PS 11378
IC761IZC
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STORY OF SENSA
I. INTERPRETATION OFTHE YLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS :
ol 01 0!
MABEL COLLINS
THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
THE STORY OF SENSA AN INTERPRETATION OF
THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS EY
MABEL COLLINS A THREEFOLD NARRATIVE 1.
A STORY OF BLACK MAGIC IN ANCIENT
2.
THE INITIATIONS OF AN EGYPTIAN HEIRO-
3.
THE TRAGEDY AND APOTHEOSIS OF THE
EGYPT.
PHANT.
HUMAN
SOUL.
NEW YORK
:
JOHN W. LOVELL, PUBLISHER, 1 West 34th Street
COPYRIGHT,
1913,
BY
MABEL COOK
PS 1373
THE STORY OF SENSA An The
Interpretation of
Idyll of the
White Lotus
CHAPTER THE
I.
story of Sensa, as told with marvel-
The
lous and mystic art in
Idyll of the
White Lotus contains within narratives,
separate
yet
itself
three
inseparable,
united in their very nature and essence, as are the three leaflets of the trefoil clover.
They cannot be taken apart, but they can be looked upon separately and in each is
contained something vital which ap-
peals to the deepest part of the
No
nature within ourselves. occultism
who
human
student of
has once read this Idyll
and penetrated within any part of mystic
veil,
can forget
it
its
or be parted
160-6051.
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION from
it,
because
it
relates his
own
story,
the tragedy and ultimate apotheosis of his
own
tial
part of himself.
I
am
critic
soul,
and
is
therefore an essen-
able to write of the Idyll as a
and a student, not as
any sense, because
upon paper told to
me
in
human
when my
the
'known
Southern India as translated "
into
its
author in
language, as
the
in
in
of
"
obscurely
by the words
somnambulic clairvoyance."
was deeply engrossed
was
was
occultists
swapna
English
it
and universal
personality
to "
it
simply placed
in the mystical
language, state
I
In 1878
literary
I
work
which kept me constantly at my writing and from the window of the room
table, I
worked
brought up
in I
saw Cleopatra's Needle and set up upon the
the river
Embankment.
A
procession of superb
Egyptian priests began from that time to 2
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
come
my room
into
and
staircase
it
coming up the door and
entering
stood around first
my
table.
I
thought at
was the appearance of
astral
forms connected with the Needle. as
these
;Y
the
visits
mysterious
But
continued
and culminated
in
evident that
they were astral forms
if
a great effort,
it
is
they were animated and directed by the egos to which they belonged, and were
indeed the Kas of certain priests of ancient Egypt.
It is
of course
fact that the religious
known
as a
Egyptians under-
Ka or astral form of a had lived a spiritual life who person stood that the
could be used by the ego of that person for great purposes
and protected. that the
the
Ka
if
Also
carefully preserved it
has been stated
or astral form exists to serve
purpose of supplying information
with regard to events on the physical 3
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION This plane to its ego in Devachan. seems to be what took place in this case,
and when the hour was
came
where
to the place
the ego
ripe
work had
its
to
be done, and aroused the ego within myself
to
so
that
receive
down upon resting
brain in
the its
complished.
out
stood
I
the
the paper on
thinking
of
my
of
my
was
ac-
principle
the story
it
table, ar-
action while this
Thus
myself
and wrote
message,
was passed
from the higher consciousness
to
the
The "Ka"
lower, intact and perfect.
of " the astral " form of the Theosophists, the " spook " of the spiritualist's seance room, the " " ghost of all time and all countries. It
the
Ancient Egyptians
is
was regarded by the Egyptians
as earth-
bound, unenlightened, ignorant and retaining the lowest of the physical desires of the
man.
They had an 4
object
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. in
keeping
it
imprisoned in the tomb of
the body, and they therefore provided
it
and pleasures there roaming about and per-
with amusements to prevent
its
haps seeking tions.
still
which they kept ing
it
less desirable gratifica-
They had an to
elaborate ritual by
there instead of allow-
it
become disintegrated on the This was done because they
astral plane.
held that the ego in in the future
need
and come to seek that
from time
its
its
high place might
services
it;
upon
earth,
and they believed
to time this occurred.
Of
course the priests's knowledge of magic
and the mysteries of the after
life
was
regarded as great enough to establish and hold such a connection over the centuries.
