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Assuming that you have carefully considered
the seven cardinal requirements already
described, it is now in order to analyze the
more specific factors with which the candidate
must familiarize himself.
1. The first-and most important-is the
selection of the person or institution whose
instruction will constitute your course of occult
procedure. Consider with us for a mo
ment the attitude of the Eastern mystics on
this vital subject.
The assistance of a properly qualified teacher
is essential to the progress of the student.
Just as a plant grows in the light of the sun,
warmed and vitalized by its Pranic emanations,
so the disciple unfolds, flower-like, nurtured
and assisted by the spiritual radiance of his
Master. The aura of a highly evolved adept is
also of great assistance to a young student who
as yet is unable completely to create certain atmospheres
for himself. Gradually the perfect
and continued communion between Master
and disciple brings them very close together in
spiritual understanding. A beautiful friend-
ship is born between the two, which gradually
merges into a perfect and impersonal love.
The Guru (teacher) comes to know the inner
most thoughts of his disciples. He tests the
student by bringing him into the presence of
temptation and encouraging him to be strong.
He perceives where the student is weak. He
discovers the faults in the nature which inhibit
attainment, and by wise counsel aids his "spiritual
son" to avoid pitfalls and blind alleys.
While the Guru may have many exoteric
students, he seldom takes more than twelve at
one time into the esoteric phase of his instruction.
He realizes that no one can properly
direct the studies of too large a number at one
time and give each of them the individual help
which is so necessary. He realizes that he is
the parent of a spiritual infant who is being
nurtured in the nature of his disciple, and that
this spiritual child needs almost constant attention
during the early stages of its growth.
By carefully observing these requisites, the
Master protects the life and health of his disciples
and leads them step by step to the state
of accomplishment which they could not reach
unaided.
To study for a few weeks or even months
with an unknown teacher (even though he
may be suspected of having great intelligence)
and then to attempt to work out by yourself
future exercises and systems of development
is the height of madness, for the daily unfoldment
resulting from occult exercises requires
intelligent supervision by a teacher who is prepared for any and all emergencies. Hence the
disciple who undertakes the actual operative
processes of spiritual regeneration generally
lives (for a time, at least) with his teacher, so
that every hour of the day or night the Master
is within call. In India, the Chelas remain
with their teachers for an entire lifetime to
make certain that each step in their attainment
is properly completed and the subsequent work
correctly outlined.
Who is qualified to instruct in the operative
mysteries of either Eastern or Western occultism?
The answer is, Only an initiate or the
disciple of an initiate. An initiate is one whose
attainment to a position of spiritual understanding
has been in harmony with the laws
of attainment. Therefore he must be and is
in consistency with the laws which have produced
him. Not only this, but he must be of
that Ray of the Mysteries which is devoted to
teaching. Many great initiates are not in the
teaching Ray; therefore never take disciples.
Others, again, are so highly advanced that none
but initiates are eligible to their instruction,
as in the case of the Master J. The laws of
attainment demand purity of life and purpose;
simplicity of demeanor and appearance; humility
of mind and heart; selflessness, kindliness,
wisdom, and absolute freedom from the
taint of worldliness and commercialism. And
on either side of this narrow path which the
disciple must walk are the pitfalls of Dugpa
magic.
We should also bear in mind that there are
few, if any, Westerners who are qualified to
teach the esoteric principles of Eastern occult.
ism. Many are attempting to do so, but their
bungling efforts demonstrate their incompetence.
The East deals in subtleties, and occultism
is a subtle science, everything depending
upon inflections which are totally beyond the
average Western intellect. While Western
scholars may learn to understand the general
outline of Eastern occultism, even a lifetime in
India or Tibet will not qualify them as teachers
of Eastern esotericism, unless during their
sojourn in the Orient they have actually been
initiated into the Eastern Mysteries. Even
then there are certain key secrets which the
Brahmins, for instance, will not reveal to any
person of a race or caste cliff erent from their
own. For this reason most of the concepts
promulgated by Westerners are hopelessly erroneous
or, at best, incomplete. None but
the East apparently can understand the East,
for it is a world totally different in attitudes
and concepts from the one with which we are
familiar.
Then, again the Hindus themselves (while
far more religious and philosophical as a race
than the Western peoples) are not all qualified
to teach these abstruse occult sciences. As the
average Christian minister is comparatively
ignorant concerning mystical Christianity, so
a great number of Orientals have little knowledge
of the finer points of their faith. While
it is true that the percentage of Orientals who
understand their religion is much higher than
the percentage of Christians who understand
Christianity, the mere fact that a person comes
from the Orient is no assurance that he is qualified
to instruct concerning the secret teachings
of his faith. It requires a highly advanced
Oriental to adjust his doctrine to the Western
world, for if presented without certain adjustments
it is almost useless. In choosing an instructor
in any line of occult science, then,
great care and discrimination must be used and
an acid test applied. The point where lack of
true understanding is most evident is in the
commercial attitude, and if the student will
eliminate from his list pseudo-occultists with
axes to grind, he will escape the majority of
the pitfalls.
