself that his motive in knowing and being is that he may help all creatures4 ,i do not say that this is not now his motive1 but for fear it should not be ,i refer to it4 ,for as he appears to be on the borderland of fearful sights and sounds he ought to know the magic amulet which alone can protect him while he is ignorant4 ,it is that boundless charity of love which led ,buddha to say3 ,let the sins of this dark age fall on me that the world may be saved1 and not a desire for escape or for knowledge4 ,it is expressed in the words3 ,,the ,,first ,,step ,,in ,,true ,,magic ,,is ,,devotion ,,to ,,the ,,interests ,,of ,,others4 ,it was expressed by ,krishna when he said3 ,near to ,renunciation is salvation 7or the state of a ,jivanmukta74 ,but he naturally will ask if he should cultivate his powers4 ,well1 of course he should at some time or other2 but he ought to begin at motives and purification of thought4 ,he may1 if he chooses1 abandon the ideas of this large-hearted charity and yet make great progress in powers1 but surely then death and ashes will be the result4 ,that does not concern me4 ,why did he have a horror when he merely succeeded in going away from his body2 in being for a moment free8 ,that is an important question4 ,its solution may be found in many ways4 ,i will mention one4 ,if the place1 or person he wished to go to was one to which he then ought not to have gone--or if his motive in desiring to go there was not pure--then a horror might result that drove him back4 ,but if even with a bad motive he had attempted to go to a place where a similar motive existed1 then no horror would have come4 ,if he will tell himself1 or me1 just where he was wanting to go1 ,i may say why he had a horror4 ,but ,i do not want to know4 ,for it is not necessarily a horror-producing thing to leave the body4 ,only lately ,i know of a friend of mine who went out of his body a distance of #aj1jjj miles and had no horror4 ,in that case he desired to see a friend on a common purpose which had in view the amelioration of this dark age2 and again1 who left his body in the country and saw the surrounding sweeps of wood and vale and had no horror whatever in either case4 ,if one is sure of motive1 and that is pure1 then going out of the body is not detrimental4 ,an illustration will show the dangers4 ,take the case of one who is able to leave the body and who determines to go to one who is sympathetic4 ,the second one1 however1 is protected by high motive and great purity3 the first is mixed in motive in waking life1 which1 as soon as the other disengaged state comes on1 changes into a mere curiosity to see the second1 and perhaps with more or less sensuality1 e4g41 a desire to see a woman much admired and to pour into her unwilling ear pretended or real human love4 ,the elementals 7and so on7 of the second protect that soul and hurl vague horrors at the first who1 if he is not a skilled black magician is3 #a4 ,either merely pushed back into the body3 ,or #b4 ,is assailed with fears that prevent him finding his body1 and that may be occupied by an elementary1 good1 bad or indifferent--and his friends may say that he waked up insane6 ,well2 enough6 ,,vi4 ,the letters proposed by your friend are a device of the enemy1 as you may have supposed1 and which you were warned to expect in unexpected quarters and ways4 ,therefore they should not be written4 ,it is the small rift in the lute that destroys it2 in human history small and unexpected events alter the destiny of nations4 ,on this plane the dark powers rely upon their ability to create a maya4 ,they have seen that you are not to be trapped in the prominent lines of work and so try their hands where your currents exist in a prominent place but with a very small matter4 ,let me point out4 ,if you issue these letters they would be an endorsement of all that your friend might think to do1 and neither you nor ,y4 are free from mistakes yet4 ,they would amount to a declaration1 to the perception of others1 that you were guiding ,y4 in everything and were at all times conscious of it4 ,do you or ,y4 know where this would end8 ,do you see the possibilities flowing from the acceptance in full of those letters by the others8 ,and what would their action be8 ,are they free from the curse of superstition2 are they clear in the co-ordination of psychic with brain thought8 ,no4 ,the result would not only be different from what you and ,y4 can see1 but worse4 ,now further4 ,it is true--and humanly natural--that the others 7like you and your friends7 indulged in some slight critiques on your friend1 but they were small and coupled with sincere and kind thoughts up to their lights1 no matter how large and bitter all this was made by maya to appear4 ,the dark powers seized on them1 enlarged them1 dressed them up1 assumed the images of the thinkers1 enlivened the thoughts with elementals1 all with an object1 viz41 to make your friend think it all came from the others4 ,why1 if that were so then those others 7poor weak mortals7 are friends4 ,but are they8 ,no4 ,it was wished by the dark ones to irritate your friend1 and you1 so as1 by the irritation1 to split a breach forever unhealable4 ,in ,y4's very weak state they found it easy1 and hoped by distance to make you blind4 ,tell your friend to remember what was long ago said2 that the ,master would manage results4 ,you must not manage1 precipitate1 nor force4 ,beware4 ,let ,y4 assume that the others do not think harshly nor critically1 but put it all against the dark powers1 and the results will be managed by ,master4 ,as chels and students conceal rather than give out your inner psychic life1 for by telling of it your proper progress is hindered4 ,there must be silence in heaven for a time or the dark ones rejoice to so easily get good1 malleable images for annoying you4 ,it will be tried again either that way or some other4 ,by gentleness1 detachment1 strict attention to duty1 and retiring now and then to the quiet place bring up good currents and keep back all evil ones4 ,remember it is the little things the work is done through1 for they are not noticed1 while the larger ones draw the eyes and minds of all4 ,i think of you always as the brave soldier1 made not of mud and soft things1 but made of long pieces of steel and strips of diamond and flashes of long light that has no harshness1 and a big1 big spring all the way through4 ,that is you4 ,and your eyes laugh now and then1 even if you do have a pain in your head4 ,inside you are all right1 as you know very well1 don't you8 ,then if you are that soldier1 it means that he will spring back as soon as the body has had time to get some better4 ,the body is like the heart2 it has to have time to get to some other condition4 ,but you will get there4 ,a steady mind and heart stands still and quiet until the muddy stream rolls clear4 ,now sleep1 ,i say2 ,i command you to sleep4 ,i have tried to help you to sleep1 and ,i wish you to sleep1 for sleep will do you good as nothing else can4 ,i hope to see you drop all when ---- comes1 and go to sleep for awhile1 and far enough from the row to be quiet4 ,it is sleep your tired nature on the outside wants1 for sleep knits up the ravelled thread of life and makes us young again4 ,you have been so awake1 that the power of equilibrium between life and the body is disturbed and needs a chance4 ,this is fact4 ,one can get wrought up1 and then ,prana is too strong2 so little children sleep much4 ,be a child once4 ,well1 ,i'm near home1 or rather the centre spot1 for pilgrims like you and ,i have no real house and don't want it2 it's too dull and usual for such to want a home4 ,and perhaps the little brother is good and well8 ,he shall be ever present1 as he always has been1 in those little songs and tales told to oneself in the dark1 and is1 too1 the lone warrior seen on the plain of stupid infantry1 and he rides a horse whose blood is electricity4 ,au revoir4 ,tell ---- ,i can stand alone2 it is the best way to stand1 and what ,i always was and shall be4 ,let the ripples and the foam go on coming and going2 the old river and the bed of the river do not move for all that is on the top4 ,is it not so8 ,well1 good-bye1 and good luck1 and may the devas help you and also karma4 ,love to all1 as usual4 ,as forevermore1 ,,vii4 ,i was very glad indeed to get your letter1 but sorry to read of your troubles4 ,strangely1 too1 a similar trouble with a very dear friend of mine is now uppermost in my mind1 and ,i would like to crave the favour from you that you would tell me what kind of place the asylum is you speak of4 ,the only accessible one here is a mere prison1 where men do nothing1 and where ,i do not think the influence would be other than depressing4 ,do you think at the one you have in mind a man of active mind1 who merely wishes to get rid of his present trouble1 would be able to occupy himself8 ,i am indeed sorry that you have to tell me such matters1 but they will rest in my confidence2 and ,i thank you and ---- for your renewed invitation4 ,it is best not to inquire into some of the mysteries of life1 but surely a full reliance upon the ,spirit within and upon the law that the hands that smite us are our own1 will relieve the pressure of some events that seem mysteries4 ,i find the greatest consolation in these reflections1 and then ,i see that each moment is mine1 and that when gone it is passed and merged into the sum of my being3 and so ,i must strive to ,be4 ,thus ,i may hope to become in time the conscious possessor of the whole of ,being4 ,so ,i do not strive after mystery4 ,the great struggle must be to open up my outer self1 that my higher being may shine through1 for ,i know that in my heart the ,god sits patient1 and that his pure rays are merely veiled from me by the many strivings and illusions that ,i bring on outwardly4 ,this being so1 ,i can only look at the ,society and its work 7under my lights7 as the best available channel for my actions in the effort to help others4 ,its methods1 then1 as far as ,i am concerned1 will be only mine1 and thus ,i cannot attach to it the methods of any other person4 ,believe me sincerely yours4 ,,viii4 ,as for me1 all that is the matter is my health1 not yet full and good4 ,if that were all right1 ,i would have nothing4 ,what do ,i care for all the row8 ,it will soon be over2 some will be dead2 the sooner the better1 and then we shall have other fun4 ,i look at it all as so much fun and variety1 sure2 ,i am not joking4 ,it is variety1 and without that what would life be8 ,as all these asses bray we learn new notes of the scale not known before4 ,a heap of letters ,i got2 but ,i am ,o4,k41 fragile1 perhaps1 but not brittle4 ,i would like to be with you both and have some sweet fun without tears or spite1 but we have to be apart1 to meet now and then4 ,poor ----6 ,don't be hard on him4 ,he had to be silent1 you know4 ,a small matter1 but more important than he knew for him4 ,let up on him1 and don't jeer4 ,he has a hard time enough with himself1 to have any added by massage from others4 ,c----'s illusion to suffering opens up a vein of thought which ,i have had4 ,i have examined myself for the uses of this rumpus1 to see if ,i am properly suffering4 ,well1 ,i can't find it4 ,down in the deeps ,i may be2 but ,i find myself cheerful1 happy1 and anything but morose or sad4 ,ergo3 can ,i be suffering8 ,do you know8 ,positively1 ,i do not know4 ,ought ,i8 ,am ,i a wretch because ,i do not suffer1 or because1 being in actual suffering1 ,i am insensate and do not perceive it8 ,but1 on the other hand1 ,i feel no anger and no resentment4 ,really1 it puzzleth me4 ,many nights ,i do not sleep1 and have used the hours 7as ,i now do71 when all is still1 in looking over all1 and yet ,i feel all right--everywhere4 ,of course1 ,i have committed my human faults and sins1 but ,i mean1 on the ,grand ,round-,up1 ,i find nothing to suffer me2 nothing that ,i shall rush out to amend by taking the ridiculous and nasty world to my bosom in confidence upon4 ,as for myself4 ,well4 ,what8 ,nothing4 ,i know not and care not4 ,i am joyful and glorious that the work thus goes4 ,my desires are not here1 and all the racket sounds to me far off1 as if miles from my ear4 ,i am acting as a pump-engine1 and trying to force a lot on4 ,this is not for myself4 ,i must find myself alone1 as we all are1 and then the ,law will say3 ,next6 ,but what next ,i do not care and don't want to know1 for when ,next is said ,i will see what it is to do4 ,just now the best and biggest work by us poor children is on this plane with the great aid of ,master1 ,whose simple single will keeps the whole organisation1 and acts as its support and shield4 ,we are not big enough yet to handle the ,akasa1 but we may help ,them to1 and that is all ,i want to do4 ,i have used the present affairs to be as a lesson to me1 for it may be used as a test to me as to pride and ambition2 and ,i find that1 no matter how ,i turn it1 the same result comes4 ,i am seeking other things while working in this4 ,try as ,i may to raise an ambition for power1 and to raise a desire to change a supposed case 7non-existent in fact71 ,i can't do it4 ,so you see1 my dear ,comrade1 ,i am all right4 ,these questions you ask me3 ,when the ,self is first seen it is like looking into a glove2 and for how many incarnations may it not be so8 ,the material envelope throws up before the eye of the ,soul waving fumes and clouds of illusion4 ,the brain is only the focus through which the forces and thoughts are centralised that are continually coming in through the solar plexus of the heart4 ,many such thoughts1 therefore1 are lost1 just as millions of seeds in nature are lost4 ,it behoves to study them and to guard them when there2 but can we call them our own8 ,or weep over them8 ,let us be as wide as great ,nature concerning them1 and let each go on to its own place without colouring them with our own colour and acceptance or adhesion4 ,the spiral movement is the double movement of the astral light1 one spiral inside the other4 ,the diastole and systole of the heart are caused by that double movement of the ,akasa4 ,but do not presumptuously grasp the movement too soon1 for often even the heart moving too rapidly destroys the life4 ,the brutes unconsciously are aware of the general human opposition1 which in each human being they see focalised4 ,it is easier to sink back into the ,eternal than to dive4 ,the diver must needs have the power to retain breath against the rush caused by diving1 while to sink gives time to get and keep the breath4 ,nothing else greatly new4 ,am waiting to hear of your completer health4 ,sustained on the wave you will come in with the tide in time4 ,best love to ---- and to ---- and to thee4 ,may you all be well sustained4 ,i think ,i have now given you all there is4 ,salute most noble1 brave1 and diamond-hearted6 ,may we meet after the dust settles1 and we will meet forever in the long1 long manvantaras before us all4 ,peace6 ,peace6 the path of peace and not of war3 such are the words4 ,as forevermore4 ,,ix4 ,i do not know what to write1 for ,i've been so occupied with people4 ,i am anxious about my lectures2 still unprepared4 ,i cannot naturally reply to many of your points1 because ,i have a retiring feeling1 and so shall not reply4 ,indeed1 ,i often think how nice it would be not to speak or write4 ,i am no hand at those nice phrases that people like4 ,of course1 that does not alter my real feelings1 but chickens are chickens and often think nonsense4 ,i want to forget and forgive all those children and childish acts4 ,let us do it1 and try as much as possible to be real brothers1 and thus get nearer the truth4 ,and by work we will defeat the enemy of ,master3 by still silently working4 ,i hope still you will emerge sooner or later all the better and the stronger4 ,i know you will and ,i do not see you dead by any means4 ,you are less hopeful for yourself than for others4 ,but you have the will and the fire to fight on to the last bone and the last moment4 ,i only wish ,i could see you all to hearten you up a little more3 that is1 to talk with you1 for you do not need much of the grit4444 ,i often hear from ,him now4 ,that terrible racket cleared me up4 ,he says that much haste must be avoided4 ,and that ,i must not let the flood carry me off4 ,he asks me to say to you that you have a natural rapidity that must be guided by yourself and the best way is to wait after a letter and to sleep on a plan4 ,he also says that 444 7,i am not aware of this1 but ,he must be right71 that you have a subtle desire to be the first to make or propose a good plan or act4 ,do not let this carry you off1 but be slower as to that4 ,it is good advice1 ,i think1 for the additional reason that one can now and then take a plan from the head of another4 ,i see the clans have been gathering4 ,keep it up and see to it as far as possible that partisanship is at a low ebb and that only good1 steady loyalty and work are the main motive4 ,and cast no one out of your heart4 ,i must ask for a calmer motion at this time4 ,it is absolutely necessary4 ,a word of love to ----8 ,i sent it4 ,i sent many4 ,i not only sent it visible but also the other way4 ,what could ,i say8 ,i do not know4 ,in what ,i sent my whole heart was put4 ,does not ---- forever stand for me and with me8 ,how can ,i use words when the fibres of my heart are involved8 ,and what good is my philosophy if1 when the actual taking of ---- off seemed so near1 ,i indulged in mere words8 ,i cannot do it4 ,if ,i try1 then the words are mere rubbish1 lies and unreal1 as ,i am not able to do this1 no matter how much others can4 ,our real life is not in words of love or hate or coldness but in the fiery depths of the heart4 ,and in those depths ---- is and was4 ,could ,i say more8 ,no2 impossible4 ,and even that is small and badly said4 ,it is true that day by day the effect of my philosophy is more apparent on me1 as yours is and will be on you1 and so with us all4 ,i see it myself1 let alone all ,i hear of it from others4 ,what a world and what a life6 ,yet we are born alone and must die alone1 except that in the ,eternal ,space all are one1 and the ,one ,reality never dies4 ,if ambition creeps up slowly higher and higher it will destroy all things1 for the foundations will be weak4 ,in the end1 the ,master will win1 so let us breathe deep and hold fast there1 as we are4 ,and let us hurry nothing4 ,eternity is here all the time4 ,i cannot tell you how my heart turns to you all4 ,you know this1 but a single word will do it4 ,trust6 ,that was what ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 said4 ,did she not know8 ,who is greater than our old and valiant old ,lady8 ,ah1 were she here1 what a carnage6 ,wonder1 anyhow1 how she1 or he1 or it1 looks at the matter8 ,smiling1 ,i suppose1 at all our struggles4 ,again1 in storm and shine1 in heat and cold1 near or afar1 among friends or foes1 the same in ,one ,work4 ,x4 ,,my ,,dear ,,companion 7,,campanero71 ,your long letter and message received4 ,all ,i can say is that it is gigantically splendid1 marvelously accurate4 ,and let me then return to you this message 444 that this must prove to you that you are not standing still4444 ,it's all well enough to be out in the rapids as you say ,i am1 but what of it when ,i don't hear such a message as yours myself8 ,thank you4 ,it is a bugle blast from the past4 ,perhaps in some other age ,i taught you that and now you give it to me again4 ,when ,i said in mine that in ,kali ,yuga more could be done than in any other age in the same period1 ,i stated all you say but ,i didn't know it4 ,now your clear light falls upon it and ,i see it well4 ,but fear not4 ,you got so familiar to me that ,i permitted myself to let out some of the things that ,i now and then feel4 ,but ,i swear to you that ,i do not let them always so rush before me4 ,truly you have proved that your place is where the long roll finds you standing4 ,now don't you begin to see more and more things8 ,don't you feel things that you know without anyone to tell you8 ,my friend ,urban has shown me a letter from ---- in which the latter1 feeling dark in consequence of various causes1 sees no light4 ,this is merely the slough of despond1 ,i tell him4 ,we know the light is ahead1 and the experience of others shows that the darkest hour is just before the dawn4 ,i tell him also that strong souls are thus tried inevitably because they rush ahead along the road to the light4 ,in the ,finnish ,epic it is said that guarding a certain place are hideous serpents and glittering spears4 ,and so it really is4 ,but although such is the truth1 ,i have also to tell him that he ought1 as far as possible1 to try to ameliorate the circumstances4 ,i will make my meaning clear4 ,he is living now1 as you know1 among people of an opposite faith4 ,around them are elementals who would1 if they could1 implant suspicion and distrust about those whom he reveres1 or1 if they fail there1 will try to cause physical ills or aggravate present ones4 ,in his case these have succeeded in part in causing darkness4444 ,now ----1 while not just in that case1 is surrounded1 while not strong1 by those who inwardly deplore his beliefs 444 and hence the elementals are there and they quarrel with those of ---- and bring on despair1 reduce strength1 and so on4 ,i tell ---- those circumstances ought to be ameliorated every now and then3 for ,i know he would at once1 if changed to a better place1 get better4 ,and so ,i have written to him to make a change as soon as he can4 ,it is highly important that no replies should be made to attacks4 ,get the people to devote themselves to work and to ignoring attacks4 ,the opposing forces strain every nerve to irritate some or all of us so that we may reply in irritation and precipitate more follies4 ,consider solely how to improve old work1 get up new work and infuse energy into work4 ,otherwise the beneficent influences intended for all ,f4,t4,s4 will be nullified4 ,cheer up ----1 and from your standpoint tell him how to know the distinction between the intellect and spiritual mind4 ,tell him how to find out his spirit-will and to ignore a little the mental attitude he takes4 ,do not point to particular instances of his own failure but detail your own inner experience4 ,it will do him good4 ,upanishads4 ,subsisting here means1 not that the self exists by reason of food1 but that as a manifestation1 as one causing the body to be visible and to act1 the self subsists in that state by means of the food which is used4 ,it is