"’Yes,’ I replied, ’but I cannot agree with you that we have the key;
they seem to keep that safely inside. If we want to get through we must
wait patiently until they open the door for their friends, and then take
French leave. Probably we shall soon wish we had kept outside. What do
you think of doing?’
"’I shall get in at all risk,’ he answered. ’It is too good an
opportunity to lose; but let us go back now and make our plans, we can
do nothing more at present, and if we are noticed our presence may cause
suspicion.’
"During our evening meal we discussed the situation. I must own that I
tried to persuade Kanwick to give up the idea of forcing an entrance
into these sacred precincts. Cut off as we should be from all
possibility of rescue, the idea seemed foolhardy in the extreme; but
seeing that my friend had determined to go, I decided to share the risk.
"As soon as it was dark we agreed to start; and watch the entrance, as
our only chance of slipping through the tunnel unobserved would be
during the night-time.
"We had been in our place of concealment about two hours, and it must
have been nearly twelve o’clock when we heard steps approach. The
night, fortunately for our purposes, was dark, as the moon had not yet
risen. It was impossible therefore for us to see anything, but I judged
from the sound that the man, whoever he might be, was alone. He passed
about a hundred yards from our hiding-place, and the noise of the stream
made it impossible for my companion to distinguish the footsteps. Had I
not by this time been able to concentrate my sense of hearing on any
particular sound, I should have been equally helpless; as it was, we had
the advantage of being able to follow the stream without fear of
detection.
"When we came to the outskirts of the wood and were about ten yards from
the cliff, we paused. I could see the figure of a man standing by the
side of the crevice, and it seemed to me that he was groping for
something on the surface of the rock. In another moment the water began
to sink, and the figure disappeared into the gully through which the
stream had now ceased to flow. We ran quickly to the spot, and with no
little feeling of dread, began to follow the priest through the dark
channel. Fortunately he had struck a light which he held before him, or
we certainly should either have been drowned or swept back into the
plain, for instead of following the bed of the stream, he had turned up
a steep narrow passage to the right, and was now disappearing round a
sharp turning. The moment he was out of sight we hastened after him up
the incline, and were only just in time. There was a rush of water
behind us, which in a moment rose to our knees; the path through which
we had entered was once more the bed of a boiling torrent, but for the
time being we were safe. A few more steps and we were out of reach of
the water, standing in pitch darkness on the dry rock which formed the
footway of a winding tunnel.
"We waited a few moments, fearing to go further without a light, and
thinking it safer to let our guide get some way ahead before we struck a
match. We had thus far accomplished our purpose successfully, but I
fancy neither of us felt very comfortable. To return was now
impossible, and if the other end of this tunnel should be closed we
might find ourselves like rats caught in a hole, and either be starved
to death, or have to wait until we were found by the next party of
priests, when our fate would probably be as bad or even worse. I felt
for my pistol, and then by the light of a wax vesta we began to grope
our way up the winding staircase which had been cut into the rock. We
must have used about ten matches when a puff of wind extinguished the
one last lighted, and taking this as a sign that we were near the mouth
of the tunnel, we decided to finish our journey in the dark.
"I was a little ahead of my companion, and had felt my way carefully
over eight or ten more steps, when my hand touched the stem of a tree,
and looking up I could see the stars above me through some thick
foliage. I slipped aside into the underwood, and in a few moments
Kanwick was by my side. The wind blew freshly against our heated faces,
and it was with no little feeling of pleasure we realized that our first
great danger was past, and though we might be chained to a rock, we were
at least chained outside, not inside.
"We waited for a short time, uncertain what course to pursue. As we
thus stood talking in whispers, the moon rose, flooding the scene around
with light.
"We were on the wooded side of a steep slope which evidently led up to
the precipitous edge of the cliff. Some hundred feet below in a lovely
glen, the bottom of which must have been nearly on a level with the
surrounding plain, a stream flowed, and in one part widened out into a
small lake. Out of the centre of this lake rose the snow-white marble
walls of the temple. It is almost impossible to describe the beauty of
this building, so unlike is its style of architecture to anything else I
have ever seen. It is quite circular, and has been built on arches
which are supported by seventy square massive columns that rise out of
the lake. On the top of these arches is what may be called the
ground-floor of the structure. Round the outside of this level platform,
at equal distances apart, are seven hundred marble pillars, thirty feet
in height, and carved so as to resemble the trunks of trees, very
irregular in shape but of about equal girth. Resting on these pillars
is another platform, in the centre of which is also built a similar
structure of about half the size of the one on which it stands. This
building again supports a third, still smaller, on the roof of which
rise fourteen columns in a circle. From the top of each of these spring
three boughs, one towards the centre, and one on either side, the side
boughs meeting those from the adjacent columns, forming arches, and the
centre boughs joining together in a kind of open-work dome. The details
were of course indistinct, seen in the moonlight, but the exquisite
proportion of every part, which is after all the chief charm, was
clearly visible; the surroundings added also a kind of spiritual beauty
to the scene, for as the moon rose the surface of the lake was divided
by a silver line of light, the tropical foliage around cast a fairyland
of shadows on the water, and from the temple rose the soft sound of
music, the first chord of which had broken the silence of night when the
moon’s rays fell upon the marble dome.
