clairvoyant eyes, as "blue" or "bluish-red," and that which is observed
as coming from the animal is described as "red" or "reddish-yellow." In
reality they are colors of a spiritual kind which are discerned. The
color proceeding from the plant is "green." Plants are just those
natural phenomena whose qualities in the higher worlds are similar to
their qualities in the physical world, but it is not so with stones and
animals. It must now be clearly understood that the above-mentioned
colors only suggest the prevailing shades of the stone, the plant, or
the animal. In reality, all possible overtones exist, for every animal,
every stone, every plant has its own peculiar shade of color. In
addition to these there are the creatures of the higher worlds, who
always incorporate themselves with colors not their own, often
marvellous, often horrible. In short, the variety of colors in these
higher worlds is immeasurably greater than in the physical world.
If a man has once acquired the faculty of seeing with spiritual eyes,
he sooner or later, meets with the beings here mentioned, some of them
higher, some lower than man himself; beings who never entered into
physical existence.
When he has advanced thus far, the way to a great deal lies open before
him; but it is inadvisable to proceed further without an experienced
guide. Indeed, for all that has here been described, such experienced
guidance is desirable, and he who has the endurance to fulfil the
elementary conditions of enlightenment, will assuredly seek and
discover his guide.
Under all circumstances it is important to give warning, and he who
will not heed it had better leave untrodden all the steps of occult
science. It is necessary that he who would become an occult student
should lose none of his attributes as a good and noble man, and one
susceptible to all physical truths. Indeed, throughout his
apprenticeship he must continually increase his moral strength, his
inner purity, and his powers of observation. Let us give an example:
During the preliminary practices of Enlightenment, the student must be
careful always to be enlarging his sympathy with the animal and human
worlds, and his sense of nature's beauty. If he is not careful to do
this he continually dulls both sense and feeling; his heart grows cold
and his sympathies dwarfed; which lead to perilous results.
How enlightenment proceeds, in the sense of the foregoing practices, if
one rises from the stone, the plant, and the animal, up to man, and
how, after enlightenment, under all circumstances, the gentle hand of
the Pilot comes on a certain day, and leads to Initiation--of these
things the next chapter will deal in so far as it can and may do so.
In our time, the path to occult science is sought after by many. It is
sought in various ways, and many dangerous and even objectionable modes
are practiced. Therefore it is that those who know of the truth and
dangers concerning these things have allowed a greater portion of the
occult training and the necessary warning to be published. Only so much
is here imparted as this permission allows, and it is necessary that
something of the truth should be known in order that it may counteract
the great danger of these errors. If nothing be _forced_, there is
no danger for him who follows the way already described; only one thing
should be noted: no one ought to spend more time or power upon such
practices than is at his disposal with due regard to his circumstances
and his duties. No one ought suddenly to change anything in the
external conditions of his life. If one desires genuine results, one
must have patience; one should be able to cease the practice after a
few minutes, and then peacefully to continue one's daily work, and no
thought of these practices ought to be mingled with the work of the
day. He who has not learned to wait, in the best and highest sense of
the word, is of no use as an occult student, nor will he ever attain
results of much real value.
He who is in search of occult knowledge, by the means indicated in the
foregoing pages, must fortify himself throughout the whole course of
his efforts by the understanding that after persevering for some time
he may have made suitable progress without becoming conscious of it in
the precise way which he had expected. He who does not remember this is
likely to lose heart, and in a little while to abandon his efforts
altogether. The mental powers and faculties about to be developed are
at first of the most subtle kind, and their nature differs entirely
from the conceptions of them which may be formed in the student's mind.
He has been accustomed to occupy himself with the physical world alone,
and the mental and astral worlds seem to elude his gaze, and baffle his
conceptions. It is, therefore, not remarkable if, at first, he fails to
realize the new forces, mental and astral, which are developing in his
own being. This is why it is dangerous to enter the path leading to
occult knowledge without experienced guidance. The teacher can see the
progress made by the pupil, long before the latter becomes conscious of
it for himself. He sees the delicate organs of spiritual vision
beginning to form themselves, before the pupil is aware of their
existence, and a great part of the duties of the teacher consists in
perpetual watchfulness, lest the disciple lose confidence, patience,
and perseverance, before he becomes conscious of his own progress. The
teacher, as we know, can confer upon the student no powers which are
not already latent within him, and his sole function is to assist in
the awakening of slumbering faculties. But he may be a pillar of
strength to him who strives to penetrate through darkness into the
light.
There are many who leave the occult path soon after setting foot upon
it, because they are not immediately conscious of their own progress.
