XII. Mind and Spirit 811

LESSON I.

Some Light on thk Path.

We greet our old students who have returned to us
for the Advanced Course. We {eel that* hereafter, it
will not be necessary to repeat the elementary ex-
planaticms wJtich foimed such an important part of
the fontKsr class work, and we tnay be able to gc
right to the h^rt of the subject, feeUng assured that
eadi student is prepared to receive the aaxne. Many
read the former lessons from curiosity— «>me have be-
come so interested that they wish to go on—others
have failed to find the sensational features for which
they had h<:q>ed, and have drof^d from the ranks. It
is ever so. Many come, but only a certain percentage
are ready to go on. Out of a thousand seeds sown
by the farmer, cmly a hundred manifest life. But the
work is intended for that hundred, and they will re-
pay the farmer for his labor. In our seed sowit^, it
is even more satisfactory, for even the remaining nine
hundred will show life at some time in the future.
No occult teaching is ever wasted— all bears fruit in
its own good time. We welcome' the students in the
Advanced Course—we congratulate ourselves in hav*
ing such a large number of interested listeners— and
we congratulate the students in having reached the
stage in which they feel such an interest in the worlc,
and in being ready to go on.

1

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We will take for the subject of our first lesson the
Way of Attainment— The Path. And we know ol no
better method of directing the student's steps along j

The Path than to point out to him ^e uneqttaled
precepts of the little manual "Light m the Path," a

written down by "M. C." (Mabel Collins, an English j

woman) at the request of some advanced mind (in or r

out of the flesh) who inspired it. In our notice in the ]

last installment of the "Fottrteett Lessofts," we stated p

that we had in mind a little work which would per-
haps make plainer the precepts of "Light on the
Path." But, upon second thought, we have thought
it preferable to make such writing a part of the Ad-
vanced Course, instead of preparing it as a separate
book for general distribution and sale. In this way
we may speak at greater length, and with less reserve,
knowing that the students of the course will under-
stand it far better tlian would the general public. So^
the little book will not be published, and the toiching
will be given only in these lessons. We will quote
from the little manual, precept after precept, fdlowing
each with a brief explanation.

In this connection it may be as well to state that
"Light on the Path" is, practically, an inspired writ-
ing, and is so carefully worded that it is capable of a
variety of interpretations— it carries a message adapted
to the varying requirements of the several planes and
stages of life. The student is able to extract meaning$
suited to his stage of development In this respect
the Wjork is diffcroit from ordinary writing. One
must take something to the book, "Before he is able to
obtain scanething from it. In ''TheJUuminfidWa^
the work is interpreted, in part, upon the lines of the

SOME LIGHT ON THE PATH. 3

psychic or astral plane. Our interpretation will be
designed to apply to the life of the student entering
upon The Path— the beg^ner. It will endeavor to
explain the first several precepts in the light of
"Karma Yoga," and will then try to point out the
plain meaning of the precepts, pertaining to the higher
desires; then passing on to an explanation of the pre-
ccpts relating to the imfoldment of Sj^iJ^al Con-
sciousness, which is indeed the key-note of the little
manual. We will endeavor to make a little plainer to
the student the hidden meanings of the little book-
to put into plain homely English, the thoughts so beau-
tifully expressed in the poetical imagery of the Orient.
Our work will not contradict the interpretation given
in "The Illumined Way" — ^it will merely go along side
by side with it, on another plane of life. To some, it
may seem a presumptuous undertaking to attempt to
"interpret" that gem of occult teaching "Light on the
Path"— hut the undertaking has tKeapproval of some
for whose opinions we have respect — ^and has, what
means still more to us— the approval of our Higher
Self. Crude though our work may be, it must be
intended to reach some— else it would not have been
suggested.

"These rales arc written for all clisciplcs. Attend you
to them.'*

These rules are indeed written for all disciples, and

it will be well for us all to attend to them. For the

rules for the guidance of occultists have always been

the same, and will al\vays remain the same—in all

tiffl^— in all countries— and under whatever name the

teaehini; is imparted. For they are based upon the

principles of truth, and have been tried, tested and

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passed upon long ages ago, and have come down to
us bearing the marks of ^e careful handling of the
multitudes who have passed en before— our elder
brothers in the Spirit-4hose who once trod the path
upon which we are now entering*— 4hose who have
passed on to heights which we shall one day mount.
These rules are for alt followers of The Path— they
were written for such, and there are none better. They
coine to us from those who know.

"BefoTQ the c^s caa bc«, they mnst be in^sible ef teua
Before the ear can liear, it must have lost its eensitivenaB.
Before tbo voJce ean speak in the presence of the Masters, it
must have losF the power to wound. Before tbe soul ean
8taa.<) in tI>o presence of tbe Masteiu its feet most be washed
in the blood of tiie heart."

Before the eyes can see with the clear vision of the
Spirit, they must have grown incapable of the tears
of wounded pride — unkind criticism — ^unmerited abuse
—unfriendly remarks — slights— sarcasm — ^the annoy-
ances of everyday life — ^the failures and disappoint-
ments of everyday existence. We do not mean that
one should harden his soul against these tilings — on
the contrary "hardening" forms no part of tiie occult
teachings. On the nuiterial plane, one is a>nstantly at
the mercy of others on the same plane, and the more
finely constituted one may be, the more keenly docs
he feel the pain of life, coming from without. And if
he attempts to fight back — to pay oflF these backbttings
and pinpricks in like kind — ^the more does he become
enmeshed in the web of material life. His <»i1y diance
of escape lies in growing so that he may rise above
that plane of existence and dwelt in the upper regions
of the mind, and Spirit. This does not mean that he
should run away from the world— on the contrary, if

SOME UGHT ON THE PATH. 5

me attempts to run away from the world before he has
learned its lessons, he will be thrust back into it, Hgcan
and again, until he settles down to perform the task.
But, nevertheless, one of spiritual attainment may so
live that although he is in the midst of the fight of
everyday life — ^yea, may be even a captain in the strug-
gle--4ie really lives above it all— sees it for just what
it is>-sees it as but a childish game of child-like men
and women, and although he plays the game well, he
still knows it to be but a game, and not the real thing
at all. This being the case, he begins by smiling
through his tears, when he is knocked down in the
rush of the game—then he ceases to weep at all, smiles
taking the place of the tears, for, when things are seen
in their true relation, one can scarcely repress a smile
at himself, and at (or with) others. When one looks
around and sees the petty playthings to which men are
devoting their lives, believing that these playthings are
real, he cannot but smile. And, when one awakens to
a realization of the reality of things, his own particular
part, which he is compelled to play, must evoke a smile
from him. Tliese are not mere dreams and impracti-
cable ideas. If many of you had an idea of how many
men, high in the pugpct-play of worldly affairs, have
really liwakened to the titith, it would surprise y^.
Many of these men play their part well'— with energy
and apparent ambition — for they realize that there
is a purpose behind it all, and that they are necessary
parts of the machinery of evolutitm. But deep within
the recesses of their souls, they know it all for what it
is. One on The Path must needs be brave, and must
acquire a mastery over the emotional nature. This pre-
cept does not merely refer to physical tears— for they

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often spring to the eyes involuntarily, and though we
may be smiling at the time. It refers to the feeling
that there is anything for us to really cry over. It is
the thought back of the tears, rather than the tears
themselves.

The lesson to be learned from these rules is that
we should rise above the incidents of personality, and
strive to realize our individuality. That we should de>
sire to realize the I AM consciousness, which is above
the annoyances of personality. That we should learn
that these things cannot hurt the Real Self— that they
will be washed from the sands of time, by the waters
of eternity.

Likewise our car must lose its sensitiveness to the
unpleasant incidents of personality, before it can hear
the truth clearly, and free from the jarring noises of
the outward strife. One must grow to be able to
hear there things, and yet smile, secure in the knowl-
edge of the soul and its powers, and its destiny. One
must grow to be able to hear the unkind word — the
unjust criticism — ^the spiteful remark — without letting
them affect his real self, lie must keep such things
on the material plane to which tlicy belong, and never
allow his soul to descend to where it may be affected
by them. One must learn to be able to hear the
truths which are sacred to him, spoken of sneeringly '
and contemptuously by those who do not understand —
they cannot be blamed, for they cannot understand.
Let the babes prattle, and scold, and laugh— it does
them good, and cannot hurt you or the Truth. Let the
children play— it is their nature — some day they vnV
(like you) have experienced the growing-pains of
spiritual maturity, and will be going through just wliat

SOME UGHT ON THE PATH. 7

you are now. You were once like them—they will be
as you in time. Follow the old saying, and let such
things "g^ in one ear, and out of tiie other" — do not
let them tdixii your reaj consciousness. Then wiU the
ear hear the things intended for it— it will affofd a
dear passage for the entrance of the Truth.

Yea, "before the voice can speak in the presence of
the Masters, it must have lost its power to wound."
The voice that scolds, lies, abuses, complains, and
wounds, can never reach the higher planes upon which
dwell the advanced intelligences of the race. Before
it can speak so as to be heard by those high in the
order of life, and spiritual intelligence, it must have
long since forgotten how to wound others by unkind
words, petty spite, unworthy speech. The advanced
man does not hesitate to speak the truth even when
it is not pleasant, if it seems right to do so, but he
speaks in the tone of a loving brother who does not
criticize from the "I am holier than thou" position,
tnit merely feels the other's pain— sees his mistake—
and wishes to lend him a helping hand. Such a one
has risen above the desire to "talk back"— to "cut" an-
other by unkind and spiteful remarks— to "get even"
by saying, in effect, "You're another." These things
must be cast aside like a worn-out cloak— the advanced
man needs them not.

"Before the soul can stand in the presence of the
Masters, its feet must be washed in the blood of the
heart"— this is a "hard saying" to many entering The
Path. Many are led astray from the real meaning of
this precept by their understanding of the word
"heart"— <hey think it means the love nature. But
this is not the meaning— occultism does not teach

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IdlHng' out true love^t teaches that love is one of the
greatest privileges of man, and that as he advances
his love nature grows until, finally, it includes all life.
The "heart" referred to is the emotional nature, and
the instincts of the lower and more animal nrind. These
things seem to be such a part of us, before we develop,
that to get rid of them we seem to be literally tearing
out our hearts. We part with first one thing and then
another, of the old animal nature, with pain and suf-
fering, and our spiritual feet become literally washed
in the blood of the heart Appetites— cravings of the
lower nature-desires of the animal part of us— old
habits— conventionalities — inherited thought— racial de-
lusions—things in the blood and bone of our nature,
must be thrown off, one by one, with much misgiv-
ings and doubt at first— and with much pain' and hcart-
blecding until we reach a position from which we can
see what it all means. Not only the desires of the
lower self are to be torn out, but we must, of neces-
sity, part with many things which have always seemed
dear and sacred to us, but which appear as but child-
ish imaginings in the pure Itglit which is beginning to
be poured out from our Spiritual Mind. But even
though we sec these things for what they are, still it
pains us to part from them, and we cry aloud, and
our heart bleeds. Then we often come to a parting of
the ways— a place where we are forced to part mental
company with those who are dear to us, leaving them
to travel their own road while we take step upon a
new and (to us) an untried path of thought. All this
means pain. And then the horror of mental and spir-
itual loneliness which comes over one soon after he ha$

SOME UGHT ON THE PATH. 9

taken the first few steps on The Path — that first initia-
tion wSiich has tried the souls of many who read these
words — that frightful feeling of being alone — ^with no
one near who can understand and appreciate your
feelings. And then, the sense of seeing the great
problems of life, while others do not recognize the
existence of any unsolved problem, and who atcord-
ingly go on their way, dancing, fighting, quarreling,
and showing all the signs of spiritual blindness, while
you were compelled to stand alone and bear the awful
sight. Then, indeed, does the blood of your heart gush
forth. And then, the consciousness of the world's pain
and your failure to understand its meaning — your feel-
ing of impotence when you tried to find a remedy for
it All this causes your heart to bleed. And all these
things come from your spiritual awakening—the man
of the material plane has felt none of these thinp —
has seen them not. Then when the feet of the soul
have been bathed in the blood of the heart, the eye be-
gins to see the spiritual truths — the ear begins to hear
them — the tongue begins to be able to speak them to
others, and to converse with those who have ad-
vanced along The Path. And the soul is able to stand
erect and gaze into the face of other advanced souls,
for it has begun to understand the mysteries of life —
the meaning of it all— has been able to grasp some-
thing of the Great Plan— has been able to feel the
consciousness of its own existence — ^has been able to
say: "I AM" with meaning— has found itself— has
conquered pain by rising above it. Take these
thoughts with you into the Silence, and let the truth

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sink into your mind, that it may take root, grow, Wos- u;

som, and bear fruit. 15|

«'l. Kill ont ambitioa, ki

"2. Km out desire of life. ' ii

"8. Kill out desire of comfort. ;:,^'

"4. V^ork as those work who are ambitious. Respect life I'i

as those who draire it. Be happy as those are who Uv« for ■■■ '-^X

happiness." j^--_

Much of the occult truth is written in the form of
paradox— showing both sides of the shield. This is in
accordance with nature's plan. All statements of
truth are but partial statements— there are two gootl
sides to every argument— any bit of truth is but a half-
truth, hunt diligently enough and you will find the
oppo.site half — everj'thing "is and it isn't" — any full
statement of truth must of necessity be paradoxical.
This because our finite point-of-view enables us to see
but one side of a subject at a time. From the point of
view of the infinite, all sides are seen at the same time
— all points of a globe being visible to the infinite seer,
who is also able to see through the globe as well as
around it.

The above mentioned four precepts are illustrations
of this law of paradox. They are generally dismissed
as non*understandable by the average person who reads
them. And yet they arc quite reasonable and abso-
lutely true. Let us consider them.

