yet if you should work out the problem by yourself , it will be my duty to tell you so ." But they never were so worked out, and the results were -- never-ceasing perplexity and mistakes.
Even the teaching about the Septenary constitution of the sidereal bodies and of the macrocosm -- from which the septenary division of the microcosm, or Man -- has until now been among the most esoteric.
In olden times it used to be divulged only at the Initiation and along with the most sacred figures of the cycles.
Now, as stated in one of the Theosophical journals,* the revelation of the whole system of Cosmogony had not been contemplated, nor even thought for one moment possible, at a time when a few bits of information were sparingly given out in answer to letters written by the author of "Esoteric Buddhism," in which he put forward a multiplicity of questions.
Among these were questions on such problems as no MASTER , however high and independent he might be , would have the right to answer , thus divulging to the world the most time-honoured and archaic of the mysteries of the ancient college-temples.
Hence only a few of the doctrines were revealed in their broad outlines, while details were constantly withheld, and all the efforts made to elicit more information about them were systematically eluded from the beginning.
This is perfectly natural.
Of the four Vidyas -- out of the seven branches of Knowledge mentioned in the Puranas -- namely, "Yajna-Vidya" (the performance of religious rites in order to [[Footnote(s)]] ------------------------------------------------- * "Lucifer," May, 1888.
[[Vol.
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produce certain results); "Maha-Vidya," the great (Magic) knowledge, now degenerated into Tantrika worship; "Guhya-Vidya," the science of Mantras and their true rhythm or chanting, of mystical incantations, etc.
-- it is only the last one, "Atma-Vidya," or the true Spiritual and Divine wisdom , which can throw absolute and final light upon the teachings of the three first named.
Without the help of Atma-Vidya, the other three remain no better than surface sciences, geometrical magnitudes having length and breadth, but no thickness.
They are like the soul, limbs, and mind of a sleeping man: capable of mechanical motions, of chaotic dreams and even sleep-walking, of producing visible effects, but stimulated by instinctual not intellectual causes, least of all by fully conscious spiritual impulses.
A good deal can be given out and explained from the three first-named sciences.
But unless the key to their teachings is furnished by Atma-Vidya, they will remain for ever like the fragments of a mangled text-book, like the adumbrations of great truths, dimly perceived by the most spiritual, but distorted out of all proportion by those who would nail every shadow to the wall.
Then, again, another great perplexity was created in the minds of students by the incomplete exposition of the doctrine of the evolution of the Monads.
To be fully realised, both this process and that of the birth of the Globes must be examined far more from their metaphysical aspect than from what one might call a statistical standpoint, involving figures and numbers which are rarely permitted to be broadly used.
Unfortunately, there are few who are inclined to handle these doctrines only metaphysically.
Even the best of the Western writers upon our doctrine declares in his work that "on pure metaphysics of that sort we are not now engaged," when speaking of the evolution of the Monads ("Esoteric Buddhism," p.
46).
And in such case, as the Teacher remarks in a letter to him, "Why this preaching of our doctrines, all this uphill work and swimming in adversum flumen?
Why should the West .
.
.
learn .
.
.
from the East .
.
.
that which can never meet the requirements of the special tastes of the aesthetics?" And he draws his correspondent's attention "to the formidable difficulties encountered by us (the Adepts) in every attempt we make to explain our metaphysics to the Western mind." And well he may; for outside of metaphysics no occult philosophy, no esotericism is possible.
It is like trying to explain the aspirations and affections, the love and hatred, the most private and sacred workings in [[Vol.
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the soul and mind of the living man, by an anatomical description of the chest and brain of his dead body.
Let us now examine two tenets mentioned above and hardly alluded to in "Esoteric Buddhism," and supplement them as far as lies in our power.
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The Hermetic axiom that the structure of the cosmos is reflected at every scale — 'as above, so below; as within, so without' — making each level a legible map of the others.
The septenary structure of the macrocosm being mirrored in the septenary division of the microcosm (Man) is a direct expression of the as-above-so-below correspondence principle.
A historical or mythical chain of transmission for secret wisdom from master to disciple across time and cultures — the credential of the teaching, not merely its content. Distinct from oral_tradition (the spoken-not-written modality of transmission, which a lineage may or may not use) and hidden_sayings (the concealment-for-readiness of a teaching's meaning, independent of who transmitted it or in what unbroken chain).
The reference to 'the ancient college-temples' and the Masters as custodians of 'the most time-honoured and archaic of the mysteries' implies a historical chain of transmission for secret wisdom.
Transgressive knowing acquired against divine prohibition — the Watchers' teaching of metallurgy, sorcery, and cosmetics in 1 Enoch, the Gnostic Eve narratives, the Promethean mytheme; explicitly contrasted with gnosis_direct_knowledge, which is salvific.
The passage describes questions 'as no MASTER, however high and independent he might be, would have the right to answer, thus divulging to the world the most time-honoured and archaic of the mysteries,' framing certain knowledge as restricted beyond even the highest authority.
Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.
Atma-Vidya is described as 'the true Spiritual and Divine wisdom, which can throw absolute and final light upon the teachings of the three first named,' positioning direct spiritual knowledge as the key that illuminates all other sciences.
Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.
The entire passage is devoted to explaining why esoteric teachings are withheld, revealed only at Initiation, and systematically eluded—details constantly withheld while only broad outlines are given.
The doctrine that the cosmos unfolds as a structured descent of spirit into matter — a directional process traced stage by stage from an unconditioned principle down through successive planes to full materialization — complemented by its own eventual return ('evolution'). Distinct from emanation_hierarchy (the static structure of the resulting levels of the cascade) and cosmogony (a single originating event rather than an ongoing staged process) in naming the directional cosmic PROCESS of descent itself, paired with its own complementary ascent.
The passage discusses 'the evolution of the Monads' and 'the birth of the Globes' as processes requiring metaphysical examination, which in Theosophical terminology describes the staged descent of spirit into matter.
The human being as a small-scale image of the entire cosmos; the body, soul, and intellect mirroring the structure of the heavens and the divine — distinct from correspondence in that it makes the human the privileged mirror.
The passage directly states that the septenary division of the microcosm (Man) is derived from the septenary constitution of the macrocosm and sidereal bodies.
The absolutely simple, undivided first principle from which all multiplicity and existence flows.
The passage explicitly discusses 'the doctrine of the evolution of the Monads' as a major tenet requiring metaphysical rather than statistical examination.
Organized, persisting groups — fraternities, orders, lodges — that maintain esoteric knowledge or practices as an institution distinct from public religion or mainstream society, holding 'the keys' collectively rather than through any one master-disciple pair. Distinct from esoteric_lineage (a genealogical chain of individual transmission, not an institution) and hidden_sayings (the concealment of a teaching's meaning, independent of whether any organized body holds it).
The passage references 'the ancient college-temples' and the Masters/Adepts as an organized body maintaining and controlling access to esoteric mysteries across generations.