V
ENLIGHTENMENT
Enlightenment is the result of very simple processes. Here, too, it
is a matter of developing certain feelings and thoughts which are
dormant within all men, but must be awakened. Only he who carries out
these simple processes with complete patience, continuously and
strenuously, can be led by them to the reception of inner
illumination. The primary step is taken by observing different
natural objects in a particular way; and these are as follows: a
transparent stone of beautiful form (a crystal), a plant, and an
animal. One should endeavour at first to direct one's whole attention
to a comparison of the stone with the animal, in the following way:
The thoughts which, accompanied by strong emotions, are thus induced,
must pass through the soul, and no other emotions or thoughts must be
mixed with them, or disturb the intense contemplation. One then says
to oneself= “The stone has a form and the animal changes his.
It is impulse (desire) which causes the animal to change its place,
and it is these impulses which are served by the form of the animal.
Its organs and instruments are the expression of these impulses. The
form of the stone, on the contrary, is fashioned, not in accordance
with impulses, but in accordance with an impulseless force.”
[The fact here mentioned, in its bearing on the contemplation of
crystals, is in many ways distorted by those who have only heard of
it in an outward (exoteric) manner, and in this way such practices as
crystal-gazing have their origin. Misrepresentations of such a kind
are the outcome of misunderstanding. They have been described in many
books, but they never form the subject of genuine (esoteric)
teaching.]
If one
sinks deeply into such thoughts, and while doing so observes the
stone and the animal with fixed attention, then there arise in the
soul two separate kinds of emotion. From the stone into the soul
there flows one hind of emotion, and from the animal another.
Probably in the beginning the experiment will not succeed, but little
by little, with genuine and patient practice, these emotions become
manifest. Again and again one should practise. At first the emotions
only last as long as the contemplation. Later on, they work
afterwards, and then they grow to some thing which remains alive in
the soul. One then needs only to reflect, and both emotions
invariably arise, apart from all contemplation of an external
object.
Out of
these, emotions, and the thoughts which are bound up with them,
clairvoyant organs are formed. For should the plant be added to the
contemplation, one will notice that the feeling out-flowing from it,
both in its quality and in its degree, lies between that which
emanates from the stone and that from the animal. The organs which
are so formed are spiritual eyes. We learn by degrees and through
their means to see both astral and mental colours. As long as one has
only attained, the condition described as Probation, the spiritual
world with its lines and figures remains dark, but through
Enlightenment it will become clear. It must be noted here that the
words “dark” and “light,” as well as the
other common expressions, do but approximately describe what is
really meant. But if ordinary language is not used, there is none
possible and yet this language was only constructed to suit physical
conditions.
Occult
science describes what emanates from the stone and is seen by
clairvoyant eyes, as “blue” or “bluish-red:”
that which is observed as coming from the animal is described as
“red” or “reddish-yellow.” In reality they
are colours of a spiritual kind which are discerned. The colour
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 colours do but suggest the prevailing shades of the
stone, the plant, or the animal. In reality, all possible overtones
exist. Every animal, every stone, every plant has its own peculiar
shade of colour. In addition to these there are also the creatures of
the higher worlds, who never incorporate themselves with their on
colours, often marvellous, often horrible. In fact, the variety of
colours in the higher worlds is immeasurably greater than in the
physical world.
If a man
has once acquired the faculty of seeing with spiritual eyes, he then,
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.
If he has
come so far, the way to a great deal lies open before him; but it is
inadvisable to proceed any further without an experienced guide.
Indeed, for all that has been here described, such experienced
guidance is desirable. For the rest, if anyone has the power and
endurance to travel so far that he fulfils the elementary conditions
of enlightenment here described, he will assuredly seek and discover
his guide.
But under
all circumstances it is important to give one warning, and he who
will not apply 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 to be always 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 persistently blunts that sense and that feeling by the
use of these practices. The heart would grow cold and the senses
become blunted, and that could only lead to perilous results.
How
enlightenment proceeds, if one rises, in the sense of the foregoing
practices, 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
practices are tried. Therefore it is that those who know something of
the truth concerning these things have allowed part of the occult
training to be communicated. 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:
nobody ought to spend more time or power upon such practices than
what is at his disposal with due regard to his circumstances and his
duties. No one, for the sake of the occult path, 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 the paths to occult knowledge, by the means which have
been indicated in the foregoing pages, must fortify himself
throughout the whole course of his efforts by a certain thought. He
must ever bear in mind that after persevering for some time he may
have made very real 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 are formed in the student's mind.
He was accustomed to occupy himself with the physical world alone.
The mental and astral worlds eluded his gaze, and baffled his
conceptions. It is, therefore, not remarkable if, at first, he fails
to realise 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 sees
the progress made by the pupil, long before the latter becomes
conscious of it 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 first 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 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 develop
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 realised
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 not been
able 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 attains to a similar consciousness of
soul and spirit also.
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 in 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 insignificant 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, colour, 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
say to himself: “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. [Anyone who might object that a microscopic
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.] Let
the student fully realise that this invisible something will later on
translate itself into a visible plant, perceptible by him in shape
and colour. Let him dwell upon the thought: “The invisible will
become visible. If I could not think, then I could not realise,
already, that which will only become visible later on.”
