The Project Gutenberg eBook, Mystic Christianity, by Yogi Ramacharaka
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Mystic Christianity
Author: Yogi Ramacharaka
Release Date: August 9, 2004 [eBook #13143]
Language: English
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYSTIC CHRISTIANITY***
E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Keith M. Eckrich, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
MYSTIC CHRISTIANITY
Or, The Inner Teachings of the Master
by
YOGI RAMACHARAKA
Author of "Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy and Oriental
Occultism," "Hatha Yoga," "Science of Breath," "Advanced Course in
Yogi Philosophy," "Raja Yoga," "Psychic Healing," "Gnani Yogi," etc.
PUBLISHERS' NOTICE.
The lessons which compose this volume originally appeared in monthly
form, the first of which was issued in October, 1907, and the twelfth
in September, 1908. These lessons met with a hearty and generous
response from the public, and the present volume is issued in response
to the demand for the lessons in a permanent and durable form. There
has been no change in the text.
The publishers take the liberty to call the attention of the readers
to the great amount of information condensed within the space of each
lesson. Students have told us that they have found it necessary to
read and study each lesson carefully, in order to absorb the varied
information contained within its pages. They have also stated that
they have found it advisable to re-read the lessons several times,
allowing an interval between the readings, and that at each reading
they would discover information that had escaped them during the
course of the previous study. This has been repeated to us so often
that we feel justified in mentioning it, that others may avail
themselves of the same plan of study.
Following his usual custom, the writer of this volume has declined to
write a preface for this book, claiming that the lessons will speak
for themselves, and that those for whom they are intended will receive
the message contained within them without any prefatory talk.
THE YOGI PUBLICATION SOCIETY.
September 1, 1908.
INDEX
LESSON
1. The Coming of the Master
2. The Mystery of the Virgin Birth
3. The Mystic Youth of Jesus
4. The Beginning of the Ministry
5. The Foundation of the Work
6. The Work of Organization
7. The Beginning of the End
8. The End of the Life Work
9. The Inner Teachings
10. The Secret Doctrine
11. The Ancient Wisdom
12. The Message of the Master
THE FIRST LESSON.
THE COMING OF THE MASTER.
THE FORERUNNER.
Strange rumors reached the ears of the people of Jerusalem and the
surrounding country. It was reported that a new prophet had appeared
in the valley of the lower Jordan, and in the wilderness of Northern
Judea, preaching startling doctrines. His teachings resembled those of
the prophets of old, and his cry of "Repent! Repent ye! for the
Kingdom of Heaven is at hand," awakened strange memories of the
ancient teachers of the race, and caused the common people to gaze
wonderingly at each other, and the ruling classes to frown and look
serious, when the name of the new prophet was mentioned.
The man whom the common people called a prophet, and whom the exalted
ones styled an impostor, was known as John the Baptist, and dwelt in
the wilderness away from the accustomed haunts of men. He was clad in
the rude garments of the roaming ascetics, his rough robe of camel's
skin being held around his form by a coarse girdle of leather. His
diet was frugal and elemental, consisting of the edible locust of the
region, together with the wild honey stored by the bees of the
wilderness.
In appearance John, whom men called "the Baptist," was tall, wiry, and
rugged. His skin was tanned a dark brown by the winds and sun which
beat upon it unheeded. His long black hair hung loosely around his
shoulders, and was tossed like the mane of a lion when he spoke. His
beard was rough and untrimmed. His eyes gleamed like glowing coals,
and seemed to burn into the very soul of his hearers. His was the face
of the religious enthusiastic with a Message for the world.
This wild prophet was most strenuous, and his teachings were couched
in the most vigorous words. There was no tact, policy, or persuasion
in his message. He hurled his verbal thunderbolts right into his
crowd, the very force and earnestness emanating from him serving to
charge his words with a vitality and magnetism which dashed itself
into the crowd like a spark of electricity, knocking men from off
their feet, and driving the Truth into them as if by a charge of a
powerful explosive. He told them that the spiritual grain was to be
gathered into the garners, while the chaff was to be consumed as if by
a fiery furnace; that the axe was to be laid to the root of the trees
which brought not forth good fruit. Verily, the "Day of Jehovah," long
promised by the prophets, was near to hand to his hearers and
followers.
John soon gathered to himself a following, the people flocking to him
from all parts of the country, even from Galilee. His followers began
to talk among themselves, asking whether indeed this man were not the
long promised Master--the Messiah for whom all Israel had waited for
centuries. This talk coming to the ears of the prophet, caused him to
answer the question in his discourses, saying: "There cometh one
mightier than I, after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy
to stoop down and unloose; he that cometh after me is mightier than
I." And thus it became gradually known to his following, and the
strangers attending his meetings, that this John the Baptist, mighty
preacher though he be, was but the herald of one much greater than he,
who should follow--that he was the forerunner of the Master, according
to the Oriental imagery which pictured the forerunner of the great
dignitaries, running ahead of the chariot of his master, crying aloud
to all people gathered on the road that they must make way for the
approaching great man, shouting constantly, "Make ye a way! make ye a
way for the Lord!" And accordingly there was a new wave of excitement
among John's following, which spread rapidly to the surrounding
country, at this promise of the coming of the Lord--the
Master--perhaps even the Messiah of the Jews. And many more came unto
John, and with him waited for the Coming of the Master.
This John the Baptist was born in the hill country of Judea, nearly
thirty years before he appeared as a prophet. His father was of the
priestly order, or temple caste, who had reached an advanced age, and
who lived with his aged wife in retirement, away from the noise and
confusion of the world, waiting the gradual approach of that which
cometh to all men alike. Then there came to them a child of their old
age, unexpected and unhoped for--coming as a mark of especial favor
from God--a son, to whom they gave the name of _Johanan_, which in the
Hebrew tongue means "Jehovah is gracious."
Reared in the home of his parents--the house of a priest--John
saturated himself with all the Inner Teachings reserved for the few,
and withheld from the masses. The Secrets of the Kaballah, that system
of Hebrew Occultism and Mysticism in which the higher priests of Judea
were well versed, were disclosed to him, and occult tradition has it
that he was initiated into the Inner Circle of the Hebrew Mystics,
composed of only priests of a certain grade, and their sons. John
became an Occultist and a Mystic. When the boy reached the age of
puberty, he departed from the home of his parents, and went into the
wilderness, "looking to the East, from whence cometh all Light." In
other words, he became an Ascetic, living in the wilderness, just as
in India even to-day youths of the Brahmin or priestly class sometimes
forsake their homes, renouncing their luxurious life, and fly to the
jungle, where they wander about for years as ascetics, wearing a
single garment, subsisting on the most elementary food, and developing
their spiritual consciousness. John remained a recluse until he
reached the age of about thirty years, when he emerged from the
wilderness to preach the "Coming of the Lord," in obedience to the
movings of the Spirit. Let us see where he was, and what he did,
during the fifteen years of his life in the wilderness and hidden
places of Judea.
The traditions of the Essenes, preserved among Occultists, state that
while John was an ascetic he imbibed the teachings of that strange
Occult Brotherhood known as the Essenes, and after having served his
apprenticeship, was accepted into the order as an Initiate, and
attained their higher degrees reserved only for those of developed
spirituality and power. It is said that even when he was a mere boy he
claimed and proved his right to be fully initiated into the Mysteries
of the Order, and was believed to have been a reincarnation of one of
the old Hebrew prophets.
THE ESSENES.
The Essenes were an ancient Hebrew Occult Brotherhood, which had been
in existence many hundred years before John's time. They had their
headquarters on the Eastern shores of the Dead Sea, although their
influence extended over all of Palestine, and their ascetic brothers
were to be found in every wilderness. The requirements of the Order
were very strict, and its rites and ceremonies were of the highest
mystical and occult degree. The Neophyte was required to serve a
preliminary apprenticeship of one year before being admitted to even
partial recognition as a member and brother. A further apprenticeship
of two more years was required before he was admitted to full
membership, and extended the right hand of fellowship. Additional time
was required for further advancement, and even time alone did not
entitle the member to certain high degrees, the requirements being
that actual knowledge, power and attainment must first be manifested.
As in all true Occult Orders the candidate must "work out his own
salvation," neither money nor influence having any weight.
Absolute obedience to the Rules of the Order; absolute poverty of
material possessions; absolute sexual continence--these were the
conditions of membership to be observed by both Neophyte and Initiate,
as well as High-degree Master. Understanding this, one may imagine the
disgust inspired in John by the amorous solicitations of Salome, which
caused him to lose his life rather than to break the vows of his
Order, as is so startlingly pictured in the stage productions of
modern times.
One of the ceremonies of the Essenes was that of Baptism (literally,
"dipping in water") which was administered to Candidates, with
appropriate solemnity and rites. The mystic significance of the
ceremony which is understood by all members of Occult Orders, even
unto this day, was a part of the ritual originated by the Essenes, and
the rite itself was a distinctive feature of their Order. The
performance of this rite by John the Baptist, in his ministry, and its
subsequent acceptance by the Christian Church as a distinctive
ceremonial, of which the "sprinkling of infants" of to-day is a
reminder and substitute, forms a clear connecting link between the
Essenes and Modern Christianity, and impresses the stamp of Mysticism
and Occultism firmly upon the latter, as little as the general public
may wish to admit it in their ignorant misunderstanding and
materialistic tendencies.
The Essenes believed in, and taught the doctrine of Reincarnation; the
Immanence of God; and many other Occult Truths, the traces of which
appear constantly in the Christian Teachings, as we shall see as we
progress with these lessons. Through its Exalted Brother, John the
Baptist, the Order passed on its teaching to the early Christian
Church, thus grafting itself permanently upon a new religious growth,
newly appearing on the scene. And the transplanted branches are still
there!
Of course, the true history of the real connection between the Essenes
and Christianity is to be found only in the traditions of the Essenes
and other ancient Mystic Orders, much of which has never been printed,
but which has passed down from teacher to pupil over the centuries
even unto this day, among Occult Fraternities. But in order to show
the student that we are not making statements incapable of proof by
evidence available to him, we would refer him to any standard work of
reference on the subject. For instance, if he will consult the "New
International Encyclopedia" (Vol. VII, page 217) article on "Essenes,"
he will read the following words:
"It is an interesting question as to how much Christianity
owes to Essenism. It would seem that there was room for
definite contact between John the Baptist and this
Brotherhood. His time of preparation was spent in the
wilderness near the Dead Sea; his preaching of righteousness
toward God, and justice toward one's fellow men, was in
agreement with Essenism; while his insistence on Baptism was
in accord with the Essenic emphasis on lustrations."
The same article contains the statement that the Essenic Brotherhood
taught a certain "view entertained regarding the origin, present
state, and future destiny of the soul, _which was held to be
pre-existent, being entrapped in the body as in a prison_," etc. (The
above italics are our own.)
John emerged from the wilderness when he had reached the age of about
thirty years, and began his ministry work, which extended for several
years until his death at the hands of Herod. He gathered around him a
large and enthusiastic following, beginning with the humbler classes
and afterward embracing a number of higher social degree. He formed
his more advanced followers into a band of disciples, with prescribed
rules regarding fasting, worship, ceremonial, rites, etc., closely
modeled upon those favored by the Essenes. This organization was
continued until the time of John's death, when it merged with the
followers of Jesus, and exerted a marked influence upon the early
Christian church.
As we have stated, one of his principal requisites enjoined upon all
of his followers, was that of "Baptism"--the Essenic rite, from which
he derived his familiar appellation, "The Baptist." But, it must be
remembered that to John this rite was a most sacred, mystic, symbolic
ceremony, possessing a deep occult meaning unperceived by many of his
converts who submitted themselves to it under the fervor of religious
emotion, and who _naïvely_ regarded it as some magical rite which
"washed away sin" from their souls, as the dirt was washed from their
bodies, a belief which seems to be still in favor with the multitude.
John worked diligently at his mission, and the "Baptists" or
"Followers of Johanan," as they were called, increased rapidly. His
meetings were events of great moment to thousands who had gathered
from all Palestine to see and hear the prophet of the wilderness--the
Essene who had emerged from his retirement. His meetings were often
attended with startling occurrences, sudden conversions, visions,
trances, etc., and many developed possession of unusual powers and
faculties. But one day there was held a meeting destined to gain
world-wide fame. This was the day when there came to John the Baptist
the MASTER, of whose coming John had frequently foretold and promised.
JESUS THE CHRIST appeared upon the scene and confronted his
Forerunner.
The traditions have it that Jesus came unannounced to, and
unrecognized by John and the populace. The Forerunner was in ignorance
of the nature and degree of his guest and applicant for Baptism.
Although the two were cousins, they had not met since childhood, and
John did not at first recognize Jesus. The traditions of the Mystic
Orders further state that Jesus then gave to John the various signs of
the Occult Fraternities to which they both belonged, working from the
common signs up until Jesus passed on to degrees to which John had not
attained, although he was an eminent high-degree Essene. Whereupon
John saw that the man before him was no common applicant for Baptism,
but was, instead, a highest-degree Mystic Adept, and Occult
Master--his superior in rank and unfoldment. John, perceiving this,
remonstrated with Jesus, saying that it was not meet and proper, nor
in accordance with the customs of the Brotherhoods, for the inferior
to Baptize the superior. Of this event the New Testament takes note in
these words: "But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized
of thee, and comest thou to me?" (_Matt. 3:14._) But Jesus insisted
that John perform the rite upon him upon the ground that He wished to
go through the ceremonial in order to set His stamp of approval upon
it, and to show that he considered himself as a man among men, come
forth to live the life of men.
In both the occult traditions and the New Testament narrative, it is
stated that a mystical occurrence ensued at the baptism, "the Spirit
of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him," and a voice from
Heaven saying: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."
And with these words the mission of John the Baptist, as "Forerunner
of the Master," was fulfilled. _The Master_ had appeared to take up
his work.
THE MASTER.
And, now, let us turn back the pages of the Book of Time, to a period
about thirty years before the happening of the events above mentioned.
Let us turn our gaze upon the events surrounding the birth of Jesus,
in order that we may trace the Mystic and Occult forces at work from
the beginning of Christianity. There are occurrences of the greatest
importance embraced in these thirty years.
Let us begin the Mystic Narrative of Jesus the Christ, as it is told
to the Neophyte of every Occult Order, by the Master Instructor, by a
recital of an event preceding his birth by over one year.
In Matthew 2:1-2, the following is related:
"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days
of Herod the king, behold, there came Wise Men from the East
to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the
Jews? for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to
worship him."
In these simple words is stated an event that, expressed in a much
more extended narrative, forms an important part of the Esoteric
Teachings of the Mystic Brotherhoods, and Occult Orders of the Orient,
and which is also known to the members of the affiliated secret orders
of the Western world. The story of THE MAGI is embedded in the
traditions of the Oriental Mystics, and we shall here give you a brief
outline of the story as it is told by Hierophant to Neophyte--by Guru
to Chela.
To understand the story, you must know just who were these "Wise Men
of the East"--The Magi. And this you shall now be taught.
THE MAGI, OR WISE MEN.
The translators of the New Testament have translated the words naming
these visitors from afar as "the Wise Men from the East," but in the
original Greek, Matthew used the words "_The Magi_" as may be seen by
reference to the original Greek versions, or the Revised Translation,
which gives the Greek term in a foot-note. Any leading encyclopedia
will corroborate this statement. The term "the Magi" was the exact
statement of Matthew in the original Greek in which the Gospel was
written, the term "the Wise Men" originating with the English
translators. There is absolutely no dispute regarding this question
among Biblical scholars, although the general public is not aware of
the connection, nor do they identify the Wise Men with the Oriental
Magians.
The word "Magi" comes to the English language direct from the Greek,
which in turn acquired it by gradual steps from the Persian, Chaldean,
Median, and Assyrian tongues. It means, literally, "wonder worker,"
and was applied to the members of the occult priestly orders of
Persia, Media, and Chaldea, who were Mystic Adepts and Occult Masters.
Ancient history is full of references to this body of men. They were
the custodians of the world's occult knowledge for centuries, and the
priceless treasures of the Inner Teachings held by the race to-day
have come through the hands of these men--the Magi--who tended the
sacred fires of Mysticism and kept The Flame burning. In thinking of
their task, one is reminded of the words of Edward Carpenter, the
poet, who sings: "Oh, let not the flame die out! Cherished age after
age in its dark caverns, in its holy temples cherished. Fed by pure
ministers of love--let not the flame die out."
The title of "Magi" was highly esteemed in those ancient days, but it
fell into disrepute in the latter times owing to its growing use as an
appellation of the practitioners of "Black Magic," or "evil
wonder-workers" or sorcerers, of those days. But as a writer in the
New International Encyclopedia (Vol. XII, page 674) has truly said:
"The term is employed in its true sense by Matthew (2:1) of
the wise men who came from the East to Jerusalem to worship
Christ. The significance of this event must be observed
because the Messianic doctrine was an old and established
one in Zoroastrianism."
The same article says of the Magi: "... they believed in a
resurrection, a future life, and the advent of a savior."
To understand the nature of the Magi in connection with their occult
"wonder working," we must turn to the dictionaries, where we will see
that the word "Magic" is derived from the title "Magi;" the word
"Magician" having been originally "Magian", which means "one of the
Magi." Webster defines the word "Magic" as follows: "The hidden wisdom
supposed to be possessed by the Magi; relating to the occult powers of
nature; mastery of secret forces in nature", etc. So you may readily
see that we are right in stating to you that these Wise Men--the Magi
who came to worship the Christ-child, were in reality the
representatives of the great Mystic Brotherhoods and Occult Orders of
the Orient--Adepts, Masters, Hierophants! And thus do we find the
Occult and Mystic "wonder workers"--the high-degree brethren of the
Great Eastern Lodges of Mystic Occultism, appearing at the very
beginning of the Story of Christianity, indicating their great
interest in the mortal birth of the greater Master whose coming they
had long waited--the Master of Masters! And all Occultists and Mystics
find pleasure and just pride in the fact that the first recognition of
the Divine Nature of this human child came from these Magi from the
East--from the very Heart of the Mystic Inner Circles! To those
so-called Christians to whom all that is connected with Mysticism and
Occultism savors of the fiery sulphur and brimstone, we would call
attention to this intimate early relation between The Musters and THE
MASTER.
THE STAR IN THE EAST.
But the Mystic story begins still further back than the visit of the
Magi to Bethlehem. Did not the Magi say, "Where is He? We have seen
His star in the East and have come to worship him." What is meant by
the words, "We have seen his star in the East"?
To the majority of Christians the "Star of Bethlehem" means a great
star that suddenly appeared in the heavens, like a great beacon light,
and which miraculously guided the steps of the Magi, mile by mile, on
their weary journey, until at last it rested in the heavens,
stationary over the house in which the child Jesus lived, between the
ages of one and two years. In other words, they believe that this star
had constantly guided these skilled mystics, occultists and
astrologers, in their journey from the far East, which occupied over a
year, until it at last guided them to Bethlehem and then stopped
stationary over the house of Joseph and Mary. Alas! that these vulgar
traditions of the ignorant multitude should have served so long to
obscure a beautiful mystic occurrence, and which by their utter
improbability and unscientific nature should have caused thousands to
sneer at the very true legend of the "Star of Bethlehem." It remains
for the Mystic traditions to clear away the clouds of ignorance from
this beautiful story, and to re-establish it in the minds of men as a
natural and scientific occurrence.
This story of the "traveling star" arose from the superstitious and
ignorant ideas of many of the Christians of the first, second, and
third centuries after Christ's death. These tales were injected into
the manuscripts left by the disciples, and soon began to be regarded
as a part and portion of the authentic Gospels and Epistles, although
the skilled Biblical critics and scholars of to-day are rapidly
discarding many of these additions as wilful forgeries and
interpolations. It must be remembered that the oldest manuscripts of
the books of the New Testament are known to Biblical scholars to have
been written _not less than three hundred years after the time of the
original writing_, and are merely _copies of copies_ of the originals,
undoubtedly added to, altered, and adulterated by the writers through
whose hands they had passed. This is not merely the statement of an
outside critic--it is a fact that is clearly stated in the writings of
the scholars in the Churches engaged in the work of Biblical study,
and the Higher Criticism, to which works we refer any who may have
reason to doubt our statement.
That portion of the verse (_Matt. 2:9._) in which it is said that "and
lo; the star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came
and stood over where the young child was," is known to the Mystic and
Occult Orders to be a rank interpolation into the story of the Magi.
It is contrary to their own traditions and records, and is also
contrary to reason and to scientific laws, and this distorted story
alone has been the cause of the development of thousands of "infidels"
who could not accept the tale.
All intelligent men know that a "star" is not a mere tiny point of
flame in the dome which shuts us out from a Heaven on the other side
of the blue shell, although this view was that of the ancient people,
and many ignorant men and women to-day. Educated people know that a
"star" is either a planet of our solar system, similar to the sister
planet which we called the Earth, or else is a mighty sun, probably
many times larger than our sun, countless millions of miles distant
from our solar system. And they know that planets have their
invariable orbits and courses, over which they travel, unceasingly, so
true to their course that their movements may be foretold centuries
ahead, or calculated for centuries back. And they know that even the
great fixed stars, those distant suns and centers of great solar
systems akin to our own, have their own places in the Universe, also
their Universal relations and movements. All who have studied even the
most elementary school book on astronomy know these things. And yet
such people are asked to swallow whole this story of the "moving
star," traveling on a little ahead of the shepherds for over a year,
and at last standing right over the home of Jesus, and thus indicating
that the search was ended. Let us compare this unscientific tale, with
the traditions and legends of the Mystics, and then take your choice.
Had there been any such star in appearance, the historians of that day
would surely have recorded it, for there were learned and wise men in
the East in those days, and as astrology was a science closely
studied, it would have been noted and passed on to posterity by both
writings and tradition. But no such record or tradition is to be found
among the Eastern peoples, or the records of the astrologers. But
another record and tradition _is_ preserved, as we shall see in a
moment.
Yes, there really _was_ a "Star of Bethlehem" which led the feet of
the Magi to the home of the infant Jesus. We have the following proof
of this fact:
(1) the traditions and teachings of the Mystic Orders which
have been handed down from teacher to student for centuries;
(2) the statements and records of the Ancient Astrologers,
which may be proven by modern astronomical calculations; and
(3) the calculations made by modern astronomers, which shall
be stated a few paragraphs further on. These three sources
of information give us the same tale, as we shall see.
Before proceeding to a consideration of this three-fold evidence, let
us pause for a moment and consider the relation of the Magi to
Astrology. To understand the narrative of the Magi's Visit to Jesus,
we must remember that they were the very Masters of Astrological Lore.
Persia and the surrounding Oriental countries were the fountain-head
of Astrological Teaching. And these Magi were Masters, and Adepts, and
Hierophants, and consequently knew all that was known to the greatest
schools of Astrology of that day. Much of their Ancient Astrological
Lore has been lost to the race of to-day, but to these ancient learned
men it was as much of a science as chemistry and astronomy are to the
learned ones of our day.
The Magi had long waited for the appearance and incarnation of a Great
Master of Masters, whose appearance had been predicted centuries
before by some of the great Occult Fathers of the Mystic Orders, and
each generation hoped that the event would come in his day. They had
been taught that when the event took place, they would be informed by
means of the planets, according to the Higher Astrology. All students
of even our modern fragmentary astrology will understand this. And so
they waited and carefully scanned the heavens for the sign.
Now the traditions of the Occult Orders inform us that at last the
Magi witnessed a peculiar conjunction of planets; first, the
conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, in the Constellation of Pisces, the
two planets being afterward joined by the planet Mars, the three
planets in close relation of position, making a startling and unusual
stellar display, and having a deep astrological significance. Now, the
Constellation of Pisces, as all astrologers, ancient and modern, know,
is the constellation governing the national existence of Judea. Seeing
the predicted conjunction of the planets, occurring in the
Constellation having to do with Judea (as well as the relative
positions of the other planets, all of which played its part in the
observation), the Magi knew two things, _i.e._, (1) that the birth of
the Master of Masters had occurred; and (2) that He had been born in
Judea, as indicated by the constellation in which the conjunction
occurred. And, so, making the calculation of the exact moment of the
conjunction, they started on their long journey toward Judea in search
of the Master of Masters.
Now, again, the records of the Astrologers, preserved in the Oriental
Occult Brotherhoods, in their monasteries, etc., show that at a period
a few years before the Christian Era such a peculiar conjunction and
combination of the planets occurred in the Constellation symbolizing
the destinies of Judea, which was interpreted as indicating the
appearance of an Incarnation or Avatar of a Great Divine Soul--a
Master of Masters--a Mystic of Mystics. It must be remembered that
these Orders are composed of non-Christians--people that the average
Christian would call "heathens," and that therefore this testimony
must be regarded as free from bias toward Christianity or the
corroboration of its legends.
And, in the third place, the calculations of Modern Astronomy show
without possibility of contradiction that in the Roman year 747 (or
seven years before the Christian Era) _the planets Saturn and Jupiter
farmed a conjunction in the Constellation of Pisces_, and that these
two planets, still in close position to each other, were joined by the
planet Mars in the Spring of 748. The great astronomer Kepler first
made this calculation in the year 1604, and it has been since verified
by modern calculations. To those who would object that all this
occurred seven years before the commonly accepted date of the birth of
Christ, we would say that any modern work on New Testament Chronology,
or any encyclopedia or reference work on the subject, will show that
the former calculations were several years out of the way, and that
the records of other events mentioned in the Bible, such as the
"enrollment" of the people, which brought Joseph and Mary to
Bethlehem, enable modern Biblical scholars to fix the date of the
birth of Christ at about six or seven years before the usually
accepted time. So that modern research fully corroborates the
astrological record and the Mystic traditions.
And so it would appear that the coming of the Wise Men--the Magi--was
in accordance with the astrological signs, of the interpretation of
which they were adepts and masters. When this truth is known, how
puerile and petty seems the myth of the "traveling star" of the
commonly accepted exoteric version? And the pictures of the Wise Men
being led by a moving heavenly body, traveling across the skies and at
last standing still over the cottage of Joseph, with which the Sunday
school books are filled, must be relegated to the same waste-paper
basket which contains the Bible illustrations, formerly so popular,
which picture Jehovah as a bald-headed old man with a long white
beard, clad in flowing robes designed to hide his body. Is it any
wonder that skeptics, infidels, and scoffers of the spiritual truths
have arisen in great numbers, when they have been asked to accept
these things or be damned?
And is not this connection of Astrology with Early Christianity a
rebuke to the modern Christian Church which sneers and scoffs at the
science of astrology as a "base superstition" fit only for fools and
ignoramuses? Does not this picture of the Magi give a clear view of
that which was formerly regarded as a mere fable, to be solemnly
smiled over and taught to the children, with whom the story has always
been a favorite owing to their intuitive perception of an underlying
truth. And now with this Mystic version, cannot _you_ enjoy the legend
with the children? In this connection let us once more quote from the
New International Encyclopedia (Vol. II, 170), a standard reference
work, as you know, which says:
"Some of the earlier Christian Fathers argued against the
doctrines of the earlier astrology, while others received
them in a modified form; and indeed it formed a part of the
basis of their religion in the Gospel narrative of the visit
to Bethlehem of the Wise Men of the East, who were Chaldean
Magi or Astrologers."
Here is the testimony in all of the standard reference books, and yet
how many of you have known it?
To understand the importance of the event which drew the steps of the
Magi to Bethlehem, we must realize that the Coming of the Master was a
favorite subject of speculation and discussion among Occultists and
Mystic organizations all over the Oriental countries. It had been
foretold, in all tongues, that a Great Master would be given to the
world--a mighty _avatar_ or appearance of Deity in human form, who
would incarnate in order to redeem the world from the materiality
which threatened it. The Sacred Writings of India, Persia, Chaldea,
Egypt, Media, Assyria, and other lands had foretold this event for
many centuries, and all the mystics and occultists longed for the day
"when the Master would appear." The Jews also had many traditions
regarding the coming of a Messiah, who would be born of the seed of
David, at Bethlehem, but their Messiah was looked upon as likely to be
an earthly king, destined to free Israel from the Roman yoke. And so,
the tradition of the Jews was regarded as of inferior moment to their
own predictions, by the Mystic and Occult Brotherhoods of the East. To
them it was to be an _avatar_ of Deity--God in human form come to take
his rightful seat as the Grand Master of the Universal Grand Lodge of
Mystic--a descent of pure Spirit into matter. This conception
certainly was very much higher than that of the Jews.
And so, knowing these things, we may readily understand why the Magi
pursued their search with such ardor and enthusiasm. They had many
weary miles of travel to Bethlehem, over a year being consumed in the
journey. They reached Bethlehem over a year after the birth of Christ
and the appearance of the Star, the sight of which had started them on
their quest. They sought not a new-born babe, as common belief has
it--they searched for a child born over a year before. (We refer the
student to any reference work, for a verification of this last
statement. The illustrations in the Sunday school books showing the
Wise Men worshipping a new born babe in the manger are on a par with
the others mentioned. The Wise Men had nothing to do with the stable
or the manger--for Joseph, Mary and the Babe were lodged in a house by
that time, as we shall see as we proceed.)
At last after their long and weary wandering over hill and plain,
mountain and desert, the Magi found themselves in Jerusalem, inquiring
diligently as to the whereabouts of the Master of Masters--the
Promised One, whose coming had been the subject of prophecy for
centuries among the Eastern peoples. The Jews of whom they inquired,
although not familiar with the predictions regarding a Mystic Master,
or _avatar_ of Deity, were nevertheless thoroughly familiar with the
prophecies of the coming of the Hebrew Messiah, and naturally thought
that it was of this expected earthly King of the Jews that the Magi
inquired, and so they reported it far and wide that these Great Men
from the East had come to Jerusalem to find the Messiah--the King of
the Jews, who was to deliver Israel from the Roman yoke. And, as the
Gospel of Matthew (2:3) informs us: "When Herod the king heard it, he
was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." Naturally so, when it is
remembered that it was an Earthly Kingdom that they expected the
Messiah would inherit. And so, gathering the chief priests and scribes
of Jerusalem around him, he bade them tell him the particulars
regarding the prophecies regarding the Messiah--where he was expected
to be born. And they answered him, saying: "In Bethlehem of Judea for
so hath the prophets spoken."
And hearing the testimony of the scribes and priests, the wily Herod,
who feared the realization of this old Hebrew prophecy which
threatened to cost him his throne if fulfilled, called the Magi to his
palace and in private consultation inquired of them the reason of
their search. And when they told him of the astrological
indications--of the "Star"--he was still more wrought up, and wished
to locate the dangerous child. And so he inquired of them the exact
date at which the star had appeared, that he might be better able to
find the infant, knowing its date of birth in Bethlehem. (See Matthew
2:7.) And learning this he bade them go to Bethlehem and find the
child they sought, and cunningly added, "And when ye have found him,
bring me word, that I also may come and worship him." Thus craftily
concealing his intentions to seize and kill the child, he endeavored
to press the Magi into his service as detectives, by pretending to
join in their desire to locate the Divine Child.
The Magi traveled on to Bethlehem, and arriving there made diligent
inquiry regarding infants that had been born about the time that the
star appeared. There were many infants born in Bethlehem during the
same month, of course, and the search was difficult. But they soon
heard strange rumors about a babe that had been born to travelers in
Bethlehem about that time, the birth of whom had been attended by a
strange occurrence. This peculiar happening is related in Luke 2:8-20,
in which it is stated that at the time of the birth of Jesus in the
manger, certain shepherds keeping the night-watch over their flocks
saw an angel standing by them, and "the glory of the Lord" shining
around about them. And the angel bade them be not afraid, for to them
was to be given tidings of great joy, for there was born that very
day, in Bethlehem, one who was to be the Anointed Lord of the world.
And the angel further directed them that the babe would be found lying
in a manger in a stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes which was to be
their sign. And then suddenly the place was filled with a multitude of
supernatural beings, praising God, singing, "Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace and good-will among men." And the
shepherds flocked to the town, and there found the child in the
manger. And they spread abroad the report of the wonderful event
accompanying the birth of the child. And consequently the child and
its parents became objects of more or less public interest.
And so when the Magi instituted their search they were in due time
informed of this strange occurrence. And they visited the house of
Joseph and Mary and saw the Babe. Making close inquiry of the parents,
they found that the time of the child's birth tallied precisely with
the moment of the astrological signs. Then they cast the Child's
horoscope and they knew that their shepherd's vision coincided with
their own science, and that here indeed was He for whom the Eastern
Occultists and Mystics had waited for centuries. They had found the
Master! The Star Child was before them!
Then these Great Men of their own lands--these Adepts, Masters and
Hierophants--prostrated themselves on the ground before the child and
gave him the salutation due only to the great Occult Master of Masters
who was come to take his seat upon the Throne of the Grand Master of
the Great Lodge. But the child knew naught of this, and merely smiled
sweetly at these strange men in gorgeous foreign robes, and reached
out his little hand toward them. But Occult tradition has it that the
tiny fingers and thumb of his right hand, outstretched toward the
Magi, unconsciously assumed the mystic symbol of the Occult
Benediction, used by the Masters and Hierophants (and now used by the
Pope in Papal Benediction) and gave to the worshippers that Master's
benediction. The tiny Master of Masters thus gave his first blessing
to his followers, and exalted worshippers. But His Throne was not that
of the Great Lodge, but a still higher place--the knees of a Mother!
And the Magi then made mystic and symbolic offerings to the
child--Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh offered they Him. Gold, signifying
the tribute offered to a Ruler, was the first symbol. Then came
Frankincense, the purest and rarest incense used by the Occult and
Mystic Brotherhoods and Orders, in their ceremonies and rites, when
they were contemplating the sacred symbol of the Absolute Master of
the Universe--this Frankincense was their symbol of worship. Then,
last symbol of all, was the Myrrh, which in the occult and mystic
symbolism indicated the bitterness of mortal life, bitter though
pungent, preserving though stinging--this was the meaning of the
Myrrh, that this child, though Divine in his inner nature, was still
mortal in body and brain, and must accept and experience the bitter
tang of life. Myrrh, the strength of which preserves, and prevents
decay, and yet which smarts, and tangs, and stings ever and ever--a
worthy symbol of Mortal Life, surely. Wise Men, indeed, ye Magi! Gold,
Frankincense, and Myrrh--a prophecy, symbol, and revelation of the
Life of the Son of Man, with His indwelling Pure Spirit.
And the Magi, having performed their rites and ceremonies, departed
from Bethlehem. But they did not forget the Child--they preserved a
careful watch over his movements, until they saw him again. Saw Him
again? you ask? _Yes, saw him again!_ Though the Gospels say naught of
this, and are silent for a period of many years in the Life of Jesus,
yet the records and traditions of the Mystics of the East are filled
with this esoteric knowledge of these missing years, as we shall see
as we proceed. Left behind by the Magi, but still under their loving
care, the Child waxed strong and grew in mind and body.
But the Magi, being warned by higher intelligences in a vision, did
not return to the wily and crafty Herod, but "departed unto their own
country another way." (_Matt. 2:12._) And Herod waited in vain for
their return, and finally discovering their escape wrathfully ordered
the massacre of all male children that had been born in Bethlehem and
its suburbs of two years of age and under. He calculated the two years
from the witnessing of the "star" by the Magi. Matthew 2:16 states the
story of the fixing of the time as follows:
"And slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and
all the borders thereof, from two years old and under,
_according to the time which he exactly learned of the wise
men_."
Herod sought to kill the feared Messiah--the King of the Jews, who
threatened to drive him from his earthly throne--by killing all the
male infants in Bethlehem that had been born since the astrological
indication as stated by the Magi.
But this plot failed, for Joseph had been warned by "an angel in a
dream" (which mystics teach was the Astral Form of one of the Magi)
and was told to take the mother and child and flee into Egypt, and to
stay there until the death of Herod. And so Joseph, Mary, and Jesus
then fled from the wrath of Herod, and stole silently away to Egypt.
And the Occult traditions have it that the expenses of the journey of
this poor carpenter and his family--that journey into strange lands,
hurried, and without the chance to earn money along the way--was
accomplished by the means of the Gold that the Magi had offered to
Jesus, and which they had insisted upon his parents storing away for
His use. And so the gold of these Occult Mystics saved the founder of
Christianity from massacre. And how poorly has Christianity repaid the
debt, when one thinks of the persecutions of the Oriental "heathen" by
the so-called Christians of all times!
And note this--they carried the child to Egypt, the home of Mystery
and Occultism--the land of Isis! A worthy resting place for the Great
Occult Master that was to be! And Occult tradition also has it that
one night, wearied with their long journey, the family halted and
passed the night in the place of the Sphinx and Pyramids. And that the
Mother and Babe rested between the outstretched forepaws of the mighty
Sphinx, which held them safe and secure, while Joseph threw himself on
the base before them, and slept on guard. What a scene--the Master as
an infant protected by the Sphinx, that ancient Occult emblem and
symbol, while close by, reared like mighty watchful sentinels, stood
the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the master work of Egypt's Mystics, every
line and inch of which symbolizes an Occult Teaching. Verily, indeed
is Christianity cradled in the lap of Mysticism.
Thus endeth our First Lesson. The Second Lesson will take up the
Mystic Teachings regarding the Divine Incarnation of the Spirit in the
mortal body of Jesus--a subject of the greatest importance to all who
are troubled with this difficult point. We hope to be able to shed the
Mystic light of Truth upon this corner which so many have found dark,
non-understandable, and contrary to reason, natural law and science.
The Mystic Teachings are the great Reconciler of Faith and Reason.
THE SECOND LESSON.
THE MYSTERY OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH.
One of the points of conflict between Established Theology on the one
hand and what is known as Rationalism, the Higher Criticism, and
Comparative Mythology, on the other hand, is what is known as "the
Virgin Birth" of Jesus. Perhaps we may show the points of difference
more clearly by simply stating the opposing views and, afterwards,
giving the traditions of the Occult Brotherhoods and Societies on the
subject. We are enabled to state the opposing views without prejudice,
because we rest upon the Occult Teachings with a feeling of being
above and outside of the theological strife raging between the two
schools of Christian theologians. We trust that the reader will
reserve his decision until the consideration of the matter in this
lesson is completed. We think that it will be found that the Occult
Teachings give the Key to the Mystery and furnish the Reconciliation
between the opposing theological views which threaten to divide the
churches into two camps, i.e., (1) the adherents of the established
orthodox theology, and (2) the adherents of the views of the
Rationalists and the Higher Critics.
