Advanced Course in Yogi
Philosophy and
Oriental Occultism
By Yogi
Ramacharaka
Lesson III
Spiritual Consciousness
The Twenty-first precept of the
first part of Light on the Path -- the precept that refers
directly to the thing that has been led up to by the
preceding precepts -- tells us to:
21. Look for the flower to bloom in the silence that
follows the storm; not till then it shall grow, it will
shoot up, it will make branches and leaves and form buds,
while the storm continues, while the battle lasts. But not
till the whole personality of the man is dissolved and
melted--and until it is held by the divine fragment which
has created it, as a mere subject for grave experiment and
experience--not until the whole nature has yielded, and
become subject unto its higher self, can the bloom open.
Then will come a calm such as comes in a tropical country
after the heavy rain, when nature works so swiftly that
one may see her action. Such a calm will come to the
harassed spirit. And, in the deep silence, the mysterious
even will occur which will prove that the way has been
found. Call it by what name you will. It is the voice that
speaks where there is none to speak, it is a messenger
that comes--a messenger without form or substance--or it
is the flower of the soul that has opened. It cannot be
described by any metaphor. But it can be felt after,
looked for, desired, even amid the raging of the storm.
The silence may last a moment of time, or it may last a
thousand years. But it will end. Yet you will carry its
strength with you. Again and again the battle must be
fought and won. It is only for an interval that nature can
be still.
The flower that blooms
in the silence that follows the storm (and only then and
there) is the flower of Spiritual Consciousness, for the
production of which the Plant of Life has been striving --
that which caused the sprouting of the seed -- the putting
forth of roots -- the pushing of the plant through the
soil of the material into the purer region above -- the
unfolding of leaf after leaf -- the discarding of sheath
after sheath -- until finally the tiny bud of the Spirit
was visible, and the real unfoldment began.
This appearance of the
bud of Spiritual Consciousness -- the first rays of
Illumination -- mark a most critical period in the
evolution of the soul. And, as the little manual states,
it occurs only after the storm -- only when the silence
has succeeded and replaced the rush of the winds -- the
roar and crash of the thunder -- the terrifying incidents
of the tempest. In the calm, restful period that follows
the storm, great things await the soul. So, remember this,
0 soul, when you find yourself in the midst of the great
storm of spiritual unrest, which is sweeping away all the
old land-marks -- which is tearing away all that you have
been leaning against to support yourself -- which causes
you to imagine that all is being swept away from you,
leaving you alone without comfort, or support. For in that
moment of spiritual distress when all is being taken away
from you, there is coming to you that peace which passeth
all understanding, which will never leave you, and which
is well worth the stress of a thousand storms. The time of
mere blind belief is passing from you -- the time of
knowing is at hand.
It is difficult to
speak of the higher spiritual experiences in the words of
the lower plane Emerson, who had experienced that
consciousness of which we speak, says of it: "Every
man's words, who speaks from that life, must sound vain to
those who do not dwell in the same thought on their own
part. I dare not speak for it. My words do not carry its
august sense; they fall short and cold. Only itself can
inspire whom it will. Yet I desire even by profane words,
if sacred I may not use, to indicate the heaven of this
deity, and to report what hints I have collected of the
transcendent simplicity and energy of the Highest
Law. It is a thing to be felt rather than to he
intellectually grasped -- and yet the Intellect may
partially grasp it, when the illumination of the Spirit
has raised it (the Intellect) to higher planes.
Knowing what lies
before it, the hand that writes these words trembles over
its work. To attempt to put into plain words these
experiences of the Higher Life seems futile and foolish --
and yet we seem called upon to make the effort. Well, so
be it -- the task is set before us -- we must not shrink
from it.
In our Fourteen
Lessons we have told of the three-fold mind of man -- the
three mental principles -- the Instinctive Mind; the
Intellect; the Spiritual Mind. We advise that you re-read
the lessons bearing upon this subject, paying particular
attention to what we have said regarding the Sixth
Principle -- the Spiritual Mind. This Illumination -- this
flower that blooms in the silence that follows the storm
-- comes from that part of your nature.
But, first, let us
consider what is meant by "the storm which precedes the
blossoming of the flower.
