the masters of wisdom

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The Masters of Wisdom

by E. AdamsF.T.S. (Fellow of the Theosophical Society)

1890

reprinted from “Theosophical Siftings” Volume - 3 -

Transcri ed in digital format!y "aryse #oc$ehttp%&&www.transcommunication.org&

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on the part of a few indi iduals no desire was manifested toin+uire into the truth of the matter at all. 8onsidering thenature of the su *ect and the character of the age this conductwas not surprising if we loo$ elow the surface.

To igoted sectarians the idea of the e0istence of such eingsseemed too a surd to thin$ a out much less discuss ecauseas we shall presently see the iews of sectarian 8hristianityand materialistic science as to the meaning of #ife and man9sfuture destiny are astly different from those of /ccult:hilosophy and that it is only y a proper comprehension of thelatter that accurate and clear iews from an a stractstandpoint respecting the "ahatmas (,reat Souls) can eattained

:rotestant Theology as e eryone $nows awards all indi idualsat death according to their deserts of faith ele ation to ahigher or fall to a lower spiritual condition for e er1 a suddenunreasona le leap from finite to infinite life. ;oman8atholicism although approaching closer to /ccultism in itsdoctrines respecting human post-mortem states yet affords onthe whole no room in its conceptions for such persons as the<'depts< especially as they are outside the orthodo0 pale.

The scientists of the e olutionary philosophical school are in noetter plight than theologians so far as iewing the matter

impartially at the outset is concerned. For their conceptions ofhuman e olution are confined to the physical mental andmoral progress of successi e generations of man$ind whilstindi iduals are ruthlessly sacrificed in its attainment. This

imperfect and mutilated iew of human destiny is presentedthrough lac$ of $nowledge of the law of arma and ;e-=ncarnation and an ignoring of the spiritual element in man.

=n contrast to the foregoing /ccult :hilosophy teaches thateach indi idual 7go passes through great cycles of e0perienceso tained through incarnation in some hundreds of personalitiesser ing as mas$s for it and gathering as it e ol es upward inits spiral course fresh $nowledge powers and attri utes. 't

the head of this great chain of differentiated human progressstand the < Adepts < the flower of humanity1 each the outcome

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of a mighty struggle <against himself against all the e ils andopposing wills against all the elements against all the pre iouscauses whose effects he has destroyed y la ours of whichthose of >ercules are only a pale sym ol<. Such are the great

"asters of 2isdom the #eaders of the world.

The reason therefore of the general disinclination to elie e inthe e0istence of the "ahatmas no matter how good thee idence lies in the pre ailing character of present ;eligiousand Scientific thought1 its great difference on this matter fromthe teachings of Theosophy leading to ina ility to understandthe real and proper place of the 'dept9s nature. 's a minorcause also the recognition of the e0istence of such eings asthe 'rhats necessarily in ol es the displacement of manypopular religious and scientific authorities now loo$ed up to asalmost infalli le a mental change for many hard to undergo.>a ing glanced at the a stract iew of the matter we may nowcome to the e idence and proofs y which e erything mustultimately e *udged apart from all prepossessions either for oragainst.

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THE ADEPTS IN HISTO !

There are se eral clues y which the presence and influence ofthe 'depts and their disciples can e traced in >istory. Themysteries for instance now so much misunderstood and little$nown of all ancient races were in aria ly presided o er y

=nitiates and formed the medium through which pupils wereinstructed in /ccult 2isdom and such teachings gi en out tothe masses as their de elopment and circumstances wouldsafely permit.

2e $now that the doctrine of ;e-=ncarnation was secretlytaught y the 'depts in all ages and appeared mas$ed ine0oteric form as the Transmigration of Souls. The 'rhats ha efrom the earliest times called themsel es Serpents or ?ragons.Thus a 8ommentary on the Book of !"an spea$s of the<Serpents of 2isdom whose holes are now under the triangularstones i.e. the :yramids.

2hy is this@ < =n e ery ancient language the word dragonsignified what it now does in 8hinese (lang) i.e. <the eingwho e0cels in intelligence< and in ,ree$ <he who sees andwatches<. " #ecret octrine . Vol == page A B) The earth in the'ytareya-!rahmana is called the <Cueen of the Serpents <referring to the fact that the fire-mist as a long trail of cosmicmatter animated y spirit or force once mo ed writhing li$e aserpent in space efore ecoming egg-shape. The ancient'dept >ermes regarded the serpent as the most spirit-li$e of allreptiles. The serpent iting his tail was the sym ol of 2isdomand immortality in the "ysteries.

'ccording to the 'rchaic records the lost continent of 'tlantis

was inha ited y two distinct classes of <'depts< those of the;ight and those of the #eft hand% 2hite and !lac$ >ierophants.

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2e are told of the 'dept astronomers arada and 'suramDyawho li ed at ;oma$apura in 'tlantis also of those 2hite 'deptswho instructed the early 'ryan race after the destruction of thiscontinent1 the high ta le lands of Thi et ha e een inha ited

for ages past y the <'rhats<. Thi et called Si-dEang y the8hinese is mentioned in the oldest oo$s preser ed in thepro ince of Fo-$ien (the head+uarters of the a origines of8hina) as the great seat of occult learning in the archaic ages.'ccording to these records it was inha ited y the Teachers of#ight the Sons of 2isdom.

The 7mperor u the ,reat (AAB5 !.8.) a pious mystic iscredited with ha ing o tained his /ccult 2isdom from Thi et.8hinese literature from #as-tEe down to >iouen-Thsang is filledwith allusions and references to Scham-!hala the >appy #andand the wisdom of the >imalayan 'depts. The <8atena of!uddhist Scriptures from the 8hinese< mentions the <,reatTeachers of the Snowy "ountains the school of the>aima atas< and a rule relating to <the great professors of thehigher order who li e in mountain depths remote from men<.

' Gapanese 8yclopaedia in the oo$ of Fo-$one-$y places a!rotherhood of 'depts on the plateau of :amir etween thehighest pea$s of the >imalayan ranges. 'ccording to traditionthe Vedas came from the "ansarawara #a$e in Thi et and the!rahmans from the north the latter claiming descent from thegreat ancient ;ishis (sages).

The eminent writers Stra o #ucan :lutarch 8icero and :linyrefer to the 'depts whom they called =ndian ,ymnosophists.

These great =nitiates led a secluded life according to 'mmianus"arcellinus and proofs of their great learning are preser ed innumerous olumes in >indu li raries to this day. =ndianliterature teems with references to the ;ishis and "ahatmas1these terms are interchangea le.

