EsotericBuddhism_APSinnett

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Esoteric Buddhism by A.P. Sinnett

Esoteric Buddhism

by A.P. Sinnett

Author also of The Occult World

President of the London Lodge of the Theosophical Society

Fifth edition annotated and enlarged by the author

London !hapman and "all Ltd #$$%

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CONTENTS

Preface to the Annotated Edition

Preface to the Original Edition

!"APTE& ' ( Esoteric Teachers

)ature of the Present E*position ( Seclusion of Eastern +no,ledge ( The Arhats and their Attributes ( The-ahatmas ( Occultists generally ( 'solated -ystics ( 'nferior ogis ( Occult Training ( The /reat Purpose ('ts'ncidental !onse0uences ( Present !oncessions

!"APTE& '' ( The !onstitution of -an

Esoteric !osmogony ( Where to Begin ( Wor1ing bac1 from -an to 2ni3erse ( Analysis of -an ( The Se3enPrinciples

!"APTE& ''' (The Planetary !hain

Esoteric 4ie,s of E3olution ( The !hain of /lobes ( Progress of -an round them ( The Spiral Ad3ance ( OriginalE3olution of the /lobes ( The Lo,er +ingdoms

!"APTE& '4 (The World Periods

2niformity of )ature( &ounds and &aces ( The Septenary La, ( Ob5ecti3e and Sub5ecti3e Li3es ( Total 'ncarnatio( Former &aces on Earth ( Periodic !ataclysms ( Atlantis ( Lemuria ( The !yclic La,

!"APTE& 4 ( 6e3achan

Spiritual 6estinies of the Ego ( +arma ( 6i3ision of the Principles of 6eath ( Progress of the "igher 6uad (E*istence in 6e3achan ( Sub5ecti3e Progress ( A3itchi ( Earthly !onnection ,ith 6e3achan ( 6e3achanic Periods

!"APTE& 4' ( +7ma Loca

The Astral Shell ( 'ts "abitat ( 'ts )ature ( Sur3i3ing 'mpulses ( Elementals ( -ediums and Shells ( Accidents andSuicides ( Lost Personalities

!"APTE& 4'' ( The "uman Tide(Wa3e

Progress of the -ain Wa3e ( Obscurations ( T,ilight and 6a,n of E3olution ( Our )eighbouring Planets (/radations of Spirituality ( Prematurely 6e3eloped Egos ( 'nter3als of &e('ncarnation

!"APTE& 4''' ( The Progress of "umanity

The !hoice of /ood or E3il ( The Second "alf of E3olution ( The 6ecisi3e Turning(point ( Spirituality and 'ntellectThe Sur3i3al of the Fittest ( The Si*th Sense ( 6e3elopment of the Principles in their Order ( The Subsidence of th2nfit ( Pro3ision for All ( The E*ceptional !ases ( Their Scientific E*planation ( 8ustice Satisfied ( The 6estiny ofFailures ( "uman E3olution &e3ie,ed

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!"APTE& ': (Buddha

The Esoteric Buddha ( &e('ncarnations of Adepts ( Buddha;s 'ncarnation ( The Se3en Buddhas of the /reat &ace( A3alo1itesh,ara ( Addi Buddha ( Adeptship in Buddha;s Time ( San1aracharya ( 4edantin 6octrines ( Tsong(1a(pa ( Occult &eforms in Tibet

!"APTE& : ( )ir3ana

'ts &emoteness ( Preceding /radations ( Partial )ir3ana ( The Threshold of )ir3ana ( )ir3ana ( Para )ir3ana (Buddha and )ir3ana ( )ir3ana attained by Adepts ( /eneral Progress to,ards )ir3ana ( !onditions of itsAttainment ( Spirituality and &eligion ( The Pursuit of Truth

!"APTE& :' ( The 2ni3erse

The 6ays and )ight of Brahma ( The 4arious -an3antaras and Pralayas ( The Solar System ( The 2ni3ersalPralaya ( &ecommencement of E3olution ( <!reation= ( The /reat First !ause ( The Eternal !yclic Process

!"APTE& :'' ( The 6octrine &e3ie,ed

!orrespondences of the Esoteric 6octrine ,ith 4isible )ature ( Free Will and Predestination ( The Origin of E3il (/eology Biology and the Esoteric Teaching ( Buddhism and Scholarship ( The Origins of all Things ( The 6octrinas 6istorted ( The 2ltimate 6issolutions of !onsciousness ( Transmigration ( The Soul and the Spirit ( Personalityand 'ndi3iduality ( +arma

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Preface to the Annotated Edition

S')!E this boo1 ,as first published in the beginning of #$$> ' ha3e come into possession of muchadditional information bearing on many of the problems dealt ,ith. But ' am glad to say that such laterteaching only re3eals incompleteness in my original conception of the esoteric doctrine ( no materialerror so far. 'ndeed ' ha3e recei3ed from the great Adept himself from ,hom ' obtained my instruction in

the first instance the assurance that the boo1 as it no, stands is a sound and trust,orthy statement ofthe scheme of )ature as understood by the initiates of occult science ,hich may ha3e to be a good deade3eloped in the future if the interest it e*cites is 1een enough to constitute an efficient demand forfurther teaching of this 1ind on the part of the ,orld at large but ,ill ne3er ha3e to be remodelled orapologi?ed for. 'n 3ie, of this assurance it seems best that ' should no, put for,ard my later conclusionand additional information in the form of annotations on each branch of the sub5ect rather than infusethem into the original te*t ,hich under the circumstances ' am reluctant in any ,ay to alter. ' ha3etherefore adopted that plan in the present edition.

As con3eying an indirect ac1no,ledgement of the general harmony to be traced bet,een these

teachings and the recogni?ed philosophical tenets of certain other great schools of 'ndian thought ' mayhere refer to criticisms on this boo1 ,hich ,ere published in the 'ndian maga?ine the Theosophist in8une #$$> by <a Brahman "indoo.= The ,riter complains that in interpreting the esoteric doctrine ' ha3departed unnecessarily from accepted Sans1rit nomenclature@ but his ob5ection merely is that ' ha3egi3en unfamiliar names in some cases to ideas already embodied in "indoo sacred ,ritings and that 'ha3e done too much honour to the religious system commonly 1no,n as Buddhism by representing thaas more closely allied ,ith the esoteric doctrine than any other. <The popular ,isdom of the ma5ority of"inds to this day= says my Brahman critic <is more or less tinged ,ith the esoteric doctrine taught in-r Sinnett;s boo1 misnamed CEsoteric Buddhism= ,hile there is not a single 3illage or hamlet in the,hole of 'ndia in ,hich people are not more or less ac0uainted ,ith the sublime tenets of the 4ed7ntaphilosophy . . . . The effects of +arma in the ne*t birth the en5oyment of its fruits good or e3il in a

sub5ecti3e or spiritual state of e*istence prior to the reincarnation of the spiritual monad in this or anyother ,orld the loitering of the unsatisfied souls or human shells in the earth D+7ma loca the pralayicand man3antaric periods . . . . are not only intelligible but are e3en familiar to a great many "indsunder names different from those made use by the author of CEsoteric Buddhism.; < So much the better ta1e lea3e to re5oin ( from the point of 3ie, of Western readers to ,hom it must be a matter ofindifference ,hether the esoteric "indoo or Buddhist religion is nearest to absolutely true spiritualscience ,hich should certainly bear no name that appears to ,ed it to any one faith in the e*ternal ,orlmore than to another. All that ,e in Europe can be an*ious for is to arri3e at a clear understanding as tothe essential principles of that science and if ,e find the principles defined in this boo1 claimed by thecultured representati3es of more than one great Oriental creed as e0ually the underlying truths of theirdifferent systems ,e shall be all the better inclined to belie3e the present e*position of doctrine ,orth

our attention.

'n regard to the complaint itself that the teachings here reduced to an intelligible shape are incorrectlydescribed by the name this boo1 bears ' cannot do better than 0uote the note by ,hich the editor of theTheosophist replies to his Brahman contributor. This note says (<We print the abo3e letter as ite*presses in courteous language and in an able manner the 3ie,s of a large number of our "indoobrothers. At the same time it must be stated that the name of CEsoteric Buddhism; ,as gi3en to -rSinnett;s latest publication not because the doctrine propounded therein is meant to be specially

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identified ,ith any particular form of faith but because Buddhism means the doctrine of the Buddhas thWise i.e. the Wisdom &eligion.= For my o,n part ' need only add that ' fully accept and adopt thate*planation of the matter. 't ,ould indeed be a misconception of the design ,hich this boo1 is intended tsub(ser3e to suppose it concerned ,ith the recommendation to a dilettante modern taste of Old Worldfashions in religious thought. The e*ternal forms and fancies of religion in one age may be a little purerin another a little more corrupt but they ine3itably adapt themsel3es to their period and it ,ould bee*tra3agant to imagine them interchangeable. The present statement is not put for,ard in the hope of

ma1ing Buddhists from among the adherents of any other system but ,ith the 3ie, of con3eying tothoughtful readers as ,ell in the East as in the West a series of leading ideas relating to the actual3erities of )ature and the real facts of man;s progress through e3olution ,hich ha3e beencommunicated to the present ,riter by Eastern philosophers and thus fall most readily into an Orientalmould. For the 3alue of these teachings ,ill perhaps be most fully reali?ed ,hen ,e clearly percei3e thathey are scientific in their character rather than contro3ersial. Spiritual truths if they are truths maye3idently be dealt ,ith in a no less scientific spirit than chemical reactions. And no religious feeling of,hate3er colour it may be need be disturbed by the importation into the general stoc1 of 1no,ledge ofne, disco3eries about the constitution and nature of man on the plane of his higher acti3ities. Truereligion ,ill e3entually find a ,ay to assimilate much fresh 1no,ledge in the same ,ay that it al,aysfinally ac0uiesces in a general enlargement of +no,ledge on the physical plane. This in the first

instance may sometimes disconcert notions associated ,ith religious belief ( as geological science atfirst embarrassed biblical chronology. But in time men came to see that the essence of the biblicalstatement does not reside in the literal sense of the cosmological passages in the Old Testament andreligious conceptions gre, all the purer for the relief thus afforded. 'n 5ust the same ,ay ,hen positi3escientific 1no,ledge begins to embrace a comprehension of the la,s relating to the spiritual de3elopmeof man (some misconceptions of )ature long blended ,ith religion may ha3e to gi3e ,ay but still it ,ilbe found that the central ideas of true religion ha3e been cleared up and strengthened all the better forthe process. Especially as such processes continue ,ill the internal dissensions of the religious ,orld bine3itably subdued. The ,arfare of sects can only be due to a failure on the part of ri3al sectarians tograsp fundamental facts. !ould a time come ,hen the basic ideas on ,hich religion rests should becomprehended ,ith the same certainty ,ith ,hich ,e comprehend some primary physical la,s and

disagreement about them be recogni?ed by all educated people as ridiculous then there ,ould not beroom for 3ery acrimonious di3ergences of religious sentiment. E*ternals of religious thought ,ould stilldiffer in different climates and among different races ( as dress and dietaries differ ( but such difference,ould not gi3e rise to intellectual antagonism.

Basic facts of the nature indicated are de3eloped it appears to me in the e*position of spiritual science,e ha3e no, obtained from our Eastern friends. 't is 0uite unnecessary for religious thin1ers to turn asidfrom them under the impression that they are arguments in fa3our of some Eastern in preference to themore general Western creed. 'f medical science ,ere to disco3er a ne, fact about man;s body ,ere toun3eil some hitherto concealed principle on ,hich the gro,th of s1in and flesh and bone is carried on

that disco3ery ,ould not be regarded as trenching at all on the domain of religion. Would the domain ofreligion be in3aded for e*ample by a disco3ery that should go one step behind the action of the ner3esand disclose a finer set of acti3ities manipulating these as they manipulate the musclesH At all e3entse3en if such a disco3ery might begin to reconcile science and religion no man ,ho allo,s any of hishigher faculties to enter into his religious thin1ing ,ould put aside a positi3e fact of )ature plainly sho,to be such as hostile to religion. Being a fact it ,ould ine3itably fit in ,ith all other facts and ,ithreligious truth among the number. So ,ith the great mass of information in reference to the spirituale3olution of man embodied in the present statement. Our best plan e3idently is to as1 before ,e loo1into the report ' bring for,ard not ,hether it ,ill s0uare in all respects ,ith preconcei3ed 3ie,s but

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,hether it really does introduce us to a series of natural facts connected ,ith the gro,th andde3elopment of man;s higher faculties. 'f it does this ,e may ,isely e*amine the facts first in the scientifspirit and lea3e them to e*ercise ,hate3er effect on collateral belief may be reasonable and legitimatelater on.

&amifying as the e*planation proceeds into a great many side paths it ,ill be seen that the central

statement no, put for,ard constitutes a theory of anthropology ,hich completes and spiritualises theordinary notions of physical e3olution. The theory ,hich traces man;s de3elopment by successi3e and3ery gradual impro3ements of animal forms from generation to generation is a 3ery barren andmiserable theory regarded as an all(embracing account of creation@ but properly understood it pa3es the,ay for a comprehension of the higher concurrent process ,hich is all the ,hile e3ol3ing the soul of main the spiritual realm of e*istence. The present 3ie, of the matter reconciles the e3olutionary method ,itthe deeply seated cra3ing of e3ery self(conscious entity for perpetuity of indi3idual life. The dis5ointedseries of impro3ing forms on this earth ha3e no indi3iduality and the life of each in turn is a separatetransaction ,hich finds in the ne*t similar transaction no compensation for suffering in3ol3ed no 5usticeno fruit of its efforts. 't is 5ust possible to argue on the assumption of a ne, independent creation of ahuman soul e3ery time a ne, human form is produced by physiological gro,th that in the after spiritual

states of such soul 5ustice may be a,arded@ but then this conception is itself at 3ariance ,ith thefundamental idea of e3olution ,hich traces or belie3es that it traces the origin of each soul to the,or1ings of highly de3eloped matter in each case. )or is it less at 3ariance ,ith the analogies of )aturebut ,ithout going into that it is enough for the moment to percei3e that the theory of spiritual e3olutionas set forth in the teaching of esoteric science is at any rate in harmony ,ith these analogies ,hile atthe same time it satisfactorily meets the re0uirements of 5ustice and of the instincti3e demand forcontinuity of indi3idual life.

This theory recogni?es the e3olution of the soul as a process that is 0uite continuous in itself thoughcarried out partly through the instrumentality of a great series of dissociated forms. Putting aside for the

moment of profound metaphysics of the theory ,hich trace the principle of life from the original firstcause of the cosmos ,e find the soul as an entity emerging from the animal 1ingdom and passing intothe earliest human forms ,ithout being at that time ripe for the higher intellectual life ,ith ,hich thepresent state of humanity renders us familiar. But through successi3e incarnations in forms ,hosephysical impro3ement under the 6ar,inian la, is constantly fitting them to be its habitation at eachreturn to ob5ecti3e life it gradually gathers that enormous range of e*perience ,hich is summed up in itshigher de3elopment. 'n the inter3als bet,een its physical incarnations it prolongs and ,or1s out andfinally e*hausts or transmutes into so much abstract de3elopment the personal e*periences of each lifeThis is the clue to the true e*planation of that apparent difficulty ,hich besets the cruder form of thetheory of reincarnation ,hich independent speculation has sometimes thro,n out. Each man isunconscious of ha3ing led pre3ious li3es therefore he contends that subse0uent li3es can afford him no

compensation for this one. "e o3erloo1s the enormous importance of the inter3ening spiritual conditionin ,hich he by no means forgets the personal ad3entures and emotions he has 5ust passed through andin the course of ,hich he distills these into so much cosmic progress. 'n the follo,ing pages theelucidation of this profoundly interesting mystery is attempted and it ,ill be seen that the 3ie, of e3entsno, afforded us is not only a solution of the problems of life and death but of many 3ery perple*inge*periences on the borderland bet,een those conditions ( or rather bet,een physical and spiritual life (,hich ha3e engaged attention and speculation so ,idely of recent years in most ci3ili?ed countries.

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Preface to the Original Edition

T"E teachings embodied in the present 3olume let in a flood of light on 0uestions connected ,ithBuddhist doctrine ,hich ha3e deeply perple*ed pre3ious ,riters on the religion and offer the ,orld forthe first time a practical clue to the meaning of almost all ancient religious symbolism. -ore than this thesoteric doctrine ,hen properly understood ,ill be found to ad3ance an o3erpo,ering claim on the

attention of earnest thin1ers. 'ts tenets are not presented to us as the in3ention of any founder orprophet. 'ts testimony is based on no ,ritten scriptures. 'ts 3ie,s of )ature ha3e been e3ol3ed by theresearches of an immense succession of in3estigators 0ualified for their tas1 by the possession ofspiritual faculties and perceptions of a higher order than those belonging to ordinary humanity. 'n thecourse of ages the bloc1 of 1no,ledge thus accumulated concerning the origin of the ,orld and of manand the ultimate destinies of our race ( concerning also the nature of other ,orlds and states of e*istencdiffering from those of our present life ( chec1ed and e*amined at e3ery point 3erified in all directionsand constantly under e*amination throughout has come to be loo1ed on by its custodians as constitutinthe absolute truth concerning spiritual things the actual state of the facts regarding 3ast regions of 3italacti3ity lying beyond this earthly e*istence.

European philosophy ,hether concerned ,ith religion or pure metaphysics has so long been used to asense of insecurity in speculations outrunning the limits of physical e*periment that absolute truth abouspiritual things is hardly recogni?ed any longer by prudent thin1ers as a reasonable ob5ect of pursuit@ budifferent habits of thought ha3e been ac0uired in Asia. The secret doctrine ,hich to a considerablee*tent ' am no, enabled to e*pound is regarded not only by all its adherents but by 3ast numbers ,hoha3e ne3er e*pected to 1no, more of it than that such a doctrine e*ists as a mine of entirely trust,orth1no,ledge from ,hich all religions and philosophies ha3e deri3ed ,hate3er they possess of truth and,ith ,hich e3ery religion must coincide if it claims to be a mode of e*pression for truth.

This is a bold claim indeed but ' 3enture to announce the follo,ing e*position as one of immenseimportance to the ,orld because ' belie3e that claim can be substantiated.

' do not say that ,ithin the compass of this 3olume the authenticity of the esoteric doctrine can bepro3ed. Such proof cannot be gi3en by any process of argument@ only through the de3elopment in eachin0uirer for himself of the faculties re0uired for the direct obser3ation of )ature along the lines indicatedBut his prima facie conclusion may be determined by the e*tent to ,hich the 3ie,s of )ature about to beunfolded may recommend themsel3es to his mind and by the reasons ,hich e*ist for trusting thepo,ers of obser3ation of those by ,hom they are communicated.

Will it be supposed that the 3ery magnitude of the claim no, made on behalf of the esoteric doctrine liftthe present statement out of the region of in0uiry to ,hich its title refers ( in0uiry as to the real innermeaning of the definite and specific religion called BuddhismH The fact is ho,e3er that esotericBuddhism though by no means di3orced from the associations of e*oteric Buddhism must not beconcei3ed to constitute a mere imperium in imperio ( a central school of culture in the 3orte* of theBuddhist ,orld. 'n proportion as Buddhism retreats into the inner penetralia of its faith these are found tmerge into the inner penetralia of other faiths. The cosmic conceptions and the 1no,ledge of )ature on,hich Buddhism not merely rests but ,hich constitute esoteric Buddhism e0ually constitute esotericBrahmanism. And the esoteric doctrine is thus regarded by those of all creeds ,ho are <enlightened= Din

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the Buddhist sense as the absolute truth concerning )ature -an the origin of the 2ni3erse and thedestinies to,ard ,hich its inhabitants are tending. At the same time e*oteric Buddhism has remained incloser union ,ith the esoteric doctrine than any other popular religion. An e*position of the inner1no,ledge addressed to English readers in the present day ,ill thus associate itself irresistibly ,ithfamiliar outlines of Buddhist teaching. 't ,ill certainly impart to these a li3ing meaning they generallyseem to be ,ithout but all the more on this account may the esoteric doctrine be most con3enientlystudied in its Buddhist aspect one moreo3er ,hich has been so strongly impressed upon it since the

time of /autama Buddha that though the essence of the doctrine dates bac1 to a far more remoteanti0uity the Buddhist colouring has no, permeated its ,hole substance. That ,hich ' am about to putbefore the reader is esoteric Buddhism and for European students approaching it for the first time anyother designation ,ould be a misnomer.

The statement ' ha3e to ma1e must be considered in its entirety before the reader ,ill be able tocomprehend ,hy initiates in the esoteric doctrine regard the concession in3ol3ed in the presentdisclosures of the general outlines of this doctrine as one of startling magnitude. One e*planation of thisfeeling ho,e3er may be readily seen to spring from the e*treme sacredness that has al,ays beenattached by their ancient guardians to the inner 3ital truths of )ature. "itherto this sacredness has

al,ays prescribed their absolute concealment from the profane herd. And so far as that policy ofconcealment ( the tradition of countless ages ( is no, being gi3en up the ne, departure ,hich theappearance of this 3olume signali?es ,ill be contemplated ,ith surprise and regret by a great manyinitiated disciples. The surrender to criticism ,hich may sometimes perhaps be clumsy and irre3erent odoctrines ,hich ha3e hitherto been regarded by such persons as too ma5estic in their import to be tal1edof at all e*cept under circumstances of befitting solemnity ,ill seem to them a terrible profanation of thegreat mysteries. From the European point of 3ie, it ,ould be unreasonable to e*pect that such a boo1 athis can be e*empt from the usual rough(and(tumble treatment of ne, ideas. And special con3ictions orcommon(place bigotry may sometimes render such treatment in the present case peculiarly inimical. Buall that though a matter of course to European e*ponents of the doctrine li1e myself ,ill seem 3erygrie3ous and disgusting to its earlier and more regular representati3es. They ,ill appeal sadly to the

,isdom of the time(honoured rule ,hich in the old symbolical ,ay forbade the initiates from castingpearls before s,ine.

"appily as ' thin1 the rule has not been allo,ed to operate any longer to the pre5udice of those ,ho,hile still far from being initiated in the occult sense of the term ,ill probably ha3e become by sheerforce of modern culture 0ualified to appreciate the concession.

Part of the information contained in the follo,ing pages ,as first thro,n out in a fragmentary form in theTheosophist a monthly maga?ine published at -adras by the leaders of the Theosophical Society. As

almost all the articles referred to ha3e been my o,n ,riting ' ha3e not hesitated to ,eld parts of them,hen this course has been con3enient into the present 3olume. A certain ad3antage is gained by thussho,ing ho, the separate pieces of the mosaic as first presented to public notice drop naturally intotheir places in the Dcomparati3ely finished pa3ement.

The doctrine or system no, disclosed in its broad outlines has been so 5ealously guarded hitherto thatno mere literary researches though they might ha3e curry(combed all 'ndia could ha3e brought to lightany morsel of the information thus re3ealed. 't is gi3en out to the ,orld at last by the free grace of thosein ,hose 1eeping it has hitherto lain. )othing could e3er ha3e e*torted from them its 3ery first letter. 't is

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only after a perusal of the present e*planations that their position generally as regards their presentdisclosures or their pre3ious reticence can be critici?ed or e3en comprehended. The 3ie,s of )ature noput for,ard are altogether unfamiliar to European thin1ers@ the policy of the graduates in esoteric1no,ledge ,hich has gro,n out of their long intimacy ,ith these 3ie,s must be considered inconnection ,ith the peculiar bearings of the doctrine itself.

As for the circumstances under ,hich these re3elations ,ere first foreshado,ed in the Theosophist andare no, rounded off and e*panded as my readers ,ill percei3e it is enough for the moment to say thatthe Theosophical Society through my connection ,ith ,hich the materials dealt ,ith in this 3olume ha3ecome into my hands o,es its establishment to certain persons ,ho are among the custodians ofesoteric science. The information poured out at last for the benefit of all ,ho are ripe to recei3e it hasbeen destined for communication to the ,orld through the Theosophical Society since the foundation ofthat body and later circumstances only ha3e indicated myself as the agent through ,hom thecommunication could be con3eniently made.

Let me add that ' do not regard myself as the sole e*ponent for the outer ,orld at this crisis of esoteric

truth. These teachings are the outcome as regards philosophical 1no,ledge of the relations ,ith theouter ,orld ,hich ha3e been established by the custodians of esoteric truth through me. And it is onlyregarding the acts and intentions of those esoteric teachers ,ho ha3e chosen to ,or1 through me that can ha3e any certain 1no,ledge. But in different ,ays some other ,riters seem to be engaged ine*pounding for the benefit of the ,orld ( and as ' belie3e in accordance ,ith a great plan of ,hich this3olume is a part ( the same truths in different aspects that ' am commissioned to unfold. Probably thegreat acti3ity at present of literary speculation dealing ,ith problems that o3erstep the range of physical1no,ledge may also be in some ,ay pro3o1ed by that policy on the part of the great custodians ofesoteric truth of ,hich my o,n boo1 is certainly one manifestation. Again the ardour no, sho,n in<Psychical &esearch= by the 3ery distinguished highly gifted and culti3ated men ,ho lead the society London de3oted to that ob5ect is to my inner con3ictions ( 1no,ing as ' do something of the ,ay the

spiritual aspirations of the ,orld are silently influenced by those ,hose ,or1 lies in that department of)ature ( the ob3ious fruit of efforts parallel to those ,ith ,hich ' am more immediately concerned.

't only remains for me to disclaim on behalf of the treatise ,hich ensues any pretension to high finish aregards the language in ,hich it is cast. Longer familiarity ,ith the 3ast and complicated scheme ofcosmogony disclosed ,ill no doubt suggest impro3ements in the phraseology employed to e*pound it.T,o years ago neither ' nor any other European li3ing 1ne, the alphabet of the science here for thefirst time put into a scientific shape ( or sub5ect at all e3ents to an attempt in that direction ( the science Spiritual !auses and their Effects of Super(physical !onsciousness of !osmical E3olution. Thoughideas had begun to offer themsel3es to the ,orld in more or less embarrassing disguise of mystic

symbology no attempt had e3er been made by any esoteric teacher t,o years bac1 to put the doctrinefor,ard in its plain abstract purity. As my o,n instruction progressed on those lines ' ha3e had to coinphrases and suggest English ,ords as e0ui3alents for the ideas ,hich ,ere presented to my mind. ' amby no means con3inced that in all cases ' ha3e coined the best possible phrases and hit on the mostneatly e*pressi3e ,ords. For e*ample at the threshold of the sub5ect ,e come upon the necessity ofgi3ing some name to the 3arious elements or attributes of ,hich the complete human creature is madeup. <Element= ,ould be an impossible ,ord to use on account of the confusion that ,ould arise from itsuse in other significations@ and the least ob5ectionable on the ,hole seemed to me <principle= though toan ear trained in the niceties of metaphysical e*pression this ,ord ,ill ha3e a 3ery unsatisfactory sound

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in some of its present applications. uite possibly therefore in process of time the Westernnomenclature of the esoteric doctrine may be greatly de3eloped in ad3ance of that ' ha3e pro3isionallyconstructed. The Oriental nomenclature is far more elaborate but metaphysical Sans1rit seems to bepainfully embarrassing to a translator ( the fault my 'ndian friends assure me not of Sans1rit but of thelanguage in ,hich they are no, re0uired to e*press the Sans1rit ideal. E3entually ,e may find that ,iththe help of a little borro,ing from familiar /ree1 0uarries English may pro3e more recepti3e of the ne,doctrine ( or rather of the prime3al doctrine as ne,ly disclosed ( than has been supposed in the East.

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CHAPTER

Esoteric Teachers

T"E information contained in the follo,ing pages is no collection of inferences deduced from study. ' ambringing to my readers 1no,ledge ,hich ' ha3e obtained by fa3our rather than by effort. 't ,ill not be

found the less 3aluable on that account@ ' 3enture on the contrary to declare that it ,ill be found ofincalculably greater 3alue easily as ' ha3e obtained it than any results in a similar direction ,hich ' coupossibly ha3e procured by ordinary methods of research e3en had ' possessed in the highest degreethat ,hich ' ma1e no claim to possess at all ( Oriental scholarship.

E3ery one ,ho has been concerned ,ith 'ndian literature and still more any one ,ho in 'ndia has ta1eninterest in tal1ing ,ith culti3ated )ati3es on philosophical sub5ects ,ill be a,are of a general con3ictione*isting in the East that there are men li3ing ,ho 1no, a great deal more about philosophy in the highesacceptation of the ,ord ( the science the true 1no,ledge of spiritual things ( than can be found recordein any boo1s. 'n Europe the notion of secrecy as applied to science is so repulsi3e to the pre3ailing

instinct that the first inclination of European thin1ers is to deny the e*istence of that ,hich they so muchdisli1e. But circumstances ha3e fully assured me during my residence in 'ndia that the con3iction 5ustreferred to is perfectly ,ell founded and ' ha3e been pri3ileged at last to recei3e a 3ery considerablemass of instruction in the hitherto secret 1no,ledge o3er ,hich Oriental philosophers ha3e broodedsilently till no,@ instruction ,hich has hitherto been only imparted to sympathetic students preparedthemsel3es to migrate into the camp of secrecy. Their teachers ha3e been more than content that allother in0uirers should be left in doubt as to ,hether there ,as anything of importance to learn at theirhands.

With 0uite as much antipathy at starting as any one could ha3e entertained to the old Oriental policy inregard to 1no,ledge ' came ne3ertheless to percei3e that the old Oriental 1no,ledge itself ,as a 3eryreal and important possession. 't may be e*cusable to regard the high grapes as sour so long as they ar0uite out of reach but it ,ould be foolish to persist in that opinion if a tall friend hands do,n a bunch andone finds them s,eet.

For reasons that ,ill appear as the present e*planations proceed the 3ery considerable bloc1 of hithertsecret teaching this 3olume contains has been con3eyed to me not only ,ithout conditions of the usua1ind but to the e*press end that ' might con3ey it in my turn to the ,orld at large.

Without the light of hitherto secret Oriental 1no,ledge it is impossible by any study of its published

literature ( English or Sans1rit ( for students of e3en the most scholarly 0ualifications to reach acomprehension of the inner doctrines and real meaning of any Oriental religion. This assertion con3eysno reproach to the sympathetic learned and industrious ,riters of great ability ,ho ha3e studied Orientreligions generally and Buddhism especially in their e*ternal aspects. Buddhism abo3e all is a religion,hich has en5oyed a dual e*istence from the 3ery beginning of its introduction to the ,orld. The real innmeaning of its doctrines has been 1ept bac1 from uninitiated students ,hile the outer teachings ha3emerely presented the multitude ,ith a code of moral lessons and a 3eiled symbolical literature hinting athe e*istence of 1no,ledge in the bac1ground.

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This secret 1no,ledge in reality long antedated the passage through earth(life of /autama Buddha.Brahmin philosophy in ages before Buddha embodied the identical doctrine ,hich may no, bedescribed as Esoteric Buddhism. 'ts outlines had indeed been blurred@ its scientific form partiallyconfused@ but the general body of 1no,ledge ,as already in possession of a select fe, before Buddhacame to deal ,ith it. Buddha ho,e3er undertoo1 the tas1 of re3ising and refreshing the esoteric sciencof the inner circle of initiates as ,ell as the morality of the outer ,orld. The circumstances under ,hichthis ,or1 ,as done ha3e been ,holly misunderstood nor ,ould a straightfor,ard e*planation thereof b

intelligible ,ithout e*planations ,hich must first be furnished by a sur3ey of the esoteric science itself.

From Buddha;s time till no, the esoteric science referred to has been 5ealously guarded as a preciousheritage belonging e*clusi3ely to regularly initiated members of mysteriously organi?ed associations.These so far as Buddhism is concerned are the Arahats or more properly Arhats referred to inBuddhist literature. They are the initiates ,ho tread the <fourth path of holiness= spo1en of in esotericBuddhist ,ritings. -r &hys 6a3ids referring to a multiplicity of original te*ts and Sans1rit authoritiessays ( <One might fill pages ,ith the a,e(struc1 and ecstatic praise ,hich is la3ished in Buddhist ,ritingon this condition of mind the fruit of the fourth path the state of an Arahat of a man made perfectaccording to the Buddhist faith.= And then ma1ing a series of running 0uotations from Sans1rit authoritie

he says ( <To him ,ho has finished the path and passed beyond sorro, ,ho has freed himself on allsides thro,n a,ay e3ery fetter there is no more fe3er or grief....For such there are no more births....theare in the en5oyment of )ir3ana. Their old 1arma is e*hausted no ne, 1arma is being produced@ theirhearts are free from the longing after future life and no ne, yearnings springing up ,ithin them they th,ise are e*tinguished li1e a lamp.= These passages and all li1e them con3ey to European readers at ae3ents an entirely false idea as to ,hat sort of person an Arhat really is as to the life he leads ,hile onearth and ,hat he anticipates later on. But the elucidation of such points may be postponed for themoment. Some further passages from e*oteric treatises may first be selected to sho, ,hat an Arhat isgenerally supposed to be.

-r &hys 6a3ids spea1ing of Jhana and Samadhi ( the belief that it ,as possible by intense self(absorption to attain supernatural faculties and po,ers ( goes on to say ( <So far as ' am a,are noinstance is recorded of any one not either a member of the order or a Brahmin ascetic ac0uiring thesepo,ers. A Buddha al,ays possessed them@ ,hether Arahats as such could ,or1 the particular miraclesin 0uestion and ,hether of mendicants only Arahats or only Ase1has could do so is at present notclear.= 4ery little in the sources of information on the sub5ect that ha3e hitherto been e*plored ,ill befound clear. But ' am no, merely endea3ouring to sho, that Buddhist literature teems ,ith allusions tothe greatness and po,ers of the Arhats. For more intimate 1no,ledge concerning them specialcircumstances must furnish us ,ith the re0uired e*planations.

-r Arthur Lillie in <Buddha and Early Buddhism= tells us ( <Si* supernatural faculties ,ere e*pected ofthe ascetic before he could claim the grade of Arhat. They are constantly alluded to in the Sutras as thesi* supernatural faculties usually ,ithout further specification . . . .-an has a body composed of the fouelements . . . . in this transitory body his intelligence is enchained the ascetic finding himself thusconfused directs his mind to the creation of the Manas. "e represents to himself in thought anotherbody created from this material body ( a body ,ith a form members and organs. This body in relation tthe material body is li1e the s,ord and the scabbard@ or a serpent issuing from a bas1et in ,hich it isconfined. The ascetic then purified and perfected begins to practise supernatural faculties. "e findshimself able to pass through material obstacles ,alls ramparts Nc@ he is able to thro, his phantasmal

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appearance into many places at once . . . . he can lea3e this ,orld and e3en reach the hea3en ofBrahma himself . . . . "e ac0uires the po,er of hearing the sounds of the unseen ,orld as distinctly asthose of the phenomenal ,orld ( more distinctly in point of fact. Also by the po,er of Manas he is able toread the most secret thoughts of others and to tell their characters.= And so on ,ith illustrations. -r Lillihas not 0uite accurately di3ined the nature of the truth lying behind this popular 3ersion of the facts@ but is hardly necessary to 0uote more to sho, that the po,ers of the Arhats and their insight into spiritualthings are respected by the ,orld of Buddhism most profoundly e3en though the Arhats themsel3es ha3

been singularly indisposed to fa3our the ,orld ,ith autobiographies or scientific accounts of <the si*supernatural po,ers.=

A fe, sentences from -r. "oey;s recent translation of 6r Oldenberg;s <Budda his Life his 6octrine hisOrder= may fall con3eniently into this place and then ,e may pass on. We read ( <Buddhist pro3erbialphilosophy attributes in innumerable passages the possession of )ir3ana to the saint ,ho still treads thearth CThe disciple ,ho has put off lust and desire rich in ,isdom has here on earth attaineddeli3erance from death the rest the )ir3ana the eternal state. "e ,ho has escaped from the trac1lesshard ma?es of the Sansara ,ho has crossed o3er and reached the shore self(absorbed ,ithoutstumbling and ,ithout doubt ,ho has deli3ered himself from the earthly and attained )ir3ana him ' call

a true Brahmin.; 'f the saint ,ill e3en no, put an end to his state of being he can do so but the ma5oritystand fast until )ature has reached her goal@ of such may those ,ords be said ,hich are put in the mouof the most prominent of Buddha;s disciples C' long not for death@ ' long not for life@ ' ,ait till mine hourcome li1e a ser3ant ,ho a,aiteth his re,ard.; <

A multiplication of such 0uotations ,ould merely in3ol3e the repetition in 3arious forms of e*otericconceptions concerning the Arhats. Li1e e3ery fact or thought in Buddhism the Arhat has t,o aspectsthat in ,hich he is presented to the ,orld at large and that in ,hich he li3es mo3es and has his being.'n the popular estimation he is a saint ,aiting for a spiritual re,ard of the 1ind the populace canunderstand ( a ,onder(,or1er mean,hile by fa3our of supernatural agencies. 'n reality he is the long(

tried and pro3ed(,orthy custodian of the deepest and innermost philosophy of the one fundamentalreligion ,hich Buddha refreshed and restored and a student of natural science standing in the 3eryforemost front of human 1no,ledge in regard not merely to the mysteries of spirit but to the materialconstitution of the ,orld as ,ell.

Arhat is a Buddhist designation. That ,hich is more familiar in 'ndia ,here the attributes of Arhatship arnot necessarily associated ,ith professions of Buddhism is -ahatma. With stories about the -ahatmas'ndia is saturated. The older -ahatmas are generally spo1en of as &ishis@ but the terms areinterchangeable and ' ha3e heard the title &ishi applied to men no, li3ing. All the attributes of the Arhatmentioned in Buddhist ,ritings are described ,ith no less re3erence in 'ndian literature as those of the

-ahatmas and this 3olume might be readily filled ,ith translations of 3ernacular boo1s gi3ing accountsof miraculous achie3ements by such of them as are 1no,n to history and tradition by name.

'n reality the Arhats and the -ahatmas are the same men. At that le3el of spiritual e*altation supreme1no,ledge of the esoteric doctrine blends all original sectarian distinctions. By ,hate3er name suchilluminati may be called they are the adepts of occult 1no,ledge sometimes spo1en of in 'ndia no, asthe Brothers and the custodians of the spiritual science ,hich has been handed do,n to them by theirpredecessors.

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We may search both ancient and modern literature in 3ain ho,e3er for any systematic e*planation oftheir doctrine or science. A good deal of this is dimly set forth in occult ,riting@ but 3ery little of this is ofthe least use to readers ,ho ta1e up the sub5ect ,ithout pre3ious 1no,ledge ac0uired independently ofboo1s. 't is under fa3our of direct instruction from one of their number that ' am no, enabled to attemptan outline of the -ahatmas; teaching and it is in the same ,ay that ' ha3e pic1ed up ,hat ' 1no,concerning the organi?ation to ,hich most of them and the greatest in the present day belong.

All o3er the ,orld there are occultists of 3arious degrees of eminence and occult fraternities e3en ,hicha3e a great deal in common ,ith the leading fraternity no, established in Tibet. But all my in0uiries intothe sub5ect ha3e con3inced me that the Tibetan Brotherhood is incomparably the highest of suchassociations and regarded as such by all other associations ( ,orthy of being loo1ed upon themsel3esas really <enlightened= in the occult sense of the term. There are it is true many isolated mystics in 'ndi,ho are altogether self(taught and unconnected ,ith occult bodies. -any of these ,ill e*plain that theythemsel3es attain to higher pinnacles of spiritual enlightenment than the Brothers of Tibet or any otherpeople on earth. But the e*amination of such claims in all cases ' ha3e encountered ,ould ' thin1 leadany impartial outsider ho,e3er little 0ualified himself by personal de3elopment to be a 5udge of occultenlightenment to the conclusion that they are altogether unfounded. ' 1no, one nati3e of 'ndia for

e*ample a man of European education holding a high appointment under /o3ernment of good stationin society most ele3ated character and en5oying unusual respect ,ith such Europeans as are concerne,ith him in official life ,ho ,ill only accord to the Brothers of Tibet a second place in the ,orld of spirituenlightenment. The first place he regards as occupied by one person no, in this ,orld no longer ( hiso,n occult master in life ( ,hom he resolutely asserts to ha3e been in incarnation of the Supreme Being"is o,n Dmy friend;s inner senses ,ere so a,a1ened by this -aster that the 3isions of his entrancedstate into ,hich he can still thro, himself at ,ill are to him the only spiritual region in ,hich he can feeinterested. !on3inced that the Supreme Being ,as his personal instructor from the beginning andcontinues so still in the sub5ecti3e state he is naturally inaccessible to suggestions that his impressionsmay be distorted by reason of his o,n misdirected psychological de3elopment. Again the highlyculti3ated de3otees to be met ,ith occasionally in 'ndia ,ho build up a conception of )ature the

uni3erse and /od entirely on a metaphysical basis and ,ho ha3e e3ol3ed their systems by sheer forcof transcendental thin1ing ,ill ta1e some established system of philosophy as its ground,or1 andamplify on this to an e*tent ,hich only an Oriental metaphysician could dream of. They ,in disciples ,hput implicit faith in them and found their little school ,hich flourishes for a time ,ithin its o,n limits@ butspeculati3e philosophy of such a 1ind is rather occupation for the mind than 1no,ledge. Such <-astersby comparison ,ith the organi?ed adepts of the highest brotherhood are li1e ro,ing(boats compared,ith ocean steamships ( helpful con3eyances on their o,n nati3e la1e or ri3er but not craft to ,hoseprotection you can trust yourself on a ,orld(,ide 3oyage of e*ploration o3er the sea.

6escending lo,er again in the scale ,e find 'ndia dotted all o3er ,ith ogis and Fa1irs in all stages of

self(de3elopment from that of dirty sa3ages but little ele3ated abo3e the gipsy fortune(tellers of anEnglish racecourse to men ,hose seclusion a stranger ,ill find it 3ery difficult to penetrate and ,hoseabnormal faculties and po,ers need only be seen or e*perienced to shatter the incredulity of the mostcontented representati3e of modern Western scepticism. !areless in0uirers are 3ery apt to confoundsuch persons ,ith the great adepts of ,hom they may 3aguely hear.

!oncerning the real adepts mean,hile ' cannot at present 3enture on any account of ,hat the Tibetanorgani?ation is li1e as regards its highest ruling authorities. Those -ahatmas themsel3es of ,hom

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some more or less ade0uate conception may perhaps be formed by readers ,ho ,ill follo, me patientto the end are subordinate by se3eral degrees to the chief of all. Let us deal rather ,ith the earlierconditions of occult training ,hich can more easily be grasped.

The le3el of ele3ation ,hich constitutes a man ( ,hat the outer ,orld calls a -ahatma or <Brother= ( isonly attained after prolonged and ,eary probation and an*ious ordeals of really terrible se3erity. One

may find people ,ho ha3e spent t,enty or thirty years or more in blameless and arduous de3otion to thlife(tas1 on ,hich they ha3e entered and are still in the earlier degrees of chelaship still loo1ing up to thheights of adeptship as far abo3e their heads. And at ,hate3er age a boy or man dedicates himself to thoccult career he dedicates himself to it be it remembered ,ithout any reser3ations and for life. The tashe underta1es is the de3elopment in himself of a great many faculties and attributes ,hich are so utterlydormant in ordinary man1ind that their 3ery e*istence is unsuspected ( the possibility of theirde3elopment denied. And these faculties and attributes must be de3eloped by the chela himself ,ith3ery little if any help beyond guidance and direction from his master. <The adept.= says an occultaphorism <becomes he is not made.= One may illustrate this point by reference to a 3ery common(placphysical e*ercise. E3ery man li3ing ha3ing the ordinary use of his limbs is 0ualified to s,im. But putthose ,ho as the common phrase goes cannot s,im into deep ,ater and they ,ill struggle and be

dro,ned. The mere ,ay to mo3e the limbs is no mystery@ but unless the s,immer in mo3ing them has afull belief that such mo3ement ,ill produce the re0uired result the re0uired result is not produced. 'n thiscase ,e are dealing ,ith mechanical forces merely but the same principle runs up into dealings ,ithsubtler forces. 4ery much further than people generally imagine ,ill mere <confidence= carry the occultneophyte. "o, many European readers ,ho ,ould be 0uite incredulous if told of some results ,hichoccult chelas in the most incipient stages of their training ha3e to accomplish by sheer force ofconfidence hear constantly in church ne3ertheless the familiar Biblical assurances of the po,er ,hichresides in faith and let the ,ords pass by li1e the ,ind lea3ing no impression.

The great end and purpose of adeptship is the achie3ement of spiritual de3elopment the nature of ,hic

is only 3eiled and disguised by the common phrases of e*oteric language. That the adept see1s to unitehis soul ,ith /od that he may thereby pass into )ir3ana is a statement that con3eys no definitemeaning to the ordinary reader and the more he e*amines it ,ith the help of ordinary boo1s andmethods the less li1ely ,ill he be to reali?e the nature of the process contemplated or of the conditiondesired. 't ,ill be necessary to deal first ,ith the esoteric conception of )ature and the origin anddestinies of -an ,hich differ ,idely from theological conceptions before an e*planation of the aim,hich the adept pursues can become intelligible. -ean,hile ho,e3er it is desirable at the 3ery outsetto disabuse the reader of one misconception in regard to the ob5ects of adeptship that he may 3ery li1elyha3e framed.