Man passes through the
higher stages of the Instinctive Mind on to the plane of
the Intellect. The man on the Instinctive Plane (even in
its higher stages where it blends into the lower planes of
the Intellect) does not concern himself with the problems
of Life -- the Riddle of Existence. He does not recognize
even that any such problem or riddle exists. He has a
comparatively easy time, as his cares are chiefly those
connected with the physical plane. So long as his physical
wants are satisfied, the rest matters little to him. His
is the childhood stage of the race. After a time, he
begins to experience troubles on another plane. His
awakened Intellect refuses to allow him to continue to
take things for granted. New questions are constantly
intruding themselves, calling for answers. He begins to be
pestered by the eternal €œWhyâ of his soul, As
Tolstoy so forcibly puts it: €œAs soon as the mental
part of a person takes control, new worlds are opened, and
desires are multiplied a thousand-fold. They become as
numerous as the radii of a circle; and the mind, with care
and anxiety, sets itself first to cultivate and then
gratify these desires, thinking that happiness is to be
found in that way. But no permanent happiness is to
be found in this state -- something fills the soul with a
growing unrest, and beckons it on and on to higher
flights. But the Intellect, not being able to conceive of
anything higher than itself, resists these urgings as
something unworthy -- some relic of former superstitions
and credulity. And so it goes around and around in its
efforts to solve the great problems -- striving for that
peace and rest which it somehow feels is awaiting it. It
little dreams that its only possible release lies in the
unfoldment of something higher than itself, which will
enable it to be used as a finer instrument.
Many who read these
lines will recognize this stage of terrible mental unrest
-- of spiritual travail-- when our Intellect confesses
itself unable to solve the great questions pressing upon
it for answers. We beat against the bars of our mental
cages -- or like the squirrel in the wheel, rush rapidly
around and around, and yet remain just where we were at
the beginning. We are in the midst of the mental storm.
The tempest rages around and about us -- the winds tear
our cloaks from us, leaving us at the mercy of the
tempest. We see swept away from our sight all that has
seemed so firm, durable and permanent, and upon which we
have found much comfort in leaning. All seems lost and we
are in despair. Peace and comfort is denied us -- the
storm drives us hither and thither, and we know not what
the end shall be. Our only hope is that reliance and trust
in the Unseen Hand which prompted Newman to write those
beautiful words, which appeal to thousands far removed
from him in interpretation of the Truth, but who are,
nevertheless, his brothers in the Spirit, and who
therefore recognize his words:
"Lead, kindly light, amid the
encircling gloom,
Lead thou me on.
The night is dark, and I am far
from home;
Lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask
to see
The distant scene; one step
enough for me,
Lead thou me on."
In due time there comes
-- and it always comes in due time -- a little gleam of
light piercing through the clouds, lighting up to the feet
of the storm-beaten wanderer -- one step at a time -- a
new path, upon which he takes a few steps. He soon finds
himself in a new country. As a writer has said:
"Soon he becomes conscious that
he has entered into a new and unknown land -- has crossed
the borders of a new country. He finds himself in a
strange land -- there are no familiar landmarks -- he does
not recognize the scene. He realizes the great distance
between himself and the friends he has left at the foot of
the hill. He cries aloud for them to follow him, but they
can scarcely hear him, and seem to fear for his safety.
They wave their arms, and beckon with their hands him to
return. They fear to follow him, and despair of his
safety. But he seems possessed of a new courage, and a
strange impulse within him urges him on and on. To what
point he is traveling, he knows not -- but a fierce joy
takes possession of him, and he presses on."
The light pouring forth
from the Spiritual Consciousness, leads the traveler along
the Path of Attainment -- if he has the courage to follow
it. The light of the Spirit is always a safe guide, but
very few of us have the confidence and trust which will
allow us to accept it. The original Quakers knew of this
inner light, and trusted it -- but their descendants have
but a glimmer of what was once a bright light. Its rays
may be perceived by all who are ready for it, and who look
with hope and confidence to the day when their eyes may
view it. For know you, that this inner light is not the
special property of the Orientals -- far from it. The men
of the East have paid more attention to the subject than
have those of the West -- but this Illumination is the
common property of the race, and is before each and every
man and woman. Instances of it have been known among all
peoples -- in all times. And all the records agree in the
main, although the interpretations vary widely. The first
indications of the coming of Spiritual Consciousness, is
the dawning perception of the reality of the Ego -- the
awareness of the real existence of the Soul. When one
begins to feel that he, himself, is his soul, rather than
that he possess a wonderful something called the "soul" of
which he really knows nothing -- when, we say, he feels
that he is a soul, rather than that he has or will have a
soul -- then that one is nearing the first stages of
Spiritual Consciousness, if indeed he is not already
within its outer borders.
There are two general
stages of this blossoming of the flower, although they
generally blend into each other. The first is the full
perception of the "I Am" consciousness -- the second the
Cosmic Knowing. We will try at least clumsily and crudely
to give an idea of these two stages, although to those who
have experienced neither our words may appear meaningless.
