Rosicrucian Digest, October 1941

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    October, 1941per copy

    ROSICRUCIAN_ :.... DIGEST

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    The size of eachplaque, in any of theexcellent finishes, is

    9\'z x 8% inches. Ac-curate in every detail.

    Archaeological records

    verify the authenticityof the stone and itsinscription. A limited

    supply.

    Price 1.00

    (includes mailing)

    CLvldns^ i la t iov i Qvl t one . . .

    FROM THE M YST IC CITY OF TEL-EL-AMARNA

    T h a t which itsell is immobile may yet move other things. A commonlimestone plaque erected over jOOO years ago moved to gre at emotionalheights thousands of men and women who read its simple words. It wasin the mystic city of I elelAmarna. established by Pharoah Amenhotep IVand dedicated to the everlasting ( rod, that this inscription lirst appeared.It soon transformed men s religious thought, and gave new expression to

    their spiritual yearnings. I he principal portion of this plaque was onceagain brought to light in recent years by archaeologists o f tl le EgyptianExploration Societyit was then presented to the Rosicrucian Order. Itnow reposes as a prominent exhibit in the Rosicrucian Museum. It has astrange fascination for al l who see itas il in some inexplicable manner itradiates the love and devotion of those who once looked upon it in pastcenturies. It is graven with a double cartouche (seal) of Aten (Egyptiansymbol of the one great God), and bears the inscription: Rejoicing on thehorizonwho gives life lor ever a ud everLord of heaven, Lord ol earth.So that every Rosicrucian may have this beautiful, ancient symbol andprayer in his or her sanctum, we o ffer a highly artist ic metal plaque re-produced from the original. 1he plaque is embossed by a die made directfrom the stone itself, and is perfect in every detail. I he plaque is finish ed

    as burnished bronze. It will inspire you as you meditate upon the influencethat the original had upon the students and neophytes o f the ancientmystery schools. As a reproduction ol a rare Egyptian antique, it will alsobe prized by everyone who sees it. Order your plaque today. Because olmetal shortage this stock could never be replaced at same price.

    ROSICRUCIAN SUPPLY BUREAU

    SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A.

    THE I N ST I TU T IO N B E H I N D T H IS A N N O U N C E M E N T

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    7

    OFFICERS OF THE CANADIAN GRAND LODGE

    Representing the principles of Rosicrucianism in Western Canada are members of the Lodge in Vancouver. British Columbia.

    In their Temple, under the direction of the officers pictured above, the ancient Rosicrucian traditions are maintained in teachings

    and ritual. (Courtesy of the Rosicrucian Digest.)

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    PORTRAIT

    MYSTERYOF "C R C REVEALED/

    r o s ic r u c ia n J\M Y S T I C I S M E X P L A I N E D

    HERE ARE THE STRANGE FACTS

    DOES HE STILL LIVE?

    For several centuries students of Mysticism haveasked the same question "Does CRC' still live?It is known that he lived in Egypt in the preChristianperiod and returned there again in 1290 A. D. He re-appeared in Germany in 1604 and was in Americalong before the Revolution. So say the mystical tra-ditions of many lands. Is he still carrying on theGreat Work which a million of the world's illuminatedthinkers have found to be the most marvelous instruc-tion for mans evolution?

    W H O W A S "C R C " ?

    He was known in Germany as "Christian Rosenkreutz." But "Christian Rosy Cross' was the namehe assumed because he was the reincarnation of theEgyptian founder of the "R osy Cross the oldestbody of mystics the world has ever known. They werecalled Rosicrucians and the Rosy Cross was theirancient symbol.

    THE DISCOVERY OF HIS BODY

    In 1604 the Representatives of Sir Francis Bacon(writer of the Shakespeare Plays) opened a strangevault and tomb in Cassel. Germany, and there foundthe body of the real CRC" in perfect condition as

    though asleep for the past hundreds of years. W asthere a soul asleep in this body? Only the privaterecords of the Rosicrucians contain the astoundingfacts which scientists and real mystics conceal fromthe idly curious. It was one of the principles of theRosicrucians to keep their bodies well preserved againstdisease and old age. Their secret method has neverbeen given to those outside the Rosicrucian Fraternity.

    RARE MANUSCRIPT FOUND

    In the tomb with his body were found the rare man-uscripts of the ancient Mystic Rosicrucians containingthe laws and secrets of the Magi of the Orient.

    These manuscripts passed into the hands of SirFrancis Bacon and other Rosicrucians in Germany,France, and England, and the Fraternity of Rosicru-

    cians the Order Rosae Crucis was reestablishedthroughout the world under the direction of "CRC"

    for the eleventh time at least. Europe has never for-gotten the power and influence of the RosicrucianOrder.

    SECRETS PRESERVED

    Today the Fraternity of Rosicrucians continues asan exclusive, secret, mighty organization in all lands,inviting the FE W worthy seekers and students ofnature's higher laws to share the guarded knowledgeof the Rosicrucians. The teachings are never pub-lished in booksfor the true knowledge of the Magiand Esscnes as well as the secrets of the Rosy Crosswould fade from print if ever put into type forpublic sale.

    DO NOT BE DECEIVED

    The mystery of life, death, disease, perfect health,how to attract blessings and gifts from the Cosmic,transmutations, telepathy, success in personal affairs,and personal mental power all these principles intheir TRU E form are taught in a different and morepractical way by the Rosicrucians in SECRET LES-SO NS only not by books or public classes. And,the name of the International Rosicrucians is the An-cient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC). Thereis only one Headquarters in North and South AmericaSan Jose, California.

    THIS BOOK TO YOU FREE

    Only one person in a hundred ordinarily met on thestreet is truly prepared for the real knowledge. IfYOLI are the "One in a Hundred and not a merecuriosity seeker you may borrow, without cost, astrange Sealed Book of surprising facts called "TheSecret Heritage, which explains how you may finda simple way to have the Rosicrucian knowledge,if you are found worthy, ready, and really sincere.Write a short letter and state that you are sincerelyanxious to master the secret teachings, and addressit to me. The book w'ill be mailed, postpaid.

    Scribe S. P. C.

    The ROSICRUCIANS( A M O R C )

    Rosicrucian Park San Jose, California

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    5 JQ33^ S1S1S-S -^X^- 3 3 3 3 1 S 3 3 3 X 5 I

    *5

    ROSICRUCIAN DIGESTCOVERS THE WORLD

    THE O F F I C I A L I N TE R N A T I O N A L R O S I C R U C I A N M A S A -

    Z I N E O F T H E W O R L D - W ID E R O S I C R U C I A N O R D E R

    Vol. XIX OCTOBER, 1941 No. 9

    Officers of the Canadian Grand Lodge (Frontispiece)

    Thought of the Month: The Doctrine of Relativity..

    The American Consciousness .........

    Science and the Rosicrucian

    Cathedral Contacts: A New Perspective

    The Rationalism of Reincarnation

    The Book of Jasher

    The First Aviators

    Three Choices

    The Extension of One ............

    Utopia ...............

    Sanctum Musings: De Profundis ........ .........

    The Memphis Temple (Illustration) ....

    Subscription to the Rosicrucian Digest, Three Dollars per year. Singlecopies twenty-five cents each.

    Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at San Jose, California, under the Act of August 24th, 1912.

    Changes of address must reach us by the tenth of the month precedingdate of issue.

    Statements made in this publication are not the official expressions ofthe organization or its officers unless stated to be official communications.

    Published Monthly by the Supreme Council of

    TH E R O S IC R U C I A N O R DE R A M O R C ROS ICRUCIAN PARK SAN JOSE, CALIFO RNIA

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    T heRosicrucian

    DigestOctober1941

    THE

    THOUGHT OF THE MONTH

    THE DOC TRINE OF RELATIVITY

    HE great thinkersof the world, theprofound studentsof natural phe-

    nomena and themysteries of ourexistence, oftenunwittingly sup-press popular in-vest igat ions oftruth. Because oftheir intensivestudy, they devel-op highly special-

    ized vocabularies and use for their con-venience only technical terms, whichconfuse the layman and cause him to

    believe that the subject matter of theirinvestigations is beyond his compre-hension. This is easily proven if wespeak to the average man about thedoctrine of relativity. He will throw uphis arms in a gesture of despair, andstate, It is too much for me. W hathe really means is that the truth of thesubject has been buried in a maze ofcomplex phraseology.

    W e are, most of us. inclined to be-lieve that the theory or doctrine of rela-tivity is a new one. Actually, however,it is centuries old. but the name has

    been assigned to it in comparativelyrecent years. Heraclitus, a Greek phi-losopher of about 536 B. C., was an ex-ponent of relativity, though of coursehe did not term it such. He declaredthat our universe is not static, it is notmotionless. He advocated that all be-ing, all substance, is permanent; it can-not be diminished, cannot be destroyed,nor can it be added to. But though ithas this permanency, it nevertheless isnot inert. He affirmed that everything

    is becoming, becoming something else.He stated that we cannot step into thesame river twice, for fresh water is al-ways flowing in upon us. He meant, by

    this, that we cannot perceive or discernthe same realities twice because theyare constantly changing, constantly

    becoming. No object is as it seemsto be. Its nature is only apparent. Astone is not as we see it. for it is in theprocess of becoming something else.Bodies are at all times constantlyundergoing a change. There is onlyone unity in the universe, and that isthe absolute law of change itself. Thischange is rhythmic, harmonious, gradu-al, from one thing into another. It is

    progressive, by a method of evolutionand devolution. Th e opposing con-traries are what produce these changes.Such contraries as light and dark, hotand cold, good and evil. They producea shifting flux or oscillation, and thischange which all things are undergoinggives them a relative nature, causesthem to appear as having a fixed formor condition which they do not.