The shapes of
priests
who came
my room and stood around
my
fore the Idyll of the White Lotus
written were not seen by others; 5
into
table be-
it
was re-
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION "
quired'
"
waking clairvoyance
perceive them; but
to
still,
(jagrat)
they were
and simple, the shades of But, as no doubt the ego of a
ghosts, pure
the dead.
great adept undertook the task of writ-
ing the Idyll at the ally
it is
more than probable that the work was actu-
moment when
begun,
when
was summoned
I
the higher consciousness, these ghosts
into
each one of
was inhabited by
its
true
ego, or spiritual form.
These priests were not the appear as characters in the
priests
who
book;
it
is
necessary to state this clearly to avoid
any confusion.
The
priests
who gave
the story of Sensa to the world were
representatives of the great spiritual re" " white magic which came ligion, (that
from
prehistoric
more
in a definite
times,)
acting
once
manner upon man and
aiding his evolution.
6
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
The priests in the story represent " who were sorcerers, workers of
those
black
magic." It
must be remembered that magic
word of
a
rived as
it
is
dignity and spirituality, defrom the ancient Zend. is,
simply means the powers and pracProof the wise men, the Magi.
It
tises
fessor Walter in magic, the
sense, in
is
God."
the time
* " The belief Budge says word being used in its best :
older in Egypt than the belief " Egyptian magic dates from
when
the pre-dynastic and pre-
historic dwellers in air,
less
Egypt believed that and the sky were peopled with countbeings, visible and invisible, which
were held
to be
friendly or unfriendly
the earth, and the underworld, and the
man " He points out that the magic known in other countries has been drawn to
*
Walter Budge's
"
Egyptian Magic," Kegan Paul-
7
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION "
from
"
Black
adds
White Magic
the
of
Magic " is
it
:
how much
and " the
"
ancient
Egypt,
and
impossible to say exactly
the beliefs and religious sys-
tems of other nations were influenced by them, but there
and
views
and
heathen
is
no doubt that certain
religious
ideas
Christian
of
many may be
sects
traced directly to them."
This spect, in us,
origin
is
the glorious side of the retro-
showing how the highest that and the best that we know, has
and root
in the
is its
mysterious pre-
historic past of Egypt.
A great, dark, gloomy shape arises from the same ancient source and the light
and the darkness battled ceaselessly
then as they have done ever since, in the
world and
in
every man's
Professor Wallis
him
that
was versed
own
Budge says in the lore
8
nature. " :
To
contained
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. in the
the
books of
future
'
the double house of life
was
known
well
as
'
as the
past and neither time nor distance could limit
the operations of his power; the
mysteries of
and death were
life
bare before him
Now
if
laid
such views as
these concerning the magician's power were held by the educated folk of ancient Egypt there is little to wonder at
when we
find that beliefs
and
supersti-
most degraded character flourished with rank luxuriance among tions
of
the
the peasants and working classes of that
To meet
country
the
religious
needs
of such pople the magician, and in later times the priest, found
it
necessary to
provide pageants and ceremonies which
appealed
magic
chiefly
to
the into
degenerated
senses
this
sorcery,
and
demonology, and witchcraft, and those who dealt in it were regarded as associ-
9
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION of the Devil and servants of the
ates
powers of darkness, and workers of the " Here we have the atmosblack art.' '
phere in which the story of Sensa
we
feel
how
true to life
is
is set,
the picture of
the innocent neophyte plunged into the
between the powers of good and Subba Rao, the learned Brahmin * "It Theosophist says of the Idyll
battle evil.
:
truly depicts the Egyptian faith and the
Egyptian priesthood, when the religion
had already begun
to lose its purity
degenerate into a system of Tantric
and
wor-
ship contaminated and defiled by black
magic,
unscrupulously used for
selfish
and immoral purposes." If
we
artistic
first
of
setting
all
read the Idyll in
as
a
Egypt, laid in one of
(now long
story its
of
its
ancient
great Temples,
since a ruin, buried beneath
* " Esoteric Writings "
10
page
240,
(Bombay).
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. the dust of ages,)
we
see the
born of the peasants, a out of his
young boy,
fellah,
family to enter
hidden priestly
life as
its
chosen sacred
He
a novice.