The "agi of :ersia who deri ed their name from the SanscritMaha$i (the great or wise) ha e left some deep mar$s inhistory. They were not :ersians or 8haldeans and in the

opinion of /rientalists came to :ersia from the %ast . Theirschools were di ided into esoteric and e0oteric sections1 the

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former were de oted to the teachings of practical occultism.There were three classes of "agi >er eds (disciples) "o eds(Sippara in 8haldea was the 8ity of the “Sun”) (masters)?estur "o eds (complete masters). =nitiation consisted of awful

and mysterious ceremonies preceded y a long purification ofthe candidate. ?arius >ystaspes the monarch who reformedand purified the :ersian mysteries and who was an 'depthimself is said y ancient historians to ha e een taught y!rahmans.

The '$$adian 'depts who taught /ccultism to the !a ylonianscame from Hpper =ndia according to the archaic records. =tshould e remem ered that at that time 'ryan =ndia did note0tend southwards eyond the :un*au . There is no dou t thatthe Gews ac+uired all their esoteric $nowledge from the7gyptians and 8haldeans. 'ccording to "aimonides the greatGewish theologian 8haldean "agi were always employed y the'depts in performing their occult phenomena. "anetho saysthat "oses was a hierophant of >ieropolis and a priest of thesun-god /siris and that his name was /sarsiph. Gethro thepriest his guru (spiritual guide) gi es him Iipporah (From the"eh-a meaning great and no le) the esoteric wisdom. (Siprahmeans the shining or resplendent from Sapar to shine) ("oses

eing an ascetic could not e married) Gustin "artyr gi ing ashis authority Trogus 8ompeius shows that Goseph learnt magicfrom the 7gyptian 'depts.

The Tanaim were the first =nitiates amongst the Gews and the!oo$s of 7Ee$iel ?aniel 7noch and the ;e elation of St. Gohnare purely /ccult wor$s. The famous >illel (This 'dept had a

regular school for teaching /ccultism so had Samuel and 7lishaat ;amah and Gericho) was an =nitiate. ,i on demonstratesthat the :harisees elie ed in the doctrine of theTransmigration of Souls1 this shows the /ccult influences atwor$ among the Gews. The Sohar teaches practical occultismthrough secret signs on the margin. #et us now consider the<'depts< of 7gypt.

'ccording to >erodotus /rpheus an <'dept< rought the

ancient mysteries from =ndia. :hilostratus ma$es the !rahminTarchus say that the 7gyptians were originally an =ndian race

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compelled to emigrate from the mother-land for sacrilege andregicide. ?iogenes #aertius traces Theosophy to an epochantedating the :tolemies and founded y a >ierophant 8ot'mun (name eing 8optic meaning priest consecrated to 'mun

god of 2isdom). =n oth =ndia and 7gypt there was a sacredsuccession of hierophants.

< =n 7gypt each was a :iromis the son of a :iromis. 's in =ndiaat Sringiri <each hierophant is a San$arDcharya the son of aSan$arDcharya<. ( &ucifer Septem er 44J. 'rt Traces of'ncient =ndia in 7gypt) The 7gyptian 'depts taught that thesoul was re-incarnated after an inter al of 3 BBB years.

The 7ssenes and healing Therapeutes were followers of theancient theurgic "ysteries. The 7ssenes furnished a refuge forthe hierophants of 7gypt when the latter from fear of aprofanation of the sacred mysteries came amongst them. The7ssenes had their greater and minor mysteries at least twocenturies efore our era. <They re*ected pleasures despisedriches lo ed one another and deemed the con+uest of thepassions to e irtuous< says ?unlap. / er fi e centuries

efore the 8hristian 7ra the great ,ree$ :ythagoras *ourneyedto Hpper =ndia for the purpose of studying under the <2ise!rotherhood<. /n returning he taught at 8roton a system ofphilosophy identical with that e0pounded y the <'depts<today. 2e $now the ,ree$s o tained the 7leusinian "ysteriesfrom 7gypt. <'ll these things< said Ionaras <came to us from8haldea to 7gypt and from thence were deri ed to the,ree$s<. The great ,recian sages are found constantlytra elling to 7gypt for instruction including :lato the great

=nitiate whose philosophy contains so many of the ideas of the7astern sages.

2e will now cross the 'tlantic /cean in search of traces of the<Serpents of 2isdom<. =n the 'opol(vuh the sacred oo$ of the,autemalians there is sufficient e idence to pro e the closerelationship of the religious customs of the ancient "e0ican:eru ian and 7gyptian nations. The ancient hieratic alpha etsof the "aya and 7gyptian languages are nearly identical. =n de

!our ourg9s wor$ Votan the "e0ican hero says that he is theson of a <Serpent< and had isited a serpent9s catacom li$e

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those of 7gypt. 2e find that the "e0icans had their magiciansfrom a remote period. )he 'opol(vuh mentions a race of menwho $new all things at once and whose sight was unlimited.

=n the Scandina ian %dda we find the great 7arth Serpent"idgard with its tail in its mouth. The archaic records teachthat /din was one of the <Sons of 2isdom<. The orsecosmogony is the same as the =ndian. 2ho were the ?ruids @The #ecret octrine says% <#i$e the >indus the ,ree$s and;omans (we spea$ of the =nitiates) the 8haldees and the7gyptians the ?ruids elie ed in the doctrine of a succession ofworlds and transformations of the face of the earth and in ase en-fold night and day. 2here er the Serpent with the 7gg isfound there this tenet was surely present. Their racontia area proof of it<. " #ecret octrine . Vol == page 56K) :liny callsthem the "agi of the ,auls and !ritons. <= am a Serpent = ama ?ruid< they e0claimed. The 7gyptian arnac is twin- rotherto the 8arnac of !retagne the latter meaning the serpent9smount. 2e will now turn again to the 7ast.

ear the commencement of the 8hristian 7ra we find'pollonius of Tyana tra elling to the a ode of the Sages ofHpper =ndia. =t is related that he found a community of 'deptswanting nothing and possessing e erything and wieldingmar ellous powers. Gustin "artyr is a witness to the occultpowers of 'pollonius ac+uired y him as a pupil of the 'depts.

<The 8hristian ,nostics sprang into e0istence towards theeginning of the second century and *ust at the time when the

7ssenes most mysteriously faded away which indicated that

they were the identical 7ssenes<( *sis +nveiled . Vol == page3AL).

