[Verschiedenes]
Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl[1]
The Catholic Church, apart from all its attendant phenomena of ignorance, superstition, and clergy, like the Buddhist sangha, is fundamentally and in its essence an “esoteric school” for spiritual education and the awakening of inner divine powers. The following is one of their “secret” guides to meditation, recommended to all “Theosophists.” It is “secret” in that one must penetrate its spirit in order to follow it properly.
Short viewing method.
“Your law is my reflection.”
Contemplative prayer purifies the mind, orders affections, regulates actions, corrects faults, sets morals in order, and sanctifies life.
To consider well, a willing heart helps more than an enlightened mind.
Remote preparation.
- Eliminate what is obstructive. (Distraction etc.)
- Practice what is beneficial. (Humility, concentration of spirit.)
Next preparation.
- Read the subject of your meditation the night before, and remember it before going to sleep and on getting up.
- Begin calmly and collected by placing yourself in God’s [the higher Self] presence and kneeling. (Yoga posture.)
(Here follows an invocation.)
Beginning.
Visualize vividly the object of your contemplation. (Concentration.)
Ask God [the higher Self] for enlightenment of mind and stimulation of will, that you may obtain the special fruit of this contemplation.
Center.
Memory brings the object of observation before the soul.
The mind ponders the object presented to it.
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- What is especially worth considering about this truth?
- What are the consequences for life?
- How have I followed this so far?
- How should I follow it in the future?
- Why is it useful for me in this life and in the next?
- What obstacles do I have to remove?
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The will is active throughout the contemplation
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- through pious feelings (admiration, gratitude, self-shame, love, remorse, trust, desire);
- By good intentions, specific ones, firmly established for the day.
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End.
Choosing a saying (mantra) to remind yourself of your resolutions throughout the day.
Review.
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- Examine how the contemplation went.
- a) If so, thank God and resolve to do so always.
- b) If bad, find the cause and eliminate it.
- Reconsider the whole truth contemplated, renew and confirm the resolutions, and plan to carry them out.
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——————
In a book that is particularly interesting from a historical point of view, entitled “Youthful Reminiscences of an Old Man” by W. v. Kügelgen, it finds, from an eyewitness, the description of a “ghost mail” arranged by the notorious Schröpfer, an event which bears much resemblance to, and indeed surpasses in oddness, certain occult phenomena which took place in the presence of H. P. Blavatsky. Whether Schröpfer was a fraud, as is generally supposed, we cannot know; but it is not easy to explain how fraud could have taken place in the following case:
At that time there lived in Dresden a certain Duke Karl von Kurland, a prince from the Saxon house, whom the Russians had expelled from Mitau. He resided in the beautiful Palais am Wall between the Gewandhaus and the Pirnaisches Tor, which is now the surgical academy. Sometimes in the evening a small company of gentlemen who were in the Duke’s confidence would gather there, my father among them. They were informal little suppers, people ate and drank and laughed and chatted freely.
Herr Schröpfer, who was then beginning to draw attention to himself, was also present, and since he showed himself to be familiar with the situation in Kurland, the conversation was soon limited to memories there, which the duke relished with pleasure and in the best of spirits surrendered. He would give a hundred ducats, he cried, banging his glass on the table, to know what the mad Countess X. was doing now.
Of course, the duke might only have said it like that, for who should have given him information! One was all the more astonished when Herr Schröpfer offered to get the desired message. He wanted to take a letter to Mitau at once, he said, only the duke had to date it back so that the matter wouldn’t be noticed there and be patient with the answer for thirty minutes.
“Impossible!” exclaimed my father. The best racer couldn’t do three miles in thirty minutes, let alone three hundred, and the answer also had to be written.
“The thirty minutes,” said Schröpfer, are only for the answer; his messenger needs no time at all. “Write to your Highness,” he added, “I’ll stake a hundred ducats against yours.”
