great excitement last night. it was the regular night of —— t.s. and —— was to speak. we got there at 8:15, and it was full. he began and had just been fifteen minutes when it was discovered that the building was on fire. we stopped and let 1,000 people in the various halls get out, then quietly went and none were hurt, only two, —— and ——, getting a few quarts of water from a burst hose.
it was a queer exit, for we went downstairs beside the elevator, and glass, bricks and water were falling down the light well, while the fire on the top stories of it roared and made a fine light, and streams of fire ran down the oily elevator pipes on the other side; and firemen pulled up hose neck or nothing as we got away. it was ——'s own meeting, and it ended in fire! none of the great psychics present had had the remotest premonition, but one invented afterwards an ex post facto sense of terror.
tell —— the time has passed for him to vacillate; he knows his guru: she was and is h. p. b.; let him reflect ere he does that which, in wrecking her life and fame, will wreck his own life by leaving him where nothing that is true may be seen.... silence is useful now and then, but silence sometimes is a thing that speaks too loud. i am his friend and will help.57 no one can hurt him but himself; his work and sacrifice were noble and none can point at him.
see what i said in the opening vol. of the path: that the study of what is now called "practical occultism" was not the object of that journal. "we regard it as incidental to the journey along the path. the traveller, in going from one city to another, has perhaps to cross several rivers; maybe his conveyance fails him and he is obliged to swim, or he must, in order to pass a great mountain, know engineering in order to tunnel through it, or is compelled to exercise the art of locating his exact position by observation of the sun: but all that is only incidental to his main object of reaching his destination. we admit the existence of hidden, powerful forces in nature, and believe that every day greater progress is made towards an understanding of them. astral body formation, clairvoyance, looking into the astral light, and controlling elementals is all possible, but not all profitable. the electrical current, which when resisted in the carbon produces intense light, may be brought into existence by any ignoramus who has the key to the engine-room and can turn the crank that starts the dynamo, but is unable to prevent his fellow man or himself from being instantly killed, should that current accidentally be diverted through his body. the control of these hidden forces is not easily obtained, nor can phenomena be produced without danger, and in our view the attainment of true wisdom is not by means of phenomena, but through the development which begins within. true occultism is clearly set forth in the bhagavat gita and light on the path, where sufficient stress is laid upon practical occultism, but after all, krishna says, the kingly science and the kingly mystery is devotion to and study of the light which comes from within. the very first step in true mysticism and true occultism is to try and apprehend the meaning of universal brotherhood, without which58 the very highest progress in the practise of magic turns to ashes in the mouth.
"we appeal, therefore, to all who wish to raise themselves and their fellow creatures—man and beast—out of the thoughtless jog-trot of selfish everyday life. it is not thought that utopia can be established in a day: but through the spreading of the idea of universal brotherhood, the truth in all things may be discovered. what is wanted is true knowledge of the spiritual condition of man, his aim and destiny. such a study leads us to accept the utterance of prajapati to his sons: 'be restrained, be liberal, be merciful,' it is the death of selfishness."
this is the line for us to take and to persevere in, that all may in time obtain the true light.