2. The second point is the consideration of
the time element. Time is the primary prerequisite of occult growth. The disciple may
expect it to require at least twenty years to
attain success in even the first degrees. In the
early part of a disciple's training he will probably
find it necessary to receive his instruction
from someone in the physical world, but
as he goes higher and acquires the ability to
separate his consciousness from his lower vehicles,
he may receive his instruction from
teachers and initiates working through the subtle
essences of the invisible worlds.
No layman, either in the East or in the
West, is qualified to begin the practice of socalled occult exercises without special preparation
covering a period of years. Even in the
East, where the mind is concerned with occultism
and philosophy from infancy, special
preparation is required before even the simplest
of the exercises are begun. Even though
a student has delved into occultism for years
and has attended countless lectures, he is not
justified in thinking that he is ready for deep
esoteric work. Unless during those years he
followed a certain prescribed and systematic
course of training, he must begin to do so, and
until he has achieved success therein he is not
ready for deeper or more complicated forms
of culture. Notwithstanding the fact that he
considers himself a highly developed person,
he must begin at the bottom and pass through
his years of probationary work just the same
as the disciple who apparently is far less informed.
The true occultist realizes that it is
not always how long we are at a thing, but
how intelligently we pursue our labors that
counts; and many who have spent an entire
lifetime have achieved comparatively little.
It is for the Guru (and not the chela) to
decide when the period of probationship is
completed, for the teacher is capable of investigating
man's invisible spiritual nature, upon
which the record of accomplishment is imprinted.
The period of time for the first probationship
is usually from two to five years.
Pythagoras of Crotona demanded five years
of self-purification before he would even discuss
the matter of spiritual unfoldment with
a candidate applying for membership in his
university.
During these years of preparation the disciple
adjusts his entire life to· the work to which
he looks forward. He becomes permeated with
certain spiritual and intellectual attitudes, and
thus comes en rapport with the holy science.
It means that every atom and molecule of his
quaternary constitution must be purified and
made over. The organism must be unfolded,
and every part of the structure must thrill and
vibrate in a peculiar manner. What does this
mean? It means that the attainment of spiritual power is impossible unless the life, mind,
and body are dedicated entirely to that labor.
It also means that so much depends upon the
teacher into whose hands the student places
himself that it is, in reality, a matter of life
and death.
3. The third point for the candidate to
realize is the necessity of remaining silent concerning
any esoteric secrets which may be revealed
to him. He may discuss the theoretical
part of occultism with any whom he feels
deserving of such information, but the operative
secrets he must reveal to no one. They
are given to him as Master to disciple, and are
for him alone. The curse of the gods is upon
the head of the man who reveals the hiding
place of his Lord for thirty pieces of silver.
The Christ in you is the secret and powerful
spiritual nature-the miracle-worker, the divine,
invisible man. The one who reveals the
nature and power of this secret Lord betrays
his divine Master (the spiritual nature) and
turns its power over to the hands of the mob
(his own lower animal nature) . At the hands
of the mob, the Christ (the secret power) is
crowned with a wreath of thorns and taunted
as a king. He is given the kingdom of death
to rule and is scourged by the soldiers. In the
hands of the mob nature in man, the secret
and divine power, which has thus been betrayed, is crowned with sorrow; the divine science
is prostituted that ignorant mortals may
by the aid of spiritual powers secure material
prosperity, marital happiness, or improve lagging
business conditions.
Approach with the utmost care, therefore,
the subject of occult exercises. Remember that
the esoteric secrets of occultism are designed
for the use of only that illumined few who,
having first consecrated their lives to the unfoldment
of the spiritual powers latent within
them, have reached a point after many years
where they are qualified to assume the responsibility
of liberating their spiritual natures from
the bondage of matter. For the layman-ethically
unprepared and wholly ignorant concerning
the operation of occult currents and forces
-to dabble with any form of occult exercises
is almost certain to result disastrously.
4. The candidate must realize the great
danger of becoming involved in black magic.
The line of demarcation between black and
white magic is so fine that even those highly
advanced must exercise eternal watchfulness
in order to avoid involvements in Dugpa sorcery.
To a great degree, the difference between
black and white magic lies in the mo
tive. An impersonal and unselfish attitude is
the surest protection against black magic, but
many other things (especially self-control) are
necessary to insure that the candidate shall
escape the dangers of sorcery. Both the white
magician and the black magician use identical
forces. The former, however, grows through
his constructive use of the divine sciences/;
whereas the latter slowly but inevitably destroys
himself by their perversion.
