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Mystic Brotherhood University Informal Chats 1-43
Mystic Brotherhood University Informal Chats 1-43
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
C - 1
INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
2 - Why does the West offer greater difficulties and greater opportu-
nities for true Spiritual Growth?
6 - (a) Has the first group any positive proof of their belief and
£b) has the second any proof of their belief?
7 - What is the purpose for which you were born onto Earth?
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
INFORMAL GNATS
WITH THE FACULTY
vest, days of pain and sorrow plant deep within you a Faith that can
not be shaken by outward tremors, and you will find within your
Heart a deep Peace, a Spirit that can take things as they come, a
Spirit that rises above and transcends every adverse condition; and
as you realize these Truths they will be to you a Message of Courage
and of Joy, they will bring to you a Joy that is deep and springing
forth continually from your heart, a Joy that is real, and that is
never affected or made less by any outside condition.
QUESTIONS
7 - Just why did the Guide say '•-----that the Law would find
an instrument?"
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
INFORMAL CHATS WITH THE FACULTY
QUESTIONS
1 - In what way do wo correspond with a radio receiver?
2 - How does our inertia tend to bring disaster by our not taking the
trouble to think, or to study carefully?
5 - What is gained by falsely educating Humanity?
4 - How many types of propaganda can you name?
5 - What conditions should precede Tithing?
6 - Why are they difficult?
7 - that change in character comes to one at Transition,if any?
8 - How does this fact change our idea of the importance of what Souls
say after Transition, or what we may see when attuned to their
sub-plane?
The
Western Traditions
, INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THS FACULTY
We have,in a comparatively short time,in these Chats,
placed ourselves in a favorable position, so far as preparation for
making progress is concerned. First, we have discussed, and worked
out a logical explanation of The Purpose of Life, and of why we are in
carnate . We have discussed the natural cooperation that should follow
when we realize why we are "in school." And then, we have gone rather
thoroughly into the matter of outside influences and our attunement
with them, conscious and unconscious we have seen the tremendous ef
fect they have in shaping our thoughts and actions, and how that they
are continually urging us along certain lines of response. We have
brought out the necessity for governing such impulses, by-reason,rath
er than responding blindly. There has been brought out, also, the nec
essity for guarding the Doorway, and for filling the mind only with
the right kind of thoughts, that we may be sure that those ideas from
the Great Sea of Mind in which we move, and which come to us, will be
only the helpful kind of ideas, the constructive ideas, rather than
the destructive ones.
And then,in our last chat,we discussed a Mental Con
cept which, is held in the Mind as an Actuality, would inevitably bring
Faith and Courage, Strength and Health, in the difficult progress along
Life's Highway, and which should prove a great source of strength when
obstacles are encountered. The act of Tithing is the act by which this
concept is built and vitalized in the mind, the realization of partner
ship with Universal Mind. We do not make the mistake of leaning upon
this arrangement. We do not endeavor to have this arrangement do our
work for us, for we realize that we must do these things for ourselves,
but it is in the knowledge that comes from a realization of this kind
of backing, which enables us to turn and take up our load, to work out
our problems, and carry on knowing whenever our strength does fail,
there is an ample reservoir of help for us.
When we have decreed our partnership with the Infin
ite, when we have truly meant it, and proceed to act accordingly,there
are other factors which immediately become of importance in our Evolu
tion of Power.
Janus, the two-faced God of Roman Mythology,was be
lieved to be the Janitor of Heaven, and on Earth, the Guardian Deity of
Gates and Doors. While the Janus of Mythology has been relegated to
oblivion and is no longer believed in by us,yet we find an exact cor
respondence between the Roman Deity and the Mind of Man. The Human
Mind is the Janitor of Heaven, and hap the Keys to the Doors of Earth.
Mind is the Servant of the Soul,and master of the things here below.
Mind is the connecting link between the Soul, or Psychic Self, and the
Human brain, by means of which, contact is had with the Material Plane.
Mind stands between the World of Force on the one hand, and the World
of expression upon the other. It is double-faced, this Mind of ours,
in that it has the Power to unlock the Gates of the Inner Life, and
also to solve the Mysteries of the Outer. When both passages are kept
open, it receives on One hand, and gives on the other. There is an
influx of Life from the Soul which manifests itself in the world of
F orm.
Life on this Plane of Expression has been likened to
a Battlefield. The Kingdom of Heaven must be taken by violence. Thru
struggle and suffering, is man perfected, and thru weakness, his pow-
er is made manifest. The Janus, that sits mid-way in the passage,sees
that doth doorways are kept open during the battle,so that he may per
ceive light from each. The exercise of certain qualities of mind are
necessary in order to succeed in this,and this brings us to the point
of our Chat for this week,a consideration of these Three Great Es
sentials, which may be summed up in three words, Meditation, Contem
plation and Concentration.
Meditation is the entering into the Inner Conscious
ness of Life,the literal communing with God,the becoming One with the
Eternal Source and Fount of Life. It is purely subconscious,dealing
alone with the Spiritual side of Being. Here the Mind receives its
Force and Power and is acted upon by the Causes of Life. Life, in all
true Meditation, is One, the Individuality and the myriad things of
the outer World are lost sight of, the Spirit in Man and the Univer
sal Spirit blend in the Unity of Life,so that God lives in the Life
of Man,and Man lives in the Life of God. But this Inner Force must
find expression,to make itself manifest,and the Human Mind becomes a
vehicle for its manifestation. With the Force and the Power acquired
in the Inner Life, the Passageway of the Outer World is opened. I
want you to bear in mind very carefully what I have said,regarding
Meditation.Note that Meditation is not for the purpose of closing the
Doorway to Life,of negating Life or seeking to run away from our obli
gations and our responsibilities,but is a periodical withdrawal from
the world into communion with God for the purpose of receiving Force
and Power, that we nay thereby use that Force or Power in the Outer
Morid. That is a vastly different idea from the common thought in con
nection with this matter. Mind in the Western World has been so perme
ated by the Eastern Doctrines, and their extreme Mysticism, that the
points of this lesson have not been understood,nor fully realized,
that to contact the Inner is but that we may turn again and use it in
our affairs.
Let us take up the second of these three great es
sentials, The Mind uses another faculty,Concentration,to make manifest
that which it has received. Concentration is neither Force nor Power,
yet without it, Man cannot manifest either Force or Power in the Outer
World. Lacking in concentration,the Mind dissipates the Force acquired
in the Inner Worlds. We may take a Sun glass and allow the rays of
the Sun to pass aimlessly thru it. The Force passes thru the glass,
but produces no visible manifestation. When we bring the Rays to a
focus however, the Power begins to manifest itself. The glass and the
focus are not powers but serve as means by which the expression of
Force becomes a visible actuality. In other words, the Invisible pro
duces its action on the Visible. So, concentration of mind in itself,
is neither Power nor Force, but it is the vehicle thru which comes
the greatest expression of Force and Power. Concentration deals with
the objective. It concerns itself with the things of the Outer World.
The third faculty is Contemplation, which,to a degree,
unites the other two faculties. Contemplation may partake of both In
ner and Outer impressions. It is the connecting link between Medita
tion and Concentration. In the Contemplative State, the Mind may be
said to go easily to one point or the other, it may be conquered to
the time of Peace,when the Gates of the Passage of Janus were closed,
but perhaps you do not recall that part of the story.The Roman Emperor
called the first month of the year after Janus, and dedicated a cover-
C - 6
Pg. 3
ed Passage near the Forum to him. This Passage contained a statue of
the God and had two entrances, and these entrances were always kept
open in times of War and closed in times of Peace.
So, this Contemplative state is the point of poise be
tween the Inner and Outer. When there is a cessation of activity, but
this cessation is not lasting, for the Mind alternately acquires Power
and Force in the Inner Worlds, and turns and uses it in the Outer.
It is well to know that Power is not acquired in the Out
er World, that Concentration can never, by itself, give Power, that if
the Mind engages itself exclusively in the things of the Outer World,
no matter how great the contemplation may be on this Plane of Action’a
time will surely come, when the Mental Energies will become dissipated
and fruitless. Concentration in the Outer World, with no Meditation
in the Inner World, will inevitably produce the condition known as
"Paresis," or some kindred malady. In fact, Concentration of the Mind
may become a factor in the more speedy dévelopment of serious mental
and physical trouble. Every faculty of mind has been given to mind
with a wise object in view, the perfect development, or development ac
cording to the Law of Being. These faculties may be used in the true
way to bring about his perfection, but it also lies within the prov
ince of man to pervert it, and thru such perversion, to express in a
discordant way, the things of life.
Let us stop for a moment and contemplate what has been
said. We can doubtless recall many who have made it a practice to sit
in the Silence in quiet meditation, and think that is all that is ne
cessary. We have doubtless found some who believe in concentrating
upon the material problems, and think that is all that is necessary.
But now you have seen that there are three points to the Triangle, and
that these three points are necessary to complete the problem; there
must be Meditation, or Communion, or sitting in the Silence ,and bring
ing one's self into rapport with the Divine,and this of course, is
aided by some little Ritual or Ceremony, subjects to be read that will
serve to bring one's thoughts and mind to attunement with the Eternal.
A little Service and a Prayer of Adoration, thanksgiving, a recogni
tion of the Power of the Supreme God, and then of course, there must
be the other side of the question, the calm concentration of the mind
upon the essential things, laying aside the non-essentials, focussing
its power upon this one underlying root cause or problem,and bringing
to bear upon it, the Power of the Inner Planes, thru the link of Con
templation.
Is it any wonder, therefore, that the Western Master,the
Occult Nazarene, said to those who inquired regarding the development
of Power and Wealth and the things of life, "'Seek ye first the King
dom of God in His Righteousness, and all other things shall be added
unto you?*" For it is true that if you turn to the Inner by Medita
tion, first of all, then concentrate upon the Outer, and connect the
two by Contemplation, "everything is added" - the Kingdom of God is
found in the World of Cause, the Expression of God's Kingdom may be
without, the Power is Within.
The desire of the Mind should be that it may have a
greater realization of the Power of God in its own life, and that it
may become the true servant of the Soul, thru coming into touch with
the Inner Life Sources, and the knowledge acquired in the World of
Cause, it may use the Key to unlock the Doors of the Outer, disclosing
the Power it has received from within, in such a way that its actions
are beneficial in the 'World without.
As you follow the command,"Enter into they closet and
shut thy Door," a light from the inner World transforms and illumines
your mind, so that each mental picture you can see will have the halo
of the Inner Light thrown about it, and the Truth will be manifested
in the Outer, as it is in the Inner. The Way of Life is straight and
narrow, it is not complex, as so many believe. It is knowing that
the source of all Power is in Universal Mind, and that in our Inner
Conscious Life, thru Meditation, we draw from this one inexactible
Source.
Again, thru contemplation and true mental imagery of
the things of the Outer World, the Mind becomes centered and uses the
Forces as needed on the External Planes. Concentration is not Force,
but it may be said to conserve Force in such a way that it is not dis
sipated without accomplishing its purpose. The matter of concentra
tion is of the utmost importance. We see a person with their busi
ness perhaps, rapidly going to pieces, innumerable bills, a lack of
many things that are needed, a hundred and one conditions apparently
clamoring for attention, and inevitably he tries to solve them all at
the same time, he scatters and dissipates his forces over all of them,
rather than concentrating upon the essential, and laying the others
aside temporarily, as being non-essential. It is this dissipation of
Force, this lack of concentration, which causes the failure of so
many. Yet step by step, one at a time, all of these problems can be
worked out, but in endeavoring to handle them all at the same time,
with a mind vacillating from one to the other, and fluctuating back
and forth, the application of the Inner Power, even if it has been
sought, and obtained, fails, because it is dissipated.
The Evolution of Power requires something more than
the faculties I have already mentioned, to assist us in determining
whether the knowledge acquired in the Inner Worlds, shall be express
ed outwardly,in whole or in part. True or false action of Will must
determine this. Will is the great Executive Power of the Universe,and
is going to constitute the subject for one of our chats in the near
future. Every faculty of mind and every organ of the body is depend
ent upon the Will. Freedom and Power of Will in individual life con
sists in conforming to the Great Laws of the Universe. The Bondage
and Weakness of the Will come solely from its being led by the Spirit
of the Outer World,using the Shadow of things, in preference to the
Actuality.