And even when higher experiences begin to dawn upon the seeker, he is
apt to regard them as illusions, because he had anticipated them quite
differently. He loses courage, either because he regards these first
experiences as of no value, or because they appear so insignificant
that he has no hope of their leading to any appreciable results within
a measurable time. Courage and self-confidence are the two lamps which
must never be allowed to burn themselves out on the pathway to the
occult. He who cannot patiently repeat an exercise which has failed for
an apparently unlimited number of times, will never travel far.
Long before one is aware of any distinct perception of progress, comes
an inarticulate mental impression that the right road has been found.
This is a feeling to be welcomed, and to be encouraged, since it may
evolve into a trustworthy guide. Above all, it is imperative to
extirpate the idea that any fantastic, mysterious practices are
required for the attainment of higher experiences. It must be clearly
realized that ordinary every-day human feelings and thoughts must form
the basis from which the start is to be made, and that it is only
needful to give these thoughts and feelings a new direction. Everyone
must say to himself: "In my own sphere of thoughts and sensations lie
enfolded the deepest mysteries, but hitherto I have been unable to
perceive them." In the end it all resolves itself into the fact that
man, ordinarily, carries body, soul and spirit about with him, yet is
conscious only of the body, not of the soul and spirit, and that the
student in due time attains to a similar consciousness of soul and
spirit.
Hence it is highly important to give the proper direction to thoughts
and feelings, in order that one may develop the perception of that
which is invisible to a person living the ordinary life. One of the
ways by which this development may be carried out will now be
indicated. Again, like almost everything else we have explained so far,
it is quite a simple matter. Yet the results are of the greatest
consequence, if the experiment is carried out with perseverance, and in
the right frame of mind.
Place before you the small seed of a plant. It is then necessary, while
contemplating this significant object, to create with intensity the
right kind of thoughts, and through these thoughts to develop certain
feelings. In the first place, let the student clearly grasp what is
really presented to his vision. Let him describe to himself the shape,
color, and all other qualities of the grain of seed. Then let his mind
dwell upon the following train of thought: "This grain of seed, if
planted in the soil, will grow into a plant of complex structure." Let
him clearly picture this plant to himself. Let him build it up in his
imagination. And then let him reflect that the object now existing only
in his imagination will presently be brought into actual physical
existence by the forces of the earth and of light. If the thing
contemplated by him were an artificially-made object, though such a
close imitation of nature that no external difference could be detected
by human eyesight, no forces inherent in the earth or light could avail
to produce from it a plant. He who thoroughly grasps this thought and
inwardly assimilates it will also be able to form the following idea
with the right feeling. He will reasons thus: "That which is ultimately
to grow out of this seed is already, as a force, now secretly enfolded
within it. The artificial duplicate of the seed contains no such force.
And yet both appear to be alike to my eyes. The real seed, therefore,
contains something invisible which is not present in the imitation." It
is this invisible something on which thought and feeling are now to be
concentrated.[10] Let the student fully realize that this invisible
something will later on translate itself into a visible plant,
perceptible by him in shape and color. Let him dwell upon the thought:
"_The invisible will become visible._ If I could not think, then I
could not now realize, that which will become visible later on."
[10] Anyone who might object that a microscopical examination
would reveal the difference between the two would only show
that he has failed to grasp the intention of the experiment.
The intention is not to investigate the physical structure of
the object, but to use it as a means for the development of
psychic force.
Particular stress must be laid on the importance of _feeling with
intensity_ that which one thinks. In calmness of mind a single
thought must be vitally experienced within oneself to the exclusion of
all disturbing influences. Sufficient time must be taken to allow the
thought, and the state of feeling connected therewith, to become, as it
were, imbedded in the soul. If that is accomplished in the right
way--possibly not until after numerous attempts--an inward force will
make itself felt. And this force will create new powers of perception.
The grain of seed will appear as if enclosed in a small luminous cloud.
The spiritualized vision of the student perceives it as a kind of
flame. This flame is of a lilac color in the centre, blue at the edges.
Then appears that which one could not see before, and which was created
by the power of thought and feeling brought into life within oneself.
That which was physically invisible (the plant which will not become
visible until later on) has there revealed itself to the spiritual eye.
It is pardonable if, to many men, all this appears to be mere illusion.