The attainment of transcendental powers
must be either through the regeneration and
scientific reconstruction of the body-the gradual
liberation of the consciousness enmeshed
within the form-or else through sorcery, black
magic, and necromancy. Woe to him who
believes even for a moment that he can tamper
with black magic and survive! Both the East
and West are filled with Dugpas-black magicians,
who by the perversion of occult forces
have become temporarily manipulators of cosmic
energy. Gradually, but inevitably, these
Dugpas are drawn into the maelstrom of their
own evil and perish. The great danger which
confronts haphazard students is that they may
develop spiritual forces within their bodies to
a degree where they can be used by the Dugpas
for one purpose or another before they have
developed the strength and enlightenment to
use these forces to any good end. Thus many
really good people become unconscious doers
of evil because they are not sufficiently intelligent
to understand the right application of the
forces they have awakened within themselves.
5. The candidate must realize that the application
of commercial terms to occult values
is a direct prostitution of this most sacred of
all sciences. While a teacher of philosophy
(like a professor of botany or mathematics)
may be, and should be, remunerated for his
efforts (which remuneration may be accepted
to a moderate degree without prostituting his
science), the operative secrets of occultism must
never be involved in any form of commercialism.
They have no commercial value. To attempt
the buying or selling of them is one of
the most heinous of sins. By operative secrets
we mean that knowledge which will assist the
individual to personally unfold by secret, but
scientific, processes the latent forces or faculties
of his own nature. These must not, shall
not, and cannot be bought or sold.
When a man is decorated by a government
for a deed of valor, he does not have to buy
the medal that is pinned on his breast. The
same rule applies with respect to the secret
doctrine, which is revealed to man as the reward
for spiritual, moral, and intellectual valor.
When the disciple is ready, it is an inconceivable
and unpardonable sin to deny him
that which is his by right of merit. To sell the
secrets of the invisible world to one unworthy
to know them and incapable of earning them,
is sacrilege; to try to sell them to one who has
already earned that wisdom by virtue of the
superior qualities of his own nature is also a
sacrilege.
To place the great secrets of occultism in
writing is dangerous, and brings a heavy karmic
debt down upon the head of the one so
foolish as to do it; and to sell a document containing
such secrets compounds his karmic obligations.
When revealed to the public, all
material dealing with operative occultism must
be veiled. And when it seems desirable to reveal
the theory behind these processes, certain
keys must always be omitted, so that a careless
reader may not be able to hurt himself by experimenting
with the information thus gained.
These facts are well known to those entrusted
with esoteric information, and any who break
these rules demonstrate their total unfitness to
instruct students in the mysteries of the occult
sciences.
6. The candidate must beware of unbalance.
Equilibrium can be safeguarded by continual
emphasis of the ideal of symmetry. The
student should always bear in mind that one
virtue is not sufficient to make a saint, no
matter how excellent that one virtue may be.
Man must grow symmetrically-his heart, his
mind, and his body must coordinate and complement
each other. He must achieve the condition of mental, spiritual, and physical equilibrium.
If the mind is over developed, the
scientist results; if the heart dominates, the religious
fanatic and emotionalist is produced;
if the physical nature controls, the materialist
is the inevitable product. It is only when all
three of these parts unite in the glorification
of the divine nature that the composite unitthe
spiritual philosopher-becomes a reality.
The most common occult exercises taught to
the general public today are various forms of
concentration and breathing. Many of these
exercises are hopelessly incorrect. Both concentration
and breathing (when properly understood) have their place, for both profoundly influence the entire constitution of man.
But neither of these alone nor both together
will produce any permanent or satisfactory results,
unless at the same time the nature possesses
certain other virtuous qualities and has
adjusted itself to the general plan of spiritual
unfoldment. You may use a perfectly correct
form of Yoga breathing, but if your body is
impure you will never attain any but harmful
results. You may sacrifice all to your gods
and be a vegetarian for an entire lifetime, and
yet practically nullify the good resulting from
these practices by failure to control an obstinate
temper which you have tolerated in spite
of efforts you have made to overcome other
faults. The possible value of any concentrative
exercise which you may attempt will be destroyed
by an uneradicated streak of selfishness; an unconquered egotism will continually
prevent the consummation of a lifetime of endeavor.
If you dislike but one person, you can
never attain upon the path of white magic.
Any occult development which may be made
without conquering these qualities within the
nature lays the student open to the perils of
Dugpa sorcery and black magic.
It is because of the necessity of controlling
and transmuting all of the lower qualities of
the nature that the years of probationship are
so essential. During this period of battle with
self, the sincere student gets hold of the threads
of his life and begins to make the adjustments
necessary before the actual spiritual work can
begin. It is not by destroying the lower nature
that man becomes virtuous; it is by the
transmutation and regeneration of every base
quality and attitude that he achieves divinity.