"’The dream of my life is fulfilled,’ my companion whispered as we
looked out on the lovely scene. ’This is without doubt the temple of the
moon, of which I once read an account in an old manuscript. It is
reported to have been built by Zoroaster, and to have been kept in
perfect repair up to the date when the manuscript was written. But I
had supposed it to have been destroyed centuries ago, and there we see
it to-day perfect in all its original loveliness. No doubt its
preservation is due to its inaccessible position, and the care with
which it has been watched over by the priests. Truly if the Oriental
people know nothing else, they know how to preserve a secret. I am,
however, inclined to think, from the dress of the priests we saw this
morning, that the followers of Buddha must have now taken possession of
it; but in this borderland of many religions, all founded more or less
on Brahminism, we often find a combination of religious thoughts which
more resembles the earlier faith, and this may prove to be the centre of
some such creed; we shall doubtless soon have an opportunity of finding
out.’
"Hardly had he finished speaking, when down the steps which led from the
temple to the lake, a procession of white-robed priests could be seen
moving slowly, and a long, curiously-shaped boat glided out from where
it had been concealed by the trees. In a few moments it had reached the
steps and the priests entered it. Then through the night air rose the
sound of singing which harmonized with the music as the boat slowly
glided out of our sight behind the massive columns on which the temple
was built. Seven times the boat made a circle round the building, and
then, with the priests still on board, turned towards the trees beneath
us and was once more hidden from sight; the music and singing stopped,
and all was again in silence.
"’They are coming this way,’ I said. ’What had we better do?’
"’Move further from the entrance,’ Kanwick answered, ’and keep as quiet
as possible.’
"We crept with little noise to a thicket about fifty paces from the
tunnel, but as though guided by some superior power set on our
discovery, the procession came straight on to where we lay concealed.
When they had reached our hiding-place the priests spread out, forming a
circle round us, so that escape was impossible, and a voice spoke as
follows, in Persian--
("I am quick at learning languages, and as Persian is by far the most
useful in this part of the East, I had taken some trouble to learn it in
our travels, so I was able to understand what was said to us.)
"’Strangers, who have dared to enter the sacred enclosure in which rests
the shrine where the followers of the true religion worship, in the name
of Brahm, the only god, ruler of heaven and earth, we command you to
come forth! Should you have been led here by his divine ordinance, then
are you blessed, and shall be welcome to his holy shrine. Should
presumptuous curiosity have brought you hither, your fate shall be even
as the Almighty directs.’
"We both felt it would be useless to attempt flight, and folly to resort
to force, so getting up, we went in the direction from which the voice
proceeded. There, standing just inside the ring of priests, was a tall
and venerable-looking man; his hair and beard were white; his
complexion, for a Persian, was strangely fair; his features showed
nobility and strength; his expression purity and kindliness. Simply
telling us to follow, he turned into a path that led along the side of
the hill, and which kept about the same level above the lake. In a few
minutes we came to the mouth of a cave, and entering it passed through a
short passage into a lofty cavern. The sides of this cavern had been so
cut away as to form a perfect circular chamber, the domed roof of which
was covered with mosaic of various-coloured marbles formed into strange
devices and pictures. The floor on which we stood was the natural rock
highly polished. From the golden altar in the centre of the cave a
bright light cast various colours on the scene around, only upon the
ivory throne which stood opposite the entrance the rays fell very pure
and white. On all the other objects the colours were fitful, changing
from time to time into every shade which can be seen in the rainbow.
"When we had all entered, the high priest who had bidden us follow him,
having taken his seat upon the throne, spoke once more.