The de3elopment of those spiritual faculties ,hose culture has to do ,ith the highest ob5ects of theoccult life gi3es rise as it progresses to a great deal of incidental 1no,ledge ha3ing to do ,ith thephysical la,s of )ature not yet generally understood. This 1no,ledge and the practical art ofmanipulating certain obscure forces of )ature ,hich it brings in its train in3est an adept and e3en anadept;s pupils at a comparati3ely early stage of their education ,ith 3ery e*traordinary po,ers theapplication of ,hich to matters of daily life ,ill sometimes produce results that seem altogethermiraculous@ and from the ordinary point of 3ie, the ac0uisition of apparently miraculous po,er is such stupendous achie3ement that people are sometimes apt to fancy that the adept;s ob5ect in see1ing the1no,ledge he attains has been to in3est himself ,ith these co3eted po,ers. 't ,ould be as reasonable

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say of any great patriot of military history that his ob5ect in becoming a soldier had been to ,ear a gayuniform and impress the imagination of the nursemaids.

The Oriental method of culti3ating 1no,ledge has al,ays differed diametrically from that pursued in theWest during the gro,th of modern science. Whilst Europe has in3estigated )ature as publicly aspossible e3ery step being discussed ,ith the utmost freedom and e3ery fresh fact ac0uired circulated

at once for the benefit of all Asiatic science has been studied secretly and its con0uests 5ealouslyguarded. ' need not as yet attempt either criticism or defence of its methods. But at all e3ents thesemethods ha3e been rela*ed to some e*tent in my o,n case and as already stated it is ,ith the fullconsent of my teachers that ' no, follo, the bent of my o,n inclinations as a European andcommunicate ,hat ' ha3e learned to all ,ho may be ,illing to recei3e it. Later on it ,ill be seen ho, thedeparture from the ordinary rules of occult study embodied in the concessions no, made falls naturallyinto its place in the ,hole scheme of occult philosophy. The approaches to that philosophy ha3e al,aysbeen open in one sense to all. 4aguely throughout the ,orld in 3arious ,ays has been diffused the idethat some process of study ,hich men here and there did actually follo, might lead to the ac0uisition ofa higher 1ind of 1no,ledge than that taught to man1ind at large in boo1s or by public religious preacherThe East as pointed out has al,ays been more than 3aguely impressed ,ith this belief but e3en in the

West the ,hole bloc1 of symbolical literature relating to astrology alchemy and mysticism generally hasfermented in European society carrying to some fe, peculiarly recepti3e and 0ualified minds thecon3iction that behind all this superficially meaningless nonsense great truths lay concealed. For suchpersons eccentric study has sometimes re3ealed hidden passages leading to the grandest imaginablerealms of enlightenment. But till no, in all such cases in accordance ,ith the la, of those schools theneophyte no sooner forced his ,ay into the region of mystery than he ,as bound o3er to the mostin3iolable secrecy as to e3erything connected ,ith his entrance and further progress there. 'n Asia in thesame ,ay the <chela= or pupil of occultism no sooner became a chela than he ceased to be a ,itnesson behalf of the reality of occult 1no,ledge. ' ha3e been astonished to find since my o,n connection,ith the sub5ect ho, numerous such chelas are. But it is impossible to imagine any human act moreimprobable than the unauthori?ed re3elation by any such chela to persons in the outer ,orld that he is

one and so the great esoteric school of philosophy successfully guards its seclusion.

'n a former boo1 <The Occult World= ' ha3e gi3en a full and straightfor,ard narrati3e of thecircumstances under ,hich ' came in contact ,ith the gifted and deeply instructed men from ,hom 'ha3e since obtained the teaching this 3olume contains. ' need not repeat the story. ' no, come for,ardprepared to deal ,ith the sub5ect in a ne, ,ay. The e*istence of occult adepts and the importance oftheir ac0uirements may be established along t,o different lines of argument firstly by means of e*terne3idence ( the testimony of 0ualified ,itnesses the manifestation by or through persons connected ,ithadepts of abnormal faculties affording more than a presumption of abnormally enlarged 1no,ledge@secondly by the presentation of such a considerable portion of this 1no,ledge as may con3ey intrinsic

assurances of its o,n 3alue. -y first boo1 proceeded by the former method@ ' no, approach the moreformidable tas1 of ,or1ing on the latter.

Annotations

The further ,e ad3ance in occult study the more e*alted in many ,ays become our conceptions of the-ahatmas. The complete comprehension of the manner in ,hich these persons become differentiatedfrom human 1ind at large is not to be achie3ed by the help of mere intellectual effort. These are aspects

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of the adept nature ,hich ha3e to do ,ith the e*traordinary de3elopment of the higher principles in man,hich cannot be reali?ed by the application of the lo,er. But ,hile crude conceptions in the beginningthus fall 3ery short of reaching the real le3el of the facts a curious complication of the problem arises inthis ,ay. Our first idea of an adept ,ho has achie3ed the po,er of penetrating the tremendous secrets ospiritual nature is modelled on our conception of a 3ery highly gifted man of science on our o,n plane.We are apt to thin1 of him as once an adept al,ays an adept ( as a 3ery e*alted human being ,ho munecessarily bring into play in all the relations of his life the attributes that attach to him as a -ahatma. 'n

this ,ay ,hile ( as abo3e pointed out ( ,e shall certainly fail do all ,e can to do 5ustice in our thoughtsto his attributes as a -ahatma ,e may 3ery easily run to the opposite e*treme in our thin1ing about himin his ordinary human aspect and thus land oursel3es in many perple*ities as ,e ac0uire a partialfamiliarity ,ith the characteristics of the occult ,orld. 't is 5ust because the highest attributes of adeptshiha3e to do ,ith principles in human nature ,hich 0uite transcend the limits of physical e*istence that thadept or -ahatma can only be such in the highest acceptation of the ,ord ,hen he is as the phrasegoes <out of the body= or at all e3ents thro,n by special efforts of his ,ill into an abnormal condition.When he is not called upon to ma1e such efforts or to pass entirely beyond the limitations of this fleshlyprison he is much more li1e an ordinary man than e*perience of him in some of his aspects ,ould leadhis disciples to belie3e.

A correct appreciation of this state of things e*plains the apparent contradiction in3ol3ed in the position the occult pupil to,ards his masters as compared ,ith some of the declarations that the master himself,ill fre0uently put for,ard. For e*ample the -ahatmas are persistent in asserting that they are notinfallible that they are men li1e the rest of us perhaps ,ith a some,hat more enlarged comprehensionof nature than the generality of man1ind but still liable to err both in the direction of practical business,ith ,hich they may be concerned and in their estimate of the characters of other men or the capacityof candidates for occult de3elopment. But ho, are ,e to reconcile statements of this nature ,ith thefundamental principle at the bottom of all occult research ,hich en5oins the neophyte to put his trust inthe teaching and guidance of his master absolutely and ,ithout reser3eH The solution of the difficulty isfound in the state of things abo3e referred to. While the adept may be a man 0uite surprisingly liable to

err sometimes in the manipulation of ,orldly business 5ust as ,ith oursel3es some of the greatest men genius are liable to ma1e mista1es in their daily life that matter(of(fact people ,ould ne3er commit on thother hand directly a -ahatma comes to deal ,ith the higher mysteries of spiritual science he does soby 3irtue of the e*ercise of his -ahatma(attributes and in dealing ,ith these can hardly be recogni?ed aliable to err.

This consideration enables us to feel that the trust,orthiness of the teachings deri3ed from such a sourcas those ,hich ha3e inspired the present 3olume is altogether abo3e the reach of small incidents ,hichin the progress of our e*perience may seem to claim a re3ision of that enthusiastic confidence in thesupreme ,isdom of the adepts ,hich the first approaches to occult study ,ill generally e3o1e.

)ot that such enthusiasm or re3erence ,ill really be diminished on the part of any occult chela as hiscomprehension of the ,orld he is entering e*pands. The man ,ho in one of his aspects is a -ahatmamay rather be brought ,ithin the limits of affectionate human regard than depri3ed of his claims tore3erence by the consideration that in his ordinary life he is not so utterly lifted abo3e the common(placrun of human feeling as some of his )ir3anic e*periences might lead us to belie3e that he ,ould be.

'f ,e 1eep constantly in mind that an adept is only truly an adept ,hen e*ercising adept functions but th

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,hen e*ercising adept functions but that ,hen e*ercising these he may soar into spiritual rapport ,iththat ,hich is in regard at all e3ents to the limitations of our solar system all that ,e practically mean byomniscience ,e shall then be guarded from many of the mista1es that the embarrassments of thesub5ect might create.

'ntricacies concerning the nature of the adept may be noticed here ,hich ,ill hardly be 0uite intelligible

,ithout reference to some later chapters of this boo1 but ,hich ha3e so important a bearing on allattempts to understand ,hat adeptship is really li1e that it may be con3enient to deal ,ith them at onceThe dual nature of the -ahatma is so complete that some of his influence or ,isdom on the higherplanes of nature may actually be dra,n upon by those in peculiar psychic relations ,ith him ,ithout the-ahatma(man being at the moment e3en conscious that such an appeal has been made to him. 'n this,ay it becomes open to us to speculate on the possibility that the relation bet,een the spiritual -ahatmand the -ahatma(man may sometimes be rather in the nature of ,hat is sometimes spo1en of in esoter,riting as an o3ershado,ing than as an incarnation in the complete sense of the ,ord.

Furthermore as another independent complication of the matter ,e reach this fact that each -ahatma i

not merely a human ego in a 3ery e*alted state but belongs so to spea1 to some specific department the great economy of nature. E3ery adept must belong to one or other of se3en great types of adeptshipbut although ,e may almost certainly infer that correspondences might be traced bet,een these 3arioustypes and the se3en principles of man ' should shrin1 myself from attempting a complete elucidation ofthis hypothesis. 't ,ill be enough to apply the idea to ,hat ,e 1no, 3aguely of the occult organi?ation inits higher regions. For some time past it has been affirmed in esoteric ,riting that there are fi3e great!hohans or superior -ahatmas presiding o3er the ,hole body of the adept fraternity. When the foregoinchapter of this boo1 ,as ,ritten ' ,as under the impression that one supreme chief on a different le3elagain e*ercised authority o3er these fi3e !hohans but it no, appears to me that this personage mayrather be regarded as a si*th !hohan himself the head of the si*th type of -ahatmas and thiscon5ecture leads at once to the further inference that there must be a se3enth !hohan to complete the

correspondences ,hich ,e thus discern. But 5ust as the se3enth principle in nature or in man is aconception of the most intangible order eluding the grasp of any intellectual thin1ing and onlydescribable in shado,y phrases of metaphysical non(significance so ,e may be 0uite sure that these3enth !hohan is 3ery unapproachable by untrained imaginations. But e3en he no doubt plays a part i,hat may be called the higher economy of spiritual nature and that there is such a personage 3isibleoccasionally to some of the other -ahatmas ' ta1e to be the case. But speculation concerning him is3aluable chiefly as helping to gi3e consistency to the idea abo3e thro,n out according to ,hich the-ahatmas may be comprehended in their true aspect as necessary phenomena of nature ,ithout ,homthe e3olution of humanity could hardly be imagined as ad3ancing not as merely the e*ceptional men,ho ha3e attained great spiritual e*altation.

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CHAPTER

The Constitution of !an

A S2&4E of !osmogony as comprehended by occult science must precede any attempt to e*plain thmeans by ,hich a 1no,ledge of that cosmogony itself has been ac0uired. The methods of esoteric

research ha3e gro,n out of natural facts ,ith ,hich e*oteric science is ,holly unac0uainted. Thesenatural facts are concerned ,ith the premature de3elopment in occult adepts of faculties ,hich man1indat large has not yet e3ol3ed@ and these faculties in turn enable their possessors to e*plore the mysterieof )ature and 3erify the esoteric doctrines setting forth its grand design. The practical student ofoccultism may de3elop the faculties first and apply them to the obser3ation of )ature after,ards but thee*hibition of the theory of )ature for Western readers merely see1ing its intellectual comprehensionmust precede consideration of the inner senses ,hich occult research employs. On the other hand asur3ey of cosmogony as comprehended by occult science could only be scientifically arranged at thee*pense of intelligibility for European readers. To begin at the beginning ,e should endea3our to reali?ethe state of the uni3erse before e3olution sets in. This sub5ect is by no means shir1ed by esotericstudents and later on in the course of this s1etch some hints ,ill be gi3en concerning the 3ie,s

occultism entertains of the earlier processes through ,hich cosmic matter passes on its ,ay to e3olutionBut an orderly statement of the earliest processes of )ature ,ould embody references to man;s spirituaconstitution ,hich ,ould not be understood ,ithout some preliminary e*planation.

Se3en distinct principles are recogni?ed by esoteric science as entering into the constitution of man. Thclassification differs so ,idely from any ,ith ,hich European readers ,ill be familiar that ' shall naturallybe as1ed for the grounds on ,hich occultism reaches so far(fetched a conclusion. But ' must on accounof inherent peculiarities in the sub5ect ,hich ,ill be comprehended later on beg for this Oriental1no,ledge ' am bringing home a hearing Din the first instance at all e3ents of the Oriental 1ind. TheOriental and the European systems of con3eying 1no,ledge are as unli1e as any t,o methods can be.

The West pric1s and pi0ues the learner;s contro3ersial instinct at e3ery step. "e is encouraged to dispuand resist con3iction. "e is forbidden to ta1e any scientific statement on authority. Pari Passu, as heac0uires 1no,ledge he must learn ho, that 1no,ledge has been ac0uired and he is made to feel thatno fact is ,orth 1no,ing unless he 1no,s ,ith it the ,ay to pro3e it a fact. The East manages its pupilon a ,holly different plan. 't no more disregards the necessity of pro3ing its teaching than the West butpro3ides proof of a ,holly different sort. 't enables the student to search )ature for himself and 3erify itsteachings in those regions ,hich Western philosophy can only in3ade by speculation and argument. 'tne3er ta1es the trouble to argue about anything. 't says ( <So and so is fact@ here is the 1ey of1no,ledge@ no, go and see for yourself.= 'n this ,ay it comes to pass that teaching per se is ne3eranything else but teaching on authority. Teaching and proof do not go hand in hand@ they follo, oneanother in due order. A further conse0uence of this method is that Eastern philosophy employs themethod ,hich ,e in the West ha3e discarded for good reasons as incompatible ,ith our o,n line ofintellectual de3elopment ( the system of reasoning from generals to particulars. The purposes ,hichEuropean science usually has in 3ie, ,ould certainly not be ans,ered by that plan but ' thin1 that anyone ,ho goes far in the present in0uiry ,ill feel that the system of reasoning up from the details of1no,ledge to general inferences is inapplicable to the ,or1 in hand. One cannot understand details inthis department of 1no,ledge till ,e get a general understanding of the ,hole scheme of things. E3en tocon3ey this general comprehension by mere language is a large and by no means an easy tas1. Topause at e3ery moment of the e*position in order to collect ,hat separate e3idence may be a3ailable fothe proof of each separate statement ,ould be practically impossible. Such a method ,ould brea1 do,the patience of the reader and pre3ent him from deri3ing as he may from a more condensed treatise

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that definite conception as to ,hat the esoteric doctrine means to teach ,hich it is my business toe3o1e.

This reflection may suggest in passing a ne, 3ie, ha3ing an intimate connection ,ith our presentsub5ect of the Platonic and Aristotelian systems of reasoning. Plato;s system roughly described asreasoning from uni3ersals to particulars is condemned by modern habits in fa3our of the later and

e*actly in3erse system. But Plato ,as in fetters in attempting to defend his system. There is e3ery reasoto belie3e that his familiarity ,ith esoteric science prompted his method and that the usual restrictionsunder ,hich he laboured as an initiated occultist forbade him from saying as much as ,ould really 5ustiit. )o one can study e3en as much occult science as this 3olume contains and then turn to Plato or e3eto any intelligent epitome of Plato;s system of thought ,ithout finding correspondences cropping out ate3ery turn.

The higher principles of the series ,hich go to constitute -an are not fully de3eloped in the man1ind ,it,hich ,e are as yet familiar but a complete or perfect man ,ould be resol3able into the follo,ingelements. To facilitate the application of these e*planations to ordinary e*oteric Buddhist ,ritings the

Sans1rit names of these principles are gi3en as ,ell as suitable terms in English. The nomenclaturehere adopted differs slightly from that hit upon ,hen some of the present teachings ,ere first gi3en out a fragmentary form in the Theosophist. Later on it ,ill be seen that the names no, preferred embody afuller conception of the ,hole system and a3oid some difficulties to ,hich the earlier names gi3e rise. 'fthe earlier presentations of esoteric science ,ere thus imperfect one can hardly be surprised at sonatural a conse0uence of the difficulties under ,hich its English e*ponents laboured. But no substantialerrors ha3e to be confessed or deplored. The connotations of the present names are more accurate thathose of the phrases first selected but the e*planations originally gi3en as far as they ,ent ,ere 0uite harmony ,ith those no, de3eloped..

# The Body Rûpa

9 4itality Prana, or Jîva

> Astral Body Linga Sharira

G Animal Soul !ma Rûpa

% "uman Soul Manas

I Spiritual Soul Buddhi

J Spirit

"tma

6irectly conceptions so transcendental as some of those included in this analysis are set forth in atabular statement they seem to incur certain degradation against ,hich in endea3ouring to reali?eclearly ,hat is meant ,e must be e3er on our guard. !ertainly it ,ould be impossible for e3en the mosts1ilful professor of occult science to e*hibit each of these principles separate and distinct from the otheras the physical elements of a compound body can be separated by analysis and preser3ed

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independently of each other. The elements of a physical body are all on the same plane of materiality bthe elements of man are on 3ery different planes. The finest gases of ,hich the body may to some e*tenbe chemically composed are still on one scale at all e3ents on nearly the lo,est le3el of materiality. Thsecond principle ,hich by its union ,ith gross matter changes if from ,hat ,e generally call inorganicor ,hat might more properly be called inert into li3ing matter is at once a something different from thefinest e*ample of matter in its lo,er state. 's the second principle then anything that ,e can truly callmatter at allH The 0uestion lands us thus at the 3ery outset of this in0uiry in the middle of the subtle

metaphysical discussion as to ,hether force and matter are different or identical. Enough for the momento state that occult science regards them as identical and that it contemplates no principle in )ature as,holly immaterial. 'n this ,ay though no conceptions of the uni3erse of man;s destiny or of )aturegenerally are more spiritual than those of occult science that science is ,holly free from the logical erroof attributing material results to immaterial causes. The esoteric doctrine is thus really the missing lin1bet,een materialism and spirituality.

The clue to the mystery in3ol3ed lies of course in the fact directly cogni?able by occult e*perts thatmatter e*ists in other states besides those ,hich are cogni?able by the fi3e senses.

The second principle of -an 4itality thus consists of matter in its aspect as force and its affinity for thegrosser state of matter is so great that it cannot be separated from any gi3en particle or mass of thise*cept by instantaneous translation to some other particle or mass. When a man;s body dies bydesertion of the higher principles ,hich ha3e rendered it a li3ing reality the second or life principle nolonger a unity itself is ne3ertheless inherent still in the particles of the body as this decomposesattaching itself to other organisms to ,hich that 3ery process of decomposition gi3es rise. Bury the bodyin the earth and its 5Q3a ,ill attach itself to the 3egetation ,hich springs abo3e or the lo,er animal forms,hich e3ol3e from its substance. Burn the body and indestructible 5Q3a flies bac1 none the lessinstantaneously to the body of the planet itself from ,hich it ,as originally borro,ed entering into somene, combination as its affinities may determine.

The third principle the Astral Body or Linga Sharira is an ethereal duplicate of the physical body itsoriginal design. 't guides 5Q3a in its ,or1 on the physical particles and causes it to build up the shape,hich these assume. 4itali?ed itself by the higher principles its unity is only preser3ed by the union ofthe ,hole group. At death it is disembodied for a brief period and under some abnormal conditions mae3en be temporarily 3isible to the e*ternal sight of still li3ing persons. 2nder such conditions it is ta1en ocourse for the ghost of the departed person. Spectral apparitions may sometimes be occasioned in othe,ays but the third principle ,hen that results in a 3isible phenomenon is a mere aggregation ofmolecules in a peculiar state ha3ing no life or consciousness of any 1ind ,hate3er. 't is no more a Beingthan any cloud ,reath in the s1y ,hich happens to settle into the semblance of some animal form.

Broadly spea1ing the linga sharira ne3er lea3es the body e*cept at death nor migrates far from the bode3en in that case. When seen at all and this can but rarely occur it can only be seen near ,here thephysical body still lies. 'n some 3ery peculiar cases of spiritualistic mediumship it may for a short timee*ude from the physical body and be 3isible near it but the medium in such cases stands the ,hile inconsiderable danger of his life. 6isturb un,illingly the conditions under ,hich the linga sharira ,as setfree and its return might be impeded. The second principle ,ould then soon cease to animate thephysical body as a unity and death ,ould ensue.

6uring the last year or t,o ,hile hints and scraps of occult science ha3e been finding their ,ay out into

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the ,orld the e*pression <Astral Body= has been applied to a certain semblance of the human formfully inhabited by its higher principles ,hich can migrate to any distance from the physical body (pro5ected consciously and ,ith e*act intention by a li3ing adept or unintentionally by the accidentalapplication of certain mental forces to his loosened principles by any person at the moment of death. Foordinary purposes there is no practical incon3enience in using the e*pression <Astral Body= for theappearance to pro5ected ( indeed any more strictly accurate e*pression as ,ill be seen directly ,ouldbe cumbersome and ,e must go on using the phrase in both meanings. )o confusion need arise@ but

strictly spea1ing the linga sharira or third principle is the astral body and that cannot be sent about asthe 3ehicle of the higher principles.

The three lo,er principles it ,ill be seen are altogether of the earth perishable in their nature as asingle entity though indestructible as regards their molecules and absolutely done ,ith by man at hisdeath.

The fourth principle is the first of those ,hich belong to man;s higher nature. The Sans1rit designation#!ma rûpa, is often translated <Body of 6esire= ,hich seems rather a clumsy and inaccurate form of

,ords. A closer translation ha3ing regard to meanings rather than ,ords ,ould perhaps be <4ehicle oWill= but the name already adopted abo3e Animal Soul may be more accurately suggesti3e still.

'n the Theosophist for October #$$# ,hen the first hints about the septenary constitution of man ,eregi3en out the fifth principle ,as called the animal soul as contra(distinguished from the si*th or <spirituasoul@= but though this nomenclature sufficed to mar1 the re0uired distinction it degraded the fifthprinciple ,hich is essentially the human principle. Though humanity is animal in its nature as compared,ith spirit it is ele3ated abo3e the correctly defined animal creation in e3ery other aspect. By introducinga ne, name for the fifth principle ,e are enabled to thro, bac1 the designation <animal soul= to itsproper place. This arrangement need not interfere mean,hile ,ith an appreciation of the ,ay in ,hich

the fourth principle is the seat of that ,ill or desire to ,hich the Sans1rit name refers. And ,ithal the17ma rRpa is the animal soul the highest developed principle of the brute creation susceptible ofe3olution into something far higher by its union ,ith the gro,ing fifth principle in man but still the animasoul ,hich man is by no means yet ,ithout the seat of all animal desires and a potent force in thehuman body as ,ell pressing up,ards so to spea1 as ,ell as do,n,ards and capable of influencingthe fifth for practical purposes as ,ell as of being influenced by the fifth for its o,n control andimpro3ement.

The fifth principle human soul or -anas Das described in Sans1rit in one of its aspects is the seat ofreason and memor$ . 't is a portion of this principle animated by the fourth ,hich is really pro5ected to

distant places by an adept ,hen he ma1es an appearance in ,hat is commonly called his astral body.

)o, the fifth principle or human soul in the ma5ority of man1ind is not e3en yet fully de3eloped. This faabout the imperfect de3elopment as yet of the higher principles is 3ery important. We cannot get acorrect conception of the present place of man in )ature if ,e ma1e the mista1e of regarding him as afully perfected being already. And that mista1e ,ould be fatal to any reasonable anticipations concerningthe future that a,aits him ( fatal also to any appreciation of the appropriateness of the future ,hich theesoteric doctrine e*plains to us as actually a,aiting him.

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Since the fifth principle is not yet fully de3eloped it goes ,ithout saying that the si*th principle is still inembryo. This idea has been 3ariously indicated in recent forecasts of the great doctrine. Sometimes ithas been said ,e do not truly possess any si*th principle ,e merely ha3e germs of a si*th principle. 'thas also been said the si*th principle is not in us@ it ho3ers o3er us@ it is a something that the highestaspirations of our nature must ,or1 up to,ards. But it is also said ( All things not man alone but e3eryanimal plant and mineral ha3e their se3en principles and the highest principles of all ( the se3enth itse( 3itali?es that continuous thread of life ,hich runs all through e3olution uniting into a definite successio

the almost innumerable incarnations of that one life ,hich constitute a complete series. We must imbibeall these 3arious conceptions and ,eld them together or e*tract their essence to learn the doctrine ofthe si*th principle. Follo,ing the order of ideas ,hich 5ust no, suggested the application of the termanimal soul to the fourth principle and human soul to the fifth the si*th may be called the spiritual soul oman and the se3enth therefore spirit itself.

'n another aspect of the idea the si*th principle may be called the 3ehicle of the se3enth and the fourththe 3ehicle of the fifth@ but yet another mode of dealing ,ith the problem teaches us to regard each of thhigher principles from the fourth up,ards as a 3ehicle of ,hat in Buddhist philosophy is called the OneLife or Spirit. According to this 3ie, of the matter of one life is that ,hich perfects by inhabiting the

3arious 3ehicles. 'n the animal the one life is concentrated in the #!ma rûpa. 'n man it begins topenetrate the fifth principle as ,ell. 'n perfected man it penetrates the si*th and ,hen it penetrates these3enth man ceases to be man and attains a ,holly superior condition of e*istence.

This latter 3ie, of the position is especially 3aluable as guarding against the notion that the four higherprinciples are li1e a bundle of stic1s tied together but each ha3ing indi3idualities of their o,n if untied.)either the animal soul alone nor the spiritual soul alone has any indi3iduality at all@ but on the otherhand the fifth principle ,ould be incapable of separation from the others in such a ,ay that itsindi3iduality ,ould be preser3ed ,hile both the deserted principles ,ould be left unconscious. 't has beesaid that the finer principles themsel3es e3en are material and molecular in their constitution though

composed of a higher order of matter than the physical senses can ta1e note of. So they are separableand the si*th principle itself can be imagined as di3orcing itself from its lo,er neighbour. But in that stateof separation and at this stage of man1ind;s de3elopment it could simply reincarnate itself in such anemergency and gro, a ne, fifth principle by contact ,ith a human organism@ in such a case the fifthprinciple ,ould lean upon and become one ,ith the fourth and be proportionately degraded. And yet thififth principle ,hich cannot stand alone is the personality of the man@ and its cream in union ,ith thesi*th his continuous indi3iduality through successi3e li3es.

The circumstances and attractions under the influence of ,hich the principles do di3ide up and themanner in ,hich the consciousness of man is dealt ,ith then ,ill be discussed later on. -ean,hile a

better understanding of the ,hole position than could ensue from a continued prosecution of the in0uiryon these lines no, ,ill be obtained by turning first to the processes of e3olution by means of ,hich theprinciples of man ha3e been de3eloped.

ANNOTATONS

Some ob5ection has been raised to the method in ,hich the Esoteric 6octrine is presented to the readerin this boo1 on the ground that it is materialistic. ' doubt if in any other ,ay the ideas to be dealt ,ith

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could so ,ell be brought ,ithin the grasp of the mind but it is easy ,hen they once are grasped totranslate them into terms of idealism. The higher principles ,ill be the better susceptible of treatment asso many different states of the Ego ,hen the attributes of these states ha3e been separately considereas principles undergoing e3olution. But it may be useful to d,ell for a,hile on the 3ie, of the humanconstitution according to ,hich the consciousness of the entity migrates successi3ely through the stageof de3elopment ,hich the different principles represent.

'n the highest e3olution ,e need concern oursel3es ,ith at present ( that of the perfected -ahatma ( it isometimes asserted in occult teaching that the consciousness of the Ego has ac0uired the po,er ofresiding altogether in the si*th principle. But it ,ould be a gross 3ie, of the sub5ect and erroneous tosuppose that the -ahatma has on that account sha1en off altogether li1e a discarded sheath or sheathsthe fourth and fifth principles in ,hich his consciousness may ha3e been seated during an earlier stageof his e3olution. The entity ,hich %as the fourth or fifth principle before has come no, to be different inits attributes and to be entirely di3orced from certain tendencies or dispositions and is therefore a si*thprinciple. The change can be spo1en of in more general terms as an emancipation of the adept;s naturefrom the enthralments of his lo,er self from desires of the ordinary earth(life ( e3en from the limitationsof the affections@ for the Ego ,hich is entirely conscious in his si*th principle has reali?ed the unity of

the true Egos of all man1ind on the higher plane and can no longer be dra,n by bonds of sympathy toany one more than to any other. "e has attained that lo3e of humanity as a ,hole ,hich transcends thelo3e of the Ma$a or illusion ,hich constitutes the separate human creature for the limited being on thelo,er le3els of e3olution. "e has not lost his fourth and fifth principles ( these ha3e themsel3es attained-ahatmaship@ 5ust as the animal soul of the lo,er 1ingdom in reaching humanity has blossomed into thfifth state. That consideration helps us to reali?e more accurately the passage of ordinary human beingsthrough the long series of incarnations of the human plane. Once fairly on that plane of e*istence theconsciousness of the primiti3e man gradually en3elopes the attributes of the fifth principle. But the Ego afirst remains a centre of thought acti3ity ,or1ing chiefly ,ith impulses and desires of the fourth stage ofe3olution. Flashes of the higher human reason illumine it fitfully at first but by degrees the moreintellectual man gro,s into the fuller possession of this. The impulses of human reason assert

themsel3es more and more strongly. The in3igorated mind becomes the predominant force in the life.!onsciousness is transferred to the fifth principle oscillating ho,e3er bet,een the tendencies of thelo,er and higher nature for a long ,hile ( that is to say o3er 3ast periods of e3olution and many hundredli3es ( and thus gradually purifying and e*alting the Ego. All this ,hile the Ego is thus a unity in oneaspect of the matter and its si*th principle but a potentiality of ultimate de3elopment. As regards these3enth principle that is the true 2n1no,able the supreme controlling cause of all things ,hich is thesame for one man as for e3ery man the same for humanity as for the animal 1ingdom the same for thephysical as for the astral or de3achanic or nir3anic planes of e*istence. )o one man has got a se3enthprinciple in the higher conception of the sub5ect ,e are all in the same unfathomable ,ayo3ershado,ed by the se3enth principle of the cosmos.

"o, does this 3ie, of the sub5ect harmoni?e ,ith the statement in the foregoing chapter that in a certaisense the principles are separable and that the si*th e3en can be imagined as di3orcing itself from itsne*t lo,er neighbour and by reincarnation as gro,ing a ne, fifth principle by contact ,ith a humanorganismH There is no incompatibility in the spirit of the t,o 3ie,s. The se3enth principle is one andindi3isible in all )ature but there is a mysterious persistence through it of certain life impulses ,hichthus constitute threads on ,hich successi3e e*istences may be strung. Such a life impulse does note*pire e3en in the e*traordinary case supposed in ,hich an Ego pro5ected upon it and de3eloped alonit to a certain point falls a,ay from it altogether and as a complete ,hole. ' am not in a position to

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dogmati?e ,ith precision as to ,hat happens in such a case but the subse0uent incarnations of the spialong that line of impulse are clearly of the original se0uence@ and thus in the materialistic treatment ofthe idea it may be said ,ith as much approach to accuracy as language ,ill allo, in either mode thatthe si*th principle of the fallen entity in such a case separates itself from the original fifth andreincarnates on its o,n account.

But ,ith these abnormal processes it is unnecessary to occupy oursel3es to any great e*tent. Thenormal e3olution is the problem ,e ha3e first to sol3e@ and ,hile the consideration of the se3en principleas such is to my o,n mind the most instructi3e method by ,hich the problem can be dealt ,ith it is ,eto remember al,ays that the Ego is a unity progressing through 3arious spheres or states of beingundergoing change and gro,th and purification all through the course of its e3olution ( that it is aconsciousness seated in this or that or the other of the potential attributes of a human entity.

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CHAPTER

The Planetary Chain

ESOTE&'! science though the most spiritual system imaginable e*hibits as running throughout )aturethe most e*hausti3e system of e3olution that the human mind can concei3e. The 6ar,inian theory of

e3olution is simply an independent disco3ery of a portion ( unhappily but a small portion ( of the 3astnatural truth. But occultists 1no, ho, to e*plain e3olution ,ithout degrading the highest principles ofman. The esoteric doctrine finds itself under no obligation to 1eep its science and religion in separate,ater(tight compartments. 'ts theory of physics and its theory of spirituality are not only reconcilable ,itheach other they are intimately blended together and interdependent. And the first great fact ,hich occulscience presents to our notice in reference to the origin of man on this globe ,ill be seen to help theimagination o3er some serious embarrassments of the familiar scientific idea of e3olution. The e3olutionof man is not a process carried out on this planet alone. 't is a result to ,hich many ,orlds in differentconditions of material and spiritual de3elopment ha3e contributed. 'f this statement ,ere merely putfor,ard as a con5ecture it ,ould surely recommend itself forcibly to rational minds. For there is amanifest irrationality in the commonplace notion that man;s e*istence is di3ided into a material beginning

lasting si*ty or se3enty years and a spiritual remainder lasting for e3er. The irrationality amounts toabsurdity ,hen it is alleged that the acts of the si*ty or se3enty years ( the blundering helpless acts ofignorant human life ( are permitted by the perfect 5ustice of an all(,ise Pro3idence to define theconditions of that later life of infinite duration. )or is it less e*tra3agant to imagine that apart from the0uestion of 5ustice the life beyond the gra3e should be e*empt from the la, of change progress andimpro3ement ,hich e3ery analogy of )ature points to as probably running through all the 3ariede*istences of the uni3erse. But once abandon the idea of a uniform un3arying unprogressi3e life beyonthe gra3e ( once admit the conception of change and progress in that life ( and ,e admit the idea of a3ariety hardly compatible ,ith any other hypothesis than that of progress through successi3e ,orlds. As,e ha3e said before this is not a hypothesis at all for occult science but a fact ascertained and 3erifiedbeyond the reach Dfor occultists of doubt or contradiction.

The life and e3olutionary processes of this planet ( in fact all ,hich constitutes it something more than adead lump of chaotic matter ( are lin1ed ,ith the life and e3olutionary processes of se3eral other planetsBut let it not be supposed that there is no finality as regards the scheme of this planetary union to ,hich,e belong. The human imagination once set free is apt sometimes to bound too far. Once let this notionthat the earth is merely one lin1 in a mighty chain of ,orlds be fully accepted as probable or true and may suggest the ,hole starry hea3ens as the heritage of the human family. That idea ,ould in3ol3e aserious misconception. One globe does not afford )ature scope for the processes by ,hich man1ind habeen e3o1ed from chaos but these processes do not re0uire more than a limited and definite number oglobes. Separated as these are in regard to the gross mechanical matter of ,hich they consist they are

closely and intimately bound together by subtle currents and forces ,hose e*istence reason need not bmuch troubled to concede since the e*istence of some connection ( of force or ethereal media ( unitingall 3isible celestial bodies is pro3ed by the mere fact that they are 3isible. 't is along these subtle currenthat the life elements pass from ,orld to ,orld.

The fact ho,e3er ,ill at once be liable to distortion to suit preconcei3ed habits of mind. Some readersmay imagine our meaning to be that after death the sur3i3ing soul ,ill be dra,n into the currents of that,orld ,ith ,hich its affinities connect it. The real process is more methodical. The system of ,orlds is acircuit round ,hich all indi3idual spiritual entities ha3e ali1e to pass@ and that passage constitutes the

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E3olution of -an. For it must be reali?ed that the e3olution of man is a process still going on and by nomeans yet complete. 6ar,inian ,ritings ha3e taught the modern ,orld to regard the ape as an ancestorbut the simple conceit of Western speculation has rarely permitted European e3olutionists to loo1 in theother direction and recogni?e the probability that to our remote descendants ,e may be as thatun,elcome progenitor to us. et the t,o facts 5ust declared hinge together. The higher e3olution ,ill beaccomplished by our progress through the successi3e ,orlds of the system@ and in higher forms ,e shareturn to this earth again and again. But the a3enues of thought through ,hich ,e loo1 for,ard to this

prospect are of almost inconcei3able length.

't ,ill readily be supposed that the chain of ,orlds to ,hich this earth belongs are not all prepared for amaterial e*istence e*actly or e3en appro*imately resembling our o,n. There ,ould be no meaning in anorgani?ed chain of ,orlds ,hich ,ere all ali1e and might as ,ell all ha3e been amalgamated into one. reality the ,orlds ,ith ,hich ,e are connected are 3ery unli1e each other not merely in out,ardconditions but in that supreme characteristic the proportion in ,hich spirit and matter are mingled intheir constitution. Our o,n ,orld presents us ,ith conditions in ,hich spirit and matter are on the ,holee3enly balanced in e0uilibrium. Let it not be supposed on that account that it is 3ery highly ele3ated in thscale of perfection. On the contrary it occupies a 3ery lo, place in that scale. The ,orlds that are highe

in the scale are those in ,hich spirit largely predominates. There is another ,orld attached to the chainrather than forming a part of it in ,hich matter asserts itself e3en more decisi3ely than on earth but thismay be spo1en of later.

That the superior ,orlds ,hich man may come to inhabit in his on,ard progress should graduallybecome more and more spiritual in their constitution ( life there being more and more successfullydi3orced from gross material needs ( ,ill seem reasonable enough at the first glance. But the first glancin imagination at those ,hich might con3ersely be called the inferior but may ,ith less inaccuracy bespo1en of as the preceding ,orlds ,ould perhaps suggest that they ought to be con3ersely less spirituamore material than this earth. The fact is 0uite the other ,ay and must be so it ,ill be seen on

reflection in a chain of ,orlds ,hich is an endless chain ( i.e. round and round ,hich the e3olutionaryprocess tra3els. 'f that process had merely one 5ourney to tra3el along a path ,hich ne3er returned intoitself one could thin1 of it at any rate as ,or1ing from almost absolute matter up to almost absolutespirit@ but )ature ,or1s al,ays in complete cur3es and tra3els al,ays in paths ,hich return intothemsel3es. The earliest as also the latest de3eloped ,orlds ( for the chain itself has gro,n by degree( the furthest bac1 as also the furthest for,ard are the most immaterial the most ethereal of the ,holeseries@ and that this is in all ,ays in accordance ,ith the fitness of things ,ill appear from the reflectionthat the furthest for,ard of the ,orlds is not a region of finality but the stepping(stone to the furthestbac1 as the month of 6ecember leads us bac1 again to 8anuary. But it is not a clima* of de3elopmentfrom ,hich the indi3idual monad falls as by a catastrophe into the state from ,hich he slo,ly began toascend millions of years pre3iously. From that ,hich for reasons ,hich ,ill soon appear must be

considered the highest ,orld on the ascending arc of the circle to that ,hich must be regarded as thefirst on the descending arc in one sense the lo,est ( i.e. in the order of de3elopment( there is no descenat all but still ascent and progress. For the spiritual monad or entity ,hich has ,or1ed its ,ay all roundthe cycle of e3olution at any one of the many stages of de3elopment into ,hich the 3arious e*istencesaround us may be grouped begins its ne*t cycle at the ne*t higher stage and is thus still accomplishingprogress as it passes from ,orld bac1 again to ,orld A. -any times does it circle in this ,ay rightround the system but its passage round must not be thought of merely as a circular re3olution in an orb'n the scale of spiritual perfection it is constantly ascending. Thus if ,e compare the system of ,orlds toa system of to,ers standing on a plain ( to,ers each of many stories and symboli?ing the scale of

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perfection ( the spiritual monad performs a spiral progress round and round the series passing througheach to,er e3ery time it comes round to it at a higher le3el than before.

't is for ,ant of reali?ing this idea that speculation concerned ,ith physical e3olution is so constantlyfinding itself stopped by dead ,alls. 't is searching for its missing lin1s in a ,orld ,here it can ne3er findthem no, for they ,ere but re0uired for a temporary purpose and ha3e passed a,ay. -an says the

6ar,inian ,as once an ape. uite true@ but the ape 1no,n to the 6ar,inian ,ill ne3er become a man (i.e. the form ,ill not change from generation to generation till the tail disappears and the hands turn intofeet and so on. Ordinary science a3o,s that though changes of form can be detected in progress ,iththe limits of species the changes from species to species can only be inferred@ and to account for theseit is content to assume great inter3als of time and the e*tinction of the intermediate forms. There hasbeen no doubt an e*tinction of the intermediate or earlier forms of all species Din the larger acceptation othe ,ord ( i.e. of all 1ingdoms mineral 3egetable animal man Nc. ( but ordinary science can merelyguess that to ha3e been the fact ,ithout reali?ing the conditions ,hich rendered it ine3itable and ,hichforbid the rene,ed generation of the intermediate forms.

't is the spiral character of the progress accomplished by the life impulses that de3elop the 3arious1ingdoms of )ature ,hich accounts for the gaps no, obser3ed in the animated forms ,hich people theearth. The thread of a scre, ,hich is a uniform inclined plane in reality loo1s li1e a succession of steps,hen e*amined only along one line parallel to its a*is. The spiritual monads ,hich are coming round thesystem on the animal le3el pass on to other ,orlds ,hen they ha3e performed their turn of animalincarnation here. By the time they come again they are ready for human incarnation and there is nonecessity no, for the up,ard de3elopment of animal forms into human forms ( these are already ,aitingfor their spiritual tenants. But if ,e go bac1 far enough ,e come to a period at ,hich there ,ere nohuman forms ready de3eloped on the earth. When spiritual monads tra3eling on the earliest or lo,esthuman le3el ,ere thus beginning to come round their on,ard pressure in a ,orld at that time containinnone but animal forms pro3o1ed the impro3ement of the highest of these into the re0uired form ( the

much(tal1ed(of missing lin1.

'n one ,ay of loo1ing at the matter it may be contended that this e*planation is identical ,ith theinference of the 6ar,inian e3olutionist in regard to the de3elopment and e*tinction of missing lin1s. Afteall it may be argued by a materialist <,e are not concerned to e*press an opinion as to the origin of thetendency in species to de3elop higher forms. We say that they do de3elop these higher forms byintermediate lin1s and that the intermediate lin1s die out@ and you say 5ust the same thing.= But there is distinction bet,een the t,o ideas for any one ,ho can follo, subtle distinctions. The natural process ofe3olution from the influence of local circumstances and se*ual selection must not be credited ,ithproducing intermediate forms and this is ,hy it is ine3itable that the intermediate forms should be of a

temporary nature and should die out. Other,ise ,e should find the ,orld stoc1ed ,ith missing lin1s of 1inds animal life creeping by plainly apparent degrees up to manhood human forms mingling inindistinguishable confusion ,ith those of animals. The impulse to the ne, e3olution of higher forms isreally gi3en as ,e ha3e sho,n by rushes of spiritual monads coming round the cycle in a state fit for theinhabitation of ne, forms. These superior life impulses burst the chrysalis of the older form on the planethey in3ade and thro, off an efflorescence of something higher. The forms ,hich ha3e gone on merelyrepeating themsel3es for millenniums start afresh into gro,th@ ,ith relati3e rapidity they rise through theintermediate into the higher forms and then as these in turn are multiplied ,ith the 3igour and rapidity oall ne, gro,ths they supply tenements of flesh for the spiritual entities coming round on that state or

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plane of e*istence and for the intermediate forms there are no longer any tenants offering. 'ne3itablythey become e*tinct.