He
innocent, untrained, simple.
is
is
awe-
struck at the vocation open to him, and
majesty and dignity of the
at the
To them he
is
priests.
simply an ignorant boy
from the country who will have enough work given him to do, such as he is fitted
and "
They think nothing of him,
for.
the
Agmabd,
high
of
priest
the
dark goddess," the leader of the group
of black magicians, does not notice
profound
is
the
impression
how
made on
the sensitive child by his presence and
His golden beard, his exrobe, white, embroidered with
personality. quisite
gold
which
in
mystic
patterns,
encompassed
him,
the
glamour Sensa
rilled
with strange new emotions, inexplicable II
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION In spite of his charm
and bewildering.
and gentleness the child recognized in him something hard and cold, something He indicates this by scarcely human.
Agmabd seemed to him like Agmabd sees a timid and bids him not to fear. He di-
saying that
something carved. boy, rects
he shall be taken into the
that
school.
Here where
pale students study
who
the priest
is
their
teacher treats him with contempt.
The
difficult papyri,
new
novice
is
only a country boy, clearly
no scholar there ;
on him.
He
is
no time to be wasted
directs that the child be
taken to the gardener, to give this
who
him some work.
will
He
be able
goes into
place of beauty, and being a seer
and clairvoyant becomes aware of the presence of The Goddess the spirit of true religion
becomes
visible to him, per-
sonified, rising out of the sacred flower
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. of Egypt.
In
full
waking clairvoyance
he gazes upon her, and then proach her, but this effort and he faints away.
The
fact
he
that
tries to ap-
is
too great,
a seer at once
is
changes his position in the Temple. The black magicians determine to control
him and use
his gifts for their
own
a
gift, to act as
medium
goddess, to enable her to
for their dark
communicate
with them and with the people. effort
is
pose.
forces
made
to secure
The
battle
He
Agmabd and
between
Every
this
the
is
pur-
two
of priceless value to
the black magicians
follow and obey him.
of a medium, there
have
him for
of good and evil literally rage
over him.
ant
ends.
are in great need of one with this
They
is
who
They have need
no seer or clairvoy-
amongst them, and although they all
the learning of the ancient
13
Egyp-
THE STORY Of SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION tian,
all
the powers of the students of
magic, they
cannot
innermost
their
communicate with
guide
and
controller,
the dark Queen, without the psychic gift. It
has been lost by reason of their utter
selfishness
and degradation, so that they
have had nothing to offer the people but inventions and deceit. They are placed before us in the position of the fortunetellers
when to
and miracle-workers of to-day the
power has
left
them,
in
order
keep the suffrages and the support of
the public on
whom
comes necessary
they depend invent
to
it
and to
The company high priests weary of subterfuge and exhausted of
invention.
The
the
belie*
are in
discovery of a natural
clairvoyant, a born seer, in one of the
young neophytes, sight of gold in the
The
child
is
to
soil to
them
like
must be secured, made 14
the
a gold-digger. their
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. slave, trained in
mediumship, taught how
to listen to the strange voice of the dark
Queen, (the personification of evil and falsehood and selfishness,) and to give her messages to her servants
;
to take their requests to her
from her the This
sires.
is
diately,
and obtain
gratification of their de-
the vocation laid
Sensa, upon which he
without
They cannot
any
is
down
to enter
delay
afford to wait
the
have payment
gratification
of
desire
for
imme-
whatever. they have
sold their very souls to the Devil,
they must
how
taught
and
power and for
them-
selves, miracles and excitement for the
people
who
support
them.
None
of
these things can they get, because there is
none among them with psychic power,
none who in
is
not bound by materialism
consequence of
ness.
evil
doing and
selfish-
Therefore so soon as the gardener 15
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION tells
them
that the child has seen a vis-
they claim him for their own. But the vision was that of Truth, of the
ion,
personification of the Logos; the Lily-
Queen of Egypt's pure
religion
had
dis-
covered his open sight before the black magicians knew of
it;
and
his heart
had
gone out to truth and purity and love he had done obeisance to the Supreme. Therefore the black magicians found the
;
task of subduing
him
to their evil pur-
poses, and selfish will, much harder than They they had expected it to be. thought he was merely an ignorant boy
who would
whom
be as
wax
in their hands;
they could use and exploit with-
out difficulty
being within
who was
;
but he was indeed a
whom was
struggling to retain
draw nearer and nearer
The
ordeals to which he
16
human
illumination and
to
was
it
and to
the
light.
subjected,
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. the temptations placed in his way, the
seductions offered to him, give the setting of
quired
sombre and for
brilliant pictures re-
enactment
the
of
this
tragedy of the soul.