"’Followers of the Almighty, whom he has gathered together from all
lands, and taught from all creeds the syllables of his holy word till
the time came for you to be drawn to his holy temple, behold a new thing
has come to pass. For the first time without warning and without
welcome, whether through guile or led by the wisdom of the Highest, we
have two strange children of the Great Father in our midst. As all who
enter here by freedom of our will, and with full knowledge of the trial
awaiting them, must pass an ordeal of light, so must these strangers, of
whom we know nothing, but who have been sent to us for some great
purpose. Are your minds with my mind?’
"And the priests standing round answered, ’We are all of one spirit,
even of the spirit of the Highest, who speaketh by the lips of his
servant.’
"Then the high priest turned to us and said, ’By some influence you have
been drawn to the fountain of wisdom, but it must yet be seen if you are
worthy to receive the knowledge which shall make you free. Having forced
your way into this sacred enclosure, it is now too late to retrace your
steps; you must go onward to a nobler life, or pass into that state
which men call death. But have no fear, the destinies of all men are
decreed. Should you die it is but the sign that your new body awaits
the spirit. Moreover, here death is robbed of pain, and the vision of
the holy temple shall purify your spirit in the life hereafter.’
"Then pointing to my companion, he bade him go to the altar, and
standing before it act even as his spirit directed.
"Kanwick stepped fearlessly up the marble steps. As he did so a great
flame burst up, at the sight of which he shrank back, and in a moment
the cavern was in pitch darkness, but there was no sound. Then in that
awful stillness I knew all, for the thoughts of those around me spoke
even as the thought of one man. I knew that my friend was dead, and how
he had died, and why, and a great sorrow came over me. Yet hardly had I
time to think before the room was lighted as before, but there was no
sign of the dead body.
"When bidden to walk up to the altar, though I felt no fear for my own
safety, my limbs trembled as they passed over a large black slab of
marble, for I knew that beneath this revolving stone at some unfathomed
depth lay the body of Kanwick. There was a hidden meaning in the
priest’s words, ’It is too late to retrace your steps.’ When the fire
again burst forth, instead of moving back to avoid it, I threw myself
across the altar into the midst of the fire and immediately became
insensible.
"On recovering consciousness I found that I was lying in a small room
beautifully decorated; it was just such an apartment as you may find in
any wealthy Persian’s house. I felt drowsy, and had some little
difficulty in recalling the scene in the cavern. The clothing
previously worn by me had been removed, and I was now dressed in a red
robe, similar in fashion to that worn by the priests. There was no
trace on my body of any effect from the fire, which had doubtless been
extinguished at the moment I had thrown myself forward, and I now know
that my insensibility was caused by the powerful narcotic fumes which at
the moment the flame bursts forth, rise from the altar and make death to
the unsuccessful painless, even as the priest had promised.
"I was under the impression that my ordeal was now over, and that I
should be admitted at once into the priesthood, but this was not the
case. I had been lying in this dreamy state for perhaps twenty minutes,
when one of the Persian hangings was pushed aside, and a young girl
entered the room. She was a Circassian, very fair and beautifully
formed; in her hand she carried a golden cup full of wine which she
handed to me, saying in Persian--
"’Drink, beloved of God, the wine of joy.’
"But as I held out my hand for the cup, and was about to drink it, being
parched with thirst, a feeling of fear restrained me, and I placed it at
my side.
"What could this girl be doing here? Might she not possess some
knowledge that it would be worth my while to find out? Her dress was
befitting a priestess of Venus, and strangely out of keeping with all
that I had observed before. Unless I was greatly mistaken in my
judgment of faces, the priests whom I had seen were men who had overcome
passion, and whose thoughts were absorbed in striving after spiritual
purity and perfection. How came it then that this young girl should be
in their midst, and why was she sent to me?
"’At whose bidding,’ I asked, ’do you bring this cup of wine?’
"’It has been sent,’ she replied, ’from the little temple where live the
daughters of the moon; the queen bade me bear it to thee as an offering
of love, and she has appointed me to be thy servant, to minister to thy
wants, and to obey thy will, even if I may find grace in thy sight.’
"I was very much perplexed. As far as I could make out, this girl knew
no more of the meaning of her visit than I did, and I was certain that
no evil thought was in her heart.
"’What,’ I said, ’if I reject the cup of joy and send thee back?’
"She hung her head, then kneeling down by my side and looking
beseechingly at me answered--
"’Thou wouldst not send me from thee; I will do whatsoever thou
desirest, and serve thee faithfully. As the moon reflects the glory of
the sun, so is it dark with me if I may not see thy face!--as the flower
withers without light, so must I droop if hidden from thy presence. If
thou but drink the cup which the queen offers, thou wilt then know the
joy of love.’