This gradual process of self-conquest ultimately
brings the disciple to the state of complete
self-control. From that point attainment is
not so difficult, for having controlled self, he
is the master of the universe.
All occultists know that true spirituality is
not to be gained through either extremes or excesses.
Those who try to become ascetics by
retiring from the world and rejecting the problems
of life, those who fast, those who neglect
the problem of daily existence-such cannot
achieve, for in the last analysis, only that which
is natural and in harmony with common sense
can produce permanent benefit. It is the failure
to observe these requisites that has caused
so much misunderstanding with respect to occultism
today. People desire to unfold clairvoyant
powers and enter a Nirvana of happiness,
peace, and selfish enjoyment. They believe
that occultism will vicariously solve their
problems. All this is wrong, for no one can
attain occultism who has not first given up
the desire for earthly happiness and proved
his courage and ability to master the problems
which beset him in this mortal sphere.
7. The candidate must next consider the
esoteric interpretation of the so-called material
arts and sciences. Astronomy, mathematics,
music, rhetoric, geometry, grammar, and logic
are often called the seven liberal arts and sciences.
There are, in reality, forty-nine great
arts and sciences. An extract from occult anatomy
will show how esoteric science differs
from material-or exoteric-science. Turn to
the painting of the seven spinal chakras. In
the picture the general form of the chakras
has been carefully preserved, special emphasis
being placed upon the correct number of petals. In the secret teachings, to each of these
petals is assigned a letter of the Sanskrit alphabet.
The human figure has been made semitransparent,
as it might appear to one actually
gazing upon a Yogi in meditation. The Yogi
is apparently suspended in the air, for the
power of sight which would enable one to see
the chakras would take no cognizance of the
physical earth upon which he is sitting. The
plate is, of course, diagrammatic and must not
be considered too literally.
Study carefully the flower-like centers upon
the spinal column of the Yogi. Through the
center of the seven flowers passes the tube
Sushumna, which corresponds to the sixth ventricle
of science, a tiny tube passing through
the center of the spinal cord. On the left side
of Sushumna is another ·tube called Ida, and
on the right side a third called Pingala. These
are the poles of the central tube-the sharp
and flat of Sushumna itself. These two tubes
are profoundly influenced by the nostrils on
their respective sides. The Ida and Pingala
cross at the base of the skull and both rise out
of the four-petaled lotus at the base of the
spine. The Ida, Sushumna, and Pingala together
are the chief of the Nadis, and of these
three the Sushumna is the most important. In
the ordinary individual the tube of the Sushumna
is closed, but by Yoga it is opened so
that there is direct connection between the
sacral plexus at the base of the spine and the
pineal gland in the head.
According to Hindu allegory, Kundalinithe
goddess of the serpent fire-descends into
man through the umbilical cord at the navel,
but when the umbilical cord is cut, this serpentine
power coils itself in the sacral plexus,
where it rests upon the triangular bone at the
end of the sacrum. This triangular bone is
shown as an inverted triangle in the Muladhara,
the four-petaled lotus-blossom at the base
of the spine. Here Kundalini remains coiled
until through occult exercises she is caused to
rise through Sushumna into the brain, where
she awakens the actiyity of the third eye-the
pineal gland. This third eye is the link connecting
man with the spiritual world or, to be
more correct, with the higher spiritual nature
of himself. The anthropos, or overman, which
never descends into incarnation, was called by
the Greeks the Cyclops-the giant who had
but one eye, which eye was the pineal gland,
by means of which the higher ego was capable
of seeing downward into the human nature
and the human ego was capable of seeing upward
into Buddhi, or the overman. Kundalini
is more or less excited into rising as the result
of the ascending essences in Ida and Pingala.
Here we have the caduceus of Hermes. The
two serpents coiled around the staff are Ida
and Pingala, the central staff is Sushumna, the
bulb at the upper end of the rod is Sahasrara,
and the wings are Ajna-the twe>-petaled lotus
above the bridge of the nose. There is some
dispute among Eastern occultists as to whether
the pineal gland is actually the thousand-petaled
lotus. Some affirm that it is, others. that
it is not but that a higher center in the brain
is actually the Sahasrara.
Let us now consider the centers from the
lower upward. That division or step of Yoga
called Pranayama is devoted to awakening
Kundalini from her coils and causing her to
rise upward through the chakras. As she contacts
these in turn they result in an extension
of consciousness. Each of the five lower centers
distributes one of the five forms of Prana,
or the broken-up energy of the sun. Each of
the seven chakras also has a corresponding
tattva, or breath-a motion or condition of
spiritual air. Beginning at the botom of the;
spine and working upward, the centers are as
follows:
First, M uladhara. This has four petals and
an inverted triangle in the center. The tattvic
power of smell is associated with this chakra.
It is probably correlated with the Church of
Ephesus mentioned in the Book of Revelation,
and corresponds to the sacral ganglion of modern
science.