The perception of the "I Am" consciousness may be likened
to the bud of the flower -- the flower itself being the
Cosmic Knowing. Many, who have not as yet experienced this
"I Am" consciousness, may think that it is simply the
intellectual conception of the self or perhaps the faith
or belief in the reality of the soul which they may
possess by reason of their religious training. But it is a
far different thing. It is more than a mere intellectual
conception, or a mere blind belief upon the word or
authority of another -- more indeed than even the belief
in the Divine promise of immortality. It is a
consciousness -- a knowing -- that one is a soul; an
awareness that one is a spiritual being - an immortal.
Here, dear friends, we are compelled to pause for lack of
words adequate to describe the mental state. The race,
having had no such experiences, have coined no words for
it. The Sanskrit contains words which have been injected
into the language by the ancient Yogis, and which may be
at least intellectually comprehended by the educated
Hindu, but our Western tongues contain no words whereby we
may convey the meaning. We can only try to give you the
idea by crude illustration. No one can describe Love,
Sympathy, or any other emotion to a race which had never
experienced the sensation. They are things which must be
felt. And so it is with the "I Am" consciousness. It comes
to a soul which has unfolded sufficiently to admit of the
rays of knowledge from the Spiritual Mind, and then that
soul simply knows -- that's all. It has the actual
spiritual knowledge that it is an entity -- immortal --
but it cannot explain it to others, nor can it, as a rule,
even intellectually explain it to itself. It simply knows.
And that knowing is not a matter of opinion, or reasoning,
or faith, or hope, or blind belief. It is a consciousness
-- and like any other form of consciousness, it is most
difficult to explain to one who has never experienced it.
Imagine what it would be to explain light to a man born
blind -- sugar to one who had never tasted a sweet thing
-- cold to one who dwelt in a tropical country and who had
never experienced the sensation. We simply cannot explain
our spiritual experiencesto those who have not experienced
them -- a fact that is well known to those who have
at some time in their lives had what are generally known
as "religious" experiences.
We know of a case in
which this consciousness came to a man who lived in a
community in which there seems to have been no one in a
like stage of development. He was a business man of no
mean ability, and his associations had been along entirely
different lines. He felt the flood of light beating into
his mind -- the certainty of his spiritual existence
impressed upon his consciousness -- and he became very
much disturbed and worried. He thought it must be a sign
of approaching insanity, and he hoped it would pass off;
although it gave him the greatest happiness. But it did
not pass off, and he went so far as to make arrangements
to transfer his business interests, fearing that he was
becoming mentally unbalanced, for he had never heard of a
similar case. However, one day he picked up a book, in
which the writer gave utterances to words which could come
only from one who had had a like experience. The man
recognized the common language (although another would
not) and throwing his hands above his head, he cried
aloud: "Thank God, here's another crazy man."
This awareness of the
"I Am" has come to many more people than is generally
imagined, but those who have this consciousness, as a
rule, say nothing about it, for fear that their friends,
relatives and neighbors would consider them abnormal and
mentally unsound. And, indeed, it is not always wise to
relate these experiences to others, for those who have not
reached the same plane cannot understand, and seeing in
another a thing of which they can have no comprehension,
are apt to consider him irrational. It is a strange thing
-- an amusing thing -- that in a world made up of people
who claim to believe that each man is (or "has" as the
term goes) an immortal soul, one who claims to really know
this to be a fact is regarded as abnormal. The belief of
the race is only skin-deep, the people are as much afraid
of death, or more so, than the man who believes that death
ends all. They reject all evidences of other planes of
existence, considering those who teach of and believe in
them as being either imposters or lunatics. They live and
act as if this earth-life were all, in spite of all their
claims and expressed beliefs. They half-believe certain
teachings, but have no real knowledge, and deny that
anyone else may possess that which they themselves lack.
But to the one into
whose field of consciousness have come some rays of the
truth from the Spiritual Mind, these things are no longer
mere beliefs -- they are realities and although such a one
may apparently conform to the beliefs of the world around
him, he becomes a different being. Others notice a
something different about him, keep he ever so quiet. They
cannot explain just what it is, but they feel something.
It must not be imagined
that this budding consciousness springs full grown into a
man's mind at once. It has done so in some cases, it is
true, but in the majority of instances, it is a matter of
slow growth, but the man is never just the same after the
growth commences. He apparently may lose his full
consciousness of the truth, but it will come back to him
again and again, and all the time it is working gradually
to make over that man's nature, and his changed mental
attitude manifests itself in his actions. He becomes more
cheerful and happy. Things that worry his neighbors seem
to have but little effect upon him. He finds it hard to
manifest a respectable amount of regret and grief over
things that bear heavily upon those around him. He is apt
to be regarded as unfeeling and heartless, notwithstanding
his heart may be full of Love and Kindness. His mental
attitude is changed -- his viewpoint has shifted. He finds
himself ceasing to fear, and those around him are apt to
consider him reckless or thoughtless. Time has less
meaning to him, for the idea of eternity has come to him.