QUESTIONS
Informal Chats
By
The Faculty
I
The
Mystic Brotherhood University
Of Western Occultism
C - 7
Pg. 1 INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
The progress of the Individual is largely determined by
his ruling Mental Attitude, because the mind is the basic factor and
governing Power in the entire life of Man. It is the creative power
which is his Divine Heritage from God. Attention should be given to
the predominant Mental State, for it will regulate the action and di
rection of all one’s Faculties and Power, the sum total of which 'will
inevitably determine many particular experiences and personal fates.
The ruling State of Mind is made up of the various Men
tal attitudes which the Individual adapts toward things, events, and
Life in general; if his Attitudes are broad in view, optimistic in
tone, and true to life, his predominant Mental State will correspond
and exhibit a highly constructive and progressive tendency. As al
most all of the Forces of the Personality function thru the Conscious
Mind in one way or another, and as the daily mental and physical acts
are largely controlled by the Conscious Mind, it is obvious that the
leading Mental State will quite largely determine the direction in
which the Powers of the Individual are proceeding. If its ruling
Mental State is upward, that is aspiring,harmonious, and positive,
all his Forces will be directed into constructive channels, but if
his State of Mind is downward in tendency, that is, apathetic, dis
cordant, and negative, then almost all his Forces will be misdirect
ed or wasted. Forces that ascend are constructive and improve con
ditions of Peace and gain satisfaction and progress, while. Forces
that descend are destructive and lead to confused conditions of dis
cord, loss, trouble and discontent. It is evident, therefore, that
of all the factors which regulate the Life and Experience of man
none perhaps exercise any greater single influence than the ruling
State of Mind, whether this is due to the Unseen Operations of the
Great Natural Laws or not. Just how it is brought about does not
concern us at just this moment, but the Psychological fact remains
that the Life and the World of the Individual are practically gov
erned by his reigning Mental Attitude, or Trend of Mind, however
caused.
Mental Attitudes are largely results of Ideas, and
these have their origin in Points of View, therefore, hy seeking true
and natural points of view, one may secure the best and most superior
ideas, and these in turn will determine the dominating State of Mind.
Now, there are certain main attitudes of Mind, which every person
should adopt to further his perpetual growth and advancement along
all lines. These I want to take up with you as clearly as brevity
will permit. It is to be expected that each of these will be given
your closest and most constant attention from day to day, until
they become established Mental Tendencies, Tracks, as it were, in
the Sube onsciousness, where they will combine as a permanent State
of Mind.
- FIRST STEP -
The first that I want to give you is what I term, ’'Fac
ing the Ideal.” The first great step on the rising Pathway of Life
is to face an Ideal, that is, to picture in mind the greater possi
bilities everywhere. Life should be viewed as an endless stream of
progress, an inexhaustible source of widening opportunities, for the
ceaseless development of possibilities that extend into Infinity.
Such an attitude of Mind will inspire nobler aims and
higher Ideals, its Ideals are essential to progress, the great pow
ers within, and tend to draw them out into tangible expressions, by
furnishing constructive channels thru which the Energies, Elements,
and Powers of the system may be intelligently directed. It is the
Mind with High Ideals that rises to the top and scales the Ladder of
Advancement. Any person without an Ideal is like a ship without a
rudder, aimlessly floating on the Sea of Existence with no definite
harbor in sight. Thus, unable to direct his course with safety or
success, blown hither and thither by the winds of Fate, buffeted here
and there by the blasts of adversity, they finally succumb to the
storms of Life.
Now, you know that is the position, figuratively speak
ing, of a very large number of people in the world today; they lack
Aim, Purpose, and Moral Energy, and as a consequence their natural
Powers, Energies and Faculties are allowed to go to seed, with de
plorable results, allowed to take on the appearances of useless
wreckage when they might have contributed to the value of beauty and
true work of the more enjoyable existence and added their quota of
Personal Service to the aggregate of human Good.
I want you, therefore, to cultivate Ideals, to cultivate
definite Aims, and to cultivate Noble Purposes. Look up and aim
high. There is somebody that you can emulate, and there is something
to which you can aspire. There are stronger and deeper Powers with
in yourself than you have ever called into action before. What you
realize in the Ideal is possible of your realization in the actual.
Ever seek to give your dreams form and substance. Ideals, however,
will vary in accordance with one’s sex and sphere of action. It is
just as noble to bring up a family of children, well equipped for
the Battle of Life, as it is to devote one’s services to a public
philanthropy, and it is just as important as it is to build up a
great enterprise or produce some valuable invention; in fact, from
some points of view, it might be a higher one. But discriminate,and
Ktudy-your inclinations, your own ideas and temperament, and your
secret aspirations and longings; these will afford a clue to your
special aptitude and range of accomplishments. Nature has special
work for every person to perform and you can find your work and then
you can proceed with Faith, Energy and Determination to Succeed,and
if you will do your part, God and the Cosmic Hierarchies will do the
rest. No matter what the Goal in view may be, there should be a con
stant effort to improve in mind and person, that is, to seek to
gather knowledge, and cultivate your talents, and develop the ele
ments of love, goodness, beauty and nobility into personal expressions.
Go into the superior side of your nature, do not worry or give ex
tensive attention to your failings and defects, but think rather a
great deal of the richness of your Ideal, the man or woman you would
be and may be in the course of time.
We can become all that we aspire to become, for the Ideal
C-7
Pg 3
isa prophesy of what is possible of fulfiIlment,the fact that we are
capable of entertaining worthy Ideals proves that we ourselves are cap
able of actualizing them. There is no inconsistency in Nature—what
the Mind has the ability to Idealize, it has the inherent Power to rea
lize.
But when the Mind is not directed toward some definite
Aim or Purpose of useful and lofty character,then its energies will
scatter and work mischief. People often stagnate and fail for this
very reason. It is a well known fact that the Individual who succeeds
is the one who aspires .and labors to attain a definite Goal,therefore,
we must have a worthy Aim in Life,and the Courage and Perseverance to
aspire continually to reap it.
SECOND STEP
The second step is what I call "Looking for the Good".
The second great step is to look for the Good everywhere. That there
is good in everybody and everything may be conclusively demonstrated
by logic and Science, the recognition of this fundamental fact is of
extraordinary importance for several reasons. One reason is that the
Mind is the actual working Power in the Being of Man, and creates
whatever it is directed to act upon. Thus, when the attention is gi
ven to the perpetual discovery of Good,its creative energies will de
velop whatever is thus contemplated and such action will multiply Good.
Another reason is that the mental act of looking for
Good everywhere tends to create Ideal States of Mind. There is a Bet
ter side,a Superior side, a Good side, a Beautiful side, an Ideal side
to everybody and everything,and by learning to look for the better and
higher qualities of persons and things,we develop the best in our own
mentalities. In other words, a constant effort to look for Good every
where causes the Mind to think a great deal about the Good,and it is
the Law that "Whatsoever a Man thinketh in his heart, so is he."It is
easy to understand that he shall thereby grow into the likeness of the
Ideal,and gradually develop all that has worth, excellence, ajid super
iority in our own Individualities and Personalities. The most beauti
ful characters in the world are those who live in the Consciousness of
Good; they are also the strongest, for Good is positive to Evil, as
Light is positive to Darkness. One easily subdues the other when plac
ed in positive action. It is the privilege of every Individual to de
velop the Good in his or her Personality to the exclusion of all else.
That is when he builds up a powerful and brilliant Mind, a beautiful
and unconquerable Soul,and a noble and strong character, and talents
and abilities and powers of a rare order.
But superior qualifications cannot be permanently ac
quired unless the Mind dwells in the Attitude of Supremacy,that is,
in the constant recognition of Good. Neither is it necessary to ignore
evil for wrongs exist temporarily,it is useless to deny the fact.You
can however,look for the Good Quali ties,the Hidden Possibilities in
adverse circumstances and so called "bad people". There is no person or
thing so evil that all Good is absent. There is always an element of
Good in some shape or form in the worst,and this we can recognize and
magnify and develop,for it is of the Father,the sum total of all Good
and superior to all else combined and destined to develop and ulti
mately eclipse every form of Evil or Imperfection where Good is,
Eternal Right will finally triumph.
THIRD STEP
QUESTIONS
1. - What determines your Fate in Life?
2. - Why?
6. - Why?
9. - Why is it important?
12- (a) Can you faithfully hold these three points in your mind and de
velop them thruout each day for thirty consecutive days?
(b) Will you do this? If so read this Chat over each day for the
thirty day period, read slowly and carefully each time.
Western Occultism
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
PRAYER
QUESTIONS
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
— QUESTIONS —
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
c - 10 INFORMAL chats
Pg. 1 WITH THE FACULTY
Diet, and have demonstrated that we can take care of the physical
organi sm.
In the light of these Truths what then is the meaning
of "fighting against circumstances?" It simply means that a man is
continually revolting against an effect without, when all the time
he is nourishing and preserving its causes in his own h.eart;that
Cause may take the form of a conscious vice or an unconscious weak
ness; he may either deliberately be doing things that he should not
do, ur he is not strong enough to make himself do the things that he
knows he should do. -- Whichever it is, it stubbornly retards the ef
forts of the man, and it must be remedied first.
Men are anxious to improve their circumstances,but they
are always unwilling to improve themselves, and that is the reason
the majority of them remain bound. The man who does not shrink from
self crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object on which
his heart is set. This is just as true of earthly as it is of Heav
enly Things. Even the man whose sole object i s to acquire wealth,
must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices in everything
that is irrelevant before he can accomplish his object. And how
much more so he who would realize the strong and well poised Life,.
Here is a man who is wretchedly poor, he is extremely
anxious that his surroundings and home comforts should be improved,
yet all the time he shirks his work, and considers he is justified
in trying to deceive, his employer on the ground of insufficiency of
wages. Such a man does not understand the simplest rudiments of
those principles which are the basis of true Prosperity, and he is
not only totally unfitted to rise out of his wretchedness, but is ac
tually attracting to himself a still deeper wretchedness by dwelling
in and acting out indolent, deceptive, careless and slovenly thought.
On the other hand here may be a rich man who is the vic
tim of painful and persistent disease as a result of high living and
rich food. He is willing to give large sums of money to get rid of
the disease, but he will not sacrifice his desires and appetites for
these kinds of food. He wants to gratify his taste for rich and un
natural food, and have his health as well. Such a man is totally un
fit to have health, because he has not yet learned the first princi
ples of a healthy life.
Here is an Employer of Labor who adepts tricky measures
to avoid paying the regulation wages, and in the hope of making lar
ger profits, reduces the wages of his workmen. Such a man is total
ly unfitted for Prosperity, and when he finds himself bankrupt, as
regards both reputation and riches, he blames circumstances,and if
you tell him he is the sole Author of his conditions he is mightily
offended.
Then we have others who look out over the masses of So
ciety) and who say "but such a man is a crook, and he prospers," and
"here is another man who is an example of Virtue, and yet he fails."
Now we may know that a man may be honest in certain directions,and
yet suffer privation, a man may be dishonest in certain directions
and yet acquire wealth, but the conclusion which is usually formed
that the one man fails because of his particular honesty, and that
the other prospers because of his particular dishonesty, is the re
suit of an entirely superficial judgment, which assumes the dishonest
man is almost totally corrupt, and the honest man almost entirely
virtuous. In the light of a deeper knowledge and wider experience
such Judgment is found to be erroneous. The dishonest man may have
some admirable Virtues, which the other does not possess,, and the hon
est man obnoxious vices which are absent in the other. The honest
man reaps the good results of his honest thoughts and acts,he. also
brings upon himself the suffering which his vices produce. The dis
honest man likewise garners his own suffering and his own happiness.
I know that it is very pleasing to human vanity to be
lieve one suffers because of one's Virtues, but not until man has
eliminated every bitter and impure thought from his mind and washed
every sinful stain from his Soul can he be in a position to know and
declare that his sufferings are a result of his good, and not of his
bad qualitie-s. And on the way to, yet lung before he has ever reach
ed that Supreme Perfection, he will have found working in his mind
and life the great Law which is absolutely just, and which, therefore
cannot give good for evil, or evil for good. Once possessed of such
knowledge, he will know as he looks back upon his past ignorance and
blindness that his life is and always has been justly ordered, that
all his past experiences, good and bad, are the equitable out-work
ing of his own evolving, yet unevolved Soul.