"As she said this I suddenly became conscious that she was repeating a
lesson, acting a part, the meaning of which she did not understand; and
with this knowledge, all danger which the temptation might have had for
me was removed. Beginning to have some idea of the truth, I looked
straight into her eyes and said--
"’Who taught you this lesson? Who told you to say this to me?’
"Her part had been doubtless well prepared, but this question was not
one among those for which she had an answer ready, and after hesitating
a moment she spoke the truth.
"’The priest of temptation.’
"’And what would you have done had I drunk the wine and bidden you stay
with me?’ I asked.
"’I should have stayed,’ she answered simply, and her thoughts followed
her words.
"Then I said, ’Return to him who sent you, and speak these words--"He,
to whom you sent me, said--there are forces spiritual and forces
material against which all must contend ere they reach the borderland of
wisdom, but woe unto those who use the innocent children of the Highest
as brands to kindle the slumbering embers of passion!"’
"The girl would have pleaded with me again, but I silenced her, saying,
’Go, and if he bid you to return, you may do so.’
"I was not long left in solitude, for in a few minutes a priest in
yellow robes entered the room. He was not one of those I had previously
seen. His face was clean-shaven, and he did not look to be much over
forty years of age; his features were refined, but rather hard; his
expression noble, but cold. He bowed down as he entered the room, and
then addressed me in these words--
"’Thou who art a god amongst the children of men, wiser than the wisest,
pure as are the waters in the lake of Gitem, in whom the spirit of the
Almighty is reflected as in the crystal mirror of Tor, we beseech thee
to hear the prayer of thy servants. We, the priests of the Most High,
seeing that thou hast power beyond the sons of men, would offer thee
worship in the temple.’
"As he spoke, two other priests entered, one bearing a yellow robe
richly embroidered with gold and covered with jewels, and the other a
crystal crown, from which proceeded a strange mysterious light which
would have cast round the head of the wearer a radiant halo. As I
pictured the effect of one thus robed and crowned entering the temple, a
scene, doubtless called up in the mind of one of the priests, at the
same moment flashed across my brain. I saw men standing robed in white,
and in the centre of these I seemed to lie, dressed in the kingly garb,
and crowned with the shining crystal crown, but my forehead was covered
with the dew of death, and there was a look of pity on the faces of
those around.
"Then I realized that this was but a new temptation, and with some
slight show of anger answered---
"’The fools of the earth desire to be clad in fine raiment, and to feel
for a moment the glory of earthly power, but to those who have once seen
the light which proceeds from true wisdom, riches and honour are as
dust, the shouts of men as the hum of insects, and the kingdoms of earth
as ant-heaps. If there are among you men who have attained to even a
slight knowledge in the mystery of life, take, I pray you, this message
back to them from me: "I would rather be a disciple at the feet of my
Master, than rule over a dominion of fools. If there be none here
worthy to teach me, then is the wisdom of which you boast but the froth
of foolishness, and your power but the low cunning of the savage."’
"When I had finished speaking, the priest without answering turned, and
followed by his two attendants left the room. The curtain fell back
over the entrance, and I was once more alone.
"After this food and coffee were brought me, and feeling tired I lay
down and slept through the rest of this eventful day.
"When I awoke a light was burning in the room, and sitting by my side
was the high priest himself. As I looked into this man’s noble face I
felt certain that my trials were over. It was impossible to believe
that he would descend to act the part of tempter; and in this view I was
correct.
"’You have,’ he said, ’passed through the three temptations which for
centuries have been used to try those who are admitted to the
white-robed order of priesthood, the trials of perseverance, purity, and
meekness. In future, as you are one of us, no secret may be kept from
you, and any special wisdom you possess should be freely taught to all.
Your case is, however, one of unusual interest, as you are the first man
who has been admitted into our ranks without many years of careful
preparation. We have in various parts of the world disciples, whose
business it is to train those they may consider likely to become fitted
for the high calling, but it is not often that any of these converts
attain to the highest order, which you have now reached.’
"’Tell me,’ I said, ’to what creed you belong.’
"’To no creed,’ he replied. ’In this temple at one time the followers
of Zoroaster worshipped; then it fell into the hands of the Buddhists,
and became one of their most sacred shrines. But the wise, gathered
together as they were here, soon learned to cast off the errors which
spring up in a mixed community, and three hundred years ago one Zifanta
became high priest. He was a man possessed of unusual power, not such
as the scattered mystics possess, which can only be employed at certain
times, and under the most favourable circumstances. He was able to
leave the body at will, and to converse with the spirits of the dead,
whereby he acquired great wisdom and worked mighty miracles on earth.
