,transcriber's ,notes ,obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected4 ,variations in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged4 ,a variety astrological1 alchemical and mystical symbols are used1 as many are unavailable they have been replaced by symbol4 ,the anchor of footnote #bb on page #da was missing4 ,the present location was chosen by the transcriber4 ,the contents list shows five chapters1 with chapter ,v being entitled ,the ,medicine of the ,future4 ,in the body chapter ,,iv is followed immediately by ,chapter ,,vi entitled ,the ,physician of the ,future4 ,it is assumed that this is a missprint rather than a missing chapter and has been altered accordingly4 ,italics are represented thus italic1 and bold thus bold4 ,,occult ,,science ,,in ,,medicine ,,by ,,franz ,,hartmann1 ,m4,d4 7,all rights reserved47 ,,theosophical ,,publishing ,,society #g1 ,,duke ,,street1 ,,adelphi1 ,,london1 ,w4,c4 8,,the ,,path10 #add1 ,madison ,avenue1 ,new ,york1 ,u4,s4,a4 8,,the ,,theosophist0 ,,office1 ,adyar1 ,madras1 ,india4 #ahic4 ,,dedicated ,,to ,,every ,,student ,,of ,,medicine 8,that which is looked upon by one generation as the apex of human knowledge is often considered an absurdity by the next1 and that which is regarded as a superstition in one century1 may form the basis of science for the following one40 7,theophrastus ,paracelsus47 ,,preface4 8,nothing designates the character of people so well as that which they find ridiculous40--,goethe4 ,it is a fact not entirely unknown to those who have studied nature1 that there is a certain law of periodicity1 according to which forms disappear and the truths which they contained reappear again1 embodied in new forms4 ,seasons go and come1 civilizations pass away and grow again1 exhibiting the same characteristics possessed by the former1 sciences are lost and rediscovered1 and the science of medicine forms no exception to this general rule4 ,many valuable treasures of the past have been buried in forgetfulness2 many ideas that shone like luminous stars in the sky of ancient medicine have disappeared during the revolution of thought1 and begin to rise again on the mental horizon1 where they are christened with new names and stared at in surprise as something supposed never to have existed before4 ,ages of spirituality have preceded the past age of materiality1 and other eras of higher spiritual thought are certain to follow4 ,during these preceding ages many eminently valuable truths were known1 which have been lost sight of in modern times1 and although the popular science of the present1 which deals with the external appearances of physical nature1 is undoubtedly greater than that of former times1 a study of the ancient books on medicine shows that the sages of former times knew more of the fundamental laws of nature than what is admitted to-day4 ,there is a great science and a little science2 one that flies around the spires of the temple of wisdom1 another that penetrates into the sanctuary2 both are right in their places2 but the one is superficial and popular1 the other profound and mysterious2 the one makes a great deal of clamour and show1 the other is silent and not publicly known4 ,there are progressive and there are conservative scientists4 ,there are those whose genius carries them forward and who dare to explore new realms of knowledge2 while the conservative class merely collects what has been produced by others4 ,an explorer must be a scientist2 but not every scientist is an explorer4 ,the majority of our modern schools of medicine produce nothing new1 but merely deal in goods in whose production they had no share4 ,they resemble the shop of a huckster who knows nothing else but the goods which are in his shop4 ,the shelves are filled with popular theories1 fashionable beliefs1 patented systems1 and occasionally we find an old article that went out of fashion1 labelled with a new name and advertised as something new1 and the proprietor volubly praises his goods1 being as proud of them as if he had made them himself1 while he ignores or denounces everything that is not to be found in his shop4 ,but the real lover of truth is not contented to live upon the fruits that have grown in the gardens of others2 he gathers the materials he finds1 not merely for the purpose of enjoying their possession1 but for the purpose of using them as steps to ascend nearer to the fountain of eternal truth4 ,the present work is an attempt to call the attention of those who follow the profession of medicine to this higher aspect of science and to certain forgotten treasures of the past1 of which an abundance may be found in the works of ,theophrastus ,paracelsus4 ,many of the ideas advanced therein1 old as they are1 will appear new and strange2 for everyone is familiar only with that which is within his own mental horizon and which he is capable of grasping4 ,the subject treated is so grand1 unlimited and sublime1 as to render it impossible in a limited work of this kind to deal with it in an exhaustive manner2 but we hope that what little has been collected in the following pages will be sufficient to indicate the way to the acquisition of that higher mystic science1 and to a better understanding of the true constitution of man4 ,,contents4 ,,introduction4 ,,page4 ,definition of the term 8disease40 ,law and order4 ,harmony and discords4 ,obedience4 ,man a complex being4 ,health4 #i ,i4 ,,the ,,constitution ,,of ,,man4 ,miracles in nature4 ,development4 ,the seven principles in the constitution of man4 ,the anatomy of the 8inner man40 ,medicine and religion4 ,theophrastus ,paracelsus4 ,mysteries4 ,mystic science and false mysticism4 ,the powers of the soul4 #ac ,,ii4 ,,the ,,four ,,pillars ,,of ,,medicine4 ,requisites for the practice of medicine4--,philosophy4 ,natural sciences4 ,the phenomenal world4 ,the inner temple4 ,truth4 ,the four kingdoms and the four elements4--,astronomy4 ,mind4 ,states of consciousness4 8,stars0 and constellations4 ,the ,tatwas4 ,sun and ,moon4 ,thinking and the thinker4--,alchemy4 ,what alchemy is4 ,quacks and pretenders4 ,the ,three ,substances4 ,the creative power4 ,terrestrial ,alchemy4 ,celestial ,alchemy4 ,the ,alchemy of the ,astral plane4--,the ,virtue of the ,physician4 ,the true physician4 ,medical science and medical wisdom4 #be ,,iii4 ,,the ,,five ,,causes ,,of ,,disease4 ,salt1 ,sulphur and ,mercury4--,the ,ens astrale4 ,the 8ether04 ,invisible influences4 ,microbes4 ,the astral plane4 ,mental diseases4--,ens veneni4 ,poisons and impurities4 ,disharmonies1 sympathies and antipathies in chemistry4 ,a chemical romance4 ,sexual impurity4 ,promiscuous intercourse4 ,nutriment4 ,correspondencies between spiritual powers and physical forces4--,ens natur4 ,the macrocosm and microcosm4 ,two beings in one man4 ,terrestrial and the celestial nature4 ,generation and incarnation4 ,heredity4 ,relationship between internal organs4--,ens spirituale4 ,consciousness4 ,spirit and soul4 ,the thought-body4 ,re-incarnation4 ,will4 ,imagination4 ,arcana4 ,memory4 ,the astral light4--,ens ,dei4 ,god ,karma4 ,science and art4 #ej ,,iv4 ,,the ,,five ,,classes ,,of ,,physicians4 ,five classes4--,naturales4 ,therapeutics4 ,earth4 ,water4 ,air4 ,fire4 ,ether2 the one element4--,specifici4 ,empiricism4 ,the chemistry of life4 ,principles of light and colour4 ,the astral man4--,characterales4 ,emotions4 ,hypnotism4 ,suggestion4 ,spiritual powers4--,spirituales4 ,magic4--,fideles4 ,the power of faith4 #gd ,v4 ,,the ,,medicine ,,of ,,the ,,future4 ,ancient and modern quackery4 ,science and wisdom4 ,spirituality and substantiality4 ,development4 ,self-control4 ,realism and idealism4 ,the realization of the ideal4 ,the physician of the future4 ,self-knowledge4 ,the true life4 ,the awakening of the soul4 ,phenomena and noumena4 ,the higher science4 ,material and spiritual evolution4 ,intellectuality and spirituality4 ,periodicity4 ,circular motion and spiral progress4 ,the self-recognition of truth4 #hf ,,introduction4 8,there are two kinds of knowledge4 ,there is a medical science and there is a medical wisdom4 ,to the animal man belongs the animal comprehension2 but the understanding of divine mysteries belongs to the spirit of ,god in him40 7,theophrastus ,paracelsus1 8,de ,fundamento ,sapienti407 ,a great deal has been written in modern books on pathology about the difficulty of defining the word 8disease40 ,the dictionary calls it 8lack or absence of ease1 pain1 uneasiness1 distress1 trial1 trouble10 c41 but against either of these definitions objections may be raised4 ,james ,paget says3 8,ease and disease1 well and ill1 and all their synonyms are relative terms1 of which none can be fixed unconditionally4 ,if there could be fixed a standard of health1 all deviations from it might be called diseases2 but a chief characteristic of living bodies is not fixity1 but variation by self-adjustment to a wide range of varying circumstances1 and among such self-adjustments it is not practicable to make a line separating those which may reasonably be called healthy from those which may as reasonably be called disease40 ,to this occult science answers that such a standard of health exists for us as soon as we recognise the unity and supremacy of the law2 that the results of obedience to the law are harmony and health1 and the results of disobedience are called discords or disease4 ,shakespeare says3-- 8,the heavens themselves1 the planets and this centre ,observe degree1 priority and place1 ,insisture1 course1 proportion1 season1 form1 ,office1 and custom1 in all line of order40 --7,troilus and ,cressida1 i4 #c47 ,if we regard the order1 which 8is ,heaven's first law10 as the creation of the self-adjustment of accidentally arising circumstances1 leaving out of consideration the fundamental ,unity of the ,all and its one purpose1 we would then probably find various laws of order in the universe1 being essentially different from each other2 and it would be difficult to know which of these laws it would be best to follow2 but if we recognise in the order that rules all things a manifestation of one eternal law of order and harmony1 the function of ,supreme ,wisdom acting in nature but not being the product of nature1 it will remain for us only to know that supreme ,law and obey it4 ,the universe is only one1 and is ruled by only one source of all laws2 but there are many unities within the constitution of this great ,unity2 they constitute as many selves within ,self1 whose separate interests are not identical with that of the whole1 and therefore the order obeyed by these temporary selves is not the same as that of the eternal whole4 ,thus the battle for existence1 far from being the cause of the order observable in the world1 is in fact the cause of the disorder existing therein4 ,if man1 like his divine prototype1 were a perfect unity1 a manifestation of will and thought identified and one1 there would be only one law to obey3 the law of his divine nature2 he would be forever in harmony with himself2 there would be no disharmonious elements in his nature1 seeking to create an order of their own1 and thereby causing discords and disease2 but man is a compound being1 there are many elements in his nature1 each representing to a certain extent an independent form of will1 and the more one of these modifications of will succeeds in departing from the order that constitutes the whole1 and to enact1 be it intelligently or instinctively1 a will of its own1 the greater will be the disharmony which it causes within the whole organism and the greater will be the disease4#a 8,a house divided against itself will fall40 ,disease is the disharmony which follows the disobedience to the law2 the restoration consists in restoring the harmony by a return to obedience to the law of order which governs the whole4 ,the key to the cure of diseases is therefore in the understanding of the fundamental law which governs the nature of man1 and for this purpose it is necessary that a rational system of medicine should know the constitution of man2 not only that of his physical body1 which is merely the lower part of the house wherein he dwells2 but the whole physical1 astral and mental constitution of that being called 8,man10 which is still the greatest mystery to science1 and of which little more than the anatomy1 the physiological functions and the chemical composition of the material organs and substances composing his corporeal form is either known to or taught by our modern academies4 ,great progress has been made by modern science in investigating all the minor details of the shell which man occupies during his life upon this planet2 but as regards the inhabitant of that house1 the inner man1 who is neither wholly material nor wholly spiritual1 the ancient sages knew more about his true nature than is ever dreamed of in our medical schools1 and it will be undoubtedly worth while to examine their views4 ,moreover1 if the outward body of man is1 as they teach1 only the outward expression of the qualities and functions of a more interior and invisible human organism2 then it appears that many bodily diseases1 such as are not caused by direct physical injuries1 are the results of disorders existing within that inner organism1 and as every true physician should seek to know the causes of diseases1 and not merely destroy their external effects1 such a knowledge of the 8causal body0 of man1 whose visible image is his 8phenomenal form10 may open a new field for pathology and therapeutics1 from which a rich harvest may be gathered for the benefit of mankind4 ,i4 ,,the ,,constitution ,,of ,,man4 ,from times immemorial the sages have taught that we shall never know immortal truth1 if we do not discover it within our own selves4 ,experience has long ago corroborated this theory1 for in spite of all progress in scientific researches concerning the nature of ,man1 and which were carried on by means of researches in the external kingdom of nature1 the real constitution of ,man and that which constitutes his essential being has not yet been discovered4 ,we know that from the ovum the ftus1 from the ftus the child1 from the child the body of man becomes developed2 we know the order in which these processes take place2 but we seem to know nothing about the powers that produce them4 ,such an alchemical trick of nature as to make a man grow out of a cell in which no man is contained would seem absurd1 incredible and miraculous1 and would be believed by nobody1 if it were not a well-known fact1 and being of daily occurrence it has ceased to appear surprising1 so that it appears now strange if anyone wonders how such a thing is possible4 ,horne says3 8,by a silent1 unseen1 mysterious process1 the fairest flower of the garden springs from a small insignificant seed40 ,a similar mysterious process takes place in the evolution of the human body4 ,all these processes are evidently the effects of the action of a cause adequate to produce them2 to deny this would be identical with affirming the self-evident absurdity1 that something could grow out of nothing1 and the law of logic furthermore makes it clear that although a physical cause can produce a physical effect1 a living body can only be produced by a living power1 an intellectual organism by an intelligent being4 ,whether or not the animal body of man has evoluted from the lower animal kingdom1 or whether certain animals are the products of a perversion and degradation of the nature of man1 does not concern us at present4 ,what we know is1 that no life and intelligence can become manifest in a form unless these powers are contained therein1 and we also know that life cannot be created by death nor can intelligence be created by that which has no intelligence4 ,but if popular science confessedly knows nothing about the origin of the manifestation of life1 nothing about what is vaguely termed 8soul10 nothing about the nature and origin of the mind 7whose functions are required for the purpose of enabling the brain to investigate such things7 nothing about the spirit and nothing about the higher constitution of man1 whose external expression and symbol is his physical body2 it will not be inappropriate to apply to other sources for information and hear what the ancient sages taught concerning the principles that go to make up the constitution of man4 ,the first requisite of a rational and perfect system of a medicine is a thorough knowledge of the whole constitution of man2 of the whole1 and not merely of a part of his nature4 ,the ancient ,indian sages compared man to a lotus flower1 whose home is the water 7the world71 whose roots draw their nutriment from the earth 7material nature71 while it raises its head to the light 7the spiritual kingdom71 from which it receives the power to unfold the powers latent in its constitution4 ,a great deal has already been said in ,theosophical literature about the sevenfold constitution of man3 but for the sake of completeness we will delineate it again4 #a4 ,rupa4 ,the physical body1 the vehicle of all the other 8principles0 during life4 #b4 ,prana4 ,life or vital principle4 #c4 ,linga ,sharira4 ,the astral body4 ,the ethereal image or counterpart of the physical body1 the 8phantom body40 #d4 ,kama rupa4 ,the animal soul4 ,the seat of animal desires and passions4 ,in this principle is centred the life of the animal and mortal man4 #e4 ,manas4 ,mind4 ,intelligence4 ,the connecting link between the mortal and immortal man4 #f4 ,buddhi4 ,the spiritual soul4 ,the vehicle of pure universal spirit4 #g4 ,atma4 ,spirit4 ,the radiation of the ,absolute4 7,for further explanation see3 ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky1 8,key to ,theosophy407 ,goethe says3 8,a word comes in very conveniently when a conception is absent40 ,in our material age the very meaning of terms signifying spiritual powers and conditions has become lost and perverted2 8,god0 is supposed to mean an unnatural supernatural being outside of ,nature2 8,faith0 has become credulity and belief in the opinions of others2 8,hope0 has become personal greed2 8,love0 is supposed to be selfish desire1 etc41 etc4 ,it is therefore not surprising if the above terms are incomprehensible to many or misinterpreted by them1 for they all represent certain states of consciousness1 and no one can know a state of consciousness which he has never experienced4 ,therein is contained the mystery4 ,the philosophers of the middle ages symbolised these seven principles by the signs of seven 8planets0 from which seven cosmic bodies visible in the sky received their names2 and if this is understood1 it will at once become clear that those who deny the sevenfold division of the planets1 only expose their own ignorance and misconceptions4 ,no one can really criticise that which he does not understand2 but self-conceit imagines itself to be superior to everything1 and thinks itself wiser than all the sages2 forgetting that ,shakespeare says3 8,the fool thinks he is wise1 but the wise man knows himself to be a fool40 7,as ,you ,like ,it1 ,v41 i47 ,the ancients based their science of medicine upon the recognition of a universal1 eternal1 self-existent1 self-conscious cause1 the source of universal life1 where popular modern medicine recognises only the outcome of a blind force4 ,the secret medicine of the ancients was therefore a religious#b science1 while modern popular medicine recognises no religious element and therefore no real truth4 ,to separate science from religious truth is to put it upon an irrational basis2 for 8religion0 means the relation which man bears to his divine origin4 ,to leave out of sight the source from which he originated is to ignore his true nature and to relegate medicine to the realm of the lowest plane of his existence2 namely1 that of his most gross and material form4 ,this is exactly the position which modern medicine occupies at present1 and there is nothing that can elevate it higher than a recognition of the higher nature in man1 and a re-discovery of divine truth4 ,such a higher knowledge was formerly considered necessary for the purpose of constituting a real physician1 and for this reason the practice of medicine was in the hands of those who were born physicians1 sages and saints by the power of the true grace of ,god1 while among popular practitioners there are1 now as then1 many dunces and rascals1 having neither spirituality nor morality2 for what the modern physician of the materialistic school requires for his success is a certain amount of memorizing of the contents of his books1 so as to enable him to pass his examination1 and a talent to profit by the credulity of the people4 ,when the ancients spoke of 8seven planets10 they referred to seven spiritual but nevertheless substantial states1 of which popular science knows nothing but their external manifestation in the realm of phenomena4 ,it has truly been said that no one ever saw even the earth2 that which we see is merely a manifestation or appearance of a spiritual principle called 8earth0 symbol ,the real essence of 8matter0 is beyond the conception of the terrestrial mind4 ,seen from this point of view1 the 8seven planets0 in the constitution of man as well as in the constitution of nature as a whole1 represent the following elements1 powers1 essences1 or forms of existence3-- ,i4 symbol ,saturn 7,prakriti74 ,matter2 the substance and material element in all things in all the three kingdoms of nature 7the physical1 astral and spiritual plane74 ,it is invisible and known only by means of its manifestation4 ,it is that which gives fixity and solidity1 it is substantiality itself4 ,,ii4 symbol ,luna1 8the ,moon0 7,linga74 ,the 8ethereal or astral0 body of man2 the kingdom of dreams1 fancies1 illusions1 in which exists only the reflection of the true life and light of the sun2 it also represents intellectual speculation without wisdom 7recognition of truth71 and the forms belonging to that kingdom are as changeable as are the opinions of men4 ,,iii4 symbol ,sol1 8the ,sun0 7,prana74 ,life on the physical and spiritual plane 7,jiva74 ,the centre of the planetary system4#c ,it is that which produces the manifestations or activity of life upon every plane of existence4 symbol ,mars 7,kama74 ,the passional1 emotional1 animal element in man and in nature2 the seat of desire and self-will2 that which becomes manifest as greed1 envy1 anger1 lust and selfishness in all its forms2 but which is also a source of strength4 ,there are many diseases caused by the excessive or irregular action of powers belonging to this kingdom2 when by combining with symbol they become of a terrestrial nature4 symbol ,mercury 7,manas74 ,the ,mind2 the principle of intelligence manifesting itself as intellectual power in the kingdom of mind2 giving in its combination with symbol rise to earthly thoughts1 but in combination with symbol constituting spiritual knowledge4 symbol ,jupiter 7,buddhi74 ,the principle which manifests itself as spiritual power1 be it for good or for evil4 ,reason1 intuition1 faith1 firmness1 recognition of truth4 symbol ,venus 7,atma74 ,the principle which in its purity manifests itself as universal divine love1 it being identical with divine self-knowledge4 ,if united with symbol 7intelligence7 it constitutes wisdom4 ,acting within the animal plane it produces animal instincts1 and upon the physical plane it causes the attractions of opposite polarities1 chemical affinities1 c41 c4 ,all this is said merely to indicate the key to this kind of science2 for the combinations in which these principles may enter1 and the modifications of their manifestations under different conditions are almost innumerable2 neither can this spiritual science be taught to a mind 7,manas7 unillumined by the light of the higher understanding 7,buddhi74 ,the practical study and application of anything requires first of all the possession of the object1 and if this is true in regard to physical objects1 it is no less true in regard to spiritual principles1 whose nature can only be known when their presence is realised within one's own consciousness4 ,the higher aspects of all of these powers belong to the higher nature of man1 and he who desires to know and apply these laws in the practice of medicine1 must first of all seek to develop his own higher nature by freeing himself from the elements that govern his lower nature2 in other words1 he must enter from the animal-human into the human-divine state1 to which the true physician belongs4 ,one of such adept-physicians was ,theophrastus ,paracelsus1 the great reformer of medicine of the sixteenth century1 who is properly regarded as the father of modern medicine1 although his successors are still far from realising the truths which he taught1 and will1 on the whole1 perhaps not grow up to an understanding of his doctrines for centuries to come4#d ,he was far in advance not only of the science of his days1 but also of that of our present days2 for although he may have known less than we do in regard to the phenomenal appearances of the manifestations of life on this planet1 he knew a great deal more than our modern science in regard to the causes of these manifestations and in regard to the inner nature of things4 ,he was and still is ridiculed and belittled by those who were and are not capable of understanding him2 but he proved the truth of his theories by performing cures which even modern medicine with all its new acquisitions cannot perform4#e ,he was the first to abolish a system of unmitigated quackery1 based upon mere empiricism1 the remnants of which