' THE GATES OF _ KNOWLEDGE RUDOLF STEINER THE ANTHROPOSOPHICAL LITERATURE CONCERN PUBLISHERS I922 Copyright, 1922, by THE ANTHROPOSOPHICAL LITERATURE CONCERN, Inc. Chicago, Ill. The Gates of Knowledge CHAPTER I THE FOUR MODES OF. KNOWLEDGE N the chapters to which these are a sequel, the Path to the Higher Know- ledge has been traced up to the point of meeting With the two Guardians of the Threshold. The relation in which the soul stands to the different worlds, as gradually it climbs the steps of knowledge will nOW be described. This comprises what may be called “the teachings of Occult ‘ Science.” I Before man enters the Path Of the Higher Knowledge, he only knows the first of its four stages. It is the one which I 2 .THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE in ordinary life belongs strictly to the world of the senses. Even in what is called “science,” he has to do only with this first grade of knowledge; for such science only deals with ordinary know- ledge more minutely and in. a disciplined way. By means of instruments such as the microscope, the telescope, etc., he makes the senses more effective, and discloses to them what they could not otherwise perceive. But he is still on the same plane of knowledge, whether he sees large things-with the naked eye, or observes very small objects and pheno- mena by the aid of a microscope.” Also in the application of thought to facts and things, such science still, remains in the field of every-day life. Man arranges the objects, describes and compares them, seeks to picture to himself their varia- tions, and so forth. The keenest natur- FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE 3 alist does nothing fundamentally, in this respect, beyond bringing to a fine art the methods of investigating every—day life. His knowledge takes a wider range, becomes more complex and more logical, but he does not come one step nearer to any other mode of cognition. In Occult Science this first stage of knowledge is called the material mode of cognition. This is followed by three higher; and there are yet others further on. They shall be explained here before proceeding further with the description of ‘ the Path of Knowledge. Beginning with the ordinary method of scientific cogni- tion, of apprehension through the senses, we shall have to differentiate the following four stages: I. Material Knowledge. 2. Imaginative Knowledge. 4 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE 3. Inspirational, called also “Know- ledge of the nature of Will.” 4. Intuitive Knowledge. The stages that follow these will be spoken of later. We must first be quite clear as to what we are dealing with in' these different modes of cognition. In the ordinary “senSe knowledge” there are four elements to be noticed: (I) The object which makes an impression on the senses; (2) The image which we form of this object; (3) The idea by which we come to a spiritual comprehension of the object or event; (4) The “Ego” which forms for itself the image and idea based on the’impression of the object. Before we make for ourselves an image, a repre- sentation, there must be an object which .causes it. We do not form the object, we only perceive it; and on the basis of FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE " 5 the object is the image formed. As long ' as we are looking at an object we are dealing with that alone; the moment we turn away, we possess only the image of "it. The object is relinquished, but the image remains “.fixed ” in the memory. But man cannot stop at the image- making stage,—he must go on to ideas. The distinction between “image” and “idea” is absolutely necessary if we are to be clear at this point. - For instance, let us picture to ourselves an object which is circular in form; then turn away, and retain a picture of the circlein the mem— ory. But we have not yet the “concep- tion” of a circle. We only attain this when we say to ourselves: “A circle is a figure in which all points are equi—distant from. ‘the centre.’_’ We come to the knowledge of a thing only when we have formed a conception of it. There are 6 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE . many circles—small, large, red, blue, and so forth, but there is only one conception “Circle.” This will be more fully dealt with as we proceed; for the present we shall give only an outline of what is neCes- sary in order to distinguish the first four steps in knowledge. The fourth element which comes under consideration in Material cognition is the ' “ego.” In this is accomplished the union of images and ideas. The ego stores up the image in his memory. If this were not. the case, no continuous inner life would be possible. The images of things would remain only so long as the things . themselves had some effect on the soul. But the inner life depends upon the link- ing of one perception with another. The ego finds his way in the world to-day because, with certain objects, the images of similar objects of yesterday re-appear. FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE 7 It is Obvious that the life of the soul would , be impossible if we could retain the image of a thing only so long as the thing- itself stood before us. In relation to ideas also, the ego forms the unity. It combines its ideas and in this way makes a survey—arrives at an understanding of the world. i This linking up of ideas is What happens when one “forms a judgment.” One who has only scattered conceptions does not easily find his way about in the world. All 3 man’s activity depends on his capacity ; to combine conceptions, that is, to form opinions. ' The Material mode of cognition con- sists in receiving through the senses an impression Of things together with repre- sentations of the outer world. Man has the power of perceiving, or “sensibility.” The impression received from “outside” 8 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE is also called “sensation.” Therefore in "material cognition” four elements have to be considered: Sensation, Image, Con- ception, Ego. In the next higher stage of knowledge, the impression made upon the physical senses, the “sensation” falls away. . There is no longer any outer sense-object. There remain only three of the factors to which man is accustomed in ordinary knowledge: Image, Concep- tion, and Ego. Ordinary knowledge in a healthy individual creates no image and no idea when there is no object present, to the outer senses. The ego is then inactive. He who forms images of sen- sible objects which do not actually exist lives in fantasy. But the occult student acquires this very faculty of forming images even when no external sense-object is present. Some- thing else in him must take the place of FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE 9 external objects. He must be able to call up images when no object affects his senses. Something else must take the place of sensation; and this something is Imagination. At this stage, images ap- pear to the occult student exactly the same as if a sensible object were making 'an impression upon him; they are as vivid and true as sense-images, yet they come, i not from the “material” world, . but from the, world of soul and spirit. The senses then remain entirely inactive. It is evident that this faculty of forming pregnant images without sense-impres- sions must first be acquired. This is accomplished through meditation, and through the exercises which have been described elsewhere. I The man confined . . to the world of sense, lives within. the ISee The Way of Initiation, by Rudolf Steiner, Ph.D. ' Third Edition. 237 pp. Cloth, crown 8vo. 3/10 post free. [0 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE limits of a sphere of images which have ‘ gained access to him through the senses. But the imaginative man has a world of images which he has drawn from a higher .source. ' A very careful training is necessary in order to distinguish delusion from reality in this higher world of images. When such images first enter a man’s mind he is inclined to say: “Ah! that is only fancy; a mere out-flow of my imagination.” This is quite comprehensible, for man is accustomed at present to call that alone “real” which, without his own effort, he finds on the sure foundation of the evi- dence of his senses. And he must first accustom himself to accept as “real ” things which are caused in quite another way. In this matter he cannot be too careful not to fall into fantasy. The THE FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE 11 capacity to decide, in these higher regions, what is ‘,‘real” and what is “illusion,” can only come by experience. And this experience must be gained in a quiet, patient inner life. We must be quite prepared to find that at first Illusion plays sorry tricks with us. EVerywhere lurks the possibility that images will present themselves which are the result of some delusion of the outer senses, or of abnor- mal life. All such possibilities must first be done away with. We must first com- pletely arrest the flow of fancy; then alone can we achieve Imagination. When a man has come so far, it will be clear to him that the world which he has thus entered is not only just as real as the world of sense, but much more so. In the third stage of knowledge, images no longer appear. We have now to deal only with the Conception and the ego. 12 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE Whereas in the second stage there was still a world of images around us, remind- ing us of the moment at which a vivid memory conjures up instantaneously im- pressions from the outer world, without ourselves receiving such impressions,-—in the third stage even such images are ab- sent. Man lives altogether in a spirit- ual world. Those accustomed to confine themselves to "the senses will be tempted to believe this world to be pale and colourless. But this is far from being the case. Neither has the image-world of the second stage anything pale or shadowy about it; though this is what the images ot memory for the most part are, when the physical objects have vanished. But the pictures of the Imagination have a vivacity and a- comprehensiveness which far surpass those of the shadowy memory-pictures of the sensible world, FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE 13 and even the gaudy and ever-changing physical world itself. Even this is a mere shadow beside the realm of Imagi- nation. / But how shall we describe the world of the third stage of knowledge? Nothing in the world of sense can give any idea of its wealth and luxuriance. That which was Sensation in the first stage, Imagi— nation in the second, here becomes “In- spiration.” Inspiration gives the impres- sion, and the ego forms the idea. If anything at all in the realm of sense can be compared with this world, it is that region opened up to us by the sense of hearing, the world of tones. But now we have to do, not with the tones of earthly music, but with a purely spiritual cadence. One begins to “hear” what is going on at the heart of things. The stone, the plant, and so forth, become 14 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE “spiritual words.” The world begins to express its true nature to the soul. It sounds grotesque, but it is literally true, that at this stage of knowledge one “hears ” in spirit the growing of the grass. The form of the crystal is perceived as sound; the opening blossom “speaks” to . man. The inspired man is able to realise the inner nature of things; his soul beholds the resurrection of all things in a new form. He speaks a language which be- longs to another world, but which alone can make the every-day world compre- hensible. Lastly, in the fourth stage of knowledge Inspiration also ceases. Of the several factors which man is accustomed to ob- serve in every-day knowledge, the ego alone remains to be considered. The attainment of this stage by the occult student is marked by a very definite - FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE 15 inner experience. This experience mani- fests itself in the feeling that he no longer stands outside the things and occurrences which he recognises, but is within them. Images are not objects, but only the expression of them. Again, what Inspi- ration gives is not an object, but only an utterance of it. For that which now lives within the soul is verily the object itself. The ego has poured itself forth over all beings; it has merged itself in them. The life of things in the soul is now Intuition; and when we say of Intuition that “through it man glides into all things,” this is literally true. In ordinary life man has but one “ Intui- tion,”—that is, of the ego itself. For the ego can in no way be perceived from with- out; it can only be experienced within. A simple consideratiOn will make this fact clear, and it is one which psychologists / 16 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE have not used so ' forcibly as might be wished. Insignificant as-it may appear, to those who understand it fully it is of the most far-reaching significance. It is as follows: in the outer world the same name may be applied by all to the same thing. Any one may call a table a “table”; a tulip, a “tulip”; or address Mr. Miller as “Mr. Miller.” But there is one word which each can apply to him- self alone: it is the word “ I.” N 0 other person can say ‘.