The school of theology which clings to the old orthodox teachings
regarding the Virgin Birth and which teachings are commonly accepted
without question by the mass of church-goers, hold as follows:
Mary, a young Jewish maiden, or virgin, was betrothed to
Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth in Galilee. Before her
marriage, she was informed by an angelic vision that she
would miraculously conceive a son, to whom she would give
birth, and who would reign on the Throne of David and be
called the Son of the Highest. This teaching is based solely
upon certain statements contained in the Gospels of Matthew
and Luke. Matthew's account is as follows:
"Now, the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as
his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came
together, she was found with the child of the Holy Ghost.
Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing
to make her a public example was minded to put her away
privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the
angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying,
Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary
thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call
his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their
sins. And now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold
a virgin shall be with a child and shall bring forth a son,
and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from
sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took
unto him his wife: And knew her not until she had brought
forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus."
(_Matt. 1:18-25._)
Luke's account is as follows:
"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God
unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused
to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and
the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her
and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is
with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw
him she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind
what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said
unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with
God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring
forth a son and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be
great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the
Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of
his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the
angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the
angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of
thee shall be called the Son of God." (_Luke 1:26-33._)
And so, this then is the commonly accepted, orthodox teachings of
Christian theology. It is embodied in the two best-known creeds of the
church and is made an essential article of belief by the majority of
the orthodox churches.
In the Apostle's Creed, which has been traced back to about the year
A.D. 500, and which is claimed to have been based on an older creed,
the doctrine is stated thusly: "... and in Jesus Christ, his only Son,
our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin
Mary," etc. In the Nicene Creed, which dates from A.D. 325, the
doctrine is stated thusly: "... and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only
begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father ... and was incarnate by
the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary," etc.
And so, the doctrine is plainly stated and firmly insisted upon by the
orthodox churches of today, although such was not always the case for
the matter was one which gave rise to much conflict and difference of
opinion in the early centuries of the Church, the present view,
however, overcoming those who opposed it, and finally becoming
accepted as beyond doubt or question by the orthodox, believing
Christian.
But the present time finds many leading minds in the churches, who
refuse to accept the doctrine as usually taught, and the voice of the
Higher Criticism is heard in the land in increasing volume and many
doctrines unquestioningly held by the pews are being abandoned by the
pulpits, usually in the way of "discreet silence" being maintained.
But here and there courageous voices are heard stating plainly that
which their reason and conscience impels. We shall now consider these
dissenting opinions.
We have to say here, at this point, that we have no sympathy for the
so-called "infidel" opinion, which holds that the whole tale of the
Virgin Birth was invented to conceal the illegitimate birth of Jesus.
Such a view is based neither on intelligent investigation or
criticism, or upon the occult teachings. It was merely "invented"
itself, by those who were unable to accept current theology and who,
when driven from the churches, built up a crude system of
reconstructed Biblical History of their own. And so we shall not stop
to even consider this view of the matter, but shall pass on to the
scholarly objectors and their views and thence to the Occult
Teachings.
In the first place, the theologians who favor the views of the Higher
Criticism object to the idea of the Virgin Birth upon several general
grounds, among which the following are the principal ones:
(1) That the story of the Divine Conception, that is the
conception by a woman of a child without a human father, and
by means of a miraculous act on the part of Deity, is one
found among the traditions, legends and beliefs of many
heathen and pagan nations. Nearly all of the old Oriental
religions, antedating Christianity by many centuries,
contain stories of this kind concerning their gods, prophets
and great leaders. The critics hold that the story of the
Virgin Birth and Divine Conception were borrowed outright
from these pagan legends and incorporated into the Christian
Writings after the death of Christ;
(2) that the idea of the Virgin Birth was not an original
Christian Doctrine, but was injected into the Teachings at a
date about one hundred years, or nearly so, after the
beginning of the Christian Era; this view being corroborated
by the fact that the New Testament Writings themselves
contain very little mention of the idea, the only mention of
it being in two of the Gospels, those of St. Matthew and St.
Luke--St. Mark and St. John containing no mention of the
matter, which would not likely be the case had it been an
accepted belief in the early days of Christianity--and no
mention being made of it in the Epistles, even Paul being
utterly silent on the question. They claim that the Virgin
Birth was unknown to the primitive Christians and was not
heard of until its "borrowing" from pagan beliefs many years
after. In support of their idea, as above stated, they call
attention to the fact that the New Testament writings, known
to Biblical students as the oldest and earliest, make no
mention of the idea; and that Paul ignores it completely, as
well as the other writers;
(3) that the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke bear
internal evidences of the introduction of the story at a
later date. This matter we shall now consider, from the
point of view of the Higher Criticism within the body of the
Church.
In the first place, let us consider the Gospel of St. Matthew. The
majority of people accept this as having been written by St. Matthew,
with his own hand, during his ministry; and that the Gospel, word for
word, is the work of this great apostle. This idea, however, is not
held for a moment by the educated clergy, as may be seen by a
reference to any prominent theological work of late years, or even in
the pages of a good encyclopedia. The investigators have made diligent
researches concerning the probable authorship of the New Testament
books and their reports would surprise many faithful church-goers who
are not acquainted with the facts of the case. There is no warrant,
outside of tradition and custom, for the belief that Matthew wrote the
Gospel accredited to him, at least in its present shape. Without going
deeply into the argument of the investigators (which may be found in
any recent work on the History of the Gospels) we would say that the
generally accepted conclusion now held by the authorities is that the
Gospel commonly accredited to St. Matthew is the work of some unknown
hand or hands, which was produced during the latter part of the first
century A.D., written in Greek, and most likely an enlargement or
elaboration of certain Aramaic writings entitled, "Sayings of Jesus,"
which are thought to have been written by Matthew himself. In other
words, even the most conservative of the critics do not claim that the
Gospel of St. Matthew is anything more than an enlargement,
elaboration or development of Matthew's earlier writings, written many
years before the elaboration of the present "Gospel." The more radical
critics take an even less respectful view. This being the fact, it may
be readily seen how easy it would have been for the latter-day
"elaborator" to introduce the then current legend of the Virgin Birth,
borrowed from pagan sources.
As a further internal evidence of such interpolation of outside
matter, the critics point to the fact that while the Gospel of Matthew
is made to claim that Joseph was merely the _reputed father_ of the
child of Mary, the same Gospel, in its very first chapter (_Matt. 1_)
_gives the genealogy of Jesus from David to Joseph_ the husband of
Mary, _in order to prove that Jesus came from the "House of David_,"
in accordance with the Messianic tradition. The chapter begins with
the words, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of
David, the son of Abraham" (_Matt. 1_), and then goes on to name
fourteen generations from Abraham to David; fourteen generations from
David to the days of the carrying away into Babylon; and fourteen
generations from the Babylonian days until the birth of Jesus. The
critics call attention to this _recital of Jesus's descent, through
Joseph, from the House of David_, which is but one of the many
indications that the original Matthew inclined quite strongly to the
view that Jesus was the Hebrew Messiah, come to reign upon the throne
of David, rather than a Divine Avatar or Incarnation.
The critics point to the fact that _if Joseph were not the real father
of Jesus, where would be the sense and purpose of proving his descent
from David through Joseph?_ It is pertinently asked, _"Why the
necessity or purpose of the recital of Joseph's genealogy, as applied
to Jesus, if indeed Jesus were not truly the son of Joseph_?" The
explanation of the critics is that the earlier writings of Matthew
contained nothing regarding the Virgin Birth, Matthew having heard
nothing of this pagan legend, and that naturally he gave the genealogy
of Jesus from David and Abraham. If one omits the verses 18-25 from
Matthew's Gospel, he will see the logical relation of the genealogy to
the rest of the account--otherwise it is paradoxical, contradictory
and ridiculous, and shows the joints and seams where it has been
fitted into the older account.
"But," you may ask, "what of the Messianic Prophecy mentioned by
Matthew (1:23)? Surely this is a direct reference to the prophecy of
Isaiah 7:14." Let us examine this so-called "prophecy," of which so
much has been said and see just what reference it has to the birth of
Jesus.
Turning back to Isaiah 7, we find these words, just a little before
the "prophecy":
"Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a
sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in
the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither
will I tempt the Lord. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of
David; is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye
weary my God also?" (_Isaiah 6:13._)
Then comes the "prophecy": "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you
a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call
his name Immanuel." This is the "prophecy" quoted by the writer of the
Gospel of Matthew, and which has been quoted for centuries in
Christian churches, as a foretelling of the miraculous birth of Jesus.
As a matter of fact, intelligent theologians know that it has no
reference to Jesus at all, in any way, but belongs to another
occurrence, as we shall see presently, and was injected into the
Gospel narrative merely to support the views of the writer thereof.
It may be well to add here that many of the best authorities hold that
the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "_almah_" into the equivalent
of "virgin" in the usual sense of the word is incorrect. The Hebrew
word "_almah_" used in the original Hebrew text of Isaiah, does not
mean "virgin" as the term is usually employed, but rather "a young
woman of marriageable age--a maiden," the Hebrews having an entirely
different word for the idea of "virginity," as the term is generally
used. The word "_almah_" is used in other parts of the Old Testament
to indicate a "young woman--a maiden," notably in Proverbs 30:19, in
the reference to "the way of a man with a maid."
But we need not enter into discussions of this kind, say the Higher
Critics, for the so-called "prophecy" refers to an entirely different
matter. It appears, say they, that Ahaz, a weakling king of Judea, was
in sore distress because Rezin the Syrian king, and Pekah the ruler of
Northern Israel, had formed an offensive alliance against him and were
moving their combined forces toward Jerusalem. In his fear he sought
an alliance with Assyria, which alliance was disapproved of by Isaiah
who remonstrated with Ahaz about the proposed move. The king was too
much unnerved by fear to listen to Isaiah's arguments and so the
latter dropped into prophecy. He prophesied, after the manner of the
Oriental seer, that the land would be laid waste and misery entailed
upon Israel, should the suicidal policy be adopted. But he held out a
hope for a brighter future after the clouds of adversity had rolled
by. A new and wise prince would arise who would bring Israel to her
former glory. That prince would be born of a young mother and his name
would be Immanuel, which means "God with us." All this had reference
to things of a reasonably near future and had no reference to the
birth of Jesus _some seven hundred years after_, who _was not a
prince_ sitting upon the throne of Israel, and who did not bring
national glory and renown to Israel, for such was not his mission.
Hebrew scholars and churchmen have often claimed that Isaiah's
prophecy was fulfilled by the birth of Hezekiah.
There is no evidence whatever in the Jewish history of the seven
hundred years between Isaiah and Jesus, that the Hebrews regarded
Isaiah's prophecy as relating to the expected Messiah, but on the
contrary it was thought to relate to a minor event in their history.
As a Jewish writer has truly said, "Throughout the wide extent of
Jewish literature there is not a single passage which can bear the
construction that the Messiah should be miraculously conceived." Other
writers along this line have stated the same thing, showing that the
idea of a Virgin Birth was foreign to the Jewish mind, the Hebrews
having always respected and highly honored married life and human
parentage, regarding their children as blessings and gifts from God.
Another writer in the Church has said, "Such a fable as the birth of
the Messiah from a _virgin_ could have arisen anywhere else easier
than among the Jews; their doctrine of the divine unity placed an
impassable gulf between God and the world; their high regard for the
marriage relation," etc., would have rendered the idea obnoxious.
Other authorities agree with this idea, and insist that the idea of
the Virgin Birth never originated in Hebrew prophecy, but was injected
into the Christian Doctrine from pagan sources, toward the end of the
first century, and received credence owing to the influx of converts
from the "heathen" peoples who found in the idea a correspondence with
their former beliefs. As Rev. R.J. Campbell, minister of the City
Temple, London, says in his "New Theology," "No New Testament passage
whatever is directly or indirectly a prophecy of the virgin birth of
Jesus. To insist upon this may seem to many like beating a man of
straw, but if so, the man of straw still retains a good deal of
vitality."
Let us now turn to the second account of the Virgin Birth, in the
Gospels--the only other place that it is mentioned, outside of the
story in Matthew, above considered. We find this second mention in
Luke 1:26-35, the verses having been quoted in the first part of this
lesson.
There has been much dispute regarding the real authorship of the
Gospel commonly accredited to Luke, but it is generally agreed upon by
Biblical scholars that it was the latest of the first three Gospels
(generally known as "the Synoptic Gospels"). It is also generally
agreed upon, by such scholars, that the author, whoever he may have
been, was not an eye witness of the events in the Life of Christ. Some
of the best authorities hold that he was a Gentile (non-Hebrew),
probably a Greek, for his Greek literary style is far above the
average, his vocabulary being very rich and his diction admirable. It
is also generally believed that the same hand wrote the Book of Acts.
Tradition holds that the author was one Luke, a Christian convert
after the death of Jesus, who was one of Paul's missionary band which
traveled from Troas to Macedonia, and who shared Paul's imprisonment
in Caesarea; and who shared Paul's shipwreck experiences on the voyage
to Rome. He is thought to have written his Gospel long after the death
of Paul, for the benefit and instruction of one Theophilus, a man of
rank residing in Antioch.
It is held by writers of the Higher Criticism that the account of the
Virgin Birth was either injected in Luke's narrative, by some later
writer, or else that Luke in his old age adopted this view which was
beginning to gain credence among the converted Christians of pagan
origin, Luke himself being of this class. It is pointed out that as
Paul, who was Luke's close friend and teacher, made no mention of the
Virgin Birth, and taught nothing of the kind, Luke must have acquired
the legend later, if, indeed, the narrative was written by him at all
in his Gospel.
It is likewise noted that Luke also gives a genealogy of Jesus, from
Adam, through Abraham, and David, and Joseph. The words in parenthesis
"as was supposed," in Luke 3:23, are supposed to have been inserted in
the text by a later writer, as there would be no sense or reason in
tracing the genealogy of Jesus through a "supposed" father. The verse
in question reads thusly: "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty
years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the
son of Heli," etc. Students, of course, notice that the line of
descent given by Luke differs very materially from that given by
Matthew, showing a lack of knowledge on the part of one or the other
writer.
On the whole, scholars consider it most remarkable that this account
of the Virgin Birth should be given by Luke, who was a most ardent
Pauline student and follower, in view of the fact that Paul ignored
the whole legend, if, indeed, he had ever heard of it. Surely a man
like Paul would have laid great stress upon this wonderful event had
he believed in it, or had it formed a part of the Christian Doctrine
of his time. That Luke should have written this account is a great
mystery--and many feel that it is much easier to accept the theory of
the later interpolation of the story into Luke's Gospel, particularly
in view of the corroborative indications.
Summing up the views of the Higher Criticism, we may say that the
general position taken by the opponents and deniers of the Virgin
Birth of Jesus is about as follows:
1. The story of the Virgin Birth is found only in the
introductory portion of two of the four Gospels--Matthew and
Luke--and even in these the story bears the appearance of
having been "fitted in" by later writers.
2. Even Matthew and Luke are silent about the matter after
the statements in the introductory part of their Gospels,
which could scarcely occur had the story been written by and
believed in by the writers, such action on their part being
contrary to human custom and probability.
3. The Gospels of Mark and John are absolutely silent on the
subject; the oldest of the Gospels--that of Mark--bears no
trace of the legend; and the latest Gospel--that of
John--being equally free from its mention.
4. The rest of the New Testament breathes not a word of the
story or doctrine. _The Book of Acts, generally accepted as
having also been written by Luke, ignores the subject
completely_. Paul, the teacher of Luke, and the great writer
of the Early Church, seems to know nothing whatever about
the Virgin Birth, or else purposely ignores it entirely, the
latter being unbelievable in such a man. Peter, the First
Apostle, makes no mention of the story or doctrine in his
great Epistles, which fact is inconceivable if he knew of
and believed in the legend. The Book of Revelation is
likewise silent upon this doctrine which played so important
a part in the later history of the Church. The great
writings of the New Testament contain no mention of the
story, outside of the brief mention in Matthew and Luke,
alluded to above.
5. There are many verses in the Gospels and Epistles which
go to prove, either that the story was unknown to the
writers, or else not accepted by them. _The genealogies of
Joseph are cited to prove the descent of Jesus from David,
which depends entirely upon the fact of Joseph's actual
parentage. Jesus is repeatedly and freely mentioned as the
son of Joseph._ Paul and the other Apostles hold firmly to
the doctrine of the necessity of the Death of Jesus; his
Rising from the Dead; and his Ascension into Heaven, etc.
But they had nothing to say regarding any necessity for his
Virgin Birth, or the necessity for the acceptance of any
such doctrine--they are absolutely silent on this point,
although they were careful men, omitting no important detail
of doctrine. Paul even speaks of Jesus as "of the seed of
David." (_Rom. 1:3._)
6. The Virgin Birth was not a part of the early traditions
or doctrine of the Church, but was unknown to it. And it is
not referred to in the preaching and teaching of the
Apostles, as may have been seen by reference to the Book of
Acts. This book, which relates the Acts and Teachings of the
Apostles, could not have inadvertently omitted such an
important doctrine or point of teaching. It is urged by
careful and conscientious Christian scholars that the
multitudes converted to Christianity in the early days must
have been ignorant of, or uninformed on, this miraculous
event, which would seem inexcusable on the part of the
Apostles had they known of it and believed in its truth.
This condition of affairs must have lasted until nearly the
second century, when the pagan beliefs began to filter in by
reason of the great influx of pagan converts.
7. There is every reason for believing that the legend arose
from other pagan legends, the religions of other peoples
being filled with accounts of miraculous births of heroes,
gods, and prophets, kings and sages.
8. That acceptance of the legend is not, nor should it be, a
proof of belief in Christ and Christianity. This view is
well voiced by Rev. Dr. Campbell, in his "New Theology,"
when he says "The credibility and significance of
Christianity are in no way affected by the doctrine of the
Virgin Birth, otherwise than that the belief tends to put a
barrier between Jesus and the race, and to make him
something that cannot properly be called human.... Like many
others, I used to take the position that acceptance or
non-acceptance of the doctrine of the Virgin Birth was
immaterial because Christianity was quite independent of it;
but later reflection has convinced me that in point of fact
it operates as a hindrance to spiritual religion and a real
living faith in Jesus. The simple and natural conclusion is
that Jesus was the child of Joseph and Mary, and had an
uneventful childhood." The German theologian, Soltau, says,
"Whoever makes the further demand that an evangelical
Christian shall believe in the words 'conceived by the Holy
Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,' wittingly constitutes
himself a sharer in a sin against the Holy Spirit and the
true Gospel as transmitted to us by the Apostles and their
school in the Apostolic Age."
And this then is the summing up of the contention between the
conservative school of Christian theologians on the one side and the
liberal and radical schools on the other side. We have given you a
statement of the positions, merely that you may understand the
problem. But, before we pass to the consideration of the Occult
Teachings, let us ask one question: _How do the Higher Critics account
for the undoubted doctrine of the Divine Fatherhood, as clearly stated
all through the New Testament_, in view of the proofs against the
Virgin Birth? Why the frequent and repeated mention of Jesus as "the
Son of God?" What was the Secret Doctrine underlying the Divine
Parentage of Jesus, which the pagan legends corrupted into the story
of the Virgin Birth of theology? We fear that the answer is not to be
found in the books and preachments of the Higher Criticism, nor yet in
those of the Conservative Theologians. Let us now see what light the
Occult Teachings can throw on this dark subject! There is an Inner
Doctrine which explains the mystery.
Now, in the first place, there is no reference in the Occult Teaching
to any miraculous features connected with the physical birth of Jesus.
It is not expressly denied, it is true, but the Teachings contain no
reference to the matter, and all the references to the subject of
Jesus' parentage speak of Joseph as being His father, and Mary His
mother. In other words, the family is treated as being composed of
father, mother and child just as is the case with any family. The
Occult Teachings go into great detail concerning the _Spiritual
Sonship_ of Jesus, as we shall see presently, but there is no mention
of any miraculous _physical_ conception and birth.
We can readily understand why the Virgin Birth legend would not appeal
to the Occultists, if we will but consider the doctrines of the
latter. The Occultists pay but little attention to the physical body,
except as a Temple of the Spirit, and a habitation of the soul. The
physical body, to the Occultist, is a mere material shell, constantly
changing its constituent cells, serving to house the soul of the
individual, and which when cast off and discarded is no more than any
other bit of disintegrating material. They know of the existence of
the soul separate from the body, both after the death of the latter
and even during its life, in the case of Astral Travel, etc. And in
many other ways it becomes natural for the Occultist to regard his
body, and the bodies of others, as mere "shells," to be treated well,
used properly, and then willingly discarded or exchanged for another.
In view of the above facts, you may readily see that any theory or
doctrine which made the Absolute--God--overshadow a human woman's body
and cause her to physically conceive a child, would appear crude,
barbarous, unnecessary and in defiance of the natural laws established
by the Cause of Causes. The Occultist sees in the conception _of every
child_, the work of the Divine Will--_every conception and birth a
miracle_. But he sees Natural Law underlying each, and he believes
that the Divine Will always operates under Natural Laws--the seeming
miracles and exceptions thereto, resulting from the mastery and
operation of some law not generally known. But the Occultist knows of
no law that will operate to produce conception by other than the
physiological process.
In short, _the Occultist does not regard the physical body of Jesus as
Jesus Himself_--he knows that the Real Jesus is something much greater
than His body, and, consequently, he sees no more necessity for a
miraculous conception of His body than he would for a miraculous
creation of His robe. The body of Jesus was only material
substance--the Real Jesus was Spirit. The Occultists do not regard
Joseph as the father of the Real Jesus--_no human being can produce or
create a soul_. And so, the Occultist sees no reason for accepting the
old pagan doctrine of the physical Virgin Birth which has crept into
Christianity from outside sources. To the Occultist, there is a real
Virgin Birth of an entirely different nature, as we shall see
presently.
But, not so with the people who flocked to the ranks of Christianity
toward the close of the first century--coming from pagan people, and
bringing with them their pagan legends and doctrines. These people
_believed that the Body was the Real Man_, and consequently attached
the greatest importance to it. These people were almost materialists
as the result of their pagan views of life. They began to exert an
influence on the small body of original Christians, and soon the
original teachings were smothered by the weight of the pagan
doctrines. For instance, they failed to grasp the beautiful ideas of
Immortality held by the original Christians, which held that _the
soul_ survived the death and disintegration of the body. They could
not grasp this transcendental truth--they did not know what was meant
by the term "_the soul_," and so they substituted their pagan doctrine
of the resurrection of the physical body. They believed that at some
future time there would come a great Day, in which the Dead would
arise from their graves, and become again alive. The crudeness of this
idea, when compared to the beautiful doctrine of the Immortality of
the Soul of the original Christians, and by the advanced Christians
to-day, is quite painful. And yet these pagan converts actually
smothered out the true teachings by their crude doctrine of
resurrection of _the body_.
These people could not understand how a man could live without his
physical body, and to them future life meant a resurrection of their
dead bodies which would again become alive. To them the dead bodies
would remain dead, until the Great Day, when they would be made alive
again. There is no teaching among these people regarding the soul
which passes out of the body and lives again on higher planes. No,
nothing of this kind was known to these people--they were incapable of
such high ideas and ideals--they were materialists and were wedded to
their beloved animal bodies, and believed that their dead bodies would
in some miraculous way be made alive again at some time in the future,
when they would again live on earth.
In view of modern knowledge regarding the nature of matter, and the
fact that what is one person's body to-day, may be a part of another's
to-morrow--that matter is constantly being converted and
reconverted--that the universal material is used to form bodies of
animals, plants, men, or else dwell in chemical gases, or combinations
in inorganic things--in view of these accepted truths the
"resurrection of the body" seems a pitiful invention of the minds of a
primitive and ignorant people, and not a high spiritual teaching. In
fact, there may be many of you who would doubt that the Christians of
that day so taught, were it not for the undisputed historical records,
and the remnant of the doctrine itself embalmed in the "Apostle's
Creed," in the passage _"I believe in the resurrection of the body_"
which is read in the Churches daily, but which doctrine is scarcely
ever taught in these days, and is believed in by but few
Christians--in fact, is ignored or even denied by the majority.
Dr. James Beattie has written, "Though mankind have at all times had a
persuasion of the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the
body was a doctrine peculiar to early Christianity." S.T. Coleridge
has written, "Some of the most influential of the early Christian
writers were materialists, holding the soul to be material--corporeal.
It appears that in those days some few held the soul to be
incorporeal, according to the views of Plato and others, but that the
orthodox Christian divines looked upon this as an impious,
unscriptural opinion. Justin Martyr argued against the Platonic nature
of the soul. And even some latter-day writers have not hesitated to
express their views on the subject, agreeing with the earlier orthodox
brethren. For instance, Dr. R.S. Candlish has said,
"You live again in the body,--in the very body, as to all
essential properties, and to all practical intents and
purposes, in which you live now. _I am not to live as a
ghost, a spectre, a spirit, I am to live then as I live now,
in the body_."
The reason that the early Church laid so much stress on this doctrine
of the Resurrection of the Body, was because an inner sect, the
Gnostics, held to the contrary, and the partisan spirit of the
majority swung them to the other extreme, until they utterly denied
any other idea, and insisted upon the resurrection and re-vitalizing
of the physical body. But, in spite of the official fostering of this
crude theory, it gradually sank into actual insignificance, although
its shadow still persists in creed and word. Its spirit has retreated
and passed away before the advancing idea of the Immortality of the
Soul which returned again and again to Christianity until it won the
victory. And as Prof. Nathaniel Schmidt has said, in his article on
the subject in a leading encyclopaedia, "... The doctrine of the
natural immortality of the human soul became so important a part of
Christian thought that the resurrection naturally lost its vital
significance, and it has practically held no place in the great
systems of philosophy elaborated by the Christian thinkers in modern
times." And, yet, the Church continues to repeat the now meaningless
words, "I believe in the Resurrection of the Body." And while
practically no one now believes it, still the recital of the words,
and the statement of one's belief in them, forms a necessary requisite
for admission into the Christian Church to-day. Such is the persistent
hold of dead forms, and thoughts, upon living people.
And, so you can readily see from what has been said, why the early
Christians, about the close of the first century A.D., attached so
much importance to _the physical conception and birth_ of Jesus. To
them the physical body of Jesus was Jesus Himself. The rest follows
naturally, including the Virgin Birth and the Physical Resurrection.
We trust that you now understand this part of the subject.
We have heard devout Christians shocked at the idea that Jesus was
born of a human father and mother, in the natural way of the race.
They seemed to think that it savored of impurity. Such a notion is the
result of a perverted idea of the sacredness of natural functions--a
seeing of impurity--where all is pure. What a perversion, this
regarding the sacredness of human Fatherhood, and Motherhood, as
impure! The man of true spirituality sees in the Divine Trinity of
Father, Mother and Child, something most pure and sacred--something
that brings man very close indeed to God. Is the beautiful babe, held
close in its mother's fond embrace, a symbol and type of impurity? Is
the watchful care and love of the Father of the babe, an impure result
of an impure cause? Does not one's own heart tell him the contrary?
Look at the well known picture of the Journey to Egypt, with Mary
carrying the babe, and both guarded and protected by the husband and
father--Joseph--is this not a beautiful symbol of the sacredness of
Parenthood? We trust that the majority of those who read these pages
have advanced spiritually beyond the point where The Family is a thing
of impure suggestion and relationship.
And, now, what are the Occult Teachings--the Secret Doctrine--regarding
the Real Virgin Birth of Jesus? Just this: that the Spirit of Jesus
was fresh from the bosom of the Absolute--Spirit of SPIRIT--a Virgin
Birth of Spirit. His Spirit had not traveled the weary upward path of
Reincarnation and repeated Rebirth, but was Virgin Spirit fresh from
the SPIRIT--a very Son of the Father--begotten not created. This Virgin
Spirit was incarnated in His body, and there began the life of Man, not
fully aware of His own nature, but gradually awakening into knowledge
just as does every human soul, until at last the true nature of His
Being burst upon him, and he saw that he indeed was God incarnate. In
his short life of thirty-three years--thirty years of preparation, and
three years of ministry, Jesus typified and symbolized the Life of the
Race. Just as he awakened into a perception of his Divine Nature, so
shall the race awaken in time. Every act in the Life of Jesus typified
and symbolized the life of every individual soul, and of the race. We
all have our Garden of Gethsemane--each is Crucified, and Ascends to
Higher Planes. This is the Occult Doctrine of the Virgin Birth of
Christ. Is it not a worthy one--is it not at least a higher conception
of the human mind, than the physical Virgin Birth legend?
As we proceed with our lessons, we shall bring out the details of the
Occult Teachings concerning the Divine Nature of Christ--the Spirit
within the Human Form. And, in these references and instruction, you
will see even more clearly that nature of the Spiritual Virgin Birth
of Jesus.
The original Christians were instructed in the Truth concerning the
Virgin Birth, that is, those who were sufficiently intelligent to
grasp it. But after the great Teachers passed away, and their
successors became overzealous in their desire to convert the outside
peoples, the influx of the latter gradually overcame the original
teachings, and the physical Virgin Birth and the Resurrection of the
Body, became Doctrines and Articles of Faith, held of vital importance
by the new orthodox leaders. It has taken centuries of mental
struggle, and spiritual unfoldment to bring the Light of the Truth to
bear upon this dark corner of the Faith, but the work is now fairly
under way, and the great minds in the Church, as well as those out of
the Church, are beginning to lay the old legend aside as a worn out
relic of primitive days when the cloud of Ignorance overshadowed the
Light of Truth.
In concluding this lesson, let us glance once more at the words of the
eminent divine, Dr. Campbell, in his _New Theology_, in which he
states:
"But why hesitate about the question? The greatness of Jesus
and the value of his revelation to mankind are in no way
either assisted or diminished by the manner of his entry
into the world. Every birth is just as wonderful as a virgin
birth could possibly be, and just as much a direct act of
God. A supernatural conception bears no relation whatever to
the moral and spiritual worth of the person who is supposed
to enter the world in this abnormal way.... Those who insist
on the doctrine will find themselves in danger of proving
too much, for pressed to its logical conclusion, it removes
Jesus altogether from the category of humanity in any real
sense."
Let us trust that these Higher Critics may become informed upon the
truths of the Occult Teachings, which supply the Missing Key, and
afford the Reconciliation, and which show how and why Jesus is, in all
and very truth, THE SON OF GOD, begotten and not created, of one
substance from the Father--a particle of Purest Spirit fresh from the
Ocean of Spirit, and free from the Karma of past Incarnations--how He
was human and yet more than human.
In our next lesson we shall take up the narrative of the secret life
of Jesus from the time of his appearance, as a child at the Temple,
among the Elders, until when at the age of thirty years he appeared at
the scene of the ministry of John the Baptist, and began his own brief
ministry of three years which was closed by the Crucifixion and
Ascension. This is a phase of the subject of intense interest, and
startling nature, because of the lack of knowledge of the occult
traditions on the part of the general public.
THE THIRD LESSON.
THE MYSTIC YOUTH OF JESUS.
In our last lesson we promised to tell you the esoteric story of the
youth of Jesus. And there is such a story to tell, although the
churches know little or nothing about it. The churches have nothing
but the husks that have always been the property of the masses. The
real kernels of truth have been possessed by but the few elect ones.
The legends of the mystic brotherhoods and occult orders have
preserved the story intact, and you shall now be given the essence of
the mystic legends and traditions.
At the end of our first lesson we left Joseph, Mary and the infant
Jesus in Egypt, the land to which they had flown to escape the wrath
of the tyrant Herod. They dwelt in Egypt for a few years, until the
death of Herod. Then Joseph retraced his steps, and returned toward
his own country, bringing with him his wife and the babe. For some
reasons unknown to those familiar with the legends and traditions,
Joseph decided not to locate in Judea, but instead, bent his way
toward the coast and returned to Nazareth where Mary and he had
originally met and become betrothed. And, so, in Nazareth, the humble
little mountain town the boyhood days of Jesus were spent, the
grinding poverty of the family being relieved (according to the occult
legends) by the yearly presents of gold from the hands of disguised
messengers of the Magi.
The traditions relate that Jesus began His study of the Hebrew Law
when He was but five years of age. It is related that He displayed an
unusual ability and talent in the direction of mastering not only the
text, but also the spirit of the Hebrew Scripture, and far outstripped
His fellow students. It is also related that He displayed an early
impatience at the dreary formalism of His Hebrew teachers, and a
disposition to go right to the heart of the text before Him, that He
might discern the spirit animating it. So much was this the case that
He frequently brought down upon His head the censure of His
instructors who overlooked the spirit of the teachings in their
devotion to the forms and words.
Nazareth was an old-fashioned place and it and its inhabitants were
made the target for the jests and witticisms of the people of Judea.
The word "Nazarene" was synonymous with "lout"; "boor"; "peasant";
etc., to the residents of the more fashionable regions. The very
remoteness of the town served to separate it in spirit from the rest
of the country. But this very remoteness played an important part in
the early life of Jesus. Nazareth, by reason of its peculiar location,
was on the line of several caravan routes. Travelers from many lands
traveled through the town, and rested there overnight, or sometimes
for several days. Travelers from Samaria, Jerusalem, Damascus, Greece,
Rome, Arabia, Syria, Persia, Phoenicia, and other lands mingled with
the Nazarenes. And the traditions relate that Jesus, the child, would
steal away and talk with such of these travelers as were versed in
occult and mystic lore, and would imbibe from their varied founts of
learning, until He was as thoroughly informed on these subjects as
many a mystic of middle age. The traditions have it that the boy would
often delight and astonish these traveling occultists with His
wonderful insight into their secret doctrines and knowledge. And it is
also told that some of the wisest of these, seeing the nature of the
child, would overstay their allotted time of sojourn, that they might
add here and there to the various parts of general occult lore
possessed by the child. It is also taught that the Magi informed some
of these travelers regarding the boy, that they might impart to him
some truth or teaching for which He was ready.
And so the boy grew in knowledge and wisdom, day by day, year by year,
until, finally, there occurred an event in His life, which has since
been the subject of greatest interest to all Christians and students
of the New Testament, but which without the above explanation is not
readily understood.
The Feast of the Passover occurred in its allotted time of the
year--April--when Jesus was in his thirteenth year. This feast was one
of the most important in the Jewish calendar, and its observance was
held as a most sacred duty by all Hebrews. It was the feast set down
for the remembrance and perpetuation of that most important event in
the history of the Jewish people when the Angel of Death swept over
all of Egypt's land smiting the first-born child of every house of the
natives, high and low, but sparing all the houses of the captive
Hebrews who marked their door-sills with the sacrificial blood as a
token of their faith. This is no place to give the explanation of this
apparently miraculous event, which students now know to be due to
natural causes. We merely mention it in passing.
The Law-givers of Israel had appointed the Feast of the Passover as a
perpetual symbol of this event so important by the nation, and every
self-respecting Jew felt obligated to take part in the observance and
sacrament. Every pious Jew made it a point to perform a pilgrimage to
Jerusalem at the time of the Feast of the Passover, if he could in any
way manage to do so.
At the time of the Passover celebration of which we are speaking,
Jesus had just entered into His thirteenth year, which age entitled
Him, under the ecclesiastical law, to the privilege of sitting with
the adult men of His race at the Passover supper, and also to publicly
join with the male congregation in the thanksgiving service in the
synagogues.
And so, on this year, He accompanied His father and mother to
Jerusalem and made His _second_ visit to the Holy City. It will be
remembered that His _first_ visit there was made when as an infant He
was carried thither from Bethlehem in His mother's arms in accordance
with the Jewish law, and at which time an aged priest and an old
prophetess had publicly acknowledged the divine nature of the child.
The father, mother and child--the divine trinity of Human
relationship--traveled slowly over the highway that led from Nazareth
to Jerusalem. The father and mother were concerned with the details of
the journey, mingled with pious thoughts concerning the sacred feast
in which they were to take part. But the boy's mind was far away from
the things that were occupying his parent's thoughts. He was thinking
over the deep mystic truths which He had so readily absorbed during
the past few years, and He was looking forward in delightful
anticipation to His expected meeting with the older mystics in the
temples and public places of Jerusalem.
It must be remembered that underlying the Jewish ecclesiastical
teachings and formalism, which were all that the mass of the people
knew, there was a great store of Jewish occultism and Mysticism known
to the few elect. The Kaballah or Jewish occult writings were closely
studied by the learned Jews, and this work with other similar
teachings were transmitted verbally from teacher to student, and
constituted the Secret Doctrine of the Hebrew religion. And it was
toward the learned teachers of this Secret Doctrine that Jesus
directed His mind and steps, although His parents knew it not.
Four or five days were consumed in the journey, and at last the Holy
City--Jerusalem--came into full view, the wonderful Temple of Israel
showing plainly above the other buildings. The bands of pilgrims, of
which the family of Joseph formed a part, formed into orderly array
and led by flute-players they solemnly marched into the streets of the
Holy City, singing and chanting the Sacred Songs used by the faithful
upon this solemn occasion. And the boy walked with the rest, with
bowed head, and eyes that seemed to see things far removed from the
scene around them.
The Passover rites were carried out--the duties were performed--the
ceremonies were observed. The Passover Feast extended over a full
week, of which the first two days were the most important, and during
which two days the obligatory ceremonies were performed. Each family
made the offering of the sacrificial lamb--each family baked and ate
the unleavened bread. The beautiful idea of the Passover had
degenerated into a horrible feast of blood, for it is related that
upon these occasions over a quarter-million of poor innocent lambs
were slaughtered and offered up as a sacrifice pleasing to Jehovah,
who was supposed to delight in this flood of the blood of innocents.
In pursuance of this barbarous idea, the altars and courts of the
Temple of the Living God ran red with the life-blood of these poor
creatures, and the hands and garments of the anointed priests of
Jehovah were stained like those of butchers, that the vanity of a
barbarous conception of Deity might be fed.
