MAD

OCCULT STUDY.

ADAME Blavatsky defined Occultism as the study of the Divine Mind in nature. Dictionaries generally describe it as the study of the unknown, the hidden, the secret. However we may define the word, the fact remains that the study of Occultism differs, in its beginnings at least, from no other study and requires the same faculties. I often think we make a great mistake by drawing too straight a line of demarcation between occult and any other knowledge, between occult and any other study. The unknown is occult to the ignorant. All study is occult. All knowledge is occult. The conditions requisite for the acquirement of any knowledge are the desire to learn, the capacity to learn, and attention, perseverance and patience in learning. As we can learn nothing which does not enlighten us as to the workings of the Divine activity and the Divine Mind in nature, you will see why I say all knowledge is in fact occult, and why I think so many, in fact all amongst us who are endeavoring to increase their knowledge, are pursuing Occultism, whether they know it or not. The only difference is that when they know they are studying Occultism, they may work along more systematised lines and follow rather a different mode of study. Instead of working in the usual way of endeavoring to acquire an enormous number of facts, the attempt will probably be to turn inwards and by self-cultivation of character, mind and will, acquire information at first hand. In one case you seek to learn from others, in the other you teach yourself.

All study, whether consciously or unconsciously occult, should lead to the enrichment of life, to the making our lives more interesting to ourselves and more useful to others. As a matter of fact you will find, if you think for a moment, that everything you know does open new vistas in life to you and give you fresh interests. The object of all study should be practical; you have understood and learnt nothing perfectly until you can bring it into practical application in life. The complicated calculations of the most learned scientist are capable generally of concrete application to some of even the everyday affairs of life. We may not very often see in our ignorance how some branch of study or the knowledge of some isolated fact is going to enrich our outlook on life and add to our

practical utility, but faith in this aspect is often later justified by experience.

It is exceedingly important for most of us to find life interesting, to increase as far as we can our pleasurable points of contact with life. For we are here to gain experience, and experiences, it is certain, are bounded by our ability and our willingness to receive them. It is very dangerous as well as narrowing in life to put all your eggs into one basket-to concentrate on one interest alone, so that if that fails you, you are bankrupt and life is shorn of all its attractions. We have to face the fact, in this connexion, that Nature is apparently quite indifferent as to how much we suffer so long as we experience and develop, and a very wise and highly effective teacher is the Great Mother, however in our unregenerate moods we kick against her pricks. Prolonged happiness is apt to produce stagnation, and though some happiness is essential to growth, as through it we experience increased sensation of life, feel a sense of 'moreness' in ourselves and so grow, we must also accept the stimulus of pain, which arouses us from lethargy, wakes us up and pushes us on. It is a law of Nature also that we must be always at work in all the departments of our complex make-up, to keep them healthy. As the physical body craves for food when hungry and will pine and become inefficient if the necessary nourishment be not supplied, so is it with the emotional, intellectual and spiritual natures. Each requires its appropriate nutriment, without which it cannot work or develop. This fact is fully realised with regard to both the physical and intellectual natures, though it is rather the fashion of the day to starve and stunt the development of the emotional side of man, and many people deny that the spiritual exists. The hunger for intellectual stimulus is however so generally felt, that, as is always the case, the demand has created an almost overwhelming supply. The needs of even those who from lack of time or of ability cannot follow scholarly or scientific technicalities are amply provided for. The most abstruse subjects are now translated by specialists into a phraseology suited to the laity. Thus it follows that anyone possessing a hunger for information can, at a comparatively small cost of money and time, acquire an amount of accurate and useful knowledge which a generation or two ago would have been

only possible to a few elect. We are beginning in fact to feel perhaps rather overwhelmed by the amount we are expected to know to keep au courant with the times.

This difficulty is apt to rather press home on the Theosophist, as inquirers into Theosophy have a tiresome knack of apparently expecting him to be omniscient. If conscientious, in consequence, he wishes to increase his store of knowledge and his usefulness. Of course the temptation arises to follow the usual method, to read and endeavor to remember and apply the result of other men's labors. A certain amount of this method of learning is of course necessary, but, I maintain, we who should know better are tempted to prolong it too much and forget in consequence to pursue the specifically occult way of learning. It is infinitely better, I am convinced, to spend time on evolving our inner faculties than in accumulating vast stores of facts. By careful self-training and purification of the physical, astral and mental bodies, by a careful selection of right activities, by meditation and concentration, we shall evolve faculties we can carry over from birth to birth. We evolve ourselves for eternity instead of accumulating temporally the results of other men's learning. You gain knowledge much more slowly, I am aware, in the early stages in which you seek it by developing your inner faculties, than by the old method. You must not mind, therefore and must in fact be prepared to find yourself occasionally at a disadvantage with a contemporary following the ordinary lines of study.