That the black magicians should have so misjudged the neophyte
natural and true to
life.
is
An
recognise the higher natures teristic
perfectly
inability to is
a charac-
who have chosen
of those
the
The
path
of
priests
who surrounded Sensa were
self -aggrandisement.
deeply plunged desire
and
which
results
in
the
and did not
materialism
that
it,
the
so
gratification of
blind
from
longer understood tion
the
in
they
no
laws of evolu-
realise
that
waking
clairvoyance and the true Vision are only possible to one
who
has entered upon
Therefore they miscalculated his strength, and met with a
the
upward
path.
17
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION resistance they did not look for.
They
thought that by the mere exercise of authority over this helpless child they could
get
all
And
that they wanted.
seemed as
if
was
it
at first
it
He was
to be so.
taken into the holy of holies in which dwelled sees
And the
the
dark
And
within
day
priests
soul
Again
he
with horror.
he refuses to obey the command of dark Power; fainting, once more,
from exhaustion. first
Power.
this time to tremble
seek
for
the
so
passed
means
to
entice
from the body, and leave
controlled, to be used
as her
medium
;
his
The
Temple.
it
the
un-
by the dark Queen
the attempts in which
the fascinations and pleasures of black
magic on the subtle planes of experience are offered to him seems at first to be successful.
from
his
The longing
for
freedom
imprisonment can be gratified 18
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
by leaving his body and when the chance to do this comes he takes it without ;
hesitation, in complete ignorance of the
But the Lotus Queen herself body and wakens
danger.
comes it
to his entranced
and
the soul back to take the
calls
command.
Then Agmabd
sonification of pleasure,
creates a per-
which comes to
the boy as another child, a girl full of
fun and play. the
black
This most
magician
last;
Sensa
with
natural
follows
difficult feat
brings his
of at
new playmate She
delight.
success
leads
him
into gardens of flowers;
among
who
and he becomes
are playing
games
;
children
possessed by the very spirit of pleasure, playing eagerly with the others.
time
Agmabd
wandered away like
delights,
This
conquered; while the soul into the
the
world of child-
entranced body was
seized upon, used, controlled by the dark
19
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION The soul of the neophyte saw surrounded by merry children like
Goddess. itself
himself; the body of the neophyte was raised
up and surrounded by worshipits voice used to utter words
ping priests,
The gay and innocent soul which had been led from one plane to
of authority.
another
by Agmabd's magical powers in the experiences of dream-
was happy
consciousness, while used.
found
its
Returning to all
changed.
its
No
body was thus
own
place
it
longer was the
ego of this neophyte the ruler of
The boy had become
its
a
medium, and sorcery despite the power of the Lotus Queen. His voice had been used without his knowl-
body.
made
edge.
so by witchcraft
His body had been worshipped and vehicle of the Avidya
as the dwelling
herself while he
had been playing with dream conscious20
his child friends in the
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. ness.
It
is
a most interesting study in
enactment of events,
the
simultaneous
and
in the passing of the soul
from one
state of consciousness to another, is
here given.
which
Ambition and emulation
have come to him in the subtile consciousness,
artfully
drawn
the black magician fate
;
he
is
forth
who
is
him by
in
guiding his
the successful competitor in
the games, and then he
is lifted
up
to be
a leader of the children and placed on a
throne in their midst to speak to them.
He
is
quite forgetful of his
cited
him.
by the
vivid
it,
ex-
subtile pleasures offered to " "
Then he
pressed.
body and of
with regard to
his responsibility
fell
asleep
Any one who
as
it is
ex-
has had a very
dream consciousness and returned
suddenly from
it
to
the physical con-
sciousness will recognise this description as perfectly correct.
21
The
feeling
is
ex-
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION actly the
same
as that of falling asleep
in the physical consciousness.
Followed
by the voices of the children acclaiming
him and praising him, he entered into his body and found it surrounded by worshipping priests to
words he knew understood only child girl
he had
if
among
who had
the creature
he had spoken and could not have
known them.