really a reversed translation1 and ought to read--as ,i think--,the self exists in close proximity to the heart and causes the body to exist by reason of the food which it takes in for its subsistence4 ,that is1 continual reference is had to the doctrine that if the self were not there the body would not exist4 ,yes3 it also means that the self procures vital airs from the food which the one life causes to be digested4 ,for note that which you know1 that did we not take food the material unit of the trinity would die and the self be disappointed1 and then would get another body to try in again4 ,for is it not permitted to each one to try and set up a habit in that material unit whereby we may as incarnated beings know the self8 ,then when that is done we do not live as others2 but all the same1 even then1 the self must subsist1 so to say1 while in manifestation1 by means of food1 no matter if that food be of a different character1 corresponding to the new state4 ,even the ,devas subsist by food4 ,you know they enter into that colour1 or sound1 or savour1 at the sacrifice1 they rise in that colour1 etc41 and by it they live4 ,watch words1 ---- dear2 they are traps4 ,catch ideas and ,i will understand you by the context that you are not confined to the ordinary meanings4 ,i am swamped in work1 but my courage is up1 and ,i feel the help sent from the right place4 ,let us go on from place to place and from year to year2 no matter who or what claims us outwardly1 we are each the property of the self4 ,as forevermore and after4 ,,xi4 ,to ----4 ,there is a sentence in your letter not explained by ,j4 ,niemand1 which1 however1 needs explaining1 for it is the outgrowth of an erroneous idea in you4 ,you say3 ,can ,i help these ignorant elementals with mental instruction8 ,i tried it1 but not successfully4 ,in all those cases where it is caused by the elementals you cannot4 ,elementals are not ignorant4 ,they know just as little and just as much as you do4 ,most generally more4 ,do you not know that they are reflectors8 ,they merely mirror to you either your own mind1 or that mental strata caused by the age1 the race1 and the nation you may be in4 ,their action is invariably automatic and unconscious4 ,they care not for what is called by you mental instruction4 ,they hear you not4 ,do you know how they hear1 or what language they understand8 ,not human speech2 nor ordinary human thought clothed in mental speech4 ,that is a dead letter to them altogether4 ,they can only be communicated with through correlations of colours and sounds4 ,but while you address yourself to them1 those thoughts assume life from elementals rushing in and attaching themselves to those thoughts4 ,do not1 then1 try to speak to them too much1 because did you make them know they might demand of you some boon or privilege1 or become attached to you1 since in order to make them understand they must know you1 and a photographic plate forgets not4 ,fear them not1 nor recoil in horror nor repulsion4 ,the time of trial must be fulfilled4 ,job had to wait his period until all his troubles and diseases passed away4 ,before that time he could do naught4 ,but we are not to idly sit and repine2 we are to bear these trials1 meanwhile drawing new and good elementals so as to have--in western phrase--a capital on which to draw when the time of trial has fully passed away4 ,on all other points ,niemand has well explained4 ,read both together4 ,lastly2 know this law1 written on the walls of the temple of learning4 ,having received1 freely give2 having once devoted your life in thought1 to the great stream of energy in which elementals and souls alike are carried--and which causes the pulse beat of our hearts--you can never claim it back again4 ,seek1 then1 that mental devotion which strains to give4 ,for in the law it is written that we must give away all or we lose it3 as you need mental help1 so do others who are wandering in darkness seeking for light4 ,,xii4 ,to-day ,i got your wire1 ---- very low4 ,this is a shock to me4 ,i hardly believe it is the end at all4 ,i cannot believe it1 there is so much fire there4 ,but ,i wired you to ask if ,i was to tell ----4 ,also to read #bnd ch4 ,bhag4 ,gt4 ,that1 my dear fellow1 solves all these troubles for me though it don't kill out immediate pain4 ,besides1 it is ,karma just and wise4 ,defects are in us all1 and if this is the taking off why it means that a lot of obstructive ,karma is thus at once and forever worked off1 and has left ---- free for greater work in better places4 ,i would ,i were there with you4 ,tell him how much ,i love him and that in this era of ,kali ,yuga no sincere one1 such as he1 remains long away from the work there is to do4 ,words are of no use4 ,i have sent thoughts1 and those are useful1 whether we are in the body or out of it4 ,i sent every night lately all the help ,i could and continued through the day1 not only to ----1 but also you4 ,it reached there1 ,i know1 but ,i can't overcome ,karma if it is too strong4 ,tell ---- if it should come to the worst1 that no regrets about the work are needed4 ,what has already been accomplished there will last1 and seethe and do its work for several years to come4 ,so in that direction there could be nothing to regret4 ,i cannot write ---- directly3 but if able to hear this--or maybe when it arrives--then head it as if it were to him1 and not to you4 ,so1 dear ----1 in the presence of your wire this is all ,i can write4 ,you know my feelings1 and ,i need not say any more ,as ,ever4 ,,xiii4 ,you did right to send me that letter4 ,of course1 ,i am sorry to hear from you in that way1 but am glad that you wrote4 ,let me tell you something--will you believe it8 ,you are not in nearly such a bad way as you think1 and your letter1 which you sent me unreservedly1 shews it4 ,can you not1 from the ordinary standpoint of worldly wisdom1 see it so8 ,for your letter shews this2 a mind and lower nature in a whirl1 not in the ordinary sense1 but as though1 figuratively speaking1 it were whirling in a narrow circle1 seemingly dead1 kept alive by its own motion4 ,and above it a human soul1 not in any hurry1 but waiting for its hour to strike4 ,and ,i tell you that ,i know it will strike4 ,if so far as your personal consciousness goes you have lost all desire for progress1 for service1 for the inner life--what has that to do with it8 ,do you not think that others have had to go through with all of that and worse2 a positive aversion1 may be1 with everything connected with ,theosophy8 ,do you not know that it takes a nature with some strength in it to sink very low1 and that the mere fact of having the power to sink low may mean that the same person in time may rise to a proportionately greater height8 ,that is not the highest path to go but it is one that many have to tread4 ,the highest is that which goes with little variation1 but few are strong enough to keep up the never ceasing strain4 ,time alone can give them that strength and many ages of service4 ,but meanwhile there is that other to be travelled4 ,travel it bravely4 ,you have got the ----1 which of the hells do you think you are in8 ,try to find out and look at the corresponding heaven4 ,it is very near4 ,and ,i do not say this to bolster you up artificially1 for that would be of no use and would not last1 even if ,i were to succeed in doing it4 ,i write of facts and ,i think that somewhere in your nature you are quite well aware that ,i do so4 ,now what is to be done3 99 99 99 99 ,in my opinion you should deliberately give yourself a year's trial4 ,write and tell me at the end of that year 7and meantime as often as you feel called upon to do so1 which will not be very often7 how you then feel1 and if you do not feel inclined to go on and stick to it ,i will help you all ,i can4 ,but you must do it yourself1 in spite of not wanting to do it4 ,you can4 ,make up your mind that in some part of your nature somewhere there is that which desires to be of use to the world4 ,intellectually realise that that world is not too well off and probably wants a helping hand4 ,recognise mentally that you should try to work for it sooner or later4 ,admit to yourself that another part of your nature--and if possible see that it is the lower part--does not care in the least about the world or its future1 but that such care and interest should be cultivated4 ,this cultivation will of course take time3 all cultivation does4 ,begin by degrees4 ,assert constantly to yourself that you intend to work and that you will do so4 ,keep that up all the time4 ,do not put any time limit to it1 but take up the attitude that you are working towards that end4 ,begin by doing ten minutes' work every day of any sort1 study1 or the addressing of envelopes1 or anything1 so long as it be done deliberately and with that object in view4 ,if a day comes when this is too irksome1 knock it off for that day4 ,give yourself three or four days' rest and do it deliberately4 ,then go back to your ten minutes' work4 ,at the end of six or seven weeks you will know what to add to that practice3 but go slowly1 do nothing in a hurry1 be deliberate4 ,don't try to feel more friendly to this or that person--more actively friendly ,i should have said4 ,such things must spring up of their own accord and will do so in time4 ,but do not feel surprised that you feel all compassion die out of you in some ways4 ,that too is an old story4 ,it is all right because it does not last4 ,do not be too anxious to get results from the practice ,i have outlined above4 ,do not look for any3 you have no concern with them if you do all that as a duty4 ,and finally1 do not forget1 my dear fellow1 that the dead do come to life and that the coldest thing in the world may be made hot by gentle friction4 ,so ,i wish you luck1 and wish ,i could do more for you4 ,but ,i will do what ,i can4 ,,xiv4 ,now this is1 as ,i said1 an era4 ,i called it that of ,western ,occultism1 but you may give it any name you like4 ,but it is western4 ,the symbol is the well-intended ,american ,republic1 which was seen by ,tom ,paine beforehand as a new era in the affairs of the world4 ,it was meant as near as possible to be a brotherhood of nations1 and that is the drift of its declaration and constitution4 ,the ,t4,s4 is meant to be the same1 but has for many years been in a state of friction4 ,it has now1 if possible1 to come out of that4 ,it cannot be a brotherhood unless each1 or some1 of its units becomes a brother in truth4 ,and brother was the noble name given in #ahge to the ,masters4 ,hence you and ,i and all of us must cultivate that4 ,we must forgive our enemies and those who assail us1 for only thus can the great brothers properly help by working through us4 ,there seems to be a good deal to forgive1 but it is easily done inasmuch as in fifty years we'll all be gone and forgot4 ,cut off1 then1 thoughts about those foolish children until harmonious vibrations ensue to some extent4 ,that absurdity 444 let go4 ,i have deliberately refrained from jumping at such a grand chance4 ,so you see forgive1 forgive and largely forget4 ,come along1 then1 and with me get up as fast as possible the feeling of brotherhood4 ,now then1 you want more light1 and this is what you must do4 ,you will have to give up something4 ,to wit3 have yourself called half an hour earlier than is usual and devote it before breakfast to silent meditation1 in which brood upon all great and high ideas4 ,half an hour6 ,surely that you can spare4 ,and don't eat first4 ,if you can take another half before you go to bed and without any preliminaries of undressing and making things agreeable or more comfortable1 meditate again4 ,now don't fail me in this4 ,this is much to give up1 but give it up1 recollecting that you are not to make all those preparations indulged in by people4444 ,the best and most important teacher is one's seventh principle centered in the sixth4 ,the more you divest yourself of the illusionary sense of personal isolation1 and the more you are devoted to the service of others1 the more ,maya disappears and the nearer you approach to ,divinity4 ,good-bye1 then1 and may you find that peace that comes from the self4 ,,xv4 ,in answer to your questions3 7#a7 ,clothes and astral form4 ,answer4--,you are incorrect in assuming that clothes have no astral form4 ,everything in nature has its double on other planes1 the facts being that nothing visible in matter or space could be produced without such a basis4 ,the clothes are seen as well as the person because they exist on the astral plane as well as he4 ,besides this1 the reason why people are seen on the astral plane with clothes of various cut and colour1 is because of the thought and desire of the person1 which clothes him thus4 ,hence a person may be seen in the astral light wearing there a suit of clothes utterly unlike what he has on1 because his thought and desire were on another suit1 more comfortable1 more appropriate1 or what not4 7#b7 ,what can true and earnest ,theosophists do against the ,black ,age or ,kali ,yuga8 ,answer4--,nothing against it but a great deal in it2 for it is to be remembered that the very fact of its being the iron or foundation age gives opportunities obtained in no other4 ,it is only a quarter as long as the longest of the other ages1 and it is therefore crammed four times as full of life and activity4 ,hence the rapidity with which all things come to pass in it4 ,a very slight cause produces gigantic effects4 ,to aspire ever so little now will bring about greater and more lasting effects for good than at any other time4 ,and similarly evil intent has greater powers for evil4 ,these great forces are visibly increased at the close of certain cycles in the ,kali ,yuga4 ,the present cycle1 which closes ,nov4 #agth1 #ahig-;,feb4 #ahth1 #ahih1 is one of the most important of any that have been4 ,opportunities for producing permanent effects for good in themselves and in the world as a whole1 are given to ,theosophists at the present time1 which they may never have again if these are scattered4 ,,xvi4 ,the ,masters have written that we are all bound together in one living whole4 ,hence the thoughts and acts of one react upon all4 ,experience has shewn that it is true1 as said by ,masters1 that any sincere member in any town can help the ,t4,s4 and benefit his fellow townsmen4 ,it is not high learning that is needed1 but solely devotion to humanity1 faith in ,masters1 in the ,higher ,self1 a comprehension of the fundamental truths of ,theosophy and a little1 only a little1 sincere attempt to present those fundamental truths to a people who are in desperate need of them4 ,that attempt should be continuous4 ,no vain striving to preach or prove phenomena will be of any value1 for1 as again ,masters have written1 one phenomenon demands another and another4 ,what the people want is a practical solution of the troubles besetting us1 and that solution you have in ,theosophy4 ,will you not try to give it to them more and more and save ---- from the slough it is in8 ,i would distinctly draw your attention to ,brother ----4 ,there is not that complete sympathy and toleration between him and you there ought to be1 and for the sake of the work it should be otherwise4 ,you may say that it is his fault4 ,it is not wholly1 for you must also be somewhat to blame1 if not in this life then from another past one4 ,can you deny that for a long period he has held up the ,branch there8 for if he had not it would have died out1 even though you also were necessary agents4 ,have any of you had unkind or revengeful feelings to him8 ,if so1 ought you not to at once drive them out of your hearts4 ,for ,i swear to you on my life that if you have been troubled or unfortunate it is by the reaction from such or similar thoughts about him or others4 ,drive them all out of your hearts1 and present such kindliness and brotherliness to him that he shall1 by the force of your living kindness1 be drawn into full unity and co-operation with you4 ,discussion or proofs to shew that you are all right and he wrong avail nothing4 ,we are none of us ever in the right1 there is always that in us that causes another to offend4 ,the only discussion should be to the end that you may find out how to present to the world in your district1 one simple1 solid1 united front4 ,as to the expression seeing sounds1 this you understand1 of course1 so far as the statement goes4 ,it records the fact that at one time the vibrations which cause a sound now were then capable of making a picture1 and this they do yet on the astral plane4 ,,xvii4 ,in reply to your question3 ,neither the general law nor the ,lodge interferes to neutralise the effect of strain upon the disciple's physical energies when caused by undue exertion or want of regularity1 except in certain cases4 ,hence the ,theosophist is bound to see that his arrangement of hours for sleep1 work and recreation are properly arranged and adjusted1 as he has no right to so live as to break himself down1 and thus deprive the cause he works for of a useful and necessary instrument4 ,your friend's energies have been disarranged and somewhat exhausted by irregularities as to rest and recreation1 since work has been hard and required rest--whether asleep or awake--has not been had4 ,this causes excitement1 which will 7or has7 react in many different ways in the system and upon the organs4 ,it causes mental excitement which again raises other disturbance4 ,he1 like anyone else1 should take measures so as to insure regularity as to rest1 so that what work he does shall be better and the present excitement subside in the system4 ,it is not wise to remain up late unless for good purposes1 and it is not that to merely remain with others to late hours when nothing good or necessary can be accomplished4 ,besides other reasons1 that is a good one4 ,excitement is heat2 if heat be applied to heat1 more is produced4 ,coolness must be applied so as to create an equilibrium4 ,this applies in that case1 and the establishment of regularity in the matter of rest is the application of coolness4 ,second1 the various exciting and wrongful acts or thoughts of others are heat2 coolness is to be produced by discharging the mind of those and ceasing to refer to them in words1 otherwise the engendered heat will continue4 ,it is needless to refer to reasons resting on the points of conduct and example1 for those anyone is capable of finding and applying4 ,as there is no hurry1 it is easy to divest the mind of anxiety and the irritation arising from hurry4 ,again1 comparison of one's own work or ways of doing things better than others is wrong and also productive of the heat above spoken of4 ,,xviii4 ,you are right in thinking that the essential principles of ,theosophy are often stated without the use of that name1 for it is the only universal fundamental system which underlies the religions of every age4 ,the ,new ,testament1 rightly understood1 teaches ,theosophy1 and we know that both ,jesus and ,st4 ,paul were initiates4 ,of course1 in ,theosophy1 as in any other ,science1 one understands more as one reads more1 and ,i recommend you to read and digest such of our books as you can conveniently procure4 ,now in respect to the questions you ask1 let me say that ,theosophy requires no man to abandon a mode of life which is not in itself wrong4 ,the use of meat diet is not a sin2 it is not even an offence2 it is a habit which the race has now largely conformed to1 and is not a question of morals or right4 ,at a certain stage of advance as a chela or disciple1 the use of meat food has to be abandoned because of its psychical and physiological effects4 ,but you have not reached that stage1 nor is it likely that you will for a long time4 ,as the use of meat is not an offence1 so neither can be the supply of it to others1 so that your assisting in killing hogs for market is in no way opposed to your duty as a man or as a ,theosophist4 ,that being your duty in present circumstances1 ,i should recommend you to perform it without hesitation4 ,men and women are complementary in character1 and therefore adapted to each other4 ,it is natural that each sex should enjoy the company of the other1 and what is natural cannot be wrong4 ,moreover1 it is perfectly proper that when a suitable mate is found a man should marry and settle down as a householder1 bringing up a family with right views and high purposes4 ,he contributes a service to humanity1 who puts to take his place after his death1 children who reproduce his true and altruistic life4 ,consequently1 if you find a suitable match and desire matrimony1 there can be no possible reason why you should not carry out such a purpose4 ,like the abstention from meat1 celibacy is essential to advance after a certain stage1 but that stage has not yet been reached by you1 and you cannot1 therefore1 be subjected to its conditions4 ,there can be no one rule laid down for all human beings1 inasmuch as the temperaments and desires are so different4 ,each must work out the problem of life in his own way4 ,if your aspirations are so set on higher things that you find the lower a hindrance1 it is evident that you should not indulge in the latter2 but if you are not so hindered1 then no less a duty is yours4 ,you are right in thinking that the essential to all true progress is a wish to conform utterly to the ,divine ,will1 we being certain that we shall be helped in proportion1 as is our need4 ,,xix4 ,yes1 you are right4 ,i am in danger1 but that danger is not on the outside1 although it is on the outside that attempts are brought forward4 ,and in some sense all those with me are in danger too4 ,it is a danger from ---- which ever tries to forestall the steps of those who travel forward4 ,so too1 my ,dear1 you are in the same sort of danger4 ,but while the danger is there1 yet there is encouragement in the fact itself4 ,for we would not be so placed if we had not been so fortunate as to have progressed through work and patience to the point where ---- sees enough in us to try and stop progress and hinder our work4 ,hence1 if they see they cannot stop us1 they try all plans to get up strife1 so as to nullify our work4 ,but we will win1 for knowing the danger we take measures against it4 ,i am determined not to fail4 ,others may2 but ---- and ,i will not4 ,let us then await all suffering with confidence and hope4 ,the very fact that you suffer so much is objective evidence of progress1 even though so painful1 not only to you but to those who love you4 ,so while ,i do not say suffer on1 ,i am