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Page 1 of 41919 · PDF PAGE 344
…ach the Vale of Bliss, Disciple, close fast thy senses against the great dire heresy of Separateness that weans thee from the rest. This verse reads at first as if the heresy were still possible in the Hall of Wisdom, but this is not as it seems. The Dis- ciple is urged to find out his Ego and slay it even in the beginning. 36. Let not that “Heaven-Born,’ merged in the sea of Maya, break from the Universal Parent (SOUL), but let the fiery power retire into the inmost chamber, the chamber of the Heart, and the abode of the World’s Mother. This d…
1919 · PDF PAGE 414
THE EQUINOX while at the same time his air of hopelessness is intensely funny—to the Guru. So we find in this verse that the final result, or something very like it, is given as a qualification antecedent to the starting point; as if one told a blind man that he must be able to see through a brick wall before re- gaining his eyesight. 16. Thou shalt not let thy senses make a playground of thy mind. Following on the tremendous task of verse 15 comes the obvious elementary piece of instruction which one gives to a beginner. The best way out of th…
1919 · PDF PAGE 389
…ay, never allowing it to grow disproportionately or to overstep its boundaries. 66. The way to final freedom is within thy SELF. In this verse we find the “SELF” identified with the Uni- verse. 67. That way begins and ends outside of Self. The Ego, i.e. that which is opposed by the non-Ego, has to be destroyed. 68. Unpraised by men and humble is the mother of all riv- ers, in Tirthika’s proud sight; empty the human form though filled with Amrita’s sweet waters, in the sight of fools. Withal, the birthplace of the sacred rivers is the sacred lan…
1919 · PDF PAGE 432
…ary task is done, thy labour well-nigh o’er. The wide abyss that gaped to swallow thee is almost spanned. It should be noticed that this verse has rows of dots both above and below it. There is a secret meaning to verse 51 which will be evident to anyone who has properly under- stood our comment on verse 49. The highest marriage, that between Neshamah and Chiah, is accomplished—again, after another manner! 52. Thou hast now crossed the moat that circles round the gate of human passions. By “human passions” must be understood every kind of attra…
1919 · PDF PAGE 357
… thou hear’st, thou canst not see. Unless thou seest, thou canst not hear. To hear and see, this is the second stage. This is an obscure verse. It implies that the qualities of fire and Spirit commingle to reach the second stage. There is evidently a verse missing, or rather omitted, as may be understood by the row of dots; this presumably refers to the third stage. This third stage may be found by the discern- ing in Liber 831. 74. When the Disciple sees and hears, and when he smells and tastes, eyes closed, ears shut, with mouth and nostrils …
1919 · PDF PAGE 446
…nnot give the authority by which Blavatsky speaks of Kwan-shi- yin as a Bodhisattva. It will become abundantly evident in the comment to verse 97 that Blavatsky had not the re- motest idea as to what a Bodhisattva was and is. But it is quite true that you have to shed light in the manner indi- cated if you are going to live the life of a Magus. 82. Know that the stream of superhuman knowledge and the Deva-Wisdom thou hast won, must, from thyself, the channel of Alaya, be poured forth into another bed. Still further develops the same doctrine. Y…
1919 · PDF PAGE 451
THE SEVEN PORTALS 92. Not so when he hath crossed and won the Aryahata Path. : From here to verse 95 is description of this last Path which leads to the last Gate. 93. There Kleshais destroyed for ever, Tanhd@’s roots torn out. But stay, Disciple . . . Yet one word. Canst thou de- stroy divine COMPASSION? Compassion is no attribute. It is the Law of LAWS—eternal Harmony, Alaya’s SELF; a shoreless universal essence, the light of everlasting Right, and fitness of all things, the law of Love eternal. Here again is apparently a serious difficulty. …
1919 · PDF PAGE 444
…s a much stronger person than the Master of the Temple. He is the creative force, while the Master is merely the receptive. But in these verses 78, 79, 80, it might be very easily supposed that it was merely a recapitulation of the former remarks, and I am in- clined to think that there is a certain amount of confusion in the mind of the Author between these two grades. She attained only the lower. But careful study of these verses will incline the reader to perceive that it is a new creation which is here spoken of, not a mere amelioration. Th…
1919 · PDF PAGE 388
…gs the question, and it contains the same fallacy as is committed by those who suppose that an uncreated God can explain an uncreated Universe. 58. Be humble, if thou would’st attain to Wisdom. By humility is meant the humility of the scientific man. 59. Be humbler still, when Wisdom thou hast mastered. This is merely a paraphrase of Sir Isaac Newton’s remark about the child picking up shells. 60. Be like the Ocean which receives all streams and riv- ers. The Ocean’s mighty calm remains unmoved; it feels them not. This verse has many possible i…
1919 · PDF PAGE 348
…rb thy being before thou hast well realized the black foul monster’s presence. The text returns to the question of suppressing thoughts. Verse 44 has been inserted where it is in the hope of deluding the reader into the belief that it belongs to verses 43 and 45, for the Arcanum which it contains is so dangerous that it must be guarded in all possible ways. Perhaps even to call attention to it is a blind intended to prevent the reader from looking for something else. 46. Before the “mystic Power” can make of thee a God, Lanoo, thou must have ga…