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 spiritualised vision of the student
perceives it as a kind of flame. This flame is of a lilac colour 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
conditions as he does with regard to the things and occurrences of
ordinary life. It would be a bad thing if he lapsed 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 fantasies.
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 a time is 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. I become
again 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 colours 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 thus
taken the initial steps on that road, which will gradually enable him
to solve, by direct vision, 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 and simpler 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 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 recognised, 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 well up
from the depth of one's own soul, but the necromancer who shall call
up the truth must not be 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 personal benefit. 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 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 tranquillity of soul. Make every endeavour 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 realise
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 only 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
endeavour 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 tranquillity and repose which are indispensable for
such observations, will already, by so doing, 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 demeanour. Again, this alteration in his
demeanour will react favourably on his inner condition, and thus he
will be able to help himself further along the road. He will find
ways and means of penetrating more and more into the secrets of human
nature, hidden from our external senses, and he will then also become
ripe for a deeper insight into the mysterious correlations between
the nature of man, and of 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 one thing more is
necessary. 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.
The
quality which is indispensable to him who would be initiated is a
certain measure of courage and fearlessness. He must absolutely go
out of his way to find opportunities for developing these virtues. In
the occult schools they are cultivated quite systematically; but life
in this respect is itself an excellent school of occultism, nay,
possibly the best. To face danger calmly, to try to overcome
difficulties unswervingly, this is what the student must learn to do;
for instance, in the presence of some peril, he must rise at once to
the conception that fears are altogether useless, and ought not to be
entertained for one moment, but that the mind ought simply to be
concentrated on what is to be done. He must reach a point where it
has become impossible for him ever again to feel afraid or to lose
his courage. By self-discipline in this direction he will develop
within himself quite distinct qualities which he needs if he is to be
initiated into the higher mysteries. Just as man in his physical
being requires nervous force in order to use his physical senses, so
also, in his psychic nature, he requires the force which is only
produced in the courageous and the fearless. For in penetrating to
the higher mysteries he will see things which are concealed from
ordinary humanity by the illusions of the senses. The latter, by
hiding the higher verities from our gaze, are in reality our
benefactors, since they prevent us from perceiving that which, if
realised without due preparation, would throw us into unutterable
consternation, things which we could not bear to behold. The disciple
must be able to endure this sight. He loses certain supports in the
outer world which were owing to the very illusions that encompassed
him. It is truly and literally as if his attention were suddenly
drawn to a certain danger by which for some time he had already been
threatened unconsciously. He was not afraid hitherto, but now that he
sees his peril, he is overcome by terror, although the danger has not
been rendered any greater by his knowledge thereof.
The
forces at work in the world are both destructive and creative. The
destiny of manifested beings is birth and death. The Initiate is to
behold this march of destiny. The veil, which in the ordinary course
of life clouds the spiritual eyes, is then to be uplifted. The man is
himself, however, interwoven with these forces, with this destiny.
His own nature contains destructive and creative powers. As
undisguisedly as the other objects of his vision are revealed to the
eye of the seer, his own soul is bared to his gaze. In the face of
this self-knowledge, the disciple must not suffer himself to droop,
and in this he will only succeed if he has brought with him an excess
of the necessary strength. In order that this may be the case he must
learn to maintain inner calm and confidence in the most difficult
circumstances; he must nourish within himself a firm faith in the
beneficent forces of existence. He must be prepared to find that many
motives which have actuated him hitherto will actuate him no longer.
He must needs perceive that he has hitherto often thought or acted in
a certain manner, because he was still in the toils of ignorance.
Reasons like those which influenced him before will now disappear. He
has done many things out of personal vanity; he will now perceive how
utterly futile all such vanity is in the eyes of the Initiate. He has
done much from motives of avarice; he will now be aware of the
destructive effect of all avariciousness. He will have to develop
entirely new springs for his thought and action, and it is for this
that courage and fearlessness are required.
It is a
matter especially of cultivating this courage and this fearlessness
in the inmost depths of the mental life. The disciple must learn
never to despair. He must always be equal to the thought: “I
will forget that I have again failed in this matter. I will try once
more, as though nothing at all had happened.” Thus he will
fight his way on to the firm conviction that the universe contains
inexhaustible fountains of strength from which he may drink. He must
aspire again and again to the Divine which will uplift and support
him, however feeble and impotent the mortal part of his being may
prove. He must be capable of pressing on towards the future,
undismayed by any experiences of the past. Every teacher of Occultism
will carefully ascertain how far the disciple, aspiring to initiation
into the higher mysteries, has advanced on the road of spiritual
preparation. If he fulfils these conditions to a certain point, he is
then worthy to hear uttered those Names of things which form the key
that unlocks the higher knowledge. For Initiation consists in this
very act of learning. to know the things of the universe by those
Names which they bear in the spirit of their Divine Author. And the
mystery of things lies in these Names. Therefore is it that the
Initiate speaks another language than that of the uninitiate, for the
former knows the Names by which things were called into
existence.
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