ALFRED ORAGE

Aphorisms and Observations

Consider the 'sly' man; he tries to be aware always. You an ne!er be im"artial about any "erson or thin# until you ha!e been im"artial about your "lanetary body. Common sense mellowed and e$"erien ed is wisdom; and wisdom in its ri"eness is beauty. %he last de#ree o& esoteri tea hin# is "lain ommon sense. '' %he birthri#ht o& human bein#s is the desire &or sel&( ons iousness) whi h should a""ear at the a#e o& ma*ority. At about the a#e o& thirty there should ome a sense o& the world in whi h we li!e) the dawnin# o& osmi ons iousness. A&ter this) a ordin# to one's #i&ts) onditions) ir umstan es and so on) one should be ome a ons ious a#ent in the &un tions o& the osmos) whi h is a total s heme o& whi h we would ha!e a relati!e om"rehension. %here is little di&&eren e in the e$"erien es o& di&&erent "eo"le+the di&&eren e onsists in what they do with them. %he im"ortan e o& our &irst &ood is not so mu h in the ,uantity and ,uality as in the di#estin# o& it. E$"erien es are another &orm o& &ood; &rom this "oint o& !iew it does not so mu h matter what ha""ens as how we ta-e e$"erien es. .ature is the ob*e ti!e reditor o& e!ery li!in# bein#. /he is) &rom one as"e t) the wi -ed ste"( mother o& the &airy tales) be#uilin# us and usin# us &or her own "ur"oses) the e!olution o& substan es. %ime is the most im"ortant thin# ne$t to awareness. %he &low o& time throu#h us #i!es us an o""ortunity to e$tra t what we an. %ime is the three(&old stream &lowin# throu#h our three enters. 0e &ish in time's 'e!er(rollin#' stream; what we at h is ours) but what we don't is #one. %ime does not wait &or us to at h e!erythin# in the stream) but i& we at h enou#h we shall ha!e enou#h to &orm the hi#her bodies+and thereby be ome endurin#. %here is an '1') a "otential soul. 1& we an say with the same sim"li ity '1 ha!e a body' as we say '1 ha!e a ar' we an be#in to reali2e that this body is a trans&ormin# ma hine whi h '1' ha!e. '1' ha!e a ma hine to use) does not mean '1' am a ma hine. '1' ha!e a body) a me hani al or#anism whose &un tion it is to trans&orm substan es and ener#ies. %he ad!anta#e o& the terrible disad!anta#e o& bein# human is to be able to be #lad+whether ha""y or unha""y+and) by a hie!in# ons iousness) to be ome #reater than the an#els. 0e) be omin# ons ious bein#s) are the mind o& God; an#els are his emotions and there is more *oy in hea!en o!er one o& us "er&e ted) than o!er ninety(nine naturally e!ol!ed an#els. ''

%he uni!erse is a bein# with three enters orres"ondin# to our own; their material as"e t is om"rised o& !ibration(rates whi h a""ear to us as substan es. %he uni!erse is the body o& God; it is the neutrali2in# &or e o& the /un Absolute) the mani&estation o& the intera tion o& the "ositi!e and ne#ati!e &or es o& God. 0e li!e in the body o& God) are made in the ima#e o& God and God's '&an y' is immortality. God is the 313 o& the uni!erse) is termed 4is Endlessness and is not in&erior to time. %ime is a "er"etual "erishin#. 1t is the enemy o& God. 4e has a "ur"ose. Our 4o"e de"ends on our ability to dis o!er 4is "ur"ose and o(o"erate with it. %his is the de&inition o& reli#ion) hel"in# God. %he uni!erse as a ons ious bein# is the third dimension o& time. 4umanity is the mind o& God and the "assion &or understandin# the meanin# and aim o& e$isten e. Cons ien e is a &un tion o& a normal human bein#; it is the re"resentati!e o& God in the essen e; it is buried so dee"ly that it remains relati!ely indestru tible. %ruth be&ore God is essen e; 'truth' be&ore man is "ersonality. Essen e is a hemi al de"osit &rom the sun and "lanets o& the solar system) whi h enters earth( bein#s at the moment o& on e"tion. 1n man this a&&e ts the re#ion o& the solar "le$us. 1t is unli-e any o& the hemi als &ound on this "lanet) and lin-s man to the osmos. As the hemi als o& the "hysi al body return to this "lanet a&ter death so do the hemi als o& essen e return to their sour es. Faith) 4o"e and Lo!e are the #rowin# ends o& essen e. Faith is on&iden e) not belie&; &or e$am"le the way a lion wal-s throu#h the woods. 4o"e is e&&ort) not wish; an e&&ort to ma-e it so and not a wish that it may be so. O& lo!e the &irst &orm is o& sel& and o& sel& in others; the se ond &orm is lo!e o& others and o& sel& in them; the third &orm is lo!e o& duty or God and the other &orms are by("rodu ts o& it; that is) it is lo!e o& that &or whi h the indi!idual e$ists. A bein# is de&ined in !alue a ordin# to the de#ree to whi h &aith) ho"e and lo!e ha!e be ome ob*e ti!e in him. 5onderin# is answerin# ,uestions &rom essen e and answerin# them "ra ti ally. One(hal& the ener#y o& a human bein# must be s"ent internally "onderin#. One(third o& one's time should be s"ent in "onderin#. 5onderin# is a sel&(interro#ation whi h onsists in stri""in# o&& all the answers o& asso iation until you &inally ome to your own essential answer. Essen e is what we inherit; "ersonality is what we a ,uire. '' 6ein#s di&&er in the potentiality o& their awareness.