Thus is e3olution accomplished as regards its essential impulse by a spiral progress through the ,orld'n the course of e*plaining this idea ,e ha3e partly anticipated the declaration of another fact of first(rateimportance as an aid to correct 3ie,s of the ,orld(system to ,hich ,e belong. That is that the tide of life

( the ,a3e of e*istence the spiritual impulse call it by ,hat name ,e please ( passes on from planet toplanet by rushes or gushes not by an e3en continuous flo,. For the momentary purpose of illustratingthe idea in hand the process may be compared to the filling of a series of holes or tubs sun1 in theground such as may sometimes be seen at the mouths of feeble springs and connected ,ith each otheby little surface channels. The stream from the spring as it flo,s is gathered up entirely in the beginninby the first hole or tub A and it is only ,hen this is 0uite full that the continued in(pouring of ,ater fromthe spring causes that ,hich it already contains to o3erflo, into tub B. This in turn fills and o3erflo,salong the channel ,hich leads to tub ! and so on. )o, though of course a clumsy analogy of this 1in,ill not carry us 3ery far it precisely illustrates the e3olution of life on a chain of ,orlds li1e that ,e areattached to and indeed the e3olution of the ,orlds themsel3es. For the process ,hich goes on does noin3ol3e the pre(e*istence of a chain of globes ,hich )ature proceeds to stoc1 ,ith life@ but it is one in

,hich the e3olution of each globe is the result of pre3ious e3olutions and the conse0uence of certainimpulses thro,n off from its predecessor in the superabundance of their de3elopment. )o, it isnecessary to deal ,ith this characteristic of the process to be described but directly ,e begin to deal,ith it ,e ha3e to go bac1 in imagination to a period in the de3elopment of our system 3ery farantecedent to that ,hich is specially our sub5ect at present ( the e3olution of man. And manifestly assoon as ,e begin tal1ing of the beginnings of ,orlds ,e are dealing ,ith phenomena ,hich can ha3ehad 3ery little to do ,ith life, as ,e understand the matter and therefore it may be supposed nothing todo ,ith life impulses. But let us go bac1 by degrees. Behind the human har3est of the life impulse therelay the har3est of mere animal forms as e3ery one reali?es@ behind that the har3est or gro,ths of mere3egetable forms ( for some of these undoubtedly preceded the appearance of the earliest animal life onthe planet. Then before the 3egetable organi?ations there ,ere mineral organi?ations ( for e3en a

mineral is a product of )ature an e3olution from something behind it as e3ery imaginable manifestationof )ature must be until in the 3ast series of manifestations the mind tra3els bac1 to the unmanifestedbeginning of all things. On pure metaphysics of that sort ,e are not no, engaged. 't is enough to sho,that ,e may as reasonably ( and that ,e must if ,e ,ould tal1 about these matters at all ( concei3e a lifeimpulse gi3ing birth to mineral forms as of the same sort of impulse concerned to raise a race of apesinto a race of rudimentary men. 'ndeed occult science tra3els bac1 e3en further in its e*hausti3e analysof e3olution than the period at ,hich minerals began to assume e*istence. 'n the process of de3eloping,orlds from fiery nebulae )ature begins ,ith something earlier than minerals ( ,ith the elemental forcethat underlie the phenomena of )ature as 3isible no, and perceptible to the senses of man. But thatbranch of the sub5ect may be left alone for the present. Let us ta1e up the process at the period ,hen thfirst ,orld of the series ( globe A let us call it ( is merely a congeries of mineral forms. )o, it must be

remembered that globe A has already been described as 3ery much more ethereal more predominatedby spirit as distinguished from matter than the globe of ,hat ,e at present are ha3ing personale*perience so that a large allo,ance must be made for that state of things ,hen ,e as1 the reader tothin1 of it at starting as a mere congeries of mineral forms. -ineral forms may be mineral in the sense not belonging to the higher forms of 3egetable organism and may yet be 3ery immaterial as ,e thin1 ofmatter 3ery ethereal consisting of a 3ery fine or subtle 0uality of matter in ,hich the other pole orcharacteristic of )ature spirit largely predominates. The minerals ,e are trying to portray are as it ,erthe ghosts of minerals@ by no means the highly(finished and beautiful hard crystals ,hich themineralogical cabinets of this ,orld supply. 'n these lo,er spirals of e3olution ,ith ,hich ,e are no,

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dealing as ,ith the higher ones there is progress from ,orld to ,orld and that is the great point at,hich ,e ha3e been aiming. There is progress do,n,ards so to spea1 in finish and materiality andconsistency@ and then again progress up,ard in spirituality as coupled ,ith the finish ,hich matter ormateriality rendered possible in the first instance. 't ,ill be found that the process of e3olution in its highstages as regards man is carried on in e*actly the same ,ay. All through these studies indeed it ,ill befound that one process of )ature typifies another that the big is the repetition of the little on a largerscale.

't is manifest from ,hat ,e ha3e already said and in order that the progress of organisms on globe Ashall be accounted for that the mineral 1ingdom ,ill no more de3elop the 3egetable 1ingdom on globe Auntil it recei3es an impulse from ,ithout than the Earth ,as able to de3elop -an from the ape till itrecei3ed an impulse from ,ithout. But it ,ill be incon3enient at present to go bac1 to a consideration ofthe impulses ,hich operate on globe A in the beginning of the system;s construction.

We ha3e already in order to be able to ad3ance more comfortably from a far later period than that to,hich ,e ha3e no, receded gone bac1 so far that further recession ,ould change the ,hole character

of this e*planation. We must stop some,here and for the present it ,ill be best to ta1e the life impulsesbehind globe A for granted. And ha3ing stopped there ,e may no, treat the enormous period inter3eninbet,een the mineral epoch on globe A and the man epoch in a 3ery cursory ,ay and so get bac1 to themain problem before us. What has been already said facilitates a cursory treatment of the inter3eninge3olution. The full de3elopment of the mineral epoch on globe A prepares the ,ay for the 3egetablede3elopment as soon as this begins the mineral life impulse o3erflo,s into globe B. Then ,hen the3egetable de3elopment on globe A is complete and the animal de3elopment begins the 3egetable lifeimpulse o3erflo,s to globe B and the mineral impulse passes on to globe !. Then finally comes thehuman life impulse on globe A.

)o, it is necessary at this point to guard against one misconception that might arise. As 5ust roughlydescribed the process might con3ey the idea that by the time the human impulse began on globe A themineral impulse ,as then beginning on globe 6 and that beyond lay chaos. This is 3ery far from beingthe case for t,o reasons. Firstly as already stated there are processes of e3olution ,hich precede themineral e3olution and thus a ,a3e of e3olution indeed se3eral ,a3es of e3olution precede the mineral,a3e in its progress round the spheres. But o3er and abo3e this there is a fact to be stated ,hich hassuch an influence on the course of e3ents that ,hen it is reali?ed it ,ill be seen that the life impulse hapassed se3eral times completely round the ,hole chain of ,orlds before the commencement of thehuman impulse on globe A. This fact is as follo,s Each 1ingdom of e3olution 3egetable animal and soon is di3ided into se3eral spiral layers. The spiritual monads ( the indi3idual atoms of that immense lifeimpulse of ,hich so much as been said ( do not fully complete their mineral e*istence on globe A then

complete it on globe B and so on. They pass se3eral times round the ,hole circle as minerals and thenagain se3eral times round as 3egetables and se3eral times as animals. We purposely refrain for thepresent from going into figures because it is more con3enient to state the outline of the scheme ingeneral terms first but figures in reference to these processes of )ature ha3e no, been gi3en to the,orld by the occult adepts Dfor the first time ,e belie3e and they shall be brought out in the course ofthis e*planation 3ery shortly but as ,e say the outline is enough for any one to thin1 of at first.

And no, ,e ha3e rudimentary man beginning his e*istence on globe A in that ,orld ,here all things aras the ghosts of the corresponding things in this ,orld. "e is beginning his long descent into matter. And

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the life impulse of each <round= o3erflo,s and the races of man are established in different degrees ofperfection on all the planets on each in turn. But the rounds are more complicated in their design thanthis e*planation ,ould sho, if it stopped short here. The process for each spiritual monad is not merelya passage from planet to planet. Within the limits of each planet each time it arri3es there it has acomplicated process of e3olution to perform. 't is many times incarnated in successi3e races of menbefore it passes on,ard and it e3en has many incarnations in each great race. 't ,ill be found ,hen ,eget on further that this fact thro,s a flood of light upon the actual condition of man1ind as ,e 1no, it

accounting for those immense differences of intellect and morality and e3en of ,elfare in its highestsense ,hich generally appear so painfully mysterious.

That ,hich has a definite beginning generally has an end also. As ,e ha3e sho,n that the e3olutionaryprocess under description began ,hen certain impulses first commenced their operation so it may beinferred that they are tending to,ards a final consummation to,ards a goal and a conclusion. That is sothough the goal is still far off. -an as ,e 1no, him on this earth is but half(,ay through the e3olutionarprocess to ,hich he o,es his present de3elopment. "e ,ill be as much greater before the destiny of ousystem is accomplished than he is no, as he is no, greater than the missing lin1. And thatimpro3ement ,ill e3en be accomplished on this earth ,hile in the other ,orlds of the ascending series

there are still loftier pea1s of perfection to be scaled. 't is utterly beyond the range of faculties untutoredin the discernment of occult mysteries to imagine the 1ind of life ,hich man ,ill thus ultimately leadbefore the ?enith of the great cycle is attained. But there is enough to be done in filling up the details ofthe outline no, presented to the reader ,ithout attempting to forecast those ,hich ha3e to do ,ithe*istences to,ards ,hich e3olution is reaching across the enormous abysses of the future.

ANNOTATONS

An e*pression occurs in the foregoing chapter ,hich does not recommend itself to the some,hat fuller

conceptions ' ha3e been able to form of the sub5ect since this boo1 ,as ,ritten. 't is stated that <thespiritual monads ( the indi3idual atoms of that immense life impulse of ,hich so much has been said ( dnot fully complete their mineral e*istence on globe A then complete it on globe B and so on. The$ passse3eral times round the ,hole circle as minerals and then again se3eral times round as 3egetables Nc)o, it is intelligible to me that ' ,as permitted to use this form of e*pression in the first instance becausthe main purpose in 3ie, ,as to elucidate the ,ay in ,hich the human entity ,as gradually e3ol3ed fromprocesses of )ature going on in the first instance in lo,er 1ingdoms. But in truth at a later stage of thein0uiry it becomes manifest that the 3ast process of ,hich the e3olution of humanity and all ,hich thatleads up to is the cro,ning act the descent of spirit into matter does not bring about a differentiation ofindi3idualities until a much later stage than is contemplated in the passage 5ust 0uoted. 'n the mineral,orlds on ,hich the higher forms of plant and animal life ha3e not yet been established there is no such

thing as yet as an indi3idual spiritual monad unless indeed by 3irtue of some inconcei3able unity (inconcei3able but sub5ect to treatment as a theory none the less ( in the life impulses ,hich are destineto gi3e rise to the later chains of highly organi?ed e*istence. 8ust as in a preceding note ,e assumed theunity of such a life impulse in the case of a per3erted human Ego falling a,ay as a ,hole from thecurrent of e3olution on ,hich it ,as launched so ,e may assume the same unity bac1,ards to theearliest beginnings of the planetary chain. But this can be no more than a protecti3e hypothesisreser3ing us the right to in3estigate some mysteries later on that ,e need not go into at present. For ageneral appreciation of the sub5ect it is better to regard the first infusion as it ,ere of spirit into matter apro3o1ing a homogeneous manifestations. The specific forms of the mineral 1ingdom the crystals and

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differentiated roc1s are but bubbles in the seething mass assuming partially indi3iduali?ed forms for atime and rushing again into the general substance of the gro,ing cosmos not yet true indi3idualities.)or e3en in the 3egetable 1ingdom does indi3iduality set in. The 3egetable establishes organic matter inphysical manifestation and prepares the ,ay for the higher e3olution of the animal 1ingdom. 'n this forthe first time but only in the higher regions of this is true indi3iduality e3o1ed. Therefore it is not till ,ebegin in imagination to contemplate the passage of the great life impulse round the planetary chain onthe le3el of animal incarnation that it ,ould be strictly 5ustifiable to spea1 of the spiritual monads as

tra3eling round the circle as a plurality to ,hich the ,ord <they= ,ould properly apply.

't is e3idently not ,ith the intention of encouraging any close study of e3olution on the 3ery grand scale,ith ,hich ,e are dealing here that the adept authors of the doctrine set forth in this 3olume ha3eopened the sub5ect of the planetary chain. As far as humanity is concerned the period during ,hich thisearth ,ill be occupied by our race is more than long enough to absorb all our speculati3e energy. Themagnitude of the e3olutionary process to be accomplished during that period is more than enough to ta*to the utmost the capacities of an ordinary imagination. But it is e*tremely ad3antageous for students ofthe occult doctrine to reali?e the plurality of ,orlds in our system once for all ( their intimate relations ,ittheir interdependence on each other ( before concentrating attention on the e3olution of this single

planet. For in many respects the e3olution of a single planet follo,s a routine as it ,ill be found directlythat bears an analogical resemblance to the routine affecting the entire series of planets to ,hich itbelongs. The older ,ritings on occult science of the obscurely ,orded order sometimes refer tosuccessi3e states of one ,orld as if successi3e ,orlds ,ere meant and vice versa. !onfusion thusarises in the reader;s mind and according to the bent of his o,n inclination he clings to 3ariousinterpretations of the misty language. The obscurity disappears ,hen ,e reali?e that in the actual facts )ature ,e ha3e to recogni?e &oth courses of change. Each planet ,hile inhabited by humanity goesthrough metamorphoses of a highly important and impressi3e character the effect of ,hich may in eachcase be almost regarded as e0ui3alent to the reconstitution of the ,orld. But none the less if the ,holegroup of such changes is treated as a unity does it form one of a higher series of changes. The se3eral,orlds of the chain are ob5ecti3e realities and not symbols of change in one single 3ariable ,orld.

Further remar1s on this head ,ill fall into their place more naturally at the close of a later chapter.

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CHAPTER "

The #orld Periods

A ST&'+')/ illustration of the uniformities of )ature is brought out by the first glance at the occultdoctrine in reference to the de3elopment of man on the earth. The outline of the design is the same as

the outline of the more comprehensi3e design co3ering the ,hole chain of ,orlds. The inner details ofthis ,orld as regards its units of construction are the same as the inner details of the larger organism o,hich this ,orld itself is a unit. That is to say the de3elopment of humanity on this earth is accomplishedby means of successi3e ,a3es of de3elopment ,hich correspond to the successi3e ,orlds in the greatplanetary chain. The great tide of human life be it remembered ( for that has been already set forth (s,eeps round the ,hole circle of ,orlds in successi3e ,a3es. These primary gro,ths of humanity maybe con3eniently spo1en of as rounds. We must not forget that the indi3idual units constituting eachround in turn are identically the same as regards their higher principles that is that the indi3idualities othe earth during round one come bac1 again after completing their tra3els round the ,hole series of,orlds and constitute round t,o and so on. But the point to ,hich special attention should be dra,n heris that the indi3idual unit ha3ing arri3ed at any gi3en planet of the series in the course of any gi3en

round does not merely touch that planet and pass on to the ne*t. Before passing on he has to li3ethrough a series of races on that planet. And this fact suggests the outline of the fabric ,hich ,illpresently de3elop itself in the reader;s mind and e*hibit that similarity of design on the part of one ,orldas compared ,ith the ,hole series to ,hich attention has already been dra,n. As the complete schemeof )ature that ,e belong to is ,or1ed out by means of a series of rounds s,eeping through all the,orlds so the de3elopment of humanity on each ,orld is ,or1ed out by a series of races de3eloped,ithin the limits of each ,orld in turn.

't is time no, to ma1e the ,or1ing of this la, clearer by coming to the actual figures ,hich ha3e to do,ith the e3olution of our doctrine. 't ,ould ha3e been premature to begin ,ith them but as soon as the

idea of a system of ,orlds in a chain and of life e3olution on each through a series of rebirths issatisfactorily grasped the further e*amination of the la,s at ,or1 ,ill be greatly facilitated by precisereference to the actual number of ,orlds and the actual number of rounds and races re0uired toaccomplish the ,hole purpose of the system. For the ,hole duration of the system is as certainly limitedin time be it remembered as the life of a single man. Probably not limited to any definite number ofyears set irre3ocably from the commencement but that ,hich has a beginning progresses on,ardto,ards an end. The life of a man lea3ing accidents 0uite out of the account is a terminable period andthe life of a ,orld system leads up to a final consummation. The 3ast periods of time concerned in thelife of a ,orld system da??le the imagination as a rule but still they are measurable@ they are di3isibleinto sub(periods of 3arious 1inds and these ha3e a definite number.

By ,hat prophetic instinct Sha1espeare pitched upon se3en as the number ,hich suited his fantasticclassification of the ages of man is a 0uestion ,ith ,hich ,e need not be much concerned@ but certain iis that he could not ha3e made a more felicitous choice. 'n periods of se3ens the e3olution of the races oman may be traced and the actual number of the ob5ecti3e ,orlds ,hich constitute our system and of,hich the earth is one is se3en also. &emember the occult scientists 1no, this as a fact 5ust as thephysical scientists 1no, for a fact that the spectrum consists of se3en colours and the musical scale ofse3en tones. There are se3en 1ingdoms of )ature not three as modern science has imperfectlyclassified them. -an belongs to a 1ingdom distinctly separate from that of the animals including beingsin a higher state of organi?ation than that ,hich manhood has familiari?ed us ,ith as yet@ and belo, the

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mineral 1ingdom there are three others ,hich science in the West 1no,s nothing about@ but this branchof the sub5ect may be set aside for the present. 't is mentioned merely to sho, the regular operation ofthe septenary la, in )ature.

-an ( returning to the 1ingdom ,e are most interested in ( is e3ol3ed in a series of rounds Dprogressionround the series of ,orlds and se3en of these rounds ha3e to be accomplished before the destinies of

our system are ,or1ed out. The round ,hich is at present going on is the fourth. There areconsiderations of the utmost possible interest connected ,ith precise 1no,ledge on these pointsbecause each round is as it ,ere specially allotted to the predominance of one of the se3en principles man and in the regular order of their up,ard gradation.

An indi3idual unit arri3ing on a planet for the first time in the course of a round has to ,or1 throughse3en races on that planet before he passes on to the ne*t and each of those races occupies the earthfor a long time. Our old(fashioned speculations about time and eternity suggested by the misty religioussystems of the West ha3e brought on a curious habit of mind in connection ,ith problems bearing on thactual duration of such periods. We can tal1 glibly of eternity and going to the other end of the scale ,

are not shoc1ed by a fe, thousand years but directly years are numbered ,ith precision in groups ,hiclie in inter3ening regions of thought illogical Western theologians are apt to regard such numbering asnonsense. )o, ,e at present li3ing on this earth ( the great bul1 of humanity that is to say for there are*ceptional cases to be considered later ( are no, going through the fifth race of our present fourthround. And yet the e3olution of that fifth race began about a million of years ago. Will the reader inconsideration of the fact that the present cosmogony does not profess to ,or1 ,ith eternity ner3e himseto deal ,ith estimates that do concern themsel3es ,ith millions of years and e3en count such millions bconsiderable numbersH

Each race of the se3en ,hich go to ma1e up a round ( i.e. ,hich are e3ol3ed on the earth in succession

during its occupation by the great ,a3e of humanity passing round the planetary chain ( is itself sub5ectto subdi3ision. Were this not the case the acti3e e*istences of each human unit ,ould be indeed fe, anfar bet,een. Within the limits of each race there are se3en subdi3isional races and again ,ithin the limiof each subdi3ision there are se3en branch races. Through all these races roughly spea1ing eachindi3idual human unit must pass during his stay on earth each time he arri3es there on a round ofprogress through the planetary system. On reflection this necessity should not appal the mind so muchas a hypothesis ,hich ,ould pro3ide for fe,er incarnations. For ho,e3er many li3es each indi3idual unmay pass through ,hole on earth during a round be their numbers fe, or many he cannot pass on untthe time comes for the round ,a3e to s,eep for,ard. E3en by the calculation already foreshado,ed it,ill be seen that the time spent by each indi3idual unit in physical life can only be a small fraction of the,hole time he has to get through bet,een his arri3al on earth and his departure for the ne*t planet. The

larger part of the time ( as ,e rec1on duration of time ( is ob3iously therefore spent in those sub5ecti3econditions of e*istence ,hich belong to the <World of Effects= or spiritual earth attached to the physicalearth on ,hich our ob5ecti3e e*istence is passed.

The nature of e*istence on the spiritual earth must be considered pari passu ,ith the nature of thatpassed on the physical earth and dealt ,ith in the abo3e enumeration of race incarnations. We mustne3er forget that bet,een each physical e*istence the indi3idual unit passes through a period ofe*istence in the corresponding spiritual ,orld. And it is because the conditions of that e*istence aredefined by the use that has been made of the opportunities in the ne*t preceding physical e*istence th

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the spiritual earth is often spo1en of in occult ,riting as the ,orld of effects. The earth itself is itscorresponding ,orld of causes.

That ,hich passes naturally into the ,orld of effects after an incarnation in the ,orld of causes is theindi3idual unit or spiritual monad@ but the personality 5ust dissol3ed passes there ,ith it to an e*tentdependent on the 0ualifications of such personality ( on the use that is to say ,hich the person in

0uestion has made of his opportunities in life. The period to be spent in the ,orld of effects ( enormouslylonger in each case than the life ,hich has pa3ed the ,ay for e*istence there ( corresponds to the<hereafter= or hea3en of ordinary theology. The narro, pur3ie, of ordinary religious conceptions dealsmerely ,ith one spiritual life and its conse0uences in the life to come. Theology concei3es that the entityconcerned had its beginning in this physical life and that the ensuing spiritual life ,ill ne3er stop. And thpair of e*istences ,hich is sho,n by the elements of occult science that ,e are no, unfolding toconstitute a part only of the entity;s e*perience during its connection ,ith a branch race ,hich is one ofse3en belonging to a subdi3isional race itself one of se3en belonging to a main race itself one of se3enbelonging to the occupation of earth by one of the se3en round(,a3es of humanity ,hich ha3e each tooccupy it in turn before its functions in )ature are concluded ( this microscopic molecule of the ,holestructure is ,hat common theology treats as more than the ,hole for it is supposed to co3er eternity.

The reader must here be ,arned against one conclusion to ,hich the abo3e e*planations ( perfectlyaccurate as far as they go but not yet co3ering the ,hole ground ( might lead him. "e ,ill not get at thee*act number of li3es an indi3idual entity has to lead on the earth in the course of its occupation by oneround if he merely raises se3en to its third po,er. 'f one e*istence only ,ere passed in each branch racthe total number ,ould ob3iously be >G> but each life descends at least t,ice into ob5ecti3ity in the sambranch ( each monad in other ,ords incarnates t,ice in each branch race. Again there is a curiouscyclic la, ,hich operates to augment the total number of incarnations beyond I$I. Each subdi3isionalrace has a certain e*tra 3itality at its clima* ,hich leads it to thro, off an additional offshoot race at thapoint in its progress and again another offshoot race is de3eloped at the end of the subdi3isional race b

its dying momentum so to spea1. Through these races the ,hole tide of human life passes and theresult is that the actual normal number of incarnations for each monad is not far short of $MM. Withinrelati3ely narro, limits it is a 3ariable number but the bearings of that fact may be considered later on.

The methodical la, ,hich carries each and e3ery indi3idual human entity through the 3ast e3olutionaryprocess thus s1etched out is in no ,ay incompatible ,ith that liability to fall a,ay into abnormal destinieor ultimate annihilation ,hich menaces the personal entities of people ,ho culti3ate 3ery ignobleaffinities. The distribution of the se3en principles at death sho,s that clearly enough but 3ie,ed in thelight of these further e*planations about e3olution the situation may be better reali?ed. The permanententity is that ,hich li3es through the ,hole series of li3es not only through the races belonging to the

present round(,a3e on earth but also through those of other round(,a3es and other ,orlds. Broadlyspea1ing it may in due time though at some inconcei3ably distant future as measured in years reco3a recollection of all those li3es ,hich ,ill seem as days in the past to us. But the astral dross cast off ateach passage into the ,orld of effects has a more or less independent e*istence of its o,n 0uiteseparate from that of the spiritual entity from ,hich it has 5ust been disunited.

The natural history of this astral remnant is a problem of much interest and importance@ but a methodicacontinuation of the ,hole sub5ect ,ill re0uire us in the first instance to endea3our to reali?e the destiny othe higher and more durable spiritual Ego and before going into that in0uiry there is a good deal more t

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be said about the de3elopment of the ob5ecti3e races.

Esoteric science though interesting itself mainly ,ith matters generally regarded as appertaining toreligion ,ould not be the complete comprehensi3e and trust,orthy system that it is if it failed to bring athe facts of earth life into harmony ,ith its doctrines. 't ,ould ha3e been little able to search out andascertain the manner in ,hich the human race has e3ol3ed through eons of time and series of planets

it had not been in a position to ascertain also as the smaller in0uiry is included in the greater the mannein ,hich the ,a3e of humanity ,ith ,hich ,e are no, concerned has been de3eloped on this earth. Thefaculties in short ,hich enable adepts to read the mysteries of other ,orlds and of other states ofe*istence are in no ,ay une0ual to the tas1 of tra3elling bac1 along the life(current of this globe. 'tfollo,s that ,hile the brief record of a fe, thousand years is all that our so(called uni3ersal history candeal ,ith the earth history ,hich forms a department of esoteric 1no,ledge goes bac1 to the incidentsof the fourth race ,hich preceded ours and to those of the third race ,hich preceded that. 't goes bac1still further indeed but the second and first races did not de3elop anything that could be calledci3ili?ation and of them therefore there is less to be said than of their successors. The third and fourthdid ( strange as it may seem to some modern readers to contemplate the notion of ci3ilisation on theearth se3eral millions of years ago.

Where are its tracesH they ,ill as1. "o, could the ci3ili?ation ,ith ,hich Europe has no, endo,edman1ind pass a,ay so completely that any future inhabitants of the earth could e3er be ignorant that itonce e*istedH "o, then can ,e concei3e the idea that any similar ci3ilisation can ha3e 3anished lea3inno records for usH

The ans,er lies in the regular routine of planetary life ,hich goes on pari passu ,ith the life of itsinhabitants. The periods of the great root races are di3ided from each other by great con3ulsions of)ature and by great geological changes. Europe ,as not in e*istence as a continent at the time the

fourth race flourished. The continent on ,hich the fourth race li3ed ,as not in e*istence at the time thethird race flourished. and neither of the continents ,hich ,ere the great 3ortices of the ci3ili?ations ofthese t,o races are in e*istence no,. Se3en great continental cataclysms occur during the occupation othe earth by the human life(,a3e for one round(period. Each race is cut off in this ,ay at its appointedtime some sur3i3ors remaining in parts of the ,orld not the proper home of their race@ but thesein3ariably in such cases e*hibiting a tendency to decay and relapsing into barbarism ,ith more or lessrapidity.

The proper home of the fourth race ,hich directly preceded our o,n ,as that continent of ,hich somememory has been preser3ed e3en in e*oteric literature ( the lost Atlantis. But the great island the

destruction of ,hich is spo1en of by Plato ,as really but the last remnant of the continent. <'n theEocene age= ' am told <e3en in its 3ery first part the great cycle of the fourth race men the Atlanteanshad already reached its highest point and the great continent the father of nearly all the presentcontinents sho,ed the first symptoms of sin1ing ( a process that occupied it do,n to ##GGI years ago,hen its last island that translating its 3ernacular name ,e may call ,ith propriety Poseidonis ,entdo,n ,ith a crash.

“Lemuria= Da former continent stretching south,ards from 'ndia across ,hat is no, the 'ndian Ocean buconnected ,ith Atlantis for Africa ,as not then in e*istence <should no more be confounded ,ith the

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Atlantis continent than Europe ,ith America. Both san1 and ,ere dro,ned ,ith their high ci3ili?ationsand Cgods@; yet bet,een the t,o catastrophes a period of about JMMMMM years elapsed Lemuriaflourishing and ending her career 5ust about that lapse of time before the early part of the Eocene agesince its race ,as the third. Behold the relics of that once great nation in some of the flat(headedaborigines of your Australia.=

't is a mista1e on the part of a recent ,riter on Atlantis to people 'ndia and Egypt ,ith the colonies of thacontinent but of that more anon.

“Why should not your geologists= as1s my re3ered -ahatma teacher <bear in mind that under thecontinents e*plored and fathomed by them in the bo,els of ,hich they ha3e found the Eocene age andforced it to deli3er them its secrets there may be hidden deep in the fathomless or rather unfathomedocean beds other and far older continents ,hose strata ha3e ne3er been geologically e*plored@ and thathey may some day upset entirely their present theoriesH Why not admit that our present continentsha3e li1e Lemuria and Atlantis been se3eral times already submerged and had the time to reappearagain and bear their ne, groups of man1ind and ci3ili?ation@ and that at the first great geological

uphea3al at the ne*t cataclysm in the series of periodical cataclysms that occur from the beginning tothe end of e3ery round our already autopsi?ed continents ,ill go do,n and the Lemurias and Atlantisescome up againH

“Of course the fourth race had its periods of the highest ci3ili?ation.= DThe letter from ,hich ' am no,0uoting ,as ,ritten in ans,er to a series of 0uestions ' put. </ree1 and &oman and e3en Egyptianci3ili?ations are nothing compared to the ci3ili?ations that began ,ith the third race. Those of the secondrace ,ere not sa3ages but they could not be called ci3ili?ed.

“/ree1s and &omans ,ere small sub(races and Egyptians part and parcel of our o,n !aucasian stoc1Loo1 at the latter and at 'ndia. "a3ing reached the highest ci3ili?ation and ,hat is more learning both

,ent do,n@ Egypt as a distinct sub(race disappearing entirely Dher !opts are but a hybrid remnant@'ndia as one of the first and most po,erful offshoots of the mother race and composed of a number ofsub(races lasting to these times and struggling to ta1e once more her place in history some day. Thathistory catches but a fe, stray ha?y glimpses of Egypt some #9MMM years bac1 ,hen ha3ing alreadyreached the ape* of its cycle thousands of years before the latter had begun to go do,n.

“The !haldees ,ere at the ape* of their occult fame before ,hat you term the Bron?e Age. We hold ( buthen ,hat ,arrant can you gi3e the ,orld that ,e are rightH ( that far greater ci3ili?ations than our o,nha3e risen and decayed. 't is not enough to say as some of your modern ,riters do that an e*tinctci3ili?ation e*isted before &ome and Athens ,ere founded. We affirm that a series of ci3ili?ations e*istebefore as ,ell as after the glacial period that they e*isted upon 3arious points of the globe reached theape* of glory and died. E3ery trace and memory had been lost of the Assyrian and Phoenicianci3ili?ations until disco3eries began to be made a fe, years ago. And no, they open a ne, though notby far one of the earliest pages in the history of man1ind. And yet ho, far bac1 to those ci3ili?ations go icomparison ,ith the oldest and e3en then history is slo, to accept. Archaeology has sufficientlydemonstrated that the memory of man runs bac1 3astly further than history has been ,illing to acceptand the sacred records of once mighty nations preser3ed by their heirs are still more ,orthy of trust. Wspea1 of ci3ili?ations of the ante(glacial period and not only in the minds of the 3ulgar and the profane

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but e3en in the opinion of the highly(learned geologist the claim sounds preposterous. What ,ould yousay then to our affirmation that the !hinese ( ' no, spea1 of the inland the true !hinamen not of thehybrid mi*ture bet,een the fourth and fifth races no, occupying the throne ( the aborigines ,ho belongin their unallied nationality ,holly to the highest and last branch of the fourth race reached their highestci3ili?ation ,hen the fifth had hardly appeared in Asia. When ,as itH !alculate. The group of islandsdisco3ered by )ordens1ild of the 'ega ,as found stre,n ,ith fossils of horses sheep o*en Nc.among gigantic bones of elephants mammoths rhinoceroses and other monsters belonging to periods

,hen man says your science had not yet made his appearance on earth. "o, came horses and sheepto be found in company ,ith the huge antedilu3iansH

“The region no, loc1ed in the fetters of eternal ,inter uninhabited by man ( that most fragile of animals,ill 3ery soon be pro3ed to ha3e had not only a tropical climate something your science 1no,s and doenot dispute but ha3ing been li1e,ise the seat of one of the most ancient ci3ili?ations of the fourth race,hose highest relics ,e no, find in the degenerate !hinaman and ,hose lo,est are hopelessly Dfor thprofane scientist intermi*ed ,ith the remnants of the third. ' told you before that the highest people no,on earth Dspiritually belong to the first sub(race of the fifth root race and those are the Aryan Asiatics thhighest race Dphysical intellectuality is the last sub(race of the fifth ( yoursel3es the ,hite con0uerors.

The ma5ority of man1ind belongs to the se3enth sub(race of the fourth root race ( the abo3e(mentioned!hinamen and their offshoots and branchlets D-alayans -ongolians Tibetans 8a3anese Nc. Nc. (,ith remnants of other sub(races of the fourth and the se3enth sub(race of the third race. All these fallendegraded semblances of humanity are the direct lineal descendants of highly ci3ili?ed nations neither thnames nor memory of ,hich ha3e sur3i3ed e*cept in such boo1s as CPopul3uh; the sacred boo1 of the/uatemalans and a fe, others un1no,n to science.=

' had in0uired ,as there any ,ay of accounting for ,hat seems the curious rush of human progress,ithin the last t,o thousand years as compared ,ith the relati3ely stagnant condition of the fourth(roundpeople up to the beginning of modern progress. This 0uestion it ,as that elicited the e*planations 0uote

abo3e and also the follo,ing remar1s in regard to the recent <rush of human progress.=

“The latter end of a 3ery important cycle. Each round each race as e3ery sub(race has its great and itssmaller cycles on e3ery planet that man1ind passes through. Our fourth(round humanity has its one grecycle and so ha3e its races and sub(races. CThe curious rush; is due to the double effect of the former (the beginning of its do,n,ard course ( and of the latter Dthe small cycle of your sub(race running on toits ape*. &emember you belong to the fifth race yet you are but a ,estern sub(race. )ot,ithstandingyour efforts ,hat you call ci3ili?ation is confined only to the latter and its offshoots in America. &adiatingaround its decepti3e light may seem to thro, its rays on a greater distance than it does in reality. Thereis no rush in !hina and of 8apan you ma1e but a caricature.

“ A student of occultism ought not to spea1 of the stagnant condition of the fourth(round people sincehistory 1no,s ne*t to nothing of that condition Cup to the beginning of modern progress; of other nationbut the Western. What do you 1no, of America for instance before the in3asion of that country by theSpaniardsH Less than t,o centuries prior to the arri3al of !orte? there ,as great a rush to,ards progresamong the sub(races of Peru and -e*ico as there is no, in Europe and the 2nited States. Their sub(race ended in nearly total annihilation through causes generated by itself. We may spea1 only of theCstagnant; condition into ,hich follo,ing the la, of de3elopment gro,th maturity and decline e3ery racand sub(race falls during the transition periods. 't is that latter condition your uni3ersal history is

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ac0uainted ,ith ,hile it remains superbly ignorant of the condition e3en 'ndia ,as in some ten centuriebac1. our sub(races are no, running to,ard the ape* of their respecti3e cycles and that history goesno further bac1 that the periods of decline of a fe, other sub(races belonging most of them to thepreceding fourth race.=

' had as1ed to ,hat epoch Atlantis belonged and ,hether the cataclysm by ,hich it ,as destroyed cam

in an appointed place in the progress of e3olution corresponding for the de3elopment of races to theobscuration of planets. The ans,er ,as (

“To the -iocene times. E3erything comes in its appointed time and place in the e3olution of roundsother,ise it ,ould be impossible for the best seer to calculate the e*act hour and year ,hen suchcataclysms great and small ha3e to occur. All an adept could do ,ould be to predict an appro*imate time,hereas no, e3ents that result in great geological changes may be predicted ,ith as mathematical acertainty as eclipses and other re3olutions in space. The sin1ing of Atlantis Dthe group of continents andisles began during the -iocene period ( as certain of your continents are no, obser3ed to be graduallysin1ing ( and it culminated first in the final disappearance of the largest continent an e3ent coincident

,ith the ele3ation of the Alps and second ,ith that of the last of the fair islands mentioned by Plato. ThEgyptian priests of SaUs told his ancestor Solon that Atlantis Di.e. the only remaining large island hadperished KMMM years before their time. This ,as not a fancy date since they had for millenniumspreser3ed most carefully their records. But then as ' say they spo1e but of the Poseidonis and ,ouldnot re3eal e3en to the great /ree1 legislator their secret chronology. As there are no geological reasonsfor doubting but on the contrary a mass of e3idence for accepting the tradition science has finallyaccepted the e*istence of the great continent and archipelago and thus 3indicated the truth of one moreCfable.;

“The approach of e3ery ne, obscuration is al,ays signalled by cataclysms of either fire or ,ater. But

apart from this e3ery root race has to be cut in t,o so to say by either one or the other. Thus ha3ingreached the ape* of its de3elopment and glory the fourth race ( the Atlanteans ( ,ere destroyed by,ater@ you find no, but their degenerate fallen remnants ,hose sub(races ne3ertheless each of themhas its palmy days of glory and relati3e greatness. What they are no, you ,ill be some day the la, ofcycles being one and immutable. When your race the fifth ,ill ha3e reached its ?enith of physicalintellectuality and de3eloped its highest ci3ili?ation Dremember the difference ,e ma1e bet,een materiaand spiritual ci3ili?ations unable to go any higher in its o,n cycle its progress to,ards absolute e3il ,ibe arrested Das its predecessors the Lemurians and the Atlanteans the men of the third and fourthraces ,ere arrested in their progress to,ards the same by one of such cataclysmic changes its greatci3ili?ation destroyed and all the sub(races of that race ,ill be found going do,n their respecti3e cyclesafter a short period of glory and learning. See the remnants of the Atlanteans the old /ree1s and

&omans Dthe modern belong to the fifth race. See ho, great and ho, short ho, e3anescent ,ere theirdays of fame and glory. For they ,ere but sub(races of the se3en offshoots of the root race. Branches othe subdi3isions according to the nomenclature ' ha3e adopted pre3iously. )o mother race any morethan her sub(races and offshoots is allo,ed by the one reigning la, to trespass upon the prerogati3es the race or sub(race that ,ill follo, it@ least of all to encroach upon the 1no,ledge and po,ers in store foits successor.=

The <progress to,ards absolute e3il.= arrested by the cataclysms of each race in turn sets in ,ith theac0uisition by means of ordinary intellectual research and scientific ad3ancement of those po,ers o3e

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)ature ,hich accrue e3en no, in adeptship from the premature de3elopment of higher faculties thanthose ,e ordinarily employ. ' ha3e spo1en slightly of these po,ers in a preceding chapter ,henendea3ouring to describe our esoteric teachers@ to describe them minutely ,ould lead me into a longdigression on occult phenomena. 't is enough to say that they are such as cannot but be dangerous tosociety generally and pro3ocati3e of all manner of crimes ,hich ,ould utterly defy detection ifpossessed by persons capable of regarding them as anything else but a profoundly sacred trust. )o,some of these po,ers are simply the practical application of obscure forces of )ature susceptible of

disco3ery in the course of ordinary scientific progress. Such progress had been accomplished by theAtlanteans. The ,orldly men of science in that race had learned the secrets of the disintegration andreintegration of matter ,hich fe, but practical spiritualists as yet 1no, to be possible and of control o3the elementals by means of ,hich that and other e3en more portentous phenomena can be produced.Such po,ers in the hands of persons ,illing to use them for merely selfish and unscrupulous ends musnot only be producti3e of social disaster but also for the persons ,ho hold them of progress in thedirection of that e3illy spiritual e*altation ,hich is a far more terrible result than suffering andincon3enience in this ,orld. Thus it is ,hen physical intellect unguarded by ele3ated morality runs o3einto the proper region of spiritual ad3ancement that the natural la, pro3ides for its 3iolent repression.The contingency ,ill be better understood ,hen ,e come to deal ,ith the general destinies to,ards,hich humanity is tending.

The principle under ,hich the 3arious races of man as they de3elop are controlled collecti3ely by thecyclic la, ho,e3er they may indi3idually e*ercise the free ,ill they un0uestionably possess is thus 3erplainly asserted. For people ,ho ha3e ne3er regarded human affairs as co3ering more than the 3eryshort period ,ith ,hich history deals the course of e3ents ,ill perhaps as a rule e*hibit no cycliccharacter but rather a che0uered progress hastened sometimes by great men and fortunatecircumstances sometimes retarded by ,ar bigotry or inter3als of intellectual sterility but mo3ingcontinually on,ards in the long account at one rate of speed or another. As the esoteric 3ie, of thematter fortified by the ,ide range of obser3ation ,hich occult science is enabled to ta1e has analtogether opposite tendency it seems ,orth ,hile to conclude these e*planations ,ith an e*tract from a

distinguished author 0uite unconnected ,ith the occult ,orld ,ho ne3ertheless from a closeobser3ation of the mere historical record pronounces himself decisi3ely in fa3our of the theory of cycles'n his <"istory of the 'ntellectual 6e3elopment of Europe= 6r 8 W. 6raper ,rites as follo,s (

“We are as ,e often say the creatures of circumstances. 'n that e*pression there is a higher philosophthan might at first sight appear . . . .From this more accurate point of 3ie, ,e should therefore considerthe course of these e3ents recogni?ing the principle that the affairs of men pass for,ard in a determina,ay e*panding and unfolding themsel3es. And hence ,e see that the things of ,hich ,e ha3e spo1enas though they ,ere matters of choice ,ere in reality force upon their apparent authors by the necessitof the times. But in truth they should be considered as the presentation of a certain phase of life ,hich

nations in their on,ard course sooner or later assume. To the indi3idual ho, ,ell ,e 1no, that a sobermoderation of action an appropriate gra3ity of demeanour belong to the mature period of life changefrom the ,anton ,ilfulness of youth ,hich may be ushered in or its beginning mar1ed by manyaccidental incidents@ in one perhaps by domestic berea3ements in another by the loss of fortune in athird by ill(health. We are correct enough in imputing to such trials the change of character@ but ,e ne3edecei3e oursel3es by supposing that it ,ould ha3e failed to ta1e place had those incidents not occurredThere runs an irresistible destiny in the midst of all these 3icissitudes . . . There are analogies bet,eenthe life of a nation and that of an indi3idual ,ho though he may be in one respect the ma1er of his o,nfortunes for happiness or for misery for good or for e3il though he remains here or goes there as his

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inclinations prompt though he does this or abstains from that as he chooses is ne3ertheless held fastby an ine*orable fate ( a fate ,hich brought him into the ,orld in3oluntarily as far as he ,as concerned,hich presses him for,ard through a definite career the stages of ,hich are absolutely in3ariable (infancy childhood youth maturity old age ,ith all their characteristic actions and passions ( and ,hichremo3es him from the scene at the appointed time in most cases against his ,ill. So also it is ,ithnations@ the 3oluntary is only the out,ard semblance co3ering but hardly hiding the predetermined.O3er the e3ents of life ,e may ha3e control but none ,hatsoe3er o3er the la, of its progress. There is

geometry that applies to nations an e0uation of their cur3e of ad3ance. That no mortal man can touch.=

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CHAPTER "

$e%achan

'T ,as not possible to approach a consideration of the states into ,hich the higher human principlespass at death ,ithout first indicating the general frame,or1 of the ,hole design ,or1ed out in the cours

of the e3olution of man. That much of my tas1 ho,e3er ha3ing no, been accomplished ,e may passon to consider the natural destinies of each human Ego in the inter3al ,hich elapses bet,een the closeof one ob5ecti3e life and the commencement of another. At the commencement of another the +arma ofthe pre3ious ob5ecti3e life determines the state of life into ,hich the indi3idual shall be born. This doctrinof +arma is one of the most interesting features of Buddhist philosophy. There has been no secret abouit at any time though for ,ant of a proper comprehension of elements in the philosophy ,hich ha3ebeen strictly esoteric it may sometimes ha3e been misunderstood.

+arma is a collecti3e e*pression applied to that complicated group of affinities for good and e3ilgenerated by a human being during life and the character of ,hich inheres in his fifth principle all

through the inter3al ,hich elapses bet,een his death out of one ob5ecti3e life and his birth into the ne*tAs stated sometimes the doctrine seems to be one ,hich e*acts the notion of a superior spiritualauthority summing up the acts of a man;s life at its close ta1ing into consideration his good deeds andhis bad and gi3ing 5udgment about him on the ,hole aspect of the case. But a comprehension of the,ay in ,hich the human principles di3ide up at death ,ill afford a clue to the comprehension of the ,ayin ,hich +arma operates and also of the great sub5ect ,e may better ta1e up first ( the immediatespiritual condition of man after death.

At death the three lo,er principles ( the body its mere physical 3itality and its astral counterpart ( arefinally abandoned by that ,hich really is the -an himself and the four higher principles escape into that,orld immediately abo3e our o,n@ abo3e our o,n that is in the order of spirituality ( not abo3e it at allbut in it and of it as regards real locality ( the astral plane or 17ma loca according to a 3ery familiarSans1rit e*pression. "ere a di3ision ta1es place bet,een the t,o duads ,hich the four higher principleinclude. The e*planation already gi3en concerning the imperfect e*tent to ,hich the upper principles ofman are as yet de3eloped ,ill sho, that this estimation of the process as in the nature of a mechanicaseparation of the principles is a rough ,ay of dealing ,ith the matter. 't must be modified in the reader;smind by the light of ,hat has been already said. 't may be other,ise described as a trial of the e*tent to,hich the fifth principle has been de3eloped. &egarded in the light of the former idea ho,e3er ,e mustconcei3e the si*th and se3enth principles on the one hand dra,ing the fifth the human soul in onedirection ,hile the fourth dra,s it bac1 earth,ards in the other. )o, the fifth principle is a 3ery comple*entity separable itself into superior and inferior elements. 'n the struggle ,hich ta1es place bet,een itslate companion principles its best purest most ele3ated and spiritual portions cling to the si*th its lo,einstincts impulses and recollections adhere to the fourth and it is in a measure torn asunder. The lo,erremnant associating itself ,ith the fourth floats off in the earth;s atmosphere ,hile the best elementsthose be it understood ,hich really constitute the Ego of the late earthly personality the indi3iduality thconsciousness thereof follo, the si*th and se3enth into a spiritual condition the nature of ,hich ,e areabout to e*amine.

&e5ecting the popular English name for this spiritual condition as encrusted ,ith too manymisconceptions to be con3enient let us 1eep to the Oriental designation of that region or state into ,hic

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the higher principles of human creatures pass at death. This is additionally desirable because althoughthe 6e3achan of Buddhist philosophy corresponds in some respects to the modern European idea ofhea3en it differs from hea3en in others ,hich are e3en more important.

Firstly ho,e3er in 6e3achan that ,hich sur3i3es is not merely the indi3idual monad ,hich sur3i3esthrough all the changes of the ,hole e3olutionary scheme and flits from body to body from planet to

planet and so forth ( that ,hich sur3i3es in 6e3achan is the man;s o,n self(conscious personality undesome restrictions indeed ,hich ,e ,ill come to directly but still it is the same personality as regards itshigher feelings aspirations affections and e3en tastes as it ,as on earth. Perhaps it ,ould be better tosay the essence of the late self(conscious personality.