    In the 4th Century, B. C., there wasestablished a school of philosophywhich became known as the Skeptics.Its principal exponent was Pyrrho of

    Elis. On or about 365 B. C. he. too. inthe doctrines which he taught, fashion-ed a very definite theory of relativity.Pyrrho proclaimed that all of our gen-eral knowledge is false, and that thereis a basis for the unreliability of suchknowledge. A Th at the empiricalsensations which we receive, that is, theobjective knowledge which we have, isnot possible of proof; that we cannotactually establish as a fact that the sen-sations which we identify and give

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    names to and which constitute ourworld of particulars, have an archetypeor a counterpart external to us. Some-thing gives forth impressions; those im-pressions produce sensations. But arethe sensations the equivalent of the im-

    pressions? BTh ere is a difference inthe organisms of men which must like-wise be accounted for. All men do nothear alike, all men do not see alike, allmen do not feel, taste, or smell alike.Further than that, all men do not inter-pret what they hear or see alike. Herelated that an apple, to the sight, maybe yellow, to the taste sweet, and to thesmell fragrant. But which of thesequalities is the apple, which is the truereality? Can we say that the quality ofyellow is the apple? Can we say that

    the sweetness is its reality? Again,changes in man himself affect his no-tions of the same thing. Thus, when aman is healthy, things have a certainreality to him. W hen he is ill, thosesame things appear changed. Whenone is joyful, his aspect of life and ofthe world in which he lives is entirelydifferent from that when he is griefstricken. Certainly the realities of theyouth are entirely different from therealities of the aged. Then again,physical objects themselves change,with the changing of the conditions to

    which they are exposed. A stone ap-pears heavy in the air. Th e same stoneappears quite light in water. W hat,then, is the true reality of the stoneits heaviness in the air, or its lightnessin water? The reality is relative to theconditions to which it is exposed, saidPyrrho.

    In 900 A. D., during the socalledDark Ages, there developed a systemof thought and instruction which be-came known as Scholasticism, and itsteachers were known as the school men

    or the church men. It was a very con-fining, lim ite d , big ot ed system ofthought. It was based upon a misinter-pretation of certain exegetical prin-ciples of sacred literature. The churchproclaimed that the only true knowl-edge was that which came to manthrough revelation, from the spiritual,or from God. Not all revelations of allmen were to be so accepted as trueknowledge but only the traditional rev-elations of the Disciples and of thesaints of yore. Thus, all rationalism, all

    individual investigation or interpreta-tion must cease. Man must accept whathad been revealed and confine himselfstrictly to an analysis and interpreta-tion of that. Consequently the activemind, the progressive mind, if not to

    receive the condemnation of the church,was forced continually to digest thissame matter which the church madeavailable. This resulted in monotonousdialectics, the splitting of hairs indefinitions.

    From this there developed twoschools which concerned themselveswith the nature of realitywhat thingsreally are. Th e first became known asthe Realists, and their protagonist wasa monk known as John Scotus Erigena.He affirmed that class terms, or the

    general names of things, were the onlyreal things, the only realities. In otherwords, ideas were real, and other thingswere not. He inherited most of hisideas from the NeoPlatonists. To makethis clear, Erigena said for example,that the general term, man, used to dis-tinguish the genus homo from otherthings or animals or beings, that thatterm or name or that idea was in factmore real than a particular and actualman. On the other hand, standing forthe cause of common sense was theother school known as the Nominalists,

    and their advocate was Roscellinus. Hedeclared that finite things, the particu-lars outside and external to us, arerealities; that they do definitely havean existence, though what they are isa matter of conception. The conceptsor names which we give them are notthe real things; they are secondary.They arise from our conception of thething external to us. And so again, wehave in that dark period the develop-ment of a theory of relativity.

    In the 17th Century, Spinoza, Portu-

    guese philosopher and perhaps one ofthe most eminent mystics of all times,also proclaimed a theory of relativity,not by that name, but as part of hissystem of thought. He averred thatphenomenal knowledge, that is, thephenomena of our senses, of the em-pirical or objective consciousness, aremodes, passing changes, and they arenot as we conceive them to be. In fact,he declared that finite things are notcapable of an absolute explanation inthemselves. If we examine a particular

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    T heRosicruciatiDigestOctober1941

    thing, it will not give us any under-standing of the basic laws of the uni-verse or of matter as a whole, or ofGod or of Mind, because finite thingsare linked together in an infinite series,and one thing depends upon another

    for its nature. W e are forced, if we at-tempt to understand things by an ex-amination of the finite, to go from onething to another in our search, andeventually we are lost in a maze. Thesechanges of finite things or these modes,as he called them, are brought about bythe interaction between the differentbodies of the physical world, theirclashing, their repelling, their combin-ing and their dividing. Moreover, ourknowledge of them, the result of thesensations had, is also interactionaninteraction between our sense organs,on the one hand, and the finite objectson the other. Consequently, our knowl-edge is the product of both these thingsand is neither one nor the other; it isrelative to this relationship, thereforeunreliable.

    Today, in our 20th Century, thetheory and doctrine of relativity, popu-larly at least, is associated with thateminent astrophysicist and mastermathematician, Albert Einstein. Thedifficulty which the masses have incomprehending this genius is not be-

    cause the subject matter of his thoughtis far too profound for the average in-telligent man or woman to grasp, butrather, that it has been presented, tomake it more apodictical, through themeans of abstruse mathematical equa-tions representing the highest order ofmathematics which comparatively fewmen are able to follow. However, someof the principles of his theory can betouched upon to give us a sketchy ideaof the profundity of his thought, with-out resorting to mathematical equations.

    All motion, Einstein affirms, is relative.There is not any fixed motion; by thatwe mean no definite frequency, butrather a scale, from that which is im-perceptibly slow, to that which is sorapid that it is not discernible. Motionto us, therefore, is relative to what weconceive as inertia, though inertia doesnot exist. It is an opposite to motionwhich the mind conceives, and which ispurely an illusion. W e look upon thesurface of our earth, we look upon theground on which we stand, and it seems

    quite inert. There is nothing whatso-ever to suggest that it is in rapid mo-tion. However, if we gaze at a distantstar, by contrast it seems inert, and ourearth reveals that it is in motion. W elearn that it revolves on its axis and

    around the sun.Measurement, too, Einstein expounds,is relative. Inches, yards, centimeters,meters, are all arbitrary rules. If all ofa sudden our rules were to be changed,so what seemed as an inch was sudden-ly transformed in measurement into sixinches, relatively all things would havegrown larger by measurement but notin fact. Objects have a fourth dimen-sion. Th eir reality is relative to timeand space, and these two conditions de-termine their nature to us. Modificationof time and of space change the natureof a reality to us. When we speak of athing, a reality, we must also place it inspace. W e must give it size, and withthe change of that size or dimension,the reality changes as well. Further-more, a thing exists in time. It is eitherof yesterday, of today, or of tomorrow,and its reality is relative to that state.It is like another dimension of it.

    Einstein also advocates the theorythat light is curved. Not that light isactually bent, or physically curved, butthat when a beam or ray of light passes

    through a gravitational field, the gravi-ty has an influence upon light andchanges its relationship to the humanconsciousness, causes us to conceivedifferently that which light makes per-ceivable to us. Consequently, thingsare not as they actually are if we per-ceive them by means of light whichpasses through a gravity field. If thisbe true, since the light of distant starsand Cosmic bodies hundreds, thou-sands, of light years away passesthrough the gravitational field of our

    earth before reaching our eyes, we aredeceived as to the true direction, dimen-sion and distance of these Cosmicbodies. And if this is established asfact, then our present Copernican scaleof distances of the heavenly bodies isfalse.

