< The Occult World (continued from page 11-112) >
In trying to establish a difference, Mr. Sinnett says:—
“Broadly speaking, there is scarcely one of the phenomena of Spiritualism that adepts in occultism cannot reproduce, by the force of their own will, supplemented by a comprehension of the resources of Nature. As will be seen when I come to a direct narrative of my own experiences, I have seen some of the most familiar phenomena of Spiritualism produced by purely human agency. The old original spirit-rap which introduced the mightier phenomena of Spiritualism has been manifested tor my edification in a countless variety of Jays, and under conditions which render the hypothesis of any spiritual agency in the Matter wholly preposterous.”
But on turning to the author’s description of the production of raps in Madame Blavatsky’s presence, it will be seen that nothing was witnessed by him which may not be observed Commonly enough through the mediumship of Katie Fox. And if in the one case the controlling power chooses to say it is a mysterious “Brother,” or Madame Blavatsky’s will, and in the other that it is J. B. Taylor, we have nothing but the assertion of an intelligence in either case, without a trace of evidence that the one assertion is more “preposterous” than e other. It is a matter of testimony on the one side, and of faith on the other, in both cases, but in neither is it a matter of demonstration.
In the second chapter of the work, Mr. Sinnett tells us that an occultist can “project his soul out of his body to any place he pleases with the rapidity of thought,” and has thus ascertained that he really possesses a soul. Mediums and psychic sensitives occasionally have had this experience; remarkable cases in point have been given in the book Spirits before our Eyes.
After penning a somewhat materialistic description of the nature of the soul, Mr. Sinnett gives the information:—
“The seemingly magic feats which the adepts in occultism have the power to perform, are accomplished, I am given to understand, by means of familiarity with a force in nature which is referred to in Sanscrit writings as akaz. Western science has done much in discovering some of the properties and powers of electricity. Occult science, ages before, had done much more in discovering the properties and powers of akaz.”
He further says:—
“It is through his acquaintance with the properties of this force, that the adept can accomplish the physical phenomena which I shall presently be able to show are within his reach, besides others of far greater magnificence.”
So Mr. Sinnett does not speak from his own knowledge. On testimony he is “given to understand” that akaz is the vehicle of the force used, and on the testimony of others “he gathers” that the “Brothers” are the persons who wield the force. Of these mysterious alleged beings he says:—
“They constitute a Brotherhood, or Secret Association, which ramifies all over the East, but the principal seat of which for the present I gather to be in Thibet. But India has not yet been deserted by the adepts, and from that country they still receive many recruits. For the great fraternity is at once the least, and the most exclusive organisation in the world, and fresh recruits from any race or country are welcome, provided they possess the needed qualifications. The door, as I have been told by one who is himself an adept, is always open to the right man who knocks, but the road that has to be travelled before the door is reached is one which none but very determined travellers can hope to pass. It is manifestly impossible that I can describe its perils in any but very general terms, but it is not necessary to have learned any secrets of initiation to understand the character of the training through pi which a neophyte must pass before he attains the dignity of a proficient in occultism. The adept is not made: he becomes, as I have been constantly assured, and the process of becoming is mainly in his own hands.
“Never, I believe, in less than seven years from the time at which a candidate for initiation is accepted as a probationer, is he ever admitted to the very first of the ordeals, whatever they may be, which bar the way to the earliest degrees of occultism, and there is no security for him that the seven years may not be extended ad libitum. He has no security that he will ever be admitted to any initiation whatever.”
As the English branch of the Theosophical Society is not seven years old, it is clear that none of those Englishmen who have been converted to Theosophy of late years have even become probationers, much less adepts. Possibly all their faith in the Brothers at the root of their order rests upon what is testified to them from India. Mr. Sinnett owns that he knows little about the matter. He says:—
“As to what may be the nature of the trials <... continues on page 11-114 >