The key to the understanding of these (and all)
truths, lies in tlie ability to distinguish between the
"relative" or lower, point of view, and the "absolute"
or higher, one. Remember this well, for it will help
you to see into many a dark comer— to make easy
many a hard saying. Let us apply the test to these
four precepts. ^

SOME LIGHT ON THE PATH. n

We are told to; "Kill out ambition." The average
man recoils from this statement, and cries out that
such a course would render man a spiritless and worth-
less creature, for ambition seems to be at the bottom
of all of man's accomplishments. Then, as he throws
down the book, he sees, in the fourth precept : "Work
as those who are ambitious" — and, unless he sees with
the eyes of the Spiritual Mind, he becomes more con-
fused than ever. But the two things arc possible— yes,
are absolutely feasible as well as proper. The "ambi-
tion" alluded to is that emotion which urges a man
to attain from vainglorious, selfish motives, and which
impels him to crush all in his path, and to drive to the
wall all with whom he comes in contact. Such ambi-
tion is but the counterfeit of rwl ambijion, and is as
abnormal as is the morbid appetites which counterfeit
and assume the guise of hunger and thirst — the ridic-
ulous customs of decorating the persons with barbar-
ous ornamentations, which counterfeits the natural in-
stinct of putting on some slight covering as protection
from the weather—the absurd custom of burdening
oneself and others with the maintenance of palatial
mansions, which counterfeits man's natural desire for
a home-spot and shelter— the licentious and erotic prac-
tices of many men and women, which are but coun-
terfeits of the natural sexual instincts of normal man
and yoman, the object of which is, primarily, the pre-
servation of the race. The "ambitious" man becomes
insane for success, because the instinct has become per-
verted and abnormal. He imagines that the tilings for
which he is striving will bring him happiness, but he
is disappointed— 4hey turn to ashes like Dead Sea

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fruit— because they are not the source of permanent
happiness. He ties himself to the things he crates,
and becomes their slave rather than their master. He
regards money not as a means of securing necessities
and nourishment (mental and physical) for himself
and others, but as a thing valuable of itself— he has
the spirit of the miser. Or, he may seek power for sel-
fish r«i8ons— to gratify his vanity— to show the world
that he is mightier than his fellow men — ^to stand above
the crowd. All poor, petty, childish ambitions, un-
worthy of a real Man, and which must be ou^rown
before the man may progress — ^but perhaps the very
lessons he is receiving are just the ones needed for his
awakening. In short, the man of the abnormal ambi-
tion works for things for the sake of selfish reword,
and is inevitably disappointed, for he is pinning his
hopes on things which fail him in the hour of need-
is leaning on a broken reed.

Now let us look upon the other side of the shield.
The fourth precept contains these words: "Work as
those work who are ambitious." There it is. One
who works this way may appear to the wortd as the
typical ambitious man, but the resemblance is merely
outward. The "ambitious" man is the abnormal tiling.
The Man who works for work's sake— in obedience to
the draire to work — the craving to create— because he
gives full expression to the creative part of his nature
—is the real thing. And the latter is able to do better
work— more lasting work— than the first mentioned
man. And, then, besides, he gains happiness from his
work— lie feels the joy wliich comes from doing— he
lets the creative impulse of the All Ufe flow throuf^

SOME UGHT ON THE PATH. 13

him, and he does great things— he accomplishes, and
is happy in his work and through his work. And so
long as he keeps true to his ideals he will be safe and
secure in that joy, and will be doing well his share
in the world's work. But, as he mounts the ladder of
Success, he is subjected to terrible temptations, and
often allows the abnormal ambition to take possession
of him, the result being that in his next incarnation he
will have to learn his lesson all over again, and again
until he has mastered it.

Every man has his work in the world to do, and he
should do it the best he knows how — should do it
cheerfully — should do it intelligently. And he should
let have full expression that instinct which impels him
to do things right— better than they have been done
before (not that he may triumph over others, but be-
cause the world needs thmgs done better).

True occultism does not teach that man should sit
around doing nothing but meditating, with his gaze
fastened upon his umbilicus, as is the custom with
some of the ignorant Hindu fakirs and devotees, who
ape the terms and language of the Yogi teachers, and
prostitute their teachings. On the contrary, it teaches
that it is man's duty and glorious privilege to partici-
pate in the world's work, and that he who is able to
do something a little better than it has ever been done
before is blessed, and a benef aiftor to the race. It rec-
ognizes the Divine urge to create, which is found in all
men and women, and believes in giving it the fullest
expression. It teaches that no life is fully rounded out
and complete, unless some useful work is a part of it.
It believes that intelligent work helps toward spiritual

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unfoldment, and is in fact necessary to it It does not
teach the beauty of unlnteUigent drudgery— >{ot there
is no beauty in such vrork«>but it teaches that in
die humblest task may be found interest to the one
who looks for tt, and that such a one always finds a
better way of doing the thing, and thus adds some-
thing to the world's store of knowledge. It teaches the
real ambition— that love of work for work's sake —
rather than that wlork which is performed for the
world's counterfeit reward. Therefore when the pre-
cept says: "Kill out Ambition * * * Work as
those work who are ambitious," you will understand
it. This life is possible to those who understand
"Karma Yoga," one of the great branches of the Yog?
Philosophy, upon which it may be our privilege to
write at some future time. Read over these words, un-
til you fully grasp their meaning— until you feel them
as well as see them. The gist of these teachings upon
the subject of Ambition, may be summed up by say-
ing: Kill out the relative Ambition, which causes you
to tic yourself to the objects and rewards of your
work, and which yields nothing but disappointment and
repressed growth— but develop and express fully the
absolute Ambition, which causes you to work for work's
sake — ^for the joy which comes to the worker — from the
desire to express the Divine instinct to create— and
which causes you to do the thing you have to do, the
best you know how— better than it has ever beai done,
if possible— and which enables you to work in har-
mony and unison with the Divine work which is con-
stantly going on, instead of in harmony and discord.
Let the Divine energy work through yoo, and express

SOME LIGHT ON THE PATH. 15

iisxM ially in your work. Open yourself to it, and you
will taste of the joy which comes from work of this
kind— this is the true ambition— the other is but a
miserable counterfeit which retards the growdi of tJie
soul.

"Kill out desire of life " says the second precept-
but the fourth precept answers back: "Respect life as
those who desire it." This is another truth expressed in
paradox. One must eradicate from the mind the idea
that physical life is everything. Such an idea prevents
one from recognizing the fuller life of the soul, and
makes this particular life in the body the whole thing,
instead of merely a grain of sand on the shores of the
everlasting sea. One must grow to feel that he will
always be alive, whether he is in the body or out of it,
and that this particular physical "life" is merely a
thing to be used by the Real Self, which cannot die.
Therefore kill out that desire of life which causes you
to fear death, and which makes jrou attach undue im-
portance to tiie mere bodily existence, to the impair-
ment of the broader life and consciousness. Pluck
from your mind that idea that when the body dies, you
die — for you live on, as much alive as you are this mo-
ment, possibly still more alive. See physical life for
what it is, and be not deceived. Cease to look upon
"death" with horror, whether it may come to you or
to some loved me. Death is just as natural as life (in
this stage of development) and as much to be happy
about. It is hard to get rid of the old horror of physi-
cal dissolution, and one has many hard battles before
he is able to cast off the worn-out delusion, which has
clung to the race in spite of its constantly sounded bc-

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lief in a future life. The churches teach o£ "the life
beyond" to wliich all the faithful should look forward
to, but the same "faithful" shiver and shudder at the
thou^t of death, and clothe themselves in black wbcn
a friend dies, instead of strewing flowers around and
rejoicing that the friend is "in a better land" (to
use the cant phrase, which is so glibly used on such
occasions, but which comforteth not). One must grow
into a positive "feeling" or consciousness, of life ever-
lasting, before he is able to cast oflf this old fear, and
no creed, or expressed belief, will serve the purpose,
until this state of consciousness is reached. To the
one wbo "feels** in his consciousness this fact of the
survival of individuality, and the continuance of life
beyond the grave, death loses its terror, and the grave
its horror, and the "desire of life" (relative) is indeed
killed out, because the knowledge of life (absolute)
has taken its place.

But we must not forget the reverse side of the
shield. Read again the fourth precept : "Respect life
as those who desire it." This does not mean alone ^e
life of others, but has reference to your own physical
life as well. For in your letting-go of the old idea
of the relative importance of the life in the body, you
must avoid gmng to the other extreme of neglect of
the physical body. The body is yours in pursuance of
the Divine plan, and is in fact the Temple of the
Spirit If it were not good for you to have a body,
rest assured you would not have it. It is needed by
you in this stage of developm^t, and you would be
unable to do your work of spiritual unfoldment with-
out it. Therefore, do not be le<^into fhe folly of despis.

SOME LIGHT ON THE PATH. 17

ing the body, or physical life, as a thing unworthy of
you. They are most worthy of you, at this stage, and
you may make g^eat things possible through them. To
despise them is like refusing to use the ladder which
will enable you to reach the heights. You should, in-
deed, "respect life as those who desire it," and you
should respect the body as do those who think that the
body is the self. The body should be recognized as
the instrument of the soul and Spirit, and should be
kept as clean, hestlthy and strong as may be. And
every means should be used to prolong the "life'* in
the body which has been given you. It should be re-
spected and well-used. Do not sit and pine over your
confinement in this life — you will never have another
chance to live out just the experiences you are getting
now— make the best of it. Your "life" is a glorious
thing, and you should live always in the "Now" stage,
extracting to the full the joy which should come with
each moment of life to the advanced man. "Life, life,
more life" has cried out stmie writer, and he was right.
Live out each moment of your life, in a normal, healthy,
clean way, always knowing it for wlat it is, and worry-
ing not about the past or future. You are in eternity
now as much as you ever will be— so why not make
the most of it. It is always "Now" in life— and the
supply of "Nows" never fails.

If you ask us for a summing-up of this idea of this
non-desiring of life, and its opposite side of respect-
ing it as if you really did desire it, we will say : The
desire referred to is the relative desire, which springs
from the mistaken idea that physical life is the only
lite. The absolute desire of life, arises from the knowl«

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edge of what the whole life of man is, and what this
brief physical life is — therefore while the advanced
man does not desire it in the old way, he does not de>
spise it, and reaily desires it because it forms a part
of his whole life, and he does not wisli to miss, or part
with, any part of that which the Divine Plan has de-
creed shall be his. The advanced man neither fears
death, nor seeks it — he fears neither death nor life-
he desires neither (relatively) and yet he desires both,
from the absolute sense. Such a man or woman is in-
vincible — neither life nor death have any terrors for
such a one. When this consciousness is once reached,
the person is filled with such power that its radiance
is felt by the world in which he moves. Remember
these words: Fear neither death, nor life, Neither
fear death, nor seek it. When you have attained this
stage, then indeed will you know what life is — ^what
death is — for both are manifestations of LIFE.

The third precept, tells us to "Kill out desire of
comfort" — but the fourth adds: "Be happy as those
are who live for happiness." This teaching Is also
paradoxical, and follows the same line as the ones
just spoken of. Its apparent contradiction arises frwn
the two view-points, t. e. the relative and the abso-
lute. Apply this solvent to all apparently contradic-
tory occult teaching, and you will be able to separate
each part so that you may carefully examine it. Let
us apply it to this case.

"Kill out desire of comfort." At first tiiis would
seem to advocate extreme asceticism, but this is not
the real meaning. Much that is called asceticism
is really a running aw»y from things which we may

SOME LIGHT ON THE PATH. 19

think are too pleassmt. There seems to be an idea in
the minds of many people of all shades of religious be-
lief, that because a thing produces pleasure it must
necessarily be "bad." Some writer has made one of
his characters say : "It is so sad— it seems as if all the
pleasant things in life are wicked." There seems to be
a current belief that God takes pleasure in seeing peo-
ple unhappy and doing unpleasant things, and accord-
ingly many so-called "reli^^ous" people have frowned
upon the normal pleasures of life, and have acted as
if a smile was offensive to Deity. This is all a mis-
take. All normal pleasures are given to Man to use — ■
but none of them must be allowed to use Man. Man
must always be the master, and not the slave, in his
relation to the pleasures of life. In certain forms of
occult training the student is instructed in the cultiva-
tion of the Will, and some of the exercises prescribed
for him consist of the doing of disagreeable and un-
pleasant things. But this discipline is merely to
strengthen the Will of the student, and not because
there is any special merit in the disagreeable task, or
any special virtue in the self-denial attendant upon the
doing without certain pleasant accustomed things.
The whole idea consists in the exercising of the Will
to resist ; do without ; and to do things ; contrary to the
usual custom and habits of the individual, which course,
if practiced, will invariably result in a strengthening
of the Will. It operates upon the principle of exercis-
ing a muscle by calling it into play. These exercises
and practices are good, and we may have occasion
to refer to them in some of our lessons. The fast-
days and penance prescribed by the Catholic church

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have merit in the manner above indicated, outside of
any particular religious significance.

But, to get back to our subject, this precept is
not intended to preach asceticism. Occultism docs not
insist upon that. It does teach, however, that one
should t\(A allow hhnself to he tied to the pleasures
and comforts of life to such an extent that he will
cease to advance and develop his higher nature. Man
may be ruined by too much luxury, and many cases
are known where the higher influences at work under
the Law took away from a man those things which
hindered his growth, and placed him in a position in
which he was forced to live normally, and thereby
grow and unfold. Occultism preaches the "Simple
Life." It teaches that when a man has too many things
he is apt to let the things own him, instead of his
owning the things. He becomes a slave rather than a
master. "Kill out desire of comfort" does not mean
that one should sleep on rough boards, as a special
virtue pleasing to Deity, or that one should eat dry
crusts in the hopes of obtaining Divine favor— neither
of these things will have any such effect — Deity may
not be bribed and is not specially pleased at the spec-
tacle of one of his children making a fool of himself.
But the precept does impress upon us that we should
not be tied to any ideas of comfort, and that we should
not imagine that true happiness can arise from any
such cause. Enjoy the normal and rational pleasures of
life, but always retain your mastery over them, and
never allow them to run away with you. And, al-
ways remember that true happiness comes from within,
and that these luxuries and "comforts" are not neces-

SOME LIGHT ON THE PATH. ai

sides of the real man, and are merely things to be
used for what they are worth. These creature com-
forts and luxuries are merely incidents of the physical
plane, and do not touch the Real Self. The advanced
man uses all these things, as instruments, tools (or
even toys if it is found necessary to join in the game-
life of others), but he always knows them for what
they are and is never deceived. The idea that they
are necessary for his happiness would seem absurd
to him. And, as a man advances spiritually, his tastes
are apt to become simpler. He may like well-made
things of good quality, best suited for their purpose,
but he does not want so many of them, and ostentation
and display become very foreign to his tastes and in-
clinations. He does not necessarily have to "kill out"
flie last mentioned tastes— they are very apt to leave
him of themselves, finding his mental quarters not
suited to their accommodation.

