AS EARTHLINGS we exist in a Sphere which is not established so as to last forever. But its impermanence is due not to its materiality but to a property essential to it as an organism. No organization is eternal, yet the material cannot be annihilated. We are accustomed to figure matter and spirit as antitheses regarding the latter as the opposite of ephemeral. To the pure nominalist Spirit is merely a word, matter is the whole thing. The scholastic realist attributes perpetual existence to the universal. The spiritualist's creed commences "In the beginning was the Word"; he considers it to be that which is, was, and ever shall be. Here is a paradox, similar if not identical in principle, with those for which Immanuel Kant is famous. The solution of the problem constitutes the rational demonstration of the theory of Initiation. The method of working, that is to say, the practical system adopted by the Masters to produce Illumination, if logically correct, should be built with a nexus which transcends the conditions of physical existence. Otherwise it would perish with this planet. The plan of every true Order exhibits acquaintance with this fact, whether or not its Officers are mentally equipped to comprehend the infallibility of their own scheme. The picture painted of the ultimate goal stands an unimpeachable witness to the truth of this theory. It is said that the Adept reaches Nirvana, i.e. the cessation of individual existence; the Sanskrit root signifies "a blowing out" as of a candle; others speak of the "Way of the Tao" —but Tao means Way or Path. All good treatises on Initiation, such as the Tao Teh King, "Light on the Path," "The Voice of the Silence," describe the same facts, and set forth the same theory which is the subject of this paper. The point which most needs emphasis is this: the Path which the aspirant at the end finds himself upon and discovers himself identified with is the same, identical Path upon which he has all the time been travelling. It is only by walking upon this Path that he can go whither the Path leads him. This is more than a truism.
"The perfect Master is wholly free
from all limitations soever, existing in
the nature of all things. He does not
discriminate between things with respect
to either quality or quantity. He
has identified Being with not-Being,
and Becoming action and non-action
and tendency to action; and all other
such triplicities. He is Master of all
modes of existence, his being free from
internal or external necessity. He is
Master of the Law of Unsubstantiality
(Anatta). He has no relation as such
with any Being, no will in any direction,
no consciousness of any kind involving
duality, for in Him all is
accomplished." This is as exact as any
verbal portrait can be. It is taken from
the Magical Record of an Ipsissimus.
In this occult business a very rare,
but very desirable quality to have is
horse sense, and especially a sense of
humour. One might characterise it as
the Universal Joke that so far as appears
the greatest adept cannot be
distinguished from the man in the
street. For one thing, he must keep
silence during life as to the fact of his
attainment, even from other members
of the same Order.
One Grade below that just described
is outlined in the following words: "He
is the Master of Magick —his will is
entirely free from internal diversion or
external opposition; his work is to
create a new Universe in accordance
with his will. He is Master of the Law
of Change (Anicca). The essential
characteristic of the Grade is that its
possessor utters a Creative Magical
Word, which transforms the planet on
which he lives by the installation of
new officers to preside over its initiation."
The third highest Grade is briefly
explained; "The essential Attainment
is the perfect annihilation of that personality
which limits and oppresses his
true self. . . . He is pre-eminently the
Master of Mysticism, that is, His Understanding
is entirely free from internal
contradiction or external obscurity;
His word is to comprehend the
existing Universe in accordance with
His own Mind. He is the Master of
the Law of Sorrow (Dukkha). . . . He
must accomplish Three Tasks; the renunciation
of His enjoyment of the
Infinite so that he may formulate Himself
as the Finite; the acquisition of
the practical secrets alike of initiating
and governing His proposed new Universe,
and the identification of himself
with the impersonal idea of Love." The
intellect is not capable of comprehending
fully the nature of even the lowest
of the Grades sketched above, for they
lie beyond time and space in another
dimension. One must be accomplished
in the trance called Samadhi before
one begins to realize the true meaning
of such exhaltation. But these are the
real Adepts, and as Adepts they are
disincarnate. The highest incarnated
reflect the glory from beyond the
Abyss; they are the heads of churches.
A church is the acme or full maturity
of Separatism, but it is the turning-point or gateway, receiving-station for
"babes of the Abyss." A Church must
have one will, like an individual, this
is a necessary evil which harmonizes
the conflict between the ideas of specialization
and organization, between
those of unity and diversity.
That which is completely incarnated
has the appearance of a fully developed
individual. Thus a church or exoteric-
Order seems the summit of selfishness.
And such is the case. We must not find
fault with the cosmic formula; we must
try to grasp it. Separatism is the
essence of Death, but Death is the
Birth of new Life. The purpose of
the Universe is Initiation. But this
purpose is being achieved every instant;
the end and the means are one and
the same. The universal program is —disorganization
of separateness, birth,
growth of individuality, maturity or
perfection, then dissolution and birth
of cosmos. Separation dooms the separate.
That which is physically apart
is lost. But all things incarnate must
be separate; so far as one has a definite
purpose, one is limited, one discriminates,
has tendencies to construct,
has necessities, one exists, has directed
will, and is involved in duality.