He, moreover, changed the religion of his followers, bidding them to
seek in every creed and among all people the truth which Brahm, the one
and only God, whispers into the hearts of his faithful children, who are
scattered over the face of the earth. He preached against the
subjugation of the body after the manner employed by the Buddhist
adepts, saying that the body should not be regarded as the enemy of the
spirit, but rather for the time being as its helpmate. He affirmed that
without the aid of matter the spirit on earth was powerless; for as the
wing-feathers of a bird plucked from the pinions are scattered hither
and thither by every fitful breeze, so is matter helpless without the
forces of the spirit; but as a bird deprived of its plumage can no
longer leave the earth, and becomes the prey of any prowling beast, so
the spirit, when the body is injured or weakened, becomes a prey to
passing delusions, and is unable to accomplish any noble work.
Therefore, among our followers, have we many grades. Had you fallen in
the second trial, preferring the love of woman to entire devotion to
wisdom, the girl you saw might have become your wife, and you would have
joined the order of disciples, who live where they will, and act for us
in the outer world.’
"’But what,’ I asked, ’if I had failed in the third trial?’
"’Any one who allows the crystal crown to be placed upon his head must
die, for without humility it is impossible to worship the Almighty, or
to rule the powers of earth; and this trial is applied to all, whether
they fail in the second trial, or whether they succeed, for it is
equally important for the disciple to be free from pride as it is for
the priest.’
"’But how did that girl come to be here?’ I asked.
"’According to our doctrine,’ he replied, ’men and women are equal in
the sight of Brahm, and without the female power no great progress can
be made; but here among those who are struggling after the higher life,
the priest and priestess live without carnal love, and for this cause it
is essential to test all who are admitted to the white-robed order. The
girl you saw is, however, a novice, one of those who are being trained,
and it may be that she will go back into the world and marry one of the
disciples, or she may, after certain trials, be deemed worthy of the
white robe of virginity.’
"’But,’ I replied, ’does not this seem rather a careless, if not unholy,
way of bringing a man and woman together, and thereby perhaps deciding
their future life, even though they may be quite unfitted for each
other?’
"’What do you fancy,’ he answered, ’is the guiding influence that as a
rule draws a man and woman together? Sometimes, but rarely, spiritual
attraction; more often animal fascination. We do not, however, decide
lightly, but after great care, and we believe that in our selection we
are guided by higher power. So far the marriages which have taken place
have been greatly blessed. It is a sign, probably, that this girl who
was rejected by you is destined to become a priestess, but at present
she knows not the meaning of love, and so it is impossible to say.
Innocence is not regarded here, as it is too often in the world, as a
sign of purity, for innocence is a negative, holiness a positive,
quality. But come, in a quarter of an hour the moon will rise, and it
is time to go to the temple.’
"I followed my guide out of the house and through a grove of trees, till
we came to the edge of the lake. A boat was waiting which, when we had
entered, carried us silently without any apparent means of progress, to
the temple steps, and after we had landed, as silently returned to its
former place. When we had walked up the steps and passed between the
marble pillars, I saw that a wide-open colonnade extended round a
circular inner shrine, which was enclosed with a solid wall. In this
wall, and opposite the steps, was a beautiful carved archway, the
entrance to which was closed with folding-doors of embossed silver. As
we drew near, they opened; at the same moment the moon rose, and I heard
again those soft strains of music which had reached me the preceding
night whilst I lay watching from the hill. I will try to give you some
idea of the scene which was presented to me as I followed the high
priest into the temple.
"At first the light was so dim that I found it difficult to distinguish
objects clearly; but as the moon rose higher, and my eyes became
accustomed to the light, the full beauty of the building was disclosed.
Although, from outside, the temple seemed divided into three floors, the
dome of this inner shrine extended to the summit of the building. The
second and third double rows of columns, through which the moonlight now
poured, supported the inner dome, and formed covered colonnades from
which it was possible either to look down into the temple, or out upon
the lake and woods around. As in the Taj of Agra, the walls were
covered with writing formed of crystals and other more or less precious
stones, while the floor was covered with marble mosaic worked into
various designs. In the centre was a clear deep pool, from the surface
of which rose seven thin columns of water, one rising fifty feet, and
the others which surrounded it about thirty, before they fell in light
spray into the circular basin. There were about a hundred persons
present, all robed in loose white tunics; some were standing, but the
greater number were reclining, or sitting upon tiers of broad marble
steps.