 6ein# and non(bein# are two absolutes between whi h is a state o& e$isten e mo!in# in either dire tion) that o& e!olution or that o& in!olution. %he ran#e o& e$isten e between "ositi!e absolute and ne#ati!e absolute "ro!ides the s ale o& bein#s) o& whi h man is the third &rom the hi#hest and metal is the lowest. 6ein# has to do with the &eelin# enter and de"ends on -nowin# and doin#. 1t is the result o& the stru##le between the a&&irmin# and denyin# "arts. 'A bein# is one who &eels') and is there&ore to be #raded by the ran#e and intensity o& &eelin#. Any attem"t to attain su"erior bein# dire tly leads to a "sy ho"athi state. %his is the &alla y o& mysti ism) whi h in!ol!es ima#inary &eelin#s. 6ein# is the emotional enter but it is only the result o& a on&li t between -nowin# and doin#. You must try to -now and to do in order to be; that is the !alue o& -nowin# and doin#. 7an is a su"erior s"e ies on earth be ause there is a #reat on&li t between -nowin# and doin# in his ase. 7en amon# themsel!es should also be #raded in this way. For the same reason) the e,ual de!elo"ment o& enters is ne essary. %he #radation o& bein#s ob*e ti!ely is a ordin# to their inner de!elo"ment. 1n li&e) "eo"le are 'res"e ted' &or their abnormality) not &or their inner de!elo"ment or de#ree o& ob*e ti!e reason. '' A human bein# is one who wor-s with three enters; he who wor-s with one or two is sub(human and e!ery time we re"ress the wor-in# o& a enter we be ome a two( or one(brained bein#. Ordinary man is at the mer y o& his or#anism8 +at the mer y o& the instin ti!e enter; im"ressions re ei!ed by the senses) o& a""etites) inertia) disease; +at the mer y o& the &eelin#s; asso iations onne ted with "eo"le and "la es "ast and "resent) li-es and disli-es) &ear and an$iety; +at the mer y o& the mind; ima#ination) day(dreamin#) su##estibility. Reasonin# is the lo omotion o& the thin-in# enter) whi h is om"osed o& de&inite or#ans+ on entration) "onderin#) meditation) ontem"lation. Lo#i al "ro#ression is the ordinary lo omotion o& the thin-in# enter as a whole. Li&e in the "lanetary body is sensation; in the astral body) emotion; in the mental body) thou#ht. .euroti sym"toms are due to the three enters bein# out o& ste" with ea h other) out o& harmony+ one enter bein# in a de&initely di&&erent tem"o and intensity &rom the others. %he emotional enter is the dynamo o& our whole li&e. 1n it are our wishes) whi h maintain us and our bodies in li&e. 0ishes are on di&&erent "lanes. %he hi#hest wish) on e &elt) ne!er an be dis"la ed. /u&&erin# omes &rom the on&li t o& enters. 9%a-en ons iously u"on onesel&) when one enter wishes and the others disli-e it) it an be ome Cons ious /u&&erin#.:

;oluntary ons ious labor is made a#ainst the inertia and me hanism o& the or#anism; not &or "ersonal #ain or "ro&it) e$er ise) health) s"ort) "leasure or s ien e; not out o& "ride) li-e or disli-e. 0ith ons ious wor-) indi!iduality ta-es the "la e o& "ersonality. 1ndi!iduality #rows &rom essen e and is the ons iousness o& will. Learn to -now when you are ma-in# e&&ort ons iously by your e$"erien e o& ma-in# e&&ort "hysi ally. You are ma-in# an e&&ort when you are 3"ushin# a#ainst the ollar.3 You do this when you try to in lude more "henomena in ons iousness that would be there naturally) a ontinuously sustained e&&ort to in lude in immediate awareness more and more that is not there) be#innin# with your own body. /"e i&i #ra!ity ontrols the #ras"in# o& thou#hts. 1n ea h o& the three enters are de"ths in whi h related items lie. All thin-in#) &eelin# and instin ti!e "er e"tion is asso iated; and there are interrelations between