All this for "the Glory of God!" Think of it! And think of the feeling
that must have been aroused in the mystic mind of Jesus at this
horrible sight. How His soul must have been outraged at this
prostitution of the sacred rite! And what would have been His thoughts
had He known that centuries after, a great religion would stand,
bearing His name, the followers of which would be carried away with
this same false idea of sacrificial blood, which would be voiced in
hymns about "A fountain filled with blood, flowing from Immanuel's
veins," and about "sinners plunged beneath that bloody flood losing
all their guilty stains?" Alas, for the prostitution of sacred truths
and teachings. No wonder that a people so saturated with the
abominable ideas of a Deity delighting in this flow of blood should
have afterward put to death the greatest man of their race--a Being
who came to bring them the highest mystic and occult truths. And their
prototypes have survived through the centuries, even unto today,
insisting upon this idea of blood sacrifice and death atonement,
unworthy of any people except the worshipers of some heathen devil-god
in the remote sections of darkest Africa.
Disgusted and outraged by this barbarous sight, Jesus, the boy, stole
away from the side of His parents, and sought the remote chambers and
corridors of the Temple where were to be found the great teachers of
the Law and of the Kaballah, surrounded by their students. Here the
boy sat and listened to the teachings and disputations of the teachers
and exponents of the doctrines. From one group to another He wandered,
and listened, and pondered, and thought. He compared the teachings,
and submitted the various ideas to the touchstone of the truth as He
found it within His own mind. The hours rapidly passed by unnoticed by
the boy, who found Himself amidst such congenial environments for the
first time. The talks with the travelers of the caravans paled into
insignificance when compared with these of the great occult teachers
of Israel. For be it remembered that it was the custom of the great
teachers of that day to so instruct those who were attracted to their
company. And Jerusalem being the centre of the culture and learning of
Israel, the great teachers dwelt there. And so it will be seen that
Jesus now found Himself at the very fountain-head of the Hebrew Secret
Doctrines, and in the actual presence of the great teachers.
On the third day, there began a breaking-up of the vast gathering of
the two million of people who had made the pilgrimage to the Holy
City. Those poorer in purse were the first to leave, after the
obligatory rites of the first two days had been performed. And Joseph
and Mary were among those preparing to retrace their steps to their
distant homes. Their friends and neighbors gathered together, and the
preparations for the return were completed. But at the last moment,
the parents discovered that the boy, Jesus, was missing. They were
alarmed, but friends told them that their boy had been seen in the
company of kinsmen and neighbors traveling along the same road, who
had preceded them but a few hours. Somewhat reassured, the parents
left with their company, hoping that they would overtake the boy
before nightfall. But when they reached the first station on the
caravan route--a village called Beroth--and the night descended upon
them, and the boy failed to appear among the neighbors and kinsmen,
the parents were sorely distressed. They slept but little that night,
and when the first rays of dawn appeared, they parted from the
company, and retraced their way back to Jerusalem, in search of the
boy apparently lost in the great capital amid the hundreds of
thousands of pilgrims.
Every mother and father will enter into the feelings of Joseph and
Mary in their frantic return to the city, and in their subsequent
search for the lost child. They inquired here and there for the boy,
but not a trace of him was found. And night came without a ray of
hope. And the next day was likewise barren of results. And the next
day after. For three days the devoted parents searched high and low
for their beloved child--but no word of encouragement came to them.
The boy had seemingly dropped out of sight in the vast crowds and
winding streets. The parents reproached themselves for their lack of
care and caution. None but a parent can imagine their anguish and
terror.
They visited the many courts of the Temple many times, but no sight or
word of the boy rewarded their search. The bloody altars, the showy
costumes of the priests; the chants; the readings; seemed like mockery
to them. They wished themselves back in their humble village, with
their boy by their side. They prayed and besought Jehovah to grant
their hopes and desire, but no answer came.
Then, on the last day, a strange event occurred. The weary and heart
broken parents wandered once more into the Temple--this time visiting
one of the less frequented courts. They saw a crowd gathered--something
of importance was occurring. Almost instinctively they drew near to the
crowd. And then amidst the unusual silence of the people they heard a
boyish voice raised to a pitch adapted to a large circle of hearers,
and speaking in the tones of authority. It was the voice of the boy,
Jesus!
With eager feet the couple pushed forward, unto the very inner row of
the circle. And there, wonder of wonders, they saw their child in the
centre of the most celebrated teachers and doctors of the Law in all
Israel. With a rapt expression in his eyes, as if He were gazing upon
things not of this world, the boy Jesus was standing in a position and
attitude of authority, and around him were grouped the greatest minds
of the day and land, in respectful attention, while at a further
distance stood the great circle of the common people.
When one remembers the Jewish racial trait of reverence for age, and
the consequent submission of Youth, one will better understand the
unusual spectacle that burst upon the gaze of Joseph and Mary. A mere
boy--a child--daring to even speak boldly in the presence of the aged
teachers was unheard of, and the thought of such a one actually
presuming to dispute, argue and teach, in such an assembly, was like
unto a miracle. And such it was!
The boy spoke with the air and in the tones of a Master. He met the
most subtle arguments and objections of the Elders with the power of
the keenest intellect and spiritual insight. He brushed aside the
sophistries with a contemptuous phrase, and brought back the argument
to the vital point.
The crowd gathered in greater volume, the gray heads and beards grew
more and more respectful. It was evident to all that a Master had
arisen in Israel in the form of a boy of thirteen. The MASTER was
apparent in tone, gesture, and thought. The Mystic had found his first
audience, and his congregation was composed of the leading thinkers
and teachers of the land. The insight of the Magi was verified!
Then in a momentary pause in the argument, the stifled cry of a woman
was heard--the voice of the Mother. The crowd turned impatient,
reproachful glances upon Mary, who had been unable to restrain her
emotion. But the boy, looking sadly but affectionately at his lost
parents, gave her a reassuring glance, which at the same time bade her
remain still until he had finished his discourse. And the parents
obeyed the newly awakened will of their child.
The teaching ended, the boy stepped from his position with the air of
one of the Elders, and rejoined his parents, who passed as rapidly as
possible from the wondering crowd. Then his mother reproached him,
telling him of their distress and wearisome search. The boy listened
calmly and patiently until she had finished. Then he asked, with his
newly acquired air of authority, "Why sought ye me?" And when they
answered him in the customary manner of parents, the boy took on still
a greater air of authority, and in tones that though kindly, were full
of power, he replied, "Knew ye not, that I must be in my Father's
House? I must be about the things of my Father." And the parents,
feeling themselves in the presence of the Mystery that had ever been
about the child, followed Him silently from the Temple grounds.
And here closes the New Testament story of the boy Jesus at the age of
thirteen, which story is not resumed until His appearance at the place
of the preaching of John the Baptist, _over seventeen years later_,
when the boy had reached the age of a man of thirty years. When and
how did he spend those seventeen years? The New Testament is totally
silent on this score. Can anyone who has read the above imagine that
Jesus spent these years as a growing youth and young man, working at
His father's carpenter bench in the village of Nazareth? Would not the
Master, having found his strength and power, have insisted upon
developing the same? Could the Divine Genius once self-recognized be
content to be obscured amid material pursuits? The New Testament is
silent, but the Occult Traditions and Mystic Legends tell us the story
of the missing seventeen years, and these we shall now give to you.
* * * * *
The legends and traditions of the mystic and occult organizations and
brotherhoods tell us that after the occurrence of Jesus and the Elders
in the Temple, and his recovery by his parents, the latter were
approached by members of the secret organization to which the Magi
belonged, who pointed out to the parents the injustice of the plan of
keeping the lad at the carpenter's bench when He had shown evidences
of such a marvelous spiritual development and such a wonderful
intellectual grasp of weighty subjects. It is told that after a long
and serious consideration of the matter the parents finally consented
to the plan advanced by the Magi, and allowed them to take the lad
with them into their own land and retreats that He might there receive
the instructions for which His soul craved, and for which His mind was
fitted.
It is true that the New Testament does not corroborate these occult
legends, but it is likewise true that it says nothing to the contrary.
It is silent regarding this important period of between seventeen and
eighteen years. It is to be remembered that when He appeared upon the
scene of John's ministration, the latter did not recognize Him,
whereas had Jesus remained about His home, John, his cousin, would
have been acquainted with his features and personal appearance.
The occult teachings inform us that the seventeen or eighteen years of
Jesus' life regarding which the Gospels are silent, were filled with
travels in far and distant lands, where the youth and young man was
instructed in the occult lore and wisdom of the different schools. It
is taught that He was taken into India, and Egypt, and Persia, and
other far regions, living for several years at each important center,
and being initiated into the various brotherhoods, orders, and bodies
having their headquarters there. Some of the Egyptians' orders have
traditions of a young Master who sojourned among them, and such is
likewise the case in Persia and in India. Even among the lamasaries
hidden in Thibet and in the Himalayan Mountains are to be found
legends and stories regarding the marvelous young Master who once
visited there and absorbed their wisdom and secret knowledge.
More than this, there are traditions among the Brahmans, Buddhists and
Zoroastrians, telling of a strange young teacher who appeared among
them, who taught marvelous truths and who aroused great opposition
among the priests of the various religions of India and Persia, owing
to his preaching against priestcraft and formalism, and also by his
bitter opposition to all forms of caste distinctions and restrictions.
And this, too, is in accord with the occult legends which teach that
from about the age of twenty-one until the age of nearly thirty years
Jesus pursued a ministry among the people of India and Persia and
neighboring countries, returning at last to his native land where He
conducted a ministry extending over the last three years of His life.
The occult legends inform us that He aroused great interest among the
people of each land visited by Him, and that He also aroused the most
bitter opposition among the priests, for He always opposed formalism
and priestcraft, and sought to lead the people back to the Spirit of
the Truth, and away from the ceremonies and forms which have always
served to dim and becloud the Light of the Spirit. He taught always
the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. He sought to bring
the great Occult Truths down to the comprehension of the masses of
people who had lost the Spirit of the Truth in their observance of
outward forms and pretentious ceremonies.
It is related that in India He brought down upon His head the wrath of
the Brahmin upholders of the caste distinctions, that curse of India.
He dwelt in the huts of the Sudras, the lowest of all of the Hindu
castes, and was therefore regarded as a pariah by the higher classes.
Everywhere He was regarded as a firebrand and a disturber of
established social order by the priests and high-caste people. He was
an agitator, a rebel, a religious renegade, a socialist, a dangerous
man, an "undesirable citizen," to those in authority in those lands.
But the seeds of His wisdom were sown right and left, and in the Hindu
religions of today, and in the teachings of other Oriental countries,
may be found traces of Truth, the resemblance of which to the recorded
teachings of Jesus, show that they came from the same source, and have
sorely disturbed the Christian missionaries that have since visited
these lands.
And so, slowly and patiently, Jesus wended his way homeward toward
Israel, where He was to complete His ministry by three years' work
among His own race, and where He was to again raise up against Himself
the opposition of the priests and the upper classes which would
finally result in His death. He was a rebel against the established
order of things, and He met the fate reserved for those who live ahead
of their time.
And, as from the first days of His ministry to His last, so it is
today, the real teachings of the Man of Sorrows reach more readily the
heart of the plain people, while they are reviled and combatted by
those in ecclesiastical and temporal authority, even though these
people claim allegiance to Him and wear His livery. He was ever the
friend of the poor and oppressed, and hated by those in authority.
And so, you see the Occult teachings show Jesus to have been a
world-wide teacher, instead of a mere Jewish prophet. The world was
his audience, and all races His hearers.
He planted His seeds of Truth in the bosom of many religions instead
of but one, and these seeds are beginning to bear their best fruit
even now at this late day, when the truth of the Fatherhood of God and
the Brotherhood of Man is beginning to be felt by all nations alike,
and is growing strong enough to break down the old which have divided
brother from brother, and creed from creed. Christianity--true
Christianity--is not a mere creed, but a great human and divine Truth
that will rise above all petty distinctions of race and creed and will
at last shine on all men alike, gathering them into one fold of
Universal Brotherhood.
May the Great Day be hastened!
* * * * *
And so we leave Jesus, wending his way slowly homeward toward Judea,
the land of His father and the place of His birth. Dropping a word
here--planting a seed there--onward He pursued His way. Visiting this
mystic brotherhood, and resting a while in another occult retreat, He
slowly retraced the journey of His youth. But while His outward
journey was that of a student traveling forth to complete His
education, He returned as a Master and Teacher, bearing and sowing the
seeds of a great Truth, which was to grow and bring forth great fruit,
and which, in time, would spread over all the world in its primitive
purity, notwithstanding its betrayal and corruption at the hands of
those in whose keeping He left it when he passed away from the scene
of His labors.
Jesus came as a World Prophet, not as a mere Jewish holy-man, and
still less as a Hebrew Messiah destined to sit upon the throne of His
father David. And He left His mark upon all of the great peoples of
earth by His journey among them. Throughout Persia are found many
traditions of Issa, the young Master who appeared in that land
centuries ago, and who taught the Fatherhood of God and the
Brotherhood of Man. Among the Hindus are found strange traditions of
Jesoph or Josa, a young ascetic, who passed through the Hind long
since, denouncing the established laws of caste, and consorting with
the common people, who, as in Israel, "heard him gladly." Even in
China are found similar tales of the young religious firebrand,
preaching ever the Brotherhood of Man--ever known as the Friend of the
Poor. On and on He went, sowing the seeds of human freedom and the
casting off of the yoke of ecclesiastical tyranny and formalism, which
seeds are springing unto growth even at this late day. Yea, the Spirit
of His real teachings are even now bearing fruit in the hearts of men,
and though nearly two thousand years have passed by the "soul" of His
social teachings still "goes marching on" round and round the world.
THE FOURTH LESSON.
THE BEGINNING OF THE MINISTRY.
When Jesus reached his native land, after the years of travel in
India, Persia and Egypt, he is believed by the occultists to have
spent at least one year among the various lodges and retreats of the
Essenes. By reference to the first lesson of this series you will see
who and what was this great mystic organization--the Essenic
Brotherhood. While resting and studying in their retreats His
attention was diverted to the work of Johannen--John the Baptist--and
He saw there an opening wedge for the great work that He felt called
upon to do among His own people. Dreams of converting His own
race--the Jews--to His conception of Truth and Life, crept over Him,
and he determined to make this work His great life task.
The feeling of race is hard to overcome and eradicate, and Jesus felt
that, after all, here He was at last, at home, among His own people,
and the ties of blood and race reasserted themselves. He put aside His
previous thoughts of a world-wandering life, and decided to plant the
standard of the Truth in Israel, so that from the capital of the
Chosen People the Light of the Spirit might shine forth to all the
world. It was Jesus the man--Jesus the Jew--that made this choice.
From the broader, higher point of view He had no race; no country; no
people;--but His man nature was too strong, and in yielding to it he
sowed the seeds for His final undoing.
Had he merely passed through Judea as a traveling missionary, as had
done many others before Him, he would have escaped the punishment of
the government. Although He would have aroused the hatred and
opposition of the priests, He would have not laid Himself open to the
charge of wishing to become the King of the Jews, or the Jewish
Messiah, come to resume the throne of David, His forefather. But it
avails us nought to indulge in speculations of this kind, for who
knows what part Destiny or Fate plays in the Great Universal plan--who
knows where Free-Will terminates and Destiny moves the pieces on the
board, that the Great Game of Universal Life be played according to
the plan?
While among the Essenes, as we have said, Jesus first heard of John,
and determined to use the ministry of the latter as an opening wedge
for His own great work. He communicated to the Essenic Fathers His
determination to travel to John's field of work later on, and the
Fathers sent word of this to John. The legends have it that John did
not know who was coming, being merely informed that a great Master
from foreign parts would join him later on, and that he, John, should
prepare the people for his coming.
And John followed these instructions from his superiors in the Essenic
Brotherhood to the letter, as you will see by reference to our first
lesson, and to the New Testament. He preached repentance;
righteousness; the Essenic rite of Baptism; and above all the Coming
of the Master. He bade his hearers repent--"repent ye! for the Kingdom
of Heaven is at hand"!--"repent ye! for the Master cometh!" cried he
in forceful tones.
And when his people gathered around him and asked whether he, John,
were not indeed the Master, he answered them, saying, "Nay, I am not
He whom thou seekest. After me there cometh one whose sandals I am not
worthy to unloose. I baptize thee with water, but He shall baptize
thee with the Fire of the Spirit that is within Him!" It was ever and
always this exhortation toward fitness for the coming of the Master.
John was a true Mystic, who sank his personality in the Work he was
called on to do, and who was proud to be but the Forerunner of the
Master, of whose coming he had been informed by the Brotherhood.
And, as we have told you in the first lesson, one day there came
before him, a young man, of a dignified, calm appearance, gazing upon
him with the expressive eyes of the true Mystic. The stranger asked to
be baptized, but John, having perceived the occult rank of the
stranger by means of the signs and symbols of the Brotherhood,
rebelled at the Master receiving baptism at the hands of himself, one
far below the occult rank of the stranger. But Jesus, the stranger,
said to John, "Suffer it to be," and stepped into the water to receive
the mystic rite again, as a token to the people that He had come as
one of them.
And then occurred that strange event, with which you are familiar,
when a dove descended as if from Heaven and rested over the head of
the stranger, and a soft voice, even as the sighing of the wind
through the trees, was heard, whispering, "This is my beloved son, in
whom I am well pleased." And then the stranger, evidently awed by the
strange message from the Beyond, passed away from the multitude, and
bent his way toward the wilderness, as if in need of a retreat in
which he could meditate over the events of the day, and regarding the
work which He could now dimly see stretching its way before Him.
The average student of the New Testament passes over the event of
Jesus in the Wilderness, with little or no emotion, regarding it as a
mere incident in His early career. Not so with the mystic or
occultist, who knows, from the teachings of his order, that in the
Wilderness Jesus was subjected to a severe occult test, designed to
develop His power, and test His endurance. In fact, as every advanced
member of any of the great occult orders knows, the occult degree
known as "The Ordeal of the Wilderness" is based upon this mystic
experience of Jesus, and is intended to symbolize the tests to which
He was subjected. Let us consider this event so fraught with meaning
and importance to all true occultists.
The Wilderness toward which Jesus diverted His steps, lay afar off
from the river in which the rites of Baptism had been performed.
Leaving behind him the fertile banks, and acres, of cultivated land,
He approached the terrible Wilderness which even the natives of that
part of the country regarded with superstitious horror. It was one of
the weirdest and dreariest spots in even that weird and dreary portion
of the country. The Jews called it "The Abode of Horror"; "The
Desolate Place of Terror"; "The Appalling Region"; and other names
suggestive of the superstitious dread which it inspired in their
hearts. The Mystery of the Desert Places hung heavy over this place,
and none but the stoutest hearts ventured within its precincts. Though
akin to the desert, the place abounded in dreary and forbidding hills,
crags, ridges and canyons. Those of our readers who have ever traveled
across the American continent and have seen some of the desolate
places of the American Desert, and who have read of the terrors of
Death Valley, or the Alkali Lands, may form an idea of the nature of
this Wilderness toward which the Master was traveling.
All normal vegetation gradually disappeared as He pressed further and
further into this terrible place, until naught remained but the
scraggy vegetation peculiar to these waste places--those forms of
plant life that in their struggle for existence had managed to survive
under such adverse conditions as to give the naturalist the impression
that the very laws of natural plant life have been defied and
overcome.
Little by little the teeming animal life of the lower lands
disappeared, until at last no signs of such life remained, other than
the soaring vultures overhead and the occasional serpent and crawling
things under foot. The silence of the waste places was upon the
traveler, brooding heavily over Him and all around the places upon
which He set His foot, descending more heavily upon Him each moment of
His advance.
Then came a momentary break in the frightful scene. He passed through
the last inhabited spot in the approach to the heart of the
Wilderness--the tiny village of Engedi, where were located the ancient
limestone reservoirs of water which supplied the lower regions of the
territory. The few inhabitants of this remote outpost of primitive
civilization gazed in wonder and awe at the lonely figure passing them
with unseeing eyes and with gaze seemingly able to pierce the
forbidding hills which loomed up in the distance hiding lonely
recesses into which the foot of man had never trodden, even the
boldest of the desert people being deterred from a visit thereto by
the weird tales of unholy creatures and unhallowed things, which made
these places the scene of their uncanny meetings and diabolical
orgies.
On, and on, pressed the Master, giving but slight heed to the desolate
scene which now showed naught but gloomy hills, dark canyons, and bare
rocks, relieved only by the occasional bunches of stringy desert grass
and weird forms of cacti bristling with the protective spines which is
their armor against their enemies.
At last the wanderer reached the summit of one of the higher
foot-hills and gazed at the scene spreading itself before Him. And
that scene was one that would have affrighted the heart of an ordinary
man. Behind Him was the country through which He had passed, which
though black and discouraging was as a paradise to the country which
lay ahead of Him. There below and behind Him were the caves and rude
dwellings of the outlaws and fugitives from justice who had sought the
doubtful advantage of security from the laws of man. And far away in
the distance were the scenes of John the Baptist's ministry, where He
could see in imagination the multitude discussing the advent of the
strange Master, who had been vouched for by the Voice, but who had
stolen swiftly away from the scene, and had fled the crowds who would
have gladly worshipped Him as a Master and have obeyed His slightest
command.
Then as the darkness of the succeeding nights fell upon Him, He would
sleep on some wild mountain cliff, on the edge of some mighty
precipice, the sides of which dropped down a thousand feet or more.
But these things disturbed Him not. On and on He pressed at the
appearance of each dawn. Without food He boldly moved forward to the
Heart of the Hills, where the Spirit guided Him to the scene of some
great spiritual struggle which he intuitively knew lay before Him.
The Words of the Voice haunted Him still, though He lacked a full
understanding of them, for He had not yet unfolded the utmost recesses
of His Spiritual Mind. "This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased"--what meant these words? And still, no answer came to that
cry of His soul which sought in vain for a freeing of that riddle.
And still on and on He pressed, until at last He mounted the steep
sides of the barren forbidding mountain of Quarantana, beyond which He
felt that His struggle was to begin. No food was to be found--He must
fight the battle unaided by the material sustenance that ordinary men
find necessary for life and strength. And still He had not received
the answer to the cry of His soul. The rocks beneath His feet--the
blue sky above His head--the lofty peaks of Moab and Gilead in the
distance--gave no answer to the fierce insistent desire for the answer
to the Riddle of the Voice. The answer must come from Within, and from
Himself only. And in the Heart of the Wilderness He must remain,
without food, without shelter, without human companionship, until the
Answer came. And as it was with the Master, so is it with the
follower--all who attain the point of unfoldment at which the Answer
is alone possible, must experience that awful feeling of "aloneness"
and spiritual hunger, and frightful remoteness from all that the world
values, before the Answer comes from Within--from the Holy of Holies
of the Spirit.
* * * * *
To realize the nature of the spiritual struggle that awaited Jesus in
the Wilderness--that struggle that would bring Him face to face with
His own soul, we must understand the Jewish longing and expectation of
the Messiah. The Messianic traditions had taken a strong hold upon the
minds of the Jewish people, and it needed but the spark of a strong
personality to set all Israel into a blaze which would burn fiercely
and destroy the foreign influences which have smothered the national
spirit. The idea of a Messiah springing from the loins of David, and
coming to take His rightful place as the King of the Jews, was
imbedded in the heart of every Jew worthy of the name. Israel was
oppressed by its conquerors, and made subject to a foreign yoke, but
when the Messiah would come to deliver Israel, every Jew would arise
to drive out the foreign invaders and conquerors--the yoke of Rome
would be thrown off, and Israel would once more take its place among
the nations of the earth.
Jesus knew full well the fact of this national hope. It had been
installed into His mind from childhood. He had pondered over it often
during the time of His wanderings and sojourn in foreign lands. The
occult legends, however, make no mention of His having ever thought of
Himself as the Messiah until he was about to re-enter His own land
after His years of foreign study and ministry. It is thought that the
idea of His being the long expected Messiah was first suggested by
some of the Essenic teachers, when He rested with them for awhile
before appearing before John the Baptist. It was pointed out to Him
that the marvelous events surrounding His birth indicated that He was
a marked individual destined to play an important part in the history
of the World. Then why was it not reasonable to believe that that role
was to be that of the Messiah come to sit on the throne of His father
David, and destined to bring Israel from her now obscure position to
once more shine as a bright star in the firmament of nations? Why was
it not reasonable that He was to lead the Chosen People to their own?
Jesus began to ponder over these things. He had absolutely no material
ambitions for Himself and all His impulses and inclinations were for
the life of an occult ascetic. But the idea of a redeemed and
regenerated Israel was one calculated to fire the blood of any Jew,
even though the element of personal ambition might be lacking in him.
He had always realized that in some way He was different from other
men, and that some great work lay ahead of Him, but He had never
understood His own nature, nor the work He was to do. And it is not to
be wondered that the talk among the Essenes caused Him to ponder
carefully over the idea expressed by them. And then the wonderful
event of the dove, and the Voice, upon the occasion of His baptism,
seemed almost to verify the idea of the Essenes. Was He indeed the
long-expected Deliverer of Israel? Surely He must find this out--He
must wring the answer from the inmost recesses of His soul. And so, He
sought refuge in the Wilderness, intuitively feeling that there amidst
the solitude and desolation, He would fight His fight and receive His
answer.
He felt that He had come to a most important phase of His life's work,
and the question of "What Am I?" must be settled, once and for
all,--then and there. And so He left behind Him the admiring and
worshipful crowds of John's following, and sought the solitude of the
waste places of the Wilderness, in which He felt He would come face to
face with His own soul, and demand and receive its answer.
* * * * *
And up in the inmost recesses of the Heart of the Wilderness,
Jesus wrestled in spirit with Himself for many days, without
food or nourishment, and without shelter. And the struggle was
terrific--worthy of such a great soul. First the body's insistent
needs were to be fought and mastered. It is related that the climax of
the physical struggle came one day when the Instinctive Mind, which
attends to the physical functions, made a desperate and final demand
upon Him. It cried aloud for bread with all the force of its nature.
It tempted Him with the fact that by His own occult powers He was able
to convert the very stones into bread, and it demanded that He work
the miracle for His own physical needs--a practice deemed most
unworthy by all true occultists and mystics. "Turn this stone into
bread, and eat" cried the voice of the Tempter. But Jesus resisted the
temptation although He knew that by the power of His concentrated
thought He had but first to mentally picture the stone as bread and
then _will_ that it be so materialized. The miraculous power which
afterward turned water into wine, and which was again used to feed the
multitude with the loaves and the fishes, was available to Him at that
moment in order to satisfy the cravings of His body, and to break His
fast.
None but the advanced occultist who has known what it was to be
tempted to use his mysterious powers to satisfy his personal wants,
can appreciate the nature of the struggle through which Jesus passed,
and from which He emerged victorious. And like the occult Master that
He was, He summoned His Inner Forces and beat off the Tempter.
* * * * *
But a still greater temptation than this arose to try Him to the
utmost. He found Himself brought face to face with the idea of
Messiahship, and Kingship of the Jews, of which we spoke. Was He the
Messiah? And if so, what must be His course of life and action? Was He
destined to throw aside the robe and staff of the ascetic, and to don
the royal purple and the sceptre? Was He to forsake the role of the
spiritual guide and teacher, and to become the King and Ruler over the
people of Israel? These were the questions He asked His soul, and for
which He demanded an answer.
And the mystic legends tell us that His Spirit answered by showing Him
two sets of mental pictures, with the assurance that _He could choose
either, at will, and cause it to become realized_.
The first picture showed Him true to His spiritual instincts, and
loyal to His mission, but which rendered Him indeed the "Man of
Sorrows." He saw himself continuing to sow the seeds of Truth, which
would, centuries after, spring up, blossom and bear fruit to nourish
the world, but which would now bring down upon His head the hatred and
persecution of those in power and authority. And He saw each
successive step, each showing the approach of the end, until at last
He saw Himself crowned with thorns and meeting the death of a criminal
on the cross, between two base criminals of the lowest classes of men.
All this He saw and even His brave heart felt a deadly sickness at the
ignominious end of it all--the apparent failure of His earthly
mission. But it is related that some of the mighty intelligences which
dwell upon the higher planes of existence, gathered around Him, and
gave Him words of encouragement and hope and resolve. He found Himself
literally in the midst of the Heavenly Host, and receiving the
inspiration of its presence.
Then this picture--and the Host of Invisible Helpers--faded away, and
the second picture began to appear before the vision of the lonely
dweller of the Wilderness. He saw the picture of Himself descending
the mountain, and announcing Himself as the Messiah--the King of the
Jews--who had come to lead His Chosen People to victory and
deliverance. He saw Himself acclaimed as the Promised One of Israel,
and the multitude flocking to His banners. He saw Himself at the head
of a great conquering army, marching toward Jerusalem. He saw Himself
making use of His highly developed occult powers to read the minds of
the enemy and thus know their every movement and intention, and the
means to overcome them. He saw Himself miraculously arming and feeding
His hosts of battle. He saw Himself smiting the enemy with His occult
powers and forces. He saw the yoke of Rome being cast off, and its
phalanxes fleeing across the borders in terror and disgraceful defeat.
He saw Himself mounting the throne of David, His forefather. He saw
Himself instituting a reign of the highest type, which would make of
Israel the leading nation of the world. He saw Israel's sphere of
influence extending in all directions, until Persia, Egypt, Greece and
even the once-feared Rome, become tributary nations. He saw Himself in
the triumphant chariot on some great feast day of victory, with Caesar
himself tied to the tail of His chariot--a slave to Israel's King. He
saw His royal court outrivaling that of Solomon, and becoming the
center of the world. He saw Jerusalem as the capital of the world, and
He, Jesus of Nazareth, son of David the King, as its Ruler, its hero,
its demi-god. The very apotheosis of human success showed in the
picture of Himself and His Beloved Israel in the picture.
And then the Temple was seen to be the Center of the Religious thought
of the World. The Religion of the Jews, as modified by His own
advanced views, would be the religion of all men. And he would be the
favored mouthpiece of the God of Israel. All the dreams of the Hebrew
Fathers would be realized in Him, the Messiah of the New Israel whose
capital would be Jerusalem, the Queen of the World.
And all this by simply the exercise of his occult powers under the
direction of HIS WILL. It is related that accompanying this second
picture and attracted by its mighty power, came all the great
thought-waves of the world which had been thought by men of all times
who thought and acted out the Dreams of Power. These clouds settled
down upon Him like a heavy fog, and their vibrations were almost
overpowering. And also came the hosts of the disembodied souls of
those who while living had sought or gained power. And each strove to
beat into His brain the Desire of Power. Never in the history of man
have the Powers of Darkness so gathered together for attack upon the
mind of a mortal man. Would it have been any wonder had even such a
man as Jesus succumbed?
But He did not succumb. Rallying His Inner Force to His rescue He beat
back the attacking horde, and by an effort of His Will, He swept both
picture and tempters away into oblivion, crying indignantly "Thou
darest to tempt even me, thy Lord and Master. Get thee behind me thou
Fiends of Darkness"!
And so the Temptation of the Wilderness failed, and Jesus received His
answer from His soul, and He descended the mountains, back to the
haunts of men--back to the scene of His three years' labors and
suffering, and back to His Death. And He knew full well all that
awaited Him there, for had He not seen the First Picture?
Jesus had chosen His career.
* * * * *
The Master descended from the mountains and forsook the Wilderness for
the place in which John and his followers were gathered. Resting for a
time, and refreshing Himself with food and drink, He gathered together
His energies for His great work.
The followers of John gathered around Him, filled with the idea that
He was the Messiah come to lead them to victory and triumph. But He
disappointed them by His calm, simple manner, and His disavowal of
royal claims. "What seek ye of me?" he asked them, and many, abashed,
left His circle and returned to the crowd. But a few humble souls
remained and around these few gathered a few more, until at last a
little band of faithful students was formed--the first band of
Christian disciples. This band was composed almost entirely of
fishermen and men of similar humble occupations. There was an absence
of people of rank or social position. His people were of the "plain
people" which have furnished the recruits for every great religion.
And after a time, Jesus moved away from the place, followed by His
band of disciples, which drew new members from each place of
gathering. Some stayed but for a short time, while others replaced the
faint hearted ones of little faith. But the band steadily grew, until
it began to attract the attention of the authorities and the public.
Jesus constantly disclaimed being the Messiah, but the report that
such indeed He was, began to spread and the authorities began that
system of spying and watching which followed His footsteps for three
years, and which finally resulted in His death on the Cross. And this
suspicion was encouraged by the Jewish priesthood which began to hate
the young teacher whose opposition to their tyranny and formalism was
quite marked.
The band one day came to a small village in Galilee, and Jesus began
His usual meetings and teaching. Near where they gathered was a house
at which preparations were being made for a wedding feast. The wedding
ceremony has always been an important occasion among the Jews. The
most elaborate preparations consistent with the size of the purse of
the girl's parents are indulged in. Relatives from far and near gather
to the feast. Jesus happened to be a distant kinsman of the bride, and
according to custom He was bidden to the feast.
The guests began to gather, each depositing his sandals in the outer
court, and entering the guest chamber barefooted, after carefully
bathing his feet and ankles after the custom still prevailing in
Oriental countries. Jesus was accompanied by a few of His faithful
followers. His mother, and His several brothers were also among the
blood-relations present at the feast.
His appearance caused much interest and comment among the other
guests. To some He was simply a traveling religious teacher, not
uncommon in that land, to others He was an inspired prophet, bringing
a wonderful Message to the Jewish people, as He had to the Persians,
Egyptians and Hindus; to others he was more than this, and whispers of
"He is the Messiah"; "The King of Israel," etc., began to circulate
among those present, causing interest, uneasiness or disgust,
according to the views of the hearers. But whenever He moved, He
attracted attention by His manner, attitude and expression. All felt
that here indeed was an Individual. Strange stories of His wanderings
in strange lands added additional interest to His presence.
A feeling that something unusual was about to happen began to creep
over the crowd, as is the case often preceding such events. Mary, His
mother, watched her son with longing eyes, for she saw that some
strange change had come over Him, that was beyond her comprehension.
Toward the end of the feast, it began to be whispered around among the
near relatives that the supply of wine was about exhausted, the
attendance having been much greater than had been expected. This, to a
Jewish family, was akin to a family disgrace, and anxious looks began
to be exchanged among the members of the immediate family.
Tradition has it that Jesus was besought for aid by His mother and
other female kinswoman. Just what they expected Him to do is not
clear, but it is probable that they unconsciously recognized His
greatness, and accorded Him the place of the natural Head of the
Family, as being the most prominent member. At any rate, they asked
His aid. What arguments they used, or what reasons they urged, we do
not know, but whatever they were, they succeeded in winning Him to
their side, and gaining from Him a promise of aid and assistance. But
not until after He had remonstrated that these things were of no
concern of His--that His powers were not to be trifled away in this
manner. But His love for His mother, and His desire to reward her
devotion and faith in Him, prevailed over the natural disinclination
of the mystic to be a "wonder worker" and to exhibit his occult powers
to grace a wedding-feast. He had long since learned the necessary but
comparatively simple occult feat from His old Masters in far off
India, that land of wonder-working. He knew that even the humbler
Yogis of that land would smile at the working of such a simple
miracle. And so the matter seemed to Him to be of but slight moment,
and not as a prostitution of some of the higher occult powers. And
feeling thus, He yielded to their requests for aid.
Then moving toward the court in which were stored a number of great
jars of water, he fixed a keen, burning glance upon them, one by one,
passing His hand rapidly over them, in a quick succession, He made the
Mental Image that precedes all such manifestations of occult power,
and then manifesting His power by using His Will in the manner known
to all advanced occultists, He rapidly materialized the elements of
the wine in the water, within the jars, and lo! the "miracle" had been
wrought.
A wave of excitement passed over the crowded house. The guests flocked
around the jars to taste of the wine that had been produced by occult
power. The priests frowned their displeasure, and the authorities
sneered and whispered "charlatan"; "fraud"; "shameful imposture"; and
other expressions that always follow an occurrence of this kind.
Jesus turned away, in grief and sorrow. Among the Hindus such a simple
occult occurrence would have caused but little comment, while here
among His own people it was considered to be a wonderful miracle by
some, while others regarded it as a trick of a traveling conjurer and
charlatan.
What manner of people were these to whom He had decided to deliver the
Message of Life? And, sighing deeply, He passed from the house, and
returned to His camp.
THE FIFTH LESSON.
THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORK.
There is but an imperfect record in the Gospels of the first year of
Jesus' ministry among the Jews. Theologians have spoken of it as the
"Year of Obscurity," but the Occult traditions speak of it as a most
important year of His ministry, for in it He laid firm foundations for
His future work.
He travelled all over the country, establishing little circles of
disciples and centres of interest. In cities, towns, villages and
hamlets, He left behind Him little bands of faithful students who kept
alive the flame of Truth, which steadily kindled the lamps of others
who were attracted by the light. Always among the humblest He labored,
seemingly impressed with the idea that the work must be begun on the
lowest rounds of society's ladder. But after a while a few of the more
pretentious people began to attend the meetings, often brought there
by curiosity. They came to smile and be amused, but many were
impressed and remained to pray. The leaven had been well mixed in the
loaf of Jewish society and it was beginning to work.
Once more the season of the Feast of the Passover arrived and found
Jesus with His followers in Jerusalem and in the Temple. What memories
the scene awakened in His mind. He could see the same scenes in which
He had participated seventeen years before. Once more He saw the
pitiful slaughter of the innocent lambs, and witnessed the flow of the
sacrificed blood over the altars and the stones of the floor of the
courts. Once more He saw the senseless mummery of the priestly
ceremonies, which seemed more pitiful than ever to His developed mind.
He knew that His vision had shown that He was to be slaughtered even
as the sacrificial lambs, and there arose in His mind that comparison
which stayed with Him ever after--that picture of Himself as the Lamb
sacrificed on the Altar of Humanity. As pure as was this figure in His
mind, it seems pitiful that in the centuries to come His followers
would fall into the error (as equally cruel as that of the Hebrews) of
imagining that His death was a sacrifice demanded by a cruel Deity to
satisfy the Divine Wrath which had been kindled by the sight of Man's
shortcomings and sins. The barbarous conception of a wrathful God
whose anger against His people could be appeased only by the bloody
slaughter of innocent creatures, is fully equalled by the theological
dogmas that the same Divine Wrath could be, and was, appeased by the
blood of Jesus, the Master who had come to deliver the Message of
Truth. Such a conception is worthy of only the most barbarous and
primitive minds. And yet it has been preached and taught for
centuries--in the very name of Jesus Himself--and men have been
persecuted and put to death because they refused to believe that the
Supreme Creator of the Universe could be such a malignant, cruel,
revengeful Being, or that the One Mind of All could be flattered and
cajoled into forgiveness by the sight of the death of the Man of
Sorrows. It seems almost incredible that such a teaching could have
arisen from the pure teachings of Jesus, and that such has been Man's
incapacity to grasp the Inner Teachings, that the Church built upon
Jesus' ministry has adopted and insisted upon the acceptance of such
dogmas. But this baneful cloud of ignorance and barbaric thought is
gradually lifting, until even now the intelligent minds in the Church
refuse to accept or teach the doctrine in its original crudity, they
either passing it over in silence, or else dressing it in a more
attractive garb.