Suffering is always the effect of wrong thoughts in some
direction, it is an indication of the individual who out of harmony
with himself, and with the Law of his Being. The sole and supreme
use of suffering is to purify, to burn out all that is useless and
impure. The circumstances which a man encounters with suffering are
the result of his own mental, inharmony; the circumstances which a
man encounters with blessedness are the result of his own mental har-
m ony.
A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine
and complain, and commences to search for the hidden Justice which
regulates Life. Then as he adapts his mind to that regulating fac
tor he ceases to accuse others of being the cause of his present con-
di-tion and he begins to build himself up in noble and strong thought,
he ciases to kick and rant against circumstances and begins to use
them, as aids in his more rapid progress, and as a means of discover
ing the hidden Powers and Possibilities within himself.
The proof of this tiling is in every single person, and
so it therefore, admits of easy investigation for anyone who will
take the time and trouble to make a systematic self-analysis and in
trospection. You have but to let a man radically alter his thought,
and he will be astounded at the rapid transformation it will effect
in the material conditions of his life. Man may imagine that Thought
can be kept secret, but it cannot, it rapidly crystallizes into Habit
and Habit solidifies into circumstances.
And then, too we must remember, that until Thought is
linked with Purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment. With th
great majority, the Bark of Thought is allowed to drift upon the
Ceean of Life. Aimlessness is a vice, and such drifting must not
continue for he who would steer clear of catastrophe, and destruction.
They who have no central purpose in their life, fall an
easy prey to Petty Worries, Fears, T'rouoles, and Self Pityings,all
of which are indications of weakness, which lead just as surely as
if they were deliberately planned though perhaps by a different route
to Failure, Unhappiness and Loss, for weakness cannot persist in a
power-evolving Universe.
Every man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in
his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose
the centralizing point of his thoughts, it may take the form of a
Spiri tual Ideal or it may be a worldly object, according to his na-
ture at the time but whichever it is, he should steadily focus hi s
mind forces upon the object which he has set before himself, He
should make this purpose his supreme duty and devote himself to its
attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral
fancies, longings and imaginings. This is the real road to Self-Con
trol and true concentration of thought, Even tho he fail again and
again, to accomplish his purpose, and of course, he must necessarily
do so until his weaknesses are overcome, the strength of character
gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a
new starting point for future power and triumph.
Those who are not prepared for the apprehension of a
Great Purpose, should fix the thought upon the faultless performance
of their duty, no matter how insignificant their tasks may appear.lt
is only in this way that thought can be gathered and focussed and re
solution and energy be develaped. When this is done, there is noth-
ing which cannot be accomplished.
Just as the physically weak man can make himself strong
by careful and patient training, so the man with weak thoughts can
make them strong, by exercising himself in right thinking.
To put away aimlessness and weakness and to begin to
think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones, who
-J.
only recognize failure as one of the Pathways of Attainment, and who
make all conditions serve them. They are those who think strongly,
at tempt purposely, and accomplish masterfully.
- QUESTIONS -
Write them down, making sure you have listed every one
then write the remedy and correct them one by one.
The
Western Traditions
Informal Chats
By
• The Faculty
The
Mystic Brotherhood University
11 IN FORMAL CHATS
1 WITH TH.- FACULTY
QUESTIONS
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
Worlds, and the Soul may travel thither at will before the fin?*l cast
ing off of the physical body. The securing of Power to function on
those levels depends solely on Spiritual Development to which Psychic
Development is merely a means. The "Resurrection Body" is yours al
ready, it is what is called the Astral Body; unfortunately it may not
have been trained to conscious life but you will do so, and you will
in time be able, not only to see the dead, to visit them in full wak
ing consciousness as you do in sleep now, but see many other wonder I
ful things besides. One of the most important of these is to be able 1
to receive guidance and help from some of the innumerable types of
Beings which the Church lumps vaguely together as "Angels." Further
your sphere of usefulness to Humanity at large is enormously increas
ed, for as you desire to help another person, you will be able to see
far more clearly how he is situated, and to sum up his character far
more accurately with the aid of your conscious reliance upon these
higher Faculties. When you have gained experience in the use of these
faculties you are able to use methods of assistance quite independent
of those restricted Laws of Physical Matter. The additional methods
by which this development is attained are based on the knowledge of
the Occult Forces of Nature and the Laws which govern their operation.
And all this is embraced in the broad Curriculum of the Brotherhood,
and the personal letters of its Teachers.
After all the proof of these things lies only in mak
ing a first-hand experiment under capable and competent guidance. No
amount of argument on a priori grounds, by a person without experi
ence , will ever convince a person who has had such experience by pro
per methods, that it is unreal, or that it is untrue. Where one hes
had first-hand experience he cannot in any wise doubt the Actuality
of it, for he knows, and knows that he knows.
QUESTIONS
1 - Just what is meant by the Occult Doctrine of God in His relation
to man?
6 - What are the answers given by the three great groups to the
Question of hereafter?
Western Occultism
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
s*g. 1 IkFORMAL CI:/-To
WITH THE FACULTY
gin?
2 - How do one's thoughts affect children?
ó - ..hy are children so discerning of any injustice?
im itrtjh iit
The
Western Traditions
By
The Faculty
¡ the delight you feel in the birth of a new day. It gives you another
chance for action, for taking another step on the pathway to some
nearby Goal. Then for the fun and joy of getting ready, first the ex
ercise.Study to find improvement in reaching,stretching,in poise,and
be liberal in congratulating yourself on the perceived daily gain,
while engaged in this routine exercise. Now the bath. Cnee you
thought it a conventional act that cleanliness required. But now you
know it for luxury and fun, it has a sparkle in it. Rejoice that it
gives you a pleasure which the same thing can never give a dumb brute
joyful tho he may be over it. You can throw something of the intel
lectuality in it, which the brute may never reflect. -- Now the rub
bing, see how the body glows. 'That a Divine Heritage is even the priv
ilege of this human form. Then the dressing, the putting on of clean
clothing, that is your contribution of admiration for the body, - not
the clothes. How pleasant by this means of happy auto-suggestion,are
you making this morning hour,which contains hum-drum duties,mingled
with vexations. You again glance in the mirror and smile at its re
flection because of the cheerfulness you see in your face. You have
kept all thoughts of the business of the day from your mind,during
this primary preparation for its work and joy. Now you start forward,
radiating cheerfulness,and all this because of simple auto-suggestion,
merged into the Will during the first hour of the working day. Does
all this seem of the Kindergarden order, - perhaps it is,but happy
you will be, if you have learned this simple lesson. Those who have
followed it religiously, day after day, have repeatedly told that
they regard this simple discipline their first right start in under
standing the momentous power of a disciplined Will.
There is another gain,and that is the marvelous advan
tage, the cultivating and maintaining of cheerfulness, gives one in
all of the lesser and greater affairs of life, The Harmonic Cell vi-
bration it sets in motion gives even respiration, a new stimulus.The
entire physical system responds with praises of thankfulness. Again,
cheerfulness is contagious, exceedingly magnetic, and just the kind
of magnetism one may safely throw out, most unstintedly. A few short
aff i rmations like "this is fun," "I am enjoying this," "this is just
the exercise I most need," will make the petty annoying duties of the
day a laugh, instead of a growl. Trivial as these suggestions may
seem to one who is carefully following the serious purpose of develop
ment, I still want to emphasize their practical value in the deeper
work. It is most necessary that you come into a greater familiarity
with that capacity of your soul called Will, on which correct exer
cise of all life’s worthy advancement absolutely depends. It is ne
cessary that you see clearly, the various Forces that lay behind Will
and which are merged into it by suggestion. When you perceive this
Truth, and work in harmony with the higher Laws of Evolution, you
will find that Ideal and Will are two inseparable terms. The Will
cannot work on nothingness. Its' cultivation must resolve itself in
to human creations of Thought Entities. They are built up out of
Soul Faculties which give birth to Ideals. These blended with Will
create the Material Form.
Sometimes Will is obedient to outer suggestion in
spite of the fact that it's proposed action is seemingly diametric
ally opposed to the stimulii from thought waves of outer suggestions
which sweep, over it. In these days of prohibition, stimulants of
one kind or another, are all too frequently considered a necessary
part of social activities. One party, in relating their habits,
said in substance, that he had been drinking too many cocktails, and
that he would like to have the desire for them overcome, providing
that no great self-denial was required on his part- He wanted to ov
ercome what he felt was a bad habit, without any serious exercise of
Will Power. He said that he had been accustomed about eleven in the
morning, to take his first cocktail for the day, that if he met
friends later, he might take two or three within the next half hour.
Upon recalling the number he drank during the day, he often found
that he had taken from ten to fifteen. The case is very similar to
undertaking to heal one who is ill, and who refuses to do the ordina
ry things to help the physician, whether he be of the old school, or
a mental healer.
The suggestion was made, "You can do what you desire,
providing you will take these remedies and take them regularly, and
be honest. The remedies will be mere auto-suggestions. Make them
just as you are advised, and then you must report at least once each
week." With the realization that no self-denial on his part was re
quired, he agreed to enter into the idea. Now, he was told "Know
first that your Will is the Director of you in all the minor and
greater things of life. You will to drink these cocktails, and so
you drink them. Back of Will there isa suggestion, and that is what
we are going to start and work with. You can call this nonsense or
fun, whichever you will, but let us see how much fun we can get out
of it. The auto-suggestion will be made thru a part of you, but
your entire You is a complex Unity. So here then, is the prescrip-
tion. You start in the morning, and the cocktail hour comes - al-
most automatically perhaps, you rise from your desk and go for it.
The habit has become fixed in your Subconsciousness and hence affects
it. Now, right at this time, you say quietly to yourself, not aloud,
'I don't need this cocktail, I don't want it' but do not answer this
with '1'11 take it just the same, or words or thoughts to the equiva
lent. Just say it and then go quietly and take it. Just before you
drink, repeat this suggestion,:I don't need ^his, I don't want it' --
follow this day by day, and let me hear from you atthe end of the
week. There is one thing more -- say each night, just before you
fall asleep, some suggestion like this, 'I have drunk too much today,
I now denounce it entirely.' At the end of the week the report came
in that he was following the suggestion, but drinking just the same.
He was told that it might take three weeks or perhaps three months,
possibly more, but "let us keep it up .just for the fun of it." His
next report came in, and the one after that was practically the same.
But, by the time the fifth week had gone by, he was inquiring what
hypnotic effect had been produced. And then he said, 'I have been
following this plan that you suggested, using your suggestions and
gradually making other ones. Three weeks went by, and no change. Dur
.ing the last week however, I seemed to feel less inclination to drink
and frequently, it was noon day before I took my first. And then,
when I took the review at the end of each day, and put down the total
number, I had had only half of what they were a week or so previously
Three different times I went out and ordered a cocktail, but did not
drinK it. Since then, I have had no inclination to go, the Habit is
a thing of the past-
Now, ordinarily one should not attempt auto-suggestion-
under such adverse conditions as this, but it does illustrate and
prove what has been drawn from many experiments that the Will is dom
inated as well as supported by powerful suggestions.
Leidnitz says, "We can make ourselves believe what we
wish, by directing our attention from an unpleasant object in order
to devote ourselves to another which is pleasing to us, so that by
giving more consideration to the reasons for the favored course of
action we end by believing in the more favorable. I want you to note
that the action of Ji11 as thus spoken, is directed thru or by other
forces combining or blending with it, as we have found in the illus
tration given.
If one has learned to overcome the petty annoyances
of life, by the practice of auto-suggestion, as we have now discus
sed, he has to carry with him, a cheerful atmosphere in his daily
work. He can inevitably take up life's lessons with absolute convic
tion, that though there be between him and his ideal, severe tasks,
nevertheless the winning of these ideals is certain to follow,as it
is certain that the Seasons follow in their courses. This is Evolu
tion's plan for man, and he is adapting himself to it and cooperat
ing with it. If at times difficulties arise of such magnitude as to
give birth to doubt, then let him remember that a cold day with flak
es of snow in the temperate zone during May or June does not indicate
that the summer season is not to follow in regular succession, that
particular year. His faith could not be shaken for a moment, as to
the regularity of the course of the Seasons, because of such an in
cident as this. It should be just as firm when obstacles meet him
as to his own unfolding.
