I am penning these lines in a little hamlet in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Central California. The impressions I received yesterday are still fresh in my mind, and the experiences which caused them were as real to me as any other experiences caused by the events of every-day life. Nevertheless, they were of such extraordinary character that I cannot persuade myself that they were more than a dream, but I know they were not a dream.

Having finished a long investigation of the history of old Spanish documents and studying old worm-eaten books, moldy manuscripts hardly legible from age; having passed days and part of nights in private libraries which contained collections of personal experiences of different individuals; and after having collected and copied everything that seemed to be of any value for the objective in mind, I had at last finished my preparation for seeking out the experiences of a place rumored to be some place in the Sierra Madre Mountains where lived an ancient people of which little was know but much heard.

Many strange tales were rumored, but nothing evil ever was said. Even in the ancestral folk-lore regarding this place, people seemed to stand in awe, but not in fear of any evil.

Perhaps here I would find some great Teacher or Master who could guide me to the place I sought.

This might be the cache of ancient teachings and manuscripts which might give me the wisdom to know the difference between the conglomerations of books and other writings in today's confused world, where teachings are sold and not given as they were in the ancient of days. And so I was determined to find this place -- or at least to try . . .

The Journey

The mountains were not yet free from snow, but Spring was in full bloom, and there was a great desire in me to escape the turmoil of the city: to breathe the pure air of the mountains and see the rising of the sun over the snowy peaks in the first light of dawn.

I boarded a bus from San Francisco -- it was not yet dawn -- and I arrived in the little hamlet late in the afternoon. Finding a hospitable small hotel, I soon ate a light meal and retired a short time later. I wanted to get an early start -- before dawn -- into the mountains.

In the cold first light of dawn I awoke, being aroused by a motorist also getting off early. I arose and looked out the rear window. The shadows of night were fleeing before the approaching sun and the dawn was breaking before me. In a grand array stood the mountains in their majesty, reminding me of the early settlers and their laborious treks through the vast mountains that stretched before me: they did all this to reach the beauty of the glorious Pacific Ocean and the Garden of Eden of the California coastland.

Soon I procured a light breakfast and way on my way. I wandered up through the valley along the side of a stream rushing and dancing wildly over the rocks. The valley I was following cut through the range of mountains, and other valleys opened into it.

This range was not unknown to me, for I had roamed through those mountains and explored their mysterious recesses, caves and caverns before. There were also many wooded draws; and there was one mysterious valley, which I had not explored, in the direction of a high mountain peak.

The summit of that mountain was, for some reason, shunned by mountain climbers. The mountain was only a little higher than the rest of the surrounding range, but it seemed to stand out from amongst the other peaks.

On this bright and sunny morning I seemed to be drawn toward this valley and the mountain peak by some invisible but irresistible power. It seemed that this mountain held the secret of life for me or at least the fulfillment of an undefined longing of my heart: were it to be satisfied, it would be on that mountain. There the answer to the mystery, which I had not found in all my searching would be revealed to me.

The sun had not risen in the valley, and the dark woods to the right and left were uniform in color. As I entered the narrow, mysterious valley, the path rose, leading through a dark forest along the side of the mountain. Slowly and patiently the sun ascended, and the forest became thinner and fell far below me as I climbed. Above me rose naked cliffs, with only a scattering of trees at their base. Still the path led up higher. In the distance was the sound of a waterfall, which looked like a wild confusion of giant rocks with foaming water rushing between them.

My path led upward, near the riverbed. It wound in and out of the giant rocks and finally descended to the bottom of ravines formed by melting snow. Thus, deeper into the mysterious valley I was led, and the sunrise appeared on the cliffs above.

A mild breeze swept through the tops of the trees and the foliage of the birch trees, with which the pine forest was sprinkled, whispered in the morning breeze. The only other sound was that of a titmouse and an occasional cry of a hawk, rising in long-drawn notes as he spiraled high in the air to look for food.

Looking back, I saw how the valley widened. Far below could be seen the river as it wandered toward the plains. Then, as the sun started to rise higher, I continued my way up the valley, which was now narrowing between the white crags of the summits. I gazed up at some of their highest pinnacles, and they seemed to merge into the blue above, as though they had a spiritual halo about them.

It was then that a strange phenomenon occurred. As I looked ahead, the valley seemed to fade away as it rose. It was just as though I was looking upon the lowlands and there were no mountains beyond. Then my attention was drawn to two spiral black rocks, one on either side of the valley, that stood like two sentinels at the entrance to an ancient cavern or cave. I stopped and looked for a few moments, for I was sure that this range of mountains continued on beyond.

Was this the secret, the mystery, which had kept so many mountain-climbers and explorers away from the peak which drew me so mysteriously?

I studied the form of the Sierra Madre Mountains around me. They looked windblown, as if rain had beaten on them and frozen them in most fantastic shapes. I recalled that this part of the range was called Red Beard, or the Crown Sceptre. My gaze was attracted to the evidence of destruction during many winters -- the fallen corpses of grand old trees whose roots had been torn from the shallow soil. They lay barkless and bleached like so many skeletons, limbs stretched toward the heavens and the rising sun, as if they were raising their arms toward the Light-Giver as he beamed down on them, while moss and parasites were feeding upon the substance of their dead hulks.

All around me, at the same time, stood the evidence of life and the changing of seasons. Pines again were taking on their deep green while clinging moss still showed the reddish color attained the Fall before. And in the caverns and cliffs there lingered patches of snow and ice from many past winters.

After enjoying this view of Nature's cycle of life, I continued a short way up the stream. The waterfall, I knew from its sound, was a short distance away. But, here again, I felt the increase of something hard to explain -- a force which spread across the valley as though the sun had increased its power. But it was in front of me, not from the sun above. Something that was emotionless but full of life became more prevalent as I walked toward a space that looked like an opening in the valley.

I was now within a few feet of the place between the two great sentinels. I wanted to go ahead but it was difficult to proceed. As I drew near to the sentinel rocks, the valley ahead finally disappeared completely, although the stream still rushed toward me. Imagine my consternation at seeing a stream coming from space -- from nowhere -- and tumbling down to the valley floor!

I sat down and thought a few moments about what was holding me back. Maybe this was the mystery: maybe this was the home of some Master Teacher or of some great mystics. If I passed between the sentinel rocks, would I fall off the precipice or would I still be on the cavern floor? Then my reason told me that if the stream was flowing down the hill, it certainly was coming from somewhere.

And I had made up my mind before I came on this search that I would reach the mountain top and learn the secret of the mysterious mountain.

I also realized that if whoever had created this block, or illusion, wanted to destroy me, he could do it where I was then standing as well as farther on. So I arose and walked toward "nothing."

I passed between the two black rocks, and the "nothingness" itself disappeared! There before me again was the valley through which I had been traveling. And to my utter astonishment, the once fast flowing stream became a large and quiet pool, with a pleasant grassy island near one shore. There were several pine trees at one end of the island and many wildflowers and ground plants all over its surface. Deciding to rest, I sat down under the pine trees and listened to the murmur of the stream as it came down to the pool. I was not tired, but I fell asleep.

I don't know how long I slept, but the sound of a laugh close beside me abruptly brought me to my waking consciousness. Looking up, I saw by my side one of those half-idiotic human beings known as dwarfs.

I was somewhat surprised and startled and not a little annoyed at his unwelcome intrusion and asked, rather curtly, "What do you want?"

A broad grin passed over the face of the dwarf as he answered, "My Master said I should guide you to him."

Astonished as I was by his answer, I realized that the dwarf probably was an idiot and I therefore could not expect an intelligent answer.

I asked again, "Who is your Master?"

And he answered, "The Master, my Teacher."

"I follow Christ."

As he spoke, his face lit up and eyes shone; he was happy at the thought of leading someone to his Master.

I attempted to ask more questions to find out who his Master was, but to no avail. He merely grinned and repeated what he had said before. I finally decided to follow him and see how the adventure would end.

The Meeting

The dwarf walked ahead and led me toward the base of the mysterious mountain. Occasionally, he turned and looked back to see whether I was following him.

He was less than three feet tall, apparently a hunchback and he was wearing a brown robe such as that worn by a member of a holy order. He had an unusually large head, very large feet, and a gray beard which was all that kept him from looking like a child. He carried a staff which he used to pick his way up the mountain.

We approached the mountain which seemed to be impassable. But as we drew near, I noticed an opening, like a cave or tunnel in the cliff-like side of the mountain. The dwarf went into the opening, looked back at me, and then plunged forward.

Slowly we became engulfed by the mountain. The blackness became denser until I was walking strictly on faith in following my little guide whom I could see (or could I?) It became increasingly difficult for me to follow the dwarf. Across my consciousness flashed the realization that were in total darkness.

Yet there was a light that was emanating from my guide.

What was it? Was it possible that this strange, deformed little being had reached that wondrous stage of illumination -- an illumination that was really visible, physically so?

I spoke to him and he stopped to say, "Have no fear, I will take you to my Master. But follow closely for there are chasms and deep crevices about us."

His simple words seemed to speak volumes. I had been preparing myself for the ninth initiation in a mystical order to which I belong. I now became conscious of something which I had failed to recognize in all my studying, reading and exercises.

I had failed to have faith in the simple wisdoms about which I had read and to follow simple instructions. And so I assured my little guide that I would follow him very closely.

As we walked on, the cavern grew more spacious. I felt the hesitancy within me become greater with each step.

At last, my little guide stopped and said, "Master said for you to be careful as you crossed this crevice in the tunnel floor. It is only about four feet wide; so I'm sure you can jump it. But watch closely; I want you to see.

He took me by the hand and led me to the edge of the crevice. I looked down and saw what seemed like the blackness of eternal night. Fear struck into my heart.

He let go of my hand and leaped across the chasm.

"See? I will stand by the edge over here so you'll know where you're jumping to."

I stepped back and was about to spring when what seemed like a force of a thousand pounds or more began to weight me down.

Was I going to let this mere little slit in the earth keep me from going on this adventure? I asked him, "Is there no other way around?"

He said, "No, one must pass over this little abyss or he cannot enter the mountain." And, again, this brought a revelation to me; for surely this was what I had heard about -- the "Passing of the Great Abyss" and the awesomeness it struck to the heart of the aspirant.

I said to myself, trying not to show lack of faith and strength, "I hope his Master will help me, if I am to reach him."

I stepped back thinking, "Well, at least I'll try it . . . I will not be conquered."

As my foot started to leave the ground, it was as if a mighty gust, a great wind, increased my strength tenfold and I lightly leaped over the chasm.

I must have leaped more than six feet, and the dwarf, beaming all over, clapped his hands. He almost seemed to light up, but I felt this was my imagination. We turned and went on our way, and the going down the long rock corridor was smooth and easy walking.

In about three to five minutes we reached a bend in the corridor. Ahead of us was the end of the cavern on the other side of the mountain. As we stepped into the opening, I voiced an exclamation of joy. The dwarf looked at me and smiled.

Before me was a great valley surrounded by mountains of inaccessible height. Nature and art had combined to produce the magnificent beauty of this natural amphitheater. The valley was covered with short grass and maple trees, with forests of other trees on all sides. There were several small lakes immediately in front of me, but still a few minutes walk away. And under the overhang of the towering peaks rose a huge and beautiful building.

The stillness which surrounded us was almost complete, broken only by noise of a waterfall at the other end of the lake. All about was a fluid tranquillity. I was in another world, separate and apart from the one I had just left.

The building was a massive monastery, rectangular in form, made of stone with high walls and a dome. It was built as if a temple was in its midst.

As we walked across the valley floor toward the building, I beheld a man with startling black hair, a man of noble bearing and imposing appearance, walking toward us. He was clad in a yellow robe, and he walked with youthful step. When the dwarf saw him, he ran toward him, prostrated himself, then ran away.