Remember, also, that the fourth precept instructs
•jou to "Be happy as those are who live for happiness."
This does away with the long-face and dreary atmos-
phere idea. It says "be happy" (not "make believe
you are happy") as happy as those who live for the
so-called happiness coming from the things of the
physical plane. That is the sane teaching. Be happy—
so live diat you may obtain a healthy, normal ha{^iness
out of every hour of your life. The occultist is not a
miserable, sour-visaged, gloomy man, common beliefs
to the contrary notwithstanding. His life and under-
standing lifts rJm above the worries and fears of the
race, and his knowledge of his destiny is most inspiring.
He is able to rise above th? stem's aa4 riding safely

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tm the crest of the wave — ^yielding to every motion ef
the swell— he escapes being submerged. When things
become too unpleasant to be twrne on the relative
plane, he simply rises into the higher regions of his
mind where all is serene and calm, and he gains a
peace that will abide with him when he again sinks
to meet the trials and burdens of the day. The occultist
is the happiest of men, for he has ceased to fear— -he
knows that there is nothing to be afraid of. And he
has outgrown many of the superstitions of the race,
which keep many people in torment. He has left Hate
and Malice behind him. and has allowed Love to take
their vacant places, and he must, necessarily, be hap-
pier by reason of the change. He has outgrown the
idea of an angry Deity laying traps in which to enmesh
him — ^he has long since learned to smile at the childish
tale of the devil with cloven hoofs and horns, breath-
ing fire and brimstone, and keeping a Imttomless pit
into which one will be plunged tf he should happen to
forget to say his prayers, or if he should happen to
smile at God's beautiful earth, some fine Sunday, in-
stead of drowsing away an hour listening to some long-
drawn-out thcol(^cal sermon. He has learned that he
is a Cliild of God, destined for great things, and that
Deity is as a loving Father (yes, and Mother) rather
than as a cruel taskmaster. He realizes that he has
arrived at the age of maturity, and that his destiny
rests to some extent upon himself. The occultist is
necessarily an optimist— *e sees that all things are
working together for good— that life is on the path of
attainment— and that Love i.e over, above, and in ail.
These things the occultisf- learns as he progresses—

SOME LIGHT ON THE PATH, 23

and he is Happy. Happier than "those who live for

'*Gteek tn fhe heart the eotirce of evil, and expunge it. It
lives fittitfnlly in the heart of the devoted disdple, as weU
as in the heart of the man of tte^re. Only the strong can
kill it out. The weak must wait for its growth, its fruition,
its death. And it is a plant that lives and increases through-
out the ages. It flowers when the man has accumulated unto
himself innumerable existences. He who will enter upon the
path of power must tear this thing out of his heart. And
then the heart will bleed, and the whole life of the man
seem to he utterly dissolved. This ordeal must be endured;
it may come at the first step of the perilous ladder which
leads to the path of life; it may not come until the last.
But, O disciple, remember that it has to be endured, and
fasten the energies of your soul upon the task. Live neither
in the present nor the future, but in the eternal. This
giant weed cannot flower there; this blot upon existence is
vviped out by the very atmosphere of eternal thought."

The above admonition is a summing up of the first
three precepts, as explained by the fourth one. It
bids the student seek out in his heart the relative idea
of life and cast it from him. This relative idea of
life carries with it the selfish part of our nature—
that part of us which causes us to regard ourselves as
better than our brother — as separate from our fellow-
bwngs— as having no connection with all of life. It
is tfie idea of the lower part of our mind — our merely
refined animalism. Those who have carefully studied
our former course will understand that this part of
our mind is the brute side of us— the side of us which
>s the seat of the appetites, passions, desires of a low
order, and emotions of the lower plane. These things
ate not evil of themselves, but they belong to the lower
stages of life— tfte animal stage— <the stage from which
we have passed (or are now passing) to the stage of
tiie Man vristence. But these tendencies were loi^

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ages in forming, and are deeply imbedded in our nature,
and it requires the most heroic efforts to dislodge
theni-~and the only way to dislodge them is to replace
them by higher mental states. Right here, let us call
your attention to a well established prindple of occult
training, and yet one that is seldom mentioned in teach-
ing on the subject We refer to the fact that a bad
habit of thought or action is more easily eradicated by
supplanting it with a good habit— one that is directly
oi^sed to the habit of which one desires to get rid.
To tear out a bad habit by the roots, requires almost
superhuman strength of will, but to crowd it out by
nursing a good habit in its place, is far more easier
and seems to be nature's plan. The good habit will
gradually crowd the bad one until it cannot exist, and
then after a final strug^^Ie for life, it will expire. This
is the easiest way to "kill out" undesirable habits and
teaits.

Returning to tiic subj^ of the relative qualities of
the mind, we would say that selfishness ; all the animal
desires, including sexual desires on the physical plane
(there is much more in sex than i^ysical plane mani*
festations) ; all passions, such as hatred, envy, malice,
jealousy, desire for revenge, self-glorification, and self-
exaltation; are also a pat of it. Low pride is one
of its most subtle and dangerous manifestations, and
one which returns again, and again, after we think we
have cast it off— each return being tn a more subtle
form— physical pride, being succeeded by the pride
of the intellect— pride in psychic attainments— pride in
spiritual development and growth— pride in moral
worth, chastity and character- the "I am holier than

SOME UGHT ON THE PATH. as

thou" pride— and so on. Again and again does pride,
the tempter, come to bother us. Its existence is based
upon the delusion of separateness, which leads us to
imagine that we have no connection with other mani-
festations of life, and which causes us to feel a spirit
of antagonism and unworthy rivalry toward our fel-
low beings, instead of recognizing the fact that we
are all parts of the One Life — some far back struggling
in the mire of the lower stages of the road— others
traveling along the same stage of the journey as our-
selves—others still further advanced — ^but all on the
way— all being bits of the same great Life. Beware
of Pride— this most subtle enemy of advancement —
and supplant it with the thought that we are all of
the same origin — ^having the same destiny before us —
having the same road to travel—brothers and sisters
all— all children of God — all little scholars in Life's
great Kindergarten. Let us also realize that while each
must stand alone before he is able to pass the test of
initiation— yet are we all interdependent, and the pain
of one is the pain of all— the sin of one is the sin of
all— that we arc all parts of a race working toward
race improvement and growth— and that love and the
feeling of brotherhood is the only sane wew of the
question.

The brute instincts are still with us, constantly forc-
ing themselves into our field of thought. Occultists
learn to curt) and control these lower instincts, subor-
dinating them to the higher mental ideals which unfold
into the field of consciousness. Do not be discouraged
if you still find that you have much of the animal
within your nature— we all have— the only difference
is that some of us have learned to control the brute,

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and to keep him in leash and subordinate and obedient
to the higher parts of our nature, while others allow
the beast to rule them, and they shiver and turn pale
when he shows his teeth, not seeming to realize that
a firm demeanor and a calm mind will cause the beast
to retreat to his corner and allow himself to be kept
behind bars. If you find constant manifestations of
the beast within you, struggling to be free and to as-
sert his old power, do not be disturbed. This Is no
sign of weakness, but is really an indication that your
spiritual growth has begim. For whereas you now
recognize the brute, and feel ashamed, you formerly
did not realize his presence — were not aware of his
existence, for you xvere the brute himself. It is onl>
because you are tr>'ing to divorce yourself from him,
that you feel ashamed of his presence. You cannot
see him until you begin to be "different" from him.
Learn to be a tamer of wild beasts, for you have a
whole menagerie within you. The lion; the tiger; the
hyena ; the ape ; the pig ; the peacock, and all the rest
arc there, constantly showing forth some of their char-
acteristics. Do not fear them — smile at them when
they show themselves — for you are stronger than they,
and can bring them to subjection — and their appear-
ance is useful to you in the way of instructing you as
to their existence. They are an amusing lot, when
you have reached the stage where you are able to prac-
tically stand aside and sec them perform their tricks,
and go through their antics. You then feel strongly
that they are not YOU, but something apart from you
—something from which you are becoming rapidly di-
vorced. Do not worry about the beasts—for you are
the master.

SOME UGHT ON THE PATH. 27

While the above quotation from "Light on the PatV
includes all of the foregoing manifestations of the lowei;
nature, it seems to dwell especially upon that delusion
of the lower self— that dream of separateness— that
exhibitim of what has been called "the working fic-
tion of the universe," which causes us to imagine our-
selves things apart from the rest— something better,
holier, and superior to the rest of our kind. This man-
ifests in the emotion of Pride— the peacock part of our
mental menagerie. As we have said, this is one of the
most dangerous of our lower qualities, because it is
so subtle and persistent You will note that the writer
speaks of it as Xmng "fruitfully in the heart of the
devoted disciple, as well as in the heart of the man
of desire." This may seem strange to you, but Jt is
the experience of every advanced occultist that, long
after he had thought he had left Pride behind him,
he would be startled at it appearing in a new phase~
the pride of psychic power— the pride of intellect—
the pride of spiritual growth. And then he would
have all his work to do over again. Let us state right
here that there is a kind of pride which is not a man-
ifestation of the lower self— it may be called the
ahiolnte form of pride, if you will. We allude to that
pride in things as a whole— a pride that the whole is
so great and grand and wonderful, and that we are
parts of that whole— that the Intellect we manifest is
part of that universal mind — that the spiritual growth
we have attained is a bit of the great possibilities of
the race, and that much more is ahead for all the race.
But the danger line is reached when we begin to shut
out some others from that universal pride — the mo-

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ment that we leave out one other manifestation of life
(no matter how lowly) from our universe pride, then
we make it a selfish pnde. The moment we erect a
fence with anyone on the outside, then are we btdulg>
tng in selfish pride. For there is no outside, at the
last. We are alt inside— <here is no place outside of
the All. When you feel a pride with all living things
—with all of life— with all of being— then you are not
selfish. But the moment you place jtiurself apart in
a class— whether that class be comp(»ed of but your-
self, or of yourself and all of mankind, except one
individual — then you are yielding to a subtle form of
selfishness. The last man must not be left out— cannot
be left out. You are possessed of no quality or attain-
ment that is not the property of the race— «omething
that may be attained by all in time. All that you think
is superiority is merely a little more age— a little more
experience on this plane of existence. Your pride is
the foolish infantile pride of the child who has just
passed out of "the baby class" in the primary school, and
looks condescendingly up<Hi the new flock of little ones
who are just entering the class from which he has just
passed. To the eyes of those in hi^er classes, the
second grade scholar is a subject for a kindly, pitying
smile— but the little fellow does not know that— he
feels "big," and gives the peacock quality full sway.
Now, before we leave this illustration, let us say that
the little fellow is justified in feeling proud of having
accomplished his advancement— it is a worthy feeling
—the peacock part comes in only when he looks down
upon tiiose below him. This is the substance of die
folly of Pride— this feeling of superiority toward ttose

SOME LIGHT ON THE PATH. 29

still in the tower grade. A feeling of joy from work
attained— heights scaled— is not unworthy. But let us
1»ware of the attendant feeling of superiority towawl
those who are still climbing— there lies the sting of
Pride. Extract the sting, and your wasp is harmless.
If you feel tempted toward self-glorification, some-
times, just remember that as compared to some of the
intelligences, who have long since passed through your
present stage of development, you are no more than
is the intelligence of a black beetle as compared with
your own intellect— that, to the eyes of some of the
greatly developed souls, the everyday life of even the
highest of our race on earth to-day is but as are to
us the antics and gambols ; fights and tumbles ; of a
lot of Newfoundland puppies whose eyes have been
opened but a few days — ^just remember this, we say,
and you will get a better idea of just what place you
fill in the scale of intelligence. But this does not mean
self-debasement, either. Not at all. As low compara-
tively, as we may be, we are still well on the way of
advancement, and great things are before us— we can-
not be robbed of a single bit of life~-we cannot be de-
nied our heritage-Hwe are going on, and on, and on,
to greater and still greater heights. But, impress this
upon your soul— not only are you going tiiere, but all
of mankind besides— yes, even that last man. Do not
forget this. On the plane of the eternal, there cannot be
such a thmg as selfish pride— 'understanding has forever
wiped it out— "this giant weed cannot flower there;
this blot upon existence is wiped out by the very at-
mosphere of eternal thought."

W«mv8t carry ov«r to the nest lesson the remainder of ottr coffl.
nents oa the above qnotatlon.

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LESSON II.

More Light on the Path.

Before passing to the consideration of the next
precept, we must again call your attention to the quota-
tion from "Light on the Path" which we had before
us at the close of the last lesson, but which we were
compelled to carry over to this lesson, because of lack
of space. In the quotation referred to appears the sen-
tence: "Live neither in the present nor the future,
but in the eternal." This sentence has perplexed many
students, in view of the fact that the teachings have
impressed upon them the importance of living in the
Now, and of looking forward to the future as the field
for further development. And this sentence seems to
run contrary to the previous teachings. But it is all
a matter of absolute and relative point of view, again.
Let us see if we can make it plain to you.

To live in the present, regarding it as something
different from the future— or to live (in imagination)
in the future, in the sense that it is considered as a
separate thing from the present — is an error, spring-
ing from the relative view of life. It is the old mis-
take which causes us to separate time trom eternity.
The absolute view of the matter shows us that time
and eternity are one — that we are in eternity right
now;, as much as we ever shall be. It does away with
the error that a broad line is drawn between this time

»1

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32 ADVANCED COURSE. *

of mortal life and the "eternity" into which we enter
after we have passed out of the body — it shows us that
here— right here in the flesh— we are in eternity. It
reveals to us that this life is but an infinitesimal part '/
of the great life— that it is merely sunrise in the great
day of consciousness— and that to live as if this petty ti
period of life were all is the veriest folly of ignorant re
mankind. But right here, do not fall into the error of h
going to the other extreme and ignoring and despising r
the present life in your desire to "live in the future" o
— remember the paradox that is to be found in all
statements of the truth — ^the reverse side of the shield.
To despise the present life is as ridiculous as to live
as if it were all the life there is. To follow this course
is to commit the folly of "living in the future," against
which the little manual cautions us. This life (small
and insignificant though it may be as compared to the
great life) is most important to us — ^it is a stage in
our development that is needed by us, and we must not
shirk it or despise it. We are just where we are, be-
cause it is the ver}* best place for us at this stage of
our development, and we cannot afford to spend this
life in merely dreaming of the future, for we have
tasks to perform — lessons to learn — and we will never
be able to advance until we master our present grade
duties. This present life is not oH— but it is part of all
— remember this.

These difficulties of the distinction between the pres-
ent and future vanish when we regard them from the
absolute view-point. The moment that we become fully
conscious that the eternal is the only real thing— and
that Now is all of eternity that we are able to grasp
with our consciousness— that it is always Now wltli

MORE LIGHT ON THE PATH. 33

U8, and always will be Now— when we realize this,
then do the relative terms "present" and "future" lose
their former meanings to us, and time and eternity;
yesterday, today, tomorrow; and forever and forever;
are seen to be but slightly different manifestations of
tiie great eternal Now, in which we live at each mo-
ment of our existence. This living in the eternal
makes us enjoy every moment of our present life —
allows us to look forward to the future without fear-
causes us to feel the consciousness of what real life
is— helps us to realize the I Am consciousness — allows
us to perceive things in their right relations — in short,
gives to life a reality that it otherwise lacks, and
causes the old relative views to drop from us like the
withered leaves from the rose. As the writer of
"Light on th€ Path" so beautifully says: "This giant
weed cannot flourish there; this blot upon existence is
wiped out by the very atmosphere of eternal thought."