Distance ceases to appall him, for is not all space his?
Such a one had better keep quiet, or he will be sure to be
considered a "queer fish," and people may tap their
foreheads significantly when speaking of him (behind his
back).
There is another
peculiarity about this phase of Spiritual Consciousness,
and that is that one who has it will recognize its
language in the writings of others. He may pick up the
works of some of the ancient writers, or even some of the
modern ones, and where others see only beautiful language
he will listen to a heart-to-heart talk from his
brother-in-thought. Writers, having but a slight degree of
spiritual insight will fall into a "mood" in which the
Spiritual Mind deftly passes on its words to the lower
mental principle, and the result is that the spiritual
meaning is readily grasped by those ready for it, even
though the writer may not fully understand what he has
written. When Spirit speaks, Spirit hears.
Let those who read
these words, if they have had this consciousness in a
greater or lesser degree, take courage. Let not your
loneliness oppress or depress you. There are thousands who
are your brothers and sisters in this great understanding,
and their thought will seek yours and both will be
benefited. Keep quiet to those around you, if you see fit,
but open up yourself to the sympathy and help that will
surely come to you along the channels of the thought
currents. Your thought will attract to you the similar
thought of others of the same consciousness, and theirs
will attract yours. In books, writings, pictures, you will
find words which are written for you and your kind. Read
over the old books, and see how different they appear to
you, now that you understand. Read the Bible; read
Shakespeare; read the poets and the philosophers; and see
how soon you will recognize that the writers are your
brothers. The dark corners and hard sayings will become
plain to you now. You need not be alone -- you are one of
a great and growing family.
But, on the other hand,
avoid being possessed of an inflated idea of your own
development. You are but on the threshold, and the great
hall of the Occult is before you, and in that hall there
are many degrees, and an initiation must be met and passed
before you may go on.
Before we pass to the
next stage of the growth of the Rower, it may be
interesting to our readers to listen to a description of a
peculiar experience related by that great modern writer,
Rudyard Kipling -- be who understands much more than he
tells his English and American readers -- in his story of
East Indian life, entitled "Kim," Many read what he has
said and can "see nothing in it," but those who have had
glimpses of this Spiritual Consciousness will readily
understand it. Here it is:
"'Now am I alone -- all
alone,' he thought. 'In all India is no one else so alone
as I! If I die today, who shall bring the news -- and to
whom? If I live and God is good, there will be a price
upon my head, for l am a Son of the Charm -- I, Kim.'
"A very few white
people, but many Asiatics, can throw themselves into
amazement, as it were, by repeating their own names over
and over again to themselves, letting the mind go free
upon speculation as to what is called personal identity.
"'Who is Kim -- Kim --
Kim?'
"He squatted in a
corner of the clanging waiting room, rapt from all other
thoughts; hands folded in lap, and pupils contracted to
pin points. In a moment -- in another half-second -- he
felt that he would arrive at the solution of the
tremendous puzzle; but here, as always happens, his mind
dropped away from those heights with the rush of a wounded
bird, and passing his hand before his eyes, he shook his
head.
"A long-haired Hindu
bairagi (holy man) who had just bought a ticket, halted
before him at that moment and stared intently.
"'I also have lost it,'
he said sadly. 'It is one of the gates of the Way, but to
me it has been shut many years.'
"'What is thy talk?'
said Kim, abashed.
"'Thou wast wondering,
there in thy spirit, what manner of thing thy soul might
be. I know. Who should know but I?' " (Kim by Rudyard
Kipling. Pages 295-96. Doubleday, Page & Co., New
York.)
Tennyson, the poet,
according to the testimony of intimate friends, at times
produced an ecstatic mood and a mild degree of spiritual
illumination by a similar process to that followed by
"Kim." He would repeat his first name, over and over,
meditating on his real identity, and he stated that at
such times he would become perfectly aware of immortality
and the reality of his existence as a living soul,
independent of body.
Personally we do not
favor this method of "breaking" into the Kingdom," but
prefer that the unfolding Spiritual Mind should gradually
throw its light into the field of consciousness. This we
consider the better way although many Yogi teachers think
otherwise, and instruct their students in exercises
calculated to cause this consciousness to unfold. It is
simply a difference of opinion as to methods, and we have
no desire to urge our ideas upon our students, if they
prefer the other method.
One of the most
rational and reasonable of these Yogi exercises for aiding
the unfoldment is given in the next several paragraphs.
Exercise.
