Rudolf Steiner - The Gates of Knowledge, 1912 by gnosisclassics

THE GATES OF

KNOWLEDGE WITH AN ADDITIONAL CHAPTER ENTITLED

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY BY

RUDOLF STEINER Ph.D. (Vienna)

AUTHORISED TRANSLATION FROM THE GERMAN

PUTNAM'S SONS NEW YORK AND LONDON

Gbe

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1912

press

"B*

MAX

MAX 1

In view of the

many

GYSI, Editor

Adyar," Park Drive, .

STEINER'S

GYSI

London, N. W.

unauthorised translations of Dr.

works, the Publishers beg to give notice that

ised Editions, issued under the Editorship of Mr.

Symbol overleaf (Cross

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Max

in Pentagram).

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press,

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RUDOLF

all

Author-

Gysi, bear the

AUTHORIZED TRANSLATIONS OF

Works by Rudolf

Steiner, Ph.D.

(Vienna)

THE SUBMERGED CONTINENTS OF ATLANTIS AND LEMURIA. Their History and Civilization. Being Chapters from the Akashic Records. Authorized Translation from the German. It will be sufficient to indicate the nature of its contents by quoting a few chapter-headings from this important work, which deals with the beginnings of humanity up to our present civilization: Our Atlantean Forefathers; The Lemurian Era; Woman in the Third Root-Race; The First, or Polar, Race; The Second, or Hyperborean, Race, etc.

THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN

from the StandAuthorized Translation from the Second German Edition.

point of Theosophy.

The gradual unfolding

of the sense of individuality,

the growth of tastes, inclinations, and distinguishing characteristics, often so perplexing to the most loving and

watchful parents, are all matters touched on here with the illuminated wisdom and reverence that have alreadystamped the works of this great teacher with the impress of profound truth.

MYSTICS OF THE RENAISSANCE, and Their Relation Modern Thought. Authorized Translation from the German by Bertram Keightley, M.A. In this volume we find the Mystical and Theosophical to

thought- world of the Middle Ages probed to its very depths by the searchlight of clear and incisive modern criticism. It shows us what the often misinterpreted conceptions of Boehme, Eckhart, Paracelsus, Giordano Bruno, and others may have to offer to men in our day, and the relationship in which these great masters of the past stand to modern Science and Religion.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

CONTENTS CHAPTER

PAGE

The Four Modes of Knowledge

II.

The Occult Functions of Sleep

III.

The Pupil and His Teacher

IV.

Inspiration

V. VI.

....

Inspiration and Intuition

Philosophy and Theosophy

ili

123

The

Gates of Knowledge CHAPTER

THE FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE

the chapters to which these are a sequel, the

Path to the Higher Know-

ledge has been traced

to the point of

meeting with the two Guardians of the Threshold.

The

relation in

which the soul

stands to the different worlds, as gradually it

climbs the steps of knowledge will

now

This comprises what

may

be described. be

called

"the

teachings

Occult

Science."

Before

man

enters the

Path of the

Higher Knowledge, he only knows the first

of its four stages.

It is the

one which

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

in ordinary life belongs strictly to the

Even

world of the senses. called " science,"

what

he has to do only with

this first grade of

knowledge; for such

science only deals with ordinary

know-

more minutely and in a disciplined way. By means of instruments such as

ledge

the microscope, the telescope,

makes the

etc.,

more effective, and discloses to them what they could not otherwise perceive. But he is still on the same plane of knowledge, whether he sees large things with the naked eye, or observes very small objects and phenomena by the aid of a microscope. Also senses

in the application of

and the

thought to facts

things, such science field of

every-day

life.

still

remains in

Man arranges

the objects, describes and compares them, seeks to picture to himself their variations,

and so

forth.

The keenest natur-

FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE alist

does nothing fundamentally, in this

beyond bringing to a

respect,

methods His

fine art the

of investigating every-day

knowledge

life.

wider

range,

becomes more complex and more

logical,

takes

but he does not come one step nearer to

any other mode

of cognition.

In Occult Science this

knowledge

of cognition.

higher; on.

first

stage of

called the material

This

followed

mode

by three

and there are yet others further

They

shall

be explained here before

proceeding further with the description of the Path of Knowledge.

Beginning with

the ordinary method of scientific cognition, of

apprehension through the senses,

we shall have to differentiate the following four stages:

Material Knowledge.

Imaginative Knowledge.

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

4 3.

Inspirational, called also " Know-

ledge of the nature of Will." 4.

The

Intuitive Knowledge.

stages that follow these will be

spoken of

later.

must

first

be quite

what we are dealing with in these different modes of cognition. In the ordinary "sense knowledge" there clear as to

are four elements to be noticed:

(1)

The

makes an impression on the senses; (2) The image which we form of this object; (3) The idea by which we come to a spiritual comprehension of the object or event; (4) The "Ego" which forms for itself the image and idea based object which

on the impression

we make

of the object.

for ourselves

Before

an image, a repre-

must be an object which causes it. We do not form the object, we only perceive it; and on the basis of sentation, there

POUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE the object

the image formed.

are looking at an object

dealing with that alone; the

turn away,

The

it.

As long we are

moment we

possess only the image of

object

relinquished, but the

image remains " fixed" in the memory.

But man cannot stop at the imagemaking stage, he must go on to ideas. The distinction between " image" and

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

"idea"

absolutely necessary

are

For instance,

to be clear at this point. let

us picture to ourselves an object which

circular in form; then turn

away, and

retain a picture of the circle in the ory.

But we have not yet the "concep-

tion" of a

circle.-

when we say figure in

from

mem-

only attain this

to ourselves:

which

all

circle is

points are equi-distant

come to the a thing only when we have

the centre."

knowledge of

formed a conception of

it.

There are

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

many

circles

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;small,

so forth, but there

"Circle."

and

large, red, blue,

only one conception

This will be more fully dealt

with as we proceed; for the present we shall give only

an outline of what

sary in order to distinguish the

neces-

four

first

steps in knowledge.

The

fourth element which comes under

consideration in Material cognition 1 '

ego

. ' '

In this

of images

and

The ego memory. If

stores this

The images

possible.

were

not the case, no continuous inner

would be

the

accomplished the union

ideas.

the image in his

life

of things

would remain only so long as the things themselves had some effect on the soul.

But the inner

life

depends upon the

ing of one perception with another.

ego finds his

way

link-

The

in the world to-day

because, with certain objects, the images of similar objects of yesterday re-appear.

FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE It is

obvious that the life of the soul would

be impossible

could

retain

the

image of a thing only so long as the thing itself

stood before us.

In relation to ideas also, the ego forms

the unity. this

combines

its

way makes a survey

ideas

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;arrives at an

understanding of the world.

This linking

what happens when one forms a judgment. One who has only

up 1

and

of ideas is

scattered find his

conceptions

way about

does

not

easily

in the world.

All

man's activity depends on his capacity to combine conceptions, that

is,

to form

opinions.

The Material mode sists in receiving

of cognition con-

through the senses an

impression of things together with representations of the outer world.

Man

has

the power of perceiving, or " sensibility.'

The impression

received from "outside"

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

Therefore

also called " sensation."

"material cognition" four elements have to be considered: Sensation, Image, Conception, Ego.

In the next higher stage

of knowledge, the impression

made upon

the physical senses, the "sensation"

away.

There

falls

no longer any outer

There remain only three of

sense-object.

man

the factors to which

accustomed

in ordinary knowledge: Image, Conception,

and Ego.

Ordinary knowledge in a

healthy individual creates no image and

no idea when there

to the outer senses. inactive.

He who

sible objects

no object present

The ego

then

forms images of sen-

which do not actually

exist

lives in fantasy.

But the

occult student acquires this

very faculty of forming images even when

no external sense-object thing else in

present.

Some-

him must take the place

FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE external objects.

He must

be able to

up images when no object affects his Something else must take the senses. place of sensation; and this something is Imagination. At this stage, images apcall

pear to the occult student exactly the

same as if a sensible object were making an impression upon him; they are as vivid

and true as sense-images, yet they

come, not from the "material" world,

but from the world of soul and

The

spirit.

senses then remain entirely inactive.

It is evident that this faculty of

forming

pregnant images without sense-impressions

must

first

be acquired.

This

accomplished through meditation,

and

through the exercises which have been described elsewhere. x

The man confined

to the world of sense, lives within the J See The Way of Initiation, by Rudolf Steiner, Ph.D. Third Edition. 237 pp. Cloth, crown 8 vo. 3/10 post free.

;

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

which have

limits of a sphere of images

gained access to him through the senses.

But the imaginative man has a world of images which he has drawn from a higher source.

very careful training

necessary in

order to distinguish delusion from reality

When

in this higher world of images.

such images is

inclined to say

' '

a mere out-flow of

This

that

only fancy

imagination."

quite comprehensible, for

accustomed at present to "rear' which, without his finds

mind he

enter a man's

first

call

dence of his senses.

that alone

own

on the sure foundation

man

effort,

of the evi-

And he must

accustom himself to accept as

first

"real"

things which are caused in quite another

way. In this matter careful

not to

fall

cannot

into fantasy.

too

The

THE FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE n capacity to decide, in these higher regions,

what

"real" and what

illusion,"

And

can only come by experience.

this

experience must be gained in a quiet, patient inner

life.

must be quite Illusion plays

prepared to find that at

first

sorry tricks with us.

Everywhere lurks

the possibility that images will present

themselves which are the result of some delusion of the outer senses, or of abnor-

mal

All such possibilities

life.

be done away with.

must

We must first

first

com-

pletely arrest the flow of fancy then alone ;

When

can we achieve Imagination.

man

has come so

far, it will

be clear to

him that the world which he has thus entered

not only just as real as the

world of sense, but

much more

so.

In the third stage of knowledge, images

no longer appear.

We have now

to deal

only with the Conception and the ego.

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

Whereas still

in the second stage there

a world of images around

ing us of the

memory

moment

conjures

us,

was

remind-

which a vivid

up instantaneously im-

pressions from the outer world, without

ourselves receiving such impressions,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;in

the third stage even such images are ab-

Man

sent.

ual world.

lives

altogether in a spirit-

Those accustomed to confine

themselves to the senses will be tempted to

be pale and

this is far

from being the

to believe this world colourless.

But

Neither has the image- world of the

case.

second stage anything pale or shadowy

what the images of memory for the most part are, when the physical objects have vanished. But about

it;

though

this is

the pictures of the Imagination have a

and a comprehensiveness which surpass those of the shadowy

vivacity far

memory-pictures of the sensible world,

FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE

and even the gaudy and ever-changing physical world

itself.

Even

this

mere shadow beside the realm of Imagination.

But how

shall

describe the world of

the third stage of knowledge?

Nothing

any idea of That which

in the world of sense can give its

wealth and luxuriance.

was Sensation

in the first stage, Imagi-

nation in the second, here becomes "Inspiration sion,

Inspiration gives the impres-

and the ego forms the

anything at

all

idea.

in the realm of sense

can

be compared with this world,

it is

that

up to us by the sense of hearing, the world of tones. But now we have to do, not with the tones of region opened

earthly music, but with a purely spiritual

cadence.

One

begins to "hear" what

going on at the heart of things. stone,

The

the plant, and ยงq forth, become

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

" spiritual

words.'

to express

its

The world begins

true nature to the soul.

sounds grotesque, but

true, that at this stage of " hears " in spirit the

The form

growing of the grass.

of the crystal

The

inspired

literally

knowledge one perceived as

sound; the opening blossom

man.

man

speaks' to '

able to realise

the inner nature of things his soul beholds ;

the resurrection of form.

all

things in a

new

speaks a language which be-

longs to another world, but which alone

can make the every-day world comprehensible.

Lastly, in the fourth stage of knowledge

Inspiration also ceases. factors which

man

Of the several

accustomed to ob-

serve in every-day knowledge, the ego

alone

remains to be considered.

The

attainment of this stage by the occult student

marked by a very

definite

FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE

This experience mani-

inner experience. fests itself in

the feeling that he no longer

stands outside the things and occurrences

which he recognises, but

within them.

Images are not objects, but only the Again, what Inspi-

expression of them. ration gives

an utterance lives

not an object, but only

For that which now

it.

within the soul

verily the object

The ego has poured

itself.

over

all

now

beings;

The

them.

life

Intuition;

has merged

and when we say

into all things,' this '

itself in

of things in the soul

"through

Intuition that

man

is literally

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that

ego can in no out;

is,

of the ego

itself.

' '

Intui-

For the

way be perceived from with-

can only be experienced within.

simple consideration will

clear,

glides

true.

In ordinary life man has but one tion,"

forth

itself

and

it is

make this fact

one which psychologists

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

have not used so wished. to those

forcibly as

Insignificant as

who understand

might be

may

appear,

fully it is of

the most far-reaching significance.

It is

same to the same

as follows: in the outer world the

name may be applied by all thing. Any one may call a

table

"table"; a tulip, a "tulip"; or address

Mr. Miller as "Mr. Miller." But there is one word which each can apply to himself

alone:

it is

the word "I."

person can say " I " to me. else I is

tion,

To every one

Only

else

can

of myself

And this is because each man

say "I."

And

other

"you," just as every one

a "you" to me.

lives,

not outside, but within the "I." in the

same way,

does a

man

perception of the ego

all

This

the type of

all

And in order thus things, we must clearly

intuitive knowledge.

to enter into

in Intuitive Cogni-

live in all things.

FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE

by coming out of our self. We must become "selfless" before we can begin

blend the self, the ego, with another being.

Meditation and Concentration form the sure method

the earlier ones, is

by which

may

this stage, as

be reached.

But

essential that these

be practised in a

and patient way.

He who imagines

quiet

that he can violently and forcibly climb into the higher worlds

One who

greatly mistaken.

so believed would also

make

the mistake of expecting the realities of

him in the same way as those of the sensible world. Rich and vivid as are the worlds to which

the higher regions to approach

man may

climb, they are rare

while the world of sense

and

subtle,

coarse

and

The most important thing to be learned is that we must accustom ourrude.

selves

regard as

"real"

quite other than that which

something

so desig-

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

And

nate in the realm of sense. is

not altogether easy.

why

reason

away

at the

many who would

first steps.

encounter things

and

lies

the fain

Occult Path are frightened

the

tread

Herein

this

like tables

instead

find,

They expect

and

chairs,

"spirits."

these,

And

because "spirits" are not like tables

and

chairs,

they take them for "imagin-

The

ings."

fault lies only in their un-

familiarity with them.

must

first

acquire the right attitude towards the spiritual world;

then shall we not only

behold that which recognise training nition

it.

And

is spiritual,

but also

a great part of occult

concerned with this right recog-

and valuation

of the spiritual.

CHAPTER

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP \

A/E

must next consider the state of sleep, if we are to come to any

understanding

Imaginative

So long as

ledge.

man

Know-

has attained to

no higher stage than Material Cognithe soul, although

tion,

during sleep, thing

man

truly lives

unable to perceive any-

It is in this

in the

lives in the is

the world in which

dwells.

then

world like a blind

world of matter.

Such a one

midst of light and colour, but

unable to perceive them.

outer sense-organs

From

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the eye, the

ear,

the

ordinary activity of the brain, and so forth

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the

soul, in sleep, 19

has withdrawn.

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

It receives

senses.

no impressions through the

What, then,

doing during

sleep?

We must

realise clearly that in

the soul

life

waking

in a state of constant

It takes in the impressions of

activity.

the outer senses and works upon them: that

is its

sleep, it

occupation.

This ceases during

but the soul is not then idle. Asleep

works upon

its

worn out by the which manifests

own body.

own body

itself

in order to prepare

essential is

And

itself in fatigue.

further waking work.

how

activity of the day,

during sleep the soul occupies its

This

good sleep

see

for the

with for this

main-

tenance of bodily health.

The man who

does not sleep

does not allow

sufficiently,

upon the body the repair; and the conse-

his soul to execute

needful

work

quence of

this

must be the

deterioration

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP of the body.

soul

The

forces with

works upon the body

same with which

which the

in sleep are the

acts during the

waking

state only in the latter case they are used ;

to take in impressions from the outer

senses

and to work upon them.