The
crowd was the
little
into the gardens of
and returned with him;
of
his
the
him
led
subtile pleasure
mated by which this
whom
not,
Agmabd, a form aniThe manner in
mind.
child appears,
and her
actions,
one of the signs of that high priest being a very highly advanced Yogin, a sorcerer of the first rank. And even is
now, so
late in his career,
cast the darkness
he might have
from him and become
by suffering and expiation, a Yogin of the first rank. But he is unable to pass 22
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
beyond the contemplation of the phenomenal universe. He cannot escape from the thrall of the dominating characteris-
ambition.
He He
who
goes
of his nature, the love of power.
tic is
destroyed by his
own
has conquered the child-seer helplessly with
him
into the desecrated
and
terrible
the
medium between him and
ruler.
He
Holy of
Holies, there to be his
evil
has sought long for this op-
portunity of direct communication with the powerful spirit, determined to secure
the prizes for which he has worked, the gratification
He
of
his
colossal
ambition.
desires to be a ruler in the world of
men, to wear a crown of absolute power.
Now
he
is
able,
by reason of his con-
quest of Sensa's will, to
make
demand of
And
the evil one.
his final
he
is
im-
mediately confronted by the supreme ordeal of the black magician.
23
Till
now he
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION has retained his claim to immortality and to the possibility of ultimate redemption.
But
if
he
is
to have his desired prize, he
must surrender the heritage of man, he must sell his birthright. And after a brief pause, in
which
and
developed consciousness,
his widely
his great intellect
survey the bargain, he pronounces fatal
Henceforth he
words."
the Prakritilaya, those Yogins
is
"
the
one of
who
are
and without knowledge of the Supreme, and who must ultimately be dissoulless
because there
which can
"
or
integrated,
is
resolved
no
live on.
into
nature
"
spiritual being within
And
the boy, looking
on him as he makes the dreadful choice, sees that
his
face grows
"
colder and
more stony than any carven form."
Al-
ready he experiences an augmentation of the peculiar
He
strength of the magician.
exhibits the complete perfection of
24
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
body which
one of the powers of the
is
magician, the perfection which according to
cludes
Patanjali, the Persian sage, in" beauty, gracefulness, strength,
The
and adamantine hardness."
aspect
had belonged to him in the eyes of the child-seer from the now it has become confirmed. first; as of a carved figure
Agmabd
has bartered immortality for a
mortality during which he can be injured
by none, he can suffer no
immune from
all
danger.
ill,
he will be
Such are the
who appear men from time
great and terrible beings rulers of masses of
time,
force
who conquer and control by of will, who bear charmed
against
whom
as to
sheer lives,
revenge and justice are
alike unavailing.
In order to give to
Agmabd
which he demands of her the requires twelve
"
the
sworn servants 25
crown
evil spirit
"
to
do
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION For there
her bidding.
is
work
to do,
The
and the workers must be secured. dark Queen
tells
in the
Temple who are hungry
with desire for pleasure
;
the dark
promises to satisfy them and to bind
them
Kamen
Baka, the second
in
gratify
without delay.
ber? "
it,
is
doing
There
is
dignity in
the Temple; his heart's desire
Queen and she
Queen
in so
to their service.
to the dark
shall
num-
There are ten
ber must be complete. priests
that the
Agmabd
is
known
prepared to "
And who
be the one to complete the num"
asks
Agmabd.
This child,"
she
that fate
and by
answers,
those words the fate of Sensa
is
which changes him from
sealed; "
a gay "
happy creature of sunshine into " " " a sad youth whose sick heart held
child, a
hidden within
it
many 26
secrets
"
of shame
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
and
sin
and sorrow, and who knew him-
self for a slave.