orres"ondin# de"ths in di&&erent enters. %hese interrelations between the three enters om"ose the total asso iati!e "sy holo#y o& humanity. Center o& #ra!ity an be om"ared to absolute "it h. Any !ariation is a little abnormal. E!ery &orm has its own enter o& #ra!ity) ea h substan e the same. 5ermanent dwellin# "la e or habitual enter o& #ra!ity o& whate!er enter you are most o&ten in) has to do with Chie& Feature. '' %he only real understandin# that an e!er be a ,uired de"ends u"on a ertain substan e whi h an only be &ormed in a "arti ular manner. %his substan e de"ends u"on three &a tors8 the "resen e o& understandin#s o& a li-e nature whi h be ome relati!ely "ositi!e and ne#ati!e) and the new "ie e o& -nowled#e whi h is the neutrali2in# &or e. %he result o& the three is a new understandin#. One set o& "re!ious understandin#s says yes and another set denies) and there is a ertain &ri tion reated; the result o& this lash is "er ei!ed as a new understandin# 9whi h may be either a ordin# to -nowled#e or a ordin# to essen e and thus be either tem"orary or "ermanent) and that is de ided by whether the indi!idual ma-es e&&ort when the lash o urs:. 1& e&&ort is not made) the new understandin# is "er ei!ed only a ordin# to the s"e i&i #ra!ity of the words and this is at random and thus mi$ed with un orres"ondin# items; but when e&&ort is made) ea h dire tion o& the lash is a""re iated ons iously 9throu#h the e&&ort: and the &inal result will be directed. /o it is that "eo"le an not be told anythin# o& !alue but must &irst #et the ne essary substan e and then ma-e e&&ort to a hie!e understandin#. 6e ause e$ternal e!ents whi h unwind us do not &it into a re o#ni2able order) we ha!e the illusion o& &reedom. %his is why we do not learn &rom e$"erien e. A ordin# to the Law o& Asso iation) all thin#s see- their le!el in the s ale o& bein#. Ordinarily) e$"erien es are automati ally distributed a ordin# to &ormer asso iations; but when e&&ort is made) they an #o to their orre t "la es in the enters. '' %he harmonious de!elo"ment o& man8 an 3all(round3 man a ordin# to the ori#inal de&inition) is one who is e,ually at home in all three enters) a man who is really in o u"ation o& his house; that is) all three stories o& it. %o "rodu e su h men is the "ur"ose o& the Gurd*ie&& tea hin#) whi h rules out the three &orms o& monstrous #enius. '' %he states o& ons iousness are /lee") 0a-in#) /el&(Cons iousness) Cosmi Cons iousness. Waking is a "seudo(state o& ons iousness; there are really only three &orms and our wa-in# state is

abnormal amon# states o& ons iousness. Self-Consciousness is ons iousness o& sel&; sel& is that amount o& the ori#inal on e"tual seed that has been a tuali2ed) and its &orm is the body; there&ore /el&(Cons iousness is ons iousness o& our body. Cosmic Consciousness is ons iousness o& the Cosmos) it is the awareness that there e$ist other "lanets than our own) other suns and the /un Absolute) and that they are the enters o& a bein#; it is thus a ons iousness o& the body o& God. Cons iousness is an ele tri al "henomenon whi h arises &rom a state o& bein# whi h we an feel. 1n our usual o"inion there are two &orms o& ele tri ity) "ositi!e and ne#ati!e; but there is also a third &orm; namely) the &ield within whi h the "ositi!e and ne#ati!e &orms are related to ea h other. Any mani&estation o& "ositi!e and ne#ati!e ele tri ity im"lies a &ul rum; that is) a "oint o& resistan e o!er whi h they balan e. E!ery e$istin# thin# 9or bein#: is ultimately om"osed o& three &or es) "ositi!e) ne#ati!e and neutrali2in#; inso&ar as the thin# is de!elo"ed) these three are se"arated into three enters