As the Master approached, he greeted me by name as if he had known me for many years. I was astonished, to say the least. He seemed to be about thirty-five years old, and his appearance was that which draws one toward him. His nature was kindly, his look benevolent. His gaze seemed to pierce my whole being and read my innermost thoughts. Surely, this must be the Master of which the dwarf had spoken.

"Yes," answered the Master, showing that he had been reading my thoughts, "you've fallen into the hands of Adepts, whom you've been thinking so much about lately and whom you've been desiring so many times to meet and come to know. For we are the Brothers of the Golden Cross."

I scrutinized this man closely. Somehow he did not seem to be a stranger; there was something familiar about him. Perhaps I had met him at night, for I had been instructed that people travel in the astral body during these sleeping periods. I felt very much at home with him, and the place seemed to have familiar memories, though I tried in vain to find out where I had met this man.

But again, the Master of this Holy Order, for such he proved to be, answered the unspoken question, "You are right; we are not strangers. For I have been in your presence and stood by your side, although you did not see me with your physical eyes.

"I saw that you were truly striving and so I had directed a flow of ideas in your brain which you elaborated on and wrote down. And you have, moreover, visited this place when you were out of animal body, and when you were asleep.

"Many times you have come to visit me with a Brother, but when your Soul and Self returned to the house of flesh and blood, it was not yet ready to recollect the events through which it had passed. Therefore, you did not remember your transcendental experiences in the morning. You only remember through impressions through the avenue of your external senses. The memory of the Spirit awakens when we gain a spiritual state of consciousness."

"Master," I said, "I consider this one of life's happiest moments. Is there any possibility that I be permitted to remain in some lower group of entry into this Order? I know that I am not yet worthy to be a part of the Order itself, which is far exalted above my state of consciousness."

"We shall permit you to stay for a while and you will have ample time to see how we live," the Master answered. "But permanently remaining here, at the present time, is an impossibility as there are too many of the lower and animal elements which you are still fostering and still form a part of you. They could not resist the destructive effects of the pure and spiritual air which this place has.

"You have not yet a sufficient amount of higher spiritual elements in your body to render them strong and firm. You would soon weaken your physical body and waste away and you would become miserable instead of happy and would probably die before your time was complete."

"Master, then I hope at least to learn some of the mysteries of the great spiritual powers you possess. For it is said that those of your elevation are able to transmute one material into another or to transmute base metal into gold."

"You must remember," said the Master, "that all the high teachings are extremely simple, but because of their simplicity, they are difficult to understand, for you are used to thinking in allegory, not in pure simple truth.

"Such things as transmuting metals into gold are not more wonderful than the ordinary phenomena of Nature which, if we have developed the power of observation, we will note happening around us every day of our life.

"In order to understand these 'mysteries', as you call them, one must have an open mind without prejudice or conception which would hinder him from seeing the truth. You need not be surprised about them any more than seeing the moon revolve around the earth or watching the growth of a tree. They are merely the products of the creative power of the primordial force which is called Will and which the Word of God carried with it when He called the world into existence. The Will may manifest itself in various ways.

"It manifests on seven planes of existence as mechanical force or as spiritual power, but it is always the same primordial force of will acting through the instrumentality of the organism of man, who directs as his intelligence is motivated by the Spirit of God."

"Then, Master, all one has to do is learn to use the principle of will more thoroughly?"

"Not so," said the Master; "let me explain.

"The Will is a universal power which holds the worlds in space and causes the revolution of the planets, pervades and penetrates everything. You have no strength to add to it; it is already strong enough to accomplish everything possible.

"It is the Will of God which manifests through the Word. You are only an instrument through which this universal power may act and manifest itself. You may experience the ultimate of its strength if you do not attempt to oppose it.

"One of the greatest mistakes that man makes is to imagine that he has a will of his own, whose characteristics and action are different from that of the Universal Will. Then you are merely perverting an insignificant part of the latter and are opposed to the great original Power. The more a man believes he has a will of his own and tries to use it that way, the more he opposes the universal reality of the Will of God, and the more he is over- whelmed and brings on his own destruction.

"Your will can only act powerfully if it remains identical with the Universal Spirit. Your will, in fact, is strongest if you have no will of your own but remain in all things obedient to the original creative pattern."

"But, Master, how can we accomplish anything at all then if we can do nothing through the power of our own will? It is therefore useless that we attempt to do anything, but we should wait until Nature performs it without our aid."

He replied: "We can accomplish nothing useful by attempting any will of our own, but we may employ our reason and intelligence to guide and conduct the already existent Universal Will in Nature. Thus we can learn to use and accomplish in a few moments many things which would require unconscious Nature a greater period of time to do.

"Let us take an example. The miller who employs the water of a river to keep his mill in motion to grind the wheat does not create the water, nor does he try to make the river turn upward toward the source. He merely harnesses the river into a certain channel and uses the already existing current in an intelligent manner to accomplish his purpose.

"The Adept acts in the same way by guiding the existing power in accordance with the laws of Nature. For man's intelligence is the only thing he may properly call his own. The highest intelligence, or the Universal Truth (sometimes called the Mind of God, the Akasha, which is the highest intelligence to which we may aspire) only comes from the Self or is intuitionally conducted therefrom."

The Master then turned and said, "Do you see yonder cloud which has settled on top of the mountain? It will remain there until some current of air blows it away or until there is a change of temperature which causes it to rise or fall. If we disperse it, we do it by causing the universal forces to act upon the dense matter. We do not act against the laws of Nature, but the forces are guided by our intelligence."

While speaking, he extended his hand toward the mountain to a cloud which was floating there, and it seemed as if life had been infused into its dense mass. It began to whirl as a vortex and tumble. Finally, it rose like a column of smoke up to the top of the mountain; then it went even higher, causing the mountain to look as if it had a volcanic cloud of smoke around its crest. And then it collected again far above the top, forming a little silvery cloud through which the sunshine streamed.

At this unusual manifestation of life -- a cloud -- the Adept said, "Life is universally everywhere. It is identical with the Will and it is not a product of man nor can it be monopolized by him.

"Man receives a certain amount of it at the time he enters the world. Nature supplies him with it and lends it to him, and he must return it to her when he leaves the world through the breakdown of his body composition, unless he attains the illumination of Christ and has a body of light. Otherwise, the flesh body must be dissolved into its lower forms and the energy is returned to earth."

As we talked, we slowly approached the building and I examined its exterior in detail. It was two stories high, but it seemed lofty, built in a quadrangle and surrounded by oak and maple trees and large gardens. Seven white marble steps led to the main portal, at the sides of which were two massive pillars of granite. And, over the door, in golden letters, there was this inscription:

YOU WHO ENTER HERE LEAVE ALL EVIL THOUGHTS BEHIND.

The Storehouse

As we entered the portals of the monastery, we entered first into a vestibule which was beautifully paved. In the middle of the room was a sculpture of Gautama Buddha. On the walls were gold inscriptions of the important doctrines of the ancient sages.

To the right and left of the entrance doors were long corridors leading to the living quarters of the Brothers. And opposite to the entrance was an archway to a beautiful garden containing tropical plants which were certainly not in accordance with the area where we were. Back of this garden was a building of white marble, whose walls supported the dome which I had seen upon emerging from the tunnel into this paradise. At the apex of the dome was a silver dragon resting on a golden globe.

The Master noticed that I was centering my attention on this building and said:

"This is our temple which you are not permitted to enter. If you were to attempt it, immediate death of your personality would occur. In fact, it would serve you no purpose to be able to enter and live, for, in that sanctuary, all is dark to those who do not bring with them their own spiritual light, the unextinguishable lamp of divine intelligence to illuminate their way.

We walked into one of the corridors of the main building. On our left, there were numerous doors leading into the cells or apartments of the Brothers. To the right was a wall, occasion- ally opening into the tropical garden, and the spaces between these openings were filled with beautifully painted landscapes. One of the landscapes represented Indian scenery, with the snow-covered Himalayan Mountains in the background. The forepart depicted what appeared to be a Chinese pagoda with a small lake and wooded hills in the distance.

The Master said, "Look about you and you'll see pictures of various lamaseries and monasteries of our Order.

Pointing to one in front of us he said, "This one is in the interior of Tibet, and only the highest order of Adepts are allowed there.

"Not only do the pictures show the lamaseries or monasteries, but also a part of the country in which they are located, giving the general character of it in the sunny areas. Each one has a distinct occult quality which would become apparent if you were to concentrate your mind on some part of the picture."

"Master," I asked, "may I try?" He answered by saying he thought I had enough power of concentration for it to work. So I concentrated on the grand portal of the entrance to the lamasery. When I had my mind totally centered on it, with no interfering thoughts, to my amazement the door in the picture opened and a tall Indian dressed in all white robes with a turban of pale yellow stepped out of the door.

I recognized this man, for I had seen him in my waking dreams. And he recognized me, smiled and nodded his head, as I bowed reverently before him. A fine looking mount, a white horse, was brought by an attendant, and he rode away.

The Master noticed my astonishment and smiled. As he drew me away from the picture, he quoted from Shakespeare with a little modification:

"There are many things in heaven and earth which are not understood by your philosophers."

There were convents in Egypt, monasteries in the Cordillera of South America, and a Moslem temple with the half moon at its top. I expressed surprise at seeing so many orders represented by a Christian order and remarked:

"I take it from this that a spiritually enlightened man may become a member of your order if he does not believe in any of the Christian dogmas?"

I was answered quickly by the Master:

"No man may become a member of the Order of the Golden Cross if his knowledge is based on dogmas, beliefs, creeds or opinions which are taught by others or which may have come from hearsay or books.

"Such imaginary knowledge is not real knowledge. One can only know that which he himself knows because he sees, feels and understands. Conventional knowledge is but memory. Our memory is crowded with things that may be true or false. But even if they are true, they are not knowledge.

"Knowing cannot be imparted, one man to another. You can only guide a student to where he can attain it and grasp the truth himself. That is not merely experiencing it with his brain, but intuitively experiencing it with his heart and Self.

"Real truth comes from spiritual experience and from the Self, which is in contact with the Mind of God. To believe in the truth of anything without having real knowledge is mere superstition. This is the fertile ground in which dogma is grown.

"Therefore, all scientific, philosophic and theological speculations are based on superstition and not on real knowledge. The theologian is in constant danger of having his theories overthrown, by some new discovery of Nature's truth which will not amalgamate with the artificial system of dogma, because the latter is built upon sensual perceptions and logical arguments, based upon sense perceptions.

"TRUTH CANNOT BE OVERTHROWN. ONE DOES NOT NEED TO ARGUE OR DEFEND IT.

"If perceived by a spiritual power of perception and understood through the spiritual intelligence of man, it conveys real know- ledge to him and may not be disputed away. The true Adept has nothing to do with creeds, beliefs or opinions. We only want real knowledge.

"If we were all sufficiently perfect to recognize truth by direct perception of the Self, we should not need our books or teachers or spiritual exercises. And, if we were in such a perfect state, we would not be in school studying. We would either be here to teach the masses or we would be in another world.

"We here are still men, although far above the intellectual animal which is usually called man, but which is not regenerated. We still use books and have a library, and we still study the opinions of thinkers. But we do not use books or opinions as though they came from Buddha himself as our infallible guide

unless they are venerated by our reason and understanding. The books serve us; we do not serve them."

We walked into the library where thousands of books were on the shelves, many of which I had heard of but not seen. Many which had been destroyed by fire and many books of Hermes Trismegistus, or which only one was believed to exist, were priceless beyond the conception of antiquity.

The Master looked at me and smiled.

"Yes, I don't doubt that you are surprised at seeing the collection of literature which exists here, but it is quite simple to explain. Every book which has existed leaves its impression on the Mind of the Father. By certain spiritual practices, these impressions may be reproduced from the universal storehouse of knowledge of Nature and be put into a visible, tangible shape or book. And some of our Brothers devote their time to this purpose."