This terrible scene
is
fol-
immediately
lowed by the summons from the dark Queen to Kamen Baka. He enters the holy of holies, a blind man, stumbling the dark,
in
dependent
seeing nothing, altogether
on the mediumship of
an-
by the evil power whom The dark Queen views him
other, despised
he serves.
with contempt because his sonality
is
his
limitation.
human
He
per-
craves
personal adoration, personal love given to
him by those around him, whom he regard him now with coldness and
feels
dislike. if
His demand
he pronounces the
is
belong to this step in the
He knows
well
who
upon
words which
downward
what they
the dreadful glare
one
easily granted,
fatal
are,
path.
and with
his face of the
desires to have and to take
27
all
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION and give nothing, utters them, though "
with
pain.
though
all
From
henceforward,
love me, I love no man."
men
knows
that
the
young seer has been the uttermost, and orders that he
tried
The
dark
Queen
strength of the to
be given
him
rest.
to himself
shall
Agmabd
therefore leaves
and
the gardener to
tells
him out among the flowers. Sebona not to take him to the lotus tank
take is
but
among
his soul
beautiful things which refresh
and awaken
But
all
and
in the
true art
is
his artistic nature.
fed from the Supreme,
midst of his delight in beauty,
of his rejoicing in the glory of
Lady of
the Lotus suddenly
life,
comes
to
the
him
tells him the mystery of the water, and shows him how to rise upon it. But he is not strong enough to remain with
and
her; he
falls
away, sinking back into the
darkness of his slavery and the words
28
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. she speaks to
But
still
him become but
a
memory.
he cherishes them in his heart
and they ring out dimly from time to time in the obscure regions of his dark-
ened brain, as the years of slavery and shame pass by and he grows, in his bondage, from childhood to manhood.
So ends the battle
for
rages,
the
first
this
Book of
the Idyll.
poor human holds
Supreme
spark of divinity which apparently Sensa
is
lost
it
fast
has
and
soul
lit,
is
be one of the black magicians.
29
to
The still
the
though
fated to
TH STORY OF
SENSA,
AN INTERPRETATION
CHAPTER THE as
first
the
book of the
story
of
II.
Idyll can be read
any neophyte of the
priesthood in the days of the degeneracy
and degradation of the great religion of Egypt, if he was found to be a natural psychic.
But the second book contains
scenes and events which
show
that Sensa
was not only
regarded as an individual,
a seer but a soul so highly advanced as to be ready to
become an adept.
He
is
moreover described as a heirophant, one who teaches. So that in reading the detailed description of the ordeals
through which he passes,
it
is
and
tests
inevitable
that the student of occultism shall look
upon him as a recognised personality, one of the great ones of the race. Subba 30
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. observes * that the Idyll
who
Rao,
on
probably a true story, goes "
Sensa
represented to be the last great
is
of
heirophant leaves tree,
Egypt.
Just
as
a
tree
seed to develope into a similar
its
even
if it
should perish completely,
so does every great religion
and energy
its life
is
to say,
in
seem
adepts destined to preserve
and revive
its
to leave
one or more great
at
growth
its
wisdom
some future
time when the cycle of evolution tends in the
course of
about
the
old religion of
appear on nobler arrives,
its
desired
this
revolution, to bring result.
Chemi
is
The grand
destined to re-
planet in a higher and
form when the appointed time and there is nothing unreason-
able in the supposition that the Sensa of
our story adept,
is
who
probably is
now
a very high
waiting to carry out the
* Esoteric Writings,
31
page
240.
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION commands
"
Lady of
the
This view, of course,
Lotus."
upon
of the
White based
is
the character of the ordeals de-
and
scribed,
upon
teaching the people.
Sensa's
are inherent in the story. to
possible
known
action
The grounds But
Sensa
identify
it
in
for
it
not
is
with
any
adept, nor has any such attempt
been made except as a vague speculation. Still,
the idea suggested by Subba
that the ego of Sensa ice to
may
Rao
yet have serv-
do for humanity gives a keen inand adds to the
terest to the character
profound occultism of the story the roa personal touch. The Sensa
mance of of whose
read
trials
may
and
fierce struggles
be amongst us
now
embodied or unembodied.
or invisible
In the begining of the second book are
shown the boy grown
though
still
we
visible
a
young man. 32
to
He
we
manhood, is
valued
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. and cared for
Temple as such a would be he is amused
in the
priceless servant
;
and waited upon by other young
priests
exhausting forms
in the intervals of the
of mediumship to which he
is
compelled
The waking clairvoyhis more innocent days,
to give himself.
ance in which, in
he became conscious of the Lady of the Lotus and received her direct inspiration,
has apparently become no longer
possible for him.
He
is
utterly given
madness of irresponsible mediumship, and knows nothing of the dread teachings and instructions uttered over
to
the
in his voice to the priestly sorcerers.
