Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-17
MYSTERIESOF THEOSOPHY
Initiation of an Englishman Into the
Occultism of the East.
The Key that Unlocks the Mysteries of Earth
and Heayen-A Lama of High Caste
Expected in This Country.

Theosophists, Buddhists and similar
semi-religious groups of Chicago, New
York and other cities are IN pleasant
state Of anticipative excitement over
the expected arrival in this country of
| Ramadh Sanya. a lama of high caste.
| Such a visit is to one who dabbles much
or little in the occultism OF the East
| quite an event. This will be the first
| time that an oriental scholar of such
rank and attainment has left India for a
| trans-oceanic trip.
Lamas are simply Buddhist monks, ac-
cording to the Chicago Times, and they
dwell in monasterles or communities
| called lamaseries, where they study,
pray or teach, much after the fashion of
the monks Of Europe. These lamaseries
are the repositories of the secret sciences
Of the wise men of the East. Here are
preserved the traditions handed down
from date close to the beginning of the
present geological period, if not from an
earlier time. Stories of the wonderful
powers of these thaumaturgists have
been told by writer's in almost every Eu-
IePean tongue from Able Hue to A. p.
Eihnot, and the 1.-THE of the facts has
Knot been revealed. These old men, most
of them of the physical appearance of
mummies 1000 years old rather than of
animated beings, are said to possess a
knowledge of the sources of nature in
their grandest, widest manifestations in
the universe beside which our highest
natural science seems but the prattle OF a
babe compared to the philosophy of Kent
or Spencer
These men have studied nature almost
from her birth, and the result is a knowl-
edge of and control over her forces which
enables them to do things that seem to us
more than miraculous. One of the least
of their powers is that of prolonging their
lives indefinitely at will, and many of
them count their years on earth by the
hundreds. Each one, however, who has
passed the usual span of time allotted to
the body has made one trip to ''the other
side, - as they say. In other words, he
has been dead and has been restored to
earth life by the power of his own will
directing the knowledge of the laws of
life and death physical and spiritual.
For the man who knows death is a matter
of taste. He can die when ne chooses or
live as long as he wishes.
The novitiate of a lama is extremely
severe and is rigorous test of the phys
ical and mental ability of the novice. He
must be man of approved character
before being allowed to enter the lam
asery, and once accepted his work is
arduous, continuous and eXhausting 1t
is all mental. The novice is taught the
esoteric or secret meaning of the Bud
dhistio philosophy which is shown to the
common people in the meaningless cere-
monies of Brahmiaism. He is given to
understand that symbols which to the I'M
initiated seem silly represent to the
learned some force of nature, some
power of the mind, some operation of
the universal law. Just as the symbol
HO is without sense to the day laborer,
while the chemist knows that it signifies
a liquid, water, which has been formed
in some neon prehensible way by the
union of two gases, each totally unlike
the product of their combination. In
like manner is all the learn
ing of the lamasery. It's
brown skinned authorities know
the deepest secrets of the universe as IA
miIiarly as we know the multiplication
table. They jealousy guard this learn
ing from profane hands and only after
years of the most careful training, the
most rigorous self-discipline and self
after having learned all the rudimentary
elements of their wonderful science is the
applicant for the honor of lamash1p adj
mitted to the first initiation. To prepare
for this he must have learned to make
his body and its senses in all respects alb
solutely subject to his mind. Will, in
its highest development of power, ener-
giving in body which exists but to do
his bidding, is the only key with which
the novice is taught he can unlock the
mysteries of nature and make all things
subject to him.
''To will, to know, to dare, to do,
and to be silent'' are the five great COM
mands given to the mahatma or young
lama, young only in spiritual develop
ment, not in years.
The initiation is the first real insight |
into the mysterious workings of natural |
laws, and consists chiefly of bringing be. |
fore the novice's vision Genes of the |
evolution of the universe from the |
primordial comet dust into its present |
status.
A recent writer, who asserts that his
account is taken from the narrative of a
young EnglIshman, who became an init
mate of lamastry, and was admitted to
initiation after long preparation, is very |
''On each side of a great hall were
four thrones or elevated seats. each oc-
cupied by two of the highest class lamas.
Akayet (his sponser) told them my his
tory, my teaching and my desire to
know more. He then pulled off the loose
robe 1 wore, and heard the eight lamas
say: GIVE him, oh Buddha, knowl-
edge!'
"While the words were still echoing
through The hall l felt, as it were, fire
rush through my feet and white lambert
flames licked my body and face. 1 tried
to rush from the spot but was rooted to
the ground, while sharp shocks and
agonizing prickings and shootings seemed
to penetrate me everywhere. The whole
experience can have lasted only few
minutes. 1 again heard the same voices
say, 'Give him rest, and then felt
pains no more and the flames disap-
Deared
''Then the eight voices said: Let him
drink, Buddha, of the cup of knowl-
edge The sound as if of torrent
which I had heard in distance now in