)he #ecret octrine states that the arious ,nostic sects werefounded y =nitiates. They elie ed in metempsychosis and thesacred serpent appears on many ,nostic gems. The strong!uddhistic element in their teachings has een noticed y manyscholars. 's the terms naEar and naEaret meant 'dept inancient writings the connection etween the =nitiates and the

sect called aEarenes is apparent. =n fact the secret doctrinesof the "agi of the pre- edic !uddhists of the hierophants of

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the 7gyptian >ermes and of the 'depts of e ery age andnationality including the 8haldean a alists and the Gewish

aEars were identical from the eginning. " *sis +nveiled . Vol ==.page LA) 7 ery nation had two languages1 that of the masses

and that of the =nitiates which was secret and uni ersal. ' outthe 3rd century of this era 'mmonius Saccas founded theschool of the eo-:latonists or 7clectic Theosophists . <Theyunited the mystic theosophy of old 7gypt with the refinedphilosophy of the ,ree$s1 nearer to the ancient mysteries ofThe es and "emphis than they had een for centuries1 ersedin the science of soothsaying and di ination as in the art of theTherapeutists1 friendly with the acutest men of the Gewishnation who were deeply im ued with the Ioroastrian ideas the

eo-:latonists tended to amalgamate the old wisdom of the/riental a ala with the more refined conceptions of the/ccidental Theosophists<. The spiritual illumination of the eo-:latonists the ecstatic trance of mystics the Samadhi of>indoos are identical in nature. 'fter the downfall of theprincipal mysteries which egan in :lato9s time the 7asternesoteric societies instituted a $ind of international uni ersalFreemasonry amongst their esoteric societies.

Finally through the fanatical persecutions of the 7mperorGustinian the last remnant of the eo-:latonists fled to the7ast comprising the se en wise men >ermias :riscianus?iogenes 7ulalius ?amas$ius Simplicius and =sidorus.>enceforth the archaic wisdom was represented in 7urope y afew secret societies and persons the great =nitiates had alldeparted for remote places of the 7arth.

The secrecy preser ed y these small lodges and y the greatchief lodge has always een proportionate to the acti ity ofreligious persecutions. From the descendants of the "agi theSufis the mystics amongst the "ahometans deri ed their$nowledge of astrology medicine and of esoteric doctrines. =n

4 the order of the Temple was founded nominally for theprotection of pilgrims ut really for the restoration of theprimiti e mysteries. The red cross on the white mantle the

estment of the order pointing to the four +uarters of the

compass was the em lem of the uni erse a well-$nown signto the initiated.

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=n the Kth century we find the famous physician andalchemist :aracelsus tra elling to the %ast and instructed in

arious occult sciences y an /riental 'dept. 'n e0amination of

his writings and teachings shows their similarity to thephilosophical system now gi en out y the "asters of 2isdom.

The 5th century shows the presence of the mysterious;osicrucians o er whom many modern scholars ha e spentmuch time and la our in ain. 2hy this secrecy @ !ecause to

e $nown as a $a alist in that age was to court death fromfurious religious igots. 2e may here +uote Sweden org.<Search for the #ost 2ord amongst the >ierophants of Tartaryand Thi et< said he. 'ccording to proofs e0isting today in thearchi es of St. :eters urg more than one ;ussian mystic atthe eginning of this century tra elled in search of $nowledgeto the esoteric schools in 8entral 'sia1 returning years laterwith a rich store. =n this age <Tra ellers ha e met 'depts onthe shores of the sacred ,anges rushed against them in thesilent ruins of The es and in the mysterious desertedcham ers of #u0or. 2ithin the halls upon whose lue andgolden aults the weird signs attract attention ut whosesecret meaning is ne er penetrated y the idle gaEers theyha e een seen ut seldom recognised. They ha e eenencountered again on the arid and desolate plains of ,reatSahara as in the ca es of 7lephanta. They may e founde erywhere ut ma$e themsel es $nown only to those whoha e de oted their li es to unselfish study and are not li$ely toturn ac$. " *sis +nveiled . Vol = page 5) The tra elling 'deptswho from time to time isited :aris during this century were

termed y the unsuspecting nati es Bo"ards =ndian Nabobs>ungarian Margraves and nobles trangers. 't the presenttime a mysterious sect called the ?ruEes of "ount #e anone0ists in the 7ast presided o er y initiated wise men called-khals . " From the 'ra ic akl intelligence or wisdom) This odyis descended from the ancient esoteric societies of the 7astand although their mystic doctrines are carefully concealedfrom outsiders yet it is $nown that they closely resem le thoseof the ancient ,nostics. (See #etter from =nitiate *sis +nveiled .

Vol == page 3 3) =n the 7ast now there are many esotericsocieties sects within sects all possessing more or less occult

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$nowledge in addition to the ,rand #odge of Thi et1 thus thearchaic mysteries ha e een continued in the 7ast to our day.=t should e remem ered howe er as stated in 7soteric!uddhism that Thi et was not always the great centre of 'dept

ha itation that it is now although always a centre. =n the Lthcentury the great Thi etan 'dept reformer Tsong-$a-paintroduced a new code of rules for the occult schools and the"ahatmas egan to gra itate towards this region from ariousparts of the earth. For far more widely was occult $nowledgefound to e spread than was consistent with the safety ofman$ind. 2e ha e een compelled for want of space to lea ethe wor$ of the great =ndian 'depts unnoticed e en that of the<,reat "aster< !uddha who taught < Nirvana and the &aw <.

't the present time in Gapan and Siam there are two orders ofpriests of which one is pu lic and deals with the people thee0istence of the other is $nown ut to a few nati es ne er toforeigners. The latter are =nitiates. !efore coming to thee idence of modern eye-witnesses to the e0istence of the"ahatmas it will e well to call attention to some special points

rought out in the course of our historical sur ey.

2e ha e seen that the ancient mysteries gradually declineddegenerated and e0pired in all 2estern countries as foretold

y the great 'dept >ermes% -

Alas, m" son, a da" will come when the sacred hierogl"phicswill become but idols. The world will mistake the emblemsof science for gods , and accuse /rand %g"pt of havingworshipped monsters. But those who will calumniate us thus

will themselves worship eath instead of &ife, foll" in place ofwisdom0 fill their temples with dead men1s bones as relics, andwaste their "outh in solitude and tears. )heir virgins will bewidows 2nuns3 before being wives, and consume themselves ingrief0 because men will have despised and profaned the sacredm"steries of *sis . ( Hermes4 )resmegistus 00 ii)

2hat was the cause of this decadence of the ancient schools ofthe Sacred Science @ The following e0tract from the < 5e"lon