And to what I have said, ther^need but to be added
sincere and devout prayers and frequent deep meditation, for Prayer
and Meditation signify attitudes of Kind which blend with each other,
though Prayer contains within itself, the longing, while Meditation
opens the Way and brings Power. The Prayer without aligning itself
to Meditation, and merging itself within is the speaking of words
not thoughts, - and giving of expression to the wanton wishes of id
leness. There has been much of such praying in the World, but noth
ing has come of it. The metaphysics of this Age, finds in prayer,
something holier than the semi-automatic responses to Church Ritual.
Within it is the longing of the Soul, and this Philosophy teaches
that the way to Unfoldment is to give tangible expression to that
longing. "
QUESTION
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
C-16
Pg 1 Informal Chats
With the Faculty
normal tendency to pass swiftly from one thing to another, from one
thought to another. During the early stages of Mental Development,
progress depends upon the accumulation of facts, which form the Ma
terial for thought. The Mind has gradually evolved as a result of
the innumerable experiences gained in many Incarnations, upon the
Earth Plane. In its earlier period it developed under the pressure
of circumstances, under the imperious necessity for supplying the
needs of, and satisfying the desires of the Physical Body. This is
the Biological use of the mind, it subserves the Organism. In this
way, gradually the qualities of comparison, analysis, criticism and
judgment are acquired, and mental energy accumulated. In order,how
ever, that these faculties may flower, a variety of experiences are
required, the Mind must be versatile, mobile, eager to learn, seeking
change and variety. Hence it has been likened aptly to a butterfly,
for it darts about from one thing to another, skimming lightly over
the surface of knowledge, restless, lacking the ability to concen
trate .
As in course of time, mental capacity increases,and am
bition to achieve it is felt, and this motive acts as a great stimu
lus to the developing of the faculty of concentration, steadying the
mind and directing its attention into definite Channels, helping it
to acquire one-pointedness; gradually, too, the exercise of the Men
tal Faculty becomes a pleasure in itself. Mankind using it,can study
and reflect upon* the phenomena of the physical world. The many Sci
ences of today record the success of his investigations into the mys
teries of Nature, and the discovery and release of their many hither
to hidden forces. By this means another way of apprehending our en
vironment, other than that of the Sense perception is discovered, a
way which interprets and explains the evidence of the latter,and
leads us to the Borders of the Unseen World, into the Realms which
lie across the abyss.
Both success and failure play their part in Mental Devel
opment. Thwarted hopes, disappointment, insecurity of love,inability
to avert old age, or prevent death, help to awaken the deeper reflec
tive levels of thought. The meaning of life is sought, and the mind
tends more and more to recede inward upon itself, to dwell upon its
interior contents, in order to discover the significance cf the facts
it has accumulated. The purpose of experience, the value of pain. -
When this stage is reached development is greatly accelerated, for
it is the interpretation of facts and not their mere accumulation,
however necessary it may be to the foundation of thought, which
brings into play, the really Creative Powers of the Mind, and leads
eventually into the world of the Higher Mind Consciousness from
whence are derived the true understanding and Wisdom that give Nobil
ity and Sincerity of Character, and that establish the Dhilosophies,
the Arts and the Ethical Ideals of Civilization. Moreover the Spirit
ual Discernment which follows upon the practice of inwardness,loos
ens the Bonds of Custom, Convention, and Moral Codes which will not
bear the Light of this higher and clearer vision, and thus helps to
raise the level of the Social Consciousness.
It is not, then, until the Mind is well developed and ca
pable of concentration, that the practices of the Occultist can suc
cessfully commence. The experiences and vicissitudes of life,shape,
as it were, the instrument which the would-be Occultist proposes to
polish and use freely for his own purposes. To this end, he aims at
establishing complete control over the whole of the activities of his
Mind. This involves a continuous surveillance over his thoughts and
desires, coupled with a deliberate and self-controlled mental and emo
tional expression, until he feels that in whatever direction he choos
es to put his energy, there will be no opposition from the Mind, or
the Habit Self, or even the Desire Nature, but on the contrary, a
ready and willing cooperation, for he has made these attributes of
himself, loyal service, ready and willing to obey his slightest com
mand .
It is not an easy task to make of the mind, a one-point
ed instrument, consenting to serve us at any moment, thus overcoming
its tendency to seek variety and change, but nevertheless, this objec
tive is absolutely necessary, even in the little affairs of every day
life. If we are to see clearly, reason logically and perceive what we
are doing, and the results that are going to follow our action. Every
student, practicing deliberate control of the Mind, quickly becomes
aware of its extreme mobility, its seeming dislike of being held at
will to a single point, and the ease with which irrelevant ideas in
trude upon it, making fixed attention difficult, arduous and often
wearisome. The Mind, unused to this unremitting supervision, may ex
perience a shock or strain when its activities are thus subordinated,
to the Authority of the Higher Egoic Consciousness, and directed to
definite ends.
Control of the Mind, moreover, means not only the rower
to make it one-pointed and to exclude irrelevant thoughts, but also
the Power to still it at will, to keep it at rest when not required,in
other words, to stop the process of thought itself. The difficulty as
also the necessity of this, is easily demonstrated by the fact that
many people spend sleepless nights because of worrying, or because of
anxious or excited thoughts, that escape control and throng the Mind.
Until therefore, the activities of the Thinking Principle are mastered
it cannot be regarded as a free instrument for our use. On the con
trary, it will appear frequently to hold us in chains by its restless
ness and versatility. This experience however, is common to every
student who seeks freedom from the trammels of the undisciplined in
dividuality, and its desires and longings. Thus Arjuna, more than
two thousand years ago, complained to his teacher, Shri Krishna, that
the Mind "is impetuous, strong and difficult to bend. I deem it as
hard to curb as the wind." The Great Yogi replied to his Disciple
'Without doubt the mind is hard to curb and restless, but it may be
curbed by constant practice and dispass-ion. "
It is this incessant activity of the mind, that in the
East is calle'd "its transformations" and these it is which have to be
suppressed, or in other words, controlled, so that they can no longer
disturb its poise. These transformations may be likened to whirlpools
and ripples passing over the surface of the Mind, affecting its tran
quility as waves agitate and disturb the stillness of a lake.
It is important to understand clearly, that it is not
only the control of the transformations but also the elimination of
the involuntary ones, that is aimed at in the practice of Occultism.
Clearly, our every thought and emotion causes a vibration, or trans
formation in the Mental and Astral Bodies, but it is we who should de
cide its nature. The response that we make to circumstances should be
self-initiated, not involuntary, that is, suppose that someone is
angry with us, causing vibrations of a certain order to impinge upon
C - 16
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O
our subtler Body, we must determine what our reaction will be to this
experience. If our Mind is untrained and uncontrolled, the tendency
will be for us to become angry too, as every vibration in matter is
correlated with a corresponding change in Consciousness. Hence, the
same mood could be invoked in us, in which case, irritable waves (tran
sformations) would sweep over and radiate from our subtler Vehicle,
and v/e should find ourselves the slaves of an undesirable emotion,but
if on the other hand, instead of yielding to the impact received, we
examine it with detachment, with an impersonal attitude, we would then
be in a position to determine what response we would make; then,anger
would leave us undisturbed and would be met with suitable counter-act
ing vibrations of friendliness, calmness or peace, as the situation re
quired. This would serve the double purpose of restoring Harmony to
the Atmosphere, and of helping the angry one, to recover his poise.
Thus, it will be seen that Control does not mean that v/e
are to become less sensitive to the thoughts and emotions of others,
but on the contrary, it will be noted that extreme sensitiveness re
sults in this training, and tho this may add to our nerve strain at
first, even giving rise to irritability, and apparent lack of control,
at times, it is of the utmost value in ennobling us to sense rapidly
the moods and needs of others, so that we can respond to them quickly,
in suitable and helpful ways.
This matter of training, the Thinking Principle, will be
carried on in our next Chat together, but for this time, I want you to
read and re-read what has been said. When certain points are brought
out, such as "it is the interpretation of facts, and not their accu
mulation, which brings into play, the really Creative Powers of Hind"
--I want you to meditate upon them, to understand them, appreciate
what is being said, mentally digest them, and then begin to use them.
Mere intellectual knowledge alone, does not suffice in bringing about
that control v.-h.ich leads to Peace, happiness and Abundance. It is not
the accumulation of knowledge, by reading promiscuously, books, mag
azines and various lessons from different Schools. It is only when
the ilind turns in upon itself, and meditates to discover the signifi
cance of the facts it has accumulated, that progress is made.
It
t *
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Western Occultism
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3-17 INFORMAL CHATS
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C-18 Pg 1 INFORMAL CHATS ’71 TH THE FACULTY.
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C - 19 Pg. 1
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One who has not gone deeply into the matter of the
hidden and invisible side of things, is apt at one time or another,
after reading facts such as these which deal with the matter of Re
incarnation, Power of Mind and the Ability to function in the Invis
ible Planes, to lean back and question in his mind whether, after all,
there is anything in this, or whether the view of the materialist is
right. Of course, after he has had some definite experienced, he can
say that he knows, but previous to that time he could only say it
seemed reasonable or unreasonable, as the case may be- We are enter
ing a new day, a new Age, and the inventions of the immediate past,
have begun to open up a new side and the old days have gone by when
the superficial materialist was able to deluge the world with the
jargon of Science, and its magical instruments of precision. His
fond belief that the microscopes and telescopes would plumb the In
finite has been proven mere foolishness- Even now, the school boy
realizes that the microscope and the telescope do no more than aug
ment very slightly the feeble power of the human eye, and that the
Infinite is not at the mercy of a piece of glass, however finely it
may be ground.
Radio activity is a phenomena which has gone far to
disturb the cocksureness of the materialist. A piece of heavy metal
may act at a distance upon a photographic plate, and may do so for
many years, without any loss of weight, which can be determined by
any instrument of precision. Telepathy or thought Transference is
another Phenomena which baffles the much harrassed rnan whose mental
horizon is bounded by the High School Text 3ooks of his youth, for
Telepathy escapes psychological explanation.
The real difficulty of the true materialist lies in
his unwillingness to admit, that a*material substance such as a piece
of Uranium or a human body possesses something in addition to the
substance which he can measure and weigh, and test. He is disinclined
to admit that there is something which extends beyond the changeable
edges of that piece of Uranium and which can effect a photographic
plate on the other side of a brick wall. It is really annoying to
think that a man in America, can by sheer process of thought, convey
that thought to his Brother in England, yet disagreeable as it may
seem, he must admit it, for both phenomena have been proven consist
ently .
But the Materialist is not consistent, for even the
Material body is known to possess something besides their molecules.
They possess energy and in varying forms. This energy is best under
stood by us as vibrations,-it is nowise extreme to speak of radio act
ivity as the Soul of Uranium, nor of thought as the Soul of the Brain.
Every substance in the r/orld is radio-active, to a greater or lesser
degree and has a vibratory life of its own. Thus, all substances may
be said to possess in some measure, a body and a Soul, or if other
terms are preferred, a Material Body, and a Spiritual, or Astral Body
is on the other. The Material Body of the thinker in America is on
one side of the Atlantic, and the Spiritual or Astral Body is actively
engaged in giving rise to the impression in England.
A moment's consideration, may be paid to this question
of vibrations, which has now given rise to an entirely new science,
that of Radiesthesie. It will be important to consider of what any
body can consist. Material Science informs us that matter consists of
molecules, held together by a force known as Cohesion, but atoms are
but groupings of electrons and their central nucleus. That the latter
C 20
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are but sheaths for the conveyance electrical energy and that elec
trical energy is only a Path along which vibrations travel.The heavi
est piece of lead, the hardest piece of steel,are only two modes of
grouping invisible and intangible vibrations.