Second, Svadhisthana. This is the second
from the bottom and contains six petals, with
a crescent in the center. Its tattvic correspondent
governs the sense of taste. It probably corresponds
to the Church of Pergamos and is the
prostatic plexus of modern science.
Third, Manipura. This is the third chakra
from the bottom, containing the red triangle.
It has ten petals and is associated with the
epigastric plexus and the navel. Of the seven
churches it is probably Smyrna and is associated
with the tattva of sight.
Fourth, Anahata. This is the fourth from
the bottom and its.symbol is two interlaced
triangles. This chakra has twelve petals and
is associated with what is commonly called
today the cardiac plexus. It is probably the
Church of Thyatira and its tattvic power is
the sense of touch.
Fifth, Vishuddha. This is the fifth chakra
trom the bottom and consists of a white circle
surrounded by sixteen petals. It is known to
modern science as the pharyngeal plexus. Its
tattvic correspondent gives the sense of hearing
and it is probably related to the Church of
Sardis.
Sixth, Ajna. This is the cavernous plexus of
the brain and is the sixth from the bottom.
The lotus consists of two petals caused by the
fanning out of spiritual rays, one to either side.
It is probably related to the Church of Philadelphia
and its tattvic power is to give the
quality of thought.
Seventh, Sahasrara. This is the thousandpetaled
lotus, the highest of the sacred seven.
Its tattvic power is purely spiritual. It is probably
related to the Church of Laodicea and
corresponds either with the pineal gland or an
unknown center directly above it. When Kundalini
reaches this point, divine consciousness
is attained.
The passage of Kundalini upward towards
Sahasrara is marked by a gentle warmth. As
it rises the lower part of the body becomes
cold, until only the head remains warm. The
condition is also accompanied by other phenomena.
Woe to the unhappy mortal who
raises Kundalini prematurely to the brain!
The sting of the fiery serpent is most deadly,
as those well know who have seen the results
of her premature raising. She will burn her
way to the brain and destroy the reasoning
qualities of the mind.
Such, in brief, is the story of the C hakras
and that science called Yoga-the art of developing
and controlling them. The story of these
centers is clearly set forth in the Book of Revelation,
where the seven seals, the seven trumpets, the seven vials, and the seven voices all ref
er to the spinal centers and the various mysteries
concerning them. The warning can not be
too strongly emphasized that, while the study
of the theory of Yoga will acquaint you with
many of the mysteries of Nature and of your
own constitution, the practice of it should be
limited to such as have united themselves with
those schools of Eastern philosophy, of which
it is the esoteric work·-- It is well that all
should know the theory, but woe to the foolish
mortal who attempts the practice without proper
instruction and guidance!
The system of training through which disciples
must pass in order to prepare themselves
for the highest honors of occultism is rigorous.
Take, for example, the eight steps which the
Yogi is expected to climb to union with his
Divine Self. While these processes differ in
each of the Schools, they are equally severe
and exacting in all; for it is only after the neophyte
has shown his ability to master and directionalize
every force in his organism that he
is given the secret keys by means of which he
can control the destiny of creation. The eight
steps of the Yogi School are: Y ama, Niyama,
Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana,
and Samadhi. What does each stage imply?
What qualitjes must the disciple unfold
in order to reacli the final stage of perfect
spiritual union with the Supreme Self? These
are questions which we shall try to answer.
The first step is Yama. Under the heading
of Y ama, an exceedingly strict control of the
mental nature begins, for the disciple is placing
his foot upon the first step which leads to
Self. Here he must cease destructive activities
forever. He must no longer kill either the
body, the hope, or the faith of any living creature.
He must become absolutely truthful. His
words must be carefully thought out before
they are spoken. In spite of his truthfulness,
he must never hurt. Unquestionable honesty
must be cultivated. He must not even desire
after a thing which is not his own; and he
must also give up the sense of possession over
that which is his own, realizing that it is only
loaned to him that he may use it for the glorification
of God. He must cease receiving gifts
of any kind. The only thing which he is permitted
to receive is sufficient food for his existence
and sufficient clothing to cover his body.
(This last is not literally practical in the Western
world). He must gradually cultivate a
beauty within his own soul so that he radiates
peace, tranquility, harmony, and strong yet
merciful sympathy. He must live to do good,
serving all things and loving all things. He
must have no enmity, but must love his enemies
as he loves his friends, and both of these he
must love impersonally. Only when he has accomplished
this has he actually achieved the
first step in his long path toward the liberation
of Self. It is only when we have achieved this
perfect peace within ourselves that we are
ready to go on; yet how many American students
are trying to concentrate and develop
spiritual powers who have not even begun the
conquest of their lower natures or the purification
of their bodies! This is one of the chief
contributory causes behind the tragedies of
modern occultism.