comforted by the knowledge that it will be for great good in the future4 ,so ,i am writing this1 instead of machining it1 in order that you may feel the force of my love and comradeship4 ,let us all draw closer together in mind and heart1 soul and act1 and try thus to make that true brotherhood through which alone our universal and particular progress can come4 ,to thee1 oh holder of the flame1 my love ,i send4 ,well1 ,i go again1 but never do ,i forget4 ,my best love and blessing to thee4 ,i cannot speak of these things1 but thou knowest4 ,and now1 as formerly1 and as now1 and as forever and forevermore4 ,,xx4 ,doubts and questions have arisen as to some things since the present cloud gathered4 ,among others it has been said that it were better that ---- had left the chair3 it would be well for him to go1 and so on4 ,these views should not be held4 ,if held1 they should be dismissed4 ,there are two forces at work in the ,t4,s41 as well as in the world and in man4 ,these are the good and the bad4 ,we cannot help this3 it is the ,law4 ,but we have rules1 and we have preached of love and truth and kindness2 and above all1 we have spoken of gratitude1 not only of ,masters1 but among us4 ,now this applies to this question of ----4 ,again1 he may be incompetent 444 and yet be competent for the little he has to do4444 ,now let me tell you3 the work must not fail because here and there personalities fall1 and sin1 and are unwise4 ,,truth remains1 and ,,it ,,is1 whoever falls3 but the multitude look to the visible leader4 ,if he falls apart like an unjointed puzzle1 at once they say1 there is no truth there1 nothing which is3 and the work of a century is ruined and must be rebuilt again from its foundations1 and years of backward tendency must come between the wreck of one undertaking and the beginning of another4 ,let me say one thing ,i ,,know3 only the feeling of true brotherhood1 of true love towards humanity aroused in the soul of someone strong enough to stem this tide1 can carry us through4 ,for ,,love and ,,trust are the only weapons that can overcome the ,,real enemies against which the true theosophist must fight4 ,if ,i1 or you1 go into this battle from pride1 from self-will1 from desire to hold our position in the face of the world1 from anything but the purest motives1 we shall fail4 ,let us search ourselves well and look at it as we never looked before3 see if there is in us the reality of the brotherhood which we preach and which we are supposed to represent4 ,let us remember those famous words3 ,be ye wise as serpents and harmless as doves4 ,let us remember the teaching of the ,sages that death in the performance of our duty is preferable to the doing by us of the duty of another1 however well we may do the latter3 the duty of another is full of danger4 ,let us be of and for peace1 and not for war alone4 ,,xxi4 ,it is true ---- suffered through my cold and hard feelings4 ,but it was her fault1 for ,i say now as then to ---- that she1 absorbed in ----1 neglected my members1 who are my children1 and for whom ,i wanted her best and got her worst4 ,that made me cold1 of course1 and ,i had to fight it1 and didn't care if ---- did not like it3 ,i have no time to care4 ,i am glad she has gone to ----4 ,it is her trial and her chance and when she sets back she can see for herself if she is able to prevent the big head from coming on as has happened with others4 ,if she does1 then she will have stood the reaction and ,i have faith she will stand2 but still it has to be met4 ,time comes on sure1 and with it trial4 ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 was her preparer and comfort1 but men are not made into steel by comfort1 and note that ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 then died off4 ,my trip all over this country shows me that it is of more consequence that ,i should now work up the ,u4 ,s41 where the ,masters first worked in this century4 ,it needs all ,i can do4444 ,so when ,i have fulfilled my engagement on the ,english stage ,i shall skip back here quickly and do this work4 ,the field is even greater than ,i thought1 although ,i had a big idea of it4 ,from the ,united ,states we can affect the world and they will come to us from all places either for solid work or for help in their need4444 ,well now1 of you3 ,i feel it all4 ,it is up1 and down4 ,it is well you are courageous1 and to endure you are able4 ,indeed endure is the best word1 for that is what the oak does when the storms rage1 for it is better to endure when we can do nothing than to faint and fall4 ,the facts are to be faced4 ,i hope they may turn out otherwise1 but if not1 it is ,karma4 ,aside from pain1 it is the same as anything else4 ,if it comes1 it will not last long4 ,still1 ,i hope it cometh not4 ,i think much of it1 but know the bravery of you and the high soul that dwells there4 ,all the time of pain and dogged fighting ,i know your real self sits up above it all unaffected1 and so does mine1 and from that let us take comfort4 ,all things in this age move like lightning and so with all our ,karma1 though mine has so often seemed slow1 so far as concerns me4 ,well1 ,i cannot go on with this3 ,i feel as you do3 ,i stand by you in heart and have often of late sent you messages of hope and power to help you4 ,i advised ---- to do her part to lessening the constant bringing forward of the name of ,h4 ,p4 ,b41 instead of independent thought on ,theosophy4 ,we have too much of it and it is no proof of loyalty1 and it gives rise to much of the foolish talk of our dogmatism4 ,you will understand1 and may be able to influence some to a more moderate though firm attitude that will not lessen their loyalty and devotion4 ,one good point is that the true chla does not talk much of his ,master and often does not refer to that ,master's existence4 ,it has almost become the same as unnecessarily waving the red flag to a bull4 ,those of us who have experience do not do it2 but the younger ones do4 ,x ---- does it here in his speeches and ,i am going to speak to him of it4 ,if it be not avoided the first thing we know there will be a split between the ,h4 ,p4 ,b4'ers and the theosophists pur sang1 the latter claiming to be the real thing because devoid of any personal element4 ,you and ,i and ---- do not find it necessary all the time to be flinging her 7,h4 ,p4 ,b47 in the faces of others1 and it is well now to take the warning offered from the outside4 ,besides1 ,i have had a very strong inside warning on it4 ,my best love now that we are near ,christmas and ,new ,year1 and may there be some sunshine to light the path4 ,i send you my love unsullied by a mere gift4 ,i hope ---- will be firm and proceed as indicated1 but she1 like us all1 must meet her own old enemies in herself4 ,again ,i go1 as for evermore4 ,,xxii4 ,great excitement last night4 ,it was the regular night of ---- ,t4,s4 and ---- was to speak4 ,we got there at #h3ae1 and it was full4 ,he began and had just been fifteen minutes when it was discovered that the building was on fire4 ,we stopped and let #a1jjj people in the various halls get out1 then quietly went and none were hurt1 only two1 ---- and ----1 getting a few quarts of water from a burst hose4 ,it was a queer exit1 for we went downstairs beside the elevator1 and glass1 bricks and water were falling down the light well1 while the fire on the top stories of it roared and made a fine light1 and streams of fire ran down the oily elevator pipes on the other side2 and firemen pulled up hose neck or nothing as we got away4 ,it was ----'s own meeting1 and it ended in fire6 ,none of the great psychics present had had the remotest premonition1 but one invented afterwards an ex post facto sense of terror4 ,tell ---- the time has passed for him to vacillate2 he knows his guru3 she was and is ,h4 ,p4 ,b42 let him reflect ere he does that which1 in wrecking her life and fame1 will wreck his own life by leaving him where nothing that is true may be seen4444 ,silence is useful now and then1 but silence sometimes is a thing that speaks too loud4 ,i am his friend and will help4 ,no one can hurt him but himself2 his work and sacrifice were noble and none can point at him4 ,see what ,i said in the opening vol4 of ,the ,path3 that the study of what is now called practical occultism was not the object of that journal4 ,we regard it as incidental to the journey along the path4 ,the traveller1 in going from one city to another1 has perhaps to cross several rivers2 maybe his conveyance fails him and he is obliged to swim1 or he must1 in order to pass a great mountain1 know engineering in order to tunnel through it1 or is compelled to exercise the art of locating his exact position by observation of the sun3 but all that is only incidental to his main object of reaching his destination4 ,we admit the existence of hidden1 powerful forces in nature1 and believe that every day greater progress is made towards an understanding of them4 ,astral body formation1 clairvoyance1 looking into the astral light1 and controlling elementals is all possible1 but not all profitable4 ,the electrical current1 which when resisted in the carbon produces intense light1 may be brought into existence by any ignoramus who has the key to the engine-room and can turn the crank that starts the dynamo1 but is unable to prevent his fellow man or himself from being instantly killed1 should that current accidentally be diverted through his body4 ,the control of these hidden forces is not easily obtained1 nor can phenomena be produced without danger1 and in our view the attainment of true wisdom is not by means of phenomena1 but through the development which begins within4 ,true occultism is clearly set forth in the ,bhagavat ,gita and ,light on the ,path1 where sufficient stress is laid upon practical occultism1 but after all1 ,krishna says1 the kingly science and the kingly mystery is devotion to and study of the light which comes from within4 ,the very first step in true mysticism and true occultism is to try and apprehend the meaning of ,universal ,brotherhood1 without which the very highest progress in the practise of magic turns to ashes in the mouth4 ,we appeal1 therefore1 to all who wish to raise themselves and their fellow creatures--man and beast--out of the thoughtless jog-trot of selfish everyday life4 ,it is not thought that ,utopia can be established in a day3 but through the spreading of the idea of ,universal ,brotherhood1 the truth in all things may be discovered4 ,what is wanted is true knowledge of the spiritual condition of man1 his aim and destiny4 ,such a study leads us to accept the utterance of ,prajapati to his sons3 ',be restrained1 be liberal1 be merciful1' it is the death of selfishness4 ,this is the line for us to take and to persevere in1 that all may in time obtain the true light4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,light ,,of ,,the ,,eye ,,fadeth1 ,,the ,,hearing ,,leaveth ,,the ,,ear1 ,,but ,,the ,,power ,,to ,,see ,,and ,,to ,,hear ,,never ,,deserteth ,,the ,,immortal ,,being1 ,,which ,,liveth ,,forever ,,untouched ,,and ,,undiminished4-- ,book of ,items4 ,,extracts ,,xxiii4 ,,on ,,theosophy ,,and ,,the ,t4,s4 ,all the work that any of us do anywhere redounds to the interest and benefit of the whole ,t4,s41 and for that reason we know that we are united4 ,the ,self is one and all-powerful1 but it must happen to the seeker from time to time that he or she shall feel the strangeness of new conditions2 this is not a cause for fear4 ,if the mind is kept intent on the ,self and not diverted from it1 and comes to see the ,self in all things1 no matter what1 then fear should pass away in time4 ,i would therefore advise you to study and meditate over the ,bhagavat ,gita1 which is a book that has done me more good than all others in the whole range of books1 and is the one that can be studied all the time4 ,this will do more good than anything1 if the great teachings are silently assimilated and put into action1 for it goes to the very root of things and gives the true philosophy of life4 ,if you try to put into practice what in your inner life you hold to be right1 you will be more ready to receive helpful thoughts and the inner life will grow more real4 ,i hope with you that your home may become a strong centre of work for ,theosophy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,you want to know the inner situation of the ,t4,s41 well1 it is just this3 we have all worked along for eighteen years1 and the ,t4,s4 as a body has its karma as well as each one in it4 ,those in it who have worked hard1 of course1 have their own karma1 and have brought themselves to a point ahead of the ,t4,s4 ,now1 if the branches are weak in their knowledge of ,theosophy1 and in their practise of its precepts and their understanding of the whole thing1 the body is in the situation of the child who has been growing too fast for its strength1 and if that be the case it is bound to have a check4 ,for my part ,i do not want any great rush1 since ,i too well know how weak even those long in it are4 ,as to individuals1 say you1 444 and so on4 ,by reason of hard and independent work you have got yourselves in the inner realm just where you may soon begin to get the attention of the ,black ,magicians1 who then begin to try to knock you out1 so beware4 ,attempts will be silently made to arouse irritation1 and to increase it where it now exists4 ,so the only thing to do is to live as much as possible in the higher nature1 and each one to crush out the small and trifling ebullitions of the lower nature which ordinarily are overlooked1 and thus strength is gained in the whole nature1 and the efforts of the enemy made nil4 ,this is of the highest importance1 and if not attended to it will be sad4 ,this is what ,i had in view in all the letters ,i have sent to you and others4 ,i hope you will be able to catch hold of men1 here and there1 who will take the right1 true1 solid view1 and be left thus behind you as good men and good agents4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when ,i was in ---- ,i broached to you and others the plan of getting ,theosophy to the working people4 ,has anything been done8 ,it must be simply put4 ,it can be understood4 ,it is important4 ,let us see if this thing cannot be done2 you all promised to go to work at it4 ,why not turn1 like the ,bible man1 to the byways and hedges from all these people who will not come8 ,then ,i feel sure that1 if managed right1 a lot of people who believe in ,theosophy but don't want to come out for it1 would help such a movement1 seeing that it would involve talking to the poor and giving them sensible stuff4 ,if need be1 ,i'd hold a meeting every night1 and not give them abstractions4 ,add music1 if possible1 etc4 ,now let me hear your ideas4 ,time rolls on and many queer social changes are on the way4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have your long letter from ---- and you are right as to conduct of ,branches4 ,no ,branch should depend on one person1 for1 if so1 it will slump1 sure2 nor on two or three either4 ,here they depended on me for a long time1 and my bad health in voice for a year was a good thing as it made the others come forward4 ---- is right enough in his way1 but certainly he ought to be fitting himself for something in addition to speaking1 as the ,t4,s4 has to have a head as well as a tongue2 and if a man knows he is bad at business1 he should mortify himself by making himself learn it1 and thus get good discipline4 ,we sadly need at all places some true enthusiasts4 ,but all that will come in time4 ,the main thing is for the members to study and know ,theosophy1 for if they do not know it how can they give any of it to others8 ,of course1 at all times most of the work falls upon the few1 as is always the case1 but effort should be made1 as you say1 to bring out other material4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,i am abundantly sure that you are quite correct in saying that it is the ,branches which work that flourish1 and that those addicted to ,parlour ,talks soon squabble and dwindle4 ,you have gone right to the root of the matter4 ,so1 also1 ,i agree with you1 heart and soul1 in what you say as to the policy of a timid holding and setting forth of ,theosophy4 ,nothing can be gained by such a policy1 and all experience points to energy and decision as essential to any real advance4 99 99 99 99 99 ,you are1 ,i think1 quite right to attempt to get all members to work for their individual advance1 by working for their ,branches4 ,by doing things in this way1 they provide an additional safeguard for themselves1 while forming a centre from which ,theosophical thought can radiate out to help and encourage others who are only beginning their upward way4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i find that you state my view exactly4 ,that view is that the ,a ,b ,c of ,theosophy should be taught all the time1 and this not only for the sake of outsiders1 but also for the sake of the members who are1 ,i very well know1 not so far along as to need the elaborate work all the time4 ,and it is just because the members are not well grounded that they are not able themselves to get in more inquirers4 ,just as you say1 if the simple truths practically applied as found in ,theosophy are presented1 you will catch at last some of the best people1 real workers and valuable members4 ,and ,theosophy can best be presented in a simple form by one who has mastered the elements as well as the nature of the ,absolute4 ,it is just this floating in the clouds which sometimes prevents a ,branch from getting on4 ,and ,i fully agree1 also1 that if the policy ,i have referred to should result temporarily in throwing off some few persons it would be a benefit1 for you would find others coming to take their places4 ,and ,i can agree with you1 furthermore1 out of actual experience4 99 99 99 99 99 ,you by no means need to apologise for asking my attention to the matter of your joining the ,theosophical ,society4 ,it is my great desire and privilege to give to all sincere enquirers whatever information ,i may possess1 and certainly there can be no greater pleasure than to further the internal progress of any real student and aspirant4 ,i think you quite right in wishing to identify yourself with the ,theosophical ,society1 not only because that is the natural and obvious step for anyone sincerely interested2 but also because each additional member with right spirit strengthens the body for its career and work4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in taking advantage of an opportunity to introduce ,theosophy into the secular press you are doing exactly the work which is so invaluable to the ,society1 and which ,i so constantly urge upon our members4 ,it is in this way that so very many persons are reached who would otherwise be quite inaccessible1 and the amount of good which seed thus sown can accomplish is beyond our comprehension4 ,you have my very hearty approval of and encouragement in your work and ,i am very sure that that work will not be without fruit4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,new ,,york1 ,october #aath1 #ahib4--,this is the era of ,western ,occultism4 ,we are now to stand shoulder to shoulder in the ,u4,s4 to present it and enlarge it in view of coming cussedness1 attacks which will be in the line of trying to impose solely ,eastern disciples on us4 ,the ,masters are not ,eastern or ,western1 but universal4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i shall be glad to give you any information possible respecting ,theosophy and the ,theosophical ,society1 but ,i think you err in supposing that the purpose of either is to encourage the study of what is known as the ,occult ,arts4 ,knowledge concerning1 and control of1 the finer forces of nature are not things which should be sought after at our elementary stage of progress1 nor would such attainment be appropriate1 even if possible1 to anyone who had not thoroughly mastered the principles of ,theosophy itself4 ,mere desire for powers is a form of selfishness1 and receives no encouragement from our ,teachers4 ,mme4 ,blavatsky stated this matter very clearly indeed in an article published in ,lucifer1 entitled ,occultism versus the ,occult ,arts4 ,when persons without a large preliminary training in the real ,wisdom-,religion seek knowledge on the ,occult plane they are very apt1 from inexperience and inadequate culture1 to drift into black magic4 ,i have no power to put you into communication with any adept to guide you in a course of ,occult study1 nor would it be of service to you if the thing was possible4 ,the ,theosophical ,society was not established for any such purpose1 nor could anyone receive instructions from an adept until he was ripe for it4 ,in other words1 he must undergo a long preliminary training in knowledge1 self-control1 and the subjugation of the lower nature before he would be in any way fit for instruction on the higher planes4 ,what ,i recommend you to do is to study the elementary principles of ,theosophy and gain some idea of your own nature as a human being and as an individual1 but drop entirely all ambition for knowledge or power which would be inappropriate to your present stage1 and to correct your whole conception of ,theosophy and ,occultism4 ,,xxiv4 ,,on ,,masters4 ,i think the way for all western theosophists is through ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 ,i mean that as she is the ,t4,s4 incarnate1 its mother and guardian1 its creator1 the ,karmic laws would naturally provide that all who drew this life through her belonged to her1 and if they denied her1 they need not hope to reach 4443 for how can they deny her who gave this doctrine to the western world8 ,they share her ,karma to little purpose1 if they think they can get round this identification and benefit1 and 444 want no better proof that a man does not comprehend their philosophy4 ,this would1 of course1 bar him from 444 by natural laws 7of growth74 ,i do not mean that in the ordinary business sense she must forward their applications or their merits2 ,i mean that they who do not understand the basic mutual relation1 who under value her gift and her creation1 have not imbibed the teaching and cannot assimilate its benefits4 ,she must be understood as being what she is to the ,t4,s41 or ,karma 7the law of compensation1 or of cause and effect7 is not understood1 or the first laws of occultism4 ,people ought to think of this3 we are too much