I was overjoyed to hear this, because it seemed to confirm my belief that solitary life was not necessarily a life of uselessness and that ideas were real things which may be grasped more easily in a tranquil place than in one where a scholar is surrounded by the turmoil of petty society.

"Our Order and our monastery were formed by enlightened people who had the same thought which is in your mind. They selected this valley because it is little known. And, making use of certain forces of Nature unknown to you, they created an illusion which rendered it safe against unwelcome intruders.

"If you had not had the determination to walk through the invisible wall and did not possess the reason to know that anyone who had this knowledge would not injure a brother man, you would not have been able to pass through so that the dwarf could find you and lead you here.

"The germ of divinity lies dormant, or latent, in the heart of every man. But those who become conscious of it require this type of life and conditions for the further development of that germ. Here we live in peace, separated by a barrier from the outer world.

"For even if our existence, the existence of our retreat became known, it would be an easy enough thing for us to create other illusions to prevent others who attempted to force entry.

"The Brothers in the Order, the Masters, Adepts and so forth, are not excluded from the outer world, although we do not enter it physically. But, through the exercise of our clairvoyant and clairaudient powers, we may at any moment know what is going on in the world if we need to come into personal contact with it. Then we leave our physical forms and travel in our spiritual and astral bodies. We visit whatever we want, witness everything without being perceived.

"Therefore, we may visit the statesmen, ministers, philosophers and discoursers, we place thoughts in their minds which are useful, but which they do not know from whence they come. If their perception is very strong, they may reject the thoughts. But if they are reasonable people and know how to discriminate, they will follow the silent advice and profit by it.

"If is quite true that if we desired and set a great amount of will power into motion, we might handle mankind as though they were automatons. We could cause them to do what we pleased while they would still imagine that they were following their own ideas. But to do so would be against the rule of our Order and the great Law. For this has decided that each man should be the creator of his own karma.

"We can advise people, but we are not permitted to interfere with their freedom, be it right or wrong.

"Anyone is acceptable in the Order who has the necessary qualifications to enter, no matter what religion, what belief he adheres to. But one cannot be confirmed by favor. It is a well known saying, even among the lowers grades of occultists or initiates: "MASTERS CANNOT BE MADE, BUT GROW TO BECOME."

Man

Then I posed a question to the Master:

"Would it not be well for those who wish to develop spiritually to follow you and your Brothers' example by selecting some secluded spot and growing undisturbed with their interior meditation and concentration of thought?

"There are many people in the world, in various countries, who are adhering to various creeds and Churches and who have been convinced that there is but one real way which the majority of men and women should but do not follow. This is the Way of the Christos. But with conditions as they are in the world today, civilization, as it is called, does not afford the conducive conditions under which they may quickly attain a higher spiritual state.

"The average man and woman are striving only for such things as gratification of pride and hoarding money, along with sexual pleasure and obtaining bodily comforts. They do not know the true reality and the objective of life. These things should be just a means toward an end, in other words, to afford the conditions by which the divine elements generally contained in man might grow and develop."

The Master, who had listened patiently to my outburst of enthusiasm, smiled and said:

"If those people have advanced so far as to be able to bear a life of seclusion, let them do so. But to do so, it would be, above all, necessary that they should possess some real knowledge. For only those with such knowledge will be able to live harmoniously together.

"As long as men move merely on the plane of belief and opinion, any such collective life would be anything but harmonious and would not be conducive to the tranquillity necessary for concentration.

"I have no doubt, though, that even under such unfavorable conditions, considerable advantage might be derived from the establishment of seminaries or schools where both science and truth would be taught, without the accompaniment of super- stition, or dogmatic teaching, of either science or religion.

"The actual attainment of illumination and realization would vastly improve the present civilization, and there is no reason why science, theology or religion and the New Testament under Jesus Christ could not be frankly taught so that it could be established that all are one in the Mind of God.

"If truth does not embrace these three, then we do not have truth, but illusion.

"At the present time, science is concerned with her deductions and speculations which are based on observations and logic. Her logic is good enough, but the powers of her observation are very poor, for she has not the spiritual understanding.

"Her observations are restricted to her imperfect faculties of sensual perception. Therefore, your science is based entirely upon external illusions.

"Churches and other religious organizations have founded themselves on one or more ideas and have not joined hands with science or told and taught the whole truth of creation. Their doctrines in many cases are contradictory to the fundamental law of Nature and creation, and they are left on the plane of illusion.

"Truth, as it has been taught metaphysically, is based strictly on books and words, not on spiritual exercises and the searching out of inner wisdom. The world's philosophers are restricted in their ideas to the findings of what they wish to find, and thus they are only following half-truth.

"Let me make it clearer," said the Master, for he saw that I was not fully grasping the meaning of his words. "I do not mean to say that modern science knows nothing about the external appearance of things. Science knows what it sees, but is not able to see well anything but sensual and external phenomena, the effects.

"Science knows nothing or little about the invisible causes which produce the very realistic physical effects. That is why that when she attempts to speculate about them, she errs. The reason for this is that causes are not the consequences of their effects but the consequences of still more interior, fundamental causes of which she knows nothing and from which she draws her logical conclusions regarding the ultimate effects. But she knows nothing of the tree of life, the eternal source from which all these transient phenomena spring.

"Regarding the churches, let me add that the priests are dedicated enough to the purpose to which they are giving their lives, but they have not been taught the true conception of the spiritual power which they possess. They dispute with one another because of the confines of dogma. The fact that the universal principles and powers are active in Nature, earth and all its living things is unknown to them.

"In their conceptions without the whole truth, they become narrowed down to personal things and they become limited beings. The great divine and infinite power which they call God, which exists everywhere and without which nothing can exist, is reduced in their minds, due to their ignorance, to an external cosmic deity of some kind, who can be persuaded by mortals to change his will and way. Your religion, as it is, is not a religion of the living God who still lives and Whose Will is being ever executed but of a God who Was.

"Therefore, modern religions are systems of superstition, from which the truth has been excluded and the infinite God has been dethroned from His eternal throne in the hearts of men and replaced with fallible mortal priests, who strive to be infallible, but who do not have the God-Realization to attain it.

"Love has departed, but fear rules mankind very little nowadays, for men are very desperate. Each individual seeks his own God and forgets that his brother is looking for one. Each one wants to be saved at the expense of another, and each one wants to obtain a reward which he has not merited.

"Almost all of our civilization think that to live is the object of life; few realize that man's objective in life can only be one reasonable objective -- namely, to benefit humanity. He can only hope to live life eternal who obtains the power to live, not in himself, but in the spiritual elements of humanity.

"Your theology should above all lead the way and should give the priest or minister the basis upon which should come the power to spiritually perceive the truth. The majority of clergymen today do not have the spiritual perception or do not dare to trust their intuition more than the dogma presented by the church permits. It is true in this day that if he dares to assert truth, he ceases to be a minister and is considered a heretic. Almost everything in the church is left to intellectual investigation along, and little is done in the way of intuitive development of the power of the heart. Therefore, they look through a telescope: they see but they do not feel what they see, and what they see is usually not right, but builds a false conception of Nature and MAN.

"Man is nothing more or less than the living organism or instrument through which the Universal One-Life acts. In other words, he is an intellectual.

"The organization of man's brain compared to that of an animal is far superior and enables him to be an instrument of manifestation of the highest principle in the universe, which is called the principle of divine wisdom or the flow of the Christos through him.

"The instrument through which the divine principle acts in man and through man, working from the inside outward upon the external world, is the organism of the soul. Through this the Spirit of God finds the soil to grow into the individual form. Thus it finds its motivation for its development and food from which it may draw its strength.

"As long as man is not acquainted with the Self and soul and with the processes going on within himself, he will have little power to guide and control. He will be a victim of environment, not growing through the wisdom within. For in the soul and the Self is contained the wisdom to promote his world, both as an individual and as part of a social group. He will become his own master and attain. He will know Christ and the Lord of this earth.

"He will, under these conditions, be superior to the animal and plant-life. The ignorant depend upon the conditions prepared for them; the knowing one can choose his conditions himself.

"For many centuries a superstitious belief was prevalent among both the ignorant and the learned. It was believed that man was a finished being, incapable of any further organic improvement. It was, or course, known that during his lifetime, his knowledge could grow, and that as he advanced in age, he could learn things which he did not know when he was young. Thought and intellectual activity were looked upon as something incomprehensible, as a force without matter, as an activity without substance, as a nothing.

"They did not know where man stored the knowledge which he acquired, nor what became of it when he died. They did not know whether or not after the death of his body he would have another, perhaps a still greater opportunity to acquire know- ledge. And if he could learn something after 'death' and without having a body, they asked, what was the object of his having any physical body at all? None could tell.

"The scientists rejected such questions as unworthy of their consideration, and they preferred annihilation to confession that there was something in the wide expanse of nature which they did not already know. The theories advanced by the theologians were not more satisfactory than those of the scientists, for they believed -- or professed to believe-- that man was a complete being, having come in a finished state out of the hands of his Creator and, as a punishment for his subsequent bad behavior, was imprisoned upon this planet. They furthermore were of the opinion that, if a man were leading a pious life, or, after leading a wicked life, obtained pardon for his sins and the favor of God, he would after his death become a superior being, be ushered into a paradise, and live in a state of never-ending enjoyment.

"Since the publication of 'Esoteric Buddhism' the opinions of the scientists and those of the theologians have been equally shaken in their foundations. The old truth, which was known to the scientists but which had been almost entirely forgotten during our modern age of materialism -- that man is not a finished being, incapable of any further organic development, but that his body and his mind are continually subject to transformation and change, and that no transformation can exist where no substance exists, because force cannot exist without substance -- has become almost universally known. It was demonstrated to the scientists that their science extended only over a very small portion of that mysterious being called Man; that they only knew his outward appearance, his shell, but they knew nothing of the living power acting within the mask which is called the physical body.

"It was made logically comprehensible to the intellect that God is the divine spiritual element in man, which alone will continue to live after all the lower and imperfect elements are dissolved, and that therefore a man in whom God did not exist in a state of divinity could not, after the death of his body, jump into a higher state for which he was not fit, and which he was not able to attain while alive."

Man's Intelligence

The Master Continued His Discussion Of Man By Saying:

"These trees are all top-heavy; their principally, or only, developed parts are their heads. All the life which they extract from the ground and the air seems to mount to their heads; while the trunks, although increasing in girth as the tree grows, are left otherwise undeveloped and bare. Thus they may stand and grow from year to year, reaching a mature age. But some day, sooner or later, dark clouds collect around the snowy peaks and assume a threatening aspect; the gleam of lightning appears among the swelling masses, the sound of thunder is heard, bolts of liquid light dart from the rents in the clouds, and suddenly the storm sweeps down from the summit into the valley. When the work of devastation begins, these top-heavy trees, having but little strength in their feet, are mowed down by the wind like so many stems of straw in a field of wheat. There they lie, rank after rank, having tumbled over each other as they fell, and their corpses litter the mountain sides.

"At the edge of the timber, and outside of the main body of the forest looking like outposts or sentinels near the lines of battle, there remain, here and there, a few solitary pines to whom the storm could do no harm.

"They have, on account of their isolated positions, been exposed to wind all their lives, they have become used to it and grown strong. They have not been protected and sheltered by their neighbors. They are not top-heavy, for their great strong branches grow out from their trunks a few feet above the soil, continuing to the tops, and their roots have grown through the crevices of the rocks, holding on to them with an iron grasp. They have met with resistance since the time of their youth and, by resisting, have gained their strength.

"Thus, intellectual man, growing up protected by fashion and friends in a school, college, university, or perhaps within the walls of the convent, finds himself isolated from contrary influences and meets with but little resistance. Crowded together with those who think like him, he lives and thinks like the others. Over their heads waves the banner of some accepted authority, and upon that banner are inscribed certain dogmas in which they believe without ever daring to doubt their veracity.