‘ I ” to me. To every one else I am “you,” just as every one else is a “you” to me. Only of myself can I say “ I.” And this is because each man lives, not outside, but within the “I.” And in the same way, in Intuitive Cogni- tion, does a man live in all things. This perception of the ego is the type of all intuitive knowledge. And in order thus to enter into all things, we must clearly FOUR MODES OF KNOWLEDGE I7 begin by coming out of our self. We must become “selfless” before we can. blend the self, the ego, with another being. Meditation and Concentration form the sure method by which this stage, as the earlier ones, may be reached? But it is essential that these be practised in a quiet and patient way.. He who imagines that he can Violently and forcibly climb into the higher worlds is greatly mistaken. One who so believed would also make the mistake of expecting the realities of the higher regions to approach him in the same way as those’of the sensible world. Rich and Vivid as are the worlds to which ' man may climb, they are rare and subtle, while the world of sense is coarse and _ rude. The most important thing to be learned is that we must accustom our- selves to regard as “real” something quite other than that which We so desig- 2 18 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE nate in the realm of sense. And this is not altogether easy. Herein lies the reason why so many who would fain tread the Occult Path are frightened away at the first steps. They expect to ~ encounter things like tables and chairs, and find, instead of these, “spirits.” And because “spirits” are not like tables and chairs, they take them for “imagin- ings.” The fault lies only in their un- familiarity with them. We must first acquire the right attitude towards the spiritual world; then shall we not only behold that which is spiritual, but also recognise it. And a great part of occult training is concerned with this right recog- nition and valuation of the spiritual. CHAPTER II THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP E must next consider the state of sleep, if we are to come to any understanding of Imaginative Know- ledge. So long as man has attained to no higher stage than Material Cogni- tion, the soul, although it truly lives during sleep, is unable to perceive any- thing in the world in which it then dwells. It is in this world like a blind man in the world of matter. Such a one lives in the midst of light and colour, but is unable to perceive them. From the outer sense-organs—the eye, the ear, the ordinary, activity of the brain, and so forth—the soul, in sleep, has Withdrawn. I9 20 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE / It receives no impressions through the senses. What, then, is it doing during sleep? We must realise clearly that in waking ' life the soul is in a state of‘ constant activity. It takes in the impressions of the outer senses and works upon them: that is its occupation. This ceases during sleep, but the soul is not then idle. Asleep it works‘upon its own body. This is worn out by the activity of the day, which manifests itself in fatigue. And during sleep the soul occupies itself with its own body in order to prepare it for further waking work. We see by this how essential is good sleep for the main- tenance of bodily health. The man who does not sleep sufficiently, does not allow his soul to execute upon the body the needful work of repair; and the conse- quence of this must be the deterioration THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS or SLEEP 21 of the body. The forces with which the soul works upon the body in sleep are the same withwhich it acts during the waking state; only in the latter case they are used to take in impressions from the outer senses and to work upon them. N ow when ' Imaginative. Cognition awakes in man, part of the force expended upon the body in sleep must be employed in another way. By these forces the spiritual sense-organs are formed, which enablethe soul, not merely to exist in the higher worlds, but also to take cogni- . sance in them. Thus the soul during sleep works no longer upon the body only, but also upon itself. This result is ‘ brought about by meditation and con- centration, ‘ and also by other exercises. . It has already often been stated in my other books, giving the methods, for the attainment of the Higher Knowledge, 22 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE that the particular directions for these exercises are given only from man to man. No one should undertake such exercises ‘ on his own account. For only those who have experience of these things can judge what will be the result, in any individual, of withdrawing the activity of his soul from the body and applying. it to a higher purpose. Meditation, Concentration, and other exercises, cause the soul to withdraw for a time from its connection with the sense-organs. It is then sunk in itself, and its activity is turned inwards. In the first stages of this detachment, its inner activity does not differ greatly from its daily work. The same representations, feelings, and sensations must be employed in the work within as during ordinary life. But the more it accustoms itself to be in a measure blind and deaf to its THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP. 23 physical surroundings, the more it lives within itself, the more fit does it become for the inner achievements. And that which is accomplished by meditation first bears fruit in the condition of sleep. When the soul is freed from the body at night, that which has been quickened in it by the exercises of the day, con- tinues to work. Organs are formed in it, by which it can come into relation with its higher surroundings, in exactly the same way as it has already come into contact with the physical world through the outer organs of sense. Out of the darkness of the nocturnal environment come forth visions of light from the higher wOrlds. Subtle and intimate-is this inter- course at first. It must always be borne in mind that for a long time to come the act of waking to the light of day will immediately draw .94 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE a dense veil over the experiences of the night. The recollection of having per- Ceived something during the night, only very slowly and gradually comes through. I For the disciple does not easily learn to pay attention to the delicate images of his soul, which in the course of his develop- ment begin to mingle with the common events of every-day sense—life. At first, such images resemble what one calls the accidental impressions gathered by the soul. Everything depends upon- his learning to distinguish what is due to the ordinary World from that which pre- sents itself through his own being as a , manifestation from the higher worlds. In a quiet, introspective mental life, he must acquire this discernment. It is necessary that he should first develop a sense of the value and meaning of those intimate soul—images which, like chance THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP 25. ( impressions,"mingle themselves with daily life, but which are really recollections of the nightly intercourse with a. higher world. As soon as one grasps these images roughly and applies to them the standards of the sense-life, they vanish away. . ' It is clear from what has been said that, owing to this work in a higher world, the soul must withdraw from the body part of the activity formerly bestowed ‘upon it with such care. It leaves it, to a certain extent, alone. And the body. needs a substitute for that which the soul did for it before. If it does not obtain such a substitute, it runs the risk of fall- ing a prey to maleficent powers. For we must clearly recognise that man is. con- tinually exposed to the influences of his surroundings. In fact, he maintains life only through co-operation with his sur- 26 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE roundings. Among these we must con- sider first the kingdom of visible Nature. Man himself belongs to this visible Nature. If there were no mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms, and no human beings around him, he could not live. 'If an individual could be imagined as cut off from the earth and lifted up into sur- rounding space, he must inevitably perish quickly as, a physical being, just as the hand will perish if cut off from the body. ' The illusion of a hand that imagined that it could exist Without the body would be no greater than that of a man Who main- tained that he could live as a physical being Without the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms, and the rest of humanity. _ But besides the above-named kingdoms . there are. three others, Which generally escape the notice of man. These are the THE OCCULT' FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP 27 three elemental kingdoms, which stand ’ in a sense below the mineral kingdom. There are beings who do not condense into the mineral condition, but who are none the less present and exert their influence upon man. (Further informa- tion concerning these elemental kingdoms will be found in my Atlantis and Lemu- ria,I and also in the remarks upon them in my Theosophy.) Man is thus eXposed to influences from kingdoms of Nature which in a [sense must be called invisible. N ow when the soul works upon the body, a considerable part of its activity consists in regulating the influences of the elemen- tal kingdoms in such a way that they are beneficial to man. _' But the instant the soul withdraws part of its activity from IT he Submerged Continents of Atlantis and Lemuria. . Their History and Civilisation. By Rudolf Steiner, Ph.D. The Rajput Press, Chicago; Theosophical Pub1., Soc., London. 28 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE the body, injurious powers. from the elemental kingdoms may get hold of it. Herein lies one of the dangers of the higher evolution. Care must therefore be taken that the body is in itself acces- sible, only to the” good influences'of the elemental world as soon as the soul is withdrawn from it. If this be dis- regarded, the ordinary man will be, to a certain extent, physically and morally injured, in spite of having gained access to the higher worlds. . While the soul dwells in the higher regions, pernicious forces steal into the dense physical and etheric bodies. This is the reason why certain bad qualities, which, previous to this higher develop- ment, had been held in check by the regulating power of the soul, may now, for lack of such power, become apparent. Men who were formerly of good moral be- THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP 29 haviour may, under Such circumstances, when they enter the higher worlds, reveal all kinds of low propensities,—extreme selfishness, untruthfulness, vindictiveness, wrath, etc. No one need be alarmed by - this fact, or deterred from ascending into the higher worlds, but care must be taken to prevent the occurrence of such things. The lower nature of man must be forti- fied and made inaccessible to the danger- ous elemental influences. This can be brought about by the conscious cultiva- tion of certain Virtues. These Virtues _ are set forth in the theosophical hand- books dealing with spiritual develop- ment; and here we have the reason why they must be carefully sought after. They are the following: ‘ First of all, the pupil must deliberately, continually, and in all things, recognise the imperishable, the lasting; distinguish 30 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE it from the perishable, and turn his atten- tion towards it. In all things and in all beings he may assume and discern some- thing which abides when the transitory appearance has vanished. If I see a plant, I can first observe it as it presents itself to the senses; and this no one should neglect to do. For no one.will be able to discover the permanent in objects, who has not first made himself thoroughly familiar with their perishable aspect. Those who are continually afraid that to fix their attention on the spiritual and eternal will cause them to lose the freshness and naturalness of life, do not yet understand of what we are really speaking. When I look at a plant in this way, it may become evident to me that there is in it a permanent life-impulse which will re—appear in a new form when the plant before me has long since crum- THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP 3'1 ‘ bled to dust. This attitude of mind towards things must become thoroughly bound up with our nature. Then we must fix our hearts upon all that is wor- thy of esteem, and genuine, and learn to value it more highly than that which is fleeting and insignificant. In all our feelings and actions we must take into consideration the value of any one thing in relation to the whole. Thirdly, we must cultivate six qualities: control of thoughts, control of actions, endurance, impartiality, confidence in our surround- ings, and inner equilibrium. Control of the thought—world can be attained if we take the trouble to combat that wandering of the thoughts and feel- _ ings which tosses the ordinary man to and fro. In every-day life man is not the master of his thoughts: he is driven by them. And, as a matter of course, it 32 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE cannot be otherwise; for life itself rules man and, as a worker, he must yield to the pressure of life. In ordinary life this ' must be so. But if man would rise into higher worlds, he must set apart at least certain short periods in which to make himself master of his world of thought and feeling. Then, with full inner free- dom, he sets a thought in the centre of his soul; whilst ordinarily, ideas were driven into it from without. Then he tries to keep at a‘ distance all other thoughts and feelings, and to add nothing to the first thought except that which he admits of his own will. Such an exercise has a beneficial effect upon'the soul, and through it, upon the body. It brings the latter into such a harmonious condition that it evades pernicious influences even when the soul is not directly working upon it. p THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP 33 Control of actions consists in a similar regulation of these by inner freedom: A good beginning is made when we set our- selves to do regularly something which it ,would not have occurred to us to do in ordinary. life. For in the latter, man is driven to action from without.~ But the smallest action which we undertake of our own innermost initiative, does more for- us in the direction of which we are speak- ing than anything we may do through“ the pressure of life from withOut. Endur- ance consists in deliverance from those moods which may be described as alter- nating betweeen “exulting to the highest heaven ” and “sorrowing even unto death.”g -Man is driven to and fro be- tween all kinds of moods. Pleasure makes him glad; pain depresses him. This finds its justification. But he who seeks the Path to the Higher Knowledge 3 34 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE must be able to moderate both his joy and his sorrow. He must become stable. He must be able to restrain himself in the midst of pleasurable, as well as of painful experiences; he must carry himself with dignity through both. He must never be unmanned or disconcerted. This does not imply any lack of feeling; but only that the man has made for himself a fixed centre in the tide of life which ebbs and flows round about him. He has himself always well in hand. I Another very important quality is the “instinct of affirmation.” He will de- velop this for himself who notices in all things their good, beautiful, and service- able characteristics; not, in the first place, that which is blameworthy, ugly, perverse. There is a beautiful story among the Persian legends concerning Christ, which illustrates the meaning THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP 35 of this quality. A dead dog was lying . in the road, and Christ was among the passers-by. All the others turned away from the ugly spectacle which the animal presented; but Christ paused to speak admiringly'of its beautiful teeth. It is possible to see all things in this way ;and he who truly seeks will find even in the most repulsive objeggfiLImething worthy; of appreciation. The fruitful principle in everythiilg is not What it lacks, but What it has. Further, it is important to cultivate the quality of “impartiality.” Every one has gained his own experiences, and has formed from them a definite number of opinions by which his life is regulated. And as it is self-evident on the one hand that conduct must be guided according to experience, it is no less important that he who would advance spiritually in the v 36 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE Higher Knowledge should preserve an unbiased mind towards everything new and unfamiliar that meets him on his way. He will be as cautious as possible with such comments as, “That isimpossible,” or, “ That cannot be.” Whatever opinion he may have formed from previous expe- riences, he will be ready at any moment, when he encounters something new, to form a new opinion. All preference for his private opinion must be given up. When the five qualities already named have been acquired, a sixth will follow' of itself,—namely, the inner equilibrium: the harmony of the spiritual forces. The pupil must find within himself a spiritual centre of gravity, to give him firmness and security amidst all that would draw him hither [and thither in life. But he must not shrink from! sharing the life around him and letting everything influ- THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP 37 ence him. Duty does not lie in flight from all the activities of life which draw us in every direction; but rather, on the contrary, in fully giving oneself up to life, and yet at the same time guarding firmly and securely the inner harmony and equilibrium. Lastly, the seeker must put before him the “will towards liberation.” He has acquired it already, who finds Within him- self the foundation and support of every— thing that he accomplishes. This is hard to attain, because it involves the main- tenance of . perfect balance between the opening of the senses to everything great and good, and the simultaneous refusing of all compulsion. We say so lightly: “Freedom is incompatible with influence from without.” That the two should be reconciled within the soul,—that is the essential thing. When a man tells me_ 38 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE something and I accept it under the pressure of his authority. I am not free. 7 But I am no more free if I close mvself to lg good which I might obtain in this (way. For then the “less good” in my own soul acts as a constraint upon me. Liberation means, not only that I am free from the constraint of an outside authority, but above all that I am free from my own prejudices, opinions, sen- sations and emotions. And the right way to attain freedom is not through blind subjection to what is received, but by opening ourselves to the impulse from it, receiving it impartially, so that we may freely acquiesce in it. An outside author- ity should only influence us so far as to make us say: “I free myself by following what is good in this, and making it my own.” An authority based upon Occult Wisdom will never work otherwise than THE OCCULT FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP 39 in this way. It gives whatever it has to give, not in order itself to gain power over the recipient, but solely that he may become richer and freer through the gift. We have already dwelt upon the signi- ficance of these qualities when speaking of the .“lotus-flowers.” I Therein was shown their relation to the development of the twelve-petalled lotus-flower in the region of the heart, and to the currents of the etheric body connected with it. The ' purport of what has been already stated is that these qualities enable the seeker to dispense with those forces which formerly benefitted the physical body during sleep, and which now, because of his develop- ment, must be gradually withdrawn from that task. ‘ I See Initiation and its Results. CHAPTER III THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER T is impossible to make real progress in the task of penetrating to the higher worlds without going through the stage of Imaginative Knowledge. This by no means implies that in the course of occult training a man is compelled to remain for a given time at the imaginative stage as if it were a class at sChool through which he is bound to pass. This may be neces- sary in certain cases, but not in all. It depends entirely upon the experience the occult student has had before beginning his training. It will be shown in the course of this analysis that the spiritual environment of the ‘pupil is of import- 4o THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 41 ance with regard to this point, and, what is more, that, according to his relation- . ship to this spiritual environment, very different methods have been instituted for treading the Path of Knowledge. An understanding of the following par- ticulars may be of the utmost importance to one who is preparing to enter the Path of occult training. These must not be regarded merely as presenting an inter- esting theory, but as something by which the most varied and practical points of View may be gained by anyone who is sincerely pursuing “ the way to the Higher Knowledge. ’ ’ ' Those 'who are seeking their higher evolution are often heard to say: “ I wish to perfect myself spiritually; I wish to develop the ‘Higher Self’ within me; but ’ , I- have no desire for the manifestations Of the astral world.” This is understand- 42 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE able enough when we read the descrip- tions of the astral world in books treating of such things, for apparitions and entities are spoken of in these which bring all sorts of dangers to men. It is often said that under the influence of such beings a man may very easily suffer injury both morally and intellectually. It is brought home to the reader that in these regions the .wall dividing the good from the evil path is as a spider’s web in thickness, and that the plunge into immeasurable depths, the fall into utter depravity, lies extremely near. It is impossible simply to contradict these assertions. Yet the standpoint taken in many cases, with regard to the treading of the occult Path, is by. no means a right one. The only reasonable point of view is that which enables us to say that no one should be deterred from entering the Path of the Higher Know- THE PUPIL ANDNHIS TEACHER 43 ledge because of the dangers incidental to it; but thatin every case great care must be taken that these dangers be avoided. It will, of course, in many cases follow that a man who asks advice from an occult teacher in the matter of training will be counselled to postpone the actual training for a while, and first to go through certain experiences of ordinary life, or to learn cer- tain things which are to be learned in the physical world. It will then be the task of the occult teacher to give the seeker the right instructions to enable him to gather suitable experience and learn the necessary things. . In by far the greater number of cases, a student will find that the occult teacher proceeds in this way. And if the student now becomes sufficiently attentive to what befalls him, after he has come into contact with the occult teacher, he will ' 44 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE make the most varied observations. He will find that hencefOrth curious things happen to him as if by accident, and that he has opportunities for observing occur: rences which would never have come to him without this link with the occult teacher. If students do not notice this, and become impatient, it is because they have not paid sufficient attention to what has happened to them. It is not to. be imagined that the influence of the teacher upon the student will show itself in dis- tinctly visible works of magic. This influence is, on the contrary, a very inti- mate matter; and he who would explore its nature and form without having first reached a certain stage of occult training, is sure to fall into error. The student injures himself in every case in which he becomes impatient because he is placed on probation. His advance will be none I THE :PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER ‘45 the less rapid on this account. On the contrary, his progress would be rendered slower if he were to begin too soon the training to which he so impatiently looks forward. , _ If the student allows the time of pro- bation, or the counsels and hints given to him by the occult teacher, to influence him rightly, he will be actually preparing himself to withstand certain trials and \dangers which he will encounter when he approaches the inevitable stage of Imagi- nation._ This stage is unavoidable, for this reason :—Every one who seeks com- munication with the higher worlds with- out having passed through it, can only do so unconsciously, and is condemned when he reaches them to grope in the dark. One can acquire some dim sense of these higher worlds without