Now when

awakes in man, part

upon the body in

Cognition

Imaginative of the force

in sleep

another way.

expended

must be employed these

forces the

spiritual sense-organs are formed,

which

enable the soul, not merely to exist in the higher worlds, but also to take cogni-

Thus the soul during works no longer upon the body only, but also upon itself. This result is brought about by meditation and concentration, and also by other exercises. sance in them. sleep

has already often been stated in

other books, giving the methods for the

attainment of the Higher Knowledge,

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

that the particular directions for these exercises are given only

No on

from

man to man.

one should undertake such exercises his

own

account.

For only those who

have experience

of these things

what

result, in

will

be the

any

withdrawing the activity

from the body and applying

can judge

individual, of his soul

to a higher

purpose.

Meditation, Concentration, and other exercises,

for a time

cause the soul to withdraw

from

sense-organs.

and first

its

its is

connection with the

then sunk in

activity is turned inwards.

In the

stages of this detachment, its inner

activity does not differ greatly

daily work. feelings,

The same

from

its

representations,

and sensations must be employed

work within But the more

in the life.

itself,

as during ordinary it

accustoms

to be in a measure blind

itself

and deaf to

its

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP physical surroundings, the

within

itself,

the more

fit

does

which

it lives

become

And

for the inner achievements.

accomplished by meditation

that first

bears fruit in the condition of sleep.

When

the soul

by the

body

exercises of the day, con-

Organs are formed in

tinues to work.

by which its

freed from the

that which has been quickened

night, in

it,

can come into relation with

higher surroundings, in exactly the

same way as

has already come into

contact with the physical world through

Out

the outer organs of sense.

of the

darkness of the nocturnal environment

come forth

visions of light

from the higher

worlds.

Subtle and intimate

course at

first.

must always be borne

this inter-

mind that for a long time to come the act of waking to the light of day will immediately draw It

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

a dense night.

veil

over the experiences of the

The

recollection of having per-

ceived something during the night, only

very slowly and gradually comes through.

For the

disciple does not easily learn to

pay attention to the delicate images soul,

which

of his

in the course of his develop-

ment begin

to mingle with the

common

events of every-day sense-life.

At calls

first,

such images resemble what one

the accidental impressions gathered

by the

soul.

Everything depends upon

his learning to distinguish

what

due to

the ordinary world from that which presents itself through his

own being

as a

manifestation from the higher worlds.

In a quiet, introspective mental

must acquire

this

discernment.

necessary that he should

first

life,

develop a

sense of the value and meaning of those

intimate soul-images which, like chance

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP

impressions, mingle themselves with daily life,

but which are really recollections of

the nightly intercourse with a higher

As soon

world.

one grasps these

images roughly and applies to them the standards of the

sense-life,

they vanish

away. It is clear

owing to

from what has been said that,

this

work

a higher world,

the soul must withdraw from the body part of the activity formerly bestowed

upon

with such care.

It leaves

a certain extent, alone.

And

it,

the body

needs a substitute for that which the soul did for

before.

such a substitute,

If it it

does not obtain

runs the risk of

ing a prey to maleficent powers.

must

clearly recognise that

man

fall-

For we is

con-

tinually exposed to the influences of his

surroundings.

fact,

he maintains

life

only through co-operation with his sur-

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

roundings.

Among

sider first the

Man

kingdom

himself

Nature.

these

con-

of visible Nature.

belongs

If there

we must

this

visible

were no mineral, plant,

and animal kingdoms, and no human beings around him, he could not

live.

an individual could be imagined as cut off from the earth and lifted up into surrounding space, he must inevitably perish quickly as a physical being, just as the

hand

The it

will perish

illusion of

cut off from the body.

a hand that imagined that

could exist without the body would be

no greater than that

of a

man who

main-

tained that he could live as a physical

being without

the

mineral,

vegetable,

and animal kingdoms, and the

rest of

humanity.

But besides the above-named kingdoms there are three others, which generally escape the notice of man.

These are the

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OP SLEEP

three elemental kingdoms, which stand in a sense

below the mineral kingdom.

There are beings who do not condense into the mineral condition, but

none the influence

less

are

present and exert their

upon man.

(Further informa-

tion concerning these elemental will

who

be found in

Atlantis

kingdoms

and Lemu-

ria* and also in the remarks

upon them in

thus exposed

Theosophy.)

Man

to influences from kingdoms of Nature

which

a sense must be called

Now when the soul works upon a considerable part of

its

invisible.

the body,

activity consists

in regulating the influences of the elemental

kingdoms

beneficial to

in such

man.

a way that they are

But the instant the

soul withdraws part of its activity from The Submerged Continents of Atlantis and Lemur ia. By Rudolf Steiner, Ph.D. The Rajput Press, Chicago; Theosophical Publ., Soc. f London. 1

Their History and Civilisation.

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

the

body,

injurious

elemental kingdoms

Herein

lies

powers from the

may

it.

one of the dangers of the

higher evolution.

Care must therefore

be taken that the body sible

get hold of

in itself acces-

only to the good influences of the

elemental world as soon as the soul

withdrawn

from

it.

regarded, the ordinary

this

man

certain extent, physically

dis-

will be, to

and morally

injured, in spite of having gained access

to the higher worlds.

While the soul dwells in the higher regions, pernicious forces steal into the

dense physical and etheric bodies. is

the reason

why

certain

bad

This

qualities,

which, previous to this higher develop-

ment, had been held in check by the regulating power of the soul,

now,

become apparent. who were formerly of good moral be-

for lack of such power,

Men

may

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP

haviour may, under such circumstances,

when they

enter the higher worlds, reveal

kinds of low propensities,

all

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;extreme

selfishness, untruthfulness, vindictiveness,

wrath, etc.

one need be alarmed by

this fact, or deterred

from ascending into

the higher worlds, but care must be taken to prevent the occurrence of such things.

The lower nature of man must be fortiand made inaccessible to the danger-

fied

ous elemental influences.

This can be

brought about by the conscious cultivation of certain virtues.

These virtues

are set forth in the theosophical hand-

books

dealing

with spiritual develop-

ment; and here we have the reason they must

They

be carefully sought

why

after.

are the following:

First of

all,

continually,

the pupil must deliberately,

and

in all things, recognise

the imperishable, the lasting; distinguish

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

30 it

from the perishable, and turn

tion towards

beings he

it.

all

plant, I can first observe

to the senses

neglect to do.

;

in all

discern some-

when the

appearance has vanished.

itself

and

things

may assume and

thing which abides

his atten-

transitory

see

and this no one should

For no one

will

be able to

discover the permanent in objects,

has not

first

familiar

with

presents

made

who

himself thoroughly

their

perishable

aspect.

Those who are continually afraid that to

their attention

fix

and eternal

will

on the

spiritual

cause them to lose the

and naturalness of life, do not yet understand of what we are really

freshness

When I look at a plant in this may become evident to me that

speaking.

way,

a permanent life-impulse

there

which

will re-appear in

the plant before

a new form when

has long since crum-

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP bled

dust.

This attitude of mind

towards things must become thoroughly-

bound up with our nature. Then we must fix our hearts upon all that is worthy of esteem, and genuine, and learn to value it more highly than that which In all our is fleeting and insignificant. feelings and actions we must take into consideration the value of any one thing in relation to the whole.

must cultivate

Thirdly,

six qualities: control

thoughts, control of actions, endurance, impartiality, confidence in our surroundings,

and inner equilibrium.

Control of the thought-world can be attained

we take

the trouble to combat

that wandering of the thoughts and

feel-

man to man is not

ings which tosses the ordinary

and

fro.

In every-day

life

the master of his thoughts: he

by them.

driven

And, as a matter of course,

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

cannot be otherwise; for

man

life itself

rules

and, as a worker, he must yield to

the pressure of

must be

But

so.

In ordinary

life. if

man would

life

this

rise into

higher worlds, he must set apart at least certain short periods in which to

make

himself master of his world of thought

and

dom, he his

sets

admits

a thought in the centre of

first

from without.

feelings,

own

other

Such an exercise

upon the

upon the body.

latter into such

that

all

and to add nothing

will.

has a beneficial effect it,

Then he

thought except that which he

of his

through

ideas were

keep at a distance

thoughts and to the

inner free-

full

whilst ordinarily,

soul;

driven into tries

Then, with

feeling.

soul,

and

It brings the

a harmonious condition

evades pernicious influences even

when the upon it.

soul

not directly working

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP

Control of actions consists in a similar

by inner freedom. A made when we set our-

regulation of these

good beginning selves to

do regularly something which

would not have occurred to us to do in ordinary

For in the

life.

latter,

own innermost

we undertake of our

initiative,

does more for

us in the direction of which ing than anything

the pressure of

life

But the

driven to action from without. smallest action which

man

are speak-

we may do through

from without.

Endur-

ance consists in deliverance from those

moods which may be described nating betweeen

heaven* death.*

tween

and

Man

" sorrowing is

kinds

all

makes him

as alter-

" exulting to the highest

glad;

even

unto

driven to and fro beof

moods.

Pleasure

pain depresses him.

But he who seeks the Path to the Higher Knowledge This finds

its justification.

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

must be able to moderate both his joy and his sorrow. He must become stable.

He must be able to restrain himself in the midst of pleasurable, as well as of painful experiences; he

must carry himself with

He must

dignity through both.

be unmanned or disconcerted.

never

This does

not imply any lack of feeling; but only

man has made for himself a fixed

that the

centre in the tide of

which ebbs and

life

flows round about him.

has himself

always well in hand.

Another very important quality "instinct

affirmation."

velop this for himself

who

the

will de-

notices in all

things their good, beautiful, and service-

able

characteristics;

place, that

perverse.

among Christ,

which There

is is

not,

the

first

blameworthy, ugly, a

beautiful

story

the Persian legends concerning

which

illustrates

the

meaning

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP

of this quality.

dead dog was lying

in the road,

and Christ was among the

passers-by.

All the others turned

away

from the ugly spectacle which the animal presented; but Christ paused to speak

admiringly of

beautiful teeth.

its

way and

possible to see all things in this

he who truly seeks

will find

It is ;

even in the

most repulsive object something worthy of appreciation. in everything

what

The

principle

fruitful

not what

lacks,

but

has.

Further,

it is

the quality of

important to cultivate impartiality.'

Every

one has gained his own experiences, and has formed from them a definite number of opinions

And

it is

by which

his life

self-evident

regulated.

on the one hand

that conduct must be guided according to experience,

it is

less

he who would advance

important that

spiritually in the

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

Higher Knowledge should preserve an unbiased mind towards everything new

and unfamiliar that meets him on his way.

be as cautious as possible with

will

such comments or,

"That is impossible," That cannot be. Whatever opinion as,

' '

may have

riences,

formed from previous expe-

he will be ready at any moment,

when he encounters something new, to form a new opinion. All preference for his private opinion

When

must be given up.

the five qualities already

have been acquired, a sixth of itself,

named

will follow

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;namely, the inner equilibrium:

harmony of the spiritual forces. The pupil must find within himself a spiritual centre of gravity, to give him firmness and security amidst all that would draw him hither and thither in life. But he must not shrink from sharing the life around him and letting everything influthe

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP Duty does not

ence him.

from

all

the activities of

us in every direction contrary, in life,

fully

;

life

lie

in flight

which draw

but rather, on the

giving oneself

up to

and yet at the same time guarding

firmly

and securely the inner harmony

and equilibrium. Lastly, the seeker

must put before him

the "will towards liberation.' acquired self

already,

has

who finds within him-

the foundation and support of every-

thing that he accomplishes. to attain, because

This

hard

involves the main-

tenance of perfect balance between the

opening of the senses to everything great

and good, and the simultaneous refusing of all compulsion.

"Freedom

say so lightly:

incompatible with influence

from without."

That the two should be

reconciled within the soul, essential thing.

When

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that

man

the

tells

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

something and

pressure of his authority, I

But

am no more free if I

the good which

own

not free.

close myself to

might obtain in this

For then the

way.

under the

"less

good"

soul acts as a constraint

upon me.

Liberation means, not only that I free

from the constraint of an outside

authority, but above

from

my own

sations

all

free

prejudices, opinions, sen-

And the right way

and emotions.

to attain freedom

subjection to

that I

what

not through blind

received, but

opening ourselves to the impulse from receiving

impartially, so that

freely acquiesce in

it.

An outside

it,

we may author-

ity should only influence us so far as to

make

us say: "I free myself by following

what

own."

Wisdom

good

in this,

and making

authority based upon Occult

will

never work otherwise than

THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP in this

way.

It gives

whatever

give, not in order itself to gain

has to

power over

the recipient, but solely that he

may

become richer and freer through the gift. We have already dwelt upon the significance of these qualities

the

shown

"lotus-flowers."

when speaking Therein

their relation to the

was

development

of the twelve-petalled lotus-flower in the

region of the heart,

and to the currents

the etheric body connected with

it.

The

purport of what has been already stated is

that these qualities enable the seeker to

dispense with those forces which formerly benefitted the physical

body during

and which now, because

sleep,

of his develop-

ment, must be gradually withdrawn from that task. 1

See Initiation and

its

Results.

CHAPTER

III

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER

TT is

make real

impossible to

progress in

the task of penetrating to the higher

worlds without going through the stage of

Knowledge.

Imaginative

means implies that training a

man

This,

by no

in the course of occult

compelled to remain for

a given time at the imaginative stage as if it

were a

bound

class at school

to pass.

This

through which

may be

sary in certain cases, but not in

neces-

all.

depends entirely upon the experience the occult student has his training.

had before beginning

It will

be shown in the

course of this analysis that the spiritual

environment of the pupil 40

of import-

THE PUPIL AND

HIS

TEACHER

ance with regard to this point, and, what is

more, that, according to his relation-

ship to this spiritual environment, very different

methods have been instituted

for treading the

Path

Knowledge.

understanding of the following par-

ticulars

to one

may be

who

of the

utmost importance

preparing to enter the Path

of occult training.

These must not be

regarded merely as presenting an interesting theory, but as something

by which

the most varied and practical points of

view

may

be gained by anyone who

sincerely pursuing " the

way to the Higher

Knowledge.'

Those who are seeking

their higher

evolution are often heard to say: "I wish to perfect myself spiritually; I wish to

develop the 'Higher Self within me; but I

have no desire

for the manifestations of

the astral world."

This

understand-

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

able enough

when we read the

descrip-

tions of the astral world in books treating of such things, for apparitions

and entities

are spoken of in these which bring of dangers to

men.

all sorts

It is often said that

under the influence of such beings a

man

may very easily suffer injury both morally and

intellectually.

It is

brought home to

the reader that in these regions the wall dividing the good from the evil path

a spider's web in thickness, and that the plunge into immeasurable depths, the into utter depravity, It

these

lies

fall

extremely near.

impossible

simply to contradict

assertions.

Yet

taken in

many

cases,

the

with regard to the

treading of the occult Path,

means a

right one.

point of view

standpoint

by no

The only reasonable

that which enables us to

say that no one should be deterred from entering the Path of the Higher

Know-

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER

ledge because of the dangers incidental to it

;

but that in every case great care must

be taken that these dangers be avoided. It will, of course, in

man who

many

cases follow that

asks advice from an occult

teacher in the matter of training will be counselled to postpone the actual training for a while,

and

first

to go through certain

experiences of ordinary tain things

life,

or to learn cer-

which are to be learned in the

physical world.

It will

then be the task

of the occult teacher to give the seeker

the right instructions to enable

him

gather suitable experience and learn the necessary things.

In by far the greater number of cases, a student will find that the occult teacher proceeds in this way.

now becomes what

And

sufficiently

befalls him, after

the student

attentive

he has come into

contact with the occult teacher, he will

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

make

the most varied observations.

will find that henceforth curious things

happen to him as

and that

accident,

he has opportunities for observing occur-

come

rences which would never have

him without teacher.

this link

with the occult

students do not notice this,

and become impatient, have not paid

because they

it is

sufficient attention to

has happened to them.

It is

what

not to be

imagined that the influence of the teacher

upon the student tinctly

visible

influence

is,

will

works

show of

itself in dis-

This

magic.

on the contrary, a very

inti-

mate matter; and he who would explore its nature and form without having first reached a certain stage of occult training, is

sure to

fall

into error.