So the duke sent for pen and paper, wrote, sealed and addressed, and Schröpfer handed the letter out the door with an incomprehensible murmur. But the duke said softly to my father, “Keep your eyes open so that the fellow doesn’t play tricks on us.”
Now nobody knew if it was coincidence or what else; but as the letter disappeared, a hurricane arose outside. The storm banged its fists on the windows, rattled in the chimney, and tore tiles from the roofs; it was a terrible turmoil in nature. “It’s bad weather,” remarked Herr Schröpfer, rubbing his hands and trying to continue the conversation as before. The thing was uncanny for the other gentlemen. Curious about what would happen, they took their watches out of their pockets and the conversation dragged on; soon there was complete silence. The storm outside had abated, and the room had become as quiet as a watchmaker’s workshop. There was nothing to be heard but the ticking of the pocket watch, each of which had his own in front of him to follow the minute hand.
“Only three minutes,” said the Duke at last. “He will have to stick to it, Monsieur Schröpfer.”
At the same moment, all heads snapped up and all eyes stared at the high window of the room, at which one heard a loud tapping, as if from the beak of a large bird. Schröpfer hurried over, pushed back the curtain, opened it, and took in a letter, which he handed to the duke.
The Duke examined the envelope closely. He might have noticed that the seal was black and that the writing was someone else’s. He asked whether the letter would contain anything unpleasant. Schröpfer replied, Se. Your Highness could throw it into the chimney without reading it, but of course the bet would be lost. Then the duke broke the seal and unfolded the letter. But his features darkened, he passed his hand over his forehead a couple of times, threw himself back in his armchair, and said that if this was meant to be a joke he didn’t find it very amusing. He then handed the paper to my father to read. The letter was from one of the Countess’s brothers and contained only a few lines, announcing that the latter had died a few hours ago. In the urgent hurry of the courier, who wanted to leave immediately and insisted on an answer, more was not possible. After a few weeks the news was confirmed.”
We will not attempt to explain how this phenomenon came about. It should only be noted that the necromancer Schröpfer shot himself in the Rosental near Leipzig. The spirits that served him might possess him.
———————
One means of distinguishing apparent death from real death is said to be x-raying the body. It is claimed that the internal organs, which are transparent in the living in this fluoroscopy, appear darkened in the dead. One would wish very much that this would come true; for cases in which apparently dead people are buried alive are still very common, although they are usually kept secret and “covered up” as much as possible.
———————
The “Imperial” (February 10) reports:
“When the funeral procession passed through the streets of Lisbon at the funeral of the King of Portugal, the horses shied at the spot where the assassination had been committed and could not be tamed.”
Those who know that animals and especially horses, like dogs and birds, have astral sight will find the matter understandable.
Various
[Verschiedenes]
Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl[2]
Far be it from making fun of the weaknesses of a mortal, still less those of a god; but the adventure which a seeker after truth had in New-York with the famous Śrī Agamya Guru Paramahamsa in seeking higher enlightenment from him is so instructive that we feel we must share it with our readers, since this odd saint also found enthusiastic followers in Berlin and Vienna.
His Holiness Mahātmā Agamya, as he called himself, a Brahmin of indescribable ugliness and brutal manners, had lived naked in a cave in a forest in the Himālaya for seven years and thereby attained the highest degree of perfection, self-knowledge, omniscience, self-control and celestial peace. He is now in his last incarnation on the threshold of Nirvāna, the supreme bliss, and had come to Europe and America to teach wisdom to the peoples of the West who still find temporal pleasure. He had it in his power to stop his pulse by his will, and in doing so he caused a great stir. The newspapers ran reports about him, people from all classes, doctors, professors, bank managers, journalists, men and women, flocked to him to become his students. Among them was an employee of “Pearson’s Magazine,” who reported the following about his visit, among other things:
“The Mahātmā was dressed in a yellow robe and brown turban and was busy singing Vedic hymns into a phonograph in the presence of his disciples. When the instrument returned its notes to him, he cried out loudly and clapped his hands. Among those present was a seeker after truth from New York with his young wife. The Mahātmā then spoke of the unspeakable bliss that comes from self-control. Dead silence reigned in the room; everything worldly was forgotten.