He
needs not only rest but refreshment to preserve his
had said
to
The dark goddess
vitality.
him
childhood that he
in his
must have beauty. She told him that he would have been a great artist if he had
lived for beauty
;
33
but that might not
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION
He had
be.
work
other
In his
to do.
childhood and youth he was surrounded
with quantities of flowers and
all
beau-
he grew to manhood he
tiful things; as
needed more than
and was allowed
this,
go out of the Temple into the city and find pleasures that would restore his to
Throughout the story he
strength.
shown
as being only attracted
or by pleasures of a beautiful kind.
had
felt
no
studies done in the
Tem-
would naturally be the case a child-seer, and regarding the
this
ple;
with
who was
story as that of one
through the is
He
any of the mental
interest in
work or mental
is
by beauty,
initiations
passing
of adeptship,
it
evident that he would have evolved be-
yond the mental beautiful
plane.
pleasures
But beauty and him so
attracted
deeply that this was indeed his undoing.
By
recognising and taking advantage of
34
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. this part
And now
Agmabd had
of his nature
tained control over
him
the slave of the high priest
sent out to experience
all
and passions of human full
ob-
at the beginning.
was
the seductions
the city;
life in
well that his chains were
knowing upon him and
that
when
was restored he would be
his
strength
recalled.
at this point in the story that a
new
It is
char-
young priest who connection with whose companion, him is full of mystery and meaning. It acter appears, Malen, a
is
his
is
Malen who suggests
in
him
to
to
go forth
search of pleasure, as otherwise he
will die of exhaustion;
him
that
Agmabd Malen
mission. leaves
him
woman who
s
leads
in the city is
and who assures
has already given per-
him
forth
evidently a re-appearance
of the personification of pleasure to
him
in
and
with a beautiful
childhood as his
35
known
little girl
play-
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION The
mate.
description of his meeting
with her again
He
is
amazed
most wonderfully
is
vivid.
to think that he has so long
So Malen leaves him
neglected her.
in
company of a creature formed by Agmabd from one of the serpents which the
are the dark Queen's living robe.
When
the child-seer's innocent eyes had seen
garment of Desire upon the evil spirit had filled him with horror. But this
this it
horror had
left
him, he had become fa-
miliar with the aspect of the monstrous
and now when by sorcery the evil made lovely he dwelled with was thing Uncounted Time passed it in delight. forms
;
by; he reckoned
it
not.
But Agmabd all and
watched and waited, counting
knowing
all.
And when
the great day
of the river festival arrived he went into the city of pleasure to fetch the seer of " "
the
Temple, saying simply 36
:
Come
!
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
And his
knowing himself a
the seer,
The
obeyed.
beautiful
slave,
woman who was
companion, vanished; the sorcerer
had removed the
spell,
and when Sensa
looked for her he saw but a serpent
which reared at his fear
head.
its
smiles
Agmabd
and assures him that
this fav-
harm
orite of the evil
one
chosen servant.
But Sensa cannot look
will not
the
on the horrible shape undisguised, and he hears
its
hiss of anger as he goes with
averted eyes.
His was the true
love for true beauty which to the core.
Still
is
pleasure and rest had "
restored his strength, and as the
servant
"
seer's
beautiful
chosen
of the dark
Queen he follows Agmabd, a deep gloom falling on him as he enters the Temple. The hour of the great ordeal
is at
hand, and he knows
blinded and besotted though he It will
it,
is.
be well, before entering upon
37
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION the consideration of the great ordeal, to
go over the story from the commencement once more in the light of its real, vital interpretation, that of the
there
tions
we
Tragedy
In the other two interpreta-
of the Soul.
are
limitations;
necessarily
are taken into the atmosphere of an-
cient Egypt, or into the personal life of
a great adept and must remain there the
end
How
of
the
mysterious
mysterious
this
is
till
narrative.
narrative be-
gins to be apparent to the student only as he understands that the soul-tragedy
which
is
so perfectly fitted into the splen-
did setting Soul, of earth,
is literally
all
the story of Every-
souls that incarnate
and that
it
is
a
continually enacted from all
all
time, in
all
conditions.
past, so
it is
on
this
drama which all
is
time and to
races and countries and in
As
it
took place in the
taking place now, and here.