    Perhaps one of the strangest, themost profound, as well as mysticaltheories of Einsteins, and which hasbeen taken up by other physicists inrecent years, is that of the bounded universe. When he refers to the bound-

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    ed universe, he does not mean that ithas a physical limitation; that is, thatthere is some property, some substance,some other worlds or another universewhich act as a barrier or fence or aboundary for our universe. Rather, he

    means that our present universe, whichis all there is, is not infinite in the sensein which we have been accustomed toconceive it; that it has limitations sofar as its properties are concerned;that light cannot travel and will nottravel in a continuous line out intospace forever and ever. But the reasonwhy man conceives it as being infiniteis that because the more he seeks toknow of the universe, the more he as-certains in his investigations and re-searches, the more its majesty becomesappalling to him, and the more by con-

    trast he becomes finite.W e may think of it in this sense, if

    we will. Let us imagine a horizontalline drawn on a blackboard for ussay three feet in length. That line, weshall state, represents the universe.Naturally we can see the beginning andthe end of the line. It is not infinite.At the left end of the line, and on it,we will place or draw a small figure ofa man. This man moves forward alongthe line, in his knowledge, his investiga-tions and his understanding. If he

    would always remain the same size andmaintain the same constant speed, thatis, the same comprehension, eventuallyhe would reach the end of the line andhe would discover for himself that it orthe universe, says Einstein, is not in-finite. But, the more he moves forwardin the acquisition of knowledge, themore he learns about that line uponwhich he is walking, or the universe,the smaller he gets, so that with eachstep forward he shrinks in size by com-parison to the line. He becomes morefinite, and though he continually movesforward, he moves forward more slow-ly. So the farther along he goes on theline, the slower he goes and the smallerhe becomes. Therefore by contrast, theline or universe always remains to himinfinite and unbounded whereas in factit is not.

    The Rosicrucians, too, expound atheory of relativity, and with excusablepride we can say that they embody theessential views and concepts of all ofthose thinkers who have dealt with thesubject before, and who concern them-

    selves with the subject today. And yetthe Rosicrucian doctrine has greaterperspicuity than all the rest. Th e Rosi-crucians say that there is actuality, thatthere is an actual substance or externalworld with its various categories. Butthere is also reality, which is distinctfrom the actual. The actual, the Rosi-crucians expound, involves, as the wordimplies, action, and this action is thelaw of vibrations in the universe. It isthe Cosmic motion, permeating allthings. Reality, on the other hand, bycontrast, is that which is realized, that

    which is perceived by consciousness.Consequently, reality is the law of con~sciousness. Actuality, then, is themanifestation, the Rosicrucians affirm,of spirit energy; and reality is the ap-preciation or the realization of thosevibrations. Consciousness, therefore, isthe starting point of man. Th e universeat large, to man, begins with conscious-ness, and man unto himself begins withconsciousness. Consciousness is thetheater of life. It is the stage uponwhich all things are portrayed. Man,then, through consciousness, throughhis realization, through reality, is, asthe ancient Sophists, those old cosmologists of ancient Greece, declared,The measure of all things.

    As human beings, we may nevercome to know true actuality, becausethere is always a mediator betweenourselves and actuality, that is, con-

    sciousness. W e cannot intimately and

    personally contact it, but it is immater-ial, for we must govern ourselves by

    reality. It is not so important what

    things may be, but how they influence

    us. Therefore , it behooves us to widen

    our realization, to become conscious of

    as many things as possible, in order toreally know our theater, our stage, and

    the role which we are to play.

    V V V

    An austere silence is more adequate to the experience of God than elaboratedescriptions. T agore.

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    T h e A m er i can Consci ousness

    ByT h o r K i im a l e h t o , Sovereign Grand Master

    N A book reviewMr. James Hilton,

    the author of theLo st H or izo n ,

    says, W e are allprisoners of themood of our times,which is one ofsouldestroyingdoubt and disillu-sionment. Thisstate m en t is anindictment, but itis not true of the

    majority, especially in these our United

    States. Disillusionment is a result ofblindness and ignorance. It is a blindstreet with a sign, No thoroughfare.And in the end it will force a greaterunderstanding and insight. Is this moodnot a result of materialistic thoughtand education? Is it not true that agreater knowledge and higher idealswill insure faith in God and humanity?Are we not God conscious?

    Our Founding Fathers had that faith.It is the one principle upon which allour institutions are built. Faith in hu-

    manity is the cornerstone of democracy.If we want freedom, if we believe thatit is a noble ideal, if we have faith in itsultimate victory, then we shall be a freepeople. Freedom does not mean an ironregime imposed from without uponevery man, woman, and child. It doesnot mean that man is created to be sub-servient to the state. It does not meanthat mans destiny is to be an auto-maton, a robot, a cog in the wheel. Itdoes not mean that all must be forcedto fit into a procrustean bed. It does

    not mean citizens bereft of speech, will,selfexpression and selfdirection. It

    does not mean a government imaged inthe likeness of ancient Sparta with thecommon people degraded to helots keptunder the iron heel of oppression andperiodically decimated. Those condi-tions were tried in the distant past, buthumanity has outgrown tyranny andoppression. The concept of the dignityof every human being excludes thephilosophy of a master class and a slaveclass. Such is the mood or fashion ofour modern times freedom to be ornot to be.

    Freedom means that every humanbeing is permitted to develop and ex-press his innate powers. Every humanbeing has the privilege of making hisunique contribution. Th e tapestry thatfreedom weaves on the loom of historyis a gorgeous multicolored and varie-gated design, rich in the heritage ofmany peoples. All the civilizations ofthe world have made their contributionto American culture. Every race hasadded its strain to American blood. W ehave made the experiment and proven

    that all nations can live together inpeace and harmony. W e are indebtedto the whole world. Shall we keep whatwe have for ourselves alone? Shall wenot give of our experience to the world?

    Intelligence tells us that no man canlive by himself alone or for himselfalone. No nation can live by itself orfor itself alone. Every soul is a sparkof divinity. On the plane of spirit allspirits are one. Th e welfare of one isthe welfare of all. Th e health or sick-ness of the whole affects every individ-

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    ual contained in that whole. Our planet,every kingdom of nature on this planetminerals, plants, animals and humanbeingsare all expressions of one Su-preme Consciousness. It is literally truethat not so much as a sparrow can fall

    without that fall being registered in aconsciousness.

    When we leave the physical plane,time and space are nonexistent. Onemighty W ill exists alone. One purposeprevails that runs increasing throughthe ages. Every step in evolution pro-ceeds according to a universal and anallembracing Plan. Nor is this Plan ofEvolution to be confused with a Naziblueprint for the control of a subjugatedplanet. The divine Plan is an expres-sion of divine Love and Wisdom. Truthand love and beauty are the very foun-dation stones. There is no one so weakor so humble or so insignificant whoseultimate welfare is not gloriously pro-vided for. Each and every one is on theroad to achieve the perfection mirroredin the divine archtype. Th e goal is thebrotherhood of beautiful souls, perfect-ed souls, illuminating the world in colorand tone through their inner life.

    Every human being is destined to benot a robot but a Son of God Himself,reflecting all the divine attributes. Heis not a puppet but a star, flashing light

    and following its own orbit. No matterwhat path we may elect upon reachingperfection, we all remain in the con-sciousness of the Solar Logos. W e aredestined to become creative workersand gods. W e are the seeds of a divineplant. The work of creation is not com-pleted. Innumerable beings of variousdegrees of attunement serve behind theveil of nature, trying to inspire and in-fluence our activity. Just a little furtheron in evolution and a more united mani-festation can be accomplished. Humanbeings will take a divine initiation to be-

    come more useful to humanity and theuniversal Plan of Evolution.

    In a world that is a living organism,not a conglomeration of disconnectedparts, can there be any such phe-nomenon as isolation? WTere the vari-ous kingdoms are inextricably linked,where there is an unceasing interchangeof forces, can any group progress alone?Th e world is a unity. Th e world orderexpresses harmony. Earth nourishes allher children. Each has his part to play.

    Each has his unique service that healone can perform. Each has his geniusto enhance the beauty and the glory ofall.

    Union, harmony, and brotherhood

    are the keywords of evolution. Whowould live for himself alone is like aleaf that falls from the tree. A nationthat tries to be wholly selfsufficientwould be like a branch lopped off fromthe trunk. As soon as any atom, in-dividual or nation stops giving out andtaking in force and power it signs itsdeathwarrantatrophy sets in. Th ereis desiccation in isolation. There is lifein cooperation and union. W hat willinspire cooperation is in harmony withthe divine Plan of Evolution. W hat willultimately produce a more perfect union

    is in harmony with the Divine Plan ofEvolution. As the fingers are part ofthe hand, and the hand is part of thearm, and the arm is part of the body,so are individuals, races, and nations,united in the conscious Life that is God.Through our consciousness of God weexpress and manifest God here onearth. The present deplorable worldconditions are a result of our destruc-tive thinking and feeling. Praying andwishful thinking and lipservice arenot creative. It is only when our aware-ness and inner knowledge is demon-

    strated in our daily lives that we bringour little mite into the spiritual anddivine force that manifests in the world.If the majority of human beings had adeeprooted consciousness of love andservice, the godliness resulting there-from would overwhelmingly express inthe world.

    Do we want to grow more surely to-ward our divine archtype? Then let uscultivate friendship for all. Let us tryto understand and appreciate differ-ences. Of the two types of government

    and civilization in a lifeanddeathstruggle for mastery today, one belongsdefinitely to the Wave of the Past. Onebelongs definitely to the Wav e of theFuture. Nor should it be necessary topoint out that the Wave of the Futureis the one in harmony with the DivinePlan for Evolution. Th e next step willbe cooperation and friendship amongnations, understanding and apprecia-tion among the various religions of theworld, a free intercourse among all the

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    populations of the earth, power in thehands of all, not an arrogant few.

