Chapter XI

MEAT AND DRINK AS FACTORS IN EVOLUTION

In previous chapters we saw how infant humanity was cared for by

superhuman guardians, provided with appropriate food, led out of

danger’s way, and sheltered in all respects until grown to human

stature and fit to enter the school of experience to learn the lessons

of life in the phenomenal world. We saw also how the rainbow points to

natural laws peculiar to the present age, how man was given free will

under these laws, and how the spirit of wine was given to cheer and to

stimulate his own timid, fearful spirit, to nerve it for the war of the

world.

In an analogous manner the irresponsible little child who has been

brought under the waters of baptism by its natural guardians is cared

for through the years of childhood while its various vehicles are being

organized. When the parental blood stored in the thymus gland has been

exhausted and the child thus emancipated from the parents, it awakes

to individuality, to the feeling of “I AM.” It has then been prepared

with a knowledge of good and evil with which to fight the battle of

life; and at that time the youth is taken to the church and given the

bread and wine to nerve and nourish him spiritually, also as a symbol

that henceforth he is a free agent, only responsible to the laws of

God. A blessing or a curse, this freedom, according to the way it is

used.

In early Atlantis mankind was a universal brotherhood of submissive

children with no incentive to war or strife. Later they were segregated

into nations, and wars inculcated loyalty to kin and country. Each

sovereign was an absolute autocrat with power over life and limb of his

subjects, who were numbered in hundreds of millions, and who yielded

ungrudging and slavish submission, an attitude maintained to the

present day among the millions of Asiatics, who are vegetarians and

consequently need no alcohol.

As flesh eating came into vogue, wine became a more and more common

beverage. In consequence of flesh eating much material progress was

made immediately preceding the advent of Christ, and because of

the practice of drinking wine an increasing number of men asserted

themselves as leaders, with the result that instead of a few large

nations such as people Asia, many small nations were formed in the

southwestern portion of Europe and Asia Minor.

But though the great mass of people who formed these various nations

were ahead of their Asiatic brethren as craftsmen, they continued

submissive to their rulers and lived as much in their traditions as

did the latter. Christ upbraided them because they gloried in being

Abraham’s seed. He told them that “before Abraham was, I AM,” that is,

the ego has always existed.

It is His mission to emancipate humanity from Law and lead it to

LOVE, to destroy “the kingdoms of men” with all their antagonism to

one another, and to build upon their ruins “the kingdom of God.” An

illustration will make the method clear:

If we have a number of brick buildings and desire to amalgamate them

into one large structure, it is necessary to break them down first and

free each brick from the mortar which binds it. Likewise each human

being must be freed from the fetters of family, hence Christ taught

“Unless a man leave father and mother he cannot be my disciple.” He

must outgrow religious partisanship and patriotism and learn to say

with the much misunderstood and maligned Thomas Paine: “_The world is

my country, and to do good is my religion_.”

Christ did not mean that we are to forsake those who have a claim upon

our help and support, but that we are not to permit the suppression of

our individuality out of deference to family traditions and beliefs.

Consequently He came “not to bring peace, but a sword;” and whereas

the eastern religions discourage the use of wine, _Christ’s first

miracle was to change water to wine_. The sword and the wine cup are

signatures of the Christian religion, for by them nations have been

broken to pieces and the individual emancipated. Government by the

people, for the people, is a fact in northwestern Europe, the rulers

being that principally in name only.

But the fostering of the martial spirit such as prevails in Europe was

only a means to an end. The segregation which it has caused must give

place to a regime of brotherhood such as professed by Paine. A new step

was necessary to bring this about; _a new food_ must be found which

would act upon the spirit in such a way as to foster individuality

through _assertion of self without oppression of others and without

loss of self-respect_. We have enunciated it as a law that only spirit

can act upon spirit, and therefore that food must be a spirit but

differing in other respects from intoxicants.

Before describing this let us see what flesh has done for the evolution

of the world.

We have noted previously that during the Polarian Epoch man had only a

dense body; he was like the present minerals in this respect, and by

nature he was as inert and passive.

By absorbing the crystalloids prepared by plants he evolved a vital

body during the Hyperborean Epoch and became plantlike both in

constitution and by nature, for he lived without exertion and as

unconsciously as the plants.

Later he extracted milk from the then stationary animals. Desire for

this more readily digestible food spurred him on to exertion, and

gradually his desire nature was evolved during the Lemurian Epoch.

Thus he became constituted like the present day _Herbivora_. Though

possessed of a passional nature, he was docile and could not be induced

to fight save to defend himself, his mate, and family. Hunger alone had

the power to make him aggressive.

Therefore, when animals began to move and sought to elude this ruthless

parasite, increasing difficulty of obtaining the coveted food aroused

his craving to such an extent that when he had hunted and caught an

animal, he was no longer content to suck its udders dry but commenced

to feed upon its blood and flesh. Thus he became as ferocious as our

present day Carnivora.

Digestion of flesh food requires much more powerful chemical action and

speedy elimination of the waste than that of a vegetable diet as proved

by chemical analysis of the gastric juices from animals, and by the

fact that the intestines of Herbivora are many times longer than those

of a carnivorous animal of even size. Carnivora easily become drowsy

and averse to exertion.

When prodded by the pangs of hunger the ferocious wolf does indeed

pursue its prey with unwavering perseverance, and the spring of the

crouching king of beasts overmatches the speed of the wing-footed

deer. By ambush the feline family foil the fleetest in their attempts

to escape. The cunning of the fox is proverbial, and the slinking

nocturnal habits of the hyena and kindred scavengers illustrate the

depth of depravity resulting from a diet of decayed flesh.

The vices generated by flesh eating may be said to be lassitude,

ferocity, low cunning, and depravity. We may tame the herbivorous

ox and elephant. Their diet makes them docile and stores enormous

power which they obediently use in our service to perform prolonged

and arduous labor. The flesh food required by the constitutional

peculiarities of Carnivora makes them dangerous and incapable of

thorough domestication. A cat may scratch at any moment, and the

muzzling ordinances of large cities are ample proof of the danger of

dogs. Besides, energy contained in the diet of Carnivora is so largely

expended in digestion that they are drowsy and unfitted for sustained

labor like the horse or elephant.

The drowsiness following a heavy meal of meat is too well known to

require argument, and the custom of taking stimulants with food is an

outgrowth of the desire to counteract the deadening effect of dead

flesh. The intensified effect of feasting upon _flesh in an advanced

state of decay_ is well illustrated in “society,” where banquets of

game that is “high” are accompanied by orgies of the wildest nature and

followed by indulgence of the vilest instincts.

The Westerner who can live upon a clean, sweet, wholesome diet of

vegetables, cereals, and fruits, does not become drowsy from his

food; he needs no stimulant. _There are no vegetarian drunkards._ The

soothing effects of vegetable food manifest as finer feelings, which

replace the ferocity fostered by flesh food. Many need the mixed diet

yet, for the practice of flesh eating has furthered the progress of the

world as nothing else except perhaps its companion vice—drunkenness;

and though we cannot say that they have been blessings in disguise,

they have at least not been unmitigated curses, for in the Father’s

kingdom all seeming evil nevertheless works for good in some respect,

though it may not be apparent upon the surface. We shall see how

presently.

A private corporation, the East India Company, commenced and

practically achieved the subjugation of India with her three hundred

million people, for the English are voracious flesh eaters, while

the Hindu’s diet fosters docility. But when England fought the flesh

eating Boers, Greek met Greek, and the valor displayed by both sides

is a matter of brilliant record. Courage, physical as well as moral,

is a virtue and cowardice a vice. Flesh has fostered self-assertion

and helped us to develop a backbone, though unfortunately often at the

expense of others who still retain the wishbone. It has done more as

will be illustrated:

As said previously, the crouching cat is forced to employ strategy to

save strength when procuring its prey, so that it may retain sufficient

energy to digest the victim. Thus brain becomes the ally of brawn. In

ancient Atlantis _desire for flesh developed the ingenuity of primitive

man and led him_ to trap the elusive denizens of field and forest. The

hunter’s snare was among the first LABOR-SAVING DEVICES—which mark

the beginning of the evolution of mind, and of the uncompromising,

unflagging struggle of the meat fed mind for supremacy over matter.

We say “_the meat fed mind_,” and we reiterate it, because we wish

to emphasize that it is by the nations which have adopted flesh food

that the most noteworthy progress has been made. The vegetarian

Asiatics remain upon the lower rungs of civilization. The further west

we travel, _the more the consumption of meat increases as does the

disinclination for bodily exercise, and consequently the activity of

the mind is increased to a higher and higher pitch in the invention of

labor-saving devices_. The American agriculturists’ acres are counted

by thousands, and they harvest large crops with less labor than the

peasant of the East who has only a small patch of ground. The reason

is that the poor, plodding, grain fed Easterner has only his hands and

his hoe, which he keeps in motion all day and day after day, while the

meat fed, progressive Westerner turns power-driven implements into his

fertile fields and sits down in a comfortable seat to watch them work.

One uses muscle, the other mind.

Thus the indomitable courage and energy which have transformed the face

of the Western World are virtues directly traceable to flesh food,

which also fosters love of ease and invention of labor-saving devices;

while alcohol stimulates enterprise in execution of schemes thus

hatched to procure the maximum of comfort with a minimum of labor.

But the spirit of alcohol is obtained by a process of fermentation.

It is a _spirit of decay_, altogether different from the _spirit of

life_ in man. This counterfeit spirit lures man on and on, always

holding before his vision dreams of _future_ grandeur, and goading

him to strenuous efforts of body and mind in order to attain and

obtain. Then when he has achieved and attained, he awakens to the

utter worthlessness of his prize. Possession soon shatters illusion

as to the worth of whatever he may have acquired; _nothing the world

has to give can finally satisfy_. Then again the lethal draught drowns

disappointment, and the mind conjures up a new illusion. This he

pursues with fresh zeal and high hopes to meet disappointment again and

again, for lives and lives, until at last he learns that “wine is a

mocker,” and that “all is vanity but to serve God and to do His will.”