Then the saint’s lips moved again, and he said:
“There are no men in America. They are all women. I’m the only man in this room. I alone know that women should be trampled down, as is happening in India. We punish and beat them, lock them up and teach them to be silent when men speak. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here. The men are all women and fools.”
“I’m afraid you don’t know American women,” said the truth-seeker’s wife. “There may be things that a man, even perhaps a great Mahātmā, does not understand.”
“I know everything,” said the Mahātmā. “I am God. I know that women in America are deceitful and insane, that the best woman is far inferior to the worst man, and that women, by their cunning, make slaves of men. We in India lock them up. We don’t let them go out.”
“Perhaps if they were allowed to go out they would get to know the men better and have less respect for them.”
This answer enraged the Mahātmā. His face took on a stern expression, his nostrils moved, his eyes narrowed, and hatred spoke in his eyes.
“I say all Americans are women. They are all fools,” he repeated, with a triumphant air and a swelling chest.
Then the seeker of truth arose.
“Come, my dear,” he said to his wife, “I think we’ve heard enough of that colored man from Bombay.”
The giant figure of Mahātmā shot up; fists clenched and writhing in anger, he sprang forward, stamping his feet, and kept shouting, “I’m not a Bombay colored man!”
He obviously felt hurt. He trembled and jerked from head to foot, repeatedly leaping up with both feet, while his turban on his head shifted and his robe flapped. His angry screams were heard throughout the house.
“I will smash you,” he cried, baring his teeth as he threw his blunt fists in the seeker’s face.
“Don’t get near me with your dirty hands,” said the latter. The Mahātmā let out a howl of rage like that of a wild animal. His facial muscles spasmed, the whites of his eyes became visible, and the veins in his neck swelled.
“You are my slave!” he cried, raising his hands high above his head and jumping up so that the floor shook. “I will tear you apart!”
“You are a humbug!” replied the seeker of truth calmly.
“I’m not a black from Bombay! I am not a Bombay colored man!” continued the Mahātmā. He ran to and fro like a wild animal in a cage; his face was contorted, his teeth looked like those of a wolf, and his fingers clawed the air convulsively. His face was marred with hatred.
“I’ll beat you to death!” he shrieked.
“You should be handed over to a doctor or to the police,” said the seeker of truth, leaving the room with his wife and going down the stairs.
Meanwhile, because of the noise, the people in the house were running together. The secretary and the Japanese servant stood trembling; a fat student of the master came and squinted at the departing with her goggle eyes and raised her hands in horror. The roar of the Mahātmā was deafening. He leaned over the banister, shook his fists and kept shouting:
“Damn fool! Damn fool! Damned fool!” He could be heard a long way down the street.
But the seeker after truth smiled and said:
“There seems to be some truth in this Hindu’s self-restraint; but it doesn’t go well with New York.” — Sic transit gloria mundi! [So, the glory of the world!]
Various
[Verschiedenes]
Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl[3]
It must fill the heart of every orthodox advocate of conservative science and theology with pain, sorrow, and grave concern for the future to see how many houses of cards, built of theories most painstakingly acquired, are suddenly toppled down by the rush of higher worldview. Not only do freer ways of thinking appear even within the sphere of influence of Christian universities, which threaten the traditional, limited literal faith and can only be suppressed by the help of the state power, but even in the churches a brighter light threatens to penetrate into the dark halls, which hardly penetrates anymore a spasmodic locking of the rotten window shutters. Isn’t it — horribile dictu! — the latest research has succeeded in proving from the Chaldean writings that Abraham, the father of the human race, was and is identical with Brahmā and basically nothing other than the “planet” Saturn (life in the universe) and his wife Sarah, the Planet Sirius, as a representative of Mother Nature.