"There they grow, throwing upon each other the shadow of their ignorance, and each prevents the others from seeing the sunlight of truth. There they cram their brains with authorized opinions, learning a great many of the details of our illusory life which they mistake for the real existence. They become top-heavy, for all the energy which they receive from the universal fountain of life goes to supply the brain. The heart is left without supply; the strength of character, of which the heart is the seat, suffers; the intellect is overfed and the spirit is starved. Thus they may grow up and become proud of their knowledge; but one day, perhaps, new and strange ideas appear on the mental horizon: a wind begins to blow, and down tumbles the banner upon which their dogmas have been inscribed, and their pride tumbles down with it.

"The way to inner wisdom is to learn to control one's mind so that it does not wander. Through learning concentration and holding one's thoughts upon a subject, one can say, 'Be still, my mind, be still,' and listen to the voice within, which comes from the great Self -- YOU!

"Then will the first gleam of the rising sun appear in his heart, and before its warm glow the cold moonlight, thrown out by the calculating and reflecting brain, will grow pale; a new and still larger world than the external one will appear before his interior vision. He will be contended to live in that new world, and there he will find an inexhaustible source of happiness, unknown to those who live a life of the senses.

"Henceforth, he will require no longer to speculate reflectively about the truth, for he will see it clear in his own heart. Hence- forth, he will not be required to be exposed to storms, but may seek shelter in a tranquil place; not because he is afraid of the storms, which can do him no harm, but because he wants to employ his energies for the full development of the newly awakened spiritual germ, instead of wasting them uselessly on the outward plane.

"Let him who needs the world remain in the world. The greater the temptations by which he is surrounded are, the greater will be his strength if the successfully resists. Only he who can, within his own mental sphere, create the conditions which his spirit requires is independent of all external conditions and therefore free. He who cannot evolve a world within his own soul needs the external world to evolve his soul, or he needs the help of a real teacher.

"If you truly are seeking God and are willing to dedicate your life to God in real service, then the work in a church or holy order is of great personal benefit when it is under the direction of a great Evolved One or Teacher.

"Certain people seek to avoid the world and imagine they do a service to God by leading a harmless or useless life. From that imaginary service they expect to obtain a reward at the end of life. But the reward which they will receive will also exist merely in their imagination.

"As the sensualist wastes his time in the prosecution of useless pleasures, so the bigot wastes his time in useless ceremonies and prayers. The actions of the former are instigated by a desire for sensual pleasure in this life, those of the latter by the hope for pleasure in another life. Both are acting to gratify their own personal selves. I am unable to see any essential difference between the morals and motives of the two.

"But with spiritually developed man the case is entirely different. The divine principle in man exists independent of the conditions of relative space and time; it is eternal and self- existent. It cannot be angered by opposition, nor irritated by contradiction, nor be thrown into confusion by sophistry.

"If it has once become conscious of its own power in man, it will not require the stimulus required by the physical organism and afforded by the impressions which come through the avenues of the senses from the outer world; for it is itself that stimulus which creates worlds within its own substance. It is the Lord over all the animal elemental forces in the soul of man. Their turmoil can neither educate it nor degrade it, for it is Divinity itself in her pure state, being eternal, unchangeable and free.

"He in whom this divine principle has once awakened, he who has once practically experienced the inner life, who has visited the kingdom of heaven within his own soul, he who stands firm upon his feet, will no more need the educating influences of the contending storms of the outer world in order to gain strength by resistance; nor will he experience the desire to return to the tomfooleries of the world. He renounced nothing when he retired into the solitude; for it cannot be looked upon as an act of renunciation if we throw away a thing which is a burden to us.

"Man cannot be called ascetic; for he does not undergo any discipline or process of hardening. It is no act of self-denial to refuse things which we do not want. The true ascetic is he who lives in the world, surrounded by its temptations; he in whose soul the animal elements are still active, craving the gratification of their desires and possessing the means for their gratification, but who, by the superior power of his will, conquers his animal self.

"Having attained that state, he may retire from the world and employ his energies for the further expansion and employment of the spiritual power which he possesses. He will be perfectly happy, because that which he desires he can create within his own interior world. He expects no future reward in heaven; for what could heaven offer to him except happiness which he already possesses? He desires no other good but to create good for the world."

Shadow Of Life

The Master spoke of new opportunities for mankind:

"Where intellectual and spiritual development went hand in hand, where a new science would be taught, based upon a true knowledge of the fundamental laws of the universe, and where at the same time man would be taught how to obtain mastery over himself, you would find the greatest possible benefit in the world. Such an order would, moreover, afford immense advantages for the advancement of intellectual research. The establishment of a number of such places of learning would dot the mental horizon of the world with stars of the first magnitude, from which rays of spiritual light would stream and penetrate the world.

"Standing upon a far higher plane than that of the material scientists, a new and far greater field would be opened up to man in science when he reached the point where he would be willing to share his findings with others or put the findings into a central intelligence file -- not of criminals, but of man and his works. All data about tuberculosis would be together. All things regarding the planting of wheat would be under 'Wheat, planting of ...' and the findings of farmers and other authorities on such matters would be kept together.

"Thus man would know all the different opinions of the highest acceptable authorities, and would not be bound by an orthodox scientific creed. Men would have at their service all the results of the investigations of many acceptable scientists and laymen who were practicing in that field, but one would not be bound to a system which said if he did not have a Ph. D. in something or other, his experiences were of no value. In other words, one would be able to think freely.

"These groups of brother-houses would become centers of intelligent illumined people in the world, and their experiences with man and God would become equally public property. They would be able to use these for their own development, and their self-control would grow with equal proportion with the development of their intellect. Soon they would be able to enter adeptship."

The Master had spoken these words with unusual warmth, as if he intended to appeal to my sympathy and to induce me to use my efforts to establish such centers. There was a look of pity in his eyes, as if he exceedingly regretted the state of poor ignorant humanity.

I regretted my own inability to establish such monasteries, and, for once, I wished that I were rich, so as to be able to make at least an attempt with one such establishment.

The Master spoke:

"You are mistaken. It is not the want of money which prevents us from executing this idea; it is the impossibility of finding the proper kind of people to inhabit the order after it is established. Indeed, we would be poor Alchemists if we could not produce gold in any desired quantity, if some real benefit for humanity could be manifest -- and of this I shall convince you, if you desire it.

"But gold is a curse to mankind, and we do not wish to increase the curse from which humanity suffers. Distribute gold among men, and you will transform them into devils. No, it is not gold that we need; it is men who thirst after wisdom.

"There are thousands who desire knowledge, but few who de- sire wisdom. Your most learned men are the last ones who can bear the truth. Many have taken up their investigations merely for the purpose of gratifying their idle curiosity, while others desire to pry into the secrets of Nature to obtain knowledge which they intend to employ for the attainment of selfish ends.

"Give us men and women who desire nothing else but the truth, and we will take care of their needs. How much money would it require to lodge a person who cares nothing for comfort? What liberties would be required for those who can read in the book of Nature? What external pictures would please those who wish to avoid a life of the senses and to retire within their own selves? What terrestrial scenery should be selected for those who lived within the paradise of their souls? What company would please those who conversed with their own higher selves? How could we amuse those who lived in the presence of God?

"The soul of man has its identification, vibration-wise, with the Self, the real being. Yet, at the same time, the soul functions in consciousness and in accordance with the preemptory pattern of function of the universal soul, which is, in reality, the experience of God in His Creation.

"In this brotherhouse or center which you are talking about there would exist no difference of sex, of taste, opinion or desire. Of course, vice could not be existent on the material level, but people might be born from there into the earth, or pass from the earth into the brotherhouse, or die. They would die because they had not succeeded in attaining their divine right of being a Master or Adept.

"But where they lived like divine beings, where each man or woman constituted one center of power for good, each one immersed in that infinite ocean of light would be able to see, to know all that he wished to know, growing in strength and growing in size until he might embrace all and be one with it."

I said to the Master:

"Aren't you really talking about a place in the upper realms of vibration, created by a body of men for the purpose of true spiritual healing -- the healing of the soul?"

And then I asked:

"Do you really think that man can appreciate or enjoy such a condition while he really is functioning on the earth plane?"

"Alas!" said the Master, "the conditions which our present state of civilization imposes upon its followers are now such as to force the vast majority of men to employ nearly all their time and energy in an outward direction, instead of employing them for their inward growth.

"Each man has a certain amount of energy which he may call his own. If he wastes all that energy on the outward plane, either for the attainment of sensual gratification or in intellectual pursuits, he will have nothing left to develop the divine germ in his heart. If he continually concentrates his mind outwardly, there will be no inward concentration of thought, which is absolutely necessary for the attainment of self-knowledge.

"The laboring classes, the people of commerce, the scientists, the doctors, lawyers, and clergyman are all actively engaged in outward affairs, and they find little time for the inward concentration of their powers.

"The majority are continually too busy running after shadows and illusions, which are at best useful only as long as they last and whose usefulness ceases when the heart ceases to beat.

"NATURE, HOWEVER, CARES NOTHING FOR OUR EXCUSES: THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT IS BLIND AND INACCESSIBLE TO ARGUMENTATION.

"Nature is not so cruel as she appears to the superficial observer. That which man requires for the purpose of living is very little indeed, and usually can be obtained easily.

"Now nature has amply provided for all her children. If they all cannot obtain their proper share, then there must be something seriously wrong, either with them individually or with the social organization as a whole."

"But Master," I said, "what of those who have not had an opportunity to learn the use of the Law of the Word as taught by our Lord Jesus when he said: 'Thy word shall become flesh,' and when he also said that the Father wished to give us the kingdom? Is it not true that it is necessary for all peoples to succeed in both the material and spiritual world, work both on the material and spiritual level?"

And he answered me saying:

"They will enjoy the fruits of the earth when they succeed in their task -- when they succeed in making the laws of the human world harmonize with the laws of Nature and God. But I fear that many have not had an opportunity to learn of these laws.

"Let each one attempt to restore harmony in his own individual organism and live according to natural laws, and the harmony of the social organism as a whole will be restored.

He went on to say:

"You know that the great bulk of those things which are said to be the necessities of life are only artificially created necessities. Millions of people lived and attained old age long before many of the things which our modern civilization considers as being absolutely necessary had been discovered or invented.

"The term 'necessity' has a relative meaning. To a king a dozen palaces, to a nobleman a carriage of four, may appear to be as much a necessity as to a beggar a bottle of whiskey, or to a fashionable man a swallow-tail coat.

"The shortest and surest way is to rise above such false necessities and consider them not to be necessary at all. Then would we have freed ourselves from what are advertised as necessities. The paramount thing for all people who are living on the earth today is to devote all of their spare time to investigating who they are, what they are, and how they function. If they did that, they might see the processes going on in their own personal universe.

"Sometimes it would seem that pursuit of such knowledge is far more important than investigating those things which we use in the material world. Science says she wants to know the laws of Nature in all its ramifications. And yet, the scientist pays no attention to himself.

"Here again we see the acceptance of doctrines which will never be accepted by our Brothers as they look into the terms and other things in books of theology or theosophy.

"They would probably pass no judgment because they know the extent of the Power and Spirit of God manifesting, and the relative relationship to themselves is so evident that they would not think of defining its reality.

"It is surely the prerogative of the intellectual man, or any man, to investigate intellectually all departments of Nature. But why confine oneself to the externals, which are only of secondary importance in the attaining of knowledge of our own interior power?"

The Master paused to let me reflect on what he had said. Then he went on:

"I feel sad because of their imperfections; nevertheless their views are justifiable from their own standpoint. One of the great confusions of the man who truly has a yen to know the truth about himself is the multiplicity of names under which partial truths are classified and the ridiculousness of the secrets which are attached to them, because they all supposedly have to do with the creation of the world by God.