Imagination; one can without it certainly attain to a feeling 46 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE of being united with one’s “God” or “Higher Self ”; but one cannot come to a true knowledge in full consciousness and bright translucent Clearness. Therefore, all that is said to the effect that the ex- positions regarding the “lower worlds” (the astral and devachanic) are useless, that the one thing needful ,is that man should “awaken the God within him,” is entirely misleading. Whoever is satisfied with such standpoints shOuld not be inter-I ‘ fered with in his strivings, and no occult- ist would seek to dothis. True Occultism has, however, nothing to do with such strivings; nor, on the other hand, does it invite anybody directly to become a pupil. But in him. who craves the .dis- cipline of the occultist, the latter will not only awaken in him a mere dim per- ception of his “divinity,” but will also endeavour to open his spiritual eyes to THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 47 that which is actually existent in the higher worlds. I Of course, the “Divine Self” exists in every human beingl,'and not in man alone, but in every created thing. In stone, plant, and animal, the “ Divine Self”1 inherent and active. What is of impor- tance is not so much the general recogni- tion of this fact, but rather the actual entrance into union with the manifesta- tions of this “Divine Self.” Just as a man knows nothing” of the physical world so long as he can only repeat again and again: “This world contains the ‘Divine Self’ veiled within it,”—in like manner does he who seeks the “divine kingdoms of spirit” as vague and indefinite. gener- alities know nothing of the higher worlds; We should open our eyes and behold the divine manifestation in the things of the physical world, in the stone and in 48 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE the plant, and not indulge in dreams de- picting everything as mere “phenomena ” behind which the real form of God lies concealed. N 0; God reveals Himself in His creations, and he who 'would know God must learn to know the true nature of these creations. Therefore must we also learn actually to behold what exists and happens in the 3 higher worlds, if we would know the “ Divine Nature.” The consciousness that the “Divine Man” dwells within us ' can be at most but a beginning; but this consciousness experienced aright, becomes a spur to the definite ascent into the higher worlds. This can be truly ac- complished only when the necessary spirit- ual senses have been developed. Every other point of View is, merely: “ I will remain as I am, and only attain to that which is within the reach of such powers THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 49 as I have developed already.” But the aim of the occultist is to become a differ- ent being in order to behold and expe- rience things of a different nature from . those of ordinary life. ' And it is precisely\ for this purpose that the stage of Imaginative Knowledge must be experienced. It has already been said that this "‘ imaginative” stage need not be looked upon as a class at school Which one must pass through.‘ What is to be understood is this :——There are, particularly in the present generation, many Who have brought over With them Such conditions as enable the occult teacher to call forth in them at the same time, or nearly so, imaginative, inspira- tional, and intuitive knowledge. But we - are nOt to understand that in the case of any individual the passage through the imaginative stage may be dispensed With. 4 i 50 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE The cause of the dangers inherent in Imaginative Knowledge has already been hinted at in previous chapters. It lies in the fact that on his entrance into super— physical worlds a man, in a certain sense, sees the ground vanish from under his feet. That which gave him security in the physical world has apparently quite disappeared. When we perceive any- thing in the physical world, we ask our- selves: Whence comes this perception? We do this in most cases unconsciously. But we are quite satisfied “uncon- sciously” that the causes of the percep— tion are the objects “outside us, in space.” Colours, sounds, and odours proceed from these objects. We do not see colours floating about in space, or hear sounds, without being able to satisfy ourselves regarding the objects to which these colours pertain as qualities, and from THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 51 which these tones proceed. This con- sciousness, that they are caused by Objects and entities, gives to physical perceptions, and thereby to man himself, a sense of security, a sure hold. If one has perceptions without any outward cause, they are considered abnormal and morbid. Such unaccountable percep- tions are called illusions, hallucinations, Visions. Now primarily, from a purely external point of View, the whole imaginative world consists of such hallucinations, Vis— ions, and illusions. It has been pointed out how, through occult training, such Visions are artificially produced. I By focussing the consciousness on a seed or a dying plant, certain forms are conjured up in the soul, which, to begin with, are nothing but hallucinations. The “flame- 1See The Way of Initiation. 52 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE formation” which was spoken of as being produced in the soul through the observation of a plant or other object, and which after a time completely separates itself from the plant, must, from the ' material standpoint, be regarded as in the nature of hallucination. It is the same in the imaginative world When we enter upon occult training. That which we were accustomed to regard as pro- ceeding from things outside in space,—as _clinging to such things as properties, colours, sounds, odours, and so forth,— now floats freely by itself in space. Per- ceptions detach themselves from all exter- ‘ nal objects and float or soar apart. And ' here we know for a certainty that these perceptions have not produced the things which we see before us, but that on the contrary, we “ourselves” have produced them. And so it comes about that one THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 53 seems to have “lost one’s foothold.” In ordinary life, in the physical world, we have to . be on our guard against those representations which do not proceed from objects, and which are, so to speak, without any foundation, But for the calling forth of Imaginative Knowledge, the important thing at first is to perceive . colours, sounds, odours, etc., 'which, de- tached from everything, float freely in space. The next step towards Imaginative . Knowledge is to find a new cause for such wandering conceptions. And this must be done in that other world which is about to be revealed. New objects and beings . appropriate these representations. In the physical world, for instance, ' the colour “blue” clings to the cornflower, and . similarly in the imaginative world it must cleave to something real. It rushes forth, 54 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE as it were, towards some being, and where- as it floated unattached at first, it now becomes the expression of that being. Something speaks through it to the obser- ver, which he can only perceive in the imaginative world. And so these free floating pictures gather round a definite centre, and we know that beings are speaking to us through them. And, as in the physical world we find corporeal things and beings to which colours, sounds, odours, etc., are attached, or from which they are derived, we now discover spiritual beings who express themselves through those colours, tones, etc. These “spiritual beings” are, in- fact, always present; they hover round us continually. But they cannot reveal themselves to us if we do not give them an opportunity to do so. And we can only give them this opportunity by evokr THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 55 ing within ourselves the capacity to call up colours, sounds, etc., in our soul, even V when no physical object gives rise to them. Entirely different from the objects and entities of the physical world are the “spiritual facts and beings.” "It is not easy to find in ordinary speech an- expres- sion which even remotely describes this difference. Perhaps we may best ap- proach, it by saying that in the imagina- tive world everything speaks to man as if it were directly intelligent; while in the physical world intelligence can only reveal itself indirectly through corpo- reality. It is just this that gives mobility and freedom to the imaginative world: The intermediary member, viz., the out- ward object, is absent, and the spiritual is able to live immediately in the free- flowing colours, sounds, and so on. 56 THE GATES OF‘KNOWLEDGE Now one of the dangers that threatens man in this world lies in the fact that he perceives these manifestations of “ spirit- ual beings,” but not the beings them- selves. This at least is the case so long as he remains in the imaginative world only and does not ascend to a higher one. It is Inspiration and Intuition which lead him by degrees to the beings themselves. ‘ If, however, the occult teacher should - awaken these prematurely, without hav- ' ing thoroughly acquainted the pupil with the realm ‘of imagination, the higher world would have for him only a shadowy and phantasmal existence. The whole glorious fullness of the pictures in which it must reveal itself when he really enters it, would be lost. In this lies the reason why the occult student needs a “Guide,” or “Guru,” as this guide is called in Occult Science. THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 57 ' For the pupil, the imaginative world is at first only a world of pictures, of which, to a great extent, he does not knowthe meaning. But the “Guru” knows to what things and beings these pictures are 1 related in the higher world. If the pupil has. confidence in him he will know that connecting links, which for the present he cannot discern, will reveal themselves to him later. In the physical world, the objects in space [were themselves his guides. He was in a position to prove. the adcuracy of his ideas. The corporeal reality is the “rock” upon which all hallucinations and illusions must be shat- tered. This rock disappears, as soon as we enter the imaginative world. Therefore the “ Guru” must himself become its substitute. The Teacher must realise for his pupil the actuality of the new world. From this we may estimate how 58 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE great must be the pupil’s confidence in ' the Guru in any' occult training worthy of the name. As soon as he can no longer believe in the Guru, it is as though in the . physical world he were suddenly deprived of everything on which he had built his faith in the reality of his perceptions. Apart from this, there is yet another difficulty which may confuse the pupil, if he seeks to enter the imaginative world without the guidance of a Teacher. For the OCCult student has, first and foremost, to learn to know himself as distinct from all other spiritual beings. In physical life a man has feelings, desires, longings, passions, ideas, etc., of his own. These are, indeed, all caused by the things and beings of the outer world, but the man knows quite definitely that they make up. his inner world, and he recognises them as something happening within his THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 59 soul, distinct from the objects of the world outside. But as soon as the imaginative sense is awakened, this facility of distinction com- pletely ceases. His own feelings, ideas, passions, etc., literally step ’outside him, and take on form, sound, and colour. His attitude with regard to them is now the same as it is with reference to absolutely strange objects and beings in the physical world. And it is easy to understand how complete the confusion may be when we remember what has been said on this point in a previous chapter, the whole of which was occupied in describing how the imaginative world presents itself to the observer. For there everything ap- pears reversed as in a mirror. That which goes forth from the man' himself appears as if it Were approaching him from without. A wish which he fosters 60 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE changes into a form, into that of some fantastic—looking animal, for instance, or perhaps into the appearance of a human entity. This seems to assail him, to make an attack .on him, or to cause him to do one thing or another. So it may come about that the man appears to himself as if surrounded by a wholly fantastic, often charming and seductive, but also often, horrible, world of fluttering forms. In reality these are nothing but his own thoughts, wishes, and passions, changed into pictures which he