"With the exception of myself, there were only two present whose dress
in any way distinguished them from the others; one was the high priest,
who wore round his waist a golden girdle set with what appeared to be
precious stones; and the other a woman who was standing near him, on
whose breast lay a jewel cut in the shape of a heart, from which
proceeded a pale soft light. The woman, whom I rightly judged to be the
high priestess, must have been sixty years of age; she was tall and
still beautifully proportioned; her hair was silvery white, her
complexion smooth and clear; but at the time I hardly noticed any of
these details, so absorbed had I become in watching the varying
expressions on her face. She was standing in shadow, but the light from
the luminous jewel on her breast lit up her features so that they were
clearly visible.
"I have never seen any other face so radiant with divine love, meekness,
and purity, so full of gentle power and trustful calm. A strong impulse
came over me, and rising from my seat I went and knelt down before her;
as I did so she bent and kissed me on the forehead; then taking my hand,
she brought me to some steps which led to the central basin, and bade me
go down into the water. The music ceased, the fountains stopped, and
then through the silence that followed she spoke aloud, so that all the
assembly, who had risen, could hear.
"’Father of all, grant that as this water changes the blood-red robe of
thy child into the garment of purity, so may Thy spirit purify his
heart, changing fear to trust, passion to love, and pride to humility,
until as a pure and crystal mirror he may reflect on earth Thy beauty
and Thy light, even as yonder moon, now that the sun is hidden from our
eyes, reflects the glory which man may no longer behold.’
"From every side came the response, ’Grant this our prayer, O Father of
all!’
"When I rose out of the water, I was almost dazzled by the lustrous
whiteness of my robe, which had somehow been robbed of its scarlet
colour; moreover, both my spirit and body seemed strengthened and
purified. Then the high priest came near and welcomed me in the name of
all present, saying--
"’Child of the Most High, gladly do we, thy brothers and sisters,
welcome thee to our family of priesthood; may thy coming aid us in the
endless search for truth; may thy power, added to our power, hasten the
glorious time when the order of the universe shall no longer be arrested
by man’s blindness, but the will of the Almighty be performed on earth
even as in the kingdoms that are around the earth.’
"As one by one the priests and priestesses came near to greet me, I
noticed that there appeared to be about an equal number of men and women
present; most of these were advanced in years, but among them were some
who could not have been much over twenty. On the faces of all, whether
old or young, fair or dark, the same calm expression of trust, purity,
power, and meekness was stamped.
"The moon had now risen, and its light fell upon the temple floor; on
this spot two of the priests laid a thick rug and cushions on which one
of the youngest girls lay down. The music once more began to play, but
now very softly. It was a strange and beautiful picture; the lovely
girl with her long dark hair falling over the white robe, lying thus in
the soft light; the priests and priestesses standing round in partial
shadow; the noble proportions of the temple, the lace-work of arches and
pillars between which the moon’s rays fell. But I had little time to
think of all these things, for in a moment I saw--but not, as I know
now, through the medium of the bodily eye--the spiritual form of the
girl rise from the body, and as the dew is drawn from the earth, pass
upward and then vanish from sight.
"Ajar, the high priest, who was standing beside me, said, ’You are
conscious that the spirit of Mintor the priestess has left her body for
a time, and passed to some other sphere?’
"And I answered, ’Yes, I saw it pass upward.’
"’It is confusing,’ he replied, ’to use the word see, for the eye, which
is an organ of the body, receives no impression from the spiritual form.
The spiritual perception we call _viam_, and the verb _view_ with us is
used for all impressions which reach the mind independently of the
bodily organs. I am glad that you possess this gift so far developed,
as there are but few present who have yet attained the power, except
under certain favourable conditions. Those who are worthy to wear the
white robe have each some special spiritual gift, but these gifts vary
greatly. Some can converse with those at a distance; some _view_ what
is passing in the world around; others, as in the case of Mintor, can
leave the body and pass into the spirit-world. This is the most coveted
of all gifts, as from those who possess it we can learn new wisdom. The
founder of our faith had still a greater power. He could, on leaving
the body, dissolve it into gaseous form, and his spirit, whithersoever
it went, was able to draw from nature the needed material, and to take
human form wherever or whenever it pleased; but since he left us, few
have been able to do this, and never with safety, for under certain
conditions they lost the power, and having as it were no root upon the
earth, their spirits were drawn to other spheres and returned no more.
The cause of this is, we know, physical weakness, and he who shall again
succeed must possess a body equally developed with his spirit; such a
one I believe you to be, and it is possible you may succeed, should you
be willing to undergo the training that is necessary. But we expect to
receive from Mintor, when her spirit returns, some guidance on the
matter.’
