and prepare their karma, or, in other words, the molecules of their fifth principle, for the ineffable bliss of appropriate development in devachan—­a place, or rather “state,” somewhat resembling Purgatory with a dash of heaven in it; or even for the still more exquisite sensation which arises from having no sensations at all, and which characterises nirvana, or a sublime condition of conscious rest in Omniscience.

That I am not drawing upon my imagination in alluding to this mysterious region, or imposing upon the credulity of my readers, I will support my assertion by the high authority of Mr Sinnett, or rather of his Guru; and here I may remark incidentally, that after a long experience of Gurus, I have never yet met one who would consciously tell a lie.

“From time immemorial,” says Mr Sinnett’s Guru, “there has been a certain region in Thibet, which to this day is quite unknown to and unapproachable by any but initiated persons, and inaccessible to the ordinary people of the country, as to any others, in which adepts have always congregated.  But the country generally was not in Buddha’s time, as it has since become, the chosen habitation of the great brotherhood.  Much more than they are at present, were the mahatmas in former times distributed throughout the world.

“The progress of civilisation engendering the magnetism they find so trying, had, however, by the date with which we are now dealing—­the fourteenth century—­already given rise to a very general movement towards Thibet on the part of the previously dissociated occultists.  Far more widely than was held to be consistent with the safety of mankind was occult knowledge and power then found to be disseminated.  To the task of putting it under a rigid system of rule and law did Tsong-kha-pa address himself.”

Of course, before transferring my material body to this region, I was perfectly familiar with it by reason of the faculty which, as Mr Sinnett very truly tells us, is common to all adepts, of being able to flit about the world at will in your astral body; and here I would remark parenthetically, that I shall use the term “astral body” to save confusion, though, as Mr Sinnett again properly says, it is not strictly accurate under the circumstances.  In order to make this clear, I will quote his very lucid observations on the subject:—­

“During the last year or two, while hints and scraps of occult science have been finding their way out into the world, the expression ’astral body’ has been applied to a certain semblance of the human form, fully inhabited by its higher principles, which can migrate to any distance from the physical body—­projected consciously and with exact intention by a living adept, or unintentionally by the accidental application of certain mental forces to his loosened principles by any person at the moment of death.  For ordinary purposes,