Chapter XII

A LIVING SACRIFICE

Volumes, or rather libraries, have been written to explain the nature

of God, but it is probably a universal experience that the more we read

of other people’s explanations, the less we understand. There is one

description, given by the inspired apostle John when he wrote “_God is

Light_,” which is as illuminating as the others are befogging to the

mind. Anyone who takes this passage for meditation occasionally will

find a rich reward waiting, for no matter how many times we take up

this subject, our own development in the passing years assures us each

time a fuller and better understanding. Each time we sink ourselves

in these three words we lave in a spiritual fountain of inexhaustible

depth, and each succeeding time we sound more thoroughly the divine

depths and draw more closely to our Father in heaven.

To get in touch with our subject, let us go back in time to get our

bearing and the direction of our future line of progress.

The first time our consciousness was directed towards the Light

was shortly after we had become endowed with mind and had entered

definitely upon our evolution as human beings in Atlantis, the land of

the mist, deep down in the basins of the earth, where the warm mist

emitted from the cooling earth hung like a dense fog over the land.

Then the starry heights of the universe were never seen, nor could the

silvery light of the moon penetrate the dense, foggy atmosphere which

hung over that ancient land. Even the fiery splendor of the sun was

almost totally extinguished, for when we look in the Memory of Nature

pertaining to that time, it appears very much as an arc lamp on a high

pole looks to us when it is foggy. It was exceedingly dim, and had an

aura of various colors, very similar to those which we observe around

an arc light.

But this light had a fascination. The ancient Atlanteans were taught

by the divine Hierarchs who walked among them, to aspire to the

light, and as the spiritual sight was then already on the wane (even

the messengers, or Elohim, being perceived with difficulty by the

majority), they aspired all the more ardently to the new light, for

they feared the darkness of which they had become conscious through the

gift of mind.

Then came the inevitable flood when the mist cooled and condensed. The

atmosphere cleared, and the “_chosen people_” were saved. Those who

had worked within themselves and learned to build the necessary organs

required to breathe in an atmosphere such as we have today, survived

and came to the light. It was not an arbitrary choice; _the work of the

past consisted of body building_. Those who had only gill clefts, such

as the foetus still uses in its prenatal development, were as unfit

physiologically to enter the new era as the foetus would be to be born

were it to neglect to build lungs. It would die as those ancient people

died when the rare atmosphere made gill clefts useless.

Since the day when we came out of ancient Atlantis our bodies have been

practically complete, that is to say, no new vehicles are to be added;

but from that time and from now on _those who wish to follow the light

must strive for soul growth_. The bodies which we have crystallized

about us must be dissolved, and the quintessence of experience

extracted, which as “soul” may be amalgamated with the spirit to

nourish it from impotence to omnipotence. Therefore, the Tabernacle

in the Wilderness was given to the ancients, and the _light of God

descended upon the Altar of Sacrifice_. This is of great significance:

The ego had just descended into its tabernacle, the body. We all know

the tendency of the primitive instinct towards selfishness, and if we

have studied the higher ethics we also know how subversive of good the

indulgence of the egotistic tendency is; therefore, God immediately

placed before mankind the Divine Light upon the Altar of Sacrifice.

Upon this altar they were forced by dire necessity to offer their

cherished possessions for every transgression, God appearing to them

as a hard taskmaster whose displeasure it was dangerous to incur.

But still the Light drew them. They knew then that it was futile to

attempt to escape from the hand of God. They had never heard the words

of John, “God is Light,” but they had already learned from the heavens

in a measure the meaning of infinitude, as measured by the realm of

light, for we hear David exclaim: “Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?

or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven,

thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, thou art there. If I take the

wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even

there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me. If I

say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light

about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth

as the day, for the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”

With every year that passes, with the aid of the greatest telescopes

which the ingenuity and mechanical skill of man have been able to

construct to pierce the depths of space, it becomes more evident that

the infinitude of light teaches us the infinitude of God. When we hear

that “men loved darkness rather than Light because their deeds were

evil,” that also rings true to what we unfortunately know as present

day facts, and illumines the nature of God for us; for is it not true

that we always feel endangered in the dark, but that the light gives us

a sense of safety which is akin to the feeling of a child who feels the

protecting hand of its father?

To render permanent this condition of being in the Light was the next

step in God’s work with us, which culminated in the birth of Christ,

who as the bodily presence of the Father, bore about in Himself that

Light, for the Light came into the world that whosoever should believe

in Christ should not perish, but have everlasting life. He said, “I am

the Light of the World.” The altar in the Tabernacle had illustrated

the principle of sacrifice as the medium of regeneration, so Christ

said to His disciples: Greater love hath no man than this, that he

lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends. And forthwith

He commenced a sacrifice, which, contrary to the accepted orthodox

opinion was not consummated in a few hours of physical suffering upon

a material cross, but is as perpetual as were the sacrifices made upon

the altar of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, for it entails an annual

descent into the earth and an endurance of all that the cramping earth

conditions must mean to such a great spirit.

This must continue till a sufficient number have evolved who can

bear the burden of this dense lump of _darkness_ which we call the

earth, and which hangs as a millstone about the neck of humanity, an

impediment to further spiritual growth. Until we learn to follow “in

His steps,” we can rise no higher towards the Light.

It is related that when Leonardo da Vinci had completed his famous

painting, “The Last Supper,” he asked a friend to look at it and tell

him what he thought of it.

The friend looked at it critically for a few minutes and then said:

“I think you have made a mistake in painting the goblets from which

the apostles drink so ornamental and to resemble gold. People in their

positions would not drink from such expensive vessels.”

Da Vinci then drew his brush through the entire set of vessels which

had drawn the criticism of his friend, but he was heartbroken, for he

had painted that picture with his soul rather than with his hands, and

he had prayed over it that it might speak a message to the world. He

had put all the greatness of his art and the whole-hearted devotion of

his soul into that effort to paint a Christ who should speak the word

that would lead men to emulate His deeds.

Can you see Him as He sits there at that festive board, THE EMBODIMENT

OF LIGHT, and speaks those wonderful, mystic words: _This is my body,

this is my blood, given for you_—a living sacrifice.

In the past period of our spiritual career we have been looking for

a Light _exterior_ to ourselves, but now we have arrived at the point

where we must look for the Christ light within and emulate Him by

making of ourselves “living sacrifices” as He is doing. Let us remember

that when the sacrifice which lies before our door seems pleasant and

to our liking, when we seem able to pick and choose our work in His

vineyard and do what pleases us, we are not making a real sacrifice

as He did, nor are we when we are seen of men and applauded for our

benevolence. But when we are ready to follow Him from that festive

board where He was the honored one among friends, into the garden of

Gethsemane _where He was alone_ and wrestled with the great problem

before Him while His friends slept, then are we making a living

sacrifice.

When we are content to follow “in His steps” to that point of

self-sacrifice where we can say from the bottom of our hearts, “_Thy

will, not mine_,” then we have surely _the light within_, and there

will never henceforth be for us that which we feel as darkness. _We

shall walk in the light._

This is our glorious privilege, and the meditation upon the words

of the apostle, “God is Light,” will help us to realize this ideal

provided we add to our faith, _works_, and say by our deeds as did the

Christ of da Vinci, “_This is my body and this is my blood_,” a living

sacrifice upon the altar of humanity.

Chapter XIII

MAGIC, WHITE AND BLACK

From time to time as occasion requires we warn students of the

Rosicrucian Fellowship in our private individual letters not to attend

spirit seances, hypnotic demonstrations, or places where incense

is burned by dabblers in occultism. Black Magic is practiced both

consciously and unconsciously to an extent that is almost unbelievable.

“Malicious animal magnetism,” which is only another name for the Black

Force, is responsible for more failures in business, loss of health,

and unhappiness in homes than most people are aware of. Even the

perpetrators of such outrages are, as said, often unconscious of what

harm they have done. Therefore it seems expedient to devote a chapter

to an explanation of some of the laws of magic, which are the same for

the white as for the black. There is only one force, but it may be used

for good or evil; and according to the motive behind it and the use

that is made of it, it becomes either black or white.

It is a scientific axiom that “_Ex nihil, nihil fit_” (out of nothing

nothing comes). There must be a seed before there can be a flower, but

where the first seed came from is something which science has failed to

explain. The occultist knows that all things have come from _arche_,

the infinite essence of chaos, used by God, the Grand Architect, for

the building of our universe; and, given the nucleus of anything, the

accomplished magician can draw upon the same essence for a further

supply. Christ, for instance, had some loaves and some fishes; by

means of that nucleus He drew upon the primordial essence of chaos for

the rest needed in performing the miracle of feeding a multitude. A

human magician whose power is not so high can more easily draw upon

the things which have already materialized out of chaos. He may take

flowers or fruit belonging to some one else, miles or hundreds of miles

away, disintegrate them into their atomic constituents, transport them

through the air, and cause them to assume their regular physical shape

in the room where he is entertaining friends in order to amaze them.

Such magic is _grey_ at best, even if he sends sufficient of his coin

to pay for what he has taken away; if he does not, it is Black Magic to

thus rob another of his goods. Magic to be white must always be used

unselfishly, and in addition, for a noble purpose—to save a fellow

being suffering. The Christ, when He fed the multitude from chaos, gave

as His reason that they had been with Him for several days, and if they

had to journey back to their homes without physical food they would

faint by the wayside and suffer privation.

God is the Grand Architect of the Universe and the Initiates of the

White Schools are also arche-tektons, builders from the primordial

essence in their beneficent work for humanity. These Invisible Helpers

require a nucleus from the patient’s vital body, which is, as students

of the Rosicrucian Fellowship know, given to them in the effluvia

from the hand, which impregnates the paper when the patient makes

application for help and healing. With this nucleus of the patient’s

vital body they are able to draw upon virgin matter for whatever they

need to restore health by building up and strengthening the organism.

The Black Magicians are despoilers, actuated by hatred and malice.