't may be ,orth the reader;s ,hile to learn ,hat !olonel " S. Olcott has to say in his <Buddhist

!atechism= D#Gth thousand of the intrinsic difference bet,een <indi3iduality= and <personality.= Since he,rote not only under the appro3al of the "igh Priest of the Sripada and /alle Sumangala but also undethe direct instruction of his Adept /uru his ,ords ,ill ha3e ,eight for the student of occultism. This is,hat he says in his appendi* (

“2pon reflection ' ha3e submitted Cpersonality; for Cindi3iduality; as ,ritten in the first edition. Thesuccessi3e appearances upon one or many earths or Cdescents into generation; of the tanhaicall$coherent parts DS1andas of a certain being are a succession of personalities. 'n each birth thepersonalit$ differs from that of the pre3ious or ne*t succeeding birth. +arma the deus e( machin!, masDor shall ,e say reflectsH itself no, in the personality of a sage again as an artisan and so onthroughout the string of births. But though personalities e3er shift the one line of life along ,hich they astrung li1e beads runs unbro1en.

“'t is e3er that particular line, ne3er any other. 't is therefore indi3idual an indi3idual 3ital undulation

,hich began in )ir3ana or the sub5ecti3e side of )ature as the light or heat undulation through Vtherbegan at its dynamic source@ is careering through the ob5ecti3e side of )ature under the impulse of+arma and the creati3e direction of Tanha@ and tends through many cyclic changes bac1 to )ir3ana. -r&hys 6a3ids calls that ,hich passes from personality to personality along the indi3idual chain Ccharacteor Cdoing.; Since Ccharacter; is not a mere metaphysical abstraction but the sum of one;s mental 0ualitieand moral propensities ,ould it not help to dispel ,hat -r &hys 6a3ids calls Cthe desperate e*pedient oa mystery; if ,e regarded the life undulation as indi3iduality and each of its series of natal manifestationas a separate personalityH

“

The denial of Csoul; by Buddha Dsee CSanyutto )i1aya; the Sutta Pita1a points to the pre3alent delusi3ebelief in an independent transmissible personality@ and entity that could mo3e from birth to birthunchanged or go to a place or state ,here as such perfect entity it could eternally en5oy or suffer. And,hat he sho,s is that the C' am '; consciousness is as regards permanency logically impossible since ielementary constituents constantly change and the C'; of one birth differs from the C'; of e3ery other birthBut e3erything that ' ha3e found in Buddhism accords ,ith the theory of a gradual e3olution of the perfeman ( 3i?. A Buddha through numberless natal e*periences. And in the consciousness of that person ,hat the end of a gi3en chain of beings attains Buddha(hood or ,ho succeeds in attaining the fourth stageof 6hy7na or mystic self(de3elopment in any one of his births anterior to the final one the scenes of althese serial births are perceptible. 'n the C8ata1attaha3annana; so ,ell translated by -r &hys 6a3ids a

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&eaders ho,e3er ,ho may grant that a pur3ie, of earthly life from hea3en ,ould render happiness inhea3en impossible may still doubt ,hether true happiness is possible in the state as it may be ob5ectedof monotonous isolation no, described. The ob5ection is merely raised from the point of 3ie, of animagination that cannot escape from its present surroundings. To begin ,ith about monotony. )o one ,complain of ha3ing e*perienced monotony during the minute or moment or half(hour as it may ha3ebeen of the greatest happiness he may ha3e en5oyed in life. -ost people ha3e had some happymoments at all e3ents to loo1 bac1 to for the purpose of this comparison@ and let us ta1e e3en one suc

minute or moment too short to be open to the least suspicion of monotony and imagine its sensationsimmensely prolonged ,ithout any e*ternal e3ents in progress to mar1 the lapse of time. There is noroom in such a condition of things for the conception of ,eariness. The unalloyed unchangeablesensation of intense happiness goes on and on not for e3er because the causes ,hich ha3e producedare not infinite themsel3es but for 3ery long periods of time until the efficient impulse has e*hausteditself.

)or must it be supposed that there is so to spea1 no change of occupation for souls in 6e3achan ( thatany one moment of earthly sensation is selected for e*clusi3e perpetuation. As a teacher of the highestauthority on this sub5ect ,rites (

“There are t,o fields of causal manifestations ( the ob5ecti3e and sub5ecti3e. The grosser energies (those ,hich operate in the denser condition of matter ( manifest ob5ecti3ely in the ne*t physical life theioutcome being the ne, personality of each birth marshaling ,ithin the grand cycle of the e3ol3ingindi3iduality. 't is but the moral and spiritual acti3ities that find their sphere of effects in 6e3achan. Andthought and fancy being limitless ho, can it be argued for one moment that there is anything li1emonotony in the state of 6e3achanH Fe, are the men ,hose li3es ,ere so utterly destitute of feelinglo3e or of a more or less intense predilection for some one line of thought as to be made unfit for aproportionate period of 6e3achanic e*perience beyond their earthly life. So for instance ,hile the 3icesphysical and sensual attractions say of a great philosopher but a bad friend and a selfish man may

result in the birth of a ne, and still greater intellect but at the same time a most miserable man reapingthe +armic effects of all the causes produced by the Cold; being and ,hose ma1e(up ,as ine3itable fromthe pre(ponderating procli3ities of that being in the preceding birth the intermedial period bet,een thet,o physical births cannot be in )ature;s e*0uisitely ,ell(ad5usted la,s but a hiatus ofunconsciousness. There can be no such dreary blan1 as 1indly promised or rather implied by !hristianProtestant theology to the Cdeparted souls; ,hich bet,een death and Cresurrection; ha3e to hang on inspace in mental catalepsy a,aiting the C6ay of 8udgment.; !auses produced by mental and spiritualenergy being far greater and more important than those that are created by physical impulses theireffects ha3e to be for ,eal or ,oe proportionately as great. Li3es on this earth or other earths affordinno proper field for such effects and e3ery labourer being entitled to his o,n har3est they ha3e to e*panin either 6e3achan or A3itchi. The lo,est states of 6e3achan interchain ,ith those of A3itchi. Bacon fo

instance ,hom a poet called

‘The brightest ,isest meanest of man1ind;might reappear in his ne*t incarnation as a greedy money(getter ,ith e*traordinary intellectual capacities. But ho,e3er great the latter they ,ould find no properfield in ,hich that particular line of thought pursued during his pre3ious lifetime by the founder of moderphilosophy could reap all its dues. 't ,ould be but the astute la,yer the corrupt Attorney(/eneral theungrateful friend and the dishonest Lord !hancellor ,ho might find led on by his +arma a congenialne, soil in the &od$ of the money(lender and reappear as a ne, Shyloc1. But ,here ,ould Bacon the

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incomparable thin1er ,ith ,hom philosophical in0uiry upon the most profound problems of )ature ,ashis Cfirst and last and only lo3e; ,here ,ould this Cintellectual giant of his race; once disrobed of his lo,enature go toH "a3e all the effects of that magnificent intellect to 3anish and disappearH !ertainly not.Thus his moral and spiritual 0ualities ,ould also ha3e to find a field in ,hich their energies could e*pandthemsel3es. 6e3achan is such a field. "ence all the great plans of moral reform of intellectual researchinto abstract principles of )ature ( all the di3ine spiritual aspirations that had so filled the brightest part ohis life ,ould in 6e3achan come to fruition@ and the abstract entity 1no,n in the preceding birth as

Francis Bacon and that ma$ be 1no,n in its subse0uent re(incarnation as a despised usurer ( thatBacon;s o,n creation his Fran1enstein the son of his +arma ( shall in the mean,hile occupy itself in thinner ,orld also of its o,n preparation in en5oying the effects of the grand beneficial spiritual causesso,n in life. 't ,ould li3e a purely and spiritually conscious e*istence ( a dream of realistic 3i3idness (until +arma being satisfied in that direction and the ripple of force reaching the edge of its sub(cyclebasin the being should mo3e into its ne*t area of causes either in this same ,orld or another accordingto his stage of progression . . . . Therefore there is; a change of occupation; a continual change in6e3achan. For that dreamlife is but the fruition the har3est(time of those psychic seed(germs droppedfrom the tree of physical e*istence in our moments of dream and hope ( fancy(glimpses of bliss andhappiness stifled in an ungrateful social soil blooming in the rosy da,n of 6e3achan and ripening undits e3er(fructifying s1y. 'f man had but one single moment of ideal e*perience not e3en then could it be

as erroneously supposed the indefinite prolongation of that Csingle moment.; That one note struc1 fromthe lyre of life ,ould form the 1ey(note of the being;s sub5ecti3e state and ,or1 out into numberlessharmonic tones and semitones of psychic phantasmagoria. There all unreali?ed hopes aspirationsdreams become fully reali?ed and the dreams of the ob5ecti3e become the realities of the sub5ecti3ee*istence. And there behind the curtain of -aya its 3aporous and decepti3e appearances are percei3eby the 'nitiate ,ho has learned the great secret ho, to penetrate thus deep into the Arcana ofBeing . . . .=

As physical e*istence has its cumulati3e intensity from infancy to prime and its diminishing energythencefor,ard to dotage and death so the dream(life of 6e3achan is li3ed correspondentially. There is

the first flutter of psychic life the attainment of prime the gradual e*haustion of force passing intoconscious lethargy semi(unconsciousness obli3ion and ( not death but birth ( birth into anotherpersonality and the resumption of action ,hich daily begets ne, congeries of causes that must be,or1ed out in another term of 6e3achan.

“'t is not a reality then it is a mere dream= ob5ectors ,ill urge@ <the soul so bathed in a delusi3esensation of en5oyment ,hich has no reality all the ,hile is being cheated by )ature and mustencounter a terrible shoc1 ,hen it ,a1es to its mista1e.= But in the nature of things it ne3er does or can,a1e. The ,a1ing from 6e3achan is its ne*t birth into ob5ecti3e life and the draught of Lethe has thenbeen ta1en. )or as regards the isolation of each soul is there any consciousness of isolation ,hate3er@

nor is there e3er possibly a parting from its chosen associates. Those associates are not in the nature ocompanions ,ho may ,ish to go a,ay of friends ,ho may tire of the friend that lo3es them e3en if he oshe does not tire of them. Lo3e the creating force has placed their li3ing image before the personal sou,hich cra3es for their presence and that image ,ill ne3er fly a,ay.

On this aspect of the sub5ect ' may again a3ail myself of the language of my teacher(

“Ob5ectors of that 1ind ,ill be simply postulating an incongruity an intercourse of entities in 6e3achan

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,hich applies only to the mutual relationship of physical e*istence T,o sympathetic souls bothdisembodied ,ill each ,or1 out its o,n 6e3achanic sensations ma1ing the other a sharer in itssub5ecti3e bliss. This ,ill be as real to them naturally as though both ,ere yet on this earth.)e3ertheless each is dissociated from the other as regards personal or corporeal association. While thelatter is the only one of its 1ind that is recogni?ed by our earth e*perience as an actual intercourse forthe 6e3achanee it ,ould be not only something unreal but could ha3e no e*istence for it in any sensenot e3en as a delusion a physical body or e3en a -7y73i(rRpa remaining to its spiritual senses as

in3isible as it is itself to the physical senses of those ,ho lo3ed it best on earth. Thus e3en though one othe Csharers; ,ere ali3e and utterly unconscious of that intercourse in his ,a1ing state still e3ery dealing,ith him ,ould be to the 6e3achanee an absolute realit$ And ,hat actual companionship could theree3er be other than the purely idealistic one as abo3e described bet,een t,o su&*ective entities ,hichare not e3en as material as that ethereal body(shado, ( the -7y73i(rRpaH To ob5ect to this on the grounthat one is thus Ccheated by )ature; and to call it C a delusi3e sensation of en5oyment ,hich has noreality; is to sho, oneself utterly unfit to comprehend the conditions of life and being outside of ourmaterial e*istence. For ho, can the same distinction be made in 6e3achan ( i.e. outside of the conditionof earth(life ( bet,een ,hat ,e call a reality and a factitious or an artificial counterfeit of the same in thisour ,orldH The same principle cannot apply to the t,o sets of conditions. 't is concei3able that ,hat ,ecall a reality in our embodied physical state ,ill e*ist under the same conditions as an actuality for a

disembodied entityH On earth man is dual ( in the sense of being a thing of matter and a thing of spirit@hence the natural distinction made by his mind ( the analyst of his physical sensations and spiritualperceptions ( bet,een an actuality and a fiction@ though e3en in this life the t,o groups of faculties areconstantly e0uilibrating each other each group ,hen dominant seeing as fiction or delusion ,hat theother belie3es to be most real. But in 6e3achan our Ego has ceased to be dualistic in the abo3e senseand becomes a spiritual mental entity. That ,hich ,as a fiction a dream in life and ,hich had its beingbut in the region of Cfancy; becomes under the ne, conditions of e*istence the only possible realit$ .Thus for us to postulate the possibility of any other reality for a 6e3achanee is to maintain an absurditya monstrous fallacy an idea unphilosophical to the last degree. The actual is that ,hich is acted orperformed de facto Cthe reality of a thing is pro3ed by its actuality.; And the suppositions and artificialha3ing no possible e*istence in that 6e3achanic state the logical se0uence is that e3erything in it is

actual and real. For again ,hether o3ershado,ing the fi3e principles during the life of the personality oentirely separated from the grosser principles by the dissolution of the body ( the si*th principle or ourCSpiritual Soul; has no substance ( it is e3er Arupa@ nor is it confined to one place ,ith a limited hori?on perceptions around it. Therefore ,hether in or out of its mortal body it is e3er distinct and free from itslimitations@ and if ,e call its 6e3achanic e*periences Ca cheating of )ature; then ,e should ne3er beallo,ed to call Creality; any of those purely abstract feelings that belong entirely to and are reflected andassimilated by our higher soul ( such for instance as an ideal perception of the beautiful profoundphilanthropy lo3e Nc. as ,ell as e3ery other purely spiritual sensation that during life fills our inner bein,ith either immense 5oy or pain.=

We must remember that by the 3ery nature of the system described there are infinite 3arieties of ,ell(being in 6e3achan suited to the infinite 3arieties of merit in man1ind. 'f <the ne*t ,orld= really ,ere theob5ecti3e hea3en ,hich ordinary theology preaches there ,ould be endless in5ustice and inaccuracy inits operation. People to begin ,ith ,ould be either admitted or e*cluded and the differences of fa3oursho,n to different guests ,ithin the all(fa3oured region ,ould not sufficiently pro3ide for differences ofmerit in this life. But the real hea3en of our earth ad5usts itself to the needs and merits of each ne, arri3,ith unfailing certainty. )ot merely as regards the duration of the blissful state ,hich is determined bythe causes engendered during ob5ecti3e life but as regards the intensity and amplitude of the emotions,hich constitute that blissful state the hea3en of each person ,ho attains the really e*istent hea3en is

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precisely fitted to his capacity for en5oying it. 't is the creation of his o,n aspirations and faculties. -orethan this it may be impossible for the uninitiated comprehension to reali?e. But this indication of itscharacter is enough to sho, ho, perfectly it falls into its appointed place in the ,hole scheme ofe3olution.

“6e3achan= to resume my direct 0uotations <is of course a state not a locality as much as A3itchi its

antithesis D,hich please not to confound ,ith hell . Esoteric Buddhist philosophy has three principallo#as so(called ( namely #. !ma lo#a) 9. Rûpa lo#a) and >. +rûpa lo#a) or in their literal translation andmeaning ( #. ,orld of desires or passions of unsatisfied earthly cra3ings ( the abode of CShells; and4ictims of Elementaries and Suicides@ 9. the ,orld of forms ( i.e. of shado,s more spiritual ha3ing formand ob5ecti3ity but no substance@ and >. the formless ,orld or rather the ,orld of no form theincorporeal since its deni?ens can ha3e neither body shape nor colour for us mortals and in the sensethat ,e gi3e to these terms. These are the three spheres of ascending spirituality in ,hich the se3eralgroups of sub5ecti3e and semi(sub5ecti3e entities find their attractions. All but the suicides and the 3ictimof premature 3iolent deaths go according to their attractions and po,ers either into the 6e3achanic orthe A3itchi state ,hich t,o states form the numberless subdi3isions of &Rpa and ArRpa lo1as ( that is tosay that such states not only 3ary in degree or in their presentation to the sub5ect entity as regards form

colour Nc. but that there is an infinite scale of such states in their progressi3e spirituality and intensity feeling from the lo,est in the &Rpa up to the highest and the most e*alted in the ArRpa(lo1a. Thestudent must bear in mind that personalit$ is the synonym for limitation@ and that the more selfish themore contracted the person;s ideas the closer ,ill he cling to the lo,er spheres of being the longer loiton the plane of selfish social intercourse.=

6e3achan being a condition of mere sub5ecti3e en5oyment the duration and intensity of ,hich isdetermined by the merit and spirituality of the earth(life last past there is no opportunity ,hile the soulinhabits it for the punctual re0uital of e3il deeds. But )ature does not content herself ,ith either forgi3insins in a free and easy ,ay or damning sinners outright li1e a la?y master too indolent rather than too

good(natured to go3ern his household 5ustly. The +arma of e3il be it great or small is at certainlyoperati3e at the appointed time as the +arma of good. But the place of its operation is not 6e3achan bueither a ne, rebirth or A3itchi ( a state to be reached only in e*ceptional cases and by e*ceptionalnatures. 'n other ,ords ,hile the common(place sinner ,ill reap the fruits of his e3il deeds in a follo,inre(incarnation the e*ceptional criminal the aristocrat of sin has A3itchi in prospect ( that is to say thecondition of sub5ecti3e spiritual misery ,hich is the re3erse side of 6e3achan.

“ A3itchi is a state of the most ideal spiritual ,ic1edness something a1in to the state of Lucifer sosuperbly described by -ilton. )ot many though are there ,ho can reach it as the thoughtful reader ,ilpercei3e. And if it is urged that since there is 6e3achan for nearly all for the good the bad and the

indifferent the ends of harmony and e0uilibrium are frustrated and the la, of retribution and of impartiaimplacable 5ustice hardly met and satisfied by such a comparati3e scarcity if not absence of itsantithesis then the ans,er ,ill sho, that it is not so. Cvil is the dar1 son of Earth Dmatter and -ood the fair daughter of "ea3en; Dor Spirit says the !hinese philosopher@ hence the place of punishment fomost of our sins is the earth ( its birth(place and play(ground. There is more apparent and relati3e thanactual e3il e3en on earth and it is not gi3en to the hoi polloi to reach the fatal grandeur and eminence oa CSatan; e3ery day.=

/enerally the re(birth into ob5ecti3e e*istence is the e3ent for ,hich the +arma of e3il patiently ,aits@ an

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then it irresistibly asserts itself not that the +arma of good e*hausts itself in 6e3achan lea3ing theunhappy monad to de3elop a ne, consciousness ,ith no material beyond the e3il deeds of its lastpersonality. The re(birth ,ill be 0ualified by the merit as ,ell as the demerit of the pre3ious life but the6e3achan e*istence is a rosy sleep ( a peaceful night ,ith dreams more 3i3id than day andimperishable for many centuries.

't ,ill be seen that the 6e3achan state is only one of the conditions of e*istence ,hich go to ma1e up th,hole spiritual or relati3ely spiritual complement of our earth life. Obser3ers of spiritualistic phenomena,ould ne3er ha3e been perple*ed as they ha3e been if there ,ere no other but the 6e3achan state tobe dealt ,ith. For once in 6e3achan there is 3ery little opportunity for communication bet,een a spiritthen ,holly absorbed in its o,n sensations and practically obli3ious of the earth left behind and itsformer friends still li3ing. Whether gone before or yet remaining on earth those friends if the bond ofaffection has been sufficiently strong ,ill be ,ith the happy spirit still to all intents and purposes for himand as happy blissful innocent as the disembodied dreamer himself. 't is possi&le ho,e3er for yetli3ing persons to ha3e 3isions of 6e3achan though such 3isions are rare and only one(sided the entitiein 6e3achan sighted by the earthly clair3oyant being 0uite unconscious themsel3es of undergoing suchobser3ation. The spirit of the clair3oyant ascends into the condition of 6e3achan in such rare 3isions an

thus becomes sub5ect to the 3i3id delusions of that e*istence. 't is under the impression that the spirits,ith ,hich it is in 6e3achanic bonds of sympathy ha3e come do,n to 3isit earth and itself ,hile thecon3erse operation has really ta1en place. The clair3oyant;s spirit has been raised to,ards those in6e3achan. Thus many of the sub5ecti3e spiritual communications ( most of them ,hen the sensiti3es arpure(minded ( are real though it is most difficult for the uninitiated medium to fi* in his mind the true andcorrect pictures of ,hat he sees and hears. 'n the same ,ay some of the phenomena calledpsychography Dthough more rarely are also real. The spirit of the sensiti3e getting odyli?ed so to say bthe aura of the spirit in the 6e3achan &ecomes for a fe, minutes that departed personality and ,rites ithe hand,riting of the latter in his language and in his thoughts as they ,ere during his lifetime. The t,spirits become blended in one and the preponderance of one o3er the other during such phenomenadetermines the preponderance of personality in the characteristic e*hibited. Thus it may incidentally be

obser3ed ,hat is called rapport, is in plain fact an identity of molecular 3ibration bet,een the astral paof the incarnate medium and the astral part of the disincarnate personality.

As already indicated and as the common sense of the mater ,ould sho, there are great 3arieties ofstates in 6e3achan and each personality drops into its befitting place there. Thence conse0uently heemerges in his befitting place in the ,orld of causes this earth or another as the case may be ,hen histime for re(birth comes. !oupled ,ith sur3i3al of the affinities comprehensi3ely described as +arma theaffinities both for good and e3il engendered by the pre3ious life this process ,ill be seen to accomplishnothing less than an e*planation of the problem ,hich has al,ays been regarded as soincomprehensible ( the ine0ualities of life. The conditions on ,hich ,e enter life are the conse0uences o

the use ,e ha3e made of our last set of conditions. They do not impede the de3elopment of fresh +arma,hate3er they may be for this ,ill be generated by the use ,e ma1e of them in turn. )or is it to besupposed that e3ery e3ent of a current life ,hich besto,s 5oy or sorro, is old +arma bearing fruit. -anymay be the immediate conse0uences of acts in the life to ,hich they belong ( ready(money transactions,ith )ature so to spea1 of ,hich it may be hardly necessary to ma1e any entry in her boo1s. But thegreat ine0ualities of life as regards the start in it ,hich different human beings ma1e is a manifestconse0uence of old +arma the infinite 3arieties of ,hich al,ays 1eep up a constant supply of recruits foall the manifold 3arieties of human condition.

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't must not be supposed that the real Ego slips instantaneously at death from the earth life and itsentanglements into the 6e3achanic condition. When the di3ision of or purification of the fifth principlehas been accomplished in +7ma loca by the contending attractions of the fourth and si*th principles thereal Ego passes into a period of unconscious gestation. ' ha3e spo1en already of the ,ay in ,hich the6e3achanic life is in itself a process of gro,th maturity and decline@ but the analogies of earth are e3enmore closely preser3ed. There is a spiritual ante(natal state at the entrance to spiritual life as there is asimilar and e0ually unconscious physical state at the entrance to ob5ecti3e life. And this period in

different cases may be of 3ery different duration ( from a fe, moments to immense periods of years.When a man dies his soul or fifth principle becomes unconscious and loses all remembrance of thingsinternal as ,all as e*ternal. Whether his stay in +7ma loca has to last but a fe, moments hours days,ee1s months or years ,hether he dies a natural or a 3iolent death ,hether this occurs in youth orage and ,hether the Ego has been good bad or indifferent his consciousness lea3es him as suddenlyas the flame lea3es a ,ic1 ,hen it is blo,n out. When life has retired from the last particle of the brainmatter his percepti3e faculties become e*tinct for e3er and his spiritual po,ers of cognition and 3olitionbecome for the time being as e*tinct as the others. "is -7y73i(rRpa may be thro,n into ob5ecti3ity as inthe case of apparitions after death but unless it is pro5ected by a conscious or intense desire to see orappear to some one shooting through the dying brain the apparition ,ill be simply automatic. The re3i3aof consciousness in +7ma loca is ob3iously from ,hat has been said a phenomenon that depends on

the characteristic of the principles passing unconsciously at the moment out of the dying body. 't maybecome tolerably complete under circumstances by no means to be desired or it may be obliterated byrapid passage into the gestation state leading to 6e3achan. This gestation state may be of 3ery longduration in proportion to the Ego;s spiritual stamina and 6e3achan accounts for the remainder of theperiod bet,een death and the ne*t physical re(birth. The ,hole period is of course of 3ery 3aryinglength in the case of different persons but re(birth in less than fifteen hundred years is spo1en of asalmost impossible ,hile the stay in 6e3achan ,hich re,ards a 3ery rich +arma is sometimes said toe*tend to enormous periods.

ANNOTATONS

The comments ' ha3e to ma1e on the doctrine embodied in the foregoing chapter ,ill be postponed moscon3eniently to the end of the ne*t and offered in connection ,ith those applying to the conditions of+7ma loca.

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CHAPTER "

&'ma (oca

T"E statements already made in reference to the destiny of the higher human principles at death ,illpa3e the ,ay for a comprehension of the circumstances in ,hich the inferior remnant of these principles

finds itself after the real Ego has passed either into the 6e3achanic state or that unconsciousinter3ening period of preparation therefore ,hich corresponds to physical gestation. The sphere in ,hicsuch remnants remain for a time is 1no,n to occult science as +7ma loca the region of desire not theregion in ,hich desire is de3eloped to any abnormal degree of intensity as compared ,ith desire as itattaches to earth life but the sphere in ,hich that sensation of desire ,hich is a part of the earth life iscapable of sur3i3ing.

't ,ill be ob3ious from ,hat has been said about 6e3achan that a large part of the recollections ,hichaccumulate round the human Ego during life are incompatible in their nature ,ith the pure sub5ecti3ee*istence to ,hich the real durable spiritual Ego passes@ but they are not necessarily on that account

e*tinguished or annihilated out of e*istence. They inhere in certain molecules of those finer Dbut notfinest principles ,hich escape from the body at death@ and 5ust as dissolution separates ,hat is looselycalled the soul from the body so also it pro3o1es a further separation bet,een the constituent elementsof the soul. So much of the fifth principle or human soul ,hich is in its nature assimilable ,ith or hasgra3itated up,ard to,ards the si*th principle the spiritual soul passes ,ith the germ of that di3ine souinto the superior region or state of 6e3achan in ,hich it separates itself almost completely from theattractions of the earth@ 0uite completely as far as its o,n spiritual course is concerned though it still hacertain affinities ,ith the spiritual aspirations emanating from the earth and may sometimes dra, theseto,ards itself. But the animal soul or fourth principle Dthe element of ,ill and desire as associated ,ithob5ecti3e e*istence has no up,ard attraction and no more passes a,ay from the earth than theparticles of the body consigned to the gra3e. 't is not in the gra3e ho,e3er that this fourth principle can

be put a,ay. 't is not spiritual in its nature or affinities but it is not physical in its nature. 'n its affinities it physical and hence the result. 't remains ,ithin the actual physical local attraction of the earth ( in theearth;s atmosphere ( or since it is not the gases of the atmosphere that are specially to be considered inconnection ,ith the problem in hand let us say in +7ma loca.

And ,ith the fourth principle a large part Das regards most of man1ind unfortunately though a part 3ery3ariable in its relati3e magnitude ine3itably remains. There are plenty of attributes ,hich the ordinarycomposite human being e*hibits many ardent feelings desires and acts floods of recollections ,hiche3en if not concerned ,ith a life as ardent perhaps as those ,hich ha3e to do ,ith the higher aspirationsare ne3ertheless essentially belonging to the physical life ,hich ta1e time to die. They remain behind inassociation ,ith the fourth principle ,hich is altogether of the earthly perishable nature and disperse ofade out or are absorbed into the respecti3e uni3ersal principles to ,hich they belong 5ust as the body iabsorbed into the earth in progress of time and rapidly or slo,ly in proportion to the tenacity of theirsubstance. And ,here mean,hile is the consciousness of the indi3idual ,ho has died or dissol3edHAssuredly in 6e3achan@ but a difficulty presents itself to the mind untrained in occult science from thefact that a semblance of consciousness inheres in the astral portion ( the fourth principle ,ith a portion the fifth ( ,hich remains behind in +7ma loca. The indi3idual consciousness it is argued cannot be int,o places at once. But first of all to a certain e*tent it can. As may be percei3ed presently it is amista1e to spea1 of consciousness as ,e understand the feeling of life attaching to the astral shell orremnant@ but ne3ertheless a certain spurious manifestation of consciousness may be rea,a1ened in the

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shell ,ithout ha3ing any connection ,ith the real consciousness all the ,hile gro,ing in strength and3itality in the spiritual sphere. There is no po,er on the part of the shell of ta1ing in and assimilating ne,ideas and initiating courses of action on the basis of those ne, ideas. But there is in the shell a sur3i3alof 3olitional impulses imparted to it during life. The fourth principle is the instrument of 3olition though no3olition itself and impulses imparted to it during life by the higher principles may run their course andproduce results almost indistinguishable for careless obser3ers from those ,hich ,ould ensue ,ere thefour higher principles really all united as in life.

The fourth principle is the 3ehicle during life of that essentially mortal consciousness ,hich cannot suititself to conditions of permanent e*istence@ but the consciousness e3en of the lo,er principles during lifis a 3ery different thing from the 3aporous fleeting and uncertain consciousness ,hich continues toinhere in them ,hen that ,hich really is the life the o3er(shado,ing of them or their 3itali?ation by theinfusion of the spirit has ceased as far as they are concerned. Language cannot render all the facets oa many(sided idea intelligible at once any more than a plain dra,ing can sho, all sides of a solid ob5ecAnd at the first glance different dra,ings of the same ob5ect from different points of 3ie, may seem sounli1e as to be unrecogni?able as the same but none the less by the time they are put together in themind ,ill their di3ersities be seen to harmoni?e. So ,ith these subtle attributes of the in3isible principles

of man ( no treatise can do more than discuss their different aspects separately. The 3arious 3ie,ssuggested must mingle in the reader;s mind before the complete conception corresponds to the realitiesof )ature.

'n life the fourth principle is the seat of ,ill and desire but it is not ,ill itself. 't must be ali3e in union ,itthe o3ershado,ing spirit or <one life= to be thus the agent of that 3ery ele3ated function of life ( ,ill in isublime potency. As already mentioned the Sanscrit names of the higher principles connote the idea thathey are 3ehicles of the one life. )ot that the one life is a separable molecular principle itself@ it is theunion of all ( the influence of the spirit@ but in truth the idea is too subtle for language perhaps for intelleitself. 'ts manifestation in the present case ho,e3er is apparent enough. Whate3er the ,illing fourth

principle may be ,hen ali3e it is no longer capable of acti3e ,ill ,hen dead. But then under certainabnormal conditions it may partially reco3er life for a time@ and this fact it is ,hich e*plains many thougby no means all of the phenomena of spiritualistic mediumship. The <elementary= be it remembered ( athe astral shell has generally been called in former occult ,ritings ( is liable to be gal3ani?ed for a time ithe mediumistic current into a state of consciousness and life ,hich may be suggested by the firstcondition of a person ,ho carried into a strange room in a state of insensibility during illness ,a1es upfeeble confused in mind@ ga?ing about ,ith a blan1 feeling of be,ilderment ta1ing in impressionshearing ,ords addressed to him and ans,ering 3aguely. Such a state of consciousness is unassociate,ith the notions of past or future. 't is an automatic consciousness deri3ed from the medium. A mediumbe it remembered is a person ,hose principles are loosely united and susceptible of being borro,ed byother beings or by floating principles ha3ing an attraction for some of them or some part of them. )o,

,hat happens in the case of a shell dra,n into the neighbourhood of a person so constitutedH Supposethe person from ,hom the shell has been cast died ,ith some strong unsatisfied desire not necessarilyof an unholy sort but connected entirely ,ith the earth life a desire for e*ample to communicate somefact to a still li3ing person. !ertainly the shell does not go about in +7ma loca ,ith a persistent intelligenconscious purpose of communicating that fact@ but amongst others the 3olitional impulse to do this hasbeen infused into the fourth principle and ,hile the molecules of that principle remain in associationDand that may be for many years they only need a partial gal3ani?ation into life again to becomeoperati3e in the direction of the original impulse. Such a shell comes into contact ,ith a medium Dnot sodissimilar in nature from the person ,ho had died as to render a rapport impossible and something fro

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the fifth principle of the medium associates itself ,ith the ,andering fourth principle and sets the originaimpulse to ,or1. So much consciousness and so much intelligence as may be re0uired to guide thefourth principle in the use of the immediate means of communication at hand ( a slate and pencil or atable to rap upon ( is borro,ed from the medium and then the message gi3en may be the message,hich the dead person originally ordered his fourth principle to gi3e so to spea1 but ,hich the shell hasne3er till then had an opportunity of gi3ing. 't may be argued that the production of ,riting on a closedslate or of raps on a table ,ithout the use of a 1nuc1le or a stic1 is itself a feat of a mar3ellous nature

bespea1ing a 1no,ledge on the part of the communicating intelligence of po,ers in )ature ,e inphysical life 1no, nothing about. But the shell is itself in the astral ,orld@ in the realm of such po,ers. Aphenomenal manifestation is its natural mode of dealing. 't is no more conscious of producing a,onderful result by the use of ne, po,ers ac0uired in a higher sphere of e*istence than ,e areconscious of the forces by ,hich in life the 3olitional impulse is communicable to ner3es and muscles.

But it may be ob5ected the <communicating intelligence= at a spiritual s/ance ,ill constantly performremar1able feats for no other than their o,n sa1e to e*hibit the po,er o3er natural forces ,hich itpossesses. The reader ,ill please remember ho,e3er that occult science is 3ery far from saying that athe phenomena of spiritualism are traceable to one class of agents. "itherto in this treatise little has bee

said of the <elementals= those semi(intelligent creatures of the astral light ,ho belong to a ,hollydifferent 1ingdom of )ature from oursel3es. )or is it possible at present to enlarge upon their attributesfor the simple and ob3ious reason that 1no,ledge concerning the elementals detailed 1no,ledge on thsub5ect and in regard to the ,ay they ,or1 is scrupulously ,ithheld by the adepts of occultism. Topossess such 1no,ledge is to ,ield po,er and the ,hole moti3e of the great secrecy in ,hich occultscience is shrouded turns upon the danger of conferring po,ers upon people ,ho ha3e not first of all bundergoing the training of initiates gi3en moral guarantees of their trust,orthiness. 't is by commando3er the elementals that some of the greatest physical feats of adeptship are accomplished@ and it is bythe spontaneous playful acts of the elementals that the greatest physical phenomena of the s01anceroom are brought about. So also ,ith almost all 'ndian Fa1irs and ogis of the lo,er class ,ho ha3epo,er of producing phenomenal results. By some means by a scrap of inherited occult teaching most

li1ely they ha3e come into possession of a morsel of occult science. They may not necessarilyunderstand the action of the forces they employ any more than an 'ndian ser3ant in a telegraph officetaught ho, to mi* the ingredients of the li0uid used in a gal3anic battery understands the theory ofelectric science. "e can perform the one tric1 he has been taught@ and so ,ith the inferior ogi. "e hasgot influence o3er certain elementals and can ,or1 certain ,onders.

&eturning to a consideration of the e*(human shells in +7ma loca it may be argued that their beha3iourin spiritual s01ances is not co3ered by the theory that they ha3e had some message to deli3er from thelate master and ha3e a3ailed themsel3es of the mediumship present to deli3er it. Apart altogether fromphenomena that may be put aside as elemental pran1s ,e sometimes encounter a continuity of

intelligence on the part of the elementary or shell that bespea1s much more than the sur3i3al of impulsefrom the former life. uite so@ but ,ith portions of the medium;s fifth principle con3eyed into it the fourthprinciple is once more an instrument in the hands of a master. With a medium entranced so that theenergies of the fifth principle are con3eyed into the ,andering shell to a 3ery large e*tent the result isthat there is a 3ery tolerable re3i3al of consciousness in the shell for the time being as regards the gi3emoment. But ,hat is the nature of such consciousness after allH )othing more really than a reflectedlight. -emory is one thing and percepti3e faculties 0uite another. A madman may remember 3ery clearlsome portions of his past life@ yet he is unable to percei3e anything in its true light for the higher portionof his -anas fifth and Buddhi si*th principles are paralysed in him and ha3e left him. !ould an anima

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( a dog for instance ( e*plain himself he could pro3e that his memory in direct relation to his caninepersonality is as fresh as his master;s@ ne3ertheless his memory and instinct cannot be calledpercepti3e faculties.

Once that a shell is in the aura of a medium he ,ill percei3e clearly enough ,hate3er he can percei3ethrough the borro,ed principles of the medium and through organs in magnetic sympathy there,ith@ bu

this ,ill not carry him beyond the range of the percepti3e faculties of the medium or of some one elsepresent in the circle. "ence the often rational and sometimes highly intelligent ans,ers he may gi3e anhence also his in3ariably complete obli3ion of all things un1no,n to that medium or circle or not foundin the lo,er recollections of his late personality gal3ani?ed afresh by the influences under ,hich he isplaced. The shell of a highly intelligent learned but utterly unspiritual man ,ho died a natural death ,last longer than those of ,ea1er temperament and Dthe shado, of his o,n memory helping he maydeli3er through trance(spea1ers orations of no contemptible 1ind. But these ,ill ne3er be found to relatto anything beyond the sub5ects he thought much and earnestly of during life nor ,ill any ,ord e3er fallfrom him indicating a real ad3ance of 1no,ledge.

't ,ill easily be seen that a shell dra,n into the mediumistic current and getting into rapport ,ith themedium;s fifth principle is not by any means sure to be animated ,ith a consciousness De3en for ,hatsuch consciousness are ,orth identical ,ith the personality of the dead person from ,hose higherprinciples it ,as shed. 't is 5ust as li1ely to reflect some 0uite different personality caught from thesuggestions of the medium;s mind. 'n this personality it ,ill perhaps remain and ans,er for a time@ thensome ne, current of thought thro,n into the minds of the people present ,ill find its echo in the fleetingimpressions of the elementary and his sense of identity ,ill begin to ,a3er@ for a little ,hile it flic1erso3er t,o or three con5ectures and ends by going out altogether for a time. The shell is once moresleeping in the astral light and may be unconsciously ,afted in a fe, moments to the other ends of theearth.

Besides the ordinary elementary or shell of the 1ind 5ust described +7ma loca is the abode of anotherclass of astral entities ,hich must be ta1en into account if ,e desire to comprehend the 3ariousconditions under ,hich human creatures may pass from this life to others. So far ,e ha3e beene*amining the normal course of e3ents ,hen people die in a natural manner. But an abnormal death ,ilead to abnormal conse0uences. Thus in the case of persons committing suicide and in that of persons1illed by sudden accident results ensue ,hich differ ,idely from those follo,ing natural deaths. Athoughtful consideration of such cases must sho, indeed that in a ,orld go3erned by rule and la, byaffinities ,or1ing out their regular effects in that deliberate ,ay ,hich )ature fa3ours the case of aperson dying a sudden death at a time ,hen all his principles are firmly united and ready to holdtogether for t,enty forty or si*ty years ,hate3er the natural remainder of his life ,ould be must surely

be something different from that of a person ,ho by natural processes of decay finds himself ,hen the3ital machine stops readily separable into his 3arious principles each prepared to tra3el their separate,ays. )ature al,ays fertile in analogies at once illustrates the idea by sho,ing us a ripe and an unripefruit. From out of the first the inner stone ,ill come a,ay as cleanly and easily as a hand from a glo3e,hile from the unripe fruit the stone can only be torn ,ith difficulty half the pulp clinging to its surface.)o, in the case of the sudden accidental death or of the suicide the stone has to be torn from theunripe fruit. There is no 0uestion here about the moral blame ,hich may attach to the act of suicide.Probably in the ma5ority; of cases such moral blame does attach to it but that is a 0uestion of +arma,hich ,ill follo, the person concerned into the ne*t re(birth li1e any other +arma and has nothing to d

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,ith the immediate difficulty such person may find in getting himself thoroughly and ,holesomely dead.This difficulty is manifestly 5ust the same ,hether a person 1ills himself or is 1illed in the heroicdischarge of duty or dies the 3ictim of an accident o3er ,hich he has no control ,hatsoe3er.

As an ordinary rule ,hen a person dies the long account of +arma naturally closes itself ( that is to saythe complicated set of affinities ,hich ha3e been set up during life in the first durable principle the fifth

no longer susceptible of e*tension. The balance(sheet so to spea1 is made out after,ards ,hen thetime comes for the ne*t ob5ecti3e birth@ or in other ,ords the affinities long dormant in 6e3achan byreason of the absence there of any scope for their action assert themsel3es as soon as they come incontact once more ,ith physical e*istence. But the fifth principle in ,hich these affinities are gro,ncannot be separated in the case of the person dying prematurely from the earthly principle ( the fourth.The elementary therefore ,hich finds itself in +7ma loca on its 3iolent e*pulsion from the body is not amere shell ( it is the person himself ,ho ,as lately ali3e minus nothing but the body. 'n the true sense the ,ord he is not dead at all.

!ertainly elementaries of this 1ind may communicate 3ery effectually at spiritual s/ances at their o,n

hea3y cost@ for they are unfortunately able by reason of the completeness of their astral constitution togo on generating +arma to assuage their thirst for life at the un,holesome spring of mediumship. 'f the,ere of a 3ery material sensual type in life the en5oyments they ,ill see1 ,ill be of a 1ind the indulgencof ,hich in their disembodied state may readily be concei3ed e3en more pre5udicial to their +arma thansimilar indulgences ,ould ha3e been in life. 'n such cases facilis est descensus. !ut off in the full flush oearthly passions ,hich bind them to familiar scenes they are enticed by the opportunity ,hich mediumsafford for the gratification of these 3icariously. They become the incubi and succubi of mediae3al ,ritingdemons of thirst and gluttony pro3o1ing their 3ictims to crime. A brief essay on this sub5ect ,hich ' ,rotlast year and from ,hich ' ha3e reproduced some of the sentences 5ust gi3en appeared in theTheosophist ,ith a note the authenticity of ,hich ' ha3e reason to trust and the tenor of ,hich ,as asfollo,s (

“The 3ariety of states after death is greater if possible than the 3ariety of human li3es upon this earth.The 3ictims of accident do not generally become earth ,al1ers only those falling into the current ofattraction ,ho die full of some engrossing earthly passion the selfish ,ho ha3e ne3er gi3en a thought tthe ,elfare of others. O3erta1en by death in the consummation ,hether real or imaginary of somemaster passion of their li3es the desire remaining unsatisfied e3en after a full reali?ation and they stillcra3ing for more such personalities can ne3er pass beyond the earth attraction to ,ait for the hour ofdeli3erance in happy ignorance and full obli3ion. Among the suicides those to ,hom the abo3estatement about pro3o1ing their 3ictims to crime Nc. applies are that class ,ho commit the act inconse0uence of a crime to escape the penalty of human la, or their o,n remorse. )atural la, cannot

be bro1en ,ith impunity@ the ine*orable causal relation bet,een action and result has its full s,ay only ithe ,orld of effects the +7ma loca and e3ery case is met there by an ade0uate punishment and in athousand ,ays that ,ould re0uire 3olumes e3en to describe them superficially.=

Those ,ho <,ait for the hour of deli3erance in happy ignorance and full obli3ion= are of course such3ictims of accident as ha3e already on earth engendered pure and ele3ated affinities and after death aras much beyond the reach of temptation in the shape of mediumistic currents as they ,ould ha3e beeninaccessible in life to common incitements to crime.

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Entities of another 1ind occasionally to be found in +7ma loca ha3e yet to be considered. We ha3efollo,ed the higher principles of persons recently dead obser3ing the separation of the astral dross fromthe spirituality durable portion@ that spirituality durable portion being either holy or Satanic in its natureand pro3ided for in 6e3achan or A3itchi accordingly. We ha3e e*amined the nature of the elementaryshell cast off and preser3ing for a time a decepti3e resemblance to a true entity@ ,e ha3e paid attentionalso to the e*ceptional cases of real four(principled beings in +7ma loca ,ho are the 3ictims of accidentor suicide. But ,hat happens to a personality ,hich has absolutely no atom of spirituality no trace of

spiritual affinity in its fifth principle either of the good or bad sortH !learly in such a case there is nothingfor the si*th principle to attract to itself. Or in other ,ords such a personality has already lost its si*thprinciple by the time death comes. But +7ma loca is no more a sphere of e*istence for such a personalthan the sub5ecti3e ,orld@ +7ma loca may be permanently inhabited by astral beings by elementals bucan only be an antechamber to some other state for human beings. 'n the case imagined the sur3i3ingpersonality is promptly dra,n into the current of its future destinies and these ha3e nothing to do ,iththis earth;s atmosphere or ,ith 6e3achan but ,ith that <eighth sphere= of ,hich occasional mention ,ilbe found in older occult ,ritings. 't ,ill ha3e been unintelligible to ordinary readers hitherto ,hy it ,ascalled the <eighth= sphere but since the e*planation no, gi3en out for the first time of the se3enfoldconstitution of our planetary system the meaning ,ill be clear enough. The spheres of the cyclic procesof e3olution are se3en in number but there is an eighth in connection ,ith our earth our earth being it

,ill be remembered the turning(point in the cyclic chain and this eighth sphere is out of circuit a cul desac and the bourne from ,hich it may be truly said no tra3eller returns.

't ,ill readily be guessed that the only sphere connected ,ith our planetary chain ,hich is lo,er than oo,n in the scale ha3ing spirit at the top and matter at the bottom must itself be no less 3isible to the eyand to optical instruments than the earth itself and as the duties ,hich this sphere has to perform in ouplanetary system are immediately associated ,ith this earth there is not much mystery left no, in theriddle of the eighth sphere nor as to the place in the s1y ,here it may be sought. The conditions ofe*istence there ho,e3er are topics on ,hich the adepts are 3ery reser3ed in their communications touninitiated pupils and concerning these ' ha3e for the present no further information to gi3e.