"God has no secrets, and the innermost teachings of alchemy are all before your eyes. For the people at large, their sense of seeing and feeling is not sufficient to identify simple facts; therefore they know only the outward appearances. The internal causes are left to speculation, thus bringing error and chaos.

"The higher senses by which the Adept or Master is able to penetrate with his consciousness in the interior of things must be employed with feeling, as if he were the object being examined, in order to see the working of the interior causes. This is unknown to scientists of our present civilization."

As the Master finished speaking, I heard a sound that seemed to have been produced by the tinkling of a silver bell above our heads. I looked up and saw nothing from which the sound could have proceeded.

"That," explained the Master, "is the signal that the Brothers are assembled in the dining room. So let us join their company and refresh ourselves. I'm sure you'll enjoy that after your long journey."

Man The Creator

We stepped through the doorway into a long corridor, from which we entered the garden. I stopped in amazement to view the profusion of plants and trees which looked like a conference of the plant life of the world. Most impressive were the unusual plants of the tropics with their lush blooms, the towering date- palms and the giant ferns. This was a wonderland rather than a formal garden, beautifully placed and planned and showing the meticulous care with which it was constructed.

This gathering of all the earth's floral beauty was in strong contrast with the stolid mountains and desolate crags, to which I raised my eyes, and with the scrub pines hanging to the mountainside, which I also had seen before entering the enchanted valley.

Part of the garden was devoted to many and varied forms of rose bushes which were blooming profusely, perfuming the air with strange scents. At one time you could smell the aroma of the delicate rose; then that would vanish and you would catch the pungent odor of the hyacinth and the heliotrope. Many of the plants were so strange that I didn't know their names.

And yet, with all this lush life, the garden was not a hot-house; there was no roof except that of the clear blue sky. I wondered at first if it had underground heating to keep the plants in their natural state.

As I turned toward the Master, I remarked, "For one who is seeking simplicity, it seems that you have a great deal of luxury. I don't mean to be impertinent at all, but those who, as you say, live in the paradise of their own souls do not care for external sensual gratification.. How do you feel about this?"

The Master answered:

"We have created these illusions to make your visit an agreeable one in every respect. You see, all these gardens and all these beautiful flowers cost us nothing but an effort of our imagination and our knowledge of the creative patterns of Nature, and we conformed to them in bringing about this garden."

I stepped to one side of the path and broke a rose off a bush. I felt of it; I smelled of it; I examined its petals. It was more beautiful and more fragrant than any rose I had seen in the outer world. Then I turned to the Master and said, "It is real!"

"Yes," he relied, "but it is the effect of our imagination and creation and it costs us only our mental and spiritual effort."

"Surely this rose which I hold in my hand is not an illusion or an effect of my imagination?"

The Master said, "No, it is not produced by your imagination, but it is the product of the imagination of Nature, whose imagination and processes can be guided by the spiritual will of an Adept or Master.

"This world, this planet, all of the planets, these great mountains that you see surrounding this valley, the oceans, the rivers and the various life forms of animals and plants and trees and new- born babes are part of the great Universal Mind, the great God which is the Creator of all forms.

"Forms are not solid substance in this world. They are sort of illusionary and they are the shapes of substances. The basic forms which are used are the circle, the triangle and the square. Of course, any form without substance in the world, the plane which it is on, is unthinkable and cannot exist.

"There is only one substance which is known, and that is the universal, primordial element of matter. One might say that it is the totality of the substance of the Universal Mind or the Body of God. It contains the Akasha.

"The basic element of all matter is invisible but present every- where in this solar system. But, only when motivated by the Spirit, does it take a certain form and assume a certain density, dense enough to resist the penetrating influence of the Light of the Christos. Only then does it come within the range of vibration which may be reached and sensed by the physical and sensual perception of the physical eyes. Then, for one who is working with it, it assumes an objective shape.

"The Universal Will-Power permeates all, and guided by the spiritual intelligence of a Master whose consciousness pervades all his surroundings, may then create in the Universal Mind those shapes which he, the Master, imagines in the Universal Mind which lives in him.

"By certain occult processes of great simplicity, but which exist primarily in an effort of will, the shapes created in the mind substance of the Master are rendered dense. Thereby they come into the world and are real to you."

I said to him,

"This is still largely incomprehensible to me. Tell me this: Can an image formed in your head come out and assume a material form?"

The Master smiled at me, as if amused at my ignorance, and said:

"Do you believe that the sphere of mind in which man lives exists only within his own skull? I should be very sorry for such a man. For then he would not be able to perceive anything except the processes going on in that part of his mind contained within his skull. To him, the whole world would be nothing but impenetrable and incomprehensible darkness.

"We must remember that man cannot perceive anything that does not exist within his own mind or consciousness. He would not be able to see the sun or any other object. Fortunately for man, however, the sphere of mind is the sphere of Mind of the Father and therefore reaches as far as the uttermost reaches of space. His power of perception is his limit of sight. His mind comes in contact with all things, however distant they might be from his physical vehicle.

"Remember that the mind of man, not the physical brain, receives all impressions, but these impressions all come to his consciousness within the physical brain, which is merely the center where the messages from the mind are received.

"Putting it on the physical plane, his consciousness is the cloud of vibration which permeates and overshadows his physical brain as the mass mind of a city or a society overshadows that city."

The Master stopped speaking and turned to me. He had been looking in the distance, and he pointed toward a beautiful magnolia, rather tall and covered with a great array of blossoms. "Watch closely," he said.

As he spoke, the tree became less and less dense. Its green foliage faded to gray, and the white blossoms could hardly be distinguished from the leaves. It became shadowy and transparent, until it stood, as the mere ghost of a tree. Finally it disappeared completely.

The Master continued:

"You see, the tree stood in the sphere of my mind as it stood in yours, and we are all living within the sphere of each others' minds or the general mind -- within the vibrational field of each other. That person who has developed to a state where he has spiritual perception may at all times see the images in the mind of another.

"The Master Teacher creates his own images; the ordinary mortal lives in the products of the imaginations of others. He may also live in the imagination of Nature. For we live in the paradise of our own soul, and the objects you behold exist in the realm of your own soul.

"But the spheres of our souls are not narrow. They are beyond the limits of the physical body and will expand until we become one with the Over-soul and as large.

"Mankind in general knows little about the powers of imagination. If they were conscious of it, they would be more careful with what they think. For as man thinks good or evil, that thought calls into existence its corresponding form or power, which may assume density and become a living thought and live long after his physical body has passed away. It will accompany his soul because the creations are attracted to their creator."

With the impact of his statement, I asked, "Does every evil thought, or the imagination of something evil, create that evil and cause it to exist as a living entity?"

"No, not at all," answered the Master. "Every thought calls into existence the form or power of which we think, but these things have no life until we infuse them with life from the will. They are like shadows and soon fade away.

"If this were not so, men could not read of a crime without thinking of committing it, and thereby create the most vicious Elementals. You may imagine evil of all kinds but unless you desire to perform evil deeds, the imaginations receive no life. But if your will is so evil that you desire to perform these evil deeds and would be willing to perform them, if you had the external means to do so, this would be what Jesus was talking about: that it was as bad to think of evil as to do evil. In other words, it is the same as actually committing the offense.

"It is the will which endows the creations of imagination with the life because will and life are fundamentally identical but of opposite polar densities.

"Man should think of will as a life-giving power, that will- power which is in the heart. Will-power that merely exists by the brain is like the cold light of the moon and has no power to warm the form upon which it falls. The life-giving will-power comes from the heart and acts like the life-giving power of the sun, which calls life into action in the minerals, plants and animals. It is what man desires with his heart, not imagines in his mind, which has power.

"The fact is that it is very fortunate for man that few really understand spiritual will-power and its processes of creation through use of the imagination. Otherwise, the world would be filled with materialized monsters which would devour mankind. For the recesses of the subconscious of man are filled with abominable creatures. Civilized man harbors many evil desires.

"At the stage of development where he stands now, he only has enough will-power to create the evil forms in his own mind. Thus he reaps his own harvest upon himself and leaves others unaffected. It is very important that man does not come into spiritual powers until he becomes extremely virtuous. These are mysteries which in former times were kept secret. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that all these mysteries would be revealed and so they are in these works."

The Master and I walked through the gothic portal into the dining hall. The hall, lighted by four high windows, was octagonal in form and richly furnished. A number of Brothers were assembled, and I recognized some of them from their pictures in historical representations.

To my astonishment there were two women present. One was very tall and stately and the other was of smaller stature and more delicate, no less noble in appearance and exceedingly beautiful.

The presence of women in a monastery of Brothers of the Golden Cross surprised me, and my surprise was noted by all present. After I had been introduced to all persons present -- or, to be correct, all were introduced to me, for they all seemed to know who I was -- one of the women smiled and asked:

"Why should you be so surprised to see Adepts inhabit female forms in the company of those whose forms appear to be male? What has intelligence to do with the sex of the body? Where the sexual instinct ends, there ends the influence of sex. Come, have a chair and have some of the delicious fruits of our garden."

We sat at tables which were luxuriously spread with the fruits of the earth some of which I had not seen before and many of which are not grown in this country -- and certainly not in the area of the barren mountains which rimmed the valley.

As I looked around the room, I knew I was in the presence of an illustrious company. I took a seat next to a tall and stately woman and we began a conversation in which I took a healthy part. I knew and felt only too well that I was in the presence of my superiors, but all my companions exerted their powers to reassure me that I was their equal. Their humility was truly of a divine nature which they exhibited toward one another and toward me.

My long trek up the mountain and my experiences since entering this luxuriant valley had given me a great appetite, and I proceeded to show my hosts that I truly enjoyed the repast which they had set before me. The Brothers and Sisters, though, hardly tasted the food, but they were pleased to see me enjoy it. The noble lady which sat next to me soon succeeded in making my embarrassment vanish, answered my questions as to the cause of certain occult phenomena, and otherwise conducted a very exciting conversation.

We came to speak of the unbounded courage which one must possess to enter into occult research.

"The whole elemental world," she said, "with all its monstrosities and animal elements, is opposed to man's spiritual progress. The animals living in the animal principle of man's constitution live on his life and on the substance of his animal elements.

"When the divine spirit awakens within the heart of man and sends his light into those animal elements, the substance on which these parasites feed is destroyed and they begin to rage like famished beasts.

"They fight for their lives and for their food and they become the greatest impediments and opponents to the spiritual

progress of man. They live in the soul of man and, under normal conditions, they are invisible to the external senses. But under certain conditions, they may even become visible and objective.

"If a man's selfish desires, the minor type, are all swallowed up by some master-passion of his, it merely shows that a major Elemental, or monster, has grown in his soul and devoured all of the minor forces."

I said it was difficult truly to realize the possibility that man had such living, walking monsters. I expressed the wish that I

could see one of these "Elementals," so as to realize what they were really like.

She asked, "Would you not be afraid if some vicious animal appeared before you?"

Male-like, I boasted of my bravery and said I had never known fear of anything I could feel or see with my eyes. I also said that knowledge dispelled fear and that fear is an outgrowth of ignorance.

"You are right," she said, "but would you be so kind as to pass me that basket of pears?"

I stretched forth my hand to pick up the wicker basket of pears from the midst of the table. As I was about to grasp the basket, a full-grown rattlesnake reared its head and noisily vibrated its rattles as if in great anger.

Horror struck, I withdrew my hand, barely escaping its venomous fangs. But while I stared at it, the serpent coiled itself against amongst the pears. Its glistening scales disappeared, and the snake was gone.

"If you had not been afraid," said one of the Brothers, "and grasped the snake, you would have found it to be merely an illusion."

An unusual part of this was the fact that no one laughed at my fear and I felt no embarrassment. I knew it had been done to satisfy my insatiable curiosity.

"The will," remarked the Master who had brought me in, "is not merely a life-giving power; it is also a destroyer. It will cause the atoms of primordial matter to collect around its center; it holds them together or it may disperse them into space. It is the Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one; the creator; maintainer and destroyer of form.