    It is our duty, our responsibility andour privilege to make the great Ameri-can dream come true. Th e FoundingFathers were cosmically inspired. Th e

    Seal of the United States, the unfinish-ed Pyramid, is a visible symbol of thecosmic inspiration. In the Seal the topstone is still suspended in the air. It isstill in the world of ideals and symbols.It is in the process of becoming mater-ialized. Here is our great opportunity.Let us help set that stone securely in itsplace. Let us help our country fulfill itsshare in the divine plan for the nationsof the world. Th e stone above the Py-ramid does not mean America forAmericans only. It does not mean an

    America cut off from its brother andsister nations throughout the world. Itdoes not mean an America smug andsecure and fat and wholly selfcentered.It means the America of the colonialdays, when our country was a refugefor the oppressed and persecuted andhopeless of the earth. It means theAmerica of the Civil W ar period thatwould not tolerate a land halfslaveand halffree. It means the America offreedom of speech, freedom of press,freedom of religion, and freedom of as-sembly. It means America that did not

    hesitate to rebuke Russia at the time ofthe Kishinev massacres in 1905. Itmeans the America that rose nobly tohelp the allies in the time of the firstWorld W ar.

    That war was not brought to a suc-cessful conclusion, because of avariceand hatred. It will not be ended beforethe four freedoms have full expression

    in all countries of the world. It makesno difference how many sordid mater-ialists there may be, it makes no differ-ence how many traitors, like termites,try to bore their way under our feet.W e must cherish the ideal in our hearts.

    W e must live the ideal in our dailylives. W e must throw on the side ofrighteousness and justice, the side ofGod, all that we have and all that weare. W e know that good thoughts arenot lost. W e know that every feelingof love adds its mite of power. Everyaction has its influence. Th e sum totalof power is made up of all these innum-erable thoughts and feelings and actson the part of the entire population.

    In the lifeanddeath struggle takingplace between the forces of good and

    evil throughout the world, let us do ourshare. Let us scorn to thank God thatwe are not yet touched. Let us not fearto stand up and be counted. Rememberthat on the ladder of life, as we stretchout one hand to those who are aboveus, so must we stretch out the otherhand to those who are below us. As wewant aid, so must we give aid. Let ushelp restore the waning faith of ourtimes. Let our light so shine that ourFather in Heaven may be glorified andall may walk therein.

    The American consciousness is not a

    souldestroying doubt. It is a faith, adivine realization, an awareness of thegrace of God that will more and moremanifest and express through all humanbeings, and especially in the Americannation. W e here in the United Stateshave been chosen as lightbringers to asuffering world. Shall we be worthy ofour sacred privilege?

    T heRosicrucianDigestOctober1941

    EVENING CLASSES AT THE ROSE-CROIX UNIVERSITY

    Class instruction under the direction of the RoseCroix University will be given eachWednesday night on the subject of Physical Science, beginning Wednesday, September

    24, and continuing through Wednesday, May 20, with the exception of the last two Wed-

    nesdays in December. Members in the vicinity of Rosicrucian Park may plan to take this

    course of instruction in its entirety. Members at distant points who may visit San Jose

    at any time during this period may plan to avail themselves of the opportunity of attend-

    ing one or more of these class sessions. While the entire course is progressive, it is plan-

    ned so that each Wednesdays class will be a unit in itself. Full information regardingthese classes may be obtained by writing to the Dean of the RoseCroix University.

    Members wishing to attend classes should report to the Rosicrucian Research Library

    before 7:30 p. m. on the Wednesday nights the classes are held.

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    Sci ence and t he Rosicruci an

    By E r w in W a t e r m e y e r , F. R. C.

    This article, and others to follow from time to time in the pages of "The RosicrucianDigest during the course of the next year, are contributions of Frater Erwin Watermeyerwho will, for the coming year, carry on specified research in the laboratories of the RoseCroix University at Rosicrucian Par k under the direction of the Imperator. The results ofhis work will be made available to members, and certain of his activities will be announcedin special communications to members of the organization.

    SUPREME SECRETARY.

    E live in troubledtimes. A cloudhas enwrappedthe world. On allsides are we be-sieged by con-flicting forces. Inevery way ourknowledge, ourideals, are put tothe supreme test.The Rosicrucian

    student must con-stantly be on the

    alert. His attainments are ridiculed. Heis called unscientific. He is attacked.He must defend himself.

    W e, as Rosicrucians, are students ofthe laws of the universe. W e are learn-ing. W e are experimenting. W e saythat we are using scientific laws which

    will enable us to raise our consciousnessso that we may aid to evolve the con-sciousness of this troubled world. W esay that, as Rosicrucians, we are usingscientific methods and principles whichwill guide mankind out of the maze andlead it out of the chaos.

    This is the scientific age. Science andscientific methods are said to pervadeour entire lives. W e are told that it isthe advances of science which haveevolved our present civilization, have

    supplied humanity with new tools, to beused to construct or to be misused todestruct.

    But when most of us are asked bysomeone to define what are the methodsof science, when we are asked to stateclearly what constitutes the purpose ofscience, we suddenly pause. W e realizethat, most often, we have only repeatedthe words of others. W e become awareof the fact that although the wordscientific is on our lips it conveys noprecise meaning to our minds.

    For this reason it is important thatwe pause for a moment in our studiesand carefully examine the domain ofscience, so that we may obtain a clearconcept of science, its purpose, methods,and limitations. And after we havecarefully examined these points weshall then proceed to examine the posi-

    tion of science within the Rosicrucianteachings, in order to obtain a firmunderstanding as to how far we, asmembers of our Order, must master thetechniques of science in order to applythem to our own work with success.

    Hence, in this present article, we shallnot consider any new laws of nature orany new, startling experiments. W hatwe shall do is a task even more im-portant: W e shall reexamine the veryfoundations of science, investigate the

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    first principles upon which rest thefoundations of science. Such reexam-ination of first principles is of just asgreat importance as the exploration ofnew laws. W e must know where westand, why we are standing at our

    place, and why we are pursuing a cer-tain road. W e must clearly realize themethods which we are applying to thesolution of our problems and why weare applying them. It is only when weperceive with greatest clarity our rela-tion to the world which surrounds usthat we can stand in these troubledtimes with firm feet.

    W hat do we know from our studies,from our Monographs, from our in-dividual experiments? W hat have werealized in our consciousness?

    Here stands Man within the Uni-

    verse: a small point within a largecircle. Here stands man, who has thedesire to comprehend the laws of theworld about him.

    W e perceive: Ma ns search for truth.His evolving consciousness. His furthersearch. The law of evolution governinghim.

    And we note: search and evolvingconsciousness, their reciprocal action.As mans search extends, his conscious-ness enlarges. As his consciousness en-larges he searches ahead.

    While on this search man soon dis-cerns that there are Actualities andRealities, worlds outside of him andworlds within him. Man realizes thatthere exist a shadow and a substance,and that the substance is what is realto him. Thus man discerns that he livesin a psychological universe, a relativis-tic universe, a universe in which onlythose events are true which are true tohim and to no others. All interpreta-tions seem relative. All roads appeardifferent. Man turns and twists. Hesearches and he seeks. All truth seems

    at variance, and driven toward thebrink of a bottomless pitman at laststops and pauses to reflect.

    W e, as Rosicrucians. know that thereis a reassurance to man. W e know thatthere exists an unfailing guide throughthe maze of confusing realities. W hatis this guide?

    It is: a small voice within. A smallvoice within everyone.

    But this reassurance assumes evenlarger dimensions when we speak and

    converse with our fellow men, when weask them what they have observed,when we ask them how that inner voicespeaks to them.

    W e then observe: All group observa-tions are alike in experience. All groupconsciousness is of the same nature.There is a universal voice which speaks.Beyond these changing realities thereexists an immutable vibratory actuality,an actuality which is governed by orderaccording to law.

    Upon the basis of these observationsman inquires: W hat are these laws ofnature?, W hat constitutes the orderwithin the universe?

    To answer these questions he re-solves his inquiries into three steps:Th e first step: W hat are the facts? Thesecond step: W hy do they occur? Th e

    third step: W hat is their significance?Thus there are three steps in the reali-zation of man regarding the laws of na-ture, three rungs on the ladder.

    Here let us pause and realize one im-portant point, the most important pointconcerning the relation between mysti-cal teachings and the teachings of sci-ence, mundane or arcane:

    Science is concerned only with thefirst step. It is not concerned with thesecond. It does not even consider thethird.

    It is at this point where there com-mences the state of confusion withinthe objective minds of many people, infact very often within the minds of thescientists themselves.

    Science is concerned only with themanner in which events of nature occur.Science asks How and How much?Science does not ask W hy does anevent happen? It deliberately limits thescope of its inquiry. It is perfectly

    justified in doing so. But only too oftenscientists fail to perceive that their workis only the preliminary step in mans

    inquiry into the laws of nature. Th escientist supplies the facts. He unitesthem into a unified structure. But thereis much more which must be asked andanswered. W e must not eliminate thequestion W hy? W hy , for example,does an apple fall to the ground accord-ing to a definite law? Science does notanswer this question. It does not de-sire to answer it. It restricts the scopeof its inquiry. And it has a right to doso, provided it admits the limitation of

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    its scope. But only too often it refusesto admit the limits of the validity of itsresults. And when it transgresses theboundary which it has deliberately setup for itself then its postulations be-come meaningless.

