The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-21
Occultism and Christianity
THE MYSTIC PATH OF HUMAN PROGRESS.
DOGMATISM OR MYSTICISMa

the science of the Spirit in the frag-
ments of time that you can spare
from your occupations and pleasures
of earth. Not thus is the kingdom of
heaven conquered. the kingdom Of
heaven that is within you. Surely that
may claim as much attention as you
would If you were trying to become
skilful in chemistry. And yet. for
some mysterious reason you. who
know you must give time and thought
10 conquer things of earth, imagine
the heavenly things can be had for
the mere asking, the within of a pass
ing moment Quiet emotions. mind that
is still-those are the conditions of
the dawning of the higher conscious
ness. Again il is written in the Up
anishat: IN the tranquility of the
senses, in the quiet of the mind. he
shall behold the glory of the Self"
That is the next task to empty the
mind, to empty the emotions: there,
in that quiet and that silence. comes
the dawning of new light the whis-
per of a hitherto unheard voice: tho
first notes of the Spirit steal gently
over the quietude of the senses and
the stiffness of the mind; you hear.
and scarce know you are hearing;
you see. and scarce know whether it
be sight or fancy that Is beginning to
CLEAN upon your mind. And slowly,
quietly. steadily. day by day and week
by week the music sounds more clear
ly. the vision becomes more radiant
and more real. until in some great day
of awakening. suddenly the mighty
consciousness that is your Self shines
out. and in its light all things are
seen and known. Then no doubt is
possible; no question then can arise.
AS the glory of the crimson sun that
leaps over the horizon and floods tho
earth with light, so is the glory of tho
spiritual sun when first it rises over
| the mind and heart of man.
Then you know what meditat ton
| means. and the reality of the path
which has led you to that goal; and
then meditation becomes means that
you can use for further travel along
the path. You may. if you WILL take
the path OF knowledge. and by that
great illumination you may know
what you desire to know. or you may
| take the path of devotion and in the
! rapture of the Mystic's love may rise
|! to union with Deity Himself II by
| the path of knowledge you would
/ climb. then illumination of the prob
lens else obscure-that is your gucr-
don and your prize; you know truth
at sight: you recognize truth from
| falsehood. without possibility of
blunder. not by reasoning but by in
| sight. not by argument but by in
| knows discord from harmony, so
! do you learn to know ralsehooo
| from the truth; for your innermost
| Self is truth and not falsehood; your
| innermost Self is divine, Is rne rrurn
| on which the universe is built: and
| in the presence of that truth a lie is
| seen as q lie: you do not argue. Won
| merely behold.
| If you tread the path of devotion,
| then you learn that the Godhead is
| not only truth but bliss; for rising
| on the wings of love and service YOU
| enter into the very being of that life
| which is Love eternal and infinite The
\ rapture of the Mystic is as real a
| thing as the insight of the Mystic:
| the one satisfies the intellect, the
other fills the heart. Tread either
! path as your temperament bids YOU,
| for the end of all is the same: That
| which is Truth is no other than that
| which is Love. Truth and Loye-these
are both expressions of the divine life.
! and perfect knowledge charges to per-
| feet love. and perfec, love irradiates
| as perfect knowledge. There are diff
| ferences here. but the end of all 10
! one. We separate knowledge and love:
| really. they are only two sides of a
| single life. And for each that vision
| is possible; for eacn that attainment
| is within reach: but on the old TERMS
| the OLD conditions. The heart fun Of
| earth has no room for the birth OF
the Child Christ; the hands that cling
| to earth cannot he yaised to heaven
| And so, whatever your life NAV bs.
| full of interest. of duty of oCCupa-
| ton-if you would he a Mystic your
| treasure must not be where your duty
may bind your activities: for il is kot
| the outer form. but the inner Iifo
which is necessary for the true Mys-
| tic. Highly placed or lowly. it mat
! tiers not; wealthy or poor; King or
| peasant; your heart must he fixed on
the one truth: your life must be pure
as the mountain air: and then, what
ever your circumstances, the Spirit
who is you can rise apove them and
you will find that in realizing Your
own Divinity you realize as you never
| have done before your brotherhood
with everything that lives