The Hickman courier., 1877-06-01

way, and the eastern magicians reduce
their physical nature until the astral
body becomes the most powerful. Then
they can work like disembodled spirits,
which they really are. But many spirits
during this life and after it are evil.
Not devils---I don't believe in devils -
but evil disposed. But the seeming UNI
natural growth of sc eds and voluntary
levitation, and all such feats are un-
doubtedly produced by these men. The
black sorcerers for some reason always
choose a mango seed for their marvels,
but a fakir will make any seed grow into
8 plant and bear blossoms and fruit IN an
hour or two. And they will sit III the
air yard from the ground for twenty
minutes or longer without being In con-
tact with anything. / have seen All
such things done hundreds OF times, and
so have hundreds of other Europeans.
How were you converted 10 the
Buddhist faith? asked the reporter,
curiously.
g BY what was to me absolute proof.
l was at a vihara in the northern part OF
India, and the chief of the gurus of the
little village showed me things which l
demonstrated TO be truth For instance.
he made me look at a bright tin plate
and fix my thoughts on something l
wished to see. ] thought of my home,
and instantly saw a room IN my father S
house, in Russia Two OF my aunts was
sitting there, one of them reading
book, the title of which l could read.
And a strange looking hump backed
woman entered the room as | looked. /
wrote home about it and learned,
months afterward, that at that time my
aunts were sitting in that room and one
OF them was reading the book | men
| toned. And the humP-backed woman
was a Polish governess, they had en-
gagged after L had left home and without
my knowledge.
! Z" Then the guru threw me into a
! trance, first asking me TO think OF some
/ place to which l wished to 90. Now,
some of the most powerful mesmeriZers
/ of Europe have tried to th'ow me into
mesmeric sleep, and have been utterly
unsuccessful. Prince Dolgourouski
/ tried it, but even he failed. But after
this guru had made a few passes over
my face, and had given me something TO
smell, and had made me swallow GER
tain potion, the ingredients of which
know now. but will not tell / instantly
I fell into the trance. | had desired to go
to the house OF my dearest friend in Ber-
lin, from whom | had not heard for q
long timel / was there At once, and rung
the door bell An old woman came Ia
the door, and | asked for my friend.
Alas said the old woman, she was
buried three months ago | asked her
where she was buried, and she named
the cemetery. Then | had q desire to
! see the grave, and | was instantly be-
I side it, looking through the earth at the
corruption below. Suddenly / felt two
arms thrown about my neck, aud a kiss
pressed upon my check. | looked NJ
and my friend stood before me, glorl-
fed image of what she had been in this
life, but transparent. Some months
later | heard by letter of her death, and
years afterward l visited her grave and
recognized it as the place l had seen in
my trance.
After this guru, who was from Pun
jaub, had thus proved his powers to me
| was unable to doubt him when he
showed me in similar ways the secrets Oi
nature, the mysteries OF the future life
and the truths that appertain to meta
physics. | studied them for years, and
at last | did not believe, but | knew the
truth of these things. Tor l saw them
felt them, tried them, lived them.'
But you cannot expect Others, who
have not had your experience to follow
you in your belief" said tie reporter.
q do not. What is proof to me is nc
proof to the public, and if they will not
believe eleven million spiritualists be-
Cause many of the mediums are hum
bugs and tricksters, they will not take
my word, of course, and | don't expect
them to. But what / know | know
And these marvels, that seem incredible
to those who have not seen them---these
miracles, as they are called by the
Christian church, and tricks as they are
called by selfstyled scientists--are not
wonders to me, tor | understand them. -