One statement though is definitely made(3i?. that such a total degradation of a personality as maysuffice to dra, it after death into the attraction of the eighth sphere is of 3ery rare occurrence. From th3ast ma5ority of li3es there is something ,hich the higher principles may dra, to themsel3es somethingto redeem the page of e*istence 5ust passed from total destruction and here it must be remembered thathe recollections of life in 6e3achan 3ery 3i3id as they are as far as they go touch only those episodesin life that are producti3e of the ele3ated sort of happiness of ,hich alone 6e3achan is 0ualified to ta1ecogni?ance ,hereas the life from ,hich for the time being the cream is thus s1immed may come to bremembered e3entually in all its details 0uite fully. That complete remembrance is only achie3ed by theindi3idual at the threshold of a far more e*alted spiritual state than that ,hich ,e are no, concerned

,ith@ one ,hich is attained far later on in the progress of 3ast cycles of e3olution. Each one of the longseries of li3es that ,ill ha3e been passed through ,ill then be as it ,ere a page in a boo1 to ,hich thepossessor can turn bac1 at pleasure e3en though many such pages ,ill then seem to him most li1ely3ery dull reading and ,ill not be fre0uently referred to. 't is this re3i3al e3entually of recollectionconcerning all the long(forgotten personalities that is really meant by the doctrine of the &esurrection. B,e ha3e no time at present to stop and unra3el the enigmas of symbolism as bearing upon the teachingat present under con3eyance to the reader. 't may be ,orth ,hile to do this as a separate underta1ing aa later period@ but mean,hile to re3ert to the narrati3e of ho, the facts stand it may be e*plained that ithe ,hole boo1 of pages ,hen at last the <resurrection= has been accomplished there ,ill be no entirel

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infamous pages@ for e3en if any gi3en spiritual indi3iduality has occasionally during its passage throughthis ,orld been lin1ed ,ith personalities so deplorably and desperately degraded that they ha3e passedcompletely into the attraction of the lo,er 3orte* that spiritual indi3iduality in such cases ,ill ha3eretained in its o,n affinities no trace or taint of them. Those pages ,ill as it ,ere ha3e been cleanlytorn out from the boo1. And as at the end of the struggle after crossing +7ma loca the spiritualindi3iduality ,ill ha3e passed into the unconscious gestation state from ,hich s1ipping the 6e3achanstate it ,ill be directly Dthough not immediately in time reborn into its ne*t life of ob5ecti3e acti3ity all th

self(consciousness connected ,ith that e*istence ,ill ha3e passed into the lo,er ,orld there e3entuallyto <perish e3erlastingly@= an e*pression of ,hich as of so many more modern theology has pro3ed afaithless custodian ma1ing pure nonsense out of psycho(scientific facts.

ANNOTATONS

There is no part of the present 3olume ,hich ' no, regard as in so much urgent need of amplification asthe t,o chapters ,hich ha3e 5ust been passed. The +7ma loca stage of e*istence and that higher regioor state of 6e3achan to ,hich it is but the antechamber ,ere designedly ' ta1e it left by our teachers i

the first instance in partial obscurity in order that the ,hole scheme of e3olution might be the betterunderstood. The spiritual state ,hich immediately follo,s our present physical life is a department of)ature the study of ,hich is almost unhealthily attracti3e for e3ery one ,ho once reali?es that somecontact ,ith it ( some processes of e*periment ,ith its conditions ( are possible e3en during this life.Already ,e can to a certain e*tent discern the phenomena of that state of e*istence into ,hich a humancreature passes at the death of the body. The e*perience of spiritualism has supplied us ,ith factsconcerning it in 3ery great abundance. These facts are but too highly suggesti3e of theories andinferences ,hich seem to reach the ultimate limits of speculation and nothing but the bracing mentaldiscipline of esoteric study in its broadest aspect ,ill protect any mind addressed to the consideration ofthese facts from conclusions ,hich that study sho,s to be necessarily erroneous. For this reasontheosophical in0uirers ha3e nothing to regret as far as their o,n progress in spiritual science is at sta1e

in the circumstances ,hich ha3e hitherto induced them to be rather neglectful of the problems that ha3eto do ,ith the state of e*istence ne*t follo,ing our o,n. 't is impossible to e*aggerate the intellectualad3antages to be deri3ed from studying the broad design of )ature throughout those 3ast realms of thefuture ,hich only the perfect clair3oyance of the adepts can penetrate before going into details regardinthat spiritual foreground ,hich is partially accessible to less po,erful 3ision but liable on a firstac0uaintance to be mista1en for the ,hole e*panse of the future.

The earlier processes ho,e3er through ,hich the soul passes at death may be described at this datesome,hat more fully than they are defined in the foregoing chapter. The nature of the struggle that ta1eplace in +7ma loca bet,een the upper and lo,er duads may no, ' belie3e be apprehended more

clearly than at first. That struggle appears to be a 3ery protracted and 3ariegated process and toconstitute( not as some of us may ha3e con5ectured at first an automatic or unconscious assertion ofaffinities or forces 0uite ready to determine the future of the spiritual monad at the period of death ( but phase of e*istence ,hich may be and in the 3ast ma5ority of cases is more than li1ely to be continuedo3er a considerable series of years. And during this phase of e*istence it is 0uite possible for departedhuman entities to manifest themsel3es to still li3ing persons through the agency of spiritual mediumshipin a ,ay ,hich may go far to,ards accounting for if it does not altogether 3indicate the impressions thaspiritualists deri3e from such communications.

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But ,e must not conclude too hastily that the human soul going through the struggle or e3olution of+7ma loca is in all respects ,hat the first glance at the position as thus defined may seem to suggest.First of all ,e must be,are of too grossly materiali?ing our conception of the struggle by thin1ing of it aa mechanical separation of principles. There is a mechanical separation in3ol3ed in the discard of lo,erprinciples ,hen the consciousness of the Ego is firmly seated in the higher. Thus at death the body ismechanically discarded by the soul ,hich Din union perhaps ,ith intermediate principles may actuallybe seen by some clair3oyants of a high order to 0uit the tenement it needs no longer. And a 3ery similar

process may ultimately ta1e place in +7ma loca itself in regard to the matter of the astral principles. Butpostponing this consideration for a fe, moments it is important to a3oid supposing that the struggle of+7ma loca does itself constitute this ultimate di3ision of principles or second death upon the astral plan

The struggle of +7ma loca is in fact the life of the entity in that phase of e*istence. As 0uite correctlystated in the te*t of the foregoing chapter the e3olution ta1ing place during that phase of e*istence is noconcerned ,ith the responsible choice bet,een good and e3il ,hich goes on during physical life. +7maloca is a portion of the great ,orld of effects ( not a sphere in ,hich causes are generated De*cept undepeculiar circumstances. The +7ma loca entity therefore is not truly master of his o,n acts@ he is ratherthe sport of his o,n already established affinities. But these are all the ,hile asserting themsel3es or

e*hausting themsel3es &$ degrees and the +7ma loca entity has an e*istence of 3i3id consciousness one sort or another the ,hole time. )o, a moment;s reflection ,ill sho, that those affinities ,hich aregathering strength and asserting themsel3es ha3e to do ,ith the spiritual aspirations of the life laste*perienced ,hile those ,hich are e*hausting themsel3es ha3e to do ,ith its material tastes emotionsand procli3ities. The +7ma loca entity be it remembered is on his ,ay to 6e3achan or in other ,ords gro,ing into that state ,hich is the 6e3achanic state and the process of gro,th is accomplished byaction and reaction by ebb and flo, li1e almost e3ery other in )ature ( by a species of oscillationbet,een the conflicting attractions of matter and spirit. Thus the Ego ad3ances to,ards "ea3en so tospea1 or recedes to,ards earth during his +7ma loca e*istence and it is 5ust this tendency to oscillatebet,een the t,o poles of thought or condition that brings him bac1 occasionally ,ithin the sphere of thelife he has 5ust 0uitted.

't is not by any means at once that his ardent sympathies ,ith that life are dissipated. "is sympathies,ith the higher aspects of that life be it remembered are not e3en on their ,ay to dissipation. Forinstance in ,hat is here referred to as earthly affinity ,e need not include the e*ercise of affection,hich is a function of 6e3achanic e*istence in a pre(eminent degree. But perhaps e3en in regard to hisaffections there may be earthly and spiritual aspects of these and the contemplation of them ,ith thecircumstances and surroundings of the earth(life may often ha3e to do ,ith the recession to,ards earthlife of the +7ma loca entity referred to abo3e.

Of course it ,ill be apparent at once that the intercourse ,hich the practice of spiritualism sets upbet,een the +7ma loca entities as here in 3ie, and the friends they ha3e left on earth must go onduring those periods of the soul;s e*istence in ,hich earth memories engage its attention@ and there aret,o considerations of a 3ery important nature ,hich arise out of this reflection.

#st. While its attention is thus directed it is turned a,ay from the spiritual progress on ,hich it is engageduring its oscillations in the other direction. 't may fairly ,ell remember and in con3ersation refer to thespiritual aspirations of the life on earth but its ne, spiritual e*periences appear to be of an order that

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cannot be translated bac1 into terms of the ordinary physical intellect and besides that to be not ,ithinthe command of the faculties ,hich are in operation in the soul during its occupation ,ith old(earthmemories. The position might be roughly symboli?ed but only to a 3ery imperfect e*tent by the case ofpoor emigrant ,hom ,e may imagine prospering in his ne, country getting educated there concerninhimself ,ith its public affairs and disco3eries philanthropy and so on. "e may 1eep up an interchange oletters ,ith his relations at home but he ,ill find it difficult to 1eep them au courant ,ith all that has comto be occupying his thoughts. The illustration ,ill only fully apply to our present purpose ho,e3er if ,e

thin1 of the emigrant as sub5ect to a psychological la, ,hich dra,s a 3eil o3er his understanding ,henhe sits do,n to ,rite to his former friends and restores him during that time to his former mentalcondition. "e ,ould then be less and less able to ,rite about the old topics as time ,ent on for they,ould not only be belo, the le3el of those to the consideration of ,hich his real mental acti3ities hadrisen but ,ould to a great e*tent ha3e faded from his memory. "is letters ,ould be a source of surpriseto their recipients ,ho ,ould say to themsel3es that it ,as certainly so(and(so ,ho ,as ,riting but thahe had gro,n 3ery dull and stupid compared to ,hat he used to be before he ,ent abroad.

9ndly. 't must be borne in mind that a 3ery ,ell(1no,n la, of physiology according to ,hich faculties arein3igorated by use and atrophied by neglect applies on the astral as ,ell as on the physical plane. The

soul in +7ma loca ,hich ac0uires the habit of fi*ing its attention on the memories of the life it has0uitted ,ill strengthen and harden those tendencies ,hich are at ,ar ,ith its higher impulses. The morfre0uently it is appealed to by the affection of friends still in the body to a3ail itself of the opportunitiesfurnished by mediumship for manifesting its e*istence on the physical plane the more 3ehement ,ill bethe impulses ,hich dra, it bac1 to physical life and the more serious the retardation of its spiritualprogress. This consideration appears to in3ol3e the most influential moti3e ,hich leads therepresentati3es of Theosophical teaching to discountenance and disappro3e of all attempts to holdcommunication ,ith departed souls by means of the spiritual sXance. The more such communicationsare genuine the more detrimental they are to the inhabitants of +7ma loca concerned ,ith them. 'n thepresent state of our 1no,ledge it is difficult to determine ,ith confidence the e*tent to ,hich the +7maloca entities are thus in5ured. And ,e may be tempted to belie3e that in some cases the great satisfactio

deri3ed by the li3ing persons ,ho communicate may out,eigh the in5ury so inflicted on the departedsoul. This satisfaction ho,e3er ,ill only be 1een in proportion to the failure of the still li3ing friend toreali?e the circumstances under ,hich the communication ta1es place. At first it is true 3ery shortly aftedeath the still 3i3id and complete memories of earth(life may enable the +7ma loca entity to manifesthimself as a personage 3ery fairly li1e his deceased self but from the moment of death the change in thdirection of his e3olution sets in. "e ,ill as manifesting on the physical plane betray no freshfermentation of thought in his mind. "e ,ill ne3er in that manifestation be any ,iser or higher in thescale of )ature than he ,as ,hen he died@ on the contrary he must become less and less intelligentand apparently less instructed than formerly as time goes on. "e ,ill ne3er do himself 5ustice incommunication ,ith the friends left behind and his failure in this respect ,ill gro, more and more painfuby degrees.

et another consideration operates to thro, a 3ery doubtful light on the ,isdom or propriety of gratifyinga desire for intercourse ,ith deceased friends. We may say ne3er mind the gradually fading interest ofthe friend ,ho has gone before in the earth left behind@ ,hile there is anything of his or her old self left tmanifest itself to us it ,ill be a delight to communicate e3en ,ith that. And ,e may argue that if thebelo3ed person is delayed a little on his ,ay to "ea3en by tal1ing ,ith us he or she ,ould be ,illing toma1e that sacrifice for our sa1e. The point o3erloo1ed here is that on the astral 5ust as on the physicalplane it is a 3ery easy thing to set up a bad habit. The soul in +7ma loca once sla1ing a thirst for earthly

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intercourse at the ,ells of mediumship ,ill ha3e a strong impulse to fall bac1 again and again on thatindulgence. We may be doing a great deal more than di3erting the soul;s attention from its o,n properbusiness by holding spiritualistic relations ,ith it. We ma$ be doing it serious and almost permanentin5ury. ' am not affirming that this ,ould in3ariably or generally be the case but a se3ere 3ie, of theethics of the sub5ect must recogni?e the dangerous possibilities in3ol3ed in the course of action underre3ie,. On the other hand ho,e3er it is plain that cases may arise in ,hich the desire forcommunication chiefly asserts itself from the other side that is to say in ,hich the departed soul is lade

,ith some unsatisfied desire ( pointing possibly to,ards the fulfilment of some neglected duty on earth (the attention to ,hich on the part of still(li3ing friends may ha3e an effect 0uite the re3erse of thatattending the mere encouragement of the +7ma loca entity in the resumption of its old earthly interests.'n such cases the li3ing friends may by falling in ,ith its desire to communicate be the means indirectlyof smoothing the path of its spiritual progress. "ere again ho,e3er ,e must be on our guard against thdelusi3e aspect of appearances. A ,ish manifested by an inhabitant of +7ma loca may not al,ays be the*pression of an idea then operati3e in his mind. 't may be the echo of an old perhaps of a 3ery olddesire then for the first time finding a channel for its out,ard e*pression. 'n this ,ay although it ,ouldbe reasonable to treat as important an intelligible ,ish con3eyed to us from +7ma loca by a person onlylately deceased it ,ould be prudent to regard ,ith great suspicion such a ,ish emanating from theshade of a person ,ho had been dead a long time and ,hose general demeanour as a shade did not

seem to con3ey the notion that he retained any 3i3id consciousness of his old personality.

The recognition of all these facts and possibilities of +7ma loca ,ill ' thin1 afford theosophists asatisfactory e*planation of a good many e*periences connected ,ith spiritualism ,hich the firste*position of the esoteric doctrine as bearing on this matter left in much obscurity.

't ,ill be readily percei3ed that as the soul slo,ly clears itself in +7ma loca of the affinities ,hich retard 6e3achanic de3elopment the aspect it turns to,ards the earth is more and more enfeebled and it isine3itable that there must al,ays be in +7ma loca an enormous number of entities nearly ripe for a

complete mergence in 6e3achan ,ho on that 3ery account appear to an earthly obser3er in a state ofad3anced decrepitude. These ,ill ha3e sun1 as regards the acti3ity of their lo,er astral principles intothe condition of the altogether 3ague and unintelligible entities ,hich follo,ing the e*ample of olderoccult ,riters ' ha3e referred to as <shells= in the te*t of this chapter. The designation ho,e3er is notaltogether a happy one. 't might ha3e been better to ha3e follo,ed another precedent and to ha3e callethem <shades= but either ,ay their condition ,ould be the same. All the 3i3id consciousness inhering athey left the earth in the principles appropriately related to the acti3ities of physical life has beentransferred to the higher principles ,hich do not manifest at sXances. Their memory of earth(life hasalmost become e*tinct. Their lo,er principles are in such cases only rea,a1ened by the influences of thmediumistic current into ,hich they may be dra,n and they become then little more than astral loo1ingglasses in ,hich the thoughts of the medium or sitters at the sXance are reflected. 'f ,e can imagine th

colours on a painted can3as sin1ing by degrees into the substance of the material and at last re(emerging in their pristine brilliancy on the other side ,e shall be concei3ing a process ,hich might notha3e destroyed the picture but ,hich ,ould lea3e a gallery in ,hich it too1 place a dreary scene ofbro,n and meaningless bac1s and that is 3ery much ,hat the +7ma loca entities become before theyultimately shed the 3ery material on ,hich their first astral consciousness operated and pass into the,holly purified 6e3achanic condition.

But this is not the ,hole of the story ,hich teaches us to regard manifestations coming from +7ma loca

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,ith distrust. Our present comprehension of the sub5ect enables us to reali?e that ,hen the time arri3esfor that second death on the astral plane ,hich releases the purified Ego from +7ma loca altogether ansends it on,ard to the 6e3achanic state ( something is left behind in +7ma loca ,hich corresponds tothe dead body be0ueathed to the earth ,hen the soul ta1es its first flight from physical e*istence. A deaastral body is in fact left behind in +7ma loca and there is certainly no impropriety in applying the epithe<shell= to that residuum. The true shell in that state disintegrates in +7ma loca before 3ery long 5ust asthe true body left to the legitimate processes of )ature on earth ,ould soon decay and blend its elemen

,ith the general reser3oirs of matter of the order to ,hich they belong. But until that disintegration isaccomplished the shell ,hich the real Ego has altogether abandoned may e3en in that state bemista1en sometimes at spiritual sXances for a li3ing entity. 't remains for a time an astral loo1ing(glass ,hich mediums may see their o,n thoughts reflected and ta1e these bac1 fully belie3ing them to comefrom an e*ternal source.

These phenomena in the truest sense of the term are gal3ani?ed astral corpses@ none the less sobecause until they are actually disintegrated a certain subtle connection ,ill subsist bet,een them andthe true 6e3achanic spirit@ 5ust as such a subtle communication subsists in the first instance bet,een th+7ma loca entity and the dead body left on earth. That last(mentioned communication is 1ept up by the

finely(diffused material of the original third principle or linga sharira, and a study of this branch of thesub5ect ,ill ' belie3e lead us up to a better comprehension than ,e possess at present of thecircumstances under ,hich materiali?ations are sometimes accomplished at spiritual sXances. But,ithout going into that digression no, it is enough to recogni?e that the analogy may help to sho, ho,bet,een the 6e3achanic entity and the discarded shell in +7ma loca a similar connection may continuefor a,hile acting ,hile it lasts as a drag on the higher spirit but perhaps as an after(glo, of sunset onthe shell. 't ,ould surely be distressing ho,e3er in the highest degree to any li3ing friend of the personconcerned to get through clair3oyance or in any other ,ay sight or cognition of such a shell and to beled into mista1ing it for the true entity.

The comparati3ely clear 3ie, of +7ma loca ,hich ,e are no, enabled to ta1e may help us to employterms relating to its phenomena ,ith more precision than ,e ha3e hitherto been able to attain. ' thin1 if,e adopt one ne, e*pression <astral soul= as applying to the entities in +7ma loca ,ho ha3e recently0uitted earth(life or ,ho for other reasons still retain in the aspect they turn bac1 to,ards earth a largeshare of the intellectual attributes that distinguished them on earth ,e shall then find the other terms inuse already ade0uate to meet our remaining emergencies. 'ndeed ,e may then get rid entirely of theincon3enient term <elementary= liable to be confused ,ith elemental and singularly inappropriate to thebeings it describes. ' ,ould suggest that the astral soul as it sin1s Dregarded from our point of 3ie, intointellectual decrepitude should be spo1en of in its faded condition as a shade and that the term shellshould be reser3ed for the true shells or astral dead bodies ,hich the 6e3achanic spirit has finally0uitted.

We are naturally led in studying the la, of spiritual gro,th in +7ma loca to in0uire ho, long a time mayprobably elapse before the transfer of consciousness from the lo,er to the higher principles of the astrasoul may be regarded as complete@ and as usual ,hen ,e come to figures relating to the higherprocesses of )ature the ans,er is 3ery elastic. But ' belie3e the esoteric teachers of the East declarethat as regards the a3erage run of humanity ( for ,hat may be called in a spiritual sense the greatmiddle classes of humanity ( it is unusual that a +7ma loca entity ,ill be in a position to manifest as sucfor more than t,enty(fi3e to thirty years. But on each side of this a3erage the figures may run up 3ery

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considerably. That is to say a 3ery ignoble and besotted human creature may hang about in +7ma locafor a much longer time for ,ant of any higher principles sufficiently de3eloped to ta1e up hisconsciousness at all and at the other end of the scale the 3ery intellectual and mentally(acti3e soul mayremain for 3ery long periods in +7ma loca Din the absence of spiritual affinities in corresponding force breason of the great persistence of forces and causes generated on the higher plane of effects thoughmental acti3ity could hardly be di3orced in this ,ay from spirituality e*cept in cases ,here it ,ase*clusi3ely associated ,ith ,orldly ambition. Again ,hile +7ma loca periods may thus be prolonged

beyond the a3erage from 3arious causes they may sin1 to almost infinitesimal bre3ity ,hen thespirituality of a person dying at a ripe old age and at the close of a life ,hich has legitimately fulfilled itspurpose is already far ad3anced.

There is one other important possibility connected ,ith manifestations reaching us by the usual channelof communication ,ith +7ma loca ,hich it is desirable to notice here although from its nature thereali?ation of such a possibility cannot be fre0uent. )o recent students of theosophy can e*pect to 1no,as yet 3ery much about the conditions of e*istence ,hich a,ait adepts ,ho relin0uish the use of physicbodies on earth. The higher possibilities open to them appear to me 0uite beyond the reach of intellectuappreciation. )o man is cle3er enough by 3irtue of the mere cle3erness seated in a li3ing brain to

understand )ir3ana@ but it ,ould appear that adepts in some cases elect to pursue a course lyingmid,ay bet,een re(incarnation and the passage into )ir3ana and in the higher regions of 6e3achan@that is to say in the arupa state of 6e3achan may a,ait the slo, ad3ance of human e3olution to,ardsthe e*alted condition they ha3e thus attained. )o, an adept ,ho has thus become a 6e3achanic spirit othe most ele3ated type ,ould not be cut off by the conditions of his 6e3achanic state ( as ,ould be thecase ,ith a natural 6e3achanic spirit passing through that state on his ,ay to reincarnation ( frommanifesting his influence on earth. "is ,ould certainly not be an influence ,hich ,ould ma1e itself felt bthe instrumentality of any physical signs to mi*ed audiences but it is not impossible that a medium of thhighest type ( ,ho ,ould more properly be called a seer ( might be thus influenced. By such an Adeptspirit some great men in the ,orld;s history may from time to time ha3e been o3ershado,ed andinspired consciously or unconsciously as the case may ha3e been.

The disintegration of shells in +7ma(loca ,ill ine3itably suggest to any one ,ho endea3ours tocomprehend the process at all that there must be in )ature some general reser3oirs of the matterappropriate to that sphere of e*istence corresponding to the physical earth and its surrounding elementinto ,hich our o,n bodies are resigned at death. The grand mysteries on ,hich this considerationimpinges ,ill claim a far more e*hausti3e in3estigation than ,e ha3e yet been enabled to underta1e@ buone broad idea connected ,ith them may usefully be put for,ard ,ithout further delay. The state of+7ma(loca is one ,hich has its corresponding orders of matter in manifestation round it. ' ,ill not hereattempt to go into the metaphysics of the problem ,hich might e3en lead us to discard the notion thatastral matter need be any less real and tangible than that ,hich appeals to our physical senses. 't is

enough for the present to e*plain that the propin0uity of +7ma loca to the earth ,hich is so readily madeapparent by spiritualistic e*perience is e*plained by Oriental teaching to arise from this fact ( that +7mloca is 5ust as much in and of the earth as during our li3es our astral soul is in and of the li3ing man. Thstage of +7ma(loca in fact the great realm of matter in the appropriate state ,hich constitutes +7ma(loca and is perceptible to the senses of astral entities as also to those of many clair3oyants is the fourtprinciple of man. For the earth has its se3en principles li1e the human creatures ,ho inhabit it. Thus the6e3achanic state corresponds to the fifth principle of the earth and )ir3ana to the si*th principle.

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CHAPTER "

The Human Tide)#a%e

A /E)E&AL account has already been gi3en of the ,ay in ,hich the great e3olutionary life(,a3e s,eeround and round the se3en ,orlds ,hich compose the planetary chain of ,hich our earth is a part.

Further assistance may no, be offered ,ith the 3ie, of e*panding this general idea into a fullercomprehension of the processes to ,hich it relates. And no one additional chapter of the great story ,illdo more to,ards rendering its character intelligible than an e*planation of certain phenomena connecte,ith the progress of ,orlds that may be con3eniently called obscurations.

Students of occult philosophy ,ho enter on that pursuit ,ith minds already abundantly furnished in othe,ays are 3ery liable to misinterpret its earlier statements. E3erything cannot be said at once and thefirst broad e*planations are apt to suggest conceptions in regard to details ,hich are most li1ely to beerroneous ,ith the most acti3e(minded and intelligent thin1ers. Such readers are not content ,ithshado,y outlines e3en for a moment. 'magination fills in the picture and if its ,or1 is undisturbed for an

length of time its author ,ill be surprised after,ards to find that later information is incompatible ,ith tha,hich he had come to regard as ha3ing been distinctly taught in the beginning. )o, in this treatise the,riter;s effort is to con3ey the information in such a ,ay that hasty ,eed gro,ths of the mind may bepre3ented as far as possible but in this 3ery effort it is necessary sometimes to run on 0uic1ly inad3ance lea3ing some details e3en 3ery important details to be pic1ed up during a second 5ourney o3ethe old ground. So no, the reader must be good enough to go bac1 to the e*planation gi3en in !hapter''' of the e3olutionary progress through the ,hole planetary chain.

Some fe, ,ords ,ere said then concerning manner in ,hich the life impulse passed on from planet toplanet in <rushes or gushes@ not by an e3en continuous flo,.= )o, the course of e3olution in its earlierstages is so far continuous that the preparation of se3eral planets for the final tidal(,a3e of humanity mabe going on simultaneously. 'ndeed the preparation of all the se3en planets may at one stage of theproceedings be going on simultaneously but the important point to remember is that the main ,a3e ofe3olution ( the foremost gro,ing ,a3e ( cannot be in more than one place at any time. The process goeon in the ,ay ,hich may no, be described and ,hich the reader may be the better able to follo, if heconstructs either on paper or in his o,n mind a diagram consisting of se3en circles Drepresenting the,orlds arranged on a ring. !alling them AB! Nc. it ,ill be obser3ed from ,hat has been already statethat circle Dor globe 6 stands for our earth. )o, the 1ingdoms of )ature as 1no,n to occultists be itremembered are se3en in number three ha3ing to do ,ith astral and elementary forces preceding thegrosser material 1ingdoms in the order of their de3elopment. +ingdom # e3ol3es on globe A and passeson to B as 1ingdom 9 begins to in3ol3e on A. !arry out this system and of course it ,ill be seen that1ingdom # is e3ol3ing on globe / ,hile 1ingdom J the human 1ingdom is e3ol3ing on globe A. But no,,hat happens as 1ingdom J passes on to globe B. There is no eighth 1ingdom to engage the acti3ities oglobe A. The great processes of e3olution ha3e culminated in the final tidal(,a3e of humanity ,hich ass,eeps on lea3es a temporary lethargy of )ature behind. When the life(,a3e goes on to B in fact globA passes for the time into a state of obscuration. This state is not one of decay dissolution or anythingthat can be properly called death. 6ecay itself though its aspect is apt to mislead the mind is a conditioof acti3ity in a certain direction this consideration affording a clue to the meaning of a great deal ,hich other,ise meaningless in that part of "indu mythology ,hich relates to the deities presiding o3erdestruction. The obscuration of a ,orld is a total suspension of its acti3ity@ this does not mean that themoment the last human monad passes on from any gi3en ,orld that ,orld is paraly?ed by any

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con3ulsion or subsides into the enchanted trance of a sleeping palace. The animal and 3egetable lifegoes on as before for a time but its character begins to recede instead of ad3ancing. The great life(,a3e has left it and the animal and 3egetable 1ingdoms gradually return to the condition in ,hich they,ere found ,hen the great life(,a3e first reached them. Enormous periods of time are a3ailable for thisslo, process by ,hich the obscured ,orld settled into sleep for it ,ill be seen that obscuration in eachcase lasts si* times YOr ,e may say fi3e times allo,ing for the half period of morning ,hich precedesand the half period of e3ening ,hich follo,s the day of full acti3ity. as long as the period of each ,orld;s

occupation by the human life(,a3e. That is to say the process ,hich is accomplished as abo3edescribed in connection ,ith the passage of the life(,a3e from globe A to globe B is repeated all alongthe chain. When the ,a3e passes to ! B is left in obscuration as ,ell as A. Then 6 recei3es the life(,a3e and A. B. ! are in obscuration. When the ,a3e reaches / all the preceding si* ,orlds are inobscuration. -ean,hile the life(,a3e passes on in a certain regular progression the symmetricalcharacter of ,hich is 3ery satisfactory to scientific instincts. The reader ,ill be prepared to pic1 up theidea at once in 3ie, of the e*planations already gi3en of the ,ay in ,hich humanity e3ol3es throughse3en great races during each round period on a planet ( that is to say during the occupation of suchplanet by the tidal ,a3e of life. The fourth race is ob3iously the middle race of the series. As soon as thismiddle point is turned and the e3olution of the fifth race on any gi3en planet begins the preparation forhumanity begins on the ne*t. The e3olution of the fifth race on E for e*ample is commensurate ,ith the

e3olution or rather ,ith the re3i3al of the mineral 1ingdom on 6 and so on. That is to say the e3olutionof the si*th race on 6 coincides ,ith the re3i3al of the 3egetable 1ingdom on E the se3enth race on 6,ith the re3i3al of the animal 1ingdom on E and then ,hen the last monads of the se3enth race on 6ha3e passed into the sub5ecti3e state or ,orld of effects the human period on E begins and the first racbegins its de3elopment there. -ean,hile the t,ilight period on the ,orld preceding 6 has beendeepening into the night of obscuration in the same progressi3e ,ay and obscuration there definitelysets in ,hen the human period on 6 passes its half(,ay point. But 5ust as the heart of a man beats andrespiration continues no matter ho, profound his sleep there are processes of 3ital action ,hich go onin the resting ,orld e3en during the most profound depths of its repose. And these preser3e in 3ie, ofthe ne*t return of the human ,a3e the results of the e3olution that preceded its first arri3al. &eco3ery fothe re(a,a1ing planet is a larger process than its subsidence into rest for it has to attain a higher degre

of perfection against the return of the human life(,a3e than that at ,hich it ,as left ,hen the ,a3e last,ent on,ard from its shore. But ,ith e3ery ne, beginning )ature is infused ,ith a 3igour of its o,n ( thfreshness of a morning ( and the later obscuration period ,hich is a time of preparation and hopefulnesas it ,ere in3ests e3olution itself ,ith a ne, momentum. By the time the great life(,a3e returns all isready for its reception.

'n the first essay on this sub5ect it ,as roughly indicated that the 3arious ,orlds ma1ing up our planetarychain ,ere not all of the same materiality. Putting the conception of spirit at the north pole of the circleand that of matter at the south pole the ,orlds of the descending arc 3ary in materiality and spiritualityli1e those of the ascending arc. This 3ariation must no, be considered more attenti3ely if the reader

,ishes to reali?e the ,hole processes of e3olution more fully than heretofore.

Besides the earth ,hich is at the lo,est material point there are only t,o other ,orlds of our chain,hich are 3isible to physical eyes ( the one behind and the one in ad3ance of it. These t,o ,orlds as amatter of fact are -ars and -ercury ( -ars being behind and -ercury in ad3ance of us ( -ars in a stateof entire obscuration no, as regards the human life(,a3e -ercury 5ust beginning to prepare for its ne*thuman period. 't may be ,orth ,hile here to remar1 for the benefit of people ,ho may be disposed frophysical science reading to ob5ect that -ercury is too near the Sun and conse0uently too hot to be a

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suitable place of habitation for -an ( that in the official report of the Astronomical 6epartment of the2nited States on the recent <-ount Whitney obser3ations= statements ,ill be found that may chec1 tooconfident criticisms of occult science along that line. The results of the -ount Whitney obser3ations onselecti3e absorption of solar rays sho,ed according to the official reporter that it ,ould no longer beimpossible to suggest the conditions of an atmosphere ,hich ,ould render -ercury habitable at the one*treme of the scale and Saturn at the other. We ha3e no concern ,ith Saturn at present nor if it ,erenecessary to e*plain on occult principles the habitability of -ercury should the tas1 be attempted ,ith

calculations about selecti3e absorption. The fact is that ordinary science ma1es at once too much andt,o little of the Sun as the storehouse of force for the solar system ( too much in so far as the heat ofplanets has a great deal to do ,ith another influence 0uite distinct from the Sun and influence ,hich ,inot be thoroughly understood till more is 1no,n than at present about the correlations of heat andmagnetism and of the magnetic meteoric dust ,ith ,hich inter(planetary space is per3aded. "o,e3er is enough ( to rebut any ob5ection that might be raised against the e*planation no, in progress from thepoint of 3ie, of loyal de3otees of last year;s science ( to point out that such ob5ections ,ould be alreadyout of date. -odern science is 3ery progressi3e ( this is one of its greatest merits ( but it is not ameritorious habit ,ith modern scientists to thin1 at each stage of its progress that all conceptionsincompatible ,ith that stage must necessarily be absurd.

The t,o planets of our chain that are behind -ars and the t,o that are in ad3ance of -ercury are notcomposed of an order of matter ,hich telescopes can ta1e cogni?ance of. Four out of the se3en are thuof an ethereal nature ,hich people ,ho can only concei3e matter in its earthly form ,ill be inclined tocall immaterial. But they are not really immaterial at all. They are simply in a finer state of materiality thathe earth but their finer state does not in any ,ay defeat the uniformity of )ature;s design in regard tothe methods and stages of their e3olution. Within the scale of their subtle <in3isibility= the successi3erounds and races of man1ind pass through their stages of greater and less materiality 5ust as on thisearth@ but ,hoe3er ,ould comprehend them must comprehend this earth first and ,or1 out their delicatphenomena by correspondential inferences. Let us return therefore to the consideration of the great life(,a3e in its aspects on this planet.

8ust as the chain of ,orlds treated as a unity has its north and south its spiritual and material pole,or1ing from spirituality do,n through materiality up to spirituality again so the rounds of man1indconstitute a similar series ,hich the chain of globes itself might be ta1en to symboli?e. 'n the e3olution oman in fact on any one plane as on all there is a descending and an ascending arc@ spirit so to spea1in3ol3ing itself into matter and matter e3ol3ing itself into spirit. The lo,est or most material point in thecycle thus becomes the in3erted ape* of physical intelligence ,hich is the mas1ed manifestation ofspiritual intelligence. Each round of man1ind e3ol3ed on the do,n,ard arc Das each race of each round,e descend to the smaller mirror of the cosmos must thus be more physically intelligent than itspredecessor and each in the up,ard arc must be in3ested ,ith a more refined form of mentality

commingled ,ith greater spiritual intuiti3eness. 'n the first round therefore ,e find man a relati3elyethereal being compared e3en on earth ,ith the state he has no, attained here not intellectual butsuper(spiritual. Li1e the animal and 3egetable shapes around him he inhabits an immense but looselyorgani?ed body. 'n the second round he is still gigantic and ethereal but gro,ing firmer and morecondensed in body ( a more physical man but still less intelligent than spiritual. 'n the third round he hade3eloped a perfectly concrete and compacted body at first the form rather of a giant ape than of a trueman but ,ith intelligence coming more and more into the ascendant. 'n the last half of the third round hgigantic stature decreases his body impro3es in te*ture and he begins to be a rational man. 'n the fourround intellect no, fully de3eloped achie3es enormous progress. The earliest races ,ith ,hich the

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round begins ac0uire human speech as ,e understand it. The ,orld teems ,ith the results of intellectuacti3ity and spiritual decline. At the half,ay point of the fourth round here the polar point of the ,holese3en(,orld period is passed. From this point out,ards the spiritual Ego begins its real struggle ,ithbody and mind to manifest its transcendental po,ers. 'n the fifth round the struggle continues but thetranscendental faculties are largely de3eloped though the struggle bet,een these on the one hand ,ithphysical intellect and propensity is fiercer than e3er for the intellect of the fifth round as ,ell as itsspirituality is an ad3ance on that of the fourth. 'n the si*th round humanity attains a degree of perfection

both of body and soul of intellect and spirituality ,hich ordinary mortals of the present epoch ,ill notreadily reali?e in their imaginations. The most supreme combinations of ,isdom goodness andtranscendental enlightenment ,hich the ,orld has e3er seen or thought of ,ill represent the ordinarytype of manhood. Those faculties ,hich no, in the rare efflorescence of a generation enable somee*traordinary gifted persons to e*plore the mysteries of )ature and gather the 1no,ledge of ,hich somcrumbs are no, being offered Dthrough these ,ritings and in other ,ays to the ordinary ,orld ,ill thenbe the common appanage of all. As to ,hat the se3enth round ,ill be li1e the most communicati3e occuteachers are solemnly silent. -an1ind in the se3enth round ,ill be something altogether too /od(li1e forman1ind in the fourth round to forecast its attributes.

6uring the occupation of any planet by the human life(,a3e each indi3idual monad is ine3itablyincarnated many times. This has been partly e*plained. 'f one e*istence only be passed by the monad ieach of the branch races through ,hich it must pass at least once the total number accomplished durina round period on one planet ,ould be >G> ( the third po,er of se3en. But as a matter of fact eachmonad is incarnated t,ice in each of the branch races and also comes in necessarily for some fe,e*tra incarnations as ,ell. For reasons ,hich are not easy for the outsider to di3ine the possessors ofoccult 1no,ledge are especially reluctant to gi3e out numerical facts relating to cosmogony though it ishard for the uninitiated to understand ,hy these should be ,ithheld. At present for e*ample ,e shall nobe able to state ,hat is the actual duration in years of the round period. But a concession ,hich onlythose ,ho ha3e long been students of occultism by the old method ,ill fully appreciate has been madeabout the numbers ,ith ,hich ,e are immediately concerned@ and this concession is 3aluable at all

e3ents as it helps to elucidate an interesting fact connected ,ith e3olution on the threshold of ,hich ,eha3e no, arri3ed. This fact is that ,hile the earth for e*ample is inhabited as at present by fourthround humanity by the ,a3e of human life that is to say on its fourth 5ourney round the circle of the,orlds there may be present among us some fe, persons fe, in relation to the total number ,hoproperly spea1ing belong to the fifth round. )o, in the sense of the term at present employed it mustnot be supposed that by any miraculous process any indi3idual unit has actually tra3eled round the,hole chain of ,orlds once more often than his compeers. 2nder the e*planations 5ust gi3en as to the,ay the tide(,a3e of humanity progresses it ,ill be seen that this is impossible. "umanity has not yetpaid its fourth 3isit e3en to the planet ne*t in ad3ance of our o,n. But indi3idual monads may outstriptheir companions as regards their indi3idual de3elopment and so become e*actly as man1ind generally,ill be ,hen the fifth round has been fully e3ol3ed. And this may be accomplished in t,o ,ays. A man

born as an ordinary fourth round man may by processes of occult training con3ert himself into a manha3ing all the attributes of a fifth round man and so become ,hat ,e may call an artificial fifth rounder.But independently of all e*ertions made by man in his present incarnation a man may also be born a fifrounder though in the midst of fourth round humanity by 3irtue of the total number of his pre3iousincarnations.

't ( stands for the normal number of incarnations ,hich in the course of )ature a monad must go througduring a round period on one planet and $ for the margin of e*tra incarnations into ,hich by a strong

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desire for physical life he may force himself during such a period then as a matter of fact 9GZ D ( 2 $ may e*ceed 9$ ( @ that is to say in >Z rounds a monad may ha3e accomplished as many incarnations asan ordinary monad ,ould ha3e accomplished in four complete rounds. 'n less than >Z rounds the resulcould not ha3e been attained so that it is only no, that ,e ha3e passed the half,ay point of e3olution othis half,ay planet that the fifth rounders are beginning to drop in.

't is not possible in the nature of things that a monad can do more than outstrip his companions by morethan one round. This consideration not,ithstanding Buddha ,as a si*th round man but this fact has todo ,ith a great mystery outside the limits of the present calculation. Enough for the moment to say thatthe e3olution of a Buddha has to do ,ith something more than mere incarnations ,ithin the limits of oneplanetary chain.

Since large numbers of li3es ha3e been recogni?ed in the abo3e calculations as follo,ing one another ithe successi3e incarnations of an indi3idual monad it is important here ,ith the 3ie, of a3ertingmisconceptions to point out that the periods of time o3er ,hich these incarnations range are so greatthat 3ast inter3als separate them numerous as they are. As stated abo3e ,e cannot 5ust no, gi3e the

actual duration of the round periods. )or indeed could any figures be 0uoted as indicating the duration oall round periods e0ually for these 3ary in length ,ithin 3ery ,ide limits. But here is a simple fact ,hichhas been definitely stated on the highest occult authority ,e are concerned ,ith. The present race ofhumanity the present fifth race of the fourth round period began to e3ol3e about one million of yearsago. )o, it is not yet finished@ but supposing that a million years had constituted the complete life of therace The complete life of a race is certainly much longer than this@ but ,hen ,e get to figures of this1ind ,e are on 3ery delicate ground for precise periods are 3ery profound secrets for reasonsuninitiated students D<lay chelas= as the adepts no, say coining a ne, designation to meet a ne,condition of things can only imperfectly di3ine. !alculations li1e those gi3en abo3e may be trustedliterally as far as they go but must not rashly be made the basis of others. ho, ,ould it ha3e beendi3ided up for each indi3idual monadH 'n a race there must be rather more than #MM and there can

hardly be #9M incarnations for an indi3idual monad. But say e3en there ha3e been already #9Mincarnations for monads in the present race already. And say that the a3erage life of each incarnation,as a century e3en then ,e should only ha3e #9MMM years out of the million spent in physical e*istencagainst K$$.MMM years spent in the sub5ecti3e sphere or there ,ould be an a3erage of more than $MMMyears bet,een each incarnation. !ertainly these inter3ening periods are of 3ery 3ariable length but theycan hardly e3er contract to anything less than #%MM years ( lea3ing out of account of course the case ofadepts ,ho ha3e placed themsel3es 0uite outside the operation of the ordinary la, ( and #%MM years ifnot an impossibly short ,ould be a 3ery brief inter3al bet,een t,o rebirths.

These calculations must be 0ualified by one of t,o considerations ho,e3er. The cases of children dying

in infancy are 0uite unli1e those of persons ,ho attain full maturity and for ob3ious reasons that thee*planations no, already gi3en ,ill suggest A child dying before it has li3ed long enough to begin to beresponsible for its actions has generated no fresh +arma. The spiritual monad lea3es that child[s body 5ust the same state in ,hich it entered it after its last death in 6e3achan. 't has had no opportunity ofplaying on its ne, instrument ,hich has been bro1en before e3en it ,as tuned. A re(incarnation of themonad therefore may ta1e place immediately on the line of its old attraction. But the monad soreincarnated is not to be spiritually identified in any ,ay ,ith the dead child. So in the same ,ay ,ith amonad getting into the body of a born idiot. The instrument cannot be tuned so it cannot play on that anmore than on the child[s body in the first fe, years of childhood. But both these cases are manifest

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e*ceptions that do not alter the broad rule abo3e laid do,n for all persons attaining maturity and li3ingtheir earth li3es for good or e3il.