Place your body in a
relaxed, reclining position. Breathe rhythmically, and
meditate upon the Real Self, thinking of yourself as an
entity independent of the body, although inhabiting it and
being able to leave it at will. Think of yourself, not as
the body, but as a soul. Think of your body as but a
shell, useful and comfortable, but merely an instrument
for the convenience of the real You. Think of yourself as
an independent being, using the body freely and to the
best advantage, and having full control and mastery over
it. While meditating, ignore the body entirely, and you
will find that you will often become almost unconscious of
it. You may even experience the sensation of being out of
the body, and of returning to it when through with the
exercise. (Rhythmic breathing is described in our little
book, "Science of Breath,")
Mantram and Meditation.
In connection with the
above Yogi exercise, the student may, if he desire, use
the following Mantram and Meditation:
"I AM.. I assert the
reality of my existence -- not merely my physical
existence, which is but temporal and relative -- but my
real existence in the Spirit, which is eternal and
absolute. I assert the reality of the Ego -- my Soul --
Myself. The real 'I' is the Spirit principle, which is
manifesting in body and mind, the highest expression of
which I am conscious being Myself -- my Soul. This 'I'
cannot die nor become annihilated. It may change the form
of its expression, or the vehicle of its manifestation,
but it is always the same 'I' -- a bit of the Universal
Spirit -- a drop from the great ocean of Spirit -- a
spiritual atom manifesting in my present consciousness,
working toward perfect unfoldment. I am my Soul -- my Soul
is I -- all the rest is but transitory and changeable. I
Am -- I Am -- I Am." Repeat the words "I Am" a number of
times.
The student should
endeavor to give a few minutes each day to silent
meditation, finding as quiet a place as possible, and then
lying or sitting in an easy position, relaxing every
muscle of the body and calming the mind. Then when the
proper conditions are served, he will experience that
peculiar sensation of calmness and quiet which indicate
the condition known as "entering the Silence." Then he
should repeat the above Mantram, or some similar one
(there is no special virtue in the mere words), and should
meditate along the lines indicated. The Mantram "I AM," if
clearly understood and impressed upon the mind, will give
to the student an air of quiet dignity and calm
manifestation of power, which will be apparent to those
with whom he comes in contact. It will surround him with a
thought aura of strength and power. It will enable him to
cast off fear and to look the world of men and women
calmly in the eyes, knowing that he is an eternal soul,
and that naught can really harm him. Even the more simple
stages of this consciousness will lift one above the petty
cares, worries, hates, fears, and jealousies of the lower
mental states, and will cause one to be a man or woman "of
the Spirit," in truth. Such people have a helpful effect
upon those with whom they come in contact, as there is an
undefinable aura surrounding them which causes others to
recognize that they are worthy of confidence and respect.
These meditations and
exercises will often aid one materially in developing a
consciousness of the reality of the soul. The sense of
immortality will come gradually as the consciousness
unfolds. But the student must not allow himself to live
too much in "the upper regions," or to despise his body or
the world and people around him. This is known as
"spiritual pride," and will have its downfall. You are
here in the world for a purpose, and must get the
experiences necessary to fully round you out. You are in
exactly the best position for the experiences you need --
and you will not be kept there one moment longer than is
necessary for your ultimate good. Live, grow, and unfold
-- living your own life -- doing the best you
can. -- and be Kind.
This "I Am"
consciousness, while a great advance over the
consciousness common to the race, is still but a
preliminary to the Cosmic Knowing which awaits the
unfolding soul. It is but the bud which will in time open
out and grow into the perfect flower. If it has been
difficult to explain in simple words the experiences just
touched upon. It may be imagined how we feel about
approaching this higher phase. But we will try to do our
best, although of necessity our words must be weak and
inadequate. To those not ready for the truth what we say
must seem like the veriest nonsense, but even these people
will remember what we say, and when the time comes may be
partially prepared for it. As good old Walt Whitman has
said: "My words will itch in your ears till you understand
them."
This Cosmic Knowing is
the full flower which will "bloom in the silence that
follows the storm," as the writer, or transcriber, of
"Light on the Path" has so beautifully expressed it. It is
that which comes as the result of "Illumination."
The occult writers of
all times have spoken of this thing, and it has also been
partially described by people in all times -- of all forms
of religious belief. Many have supposed it to have come as
the result of the worship of some particular conception of
Deity, or as the incident of some particular form of
creed. But it is really a thing above creeds or particular
conceptions of the Absolute -- it is a part of the Divine
heritage of the race. Many of the Oriental writers have
described this thing in their own words -- many of the old
Quakers experienced it, and have given it their own names
-- many Catholic saints describe it in their writings, and
even some of the great Protestant leaders and preachers
have given bewildered accounts of the great thing that
came upon them. Each, as a rule, however, attributed it to
some particular thing in their faith. Great poets have
felt its influence, and testimony along the same general
lines comes to us from many different sources. Some have
had it gradually dawn upon them, wax strong, and then fade
away, leaving them changed beings, living afterwards in
hope of again experiencing the great thing. Others have
had it burst upon them suddenly, with an impression that
they were submerged in a brilliant light (from whence
comes the term "illumination"), which also passed away,
leaving them changed beings. The experience seems to come
to no two souls in exactly the same way, and yet there is
a common point of resemblance between the testimony of
all. A Western writer (now passed out of the body) one Dr.