    But what is the purpose of science?W hat constitutes the scientific method?O f what value is this method to us, asRosicrucian students? An analysis ofthese questions will lead us to importantconclusions.

    The purpose of science is dual. Itsaims are, first, to describe the phe-nomena exhibited by nature; second tocorrelate this description into a unifiedsystem.

    A description of nature is called anexperiment. The correlation system iscalled the theory. Let us examine inmore detail what is meant by an experi-ment and by a theory.

    A scientific experiment is a proceduredesigned to investigate facts. Such aninvestigation must proceed according tosystem and order. Before performingan experiment we must have a mentalpicture of the law which the experimentis either to prove or to disprove. W emust circumscribe the domain in whichthe experiment is to operate. A tenta-tive assumption is called a hypothesis.

    Having determined which law of na-

    ture we are to explore, our next step isto examine carefully all factors whichwill influence this law. W e then per-form the experiment. The procedure ofan experiment consists in varying care-fully one of these factors after anotherand observing the results. Thus a scien-tific experiment does not consist of aim-less, haphazard procedures. It is de-signed to investigate facts according tosystem and order.

    But every experiment must face onecrucial test. The test is this: Underidentical conditions its results must bereproducible. Under identical causes wemust obtain the same effect. Only whenthis condition is fulfilled does the resultof an experiment constitute a scientificfact.

    W hat is the yield of an experiment?W hat are its fruits when we have per-formed it?

    A scientific experiment yields quanti-tative relations between observable di-mensions. By this statement I mean thatwe obtain by means of the experiment

    precise relations between quantitieswhich we can observe with our instru-mentsnot vague qualitative relationsbetween quantities which we mightimagine.

    W hat are such observable quantities?

    In mundane science they are Space andTime. In arcane science they are Space,Time, and Consciousness. W e note thatthe difference in what are to be our ob-servable quantities constitutes the dif-ference between arcane and mundanescience. W e shall return to this pointlater.

    Each experiment yields a fact. Th eresult of many experiments is many un-related facts. But the law of the uni-verse is system and order. To be ac-quainted with facts alone is not suf-ficient. W e must relate them to one an-other. For this purpose the scientist in-vents a correlation system. Such a cor-relation system is called a theory.

    The theory is a correlation systemfor the facts of many experiments. Itis designed to unify these facts into aharmonious whole. But in order to yielda unified system a theory has to resortto certain artifices. Th e most importantartifice which is used in the constructionof a theory is that man invents certainwords, certain quantities, in order tofacilitate the process of unification.

    Examples of such invented quantitiesare, for instance, concepts such asforce, energy, or electric charge.No human being has yet seen a force,an energy, or an electric charge. Thesequantities have been invented by thehuman intellect, by the objective mind.They have been invented solely to facili-tate the description offered by the cor-relation system.

    Let me illustrate: Tw o billiard ballsare rolling on a table. Th ey are both inmotion. Suddenly one billiard ball col-lides with the other. Their motions arechanged. Th ey now move in differentdirections than they did prior to thecollision.

    W e observe: two balls in motion.Now they collide and change their mo-tions. Th is observation made withprecision constitutes the experimentof the scientist. But science does notstop here. Science desires to generalize.Science desires to describe the motionsafter the collision in terms of the mo-tions which occur prior to the collision

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    in such a manner as to be able to pre-dict any future motions due to collisions.In order to facilitate and simplify suchgeneral description science invents aquantity which it calls a force," andpostulates that during any collision

    such a force acts according to a definitelaw.

    No man ever saw" a force. W hatwe do observe are motions, or changesin motion. Although it is true that theconcept of force is partly derived fromthe kinesthetic sensation which accom-panies a blow against the human body,the concept of force is nevertheless aninvented quantity, invented by scienceto facilitate the description of a motion.

    Many students of mundane scienceand this is important to us as Rosicru-

    cian students invest these inventedquantities with a certain actuality whichthey do not possess. These studentsforget that such concepts as force, orelectric charge, arc no more than arti-fices invented to facilitate the descrip-tion of nature, a nature which is too vastfor the objective mind to understand.

    A group of invented quantities andthe relation between them is called amodel." In physical science we havemodels of the universe, models of theatom, models of electricity.

    At this point the reader of this articlemight rightfully say that if theories arehuman, intellectual constructions, justinvented to correlate a set of experi-mental facts for the sake of system andorder, then is it not possible to inventan infinite number of such theories, allof which may be used to correlate acertain set of facts? This is correct.An infinite number of different theoriesmay be equally valid to correlate agroup of facts. And here, at this point,the scientist is faced with a dilemma. Ifall theories are equally valid, then

    which one of all the possible theoriesshall he select for his work? W hy doesa scientist prefer a certain theory toanother theory?

    In his choice the scientist is guidedby the fact that some theories requiremore assumptions than others, are morecomplicated than others. For example,let us consider two theories with whichwe are familiar, the Copernican theoryof the universe and the Ptolemaictheory of the universe. The Copernican

    theory postulates that the sun is locatedat the center of the universe, all planetsmoving about the sun in elliptic paths.The Ptolemaic theory, on the otherhand, assumes that the earth is the cen-ter of the universe, all planets moving

    about the earth in very complicatedpaths.Both theories are equally valid as far

    as the correlation of facts is concerned.As a theory the Ptolemaic theory is

    just as possible as the Copernicantheory. But when both theories arecompared we find that the Ptolemaictheory is much more complicated. Itsmathematical structure is much moreinvolved than that of the Copernicantheory.

    For this reason, an entirely practicalreason, the selection of a proper theory

    is determined by a principle. Th e sci-entist Ernst Mach was one of the firstto realize the existence of this principle,which asserts:

    From all possible theories we shallarbitrarily select that theory, that de-scription, which is the simplest.

    W e shall select that system of uni-fication which MAN believes to bethe simplest.Thus we note that the selection of a

    proper theory is governed entirely bypragmatic reasons, and is not dependent

    upon the understanding of the laws ofnature. However, a theory is not onlyuseful to correlate and to systematizeknown facts. It is also designed to sug-gest the exploration of new facts.

    Let us assume that we have con-structed a theory dealing with certainfacts of nature. When this theory isexamined very closely, such an exami-nation might suggest a new fact whichshould follow from the nature of thetheory. This immediately will suggesta new experiment to test whether thisfact is true or false. If the result of theexperiment fits into the existing theorythen the experiment is said to be ex-plained." If the fact disagrees with thetheory then the theory must be changedor modified. Th is demonstrates that ascientific explanation" is a correla-tion into an arbitrary theoretical sys-tem. Thus theories are human, intel-lectual constructions. Th ey are veryuseful in unifying and in correlatingexisting facts, and also in suggestingthe exploration of new facts.

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    It is apparent that these points, al-though of extreme importance, arerather abstruse, but they are of suchimportance that I shall provide one ad-ditional example to further clarify theirmeaning.

    Imagine yourself located within aroom. In its ceiling are cut a largenumber of holes. Through each of theseholes protrudes a rope. If you examinethese ropes you may discover that whenyou pull down a certain rope, then anumber of other ropes are set into mo-tion. If you pull two or three ropes inone section of the ceiling you will ob-serve that certain other ropes will move.If you are a scientist then you willstart a systematic exploration to dis-cover exactly how pulling on a specifiednumber of ropes will move the remain-

    ing ropes. If you possess imaginationyou might mentally construct in theroom above the ceiling a machine, com-posed of wheels and gears, to which theropes are attached, a machine so con-structed that its action explains themotion of the ropes. You pull certainropes and observe the effects. Theseare your experiments. You pull theropes in different combinations, thusyou obtain a set of experiments. Youpostulate in your mind a mechanicalmodel in the room above to account for

    these motions. This is your theory.This is what you believe is above. Butyou do not know what is in the roomabove. W hat is in the room above isentirely concealed from your view.

    W hat is concealed from our objec-tive view are the laws of nature. Th elaws of science are not necessarily thelaws of nature. At all times we mustlook upon theories as intellectual con-structionsvery valuable constructionsbut not necessarily as laws of nature.Theories are the result of our imperfectrealizations. Theories are limited by

    the imperfections of our objective minds.Most mundane schools omit remindingtheir students of the proper place of atheory in the method of science, andthus most students confuse the theorywith factsor the Laws of Science withthe Laws of Nature.

    To summarize: the purpose of scienceis to describe and to correlate the phe-nomena exhibited by nature. This cor-relation proceeds according to systemand order. Science advances toward

    truth in small steps. Its method con-sists in the discovery of facts, the con-struction of theories from them, and thetesting of their consequences in orderto discover new facts. Science is amethod of inquiry and classification.

    Much has been said and writtenabout Mundane Science and ArcaneScience. W hat distinguishes the domainof mundane science from that of arcanescience?