Annotations

Later information and study ( the comparison that is to say of the 3arious branches of the doctrine andthe collocation of other statements ,ith those in the foregoing chapter ( sho, the difficulty of applyingfigures to the Esoteric 6octrines in a 3ery stri1ing light. Figures may be 0uite trust,orthy as representingbroad a3erages and yet 3ery misleading ,hen applied to special cases. 6e3achanic periods 3ary fordifferent people ,ithin such 3ery ,ide limits that any rule laid do,n in the matter must be sub5ect to abe,ildering cloud of e*ceptions. To begin ,ith the a3erage mentioned abo3e has no doubt beencomputed ,ith reference to fully matured adults. Bet,een the 0uite young child ,ho has no 6e3achanicperiod at all and the adult ,ho accomplishes an a3erage period ,e ha3e to ta1e note of persons dying inyouth ,ho ha3e accumulated arma and ,ho must therefore pass through the usual stages of spirituade3elopment but for ,hom the brief li3es they ha3e spent ha3e not produced causes ,hich ta1e 3erylong to ,or1 themsel3es out. Such persons ,ould return to incarnation after a so5ourn in the ,orld of

effects of corresponding bre3ity. Again there are such things as artificial incarnations accomplished by thdirect inter3ention of the -ahatmas ,hen a chela ,ho may not yet ha3e ac0uired anything resemblingthe po,er of controlling the matter himself is brought bac1 into incarnation almost immediately after hispre3ious physical death ,ithout ha3ing been suffered to float into the current of natural causes at all. Ocourse in such cases it may be said that the claims the person concerned has established on the-ahatmas are themsel3es natural causes of a 1ind the inter3ention of the -ahatmas ,ho are 0uitebeyond the liability of acting capriciously in such a matter being so much fruit of effort in the precedinglife so much +arma. But still either ,ay such cases ,ould be e0ually ,ithdra,n from the operation of thgeneral a3erage rule

!learly it is impossible ,hen the complicated facts of an entirely unfamiliar science are being presentedto untrained minds for the first time to put them for,ard ,ith all their appropriate 0ualificationscompensations and abnormal de3elopments 3isible from the beginning. We must be content to ta1e thebroad rules first and deal ,ith the e*ceptions after,ards and especially is this the case ,ith occult studyin connection ,ith ,hich the traditional methods of teaching generally follo,ed aim at impressing e3eryfresh idea on the memory by pro3o1ing the perple*ity it at last relie3es. 'n relation to another matter dea,ith in the preceding pages an important e*ception in )ature has thus it seems to me no, been left ouof account. The description ' ha3e gi3en of the progress of the human tide(,a3e is 0uite coherent as itstands but since the publication of the original edition of this boo1 some criticism ,as directed in 'ndiato a comparison bet,een my 3ersion of the story and certain passages in other ,ritings 1no,n toemanate from a -ahatma. A discrepancy bet,een the t,o statements ,as pointed out the other 3ersio

assuming the possibility that a monad actually might ha3e tra3eled round the se3en planets once moreoften than the compeers among ,hom he might ultimately find himself on this earth. -y account of theobscurations appears to render this contingency impossible. The clue to the mystery appears to lieoutside the domain of those facts concerning ,hich the adepts are ,illing to spea1 freely@ and the reademust clearly understand that the e*planation ' am about to offer is the fruit of my o,n speculation andcomparison of different parts of the doctrine ( not authentic information recei3ed from the author of mygeneral teaching.

The fact appears to be that the obscurations are so far complete as to present all the phenomena abo3e

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described in regard to each planet they affect as a %hole. But e*ceptional phenomena for ,hich ,e mube e3er on the alert come into play e3en in this matter. The great bul1 of humanity is dri3en on from oneplanet to the ne*t by the great cyclic impulse ,hen its time comes for such a transition but the planet it0uits is not utterl$ denuded of humanity nor is it in ever$ region of its surface rendered by the physicaland climatic changes that come on unfit to be the habitation of human beings. E3en during obscurationsmall colony of humanity clings to each planet and the monads associated ,ith these small coloniesfollo,ing different la,s of e3olution and beyond the reach of those attractions ,hich go3ern the main

3orte* of humanity in the planet occupied by the great tide(,a3e pass on from ,orld to ,orld along ,hamay be called the inner round of e3olution far ahead of the race at large. What may be thecircumstances ,hich occasionally pro5ect a soul e3en from the midst of the great human 3orte* right ouof the attraction of the planet occupied by the tide ,a3e and into the attraction of the 'nner &ound ( is a0uestion that can only be a sub5ect for us at present of 3ery uncertain con5ecture.

't may be ,orth ,hile to dra, attention in connection ,ith the solution ' ha3e 3entured to offer asapplicable to the problem of the 'nner &ounds to the ,ay in ,hich the fact of )ature ' assume to e*ist,ould harmoni?e ,ith the ,idely diffused doctrines of the 6eluge. That portion of a planet ,hichremained habitable during an obscuration ,ould be e0ui3alent to the )oah;s Ar1 of the biblical narrati3e

ta1en in its largest symbolical meaning. Of course the narrati3e of the 6eluge has minor symbolicalmeanings also but it does not appear improbable that the +abalists should also ha3e associated ,ith itthe larger significance no, suggested. 'n due time ,hen the obscured planet gre, ready once more torecei3e a full population of humanity the colonists of the ar1 ,ould be ready to commence the process opopulating it afresh.

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CHAPTER "

The Progress of Humanity

T"E course of )ature pro3ides as the reader ,ill no, ha3e seen for the indefinite progress to,ardshigher phases of e*istence of all human entities. But no less ,ill it ha3e been seen that by endo,ing

these entities as they ad3ance ,ith e3er(increasing faculties and by constantly enlarging the scope oftheir acti3ity. )ature also furnishes each human entity ,ith more and more decisi3e opportunities ofchoosing bet,een good and e3il. 'n the earlier rounds of humanity this pri3ilege of selection is not fullyde3eloped and responsibility of action is correspondingly incomplete. The earlier rounds of humanity infact do not in3est the Ego ,ith spiritual responsibility at all in the larger sense of the term ,hich ,e areno, approaching. The 6e3achanic periods ,hich follo, each ob5ecti3e e*istence in turn dispose fully oits merits and demerits and the most deplorable personality ,hich the ego during the first half of itse3olution can possible de3elop is merely dropped out of the account as regards the larger underta1ing,hile the erring personality itself pays its relati3ely brief penalty and troubles )ature no more. But thesecond half of the great e3olutionary period is carried on on different principles. The phases of e*istence,hich are no, coming into 3ie, cannot be entered upon by the ego ,ithout positi3e merits of its o,n

appropriate to the ne, de3elopments in prospect@ it is not enough that the no, fully responsible andhighly gifted being ,hich man becomes at the great turning(point in his career should float idly on thestream of progress@ he must begin to s,im if he ,ishes to push his ,ay for,ard.

6ebarred by the comple*ity of the sub5ect from dealing ,ith all its features simultaneously our sur3ey o)ature has so far contemplated the se3en rounds of human de3elopment ,hich constitute the ,holeplanetary underta1ing ,ith ,hich ,e are concerned as a continuous series throughout ,hich it is thenatural destiny of humanity in general to pass. But it ,ill be remembered that humanity in the si*th rounhas been spo1en of as so highly de3eloped that the sublime attributes and faculties of the highestadeptship are the common appanage of all@ ,hile in the se3enth round the race has almost emerged

from humanity into di3inity. )o, e3ery human being in this state of de3elopment ,ill still be identified byan uninterrupted connection ,ith all the personalities ,hich ha3e been strung upon that thread of lifefrom the beginning of the great e3olutionary process. 's it concei3able that the character of suchpersonalities is of no conse0uence in the long(run and that t,o /od(li1e beings might stand side by sidin the se3enth round de3eloped the one from a long series of blameless and ser3iceable e*istences thother from an e0ually long series of e3il and gro3elling li3esH That surely could not come to pass and ,ha3e to as1 no, ho, do ,e find the congruities of )ature preser3ed compatibly ,ith the appointede3olution of humanity to the higher forms of e*istence ,hich cro,n the edificeH

8ust as childhood is irresponsible for its acts the earlier races of humanity are irresponsible for theirs@ bthere comes the period of full gro,th ,hen the complete de3elopment of the faculties ,hich enable theindi3idual man to choose bet,een good and e3il in the single life ,ith ,hich he is for the momentconcerned enable the continuous ego also to ma1e its final selection. That period ( that enormousperiod for )ature is in no hurry to catch its creatures in a trap in such a matter as this ( is barely yetbeginning and a complete round period around the se3en ,orlds ,ill ha3e to be gone through before it o3er. 2ntil the middle of the fifth period is passed on this earth the great 0uestion ( to be or not to be forthe future ( is not irre3ocably settled. We are coming no, into the possession of the faculties ,hichrender man a fully responsible being but ,e ha3e yet to employ those faculties during the maturity of ouego(hood in the manner ,hich shall determine the 3ast conse0uences hereafter.

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't is during the first half of the fifth round that the struggle principally ta1es place. Till then the ordinarycourse of life may be a good or a bad preparation for the struggle but cannot fairly be described as thestruggle itself. And no, ,e ha3e to e*amine the nature of the struggle so far merely spo1en of as theselection bet,een good and e3il. That is in no ,ay an inaccurate but it is an incomplete definition.

The e3er(recurring and e3er(threatened conflict bet,een intellect and spirituality is the phenomenon to

be no, e*amined. The commonplace conceptions ,hich these t,o ,ords denote must of course bee*panded to some e*tent before the occult conception is reali?ed@ for European habits of thin1ing arerather apt to set up in the mind an ignoble image of spirituality as an attribute rather of the character thaof the mind itself ( a pale goody(goodiness born of an attachment to religious ceremonial and of de3ouaspirations no matter to ,hat ,himsical notions of "ea3en and 6i3inity in ,hich the <spiritually(minded=person may ha3e been brought up. Spirituality in the occult sense has little or nothing to do ,ith feelingde3out@ it has to do ,ith the capacity of the mind for assimilating 1no,ledge at the fountain(head of1no,ledge itself ( of absolute 1no,ledge ( instead of by the circuitous and labourious process ofratiocination.

The de3elopment of pure intellect the ratiocinati3e faculty has been the business of European nationsfor so long and in this department of human progress they ha3e achie3ed such magnificent triumphsthat nothing in occult philosophy ,ill be less acceptable to Europeans themsel3es at first and ,hile theideas at sta1e are imperfectly grasped than the first aspect of the occult theory concerning intellect andspirituality@ but this does not arise so much from the undue tendency of occult science to depreciateintellect as from the undue tendency of modern Western speculation to depreciate spirituality. Broadlyspea1ing so far Western philosophy has had no opportunity of appreciating spirituality@ it has not beenmade ac0uainted ,ith the range of the inner faculties of man@ it has merely groped blindly in the directioof a belief that such inner faculties e*isted@ and +ant himself the greatest modern e*ponent of that ideadoes little more than contend that there is such a faculty as intuition ( if ,e only 1ne, ho, to ,or1 ,ith it

The process of ,or1ing ,ith it is occult science in its highest aspect the culti3ation of spirituality. Theculti3ation of mere po,er o3er the forces of )ature the in3estigation of some of her subtler secrets asregards the inner principles controlling physical results is occult science in its lo,est aspect and intothat lo,er region of its acti3ity mere physical science may or e3en must gradually run up. But theac0uisition by mere intellect ( physical science in e(elsis ( of pri3ileges ,hich are the proper appanage ospirituality ( is one of the dangers of that struggle ,hich decides the ultimate destiny of the human ego.For there is one thing ,hich intellectual processes do not help man1ind to reali?e and that is the natureand supreme e*cellence of spiritual e*istence. On the contrary intellect arises out of physical causes (the perfection of the physical brain ( and tends only to physical results the perfection of material ,elfareAlthough as a concession to <,ea1 brethren= and <religion= on ,hich it loo1s ,ith good(humoured

contempt modern intellect does not condemn spirituality it certainly treats the physical human life as thonly serious business ,ith ,hich gra3e men or e3en earnest philanthropists can concern themsel3es.But ob3iously if spiritual e*istence 3i3id sub5ecti3e consciousness really does go on for periods greatethan the periods of intellectual physical e*istence in the ratio as ,e ha3e seen in discussing the6e3achanic condition of $M to # at least then surely man;s sub5ecti3e e*istence is more important thanhis physical e*istence and intellect is in error ,hen all its efforts are bent on the amelioration of thephysical e*istence.

These considerations sho, ho, the choice bet,een good and e3il ( ,hich has been made by the huma

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ego in the course of the great struggle bet,een intellect and spirituality ( is not a mere choice bet,eenideas so plainly contrasted as ,ic1edness and 3irtue. 't is not so rough a 0uestion as that ( ,hether manbe ,ic1ed or 3irtuous ( ,hich must really at the final critical turning(point decide ,hether he shallcontinue to li3e and de3elop into higher phases of e*istence or cease to li3e altogether. The truth of thematter is Dif it is not imprudent at this stage of our progress to brush the surface of a ne, mystery thatthe 0uestion to be or not to be is not settled by reference to the 0uestion ,hether a man be ,ic1ed or3irtuous at all . 't ,ill plainly be seen e3entually that there must be e3il spirituality as ,ell as good

spirituality. So that the great 0uestion of continued e*istence turns altogether and of necessity on the0uestion of spirituality as compared ,ith physicality. The point is not so much <shall a man li3e is hegood enough to be permitted to li3e any longerH= as <can the man li3e any longer in the higher le3els ofe*istence into ,hich humanity must at last e3ol3eH "as he 0ualified himself to li3e by the culti3ation ofthe durable portion of his natureH 'f not he has got to the end of his tether.

't need not be hurriedly supposed that occult philosophy considers 3ice and 3irtue of no conse0uence tohuman spiritual destinies because it does not disco3er in )ature that these characteristics determineultimate progress in e3olution. )o system is so pitilessly infle*ible in its morality as the system ,hichoccult philosophy e*plores and e*pounds. But that ,hich 3ice and 3irtue of themsel3es determine is

happiness and misery not the final problem of continued e*istence beyond that immeasurably distantperiod ,hen in the progress of e3olution man has got to begin being something more than man andcannot go on along the path of progress ,ith the help only of the relati3ely lo,er human attributes. 't istrue again that one can hardly imagine 3irtue in any decided degree to fail in engendering in due timethe re0uired higher attributes but ,e should not be scientifically accurate in spea1ing of it as the causeof progress in ultimate stages of ele3ation though it may pro3o1e the de3elopment of that ,hich is thecause of progress.

This consideration ( that ultimate progress is determined by spirituality irrespecti3e of its moral colouringis the great meaning of the occult doctrine that <to be immortal in good one must identify oneself ,ith

/od@ to be immortal in e3il ,ith Satan. These are the t,o poles of the ,orld of souls@ bet,een these t,opoles 3egetate and die ,ithout remembrance the useless portion of man1ind= Eliphas Le3i. The enigmli1e all occult formulas has a lesser application Dfitting the microcosm as ,ell as the macrocosm and inits lesser significance refers to 6e3achan or A3itchi and the blan1 destiny of colourless personalities@ buin its more important bearing it relates to the final sorting out of humanity at the middle of the great fifthround the annihilation of the utterly unspiritual Egos and the passage on,ard of the others to beimmortal in good or immortal in e3il. Precisely the same meaning attaches to the passage in &e3elationDiii #% #I <' ,ould thou ,ert cold or hot@ so then because thou art lu1e,arm and neither cold nor hot ',ill spue thee out of my mouth.=

Spirituality then is not de3out aspiration@ it is the highest 1ind of intellection that ,hich ta1es cogni?ancof the ,or1ings of )ature by direct assimilation of the mind and her higher principles. The ob5ection ,hicphysical intelligence ,ill bring against this 3ie, is that the mind can cogni?e nothing e*cept byobser3ation of phenomena and reasoning thereon. That is the mista1e ( it can@ and the e*istence ofoccult science is the highest proof thereof. But there are hints pointing in the direction of such proof allaround us if ,e ha3e but the patience to e*amine their true bearings. 't is idle to say in face merely forone thing of the phenomena of clair3oyance ( crude and imperfect as those ha3e been ,hich ha3epushed themsel3es on the attention of the ,orld ( that there are no other a3enues to consciousness butthose of the fi3e senses. !ertainly in the ordinary ,orld the clair3oyant faculty is an e*ceedingly rare on

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corn itself. All the same a great many grains do nothing of the sort and a great many human Egos ,illne3er pass through the trials of the fifth round. The final effort of )ature in e3ol3ing man is to e3ol3e fromhim a being unmeasurably higher to be a conscious agent and ,hat is ordinarily meant by a creati3eprinciple in )ature herself ultimately. The first achie3ement is to e3ol3e free(,ill and the ne*t toperpetuate that free(,ill by inducing it to unite itself ,ith the final purpose of )ature ,hich is good. 'n thcourse of such an operation it is ine3itable that a great deal of the free(,ill e3ol3ed should turn to e3iland after producing temporary suffering be dispersed and annihilated. -ore than this the final purpose

can only be achie3ed by a profuse e*penditure of material and 5ust as this goes on in the lo,er stages oe3olution ,here a thousand seeds are thro,n off by a 3egetable for e3ery one that ultimately fructifiesinto a ne, plant so are the god(li1e germs of Will so,n one in each man;s breast in abundance li1e theseeds blo,n about in the ,ind. 's the 5ustice of )ature to be impugned by reason of the fact that many othese germs ,ill perishH Such an idea could only rise in a mind that ,ill not reali?e the room there is in)ature for the gro,th of e3ery germ ,hich chooses to gro, and to the e*tent it chooses to gro, be thae*tent great or small. 'f it seems to any one horrible that an <immortal soul= should perish under anycircumstances that impression can only be due to the pernicious habit of regarding e3erything aseternity ,hich is not this microscopic life. There is room in the sub5ecti3e spheres and time in thecatenary man3antara before ,e e3en approach the 6hy7n !hohan of /od(li1e period for more than thordinary brain has e3ery yet concei3ed of immortality. E3ery good deed and ele3ated impulse that e3ery

man or ,oman e3er did or felt must re3erberate through \ons of spiritual e*istence ,hether the humaentity concerned pro3es able or not to e*pand into the sublime and stupendous de3elopment of these3enth round. And it is out of the causes generated in one of our brief li3es on earth that e*otericspeculation concei3es itself capable of constructing eternal results Out of such a se3en or eighthundredth part of our ob5ecti3e life on earth during the present stay here of the e3olutionary life(,a3e ,are to e*pect )ature to discern sufficient reason for deciding upon our ,hole subse0uent career. 'n truth)ature ,ill ma1e such a large return for a comparati3ely small e*penditure of human ,ill(po,er in theright direction that e*tra3agant as the e*pectation 5ust stated may appear and e*tra3agant as it isapplied to ordinary li3es one brief e*istence may sometimes suffice to anticipate the gro,th of milliardsof years. The adept may in the one earth(life 'n practice my impression is that this is rarely achie3ed inone earth(life@ approached rather in t,o or three artificial incarnations. achie3e so much ad3ancement

that his subse0uent gro,th is certain and merely a matter of time@ but then the seed germ ,hichproduces an adept in our life must be 3ery perfect to begin ,ith and the early conditions of its gro,thfa3ourable and ,ithal the effort on the part of the man himself life(long and far more concentrated morintense more arduous than it is possible for the uninitiated outsider to reali?e. 'n ordinary cases the life,hich is di3ided bet,een material en5oyment and spiritual aspiration ( ho,e3er sincere and beautiful thelatter (can only be producti3e of a correspondingly duple* result of a spiritual re,ard in 6e3achan of ane, birth on earth. The manner in ,hich the adept gets abo3e the necessity of such a ne, birth isperfectly scientific and simple be it obser3ed though it sounds li1e a theological mystery ,hene*pounded in e*oteric ,ritings by reference to +arma and S1andhas Trishna and Tanha and so forth.The ne*t earth(life is as much a conse0uence of affinities engendered by the fifth principle thecontinuous human soul as the 6e3achanic e*periences ,hich come first are the gro,th of the thoughts

and aspirations of an ele3ated character ,hich the person concerned has created during life. That is tosay the affinities engendered in ordinary cases are partly material partly spiritual. Therefore they startthe soul on its entrance into the ,orld of effects ,ith a double set of attractions inhering in it one setproducing the sub5ecti3e conse0uences of its 6e3achanic life the other set asserting themsel3es at theclose of that life and carrying the soul bac1 again into re(incarnation. But if the person during hisob5ecti3e life absolutely de3elops no affinities for material e*istence starts his soul at death ,ith all itsattractions tending one ,ay in the direction of spirituality and none at all dra,ing it bac1 to ob5ecti3e lifeit does not come bac1@ it mounts into a condition of spirituality corresponding to the intensity of theattractions or affinities in that direction and the other thread of connection is cut off.

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)o, this e*planation does not entirely co3er the ,hole position because the adept himself no matterho, high does return to incarnation e3entually after the rest of man1ind ha3e passed across the greatdi3iding period in the middle of the fifth round. 2ntil the e*altation of Planetary Spirithood is reached thehighest human soul must ha3e a certain affinity for earth still though not the earth(life of physicalen5oyments and passions that ,e are going through. But the important point to reali?e in regard to thespiritual conse0uences of earthly life is that in so large a ma5ority of cases that the abnormal fe, neednot be tal1ed about the sense of 5ustice in regard to the destiny of good men is amply satisfied by the

course of )ature step by step as time ad3ances. The spirit(life is e3er at hand to recei3e refresh andrestore the soul after the struggles achie3ements or sufferings of incarnation. And more than thisreser3ing the 0uestion about eternity )ature in the intercyclic periods at the ape* of each roundpro3ides for all man1ind e*cept those unfortunate failures ,ho ha3e persistently adhered to the path ofe3il great inter3als of spiritual blessedness far longer and more e*alted in their character than the6e3achanic periods of each separate life. )ature in fact is inconcei3ably liberal and patient to each andall her candidates for the final e*amination during their long preparation for this. )or is one failure to pase3en this final e*amination absolutely fatal. The failures may try again if they are not utterly disgracefulfailures but they must ,ait for the ne*t opportunity.

A complete e*planation of the circumstances under ,hich such ,aiting is accomplished ,ould not cominto the scheme of this treatise@ but it must not be supposed that candidates for progress self(con3ictedof unfitness to proceed at the critical period of the fifth round fall necessarily into the sphere ofannihilation. For that attraction to assert itself the Ego must ha3e de3eloped a positi3e attraction formatter a positi3e repulsion for spirituality ,hich is o3er,helming in its force. 'n the absence of suchaffinities and in the absence also of such affinities as ,ould suffice to tide the Ego o3er the great gulfthe destiny ,hich meets the mere failures of )ature is as regards the present planetar$ man%antara, todie as Eliphas Le3y puts it ,ithout remembrance. They ha3e li3ed their life and had their share of"ea3en but they are not capable of ascending the tremendous altitudes of spiritual progress thenconfronting them. But they are 0ualified for further incarnation and life on the planes of e*istence to ,hicthey are accustomed. They ,ill ,ait therefore in the negati3e spiritual state they ha3e attained till thos

planes of e*istence are again in acti3ity in the ne(t planetar$ man%antara. The duration of such ,aitingis of course beyond the reach of imagination altogether and the precise nature of the e*istence ,hich no, contemplated is no less unreali?able@ but the broad path,ay through that strange region of dreamysemi(animation must be ta1en note if in order that the symmetry and completeness of the ,holee3olutionary scheme may be percei3ed.

And ,ith this last contingency pro3ided for the ,hole scheme does lie before the reader in its mainoutlines ,ith tolerable completeness. We ha3e seen the one life the spirit animating matter in its lo,esforms first and e3o1ing gro,th by slo, degrees into higher forms. 'ndi3iduali?ing itself at last in man it,or1s up through inferior and irresponsible incarnations until it has penetrated the higher principles and

e3ol3ed a true human soul ,hich is thenceforth the master of its o,n fate though guarded in thebeginning by natural pro3isions ,hich debar it from premature ship,rec1 ,hich stimulate and refresh iton its course. But the ultimate destiny offered to that soul is to de3elop not only into a being capable ofta1ing care of itself but into a being capable of ta1ing care also of others of presiding o3er and directing,ithin ,hat may be called constitutional limits the operations of )ature herself. !learly before the soulcan ha3e earned the right to that promotion it must ha3e been tried by ha3ing conceded to it full controlo3er it o,n affairs. That full control necessarily con3eys the po,er to ship,rec1 itself. The safeguards pround the Ego in its youth ( its inability to get into the higher or lo,er states than those of inter(mundane6e3achan and A3itchi ( fall from it in its maturity. 't is potent then o3er its o,n destinies not only in

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regard to the de3elopment of transitory 5oy and suffering but in regard to the stupendous opportunities iboth directions ,hich e*istence opens out before it. 't may sei?e on the higher opportunities in t,o ,aysit may thro, up the struggle in t,o ,ays@ it may attain sublime spirituality for good or sublime spiritualityfor e3il@ it may ally itself to physically for Dnot e3il but for utter annihilation@ or on the other hand for Dnogood but for the negati3e result of beginning the educational processes of incarnation all o3er again.

ANNOTATONS

The condition into ,hich the monads failing to pass the middle of the fifth round must fall as the tide ofe3olution s,eeps on lea3ing them stranded so to spea1 upon the shores of time is not described 3eryfully in this chapter. By a fe, ,ords only is it indicated that the failures of each man,antara are notabsolutely annihilated ,hen they reach <the end of their tether= but are destined after some enormousperiod of ,aiting to pass once more into the current of e3olution. -any inferences may be deduced fromthis condition of things. The period of ,aiting ,hich the failures ha3e thus to undergo is to begin ,ith aduration so stupendous as to baffle the imagination. The latter half of the fifth round the ,hole of thesi*th and se3enth ha3e to be performed by the successful graduates in spirituality and the later rounds

are of immensely longer duration than those of the middle period. Then follo,s the 3ast inter3al of)ir3anic rest ,hich closes the man,antara the immeasurable )ight of Brahm7 the Pralaya of the ,hoplanetary chain. Only ,hen the ne*t man,antara begins do the failures begin to ,a1e from their a,fultrance ( a,ful to the imagination of beings in the full acti3ity of life though such a trance beingnecessarily all but destitute of consciousness is possibly no more tedious than a dreamless night in thememory of profound sleeper. The fate of the failures may be grie3ous first of all rather on account of,hat they miss than on account of ,hat they incur. Secondly ho,e3er it is grie3ous on account of thatto ,hich it leads for all the trouble of physical life and almost endless incarnations must be gone througafresh ,hen the failures ,a1e up@ ,hereas the perfected beings ,ho outstripped them in e3olutionduring that fifth round in ,hich they become failures ,ill ha3e gro,n into the god(li1e perfection of 6hy7!hohan(hood during their trance and ,ill be the presiding geniuses of the ne*t man,antara not its

helpless sub5ects.

Apart altogether mean,hile from ,hat may be regarded as the personal interest of the entitiesconcerned the e*istence of the failures in )ature at the beginning of each man,antara is a fact ,hichcontributes in a 3ery important degree to a comprehension of the e3olutionary system. When theplanetary chain is first of all e3ol3ed out of chaos ( if ,e may use such an e*pression as <first of all= in a0ualified sense ha3ing regard to the reflection that <in the beginning= is a mere fa3on de parler applied any period in eternity ( there are no failures to deal ,ith. Then the descent of spirit into matter throughthe elemental mineral and other 1ingdoms goes on in the ,ay already described in earlier chapters ofthis boo1. But from the second man,antara of a planetary chain during the acti3ity of the solar system

,hich pro3ides for many such man,antaras the course of e3ents is some,hat different ( easier if ' mayagain be allo,ed to use an e*pression that is applicable rather in a con3ersational than se3erelyscientific sense. At any rate it is 0uic1er for human entities are already in e*istence ready to enter intoincarnation as soon as the ,orld also already in e*istence can be got ready for them. The truth thusappears to be that after the first man,antara of a series ( enormously longer in duration than itssuccessors ( no entities then first e3ol3ed from 0uite the lo,er 1ingdoms do more than attain thethreshold of humanity. The late failures pass into incarnation and then e3entually the sur3i3ing animalentities already differentiated. But compared ,ith the passages in the esoteric doctrine ,hich affect thecurrent e3olution of our o,n race these considerations relating to the 3ery early periods of ,orld(

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e3olution ha3e little more than an intellectual interest and cannot as yet by any contributions of mine be3ery greatly amplified.

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CHAPTER *

Buddha

T"E historical Buddha as 1no,n to the custodians of the esoteric doctrine is a personage ,hose birth not in3ested ,ith the 0uaint mar3els popular story has cro,ded round it. )or ,as his progress to

adeptship traced by the literal occurrence of the super(natural struggles depicted in symbolic legend. Onthe other hand the incarnation ,hich may out,ardly be described as the birth of Buddha is certainly nregarded by occult science as an e3ent li1e any other birth nor the spiritual de3elopment through ,hichBuddha passed during his earth(life a mere process of intellectual e3olution li1e the mental history of another philosopher. The mista1e ,hich ordinary European ,riters ma1e in dealing ,ith a problem of thissort lies in their inclinations to treat e*oteric legend either as a record of a miracle about ,hich no moreneed be said or as pure myth putting merely a fantastic decoration on a remar1able life. This it isassumed ho,e3er remar1able must ha3e been li3ed according to the theories of )ature at presentaccepted by the nineteenth century. The account ,hich has no, been gi3en in the foregoing pages mayprepare the ,ay for a statement as to ,hat the esoteric doctrine teaches concerning the real Buddha,ho ,as born as modern in3estigation has 0uite correctly ascertained IG> years before the !hristian

era at +apila(4astu near Benares.

E*oteric conceptions 1no,ing nothing of the la,s ,hich go3ern the operations of )ature in her higherdepartments can only e*plain an abnormal dignity attaching to some particular birth by supposing thatthe physical body of the person concerned ,as generated in a miraculous manner. "ence the popularnotion about Buddha that his incarnation in this ,orld ,as due to an immaculate conception. Occultscience 1no,s nothing of any process for the production of a physical human child other than thatappointed by physical la,s@ but it does 1no, a good deal concerning the limits ,ithin ,hich theprogressi3e <one life= or <spiritual monad= or continuous thread of a series of incarnations may select adefinite child(bodies as their human tenements. By the operation of +arma in the case of ordinary

man1ind this selection is made unconsciously as far as the antecedent spiritual Ego emerging from6e3achan is concerned. But in those abnormal cases ,here the one life has already forced itself into thsi*th principle ( that is to say ,here a man has become an adept and has the po,er of guiding his o,nspiritual Ego in full consciousness as to ,hat he is about after he has 0uitted the body in ,hich he ,onadeptship either temporarily or permanently ( it is 0uite ,ithin his po,er to select his o,n ne*tincarnation. 6uring life e3en he gets abo3e the 6e3achanic attraction. "e becomes one of theconscious directing po,ers of the planetary system to ,hich he belongs and great as this mystery ofselected re(incarnation may be it is not by any means restricted to its application to such e*traordinarye3ents as the birth of a Buddha. 't is a phenomenon fre0uently reproduced by the higher adepts to thisday@ and ,hile a great deal recounted in popular Oriental mythology is either purely fictitious or entirelysymbolical the re(incarnations of the 6alai and Teshu Lamas of Tibet at ,hich tra3elers only laugh for

,ant of the 1no,ledge that might enable them to sift fact from fancy is a sober scientific achie3ement. 'such cases the adept states beforehand in ,hat child ,hen and ,here to be born he is going to re(incarnate and he 3ery rarely fails. We say 3ery rarely because there are some accidents of physicalnature ,hich cannot be entirely guarded against@ and it is not absolutely certain that ,ith all the foresighe3en an adept may bring to bear upon the matter the child he may choose to become ( in his re(incarnated state ( may attain physical maturity successfully. And mean,hile in the &od$ the adept isrelati3ely helpless. Out of the body he is 5ust ,hat he has been e3er since he became an adept@ but asregards the ne, body he has chosen to inhabit he must let it gro, up in the ordinary course of )atureand educate it by ordinary processes and initiate it by the regular occult method into adeptship beforehe has got a body fully ready again for occult ,or1 on the physical plane. All these processes are

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immensely simplified it is true by the peculiar spiritual force ,or1ing ,ithin@ but at first in the child[sbody the adept soul is certainly cramped and embarrassed and as ordinary imagination might suggest3ery uncomfortable and ill at ease. The situation ,ould be 3ery much misunderstood if the reader ,ere imagine that re(incarnation of the 1ind described is a pri3ilege ,hich adepts a3ail themsel3es of ,ithpleasure.

Buddha;s birth ,as a mystery of the 1ind described and by the light of ,hat has been said it ,ill be easto go o3er the popular story of his miraculous origin and trace the symbolic references to the facts of thsituation in some e3en of the most grotes0ue fables. )one for e*ample can loo1 less promising as anallusion to anything li1e a scientific fact than the statement that Buddha entered the side of his mother aa young ,hite elephant. But the ,hile elephant is simply the symbol of adeptship ( something considereto be a rare and beautiful specimen of its 1ind. So ,ith other ante(natal legends pointing to the fact thatthe future child[s body had been chosen as the habitation of a great spirit already endo,ed ,ithsuperlati3e ,isdom and goodness. 'ndra and Brahma came to do homage to the child at his birth ( that ito say the po,ers of )ature ,ere already in submission to the Spirit ,ithin him. The thirty(t,o signs of aBuddha ,hich legends describe by means of a ludicrous physical symbolism are merely the 3ariouspo,ers of adeptship.

The selection of the body 1no,n as Siddhartha and after,ards as /autama son of Suddhodana of+apila(4astu as the human tenement of the enlightened human spirit ,ho had submitted to incarnationfor the sa1e of teaching man1ind ,as not one of those rare failures spo1en of abo3e@ on the contrary it,as a signally successful choice in all respects and nothing interfered ,ith the accomplishment ofadeptship by the Buddha in his ne, body. The popular narrati3e of his ascetic struggles and temptationsand of his final attainment of Buddhahood under the Bo(tree is nothing more of course than the e*oter3ersion of his initiation.

From that period on,ard his ,or1 ,as of a dual nature@ he had to reform and re3i3e the morals of thepopulace and the science of the adepts ( for adeptship itself is sub5ect to cyclic changes and in need ofperiodical impulses. The e*planation of this branch of the sub5ect in plain terms ,ill not alone beimportant for its o,n sa1e but ,ill be interesting to all students of e*oteric Buddhism as elucidatingsome of the pu??ling complications of the more abstruse <)orthern doctrine.=

A Buddha 3isits the earth for each of the se3en races of the great planetary period. The Buddha ,ith,hom ,e are occupied ,as the fourth of the series and that is ,hy he stands fourth in the list 0uoted by-r &hys 6a3ids from Burnouf ( 0uoted as an illustration of the ,ay the )orthern doctrine has been as-r 6a3ids supposes inflated by metaphysical subtleties and absurdities cro,ded round the simple

morality ,hich sums up Buddhism as presented to the populace. The fifth or -aitreya Buddha ,ill comafter the final disappearance of the fifth race and ,hen the si*th race ,ill already ha3e been establisheon earth for some hundreds of thousands of years. The si*th ,ill come at the beginning of the se3enthrace and the se3enth to,ards the close of that race.

This arrangement ,ill seem at the first glance out of harmony ,ith the general design of humane3olution. "ere ,e are in the middle of the fifth race and yet it is the fourth Buddha ,ho has beenidentified ,ith this race and the fifth ,ill not come till the fifth race is practically e*tinct. The e*planation to be found ho,e3er in the great outlines of the esoteric cosmogony. At the beginning of each great

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planetary period ,hen obscuration comes to an end and the human tide(,a3e in its progress round thechain of ,orlds arri3es at the shore of a globe ,here no humanity has e*isted for milliards of years ateacher is re0uired from the first for the ne, crop of man1ind about to spring up. &emember that thepreliminary e3olution of the mineral 3egetable and animal 1ingdoms has been accomplished inpreparation for the ne, round(period. With the first infusion of the life(current into the <missing lin1=species the first race of the ne, series ,ill begin to e3ol3e. 't is then that the Being ,ho may beconsidered the Buddha of the first race appears. The Planetary Spirit or 6hy7n !hohan ,ho is ( or to

a3oid the suggestion of an erroneous idea by the use of a singular 3erb let us defy grammar and say,ho are ( Buddha in all his or their de3elopments incarnates among the young innocent teachable forerunners of the ne, humanity and impresses the first broad principles of right and ,rong and the firsttruths of the esoteric doctrine on a sufficient number of recepti3e minds to ensure the continuedre3erberation of the ideas so implanted through successi3e generations of men in the millions of years tcome before the first race shall ha3e completed its course. 't is this ad3ent in the beginning of the roundperiod of a 6i3ine Being in human form that starts the ineradicable conception of the anthropomorphic/od in all e*oteric religions.

The first Buddha of the series in ,hich /autama Buddha stands fourth is thus the second incarnation o

A3alo1etis,ara ( the mystic name of the hosts of the 6hy7n !hohans or Planetary Spirits belonging toour planetary chain ( and though /autama is thus the fourth incarnation of enlightenment by e*otericrec1oning he is really the fifth of the true series and thus properly belonging to our fifth race.

A3alo1etis,ara as 5ust stated is the mystic name of the hosts of the 6hy7n !hohans@ the propermeaning of the ,ord is manifested ,isdom 5ust as Addi(Buddha and Amitabha both mean abstract,isdom.

The doctrine as 0uoted by -r 6a3ids that <e3ery earthly mortal Buddha has his pure and glorious

counterpart in the mystic ,orld free from the debasing conditions of this material life ( or rather that theBuddha under material conditions is only an appearance the reflection or emanation or type of a6hyani Buddha= ( is perfectly correct@ the number of 6hyani Buddhas or 6hy7n !hohans or planetaryspirits perfected human spirits of former ,orld(periods is infinite but only fi3e are practically identified ie*oteric and se3en in esoteric teaching and this identification be it remembered is a manner ofspea1ing ,hich must not be interpreted too literally for there is a unity in the sublime spirit(life in 0uestiothat lea3es no room for the isolation of indi3iduality. All this ,ill be seen to harmoni?e perfectly ,ith there3elations concerning )ature embodied in pre3ious chapters and need not in any ,ay be attributed tomystic imaginings. The 6hyani Buddhas or 6hy7n !hohans are the perfected humanity of pre3iousman,antaric epochs and their collective intelligence is described by the name <Addi Buddha= ,hich -&hys 6a3ids is mista1en in treating as a comparati3ely recent in3ention of the )orthern Buddhists. Addi

Buddha means primordial ,isdom and is mentioned in the oldest Sanscrit boo1s. For e*ample in thephilosophical dissertation on the <-andu1ya 2panishad= by /o,dapatha a Sanscrit authorcontemporary ,ith Buddha himself the e*pression is freely used and e*pounded in e*act accordance,ith the present statement. A friend of mine in 'ndia a Brahmin pundit of first(rate attainments as aSanscrit scholar has sho,n me a copy of this boo1 ,hich has ne3er yet that he 1no,s of beentranslated into English and has pointed out a sentence bearing on the present 0uestion gi3ing me thefollo,ing translation <Pra1riti itself in fact is Addi(Buddha and all the 6harmas ha3e been e*isting frometernity.= /o,dapatha is a philosophical ,riter respected by all "indoo and Buddhist sects ali1e and,idely 1no,n. "e ,as the guru or spiritual teacher of the first San1aracharya of ,hom ' shall ha3e to

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spea1 more at length 3ery shortly.

Adeptship ,hen Buddha incarnated ,as not the condensed compact hierarchy that it has sincebecome under his influence. There has ne3er been an age of the ,orld ,ithout its adepts@ but they ha3esometimes been scattered throughout the ,orld they ha3e sometimes been isolated in separateseclusions they ha3e gra3itated no, to this country no, to that@ and finally be it remembered their

1no,ledge and po,er has not al,ays been inspired ,ith the ele3ated and se3ere morality ,hich Buddhinfused into its latest and highest organi?ation. The reform of the occult ,orld by his instrumentality ,asin fact the result of his great sacrifice of the self(denial ,hich induced him to re5ect the blessed conditioof )ir3ana to ,hich after his earth(life as Buddha he ,as fully entitled and underta1e the burden ofrene,ed incarnations in order to carry out more thoroughly the tas1 he had ta1en in hand and confer acorrespondingly increased benefit on man1ind. Buddha re(incarnated himself ne*t after his e*istence a/autama Buddha in the person of the great teacher of ,hom but little is said in e*oteric ,or1s onBuddhism but ,ithout a consideration of ,hose life it ,ould be impossible to get a correct conception othe position in the Eastern ,orld of esoteric science ( namely San1aracharya. The latter part of thisname it may be e*plained ( acharya ( merely means teacher. The ,hole name as a title is perpetuated this day under curious circumstances but the modern bearers of it are not in the direct line of Buddhist

spiritual incarnations.

San#arachar$a appeared in 'ndia ( no attention being paid to his birth ,hich appears to ha3e ta1enplace on the -alabar coast ( about si*ty years after /autama Buddha;s death ( about si*ty years after/autama Buddha;s death. Esoteric teaching is to the effect that San1aracharya simply %as Buddha in arespects in a ne, body. This 3ie, ,ill not be acceptable to the uninitiated "indu authorities ,hoattribute a later date to San1aracharya;s appearance and regard him as a ,holly independent teachere3en inimical to Buddhism@ but none the less is the statement 5ust made the real opinion of initiates inesoteric science ,hether these call themsel3es Buddhists or "indus. ' ha3e recei3ed the information 'am no, gi3ing from a Brahmin Ad,aiti of Southern 'ndia ( not directly from my Tibetan instructor ( and a

initiated Brahmins he assures me ,ould say the same. Some of the later incarnations of Buddha aredescribed differently as o3ershado,ings by the spirit of Buddha but in the person of San1aracharya hereappeared on earth. The ob5ect he had in 3ie, ,as to fill up some gaps and repair certain errors in hiso,n pre3ious teaching@ for there is no contention in esoteric Buddhism that e3en a Buddha can beabsolutely infallible at e3ery moment of his career.

The position ,as as follo,s ( 2p to the time of Buddha the Brahmins of 'ndia had 5ealously reser3edoccult 1no,ledge as the appanage of their o,n caste. E*ceptions ,ere occasionally made in fa3our ofTshatryas but the rule ,as e*clusi3e in a 3ery high degree. This rule Buddha bro1e do,n admitting allcastes e0ually to the path of adeptship. The change may ha3e been perfectly right in principle but it

pa3ed the ,ay for a great deal of trouble and as the Brahmins concei3ed for the degradation of occult1no,ledge itself ( that is to say its transfer to un,orthy hands not un,orthy merely because of casteinferiority but because of the moral inferiority ,hich they concei3ed to be introduced into the occultfraternity together ,ith brothers of lo, birth. The Brahmin contention ,ould not by any means be thatbecause a man should be a Brahmin it follo,ed that he ,as necessarily 3irtuous and trust,orthy@ but thargument ,ould be 't is supremely necessary to 1eep out all but the 3irtuous and trust,orthy from thesecrets and po,ers of initiation. To that end it is necessary not only to set up all the ordeals probationsand tests ,e can thin1 of but also to ta1e no candidates e*cept from the class ,hich on the ,hole byreason of its hereditary ad3antages is li1ely to be the best nursery of fit candidates.

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Later e*perience is held on all hands no, to ha3e gone far to,ards 3indicating the Brahminapprehension and the ne*t incarnation of Buddha after that in the person of San1aracharya ,as apractical admission of this@ but mean,hile in the person of San1aracharya Buddha ,as engaged insmoothing o3er beforehand the sectarian strife in 'ndia ,hich he sa, impending. The acti3e oppositionof the Brahmins against Buddhism began in Aso1a;s time ,hen the great efforts made by that ruler tospread Buddhism pro3o1ed an apprehension on their part in reference to their social and politicalascendency. 't must be remembered that initiates are not ,holly free in all cases from the pre5udices of

their o,n indi3idualities. They possess some such god(li1e attributes that outsiders ,hen they first begito understand something of these are apt to di3est them in imagination e3en too completely of humanfrailties. 'nitiation and occult 1no,ledge held in common is certainly a bond of union among adepts ofall nationalities ,hich is far stronger than any other bond. But it has been found on more occasions thaone to fail in obliterating all other distinctions. Thus the Buddhist and Brahmin initiates of the periodreferred to ,ere by no means of one mind on all 0uestions and the Brahmins 3ery decidedlydisappro3ed of the Buddhist reformation in its e*oteric aspects. !handragupta Aso1a;s grandfather ,asan upstart and the family ,ere Sudras. This ,as enough to render his Buddhist policy unattracti3e to threpresentati3es of the orthodo* Brahmin faith. The struggle assumed a 3ery embittered form thoughordinary history gi3es us fe, or no particulars. The party of primiti3e Buddhism ,as entirely ,orsted anthe Brahmin ascendency completely re(established in the time of 4i1ramaditya about $M B.!. But

San1aracharya had tra3eled all o3er 'ndia in ad3ance of the great struggle and had established 3ariousmathams or schools of philosophy in se3eral important centres. "e ,as only engaged in this tas1 for afe, years but the influence of his teaching has been so stupendous that its 3ery magnitude disguises thchange ,rought. "e brought e*oteric "induism into practical harmony ,ith the esoteric <,isdom religionand left the people amusing themsel3es still ,ith their ancient mythologies but leaning on philosophicalguides ,ho ,ere esoteric Buddhists to all intents and purposes though in reconciliation ,ith all that ,asineradicable in Brahminism. The great fault of pre3ious e*oteric "induism lay in its attachment to 3ainceremonial and its adhesion to idolatrous conceptions of the di3inities of the "indu Pantheon.San1aracharya emphasi?ed by his commentaries on the 2panishads and by his original ,ritings thenecessity of pursuing gn$anam in order to obtain mo#sha that is to say the importance of the secret1no,ledge to spiritual progress and the consummation thereof. "e ,as the founder of the 4edantin

system ( the proper meaning of 4edanta being the final end or cro,n of 1no,ledge ( though thesanctions of that system are deri3ed by him from the ,ritings of 4yasa the author of the <-ahabharatathe <Puranas= and the <Brahmasutras.= ' ma1e these statements the reader ,ill understand not on thebasis of any researches of my o,n ( ,hich ' am not Oriental scholar enough to attempt ( but on theauthority of a Brahmin initiate ,ho is himself a first(rate Sanscrit scholar as ,ell as an occultist.

The 4edantin school at present is almost co(e*tensi3e ,ith "induism ma1ing allo,ance of course forthe e*istence of some special sects li1e the Si1hs the 4allabacharyas or -ahara5ah sect of 3ery unfafame and may be di3ided into three great di3isions ( the Ad,aitees the 4ishishta Ad,aitees and the6,aitees. The outline of the Ad,aitee doctrine is that &rahmum or purush the uni3ersal spirit acts only

through pra#riti, matter that e3erything ta1es place in this ,ay through the inherent energy of matter.Brahmum or Parabrahm is thus a passi3e incomprehensible unconscious principle but the essenceone life or energy of the uni3erse. 'n this ,ay the doctrine is identical ,ith the transcendental materialisof the adept esoteric Buddhist philosophy. The name Ad,aitee signifies not dual, and has referencepartly to the non(duality or unity of the uni3ersal spirit or Buddhist one life as distinguished from thenotion of its operation through anthropomorphic emanations@ partly to the unity of the uni3ersal and thehuman spirit. As a natural conse0uence of this doctrine the Ad,aitees infer the Buddhist doctrine of+arma regarding the future destiny of man as altogether depending on the causes he himselfengenders.