sees. . It would be a great mistake to suppose that it is easy to distinguish these pictures of the transformed self from the true spiritual world. At first it is absolutely impossible for the pupil to make this dis- tinction. For the picture which speaks to the man may be exactly the same, whether it springs from some spiritual THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 61 being or from something within his own soul. And if a man hurries his develop- ' ment unduly at this point, there is a danger that he may never rightly learn to separate the two. It is imperative in this matter that he should exercise the greatest care. The confusion is rendered still greater by the fact that the wishes and desires of his own soul clothe themselves in images conveying an absolutely contrary character to that which they really bear. Let us suppose, for instance, that Vanity comes before us as a picture in this man- ner: it may appear perhaps as a lovely figure, promising the most wonderful things if we execute its behests. The suggestions it makes appear to promise something altogether good and desirable; if. we follow them it will bring about our ruin, ’ moral or otherwise. Conversely, 62 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE a good quality of the soul can veil itself in unprepossessing garb. Only to him who truly knows is it possible to distin- guish the one from the other. Only a personality who cannot be made to falter in pursuit of a right aim is secure against the seductive power of his own soul- images. Having regard to all this, it will readily be seen how necessary is the guidance of a Teacher who, with unerring judgment, draws his pupil’s attention both to the illusions and realities in this region. But we need not‘suppose that the Guru must always stand, as it were, behind the pupil. The immediate presence of the Teacher is not the most important matter for the occult student. Of course there are moments when such “being together in space” is desirable, and even when it is absolutely necessary. But on the other THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 63 hand, the occult Teacher finds means of remaining in touch with the pupil even when separated by distance. And besides, it must be observed that much of what passes between Teacher and pupil 'when they meet may be effectual 'often for months and probably for years after- wards. One thing there is, however, which will break this necessary link between Teacher and " pupil without fail. This happens when the latter loses confidence in his Teacher. And it is especially un- fortunate if this bond of confidence is broken before the pupil has learned to " distinguish between the delusive reflec— i ' tions of his own soul and true reality. It may here, perhaps, be said: “Yes, but if a tie is formed with the Guru in this way, the occult student loses all freedom and independence. He gives himself, so to speak, entirely into the hands of the 64 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE H Guru. This, however, is not the case. There is certainly a difference among the various methods of occult training in respect of this dependence on the Guru. The dependence may be greater or less. It is relatively greatest in the methods fol- lowed by Oriental occultists, and taught by them even to-day as their own. This dependence is proportionately less in the so-called Christian Initiation; and, in reality, it is completely in abeyance on that Path of Knowledge which has been known since the fourteenth century as the Rosicrucian School of Occultism. In this the Guru can by no means be abolished,— that is impossible; but the entire depend- ence on him ceases. How this is prac- ticable will be shown in the following chapters. Therein we shall explain pre- Cisely how these three “ Paths of Know- ledge” difi’er,——the Oriental, the Christian, THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 65 and the Rosicrucian. In this last there is nothing which could interfere in any way with a modern man’s sense of freedom. It will also be seen how it may happen that one person or another as an occult student, even to-day in modern Europe, may follow, not the Rosicrucian, but the Oriental Path, or the early Christian; though, for the present time, the Rosi- crucian is the most natural. And this way, as will presently be seen, is by no means non-Christian. A man may follow this Path without endangering his Christ— ianity; and he, too, may follow it who believes himself to have adopted that theory of the world which is identified with modern science. One other point, perhaps, needs to be cleared up. We may feel tempted to ask whether the occult student might not i be spared the experience of the delusive D 66 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE reflections of his own soul. But if this happened he would never attain to the . independent discernment so desirable for him. For by no other means can the peculiar nature of the imaginative world be so well realised as by the Observation of one’s own soul. At first a man knows the inner life of his ‘soul only from one side,——that he begins by being within it. And this is just what the pupil has to learn, not only to look at things from out- side, but to observe them as if he himself were within all of them. . Now, if his own thought-world comes upon him as some- thing strange, he learns to know a new aspect of that of which formerly he knew but one side. He must, in a certain sense, himself serve as the first example of this mode of Knowledge. ' Here in the physical world he is accus- tomed to something quite different. Here ' THE PUPIL AND HIS TEACHER 67 he looks upon all things from without; himself alone he knows only from within. So long as he remains in the physical world he can never see below the surface of things; and he can never get outside himself,———“ slip out of his skin,” as it were ———in order to observe himself from with- out. And this is literally incumbent upon him before all else in occult training; by the help of this he learns to look beneath the surface of external facts and beings. CHAPTER IV INSPIRATION HE description of the power of Imag— ination has shown us how the occult student, by its means, leaves the region of outer sense-experiences. This is the case in a much higher degree with Inspiration. Here ideas are much less dependent upon what may be called an outside stimulus. The individual must find within himself the power which enables him to form ideas concerning things. He must be inwardly active to a far greater extent than is the case with regard to outer knowledge. For the latter he simply yields himself to impressions from with- out, and these give rise to ideas within 68 ' INSPIRATION 69 him. This kind of surrender ceases when we come to Inspiration. Henceforward the eye does not supply colours, the ear sounds, and so forth. The whole content of ideas must, in a sense, be produced by individual activity, and by purely spirit- ual and psychic processes. And the manifestation of the higher, the real world must be impressed upon what the man has created by his inner activity. A peculiar contradiction seems to be involved in such a description of the world of higher cognition. The indi- vidual must, in a certain sense, be the creator of his own ideas; yet obviously his ideas should not be solely of his own creation, but the processes of the higher worlds should be expressed through them, ' just as the- events of the lower world are expressed through the perceptions of the eyes, ears, and other organs. 70 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE ' Such a contradiction is, however, inevi- table in any description of this mode of cognition. For this is exactly what the occult student must achieve on the path of Inspiration: he must attain by his inner activity to something to which in ordinary life he is compelled from with- out. Why do not the images of ordinary life take an arbitrary course? Because the individual has to correct his attitude towards outward objects by means of the ideas they give him. All choice on the part of the ego is suppressed becauSe the objects say: We are thus, or thus. The objects themselves decide how they shall be understood; the ego has nothing to say in the matter. The man who will not adjust himself to the objects, misunder- stands them and will soon be made to feel how little success he has had in the world. This necessary attitude of the individual. INSPIRATIoN ' 7: to the things of the outer world may be designated in cognition as “self-less.” The individual must maintain a selfless attitude towards things; and the outer world is his instructor in this selflessness. It deprives him of all illusions, fancies, and illogical opinions, and of everything non-essential, by simply putting the cor- rect image before his senses. ' If any man would prepare himself for Inspiration, he must first develop his - inner nature to such a point that this - selflessness is natural to him, even when uncompelled from without. He must learn to create inwardly, but in such a way that the ego plays no arbitrary part in this creation. 'The difficulties which have to be taken into account in attain- ing such a degree of selflessness, become more apparent the ' more we consider what powers of the soul are specially 72 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE required for Inspiration. We recognise three fundamental powers in the life of the soul,——Idea, Feeling, and Will. In ordinary cognition by the senses, ideas are induced by outward objects; and these externally—stimulated ideas will de- termine the direction taken by feeling and will. For instance, a man sees an object which gives him pleasure and he begins to long for the thing in question. Plea- sure is rooted in feeling and through feel- ing the will is roused, just as feeling was ‘ awakened by the image of the thing. But the external object is the ultimate cause of the image, the feeling, and the will. Take another instance. A man sees an occurrence which frightens him. He rushes away from the scene of the event. Here, too, the outward incidents are the primary cause; they are perceived by INSPIRATION 73 . means of the senses; images are formed; they give rise to ideas; the feeling of alarm springs up; and “Till—expressing itself in running away—is the result. In Inspiration there is no longer an outward object of this kind. The senses are no longer needed in order to perceive. There- fore they cannot be the cause‘of ideas. From this side no influence is exercised upon feeling and will. Yet it is precisely from these two, as from their native soil, that in the Inspirational mode ideas spring up inwardly, and, so to speak, grow. And if the native soil is healthy, the ideas that spring up will be true; if unhealthy, they will be errors and illusions. As certainly as Inspirations, rooted in healthy feeling and will, may be a revela- tion from a higher world, so certainly do mistakes, delusions, and errors concern- .74 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE ing a higher world, spring from disorderly feeling and will. On this account occult training sets itself the task of pointing out the way by which a man may make his feelings and the impulses of his will healthily produc- tive for Inspiration. As in all matters of occult training, we have here to deal with the intimate regulation and fashioning of the life of the soul. First of all the stu- dent must develop certain feelings which are very little known in ordinary life. Some of these feelings may here be indi- cated. One of the most important con- sists in an increased sensitiveness with regard to the “true” and “false,” and the “right” and “wrong.” It is quite true that the ordinary person has similar feelings. But they must be cultivated by the occult student to a very much higher degree. INSPIRATION 75 Let us suppose that a logical error has been made by some one. Another sees the mistake and puts the matter right. Let us realise how large a part is played by the judgment and understanding in such a correction, and how slight is the feeling of pleasure at what is true and repugnance to what is false. Observe , that we are not by any means maintain- ing that the pleasure and corresponding repugnance are not there. But the degree in which they are present in ordinary life I must be immeasurably raised in occult training. The student must direct his attention quite systematically to the life of his soul; and he must carry this training to such a point that a logical error is a source of pain to him, in no way falling short of physical pain; and on the other hand what is “right” must afford him real joy and pleasure. 