The second step is Niyama. This stage is
even more difficult than the first, for it demands
perfect self-control. It also requires the
perfect conservation- of energy. Wasteful expenditures
of life energies must cease. Nothing
shall be wasted; the tongue shall be held in
restraint to speak only when speech is necessary;
the energies of all parts of the body shall
be conserved and used only to accomplish that
which is essential. Then must come cleanliness
of mind, soul, and body, for unless all
parts are clean in their structure and expression,
spirituality cannot be attained. There
must come the development of the sense of
peace-the realization that all things are as
they should be; that all activity is united to the
attainment of good; that the Supreme One is
actually controlling His world. In this stage
the disciple reads the books of wisdom, familiarizes
himself with the secret Scriptures, and
ponders and meditates upon the symbols and
allegories. To consummate this stage, he surrenders
himself and all that he is to God, living
only to serve God, existing only to fulfill
the dictates of God, offering his hands and
his feet, his heart and his mind to God, and
claiming nothing for himself. He must withhold
nothing. Regardless of his own likes and
dislikes, he must offer himself to the Supreme
One without reservation or hesitation. Whatever
God wills to be done, he will do it; at
all times of the day or night he is at the command
of the Father. When he has achieved
this perfect condition of willingness to be that
which God would will him to be, the disciple
is then ready to begin the study of body postures-
an art which serves many purposes.
The third step is Asana. The purpose of this
step is to gain control over the muscles and
members of the physical body. It is one of
the secret sciences, and consists of a series of
body postures, the assuming of which causes
various muscles and nerves to come into play
which otherwise are not used. Its consummation
is the ability of the mind to control the
function of every organ and part of the human
body, so that when the mind so wills, the
heart will stop beating and the individual still
live. This complete bodily control has a considerable
influence upon the length of life, and
according to the Hindus, will considerably
lengthen the span of human existence. A careful
consideration of these stages will reveal
the fact that they are all devoted to the problem
of mastering the not-self and bringing the
tangible nature under the control of the intangible
spiritual man. When this stage has
been successfully passed, the candidate comes
to the next step, which is the control of the
solar force within the body.
The fourth step is called Pranayama. This
involves to a certain degree the science of
breathing. Prana is the life power from the
sun. The flow of this force can be controlled
by the mind and, to a certain degree, by the
breath. There is a certain individuality in
breathing. This individuality can be affected
by timing the breath and is somewhat governed
by the nostril used in inhaling and exhaling.
Pranayama is closely related to the
science of the chakras, for by means of its exercises
the goddess Kundalini is caused to rise
through the spinal canal. It also has to do
with the purifying of the nerves, for the Pranic
energy flows through the nerve canals. This1
is a hazardous procedure, however, for the
average Occidental, and he is warned to leave
it entirely alone unless he has already advanced
through many stages of spiritual growth. It
is far better and wiser not to discuss the exact
method by means of which this breath force
is directed.
The fifth step is Pratyahara. At this point
the disciple begins one of the most difficult
of all occult processes-the control of the mind.
Few people realize how wild and erring their
minds are. The mind wanders ever from one
thing to another. Control seems almost impossible,
for the very element with which it
must be controlled is the element which is
wandering. Pratyahara may be termed the
process of separating the mind from the illusions
of the senses and turning it more and
more upon the contemplation of Reality. The
mind must be controlled: it must think only
when it is told to think and as it is told to
think; it must be directionalized by the will of
the individual. When man is master of his
thoughts and feelings, when he is in perfect
possession of his mind, he has accomplished
the fifth step. Today the average person cannot
think clearly because interest sways his
judgment. He thinks in favor of the things
he loves and against the things he hates; he
blames some people and exonerates others,
when both are guilty of similar offences. This
is because the mind is a servant of the senses
and is incapable of free and unprejudiced
thought. To the correction of this the mind
and the senses are gradually separated, so that
the desires, lusts, greeds, and passions are no
longer capable of turning the mind from the
contemplation of things as they are. When
this has been accomplished, the disciple is then
ready for the next step.
The sixth step is Dharana. The mind, having
been controlled, is now directionalized.
It is turned to this point or to that and held
there unwaveringly. In order to be most useful
to man, the mind must be capable of pointing.
It must reach such a condition that, like
a single beam of light, it can be turned in any
direction and held there for any desired length
of time. When placed in a certain position,
the mind remains there until the will of the
operator moves it. When the stage of Dharana
is achieved, the center of intelligence seeming-
1 y can be moved so that it is centered in almost
any part of the body. The sense of feeling
can be restricted to any given area. By
this means the mind also can be forced to turn
inward and see the internal parts of the body.
It profoundly influences whatever point to
which it is directed, because it is so finely
pointed that its shaft is almost solid enough
to affect the physical organs. When all
thought can be enclosed and limited to certain
areas at will, it is called the accomplishment
of Dharana.