B. Kill out all sense of separatenesa.

6. Kill out desire for lenBation.

7. Kill out the hunger for growth.

8. Tet stand alone and isolated, because nothing that is
emtiodied, nothing that is conscious of separation, nothing that
is out of the eternal can aid yon. Learn from sensation, and
obaerre it; because only so can yon commence the science of
telMcnowledge, and plant your foot on the first step of the
ladder. Qrow as the flower grows, unconsciously, but eagerly
anxious to open its soul to the air. So must you press for-
ward to open your soul to the etemaL But it must be the
•tenal that draws forth your strength and beauty, not dedre
«f growth. Tu, ia the one ease, you develop in the luxuriance
of parity; in tho otho, you harden tar the forcible passioa for
petBoaal statnn.

Here again are we confronted with a set of para-
dojdcal precepts, tiie first three of which tell us to kill
out certain things, and the fourth of which then pro-
cteds to tell us (apparently) to do the very things

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34 ADVANCED COURSE.

which we have just been advised not to do. This is
another example of the Divine Paradox which under*
lies all occult teachings— the two sides of the shield.
Read what we have said on this subject, on page lo,
Lesson I. What we have said there applies to nearly
all of the precepts of "Light on tlie Path."

In the fifth precept we are told to "Kill out all sense
of separatencss." The eighth precept gives us the
reverse side of the shield : "Yet stand alone and iso-
lated, because notliing that is embodied, nothing that
is conscious of separation, nothing that is out of the
eternal, can aid you." Here we have two vital truths
imparted to us — and yet the two are but different sides
of the same truth. Let us consider it

The sense of separateness that causes us to feel as
if we were made of different material from our fellow
men and women — that makes us feel self-righteous —
that makes us thank God that we are different from,
and better than, other men — is error, and arises from
the relative point of view. The advanced occultist
knows that we are all parts of the One Life— varying
only as we have unfolded so as to allow the higher
parts of our nature to manifest through us. The lowly
brother is but as we were once, and he will some day
occupy the same position that we now do. And both
he and we will surely mount to still greater heights —
and if he Icams his lessons better than do we, he may
outstrip us in development. And besides this, we are
bound up with the lives of every other man and wo-
man. We participate in the conditions which contribute
to their sin and shame. We allow to exist in our civili-
zation conditions and environments which contribute
largely to crime and misery. Every mouthful we eat—

1

le

MORE LIGHT ON THE PATH. 35

every garment we wear— every dollar we cam— has
had some connection with other people, and their lives
and ours are intermingled— we touch all mankind at
thousands of points. The law of cause and effect
makes close companions of persons apparently as far
apart as the poles. What we call sin is often the
result of ignorance and misdirected energy— if we
were in exactly the same position as those who do
wrong — with the same temperament, training, environ-
ment, and opportunity — ^would we do so very much
better than they? All life is on the Path— we are all
advancing slowly— often slipping back two feet for
every three wc advance, but still registering a net ad-
vance of one foot. And all are really trying to do the
best they can, although often the appearances are very
much against them. None of us are so very good or
perfect — then why should we be so ready to condemn.
Let us lend a helping hand whenever we can, but let
us not say, "I am hplier than thou." Let us remember
the precept of the great Master who warned us to cast
the first stone only when we were free from sin our^
selves. Let us avoid the sense of separateness in the
relative sense, for it is a snare and a delusion, and the
parent of nearly all error.

But now for the other side of the shield. Let us
learn to stand alone — we must learn this lesson in order
to advance. Our life is our own— we must live it our-
selves. No one else may live it for us— and we may
live the life of no one else. Each must stand squarely
upon his own feet. Each is accountable for his own
acts. Each must reap that which he has sown. Each
must suffer or enjoy according to his own acts. Man
is responsible only to himself and the Eternal. Noth«

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36 ADVANCED COURSE *

ing outside of the Eternal and himself »n aid him.
Each soul must work out its own destiny* and no other
soul may do the work of another. Each soul contains
within it the light of the Spirit, which will give it all
the help it requires, and each soul must learn to look ^
within for that help. The lesson of Courage and Self- ^
Reliance must be learned by the growing soul. It »
must learn that while nothing from without can help
it, it is equally true that nothing from without can \
harm it The Ego is proof against all harm and hurt,
once it realizes the fact. It is indestructible, and eter*
nal. Water cannot drown it—fire cannot bum it— it
cannot be destroyed—it IS and always will be. It
should learn to be able to stand erect— upon its own
feet. If it needs the assurance of the presence of an
unfailing helper— one that is possessed of unlimited
power and wisdom— let it look to the Eternal— all that
it needs is there. _

The sixth precept tells us to "Kill out desire for I
sensation." And the eighth tells us to "Learn from I
sensation, and observe it, because only so can you com-
mence tlie science of self-knowledge, and plant your
foot upon the first step of the ladder." Another para-
dox. Let us try to find the key.

The warning in the sixUi precept bids us to let drop
the desire for sense gratification. The pleasures of the
senses belong to the relative plane. We begin by enjoy-
ing that which appeals to the grosser senses, and from
that we gradually work up the enjoyment of that which
comes through higher senses. We ou^row certain
forms of sense gratification. We pass from sensuality
to sensuousness, in its lower and higher degrees. There
is a constant evolution in sense gratification in man.

MORE UGHT ON THE PATH. ^

The things we enjoyed yesterday, seem crude and
gross to us to-day, and so it will always be, as we
pass onward and upward in the scale of life. We
must cease to be tied to the gratification of the senstt~>
the soul has higher pleasures awaiting it. The pleas-
ures of the senses are all right in their place---they
have their offices to perform in the evolution of tiie
soul—but the soul must beware of allowing itself to
be ftVd to them, as its progress will be retarded if it
does so— useless baggage must be cast aside as the soul
mounts the upward path— light marching order is the
proper thing. The ties which bind you to sense grati-
fication must be boldly cut, that you may go on your
way. Therefore "Kill out de&re ior sensation." Re-
member, the precept does not say that you should kill
cut *e»tsa(io«— only the desire for sensation. Neither
desire sensation, nor run away from it as an evU thing.
Turn sensation to good account, by studying it, and
learning its lessons, that you may see it for what it is
really worth, and thus be able to drop it from you.

As the eighth precept tells you : "Learn from sensa-
tion, and observe it ; because only so can you commence
the science of self-knowledge, and plant your foot upon
the first step of the ladder."

This does not mean that you should yield to sense-
gratification in order to learn its lessons — ^the advanced
soul should have passed beyond this stage. Sensations
may be studied as if from the outside, and it is not
necessary to indulge a sense in order to learn tiie le§>
son it has to teach you. The real meaning of this last
precept is that when we find that we experience cer-
tain sense feelings— sensations— we should weigh,
measure, gauge and test them, instead of viewing them

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with horror. These things are a part of us— they come
from the Instinctive Mind, and are our heritage from
our previous lowly states of existence. They are not
bad in themselves, but are simply unworthy of us in
our present stage of development. They are the shad-
ows of our former selves — the reflection of things
which were proper and natural in us in our more ani-
mal states, but which we are now outgrowing. You
may learn great lessons by noting tlic symptoms of
these dying sense-manifestations, and thereby will be
enabled to cast them away from you sooner than if
you allow yourself to fear them as the manifestations
of an evil entity outside of yourself— the temptings of
a personal Devil. In time you will outgrow these
things, their places being filled with something better
and more worthy. But in the meantime, view them as
you would the instinctive desire to perform some trick
of childhood, which while once natural is now unnatu-
ral and undesirable. Many grown persons have had
much trouble in getting rid of the old baby trick of
sucking the thumb, or twisting a lock of hair between
the fingers, which while considered as quite "cute" in
the baby days, nevertheless brought upon the growing
child many reproaches and punishments, and in after
years, often required the exercise of the will of the
adult to cast it aside as an undesirable thing. Let us
so view these symptoms of the baby-days of our soiil-
life, and let us get rid of them by understanding them,
their nature, history, and meaning, instead of fearing
them as the "work of the Devil." There is no Devil
but Ignorance and Fear.

The seventh precept tells us to "Kill out desire for
growth," and yet the eighth advises us to grow—

MORE LIGHT ON THE PATH. 39

"Grow as the flower grows, unconsciously, but eagerly
anxious to open its soul to the air. So must you press
forward to open your soul to the eternal. But it must
be the eternal that draws forth your strength and
beauty, not desire of growth. For in the one case you
develop in the luxuriance of purity ; in the other, you
harden by the forcible passion for personal stature."

The writer of the above words has made so plain the
meaning of this two-fold statement of truth, titat very
little comment upon the same is needed, even for those
just entering upon the Path. The distinction between
the "desire for growth," and the unfoldment that
comes to the advancing soul lies in the motive. "De-
sire for growth," in the relative sense, means desire
for g^rowth for self-glorification— a subtle form of van-
ity — and a refined form of selfish ambition. And this
desire, as applied to spiritual, tends toward what occult-
ists know as "black magic," which consists of a desire
for spiritual power to use for selfish ends, or even for
the mere sense of power that such development brings.
The student of occultism cannot be warned too often
against such desires and practices — it is the dark side
of the picture, and those who pursue the descending
path meet with a terrible punishment by reason of their
own acts, and are often compelled to labor for ages be-
fore they find their way back to the Path upon which
the sun of the Spirit shines brightly.

The natural growth of the soul — ^that growth which
is compared to that of the flower — gradual and un-
conscious, but yet eager in the sense of opening up
one's soul to the beneficient rays of the great Central
Sun of Life— the growth which consists in "letting"
rather than forcing, is the growth to be desired. This

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40 ADVANCED CX)URSE.

growth comes to us each day. if we but open ourselv^
to it Let the soul unfold, and the Spirit will gradu*
ally manifest itself to your consciousness. Many stud*
ents torment themselves, and their teachers, by Uieir
eager questionings, "what shall I do?" The only an*
swer is "stand aside from your labored efforts, and
just let yourself grow." And you wiU grow in this
way. Every day will add to your experience — every
year will find you further along the path. You may
think that you are making no pr(^ess — but just com-
pare yourself to the self of a year ago, and you will
notice the improvement Go on, living your life, the
best you know how — doing the work before you in
the manner that seems best for you, day-by-day—wor-
rying not about your future life— living in the great
and glorious Now — and allowing the Spirit to work
through you in confidence and faith and love. And,
dear student, all vdll be well with you. You are
on the right road — keep to the middle of it— enjoy the
scenery as you pass along— enjoy the refreshing
breezes — enjoy the night as well as the day— it is all
good— and you are making progress without feeling
the strain of the journey. The man who counts the
milC'Stones and worries about how much farther he
has to go. and how slow he is moving, makes his jour>
ney doubly tiresome, and loses all the beauty of the
roadside. Instead of thinking about what he is seeing,
he is thinking merely of miles, miles, miles, and many
more miles ahead. Which is the course of wisdom?
9. Desire only tlut whleb is withia yon.

10. Desire only that which is beyond you.

11. Dean only that which is onattaiiiaUe.

18. Tot wiUiIn you is the Usbt of tbo world, fh» oa^
Bgbt that eao be ehed upon the Path. If you ore naaUa to

MORE UGHT ON THE PATH. 41

neive it within yov, it is useless to look for it eUnwlien).
» bejrond yoa; because, when y<m reacb it, ym have lost
younelf . It is unattainable, because it forever recedes. Ton
will ester the light, but you will never toaeh the flame.

These four precepts form another of the many para*
doxes contained in the wonderful little manual ufKm
which we are commenting. To those who have not
foimd its key, these four precepts seem strangely con-
tradictory and "wild." To be told to desire a thing
that is within you--and yet beyond you — and which
is unattainable, seems ridiculous to the average man
on the street But, when one has the key, the teach-
ings seem very plain and beautiful. The four pre*
cepts refer to the unfoldment of Spiritual Conscious-
ness — Illumination—which we attempted to faintly de-
scribe in our first scries of lessons (The Fourteen Les-
sons). This is the first great attainment before us
on the path. It means everything to the occultist at
this stage of the journey, for it takes him from the
plane of mere "belief" or intellectual acquiescence, on
to the plane where he knows that he IS. It does not
endow him permanently with universal knowledge, but
it gives him that consciousness of real spiritual ex-
istence, compared to which every other experience and
knowled{;e sinks into nothing. It brings one face-to-
face (perhaps only for a moment) with the Real Self,
and the great Reality of which that Self is but a part.
This state of consciousness is the great prize which
is awaiting the efforts of the race to free itself, and
it is a reward worth many lives of unfoldment to at-
tain.

"Desire only that which is within you*--for the
Spirit is the only reality, and it is within each of us.
A« the text says: "For within you is the light of tfie

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43 ADVANCED COURSE. "

world, the only ligbt that can be shed upon the Path.
If you are unable to perceive it within you, it is useless
to look for it elsewhere." Why do not these anxious
seekers after truth, take this advice and look within ii

themselves for that which they seek, instead of .run>
ning hither and thither, after teachers, prophets, seers,. h

and leaders— exhausting first one strange teaching, and r

then another. All this is useful— because it teaches us >

tliat that which we seek is not to be found in this way. e

And you will never find what you seek, in such ways.
You may get a hint here, or a suggestion there— but
thi! real thing is right within yourself waiting patiently
for that hour when you will look within for it, confi-
dently, hopefully, and lovingly. Oh, Ii.sten to the voice
of the soul — ^look for the light of the Spirit. You
have them both within you — why seek further for that
which can never reach you from the outside.

"Desire only that which is beyond you." "It is be-
yond you; because when you reach it, you have lost
yourself." It is always just beyond you, and when
you become one with it, the old relative self has faded
away, and a greater, grander YOU has replaced it.
Man must lose himself to find Himself. In this sense,
the great thing to be desired is beyond the to-day
"you," although it is within you— it is really Your-
self, as you will be. Can we make this plainer? The
child longs for manhood — it is beyond him, and yet
the child is the embryo man, and the elements of man-
hood are within him, awaiting the hour of develop-
ment. But when that child attains manhood, the child
is gone— he has lost himself, and a larger self has taken
tfs place. So that the thing for which the child longs,
really causes him to lose his (child) self in its attain-

MORE UGHT ON THE PATH. 43

ment. The butterfly is within the caterpillar— but it
is also beyond him>-and when he gains it he is no
longer a caterpillar but a butterfly. These are crude
illustrations, but perhaps they may help you to under-
stand the matter more clearly.

