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Judge W.Q. - Answers to Questioners (view source)
Revision as of 12:21, 10 November 2026
, 26 minutes agoAdd the December 1887 installment, checked against the 1887 scan
(Publish text and card prepared for The Path, vol. II, no. 8 (November 1887), checked against the 1887 scan) |
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| description = The first installment of the "Zadok" question-and-answer department announced the previous month: on celibacy and spiritual attainment, vegetarianism, whether one can be an occultist without consciously experiencing the Astral, and the two paths of out-of-body travel. | | description = The first installment of the "Zadok" question-and-answer department announced the previous month: on celibacy and spiritual attainment, vegetarianism, whether one can be an occultist without consciously experiencing the Astral, and the two paths of out-of-body travel. | ||
| work type = articles | | work type = articles | ||
| publication date = November 1887 | | publication date = November, December 1887 | ||
| publication date sortable = 1887-11 | | publication date sortable = 1887-11 | ||
| publication place = ''The Path'' | | publication place = ''The Path'' | ||
| read links = [[Path/Vol2/Text|Electronic journal edition in Teopedia]] | | read links = [[Path/Vol2/Text|Electronic journal edition in Teopedia]] | ||
| publications = [[Path/Vol2/Text|''The Path'', vol. II, no. 8]], November 1887, pp. 249-251 | | publications = [[Path/Vol2/Text|''The Path'', vol. II, no. 8]], November 1887, pp. 249-251; no. 9, December 1887, pp. 278-281 | ||
| ctd rus = Джадж У.К. - Ответы спрашивающим | | ctd rus = Джадж У.К. - Ответы спрашивающим | ||
| note = Signed "Zadok," the pseudonym established the previous month in [[Judge W.Q. - Notice to Inquirers|"Notice to Inquirers"]] (October 1887). | | note = Signed "Zadok," the pseudonym established the previous month in [[Judge W.Q. - Notice to Inquirers|"Notice to Inquirers"]] (October 1887). The December installment's final answer is signed "Julius," a pseudonym of [[Keightley, Julia|Julia Keightley]]; the rest are signed "Zadok." | ||
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{{Style P-Signature|Zadok.}} | {{Style P-Signature|Zadok.}} | ||
{{Vertical space|2em}} | |||
<hr> | |||
{{Page aside in Path|v=2|n=9|p=278}} | |||
{{Style P-Subtitle|From C. H. V.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|"Apollonius is said to have worn a mantle of wool to aid in insulating himself from the astral currents." Has wool in itself any such property as is seemingly ascribed to it? The question has this value, perhaps, whether the occult laws which govern the merely physical regulation of the toiler toward adept-ship, may not be of great value from a sanitary point of view and form, if properly understood, a useful medical creed.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—Wool in itself has no especial occult power. It is a non-absorbent to the exhalations of the human body; is lighter, cooler in hot and warmer in cold weather than any other fabric. The late discoveries of a German scientist prove it the best of all materials from a sanitary point of view. It is a conductor for electricity and other unseen forces. Apollonius, as well as other occult students, knew its value and uses. Being a student of nature's laws he was well aware of nature's requirements. Upon the knowledge gained by occult students touching the human body are founded all the schools of medicine. Bathing is essential, a woolen dress where permissible, as little animal food as possible, a sparing diet at best—a high ideal—an exalted motive and strong will, a total forgetting of self otherwise, and neither elementals or human beings will oppress one.}} | |||
{{Style P-Subtitle|From J. C. V.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|What is the true Will? | |||
Is it a faculty of the soul? | |||
How is it one with the Divine Will and how may we make our will at one with the Divine? Is it something which now we know not, or may we perceive its germ in our own Will, or is it an instinctive movement of the soul?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—The will as known to man is that force which he exerts for the accomplishment of his aims—he uses it blindly and ignorantly—and self is always the one for which he uses it. It is used as a brute force. As ordinarily used it has little tendency to lift the personality farther than the attainment of material results. It has for its source, the lower elements of the soul. The true will is a concentrated force working steadily yet gently, dominating both soul and person, having its source in the spirit and highest elements of the soul. It is never used for the gratification of self, is inspired by the highest of motives, is never interposed to violate a law, but works in harmony with the unseen as well as the seen. It is manifested through the human will for things visible.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|(2.) It is more than a faculty of the soul, for it is the soul at work. The spirit is unmanifest except through the soul. The soul manifesting the | |||
{{Page aside in Path|v=2|n=9|p=279}} | |||
spirit is the true will. The human will is the lowest form of this manifestation.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|(3.) As the true will is the manifestation of the spirit through the soul, it must be at one with the divine, inasmuch as the spirit is the divine in man. It is the God in man, a portion of the all-pervading. Asserting itself through the soul, the true will is brought forth and in truth we say, "It is the will of God." We may make our finite wills at one with the divine by elevating our aim, using it for good or in the search for God, in striving to find how to use it in harmony with the laws of God. By proper use in the right direction the human will becomes purified, elevated, and being exerted only in conformity with our highest ideal, eventually becomes at one with the highest in man.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|In our ordinary material state we know only the human will. Through the human will we reach the divine will. We become aware of the true will through the ordinary will just as we become aware of the soul through the body. It is not instinctive of the soul. The soul is father of the human will—the spirit is father of the true will.}} | |||
{{Style P-Subtitle|From E. L. T.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|"A great deal depends on purity of thought and motive," Oct. Path, p. 220. | |||