They also need a nucleus for their nefarious operations, and this they

obtain most easily from the vital body at spiritualistic or hypnotic

seances, where the sitters relax, put themselves into a negative frame

of mind, drop their jaws, and sink their individualities by other

distinctly mediumistic practices. Even people who do not frequent such

places are not immune, for there are certain products of the vital body

which are ignorantly scattered by all and which may be used effectively

by the Black Magicians. Chief in this category are the hair and finger

nails. The Negroes in their voodoo magic use the placenta for similar

evil purposes. One particularly evil man, whose practices were exposed

a decade ago, obtained from boys the vital fluid which he used for his

demoniac acts. Even so innocent a thing as a glass of water placed in

close proximity to certain parts of the body of the prospective victim,

while the Black Magician converses with him can be made to absorb a

part of the victim’s vital body. This will give the Black Magician the

requisite nucleus, or it may be obtained from a piece of the person’s

clothing. The same invisible emanation contained in the garment, which

guides the bloodhound upon the track of a certain person, will also

guide the Magician, white or black, to the abode of that person and

furnish the Magician with a key to the person’s system whereby the

former may help or hurt according to his inclination.

But there are methods of protecting oneself from inimical influences,

which we shall mention in the latter part of this chapter. We have

debated much whether it were wise or not to call the attention of

students to these facts, and have come to the conclusion that it

does not help anyone to imitate the ostrich which sticks its head

into a hole in the sand at the approach of danger. It is better to

be enlightened concerning things that threaten so that we may take

whatever precautions are necessary to meet the emergency. The battle

between the good and the evil forces is being waged with an intensity

that no one not engaged in the actual combat can comprehend. The Elder

Brothers of the Rosicrucians and kindred orders which, we may say, in

their totality represent the Holy Grail, live on the love and essence

of the unselfish service which they gather and garner as the bees

gather honey, from all who are striving to live the life. This they add

to the lustre of the Holy Grail, which in turn grows more lustrous and

radiates a stronger influence upon all who are spiritually inclined,

imbuing them with greater ardor, zeal, and zest in the good work and in

fighting the good fight. Similarly the evil forces of the Black Grail

thrive on hate, treachery, cruelty, and every demoniac deed on the

calendar of crime. Both the Black and the White Grail forces require a

pabulum, the one of good and the other of evil, for the continuance of

their existence and for the power to fight. Unless they get it, they

starve and grow weaker. Hence the relentless struggle that is going on

between them.

Every midnight the Elder Brothers at their service open their breasts

to attract the darts of hate, envy, malice, and every evil that has

been launched during the past twenty-four hours. First, in order that

they may deprive the Black Grail forces of their food; and secondly,

that they may transmute the evil to good. Then, as the plants gather

the inert carbon dioxide exhaled by mankind and build their bodies

therefrom, so the Brothers of the Holy Grail transmute the evil

within the temple; and as the plants send out the renovated oxygen so

necessary to human life, so the Elder Brothers return to mankind the

transmuted essence of evil as qualms of conscience along with the good

in order that the world may grow better day by day.

The Black Brothers, instead of transmuting the evil, infuse a greater

dynamic energy into it and speed it on its mission in vain endeavors

to conquer the powers of good. They use for their purposes elementals

and other discarnate entities which, being themselves of a low order,

are available for such vile practices as required. In the ages when

men burned animal oil or candles made from the tallow of animals,

elementals swarmed around them as devils or demons, seeking to obsess

whoever would offer an occasion. Even wax tapers offer food for these

entities, but the modern methods of illumination by electricity, coal

oil, or even paraffin candles, are uncongenial to them. They still

flock around our saloons, slaughter houses, and similar places where

there are passionate animals, and animal-like men. They also delight

in places where incense is burned, for that offers them an avenue of

access, and when the sitters at seances inhale the odor of the incense

they inhale elemental spirits with it, which affect them according to

their characters.

This is where the protection we spoke about before may be used. When

we live lives of purity, when our days are filled with service to God

and to our fellow-men, and with thoughts and actions of the highest

nobility, then we create for ourselves the _Golden Wedding Garment_,

which is a radiant force for good. No evil is able to penetrate this

armor for the evil then acts as a boomerang and recoils on the one who

sent it, bringing to him the evil he wished us.

But alas, none of us are altogether good. We know only too well the

war between the flesh and the spirit. We cannot hide from ourselves

the fact that like Paul, “the good that we would do, we do not, and

the evil that we would shun, that we do.” Far too often our good

resolutions come to naught and we do wrong because it is easier.

Therefore we all have the nucleus of evil within ourselves, which

affords the open sesame for the evil forces to work upon. For that

reason it is best for us not unnecessarily to expose ourselves at

places where seances are held with spirits invisible to us, no matter

how fine their teachings may sound to the unsophisticated. Neither

should we take part even as spectators at hypnotic demonstrations,

for there also a negative attitude lays one liable to the danger of

obsession. We should at all times follow the advice of Paul and put

on the whole armor of God. We should be positive in our fight for the

good against the evil and never let an occasion slip to aid the Elder

Brothers by word or deed in the Great War for spiritual supremacy.

Chapter XIV

OUR INVISIBLE GOVERNMENT

It is well known to students of the Rosicrucian Philosophy that each

species of animals is dominated by a group spirit, which is their

guardian and looks after these, its wards, with a view to bringing them

along the path of evolution that is best suited to their development;

it does not matter what the geographical position of these animals

is; the lion in the jungles of Africa is dominated by the same group

spirit as is the lion in the cage of a menagerie in our northern

countries. Therefore these animals are alike in all their principal

characteristics; they have the same likes and dislikes with respect

to diet, and they act in an almost identical manner under similar

circumstances. If one wants to study the tribe of lions or the tribe

of tigers, all that is necessary is to study one individual, for it

has neither choice nor prerogative, but acts entirely according to the

dictates of the group spirit. The mineral cannot choose whether it will

crystallize or not; the rose is bound to bloom; the lion is compelled

to prey; and in each case the activity is dictated entirely by the

group spirit.

But man is different; when we want to study him we find that each

individual is as a species by himself. What one does under any given

circumstances is no indication of what another may do; “one man’s meat

is another man’s poison”; each has different likes and dislikes. This

is because man as we see him in the physical world is the expression

of an individual indwelling spirit, seemingly having choice and

prerogative.

But as a matter of fact man is not quite as free as he seems; all

students of human nature have observed that on certain occasions a

large number of people will act as though dominated by one spirit. It

is also easy to see without recourse to occultism that the different

nations have certain physical characteristics. We all know the German,

French, English, Italian, and Spanish types. Each of these nations has

characteristics which differ from those of the other nations, thus

indicating that there must be a _race spirit_ at the root of these

peculiarities. The occultist who is gifted with spiritual sight knows

that such is the case, and that each nation has a different race spirit

which broods as a cloud over the whole country. In it the people live

and move and have their being; it is their guardian and is constantly

working for their development, building up their civilization and

fostering ideals of the highest nature compatible with their capacity

for progress.

In the Bible we read that _Jehovah_, _Elohim_, who was the race

spirit of the Jews, went before them in a pillar and a cloud, and in

the Book of Daniel we gain considerable insight into the workings of

these race spirits. The image seen by Nebuchadnezzar with its head of

gold and feet of clay showed plainly how a civilization built up in

the beginning with golden ideals degenerated more and more until in

the latter part of its existence the feet were of unstable, crumbling

clay, and the image was doomed to topple. Thus all civilizations when

started by the different race spirits have great and golden ideals, but

humanity by reason of having some free will and choice does not follow

implicitly the dictates of the race spirits as the animals follow the

commands of the group spirits. Hence in the course of time a nation

ceases to rise, and as there can be no standing still in the cosmos,

it begins to degenerate until finally the feet are of clay and it is

necessary to strike a blow to shatter it, _that another civilization

may be built up on its ruins_.

But empires do not fall without a strong physical blow, and therefore

an instrument of the race spirit of a nation is always raised up at

the time when that nation is doomed to fall. In the tenth and eleventh

chapters of Daniel we are given an insight into the workings of the

invisible government of the race spirits, the powers behind the throne.

Daniel is much disturbed in spirit; he fasts, for fully _three weeks_,

praying for light, and at the end of that time an archangel, a race

spirit, appears before him and addresses him: “Fear not, Daniel, for

from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and

to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come

for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me

_one and twenty days_, but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came

to help me; and I remained there with the king of Persia.” After he

explains to Daniel what is to happen, he says: “Knowest thou wherefore

I came unto thee? _and now will I return to fight with the prince of

Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come_,

and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael,

your prince.” The archangel also says: “In the first year of Darius the

Mede, even I stood to confirm and to strengthen him.”

So when the handwriting is on the wall, some one is raised up to

administer the blow; it may be a Cyrus, a Darius, an Alexander, a

Caesar, a Napoleon, or a kaiser. Such a one may think himself a prime

mover, a free individual acting by his own choice and prerogative,

but as a matter of fact he is only the instrument of the invisible

government of the world, the power behind thrones, the race spirits,

who see the necessity of breaking up civilizations that have outlived

their usefulness, so that humanity may get a new start and evolve under

a new and a higher ideal than that which ensouled it before.

Christ himself when upon earth, said: “I came not to bring peace, but a

sword,” for it was evident to Him that as long as humanity was divided

into races and nations there could be no “peace on earth and good will

among men.” Only when the nations have become united in a universal

brotherhood is peace possible. The barriers of nationalism must be done

away with, and to this end the United States of America has been made a

melting pot where all that is best in the old nations is being brought

together and amalgamated, so that _a new race with higher ideals and

feelings of universal brotherhood may be born for the Aquarian Age_.

In the meantime the barriers of nationalism have been partially broken

down in Europe by the terrible conflict just past. This brings nearer

the day of universal amity and the realization of the Brotherhood of

Man.

