THE PROBATIONARY PATH.
Eastern books tell us that there are four means by which a man may
be brought to the beginning of the path of spiritual advancement: 1.
By the companionship of those who have already entered upon it. 2.
By the hearing or reading of definite teaching on occult philosophy.
3. By enlightened reflection; that is to say, that by sheer force of
hard thinking and close reasoning he may arrive at the truth, or some
portion of it, for himself. 4. By the practice of virtue, which means
that a long series of virtuous lives, though it does not necessarily
involve any increase of intellectuality, does eventually develop in
a man sufficient intuition to enable him to grasp the necessity of
entering upon the path, and show him in what direction it lies.
When, by one or another of these means, he has arrived at this point,
the way to the highest adeptship lies straight before him, if he
chooses to take it. In writing for students of occultism it is hardly
necessary to say that at our present stage of development we cannot
expect to learn all, or nearly all, about any but the lowest steps
of this path; whilst of the highest we know little but the names,
though we may get occasional glimpses of the indescribable glory which
surrounds them.
According to the esoteric teachings these steps are grouped in three
great divisions:
1. The probationary period, before any definite pledges are taken, or
initiations (in the full sense of the word) are given. This carries
a man to the level necessary to pass successfully through what in
Theosophical books is usually called the critical period of the fifth
round.
2. The period of pledged discipleship, or the path proper, whose four
stages are often spoken of in Oriental books as the four paths of
holiness. At the end of this the pupil obtains adeptship--the level
which humanity should reach at the close of the seventh round.
3. What we may venture to call the official period, in which the adept
takes a definite part (under the great Cosmic Law) in the government of
the world, and holds a special office connected therewith. Of course
every adept--every pupil even, when once definitely accepted, as we
have seen in the earlier chapters--takes a part in the great work of
helping forward the evolution of man; but those standing on the higher
levels take charge of special departments, and correspond in the cosmic
scheme to the ministers of the crown in a well-ordered earthly state.
It is not proposed to make any attempt in this book to treat of this
official period; no information about it has ever been made public, and
the whole subject is too far above our comprehension to be profitably
dealt with in print. We will confine ourselves therefore to the two
earlier divisions.
Before going into details of the probationary period it is well to
mention that in most of the Eastern sacred books this stage is regarded
as merely preliminary, and scarcely as part of the path at all, for
they consider that the latter is really entered upon only when definite
pledges have been given. Considerable confusion has been created by the
fact that the numbering of the stages occasionally commences at this
point, though more often at the beginning of the second great division;
sometimes the stages themselves are counted, and sometimes the
initiations leading into or out of them, so that in studying the books
one has to be perpetually on one’s guard to avoid misunderstanding.
This probationary period, however, differs considerably in character
from the others; the divisions between its stages are less decidedly
marked than are those of the higher groups, and the requirements are
not so definite or so exacting. But it will be easier to explain this
last point after giving a list of the five stages of this period,
with their respective qualifications. The first four were very ably
described by Mr. Mohini Mohun Chatterji in the first Transaction of the
London Lodge, to which readers may be referred for fuller definitions
of them than can be given here. Much exceedingly valuable information
about them is also given by Mrs. Besant in her books _The Path of
Discipleship_ and _In the Outer Court_.
The names given to the stages will differ somewhat, for in those
books the Hindu Sanskrit terminology was employed, whereas the Pâli
nomenclature used here is that of the Buddhist system; but although
the subject is thus approached from a different side, as it were,
the qualifications exacted will be found to be precisely the same in
effect even when the outward form varies. In the case of each word the
mere dictionary meaning will first be given in parentheses, and the
explanation of it which is usually given by the teacher will follow.
The first stage, then, is called among Buddhists:
1. Manodvâravajjana (the opening of the doors of the mind, or perhaps
escaping by the door of the mind)--and in it the candidate acquires a
firm intellectual conviction of the impermanence and worthlessness of
mere earthly aims. This is often described as learning the difference
between the real and the unreal; and to learn it often takes a long
time and many hard lessons. Yet it is obvious that it must be the
first step toward anything like real progress, for no man can enter
whole-heartedly upon the path until he has definitely decided to “set
his affection upon things above, not on things on the earth,” and that
decision comes from the certainty that nothing on earth has any value
as compared with the higher life. This step is called by the Hindus the
acquirement of Viveka or discrimination, and Mr. Sinnett speaks of it
as the giving allegiance to the higher self.
