[Geheime Liebe]
Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl[1]
Among friends of mystical literature there is now much talk of the “occult doctrine”; but little is said about “secret love,” and yet the spirit and deep meaning of the secret or “occult” teaching, in spite of all printed explanations, remains eternally “occult” or hidden from all those who do not know “occult” or secret love, from which springs spiritual knowledge of the divine mysteries in nature. This secret love is divine love. It is secret because no one can know it as long as it has not awakened in him and has not risen before the threshold of his consciousness.
Where “divine love” is the central subject, the superficially thinking person may well imagine it to be caused by the affection of some divine being living somewhere in the universe who looks down upon humans with satisfaction from his domicile beyond the clouds, and they feel flattered by this attention. But that conception is only for the arrogant. Real divine love is a completely different thing. It cannot be recognized and felt in the external world, but only from the inner depths of the soul and even there one can feel nothing where one has not awakened to the divine nature. Divine love within the heart of the person does not belong to the personality but appertains only to divinity; it is divine because it is infinite, unlimited and imperishable; mortal man confined to his self-delusion cannot grasp it, because it is limitless. So long as the idea of selfhood or the lust for personal possessions dwells in his heart, there is no room in it for infinite love, only All-Consciousness, exalted above all personal consciousness can absorb universal love and become knowledge of God. Divine Love is indeed All-Consciousness Itself and the beginning of All-Knowledge.
The person in whom this all-consciousness has awakened, possesses the consciousness of the unit of divinity in the entire universe and of all things, and is in his inner being, no longer a “person,” but a god. He feels the omnipresence of divinity in everything and realizes, that the exclusive and indivisible spirit of divinity is within him, and that he is in the divine spirit. So too is his own spirit in everything and over everything. This spirit is love, the innermost nature, the innermost power, in which there is no “self” and no separateness, where neither “my” nor “your” exists. It esteems itself as the universal love and this love shows itself and loves in all things nothing other than simply itself, for it is for them nothing other than itself, the love present in everything.
Divine love is thus perfect and absolute. It is recognized even in all things. The object however, to which it presents itself, is worthless in itself. All of nature would be nothing without this love. Nature is everything which contains it, for it is only a mirror in which the divine love recognizes its own beauty. This knowledge is the divine-wisdom or “Theosophy.” It is the basis of all “occult science,” the source of everything recognized within the mysteries of deity in nature. It is the spiritual life—through which its awakening—opens the spiritual-eye, through which the spirit of divinity in the human personally recognizes itself and the glory of its works is shown forth. It is the unrestricted love, which is bound by nothing, but also points to nothing from itself, through which lust is not drawn forth, knowing no attraction and also no hate. It demands and covets nothing, it gives everything for everything and has everything in everything; because it rests exalted, remaining unsurpassed over everything as the one supreme source from which all goodness springs forth. A known mystic says: “It includes everything, and immediately a living flame breaks forth and continually penetrates through it. It strives upward and cannot be held back through lower attractions. It wills freedom and every worldly tendency is foreign, such that its inner vision is neither limiting nor confining, through which no temporal advantage may ensnare it, neither may a detriment press it down. It is born from divinity and is raised or exalted only in divinity, finding quietude over all produced things.”[2]
Just as occult love as the divine universal-love, is the divine-consciousness, so too is occult knowledge the recognition of the works of divinity in the universal. “Occult science or knowledge” is, in the true sense of the word, without the ability of occult recognition, is not a science based on true knowledge or one’s own perception without the ability of occult knowledge. One can only truly know the same, when one personally or directly sees and comprehends. True occult knowledge originates from the knowledge of the divine spirit within the person and this spirit is divine love. The process of genuine recognition consists of the three: the knower, the known, and knowledge, amalgamated as a single unit. Thus, whoever wants to possess the knowledge of the truth within the mysteries of divinity, must leave his own “self” behind, setting himself free from the illusion of self-delusion through the power of divine love, and attain oneness with divinity (truth) in the spirit of truth.
Without the awakening of divine love, the study of occult science is of little value. The deep sense of the esoteric doctrine becomes clear only through secret- or esoteric-love. Therefore, each individual should (whoever wants to learn how to know the divine mysteries in nature) above all aspire to learn to know true divine love. He should first become a “theosoph,” before he can become an “occultist.” Just as the personal-consciousness is the beginning of the personal life, so is the awakening of the all-consciousness the beginning of divine existence. To attain it one must act unselfishly so that self-love is overcome and universal-love has become in itself the living or veritable wielding power. Consciousness is existence. Life is the power which springs the will to existence. The will to divine existence is divine love. It is the living power of the divine life within us. This divine life in the soul of man is true Theosophy.
This divine life and consciousness causes to awaken in itself, the divine, endless and secret love which eventually becomes in itself the living power and thereby attains to the knowledge of the divine and the state of divine existence. This is the final purpose of human existence, the Great Work which he is certain to accomplish. The beginnings of every work is the deed. Not through fanaticism and dreams, but only through actions can the ideal become a reality. Many have become too deliberate with their own progress in mind. They want to become quite great, to take possession of much knowledge and exceed in their self the selves of every other. They do not understand, that proportional to the magnitude of their self (egoity) is the size of their obstacle, over which their spirit must overcome in order to attain to the state of true wisdom. Human understanding is limited by egoism which may stretch and extend itself as much as it wants, but it is born from the dust and cannot extend to the rising heavens. But the divine, free, unselfish part of the mind is illuminated from the divine light of truth. Divine love sets him free from the bindings of egoism. It carries him upward to those summits where the light of the sun of wisdom shines and where he recognizes in the existence of divinity his own divine existence.
Notes:
[1] Secret Love [Geheime Liebe. Franz Hartmann, M.D. Lotusblüten 10, no. 63 (December 1897), 893-899] {This was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos. Translation from the German by Robert Hütwohl, ©2025}
[2] Thomas of Kempen. III. Chapter 5.