    Science being a method, it followsthat the methods of mundane and ar-cane science are identical. However,mundane science restricts its descrip-tion of nature. It considers only thosephenomena which can be described interms of Space, Mass, and Time. Ar-cane science uses the same method asmundane science. It proceeds by ex-

    periment. It constructs theories, but itdoes not restrict its description to Space,Mass, and Time alone. W e know fromour experiments that not all phenomenain nature can be described in such amanner. W e know that very often wemust add additional dimensions to themundane descriptions, dimensions suchas Consciousness.

    At all times we must be aware of thefact that nature's answers to our ques-tions are direct reflections of our ques-tions. A clever question will command

    a clever answer. A stupid question willreceive a stupid answer. A questioncouched in the language of physicalscience will always command a physicalresponse and never any othersuch as,for instance, a chemical response. Amaterial experiment will never yield animmaterial answer. An experiment onthe immaterial plane will not alwaysyield an answer on the material plane.

    The material answers of mundanescience are reflections of the materialmethods of science and do not reflectthe laws of nature. As Alexis Carrel has

    said in one of his books: Man is thevictim of his own techniques. If histechniques are material then his reali-zations will also be material.

    As members of our Order, do notcondemn the methods of science. Themethod of all science is the same, ofmundane science as well as arcanescience. W e may consider mundanescience as occupying a small regionwithin the vast field of arcane science,a small country within a vast continent.

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    At our RoseCroix University, wedemonstrate to our students that thelaws of material science are specialcases of the universal laws of arcanescience. In our courses of study wecarefully analyze the results of material

    science and, applying the experimentalresults of our Rosicrucian technique,we arrive by induction at the laws ofarcane science. In our course of studywe present the student with a universaldynamics which he is taught to applyto any special case, arcane or mundane.W e then demonstrate how the tech-nique of arcane science serves as avaluable instrument to him in his Rosi-crucian work.

    Having examined the purpose, meth-ods and limitations of science, we maynow examine the position of science in

    our Rosicrucian teachings.W hat is the aim of our Rosicrucian

    teachings? Their aim is to guide oursoul in its evolution so that we may as-sist other souls in their evolution towardillumination. In order to reach this goalwe, as students, are required to mastera technique, a set of laws and principles.To develop such a technique requiresexperiments to discover the facts anda theory to correlate the facts. Thetheory which is arrived at by the pro-cess of induction, is furthermore used

    to suggest new experiments. Thus themethod of arcane and mundane scienceis identical and is directly applicableto our Rosicrucian work.

    W hat is our work as Rosicrucian sci-entists? Our work has two objectives:(1 ) W e must develop a technique ofevolution of consciousness, (2) Usingthis technique we must discover theuniversal laws of nature.

    It is at this point where there com-mences the work of our RoseCroixUniversity. Our university is quite dis-tinct from the mundane universities of

    our time; different in its aims, differentin its purpose, and different in itsmethods.

    W hat is the aim of any universitybut to broaden the human mind andunderstanding, to free man from super-stitious beliefs, and to study the uni-versal laws of nature; to study themabsolutely free from any bias reli-gious, political, or academic. It is alsothe aim of a university to teach man tounderstand himself, to understand the

    world surrounding him so that he mayarrive at a rational interpretation of hisrelation to the world and find his posi-tion therein. Thus it is the object of auniversity to train man to search forthe truth, and to present the truth to

    him so as to guide him in his furthersearch.But when we look about us and re-

    gard the mundane universities of ourtime we note that they have not ful-filled their promise. Instead of broad-ening the human mind and human un-derstanding they have narrowed themin their outlook. Instead of training thehuman mind in man's search for ulti-mate truths to evolve his consciousness,the mundane universities are training agroup of highly trained specialists.

    It is this false trend of the universities

    of our time against which we, as Rosicrucians, revolt. W e wish to providethe world with truths which do notmake the consciousness more narrow,but those which make man broader inhis outlook. Instead of training a groupof specialists who, as has been so oftensaid, "know more and more about lessand less, it is the object of our RoseCroix University to train our studentsto arrive at a true understanding ofthemselves and the relations which existbetween the individual and the uni-

    verse, and the relation between manand God.Thus it is the aim of our university

    to teach the student a technique ofevolution of consciousness, evolvinghim from one level of understanding tothe next higher one. And as his under-standing grows he will begin to per-ceive, not truths which make him nar-row, but truths which will make himbroader in his views. He will learn totake his place in the long chain of evo-lution of humanity, and, in turn, he willbe obligated to help humanity evolve.

    Arcane science to us is of dual im-portance. It serves as an instrument inthe investigation of the totality of na-ture. It is also an instrument in thetechnique of traditional initiation. Th etechnique used to evolve the humanconsciousness uses arcane science as amethod. The complete technique of thedisciple being an instrument, it must bemastered, not be played with.

    It was said previously that mundanescience represents only a small country

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    within the vast continent of arcane sci-ence. For this reason a complete masteryover the domain of mundane sciencemust be taken for granted as a minorrequirement for anyone who considershimself a disciple on the path. If we

    shrink before the apparent complexityof such a simple mathematical law asthat governing the fall of an object tothe ground, if we shrink before theexacting demands of simple arithmetic,then we might just as well abandoncompletely our hope ever to arrive atan understanding of the universe as awhole. Let us be frank. W e only toooften shy at the thought of real master-ship. W e do not wish to work hard.W e desire to play, to sit and to dream.As an escape from the exacting taskswhich mastery over the objective planedemands from us we only too gladlyrush into the realm of an immaterialplane where our realizations are noteasily subjected to critical scrutiny byour fellow men.

    W e recall from our studies that mas-tership means the ability to master aninstrument the human instrument with virtuosity. Regard the great artist,the great musician. Recall the timewhen you attended a concert to listento the performance of a pianist. As youlistened to him your heart was carried

    away by the virtuosity of his playing.You suddenly became aware that with-in your soul there exist vast dimensionsthe existence of which you had neverdreamed. You realized that your soulpossesses strings whose tones did nevervibrate before.

    Th e concert had ended. You return-ed to your home. You recalled the de-ceiving facility with which the masterexecuted his work. You were onlyaware of the finished work. You werenot present during those many years ofpractice, when this mans fingers strug-

    gled across the keyboard, practisingexercises and etudes, practising forhours, days, weeks, months, and years.This part of the work you did not see.You only perceived the completed work.You were not present during the in-tense struggles which evolved the work.

    All struggle toward mastership iscarried on in silence. Complete silence.

    Mastership requires the technique ofscience. It requires a clear understand-ing of a cause and its effect. Such tech-

    nique is not acquired in one day. Sucha technique is evolved through bitterstruggles, disappointments and hardwork.

    When considering the relation be-tween the technique of science and its

    application to mastership we must notforget that mastership also requires thetechnique of the heart. Occasionally,when you examined the work of artists,you failed to respond. W hen you werequestioned as to the reason you repliedthat although this artist possessed agreat technique he had no feeling, hehad no heart. W e are often tempted toforget that a technique is only a meansto an end. The technique of the discipleis not meant to be perverted into a sys-tem of psychic calisthenics. Many ayoung member of our Order is temptedto show off his psychic development inthe same manner as athletes show offthe development of their biceps. Butanyone who is able to produce psychicmanifestations at will but makes no ef-fort to apply these manifestations inthe technique of service to mankind is

    just as valuable to humanity as a twoheaded calf.

    Thus we must not forget the heart.W e return to our picture: Man and

    the universe. The wave and the sea.the dot and the circle. Th e microcosm

    and the macrocosm.The fundamental picture of the uni-verse: Waves of primary energy ema-nating from a central source. A spec-trum of waves, ranging from one vi-bration per second to an inconceivablenumber of vibrations per second.Waves which transform into electricalcharges of dual polarity. Charges whichassemble into atoms, into molecules.Molecules, particles of primary energy.Primary energy condensing into organicand inorganic forms according to thelaw of the triangle and the law of the

    circle.And God formed man out of the

    dust of the earth. Th e dust: particlesof wave energy. Th e dust, assembledaccording to law and order. W hat con-stitutes the law? W hat constitutes theorder?

    Through imperfect senses, the win-dows of our perception, we realize im-perfect glimpses of act u al itie s. W esearch; we perceive. W e induct; weconstruct.

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    As above, so below.For man: as below, so above.The eternal question: what is below?

    For if we do not know what is belowhow can we ever know what is above?

    In our studies we are being presented

    with those laws concerning the evolu-tion of consciousness which man be-lieves at the present time to be funda-mental laws of nature. Laws induced byexperiment. Laws, realized by man'slimited consciousness.

    W e, who are students of this Order,have dedicated our lives to the symbolof the Rose and the Cross.

    Ad Rosam Per Crucem. Ad CrucemPer Rosam.

    There are as many roads leading tothe mystery of the Rose and the Cross

    as there are human hearts. There areas many realizations of the RoseCrossmystery as there are human minds.W e, who are students, have firmly setour feet upon that path whichif pur-sued to the end through countlesscycles of evolutionwill finally lead tomastership.