given to supposing that events are chances1 or have no connection with ourselves3 each event is an effect of the ,law4 99 99 99 99 99 ,what should be done is to realise that the ,master-,soul is one with all that that implies2 to know the meaning of the old teaching1 ,thou art ,that4 ,when this is done we may with impunity identify our consciousness with that of anything in nature2 not before4 ,but to do this is a lifetime's work1 and beforehand we have to exhaust all ,karma1 which means duty2 we must live for others and then we will find out all we should know1 not what we would like to know4 ,devotion and aspiration will1 and do1 help to bring about a proper attitude of mind1 and to raise the student to a higher plane1 and also they secure for the student help which is unseen by him1 for devotion and aspiration put the student into a condition in which aid can be given to him1 though he may1 as yet1 be unconscious of it4 ,but conscious communication with one's ,master can only be accomplished after long training and study4 ,what a student has to do1 and is able to do1 is to fit himself to receive this training4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the recognition from a ,guru will come when you are ready1 and my advice to you is that1 if possible1 you put away from yourself the desire for such recognition2 for such desire will hinder you4 ,if you will read the ,bhagavat ,gt1 especially chapters ii4 and iii41 ,i think you will find much to help you4 ,there it says3 ,let1 then1 the motive for action be in the action itself1 not in the event4 ,do not be incited to actions by the hope of their reward 444 perform thy duty 444 and laying aside all desire for any benefit to thyself from action1 make the event equal to thee1 whether it be success or failure4 ,it is but natural that a student should hope for recognition from a ,master1 but this desire is to be put aside1 and that work is to be done which lies before each4 ,at the same time each one knows that the effect follows the cause1 hence whatever our due1 we shall receive it at the right time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,every ,chla 7and we are all that once we determine to be7 has these same difficulties4 ,patience and fortitude6 ,for an easy birth is not always a good one4 ,the kingdom of heaven is only taken by violence1 and not by weakness of attack4 ,your constant aspiration persevered in secret has led you to that point where just these troubles come to all4 ,console yourself with the thought that others have been in the same place and have lived through it by patience and fortitude4444 ,fix your thoughts again on ,those ,elder ,brothers1 work for ,them1 serve ,them1 and ,they will help through the right appropriate means and no other4 ,to meditate on the ,higher ,self is difficult4 ,seek then1 the bridge1 the ,masters4 ,seek the truth by strong search1 by doing service1 and by enquiry1 and ,those who know the ,truth will teach it4 ,give up doubt1 and arise in your place with patience and fortitude4 ,let the warrior fight1 the gentle yet fierce ,krishna1 who1 when he finds thee as his disciple and his friend1 will tell thee the truth and lighten up the darkness with the lamp of spiritual knowledge4 99 99 99 99 99 ,attacks cannot hurt1 they must needs come1 but all we have to do is to keep right on1 working steadily1 and ,masters will see after the rest4 ,for1 that which is done in ,their name will come right2 and this whole thing has arisen because ,i have chosen to proclaim my personal belief in the existence of these beings of grandeur4 ,so1 let us shake again with the confidence born from the knowledge of the wisdom of the ,unseen ,leaders1 and we go forth separately once more1 again to the work1 if even not to meet until another incarnation is ours4 ,but meeting then1 we shall be all the stronger for having kept faith now4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am glad that you have such a faith in the ,great ,workers who are behind us4 ,they are behind us1 to my personal knowledge1 and not behind me only1 but behind all sincere workers4 ,i know that their desire is that each should listen to the voice of his inner self and not depend too much on outside people1 whether they be ,masters1 ,eastern disciples or what not4 ,by a dependence of that kind you become at last thoroughly independent1 and then the unseen helpers are able to help all the more4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we are all human and thus weak and sinful4 ,in that respect in which we are better than others1 they are better than we are in some other way4 ,we would be self-righteous to judge others by our own standard4444 ,are we so wise as never to act foolishly8 ,not at all4444 ,indeed ,i have come to the conclusion that in this nineteenth century a pledge is no good1 because everyone reserves to himself the right to break it if he finds after a while that it is galling1 or that it puts him in some inconsistent attitude with something he may have said or done at some other time4444 ,in ----'s case1 444 everyone should never think but the very best1 no matter what the evidences are4 ,why1 if the ,masters were to judge us exactly as ,they must know we are1 then good-bye at once4 ,we would all be sent packing4 ,but ,masters deal kindly with us in the face of greater knowledge of our thoughts and evil thoughts from which none are yet exempt4 ,this is my view1 and you will please me much if you will be able to turn into the same1 and to spread it among those on the inside who have it not4 ,it is easy to do well by those we like1 it is our duty to make ourselves do and think well by those we do not like4 ,masters say we think in grooves1 and but few have the courage to fill those up and go on other lines4 ,let us who are willing to make the attempt try to fill up these grooves1 and make new and better ones4 444 ,keep up your courage1 faith and charity4 ,those who can to any extent assimilate the ,master1 to that extent they are the representatives of the ,master1 and have the help of the ,lodge in its work4444 ,bear up1 firm heart1 be strong1 be bold and kind1 and spread your strength and boldness4 99 99 99 99 99 ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 then said that it is by falling and by failing that we learn1 and we cannot hope at once to be great and wise and wholly strong4 ,she and the ,masters behind expected this from all of us2 she and ,they never desired any of us to work blindly1 but only desired that we work unitedly4 99 99 99 99 99 ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 wrote me in #ahij3 ,be more charitable for others than for yourself1 and more severe on yourself than on others4 ,this is good advice4 ,a strain always weakens the fibres and produces friction4 ,i hope all misunderstandings will fly away4 ,,xxv4 ,,on ,,occult ,,philosophy4 ,begin by trying to conquer the habit1 almost universal1 of pushing yourself forward4 ,this arises from personality4 ,do not monopolise the conversation4 ,keep in the background4 ,if someone begins to tell you about himself and his doings1 do not take first chance to tell him about yourself1 but listen to him and talk solely to bring him out4 ,and when he has finished suppress in yourself the desire to tell about yourself1 your opinions and experiences4 ,do not ask a question unless you intend to listen to the answer and inquire into its value4 ,try to recollect that you are a very small affair in the world1 and that the people around do not value you at all and grieve not when you are absent4 ,your only true greatness lies in your inner true self and it is not desirous of obtaining the applause of others4 ,if you will follow these directions for one week you will find they will take considerable effort1 and you will begin to discover a part of the meaning of the saying1 ,man1 know thyself4 ,it is not necessary to be conscious of the progress one has made4 ,nor is the date in any sense an extinguisher1 as some have styled it4 ,in these days we are too prone to wish to know everything all at once1 especially in relation to ourselves4 ,it may be desirable and encouraging to be thus conscious1 but it is not necessary4 ,we make a good deal of progress in our inner1 hidden life of which we are not at all conscious4 ,we do not know of it until some later life4 ,so in this case many may be quite beyond the obstacles and not be conscious of it4 ,it is best to go on with duty1 and to refrain from this trying to take stock and measuring of progress4 ,all of our progress is in the inner nature1 and not in the physical where lives the brain1 and from which the present question comes4 ,the apparent physical progress is evanescent4 ,it is ended when the body dies1 at which time1 if the inner man has not been allowed to guide us1 the natural record against us will be a cipher1 or failure4 ,now1 as the great ,adepts live in the plane of our inner nature1 it must follow that they might be actively helping every one of us after the date referred to1 and we1 as physical brain men1 not be conscious of it on this plane4 444 ,i strongly advise you to give up all yoga practices1 which in almost all cases have disastrous results unless guided by a competent teacher4 ,the concussions and explosions in your head are evidences that you are in no fit condition to try yoga practices1 for they result from lesions of the brain1 i4e41 from the bursting of the very minute brain cells4 ,i am glad you have written to me upon this matter1 that ,i may have an opportunity of warning you4 ,also ,i advise you to discontinue concentration on the vital centres1 which again may prove dangerous unless under the guidance of a teacher4 ,you have learnt1 to a certain degree1 the power of concentration1 and the greatest help will now come to you from concentration upon the ,higher ,self1 and aspiration toward the ,higher ,self4 ,also if you will take some subject or sentence from the ,bhagavat ,gt1 and concentrate your mind upon that and meditate upon it1 you will find much good result from it1 and there is no danger in such concentration4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as to the question about the disintegration of the astral body and the length of time beforehand when it could be seen4 ,my answer was not meant to be definite as to years1 except that ,i gave a period of two years as a long one before the death of the physical body4 ,there are cases--perhaps rare--in which five years before the death of the physical1 a clairvoyant has seen the disintegration of the astral beginning4 ,the idea intended to be conveyed is1 that regardless of periods of time1 if the man is going to die naturally 7and that includes by disease71 the corruption1 disintegrating or breaking up of the astral body may be perceived by those who can see that way4 ,hence the question of years is not involved4 ,violent deaths are not included in this1 because the astral in such cases does not disintegrate beforehand4 ,and the way of seeing such a death in advance is by another method altogether4 ,death from old age--which is the natural close of a cycle--is included in the answer as to death by disease1 which might be called the disease of inability to fight off the ordinary breaking up of the cohesive forces4 99 99 99 99 99 ,you cannot develop the third eye4 ,it is too difficult1 and until you have cleared up a good deal more on philosophy it would be useless1 and a useless sacrifice is a crime of folly4 ,but here is advice given by many ,adepts3 every day and as often as you can1 and on going to sleep and as you wake1 think1 think1 think1 on the truth that you are not body1 brain1 or astral man1 but that you are ,,that1 and ,,that is the ,supreme ,soul4 ,for by this practice you will gradually kill the false notion which lurks inside that the false is the true1 and the true is the false4 ,by persistence in this1 by submitting your daily thoughts each night to the judgment of your ,higher ,self1 you will at last gain light4 99 99 99 99 99 ,now as to ,the ,voice of the ,silence and the cycles of woe 7undergone by the ,arhan who remains to help mankind7 it is easy to understand4 ,you must always remember when reading such things1 that terms must be used that the reader will understand4 ,hence speaking thus1 it must be said that there are such cycles of woe--from our standpoint--just as the fact that ,i have no amusements but nothing but work in the ,t4,s4 seems a great penance to those who like their pleasures4 ,i1 on the contrary1 take pleasure and peace in the self-denial as they call it4 ,therefore it must follow that he who enters the secret ,path finds his peace and pleasure in endless work for ages for ,humanity4 ,but1 of course1 with his added sight and knowledge1 he must always be seeing the miseries of men self-inflicted4 ,the mistake you make is to give the person thus sacrificed the same small qualities and longings as we now have1 whereas the wider sweep and power of soul make what we call sacrifice and woe seem something different4 ,is not this clear1 then8 ,if it were stated otherwise than as the ,voice has it1 you would find many making the vow and then breaking it2 but he who makes the vow with the full idea of its misery will keep it4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,if we can all accumulate a fund of good for all the others we will thus dissipate many clouds4 ,the follies and the so-called sins of people are really things that are sure to come to nothing if we treat them right4 ,we must not be so prone as the people of the day are1 of whom we are some1 to criticise others and forget the beam in our own eye4 ,the ,bhagavad ,gt and ,jesus are right in that they both shew us how to do our own duty and not go into that of others4 ,every time we think that someone else has done wrong we should ask ourselves two questions3 7#a7 ,am ,i the judge in this matter who is entitled to try this person8 7#b7 ,am ,i any better in my way1 do ,i or do ,i not offend in some other way just as much as they do in this8 ,this will settle the matter ,i think4 ,and in 444 there ought to be no judgments and no criticism4 ,if some offend then let us ask what is to be done1 but only when the offence is against the whole4 ,when an offence is against us1 then let it go4 ,this is thought by some to be goody-goody1 but ,i tell you the heart1 the soul1 and the bowels of compassion are of more consequence than intellectuality4 ,the latter will take us all sure to hell if we let it govern only4 ,be sure of this and try as much as you can to spread the true spirit in all directions1 or else not only will there be individual failure1 but also the circle ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 made as a nucleus for possible growth will die1 rot1 fail1 and come to nothing4 ,it is not possible to evade the law of evolution1 but that law need not always be carried out in one way4 ,if the same result is produced it is enough4 ,hence in any one hour or minute the being attaining adeptship could pass through countless experiences in effect4 ,but1 as a fact1 no one becomes an adept until he has in some previous time gone through the exact steps needed4 ,if you and ,i1 for instance1 miss adeptship in this ,manvantara1 we will emerge again to take up the work at a corresponding point in the much higher development of the next1 although then we may seem low down in the scale1 viewing us from the standard then to prevail4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the law is this4 ,no man can rush on and fail to escape the counter current1 and in proportion as he rushes so will be the force of the current4 ,all members who work hard come at last to the notice of the ,lodge1 and the moment they do so1 the ,black ,lodge also takes notice1 and hence questions arise1 and we are tried in subtle ways that surpass sight1 but are strong for the undoing of him who is not prepared by right thought and sacrifice to the higher nature for the fight4 ,i tell you this4 ,it may sound mysterious1 but it is the truth1 and at this time we are all bound to feel the forces at work1 for as we grow1 so the other side gets ready to oppose4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,be sure that you understand me right about the ,black side4 ,i mean this3 that when men work along a good while1 and really raise themselves up by that1 they get the attention of the ,black if they are of sufficient importance for it4 ,i have their attention1 and it makes a trouble now and then4 ,what we all want to have1 then1 is the best armour for such a fight1 and that is patience4 ,patience is a great thing1 and will work in more ways than one1 not only in personal life1 but in wider concerns4 ,the difficulty of remembering the things you read1 and the like1 may be due to one or many causes4 ,first1 it indicates the need of mental discipline in the way of compelling yourself to serious reading and thinking1 even though for a short time each day4 ,if persisted in1 this will gradually change the mental action1 just as one can alter the taste for different sorts of food taken into the body4 ,again1 if you have been dealing in what is known as ,mind ,cure or ,metaphysical ,healing1 you should avoid it1 because it will increase the difficulty you mention4 ,it is different from good1 ordinary1 mental discipline4 ,and also if you have been in any way following ,spiritualism or indulging in psychic thoughts or visions or experiences1 these would be a cause for the trouble1 and should be abandoned4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is no need for you to be a despairer4 ,reflect on that old verse1 ,what room is there for sorrow and what room for doubt in him who knows that the ,self is one1 and that all things are the ,self1 only differing in degree4 ,this is a free rendering but is what it means4 ,now1 it is true that a man cannot force himself at once into a new will and into a new belief but by thinking much on the same thing--such as this--he soon gets a new will and a new belief1 and from it will come strength and also light4 ,try this plan4 ,it is purely occult1 simple1 and powerful4 ,i hope all will be well1 and that as we are shaken up from time to time we shall grow strong4 99 99 99 99 99 ----'s article strove to show that ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 did not teach the doctrine of reincarnation in '#gg as she did later1 which is quite true so far as the public was then concerned1 but she did to me and others teach it then as now1 and further it seems clear what she meant1 to wit1 that there is no reincarnation for the astral monad1 which is the astral man2 and it being a theosophical doctrine that the astral man does not reincarnate save in exceptional cases1 she taught then the same thing as she did later4 ,personally ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 told me many times of the real doctrine of reincarnation1 enforced by the case of the death of my own child1 so ,i know what she thought and believed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am not able to give you the definition which you ask for1 as it seems to me spirit cannot be defined except in this way1 that the whole universe is made of spirit and matter1 both constituting together the ,absolute4 ,what is not in matter is spirit1 and what is not in spirit is matter2 but there is no particle of matter without spirit1 and no particle of spirit without matter4 ,if this attempted definition is correct1 you will see that it is impossible to define the things of the spirit1 and that has always been said by the great teachers of the past4 99 99 99 99 99 ,what a petty lot of matter we spend time on1 when so much is transitory4 ,after a hundred years what will be the use of all this8 ,better that a hundred years hence a principle of freedom and an impulse of work should have been established4 ,the small errors of a life are nothing1 but the general sum of thought is much4444 ,i care everything for the unsectarianism that ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 died to start1 and now threatened in its own house4 ,is it not true that ,masters have forbidden ,their chels to tell under what orders they act for fear of the black shadow that follows innovations8 ,yes4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,am very sorry to hear that your health is not good4 ,in reply to your question3 ,a sound body is not expected1 because our race is unsound everywhere4 ,it is ,karma4 ,of course a correct mental and moral position will at last bring a sound body1 but the process may1 and often does1 involve sickness4 ,hence sickness may be a blessing on two planes3 7#a7 the mental and moral by opening the nature1 and 7#b7 on the physical as being the discharge into this plane of an inner sickness of the inner being4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the question of sex is not the most difficult4 ,the personal one is still harder4 ,i mean the purely personal1 that relating to me4 ,the sexual relates really only to a low plane gratification4 ,if ,nature can beat you there1 then she need not try the other1 and vice versa2 if she fails on the personal she may attempt the other1 but then with small chance of success4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we all differ and must agree to disagree1 for it is only by balancing contrary things that equilibrium 7harmony7 is obtained4 ,harmony does not come through likeness4 ,if people will only let each other alone and go about their own business quietly all will be well4444 ,it is one's duty to try and find one's own duty and not to get into the duty of another4 ,and in this it is of the highest importance that we should detach our minds 7as well as our tongues7 from the duties and acts of others whenever those are outside of our own4 ,if you can find this fine line of action and inaction you will have made great progress4 99 99 99 99 99 ,do not stop to consider your progress at all1 because that is the way to stop it2 but take your mind off the question of your progress and do the best you can4 ,i hope you will be able to acquire in no long time that frame of mind which you so much desire4 ,i think you will acquire that if you will take your mind off yourself as much as possible1 and throw it into something for someone else1 which would1 in course of time1 destroy the self impression4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i regret exceedingly all your troubles and difficulties4 ,they are all1 it goes without saying1 matters of ,karma1 and must right themselves in process of time4 ,meantime1 your work and duty lie in continuing patient and persevering throughout4 ,the troubles of your friends and relatives are not your ,karma1 though intimately associated with it by reason of the very friendship and relation4 ,in the lives of all who aspire to higher things there is a more or less rapid precipitation of old ,karma1 and it is this which is affecting you4 ,it will go off shortly1 and you will have gained greatly in having gotten rid of a troublesome piece of business4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as it will take many a life for one to overcome the personal nature1 there is no good in imagining what things and thoughts would then be like4 ,it is certain that1 in that long journey1 the whole nature changing1 it is adjusted to all conditions4 ,many of those matters which we call the woes of others are really nothing at all1 and only skin deep2 the real woe of the race is not that4 99 99 99 99 99 ,by setting apart a particular time for meditation a habit is formed1 and as the time comes round the mind will1 after a while1 become trained1 so that meditation at the particular time will become natural4 ,hence1 as far as possible1 it will be well for you to keep to the same hour4 99 99 99 99 99 ,you ask if ,i was at ---- where you saw me4 ,let me tell you something in confidence4 ,i am around at all places1 but1 of course1 most at such as where you 444 and others like that are1 but it is not necessary for me to remember it at all1 as it is done without that since this brain has enough to do here4 ,to remember ,i should have to retire and devote myself to that1 and it would make things no better4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a college course is not necessary for occultism4 ,one of the best occultists ,i know was never in college4 ,but if a man adds good learning to intuition and high aspiration he is naturally better off than another4 ,i am constantly in the habit of consulting the dictionary and of thinking out the meanings and the correlations of words4 ,do the same4 ,it is good4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the old mission of the ,rosicrucians1 though dead on the outside1 is not dead1 for the ,masters were in that as ,they are in this1 and it may be possible to usher in a new era of western occultism devoid of folly4 ,we should all be ready for that if it be possible4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in regard to the pictures which you see1 observe them with indifference1 relying always on the ,higher ,self1 and looking to it for knowledge and light1 pictures or no pictures4 ,,xxvi4 ,,on ,,work4 ,yes1 that business is already a back number1 stale and unprofitable4 ,i have found that work tells4 ,while others fume and fret and sleep1 and now and then start up to criticise1 if you go right on and work1 and let time1 the great devourer1 do the other work1 you will see that in a little while that others will wake up once more to find themselves left1 as they say in the land of slang4 ,do1 then1 that way4 ,your own duty is hard enough to find out1 and by attending to that you gain1 no matter how small the duty may be4 ,the duty of another is full of danger4 ,may you have the light to see and to do6 ,tell ---- to work to the end to make himself an instrument for good work4 ,times change1 men go here and there1 and places need to be filled by those who can do the best sort of work and who are full of the fire of devotion and who have the right basis and a sure and solid one for themselves4 ,my love to all4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am very sorry that so many efforts on your part to influence the public press have been unsuccessful1 but ,i feel sure that you will ultimately be successful4 ,i am inclined to think that you will almost certainly find that articles written by ,theosophists on the spot will obtain more ready admission than if you send them articles which have already been printed4 ,they have a more local colouring1 and therefore a greater local interest4444 ,i feel sure that by persistent and steady work1 such as you are doing1 you will win your way1 and that even the most conservative papers will find it to their interest to insert articles4 99 99 99 99 99 ,both ---- and ---- are two weak1 half-corroded spots4 ,it is due to 7a7 gossip about others1 including me and others in the three lands2 7b7 to the personal element2 7c7 most of all to the absence of real faith in the ,masters1 for wherever that is not strong the work goes down2 7d7 to a sort of fear of public opinion2 7e7 to incomplete grasp of the elementary truths2 and so on4 ,stick to it that the way is to do all you can and let the results go4 ,you have nothing to do with results2 the other side will look out for that4 ,this is really the culmination of the work of ages1 and it would be a poor thing1 indeed1 if the ,lodge had to depend alone on our puny efforts4 ,hence1 go on and keep the spirit that you have only to proceed1 and leave the rest to time and the ,lodge4 ,if all the other members had the same idea1 it would be better for the old ,t4,s4 ,but let us hope on1 for we have some any way1 and that is more than none4 ,you are right1 too1 about ,the ,secret ,doctrine1 it is a mine1 and is the magazine for the warrior ,theosophists1 which is the description of you and me and some others4 99 99 99 99 99 ,let us all be as silent as we may be1 and work1 work2 for as the enemy rages1 they waste time1 while work shines forth after all is over1 and we will see that as they fought we were building4 ,let that be our watchword4444 ,i hope no weak souls will be shaken off their base4 ,if they get on their own base they will not be shaken off4 ,,xxvii4 ,,on ,,wisdom ,,in ,,action4 ,this is the right conclusion1 to let all talk and other people's concerns slip by and not meddle4 ,no one should be taking information to another1 for it fans a flame1 and now we have to ignore everything and just work on1 be good and kind and1 like ,st4 ,paul's charity1 overlook all things4 ,retire into your own silence and let all others be in the hands of ,karma1 as we all are4 ,karma takes care of its own4 ,it is better to have no side1 for it is all for the ,master and ,he will look out for all if each does just right1 even if1 to their view1 another seems not to do so4 ,by our not looking at their errors too closely the ,master will be able to clear it all off and make it work well4 ,the plan of quiet passive resistance1 or rather1 laying under the wind1 is good and ought to work in all attacks4 ,retreat within your own heart and there keep firmly still4 ,resist without resisting4 ,it is possible and should be attained4 ,once more1 au revoir only1 no matter what may happen1 even irresistible ,death itself4 ,earthquakes here yesterday3 these signify some souls of use have come into the world somewhere2 but where8 99 99 99 99 99 ,well1 now1 just at this minute ,i do not know exactly what to say4 ,why not take up an easy and fluidic position in the matter8 ,an occultist is never fixed to any particular mortal plan4 ,wait4 ,all things come to him who waits in the right way4 ,make yourself in every way as good an instrument for any sort of work as you can4 ,every little thing ,i ever learned ,i have now found out to be of use to me in this work of ours4 ,ease of manner and of speech are of the best to have4 ,ease of mind and confidence are better than all in this work of dealing with other men--that is1 with the human heart4 ,the more wise one is the better he can help his fellows1 and the more cosmopolitan he is the better1 too4444 ,when the hour strikes it will then find you ready2 no man knows when the hour will strike4 ,but he has to be ready4 ,you see ,jesus was in fact an occultist1 and in the parable of the foolish virgins gave a real occult ordinance4 ,it is a good one to follow4 ,nothing is gained1 but a good deal is lost by impatience--not only strength1 but also sight and intuition4 ,so decide nothing hastily4 ,wait2 make no set plan4 ,wait for the hour to make the decision1 for if you decide in advance of the time you tend to raise a confusion4 ,so have courage1 patience1 hope1 faith1 and cheerfulness4 ,the very first step towards being positive and self-centered is in the cheerful performance of duty4 ,try to take pleasure in doing what is your duty1 and especially in the little duties of life4 ,when doing any duty put your whole heart into it4 ,there is much in this life that is bright if we would open our eyes to it4 ,if we recognize this then we can bear the troubles that come to us calmly and patiently1 for we know that they will pass away4 444 ,you can solidify your character by attending to small things4 ,by attacking small faults1 and on every small occasion1 one by one4 ,this will arouse the inner attitude of attention and caution4 ,the small faults and small occasions being conquered1 the character grows strong4 ,feelings and desires are not wholly of the body4 ,if the mind is deliberately taken off such subjects and placed on other and better ones1 then the whole body will follow the mind and grow tractable4 ,this struggle must be kept up1 and after awhile it will be easier4 ,old age only makes this difference--the machine of body is less strong2 for in old age the thoughts are the same if we let them grow without pruning4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is never any need to worry4 ,the good law looks out for all things1 and all we have to do is our duty as it comes along from day to day4 ,nothing is gained by worrying about matters and about the way people do not respond4 ,in the first place you do not alter people1 and in the second1 by being anxious as to things1 you put an occult obstacle in the way of what you want done4 ,it is better to acquire a lot of what is called carelessness by the world1 but is in reality a calm reliance on the law1 and a doing of one's own duty1 satisfied that the results must be right1 no matter what they may be4 ,think that over1 and try to make it a part of your inner mind that it is no use to worry2 that things will be all right1 no matter what comes1 and that you are resolved to do what you see before you1 and trust to ,karma for all the rest4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am sorry to hear that you are passing through what you mention4 ,yet you knew it would have to come1 and one learns1 and the purpose of life is to learn4 ,it is all made up of learning4 ,so though it is hard it is well to accept it as you say4 ,do you know what it is to resist without resistance8 ,that means1 among other things1 that too great an expenditure of strength1 of fortitude1 is not wise4 ,if one fights one is drawn into the swirl of events and thoughts instead of leaning back on the great ocean of the ,self which is never moved4 ,now you see that1 so lean back and look on at the ebb and flow of life that washes to our feet and away again many things that are not easy to lose or pleasant to welcome4 ,yet they all belong to ,life1 to the ,self4 ,the wise man has no personal possessions4 ,anyway you are right that struggling is wrong4 ,do it quietly1 that is the way the ,masters do it4 ,the reaction the other way is just as you say1 but the ,master has so much wisdom ,he is seldom if ever1 the prey of reactions4 ,that is why ,he goes slowly4 ,but it is sure4444 ,i know how the cloud comes and goes4 ,that is all right2 just wait1 as the song says1 till they roll by4 ,arouse1 arouse in you the meaning of ,thou art ,that4 ,thou art the ,self4 ,this is the thing to think of in meditation1 and if you believe it then tell others the same4 ,you have read it before1 but now try to realise it more and more each day and you will have the light you want4444 ,if you will look for wisdom you will get it sure1 and that is all you want or need4 ,am glad all looks well4 ,it would always look well if each and all minded their own things and kept the mind free from all else4 ,patience is really the best and most important thing1 for it includes many4 ,you cannot have it if you are not calm and ready for the emergency1 and as calmness is the one thing necessary for the spirit to be heard1 it is evident how important patience is4 ,it also prevents one from precipitating a thing1 for by precipitation we may smash a good egg or a good plan1 and throw the ,karma1 for the time1 off and prevent certain good effects flowing4 ,so1 keep right on and try for patience in all the very smallest things of life every day1 and you will find it growing very soon1 and with it will come greater strength and influence on and for others1 as well as greater and clearer help from the inner side of things4 99 99 99 99 99 ,for the love of heaven do not take any tales or informations from any person to any other4 ,the man who brought news to the king was sometimes killed4 ,the surest way to make trouble out of nothing is to tell about it from one to another4 ,construe the words of the ,gt about one's own duty to mean that you have nothing to do in the smallest particular with other people's fancies1 tales1 facts1 or other matters1 as you will have enough to do to look out for your own duty4444 ,too much1 too much1 trying to force harmony4 ,harmony comes from a balancing of diversities1 and discord from any effort to make harmony by force4444 ,in all such things ,i never meddle1 but say to myself it is none of my affair at all1 and wait till it comes to me--and thank ,god if it never arrives6 ,and that is a good rule for you4 99 99 99 99 99 ,think of these points3 7a7 ,criticism should be abandoned4 ,it is no good4 ,co-operation is better than criticism4 ,the duty of another is dangerous for one whose duty it is not4 ,the insidious coming of unbrotherly criticism should be warned against1 prevented1 stopped4 ,by example you can do much1 as also by word in due season4 7b7 ,calmness is now a thing to be had1 to be preserved4 ,no irritation should be let dwell inside4 ,it is a deadly foe4 ,sit on all the small occasions that evoke it and the greater ones will never arise to trouble you4 7c7 ,solidarity4 7d7 ,acceptation of others4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is not wise to be always analysing our faults and failures2 to regret is waste of energy3 if we endeavour to use all our energy in the service of the ,cause1 we shall find ourselves rising above our faults and failures1 and though these must perhaps occur1 they will lose their power to drag us down4 ,of course we do have to face our faults and fight them1 but our strength for such a struggle will increase with our devotion and unselfishness4 ,this does not mean that vigilance over one's thoughts and acts is ever to be relaxed4 ,if you will rely upon the truth that your inner self is a part of the great ,spirit1 you will be able to conquer these things that annoy1 and if you will add to that a proper care of your bodily health1 you will get strength in every department4 ,do not look at things as failures1 but regard every apparent failure after real effort as a success1 for the real test is in the effort and motive1 and not in the result4 ,if you will think over this idea on the lines of ,the ,bhagavat ,gt you will gain strength from it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as before so now ,i will do all ,i can for you1 which is not much1 as each must do for himself4 ,just stay loyal and true1 and look for the indications of your own duty from day to day1 not meddling with others1 and you will find the road easier4 ,it is better to die in one's own duty than to do that of another1 no matter how well you do it4 ,look for peace that comes from a realisation of the true unity of all and the littleness of oneself4 ,give up in mind and heart all to the ,self and you will find peace4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the deadening dullness you speak of is one of the trials of the age1 but we have some good and earnest people1 and they may act as the righteous men in the cities of old1 for our ideas are more mighty than all the materialism of the age1 which is sure to die out and be replaced by the truth4 ,you will have to take care that the spirit of the time1 and the wickedness and apathy of the people1 do not engender in you a bitter spirit4 ,this is always to be found in the beginning1 but now1 being forewarned1 you are forearmed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,do not allow bitterness to come up2 keep off all personalities all the time2 let the fight be for a cause and not against anyone4 ,let no stones be thrown4 ,be charitable4 ,do not let people be asked to step out1 no matter what they do2 when they want to go they may go1 but don't have threats nor discipline1 it does no good but a lot of harm4 99 99 99 99 99 ,say1 look here1 never growl at anything you have to do4 ,if you have to go1 just take it as a good thing you have to do1 and then it will redound to the good of them and yourself1 but if it is a constant cross then it does no good and you get nothing4 ,apply your theories thus4444 ,it is a contest of smiles if we really know our business4444 ,never be afraid1 never be sorry1 and cut all doubts with the sword of knowledge4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i think that you will be helped if you will try to aid some poor1 distressed person by merely talking and expressing your sympathy if you are not able to help in money1 though the very fact of giving five cents to someone who needs it is an act which1 if done in the right spirit1 that of true brotherliness1 will help the one who gives4 ,i suggest this because you will1 by doing so1 set up fresh bonds of sympathy between you and others1 and by trying to alleviate the sorrows or sufferings of others1 you will find strength come to you when you most need it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,let them croak1 and if we keep silent it will have no effect and as there has been trouble enough it is better not to make it any worse by referring to it4 ,the only strength it has is when we take notice4 ,it is better policy for all of us who are in earnest and united to keep still in any matter that has any personal bearing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,silentio1 my dear1 is almost as good as patience4 ,he laughs best who does it last1 and time is a devil for grinding things4444 ,use the time in getting calmness and solid strength1 for a deep river is not so because it has a deep bed1 but because it has volume4 ,rely within yourself on your ,higher ,self always1 and that gives strength1 as the ,self uses whom it will4 ,persevere1 and little by little new ideals and thought-forms will drive out of you the old ones4 ,this is the eternal process4 99 99 99 99 99 ,troubles are ahead1 of course1 but ,i rather think that the old war-horse of the past will not be easily frightened or prevented from the road4 ,do your best to make and keep good thought and feeling of solidarity4444 ,our old lion of the ,punjab is not so far off1 but all the same is not in the place some think1 or in the condition either4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the way gets clearer as we go on1 but as we get clearer we get less anxious as to the way ahead4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is service objective and its counterpart within1 which being stronger will at last manifest without4 99 99 99 99 99 ,do not judge in anger1 for though the anger passes the judgment remains4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the promises ,i made to myself are just as binding as any others4 99 99 99 99 99 ,be true lovers1 but of ,god1 and not of each other4 ,love each the other in that to one another ye mirror ,god1 for that ,god is in you each4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we all are2 ,i too4 ,we never were anything1 but only continually are4 ,what we are now determines what we will be4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in order to off-set the terribly cold effect of perceiving the littleness of human affairs1 one must inculcate in oneself a great compassion which will include oneself also4 ,if this is not done1 contempt comes on1 and the result is dry1 cold1 hard1 repellent and obstructive to all good work4 ,i know that his absence is a loss to you1 but ,i think if you will regard all things and events as being in the ,self and ,it in them1 making yourself a part of the whole1 you will see there is no real cause for sorrow or fear4 ,try to realise this and thus go in confidence and even joy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there are valleys in which the greatest shadows are due to old lives in other bodies1 and yet the intensity of universal love and of aspiration will dissipate those in an instant of time4 ,,an ,,occult ,,novel ,a tireless worker1 ,mr4 ,judge1 was always proposing new modes of activity4 ,one never knew what fresh idea would not emanate from his indefatigable mind4 ,one idea with which he occupied some of his lighter moments1 was that of an occult novel4 ,it was his idea that a friend of his should write this1 from incidents and material to be furnished by himself1 and to this idea he adhered1 even having the title copyrighted1 with the name of his author1 despite the laughing protests of this friend1 to whose outcries and statements that she never could1 and never should1 write a novel1 ,mr4 ,judge would smilingly reply3 ,oh1 yes6 ,you will do it when the time comes4 ,from time to time he sent to this friend suggestions1 incidents and other material for this novel1 the same being on odds and ends of paper1 often rough wrapping paper1 and being jotted down under a lamp-post at night while he waited for his tram1 or in court while he waited for the case in which he was engaged to come up4 ,on these scraps are also marginal notes1 as he accepted or rejected the ideas of his own prolific mind4 ,these notes are given here as such4 ,it has been suggested that the recipient of these materials should still write the novel as proposed1 but setting aside the fact that she could not be sure of properly rendering the real ideas of ,mr4 ,judge1 it is also thought that readers will much prefer to have the notes precisely as ,mr4 ,judge set them down4 ,the printed title-page runs as follows3 ,,in ,a ,,borrowed ,,body4 ,the ,journey of a ,soul4 ,,by ,j4 ,,campbell ,,ver-,,planck1 ,f4,t4,s4 #ahia4 ,the name is filled in in the writing of ,mr4 ,judge1 and there is this marginal note4 ,copyright