The student

injures himself in every case in

which he

becomes impatient because he

on probation.

His advance

will

placed

be none

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER

the

less

rapid on this account.

contrary, his progress would be rendered

slower

he were to begin too soon the

training to which he so impatiently looks

forward. If

the student allows the time of pro-

bation, or the counsels

and hints given

him by the occult teacher, to influence him rightly, he will be actually preparing himself to withstand certain trials and dangers which he will encounter when he to

approaches the inevitable stage of Imagination.

This stage

this reason

unavoidable, for

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Every one who seeks com-

munication with the higher worlds without having passed through so unconsciously,

and

it,

can only do

condemned when

he reaches them to grope in the dark.

One can acquire some dim

sense of these

higher worlds without Imagination; one

can without

certainly attain to a feeling

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

of being united with one's

"God"

"Higher Self"; but one cannot come to a true knowledge in full consciousness and

bright translucent clearness. all

that

Therefore,

said to the effect that the ex-

positions regarding the "lower worlds" (the astral

and devachanic) are

that the one thing needful

should "awaken the entirely misleading.

God

useless,

that

man

within him,"

Whoever is

satisfied

with such standpoints should not be interfered with in his strivings, ist

would seek to do

and no

occult-

True Occultism

this.

has, however, nothing to do with such strivings* nor,

on the other hand, does

invite

anybody

pupil.

But

cipline

directly

become a

him who craves the

dis-

the occultist, the latter will

not only awaken in him a mere dim perception of his "divinity," but will also

endeavour to open his

spiritual eyes to

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER that which

actually

existent

in the

higher worlds.

Of course, the "Divine Self" every human being, and not in

man alone,

but in every created thing.

and animal, the

plant,

inherent and active.

tance

not so

much

exists in

In stone,

Divine Self"

What

of impor-

the general recogni-

tion of this fact, but rather the actual

entrance into union with the manifestations of this

man knows

"Divine Self."

Just as a

nothing of the physical world

so long as he can only repeat again

and

again: "This world contains the 'Divine

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

manner does he who seeks the "divine kingdoms of spirit" as vague and indefinite generSelf veiled within

alities

know nothing

it,"

in like

of the higher worlds.

should open our eyes and behold the

divine

manifestation in the

things

the physical world, in the stone and in

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

the plant, and not indulge in dreams depicting everything as

mere " phenomena'

behind which the real form of

God

lies

No; God reveals Himself in His creations, and he who would know God must learn to know the true nature of concealed.

these creations.

Therefore must to behold

what

higher worlds, ' '

Divine

also learn actually

and happens in the we would know the

exists if

Nature.

that the " Divine

The

Man"

consciousness

dwells within us

can be at most but a beginning; but

this

consciousness experienced aright, becomes

a spur to the definite ascent into the higher worlds.

This can

be truly ac-

complished only when the necessary spiritual senses have been developed.

other point of view

remain as

which

is,

Every

merely: "I will

am, and only attain to that

within the reach of such powers

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER as I have developed already.'

But the

become a different being in order to behold and experience things of a different nature from aim

of the occultist

those of ordinary

And it is the

stage

life.

precisely for this purpose that

Imaginative

must be experienced. been said that

Knowledge has already

this " imaginative" stage

need not be looked upon as a class at school

What

which one must pass through. is

to be understood

are, particularly in

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;There

the present generation,

many who have brought such conditions

is this:

over with them

enable the occult

teacher to call forth in

them

at the

same

time, or nearly so, imaginative, inspirational,

and

intuitive knowledge.

But we

are not to understand that in the case of

any individual the passage through the imaginative stage

may be dispensed with.

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

The cause

of the dangers inherent in

Imaginative Knowledge has already been hinted at in previous chapters. in the fact that

on his entrance into super-

physical worlds a

man,

in a certain sense,

ground vanish from under his

sees the

That which gave him

feet.

It lies

security in

the physical world has apparently quite disappeared.

When we

perceive

thing in the physical world, selves:

Whence comes

this in

But we sciously*

are '

we ask

anyour-

this perception?

most cases unconsciously. quite

satisfied

" uncon-

that the causes of the percep-

tion are the objects "outside us, in space."

Colours, sounds,

and odours proceed from

these objects.

do not see colours

floating about in space, or hear sounds,

without being able to satisfy ourselves regarding

the

objects

which these

colours pertain as qualities,

and from

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER which these tones proceed.

and

objects

perceptions,

a sense of

they

that

sciousness,

entities,

are

This concaused

gives to physical

and thereby to man

security, a sure hold.

himself, If

one

has perceptions without any outward cause, they are considered

Such

morbid.

abnormal and

unaccountable

percep-

tions are called illusions, hallucinations, visions.

Now point

primarily,

view,

from a purely external

the whole imaginative

world consists of such hallucinations, ions,

and

illusions.

vis-

has been pointed

out how, through occult training, such visions

are

artificially

produced. 1

focussing the consciousness on a seed or

a dying plant, certain forms are conjured

in the soul, which, to begin with, are

nothing but hallucinations. T

See The

Way of Initiation.

The "flame-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

which

formation"

was

spoken

being produced in the soul through the observation of a plant or other object, and

which after a time completely separates

from the plant, must, from the

itself

material standpoint, be regarded as in

the nature of hallucination.

same

in the imaginative

enter

upon

world when we

occult training.

we were accustomed

It is the

That which

to regard as pro-

ceeding from things outside in space,

colours, sounds, odours,

now

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;as

to such things as properties,

clinging

floats freely

and so

itself in

forth,

space.

ceptions detach themselves from

Per-

all

exter-

nal objects and float or soar apart.

And

here

we know

for a certainty that these

perceptions have not produced the things

which we see before contrary,

them.

us,

but that on the

we "ourselves" have produced

And

comes about that one

THE PUPIL AND

HIS

TEACHER

seems to have "lost one's foothold.' ordinary

life,

in the physical world,

have to be on our guard against those representations

from

objects,

which do not proceed

and which

are, so to speak,

without any foundation.

But

calling forth of Imaginative

the important thing at

for

the

Knowledge,

first is

to perceive

colours, sounds, odours, etc., which, de-

tached from everything, float freely in space.

The next Knowledge

step

towards Imaginative

to find a

new cause

wandering conceptions.

And

New

objects

must

this

be done in that other world which to be revealed.

for such

about

and beings

appropriate these representations.

In the

physical world, for instance, the colour

"blue"

clings

the cornflower,

similarly in the imaginative world

cleave to something real.

and

must

It rushes forth,

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

as as

it it

were, towards

some being, and where-

floated unattached at

becomes the expression

of that

Something speaks through ver,

first, it

now

being.

to the obser-

which he can only perceive in the

imaginative world.

And

floating pictures gather

so these free

round a

definite

and we know that beings are speaking to us through them. And, as

centre,

in the physical world

things

sounds,

and beings odours,

etc.,

find corporeal

which

colours,

are attached,

from which they are derived, we now discover

spiritual

beings

who

express

themselves through those colours, tones, etc.

These

fact,

always present; they hover round

''spiritual

beings''

are,

But they cannot reveal themselves to us if we do not give them an opportunity to do so. And we can us continually.

only give them this opportunity by evok-

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER

ing within ourselves the capacity to call

up colours, sounds, etc., in our soul, even when no physical object gives rise to them. Entirely different from the objects entities

and

the physical world are the

"spiritual facts

and beings/

It is

not

easy to find in ordinary speech an expression which even remotely describes this difference.

proach

Perhaps we

by saying that

may

best

in the imagina-

tive world everything speaks to if

were directly

ap-

intelligent;

man

while in

the physical world intelligence can only reveal

itself

reality.

indirectly

through corpo-

It is just this that gives mobility

and freedom to the imaginative world:

The intermediary member, ward is

object, is absent,

viz.,

the out-

and the

spiritual

able to live immediately in the free-

flowing colours, sounds,

and so on.

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

Now man

one of the dangers that threatens

in this world lies in the fact that

perceives these manifestations of "spiritual beings/ selves.

but not the beings them-

This at least

the case so long

as he remains in the imaginative world

only and does not ascend to a higher one. It is Inspiration

and Intuition which lead

him by degrees

to the beings themselves.

however, the occult teacher should

If,

awaken these prematurely, without having thoroughly acquainted the pupil with

realm of imagination,

the

the higher

world would have for him only a shadowy

and phantasmal

The whole

existence.

glorious fullness of the pictures in

which

when he really

enters

it it,

must reveal would be

why

itself

lost.

In this

lies

the reason

the occult student needs a " Guide,'*

or "Guru," as this guide

Occult Science.

is'

called in

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER For the at

first

pupil, the imaginative

world

only a world of pictures, of which,

to a great extent, he does not

know

the

But the "Guru" knows to what things and beings these pictures are meaning.

related in the higher world.

has confidence in him he will

the pupil

know

that

connecting links, which for the present

he cannot discern, to

him

later.

will reveal

In the physical world, the

space were

objects

guides.

He was

themselves his

in a position to

the accuracy of his ideas. reality

the

hallucinations tered.

themselves

The

prove

corporeal

"rock" upon which

and

illusions

must be

shat-

This rock disappears, as soon as

enter the imaginative world.

all

Therefore

"Guru" must himself become its substitute. The Teacher must realise for his pupil the actuality of the new world. From this we may estimate how

the

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

must be the pupil's confidence in the Guru in any occult training worthy

great

the name.

As soon as he can no longer

believe in the Guru,

it is

as though in the

physical world he were suddenly deprived of everything

on which he had

built his

faith in the reality of his perceptions.

Apart from difficulty if

this,

there

may

which

yet another

confuse the pupil,

he seeks to enter the imaginative world

For

without the guidance of a Teacher. the occult student has, to learn to

know

first

himself as distinct from

all

other spiritual beings.

life

man

has

and foremost, In physical

feelings, desires, longings,

passions, ideas, etc., of his own. are, indeed, all

These

caused by the things and

beings of the outer world, but the

man

knows quite definitely that they make up his inner world, and he recognises them as something happening within his

THE PUPIL AND soul, distinct

HIS

TEACHER

from the objects of the world

outside,

But

as soon as the imaginative sense

awakened, this

com-

facility of distinction

His own

pletely ceases.

feelings, ideas,

passions, etc., literally step outside him,

and take on form, sound, and colour. His attitude with regard to them is now the

same

it is

with reference to absolutely

strange objects and beings in the physical world.

And it

how may be when we

easy to understand

complete the confusion

remember what has been

said

this

point in a previous chapter, the whole of

which was occupied in describing how the imaginative world presents the observer. pears reversed

from without.

For there everything apas

a mirror.

which goes forth from the appears as

itself

man

That himself

were approaching him

wish which he fosters

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

changes into a form, into that of some fantastic-looking animal, for instance, or

human This seems to assail him, to make

perhaps into the appearance of a entity.

an attack on him, or to cause him to do one thing or another. about that the if

man appears

may come

to himself as

surrounded by a wholly fantastic, often

charming and seductive, but also often horrible,

world of fluttering forms.

In reality these are nothing but his

own

thoughts,

wishes,

and

passions,

changed into pictures which he

sees.

would be a great mistake to suppose that it

easy to distinguish these pictures

of the transformed spiritual world.

self

first it is

impossible for the pupil to tinction.

to the

absolutely

make this

dis-

For the picture which speaks

man may

whether

from the true

be exactly the same,

springs from

some

spiritual

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER being or from something within his

And

soul.

man

ment unduly at danger that he

to separate the two. this

own

hurries his develop-

this point,

may

there

never rightly learn It is imperative in

matter that he should exercise the

greatest care.

The confusion is rendered still greater by the fact that the wishes and desires of his own soul clothe themselves in images conveying an absolutely contrary character to that which they really bear.

Let us suppose, for instance, that Vanity

comes before us as a picture in ner:

figure,

things

may

man-

appear perhaps as a lovely

promising if

this

the

execute

most wonderful

its

behests.

The

makes appear to promise something altogether good and desirable; if we follow them it will bring about our suggestions

ruin,

moral or otherwise.

Conversely,

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

a good quality of the soul can

Only to him

in unprepossessing garb.

who

truly knows

is it

veil itself

possible to distin-

Only a

guish the one from the other. personality

who cannot be made aim

in pursuit of a right

to falter

secure against

the seductive power of his

own

soul-

images.

Having regard to

all this, it will

be seen how necessary

readily

the guidance of

a Teacher who, with unerring judgment, draws

his pupil's attention

illusions

and

we need not suppose always stand, as

that the

But Guru must

were, behind the pupil.

The immediate presence is

both to the

realities in this region.

of the

Teacher

not the most important matter for

the occult student.

Of course there are

moments when such "being together in space* is desirable, and even when it is absolutely necessary. But on the other '

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER

hand, the occult Teacher finds means of remaining

touch with the pupil

even when separated by distance.

And much

must be observed that of what passes between Teacher and pupil when they meet may be effectual often besides,

months and probably for years afterwards. One thing there is, however, which

for

break this necessary link between

will

Teacher and pupil without

happens when the fortunate

latter loses confidence

And

in his Teacher. this

This

fail.

it is

bond

especially un-

of confidence is

broken before the pupil has learned to distinguish between the delusive reflections of his It

but

may

own

soul

and true

here, perhaps,

tie is

reality.

said:

"Yes,

formed with the Guru in this

way, the occult student loses

and independence.

all

freedom

gives himself, so

to speak, entirely into the

hands

of the

THE GATES OP KNOWLEDGE

Guru."

There

This, however,

not the case.

certainly a difference

among the

various methods of occult training in respect of this dependence

on the Guru.

The dependence may be greater or less. is

relatively greatest in the

lowed by Oriental

occultists,

by them even to-day dependence so-called

fol-

and taught

as their own.

This

proportionately less in the

Christian

reality, it is

methods

Initiation;

and,

completely in abeyance on

that Path of Knowledge which has been

known since the fourteenth century as the Rosicrucian School of Occultism. the

In this

Guru can by no means be abolished,

that

impossible; but the entire depend-

ence on him ceases.

chapters.

how

Therein

this is prac-

shall explain pre-

these three "Paths of

ledge' differ, '

How

be shown in the following

ticable will

cisely

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Know-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Oriental, the Christian,

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER and the Rosicrucian.

In this last there

nothing which could interfere in any way

with a modern man's sense of freedom.

be seen

It will also

how

may happen

that one person or another as an occult student, even to-day in

may

modern Europe,

follow, not the Rosicrucian,

Oriental Path,

but the

or the early Christian;

though, for the present time, the Rosithe most natural.

crucian

way, as

will presently

be seen,

And is

this

by no

means non-Christian. A man may follow this Path without endangering his Christianity;

and

he, too,

believes himself to

may

who

have adopted that

theory of the world which

identified

with modern science.

One other cleared up.

point, perhaps, needs to

We may feel tempted to

ask

whether the occult student might not be spared the experience of the delusive

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

reflections of his

own

But

soul.

this

happened he would never attain to the independent discernment so desirable for

For by no other means can the

him.

peculiar nature of the imaginative world

be so well realised as by the observation

own

of one's

the inner side,

soul.

first

man knows from one

of his soul only

life

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that he begins by being within

And

this is just

what the pupil has to

learn, not only to look at things side,

it.

but to observe them as

from out-

he himself

Now, if his own thought-world comes upon him as something strange, he learns to know a new aspect of that of which formerly he knew were within

but one

all

side.

of them.

He must, in a certain sense,

himself serve as the

mode

Here

first

example of

this

Knowledge.

in the physical world

accus-

tomed to something quite different. Here

THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER he looks upon

all

himself alone he

things from without;

knows only from

within.

So long as he remains in the physical world he can never see below the surface of things;

and he can never get outside

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; "slip out of his skin," as were himself, â&#x20AC;&#x201D;in order to observe himself from withit

out.

him

And this is literally incumbent upon before

all else

in occult training;

the help of this he learns to look beneath the surface of external facts and beings.