2. Parikamma (preparation for action)--the stage in which the candidate
learns to do the right merely because it is right, without considering
his own gain or loss either in this world or the future, and acquires,
as the Eastern books put it, perfect indifference to the enjoyment of
the fruit of his own actions. This indifference is the natural result
of the previous step; for when the neophyte has once grasped the unreal
and impermanent character of all earthly rewards, he ceases to crave
for them; when once the radiance of the real has shone upon the soul,
nothing below that can any longer be an object of desire. This higher
indifference is called by the Hindus Vairâgya.
3. Upachâro (attention or conduct)--the stage in which what are called
“the six qualifications” (the Shatsampatti of the Hindus) must be
acquired. These are called in Pâli:
(_a_) Samo (quietude)--that purity and calmness of thought which
comes from perfect control of the mind--a qualification exceedingly
difficult of attainment, and yet most necessary, for unless the
mind moves only in obedience to the guidance of the will it cannot
be a perfect instrument for the Master’s work in the future. This
qualification is a very comprehensive one, and includes within itself
both the self-control and the calmness which were described in chapter
xiv. as necessary for astral work.
(_b_) Damo (subjugation)--a similar mastery over, and therefore
purity in, one’s actions and words--a quality which again follows
necessarily from its predecessor.
(_c_) Uparati (cessation)--explained as cessation from bigotry or
from belief in the necessity of any act or ceremony prescribed by a
particular religion--so leading the aspirant to independence of thought
and to a wide and generous tolerance.
(_d_) Titikkhâ (endurance or forbearance)--by which is meant the
readiness to bear with cheerfulness whatever one’s karma may bring
upon one, and to part with anything and everything worldly whenever
it may be necessary. It also includes the idea of complete absence of
resentment for wrong, the man knowing that those who do him wrong are
but the instruments of his own karma.
(_e_) Samâdhâna (intentness)--one-pointedness involving the
incapability of being turned aside from one’s path by temptation. This
corresponds very closely with the single-mindness spoken of in the
previous chapter.
(_f_) Saddhâ (faith)--confidence in one’s Master and oneself:
confidence, that is, that the Master is a competent teacher, and that,
however diffident the pupil may feel as to his own powers, he has yet
within him that divine spark which when fanned into a flame will one
day enable him to achieve even as his Master has done.
4. Anuloma (direct order or succession, signifying that its attainment
follows as a natural consequence from the other three)--the stage in
which is acquired that intense desire for liberation from earthly
life, and for union with the highest, which is called by the Hindus
Mumukshatva.
5. Gotrabhû (the condition of fitness for initiation); in this stage
the candidate gathers up, as it were, his previous acquisitions, and
strengthens them to the degree necessary for the next great step,
which will set his feet upon the path proper as an accepted pupil.
The attainment of this level is followed very rapidly by initiation
into the next grade. In answer to the question, “Who is the Gotrabhû?”
Buddha says, “The man who is in possession of those conditions upon
which the commencement of sanctification immediately ensues--he is the
Gotrabhû.”
The wisdom necessary for the reception of the path of holiness is
called Gotrabhû-gñâna.
Now that we have hastily glanced at the steps of the probationary
period, we must emphasize the point to which reference was made
at the commencement--that the _perfect_ attainment of these
accomplishments and qualifications is not expected at this early
stage. As Mr. Mohini says, “If all these are equally strong, adeptship
is attained in the same incarnation.” But such a result is of course
extremely rare. It is in the direction of these acquirements that the
candidate must easelessly strive, but it would be an error to suppose
that no one has been admitted to the next step without possessing all
of them in the fullest possible degree. Nor do they necessarily follow
one another in the same definite order as the later steps; in fact, in
many cases a man would be developing the various qualifications all at
the same time--rather side by side than in regular succession.
It is obvious that a man might easily be working along a great part
of this path even though he was quite unaware of its very existence,
and no doubt many a good Christian, many an earnest freethinker is
already far on the road that will eventually lead him to initiation,
though he may never have heard the word occultism in his life. I
mention these two classes especially, because in every other religion
occult development is recognized as a possibility, and would certainly
therefore be intentionally sought by those who felt yearnings for
something more satisfactory than the exoteric faiths.
We must also note that the steps of this probationary period are not
separated by initiations in the full sense of the word, though they
will certainly be studded with tests and trials of all sorts and on all
planes, and may be relieved by encouraging experiences, and by hints
and help whenever these may safely be given. We are apt sometimes to
use the word initiation somewhat loosely, as for example when it is
applied to such tests as have just been mentioned; properly speaking
it refers only to the solemn ceremony at which a pupil is formally
admitted to a higher grade by an appointed official, who in the name of
the One Initiator receives his plighted vow, and puts into his hands
the new key of knowledge which he is to use on the level to which he
has now attained. Such an initiation is taken at the entrance to the
division which we shall next consider, and also at each passage from
any one of its steps to the next.