exist even to-day4 ,he was hated and persecuted by the quacks and pretenders of those times1 who did a lucrative business1 thriving upon the ignorance of the public1 as some are doing to-day1 and the vilifications and calumnies thrown out against him by such still inspire the opinions of many in regard to his person1 although we may safely believe that few of his critics have ever read his books and still fewer have understood them4 ,numerous biographies have been written about him and his personal habits1 and it seems that the majority of his critics have been able to comprehend that when he died he left a pair of leather pantaloons to his heirs2 but as to his philosophy1 this is a terra incognita1 which surpasses their understanding2 neither could such a knowledge of the secret sciences be expected from anybody knowing nothing about the fundamental principles in the constitution of man4 ,whether ,paracelsus obtained his knowledge in the ,east1 as has been claimed1 or whether it was revealed to him by his own perception of truth1 does not concern us2 but there can be no doubt that he knew that sevenfold classification1 for we find him speaking of the following seven aspects of man3-- #a4 ,the ,corpus1 or the elementary body of man4 7,limbus47 #b4 ,the ,mumia1 or the ethereal body2 the vehicle of life4 7,evestrum47 #c4 ,the ,archus4 ,the essence of life4 ,spiritus ,mundi in ,nature and ,spiritus ,vitae in man4 #d4 ,the ,sidereal body2 made up of the influences of the 8stars40 #e4 ,adech4 ,the inner man or the thought-body1 made of the flesh of ,adam4 #f4 ,aluech4 ,the spiritual body1 made of the flesh of ,christ2 also called 8the man of the new ,olympus40 #g4 ,spiritus4 ,the universal ,spirit4 ,there is hardly a page in the philosophical writings of ,paracelsus which does not refer to the twofold nature of man1 his terrestrial and celestial aspect1 and of the necessity of the development of his higher nature and superior 7spiritual7 understanding4 8,above all1 we must pay attention to the fact that there are two kinds of spirit in man4 7,one originating in nature1 the other coming from heaven47 ,man ought to be a human being according to the spirit of 7divine7 life and not according to the 7terrestrial7 spirit of the ,limbus4 ,it is a truth that 7the heavenly7 man is an image of ,god1 having in him a divine spirit 7life74 ,in all other respects he is an animal1 having as such an animal spirit4 ,these two are opposed to each other1 but one of the two is bound to succumb4 ,man is destined to be a human being and not an animal1 and if he is to be a human being1 he must live within the spirit of 7immortal7 life and do away with the animal spirit40 78,philosophia ,occulta10 ,lib4 ,i41 ,prologue47 ,the mysteries of the inner temple of nature are not accessible to the vulgar and the profane1 because every being can realise only that which corresponds to its own nature4 ,to penetrate into the realm of truth a true soul is required2 an animal can realise only the animal side of existence4 ,one well known medical authority on a recent occasion said3 8,paracelsus1 who pronounced the anatomy of the dead body to be useless1#f and sought for the basis of life 7immortality7 as the highest goal of knowledge1 demanded #8contemplation' 7spiritual7 before all else1 and just as he himself arrived in this way at the metaphysical construction of the ,archaeus1 so he unchained among his followers a wild and absolutely fruitless mysticism40#g ,for this unchaining of mysticism1 not ,paracelsus is to blame1 but the incapacity of his followers1 whose animal minds were not capable of becoming illumined by the spirit of truth4 ,whenever the terrestrial mind seeks to grasp the spirit of wisdom1 and being unable to rise to the perception of divine truth to drag it down to its own level1 a wild and absolutely fruitless and foolish mysticism will be the result4 ,with the same right we may say that the doctrines of ,christ filled the world with superstition1 causing the crimes of the crusades1 the horrors of the inquisition1 and sectarian intolerance4 ,it is not the fault of the truth if it is misunderstood4 ,the vast majority of mankind seek for knowledge for the purpose of deriving from its possession some personal benefit2 be it the acquisition of wealth or luxury1 the gratification of ambition1 the desire to parade before the world as a being in possession of something great1 or for the purpose of satisfying a laudable scientific curiosity4 ,but the acquisition of medical wisdom requires a love of the truth1 and love means self-sacrifice4 ,the acquisition of wisdom is therefore possible only if the illusive self with all its desires is sacrificed to it4 ,the way to wisdom can be shown2 but wisdom can only be taught by wisdom itself2 he who loves the realm of illusions cannot see its true light4 ,how many of the would-be followers of ,jesus of ,nazareth have become ,christs1 and who can understand the profundity of his thoughts and exercise his divine powers1 but he who has become like him8 ,none of the would-be followers of ,paracelsus have grown to be like this master1 none of the representatives of modern medical science have penetrated deeply into his wisdom4 ,popular medical science1 being based upon the objective observation of phenomena1 knows more about the realm of visible nature 7,maya7 than was known at the time of ,paracelsus2 but the reason why this popular medical science1 in spite of the aids which it received from chemistry and physiology1 is still incapable of performing the cures which were performed by ,paracelsus1 is because its followers only speculate and draw inferences1 while they do not cultivate that spiritual power of soul knowledge which is called 8interior contemplation10#h but which ,paracelsus called the ,faith2 a faculty which is at present so entirely unknown that even an explanation of the meaning of this term is exceedingly difficult4 ,it is a power which belongs neither to the physical1 nor to the animal1 nor to the intellectual nature in man1 but to the spiritual man 7,atma-,buddhi-,manas72 to that higher part of his being1 which in the vast majority of mankind1 however intellectual they may be1 has not yet awakened into life1 but is still latent1 buried in the tomb of materiality into which the light of divine truth cannot penetrate4 8,what are ye men in your own powers but nothing8 ,if you wish to obtain strength take it from faith4 ,if you have faith as big as a mustard seed1 you will be as strong as the spirits1 and although you now appear as men1 your faith will make your strength and power equal to the spirits such as were also in ,samson4 ,for by means of our faith we become spirits ourselves1 and whatever we accomplish that surpasses our 7terrestrial7 nature is done by the power of faith acting through us as a spirit and transforming us into spirits40 78,de ,origin1 ,morb4 ,invisib40 ,introduction47 ,man1 even if he obtains occasionally a glimpse of divine truth1 is only too prone to forget it again at the next moment1 as the action of his terrestrial mind is stronger in him than that of his spirit1 and it seems therefore necessary to be reminded over and over again that the faith of which ,paracelsus speaks is not the illusory faith of the brain1 the product of speculation1 but a power belonging to those few living spirits walking within this sleeping world4 ,as physical powers belong to the physical and terrestrial man1 so spiritual powers belong to the spiritual man who must be born before he can know and exercise these powers4 ,as yet there appear to be few even among our eminent scientists and successful practitioners who have become regenerated in the spirit of truth and filled with the light of divine wisdom1 and if there are any such1 we would ask all the students of medicine to follow their example and by learning the great art of self-control to become masters over their own nature and over the nature of others4 ,humanity is only one1 and the realization of this truth will open a new field for the science of medicine in the future4 ,that part of us which lives within the heart of others is our own truest and 8most profound ,self40#i ,if this self1 which lives in the hearts of others1 has awakened to its own consciousness1 it will realize its own universal existence and its own power to act within those in whom it lives4 ,thus the physician1 having become self-conscious of his own higher nature1 will become a saviour for all the rest of mankind1 not only in regard to their moral evils1 but also in regard to their physical ills2 for the spirit and soul and body of man do not live separately2 they are one organic whole1 as is the body of humanity1 even though the personalities constituting that body are separated from each other by the illusion of form4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,four ,,pillars ,,of ,,medicine4 ,the pillars upon which the practice of modern medicine rests1 are3-- #a4 ,a knowledge of the physical body of man1 the arrangements of its organs 7anatomy71 their physiological functions 7physiology7 and the visible changes which take place in them when a disease becomes manifest 7pathology74 #b4 ,a certain amount of acquaintance with physical science1 chemistry1 botany1 mineralogy1 etc41 in fact with all that embodies a knowledge of the outward relations which the things in this phenomenal world bear to each other and to the body of man1 7therapeutics74 #c4 ,a certain amount of acquaintance with the views and opinions of modern accepted medical authorities1 however erroneous they may be4 #d4 ,a certain amount of judgment and aptitude to put the acquired theories into practice4 ,all this is very well as far as it goes2 but it may be seen at once that all the knowledge required of a modern practitioner refers only to the external plane of existence2 the animal body of man and its physical surroundings4 ,as to a science of 8psychology10 to call that which goes by that name as such at present1 is a misnomer2 for there can be no science of the soul as long as the existence of a soul 7pysche7 is not recognized4#aj ,the invisible1 spiritual or causal body within the nature of man is entirely ignored by science1 and even if any modern physician personally believes in a soul1 he will almost without exception consider this subject as belonging exclusively to the ,church1 and as something with which science has nothing to do4 ,nevertheless1 if the term 8religion0 means the knowledge of the relation which the outward terrestrial man bears to the creative power in him1 his own inner ,self1 which is the seat of not only his spiritual but also the indirect source of his physical life2 it would seem that a knowledge of that religion which teaches the nature of this true inner and immortal being1 and also the links which connect that higher nature with the physical form1 would be an indispensable and most important part of a true science and system of medicine based upon the recognition of truth2 and although theory precedes practice1 this knowledge should not be merely of that theoretical kind which is only imaginary and not real1 and which in persons who are attempting to grasp things which they are not able to realise produces a wild and absolutely fruitless mysticism2 but it should be of that kind which through experience constitutes self-knowledge1 and which is possible only through the realization of the possession of the ideals one wishes to know4 ,according to ,theophrastus ,paracelsus the following are the four pillars of medicine3-- ,i4--,,philosophia4 ,the term 8,philosophy0 comes from phileo1 to love1 and sophia1 wisdom1 and its true meaning is the love of wisdom and the knowledge resulting therefrom2 for love itself is knowledge2 it is the recognition of self in another form2 the love of wisdom is the recognition by wisdom in man of the same principle of wisdom that is manifested in ,nature1 and from this recognition springs the realisation of the knowledge of truth4 ,true philosophy is therefore not that thing which at present goes by that name1 which consists in wild speculations about the mysteries of ,nature for the purpose of gratifying scientific curiosity2 a system in which there is a great deal of self-love but very little love of the truth1 and whose followers1 by means of logic and argument1 inferences1 theories1 postulates1 hypotheses1 inductions and deductions seek1 so to say1 to break through the back windows in the temple of truth1 or to peep through the keyhole for the purpose of seeing the goddess unveiled4 ,this speculative philosophy does not constitute real knowledge4 ,it constitutes that artificial building of philosophy and so-called science1 founded upon arguments and opinions1 which change their aspect in every century1 and of which ,paracelsus said that 8the things which are looked upon by one generation as the apex of human knowledge are found to be an absurdity by the next1 and that which is regarded as a superstition in one century forms the basis of science of the following one40 ,all information gained by means whose basis is not a love of truth does not constitute immortal knowledge or true theosophy2 but serves only for temporal purposes and as ornaments for egotism1 springing as it does from the love of the illusion of self and having illusions for its object4 ,the whole of nature is a manifestation of truth2 but it requires the eye of wisdom to see the truth and not merely its delusive appearance4 ,the philosophy of which ,paracelsus speaks consists in the power of recognizing the truth in all things independent of any books or authorities1 all of which can only serve to show us the way to avoid errors and how to remove the obstacles in our path2 but which cannot make us realise that which we do not realise in ourselves4 ,he who is not labouring under a load of misconceptions and erroneous teachings1 requires no other book than the book of nature to teach him the truth4 ,there are few who can read the book of nature in the light of nature2 because having had their minds filled with perverted images and false views1 they have themselves become unnatural1 and the light of nature cannot penetrate into their souls2 living in the false light of the moonshine of speculation and sophistry1 they have lost their receptivity for the light of the truth4 ,such philosophers live in illusions and dreams but do not know that which is real3 8,there is upon this earth nothing more noble and more capable of giving perfect happiness than a true knowledge of nature and its foundation4 ,such a knowledge produces a valuable physician1 but it should be a part of his constitution and not an artificial fabric attached to him like a coat2 he must himself be born out of the fountain of that philosophy which cannot be acquired by artificial means40 7,see3 8,de ,generatione hominum10 ,i4 ,preface47 ,a knowledge based upon the opinion or experience of another is merely a belief1 but does not constitute real knowledge4 ,books and lectures may serve to give us advice1 but they cannot endow us with the power of knowing the truth2 they may serve us as useful guides1 but a belief in the statements of others should not be mistaken for self-knowledge1 such as arises only from the self-recognition of truth1 and which by means of a love of the truth ought to be cultivated above all else4 ,to this realm of ,philosophy belong all the natural sciences referring to external phenomena1 in the knowledge of which a great deal of progress seems to have been made since the time of ,paracelsus4 ,to this phenomenal science belongs the anatomy1 physiology1 the chemistry of the physical body and all that concerns the interrelations of the phenomena existing in the grand phantasmagoria of living and corporeal images called the sensual world4 ,but behind this sensual world there is a more interior super-sensual world1 ignored by popular science1 of which the former is the external expression2 the processes taking place in this interior light of nature1 mirror themselves in the light of the external world1 and those souls whose inner perceptions have become developed in consequence of an awakening of the 8inner man10 do not require the observation of external phenomena for the purpose of drawing inferences in regard to their internal causes1 because they know the interior causes and processes and also the external appearances which they will produce4 ,thus there is an external and an internal medical science1 a science concerning the astral and a science concerning the physical body of man4 ,the former occupies itself with the patient1 the latter1 so to say1 with the clothes which he wears4 ,to render this still more plain1 let us illustrate it by an example4 ,let us imagine a magic lantern capable of projecting living and corporeal images upon a living screen4 ,external science occupies itself only with these images1 the relations which they bear to each other and the changes taking place between them2 but it knows nothing about the slides in the lantern upon which are the types of these visible images1 and it entirely ignores the light which causes their projection upon that screen2 but he who sees the slides with its pictures and knows the source of the light which produces these shadow pictures does not need to study the shadows for the purposes of drawing inferences and speculating in regard to their causes4 ,thus there is a superficial science which is at present the object of pride of the world1 and a secret science of which next to nothing is publicly known1 but which is known to the wise and revealed by one's own perception of truth4#aa ,truths must be perceived before they can be intellectually grasped1 and therefore this greater and higher science cannot be learned in books1 nor be taught in lectures at college1 it is the result of a development of man's higher perception1 belonging to his higher nature1 and characterises the born physician4 ,without this superior faculty1 known in its initial stage as the power of 8intuition10 a medical practitioner can find occupation only in the outer yard of the temple1 picking up useful grains among the rubbish2 but he cannot enter the temple in which nature herself teaches her divine mysteries4 ,the minute details of this rubbish have been studied by modern popular science1 whose attention has been so much absorbed thereby that the temple of truth itself has been forgotten and the nature of ,life has become a mystery to those who only study its external manifestations4 ,it will hardly be necessary to say that the above is not intended to discourage the study of phenomena2 for those who have not the power of reaching higher will gain nothing by remaining ignorant of external appearances2 but it is intended to show that a science referring merely to the phenomena of terrestrial life and ultimate results is not the summit of all possible knowledge2 for beyond the realm of visible phenomena there is a far more extensive realm open to all who are capable of entering3 the realm of truth1 of which only the inverted images are seen in the kingdom of external phenomena4 ,the natural science of the ancient mystics1 owing to their deeper penetration into the so-called supersensual realm1 was not limited to the world which we see with our bodily eyes2 for they recognised four worlds or planes of existence within each other1 each of them having its own forms of life and inhabitants1 namely3-- 7a47 ,the physical visible world1 being only the reflection of the three higher ones4 7b47 ,the astral world1 or the psychic realm4 7c47 ,the world of mind1 or the spiritual realm4 7d47 ,the divine state1 the kingdom of ,god1 or the celestial world4 ,as we perceive the existence of a mineral1 vegetable and animal kingdom upon the sensual plane1#ab so they1 by the faculty of the developed inner sight perceived and described within this world four kingdoms1 or four spiritual1 and to us invisible1 states of existence1 which in their outward manifestation are called3 ,earth1 ,water1 ,fire1 ,air4 8,we will show you that we are not the only intelligent beings possessing the world1 but that our possessions extend over only one-fourth of it4 ,not that this world were three times greater than we know it to be2 but there are in it still three-fourth parts which we do not occupy1 and their inhabitants are not inferior to us in intelligence2 the only thing of which we may be proud1 is that ,christ 7the light of divine wisdom7 has taken his habitation in us and clothed himself in our form1 as he might have chosen another nation 7another class of ,elementals7 for that purpose40 7,paracelsus1 8,of the generation of conscious beings in the universal mind10 ,i4 ,preface7 ,all this1 however1 does not strictly belong to the present purpose of this work1 and is merely mentioned so as to make room for the conception that nature is far greater than the limits assigned to it by material science1 and that1 as a certain philosopher said3 8that which is known is only like a grain of sand on the shore of the ocean of the unknown40 ,,ii4 ,,astronomia4 8,astronomy0 means the knowledge of the stars1 and to the conception of the modern mind it is the science of 8celestial bodies10 such as are seen at night on the sky2 but to the ancient philosophers all visible things were the symbols and representations of invisible powers1 thoughts and ideas1 and the expression 8,astronomy10 as used by ,paracelsus1 is1 therefore1 something quite different from the science of the star-gazers1 and refers to the various states of the mind existing in the macrocosm of nature as well as in the microcosm of man4 8,the very word 8celestial0 or 8heavenly10 refers to something superior to our grossly material nature1 and an idea of what are the 8stars0 with which ancient astronomy and astrology deal1 may be formed by studying the signification of the planets referred to in the previous chapter on the ,constitution of ,man4 ,the ,astronomy of ,paracelsus1 therefore1 does not deal with corporeal1 material1 visible1 cosmic bodies2 but with virtutes 7virtues7 or powers and semina 7germs71 or essences1 all of which are spiritual and substantial2 because a power without substance is inconceivable2 8power and substance10 8matter and force0 being convertible terms1 states of one unity1 divided only in our conception of the modes of its manifestation4 ,a 8star01 in fact1 means a state1 and a 8fixed star0 a fixed state of a power in nature2 or as it is called in ,sanscrit1 a ,tattwa1 which means a state of ,that or ,being1 and as all ,being is a manifestation of ,life or ,consciousness1 the 8stars0 are certain states of that universal ,life or ,all-consciousness1 in other words1 states of the ,mind4 8,you should know that the constellations of the planets and stars on the sky1 with all the firmament1 do not cause the growth of our body1 our colour1 appearance1 or behaviour2 and have nothing to do with our virtues and qualities4 ,such an idea is ridiculous2 the motion of ,saturn interferes with nobody's life1 and makes it neither longer nor shorter1 and1 even if there had never been a planet called 8,saturn0 on the sky1 there would be people born having saturnine natures4 ,for all that the planet ,mars is of a fiery nature1 ,nero was not its child1 and although they are of the same nature 7the same kind of energy being manifested in either of them7 neither one of them received it from the other40 78,de ,ente ,astrorum10 ,paramirum ,c4 ,i4 #b47 ,perhaps it will not be out of place1 for the purpose of facilitating a comprehension of what ,paracelsus meant by the term 8,astronomy10 to take a glance at the ,indian teaching in regard to the ,tattwas4 ,according to these doctrines1 the ,universe is a manifestation of ,that 7existence or being71 manifesting itself as ,life 7,prana7 within the universal ,aksa 7primordial matter1 which1 for all practical purposes1 may be regarded as the 8cosmic ether0 of space74 ,prana manifests itself upon the various planes of existence in various ,tattwas or forms of existence1 corresponding to the principles in the constitution of man enumerated above4 ,of these seven ,tattwas five are manifested1 corresponding to the five senses of the human body1 and they are called as follows3--#ac #a4 ,akasa ,tattwa2 the one element forming the substantial basis of the other four1 and corresponding to that which upon the physical plane becomes ultimately manifested as audible sound4 #b4 ,vayou ,tattwa2 representing the principle which renders possible the sensation of feeling or 8touch10 upon all planes of existence4 #c4 ,taijas ,tattwa2 that form of existence which represents that state which manifests itself upon all planes as ,light4 #d4 ,apas ,tattwa2 that principle which renders possible the sensation of taste upon all planes of existence4 #e4 ,prithivi ,tattwa2 that principle which renders possible the sensation of smell upon all planes of existence4 ,words are altogether insufficient to give an idea on which to form a conception of things which are beyond our intellectual comprehension as long as they do not live in our own consciousness2 but we may look upon the seven ,tattwas as represented by seven modes of vibrations of a cosmic ether1 differing from each other not only quantitatively1 but qualitatively1 so that1 for instance1 ,akasa ,tattwa has a circular1 ,vayou ,tattwa a spiral movement1 etc42 but such a conception is quite inadequate1 as we have to do with living forces1 with states of the universal life or consciousness1 manifesting themselves not only as the causes of the five modes of perception on the