/em < may help to e0plain the matter%

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*n 5e"lon the Adepts counted over thousands in the reign ofutugamunu. )he" have graduall" ceased to exist, as the ke"s

of those m"steries are lost b" the degenerac" of the Buddhistmonks of subse6uent times, who sought more after worldl"

renown and glor" than the higher spiritual developments .Men have become wild and wretched b" the awful lusts of the

flesh, and have conse6uentl" lost the secrets of the &aw. Butthose immortal and divine gems of truth were not destined todisappear altogether from the habitation of man, as it wasdecreed b" the departing Arhats to be safel" and sacredl" keptb" the Adepts of the trans(H"mala"an depths until man1scondition be adapted to receive it. )hat time is now drawingnigh0 and the custodians of the secret doctrine have thoughtit fit to send missionaries among mankind to divulge it tothem . )hroughout our historical surve" we succeeded intracing the connection, direct or indirect, of ever" ancientschool of -ccultism, with the great )ibetan &odge, existing nowas then, thus making the existence of the *nitiates of toda"6uite comprehensible. *t is now necessar" to review thetestimon" of modern e"e(witnesses respecting the existence ofthe Mahatmas. From the mass of evidence available in thismatter, we can onl" provide space for a few accounts. *n Five7ears of )heosoph" .

a >indoo gentleman ?amodar . "a alan$ar relates these eral occasions on which he has seen arious 'depts othphysically and in astral form. There is also an account written

y himself of the perilous *ourney through Si$$him underta$eny S. ;amaswamier an =ndian official for the purpose of

seeing the "ahatmas which was successful. 2e ha e also the

e idence gi en y Sundoo$ a pedlar of Thi et who on eing+uestioned y se eral gentlemen said that there were menli ing in the mountains eyond TchigatEe and near the city of#hassa possessing e0traordinary powers distinct from and farhigher than the regular lamas of the country. These men hesaid produce many and ery wonderful phenomena and someof their 8helas (pupils) cure the sic$ y gi ing them to eat therice which they crush out of the paddy with their hands etc.

=n the presence of a num er of respecta le witnesses a young!engali !rahmachari ga e the following account %

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/n the 6th of the !engali month of 'sar in 44A he metsome Ti etans called the oothoompas and their guru(Teacher) in a field near Ta$la$har a place a out a day9s

Gourney from the #a$e of "anasarawara. The <"aster< andmost of his pupils wore slee eless coats o er under-garmentsof red. The comple0ion of the <"aster< was ery fair and hishair which was not parted ut com ed ac$ streamed downhis shoulders. The "aster saluted him and as$ed him where hewas coming from. /n finding that he had not had anything toeat the guru commanded that he should e gi en some groundgrain and tea. 's the !rahmachari could not get any fire tocoo$ food with the "aster as$ed for and $indled some fuel ysimply lowing upon it. The !rahmachari also said that he hadoften witnessed the same phenomenon produced y another<"aster< at ,auri a place a out a day9s *ourney from the ca eof Tarchin on the northern side of "ount ailas. The $eeper ofa floc$ who was suffering from rheumatic fe er came to theguru who ga e him a few grains of rice crushed out of paddywhich the "aster had in his hand and the sic$ man was curedthen and there.

The undersigned se erally certify that in each other9spresence they recently saw at the head+uarters of theTheosophical Society a rother of the First Section. Thecircumstances were of a nature to e0clude all idea of tric$ery orcollusion and were as follows. 2e were sitting together in themoonlight a out nine o9cloc$ upon the alcony which pro*ectsfrom the front of the ungalow. "r. Scott was sitting facing thehouse so as to loo$ through the inter ening erandah and the

li rary and into the room at the further side. This latterapartment was rilliantly lighted. The li rary was in partialdar$ness thus rendering o *ects in the further room moredistinct. "r. Scott suddenly saw the figure of a man step intothe space opposite the door of the li rary1 he was clad in thewhite dress of a ;a*put and wore a white tur an. "r. Scott atonce recognised him from his resem lance to a portrait in8olonel /lcott9s possession. /ur attention was then drawn tohim and we all saw him most distinctly.

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>e wal$ed towards a ta le and afterwards turning his facetowards us wal$ed ac$ out of our sight. 2e hurried forward toget a closer iew ut when we reached the room he was gone.2e cannot say y what means he departed ut that he did not

pass out y the door which leads into the compound we canpositi ely affirm1 for that door was full in our iew and he didnot go out y it. 't the side of the room towards which hewal$ed there was no e0it the only door and the two windowsin that direction ha ing een oarded and closed up. Hpon theta le at the spot where he had een standing lay a letteraddressed to one of our num er. The handwriting was identicalwith that of sundry notes and letters pre iously recei ed fromhim in di ers ways M such as dropping down from the ceilingetc. The signature was the same as that of the other lettersrecei ed and as that upon the portrait a o e descri ed. ;ossScott !.8.S. "innie G. !. Scott >. S. /lcott >. :. !la ats$y". "oorad 'li !eg ?. . "a alan$ar !. S. ,. "ullapoor$ar.

2e now come to the remar$a le e0perience of "r. 7glinton onoard the #.#. 8ega the essel eing a long distance from

land which is worthy of notice on account of this gentlemaneing a thorough dis elie er in the e0istence of the 'deptsefore this incident. >e relates that one of the "ahatmas

suddenly appeared in his ca in and after some con ersationdisappeared ta$ing with him a letter which "r. 7. had written.The letter was as follows%M

< #.#. 8ega, Frida", 9:th March, ;<<9.

M7 %A= M=#. /-= -N, > At last "our hour of triumph hascome. After the man" battles we have had at the breakfast(table regarding ?. H.1s existence, m" stubborn scepticism as tothe wonderful powers possessed b" the 1Brothers1, * have beenforced to a complete belief in their being living distinct persons,and $ust in proportion to m" scepticism will be m" firm,unalterable opinion respecting them. ?. H. appeared to me in

person, and what he told me dumbfounded me.

The a o e letter was recei ed the same da" according to the

following statement y "rs. ,ordon% M <'t nine o9cloc$ onFriday ALth 8ol. /lcott 8ol. ,ordon and myself sat in the

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room which had een occupied y "r. 7glinton. 2e had a goodlight and sat with our chairs placed to form a triangle. =n a fewminutes 8ol. /lcott saw outside the open window the two9!rothers9 whose names are est $nown to us and told us so.

