When the mind absorbs all our energies we forget the body; there are those who can become so lost in mind that they can have their limbs amputated and hardly be conscious of the pain. Likewise men under intense mental strain can labor far beyond their ordinary endurance. As we walked along the corridor, I learned from Iole that eighteen hours had passed since she, after tempting me, had got on the cab with the driver during the first short stop. It was now the middle of the day, and for twenty-four hours I had not tasted food; yet, strange to say, I felt no hunger. Had the consuming lives ceased to work since my initiation? Iole answered my silent question by saying: "Before proceeding to your next ordeal in the hall of choice it is but proper that you should have some food." "Then you are still subject to the necessity of food?" I asked, with a smile. "Yes," she answered; "while our mode of life" Up to this time all the rooms and corridors had been lighted by the same diffused light, which seemed to be an incandescence in the air; but now, passing through a door and up a stairway, we were in a hall with windows on either side open to the light of day. This hall was richly carpeted and hung with paintings, and as we passed along several robed brothers and sisters met us with kindly greeting. Wherever this building was, it was of immense size. The hall was fully a hundred feet long, and, looking out the windows as we passed, I saw that a large open court was on each side. Both courts were immense conservatories, containing large trees of many varieties and flowers and plants in abundance. Reaching the end of the hall, a robed figure confronted us. In answer to his challenge Iole whispered something in his ear; he bowed and we passed on. "The one to be used in coming out is the Sanskrit word, 'Janana,' meaning knowledge; the one to use when entering is 'Naga,' the Sanskrit word for serpent; and when you give them never speak above a whisper." We had now passed into an interior hall and come to a door at the right. Pushing a concealed button in a rosette near the floor, Iole opened the door and we entered. I saw immediately that we were in a private room, and looking to one side I beheld a life-size painting of my beloved companion. Noticing my admiring glances, for it was indeed a work of art; Iole modestly remarked: "Do not think this a display of vanity, my brother; Zerol insisted upon making me a subject, and, like a good sister, I had to humor him; but to keep from making an exhibit of myself I hang it in my private room." "What ill-chosen modesty," I replied, "to deny people the enjoyment of such a picture and the elevating influence that must come from such a work of art, and such a perfect subject." "Hush! my brother; recall the words of Socrates when he said, 'Flattery is worse than a vulture, for the latter consumes only the dead while the former eats up the living!' "It does one good to get among people where such freedom reigns," I answered; "in a world where all are hedged around by forms and ceremonies how many sympathetic souls are kept asunder. I take you at your word and all my actions shall be free." "Be free," she answered with a smile, as she extended her hand across the table and we clasped in true good-fellowship. A young man, evidently a Hindu, now entered with a tray containing our repast. "You see," said Iole, as she poured our cups of chocolate, "the members of this degree eat in private; it is one of our rules; but you being so intimately related"—and she smiled with a bewitching smile—"we can eat at least once together." "And only once! no oftener?" I asked, eying her affectionately across the table. "Well, that depends," she answered; "from now on I am your obedient servant, and whatever you say will be done." She looked into my eyes searchingly and replied: "No, you will be tried with no more temptations of deception through me; my duty has been performed to you and yours to me. The deceptions I had to simulate were trials to me as well as you; loving you, I had to deceive you and try and lead you to your ruin. Could any trials be more severe? But I did my duty, and, thanks to thy inner self, you did yours; and now we meet upon the plane of equal brothers and deception will nevermore come through me. This is a solemn affirmation and you can rely upon it in the future." Without giving me a chance to reply, she continued: "As to your being a monk, I would say that the noblest men of earth have been such; and it seems that to be a monk is an indispensable requisite to the highest perfection." Checking an exclamation of admiration, I asked: "And did you all this time implicitly obey, without question or doubt, the commands of your brothers?" "I did," she answered. "I had been with them for many years and during all that time they had She spoke with deep earnestness, and I remained silent as she continued: "Before this, how cruel the world seemed; how heartless, how unjust! I could not conceive of the Infinite setting aside the laws that rule the universe; I could not conceive of God as some gigantic knight going from place to place in the twinkle of an eye and protecting the innocent and guarding the helpless. Even when a She paused, her large, brown eyes filled with a wondrous light, her face illuminated with divine love. What speech has the power of that which comes from a pure and earnest heart? Her words were fast throwing me into an enchanted spell, and it was well, perhaps, she ceased, to let me ask: "And you believed that these great powers, "I had not the least doubt of it," she answered. "Well, my love, I will remember your simile, and avoid further comparisons with vultures; but tell me—do they allow love here? Do they permit marriage? or are they all monks and nuns?" It was well I had mastered myself and learned the power of will, for with a look which formerly would have undone me, she answered: Love, as divine man would give meaning to that word, we teach; the love of soul for soul. We have talked upon this great theme before, and what held there holds here. But beware of that love which gives a single thought of self." As she said this she looked at me with a deep, significant look; and then continued: "Marriage, as the world gives meaning to that word, we know not. Marriages are not