physical plane1 but also upon the higher planes2 enabling man1 for instance1 not only to feel the touch of an object upon the physical plane1 but to feel with his astral sense the presence of an object upon the astral plane1 and in his heart the touch of a spiritual power2 to see not only physical light with the eyes of his body1 but things in the astral light with his astral organs of seeing2 to see intellectual truths and ideas with the eye of his intellect in the light of his intellect1 and spiritual things with the eye of the spirit4 ,in fact1 everything that exists is a manifestation of ,tattwas1 or 8vibrations of ether20 stationary in its aspect as 8matter10 progressive in its aspect as 8force20 matter is latent energy1 force is active substance2#ad everything is life1 consciousness1 intelligence1 dormant or active according to the conditions existing upon the plane upon which it becomes manifest2 every substance is mind1 and the forms which we see are only the symbols of the thoughts represented therein4 ,it is not our purpose within the narrow limits of this work to enter into a deeper investigation of this most interesting1 sublime1 and elevating science1 which has been discussed at length in ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky's 8,secret ,doctrine02 we merely touch upon these points for the purpose of calling attention to it1 as it represents an aspect and conception of nature immeasurably higher than the one represented by popular science1 and therefore attainable only to those whose aspirations reach beyond this grossly material plane4 ,the 8,secret ,doctrine0 informs us that in the course of evolution1 this our planet has only attained its ,kmarupa or animal form of existence1 and that the next higher state of ,manas 7mind7 has hardly begun to become developed4 ,this may be the reason why the science of mind is at present in its infancy1 and grasped only by those gifted spirits who1 like ,paracelsus and others of his kind1 by nobility of character and spirituality have outstripped the rest of mankind in higher knowledge2 forming1 so to say1 the vanguard of the army1 as it proceeds into the regions of the--not absolutely unknowable--but the unknown4 ,modern astronomy teaches the science of the bodies of the planets and stars2 the ,astronomy of ,paracelsus speaks of the spiritual forces represented by those planets1 the counterparts of which exist in the constitution of man and as every force in nature acts upon its corresponding element in the nature of man1 these universal forces produce certain effects upon those elements in man which exist upon the corresponding plane4 ,thus for instance it requires no argument to prove that the sun is the source of heat and light and life upon this planet1 and that the physical body of man as well as that of the earth receives these energies from the radiations coming from the physical body of the sun2 this being the corporeal visible centre of a power existing universally1 and whose sphere of activity reaches as far as the limits of our solar system4 ,we all live and have our being physically within the sphere of activity and consequently within the physical elements of the sun2 in a similar sense we live and have our being spiritually in the spiritual body and substance of ,love1 and as the sun of the physical world shines upon our body2 so the light of divine wisdom is all around us and ready to penetrate into our soul4 ,thus ,paracelsus teaches that the moon corresponds to the astral body of man1 and has certain effects upon it1 causing certain states which may ultimately become outwardly manifested as certain moral or physical diseases1 and similar correspondencies might be shown to exist between the universal powers represented by the visible planets and the corresponding elements existing in the constitution of man2 but however important and interesting this subject may be it finds very little attention on the part of popular medical science1 which is far too busy in investigating outward effects of a phenomenal character to find time for attending to that which produces all such phenomena and appearances4#ae ,if the ,astronomy of ,paracelsus were understood1 it would be found that man1 far from creating his own thoughts1 merely remodels the ideas that flow into his mind2 that 8thought-transference10 far from being a strange and rare occurrence1 is as common as the transference of heat2 that owing to the oneness of humanity we all feel and think within each other and act out each other's thoughts4 ,we would know better the real causes of crimes1 insanity and disease1 and find them to be controvertible terms4 ,we might then perhaps also modify our views regarding the supposed free will and the amount of responsibility of man1 and know that the power of will is not a myth1 and witchcraft and sorcery no more impossible than the magic action of true love4 ,,iii4--,,alchemy4 ,not being masters of ,alchemy1 we are not capable of teaching the science of this pillar of medicine2 neither could any information in regard to the way in which certain mysterious powers are used be of any service to those who1 not having developed these powers1 are not in possession of them4 ,the following remarks are therefore rather intended to show what ,alchemy is not1 than to show what it is2 for like every term symbolising a spiritual truth1 which ever fell into the hands of the vulgar1 so this term has been 8besmirched with mud and prostituted openly in the market place10#af so as to be now almost beyond recognition4 ,the ancient alchemists used a mysterious language when speaking about mysterious things1 nor could any modern alchemist express in plain language things for which our language has no words and common minds no conception4 ,children often speak more wisely than they know1 sages know what they speak1 but the half learned speak without knowing4 ,the child receiving gifts from its parents on ,christmas eve believes that the ,christ has sent these presents1 but the grown-up and clever boy becomes sceptical and laughs at that story4 ,in that opinion he may now continue all his life1 or he may become still more clever and find that the ,christ is divine love1 from which the love of his parents originated1 inducing them to bestow gifts1 and that the story which he believed when a child1 was true after all4 ,in the same sense ,alchemy is either a truth or a superstition2 it merely depends on the definition we give to this term4 ,professor ,justus von ,liebig says3 8,alchemy was never anything different from ,chemistry10 and to this we agree in so far as both deal with substantial things1 having certain affinities1 and not with anything existing outside of nature2 but while ordinary 7physical7 chemistry employs merely physical 7mechanical7 forces for the purpose of composing and decomposing material substances without causing anything new to grow1 ,alchemy employs the power of life and uses animated forces1 establishing conditions under which something visible may grow from something invisible1 in the same sense as a tree grows from a seed in the alchemical laboratory of nature4 ,chemistry and ,alchemy are therefore two aspects of one and the same science1 the one is the lower1 the other the higher part4 ,the chemist who decomposes salt into ,,na and ,,cl1 and recombines it into ,,nacl1 practises chemistry2 the gardener establishing in his hot house the conditions under which the seed of a plant of a lower type is made to develop into a plant of a higher type1 and the schoolmaster who makes an intelligent being out of a dunce1 are practicing ,alchemy1 because they produce something more noble than the materials employed1 out of the latent potencies contained therein4 ,without the alchemy of nature no 8physiological chemistry0 could take place2 without the action of a universally existing life principle1 no human form could grow out of an ovum or ftus1 no child develop into a man4 ,the human stomach is an alchemical laboratory in which miracles are performed which no modern chemist can imitate by merely chemical means2 milk and bread are transformed into blood and flesh within the living retort of the human body1 and wonders performed which modern chemistry in spite of its progress cannot accomplish1 because it does not control the organising power of life4 ,all that popular belief knows of ancient ,alchemy is from the misunderstood writings of the ancients1 who purposely wrote in a manner incomprehensible to the uninitiated1 or from the writings of pretenders and frauds--for at that time there were as many selfish and ignorant people as there are to-day1 wasting their time in useless efforts to apply a spiritual science to material purposes1 and seeking to employ powers which they did not possess1 in the hope of satisfying their curiosity and their greed4 ,of this kind of 8,alchemy10 ,paracelsus speaks with the greatest contempt4#ag ,for the purpose of practising chemistry physical powers and scientific acquisitions are required2 for the purpose of practising alchemy living spiritual powers and wisdom are necessary4 ,chemistry belongs to the terrestrial man1 the higher aspect of ,alchemy belongs to the spiritually regenerated man having passed through the ,,mystic ,,death into the resurrection of the true and immortal life4#ah ,as there are three kingdoms in nature1 intimately connected with each other1 the kingdom of physical nature1 the kingdom of the soul of the world 7the astral plane71 and the kingdom of the self-conscious spirit2 so there are three aspects of ,alchemy1 intimately connected with each other1 one belonging to the physical1 the other to the astral1 and the highest to the spiritual aspect of man4 ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky says3 8,everything which exists in the world around us is made up of three principles 7substances7 and four aspects4 7,the triple synthesis of the seven principles47 ,as ,man is a complex unity1 consisting of a body1 a rational soul and an immortal spirit1 so each object in nature possesses an objective exterior1 a vital soul1 and a divine spark which is purely spiritual and subjective4 ,thus1 as with all natural objects1 so every science has its three fundamental principles and may be applied through all three or by the use of one of them40#ai ,these three states of existence in the universe were called by the ancient alchemists the ,three ,substances1 and symbolized as ,salt1 ,sulphur1 and ,mercury4 ,with the same right as the modern chemist symbolizes his chemical substances by means of letters2 such as ,o for oxygen1 ,h for hydrogen1 ,n for nitrogen1 ,c for carbogen1#bj etc41 which symbols are incomprehensible to those who do not know what they mean2 the ancient alchemists expressed the nature of spiritual essences1 powers and principles with which they dealt by certain alchemical signs1 such as symbol for ,salt1 or the substantial principle in all things2 symbol for ,sulphur1 or the energies contained therein2 and for symbol ,mercury1 or the principle of intelligence latent in everything1 whether manifested or not2 but the living essences or states in the universe which become manifested upon these three planes they symbolized by the signs of the planets1 as has already been specified above4 ,these principles are eternal2 but their manifestations differ according to the plane upon which they become manifest4 ,thus1 for instance1 love is eternal1 manifesting itself in the kingdom of ,god as divine self-consciousness2 upon the astral plane as affection1 desire and passion2 upon the physical plane as gravitation1 attraction1 chemical affinity1 etc4 ,the power is always the same2 but its action appears different under different conditions4 8,above all a physician should know that man exists in three substances4 ,that of which he is made has three aspects4 ,those three make up the whole man1 and they are the man himself and he is they1 and out of these three substances he receives all his good and evil concerning his physical body4 ,thus each thing exists in these three substances1 and the three together constitute a body1 and there is nothing added to it but the life4 ,if you can see these true substances1 you then have the eye by means of which a physician ought to be able to see4 ,to see the exterior only is in the power of everybody2 but to see within the interior and discover what is hidden1 is an art that belongs to the physician40 78,paramirum10 ,lib4 ,i4 s4b47 ,those who have thus far followed our line of reasoning will now be ready to acknowledge that an understanding of this superior science1 the acquisition of whose knowledge requires a life-time spent by a superior mind1 and whose practice involves the evolution of superior faculties1 is not to be obtained by a few hours' perusal of a book on ,alchemy1 and that only those who are practical alchemists are entitled to judge it4 ,alchemy1 far from being an 8exploded humbug10 is in fact the noblest object for which all humanity and civilization strives4 ,it is the realization of the highest ideal1 a feat which cannot be accomplished by anything less than that ideal itself4 ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky says3-- 8,when there appeared on earth men endowed with a superior intelligence1 they allowed this supreme power 7the divine spark7 to have full and uncontrolled action1 and from it they learnt their first lessons4 ,all that they had to do was to imitate it4 ,but in order to reproduce the same effects by an effort of individual will1 they were obliged to develop in their human constitution a 7creative7 power called ,,kriyasakti in occult phraseology40 ,we should be extremely happy to make the acquaintance of a modern man of science who obeys divine law to such an extent as to let the power of ,god 7the ,holy ,ghost7 have full control over his thoughts1 will1 and desires4 ,such a person without selfish desires1 without ambition or vanity1 without any greed for money or fame1 acting as an instrument of divine love1 would be a rare specimen of humanity2 but unfortunately such a saint and sage will hardly be found in our present generation2 for a thousand links tie the human animal to the region of his desires1 and how could he who is bound by a thousand chains to the ,moon employ the energy of the ,sun1 whose influence he will not permit to enter his nature1 and which therefore cannot nourish his body and grow into a power in him4 ,gold and silver may form an alloy2 but they never become identical with each other4 ,thus their spiritual representatives1 ,divine ,wisdom and the carnal intellect1 will never be one and the same1 although the light of wisdom will throw its reflection upon the terrestrial mind4 ,as stated before1 there are three aspects of ,alchemy3-- ,terrestrial ,alchemy4 ,this in its lower aspect includes the whole science of chemistry with all the discoveries that may be made in the future4 ,this alchemy still recognizes four elements#ba1 and the fifth1 the one element1 from which the four take their origin2 in other words four states of matter and a fifth one 7partly recognised by science72 namely1 the solid 7substantial71 liquid1 fluidic1 and ethereal state#bb4 ,these are described as follows3-- a4 symbol 7,earth47 ,that which gives substantiality to all things1 whether solid1 liquid1 gaseous1 ethereal or spiritual4 7,solidity or ,stability47 b4 symbol 7,water47 ,that state which moves and renders things liquid on either plane of existence4 7,motion74 c4 symbol 7,air47 ,that which enables things to assume a gaseous form4 7,extension47 d4 symbol 7,fire47 ,that which endows them with force4 7,energy47 e4 symbol 7,ether47 ,this fifth element1 in which the attributes of all the other states have their basis1 will be the principal object for scientific research in the coming centuries1 and is in fact the first and the one element4 ,these elements represent themselves as the ,tattwas enumerated in the preceding chapter1 and correspond to them as follows1 if we adopt the above line of order3-- a4 ,prithivi4 ,solidity4 7,earth47 b4 ,apas4 ,movement4 ,bulk4 7,water47 c4 ,vayu4 ,extension4 7,air47 d4 ,taijas4 ,energy4 ,intensity4 7,fire47 e4 ,aksa4 ,the one ,tattwa forming the basis of the rest4 7,sound47#bc ,the limitation of space in these pages1 no less than the insufficiency of our experience in regard to this subject1 forbids us to enter into a closer investigation of the relations existing between this aspect of ,alchemy and physical chemistry2 but we have reason to affirm1 that we are on the eve of great discoveries1 which will to a certain extent revolutionize the popular chemistry of the present day4 ,celestial ,alchemy4--,even if it were within our power to describe the secrets of celestial alchemy1 by means of which the universe was created and which includes the regeneration of man and the attainment of conscious immortality1 and if this could be done publicly without profaning those mysteries1 the explanation would probably be comprehensible only to those who1 knowing it already1 do not require it4 ,those who wish to investigate this subject for the love of wisdom will find the whole process fully described symbolically in 8,the ,secret ,symbols of the ,rosicrucians of the #afth and #agth ,century10#bd a book easily comprehensible if studied by the light of wisdom1 but unintelligible for the carnal mind1 that sees all truths perverted4 ,some explanations have also been attempted in the book entitled 8,in the ,pronaos of the ,temple40#be ,we will only say that there the ,three ,substances appear as the ,three ,beginnings2 the first manifestation of the ,unity as a ,trinity1 and the ,seven ,tattwas as the seven primitive spirits1#bf or 8living breaths0 issuing from the bosom of ,parabrahm4#bg ,the ,universe is the ,macrocosm1 and ,man the ,microcosm1 and as the first great ,cause is the creator of the world and the cause of all evolution1 so is individual man the creator in his own interior and external world1 capable of causing certain superior states in his mind by the power of his will in obedience to the law1 and to create forms by means of his thoughts1 while the condition of his interior state will in time produce corresponding effects and transmutation in his physical body4 ,well will it pay him to devote all his time to this practice of ,alchemy and obtain the pure gold of wisdom from the inferior metals represented by his animal passions4 ,these passions are the capital lent to him by nature to make them into 8silver and gold10 while he lives upon this earth3 they are the steps upon which he can climb up to immortality and find his own true divine ,self4 ,to practise this kind of ,alchemy he will require no books1 no furnaces and no tools2 for he is himself the alembic1 the fire and the substance to be ennobled4 ,there1 in his silent laboratory and with doors closed against all vain and carnal desires and selfish thoughts1 he may mortify his terrestrial nature by gaining the victory of self-control1 so that his higher nature may become liberated from animal bonds by entering into the resurrection from the tomb of ignorance into the light of self-knowledge4 ,to accomplish this he will have to purify his mind and let his soul become animated by the power of the spirit of truth2 that which is inert in him must become sublimated in the fire of divine love1 so as to rise to heaven in the shape of holy aspirations1 while the smoke of sophistry1 dogmatism1 false science and self-righteousness must be permitted to pass out through the chimney1 to return no more4 ,in this way will he be able to find the way of combining symbol with symbol and thus to make it into substantial gold that will last through eternity4 ,the above will be sufficient to give a hint in regard to the character of ,alchemy and its relation to chemistry4 ,between these two aspects there is a third one1 namely1 what may be called 8,astral ,alchemy40 ,the ,alchemy of the ,astral ,plane4--,as the lower ,alchemy requires for its practice the faculties of the physical body1 and the celestial ,alchemy the energy of the spirit having become a power in the body of man3 so the practice of ,alchemy in dealing with that which belongs to the astral plane requires the evolution of consciousness and perception in the astral organism of man2 for in the majority of those who live on the physical plane1 the astral form is as unconscious of its surroundings upon the plane to which it belongs1 and as ignorant of their nature1 as a babe is ignorant of the meanings of things in this world4 ,it is1 however1 not our purpose to enter into this subject1 as this would bring us into the almost inexhaustible realm of spiritism1 hypnotism1 witchcraft and sorcery3 all of which things are superstitions if believed in by those who know nothing about their laws1 but realities for those who know the laws by which such phenomena take place4#bh ,the key to the understanding of these phenomena is in the realization of the truth that the ,universe is a manifestation of power upon the three planes of existence4 ,the spiritual plane has its seven states of existence1 representing self-conscious intelligent powers1 thrones and dominions1 angels and archangels1 all of these being manifestations of the primordial cause called ,god4 ,the physical plane has its seven states of existence1 represented as powers in which consciousness is still latent4 ,in the middle region1 the astral plane1 we also find again seven states of existence in the form of living forces attaining consciousness in the organization of man4 ,there the 8seven planets0 manifest themselves either for good or for evil according to the nature of the person in whom they become manifest4 ,thus1 for instance1 that universal element which is symbolized as symbol will become manifested in man as universal love or as selfishness according to his condition4 ,if symbol rules his symbol he will have self-control2 but if his symbol rules his love1 he will give way to his lusts4 ,if the element of symbol in him rules his symbol1 his intelligence will be of a terrestrial nature belonging to the spirit of the earth2 but if his intelligence is master over his earthly elements1 he will be capable of high aspirations4 ,if the element of symbol rules his symbol1 he will employ his intellect for the purpose of satisfying his greed1 but if symbol is the master of his symbol he will be of a noble character4 ,all this is merely said to hint at the sublimity of alchemical science and call attention to the universal truth2 that every principle1 in whatever plane of existence it may exist1 is not a product of the form in which it develops and manifests itself2 but that the form is the field for its development and manifestation2 in the same sense as the universal sunlight is not a product of the bodies upon which it shines1 but the bodies are instruments for the development and manifestation of the qualities of light4 ,thus the life1 consciousness1 will1 virtue1 passion1 or any other spiritual1 emotional1 or physical state of a man is not the product of his form1 but a manifestation of a universal life principle becoming manifested in him according to the conditions presented by his constitution4 ,life is only one1 manifesting itself in animals as animal life1 in plants as vegetable life1 etc4 ,consciousness is only one1 manifesting itself as true self-consciousness in spiritual beings1 and as instincts in the lower animal kingdom4 ,love is only one and universal1 otherwise it could not manifest everywhere the same qualities2 it does not belong to one individual or one country2 it is born in heaven2 but it becomes manifest upon the earth in men1 animals1 plants and minerals1 under different aspects according to the conditions which it finds4 ,everything is a manifestation of one primordial ,unity revealing itself in a threefold aspect4 ,man himself is nothing more than a manifestation of the universal power that called him into existence and built up his bodily form4 ,he is not his body nor his mind2 but the expression upon a lower plane of a higher individual state of being2 one of the letters that constitute the great alphabet of humanity4 ,being continually deluded by the illusion caused by the apparent isolation of his form and its separation from other forms of existence1 he imagines himself to be something essentially separated from other beings1 and thus he forgets his own universal nature4 ,only when man begins to realise what he himself in reality is1 can he begin to attain real knowledge in regard to three kingdoms of ,nature4 ,the object of science is said to be the recognition of truth1 but it is also self-evident that no true science can exist as long as the truth is not recognised and even rejected2 for nothing less than by the power of truth in man can the truth be known4 ,no man can have self-knowledge of anything which is not within himself4 ,it will be clear that this subject is so vast as to render it impossible1 in a work of this kind1 to do more than merely skim over the surface1 and a thousand things have to remain unsaid which ought to be explained2 but it is not our purpose to enter into the details of the science of the ,astronomy of ,life or the ,chemistry of ,life1 or to discuss at length the highest problems of ,occult ,philosophy4 ,the object of the present work is merely to remove existing misconceptions1 and to throw out seeds1 which1 if they fall upon a fruitful ground1 will grow and bear fruits1 such as ripen not in the outer shell of ,nature1 but within her inner temple1 in the higher regions of