The sevent.h step is Dhyana. This is a continuation
of the previous step and is the natural
outcome of it. When the mind has become
capable of pointing itself to any part of
the human structure and of being held there
continuously, a condition of contemplation results.
In this way, an understanding of the
invisible causal nature of the object contemplated
is achieved; or as one Eastern mystic says,
"The mind begins to flow towards the point
established." Gradually everything else ceases
to exist except the point, and the mind, absorbing
its lower illusionary nature, draws near
to a perfect knowledge and consciousness of itself.
The eighth and final step is Samadhi. It is
attained when the mind is capable of ascending
higher by its pointing or focalizing than
the sense of I. The individual lives, he is conscious,
and he thinks; but he is above the sense
of I. He is temporarily universalized, and
when he returns to his normal state of consciousness
he brings back with him an overwhelming
sense of the relationship of things
which he never before possessed. Samadhi is
brought on by a tremendous exertion of will
power, in which the mind turns its focal ray
to contemplate something greater even than
FALTA UNA PARTE 56 57
A SYNTHETIC EMBLEMATIC CROSS
The cross is the most universal of all religious
symbols. Examples of crosses are to be
found in the sculpture of nearly all ancient
peoples. A cross was hung about the necks
of the initiates of the Eleusinian Mysteries of
Greece. It was painted upon the foreheads of
candidates passing through the pyramid Mysteries
of Central America, and is a symbol for
God among the North American Indians. It
is a curious fact that the cross, or X, has been
so often associated with the power of the decimal
system, being the Roman numerical symbol
for 10. A similarly shaped hieroglyph is
used by both the Japanese and Chinese for
the number 10. Crosses have been discovered
in the temples of the Brahmins. One of the
most remarkable is an emblem of cruciform
pattern found in the Brahmin temples. carved
out of rock on the Island of Elephanta in the
harbor of Bombay. When the Spaniards arrived
in Central America, they discovered the
Maya Indians worshipping crosses. At least
one of these Maya crosses found its way into
a Christian cathedral and now stands unchanged
above the high altar.
The Egyptian cross of life-the crux ansata
-was often referred to as the key to the Mysteries.
Many of the gods and goddesses of the
Egyptian pantheon are shown carrying the
crux ansata in their hands, and it was not uncommon
to bury these emblems with the dead.
Several Egyptian carvings show blessings in
the form of crosses issuing from the mouths of
the gods, and when the Pharaoh pardoned his
enemies the words of pardon are similarly
shown. In its wanderings, the crux ansata
reached the Easter Islands, far off the coast of
South America. There is now an Easter Island
figure in the British Museum, brought
there many years ago by a sailing ship, which
shows the Egyptian cross of life clearly and
unmistakably carved upon the reverse side of
the statue.
There is also a radiating·spectrum, the colors
of which symbolize the rates of vibration
through which manifest the seven creative
Spirits. The spectrum is also a suitable emblem
for the auric bodies radiating from the
purified and regenerated soul. From each of
the twelve globes pours a stream of force.
These represent the celestial zodiac-twelve
divine, eternal lights, each symbolized by a
suitable color. The signs begin with the upper
left globe (which is red) and is denominated
Aries; they continue from left to right
throughout the zodiac. The second globe is
red orange and is called Taurus; the thirdorange-
is Gemini; and so on around the entire
circle.
The cross, then, is a synthetic emblem, combining
the emblems of the Mystery Schools as
these symbols are united in the nature of man.
All of the symbols of the Mystery Schools exist
within man and are related to certain centers
of his consciousness. Thus, this cross is a macrocosmic
and microcosmic figure, setting forth
the mystery of human regeneration as that
mystery is concealed within the seven lesser
and five greater Schools of Divine Wisdom.
The custom of crucifying candidates at the
time of initiation into the Mysteries is very
old. The Greeks and Persians included symbolic
crucifixions in the initiatory rituals of
their Mysteries. Candidates were sometimes
laid upon cross-shaped altars, at other times
they were actually bound to crosses of wood
or stone. The Scandinavian Drottars used
crosses in their rituals, and the fylfot cross
(more commonly known as the swastika) is
a symbol sacred to the Chinese, the Hindus,
the Scandinavians, and the American Indians.
It is also called the hammer of Thor. It is a
spinning cross and is used by the Orientals to
symbolize the spinning vortices of force in the
spinal chakras. The Druids worshipped their
God, Hu, under the form of an oak tree, whose
top was cut off some feet above the ground
and fastened crosswise to the top of the vertical
trunk. The Persians also revered the cross
and used it to symbolize Ahura-Mazda, their
god of light and truth.
Since the cross was an object of universal
adoration, it is difficult to find a more fitting
basis for a synthetic symbol. It is incorrect to
look upon the cross as an exclusive Christian
symbol or limited in any way to Christianity.