There is also another object to be gained. Of all the terrors to

which mankind is subjected, there is none so great as _death_, which

separates us from those we love, because we are unable to see them

after they have stepped out of their bodies. But just as surely as the

day follows the night, so will every teardrop wear away some of the

scale that now blinds the eyes of man to the unseen land of the living

dead. We have said repeatedly and we now reaffirm that one of the

greatest blessings which will come from the war will be the spiritual

sight which a great number of people will evolve. The intense sorrow of

millions of people, the longing to see again the dear ones who have so

suddenly and ruthlessly been torn from us, are a force of incalculable

strength and power. Likewise those who have been snatched by death in

the prime of life and who are now in the invisible world are equally

intense in their desires to be reunited with those near and dear to

them, so that they may speak the word of comfort and assure them of

their well-being. Thus it may be said that two great armies comprising

millions upon millions are tunneling with frantic energy and intensity

of purpose through the wall that separates the invisible from the

visible. Day by day this wall or veil is growing thinner, and sooner

or later the living and the living dead will meet in the middle of the

tunnel. Before we realize it, communication will have been established,

and we shall find it a common experience that when our loved ones step

out of their worn and sick bodies, we shall feel neither sorrow nor

loss because we shall be able to see them in their ethereal bodies,

moving among us as they used to do. So out of the great conflict we

shall come as victors over death and be able to say: “O death, where

is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

Chapter XV

PRACTICAL PRECEPTS FOR PRACTICAL PEOPLE

“If I were to do business on the principles laid down in the Sermon on

the Mount I would be down and out in less than a year,” said a critic

recently. “Why, the Bible is utterly impracticable under our present

economic conditions; it is impossible to live according to it.”

If that is true there is a good reason for the unbelief of the world,

but in a court the accused is always allowed a fair trial, and let us

examine the Bible thoroughly before we judge. What are the specific

charges? “Why, they are countless,” answered the critic, “but to

mention only a few, let us take such passages as, ‘Blessed are the poor

in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven;’ ‘Blessed are the meek

for they shall inherit the earth;’ ‘Take no thought for the morrow,

what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink.’ Such ideas point the way to

the poor-house.”

“Very well,” says the apologist, “let us take the last charge first.

King James’ version says: ’No man can serve two masters. Ye cannot

serve God and mammon, therefore I say unto you, take no thought for

your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your

body what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than food and the body

than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: they sow not, neither do

they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.

Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can

add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not, neither

do they spin. And yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory

was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the

grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven,

shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore

take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?

or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? for after all these things do

the Gentiles seek; your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need

of all these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His

righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.’”

If this is intended to mean that we should wastefully squander all

we have in prodigal or riotous living, then it is of course not only

impractical but demoralizing. Such an interpretation is, however,

out of keeping with the tenor and teaching of the whole Book, and

it does not say so. The Greek word _merimnon_ means being overly

careful or anxious, and if we read the passage with this alteration

we shall find that it teaches a different lesson which is entirely

practical. Mammon is the Syriac word for riches, desired by foolish

people. In the preceding paragraph Christ exhorted them not to become

servants or slaves to riches, which they must leave behind when the

silver cord is broken and the spirit returns to God, but seek rather

to live lives of love and service and lay up treasures of good deeds,

which they might take with them into the Kingdom of Heaven. In the

meantime, He exhorted, be not overly anxious regarding what you shall

eat and drink and clothe yourself with. Why worry? You cannot add a

hairbreadth to your height or a hair to your head by worrying. Worry

is the most wasteful and depleting of all our emotions, and it does no

good whatever. Your heavenly Father knows you need material things,

therefore seek first His kingdom and righteousness and all else needed

will be added. On at least two occasions when multitudes came to Christ

in places far from their homes and distant from towns where refreshment

was obtainable, He demonstrated this; He gave them first the spiritual

food they sought and then ministered to their bodily needs direct from

a spiritual source of supply.

Does it work out in these modern days? Surely there have been so many

demonstrations of this that it is not at all necessary to recount any

special one. When we work and pray, pray and work, and make our lives

a living prayer for opportunities to serve others, then all earthly

things will come of their own accord as we need them, and they will

keep coming in larger measure according to the degree to which they are

used in the service of God. If we regard ourselves only as stewards and

custodians of whatever earthly goods we possess, then we are really

“_poor in spirit_” so far as the evanescent earthly treasures are

concerned, but rich in the more lasting treasures of the Kingdom of

Heaven; and if we are not out and out materialists, surely this is a

practical attitude.

It is not so long ago that “_caveat emptor_,” “Let the buyer beware,”

was the slogan of the merchants who sought after earthly treasures and

regarded the buyer as their legitimate prey. When they had sold their

wares and received the money, it did not matter to them whether the

buyer was satisfied or not. They even prided themselves on selling

an inferior article which would soon wear out, as evident in the

shortsighted motto, “The weakness of the goods is the strength of

the trade.” But gradually even people who would scorn the idea of

introducing religion into their business are discarding this _caveat

emptor_ as a motto, and are unconsciously adapting the precept of

Christ, “_He that would be the greatest among you, let him be the

servant of all_.” Everywhere the best business men are insistent in

their claim to patronage on the ground of the service they give to the

buyer, because it is a policy that pays, and may therefore be classed

as another of the practical precepts of the Bible.

But it sometimes happens that in spite of their desire to serve their

customers, something goes wrong and an angry, dissatisfied buyer comes

blustering in, decrying their goods. Under the old shortsighted regime

of _caveat emptor_ the merchant would have merely laughed or thrown

the buyer out of the door. Not so the modern merchant, who takes his

Bible into business. He remembers the wisdom of Solomon that “a soft

answer turneth away wrath,” and the assertion of Christ that “_the meek

shall inherit the earth_,” so he apologizes for the fault in the goods,

offers restitution, and sends the erstwhile dissatisfied customer away

smiling and eager to sing the praises of the concern that treats him

so nicely. Thus by obeying the practical precept of the Bible, keeping

his temper in meekness, the business man gains additional customers who

come to him in full faith of fair treatment, and the added profit in

sales made to them soon overbalances the loss on goods which may have

caused the dissatisfaction of other customers.

It pays dividends in dollars and cents to keep one’s temper and

be meek; it pays greater dividends from the moral and spiritual

standpoints. What better business motto can be found than in

Ecclesiastes: “Wisdom is better than weapons of war. Be not rash in

thy mouth, be not hasty in thy speech to be angry, for anger resteth in

the bosom of fools.” Tact and diplomacy are always better than force;

as the Good Book says: “If the iron be blunt we must use more strength,

but wisdom is profitable to direct.” The line of least resistance,

so long as it is clean and honorable, is always the best. Therefore,

“_Love your enemies, do good to them that despitefully use you_.”

It is good practical business policy to try to reconcile those who do

us harm lest they do more; and it is better for us to get over our

ill feeling than to nurse it, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall

he also reap, and if we sow spite and meanness, we breed and beget in

others the same feelings. Furthermore, all these things will apply in

private life and in social intercourse just as in ordinary business.

How many quarrels could be avoided if we cultivated the virtue of

meekness in our homes; how much pleasure would be gained; how much

happiness would come into our lives if in our social and business

relations we learned to _do unto others as we would that they should do

unto us_!

There is no need for the great mental strain that so many of us are

working under concerning what we shall eat and what we shall drink.

Our Father in Heaven does own the earth and the fullness thereof; the

cattle on a thousand hills are His. If we learn truly to cast our cares

upon Him, there is no doubt that the way out of our difficulties will

be provided. It is a fact, acknowledged by all authorities who have

investigated the subject, that comparatively few people die from lack

of necessities of life, but a great many die because of overindulgence

of the appetites. It is the practical experience of the writer and

numerous others that if we do our work day by day as it appears before

us, faithfully and to the best of our ability, the wherewithal for the

morrow will always be provided. If we go according to the instruction

of the Bible, doing all “as unto the Lord,” it does not matter what

line of honest work we follow; we are then at the same time seeking

the Kingdom of God. But if we are only time servers, working for fear

or favor, we cannot expect to succeed in the long run; health, wealth,

and happiness may attend us for a little while, but outside the solid

foundation of the Bible there can be no lasting joy in life and no real

prosperity in business.

Chapter XVI

SOUND, SILENCE, AND SOUL GROWTH

Sincere students of the Science of the Soul are naturally anxious to

grow in grace that they may serve so much better in the Great Work of

Human Upliftment. Being humble and modest they are only too painfully

aware of their shortcomings, and frequently while casting about for

means to facilitate progress they ask themselves, “_What hinders?_”

Some, particularly in bygone ages when life was lived less intensely

than now, realized that the everyday life among ordinary humanity had

many drawbacks. To overcome these and further their soul growth they

withdrew from the community to a monastery or to the mountains where

they could give themselves over to the spiritual life undisturbed.

We know, however, that that is not the way. It is too well established

in the minds of most of our students that if we run away from an

experience today, it will confront us again tomorrow, and that the

victor’s palm is earned by overcoming the world, not by running away

from it. The environment in which we have been placed by the Recording

Angels was our own choice when we were at the turning point of our life

cycle in the Third Heaven, we then being pure spirit unblinded by the

matter which now veils our vision. Hence it is undoubtedly the one that

holds lessons needed by us, and we should make a serious mistake if we

tried to escape from it altogether.

But we have received a mind for a definite purpose—to reason about

things and conditions so that we may learn to discriminate between

essentials and nonessentials, between that which is designed to hinder

for the purpose of teaching us a virtue by overcoming it, and that

which is an out and out hindrance, which jars our sensibilities and

wrecks our nerves without any compensating spiritual gain. It will

be of the greatest benefit if we can learn to differentiate for the

conservation of our strength, accepting only that which we must endure

for the sake of our spiritual well-being. We shall then save much

energy and have much more zest in profitable directions than now. The

details of that problem are different in every life; however, there are

certain general principles which it will benefit us all to understand

and apply in our lives, and among them is the effect of silence and

sound on soul growth.

At first blush it may surprise us when the statement is made that

sound and silence are very important factors in soul growth, but when

we examine the matter we shall soon see that it is not a far-fetched

notion. Consider first the graphic expression, “War is hell,” and then

call up in imagination a war scene. The sight is appalling, even more

so to those who see it with the undimmed spiritual vision than to those

who are limited to physical sight, for the latter can at least shut

their eyes to it if they want to, but the whole horror lies heavily

upon the heart of the Invisible Helper who not only hears and sees but

_feels_ in his own being the anguish and pain of all the surrounding

suffering as Parsifal felt in his heart the wound of Amfortas, the

stricken Grail king; in fact, without that intensely intimate feeling

of oneness with the suffering there could be no healing nor help given.