CHAPTER

INSPIRATION

T^HE description ination has student,

of the

shown us how the

by its means,

much

occult

leaves the region of

outer sense-experiences. in a

power of Imag-

This

the case

higher degree with Inspiration.

Here ideas are much less dependent upon what may be called an outside stimulus. The individual must find within himself the power which enables him to form ideas concerning things. He must be inwardly active to a far greater extent

than

the case with regard to outer

For the

latter

he simply

yields himself to impressions

from with-

knowledge.

out,

and these give 68

rise to ideas

within

INSPIRATION him.

This kind of surrender ceases when

we come

to Inspiration.

Henceforward

the eye does not supply colours, the ear

The whole content of ideas must, in a sense, be produced by individual activity, and by purely spiritsounds, and so forth.

ual

and psychic

processes.

And

the

manifestation of the higher, the real world

must be impressed upon what the man has created by his inner activity.

peculiar contradiction seems to be

involved in such a description of the

world of higher cognition.

The

indi-

vidual must, in a certain sense, be the creator of his

own

his ideas should not

creation,

ideas; yet obviously

solely of his

own

but the processes of the higher

worlds should be expressed through them, just as the events of the lower world are

expressed through the perceptions of the eyes, ears,

and other organs.

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

Such a contradiction table in

is,

any description For

cognition.

however, ineviof this

this is exactly

mode

what the

must achieve on the path

occult student

he must attain by his

of Inspiration:

inner activity to something to which in

ordinary out. life

life

compelled from with-

Why do not the images of ordinary take an arbitrary course?

Because

the individual has to correct his attitude

towards outward objects by means of the ideas they give him. part of the ego objects say:

All choice

on the

suppressed because the

The

are thus, or thus.

objects themselves decide

how they

shall

be understood the ego has nothing to say ;

in the matter.

The man who

will

not

adjust himself to the objects, misunder-

stands them and will soon be

how little

success he has

had

made

to feel

in the world.

This necessary attitude of the individual

INSPIRATION

may be

to the things of the outer world

designated in

The

cognition

individual

must maintain a

attitude towards things;

world

him

and the outer

of all illusions, fancies,

illogical opinions,

non-essential, rect

selfless

his instructor in this selflessness.

It deprives

and

" self -less.'

and

of everything

by simply putting the

image before

his senses.

any man would prepare himself

Inspiration,

cor-

he must

first

for

develop his

inner nature to such a point that this selflessness is natural to

uncompelled

him, even

from without.

when

He must

learn to create inwardly, but in such a

way

that the ego plays no arbitrary part

in this creation.

The

difficulties

which

have to be taken into account in attaining such a degree of selflessness,

become

more apparent the more we consider what powers of the soul are specially

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

required for Inspiration.

recognise

three fundamental powers in the

the soul,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Idea,

and

Feeling,

life

Will.

ordinary cognition by the senses, ideas are induced

by outward

and

objects;

these externally-stimulated ideas will de-

termine the direction taken by feeling

and

will.

For instance, a

man

sees

an object

which gives him pleasure and he begins to long for the thing in question.

sure

rooted in feeling and through

ing the will

roused, just as feeling

awakened by the image the external object

of the thing.

Take another occurrence

instance.

which

away from

feel-

was But

the ultimate cause

of the image, the feeling,

rushes

Plea-

and the

A man

frightens

will.

sees

him.

the scene of the event.

Here, too, the outward incidents are the

primary cause; they are perceived by

INSPIRATION means

of the senses; images are formed;

they give

rise

to ideas; the feeling of

alarm springs up; and Will itself in

running away

Inspiration there

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;expressing

the result.

object of this kind.

The

senses are

longer needed in order to perceive. fore they cannot

From

this side

no longer an outward There-

be the cause of

no influence

ideas.

exercised

upon feeling and will. Yet it is precisely from these two, as from their native soil, that in the

Inspirational

mode

ideas

spring

up inwardly, and, so to speak,

grow.

And

the native

the ideas that spring if

soil is

will

healthy,

be true;

unhealthy, they will be errors and

illusions.

certainly as Inspirations, rooted in

healthy feeling and tion

will,

may be a revela-

from a higher world, so certainly do

mistakes, delusions, and errors concern-

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

ing a higher world, spring from disorderly

and

feeling

On itself

this

will.

account occult training sets

the task of pointing out the

which a

man may make

way by

his feelings

and

the impulses of his will healthily productive for Inspiration.

occult training,

in all matters of

we have here

to deal with

the intimate regulation and fashioning of the

life

of the soul.

First of all the stu-

dent must develop certain feelings which are very

Some

little

known

of these feelings

cated. sists in

One

of the

in ordinary

may

life.

here be indi-

most important con-

an increased sensitiveness with

regard to the "true" and " false," and the " right" and "wrong."

It is quite

true that the ordinary person has similar feelings.

by the

But they must be cultivated occult student to a very

higher degree.

much

INSPIRATION

Let us suppose that a logical error has

been made by some one.

Another sees

the mistake and puts the matter right.

Let us realise

how

large a part

played

by the judgment and understanding in such a correction, and how slight is the feeling of pleasure at what is true and repugnance to what

false.

Observe

by any means maintaining that the pleasure and corresponding repugnance are not there. But the degree that

are not

which they are present in ordinary

must be immeasurably

raised in occult

The student must

training.

direct his

attention quite systematically to the of his soul

;

life

and he must carry this training

to such a point that a logical error

source of pain to him, in no

way

falling

short of physical pain;

and on the other

hand what

must

real joy

and

" right'

pleasure.

afford

him

;

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

Thus, where another only brings his

judgment and understanding into play, the occult student must learn to live

through the whole gamut of emotions,

from ful

grief to

enthusiasm, and from pain-

suspense to transports of delight in the

In fact, he must learn

possession of truth.

what the "normal" man looks upon coldly and dispassionately as incorrect. He must

to feel something like hatred for

develop such a love of truth as bears quite

a personal character, as

warm

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;as

personal and

as that which the lover feels for

the beloved.

We * '

hear, indeed, a great deal in our

cultured

but what

' '

circles

about the love of truth

meant by this is not to be compared with what the occult student must attain in this direction through quiet inward work in his soul. As a test, he must continually and patiently put before is

INSPIRATION

him

"true" thing and this or

this or that

that " false " one, and concentrate upon

it,

not merely for the sake of training his

judgment to distinguish dispassionately between "true" and "false," but in order to acquire a completely personal relation to

There

it all.

no doubt that at the

beginning of such training the student

may

fall

into

sensitiveness.

what may be

called over-

erroneous

opinion

uttered in his hearing, an inconsistency, etc.,

may

cause

him almost

intolerable

pain.

Care must therefore be taken during training

with

regard

this

matter;

otherwise there would be great danger to

the psychic equilibrium.

If care is

taken

that the character be steadfast, storms

may occur in the life of the soul and yet the man may have the power to conduct himself harmoniously towards the outer

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

world.

It is

a mistake in this respect to

allow the occult student to be brought into opposition to the outer world, so

that he finds to flee from

unbearable, or even wishes

The higher world

it.

of feel-

ing should not be cultivated at the expense of well-balanced

work and

activity in the

outer world; therefore a strengthening of

the power of resistance to outward im-

must counterbalance the inward

pressions

elevation of the Practical

life

of feeling.

occult

training

directs

the

student never to undertake the above-

mentioned exercises

for developing the

realm of feeling without at the same time schooling himself in such a will learn

the

way

that he

demands from men in toleration. He must be able

what

way

life

to feel the keenest pain

a person gives

utterance to an erroneous opinion, and yet at the

same time be

perfectly tolerant

INSPIRATION

towards this person, because the thought

mind is equally clear, that "this person is bound to judge in this way, and his opinion must be reckoned with as a in his

fact." It

is,

of course, true that the inner

nature of the occult scientist comes to be

more and more involved in a double life. Ever richer experiences are lived through in his soul in the course of his pilgrimage

through ally

life,

becomes more and more independent

what

And will

and the other world grad-

this outer

it is

just this double existence that

be most

tice of

world has to give.

life.

fruitful in the

genuine prac-

What results from

it is

swift-

ness of judgment and unerring certainty of decision.

While one who

a strang-

must go through thought and be driven

er to such schooling

long trains of

backwards and forwards between reso-

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

lution

and

perplexity, the occult scientist

will swiftly

review the conditions of

and discern hidden

relations not seen

the ordinary gaze.

Often he needs

life

much

patience in order to enter into the lengthy

methods by which something clear to another person, while

comprehension

life

may

swift as

an arrow.

we have spoken only

Hitherto qualities

made his own

of the

which must be developed in the

of feeling in order that Inspiration

begin in the right way.

question

The next

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;How do the feelings become

productive, so as to bring forth true ideas

belonging to the world of Inspiration? If

man

desires to

know what answer

Occult Science gives to this question, he

must be made acquainted with the that the soul-life of

man has

tain store of feelings over

that are aroused

fact

always a cer-

and above those

sense-perceptions.

INSPIRATION

The

individual feels far

nary

life

more than anything compels him to feel. But in ordithis excess of feeling is turned in

a direction which occult training must change for another. Take, for instance, a feeling of fear or In

anxiety.

many

cases

quite easy

it is

to see that the fear or anxiety

than

would be

if it

greater

were in true propor-

tion to the corresponding outward event.

Let us imagine that the student ing

energetically

object that he

work-

on himself with the

may

not in any case

feel

more fear and anxiety than is justified by an outward event. Now a given amount of fear or anxiety always involves an expenditure of psychic force. actually lost

duced.

when

This force

fear or anxiety

pro-

The student really saves this force

when he

denies himself fear, anxiety, or

other wasteful feelings.

And

remains

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

at his disposal for

some other purpose.

he repeats the process often he

will

acquire an inner store of this continually-

husbanded psychic

and he

force;

will

soon find that out of such economies of feeling will

spring the germs of those

ideas which will give utterance to the revelations

the

higher

Such

life.

things cannot in the ordinary sense be " proved"; one can only give the occult

student advice to do this or that, and

carries

out the instructions he will

presently see the indubitable results.

From a

casual view of

been described,

might

what has easily

just

appear

self-contradictory to say that on the one

hand an enrichment ing

necessary,

of the world of feel-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;since

feelings of pleas-

ure or pain are to be excited

by what

otherwise arouses only intellectual judg-

ment,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;and that on the other hand

it is

INSPIRATION

economy

of feeling that

spoken

of.

This contradiction at once disappears if

borne in mind that the saving

should be

made

are aroused

ever

in those feelings

by the outer

which

What-

senses.

saved in that direction serves as

an enrichment

in the matter of spiritual

And

experiences.

altogether just

that the feelings thus economised in the sense-world of perception should not only

set free in

another sphere, but should

prove creative in that provide the material for

which the

spiritual

Of course far

we were

world

They those ideas by sphere.

revealed.

would not be going very to remain content with

only such economies as have been indicated.

Much more

results are to

of the force

necessary

great

A larger store

be attained.

which begets

feeling

conveyed to the soul than

must be

possible

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

For instance, we must,

means alone.

this

as a test,

submit ourselves to certain

outward impressions and then wholly

deny ourselves the

feelings

arise in a so-called

"normal" condition.

which would

must confront an occurrence which "normally" stimulates the soul, and

absolutely forbid ourselves to be excited

it.

This can be done either by actu-

ally experiencing such

experiencing

The

only in the imagination.

latter process is

occult training that

As the student power

an event, or by

even better for an to bear fruit. initiated into the

of imagination, either before his

preparation for the inspirational or

simultaneously

with

it,

mode

he should

actually be in a position to represent an

occurrence to his if

mind

as powerfully as

were taking place before him.

therefore,

If,

by long inward labour the

INSPIRATION

student subjects himself more and more

and events and yet denies himself the normal feelings corresponding to them, the ground will to the influence of objects

be prepared for Inspiration in his Let

be incidentally noted here that he

who

soul.

describing such a training for

Inspiration has the fullest justification for

though

it,

made

many

objections might be

to his account of

from the point

of view of our present-day culture.

And

not only can objections be made, but people say:

may

"But it

way and

Inspiration cannot be pedanti-

cally taught

Yes,

smile in a superior

;

it is

may

a natural gift of genius." certainly

seem almost

laughable, from the standpoint of culture, to discuss so fully a

which that culture

will

modern

development

not admit to be

capable of explanation; but such culture

does not realise

how little it is able to pur-

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

sue to their logical ends of thought.

its

own

processes

Any one who required a dis-

ciple of this culture to believe that some more highly developed animal had not slowly evolved, but had appeared suddenly, would speedily be told that no cultured person in the modern sense of the term could believe such a miracle. Such Yet a belief would be " superstition.' '

such a person

the victim of gross super-

matters of spiritual

stition in

according to his

own way

life,

even

of thinking.

That is to say, he will not allow that a more perfected soul must also have evolved slowly,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that

could not have

arisen suddenly as a gift of nature. course, externally,

to have

many a genius appears

been born suddenly "out of

some mysterious way; but it only appears so on account of material-

no where* istic

superstition;

the

occult

scientist

INSPIRATION knows that the condition arises in

a man's

life

of genius,

which

out of nothing,

simply the result of his training on

inspirational lines during

theoretical ground; but

bad enough

it is

far worse

in a practical region such as this.

assumes that in

from heaven," to

life

earth.

Materialistic superstition

a former

all

ages genius must "fall

it will

have nothing to say

any "occult nonsense" or "fantastic

mysticism" as a preparation for Inspiration.

way

In this

the superstition of the

materialist retards the real progress of

humanity.

does not trouble himself

about the latent faculties evolving in man. In reality call

it is

often precisely those

themselves progressives and liberal

thinkers

who

are the enemies of real for-

ward development. said,

who

only

But

this, as

already

an incidental comment,

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

necessary with regard to the relationship of Occult Science to present-day culture.

Now up

the soul powers which are stored

in the student's inner nature

self-denial of the

normal

by the

feelings indicated

above, would undoubtedly be transmuted into Inspiration even

And

were given them. occult

no further aid

in the soul of the

student there would arise true

images of events taking place in the higher

worlds.

Progress

would

begin

with the simplest experiences of superevents,

sensible

followed gradually

those of a higher and more complicated aspect,

the student continued to live

inwardly in the prescribed way. But, as a matter of fact, such occult

would be quite impracticable

training

to-day,

and when a man has

seriously

through to

its

work

conclusion.

set himself

never

carried

That

to say,

INSPIRATION if

the student wished to develop out of

his inner nature everything that Inspira-

he could undoubtedly

can give,

tion

"spin out" from within himself everything, for example, that

has been said in

my other works about the nature of man, the

life

death,

after

the evolution of

humanity and forth.

of the planets, and so But such a student would need

an immeasurably long time It

would be as

weave the whole self,

should wish to

geometry out

him-

without regard to what has already

been achieved

in that field before him.

Certainly in theory for

man

for all this.

him to do

practice

so;

would be

quite possible

but to carry folly.

Nor

out in

is this

the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

method of Occult Science; the facts which have been won for humanity by inspired predecessors have been handed

down through a

teacher.

Such

tradi-

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

tion

must

in fact furnish the basis for

individual Inspiration.

That which lectures

being given out to-day in

and writings from the domain

may

Occult Science

well furnish such a

basis for Inspiration.

There

stance, the teaching about

component parts etheric

body,

man

astral

new

for in-

(physical body,

life

incarnation,

is,

the various

body,

knowledge concerning until a

Atlantis

The

Akashic

and Lemuria).

we must Inspiration

clearly is

grasp

the

etc.),

death

after

and much

which has been published under the

"From

else title,

Records"

That the

(see

to say,

fact

that

needed for the discovery

and experience

the

higher

truths,

but not for the understanding of them.

What tis

has been communicated in Atlan-

and Lemuria could not at

covered without Inspiration.

first

dis-

But when

INSPIRATION once communicated

can be understood

by the ordinary reasoning

faculty.

one should assert that facts are there stated which cannot be logically under-

stood without

Inspiration.