It is necessary to avoid carrying this truth so far that the
material body is entirely forgotten. Tho the lead and steel be re
duced to vibrations,yet re lati ve ly i other substances,they remain as
metal. Mentally regarding a piece of lead as a grouping of intangible
vibrations will not alter its ability to depress the scale and the
steel will still bruise us if we try io punch a hole thru it. These
substances then,possess two bodies at least,a vibratory body and what
is g-enerally called a material body •
This latter,the material body has been found to contain the
most extraordinary power. A piece of steel,given to a Psychometri st
to hold, will enable him to reconstruct certain unknown details, of the
bombardment of a certain Sector during the War,the details of which
it was possible to confirm afterwards,by other evidence. A piece of
stone,taken from a ruined Temple in Sicily has enabled another Psy-
chometrist who has never been out of this Country to describe that
Temple and give a personal description of the various people who were
in the party the day that piece of stone was picked up,and so to give
a description of the building of that Temple many thousands of years
before,with historic detail which was found to be accurate.
Now,then,did the piece of steel,re tain the memories of that
bombardment,and how did a piece of stone from a Temple Wall register,
not only the Temple,but the people who visited the ruin on a certain
day?
Again,the mu?h laughed-at Divining Rod,and the Pendulum has
been found of service not only in finding underground water,and met-
aliforous veins,but also to track the flight of fleeing criminals. A
sensitive Diviner can mark every place where a murderer áte or stayed,
merely by the vibrations emanating from the walls of the room.Not on
ly then,do all substances attain vibrations of their own,but other
vibrations may be impressed upon them.
Without desiring to force the issue in any way,either there
is a memory body in matter,in all matter, or else memory is an inte
gral function,neither of the material body,nor of the vibratory body.
If memory seems an extreme term, the phrase "enduring registration'"
may be used,but the difference is slight.In the case of the piece of
steel,and the stone from the Temple,and the table whereat the murder
er sat,reference has only been made to unconscious vibrations but
many a problem will become clear when it is realized,that inanimate
objects,inert objects,to use the old phrase may be given certain vi
brations by conscious effort.This of course,is the explanation of
Talismanic Magic, concerning which much of the real work of the Bro
therhood is concerned.
The Egyptians understood this principle most thoroughly and
the Ushabti or small figure found in many tombs were prepared in such
wise to act as memories of the Soul,even as temporary vehicles if
need be .Upon the pottery image,was bestowed the power of renewing the
vibrations of that Soul,- does this seem strange'5 How many keepsakes
do the same? What wizardy of memory may lie in a broken locket, a
faded flower, or a blood-stained knife0
The Iconoclast may shrug his superior shoulders at the pious
worshipper whose prayers are rendered more fervent by the sight of
a Crucifix,the Cross,or the Statue of a Saint,but he will do well not
to forget that these symbols may have a high potential of Spiritual
C - 20
Pg. 3
Energy, charged over and over again,by the intensive concentration of
Devotees, and unless the Iconoclast is entirely foolish,he will re
member that nothing can be destroyed, for all things are imperishable,
and that an emotional, electric charge, so to speak, is not alien to
Universal Lav/. Mary an ancient Cathedral is heavily charged with De
votional Power,which was accumulated in its very stones in the Middle
Ages, when every worshipper was devout, and doubt had not entered in
while a modern Cathedral, built in recent times, even tho an exact re
plica of the old, has none of this feeling for its walls are only ac
cumulating a half-hearted faith,and a formal decorousness.We say and
we say rightly, that the former Cathedral has a Spirit of its own, the
latter has not.
Those members of the Brotherhood,who have gone thru the
higher work,realize the truth of what is being said,from the atmos
phere which they have built up around and about the little Shrine,which
they use in their Sanctum;they realize the efficacy of the continual
impact of Truth and Charity and Devotional appeal upon that Symbol and
its vital aid in raising Consciousness up the Planes.
But, to come back to our subject, this matter,again,may
be pushed further. The piece of steel, the stone from the Temple wall,
and the table at which the murderer sat, could tell a full story,each
individually,how is it,that all the stones of the Cathedral can possess
a collective Spirit. As in the human body, each cell has life and the
body has its ov/n life apart from the cells, so then, each stone in a
Cathedral may have its life and yet the Cathedral itself, possess a
life of its own. It is entirely true to say of a building,as St. Paul
said of Man, ’’There is a natural body and there is a Spiritual Body.”
Our friend, the skeptic might here object, ’’but your
Spiritual body of the Cathedral is invisible,” we shall reply equally,
’’The material body is no less invisible. Enter into the darkness of
night -- what would you see? Nothing. Does your not seeing it, preclude
its existance?No,- you go further - do you see the walls in full day
light? Not a bit, - Light Rays,striking an opaque object,reflect thru
the ether,the rods and cones of the eye,and then,sends the vibrations
to the brain you have seen Light but you have not seen the Wall.”
Let us not be afraid to say that the Ancient Cathedral
possesses a Spiritual Body,and a greater potency than does the modern
Cathedral,and since this Entity is sufficiently powerful to act upon
our brain,and thence upon our emotions,giving rise to a sense of re
verence, it is justifiable to consider this as a living Entity.The
Spirit of an old Cathedral then,is a living being,invisible in the Mat
erial Plane but visible on the Spiritual Plane.
Thus far,in our discussion,we have not gone beyond the
piece of stone,the bit of metal,yet the chunk of Uranium has shown us
the material body and an Astral Body acting at a distance. The piece
of steel has indicated the power of inert substance,holding memories so
vividly that they can be recaptured by a sensitive clairvoyant. The
Egyptian figurine of stone or pottery, evidences that memory can be
consciously transferred,and the living Spirit of an old Cathedral has
proven that such material substances as building stone can act as an or
ganism,and secure such potencies that the impression may be felt by the
casual tourist,usually the least receptive of human beings.
There has also been shown that visibility is a purely re
lative matter, that even a material body may be visible in one Light,
and invisible in another, that an Astral Body of radio activity,may be
visible to the chemical emulsion upon a photographic plate, and yet
invisible to the human sight; that psychic vision may be possible to
a Psychometrist in one degree,of subconsciousness,and not in another,
and that the Spirit of a Cathedral may be visible to a Mystic,and not
to a globe trotter.
It is with deliberation that we have commenced at the
bottom of the scale,for the higher developments of such an inquiry as
this would go so far that it would cease to affect the imagination,
and as you will come tc see, there is nothing illogical or surprising
in ascribing several bodies to living beings,of the higher order,when
there is so strong a foreshadowing of them upon the Material Plane of
the Mineral Kingdom. Modern Science is expanding largely from the
great impetus given it by the psychic investigations,and is only just
beginning to realize the mystery of the various lives and bodies
which lie hidden in inert matter.
So,bear these things in Mind,and think of them. When
we say to you, the Physical structure is the outgrowth of the Racial
Iwind and that "as man thinks, so does he become, that is the basis of
Evolutionary Law.Metaphysically,every abnormal and unhealthy condi
tion of body and environment,finances,or anything else,may be traced
to mental error,wrong thought.
Bear these things in mind,when we say to you,experience
demonstrates that a single strong thought,can poison the fluids of the
body,make one temporarily strong or weak,interfere with, or promote
digestion or even change the color of a person’s hair in a single
night.
Bear these things in mind when we say worry,grief,an
ger, fear,hate,greed,and all other unpleasant states of mind,and emo
tional disturbances,are the hidden sources of disaster and trouble.
Hosts of people rather regularly,develop serious maladies and pass on,
thru no other cause than the prolongation of adverse mental states.
So serious are the bad effects of wrong thinking,that no time should
be lost in broadcasting to the world,the knowledge of the nature and
modes of mental action,of the effects of the subtle potencies of
thought upon all phases of existence.
Bear in mind the story of the stone and the steel,when
we say that hidden within the depths of your real being,there is a
mighty Power,a Spirit Omnipotent,the Power which is accessible to
every mind,and only awaits the proper conditions to flow into ex-
pression thru the individual man.This Spiritual Principle is the real
Self of every individual, - therefore if you would be healed in body
or in affairs,by the Spirit Power,recognize its ability,despite all
appearances to the contrary.If you fear to thus trust this power,you
but close up its one channel of expression, your own mind. You must
therefore, be feailess and affirm youx- unity with its Supremacy,your
oneness with its Strength.No matter how diseased your body,or how in
volved your financial conditions may be,Spirit is the real part of you
and Spirit is whole and perfect. Climb up in your mind,to the moun
tain top of Spiritual Realization,and assert your will to live,and.
your will to Peace,Happiness,and Abundance.Repeat it,have faith in
it,believe it,and feel its stimulating influence spreading thruout
your Consciousness,and like Rays of a searchlight in the darkness,and
thus illumining opportunities,avenues by zhich you may achieve,which
you have never seen before.Rid your mind of its self-imposed bonds,and
let the Spirit come forth,whether it be today,tomorrow or at any time
your constant recognición of the power of your True Self,will sooner
or later,cause the body to respond and manifest inner perfection and
radiant health,will sooner or later,cause your affairs to straighten
out
C - 20
Pg- 5
the way to become smooth} you will find abundance flowing to you, you
will find Happiness, all because you have received Understanding.
Remember always, that we live, move and have our being
in a vast sea of Invisible Power. This Power is of a high Spiritual
quality, and tremendously potent. When we learn to recognize and feel
its Presence, we may consciously draw into our lives, all the Power we
may need, to perform any task we may have at hand.
We possess actually, only as much Power as we realize
in our Consciousness; in other words, before we can exercise Higher
Power and more Power, we must consciously enter into and appropriate
as much of that Power as we can comprehend, believe iii, and feel.
In all undertakings, or special work, seek to recog
nize the Power that is Supreme, realize further that there is any .
amount of Power within yourself that has never been used before. Lay
ers upon layers of dormant energy, which you have never yet tapped,
are to be found within the Inner Realms of your Being. Impress and re
impress this fact upon your deeper Consciousness, until you feel lit
erally surrounded and filled with mighty Forces. This practice will
tend to arouse more and more, these energies into activity, and thus
develop the power of your thought so that your mind will become
charged as it were, with greater Forces. These Forces are subservant
to your will, and invariably follow the direction of the desires you
have uppermost in your mind, and thus they perform what you wish to
have done,
Western Occultism
Informal Chats -
Mystic Brotherhood
C - 21 INFORMAL CHATS
Pg. -1 WITH THE FACULTY
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
INFORMAL C'JiTS
WITH THE FACULTY
It would seem that a week were all too short a time for
the thorough practice and understanding for the matter that has been
contained in these Chats- It would seem that time should be had to re-
view those important ones ,and to rebuild the mental image which was
first created at the time the Chat was received.We have been dwelling
upon these simple phases, because in th- first place, that is more the
purpose of these Informal Talks, and we have emphasized again and again
the Mandate of the Lelphic Oracle, II"Know Thyself"-the abiding Prin
ciple, Persistence, and Actuality of Self, must be comprehended .But
what is that Self? Is it the body, is it the Mind, is it what is under-
stood as Soul, or Psychic Self, or is it a synthesis of these?
The Mind peers into the World of Phenomena,weaving the
warp and woof of Sense Experience,busied with the outward order of
things,it fails to realize that it is the manifesting Principle of
Phenomena, but it is thru the Mind alone, that they do exist. Thus the
Mind accustoms itself to accord Actuality to its ' experiences, Cons-
ciousness deals with Symbols,whereas it should seek the meaning of the
External, in the study and realization of the Internal.The Mind is gen
erally absorbed in external Phenomena,e ver in quest of values associat-
ed with this external knowledge. It identifies itself absolutely with
fantasmagoría,and in this identification, it submerges its' own iden-
tity, and loses sight of it.
Philosophical reasoning is a process thru which the Mind
reacts upon itself,it leads to self introspection,to Mysticism and Oc
cultism and to the comprehension of Consciousness. Philosophy reaches
to the primitiveness of thought in an attempt to answer the query,"What
is the Self?" History is more a Veil -than a Light, it only faintly sug
gests the tremendous evolution of ideas,it reviews merely several thou
sand Centuries,but the Aryan Race,Mother of Races, reached high flights
of speculative thought ,aeons of time before the building of the Pyra
mids,long before the reign of those Egyptian and Assyrian Kings,whose
painted mummy cases,and sarcophagae,intimate high culture and civiliza
tion, ere the first Ray of Historic Ray of Historic Truth illumined the
darkened Path.Lissatisfied with the convictions of logic,and the solu-
tion of the Eternal Question,the Aryan Philosophers developed that Psy
chological system of introspective thought,which centers Consciousness
on the innermost nature of Man.wresting from the Unknown the Secret of
Se 1f,bringing Spiritual knowledge within range of Conscious Experience.