gone to ,washngn4 7,all ,notes are to be understood as being marginal ones made by ,mr4 ,judge unless otherwise stated47 ,,memo4 ,,about ,borrowed ,body4 ,the point on which it should all turn is not so much reincarnation as the use of a borrowed body1 which is a different kind of reincarnation from that of ,arnold's ,phra the ,phnician4 ,this will also give chance to show the other two sorts of reincarnation1 e4g43-- 7a7 ,ordinary reincarnation in which there is no memory of the old personality1 as the astral body is new2 and3 7b7 ,exception as to astral body2 but similarity of conception to that of ordinary cases1 where the child retains the old astral body and hence memory of old personality and acquaintance with old knowledge and dexterity4 ,a ,,chapter4 ,the ,assembling of the ,skandhas4 ,on the death of body the ,kama principle collects the ,skandhas in space1 or at the rebirth of the ,ego the ,skandhas rush together and assemble about it to go with it in the new life4 ,,another4 ,the ,unveiling of the ,sun4 ,there is the real and unreal sun4 ,the real one is hidden by a golden vase1 and the devotee prays3 ,unveil1 ,o ,pushan1 the true ,sun's face1 etc4 ,a voice 7or other7 says thou art that vase and then he knows that he alone hides the true ,sun from himself4 ,pushan is the guide and watches on the path to the ,sun4 ,the eulogy of the ,sun and the ,soul are enshrined in a golden rose or lotus in the heart which is impregnable4 ,the theme of the book is not always teacher and pupil4 ,he first strives for some lives ordinarily and then in one he grows old and wise1 and sitting before a temple one day in ,madura he dies slowly1 and like a dissolving view he sees the adepts round him aiding him2 also a small child which seems to be himself1 and then thick darkness4 ,he is born then in the usual way4 ,twice this is repeated1 each time going through the womb but with the same astral body4 ,then he lives the third life to forty-nine1 and comes again to die and with same aid he selects a foreign child who is dying4 ,child dying4 ,skandhas collecting1 child's ,ego going--left1 spark of life low3 relatives about bed4 ,he enters by the way the mind went out and revivifies the body4 ,recovery1 youth1 etc41 etc4 ,this is his borrowed body4 ,,memo4 ,,no4 #b ,a couple of ,incidents for the ,book4 ,a round tower used by the fire worshippers in ,ireland and other isles in early ages4 ,a temple is attached to it2 quaint structure--one priest and one neophyte4 ,people below the tower coming into the temple grounds as the religion is in its decadence4 ,on the top of the tower is the neophyte1 who in the face of the prevailing scepticism clings to the dead faith and to the great priest4 ,his duty is to keep a fire on the tower burning with aromatic woods4 ,he leans over the fire2 it burns badly2 the wood seems green2 he blows it up2 it burns slightly2 he hears the voices of the disputers and sellers below2 goes to the tower and gazes over while the fire goes slowly out4 ,he is a young man of singular expression1 not beautiful but powerful face2 intense eyes1 long dark hair1 and far gazing eyes of a greyish colour unusual for such hair4 ,skin clear with a shifting light flowing from it4 ,sensitive face2 blushes easily but now and then stern4 ,as he still gazes the fire goes out4 ,just then a tall old man comes up the stairs and stands upon the tower top at opposite side1 looking at the fire and then at the young man and withdraws not his gaze for an instant4 ,it is a sternly powerful drawing look4 ,he is very tall1 dark brown eyes1 grey hair1 long beard4 ,the young man feels his look and turns about and sees the fire out completely1 while its last small cloud of smoke is floating off beyond the tower4 ,they look at each other4 ,in the young man's face you see the desperate first impulse to excuse1 and then the sudden thought that excuses are useless because childish1 for he knew his duty--to keep the small spiral of smoke ever connecting heaven with earth1 in the hope1 however vain1 that thus the old age might be charmed to return4 ,the old man raises his hand1 points away from the tower and says go4 ,young man descends4 ,,ii4 ,a battle4--,in the hottest a young soldier armed to the teeth1 fighting as if it made no matter whether he win or lose1 die or live4 ,strange weapons1 sounds and clouds4 ,wounded1 blood flowing4 ,it is the young man of the tower4 ,he sinks down taken prisoner4 ,in a cell condemned1 for they fear his spiritual power4 ,conflict between the last remnant of the old religion and the new1 selfish faith4 ,taken to his execution4 ,two executioners4 ,they bind him standing and stand behind and at side2 each holds a long straight weapon with a curved blunt blade1 curved to 7fit87 about the neck4 ,they stand at opposite sides1 place those curved blunt blades holding his neck like two crooks4 ,they pull--a sickening sound3 his head violently pulled out close to the shoulder leaves a jagged edge4 ,the body sways and falls4 ,it was the way they made such a violent exit for a noble soul as they thought would keep it bound in the astral earth sphere for ages4 ,,iii4 ,that young man again4 ,he approaches an old man 7of the tower74 ,young one holds parchments and flowers in his hand1 points to parchments and asks explanation4 ,old one says1 ,not now2 when ,i come again ,i will tell you4 ,note4--,keep this1 ,julius4 ,w4 ,q4 ,j4 ,z4 ,l4 ,z4 ,the next batch of notes is headed by the single word3 ,book4 ,then follow four lines of shorthand4 ,after these the words3 ,incidents showing by picture his life in other ages2 the towers2 the battle2 the death2 the search for knowledge and the sentiment expressed in the flowers4 ,eusebio ,rodigues de ,undiano was a notary in ,spain who found among the effects of his father many old parchments written in a language which was unknown to him4 ,he discovered it was ,arabic1 and in order to decipher them learned that tongue4 ,they contained the story4 ,note4--,no initiates2 ,lytton only4 ,eusebio de ,undiano is only one of the old comrades reborn in ,spain who searches like ,nicodemus for the light4 ,note4--,yes4 ,eusebio de ,undiano finds in his father's parchments confirmation of what the possession of the body has often told him4 ,note4--,yes4 ,this person in the body never gave his name to anyone and has no name4 ,an autobiographical story8 ,no8 ,yes6 ,related by one who was struck2 by an admirer who suspected something8 ,no2 because that is hearsay evidence2 the proof is incomplete1 whereas he relating it himself is either true1 or a mere insane fancy4 ,it is better to be insane than be another's tool4 ,stick to the tower and the head-chopping business4 ,let him be that young man and after the head loss he wanders in ,kama ,loca and there he sees the old man who was killed on the tower soon after the fire went out4 ,the old man tells him that he will tell all when they return to earth4 ,he wanders about the tower vicinity seeking a birth1 until one day he sees vague shapes suddenly appearing and disappearing4 ,they are not dressed like his countrymen down below on the earth4 ,this goes on4 ,they seem friendly and familiar1 the one requesting him to go with them1 he refuses4 ,they are more powerful than he is yet they do not compel him but show him their power4 ,one day one was talking to him2 he again refuses unless something might show him that he ought to go4 ,just then he hears a bell sound1 such as he never heard before4 ,it vibrates through him and seems to open up vistas of a strange past and in a moment he consents to go4 ,they reach ,southern ,india and there he sees the old man of the tower1 whom he addresses1 and again asks the burning question about the parchment4 ,the old man says again the same as before and adds that he had better come again into the world in that place4 ,the darkness and silence4 ,the clear1 hot day4 ,the absence of rain4 ,after listening to the old man he consents inwardly to assume life there and soon a heavy storm arises1 the rain beats1 he feels himself carried to the earth and in deep darkness4 ,a resounding noise about him4 ,it is the noise of the growing plants4 ,this is a rice field with some sesamum in it4 ,the moisture descends and causes the expanding2 sees around1 all is motion and life4 ,inclosed in the sphere of some rice1 he bemoans his fate4 ,he is born in a ,brahmin's house4 99 99 99 99 99 ,note4--,shall the question of reincarnation through cloud and rain and seed and thus from the seed of the man1 be gone into8 ,he is the young man4 ,he knows much4 ,he dies at nineteen4 ,strange forms around his bed who hold him4 ,they carry him back to the land of the towers4 ,he recognizes it again and sees that ages have passed since the fire went out1 and in the air he perceives strange shapes and sees incessantly a hand as of ,fate1 pointing to that ,island4 ,the towers are gone1 the temples and the monuments4 ,all is altered4 ,they take him to a populous city and as he approaches he sees over one house a great commotion in the air4 ,shapes moving4 ,bright flashes1 and puffs as of smoke4 ,they enter the room1 and on the bed is the form of a young boy given up to die1 with relatives weeping4 ,his guides ask him if he will borrow that body about to be deserted and use it for the good of their ,lodge4 ,he consents4 ,they warn him of the risks and dangers4 ,the boy's breathing ceases and his eyes close1 and a bright flash is seen to go off from it 7the body74 ,he sees the blood slowing down4 ,,they push him1 and he feels dark again4 ,boy revives4 ,physician takes hope4 ,yes2 he will recover1 with care4 ,he recovers easily4 ,change in his character4 ,feels strange in his surroundings1 etc4 ,the place in ,india where he went after death which was again sudden 7how874 ,a large white building4 ,gleaming marble4 ,steps4 ,pillars4 ,a hole that has yellowish glow that looks like water4 ,instruction as to the work to be done1 and the journey to the land of the tower1 in search of a body to borrow4 ,as to bodies being deserted by the tenant that might live if well understood and well connected with a new soul4 ,the difference between such a birth and an ordinary birth where the soul really owns the body1 and between those bodies of insane people which are not deserted1 but where the owner really lives outside4 ,bodies of insane are not used because the machine itself is out of order1 and would be useless to the soul of a sane person4 99 99 99 99 99 ,note4--,julius2 keep these4 ,i will send them now and then4 ,but before you go away1 return to me so ,i can keep the run of it4 ,may change the scheme4 ,the motive is in the title ,i gave you4 99 99 99 99 99 ,note4--,no one who has not consciously lived the double life of a man who is in the use and possession of a body not his own can know the agony that so often falls to one in such a case4 ,i am not the original owner of this body that ,i now use4 ,it was made for another1 and for some little time used by him1 but in the storm of sickness he left it here to be buried1 and it would have been laid away in the earth if ,i had not taken it up1 vivified its failing energies and carried it through some years of trial by sickness and accident4 ,but the first owner had not been in it long enough to sow any troublesome seeds of disease2 he left a heritage of good family blood and wonderful endurance4 ,that he should have left this form so well adapted for living1 at least seems inconceivable1 unless it was that he could not use it1 sick or well1 for any of his own purposes4 ,at any rate it is mine now1 but while at first ,i thought it quite an acquisition there are often times when ,i wish ,i had not thus taken another man's frame1 but had come into life in the ordinary way4 ,a ,,couple ,,of ,,incidents ,,for ,,the ,,book4 ,incident of the letter and picture4 ,there was a very curious old man 7sufficient description to add74 ,sent a small cardboard in which was a picture1 a head1 and over it appeared to be placed a thin sheet of paper1 gummed over the sides to the back4 ,he asked if ,i could tell him anything of the picture which was visible through the thin paper4 ,having great curiosity1 ,i lifted up the thin paper1 and at once there seemed to be printed off from its underside a red circle surrounding the head on the board4 ,in one instance this circle turned black and so did the entire inside space including the head which was then obliterated4 ,in the other the red circle seemed to get on fire inward1 and then the whole included portion burned up4 ,on examining the thin paper on underside there were traces of a circle1 as if with paste4 ,he laughed and said that curiosity was not always rewarded4 ,took it to several chemists in ,paris1 who said that they knew of no substance that would do this4 ,the old chemist in ,ireland said a very destructive thing called ,flourine might be liberated thus and do it1 but that it was only a thing with chemists and analysts4 7,note by the compiler4--,in his travels ,mr4 ,judge met many strange people and saw some extraordinary sights4 ,now and again he would tell one of these to be included in the novel1 but just in this unfinished and vague way4 ,when asked to tell more1 he would smile and shake his head1 saying3 ,no1 ,no2 little brothers must finish it47 ,another ,incident4 ,the temple on the site of the present city of ,conjeveram was about to be consecrated and the regular priests were all ready for the ceremony4 ,minor ceremonies had taken place at the laying of the cornerstone1 but this was to exceed that occasion in importance4 ,a large body of worshippers were gathered not for the gratification of curiosity1 but in order to receive the spiritual benefits of the occasion and they filled the edifice so that ,i could not get inside4 ,i was thus compelled to stand just at the edge of the door1 and that was1 as ,i afterwards found out1 the best place ,i could have selected if ,i had known in advance what was to take place4 ,a few days before a large number of wandering ascetics had arrived and camped on a spot near the temple1 but no one thought much of it because used to seeing such people4 ,there was nothing unnatural about these men1 and all that could be said was that a sort of mysterious air hung about them1 and one or two children declared that on one evening none of the visitors could be found at their camp nor any evidence that men had been there1 but they were not believed1 because the ascetics were there as usual the next morning4 ,two old men in the city said that the visitors were ,devas in their illusionary form1 but there was too much excitement about the dedication to allow of much thought on the subject4 ,the event1 however1 proved the old men right4 ,at the moment when the people in the temple were expecting the priests to arrive1 the entire body of ascetics appeared at the door with a wonderful looking sage-like man at their head1 and they entered the edifice in the usual formal way of the priests and the latter on arriving made no disturbance1 but took what places they could1 simply saying3 they are the ,devas4 ,the strangers went on with the ceremonies1 and all the while a light filled the building and music from the air floated over the awestruck worshippers4 ,when the time came for them to go they all followed the leader in silence to the door4 ,i could see inside1 and as ,i was at the door could also see outside4 ,all the ascetics came to the entrance but not one was seen to go beyond it1 and none were ever perceived by any man in the city again4 ,they melted away at the threshold4 ,it was their last appearance1 for the shadow of the dark age was upon the people1 preventing such sights for the future4 ,the occurrence was the topic of conversation for years1 and it was all recorded in the archives of the city4 ,,in ,a ,,borrowed ,,body4 ,i ,,must tell you first what happened to me in this present life since it is in this one that ,i am relating to you about many other lives of mine4 ,i was a simple student of our high ,philosophy for many lives on earth in various countries1 and then at last developed in myself a desire for action4 ,so ,i died once more as so often before and was again reborn in the family of a ,rajah1 and in time came to sit on his throne after his death4 ,two years after that sad event one day an old wandering ,brahmin came to me and asked if ,i was ready to follow my vows of long lives before1 and go to do some work for my old master in a foreign land4 ,thinking this meant a journey only ,i said ,i was4 ,yes1 said he1 but it is not only a journey4 ,it will cause you to be here and there all days and years4 ,to-day here1 to-night there4 ,well1 ,i replied1 ,i will do even that1 for my vows had no conditions and master orders4 ,i knew of the order1 for the old ,brahmin gave me the sign marked on my forehead4 ,he had taken my hand1 and covering it with his waist-cloth1 traced the sign in my palm under the cloth so that it stood out in lines of light before my eyes4 ,he went away with no other word1 as you know they so often do1 leaving me in my palace4 ,i fell asleep in the heat1 with only faithful ,gopal beside me4 ,i dreamed and thought ,i was at the bedside of a mere child1 a boy1 in a foreign land unfamiliar to me only that the people looked like what ,i knew of the ,europeans4 ,the boy was lying as if dying1 and relatives were all about the bed4 ,a strange and irresistible feeling drew me nearer to the child1 and for a moment ,i felt in this dream as if ,i were about to lose consciousness4 ,with a start ,i awoke in my own palace--on the mat where ,i had fallen asleep1 with no one but ,gopal near and no noise but the howling of jackals near the edge of the compound4 ,gopal1 ,i said1 how long have ,i slept8' ,five hours1 master1 since an ,old ,brahmin went away1 and the night is nearly gone1 master4 ,i was about to ask him something else when again sleepiness fell upon my senses1 and once more ,i dreamed of the small dying foreign child4 ,the scene had changed a little1 other people had come in1 there was a doctor there1 and the boy looked to me1 dreaming so vividly1 as if dead4 ,the people were weeping1 and his mother knelt by the bedside4 ,the doctor laid his head on the child's breast a moment4 ,as for myself ,i was drawn again nearer to the body and thought surely the people were strange not to notice me at all4 ,they acted as if no stranger were there1 and ,i looked at my clothes and saw they were eastern and bizarre to them4 ,a magnetic line seemed to pull me to the form of the child4 ,and now beside me ,i saw the old ,brahmin standing4 ,he smiled4 ,this is the child1 he said1 and here must you fulfil a part of your vows4 ,quick now6 ,there is no time to lose1 the child is almost dead4 ,these people think him already a corpse4 ,you see the doctor has told them the fatal words1 'he is dead6' ,yes1 they were weeping4 ,but the old ,brahmin put his hands on my head1 and submitting to his touch1 ,i felt myself in my dream falling asleep4 ,a dream in a dream4 ,but ,i woke in my dream1 but not on my mat with ,gopal near me4 ,i was that boy ,i thought4 ,i looked out through his eyes1 and near me ,i heard1 as if his soul had slipped off to the ether with a sigh of relief4 ,the doctor turned once more and ,i opened my eyes--his eyes--on him4 ,the physician started and turned pale4 ,to another ,i heard him whisper automatic nerve action4 ,he drew near1 and the intelligence in that eye startled him to paleness4 ,he did not see the old ,brahmin making passes over this body ,i was in and from which ,i felt great waves of heat and life rolling over me--or the boy4 ,and yet this all now seemed real as if my identity was merged in the boy4 ,i was that boy and still confused1 vague dreams seemed to flit through my brain of some other plane where ,i thought ,i was again1 and had a faithful servant named ,gopal2 but that must be dream1 this the reality4 ,for did ,i not see my mother and father1 the old doctor and the nurse so long in our house with the children4 ,yes2 of course this is the reality4 ,and then ,i feebly smiled1 whereon the doctor said3 ,most marvellous4 ,he has revived4 ,he may live4 ,he was feeling the slow moving pulse and noting that breathing began and that vitality seemed once more to return to the child1 but he did not see the old ,brahmin in his illusionary body sending air currents of life over the body of this boy1 who dreamed he had been a ,rajah with a faithful servant named ,gopal4 ,then in the dream sleep seemed to fall upon me4 ,a sensation of falling2 falling came to my brain1 and with a start ,i awoke in my palace on my own mat4 ,turning to see if my servant was there ,i saw him standing as if full of sorrow or fear for me4 ,gopal1 how long have ,i slept again8 ,it is just morning1 master1 and ,i feared you had gone to ,yam's dominions and left your own ,gopal behind4 ,no1 ,i was not sleeping4 ,this was reality1 these my own dominions4 ,so this day passed as all days had except that the dream of the small boy in a foreign land came to my mind all day until the night when ,i felt more drowsy than usual4 ,once more ,i slept and dreamed4 ,the same place and the same house1 only now it was morning there4 ,what a strange dream ,i thought ,i had had2 as the doctor came in with my mother and bent over me1 ,i heard him say softly3 ,yes1 he will recover4 ,the night sleep has done good4 ,take him1 when he can go1 to the country1 where he may see and walk on the grass4 ,as he spoke behind him ,i saw the form of a foreign looking man with a turban on4 ,he looked like the pictures of ,brahmins ,i saw in the books before ,i fell sick4 ,then ,i grew very vague and told my mother3 ,i had had two dreams for two nights1 the same in each4 ,i dreamed ,i was a king and had one faithful servant for whom ,i was sorry as ,i liked him very much1 and it was only a dream1 and both were gone4 ,my mother soothed me1 and said3 ,yes1 yes1 my dear4 ,and so that day went as days go with sick boys1 and early in the evening ,i fell fast asleep as a boy in a foreign land1 in my dream1 but did no more dream of being a king1 and as before ,i seemed to fall until ,i woke again on my mat in my own palace with ,gopal sitting near4 ,before ,i could rise the old ,brahmin1 who had gone away1 came in and ,i sent ,gopal off4 ,rama1 said he1 as boy you will not dream of being ,rajah but now you must know that every night as sleeping king you are waking boy in foreign land4 ,do well your duty and fail not4 ,it will be some years1 but ,time's never-stopping car rolls on4 ,remember my