The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-05-09
IDEAS ON DEVOTION
CO NTEss wACHTMEIsTER DIS
COURSES ON PRAYER.
Modern Case OF
Muller.

ture room was beautifully decorated
with flowers, ferns, palms and national
colors. Among the floral adornments
white predominated. There were
Chinese asters and lilies. water lilies.
pomarias and crysanthemums. The
mixed flowers in urns were exceedingly
pretty. A large portrait of Madame
B'avatsky graced the centre Of the
decorations.
Countess Wacbtmeister said: NV
subj, ct for this evening is, devotion in
Daily Life and the Apollo of Prayer"
In different countries people have differ
ent forms OF worship. Some stand to
pray. some sit, some kneel. Indians sit
cross, legged. The reason for this is a
scientific one. 1t closes the avenues of
magnetism, which are utilised in prayer.
The Salvation Army has an emotional
way. Their system reminded the lee.
tIrer of the Dervishes or the Shakers.
Tara. boom-de-aye' was taken from a
Persian muntrum. Anywhere in the
world it is produced, the effect is EN-.
otional.
Sound has the power OF creating geo.
metrical formations, and will also de-
stroy, and Tyndal has proved this. The
walls of Jerusalem fell because the trum-
pets caught the Keynote of the walls.
Experienced priests of India know the
key notes o. men. BY using the nun.
trum on dead bodies, to this keynote,
the bodies can be more quickly disin-
tegrated.
Some Catholic masses are "pay-as-you
go" institutions. Prayers in churches
are interrupted by all manner of
thoughts. All prayers in churches are
| a -.
worthy things to be offered TO God.
The story that the natives of India
worship idols is hardly just. They say
there that the Western style of prayer
is one painted and unreal. A model be.
fore them enables them to fix their
minds in the prayer; these idols are
merely means of concentration. Idols
are made ugly 30 as not to attract the
senses. Ii they were attractive to the
senses, the mind would be drawn away
from the spirit. In India, at SUNRISE.
every head is bowed in prayer; then
again, when the sun goes down, all
India is at prayer. They say at the
break of day is the time for prayer
They do rot care who sees them pray.
Wherever they may be when the time
for prayer comes they immediately offer
devotions. The lecturer once saw a
Mahdi where were 200, 600 assembled to.
gether, exclusively and wholly for
prayer and worship. In the West, large
assemblages like that are for horse races
or fairs, but never for prayer.
Every prayer for self is false prayer
All things in the universe would go il
God neglected thought for one moment.
How absurd then to think of the prayer
of little being like man for his little
self. Through Lick's telescope thou
sands of planets can be seen. This is a
big universe and man is an exceedingly
small thing in it.
What is God? Every person creates
in his own mind his god. A bootblack,
with narrow conceptions, will pray to a
God OF his own mind; scientific per-
son, god higher and more intellectual;
a spiritual man prays to highly spirit
ual god. We pray according to our own
ideals Joseph Understood the phenom.
ena in nature. He did not require seven
years OF prayer for the seven years of
plenty, because he knew that was use
less. His conception Of Gods laws was
such that he instructed Pharoah to build
barns.
Let us turn to true prayer. True
prayer is pouring out the heart con-
etantly and continuously every hour of
should always be turned to the great
spirit In the morning we should turn
gratefully to the divine for the bless
ings around, that will enable us to be of
service to our neighbors. We should
eat in gratitude that 1t will make us
stronger to help our fellows. The last
thing at night should be glance over
the list of deeds Of the day, with de-
termination to do better tomorrow.
There are three planes-the physical
astral and spiritual. The latter cannot
be reached unless the laws are known.
Some have per 'evered apon it, but they
could not stay long a. they knew moi
the laws governing it. In India they
battle before they pray, because they
believe in cleanliness before entering in
to communion with the spiritual plane.
After the bath they pray; and il a
cannon were shot off over them they
would not hear it; for their souls are
away on the spiritual plane. Prayer il
the calm between the storms. Perfect
calm must be had the mind must be
intensely concentrated to pray perfectly.
Prayer for self is wicked; prayer fol
Others is good. But we should follow
up prayer with every effort in behalf OF
those for whom we pray.
Prayers are answered. The case ci
Muller is remarkable. He prayed fol
sustenance for his children. and it came
. by sending his prayers intensely into
space, some intensely sensitive person
would respond. Today, however, Mul
, Ter is beggar. Jesus said the faith o
a mustard seed would move noun
tain. This is true. A hundred person
with the same faith could join and &C
CONF lish anything. But the hundred
can never be found.
To enter occultism one first takes al
oath to the divine spark within him t,
. consecrate himself to humanity. Tn
road is a difficult one. Its path is
tony, thorny, hard one, and the goal |
reached after dreary. weary climbing
Even at the end he still hears the agon,
4 of those in distress, those poor an,
wretched, those children born in sill
: aud misery. AS the light from tn
Golden Gate streams upon him he real
= ICES in his soul that he had never faile
: to turn aside and relieve the suffering
a Such man was Jesus Christ, such wa
:, Buddha, such were the adopts and sue
are those who inspire us to the highe
e life. '-'A
At the close OF the lecture Counte,
Wachtmeister thanked her audienc
Tor their attention and the city Il
courtesies, after which she said farewe
J to the Society.
The story OF Mr.. Muller. to which th
;, Countess referred, is not new and mo-
II English residents will doubtless reca
,e 1t. Mr. Muller is German by nativit!
About forty years ago he started
Bristol, England, a private asylum Il
wait children. All the little ragamuffI
NJ the streets were gathered togeth,
I. and taken into his home. There he ha
10 established something on the order
the Kindergarten, and taught the
IS from text books and in morals. But |
&c had no money and no support, save q
- impregnable faith in prayer to the Mo
81 High. History says that at times VIII,
'e Muller retired to rest there was not
n morsel in the house upon which the A
, little waits might breakfast next NOR
- ing. But the man Of faith prayed; al
lie next morning the loaves and fishes
Of abundance were found upon the doc
ar steps. This kept up until the institutio
.. by the help Of friends, became st
- supporting.
Muller is TODAY a man OF nearly nine
years Of age. He IL unable to work al
more, and rs a charge upon his friend
n. But they love HIM for what he IL, al
the great good he has done. He is n
lie a beggar, however, and never has bee
WORLDS COLUMBIAN EXPOsITiC
was of value to the world by illustratil