76 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE Thus, where another only brings his judgment and understanding into play, the occult student must learn to live through the whole gamut of emotions, ' from grief to enthusiasm, and from pain- | ful suspense to transports of delight in the possession of truth. In fact, he must learn to feel something like hatred for what the “normal” man looks upon coldly and dispassionately as “incorrect.” He must develop such a love of truth as bears quite a personal character,——as personal and as warm as that which the lover feels for the beloved. We hear, indeed, a great deal in our “ cultured ” circles about the love of truth; but what is meant by this is not to be compared with what the occult student must attain in this direction through quiet inward work .in his soul. As a test, he must continually and patiently put before INSPIRATION 77 him this or that “true” thing and this or that “false” one, and concentrate upon it, not merely for the sake of training his judgment to distinguish dispassionately between “true” and “false,” but in order to acquire a completely personal relation to it all. There-is no doubt that at the beginning of such training the student may fall into what may be called over- sensitiveness. An erroneous opinion uttered in his hearing, an inconsistency, etc., may cause him almost intolerable pain. Care must therefore be taken during training with regard to this matter; otherwise there would be great danger to the psychic equilibrium. If care is taken that the character be steadfast, storms may occur in the life of the soul and yet the man may have the power to conduct ' himself harmoniously towards the outer 78 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE world. It is a mistake in this respect to allow the occult student to be brought into opposition to the outer world, so that he finds it unbearable, or even wishes to flee from-it. \ The higher world of feel- ing should not be cultivated at the expense of well-balanced work and activity in the outer world; therefore a strengthening of the power of resistance to outward im- pressions must counterbalance the inward elevation of the life of feeling. Practical occult training directs the student never to undertake the above- mentioned exercises for developing the realm of feeling without at the same time schooling himself in such a way that he will learn what life demands from men in the way of toleration. He must be able to feel the keenest pain if a person gives utterance to an erroneous opinion, and yet at the same time be perfectly tolerant INSPIRATION ‘ 79 towards this person, because the thought in his mind is equally clear, that “this person is bound to judge in this way, and his opinion must be reckoned with as a fact.” . It is, of course, true that the inner nature of the occult scientist comes to be more and more involved in a double life. Ever richer experiences are lived through in his soul in the course of his pilgrimage through life, and the other world grad- ally becomes more and more independent of what this outer world has to give. And it is just this double existence that will be most fruitful in the genuine prac- tice of life. What results from it is swift- ness of judgment and unerring certainty of decision. While one who is a strang- er to such schooling must go through long trains of thought and be driven backwards and forwards between reso- 80 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE lution and perplexity, the occult scientist will swiftly review the conditions of life and discern hidden relations not seen by the ordinary gaze. Often he needs much patience in order to enter into the lengthy methods by which something is made clear to another person, while his own comprehension is swift as an arrow. ' Hitherto we have spoken only of the qualities which must be developed in the life of feeling in order that Inspiration may begin in the right way. The next question is :——How do the feelings become productive, so as to bring forth true ideas belonging to the world 'of Inspiration? If a man desires to know what answer Occult Science gives to this question, he must be made acquainted with the fact that the soul-life of man has always a cer- tain store of feelings over and above those that are aroused by sense-perceptions. INSPIRATION 8 I The individual feels far more than any- thing compels him to feel. But in ordi- nary life this excess of feeling is turned in a direction ' whiCh occult training must change for another. Take, for instance, a feeling of fear or anxiety. In many cases it is quite easy to see that the fear or anxiety is greater than it wOuld be if it were in true propor- tion to the corresponding outward event. Let us imagine that the student is work- ing energetically on himself with the object that he may not in any case feel more fear and anxiety than is justified by ‘ an outward event. Now a given amount of fear or anxiety always involves an ex- penditure of psychic force. This force is actually lost when fear or anxiety is pro- duced. The student really saves this force when he denies himself fear, anxiety, or other wasteful feelings. And it remains 82 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE at his disposal for some other purpose. If he repeats the process often he will acquire an inner store of this continually husbanded psychic force; and he will soon find that out of such economies of feeling will spring the germs of those ideas which will ‘give utterance to the revelations of the higher life. Such things cannot in the ordinary sense be “proved”; one can only give the occult student advice to do this or that, and if ' he carries out the instructions he will presently see the indubitable results. From a casual view of what has just been described, it might easily appear self-contradictory to say that on the one hand an enrichment of the world of feel- ing is necessary,——since feelings of pleas- ure or pain are to be excited by what otherwise arouses only intellectual judg- ment,——and that on the other hand it is INSPIRATION 83 economy of feeling that is spoken of. This contradiction at once disappears if it is borne in mind that the saving _should be made in those feelings which are aroused by the outer senses. What- ever is saved in that direction serves as an enrichment in the matter of spiritual experiences. And it is altogether just that the feelings thus economised in the sense-world of perception should not only. be set free in another sphere, but should prove creative in that sphere. They provide the material for those ideas by whiCh the spiritual world is revealed. Of course it would not be going very' far if we were to remain content with only‘such economies as have been indica- ted. Much more is necessary if great results are to be attained. A larger store of the force which begets feeling must be conveyed to the soul than is possible by 84 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE this means alone. For instance, we must, as a test, submit ourselves to certain outward impressions and then wholly deny ourselves the feelings which would arise in a so-called “normal” condition. We must confront an occurrence which “normally” stimulates the soul, and absolutely forbid ourselves to be excited by it. This can be done either by actu- ally experiencing such an event, or by experiencing it only in the imagination. The latter process is even better for an occult training that is to bear fruit. As the student is initiated into the power of imagination, either before his preparation for the inspirational mode or simultaneously with it, he should actually be in a position to represent an occurrence to his mind as powerfully as if it were taking place before him. If, therefore, by long inward labour the .- INSPIRATION 85 student subjects himself more and more to the influence of objects and events and yet denies himself the normal feelings . corresponding to them, the ground Will be prepared for Inspiration in his soul. Let it be incidentally noted here that he Who is describing such a training for Inspiration has the fullest justification for it, though many objections might be made to his account of it from the point of View of our present-day culture. And not only can objections be made, but people may smile in a superior way and say: “ But Inspiration cannot be pedanti- cally taught; it is a natural gift of genius.” Yes, it may certainly seem almost laughable, from the standpoint of modern culture, to discuss so fully a development Which that culture Will not admit to be capable of explanation; but such culture does not realise how little it is able to pur- 86 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE sue to their logical ends its own processes of thought. Any one who required a dis— ciple of this culture to believe that some more highly developed animal had not slowly evolved, but had appeared sud- denly, would speedily be told that no cul- tured person in the modern sense of the term could believe such a miracle. Such a belief would be “superstition.” Yet such a person is the Victim of gross super- stition in matters of spiritual life, even according to his own way of thinking. That is to say, he will not allow that a more perfected soul must also have evolved slowly,-—that it could not have arisen suddenly as a gift of nature. Of course, externally, many a genius appears to have been born suddenly ‘f out of nowhere” in some mysterious way; but it only appears so on account of material- istic superstition; the occult scientist INSPIRATION 87 knows that the condition of genius, which arises in a man’s life as if out of nothing, is simply the result of his training on inspirational lines during a former life on earth. Materialistic superstition is bad enough on theoretical ground; but it is far worse in a practical region such as this. As it assumes that in all ages genius must “fall from heaven,” it will have nothing to say to any “occult nonsense” or “fantastic mysticism” as a preparation for Inspira- tion. In this way the superstition of the materialist retards the real progress of humanity. He does not trouble himself about the latent faculties evolving in man. In reality it is often precisely those who call themselves progressives and liberal thinkers who are the enemies of real for- ward development. But this, as already said, is only an incidental comment, 88 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE necessary with regard to the relationship of Occult Science to present-day culture. N ow the soul powers which are stored up in the student’s inner nature by the self-denial of the normal feelings indicated above, would undoubtedly be transmuted into Inspiration even if no further aid were given them. And in the soul of the occult student there would arise true images of events taking place in the higher worlds. Progress would begin with the simplest experiences of super- sensible events, followed gradually by those of a higher and more complicated aspect, if the student continued to live inwardly in the prescribed way. But, as a matter of fact, such occult training would be quite impracticable to-day, and when a man has set himself seriously to work it is never carried through to its conclusion. That is to say, INSPIRATION 89 if the student wished to develop out of his inner nature everything that Inspira- tion can give, he could undoubtedly “ spin out” from within himself every- thing, for example, that has been said in my other works about the nature of man, the life after death, the evolution of humanity and of the planets, and so forth. But such a student would need an immeasurably long time for all this. It would be as if a man should wish to weave the whole of geometry out of him- self, without regard to what has already been achieved in that field before him. Certainly in theory it is quite possible for him to do so; but to carry it out in practice would be folly. Nor is this the method of Occult Science ;———the facts which have been won for humanity by inspired predecessors have been handed down through a teacher. Such tradi- 90 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE tion must in fact furnish the basis for individual Inspiration. That which is being given out to-day in lectures and writings from the domain of Occult Science may well furnish such a basis for Inspiration. There is, for in- stance, the teaching about the various component parts of man (physical body, etheric body, astral body, etc.), the knowledge concerning life after death until 'a new incarnation, and much else which has been published under the title, “From The Akashic Records” (see Atlantis and Lemuria). That is to say, we must clearly grasp the fact that ~ Inspiration is needed for the discovery and experience of the higher truths, but not for the understanding of them. What has been communicated in Atlan- tis and Lemum’a could not at first be dis- covered without Inspiration. But when INSPIRATION 91 once communicated it can be understood by the ordinary reasoning faculty. N 0 one should assert that facts are there stated which cannot be logically under- stood without Inspiration. People do not find them incomprehensible. because they themselves are not inspired, but because they will not think enough about them. . Further, when a 'man receives the truths so communicated, they awaken Inspiration in his soul by their own power. If we wish to participate in such Inspira- tion, we must not merely receive the knowledge in a logical and matter-of—fact way, but must lay ourselves open to be carried by the flight of ideas into all kinds I of emotional experiences. And why should not this be possible? Can the feel- ings remain passive when there passes before the spirit’s gaze the overpowering 92 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE process of the development of. the earth from the Moon, Sun, and Saturn? or when the infinite depths of human. nature are penetrated by the knowledge of man’s etheric, astral, and yet subtler bodies? We might almost say it is ill with him who can contemplate unmoved such structures of thought. For if he no longer regarded them dispassionately, but experienced all the tension and relax- ation of feeling, all the climaxes and crises, all the advances and retreats, all the catastrophes and dispensations which they render possible, then indeed the ground would be prepared for Inspiration in his soul. True, the necessary emotional life corresponding with such communica- tions from a higher world can only be fully unfolded by exercises of the kind indicated above. 