thought4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,virtue ,,of ,,the ,,physician4 8,virtue0 means power2 it is said to be derived from vir1 ,man1 and means manly power1 efficacy1 strength4 ,man being somewhat more than a physical body or an animal1 it means a superior1 spiritual1 substantial power1 such as becomes manifested as nobility of character1 purity of heart1 clearness of mind1 strength of will1 firmness of decision1 quickness of perception1 penetration of thought1 benevolence1 kindness1 honesty1 truthfulness1 unselfishness1 modesty4 ,this virtue is something infinitely superior to the common 8virtuosity10 which consists in an outward appearing of being virtuous and pious for fear of exposure and dread of criticism1 and it is also infinitely superior to what is called 8morality0 by the moralists2 a thing praised as the highest attainable object2 but being in fact nothing more than a conforming to certain customs and views4 ,there is not necessarily any self-sacrifice in practising morals1 but it is more often a means for gratifying one's vanity4 ,the word 8moral0 comes from mores1 manners4 ,what is according to the manners and customs in one country1 and therefore regarded as 8moral0 there1 is immoral in another place where different manners exist4 ,a morality without spirituality is of no real value4 ,the same may be said of 8ethics10 derived from thos1 custom1 and which seems to be one of the terms that have been invented for the purpose of creating confusion1 and avoiding calling spiritual things by their right names4 ,the virtue which1 according to ,paracelsus1 is the fourth pillar of the temple of ,medicine1 has nothing to do with shams2 it means the power resulting from being a man in the true sense of this term and being in possession of not merely the theories regarding the treatment of ,disease but of the power to cure them oneself4 ,there are at present thousands of medical practitioners1 whose only merit is and ever will be1 that they have succeeded in passing an examination and obtaining the title ,m4,d42 but the title 8doctor0 means merely an academical degree2 the diploma merely certifies that the examiners believe the student to have fulfilled all that the regulations require1 and although such a title may involve the right to poison and kill without being punished for it1 the conferring of such a degree does not constitute a physician4 ,the true physician as well as the real priest is ordained by ,god4 ,paracelsus says in substance as follows3-- 8,he who can cure disease is a physician4 ,neither emperors nor popes1 neither colleges nor high schools can create physicians4 ,they can confer privileges and cause a person who is not a physician to appear as if he were one2 they can give him permission to kill1 but they cannot give him the power to cure2 they cannot make him a real physician if he has not already been ordained by ,god4 ,the true physician does not brag about his cleverness or praise his medicines or seek to monopolize the right of robbing the patient2 for he knows that the work must praise the master1 and not the master the work4 ,there is a knowledge which is derived from man1 and another knowledge which is derived from ,god through the light of nature4 ,he who has not been born to be a physician will never succeed4 ,a physician should be faithful and charitable4 ,he who loves only himself and his own pocket will be of little benefit to the sick4 ,medicine is much more an art than a science4 ,to know the experience of others is useful to a physician2 but all the learning of books cannot make a man a physician1 unless he is one by nature4 ,medical wisdom is only given by ,god40 7,comp4 8,paragranum10 i4 #d47 ,this virtue which constitutes the true physician cannot be created by colleges1 nor can it be conferred by anyone personally upon himself4 ,no one can confer upon himself a thing which he does not possess1 or without the aid of any higher influence make himself better than that which he is2 because1 as has been explained above1 the power exercised by any form is not the creation of the form1 but an eternal principle1 entering into objective existence in forms and becoming manifested in and through them by its own power4 ,neither truth nor wisdom can be manufactured2 they exist independently of all opinions1 observations1 speculation1 and logic2 they may be hidden from our sight like the sun on a rainy day2 but as the sun is independent of our being aware of his presence1 so the truth exists eternally whether or not it is acknowledged by us4 ,if the whole generation of mankind at present walking this earth should turn into idiots1 the truth would not therefore cease to be1 but would become manifested again as wisdom in a more enlightened age4 ,nothing can rise to heaven but what has descended from it1 we can only by overcoming that which is false render ourselves receptive for that which is true4 ,eckhart says3--8,divine ,wisdom is to ,god what the sunlight is to the sun2 it is one with ,him1 a necessary activity1 a never dying fountain1 having its source in the heart of ,god40 ,this brings us back again to a religious basis 7if we are permitted to use this ill-treated and misunderstood term71 and to the necessity that he who makes it his profession to employ the laws of nature and treat the body of man should know the position which man occupies in nature and the position which nature occupies in regard to the origin from which it originates4 ,this science requires not mere words1 but self-knowledge4 ,wisdom can only be taught by ,wisdom itself2 but a science based upon a recognition of truth disperses the clouds which prevent the light of the truth from entering into the heart and becoming incorporated and manifested in man4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,five ,,causes ,,of ,,disease4 ,if we inquire from modern medical science3 ,what are the causes of diseases8 we shall probably be answered3 #a4 ,age4 #b4 ,heredity4 #c4 ,intermarriage4 #d4 ,sex4 #e4 ,temperament4 #f4 ,climate and locality4 #g4 ,town or country4 #h4 ,hygienic conditions4 #i4 ,occupation4 #aj4 ,air4 #aa4 ,previous disease4 #ab4 ,mental and moral conditions4 #ac4 ,external physical conditions4 #ad4 ,poisons4 #ae4 ,temperature4 #af4 ,diet4 #ag4 ,epidemic disease1 contagion1 malaria1 parasites and growths4#bi ,we will forbear to pass any remarks upon this classification of the causes of diseases1 which merely enumerates certain conditions in which diseases may arise1 and we will pass on to the classification of the causes of diseases given by ,paracelsus2 but as this subject has already received attention in a previously published work on the doctrines of ,paracelsus#cj1 the following is intended merely to supply additional food for thought4 ,paracelsus says3 8,all diseases have a beginning in either of the three substances2#ca ,salt1 ,sulphur1 or ,mercury2 which means that they may take their origin either within the kingdom of matter1 within the realm of the soul1 or in the sphere of the spirit4 ,if body1 soul and mind are in perfect harmony with each other1 no disharmony exists2 but if a cause of discord arises in either one of these three planes1 it communicates itself to the rest40 ,before proceeding further we will inquire about the nature of these three ,substances3 ,,salt symbol1 ,,sulphur symbol1 ,,and ,,mercury symbol1 which may be translated as ,matter1 ,energy and ,intelligence4 ,they are in fact not three essentially different things1 but only three modes of activity of one and the same thing2 for everything is substantial1 each contains a latent or active force1 in each is the potentiality of consciousness1 if it has not already become manifested therein4 ,everything exists1 therefore1 by reason of these 8three substances10 and if we for the sake of forming some idea of their nature look at the world as a manifestation of electricity 7which must necessarily be substantial1 as there could be no force without substance71 we may compare them as follows3 symbol to electric resistance4 symbol to the tension of electromotive force4 symbol to the intensity of the current4 ,no one would ever think of these three measures as being separate entities1 which like 8substance1 energy and intelligence0 are merely three aspects or conceptions of one universal life2 but these distinctions are necessary for the purpose of forming a conception4 8,nothing can be thoroughly known without a knowledge of its beginning4 ,man is placed into three substances1 in each of which he has a beginning2 and each thing has its substance1 its number and measure 7constituting their harmony74 ,from 7the state of7 these three substances originate all causes1 origins1 and also the understanding of diseases4 ,these three substances1 ,sulphur1 ,mercurius1 ,sal1 give to everything its corporeality1 each substance having its own qualities4 ,if these qualities are good 7in harmony with each other7 there will be no disease but if they enter into opposition to each other1 disease 7disharmony7 will be the result4 7,paracelsus1 8,paramirum10 ,lib4 ,i41 #a1 #b1 and #c740 ,within these three kingdoms disorders may arise from either of the following five causes of disease3 #a4 ,from the ,ens astrale2 namely from surrounding conditions in external nature4 #b4 ,from the ,ens veneni2 meaning from poisons and impurities4 #c4 ,from the ,ens natur2 including causes inherited from the parents4 #d4 ,from the ,ens spirituale2 especially those caused by an evil will or morbid imagination4 #e4 ,from the ,ens ,dei2 to which belong the ills arising from evil ,karma acquired during this or a previous incarnation2 in other words1 the result of divine justice4 ,we will now attempt to define the meaning of these five beginnings4 ,i4--,,ens ,,astrale4#cb ,diseases arising from external influences2 whether from physical nature or from deeper causes2 the planet upon which we live being itself an astrum 7star71 having a physical and ethereal body1 a life1 a soul1 a mind and a spirit4 8,the stars on the sky do not form a man4 ,man grows out of two beginnings2 the ,ens seminis 7the male sperm7 and the ,ens virtutis 7the reincarnating spiritual monad74 ,he has therefore two natures1 a corporeal and a spiritual nature1 and either of these two requires its digest 7matrix and nutriment74 ,as the womb of the mother is the world surrounding the child1 from which the ftus receives its nutriment1 so is terrestrial nature from which the terrestrial body of man receives the influences acting in his organism4 ,the ,ens astrale is a thing which we do not see1 but which contains us and everything that lives and has sensation4 ,it is that which contains the air1 and from which and in which live all the elements1 and which we symbolize as ,m 7,mysterium71 78,paramirum10 ,lib4 ,i47 ,this ,ens ,astrorum is therefore evidently the ,aksa1 which forms the basis of all material things in physical nature1 and if the close relation between man's physical nature and the physical nature surrounding him were better known1 it would become more comprehensible how the states of the all-penetrating ether1 changes in temperature1 heat and cold1 electric and magnetic conditions in nature1 come to affect the physical nature of man1 acting internally by inducing corresponding changes in his microcosm1 even if he is protected against the direct action of rain1 storm1 moisture1 cold1 heat1 etc41 etc4 ,a sudden change of conditions in the outside air can affect a patient imprisoned in a room where no such change is perceptible1 and a cloudy day produce a melancholy effect even upon a blind person4 ,there are no end of diseases which for want of a better explanation are attributed to 8catching cold10 etc41 while in fact it is the existence of certain conditions in the all-pervading ether1 which induces similar conditions in the body of the patient4 ,thus1 for instance1 changes of the moon1 or the position of the moon1 or the magnetic currents of the earth1 produce certain effects in certain persons1 even if these persons know nothing about these laws1 for it is a fact well known to the ancients1 but which has almost been lost sight of by modern medicine1 that man1 apart from the order in which his organs are arranged1 is essentially a counterpart of nature1 an image of the world on a smaller scale1 a microcosm within the macrocosm4 ,an atmospheric pressure in outside nature produces an atmospheric pressure in him2 if nature rejoices in the sunlight of spring1 his heart rejoices with it2 if storms rage on the outside1 similar storms may be aroused in him1 etc41 etc4 ,he is1 in fact1 only a laboratory in which the universal forces of nature are performing their work4 ,to this chapter also belong all miasmas and contagious influences1 with all the bacteri1 microbes1 amb1 bacilli1 etc41 etc41 which are the pride of modern discoverers1 but whose characteristics1 if not the forms of their bodies1 were well known to ,paracelsus1 who describes them under the names of ,talpa1 ,matena1 ,tortilleos1 ,permates1 etc4 ,he says3 8,god has caused living creatures to exist in all the elements1 and there is nothing empty of life4 ,that which becomes manifested in the visible kingdom has come into existence by being generated in the upper regions4 ,without such a generation above1 it could not have become manifested below40 78,lib4 ,meteorum10 ,i4 #d47 ,since the modern discovery of the cholera1 tubercle bacilli1 and other micro-organisms spreading contagious diseases1 it has been the opinion of many1 that the presence of such microbes was the only and fundamental cause of such diseases2 but still more recent investigations have shown such that the presence of these microbes does not constitute the whole cause2 for they have been with impunity introduced into the human organism1 and have also been found to exist in persons who had fully recovered from such a disease4 ,this surely shows that there must be an influence causing the microbes to come into existence1 after which they can spread and multiply if the conditions are favourable1 and the fundamental cause of such epidemics is therefore not the presence of the microbes1 this being merely a symptom1 but the influences which cause them to come into existence1 producing states of which the bodies of these organisms are a product and expression and which appears to proceed from causes situated deeper than visible physical nature1 if we do not mistake the form for the 8spirit0 of which the form is the symbol4 8,human science knows how to philosophize about the things that come within its external observation2 but ,wisdom shows what is contained in the ,prima ,materia1 which is a greater and higher knowledge than that of the ,ultima ,materia 7the physical plane740 78,meteorum10 ,i4 #d47 ,this 8higher region10 from which such injurious influences originate1 causing the growth of miasmas and microbes1 is the 8astral plane10 or the soul of the world1 and as the evil states in the soul of the world are caused by the evil states of the human mind1 it becomes comprehensible how epidemic diseases1 pestilence and plague1 no less than wars1 are the ultimate results of disharmonies and depraved spiritual states in the soul of humanity4 ,the greatest truth if seen through a perverted mind appears distorted as a caricature and superstition2 it can be seen in its own light1 only if properly understood4 ,the astral plane is the plane of desires1 emotions1 and passions2 that is to say1 the plane of those influences 7forms of the universal will71 which become manifested as desires1 emotions1 and passions in the animal organism1 and if we were to enter this subject1 it would bring us within the realm of the supersensual but nevertheless actual kingdom of living elemental powers belonging to the soul of the world4 ,if our eyes were opened to the perception of thoughts1 it would be seen how a continual thought-transference is taking place among individual minds1 influencing and determining their actions1 even if they are not aware of it1 causing not only individual moral diseases1 insanities1 obsessions and crimes1 but whole epidemics of such kinds4 ,there is an immense field for investigation for the psychologist2 not for that kind of 8psychologists0 who imagine that insanity is under all circumstances a disturbance of the functions of the brain from physical causes1 but for those who can realise that the functions of the brain may be disturbed by the disordered action of the mind2 for although in many cases of brain disease it is as difficult to determine whether the disorder of the mind or that of the brain existed first1 as it would be to answer the question1 which existed first1 the hen or the egg8 nevertheless a lesion of the tissues of the brain does not take place without a cause1 and this cause in the majority of such cases comes from the sphere of the emotions and thoughts4 ,if there is no mind1 there can be no mental disease4 ,if mind is something 7even if it were1 as some imagine1 the product of the physiological function of the brain71 it must be something substantial1 and being something substantial1 it is able to produce substantial effects2 moreover1 its actions show a certain order and harmony1 which go to prove that mind has an organisation4 ,if this order and harmony be disturbed1 discord1 disease1 insanity will be the result4 ,without the presence of mind nothing would come into existence2 without the consciousness in the ,all1 no brain would be able to manifest consciousness1 and this is what ,paracelsus means when he says3-- 8,whatever exists upon this earth1 also exists in the firmament 7space74 ,god does not make clothes for men1 but he gives them a tailor4 7,forms do not grow by accident2 but they are the ultimate result of the action of the constructive power in nature47 ,the essence of things is hidden in space2 existing invisibly in the firmament1 and impressing itself upon material substances1 when it becomes visible by entering within our sphere of perception40 78,meteorum10 ,i4 #d47 ,thus we have in the ,ens ,astrale a field in which exist the causes of numerous kinds of diseases2 the thorough understanding of which requires a still deeper penetration into the secrets of nature and a higher conception of its constitution than is at present presented by the natural sciences of this day4 ,,ii4--,,ens ,,veneni4 ,diseases originating from poisonous actions and impurities in all three planes of existence4 ,nothing is poisonous or impure if it stands by itself1 only if two things whose natures are incompatible with each other come into contact1 can a poisonous action take place or an impure condition be produced4 8,everything is in itself perfect and good4 ,only when it enters into relation with another thing does relative good and evil come into existence4 ,if anything enters into the constitution of man1 which is not in harmony with its elements1 the one is to the other an impurity1 and can become a poison40 78,paramirum10 ,,ii4 #a47 ,there is no doubt that modern chemistry1 physiology and pathology teach more than ancient science in regard to the chemical constitution1 the physiological action of poisons and of the pathological effects which they produce in the animal body2 but to explain the order in which a process takes place is not sufficient to explain why it takes place1 and there is still a wide field open for investigation2 for at present we can only record the fact that certain physical substances have a destructive action upon the human body2 while the same substances with a little difference in the arrangements of their molecules1 are not only not injurious1 but even used as food2#cc that certain substances have a specific action upon the emotional nature in man1 causing an inclination to certain states of his astral constitution1 such as irritability of temper1 anger1 cupidity1 etc41 which they could not have if no corresponding elements were contained in them2 while others have a specific action upon the mind1 such as the fading of memory1 paralysis of the will1 excitement of the imagination1 all of which they could not accomplish if no substantial mind principle existed in them4 ,to material science the universe is a product of mechanical force created by unconscious matter2 to the idealist it is a dream which has nothing real in it2 but seen with the eye of wisdom it is a manifestation of life1 with the potentiality of consciousness contained in everything4 ,love and hate exist in minerals as they do in men1 only in another state of consciousness1 and a tragedy or comedy might be written in regard to their family history2 describing1 for instance1 how the beautiful ,princess ,sodium fell in love and was married to a fiery youth called ,oxygen1 and how the happy union lasted until one day a jealous knight1 named ,chlorine1 fell in love with her1 and although he himself was married to a flighty woman whose name was ,hydrogenia1 he abducted the princess1 and there was nothing left for poor ,oxygen but to take the deserted woman and turn to water with her4 ,such a story would differ from a similar one enacted in human life only in so far as the actors in the latter would intelligently and consciously follow certain laws which are enacted without individual intelligence in the mineral kingdom4 ,there is only one ,consciousness and one law of ,harmony in the world1 and according to it accords and discords arise in all the three kingdoms of nature4 ,the influence of the light of the truth is a poison to the erroneous conceptions existing within the mind1 and earthly thoughts are impurities to the mind that aspires to the kingdom of heaven4 ,evil desires create evil thoughts and give birth to evil acts2 good acts procreate their species1 giving rise to good thoughts and aspirations1 from which good children are born4 ,the sum of men's individual desires constitutes the desires of the soul of the world2 the sum of the thoughts and opinions of mankind constitutes the mental atmosphere by which the world in general1 and each locality in particular1 is surrounded2 and the state of the mind ultimately expresses itself upon the outward plane of manifestation4 ,it is not more difficult to poison a mind with impure thoughts than to poison a body with drugs4 ,impure is he who has many diverging desires1 pure is the mind having only one will4 ,popular medicine deals only with external effects and physical causes1 occult science goes deeper1 seeking for fundamental causes and final effects1 which are of far greater importance than the passing manifestations taking place in the physical form4 ,thus1 for instance1 a promiscuous sexual intercourse not only causes venereal diseases2 but as during that act a commingling of the inner natures takes place to a certain extent1 a man cohabiting with a depraved woman takes on some of her characteristics and joins to a certain extent her future ,karma and destiny to his own4 ,the basis of the existence of human beings is what1 for want of a better expression1 has been called the ,will 7,spirit or ,life71 and as one body may colour or poison another1 likewise a colouring1 and perhaps poisoning1 takes place by a blending of spirit during sexual intercourse2 this 8spiritual substance0 being the essence of each human being4 8,if a woman leaves her husband1 she is then not free from him1 nor he from her2 for a marital union having once been established1 remains a union for all eternity40 78,de ,homunculis407 ,that which nourishes a thing1 goes to make up its substance4 ,the physical body receives its nutriment from the physical plane1 the soul is nourished by the influences coming from the soul of the world1 the intellect is nourished1 grows and expands in the intellectual plane2 an ill-fed body becomes diseased2 a soul living on morbid desires and inordinate longings becomes depraved1 a mind fed with false theories1 errors and superstitions becomes dwarfed1 perverted and unable to turn its face towards the sunlight of truth4 ,the food for soul and mind is as substantial to them as material food is substantial to the material body2 body1 soul1 and spirit being three states of the eternal ,one1 manifested on three different planes of existence1 being governed by only one fundamental law4 ,what the stomach is in the body1 the memory is in the mind4 ,both are related together2 a dyspeptic stomach causes a defective memory and an irritable mind2 an irritable temperament causes indigestion and forgetfulness2 forgetfulness can cause inattention1 irritability and dyspepsia4 ,soul1 body and mind are one in man1 and disorders existing in one can cause impurities in the other2 each passion in man1 each superstition in which he firmly believes1 is capable of poisoning his body and of producing a certain disease4 ,a belief in salvation made easy renders a man indolent1 indolence causes want of self-control1 which causes want of resistance to injurious influences in the physical plane4 ,repeated physical misfortunes may make a man a coward1 and his cowardliness prevents him from letting go of a doctrine which he intuitively known to be false4 ,anger is not only injurious to bodily health1 but drives away reason by confusing the mind2 wrath causes not only mental but also physical shortsightedness1 and hard-hearing is often the only cause of a suspicious character4 ,thus innumerable comparisons may be drawn and analogies be found1 and cases cited to prove the correctness of this theory1 if our space would permit it1 and if it were necessary to prove by arguments and facts the truth of the unity of the all1 which must be self-evident to everyone