Many will say: "What is the value of such visions or such
hallucinations?" And many will thus fall away, and no longer continue
to tread the path. But this is precisely the important point--not to
confuse, at this difficult stage of human evolution, spiritual reality
with the mere creations of phantasy, and to have the courage to press
manfully onward, instead of growing timorous and faint-hearted. On the
other hand, however, it is necessary to insist on the necessity of
maintaining unimpaired, and of perpetually cultivating, the healthy
attitude of mind which is required for the distinguishing of truth from
illusion. Never during all these exercises must the student surrender
the fully conscious control of himself. He must continue to think as
soundly and sanely in these spiritual conditions as he does with regard
to the things and occurrences of ordinary life. It would be unfortunate
if he lapses into reveries. He must at every moment be clear-headed and
sober-minded and it would be the greatest mistake if the student,
through such practices, lost his mental equilibrium, or if he were
prevented from judging as sanely and clearly as before, the matters of
work-a-day life. The disciple should, therefore, examine himself again
and again to find out whether he has remained unaltered in relation to
the circumstances among which he lives, or whether perchance he has
lost his mental balance. He must ever maintain a calm repose within his
own individuality, and an open mind for everything, being careful at
the same time not to drift into vague reveries or to experiment with
all sorts of exercises.
The lines for development here indicated, belong to those which have
been followed, and whose efficacy has been demonstrated in the schools
of occultism from the earliest ages, and none but such will here be
given. Anyone attempting to employ methods of meditation devised by
himself, or which he may have come across in the course of promiscuous
reading will inevitably be led astray, and will lose himself in a
boundless morass of incoherent phantasies.
A further exercise which may succeed the one described above, is the
following: Let the disciple place himself in front of a plant which has
attained the stage of full development. Now let his mind be absorbed by
the reflection that the time is near at hand when this plant will
wither and die. "Nothing," he should say to himself, "nothing of what I
now see before me will endure. But this plant will have evolved seeds
which in their turn will grow into new plants. Again I become aware
that in what I see something lies concealed which I cannot see. I will
fill my mind wholly with the thought that this plant-form with its
colors will cease to be. But the reflection that the plant has produced
seeds teaches me that it will not disappear into nothing. That which
will prevent this disappearance, I can at present no more see with my
eyes than I could originally discern the plant in the grain of seed.
_The plant, therefore, contains something which my eyes are unable to
see._ If this thought fully lives in me, and combines with the
corresponding state of feeling, then, in due time, there will again
develop a force in my soul which will ripen into a new kind of
perception." Out of the plant there grows once more a flame-like
appearance, which is, of course, correspondingly larger than that which
was previously described. This flame is greenish at the centre, and is
tinged with yellow at the outer edge.
He who has won this vision has gained greatly, inasmuch as he sees
things, not only in their present state of being, but also in their
development and decay. He begins to see in all things the spirit, of
which the bodily organs of sight have no perception, and he has taken
the initial steps on that road, which will gradually lead him to the
solution, by direct vision, of the secret of birth and death. To the
outer senses, a being begins to exist at its birth, and ceases to exist
at its death. This, however, only appears to be so, because these
senses are unable to apprehend the concealed spirit. Birth and death
are only, for this spirit, transformations, just as the unfolding of
the flower from the bud is a transformation enacted before our physical
eyes. But if one desires to attain to direct perception of these facts,
one must first awaken the spiritual vision by the means here indicated.
In order to meet an objection which may be raised by certain people
already possessed of some psychical experience, let it be at once
admitted that there are shorter ways than this, and that there are
persons who have direct perception of the actualities of birth and
death, without having had to pass through all the stages of discipline
here set forth. There are also human beings endowed with high psychical
faculties, to whom only a slight impulse is necessary for the
developing of these powers. But they are exceptional, and the methods
described above are safer, and are capable of general application.
Similarly, it is possible to gain some knowledge of chemistry by
special methods; but in order to make safer the science of chemistry,
the recognized, reliable course must be followed.
An error fraught with serious consequences would result from the
assumption that the goal could be reached more simply by allowing the
mind to dwell merely on an imaginary plant or a grain of seed. It may
be possible by such means to evoke a force which would enable the soul
to attain the inner vision. But this vision will be, in most cases, a
mere figment of the imagination, for the main object is not to create
arbitrarily a mental vision, but to allow the veritable nature of
things to form an image within one's mind. The truth must come up from
the depth of one's own soul, not at the call of one's ordinary self,
but rather must the objects of one's perception themselves exercise
their magical power, if one is to perceive their inner reality.
After the disciple has evolved, by such means, the rudiments of
spiritual vision, he may proceed to the contemplation of human nature
itself. Simple appearances of ordinary life must be chosen first. But
before making any attempts in this direction, it is imperative for the
student to strive after an absolute sincerity of moral character. He
must banish all thoughts of ever using the insight to be attained in
these ways for his own selfish ends. He must be absolutely determined
that under no circumstances will he avail himself, in an evil sense, of
any power which he may gain over his fellow-creatures. This is the
reason why everyone who desires to gain direct insight into the secrets
of human nature must follow the golden rule of true Occultism. And the
golden rule is this: For every one step that you take in the pursuit of
the hidden knowledge, take three steps in the perfecting of your own
character. He who obeys this rule can perform such exercises as that
which is now to be explained.