But there is one thing which no one can escape, the terrible noise of

the shells, the deafening roar of the cannon, the vicious spitting of

the machine guns, the groans of the wounded, and the oaths of a certain

class among the participants. We shall need no further argument to

agree that it is really a “hellish noise” and as subversive of soul

growth as possible. The battle field is the last place anyone with a

sane mind would choose for the purpose of soul growth, though it is

not to be forgotten that much of this has been made by noble deeds of

self-sacrifice there; but such results have been achieved _in spite of_

the condition and not because of it.

On the other hand, consider a church filled with the noble strains of

a Gregorian chant or a Handel oratorio upon which the prayers of the

aspiring soul wing their way to the Author of our Being. That music

may surely be termed “_heavenly_” and the church designated as offering

an ideal condition for soul growth, but if we stayed there permanently

to the neglect of our duties we should be failures in spite of the

ideal condition.

There remains, therefore, only one safe method for us, namely, to stay

in the din of the battle field of the world, endeavoring to wrest from

even the most unpromising conditions the material of soul growth by

unselfish service, and at the same time _to build within our own inner

selves a sanctuary_ filled with that silent music which sounds ever in

the serving soul as a source of upliftment above all the vicissitudes

of earthly existence. Having that “living church” _within_, being in

fact under that condition “_living temples_,” we may turn at any moment

when our attention is not legitimately required by temporal affairs to

that spiritual house not made with hands and lave in its harmony. We

may do that many times a day and thus restore continually the harmony

that has been disturbed by the discords of terrestrial intercourse.

How then shall we build that temple and fill it with the heavenly

music we so much desire? What will help and what will hinder? are the

questions which call for a practical solution, and we shall try to

make the answer as plain and practical as possible, for this is a very

vital matter. The _little things_ are particularly important, for the

neophyte needs to take even the slightest things into account. If we

light a match in a strong wind it is extinguished ere it has gained a

fair start, but if the little flame is laid on a brush-heap and given

a chance to grow in comparative calm, a rising wind will fan the flame

instead of extinguishing it. Adepts or Great Souls may remain serene

under conditions which would upset the ordinary aspirant, hence he

should use discrimination and not expose himself unnecessarily to

conditions subversive of soul growth; what he needs more than anything

is _poise_, and nothing is more inimical to that condition than _noise_.

It is undeniable that our communities are “Bedlams,” and that we have

a legitimate right to escape some noises if possible, such as the

screeching made by street cars rounding a curve. We do not need to

live on such a corner to the detriment of our nerves or endeavors at

concentration, but if we have a sick, crying child that requires our

attention day and night, it does not matter how it affects our nerves,

we have no right in the sight of God or man to run away or neglect

it in order to concentrate. These things are perfectly obvious and

produce instant assent, but the things that help or hinder most are,

as said, the things that are so small that they escape our attention

entirely. When we now start to enumerate them, they may provoke a smile

of incredulity, but if they are pondered upon and practiced they will

soon win assent, for judged by the formula that “by their fruits ye

shall know them,” they will show results and vindicate our assertion

that “Silence is one of the greatest helps in soul growth,” and should

therefore be cultivated by the aspirant in his home, his personal

demeanor, his walk, his habits, and paradoxical as it seems, even in

his speech.

It is a proof of the benefit of religion that it makes people happy,

but the greatest happiness is usually too deep for outward expression.

It fills our whole being so full that it is almost awesome, and a

boisterous manner never goes together with that true happiness for

it is the sign of superficiality. The loud voice, the coarse laugh,

the noisy manner, the hard heels that sound like sledge hammers, the

slamming of doors, and the rattling of dishes are the signatures of the

unregenerate, for they love noise, the more the merrier, as it stirs

their desire bodies. For their purpose church music is anathema; a

blaring brass band is preferable to any other form of entertainment,

and the wilder the dance, the better. But it is otherwise, or should

be, with the aspirant to the higher life.

When the infant Jesus was sought by Herod with murderous intent, his

only safety lay in flight, and by that expedient were preserved his

life and power to grow and fulfill his mission. Similarly, when the

Christ is born within the aspirant he can best preserve this spiritual

life by fleeing from the environment of the unregenerate where these

hindering things are practiced, and seek a place among others of

kindred ambitions provided he is free to do so; but if placed in a

position of responsibility to a family, it is his duty to strive to

alter conditions by precept and example, particularly by example, so

that in time that refined, subdued atmosphere which breathes harmony

and strength may reign over the whole house. It is not essential to

the happiness of children that they be allowed to shout at the top of

their voices or to race pell-mell through the house, slamming doors

and wrecking furniture in their mad race; it is indeed decidedly

detrimental, for it teaches them to disregard the feelings of others in

self-gratification. They will benefit more than mother by being shod

with rubber heels and taught to reserve their romps for outdoors and

to play quietly in the house, closing doors easily, and speaking in a

moderated tone of voice such as mother uses.

In childhood we begin to wreck the nerves that bother us in later

years, so if we teach our children the lesson above indicated, we

may save them much trouble in life as well as further our own soul

growth now. It may take years to reform a household of these seemingly

unimportant faults and secure an atmosphere conducive to soul growth,

especially if the children have grown to adult age and resent reforms

of that nature, but it is well worth while. We can and _must_ at least

cultivate the virtue of silence in ourselves, or our own soul growth

will be very small. Perhaps if we look at the matter from its occult

point of view in connection with that important vehicle, _the vital

body_, the point of this necessity will be more clear.

We know that the vital body is ever storing up power in the physical

body which is to be used in this “School of Experience,” and that

during the day the desire body is constantly dissipating this energy in

actions which constitute experience that is eventually transmuted to

soul growth. So far so good, but the desire body has the tendency to

run amuck if not held in with a tight rein. It revels in _unrestrained_

motion, the wilder the better, and if unbridled makes the body whistle,

sing, jump, dance, and do all the other unnecessary and undignified

things which are so detrimental to soul growth. While under such a

spell of inharmony and discord the person is dead to the spiritual

opportunities in the physical world, and at night when he leaves his

body the process of restoration of that vehicle consumes so much time

that very little, if any, time is left for work, even if the person has

the inclination to think seriously of doing such work.

Therefore we ought by all means to flee from noises which we are

not obliged to hear, and cultivate personally the quiet yet kindly

demeanor, the modulated voice, the silent walk, the unobtrusive

presence, and all the other virtues which make for harmony, for then

the restorative process is quickly accomplished and we are free the

major part of the night to work in the invisible worlds to gain more

soul growth. Let us in this attempt at improvement remember to be

undaunted by occasional failures, remembering Paul’s admonition to

continue in well-doing with patient persistence.

Chapter XVII

THE “MYSTERIUM MAGNUM” OF THE ROSE CROSS

Occasionally we get letters from students voicing their regret that

they are alone in the study of the Rosicrucian Philosophy, that their

husbands, wives, children, or other relatives are unsympathetic or even

antagonistic to the teachings, despite all efforts of the said students

to interest favorably these friends and thus obtain companionship in

their studies, or at least freedom to follow their bent. This friction

causes them a certain amount of unhappiness according to their various

temperaments, and we are asked by these students to advise them how

to overcome the antagonism and convert their relatives. This we have

done by personal letters and have been privileged to help change

conditions in not a few homes when our advice has been followed; but we

know that frequently those who suffer most acutely are silent, and we

have therefore decided to devote a little time to a discussion of the

subject.

It is truly said, very truly, that “a little knowledge is a dangerous

thing,” and this applies with the same force to the Rosicrucian

teachings as to any other subject. Therefore, the very first step is

to find out _if you have enough knowledge_ to be on the safe side. So

let me ask the question: What is the Rosicrucian teaching which you

are so anxious to have others share and to which they object? Is it

the twin laws of “_Causation_” and “_Rebirth_?” They are excellent for

explaining a great many problems of life, and they are a great comfort

when the grim reaper appears and robs our home of some one near and

dear. But then you must remember that there are many who do not feel

the need of any explanation whatever. They are constitutionally as

unfit to apply it as a deaf mute is to use a telephone. It is true that

we work to better advantage when conscious of the law and its purpose,

but let us take comfort from the fact that these laws work for good

to all whether they know it or not, and therefore _this knowledge is

not essential_. They will suffer no great loss because they do not

embrace this doctrine, and they may escape the danger incident to the

possession of “a little knowledge.”

In India where these truths are known and believed by millions, people

make little effort at material progress because they know that they

have endless time, and what they do not accomplish in this life may

wait till the next or a later life. Many Westerners who have embraced

the doctrine of rebirth have ceased to be useful members of their

community by adopting a life of indolence, thereby bringing reproach

on these so-called higher teachings. If your friends will have none

of this teaching, leave them alone. Making converts is by no means

the essential point of the Rosicrucian teaching. The Guardian of the

Gate will not examine them as to knowledge, and he may admit some who

are entirely ignorant of this matter and shut the door in the face of

others who have devoted their lives to studying, lecturing on, and

teaching these laws.

Then if the doctrines of “Causation” and “Rebirth” are unessential,

what about the _complex constitution of Man_? Surely it is essential to

know that we are not merely this visible body, but have a vital body

to charge it with energy, a desire body to spend this force, a mind

to guide our exertions in channels of reason, and that we are virgin

spirits enmeshed in a threefold veil as egos. Is it not essential to

know that the physical body is the material counterpart of the Divine

Spirit, that the vital body is a replica of the Life Spirit, and that

the desire body is the shadow of the Human Spirit, the mind forming the

link between the threefold spirit and the threefold body?

No, _it is not essential to know these things_. Properly used,

this knowledge is an advantage, but it may also be a very decided

disadvantage in the case of those who have only “a little knowledge”

in that direction. There are many such who are always meditating on

“the higher self” while entirely forgetful of the many “lower selves”

groaning in misery at their very doors. There are many who dream day

and night of the time when they will take their daily _soul flights_ as

“invisible helpers” and ease the sufferings of the sick and sorrowful,

yet would not spend a five cent car fare and an hour’s time to bring a

poor, friendless soul in a city hospital a flower and a word of cheer.