"Desire only that which is unattainable." This
sounds discouraging, but, when understood, it really
gives renewed energy. The text goes on : "It is un-
attainable, because it forever recedes. You may enter
the light, but you will never touch the flame." As the
soul gains in spiritual consciousness, it becomes greater
and grander, but it is traveling but the first steps in
the real journey— but that journey is becoming more
and more pleasant. As we climb the mountain side of
Attainment, the view becomes grander at each step.
But the mountain top, which seemed so near at the
beginning of the journey, seems constantly to recede as
one climbs. And yet there is no disappointment, for
every step of the way is now accompanied with the
keenest pleasure. It is ever so in soul-unfoldment. As
step after step is taken, greater heights appear to the
view, emerging from the clouds which have surrounded
them. There are undreamt of heights. You may, and
will, gain the highest point now visible to you (be your
attainment ever so great at this moment) but when you
get there you will find that there is as much before you
as you have left behind — far more in fact. But all
this does not disappoint you, when you once grasp its
significance. As you enter the great light you become
conscious of gradually nearing the great center of
Light— but although you are fairly bathed in the glo-
rious effulgence, you have not touched the flame —
and never will, as Man. But what of that— why fret

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44 ADVANCED COURSE.

because you cannot sec the end — if end there be. You
nre destined to become something so much greater and
grander than you are to-day, that your wildest imagin-
ings cannot give you the faintest idea of it. And,
still beyond that state, there are other states, and others,
and others and others. Rejoice in the light, but sigh
not because you are told that you will never touch the
flame — ^you do not begin to realize what the bright
light is— the flame is beyond your comprehension.

13. Desire power ardently.

14. Desire peace fervently.

15. Desire possession above all.

16. But those possessions nrast t>eloitg to the pure sou) only,
and i>e possessed therefore by all pure souls equally, and thus
be the especial property of the whole only when united. Hun-
ger for such possessions as can be held by the pure soul, that
you may accumulate wealth for that united spirit of life
which is your only true self. The peace yon shall desire is
that sacred peace which nothing can diatorb, and in which the
soul grows as does the holv flower upon the still lagoons.
And that power which the disciple shall covet is that which
shall make him appear ae nothing in the eyes of men.

17. Seek out the way.

18. Seek the way by retreating within.

19. Seek the way advancing boldly without.

Here is another example of the relative and the abso-
lute. "Desire power ardently." And yet power, sel-
fish power, is the greatest curse of the man who pos-
.scss it. The power of the Spirit, which is "the power
which the disciples shall covet," may indeed make him
"appear as nothing in the eyes of men" who arc striv-
ing after material power. For it is the conscious power
of which the average man knows nothing— of which he
is unable to form a mental image. And he is very apt
to regard as a fool the man v^o possesses it, or who
is reaching out for it. The power which is applied to
unselfish uses is incomprehensible to the average man

MORE LIGHT ON THE PATH. 45

who seeks for worldly power— and yet that worldly
power, and all that it is capable of accomplishing, will
crumble before the Batne of time, as a sheet of tissue
before the match, and will be in ashes in the twinkling
of an eye, while the real power of spiritual attainment
grows stronger and mightier as the ages roll by. The
one is tlie substance — ^the other the shadow— and yet
the world reverses their position because of its im-
perfect vision. Do not make the mistake of translating
this sixteenth precept as meaning that the student
should seek to "appear as nothing in the eyes of men."
This is not the meaning— the student should avoid
seeking to "appear" as an\thing in the eyes of man,
whether that anything be everything or nothing. Let
the appearances go — they belong to the world of shad-
ows and the true student has naught to do with them.
Let the world attend to its own "appearances"— let
it amuse itself with its childish toys, and soap bubbles.
Do not seek to "appear" — let the world attend to that,
it will amuse the world, and will not hurt you. We say
this because some have translated this precept as if it
were an incentive to assumed humility which is akin to
the "humbleness" of Uriah Keep. As if to "appear"
as nothing were some particular virtue ! The precept
really means to point out the only power worth seek-
ing, and at the same time to show the student how
lightly the world is apt to regard such power as com*
pared to what it calls "power," but which worldly
power is but as the power of the lunatic who, sitting
on a soap-box throne, with a pasteboard crown and a
toy sceptre, imagines that he is Lord of All. Let the
world amuse itself— it concerns you not — seek ye the

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46 ADVANCED COURSE.

real power of the Spirit, no matter how you "appear'*
to men.

"Desire peace fervently." But that peace is the
peace which comes from within, and which you may
enioy even though you be in the midst of the battle of
life— though you be commander-in-chief of the worldly
army, or its humblest soldier (all one, at the last).
This peace of the awakened and conscious soul is in-
deed "that sacred peace which nothing can disturb,
and in which the soul grows as does the holy flower
upon the still lagoons." This peace comes only to one
who has awakened to the consciousness of his real spir-
itual existence. This state once attained enables a man
to set aside a part of his nature into which he may re-
tire when the troubles and strife of the outer life dis-
turb him, and which immediately surrounds him with
a peace "that passcth understanding," because it is
beyond the realms of the understanding of the intellect.
Such a sanctuary of the soul is a "haven of rest," for
the troubled mind, and in which it may seek shelter
from the storms which are howling without. When
one becomes conscious of what he really is. and is able
to see the world of illu-sions for what they are, he finds
this place of peace. And, although, the necessities of
his life have placed him in a position in which he must
be In the thick of the fight, he really is merely i« it,
and not of it. For white one part of his nature plays
out the part allotted to him, his higher self rises above
the tumult, and serenely smiles at It all. Establish for
yourself a sanctuary of the soul, in which Silence
reigns, and into which your tired soul may creep to
rest, and recuperate. It is this peace to which the Yogis

MORE UGHT ON THE PATH. 47

refer, when they say: "Peace be with Thee." And
may it be with you all I And abide with you.

"Desire possessions above all." This sounds like
queer teaching along spiritual lines, but read on. "But
those possessions must belong to the pure soul only,
and be possessed therefore by all pure soub equally,
and thus be the especial property of the wttole only
when united. Hunger for such possessions as can be
held by the pure soul, that you may accumulate wealth
for that united spirit of life which is your true self."
These possessions, obviously, are not material posses-
sions, but the possessions of the soul. And what is a
soul able to possess. Knowledge only, for all else is
unreal, and passeth away, Therefore let the soul de-
sire the possession and attainment of the knowledge
which it needs — the knowledge of the Spirit. And
this best knowledge may be possessed by the pure soul
only — the other kind of souls do not care for it. And
the pure soul is willing to hold such possessions in
common for all other souls who are able to accept a
share in it, or to make use of it, and no attempt is made
to claim especial property rights in such possessions,
and it is recognized as the property of the "united
whole." There can be no "comers" in spiritual knowl-
edge, no matter how vigorously some mortals may
claim to possess same — there can be no monopoly upon
these possessions, for they are free as water to those
who are ready and willing to receive them. Although
the most valuable of all possessions, they are literally
"without money and without price," and woe unto
him who attempts to sell the gifts of the Spirit<— for
he sells that which cannot be delivered except to those
who are ready for them, and those who are ready for

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48 ADVANCED COURSE

them have no need to buy— they simply help them<
selves from the feast. We call your attention to the
sentence which says that you should desire to "accumu-
late wealth for that united spirit of life which is your
real self." For when you attain spiritual knowledge
you are not merely accumulating for yourself, but for
others as well — ^you are working for the race as well
as for yourself. The race is benefited by its individual
members attaining spiritual knowledge, and you are
making it easier for others of the race — those now
living, and those who will come later. You are doing
your part to raising the thought of the world. And, as
you have enjoyed some of the treasures which have
been gathered together by those who have passed on
during the ages, so will generations to come be bene-
fited by that which you are accumulating now. We arc
but atoms in a mighty whole, and the gain of one is
the gain of all. Nothing is lost, Therefore "Desire
possessions above all."

"Seek out the way." Seek it not by strenuous en-
deavor, but by opening up yourself to the promptings
of the Spirit — by recognizing the hunger of the soul
for spiritual bread — the thirst for the draught from the
spring of life. Draw knowledge by the Law of At-
traction. It will come to you in obedience to that law.
It is yours for the asking, and nothing can keep it
from you, or you from it. As Emerson says: "The
things that are for thee, pravitate to thee. Oh, believe,
as thou livest, that every sound that is spoken over the
round world which tho« oj^htcst to hear, will vibrate
on thine car. Every proverb, every book, every by-
vrtord that belongs to thee for aid or comfort, shall
surely come home through open or winding passages."

MORE UGHT ON THE PATH. 49

And this will be your test of the truth: When a
message comes to you that seems to awaken a memory
of an almost forgotten truth, then that t#uth is yQurs-~
it may not be all of that truth, but as much as you feel
is true is yours— the rest will come in time. Emerson
is said to have been asked to prove certain statements
which he had made, in a lecture. He is reported as
saying, in reply, "I trust that I shall never utter a
statement of the truth which will need to be proved."
He was right. Truth is self-evident. When the awak-
ening soul hears a statement of what truth it is ready
to receive at that time, it instinctively recognizes it
as such. It may not be able to explain it to others, or
even to itself. But it knows, it knows. The awakening
faculties of the Spiritual Mind perceives truth by
methods of their own. The Spiritual Mind does not
run contrary to reason— but it transcends Intellect — ^it
goes beyond, and sees that which the Intellect cannot
grasp. In reading, or hearing, statements of what is
claimed to be the truth, accept only that which appeals
to this higher reason, and lay aside, temporarily, that
which does not so appeal to it. In a lecture, or in a
book, there may be only one sentence that so appeals to
you— accept that, and let the rest go. If that which is
passed by be real truth, it will come to you when you
are ready for it— it cannot escape you. Be not wor>
ried if you cannot understand all you hear or read-
pass by that which does not awaken the answering
ring of the spiritual keynote within you. This ts a safe
test, and rule. Apply it to all writings and teachings—
our own included. Be not disturbed by the apparently
conilicting teachings which you hear and read. Each
teacher must teach in his own way, and every teacher

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will reach some that the others will miss. All teachers
have some of the truth — none have all of it. Take
your own wherever you find it — and let the rest pass
you by. Do not be a bigoted follower of teachers —
listen to what they say — but apply the test of your own
soul to all of it. Do not be a blind follower. Be an
individual. Your soul is as good a judge as any other
sonl— better, for you, in fact. For it knows what it
needs, and is continually reaching out for it. Teachers
are useful — ^books are useful— because they suggest to
you— they supply missing links— they give you loose
ends of thought, which you may unwind at your leisure
—they corroborate that which is lying half-awakened
in your mind — they aid in the birth of new thought
within your mind. But your own soul must do its own
work— is the best judge of what is best for you— is
(he wisest counsellor — the most skilled teacher. Heed
the voice of the Something Within. Trust your own
soul, O student. Look within confidently, trustingly,
and hopefully. Look within— for there is the spark
from the Divine Flame.

"Seek the way by retreating within." We have just
spoken of this trust in the Something Within. This
precept emphasizes this phase of occult teaching. Learn
to retreat within the Silence, and listen to the voice of
your soul — it will tell you many great things. In the
Silence the Spiritual Mind will unfold and pass on to
your consciousness bits of the great truths which lie
buried within its recesses. It will pass on to the In-
tellect certain frae:ments of truth from its own great
storehouse, and the Intellect will afterwards accept
them, and reason from the premises thus obtained.
Intellect is cold— Spiritual Mind is warm and alive

MORE UGHT ON THE PATH. 51

with high feeling. The Spiritual Mind is the source of
much that is called "inspiration." Poets, painters,
sculptors, 'writers, preachers, orators, and others have
received this inspiration in all times, and do so to-day.
This is the source from which the seer obtains his
vision — the prophet his foresight. By development of
his Spiritual Consciousness, Man may bring himself
into a higfi relationship and contact with this higher
part of his nature, and may thus become possessed of a
knowledge of which the Intellect has not dared to
dream. When we learn to trust the Spirit, it responds
by sending us more frequent flashes of illumination
and enlightenment. As one unfolds in Spiritual Con-
sciousness, he relics more upon the Inner Voice, and
is more readily able to distinguish it from the im-
pulses from the lower planes of the mind. He learns
to follow the guidance of the Spirit, and to allow it
to lend him a helping hand. To be "led by the Spirit**
is a living and real fact in the lives of all who have
reached a certain stage of spiritual development.

"Seek the way by advancing boldly without." Be
not afraid. Nothing can harm you. You are a living,
eternal soul. Therefore, be bold. Look around you
and see what is going on in the world — and learn les-
sons thereby. See the workings of the great loom of
life — watch the shuttles fly— see the cloth of various
texture and colors that is being produced. See it all
as Life. Be not dismayed. Lessons are lying all
around you, awaiting your study and mastery. See life
in all its phase— this does not mean that you should
take a backward step and try to live over again phases
wliich you have left behind you and with which you
are through—but witness them all without horror or

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disgust Remember that Iram the lowly phases, bij^
phases develop. From the mud of the river the beau*
tiful lotus rears its stalk, and forcing its way through
the water reaches the air, and unfolds its beautiful
flower. From the mud of the physical, the plsnt of
life passes through the water of the mental plane, on
to the air of the spiritual, and there unfolds. Look
around you and see what men are doing-->what they are
saying— what they are thinking — it is all right, in all
its phases, for those who are in it. Live your own
life — on your own plane of development — but scorn
not those who are still on the lower planes. See Life
in all its throbbing forms, and realize that you are part
of it all. It is all one— and you are part of that one.
Feel the swell of the wave beneath you — ^yicld to its
motion— you will not be submerged, for you are rid-
ing on its crest, and borne on its bosom. Do not fear
the outside— even while you retreat within—- both are
good— each in its place. Let your Inner Sanctuary be
your real resting place, but be not afraid to venture
without. Your retreat cannot be cut off. See the outer
world, knowing that home is always awaiting you.
There is no contradiction between the eighteenth and
nineteenth precepts. Let us repeat them, that you may
grasp them as but the two sides of the same truth:
"Seek the way by retreating within — seek the way by
advancing boldly without." Do you not see that they
are both needed to form the whole statement of truth?
"Seek it not by any one road." This is a necessary
caution. As the writer of tha precepts says: "To
each temperament there is one road which seems the
most desirable." But there is a subtle temptation
here-~the student is very apt to rest content with ^t

MORE UGHT ON THE PATH. 93

one road which suits his particular temperament, and,
accordingly, is likely to shut his eyes to the other
roads. He becomes bigoted, narrow, and one-sided
He should explore all the lanes which seem to lead to
the truth, gaining a little here and a little there~-hold-
ing fast to that which appeals to his inner conscious-
ness, and letting the rest go— but condemning not that
which he does not see fit to accept. Do not be a parti-
san — or a bigot — or a sectarian. Because you favor
any one form of teaching, do not hastily conclude that
all teachings that do not agree with yours must be
false. There are many forms of presentation of truth,
each suited to the understanding of certain people.
Many forms of expression, which at first sight appear
contradictory, are afterwards seen to have the same fun-
damental principle. Much of the apparent difference
in teaching may he seen to be merely a matter of the
use (or misuse) of words. When we understand each
other's words and terms, we often find that we have
much in common, and but little apart from each other.

