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Page 1 of 11912 · PDF PAGE 74
…ased accuracy of observation. In exactly the same way, the introduction of vaccination resulted in an apparent increase in the number of cases of smallpox, the reason being that people began to tell the truth about the disease instead of faking. Soon, however, the control will improve faster than the observation. When this occurs the improvementwill become apparent in the record. Any variation will probably be due to accidental circumstances; for example, one night you may be very tired when you start; another night you may have headache or ind…
1912 · PDF PAGE 65
… of the contents of the mind, improving quickly at first, afterwards more slowly, up to perfection at F. It starts well above zero in the case of most educated men. The height of the perpendiculars HI indicates the dissatisfaction of the student with his power of control. Increasing at first, it ultimately diminishes to zero.
1912 · PDF PAGE 109
…O. translation by A. E. Waite. 7s. 6d. The Goetia of the Lemegeton of Solomon the King. £I 15. These books should be well studied in any case in Conjunction with the second part—Magick—wof this Book IV .
1912 · PDF PAGE 110
… Probationer has a master appointed, whose experience can guide him in his work. He may select any practices that he prefers, but in any case must keep an exact record, so that he may discover the relation of cause and effect in his working, and so that the As. A.'. may judge of his progress, and direct his further studies. After a year of probation he may be admitted a Neophyte of the A:. A.'., and receive the secret holy book Liber VII. These are the principal instructions for practice which every pro- bationer should follow out: Libri E, A, …
1912 · PDF PAGE 107
…ῶ ?)באס 91 tedly the greatest of mankind until we can refute them by proof, or at least explain how they may have been mistaken. In this case each teacher left instructions for us to follow. The only scientific method is for us to repeat their experiments, and so confirm or dis- prove their results. . But their instructions differ widely! . Only in so far as each was bound by conditions of time, race, climate and language. There is an essential identity in the method. . Indeed! . It was the great work of the life of Frater Perdurabo to prove this…
1912 · PDF PAGE 22
…n insists that God is, and did really send Gabriel with messages for Mohammed: but all others contradict him. And from the nature of the case proof is impossible. The lack of proof has been so severely felt by Christianity (and in a much less degree by Islam) that fresh miracles have been manufactured almost daily to support the tottering structure. Modern thought, rejecting these miracles, has adopted theories involving epilepsy and madness. As if organization could spring from disorganization! Even if epilepsy were the cause of these great mo…
1912 · PDF PAGE 25
…s and a nuisance. Perhaps it was because in the more natural practice of “devotion,” people found that their thoughts interfered. In any case calm and self-controlare to be preferred to restlessness. Darwin in his study presents a marked contrast with a monkey in a cage. Generallyspeaking, the larger and stronger and more highly developed any animal is, the less does it move about, and such movements as it does make are slow and purposeful. Compare the ceaseless activity of bacteria with the reasoned steadiness of the beaver; and except in the …
1912 · PDF PAGE 85
…ted. The Universe is thus destroyed for him, and he for it. His will can therefore go on its way unhampered. One may imagine that in the case of Mohammed he had cherished for years a tremendous ambition, and never done anything because those qualities which were subsequently manifested as statesmanship warned him that he was impotent. His vision in the cave gave him that confidence which was required, the faith that moves mountains. There are a lot of solid—seemingthings in this world which a child could push over; but not one has the courage to…
1912 · PDF PAGE 29
…et nothing is more certain than that bodily organs which are functioning well do so in silence. The best sleep is dreamless. Even in the case of games of skill our very best strokes are followed by the thought, “I don’t know how I did it ; ” and we cannot repeat those strokes at will. The moment we begin to think consciously about a stroke we get “nervous,” and are lost. In fact, there are three main classes of stroke; the bad stroke, which we associate, and rightly, with wandering attention ; the good stroke which we associate, and rightly, wi…
1912 · PDF PAGE 38
…and VII) form the best guide.1 The extreme of Asana is practised by those Yogis who remain in one position without moving, except in the case of absolute neces— 1 Here are four: 1. Sit in a chair; head up, back straight, knees together, hands on knees, eyes closed. (“The God.”) 2. Kneel; buttocks resting on the heels, toes turned back, back and head straight, hands on thighs. (“ The Dragon.’ ’) _ 3. Stand; hold left ankle with right hand (and alternately practise right ankle in left hand, etc.), free forefinger on lips. (“ The Ibis”) 4. Sit; lef…
1912 · PDF PAGE 99
…t will in the course of a few minutes’ work?,־and it often happens with apparent spontaneity: with Samadhi this is unfortunately not the case. He probably can get it at will, but could not say exactly how, or tell how long it might take him?,־and he could not be sure of getting it at all. One feels sure that one can walk a mile along a level road. One knows the conditions, and it would have to be a very extraordinary set of circumstances that would stop one. But though it would be equally fair to say: “I have climbed the Matterhorn and I know I…
1912 · PDF PAGE 83
…aint which is imposed upon most persons by doubt, modesty, and diffidence,1 further there15, one may suppose, a real clarification. In any case, the mass of mankind is always ready to be swayed by anything thus authoritative and distinct. History is full of stories of officers who have walked unarmed up to a mutinous regiment, and disarmed them by the mere force of confidence. The power of the orator over the mob is well known. It is, probably, for this reason while that the prophet has been able to constrain mankind to obey his law. It never occur…
1912 · PDF PAGE 89
…eory is easy to upset. One can find flaws in the reason- ing process, one can assume that the premisses are in some way false; but in this case, if one attacks the evidence for Dhyana, the mind is staggered by the fact that all other experience, attacked on the same lines, will fall much more easily. In whatever way we examine it the result Will always be the same. Dhyana may be false; but, if so, so is everything else. Now the mind refuses to rest in a belief of the unreality of its own experiences. It may not be what it seems; but it must be so…
1912 · PDF PAGE 23
…ine. Our best document will therefore be the system of Buddha ; 1 but it is so complex that no immediate summary will serve ; and in the case of the others, if we have not the accounts of the Masters, we have those of their immediate followers. 1 We have the documents of Hinduism, and of two Chinese systems. But Hinduism has no single founder. Lao Tze is one of our best examples of a man who went away and had a mysterious experience; perhaps the best of all examples, as his system is the best of all systems. We have full details of his method o…