Conscious Knowledge is true Knowledge,Mystici sm and Occultism are deep
er than. Philosophy .Theories are indefinite, practical experience is
the criterion of Truth.Self-Knowledge must be established in Conscious
ness. It is vain, to thread the labrynth of argument ¡realization is the
aim and end. The Vedas teach "That Self must be seen,heard, perceived,
and known." The highest truth must become a living fact in conscious
per cepti on.
Need for a satisfactory solution of the Great Problem ~f
Life is vital. The problem is before each one.Each has it to solve for
himself . That solution involves the entirety of self knowledge, the
development of perfection of Spiritual Consciousness.
-
There is an exhaustless reservoir back of Manifested Na
ture,from which new forms and new creative and vital forces proceed,
a reservoir of latent energy in which all the future manifestations of
the Mighty Cosmos exist.Manifested Nature is limited,its' vast and seem
ingly illimitableness is conditioned,compared with the infinite poten
tiality of the Unmanifested.The Unmanifested is Infinite in possibili
ties of expressi on,infi nite in efforts to reach higher culminations of
natural perfection.
Man is an entire Universe within himself.In the abyss
of the Racial Past,slumbers the entire Cosmic Fast,vibrant with the
possibilities of the Cosmic future. The Heart of Man throbs in perfect
unison with the pulsations of Nature in the Great Evolutionary Urge.
Within his Racial Subconsciousness,is the vast stretch of instinct and
feeling,which conditioned expression of primitive form to more highly
evolved existence.He is part and parcel of Universal Development. His
Nature is composed of the same Soul,Mental and Physical,and Life Forces
animating all beneath or above the Rational or above or below the Hu
man. The past of the Universe is the past of every Soul,the Sun is no
greater than any of its' constituent Units. Remove a unifying factor,
and the Sun is incomplete..
We are the victims of appearances, of false Realities.We
are deceived by the magnitude of the Sunche Material Superiority of
the Sun over lesser bodies has its birth in the misconception of Sense
Experience. We conceive distance in the form of a break when there is
no break in the Universe. The entire Solar System is inter-related,
and bound to the Earth in an infinite Ocean of Ether. The Human body
and the Sun are only Wave-Forms of that Ether,only points of conden
sation. Both are of the same Material Substance which composes all
form. The Synthesized Force which controls the movements of the Plane
tary Course, is the same force that controls the Human Body. The Prin
ciples of Life and Consciousness,manifest in Being as the same, the
difference of expression, only one of degree. The Principle which
threads the Evolutionary Course thruout Time and Space, is equally in
scrutable, equally marvelous, equally Spiritual, whether the threading
be the inorganic primitive and instinctive, or of hyper-physical and
Spiritual Life. In the fact that all Substance, all Force and all Life
is One, man should see and grow conscious of His Greatness in the Uni
verse. Once inis fact is recognized as a living Truth,the Oneness and
Sacredness of Life and the Brotherhood of Man will be established. The
Spirit of the Race will manifest in coherent collectiveness of effort,
greater expression of social virtue,and greater control over sodial in
harmony.Man is as necessary a factor in the development of Universal
Order,as is the Mightiest of the Central Suns. Yes, even of Arcturus
Himself.
The all-encompassing motive in Cosmic Evolution is the
complete integration of Consciousness upon all of the Planes, in ex
ceeding the first development of conscious life, upon any Plane, the
next and continuously next step of Nature is to perfect it, to special
*
ize and consolidate it, and ever broaden its' field of expression.This
is what the Earth has been doing for millions of years, and the same
process is going on,in Universal Evolution.The purpose of this motion
and Growth of Suns from vast spheres of Fire,into habitable Planets is
to formulate conditions to render possible the manifestation of Consc
iousness .Consci ousness is the Goal of Physical motion,its most perfect,
active and developed expression is the climax of Cosmic Perfection.
These Truths reveal the essential nature of Man, they as
sert his power,his inherent Divinity.Omniscience and Bliss.What then
causes all this suffering,this self-belittling.whfch too all appear
ance, we are forced to undergo?Why are we burdened with this terrible
nightmare of limited Consciousness,if we are the absolute and all-in
clusive existence,why this manifestation,far from Divine,far from
Infinite, far from Perfect? For Ages upon ge^, man has been taught to
consider himself a worm of the dust,and has done so. An extra-person
al God has been pressed upon him, before whom he must cringe.For Ages
upon Ages, men have been like whipped dogs, prostrate at the feet of
tyrannious Divinity. Some have had not only one Autocratic. God to fear,
but an entire Folytheistic System.lt was hard for man to shoulder Spi
ritual Responsibility,conducive to moral and intellectual independence.
There is no Spiritual Progress without independence.There is no growth
without freedom,and this is especially true in the Evolution of the
Soul.Fear must be eradicated,before the Soul can truly advance.Poli-
tical slavery is terrible,but it is not to be compared with Religious
slavery.Social caste is dreadful,but far more dreadful is Religious
Caste-Absolute tyranny is dangerous,but far more dangerous is the un
scrupulous and grasping Spirit of Orthodoxy .Anc ient Governmental Po
licies were super-imposed upon the ignorance of the masses-It is the
same today.Ignorance makes men grovel before Thrones of State and
Thrones of Dogma. The Absolute Despotisms of the Orient furnish ex
ample, but with knowledge comes Power,Self Confidence,Assertion and
realization of Strengt’h and conquest over tyrannious conditions.
Religious reformation is a purging process which removes
superstition and ignorance.it does away with Soul binding Powers,work
ing inestimable havoc in the social body. Ignorance and Fear blind the
Vision,but men are to blame. They shut their eyes and cry out "There
is no Light,there is no Light!" They attribute weakness and ignorance
to the Soul,when it is the essence of Light,Truth.Knowledge and Power.
Remove the Veil which blinds the Spiritual Vision,so that you are not
bound,and you are not. Believe yourself in bondage,and you are in bond
age .
This is the Year of a new Revelation. New Religions,new
Systems of Thought,new Systems of Philosophy are turning the tide of
Spiritual Interest,from the Orthodoxy of the past,the profound discov
eries of Modern Science are forming into a basis for a true understand
ing of the Message given by the Books of the Bible,and of the Mystical
Actualities underlying the various States.
Faith is giving way to Knowledge;Faith often sinks into
Superstition;from being the fore-runner of Knowledge.it is often de
based into dangerous and Soul-suicidal man-made Dogma.Faith should her
ald the Dawn of Truth.When it fails to serve this purpose.it perishes-
The Scriptures of the World ask us to see,hear,perceive
and know the Truth.They 6ay "Ask and ye shall receive,seek and ye shall
find,knock and it shall be opened unto you." It is the direct percep
tion of Truth that the Soul demands.Be 1ief has not the motive Power for
conduct that Knowledge possesses.The cry of Orthodoxy has been "Believe
and ye shall be saved." the new Theology says "By knowledge man is
saved,alone by Knowledge." The surest method of realizing Truth is to
understand ourselves.Man possesses a Soul ,and he must become conscious
of it.Consciousness is most concerned with the Body. To center Conscious
ness upon the Soul is the aim of Religion.By the Soul of course, is
meant the changeless and permanent Actuality of the Divine Monad,cloth
ed in the Personality and Character .Memory and Consciousness .built up
thru accretion from the experiences in various forms.
C2i> Fg 4
But we must remember that sincere Desire to know and un
derstand a practical attitude in that desire are often confused.Spasmo-
dic Desire manifests in a haphazard and short-lived manner.In illustra
tion when one is bereft of material advantages,of his money or his
home, or his possessions, or when the Hand of Death touches his life,
he considers the things of Earth unimportant and turns his attention to
the deeper Side of what lies beyond, in the hope of finding consolation.
For a time he holds fast to the Spiritual,and then the temporal cares
and joys again absorb the Mind and a material attitude prevails. This
is not Spiritual Aspiration; Conversion is another mistaken aspiration.
True Conversion may occur,the Soul may be overcome by a Ray of Light
from the Divine Self,and it may be spontaneously illumined. The Ray
pierces the Darkness ol Ignorance and ends Bondage,and the Soul as
cends to Higher Planes,where the Spirit is free and its progress quick
er. But such instances are rarejthe average conversion is psychological
rather than Spiritual.
When Reason is Spiritualized,it possesses discriminat
ing Wisdom,it perceives that in the Phenomenal,all is motion and
change,weighed with complexities that only darken the mental vision.The
Soul relies upon Spiritual Elements to assist in reaching purer Regions
of Conscious Discernment. This is the Higher Mental Unfoldment, thru
it comes right understanding of Self. Remember too, that the Soul
cannot govern conditions until it realizes that it is above conditions,
until it knows that nothing can bind it, that nothing can limit its
activities or hinder the Greater Expression of its Divine Nature.
As you continue and work and study,dwell upon the Thou
ghts, the Ideas which have come to you,and you will find that little by
little,the Veil of Ignorance is removed,and little by little, the Great
Light and Glory of the Higher Self is manifested.
Mental cobwebs must be brushed aside. You, the Soul,
must assert day and night that you are free,that you are bound by
nothing, and that you are a slave to no condition. The Soul is Omni
potent,when it has realized that its innermost essence is uncondi
tioned. The Soul is the source of understanding and Spiritual Unfold
ment, and acts as the Father in Heaven of the Individuality, yet it
is continually hampered and restrained by this Cuter Self. A Teacher
explains this limitation of the Soul and points out the Way in a strik
ing illustration;
"A lion,stunned by the falling of a rock, was found by
hunters. Knowing that the lion could not regain consciousness for some
time, they built a bulrush cage around him, to see if he would imagine
himself captive,then they returned to a safe distance. On awakening,he
found himself surrounded by bars,and began to roar, thinking himself
a captive. The suggestion of the hunters had taken root; in his rest
less pacings, the lion stumbled against the bars. They gave way in
stantly. With a bound, the lion gained freedom. Thus the lion of the
Soul is caged in the ignorance of the Indi viduality,and thru it con
stantly asserting misery,weakness,slavery to this and that condition,
the riddance of this ignorance alone enables it to express Divinity."
Very true,this world is a stage.and we are actors. We
are acting our parts well and ill,but they afe only acting. Just as a
man representing a historic character, is not that character, so a man
portrays various parts and charae ters,when in Actuality the Self is the
only character.
Philosophical wranglings over the eternal question has
little vital bearing. The Buddha benefitted mankind,because He taught
an ethical system, which does for the heart, what concentration and
introspective Philosophy do for the mind. He inculcated a system in
which Truth has practical application. Other Teachers pursued the same
course. The Western Master said "Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they shall see Godl' Mere reasoning alone is not enough, is but a small
part in the transformation of character. It does not eradicate selfish
ness, nor extinguish the fever of passion. The entire Message of the
Master found expression in "Love one another."
In Spiritual Development,there are often moments of
weakness,but they are to be expected.Human Nature is liable to lapses
for the bonds of ignorance and selfishness are many. It is natural
that now and then,there should be a giving away. This is no reason
however, why gloom should cloud the mind,—Truth is One, and though
her modes of manifestation are many they all converge to the same Cen
ter .Every system implies effort. The Veda6 command "Arise,Awake and
stop not, until the Goal is reached." Great things cannot be achieved
by the weak. Courage, Fearlessness and Cheerfulness are characteristics
of those who know Self. Patience and Perseverance shall overcome every
thing.
V
:■
Western Occultism
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
C-24 Pg. 1
INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
and crippled by fears and forebodings, who is the creature of fill pass*
ing occurrences-
Within each one lies the cause of whatever comes to
him.Each has it in his own hand's to determine what comes.Everything in
the visible,material world has its origin in the unsbpn,the spiritual
world, the thought world. This is the world of cause, the formei;, the
world of effect. The nature of the effect is always in accordance with
the nature of the cause. What one litres in his invisible thought world
he is continually actualizing in his visible, material world. If he
would have any conditions different in the latter, he must make the
necessary change in the former. A clear realization of this great fact
would bring success to thousands of men and women who all about us are
now in the depths of despair. It would bring health,abounding health,
and strength to thousands now diseased and suffering. It would bring
peace and joy to thousands now unhappy and ill at ease.