taking the trouble to seek for the answer to such questions within himself4 ,but the highest cannot act upon the lowest without an intermediary link connecting them1 the spirit cannot act upon the body without the connecting link of the soul1 nor the soul upon the body except by means of the life4 ,we cannot cook a dish of soup for a starving beggar by means of the fire of love2 but love moves the will and induces actions which the mind directs1 and thus the soup may be cooked after all owing to the power of love or charity4 ,the greatest difficulty in the understanding of occult laws arises from the circumstance that we cannot perceive remote causes or seek to connect them with ultimate effects without being able to see through the intricate network of intermediary causes between the two ends4 ,,iii4--,,ens ,,naturae4 ,diseases which have their origin in certain conditions inherent in the constitution of man4 ,man is a perfect child of nature4 ,there is not a single essence in his constitution which does not exist in nature2 neither is there any substance or power to be found in nature which does not exist in him1 either actually or potentially1 undeveloped or developed4 8,there are many who say that man is a microcosm2 but few understand what this really means4 ,as the world is itself an organism with all its constellations1 so is man a constellation 7organism71 a world in itself1 and as the firmament 7space7 of the world is ruled by no creature1 so the firmament which is within man 7his mind7 is not subject to any other creature4 ,this firmament 7sphere of mind7 in man has its planets and stars 7mental states71 its exaltations1 conjunctions and oppositions 7states of feelings1 thoughts1 emotions1 ideas1 loves and hates71 call them by whatever name you like1 and as all the celestial bodies in space are connected with each other by invisible links1 so are the organs in man not entirely independent of each other1 but depend on each other to a certain extent4 ,his heart is his symbol1 his brain his symbol1 the spleen his symbol1 the liver symbol1 the lungs symbol1 and the kidneys symbol40 78,paramirum10 ,,iii4 #d47 ,man has two kinds of natures4 ,his physical organism is a product of that nature which he received from his terrestrial parents2 his mental organisation is the result of a higher and quite different kind of evolution4 ,his terrestrial nature includes not only his visible organism1 but also the organisation of his astral form and his mental constitution4 8,there are two kinds of flesh4 ,the flesh of ,adam 7the physical body7 is gross earthly flesh2 the flesh that is derived from ,adam is of a subtle kind4 ,it is not made of gross matter1 it penetrates through all walls without requiring doors or holes2 nevertheless both kinds of flesh have their blood and bones1 and both differ again from the spirit40 7,paracelsus1 8,de ,nymphis407 ,man having within himself the same essences and powers1 and there being only one universal law of evolution1 there takes place in him a development similar to1 if not identical with1 the development in eternal and internal nature4 ,accords and discords in his nature can grow and swell into harmonies or disharmonies1 and constitute the whole man a symphony or cacophony1 colouring his whole being and transmitting this to his offspring4 ,a seed of wheat and a seed of barley resemble each other1 and nevertheless wheat grows out of one and barley out of the other4 ,the ovum of a human being shows no essential difference from that of a monkey2 nevertheless out of the one grows a human being and out of the other a monkey4 ,the nature of man is fully expressed in every part of his organism1 and in the sperm of the father is contained not only the quality of this or that part of his nature1 but the potentiality of the whole4#cd ,the quality of the constitution of a man determines the length of his natural life4 8,if a child is born1 its firmament 7astral body and mind1 etc47 is born with it1 containing the seven principles1 of which each has its own potencies and qualities4 ,what is called #8predestination' is only the quality of the powers in man4 ,the weakness or strength of his constitution determines whether his life is to be short or long1 according to natural laws2 the planets in him run their course whether he has a long or a short life1 only in the former case the course of his planets is of a longer1 and in the other case of a shorter duration4 ,the quality of the constitution which a man receives at his birth determines the length of his natural life1 just as the quantity of sand in an hour glass determines the time when it will have run down40 78,paramirum10 ,l4 ,i41 ,tr4 iii41 ,c4 #e47 ,the ,ens ,natur therefore refers to those beginnings in man's constitution which are the result of the quality of his body1 soul and mind as he received them from nature1 and includes all inherited physical diseases1 qualities of temperament and mental peculiarities2 for the earthly part of the mind 7,kma ,manas7 belongs to terrestrial nature and its tendencies are inherited2 while the spiritual part of the mind 7,manas ,buddhi7 is not inherited from the parents1 but belongs to the spiritual man whose parent exists in eternity4#ce ,this class includes all internal diseases originating from disorders arising among the interaction of the physiological functions of the organs of the body1 or of the interaction between these and those of the soul 7the emotions7 and mind 7thoughts74 ,this system of ,paracelsus includes the whole realm of modern physiology and pathology2 but it penetrates deeper1 for it investigates the functions of soul and mind1 and follows the development of an evil desire or thought until it ultimately finds its expression in an external manifestation of visible pathological states4 ,to enter into the details of this field of pathology is not possible within the limits of this book4 ,there is no indication that the sympathies and antipathies1 in other words the physiological relations existing between the different organs in the human body1 are better known at the present time than they were at the time of ,paracelsus3 on the contrary1 he speaks of the currents of the life-principle taking place between these organs1 while modern anatomy speaks only of nerves1 which are in regard to the 8life-fluid0 what electric wires are in regard to electricity4 8,the heart sends its spirit 7will power7 through the whole of the body1 as the sun his power to all the planets and earths2 the symbol 7the intelligence of the brain7 goes to the heart and back again to the brain4 ,the fire 7heat7 takes its origin in the 7chemical7 activity of the organs 7the lungs71 but pervades the whole body4 ,the liquor vit 7essence of life7 is universally distributed and moves 7circulates7 in the body4 ,this #8humor' contains many different powers1 and cause in him #8metals' 7virtues or vices7 of various kinds40 78,paramirum10 ,l4 ,i4 ,tr4 #c47 ,in regard to this subject modern medical science says3-- 8,a wide basis of positive knowledge in regard to this subject does not exist4 ,the physiology of the different departments of the sympathetic system of nerves is now only beginning to shape itself1 while on the side of pathology and morbid anatomy there is even still less of definite knowledge4 ,thus it happens that for the most part only conjectures1 often very insecurely based are current1 or can be said to exist in regard to the dependence of definite sets of symptoms1 or distinct diseases1 upon disordered actions or morbid changes occurring in one or other part of the sympathetic system of nerves40 78,h4 ,charlton ,bastian407 ,both ancient and modern science are right as far as they go2 only while modern science pays all of its attention to the forms 7organs1 nerves1 etc471 which are merely the products of certain principles and powers and the instruments for their activity1 ancient science deals with these powers themselves1 taking only into secondary consideration the visible instruments in and through which they become manifest4 ,modern science1 so to say1 studies the muscular movements of a musician1 occult science knows the art of music itself4 ,material science is the servant mixing the paints for the painter2 the true physician is the artist who knows how to paint4 ,the one studies the tools which the workman uses2 the other sees also the workman himself4 ,these comparisons are not drawn for the purpose of throwing discredit upon modern medical science1 nor for the purpose of blaming any modern physician for not employing powers which he does not possess2 but for the purpose of indicating that a knowledge of physical phenomena and visible forms is not the limit of all attainable knowledge1 and that there exists a higher and more important kind of knowledge1 based upon a higher perception1 such as is attained only through the higher development of the spiritual character of man2 which becomes possible only when earthly presumption and vanity are overcome and when1 by stepping up higher1 he realises the nothingness of the terrestrial illusion of 8self40 ,,iv4--,,ens ,,spirituale4 ,diseases arising from spiritual causes4 8,spirit0--from spiro1 to blow--means breath4 8,breath means a power1 quite distinct from mechanical force1 as being endowed with consciousness1 life and intelligence4 ,in its aspect as an universal power1 it means the breath of ,god which caused the universe to come from a subjective state into objective existence2 in its individual aspect it means the spiritual power dwelling in man4#cf ,spirit is ,consciousness in every plane of existence2 but from this it does not follow that all the forms in which it dwells necessarily manifest self-consciousness or are even conscious of existence4 ,for the manifestation of perfect spiritual self-consciousness a spiritual organism is required1 such as an average man does not possess1 if he has not been reborn in the spirit4 ,in the forms of the mineral kingdom the presence of spirit is perceptible by the manifestations of mineral life1 in the vegetable kingdom by the manifestations of vegetable life1 and in the animal kingdom by those of animal life1 for spirit is itself the basis of life in the physical1 astral1 intellectual and spiritual world2 and as the spirit of the universe is the spiritual breath of ,god1 issuing from the centre and returning to it1 so is the spirit of man the spiritual power which enters into his constitution1 and issues again when the body dies4 8,that is a spirit1 which is born from our thoughts2 immaterial and in the living body4 ,that which is born after our death is the soul40 78,paramirum10 ,l4 ,i41 ,c4 iv41 #b47 8,the spirit is not born from reasoning1 but from the will40 7,ibid4 #c47 8,spirit10 in other words1 is a form of ,will endowed with thought2 a spiritual power1 neither good nor evil in itself2 but which becomes good or evil according to the purpose for which it is employed4 ,its functions are willing1 imagining1 and remembering4 ,a great deal has been written about the power of will and imagination in ,nature1 by means of which the types existing in the memory of the universal mind continually find re-expression in physical visible forms2#cg in this place we have to deal only with the qualities of these three functions1 and the effects which they produce in the body of man4 ,in the previous three divisions of this chapter we have had under our consideration causes of diseases originating in the terrestrial part of the human constitution2 this and the following deals with his spiritual part4 8,there are two subjects in man1 one is a material1 the other a spiritual being 7thought-body71 impalpable1 invisible1 subject to its own diseases 7discords72 one belonging to the material1 the other to the spiritual world1 each having its own states of consciousness1 perception and memory1 its own associations with beings of its kind4 ,nevertheless1 both are one during this life1 and the spirit influences the body2 but not the body the spirit4 ,therefore if the spirit is diseased1 it is of no use to doctor the body2 but if the body is diseased1 it can be cured by administering remedies to the spirit40 7,lib4 8,paramir410 ,i41 iv41 #d and #g47 ,this spiritual part1 or the thought-body of man1 is the vehicle for the reincarnating spirit1 when the spiritual individuality evolves a new personality upon the earth4 ,for the purpose of understanding what is said in the following division of this chapter1 it will be necessary to understand the theory of ,reincarnation1 of which we can only present an outline within the space of this work4 ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky says that which reincarnates is3 8,the ,spiritual thinking ,ego1 the permanent principle in man1 or that which is the seat of the ,manas4 ,it is not ,,atma1 or even ,,atma-,,buddhi1 which is the individual or divine man1 but ,,manas2 for ,atman is the ,universal ,all1 and becomes the ,higher ,self of man only in conjunction with ,,buddhi1 its vehicle1 which links ,,it to the individuality 7or the divine ,man740#ch ,the resurrection of the physical body is a modern superstition in which none of the ancient philosophers or real ,christians ever believed4#ci ,will4 8,will0 comes from willan1 desire2 but is quite distinct from that selfish desire which is the result of the fancies of the brain2 the true will is a strong power which comes from the centre1 the heart1 and in its highest aspect it is that creative power which called the world into existence4 ,all the voluntary and involuntary actions in nature and in the organism of man originate in the action of will1 whether or not we are conscious of it4 8,you do not know a tithe of the real power of the will40 7,paracelsus1 8,paramir410 ,i41 iv41 #h47 ,upon the physical plane the will acts1 so to say1 unconsciously1 carrying out blindly the laws of nature1 causing attractions1 repulsions1 guiding the mechanical1 chemical and physiological functions of the body without man's intelligence taking any part in the process4 ,man is himself a manifestation of will1 and the will 7spirit7 in him can perform many things without depending on the intellectual activity of the brain2 all of which is left unexplained by modern physiology1 although it cannot deny the facts4 ,thus an experienced pianist does not require to determine first which movement he should give to the muscles of his fingers before striking a key2 but he does this instinctively after his spirit has been educated to it4 ,rope-walking1 gymnastic feats and acts of all kinds are the products of a trained will1 and would be impossible without that4 ,they may be superintended by the intellect1 but are not guided by it4 ,its sphere of action is limited to that of the body in which it dwells4 ,in its higher aspect the will is a conscious power1 manifesting itself as emotions1 virtues and vices of various kinds4 ,its sphere of action extends as far as the sphere of the influence of the individual mind4 ,thus the will of a superior person exercises an influence over his inferiors1 a teacher over his pupils1 a general over his army1 a sage over the world4 ,in its highest aspect the will manifests itself as a self-conscious power1 capable of acting far beyond the limits of the corporeal form from which it issues1 constituting1 so to say1 an independent organized spiritual being acting under the guidance of the intelligence of the person from whom it is born4 ,strange as this assertion may appear1 it is nevertheless true1 and the now accepted phenomena of 8hypnotism0 have opened the door to the understanding of such phenomena4#dj ,an investigation into this subject would bring us within the realm of magic1 spiritism1 witchcraft1 sorcery1 etc41 etc41 which does not belong to our present purpose1 and which has been treated in a previous work4#da ,as an evil will is the cause of many diseases1 so is a good will a great remedy for curing them4 ,while two fools hypnotizing each other will produce a mixture of folly1 the magic power of the self-conscious benevolent will of an enlightened physician is able to arouse the confidence and restore health in many cases where all the remedies of the pharmacopia are of no avail1 and the cultivation of this power is therefore of supreme importance1 even more so than a knowledge of all the details in regard to the action of drugs4 ,science and wisdom should be cultivated together1 but not the former at the expense of the latter4 ,imagination4 8,imagination0 means the power of the mind to form images2 from the shadowy images of a dream up to the corporeal and living images formed by the power of an ,adept4 ,this faculty1 which was well known to the ancient sages who were in possession of it1 is almost entirely ignored by popular medical science1 which in spite of its recent discoveries of what is now called 8suggestion10 does not yet seem to suspect the extent of its power4 ,it is a power whose application cannot be taught to those who do not possess it1 and there are very few who have this power developed2 for our present generation is of a pre-eminently adamic 7terrestrial7 and impotent kind2 leading a dream-life1 and being itself composed of dreams1 its imagination is as feeble as a dream4 ,the real power of active and effective imagination belongs to the spiritual inner man1 who in the vast majority of mankind has not yet awakened to life4 ,only when men and women have entered into the true life--in other words1 when the spirit in them will have become self-conscious--will they be able to possess and to exercise spiritual powers1 such as constituted the ,arcana of ,theophrastus ,paracelsus1 on which there has been so much speculation in modern literature and yet so little really known--the stumbling block and fruitful source of error for so many of our modern surface observers4#db ,we do not blame popular medical science for not knowing that which it does not know2 but we believe that the presumption of those who figure temporarily as the representatives of science1 and who dogmatically pronounce useless and absurd everything which they do not possess1 ought not to be encouraged4 ,it is not so very long since recognised science laughed at the rotundity of the earth1 and declared officially that no meteors could fall from the sky 8because there were no stones in heaven20 denounced the belief in 8psychic phenomena0 as being a degrading superstition1 and ridiculed the idea of building steamboats and telegraphs1 etc4 ,these errors originate not from science1 but from stupid ignorance and self-conceit2 they are the result of human infirmities1 which exist now as in times of old1 and can be cured only by the development of a superior power for knowing the truth4 ,memory4 ,the third great power of the spirit manifested in the mind is the power of memory1 which is1 in fact1 the power of man's spirit to visit those places within the sphere of his mind where the impressions of former experiences are preserved1 and thus to bring them again within the field of consciousness4 ,whatever function the physical brain may exercise in using this faculty of the spirit1 the brain is no more the memory than the eye the sight2 it is merely an instrument for perception1 but not the perceiver nor the object of perception1 nor the perception itself4 ,to remember a thing is to see its impression or image in the astral light2 to recollect a thing is to gather together one's own attention at the place where its impression is stored up in the mind1 and the power which enables a person to do so is the relation which exists between the creator and his creatures2 man having formed a thought or idea1 or perceived an image1 is able to recollect it1 because the impression is his creation--having issued from himself1 it is a part of his world4 ,it depends upon the degree of spiritual power of perception in man1 whether he can clearly and vividly see these images in the ,astral ,light1 or whether they appear to him dim1 uncertain and indistinct2 but in the vast majority of men and women in our present generation this power of perceiving does not penetrate deeper nor rise higher than the ,astral ,light1 while the spiritually developed man can penetrate deeper1 and behold the memories of not only his present incarnation1 but also those referring to his previous states of existence4 ,will1 ,imagination and ,memory are the cause of many diseases and such may be caused by one's perverted use of those faculties1 or by being practised upon another4 ,a thought of any kind1 be it wicked or virtuous1 if rendered strong and substantial by the consent of the will1 becomes born in the inner world as an elemental being1 which grows by being cultivated1 so that it may ultimately obsess its own father and produce visible effects upon the physical frame4 ,the imagination of animals produces change in the colour of their offspring1 the imagination of a mother can produce marks upon the child2 the recollection of evil events and keeping such memories constantly in the mind gives rise to melancholy1 ill temper1 and despondency1 anger1 greed1 lust1 avarice1 etc4 ,all forms of evil will produce not only morbid states of the mind1 but also certain definite changes in the physical body2 all of which offer a vast field for a science of psychology in the future4 ,an exposition of such a mental science cannot be attempted within the limited space of this work2 but there already exists a vast amount of literature on this subject ignored by official science4 ,v4--,,ens ,,dei4 ,diseases arising from eternal ,retribution4 ,a definition of the word 8,deus10 ,god1 is an impossibility1 because it refers to a state beyond the conception of the limited mind4 ,eckhart says3--8,a god of whom ,i could conceive would not be a god1 but a limited creature40 ,we can therefore only say1 ,god is the universal will in its highest aspect as divine love2 which is the supreme law and the life of all things4 ,a necessary consequence of the action of divine law is divine justice2 because it would be impossible to imagine how one being could be favoured without doing injustice to another1 and thus depriving the law of universal divine love of its unity and equality4 ,this divine law of justice1 according to which every cause created by a rational being returns with all its effects to its creator1 is called in the ,east the law of ,karma1 and may be translated as the law of ,eternal ,retribution4 ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky says3-- 8,karma is the unerring law which adjusts effect to cause1 on the physical1 mental1 and spiritual planes of being4 ,as no cause remains without its due effect from greatest to least1 from a cosmic disturbance down to the movement of your hand1 and as like produces like1 ,karma is that law which adjusts wisely1 intelligently and equitably each effect to its cause1 tracing the latter back to its producer40#dc ,this law of ,karma is in common parlance called the ,will of ,god2 which means the action of divine justice throughout the universe1 and it is the cause not only of social evils1 distinctions of classes in society1 of the unequal distribution of wealth and comfort1 good luck and misfortune1 but also of defects of character1 mental abnormalities and physical diseases4 ,all diseases in fact are effects of the law of ,karma1 the effects of causes1 which are all based upon one universal ,law2 but this is not to be understood as if it meant 8fatality10 or as if nothing could be done to cure such effects2 for ,karma is also the source of good1 and if the patient finds a physician able to cure him1 it proves that it was his ,karma to find him and that he should be cured by him4 8,all health and all disease comes from ,god1 who also furnishes the remedy4 ,each disease is a purgatory1 and no physician can effect a cure until the time of that purgatory is over4 ,ignorant physicians are the devils of that purgatory2 but a wise physician a redeeming angel and a servant of ,god4 ,the physician is a servant of nature1 and ,god is its ,lord4 ,therefore no physician ever performs a cure unless it is the will of ,god curing the patient through him40 78,paramir410 ,i41 ,c4 iv41 #b and #g47 ,to know the theory of a thing is a science1 to know how to use it successfully is art4#dd ,it was the view of the ancient philosophers1 and it will also be the view of the physician of the future1 that ,medicine is not merely a science but a holy art1 and that a mere science without true goodness and wisdom is without real value4 ,the practice of medicine must be based not merely upon scientific theories in regard to the laws of that part of nature which is its lowest plane of manifestation1 the plane of physical appearances2 but at the bottom of all science must be the recognition of eternal ,truth itself4 ,health and disease in man are not determined by physical laws alone1 such as govern the lowest orders of being2 neither are the laws of ,nature created by ,nature2 but all natural laws are the outcome of spiritual law acting in ,nature1 and in those kingdoms where intelligence plays a part1 where the will begins to become free and individual responsibility takes place1 a more direct action of divine law becomes manifest4 ,although therefore a knowledge of the laws of physical nature is extremely useful and necessary1 the student of medicine should above all cultivate nobility and spirituality of character1 such as is the result of the recognition of the fundamental law of ,divine ,wisdom1 upon which is based all the order and harmony that exists in the world4 ,thus the practice of medicine