Jesus taught no such barbarous things. His conception of Deity was of
the highest, for He had received the most advanced teachings of the
Mystics, who had instructed Him in the Mystery of the Immanent God,
abiding everywhere and in all things. He had advanced far beyond the
conception of Deity which pictured the One as a savage, bloodthirsty,
vengeful, hating, tribal deity, ever crying for sacrifices and
burnt-offerings, and capable of the meanest of human emotions. He saw
this conception as He saw the conception of other races and peoples,
all of which had their tribal or national gods, which loved that
particular tribe or people, and which hated all other races or
nationalities. He saw that back of, and behind, all these barbarous
and primitive conceptions of Deity there dwelt an ever calm and serene
Being, the Creator and Ruler of countless Universes--millions and
millions of worlds--filling all space, and above all of the petty
attributes that had been bestowed upon the petty gods of human
creation. He knew that the God of each nation, of each person in fact,
was but a magnified idea of the characteristics of the nation or
individual in question. And he knew that Hebrew conception was no
exception to this rule.
To anyone having grown to an appreciation of the grandeur and
greatness of the idea of an Immanent Universal Being, the dogma of a
Deity demanding a blood sacrifice to appease its wrath is too pitiful
and degrading to be worth even a moment's serious consideration. And
to such a one the prostitution of the high teachings of Jesus by the
introduction of such a base conception is a source of righteous
indignation and earnest protest. The Mystics in the Christian Church
throughout the centuries have never accepted any such teachings,
although the persecution of the church authorities have prevented
their protests being made openly until of late years. The Mystics
alone have kept alive the Light of the Truth through the Dark Ages of
the Christian Church. But now has come the dawn of a new day, and the
Church itself is seeing the Light, and the pulpits are beginning to
resound with the truth of Mystic Christianity. And in the years to
come the Teachings of Jesus, the Master, will flow pure and clear,
once more freed from the corrupting dogmas which so long polluted the
Fount.
As Jesus wandered silently through the courts and chambers of the
Temple, His indignation was aroused by a sight which seemed to Him to
portray more forcibly than aught else the degradation which had fallen
upon the Temple by reason of the corruption of the priesthood. Grouped
around the steps and outer courts of the Temple He saw the groups of
brokers, money-changers and merchants who were doing a thriving
business with the thousands of strangers attending the Feast. The
money-changers were exchanging the coins of the realm for the inferior
coins of the outlying regions, charging a large commission for the
exchange. The brokers were buying articles, or loaning money on them,
from the poor pilgrims, who were sacrificing their personal belongings
for cash with which they might purchase the animals for the sacrifice.
The merchants had droves of cattle, flocks of sheep and cages of doves
within the sacred precincts of the Temple, which they were selling to
the pilgrims who wished to offer sacrifices. Tradition has it that the
corrupt priesthood profited by the sale of these "privileges" granted
to this horde of traffickers in the Temple precincts. The vile
practice had gradually crept in and established a firm foothold in the
Temple, although contrary to the ancient practice.
To Jesus the horrible scenes of the Temple sacrificial rites seemed to
focus in this final exhibition of greed, materialism and lack of
spirituality. It seemed to be blasphemy and sacrilege of the most
glaring type. And His very soul felt nauseated and outraged by the
sight. His fingers twitched, and laying hold of a bundle of knotted
cords which had been used by some cattle-driver to urge forward his
herd, He rushed forward upon the horde of traffickers, whirling His
instrument of chastisement over the shoulders and backs of the
offenders, driving them out in a frantic rout, upsetting their benches
and paraphernalia, crying in a voice of authority, "Out, ye wretches!
This is the House of the Lord, and ye have made it a den of thieves."
The "Meek and lowly Nazarene" became an avenger of the prostitution of
the Temple.
The brokers, money-changers and merchants fled before His mighty
charge, leaving their scattered money over the floors of the Temple.
They dared not return, for Jesus had aroused the wrath of the people
against them, and a cry arose for the old practice of protecting the
sacred place against such invasion. But the traffickers sought out the
High-priests and complained bitterly of this annulment of their
"privileges" and "franchises," for which they had paid so highly. And
the High-priests, being compelled to refund the price paid for the
concessions, were much wrought up over the matter, and then and there
swore vengeance against the Master who had dared interfere with their
system of what the world now calls by the suggestive name of "graft."
And this vengeance and hatred waxed stronger each moment, and was to a
great extent the moving factor in the schemes and intrigues which two
years later resulted in the frightful scene on Calvary.
The succeeding months were filled with wanderings up and down the
land, spreading the work and making new converts and followers. Jesus
did not take the position of a great preacher at this time, but seemed
to be rather a teacher of the few whom He gathered around Him at each
point and place. He observed but few ceremonies, that of Baptism being
the principal one, and which, as we have shown, was an Essenic rite
having an occult and mystical significance. The students of the New
Testament may read between its leaves the history of the ministry of
Jesus at this time, noting the working of the leaven in the mass of
the Jewish mind.
About this time Jesus was sorely distressed at the terrible news which
reached Him regarding the fate of his cousin, John the Baptist, who
had been His Forerunner. The Baptist had dared to thrust his
preachings and rebukes into the very precincts of a corrupt court, and
had brought down upon his head the natural consequences of his
rashness. Herod had thrust him into a gloomy dungeon and there were
rumors of a worse fate yet in store for him. And that fate soon
overtook him. Refusing the chance of life and liberty that was
promised him if he would but break his vows of asceticism and indulge
the passionate desires of a royal princess,--turning away from the
base proposal with the horror of the true mystic,--he met his fate
like a man knowing the Truth, and the head which graced the royal
platter bore upon its face no expression of fear or regret. John had
conquered even in Death.
Jesus retired once more into the Desert upon the news of John's death
reaching him. Added to His sorrow came the conviction that there was a
new work set before Him to do. John's death necessitated a combining
of the work of the Baptist with that of Jesus' own ministry. The
followers of the two teachers must be combined into one great body,
under the supervision of the Master Himself, aided by the most worthy
and capable of His disciples. The tragic death of John played a most
important part in the future ministry of the Master, and He sought the
solace and inspiration of the Desert in His consideration of the plans
and details of His new work. Students will note that from the time He
emerged from the Desert He threw off the cloak of reserve and
retirement and stepped boldly before the people as an ardent preacher
to multitudes and an impassioned orator and public speaker. No more
the little circle of appreciative students--the rostrum with the great
crowds of hearers were His from that time.
Returning from His work in Samaria and Judea, He once more made
Galilee the scene of His principal work. The new spirit which He now
threw into His preaching attracted the attention of the public, and
enormous crowds attended His meetings. He spoke now with a new air of
authority, differing greatly from His former mild tones as a teacher
of the few. Parables and allegories and other rich Oriental figures of
speech fell from His lips, and many of the educated classes flocked to
hear the wonderful young orator and preacher. He seemed to have an
intuitive insight into the minds of His hearers, and His appeals
reached their hearts as personal calls to righteousness, right
thinking and right living. From this time on His ministry assumed the
character of an active propaganda, instead of the usual quiet mission
of the Mystic.
And here began that remarkable series of wonder workings or "miracles"
which He evidently employed to attract the attention of the public and
at the same time to perform kindly and worthy acts. Not that He used
these wonder-workings as a bid for sensational interest or
self-glory--the character of Jesus rendered such a course
impossible--but He knew that nothing would so attract the interest of
an Oriental race as occurrences of this kind, and He hoped to then
awaken in them a real spiritual interest and fervor, which would rise
far above the demand for "miracles." In adopting this course Jesus
followed the example of the holy men in India, with whose works He was
personally familiar, owing to His sojourn in that land.
And, then let us say, that advanced occultists see nothing
"supernatural" nor incredible in these "miracles" of Jesus. On the
contrary, they know them to be the result of the application of
certain well established natural laws, which, while almost unknown to
the masses of people, are still known and occasionally made use of by
the advanced occultists of all lands. Skeptics and unbelievers may
sneer at these things, and many faint-faith Christians may wish to
apologize or "explain" these wonderful happenings, but the advanced
occultist needs no "explanations" nor apologies. He has more faith
than the church-goer, for he knows of the existence and use of these
occult powers latent in Man. There is no material effect or phenomenon
that is "supernatural"--the Laws of Nature are in full operation on
the material plane and cannot be overcome. But there are among such
Natural Laws certain phases and principles that are so little known to
the average mind that when they are manifested Nature's Laws seemed to
be transcended, and the result is called "a miracle." The occult
tradition tells us that Jesus was a past-master in the knowledge and
application of the occult forces of nature, and that even the wonders
that He wrought during His Jewish ministry were but as child's play
when compared with those that He might have manifested had He seen fit
to do so. In fact, it is believed that some of His greatest
wonder-workings have never been recorded, for He always impressed upon
His chosen followers the advisability of refraining from laying too
much stress on these things. The "miracles" recorded in the Gospels
were only those which were most widely known among the people. The
greater-wonders were deemed too sacred for common gossip.
When the Master and His followers reached Cana, which, by the way, had
been the scene of his first "miracle"--the changing of the water into
wine at the wedding feast--one of the most striking of His earlier
manifestations of occult power occurred. An influential citizen of
Capernaum, a town a score of miles distant, who met Him and besought
His aid and power in the interest of his young son, who lay dying at
his home. The man besought Jesus to hasten to Capernaum to heal the
youth ere he die. Jesus smiled kindly upon him and bade him return to
his son, for the youth was even now restored to health and strength
and life. His hearers were astounded at the reply and the doubters
smiled knowingly, foreseeing a defeat for the young Master when the
news of the youth's death should become known. Those of His followers
who were faint of heart and weak of faith felt most uncomfortable and
began to whisper the "if" of doubt. But Jesus continued His working
with a calm air of certainty, without further remarks. It was _the
seventh hour_ of the day when the words were spoken.
The father hastened homeward to see whether the Master had succeeded
or failed. A day or two passed with no word from Capernaum. The
scoffers of the wedding feast repeated their sneers and revilings--the
word "charlatan" was again heard passing from lip to lip. Then came
news from the distant village, and upon its arrival the voice of scorn
was stilled, and the hearts of the faint again beat freely. The word
came that when the father had reached his house he was greeted by the
household with cries of joy and news that _at the seventh hour_ the
fever had abated and the crisis had been passed.
And yet the "miracle" above recorded was no greater than many
occultists have performed in all times--no greater than the many
similar cures that have been performed by the modern healers of the
many metaphysical cults. It was simply an application of the subtle
forces of nature called into operation by mental concentration. It was
an instance of what in modern phrase is called "absent treatment"
along metaphysical lines. In saying this we wish in no way to detract
from the wonder that Jesus had wrought, but merely to let the student
know that the power is still possessed by others and is not a
"supernatural" thing but the operation of purely natural laws.
About this time there occurred another event in His life, and a
manifestation of His power which is noted in the New Testament and
which is told in the occult tradition with somewhat more detail. It
occurred when Jesus visited his home town of Nazareth on the eve of
the Jewish Sabbath. He rested over night and then the following
morning betook Himself to the regular services in the local synagogue.
He took the seat which He had occupied as a young boy with Joseph. No
doubt the familiar scene awakened memories of His strange youthful
history in His mind. Then, much to His surprise, He heard Himself
called to the platform to conduct the service. It must be remembered
that Jesus was a regular rabbi, or priest, by birth, education and
training, and was entitled to Conduct the Jewish service. No doubt His
townspeople wished to hear their young townsman address and exhort
them. He took the place of authority in the synagogue and proceeded to
read the regular service in the accustomed manner, as prescribed by
the custom and laws of the church. The prayers, chantings and readings
succeeded each other in their regular order. Then came the preaching
of the sermon. Taking the sacred roll from its receptacle, He read the
text from Isaiah, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because He hath
anointed me to preach the good tidings," etc. Then He began his
exposition of the text He had just read.
But instead of the expected customary words and
illustrations--technical theological hair-splitting and dreary
platitudes--He began to preach in a manner unknown to the Nazarenes.
His opening sentence broke the silence and greatly startled and
disturbed the congregation. "This day is this Scripture fulfilled in
your ears," were his opening words. And then He began a statement of
His conception of His ministry and His Message. Thrusting aside all
precedent and musty authority, He boldly proclaimed that He had come
to establish a new conception of the Truth--a conception that would
overturn the priestly policy of formalism and lack of spirituality--a
conception that would ignore forms and ceremonies, and cleave close to
the spirit of the Sacred Teachings. And then He began a scathing
denunciation of the lack of spiritual advancement among the Jewish
people--their materialism and desire for physical enjoyments and their
drifting away from the highest ideals of the race. He preached the
mystic doctrine, and insisted that they be applied to the problems of
every-day life and conduct. He brought down the teachings of the
Kaballah from the cloudy heights, and set them before the people in
plain, practical form. He bade them aspire to great spiritual heights,
forsaking the base ideals to which they had clung. He ran counter to
every custom and prejudice of the people before Him, and showed a lack
of reverence for all of their petty forms and traditions. He bade them
leave the illusions of material life and follow the Light of the
Spirit wherever it might lead them. These and many other things told
He them.
And then arose a disturbance among the congregation. They began to
interrupt and question Him, and many were the contradictions and
denials hurled at Him from the benches. Some began to sneer at His
pretensions as the Bearer of the Message, and demanded that He work a
wonder or "miracle" and give them a sign. This demand He flatly
refused to grant, not deeming the same proper, or in accordance with
the occult custom which always frowned upon wonder-working in response
to such a demand. Then they began to abuse Him and cries of
"charlatan" and "fraud" began to resound from the walls of the
synagogue. They reminded Him of His humble birth and condition of His
parents, and refused to believe that any such person as He had any
right to claim extraordinary powers or privileges. Then came from His
lips the famous saying, "A prophet is not without honor, save in his
own country."
Then He began a fresh assault upon their prejudices and narrow
views--their pet superstitions and bigotry. He stripped from them
their garb of hypocrisy and assumed piety, and showed them their naked
souls in all their ugliness and moral uncleanliness. He poured burning
invective and vitriolic denunciations into their midst, and spared no
terms that could properly be applied to them. In a short time the
congregation was beside itself with rage, and the pretended righteous
indignation of a flock of hypocrites and formalists who had heard
themselves described in disrespectful terms by one they regarded as an
upstart young man from the lower classes of their virtuous community.
They felt that they had bestowed a flattering honor upon Him, as a
mark of consideration for a young townsman upon His return from a
foreign and domestic missionary tour. And now to think that He had
thus basely betrayed their courtesy and showed in how little esteem He
really held them--surely this was beyond human endurance. And then the
storm broke upon Him.
Leaving their seats in the synagogue, the congregation rushed upon the
young preacher, and tearing Him from the platform, they pushed Him out
of the building. And then the jostling, hustling, pushing crowd
carried Him before them along the village streets and out into the
suburbs. He resisted not, deeming it unworthy to struggle with them.
At last, however, He was compelled to defend Himself. He perceived
that it was the intention of the mob to push Him over a precipice that
had been formed on the side of a hill just beyond the town limits. He
waited patiently until they had urged Him to the very brink of the
decline, and until it needed but one strong push to press Him over its
edge and into the gorge below. And then He exerted His occult forces
in a proper self-defense. Not a blow struck He--not a man did He smite
with the wondrous occult power at His command, which would have
paralyzed their muscles or even have stretched them lifeless at His
feet. No, he controlled Himself with a firm hand, and _merely bent
upon them a look_. But such a look!
A glance in which was concentrated the mighty Will developed by mystic
knowledge and occult practice. It was the Gaze of the Occult Master,
the power of which ordinary men may not withstand. And the mob,
feeling its mighty force, experienced the sensation of abject fear and
terror. Their hair arose, their eyes started from their sockets, their
knees shook under them, and then, with a wild shout of horror they
began to scatter and fly, making a wide pathway for the Man of Mystery
who now strode through their ranks with that awful gaze which seemed
to pierce the veil of mortality and to peer at things ineffable and
beyond human ken. And with His eyes refusing to look again upon the
familiar scenes of His youth, He departed from Nazareth, forsaking it
forever as His home place. Verily, indeed, the Prophet hath no honor
in His own land. Those who should have been His staunchest supporters
were the first in His own land to threaten Him with violence. The
attempt of Nazareth was the prophecy of Calvary, and Jesus so knew it.
But He had set his feet upon The Path, and drew not back from it.
Turning His back upon Nazareth, Jesus established a new centre or home
in Capernaum, which place remained the nearest approach to home to Him
during the remainder of His Ministry and until His death. The
traditions have it that His mother came to live also at Capernaum,
together with some of His brothers. It is also related that his
sisters and brothers, both those remaining at Nazareth and those
removing to Capernaum, were sorely vexed with Him at His conduct at
the synagogue, which they deemed not "respectable" nor proper, and
they accordingly looked upon Him as an eccentric relative whose
vagaries had brought disrepute upon the family. He was regarded much
in the light of a "black-sheep" and "undesirable relation" by all of
His family except His mother, who still clung to her beloved
first-born. The mother made her home with some of the brothers and
sisters of Jesus, but He was not made welcome there, but was looked
upon as an outcast and wanderer. He once spoke of this, saying that
while the birds and beasts had nests and homes, He, the Son of Man,
had nowhere to lay his head. And so He wandered around in His own
land, as He had in foreign countries, an ascetic, living upon the alms
of the people who loved Him and listened to His words. And in so doing
He followed the plans and life of the Hindu ascetics, who even unto
this day so live, "with yellow-robe and begging bowl," and "without
money or scrip in their purses." The Jewish ascetic--for such was
Jesus--has His counterparts in the wandering holy-men of India and
Persia today.
But it must be remembered that even in Jesus' time, the spectacle of a
rabbi living this ascetic life, forsaking the emoluments of His
priestly rank and deliberately taking up the roll of a poverty-stricken
mendicant, was a rare one. It ran contrary to all the thrifty and
prudent customs and ideals of the race. It was an importation from
the Essenes, or from the strange people of far-off lands, and it was
not relished by the Jewish authorities, or people who preferred the
synagogues and Temple, with their sleek, well-fed priests, with fancy
robes and attractive ceremonies.
Making His base at Capernaum, Jesus began to form His band of
disciples with more show of a working organization. To some He
delegated certain authority, and bade them perform certain dues of the
ministry. For some reason He selected some of His leading lieutenants
from the ranks of the fishermen who plied their vocation along the
waters of that port of the country. The fishers of fish became the
fishers of men. Jesus became very popular among the fishing
fraternity, and the legends, as well as the New Testament narratives,
tell of instances in which He bade His poor fishermen friends (who had
been unfortunate in their day's haul) to let down their nets at some
point indicated by Him, when to their surprise and joy their nets
would be filled to overflowing.
Little acts of kindness bestowed here and there among the humbler
classes tended to have Jesus looked upon and spoken of as a friend of
the people, but which reputation excited the jealousy of the
authorities who held that such acts could be prompted by none other
than a selfish motive, and that motive the incitement of the masses to
rebellion in the interest of Himself as a Messiah. And so, we see His
very acts of kindness and compassion served to increase the suspicion
and hatred which the authorities, both ecclesiastical and temporal,
had always felt toward Him.
His desire to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and wretched took
Him much among these people and away from the so-called higher
classes. The "plain people" were regarded by Him as the salt of the
earth, and they, in turn, regarded Him as their champion and advisor.
And especially to the sick did He devote His time and powers. He made
many marvellous cures, a few only of which were recorded in the New
Testament narratives. The occult legends state that these cures were
of daily occurrence and that wherever He went He left behind Him a
trail of people healed of all kinds of disorders, and that people
flocked for miles to be healed of their infirmities. The Gospels
relate that He cured great numbers of people by the simple process of
laying on of hands (a favorite method of occult healers) "he laid his
hands on every one of them and healed them."
It is related that at Capernaum his attention was directed toward a
madman, who suddenly cried out, "I know Thee, Thou Holy One of God,"
whereupon Jesus spoke a few authoritative words and cured him of his
malady, by methods that will describe the nature of the man's psychic
disturbance to any advanced student of occultism. Demoniac possession
is not believed in by orthodox Christians of today, but Jesus
evidently shared the belief in obsession held by students of Psychism
and similar subjects, judging from the words He used in relieving this
man from his malady. We advise our students to read the Gospel records
in connection with these lessons, in order to follow the subject along
the old familiar paths, but with the additional light of the
interpretation of Mystic Christianity.
The growing reputation of Jesus as a healer of the sick soon taxed His
physical powers to the utmost. He felt Himself called upon to do the
work of a dozen men, and His nature rebelled at the unequal task
imposed upon it. It seemed as if all Capernaum were sick. Her streets
were crowded by seekers after health and strength. At last He
perceived that His work as a Teacher was being submerged in His work
as a Healer. And, after a period of prayer and meditation, He put
aside from Him the claims of humanity for the healing of physical
ills, and turning His back upon the waiting patients at Capernaum, He
once more started forward on His pilgrimage as a Preacher of the
Message, and thereafter would heal physical ills only occasionally,
and, instead, devote the main portion of His time to preaching the
Truth to those who were ready to hear it. It was a hard thing for a
man with the tender heart of Jesus to leave behind Him the crowd of
patients at Capernaum, but it was necessary for Him to do so, else He
would have remained merely an occult healer of physical ailments
instead of the Messenger of the Truth whose work it was to kindle in
many places the Flame of the Spirit, that would serve as the true
Light of the World long after the physical bodies of all then living
had been again resolved to dust.
And so, leaving behind Him Capernaum and its wailing multitudes, He,
followed by His disciples, moved out toward the open country, to
spread the glad tidings and to bring to the hearts of many "that peace
which passeth all understanding."
THE SIXTH LESSON.
THE WORK OF ORGANIZATION.
Leaving Capernaum behind Him, with its crowds of invalids seeking
healing, and fighting off the demands that would have rendered Him a
professional healer instead of a Teacher and preacher of the Message
of Truth, Jesus passed on to other parts of the land, taking with Him
the band of disciples and faithful followers who now traveled with
Him.
But He did not altogether relinquish His healing work. He merely made
it an incident of His ministry, and did not allow it to interfere with
His preaching and teaching. The Gospel narratives show a number of
remarkable cures made by Him at this time, and the few recorded cases
are, of course, merely occasional incidents that stand out in the
minds of the people among hundreds of less noticeable cases.
The cure of the leper is one of such remarkable cases. Leprosy was a
foul disease much dreaded by the people of Oriental countries. And the
unfortunate person afflicted by it became an outcast and pariah from
whom all others fled as from an unclean and impure thing.
There was a leper in the part of the country in which Jesus was
traveling and teaching. He heard of the wonderful gift of healing
accredited to the young preacher, and he determined to get into His
presence and beg His aid. How the leper managed to get through the
crowds and into the presence of Jesus is not known, but it must have
required great strategy on his part, for such people were not
permitted to pass in and among crowds of other people. But in some way
the leper contrived to come face to face with Jesus as the latter
walked alone in meditation, away from his followers.
The loathsome creature raised its repulsive form, the picture of human
misery and woe, and confronting the Master, demanded from Him the
exercise of the Gift of Healing. No doubt of His power was in the
leper's mind--his face shone with faith and expectation. Jesus gazed
earnestly into the distorted features that shone with the fire of a
fervent faith such as is rarely seen on the face of man, and touched
with this testimony to His power and motives, He moved toward the
leper, defying the laws of the country, which forbade the same. Not
only this, but He even laid His hands upon the unclean flesh, defying
all the laws of reason in so doing, and fearlessly passed His hand
over the leper's face, crying aloud, "Be thou clean!"
The leper felt a strange thrill running through his veins and over his
nerves, and every atom of his body seemed to be tingling with a
peculiar burning and smarting sensation. Even as he looked he saw the
color of his flesh changing and taking on the hue of the flesh of the
healthy person. The numbness departed from the affected portion of his
body, and he could actually feel the thrill and tingle of the life
currents that were at work with incredible speed building up new
cells, tissue and muscle. And still Jesus held His hands against the
flesh of the leper, allowing the life current of highly vitalized
_prana_ to pour from His organism into that of the leper, just as a
storage battery of great power replenishes and recharges an electrical
appliance. And back of it all was the most potent, trained Will of the
Master Occultist directing the work.
And then He bade the healed man depart and comply with the laws
regarding purification and change of garments, including the
appearance before the priests to receive a certificate of cleanliness.
And He also bade him that nothing should be said regarding the nature
or particulars of the cure. For some good reason He wished to escape
the notoriety or fame that the report of such a wonderful cure would
be sure to excite.
But alas! this was asking too much of human nature, and the healed
leper, running with great leaps and bounds, began shouting and crying
aloud the glad tidings of his marvelous cure, that all men might know
what a great blessing had come to him. In spite of the injunction laid
upon him, he began to sing aloud the praises of the Master who had
manifested such an unheard-of power over the foul disease that had
held him in its grasp until a few hours before. With wild gestures and
gleaming eyes he told the story again and again, and it was taken up
and repeated from person to person, until the whole town and
countryside were familiar with the great news. Imagine such an event
occurring in a small country town in our own land today, and you will
realize what an excitement must have been occasioned in that home
place of the leper.
And then occurred that which Jesus had doubtless seen when He
forbade the leper to repeat the news of the cure. The whole region
became excited and immense crowds gathered around Him and His
disciples, crying aloud for new wonders and miracles. The curious
sensation-seekers were there in full force, crowding out those whom He
wished to reach by His teachings. And more than this, great numbers of
sick and crippled people crowded around Him crying for aid and cure.
The scenes of Capernaum were repeated. Even the lepers began flocking
in, in defiance of law and custom, and the authorities were beside
themselves with anger and annoyance. Not only the temporal authorities
and the priests were arrayed against Him, as of old, but now He
managed to arouse the opposition of the physicians of those days, who
saw their practice ruined by this man whom they called a charlatan and
deceiver threatening and destroying the health of the people, whose
physical welfare was safe only in their (the physicians') hands and
keeping.
And so Jesus was compelled to close His ministry at this place and
move on to another village.
Another case which attracted much attention was that which occurred in
Galilee when He was preaching in a house. In the midst of His
discourse both He and His audience were startled by the sight of a
figure on a bed being lowered down among the crowd of listeners from
the roof surrounding the open court in the center of the house. It was
a poor paralyzed man whom friends had contrived to hoist up and then
lower down before Jesus in such a manner as could not escape the
attention of the Master. It is related that the piteous appeal of the
sufferer, and the faith which had inspired such great energy on the
part of his friends, attracted the interest and sympathy of Jesus, and
He paused in His discourse and made another of those instantaneous
cures which are possible only to the most advanced adepts in the
science of spiritual healing.
Then came the scene of the Wells of Bethesda--a region abounding in
"healing waters" to which the sick and afflicted came to regain their
health. The crowds of sick were being carried to the springs by
friends or paid attendants, who pushed aside the weaker ones and
fought their way to the wells. Jesus walked among the crowds, and at
last His attention was attracted toward a poor fellow who lay upon his
cot away off from the waters. He had no friends to carry him nearer,
nor money for paid attendants. And he had not strength enough to crawl
there himself. He filled the air with his moans and cries and
bewailings of his unfortunate lot. Jesus walked up to him, and holding
his attention by a firm look of authority and power, cried to him
suddenly in a voice that demanded obedience, "Take up thy bed and
walk!" The man, startled into obedience, did as directed, and much to
his surprise, and that of the crowd gathered around, found that he was
able to move about freely--a well man.
This cure also aroused not only the greatest interest but also the
antagonism of the ecclesiastical authorities. It appears that the cure
had been made on the Sabbath day, and that it was against the
ecclesiastical law to heal the sick in any way upon that day; and also
that the patient had performed manual work on the Sabbath in carrying
his bed upon the orders of the Healer. And the good pious folk, urged
on by the priests, began to abuse and condemn the Healer and patient,
after the manner of the formal pietists of all lands and times, even
of our own. Clinging to the letter of the law, these people overlook
its spirit--bound by the forms, they fail to see the meaning lying
back of all forms and ceremonies.
Braving the storm that was arising around Him, Jesus boldly walked to
the Temple. He was plunged in a sea of conflicting opinions and
voices. On the one hand was the healed man and those who sympathized
with him, in earnest argument concerning the righteousness of the
deed. But arrayed against these few were the good folk of the place
who loudly denounced the Sabbath-breaker and demanded His punishment.
Were the ancient laws of Moses to be thus defied by this presumptuous
Nazarene, whose religious ideas were sadly lacking in orthodoxy?
Surely not! Punish the upstart! And again Jesus was in actual peril of
bodily hurt, or perhaps even death, owing to the religious bigotry of
the orthodox people.
Jesus was ever a foe to the stupid formalism and ignorant fanaticism
regarding "holy days," which is ever a characteristic of certain
classes of mind among people. On the above occasion, as well as upon
other occasions, and notably upon the occasion of the Sabbath when He
directed His hungry disciples to pick corn to satisfy their hunger,
Jesus opposed the strict, ironclad law of Sabbath observance. He was
ever filled with the idea that the "Sabbath was made for man, and not
man for the Sabbath." There was nothing Puritanical about the Master,
and in view of His attitude regarding this matter it is surprising to
witness the attitude of some in our own time who, wearing His livery,
oppose these teachings of His in theory and practice.
And so, driven out once more by the intolerance and bigotry of the
public, Jesus returned again to Galilee, His land of retreat and rest,
and the scene of much of His best work. Galilee was filled with His
many followers and admirers, and He was less in danger of disturbance
and persecution there than in the neighborhood of Jerusalem. Large
congregations attended His ministry there, and His converts were
numbered by the thousand. The village contained many persons healed by
His power, and His name was a household word.
And upon His return He entered into a new stage of His work. He had
decided to divide His ministry among His twelve most advanced
disciples, as it had now reached proportions beyond His ability to
personally control. And, as was customary to Him upon all great
occasions, He sought the solitudes for meditation and spiritual
strength before finally investing His twelve Apostles with the high
authority of their mission. He spent the night on one of the hills
near Capernaum, from which He descended the following morning, wearied
in body from want of rest, but strong in soul and spirit.
Then He gathered the Twelve around Him, and in a secret meeting
divulged to them certain deep truths and secrets, adding certain
instructions regarding healing work, and calling upon them for the
highest allegiance to Him and His work.
The Gospel narratives have but very little to say regarding Jesus'
work in the instruction of the Twelve for their future mission. And
the average student of the narratives goes on without thinking of the
marvelous mental and spiritual development that must have been
manifested by the Apostles during their transition from humble
fishermen, and men of similar vocations, to highly developed teachers
of advanced spiritual truths. To the occultist especially this
ordinary view seems astounding, for he realizes the many arduous steps
necessary to be trodden by the feet of the Neophyte before he becomes
an Initiate, and the higher steps awaiting the Initiate before he may
become a Master. And such a one realizes the mighty task that Jesus
performed in developing and unfolding the spiritual natures of such a
body of men until they become worthy to be His chosen representatives
and teachers. The occult traditions have it that Jesus had pursued a
systematic course of instruction of His chosen disciples, bringing
them up rapidly through degree after degree of mystic attainment and
occult knowledge, until finally they were ready for the finishing
touches at His hands. And the occasion that we are now considering was
the time when the final degrees were imparted to them.
It must be remembered that the Apostles were endowed with the mastery
of the occult forces of nature which enabled them to perform the
"miracles" of healing similar to those of Jesus. And it must not be
supposed for a moment that an occult Master of so high a degree of
attainment as that reached by Jesus would have allowed His disciples
to use such mighty power without also instructing them fully in the
nature of the forces they were using, and of the best methods of
employing the same. And such knowledge could not be imparted without
the fundamental truths of nature being understood by them, which
understanding was possible only to those who had grasped the great
Basic Truths of the Science of Being.
In short, the traditions are that the Twelve Apostles were gradually
initiated into the great degrees of the Occult Brotherhoods of which
and in which Jesus was a Master. He gathered together a great store of
occult information and mystic lore, and condensing the same into a
plain, practical, simple system, He imparted it fully and thoroughly
to those whom He had elected to be His chief co-workers and His
successors after His death, which He knew full well was not far off.
These facts must be fully understood by the student of Mystic
Christianity who wishes to grasp the secret of the early Christian
Church after the death of Christ. The wonderful headway manifested by
the movement could not have been given by mere followers and believers
in the Master. It usually follows that when the great head of an
organization dies the movement disintegrates or loses power unless he
has been able to "communicate his spirit" to some chosen followers.
And this Jesus did. And it was only to men who thoroughly grasped the
fundamental truths and principles of His teachings that such "spirit"
could have been imparted.
There was an exoteric teaching for the multitude, and an esoteric
teaching for the Twelve. There are many Scriptural passages which go
to show this fact, which was well known to the early Fathers of the
Church. And upon the occasion which we have mentioned the last great
Basic Truths were explained to the Twelve, and from that time
henceforward they were regarded and treated as Masters by Jesus, and
not as mere students, as had been the case before that time. And
arising from that final instruction came the Sermon of the Mount.
The Sermon of the Mount, that most wonderful and complete of any of
the public utterances of Jesus, was delivered almost immediately after
the Choosing of the Twelve Apostles. And it was intended even more for
them than for the multitudes gathered around to hear His preaching. He
knew that the Twelve could interpret it by reason of the Inner
Teachings that they had received from Him. And almost forgetting the
congregation gathered around and about Him, He elucidated the Inner
teachings for the benefit of the Chosen Few.
The Sermon of the Mount can be understood only by means of the Master
Key of the Inner Teachings, which opens the door of the mind to an
understanding of the hard sayings and veiled mystic import of many of
His precepts. We shall devote considerable space in one of our later
lessons of this series to a consideration of the Inner Meaning of this
great sermon and teaching, and therefore shall not go into details
regarding it in the present lesson, deeming it better to proceed with
the story of the Master's Work.
A few days after the delivery of the Sermon of the Mount, the Master
left Capernaum and traveled from town to town visiting His various
centers of teaching, as was His custom. On the journey Jesus performed
a feat of occult power that proved Him to be one of the Highest Adepts
of the Occult Brotherhoods, for to none other would such a
manifestation have been possible. Even some of the highest Oriental
Masters would have refused to undertake the task that He set before
Himself to do.
The company was leisurely proceeding on its way, when nearing a small
town they met a funeral procession coming in their direction. Preceded
by the band of women chanting the mournful dirges according to the
Galileean custom, the cortege slowly wended its way. The etiquette of
the land required strangers to join in the mourning when they came in
contact with a funeral procession, and the company assumed a mournful
and respectful demeanor, and many joined in the dirge which was being
chanted by the procession.
But Jesus invaded the privacy of the procession in a manner shocking
to those who held closely to the familiar forms and customs. Stepping
up to the bier, He stood in front of it and bade the carriers halt and
set it down. A murmur of indignation ran through the ranks of the
mourners, and some strode forward to rebuke the presumptuous stranger
who dared to violate the dignity of the funeral in this way. But
something in His face held them back. Then a strange feeling passed
over the crowd. Jesus was known to a number of the mourners, and some
of those who had witnessed some of His wonder-workings began to
whisper that strange things were about to happen, and the ranks were
broken as the people flocked around the Master at the bier.
The corpse was that of a young man, and his widowed mother stood
beside the pale figure stretched upon the bier, and spreading her arms
in front of it, she seemed to ward off the profaning touch of the
strange man who confronted it. But the stranger looked upon her with a
look of transcendent love, and in a voice vibrant with the tenderest
feeling said unto her, "Mother, weep not--cease thy mourning." Amazed,
but impressed, she turned an appealing gaze to Him who had thus bidden
her. Her mother love and instinct caught a new expression in His eyes,
and her heart bounded with a wonderful hope of something, she knew not
what. What did the Nazarene mean? Her boy was dead, and even God
Himself never disturbed the slumber of the body from which the spirit
had flown. But still what meant that expression--why that leap and
throbbing of her heart?
Then with a gesture of authority the Master caused the crowd to draw
back from the bier, until at last there remained only the corpse, the
mother and Himself in a cleared space in the center. Then a strange
and wonderful scene began. With His gaze fixed upon the face of the
corpse, and in an attitude that indicated a supreme effort of His
will, the Master was seen to be making some mighty effort which called
into play the highest forces at His command. The Apostles, having been
instructed by Him in Occult power, recognized the nature of the
manifestation, and their faces paled, for they knew that He was not
only pouring out His vital force into the body in order to recharge it
with _prana_, but that He was also essaying one of the highest and
most difficult of occult feats--that of summoning back from the Astral
Plane the higher vehicles and the Astral Body--the very soul of the
youth--and forcing it once more into its mortal frame, which He had
recharged with vital energy and strength. They knew that He, by the
mightiest effort of His will, was reversing the process of death. And
with a full appreciation of the real nature of the wonder that was
being worked before them, their limbs trembled beneath them and their
breath came from them in gasps.
Then cried the people, "What saith this man to the corpse?" "Arise,
youth! Open thine eyes! Breathe freely! Arise, I say unto
thee--arise!" Did this stranger dare to defy God's own decree?
The corpse opened its eyes and stared around in wild amaze, the glare
not fully faded away! Its chest heaved in great agonizing gasps as if
fighting again for life! Then its arms were lifted up--then its legs
began to move--now it raised itself upright and began to babble
meaningless words--now the look of recognition came into its eyes, and
its arms clasped themselves around the mother's neck, while sob after
sob broke from its lips! The dead lived--the corpse had come to life.
The people fell back overcome with the awful terror of the sight, and
the funeral procession scattered in all directions, until only the
sobbing mother and the youth remained, weeping in their mutual love
and joy, and forgetting even the Master and His followers in their
great flood of affection.