Richard Maurice Bucke, of London, Ontario, Canada, having
experienced this illumination, and having found that his
friend Walt Whitman and other friends had had similar
experiences, has gathered the testimony of a number of
people whom he believed to have undergone the same
unfoldment. He published the result of his research in a
very valuable book entitled "Cosmic Consciousness: a Study
in the Evolution of the Human Mind" (Innes & Sons,
Philadelphia, Perma., U. S. A.), which book was issued in
the shape of a limited edition of five hundred copies, and
is now, we believe, out of print. It may possibly be found
in some of the great libraries in our principal cities,
and is well worth a careful reading. The Oriental writings
are full of this subject, and Western literature is
beginning to show signs of its recognition.
In nearly all the
Western writings, however, what is described are but
typical incidents of spontaneous flashes of this great
consciousness. Occultists of great degree of advancement
are able to produce the state at will, and certain most
highly advanced in the flesh, who are not before the
public as teachers or writers, are believed to dwell in
this condition almost continually, their work for the
world being done through others (less highly developed),
whom they inspire with fragments of their great wisdom.
In a general way, the
experience may be described as an actual realisation of
the Oneness of all, and of one's connection with that One.
The atom of light helping to compose the ray, realizes for
an instant its connection with the Central Sun -- the drop
in the ocean realizes for a moment its relation to the
Ocean of Spirit. The Hindus have spoken of the more
intense manifestation of this breaking in upon the
consciousness of the light from the Spiritual Mind, as the
"Brahmic Splendor."
The prevailing emotion
during this experience is a feeling of intense joy --
something far above any other joy that has ever been felt
-- a sensation of Absolute Joy, if the term may be
permitted. And the memory of this great Joy -- the
reflection from its light -- lingers with the soul forever
after. Those who have once experienced this thing, are
even after more cheerful, and happy, and seem to have a
hidden and secret fount of joy from which they may drink
with the soul thirsts. The intense joy fades away
gradually, but something is left behind to comfort and
cheer. The feeling of joy is so strong that it can ever
after be thought of with the keenest delight -- its very
recollection will cause the blood to tingle and the heart
to throb whenever the mind reverts to the experience.
Then there is
experienced an intellectual illumination, or pouring in of
"knowing," impossible to describe. The soul becomes
conscious that it possess [sic] in itself absolute
knowledge--knowledge of all things -- the "why and
wherefore" of everything is recognized as being constant
within itself. The sensation cannot be described even
faintly. It is so far above anything that the human mind
has ever experienced that there are simply no words with
which to tell that which has been felt and known.
Everything seems made plain -- it is not a sense of an
increased ability to reason, deduce, classify, or
determine -- the soul simply knows. The feeling may last
but a fraction of a second of time -- one loses all sense
of time and space during the experience -- but the
subsequent intense feeling of regret over the great thing
that has slipped away from the consciousness can scarcely
be imagined by one who has not experienced it. The only
thing that enables the mind to bear the loss is the
certainty that some time -- some where -- the experience
will be repeated, and that certainly makes existence
"worth while." It is a foretaste of what is before the
soul.
One of the principal
things indelibly impressed upon the mind by this glimpse
of the higher consciousness is the knowledge -- the
certainty -- that Life pervades everything -- that the
Universe is filled with life, and is not a dead thing.
Eternal Life is sensed. Infinity is grasped. And the words
"Eternal" and "Infinite," ever after have distinct and
real meanings when thought of, although the meaning cannot
be explained to others.
Another sensation is
that of perfect Love for all of Life -- this feeling also
transcends any feeling of love ever before experienced.
The feeling of Fearlessness possess one during the
experience -- perhaps it would be better to say that is
not conscious of Fear -- there seems to be no reason for
it, and it slips away from one. One does not even think of
Fear during the experience, and only realizes that he was
entirely free from it where he afterwards recalls some of
his sensations. The feeling of knowledge, certainty, trust
and confidence possesses one, leaves no room for Fear.
Another sensation is
that that something which we might style "the
consciousness of Sin" has slipped from one. The conception
of "Goodness" of the entire Universe takes its place. By
"goodness" we do not mean the goodness of one thing as
compared to another, but a sense of absolute Goodness.
