Other Paths

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Are other paths valid or worthwhile? A path is valid only if it goes where it says it is going. The route may be agreeable or not, for only the goal makes it worthwhile. Far from being equally valid, some paths are blind alleys, others loop back on themselves, and a few are dangerous. Sentiment may cloud your judgment. An appeal to your generosity of spirit can mislead you. Each of the three world religions believes that it alone holds all the truth, but in the greater scheme, man is subordinate to Truth. Believing you are right is not the same as being right. Conviction is to do with the will, while knowing is to do with the intellect. A man can decide to believe, but can he also decide what is true?

Can we mix beliefs? Evil uses obvious bait like this. As our knowledge grows, it is tempting to choose the bits that match our strengths and weaknesses. In the 19th Century, Eliphas Levi muddied the stew by chucking cabbala into the pot, and the novelties of Egypt were added in the 20th Century. But Jewish magic did not prevent the destruction of Jerusalem; Pharaonic beliefs did not help Egypt. Exotic imports captivate the European mind, even while Asians eagerly westernise their culture. Foreign holidays help us to relax and novel spiritual ideas seem more glamorous. This is why Incas, Indians, and alien spaceships excite us. Eclecticism is wrong. There is no truth in the flea market. The Gods do not sell trinkets from stalls.

Do you condemn New Age stuff? Who am I to condemn anything? New Age eclecticism irritates me because it cobbles matters together irrationally, and people chuck in whatever will sell. The biggest fault is that no one asks what the Gods might want or what the Beyond might require. They all assume that if they themselves find it pleasant then the supernatural has just got to be happy with it too. However, the fun index, or the pleasure principle, is proof of nothing whatever apart from individual satisfaction. New Age is centred on the customer; so yes, the customers are pleased. The trouble is: they are not motivated to search for anything else. Religion is not something that we make do with. We cannot ignore the higher dimension. Let dilettantes burn perfumed candles and let their wind-chimes tinkle ... but this does not please God and neither does it contribute in any way to The Great Work.

Do schools of magic conflict? Yes, every bit as much as Jews and Arabs, Hindus and Muslims, or Catholics and Protestants. Also, a quarrelsome or unforgiving nature does not prove who is right or wrong. In Britain alone, there are over two hundred different kinds of Christianity, all disapproving of one another, sometimes killing one another, yet all worshipping the same God of love. This fact proves that human nature is frail and that mankind needs religion. It does not help when Christ says: "I Come not to bring peace, but a sword".

I deplore the splits, the divisions, and the segmentation because all such splits and factions make us weaker. However, the gods will not impose peace since they have already given us free will. Like loving parents who would like their children to be good, they know that correct behaviour is also a sign of fear. Ignore the quarrels. They prove nothing.

Should co-religionists try to be friends? Not necessarily. Concord is less a test of truth and more a sign of discipline. Disagreement means that independent thought is allowed and individuals are free. Some Occultists are cocky, but let us remember why cocks crow - it is to deter rivals and not because they are the least bit sure of themselves. Occultists are not angels and they do tend to quarrel over trivia. They focus on how a ritual should be performed and forget to wonder why it might just work. I cannot excuse them, but I can still respect them, and I offer my goodwill.

How may one choose between rivals? That depends on your criteria. How do you choose a shirt, a newspaper, or a partner for life? Most people shop on impulse and cannot explain their likes and dislikes. Women are supposed to be better shoppers because they picture an item in use and know what suits them. (If this is the case, why do so many of them marry the wrong men?) On the other hand, men are supposed to be indecisive about what image they want to project so they are less selective and go for whatever takes their fancy at the moment or plump for this or that out of exasperation. A person can cherish attitudes, opinions, and goals that he does not understand. 'I am what I am', he chants like a school kid. Then he defends his position without knowing what it is. Spiritual matters may be mystical and complex, so why let your soul be influenced by bungling fools? Work out what you need before you go window-shopping with relatives or friends.

Can I simply please myself? Religion is an area where your fancy is not an issue. The mystic quest is not a consumer product, like choosing a holiday. Preference and taste are all right when buying a new tie, but when God enters the scene, ego should take a back seat. You cannot afford to take risks with your soul � you have only got one of them and consumer protection laws do not apply. Be calm and be humble. Do not approach God like a tourist asking for an autograph. You need a path that will take you to the right place, and not one that panders to your vanity.

Should we agree to disagree? A negotiated, compromise is fine in mundane matters, but it cannot be applied to matters of profound spiritual truth. We cannot "split the difference" or decide matters by tossing a coin. Masters try to avoid any confusion, but students, alas, are more nonchalant and careless. To be fair to them, they are of course untrained.

There is (a) wisdom, and (b) knowing. It is possible that people who know will also be wise, or not, as the case may be, but people who do not know haven't any choice they simply cannot be wise. For this reason alone, it behoves all of us to learn. I am not worried about orthodoxy, heterodoxy, or heresy. Life is too short for games. We obey the Truth. We do not bend it to our own convenience. If I had been willing to bend, I would be a lot more popular today and if my motives were commercial ones, then this is precisely what I would do. The fact that I do not ought to reassure you.

Can one also join other groups? Why would you wish to join other groups as well? Do you also consult several doctors, follow three signposts, or support opposing football clubs? If you joined a vegetarian club, would you reserve the right to be a meat-eater at weekends? If you enrolled as a Conservative, would you insist on the freedom to be a Socialist too? Frequently in this life, one action rules out another, or one choice cancels another. What you have to do is think, study, and examine until you have established grounds on which to feel confident-or, if not certain, then confident enough-to do what you wish to do. You must not "play safe" by registering with several religions or by worshipping the devil as well as god.

Are you hostile to other groups? Put it the other way round: some of the other groups are hostile to me and, therefore, I have to be on my guard. Most of them have a more commercial attitude to Occultism, or at least they measure success by counting heads. They do not want potential customers to get a close look at what I have on offer. "All's fair in love and war" they chant. If they had known my father, he would have shown them what war was like. I have more patience than he did-not a lot, but just a bit.

Why do you have so many enemies? Jesus Christ was a Teacher too and, like me, he had enemies who reviled him. The same thing happens to any teacher. The scenario comes with the job, and it is due to the perspective of other people's minds. The enemy is encouraged by the fact that Teachers are people of peace and therefore reluctant to retaliate against injustice and unfairness. As a human being, I would not say that I had many enemies, and most people take to me, but as a teacher, yes, I am a figure, a symbol, or a representative.

I will leave you to decide for yourself whether or not you wish to know more about me. I am content to be judged by the hostility that I provoke. Take a long look at the hostile list of names. If they approved of me, you would have good reason to be suspicious. I am proud too that the devil does not like me.

Are you hurt by unfair comment? Soap manufacturers vie for custom by praising their own product and damning rival products. People are taken in by this. They buy trainers that are praised by sportsmen, and they wear jeans that are endorsed by film stars. Rhubarb pills were once advertised as the laxative most used by "the crowned heads of Europe"-presumably the ones that still had thrones. Publicity is the art of linking one idea with another. Journalists know that an irrelevant fact can ruin a political career or destroy a reputation if it is put in the right context. A bit of truth surrounded by trickery and they manufacture "news". Whatever I say or do, you had best judge me by my own teachings and not by other people's comments. Instead of telling you what you ought to believe, I will show you how to find truth.

What is Occultism to Modern Progress

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