But as if this heresy weren’t enough in relation to Jewish tradition, even our cultural history seems a little shaky. Professor Sayer writes, for example, in the “Homiletic Review”:
“Neither in Egypt nor in Babylon was a beginning of civilization (of mankind) found. As far back as the investigations of archaeologists go, we always find man already civilized, as the builder of cities and temples; he fashions useful tools from stone and expresses his thoughts in pictures. The further we go back in the history of Egypt, we find there, the higher culture. Where one hopes to find progress, one finds regression, and the “wild barbarian” no longer appears to us as the representative of the primal beginning of our development, but as a type of a degenerate human race.”
And now comes Guido von List, pulls the veil from the old Germans, whom we used to think of as rude bearskins, and proves that they were by no means uncivilized barbarians and that they did not get their culture from the Romans, but from represented a cultured people whose ancient religion worshiped the supreme being in the highest conceivable form, the form of light, and that this religion of the ancient Germans contained the true secret doctrine.
Gradually some are convinced that the theory of natural selection is not entirely correct and that man is not a refined ape, but rather the ape is a man degenerated during an earlier period of the world. Even with the discoveries in natural science, it is a strange fact that most of them are just rediscoveries. That the earth is round and rotates was known to the ancient Indians long before Galileo; in their Vedas they speak of planets, comets, meteors and cosmic nebulae, and what is more important, they recognized cosmic intelligences and living forces in the universe of which our science knows nothing. The Egyptians surpassed us in magic and architecture, the Greeks in sculpture, the ancient Peruvians in government institutions, and the ancient Atlanteans had flying machines and many other things which have yet to be reinvented. It seems that the world turns spiritually as well, and when the sun of wisdom sets in one place it sets in another.
But what is there to say when even orthodoxy is no longer sure of its cause! There writes, for example, one clergyman, the Rev. Robert Taylor, who related to the stories contained in the Bible:
“The priests, who were at once astronomers and astrologers, magicians and sages, hid the discoveries they made in the universe under a veil of made-up tales and fairy tales in which characters of their own making and wondrous adventures appear, and by means of such fables and allegories they taught the people, leaving it to those who would bother to ponder and make sense of this imagery. But when this method was introduced, and the great multitude became accustomed to taking these fables as literally true, then the disaster had happened, and the matter could no longer be changed. After allowing themselves this deception, the people’s teachers could no longer enlighten the people even if they wanted to. The fairy tales, which were now generally circulated, were generally believed. Those who spoke them seriously were made men, but those who spoke the truth were crucified or burned.
It is very strange — since, as is well known, the Church never changes its opinion — that while the Bible used in Europe teaches that Eve in Paradise seduced Adam with an apple, in the Spanish Bible in Brazil, where it there are no apples, a banana is used instead of an apple, and the bible, which has been translated into the language of the Eskimos, even uses a piece of bacon instead of an apple. Couldn’t these innovations raise the suspicion in the minds of believers that the bacon isn’t right either?
The question also arises as to what kind of wood Noah’s ark was made of; how Mr. Noah caught all the animals, and how much manpower and fodder it took to feed and keep them all in order; which of Adam’s ribs it was from which Eve was made, and to what kind of fish belonged the fish that swallowed Jonah. But already we see the Minister of Education threateningly raising his finger and pointing to the inscription in the auditorium, where it is written: “Silence is the first duty of the academic citizen.”
Apparently, however, faith has not yet died out in scholarly circles either, and a unification of religion and science is imminent; because, as the newspapers report, a professor at Oxford University has discovered Adam’s birthday.
Faith in orthodox medical science, like belief in orthodox theology, stands on shaky foundations, and both need support from the power of the state in order not to fall. “Electro-homeopathy” is forbidden in Austria, although it achieves ten times better results in the treatment of diseases than official allopathy; yes, even the completely innocent and yet very healing and invigorating “solar ether jet apparatus” for delicate natures is being pursued by the police. Such things are also quite understandable; because the state has to take care of the reputation and the purse of the classes it privileges and to see that nothing escapes them.