20. Seek it not by any one road. To each temperament,
there is one road which seems the most desirable. But the
way is not found by devotion alone, by religious contempla-
tion alone, by ardent progress, by self-sacrificing labor, by
ntndlons observation of life. None alone can take the disciple
more than one step onwards. AH steps are necessary to
make up the ladder. The vices of men become steps in the
ladder, one by one, as they are surmounted. The virtues of
man are steps, indeed, neces8ary->-not by any means to be
dispensed with. Yet, though they create a fair atmosphere
and a happy future, they are nseless if tbey stand alone.
The whole nature or man must be used wisely by the one
who desires to enter the way. Each man is to himself ab-
solutely the way, the truth, and life. Bat he is only so
when he grasps his whole tndividnality firmly, and, by the
forca of bis awakened spiritual will, recognizes this indi-
viduality as not himself, but that thing wbieh h« has with
pain created for his own use, and by means of which he pur-

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po8C8, aa bis growth Riowly develops his intclligenee, to
reach to the life beyond individoality. When ho knows that
for this his wooderfnl complex, separated life exists, then,
Indeed, and then only, he is upon the way. Seek it by
plunging into the ntystcriouB and glorious depths of your
own inmost being. IJcek it by testing all experience, by k
utilizing the senses, in order to understand the growth and
meaning of individuality, and the beauty and obscurity
of those other divine fragments which are struggling side i
by side with yon, and form the race to which you belong. 1
Seek it by study of the laws of being, the laws of nature, c
the laws of the supernatural; and seek it by making the pro- n
found obeisance of the soul to the dim star that bums d
within. Steadily, as you watch and worship, its light wilt v
grow stronger. Then you may know you have found the be-
ginning of the way. And, when you have fonnd the end, its
light will suddenly become the infinite light.

The twentieth precept should be read carefully by
every student who wishes to live the life of the Spirit,
and who desires to advance along the Path. It should
he read— re-read—studied. It contains within it much
that will not be grasped at the first reading — nor the
tenth— nor the one-hundredth. Its meaning will un- |
fold as your experiences renders you ready to receive it. I
It tells you that your life must not be one-sided— it I
must be varied. You must avail yourself of the ad-
vantages of the inner life — and yet you must not run
away from the world, for it has lessons for you. You
are needed by others in the world — others need you —
and you must play your part. You cannot run away,
even if you want to — ^so accept the part that is allotted
to you, and use your present state as a thing upon
which you may mount to greater things. You are a
cog in the great machinery of life, and you must do ■
your work. "The whole nature of man must be used I
wisely by the one who desires to enter the way." This I
life majr be carried into your business, profession or
trade— if it cannot be taken with you everywhere,

MORE UGHT ON THE PATH. 55

something is wrong with it; or with you. Vou must
not expect the world to understand your view of life.
There is no use inflicting your views upon the unready
world — ^milk for babes, and meat for men, remember.
The majority of the people around you are like unborn
babes, spiritually — ^and but a very few have even drawn
their first baby breath. Do not make the mistake of
wearing your heart on your sleeve, for the daws to
peck at. Play well your part in the game of life, in
which you are forced to join. But though you see it as
but the sport of children, do not make yourself a nuis*
ance to the babes — join in as if you enjoyed it — you
will learn lessons from it. Do not make the mistake
of thinking that you have to go around wearing a
"Sunday face" — don't try to pose as one of the "holy"
and "too-good-for-life" sort of people. Just be natural
— ^that's all Don't be afraid to 'smile or laugh. A
sense of humor is one of God's best gifts to man, and
prevents him committing many follies. A laugh is
often as good as a prayer. Don't take things too seri-
ously—- do not let the play of the kindergarten of God
seem too real to you. Much of life is really a joke to
those who can rise above and view it from there. It
is really a play preparing the children of God for the
real life.

It is not necessary for us to comment upon the twen-
tieth precept, at length, for that precept is so full and
goes so into details, that it covers the ground fully.
Study it carefully— it contains a rule of life for stud-
ents. Its concluding sentences are magnificent— they
tell you to open yourself to the unfoldment of your
higher self, that by the light which bums within you
all may be seen. Listen to its words: "Make the

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profound obeisance of the soul to the dini star that
burns within— steadily as you watch and worship, its
light will grow stronger. Then you may know that
you have found the beginning of the way—and, when
you have found the end, its light will suddenly become t
the infinite light"

Read, also, the note accompanying this last men- i
tioned precept. All of these teachings lead up to the i\
full dawn of Spiritual Consciousness. Ji

The twenty-first precept bids you "look for the n
flower to bloom in the silence that follows the storm"
— and which blooms only then. The rainbow of Spir-
itual Consciousness appears only after the fierce storm
which has swept you from your feet. It is the divine
token of the peace which is coming to yon.

Our next lesson will be devoted to the subject of
Spiritual Consciousness. In it we will take up the
twenty-first precept, and that to which it refers. It is
the keystone of this teaching. The other side of the
arch must be described, but the keystone must be stud-
ied first. Study this second lesson well during the
month, that you may understand the one to follow it.

LESSON III.

Spiritual CoNsciovsKSsa,

The Twenty-first precept of the first part of "Light
OH the Path"-^the precept that refers .directly to the
thing that has been led up to by the preceding pre-
cepts — ^tells us to:

21. Look for tho flover to bloom in the sUence that fol-
lows the stonn; not till then.

It shall grov, it will shoot up, it will make branches and
leaves and form budi^ while the storm continues, while the
battle lasts. But not till the whole personality of the man
is dimolved and melted— not until it is held by the divine frag*
ment which has created it, as a mere subject for grave enen-
ment and experience—not until the whole natnre has yielded,
and become subject unto its higher self, can the bloom open.
Then will come a calm such as comes in a tropical country
after the heavy rain, when nature works so svriftly that one
may see her action. Such a calm will come to the harassed
spirit. And, in the deep silence, the mysterious event will oc>
cur which win prove that the way has been found. Call it by
what name yon will. It is a voice that speaks where there is
none to speak, it is a messenger that comes— a messenger
without form or substance— or it is the flower of the soul that
baa opened. It cannot be deMribed by any metaphor. But it
can b« felt after, looked for, and denred, even amid the rag'
ing of the atorro. The silence may last a moment of time, or It
may last a thousand years. But it will end. Tet you will
cany its strength with yon. Again and again the battle must
b« fought and won. tt is only for an interval that nature can
bestia

The flower that blooms in the silence that follows
the storm (and only then and there) is ^e flower of
Spiritual Consciousness, for the production of which
die Plant of Life has been $triv!ng~~that which caused
the qproutiog of the seed— the putting forth of rooti~-

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I

the pushing of the plant through the soil of the ma-
terial into the purer region above — the unfolding of
leaf after leaf — the discarding of sheath after sheath
— until finally the tiny bud of the Spirit was visible,
and the real unfoldmcnt began. J

This appearance of the bud of Spiritual Conscious-
ness — ^the first rays of Illumination— mark a most crit- \
ical period in the evolution of the soul. And, as the 1'
little manual states, it occurs only after the storm — s
only when the silence has succeeded and replaced the il
njsh of the winds — ^thc roar and crash of the thunder
—the terrifying incidents of the tempest. In the calm,
restful period that follows the storm, great things
await the soul. So, remember this, O soul, when you
find yourself in the midst of the great storm of spir-
itual unrest, which is sweeping away all the old land-
marks — ^which is tearing away all that you have been
leaning against to support yourself— which causes
you to imagine that all is being swept away from you, 1
leaving you alone without comfort, or support. For i
in that moment of spiritual distress when all is being 1
taken away from you, there is coming to you that
peace which passeth all understanding, which will
never leave you, and which is well worth the stress
of a thousand storms. The time of mere blind belief
is passing from you — the time of knowing is at hand.

It is difficult to speak of the higher spiritual experi-
ences in the words of the lower plane. Emerson, who
had experienced that consciousness of which we speak,
says of it: "Ever)' man's words, who speaks from that
life, must sound vain to those who do not dwell in the
same thought on their own part. I dare not speak

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS 59

for it. My words do not carry its august sense ; they
fall short and cold. Only itself can inspire whom
it will ♦ * * Yet I desire even by profane words,
if sacred I may not use, to indicate the heaven of this
deity, and to report what hints I have collected of the
transcendent simplicity and energy of the Highest
Law." It is a thing to be felt rather than to be in-
tellectually grasped— and yet the Intellect may par-
tially grasp it, when the illumination of the Spirit has
raised it (the Intellect) to higher planes.

Knowing what lies before it, the hand that writes
these words trembles over its work. To attempt to
put into plain words these experiences of the Higher
Life seems futile and foolish— ami yet we seem called
upon to make the effort. Well, so be it— the task is
set before us — we must not shrink from it.

In our "Fourteen Lessons" we have told of the three-
fold mind of man— the three mental principles — the
Instinctive Mind; the Intellect; the Spiritual Mind.
We advise that you re-read the lessons bearing upon
this subject, paying particular attention to what we
have said regarding the Sixth Principle— the Spiritual
Mind, This Illumination— this flower that blooms in
the silence that follows the storm— comes from that
part of your nature.

But, first, let us consider what is meant by "the
storm" which precedes the blossoming of the flower.

Man passes through the higher stages of the In-
stinctive Mind on to the plane of the Intellect. The
man on the Instinctive Plane (even in its higher stages
where it blends into the lower planes of the Intellect)
does not concern himself with the problems of Life —

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the Riddle of Existence. He does not recognize evci,
that any such problem or riddle exists. He has a
comparatively easy time, as his cares are chiefly those
connected with the physical plane. So long as his
physical wants are satisfied, the rest, matters little to
him. His is the childhood stage of the race. After
a time, he begins to experience troubles on another
plane. His awakened Intellect refuses to allow him
to continue to take things for granted. New ques-
tions are constantly intruding themselves, calling for
answers. He begins to be pestered by the eternal
"Why" of his soul. As Tolstoi so forcibly puts it;
"As soon as the mental part of a person takes control,
new worlds are opened, and desires are multiplied a
thousand-fold. They become as numerous as the radii
of a circle; and the mind, with care and anxiety, sets
itself first to cultivate and then gratify these desires,
thinking that happiness is to be found in that way."
But no permanent happiness is to be found in this
state — something fills the soul with a growing unrest,
and beckons it on and on to higher flights. But the
Intellect, not being able to conceive of anything higher
than itself, resists these urgings as something un-
worthy — some relic of former superstitions and cre-
dulity. And so it goes around and around in its efforts
to solve the great problems — striving for that peace and
rest which it somehow feels is awaiting it. It little
dreams that its only possible release lies in the un-
foldment of something higher than itself, which w*'!
enable it to be used as a finer instrument.

Many who read these lines will recognize this stage
of terrible mental unrest— of spiritual travail — when

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 6i

our Intellect confesses itself unable to solve the great
questions pressing upon it for answers. We beat
against the bars of our mental cages — or like the squir-
rel in the wheel, rush rapidly around and around, and
yet remain just where we were at the beginning. We
are in the midst of the mental storm. The tempest
rages around and about us->4he winds tear our cloaks
from us, leaving us at the mercy of the tempest. We
see swept away from our sight all that has seemed
so firm, durable and permanent, and upon which we
have found much comfort in leaning. All seems lost
and we are in despair. Peace and comfort is dented
us — the storm drives us hither and thither, and we
know not what the end shall be. Chir only hope is
that reliance and trust in the Unseen Hand which
prompted Newman to write those beautiful words,
which appeal to thousands far removed from him in
interpretation of the Truth, but who are, nevertheless,
his brothers in the Spirit, and who therefore recognize
his words:

"Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom,

Lead thou me on.
The night is dark, and r am tat from home;

Lead thon me on.
Keep thon my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for m^

Lead thou me on."

In due time there comes~-and it always comes in
due time— ^ little gleam of light piercing through the
clouds, lifting up to the feet of the storm*beaten
wanderer— one step at a time — a new path, upon
which he takes a few steps. He soon finds himself in
a new country. As a writer has said :

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"Soon he becomes conscious that he has entered
into a new and unknown land — lias crossed the borders
of a new country. He finds himself in a strange land
—there are no famih'ar landmarks—he does not recog-
nize the scene. He realizes the great distance between
himself and the friends he has left at the foot of the
hill. He cries aloud for them to follow him, hut they
can scarcely hear him, and seem to fear for his safety.
They wave their arms, and beckon with their hands
for him to return. They fear to follow him, and
despair of his safety. But he seems possessed of a
new courage, and a strauKc impulse within him urges
|him on and on. To what point he is traveling, he
knows not — but a fierce joy takes possession of him,
and he presses on."

The light inuring forth from the Spiritual Con-
sciousness, leads the traveler along the Path of Attain-
ment—if he has the courage to follow it. The light of
the Spirit is always a safe guide, but very few of us
have the confidence and trust which will allow us
to accept it. The original Quakers knew of this inner
light, and trusted it — but their descendants have but
a glimmer of what was once a bright light. Its rays
may be perceived by all who are ready for it, and who
look with hope and confidence to the day when their
eyes may view it. For know you, that this inner light
is not the special property of the Orientals — far from it
The men of the East have paid more attention to the
subject than have those of the West— but this Illumi-
nation is the common property of the race, and is be-
fore each and every man and woman. Instances of it
have been known among all peoples— in all times. And

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 63

all the records agree in the main, ahhough the inter*
pretations vary widely.

The first indications of the coming of Spiritual Con-
sciousness, is the dawning perception of the reality of
the Ego — the awareness of the real existence of the
Soul. When one hegins to feel that he, himself , is hi.s
soul, rather than that he possess a wonderful some-
thing called the "soul" of which he really knows noth-
ing — when, we say, he feels that he is a soul, rather
than that he has or will hcn>c a soul — then that one is
nearing the first stages of Spiritual Con.sciousness, if
indeed he is not already within its outer borders.