    Through mastership of the materialworld we shall attain mastership over

    the immaterial world. But our master-ship over the material world must be ascomplete as that of an artist, who mustexercise mastership over his hands, hismaterial medium of expression. Andonly when we have reached that virtu-

    osity of expression, determined by themission which we are to fulfill, onlythen the higher forces will descendupon us, our inner self and our outerself will be one.

    Thus all of us must continue oursearch, our diligent application, ourquestioning, our service.

    Every week we are being presentedwith laws, principles, and a definitescientific technique of discipleship andservice. A technique which requiredcenturies to evolve. A technique which

    demands a complete knowledge of allsciences.

    As our studies proceed we observehow these laws constitute one smallstone in the pyramid of knowledge.Thus, we shall proceed until finally, atlast, we shall come to the full realiza-tion of the fact that the universe is one.

    As above, so below.

    V V V

    NINTH DEGREE INITIATIONS

    Members in the vicinity of Chicago and Los Angeles will have another opportunity to

    receive the Ninth Degree Initiation, as conferred by a regular ritualistic team. It will be

    necessary for each member to present credentials indicating his or her eligibility for the

    Ninth Degree Initiation to the officers of the Lodge or Chapter. This Initiation will be

    given by the Nefertiti Chapter of Chicago, 116 South Michigan Avenue, on Sunday,

    October 19, at 3:00 P. M., and by the Hermes Lodge in Los Angeles, H8 North Gramercy

    Place, on Wednesday, October 22, at 8:00 P. M.

    TheRosicrucianDigestOctober 1941

    THE BALTIMORE CHAPTER

    The Baltimore Chapter of AMORC in Baltimore, Maryland, extends a cordial invitation

    to all members to visit their Chapter. Th is Chapter meets in Lodge Room Number Two

    on the second floor of the Italian Garden Hall Building, 806808 Saint Paul Street in

    Baltimore. Meetings are held on the first and third Sundays of each month. All active

    members in the vicinity of Baltimore should avail themselves of the opportunity of par-

    ticipating in this Chapter's activities.

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    j yyii r?viryyii r/yc. r vi r itYS i ryj>vir/4fc?i ryg?: r?a\i r?yr; r av; rT TrTSv: rysv; r?sr. r?s\i r?yv: r/wr/g . r?

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    T heRosicrucianDigestOctober 1941

    attitudes and efforts are directed in op-posing directions, when all learning andall of the arts and all sciences are work-ing to build up this civilization, whichis only just established, while otherforces are tending to retard it or tear itdown, or at least to utilize the con-structive findings of science as a meansof destroying those who made them.

    Our first reflection on such a condi-tion is that it is hopeless, that man hascertainly reached a point where thecivilization he has built is becoming aFrankenstein monster and turningagainst him. But with more rational,tolerant and careful consideration ofthe political, social, economic and spir-itual factors involved, we find it is notso hopeless. Neither is the situation anew one. There have been, throughout

    the worlds history, similar periods inwhich it seemed that all the constructiveheritage of man had come into opposi-tion with all the destructive forces andthey were clashing for supremacy. Areview of the history of man emphasizesa sequence of struggle one strugglefollowing another, one faction or groupseeking domination of another for amore or less legitimate reason, depend-ing upon the interpretation of the timeand the individual. The aggressor ofthe present may be the hero of tomor-row, because mans fancies turn quickly

    when the hurt of the present is gone.Military leaders of the past carried oncampaigns, disregarding the rights ofsmall nations and overrunning the thenexisting world, but they are now lookedupon as great men, some of them carry-ing as part of their title the wordgreat in connection with their givennames. So man has idealized those inthe past who have utilized constructiveforces for destructive purposes, andwith that in his mind it is only naturalthat destruction should continue in theworld.

    But what of the intervening periodsbetween the great struggles of theworld? There have been in every one ofthem certain attempts made to establishpermanent peace, but the results ofthese efforts are all too apparent at thismoment. Has the failure of man to ad-just himself to abide by and conformwith the constructive forces of the uni-verse been entirely futile? Probablynot. Like all other things that eventual-

    ly succeed we must carefully considerthe need of the element of time. Manmust learn to live with other men inpeace, and he must have a firm desireto do so before that is accomplished.Most efforts toward peace in the pasthave been made on the basis of an ad-

    justment by compromise of the materialwants of the individuals involved. Un-fortunately, man frequently acceptscompromise, but does not do so whole-heartedly. He holds certain mentalreservations and, as a result, when anopportunity comes to take advantage ofthe situation he grasps it, and by doingso counteracts the good which camefrom the original compromise. So com-promises built upon economic, socialand racial adjustments have fundamen-tally failed, and man must turn to other

    fields for permanent peace.It would be easy for us today in

    fact, the thinking of the general popu-lation of the world is indicative of thetendencyto adopt pessimism as a phi-losophy, pessimism based upon an ap-parent failure of men to live together ashuman beings. But the time is now athand for us to adopt a new perspective,to look in another direction, or ratherfrom a different point of view. Regard-less of how much we regret the conflictand hostilities of the moment, we can-not deny their existence. But we canlook forward to a period that must in-evitably follow, a period when hostili-ties will cease. To contribute to the suc-cess of another period in which there isno war, it will be necessary for us toseek other values than those of an eco-nomic nature. Plans for a future of en-during peace must be based upon therecognition by man of spiritual values,values that recognize a human soul asa tangible asset, that realize the great-est liability any country can develop isthe failure to recognize the potential

    powers of each individual, or rather,the failure to make it possible for thosepotential powers to manifest themselves.

    The only way a spiritual insight intothe adjustment of mans affairs can bebrought about is through the practicalexample of those who have such insightat the moment. Few who live today canbe considered masters of all the Cosmicforces, but thousands today, in church-es, fraternities, welfare organizations,

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    and others whose ideals are for thebenefit and advancement of the humanrace, can band themselves together todirect their efforts, thoughts and actionstoward a constructive utilization of thespiritual factors of existence as a basis

    for the consideration of any futurepeace, and as a foundation upon whichto build a world within an era of peace,where men will find it more importantto adjust their social and economic dif-ferences than to sacrifice the lives andspiritual qualities of the young menwho are thrown into the battle lines ofactual hostility.

    No new organization is needed forthis purpose. There is a tendency when-ever one feels the zeal of an ideal tospeak it to the world and invite othersto follow as supporters, but this wouldonly be another peace movement. W hatis needed today is the combination ofthe constructive thoughts and efforts ofthose who believe this way. All whobelieve that man has a place on earthto fill in accord with Cosmic schemes

    are in a sense members of the same or-ganization. It is not an organizationwith forms, insignia and regulations.It is an organization of ideals, of highpurpose and unity of thought. Youneed no physical insignia to identify

    yourself to another of like thought; sothis appeal is for all who seek truepeace and a better world to come tocarry on in their own fields, in the in-stitutions in which they find avenues ofservice, by uniting together spirituallyand mentally.

    Possibly one unique institution exists,the Cathedral of the Soul, which wasestablished as a meetingplace of minds.It has no numbered membership, but asa point of unity thousands direct theirattention to it at certain periods of theday and night, and through it findsolace, inspiration and a desire to goforward. If you would like to gain thatsame help and inspiration, learn of theactivities of the Cathedral of the Soulthrough the booklet, Liber 777, whichyou may have upon request.

    R E A D T H E R O S I C R U C I A N F O R U M

    MILWAUKEE CHAPTER RALLY

    The Milwaukee Chapter of AMORC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, invites all members whocan arrange to do so to participate in a Rosicrucian Rally to be held in Milwaukee onSunday, October 26. The officers and members of the Milwaukee Chapter have plannedvarious special events for this day that will be of interest to all Rosicrucians who havethe opportunity to attend. Th e registration fee for the event will be one dollar. This fee

    will include luncheon and dinner. Reservations should reach Mrs. Edwin A. Falkowski,1818 South 66th Street, West Allis, Wisconsin , by October 10, if possible. All active

    members of AMORC are invited to participate in this Rally.

    ATTRACTIVE CHRISTMAS GREETING FOLDERS

    It is no more costly to purchase the symbolic and distinctly different Rosicrucian Christ-

    mas Greeting Cards. W e have designed especially attractive and mystical appearing

    Greeting Cards, which will appeal to all who receive them. Both Rosicrucians and otherscan joint ly appreciate their symbolic significance. Th ey are beautifully printed on select,

    artistic paper with attractive Christmas decorations. The wording is most appropriate and

    they contain an attractive, inconspicuous emblem of the Order. Each folder has its en-velope to match. They are economically priced at: Six for 80c; and One Dozen for $1.30.W e pay shipping charges. Order now, and avoid lastminute Christmas congestion of

    the mails.

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    T h e Rat ional i sm o f R ei ncarna t i on

    ByD r . H. S pe n c e r L e w i s , F. R. C.

    (The Rosicrucian Digest, February 1930)

    Many of the articles written by our late Imperator, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, are asdeathless as time. That is, they are concerned with those laws and principles of life andliving which are eternal, and thus never lose their efficacy or their import, and are ashelpful and as inspiring when read today as they were when they were written five, ten,fifteen, twenty or more years ago, and likewise will continue to be as helpful and asinstructive in the future. Fo r this reason, and for the reason that thousands of readers ofthe "Rosicrucian Digest have not read many of the earlier articles of our late Imperator,we are going to adopt the editorial policy of publishing in the Rosicrucian Digest" eachmonth one of his outstanding articles so that his thoughts will continue to reside withinthe pages of this publication.