The way out for any person is to
make this process conscious in himself
or herself. One must fulfill one's
destiny, that stage of evolution towards
which Nature in Humanity is moving.
Initiation is automatic as cosmic but
one can make it voluntary and micro-cosmic.
Before Illumination human progress and development is effected
by a concatenation of hidden forces.
This period is termed the "Dark night
of the Soul" by mystics. It is a state
of blindness to one's own fate, unconsciousness,
sleep, recuperation before
awakening. One is ignorant of
the nature and powers of one's own
Being. Then, one is busy collecting
previously conquered forces, subjecting
and disciplining them, organizing.
These entities are the forces of Nature
and enemies of the aspirant in so far
as they keep him in the dark and veil
self from Self, keeping his inherent
ability in an innate, latent condition.
They are composed of incurred Karma,
assumed responsibilities, assimilated
lives from loves, careers of elements
and elementals which must be completely
worked out simultaneously with
ultimate advancement. Man must go
forth as a whole. These are really the
inferior officers in the ritual of one's
own initiation. They comprise a limited
hierarchy, are members by pact
of the individual's integrality. Each
one of them, like himself, when alone is
lost, unsaved, in dark, because separate,
but also like himself not actually beyond
hope unless the link is severed
with the Master who is the soul of the
body. The Master protects, wards, and
guides; He helps both by holding
"them" in check and by setting "them"
free to do what "they" will. The very
first step for them and for him is
realization of the state of ignorance,
that there is something greater than
oneself, that one is and ought to be the
member of a Body, that one has a goal,
but with no notion of how to reach it
—then one's conscious evolution begins
to begin.
Individuals are designed and tend to
become and be units of larger organisms.
They are food, elements of life,
for bodies, and when consumed die to
themselves being reborn to new life of
a higher type when taken into a cosmic
body. Incorporation within the
sphere of sensibility and "materiality"
begins as individual and ends with complete
disintegration and absorption in
matter. When adult one is ready to
become wholly material, to be dissolved
and born into a spiritual or immaterial
sphere. Complete entrance into the
spiritual sphere is only as an instrument.
Individuality is sacrificed, one's
soul is given to God or the Devil as
the case may be, one becomes an organ,
a cell, a member of the spiritual Order.
Birth here manifests as Illumination,
the realization of self as an instrument.
The Masters are themselves instruments
for making instruments. They
are the seed or soul of humanity, ever present intangibly, but in no single
member or organ. The spirit of unity
incarnates only in diversity. Nothing
to unite implies no need nor evidence
of unity. For example; the brain is an
instrument of life and does not exist
for its own sake, for its own joy in
sensation, emotion, thought. Over-stimulation
or growth of one faculty results
in and is the result of conceit,
hubris, exaggeration of self-importance,
at the expense of the remainder of
the organism. Such a disease of the
whole should be extirpated by disciplining
the unruly subordinate, subduing it
and compelling it to perfect obedience
and service to the whole. Nevertheless
the instrument is actually of higher
rank spiritually than the served, even
as the servant is materially of lower
rank than the Master. Here we face
again the cosmic paradox or jest.
Ultimately nothing matters.
The formula of Attainment is service,
self-sacrifice, charity, love. This is
a glyph of the activity or conduct of
the Master. It is the program to be
followed by the disciple. That which
is below is like that which is above for
the performing of the miracle of the
One Substance. Final success resides
in helping others, raising and redeeming
those less fortunate. You are the
redeemer, the specific instrument of
Reality whose function is Redemption.
Every atom of the universe is predestined
to Attain. You cannot afford
to reject any element or elemental
whatsoever while building your Magical
Hierarchy; you must include all
of its constituents. Their work is your
Work. Discrimination is wrong, the
word of sin is restriction. The law of
Love decrees union with the whole Universe.
Cosmic consciousness cannot be
attained except through the application
of the principle of service. The
cosmos is what it is, the micro-cosm
of the Adept must match it. In his
personal Order there is no conflict, no
division, no diversion. Each disciplined
unit is a ray of light from the rose-cross.
In his Order there is place for
every thing, and use. The secret of
passing the barriers above one lies in
opening the barriers below one to those
below and without the pale.
Whoever wishes to become an Adept
must devote himself or herself utterly
to helping his or her fellow creatures.
One must accept no material reward
for personal advantage. One must consecrate
oneself as a pure vehicle for
the influence of the Order to which one
aspires. One must abandon oneself and
all one's own attainments. One must
surrender all that one has and is for ever. One must know that agony, dare
that destiny, will that catastrophe, and
keep silence for ever as one accomplishes
the act of annihilation. Every
person who has taken the Oath of Incarnation,
and that means every living
person, is entitled to the secrets of performing
the GREAT WORK. All those
who accomplish the GREAT WORK,
who succeed in breaking down every
Barrier, enter the Order . . . of the
. . . Angel and the . . . Abyss to come
forth as Stars in the heavens to startle
and enlighten the Earth. Refusing the
rewards of their emancipation for
themselves, they devote their energy to
assisting the Progress of Mankind, to
extending their Order, so that the seed
of Enlightenment may be planted in
the bosom of every representative of
the human race.