>e saw one of them point his hand towards the air o er myhead and = felt something at the same moment fall straightdown from a o e on to my shoulder and saw it fall at my feetin the direction towards the two gentlemen. 8ol. /lcott and 8ol.,ordon oth saw and heard the letter fall. 8ol. /lcott hadturned his head from the window for a moment to see whatthe !rother was pointing at and so noticed the letter fallingfrom a point a out two feet from the ceiling. 2hen he loo$edagain the two 9!rothers9 had anished. There is no erandahoutside and the window is se eral feet from the ground<. =n a

ac$ num er of the New 7ork @orld there is a long account of areporter9s e0periences in Forty-se enth Street. The eight or tenpersons present saw an <'dept< pass y the window andreturn. The room was on the second story of the house andthere was no alcony to wal$ on. The :resident of theTheosophical Society has pu licly declared that he $nowsfifteen of the 'depts personally. To finish this testimony wemay add the following letter% M

Madras, August , ;<< .

ear sir, > *n repl" to "our in6uiries * ma" sa" that * certif" onm" word as a #an"assi that * have twice visited )hibet sincethe "ear ;< 0 that * have personall" become ac6uainted withseveral Mahatmas, among whom were the two known to theoutside world as Mahatma 1M.1, Mahatma 1?.H.10 that * spent

some time in their compan"0 that the" told me that the" andother Mahatmas were interested in the work of the)heosophical #ociet"0 that Mahatma 1M1. told me he had beenthe 2occult3 guardian of Madame Blavatsk" from her infanc".2#igned3 #=* MAN#@AM7, Hon. #ec. 5ow Memorial Fund of

Allahabad.

' lady relates that she saw on one occasion at a meeting in:aris one of the 'depts standing for a short time ehind the

chair of one of the party. =t will e noted in an e0amination ofthe foregoing accounts that witnesses ha e seen the "ahatmas

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under ery different conditions iE. oth in physical and astralforms. Their a solute identity howe er in all cases is pro ed

y the immediate recognition y the eye-witnesses of the e0actli$eness etween these forms and the portraits of 'depts in

possession of the Theosophical Society. "ention of the a ility ofthe 'rhats to transport themsel es long distances in astral form

rings us to the e0ed +uestion of the e0istence of occultpowers or practical magic. Such howe er is the character ofthis age the materialistic education and tendencies of 2esternminds that it is difficult to o tain an impartial hearing on thissu *ect. e ertheless we must try and commence y showingthat occidental science is not in possession of a single fact thatena les it to deny the possi ility of the e0istence of :ractical/ccultism. 2hat for instance does :hysical Science $now of"atter and Force @ :rofessor >u0ley says <=t is in strictnesstrue that we know nothing a out the composition of any odywhate er as it is<. 'nother authority remar$s <2hat do we$now of the atom apart from its force @< ?oes not :rofessor'gassiE say </utside of mathematics the word impossi leshould ne er e pronounced@<

The 'tomic Theory the ery ase of gross materialism hasrecei ed its death- low at the hands of "r. >er ert Spencer.Such confessions of ignorance on the part of eminent scientificauthorities of ature in its lowest aspect open the door to thepossi ility of the e0istence of :ractical "agic or 2isdomunderstanding the latter to mean dealing with natural forces ofsuperior power. That such forces e0ist is the elief of manyeminent scientific authorities of arious nationalities such asthe !aron on ;eichen ach :rofessor ,regory of 7din urgh

:rofessor >are of the Hnited States Thury FlammarionIollner !utlerof '$sa$off 8roo$es and '. ;. 2allace. 'nd itshould e remem ered that the opinions of these authoritiesare founded on many and careful e0periments e0tending o era long period of time. o dou t to persons unac+uainted withthe principles of practical /ccultism the power of an 'dept totransport himself in astral form to remote places whilst hisphysical ody remains ehind appears a miraculous one andthoroughgoing "aterialists naturally ridicule the idea.

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!ut as the latter on their own confession $now nothing of thephenomenon of human consciousness how it arises and whatit is in itself suspense of *udgment would e more credita le inthe matter especially considering the e0cellent e idence in

e0istence pro ing its truth.

o /ccultist has e er credited the 'depts with miraculouspowers. They ha e een certainly said to e practicalmagicians ut ne er miracle-wor$ers. "iracles are animpossi ility. The e0ercise howe er of rare powers due to a$nowledge of occult natural laws is +uite another thing. 's:rofessor '. 2ilder o ser es < The ery capacity to imaginethe possi ility of thaumaturgical powers is itself e idence thatthey e0ist. The critic as well as the sceptic is generally inferiorto the person or su *ect that he is re iewing and therefore ishardly a competent witness. *f there are counterfeitssomewhere there must ha e een a genuine original. #et ussee then what are the principles of this /ccult Science.

( .) There is no miracle. 7 erything that happens is the resultof law M eternal immuta le e er acti e.

(A.) ature is triune1 there is isi le o *ecti e nature1 andin isi le in-dwelling energiEing nature the e0act model of theother and its ital principle1 and a o e these two spirit sourceof all forces alone eternal and indestructi le.

(3.) "an also is triune1 he is composed of ody soul andspirit.

(L.) "agic as a science is the $nowledge of these principlesand of the way y which the omniscience and omnipotence ofthe spirit and its control o er nature9s forces may e ac+uired

y the indi idual while still in the ody. "agic as an art is theapplication of this $nowledge to practice.

(6.) 'rcane $nowledge misapplied is sorcery1 eneficently usedtrue magic or wisdom.

(K.) "ediumship is the opposite of adeptship1 the medium isthe passi e instrument of foreign influences the adept acti ely

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controls himself and all inferior potencies.

(5.) 'll things that e er were that are or that will e ha ingtheir record upon the astral light or ta let of the unseen

uni erse the initiated 'dept y using the ision of his ownspirit can $now all that has een $nown or can e $nown.

(4.) ;aces of men differ in spiritual gifts as in other +ualities1among some peoples seership naturally pre ails among othersmediumship. Some are addicted to Sorcery and transmit itssecret rules of practice from generation to generation with arange of psychical phenomena more or less wide as the result.

(J.) The corner-stone of magic is an intimate practical$nowledge of magnetism and electricity their +ualitiescorrelations and potencies. There are occult properties in manyother minerals e+ually strange with that in the loadstone whichall practitioners of magic must $now and of which ordinaryscience is wholly ignorant1 plants ha e li$e mystical propertiesin a most wonderful degree and the secrets of the her s ofenchantments are only lost to 7uropean science. "agic isspiritual wisdom1 ature the material ally pupil and ser ant ofthe magician. ( “*sis +nveiled ”. Vol == page 6JB)/ccult :hilosophy asserts that magical powers are not thee0clusi e property of a few persons and unattaina le y thegreat ma*ority ut are on the contrary the natural gifts whichthe human race will attain as a whole in the course of its futurede elopment. The 'depts are men of ad anced capa ilitiesha ing attained their high position y merit only and passed yimmense efforts unscathed through the fierce fires of

e0perience on this plane during many successi e li es.