By fear nothing is to be gained,but on the contrary,
everything is to be lost. "I know this is true", says one, "but I am
given to fear; it's natural to me and I can’t help it." Can't help it!
In saying this you indicate one great reason of your fear by showing
that you do not even know yourself, as yet.You must .know yourself in
order .to know your powers,and not until you know them can you use them
wisely and fully.Don't say that you can't help it.If you think you
can't, the chances are that you can't.If you think you can and act in
accordance with this thought,then not only are the chances that you can
but if you will act fully in accordance with it,that you can and that
you will is an absolute certainty.lt was Virgil,who in describing the
crew which in his mind would win the race,said of them,--"They can be
cause they think they can". In other words,this very attitude of mind
on their part would infuse a spiritual power into their bodies that
would give them the strength and endurance which would enable them to
win.
Then take the thought that you can; take it merely as
a seed-thought,if need be.plant it in your consciousness, tend- it,
cultivate it, and it will gradually reach out and gather strength from
all quarters. It will focus and make positive and active the spiritual
force within you that is now scattered and of little avail. It will
draw to itself force from without. It will draw to your aid the in
fluence of other minds that are fearless, strong, courageous. You will
thus draw to yourself and connect yourself with this order of thought.
If earnest and faithful, the time will soon come when all fear will
loose its hold; and instead of being an embodiment of weakness and ti
creature of circumstances, you will find yourself a tower of strength
and a Master of Circumstances.
If you can conscientiously foll'ow these di re cti ons , you
will develop,not only Peace,but also Faith, the kind of Faith that is
the "Substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen",
you will also develop Confidence,the kind of Confidence that leads to
endurance and courage;you will develop as well, the Power of Concentra
tion which will enable you to exclude all thoughts except the ones
which are associated with your Purpose.
Western Occultism
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
C 25 Pg 1
INFORMAL CHATS
WITH THE FACULTY
Informal Chats
Mystic Brotherhood
C-26 Pg 1
Informal Chats
With the Faculty
toys,tho in every decade the Truth is being driven home to them more
and more, and they are contenting themselves with make-believe. To
such, we might propound the question,"Can we really be said to have
even seen such matter?" Let us turn toward a common object in a room
which catches our eye with the multitudinous impulses which are re
flected from its surface under circumstances very similar to those in
which a ball-player "fields" a ball. He puts his open hand n the way
of the moving ball and catches it.Knowing the distance of the batsman
he may perhaps recognize by the hard impact of the ball that he has
strong muscles, but by no stretch of the imagination can he be said to
see the batsman by that impact, nor can he gain the slightest knowledge
as to his character and appearance.So it is exactly the same with the
objective intuition,altho in this case, we are fielding myriads of
impacts. We direct our openeyes to an object and catch,thereby, little
vibrations of Light.reflected from it at different angles. By combin
ing all these vibrations we have learned to recognize form,and come
to the conclusion that we are looking at, say, a chair.The eye catches
the vibrations coming in greater quantities from certain parts of that
chair, and we say that those parts are polished. The eye catches vibra
tions of higher or lower frequency, and we call that color.We also re
cognize that this chair prevents the eye from seeing light vibrations
from other objects in the room and we say that it is not transparent.
These are all conditions under which we are said to see our surround
ings and upon which is based the fallacy that "seeing is believing."
If we now take another step forward and analyze this pheno
mena ,"vibration", upon which, as we have seen, rests entirely our very
belief in the Reality of our surroundings, we shall be able to realize
that the whole outside World is really only an imaginary conception
caused by ignorance of the Finiteness of our outlook.lt has been sensed
as real by our limited physical organs of perception,but has no Actua
lity or value for us apart from those senses. The explanation is as
already pointed out, that all human sense organs depend entirely upon
vibration or movement in the Ether,Air or Matter for their excitation
without which there would be no knowledge of the outside world, no per
ception, and therefore, no knowledge of physical existence. The cause
of this absolute dependence upon movement for gaining knowledge of our
surrounding is that all our sense organs are confined to working under
the two modes of perception or limitation called Time and Space,making
motion the only possible basis of objectivity.because motion is a com
bination of these two modes. The very sensing of motion is the percep
tion of the time taken to traverse a certain space,and we cannot ima
gine motion unless it contains both of these modes,in however small a
quantity.We may have the greatest imaginable space traversed in a
moment of timebor the smallest imaginable space traversed in what may
be called, for want of a better word, an Eternity,but we still have to
postulate motion-This, of course, follows from the fact that when we
are looking outward, as we are doing when we are looking at the World
of Appearances, our thoughts require both of these modes of forming con-:
oepts.
Mow, let us take another step forward,and examine these two
factors of vibration under which our senses act. If we try to analyze
our conception of time and space we seem forced to postulate that they
are both infinitely divisible and infinitely extensible. They are both
what we call continuous and not discrete. Both duration in Time and
extension in Space can be reduced to a mathematical point. All parts
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of Time are Time, and all parts of Space are Space. There are no holes
as it were in Soace which are not Space, nor intervals in Time which
are not Time. They are both complete Units. Space cannot be limited,ex
cept by Space, Time, cannot be limited except by Time so far as they
are alike but on the other hand Space is comprised of Three Dimensions
Length,Breadth,and Depth, where Time has the appearance to us of com
prising only one dimension, namely length.
Our Conception of Time is an inconceivable,intangible "some
thing" which gives us the impression of movement,without anything that
moves it.Space is an omnipresent,intangible "nothing"outside which
nothing that has existence can even be thought to exist.
. We arbitrarily divide each of these two modes of functioning
into two parte,which parts are separated from each other in either case
by a point which apparently has as its center,our very consciousness
of living.In the ca.se of Space, we call the point the Here, and on one
side of it, we have/extension toward rhe Infinitely Great and on the
other extension toward the Infinitely Small.In the case of Time, we
call the middle point the Now,on one side of this we have the duration
of time toward the Future,and on the other hand,what we call the dura
tion of time toward the Past. In the case of Space we have the "here"
and the "over There" equivalent in time to the present and the future,
but tho Time and Space are, as it were twin sisters, upon whose com
bined action depends our very consciousness of existence, we do not
treat them both equally.
It is a remarkable fact that the Human Race on this particu
lar World has, in some inexplicable way, come to look upon the future
as non-existent, until we arrive at it, and are unable to perceive
without senses, what is happening there. This is all the. more inexplic
able when we realize that,travelling Space, we have to move to get
anywhere, but in traversing Time, we have nothing equivalent to move
ment, This way of looking upon the future as non-existent is probably
another Sign that our Race is still in its infancy but we have hitherto
looked upon Time not only as an Actuality, but as actually moving,or
extending along a line, from what we call the Present to future Etern
ity, whereas under our present outlook,we have no consciousness of the
existence of Time except as intervals between successive thots. Our
consciousness of the existence of Time is based upon our repeating
the Present by saying to ourselves the word "Now, now, now"—but there
is nothing that can be called movement in this any more than we stand
still and repeat the word "Here, here, here-"-relating- to Space. Our
present conception of the future may be any time,rectified by either
a slight pe-arrangement of the slender network of nerves,or microscopi
cal filaments attached to the Cells in the Grey Cordical Layer, or even
by a single bridge thrown across from one convolution to another in
the Brain. A very tiny alteration would open up to our consciousness
the present existence of the future. The prime conceivable difference
between our brain and that of the apes and other animals is the larger
number of convolutions which have been developed in the human.Each new
line of thought or sequence of thought requires and is provided with a
new wrinkle or microscopical convolution,and it probably only requires
the attention of the Race to be focussed for a time on the subject to
evolve the slight alteration or bridge necessary to enable us to real
ize that the future,as also the past, does exist now,and is included in
the Now. It may make this a little clearer to consider:traversing the
duration of Time,the future does not exist until we arrive there and
e
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Mind in Matter
To be continued.
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The Nature of Mind
To be continued:
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'o be continued:
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To be continued.
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Tc be continued.
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WITH THE FACULTY
POINT TWO
Often, the statement has been made by many teachers
that the external environment and all conditions of the daily life are
reflections of the Withih.
Often it is difficult to see this, when construed from
the standpoint of Constructive or Inspirational Occultism. For, it
teaches that if we ’'pray” or concentrate for anything strongly enough,
we shall surely have it.
And, right in the face of this teaching you can recall
instances where a person has desired a certain thing, beyond all things
in life, and has lost it entirely.
C-57Page 3
Again you can recall instances where one has desired
to accomplish a certain end, or to regain health, etc., and yet the
negative elements of a rebellious nature, within himself, have been
so strong that no progress at all was made.
. Therefore, when we consider the true statement that
all conditions of life are the reflection of the Within, v<e see that
it goes a great deal deeper than one might think, at first glance.
We must study the matter from two entirely different
angles. V'le find that the analytical study of the Unconscious bares the
machinery, or mechanisms.
We find that the metaphysical study of human life
shows the relation between a condition within the personality and the
fruits which it attracts in the daily life.
Analysis can show a root, or root causes, in earlier
life, for any condition existing in the Unconscious today. This uncov
ers the "clockworks"; and the revealment to conscious awareness, of
these root causes within the lifetime, will dissolve the effect.
Metaphysics, as applied to human life, will show a rea
son for those "root causes" which have been brought into the life, per
haps in infancy. It will, also, show how and why they attract certain
conditions in the liter life.
Analytical psychology shows how and where any given
condition in the Unconscious was creatéd within the lifetime. Metaphy
sics shov7s how that condition attracts the effect.
"Pride goeth before a fall." Analytical psychology
uncovers the causal roots beneath this abnormal pride and shows how to
dissolve them, psychologically. Metaphysics teaches why this excessive
pride must attract the humiliation, and how to seek and find the lesson
to become freed from the pain.
"The thing I feared has come upon me." Analytical psy
chology can uncover the roots of this fear and when the roots are
brought to light, the fear must disappear. Metaphysics can explain the
powerful attraction fear exerts toward the thing feared, and again how
to find the lesson and become freed.
POINT THREE
Surely, v.e may assume, without further discussion that
all are entirely versed in the basic principles of Constructive
Occultism, including the various angles of self help through Concentra
tion, Suggestion, Auto-Suggestion, etc.
All these teachings serve their place and turn, and
the use of Concentration, Suggestion and Auto-Suggestion is entirely
recommended, until one actually sees and realizes that there are deep
er, truer and more potent means of meeting the needs of life.
There are certain sensible rules for caring for the
physical body. These rules have to do with the proper use of Water,
Food, Air and Exercise. On every hand, you have hints and guidance
along these lines thrust at you every day.
Heed these teachings, study and reflect upon them. For
they instruct you as to the care and keeping of the Temple, of which
you are custodian, a Temple of the Living God.
Begin at this time, a study of your habits, and of your
physical ups and downs. This study may carry along concurrently with
your self analysis.
After each time, when your body has gone through a
day or two below par think back and see what factors may have helped
to bring about the condition. Think especially of these:
a. • Lack of exercise and fresh air.
b. Lack of restful sleep.
c. Lack of elimination.
d. Wrong choice, or excess foods.
e. Emotional stress.
If you find that lack of exercise and fresh air or
lack of restful sleep were contributing causes, you also know the cure.
But, in addition, learn the lesson well in order that you may be better
guided in your daily habits in the future.
If you find that lack of elimination is back of the
physical unfitness, it is not enough to simply take a laxative pill.
Study the situation and begin'at'once’ to develop regularity- of habit.
There is absolutely nonsense in any person having chronic constipation.
If it be allowed to continue it indicates mental laziness.
Each person has certain idiosyncrasies as to their
foods. Some foods, or food combinations "agree” with you, and others
do not. Any person can learn within six months time, exactly which
foods he handles easily, and which cause rebellion in the body.
He can learn this by tracing back each passing gastric
disturbance to the particular combination of food that induced it.
These studies of self are highly profitable in that one benefits by the
observations and has more time for healthful and constructive work in
the future. Any person can gradually eliminate all digestive distur
bances if he wishes to.
While the studies of self just outlined, are most help
ful and truly essential, we now come to the true root back of all of
them. Study self more particularly to see what effect the different
conditions of your emotional self have upon your physical body.