words1 and then he passed through the open door4 ,so ,i knew those dreams about a sick foreign boy were not mere dreams but that they were recollections1 and ,i condemned each night to animate that small child just risen from the grave1 as his relations thought1 but ,i knew that his mind for many years would not know itself1 but would ever feel strange in its surroundings1 for1 indeed1 that boy would be myself inside and him without1 his friends not seeing that he had fled away and another taken his place4 ,each night ,i1 as sleeping ,rajah who had listened to the words of sages1 would be an ignorant foreign boy1 until through lapse of years and effort unremittingly continued ,i learned how to live two lives at once4 ,yet horrible at first seemed the thought that although my life in that foreign land as a growing youth would be undisturbed by vague dreams of independent power as ,rajah1 ,i would always1 when ,i woke on my mat1 have a clear remembrance of what at first seemed only dreams of being a king1 with vivid knowledge that while my faithful servant watched my sleeping form ,i would be masquerading in a borrowed body1 unruly as the wind4 ,thus as a boy ,i might be happy1 but as a king miserable maybe4 ,and then after ,i should become accustomed to this double life1 perhaps my foreign mind and habits would so dominate the body of the boy that existence there would grow full of pain from the struggle with an environment wholly at war with the thinker within4 ,but a vow once made is to be fulfilled1 and ,father ,time eats up all things and ever the centuries4 ,,william ,,quan ,,judge ,william ,quan ,judge1 son of ,alice ,mary ,quan and ,frederick ,h4 ,judge1 was born at ,dublin1 ,ireland1 on ,april #acth1 #ahea4 ,his mother died in early life at the birth of her seventh child4 ,the lad was brought up in ,dublin until his thirteenth year1 when the father removed to the ,united ,states with his motherless children1 taking passage on the ,inman ,liner1 ,city of ,limerick1 which arrived in ,new ,york harbour on ,july #adth1 #ahfd4 ,of the years of his childhood there is little to be said1 though we hear of a memorable illness of his seventh year2 an illness supposed to be mortal4 ,the physician declared the small sufferer to be dying1 then dead2 but in the outburst of grief which followed the announcement1 it was discovered that the child had revived1 and that all was well with him4 ,during convalescence the boy shewed aptitudes and knowledge never before displayed1 exciting wonderment and questioning among his elders as to when and how he had learned all these new things4 ,he seemed the same1 and yet not the same2 had to be studied anew by his family1 and while no one knew that he had ever learned to read1 from his recovery in his eighth year we find him devouring the contents of all the books he could obtain1 relating to ,mesmerism1 ,phrenology1 ,character-,reading1 ,religion1 ,magic1 ,rosicrucianism1 and deeply absorbed in the ,book of ,revelation1 trying to discover its real meaning4 ,the elder ,judge1 with his children1 lived for a brief period at the old ,merchants' ,hotel1 in ,cortland ,street1 ,new ,york3 then in ,tenth ,street1 and afterward settled in ,brooklyn4 ,william began work in ,new ,york as a clerk1 afterwards entering the ,law ,office of ,george ,p4 ,andrews1 who afterwards became ,judge of the ,supreme ,court of ,new ,york4 ,there the lad studied law1 living with his father1 who died soon after4 ,on coming of age1 ,william ,q4 ,judge was naturalised a citizen of the ,united ,states1 in ,april1 #ahgb4 ,in ,may of that year he was admitted to the ,bar of ,new ,york4 ,his conspicuous traits as a lawyer1 in the practice of ,commercial ,law1 which became his specialty1 were his thoroughness1 his inflexible persistence1 and his industry1 which won the respect of employers and clients alike4 ,as was said of him1 then and later3 ,judge would walk over hot ploughshares from here to ,india to do his duty4 ,in #ahgd he married ,ella ,m4 ,smith1 of ,brooklyn1 by whom he had one child1 a daughter1 whose death in early childhood was long a source of deep1 though quiet1 sorrow to both4 ,mr4 ,judge in especial was a great lover of children1 and had the gift of attracting them around him1 whether in public--as on the steamer deck--or in private1 and this without any apparent notice or effort on his part4 ,wherever he went1 one would see the children begin to sidle up to him1 soon absorbed in the new friend4 ,living in ,brooklyn until #ahic1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,judge then removed to ,new ,york in order to be nearer to the ,theosophical ,headquarters1 ,mr4 ,judge at that date1 and for the first time1 giving up his arduous labours at the law1 in order to devote himself wholly to ,theosophical work4 ,soon after his marriage ,mr4 ,judge heard of ,madame ,blavatsky in this wise4 ,he came across a book which greatly interested him4 ,this was ,people from the ,other ,world1 by ,h4 ,s4 ,olcott4 ,mr4 ,judge wrote to ,colonel ,olcott1 asking for the address of a good medium1 for at this time the tide of occult inquiry and speculation had just set in1 and the experiences of numbers of people1 including those of ,madame ,blavatsky1 at the ,eddy ,homestead1 were the talk of all the world4 ,mr4 ,judge was invited to call upon ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 while no medium was forthcoming1 and thus the conjunction was formed1 in this incarnation1 which ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 later on declared to have existed for ons past4 ,henceforward1 ,mr4 ,judge spent much of his time with ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 at ,irving ,place1 ,new ,york3 he was one of a number of people present at her rooms one evening when she turned to him1 saying3 ,ask ,col4 ,olcott to form a ,society4 ,this was done at once4 ,mr4 ,judge was called to the ,chair1 nominating ,col4 ,olcott as permanent ,chairman1 and was himself nominated as ,secretary4 ,this was the beginning of the ,theosophical ,society1 on the date of #gth ,september1 #ahge4 ,when ,madame ,blavatsky went to ,india1 ,mr4 ,judge was left to carry on the ,t4,s4 in ,new ,york as best he could2 a difficult task indeed when she who was then the one great exponent had left the field1 and the curiosity and interest excited by her original and striking mission had died down4 ,the ,t4,s4 was henceforth to subsist on its philosophical basis1 and this1 after long years of toil and unyielding persistence1 was the point attained by ,mr4 ,judge4 ,from his twenty-third year until his death1 his best efforts and all the fiery energies of his undaunted soul were given to this ,work4 ,we have a word picture of him1 opening meetings1 reading a chapter of the ,bhagavat ,gt1 entering the ,minutes1 and carrying on all the details of the same1 as if he were not the only person present2 and this he did time after time1 determined to have a ,society4 ,little by little he gathered about him a number of earnest seekers1 some of whom still work in the ,new ,york and other ,branches1 and through his unremitting labour he built up the ,t4,s4 in ,america1 aiding the ,movement as well in all parts of the world1 and winning from ,the ,master the name of ,resuscitator of ,theosophy in ,america4 ,his motto in those days was1 ,promulgation1 not ,speculation4 ,theosophy1 said he1 is a cry of the ,soul4 ,the ,work went slowly at first1 and the eager disciple passed through even more than the usual suffering1 sense of loneliness and desolation1 as we see ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 pointing out in regard to him that he of all chelas1 suffers most1 and asks1 or even expects1 the least4 ,but the shadow lifted1 and in #ahhh we find ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 writing of him as being then a chela of thirteen years' standing1 with trust reposed in him2 and as the chief and sole ,agent of ,the ,dzyan in ,america4 7,this is the ,thibetan name of what we call ,the ,lodge47 ,mr4 ,judge also went to ,south ,america1 where he saw many strange things1 and contracted ,chagres fever1 that terrible scourge whose effects dog the victim through a lifetime4 ,to ,india as well1 where he was for some time with ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 ,later on he was with her in ,france and in ,england1 always intent on the ,work of the ,t4,s4 ,he lectured in both countries2 instituted ,the ,path magazine1 meeting all its deficits and carrying on its various activities1 as well as those of the ,t4,s4 ,he wrote incessantly2 opened the doors of the ,press at length to a serious consideration of ,theosophy2 he lectured all over the ,states and did the work of several men4 ,his health was frail2 a day free from pain was a very rare thing with him4 ,he had his sorrows too1 of which the death of his only child was the deepest4 ,but the cheerfulness of his aspect1 his undaunted energy1 never failed him1 and he was the cause of activity among all his fellow members4 ,to those who would ask his advice in the crises which were wont to shake the tree of the ,t4,s4 he would make answer3 ,work6 ,work6 ,work for ,theosophy6 ,and when at last the ,great ,betrayal came to him1 and some of those whom he had lifted and served and taught how to work1 strove to cast him down and out of the ,society1 in their ignorance of their own limitations1 he kept the due silence of the ,initiate2 he bowed his defenceless head to ,the ,will and ,the ,law1 and passing with sweet and serene heart through the waters of bitterness1 consoled by the respect and trust of the ,community in which his life had been spent1 and by the thousands of students who knew and loved him3 he exhorted all to forgiveness and renewed effort3 he reminded us that there were many committed by the unbrotherliness of his opponents who would in time come themselves to see and comprehend the wrong done to the ,work by action taken which they did not at the time understand in all its bearings2 he begged us to be ready to meet that day and to take the extended hands which would then be held out to us by those who ignorantly shared the wrong done to him1 and through him1 to us all4 ,in this trust he passed behind the veil4 ,on the #bast of ,march1 #ahif1 he encountered ,eloquent1 ,just and ,mighty ,death4 99 99 99 99 99 ,so much for the open and material facts of his life4 ,there is much more that must be left unsaid4 ,his claim upon us was that of ,the ,work4 ,the ,work was his ,ideal4 ,he valued men and women only by their theosophical ,work1 and the right spirit in which that ,work was done4 ,he held ,right ,thought to be of the best ,work4 ,he worked with anyone who was willing to do ,work in the real sense1 careless whether such were personal friends1 strangers1 or active or secret foes4 ,many a time he was known to be energetically working with those who were attacking him1 or planning attack in supposed concealment1 and his smile1 as this was commented upon1 was a thing to be always remembered2 that whimsical and quaint smile1 followed by some ,irish drollery4 ,but in order to leave behind us some adequate idea of the broadness and the catholicity of his nature1 it seems best to append to this brief and unworthy sketch1 some few of the thoughts of his life-long friends1 nearly all published soon after he had left us4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on page #ge of the first volume of ,letters is a letter from an ,adept1 from which a certain portion 7private instruction7 is omitted4 ,that omitted portion runs as follows3 ,is the choice made8 ,then ,y4 will do well to see ,w4 ,q4 ,j4 and to acquaint him with this letter4 ,for the first year or two no better guide can be had4 ,for when the ',,presence' is upon him1 he knows well that which others only suspect and 'divine4' 444 is useful to ',path1' but greater services may be rendered to him1 who1 of all chlas1 suffers most and demands1 or even expects the least4 7,if this extract be fitted into the original letter its immense importance in respect to ,mr4 ,judge may be realised by the intuitive student47 ,in answer to your letter ,i can only say as follows3 ,if ,w4 ,q4 ,judge1 the man who has done most for ,theosophy in ,america1 who has worked most unselfishly in your country1 and has ever done the biddings of ,master1 the best he knew how1 is left alone in 444 and if the 444 ,society in general and its ,esotericists especially leave him alone1 without their unanimous moral support1 which is much more than their money--then ,i say--let them go6 ,they are no theosophists2--and if such a thing should happen1 and ,judge be left to fight his battles alone1 then shall ,i bid all of them an eternal good-bye4 ,i swear on ,,master',s holy name to shake off the dust of my feet from everyone of them4444 ,i am unable to realise that at the hour of trouble and supreme fight 444 any true theosophist should hesitate for one moment to back ,w4 ,q4 ,j4 publicly and lodge in his or her protest4 ,let them read ,master's letter in the preliminary----4 ,all that which ,i said about ,w4 ,q4 ,j4 was from ,,his words in ,,his letter to me4444 ,do with this letter what you like4 ,show it to anyone you please as my firm determination4444--,h4 ,p4 ,b4 ,it is necessary that just those souls in whom we have felt most of reality should disappear from us into the darkness1 in order that we may learn that not seeing1 but inwardly touching1 is the true proof that our friend is there2 in order that we may learn that the vanishing and dissipation of the outward1 visible part1 is no impairing or detriment to the real part1 which is invisible4 ,this knowledge1 and the realising of it in our wills1 are gained with the utmost difficulty1 at a cost not less than the loss of the best of our friends2 yet if the cost be great1 the gain is great and beyond estimating1 for it is nothing less than a first victory over the whole universe1 wherein we come to know that there is that in us which can face and conquer and outlast anything in the universe1 and come forth radiant and triumphant from the contest4 ,yet neither the universe nor death are real antagonists1 for they are but only ,life everywhere1 and we are ,life4--,c4 ,j4 ,he was never narrow1 never selfish1 never conceited4 ,he would drop his own plan in a moment if a better were suggested1 and was delighted if someone would carry on the work he had devised1 and immediately inaugurate other lines of work4 ,to get on with the work and forward the movement seemed to be his only aim in life4444 ,for myself1 knowing ,mr4 ,judge as ,i did1 and associating with him day after day1 at home1 in the rush of work1 in long days of travel over desert wastes or over the trackless ocean1 having travelled with him a distance equal to twice around the globe1 444 there is not the slightest doubt of his connection with and service of the ,great ,lodge4 ,he did the ,master's work to the best of his ability1 and thus carried out the injunction of ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 to keep the link unbroken4--,j4 ,d4 ,,buck4 ,there is not one act in the life of ,william ,q4 ,judge that has come under my observation1 that savours of selfishness or of a desire to further any personal end4444 ,perhaps ,i am not qualified to pass on the merits as an occultist1 of the man whose memory ,i hold in such grateful esteem2 but ,i can1 at least1 speak of what passed before my eyes in the ordinary affairs of life1 and in these affairs ,i have invariably found him to be the soul of unselfishness1 honour1 generosity1 and all the other virtues that men hold so dear in other men4--,e4 ,b4 ,,page4 ,in the summer of #ahid we were privileged to have him stay at our house for several weeks1 and since then he spent at least one evening a week with us until his illness forced him to leave ,new ,york4444 ,day after day he would come back from the office utterly exhausted in mind and body1 and night after night he would lie awake fighting the arrows of suspicion and doubt that would come at him from all over the world4 ,he said they were like shafts of fire piercing him1 and in the morning he would come down stairs wan and pale and unrested1 and one step nearer the limit of his strength1 but still with the same gentle and forgiving spirit4444 ,perhaps the most striking evidence of his greatness was the wisdom with which he treated different people1 and the infinite knowledge of character shown by him in his guidance of his pupils4 ,i do not believe he was the same to any two people4444 ,his most lovable trait was his exquisite sympathy and gentleness4 ,it has been said of him that no one ever touched a sore spot with such infinite tenderness1 and ,i know many that would rather have been scolded and corrected by ,mr4 ,judge than praised by anyone else4 ,it was the good fortune of a few of us to know something of the real ,ego who used the body known as ,wm4 ,q4 ,judge4 ,he once spent some hours describing to my wife and me the experience the ,ego had in assuming control of the instrument it was to use for so many years4 ,the process was not a quick nor an easy one and indeed was never absolutely perfected1 for to ,mr4 ,judge's dying day1 the physical tendencies and heredity of the body he used would crop up and interfere with the full expression of the inner man's thoughts and feelings4 ,an occasional abruptness and coldness of manner was attributable to this lack of co-ordination4 ,of course ,mr4 ,judge was perfectly aware of this and it would trouble him for fear his real friends would be deceived as to his real feeling4 ,he was always in absolute control of his thoughts and actions1 but his body would sometimes slightly modify their expression4444 ,mr4 ,judge told me in ,december1 #ahid1 that the ,judge body was due by its ,karma to die the next year and that it would have to be tided over this period by extraordinary means4 ,he then expected this process to be entirely successful1 and that he would be able to use that body for many years1 but he did not count upon the assaults from without1 and the strain and exhaustion4444 ,this1 and the body's heredity1 proved too much for even his will and power4 ,two months before his death he knew he was to die1 but even then the indomitable will was hard to conquer and the poor exhausted1 pain-racked body was dragged through a miserable two months in one final and supreme effort to stay with his friends4 ,and when he did decide to go1 those who loved him most were the most willing for the parting4 ,i thank the ,gods that ,i was privileged to know him4 ,it was a benediction to call him friend4--,g4 ,,hijo4 ,to a greater extent than ,i have ever realised ,i know he entered into my life and ,i am equally sure into the lives of thousands1 and this fact ,i see we are to acknowledge as time passes more and more4444 ,he swore no one to allegiance1 he asked for no one's love or loyalty2 but his disciples came to him of their own free will and accord1 and then he never deserted them1 but gave more freely than they asked and often in greater measure than they could or would use4 ,he was always a little ahead of the occasion1 and so was truly a leader4--,e4 ,b4 ,,rambo4 ,judge was the best and truest friend a man ever had4 ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 told me ,i should find this to be so1 and so it was of him whom she1 too1 trusted and loved as she did no other4 ,and as ,i think of what those missed who persecuted him1 of the loss in their lives1 of the great jewel so near to them which they passed by1 ,i turn sick with a sense of their loss3 the immense mystery that ,life is1 presses home to me4 ,in him his foes lost their truest friend out of this life of ours in the body1 and though it was their limitations which hid him from them1 as our limitations do hide from us so much ,spiritual ,good1 yet we must remember1 too1 that these limitations have afforded to us and to the world this wonderful example of unselfishness and forgiveness4 ,judge made the life portrayed by ,jesus realisable to me4--,a4 ,,keightley4 ,william ,q4 ,judge was the nearest approach to my ideal of a ,,man that ,i have known4 ,he was what ,i want to be4 ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 was something more than human3 ,she was a cosmic power4 ,w4 ,q4 ,j4 was splendidly human3 and he manifested in a way delightfully refreshing and all his own that most rare of human characteristics--genuineness4 ,his influence is continuingly present and powerful1 an influence tending steadily1 as ever1 in one direction--work for the ,masters' ,cause4--,,thos4 ,,green4 ,his last message to us was this ',there should be calmness4 ,hold fast4 ,go slow4' ,and if you take down those words and remember them1 you will find that they contain an epitome of his whole life struggle4 ,he believed in ,theosophy and lived it4 ,he believed because he knew that the great ,self of which he so often spoke was the eternal ,self1 was himself4 ,therefore he was always calm4 ,he held fast with unwavering tenacity to his purpose and to his ideal4 ,he went slow1 and never allowed himself to act hastily4 ,he made time his own1 and he was justice itself on that account4 ,and he had the power to act with the rapidity of lightning when the time for action came4 ,we can now afford to console ourselves because of the life he lived1 and should also remember that this man1 ,william ,quan ,judge1 had more devoted friends1 ,i believe1 than any other living man2 more friends who would literally have died for him at a moment's notice2 would have gone to any part of the world on the strength of a hint from him4 ,and never once did he use that power and influence for his own personal ends2--never once did he use that power1 great as it was1 not only in ,america1 but in ,europe1 ,australasia and elsewhere as well1 for anything but the good of the ,theosophical movement4 ,poor ,judge4 ,it was not the charges that stung him1 they were too untrue to hurt4 ,it was the fact that those who had once most loudly proclaimed themselves his debtors and his friends were among the first to turn against him4 ,he had the heart of a little child and his tenderness was only equalled by his strength4444 ,he never cared what people thought of him or his work so long as they would work for brotherhood4444 ,his wife has said that she never knew him to tell a lie1 and those most closely connected with him theosophically agree that he was the most truthful man they ever knew4--,e4 ,t4 ,h4 ,i knew him with some degree of intimacy for