Again I say that the Guardian of the Gate is more likely to admit him

who did what he could than him who dreamed much and did nothing to help

his suffering fellow man.

If you could get people to study the Rosicrucian teachings about death

and the life after, you would feel it important that they should

also know about the silver cord remaining unbroken for a period

approximating three and one-half days after the spirit has left the

body, and that it must be left undisturbed while the panorama of its

past life is being etched into the desire body to serve as arbiter of

its life in the invisible world. You would like them to know all about

the spirit’s life in purgatory—how the evil acts of its life react upon

it as pain to create conscience and keep it from repeating in a later

life the acts that caused the suffering. You would have them know how

the good acts of life are transmuted into virtues usable in later lives

as set forth in our philosophy.

You have no doubt been surprised at the assertion that a knowledge of

the great twin laws is unessential. Probably the next assertion that

it is immaterial whether others learn about the constitution of man

as we know it may have scandalized you; and you will undoubtedly feel

shocked to have it stated that the Rosicrucian teachings concerning

death and the passing of the spirit into the unseen worlds are also

comparatively unnecessary to the purpose we aim to accomplish. It

really does not matter whether your relatives understand or believe in

these teachings. So far as your own passing is concerned, an earnest

request that they leave your body quiet and undisturbed for the proper

period will probably be carried out to the letter, for people have an

almost superstitious regard for such “last requests”; and if any of

your friends pass over, _you_ are there with your knowledge and can do

the right thing for them. So never mind if they refuse to take up that

part of the Rosicrucian teaching.

But the student may say, “If a knowledge of the before mentioned

subjects which seems of such practical value is immaterial to

advancement, then it follows that study of the Periods, Revolutions,

World Globes, etc., is entirely so. That disposes of everything taught

in the ”_Cosmo_,“ and there is nothing left of the Rosicrucian teaching

which we have embraced and to which we have pinned our faith!”

_Is nothing left?_ Yes, indeed, ALL IS LEFT, for those things mentioned

are only the husks which you must remove to get at _the meat in the

nut_, the kernel of it all. You have read the “_Cosmo_” many times

perhaps. Maybe you have studied it and feel proud of your knowledge

of the world mystery, but _have you ever read the mystery hidden in

every line_? That is the great and essential teaching, the one teaching

to which your friends will respond, if you can find it and give it to

them. The “_Cosmo_” preaches on every page THE GOSPEL OF SERVICE.

For our sakes Deity manifested the universe. The great creative

Hierarchies have all been and some of them still are _our servants_.

The luminous star angels, whose fiery bodies we see whirling through

space, have worked with us for ages, and in due time Christ came

to bring us the spiritual impetus needed at that time. It is also

significant in the extreme that in the parable of the last judgment

Christ does not say, “Well done, thou great and erudite _philosopher_,

who knoweth the Bible, the Kabala, the ‘_Cosmo_,’ and all the other

mysterious literature which reveals the intricate workings of nature”;

but He says, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: * * * enter

thou into the joy of thy lord. * * * * For I was an hungered, and

ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; * * *.” Not

one single word about knowledge; _the whole emphasis was laid upon

faithfulness and service_.

There is a deep occult reason for this: _service builds the soul body_,

the glorious wedding garment without which no man can enter into the

kingdom of the heavens, occultly termed “_The New Galilee_,” and it

does not matter whether we are aware of what is going on, so long as we

accomplish the work. Moreover, as the luminous soul body grows in and

around a person, this light will teach him or her about the Mysteries

without the need of books, and one who is thus God-taught knows more

than all the books in the world contain. In due time the inner vision

will be opened and the way to the Temple shown. If you want to teach

your friends, no matter how skeptical they may be, they will believe

you if you preach the gospel of service.

But you must _preach by practice_. You must become a servant of men

yourself if you would have them believe in you. If you want them to

follow, you must lead, or they will have the right to question your

sincerity. Remember, “ye are a city upon a hill,” and when you make

professions they have a right to judge you by your fruits; therefore

_say little, serve much_.

There are many who love to discuss the harmless, peaceful life at

dinner, oblivious of the fact that the red roast on the table and the

cigar in the mouth dull the effect. There are others who make a god of

the stomach and would rather study dietetics than the Bible; they are

always ready to buttonhole their friends and discourse upon the latest

food fad. I knew one man who was at the head of an esoteric group. His

wife was antagonistic to occultism and the meatless diet. He forced her

to cook his vegetables at home, and told her that if she ever dared to

bring meat into _his_ kitchen or contaminate _his_ dishes with it, he

would pitch her and the dishes into the street, adding that if she must

make a pig of herself she could go and get flesh food in a restaurant.

_Is it to be wondered at that she judged the religion by the man and

would have none of it?_ Surely he was to blame, being “his brother’s

keeper,” and though this is an extreme case, it makes the lesson more

obvious. It is to the everlasting praise of Mahomet that his wife

became his first disciple, and it speaks volumes for his kindness and

consideration in the home. His is an example we should all do well to

follow if we would win our friends to the higher life, for though all

religious systems differ outwardly _the kernel of all is_ LOVE.

Chapter XVIII

STUMBLING BLOCKS

Not infrequently the remark is made by people who have no sympathy with

or aspirations to live the higher life, that it unfits people for the

world’s work. Unfortunately it cannot be denied that there is seeming

justification for the assertion, though in reality the very first

requisite for living the higher life involves an obligation to comport

oneself irreproachably in dealing with material matters, for unless

we are faithful in the little things, how can we expect to be trusted

with greater responsibilities? It has therefore been deemed expedient

to devote a lesson to the discussion of some of the things which act as

stumbling blocks in the life of aspirants.

In the Bible story where the king sent out his servants with

invitations to the feast he had prepared, we are told that his

invitations were refused on various grounds. Each one had material

cares, buying, selling, marrying, therefore they could not attend to

the spiritual things, and such people we may say represent the greater

number of humanity today, who are too engrossed in the cares of the

world to devote even a thought to aspiration in the higher direction.

But there are others who become so enthusiastic upon the first taste

of the higher teachings that they are ready to give up all work in the

world, repudiate every obligation, and devote their time to what they

are pleased to call “helping humanity.” They will readily admit that it

takes time to learn how to be a watchmaker, a shoemaker, an engineer,

or a musician, and they would not for a moment dream of giving up

their present material business to establish themselves as shoemaker,

watchmaker, or music teacher just because they felt enthusiastic about

or inclined to take up such work. They would know that lacking the

proper preparation and training they would be doomed to failure, and

yet they think that just because they have become enthusiastic over the

higher teachings they are at once fitted to step out of the world’s

work and devote their time to service similar, even though in a lesser

degree, to that rendered by the Christ in His ministry.

One writes to Headquarters: “I have given up flesh eating, and I long

to live the ascetic life, far from the world’s noise that jars upon me.

I want to give my life for humanity.” Another says: “I want to live the

spiritual life, but I have a wife who needs my care and support. Do

you think I would be justified in leaving her to help my fellow men?”

Still another says: “I am in a business which is unspiritual; every

day I must do things which are against my higher nature, but I have a

daughter dependent upon me for an education. What shall I do: continue

or give up?” There are of course many other problems presented to us,

but these serve as fair samples, for they represent a class which is

ready to give up the world at the slightest word of encouragement,

and rush off to the hills in the expectation of sprouting wings

immediately. If the people who are in that class have any ties, they

break them without a scruple or a moment’s consideration.

Another class still feels some obligation, but could be easily

persuaded to repudiate it in order that they might live what they call

“the spiritual life.” It cannot be denied that when people get into

this state of mind, when they lose their ambition to work in the world,

when they become shiftless and neglectful of their duties, they merit

the reproach of the community.

But as already said such conduct is based upon a misunderstanding of

the higher teachings and is not at all sanctioned by the Bible or the

Elder Brothers.

It is a step in the right direction when a person ceases to feed on

flesh because he feels compassion for the suffering of the animals.

There are many people who abstain from flesh foods for health’s sake,

but theirs being a selfish motive, the sacrifice carries with it no

merit. Where the aspirant to the higher life is prompted to abstain

from flesh food because he realizes that the refining influence of a

meatless diet upon the body will aid him in his quest by making the

body more sensitive to spiritual influences, there is no real merit

either. Truly, the person who abstains from flesh foods for the sake

of health will be much benefited, and the person who abstains to make

his body more sensitive will also get his reward in that respect, but

from the spiritual point of view neither will be very much better. On

the other hand, whoever abstains from flesh food because he realizes

that God’s life is immanent in every animal just as in himself, that

in the final analysis God feels all suffering felt by the animal, that

it is a divine law, “Thou shalt not kill,” and that he must abstain

out of compassion, this person is not only benefited in health and by

making his body more sensitive to spiritual impacts, but because of the

motive which prompts him he reaps a reward in soul growth immeasurably

more precious than any other consideration. Therefore we would say by

all means abstain from flesh food, but be sure to do so prompted by the

right spiritual motive or it will not affect your spiritual interests

one iota.

When the enthusiast says that he wants to get away from the world and

the noise that jars upon him to live the ascetic life, it is truly

a strange idea of service. The reason why we are here in this world

is that we may gather experience, which is then transmuted into soul

growth. If a diamond in the rough were laid away in a drawer for

years and years, it would be no different than before, but when it

is placed against the grindstone by the lapidary the harsh grinding

process removes the last atom of the rough coating and brings out the

beautiful, luminous gem. Every one of us is a diamond in the rough,

and God, the Great Lapidary, uses the world as a grindstone which rubs

off the rough and ugly coating, allowing our spiritual selves to shine

forth and become luminous. The Christ was a living example of this. He

did not go away from the centers of civilization, but moved constantly

among the suffering and the poor, teaching, healing, and helping until

by the glorious service rendered, His body was made luminous on the

Mount of Transfiguration, and He who had trodden the Way exhorted His

followers to be “in the world but not of it.” That is the great lesson

that every aspirant has to learn.