    T h eRosicrucian

    DigestOctober 1941

    O O N E R or laterthe seeker formystical truth anda rational soluof some of life'sproblems comesface to face withthe very old doc-trine of reincar-nation. Usually itis at this point inhis search that heei ther becomesinitiated into the

    more secret doctrines of the mystic phi-losophers of all lands or ends his questand forever closes the book of mysticalrevelation. In other words, it is the one

    bridge, the crossing of which with con-fidence and trust brings illuminationand convincing evidence of many high-er principles, or the hesitancy of cross-ing brings an abrupt ending to thesearch for greater light.

    Truly, it is not necessary for theseeker for higher knowledge to acceptthe doctrine of reincarnation and makeit a part of his beliefs or convictions inorder to prosper in his search and at-tain higher knowledge. Th e true seek-

    er may reject with logic and rationalsentiment the doctrine in its entiretyand proceed to great heights, but hemust reject the doctrine not with abiased conclusion that it is false and

    untrue but rather with that open mindwhich says: I do not understand; Icannot comprehend, so I will pass it byand wait until I am convinced of itstruthfulness or of its falsity. It is sel-dom, however, that he who refuses toaccept the doctrine does so with suchan attitude, and, therefore, it brings thesudden close to his future enlightenment.

    After all, what is there about thedoctrine of reincarnation in its trueprinciples that is so difficult for theminds of the western world to accept?

    W e may get to the answer to this ques-tion if we ask another: What is thereabout the religious training and convic-tions of the minds of the western worldthat leaves no place for the acceptanceof the doctrine of reincarnation? Near-ly threefourths of the earths popula-tion have accepted the doctrine formany centuries, and a careful analysisshows that practically only the modern

    Jewish religion and the Christian reli-gion are devoid of principles that per-

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    mit of the acceptance of the true doc-trine of reincarnation, and strange tosay, both of these religions originallycontained the acceptance of reincarna-tion as is proved by the early scripturalwritings of these religions still accessi-

    ble^and even still accepted. Beforetouching further on this point, let usexamine the rationalism of the doctrineof reincarnation.

    Is it inconsistent with every othermanifestation in life with which we arefamiliar to say that nothing dies, butsimply changes, and is reborn again ina similar though slightly higher form?Science tells us that both matter andenergy are indestructible and that nomatter how we change the nature ofmatter, it still remains an element in itsgross domain and reveals itself pro-

    gressively again in other forms. If webelieve that the human personality orsoul or spiritual character within eachhuman body ceases to exist at the endof its cycle of expression on this earthplane and never again manifests itselfin a similar physical form or in a similarearthly expression, we have then theonly exception to a great universal law.To the minds of even the ancient phi-losophers and to the minds of everystudent of natural and spiritual law,such an exception seems incongruousand impossible.

    I am not unmindful of the fact thatthere is a very serious and general mis-understanding of the doctrine of rein-carnation in the western world. Forsome unexplainable reason, even en-lightened minds in the western worldhave confused reincarnation with anancient superstitious doctrine calledmetempsychosis. That doctrine was it-self a misconception of the doctrine ofreincarnation held by the illiterate, im-pious, and noninquiring minds of an-cient times, which were given to allsorts of superstitious and mythologicalbeliefs. These persons were prone tobelieve, and in fact, found some form ofsatisfaction in believing, that not onlywas rebirth on earth a law of the humansoul, but that the rebirth would occurin lower forms of physical expressionsuch as dogs, donkeys, reptiles, birds,and other animals, many of which wereesteemed as holy beasts in their heathenreligions. To find thinking men andwomen of today, and especially physi-

    cians and clergymen, scoffing at theidea of reincarnation on the basis thatthey do not "believe that the humansoul would be born again in a dog orcat" is one of the astonishing things ofour present day understanding of nat-

    ural and spiritual laws.The average orthodox Christian isperhaps the most strenuous objector tothe acceptance of the doctrine of rein-carnation on the basis that it refutes orcontradicts the doctrines of the Chris-tian belief. I wonder how many ofthese who may read this article of minewill be tolerant enough to examine theirown thoughts analytically in this regardfor a few minutes and permit a fewquestions to reach their unbiased rea-soning. Do these Christian personsrealize that there is nothing in the Bible

    in either the standard or revised ver-sions that actually contradicts the doc-trine of reincarnation or makes thatdoctrine inconsistent with the religiousprinciples revealed in the scriptures? Iwill admit that the doctrine of reincar-nation appears to be inconsistent withcertain creeds and certain theologicalprinciples sponsored by the Christianchurches, but may I call attention to thefact that these creeds and doctrines areelements composed by church councilsand church fathers in years more recentthan the writing of the Holy Bible?

    Such creeds and doctrines are, there-fore, theological postulations and notfundamental Christian principles eitherrevealed by Jesus or taught by Hisdisciples. From a purely orthodox anddialectical point of view, therefore, it isnot the doctrine of reincarnation thatstands at a disadvantage, but thosechurch creeds and doctrines, which donot have their exact counterpart in any-thing established by or revealed throughthe statements of Jesus or His disciples.In other words, if the devout Christianwishes to argue his faith on a basis ofstrict orthodoxy, he will find that it ismore easy to accept the doctrine of re-incarnation on the basis of scripturalauthority than it is to reject the doc-trine of reincarnation on the basis oftheological doctrine.

    The same remarks apply to the de-vout Jew in regard to the modern formof his religion.

    For the sake of those who may askwhere one may find any intimation in

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    the Holy Bible to support the statementthat the Early Christians and the Jewspreceding the Christian era believed inthe doctrine of reincarnation, I wouldcall attention to just a few salient pointsand quotations for that same careful

    consideration and analytical study thatboth Jew and Christian give to theirtheological doctrines when they at-tempt to interpret them as being incon-sistent with the doctrine of reincarna-tion. In other words, if the Jew orChristian will be as tolerant and asanalytical in his study of the few fol-lowing scriptural quotations as he is inhis attempts to contradict the doctrineof reincarnation, he will find that noth-ing but the doctrine of reincarnationcan explain the Biblical quotationsgiven here with a correct interpretationof the veiled mystical meaning.

    Take for instance in the preChristianwritings, we find in the book of Job,chapter 14, a number of proverbs orcomments upon mans life, his birth, hisliving, and his passing away. W e findin the twelfth verse of that chapter avery definite statement regarding thephysical body of man and the fact thatat socalled death the body goes intothe grave and lies there until the heav-ens be no more, and that that thisbody shall never awake from its sleep.

    But we find in the fourteenth verse an-other definite statement regarding thereal man, the part of man that actuallylives, and here the statement is madethat the real man waits for the days ofhis appointed time after transition untilhis change comes. That entire chapterof Job must be studied carefully andread analytically, as are so many of theChristian scriptures, in order to sensethe divine message that is contained init, and most certainly, the twelfth versedoes not permit of any interpretationthat would be consistent with the the-

    ological doctrine of the resurrection ofthe body from the grave and life onearth again in the same body. Andverse fourteen permits of no other inter-pretation than that the soul of manawaits its appointed time for the changethat will come. Now let us progress tothe thirtythird chapter of Job. Thewhole chapter is extremely illuminating,especially in the latter half. In versetwentyeight, we read that God will de-liver the soul of man from the pit of the

    grave and his life, his soul, shall seelight again, and in the twentyninthverse we read that these things Godworketh oftentimes with man. In whatsense other than in the sense of rein-carnation can these verses be inter-

    preted? If the soul of man leaves thepit and comes back into the light of theliving again and this happens often,surely we need search for no other defi-nite statement to support the funda-mental doctrines of reincarnation.

    Bear in mind that these passages aretaken from the Jewish writings and noelaborate emphasis is given to them andno attempt is made to make them ap-pear to be outstanding religious doc-trines, for they are quoted and referredto as casually as any other of the com-plex incidents of life, simply because

    the doctrine of reincarnation was souniversally held and understood andwas a scientific, a biological, a natural,physical law of the universe separatedfrom religious creeds.

    To show how universal was the be-lief in reincarnation among the Jewseven during the days of the mission of

    Jesus, the Christ, we may turn now tothe Christian gospels and find one of anumber of incidents that reveal the verythorough understanding and belief inreincarnation, and call your attention

    to the incident where Jesus turned toHis disciples and asked that questionwhich would be very strange indeed ifwe knew nothing of the doctrine of re-incarnation, and whom do they say Iam?" W hat was Jesus asking of Hisdisciples in this case, just what was itthat he wanted to know that could beof no importance to him unless it re-lated to some point that would revealthe spiritual perception or understand-ing that he hoped to find developing inthe populace of the country? Jesus didnot ask this question to solicit words of

    compliment and praise. He did not in-tend to solicit an answer that was com-plimentary to His majesty, His healingpower, His great wisdom, or His divinemission. His dis