1919 · PDF PAGE 354
THE EQUINOX This again commands the stilling of thoughts. The pre- vious verses referred rather to emotions, which are the great stagnant pools on which the mosquito thought breeds. Emo- tions are objectionable, as they represent an invasion of the mental plane by sensory or moral impressions. 64. Merge into one sense thy senses, if thou would’st be secure against the foe. ’Tis by that sense alone which lies concealed within the hollow of thy brain, that the steep Path which leadeth to thy Master may be disclosed before thy Soul’s dim eyes. ’ T…
1919 · PDF PAGE 351
…d the perishable. The words “desire nothing” should be interpreted posi- tively as well as negatively. The main sense of the rest of the verse is to advise the Disciple to work, and not to com- plain. 57. Help Nature and work on with her; and Nature will regard thee as one of her creators and make obeisance. Although the object of the Disciple is to transcend Law, he must work through Law to attain this end. It may be remarked that this treatise—and this comment for the most part—is written for disciples of certain grades only. Itis altogether …
1919 · PDF PAGE 349
…o the scenery. But there is also implied the doctrine of the Tao, and only one who is an accomplished Taoist can hope to understand this verse. (See “The Hermit of Esopus Island,” part of the Magical Record of 666, to be published in THE Equinox, Vol. III.) 50. Let thy Soul lend its ear to every cry of pain like as the lotus bares its heart to drink the morning sun. 51. Let not the fierce sun dry one tear of pain before thy- self hast wiped it from the sufferer’s eye. 52. But let each burning human tear drop on thy heart and there remain; nor e…
1919 · PDF PAGE 428
THE EQUINOX the love, remain undeniable. It is the first reversed triangle of the Tree of Life. What is said of “Samvritti” is nonsense. The Vrittis are impressions or the causes of impressions. Samvritti is sim- ply the sum of these. 45. Allis impermanent in man except the pure bright es- sence of Alaya. Man is its crystal ray; a beam of light immaculate within, a form of clay material upon the lower surface. That beam is thy life-guide and thy true Self, the Watcher and the silent Thinker, the victim of thy lower Self. Thy Soul cannot be hurt…
1919 · PDF PAGE 449
…shields mankind, since man is man, protecting it from further and far greater misery and sorrow. Comment has already been made upon this verse. 87. Withal man sees it not, will not perceive it, nor will he heed the word of wisdom . . . for he knows it not. Here indeed is the only sorrow that could seem, even for a moment, likely to touch the Adept. It is rather annoying that the great prize offered so freely to men is scorned by them. But this is only if the Adept fall for one moment to the narrower view, accept the conventional outlook on the …
1919 · PDF PAGE 391
… would’st Nirvana reach, or cast the prize away, let not the fruit of action and inaction be thy motive, O thou of dauntless heart. This verse is again very obscure, from overloading. The “fruit” and the “prize” both refer to Nirvana. 74. Know that the Bodhisattva who Liberation changes for Renunciation to don the miseries of “Secret Life,’ is called “thrice Honoured,” O thou candidate for woe through- out the cycles. This verse must not be interpreted as offering the induce- ment of the title of “thrice Honoured” to a Bodhisattva. It is a mere…
1919 · PDF PAGE 367
…om here means the Will. You should eliminate from your mind anything which does not subserve your real purpose. It was, however, said in verse 11 that the “mind needs breadth,” and this also is true, but if all the facts known to the Thinker are properly co-ordinated and connected causally, and by necessity, the ideal mind will be attained, for although complex it will be unified. And if the summit of its pyramid be the Soul, the injunction in this verse 12 to the Beginner will be properly observed. 13. Shun ignorance and likewise shun illusion…
1919 · PDF PAGE 438
…ll fight thee off, and throw thee back, out of the Patch thou threadest, deep into viscous swamps of doubt. The only. difficulty in this verse is the word “change.” People who are meditating often get thrown off by the cir- cumstances of their lives, and these circumstances must be controlled absolutely. It should, however, also be taken to refer to any change in one’s methods of meditation. You should make up your mind thoroughly to a given scheme of action, and be bound by it. A man is perfectly hopeless if, on finding one Mantra unsuccessful…
1919 · PDF PAGE 190
…ne comes into social relations. We are not to add to this gift by preaching and the like. They can take it or leave it. Note, pray thee, verse 41 of this chapter: “Establish at thy Kaaba a clerk-house; all must be done well and with business way.” This is very clear instruction indeed. There is to be a modern centralized business organization at the Kaaba— which, We think, does not mean Boleskine, but any conve- nient headquarters. Note, pray thee, in verse 42 of this chapter the injunction: “Success is thy proof: argue not; convert not; talk n…
1919 · PDF PAGE 429
…le Portal” of seven. 48. Have mastery o'er thy thoughts, O striver for per- fection, if thou would’ st cross its threshold. From here to verse 71 is the long description of this fifth gate, the key to which (it will be remembered) was Virya— that is, energy and will, Manhood in its most secret sense. It seems rather useless to tell the Student to have mastery over his thoughts in this verse, because he has been doing nothing else in all the previous Gates. 49. Have mastery o’er thy Soul, O seeker after truths un- dying, if thou would’st reach t…