has for its foundation not a merely technical side1 and is not merely a trade or profession1 which anybody may enter who chooses for the purpose of making a living2 but it requires for its legitimate object the employment of such faculties as are the result of a development of the higher and nobler elements1 the spiritual part in the constitution of man4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,five ,,classes ,,of ,,physicians4 ,there being five causes of disease1 and as each disease ought to be treated with reference to its cause1 there may be distinguished five distinct modes of treatment1 which1 however1 must not be confounded with five different systems such as anyone may choose at his own pleasure1 for each of these modes requires the possession of certain distinct natural qualifications1 of which the higher are at present only rarely to be found4 ,while the science of the lower methods1 such as prescribing drugs1 using hot or cold water1 or applying any other physical forces1 may easily enough be taught to anybody in possession of an ordinary amount of intelligence1 the real art of medicine requires higher gifts and talents1 which cannot be acquired in any other way than according to the law of spiritual evolution1 by the higher development of the inner man4 ,a physician in possession of the powers conveyed by wisdom may also acquire a knowledge of the medical views and technicalities which form the stock in trade of the lower orders of physicians2 but a physician of a lower order cannot practise the art of the higher order without becoming initiated into that order by means of the development of the power required for it4 ,this will make it clear that the quality of the physician himself is of as much importance as the system which he practises1 and ,paracelsus distinguishes five classes of physicians3 the three lower classes seeking for their resources in the material plane2 the two higher classes employing remedies belonging to the supersensual plane2 but he also says that1 owing to the unity of nature1 either one of these classes of physicians may accomplish cures in either one of the five fields1 and that no physician ought to change around from one system to another2 but each ought to stick to that 8sect0 to which he naturally belongs4 ,these five classes of physicians he describes as follows3 #a4 ,naturales2 such as employ physical remedies1 acting as opposites2 which means1 using physical and chemical means1 heat against cold1 etc41 etc4 7,allopaths74 #b4 ,specifici4--,those who employ certain remedies which experience has shown to act as specifica 7,empirics1 ,homopaths74 #c4 ,characterales4--,such as employ the powers of the mind2 acting upon the will and imagination of the patient 7,mental healers1 ,mind cure1 ,mesmerism1 c474 #d4 ,spirituales4--,those who are in possession of spiritual powers1 using the magic power of their own will and thought 7,magic1 ,psychometry1 ,hypnotism1 ,spiritism1 ,sorcery74 #e4 ,fideles4--,those through whom 8miraculous0 works are performed in the power of the true faith 7,adepts74 ,to which of these five 8sects0 or faculties a physician belongs1 he ought to be thoroughly versed and experienced in that department1 having not merely a superficial but a thorough knowledge of it4 8,in whatever faculty one desires to acquire a degree and obtain success1 he should1 besides regarding the soul and the diseased body of the patient1 exert himself to obtain a thorough knowledge of that department1 and be taught more by his own intuition and reason than by what the patient can tell him2 he ought to be able to recognise the cause and origin of the disease which he treats1 and his knowledge ought to be unwavering and not subject to doubts40 78,paramir410 ,i41 ,prolog47 ,there are1 therefore1 in each of these classes three grades to be distinguished1 namely3 7#a7 those who possess the full requirements of their art2 7#b7 those who have attained only mediocrity2 7#c7 dunces1 pretenders and frauds2 to which belong the vast array of licensed and unlicensed quacks1 such as thrive upon the ignorance and credulity of the people and by means of their poisons and drugs 8kill annually more persons than war1 famine and the plague combined40 ,but neither of these five classes of physicians should regard their own system as the only true one1 and reject the others or consider them useless2 for in each is contained the full and perfect power to cure all diseases that come from either of the five causes1 and each will be successful if such is the will of the ,law4 ,i4--,,naturales4 ,to this class belongs the vast army of what is to-day usually termed 8regular practitioners10 meaning those who move in the old ruts of official medical science1 from the more or less progressive physician down to the vendor of drugs4 ,the remedies which they employ belong to the three kingdoms of physical nature1 and according to the elements which they represent1 may be divided as follows3 #a4 ,earth4--,this includes all mineral1 vegetable1 and animal substances that may be required for medical purposes1 drugs1 herbs1 and their preparations1 chemical agents1 c4 #b4 ,water4--,to this belongs the water cure1 hot and cold baths1 and whatever may be connected with it4 #c4 ,air4--,the therapeutic results which can be accomplished by means of inhaling certain gases and vapours are at present comparatively little known1 except in so far as changes of climate are resorted to for such purposes4 ,the employment of such things as pure air1 sunlight1 etc41 is far too simple to find full appreciation of its value by a generation whose mode of thinking is too complicated to enable them to perceive simple truths1 and is therefore considered to belong rather to 8hygiene0 than to 8therapeutics40 #d4 ,fire4--,to the agents belonging to this class may be counted any kind of energy1 heat and cold1 sunlight and the actions of its variously coloured rays1#de physical electricity1 mineral magnetism1 etc41 all of which have thus far received very little attention from modern medicine2 while the ancients employed such remedies for the cure of many diseases4#df #e4 ,ether4--,the one element and its action is thus far hardly theoretically admitted by modern science and practically almost unknown4 ,only very recently a great step of progress in this direction has been made by the discovery of the therapeutic action of the solar ether1 and by the employment of an apparatus for the employment of its radiations4#dg ,but the sphere of activity for the natural physician is not limited to the extent of the merely physical plane4 ,if he goes a step higher he may employ not only the products of life1 but the activity of life itself1 in a higher form4#dh ,the sources from which he receives the physical remedies are the physical products of nature2 the sources from which he draws living powers are living organisms4 ,to this department belongs the employment of 8animal magnetism20 the transfer of life 7,mumia72 the transplantation of diseases#di and similar things thoroughly described by ,paracelsus1 ,cornelius ,agrippa and others1 but which for our present official medical science do not exist4 ,even those who employ only gross material principles also employ1 without being conscious of it1 the higher principles contained therein2 for every physical substance1 to whatever kingdom in nature it may belong1 is an expression of not only one of the four elements1 but of all four1 and contains all the higher principles4 ,thus1 for instance1 it has been shown that the action of certain drugs corresponds to that of the colours which they exhibit in the solar-spectrum2#ej each state of matter also corresponds to a certain state of electric tension2 each particle of food proves the presence of the life principle in it by being nutritious2 each poisonous drug acting upon the mind1 shows thereby that the mind principle therein is in a high state of activity4 ,there is no 8dead matter0 in the universe2 each thing is a representation of a state of consciousness in nature1 even if its state of consciousness differs from ours1 and is therefore beyond the reach of our recognition2 everything is a manifestation of 8,mind10 even if does not exhibit any intelligent functions1 or what we are capable of recognising as such4 ,for the comprehension of these things1 the position adopted by modern natural science is altogether insufficient1 and such a philosophical knowledge is required as shall constitute the first pillar in the temple of medicine4 ,there is a vast field still unexplored by modern medical science1 and if things which were known to the ancients are not known at present1 it is not because such sciences have never existed1 but because they have ceased to be understood owing to the materialising tendency of this age4 ,,ii4--,,specifici4 ,to this class belong all physicians who under certain circumstances employ certain remedies1 of which they know from experience that under similar circumstances similar remedies have proved successful4 ,this system may therefore be called 8,empiricism10 and it constitutes the greatest part of modern therapeutics2 for what little is known to-day of the physiological and therapeutic actions of medicine on the whole the result of observation1 and not of a knowledge of the fundamental laws of nature which cause medicines to act as they do4 ,heat is a specific remedy for cold1 and moisture for dryness2 but even the very opposite remedies often have the same specific effect4 ,thus1 for instance1 the pain caused by an inflammation1 and the inflammation itself1 may be cured by cold as well as by hot applications to the inflamed part2 for in one case the walls of the blood vessels contract1 diminishing the quantity of the blood rushing to them1 while in the other case these vessels dilate1 rendering the rush of blood painless and easy4 ,the specific action of chemicals is due to their chemical affinities 7harmonies74 ,thus the invigorating action resulting from the inhalation of fresh air is caused by the affinity which ,oxygen has for the ,carbon in the blood1 and by the life principle of the air upon the life principle in the body4 ,thus the tubercle-bacilli in the lungs may be destroyed by the specific action of certain gases1 which1 inhaled1 form certain chemical compounds with certain elements contained in these micro-organisms1 and thereby cause their destruction4#ea ,everything in the universe takes place for a certain reason and has a certain specific action depending on certain conditions4 ,if we know the laws and conditions1 experience becomes a science2 but where our science is blind1 experience can be our guide4 ,like knows like4 ,the physical senses only recognise physical things2 but all visible things are an expression of soul1 and what can we know about the ,soul of ,things1 if we do not know that soul which is our own8 ,there can be no motion1 where there is no emotion to produce it1 either directly or indirectly4 ,all motions are manifestations of energy2 energy is a manifestation of consciousness2 consciousness is a state of the mind2 mind is a vehicle for the manifestation of spirit2 spirit is the 8,breath0 by which the world was created4 ,if the colours of the ,tattwas and their nature were studied1 a new field for medical science would open4 ,it would become possible to explain why a raving maniac kept in a room of blue light will become quieted1 and a melancholy person improve in a room filled with red or yellow rags2 why a steer will become excited at the sight of red1 and a mob infuriated by the sight of blood4 ,where the laws in consequence of which certain effects occur are unknown1 we can only register the facts4 ,if we recognise a truth by experience we can make use of it1 leaving it to sceptical science to arrive at its recognition by hobbling along on its crutches of external observation and inference4 ,these inferences are often drawn from wrong premises2 effects mistaken for causes2 drugs administered where the sources of the diseases exist in moral and mental conditions upon which drugs have no effect1 etc41 etc4 ,the application of specific remedies therefore requires not merely a knowledge that this or that remedy has effected such and such cures1 but also a knowledge of the circumstances in which it will produce such effects again4 ,the real ,arcanum is the understanding of the relation existing between cause and effect4 ,to those shortsighted practitioners who behold in every disease nothing but the manifestation of a purely physical or chemical cause1 and to whom 8mind10 8soul0 and 8spirit0 are terms without meaning or merely physiological functions of unconscious matter1 the ,arcana of such cures will ever remain unknowable mysteries2 for they can be known only to those who understand the organization of the inner nature of man4 ,the phenomena caused by life are incomprehensible as long as life is regarded as a product of forms without life2 but he who is able to see in every living thing a manifestation of the ,one ,life pervading all nature1 a function of universal will1 has already entered the precincts of that higher science1 which cannot be explained by words1 if it is not known to the heart4 ,,iii4--,,characterales4 ,a physician of this class is the one whose very presence inspires the patient with confidence in recovery4 ,consciously or unconsciously such a physician acts upon the two great motive powers in the constitution of the patient1 namely his will and his imagination4 ,he who can restore tranquillity of the soul by creating confidence1 creates the condition required for the cure of the disturbance of the elements producing discord4 ,all the processes taking place in the physical body originate in the unconscious or conscious action of the will and the imagination1 to which must be added the power of memory2 for the existence of former impressions either consciously or unconsciously produces certain states in the imagination1 which again determine the direction of will4 ,the average physician often employs these powers unknowingly2 a physician of the higher class can employ them intelligently4 ,a sudden strong emotion may in a moment cure a paralytic affection of long standing1 a sudden danger arouse the unconscious will4 ,perhaps in the majority of cases it is not that which the patient takes but that which he imagines that it will cure him1 which effects the cure1 and without this power of the imagination very few medicines would produce any beneficial results4 ,to this department belong so-called 8hypnotism0 and 8suggestion10 two old things described under new names4 ,paracelsus says of this action of the spiritual will3 8,it is as if one orders another to run and he runs4 ,this takes place by means of the word and through the power of the word2 the word being the character40 78,paramir410 ,prolog4 ,,iii47 ,so-called 8hypnotism0 is the overcoming of a weak will by a stronger one4 ,the superior will of the physician overcomes the will of the patient and forces it to act in a certain direction4 ,it is an art which is practised continually and constantly by one half of mankind on the other half1 from the will power of a general commanding his army down to the unconscious influence unknowingly exercised by one mind over another1 without the subject being aware of its source4 ,evil thoughts originating in one person create corresponding impulses in others1 and if the unconscious action of will and the relations which it causes among sympathetic minds were truly known1 human freewill and responsibility would perhaps appear in a different light4 ,similar to that is what has been called 8suggestion10 which ,paracelsus calls the virtue of the imagination4 ,it is the imagination of one mind overpowering the mind of another and creating therein a corresponding imagination1 which is perfectly real to the patient1 because it is in reality his own creation produced unconsciously by himself4 8,the visible man has his laboratory 7the physical body71 and the invisible man is working therein4 ,the sun has his rays1 which cannot be grasped with the hands1 which are nevertheless strong enough to set houses on fire 7if gathered by a lens74 ,imagination in man is like a sun1 it acts within his world wherever it may shine4 ,man is that which he thinks4 ,if he thinks fire1 he is all on fire2 if he thinks war1 he is warring2 by the power of thought alone the imagination becomes a sun40 78,de virtute imaginativa10 ,v47 ,the imagination becomes strong through the will and the will becomes powerful through imagination4 ,either of these two is the life of the other1 and if they become one and identical1 they constitute a living spirit to which nothing inferior offers resistance4 ,in the ignorant and doubtful1 in those who do not know their own mind and doubt the result of success1 consequently in the majority of experiments carried on for the purpose of gratifying a scientific curiosity or for some other selfish purpose1 the will and imagination are not one1 but act in two different directions4 ,if we look with one eye to heaven and with the other to the earth1 or with one to the restoration of the patient's health and with the other to the profits knowledge or renown we may receive from it ourselves1 there is no unity of motive or purpose1 and consequently a lack of the principal condition for success4 ,a physician desirous of employing such means should therefore be of such a nobility of character as to be above all selfish considerations1 and only intent upon doing his duty according to the commands of divine love4 ,only that which comes from the heart goes to the heart2 the power that comes from the brain alone has no magic effects unless it becomes united with that which comes from the heart4 ,it resembles the cold and ineffective moonlight1 but it becomes a strong power by its union with the sunshine that radiates from the centre of the heart4 8,thus the imagination becomes a spirit1 and its vehicle is the body1 and in this body are generated the seeds which bear good and evil fruits40 78,de virtute imaginativa10 ,,iii47 ,,iv4--,,spirituales4 ,up to this class we have had to deal with forces which are1 even if not fully recognized1 at least admitted by modern science2 but now we are going to speak of the action of a spiritual power1 which1 being in the conscious possession of only a few persons1 is almost entirely unknown4 ,this is the power which the self-conscious spirit exercises over the unintelligent forces in nature1 and which comes under the head of 8,magic10 a term whose meaning is understood only by few4 8,magic0--from mag1 priest--means the great power of wisdom1 an attribute of the self-conscious spirit1 holy or devilish according to the purpose to which it is applied4 ,it is therefore a power which does not belong to the terrestrial intellectual man2 but to the spiritual man1 and it may even be exercised by the latter without the external man being aware of the source of this power acting in him4 ,for this reason we often see that some remedy proves very efficacious in the hands of one physician and entirely useless in the hands of another equally learned and intellectual4 ,paracelsus says3 8,such physicians are called spirituales1 because they command the spirits of herbs and roots1 and force them to release the sick whom they have imprisoned4 ,thus if a judge puts a prisoner in the stocks1 the judge is his physician4 ,having the keys1 he may open the locks when he chooses4 ,to this class of physicians belonged ,hippocrates and others40 78,paramir410 ,prolog4 ,,iii47 ,such an assertion appears to be incredible only as long as nothing is known about the constitution of matter2 but if we call occult science to our aid and realise that all things in the world constitute certain states of one universal consciousness1 and that the foundation of all existence is ,spirit1 it not only becomes comprehensible1 but even self-evident1 that the self-conscious spirit of a person can move and control the products of nature's imagination according to its own action in them1 and we may truly say that in such cases it is the spirit of the physician acting by means of the spirit of the remedies which he employs1 and herein is the solution of the secret of the wonderful cures of leprosy1 etc41 effected by ,theophrastus ,paracelsus1 which have been historically proved1 but which are unintelligible if examined from the point of view of material science4 ,an investigation into this subject would take us within the realm of white and black magic1 witchcraft and sorcery1 which have received attention already on a previous occasion1#eb and whose further elucidation would be premature and altogether impossible within the limited space of this work4 ,v4--,,fideles4 ,the word 8fidelity0--from fido1 to trust--means faith1 confidence1 conviction arising from the perception of truth2 knowledge1 such as results from experience1 and the class of physicians here referred to1 includes those who1 remaining true to their own divine nature1 are in possession of divine powers1 such as have been attributed to ,christ1 the apostles and saints4 8,they restore health by the power of faith2 for he who believes in truth becomes healed by its own power40 78,paramir410 ,i41 ,prol4 #c47 ,so-called 8faith0 is in most cases illusive1 and consists merely in an accepted or pretended belief in the correctness of certain opinions or theories4 ,the true faith of the spiritual man is a living spiritual and divine power1 resulting from the certitude of the spiritual perception of the eternal law of cause and effect4 ,as we most certainly are convinced that day follows upon the night1 and night after day1 so the ,adept-physician1 knowing the spiritual1 moral and physical causes of diseases1 and appreciating the flow of their evolution and progress1 knows the effects created by such causes1 and controls the means for their cure4 ,no one can destroy effects caused by the law of divine justice4 ,if he hinders the manifestation of divine law in one way1 it will manifest itself in another way1 such is the action of divine law in nature2 but he who lives in the truth and in whom divine truth becomes manifest1 is thereby raised superior to nature1 for he enters into that from which nature took its origin4 ,this uplifting and all-saving power is the true faith in man which can cure all diseases4 8,there is neither good nor bad luck2 but every effect is due to a cause4 ,each one receives his reward according to the way he walks and acts4 ,god has made all men out of only one substance1 and given to all the same power to live1 and all human beings are therefore equals in ,god4 ,the sun and the rain1 winter and summer1 are the same for everybody2 but not everybody looks at the sun with the same eyes4 ,god loves all mankind alike2 but not all men love ,god with the same kind of love4 ,each of ,god's children has the same inheritance2 but one squanders1 while another preserves it4 ,that which ,god has made equal is rendered unequal by the actions of men4 ,each man taking his cross upon himself finds therein his reward4 ,every misfortune is a fortune1 because divine goodness gives to everyone that which he most needs for his future development2 the suffering begins only when discontent1 the result of the non-recognition of eternal law1 steps in4 ,the greater the obstacle to combat1 the greater will be the victory40 78,philosophia10 ,v47 ,the art of medicine has not been instituted for the purpose of defying the laws of ,god2 but for the purpose of aiding in the restoration of the harmony1 whose disturbance caused disease1 and this restoration takes place through obedience to the law4 ,there is no more a 8forgiveness of the sin of disease0 than there is a forgiveness of moral sins4 ,the cure takes place by means of a re-entering into harmony with the laws of nature1 which after all are the laws of ,god manifested in the natural realm4 ,neither is the health restored or sins pardoned for the purpose that man with lessened fear of punishment may go and sin again2 but after the effects of the discords are overcome1 he obtains again the power to sin1 so that he may have a fresh opportunity for overcoming temptation and thus attain mastery over himself during his life upon this earth4 ,he who is master over himself is his own law and not subject to any disharmony1 and it is this which ,paracelsus expressed in his favourite motto3 8,non sit alterius qui suus esse potest10 which may be translated1 8,he who is master over himself belongs to nothing else but himself03 for that ,self which conquers 8self0 is ,god1 the ,will of ,divine ,wisdom1 the ,lord over ,all4 ,,vi4 ,,the ,,medicine ,,of ,,the ,,future4 ,there is no doubt that the average physician of the present age occupies on the whole a much higher position than was occupied by the average physician of the last centuries when the wisdom of the ancients had become a forgotten truth1 and modern science was in its infancy4 ,although there were even during the middle ages physicians of deep insight1 and in possession of a profound knowledge of the mysteries of ,nature1 such as the modern profession may acquire again by slow growth within the next centuries1 the popular medicine of these times was a mixture of ignorance and quackery1 the remnants of which are still to be found in our days4 ,of this class of the physicians of those times ,paracelsus says3-- 8,there are a great many among them who have no other object but to satisfy their greed1 so that one has to be ashamed to belong to a profession in which so much