The Equinox (Volume III, Number I)

THE SEVEN PORTALS jection to any one claiming to be one of Themselves. If he does so, let him abide by it. 25. Hast thou attuned thy being to Humanity’s great pain, O candidate for light? Thou hast? . . . Thou mayest enter. Vet, ere thou settest foot upon the dreary Path of Sorrow, *tis well thou should’ st first learn the pitfalls on thy way. It appears as if the condition of entering the Path was the Vision of Sorrow, and of course the present Commentator might be inclined to support this theory, since, in his own ex- perience, it was this Vision of Sorrow which caused him to take the First Great Oath. He had suddenly presented to him the perception of the Three Characteristics. This is fully narrated in Book 4, Part IV. It is also evident that aspiration implies dissatisfaction of some sort. But at the same time I do not think that in all cases it is necessary that this dissatisfaction should be so conscious and so universal as appears to be implied in the text. : 26. Armed with the key of Charity, of love and tender mercy, thou art secure before the gate of Dana, the gate that standeth at the entrance of the Path. 27. Behold, O happy Pilgrim! The Portal that faceth thee is high and wide, seems easy of access. The road that leads there-through is straight and smooth and green. ’Tis like a sunny glade in the dark forest depths, a spot on earth mirrored from Amitabha’s paradise. There nightingales of hope and birds of radiant plumage sing, perched in green bowers, chanting success to fearless Pilgrims. They sing 97