"We are master of these Elementals. If we do not master them, they will master us. If we attack them without fear, they can do us no harm, our will is destructive to them."

The conversation turned to subjects related to occultism. "Occultism and alchemy," said one of the Brothers, "are at once the most difficult and the easiest subjects to grasp. They are indeed easy to comprehend when we remain natural and look at the mysteries of Nature in the light of reason.

"Reason is present in each human being, except those which we might call idiots or the deformed. We have been endowed by Nature at birth with this reason. But, if in the place of reason, an irrational education gives one the artificial candlelight of false logic, sophistry and speculation instead, then man steps out of his natural state and becomes unnatural.

"The images of the eternal truths which were mirrored in his mind while he was a child and innocent, and not sufficiently developed intellectually to understand them, become, by the time his intellect is developed, so distorted by the prejudices and misconceptions by which his mind is fed that the true and original forms of truths are no longer recognizable. Therefore, instead of seeing truth he only sees hallucinations created by his fancies."

This last statement sent an idea which I had not entertained before springing into my mind.

"Do you mean to say," I asked, "that man can know anything about the nature of things over that which is taught to him by others?"

My answer came from the Master who brought me and he first asked me several questions.

"Does the child need an instructor to explain to him the use of his mother's breast? Do the cattle need a book on botany to know which herbs are poisonous and which are wholesome? Those artificial systems which have been created by man, and are therefore unnatural, cannot be read in the book of Nature. The child needs man's instructions to know the name of a thing which has been invented by man.

"The essential attributes of a thing are independent of the name given to it. Shakespeare says, 'that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.'

"At the present state of evolution of man and his educational systems, his natural philosophers know all about the classification and naming of things, but very little about their interior structures. Would a modern botanist know about the signature or nature of a plant?

"But the occultist recognizes the medical value and the occult properties of the plant as he sees them. The animals have remained natural while man has become unnatural.

"These senses are classified as instincts. A sheep does not need to know when a tiger is approaching or to be informed of it. The sheep knows without seeing.

"If, by some miracle, a sheep's intellect was increased so that he understood what he looked like and how he functioned, would he still not have to become conscious of dangers through his intuition rather than his knowledge of the external?

"When scientists are educated, they are taught all about the external forms of man. That form is entirely lost if we forget the reality which is shown us through the spiritual intellect.

Remember that foresight is just spiritual intuition in most cases."

"But, I objected, "is it not true that man enjoys prerogatives over the animal creation because he possesses an intellect which is able to understand, while animals merely instinctively feel?"

"True," said the Brother, "but man should use his intellect in accordance with reason and not oppose it. Intellect is merely placing the nature of activity on a biased basis, while the function of reason is to understand that which is intuitively felt by the soul, or perceived by the exterior senses."

"Is it not true," I asked, "if the intellect were to act only in harmony with reason, all intellectual human beings would also be wise?"

"We do know from experience," answered the Brother, "that intellectuality is not necessarily accompanied by wisdom, for cunningness is often the most vicious, and the most learned ones are often the most unreasonable."

The Master continued:

"The first important step which man must take to attain spiritual power is to become natural. Only when he has succeeded in throwing off all his unnatural qualities can he hope to become spiritually strong.

"If a person became spiritual before he became natural, he would be an unnatural spiritual monster. Such monsters have existed and do exist. They are the spiritual powers of evil acting through human form, they are the masters of black magic, villains and sorcerers of varied grades and degrees."

"By what you say then," I said, "I presume that great criminals are, to a certain extent, black magicians."

"This is an interesting thing," answered the Brother. "The majority of evil-doers do evil, not for the love of evil, but for the purpose of attaining some selfish end.

"To a certain degree, the villains who are on the road to mastery of black magic do evil because they love evil. In the same sense, those on the road to true Adeptship perform good merely because they love good.

"Whether man performs good or evil deeds the constant or frequent repetition of such acts causes him finally to perform them instinctively. Then his own nature becomes gradually identified either with good or evil.

"The man who tortures a fly because he is pleased to do so is father along on the road to villainy and evil, with consequent destruction, than one who murders because he imagines he does it of necessity."

Saint Joan

As breakfast progressed, our conversation turned toward the subject of white, as well as black, magic and the wondrous powers of certain Tibetan Adepts. A visiting Master who had been in Tibet recently was giving a detailed account of his visit there, and I became engrossed in his story.

Now that I am alone in my quarters, returned from the valley where I heard them, strange as it seems, I have tried repeatedly to recall the details of his adventure. But they have been obliterated from my memory. It is just as if I purposely had washed off and had had all recollections of the details eradicated from my mind.

After breakfast, the Master suggested that the two women Adepts take me in their charge, saying that he would rejoin us soon. As we moved away, he turned abruptly and said:

"Oh yes, when I rejoin you, I will show you my alchemical laboratory which you wanted to see."

I left the dining hall with my two protectors, as I first thought of them and we moved into the beautiful garden. And then the thought came to me: What am I being protected from?

The answer came readily enough: I was being protected from myself, so that I did not get into trouble, like a little boy with too many toys which he doesn't understand.

We passed through a corridor of oleander bushes in full bloom which lined the path. At the end of the path we arrived at a small round pavilion standing on a little knoll from which we could view all of the beautiful valley and the soaring mountain tops in the distance.

The roof of the pavilion was supported by marble columns covered with ivy which spiraled up the columns and over the roof. The ivy hung over the edge of the roof between the columns, forming a lacy pattern of Nature's green beauty.

We seated ourselves on the pavilion. After a short pause, one of the women, whose name was Mary, said:

"Really, I owe you an explanation in regard to the remarks I made, for I saw your astonishment at seeing the female sex represented in the Order of the Golden Cross. You're quite right. Adeptship while inhabiting a female form, indeed, does not happen often. The female form is not as adept as the male one to develop energy and power. It has, therefore, frequently happened that women who have become far advanced on the road to Adeptship must reincarnate in order to achieve the final results.

"In the process of attainment it is also more difficult for the female to relinquish the world and all of its things. This is primarily due to the fact that all female species, man or animal, have the same instinct, which is a natural one. And that is of gathering things to them to produce a nest for their offspring. This is inherent in Nature and is necessary. Consequently, woman is more attached to things and becomes a hoarder or gatherer of all the things of the material world about her. She also possesses people, regardless of whether she is married or in a single state. Nevertheless, exceptions are found.

"It is biologically known that the organism of man is not fundamentally different from that of woman, for all human beings are both male and female and the same elements are combined in both. In woman, though, the female element is usually predominant. In man, the male is usually more active. As is well known of course, we sometimes meet women with masculine characteristics and men who are 'womanish.'

"In a perfectly balanced human being, the male and female elements are equally strong, with a slight difference in accordance with the form which they are taking. The male form represents the productive power in Nature, while that of the female represents the formative principle.

"The occult laws which explain their function would lead us into a very deep discussion of the mysteries of Nature. You would not understand them unless you studied the laws of harmony and other numerous analogies, which, we find, never stay with a person unless a comprehensive study is made of them. I'm sure you'll find them out in your advancement over the road of attainment.

"In the future, if you find an Adept inhabiting a female form, you'll be right in concluding that such an abnormal circumstance is due to some extraordinary condition and experience which such an Adept had passed through in her last incarnation. Therefore she has an added grace in order to make it this time in a female form, completing her development.

"Remember that the mastery of all situations is essential for one who is to become a Master Teacher. Therefore, if one does suffer a little more at one time or another, it only brings him or her greater strength."

This revelation aroused my curiosity. I thought she was speaking of some experience in a past life, such as before she became an Adept, and I asked her if she would give an account of it for my edification.

"It is painful," said Mary, "to dwell on memories of the past, but perhaps our Sister Helen will give you an account of her own past life that may enlighten you."

Helen smiled and said, "I will certainly do so to inform our visitor of my experiences, which, in comparison with yours, Mary, have been very uninteresting. If you will proceed with your history, I will add mine at the end."

"Very well then," Mary answered. "But to simplify matters and save time, I'll show you its pictorial representation in the astral light. Look upon the table before you."

The table was highly polished and its surface was like that of a smooth, large bowl of water which stood in the center of the pavilion.

I had no more than cast my eyes upon the table-top than there appeared the life-like image of a battlefield. There in action were the contenders, fighting with sword and spear -- some on horseback and some on foot. There were bowmen sending long arrows glistening through the air; there were hordes of knights in shining armor.

The fight grew furious; the dead and wounded covered the ground. The soldiers on the left of the field began to give way while those on the right pressed forward. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, appeared a beautiful woman dressed in armor. In one hand she carried a sword and in the other a banner.

Her features resembled those of Mary, the Adept. At her sight, the men on the left seemed to be filled with strength while their enemies were struck with terror. The latter, who had been advancing, fled the field, pursued by those on the left. A shout of victory arose as the picture faded away.

I was reminded that its fading was like the heroic deeds of those on the field of battle. For so the time had passed and the battle had been won, but who was the victor and who was the vanquished?

Now there appeared a picture on the mirror of my mind, or was it in the mirror of the table top? The picture was that of the interior of a Catholic church. There was a great assembly of the dignitaries of Church and state, a gallant array of knights and nobles, bishops and priests, and a multitude of commoners. In front of the altar was an armored knight who seemed to be the king. A bishop in ornate robes was putting a golden crown upon the head of the knight.

By the side of the king was standing that noble looking woman with a smile of triumph upon her face. Solemn music swelled through the great hall and, the crown rested on his head. The new king rose and a thousand voices hailed him. That picture also faded into the halls of time.

The next vision represented a dungeon filled with instruments of torture, such as those used in the time of the Inquisition. There were men dressed in black and in their eyes burned the fire of hate. There were others dressed in red, evidently executioners. Then there was the vision of a procession of people bearing torches and in their midst was Mary, bound with chains.

She looked on the men in black with pity and contempt. They asked her some silly questions, which she refused to answer, and she scorned them for their childish play. Then they began to torture her with all the exquisite techniques of that ancient art. I turned my head, but when I looked again, that vision was gone.

The next scene showed a pile of wood and, in its midst, a stake to which a chain was fastened. A procession approached led by villainous-looking monks and flanked by soldiers. There were crowds of people surrounding the pile, and they gave way to the procession as it approached.

In the midst of the procession was Mary, emaciated from the pain and torture. Her hands were tied and a chain was fastened around her neck. She mounted the pile and was linked to the stake. She attempted to speak, but the monks interrupted their

prayers to dash water in her face, refusing to let her talk. Then the executioner appeared with a flaming brand which he plunged into the midst of the tindery dry wood. The flames blanketed the body of the beautiful woman whom I desired to see no more, for I knew who Mary was.

Uncovering my face from the vision which had so horrified me, and trying to eradicate the impression they had made upon my mind, I told Mary of my admiration for her valor and virtue. I realized that I always had admired her as I read about the historical character of Joan of Arc and that I had always wanted to see a faithful portrait of her. Now she stood before me, the living original -- young, strong, noble and beautiful, but, according to the records of the mortals outside the valley, more than 450 years of age.

I knew it was useless to attempt to conceal my thoughts in the presence of Adepts. Mary read my thoughts and answered:

"No, I'm much older than you think. You and I, all of us, are as old as creation. When the Spirit began to breathe, after the great Pralaya was over, sending out the center of light from the Logos which called the world into existence, we lived already. And we shall continue to live many centuries until this light returns to its source. Or, we eventually might move out into that state of All-Being where we become the center of our own being.

"Our real 'I' knows no age. Always young, always vital, it is independent of the conditions of time. Nor can our forms be destroyed by fire. They are the mirrors in which the Spirit reflects its divine image. Matter is as eternal as space and spirit; as long as matter exists, the Spirit will reflect its image therein, the image which the Spirit requires for the purpose of attaining self-knowledge.