From the point of iew now reached y some of the foremostscientists of the age the di iding space etwi0t ordinary and/ccult science is not e0tensi e ta$ing into consideration thelower powers of the latter and the proficiency of the worldlymen of science in ancient 'tlantis (2e refer here to those of thestrictest school of "aterialism who deny e en now the reality ofall -ccult phenomena - page 56) may e soon approached

again y our own. 't the present time no scientific authorityworth naming would deny that natural forces finer for instance

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than electricity may e disco ered any day and if so we seehow naturally the ordinary and occult sciences *oin hands. "orethan one chemist is hunting after the uni ersal su stance

elie ed y many to e that into which all metals can e

resol ed along the lines pursued y the ancient 'lchemists1nor are these cases y themsel es. =f time and spacepermitted a olume could e filled with relia le accounts of themagical achie ements of 'ncient =ndian 7gyptian Gewish and,recian 'depts and =nitiates1 of these we ha e only space for afew. 2e must here note howe er that the entire history ofmagical phenomena from the dawn of history until now showstheir essential oneness throughout whether they are thoseascri ed to the ;ishis of old =ndia or of the 7gyptian magiciansof the time of :haraoh or the feats of Simon "agus 'polloniusof Tyana and 8hrist (=n Talmudic literature 8hrist is accused ofperforming his miracles not as a Gewish prophet ut as an=nitiate of the heathen temples) down to the e0ploits of the=nitiates of today. =n the 3th century we find some testimonyas to the magical powers of the 'depts coming to 7urope from

u lai- han ruler of Tartary. >e said < ou see the idolaters(sic ) can do anything they please insomuch that when = sit atta le the cups from the middle of the hall come to me full ofwine or other li+uor without eing touched y any ody and =drin$ from them. They control storms causing them to pass inwhate er direction they please and do many other mar els1whilst as you $now their idols spea$ and gi e thempredictions on whate er su *ects they choose . 2Book of #erMarco 'olo . Vol == p 3LB ) The magical phenomena of thepresent day now deser es some attention. Ta$e the feats of theso-called >indoo *ugglers although as these e it

remem ered are performed for selfish moti es (money etc.)it is the practice of lac$ magic and note how they transcendall the performances of con*urors. 're hot such e0ploits as thefollowing magical @ ( ) To transform a rupee firmly clasped inthe hand of a sceptic into a li ing co ra the ite of whichwould pro e fatal as an e0amination of its fangs would show.(A) To cause a seed chosen at random y the spectators andplanted in the first sem lance of a flower-pot furnished y thesame sceptics to grow mature and ear fruit in less than a

+uarter of an hour. (3) To stretch himself on three swords stuc$perpendicularly in the ground sharp points upward and after a

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short inter al the swords remo ed and the *uggler liessuspended in the air on nothing a yard from the ground. Suchoccurrences are not rare in the 7ast and ha e een witnessed

y hundreds of persons whose eracity is a o e suspicion.

Sir G. Fayrer ( Nineteenth 5entur" ?ecem er 44J) admits thatthe =ndian serpent charmers can handle harmlessly co ras withfangs intact although he is e idently at a loss to account for it.The scholar and tra eller Gacolliot remar$s <#et it suffice tosay that in regard to magnetism and spiritism 7urope has yetto stammer o er the first letters of the alpha et and that the!rahmins ha e reached in these two departments of learningresults in the way of phenomena that are truly stupefying<. The7astern /ccultists ga e him this e0planation < ou ha estudied physical nature and you ha e o tained through its lawsmar ellous results M steam electricity etc.1 for AB BBB yearsor more we ha e studied the intellectual forces we ha edisco ered their laws and we o tain y ma$ing them act aloneor in concert with matter phenomena still more astonishingthan your own<. To this day certain :ersian sects the a$uts of7astern Si eria and the eEidis of 'siatic Tur$ey practiseSorcery with horri le and disgusting rites as #ady >esterStanhope found out to her cost. Truly the 7ast appears to ethe home of magic.

=n the 2est nota ly in 'merica the rise and progress of the/ccult phenomena $nown as Spiritualism has caused a fierce

attle which still continues to rage etween the elie ers andnon- elie ers. /n the one hand some millions of supporters ofthe phenomena which they $now really occurs1 on the other a

great mass of sceptics ery few of whom ha e in estigated orta$e the trou le to in+uire closely into the matter. =t is not herenecessary to discuss the attitude of Theosophy towards so-called Spiritualism that is well $nown1 we merely wish to callattention to these magical occurrences as these ear on oursu *ect. 2e can certainly find howe er in "esmerism nowcalled hypnotism a *ustification for the iews on magic held y/ccultists1 it is here on this point that opponents and deniersof :ractical /ccultism must incur complete defeat. For who in

his senses $nowing anything of this su *ect will now deny itsreality @ 'nd what is "esmerism ut the ancient art of

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enchantment so long derided y sceptics ut which they mustnow admit without reser ation @ The ictory is therefore won.:ractical "agic is. This long digression on the /ccult 'rts has

een necessitated through their intimate connection with the

'depts1 no proper iew in fact of them and their mission coulde ta$en until the gross misconceptions generally pre ailing

a out "agic had een swept away and its real characterdefined. This has now een done. =n+uirers into the truths ofTheosophy naturally as$ many +uestions and see$ forinformation respecting the nature and character of its ,reatTeachers. 2e shall therefore endea our to deal now withthese matters and sol e the arious pro lems arising inconnection therewith to the est of our a ility.

=t has een shown that the high mountain plateau of Thi etA BBB to 6 BBB ft. a o e the sea le el has een inha ited y

the 'depts for an immense period of time. The +uestion is oftenas$ed 2hy do the "asters of 2isdom li e in such a ar arouscountry remote from ci iliEation @ Those who put this +ueryha e much yet to learn respecting oth the nature of the"ahatmas and their teachings. =n the first place those who callThi et a ar arous country do not $now whether it is or not asforeigners are e0cluded. =nto that part of Thi et where the'depts reside not e en a nati e can penetrate. The "asters of2isdom on their part do not thin$ ery highly of 2esternci iliEation with its ree$ing slums *ails and wor$houses andwhole nationalities armed to the teeth for mutual destruction.These concomitants of ad anced 2estern progress are certainlylac$ing in the land of the Sages.