the past eight years1 meeting him often and under varied conditions1 and never for one moment did he fail to command my respect and affection1 and that ,i should have had the privilege of his acquaintance ,i hold a debt to ,karma4 ,a good homely face and unpretentious manner1 a loving disposition1 full of kindliness and honest friendship1 went with such strong common sense and knowledge of affairs that his coming was always a pleasure and his stay a delight4 ,the children hung about him fondly as he would sit after dinner and draw them pictures4--,a4 ,h4 ,,spencer4 ,his life was an example of the possibility of presenting new ideas with emphasis1 persistence and effect1 without becoming eccentric or one-sided1 without losing touch with our fellows1 in short1 without becoming a 'crank4'444 ,the quality of 'common sense' was ,mr4 ,judge's4 ,those who have heard him speak1 know the singular directness with which his mind went to the marrow of a subject1 the unaffected selflessness that radiated from the man4 ,the quality of 'common sense' was ,mr4 ,judge's pre-eminent characteristic4--,,william ,,main4 ,for to the mystical element in the personality of ,mr4 ,judge was united the shrewdness of the practised lawyer1 the organising faculty of a great leader1 and that admirable common sense1 which is so uncommon a thing with enthusiasts4444 ,in his teaching was embodied most emphatically that received by the prophet ,ezekiel when the ,voice said to him3 ',stand upon thy feet and ,i will speak to thee4' ,he was the best of friends1 for he held you firmly1 yet apart4 ,he realised the beautiful description ,emerson gives of the ideal friend1 in whom meet the two most essential elements of friendship1 tenderness and truth4 ',i am arrived at last1' says ,emerson1 'in the presence of a man so real and equal 444 that ,i may deal with him with the simplicity and wholeness with which one chemical atom meets another4444 ,to a great heart he will still be a stranger in a thousand particulars1 that he may come near in the holiest ground4' ,and upon that 'holiest ground' of devotion to the highest aim1 of desire alone for the welfare of others1 the ,chief was always to be approached4 ,and blended with the undaunted courage1 the keen insight1 the swift judgment1 the endless patience1 that made his personality so powerful1 were the warm affections1 the ready wit1 the almost boyish gaiety that made it so lovable4444 ,one of the ,chief's last messages to us said3 ',they must aim to develop themselves in daily life in small duties4'444 ,there was a beautiful story of ,rhoecus1 who could not recognise in the bee that buzzed about his head the messenger of the ,dryad1 and so lost her love4 ,,katherine ,,hillard4 ,if my memory serves me rightly1 we met first upon an occasion when ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky was induced to try1 in the presence of some reporters1 if she could open up communication with the diaphanous remainder of a night watchman who had been drowned in an ,east ,river dock4 ,olcott was present1 in command1 prominent and authoritative1 and ,judge1 in attendance1 reserved and quiet4 ,the spook was shy and the reporters sarcastic4 ,the only one apparently annoyed by their humour was the ,colonel4 ,mr4 ,judge's placidity and good nature commended him to the liking of the reporters1 and made a particularly favourable impression upon me1 which was deepened by the experiences of an acquaintance that continued while he lived4 ,in all that time1 though ,i have seen him upon a good many occasions when he would have had excellent excuse for wrath1 his demeanour was uniformly the same--kindly1 considerate and self-restrained1 not merely in such measure of self-control as might be expected of a gentleman1 but as if inspired by much higher regards than mere respect for the convenances of good society4 ,he always seemed to look for mitigating circumstances in even the pure cussedness of others1 seeking to credit them with1 at least1 honesty of purpose and good intentions1 however treacherous and malicious their acts toward him might have been4 ,he did not appear willing to believe that people did evil through preference for it1 but only because they were ignorant of the good1 and its superior advantages2 consequently he was very tolerant4--,j4 ,h4 ,,connelly4 ,what he was to one of his pupils1 ,i believe he was to all1 444 so wide reaching was his sympathy1 so deep his understanding of each heart2 444 and ,i but voice the feeling of hundreds all over the world when ,i say that we mourn the tenderest of friends1 the wisest of counsellors1 the bravest and noblest of leaders4 ,what a man was this1 to have been such1 to people of so widely varying nationalities1 opinions and beliefs 444 to have drawn them all to him by the power of his love1 444 and in so doing1 to have brought them closer to each other4 ,there was no difficulty he would not take infinite pains to unravel1 no sore spot in the heart he did not sense and strive to heal4--,g4 ,l4 ,g4 ,in truth1 we might pile up these evidences from the hearts of those who knew him best and longest1 and who were well fitted to judge of the solidity and the truth of any character4 ,but of this there is no need4 ,it is for those to say who were influenced by their bugbear of authority whether they have not exchanged the substance for the shadow2 have not retained the dogmatism and lost the free and noble spirit which ,w4 ,q4 ,judge ever exercised1 and which he strove to retain in the ,t4,s4 ,summing up his life1 one must still say what was written soon after his departure3 ,in thinking of this helper and teacher of ours1 ,i find myself thinking almost wholly of the future4 ,he was one who never looked back2 he looked forward always4444 ,we think of him not as of a man departed from our midst1 but as a soul set free to work its mighty mission1 rejoicing in that freedom1 resplendent in compassion and power4 ,his was a nature that knew no trammels1 but acknowledged the divine laws in all things4 ,he was1 as he himself said1 'rich in hope4'444 ,that future as he saw and sees it is majestic in its harmonious proportions4 ,it presaged the liberation of the race4 ,it struck the shackles from the self-imprisoned and bade the souls of men be free4 ,it evokes now1 to-day1 the powers of the inner man4444 ,death1 the magician1 opened a door to show us these things4 ,if we are faithful1 that door shall never close4 ,if we are faithful2 only that proviso4 ,close up the ranks1 and let ,fidelity be the agent of heavenly powers4 ,to see ,america1 the cradle of the new race1 fit herself to help and uplift that race and to prepare here a haven and a home for ,egos yet to appear 444 for this he worked2 for this will work those who came after him4 ,and he works with them4 ,,julia ,w4 ,l4 ,,keightley4 ,a ,,strong ,,light ,,surrounded ,,by ,,darkness2 ,,though ,,reaching ,,far ,,and ,,making ,,clear ,,the ,,night1 ,,will ,,attract ,,the ,,things ,,that ,,dwell ,,in ,,darkness4 ,a ,,pure ,,soul ,,brought ,,to ,,the ,,notice ,,of ,,men ,,will ,,illumine ,,the ,,hearts ,,of ,,thousands2 ,,but ,,will ,,also ,,call ,,forth ,,from ,,the ,,corners ,,of ,,the ,,earth ,,the ,,hostility ,,of ,,those ,,who ,,love ,,evil4 7,book of ,items47 ,the ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists ,,declaration ,the policy of this ,lodge is independent devotion to the cause of ,theosophy1 without professing attachment to any ,theosophical organization4 ,it is loyal to the great ,founders of the ,theosophical ,movement1 but does not concern itself with dissensions or differences of individual opinion4 ,the work it has on hand and the end it keeps in view are too absorbing and too lofty to leave it the time or inclination to take part in side issues4 ,that work and that end is the dissemination of the ,fundamental ,principles of the philosophy of ,theosophy1 and the exemplification in practice of those principles1 through a truer realization of the ,,self2 a profounder conviction of ,universal ,brotherhood4 ,it holds that the unassailable ,basis for ,union among ,theosophists1 wherever and however situated1 is similarity of aim1 purpose and teaching1 and therefore has neither ,constitution1 ,by-laws nor ,officers1 the sole bond between its ,associates being that basis4 ,and it aims to disseminate this idea among ,theosophists in the furtherance of ,unity4 ,it regards as ,theosophists all who are engaged in the true service of ,humanity1 without distinction of race1 creed1 sex1 condition or organization1 and ,it welcomes to its association all those who are in accord with its declared purposes and who desire to fit themselves1 by study and otherwise1 to be the better able to help and teach others4 ,the true ,theosophist belongs to no cult or sect1 yet belongs to each and all4 ,being in sympathy with the purposes of this ,lodge1 as set forth in its ,declaration1 ,i hereby record my desire to be enrolled as an ,associate2 it being understood that such association calls for no obligation on my part other than that which ,i1 myself1 determine4 ,the foregoing is the ,form signed by ,associates of the ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists4 ,inquiries are ,invited from all persons to whom this ,movement may appeal4 ,cards for signature will be sent upon request1 and every possible assistance furnished ,associates in their studies and ,in efforts to form local ,lodges4 ,there are no dues of any kind1 and no formalities to be complied with4 ,correspondence should be addressed to ,general ,registrar1 ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists ,,los ,,angeles1 ,,california #ejd ,metropolitan ,building1 ,broadway at ,fifth ,street ,to ,spread ,broadcast the ,teachings of ,theosophy1 as ,recorded in the ,writings of ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky and ,wm4 ,q4 ,judge4 ,,theosophy ,a ,magazine ,devoted to the ,theosophical ,movement1 the ,brotherhood of ,humanity1 the ,study of ,occult ,science and ,philosophy1 and ,aryan ,literature4 ,,theosophy is a ,monthly ,magazine devoted to the promulgation of ,theosophy as it was given by those who brought it4 ,established in #aiab by the ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists1 the magazine is now in the front rank of ,theosophical publications and its circulation extends to every civilized country4 ,the first eight volumes of the magazine contain reprints of the numerous original articles written by ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky and ,william ,q4 ,judge in explanation1 exemplification and application of the philosophy recorded in their published books4 ,these precious articles1 replete with ,occult instruction1 were first published in ,the ,theosophist1 ,lucifer1 and ,the ,path1 now for many years out of print1 so that their surpassing value was lost and inaccessible to ,students of the present generation4 ,,theosophy has made them once more available4 ,in addition to these reprints the magazine contains many original articles written by ,robert ,crosbie and other devoted ,pupils and ,students of the ,messengers of the ,theosophical ,movement of the nineteenth century4 ,not the least of the contents of the magazine are the ,studies of the ,teachings1 the historical articles relating to the ,theosophical ,movement1 the ,parent ,theosophical ,society1 and the many allied and related organizations and societies of the present day4 ,the entire contents of the magazine are universal in scope and application1 unbiased in treatment1 and free from sectarian or partisan influence4 ,in order to preserve at all times the impersonality of its tone1 and that readers may form their judgment from the inherent value perceived in the articles and not from the names signed to them1 the ,editors and ,contributors remain anonymous1 no living person's name being mentioned in connection with the authorship of any article published4 ,back ,volumes and ,back ,numbers can be supplied at #e4jj per ,volume and #ej cents per ,number4 ,subscriptions can begin with any desired ,number of the current ,volume4 ,subscription price1 #b4jj per annum2 single copies #be cents each4 ,address all communications and remittances to ,,metropolitan ,,theosophy ,,los ,,angeles1 ,,building ,,california ,students interested in obtaining a clear and correct understanding of the actual ,teachings of ,,theosophy1 as recorded in the writings of the ,messengers of the ,theosophical ,movement of the nineteenth century or in writings recommended by ,them1 should have the following books3 ,,key ,,to ,,theosophy1 ,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky1 #b4ej ,an ,exposition in the form of question and answer4 ,the best ,manual for daily study and reference4 ,a verbatim reprint of the ,original ,edition4 ,large type1 durably and artistically bound in ,buckram4 ,,the ,,ocean ,,of ,,theosophy1 ,by ,,william ,q4 ,,judge1 #a4be ,a succinct presentation of the philosophy free from technical expressions2 a perfect condensation of the ,secret ,doctrines of ,man and ,nature4 ,cloth4 ,,the ,,occult ,,world ,,esoteric ,,buddhism ,by ,a4 ,p4 ,,sinnett1 ,each #b4jj ,the two earliest popular presentations of ,theosophical ,teachings1 containing extracts from ,letters written by the ,mahatma ,k4 ,h4 ,from the ,plates of the ,original ,american ,editions4 ,cloth4 ,,isis ,,unveiled1 ,two ,volumes1 ,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky1 #aj4jj ,volume ,i1 ,science2 ,volume ,,ii4 ,theology4 ,a reprint of the ,original ,edition of #ahgg4 ,this1 the first great work of ,h4 ,p4 ,b41 contains a vast wealth of information and instruction not to be had elsewhere4 ,cloth4 ,,the ,,secret ,,doctrine1 ,two ,volumes1 ,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky1 #ae4jj ,volume ,i1 ,cosmogenesis2 ,volume ,,ii1 ,anthropogenesis4 ,the ,original ,edition1 published in #ahhh1 is now out of print4 ,this ,edition1 published in ,london1 contains some unwarrantable changes1 but is in the main accurate and is the only one available4 ,written for the instruction of students of ,occultism1 it is sui generis and absolutely invaluable to the true student of the mysteries of ,life and ,being4 ,cloth4 ,,abridgment ,,of ,,the ,,secret ,,doctrine1 ,by ,,katherine ,,hillard1 #c4jj ,a very good condensation of the major teachings of ,madame ,blavatsky's ,secret ,doctrine in the language of the ,author4 ,cloth4 ,,theosophical ,,glossary1 ,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky1 #e4jj ,a reprint of the ,original ,edition1 containing an exhaustive and scholarly treatment of the ,sanskrit and other technical terms employed in ,theosophical literature4 ,cloth4 ,those who find the ,teachings of ,theosophy to be comprehensive1 self-explanatory1 and a complete solution of all the problems of ,life from a philosophical1 logical and scientific standpoint1 and who may desire to follow the ,path shown in order to realize in and for themselves the noble ,ideal of ,brotherhood exemplified by the ,,masters ,,of ,,wisdom1 are urged to read1 ponder and assimilate to the utmost extent possible to them1 the following ,treatises on the ,heart ,doctrine3 ,,the ,,voice ,,of ,,the ,,silence4 ,chosen ,fragments from ,the ,book of the ,golden ,precepts4 ,translated and annotated by ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky4 ,leather1 #a4ej ,cloth1 #a4be ,,the ,,bhagavad-,,gita1 ,the ,book of ,devotion4 ,containing the ,dialogue between ,krishna1 the ,supreme ,master of ,devotion1 and ,arjuna1 his ,disciple4 ,rendered into exquisite parallel terms in the ,english tongue by ,william ,q4 ,judge4 ,leather1 #a4ej ,cloth1 #a4be ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,bhagavad-,,gita4 ,commentaries of the greatest service to sincere students of to-day4 ,the first ,seven ,chapters by ,w4 ,q4 ,judge2 the remainder by his friend and colleague ,robert ,crosbie4 ,leather1 #a4ej ,,yoga ,,aphorisms ,,of ,,patajali4 ,the ,thought of this ,ancient ,master1 whose ,aphorisms have been the guide of ,disciples in the ,east for untold thousands of years4 ,done into ,english terms with ,notes1 by ,william ,q4 ,judge4 ,leather1 #a4ej ,cloth1 #a4be ,,light ,,on ,,the ,,path4 ,a treatise for the personal use of those who are ignorant of the ,eastern ,wisdom1 and who desire to enter within its influence4 ,an exact reprint of the ,original ,edition of #ahhe1 together with the ,comments originally published in ,lucifer4 ,written down by ,m4 ,c4 ,leather1 #a4ej ,cloth1 #a4be ,,letters ,,that ,,have ,,helped ,,me4 ,actual ,letters1 by ,william ,q4 ,judge1 embodying ,lessons and ,guidance of direct personal value to every ,student and ,disciple4 ,volume ,i1 ,cloth1 #a4jj ,volume ,,ii1 ,cloth1 #a4jj ,the ,two ,volumes bound in ,one1 ,cloth1 #a4ej ,,the ,,voice of the ,,silence1 ,,the ,,bhagavad-,,gita1 ,and ,,patajali',s ,,yoga ,,aphorisms1 ,bound in ,one ,volume4 ,leather1 #c4jj ,parents and others interested in the ,spiritual and ,moral welfare of ,children and averse to the sectarian dogmas and false ideas prevalent under the name of religious teachings1 have long felt the necessity for literature which should impart true fundamental conceptions of ,nature1 of ,life and of ,duty to the growing generation4 ,as a portion of its ,fraternal activities the ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists has long maintained a ,children's ,school of ,theosophy4 ,to this ,school come children of all ages1 ,theosophists and ,non-,theosophists as to ,parentage4 ,there are taught the primary truths common to all religions and philosophies1 dealing with ,birth1 ,life1 ,death1 ,law1 ,action and ,duty4 ,the ,eternal ,verities thus inculcated make for clean1 sturdy1 wholesome physical1 mental1 as well as moral and spiritual happiness and well-being4 ,the experience thus gained in actual practice has been embodied in two books1 wherein the lessons and instructions found helpful and formative to the highest character are plainly and clearly outlined1 with all necessary suggestions and directions to enable ,parents1 ,teachers and others to fit themselves to be the better able to help and guide the plastic minds of the ,children to true perceptions of ,life and ,action4 ,,because--,,for ,,the ,,children ,,who ,,ask ,,why4 ,interesting1 comprehensible and assimilable1 in clear and reverent fashion this ,book presents to ,children the answers to those questions of ,self that ,parents find it most difficult to meet1 and affords a common basis of understanding to ,parent and ,child4 ,cloth1 #a4be ,,the ,,eternal ,,verities4 ,a ,series of ,lessons in basic truths and ideas1 with complete chart and programme so that its full value may be availed of in the instruction of ,children of all ages1 whether in the ,school or the ,home4 ,original ,songs1 ,chants1 ,music1 ,allegories and ,tales of ,symbolism1 in a manner not only to interest but to carry the ,lessons into the ,hearts and ,minds of the ,learners4 ,cloth1 #a4ej ,in order1 further1 to afford the maximum possible assistance to ,parents and others interested in the proper education of ,children1 ,the ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists maintains a ,bureau of ,correspondence to which particular problems connected with the bringing-up of ,children may be addressed4 ,replies to enquiries are in all cases by ,women ,associates of the ,lodge who are themselves ,mothers and ,teachers and gladly give their time and experience to benefit their perplexed ,sisters4 ,there are no fees or charges of any description in connection with this labor of love1 and all ,mothers and ,teachers are invited to benefit by it4 ,address1 ,,children',s ,,school ,,of ,,theosophy ,,los ,,angeles1 ,,california #ejd ,metropolitan ,building1 ,broadway at ,fifth ,street ,no more important work exists for the ,theosophical ,student than to be in a position to direct inquirers to channels where they may inform themselves of the leading ,principles of the teachings of ,,theosophy in their philosophical1 ethical and scientific bearings4 ,the following are recommended for their exact accuracy1 their simplicity and clarity in the presentation of the ,wisdom-,religion4 ,,echoes ,,from ,,the ,,orient1 ,by ,,william ,q4 ,,judge4 ,a ,series of ,chapters written in the most admirable style1 giving an outline of ,theosophy and the ,theosophical ,movement1 and treating of the great ,subject of ,masters1 ,karma1 ,reincarnation and ,evolution4 ,cloth1 #j4fj ,paper1 4#ce ,,conversations ,,on ,,theosophy4 ,a ,pamphlet giving the fundamental teachings of the ,secret ,doctrine4 ,from the writings of ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky and ,william ,q4 ,judge4 ,paper1 envelope size1 4#aj ,in quantities for propaganda purposes1 #ej copies for #b4ej ,,karma ,,and ,,reincarnation4 ,a large and attractively bound pamphlet1 envelope size1 containing the famous ,aphorisms on ,karma1 and a notably clear and comprehensive treatment of the subjects of ,karma and ,reincarnation4 4#ae ,in quantities for propaganda purposes1 #ej copies for #d4jj ,,culture ,,of ,,concentration1 ,and ,,of ,,occult ,,powers4 ,two related ,essays by ,william ,q4 ,judge on subjects of supreme importance4 4#aj ,,extracts ,,from ,a ,,letter ,,that ,,has ,,helped ,,me4 ,being a statement of the ,gospel of ,hope and ,responsibility4 ,this ,letter has brought consolation and the comfort of understanding to many regarding the ,great ,mystery4 4#aj ,,thoughts ,,for ,,thinkers4 ,a ,pamphlet designed for the man in the street1 who is often an open-minded practical philosopher and thinker of the first rank4 ,these ,,thoughts are undogmatic1 non-argumentative and very suggestive4 4#aj ,the foregoing and other ,books advertised in the preceding pages may all be obtained on order through your local ,bookseller1 or orders may be sent direct to the undersigned4 ,inquiries are invited regarding any ,theosophical ,books and ,publications not specifically mentioned herein4 ,correspondence and questions are also invited on ,theosophical problems and subjects from all interested4 ,address all orders and inquiries and make all remittances payable to ,,united ,,lodge ,,of ,,theosophists ,,los ,,angeles1 ,,california #ejd ,metropolitan ,building1 ,broadway at ,fifth ,street ,transcriber's ,note ,this is a #b-volume-in-#a ebook4 ,each volume has been paginated separately4 ,footnotes have been placed at end of their respective chapter4 ,obvious punctuation and spelling errors have been repaired4 ,pg4 #gf3 ,removed extraneous word relates from ,the sexual relates relates really only4444