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The 4ishishta Ad,aitees modify these 3ie,s by the interpolation of 4ishnu as a conscious deity theprimary emanation of Parabrahm 4ishu being regarded as a personal god capable of inter3ening in thecourse of human destiny. They do not regard $og or spiritual training as the proper a3enue to spiritualachie3ement but concei3e this to be possible chiefly by means of Bha#ti or de3outness. &oughly statein the phraseology of European theology the Ad,aitee may thus be said to belie3e only in sal3ation by,or1s the 4ishishta Ad,aitee in sal3ation by grace. The 6,aitee differs but little from the 4ishishtaAd,aitee merely affirming by the designation he assumes ,ith increased emphasis the duality of the

human spirit and the highest principle of the uni3erse and including many ceremonial obser3ances as aessential part of Bha#ti.

But all these differences of 3ie, it must be borne in mind ha3e to do merely ,ith the e*oteric 3ariationson the fundamental idea introduced by different teachers ,ith 3arying impressions as to the capacity ofthe populace for assimilating transcendental ideas. All leaders of 4edantin thought loo1 up toSan1arachar3a and the mathams he established ,ith the greatest possible re3erence and their innerfaith runs up in all cases into the one esoteric doctrine. 'n fact the initiates of all schools in 'ndia interlace,ith one another. E*cept as regards nomenclature the ,hole system of cosmogony as held by theBuddhist(Arhats and as set forth in this 3olume is e0ually held by initiated Brahmins and has been

e0ually held by them since before Buddha;s birth. Whence did they obtain itH the reader may as1. Theirans,er ,ould be from the Planetary Spirit or 6hy7n !hohan ,ho first 3isited this planet at the da,n ofthe human race in the present round(period ( more millions of years ago than ' li1e to mention on thebasis of con5ecture ,hile the real e*act number is ,ithheld.

San1aracharya founded four principal mathams one at Sringari in Southern 'ndia ,hich has al,aysremained the most important@ one at 8uggernath in Orissa@ one at 6,ara1a in +athia,ar@ and one at/ungotri on the slopes of the "imalayas in the )orth. The chief of the Sringari temple has al,ays bornethe designation San1aracharya in addition to some indi3idual name. From these four centres othersha3e been established and mathams no, e*ist all o3er 'ndia e*ercising the utmost possible influence

on "induism.

' ha3e said that Buddha by his third incarnation recogni?ed the fact that he had in the e*cessi3econfidence of his lo3ing trust in the perfectibility of humanity opened the doors of the occult sanctuarytoo ,idely. "is third appearance ,as in the person of Tsong(1a(pa the great Tibetan adept reformer ofthe fourteenth century. 'n this personality he ,as e*clusi3ely concerned ,ith the affairs of the adeptfraternity by that time collecting chiefly in Tibet.

From time immemorial there had been a certain secret region in Tibet ,hich to this day is 0uite un1no,

to and unapproachable by any but initiated persons and inaccessible to the ordinary people of thecountry as to any others in ,hich adepts ha3e al,ays congregated. But the country generally ,as not inBuddha;s time as it has since become the chosen habitation of the great brotherhood. -uch more thanthey are at present ,ere the -ahatmas in former times distributed about the ,orld. The progress ofci3ili?ation engendering the magnetism they find so trying had ho,e3er by the date ,ith ,hich ,e areno, dealing ( the fourteenth century ( already gi3en rise to a 3ery general mo3ement to,ards Tibet onthe part of the pre3iously dissociated occultists. Far more ,idely than ,as held to be consistent ,ith thesafety of man1ind ,as occult 1no,ledge and po,er then found to be disseminated. To the tas1 of puttinit under the control of a rigid system of rule and la, did Tsong(1a(pa address himself.

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Without re(establishing the system on the pre3ious unreasonable basis of caste e*clusi3eness heelaborated a code of rules for the guidance of the adepts the effect of ,hich ,as to ,eed out of theoccult body all but those ,ho sought occult 1no,ledge in a spirit of the most sublime de3otion to thehighest moral principles.

An article in the Theosophist for -arch #$$9 on <&e(incarnations in Tibet= for the complete

trust,orthiness of ,hich in all its mystic bearings ' ha3e the highest assurance gi3es a great deal ofimportant information about the branch of the sub5ect ,ith ,hich ,e are no, engaged and the relationsbet,een esoteric Buddhism and Tibet ,hich cannot be e*amined too closely by any one ,ho desires ae*hausti3e comprehension of Buddhism in its real signification.

“The regular system= ,e read <of the Lamaic incarnations of CSangyas; Dor Buddha began ,ith Tsong(1ha(pa. This reformer is not the incarnation of one of the fi3e celestial 6hyanis or hea3enly Buddhas asis generally supposed said to ha3e been created by Sa1ya -uni after he had risen to )ir3ana but that oAmita one of the !hinese names for Buddha. The records preser3ed in the /on(pa Dlamasery of Tda(shi "lum(po Dspelt by the English Teshu Lum&o sho, that Sangyas incarnated himself in Tsong(1ha(pa

in conse0uence of the great degradation his doctrines had fallen into. 2ntil then there had been no otheincarnations than those of the fi3e celestial Buddhas and of their Boddhisat3as each of the formerha3ing created Dread o3ershado,ed ,ith his spiritual ,isdom fi3e of the last named . . . . . 't ,asbecause among many other reforms Tsong(1ha(pa forbade necromancy D,hich is practiced to this day,ith the most disgusting rites by the Bhns ( the aborigines of Tibet ,ith ,hom the &ed !aps orShammars had al,ays fraterni?ed that the latter resisted his authority. This act ,as follo,ed by a splitbet,een the t,o sects. Separating entirely from the /yalu1pas the 6ugpas D&ed !aps from the first ina great minority settled in 3arious parts of Tibet chiefly its border(lands and principally in )epaul andBhootan. But ,hile they retained a sort of independence at the monastery of Sa1ia(65ong the Tibetanresidence of their spiritual DH chief /ong(sso &imbo(chay the Bhootanese ha3e been from theirbeginning the tributaries and 3assals of the 6alai Lamas.

“The Tda(shi Lamas ,ere al,ays more po,erful and more highly considered than the 6alai Lamas. Thelatter are the creation of the Tda(shi Lama )abang(lob(sang the si*th incarnation of Tsong(1ha(pahimself an incarnation of Amitabha or Buddha.=

Se3eral ,riters on Buddhism ha3e entertained a theory ,hich -r !lements -ar1ham formulates 3eryfully in his <)arrati3e of the -ission of /eorge Bogle to Tibet= that ,hereas the original Scriptures ofBuddhism ,ere ta1en to !eylon by the son of Aso1a the Buddhism ,hich found its ,ay into Tibet from'ndia and !hina ,as gradually o3erlaid ,ith a mass of dogma and metaphysical speculation. And

Professor -a* -]ller says ( <The most important element in the Buddhist reform has al,ays been itssocial and moral code not its metaphysical theories. That moral code ta1en by itself is one of the mostperfect ,hich the ,orld has e3er 1no,n@ and it ,as this blessing that the introduction of Buddhismbrought into Tibet.=

“The blessing= says the authoritati3e article in the Theosophist from ,hich ' ha3e 5ust been 0uoting<has remained and spread all o3er the country there being no 1inder purer(minded more simple or sinfearing nation than the Tibetans. But for all that the popular lamaism ,hen compared ,ith the realesoteric or Arahat Buddhism of Tibet offers a contrast as great at the sno, trodden along a road in the

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3alley to the pure and undefiled mass ,hich glitters on the top of a high mountain pea1.=

The fact is that !eylon is saturated ,ith e*oteric and Tibet ,ith esoteric Buddhism. !eylon concernsitself merely or mainly ,ith the morals Tibet or rather the adepts of Tibet ,ith the science of Buddhism

These e*planations constitute but a s1etch of the ,hole position. ' do not possess the arguments nor thliterary leisure ,hich ,ould be re0uired for its amplification into a finished picture of the relations ,hichreally subsist bet,een the inner principles of "induism and those of Buddhism. And ' am 0uite ali3e tothe possibility that many learned and painsta1ing students of the sub5ect ,ill ha3e formed as theconse0uences of prolonged and erudite research conclusions ,ith ,hich the e*planations ' am no,enabled to gi3e may seem at first sight to conflict. But none the less are these e*planations directlygathered from authorities to ,hom the sub5ect is no less familiar in its scholarly than in its esotericaspect. And their inner 1no,ledge thro,s a light upon the ,hole position ,hich ,holly e*empts themfrom the danger of misconstruing te*ts and mista1ing the bearings of obscure symbology. To 1no, ,he/autama Buddha ,as born ,hat is recorded of his teaching and ,hat popular legends ha3e gatheredround his biography is to 1no, ne*t to nothing of the real Buddha so much greater than either the

historical moral teacher or the fantastic demigod of tradition. And it is only ,hen ,e ha3e comprehendethe lin1 bet,een Buddhism and Brahaminism that the greatness of the esoteric doctrine rises into its truproportions.

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CHAPTER *

Nir%ana

A !O-PLETE assimilation of esoteric teaching up to the point ,e ha3e no, reached ,ill enable us toapproach the consideration of the sub5ect ,hich e*oteric ,riters on Buddhism ha3e generally treated as

the doctrinal starting(point of that religion.

"itherto for ,ant of any better method of see1ing out the true meaning of )ir3ana Buddhist scholarsha3e generally pic1ed the ,orld to pieces and e*amined its roots and fragments. One might as hopefulsee1 to ascertain the smell of a flo,er by dissecting the paper on ,hich its picture ,as painted. 't isdifficult for minds schooled in the intellectual processes of physical research ( as all our Westernnineteenth(century minds are directly or indirectly ( to comprehend the first spiritual state abo3e this lifethat of 6e3achan. Such conditions of e*istence are but partly for the understanding a higher faculty mube employed to reali?e them and all the more is it possible to force their meaning upon another mind by,ords. 't is by first a,a1ening that higher faculty in his pupil and then putting the pupil in a position to

obser3e for himself that the regular occult teacher proceeds in such a matter.

)o, there are the usual se3en states of 6e3achan suited to the different degrees of spiritualenlightenment ,hich the 3arious candidates for that condition may obtain@ there are r04pa and ar04palocas in 6e3achan ( that is to say states ,hich ta1e Dsub5ecti3e consciousness of form and states ,hictranscend these again. And yet the highest 6e3achanic state in ar04pa loca is not to be compared to tha,onderful condition of pure spirituality ,hich is spo1en of as )ir3ana.

'n the ordinary course of )ature during a round ,hen the spiritual monad has accomplished thetremendous 5ourney from the first planet to the se3enth and has finished for the time being its e*istencethere ( finished all its multifarious e*istences there ,ith their respecti3e periods of 6e3achan bet,eeneach ( the Ego passes into a spiritual condition different from the 6e3achanic state in ,hich for periodof inconcei3able duration it rests before resuming its circuit of the ,orlds. That condition may beregarded as the 6e3achan of its 6e3achanic states ( a sort of re3ie, thereof ( a superior state to thosere3ie,ed 5ust as the 6e3achanic state belonging to any one e*istence on earth is a superior state to thaof the half(de3eloped spiritual aspirations or impulses of affection of the earth(life. That period ( thatintercyclic period of e*traordinary e*altation as compared to any that ha3e gone before as comparede3en ,ith the sub5ecti3e conditions of the planets in the ascending arc so greatly superior to our o,n asthese are ( is spo1en of in esoteric science as a state of partial )ir3ana. !arrying on imagination througimmeasurable 3istas of the future ,e must ne*t concei3e oursel3es approaching the period ,hich ,oulcorrespond to the intercyclic period of the se3enth round of humanity in ,hich men ha3e become as

gods. The 3ery last most ele3ated and glorious of the ob5ecti3e li3es ha3ing been completed theperfected spiritual being reaches a condition in ,hich a complete recollection of all li3es li3ed at any timin the past returns to him. "e can loo1 bac1 o3er the curious mas0uerade of ob5ecti3e e*istences as it,ill seem to him then o3er the minutest details of any of these earth(li3es among the number through,hich he has passed and can cogni?ance of them and of all things ,ith ,hich they ,ere in any ,ayassociated for in regard to this planetary chain he has reached omniscience. This supreme de3elopmenof indi3iduality is the great re,ard ,hich )ature reser3es not only for those ,ho secure it prematurely sto spea1 by the relati3ely brief but desperate and terrible struggles ,hich lead to adeptship but also foall ,ho by the distinct preponderance of good o3er e3il in the character of the ,hole series of their

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incarnations ha3e passed through the 3alley of the shado, of death in the middle of the fifth round andha3e ,or1ed their ,ay up to it in the si*th and se3enth rounds.

This sublimely blessed state is spo1en of in esoteric science as the threshold of )ir3ana.

's it ,orth ,hile to go any further in speculation as to ,hat follo,sH One may be told that no state ofindi3idual consciousness e3en though but a phase of feeling already identified in a large measure ,iththe general consciousness on that le3el of e*istence can be e0ual in spiritual ele3ation to absoluteconsciousness in ,hich all sense of indi3iduality is merged in the ,hole. We may use such phrases asintellectual counters but for no ordinary mind ( dominated by its physical brain and brain(born intellect (can they ha3e a li3ing signification.

All that ,ords can con3ey is that )ir3ana is a sublime state of conscious rest in omniscience. 't ,ould bludicrous after all that has gone before to turn to the 3arious discussions ,hich ha3e been carried on bstudents of e*oteric Buddhism as to ,hether )ir3ana does or does not mean annihilation. Worldly simile

fall short of indicating the feeling ,ith ,hich the graduates of esoteric science regard such a 0uestion.6oes the last penalty of the la, mean the highest honour of the peerageH 's a ,ooden spoon theemblem of the most illustrious pre(eminence in learningH Such 0uestions as these but faintly symboli?ethe e*tra3agance of the 0uestion ,hether )ir3ana is held by Buddhism to be e0ui3alent to annihilation.And in some to us inconcei3able ,ay the state of para()ir3ana is spo1en of as immeasurably higherthan that of )ir3ana. ' do not pretend myself to attach any meaning to the statement but it may ser3e tosho, ,hat a 3ery transcendental realm of thought the sub5ect belongs.

A great deal of confusion of mind respecting )ir3ana has arisen from statements made concerningBuddha. "e is said to ha3e attained )ir3ana ,hile on earth@ he is also said to ha3e foregone )ir3ana in

order to submit to rene,ed incarnations for the good of humanity. The t,o statements are 0uitereconcilable. As a great adept Buddha naturally attained to that ,hich is the great achie3ement ofadeptship on earth ( the passing of his o,n Ego(spirit into the ineffable condition of )ir3ana. Let it not bsupposed that for any adept such a passage is one that can be lightly underta1en. Only stray hints abouthe nature of this great mystery ha3e reached me but putting these together ' belie3e ' am right insaying that the achie3ement in 0uestion is one ,hich only some of the high initiates are 0ualified toattempt ,hich e*acts a total suspension of animation in the body for periods of time compared to ,hichthe longest cataleptic trances 1no,n to ordinary science are insignificant the protection of the physicalframe from natural decay during this period by means ,hich the resources of occult science are strainedto accomplish@ and ,ithal it is a process in3ol3ing a double ris1 to the continued earthly life of the person,ho underta1es it. One of these ris1s is the doubt ,hether ,hen once )ir3ana is attained the Ego ,ill

be ,illing to return. That the return ,ill be a terrible effort and sacrifice is certain and ,ill only beprompted by the most de3oted attachment on the part of the spiritual tra3eler to the idea of duty in itspurest abstraction. The second great ris1 is that allo,ing the sense of duty to predominate o3er thetemptation to stay a temptation be it remembered that is not ,ea1ened by the notion that anyconcei3able penalty can attach to it ( e3en then it is al,ays doubtful ,hether the tra3eler ,ill be able toreturn. 'n spite of all this ho,e3er there ha3e been many other adepts besides Buddha ,ho ha3e madethe great passage and for ,hom those about them at such times ha3e said the return to their prison ofignoble flesh ( though so noble e( h$pothesi compared to most such tenements ( has left themparaly?ed ,ith depression for ,ee1s. To begin the ,eary round of physical life again to stoop to earthafter ha3ing been in )ir3ana is too dreadful a collapse.

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Buddha[s renunciation ,as in some ine*plicable manner greater again because he not merely returnedfrom )ir3ana for duty[s sa1e to finish the earth(life in ,hich he ,as engaged as /autama Buddha but,hen all the claims of duty had been fully satisfied and his right of passage into )ir3ana for incalculable\ons entirely earned under the most enlarged 3ie, of his earthly mission he ga3e up that re,ard orrather postponed it for an indefinite period to underta1e a supererogatory series of incarnations for thesa1e of humanity at large. "o, is humanity being benefited by this renunciationH it may be as1ed. Butthe 0uestion can only be suggested in reality by that deep(seated habit ,e ha3e most of us ac0uired o

estimating benefit by a physical standard and e3en in regard to this standard of ta1ing 3ery short 3ie,sof human affairs. )o one ,ill ha3e follo,ed me through the foregoing chapter on the Progress of"umanity ,ithout percei3ing ,hat 1ind of benefit it ,ould be that Buddha ,ould ,ish to confer on men.That ,hich is necessarily for him the great 0uestion in regard to humanity is ho, to help as many peoplas possible across the great critical period of the fifth round.

2ntil that time e3erything is a mere preparation for the supreme struggle in the estimation of an adept athe more of a Buddha. The material ,elfare of the e*isting generation is not e3en as dust in the balanceof such a calculation@ the only thing of importance at present is to culti3ate those tendencies in man1ind,hich may launch as many Egos as possible upon such a +armic path that the gro,th of their spiritualit

in future births ,ill be promoted. !ertainly it is the fi*ed con3iction of esoteric teachers ( of the adept co(,or1ers ,ith Buddha ( that the 3ery process of culti3ating such spirituality ,ill immensely reduce the sumof e3en transitory human sorro,. And the happiness of man1ind e3en in any one generation only is byno means a matter on ,hich esoteric science loo1s ,ith indifference. So the esoteric policy is not to beconsidered as something so hopelessly up in the air that it ,ill ne3er concern any of us ,ho are li3ingno,. But there are seasons of good and bad har3est for ,heat and barley and so also for the desiredgro,th of spirituality amongst men@ and in Europe at all e3ents going by the e*perience of former grearaces at periods of de3elopment corresponding to that of our o,n no, the great present uprush ofintelligence in the direction of physical and material progress is not li1ely to bring on a season of goodhar3ests for progress of the other 1ind. For the moment the best chance of doing good in countries ,hethe uprush referred to is most mar1ed is held to lie in the possibility that the importance of spirituality

may come to be percei3ed by intellect e3en in ad3ance of being felt if the attention of that 1een thoughunsympathetic tribunal can but be secured. Any success in that direction to ,hich these e*planationsmay conduce ,ill 5ustify the 3ie,s of those ( but a minority ( among the esoteric guardians of humanity,ho ha3e concei3ed that it is ,orth ,hile to ha3e them made.

So )ir3ana is truly the 1ey(note of esoteric Buddhism as of the hitherto rather misdirected studies ofe*ternal scholars. The great end of the ,hole stupendous e3olution of humanity is to culti3ate humansouls so that they shall be ultimately fit for that as yet inconcei3able condition. The great triumph of thepresent race of planetary spirits ,ho ha3e reached that condition themsel3es ,ill be to dra, thither asmany more Egos as possible. We are far as yet from the era at ,hich ,e may be in serious danger of

dis0ualifying oursel3es definiti3ely for such progress but it is not too soon e3en no, to begin the greatprocess of 0ualification all the more as the +arma ,hich ,ill propagate itself through successi3e li3es inthat direction ,ill carry its o,n re,ard ,ith it so that an enlightened pursuit of our highest interests in th3ery remote future ,ill coincide ,ith the pursuit of our immediate ,elfare in the ne*t 6e3achanic periodand the ne*t rebirth.

Will it be argued that if the culti3ation of spirituality is the great purpose to be follo,ed it matters little,hether men pursue it along one religious path,ay or anotherH This is a mista1e ,hich as e*plained in

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a former chapter Buddha as San1aracharya set himself especially to combat ( 3i? the early "indu belithat mo#sha can be attained by &ha#ti irrespecti3e of gn$anam ( that is that sal3ation is obtainable byde3out practices irrespecti3e of 1no,ledge of eternal truth. The sort of sal3ation ,e are tal1ing about nois not escape from a penalty to be achie3ed by ca5oling a celestial potentate ( it is a positi3e and not anegati3e achie3ement ( the ascent into regions of spiritual ele3ation so e*alted that the candidate aimingat them is claiming that ,hich ,e ordinarily describe as omniscience. Surely it is plain from the ,ay)ature habitually ,or1s that under no circumstances ,ill a time e3er come ,hen a person merely by

reason of ha3ing been good ,ill suddenly become ,ise. The supreme goodness and %isdom of thesi*th(round man ,ho once becoming that ,ill assimilate by degrees the attributes of di3inity itself canonly be gro,n by degrees themsel3es and goodness alone associated as ,e so often find it ,ith themost grotes0ue religious beliefs cannot conduct a man to more than 6e3achanic periods of de3out butunintelligent rapture and in the end if similar conditions are reproduced through many e*istences tosome painless e*tinction of indi3iduality at the great crisis.

't is by a steady pursuit of and desire for real spiritual truth not by an idle ho,e3er ,ell(meaningac0uiescence in the fashionable dogmas of the nearest church that men launch their souls into thesub5ecti3e state prepared to imbibe real 1no,ledge from the latent omniscience of their o,n si*th

principles and to re(incarnate in due time ,ith impulses in the same direction. )othing can produce modisastrous effects on human progress as regards the destiny of indi3iduals than the 3ery pre3alentnotion that one religion follo,ed out in a pious spirit is as good as another and that if such and suchdoctrines are perhaps absurd ,hen you loo1 into them the great ma5ority of good people ,ill ne3er thinof their absurdity but ,ill recite them in a blamelessly de3oted attitude of mind. One religion is by nomeans as good as another e3en if all ,ere producti3e of e0ually blameless li3es. But ' prefer to a3oid acriticism of specific faiths lea3ing this 3olume a simple and inoffensi3e statement of the real innerdoctrines of the one great religion of the ,orld ,hich (presenting as it does in its e*ternal aspects abloodless and innocent record ( has thus been really producti3e of blameless li3es throughout its ,holee*istence. -oreo3er it ,ould not be by a ser3ile acceptance e3en if its doctrines that the de3elopment otrue spirituality is to be culti3ated. 't is by the disposition to see1 truth to test and e*amine all ,hich

presents itself as claiming belief that the great result is to be brought about. 'n the East such aresolution in the highest degree leads to chelaship to the pursuit of truth 1no,ledge by thede3elopment of inner faculties by means of ,hich it may be cogni?ed ,ith certainty. 'n the ,est therealm of intellect as the ,orld is mapped out at present truth unfortunately can only be pursued andhunted out ,ith the help of many ,ords and much ,rangling and disputation. But at all e3ents it may behunted and if it is not finally captured the chase on the part of the hunters ,ill ha3e engenderedinstincts that ,ill propagate themsel3es and lead to results hereafter.

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CHAPTER *

The +ni%erse

') all Oriental literature bearing on the constitution of the cosmos fre0uent reference is made to the dayand the nights of Brahm^@ the in(breathings and the out(breathings of the creati3e principle the periods

of man3antara As transliterated into English this ,ord may be ,ritten either man%antara ormanvantara@ and the proper pronunciation is something bet,een the t,o ,ith the accent on the secondsyllable. and the periods of pralaya. This idea runs into 3arious Eastern mythologies but in its symbolicaspects ,e need not follo, it here. The process in )ature to ,hich it refers is of course the alternatesuccession of acti3ity and repose that is obser3able at e3ery step of the great ascent from the infinitelysmall to the infinitely great. -an has a man3antara and pralaya e3ery four(and(t,enty hours his periodsof ,a1ing and sleeping@ 3egetation follo,s the same rule from year to year as it subsides and re3i3es,ith the seasons. The ,orld too has its man3antaras and pralayas ,hen the tide(,a3e of humanityapproaches its shore runs through the e3olution of its se3en races and ebbs a,ay again and such aman3antara has been treated by most e*oteric religions as the ,hole cycle of eternity.

The ma5or man3antara of our planetary chain is that ,hich comes to an end ,hen the last 6hy^n!hohan of the se3enth round of perfected humanity passes into )ir3ana. And the e*pression has thus tobe regarded as one of considerable elasticity. 't may be said indeed to ha3e infinite elasticity and that isone e*planation of the confusion ,hich has reigned in all treatises on Eastern religions in their popularaspects. All the root(,ords transferred to popular literature from the secret doctrine ha3e a se3en(foldsignificance at least for the initiate ,hile the uninitiated reader naturally supposing that one ,ord meanone thing and trying al,ays to clear up its meaning by collating its 3arious applications and stri1ing ana3erage gets into the most hopeless embarrassment.

The planetary chain ,ith ,hich ,e are concerned is not the only one ,hich has our sun as its centre. Asthere are other planets besides the earth in our chain so there are other chains besides this in our solasystem. There are se3en such and there comes a time ,hen all these go into pralaya together. This isspo1en of as solar pralaya and ,ithin the inter3al bet,een t,o such pralayas the 3ast solar man3antarco3ers se3en pralayas and man3antaras of our ( and each other ( planetary chain. Thought is baffledsay e3en the adepts in speculating as to ho, many of our solar pralayas must come before the greatcosmic night in ,hich the ,hole uni3erse in its collecti3e enormity obeys ,hat is manifestly the uni3ersla, of acti3ity and repose and ,ith all its myriad systems passes itself into pralaya. But e3en thattremendous result says esoteric science must surely come.

After the pralaya of a single planetary chain there is no necessity for a recommencement of e3olutionary

acti3ity absolutely de novo. There is only a resumption of arrested acti3ity. The 3egetable and animal1ingdoms ,hich at the end of the last corresponding man3antara had reached only a partialde3elopment are not destroyed. Their life or 3ital energy passes through a night or period of rest@ theyalso ha3e so to spea1 a )ir3ana of their o,n as ,hy should they not these f_tal and infant entitiesHThey are all li1e oursel3es begotten of the one element. As ,e ha3e our 6hy^n !hohans so ha3e thein their se3eral 1ingdoms elemental guardians and are as ,ell ta1en care of in the mass as humanity isin the mass. The one element not only fills and is space but interpenetrates e3ery atom of cosmic matte

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When ho,e3er the hour of the solar pralaya stri1es though the process of man[s ad3ance on his lastse3enth round is precisely the same as usual each planet instead of merely passing out of the 3isibleinto the in3isible as he 0uits it in turn is annihilated. With the beginning of the se3enth round of these3enth planetary chain man3antara e3ery 1ingdom ha3ing no, reached its last cycle there remains oeach planet after the e*it of man merely the m05$05 of once li3ing and e*isting forms. With e3ery stephe ta1es on the descending and ascending arcs as he mo3es on from globe to globe the planet leftbehind becomes an empty chrysaloidal case. At his departure there is an outflo, from e3ery 1ingdom of

its entities. Waiting to pass into higher forms in due time they are ne3ertheless liberated and to the dayof the ne*t e3olution they ,ill rest in their lethargic sleep in space until brought into life again at the ne,solar man3antara. The old elementals ,ill rest till they are called on to become in their turn the bodies omineral 3egetable and animal entities on another and a higher chain of globes on their ,ay to becomehuman entities ,hile the germinal entities of the lo,est forms ( and at that time there ,ill remain but fe,of such ( ,ill hang in space li1e drops of ,ater suddenly turned into icicles. They ,ill tha, at the first hotbreath of the ne, solar man3antara and form the soul of the future globes. The slo, de3elopment of the3egetable 1ingdom up to the period ,e are no, dealing ,ith ,ill ha3e been pro3ided for by the longerinterplanetary rest of man. When the solar pralaya comes the ,hole purified humanity merges into)ir3ana and from that intersolar )ir3ana ,ill be reborn in the higher systems. The strings of ,orlds aredestroyed and 3anish li1e a shado, from the ,all ,hen the light is e*tinguished. `We ha3e e3ery

indication` say the adepts `that at this 3ery moment such a solar pralaya is ta1ing place ,hile there art,o minor ones ending some,here.`

At the beginning of the ne, solar man3antara the hitherto sub5ecti3e elements of the material ,orldsno, scattered in cosmic dust recei3ing their impulse from the ne, 6hy^n !hohans of the ne, solarsystem Dthe highest of the old ones ha3ing gone higher ,ill form into primordial ripples of life andseparating into differentiating centres of acti3ity combine in a graduated scale of se3en stages ofe3olution. Li1e e3ery other orb of space our earth has before obtaining its ultimate materiality to passthrough a gamut of se3en stages of density. )othing in this ,orld no, can gi3e us an idea of ,hat thatultimate stage of materiality is li1e. The French astronomer Flammarion in a boo1 called La R/surrectio

et la 6in des Mondes has approached a conception of this ultimate materiality. The facts are ' aminformed ,ith slight modifications much as he surmises. 'n conse0uence of ,hat he treats as secularrefrigeration but ,hich more truly is old age and loss of 3ital po,er the solidification and desication ofthe earth at last reaches a point ,hen the ,hole globe becomes a rela*ed conglomerate. 'ts period ofchild(bearing has gone by@ its progeny are all nurtured@ its term of life is finished. "ence its constituentmasses cease to obey those la,s of cohesion and aggregation ,hich held them together. And becominli1e a corpse ,hich abandoned to the ,or1 of destruction lea3es each molecule composing it free toseparate itself from the body and obey in future the s,ay of ne, influences `the attraction of the moonsuggests -. Flammarion `,ould itself underta1e the tas1 of demolition by producing a tidal ,a3e of earparticles instead of an a0ueous tide.` This last idea must not be regarded as countenanced by occultscience e*cept so far as it may ser3e to illustrate the loss of molecular cohesion in the material of the

earth.

Occult physics pass fairly into the region of metaphysics if ,e see1 to obtain some indication of the ,ayin ,hich e3olution recommences after a uni3ersal pralaya.

The one eternal imperishable thing in the uni3erse ,hich uni3ersal pralayas themsel3es pass o3er,ithout destroying is that ,hich may be regarded indifferently as space duration matter or motion@ not

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as something ha3ing these four attributes but as something ,hich is these four things at once andal,ays. And e3olution ta1es its rise in the atomic polarity ,hich motion engenders. 'n cosmogony thepositi3e and the negati3e or the acti3e and the passi3e forces correspond to the male and femaleprinciples. The spiritual efflu* enters into the 3eil of cosmic matter@ the acti3e is attracted by the passi3eprinciple and if ,e may here assist imagination by ha3ing recourse to old occult symbology ( the great)ag ( the serpent emblem of eternity attracts its tail to its mouth forming thereby the circle of eternity orather cycles in eternity. The one and chief attribute of the uni3ersal spiritual principle the unconscious

but e3er acti3e life(gi3er is to e*pand and shed@ that of the uni3ersal material principle is to gather in anfecundate. 2nconscious and non(e*isting ,hen separate they become consciousness and life ,henbrought together. The ,ord Brahm^ comes from the Sanscrit root &rih to e*pand gro, or fructifyesoteric cosmogony being but the 3i3ifying e*pansi3e force of )ature in its eternal e3olution. )o onee*pression can ha3e contributed more to mislead the human mind in basic speculation concerning theorigin of things than the ,ord `creation.` Tal1 of creation and ,e are continually butting against the factsBut once reali?e that our planet and oursel3es are no more creations than an iceberg but states of beinfor a gi3en time ( that their present appearance geological or anthropological is transitory and but acondition concomitant of that stage of e3olution at ,hich they ha3e arri3ed ( and the ,ay has beenprepared for correct thin1ing. Then ,e are enabled to see ,hat is meant by the one and only principle oelement in the uni3erse and by the treatment of that element as androgynous@ also by the proclamation

of "indu philosophy that all things are but M05$05 ( transitory states ( e*cept the one element ,hichrests during the maha(pralayas only ( the nights of Brahm^.

Perhaps ,e ha3e no, plunged deeply enough into the fathomless mystery of the great First !ause. 't isno parado* to say that simply by reason of ignorance do ordinary theologians thin1 they 1no, so muchabout /od. And it is no e*aggeration to say that the ,ondrously endo,ed representati3es of occultscience ,hose mortal nature has been so far ele3ated and purified that their perceptions range o3erother ,orlds and other states of e*istence and commune directly ,ith beings as much greater thanordinary man1ind as man is greater than the insects of the field it is the mere truth that they ne3eroccupy themsel3es at all ,ith any conception remotely resembling the /od of churches and creeds.

Within the limits of the solar system the mortal adept 1no,s of his o,n 1no,ledge that all things areaccounted for by the la, ,or1ing on matter in its di3erse forms plus the guiding and modifying influencof the highest intelligences associated ,ith the solar system the 6hy^n !hohans the perfectedhumanity of the last preceding man3antara. These 6hy^n !hohans or Planetary Spirits on ,hosenature it is almost fruitless to ponder until one can at least reali?e the nature of disembodied e*istence one[s o,n case impart to the rea,a1ening ,orlds at the end of a planetary chain pralaya such impulsesthat e3olution feels them throughout its ,hole progress. The limits of )ature[s great la, restrain theiraction. They cannot say let there be paradise throughout space let all men be born supremely ,ise andgood@ they can only ,or1 through the principle of e3olution and they cannot deny to any man ,ho is tobe in3ested ,ith the potentiality of de3elopment himself into a 6hy^n !hohan the right to do e3il if heprefers that to good. )or can they pre3ent e3il if done from producing suffering. Ob5ecti3e life is the soi

in ,hich the life(germs are planted@ spiritual e*istence Dthe e*pression being used remember in contrasmerely to grossly material e*istence is the flo,er to be ultimately obtained. But the human germ issomething more than a flo,er seed@ it has liberty of choice in regard to gro,ing up or gro,ing do,n andit could not be de3eloped ,ithout such liberty being e*ercised by the plant. This is the necessity of e3il.But ,ithin the limits that logical necessity prescribes the 6hy^n !hohan impresses his conceptionsupon the e3olutionary tide and comprehends the origin of all that he beholds.

Surely as ,e ponder in this ,ay o3er the magnitude of the cyclic e3olution ,ith ,hich esoteric science i

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in this ,ay engaged it seems reasonable to postpone considerations as to the origin of the ,holecosmos. The ordinary man in this earth(life ,ith many certainly some hundred earth(li3es to come andtheir 3ery much more important inter(incarnation periods Dmore important that is as regards duration anthe prospect of happiness or sorro, also in prospect may surely be most ,isely occupied ,ith thein0uiries ,hose issue ,ill affect practical results than ,ith speculation in ,hich he is practically 0uiteuninterested. Of course from the point of 3ie, of religious speculation resting on no positi3e 1no,ledgeof anything beyond this life nothing can be more important or more highly practical than con5ectures as

to the attributes and probable intentions of the terrible personal 8eho3ah pictured as an omnipotenttribunal into ,hose presence the soul at its death is to be introduced for 5udgement. But scientific1no,ledge of spiritual things thro,s bac1 the day of 5udgement into a 3ery dim perspecti3e theinter3ening period being filled ,ith acti3ity of all 1inds. -oreo3er it sho,s man1ind that certainly formillions and millions of centuries to come it ,ill not be confronted ,ith any 5udge at all other than thatall(per3ading 5udge that Se3enth Principle or 2ni3ersal Spirit ,hich e*ists e3ery,here and operatingon matter pro3o1es the e*istence of man himself and the ,orld in ,hich he li3es and the futureconditions to,ards ,hich he is pressing. The Se3enth Principle undefinable incomprehensible for us aour present stage of enlightenment is of course the only /od recogni?ed by esoteric 1no,ledge and nopersonification of this can be other,ise than symbolical.

And yet in truth esoteric 1no,ledge gi3ing life and reality to ancient symbolism in one direction as ofteas it conflicts ,ith modern dogma in the other sho,s ho, far from absolutely fabulous are e3en the mosanthropomorphic notions of 6eity associated by e*oteric tradition ,ith the beginning of the ,orld. ThePlanetary Spirit actually incarnated among men in the first round ,as the prototype of personal deity inall subse0uent de3elopments of the idea. The mista1e made by uninstructed men in dealing ,ith the ideis merely one of degree. The personal /od of an insignificant minor man3antara has been ta1en for thecreator of the ,hole cosmos a most natural mista1e for people forced by 1no,ing no more of humandestiny than ,as included in one ob5ecti3e incarnation to suppose that all beyond ,as a homogeneousspiritual future. The /od of this life of course for them ,as the /od of all li3es and ,orlds and periods.

The reader ,ill not misunderstand me ' trust to mean that esoteric science regards the Planetary Spiritof the first round as a god. As ' say it is concerned ,ith the ,or1ing of )ature in an immeasurable spacfrom an immeasurable past and all through immeasurable future. The enormous areas of time andspace in ,hich our solar system operates is e*plorable by the mortal adepts of esoteric science. Withinthose limits they 1no, all that ta1es place and ho, it ta1es place and they 1no, that e3erything isaccounted for by the constructi3e ,ill of the collecti3e host of the Planetary Spirits operating under thela, of e3olution that per3ades all )ature. They commune ,ith these Planetary Spirits and learn fromthem that the la, of this is the la, of other solar systems as ,ell into the regions of ,hich thepercepti3e faculties of the Planetary Spirits can plunge as the percepti3e faculties of the adeptsthemsel3es can plunge into the life of other planets of this chain. The la, of alternating acti3ity and

repose is operating uni3ersally@ for the ,hole cosmos e3en though at unthin1able inter3als pralaya mussucceed man3antara and man3antara pralaya.

Will any one as1 to ,hat end does this eternal succession ,or1H 's it better to confine the 0uestion to asingle system and as to ,hat end does the original nebula arrange itself in planetary 3ortices ofe3olution and de3elop ,orlds in ,hich the uni3ersal spirit re3erberating through matter produces formand life and those higher states of matter in ,hich that ,hich ,e call sub5ecti3e or spiritual e*istence ispro3ided for. Surely it is end enough to satisfy any reasonable mind that such sublimely perfected being

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as the Planetary Spirits themsel3es come thus into e*istence and li3e a conscious life of supreme1no,ledge and felicity through 3istas of time ,hich are e0ui3alent to all ,e can imagine of eternity. 'ntothis unutterable greatness e3ery li3ing thing has the opportunity of passing ultimately. The Spirit ,hich isin e3ery animated form and ,hich has e3en ,or1ed up into these from forms ,e are generally in thehabit of calling inanimate ,ill slo,ly but certainly progress on,ards until the ,or1ing of its untiringinfluence in matter has e3ol3ed a human soul. 't does not follo, that the plants and animals around usha3e any principle e3ol3ed in them as yet ,hich ,ill assume a human form in the course of the present

man3antara@ but though the course of an incomplete e3olution may be suspended by a period of naturarepose it is not rendered aborti3e. E3entually e3ery spiritual monad ( itself a sinless unconsciousprinciple ,ill ,or1 through conscious forms on lo,er le3els until these thro,ing off one after anotherhigher and higher forms ,ill produce that in ,hich the /od(li1e consciousness may be fully e3o1ed.!ertainly it is not by reason of the grandeur of any human conceptions as to ,hat ,ould be an ade0uatereason for the e*istence of the uni3erse that such a consummation can appear an insufficient purposenot e3en if the final destiny of the planetary spirit himself after periods to ,hich his de3elopment from thmineral forms of prim\3al ,orlds is but a childhood in the recollection of the man is to merge hisglorified indi3iduality into that sum total of all consciousness ,hich esoteric metaphysics treat asabsolute consciousness ,hich is non(consciousness. These parado*ical e*pressions are simplycounters representing ideas that the human mind is not 0ualified to apprehend and it is ,aste of time to

haggle o3er them.

These considerations supply the 1ey to esoteric Buddhism a more direct outcome of the uni3ersalesoteric doctrine than any other popular religion for the effort in its construction has been to ma1e menlo3e 3irtue for its o,n sa1e and for its good effect on their future incarnations not to 1eep them insub5ection to any priestly system or dogma by terrifying their fancy ,ith the doctrine of a personal 5udge,aiting to try them for more than their li3es at their death. -r Lillie is mista1en admirable as his intentiohas been and sympathetic as his mind e3idently is ,ith the beautiful morality and aspiration ofBuddhism in deducing from its Temple ritual the notion of a Personal /od. )o such conception entersinto the great esoteric doctrine of )ature of ,hich this 3olume has furnished an imperfect s1etch. )ot

e3en in reference to the farthest regions of the immensity beyond our o,n planetary system does theadept e*ponent of the esoteric doctrine tolerate the adoption of an agnostic attitude. 't ,ill not suffice forhim to say Às far as the ele3ated senses of planetary spirits ,hose cognition e*tends to the outermostlimits of the starry hea3ens ( as far as their 3ision can e*tend )ature is self(sufficing@ as to ,hat may liebeyond ,e offer no hypothesis.` What the adept really says on this head is `The uni3erse is boundlessand it is a stultification of thought to tal1 of any hypothesis setting in beyond the boundless ( on the otheside of the limits of the limitless.`

That ,hich antedates e3ery manifestation of the uni3erse and ,ould lie beyond the limit ofmanifestation if such limits could e3er be found is that ,hich underlies the manifested uni3erse ,ithin

our o,n pur3ie, ( matter animated by motion its Parabrahm or Spirit. -atter space motion andduration constitute one and the same eternal substance of the uni3erse. There is nothing else eternalabsolutely. That is the first state of matter itself perfectly uncogni?able by physical senses ,hich deal,ith manifested matter another state altogether. But though thus in one sense of the ,ord materialisticthe esoteric doctrine as any reader of the foregoing e*planations ,ill ha3e seen is as far fromresembling the gross narro,(minded conception of )ature ,hich ordinary goes by the name of-aterialism as the )orth Pole loo1s a,ay from the South. 't stoops to -aterialism as it ,ere to lin1 itsmethods ,ith the logic of that system and ascends to the highest realms of idealism to embrace ande*pound the most e*alted aspirations of Spirit. As it cannot be too fre0uently or earnestly repeated ( it is

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the union of Science and &eligion ( the bridge by ,hich the most acute and cautious pursuers ofe*perimental 1no,ledge may cross o3er to the most enthusiastic de3otee by means of ,hich the mostenthusiastic de3otee may return to Earth and yet 1eep "ea3en still around him.

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CHAPTER *

The $octrine Re%ie,ed

LO)/ familiarity ,ith the esoteric doctrine ,ill alone gi3e rise to a full perception of the manner in ,hichit harmoni?es ,ith facts of )ature such as ,e are all in a position to obser3e. But something may be

done to indicate the correspondences that may be traced bet,een the ,hole body of teaching no, setforth and the phenomena of the ,orld around us.

Beginning ,ith the t,o great perple*ities of ordinary philosophy = the conflict bet,een free(,ill andpredestination and the origin of e3il it ,ill surely be recogni?ed that the system of )ature no, e*plaineenables us to deal ,ith those problems more boldly than they ha3e e3er yet been handled. Till no, themost prudent thin1ers ha3e been least disposed to profess that either by the aid of metaphysics orreligion could the mystery of free(,ill and predestination be unra3eled. The tendency of thought has beeto relegate the ,hole enigma to the region of the un1no,able. And strange to say this has been donecontentedly by people ,ho ha3e been none the less contented to accept as more than a pro3isional

hypothesis the religious doctrines ,hich thus remained incapable of reconciliation ,ith some of their o,most ob3ious conse0uences. The omniscience of a personal !reator ranging o3er the future as ,ell asthe past left man no room to e*ercise the independent authority o3er his o,n destinies ,hichne3ertheless it ,as absolutely necessary to allo, him to e*ercise in order that the policy of punishing orre,arding him for his acts in life could be recogni?ed as anything but the most grotes0ue in5ustice. Onegreat English philosopher fran1ly facing the embarrassment declared in a famous posthumous essaythat by reason of these considerations it ,as impossible that /od could be all(good and all(potent.People ,ere free to in3est him logically ,ith one or other of these attributes but not ,ith both. Theargument ,as treated ,ith the respect due to the great reputation of its author and put aside ,ith thediscretion due to respect for orthodo* tenets.

But the esoteric doctrine comes to our rescue in this emergency. First of all it honestly ta1es into accounthe insignificant si?e of this ,orld compared to the uni3erse. This is a fact of )ature ,hich the early!hristian church feared ,ith a true instinct and fought ,ith the cruelty of terror. The truth ,as deniedand its authors ,ere tortured for many centuries. Established at last beyond e3en the authority of papalnegations the !hurch resorted to the `desperate e*pedient` to 0uote -r &hys 6a3id[s phrase ofpretending that it did not matter.