"A man cannot see his face without the help of a mirror. We cannot see ourselves objectively unless we step outside of ourselves. It is impossible to do otherwise, because man reflects his light into matter and sees himself as in a mirror.

"In order that man may speak of another level of reality outside of the physical world or the level which he is working in, it is necessary that he also be in that other state. Thus it is from earth to heaven and heaven to earth.. When one has attained the reality of the illusion of the things around him, whether he be in earth or in heaven, he then knows the reality above him and below him. This is the great paradox, for it is all of God's Creation which God gave man dominion over."

"How is it," I asked, "that your body was destroyed by fire in the vision, but I can see you in a tangible form?"

She Answered:

"That which was destroyed was merely the grossest matter or substance of my physical organization. The fire could only consume that which was on the plane it was functioning on, and my spiritual form rose above the fire and smoke. That spiritual form was invisible to the multitude present, because their senses were so gross that they could only perceive the grossest form of matter. It was visible, however, to the Adepts who were present in their ethereal or spiritual bodies and who took care of me after I lost consciousness. At that time, I was awakened to the external life.

"After a short period of time, my body hardened again by the actions and the influences prevailing in my new home. There- fore, I am now as visible and tangible as you, as if I were still inhabiting a gross material body."

Something clicked in my mind and I remarked:

"Then I presume that the astral body of every human being or animal could harden after they had left their physical form. Thus, the spirit of the dead -- those who have passed through transition -- could be made to appear in visible or tangible form."

"It could be done and has often been done," answered Mary, "by a practice we do not advise -- the practice of the necromantic art. It can be done with the astral forms of those who have died quickly in accidents or have been murdered, for in those astral forms is still a great deal of molecular cohesion. The astral forms of those who have died a natural death or who have passed through transition a long time age cannot be thus invoked because their astral corpses have already been decomposed by the influences of the psychic world.

"Those materialized forms have no life of their own and cannot endure. They only live by the life-principle infused into them by a necromancer who performs such acts consciously or by a medium which performs them unconsciously.

"TO ENABLE AN ASTRAL FORM TO CONTINUE TO LIVE AFTER DEATH OF THE PHYSICAL FORM, THE ASTRAL FORM MUST HAVE ATTAINED LIFE DURING THE LIFE OF THE PHYSICAL BODY."

"But surely," I said, "in every human being the spiritual form which contains the astral stuff, or material within the physical body, has life?"

"That is true," she answered, "but not in every human being is it the center of life and consciousness. In ordinary mortals the seat of life is in the blood contained in the veins and arteries of the physical form. The vital form lives only, so to say, from the reflex of the physical life of opposite polarity.

"Therefore, in the life of the Adept the center of life and consciousness has been established in the organism of the expanding Self, clothed by the soul and the astral form, and is, therefore, Self-conscious and independent of the life of the physical body.

"In my former life I had already acquired in my incarnation that life and consciousness of the Spirit. I was on the way to Adeptship before I was born in a peasant's hut. During my childhood I had had spiritual intercourse with Adepts although I did not know them intellectually at that time. My intellectual activities and my physical activities were then not sufficiently perfect to understand that which my spirit perceived."

She paused a moment and looked at me intently. "I see you are becoming fatigued by the metaphysical speculations which become more difficult to comprehend because there is always an exception to every rule," she said. "The Laws of nature are liable to produce endless varieties of modifications. So let us hear the history of our Sister Helen."

The Mystery Of Lady Helen

As Mary finished her story, I turned to Helen and asked, "Were you not born in Russia? Somehow, as I see you, you seem to have a Russian heritage."

"Yes, I was born in St. Petersburg and my father was an officer in the Imperial Army. After my father died, we lived our last years in extreme poverty. Except for the company of my mother, my relatives and a teacher, there was nothing to attract me to earth. The development of my physical form could not keep step with the unfoldment of my mind and the cold, starvation and want hastened the disease which caused its dissolution.

"My mind unfolded very rapidly and reveled in the terrestrial joys. I loved poetry and I loved to look at the clouds sailing in the sky and to see the objects of beauty in the world of Nature. I communicated in the Spirit with the heroes of the past, but my wasted body would not stand the consumptive reactions and I was kindly received by the White Brotherhood.

I took a long look at our Lady Helen. I was sure that I had seen her somewhere before, and now I remembered. When I was a mere child, I once had a vision. While in a state between sleeping and waking consciousness, it seemed as though an angel or some other kind of super-terrestrial being, clad in white and holding a lily in her hand, was floating in the air above me. When she was directly over me, she extended the lily toward me.

Many times I had prayed to see this beautiful form again, and now she was here! She was the one I had seen in my dream!

Lady Helen had exceedingly great beauty! Her long, black flowing hair formed a powerful contrast with her plain white flowing robes covering her with great grace and beauty. She had pale but delicate skin; her profile was almost purely Greek, and her dark eyes seemed to penetrate to the innermost center of soul to kindle there a fire of pure love and admiration.

Her modest account of her former life touched my heart and I asked, "Were there none of your country folks intelligent enough to see your genius and aid you and your family in your time of need?"

"Yes, they erected a very costly monument for my body in my memory. Part of the money expended for it would have procured all the necessities to prolong my life. Many people who knew me liked me and admired my works, my talents and my poetry, but most were poor like myself. But let us let that pass, for, after all, my parents and my suffering were my gain and I have cause to be well-satisfied with my life.

"One must remember that the conditions under which man lives are the effects of previously acquired karma."

Again, while she spoke, my mind wandered back to ask if truly it was she who had appeared to me in the dream, waving the lily as if promising a blessing. Perhaps it was the magnetism which streamed from the symbol of the lily into the depths of my heart, convincing me that there was a higher life of activity, that filled my whole being with happiness at the time. Its memory was ingrained in my heart, while thousands of other dreams have faded away.

Helen arose and reached through the open spaces between the pillars. She broke off a white lily which was growing close to the wall and gave it to me, saying, "Keep this flower, it will not fade like a dream. And when you see it, you'll know that I'm not the product of an illusion or hallucination."

64.

Helen ceased speaking and we both were quiet for a while. My thoughts roamed and I thought how nice it would be to have her for a Teacher, to lead me on my path and be my protector. Helen read my thoughts again and said:

"We can only assist and raise those who make an effort to protect and raise themselves, and aid those who are ready to receive our influence. It is also essential that they are spiritually approaching our own spiritual sphere of consciousness."

As she finished speaking, a man of small stature, his highly intelligent expression at once indicating that he was a Master, approached us. His head was almost bald, with traces of gray locks of hair around the sides and back. I recognized him from pictures I had seen as one whose presence I had often felt. I had always called him Jonathan.

He had proved to be a great Master. During his earthly life he had been a noted physician, performing many great healings. He also was a great alchemist and knew many secrets, for he was well schooled in the secrets of the Golden Cross. He also knew of the Red Lion and the White Eagle.

He looked directly at me and said, "I would like to give you a bit of information regarding the subject of your conversation with Helen.

"Remember that love causes attraction, evil repulses; pure will be attracted to the pure, evil to that which is impure.

"It is also part of the law that to give presupposes the capacity of the other to receive. The sunlight of our great light is open to all, but some see it not. The fountain of eternal truth is inexhaustible and universal, but those who open their hearts to that sunshine of truth are few. He who seeks continually to rise above the animal being will be in the company of those who have thrown off the animal elements and live in the Spirit."

Jonathan then informed me that the other Master had been called away to attend to affairs of the mundane plane. The mission was to prevent a certain statesman from committing an act of imbecility which would have caused a great war had not the Master interceded.

"Therefore," Jonathan said, "I have been deputized to pinch- hit for him in taking you into the alchemical laboratory and correcting some of your misconceptions regarding alchemy."

I felt I would rather stay with the two women Adepts, remaining in their presence both spiritually and materially, but I could not gracefully refuse Jonathan's invitation. So I followed him into the monastery.

As Master Jonathan and I walked down the broad corridors, it was as though we were going through a beautiful art gallery. The corridors themselves were exquisite and the side walls contained statues of the finest marble, masterfully executed, representing the gods and goddesses of antiquity and certain heroes of ancient times.

We stopped before one of the statues and Master Jonathan said, "These statues represent the elemental principles and power of Nature. They were thus personified by the ancients to bring the attributes visually into the conceptive power of the mind. Actually, the Greeks and Romans, except for a few ignorant, never believed that Zeus, Pluto, Neptune and so forth were existing personalities nor did they ever worship them. They were merely symbols used to personify formless power.

"One of the great truths which man as a whole misses in his attempt to understand life is that man's body and form are not the real man. They are merely symbols, the personification of the character and attributes of the real man.

"The man we see is merely a form of matter in which the thoughts of the real man have found their external expression.

"Actually, it is the modern intellectual who mistakes the external illusion for the internal truth and the form for the principle. That, of course, turns the modern church into a materialistic institution which has degraded the confined or forgotten the Universal Spirit, stopping the flow of experience of the Universal Spirit and limiting its being and the great powers of Nature."

We walked down the hall to a set of massive doors and an archway which led into the form of a temple. It had no side windows but received its light from a set of cupola windows. As I looked up to the cupola, high over out heads, I saw a large double-laced triangle made of gold and surrounded by the figure of a snake biting its tail and forming a perfect circle. In the middle of the room and directly under the cupola stood a round table with a white marble top. The same symbol -- which was above the table -- the double triangle surrounded by the snake -- was duplicated in silver in the table.

The walls were covered with cases holding a great number of books on alchemy and many other subjects. On one side of the room there was an altar upon which stood a burning lamp. There were a couple of crucibles, a few bottles lying upon a side table and two armchairs. These were the entire furnishings of the room.

I looked around, expecting to see stoves, furnaces, retorts and other implements such as might be used by a chemist. I may even have been expecting to see some gnomes or zombies walking about.

Master Jonathan read my thoughts and laughingly remarked: "Did you expect to find an apothecary shop? That is a mistake. All that array of bottles and pots, stoves, mortars, filters, strainers, distilling and refining apparatus described in the books of alchemy is nothing but nonsense. It is put there to waylay and mislead the selfish and vicious and to prevent them from prying into mysteries which they are not fit to receive.

"The true alchemist requires no ingredients such as are used by chemists and physicists. His materials are in the air around him, the energy and the force are existent, and he finds them in his own being and his own consciousness. The highest processes of alchemy require no mechanical labor, for they exist in the purification of the soul and in command of mind so that the alchemist may transform the animal man into the divine being."

Alchemy

In this room which looked more like a library than a laboratory, Master Jonathan explained the principles and processes of alchemy:

"Man's constitution, that invisible principle, is made up of what we call metals."

I recalled the colloquialism that a man's metal is tried in the crucible of the fire of life. And how true this is when one searches the bio-chemical make-up of the animal man! For it is the trace materials and trace metals of the body which the chemist has not been able to find -- such things as tin, gold and others, all so important and yet so indistinguishable in a strictly material chemical analysis because they are more lasting and enduring than the flesh cells and blood.

Jonathan continued:

"The metals are formed by man's thoughts and desires and will continue to exist after the perishable elements constituting his physical body have been dissolved. Man's animal principles or attributes are the base metals which must be changed into more finely reactive metals by the transformation of his vices into virtues. Thus it is that all these elements pass through the various spectral colors until they have been transformed and united. The gold of the pure spirituality exists and man refined reflects the golden radiation from his being.

"It is through this process of change that, one by one, the elements of his form die, decay and are carried away. They are replaced by the Light of the Christos and the Spirit is able to penetrate through and permeate the animal body. The inner man, the Self, is awakened to life and activity.

"In the work of alchemy, there is no hard line separating the various kingdoms of Nature. Therefore, any exact prescription for this and that action of the law manifesting in one of the kingdoms finds the same analogies in another kingdom.

"Remember that a process taking place in the spiritual plane is also taking place in the psychic and material planes. This is subject, or course, to the forces of Nature and will be modified in accordance with those forces according to the conditions existing in the plane in which you are working.