People do

not find them incomprehensible because

they themselves are not inspired, but because they will not think enough about

them. Further,

when a man

truths so communicated, Inspiration in his soul

receives

the

they awaken

by their own power.

we wish to participate in such Inspiration, we must not merely receive the If

knowledge in a

logical

and matter-of-fact

way, but must lay ourselves open to be carried of

by the flight

emotional

of ideas into all kinds

experiences.

should not this be possible? ings remain passive

when

And why Can the feelthere passes

before the spirit's gaze the overpowering

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

process of the development of the earth

from the Moon, Sun, and Saturn? or

when the

infinite

are penetrated

human

by the knowledge

nature

might almost say

ill

with him

who can contemplate unmoved structures

longer

For

thought.

regarded

but experienced

them

all

ation of feeling, crises, all

man's

and yet subtler bodies?

etheric, astral,

depths of

such

he no

dispassionately,

the tension and relaxall

the climaxes and

the advances and retreats, all

the catastrophes and dispensations which

they render possible, then indeed the

ground would be prepared in his soul. life

for Inspiration

True, the necessary emotional

corresponding with such communica-

tions

from a higher world can only be

fully unfolded

exercises of the kind

indicated above.

Reports of such a world

will

appear

INSPIRATION

but arid notions and dull theories to one

who

directs

emotional

his

all

forces

towards the outer world of sense. never be able to understand

will

heart of another

man

hearing of what

while

Science

his

remains cold. all

that

nature.'

that

it is

warmed by the imparted by Occult own inmost being

will

want something

He his

the

even say: " But

for the intellect

why

for

and reason;

emotional

does not say to himself

own fault if his heart remains

cold.

Many people still undervalue the power of

what

tions

lies

hidden in these communica-

which can come only from a higher

And in this connection they over-

world.

and prac-

rate all kinds of other exercises '

tices.

Of what use is it to me, they say, '

"to hear from others what the higher

worlds look like?

want to look into them

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

for myself.'

Such persons, for the most

part, lack the

patience

to concentrate

themselves again and again upon such reports from higher worlds.

they did

they would see what kindling force

so, lies

and how one's own Inspiration may be awakened by hearing

in these bare reports,

an account

of the Inspiration of others.

It is true that other exercises

supplement mere learning wishes to

make

must

the student

rapid progress in the ex-

perience of the higher worlds; but no

one should underestimate the very great importance of such learning. case,

no hope can be held out

And in any of

making

rapid conquests in the higher worlds by

any exercises whatever, unless the student resolves at the same time unremittingly to

ponder

over

the

communications

which have been given, in their proper order,

from a competent source, as to

INSPIRATION the

events and

beings

higher

the

worlds.

Now

that such communications are

made

being

and the given

in lectures, literature, etc.,

first

indications are also being

the exercises

leading

knowledge of the higher worlds instance, in ation)

book, The

Way

for

of Initi-

has become possible to learn

(as,

something of what formerly was imparted only in strictly guarded occult schools.

As has already been

said, it is

owing to the special conditions of our time that these things are and must be published.

But we must once more em-

phasise this point, ties

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that although

have been given

facili-

for the acquisition

of occult knowledge, trustworthy guid-

ance by an experienced occult teacher is

not at present to be dispensed with.

The

Inspirational

mode

Knowledge

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

leads to the actual experience of processes in the invisible worlds,

the evolution of

and

its

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

as, for instance,

man and

of the earth

former embodiments ("Moon,"

"Sun," and "Saturn").

But when

these higher worlds not only processes

but beings have to be taken into account,

mode

then the Intuitional

must

enter

That

in.

Knowledge

which

occurs

through the agency of such beings

is dis-

cerned by Imagination as in a picture;

laws and conditions are discerned by Inspiration; but

the beings themselves

are to be approached, Intuition

shall

speak later of the

which Inspiration

world of Imagination,

needed.

way

organised in the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;how

penetrates

that world as a spiritual music and there-

by becomes a means

of expression to the

beings

who

tion.

Intuition itself will also then be

are to be recognised

Intui-

INSPIRATION treated

of.

here that what as " Intuition'

what often speech. is

would only point out

known

in Occult Science

has nothing to do with

receives that

name

more or

uncertain notion

less

in popular

there put in contradistinction to

clear understanding logically arrived at

through the Science

intellect.

nothing vague or uncertain,

but a lofty method of the

Intuition in Occult

cognition,

full

most luminous clearness and indu-

bitable certainty.

CHAPTER V INSPIRATION AND INTUITION

|*UST as Imagination spiritual seeing, so

be called spiritual

form

must of our minds that

Jiearing.

course be quite clear in

by the expression

may be called may Inspiration

" hearing' is signified '

of perception as far

removed from

sense-hearing in the physical world, as 11

sight " in the imaginative or astral world

from seeing with the physical eyes.

We may

say of the light and colour

phenomena

of the astral world that they

are as of

the luminous surfaces and colours

sense-objects

stood out from these

objects, and, detached 98

from them, floated

INSPIRATION

AND INTUITION

But

approximate idea;

this gives only an " for space* in the

imaginative world

freely in space.

same as

by no means the

in the physical.

Therefore

it is

a mistake to believe that we are seeing

made by when we are

colour-pictures

the imaginative

faculty

observing

only

detached specks of colour floating in ordi-

nary space.

Nevertheless the building

of such colour-images

imaginative

the

way

to the

life.

Anyone who

tries to picture to

himself

a flower, and then reject from the image everything that

not colour, so that a

picture as of the detached colour-surface of the flower floats before his

mind,

may

gradually acquire the imaginative faculty

by means

of such exercises.

This

in itself the imaginative picture,

more or

less

Imagination

but

not is

preparatory fantasy-picture.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that

is,

genuine astral ex-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

ioo

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

perience

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;does not come until not only

colour detached from sense-impression,

but three-dimensional space has com-

That

pletely disappeared.

this

pened, can be realised only

kind of

feeling,

which

has hap-

by a

certain

best described

by saying that one no longer

feels ''out-

side" but ''inside" the colour-image, and

has the consciousness of taking part in genesis.

If this feeling is absent, if

its

seem to be looking at the thing as we look at a physical colour-picture, then

are

not yet dealing with genuine Imagination,

but with something purely

But

must not be

fanciful.

said that such fancy

pictures are altogether worthless.

may,

for instance,

shadows, as

They

be etheric images,

were, of genuine astral

and as such they have value in occult training. They may form a bridge

facts;

to genuine astral imaginative experiences,

INSPIRATION

AND INTUITION

101

but they involve a certain amount of danger to the observer on this borderland

between the senses and the sensible, unless he brings sound judgment It is not to

test

fully into play.

be expected that an unfailing

can be given to every one, whereby

may

distinguish reality from illusions,

and

hallucinations,

derland.

fancies

Such a general

this bor-

would

rule

cer-

tainly be convenient, but convenience

a word which the occult student should

expunge from It

his vocabulary.

can only be said that he

who

wishes

to acquire clear discrimination in this

sphere must in the

first

place cultivate

discrimination in the ordinary physical world.

life

of the

The man who takes no

pains to think definitely and clearly in

ordinary

life will fall

ner of illusions worlds.

a victim to

when he ascends

all

man-

to higher

have only to consider how

THE GATES OP KNOWLEDGE

102

many

snares beset sound judgment in

ordinary

How

affairs.

often

happens

that people do not see calmly what exists,

but what they wish to see cases

do they believe a

pleases

them

how many

thing, not because

they have comprehended it

it,

to believe

it!

but because

And what

mistakes arise because people will not sift

a thing to the bottom, but form a

hasty opinion! in

ordinary

indefinitely.

All these causes of error

life

might be

What

multiplied

tricks are played

sound judgment by party

feeling, passion,

and prejudice! If such errors of judgment in ordinary life are disturbing and often

momentous

in their consequences,

they are the greatest imaginable danger to the sanity of the super-sensible

life.

general rule can be given to the stu-

dent for his guidance in the higher worlds,

beyond the injunction to do everything

INSPIRATION

AND INTUITION power

possible to develop a healthy

discrimination and a sound

103

and inde-

pendent judgment.

When the observer in the higher worlds once knows what Imagination really

is,

he very soon acquires the conviction that the images of the astral world are not

merely images,

but manifestations of

spiritual beings.

He comes to know that

these imaginative pictures belong just as

much

to spiritual or psychic beings as

physical colours to physical beings or objects.

course,

regards details he

have much to

will,

He must

learn.

learn to discriminate between colour-pic-

tures which are

opaque and those which

are quite transparent, and, as

illumined from within.

fact,

were,

will

observe some images which seem to be continually

creating

their

colour-light

from within, and which therefore are not

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

104

only fully illuminated and transparent,

but are continually raying forth

light.

He will refer the opaque images to a lower order of creation, and the transparent

ones to intermediate

which radiate

light

entities,

while those

from within

may

taken as manifestations of higher spiritual beings. If

we would

arrive at the truth about

the world of Imagination,

we must

form too narrow a conception of sight.

only

spiritual

For in that world there are not perceptions

which

not

may

light

and

colour,

be compared with the

sight-

experiences of the physical world, but also impressions of heat

and

cold, taste

and yet other experiences of imaginative "sense" to which there is no smell,

analogy in the physical world. sions of heat

and cold

are, in

Impres-

the imagina-

tive or astral world, manifestations of the

AND INTUITION

INSPIRATION

105

and purpose of psychic and spiritual Whether such a being is of good beings. will

bad intent is apparent in a certain effect of heat and cold. Astral beings can or

which constitutes in a ical

Only that

be " tasted" or "smelt."

also

real sense the phys-

element of sound and colour

almost

entirely lacking in the true imaginative

In this respect absolute

world.

reigns there.

But

in place thereof,

thing quite different is

making progress

tion,

stillness

some-

offered to one

who

in spiritual observa-

something which

may

be compared

with sound and vibration, speech and music, in the world of sense. higher something enters only

And

this

when every

sound and tone from the outer physical world

even the

wholly silenced, lightest psychic

in the outer world

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;in

fact,

when

echo of anything

silenced also.

Then

there comes to the observation what

may

io6

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

be called an understanding of the meaning of imaginative experiences.

we wish

now

felt

with anything in the physical world,

to compare

what

can only suggest as an illustration something which does not exist there.

could imagine that

could perceive the

thoughts and feelings of a person without hearing his words

by the

physical ear,

such a perception might be compared with the direct understanding by the imaginative faculty which

designated "hearing

In that world,

col-

our and light impressions are speech.

in the spiritual sense.

the images grow bright or dull in colour,

harmonies or discords are formed which reveal the feelings, ideas, of psychic

and

spiritual

and thoughts entities.

And

just as sound grows into speech in the

physical

man when

thought

impressed

upon him, so do the harmonies and

dis-

INSPIRATION AND INTUITION cords of the spiritual world

come

107

into

manifestation as the actual thoughts of

And

these beings.

must

fall

thought

The

upon the outer world

such

to be directly revealed.

following experience thus presents

We see the bright shades of colour

itself.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

of course darkness

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;fade away, and

red, yellow, and

orange

the higher world grow darker, through green, to blue

feel

and

violet, at the

an increase

same time

of will-power in our-

We experience complete freedom

selves.

with regard to time and space;

that

feel

We are conscious

are in motion.

of certain linear forms

and shapes, yet

we saw them drawn in but rather as if we ourselves were

not as though space,

following every curve

and form with our

ego in continuous movement. feel

that the ego

man and

In fact

at once the draughts-

the material with which they

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

108

are drawn;

and every turn

every change of place, experience of the ego. nise that

of the line,

equally

We learn to recog-

we with our ego

set in

motion

bound up with the creative forces of the world. The laws of the world are no longer something outwardly perceived by the ego, but a real web of wonder which are

helping to weave.

sketches out for us

drawings

and

all

Occult Science

kinds of symbolic

When

pictures.

really correspond to facts

these

and are not

merely figures of invention,

they are

founded on the observer's experiences in higher worlds,

which are seen in the

manner described above. Thus does the world take

its

world.

place within

When

of Inspiration

the Imaginative

the imaginings begin to

reveal their meanings to the observer in silent

language, the world of Inspira-

INSPIRATION tion

AND INTUITION

109

opening within the Imaginative

world.

The

physical world

a manifestation

which the

of that other world

spiritual

That

observer penetrates in this way. part of the physical world which ceptible

by the

senses,

standing which

and by the under-

limited

fact only the outside of

by them, it.

single example: a plant, as

by the physical is

senses

per-

it is

take a

observed

and understanding,

not the total being of the plant.

who knows only

the physical plant

similar position to one

himself

was

in a

who could perceive

the finger-nail of a man, but to

man

whom the

inaccessible.

The

nat-

ure and construction of the finger-nail,

can be understood only when explained

by the whole human reality, the plant is

when

that

being.

So,

only comprehensible

known which

pertains to

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

as the whole nail.

man

pertains to the finger-

That which makes up the

total

plant cannot be discovered in the physical world.

To begin with,

there

something

fundamental in the plant which can only

be revealed by the imaginative faculty in the astral world,

and something yet

further which can only be manifested

through Inspiration in the spiritual world.

Thus the plant

as a physical organism

the revelation of a being to be understood

by means

of Imagination

It is evident

and

Inspiration.

from what has gone before

that a path opens before the observer in

the higher worlds which has in the world of sense.

That

its

beginning

to say, he

can start from the physical world and ascend from

its

manifestations to the

higher beings behind them.

from the animal kingdom, he can the Imaginative world.

starts

rise into

he makes the

INSPIRATION

AND INTUITION in

plant his point of departure, spiritual

observation will lead

him through Imagi-

nation to the world of Inspiration. this

path

followed, there will soon

found within both those worlds beings

and

facts not revealed at all in the physi-

We must not,

cal world.

however, think

way we become acquainted

that in this

only with such beings of the higher worlds as have their manifestations in the physi-

A man who

cal.

has once entered the

Imaginative world comes into contact

with a number of beings and events of

which the merely physical observer never dreams.

There not

make

another method, which does

the physical world

departure, and which also

its

point of

makes a man

directly clairvoyant in the higher regions.

To many more

persons this method might be

attractive than the one

above

indi-

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

ii2

cated; but in our present-day conditions of life the

world

path upward from the physical

rather to be chosen.

upon the observer the which

necessary,

imposes

self-renunciation

is first

of all to

him in the physical world and gather some sort of knowledge, and more particularly some experience there. And, indeed, in any case, it is the method best look around

suited to our present-day conditions of culture.

The other way presupposes the

pre-

liminary acquisition of qualities of the soul extremely difficult to attain under

modern conditions

life.

Even though

such qualities have again and again been strongly ings

and

clearly insisted

upon

in writ-

this subject, yet the majority of

people have no idea

inadequate one

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;or at most, a very

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;of the extent to which

these qualities (for example, unselfishness

AND INTUITION

INSPIRATION and if

self-sacrificing love)

113

must be acquired

they would attain to the higher worlds

without starting from the sure ground of the physical.

And

a person awakes in

the higher worlds without having attained, to the extent necessary, the corresponding qualities of the soul,

unspeakable misery

must be the consequence. It must on no account be thought that the qualities mentioned above can be

dispensed with in cases where the start

made from this

the physical world to imagine ;

would be a

false

But

deduction.

such a beginning allows for the gradual acquisition of these qualities in the degree

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;and above

all in

the form

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;practicable

under our present conditions of

Another thing in

this connection

be taken into account.

remain,

has to

we start from manner indica-

the physical world in the ted,

life.

notwithstanding

our

THE GATES OP KNOWLEDGE

ascent into the higher worlds, in close

touch with the physical plane.

We keep

intact our full understanding of all that

going on in

and

it,

ing there.

all

our energy for work-

Indeed, this understanding

and energy increase

in a

most helpful way

in consequence of our knowledge of the

higher worlds. life,

In every department of

even in what seems most prosaic and

practical, the

knower

of the higher worlds

work better and more usefully than the ignorant man, if only the former has will

kept himself in living touch with the physical world.

The man, however, who awakens in the higher spheres without starting from the physical,

only too readily estranged

from outward

life;

he becomes a hermit,

confronting his contemporaries without

understanding or sympathy. often happens that people

who

Indeed,

are imper-

INSPIRATION

AND INTUITION

f ectly

developed in this

those

who

way

(of course

are fully evolved) look

115

not

down

with a certain contempt on the experiences of the physical world and imagine

themselves superior to them.