made by man-enacted laws, churches, or any human institutions. Marriage is the harmonious union of two similarly attuned souls for a pure and holy purpose—soul-development, and the providing of tabernacles for subjective conditioned souls seeking re-embodiment. Marriage, as a means of gratifying sensuous desires and lusts, or to satisfy uncurbed appetites and passions, we abhor. As a true brother I can speak to you with candor upon a For the first time her words had a tinge of scorn as she continued: "What is the world to-day but a vast whirlpool of savage lust—may the savage forgive me for that slander," she added quickly, as though she had used the wrong word. " It is only civilized man with his glossy exterior who perverts these sacred functions—not even the cattle stoop so low as he. Then what a code of morals governs these relations!" she exclaimed with flashing eyes, which showed that, notwithstanding her usual calmness, she had a heart of fire. " Do you know," she said leaning forward, "that if I was man I would hide my face in shame to demand of woman what he makes no pretense of having—purity. For shame! for lasting shame that any man should sanction such a code of morals! But woman, heaven pity her blind ignorance! she permits this evil, for she She straightened up in her chair and her hitherto animated face became overspread with an expression of wonderful sadness as she said: "But passion is blind, deaf and dumb, and heedeth no persuasion; only pain can kill the monster. Blessed be pain!" "My dear Iole," I said, as she again paused, "if I ever loved you before you can multiply it by infinity now. I concur with you in every word you have said, and I would that all the world would do the same. Now you said that you would obey and be my humble servant; will you?" She looked at me searchingly and replied: "Will you be a good master?" She spoke in a serious tone I did not exactly understand, but I seized the opportunity and said: "No, but a good husband, my darling Iole." "You are to be a monk," she answered quickly, with neither a yes nor a no; "and this reminds me that I have not answered that part of your question. We are not all monks and nuns, although many are; but monks and nuns of a peculiar kind as you will learn as you proceed." She had evaded an answer, but I now asked doggedly: "That is for you alone to decide—but not here," she added quickly, as I was about to speak; "there is one rule in this degree which I might as well announce to you at once, and that is that every man must choose of his own free will and without advice. This is one of the most important rules of occultism." "Well, then, I will have to trust to my own inner voice," I said, at the same time wondering which she would prefer me to be. "You can find no better guide," she answered, and as though she read my thoughts, continued: "Never do anything just to please somebody; do it because you think it is right, and remember that the less self there is in any decision, the nearer right it will be." "But," I answered, "would you make conscience the sole guide in life? Is not conscience relative and very uncertain?" "In all ordinary men conscience must be conjoined with reason; with the initiated conscience and reason are one. Truly, in most men, conscience and reason are relative; but not because of conscience, or reason in themselves, but because of the instruments through or in which they work. Conscience and reason, per se, are attributes of the Infinite, and as such are perfect; but they are
As she spoke she arose and left the room, and I with all the authority of a would-be brother or husband, I knew not which, commenced to make myself familiar with my surroundings. In addition to her reception-room, there was a suite of bedchambers and bath and toilet-rooms. These are indeed peculiar monks and nuns, I thought, as I surveyed her elegantly furnished apartments. How can she indulge in such luxury when there is so much poverty and misery in the world? Surely here is an inconsistency. I now noticed the picture of a remarkably handsome "What is it?" I asked. "Your recent experiences ought to tell you," she replied, "but I will repeat. Those three dark and evil-looking men are named Passion, Desire, and Avarice; the white-robed woman is the virgin nature in man. The black boat trimmed in red represents the lower nature, which is controlled by the three oarsmen. The swamp represents perdition or the pool of matter. Now the legend says that these three men have time and again drowned this beautiful virgin in the swamp; but, by some miraculous means, she always escapes when they go away. Again and again do they capture her and take her back. Now there are two conclusions to the legend, and people differ as to which is true: Some say that despairing of ever destroying her they put her in a black sack, and tying a large stone to it sunk her in the pool to rise no more. Others say that one night she succeeded in persuading her captors to listen to a song; and while she was singing the full moon came up, and the oarsmen were transformed into angels of Love, Virtue and Mercy, and elected her their queen, and that she took them away to a far-off land where only gods can dwell." "I see," I said, with admiration, "that all your art has a purpose." As she spoke she opened the door, and having passed through she led the way along the hall. "Iole," I said, as we walked along the corridor, "how do you reconcile all this palatial magnificence with your claims of humanity, when there is so much poverty and misery in the world?" "My brother," she replied, "do not be deceived by appearances; the world cannot be saved by money or wealth, however much good it may do in isolated cases. The wealth we have here does not in the least diminish that which we have to use elsewhere." With this remark she smiled significantly, and continued: "Wealth and luxuries are not to be discarded except by those who cannot master them; while surrounded by wealth, we do not allow it to consume our souls like the avaricious men of earth. We believe in art, in music, in sweet perfumes and beautiful homes; but we do not allow the possession of such to blind us to the fact that everything here on earth is temporary and fleeting. We do "You say, sister, that money and wealth cannot save