"Having said this, he took me by the hand and led me up to the place
where the body of the girl lay as though in deep sleep; then all those
present knelt down and seemed to be engaged in prayer.
"’The strength of the prayers of all present are with thee,’ he
continued. ’Kneel down and take both of Mintor’s hands in thine; see
whether it may be possible for thy spirit to join hers in the life
beyond, for in the spirit kingdom only can that knowledge be received
which can give power over the world of matter.’
"I did as bidden, and the light seemed to become more and more powerful,
then all grew dark, but through the darkness I heard a voice saying,
’Come.’ A great pain passed over my body and I was free.
"It would be quite impossible for me to give you any true idea of the
exquisite delight I experienced when now for the first time conscious of
untrammelled life. No one would believe how much pain is inseparable
from every movement of even the healthiest body until he has once been
freed from the burden. We gauge pain and pleasure simply by the
sensations that are above or below the average of existence; when less
than usually burdened, we call life happy; if more than usually tried,
we call it painful. As a bird confined from birth in a tiny cage is
unconscious of its cramped suffering, so the spirit of man having no
remembrance of freedom, regards its present house with toleration, and
is even unwilling to be released. I could hardly feel surprised now that
unselfishness is a necessary condition of spiritual growth, as the love
of others could alone draw a free spirit back to its chains.
"Of what I passed through during this and similar experiences I shall
now say nothing. After I am dead you will find a sealed paper, on the
cover of which is written ’A spiritual autobiography. If you feel it
wise to open and read it, or even to publish part or all of it, you can
do so, for by that time you will have my influence to guide you, and I
shall be able to judge better which course is the wisest for you to
take.’
"I shall not continue my story any further this evening, as you are
anxious to ask me some questions, and it is already late."
"There is one thing," I replied, "which I cannot understand, namely, the
death of your companion. Considering the nobility and kindly disposition
of these priests, the tests of worthiness seem almost cruel and
barbarous."
"Your feeling," Sydney answered, "is very similar to that which I
experienced at the time, and though I have not dwelt on the subject for
fear of interrupting the narrative, the death of my friend was not only
a deep grief to me, but also caused a shock from which it was some time
before I could recover; but after my spiritual freedom in the temple I
was able to understand things better. Life, which we prize so dearly,
is looked upon by those who have the highest knowledge, not as a
pleasure, but as a necessary and painful lesson. Death is an upward
movement into a more perfect condition; moreover, through the knowledge
which these men possessed, they considered themselves but as merciful
instruments for saving pain. The duration of life is not determined by
an accident to the body, but solely by growth of the spirit. When a man
or woman has become fitted for another sphere, the outward growth must
be cast off. Sometimes this is done slowly, through disease; sometimes
in a moment through what men call accident; but in either case the thing
is inevitable. If men only knew it, they could shorten or lengthen life
by retarding or aiding the growth of the spirit, but in that way only."
"Do you," I asked, "then imply that the more slowly a man learns his
lesson the longer he lives?"
"Sometimes," he answered, "but there is another reason for death. An
evil bodily habit often retards the proper growth of the spirit, in
which case the soul has to be re-incarnated. How often do we see some
man with a fine and noble disposition utterly ruined by one bodily vice,
that, though hateful to him, has become too powerful for his will. The
fight up to a certain point is useful, and often lasts many years, but a
time comes when the spirit begins to suffer, and then the end is near.
I can often tell very nearly how much longer a man will live, by reading
his inmost thoughts. From a superficial view, deterioration seems
frequently to set in long before the end; but this is owing to the fact
that we judge by outward signs. As long as a man can cry from his soul,
if only in his better moments, to be delivered, he is learning, if no
other lesson, that of humility."
"Then there is one other question," I said. "Can it be right for one
man to try to lead another into temptation?"
"That is a very difficult question to answer," he replied, "and one
which I have spent many hours in discussing with Ajar the high priest.
There is much to be said on both sides. Of course in a state of
perfection it would be unnecessary, and one can easily picture a case in
which as a lesser of two evils it might be justifiable; but I believe
under these circumstances it was a mistake, and the practice is now
discontinued altogether, with many others which were relics of a past
superstition."
"Does this community still exist?" I asked.
"It does, and is likely to continue to do so," Sydney replied. "From
this centre flows forth the beginning of a new faith, which is slowly,
under many names, spreading over the earth. It is from rumours of this
hidden power that arise many of the mythical stories of Eastern magic;
but only those fitted to know the truth will ever be allowed to come
near the shrine, for the powers of the earth are nothing against the
powers of the spirit."