Even the most bigoted investigator must accept
the universality of the cross-the supreme
symbol of life, regeneration, forgiveness, and
resurrection among all peoples of the pagan
and Christian worlds.
Many early writers did not associate Christ
with the cross. The story. of His crucifixion
was apparently originated sometime after His
death. Christians revere this emblem as a constant
reminder of the supreme sacrifice of their
leader, while the pagans view it as emblematic
of the processes in Nature by means of which
growth and unfoldment are continued through
the periods of cosmic manifestation. Among
the Buddhists and Brahmins, the cross is an
emblem of life, light, and truth, and not connected
with the Passion of Jesus Christ. It is
revered as typical of the supreme and eternal
sacrifice of the spiritual forces of Nature, perverted
and destroyed by the sins of the flesh,
which must be regenerated and transmuted
before the candidate is eligible for acceptance
into the fraternity of the immortals.
In our design the cross is white, the color
of purity. The four arms of the cross are commonly
associated with the four elements, from
which the lower bodies of all living things are
formed. Man has a mental body, an astral
body, a vital body, and a physical body. In
the midst of these dwells his spiritual nature,
crucified in the form of a flower upon substantial
substances. The cross with its four
symbolic beasts-the famous Cherubim of
Ezekiel and Revelation-is symbolic of the
mind, the heart, the vitality, and the physical
nature. Physical substance itself is divided into
four major divisions or elements, commonly
called earth, water, fire, and air, and known to
science as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and
oxygen. These four are the basis of all material
form and are appropriately symbolized
by the cross. The cross is the symbol of the
tangible, visible constitution of the human
being. By stretching out his arms, man causes
his body to assume the shape of a cross. Thus,
the white cross signifies the purified body of
the candidate cleansed and prepared to enter
the temple of the Mysteries. The Egyptian
priests wore only linen robes when entering
the temples of their gods. While they often
protected their bodies from the excesses of
temperature by enveloping themselves in furs,
it was considered necessary to leave the skins
of animals outside the temple; for nothing
pertaining to the animal is worthy to enter
the house of God. By the animal is understood,
of course, man's animal nature-the irrational
part of himself-for nothing but the rational
part is capable of knowing or worshipping the
gods.
The cross may be black to symbolize impurity,
or white to symbolize purity. It may
be silver to symbolize fecundity, or gold as
emblematic of spiritual virility. In every case
it typifies the condition of man's nature. When
of base metal, it represents the unregenerate
man; when of wood, the. sufferer; when of
stone, the intellectually and spiritually impotent.
In short, the cross is the symbol of the
expression of the objective, visible constitution
of man; and the substances of which it is composed
signify the spiritual status of the objective
nature.
Behind our symbolic cross is a zodiac surrounding
a series of forty-nine emanating lines
(not shown in the plate). The lines represent
the forty-nine fires or spiritual centers which
are objectified in both the Macrocosm and tlle
Microcosm. The zodiac represents the twelve
Holy Animals. Pythagoras taught a peculiar
doctrine of transmigration, claiming that the
souls of men took upon themselves the bodies
of animals. What he really meant was that
the souls of mankind, coming into creation
through the zodiacal band, took upon themselves
the forms of the constellations; for all
forms of cosmic life come into manifestation
through one of the constellations and are therefore
said to assume the forms of beasts.
Crucified upon the cross is the seven-rayed
Logos-the one spiritual Creator, manifested
through His seven Logoi or Planetary Lords,
each of which is represented by a point of the
'Star. The colors upon the points are somewhat
arbitrary, but there is a reason why they are
in the peculiar order shown. Although Mercury
is usually symbolized as yellow, here it
is violet, because the latter color is composed
of blue (the spiritual nature) and red (the
animal nature); the mind (Mercury) is the
point of blending between them.
Los triángulos en los extremos de la cruz
significan los elementos, y los diamantes los
-esencias espirituales que se manifiestan a través de los elementos.
Las doce perillas en los brazos del
cruz son las doce Escuelas de los Misterios
y los doce discípulos que comieron la última cena
con su Señor. Los mandos también son los
doce Iniciados que constituyen el Gran Blanco
Logia-los doce Inmortales Mortales que controlan el destino del mundo. En el medio
de la cruz es un quinto diamante (un quinto elemento)
el elemento sagrado de los antiguos. los
centro de la cruz simboliza el corazón-el
asiento de la naturaleza espiritual divina en el hombre. fuera de
el diamante es una rosa encerrada en el
copa de un loto de diez pétalos, combinando así la
Misterios rosacruces y budistas. El diamante
en medio de la cruz está el Filósofo
Piedra-el alma humana, producida
a través de una transmutación y regeneración de
los cuatro elementos que, teñidos con el
poder del alma espiritual, se transmutan desde la base
metales en oro.
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