It is said that while the general level of education and of capacity has been much raised, original thinkers are as rare as ever they were. Original thinkers do not increase in proportion to the general intellectual increase, and that fact is easy of explanation on the theosophical theory. Original thinkers are those who have educated their inner faculties so as to perceive facts and elements in life— deducing also inferences from their observations-invisible to the ordinary run of men. Even if the mass notice the facts, they are incapable of forming the deductions which original thinkers draw from such observations. It takes a master mind to deduce a law of Nature from the falling of an apple. It would be exceedingly interesting to trace back the life story of incarnation after incarnation of some of our great original thinkers and discoverers, and ascertain how they evolved their intellectual capacity. I admit, of course, that a certain

amount of spade work must be accomplished before the ground plan of an original edifice of thought could be erected. But, I suggest, that there is a danger amongst us of digging at foundations so persistently as to neglect to build the subsequent erection. Each in youth must submit to receiving a certain amount of the ordinary curriculum of study, but when we can take our education into our own hands, as each in time can, let us recognise the importance of giving up time to quiet reflection and meditation whereby the individuality may find opportunity to impress his knowledge on his personality—his reflection and instrument in time and space. Do not mind if people think you are idle or laugh at you as a dreamer or visionary. The first thing we have to learn is to follow the truth we know irrespective of the gibes of the ignorant. I believe a great many more people might be original thinkers, as it is called, that is, be the first to bring into manifestation, into general knowledge, some fact, some truth of the Divine Mind hitherto unperceived, if they would only give themselves the necessary conditions to do so and afford the Divine Spark in man the conditions under which its powers could manifest themselves. That is the occult way of learning, it seems to me.

We are apt to think that it is only the few, the elect amongst us, who can know anything of specific Occultism. I say specific, because I have tried to explain that all individual study and knowledge are occult. But it is an error, I believe, to think it is only the few who can gain first hand knowledge of the more specific workings of the Divine Mind in nature. If we tried the same methods as persistently as do those we call practical occultists, we should very likely do as they do, in varying degree. The main difference is they carry theory into persistent practice; others rest content with theory alone or practice it half-heartedly and without faith, an essential quality in practical occultism. If we desired sufficiently strongly, if we practised persistently, if we believed with intensity, our practice would soon bring about results; we should all soon be practical occultists. We fail merely because we do not will, practise or believe whole-heartedly. We cannot if we would, while we are sane, refrain from using occult powers in some degree or other. We will, we desire, we think, we imagine, we remember, we anticipate, we mentally plan and design at every moment of our waking consciousness, and what are the will and the imagination but the specific agents by which all occult know

ledge is won? The paraphernalia which is used in the performance of all ceremonial magic is useful only so far as it educates the will and the imagination; so Eliphas Lévi, a magician himself, tells you frankly. Read and think over what our own books tell you of the training of the neophyte necessary for the first Initiation, and you will find you can analyse it all into the discipline of the will and imagination. Notice how in viveka (discrimination) and vairāgya (indifference), and in the mental attributes-control of the mind, control of the senses and the body, tolerance, endurance, faith in the Master and in himself, balance and the desire for emancipation-how the will and the mind and the imagination are trained, used, disciplined to gain the end. None of these qualifications can be gained except as control is won of the mind, imagination and will. That gained, their use follows, and the man is an occultist. How far he may then go on the occult path and in what direction, to the right or the left, depends entirely on himself. As he trains and uses his will, and uses and disciplines his mind, so will be his progress.

Now it is plain that no one can do these things for us; no one but ourselves can use, train and discipline our will and our imagination. Nor can any but ourselves give us the strength and self-reliance which are absolutely necessary for the acquisition of any occult powers. Although the fact is so very self-evident, I do not feel quite sure that we realise how entirely an occultist makes himself, and how very little any other-man or angel, God or Devil-can help or hinder him. All that the best teacher can do for any pupil is to indicate the necessary steps the latter must take. Intellectual study of the subject can also go no further. His own bodies are the sphere of work for the occultist and so the greatest poverty is no obstacle to him, and within himself the Magic Alchemy must be accomplished by which base metal is transformed to pure gold. One obstacle to our realisation of the true nature of occult work arises, I think, from our multiplicity of activities— even theosophical ones-on the physical plane. We are so busy in talking, or listening to others talking on these subjects, that we forget o practise what we hear, and, half hypnotised by words, we almost think that we can become Initiates, Disciples and Occultists, with no more active exertion on our part than that of opening our mouths and passively swallowing other people's theories and experiences. But hard work is essential to transform any theory into personal knowledge.