The pretense till no, has been more successful than its authors could ha3e hoped. When they dreadedastronomical disco3ery they ,ere crediting the ,orld at large ,ith more remorseless logic than itultimately sho,ed any inclination to employ. People ha3e been found ,illing as a rule to do that ,hich '

ha3e described esoteric Buddhism as not re0uiring us to do to 1eep their science and their religion inseparate ,ater(tight compartments. So long and so thoroughly has this principle been ,or1ed upon thait has finally ceased to be an argument against the credibility of a religious dogma to point out that it isimpossible. But ,hen ,e establish a connection bet,een our hitherto di3ided reser3oirs and re0uirethem to stand at the same le3el ,e cannot fail to see ho, the insignificance of the earth[s magnitudediminishes in a corresponding proportion the plausibility of theories that re0uire us to regard the details oour o,n li3es as part of the general stoc1 of a uni3ersal !reator[s omniscience. On the contrary it isunreasonable to suppose that the creatures inhabiting one of the smaller planets of one of the smallersuns in the ocean of the uni3erse ,here suns are but ,ater(drops in the sea are e*empt in any ,ay

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from the general principle of go3ernment by la,. But that principle cannot co(e*ist ,ith go3ernment bycaprice ,hich is an essential condition of such predestination as con3entional discussions of theproblems before us associate ,ith the use of the ,ord. For be it obser3ed that the predestination ,hichconflicts ,ith free(,ill is not the predestination of races but indi3idual predestination associated ,ith theideas of di3ine grace of ,rath. The pre(destination of races under la,s analogous to those ,hich controthe general tendency of any multitude of independent chances is perfectly compatible ,ith indi3idualfree(,ill and thus it is that the esoteric doctrine reconciles the long(standing contradiction of )ature. -a

has control o3er his o,n destiny ,ithin constitutional limits so to spea1@ he is perfectly free to ma1e useof his natural rights as far as they go and they go practically to infinity as far as he the indi3idual unit isconcerned. But the a3erage human action under gi3en conditions ta1ing a 3ast multiplicity of units intoaccount pro3ides for the unfailing e3olution of the cycles ,hich constitute their collecti3e destiny.

'ndi3idual predestination it is true may be asserted not as a religious dogma ha3ing to do ,ith di3inegrace or ,rath but on purely metaphysical grounds = that is to say it may be argued that each humancreature is fundamentally in infancy sub5ect to the same influence by similar circumstances and that anadult life is thus merely the product or impression of all the circumstances ,hich ha3e influenced such alife from the beginning so that if those circumstances ,ere 1no,n the moral and intellectual result

,ould be 1no,n. By this train of reasoning it can be made to appear that the circumstances of eachman[s life may be theoretically 1no,able by a sufficiently searching intelligence@ that hereditarytendencies for e*ample are but products of antecedent circumstances entering into any gi3encalculation as a perturbation but not the less calculable on that account. This contention ho,e3er is noless in direct conflict ,ith the consciousness of humanity than the religious dogma of indi3idualpredestination. The sense of free(,ill is a factor in the process ,hich cannot be ignored and the free(,of ,hich ,e are thus sensible is not a mere automatic impulse li1e the t,itching of a dead frog[s leg. Thordinary religious dogma and the ordinary metaphysical argument both re0uire us to regard it in that lighbut the esoteric doctrine restores it to its true dignity and sho,s us the scope of its acti3ity the limits ofits so3ereignty. 't is so3ereign o3er the indi3idual career but impotent in presence of the cyclic la, ,hice3en so positi3e a philosopher as 6raper detects in human history = brief as the period is ,hich he is

enabled to obser3e. And none the less does that collateral 0uic1sand of thought ,hich 8 S -ill discernedalongside the contradictions of theology = the great 0uestion ,hether speculation must ,or1 ,ith the all(good or all(potent hypothesis = find its e*planation in the system no, disclosed. Those great beings theperfected efflorescence of former humanity ,ho though far from constituting a supreme /od reignne3ertheless in a di3ine ,ay o3er the destinies of our ,orld are not only not omnipotent but great asthey are are restricted as regards their action by comparati3ely narro, limits. 't ,ould seem as if ,henthe stage is so to spea1 prepared afresh for a ne, drama of life they are able to introduce someimpro3ements into the action deri3ed from their o,n e*perience in the drama ,ith ,hich they ,ereconcerned but are only capable as regards the main construction of the piece of repeating that ,hichhas been represented before. They can do on a large scale ,hat a gardener can do ,ith dahlias on asmall one@ he can e3ol3e considerable impro3ements in form and colour but his flo,ers ho,e3er

carefully tended ,ill be dahlias still.

's it nothing one may as1 in passing in support of the acceptability of the esoteric doctrine that naturalanalogies support it at e3ery turnH As it is belo, so it is abo3e ,rote the early occult philosophers@ themicrocosm is a mirror of the macrocosm. All )ature lying ,ithin the sphere of our physical obser3ation3erifies the rule so far as that limited area can e*hibit any principles. The structure of lo,er animals isreproduced ,ith modifications in higher animals and in -an@ the fine fibres of the leaf ramify li1e thebranches of the tree and the microscope follo,s such ramifications repeated beyond the range of the

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na1ed eye. The dust(laden currents of rain(,ater by the roadside deposit therein `sedimentary roc1s` inthe puddles they de3elop 5ust as the ri3ers do in the la1es and the great ,aters of the ,orld o3er thesea(bed. The geological ,or1 of a pond and that of an ocean differ merely in their scale and it is only inscale that the esoteric doctrine sho,s the sublimest la,s of )ature differing in their 5urisdiction o3er theman and their 5urisdiction o3er the planetary family. As the children of each human generation aretended in infancy by their parents and gro, up to tend another generation in their turn so in the ,holehumanity of the great man3antaric periods the men of one generation gro, to be the 6hy^n !hohans

of the ne*t and then yield their places in the ultimate progress of time to their descendants and passthemsel3es to higher conditions of e*istence.

)ot less decisi3ely than it ans,ers the 0uestion about free(,ill does the esoteric doctrine deal ,ith thee*istence of e3il. This sub5ect has been discussed in its place in the preceding chapter on the Progressof "umanity@ but the esoteric doctrine it ,ill be seen grapples ,ith the great problem more closely thanby the mere enunciation of the ,ay human free(,ill ,hich it is the purpose of )ature to gro, andculti3ate into 6hy^n !hohanship must by the hypothesis be free to de3elop e3il itself if it li1es. Somuch for the broad principle in operation but the ,ay it ,or1s is traceable in the present teaching asclearly as the principle itself. 't ,or1s through physical +arma and could not but ,or1 that ,ay e*cept b

a suspension of the in3ariable la, that causes cannot but produce effects. The ob5ecti3e man born intothe physical ,orld is 5ust as much the creation of the person he last animated as the sub5ecti3e man ,hhas in the interim been li3ing the 6e3achanic e*istence. The e3il that men do li3es after them in a moreliteral sense e3en than Sha1espeare intended by those ,ords. 't may be as1ed ho, can the moral guiltof a man in one life cause him to be born blind or crippled at a different period of the ,orld[s historyse3eral thousand years later of parents ,ith ,hom he has had through his former life no sort ofphysical connection ,hate3erH But the difficulty is met by considering the operation of affinities moreeasily than may be imagined at the first glance. The blind or crippled child as regards his physical framemay ha3e been the potentiality rather than the product of local circumstances. But he ,ould not ha3ecome into e*istence unless there had been a spiritual monad pressing for,ard for incarnation andbearing ,ith it a fifth principle Dso much of a fifth principle as is persistent of course precisely adapted b

its +arma to inhabit that potential body. /i3en these circumstances and the imperfectly organi?ed child concei3ed and brought into the ,orld to be a cause of trouble to himself and others = an effect becominga cause in its turn = and a li3ing enigma for philosophers endea3ouring to e*plain the origin of e3il.

The same e*planation applies ,ith modifications to a 3ast range of cases that might be cited to illustratethe problem of e3il in the ,orld. 'ncidentally moreo3er it co3ers a 0uestion connected ,ith the operationof the +armic la, that can hardly be called a difficulty as the ans,er ,ould probably be suggested by thbearings of the doctrine itself but is none the less entitled to notice. The selecti3e assimilation of +armaladen spirits ,ith parentage ,hich corresponds to their necessities or deserts is the ob3ious e*planatio,hich reconciles rebirth ,ith ata3ism and heredity. The child born may seem to reproduce the moral and

mental peculiarities of parents or ancestors as ,ell as their physical li1eness and the fact suggests thenotion that his soul is as much an offshoot of the family tree as his physical frame. 't is unnecessary toenlarge here on the multifarious embarrassments by ,hich that theory ,ould be surrounded on thee*tra3agance of supposing that a soul thus thro,n off li1e a spar1 from an an3il ,ithout any spiritualpast behind it can ha3e a spiritual future before it. The soul ,hich ,as thus merely a function of thebody ,ould certainly come to an end ,ith the dissolution of that out of ,hich it arose. The esotericdoctrine ho,e3er as regards transmitted characteristics ,ill afford a complete e*planation of thatphenomenon as ,ell as of all others connected ,ith human life. The family into ,hich he is born is tothe re(incarnating spirit ,hat a ne, planet is to the ,hole tide of humanity on a round along the

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man3antaric chain. 't has been built up by a process of e3olution ,or1ing on a line trans3erse to that ofhumanity[s approach@ but it is fit for humanity to inhabit ,hen the time comes. So ,ith the re(incarnatingspirit it presses for,ard into the ob5ecti3e ,orld the influences ,hich ha3e retained it in the 6e3achanicstate ha3ing been e*hausted and it touches the spring of )ature so to spea1 pro3o1ing thede3elopment of a child ,hich ,ithout such an impulse ,ould merely ha3e been a potentiality not anactual de3elopment@ but in ,hose parentage it finds = of course unconsciously by the blind operation ofits affinities = the e*act conditions of rene,ed life for ,hich it has prepared itself during its last e*istence

!ertainly ,e must ne3er forget the presence of e*ceptions in all broad rules of )ature. 'n the presentcase it may sometimes happen that mere accident causes an in5ury to a child at birth. Thus a crippledframe may come to be besto,ed on a spirit ,hose +arma has by no means earned that penalty and so,ith a great 3ariety of accidents. But of these all that need be said is that )ature is not at all embarrasseby her accidents@ she has ample time to repair them. The undeser3ed suffering of one life is amplyredressed under the operation of the +armic la, in the ne*t or the ne*t. There is plenty of time forma1ing the account e3en and the adepts declare ' belie3e that as a matter(of(fact in the long(runundeser3ed suffering operates as good luc1 rather than other,ise thereby deri3ing from a purelyscientific obser3ation of facts a doctrine ,hich religion has bene3olently in3ented sometimes for theconsolation of the afflicted.

While the esoteric doctrine affords in this ,ay an une*pected solution of the most perple*ing phenomenof life it does this at no sacrifice in any direction of the attributes ,e may fairly e*pect of a true religiousscience. Foremost among the claims ,e may ma1e on such a system is that it shall contemplate noin5ustice either in the direction of ,rong done to the undeser3ing or of benefits besto,ed on theundeser3ing@ and the 5ustice of its operation must be discernible in great things and small ali1e. The legama*im de minimis non curat le( is means of escape for human fallibility from the conse0uences of itso,n imperfections. There is no such thing as indifference to small things in chemistry or mechanics.)ature in physical operations responds ,ith e*actitude to small causes as certainly as to great and ,emay feel instincti3ely sure that in her spiritual operations also she has no clumsy habit of treating triflesas of no conse0uence of ignoring small debts in consideration of paying big ones li1e a trader of

doubtful integrity content to respect obligations ,hich are serious enough to be enforced by la,. )o, thminor acts of life good and bad ali1e are of necessity ignored under any system ,hich ma1es the final0uestion at sta1e admission to or e*clusion from a uniform or appro*imately uniform condition ofblessedness. E3en as regards that merit and demerit ,hich is solely concerned ,ith spiritualconse0uences no accurate response could be made by )ature e*cept by means of that infinitelygraduated condition of spiritual e*istence described by the esoteric doctrine as the 6e3achanic state. Buthe comple*ity to be dealt ,ith is more serious than e3en the 3arious conditions of 6e3achanic e*istenccan meet. )o system of conse0uences ensuing to man1ind after the life no, under obser3ation can berecogni?ed as adapted scientifically to the emergency unless it responds to the sense of 5ustice inregard to the multifarious acts and habits of life generally including those ,hich merely relate to physicae*istence and are not deeply coloured by right or ,rong.

)o, it is only by a return to physical e*istence that people can possibly be concei3ed to reap ,ithprecise accuracy the har3est of the minor causes they may ha3e generated ,hen last in ob5ecti3e life.Thus on a careful e*amination of the matter the +armic la, so unattracti3e to Buddhist studentshitherto in its e*oteric shape and no ,onder ,ill be seen not only to reconcile itself to the sense of5ustice but to constitute the only imaginable method of natural action that ,ould do this. The continuedindi3iduality running through successi3e +armic rebirths once reali?ed and the corresponding chain ofspiritual e*istences intercalated bet,een each borne in mind the e*0uisite symmetry of the ,hole

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system is in no ,ay impaired by that feature ,hich seems obno*ious to criticism at the first glance = thesuccessi3e baths of obli3ion through ,hich the reincarnating spirit has to pass. On the contrary thatobli3ion itself is in truth the only condition on ,hich ob5ecti3e life could fairly be started afresh. Fe, earthli3es are entirely free from shado,s the recollection of ,hich ,ould dar1en a rene,ed lease of life forthe former personality. And if it is alleged that the forgetfulness in each life of the last in3ol3es ,aste ofe*perience and effort and intellectual ac0uirements painfully or laboriously obtained that ob5ection canonly be raised in forgetfulness of the 6e3achanic life in ,hich far from being ,asted such efforts and

ac0uirements are the seeds from ,hich the ,hole magnificent har3est of spiritual results ,ill be raised. the same ,ay the longer the esoteric doctrine occupies the mind the more clearly it is seen that e3eryob5ection brought against it meets ,ith a ready reply and only seems an ob5ection from the point of 3ie,of imperfect 1no,ledge.

Passing from abstract considerations to others partly inter,o3en ,ith practical matters ,e may comparthe esoteric doctrine ,ith the obser3able facts of )ature in se3eral ,ays ,ith the 3ie, of directlychec1ing its teachings. A spiritual science ,hich has successfully di3ined the absolute truth mustaccurately fit the facts of earth ,hene3er it impinges on earth. A religious dogma in flagrant opposition tothat ,hich is manifestly truth in respect of geology and astronomy may find churches and congregation

content to nurse it but is not ,orth serious philosophical consideration. "o, then does the esotericdoctrine s0uare ,ith geology and astronomyH

't is not too much to say that it constitutes the only religious system that blends itself easily ,ith thephysical truths disco3ered by modern research in those branches of science. 't not only blends itself ,itin the sense of tolerating the nebula hypothesis and the stratification of roc1s it rushes into the arms ofthese facts so to spea1 and could not get on ,ithout them. 't could not get on ,ithout the greatdisco3eries of modern biology@ and as a system recommending itself to notice in a scientific age it coulill afford to dispense ,ith the latest ac0uisitions of physical geography.

The stratification of the earth[s crust is of course a plain and 3isible record of the inter(racial cataclysmsPhysical science is emerging from the habits of timidity ,hich its insolent oppression by religious bigotryfor fifteen centuries engendered but it is still a little shy in its relations ,ith dogma from the mere force habit. 'n that ,ay geology has been content to say such and continents as their shell(beds testify mustha3e been more than once submerged belo, and ele3ated abo3e the surface of the ocean. 't has not yegro,n used to the free application of its o,n materials to speculation ,hich trenches upon religiousterritory. But surely if geology ,ere re0uired to interpret all its facts into a consistent history of the earththro,ing in the most plausible hypotheses it could in3ent to fill up gaps in its 1no,ledge it ,ould alreadyconstruct a history for man1ind ,hich in its broad outlines ,ould not be unli1e that s1etched out in theforegoing chapter on the /reat World Periods@ and the further geological disco3ery progresses our

esoteric teachers assure us the more closely ,ill the correspondence of the doctrine and the bony traceof the past be recogni?ed. Already ,e find e*perts from the 7hallenger 3ouching for the e*istence ofAtlantis though the sub5ect belongs to a class of problems unattracti3e to the scientific ,orld generallyso that the considerations in fa3our of the lost continent are not yet generally appreciated. Alreadythoughtful geologists are 0uite ready to recogni?e that in regard to the forces ,hich ha3e fashioned theearth this the period ,ithin the range of historic traces may be a period of comparati3e inertia and slo,change@ that cataclysmal metamorphoses may ha3e been added formerly to those of gradualsubsidence uphea3al and denudation. 't is only a step or t,o to the recognition as a fact of ,hat no oncould any longer find fault ,ith as a hypothesis that great continental uphea3als and submergences ta1

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place alternately@ that the ,hole map of the ,orld is not only thro,n occasionally into ne, shapes li1ethe pictures of a 1aleidoscope as its coloured fragments fall into ne, arrangements but sub5ect tosystematically recurrent changes ,hich restore former arrangements at enormous inter3als of time.

Pending further disco3eries ho,e3er it ,ill perhaps be admitted that ,e ha3e a sufficient bloc1 ofgeological 1no,ledge already in our possession to fortify the cosmogony of the esoteric doctrine. That

the doctrine should ha3e been ,ithheld from the ,orld generally as long as no such 1no,ledge hadpa3ed the ,ay for its reception can hardly be considered indiscreet for the part of its custodians. Wheththe present generation ,ill attach sufficient importance to its correspondence ,ith ,hat has beenascertained of )ature in other ,ays remains to be seen.

These correspondences may of course be traced in biology as decisi3ely as in geology. The broad6ar,inian theory of the 6escent of -an from the animal 1ingdom is not the only support afforded by thisbranch of science to the esoteric doctrine. The detailed obser3ations no, carried out in embryology areespecially interesting for the light they thro, on more than one department of this doctrine. Thus the no,familiar truth that the successi3e stages of ante(natal human de3elopment correspond to the progress o

human e3olution through different forms of animal life is nothing less than a re3elation in its analogicalbearings. 't does not merely fortify the e3olutionary hypothesis itself it affords a remar1able illustration othe ,ay )ature ,or1s in the e3olution of ne, races of men at the beginning of the great round(periods.When a child has to be de3eloped from a germ ,hich is so simple in its constitution that it is typical lessof the animal = less e3en of the 3egetable = than of the mineral 1ingdom the familiar scale of e3olution isrun o3er so to spea1 ,ith a rapid touch. The ideas of progress ,hich may ha3e ta1en countless ages to,or1 out in a connected chain for the first time are once for all firmly lodged in )ature[s memory andthenceforth they can be 0uic1ly recalled in order in a fe, months. So ,ith the ne, e3olution of humanityon each planet as the human tide(,a3e of life ad3ances. 'n the first round the process is e*ceedinglyslo, and does not ad3ance far. The ideas of )ature are themsel3es under e3olution. But ,hen theprocess has been accomplished once it can be 0uic1ly repeated. 'n the later rounds the life(impulse run

up the gamut of e3olution ,ith a facility only concei3able by help of the illustration ,hich embryologyaffords. This is the e*planation of the ,ay the character of each round differs from its predecessor. Thee3olutionary ,or1 ,hich has been once accomplished is soon repeated@ then the round performs its o,e3olution at a 3ery different rate as the child once perfected up to the human type performs its o,nindi3idual gro,th but slo,ly in proportion to the earlier stages of its initial de3elopment.

)o elaborate comparison of e*oteric Buddhism ,ith the 3ie,s of )ature ,hich ha3e no, been set forthbriefly indeed considering their scope and importance but comprehensi3ely enough to furnish the read,ith a general idea of the system in its ,hole enormous range = ,ill be re0uired from me. With the help othe information no, communicated more e*perienced students of Buddhist literature ,ill be better able

to apply to the enigmas that may contain the 1eys ,hich ,ill unloc1 their meaning. The gaps in thepublic records of Buddha[s teaching ,ill be filled up readily enough no, and it ,ill be plain ,hy they,ere left. For e*ample in -r &hys 6a3ids[ boo1 ' find this `Buddhism does not attempt to sol3e theproblem of the primary origin of all things@` and 0uoting from "ardy[s `Manual of Buddhism` he goes on`When -alun1a as1ed the Buddha ,hether the e*istence of the ,orld is eternal or not eternal he madehim no reply@ but the reason of this ,as that it ,as considered by the teacher as an in0uiry that tended tno profit.` 'n reality the sub5ect ,as manifestly passed o3er because it could not be dealt ,ith by a plainyes or no ,ithout putting the in0uirer upon a false scent@ ,hile to put him on the true scent ,ould ha3ere0uired a complete e*position of the ,hole doctrine about the e3olution of the planetary chain an

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e*planation of that for ,hich the community Buddha ,as dealing ,ith ,as not intellectually ripe. To infefrom his silence that he regarded the in0uiry itself as tending to no profit is a mista1e ,hich maynaturally enough ha3e been made in the absence of any collateral 1no,ledge but none can be morecomplete in reality. )o religious system that e3er publicly employed itself on the problem of the origin ofall things has as ,ill no, be seen done more than scratch the surface of that speculation incomparison ,ith the e*hausti3e researches of the esoteric science of ,hich Buddha ,as no lessprominent an e*ponent than he ,as a prominent teacher of morals for the populace.

The positi3e conclusions as to ,hat Buddhism does teach = carefully as he has ,or1ed them out = are nless inaccurately set forth by -r &hys 6a3ids than the negati3e conclusion 5ust 0uoted. 't ,as ine3itablethat all such conclusions should hitherto be inaccurate. ' 0uote an e*ample not to disparage the carefulstudy of ,hich it is the fruit but to sho, ho, the light no, shed o3er the ,hole sub5ect penetrates e3erycranny and puts an entirely ne, comple*ion on all its features.

`Buddhism ta1es as its ultimate fact the e*istence of the material ,orld and of conscious beings li3ing,ithin it@ and it holds that e3erything is sub5ect to the la, of cause and effect and that e3erything is

constantly though imperceptibly changing. There is no place ,here this la, does not operate@ nohea3en or hell therefore in the ordinary sense. There are ,orlds ,here angels li3e ,hose e*istence ismore or less material according as their pre3ious li3es ,ere more or less holy@ but the angels die and th,orlds they inhabit pass a,ay. There are places of torment ,here the e3il actions of men or angelsproduce unhappy beings@ but ,hen the acti3e po,er of the e3il that produced them is e*hausted they,ill 3anish and the ,orlds they inhabit are not eternal. The ,hole +osmos = earth and hea3ens and hel= is al,ays tending to reno3ation or destruction is al,ays in a course of change a series of re3olutions of cycles of ,hich the beginning and the end ali1e are un1no,able and un1no,n. To this uni3ersal la, composition and dissolution men and gods form no e*ception@ the unity of forces ,hich constitutes asentient being must sooner or later be dissol3ed and it is only through ignorance and delusion that sucha being indulges in the dream that it is a separable and self(e*istent entity.`

)o, certainly this passage might be ta1en to sho, ho, the popular notions of Buddhist philosophy aremanifestly thro,n off from the real esoteric philosophy. -ost assuredly that philosophy no more finds inthe uni3erse than in the belief of any truly enlightened thin1er = Asiatic or European = the unchangeableand eternal hea3en and hell of mon1ish legend@ and `the ,orlds ,here angels li3e` and so on = the3i3idly real though sub5ecti3e strata of the 6e3achanic state = are found in )ature truly enough. So ,ithall the rest of the popular Buddhist conceptions 5ust passed in re3ie,. But in their popular form they arethe nearest caricatures of the corresponding items of esoteric 1no,ledge. Thus the notion aboutindi3iduality being a delusion and the ultimate dissolution as such of the sentient being is perfectlyunintelligible ,ithout fuller e*planations concerning the multitudinous \ons of indi3idual life in as yet to

us inconcei3able but e3er progressi3e conditions of spiritual e*altation ,hich come before thatunutterably remote mergence into the non(indi3iduali?ed condition. That condition certainly must besome,here in futurity but its nature is something ,hich no uninitiated philosopher at any rate has e3eryet comprehended by so much as the faintest glimmering guess. As ,ith the idea of )ir3ana so ,ith thiabout the delusion of indi3iduality ,riters on Buddhist doctrine deri3ed from e*oteric sources ha3e mosunfortunately found themsel3es entangled ,ith some of the remote elements of the great doctrine undethe impression that they ,ere dealing ,ith Buddhist 3ie,s of conditions immediately succeeding this lifeThe statement ,hich is almost absurd thus put out of its proper place in the ,hole doctrine may be felnot only as no longer an outrage on the understanding but as a sublime truth ,hen restored to its

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proper place in relation to other truths. The ultimate mergence of the perfect -an(god or 6hy^n !hohain the absolute consciousness of paranir3ana has nothing to do let me add ,ith the `heresy ofindi3iduality` ,hich relates to physical personalities. To this sub5ect ' recur a little later on.

8ustly enough -r &hys 6a3ids says in reference to the epitome of Buddhist doctrine 0uoted abo3e`Such teachings are by no means peculiar to Buddhism and similar ideas lie at the foundation of earlier

'ndian philosophies.` D!ertainly by reason of the fact that Buddhism as concerned ,ith doctrine ,asearlier 'ndian philosophy itself. `They are to be found indeed in other systems ,idely separated fromthem in time and place@ and Buddhism in dealing ,ith the truth ,hich they contain might ha3e gi3en amore decisi3e and more lasting utterance if it had not also borro,ed a belief in the curious doctrine oftransmigration a doctrine ,hich seems to ha3e arisen independently if not simultaneously in the 4alleyof the /anges and the 4alley of the )ile. The ,ord transmigration has been used ho,e3er in differenttimes and at different places for theories similar indeed but 3ery different@ and Buddhism in adopting thgeneral idea from post(4edic Brahminism so modified it as to originate in fact a ne, hypothesis. Thene, hypothesis li1e the old one related to life in past and future births and contributed nothing to theremo3al here in this life of the e3il it ,as supposed to e*plain.`

The present 3olume should ha3e dissipated the misapprehensions on ,hich these remar1s rest.Buddhism does not belie3e in anything resembling the passage bac1,ards and for,ards bet,een animand human forms ,hich most people concei3e to be meant by the principle of transmigration. Thetransmigration of Buddhism is the transmigration of 6ar,inian e3olution scientifically de3eloped or rathee*hausti3ely e*plored in both directions. Buddhist ,ritings certainly contain allusions to former births in,hich e3en the Buddha himself ,as no, one and no, another 1ind of animal. But these had reference tthe remote course of pre(human e3olution of ,hich his fully opened 3ision ga3e him a retrospect. )e3ein any authentic Buddhist ,ritings ,ill any support be found for the notion that any human creature oncha3ing attained manhood falls bac1 into the animal 1ingdom. Again ,hile nothing indeed could be morineffectual as an e*planation of the origin of e3il than such a caricature of transmigration as ,ould

contemplate such a return the progressi3e rebirths of human Egos into ob5ecti3e e*istence coupled ,itthe operation of physical +arma and the ine3itable play of free(,ill ,ithin the limits of its pri3ilege doe*plain the origin of e3il finally and completely. The effort of )ature being to gro, a ne, har3est of6hy^n !hohans ,hene3er a planetary system is e3ol3ed the incidental de3elopment of transitory e3il an una3oidable conse0uence under the operation of the forces of processes 5ust mentioned themsel3euna3oidable stages in the stupendous enterprise set on foot.

At the same time the reader ,ho ,ill no, ta1e up -r &hys 6a3ids boo1 and e*amine the long passageon this sub5ect and on the s#andhas ,ill reali?e ho, utterly hopeless a tas1 it ,as to attempt thededuction of any rational theory of the origin of e3il from the e*oteric materials there made use of. )or

,as it possible for these materials to suggest the true e*planation of the passage immediately after,ard0uoted from the Brahma5ala Sutra =

Àfter sho,ing ho, the unfounded belief in the eternal e*istence of /od or gods arose /autama goeson to discuss the 0uestion of the soul and points out thirty(t,o beliefs concerning it ,hich he declares be ,rong. These are shortly as follo,s 2pon ,hat principle or on ,hat ground do these mendicants�and Brahmans hold the doctrine of future e*istenceH They teach that the soul is material or isimmaterial or is both or neither@ that it ,ill ha3e one or many modes of consciousness@ that itsperceptions ,ill be fe, or boundless@ that it ,ill be in a state of 5oy or of misery or of neither. These are

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the si*teen heresies teaching a conscious e*istence after death. Then there are eight heresies teachingthat the soul material or immaterial or both or neither finite or infinite or both or neither has oneunconscious e*istence after death. And finally eight others ,hich teach that the soul in the same eight,ays e*ists after death in a state of being neither conscious nor unconscious. -endicants[ concludesthe sermon that ,hich binds the teacher to e*istence D3i?.� tanha thirst is cut off but his body stillremains. While his body shall remain he ,ill be seen by gods and men but after the termination of lifeupon the dissolution of the body neither gods nor men ,ill see him.[ Would it be possible in a more

complete and categorical manner to deny that there is any soul = anything of any 1ind ,hich continues te*ist in any manner after deathH`

!ertainly for e*oteric students such a passage as this could not but seem in flagrant contradiction ,iththose teachings of Buddhism ,hich deal ,ith the successi3e passages of the same indi3iduality throughse3eral incarnations and ,hich thus along another line of thought may seem to assume the e*istence oa transmissible soul as plainly as the passage 0uoted denies it. Without a comprehension of the se3enprinciples of man no separate utterances on the 3arious aspects of this 0uestion of immortality couldpossibly be reconciled. But the 1ey no, gi3en lea3es the apparent contradiction de3oid of allembarrassment. 'n the passage last 0uoted Buddha is spea1ing of the astral personality ,hile the

immortality recogni?ed by the esoteric doctrine is that of the spiritual indi3iduality. The e*planation hasbeen fully gi3en in the chapter on 6e3achan and in the passages 0uoted there from !olonel Olcott[s`Buddhist 7atechism.` 't is only since fragments of the great re3elation this 3olume contains ha3e beengi3en out during the last t,o years in The Theosophist maga?ine that the important distinction bet,eepersonality and indi3iduality as applied to the 0uestion of human immortality has settled into anintelligible shape@ but there are plentiful allusions in former occult ,riting ,hich may no, be appealed toin proof of the fact that former ,riters ,ere fully ali3e to the doctrine itself. Turning to the most recent ofthe occult boo1s in ,hich the 3eil of obscurity ,as still left to ,rap the doctrine from careless obser3atiothough it ,as strained in many places almost to transparency ,e might ta1e any one of a do?enpassages to illustrate the point before us. "ere is one (((

`The philosophers ,ho e*plained the fall into generation their o,n ,ay 3ie,ed spirit as something ,holdistinct from the soul. They allo,ed its presence in the astral capsule only so far as the spiritualemanations or rays of the `shining one` ,ere concerned. -an and soul had to con0uer their immortalityby ascending to,ard the unity ,ith ,hich if successful they ,ere finally lin1ed and into ,hich they ,erabsorbed so to say. The indi3iduali?ation of man after death depended on the spirit not on his body andsoul. Although the ,ord personality[ in the sense in ,hich it is usually understood is an absurdity if � applied literally to our immortal essence still the latter is a distinct entity immortal and eternal per se anas in the case of criminals beyond redemption ,hen the shining thread ,hich lin1s the spirit to the soulfrom the moment of the birth of a child is 3iolently snapped and the disembodied entity is left to sharethe fate of the lo,er animals to dissol3e into ether and ha3e its indi3iduality annihilated = e3en then the

spirit remains a distinct being.` `8sis 9nveiled ` 3olume # Page >#%

)o one can read this = scarcely any part indeed of the chapter from ,hich it is ta1en = ,ithoutpercei3ing by the light of the e*planations gi3en in the present 3olume that the esoteric doctrine no,fully gi3en out ,as perfectly familiar to the ,riter = though ' ha3e been pri3ileged to put it for the first timinto plain and unmista1able language.

't ta1es some mental effort to reali?e the difference bet,een personality and indi3iduality but the cra3ing

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for the continuity of personal e*istence = for the full recollection al,ays of those transitory circumstancesof our present physical life ,hich ma1e up the personality = is manifestly no more than a passing,ea1ness of the flesh. For many people it ,ill perhaps remain irrational to say that any person no, li3in,ith his recollections bounded by the years of his childhood is the same indi3idual as some one of 0uitea different nationality and epoch ,ho li3ed thousands of years ago or the same that ,ill reappear after similar lapse of time under some entirely ne, conditions in the future. But the feeling `' am '` is the samthrough the three li3es and through all the hundreds@ for that feeling is more deeply seated than the

feeling `' am 8ohn Smith so high so hea3y ,ith such and such property and relations.` 's itinconcei3able = as a notion in the mind = that 8ohn Smith inheriting the gift of Tithonus changing hisname from time to time marrying afresh e3ery other generation or so losing property here coming intopossession of property there and getting interested as time ,ent on in a great 3ariety of different pursu= is it inconcei3able that such a person in a fe, thousand years should forget all circumstancesconnected ,ith the present life of 8ohn Smith 5ust as if the incidents of that life for him had ne3er ta1enplaceH And yet the Ego ,ould be the same. 'f this is concei3able in the imagination ,hat can beinconcei3able in the indi3idual continuity of an intermittent life interrupted and rene,ed at regularinter3als and 3aried ,ith passages through a purer condition of e*istence.

)o less than it clears up the apparent conflict bet,een the identify of successi3e indi3idualities and the`heresy` of indi3iduality ,ill the esoteric doctrine be seen to put the ìncomprehensible mystery` of+arma ,hich -r &hys 6a3ids disposes of so summarily on a perfectly intelligible and scientific basis. Othis he says that because Buddhism `does not ac1no,ledge a soul` it has to resort to the desperatee*pedient of a mystery to bridge o3er the gulf bet,een one life and another some,here else thedoctrine namely of +arma. And he condemns the idea as a `non(e*istent fiction of the brain.` 'rritated ahe feels ,ith ,hat he regards as the absurdity of the doctrine he yet applies patience and great mentalingenuity in the effort to e3ol3e something that shall feel li1e a rational metaphysical conception out of thtangled utterances concerning +arma of the Buddhist scriptures. "e ,rites =

`+arma from a Buddhist point of 3ie, a3oids the superstitious e*treme on the one hand of those ,hobelie3e in the separate e*istence of some entity called the soul@ and the irreligious e*treme on the otherof those ,ho do not belie3e in moral 5ustice and retribution. Buddhism claims to ha3e loo1ed through the,ord soul for the fact it purports to co3er and to ha3e found no fact at all but only one or other of t,entydifferent delusions ,hich blind the eyes of men. )e3ertheless Buddhism is con3inced that if a man reapsorro, disappointment pain he himself and no other must at some time ha3e so,n folly error sin andif not in this life then in some former birth. Where then in the latter case is the identity bet,een him,ho so,s and him ,ho reapsH 'n that ,hich alone remains ,hen a man dies and the constituent partsof the sentient being are dissol3ed in the result namely of his action speech and thought in his goodor e3il +arma Dliterally his doing ,hich does not die. We are familiar ,ith the doctrine Whate3er a� man so,eth that shall he also reap[ and can therefore enter into the Buddhist feeling that ,hate3er a

man reaps that he must also ha3e so,n@ ,e are familiar ,ith the doctrine of the indestructibility of forceand can therefore understand the Buddhist dogma Dho,e3er it may contra3ene our !hristian notionsthat no e*terior po,er can destroy the fruit of a man[s deeds that they must ,or1 out their full effect tothe pleasant or the bitter end. But the peculiarity of Buddhism lies in this that the result of ,hat a man isor does is held not to be dissipated as it ,ere into many separate streams but to be concentratedtogether in the formation of one ne, sentient being = ne, that is in its constituent parts and po,ers buthe same in its essence its being its doing its +arma.`

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)othing could be more ingenious as an attempt to in3ent for Buddhism an e*planation of its `mystery` othe assumption that the authors of the mystery thre, it up originally as a `desperate e*pedient` to co3ertheir retreat from an untenable position. But in reality the doctrine of +arma has a far simpler history andoes not need so subtle an interpretation. Li1e many other phenomena of )ature ha3ing to do ,ithfuturity it ,as declared by Buddha an incomprehensible mystery and 0uestions concerning it ,ere thusput aside but he did not mean that because it ,as incomprehensible for the populace it ,asincomprehensible or any mystery at all for the initiates in the esoteric doctrine. 't ,as impossible to

e*plain it ,ithout reference to the esoteric doctrine but the outlines of that science once grasped +armli1e so much else becomes a comparati3ely simple matter a mystery only in the sense in ,hich also theaffinity of sulphuric acid for copper and its superior affinity for iron are also mysteries. !ertainly esotericscience for its `lay chelas` at all e3ents li1e chemical science for its lay chelas = all students that is tosay of its mere physical phenomena = lea3es some mysteries unfathomed in the bac1ground. ' am notprepared to e*plain by ,hat precise molecular changes the higher affinities ,hich constitute +arma arestored up in the permanent elements of the fifth principle. But no more is ordinary science 0ualified to sa,hat it is in a molecule of o*ygen ,hich induces it to desert the molecule of hydrogen ,ith ,hich it ,asin alliance in the raindrop and attach itself to a molecule of the iron of a railing on ,hich it falls. But thespec1 of rust is engendered and a scientific e*planation of that occurrence is held to ha3e been gi3en,hen its affinities are ascertained and appealed to.

So ,ith +arma the fifth principle ta1es up the affinities of its good and e3il deeds in its passage throughlife passes ,ith them into 6e3achan ,here those ,hich are suitable to the atmosphere so to spea1 othat state fructify and blossom in prodigious abundance and then passes on ,ith such as ha3e not yee*hausted their energy into the ob5ecti3e ,orld once more. And as certainly as the molecule of o*ygenbrought into the presence of a hundred other molecules ,ill fly to that ,ith ,hich it has the most affinityso ,ill the +arma(laden spiritual monad fly to that incarnation ,ith ,hich its mysterious attractions lin1 it)or is there in that process any creation of a ne, sentient being e*cept in the sense that the ne, bodilystructure e3ol3ed is a ne, instrument of sensation. That ,hich inhabits it that ,hich feels 5oy or sorro,is the old Ego = ,alled off by forgetfulness from its last set of ad3entures on earth it is true but reaping

their fruit ne3ertheless = the same `' am '` as before.

`Strange it is` -r &hys 6a3ids thin1s that àll this` the e*planation of Buddhist philosophy ,hichesoteric materials ha3e enabled him to gi3e `should ha3e seemed not unattracti3e these 9>MM yearsand more to many despairing and earnest hearts = that they should ha3e trusted themsel3es to the soseeming stately bridge ,hich Buddhism has tried to build o3er the ri3er of the mysteries and sorro,s oflife . . . . They ha3e failed to see that the 3ery 1eystone itself the lin1 bet,een one life and another is amere ,ord = this ,onderful hypothesis this airy nothing this imaginary cause beyond the reach of reaso= the indi3iduali?ed and indi3iduali?ing grace of +arma.`

't ,ould ha3e been strange indeed if Buddhism had been built on such a frail foundation@ but its apparenfrailty has been simply due to the fact that its mighty fabric of 1no,ledge has hitherto been 3eiled from3ie,. )o, that the inner doctrine has been un3eiled it ,ill be seen ho, little it depends for any item of itbelief on shado,y subtleties of metaphysics. So far as these ha3e clustered round Buddhism they ha3emerely been constructed by e*ternal interpreters of stray doctrinal hints that could not be entirely left ouof the simple system of morals prescribed for the populace.

'n that ,hich really constitutes Buddhism ,e find a sublime simplicity li1e that of )ature herself = one la,

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running into infinite ramifications = comple*ities of detail it is true as )ature herself is infinitely comple*in her manifestations ho,e3er unchangeably uniform in her purposes but al,ays the immutable doctrinof causes and their effects ,hich in turn become causes again in an endless cyclic progression.

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Bibliogra-hy

Bla3ats1y ".P. sis +n%eiled t,o 4olumes )e, or1 #$JJ

6a3ids &hys T. W. Buddhism/ etc. )e, or1 #$J$

6raper 8. W. :istor$ of the 8ntellectual ;evelopment of urope. )e, or1 #$I>

Flammarion !amille.(a R01surrection et la 2in des !ondes. Paris

"ardy &obert Spence. !anual of Buddhism in its !odern $e%elo-ment translated from Singhalesemss. 9nd ed London #$$M

L3i liphas. Dpseudo of Alphonse Louie !onstant $ogme et Rituel de la Haute !agie Paris#$I#. Dlater translated by A. E. Waite as Transcendental !agic

Lillie Arthur. Buddha and Early Buddhism Edinburg #$$M

Olcott "enry Steel. Buddhist Catechism -adras #$$#

Oldenberg "ermann. Buddha3 His (ife His $octrine His Order Translated by "oey London #$$9

The Theoso-hist Dperiodical started by ".P. Bla3ats1y and issued continuously from -adras 'ndia

since #$JK. 'ssues cited October #$$#@ -arch #$$9@ 8une #$$>.

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A--endi4

-r. Sinnett[s statement that our humanity has passed through -ars and ,ill continue on to -ercury is3ery much in need of ree3aluation. A short time after publication it became apparent that this e*planatiodid not fit ,ith the occult a*iom as abo3e so it is belo,. The Secret 6octrine published fi3e years laterdre, attention to the discrepancy and laid the blame upon 3agueness in correspondence and the gap

bet,een eastern and ,estern terminology coupled ,ith the ob3ious fact that the entire doctrine could nobe gi3en out carte blanche to an uninitiated ,esterner.

Try to understand that you are putting to me 0uestions pertaining to the highest initiation@ that ' can gi3eyou Donly a general 3ie, but that ' dare not nor ,ill ' enter upon details V ,rote one of the Teachers tothe author of Esoteric Buddhism.

The letter 0uoted ,as among those collected from -r. Sinnett[s estate(and published by &ider and !o. i#K9> as The -ahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett transcribed and compiled by A. Tre3or Bar1er. 'n his

appendi* to that ,or1 after re3ie,ing t,o opinions by Annie Besant -r Bar1er continues as follo,s(

Attention has been dra,n to the fact that -me. Bla3ats1y ,as not accurate in her 0uotation of the-aster[s letter to the e*tent that she added the ,ord etc. and omitted the ,ord yet(and there are some,ho ,ould li1e to con3ince themsel3es and others that this fact is sufficient to in3alidate the ,hole of".P.B.[s e*position of the teaching regarding the nature of the septenary Planetary !hains. 't should bee3ident to e3ery student that in reality at the ,orst this mis0uotation in3alidates the hypothesis ,hich-me. Bla3ats1y offered as a possible e*planation of -r. Sinnett[s misunderstanding and it lea3es utterluntouched the doctrine of the septenary !hain ,ith one physical /lobe ,hich is implied in e3ery line ofThe Secret 6octrine and is in fact an integral part of the esoteric philosophy.

As stated o3er and o3er again and from e3ery point of 3ie, in these pages of The Secret 6octrineVneither -ars nor -ercury belong to our !hain. They are along ,ith other planets Septenary 2nits in the/reat host of !hains of our System and all are as 3isible as their upper /lobes are in3isible.

Again(

The one Eternal La, unfolds e3erything in the to be manifested )ature on a se3enfold principle@ amongthe rest the countless circular !hains of ,orlds composed of se3en /lobes graduated on the four lo,e

planes of the World of Formation the three others belonging to the Archetypal 2ni3erse. Out of thesese3en only one the lo,est and the most material of these /lobes is ,ithin our plane or means ofperception the si* others lying outside it and being therefore in3isible to the terrestrial eye V To ma1e itclearer@ ,e are told that each of the planets of ,hich se3en only ,ere called sacred as being ruled bythe highest &egents or /ods V is a septenary as also is the !hain to ,hich the Earth belongs V ,hile thesuperior fello, /lobes of these planets are on other planes 0uite outside that of our terrestrial senses VThese in3isible companions correspond curiously to that ,hich ,e call the principles` in man. The se3enare on three material planes and one spiritual plane V

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And again(

V but it may be stated that our satellite is only the gross body of its in3isible principles. Seeing then thatthere are se3en Earths so there are se3en -oons the last alone being 3isible. The same for the Sun,hose 3isible body is called a -aya a reflection 5ust as man[s body is. The real Sun and the real -oonare as in3isible as the real man.

Says an occult a*iom.

!ould ,ords be plainerH "ardly ( and yet for o3er thirty years the Theosophical Society has permitteditself to spread this misleading superstition preferring to assume that it ,as -adame Bla3ats1y ,ho didnot understand ,hat she ,as ,riting about. The mystery is after all as clear as it ,ell nigh can be. Theseptenary !hains of /lobes about ,hich Theosophical te*tboo1s tal1 so much are se3en principled2nits each ha3ing a physical body and si* higher or subtler principles in3isible to the ordinary sensesbut coe*isting and inter(penetrating each other.

Students of Astrology at least are able to pro3e for themsel3es that the correspondence bet,een manand a planet is e*act@ for 5ust as the si* in3isible principles of a planet correspond to the si* in3isibleprinciples in man so do the se3en sacred Planets correspond to the ,hole of the se3en principles of ouEarth and therefore of man. "o, then is it possible that the theory ,hich credits the Earth !hain ,iththree physical planets can be correct from any point of 3ie,H 't is manifestly ridiculous because if it,ere true it ,ould mean by the occult la, of correspondence that man also must ha3e three physicalbodies ,hich is an absurdity and pro3es the ,hole theory false from beginning to end.

The publication of these letters gi3es to the student an opportunity to e*amine the ,hole range ofTheosophic teaching in their light(,hile adding thereto the faculty of criticism(the highest and mostdiscriminati3e of ,hich he is capable. That faculty is an impersonal one@ it is neither critic nor respecter persons(for to it persons are ,ithout significance. But ,ith ideas(,ith doctrines it has e3erything to doand if it is ine3itable that the use of that faculty by students the ,orld o3er ,ill re3eal many discrepanciein the accepted Theosophical doctrines of the day it is e0ually certain that a large part of that teaching

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