2 Reports of such a world will appear INSPIRATION 93 but arid notions and dull theories to one who directs all his emotional forces towards the outer world of sense. 'He will never be able to understand why the heart of another man is warmed by the hearing of what is imparted by Occult Science while his own inmost being remains cold. He will even say: “ But all that is for the intellect and reason; I want something for my emotional nature.” He does not say to himself . that it is his own fault if his heart remains cold. ' Many people still undervalue the power of what lies hidden in these communica- tions which can come only from a'higher world. And in this connection they over— rate all kinds of other exercises and prac- tices. “ Of what use is it to me,” they say, “to hear from others what the higher worlds look like? I want to look into them 94 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE for myself.” ‘ Such persons, for the most part, lack the patience to concentrate themselves again and again upon such re- ports from higher worlds. If they did so, they would see what kindling force lies in these bare reports, and how one’s own Inspiration may be awakened by hearing an account of the Inspiration of others. It is true that other exercises must supplement mere learning if the student wishes to make rapid progress in the ex- perience of the higher worlds; but no one should underestimate the very great importance of such learning. And in any case, no hope can be held out of making rapid conquests in the higher worlds by any exercises whatever, unless the student resolves at the same time unremittingly I to ponder over the communications which have been given, in their proper order, from a competent source, as to INSPIRATION 95 'the events and beings of” the higher worlds. ' Now that such communications are being made in lectures, literature, etc., and the first indications are also being given as to the exercises leading to knowledge of the higher worlds (as, for - instance, in my book, The Way. of Initi- ation), it has become possible to learn something of what formerly was im- parted only in strictly guarded occult schools. As has already been said, it is owing to the special conditions of our time that these things are and must be published. But we must once more em- phasise this point,—that although facili- ties have been given for the acquisitiOn of occult knowledge, trustworthy guid- ance by an experienced occult teacher is not at present to be dispensed with. The Inspirational mode of Knowledge 96 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE leads to the actual experience of processes in the invisible worlds,—as, for instance, the evolution of man and of the earth and its former embodiments (“Moon,” “Sun,” and “Saturn”). But when in these higher worlds not only processes but beings have to be taken into account, then the Intuitional mode of Knowledge must enter in. That which occurs through the agency of such beings is dis- cerned by Imagination as in a picture; 'laws and conditions are discerned by Inspiration; but if the beings themselves are to be approached, Intuition is needed. We shall speak later of the way in which Inspiration is organised in the world of Imagination,—how it penetrates that world as a spiritual music and there- by becomes a means of expression to the beings who are to be recognised by Intui- tion. Intuition itself will also then be INSPIRATION , 97 treated of. We would only point out here that Whattsis known in Occult Science as “Intuition” has nothing to do With What often receives that name in popular speech. A more ‘or less uncertain notion is there put in contradistinction to a clear understanding logically arrived at through the intellect. Intuition in Occult Science is nothing. vague 'or uncertain, but a lofty method of cognition, full of the most luminous clearness and indu- bitable certainty. «use. vnr- «4' ‘ CHAPTER V INSPIRATION AND INTUITION JUST as Imagination may be called spiritual seeing, so may Inspiration be called spiritual hearing. We must of course be quite clear in our minds that by the expression “hearing” is signified a form of perception as far removed from \ sense-hearing in the physical world, as “sight” in the imaginative or astral world is from seeing with the physical eyes. We may say of the light and colour phenomena of the astral world that they are as if the luminous surfaces and colours of sense-objects stood out from these objects, and, detached from them, floated 98 - INSPIRATION AND INTUITION 99 freely in space. But this gives only an approximate idea; for “ space” in the imaginative world is by no means the same as in the physical. Therefore it is a mistake to believe that we are seeing colour-pictures made by the imaginative faculty when we are observing only detached specks of colour floating in ordi- nary space. Nevertheless the building of such colour-images is the way to the imaginative life. Anyone who tries to picture to himself a flower, and then reject from the image everything that is not colour, so that a picture as of the detached colOur-surface of the flower floats before his mind, may . gradually acquire the imaginative faculty by means of such exercises. This is not in itself the imaginative picture, but is a more or less preparatory fantasy-picture. Imagination——that is, genuine astral ex- 100 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE perience—does not come until not only is colour detached from senseLimpression, but three-dimensional space has com- pletely disappeared. That this has hap- pened, can be realised only by a certain kind of feeling, which is best described by saying that one no longer feels “out- side” but “inside” the colour-image, and has the consciousness of taking part in its genesis. If this feeling is absent, if we seem to be looking at the thing as we look at a physical colour-picture, then we are not yet dealing with genuine Imagination, but with something purely fanciful. But it must not be said that such fancy pictures are altogether worthless- They may, for instance, be etheric images,— shadows, as it were, of genuine astral facts; and as such they have value in occult training. They may form a bridge to genuine astral imaginative experiences, INSPIRATION AND INTUITION 101 but they involve a certain amount of danger to the observer on this borderland between the senses and the sensible, unless he brings sound judgment fully into play. It is nOt to be expected that an unfailing test can be given to every one, whereby he may, distinguish reality from illusions, hallucinations, and fancies on this bor- derland. Such a general rule would cer- tainly be convenient, but convenience is a wOrd which the occult 'student should expunge from his vocabulary. It can only be said that he who wishes to acquire clear discrimination in this sphere must in the first place cultivate discrimination in the ordinary life of the physical world. The man who takes no pains to think definitely and clearly in ordinary life will fall 'a victim 1:03.11 man- ner of illusions when he ascends to higher worlds. We have only to consider how\ ’ 102 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE many snares beset sound judgment in ordinary affairs. How often it happens that people do not see calmly What exists, but What they Wish to see! In how many cases do they believe a thing, not because they have comprehended it, but. because ' it pleases them to believe it! And What mistakes arise because people Will not sift a thing to the bottom, but form a hasty opinion! All these causes of errOr in ordinary life might be multiplied indefinitely. What tricks are played on sound judgment by party feeling, passion, and prejudice! If such errors of judg— ment in ordinary life are disturbing and often momentous in their consequences, they are the greatest imaginable danger to the sanity of the super-sensible life. N 0 general rule can be given to the stu- dent for his guidance in the higher worlds, beyond the injunction to do everything INSPIRATION AND INTUlTION 103 possible to develop a healthy power of discrimination and a sound and inde- pendent judgment. When the observer in the higher worlds once knows what Imagination really is, he Very soon acquires the conviction that the images of the astral world are not merely images, but manifestations of spiritual beings. He comes to know that these imaginative pictures belong just as much to spiritual or psychic beings as do physical colours to physical beings or objects. As regards details he will, of course, have much to learn. He must learn to discriminate between colour-pic- tures which are opaque and those which are quite transparent, and, as it were, illumined from within. In fact, he will observe some images which seem to be continually creating their colour—light from within, and which therefore are not 104 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE only fully illuminated and transparent, but are continually raying forth light. He will refer the opaque images to a lower order of creation, and the transparent ones to intermediate entities, while those which radiate light from within may be taken as manifestations of higher spiritual beings. ' If we Would arrive at the truth about the world of Imagination, we must not form too narrow a conception of spiritual sight. For in that world there are not only perceptions of light and colour, which may be compared with the sight- experiences of the physical world, but also impressions of heat and cold, taste and smell, and yet other experiences of imaginative “ sense” to which there is no analogy in the physical world. Impres- sions of heat and cold are, in the imagina- tive or astral world, manifestations of the INSPIRATION AND INTUITION 105 will and purpose of psychic and spiritual beings. Whether such a being is of good or bad intent is apparent in a certain effect of heat and cold. Astral beings can also be “tasted” or “smelt.” Only that which constitutes in a real sense the phys- - ical element of sound and colour is almost entirely lacking in the true imaginative world. In this respect absolute stillness reigns there. But in place thereof, some-. thing quite different is offered to one who is making, progress in spiritual observa- tion, something which may be compared with sound and vibration, speech and music, in the world of sense. And this higher something enters only when every sound and tone from the outer physical world is wholly silenced,—-—in fact, when even the lightest psychic echo of anything in the outer world is silenced also. Then there comes to the observation what may 106 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE be called an understanding of the mean- ing of imaginative experiences. If we wish to compare what is now felt with anything in the physical world, we can only suggest as an illustration some- \ thing which does not exist there. If we could imagine that we could perceive the thoughts and feelings of a person without hearing his words by the physical ear, such a perception might be compared with the direct understanding by the imagina- tive faculty which is designated “ hearing ” in the spiritual sense. In that world, col- our and light impressions are speech. As the images grow bright or dull in colour, harmonies or discords are formed which reveal the feelings, ideas, and thoughts of psychic and spiritual