Instead of

having their sympathy with the world

in-

creased, such people harden themselves

and become

the spiritual sense

selfish in

The temptation to do this by no means small, and those who are

of the word. is

striving to attain to the higher worlds will

do well to be on

From

may

their

guard against

Inspiration the spiritual observer

rise to Intuition.

ogy of Occult Science in

many

life.

In the phraseolthis

word denotes

respects the exact opposite of

that to which

nary

it.

it is

often applied in ordi-

People speak of Intuition as

they had in their mind some idea dimly

felt

to be true, but lacking

exact confirmation.

any

clear

It is seen as

and

a pre-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

liminary step towards knowledge, rather

than knowledge

may

kind

itself.

idea of this

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;according to that definition

illuminate a great truth like a flash of

but

lightning,

can only become know-

when confirmed by accurate judgment. Again, by Intuition is generally ledge

denoted something which

and

which a person

"felt"

quite con-

vinced, but which he will not

encumber

truth,

with intellectual judgment. are

acquiring

a knowledge

People of

who

Occult

Science often say: That was always clear

But we must put all this entirely aside if we would fix our attention on the true meaning which the term Intuition here implies. In this to

"intuitively."

connection Intuition tion which

no way

a mode of cogniinferior in clear-

ness to intellectual knowledge, but far

surpasses

it.

INSPIRATION

The

AND INTUITION

117

experiences of the higher worlds

meaning through Inspiration.

reveal their

The observer

lives in the qualities

and

actions of the beings pertaining to those

worlds.

When

he follows with his ego,

as described above, the direction of a line,

or the shape of a figure, he

same instant that he being

but within

itself,

knows

at the

not within the

its qualities

and

has already experienced

in Imaginative

knowledge the feeling of

functions.

being no longer outside, but inside the colour-images, but at the

understands no

less

same time he

clearly that these

colour-images are not themselves inde-

pendent beings, but only the qualities of such beings. scious of

In Inspiration, he

con-

becoming one with the deeds of

such beings, and with the manifestations of their will in Intuition, for the first time, ;

he merges his own personality into that of

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

self-contained beings.

way

in the right

only

This can happen

when the blending

takes place, not through the effacement,

but with the

Any

being.

being

which

full

' '

preservation of his

losing of oneself

own

in another

Therefore only an ego

wrong.

is fortified

within

itself

to a very

high degree can with impunity plunge into the being of another.

Something has been realised intuitively

when the feeling arises with regard to it that some being is finding expression therein who is of the same nature as one's own ego. A man who for the first time

observes a stone with his outer senses and seeks to understand reason,

and by the usual

ods, gets to

stone.

its qualities

know only

As a

scientific

his

meth-

the outside of the

spiritual observer

he then

proceeds to Imaginative and Inspirational

knowledge.

he dwell inwardly in the

AND INTUITION

INSPIRATION

may arrive at a further percepwhich may be described by comparihe

latter,

tion,

son in the following way. that

first

makes only a

us.

Afterwards

ter,

119

Let us suppose

see a person in the street,

who

fleeting impression

know him betwhen we become

get to

then a time arrives

such friends that soul reveals itself to soul.

With such an

experience,

when the

veils

away and one ego sees the other face to face, we may compare what happens when the stone first appears to of the soul fall

the spiritual observer as an outward ap-

pearance only, and he ultimately reaches

something to which the stone belongs, just

as the finger-nail belongs to

human

body, and which lives

the

its life

as an

ego after the same fashion as our

own

inner

self.

The kind

knowledge which takes us

into the innermost nature of beings

is first

120

THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE

attained

Intuition.

Something has

already been said with regard to Inspiration as to the change which

must be

brought about in the inner psychic condition

the spiritual observer

wishes to attain this It

mode

of cognition.

has been stated, for instance, that an

inaccurate conclusion must not affect the intellect only,

but the feelings

also,

and

must cause pain and grief. And the observer must systematically cultivate that kind of inward

life.

Of course, so

long as such pain springs only from the

sympathies or antipathies of the ego, and

from

partiality, it

cannot be spoken of

as an adequate preparation for Inspiration.

Such mental contacts are very

far

removed from the inner sympathy which the ego must feel for pure truth, as truth, if

he would attain the goal in question.

cannot be too strongly emphasised that

INSPIRATION all

AND INTUITION

121

forms of interest which prevail in or-

dinary

life,

as pleasure or pain in relation

must

to truth or error,

and then a

totally

first

different

silenced, interest,

wholly free from self-seeking, must enter in, if

any glimpse

tional

Knowledge.

inner spiritual

life is,

to be

had

of Inspira-

This quality of the

however, only one of

the means of preparing for Inspiration.

A great number of others must be added. And

the more the spiritual observer puri-

fies

himself with regard to what has

already served

him

for Inspiration, the

nearer he will be able to approach to Intuition.

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY A LECTURE DELIVERED AT STUTTGART ON AUGUST 17, I908 Authorised Translation by A.B.

123

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

FTER

having come to the close of a

long course of purely Theosophic Lectures,

ent tone.

will

to-day assume a

differ-

must therefore ask you, from

the very outset, to take into consideration that to-day's address

not in the actual

sense a Theosophic one,

and that the

purely philosophic tone which must be

adopted may, to such as are unaccus-

tomed to this mode of thought, seem somewhat abstract and difficult. I

have a

ture

it is,

definite reason for this depar-

that again and again, and

especially in those circles possessing, or

believing themselves to possess, a certain

amount of philosophic training, the opinion must arise (and I use the word " must" 125

126

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

advisedly) that Theosophy

tolerable

who have been unable

only to persons

to pursue their philosophic, or scientific, studies beyond a certain point of amateur-

such

might

ishness.

circles

easily

be presumed in

that a person possessing thor-

ough philosophic

training,

and acquainted

with what are the foundations of scientific

assumptions and convictions, could

from the very beginning never concern himself with

all

those fantasies presum-

ably accepted as

"higher experiences

that such things could but appeal to those

who were

as yet unripe for philo-

sophic thought.

Now, opinion

in order to ascertain to is

due,

will, for

what

this

once in a way,

ourselves take a survey of the activities of Philosophy.

This can be done only in

a perfunctory manner to-day, giving the

merest indications; but when on some

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY future occasion

may have

127

the oppor-

tunity of speaking in a more detailed

manner about these

things,

you

will

be in

a position to see for yourselves that such indications

have been drawn from a great

context.

Philosophy has been generally regarded,

by those who concern themselves with the subject, as something

absolute,

not as

something which was bound to come into existence in the course of the development of

mankind. It

is,

however, precisely when dealing

with the Science of Philosophy that we are in a position to show,

by means

of exter-

nal historic documents, the time at which it

had

kind.

its origin in

the evolution of

man-

Now that time has been fairly well

determined, and more especially so

by the

older interpreters of the History of Philos-

ophy.

all

such presentations you will

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

128

made with Thales, and from him onwards in continuity down

find that a beginning

to our times.

few newer writers on the History of

Philosophy, desirous of appearing more particularly erudite true,

and

clever, have, it is

attempted to place the beginning of

Philosophy at a more remote date, dragging in

all

kinds of material from the early

"Wisdom" is

All this, however,

teaching.

due to a particular form of dilettanteism,

wholly ignorant of the fact that everything that preceded

in the "

Wisdom"

study of India, Egypt, and Chaldea, was in point of origin

with

method

entirely different in

from purely philosophic thought,

its

leaning towards the speculative.

This form

first

developed in the Greek

world of thought, and there the

engage our attention in tainly

Thales.

first

this respect cer-

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

129

have no need to occupy ourselves

with the characteristics of the various

Greek philosophers from Thales onward; neither need

we concern

Anaxagoras,

Herakleitos,

ourselves with

Anaximenes,

nor yet with Socrates or Plato.

We may

begin at once with the personality represented

the very

first

Har' iZoxrfv (par excellence),

who

philosopher

and that was

Aristotle.

All other philosophies are in reality but

abstractions

Wisdom;

based upon the Mystery

and Herakleitos

of Thales

could easily be proved.

nor Pythagoras

this

Neither Plato

a Philosopher in the

actual sense of the word, the sources of

both being in seership; since Philosophy,

when

characterised

as such,

does not

depend upon the ideas which a expresses, but

sources

man

determined rather by the

whence he derives his information.

130

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

Pythagoras found his sources in the Ancient Mystery Wisdom, and translated the knowledge thus acquired into

He was

definitions.

to pass that

a Seer, only it came

what he saw as seer he clothed

in philosophic garb

;

and the same was the

case with Plato.

But what constitutes the Philosopher, and what we happen to meet with for the first time in Aristotle is this, that he works out for himself a science of definitions,

and

of necessity either rejects all other

sources, or has

no access to them.

And

since this is found for the first time in Aristotle, there is

no lack

reason for stating that

who founded

was

of historical

precisely

Logic, the Science of Think-

precursory nature only.

had been of a The manner in

which notions occur to

us, in

ing.

Everything

else

which our

opinions are formed and our conclusions

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY drawn,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

all

this

was

set forth

first

131

Aristotle as a kind of Natural History-

human thought, which we come in

dealing with subjective

and everything with contact

when

associated

dealing with

with

these

Thought Method.

him

closely

foundations

As we

shall

have to

revert to these things, which in his case

are of fundamental importance for later aspects of the subject, it

more than

all

needs no

this historical intimation in

order to characterise the point of depart-

ure in a few words. For. later times also Aristotle remains

the representative Philosopher.

come

The

out-

what he accomplished permeated

not only the later Aristotelian period of antiquity, ianity,

up to the founding

but from the dawn of Christianity

onward to the Middle Ages that

of Christ-

all

was to him

turned in their efforts to formu-

132

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

late

a Conception of the Universe.

this

we do not mean

to say that

men had

them as a system, as a collection of dogmas (especially in the Middle Ages, a time when the

Aristotle's philosophy before

original manuscripts

were not attainable).

Yet they had, through quired the

way

his influence, ac-

in which,

by the

aid of a

purely technical form of conception, they

might

rise to

ledge.

And

Aristotle

the highest Divine

Know-

came to pass that was more and more regarded thus

as the teacher of Logical Thought.

was somewhat in this way that a person in the Middle Ages would have put It

the matter to himself.

Wherever the

tive perception of the world as a Fact

come from, be

or,

may

due to man's examina-

tion of external realities senses,

posi-

by means

of his

due to Revelation by

Divine Grace, through Christ Jesus, these

' ;

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

133

things have simply to be accepted on the :

one hand as the deposition of the senses

on the other as Revelation.

Should we,

however, desire to substantiate this or that

by pure

definition, then,

we must

have recourse to that system of thought

instituted

And

Aristotle.

in very truth, of such value

and

importance has been the work done by Aristotle in framing this

that

Kant was but

Thought Method

right in declaring that

"since the time of Aristotle Logic has not

advanced by so much as a single sentence. In

all essentials,

may be

indeed, this statement

endorsed at the present day.

Nowadays ings

too, the

embodying

thought

will

unaltered, totle set

fundamental teachlogical

system

be found to remain almost

compared with what

Aris-

down: such matter as persons

may be inclined

add at the present day

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

134 is

the outcome of a somewhat amateurish

assumed even

attitude,

circles, in relation

philosophic

to the conception of

Logic.

Now

Aristotle,

way

was not alone the study of but above all the finding one's

into his

became

Method

Thought, that

immediate moment

central period of the

Middle Ages, or for

the Early Scholastic Era, as

term

it,

prime,

with

when

for the

we may

Scholasticism

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a period which

Thomas Aquinas,

came

was

also

in its

to a close

in the thirteenth

century.

Speaking of this time of Early Scholas-

must be clearly understood that at the present day allusion to it can only ticism, it

be made,

terms

unhampered by matic

belief.

nowadays

all

is,

philosophy,

authority and indeed,

speak

all

dog-

difficult

these

things

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

135

than disparagingly,

purely objectively,

when speaking with disparagement,

for,

we do not encounter the danger of being dubbed "heretics" by so-called "free" thinkers: but, in speaking objectively, we run the chance of being misunderstood, the reason for this being that in the present

day an

positive

based

ecclesiastical

movement

of a

and most intolerant kind has

its

understood

upon totally misThomism. What to-day

appeal

stands for orthodox catholic Philosophy

should in no wise affect us; nevertheless

should be just as

little

by the reproach we may encounter,

that

cerned with what

disconcerted

possibly have to

ourselves are con-

both followed and

advised in dogmatic quarters.

Let us

rather seek to characterise, regardless of

aught

else that

may

impose

itself

on our

attention, the attitude of Scholasticism

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

136

Thought

zenith towards Science,

its

Method, and Supernatural Revelation. Early Scholasticism does not allow of the characterisation usually applied to it

Early Scholasticism

in these days.

Monism, and not

in the remotest sense

of a dualistic nature.

Primal Source

the world's

undoubtedly a Unity:

only that for the recognising of the Primitive

Element the Scholastic employs a

special

kind

There

perception.

says:

a certain property of super-

sensual Truth that has primarily been

revealed

Thought has

Humanity." in spite

"Human

of all its efforts

not yet been able to press through to those regions

subject-matter

whose of

existence

the

the highest revealed

wisdom." Thus, there existed for the early Scholastics

a certain fund of Wisdom to which

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY by no method

137

of thought could they im-

mediately attain:

becomes only attain-

able in so far as the thought is capable of

interpreting that which has been revealed.

This portion of the Wisdom, then, the thinker

bound

to accept as revelation,

using his thought power for All that

tation only.

from

his

own

man

its

interpre-

can evolve

inner consciousness has

its

being only in certain subordinate regions of Reality,

and here the Scholastic has

recourse to active thought in pursuit of his research.

certain limits

where Revealed Wisdom

pushes forward up to

Thus the contents of his own research and revelation unite in an objective unified and monistic conception of the universe. That a kind of dualism,

meets him.

owing to human limitations, with the matter, importance:

associated

of only secondary

concerns a dualism of per-

138

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

ception, not a dualism of

The

Scholastic

Cosmic Causes. explains

therefore

thought method as a means of being able rationally to elaborate that which empirical science acquires

by the observation means of helping

of the senses, as well as a

to penetrate further, even into Spiritual

And

Truth.

here the Scholastic, in

all

humility, presents a portion of that Wis-

dom

as " Revelation,'

by himself, but upon to accept.

not as discovered

as that which he

called

Now the special method of thought here used by the Scholastics had most emphatically sprung

from a basis of Aristotelian

There was, in

Logic.

a twofold

fact,

necessity for the early Scholastics (whose

period

came to an end with the

century) Aristotle.

concern

The

first

thirteenth

themselves

necessity

with

was due to

historical developments: Aristotelianism

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY had become acclimatised:

139

second

the

necessity arose from the fact that, as time

went

an enemy to Christianity sprang

on,

in another quarter.

The teachings of Aristotle had not found expansion in the Occident only, but in Oriental lands also, and everything that

found

its

way

into Spain

by means

of the

Arabs, and which thence penetrated

still

farther into Europe, was, in as far as " thought

method" was concerned,

per-

meated with Aristotelianism.

especially

was

this the case

that particular form of Philosophy as

Natural

Science,

with

known

which embracing

Medicine, had also been imported, and

which was in the most emphatic sense Aristotelian.

Now

an opinion had been

formed that nothing but a kind of Pantheism could be the consistent outcome of Aristotelian teaching, which, especially as

— :

140

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY had evolved

to its philosophy,

itself

from

a very vague mysticism.

There was, therefore, in addition to special reason,

influence

still

—

this

the fact that Aristotle's

animated thought method,

—yet another reason

for

men

themselves with his teachings, interpretation placed

Arabs, Aristotle

to concern for, in

the

upon them by the

made

to appear as the

opponent and foe of Christianity.

What we have to ask ourselves is this Were the

ideas which the Arabs imported

as the interpretation of Aristotle a true interpretation?

Aristotelianism

then indeed be a

scientific basis

would adapted

to contradict the teachings of Christianity.