"Do you not often miss the companionship which you must have found among
these people?" I asked.
"I spend much of my time with them still," he answered. "Strange as it
may seem to you, who are for the present bound down by the limitation of
space, it is as easy for me to visit them as it is to come to your
house. Distance is unknown in the spirit-world, and even whilst man
remains on earth, as soon as he is able to control his spiritual
perceptions, the influence of the body becomes daily less noticeable.
But you will understand this better later on."
*CHAPTER VIII*
When I next met Sydney after the conversation given in the previous
chapter, he seemed to me far from well. His face was pale, and his eyes
shone with unnatural brightness.
"You are tired to-night," I said, when we were again sitting together in
his laboratory. "Do not trouble to go on with your story unless you
feel inclined to do so."
"I am not too tired to talk," he replied, "but have been trying an
experiment which fatigues the body; I can rest while continuing the
account of my experiences. It will, however, be necessary to pass
rather briefly over the time spent at Aphar, which is the name given to
the rocky plateau on which the temple stands. So much of my life was
connected with purely spiritual experiences, the full account of which
you will some day have the opportunity of reading, that it will be well
to confine myself at present only to those matters which are necessary
for the full understanding of my subsequent life in England, and to the
powers which during this time I developed and perfected.
"Each time that my spirit left the body and went, either by itself or in
company with other spirits, into the world of unseen life which
surrounds us here I gained more and more knowledge, until at last it was
considered safe for me to try that most difficult of all experiments,
the casting off for the time being of those materials which form the
body, in the hope of being able to recall similar elements at will in
whatever place the spirit might wish to regain its bodily form. I think
it highly probable, however, that I should not so soon have risked the
danger, had it not been for a certain knowledge gained during one of my
hours of spiritual freedom.
"I should explain that in the trance condition, when the soul is free to
wander untrammelled, and to come into communion with those who are
invisible to mortal eyes, it is also equally possible to visit those who
still live upon earth, though they will not be conscious of your
presence, unless they also possess some of the powers of the sixth
sense.
"I had a strong desire to see Vera again, and to find out if the
arrangements made for her future had worked satisfactorily. It was not
long, therefore, before I took the opportunity of discovering this by
the aid of my new gift, and I was horrified at finding that not only
were things far from satisfactory, but that unless I could interfere, a
still more serious evil would probably arise.
"Now though in this state I could watch all that happened, I was
powerless to act; but if I once dared risk death by destroying my body,
it would be possible for me to draw the needed particles together in
England or elsewhere; and it was the thought of Vera’s danger that
chiefly induced me to run the risk. Before doing so, I laid the whole
case before the high priest, and he decided that the matter should be
fully discussed in the temple on the following evening, and the opinion
of those present taken; for it was to the interest of all that the
experiment should be successful, and even necessary, as he pointed out,
that I should be aided by whatever help they collectively might be able
to offer.
"When we were gathered together, I stood up and briefly told my reasons
for wishing to again return to my own land. It was not necessary to use
many words to such an audience. Some were able to read my inmost
thoughts; some to see the place and people I wished to visit; some even
to recall every detail of my past life. There was, however, not one
there who could foretell the future, not one who knew if I should return
to them again, for even the higher spirits know not what shall be. One
and only One can penetrate the dark cloud which hangs over futurity.
The greater the knowledge we have, the more easy do we find it to
forecast the probable course of events. The parent can prophesy to his
child, and the wise reveal to the foolish many things that seem hidden,
for nature moves by law; but neither man nor spirit is able to do more
than this. Yet I realized that a feeling of confidence was in each
heart, and that I should be aided by all the united power present. For
myself, I cared little whether I failed or not: only my wish to help
Vera, and the hope that I might be of use to others, made me anxious to
return to the body.
"A solemn silence followed, after which it was decided that I should not
go forth alone. Two of those present were chosen to accompany me in
spirit, while their bodies were entranced; and the others would remain
in the temple watching us, that if it were possible to aid me in any
way, assistance might be given.
"At last the moment arrived, and Luloor and Karman, the two who had been
chosen to accompany me, lay down, and as their bodies seemed to pass
from wakeful activity into deathlike slumber, I became conscious of
their spiritual presences lingering over me, waiting for the time when I
should join them. Not only were they present, but the temple was
thronged with countless spirits ready to welcome me into the world of
freedom which lies so close, and yet so far away from our material earth. |
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