It is one thing to go out in the mountains where there is no one to

contradict or to jar upon our sensibilities and keep our poise there;

it is another thing entirely to maintain our spiritual aspirations and

keep our balance in the world where everything jars upon us; but when

we stay on this path, we gain a self-control which is unattainable in

any other manner.

However, though we are careful to prepare our food well and to abstain

from flesh eating or any other contaminating _outward_ influence,

though we want to get away to the mountains to escape the sordid

things of city life, and we want to rid ourselves of every outward

thing that may prove a stumbling block to our progress, still what

about the things that come from _within_, the thoughts we have in our

minds and our mental food? It will avail us not one iota of good if we

could feed our bodies upon nectar and ambrosia, the ethereal food of

the gods, when the mind is a charnel house, a habitat of low thoughts,

for then we are only as whited sepulchres, beautiful to behold from

without but inwardly full of a nauseating stench; and this mental

delinquency can be maintained just as easily and perhaps it is even

more apt to be maintained in the solitude of the mountains or in a

so-called spiritual retreat than in a city where we are busy with the

work of our vocation. It is indeed a true saying that “an idle brain

is the devil’s workshop,” and the safest way to attain to interior

purity and cleanliness is to keep the mind busy all the time, guiding

our desires, feelings, and emotions toward the practical problems

of life, and working, each one in his own immediate environment, to

find the poor and the needy that he may give them whatever help their

cases require and merit. That class which has no ties of its own may

profitably make ties of love and friendship with those who are loveless

and friendless.

Or if it is the care of a relative—wife, daughter, husband, or anyone

else that claims us, let us remember the words of Christ when He

said, “Who are my mother and my brother?” and answered the question

by saying, “Those who do the will of my Father.” This saying has been

misconstrued by some to mean that the Christ repudiated His physical

relationships for the spiritual, but it is only necessary to remember

that in the last moments of His life on earth He called to Him the

disciple whom He loved and brought him to His mother, giving him to

her as a son and charging the disciple to care for His parent. Love is

the unifying force in life, and according to the higher teachings we

are required to love our kin, but also to extend our love natures so

that they may also include everyone else. It is good that we love our

own mother and father, but we should also learn to love other people’s

mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, for universal brotherhood

can never become a fact so long as our love is confined only to the

family. It must be made all inclusive.

There was one among the disciples of Christ whom He loved especially,

and following His example we also may bestow a particular affection

upon certain ones, though we ought to love everyone and do good even to

them that despitefully use us. These are high ideals and difficult of

accomplishment at our present stage of development, but as the mariner

steers his ship by a guiding star and reaches his desired haven though

never the star itself, so also by setting our ideals high we shall live

nobler and better lives than if we do not aspire, and in time and

through many births we shall eventually attain, because the inherent

divinity in ourselves makes it imperative.

Finally then, to sum up, it does not really matter where we are placed

in life, whether in a high station or a low. Present environment with

its opportunities and limitations is such as suits our individual

requirements as determined by our self-made destinies in previous

existences. Therefore it holds for us the lesson we must learn in order

to progress properly. If we have a wife, a daughter, or other family

relations to hold us to that environment, they must be considered as

part of what we have to reckon with, and by doing our duty to them we

learn the required lesson. If they are antagonistic to our belief, if

they have no sympathy with our aspirations, if we have on their account

to stay in a business and do things which we are not pleased with, it

is because we must learn something from these things, and the proper

way for the earnest aspirant is to look conditions squarely in the face

with a view to finding out just what it is that is needed. This may

not be an easy matter. It may take weeks, months, or years to solve

the problem, but so long as the aspirant applies himself prayerfully

to the task, he may be sure that the light will shine some day, and

then he will see what is required and why these conditions were imposed

upon him. Then having learned the lesson or found out its purpose, he

will if he has the right spirit prayerfully bear the burden, for he

will know that he is upon the right road and that it is an absolute

certainty that as soon as the lesson of that environment has been

learned a new way will be opened up showing him the next step upon the

path of progress. Thus the “stumbling blocks” will have been turned

into “stepping stones,” which would never have happened if he had run

away from them. In this connection we would quote the beautiful little

poem:

“Let us not waste our time in longing

For bright but impossible things.

Let us not sit supinely waiting

For the sprouting of angel wings.

Let us not scorn to be rush-lights,

Everyone can’t be a star,

But let us fulfill our mission

By shining just where we are.

There is need of the tiniest candle

As well as the garish sun;

And the humblest deed is ennobled

When it is worthily done.

We may never be called on to brighten

Those darkened regions afar,

So let us fulfill our mission

By shining just where we are.”

Chapter XIX

THE LOCK OF UPLIFTMENT

Have you ever seen how ships going up a canal or river are lifted from

one level to another? It is a very interesting and instructive process.

First the ship is floated into a small enclosure where the water level

is the same as that of the lower part of the river where the ship has

previously been sailing. Then the gates of the enclosure are shut and

the ship is cut off from the outside world by the high walls of the

lock. It cannot go back to the river without; even the light is dimmed

around it, but _above_ the moving clouds or the bright sunshine are

seen beckoning. The ship cannot rise without assistance, and the law of

gravitation makes it impossible for the water in that part of the river

where the ship has been sailing to float it to a higher level, hence no

help may be looked for from that source.

There are also gates in the upper part of the lock which prevent the

waters on the higher levels from rushing into the lock from above,

otherwise the inrushing water would flood the lock in a moment and

crush the ship lying at the bottom level because acting in conformity

with that same law of gravitation. It is from _above_, nevertheless,

that the power must come if the ship is ever to be lifted to the higher

level of the river, and so to do this safely a _small stream_ is

conducted to the bottom of the lock, which lifts the ship _very slowly

and gradually but safely_ to the level of the river above. When that

level has been reached, the upper gates may be opened without danger to

the ship, and it may sail forth upon the expansive bosom of the higher

waterway. Then the lock is _slowly_ emptied and the water it contained

added to the water at the lower level, which is thereby raised even if

but slightly. The lock is then ready to raise another vessel.

This is, as said in the beginning, a very interesting and instructive

physical operation, showing how human skill and ingenuity overcome

great obstacles by the use of nature’s forces. But it is a source of

still greater enlightenment in a spiritual matter of vital importance

to all who aspire and endeavor to live the higher life, for it

illustrates the only safe method whereby man can rise from the temporal

to the spiritual world, and it confutes those false teachers who for

personal gain play upon the too ardent desires of the unripe, and

who profess ability to unlock the gates of the unseen worlds for the

consideration of an initiation fee. Our illustration shows that this is

impossible, because the immutable laws of nature forbid.

For the purpose of elucidation we may call our river the river of

life, and we as individuals are the ships sailing upon it; the lower

river is the temporal world, and when we have sailed its length and

breadth for many lives, we inevitably come to the lock of upliftment

which is placed at the end. We may for a long time cruise about the

entrance and look in, impelled by an inner urge to enter but drawn by

another impulse towards the broad river of life without. For a long

time this lock of upliftment with its high, bare walls looks forbidding

and solitary, while the river of life is gay with bunting and full

of kindred craft gaily cruising about; but when the inner urge has

become sufficiently intense, it finally drives us into the lock of

upliftment, and it imbues us with a determination not to go back to

the river of worldly life. But even at that stage there are some who

falter and fear to shut the gate behind them; they aspire ardently at

times to the life on the higher level, but it makes them feel less

alone to look back upon the river of worldly life, and sometimes they

stay in this condition for lives, wondering why they do not progress,

why they experience no spiritual downpouring, why there is no uplift in

their lives. Our illustration makes the reason very plain; no matter

how hard the captain might beg, the lock keeper would never think of

releasing the stream of water from above until the gate had been

closed behind the ship, for it could never lift the ship an inch under

such conditions but would flow through the open gates to waste in the

lower river. Neither will the guardians of the gates of the higher

worlds open the stream of upliftment for us, no matter how hard we

pray, until we have shut the door to the world behind us, and shut it

very tight with respect to the lust of the eyes and the pride of life,

the sins that so easily beset us and are fostered by us in the careless

worldly days. We must shut the door on them all before we are really in

a condition to receive the stream of upliftment, but once we have thus

shut the door and irrevocably set our faces forward, the downpouring

begins, slowly but surely as the stream of the lock keeper which lifts

the vessel.

But having left the temporal world with all its deeds behind and having

set his face towards the spiritual worlds, the yearning of the aspirant

becomes more intense. As time passes he feels in increasing measure

the void on both sides of himself. The temporal world and its deeds

have dropped from him as a garment; he may be bodily in that world,

performing his duties, but he has lost interest; he is in the world

but not of it, and the spiritual world where he aspires to citizenship

seems equally distant. He is all alone and his whole being cries and

writhes in pain, longing for light.

Then comes the turn of the tempter: “I have a school of initiation,

and am able to advance my pupils quickly for a fee,” or words to that

effect, but usually more subtle; and who shall blame the poor aspirants

who fall before the wiles of these pretenders? Lucky are they if, as

is generally the case, they are merely put through a ceremonial and

given an empty degree, but occasionally they meet one who has really

dabbled in magic and is able to open the flood gates from the higher

level. Then the inrush of spiritual power shatters the system of the

unfortunate dupe as the waters of the river above would wreck a vessel

at the bottom of the lock if an ignorant or malicious person were to

open the gates. The vessel must be lifted slowly for safety’s sake, and

so must the aspirant to spiritual upliftment; patience and unwavering

persistence in well-doing are absolutely indispensable, and the door

to the pleasures of the world must be kept closed. If that is done we

shall surely and certainly accomplish the ascent to the heights of the

unseen world with all the opportunities for further soul growth there

found, for it is a natural process governed by natural laws, just as is

the elevation of a ship to the higher levels of a river by a system of

locks.

But how can I stay in the lock of upliftment and serve my fellow man?

If soul growth comes only by service, how can I gain by isolation?

