Mastership
THE TWO SEERSBy "Always
a Brother of the First Grade"
[From The Mystic
Triangle January 1929]
HOW many of us take literally every thing we read and hear
without reasoning or even thinking? How many messages are hidden between the
lines, and upon the face of nature herself, from which we fail to receive the
great lesson? And how much injustice we do ourselves, and others, by not
seeking for the real truth and meaning in all things.
What a wonderful hidden message there is, for a mystic in the
parable, in the Bible, of the rich man's chances of entering Heaven not being
more than that of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. The Master Jesus
was not a man of poverty. He wore the most magnificent raiment; He always ate
of the best food in abundance. Jesus was a distinguished citizen, and was
received with honors wherever he sojourned. He did not want for anything, so
why all this twaddle about poverty being a necessary pergusit to key of heaven?
In a far off land, "where the dawn comes up like
thunder," and "the flying fishes play" there lived two Masters,
or two seers, and one was illuminated and the other was not. We will call the
unilluminated one the poor seer, and the illuminated one master.
The poor seer was a very holy, and devout man, he worked very
hard and did many good deeds; he was much loved by the people of that part of
the country in which he lived and worked. He consistently refused money and
wealth which was offered him for his work, and for his personal needs he lived
on alms; he slept out in the open when the weather permitted. He was attuned in
a spiritual way with the Cosmic, and knew of the glory of the Divine One; but
all that he possessed in the world was a breech cloth (which is less than a
pair of tights and is worn on the loins), this was his entire wealth. He taught
that to enter into the presence of the Enlightened One it was necessary to give
up wealth.
It so happened that the time came in his life when it was
necessary for him to make a visit to the master who lived in a distant city;
so, after saying goodbye to many friends and disciples he began his journey,
which was to be made on foot, as he had spurned the offer of camels, and other
conveyances, because he thought that for him to possess such things, or even to
use them, was sinful.
After many weeks of hardship, suffering, and deprivation, he
arrived at the city in which the master lived; and when he inquired if any one
knew the master the people eagerly pointed out to him a marvelous castle, set
in the most beautiful grounds in the city.
"But," the poor seer said, "The master is a
holy man, he could not live in such a magnificent place." And then when
the people assured him it was so, he shook his head and said, "Well I
suppose he lives in the cellar, the proprietor must let him stay there for
shelter, out of charity."
So, the poor seer wended his weary way towards the great
castle, and as he approached the gates they opened, and two attendants dressed
in fine costumes salaamed him, and bid him enter.
"But," said the poor seer, "I have not asked
to enter, how do you know me?" The attendants answered that they were
instructed to allow him to enter; and then, another attendant saluted him and
asked him to follow. This attendant, after passing along walks, bordered by
trees and beautiful flowers, escorted the poor seer into a most magnificent
reception room. In this room were rich tapestries of the ancient East,
beautiful sculptured statuary, and paintings that would delight the eye of the
artist; upon the floors were rich, thick rugs, and upon the tables were rare
pieces of art, rich confections in cut glass vessels, rare, red wine, which
sparkled through its decanters, cakes and fruit.
"Brother," the poor seer said to the attendant,
"I am sure that thou has made a great error, I am not worthy to enter such
a place; it makes me recoil in horror to think of the temptation such wealth
would lead to. I am naught but a poor, and, I hope, a holy man trying to serve
the Divine One, and I have come all the way here to see the master."
Whereupon the attendant bowed to him and said, "Most worthy Sir, abide
here awhile, and when the time cometh thou will see the beloved master. I now
withdraw, in the meanwhile make thyself refreshed until thout art summoned into
his august presence." He then withdrew.
The poor seer was left alone, bewildered, upset, and at the
same time beset with what he considered great temptation. He was surprised to
find himself looking at a beautiful nude picture of an artist's model, and with
great threshing of conscience he upbraided himself for his sinfulness; but in a
few moments he was realizing how pleasant the carpet felt underfoot, and again
he chided himself for his weaknesses. He sat down, and was in such deep, and
devout meditation that he did not notice that the chair was soft, and
comfortable until he began to fall asleep, when up he jumped and almost swore
when he found it was a fine chair to sit in. After standing awhile, and keeping
his eyes closed so as to blot out of his sight all these temptations, his keen
sense of smell made him aware of the sweet smelling fruit, confections, and
spices; and he was so overpowered with hunger that he opened his eyes a little
and saw some figs and other fruit on the table before him. They so enticed him
that he subjectively reached out for a fig, but as he picked it up he dropped
it in horror, as he would a viper, because of the act of partaking of a luxury,
he looked heavenward and prayed: "Oh Enlightened One thy servant is a holy
man and why dos't thou submit to me these great temptations?" But the only
answer he received was a greater gnawing in his stomach for food. Thus it was
until the attendant returned and said, "Worthy Sir, our beloved master
will now receive thee, follow me!"
