New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-12
OCCULT LITERATURE.
UpANJsHAp AND KABBAI.A.

fary ana Notes svs. pr. 2e3 Bsston' iioH"V'
w% nrrrv,r w.v. OR THE FINDING or CHRIST
By ANNE b KTNesroRp and EnwnhS 70 M ssL
Revised and enlarged edition square w. ~ ''''
~uS HIDDEN WAY ACROSS THE THRESHOLD. BY
j. G sTRksr. A. b N. svo PIP os' H'''0" 10"
solar BIOLOGY BY HIR,xE BrrLES With I pns
trarions svo. pp. goo Boston hse'eno fu"
hshing Company.
Tho reaction against materialism which 10 ono
- che Suo,fcsnt movements of tho time is mani
s..ted in the increasing tendency toward mystical
and occn,t literature No careful observer OF events
can fail 10 note the remarkable recent growth OF
AAis kind OF literature. tbs ooincident appear
suce of swarm OF periodicals devoted to che same
sult Perhaps tho latter phenomenon 10 even more
striking than the former inasmucb IS tho period Is
ESSENTIALLY one of newspapers and magazines. ana
n these more clearly than books indicate the trend
Of opinion and inquiry. The occultism which Is
fBndng favor with modern students has little
In common with what was formerly understood by
the term. Occuitism was ut one time supposed to
mean magic sorcery Rosicrucianism To-day. while
these subjects are certainly more inquired into
thm perhaps at any former time. the deepest inter-
ess attached researches In the old theosophes
or wisdom religiona A considerable stimulus has
boon given to the study Of Oriental sacred htera-
tme BIZ the efforts Of the Theosophical Society TO
convince the Western world that these ioDg-neg-
lected works contained the means Of Calculating
many obscure points In the history OF Christian
philosophy and thought.
Foremost among the sacred books of the East
sought to be introduced to Western readers Is the
Bhagnvad Gita. winch has recently appeared on
Ihe list Of Boston publishing house. translated by
Nshni Chatterji and accompanied by notes and
conments The Bhagavsd Gita is best known as
ths chief textbook Of the Sankhys philosophy.
But Western scholars have almost uniformly re-
eardsd that system of thought materiastc.
and under Mr.. Chatterjfs auspices 1t takes
IN entirely different form As interpreted
and expounded by him the Sacred Lay
assumes the form of q deeply mystical
work really intended to teach the Unity
of the Supreme the Illusions of material existence.
and the necessity Of extinguishing selfhood as an
indispensable preliminary to the achievement of
that reunion with the Divine which alone con-
fer lasting or real happiness. The extreme sub
flcy of the Hindu intellect, its fondness for de-
ea'e distinctions and ar-drawn rc6nements, are
stIikngly exhibited both in the text and the COM
mmtary. The reader may be Impeed to doubt
whether some at least Of the interpretations Of
Nehini not read into the text 30 far are
they from its esOtoro significance at times.
But whoever attentively peruses the Bhagavad
(ita without this or any other commentary will
of the entire Sankhya system. and even without
much external help will perceive that the meaning
of the argument is profoundly spiritual, and not.
wilkins. Cockburn Thomson and other translators
concluded. materialstc. 1t must. however, be
said that the study of the Bhagavad Gita is any
thing but pastime. On the contrary. it demands
tbs most concentrated and sustained atien-
tbcn. and perhaps it is hardly worth the while of
sny ono who has not been previously grounded in
Hindu philosophy to undertake It, Yet to such
~ desire TO understand the springs and the
direction Of the present anti-materialist reaction.
Mr. MohinI's version Of the Sacred Lay Will afford
much light.
The Perfect Way" is a remarkable work. APP
pearng under peculiar conditions. and representing
holiness of belief in Intuition the justification
or non justification of which will be determined,
fer each reader Of the book. by tho nature Of his
or her dominant intellectual tendencies. 1t is
beautifully written, a style the sustained elevs-
tion of which is certainly well cal culated TO
produce upon fmprcssionable minds conviction of
the truth of the Inspiration claimed by the writers.
The latter in their preface assert that the Perfect
Way represents O recovery, and alsO-fOr our
selyesa discovery, seeing that it was independent
of any prlor knowledge on our part. For the
aowlcdges concerned. although verified by subse-
uuent research in the ordinary way, were obtained
solely by means of the faculty which consists in
perception and recollection OF the kind called in
tutional and psychic" The recovery" referred
10 Is. according to the claim advanced
no less than that of the pristine
wisdom-relgion which, obscured and per-
vcrted according 10 the argumenb has descended
in various distorted and misleading forms. 10 the
Perfect Way" we find the dominating Influence
to be Kabbalstic. but 1t is equally clear that the
Hebrew conceptions of En- Soph. the SeDhiroth, and
the whole mystical oosmosony have been modified
by tho Asiatic philosophy. the Oriental turn OF
which is recognizable as the warp OF the modern
fabric. The authors Of the Perfect Way" have,
TO take them at their own estimate. Intentionally
produced philosophic and religious system which
shrinks from no difficulties. explains all perplexi-
ties and even every problem. Yet at bottom it IS
the Baagavad ita over again; aud the Iatt r is The
Onenal prototype Of the philosophy OF Christian
pa' rs.ic ascetioism. Throughout all these text
books of mysticism rms tho same doctrine: the
variety and impermanence of the material world:
the obligation that rests on every sspirant after
salvation and deliveranoe to subdue Self to cruel
fy the Flesh. Not indeed after the crude fashion
of the early anchorites. to whom esoteric meanings
were unintellgible. AMI who fought against
the most heathfrll natural tendencies rs though
they had been deadly sins Tho ascet,cism OF
the modern mystic is psychcal, not physical. and
IL is all tho moro arduous because of its spiritual
character. To-day the aspirant is taught that
conquest lies not in remuneration OF the world but
In daily hourly victory over its coaseess allure
ments. Duty consists in mixing with the world,
in doing it's work, In performing all the functions
OF hu nanity but-and herein Is the ordeal-not as
TO self All must be done. that is to say, fully.
LOYALTY consoien tIously. and Mt the pitch OF the
doers faculties and vet nothing must be so done as
TO stimulate sefhood. TO attach personal interest
TO the deed He who succeeds in thus alternating
his soul from MAYA Tor 1llusion) while performing
all his duty in the condition to which he has been
assigned. has found the Perfect Way. Love OF
Humanity wholly divorced from love of or thought
of Self is another indispensable attainment and 1t
l.