this earth and the laws of this universe.  Here lies man’s only hope of success in the great effort; to leap right away from his present standpoint to his next and at once become an intrinsic part of the divine power as he has been an intrinsic part of the intellectual power, of the great nature to which he belongs.  He stands always in advance of himself, if such a contradiction can be understood.  It is the men who adhere to this position, who believe in their innate power of progress, and that of the whole race, who are the elder brothers, the pioneers.  Each man has to accomplish the great leap for himself and without aid; yet it is something of a staff to lean on to know that others have gone on that road.  It is possible that they have been lost in the abyss; no matter, they have had the courage to enter it.  Why I say that it is possible they have been lost in the abyss is because of this fact, that one who has passed through is unrecognisable until the other and altogether new condition is attained by both.  It is unnecessary to enter upon the subject of what that condition is at present.

I only say this, that in the early state in which man is entering upon the silence he loses knowledge of his friends, of his lovers, of all who have been near and dear to him; and also loses sight of his teachers and of those who have preceded him on his way.  I explain this because scarce one passes through without bitter complaint.  Could but the mind grasp beforehand that the silence must be complete, surely this complaint need not arise as a hindrance on the path.  Your teacher, or your predecessor may hold your hand in his, and give you the utmost sympathy the human heart is capable of.  But when the silence and the darkness comes, you lose all knowledge of him; you are alone and he cannot help you, not because his power is gone, but because you have invoked your great enemy.

By your great enemy, I mean yourself.  If you have the power to face your own soul in the darkness and silence, you will have conquered the physical or animal self which dwells in sensation only.

This statement, I feel, will appear involved; but in reality it is quite simple.  Man, when he has reached his fruition, and civilization is at its height, stands between two fires.  Could he but claim his great inheritance, the encumbrance of the mere animal life would fall away from him without difficulty.  But he does not do this, and so the races of men flower and then droop and die and decay off the face of the earth, however splendid the bloom may have been.  And it is left to the individual to make this great effort; to refuse to be terrified by his greater nature, to refuse to be drawn back by his lesser or more material self.  Every individual who accomplishes this is a redeemer of the race.  He may not blazon forth his deeds, he may dwell in secret and silence; but it is a fact that he forms a link between man and his divine part; between the known and the unknown;