4.

THE INNER DOCTRINE OF THE PATH

from Lamps of Western Mysticism Waite, p. 264

(1)Itisunderstoodnowthattheineffableunionwhichistheendofmysticlife
istheintegrationoftheselfknowingspiritofmanintheeternallySelfKnowing
God,knowingandbeingknowntherein.

(2)ThisistheattainmentofGod,anditisthegreatworkofourmanifestlife,for
thosewhoarecalledthereto,butitisnotcompletedhere.

(3)Wecanattainhereandnow(a)unionofwill,(b)unionofmotive;andthese
canbecomepermanent.Theyarethestateofsanctity.Therearevariousdegreesin
thesenseofconsciousunion,whichcanbeattainedalsoherebythefollowingofthe
inwardlife;buttherecordstellusthatinthefulnessofitshighestexperienceitis
possibleforbriefperiodsonly.Sofarasitispossibletodiscern,theabsoluteunion
ofourhigherconsciousnesswithGodwouldinvolveceasingfrommanifestation.

(4)TheDivineUnioninitsplenarysenseisallinclusive;itisunionwith
whatsoeverabidesinunion.

(5)WepossessallthingsinGodwhichhavetheirpartinGod.

(6)RaymondLullysaidlongago:Dominusnonparsestsedtotum;(TheLordis
notthepartbutthewhole)andthatwhichisleftoutisnothing;itisthe
nothingnessofsenseandillusion,ofthelesserandfluidicpersonality.

(7)Whentheconsciousnessisdirectedtotheuniversalandessentialinsteadof
toparticularsandexternals,itisinthatstatewhichmaybecalledthethresholdof
union.

(8)ThePathofContemplationassetforthhasitsterminthisstate,anditis
thereforeaPathofFreedom.Itiswhollyaworkinconsciousness.

(9)Letusrememberatthispointthatourtrueselfisamirrorwhichcontainsall
things:thatthemirroroftheuniverseisforthisreasonwithin;andthatifthis
mirrorofconsciousnessdoesnotreflectGod,itreflectsthatwhichtendstoward
illusion.

(10)ThereflectionofGodthereinisinvirtueofsomehighupliftedsummitof
ournature,aMountainoftheLordonwhichtheLordabides:wereitotherwise,we
couldnotconceiveoftheunion.ItfollowsthatthePathofContemplationmaybe
describedasthePathofAscentintoourhigherbeing,andthisisanascentinlove,
foritisonlyinthetongueofsymbolismthatwecanspeakasifspatialdistance
intervenedbetweenthestates.

(11)Thenormalpersonalitydoesnotcognisethissupernalpartofbeing,butwe
mustnotbedeceivedbytheideathattheirseparationisonaccountofadistance
interveninginspace:itisbecauseoftherestrictiononsellknowledgeinthenormal
state.

(12)Theessentialmysticalnearnesswillbeunderstoodifwepayattentionto
thewordconsciousnessofwhichwehavenogroundforsupposingthatthereis
morethanonekindintheuniverse,thoughthemodesarenotonemode.

(13)ThePathofContemplationisfortheopeningofagateinconsciousness,
anditmustberealisedthatitisaholygate.

(14)ItisthereforeaPathoftheexperienceofsanctity,beginninginpurification
andworkingfortheexpulsionoftheevilpowerfromtheworldthatiswithinus.

(15)ItcanneverbeaneasyPath,asIhaveindicatedotherwisefornotinan
houroradaydoesamanattainunionwithGod,orloveencompassitsobject.Atthe
sametimesomeofitsstagesareeasytosomeaspirants.

(16)LetusrealisethatitisuselesstothinkofGodaswithout:Godiswithin.
ThereisnopartofourexperienceinGod,manortheuniversewhicharisesoutside
ofconsciousness.

(17)Ifwesaythatthereissomethingwhichis,asitwere,ineffableintheworld
above,weneednotthinkitunattainableinrespectofourselves:itmaybean
untroddenfieldofourconsciousness.Theuniverseitselfisthatwhichbearswitness
tousanddoestousmanifest.Ifinthesensethathasbeenexplainedalreadyweare
amirrorwhichreflectsNature,thereisanothersenseinwhichNatureisitselfa
mirror,whereinwebeholdourselves.

(18)LetusseekonthethresholdofthePathtoopenthefirstGatebylong
contemplationofeternalthings.LetusunfoldinparticularthedeepsenseofGod
realisedintheheart.

(19)Itisgoodatthisstagetorepeatinwardly:MayThyKingdomCome;then
adding:TheKingdomofHeaveniswithin;andthen,withadeepassurance:Thy
Kingdomhascomewithin.

(20)Ifwecanformulatethis,realisingthatthereisnothingsomuchthatistobe
desiredinthewholeworld,themomentwillarrivewhenweshallknowthatthe
Kingdomindeedcomesandthegracethereof.

(21)Ifwebefaithfultotheaspiration,therealisationwillbetruetous.

(22)Itmaycomelikeathiefinthenight,atapointwhereweleastexpectit;the
GateofGloryopensandweseethatGodhasHisThroneinthehighestpartofour
nature.