As we have said, this
experience when it has once come to the soul, leaves it as
a changed entity. The man is never the same afterward.
Although the keen recollection wears off, gradually, there
remains a certain memory which afterward proves a source
of comfort and strength to him, especially when he feels
weak of faith and faint of heart -- when he is shaken like
a reed by the winds of conflicting opinions and
speculations of the Intellect. The memory of the
experience is a source of renewed strength -- a haven of
refuge to which the weary soul flies for shelter from the
outside world, which understands it not.
Let us conclude this
feeble attempt to describe that which may not be
described, by repeating our own words, spoken to you in
the Third of the Fourteen Lessons:
From the writings of
the ancient philosophers of all races; from the songs of
the great poets of all peoples; from the preachings of the
prophets of all religions and times; we can gather traces
of this illumination which has come to Man -- this
unfoldment of the Spiritual Consciousness. One has told of
it in one way, the other in another form -- but all tell
practically the same story. All who have experienced this
illumination, even in a faint degree, recognize the like
experience in the tale, the song, the preaching of
another, though centuries roll between them. It is the
song of the Soul, which once heard is never forgotten.
Though it be sounded by the crude instrument of the
semi-barbarous races, or by the finished instrument of the
talented musician of today, its strains are plainly
recognized. From old Egypt comes the song -- from India in
all ages -- from Ancient Greece and Rome -- from the early
Christian saint -- from he Quaker Friend -- from the
Catholic monasteries -- from the Mohammedan mosque -- from
the Chinese philosopher -- from the legends of the
American Indian hero-prophet -- it is always the same
strain, and it is swelling louder and louder, as many more
are taking it up and adding their voices or the sound of
their instrument to the grand chorus.
May this great joy of
Illumination be yours, dear students. And it will be yours
when the proper time comes. When it comes be not dismayed
-- when it leaves you mourn not its loss, for it will come
again. Live on, reaching ever upward toward your Real Self
and opening up yourself to its influence. Be always
willing to listen to the Voice of the Silence -- willing
always to respond to the touch of the Unseen Hand. Do not
fear, for you have within you always the Real Self, which
is a spark from the Divine Flame -- it will be as a lamp
to your feet, to point out the way.
We would call the
attention of the students to what the "Light on the Path"
says about the blossoming of the flower. It tells us that
while the storm continues -- while the battle lasts -- the
plant will grow; shoot up; will make branches and leaves;
will form buds (note what we have said about the budding
stage which precedes the full bloom), but that the bloom
cannot open until the "whole personality of the man is
dissolved and melted -- not until it is held by the divine
fragment which has created it, as a mere subject for grave
experiment and experience -- not until the whole mature
has yielded, and become subject unto its higher self."
The "whole personality"
referred to is the lower part of the soul -- its lower
principles. Not until the lower nature is brought under
the mastery of the highest that has unfolded in one, can
this longed for event occur. So long as the lower part of
one's nature is allowed to rule and master him, he shuts
out the divine light. Only when he asserts the real "I"
does he become ready for further unfoldment. We have told
you what the bloom or bud is -- the "I Am" consciousness.
When you have fully grasped this, and realize what you
are, and have made that highest (as yet) consciousness the
master of your lower principles, then you are ready for
the bloom to open. Listen to the beautiful words, from the
text: "Then will come a calm such as crosses in a tropical
country after the heavy rain, when nature works so swiftly
that one may see her action. Such a calm will come to the
harassed spirit. And, in the deep silence, the mysterious
even will occur which will prove that the way has been
found." We have tried to tell you what is that mysterious
event. We trust that we have at least made possible a
clearer conception of it on your part.
The writer of the
little manual evidently shared the difficulty that
confronts everyone who attempts to describe the great
experience. She goes on to say: "Call it by whatever name
you will, it is a voice that speaks where there is none to
speak; it is a messenger that comes -- a messenger without
form or substance -- or it is the flower of the soul that
has opened. It cannot be described by any metaphor. But it
can be felt after, looked for, and desired, even amid the
raging of the storm."
She goes on then to
speak of the duration of "the silence that follows the
storm," in which occurs the "mysterious event." She says:
"The silence may last a moment of time, or it may last a
thousand years. But it will end. Yet you will carry its
strength with you. Again and again must the battle be
fought and won. It is only for an interval that nature can
be still."
In this last paragraph,
the text evidently refers to the partial or temporary
illumination to which we have referred in this lesson. The
time when the Spiritual Consciousness will become
permanent -- when the Brahmic Splendor remains with the
soul continuously, is far beyond us -- those who enjoy
that state are now beings far beyond us in the spiritual
scale. And yet they were once as we are -- we shall
some day be as they now are. These flashes of Illumination
come to the advanced student as he progresses along the
Path. And although they leave him, he carries their
strength with him.