And, leaving them thus, Jesus and His followers passed away on their
pilgrimage. But the fame of the miracle spread from town to town, even
up to the great capital, Jerusalem. And men wondered or doubted,
according to their natures, while the temporal and ecclesiastical
authorities began to again ask themselves and each other whether this
man were not a dangerous person and an enemy to established custom and
order.
In one of His journeys Jesus found Himself invited to the house of a
leading citizen of the town in which He was preaching. This citizen
was one of the class known as Pharisees, whose characteristics were an
extreme devotion and adherence to forms and ceremonies and a bigoted
insistence upon the observance of the letter of the law. The Pharisees
were the ultra-orthodox center of an orthodox people. They were the
straight-laced brethren who walked so erect that they leaned backward.
They were the people who thanked God that they were not like unto
other men. They were the "uncommonly good" members of church and
society. The very name stands even unto this day as a synonym for
"pious sham."
Just why this Pharisee had invited the Master to dine with him is not
easily understood. It is likely that it was a combination of curiosity
and a desire to entrap his guest into statements and admissions that
might be used against him. At any rate, the invitation was given and
accepted.
The Master noted that certain little ceremonies usually extended by
the Hebrews to a guest of equal standing were omitted by His host. His
head was not anointed with the ceremonial oil, as was the custom in
houses of this character when the guest was honored as an equal or
desirable addition to the family gathering. Clearly He was regarded as
a curiosity or "freak" rather than as a friend, and had been invited
in such a spirit. But He said nothing, and passed over the slight. And
the meal passed along smoothly up to a certain point.
The host and his guests were reclining easily, after the Oriental
fashion, discussing various topics, when a woman pressed her way into
the banquet hall. Her dress proclaimed her to be one of the women of
easy virtue abounding in all Oriental towns. She was clad in showy
apparel and her hair fell loosely over her shoulders after the custom
of the women of her kind in that land. She fixed her eyes upon the
Master and moved slowly toward him, much to the annoyance of the host,
who feared a scene, for the Master would most likely administer a
rebuke to the woman for presuming to intrude upon the presence of Him,
a spiritual teacher.
But the woman still pressed forward toward Him, and at last, bending
down low, her head touching His feet, she burst into tears. She had
heard the Master preach some time before, and the seeds of His
teaching had taken root and had now blossomed within her heart; and
she had come to acknowledge her allegiance and to render an offering
to Him whom she revered. The coming into His presence was her token of
a spiritual regeneration and a desire to begin a new life. Her tears
flowed over His feet, and she dried them off with her long hair. Then
she kissed His feet, as a token of her allegiance and worship.
From her neck hung a chain holding a little box filled with precious
perfumed oil, which she esteemed highly, as did all the people of her
race. The oil was of the nature of attar of roses and was the
essential oil extracted from fragrant blossoms. She broke the seal and
poured the fragrant oil over the hands and feet of the Master, who
rebuked her not, but who accepted the tribute even from such a source.
The host began to indulge in thoughts not flattering to the
intelligence of his guest, and a scarcely concealed sneer appeared on
his lips.
Then Jesus turned to His host and with a smile said to him: "Simon, in
thy mind thou thinkest these words: 'If this man be indeed a prophet,
would he not know what manner of woman this be who toucheth him, and
would he not rebuke her and drive her from him?'" And the Pharisee was
sorely confused, for the Master had read his thought word for word by
the method known to occultists as telepathy. And then in gentle
raillery the Master called his host's attention to the fact that the
woman had performed the service which he, the host, had neglected to
observe. Had she not bathed and dried His feet, as the Pharisee would
have done had his guest been deemed worthy of honor? Had she not
anointed Him with precious oil, as the host would have anointed an
honored guest? Had she not impressed upon even His feet the kiss that
etiquette required the host to impress upon the cheek of the esteemed
visitor to his house? And as for the character of the woman, it had
been fully recognized and forgiven. "Much hath been forgiven her, for
she hath loved greatly." And, turning to the woman, He added, "Go in
peace, for thy sins are forgiven thee." And the woman departed with a
new expression on her face and a firm resolve in her heart, for the
Master had forgiven and blessed her.
But by this act Jesus brought upon His head the hatred of the Pharisee
and his friends. He had dared rebuke the host in his own palace, and
had moreover arrogated to Himself the sacred rite to pronounce
remission of sins, a right vested solely in the high-priest of the
Temple, upon the performance of certain ceremonies and sacrifices upon
the altar. He had flung defiance at vested ecclesiastical right and
functions, even in the house of one of the stanchest adherents of
formalism and authority--a Pharisee.
In this incident was shown not only the broadness of Jesus' views and
the universality of His love, as well as His courage in defying the
hated formalism, even in the palace of its stanchest advocates, but
also His attitude toward women. The Jews as a race held women in but
scant esteem. They were not deemed worthy to sit with the men in the
synagogue. It was deemed unworthy of a man to mention his female
relations in general company. They were regarded as inferior in every
way to men, and were treated as almost unclean in their most sacred
natural functions.
Toward fallen women especially Jesus was ever considerate. He saw
their temptation and the social cruelty of their position. He resented
"the double standard" of virtue which allowed a man to commit certain
offenses and still be respected, while the woman who committed the
same offense was damned socially, reviled and treated as a shameful
outcast. He was ever ready to voice a defense for women of this kind,
and seemed to be ever actuated by the sense of injustice in the
attitude of men toward them, which finally voiced itself on a notable
occasion when called upon to pass judgment upon the woman taken in
adultery: "Let him among ye who is without sin cast the first stone."
No wonder that the outcast woman kissed His feet and poured out the
precious ointment upon Him. He was the Friend to such as she.
THE SEVENTH LESSON.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END.
The ministry of Jesus went on in about the same channels. Wandering
here and there throughout the country, preaching and teaching in this
town and that village, gathering around Him new followers, Jesus
continued His work. He adapted Himself to His audience, giving to each
what it needed, and not making the mistake of speaking over the heads
of the people. He gave the general public the broad general teachings
that they required, but He reserved the Inner Teachings for the Inner
Circle of His followers whom He knew to be fit to receive the same. In
this He showed a deep knowledge of men, and a strict accordance with
the established custom of the mystics, who never make the mistake of
giving the higher spiritual mathematics to the students who are
learning the addition, subtraction and division rules of the occult.
He cautioned His apostles regarding this point of teaching, even going
so far as warning them positively and strongly against "casting pearls
before swine."
One night He was in a boat crossing the lake of Gennesaret, in company
with some of His fisherman followers. Tired out by the strenuous work
of the day, He wrapped Himself up in His robe and fell into a deep
sleep, from which He was later awakened by a noise and commotion among
the crew and passengers. A terrible lake storm had sprung up, and the
little vessel was tossing and pitching about among the waves in a
manner which gave concern to even the experienced fishermen who manned
her. The sails had been torn off, carrying away with them a portion of
the mast, and the boat refused to respond to her rudder, the steering
gear being rendered useless. The crew became panic-stricken and
rushing to Jesus besought Him to save them from death in the storm.
"Master! Master! Help ere we perish. The boat is foundering! Save us,
Master!"
The Master arose and, using His occult power, caused the winds to
cease their tempestuous activity, and the waves to become calm. He
followed the Oriental occultists' custom of voicing His commands in
words, not that the words had any virtue in themselves, but because
they served a vehicle for His concentrated thought and focused will
which He was using in his manifestation of occult power. With this
knowledge of the process, occultists smile when they read the _naïve_
account of the occurrence in the Gospels, where Jesus is described as
addressing and rebuking the rebellious winds and then gently and
kindly soothing the waters with words of "Peace, be still!" The
fishermen who witnessed the occurrence, and from whom the reports
thereof spread among the people, not understanding the nature of
occult manifestations, thought that He was addressing the winds as
actual entities, rebuking them and bidding them cease their vicious
work, and soothing the sea in the same manner.
They did not comprehend the mental processes back of the words, and in
their simplicity thought that He was actually rebuking the wind and
soothing the waters. All occultists know that in "treating" material
conditions the process is rendered much easier and simpler if we will
but think of and "speak to" the condition as if it had intelligence
and actual being, thus more easily directing the forces.
Obeying the thought and will of the Master, the winds abated their
fury and the waters ceased their troubling. Gradually the boat rested
easily upon the bosom of the lake, and the crew breathed freely once
more, and then began their work of righting the mast and steering
gear. And they wondered as they worked and asked each other "What
manner of man is this, whom even the winds and the waters obey?" And
Jesus, looking sadly at them, voiced that cry of the mystic who knows
of the inherent and latent powers of man over material conditions,
awaiting the exercise of the Will that may be exercised only in
response to a great Faith. He answered them, saying, "Oh, ye of little
Faith. What had you to fear?"
To the mystic it seems strange that people are able to read the Gospel
accounts of the above and similar events and yet see no more in them
than a mere recital of miracles wrought by some supernatural power. To
the reader who has learned the fundamental truths, the New Testament
record of the wonder-working of Jesus, even as imperfect as that
record is, is full of advanced occult instructions stated so plainly
that it seems as if even the casual reader must recognize it. But no,
the old rule is still in force--each reads only that for which he is
ready--each must bring something to a book, before he may expect to
take anything away from it--to him that hath shall be given. Ever the
same old mystic truth, manifest ever and ever, at all times and in all
places. It is a fundamental law of the mind.
The journey across the lake was attended by another manifestation of
occult power which is often passed over by the church teachers without
comment, or at least with a labored endeavor to "explain" the evident
meaning of the narrative. The modern materialistic trend of thought
has invaded even the churches and has caused the preachers and
teachers to endeavor to escape the accusation of "believing in
spirits" and similar phenomena of the Astral World.
When the company reached the coast of Gergesa, on the opposite side of
the lake, it disembarked and Jesus and His disciples pressed in toward
the coast towns. As they passed among the cliffs lining the shore,
they perceived two uncanny wandering figures which, gibbering,
followed them along. The two maniacs, for such they were, approached
the party, and one of them began to address the Master in a strange
manner, beseeching Him to relieve the two of the devils possessing
them. He called aloud, "O Master, thou Son of the Living God, have
mercy upon us, and drive away the unclean things that we have allowed
to enter into us."
The Gospels say nothing regarding the cause of this demoniac
obsession, and the preachers prefer to pass over it rapidly, or else
to treat it as a delusion of the insane, notwithstanding the direct
statement of the New Testament narrative and its sequel or concluding
statement. But the occult traditions have it that these two men were
victims of their dabbling into certain phases of psychic phenomena,
i.e., the "raising up of spirits" by the arts of Black Magic. In other
words, these men had been experimenting along the lines of Jewish
Necromancy, or Invocation and Evocation of Disembodied Astral
Intelligences by means of Conjuration. They had raised up Astral
Intelligences that had then refused to retire to their own plane, but
which had taken possession of the physical organisms of their invokers
and had remained in possession, causing the men to be regarded as
maniacs, which resulted in their becoming outcasts among the caves
with which the cliffs abounded, the same places being also the tombs
of the dead. We do not wish to go into details here regarding this
matter, but we wish to give the occult explanation of this little
understood "miracle" of Jesus, which, however, is clearly understood
by all occultists.
Jesus fully understood the nature of the trouble, and began at once to
drive out these invading Astral Intelligences by means of his occult
power. In a few moments, a cry was heard from the hills near by, and a
great herd of swine were seen rushing down the hill, and in a moment
were over the precipice and were soon drowned. The Gospel narrative is
perfectly plain on this subject--it states that the legions of devils
had passed from the men into the swine and the latter had plunged in
terror into the water and were drowned. Jesus had distinctly and
positively spoken to the demons, calling them "unclean spirits," and
bidding them "come out" of the men. And all advanced students of
Occultism understand why the pigs were used as intermediate
instruments of the driving back of the Astral Intelligences to their
own plane of life, which reason, however, is not in place or keeping
in this work intended for general public reading.
The maniacs were restored to their normal condition, and the
traditions say that the Master instructed them regarding the evil
courses which they had been pursuing, and bade them desist from their
nefarious practices which had wrought such evil consequences upon
them.
The church and its preachers, with but few exceptions, have seen fit
to ignore the frequent Biblical allusions to "devils," "demons," etc.;
their position being practically that the writers of the events of
Jesus' ministry (whom they otherwise consider to have been "inspired")
must have been superstitious, credulous people believing in "the
absurd demonology of their times." They ignore the fact that Jesus
Himself repeatedly spoke to these intelligences, bidding them depart
from the people whom they had been obsessing. Does the church wish to
hold that the Master was also an ignorant, credulous peasant, sharing
popular superstitions? It would seem so. We must except the Catholic
Church from this criticism, for its authorities have recognized the
true state of affairs and have warned its followers against indulging
in the dark practices of Necromancy or Invocation of Astral
Intelligences.
Occult science informs its students of the various planes of life,
each of which contains its inhabitants. It teaches that on the Astral
Plane there are disembodied entities which should not be transplanted
to our plane. And it warns all against the dark practices, so common
in ancient times and in the Middle Ages, of invoking and evoking these
undesirable denizens of that plane. It is to be regretted that some of
the modern Psychic Researchers ignore these plain warnings, for some
of them are laying themselves open to grave consequences by reason of
their wilful folly. We urge upon our readers to refrain from this
dabbling in the phenomena of the Astral Plane. Some writer has well
compared "Psychism" to a great machine, in the cog-wheels of which
persons may become entangled only to be afterward drawn into the
machine itself. Keep away from the wheels!
This "miracle" of Jesus aroused great excitement, and it was urged
against Him that He was going about the country driving devils into
people's flocks and herds, causing their destruction. The priests
fomented the popular feeling, and encouraged the distrust, hatred and
fear which the orthodox portion of the community was beginning to
entertain toward the Master. The seeds of Calvary were being sown
among the people. And their awful fruit was latent in them. Hate and
bigotry were the essence of both seed and fruit.
Jesus returned to Capernaum, and once more the little town was crowded
with people seeking instruction and crying to be healed. The news of
his wonderful healing power spread far and near, and people were
carried on litters for many miles in order that they might be touched
by the hands of the Master.
About this time there came to Him one Jairus, a man of eminence in the
community and in the church. Jairus had a little daughter about twelve
years of age, who was taken seriously ill, and who had been given up
as incurable by the physicians.
With his daughter lying at death's door, Jairus hastened to the scene
of the Master's meetings, and, throwing himself at His feet, besought
Him to heal his beloved child ere she passed beyond the dark portals
of the unknown. The Master, feeling compassion for the father's great
grief, paused in His teaching and started toward Jairus' home. His
mind charged with the concentration of healing thought, and His
organism filled with the vital forces aroused to perform the task, He
felt some one touch the hem of His garment in search of healing power,
and He at once recognized the occurrence, saying, "The power hath been
drawn from me. Who touched my garment?" As they approached the house
of Jairus, the servants came running out with wild cries and
lamentations, announcing that the child had died while awaiting the
coming of the Healer. The father broke down at this terrible news,
coming at the very moment of his greatest hope. But Jesus bade him to
have faith and still believe. Then, accompanied by three of His
disciples--John, Peter and James--He entered the chamber of death.
Waving back the weeping family and the neighbors who had gathered,
"Stand back," He cried, "the child is not dead--she but sleepeth."
An indignant cry went up from the orthodox relatives and friends at
these words of the Master. How dared He so mock the very presence of
the dead, whom the physicians had left, and over whom the priests had
already begun the last sacred rites? But, heeding them not, the Master
passed His hands over the child's head, and took her little cold palms
within his own. Then began a strange happening. The little chest began
to heave, and the white wan cheeks began to show traces of color. Then
the arms and hands began to move, and the wasted limbs drew slightly
up. Then, opening her eyes with a wondering look, the child gazed at
the Healer and smiled gently at Him. Then the Master, with a look of
gentle tenderness, withdrew from the room, after ordering that
nourishing food be brought for the child.
Then began the usual dispute. Some declared that another had been
raised from the dead, while others declared that the child had but
been in a trance and would have awakened anyway. Had not even the
Healer declared that she only slept? But Jesus heeded not the
disputants, but returned to the scene of His work.
The work went on in its accustomed way. He began to send His apostles
away on longer and more extended tours, having fully instructed them
in the occult methods of healing. Great success attended their efforts
and the best reports came in from all sides. The authorities
recognized to a still greater extent the growing influence of the
young Master, and His actions were still more closely watched by the
spies. Reports of His teachings and work were carried to Herod, who,
recognizing in them the same note that had been struck by John the
Baptist, who had been put to death, perceived that though men might
die, the spirit of their teachings would still live on. No wonder the
guilty ruler should cry in terror, "This verily is the spirit of John,
whom I put to death, risen from the grave to wreak vengeance upon me!"
And the authorities reported to Rome that here was a young fanatic,
whom many believed to be the Messiah and coming King of the Jews, who
had thousands of followers all over the land. And word came back from
Rome, in due time, to watch carefully over the man, who was
undoubtedly striving to incite an insurrection, and to imprison Him or
put Him to death as soon as the evidence was sufficient to convict
Him.
Jesus about this time was near a small fishing town called Bethseda,
on the lake about seven miles from Capernaum. Near this place His boat
landed at a place on the beach where He had hoped to take a few days'
rest. But, alas, a great crowd had hastened to the place of
disembarkation, and now gathered around Him, demanding teaching and
healing. Putting aside His mental and physical fatigue, He attended to
the wants of the crowd. Healing now, and then teaching, He threw
Himself into His work with fervor and zeal. There were over five
thousand people gathered together around Him, and toward evening the
cry went up that there was not sufficient food in the camp to begin to
feed the multitude. A great tumult arose among the crowd, and
complaints and even curses began to be heard. The spiritual wants were
forgotten, and the physical began to manifest itself in a most
insistent manner. What was to be done?
He called together those of His company who had been entrusted with
the care of the food which the little company carried with it. And, to
His sorrow, He learned that the entire stock of food consisted of five
loaves of bread and two fishes. And the little band carried
practically no money with it, for they depended upon the hospitality
of the country and the offerings by the faithful. The disciples
advised that the Master order the crowd to disperse and return to
Bethseda for food. But Jesus felt loath to do this, particularly when
there were so many invalids in the gathering who had traveled so many
miles to see Him, and who had not yet been healed. And so He decided
to give the company its food by means of His power.
He bade His people divide the multitude into little groups of fifty
people, who were then instructed to be seated for a meal. Then He
ordered the scanty supply of available food to be brought before Him,
and, placing His hands over it, He offered a blessing, then ordered
His people to serve the throng. They began to serve out the food with
looks of wonder and amazement. Had the Master lost His senses? But in
some way the food seemed miraculously to increase and multiply, until
at last all of the five thousand had been fully supplied and their
hunger appeased. And then, after all had been served and had eaten,
the scraps and fragments which were gathered up filled many wicker
baskets and were distributed to the poorer people in the company for
tomorrow's use.
But trouble arose. The people, with well filled stomachs, feeling that
here indeed was royal bounty and the power with which to feed them
forever free of charge, began to wax enthusiastic and shouts ascended.
"The Messiah! King of the Jews! Provider of the People! Son of David!
Ruler over Israel!" were the words which soon swept the crowd off of
its feet. And then some of the bolder ones, or else the hired spies
who wished to place Him in a compromising position, began to suggest
that the crowd form itself into an army and march from city to city
with Jesus at its head, until at last they would place Him upon the
throne of Israel at Jerusalem. Jesus, recognizing the peril to His
mission, managed to dissuade the hot-heads from their plans, but still
fearing that the authorities might come down upon the assemblage,
ordered that the Twelve take the boat and put out for the other side
of the lake. He sent them off as a precaution, but He, Himself,
remained with the crowd and faced the threatened danger.
He retired to the hills near by and spent the night in meditation.
Then early in the morning, He noticed that a storm was rising over the
lake and that the tiny boat containing His disciples would be in great
danger. In a few moments they might be overwhelmed. He wished to be
with them to comfort and re-assure them. No boat being handy, he
stepped boldly out upon the water and walked rapidly toward the
direction in which He knew the boat must be. Scarcely conscious of the
occult power of levitation that He was using to overcome the power of
gravitation, He moved rapidly toward His followers. Soon He overtook
them, and they, seeing a white figure moving swiftly over the water
toward them, were affrighted, believing it to be a spirit or ghost.
"It is I, be not afraid!" called out the Master to them. Then Peter
cried out, "Lord, if Thou it be, direct me to walk to Thee also on the
waves!" And the Master, smiling, so directed him. And Peter, whose
latent occult power was aroused by his great faith in the Master,
sprang over the side and took several steps toward Him. But, suddenly
losing his faith and courage, his power also left him, and he began to
sink beneath the waves. But the Master grasped his hand and led him in
safety to the boat and both entered it. Then the crew fell to and with
great enthusiasm righted the boat and proceeded to the shore near
Capernaum.
In the case of Peter and his experience in walking on the water, we
have a striking instance of the well known power of the mental
attitude of Faith in the manifestation of occult power. All occultists
know this, and without feeling an implicit faith in the Power with
them, they do not attempt certain forms of manifestation. They know
that with Faith miracles may be performed which are impossible
otherwise. So long as Peter held his Faith he was able to counteract
certain laws of nature by means of other laws not so well known. But
as soon as Fear took the place of Faith his power left him. This is an
invariable occult principle, and in the recital of this story of Peter
on the water is to be found a whole volume of occult instruction--to
those who are able to read it.
Arriving safely on the shores of the lake, Jesus resumed His work
while the ever-present gathering of people went on in its accustomed
way. But on the opposite shore of the lake the crowd who had been fed
on the loaves and fishes were in an angry mood. They cried out that
they had been deserted by their leader, and that the expected loaves
and fishes--the free meals that they had expected would continue--had
been denied them. They also complained bitterly that the reign of
miracles had not continued. And they began to revile the Master that
they had acclaimed the night before. And so Jesus experienced the
ingratitude and the unreasonable words of the public just as all great
teachers have done. The seekers after the loaves and the fishes,
demanding to be fed and clothed without their own work--the seekers
after miracles, demanding fresh wonder-workings--have ever been the
bane of the great Teachers of the Truth. It is a hard and bitter
truth, but all teachers and true lovers of the Truth must learn to
meet and understand it. The mob which reveres a spiritual Master today
is equally ready to rend him to pieces tomorrow.
And still more trouble arose from this mistaken kindness which led
Jesus to feed the crowd by His occult powers, which, by the way, He
knew to be in opposition to the well-established custom of the Occult
Brotherhoods. The formalists, Pharisees and Scribes, having heard of
the occurrence, gathered about the Master and accused Him of violating
one of the forms and ceremonies prescribed by the ecclesiastical
authorities--the rite which required the faithful to wash their hands
before beginning a meal. They accused Him of heresy and false
teaching, which tended to lead the people away from their accustomed
ceremonies and observances. Jesus waxed indignant and, turning on His
critics, hurled burning replies upon them. "Ye hypocrites!" He cried,
"You cling to the commandments of men and neglect the commandments of
God! You cleanse your hands but not your souls! You are the blind
leaders of the blind, and both yourselves and your followers fall in
the mire and ditches! Away with you and your hypocrisy!" But the
adverse comment aroused by His actions would not down, and,
discouraged and disheartened by the evidences of the barrenness of the
soil in which He had been sowing the precious seeds of the Truth, He
gathered together His followers and departed into Tyre and Sidon, a
quieter region, that He might rest and meditate over new plans and
work. He could see the beginning of the end.
To understand the nature of the position of the Master at this time,
it must be remembered that His strong hold had ever been with the
masses of the people, who were His enthusiastic admirers. So long as
He remained entrenched in the heart of the populace, the temporal and
ecclesiastical authorities dared not attack Him without a popular
uprising of no mean proportions. But now that they had managed to wean
away His public from Him they pressed Him harder and harder with their
persecutions and complaints. And so at last they had managed to render
Him almost an unpopular outcast. They forced Him away from the larger
towns, and now He was wandering among the less populous regions of the
country, and even there the spies and agents of the authorities hunted
Him down, seeking to further entrap and compromise Him.
About this time Jesus revealed to His apostles the facts of His Divine
origin which was now plain to Him. He also told them of the fate which
awaited Him, and which He had willingly chosen. He told them not to
expect the fruits of His work at this time, for He was but sowing the
seeds of the fruit which would not grow and bear fruit for many
centuries. He gave them the Mystic secret of the nature of His work,
which is taught to the Initiates of the Occult Brotherhoods even unto
this day. But even these chosen men scarcely grasped the true import
of His teachings, and once He was rendered almost broken hearted at
over-hearing a discussion among them regarding high offices which they
hoped to acquire.
Jesus now felt that the time had come for Him to move on to Jerusalem
to meet there the crowning act of His strange career. And, knowing
full well that such a course would be virtually thrusting His head
into the very jaws of the lion of ecclesiastical and temporal
authority, He set His feet firmly on the road which led to Jerusalem,
the capital city, and the center of ecclesiastical influence. And that
road was a hard one to travel, for, as He neared the capital, His
enemies increased in number and the opposition to Him grew stronger.
At one village He had been denied the right of shelter, an indignity
almost unknown in Oriental lands. In another place a large rock was
hurled at Him and wounded Him severely. The mob had turned against Him
and was repaying His kind services with abuse and personal violence.
And this is ever the lot of the teacher of the Truth who scatters the
sacred pearls of Truth before the swine of the unworthy multitude of
people. Over and over again has this fact been brought home to those
who would labor for the good of the world. And still we hear the
querulous complaint that the Inner Teaching is reserved for the
Few--why not scatter it broadcast among the people? The stake, the
rack, the stones, the prison cell, the cross and their modern
prototypes--these are the silent answers to the question.
Moving on toward Jerusalem the little company reached Perea, a number
of miles from Bethany, at which latter place dwelt a family of His
friends--the two sisters, Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus.
At this place He was met by a messenger from Bethany, who bore the sad
news that His friend Lazarus was sick unto death, and who also begged
the Master to return to Bethany and cure the man. But this Jesus
refused to do, and allowed several days to pass without answering the
summons. At the end of the several days He started toward Bethany,
telling His disciples that Lazarus was dead. And reaching Bethany they
found that it was indeed so--Lazarus was dead and in the tomb.
Jesus was received with scowling antagonism. The people seemed to say,
"Here is this heretical imposter again. He feared to come even to the
aid of His dying friend. His power has failed Him and He now stands
discredited and exposed!" Then came Martha, who reproached the Master
with His indifference and delay. He answered her that Lazarus should
rise again, but she doubted His word. Then came Mary, whose grief
brought tears even from the Master, who had seen so much of human
suffering as to have found his eyes refuse to weep.
Then asked the Master, "Where have you laid him away?" and they took
Him to the tomb, followed by the curious mob hungering for the sight
of more wonders from the man whom they feared even while hating and
reviling Him. Jesus stood before the dreary tomb and bade the men roll
away the stone that closed the mouth of the tomb. The men hesitated,
for they knew that a corpse lay within, and they even perceived the
characteristic odor of the tomb issuing therefrom. But the Master
insisting upon it, they rolled away the stone and Jesus stood full in
front of the dark opening to the cavern.
He stood there for a few moments wrapt in meditation and showing
evidences of strong mental concentration. His eyes took on a strange
look, and in every muscle He showed that He was summoning to the task
every particle of the power at His command. He was throwing off the
matters that had been occupying His mind during the past weeks, that
He might hold his mind "one-pointed," as the Oriental occultists term
it--that He might concentrate clearly and forcibly upon the task
before Him.
Then, arousing His reserve force, in a mighty effort, He cried loudly,
in a voice of authority and power, "Lazarus! Lazarus! Come forth!"
The people gasped with horror at this calling forth a corpse which was
in the process of disintegration and decay, and a cry of remonstrance
went up, but Jesus heeded it not. "Lazarus! Lazarus! Come forth, I
command thee!" he cried again.
And then at the mouth of the cavern could be seen something startling.
It was a ghastly figure, bound and clad in the grave-clothes of that
country, which was struggling to free itself and to move toward the
light. It was indeed Lazarus! And, after tearing off the stained
grave-clothes which still retained the horrid stench of decaying
matter, his body was found to be sweet and clean and pure as that of
the infant. Jesus had performed a wonder-work far beyond any
manifestation He had heretofore shown to the world.
The excitement occasioned by this crowning wonder, coming to Jerusalem
after a lull in which it had thought that the Master had retired into
insignificant seclusion, aroused again into activity the authorities,
who now determined to make an end to the matter and to suppress this
pestilent charlatan once and for all. Raising a decaying corpse from
the tomb, indeed! What new fraudulent marvels would He not work next
in order to delude the credulous people and to bring them once more
around his rebellious standard? The man was dangerous without doubt,
and must be put where He could do no harm--and that at once.
Within a few hours after the receipt of news that Lazarus had walked
from the tomb, the Sanhedrin, the great Jewish ecclesiastical council,
was in session, called hastily by its officers to take vigorous action
concerning this impious, heretical imposter who had been allowed to
mock at established order and religion for too long a time. He must be
quieted ere he arouse the people once more. The Roman authorities were
warned by the Jewish ecclesiastics that this dangerous man now
approaching the capital claimed to be the Jewish Messiah, and that His
aims were to overturn the Temple authorities first, and then establish
Himself as King of the Jews, and place Himself at the head of a
revolutionary army which would attempt to defy and defeat the rule of
mighty Rome herself.
And so all the machinery was set in motion, and the officers of the
law were all on the alert to take advantage of the first overt act of
Jesus and His followers, and to throw them into prison as enemies of
society, religion and of the state. The Roman authorities were
agitated at the reports coming to them from the highest Jewish
authorities, and were prepared to crush the rebellion at the first
sign. The Jewish priests were in solemn convocation and at the
instigation of Caiaphas, the high priest of the Jews, they determined
that nothing but the death of this false Messiah would put an end to
the agitation which threatened to drive them from power and authority.
And so the die was cast.
And meanwhile Jesus was resting in Bethany, surrounded by great
throngs who were pouring into the place to see Lazarus, and to renew
their allegiance to the Master whom they had so basely forsaken.
Time-servers ever, the latest miracles had revived their fading
interest and waning faith, and they flocked around the Master as
noisy, enthusiastic and as full of fulsome praise as ever. And
yesterday they had damned Him, and tomorrow they would cry "Crucify
Him!" For such is the nature of the multitude of men. Of the
multitudes of Jesus' followers, none remained to acknowledge
allegiance in His hour of arrest--even among the chosen twelve, one
betrayed Him, one denied Him, and _all_ fled away when He was taken
captive. And for _such_ the Son of Man lived and taught and suffered.
Surely His _life_ was the greatest miracle of all.
THE EIGHTH LESSON.
THE END OF THE LIFE WORK.
Resting for a short time before His formal entry into Jerusalem, the
Master sought the seclusion of the sparsely settled districts near the
wilderness. In and around the village of Ephraim, in Perea, in parts
of Galilee, He wandered with the Twelve. But even there He continued
His work of healing and teaching.
But even this temporary respite from the inevitable lasted but a short
time. Jesus determined to march direct to the seat of the
ecclesiastical and temporal authority which was arrayed against Him.
And so, just before the coming of the Passover time, He gathered
together the Twelve and set out on the final stage of the journey. The
pilgrims journeying to the capital were burning with curiosity and
excitement concerning this journey of the Master to the home of His
foes. Rumors were circulated that He intended to gather His forces
together and sweep the enemy from its seats of power. It was known
that the Sanhedrin intended to attempt to punish Him, and the people
asked why should He move on to face His foes unless He contemplated a
fight to the finish?
This belief in His determination caused a revulsion of feeling of the
people in His favor, and many who had deserted Him now again gathered
around Him. They dreamt again of victory, and scented again an
unfailing supply of loaves and fishes. They crowded around Him wishing
to be among the victorious host. But He encouraged them not--neither
spoke He a word to them. He knew them for the time-servers that they
were.
The crowds of Jerusalem hearing of His approach, and moved by
curiosity to witness His triumphant entry into the City, flocked
around the suburbs through which He would approach. At last the cry
went up, "Here He comes!" and to their amazement and disgust the crowd
saw Him riding quietly info the City mounted on an ass, without
display, pretense or pose. The crowd scattered, sneering and reviling
Him. But the pilgrims were becoming more and more enthusiastic, and
they strewed His way with palms, shouting, "Blessed be our Messiah!
The King of Israel approacheth."
The Master proceeded directly to the Temple and performed the
customary rites. So amazed were the authorities by His fearless
demeanor, that they deferred laying violent hands upon Him. They
feared a trap, and moved cautiously. They even allowed Him to retire
to Bethany and spend the night. The next morning He returned to the
city and dwelt among His friends there. He attended the Temple
regularly, and pursued His work of teaching and healing in its very
shadows.
Meanwhile the clouds of the persecuting forces gathered closely around
His head. One of the Twelve, Judas Iscariot, who was sorely
disappointed at the Master having refused to take advantage of the
support of the crowd to assist His claim as the Messiah and King of
the Jews, and also fearing that he would become involved in His
inevitable downfall, began a series of bargainings and dickerings with
the authorities, which had for their object the betrayal of the Master
into the hands of the authorities, the reward to be immunity from
persecution for himself and a few pieces of silver for his pocket in
addition.
And so the time passed on, the nights being spent at Bethany and the
days at the Temple in the capital. Finally the priests made an
important move. They confronted Him in their official capacity and
demanded that He prove His ordination as a Jewish Rabbi and consequent
right to preach to the orthodox members of the church. Jesus answered
them by asking questions that they feared to answer. Then they began
to question Him, hoping to involve Him in ecclesiastical heresies
which would give them their excuse to arrest Him. But He evaded them
skilfully. They sought also to compel Him to state opinions contrary
to the Roman authority, but He likewise escaped this net.
Finally, however, they drew from Him a savage attack upon authority,
and He cried out in indignation:
"Woe unto you, ye generation of vipers! Ye serpents! Ye
hypocrites! Ye oppressors of the poor! Ye professed
shepherds, who are but as wolves in disguise, seeking but to
devour the sheep whom ye have in charge! Woe unto you, ye
Scribes, Hypocrites, Pharisees!"
Then He left the Temple and returned to Bethany to spend the night,
after foretelling the destruction of the Temple, when there should not
be left one of its stones upon another.
That night he had a heart-to-heart talk with the Twelve. He told them
that the end was in sight--that He was to die before many hours had
passed--that they, the Twelve, were to become wanderers on the face of
the earth--hunted and persecuted in His name and for His sake. A
terrible revelation to some among them who had dreamt of earthly
grandeur and high positions for themselves! And then Judas felt that
the time to act had come, and he stole away to meet the High-priest
and to close the frightful bargain with him which was to make his name
the synonym for treachery throughout the ages.
The next day, Wednesday, He rested in Bethany the whole twenty-four
hours, evidently gathering together his reserve forces to meet the
ordeal which He now knew was before Him. He kept apart from even His
disciples and spent the time in meditation. And likewise was passed
the early part of the following day, Thursday. But when the even time
had come, He sent for the Twelve and gathered them around Him for the
Paschal Supper, one of the rites of the Passover time.
Even this last solemn occasion was marred by a petty squabble among
the disciples regarding the order of precedence to be observed in
their seats at the table. Judas succeeded in gaining the seat of honor
next to the Master. Jesus startled the company by insisting upon
washing the feet of the Twelve, an act which placed them on a pedestal
above Him. This occult ceremony, which was not comprehended by the
Twelve, apparently was one which the Hierophants of the Occult
Brotherhoods performed for their associates when the latter had been
chosen to carry out some important office or mission, or when a
successor was about to take the place of one of them. And Jesus
evidently so intended it. Then He bade them wash one another's feet,
in token of the recognition of each of the high mission of the others.
Then Jesus, overcome by the knowledge of the morrow, burst out in
anguished tones, saying: "And even one of you, my chosen ones, shall
betray me!" And several asked Him in turn, in a tone of reproach, "Is
it I?" And Jesus shook His head at each question. But Judas asked not,
but overcome with confusion he reached over and took a portion of
bread from the plate before the Master. Then Jesus took a bit of bread
and, moistening it from His plate, handed it to Judas, saying to him
firmly, "Judas, do thy work without loss of time." And Judas, abashed,
slunk away from the table.
Then began that remarkable conversation of the Last Supper, as
recorded in the Gospels. Then also was performed that first
celebration of the Holy Communion, the Mystic significance of which
shall be explained in a later lesson. Then Jesus chanted the Passover
hymn.
Then shortly after, the company left the room and walked into the
streets, and over the meadows near by. Then under the trees of the
Garden of Gethsemane, apart from His disciples, now reduced to Eleven,
He gave Himself up to prayer and meditation. He called aloud to The
Father to give Him strength for the final ordeal. Struggling with His
doubts and fears and misgivings--conquering His physical inclination
and impulses--He gave utterance to that supreme cry: "O Father, Thy
will, not mine, be done!" and in so saying He cast behind Him forever
His right of choice to stay the awful course of events which was
pressing upon Him. Resigning His mighty occult power of defense, He
laid Himself upon the altar of sacrifice even as the Paschal Lamb.
Leaving behind Him the Garden in which He had just performed this
greatest miracle of all--the miracle of Renunciation--He stepped out
among His disciples, saying, "The hour has come--the betrayer is here
to do his work."
Then were heard sounds of clanking arms, and martial tread, and in a
moment the military guard appeared on the scene, accompanied by a
delegation of ecclesiastics, and with them, walking in advance, was
Judas Iscariot. Judas, walking as one in a trance, approached the
Master and, saluting Him with a kiss, cried, "Hail, Master," which was
the signal to the guard, arranged between Judas and the High Priest.
Then cried Jesus, "Ah, with a kiss--thou, Judas, betrayeth the Son of
Man with a kiss! Oh!" And in that moment it seemed that the Master's
grief had reached its utmost limit. Then the guard closed around Him
and carried Him away.
But He resisted them not. As they approached Him He called out, "Whom
seek ye?" And the leader answered, "We seek him whom men call Jesus of
Nazareth." Then answered the Master, "I am He whom thou seeketh!" But
the disciples resisted the arrest, and Peter cut off the ear of one of
the party, a servant of the High-priest. But Jesus bade His followers
desist, and, approaching the wounded man, placed his severed ear in
place and healed it instantly. Then He rebuked His disciples, telling
them that, had He so desired, the whole of the legions of heaven would
have come to His assistance. Then He bade the leader conduct Him from
the place. But alas! as He left, He turned to bid farewell to His
disciples, and lo! to a man they had fled and deserted Him, leaving
Him alone in His hour of trial--yea! as every humble soul must be
alone in its moments of supreme struggle--alone with its Creator.