These are questions that may not unnaturally present themselves to

students. To answer them we must again emphasize that no one can lift

another who is not himself upon a higher level, not so far above

as to be unreachable, but sufficiently close to be within grasp of

the reaching hand. There are, alas, too many who profess the higher

teachings but live lives on the level with ordinary men and women of

the world or even below that level. Their professions make the higher

teachings a byword and call down the scorn of scoffers. But those who

live the higher teachings have no need to profess them orally; they

are isolated and marked in spite of themselves, and though handicapped

by the misdeeds of the “professors,” they do in time win the respect

and confidence of those about them; eventually they call out in their

associates the desire of emulation, they convert them in spite of

themselves, reaping in return for this service a commensurate soul

growth.

Now is the time of the year (Christmas) when the crest wave of

spiritual power envelops the world. It culminates at the winter

solstice, when the Christ is reborn into our planet, and though

hampered by the present (from the limited viewpoint) deplorable war

conditions, His life given for us may be most easily drawn upon by the

aspirant at this season to further spiritual growth; therefore all who

are desirous of attaining the higher levels would do well to put forth

special efforts in that direction during the winter season.

Chapter XX

THE COSMIC MEANING OF EASTER

PART I

On the morning of Good Friday, 1857, Richard Wagner, the master artist

of the nineteenth century, sat on the verandah of a Swiss villa by

the Zurich Sea. The landscape about him was bathed in most glorious

sunshine; peace and good will seemed to vibrate through nature. All

creation was throbbing with life; the air was laden with the fragrant

perfume of budding pine forests—a grateful balm to a troubled heart or

a restless mind.

Then suddenly, as a bolt from an azure sky, there came into Wagner’s

deeply mystic soul a remembrance of the ominous significance of that

day—the darkest and most sorrowful in the Christian year. It almost

overwhelmed him with sadness, as he contemplated the contrast. There

was such a marked incongruity between the smiling scene before him,

the plainly observable activity of nature, struggling to renewed life

after winter’s long sleep, and the death struggle of a tortured Savior

upon a cross; between the full-throated chant of life and love issuing

from the thousands of little feathered choristers in forest, moor, and

meadow, and the ominous shouts of hate issuing from an infuriated mob

as they jeered and mocked the noblest ideal the world has ever known;

between the wonderful creative energy exerted by nature in spring, and

the destructive element in man, which slew the noblest character that

ever graced our earth.

While Wagner meditated thus upon the incongruities of existence, the

question presented itself: Is there any connection between the death

of the Savior upon the cross at Easter, and the vital energy which

expresses itself so prodigally in spring when nature begins the life of

a new year?

Though Wagner did not consciously perceive and realize the full

significance of the connection between the death of the Savior and the

rejuvenation of nature, he had, nevertheless, unwittingly stumbled upon

the key to one of the most sublime mysteries encountered by the human

spirit in its pilgrimage from clod to God.

In the darkest night of the year, when earth sleeps most soundly in

Boreas’ cold embrace, when material activities are at the very lowest

ebb, a wave of spiritual energy carries upon its crest the divine

creative “Word from Heaven” to a _mystic birth_ at Christmas; and as a

luminous cloud the spiritual impulse broods over the world that “knew

it not,” for it “shines in the darkness” of winter when nature is

paralyzed and speechless.

This divine creative “Word” has a message and a mission. It was born

to “save the world,” and “to give its life for the world.” It must of

necessity sacrifice its life in order to accomplish the rejuvenation

of nature. Gradually it _buries itself in the earth_ and commences

to infuse its own vital energy into the millions of seeds which lie

dormant in the ground. It whispers “the word of life” into the ears

of beast and bird, until the gospel or good news has been preached to

every creature. The sacrifice is fully consummated by the time the

sun crosses its Easter(n) node at the spring equinox. Then the divine

creative Word expires. _It dies upon the cross at Easter_ in a mystical

sense, while uttering a last triumphant cry, “It has been accomplished”

(consummatum est).

But as an echo returns to us many times repeated, so also the celestial

song of life is re-echoed from the earth. The whole creation takes

up the anthem. A legion-tongued chorus repeats it over and over. The

little seeds in the bosom of Mother Earth commence to germinate; they

burst and sprout in all directions, and soon a wonderful mosaic of

life, a velvety green carpet embroidered with multicolored flowers,

replaces the shroud of immaculate wintry white. From the furred

and feathered tribes “the word of life” re-echoes as a song of

love, impelling them to mate. Generation and multiplication are the

watchwords everywhere—_the Spirit has risen_ to more abundant life.

Thus, mystically, we may note the annual birth, death, and resurrection

of the Savior as the ebb and flow of a spiritual impulse which

culminates at the winter solstice, Christmas, and has egress from the

earth shortly after Easter when the “word” “_ascends to Heaven_” on

Whitsunday. But it will not remain there forever. We are taught that

“thence it shall return,” “at the judgment.” Thus when the sun descends

below the equator through the sign of the scales in October, when the

fruits of the year are harvested, weighed, and assorted according

to their kind, the descent of the spirit of the new year has its

inception. This descent culminates in birth at Christmas.

Man is a miniature of nature. What happens on a large scale in the

life of a planet like our earth, takes place on a smaller scale in the

course of human events. A planet is the body of a wonderfully great

and exalted Being, one of the Seven Spirits before the Throne (of

the parent sun). Man is also a spirit and “made in their likeness.”

As a planet revolves in its cyclic path around the sun whence it

emanated, so also the human spirit moves in an orbit around its

central source—God. Planetary orbits, being ellipses, have points of

closest approach to and extreme deviation from their solar centers.

Likewise the orbit of the human spirit is elliptical. We are closest

to God when our cyclic journey carries us into the celestial sphere

of activity—heaven, and we are farthest removed from Him during

earth life. These changes are necessary to our soul growth. As the

festivals of the year mark the recurring events of importance in

the life of a Great Spirit, so our births and deaths are events of

periodical recurrence. It is as impossible for the human spirit to

remain perpetually in heaven or upon earth as it is for a planet to

stand still in its orbit. The same immutable law of periodicity which

determines the unbroken sequence of the seasons, the alternation of day

and night, the tidal ebb and flow, governs also the progression of the

human spirit, both in heaven and upon earth.

From realms of celestial light where we live in freedom, untrammeled by

limitations of time and space, where we vibrate in tune with infinite

harmony of the spheres, we descend to birth in the physical world where

our spiritual sight is obscured by the mortal coil which binds us to

this limited phase of our existence. We live here awhile; we die and

ascend to heaven, to be reborn and to die again. Each earth life is a

chapter in a serial life story, extremely humble in its beginnings,

but increasing in interest and importance as we ascend to higher and

higher stations of human responsibility. No limit is conceivable,

for in essence we are divine and must therefore have the infinite

possibilities of God dormant within. When we have learned all that this

world has to teach us, a wider orbit, a larger sphere of superhuman

usefulness, will give scope to our greater capabilities.

“Build thee more stately mansions, O my Soul.

As the swift seasons roll,

Leave thy low vaulted past;

Let each new temple, nobler than the last,

Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,

Till thou at length art free,

Leaving thine outgrown shell by life’s unresting sea.”

Thus says Oliver Wendell Holmes, comparing the spiral progression

in the widening coil of a chambered nautilus to the expansion of

consciousness which is the result of soul growth in an evolving human

being.

“But what of Christ?” someone will ask. “Don’t you believe in Him? You

are discoursing upon Easter, the feast which commemorates the cruel

death and glorious, triumphant resurrection of the Savior, but you seem

to be alluding to Him more from an allegorical point of view than as an

actual fact.”

Certainly we believe in the Christ; we love Him with our whole heart

and soul, but we wish to emphasize the teaching that Christ is the

first fruits of the race. He said that we shall do the things He did,

“and greater.” Thus we are Christs-in-the-making.

“Though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born,

And not within thyself, thy soul will be forlorn.

The cross on Golgotha thou lookest to in vain,

Unless within thyself it be set up again.”

Thus proclaims Angelus Silesius, with true mystic understanding of the

essentials of attainment.

We are too much in the habit of looking to an outside Savior while

harboring a devil within; but till Christ be formed IN US, as Paul

says, we shall seek in vain, for as it is impossible for us to perceive

light and color, though they be all about us, unless our optic nerve

registers their vibrations, and as we remain unconscious of sound when

the tympanum of our ear is insensitive, so also must we remain blind

to the presence of Christ and deaf to His voice until we arouse our

dormant spiritual natures within. But once these natures have become

awakened, they will reveal the Lord of Love as a prime reality; this on

the principle that when a tuning fork is struck, another of identical

pitch will also commence to sing, while tuning forks of different

pitches will remain mute. Therefore the Christ said that His sheep knew

the _sound_ of His voice and responded, but the voice of the stranger

they heard not. (John 10:5). No matter what our creed, we are all

brethren of Christ, so let us rejoice, the Lord has risen! Let us seek

Him and forget our creeds and other lesser differences.

Chapter XXI

THE COSMIC MEANING OF EASTER

PART II

Once more we have reached the final act in the cosmic drama involving

the descent of the solar Christ Ray into the matter of our earth,

which is completed at the Mystic Birth celebrated at Christmas, and

the Mystic Death and Liberation, which are celebrated shortly after

the vernal equinox when the sun of the new year commences its ascent

into the higher spheres of the northern heavens, having poured out

its life to save humanity and give new life to everything upon earth.

At this time of the year a new life, an augmented energy, sweeps with

an irresistible force through the veins and arteries of all living

beings, inspiring them, instilling new hope, new ambition, and new

life, impelling them to new activities whereby they learn new lessons

in the school of experience. Consciously or unconsciously to the

beneficiaries, this outwelling energy invigorates everything that has

life. Even the plant responds by an increased circulation of sap,

which results in additional growth of the leaves, flowers, and fruits

whereby this class of life is at present expressing itself and evolving

to a higher state of consciousness.

But wonderful though these outward physical manifestations are, and

glorious though the transformation may be called which changes the

earth from a waste of snow and ice into a beautiful, blooming garden,

it sinks into insignificance before the spiritual activities which run

side by side therewith. The salient features of the cosmic drama are

identical in point of time with the material effects of the sun in the

four cardinal signs, Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, for the most

significant events occur at the equinoctial and solstitial points.