"Nature is not an amalgamation of different objects and elements. Nature is a whole, and everything in the organism acts and is acted on by everything contained therein.

"The ancient alchemists knew this, and the modern chemist would do well to follow.

"Remember this rule: Everything that exists upon the earth has its electric counterpart above the earth. There is nothing so small that may appear in the world which is not dependent upon its counterpart in the higher realm. So if the lower part acts, its existing higher part will react upon it.

"If you'll think back to your earlier experiences as well as the teachings of many philosophers, you'll find an age-old saying: 'As above, so below.' For it is also true that man is the microcosm, a true counterpart and representation of Nature. Nature is the great macrocosm in which is contained all powers, principles and forces, derived from the supreme divine spiritual principle, in other words, from God the Father, down to the most solidified form of the Universal One-Life which we call matter.

"The principles may be active or latent in either of the two organisms or states. They may exist germinally in form or the form may be in a developed state.

"It is a universal truth that in each human being is contained germinally the essence which constitutes the mineral, vegetable, animal or human kingdom. Likewise, in each man is contained the principles that may be developed into a snake, a tiger, a dragon, into a villain or into a sage, into an Adept or god.

"The elements which are made to grow and develop will then become the man and constitute his own self."

With that the Master pointed up to the double triangle and said, "Look over your head. That which you see represents the macrocosm with all the forces contained therein. It represents the interpenetration and the union of matter and spirit within the never-ending circle of eternity -- God. And the one on the table represents the same elements within the constitution of man.

"The object is to bring the double triangle existing within the Self into harmony with those existing in the universe so that your powers will be the powers of Nature. You will guide and control reason and will, doing so through the processes unconsciously taking place in the realm of Nature.

"THE UNIVERSAL PROCESS BY WHICH THE VARIOUS MANIFESTATIONS OF LIFE TAKE PLACE IS THE PRINCIPLE OF LIFE ITSELF. FOR HE WHO CAN GUIDE AND CONTROL THE FORCES OF LIFE TO DO HIS WILL IS AN ALCHEMIST.

"The alchemist can create new forms provided they are the multiplicity or integration of the three basic symbols of all form of law -- the circle, the triangle, and the square -- and increase the substance thereof. The chemist, with his knowledge of chemistry, may merely form new combinations of the sub- stances in his possession, while the alchemist causes a substance to attract other elements from the invisible storehouse of Nature and increase it. The chemist creates nothing. The chemist deals entirely with matter in which the principle of life is inactive and in which it manifests itself merely as a mechanical energy.

"The alchemist deals in the principle of life and causes living symbols or forms to become alive and exist. The chemistry transfers sulphur into invisible air and causes the air to become sulphur again. Thus the sulphur is not changed, the quantity is the same, the elements are the same.

"As an example of true alchemy, let us take the farmer who puts his seeds in the ground in the Fall so that he may harvest them the next Spring. He first prepares the soil and sees that the ground has the elements which are needed for the proper nourishment of the seeds. If they are not there, he puts in specially prepared fertilizers. The seeds grow into the tiny wheat plants or corn or whatever he may have planted. This is a form of true alchemy because he has called things into existence which did not exist in the seed.

"And, out of one seed, when the fruit tree or grain or whatever he planted bears its own kind of fruit and turns again into seed, he then will obtain many seeds of the same kind. Thus it is that he knew Nature and her processes. He provided the soil and the elements and planted the seed so that Nature and the powers of God and the sun could grow the plants which produced the seeds, thus multiplying itself. He worked with Nature's laws and forces so that they would serve his purpose. He did not try to create his own laws."

I sat with my friend, the Master Teacher, for a few minutes, thinking of the many stories I had read and heard of the ancient mystics who had turned various elements into silver and gold and other precious metals. I did not want to offend Master Jonathan but I wanted the simple truth, not an allegory. As I pondered how to ask the question, I heard a voice and I fairly jumped, for I had not heard anyone approaching. It was Helen and she said:

"No my friend, you need not fear. You will never be given anything but truth in this valley. We have nothing to hide, and those of us who are here will not dabble in half-truths."

With that Helen stepped before Jonathan and said, "Master, you are needed in the Council Chamber as there is something urgent to be taken care of. I will be glad to attend our visitor until you return."

He laughed and said, "You folks are old friends; you need no introduction. I will go, but I will be back shortly, because I'm sure it will not take long to finish my errand."

Helen turned to me and said, "I know you are thinking about the transmutation of mercury, silver and iron into gold. As you know, there is no gold in these elements, but remember this: through your lips you speak of the learned ignorance of your modern civilization. It is very difficult for them to see the truth because they have created a mountain of misconceptions, scientific prejudices and preconceived ideas which stand between them and the truth."

My mind drifted again to the past, and I thought for just a moment of how wonderful life could be with a person such as this. And before I realized that I had thought this, Helen said to me:

"This is a compliment, but here it is idle chatter. Even if I shared your desire, it would be wholly impossible as I spend most of my time away from the earth plane."

My face must have reddened, even though I have traveled much in many places and have had many experiences.

"You need not feel ashamed," Helen said. "Love is a beautiful thing. The Love of God, or the pure love of a man and a woman on the earth plane, is real, for it, too, is of the Father on that level.

"But let us return to those things of greater importance. Let me tell you once more that Nature is a unity. Each particle of matter, even the smallest, is a part of Nature and in its cosmic pattern there are the possibilities of the whole of Nature hidden therein. For each speck of dust, under favorable conditions, may develop into a universe in which all the elements existing in Nature can be found. Your scientists are unable to comprehend this truth because their fundamental doctrines about the constitution of matter and energy are entirely wrong.

"In regard to religion, your dualism in theology has been the cause of untold misery because it created a continual quarrel between God and the Devil. Polytheism in science blinds the eyes and obstructs the judgment of the learned, keeping them in ignorance.

"Your conceptions of primordial matter are very questionable, as is your understanding of the differences between matter and force and the 'simple' substances. These originally grew out of primordial matter. For there is unity; primordial matter is of only one kind.

"Primordial matter is but one kind; consequently, each particle of this primordial matter must be able to grow under certain conditions into gold, under other conditions into iron, under others mercury, and so forth.

"This is what the ancient alchemists said: Each of the seven metals contains the seeds of seven others. They also thought that for the purpose of transmuting one metal into another the metal must be reduced first to its prime matter."

With this, Lady Helen looked at me and revealed her knowledge of my thoughts:

"I see that you are anxious to have this truth proven by experiment. But I shall leave that to the alchemist who will be back shortly. And then you will see that it is possible to make gold from its seed."

Awaiting Master Jonathan's return, we chatted about other things, many thousands of which were visible about us and of which I knew nothing -- many symbols of alchemy and other curiosities which needed explanation. Time passed rapidly and the Master returned to tell he would be pleased to explain and demonstrate the principles of alchemy.

Lady Helen excused herself, saying once more that she was glad to have been of service to me. Smiling, she departed with- out any spoken adieu.

Master Jonathan had seated himself in one of the large armchairs. He directed me to take one of the crucibles from the table, see that it was empty, and to place it upon a tripod over a flame on the altar. I did as he directed. Then he said, "Now take some of the silver pieces from your pocket and throw them into the crucible."

I took seven quarters and did as he instructed. After a few minutes they began to melt and, I told the Master that the silver was now fluid. He then pointed to a small bottle, or cruet, which contained red powder and directed me to put some of the powder in the crucible. Using a small silver spoon which had been lying nearby, I took about two grains of the red powder. As I went to throw it into the crucible, the Master stopped me, saying that it was too much powder and should not be wasted.

He directed me to put the powder back into the bottle, to wipe the spoon with a piece of paper and to throw the paper into the crucible. The quantity on the paper was so little as to be hardly visible. I threw the paper upon the molten silver. It burned immediately and the molten silver began to foam and rise. I thought at first it would run over the crucible, but each bubble burst as it reached the top. In each bubble there was a variety of most beautiful colors.

The action in the crucible lasted for about fifteen minutes. Then the boiling ceased and the foaming mass sank back to the bottom of the crucible. Master Jonathan directed me to take the molten mass from the crucible and pour it out upon a marble slab. The mass solidified within a few minutes and it appeared to be the finest gold.

"Take this gold with you when it is cooled," said Master Jonathan, "and let it be examined so that you'll be convinced you have not been the victim of a hallucination or mass mesmerism."

I looked at the gold and thought of the short space of time it had taken to create it, or should I say, for Nature to create it. And I thought how much our earthly people would give to know the secret of the red powder.

I asked Master Jonathan how this red powder could be prepared, asking quietly because I doubted very much that the Master would reveal such a secret. I also was afraid he would think that I was trying to enrich myself.

But he answered directly and without reproach:

"The red powder and its preparation cannot be explained to men until they attain more spirituality, because it is a secret which cannot be merely theoretically explained. In order to attain this knowledge, one must practically acquire it.

"My friend," said the Master, "how can we teach mankind to employ such powers which they do not even know exist? Nevertheless, the germs of these powers are contained in a latent condition within the organism of every human being."

"What you are saying Master," I said, "is that gold can be made out of any other substance than gold. And all other substances contain the germ and the nature of gold in its own primordial matter."

"That is it, that is it," he said. And he continued, "In the alchemical laboratory of Nature, iron pyrites and other sub- stances produce gold in the course of ages. The element of gold is contained in their primordial matter and grows by the action of the life-principle of Nature to become visible gold."

He hesitated for a moment, looked around and said, "Isn't it wondrous what the All-Intelligent has placed within the scope of man's consciousness. Within the scope of Nature, the growing of this gold would take millions of years to accomplish, but with our help it can be accomplished in a few minutes, if her power is guided by the spiritual consciousness and intelligence of the Master Alchemist.

"One cannot grow gold out of anything containing no gold. It is the same as trying to make an apple tree grow out of a cherry pit. Nor do we, if we wish to have an apple tree grow from a seed, insert the seed into a hole bored into a rock, but we select the soil in which the seed can grow with the proper aid of the moisture and temperature.

"Likewise, if we wish gold to grow out of the seed or principle of gold, we must add the proper soil. This required soil is furnished by the red powder which contains the life-principle for the production of gold.

"Remember that there is no dead substance in the universe and that even a stone or metal contains life in a latent form. If the life-principle within such a substance becomes active, the substance may then begin to form and produce various colors which you have seen in the crucible.

"If the mass were solid and cold, the element of life would be slow in penetrating below the surface of the metal. Then the transformation would gradually take place. But, in the molten mass, the life-giving substance becomes thoroughly mixed with the substance of the metal and the transmutation is quickly performed.

"The seed of the plant is in the plant; the seed of the animal is in the animal; and the seed for the production of metal rests in the metal. It is not sufficient merely to melt the gold into molten liquid, it must be reduced to what the alchemist calls water, or the primordial matter.

"A few atoms of the powder, barely visible, was enough to transmute the silver, as you will see if you examine the gold which has not absorbed all the red powder."

I examined the gold, now cold enough to handle, and indeed, upon its surface, there were small particles that looked like little red pearls or red rubies. Apparently they were part of the red powder which had not been absorbed by the molten mass.

"The red powder," said the Master, "is the celebrated Red Lion. Some call it sulphur, some mercury, and some call it salt. It is indeed each of these, for the three form a trinity in a unity which is inseparable."

Flight From The Valley

The Master gazed at me intently and said, "I know you've had a long day and your physical body has become tired and exhausted, not so much by the trip here, but the innumerable and unusual things which you have learned have caused you to expend a great deal of mental energy. To enable you to study the science of alchemy, I will lend you a book that you may read. If you keep your intuitional faculties open, I will be near you to help you understand the secret symbols contained therein, although I will undoubtedly be invisible.

"It is not possible, it is against the rules of our Order to retain you here after sunset. No visitor is permitted to do this, as we have total silence in the valley from sunset to sunrise.

"Seei