the world; what can?" "A reformation of man, an upbuilding of character, a purification and elevation of mind and heart; no external remedies or superficial palliations will do it. Everything objective is the outcome of that which is subjective. To change the visible you must change the invisible; and this can be done only through mind and heart." "But," I interjected, "cannot the invisible be changed by the visible? Will not the proper environment bring about this much-desired internal state?" "To a certain extent, yes;" she answered. "The objective and subjective mutually interact upon each other; but the great power is in the subjective, for the mind and will have power superior to environment, and it is a pernicious teaching to say that they have not. There can be no Do you believe in free-will?" I asked. "That is a word much misunderstood," she answered. "Man is influenced both internally and externally in every act he does, and, therefore, he is not absolutely free, but nevertheless, he has the power to choose, and this power is superior to all influences." "But are there no exceptions to this? Have not some people sunk so low that they have lost this power?" "There are," she said sadly; "the lost soul has no will of his own, but only the will of his demon self which feeds on desire and passion; to this monster he has surrendered his will, and he must obey its orders. But," she added as though to brighten this last sad statement, "as long as that small green thread connects the pyramid and the cube, so long has he the power to rise." With these words we turned down a cross-hall and stopped before a robed brother seated in front of a door. "The dawn approaches," answered the brother, and he opened the door and we passed through. We entered a room finished in white and gold, and found ourselves in the presence of seven white-robed figures seated around a large table of the same pure color. The features of all were unconcealed, and at the head of the table I recognized the king of the morning. The three at his right were men, the one next to him being he who had represented the sun. The three at his left were women, and she who had represented Luna likewise sat next the king. Two vacant seats were at the end of the table opposite the king, and at his motion we took them side by side. "What does the sister say?" asked the king, addressing Iole in a low, gentle voice. "The law reigns," she answered. "Brother," said the king, and all eyes immediately became fastened upon me, "the unseen intelligences, who rule the apparent accidents of life, have spoken through the mystic language of numbers and say that you are worthy to become a candidate for the exalted 'Third Degree.' Few men are so found in the world; of all her fifteen hundred millions not a thousand such exist. This does not mean that you are exalted above all others, but that you have the possibilities that will make you great, and that these can be unfolded "I do," I answered, in a clear, firm voice. "Remember, brother, we do not advise you to take this step, neither do we urge you not to as has been done before. All who reach this degree are considered as having enough wisdom to decide for themselves. You understand?" "I do," I answered. "Then let there be no secrets here. We know from the colors visible to clairvoyant sight that you and our sister Iole are of the same vibratory key; your auras blend without discordant measure; she is perfectly attuned to you, and you likewise to her. This shows that you are sympathetic Roll's and explains your love for one another." Iole pressed my hand under the table, and I returned the clasp as the king continued: "Your love has been perfectly evident to us, for we have likewise loved; and love is no mystery to those who have truly loved. "Now two paths lie before you, and this is the hall of choice; do not choose hastily; if desired we give you time for due consideration. "The first route is known as ' virgin husband.' By this route you take our beloved sister in the holy bonds of marriage." I clasped Iole's hand, "The second route is that called 'Virgin Lover.'" Again I clasped Iole's hand, but still received no answer. "On this route there is no marriage except that pure and most exalted union of soul with soul without a single thought of body—a marriage the meaning of which the impure world knows not. "On this route you pass through quick and awful trials of seven years’ duration, when, if you both have persevered, it will be thy privilege to pass on. Seven years will consummate an entire change within thy body, and all the atomic particles that make it will be replaced by purer ones Again he paused as though to give me time to dwell in rapture on the scene, for his words had a magic power; and as he spoke a mirage-like panorama filled my mind. Then, when my heart' had reached the highest pitch of parental love, he continued in a voice intensely serious: "But remember that all this must end, for every thing on earth is limited by time. Recall the words of Jesus, our Great Brother, when he Again he paused as though to emphasize his words, and then continued: "You can choose now or after seven days; do naught in haste. If you choose the path of 'virgin husband' you take your sister Iole as your loving wife; if you choose the path of virgin lover you must love each other through the Universal, and an hour may see you severed in the world of forms. In the first path you are both bound together in this world, in the second, apparently separated, but united in the Universal Soul. And that you may know the nature of possible orders if you choose the second path, know that the end of a great cycle draweth nigh. A ferment which has long been gathering in the world of mind will soon break forth; even now it has broken forth in the East, and war is threatening in the West. Before this century ends, kings and rulers, principalities and powers will rise and in violence fall. Ah! a dark cloud impends; the invisible is threatening and awful! War, pestilence, famine and conflagration will ere long expiate the accumulated Karma of the ages. When these times come we will guide and work unseen, and bring to the appointed end the decrees of retribution. In these labors we need men and women who have no fears, to whom life is"VIRGIN LOVER."