——————
The cross with the image of a person dying on it is the symbol of rebirth and initiation. It is intended to remind the true follower of Christ that he must pass through mystical death before he can be born again in spirit and attain an inward resurrection in the light of eternal life. The cross represents earthly life (in the material) and the crown of thorns the suffering of the soul in the elemental body; but it also signifies the victory of spirit over the elements of darkness (matter). The body is naked, a sign that in order to attain immortality man must free himself from all attachments to earthly things. It is nailed to the cross to indicate that man should sacrifice his own will and be only an instrument in accomplishing the divine will. To scoffers and sophists the mystery of the cross is incomprehensible, and to the bigot and hypocrite it is a symbol and testimony of his own godlessness and self-condemnation; for the enlightened a sign of salvation. Jakob Böhme says: “The outer world or the outer life is not a vale of tears for those who feel happy in it, but it is for those who know the higher life. The animal rejoices in animal life, the intellect in the realm of reason; but those who have entered spiritual rebirth recognize worldly life as a burden and a prison. With this knowledge he takes up the cross of Christ.” (Broadcast.)
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Now that the “theosophical movement” is increasingly threatening to degenerate into a quest for attaining “occult powers,” it will be well to remember that the development of psychic powers, unless it occurs naturally as a result of spiritual growth, but rather artificially bred, is dangerous and harmful. A well-known mystic writes:
“True spirituality (spiritual knowledge) can only be attained by overcoming self-delusion. Only those who are strong (full of character) and pure in soul (selfless) can safely tread the path of developing psychic powers (through “occult exercises”). It is advisable for the great majority (the “theosophists”) not to seek the possession of psychic powers, but to seek to purify themselves and serve humanity.”
In any religious system, internal purification is the first step, but most want to take the second step before the first and fall as a result.
Various
[Verschiedenes]
Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl[4]
The “Bund” published the following letter:
It has probably not escaped the notice of those who have eyes to see and ears to hear that for some years now a number, albeit a small one, of Buddhists have settled in Switzerland. Apart from the Japanese, etc., who temporarily live here, the Buddhists who live in Switzerland are probably all “intellectuals” who converted from Christianity to the religious and moral teachings of Buddha, for example, a “Dr. phil.” in Basel, who also has a seat and vote on the board of the “Buddhist Society,” which was founded in Germany in 1903.
Now it is reported that the German-speaking Buddhists want to create a future home for those who, tired of world life, intend to withdraw completely in order to be able to devote themselves only to their inner life (their soul), for example in the sense of a real Buddhist monastic order, only tailored to European conditions. The mood is still divided because the German Buddhists would prefer to set up a branch in their country, while a Swiss citizen who is currently in Rangūn as a student (Sāmanero) in a Buddhist monastery is making a keen effort to Switzerland to acquire a plot of land for the benefit of the religious philosophy that has given him peace of mind. “Sāmanero Dhammanu-sāri,” as the young Swiss man goes by his Buddhist monk’s name (or rather, student’s name), comes up with the idea of acquiring a piece of land in the canton of Ticino, about a few hours from Lugano, and this for a Buddhist fruit-growing colony to remodel. He got in touch with a number of educated and very learned men in Lugano, who are united there under the name “Cönobium,” which could mean something like monastic order community. The “Cönobium” is very sympathetic to Buddhism and has probably already taken introductory steps with regard to settlement. The planned undertaking is significant insofar as it is not only closely related to the Buddhist propaganda now actively practiced in Germany, but above all because it has people like the famous English university professor and Indologist, the Pali researcher T. W. Rhys Davids, as a sort of godfather.