Through beautiful halls of marble, along galleries where the
vista was one great panorama of the works of the Creator--mountains, valleys,
and streams, marvelous in the splendor of the setting sun--wended the twain.
Out of a great archway, hung with cloth of gold, and through which could be
heard the twinkling of sweet music from stringed instruments, and the subdued
chanting of female voices, enthralling in its enamouring sweetness, lulling in
its rhythmic cadence, suddenly stepped another attendant who bowed and struck a
gong; instantly the cloth of gold parted in the center.
Now, of all things on earth the poor seer had seen, nothing
could be compared to the beauty and wealth he had already beheld within these
castle walls; but as he glanced into the great hall he became stupified, the
splendor and the color, the beauty of the dancing girls, who had ceased their
dance upon a motion from the man reclining upon a divan, was devastating. For
one instant the poor seer had a thought that perhaps this was Heaven and that
he had passed to his reward. But no, the subdued flesh asserted itself, and he
glanced at the man upon the divan who was smoking from a long cigarette. He
fell upon his knees and said: "Oh most exalted sir, oh prince of many
things earthly, I am not of the earth, I am a poor and holy man, and my
ministrations are to the humble, I have come very far, oh sir, on a pilgrimage
to my most worthy master, and I beg thee let me proceed away from the curse
upon my senses which is before me." The man upon the divan answered,
"Brother, arise and enter, I am the master thou speakest of, why art thou
beguiled by thy senses, these things thou seest are the gifts of the gods, the
Divine One, come, make thyself at ease, and suffer not from deprivation when
nature is so abundant, what thou seest here taketh not one farthing from the wealth
of the earth or the poor thereof; it is the law, knowledge my brother
knowledge. And I say also to thee, that from henceforth thou art my guest of
honor, and I have commanded this instant that thou, as equal to me, shall
demand and command all things within my realm. My servant brothers will clothe
thee, and show thee thy resting place. So be it, I am on my way now about the
Master's work."
In humble submission the poor seer listened to the master,
and followed his advice; but ate sparingly of the food at his command. During
this rest he decided that he would go out into the grounds, take a walk, and
meditate upon how sinful, or otherwise, it was for the master, himself, to be
living amidst such luxury. He did not take advantage of the opportunity to rest
or relax within those beautiful walls, so he retired into the open, and
wandered along the banks of a stream, in meditation and condemnation.
It so happened that he suddenly thought that now was a good
time to wash out his breech cloth, so, he took it off, and after washing it in
the stream he hung it on the limb of a tree. While waiting for it to dry, he
heard a vehicle on the road, a yard or two off, and looked up to see the
master, in a carriage drawn by four horses, with, footmen, outriders, and attendants.
The master motioned for him to come over he wanted to talk to him, the poor
seer walked to the side of the carriage, where he stood while the master
talked. Suddenly the poor seer became agitated and said, "Oh! master your
castle is on fire, and the flames are all in the upper stories." The
master said, "Yes, well, as I was just saying, etc.," and he went on
with the story he had been telling. After a while the poor seer could not
restrain himself and he cried. "Oh! master the flames have gone down into
the lower stories and it looks as though your castle is doomed." The
master looked at him and said, "Yes? well, as I was just now saying,
etc.," and the master continued with his talk. In a little while the poor
seer was overcome with excitement and exclaimed, "Oh! master your whole
castle is destroyed and the flames have burned the trees, and shrubbery, and
they are coming this way, and oh master I must save my breech cloth." With
that the poor seer ran to the tree, and snatched his breech cloth from the
limb, and in wild fright looked in toward the castle, only to see that the
castle still remained intact, and whole as ever.
The master now called the poor seer to him and said,
"Brother, that is the first lesson, and it is this, the only thing you possessed
was your breech cloth, at least you think you possess it; but for your poor
contemptible rag, you would have left the Divine One standing in the middle of
the road. Your rag possesses you brother, as little as it is." And so
Brothers and Sisters, although the illuminated one possessed all the great
wealth and splendor of a prince it did not possess him.
You were born without a single possession, all that you now
possess was here when you came; and when you go you will leave all things that
were here when you came. You only have the use of the gifts of God and nature
while you are here. You have gotten the idea, somehow, that you own them
exclusive of everyone else, forget it, and remember that all you can give to
the world while you are here, and all that you can leave of yourself, is
thought. So think this over, and think right, make every thought a vibration of
love and harmony.
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