instead o& bein# blind; thus de!elo"ment is the in reasin#ly se"arate or#ani2ation o& these) to#ether with the "ro!ision o& or#ans &or ea h. %he neutrali2in# &or e is non(e$istent e$ e"t by de&inition) sin e it is the field wherein "henomena ta-e "la e; neutrali2in# &or e is di&&i ult to de&ine be ause we are third(&or e(blind. %here is the same di&&i ulty in de&inin# ons iousness be ause it is the field o& its ontent. '' 0e are om"letely me hani al with the e$ e"tion o& sel&(obser!ation and what that ma-es "ossible. /el&(obser!ation is the letter) 'A') o& ons iousness; it is the &irst ons ious ability that an be attained; i& you annot obser!e your sel&) you are om"letely un ons ious. <nless we remember oursel!es) we are om"letely me hani al. /el&(obser!ation is "ossible only throu#h sel&(rememberin#. %hese are the &irst ste"s in sel&( ons iousness and to be ome sel&( ons ious in our hi#hest "art is to be ome a "art o& God. 6ut the &ruit arri!ed at is ne!er attained; it is always+i& any+an unanti i"ated by("rodu t. 1t is more e!en than unanti i"ated) it is usually not reali2ed &or a lon# time a&ter it has been attained. Our &riends may see it) a risis may "ro!e it to us) but) as a rule) our de!elo"ment &rom sel&(obser!ation is im"er e"tible to oursel!es. 1 -now this would sound li-e an a t o& &aith) but it is not redulity. %ruly a tree is -nown by its &ruit) but the seasons must "ass be&ore the &ruit a""ears. %he aim o& sel&(obser!ation) howe!er) a"art &rom its results) is lear; to see oursel!es as others. 0hen 1 an be) &or mysel&) my nei#hbor) and my nei#hbor) &or me) mysel&) 1 shall ha!e attained the ob*e ti!ity o& a normal human bein#. %herea&ter the de!elo"ment o& the s"irit and soul will be as normal as is now the #rowth and de!elo"ment o& the body. A&ter all) it is !ery stran#e that we do not #row s"iritually as a matter o& ourse and time. 0e ha!e to ma-e no e&&ort to mature bodily &rom in&an y to adulthood. 0hy does not the same law #o!ern our "sy hi de!elo"ment= Gurd*ie&&'s re"ly is the old reli#ious re"ly8 it is be ause 7an has &allen; that is) has be ome "sy hi ally abnormal; and hen e it is that in his "sy he the laws #o!ernin# bodily #rowth annot a""ly. /el&(obser!ation is sim"ly 9>: a means o& attainin# normality) and this is a "rime ondition o& subse,uent normal de!elo"ment. On e normali2ed the "sy he an ta-e are o& itsel&; but its normali2ation is the stumblin#(blo -. %here&ore) said 5aul) 31 labor till Christ be born in ye.3 Christianity has always insisted u"on the mystery o& the 1n arnation; namely) how does a s"irit whi h is the son o& God) ha!e the use o& a "hysi al body= /el&(obser!ation is only a sur!ey o& the body; 5arti i"ation is "ra ti e in ma-in# it wor-; E$"eriment is seein# what you an do with it; and all these are the "reliminaries o& 1n arnation. Chur hes may en oura#e our on&inement to one enter but reli#ion is a means &or e$"andin#

bein#) &or enlar#in# ons iousness. Reli#iousness is an emotional attitude to the ,uestion) '0hy was 1 born=' and "rayer is wish in three enters e$"ressed as e&&ort in three enters. Reli#ion is the study and "ra ti e o& "er&e tion. %his is e$"ressed by 7atthew ?@8ABC as 36e ye there&ore "er&e t) e!en as your Father whi h is in hea!en is "er&e t.3 '' %he reason o& ordinary bein#s is the reason o& -nowled#e. %he reason o& normal bein#s is the reason o& understandin#. Dnowled#e is a tem"orary "art o& bein# and an han#e; understandin# is a "ermanent and un han#eable "art o& the bein#. A man an beha!e otherwise than his -nowled#e; he annot beha!e otherwise than his understandin#) whi h ir umstan es an ne!er o!er ome. Dnowled#e must be re"eated o&ten in order to be "ermanently #ained; understandin# is in or"orated into essen e &ore!er. 1nstin ti!e reason we share with the animals but ha!e a hi#her ty"e o& it; asso iati!e reason &un tions a ordin# to !erbal asso iations; o& ob*e ti!e reason we -now "ra ti ally nothin#+it an be a ,uired only by !oluntary ons ious labor and intentional su&&erin#. Ob*e ti!e reason is that whi h is immortal. 