Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-04-28


from the trammels of system of investi-
cation which closes against it one of the
most important fields of research; recourse
must be had to the custodians of this re-
condite lore, and Europe must once more
sit at the feet of that Asia from whom she
has already derived SO large part Of her
intellectual possessions.
And it must be admitted that these po-
sitions are capable of being supported
strongly. For it is true that there radiates
from Asia through all history certain
mystic light which has produced remark
able effects. The more we learn of the CIV
ization of ancient Egypt, for example. the
more clear does it become that in many re-
spects the inhabitants of the Nile valley
ten thousand years before the beginning OF
our era were further advanced than the
men of to-day. The traveller who stands
in mingled awe and amszement amid the
stupendous ruins of Karnak cannot but
reflect that while those seemingly imper-
ishable monuments of 80 remote civ.
ilization remain, there is no modern
people whose ediices of any kind
would probably resist the unaided &C
ton of the elements for single century.
In mechanics, in architecture. in engineer
ing, in the arts, ancient Egypt possessed
many secrets which have never been redis-
covered to this day. Modern science can
not tell us either how the Pyramids were
built or why. 1t cannot initiate those
wonderful colors whose lustrous brilliancy
time has failed to destroy. In many ways
the secrets of that hoaIy old world battle
us and yet the civilization of Egypt was
drawn from Asia, and the sources of all her
wisdom lay there. And down through the
entire historic period more and more
strongly streams the Light of Asia. Be-
hind the culture OF Greece behind the
culture of Alexandria; behind the culture
of Rome ever looms up, dim but grand
and vast, the civilization of the Cradle
lands.
As the Science of Religion progresses it
becomes more evident that there is GER
tain unity in all creeds, and it becomes
still clearer that the world-religions have
all originated in the East Er Oriente Ina
is an expression which possesses deep sig
niicance to the student, and it is not to be
wondered at that in this age of rampant
Materialism and equally rampant credu-
lily, there should have been q movement
having for its object the solution of the
most vital questions by reference to
the fountain-head of occult science, in
the land of the Aryas. The incentives to
this course were many and powerful.
In the first place, all extended research
seemed to result in tracing back occult
science to the East. Whatever faint adum-
brations of truth were obtained by the Al
chemists and the Resicrucians /; whatever
real principles lay concealed under their
mystic jargon whatever Geber and Avi-
cenna, Albertus Magnus and Alfarabi.
Raymond Lulli, Roger Bacon, Nicholas
Flannel and their colleagues, knew what
ever the Brethren of the Rosy Cross sub
sequently were acquainted with I; whatever
came from Arabia into Spain, and thence
filtered through into France and England
was originally, so far as there was any SUBJ
stance init, the lore of India. The Alchemists
and Rosicrucians, moreover, only CROPPED
feebly among the entangling thickets Of
medieval crudities, with which their frag.
mentary Oriental information was overlaid.
The real kernels Of the supposed results Of
their inquiries were truths which had been
familiar to the sages of Asia centuries
before Sakya NUM- burst the shackles OF
Brahmanism truths the knowledge OF
which may be traced back as far almost as
the verge of the Vedantic period.
In the second place, unlike the miracles
which were formerly supposed to attest the
truth of Christianity, the stream of Oriental
occultism never ran dry. When the ca
pacity of men to test evidence increased, the
age of miracles ceased. But it was not SC
with the evidences of reconcile knowledge
which proceeded from Asia. From gen.
Grafton to generation there has been a
steady continuance of testimony in this
direction. From the time of Marco Polo
down to the present day travellers have
been relating marvellous things of that
country. The same powers too which the
great Venetian traveller describes as having
been exercised by Indian sages, are foune
to. day to be in possession of a similar elias:
If men. Nor is the evid ence such as car
be rejected on the ground of bias or in.
competence to form judgment. Moth
ing in ordinary history is better attested
than that extraordinary narrative of
the Brahmin's prophecies, in "Forbes
Oriental Memoirs" 1t is impossible to
doubt the truth of the relation, and it is
equally impossible to explain the circum-
stances upon any theory which accord
with modern scientific conclusions. So,
too, Edward William Lane, both in his
Modern Egyptians /" and in his Thou
sand and One Nights, adduces facts which
are in the same way unassailable and mex
plicable. The Able Hue, certainly not
a swift or willing witness, has re-
lated things of the Lamas of Tibet
which partake of this general character.
General Turner, in his account of his
embassy to Tibet at the beginning of
the century, has officially recorded certain
circumstances which happened under his
own eyes, bnt which DR.. Carpenter would
nevertheless find it difficult to dispose of
by the theory of Unconscious cerebra-
ton or hallucination. Even purely
military historian like Colonel Kaye, in his
history of the Sepoy War, finds himself
comnelled tn recur To occurr ences which