We would also call the
attention of the student to the foot note accompanying
this precept, as it contains a wonderful occult truth in
the shape of a promise. This promise has cheered thousands
along The Path -- has nerved them for further efforts --
has given them renewed ardor and courage. Listen to it:
"Know, O disciple! that those who have passed through the
silence, and felt its peace, and retained its strength,
they long that you shall pass through it also. Therefore,
in the Hall of Learning, when he is capable of entering
there, the disciple will always find his master."
The last foot note in
Part I, of "Light on the Path" (the one that concludes
that part of the little manual), should be read carefully
by the student, as it contains important information. We
think it better to insert it here, lest it may be
overlooked. We trust that we have enabled you to
understand it a little more clearly than before. When one
has the key he is able to open the many doors in the Hall
of Learning; and gaze upon its wonderful contents, even
though he may not as yet be privileged to enter.
Here is the foot note
referred to:
NOTE. Those that ask shall have.
But, though the ordinary man asks perpetually, his voice
is not heard. For he asks with his mind only, and the
voice of the mind is only heard on that plane on which the
mind acts. Therefore, not until the first twenty-one rules
are past, do I say those that ask shall have.
To read in the occult sense, is
to read with the eyes of the spirit. To ask, is to feel
the hunger within -- the yearning of spiritual aspiration.
To be able to read, means having obtained the power in a
small degree of gratifying that hunger. When the disciple
is ready to learn, then he is accepted, acknowledged,
recognized. It must be so; for he has lit his lamp, and it
cannot be hidden. But to learn is impossible until the
first great battle has been won. The mind may recognize
truth, but spirit cannot receive it. Once having passed
through the storm, and attained the peace, it is then
always possible to learn, even though the disciple waver,
hesitate and turn aside. The voice of the silence remains
within him; and though he leave the path utterly, yet one
day it will resound, and render him asunder, and separate
his passion from divine possibilities. Then, with pain and
desperate cries from the deserted lower self, he will
return.
Therefore I say, Peace be with
you. "My peace I give unto you" can only be said by the
Mater to the beloved disciple who are as himself. There
are some, even among those who are ignorant of the Eastern
wisdom, to whom this can be said; and to whom it can daily
be said with more completeness.
This concludes our
consideration of the first part of "Light on the Path."
The second part lies before us. It may be objected to that
the second part refers to the experience of the student,
after he has passed through the silence which followed the
storm, and that it concerns not the student who has not as
yet reached that stage. To this we answer, that the
experiences of the privileged student have very close
correspondences in the experiences of the student who has
not yet attained. The Path is a spiral, and although the
traveler along it constantly mounts higher, yet he goes
around and around, a single turn of the spiral above the
place where he walked a little while back. Therefore these
experiences have correspondences on the higher and lower
levels of the spiral. We feel impressed to continue this
consideration of this wonderful little manual, and we feel
that the student on the lower levels may receive
encouragement, benefit and understanding from the same.
The second part of the manual contains great truths, which
may profit us all. Let us face them.
Many of our students
have asked for some of the Yogi exercises for developing
Spiritual Illumination. Answering this, we say that the
best Yogi authorities do not encourage many of the
practices indulged in by the less enlightened of their
brethren. They believe that such practices are more or
less abnormal, and instead of producing the real
illumination desired, simply help to bring on a psychic
condition which is but a reflection of the desired state
-- a moon instead of the Sun. And such psychic states do
not aid in spiritual unfoldment, although they undoubtedly
do produce an ecstatic condition, pleasing for the moment
-- a psychic intoxication, if we are permitted to use the
term.
Meditation along the
lines of thought reached in this lesson, or similar
writings, is of course a benefit, and many Yogi students
accompany this with rhythmic breathing which has a
tranquilizing effect. But at the best, those things merely
prepare the ground for the growth of the plant from which
the blossom springs. The plant itself comes when its time
is ripe, and cannot be forced unduly. Let us prepare the
best conditions for its growth and welfare. Give it
welcome when it comes -- and until that time let us live
up to the highest within us. The fact you (the student)
are attracted toward these subjects, is a sign that you
are unfolding spiritually. Otherwise they would not
attract you. If these words find a response in your soul,
be assured that your own is coming to you, and that you
are well along The Path. Look for the light, for it will
come -- be worthy of its coming.
In conclusion, listen to these words of Edward Carpenter:
"O, let not the flame die out! Cherished age after age in
its dark caverns, in its holy temples cherished. Fed by pure
ministers of love-let not the flame die out."
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