There are two general stages of this blossoming of
the flower, although they generally blend into each
otl^er. The first is the full perception of the "I Am"
consciousness — the second the Cosmic Knowing. We
will try at least clumsily and crudely to give an idea
of these two .stages, although to those who have ex-
perienced neither our words may appear mcaningles.s.

The perception of the "I Am" consciousness may
be likened to the bud of the flower — the flower itfcH
being the Cosmic Knowing. Many, who have not as
yet experienced this "I Am" consciousness, may think
that it is simply the intellectual conception of the self,
or perhaps the faith or belief in the reality of the soul
which they may possess- by reason of their religious
training. But it is a far different thing. It is more than
a mere intellectual conception, or a mere blind belief
upon the word or authority of another — more indeed
than even the belief in the Divine promise of immor-
tality. It is a consciousness — a knowing — that one in
A soul; an awareness that one is a spiritual being —

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an iffltnortai. Here, dear friends, we are compiled
to pause for lack of words adequate to describe the
mental state. The race, having had no such experi-
ences, have coined no words for it. The Sanscrit con-
tains words which have been injected into the language
by the ancient Yogis, and which may be at least intel-
lectually comprehended by the educated Hindu, but
our Western tongues contain no words whereby we
may convey the meaning. We can only try to give
you the idea by crude illustration. No one can de-
scribe Love, S>*mpathy, or any other emotion to a
race which had never experienced the sensation. They
are things which must be felt. And so it is with the
"I Am" consciousness. It comes to a soul which has
unfolded sufliciently to admit of the rays of knowledge
from the Spiritual Mind, and then that soul simply
knows— ihai's all. It has the actual spiritual knowl'
edge that it is an entity — immortal— but it cannot ex-
plain it to others, nor can it, as a rule, even intellec-
tually explain it to itself. It simply knows. And that
knowing is not a matter of opinion, or reasoning, or
faith, or hope, or blind belief. It is a consdousness —
and like any other form of consciousness, it is most
difficult to explain to one who has never experienced
it. Imagine what it would be to explain light to a
man bom blind—sugar to one who had never tasted a
sweet thing— cold to one who dwelt in a tropical coun-
try and who had never experienced the sensation. We
simply cannot explain to those who have not experi-
enced them our spiritual experiences — a fact that is
well known to tho^e who have at some time in thi^r

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 6$

lives had what are generally known as "religious" ex-
periences.

We know of a case in which this consciousness came
to a man who lived in a community in which there
seems to have been no one in a like stage of devel-
opment He was a business man of no mean ability,
and his associations had been along entirely different
lines. He felt the flood of light beating into his mind
— the certainty of his spiritual existence impressed
upon his consciousness— and he became very much dis-
turbed and worried. He thought it must be a sign
of approaching insanity, and he hoped it would pass
off, although it gave htm the greatest happiness. But
it did not pass off, and he went so far as to make
arrangements to transfer his business interests, fear-
ing that he was becoming mentally unbalanced, for
he had never heard of a similar case. However, one
day he picked up a book, in which the writer gave
utterances to words which could come only from one
who had had a like experience. The man recognized
the common language (although another would not)
and throwing his hands above his head, he cried aloud :
"Thank God, here's another crazy man."

This awareness of the "I Am" has come to many
more people than is generally imagined, but those who
have this consciousness, as a rule, say nothing about
it, for fear that their friends, relatives and neighbors
would consider them abnormal and mentally unsound.
And, indeed, it is not always wise to relate these ex-
periences to others, for those who have not reached
the same plane cannot understand, and seeing in an-
other a thing of which they can have no comprehen-

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sion, are apt to consider him irrational. It is a strange
thing— an amusing thing— that in a world made up
of people who claim to helitve that each man is (or
"has" as the term goes) an immortal soul, one who
claims to really know this to be a fact is regarded as
abnormal. The belief of the race is only skin-deep—
the people are as much afraid of death, or more so,
than the man who believes that death ends all. They
reject all evidences of other planes of existence, con-
sidering those who teach of and believe in them as be-
ing cither imposters or lunatics. They live and act
as if this earth-life were all, in spite of all their claims
and expressed beliefs. They half-believe certain
teachings, but have no real knowledge, and deny that
anyone else may possess that which they themselves
lack.

But to the one into whose field of consciousness
have come some rays of the truth from the Spiritual
Mind, these things are no longer mere beliefs — they
are realities, and although such a one may apparently
conform to the beliefs of the world around him, he
becomes a different being. Others notice a something
different about him, keep he ever so quiet. They can-
not explain just what it is, but they feel something.

It must not be imagined that this budding conscious-
ness springs fullgrown into a man's mind at once. It
has done so in some cases, it is true, but in the ma-
jority of instances, it is a matter of slow growth, but
the man is never just the same after the growth com-
mences. He apparently may lose his full conscious-
ness of the truth, but it will come back to him again and
again, and all the time it is working gradually to make

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 6g

over that man's nature, and his changied mental atti*
ttide manifests itself in his actions. He becomes more
cheerful and happy. Things that worry his neighbors
seem to have but little effect upon him. He finds it
hard to manifest a respectable amount of regret and
grief over things that bear heavily upon those around
him. He is apt to be regarded as unfeeling and heart-
less, notwithstanding his heart may be full of Love
and Kindness. His mental attitude is changed— his
viewpoint has shifted. He finds himself ceasing to
fear, and those around him are apt to consider him
reckless or thoughtless. Time has less meaning to
him, for the idea of eternity has come to him. Distance
ceases to appal him, for is not all space his? Such
a one had better keep quiet, or he will be sure to be
considered a "queer fish," and people may tap their
foreheads significantly when speaking of him (behind
his back).

There is another peculiarity about this phase of Spir-
itual Consciousness, and that is that one who has it
will recognize its language in the writings of others.
He may pick vp the worUs of some of the ancient
writers, or even some of the modern ones, and where
others see only beautiful language, he will listen to a
heart-to-heart talk from his brother-in-thought. Some
writers, having but a slight degree of spiritual insight,
will fall into a "mood" in which the Spiritual Mind
deftly passes on its words to the lower mental prin-
ciple, and the result is that the spiritual meaning is
readily grasped by those ready for it, even though
the writer may not fully understand what he has writ-
ten. When Spirit speaks. Spirit hears.

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Let those who read these words, if they have had
this consciousness in a greater or lesser degree, take'
courage. Let not your loneliness oppress or depress you.
There are thousands who are your brothers and sis-
ters in this great understanding, and their thought will
seek yours and both will be benefited. Keep quiet to
those around you, if you see fit, but open up yourself
to the sympathy and help that will surely come to you
along the channels of the thought currents. Your
thought will attract to you the similar thought of others
of the same consciousness, and theirs will attract yours.
In books, writings, pictures, you will find words which
are written for you and your kind. Read over the old
books, and sec how different they appear to you, now
that you understand. Read the Bible; read Shake-
speare; read the poets and the philosophers; and see
how soon you will recognize that the writers are your
brothers. The dark comers and hard sayings will be-
come plain to you now. You need not be alone — you
are one of a great and growing family.

But, on tlie other hand, avoid being possessed of an
inflated idea of your own development. You are but
on the threshold, and the great hall of the Occult is
before you, and in that hall there are many degrees,
and an initiation must be met and passed before you
may go on.

Before we pass to the next stage of the growth of
the flower, it may be interesting to our readers to
listen to a description of a peculiar experience related
by that great modem writer, Rudyard Kipling— he
who understands much more than he tells his English
and American readers — ^in his story of East Indian

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 69

life, entitled "Kim." Many read what he has said and
can "see nothing in it," but those who have had
glimpses of this Spiritual Consciousness will readily
understand it. Here it is:

'"Now am I alone— all alone,' he thought. 'In all
India is no one else so alone as 1 1 If I die to^y, who
shall bring the news— and to whom? If I live and
God is good, there will be a price upon my head, for
I am a Son of the Charmr— I, Kim.'

"A very few white people, but many Asiatics, can
throw themselves into amazement, as it were, by te*
peating their own names over and over again to Uiem*
selves, letting the mind go free upon speculation as
to what is called personal identity. * * *
"'Who is Kim— Kim-Kim?'
"He squatted in a comer of the clanging waiting
room, rapt from all other thoughts; hands folded in
lap, and pupils contracted to pin points. In a moment
— in another half-second— he felt that he would ar-
rive at the solution of the tremendous puzzle ; but here,
as always happens, his mind drofi^ed away from those
heights with the rush of a wounded bird, and passing
his hand before his eyes, he shook his head.

"A long-haired Hindu bairagi (holy man) who had
just bought a ticket, halted before him at that mo-
ment and stared intently.

" 'I also have lost it,' he said sadly. 'It is one of

the gates of the Way, but to me it has been shut many

years.'

" 'What is thy talk?' said Kim, abashed,

" 'Thou wast wondering, there in thy spirit, v»hat

tnanner of thing thy soul might be. * * • /

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know. Who should know but I?' " (Kim, by Rudyard
Kipling. Pages 295*96. Doubleday, Page & Co., Ntw
York.)

Tennyson, the poet, according to the testimony of
intimate friends, at times produced an ecstatic mo<Kt
and a mild degree of spiritua! illumination by a similar 1

process to that followed by "Kim." He would repeat 1:

his first name, over and over, meditating on his real i

identity, and he stated that at such times he would
become perfectly aware of immortality and the reality
of his existence as a living soul, independent of the
body.

Personally we do not favor this method of "breaking
mto the Kingdom," but prefer that the unfolding Spir-
itual Mind should gradually throw its light into the
field of consciousness. This we consider the better way,
although many Yogi teachers think otherwise, and in-
struct their students in exercises calculated to cause
this consciousness to unfold. It is simply a difference
of opinion as to methods, and we have no desire to urge
our ideas upon our students, if they prefer the other
method.

One of the most rational and reasonable of these
Yogi exercises for aiding the unfoldment is given in
the next several paragraphs.

Exercise.

Place your body in a relaxed, reclining position.
Breathe rhythmically, and meditate upon the Real Self,
thinking of yourself a': an entity independent of the
body, although inhabiting it and Iwing able to leave

SPIRITUAT. CONSCIOUSNESS. 71

it at wilJ. Think of yourscJf, not as the body, but as
a wul. Think of your body as but a shell, useful and
C(»nfortable, but merely an instrument for the con-
venience of the real You. Think of yourself as an in-
dependent being, using the body freely and to the best
advantage, and having full control and mastery over it.
While meditating, ignore the body entirely, and you
will find that you will often become almost uncon-
scious of it. You may even experience the sensation
of being out of the body, and of returning to it when
through with the exercise. (Rythmic breathing is de-
scribed in our little book, "Science of Breath.")

Mantram akd Meditation.

In connection with the above Yogi exercise, the stu-
dent may, if he desire, use the following Mantram and
Meditation :

"I AM. I assert the reality of my existence— not
merely my physical existence, which is but temporal
and relative — ^but ray real existence in the Spirit, which
is eternal and absolute. I assert the reality of the Ego
— my Soul — My-self. The real T is the Spirit prin-
ciple, which is manifesting in body and mind, the high-
est expression of which I am conscious being Myself
—my Soul. This T cannot die nor become annihi-
lated. It may change the form of its expression, or the
vehicle of its manifestation, but it is always the same
T— a bit of the Universal Spirit—a drop from the
great Mean of Spirit— a spiritual atom manifesting in
my present amsdousness, working toward perfect un-
folifawnt. I am my Soul— my Soul is I— all Ute fost

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is but transitory and cliangeable. I Ant— I Am— I
Am." Repeat tlie words "I Am" a number of times.
Tile student should endeavor to give a few minutes
eacli day to silent meditation, finding as quiet a place
as possible, and then lying or sitting in an easy position,
relaxing every muscle of the body and calming the ^
mind. Then when the proper conditions are ob* %
served, he will experience that peculiar sensation of c
calmness and quiet which indicate the condition known
as "entering the Silence." Then he should repeat the
above Mantram, or some similar one (there is no spe-
cial virtue in the mere words), and should meditate
along the lines indicated. The Mantram "I AM," if
clearly understood and impressed upon the mind, will
give to the student an air of quiet dignity and calm
manifestation of power, which will be apparent to
those with whom he comes in contact. It will sur- [t
round him with a thought aura of strength and power.
It will enable him to cast off fear and to look the world
of men and w<xnen calmly in the eyes, knowing that
he is an eternal soul, and that naught can really harm
him. Even the more simple stages of this consciousness
will lift one above the petty cares, worries, hates, fears,
and jealousies of the lower mental states, and will
cause one to be a man or woman "of the Spirit," in
truth. Such people have a helpful effect upon those
with whom they come in contact, as there is an un-
definable aura surrounding them which causes others
to recognise that they are worthy of confidence and
respect

These meditations and exerdses will often aid one
«^erially in developing a consciousness of the reality

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 73

of the soul. The sense of immortality will come grad-
tially as the consciousness unfolds, But. the student
must not allow himself to live too much in "the upper
regions," or to despise his body or the world and peo-
ple around him. This is known as ".spiritual pride,"
and will have its downfall. You are here in the world
for a purpose, and must get the experiences necessary
to fully round you out. You are in exactly the best
position for the experiences you need — and you will
not be kept there one moment longer than is necessary
for your ultimate good. Live, grow, and unfold— liv-
ing your own life— doing the best you can. "And be
Kind."

This "I Am" consciousness, while a great advance
over the consciousness common to the race, is still but
a preliminary to the Cosmic Knowing which awaits the
unfolding soul It is but the bud which will in time
open out and grow into the perfect flower. If it has
been difficult to explain in simple words the experiences
just touched upon, it may be imagined how we feel
about approaching this higher phase. But we will try
to do our best, although of necessity our words must
be weak and inadequate. To those not ready for the
truth what we say must seem like the veriest nonsense,
but even these people will remember what we say, and
when the time comes may be partially prepared for it.
As good old Walt Whitman has said : "My words will
itch in your ears till you understand them."

This Cosmic Knowing is the full flower which will
"bloom in the silence that follows the storm," as the
writer, or transcriber, of "Light on the Path" has so

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74 ADVANCED COURSE.

beautifully expressed it. It is that which comes as
the result of "Illumination."