Then down toward the city they led Him--the Master of All Power, an
humble captive, non-resistant and awaiting the course of The Will.
They took Him to the palace of the Jewish High-priest, where the
Sanhedrin was assembled in secret session awaiting His coming. And
there He stood erect before these ecclesiastical tyrants to be
judged--bound with the cord as a common criminal. He, whose single
effort of His will would have shattered the whole palace to pieces and
have destroyed every human being within its walls!
And this was but the beginning. During the next eight hours He was
subjected to six separate trials, if indeed such mock proceedings
might be so designated. Subjected to blows, and all manner of low
insults, the Master remained a Master. Perjured witnesses testified,
and all manner of crimes and heresies were charged against Him. Then
Caiaphas asked Him the all-important question, "Art thou the Christ?"
and Jesus broke His silence to answer positively, "I am!" Then the
High-priest cried out vehemently, rending His sacred robes in his
pious indignation, "He has blasphemed!"
From that moment there was no possible chance of escape for the
Master. He had virtually condemned Himself by His own words. There was
no retreat or reprieve. He was roughly pushed from the hall and like a
common criminal was turned over to the taunts and revilings of the
mob, which availed itself of its privileges to the full in this case.
Insults, curses, revilings, taunts, and even blows, came fast and
furiously upon Him. But He stood it all without a murmur. Already His
thoughts had left earthly things behind, and dwelt on planes of being
far above the wildest dreams of men. With His mind firmly fixed on the
Real, the Unreal vanished from His consciousness.
In the early part of the day following the night of His arrest, Jesus
was taken before Pontius Pilate, the Roman official, for His trial by
the civil authorities. Pilate, in his heart, was not disposed to
condemn Jesus, for he believed that the whole trouble consisted in
theological and ecclesiastical differences with which the civil law
should not concern itself. His wife had warned him against becoming
involved in the dispute, for she had a secret sympathy for the Master,
for some reason. But he found arrayed against him the solid influence
of the Jewish priesthood, whose power must not be opposed lightly,
according to the policy of Rome. Then the priests had made out a civil
case against Jesus, claiming that He had sought to incite a rebellion
and proclaim Himself King of the Jews; that He had created public
disorder; that He had urged the people to refuse to pay taxes to Rome.
The case against Him was weak, and Pilate was at a loss what to do.
Then some one of the priests suggested that as Jesus was a Galilean,
He be turned over for trial to Herod, in whose territory the principal
crimes were committed, and Pilate gladly availed himself of this
technical excuse to rid himself of responsibility in the matter. And
so the case was transferred to Herod, who happened to be in Jerusalem
at that time on a visit. To Herod's palace the captive was taken, and
after suffering indignities and humiliation at the hand of the tyrant,
He was remanded back to Pilate for trial, under Herod's orders.
Back to Pilate's court, followed by the crowd, went Jesus. Pilate was
greatly annoyed that Herod should have shifted the responsibility once
more upon his (Pilate's) court. Then he bethought himself of an
expedient. He took advantage of the Jewish custom, observed by the
Roman rulers, which led to the pardoning of a notorious criminal on
the occasion of the Passover. And so he announced that he would pardon
Jesus according to custom. But from the Jewish authorities came back
the answer that they would not accept Jesus as the subject of the
pardon, but demanded that Barabbas, a celebrated criminal, be pardoned
instead of the Nazarene. Pilate found himself unable to escape the
designs of the Jewish priesthood, and so, yielding in disgust, he
pardoned Barabbas, and condemned Jesus to death. The cries of the mob,
incited by the priests, sounded around the court. "Crucify him!
Crucify him!" Pilate appeared before the priests and the populace,
and, washing his hands in a basin, according to the Oriental custom,
he cried to the Jews, "I wash my hands of this man's blood--upon you
be it!" And the crowd responded with a great shout, "Upon us and our
children be his blood!"
Jesus, in the meantime, had been cruelly scourged by the barbarous
instruments of torture of the time. His body was lacerated and
bleeding, and He was faint from the torture and loss of blood. Upon
His head had been thrust, in ghastly mockery, a crown of thorns which
pressed deep into His flesh. He was refused the usual respite of
several days before sentence and execution--He was to die that very
day.
His cross was tied to His back and He was compelled to carry it,
fainting though He was from fatigue and torture. He staggered along
and fell, unable to bear His heavy burden. Finally Golgotha, the place
of the crucifixion, was reached, and the Man of Sorrows was nailed to
the cross and raised aloft to die a lingering and painful death. On
either side was a criminal--two thieves--His companions in suffering.
He refused to partake of the drug which was granted to criminals to
relieve their intense suffering. He preferred to die in full
possession of His faculties. Above His head was a tablet bearing the
inscription, "The King of the Jews," which had been placed there by
Pilate in a spirit of ironical mockery of the Jews who had forced him
to place this man on the cross.
As the cross was raised into position the Master cried aloud, "O
Father, forgive them--they know not what they do."
Taunted by the crowds, He hung and suffered the terrible agonies of
the cross. Even one of the crucified criminals reviled Him, asking Him
why He did not save Himself and them? The crowd asked Him why He who
saved others could not save Himself? But He, who could have brought
forces to bear which would have wrought the miracle they demanded,
answered not, but awaited the end.
Then set in the delirium of death in which He cried aloud to the
Father, asking if He had been forsaken in His misery. But the end was
near.
There arose a strange storm--darkness fell over the place--weird
electrical disturbances manifested themselves. The winds abated and a
strange quiet fell over all the scene, which was lighted by a ghastly
glow. And then came the earthquake, with strange groanings and
moanings of the earth; with frightful stenches of sulphur and gas. And
the very foundations of Jerusalem quaked and shivered. The rocks
before the tombs flew off, and the dead bodies were exposed to view.
In the Temple, the veil before the Holy of Holies was rent in twain.
The cries of the people as they rushed to and fro in mortal terror
took the attention of all from the cross. Then the Roman officer in
charge of the execution, glancing upward, saw that all was over, and,
falling before the cross, he cried out, "Verily, this man was a god!"
Jesus the Master had passed out from the body which had served as His
tenement for thirty-three years. His body was borne away for burial,
in a secret place. Embalmed by loving friends, it was carried to a
place of last earthly rest.
* * * * *
And now we come to a portion of the narrative in which the occult
traditions and teachings diverge from the account stated in the
Gospels. We should have said _apparently_ diverge, for the two
accounts vary only because of the varying points of view and different
degrees of understanding of the teachers.
We allude to the events of the Resurrection.
It must be remembered that Jesus had informed His disciples that in
three days He would "rise from the dead" and appear once more among
them. To the ordinary understanding these events seem to indicate that
the Master would once more occupy His physical body, and that His
reappearance was to be so understood. And the Gospel narrative
certainly seems to verify this idea, and was undoubtedly so stated
that it might be more readily understood by the popular mind.
But the occult traditions hold otherwise. They hold that Jesus really
appeared to His disciples three days after His death, and abode with
them for a time teaching and instructing them in the deeper mysteries
and secret doctrines. But the mystics have always held and taught that
His reappearance _was in the Astral Body_, and not in the discarded
physical form.
To the popular mind the physical body was almost everything, as we
have shown in one of the earlier lessons of this series. So much was
this so that the mass of the people expected that all mankind would
arise from the dead at the Last Day clad in their former physical
forms. And so, any other teaching would have been unintelligible to
them.
But to the occultists and mystics who understood the truth about the
more ethereal vehicles of the soul, such an idea appeared crude and
unscientific, and they readily grasped the Inner Teachings regarding
the Resurrection, and understood the reason why Jesus would use the
Astral Body as the vehicle of His reappearance.
The Gospel narrative informs us that a guard was placed around the
tomb to prevent the body being stolen and a consequent assertion of
the Resurrection which the priests well knew to be expected. It
further states that the tomb was sealed and guarded by a squad of
Roman soldiers, but that notwithstanding these precautions the body of
the Master actually came to life and emerged from the tomb, and that
His followers were disturbed by the evidences that His body had been
stolen.
The occult traditions, however, state that the close friends of Jesus,
aided by a prominent Jew who was a secret believer, obtained from the
willing Pilate a secret order which enabled them to deposit the body
in a safe and secret resting place where it gradually resolved itself
into the dust to which all that is mortal must return. These men knew
that the Resurrection of the Master had naught to do with mortal
fleshly form or body. They knew that the immaterial soul of the Master
still lived and would reappear to them clad in the more ethereal body
made manifest to their mortal senses. Every occultist will understand
this without further comment. To others we advise that they read the
occult teachings concerning the Astral Body and its characteristics.
This is no place in which to again describe at length the phenomena of
the Astral Body of Man.
* * * * *
The first to see the Master in His Astral Form was Mary of Magdala, a
woman admirer and follower of her Lord. She was weeping beside the
empty tomb, when looking up she saw a form approaching. The Astral
Form was indistinct and unfamiliar, and at first she did not recognize
it. Then a voice called her name, and looking up she saw the form
growing more distinct and familiar, and she recognized the features of
her Master.
* * * * *
More than this, the occult legends assert the truth of some of the
traditions of the early Christian Church, namely, that in the three
days succeeding the scene of Calvary there appeared in and around
Jerusalem the disembodied forms of many persons who had died a short
time previously. It is said that the Astral Bodies of many dead Jews
revisited the scenes of their former life, and were witnessed by
friends and relatives.
* * * * *
Then Jesus appeared in His Astral Body to the disciples. The
traditions have it that two of the eleven met Him on the afternoon of
the day when He first appeared to Mary--Easter Sunday. Strange to say,
they did not at first recognize Him, although they walked the road
with Him and afterward ate at the same table. This failure to
recognize the Master is wholly beyond ordinary explanation and the
churches make no real attempt to make it understandable. But the
occult traditions say that Jesus had not wholly materialized His
Astral Body at first, for reason of prudence, and that consequently
His features were not distinctly and clearly marked; then at the meal
He caused His features to be fully materialized so that the disciples
might readily recognize Him. All occultists who have witnessed the
materialization of an Astral Body will readily understand this
statement. The orthodox theory of Jesus having reappeared in His
physical body wholly fails to explain this nonrecognition by His
disciples, who had been His everyday companions before His death. The
slightest consideration should show which statement is nearer the
bounds of reasonable probability.
Jesus remained visible to the chosen few for forty days. The testimony
of several hundred people attested the fact. There are a number of
mystic legends about some of His appearances, which are not mentioned
in the Gospel narratives. One of these states that He appeared before
Pontius Pilate and forgave him for the part he had played in the
tragedy. Another that Herod witnessed His form in his bedchamber.
Another that He confronted the High-priests in the Temple and brought
them to their knees in terror. Another that He came one night to the
Eleven, who sat behind bolted doors in hiding, and saying to them,
"Peace be unto you, my beloved," vanished from sight.
The Gospels record another appearance before the Eleven, upon which
occasion Thomas, the doubter, satisfied himself of the identity of the
Astral Body by placing his fingers in the wounds, which, of course,
were reproduced in the Astral Form according to the well known laws
regarding the same.
This coming and going of Jesus--these sudden appearances and
disappearances--these manifestations of His form only to those whom He
wished to see Him, and His concealment from those whom He desired to
remain in ignorance of His return, all show conclusively to every
occultist the nature of the vehicle which He used for manifestation
upon His return. It would seem incredible that there could be any
general doubt on the subject were the public informed on the laws
concerning the Astral World phenomena.
* * * * *
The Gospel narrative shows that the disciples recognized that Jesus
was not a "spirit" in the sense of being an airy, unsubstantial form.
They felt His body, and saw Him eat--but what of that? The laws of
materialization of Astral forms make it possible, under certain
conditions, that the Astral Form become so thoroughly materialized
that it may not only be seen but actually felt. Even the records of
the English Society for Psychical Research prove this fact, leaving
out of account the phenomena with which all advanced occultists are
familiar.
Then, one day He appeared to the disciples, and they accompanied Him
to the hills, Jesus talking to them regarding their future work on
earth. He then bade them farewell, and began to fade away from their
sight. The common account pictures Him as ascending into the air until
out of sight, but the mystic account informs us that His astral form
began to slowly dematerialize and He gradually faded away from the
sight of His beloved followers, who stood gazing in wistful longing at
His form which, each moment, grew more and more ethereal in structure,
until finally the dematerialization was complete and His soul had cast
off all material form, shape and substance, and so passed on to the
higher planes of being.
* * * * *
In view of this explanation, does not the commonly accepted version
seem childish and crude? Can any one at all familiar with the laws and
phenomena of the land Behind the Veil, suppose that _a physical body_
could or would pass on to the planes in which the ordinary forms of
matter do not exist? Such ideas are fit only for minds which find it
necessary to think of the "resurrection of the body" of all departed
souls, in order to conceive of Immortality. To the occultist, the
physical body is merely a temporary vehicle for the soul which the
latter discards at the proper time. It has nothing to do with the real
being of the soul. It is merely the shell which is discarded by the
soul, as the chrysalis shell is discarded by the butterfly when it
spreads its wings for its aerial flight into a new world.
All these ideas about the immortality of the mortal body are the
product of materialistic minds unused to thinking of the higher planes
of life, and unable to grasp even the mental concept regarding the
same. Of the earth, earthly, are these conceptions and ideas. And the
sooner that Christianity sheds them as discarded shells the sooner
will the church experience that revival of true spirituality that
devout souls see the need of, and for which they are so earnestly
praying.
The churches are so wedded to materialistic thought that a preacher
does not even hint at the existence of phases of life above the
physical lest he be termed "a spiritualist" or accused of being
"spooky." In the name of Truth, is the teaching, that _man is a
spiritual being_, inconsistent with the teachings of Christ and the
records of the Scripture? Must one forego all such beliefs, in favor
of a heathenish creed of "physical body" resurrection of the dead--an
immortality in the worn-out mortal body long since discarded? Which is
the true spiritual teaching? Can there be any doubt regarding the same
in a mind willing to think for itself? It seems sad that the orthodox
churches do not see this, and cease forcing out of their congregations
all thinkers who dare assert the existence of a soul independent of
the physical body.
What is the use of a soul, if the physical bodies of the dead are to
be resurrected in order that their owners may enjoy immortality? And
where are the souls of these dead bodies now residing and abiding
pending the coming of the Last Day? Are the souls of the dead with
their bodies? If not, then they must be living a life independent of
the physical body--and if such be the case, why should they afterward
be required to take on their worn-out physical bodies which they have
managed so well without during their disembodied life? What becomes of
those who had diseased, deformed or frail bodies during their mortal
life--will they be compelled to inhabit these bodies through all
eternity? Will the owners of aged, worn out bodies be compelled to
re-assume them at the Last Day? If not, why the necessity of a
physical body at all, in the future life? Do the angels have physical
bodies? If not, why should souls require them on higher planes? Think
over these questions and then realize how materialistic is the current
Christian conception, when compared with that of Mystic Christianity,
which teaches spiritual evolution from lower to higher planes of
being, and on to planes of being beyond even the faintest conception
of men of the present day.
* * * * *
The occult traditions teach that during the forty days of Jesus'
appearance in the Astral Body, He imparted many of the Higher Truths
to His disciples. They state that He even took some of them out of
their bodies and showed them the higher Astral Planes of Being. He
also informed them regarding the real nature of His mission which He
now clearly saw with His spiritual mind, the cloud of His mortal mind
being now removed.
He told them that the real work of His followers was the sowing of the
seed of the Truth, without regard to immediate results. He told them
that the real fruition would not come for many centuries--yea, not
until the passing of over two thousand years or more. He told them
that the passage of the centuries would be like the preparing of the
soil for the great work of the Truth, and that afar in the distance
would be the real fruit season.
He taught them regarding the Second Coming of Christ, when the real
Truth of His teachings should become apparent to mankind and the true
Life of the Spirit should be lived by the race. He taught them that
their work was to keep alight the Flame of the Spirit and to pass it
on to worthy followers.
This and many other things He told them, before He passed on.
And the mystics teach that He still lives in the world, diffused among
all the living souls on earth, striving ever to lead them to a
recognition of the Real Self--the Spirit Within. He is with us ever as
an Abiding Spirit, a Comforter, a Helper, an Elder Brother.
He is not gone from us! He is here with us now and forever, in Actual
Spirit Communion!
The Lord hath indeed Risen--Risen from Mortal Form to Immortal
Spiritual Existence!
THE NINTH LESSON.
THE INNER TEACHINGS.
The first and main phase of the Inner Teachings of Mystic Christianity
is that connected with the Mystery of the Life of Jesus. The outer
teachings give but an imperfect view of the real life and nature of
the Master, and theologians have built up an edifice of dogmatic
theory around the same. The Mystery of the Life of Jesus forms the
subject of some important Inner Teachings of the Mystic Fraternities
and Occult Brotherhoods, and is considered by them to be the
foundation of the other teachings. And so we shall consider this phase
of the subject at this point.
In the first place we must remember that the soul of Jesus was
different from the souls of other men. His was a "virgin birth"--not
in the commonly accepted sense of the term, but in the occult sense as
explained in the second lesson of this series. His soul was fresh from
the hand of the Creator--His spirit had not been compelled to work
through repeated incarnations, pressing forward for expression through
humble and ignoble forms. It was free from taint, and as pure as the
Fountain from which is flowed. It was a virgin soul in every sense of
the term.
This being so, it follows that it was not bound by the Karma of
previous incarnations--as is the case with the ordinary soul. It had
no entangling ties--it had no seeds of desire and action planted in
previous lives, which were pressing forward toward expression in His
life. He was a Free Spirit--an Unbound Soul. And therefore He was not
only unbound by any Karma of His own, but was also free (by nature)
from the Karma of the race or of the world.
The absence of personal Karma left Him free from the selfish personal
Desire which binds men to the wheel of action and personal ambition.
He had no desire or thought for personal aggrandizement or glory, and
was perfectly free (by nature) to work for the good of the race as an
outside observer and helper, without suffering the pains and sorrows
of race-life, had He so wished. But He chose otherwise, as we shall
see in a moment.
The absence of Race-Karma, or World-Karma, freed Him from the
necessity of the pains of humanity, which are a part of its collective
Karma. He would have been perfectly able to live a life absolutely
free from the pains, trials and troubles that are the common lot of
Man, owing to the Race-Karma. He would have escaped persecution,
physical and mental pains, and even death, had He so elected. But He
chose these things of His own free will, in order to accomplish the
great work that He saw before Him as a World-Savior.
In order for Jesus to enact His part as the Redeemer and Savior of the
race, it was necessary for Him to take upon Himself His share of the
Karma of the race--virtually taking upon Himself the "sins of the
world." Before He could lift the burden from the race of men, He must
become a man among men.
To understand this more clearly we must remember that to a being such
as Jesus--a soul free from Karma--there would be no such thing as
temptation, longings, desires, or any of the mental states of the
ordinary man with the Karma of successive past incarnations resting
within him as seeds of action pressing forward ever for unfoldment and
expression.
Jesus, the free soul, would have been practically an outside observer
of the world's affairs, and not influenced by any of its ordinary
incentives to action. In this state He could have aided the world as a
teacher and instructor, but He would not have been able to accomplish
His great task of Redeeming the world, in its highest spiritual
significance, as we shall see as we proceed. It was necessary for Him
to take upon Himself the burden of the earth-life in order to become
the Savior of the people of the earth.
The occult teachings inform us that during His sojourn abroad, Jesus
was simply a teacher, with but a dim perception of His real mission.
But gradually He began to experience periods of Illumination in which
He recognized His real nature and the difference between Himself and
other men. Then came to Him the conviction of the mighty work that lay
before Him in the redemption of the race, and He began to see the
necessity of entering into the Karmic circle of the race in order to
carry out the plan. This came gradually, by slow degrees, and the
final sacrifice was made only in the Wilderness after His Baptism by
John.
In the Wilderness, after His long fast and His days of meditation, the
way opened up for Him to take upon Himself the burden of the Karma of
the earth people. In that scene of the most tremendous spiritual
struggle that the earth has ever witnessed, Jesus deliberately bent
His shoulders that the weight be placed upon His back. From that
moment the earth-souls received a blessing far beyond the
comprehension of the mind of the ordinary man. Into the Karma-bound
circle came this mighty soul, animated by Pure Spirit, for the purpose
of lifting a great portion of the burden, and of joining in the work
of the actual unfoldment and redemption of the race.
For be it remembered that, being a free soul animated by Pure Spirit,
Jesus was A GOD--not a man, although inhabiting the fleshly garments
of humanity. His power was superior to that of many of the high
intelligences scattered throughout the universe, and playing important
parts in the cosmic processes. Jesus was Pure Spirit incarnate in
human form, with all the powers of a God. Although of course
_subordinate in expression_ to the Absolute--the Great Spirit of
Spirit--He was in His essential nature the same in substance. Verily,
as He Himself said, "I and the Father are One."
His youthful mind was not able to grasp the truth of His real nature,
but as that human instrument became perfected by age and training, He
realized the Truth and perceived His own Divinity.
But even a God, such as he, could not raise up the world from its
burden of Karma, by acting _from the outside_. Under the Cosmic Laws,
established by the Absolute, such work could be performed only _from
within_ the circle of earth-life. And so Jesus saw that to raise up
Man, He must become a Man. That is, to help lift the earth's Karma, He
must enter into it, and place Himself within its Circle of Influence.
_And this He did_.
We wonder if our readers can realize, even faintly, just what this
sacrifice meant? Think of a Pure Spirit--a Free Soul--so filled with
the love for the race of men as to renounce deliberately, for aeons of
time, total immunity from all mortal existence, and willingly to place
itself under the burden of pain, woe, misery and sin which formed the
earth-people's Karma. It was a thousand-fold greater sacrifice than
would be that of a Man of the Highest spiritual and mental
development--an Emerson, for example--who, in order to raise up the
race of earth-worms, would deliberately place himself within the being
and nature of the Group-Soul animating the race of earthworms, and
then stay within its influence, striving ever upward and onward until
finally, after aeons and aeons of time, he was able to bring up the
earthworm Group Soul to the level of Man. Think of this, and then
realize what a sacrifice Jesus made of Himself.
In the Wilderness, when Jesus took the final steps of renunciation and
sacrifice, He at once passed within the circle of the Race Karma and
laid Himself open to all the pain, misery, temptations and limitations
of a Man. His power, of course, remained with Him, but He was no
longer a God outside of the world-life, but an imprisoned God working
from within the race, using His mighty power, but bound by the Karmic
Law. He became open to influences from which previously He had been
immune. For instance when He was "tempted" by the Devil of Personal
Attainment, and urged to seek worldly glory and renown, He was tempted
only because He had taken on the world's Karma and was subject to its
laws. As a God, He would not have felt the temptation any more than a
man would feel the temptation of the earthworm. But as a man He was
subject to the desires and ambitions that perplex and "devil" the
race. And according to the rule that the greater the mental
development the greater the power of such temptation toward
self-aggrandizement (because of the mind being able to see more
clearly the opportunities), Jesus was subjected to a test that would
have been impossible to an ordinary man.
Jesus, knowing full well that He had in His possession the power to
manifest the things with which He was tempted, was compelled to fight
off the temptation to place Himself at the head of the race as its
ruler--as the King of the World. He was shown this picture to compare
with the other whose last scene was Calvary--and He was called upon to
feel the desire of the race for such things, even unto its highest
degree. Imagine the desire for personal aggrandizement of all the
world thought beating upon His mind demanding the expression which
could be had through Him alone. And then imagine the struggle
required to defeat this opposing power. Think of what the ordinary
man has to meet and overcome to conquer the desire for Personal
Aggrandizement--and then think of what the Master had to fight, with
the focussed desire of the entire Race-Thought striving to express
itself through Him! Truly the Sins of the World bore down upon Him
with their mighty weight. And yet He knew that He had taken upon
Himself this affliction by entering upon the Life of Man. And He met
it like a Man of Men.
It was only by fixing His mind fully and firmly upon what He knew to
be His Real Self--the Spirit Within His soul, and holding His mind
"one-pointed" upon the fact--that He was able to fight the fight and
conquer. Seeing the Truth, He could see the folly and illusion of all
that the world had to offer, and He could put forth His mighty Will
bidding the Tempter retire from the scene and from His mind. It was in
this full knowledge of His Spirit--His Real Self--that He was able to
rebuke the Tempter, saying, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God!"
He held fast to His realization of the God Within--the Spirit that was
within Him and all men--and thus denied out of existence the power of
the earth-things--the illusions of mortality--the _maya_ of the race.
But not alone this and other weaknesses of man's mortal nature were
constantly besieging the mind of the Master after He had taken upon
Himself the Karma of the Earth. He had also taken upon Himself the
mortal life consequent of the human frame which He inhabited. He must
live, suffer and die--even as all men--and according to the law of
mortality. And so He moved forward toward the end, knowing fully what
lay before Him. He, a God, had taken upon Himself all these attributes
of mortality, in order to be able to perform His work as the Redeemer
and Savior of the race.
And so, He lived, and suffered and died--even as you and I. He drank
the cup to the dregs, suffering as only such a finely organized mental
nature could suffer. And, men, poor creatures, speak of His sufferings
as terminating with the last breath upon the cross. Why, they only
_began_ there!
For know ye, that Jesus the Christ is still within the race of men,
suffering their woes, paying with them their penalty, every day, every
hour--yea, and must remain so throughout the ages, until finally the
soul of every man, yea, even that of the last man; the most degraded
man in the world, is fully cleansed of the Karmic taint, and thus
fully "redeemed" and "saved." And within the soul of every man is
found the Christ Principle, striving ever to elevate and lift up the
individual toward that realization of the Real Self--and this is what
"redemption" and "salvation" really means. Not a saving from
hell-fire, but a saving from the fire of carnality, and mortality. Not
a redemption from imaginary sins, but a redemption from the muck and
mire of earth-life. The God within you is like the fabled Hindu god
who descended into the body of a pig and then forgot Himself. It is to
bring you to a realization that you are a god and not a pig, that
Jesus, the Master, is working within your soul as the Christ
Principle. Have you never heard His voice, crying from within your
soul, "Come out--come out of your pig-nature and realize the god that
you verily are!" It is this "recognition, realization and
manifestation of the god within you" that constitutes "salvation" and
"redemption."
The Occult Teachings tell us that Jesus, after His final disappearance
from before the eyes of His apostles, passed on to the higher planes
of the Astral World where He rapidly discarded all of His astral and
mental vehicles which the soul had used in its manifestation. The
Astral Body and its corresponding higher sheaths were cast off and
discarded. That is, all except the very highest of all. Had He
discarded every vestige of individual soul-existence His spirit would
have immediately merged itself with the One Spirit--the Absolute--from
which it had originally proceeded and Jesus, as an entity, would have
disappeared entirely within the Ocean of the One Spirit. _This highest
state of all He had deliberately resigned until the passage of ages,
in order that He might accomplish His work as the World-Savior_.
He retained the highest vehicle--the Spiritual Mind in its highest
shade of expression--in order that as an entity He might labor for the
race. And so, He exists at this time--one in substance with the
Father, but yet maintaining an apparently separate entity-existence.
But this must be remembered, that Jesus, _as Jesus the son of Mary and
Joseph_, no longer exists. When He cast off the lower vehicles of His
personality, His personality disappeared. But His _individuality_
persisted--that is, He is still HE, although His personality has
disappeared, leaving Him--the real Him--existing as the CHRIST
PRINCIPLE.
By the above statement, we mean that when a soul reaches the highest
spiritual stage short of absolute absorption into the One Spirit, _it
is no longer a person_, but exists as _a principle_. But that
principle is not an inanimate mechanical force--it is a living,
knowing, acting principle of life. This occult fact cannot be
explained in the words of men, for no terms have been coined by which
men can speak of it. It is only indirectly that we can hope to have
even the advanced student grasp the fact.
Jesus exists today, as the Christ Principle which _actually lives_ and
acts, but which is not confined in a body of any kind, using the word
"body" in its accustomed sense. As the Christ Principle or "The
Christ" He is mingled with the life of the human race, and may be
found immanent in the mind of every man, woman and child that has ever
existed, does now exist, or will exist _so long as Man is Man_. Not
only is this true of those who have lived since His passage from the
physical body, but it is equally true of those who lived before His
birth. This apparently paradoxical statement may be understood when we
remember that these souls did not "die," but only "passed on" to the
Astral Plane, from whence they re-incarnated in due time. The Christ
(for so we shall speak of the present-state of Jesus) even entered
into, and still abides in, the Astral Plane, as well as upon the
Material Plane, for wherever the souls of men abide--or whatever place
their residence may be--there is found The Christ, ever working for
the salvation and redemption of the race.
On the Astral Plane He is working in the minds of the souls abiding
there, urging them to cast off the dross of earth-desires and to fix
the aim upon higher things, to the end that their re-incarnations may
be under improved conditions. On the Physical Plane He is working in
the hearts and minds of the earth-people, striving ever to uplift to
higher things. His aim is ever toward the liberation of the Spirit
from its material bonds--the Realization of the Real Self. And so, in
the hearts of all men, Christ is living, suffering, and being
crucified every day, and this must continue until Man is redeemed and
saved, even the last man.
This wonderful sacrifice of Christ far surpasses the physical
sacrifice of Jesus, the man. Try to imagine, if you can, even the
faintest pangs of a being so exalted compelled to dwell in the world
of the hearts and minds of a humanity so steeped in materiality as our
race, knowing always the possibilities of the souls if they would but
reach upward to higher things, and yet constantly suffering the
knowledge of the base, carnal, material thoughts and acts flowing from
these souls. Is not this the extreme refinement of torture? Does not
the agony of the cross sink into insignificance beside such spiritual
agony? You rail at the cruelty of the Jews who crucified their Savior,
and yet you crucify _your_ Savior, with a thousandfold degree of
torture, every day of your life, by your persistence in the
carnalities and foolishness of mortal thought and action.
The mighty uplift of the world since the death of Jesus, of which the
present is but a faint prophecy of the future, has been due largely to
the energizing influence of The Christ in the hearts and minds of the
race. The sense of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man,
which is now manifesting so powerfully in the world of Men, is but an
instance of the work of the Christ--the Savior and Redeemer. And the
highest dreams of the exalted souls of this generation are but
inadequate visions of what the future will hold for the race. The work
is just beginning to bud--the blossom and the fruit will render this
earth a far more glorious place than even the highest ideals of heaven
entertained by the faithful in the past. But even these things of the
future will be poor things, when compared with the life of the higher
planes which await the race when it has demonstrated its fitness to
pass on and on and on to these greater glories. And ever and ever The
Christ is working, and toiling and striving and suffering, in His
efforts to raise humanity even one petty degree in the spiritual scale
of being.
The Christ is always with us, and if we but recognize His presence we
shall be able to feel that warm, loving response to our soul-hunger
and spiritual thirst which will result in our being given that we are
so longingly craving. Here within us dwells The Christ, ever
responding to the cry of Faith, "Believe in Me and ye shall be saved."
What a promise this is seen to be when properly understood! What a
source of power and comfort is opened up to every human soul when the
Inner Truth underlying the teachings is understood! Mystic
Christianity brings this Message of Truth to each and all of you who
read these lines. Will you accept it?
We would ask our students to pause at this point and contrast the
teachings of Mystic Christianity regarding the doctrine of Christ, the
Savior, with the corresponding teachings of the current Orthodox
Theology.
On the one hand we have Jesus the God-Man deliberately choosing the
work of the World Redemption and Salvation, and descending into the
circle of the World-Karma, relinquishing the privilege of His Godhood
and taking upon Himself the penalties of Manhood; not only undergoing
the sufferings of the physical man, but also binding Himself upon the
Cross of Humanity for ages, that by His spiritual presence in and of
the race He might lift up humanity to godhood.
On the other hand, we have a picture of an angry Deity, manifesting
purely human emotion and temper, bent on revenging himself upon the
race which he had created, and demanding its eternal punishment in
hell-fire; then the same Deity creating a Son whom he sent into the
world, that this Son might be the victim of a blood-atonement and
death upon the cross, that the Deity's wrath might be appeased and the
blood of this Divine Lamb be accepted to wash out the sins of the
world.
Can you not see which is The Truth and which is the perversion? The
one is from the pure fountain of Spiritual knowledge--the other
originated in the minds of ignorant theologians who were unable to
grasp and understand the Mystic teachings, but who built up a system
of theology in accordance with their own undeveloped minds; making a
God who was but a reflection of their own cruel animal natures,
demanding, as did they themselves, blood and pain--physical torture
and death--in order to appease a most un-Divine wrath and vengeance.
Which of the two conceptions seems most in accord with the intuitive
promptings of the Something Within? Which brings the greater approval
from The Christ within your heart?
THE CHRISTIAN CREED.
There are three creeds recognized by the Christian Church--the
Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. Of these,
the first two are commonly used, the third being not so well known and
being seldom used.
The Apostles' Creed, which is the most commonly used, is believed (in
its present form) to be of later origin than the Nicene Creed, and
many authorities believe it to be a corrupted rendering of the
original declaration of faith of the Early Christians. It is as
follows:
"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and
buried; he descended into hell; the third day he arose again
from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the
right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall
come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy
Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and
the life everlasting."
The Nicene Creed was drawn up and adopted by the Council of Nice in
the year A.D. 325. As originally adopted it ended with the words "I
believe in the Holy Ghost," the present concluding clauses being added
by the Council of Constantinople in A.D. 381, excepting the words "and
the Son," which were inserted by the Council of Toledo, A.D. 589. It
is as follows:
"I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Maker of Heaven
and earth, and all things visible and invisible; and in one
Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of
his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one
substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who
for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and
was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was
made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius
Pilate; he suffered and was buried and the third day he rose
again according to the scriptures and ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall
come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead,
whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy
Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the
Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son is
worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets; and I
believe in one catholic and apostolic church; I acknowledge
one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the
resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come."
Let us now briefly examine the principal statements of these creeds,
which were compiled centuries after Jesus' death, viewing them by the
light of Mystic Christianity.
"I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth, and all things visible and invisible."--(_Nicene Creed_.)
The form of the above fundamental principle of Christian belief is
taken from the Nicene Creed, which is somewhat fuller than the similar
declaration in the Apostles' Creed. It requires no comment. It is a
statement of belief in a One Creative Power, from which all things
have proceeded. There is no attempt made to "explain" the nature of
the Absolute, or to endow it with any of the human attributes which
theologians have delighted in bestowing upon the One. It merely
asserts a belief in the existence of One Supreme Being--which is all
that is possible to man--all else is ignorant impertinence.
"And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the
Holy Ghost."--(_Apostles' Creed_.)
"And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten
of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God
of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the
Father."--(_Nicene Creed_.)
In this declaration, the belief in the Divinity of Jesus is made. The
Apostles' Creed shows the cruder conception, rather inclining toward
the perverted idea of the conception of the Virgin by the aid of the
Holy Ghost, similar to the origin of the hero-gods of the different
religions in which the father was one of the gods and the mother a
woman. But the Nicene creed gives at least a strong hint of the mystic
teachings. It speaks of Him as "begotten of his Father"--"begotten,
not made." The expressions, "God of God; Light of Light; very God of
very God," show the idea of identical spiritual substance in the
Spirit. And then the remarkable expression, "being of one substance
with the Father," shows a wonderful understanding of the Mystery of
The Christ. For, as the mystic teachings show, Jesus was a pure
Spirit, free from the entangling desires and clogging Karma of the
world. Identical in substance with the Father. "The Father and I are
one," as He said. Is there anything in the Orthodox Theology that
throws such light on this subject as is shed by Mystic Christianity's
teaching regarding the nature of the soul of Jesus?
"Born of the Virgin Mary."--(_Apostles' Creed_.)
"Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was
incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made
man."--(_Nicene Creed_.)
The Nicene Creed here gives a surprisingly clear statement of the
Mystic teachings. "Who for us men and our salvation came down from
heaven" shows the purpose of the incarnation. "Came down from heaven"
shows pre-existence in the bosom of the Absolute. "And was incarnate"
shows the descent of the Spirit into the flesh in the womb of Mary.
"And was made man" shows the taking on of the physical body of the
infant in the womb. Does not the Mystic teaching give a clearer light
on this statement of the Creed?
"Was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third
day he rose again from the dead."--(_Apostles' Creed_.)
"He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again
according to the scriptures, and sitteth on the right hand of the
Father."--(_Nicene Creed_.)
The "descent into hell" of the Apostles' Creed of course meant the
passing to the place of disembodied souls--the lower Astral Plane.
Even the orthodox teachers do not now pretend that the term "hell"
meant the place of torture presided over by the Devil, which theology
has invented to frighten people into the churches. "The third day he
arose from the dead" (and the corresponding passage in the Nicene
Creed) refers to the appearance in the Astral Body--the return from
the Astral Plane in which He had sojourned for the three days
following the crucifixion. "And ascended into heaven"--this passage
shows the belief that He returned to the place from which He came, for
the Nicene Creed has stated that he "_came down from heaven_ and was
incarnate ... and was made man."
The passage in both creeds stating that He then took his place "on the
right hand of the Father" is intended to show that He took the place
of the highest honor in the gift of the Father. The mystic teachings
explain this by showing that The Christ is separated from The Father
by but the most ethereal intervening of spiritual substance, and that
He is a Cosmic Principle second in importance only to the Father.
Truly this is the place of honor on "the right hand of the Father."
"He shall come to fudge the quick and the dead."
In this passage we see the intimation that not only with the "quick"
or living people is The Christ concerned, but also with the "dead,"
that is, with those who "passed out" before and after His time and who
have passed on to the Astral World, as we have explained in this
lesson. Whether or not the framers of the Creed so understood
it--whether or not they were deluded by the tradition of the "Day of
Judgment"--certainly the Early Christians, or rather, the mystics
among them, understood the teachings as we have given them and spoke
of Him as "living in the dead as well as in the living," as one of the
occult records expresses it.
"The communion of saints" is the spiritual understanding of the
Mysteries by the Illumined Ones. "The forgiveness of sins" is the
overcoming of the carnal mind and desires. "The resurrection of the
dead and the life of the world to come" is the promise of life beyond
the grave, and not the crude idea of the physical resurrection of the
body, which has crept into the Apostles' Creed, evidently having been
inserted at a later date in order to bolster up the pet theories of a
school of theologians. Note that the Nicene Creed says merely "the
dead" and not "the body." The version of the teachings preserved by
the Mystics has a corresponding passage, "And we know the _truth_ of
the _deathlessness of the soul_." (The italics are ours.)