<;emem er the difference we ma$e etween material andspiritual ci iliEations< says a <"aster< in 7soteric !uddhism.The reason why the "ahatmas li e in remote mountain regionsis easily stated. =n such high places the atmosphere is naturallythe purest and most refined on the earth9s surface andtherefore suita le to the culti ation and de elopment of psychicpowers. The powerful magnetism engendered and thrown off yordinary humanity especially when crowded together in citiesis e0tremely trying to the sensiti e natures of the 'depts. <

2hat to our physical senses are the odours that hang a outsewers and slaughter-houses that and worse to their spiritual

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senses are the aura that hang a out us<. =t has een o *ectedthat if the 'rhats are thus compelled to li e remote fromordinary humanity that they can do nothing y direct meansfor its ele ation. This is an error. The 'depts all wor$ for the

progress of the human race on the spiritual and mental planessu *ect to armic #aw. That they can do this is easilyrecognised when we reflect that time and space e0ist not inthe same form on these higher planes of eing as they do onthe physical1 as the < ?e" to )heosoph" < remar$s the difference

etween mind and mind can e only one of state not of time orplace. =t is easy howe er to e0aggerate the powers andinfluence of the 'depts on humanity at large. >ear what onesays on this matter% <2e are not omnipotent nay we are asnothing efore the mighty tide of cosmic powers. 2e can dothings to you ine0plica le miraculous ut they are ut as themo ing of a single mote floating in a wandering sun eam. /urli es are spent in endea ouring to enefit man$ind ut it isonly to a limited e0tent that we can influence the tide of humanaffairs. 's well might one wea$ human arm see$ to stay therushing waters of the mighty ,anges in flood as we fee le andof 'depts to stem the resistless stream of cosmic impulses. 'llwe can do is y some groin here some few hurdles theresomewhat to alter the set of the current and so a ert hereand there catastrophes that we see impending1 or again ytiny canals here and there to lead off minute portions of thestream to fertiliEe tracts that ut for our efforts would ha eremained deserts. ou ha e as$ed how it is that if this e sothe world $nows nothing of us and our deeds @ #i$e ature inharmony with whose laws and inherent attri utes all ouroperations are carried on we wor$ in silence and in secret. #i$e

ature unthan$ed and un$nown our wor$ must e er e. 'llearthly rewards for our wor$ M name fame the applause ofwondering senates M 9are to us li$e the rest of this world9stoys mere illusions powerless e en to please those who ha eonce loo$ed ehind them into the eternal truths a o e whichthey float1 for as your great apostle himself an initiategrandly said 9The things that are seen are transitory ut thethings that are unseen are eternal9. 'nd well for us that it is sosince our records afford too many instances of men well on the

upward path we tread who their feet caught in these erysnares ha e fallen irre oca ly as regards this life<. (#etter from

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an 'dept) 2e ha e stated the difference etween the narrowand imperfect iews held now y the foremost school of:hysical Science and the wide and comprehensi e conceptionsof /ccult philosophy on the su *ect of >uman 7 olution. !ut

e en a fair sur ey of the former will lead to a recognition of theperfectly natural position occupied y the "ahatmas in a worldof progress. 2e see for instance that the ad ance of "an$indis accompanied y an immense differentiation among its units.

,reat indeed is the moral and intellectual gap separating thehighest and lowest mem ers of e en one race from each other.'ssuming then as consistent e olutionists are ound to dothat human progress is limitless on this plane and that thepowers and capa ilities of ordinary men in the distant futurewill far e0ceed those possessed at present with what show ofreason can the possi ility of the present e0istence in the 7astor elsewhere of highly-ad anced men such as the 'depts are edenied @ The long chain of human progress is in this caselengthened at the top that is all. 2e readily grant howe erthat profound 2estern conceit often attempts the tas$. =f spacepermitted it would e easy also to show from e ery point of

iew e0cluding that of gross materialism that the "ahatmasoccupy a definite and clear place in ature forming anecessary lin$ etween ordinary humanity and the intelligencesof higher planes of e0istence without whom the continuity ofthe great system of Hni ersal 7 olution would not epreser ed.

From time to time it has een as$ed y in+uirers why the'depts do not gi e us more of their wisdom. Since the

pu lication of the < #ecret octrine < this +uestion has lost muchof its point. !ut apart from this certain formida le difficultiesstand in the way of their teaching especially 2estern peoplewhat they $now. Firstly the great difficulty e eryoneencounters who is ignorant of Sanscrit and the metaphysicalrefinements of /ccult :hilosophy in grasping its real meaning1secondly the great danger of gi ing to present selfish man$indthe secrets of occult forces which if a used would wrec$society. or ha e the 'depts any desire to aid the human race

on the path of material progress which it is now so muchinclined to follow on the contrary they desire to assist in the

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spiritual e olution of "an$ind alone. The following statementfrom them may throw further light on the matter. < There is

ery little chance of their opinions eing accepted y thegeneral pu lic under present circumstances unless they are

supported y such e idence as is within the reach of theoutside world. 's it is not always possi le to procure suche idence there is ery little use in pu lishing the informationwhich is in their possession until the pu lic are willing torecognise and admit the anti+uity and trustworthiness of theirtraditions the e0tent of their powers and the astness of their$nowledge. =n the a sence of such proof as is a o e indicatedthere is e ery li$elihood of their opinions eing re*ected asa surd and untena le1 their moti es will no dou t e+uestioned and some people may e tempted to deny e en thefact of their e0istence =t is often as$ed y >indus as well as y7nglishmen why these 'depts are so ery unwilling to pu lishsome portion at least of the information they possess regardingthe truths of physical science. !ut in doing so they do notseem to percei e the difference etween the method y whichthey o tain their $nowledge and the process of modernscientific in estigation y which the facts of nature areascertained and its laws are disco ered. Hnless an 'dept canpro e his conclusions y the same $ind of reasoning as isadopted y the modern scientist they remain undemonstratedto the outside world. =t is of course impossi le for him tode elop in a considera le num er of human eings suchfaculties as would ena le them to percei e their truth1 and it isnot always practica le to esta lish them y the ordinaryscientific method unless all the facts and laws on which hisdemonstration is to e ased ha e already een ascertained y

modern science. o 'dept can e e0pected to anticipate thedisco ery of the ne0t four or fi e centuries and pro e somegrand scientific truth to the entire satisfaction of the educatedpu lic after ha ing disco ered e ery fact and law in naturere+uired for the said purpose y such process of reasoning aswould e accepted y them<. (“ Five 7ears of )heosoph" ” pageAJ4) <The 'dept has no fa our to as$ at the hands ofcon*ectural science nor does he e0act from any mem er of thesociety lind faith it eing his cardinal ma0im that faith should

only follow in+uiry. The 'dept is more than content to remainsilent $eeping what he may $now to himself unless worthy