swindling takes place4 ,they speculate on the ignorance of the people1 and he who succeeds in amassing the greatest amount of money by robbing them is looked upon as the leading physician4 ,mutual love and charity is entirely out of fashion1 and the practice of medicine is degraded to the standard of a common trade1 in which the only object is to take as much money as one can obtain1 and those who have the gift of the gab1 and clamour the loudest1 succeed best in cheating mankind2 for as long as the world is filled with fools1 the biggest fool will necessarily be the ruler1 if he only succeeds in making himself conspicuous40 78,defensio10 ,v47 ,the science of medicine is not to blame for the existence of such a state of things2 but it is one of the attributes of human animal nature1 and we leave it to the intelligent observer to judge whether this nature has changed a great deal since the time of ,paracelsus1 or whether there is still an army of quacks1 legalized or illegal1 who have written the motto 8,mundus vult decipi1 ergo decipiatur0 upon their flag4 ,official science has undoubtedly progressed during this century1 but merely intellectual acquisitions do not necessarily make a man wiser2 the greatest scoundrels have been men of great intellectuality without spirituality4 ,wisdom consists in the self-recognition of truth1 and there are many who are 8ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth40#ec ,this spiritual knowledge does not belong to the faculties of men's lower intellectual nature1 but to his higher nature alone2 and it is therefore of paramount importance that the development of that higher nature should receive more attention than it is receiving at present4 ,a mere improvement in morals or ethics is quite insufficient for that purpose4 ,morality is the outcome of reasoning2 ,spirituality is the superior power due to the manifestation of self-consciousness on a higher plane of existence1 the illumination of the mind and body of man by the power and light of the spirit filling the soul4 ,when spirituality becomes substantiality in man1 then only will his knowledge be of a substantial kind4 ,this spiritual substantiality1 or1 in other words1 the realization of the highest ideal1 is the work of the gradual evolution of mankind2 which1 as has been said by the ancient alchemists1 8may require for its accomplishment thousands of ages2 but which can also be accomplished in a moment of time40 ,it is not a product of man's labour1 but of the descent of the light of divine truth1 the 8grace of ,god0 which will come to everyone whenever he is ready to receive it4 ,it is therefore not dependent on anyone's willing or running1#ed but on the action of the spirit of the true divine ,self1 which is ever striving to become manifest in man4 ,this interior development is not the consequence of the acquisition of any new theories in regard to the nature of the constitution of man2 but takes place through the overcoming of the lower elements in his nature1 by means of which his higher nature can become manifest4 ,but in order to induce and enable him to employ his powers intelligently for the purpose of conquering his lower nature1 he should learn to know theoretically his own constitution and the nature of the higher powers in him4 ,these are the elements of that higher science which the physician of the future will have to learn1 first theoretically and afterwards in their practical application4 ,without a spiritual recognition of the fundamental principles of ,nature1 a seeking from a superficial point of view for a discovery of the mysteries of being is like an unfruitful wandering in a fog4 ,it resembles a search from the periphery of a sphere of unknown extent for a centre whose locality is unknown2 while if we have once a correct conception of the situation of that shining centre1 its light will act as a guiding star in our wanderings through the fogs which pervade the realm of phenomena4 ,science comes from man2 wisdom belongs to ,god4 ,of sciences there are many2 wisdom is only one4 ,the sciences should be cultivated1 but wisdom not be neglected1 for without wisdom no true science can exist4 8,nothing 7real7 is of ourselves2 we do not belong to ourselves1 but we belong to ,god4 ,therefore we must try to find in ourselves that which is of ,god4 ,it is his and not ours4 ,he has made a body for us1 and given us life and wisdom in addition to it1 and from these come all things4 ,we should learn to know the object of our existence1 and the reason why man has a soul1 and what is the will of ,god that he should do4 ,a study of 7terrestrial7 man will never reveal the secret and object of his existence1 and the reason why he is in the world2 but if we once know his creator1 we shall also know the qualities of his child2 for he who knows the father knows also the son1 because the son inherits the 7nature of7 the father4 ,each man has the same amount of truth given to him by ,god2 but not everyone recognises that which he has received4 ,he who sleeps knows nothing2 he who lives an idle life does not know the power which is in him1 and wastes his time4 ,man is so great and noble that he bears the image of ,god1 and is an heir to the kingdom of ,god4 ,god is supreme truth1 and the devil is supreme falsehood4 ,falsehood cannot know truth4 ,therefore if man wants to come into possession of truth1 he must know the wisdom which he has received from ,god4 ,cleverness belongs to the animal nature1 and in regard to many scientific acquisitions animals are superior to man2 but the understanding is an awakening which cannot be taught by man4 ,that which one person learns from another is nothing unless there is an awakening4 ,a teacher can put no knowledge into his pupil1 he can only aid in the awakening of the knowledge which is already in him40 78,de ,fundamento ,sapienti10 ,i47 ,wisdom is the recognition of ,god4 ,god is the truth1 the knowledge of one's own true self is divine wisdom4 ,he who knows his true self knows the divine powers belonging to his ,god4 8,god is ,wisdom4 ,he is not a sage or an artist1 he is for himself 7absolute71 but all wisdom and art is born from him2 if we know ,god1 we also know his wisdom and art4 ,in ,god all is one and no pieces4 ,he is the unity1 the one in everything4 ,a science dealing only with a piece of the whole1 and losing sight of the whole to which it belongs1 is abortive and not in possession of truth4 ,he who sees in ,god nothing but truth and justness sees rightly4 ,all wisdom belongs to ,god2 that which is not of ,god is a bastard4 ,therefore the kingdoms of this world fall to pieces1 scientific systems change1 man-made laws perish1 but the recognition of eternal truth is eternal4 ,he who is not a bastard of wisdom1 but a true son of the father1 is in possession of wisdom4 ,this wisdom is that we live in regard to each other as the angels live1 and if we live like the angels they will become our own self1 so that nothing divides us from them but the physical form1 and as all wisdom and art is with the angels1 so it will be with us4 ,the angels are the powers through which the will of ,god is executed4 ,if the will of ,god is executed through us1 we shall be his angels ourselves4 ,the will of ,god cannot be performed through us unless we are ourselves after the will of ,god4 ,a fool or a dunce or a greedy person is not after the will of ,god2 how could that will be executed through him8 ,it is of little use to believe that ,solomon was wise1 if we are not wise ourselves4 ,we are not born for the purpose of living in ignorance1 but that we should be like the father1 and that the father may recognise himself in the son4 ,we are to be lords over nature1 and not nature be lord over us4 ,this is spoken of the angelic man 7,buddhi7 in whom we shall live and through whom we shall see that all our doing and leaving undone1 all our wisdom and art is of ,god40 78,de ,fundamento ,sapienti10 ,,ii47 ,all this1 however1 will be incomprehensible and be condemned as nonsense by what ,paracelsus justly calls the 8scientific fool10 because the wisdom of which he speaks is not the intellect of the terrestrial1 but the understanding of the celestial mind4 ,it is that rare power of spiritual self-knowledge which cannot be taught in words1 but which is the result of an interior unfolding of the faculties of the soul4 ,the true physician is not made by schools of learning2 he becomes one through the light of divine wisdom itself4 8,man has two understandings2 the angelic and the animal power of reason4 ,angelic understanding is eternal2 it is of ,god and remains in ,god4 ,the animal intellect also originates from ,god and within ourselves2 but it is not eternal2 for the animal body dies and its reason dies with it4 ,no animal faculty remains after death2 but death is only a dying of that which is animal and not of that which is eternal40 78,de ,fundamento ,sapienti10 ,,ii47 ,the term 8wisdom0 comes from vid1 to see1 and dm1 a judgment2 it therefore refers to that which is seen and understood1 but not to opinions or theories derived from inference1 or based on the assertion of others4 ,it is not the product of observation and speculation1 memory or calculation1 but is the result of interior growth1 and all growth comes from nourishment4 ,as the intellect is enlarged by intellectual acquirements1 so divine wisdom in man grows by absorbing the nutriment which it receives from the light of ,divine ,wisdom4 8,everything is of the nature of that from which it is born4 ,the animal in man is nourished by animal food1 the angel in him by the food of the angels4 ,the animal spirit belongs to the animal mind1 and in the animal mind of man are contained all the potentialities which are separately possessed by the different classes of animals4 ,you may develop in a man the character of a dog1 a monkey1 a snake1 or of any other animal2 for man in his animal nature is nothing more than an animal and the animals are his teachers and surpass him in many ways2 the birds in singing1 the fish in swimming1 etc4 ,he who knows many animal arts is for all that not more than an animal or a menagerie of different animals2 his virtues1 no less than his vices1 belong to his animal nature4 ,whether he possesses the fidelity of a dog1 the matrimonial affection of a dove1 the mildness of a sheep1 the cleverness of a fox1 the skill of a beaver1 the brutality of an ox1 the voracity of a bear1 the greed of a wolf1 etc41 all this belongs to his animal nature2 but there is a higher nature of an angelic character in him1 such as the animals do not possess1 and this angelic being requires that nutriment which comes from above and corresponds to its nature4 ,from the hidden animal spirit in nature grows the animal intellect2 from the mysterious action of the angelic spirit grows the super-terrestrial man2 for man has a father who is eternal and for him he shall live4 ,this father has placed him in an animal body1 not that he should only dwell and remain therein1 but that he should by living in it overcome it40 78,de ,fundam4 ,sap410 ,,iii47 ,the animal mind1 filled with self-conceit and pride in its evanescent possessions1 is entirely incapable of conceiving the nature of the angelic mind1 or of forming an idea of the extent of its powers2 neither can it grasp the true meaning of a language that deals with the things that belong to that higher nature and believes it to be but delusions and dreams4 8,the vanity of the learned does not come from heaven1 but they learn it from each other and upon this basis they build their church40 78,de ,fund4 ,sap40 ,fragm47 8,faith without works is dead10 and as we are speaking of spiritual things1 the 8work0 which the true faith requires is of a spiritual character1 meaning spiritual action1 growth and development4 ,a faith without substantiality is merely a dream2 a science without true knowledge is an illusion2 a merely sentimental desire without any active exercise for the attainment of truth is useless4 ,a person living in such dreams and fancies about ideals which he never attempts to realise1 dreams only of treasures which he does not possess4 ,he is like a person wasting his life in studying the map of a country in which he might travel1 but never making a start4 ,a merely ideal religion1 which is never realized and does not substantially nourish the soul1 is only imaginary and serves but to amuse2 a science which is not practically employed remains an unfruitful theory1 serving at best for the gratification of animal curiosity4 ,the work which ,faith requires is a continual ,self-,sacrifice1 which means a continual striving to overcome the animal and selfish nature1 and this victory of the high over the low is not accomplished by that which is low1 but can only take place through the power of divine ,love1 which means the recognition of the higher nature in man and its practical application in daily life4 ,this is the kind of love of which the great mystic of the #agth century1 ,john ,scheffler1 speaks when he says3 8,faith without love aye makes the greatest roar and din1 ,the cask sounds loudest when there is nought within40 ,without this practical application all virtues are only dreams and cannot grow into substantial powers1 nor be employed as such4 ,shakespeare says3 8,it is a good divine that follows his own instructions40--8,merchant of ,venice40 but such characters are at the present time very rare1 for the world now lives only in dreams4 8,there are 8divines0 knowing nothing of any divinity2 medical practitioners knowing nothing about medicine2 8anthropologists0 knowing nothing about the nature of man2 lawyers knowing nothing of justice2 8humanitarians0 beggaring their employees2 8christians0 to whom ,christ is unknown4 ,in every sphere of life the external is mistaken for the internal1 the illusion for the reality1 while the reality remains unrealized and therefore unknown4 ,a superficial science can concern itself only with superficial causes and effects1 however deeply it may enter into the details of such superficialities4 ,the mysterious powers in nature1 the intelligent forces in man1 are at present almost entirely unknown1 and there is no other way of penetrating into the deeper secrets of nature except by the development of the higher nature of man4 ,in ancient times the physician was considered sacred and belonged to the priesthood1 not to a priesthood appointed only by man1 but to a strong and real priesthood anointed by ,god4 ,the physician of the future will be again a king and a priest2 for only he who is not merely nominally but truly divine can be in possession of divine powers4 ,in him the triangular pyramid consisting of science1 religion and art will culminate in one point1 called ,self-knowledge or ,divine ,wisdom1 where man himself becomes identified with that superior light and intelligence--his true self--of whose ray his personality is a vehicle1 image and symbol4 ,there is a long and weary road to be travelled yet before mankind will arrive at this summit of perfection1 and the goal is so far away that only few are able to see it1 while to many it will be an apparently unrealisable ideal1 and1 like a mountain peak lost in the clouds1 inconceivable2 but the ideal exists and the clouds that hinder us from seeing it are our own errors and misconceptions2 it remains with ourselves to clear them away4 ,we ourselves1 by the power of so much of the perception of truth as we have already received and which has become our own1 have it within our reach to overcome the darkness and open our minds to the influence of the light4 ,but the light itself we cannot create or manufacture2 it is not the product of our calculations1 influences and theories4 ,the truth is self-existent1 eternal2 it may be perceived1 but it cannot be made4 ,the reason why so few can realise the meaning of the term 8self-knowledge10 is that the knowledge obtained in our schools is exclusively of an artificial kind4 ,we read that which other men have believed and known and we imagine we know it4 ,we fill our minds with the thoughts of others and find little time to think for ourselves4 ,we seek to arrive at a conviction of the existence of this or that object by means of arguments and inferences1 while we refuse to open our eyes and to see ourselves the very thing about whose existence we argue4 ,thus from a theosophical point of view we should appear to a higher being like a nation of people with closed eyes arguing about the existence of the sun and unable or unwilling to look at it for ourselves4 ,there is only one way to arrive at real self-knowledge1 and this is ,experience4 ,by external experience we attain knowledge of external circumstances2 by experiencing internal powers we attain internal knowledge of them4 ,to know in reality means to be4 ,by becoming material we learn the laws ruling in matter2 by becoming spiritual we learn the laws of the spirit2 our will is free to guide us in either direction4 ,we cannot know truth in any other way than by becoming true1 nor wisdom except by becoming wise4 ,we can know any external or internal power1 be it heat or light1 love or justice1 only by the effects which we experience from its action upon or within our own self4 ,man's life in his present condition resembles a dream1 and the dreams of humanity as a whole1 no less than those of the individual1 repeat themselves over and over again4 ,they come and go and come again1 appearing perhaps in changed forms1 like clouds floating upon the sky and assuming different shapes1 but representing the old1 ever-returning illusions4 ,while above them1 unseen and unknown1 shines the sunlight of eternal1 unchanging truth1 whose presence may be felt like the warm rays of the sun penetrating the clouds1 but which to be known requires to be seen4 ,the temple of nature is open to everyone who is able to enter2 its light is free to everyone who is able to see2 everything is a manifestation of truth1 but it requires the presence of truth in ourselves to enable us to perceive it4 ,that which hinders us from entering the temple of nature1 from seeing the light and perceiving the truth1 are the shadows which we ourselves have created4 ,the real object of the lights kindled by science is not to reveal the truth--which requires no artificial light to be seen1 and whose own light is quite sufficient for that purpose--but to destroy the fogs which hinder us from seeing the truth4 ,no one would think of examining the sun by the light of a candle2 but the candle-light may guide us through the dark passages of the labyrinth of matter to the door which opens upon the surface1 where after the daylight is seen1 artificial help is no longer required4 ,but as in seeking our way through a tunnel the best guide is the light that shines from afar through the entrance1 so a perception of truth in the heart is the only reliable guiding star in the labyrinth of ever-changing illusions4 ,all the scientific lights in which this light of eternal truth is not reflected1 however radiant they may be1 are only so many will-o'-the-wisps misleading the wanderer4 ,all scientific theories and hypotheses based upon a non-recognition of the inner constitution of man and denying his super-terrestrial origin are founded on a misconception of truth4 ,such opinions are continually subject to change1 and no new theory of that kind exists at present which has not existed in some similar shape before4 ,but the truth itself is independent of these opinions1 it has always existed and there have always been some who were capable of recognising it1 and others who1 unwilling or unable to see it1 based their knowledge upon misconceptions and superstitious beliefs founded upon other men's assertions4 ,modern medical science1 with all its modern aids and paraphernalia1 has only succeeded in working itself up to a more detailed knowledge of some less important phenomena in the kingdom of matter2 while a great number of far more important things that were known to the ancients have been forgotten4 ,as to the power of the soul over the body1 tremendous as it is1 almost nothing is known2 because the souls of those who live entirely in the kingdom of speculations evolved by their brain1 are asleep and unconscious4 ,an unconscious soul can no more exert any power than an unconscious body2 its motions can at best be instinctive1 because deprived of the light of intelligence4 ,it is far more important to the progress of real science that the soul of man should awaken to a recognition of its own higher nature1 than that the treasures of a science dealing with the illusions of life should be enriched by any new theories in which there is no recognition of the one foundation of truth4 ,all that any sound theory or any reliable book can possibly do1 is to displace a false theory which prevents man from seeing correctly2 but the truth itself can be exhibited or revealed by no man and no theory1 it can be seen only by the eye of the true understanding1 when it reveals itself in its own light4 ,it has been said that it is not within the reach of science to enter the realm of noumena which underlie all phenomena and are their cause of manifestation2 but without a recognition of the noumenon from which all phenomena spring1 a true science 7from scio1 to know7 will be as impossible as a system of mathematics with an ignoring of the existence of the number one from which all other numbers take their origin and without which no number exists4 ,the soul in us is fundamentally identical with the ,one from which all phenomena originate4 ,the soul which is can know that which is1 while that in us which merely appears to be belongs to and deals with the realm of appearances4 ,the acquisition of this higher science therefore requires less an exertion of the speculative faculties of the brain than an awakening of the soul2 is advanced less by an evolution of thoughts of various kinds than by the development of the inner man who is doing the thinking and causing the evolution of thoughts1 for if that which is able to know in man does not know its own self1 all the thoughts and ideas inhabiting the sphere of man's mind will have no legitimate owner1 but exist there merely as the reflections of the thoughts of other men1 gathered around an illusion called the personal self4 ,the more the mind analyses a thing and enters into its minor details the easier does it lose sight of the whole2 the more man's attention is divided into many parts1 the more will he step out of his own unity and become complicated himself4 ,only a great and strong spirit can remain dwelling within its own self-consciousness1 and1 like the sun1 which shines into many things without becoming absorbed by them1 looks into the minor details of phenomena without losing sight of the truth which includes the whole4 ,the most simple truths are usually the ones which are the most difficult to be grasped by the learned1 because the perception of a simple truth requires a simple mind4 ,in the kaleidoscope of ever-varying phenomena the underlying truth cannot be seen upon the surface4 ,as the intellect becomes more and more immersed in matter1 the eye of the spirit becomes closed2 truths which in times of old were self-evident have now been forgotten1 and even the meaning of the terms signifying spiritual powers has become lost in proportion as mankind has ceased to exercise these powers4 ,owing to the conceit of our age of selfishness1 which seeks to drag spiritual truths down to the scientific conception of a narrow-sighted animal rationalism1 instead of rising up to their level1 the character of modern popular science is shown in the amount of cleverness with which illusory self-interests are protected2 8faith10 the all-saving power of spiritual knowledge1 is believed to be superstition2 8benevolence0 folly1 8love0 means selfish desires1 8hope0 is now greed1 8life0 the creation of a mechanical process1 8soul0 a term without meaning1 8spirit0 a nonentity1 8matter0 a thing of which nothing is known1 etc4 ,all this has been written to no purpose1 if we have not succeeded in making it clear that real progress in the knowledge of human nature is only possible by means of a higher development of the inner nature of the physician himself4 ,no one can attain any real knowledge of man's higher state unless he attains to it himself by purity of motive and nobility of character4 ,only by recognising his body as a vehicle for the development and manifestation of a superior intelligence will he be able to realise the meaning of the words of ,carlyle1 who tells us that man in his innermost nature is a divine being1 and that whoever puts his hand upon a human form touches heaven4 ,wisdom must be the ,master1 science the servant4 ,science is the handmaid of wisdom2 wisdom the queen4 ,science is a product of man's imagination2 wisdom the spiritual recognition of truth4 ,material science is a product of the essentially selfish desire to know2 wisdom recognises no separation of interests1 it is the self-recognition of universal and eternal truth in man4 ,science1 guided by wisdom1 can enter into the deepest mysteries of universal being by entering into the ,unity of the ,all2 but if science attempts to employ wisdom for the gratification of curiosity or other selfish ends1 it is in opposition to wisdom and becomes folly4 ,therefore a favourite motto of the ancient ,rosicrucians 7of which ,theophrastus ,paracelsus was one71 but which is understood by only a few1 said3 8,i know nothing1 ,i desire nothing1 ,i love nothing1 ,i enjoy nothing in heaven or upon the earth