Please explain what should be the actuating motive in developing psychic capacities.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—The desire to find God, the desire to know one's self, our possibilities and capabilities, that we may be of true use to the world, these are the motives. The thought should be unselfish, undisturbed by material affairs—free from wonder seeking curiosity, concentrated, and in entire accord with the motive, the search for God.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|Is Sinnett's explanation of the origin and extinction of "Intermediate Forms," accepted as being clear and satisfactory by the majority of students who are beginning the study of Buddhism?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—By the majority who are ''beginning'' yes—but not by those who are advanced.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|Sinnett claims that Kama Loca is (like earth) a condition of unsatisfied longings, progressive idealization. It might be the "ne plus ultra" at the time of entrance, but how after a period of years?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—All these states may be entered into while in the body. The condition of unsatisfied longings does not cease except in Nirvana. Beyond a certain point the intellect is useless. Up to and at that point the intellect is increased in its powers. It is never decayed or paralyzed. It is useless because a better tool is used.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|Do advanced students contemplate "Rupa Loka" and "Arupa Loka" as | |||
{{Page aside in Path|v=2|n=9|p=280}} | |||
at present desirable conditions? If desirable then in what sense: absolutely or comparatively as regards earth life? Is Sinnett's statement of the entire satisfaction of the soul's longings, to be regarded as "Ex Cathedra," or is it only Sinnett's personal conception?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—All states and conditions above the ordinary material are desirable. In the absolute sense, any "conditioned" existence is undesirable. "Advanced students" try to be free from desires. "Rupaloka" means ''place of form''; "Arupaloka," ''place of no form''. There are many Lokas. His statements are his personal interpretation of the teachings he has received. Read Nov. Path, p. 252.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|Are we to understand that the "medium" who provokes a representation of phenomena from departed spirits is thereby riveting the chains by which the said "spirit" is held fast to low conditions?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—Yes—as you use those words—but I do not call them "spirits."}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|Is Sinnett's use of the word "spirituality" to be used as synonymous with our word concientiousness?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—No.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|Does he not rather use it in the sense of imaginative or intuitional capacity?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—No.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|How do Buddhists regard this faculty as compared with concientiousness, self-sacrifice and integrity?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—It is not a faculty. Concientiousness, self-sacrifice, integrity, duty, are all portions of the whole, which is spirituality.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|Do they not accord respect and honor to preponderance of intellect over purity of heart?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—No, they honor intellect when governed by purity of heart.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|How can I cultivate thought reading. The impressions received are involuntary?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—By continual exercise of the power. By concentrated thought in obedience to the will. By purifying the thoughts as well as the body. But your aim must be higher than the mere acquirement of a wonder-working power, or you will fail. With all the power you possess concentrate your thought upon the object you desire, and receive that which is given by what is termed intuition.}} | |||
{{Style P-Signature|Zadok.}} | |||
{{Style P-Subtitle|From M. E. C.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|What steps must I take to open the heart so as to exercise the Will for governing the Astral body?}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''.—There is but one way to open the heart. That is by living | |||
{{Page aside in Path|v=2|n=9|p=281}} | |||
the life. It is a simple matter to govern the will, but this is not the true will. The governing of the Astral body is the smallest of the tasks of the true will. The will should be used to obtain wisdom, and when so used it will control the Astral body without effort. We should exert psychic powers only to benefit others, never to free ourselves from the disagreeable. Let your aim be to find God; your motive, to know yourself for the sake of Theo Sophia and humanity: your desire, to help humanity, and the true Will will be developed, the heart opened and you will not only control the Astral body but all in the Astral. You must seek beyond the Astral for powers, but it is not wise to desire the acquisition of powers. Let your aim be beyond that, and the powers will grow of themselves. If the strong-willed or sick depress you, seek to aid each in some way, forget that you are depressed, ''forget your self'', and they will not affect you. The life of the Occult student is full of sorrow, anguish and depressing influences. These go to make him a student in the Occult. A portion of his training is to become aware of these only in so far as they affect others. As to their affecting his own personality, he does not know they exist. If you desire to help humanity, then you possess the true motive. If you use your will in this cause, wisdom, peace and all the powers will be given.}} | |||
{{Style P-Signature|Zadok.}} | |||
{{Style P-Subtitle|From Mrs. M. J. G.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|"What is the effect of hasheesh?"}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''—I have had no personal experience of hasheesh. The experiences of others told me, tally in all respects with the descriptions in Confessions of a Hasheesh Eater, by Fitz Hugh Ludlow, who is said to have died from its use. They are most painful at first, in all cases, and after brief pleasures, return again to horrors, while the habit is even more tenacious and ruinous than that of drink.}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|"Does it open the door of the occult?"}} | |||
{{Style P-No indent|''Answer''—It does not in any sane sense. Horrible visions or pleasant scenes are encountered but without meaning. As in taking anesthetics, what is felt or seen is valueless and contains no real spiritual teaching, any more than dreams or nightmares, nor can you rely upon seeing even the astral world correctly. You see your own disordered fancy chiefly, and are then in fact, a lunatic in the astral world.}} | |||
{{Style P-Signature|Julius.}} | |||