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see$ers wish to share it. >e has done so for ages and can doso for a little longer. Thus he lea es his audience to first erifyhis statements in e ery case y the rilliant though ratherwa ering light of modern science after which his facts may e

either accepted or re*ected at the option of the willing student.=n short the 'dept has to remain utterly unconcerned with andunmo ed y the issue. >e imparts that which it is lawful for himto gi e out and deals ut with facts <. (“ Five 7ears of)heosoph" ” page 3L6 ) 2e stated *ust now one cause for theisolation of the "ahatmas ut it has een as$ed% 2hy do theynot appear at inter als and thus confute all dis elie ers in theire0istence @ This +uery has een well answered in the ?e" to)heosoph" %

<The world is neither ready to recognise them nor to profit ytheir teaching. /f what use would :rofessor 8ler$ "a0well ha e

een to instruct a class of little oys in their multiplicationta le@9< 'gain <an important reason is the ine ita leuselessness of any attempts on their part to deal directly withpeople not spiritually purified. Though one went to them fromthe dead they would not elie e. =f an 'dept were to isit anordinary man a doEen times would he elie e @ =f the 'deptcame in the flesh he would thin$ him an impostor1 if he came inhis astral form and the man9s eyes were opened so as to seehim he would persuade himself it was a tric$ of his own fancyor of someone else9s de ising. o the mass of man$ind e enthe mass of the more highly educated Theosophists who ha ein no way purified their spiritual natures possess that spiritualsense or insight which alone renders conviction possi le stillonly in a potential or dormant state<. " “Hints on %soteric

)heosoph" .” page LB)

<' moment9s reflection will show that they could not comeoldly out face to face with the ignorant and superstitious

masses of man$ind. ?id they do so preach their doctrines ande0hi it their powers then you will admit that especiall" in thiscountry (=ndia) nine-tenths of the population would protest asthe 'depts might M treat these as gods worship them andadd another and most rampant one to the gross superstitions

that already co er the fair fields of human souls with a deadly

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*ungle. /f all things they see$ to a oid creating any delusionsof this $ind<. (“ Hints on %soteric )heosoph" ” page 36)

=t is widely supposed y the 2estern pu lic that the whole ody

of 'depts is composed of indi iduals of the same nationality.This is a mista$e. =n the early part of this century for instancean 7nglishman o tained high ran$ in the /ccult !rotherhood.'ll ages all creeds ha e produced men with e0traordinarypowers through their ?i ine Sel es eing partly released frommaterial onds.

Since the suppression of the archaic mysteries the "ahatmasma$e at stated periods acti e efforts on the physical plane toaid the upward progress of man$ind through appointed agents.These epochs occur now in the last +uarter of each centuryand in accordance with the cyclic laws go erning according to/ccult :hilosophy human progress the <"asters of 2isdom<act. For as "r. Gudge o ser es <during any one cycle the rateor +uality of progress appertaining to a different cycle is notpossi le< and the "ahatmas are the ser ants of arma andalways wor$ in harmony with ature. !earing these facts inmind many incidents in the history of /ccultism which appearotherwise ine0plica le can e cleared up.

/ *ection is often raised y critics against the idea that suche0alted and wise !eings as the "ahatmas are connected withthe Theosophical Society on the ground that the actions of its#eaders do not seem to e guided y the highest wisdom at alltimes in the conduct of its affairs. This argument shows amisapprehension of the case altogether. o /ccultist has e er

said that the "ahatmas guide the Society or its #eaders. Theywatch o er and protect it that is all foiling e ery effort madeto destroy it throwing ac$ on the originators e ery e ilinfluence directed against it. For they loo$ to the future to theperiod that must soon come when the now flowing tide wille and their efforts cease until J56 is sounded from thewatch towers of time and a new mystic era commences again.

/ne more lin$ in the chain of e idence pro ing the e0istence of

the <"asters of 2isdom<. 2hence comes this stupendoussystem of 8osmic 7 olution dwarfing all others1 as a great

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critic and sceptic says of the #ecret octrine % < 2hat "ahatmafrom his lofty eyrie dictated these olumes of archaic lore ofmultitudinous erudition of ir anic teteology redolent withmammoth strength @ <

2e predict that despite the present attitude of igoted andpre*udiced minds and that of sundry self-appointed leaders ofthe unthin$ing multitude efore the ne0t century passes thepre-eminence of the /ld 2isdom ;eligion will e recognisedand the Sages of the Snowy >ima at recei e their due from thetruth-see$ers of e ery clime.

=t is o ious the 'depts eing ut mortal men that the gaps intheir ran$s caused y death must e filled up from some othersource. This supply comes through the promotion of theirpupils of whom there are se eral classes. aturally there aremany in+uirers who wish to $now how those willing to +ualifycan enter the small old path trod y the sages and finallyattain the e0alted plane on which the "asters sit.

<The 'dept ecomes he is not made< says 7liphas #e i. >ardthe tas$ long the way steep the ascent to that high eminence.True the eacon light shines from a o e ut $now / aspirantthat it is from a monster-haunted shore. < The way to it isen eloped with the lac$ cloud of the soul9s despair<. < o one$nows until he really tries it how awful a tas$ it is to su dueall his e il passions and animal instincts and de elop his highernature< says /ne who is on the :ath. ,reat indeed is thecon+ueror of Self. "any are called ut few are chosen1 so mustit always e.

!ut little more now remains to e said. The great scepticVoltaire says% <' Testimony is sufficient when it rests on M ( )' great num er of ery sensi le witnesses who agree in ha ingseen well . (A) 2ho are sane odily and mentally. (3) 2ho areimpartial and disinterested. (L) 2ho unanimously agree. (6)2ho solemnly certify to the fact<. Tried y this canon thee idence we ha e een a le to ring forward culled from manysources is enough and more than enough to pro e our case.

2e are content. 2e ha e wished that this important tas$ had

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fallen to a ler hands than ours. =t has howe er come to us1we ha e accepted it remem ering rishna9s words M

)his is better, that one doHis own task as he ma", even though he fail.)o die performing dut" is no ill,But who seeks other roads shall wander still.

From their mountain home the "asters of 2isdom watch thetides of human affairs e and flow. "ighty races come anddepart. They iew "an$ind ardently pursuing the u les of thehour o li ious of the future1 mista$ing transient illusions thefroth thrown up from the seething sea of life for realities. Thuswill it e until the life cycle of the 'ryans must close. 2hen that

dread hour appointed y ,reat arma arri es and the wa esof ocean again roll o er the site of our oasting ci iliEationchanting a solemn dirge for the dead past then the accounts ofthe Fifth ;oot ;ace will ha e een alanced y 7ternal Gustice.

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the masters of wisdom

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