but ,jesus ,christ and him crucified40 ,this did not mean that they resolved to remain ignorant1 or to lose themselves in pious reveries and dreams of past events1 for ,paracelsus also said3 8,god does not desire us to be ignorant blockheads and stupid fools0--but it meant that they had given up the whole of the illusion of self with all its necessarily illusive knowledge1 desires1 attractions and joys1 and entered into the consciousness of that divine intelligence which during this earth-life is as it were crucified in man1 and by entering into the higher spiritual state they had become one with ,him1 who is ,himself the ,truth in themselves and the source of all knowledge in heaven and upon the earth4 ,forever the truth shines in the eternal kingdom of ,light but the world of mind wherein our terrestrial nature moves1 has its astrological laws1 comparable to those that rule in the visible world and are known to astronomy4 ,as the earth recedes from the sun in winter time and approaches it in the summer1 so the spiritual evolution of man has its periods of spiritual enlightenment and of mental darkness1 and there are little periods within the large periods1 as here are days and nights in the year4 ,man1 whether considered as representing humanity as a whole1 a nation a people1 a family1 or an individual1 resembles a planet revolving around its own axis between the two poles of birth and decay4 ,that which is uppermost turns down and that which is below rises again to the surface4 ,truths disappear and are forgotten only to reappear again embodied in new and perhaps improved forms4 ,civilizations1 systems of philosophy1 religion and science come and go and come again1 the absurdities of fashion that have been the pride of our parents and were laughed at by us become again the objects of admiration for our children1 and the forgotten wisdom of the past will be again the wisdom of future generations4 ,thus the wheel would ever revolve in a circle1 there would be no progress and no object of life1 if the presence of the eternal sun of ,divine ,wisdom acting upon the centre of the wheel did not attract it towards itself and thus in the course of ages gradually transform the circular motion into a spiral gyration4 ,at every turn of the great wheel its axis moves imperceptibly a little nearer to the source of all ,life1 although every period of evolution begins again at the foot of the ladder4 ,the ladder upon which we are climbing stands perhaps upon a little higher ground than the one upon which our ancestors climbed1 or which we climbed ourselves during previous incarnations2 but there are many steps upon it which our forefathers have ascended and which we shall have to reach4 ,the science of medicine forms no exception to this general rule1 and we may safely assert that the system of medicine of ,theophrastus ,paracelsus1 in its recognition of fundamental laws of nature is of such a high character that it will be for the medical science of the coming centuries to grow up to its understanding1 nor will this advance in science be possible without a corresponding development1 and this development will be inaugurated by a correct conception of the constitution of man4 ,while modern medical science has become degraded almost into a mere trade1 flourishing under the protection of its self-interests which it receives from ,governments1 the medicine of the ancients was a holy art1 requiring no artificial protection1 because1 standing upon its own merit1 it rested upon its own success4 ,the adept-physicians of the past performed cures which whenever exceptionally performed at present are called miraculous1 and their possibility is denied by the majority of the learned2 because they are not in possession of the spiritual powers required for their accomplishment1 and consequently cannot conceive of the existence of such powers4 ,where is the physician of the present day who knows the extent of the power of the spiritually-awakened will acting at a distance of thousands of miles1 or the power which human thought can exercise over the imagination of nature8 ,where is the professor of science who can consciously transfer his soul to a distant place by the power of thought and act there as if he were bodily present8 ,the proof that these things have been done and are done even now is established as much as any other fact resting upon observation and logic2 nevertheless it is popularly considered 8scientific0 to deny such facts and to treat the theory which explains them with contempt4 ,the finer forces of nature are so thoroughly unknown to gross material minds that to mention their existence raises a roar of merriment among those who1 being ignorant of the extent of the powers hidden in the constitution of man1 require a sledge-hammer to kill a fly and a cannon to shoot at a sparrow4 ,while the eyes of material science are directed downwards1 seeking within the bowels of matter and finding only perishing treasures1 the sentimental idealist revels in dreams without substance4 ,being habituated to objective contemplation1 the idealist obtains nothing real2 for keeping distant from the object of his research for the purpose of seeing it objectively1 he prevents himself from becoming identified with that object1 and he cannot have any self-knowledge of that which he is not himself4 ,neither can the materialist who denies the existence of ,spirit in the universe have any real knowledge1 for he ignores that which alone is real and deals only with the relations existing between phenomena which the unknown spirit produces4 ,real knowledge such as is the product not of mere knowing1 but of becoming1 ought to be the basis of all true science4 ,this it is which constitutes that ,theosophia or ,self-recognition of ,truth1 which will be the guiding star of the physician in the future as it has been in the past4 ,women's ,printing ,society1 ,limited1 #ff1 ,whitcomb ,street1 ,w4,c4 ,in the ,pronaos of the ,temple of ,wisdom ,containing the ,history of the ,true and the ,false ,rosicrucians1 with an ,introduction into the ,mysteries of the ,hermetic ,philosophy2 and an ,appendix on the ,yoga ,philosophy of the ,rosicrucians and ,alchemists4 ,,by ,,franz ,,hartmann1 ,m4,d4 ,cloth1 #hvo1 #g_/f 8,probably the best and most reliable of recent books on the ,rosicrucians4 ,the ,author1 whose great work #8,the ,secret ,symbols of the ,rosicrucians' is so well known to ,hermetic ,students1 here gives a brief history of the ,rosicrucians and treats at some length of the chief tenets of the ,order2 of the present work he says1 #8the doctrines presented herein contain the most profound secrets1 especially in regard to the 8resurrection of the flesh04' ,they go to show that the physical body is neither a useless nor a despicable thing1 and that ,matter is as necessary to ,spirit1 as ,spirit to ,matter4 ,without the presence of a living body no resurrection could take place2 neither could the spirit have any relative existence without the existence of material form4444 ,only from the soul resurrected within the body of flesh arises the glorified spirit40 #b ,vols4 ,royal #hvo1 about pp4 #a1ejj4 ,price #b #bs4 ,isis ,unveiled ,a ,master ,key to the ,mysteries of ,ancient and ,modern ,science and ,theology ,,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky 8,a marvellous book both in matter and manner of treatment4 ,some idea may be formed of the rarity and extent of its contents when the index alone comprises fifty pages1 and we venture nothing in saying that such an index of subjects was never before compiled by any human being40--,daily ,graphic4 ,new ,edition4 ,price #b #es4 net4 ,cloth1 ,roy4 #hvo1 #b ,vols4 and ,index ,subscription price to ,march #cast1 #ahid1 #a #aes4 net4 ,the ,secret ,doctrine ,the ,synthesis of ,science1 ,religion and ,philosophy1 by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky 8,at once remarkable and interesting--remarkable for its wide range of curious and ancient lore1 interesting for the light it throws on the religions of the world40--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,price #cs4 #f;d4 ,gems from the ,east ,a ,,theosophical ,,birthday ,,book ,,compiled ,,by ,h4,p4,b4 ,beautifully embellished with ,sketches and ,symbols of the ,orient4 ,new and ,revised ,edition4 ,price #fs4 ,the ,key to ,theosophy ,a ,synopsis of the ,ethics1 ,science and ,philosophy1 for the ,study of which the ,theosophical ,society has been founded4 ,,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky ,new ,edition4 ,price #bs4 #f;d4 ,the ,voice of the ,silence ,,being ,,extracts ,,from ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the ,,golden ,,precepts ,,translated ,,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky4 ,price #abs4 #f;d4 ,a ,theosophical ,glossary ,,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky ,indispensable to every student of ,theosophy and ,occultism4 ,contains much valuable information not obtainable elsewhere4 ,,everyone ,,should ,,read ,reminiscences of ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky 8,the ,secret ,doctrine0 ,,by ,,the ,,countess ,,constance ,,wachtmeister ,,with ,,some ,,additional ,,chapters ,,by ,,other ,,hands ,price1 ,cloth #bs4 #f;d4 ,wrappers1 #as4 #f;d4 8,full of startling incidents0 ,price #gs4 #f;d4 ,from the ,caves ,jungles of ,hindustan ,,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky ,full of strange secrets of ,indian ,life4 ,theosophical ,manuals4 ,,by ,,annie ,,besant4 ,price1 post free1 #a_/b each ,no4 ,i4--,,the ,,seven ,,principles ,,of ,,man4 ,no4 ,,ii4--,,reincarnation4 ,no4 ,,iii4--,,death--,,and ,,after8 ,the ,sepher ,yetzirah3 ,the ,book of ,formation the ,thirty-,two ,paths of ,wisdom4 ,translated from the ,ancient ,hebrew by ,,dr4 ,w4 ,,wynn ,,westcott1 ,m4,b4 ,cloth1 #hvo1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,this very ancient ,rabbinical ,treatise is a curious and instructive remnant of the learning of the pre-,christian era1 and has always possessed a great fascination for occult students4 ,by the great ,rabbinical ,school of ,theosophy and ,occult ,learning1 this little treatise has ever been regarded as containing the fundamental principles of the archaic wisdom4 ,rabbi ,jehoshua ,ben ,chananea1 who died about ,a4,d4 #gb1 openly declared that he performed 8miracles0 by means of the 8,sepher ,yetzirah10 and challenged every sceptic4 ,this book is regarded as affording the key wherewith to unlock the mysterious treatises on kindred subjects contained in the 8,zohar10 and is especially the volume of the ,yetziratic ,world1 the third of the ,kabbalistic ,worlds of ,emanation4 ,cloth1 #dto1 price #fs4 #f;d4 ,paper #es4 ,,simon ,,magus4 ,,an ,,essay4 ,,by ,g4 ,r4 ,s4 ,,mead4 ,an important work for all students of ,theosophy1 ,gnosticism1 and comparative ,esotericism4 ,it contains an exact translation of the original sources of information1 and is the only monograph on the subject4 ,handsomely printed and bound4 ,,the ,,theosophical ,,publishing ,,society1 #g1 ,,duke ,,street1 ,,adelphi1 ,,london1 ,w4,c4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #a3 ,jacob ,boehme says3 8,if an essence 7a form of will-substance7 enters into another whose nature is of a different character1 an antagonism is created and a strife for supremacy ensues4 ,one quality disrupts the other1 which ultimately causes the death of the form2 for whatever is not in harmony cannot live eternally2 but whatever is in perfect harmony has no elements of destruction within itself2 for in such an organism all the elements love each other1 and love is the creator and preserver of life40--8,mysterium magnum10 xxi4 #e4 ,footnote #b3 ,let it be clearly understood that by using the term 8religious0 we do not refer to any of the existing systems of religious doctrines or forms of worship2 but to the spiritual recognition of divine truth4 ,footnote #c3 ,the order here adopted is to facilitate the comparison with the above given classification2 the planets not being stationary1 but shifting their positions and significations according to the aspects we take4 ,footnote #d3 ,even of his cotemporaneous disciples there were few capable of grasping his ideas and of leading the life necessary for that purpose4 ,he says3 8,twenty-one of my servants have become victims of the executioner 7the spirit of this world72 ,gode may help them6 ,only a few have thus far remained with me40 78,defensio10 ,,vi47 ,footnote #e3 ,see 8,the ,life of ,theophrastus ,paracelsus10 ,london1 #ahhg4 ,footnote #f3 ,this is not correct2 ,paracelsus says3 8,the anatomy of man is twofold4 ,one aspect consists in dissecting the body1 so as to find out the position of its bones1 muscles1 veins1 c42 but this is the least important2 the other is more important1 and means to introduce a new life into the human organism2 to see the transmutations taking place therein1 to know what the blood is and what kind of symbol1 symbol and symbol 7,sulphur1 ,salt and ,mercury7 it contains40 78,paramirum10 ,lib4 ,i4 ,cap4 #f47 ,footnote #g3 ,prof4 ,rud4 ,virchow's lecture on ,pathology1 delivered in ,london1 ,march #fth1 #ahic4 ,footnote #h3 ,the word 8contemplation0--from conwith1 and templumtemple--means evidently not mere objective observation1 but an indwelling in the same temple with the truth which is to be known1 an identification of subject and object in the light of divine wisdom1 the temple of truth4 ,the attainment of knowledge by such a contemplation is only possible for those whose spiritual perception is open4 ,a blind person may dwell forever in the temple of truth without being able to know it4 ,to those who by an unfoldment of their spirituality have attained this power of contemplation1 its sufficiency for the attainment of spiritual knowledge is self-evident and requires no arguments4 ,those who do not possess this power will find it difficult to understand the meaning of this term1 and suppose it to be imagination4 ,footnote #i3 ,herder4 ,footnote #aj3 ,only very recently in the courts of ,vienna during a sensational trial in regard to the state of non compos mentis1 concerning a nobleman1 who left a considerable fortune to his servants1 the total ignorance of the experts on 8psychology0 regarding all matters concerning the soul1 and their total incapacity to judge of the character and motives of a person1 became so plain and was exposed in such a ludicrous manner1 that it became the public opinion1 which was also expressed by the judge1 that the custom of calling in medical men as experts in such things ought to be abandoned1 and that actors1 novel-writers1 or such as possess more capacity to know the motives of human nature should be selected for that purpose4 ,footnote #aa3 ,we may read at any time that the views of the ancients in regard to this or that were 8very vague02 while in fact the vagueness is with the critic who does not understand what the views of the ancients were4 ,words are made for the purpose of expressing ideas1 and if the ideas are not perceived the words are only misleading4 ,if we interpret the meaning of a term according to our own fancy1 we shall find therein only the misconception put into it by ourselves1 but not the original meaning4 ,footnote #ab3 ,we call this the sensual plane1 merely because it includes that which is perceived by the senses of our physical body4 ,if the senses of the astral form are developed1 the astral plane will also be our sensual plane4 ,there can be no knowledge without perception1 and no perception without a sense for that purpose4 ,a system of philosophy based merely upon speculation1 and without any perception of truth1 is no philosophy at all2 but consists merely of vagaries1 illusions and dreams4 ,footnote #ac3 ,see ,rama ,prasad's 8,nature's ,finer ,forces40 ,footnote #ad3 ,see 8,magic1 white and black10 #dth edition1 ,london1 #ahic 7,kegan1 ,paul and ,co474 ,footnote #ae3 ,the more the minds of men become complicated by attending to a multiplicity of details1 the more will they lose sight of simple facts4 ,thus the action of the sunlight and its various colours1 of which each has its special therapeutic qualities1 is far too simple a thing to find popular favour4 ,footnote #af3 8,the ,secret ,symbols of the ,rosicrucians10 ,,ii41 pp4 #af4 7,occult ,publishing ,co41 ,boston1 ,mass41 #ahhh74 ,footnote #ag3 8,paracelsus10 p4 #afh4 7,london1 #ahhg3 ,trbner ,co47 ,footnote #ah3 ,the regenerated spiritual man is not a dream or an unrealisable ideal1 but far more substantial than the terrestrial man4 ,william ,law says3 8,where ,christ is born or ,his ,spirit rises up in the soul1 there all self is denied and obliged to turn out1 there all carnal wisdom1 arts of advancement1 with every pride and glory of this life1 are so many heathen idols1 all willingly renounced1 and the man is not only content1 but rejoices to say that his kingdom is not of this world40 78,william ,law10 ,london1 #ahic47 ,see also 8,jacob ,boehme10 page #bfc4 ,london1 #ahia4 ,footnote #ai3 8,theosophical ,siftings40 ,alchemy4 7,london3 ,theo4 ,pub4 ,soc41 #ahia47 ,footnote #bj3 ,we purposely say 8carbogen0 and not 8carbon10 because we refer to that invisible element1 whose product upon the visible plane is carbon or coal4 ,footnote #ba3 ,as we are not writing for children1 it is unnecessary to refute the puerile objection and say that the sixty-four so-called single bodies of chemistry are not elements of nature1 although they may be regarded as the elements of the science of chemistry4 ,footnote #bb3 ,in everything are there five elements or qualities contained1 because everything consists of vibrations of the one element1 called by the ,alchemists prima materia1 in which these qualities are latent 7potentially contained74 ,everything is a manifestation of substance4 ,that which is essential in it1 is the substance and not the form4 ,thus for instance that which is essential in a diamond is the carbon2 but carbon is not composed of diamonds4 ,carbon is a substance universally distributed in nature in solid1 watery1 gaseous1 fiery form1 and all these forms of carbon are certain states of the one element 8,carbogen0 which is at the root of their existence4 ,footnote #bc3 ,vach4--,if we remember that according to the ,bible all things were made of the ,word1 and that 8the ,word was ,god0 7,john i41 #a71 we may obtain the key to the understanding of what generated the ,aksa4 ,footnote #bd3 ,occult ,publ4 ,co41 ,boston1 ,mass42 and ,theosoph4 ,publ4 ,soc41 ,london4 ,footnote #be3 ,occult ,publ4 ,co41 ,boston1 ,mass42 and ,theosoph4 ,publ4 ,soc41 ,london4 ,footnote #bf3 ,jacob ,boehme4 ,footnote #bg3 8,secret ,doctrine10 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #ajf4 ,footnote #bh3 8,superstition0--from super over and sto to stand--is a belief in the knowledge of the attributes of a thing1 while these attributes are beyond our conception4 ,a superstition is therefore a misconception of an existing thing1 or a creation of fancy3 an erroneous conclusion arrived at by the observation of a phenomenon1 without an understanding of the law which produced the phenomenon4 ,footnote #bi3 ,richard ,quain1 8,dictionary of ,medicine10 #ahhc4 ,footnote #cj3 8,paracelsus40 7,london3 ,trbner and ,co41 #ahhg47 ,footnote #ca3 ,the word 8substance0 comes from sub1 under1 and sto1 to stand1 and means the principle underlying phenomenal existence1 the basis of the manifestation of power4 ,it is only too customary to give to such terms a wrong interpretation1 and then to fight the man of straw created by oneself4 ,footnote #cb3 8,ens0 means a beginning4 ,footnote #cc3 ,it is hardly necessary to furnish examples1 such as1 for instance1 presented by ,strychnine1 composed of ,c ,h ,n ,o1 a very poisonous substance2 while the same elements combined in a different proportion are contained as gluten in our food4 ,if we accept the theory of vibration1 which appears as a necessary result of the universe being substance in motion1 the cause of such secrets will easily be found in the discords existing between the vibrations constituting these substances4 ,this theory of harmony will also explain why certain chemicals combine with others in certain proportions4 ,footnote #cd3 ,in the recognition of the law is contained the key to the understanding of chiromancy1 phrenology1 physiognomy1 psychometry1 etc41 and their value in practising medicine2 for although the physical form1 owing to external physical conditions1 may not be an exact image of the internal nature of man1 nevertheless the character of the mind is to a certain extent impressed visibly upon each part of the body1 and being a whole and a unity1 the whole of that character may be read in every part of the body1 if we know how to read it2 in the same sense as a botanist can tell the character of a tree by examining one of its leaves1 for he knows at once to what class of trees it belongs4 ,footnote #ce3 8,the character of a man and his talents1 aptitude1 dexterity1 etc41 are not given to him by 7terrestrial7 nature4 ,his spirit is not a product of nature1 but comes from the incorporeal realm4 ,you should not say that he receives these things from nature2 the sages never said so40 78,paramirum10 ,l4 ,i41 ,tr4 iii41 ,c4 #b47 ,footnote #cf3 8,then shall the dust return to earth as it was1 and the spirit shall return to ,god who gave it40 78,ecclesiastes10 xii41 #g47 ,footnote #cg3 ,see3 8,magic1 white and black10 8,paracelsus10 8,boehme10 etc4 ,footnote #ch3 8,key to ,theosophy10 p4 #aba 7,london1 #ahhi74 ,footnote #ci3 8,there is an invisible organism in man1 not placed within the three substances2 a body which 7unlike the material one7 does not come from the ,limbus 7matter7 but has its origin in the living breath of ,god4 ,it is not a body coming into existence after death1 to rise up on the judgment day2 for the physical body being a nonentity 7unreal7 cannot become resurrected after death1 neither shall we be called upon to give account about our physical health and disease2 but we shall be judged according to the things that have issued from our will4 ,this spiritual body in man is the flesh that comes from the breath of ,god4 ,there are two bodies1 but only one flesh40 78,paramir40 ,lib4 ,,ii41 #h47 ,footnote #dj3 ,any person wishing for information on such points may find it in the literature of spiritism1 medival witchcraft1 in the 8,lives of the ,saints10 etc41 etc4 ,volumes might be filled with such accounts1 but phenomena are proofs only to him to whom they occur4 ,a person having no experience of a thing is always at liberty to deny its existence1 and it is far easier to call it a 8superstition0 than to arrive at its understanding by studying secret laws4 ,footnote #da3 ,see3 ,thomson ,jay ,hudson4 8,the ,law of ,psychic ,phenomena40 ,footnote #db3 8,arcanum0 means mystery4 ,the key to a mystery is its understanding4 ,the ,arcana of ,paracelsus were not1 as has been asserte by certain 8authorities10 patent medicines whose composition he kept secret2 but they were his knowledge of the means for effecting a cure4 ,he says3--8,if there is a stone in the bladder1 the arcanum is the knife 7for performing lithotomy71 in 7acute7 ,mania phlebotomy is the arcanum4 ,an arcanum is the entering into a new state1 the giving birth to a new thing40 7,lib4 8,paramir410 ,i4 #e1 ,,ii4 #b47 ,every plane of existence has its own mysteries and arcane remedies4 ,footnote #dc3 ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky's 8,key to ,theosophy10 p4 #bja4 ,footnote #dd3 ,the cause of a certain disease may exist not only in one of these five classes1 but in more4 ,for instance1 a hmorrhage of the womb may be caused by mental excitement in connection with a state of weakness of resistance in the tissues of the organs2 insanity may be caused by mental1 moral or physical circumstances2 blindness may be the result of physical causes or of mental excitement2 a bodily defect the result of antenatal ,karma1 or of physical causes4 ,in the clockwork of nature all the wheels are connected by one common chain4 ,therefore not only one of these causes but all of them ought to be known and taken into consideration2 but each of the corresponding five methods of treatment contains in itself all the elements for effecting a cure4 ,it is therefore not necessary that a physician should practise all the five methods of treatment2 but he should have a thorough knowledge of the method which he has chosen1 and be well versed in it and stick to his method2 but he should not believe his own method to be the only true one1 and reject others of which he knows nothing4 ,footnote #de3 ,the soothing power of blue1 the exciting effects of red1 the invigorating effects of yellow1 etc41 deserve a great deal more attention than they receive at present4 ,the reason why the 8blue light cure0 has caused only a passing excitement1 is because it was indiscriminately used and its laws not understood4 ,footnote #df3 8,paracelsus10 p4 #ada4 ,footnote #dg3 ,professor ,o4 ,korschelt in ,leipzig invented an instrument for that purpose4 ,footnote #dh3 ,see 8,paracelsus10 p4 #ach4 ,footnote #di3 ,all forces may become manifest in a threefold form4 ,there are universal1 animal and spiritual 8magnets02 a physical electricity1 an electricity of life1 a spiritual electricity1 etc41 etc4 ,footnote #ej3 ,dr ,babbitt's 8,principles of ,light and ,colour40 ,footnote #ea3 ,f4 ,hartmann1 8,eine neue ,heilmethode40 ,w4 ,friedrich1 ,leipzig1 #ahic4 ,footnote #eb3 8,magic1 white and black40 7,london1 #ahic47 ,footnote #ec3 ,i4 ,timothy1 ,,iii41 #g4 ,footnote #ed3 ,romans1 ,,ix41 ib4