entities. And just as sound grows into speech in the physical man when thought is impressed upon him, so do the harmonies and dis- INSPIRATION AND INTUITION 107 cords of the spiritual world come into manifestation as the actual thoughts of these beings. And .of course darkness must fall upon the outer world if such thought is to be directly revealed. The following experience thus presents itself. We see the bright shades of colour ——red, yellow, and orange—fade away, and the higher world grow darker, through green, to blue and violet, at the same time we feel an increase of will-power in our- selves. We experience complete freedom with regard to time and space; we feel that we are in motion. We are conscious of certain linear forms and shapes, yet not as though we saw them drawn in space, but rather as if we ourselves were following every curve and form with our ego in continuous movement. In fact we feel that the ego is at once the draughts- man and the material with which they 108 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE ' are drawn; and every turn of the line, every change of place, is equally an experience of the ego. We learn to recog- nise that we with our ego set in motion are bound up with the creative forces of the world. The laws of the world are no longer something outwardly perceived by the ego, but a real web of wonder which he is helping to weave. Occult Science sketches out for us all kinds of symbolic drawings and pictures. When these really correspond to facts and are not merely figures of invention, they are founded on the observer’s experiences in higher worlds, Which are seen in the manner described above. -. Thus does the world of Inspiration take its place within the Imaginative world. When the imaginings begin to reveal their meanings to the observer in silent language, the world of Inspira- INSPIRATION AND INTUITION 109 tion is opening within the Imaginative world. The physical world is a manifestation of that other world which the spiritual observer penetrates in this way. That part of the physical world which is per- ceptible by the senses, and by the under- standing which is limited by them, is in fact only the outside of it. To take a single example: a plant, as it is observed - by the physical senses and understanding, is not the total being of the plant. He who knows only the physical plant is in a similar position to one who could perceive the finger-nail of a man, but to whom the man himself was inaccessible. The nat- _ ure and construction of the finger-nail, can be understood only when explained by the ”whole human being. So, in reality, the plant is only comprehensible when that ' is known which pertains to it 110 THE GATES OF. KNOWLEDGE as the whole man pertains to the finger- nail. That which makes up the total plant cannot be discovered in the physical world. To begin with, there is something fundamental in the plant which can only be revealed by the imaginative faculty in the astral world, and something yet further which can only be manifested ' through Inspiration in the spiritual world. Thus the plant as a physical organism is the revelation of a being to be understood by means of Imagination and Inspiration. It is evident from what has gone before that a path opens before the observer in the higher worlds which has its beginning in the world of sense. That is to say, he can start from the physical world and ascend from its manifestations to the higher beings behind them. If he starts from the animal kingdom, he can rise into the Imaginative world. If he makes the INSPIRATION AND INTUITION III plant his point of departure, spiritual observation will lead him through Imagi- nation to the world of Inspiration. If this path is followed, there' will soon be found within both those worlds beings and facts not revealed at all in the physi~ cal world. We must not, however, think that in this way we become acquainted only with such beings of the higher worlds as have their manifestations in the physi- cal. A man who has once entered the Imaginative world comes into contact with a number of beings and events of which the merely physical observer never dreams. There is another method, which does not make the physical world its point of departure, and which also makes a man directly clairvoyant in the higher regions. To many persons this method might be more attractive than the one above indi- 112 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE cated; but in our present-day conditions of life the path upward from the physical world is rather to be chosen. It imposes upon the observer the self-renunciation which is necessary, if he is first of all to look around him in the physical world and gather some sort of knowledge, and more particularly some experience there. And, indeed, in any case, it is the method best- suited to our present-day conditions of culture. The other way presupposes the pre- liminary acquisition of qualities of the soul extremely difficult to attain under. modern conditions of life. Even though such qualities have again and again been strongly and clearly insisted upon in writ- ings on this subject. yet the majority of people have no idea—or at most, a very inadequate one—of the extent to which » these qualities (for example, unselfishness INSPIRATION AND INTUITION 113 and self-sacrificing love) must be acquired if they would attain to the higher. worlds without starting from the sure ground of the physical. And if a person awakes in the higher worlds without having attained, to the extent necessary, the corresponding qualities of the soul, unspeakable misery must be the consequence. It must on no account be thought that the qualities mentioned above can be dispensed with in cases where the start is made from the physical world; to imagine this would be a false deduction. But such a beginning allows for the gradual acquisition of these qualities in the degree ——and above all in the form—praCticable under our present conditions of life. Another thing in this connection has to be taken into account. If we start from the physical world in the manner indica- ted, we remain, notwithstanding our 3 II4 'THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE ascent into the higher worlds, in close ‘ touch with the physical plane. We keep intact our full understanding of all that is going on in it, and all our energy for work- ing there. Indeed, this understanding and energy increase in a most helpful way in consequence of Our knowledge of the higher worlds. In every department of life, even in what seems most prosaic and practical, the knower of the higher worlds will work better and more usefully than the ignorant man, if only theformer has kept himself in living touch With the physical world. The man, however, who awakens in the higher spheres without starting from the physical, is only too readily estranged from outward life; he becomes a hermit, confronting his contemporaries without understanding or sympathy. Indeed, it often happens that people who are imper- INSPIRATION AND INTUITION 115 feetly developed in this way (of course not those who are fully evolved) look down with a certain contempt on the experi- ences of the physical world and imagine themselves superior to them. I Instead of ' having their sympathy with the world in- creased, such people harden themselves and become selfish in the spiritual sense of the word. The temptation to do this is by no means small, and those who are striving to attain to the higher worlds will do well to be on their guard against it. From Inspiration the spiritual observer may rise to Intuition. In the phraseol- ogy of Occult Science this word denotes in many respects the exact opposite of that to which it is often applied in ordi- nary life. People speak of Intuition as if they had in their mind some idea dimly felt to be true, but lacking any clear and exact confirmation. It is seen as a .pre- 116 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE liminary step towards knowledge, rather than knowledge itself. An idea of this kind may—according to that definition—— illuminate a great truth like a flash of lightning, but it can only become know- ledge when confirmed by accurate judg- ment. Again, by Intuition is generally denoted something which is “felt” as truth, and of which a person is quite con- . vinced, but which he will not encumber with intellectual judgment. People who are- acquiring a knowledge of Occult Science often say: That was always clear to me “intuitively.” But we must put all this entirely aside if we would fix our- attention on the true meaning which the term Intuition here implies. In this connection Intuition is a mode of cogni- tion which is in no way inferior in clear- ness to intellectual knowledge, but far surpasses it. INSPIRATION AND INTUITION 117 The experiences of the higher worlds reveal their meaning through Inspiration. The observer lives in the qualities and actions of the beings pertaining to those worlds. When he follows with his ego, as described above, the direction of a line, or the shape of a figure, he knows at the same instant that he is not within the being itself, but within its qualities and functions. He has already experienced in Imaginative knowledge the feeling of being no longer outside, but inside ”the colour-images, but at the same time he understands no less clearly that these colour-images are not themselves inde- pendent beings, but only the qualities of . such beings.‘ In Inspiration, he is con- scious of becoming one with the deeds of such beings, and with the manifestations of their will ; in Intuition, for the first time, he merges his own personality into that of- Ira THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE self-contained beings. This can happen in the right way only when the blending takes place, not through the effacement, but with the full preservation of his own being. Any “losing of oneself” in another being is wrong. Therefore only an ego which is fortified within itself to a very high degree can with impunity plunge into the being of another. Something has been realised intuitively for the first time when the feeling arises with regard to it that some being is find- ing expression therein who is of the same nature as one’s own ego. A man who observes a stone with his outer senses and seeks to understand its qualities by his reason, and by the usual scientific meth- ods, gets to know only the outside of the stone. As a spiritual observer he then proceeds to Imaginative and Inspirational knowledge. If he dwell inwardly in the INSPIRATION AND INTUITION 1'19 latter, he may arrive at a further percep- tion, which may be described by compari- son in the following way. Let us suppose that we see a person in the street, who at first makes only a fleeting impression on us. Afterwards we get to know him bet- ter, then a time arrives when we become such friends that soul reveals itself to soul. With such an experience, when the veils ' of the soul fall away and one ego sees the other face to face, we may compare what happens when the stone first appears to the spiritual observer as an outward ap- pearance only, and he ultimately reaches something. to which the stone belongs, just as the finger-nail belongs to- the human body, and which lives its life as an ego after the same fashion as our own ‘ inner self. The kind of knowledge which takes us into the innermost nature of beings is first 120 THE GATES OF KNOWLEDGE attained in Intuition. Something has ' already been said with regard to Inspira- tion as to the change which must be- brought about in the inner psychic con- dition of the spiritual observer if he wishes to attain this mode of cognition. It has been stated, for instance, that an inaccurate conclusion must not affect the intellect only, but the feelings also, and must cause pain and‘ grief. And the observer must systematically cultivate that kind of inward life. Of course, so long as such pain springs only from the sympathies or antipathies of the. ego, and from partiality, it cannot be spoken of as an adequate preparation for Inspira- tion. Such mental contacts are Very 'far‘ removed from the inner sympathy which the ego must feel for pure truth, as truth, if he would attain the goal in question. It cannot be too strongly emphasised that INSPIRATION AND INTUITION 121 all forms of interest which prevail in or— dinary life, as pleasure or pain in relation . to truth or error, must first be silenced, and then a totally different interest, 'wholly free from self-seeking, must enter in, if any glimpse is to be had of Inspira- tional Knowledge. This quality of the inner spiritual life is, however, only one of the means of preparing for Inspiration. A great number of others must be added. And the more the spiritual observer puri- fies himself with regard to what has already served him for Inspiration, the nearer he will be able to approach to Intuition.