Now

let

us picture to ourselves

what in face of such conclusions must have been the feelings of the Scholastics upon the one side they adhered firmly to the truth of Christianity, yet upon the

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY by

other they were bound

141

all their tra-

ditions to acknowledge nothing less than

the

Thought

namely, Logic

And

Method

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;as true and

Aristotleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; correct.

out of this dissension arose the

task of the Scholastics: the proving that

even while philosophising sible to

was

still

pos-

apply the Logic of the Greek sage,

aye, that

was exactly he who had pro-

vided the instrument by means of which Christianity could really be conceived

and understood.

owed

its

that

day.

was a task which

inception to the development of Aristotelianism

had to be

manner as to make it evident that what the Arabs had imported and put forward as the teachings of Aristotle was only to be considered as erroneous when it showed a tendency intreated in such a

imical to Christianity; that, in short, one

had but

to interpret

him

correctly in

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

142

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

order to find in his philosophy a basis for

the

conception

true

And

religion.

ticism set

this

itself,

Christian

the

was the task Scholas-

to the achievement of

which the entire writings of the Thomists were devoted.

Now, however, something pened.

When

had drawn to

else

hap-

the day of Scholasticism

its close,

there occurred in

the course of time a complete rupture

along

the

evolution in

whole

philological

human

thought.

line

The most

natural thing would have been (and be

understood that this in

any sense

not put forward

as a criticism

suggested that

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

it is

could have

absolutely

therefore

necessary

not even

happened

this wise, for the actual course

the

one,

taken was the

case

put thus hypotheticaJly)

the most natural thing would have been to have expanded

Thought Method even

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY further, so that ever higher

143

and higher

portions of the supersensual world should

have been grasped by thought. next development was not this.

But the The fun-

damental Thought which, with

Thomas

Aquinas, to

instance,

for

was applicable

the highest and most exalted regions,

and which might have been so developed bhat the limits of tiave

human

research would

been enlarged, embracing ever

re-

moter and higher realms, this fundamental

Thought became distorted to a caricature Df itself, its

existence prolonged in a con-

viction only.

The highest spiritual truths

withdraw themselves entirely from the area of purely

human thought

activity,

From any elaboration into definitions.

such means a division occurred in

man's spiritual ledge ible

life.

Supersensual know-

was regarded as something

to every effort of

human

inaccess-

thought, as

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

144

something that could not be attained to

by any ledge,

subjective effort based on

know-

but that was compelled to have

its

roots in Faith.

This tendency was evinced in earlier times, but

close of the

ran to extremes towards the

Middle Ages, as the division

between the faith that had been attained

subjective conviction

and the

that, as the foundation of a

faith

sound judg-

ment, had to be the result of logical activity,

became more and more accent-

uated.

was but natural that before this yawning chasm Knowledge and Belief It

were forced further apart, nor was

unnatural that Aristotle and his method of thought should

have been dragged

in to

up the gap occasioned by historical developments. This was done more especially at the beginning of the Modern

fill

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY Era.

Thus upon the one

science maintained

ready to admit that said

may be

enough)

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that

much

regarded

men

side

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; (and here of

145

am quite

what they reasonable

no mere spinning out

what had already been placed on record by Aristotle could lead to any advance in the search for empirical Truth.

Besides

this,

the sequence of historical

events showed that able to

might be inadvis-

make common cause with

lowers of Aristotle;

for,

the

fol-

indeed, as the

time of Keppler and Galileo approached, misconceived Aristotelianism had become

a veritable plague in the land. It

has proved to be the case again and

again that those

who

called themselves

adherents of some particular conception

numamount of

of the Universe have, times out of ber, destroyed

an incalculable

that which the founders themselves had

146

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

presented in the right way. looking

Nature

Instead of instead

herself,

bringing observation to bear,

was, at

the end of the Middle Ages, found easier

make

use of the old books of Aristotle,

dwelling, tirely

all

academic

on the written

en-

lectures,

Greek

letter of the

Logician.

The

following story

of this habit.

utterly he

characteristic

orthodox Aristotelian

had been invited to assisting at the

see for himself,

autopsy of a body,

how

had misconceived the sense

Aristotle in maintaining that the nerves

proceeded from the heart, when, as a

matter of its

fact,

the nervous system had

centre in the brain.

Yet, in spite of

ocular demonstration, the Aristotelian's

reply was: "Observation certainly shows

that this

actually the case, but

Aristotle states the reverse,

and

have

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY Thus

greater faith in him."

seen

that

become a

followers positive

it will

Aristotle

nuisance.

147

had

was

imperative for empirical science to rid itself of this false

Aristotelianism and base

authority upon pure experience, and

its

find

the strongest impulse in this

direction given

by the great

Galileo.

the other side an entirely different

development took place.

Those who, so

to speak, sought to save their Faith

from

this threatened invasion of independent

thought, developed a kind of aversion to this

Logic.

method

They were of

of opinion that

thought was powerless in

the presence of Revealed Wisdom, and

when the worldly empirics supported their assertions by referring to the books of Aristotle, their

opponents confronted

them with arguments they had taken from a

different, but, of course, equally

148

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

misunderstood Book, namely, the Bible. This was more particularly the case in the beginning of the

New

Era, as

we may

gather from Luther's bitter words apostrophising Reason as

"a deaf and pur-

blind fool," that should

have naught to

with Spiritual Truths, adding further

that a pure conviction of faith can never

be kindled by such means as reasoned thought founded upon Aristotle, to

whom

he applies such opprobrious names

as:

"Hypocrite," "Sycophant," and "Stinking

Goat

. '

These are indeed hard words

but when considered from the standpoint of that

new era they may be better under-

stood.

What had taken

was that a deep chasm had opened between Reason and its allied Thought Method on the one place

hand, and supersensual Truth on the other;

and

this

chasm has found

its final

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

149

expression in the person of a philosopher

whose influence has, as it were, caught the

web from which

nineteenth century in a it

finds

some

philosopher

itself; this

extricating

difficulty

Kant.

is,

virtually, the last adherent of opinions re-

sulting in the

from that division which occurred

Middle Ages.

He made

a marked division between

Faith and that to which of

by means

attaining

Externally,

"The

stands, as

were, side

man

capable

Knowledge.

Pure Reason"

Critic of

side with

Critic of Practical Reason,'

"The

and Practical

may

Reason ever seeks to acquire what

be termed a standpoint of rationalistic thought, as opposed to that which

be termed knowledge.

the

may

other

hand, Theoretical Reason, as advanced

by Kant,

stigmatised most emphati-

cally as incapable of realising the Actual

150

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the The

' '

thing in

{Das Ding an sich)

live

it is

true.

only in man's

makes impressions

" thing in itself"

upon man, can

itself

These, however, self -representation,

own concepts of such impressions. Now, we should be obliged to delve deep down into the history of the philosophy of Kant should we desire to characterise in his

his

distinctive

this

would

fundamental

lead us too far

error,

but

away from our

present object; moreover I have already dealt with

book

entitled Truth

and Science {Wahrheit und Wissenschaft)

What is of far more interest to us at the present moment is this "web" in the meshes of which the philosophic thought of the nineteenth century has

entangled.

Let us enquire

found

itself

how this came

about.

Kant

above

all

things the necessity

of demonstrating to

what extent some-

felt

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

151

thing absolute might be connected with

the process of thinking; something, that is

to say, concerning which there could

be no uncertainty, "for," said he, "all that has

its

origin in experience

uncertain quality."

Our judgment can

derive certainty only from that factor in recognition which originates with ourselves,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;not

from

external

things

objects.

We in the

see things, or objects, therefore,

Kantian

sense, as

through a

col-

oured glass; and within ourselves we gather recognition of these things in their lawful connection, dependent

own consciousness.

upon our

Our faculty of recog-

nition has certain conventions, those of

space and time, as well as of cause and effect:

these have no meaning for the

"thing in

itself,"

at least

we have no

knowledge as to whether the "thing in

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

152

has any existence in space, time,

itself"

These

causation.

which

conventions

are

arise only in the subjective

mind

man, and which he evolves concerning the " thing in itself" in the

moment

of its

appearing to him, so that the "thing in '

itself

ever,

remains unknown to him. therefore,

the

"thing

confronts man, he clothes

Where-

itself"

with the con-

ventions of space and time, and applies to

the law of cause and

his entire

effect, casting

network of concepts and con-

ventions about the "thing in

which reason

man may

itself."

For

be said to have a

certain surety of knowledge, since, as long

as he

is,

tion possess a

Time, Space, and Causa-

meaning

for him.

And

what man puts into things he has to Nevertheless, extract from them again. he is unable to know what the "thing in itself"

is,

for

he stands for ever baffled

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY before

his

recognised viction of his:

Idea this,

153

Schopenhauer

it.

and has placed

his con-

upon record in those classic words "The World is my Conception."

Now

the

sum

of these conclusions has

been carried over into the entire thought of the nineteenth century, not only in

regard to the Theory of Cognition, but also as affecting the theoretical ground-

work

Physiology,

and here certain

experiences contributed their aid. If

look at the doctrine concerning

the specific energies of the senses there

would seem to be a corroboration

of the

At all events, that is how the matter was regarded during the Kantian opinion.

nineteenth century.

Thus any one might say "The eye perceives light :" yet if the eye is affected by some other means, say by pressure, or by an electric shock, it also becomes aware of :

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

154

Hence

light.

tion of light

"The percepgenerated by means of the

said:

energy of the eye and transferred

specific

to the 'thing in

More crudest

was

itself.'

manner lay

this

ological-philosophical

"All

Helmholtz in the

especially did

down

axiom,

as a physideclaring

perceive cannot be supposed to

have even so much as a

pictorial resem-

blance to those things which are exterior to us.

The

that which

call

picture has a semblance of

represents, but that

which

perception cannot have so close a

resemblance to the original as has the picture. ues,

Therefore," he further contin-

"that which

man

experiences within

himself cannot be otherwise expressed

than by calling in

itself,'

for a

a symbol of the thing '

symbol need have no

actual resemblance to the thing presses."

ex-

Thus, what had long been in

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

155

preparation entered so completely into the philosophic thought of our times that

men became

incapable of perceiving, in-

capable of even thinking, that the truth of the matter

might be otherwise.

For such reasons Eduard von Hartmann

was quite unable to find a way out of his own web of definitions. For instance, in a conversation I once had with him, it was absolutely impossible to get beyond this:

"We

must," he

said, " surely pro-

ceed from the conception, and define the conception it

that

we have

by means

when we

to say that

which

man

enabled to perceive the non-conceivable

And yet, if the from which we must proceed

(ein Nichtvorgestelltes)\"

conception is

something subjective we are again un-

able to get beyond the subjective.

It did

not seem to occur to him that he had, in the first place, constructed this defini-

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

156 tion,

and now found himself unable to

escape from his structure.

own

Indeed,

carefully arranged

the

whole

his

upon his having enmeshed himself within a web of his own making, and one which he takes to be an objective truth. Along these lines no one can get beyond the statement that, "what I conceive with my perception never goes beyond the conTranscendental Realism

rests

fines of the 'thing in itself': it is there-

fore

only

subjective.'

This habit of

thought has in the course of time become so firmly rooted that all those theorists

who take

to themselves credit for under-

standing Kant,

now

regard every other

person as being of limited intelligence

does not consider their definition of

conceptions and of the subjective nature of observation to this

be the right one.

And all

has been the result of that split which

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY I

157

have already described as occurring

the spiritual development of humanity.

Now totle

any one who

would

different

easily perceive

how

entirely

a conception, both as to principle

and theory, might, one,

really studied Aris-

in place of a distorted

have been the result

of a direct devel-

opment onward from Aristotle. Aristotle had already accepted,

in the

regions of theoretical perception, those

ideas to which

man

in this

day

but

slowly and gradually ascending, through all

that tangle of academic undergrowth

which has been the outcome of the

We have, above all things,

ence of Kant.

to learn to understand for Aristotle,

influ-

how it was possible

by means

of his

method

thought, to put forward definitions which are rightly conceived,

and lead immedi-

ately to the overstepping of those self-

imposed

limits.

158

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

We need concern ourselves with no more than a few of the fundamental conceptions

propounded by Aristotle

recognise this.

entirely in conform-

ity with his views to say, "If

the things about us, place that

analyse

find in the first

what provides us with a con-

ception of these things perceive

in order to

them with our

the fact that

senses sense pre:

sents each separate thing to us."

however,

we If,

begin to think, the things

group themselves we gather divers things ;

together into a unit of thought.

And

here Aristotle finds the right relationship between unity of thought

and objec-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the objectiveness that leads "â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to the "thing in showing that

tive reality

itself

when we are thinking consistently we are bound to imagine the world of experience about us as composed of matter and what he terms form.

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

159

Matter and Form are to Aristotle two conceptions which he defines in the only true sense in which they permit of defini-

We might go

tion. if

we wished

on talking

for hours,

to exhaust these

two con-

ceptions, together with all they involve. Still

we may

portion subject, is

at least contribute a certain

what

elementary to this

as to understand

that Aristotle

defines

what

Form and

Matter.

spect to

confident himself that with reall

things immediately about us,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the things that make up our world of experience, â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the conception of these all

upon an apprehension of it is Form that gives to

things depends

Form, since

objects their reality, not Matter.

The

Form is to Aristotle the Reality. There are even in our day persons

endowed with a true comprehension

160

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

who

Dr. Vinzenz Knauer,

Aristotle.

the 'eighties was lecturer at the University of Vienna, explained to those attending his classes the difference

between Matter

and Form, and upon what

this difference

depended, illustrating his meaning in a forcible

somewhat grotesque way.

" Imagine,"

said,

"that for a con-

siderable portion of his existence a wolf

had eaten nothing but lambs: would he

And

not practically consist of lamb only? yet, if

no wolf ever becomes a lamb

! ' '

This,

only rightly followed up, points out the

difference

between Matter and Form.

Is the wolf a wolf

by reason

Matter?

No! His being has been imposed upon him by his Form, and his Form is not the form of that

this particular wolf alone,

common

means

all

of conception,

wolves.

find

but

Thus, by

Form

to be

something universal, in contradistinction

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

161

to that which the senses are able to con-

ceive of separately.

According to the meaning of Aristotle

we can

by means conception, what is

distinguish accurately,

of a true theory of

We can say

universal, in three ways.

universal it

But

depends.

being in

the actual, is

that

human thought

this

whereon

that which has

which we, in the true

Form?

its

the same as that

sense, allude to as

Man, approaching those separate wolves, perceives what is com-

mon

No.

single

all

wolves from a study of these

examples of the species.

theless, that

which he here conceives of

as a something characteristics

Never-

made up is

of certain similar

but the representation

what is actually universal. (All this

in the

can of course be but suggested

most fragmentary way.) have therefore to

differentiate:

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

162

"Universal" which

anterior to those

units confronting us externally next, since ;

this is the essential

a "Universal" com-

prised within these units;

and

further: a

form of the "Universal" which

man

subsequently evolves from out his

own

third

thoughts.

We have therefore: i

Universalia ante rem.

Universalia in

Universalia post rem.

The real

unroll themselves

latter

the subjective

re.

mind and

within

are "objectively-

universals" representing our inner

experiences.

Until

we approach

differences,

arrived at,

upon

to that which

threefold

right conception can be

this basis,

with regard

important here.

only consider for a involved.

these

For

moment what

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

What is involved man, 11

in so far as

the conception that

he remains within the

Universalia post rem''

subjective.

163

possessed of a

Yet at the same time some-

thing intrinsic

man's conception

implied, namely, that is

a "representation" of

that which as actual form (Entelechy)

and into

this

Universalia in re" such things only

have

entered because as " Universalia ante

rem"

has universal duration, 14

they already existed prior to those objects.

Thus we have a Universalia ante rem which we must accept in the Deity, as existent in the

The tic,

Wisdom

God.

Christian Theologist, the Scholas-

conceived this in a similar manner,

the only difference being that he did

not ascend directly to the Highest Divinity. 1

Greek,

As Theosophists, we meaning the actual being

to simple capability or potentiality.

are aware

of a thing as

opposed

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

164

that the Universalia in

re,

when

dealing,

means and thus we have in

for instance, with brute creation,

the " group souls/

Aristotelianism actually a fundamentalising of that

which Theosophy

able to

support by definition.