For, back of every habit and tendency, which can cause
disturbance in your physical body will be found emotional roots. There
fore, the prime purpose in this study of self-analysis will be to bring
to light the different phases of the emotional self.
POINT FOUR
"The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, which a
woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was lea
vened ."
- An individual may take up the study of psychology or
metaphysics with the most materialistic motives. He may desire to cure
disease or to "demonstrate" a new home, or a bank account.
But soon or late, if he listens, reads and studies he
is brought to the realization that there is only one goal, and that
eventually all roads lead home, to a final reunion with Spirit.
This is not brought out here in any "religious" sense,
but as simple truthful statement of fact, which any reader will eventu
ally learn for himself.
This realization comes first, to the individual from
external teachings or instructions, as a rule. The first leaven has be
gun its work.
C-37 Pg. 5
By degrees this realization of Spirit,its reality and
nearness becomes more clear, possibly aided by a study of rocks and
flowers, or by some of the classic writings which by "odd coincidence"
find their way into one's hands.
Selfishness usually then, causes one to seek more
knowledge and light leading to Spirit- or Ego and henceforth selfish
ness gladly takes the steps which by degrees lead to the dissolution
and elimination of selfishness.
The Grand Moment of the first actuality does not come
into the conscious recognition with all persons. But when it does it
comes with a vividness and reality beyond description.
It may be brief or may last over a period of weeks It
may be soothing or almost terrifying. In a sense it is often correct
ly termed "Magnetic." It is entirely within. But—it is Real.
One says very little about such a time. It may be fol
lowed by other like periods of deeper import. It may not. But, it is
never forgotten and leaves its nark upon every later action within the
life,
In the buried depths of the Unconscious, in murky
gloom, are mighty forces binding one to physical desires, to the past
to the darker phases of existence. One cannot take these with him in
to freedom for crue Service upon any plane of life.
VJe shall say no more now of the Higher Self. We shall
leave that to the leaven. But, we shall bring the light of a co-ordi
nated and orderly analytical psychology to bear upon the marvelous
intricacy, yet utter simplicity, of the buried self of all men and
women. We shall bring it to light and look it over. It is variously
called by different names--Sub-conscious Hind--Subliminal Mind—The
Unconscious--The Desire Self--The Astral Body—The Sympathetic Nervous
System.
POINT FIVE
The procedure outlined will be unbelievably helpful
to you regardless of ycur aims and desires in life. For you can
neither work successfully in the fields of commerce or art, nor can you
seek the silent peace with the Inner flame, if you are disturbed by
emotional stresses and sborms which have their roots in the accumu
lated material in the depths of the Unconscious. Until one has passed
thru a long period of release of pent-up material, thru analytical
methods,and has found the quiet restful peace that comes as a result
it is not possible to realize the intensity of these energies from the
yesterdays which influence your- daily life.
All manifestations of the emotional nature can be
worked out The hysteria and neurosis can be dissolved. But the methods
to employ is not to use "strength," etc. Begin at the roots.
Begin your written work at once In your odd evening
houi‘s, make a written resume of your life's "errors." The "confession
al" is the first step. It is not necessary to detail the experiences,
merely sketch over them.
This is a "confessional." Make a complete resume of
your life, listing every "terrible" thing- you ever did, or wanted to
do. Drag it up and look it over. Much of it will seem like rubbish.
Much you will dislike writing which means that those are the most im
portant things to work out. Make up your mind to write it out in cold
and plain terms. Confess as to the Angel who keeps the Book Eternal,
re-read each evening,aloud if possible and tear the paper into bits.
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such a degree of Be If control and mind training that we are able com
pletely to prevent any emotional reaction to them, for this is the
essential preliminary to magical control. We must rise above irrita
tions by Meditation, compassion and Serenity, above fear and nervous
ness by learning to control our imagination, for Fear is entirely a
product of the Imagination. We do not fear the things from which we
are actually suffering in the immediate present, and when we remember
how much we have suffered from our fear of things that have never hap
pened, and how our severest suffering has often come from things we
did not anticipate, and of which therefore we felt no fear, we shall
see that though fear has its importance as a warning mechanism, it
can readily overreach itself, and be nothing but a terrible nuisance,
like any other bad habit. And as such it is to be overcome. We tell
you, therefore, train the imagination not to dwell upon things we
fear, but to always picture a happy issue out of all our afflictions,
and ourselves as sailing triumphantly into the port of our desires.
This happy day-dreaming plays a far more important part in the lives
of useful men and women than is generally realized. It is safe to
say that those who habitually indulge in timid and gloomy imaginings
have never achieved an ambitious goal. Those who habitually indulge
in happy day dreams develop a peculiar mental atmosphere which is
best described by the word "glamorous", and the more sensitive are
the persons with whom he comes in contact, the more they are influ
enced by it, and see him not as he actually is, but us he pictures
himself in his day dreams.
It is thus that wild-cat financiers raise money for
their risky ventures, and crazy prophets collect disciples, and quack
healers obtain the confidence of patients. There is a glamour about
these visionaries which infects those with whom they come in contact,
and as the beliefs of those about us induce self-confidence as surely
as their distrust chills us, a circle of action and reaction is set
up, which, like what is properly called a vicious circle, increases
in strength as it proceeds. It is a true saying that nothing suc
ceeds like success.
What modern Psychology calls the language of uncon
scious gesture is an extraordinarily eloquent thing, and it is inter
preted by the subconscious minds of others, and reacted to in a way
that neither they nor we realize in the very least. Our subconscious
gestures announce that we expect a welcome or unquestioned acquies-
cense, and nine out of ten will respond and give us what we subcon
sciously Indicate vie expect. Our se If-doubting causes us to signal
our diffidence. We are simply "asking for trouble". On the other
hand,.our habitual happy day-dreams have been concerned with our
triumphant successes, and when we hang out unconscious banners of
triumph, nine out of ten persons will line up and march behind us.
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the number of elementary atoms of which all substances are composed?
It is clear that if sometimes a mass of units com
bined less in number tlian what is required to compose the hydrogen
atom, and at other times the requisite number was not at hand, and
nature blindly employed at one time the sufficient mass and at an
other time an insufficient number, believing the pretender no less
than the legitimate heir, order and harmony would be impossible and
the unity of the cosmos had not been attained.
Here we find involved, as everywhere in the chem
ical laboratory of Nature, precision, exactness, mathematical accu
racy. if*, 'however^- one were *to “irrquire whether-Nature , like some
master mathematician, consciously superintended the process, and,
out of hand, aggregated the requisite number of atoms to organize
an atom of hydrogen, the answer is: Nature cannot be interpreted
in anthropomorphic terms. That is wo are not justified in superim
posing our own conscious processes of thinking and achieving on
Nature. She, as far as we can discern, creates nothing. All we can
determine is that Forces have been at work from time immemorial, as
sembling and dissociating, integrating and disintegrating units or
chemical factors, until she succeeds in establishing certain states
of poise or equilibrium, which constitute the primary basis of the
constructed universe or cosmos. The Universe of worlds, as we have
seen, is held together by the principle of balance or equilibrium
permanently established} and in like manner the units out of which
the universe is composed, are themselves made up of permanently
balanced units or elements.
The atom was nut manufactured out of hand. This
is the great decisive discovery of modern physics. Formerly we
thought or had been taught that the atom was primary,fundamental;
and that it must have been manufactured as a whole, and at once.This
?/as the loophole in physical philosophy through which theological a-
uthority leaped. It assumed that as the atom was manufactured as a
whole and at once‘“there mus*t*have—becn-a? pre-=na-tura-l o*'- super natu
ral creator to accomplish the fea't. Put now we learn that the atom
came slowly tnrough millenniums into existence. The atom has been
generating through inconceivable periods of time. Not until the pri
mary units, the so-called electrons, settled down into a state of
equilibrium, or balanced motion, that enabled about one thousand of
them to stick together, so to speak, was the hydrogen atom generat
ed; that atom once established, Nature proceeded to build up all
other atoms with the hydrogen atom as the basic unit. When that
equilibrium was once established--the perfect balance between about
one thousand units of electrical eaergy--elect>~ons--Nature was pre
pared to go on and build up the cosmos on that foundation.
It is a wonde^fu] and most fascinating story--this
drama of natural generation. Not a creation but generation, is
nature's process. But in order to establish an ultimate , permanent1
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Investing in Self
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(TO BE CONTINUED)
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with the faculty
Thus: the ray of the sun playing on the retina of the eye is
a mode of motion known as a luminiferous vibration. The response of the
retinal nerve to the stimulation of tne luminiferous vibration whereby
the insect is detected is a correlated mode of motion. So on through
the affection of the optic nerve registering in the brain center, and
the consequent activity of the morot nerve actuating the muscular move
ments of the fly-catcher, the entire drama is nothing more than the Ü.
co-ordinating functions of a series of vibrations or nervous, cellular
and muscular nrotions.
But, granted that sensation is a reflex response, is also per
ception a resultof motion, the same as sensation? Granted that per
ception is a result of motion like sensation, is also conception or the
mental image a similar result?
In short, is every state of consciousness, reduced to the
last analysis, also a mode of motion? We think so.
This is the crux of philosophy—the conflict between trans
cendental and empirical psychology. There always will be a difference
of opinion--for positive agreement seems impossible. Modern empirical
psychology inclines to the conclusion that, scientifically interpreted,
all we can understand of the origin of consciousness lies in regard
ing it as a resultant of interacting lines of energy, of co-ordinating
modes of motion, precisely as all other phenomena of the universe are
e stabli shed.
' If we say it is impossible to find a bridge between physical
activity--mere motion or vibration and intelligence or rational cons
ciousness, the answer is that there is nothing more mysterious in that
analysis than in the chemical analysis of matter, whose formation is
wholly the effect of motion, which, primarily invisible and imponder
able becomes ponderable and visible. There is nothing more mysterious
in regarding consciousness as the result of motion affecting the ner
vous system than in perceiving the result of two or more chemical units
transformed by electrical energy into a substance wholly unlike them
selves.
Who can explain why two units of hydrogen and one of oxygenr
when energized by an electrical current, suddenly reveal themselves
as water through their nuptial union? Yet we know the result is wholly
due to the electrical energy that sets up a new mode of motion between
them. And so on, all through the chemical phenomena of the universe.
Hence, we say every sensation is a form of motion in the ner
vous centers; every perception is a mode of motion in the cortical cen
ters; every concept or mental image is a mode of motion registered in
specific brain-centers. All modes of Consciousness are therefore in
the last analysis modes of motion.
The practical value of this deduction lies in the fact that
it so rationally explains the effect of what we call mind on the body
and material substance. It gives us a manner of approach to all the
problems of psychology that is simple, rational, educative and void of
mystification. If what we call the mind, in all its functions, is the
C-43 Pg. 2
J
the cells of the brain which communicate the sensation of the toe,
when grasped, have not yet branched out to those centers of knowledge
that inform the child the toe is its own. "The brain is an instru
ment of possibilities," says William James, "but of no certainties."
Tne infant only becomes certain of the realization of possibilities
(the toe in its mouth) when, through experience, it grasps the re
lation between the toe and itself. That is when it learns the co
ordination, which nature has made "possible" but not "certain" through
experience. If the infant were abnormally made, if its brain were in
efficient in the proper fibers or cells to act as the instrument of ’•A
co-ordination, then the possibility of the relation of the toe to it
self would never become a "certainty." But in the normal child the
relation or potential co-ordination of the brain centers and the toe
required lot of experience and trying venture before a knowledge of
that co-ordination was realized.
Throughout the entire life of the child (and of the human
adult as well) the process of education is merely an acquisition of
this law or principle of co-ordination. When it begins to creep, as
I have said, the effort is difficult and discouraging, because the
child does not yet knew that the body is a thing it can manipulate.
It does not yet know that the body, for that matter, is its own. It
has not acquired the art of locomotion, because the physical co-ordina
tion, or mutual functioning between its body and its brain is not yet
established. Once the child discovers that the body can be moved by
its own effort, it has learned that the desire and the effort are
mutually co-ordinated, and after that the work becomes mechanical, and
the child creeps or moves automatically.
(TO BE CONTINUED)