The consideration of remaining passages in the creeds, relating to the
existence of the "Holy Ghost," must be deferred until our next lesson.
THE TENTH LESSON
THE SECRET DOCTRINE.
The concluding statement of the Creeds (brought over from the
preceding lesson) refers to the Holy Ghost.
"I believe in the Holy Ghost." (_Apostles' Creed_.)
"And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life."
(_Nicene Creed_.)
To the average Christian the nature of the Holy Ghost--one of the
beings of the Trinity--is veiled in obscurity, and is generally
pronounced "not to be understood." A careful examination of the
orthodox Christian writings will show the student that the Church is
very much at sea regarding this subject, which should be of the
greatest importance to its priests and congregations. Ask the average
intelligent churchman regarding the nature of the Holy Ghost, and see
for yourself the vague, contradictory and unsatisfactory concepts held
by the person questioned. Then turn to the encyclopaedias and other
books of reference, and see how little is known or taught regarding
this important subject.
It is only when the teachings of Mystic Christianity are consulted
that one receives any light on the subject. The Occult Teachings are
quite explicit on this subject so fraught with difficulty and lack of
comprehension on the part of the orthodox teachers and students.
The teaching of Mystic Christianity, regarding the Holy Ghost, may be
summed up by the great general statement that: _The Holy Ghost is the
Absolute in its phase of Manifestation, as compared to its phase of
Unmanifestation_--_Manifest Being as compared with Unmanifest
Being_--_God Create as compared with God Uncreate_--_God acting as the
Creative Principle as compared to God as The Absolute Being_.
The student is asked to read over the above general statement a number
of times and to concentrate his or her attention carefully upon it,
before proceeding further with the lesson.
To understand the above statement it is necessary for the student to
remember that the Absolute may be thought of as existing in _two
phases. Not as two persons or beings_, remember, but as in _two
phases_. There is but One Being--there can be but One--but we may
think of that One as existing in two phases. One of these phases is
Being Unmanifest; the other, Being Manifest.
_Being Unmanifest_ is the One in its phase of Absolute Being,
undifferentiated, unmanifested, uncreated; without attributes,
qualities, or natures.
It is impossible for the human mind to grasp the above concept of
Being Manifest in the sense of being able to think of it as a "Thing,
or Something." This because of the essential being of it. If it were
like anything that we can think of, it would not be the Absolute, nor
would it be Unmanifest. Everything that we can think of as a "thing"
is a relative thing--a manifestation into objective being.
But we are compelled by the very laws of our reason to admit that the
Absolute Being Unmanifest exists, for the Manifest and Relative
Universe and Life _must have_ proceeded and emanated from a
Fundamental Reality, which must be Absolute and Unmanifest. And this
Being which our highest reason causes us to assume to exist is Being
Unmanifest--God the Father--who cannot be known through the
senses--whose existence is made known to us only through Pure Reason,
or through the workings of the Spirit within us. In the material sense
"God is Unknowable"--but in the higher sense He may be known to the
Spirit of Man, and His existence may be _known_ and proven by the
exercise of the highest faculties of the reason.
Being Unmanifest is the One in its _actual_ existence and being. If
all the world of objective life and manifestation, even to its highest
forms, were withdrawn from manifestation, then there would be
left--what? Simply and solely, Being Unmanifest--God the Father,
alone. Into His Being all else would be withdrawn. Outside of Him
there would be _nothing_. He would be Himself--One--existing in the
phase of Being Unmanifest.
We are aware that this idea may seem to be "too abstruse" for the
minds of some of our students at first reading--it may appear like an
assertion of a Being who is Non-Being. But, be not too hasty--take
time--and your mind will assimilate the concept, and will find that it
has a corresponding Truth imbedded in its inmost recesses, and then it
will know this to be the Truth. And then will it recognize the
existence of God the Father, as compared with God, the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost, as we have said, is the Absolute in its phase of
Manifest Being. That is, it is God as manifest in the Spirit of Life,
which is immanent in, and manifest in, all objective life and
phenomena in the Cosmos or Universe.
In previous series of lessons in the Yogi Philosophy, we have shown
you that there was a Spirit of Life immanent in, and manifesting
through, all forms of life. We have also shown you that everything in
the Universe is alive--down to even the minerals, and the atoms
composing matter. We have shown you that inasmuch as the Spirit of
Life is the source of all Manifestations in the universe, and the "God
in the machine" of all phenomena of force, matter and life, then it
naturally follows that there can be nothing dead in the world--that
there is LIFE manifesting in every object, varying only in the degree
of manifestation. In our "Advanced Lessons" and in "Gnani Yoga" this
subject is considered in detail. Then what is this Spirit of Life? If
God is All, then it cannot be Something other than God. But it cannot
well be God the Uncreate--the Absolute in its Absolute phase--the
Being Unmanifest. Then what can it be?
The student will see that the natural and logical answer to the
question with which we have closed the preceding paragraph must be:
Being Manifest--God in Creation--the Holy Ghost! And this is the
Occult Teaching concerning this great mystery of Christianity. And see
how well the framers of the Nicene Creed grasped the traditions of the
Early Church, when it said: "And I believe in the Holy Ghost, _the
Lord and Giver of Life_."
The teaching regarding the Immanent God lies at the foundation of all
of the Mystic teachings of all peoples, races, and times. No matter
under what names the teaching is promulgated--no matter what the name
of the creed or religion in which it is found imbedded--it is still
the Truth regarding the God Immanent in all forms of life, force, and
matter. And it always is found forming the Secret Doctrine of the
philosophy, creed or religion. The Outer Teaching generally confines
itself to the instruction of the undeveloped minds of the people, and
cloaks the real Truth behind some conception of a Personal Deity, or
Deities--gods and demi-gods, who are supposed to dwell afar off in
some heavenly realm--some great Being who created the world and then
left it to run itself, giving it but occasional attention, and
reserving his consideration principally for the purpose of rewarding
those who gave him homage, worship and sacrifices and punishing those
who failed to conform with the said requirements. These personal
deities are believed generally to favor the particular people who give
them their names and temples, and accordingly to hate the enemies of
the said tribe or nation.
But the Secret Doctrine or Esoteric Teaching of all religions has
brushed aside these primitive conceptions of undeveloped minds, and
teach the Truth of the Immanent God--the Power inherent in and abiding
in all life and manifestations. And Christianity is no exception to
the rule, and in its declaration of faith in the Holy Ghost its
esoteric principle is stated.
While the tendency of the orthodox churches today is to say very
little about God the Holy Ghost, for the reason that it cannot explain
the meaning of the term, Mystic Christianity boldly declares its
allegiance to this principle of the earlier teachings and reverently
repeats the words of the Nicene Creed, "I believe in the Holy Ghost,
THE LORD AND GIVER OF LIFE."
* * * * *
That there is a Secret Doctrine of Christianity is not generally known
to the majority who claim the name of "Christian." But it has always
been known to the mystics in and out of the church, and its flame has
been kept steadily alight by a few devoted souls who were chosen for
this sacred task.
The Secret Doctrine of Christianity did not originate with Jesus, for
He, Himself, was an Initiate of Mysteries which had been known and
taught for centuries before His birth. As St. Augustine has said:
"That which is called the Christian Religion existed among
the ancients _and never did not exist_, from the beginning
of the human race until Christ came in the flesh, at which
time the true religion which already existed began to be
called Christianity."
We would like to quote here a few paragraphs from the writings of a
well known writer on religious subjects, with which statement we
heartily agree, although our views on certain other points of teaching
do not agree with those of this writer. He says:
"It may be said that in the present day these doctrines are
simply not taught in the churches; how is that? It is
because Christianity has forgotten much of its original
teachings, because it is now satisfied with only part, and a
very small part, of what it originally knew. 'They still
have the same scriptures,' you will say. Yes, but those very
scriptures tell you often of something more, which is now
lost. What is meant by Christ's constant references to the
'Mysteries of the Kingdom of God'--by His frequent statement
to His disciples that the full and true interpretation could
be given only to them, and that to others He must speak in
parables? Why does He perpetually use the technical terms
connected with the well known mystery-teaching of antiquity?
What does St. Paul mean when he says, 'We speak wisdom among
them which are perfect'--a well known technical term for the
men at a certain stage of initiation? Again and again he
uses terms of the same sort; he speaks of 'the wisdom of God
in mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the
world began, and which none even of the princes of this
world know'--a statement which could not by any possibility
have been truthfully made if he had been referring merely to
ordinary Christian teaching which is openly preached before
all men. His immediate followers, the Fathers of the Church,
knew perfectly well what he meant, for they all use
precisely the same phraseology. Clement of Alexandria, one
of the earliest and greatest of all, tells us that 'It is
not lawful to reveal to the profane persons the Mysteries of
the Word.'"
"Another consideration shows us clearly how much of this
early teaching has been lost. The church now devotes herself
solely to producing good men, and points to the _saint_ as
her crowning glory and achievement. But in older days she
claimed to be able to do much more than that. When she had
made a man a saint, her work with him was only just
beginning, for then only was he fit for the training and
teaching which she _could_ give him then, but cannot now,
because she has forgotten her ancient knowledge. Then she
had three definite stages in her course of
training--Purification, Illumination and Perfection. Now she
contents herself with the preliminary Purification, and has
no Illumination to give."
"Read what Clement says: 'Purity is only a negative state,
valuable chiefly as the condition of insight. He who has
been purified in Baptism and then initiated into the Little
Mysteries (has acquired, that is to say, the habits of
self-control and reflection) becomes rife for the Greater
Mysteries for the Gnosis, the scientific knowledge of God.'
In another place he says: 'Knowledge is more than faith.
Faith is a summary knowledge of urgent truths, suitable for
people who are in a hurry; but knowledge is scientific
faith.' And his pupil Origen writes of 'the popular,
irrational faith' which leads to what he calls physical
Christianity, based upon the gospel history, as opposed to
the spiritual Christianity conferred by the Gnosis of
Wisdom. Speaking of teaching founded upon historical
narrative, he says, 'What better method could be devised to
assist the masses?' But for those who are wise he has always
the higher teachings, which are given only to those who have
proved themselves worthy of it. This teaching is not lost;
the church cast it out when she expelled the great Gnostic
Doctors, but it has nevertheless been preserved, and it is
precisely that Wisdom which we are studying--precisely that
which we find to answer all the problems of life, to give us
a rational rule by which to live, to be to us a veritable
gospel of good news from on high."
St. Paul indicates the existence of the Secret Doctrine of
Christianity, when he says to the Corinthians:
"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto
spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ. I
fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able
to bear it; nay, not even now are ye able, for ye are yet
carnal." (_I Cor. 3:1._)
Jesus said: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast
your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their
feet, and turn and rend you." (_Matt. 7:6._)
St. Clement of Alexandria has said regarding the above saying of
Jesus:
"Even now I fear, as it is said, 'to cast the pearls before
swine, lest they tread them underfoot, and turn and rend
us.' For it is difficult to exhibit the really pure and
transparent words respecting the true Light to swinish and
untrained hearers."
In the first century after Christ, the term "The Mysteries of Jesus"
was frequently used by the Christian teachers, and the Inner Circle of
Christians was recognized as a body of advanced souls who had
developed so far as to be able to comprehend these mysteries.
The following passage from St. Mark (4:10-12) is interesting in this
connection:
"And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the
twelve asked of Him the parables. And He said unto them,
'Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but
unto them that are without, all things are done in parables:
that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they
may hear, and not understand.'"
The same writer says (4:33-34):
"And with many such parables spake He the word unto them, as
they were able to hear it; and without a parable spake He
not unto them; but privately to His own disciples He
expounded all things."
Jesus said to His disciples (_John 16:12._): "I have yet many things
to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now." The Occult Teachings
state that when He returned in His astral form, after the crucifixion,
He taught them many important and advanced mystic truths, "speaking of
the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." (_Acts 1:3._)
The early Christian Fathers spake and wrote openly regarding the
Christian Mysteries, as all students of Church History well know.
Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, writes to certain others hoping that they
are "well versed in the sacred Scriptures and that nothing is hidden
from you; but to me this privilege is not yet granted." (_The Epistle
of Polycarp, chapter 7._) Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, says that he is
"not yet perfect in Jesus Christ. For I now begin to be a disciple,
and I speak to you as my fellow disciple." He also addresses them as
being "initiated into the Mysteries of the Gospel, with St. Paul, the
holy, the martyred." Again:
"Might I not write to you things more full of mystery? But I
fear to do so, lest I should inflict injury on you who are
but babes. Pardon me in this respect, lest, as not being
able to receive their weighty import, ye should be strangled
by them. For even I, though I am bound and am able to
understand heavenly things, the angelic orders, and the
different sorts of angels and hosts, the distinction between
powers and dominions, and the diversities between thrones
and authorities, the mightiness of the aeons, and the
preëminence of the cherubim and seraphim, the sublimity of
the Spirit, the kingdom of the Lord, and above all the
incomparable majesty of Almighty God--though I am acquainted
with these things, yet am I not therefore by any means
perfect, nor am I such a disciple as Paul or Peter."
Ignatius also speaks of the High Priest or Hierophant, of whom he
asserts that he was the one "to whom the holy of holies has been
committed, and who alone has been entrusted with the secrets of God."
(_Epistles of Ignatius._)
St. Clement of Alexandria was a mystic of high rank in the Inner
Circle of the Church. His writings are full of allusions to the
Christian Mysteries. He says among other things that his writings were
"a miscellany of Gnostic notes, according to the time philosophy,"
which teachings he had received from Pontaemus, his instructor or
spiritual teacher. He says of these teachings:
"The Lord allowed us to communicate of those divine
Mysteries and of that holy light, to those who are able to
receive them. He did not certainly disclose to the many what
did not belong to the many; but to the few to whom He knew
that they belonged, who were capable of receiving and being
moulded according to them. But secret things are intrusted
to speech, not to writing, as is the case with God. And if
one say that it is written, 'There is nothing secret which
shall not be revealed, nor hidden, which shall not be
disclosed,' let him also hear from us, that to him who hears
secretly, even what is secret shall be manifested. This is
what was predicted by this oracle. And to him who is able
secretly to observe what is delivered to him, that which is
veiled shall be disclosed as truth; and what is hidden to
the many shall appear manifest to the few. The mysteries are
delivered mystically, that what is spoken may be in the
mouth of the speaker; rather not in his voice, but in his
understanding. The writing of these memoranda of mine, I
well know, is weak when compared with that spirit full of
grace, which I was privileged to hear. But it will be an
image to recall the archetype to him who was struck with the
Thyrsus."
(We may state here that the Thyrsus was the mystic-wand carried by the
Initiates in the Mystic Brotherhoods--the Initiate being first tapped
with it, and then receiving it from the Hierophant, at the ceremony of
formal Initiation.) Clement adds:
"We profess not to explain secret things sufficiently--far
from it--but only to recall them to memory, whether we have
forgot aught, or whether for the purpose of not forgetting.
Many things, well I know, have escaped us, through length of
time, that have dropped away unwritten. There are then some
things of which we have no recollection; for the power that
was in the blessed men was great."
"There are also some things which remain unnoted long, which have now
escaped; and others which are effaced, having faded away in the mind
itself, since such a task is not easy to those not experienced; these
I revive in my commentaries. Some things I purposely omit, in the
exercise of a wise selection, afraid to write what I guarded against
speaking; not grudging--for that were wrong--but fearing for my
readers lest they should stumble by taking them in a wrong sense; and,
as the proverb says, we should be found 'reaching a sword to a child.'
For it is impossible that what has been written should not escape,
although remaining published by me. But being always revolved, using
the one only voice, that of writing, they answer nothing to him that
makes inquiries beyond what is written; for they require of necessity
the aid of someone, either of him who wrote or of someone else, who
walked in his footsteps. Some things my treatise will hint; on some it
will linger; some it will merely mention. It will try to speak
imperceptibly, to exhibit secretly, and to demonstrate silently."
(_The Stromata of St. Clement._)
St. Clement, in the same work from which the above quotation was
taken, has a chapter entitled "The Mysteries of the Faith, not to be
Divulged to all." In it he states that inasmuch as his writings might
be seen by all men, the unwise as well as the wise, "it is requisite,
therefore, to hide in a Mystery the wisdom spoken, in which the Son of
God is taught." He then adds, "For it is difficult to exhibit the
really pure and transparent words to swinish and untrained hearers.
For scarcely could anything which they could bear be more ludicrous
than these to the multitude; nor any subjects on the other hand more
admirable or more inspiring to those of noble nature. But the wise do
not utter with their mouths what they reason in council. 'But what ye
hear in the ear,' said the Lord, 'proclaim upon the houses; bidding
them receive the _secret traditions of the true knowledge_, and
expound them aloft and conspicuously; and as we have said in the ear,
so to deliver them to whom it is requisite; but _not enjoining us to
communicate to all without distinction_ what is said to them in
parables. But there is only a delineation in the memoranda, which have
the truth sown sparse and broadcast, that it may escape the notice of
those who pick up seeds like jackdaws; but when they find a good
husbandman, each of them will germinate and will produce corn."
"Those who are still blind and dumb, not having understanding, or the
undazzled and keen vision of the contemplative soul, must stand
outside of the divine choir. Wherefore, in accordance with the method
of concealment, the truly sacred Word, truly divine and most necessary
for us, deposited in the shrine of truth, was by the Egyptians
indicated by what were called among them _adyta_, and by the Hebrews
'the veil.' Only the consecrated were allowed access to them. For
Plato also thought it not lawful for 'the impure to touch the pure.'
Thence the prophecies and oracles are spoken in enigmas, and to the
untrained and uninstructed people. Now, then, it is not wished that
all things should be exposed indiscriminately to all and sundry, or
the benefits of wisdom communicated to those who have not even in a
dream been purified in soul, for it is not allowable to hand to every
chance comer what has been procured with such laborious efforts. Nor
are the Mysteries of the Word to be expounded to the profane. The
Mysteries were established for the reason that it was more beneficial
that the holy and the blessed contemplation of realities be conceded.
So that, on the other hand, then, there are the Mysteries which were
hid till the time of the apostles, and were delivered by them as they
received from the Lord, and, concealed in the Old Testament, were
manifested to the saints. And on the other hand, there is the riches
of the glory of the mysteries of the Gentiles, which is faith and hope
in Christ. Instruction, which reveals hidden things, is called
Illumination, as it is the teacher only who uncovers the lid of the
ark." (_The Stromata of St. Clement_.)
St. Clement also quotes approvingly the saying of Plato, that: "We
must speak in enigmas; that should the tablet come by any mischance on
its leaves either by sea or land he who reads may remain ignorant." He
also says, concerning certain Gnostic writings:
"Let the specimen suffice to those who have ears. For it is
not required to unfold the mystery, but only to indicate
what is sufficient for those who are partakers in knowledge
to bring it to mind."
We have quoted freely from St. Clement, for the purpose of showing
that he, a man in a very exalted position in the Early Christian
Church, recognized, and actually taught, the Inner Teachings, or
Secret Doctrine of Mystic Christianity--that the Early Christian
Church was an organization having a Mystic Centre for the few, and
Common Outer for the multitude. Can there be any doubt of this after
reading the above words from his pen?
But not only St. Clement so wrote and taught, but many others in
authority in the Early Christian Church likewise voiced their
knowledge of, and approval in, the Inner Teachings. For example,
Origen, the pupil of St. Clement, a man whose influence was felt on
all sides in the early days of the Church. Origen defended
Christianity from the attacks of Celsus, who charged the Church with
being a secret organization which taught the Truth only to a few,
while it satisfied the multitude with popular teachings and
half-truths. Origen replied that, while it was true that there were
Inner Teachings in the Church which were not revealed to the general
public, still the Church, in that respect, was but following the
example of all teachers of Truth, who always maintained an esoteric
side of their teachings for those fitted to participate in them, while
giving the exoteric side to the general body of followers. He writes:
"And yet the Mystery of the Resurrection, not being
understood, is made a subject of ridicule among unbelievers.
In these circumstances, to speak of the Christian doctrine
as a _secret system_ is altogether absurd. But that there
should be certain doctrines, not made known to the
multitude, which are divulged after the exoteric ones have
been taught, is not a peculiarity of Christianity alone, but
also of philosophic systems in which certain truths are
exoteric and others esoteric. Some of the hearers of
Pythagoras were content with his _ipse dixit;_ while others
were taught in secret those doctrines which were not deemed
fit to be communicated to profane and insufficiently
prepared ears. Moreover, all the Mysteries that are
celebrated everywhere throughout Greece and barbarous
countries, although held in secret, have no discredit thrown
upon them, so that it is in vain he endeavors to calumniate
the secret doctrines of Christianity, seeing that he does
not correctly understand its nature."
"I have not yet spoken of the observance of all that is
written in the Gospels, each one of which contains much
doctrine difficult to be understood, not merely by the
multitude, but even by certain of the more intelligent,
including a very profound explanation of the parables, which
Jesus delivered to 'those without' while reserving the
exhibition of their full meaning for those who had passed
beyond the stage of exoteric teaching, and who came to Him
privately in the house. And when he comes to understand it,
he will admire the reason why some are said to be 'without'
and others 'in the house.'" (_Origen against Celsus_.)
In the same work Origen considers the story of the Syria-Phoenician
woman (_Matt. Chap. 15_) and says concerning it:
"And perhaps, also, of the words of Jesus there are some
loaves which it is possible to give to the more rational, as
to the children, only; and others as it were crumbs from the
great house and table of the well-born, which may be used by
some souls like dogs."
And, again,
"He whose soul has, for a long time, been conscious of no
evil, especially since he yielded himself to the healing of
the Word, let such a one hear _the doctrines which were
spoken in private by Jesus to His genuine disciples_."
And, again,
"But on these subjects much, and that of a mystical kind,
might be said: in keeping with which is the following: 'It
is good to keep close to the secret of a king,' in order
that _the doctrine of the entrance of souls into bodies_ may
not be thrown before the common understanding, nor what is
holy given to the dogs, nor pearls be cast before swine. For
such a procedure would be impious, being equivalent to a
betrayal of the mysterious declaration of God's wisdom. It
is sufficient, however, to represent in the style of a
historic narrative what is intended to convey a secret
meaning in the garb of history, that those who have the
capacity may work out for themselves all that relates to the
subject."
He also says, in the same work:
"If you come to the books written after the time of Jesus,
you will find that those multitudes of believers who hear
the parables are, as it were, 'without,' and worthy only of
exoteric doctrines, while the disciples learn in private the
explanation of the parables. _For, privately, to His own
disciples did Jesus open up all things, esteeming above the
multitudes those who desired to know His wisdom._ And He
promises to those who believe on Him to send them wise men
and scribes."
In another work, Origen states that:
"The Scriptures have a meaning, not only such as is apparent
at first sight, but also another, which escapes the notice
of most men. For such is written in the forms of certain
Mysteries, and the image of divine things. Respecting which
there is one opinion throughout the whole Church, that the
whole law is indeed spiritual; _but that the spiritual
meaning which the law conveys is not known to all_, but to
those only on whom the grace of the Holy Spirit is bestowed
in the word of wisdom and knowledge." (_De Principiis_.)
We could fill page after page with live quotations from the writings
of the Early Christian Fathers, and their successors, showing the
existence of the Inner Teachings. But we must rest content with those
which we have given you, which are clear and to the point, and which
_come from undoubted authority_.
The departure of the Church from these Inner Teachings was a great
calamity, from which the Church is still suffering. As that well-known
occultist, Eliphias Levi, has said:
"A great misfortune befell Christianity. The betrayal of the
Mysteries by the false Gnostics--for the Gnostics, that is,
_those who know_, were the Initiates of primitive
Christianity--caused the Gnosis to be rejected, and
alienated the Church from the supreme truths of the Kabbala,
which contains all the secrets of transcendental
theology.... Let the most absolute science, let the highest
reason become once more the patrimony of the leaders of the
people; let the sarcerdotal art and the royal art take the
double sceptre of antique initiations and the social world
will once more issue from its chaos. Burn the holy images no
longer; demolish the temples no more; temples and images are
necessary for men; but drive the hirelings from the house of
prayer; let the blind be no longer leaders of the blind;
reconstruct the hierarchy of intelligence and holiness, and
recognize only _those who know_ as the teachers of _those
who believe_." (_The Mysteries of Magic, Waite
translation_.)
And now, you ask, what were taught in these Christian Mysteries--what
is the Inner Teaching--what the Secret Doctrine? Simply this, good
students--the Occult Philosophy and Mystic Lore which has been taught
to the Elect in all times and ages, and which is embodied in our
several series of lessons on THE YOGI PHILOSOPHY AND ORIENTAL
OCCULTISM, _plus the special teaching regarding the nature, mission,
and sacrifice of Jesus the Christ, as we have tried to explain in the
present series of lessons_. The Truth is the same no matter under what
name it is taught, or who teaches it. Strip it of the personal
coloring of the teacher and it is seen to be the same--THE TRUTH.
In these lessons we have tried to give you the Key to the Mysteries,
but unless you have studied the other lessons in which the Occult
Teachings have been set forth, you will not be able to see their
application in Mystic Christianity. You must bring Knowledge to these
lessons, in order to take away knowledge.
THE ELEVENTH LESSON
THE ANCIENT WISDOM.
The doctrine of Metempsychosis or Re-incarnation has its roots deeply
imbedded in the soil of all religions--that is, in the Inner Teachings
or Esoteric phase of all religious systems. And this is true of the
Inner Teachings of the Christian Church as well as of the other
systems. The Christian Mysteries comprised this as well as the other
fundamental occult doctrines, and the Early Church held such teachings
in its Inner Circle.
And, in its essence, the doctrine of Re-birth is the only one that is
in full accord with the Christian conception of ultimate justice and
"fairness." As a well known writer has said concerning this subject:
"It relieves us of many and great difficulties. It is
impossible for any one who looks around him and sees the
sorrow and suffering in the world, and the horrible
inequality in the lives of men--not inequality in wealth
merely, but inequality in opportunity of progress--to
harmonize these facts with the love and justice of God,
unless he is willing to accept this theory that this one
life is not all, but that it is only a day in the real life
of the soul, and that each soul therefore has made its place
for itself, and is receiving just such training as is best
for its evolution. Surely the only theory which enables a
man rationally to believe in Divine justice, without
shutting his eyes to obvious facts, is a theory worthy of
study.
"Modern theology concerns itself principally with a plan for
evading divine justice, which it elects to call 'Salvation,'
and it makes this plan depend entirely upon what a man
believes, or rather upon what he says that he believes. This
whole theory of 'salvation,' and indeed the theory that
there is anything to be 'saved' from, seems to be based upon
a misunderstanding of a few texts of scripture. We do not
believe in this idea of a so-called divine wrath; we think
that to attribute to God our own vices of anger and cruelty
is a terrible blasphemy. We hold to the theory of steady
evolution and final attainment for all; and we think that
the man's progress depends not upon what he believes, but
upon what he does. And there is surely very much in the
bible to support this idea. Do you remember St. Paul's
remark, 'Be not deceived, God is not mocked; whatsoever a
man soweth, that shall he also reap'? And again, Christ said
that 'They that _have done good_ shall go unto the
resurrection of life'--not they that have believed some
particular doctrine. And when He describes the day of
judgment, you will notice that no question is raised as to
what anybody has believed, but only as to the works which he
has done."
In this connection, we think that it is advisable to quote from the
address of a well known English churchman upon this important subject.
The gentleman in question is The Ven. Archdeacon Colley, Rector of
Stockton, Warwickshire, England, who said:
"In the realm of the occult and transcendental, moved to its
exploration from the Sadducean bias of my early days, I have
for the best part of half a century had experiences rarely
equaled by any, and I am sure, surpassed by none; yet have
they led me up till now, I admit, to no very definite
conclusions. With suspension of judgment, therefore, not
being given to dogmatize on anything, and with open mind I
trust, in equipoise of thought desiring to hold an even
balance of opinion 'twixt this and that, I am studious still
of being receptive of light from every source--rejecting
nothing that in the least degree makes for righteousness,
hence my taking the chair here tonight, hoping to learn what
may help to resolve a few of the many perplexities of life,
to wit: Why some live to the ripe old age of my dear father
while others live but for a moment, to be born, gasp and
die. Why some are born rich and others poor; some having
wealth only to corrupt, defile, deprave others therewith,
while meritorious poverty struggles and toils for human
betterment all unaided. Some gifted with mentality; others
pitiably lacking capacity. Some royal-souled from the first
naturally, others with brutal, criminal propensities from
beginning to end.
"The sins of the fathers visited upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation may in heredity account for
much, but I want to see through the mystery of a good father
at times having a bad son, as also of one showing genius and
splendid faculties--the offspring of parentage the reverse
of anything suggesting qualities contributive thereto. Then
as a clergyman, I have in my reading noted texts of Holy
Scripture, and come across passages in the writings of the
Fathers of the Early Church which seem to be root-thoughts,
or survivals of the old classic idea of re-incarnation.
"The prophet Jeremiah (1:5) writes, 'The word of the Lord
came unto me saying, before I formed thee, I knew thee, and
before thou wast born I sanctified thee and ordained thee a
prophet.'
"Does this mean that the Eternal-Uncreate chose, from foreknowledge of
what Jeremiah would be, the created Ego of His immaterialized servant
in heaven ere he clothed his soul with the mortal integument of flesh
in human birth--schooling him above for the part he had to play here
below as a prophet to dramatize in his life and teaching the will of
the Unseen? To the impotent man at the Pool of Bethesda, whose
infirmity was the cruel experience of eight and thirty years, the
Founder of our religion said (_John 5:14._), 'Behold, thou art made
whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.' Was it
(fitting the punishment to the crime proportionately) some outrageous
sin as a boy, in the spring of years and days of his inexperienced
youth of bodily life, that brought on him such physical sorrow, which
youthful sin in its repetition would necessitate an even worse ill
than this nearly forty years of sore affliction? 'Who did sin, this
man or his parents, that he was born blind?' (_John 9:2._), was the
question of the disciples to Jesus. And our query is--Sinned _before_
he was born to deserve the penalty of being born blind?
"Then of John the Baptist--was he a reincarnation of Elijah, the
prophet, who was to come again? (_Malachi 4:5._). Jesus said he _was_
Elijah, who indeed had come, and the evil-minded Jews had done unto
him whatsoever they listed. Herod had beheaded him (_Matt. 11:14_ and
_17:12._).
"Elijah and John the Baptist appear from our reference Bibles and
Cruden's Concordance to concur and commingle in one. The eighth verse
of the first chapter of the second Book of Kings and the fourth verse
of the third chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel note similarities in them
and peculiarities of dress. Elijah, as we read, was a 'hairy man and
girt a leathern girdle about his loins,' while John the Baptist had
'his raiment of camel's hair and a leathern girdle about his loins.'
Their home was the solitude of the desert. Elijah journeyed forty days
and forty nights unto Horeb, the mount of God in the Wilderness of
Sinai. John the Baptist was in the wilderness of Judea beyond Jordan
baptizing. And their life in exile--a self-renunciating and voluntary
withdrawal from the haunts of men--was sustained in a parallel
remarkable way by food (bird--brought on wing--borne). 'I have
commanded the ravens to feed thee,' said the voice of Divinity to the
prophet; while locusts and wild honey were the food of the Baptist.
"'And above all,' said our Lord of John the Baptist to the disciples,
'if ye _will_ receive it, this is Elias which was for to come.'
"Origen, in the second century, one of the most learned of the Fathers
of the early Church, says that this declares the pre-existence of John
the Baptist as Elijah before his decreed later existence as Christ's
forerunner.
"Origen also says on the text, 'Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have
hated,' that if our course be not marked out according to our works
before this present life that now is, how would it not be untrue and
unjust in God that the elder brother should serve the younger and be
hated by God (though blessed of righteous Abraham's son, of Isaac)
before Esau had done anything deserving of servitude or given any
occasion for the merciful Almighty's hatred?
"Further, on the text (_Ephesians 1:4._), 'God who hath chosen us
before the foundation of the world,' Origen says that this suggests
our pre-existence ere the world was.
"While Jerome, agreeing with Origen, speaks of our rest above, where
rational creatures dwell before their descent to this lower world, and
prior to their removal from the invisible life of the spiritual sphere
to the visible life here on earth, teaching, as he says, the necessity
of their again having material bodies ere, as saints and men made
'perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect,' they once more
enjoy in the angel-world their _former_ blessedness.
"Justin Martyr also speaks of the soul inhabiting the human body more
than once, but thinks as a rule (instanced in the case of John the
Baptist forgetting that he had been Elijah) it is not permitted us to
remember our former experiences of this life while yet again we are in
exile here as strangers and pilgrims in an uncongenial clime away from
our heavenly home.
"Clemens Alexandrinus, and others of the Fathers, refer to
re-incarnation (or transmigration or metempsychosis, as it is called
in the years that are passed of classic times and later now as
_re-birth_) to remind us of the vital truth taught by our Lord in the
words, '_Ye must be born again_.'"
These words, falling from the lips of a man so eminent in the staid
conservative ranks of the Church of England, must attract the
attention of every earnest seeker after the Truth of Christian
Doctrine. If such a man, reared in such an environment, could find
himself able to bear such eloquent testimony to the truth of a
philosophy usually deemed foreign to his accepted creed, what might we
not expect from a Church liberated from the narrow formal bounds of
orthodoxy, and once more free to consider, learn and teach those noble
doctrines originally held and taught by the Early Fathers of the
Church of Christ?
While the majority of modern Christians bitterly oppose the idea that
the doctrine of Metempsychosis ever formed any part of the Christian
Doctrine, and prefer to regard it as a "heathenish" teaching, still
the fact remains that the careful and unprejudiced student will find
indisputable evidence in the writings of the Early Christian Fathers
pointing surely to the conclusion that the doctrine of Metempsychosis
was believed and taught in the Inner Circle of the Early Church.
The doctrine unquestionably formed a part of the Christian Mysteries,
and has faded into comparative obscurity with the decay of
spirituality in the Church, until now the average churchman no longer
holds to it, and in fact regards as barbarous and heathenish that part
of the teachings originally imparted and taught by the Early Fathers
of the Church--the Saints and Leaders.
The Early Christians were somewhat divided in their beliefs concerning
the details of Re-birth. One sect or body held to the idea that the
soul of man was eternal, coming from the Father. Also that there were
many degrees and kinds of souls, some of which have never incarnated
in human bodies but which are living on many planes of life unknown to
us, passing from plane to plane, world to world. This sect held that
some of these souls had chosen to experiment with life on the physical
plane, and were now passing through the various stages of the
physical-plane life, with all of its pains and sorrows, being held by
the Law of Re-birth until a full experience had been gained, when they
would pass out of the circle of influence of the physical plane, and
return to their original freedom.
Another sect held to the more scientific occult form of the gradual
evolution of the soul, by repeated rebirth, on the physical plane,
from Lower to Higher, as we have set forth in our lessons on "Gnani
Yoga." The difference in the teachings arose from the different
conceptions of the great leaders, some being influenced by the Jewish
Occult Teachings which held to the first above mentioned doctrine,
while the second school held to the doctrine taught by the Greek
Mystics and the Hindu Occultists. And each interpreted the Inner
Teachings by the light of his previous affiliations.
And so, some of the early writings speak of "pre-existence," while
others speak of repeated "rebirth." But the underlying principle is
the same, and in a sense they were both right, as the advanced
occultists know full well. The fundamental principle of both
conceptions is that the soul comes forth as an emanation from the
Father in the shape of Spirit; that the Spirit becomes plunged in the
confining sheaths of Matter, and is then known as "a soul," losing for
a time its pristine purity; that the soul passes on through rebirth,
from lower to higher, gaining fresh experiences at each incarnation;
that the advancing soul passes from world to world, returning at last
to its home laden with the varied experiences of life and becomes once
more pure Spirit.
The early Christian Fathers became involved in a bitter controversy
with the Greek and Roman philosophers, over the conception held by
some of the latter concerning the absurd doctrine of the
transmigration of the human soul into the body of an animal. The
Fathers of the Church fought this erroneous teaching with great
energy, their arguments bringing out forcibly the distinction between
the true occult teachings and this erroneous and degenerate perversion
in the doctrines of transmigration into animal bodies. This conflict
caused a vigorous denunciation of the teachings of the Pythagorean and
Platonic schools, which held to the perverted doctrine that a human
soul could degenerate into the state of the animal.
Among other passages quoted by Origen and Jerome to prove the
pre-existence of the soul was that from Jeremiah (1:5): "Before thou
comest from the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet."
The early writers held that this passage confirmed their particular
views regarding the pre-existence of the soul and the possession of
certain characteristics and qualities acquired during previous birth,
for, they argued, it would be injustice that a man, before birth, be
endowed with uncarnal qualities; and that such qualities and ability
could justly be the result only of best work and action. They also
dwelt upon the prophecy of the return of Elijah, in Malachi 4:5. And
also upon the (uncanonical) book "The Wisdom of Solomon," in which
Solomon says: "I was a witty child, and had a good Spirit. Yea,
rather, being good, I came into a body undefiled."
They also quoted from Josephus, in his book styled "De Bello Judico,"
in which the eminent Jewish writer says: "They say that all souls are
incorruptible; but that the souls of good men are only removed into
other bodies--but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal
punishment." They also quoted from Josephus, regarding the Jewish
belief in Rebirth as evidenced by the recital of the instance in
which, at the siege of the fortress of Jotapota, he sought the shelter
of a cave in which were a number of soldiers, who discussed the
advisability of committing suicide for the purpose of avoiding being
taken prisoners by the Romans. Josephus remonstrated with them as
follows:
"Do ye not remember that all pure spirits who are in
conformity with the divine dispensation live on in the
loveliest of heavenly places, and in the course of time they
are sent down to inhabit sinless bodies; but the souls of
those who have committed self-destruction are doomed to a
region in the darkness of the underworld?"
Recent writers hold that this shows that he accepted the doctrine of
Re-birth himself, and also as showing that it must have been familiar
to the Jewish soldiery.
There seems to be no doubt regarding the familiarity of the Jewish
people of that time with the general teachings regarding
Metempsychosis. Philo positively states the doctrine as forming part
of the teachings of the Jewish Alexandrian school. And again the
question asked Jesus regarding the "sin of the man born blind" shows
how familiar the people were with the general doctrine.