Begin by observing a person filled with a desire for some object.
Direct your attention to this desire. It is best to choose a time when
this desire is at its height, and when it is not yet certain whether
the object of the desire will be attained or not. Then surrender
yourself entirely to the contemplation of that which you observe, but
maintain the utmost inner tranquility of soul. Make every endeavor to
be deaf and blind to everything that may be going on around you at the
same time, and bear in mind particularly that this contemplation is to
evoke a state of feeling in your soul. Allow this state of feeling to
arise in your soul, like a cloud rising on an otherwise cloudless
horizon. It is to be expected, of course, that your observation will be
interrupted, because the person on whom it is directed will not remain
in this particular state of mind for a sufficient length of time.
Presumably you will fail in your experiment hundreds and hundreds of
times. It is simply a question of not losing patience. After many
attempts you will ultimately realize the state of feeling spoken of
above as fast as the corresponding mental phenomena pass through the
soul of the person under observation. After a time you will begin to
notice that this feeling in your own soul is evoking the power of
spiritual vision into the psychical condition of the other. A luminous
image will appear in your field of vision. And this luminous image is
the so-called astral manifestation evoked by the desire-state when
under observation. Again we may describe this image as flame-like in
appearance. It is yellowish red in the centre and reddish-blue or lilac
at the edges. Much depends upon treating such experiences of the inner
vision with great delicacy. It will be best for you at first to talk of
them to nobody except your teacher, if you have one. The attempt to
describe such appearances in appropriate words usually leads to gross
self-deception. One employs ordinary terms not applicable to such
purposes, and therefore much too gross and clumsy. The consequence is
that one's own attempt to clothe this vision in words unconsciously
leads one to blend the actual experience with an alloy of imaginary
details. It is, therefore, another important law for the occult
inquirer that he should know how to observe silence concerning his
inner visions. Observe silence even towards yourself. Do not endeavor
to express in words that which you see, or to fathom it with reasoning
faculties that are inadequate. Freely surrender yourself to these
spiritual impressions without any mental reservations, and without
disturbing them by thinking about them too much. For you must remember
that your reasoning faculties were, at first, by no means equal to your
faculties of observation. You have acquired these reasoning faculties
through experiences hitherto confined exclusively to the world as
apprehended by your physical senses, and the faculties you are now
acquiring transcend these experiences. Do not, therefore, try to
measure your new and higher perceptions by the old standard. Only he
who has already gained some certainty in his observation of inner
experiences ought to speak about them with the idea of thereby
stimulating his fellow-beings.
As a supplementary exercise the following may be set forth. Direct your
observation in the same way upon a fellow-being to whom the fulfilment
of some wish, the gratification of some desire has just been granted.
If the same rules and precautions are adopted as in the previous
instance, you will once more attain to spiritual perception. You will
distinguish a flame-like appearance which is yellow in the centre and
greenish at the edges. By such observations of one's fellow-creatures
one may easily be led into a moral fault--one may become uncharitable.
All conceivable means must be taken to fight against this tendency.
Anyone exercising such powers of observation should have risen to the
level on which one is absolutely convinced that thoughts are actual
things. He may then no longer allow himself to admit thoughts
incompatible with the highest reverence for the dignity of human life
and of human liberty. Not for one moment must he entertain the idea of
regarding a human being as a mere object for observation. It must be
the aim of self-education to see that the faculties for a psychic
observation of human nature go hand in hand with a full recognition of
the rights of each individual. That which dwells in each human being
must be regarded as something holy, and to be held inviolate by us even
in our thoughts and feelings. We must be possessed by a feeling of
reverential awe for all that is human.
For the present, only these two examples can be given as to the methods
by which an insight into human nature may be achieved, but they will at
least serve to point out the way which must be followed. He who has
gained the inner tranquility and repose which are indispensable for
such observations, will by so doing, already have undergone a great
transformation. This will soon reach the point at which the increase of
his spiritual worth will manifest itself in the confidence and
composure of his outward demeanor. Again, this alteration in his
demeanor will react favorably on his inner condition, and thus he will
be able to help himself further along the road. He will find ways of
penetrating further and further into those secrets of human nature,
those hidden from our external senses, and will then become qualified
for a deeper insight into the mysterious correlations between the
nature of man, and all else that exists in the universe. By following
this path, the disciple will approach closer and closer to the day on
which he will be deemed worthy of taking the first steps of initiation;
but before these can be taken it is necessary to assure oneself of
unflinching courage. At first it may not be at all apparent to the
student why it should be necessary, but he cannot fail to be convinced
of it in the end.