1t is de!elo"ed by #oin# a#ainst habits and re"etition; by &ollowin# a le#itimate whim; by not doin# as others do. %he e&&ort 1 ma-e to be ome ob*e ti!e trans&orms substan es whi h thereby be ome "ermanent) immortal. 1 a ,uire a "ermanent '1' whi h is inde"endent o& the !i issitudes o& li&e) aware o& a ons ious "ur"ose) whi h "ersists throu#h u"s and downs) throu#h runs o& #ood and bad lu -. Contem"lation is onta t with thou#ht(&orms le&t by other bein#s interested in ob*e ti!e reason but no statement an be understood without the e&&ort o& ons ious assimilation. 0hen that whi h is -nown is also &elt and sensed) we ha!e reali2ation. 0e are a "assion &or understandin# the meanin# and aim o& e$isten e but we ha!e only instin ti!e "assions and thus &ail to understand. .ot one in a million has any interest in man as di&&erentiated &rom himsel&; or else he is interested only in some ha""iness(re&orm. 6ein# EEF abnormal) the( meanin#(and(aim(o&(e$isten e means only instin ti!e ad!anta#e; and it is there&ore an a ademi ,uestion. 0e are not on a "lane where these ,uestions ha!e any real meanin# &or us. O& the three lines o& e!olution "er e"tible to man 9and hen e attributed by him to nature:) the hi#hest) be ause the most in lusi!e) is s"iritual e!olution de&ined as the sel&("er e"tion o& sel&. 6ut between) &irst) this !erbal de&inition and the reali2ation o& its meanin#; and se ondly) the reali2ation o& its meanin# and its a tuali2ation in bein#+there may be aeons o& di&&eren e. From merely understandin# that the hi#hest !alue is sel&(ob*e ti!ity 9the ability) that is to say) to see e!erythin# thou#ht o& as sel& e$a tly as i& it were not sel&: it does not &ollow that we ha!e it) any more that it &ollows that i& we understand that #old is o& more !alue than sil!er) we ne essarily "ossess #old. %he attainment o& the state o& sel&(ob*e ti!ity is somethin# totally di&&erent &rom its understandin# *ust as a ,uirin# #old is somethin# totally di&&erent &rom the a""re iation o& its !alue. 0hat 1 am there&ore dis"osed to say o& the "roblems already re&erred to is that their understandin# and a""re iation need to be su""lemented by somethin# entirely di&&erent be&ore they an be sol!ed; and that) in &a t) the modern mind) e!en when desirous o& ob*e ti!ity) is in a"able o& sol!in# su h "roblems &or the sim"le reason that the modern mind is not) in a tuality) sel&(ob*e ti!e. 1 be# mysel& as well as my readers not to mista-e understandin# &or attainment; and not to ima#ine) on the stren#th o& their reali2ation o& ertain truths) that they "ossess them) or still less) that they an use them. Our bein#) in whi h alone truth is "ossessed) is still a lon# way behind our understandin#. 1s then) 5ro#ress a 3myth3= 1 do not -now. 1s it) on the other hand) a &a t in .ature= A#ain) 1 do not -now. .or do 1 &ind it ne essary to settle the ,uestion one way or the other &or my "ea e o& mind. %o understand what the ,uestion im"lies) to be satis&ied that one an not answer it now) but to hope to be able one day to answer it) that) 1 thin-) is enou#hG

'' %here is more *oy in hea!en o!er one o& us "er&e ted) than o!er ninety(nine naturally e!ol!ed an#els. %here is a om"lete "rote tion a!ailable to you+silen e.