And so, the teachings of Jesus on that point did not need to be
particularly emphasized to the common people, He reserving this
instruction on the inner teachings regarding the details of Re-birth
for his chosen disciples. But still the subject is mentioned in a
number of places in the New Testament, as we shall see.
Jesus stated positively that John the Baptist was "Elias," whose
return had been predicted by Malachi (4:5). Jesus stated this twice,
positively, i.e., "This is Elijah that is to come" (_Matt. 11:14_);
and again, "But I say unto you that Elijah is come already, but they
knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they would.... Then
understood the disciples that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist."
(_Matt. 17:12-13._) The Mystics point out that Jesus saw clearly the
fact that John was Elijah re-incarnated, although John had denied this
fact, owing to his lack of memory of his past incarnation. Jesus the
Master saw clearly that which John the Forerunner had failed to
perceive concerning himself. The plainly perceptible characteristics
of Elijah reappearing in John bear out the twice-repeated, positive
assertion of the Master that John the Baptist was the re-incarnated
Elijah.
And this surely is sufficient authority for Christians to accept the
doctrine of Re-birth as having a place in the Church Teachings. But
still, the orthodox churchmen murmur "He meant _something else_!"
There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.
Another notable instance of the recognition of the doctrine by Jesus
and His disciples occurs in the case of "the man born blind." It may
be well to quote the story.
"And as he passed by he saw a man blind from his birth. And
his disciples asked him, saying, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this
man or his parents, that he should be born blind?' Jesus
answered, 'Neither did this man sin nor his parents.'"
(_John 9:1-3._)
Surely there can be no mistake about the meaning of this question,
"Who did sin, this man or his parents?"--for how could a man sin
before his birth, unless he had lived in a previous incarnation? And
the answer of Jesus simply states that the man was born blind neither
from the sins of a past life, nor from those of his parents, but from
a third cause. Had the idea of re-incarnation been repugnant to the
teachings, would not He have denounced it to His disciples? Does not
the fact that His disciples asked Him the question show that they were
in the habit of discoursing the problems of Re-birth and Karma with
Him, and receiving instructions and answers to questions propounded to
Him along these lines?
There are many other passages of the New Testament which go to prove
the familiarity of the disciples and followers of Jesus with the
doctrine of Re-birth, but we prefer to pass on to a consideration of
the writings of the Early Christian Fathers in order to show what they
thought and taught regarding the matter of Re-birth and Karma.
Among the great authorities and writers in the Early Church, Origen
stands out pre-eminently as a great light. Let us quote from a leading
writer, regarding this man and his teachings:
"In Origen's writings we have a mine of information as to
the teachings of the early Christians. Origen held a
splendid and grandiose view of the whole of the evolution of
our system. I put it to you briefly. You can read it in all
its carefully, logically-worked-out arguments, if you will
have the patience to read his treatise for yourselves. His
view, then, was the evolutionary view. He taught that forth
from God came all Spirits that exist, all being dowered with
free-will; that some of these refused to turn aside from the
path of righteousness, and, as a reward, took the place
which we speak of as that of the angels; that then there
came others who, in the exercise of their free-will, turned
aside from the path of deity, and then passed into the human
race to recover, by righteous and noble living, the angel
condition which they had not been able to preserve; that
others, still in the exercise of their free-will, descended
still deeper into evil and became evil spirits or devils. So
that all these Spirits were originally good; but good by
innocence, not by knowledge. And he points out also that
angels may become men, and even the evil ones themselves may
climb up once more, and become men and angels again. Some of
you will remember that one of the doctrines condemned in
Origen in later days was that glorious doctrine that, even
for the worst of men, redemption and restoration were
possible, and that there was no such thing as an eternity of
evil in a universe that came from the Eternal Goodness, and
would return whence it came."
And from the writings of this great man we shall now quote.
In his great work "De Principiis," Origen begins with the statement
that only God Himself is fundamentally and by virtue of His essential
nature, Good. God is the only Good--the absolute perfect Good. When we
consider the lesser stages of Good, we find that the Goodness is
derived and acquired, instead of being fundamental and essential.
Origen then says that God bestows free-will upon all spirits alike,
and that if they do not use the same in the direction of
righteousness, then they fall to lower estates "one more rapidly,
another more slowly, one in a greater, another in a less degree, each
being the cause of his own downfall."
He refers to John the Baptist being filled with the Holy Ghost in his
mother's womb and says that it is a false notion to imagine "that God
fills individuals with His Holy Spirit, and bestows upon them
sanctification, not on the grounds of justice and according to their
deserts, but undeservedly. And how shall we escape the declaration,
'Is there respect of persons with God?' God forbid. Or this, 'Is there
unrighteousness with God?' God forbid this also. For such is the
defense of those who maintain that souls come into existence with
bodies." He then shows his belief in re-birth by arguing that John had
earned the Divine favor by reason of right-living in a previous
incarnation.
Then he considers the important question of the apparent injustice
displayed in the matter of the inequalities existing among men. He
says, "Some are barbarians, others Greeks, and of the barbarians some
are savage and fierce and others of a milder disposition, and certain
of them live under laws that have been thoroughly approved, others,
again, under laws of a more common or severe kind; while, some, again,
possess customs of an inhumane and savage character rather than laws;
and certain of them, from the hour of their birth, are reduced to
humiliation and subjection, and brought up as slaves, being placed
under the dominion either of masters, or princes, or tyrants. Some
with sound bodies, some with bodies diseased from their early years,
some defective in vision, others in bearing and speech; some born in
that condition, others deprived of the use of their senses immediately
after birth. But why should I repeat and enumerate all the horrors of
human misery? Why should this be?"
Origen then goes on to combat the ideas advanced by some thinkers of
his times, that the differences were caused by some essential
difference in the nature and quality of the souls of individuals. He
states emphatically that all souls are essentially equal in nature and
quality and that the differences arise from the various exercise of
their power of free-will. He says of his opponents:
"Their argument accordingly is this: If there be this great
diversity of circumstances, and this diverse and varying
condition by birth, in which the faculty of free-will has no
scope (for no one chooses for himself either where, or with
whom, or in what condition he is born); if, then, this is
not caused by the difference in the nature of souls, i.e.,
that a soul of an evil nature is destined for a wicked
nation and a good soul for a righteous nation, what other
conclusion remains than that these things must be supposed
to be regulated by accident or chance? And, if that be
admitted, then it will be no longer believed that the world
was made by God, or administered by His providence."
Origen continues:
"God who deemed it just to arrange His creatures according
to their merit, brought down these different understandings
into the harmony of one world, that He might adorn, as it
were, one dwelling, in which there ought to be not only
vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay (and
some, indeed, to honor, and others to dishonor) with their
different vessels, or souls, or understandings. On which
account the Creator will neither appear to be unjust in
distributing (for the causes already mentioned) to every one
according to his wants, nor will the happiness or
unhappiness of each one's birth, or whatever be the
condition that falls to his lot, be accidental."
He then asserts that the condition of each man is the result of his
own deeds.
He then considers the case of Jacob and Esau, which a certain set of
thinkers had used to illustrate the unjust and cruel discrimination of
the Creator toward His creatures. Origen contended that in this case
it would be most unjust for God to love Jacob and hate Esau before the
children were born, and that the only true interpretation of the
matter was the theory that Jacob was being rewarded for the good deeds
of past lives, while Esau was being punished for his misdeeds in past
incarnations.
And not only Origen takes this stand, but Jerome also, for the latter
says: "If we examine the case of Esau we may find he was condemned
because of his ancient sins in a worse course of life." (_Jerome's
letter to Avitus_.) Origen says:
"It is found not to be unrighteous that even in womb Jacob
supplanted his brother, if we feel that he was worthily
beloved by God, according to the deserts of his previous
life, so as to deserve to be preferred before his brother."
Origen adds, "This must be carefully applied to the case of all other
creatures, because, as we formerly remarked, the righteousness of the
Creator ought to appear in everything." And again, "The inequality of
circumstances preserves the justice of a retribution according to
merit."
Annie Besant (to whom we are indebted for a number of these
quotations), says, concerning this position of Origen:
"Thus we find this doctrine made the defense of the justice
of God. If a soul can be made good, then to make a soul evil
is to a God of justice and love impossible. It cannot be
done. There is no justification for it, and the moment you
recognize that men are born criminal, you are either forced
into the blasphemous position that a perfect and loving God
creates a ruined soul and then punishes it for being what He
has made it, or else that He is dealing with growing,
developing creatures whom He is training for ultimate
blessedness, and if in any life a man is born wicked and
evil, it is because he has done amiss and must reap in
sorrow the results of evil in order that he may learn wisdom
and turn to good."
Origen also considers the story of Pharaoh, of whom the Biblical
writers say that "his heart was hardened by God." Origen declares that
the hardening of the heart was caused by God so that Pharaoh would
more readily learn the effect of evil, so that in his future
incarnations he might profit by his bitter experience. He says:
"Sometimes it does not lead to good results for a man to be
cured too quickly, especially if the disease, being shut up
in the inner parts of the body, rage with greater
fierceness. The growth of the soul must be understood as
being brought about not suddenly, but slowly and gradually,
seeing that the process of amendment and correction will
take place imperceptibly in the individual instances, during
the lapse of countless and unmeasured ages, some
outstripping others, and tending by a swifter course towards
perfection, while others, again, follow close at hand, and
some, again, a long way behind."
He also says: "Those who, departing this life in virtue of that death
which is common to all, are arranged in conformity with their actions
and deserts--according as they shall be deemed worthy--some in the
place called the 'infernus,' others in the bosom of Abraham, and in
different localities or mansions. So also from these places, as if
dying there, if the expression can be used, they come down from the
'upper world' to this 'hell.' For that 'hell' to which the souls of
the dead are conducted from this world is, I believe, on account of
this destruction, called 'the lower hell.' Everyone accordingly of
those who descend to the earth is, according to his deserts, or
agreeably to the position that he occupied there, ordained to be born
in this world in a different country, or among a different nation, or
in a different mode of life, or surrounded by infirmities of a
different kind, or to be descended from religious parents, or parents
who are not religious; so that it may sometimes happen that an
Israelite descends among the Scythians, and a poor Egyptian is brought
down to Judea." (_Origen against Celsus_.)
Can you doubt, after reading the above quotation that Metempsychosis,
Re-incarnation or Re-birth and Karma was held and taught as a true
doctrine by the Fathers of the Early Christian Church? Can you not see
that imbedded in the very bosom of the Early Church were the
twin-doctrine of Re-incarnation and Karma. Then why persist in
treating it as a thing imported from India, Egypt or Persia to disturb
the peaceful slumber of the Christian Church? It is but the return
home of a part of the original Inner Doctrine--so long an outcast from
the home of its childhood.
The Teaching was rendered an outlaw by certain influences in the
Church in the Sixth Century. The Second Council of Constantinople
(A.D. 553) condemned it as a heresy, and from that time official
Christianity frowned upon it, and drove it out by sword, stake and
prison cell. The light was kept burning for many years, however, by
that sect so persecuted by the Church--the Albigenses--who furnished
hundreds of martyrs to the tyranny of the Church authorities, by
reason of their clinging faith to the Inner Teachings of the Church
concerning Reincarnation and Karma.
Smothered by the pall of superstition that descended like a dense
cloud over Europe in the Middle Ages, the Truth has nevertheless
survived, and, after many fitful attempts to again burst out into
flame, has at last, in this glorious Twentieth Century, managed to
again show forth its light and heat to the world, bringing back
Christianity to the original conceptions of those glorious minds of
the Early Church. Once more returned to its own, the Truth will move
forward, brushing from its path all the petty objections and obstacles
that held it captive for so many centuries.
Let us conclude this lesson with those inspiring words of the poet
Wordsworth, whose soul rose to a perception of the Truth, in spite of
the conventional restrictions placed upon him by his age and land.
"Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting,
The soul that rises with us, our life's star,
Hath elsewhere had its setting,
And cometh from afar.
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home."
THE TWELFTH LESSON.
THE MESSAGE OF THE MASTER.
Running throughout nearly all of the teachings and messages of Jesus,
is to be found the constant Mystic Message regarding the existence of
the Spirit within the soul of each individual--that Something Within
to which all can turn in time of pain and trouble--that Guide and
Monitor which stands ever ready to counsel, advise and direct if one
opens himself to the Voice.
"Seek ye first the Kingdom, and all things shall be added unto you."
And, again, as if to explain: "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you."
This is the Mystic Message which gives one a key to the Mysteries of
the Inner Teachings.
Let us take up a few of His sayings and endeavor to interpret them by
the light of these teachings. But before doing so we must call the
attention of the student to the fact that, in order to understand
intelligently what we are saying, he must carefully re-read the
"Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy" wherein the details of the
teachings are set forth--that is the fundamental truths are explained.
In the "Advanced Course" and in "Gnani Yoga" the higher phases of the
teachings are presented. And, although in the said works there is
little or no reference made to Christianity, yet the teachings are so
fundamental that the Inner Teachings of all religions--including
Christianity--may be understood by one who has acquainted himself with
these fundamental truths.
There is but one real Occult Philosophy, and we find it in evidence
everywhere--once the Truth is grasped, it is found to be the Master
Key with which to unlock the various doors leading to the esoteric
phase of any and all religions or philosophies. The Yogi Fathers,
centuries and centuries ago, solved the Riddle of the Universe, and
the highest efforts of the human mind since that time have but
corroborated, proven and exemplified the original Truth as voiced by
these Venerable Sages.
Let us read the words of Jesus in the light of this Ancient Wisdom.
Let us consider the Sermon on the Mount as given in Matthew (_Chapters
5; 6; 7_).
"Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of
Heaven." (_Matt. 5:3._)
By these words Jesus indicated the occult teachings that those who
renounced the vain glory and petty ambitions of this world would be on
the road to the realization of the Real Self--the Something
Within--the Spirit. For is it not written that "the Kingdom of Heaven
is within you"?
"Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted." (_Matt.
5:4._)
By these words Jesus pointed out the occult teachings that those who
had so far advanced that they could see the folly of human ambition,
and who consequently felt the pain that comes to all who stand above
the crowd, and who mourned by reason of their realization of the folly
and uselessness of all for which men strive so hard? would, in the
end, be comforted by that "peace which passeth all understanding"
which comes only to those who enter into a realization of the Kingdom
of Heaven which is within them.
"Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." (_Matt.
5:5._)
By these words Jesus sought to teach that those who had acquired the
attitude of obedience to the Power of the Spirit Within them would
become as Masters of the things of earth. This message is frequently
misunderstood by reason of the lack of perception of the Mystic
meaning contained in the words. The word "meek" does not mean that
"I'm so meek and humble" attitude and expression of the hypocritical
followers of form. Jesus never taught this--and never acted it. He was
always the Master, and never sought to make of his followers cringing
creatures and whining and sniveling supplicants. He asserted His
Mastery in many ways and accepted the respect due him--as for instance
when the vial of precious ointment was poured upon Him. His use of the
word, which has been poorly translated as "meek," was in the sense of
a calm, dignified bearing toward the Power of the Spirit, and a
reverent submission to its guidance--not a hypocritical and cowardly
"meekness" toward other men. The assurance that such should "inherit
the earth" means that they should become masters of things
temporal--that is, that they should be able to rise above them--should
become lords of the earth by reason of their "entering into the
Kingdom of Heaven" within them.
"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness; for
they shall be filled." (_Matt. 5:6._)
This is the promise of the Master that they who sought the Kingdom of
Heaven (within them) should find it--that their spiritual hunger and
thirst should be satisfied in the only way possible.
"Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy." (_Matt.
5:7._)
Here is taught the blessing for forbearance, kindness, tolerance and
absence of bigotry, and the reward that comes as a natural consequence
of such a mental attitude.
"Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God." (_Matt.
5:8._)
Here is the assurance that "to those who are pure all things are
pure"--that the purity of one's own heart, and the recognition of the
God Within, leads to a perception of the God within everything. "He
who sees God within himself, sees Him in everything," says an old
Persian writer. And verily such a one "sees God" where He abides--and
that is _Everywhere_.
"Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called sons of God."
(_Matt. 5:9._)
Here is the call to the disciple to use his wisdom and power in the
direction of remedying the strife that arises from the differing
conceptions of Deity and Truth prevailing among men. He who is able to
point out the Truth underlying all religions and beliefs indeed
becomes as a beloved son of God. He who is able to show that under all
forms and ceremonies, under various names and titles, behind various
creeds and dogmas, there is but one God, to whom all worship
ascends--he is a Peacemaker and a Son of God.
"Blessed are they that have been persecuted for
righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute
you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my
sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your
reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets that
were before you." (_Matt. 5:10-12._)
In these words Jesus sought to comfort and encourage those who would
be called upon to carry the Message in the centuries to follow. And
one has but to look over the list of names of the courageous souls who
have sought to keep the flame alight--to preserve the teachings in
their original purity--to protect them from the cant, hypocrisy,
self-seeking and formalism of those who sought and obtained places of
power in the Church. The gibbet; the stake; the dungeon;--was their
reward. But the Faith that was called into manifestation during the
persecutions served to bring them to the realization of the Spirit,
and thus indeed "theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
"But ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost its
savor wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing,
but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men." (_Matt. 5:13._)
Here Jesus warned against the failure of the Illumined to serve as the
yeast which should leaven the mass of men by their thoughts and
actions. The use of the term "salt" in this connection is familiar to
all students of ancient mysticism. Food without salt was deemed
unpalatable and undesirable. The Few were the salt of the earth,
designed to render it worthy and perfect as a whole. But where a grain
of salt had parted with its savor, there was naught else that could
impart saltiness to it, and it became worthless and fit only for the
refuse heap. The duty of the "salt" is to impart savor--the duty of
the Elect is to impart savor to the race of men.
"Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot
be hid. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a
bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are
in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that
they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is
in heaven." (_Matt. 5:14-16._)
These words, like those preceding it, teach the Elect to shed abroad
the light which has come to them. They are warned against concealing
it beneath the cover of conventional conduct, but are urged to live
and act so that men may perceive the light that is within them--the
Light of the Spirit--and may see the right road by means of its rays.
A man having the Light of the Spirit shining bright within him is able
to rouse the lamps of understanding in the minds of other men, to
become kindled and alight. That is the experience of the majority of
those who read these words--they have had their lamps of knowledge
kindled by the rays of the Spirit emanating from some soul, either by
word of mouth, writings, or by personal contact. Spirituality is
contagious! Therefore spread it! This is the meaning of this passage.
"Think not that I came to destroy the law of the prophets:
I came not to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto
you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle
shall in no wise pass away from the law till all things be
accomplished." (_Matt. 5:17-18._)
In this passage Jesus asserted positively the fact that He was not
teaching a new doctrine, but had come simply to carry on the work of
those who had preceded Him. He asserted the validity of the Ancient
Wisdom, and told that the Law that had been in force would so continue
until heaven and earth should pass away--that is, until the end of
this great World Cycle. In these words Jesus proclaimed His allegiance
to the Occult Teachings. To those who would claim that He referred to
the current Jewish teachings we would point out the fact that these he
_did_ come to destroy, for Christianity is opposed to the Jewish
formalism and outer teachings. Jesus referred to the Inner Teachings,
not to the outer religious creeds or forms. He came not to destroy the
old Teachings, but merely to "fulfill," that is, to give a new impetus
to the Ancient Wisdom.
"Whoever therefore shall break one of these least
commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least
in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach
them, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For
I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed
the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in
no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven." (_Matt.
5:19-20._)
Here Jesus cautions against violating the fundamental occult
teachings, or of teaching false doctrines. He also again bids men to
do and preach the truth. Note the reference to the "kingdom of
heaven." Again He points out that the "righteousness" required to gain
the "kingdom of heaven" is a far different thing from the formalism,
ceremonialism and "churchism" of the scribes and pharisees--people
who, in that day, stood for that which the "churchy" preachers and
their bigoted, narrow flock of sheep-like parishioners stand for
today. It requires more than "faithful performance of church duties"
to enter into the real "kingdom of heaven." Jesus was ever a foe of
the narrow formalism which clings close to the empty forms and words,
and which ignores the Spirit. Were He to return today, He would drive
from the temples the horde of money-making preachers and hypocritical
followers who make a mock of sacred things.
"Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou
shall not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger
of the judgment: but I say unto you that every one who is
angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment;
and whosoever shall say to his brother 'Raca,' shall be in
danger of the council; and whosoever shall say 'Thou fool'
shall be in danger of the hell of fire. If therefore thou
art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest
that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy
gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled
to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with
thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him; lest haply
thine adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge
deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out
thence till thou hast paid the last farthing." (_Matt.
5:21-26._)
These verses emphasize the teachings that sin consists not only of
deeds and actions performed, but equally of _thoughts and desires
entertained and encouraged in the mind_. The desire and thought, made
welcome in the mind of a person, is the seed and germ of the sin or
crime, even though they may never be manifested in action. To wish to
kill is a sin, just as is the deed of killing. This is an old occult
teaching, imparted to all candidates for Initiation.
"Ye have heard that it was said Thou shalt not commit
adultery, but I say unto you that every one that looketh on
a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her
already in his heart. And if thy right eye causeth thee to
stumble pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish
and not thy whole body be cast into hell. And if thy right
hand causeth thee to offend, cut it off and cast it from
thee, for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members
should perish and not thy whole body go into hell. It was
said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give
her a writing of divorcement, but I say unto you that every
one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of
fornication, maketh her an adulteress, and whosoever shall
marry her when she is put away committeth adultery."
(_Matt. 5:27-32._)
In this passage, Jesus expressed the abhorrence of all advanced
occultists for the abuse of the functions of sex. Not only the act,
but the thought behind the act was condemned by him. The advanced
occult teaching is that the function of the sex organization is
entirely that of procreation--aught else is a perversion of nature.
Jesus speaks in strong words to men and women, in this passage,
regarding this great question. The concluding portion of the passage
is a condemnation of the abuse of the marriage relation, and the
privilege of divorce, which was being strongly agitated in His time.
He aimed a blow at the careless contracting of marriages, and the
consequent careless dissolution of the tie. Jesus believed in the
sacredness of the home life, and the welfare of the family. His
utterance on this subject is unmistakably clear and forcible.
"Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time,
Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the
Lord thine oaths: but I say unto you, Swear not at all;
neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by
the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; nor by
Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King; neither
shall thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one
hair white or black. But let your speech be Yea, yea, Nay,
nay: for whatever is more than these is of the evil one."
(_Matt. 5:33-37._)
Here Jesus attacks the custom of swearing, which was so prevalent in
His time among the Jews and other Oriental peoples. He urges
simplicity and moderation of speech. In this He is true to the Occult
traditions, which teach the value of simple thought and simple speech
to all the Initiates and the Neophytes.
"Ye have heard that it was said an eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth, but I say unto you, Resist not him that
is evil, but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn
to him the other also, and if any man would go to law with
thee and take away thy coat, let him have. And whosoever
shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. Give to
him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee
turn not away." (_Matt. 5:38-42._)
In this passage Jesus alludes to the Law of Non-Resistance, which in
its esoteric aspect is fully understood by all Initiates. This law is
for application on the Mental Plane, and those who understand it, know
that the precepts refer to the Mental Attitude of the Initiates toward
others, which attitude is in itself a defense against imposition. Love
turneth away Hate and Anger. The high thought neutralizes the evil
designs of others.
"Ye have heard that it was said Thou shall love thy
neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your
enemies and pray for them that persecute you, that ye may be
sons of your Father who is in heaven, for he maketh his sun
to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the
just and the unjust. For if ye love them that love you, what
reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if
ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?
Do not even the Gentiles the same? Ye therefore shall be
perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." (_Matt.
5:43-48._)
Here is taught that broad tolerance, charity and love that form such
an important part of all of the mystic teachings. It is a doctrine
entirely at variance with the orthodox idea of tolerance only to those
who agree with one, or who may live in accordance with one's own views
of life and conduct. It is the great broad doctrine of Human
Brotherhood. Jesus teaches that God's love is bestowed upon all--the
just and the unjust--and that this perfect love is the aim and goal of
all who desire to attain to "the kingdom" of Spirit.
"Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to
be seen of them; else ye have no reward with your Father who
is in heaven. When, therefore, thou doest alms sound not a
trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily
I say unto you They have received their reward. But when
thou doest alms let not thy left hand know what thy right
hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret and thy Father,
who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee." (_Matt.
6:1-4._)
This is another denunciation of ostentatious "churchiness" and
"goodness," and religious posing. It is a lesson needed as much today
as in the time of Jesus.
"And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites, for
they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily
I say unto you, They have received their reward. But thou,
when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and
having shut thy door, pray to thy Father, who is in secret,
and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.
And in praying use not vain repetitions as the Gentiles do,
for they think that they shall be heard for their much
speaking. Be not therefore like unto them, for your Father
knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. After
this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as
in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our
debtors; And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us
from the evil one. For if ye forgive men their trespasses,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye
forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses." (_Matt. 6:5-15._)
Here are the words of Jesus regarding the subject of Prayer. He
cautions against the ostentatious exhibition of "piety," so prevalent
in all churches, in all lands, in all times. He bids one approach the
Father in a reverent spirit, devoid of all public notice. Then He
gives to his disciples the famous "Lord's Prayer," in which is
condensed a wealth of true religious instruction and precept. This
glorious prayer needs no special interpretation. _Let all students
read the words themselves, filled with the realisation of the Spirit;
and each will receive a message fitted to his requirements and
development. The Lord's Prayer is a very Arcanum of the Mystic
Message_.
"Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a
sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they
may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have
received their reward. But, thou, when thou fastest, anoint
thy head and wash thy face, that thou be not seen of men to
fast, but of thy Father, who is in secret, and thy Father,
who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee." (_Matt.
6:16-18._)
This is a caution against the "sanctimonious" attitude and pose
assumed by certain "good" people of the churches, who would make a
display of their adherence to and observance of forms. Jesus, as a
true mystic, detested all religious posing and neglected no
opportunities to condemn the same.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where
moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and
steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not
break through and steal: for where thy treasure is there
will thy heart be also. The lamp of the body is the eye; if
therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full
of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be
full of darkness! No man can serve two masters; for either
he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will
hold to one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
Mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your
life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for
your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than
the food, and the body than the raiment? Behold the birds of
the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor
gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are not ye of much more value than they? And which of you by
being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his
life? And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider
the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not,
neither do they spin, yet I say unto you that even Solomon
in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if
God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and
tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more
clothe you, ye of little faith? Be not therefore anxious,
saying, What shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or
wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things
do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that
ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first then his
kingdom, and his righteousness, and all these things shall
be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow;
for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto
the day is the evil thereof." (_Matt. 6:19-34._)
This is the most remarkable passage in the New Testament. It is the
most remarkable saying of Jesus of Nazareth. In it is condensed the
whole of the occult teachings regarding the Conduct of Life. It
condenses, in a few lines the entire doctrine of Karma Yoga--that
branch of the Yogi Philosophy. It forms a veritable epitome of that
which has been styled "The New Thought" as taught and expounded by its
various cults and schools. There is no need of one reading and
studying the various Metaphysical "Sciences" which have sprung into
such favor of late years, if one will but read, ponder, study and
practice the precepts of this wonderful passage of the Sermon on the
Mount. Every sentence is a gem--a crystal of the highest mystic and
occult philosophy. Book after book could be written on this one
passage, and even then the subject would be but merely approached. The
doctrine of single-mindedness toward the Spirit and the things of the
Spirit, is taught. The folly of being tied to material things is
pointed out. The lesson of non-attachment is forcibly put. But the
great Truth expounded in this passage is the Power of FAITH. Faith is
the Great Secret of all Occult Teachings and is the Key to its Inner
Mysteries. Faith is the Master-Key that unlocks the doors of the
Castle of Attainment. We trust that all students of these lessons will
take this single passage from the Sermon on the Mount and memorize it.
Make it a part of yourself--make it a part of your life--make it your
rule of action and living. The life taught by this passage is the true
life of the Spirit. Here is the true Light on the Path, for the
guidance of the feet of all Mystics and Occultists!
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment
ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete
it shall be measured unto you. And why beholdest thou the
mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the
beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy
brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye, and lo,
the beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first
the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see
clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
(_Matt. 7:1-5._)
Here Jesus deals another powerful blow to the self-righteousness of
the Pharisaical "good" people of the sects, creeds and cults of all
lands, time and religions. He warns against that "Thank God! I am
holier than thou" attitude that so many vain formalists affect in
their dealings with other men. In these immortal words Jesus has sent
ringing down the aeons of time a scathing rebuke to the hypocritical
judges of other men--those men who wish to "reform" others to conform
to their own standards. Out of the mouth of their Master are many
so-called followers rebuked.
"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls
before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet and
turn and rend you." (_Matt. 7:6._)
Here is the warning to Initiates not to spread out a feast of their
highest teachings to the mob, who with swinish instincts would defile
the Divine Feast, and tear to pieces those who had spread it for them.
The truth of this warning has been attested by the fate of those
glorious souls who, disregarding it, attempted to give the Truth to
the animal minds of the mob and were done to death for their folly.
Even Jesus Himself met His fate from neglecting this very rule,--for
allowing His sympathy to overcome His judgment.
"Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find;
knock and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that
asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him
that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of
you who if his son ask him for a loaf will give him a stone,
or if he shall ask for a fish will give him a serpent? If ye
then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your
children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven
give good things to them that ask him? All things therefore
whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do
ye also unto them, for this is the law and the prophecy."
(_Matt. 7:7-12._)
Here is another burning message to men to live by the light of Faith
in the Spirit. And a warning that unless one would act toward other
men rightly, he could not expect to be dealt with rightly. It is the
lesson of sowing and reaping--the lesson of the Law of Karma. Jesus is
most emphatic in these statements. He does not alone say "Do this! Do
that!" He states emphatically: "This is _the Law_!" And so it is--men
are punished by their wrong deeds, not _for_ them.
"Enter ye in by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and
broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many are
they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate and
straitened the way that leadeth unto life, and few are they
that find it." (_Matt. 7:13-14._)
This is the highest occult teaching. How few are they who find their
way to the Realization of their own Divinity? Narrow indeed is the
gate and straitened the way that leadeth to the goal. The masses
follow the broad path, like fools--but few even see the narrow
entrance to The Path.
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits
ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs
of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good
fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A
good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that
bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the
fire. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of the
Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name
cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from
me, ye that work iniquity." (_Matt. 7:15-23._)
Here is the notable warning against the perverted use of the occult
powers--the prostitution of the Gifts of the Spirit--Black Magic, in
short. For, as all well know, the occult forces may be applied to base
as well as worthy uses. By their fruits shall ye know the good from
the evil. He whose teachings render men weak, sheeplike and cringing,
credulous leaners upon leaders, is a tree that bringeth forth evil
fruit. Such are wolves in sheep's clothing, who fatten upon the
bodies, substance and souls of their dupes. But those who lead men to
be Men--yea, Super-Men--bring forth the good fruit of the Spirit. Be
ye not deceived by names, words, creeds nor claims--nay, not even by
miracles. Look always at the effect produced--the fruits of the
tree--and govern yourself accordingly.
"Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine and
doeth them shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his
house upon the rock, and the rain descended and the floods
came and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it
fell not, for it was founded upon the rock. And every one
that heareth these words of mine and doeth them not shall be
likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the
sand, and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew and smote upon that house and it fell, and great
was the fall thereof." (_Matt. 7:24-27._)
In these parting words of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave a Message
to all who would hear, or read His words, and profess to be His
followers. He bade such build upon the eternal rock of the Truth--the
rock of ages, that had its foundations in the very basic principles of
Being. He warned them against building upon the shifting sands of
theology and dogmatism, which would be surely swept away by the storms
of Time. Upon the eternal Mystic Truths is Mystic Christianity
founded. And it is still standing untouched by the storms of
criticism, opposition and knowledge that have swept away many
theological edifices in the past, and which are now beating with
renewed vigor upon the remaining frail structures, which are even this
day quivering under the strain. Mystic Christianity invites the "New
Theology," the "Higher Criticism," the "Criticism of Science"; for
these will only tend to prove the truths of its fundamental
principles. In Mystic Christianity, Religion, Philosophy and Science
are known to be one and the same thing. There is no conflict between
Science and Religion; Philosophy and Religion; or Philosophy and
Science. They are all but names for the One Truth. There be but one
Truth--there cannot be more than one. And so call it by the name of
Religion--the name of Science, the name of Philosophy--it matters not,
for the same thing is meant. There is naught but Truth--nothing else
really exists. All that is not Truth is Illusion, _Maya_, Nothing. And
Mystic Christianity is based upon the Rock of Truth, fearing not the
winds nor the storms that try out the stability of all structures of
thought. Like its founder, it has always existed--always will
exist--from the Beginningless Beginning to the Endless Ending. The
same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
A SERIES OF LESSONS IN GNANI YOGA (THE YOGA OF WISDOM)
By YOGI RAMACHARAKA
This course gives the highest Yogi teachings regarding the Absolute
and its Manifestations--the relations between the One and the
Many--the Secret of the One Life--the Mystery of the Evolution of the
Soul--the Law of Spiritual Cause and Effect--the Group-Soul--the Birth
of the Ego--the Unfoldment of the Self--the Cycles of the Race--the
Chain of Worlds--the Truth about Nirvana--the Divine Paradox--the
Problem of Consciousness--the Reality and the Illusory--the offices of
Will and Desire--the Future of the Race--the Past History of Man and
the Races--the Adepts and Masters--the Brotherhoods--the Problems of
Life--the Riddle of Existence. These and many other subjects of equal
importance are taken up, explained and the dark corners illuminated.
Some of the teachings to be given are entirely new to the general
Western public, and partake of the nature of the Inner Teachings of
the occultists.
Bound in Blue Silk Cloth, 302 Pages.
PRICE $1.10 POSTPAID.
E.B., North Side, Pittsburgh, Pa., writes she has just finished
reading your book "Science of Breath," and considers it priceless.
I have studied many Occult and Mental Science works, but none Of which
ever developed Spiritual Illumination or produced that Tranquil state
of mind that I derived by studying the Yogi Philosophy.---N.R.B. New
Zealand.
JESUS THE LAST GREAT INITIATE
By EDOUARD SCHURE
Mr. Schure in this volume, has done much to strengthen the belief that
Jesus was an Essene, in whom a Messianic consciousness was awakened by
special initiation.
A remarkable full account is given of his experiences among the
Essenes and how his early life, (about which the Bible is so reticent)
was spent studying with the advanced Occult masters.
The problem of how Jesus became the Messiah, he holds to be not
capable of solution without the aid of intuition and esoteric
tradition.
The life of the great Teacher as pictured by the writer is one to be
dreamed over and capable of imparting both knowledge and stimulus to
that inner life which is in so many undeveloped and even unsuspected.
Bound Silk Cloth.
PRICE $0.80 POSTPAID.
KRISHNA AND ORPHEUS
THE GREAT INITIATES OF THE EAST AND WEST
By EDOUARD SCHURE
The lives and teachings of these two great Masters who preceded Jesus
are very much like the latter's. You cannot help noting the remarkable
resemblance they bear to each other.
Krishna's Virgin Birth, His Youth, Initiation, The Doctrine of the
Initiates, Triumph and Death, are all told in a fashion that shows
that Mr. Schure has devoted much time to thought and research work.
The mighty religious of India, Egypt and Greece are passed in rapid
review and the author declares that while from the outside they
present nothing but chaos, the root idea of their founders and
prophets presents a key to them all.
Bound in Silk Cloth.
PRICE $0.80 POSTPAID.
THIS IS OUR COMPLETE LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
PRICE
POSTPAID
Hatha Yoga. By Ramacharaka. Cloth $1.10
Science of Breath. By Ramacharaka. Bound in paper .53; Cloth .75
Fourteen Lessons in Yogi-Philosophy, and Oriental Occultism.
By Ramacharaka. 1.10
Advanced Course in Yogi Philosophy, and Oriental Occultism.
By Ramacharaka. 1.10
Raja Yoga. By Ramacharaka. 1.10
Gnani Yoga. By Ramacharaka. 1.10
Philosophies and Religions of India. By Ramacharaka. 1.12
Psychic Healing. By Ramacharaka. 1.10
The Hindu-Yogi Practical Water Cure. By Ramacharaka. .55
Mystic Christianity. By Ramacharaka. 1.10
Bhavagad Gita. By Ramacharaka. .80
Kybalion. By Three Initiates. 1.08
Reincarnation and Law of Karma. By Wm. W. Atkinson. 1.10
Secret of Success. By Wm. W. Atkinson. .50
Inner Consciousness. By William Walter Atkinson. .50
Practical Mental Influence. By W.W. Atkinson. .50
Practical Mind Reading. By W.W. Atkinson. .50
Practical Psychomacy and Crystal Gazing. By W.W. Atkinson. .50
Light on the Path and Illumined Way. By M.C. Cloth. .44
Light on the Path. By M.C. Paper. .10
A Visit to Gnani. By Edward Carpenter. Paper. .28
Jesus: The Last Great Initiate. By Edouard Schure. .80
Krishna and Orpheus. By Edouard Schure. .80
Karma. By A.P. Sinnett. Occult Novel. Cloth. .60
The Spirit of the Upanishads. .55
Mystery of Being. Heeralal Dhole. .50
DIRECTIONS FOR ORDERING
Write name of Books desired, plainly and fully.
Write plainly your name, street address (if in city); town or city;
and state. Don't forget the state, as there are many towns of the same
name in the country--yours is only one of many.
Send money by Post Office Money Order, or Express Money Order, or
Registered Letter. This is the only Safe Way. If Personal Checks are
sent add l0c extra for exchange.
Write your own name and address on the upper left hand corner of the
envelope (this saves many lost letters).
***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYSTIC CHRISTIANITY***
******* This file should be named 13143-8.txt or 13143-8.zip *******
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
https://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/1/4/13143
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.
Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.
*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
https://gutenberg.org/license).
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
that
- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or
destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
Project Gutenberg-tm works.
- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
of receipt of the work.
- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at
809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
[email protected]. Email contact links and up to date contact
information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
page at https://pglaf.org
For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
[email protected]
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To
SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
particular state visit https://pglaf.org
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works.
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily
keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
https://www.gutenberg.org
This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