Rhys Davids is at the head of the “Buddhist Society in Great Britain and Ireland” founded in London in November 1907, the members of which already own a Buddhist “monastery” (if one may say so) near Rangoon (where our young Swiss man has his received training) and intend to establish a “Vihāra” (Buddhist settlement) in England in the next few years. The propaganda for England, Germany and Switzerland is absolutely common, undivided, and lies chiefly in the hands of three Europeans, who before our “Sāmanero” turned to the religion of the Asiatic sages, and are now ordained “monks” of Buddhist philosophy stationed in Rangoon. These are Ānanda Metteya, the editor of the journal Buddhism (in English), Nyāna-tiloka, the excellent translator and interpreter of the Anguttara-Nikāyo (the Discourses of the Buddha, translated into German for the first time), and finally J. F. MacKechnie (now called Bhikkhu Silacāra). Our Buddhist Sāmanero in Rangūn intends to “return home” as early as autumn 1908 and begin the settlement. As we have in mind, this “Buddhist colony of Switzerland” should also become a very important sanctuary for Indological science. Of course, this shouldn’t come as a surprise if Rhys Davids endorses the idea, for he is one of the foremost experts on the Buddha’s teachings.
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Anyone who cannot yet see that the world is one big madhouse and that reason in the genus “homo sapiens” is generally not very developed, need only look at the mischief that is being done in various religious sects and get to know the follies, which can result from seeking God in external things instead of within oneself. One wonders nowadays about the processions of the flagellants, the children’s crusades of the Middle Ages, and the like; but even today superstition, credulity and fanaticism make themselves felt in an unbelievable way. The “Prophet Elias” with his “Zion City” and thousands of followers has scarcely disappeared from the scene when the sect of the Russian Dukhoburzen appears in America, who are looking for a new Canaan and believe they have to go completely naked. The cult numbers many thousands and is led by a former Siberian convict named Peter Veregin. One writes from Winipeg (Manitoba):
“Ten thousand pilgrims of both sexes are on their way to the Mississippi Valley in search of the promised land. They settled in Northwest Canada a few years ago and made a lot of complaints to their neighbors. It seems that their previous stay has grown too cold for them, since they are in the habit of going naked and only condescend to put on a nightgown in particularly compelling circumstances. They are not burdened with clothing, money, or food on their migrations, but hope to obtain everything they need from the inhabitants of the regions through which they pass. Her last pilgrimage was 900 miles in Ontario (Canada). Many hundreds set out, but most perished on the way; only seventy reached their destination. At Fort Pambina, the border of the United States, they were turned back and, helpless and shirtless as they were, migrated to Port Arthur, 432 miles west of Winipeg, whence they were brought back by railroad. All government and police efforts have so far proved powerless against these religious fanatics, and an incursion by these believers into United States territory is feared after years of searching in vain for the Messiah in rock caves and hollow trees in Canada.”
But we need not go far to look for the offspring of fanaticism and the victims of stupidity and self-conceit. In this country, too, it swarms with gullible people and fanatics, even if they don’t appear as en masse as in America. We too have no shortage of false prophets, alleged incarnations of Christ and the apostles, disguised adepts and sorcerers whose “magic” consists in lightening the pockets of believers; but a warning can be of little use, since in the end everyone only comes to their own knowledge through their own experience.
Notes:
[1] Various [Verschiedenes. Franz Hartmann, M.D. Neue Lotusblüten 1, no. 1-2 (January-February 1908), 63-67] {This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos. Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}
[2] Various [Verschiedenes. Franz Hartmann, M.D. Neue Lotusblüten 1, no. 3-4 (March-April 1908), 133-141] {This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos. Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}
[3] Various [Verschiedenes. Franz Hartmann, M.D. Neue Lotusblüten 1, no. 5-6 (May-June 1908), 212-217] {This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos. Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}
[4] Various [Verschiedenes. Franz Hartmann, M.D. Neue Lotusblüten 1, no. 7-8 (July-August 1908), 283-291] {This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos. Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}