The occult writers of all times have spoken ol this
thing, and it has also been partially described by people
in all times— of all forms of religious belief. Many
have supposed it to have come as the result of the
worship of some particular conception of Deity, or as
the incident of some particular form of creed. But it f
is really a thing above creeds or particular conceptions h
of the Absolute — it is a part of the Divine heritage of
the race. Many of the Oriental writers have described
this thing in their own words — many of the old Quak-
ers experienced it, and have given it their own names
— ^many Catholic saints describe it in their writings,
and even some of the great Protestant leaders and
preachers have given bewildered accounts of the great
thing that came upon them. Each, as a rule, however,
attributed it to some particular thing in their faith. \

Great poets have felt its influence, and testimony along |

the same general lines comes to us from many differ-
ent .sources. Some have had it gradually dawn upon
them, wax strong, and then fade away, leaving them
changed beings, living afterwards in hope of again ex-
periencing the great thing. Others have had it burst
upon them suddenly, with an impression that they were
submerged in a brilliant light (from whence comes the
term "illumination"), which also passed away, leav-
ing them changed beings. The experience seems to
come to no two souls in exactly the same way, and
.vet there is a common point of resemblance between i
the testimony of all. A Western writer (now passed '
out of the lK)dy) one Dr. Richard Maurice Bucke, (rf

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS 75

London, Ontario, Canada, having experienced this
illumination, and having found that his friend Walt
Whitman and other friends had had similar experi-
ences, has gathered the testimony of a number of peo«
pie whom he telieved to have undergone the same un-
foldment. He published the result of his research in
a very valuable book entitled "Cosmic Consciousness:
a Study Jn the Evolution of the Human Mind" (Innes
& Sons, Philadelphia, Penna,, U, S, A.), which book
was issued in the shape of a limited edition of five
hundred copies, and is now, we believe, out of print.
It may possibly be found in some of the great libraries
in our principal cities, and is well worth a careful read-
ing. The Oriental writings are full of this subject,
and Western literature is beginning to show signs of its
recognition.

In nearly all the Western writings, however, what
is described are but typical incidents of spontaneous
flashes of this great consciousness. Occultists of great
degree of advancement are able to produce this state
at will, and certain most highly advanced souls in the
flesh, who are not before the public as teachers or
writers, are believed to dwell in this consciousness al-
most continually, their work for the world being done
through others (less highly developed), whom they in-
spire with fragments of their great wisdom.

In a general way, the experience may be described
as an actual tedizaHon of die Oneness of all, and of
one's connection with that One. The atom of light
helping to compose the ray, realizes for an instant its
connection with .the Central Sun— the drop in the ocean
realizes for a moment its relation to the Ocean of Spirit.

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The Hindus have spoken of the more intense manfesta-
tions of this breaking in upon the consciousness of the
light from the Spiritual Mind, as the "Brahmic Splen-
dor."

The prevailing emotion during this experience is a
feeling of intense joy— something far above any other
joy that has ever been felt — ^a sensation of Absolute
Joy, if the term may be permitted. And the memory of
this great Joy— the reflection from its light — lingers
with the soul forever after. Those who have once ex-
perienced this thing, are ever after more cheerful, and
happy, and seem to have a hidden and secret fount of
joy from which they may drink with the soul thirsts.
The intense joy fades away gradually, but something
is left behind to comfort and cheer. This feeling of
Joy is 80 strong that it can ever after be thought of
with the keenest delight — its very recollection wilt cause
the blood to tingle and the heart to throb whenever the
mind reverts to the experience.

Then there is experienced an intellectual illumina"
tion, or a pouring in of "knowing," impossible to de-
scribe. The soul becomes conscious that it possess in
itself absolute knowledge — knowledge of all things —
the "why and wherefore" of everything is recognized
as being contained within itself. The sensation cannot
be described, even faintly. It is so far above anything
that the human mind has ever experienced that there
is simply no words with which to tell that which has
been felt and known. Everj-thing seems made plain-
it is not a sense of an increased ability to reason, de-
duce, classify, or determine-— the soul simply knows.
The feeling may last but a fraction of a second of time

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. fj

•"-one loses all sense of time and s{>ace during the ex-
perience— but the subsequent intense feeling of regret
over the great thing that has slipped away from the con-
sciousness can scarcely be imagined by one who has not
experienced it. The only thing that enables the mind to
bear the loss is the certainty that some time — some
where — the experience will be repeated, and that cer-
tainty makes existence "worth while." It is a foretaste
of what is before the soul.

One of the principal things indelibly impressed upon
the mind by this glimpse of the higher consciousness
is the knowledge— the certainty—that Life pervades
everything— that the Universe is filled with life, and is
not a dead thing. Life and Intelligence is seen to fill
everything. Eternal Life is sensed. Infinity is
grasped. And the words "Etemar' and "Infinite," ever
after have distinct and real meanings when thought of,
although the meaning cannot be explained to others.

Another sensation is that of perfect Love for all
of Life — this feeling also transcends any feeling of love
ever before experienced. The feeling of Fearlessness
possesses one during the experience — perhaps it would
be better to say that one is not conscious of Fear —
there tK&m% to be no reason for it, and it slips away from
one. One does not even think of Fear during the ex-
perience, and only realizes that he was entirely free
from it when he afterwards recalls some of his sensa-
tions. The feeling of knowledge, certainty, trust and
confidence that possesses one, leaves no room for Fear.

Another sensation is that that scanething which we
might 8tyl« "the consciousness of Sin" has slipped
from one. The conception of "Goodness" of the entire

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78 ADVANCED COURSE.

Universe lakes its place. By "goodness" we do not
mean the goodness of one thing as compared to an-
other, but a sense of absolute Goodness.

As we have said, this experience when it has once
come to the soul, leaves it as a changed entity. The
man is never Jhe same man afterward. Ahhough the
keen recollection wears oflF, gradttally, there remains
a certain memory which afterward proves a source of
comfort and strength to him, especially when he feels
weak of faith and faint of heart — when he is shaken
like a reed by the winds of conflicting opinions and
speculations of the Intellect. The memory of the ex-
perience is a source of renewed strength — a haven of
refuge to which the weary soul flics for shelter from
the outside world, which understands it not.

Let us conclude this feeble attempt to describe that
which may not be described, by repeating our own
words, spoken to you in the Third of the Fourteen
Lessons :

From tlic writings of (he ancient philosophers of all
races ; from the songs of the great poets of all peoples j
from the preachings of the prophets of all religions and
times; wc can gather traces of this illumination which
has come to Man — this unfoldment of the Spiritual
Consciousness. One has told of it in one way, the other
in another form,--but all tell practically the same stoity.
All who have experienced this illumination, even in a
faint degree, recogm'ze the like experience in the tale,
the song, the preaching of another, though centuries
roll between them. It is the song of the Soul, which
once heard is never forgotten. Though it be sounded
by the crude instrument of the semi-barbarous rains,

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 79

or by the finished instrument of the talented musician
of to-day, its strains are plainly recognized. From old
Egypt comes the song— from India in all ages— from
Ancient Greece and Rome— from the early Christian
saint — from the Quaker Friend— from the Catholic
monasteries— from the Mohammedan mosque— from
the Chinese philosopher — from the legends of the
American Indian hero-prophet— it is always the same
strain, and it is swelling louder and louder, as many
more are taking it np and adding their voices or the
sound of their instruments to the grand chorus.

May this great joy of Illumination be yours, dear
students. And it will be yours when the proper time
comes. UTicn it comes be not dismayed — when it
leaves you mourn not its loss, for it will come again.
Live on, reaching ever upward toward your Real Self
and opening up yourself to its influence. Be always
willing to listen to the Voice of the Silence — willing
always to respond to the touch of the Unseen Hand.
Do not fear, for you have within you always the Real
Self, which is a spark from the Divine Flame — it will
be as a lamp to >our feet, to point out the way.

We would call the attention of the student to what
the "Light on the Path" says about the blossoming of
the flower. It tells us that while the storm continues
— while the battle lasts— the plant will grow; shoot
up: will make branches and leaves; will form buds
(note what we have said about the budding stage which
precedes the full bloom), but that the bloom cannot
open until the "whole personality of the man is dis-
solved and melted— not until it is held by the divine
fragment which has created it, as a mere subject for

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grave experiment and experience— not until tho whole
nature has yielded, and become subject unto its higher
self."

The "whole personality" referred to is the lower
part of the soul— its lower principles. Not until the
lower nature is brought under tlie mastery of the high-
est that has unfolded in one, can this longed for event
occur. So long as the lower part of one's nature is
allowed to rule and master him, he shuts out the divine
light. Only when he asserts the real "I" docs he be-
come ready for further unfoldment. We have told
you what the bloom or bud is—the "I Am" conscious-
ness. When you have fully grasped this, and realize
what you are, and have made that highest (as yet) con-
sciousness the master of your lower principles, then
are you ready for the bloom to open.

Listen to these beautiful words, from the text: "Then
will come a calm such as comes in a tropical country
after the heavy rain, when nature works so swiftly that
one may see her action. Such a calm will come to the
harassed spirit. And, in the deep silence, the mys-
terious event will occur which will prove that the way
has been found." We have tried to tell you what is
that mysterious event. We trust that we have at least
made possible a clearer conception of it on your part.

The writer of the little manual evidently shared the
dtfitculty that confronts everyone who attempts to de-
scribe the great experience. She goes on to say : "Call
it by whatever name you will, it is a voice that speaks
where there is none to speak; it is a messenger that
comes-~a messenger without form or substance— or
it is the flower of the soul that has opened. It cannot

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 8i

be described by any metaphor. But it can be felt after,
looked for, and desired, even amid the raging of the
storm."

She gt)es on then to speak of the duration of "the
silence that follows the storm," in which occurs the
"mysterious event." She says: "The silence may last
a moment of time, or it may last a thousand years. But
it will end. Yet you will carry its strength with you.
Again and again must the battle be fought and won.
It is only for an interval that nature can be still."

In this last paragraph, the text evidently refers to
the partial or temporary Illumination to which we have
referred in this lesson. The time when the Spiritual
Consciousness will become permanent— when the
Brahmic Splendor remains with the soul continuously,
is far beyond us — those who enjoy that state are now
beings far beyond us in the spiritual scale. And yet
they were once are as we — ^we shall some day be as
they now are. These flashes of Illumination come to
the advanced student as he progresses along the Path.
And although they leave him, he carries their strength
with him.

We would also call the attention of the student to the
foot note accompanying this last precept, as it contains
a wonderful occult truth in the shape of a promise.
This promise has cheered thousands along The Path-
has nerved them for further efforts~ha8 given them
renewed ardor and courage. Listen to it: "Know, D
disciple 1 that those who have passed through the silence,
and felt its peace, and retained its strength, they long
that you shall pass through it also, Therefore, in the

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83 ADVANCED COURSE.

s
Hall of Learning, when he is capable of entering there,
the disdple will always find his master."

The last foot note in Part I, of "Lishf on the Path"
(the one that concludes that part of tl.e little manual),
should be read carefully by the student, as it contains
important information. We think it letter to insert it
here, lest it may be overlooked. We trust that we have ^^

enabled you to understand it a little more clearly than
before. When one has the key he is able to open the
many doors in the Hall of Learning, and gaze upon its
wonderful contents, even though he may not as yet be
privileged to enter.

Here is the foot note referred to ;

NoTR.— Those that ask shall have. Bnt, thon((b the ordinanr
man nska perpetually, his voice is not heard. For he aKka with
hiB tnimi only, nnd the voice of the mind ifi only heard on that
plane on wbieh the mind acts. Therefore, not until the first
twenty-one rules arc pas-t, do I eay those that ask shall have.

To read in the occult sense, is to read vrith the eyra of the
spirit. To nsk, is to feel the hunger within— the yearning of
8|7iritoal aspirutioo. To be able to read, means having ob*
taincd the power in a small drerec of gratifying that hunger.
When the disciple is ready to learn, then he is accepted, ack-
nonlcdged, recognized. It must be so; for ho has lit his
lamp, and it cannot he bidden. But to Irnro is impossible un-
til the first great battle has been won. The mind ma^ recogniec
truth, but the spirit cannot receive it. Once having passed
tbrongb the storm, and attained the peace, it is then alwraya
possible to learn, even though the disciple waver, hesitate and
tnra aside. The voice of the silence remains within him; and
ttongh he leave the path utterly, yet one day it will resound,
and render him asunder, and separate his passions from his
divine possibilities. Then, with pain and desperate eriea from
the deserted lower self, he will return.

Therefore, I say, Peace be with you. "My pau<9 I give onto
yon" can only be said by the Master to the beloved die-
eiples who are as himself. There are some, even among those
who are ignorant of the Eastern wisdom, to whom this can be
said; and to whom it can daily be said with more completenew.

This concludes our consideration of the first part of

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. 83

"Light on the Path." The second part lies before us.
It may be objected to that the second part refers to the
experience of the student, after he has passed through
the silence which followed the storm, and that it con-
cerns not the student who has not as yet reached that
stage. To this we answer, that the experiences of the
privileged student have verj- close correspondences in
the experiences of the student who has not yet at-
tained. The Path is a spiral, and although the traveler
along it constantly mounts higher, yet he goes around
and around, a single turn of the spiral above the place
where he walked a little while back. Therefore these
experiences have correspondences on the higher an<l
lower levels of the spiral. We feel impressed to con-
tinue this consideration of this wonderful little manual,
and we feci that the student on the lower levels may
receive encouragement, benefit and understanding from
the same. The second part of the manual contains
great truths, which may profit us all. Let us face
them.

Many of our students have asked them for some of
the Yogi exercises for developing this Spiritual Illumi -
nation. Answering this, we say that the best Yogi au-«
thorities do not encourage many of the practices in-
dulged in by the less enlightened of their brethren.
They believe that such practices are more or less ab-
normal, and instead of producing the real illumination
desired, simply help to bring on a psychic condition
which is but a reflection of the desired state— a moon
instead of the Sun. And such psychic states do not
aid in spiritual unfoldment, although they undoubtedly
do produce an ecstatic condition, pleasing for the mo-

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84 ADVANCED COURSE.

ment—a psychic intoxication, if we are pennitted to
use the terni.

Meditation along the lines of thought touched upon
in this lesson, or similar writings, is of course of bene-
fit, and many Yogi students accompany this with rhyth-
mic breathing which has a tranquilizing effect. But at
the best, these things merely prepare the ground for the
growth of the plant from which the blossom springs.
The plant itself comes when its time is ripe, and cannot
be forced unduly. Let us prepare the best conditions
for its growth and welfare. Give it welcome when it
comes— and until that time let us live up to the highest
within us. The fact that you (the student) are at-
tracted toward these subjects, is a sign that you are un-
folding spiritually. Otherwise they would not attract
you. If these words find a response in your soul, be
assured that your own is coming to you, and that you
are well along The Path. Look for the light, for it will
come — ^bc worthy of its coming.

In conclusion, listen to these words of Edward Car-
penter;

"O, let not the flame die outl Cherished age after
age in its dark caverns, in its holy temples cherished.
Fed by pure ministers of love— let not the flame die
out."

LESSON IV.

The Voice of the Silence.