There that

however, in addition to

is,

we meet with

else that

has become increasingly anti-

modern

pathetic to these this:

all

in Aristotle, something

that

times.

It is

imperative for us to

habituate ourselves to thinking in concise

and

finely chiselled

forms of definition;

in conceptions that

we have first carefully

prepared; and

necessary, in order to

this,

that

it is

we should have

the patience

to advance from conception to conception above ;

clearness

all things, also,

and neatness

that we employ

of definition; that

we be aware of what we when we use a definition.

are speaking of If,

for instance,

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY in the Scholastic sense,

we speak

relation of a conception to that

represents,

place

165

of the

which

are obliged in the

first

work our way through the

lengthy definitions in the writings of the Scholastics. is

must understand what

meant when we

stated that the

as to form, grounded in the sub-

idea

is,

ject,

and has

object:

find

its

foundation based on the

that which defines the actual

appearance of the idea being derived from the subject, whilst what

derived from the object.

This

small example,

contains

but a

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a very small one;

for, if

you were to go through the works of the Scholastics, you would have to labour through ponderous volumes of definitions,

a matter which would be exceedingly tedious to the scientist of to-day,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;for

which reason he looks upon the Scholastics as

learned

humbugs and

leaves

them

166

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

severely alone.

He is quite unaware that

true Scholasticism

nothing else than

the careful elaboration of the Art

Thinking, in order that this

may form

foundation for a true conception of the Real.

And when

you will understand what an immense boon it will be if

efforts

I state this

should arise within the Theo-

sophical Society which should, in the very

best sense, have for their object the ela-

boration of the principles governing the

Theory

of Perception.

Stuttgart

a worker

And

as here in

we happen to have in of exceptional

this field of labour,

Dr. Unger

importance in

we may

well regard

as a proof of a favourable tendency appar-

ent within the immediate confines of our

movement.

For

this

make

its

large

by appealing

movement

will

not

true depth felt in the world at to those whose only

— PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY desire

167

to hear of facts concerning the

Higher World, but by the labours of such as have the patience requisite to press

forward into the intricacies of a Thought

Method; who are possessed

of definite

motive for accomplishing

work, such

solid

as provides the frame-work for yet fur-

ther labours in the Higher World.

Thus, perhaps, within

may come to pass that

from out Theosophy itself twisted as

movement

Theosophical

the

—Scholasticism,

has been both by

ents as well as caricature of

its

itself,

its

adher-

enemies into a grim

may

presented in such a

once again be

manner

as to be

understood. It is of course far easier to

ready-made

apply a few

definitions to everything con-

fronting us as a new truth,

— ar easier than f

to labour at constructing a solid foundation

by means

a Method of Thought;

168

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

but what are the consequent results?

Taking up a philosophical book of the present day one impression:

left

men no

with a dubious

longer understand

each other when conversing on higher matters; they are not clear in their

minds with regard to the which they make

use.

In those days

definitions of

This could not

have happened in the time astics.

own

of the Schol-

men were com-

pelled to be accurate as to the form in

which they clothed an

As you may have

idea.

perceived, there

at one time in very truth a

Way

was

which to probe to the depths of a genuine

Thought Method, and had this Path been pursued further, no one would have become entangled in the web of the Kantian "thing in itself," with its supposedly

subjective conceptions.

Two

results

would then have been

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY attained.

In the

first

place

169

man would

have arrived, within himself, at a

reliable

theory of conception, and in the second place,

and

this is of great importance,

the accepted Centres of Learning could

not have misunderstood so absolutely the

great

philosophers

whose labours

came after those of Kant. Kant was succeeded by Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel, what are they to the man of to-day? They are assumed to be

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

philosophers

who sought

to present

world by means of purely abstract tions.

defini-

Such an idea never occurred to

them.

But people were firmly imbued with the Kantian conception, and for that reason incapable of understanding the world's greatest philosophers, either relatively or philosophically.

Hegel spent his youth here in Stutt-

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

170

gart; the house

opposite as

where he lived stands

you enter

this street in

which

are holding our present meetings.

commemorates the

gradually will

But only people ripen to an under-

standing of

that Hegel has given to the

tablet

all

world, and only

fact.

when they have emanci-

pated themselves from this hampering self -woven

will

web

of theoretical conceptions

they be capable of understanding

him.

Yet

this

would be so simple

It is only

necessary to accustom oneself to a natural

and unconstrained mode and to

now

free oneself

thinking,

from the tendencies

prevalent in philosophic literature,

which, under the confusing influences of the Kantian School, have developed into set habits of thought.

must ourselves be able to answer

this question clearly: Is

really the case

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY that man,

who

171

proceeds from the subject,

constructs his conception within the subject it

and then weaves that conception, as

were, about the object?

Is this really

so?

Yes,

it is so.

But, does

necessity that

follow as a consequent

man

unable ever to

penetrate into the ''thing in itself"? will

put forward a simple example:

Imagine, for instance, that you have a seal,

and upon that

Now,

Miller.

sealing-wax,

Now you in

and again remove are, I

say, of brass,

take

it,

name

on to some it.

quite certain

this seal, being, let us

no property

of the brass

Were the

over into the wax.

sealing-wax conscious sense,

the

press your seal

your mind that

will pass

seal

would say: "I

Kantian

the

entirely

no brass passes over into me,

wax;

can there-

172

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

fore

have no knowledge concerning the

nature

that which has approached

me."

And

one thing has here been

yet,

out of the question entirely

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the

thing, moreover, that really counts is

the

name

of " Miller*

very

That

which remains

upon the

objectively imprinted

left

sealing-

wax, yet without any portion of the brass

having adhered to

it.

So long as people think and believe materialistically, that in order to establish

a connection, matter

bound to pass

over from the one to the other, just so long will they in theory maintain

'brass 1

and that other

sealing-wax, itself';

and as none

the

brass in itself can enter me, therefore

the

name

than a itself'

sign.

Miller

can be no more

Although the 'thing in

that has impressed

itself

upon me,

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY so that I can read

it,

this

thing in

173

itself

remains unknown to me."

And that

there

you have the

made

to serve for

final

all.

continue this illustration,

argument

Were we to would work

out thus

"Man The

is all

sealing-wax (conception).

'thing in itself

which

seal

(that

exterior to the conception).

"Now, ceiving),

all

being

wax

(the person con-

can but attain to the outer sur-

face of the seal, (the 'thing in itself) so

nothing concerning the 'thing in itself

can reach me."

So long as people

insist

on carrying

materialism and the theory of definition to these extremes, so long will they be

unable to recognise that upon which the question depends.

The matter stands thus

We do not

get

beyond our conception, but that which

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

174

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

may be

transmitted to us

defined

and that stands in no need of

Spirit,

atoms

material

Nothing

for

its

transmission.

matter enters the subject,

yet in spite of this, the idea transfers itself

to the subject, as indeed

case with the

name

of Miller

was the

on the

seal-

ing-wax. It is

from

this

point *that the start

towards a healthy study of the Theory of Definition will

must again be made, and

then be seen

how much

the material-

ism of recent times has (quite uncon-

upon the conceptions pertaining to the Theory sciously to itself) acquired a hold

Knowledge.

The

result of unprejudiced observation

amounts to

this

that

Kant can only con-

ceive a "thing in itself " materially,

grotesque as this statement

seem.

may

first

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY But

175

in order to survey the case in its

entirety,

something further must be indi-

cated.

have said that Aristotle has

pointed out the fact that in everything

surrounding us differentiate

becomes necessary to

between what

telechy ) and what is Material ,

we can say is this

Form

(En-

Now what

that the process of con-

ception takes us as far as the Form, in the sense above indicated.

But,

possibility of reaching that

substance?

For we must

that to Aristotle material

there

which

bear in

any the

mind

means not alone

matter, but also that substance which,

though it

spirit,

yet forms the bed-rock, as

were, of Reality.

bility,

Is there

any

possi-

not only of conceiving that which,

so to speak, " flows across," but of "creep-

ing within" the interior of things, and so identifying oneself with matter?

This

an important question with regard to the

176

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

Theory

and

of Cognition,

swered only by one

can be an-

who has immersed

himself within the nature of thought, that is,

of pure

thought and to the conception ;

of pure thought

man must

first

ascend.

Pure thought we can determine as did.

It is

indeed

Actuality,

Aristotle himself

pure Form, as

it first

presents

and without context in respect to those separate and immediate objects itself

which

exist externally in the Reality of

the senses.

And why?

clear comprehension as to

Let us get a

how pure

con-

ception comes into being, in contradistinction to perception.

Imagine some one desiring to form the conception of a

by going out

circle.

This can be done

to sea so far that nothing

save water can be perceived around you :

then by means of your perception form the conception of a

circle.

There

is,

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY however, another conception of a

way

circle,

177

of arriving at the

and that

is if,

withr

out appealing to the senses, you say to yourself: I will

make a mental note

of all

those places which are equidistant from

one particular spot.

Now,

mental construction which

this piece of is

carried

within yourself needs no appeal to anything external, and this

an example of

pure thought, as Aristotle conceived itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; of pure Actuality.

But here we are confronted by something

peculiar

importance.

thought thus conceived perience; without

inconceivable.

by means

fits

Pure

in with ex-

experience

itself

Imagine Kepler evolving

a theory of pure conception

such a system as shows the

elliptical

courses of the planets, in one of the foci

and then imagine observation by such means as the of

which the sun

situated,

178

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY subsequently

telescope

that

confirming

which previous experience had presented in the realms of pure thought

Surely

this

clearly

demonstrates to

every unprejudiced thinker that Pure

Thought

Reality, for

not without significance for it is

in accord with

A dis-

it.

coverer such as Kepler illustrates by

means

of his actions that

which Aristotel-

ism has theoretically affirmed by means of methodical

thought.

takes

which belongs to the Universalia post

that rein,

upon nearer approach that the Universalia post rem was even prior to this, that is to say, that it was already

and

finds

contained

within

itself

Universalia

ante rem.

Now,

the Universalia be accepted in

the right sense (not merely subjectively accepted,

they

will

after

the

perverted

sense),

then reveal themselves objec-

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

179

and to these ends they be formulated after the manner

tively in things,

must in

first

which Aristotle conceived them as the

very foundation of the world.

Thus you will find that what at first seems the most subjective and which was confirmed as independent of all experience, is

after all that

which in the most objec-

manner leads the way to the Actual. Now, what is the reason why the subjec-

tive

tive could not reveal itself first in the

The reason is that barred by a " thing in itself.' world?

its

way

When you construct a circle you do

not

knock up against any such obstruction, because you are living within the thing itself,

though but formally

so,

to begin

with.

The next question

is,

can we by means

of such subjective thinking arrive at

kind of Reality, at aught that

any

perma-

180

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

nent?

The

point on which the whole

matter hinges

we have

that the subjective (as

already characterised

constructed in thought, that objectively presents thing additional.

that

it is

a formation,

itself

We may

when

as some-

of course say

after all a matter of utter indif-

ference to this

it)

any

circle,

or to

any sphere

world whether we think of

it,

or not!

Our thoughts concerning the Actual

are

matters of indifference to the surrounding

world of experience.

This exists in

itself,

quite irrespective of our thoughts.

Our

thinking

may

therefore be objective as

we are concerned, and yet be of no moment to the thing. How are we to get rid of this apparent contradiction? Where is the opposite pole we must now take hold of? Where is

far as

there a

Way

within the domain of Pure

Thought by which we may conceive,

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

181

not alone the Form, but together with

Form also the Reality? For as soon as ever we have anything that together with the form constitutes reality, we then the

have a

fixed point at

which to

set

up our

theoretical knowledge.

same

are everywhere in the

tion as in the case of the circle.

construct

"What

the

know

circle

when

When

we can

say:

respecting this circle is

objectively right, but whether

cable to

posi-

'things'

meet those

it is

appli-

depends on whether things, they prove to

that they are subject to the laws

which

myself have formulated.'

Entelechy resolves

itself

into pure thought, then a residuum

must

the total of

all

remain, a residuum as Matter, where

process of Pure Reality.

known

it is

to Aristotle

not possible by the

Thought

itself

to reach

1 82

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

And on this point Aristotle may be

cor-

roborated by the philosopher Fichte.

the Aristotelian method

we may

"Everything

at the following formula:

about

us,

including

all

arrive

things belong-

ing to the invisible world, necessitates

the postulating of

a material in order

account for the

chy.

formative

Entele-

Aristotle the idea of

God

Actuality, a pure act; that

a pure

to say, an

act in which Actuality, that which

is for-

same time endowed with power to bring forth its own ma-

mulative,

terial;

at the

not something that exists apart

from the material, but something that

by reason

of its

own

activity

one with

the material.

The image be found in

of such pure Actuality

man

himself,

when by pure

thought he arrives at the definition of

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY the "I" (the Selfâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Ego). ceiving

this

"I" he

has within his

own

In con-

according to

has,

Fichte, performed

183

act, or deed.

consciousness arrived

at something, which, seeing he lives in Actuality, similarly brings forth both this

Actuality and

its

Now, if we pure thought, we are

material.

conceive this "I " in

then in a centre where pure thought brings forth, or evolves, the essentials for its

own

this

material being.

you conceive

I" in thought, then a threefold "I

becomes apparent: the pure "I" belonging to the Universalia ante rem; an

wherein you yourself

are,

"I"

and which

and an "I" which you conceive, and which

belongs to the Universalia in

re:

belongs to the Universalia post rem. here again

"I"

an important point:

so constituted that

But

for the

when we

ele-

vate the mind to an actual conception

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY it,

the threefold "I" becomes merged

into one.

In conceiving its true definition the " I lives within itself,

being able to exist as

What

the reality in the definition.

accomplished by pure thought terial to

imma-

the "I," for the pure thought

the creator of the " I.

Here the

definition

the Creative

coincides with that of the Material, and

we have

to acknowledge that, while in

other processes of conception to

some

limit, this is

the "I."

all

we come

not the case with

This we embrace in

most being when we enfold

its

inner-

in pure

thought.

We may

by means of theoretical conception lay down this fundamental axiom, namely, "that by dint of

therefore

pure thought a point

attainable

where Reality and Subjectiveness are in

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

185

man

complete union, where, in short, experiences Reality." If

one stops at this point, and allows

one's thoughts so to fructify that they

again evolve from out themselves, then

has one grasped those things from within.

There

therefore,

is,

something in this "I"

conceived, and at the

by an

effort of

same time

created,

pure thought, an effort by

which we force the boundary which has to be placed for

all

other things between

Entelechy (Form) and Matter.

such means, a theory of cognition

logically

pursued becomes something that

can

by means

the this

also,

Way

you pursue Path, you are eventually bound to

find that are,

of pure thought, point

into Reality.

leads to Theosophy.

There

however, but few philosophers

have any understanding of

Most

them

this

who

Path.

are entangled within their

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

self-spun

know

web

of definitions,

and as they

the definition only as something

abstract, never apprehending that point

where

becomes the archetype of the

creative,

they are incapable of finding

aught by means of which they

may come

into direct contact with the "thing in itself."

You

see therefore

sary before

we can

what

will

be neces-

expect philosophers

to cease regarding Theosophists as the

merest

dilettanti.

Philosophers must

first

have philosophy enough to acknowledge the existence of a Philosophy that goes to the foundation of things.

It is not really

that Philosophy contradicts Theosophy,

but rather that philosophers themselves

do not understand Philosophy.

know nothing of Philosophy. lost in

They

of the deeper foundations

They

are blinded and

a labyrinth of their

own

theories

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOSOPHY

187

out of which they are unable to find an exit.

When

once they extricate themselves

from their present

way

their

coil,

to Theosophy.

Theosophy

they will find It is

not that

really so amateurish

a thing

to the philosopher, since he cannot under-

stand

it;

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;what

more to be acthe present day is

far

counted amateurish in

the sort of philosophy which largely dominates the world.

When

at length this

philosophy becomes capable of entering its

will

true province of thought, then also

a bridge have been thrown across,

spanning

the

gulf

and leading from

Philosophy to Theosophy.