38
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
To
the Soul, liberation
as
a birthright;
is
descended into matter so
it
must
it
eventually emerge therefrom, freed and purified.
We
of the race observe,
other
of
and those others
ourselves,
whom we know and
are
at
this
one
or
point
universal
told in the
Bhagavad
is
an-
same story where Ar-
Gita,
gund, the Soul of man,
can
In the
path.
great Sanskrit teachings the is
at
shown
fight-
upon the battlefield of his human nature. The whole of the Gita bears this ing
interpretation, while
it
as the story of a war.
can also be read
So the whole of
the Idyll bears this interpretation, while it
can also be read as the story of a
seer.
fect
In both cases the story
is
most per-
and complete when regarded
greater meaning, although the setting in which
it
is
in
so fitted as to
be hidden to the ordinary reader,
39
in the
each case
is
true
THE STORY
Oi'
SENSA,
AN INTERPRETATION
to the life of the ancient peoples
whom
the
Song and the
The
drawn.
short preface, written in the
same manner
The ensuing pages
which has been told every people. Soul.
and the
clearly and concisely
meaning of the whole.
the real "
as the prologue,
states
narrative,
from
Idyll have been
contain a story
in all ages
It is the
and among
Tragedy of the
Attracted by Desire, the ruling
element in the lower nature of man,
it
stoops to sin; brought to itself by suffering,
it
turns for help to the redeem-
ing spirit within; and in the final sacrifice
achieves
its
apotheosis and sheds a
blessing on mankind."
The key
to the
meaning of the
Idyll
in this aspect lies in the point that Sensa,
when he
enters the
everything which
Temple
From
his physical body. is
40
gate, enters
that
moment
related takes place
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. within himself part in the
;
every person
drama
who
plays a
a personification of
is
a quality or characteristic of his
own
When
he goes into the city for pleasure, when he appears among the people on the sacred boat, when he speaks nature.
the
to
are
people at the gate, the events
still
being enacted within himself,
for in each case
it
is
a part of himself
which he meets and encounters.
The
woman in the city is a form of his own desire; the dark goddess on the sacred boat is his own evil nature; the Lily Queen is his own divine nature. beautiful
The All-mother
of Egypt
Isis
guides the souls of
men
of birth upon earth brings of the Temple.
From
him
to the gate
the quiet fields of
the unborn she leads
him
of men, where he
at
is
who
to their places
into the
world
once roused and
captivated by the sights and sounds of
41
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION this
form of
special
human
life
life.
She, the veiled and mystic Mother, comes
from
into
Eternity
Time,
guides brief
moment
upon
the
when
she
and she pauses a
souls hither;
ere her
return,
and
confusion
listen
to gaze to
the
which are a part of human evolu-
babble, tion.
She has nothing birth, or
when come
do with physical
to
with the raising of the Temple
it is
into
ready to receive the soul and
communication with
its
ego,
she plays her incessant and unwearying part of bringing the soul to the gate and stays until
closed first
it it.
admitted and the gate
is
We
therefore see Sensa
not as a baby, but as a young boy,
at the
man
upon time
when
the awakening of hu-
intelligence usually takes place,
that which
draws him
that which attracts and
42
and
to enter the gate,
awakens him
is
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. Ambition, personified as the high priest
Agmabd. The personification of various
parts of
Agmabd and the other of the Temple, and as the other
man's nature as priests
persons
who
take part in the story,
ural for an Egyptian author teristic
is
nat-
and charac-
modes of thought of his Wiedemann of Bonn
of the
Professor
race.
"
the body of man throughout life was regarded [by the ancient Egyptian] as a battlefield where good and evil says,
spirits
The
fought for the mastery." soul, entering into its
sciousness, tion,
is
first
and under
possibilities of It
is
of
human
con-
upon by ambi-
direction surveys the
kingdom.
indicated at once, by the actual
movement life
its
its
seized
of the story, that the mental
man
plays no important part in
the evolution of the soul.
43
Sensa, enter-
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION "
ing the
large
intellectual
and beautiful room " of finds
pursuits,
dim of
that
the
and the neophytes who study with him pay no heed to life itself and do not look upon it. He is
teacher
is
sight,
himself the teacher and the taught; and that part of
him which has worked upon
the mental plane for ages has but
grown
and the other part which studies new mental statements sees no fresh reblind,
alities,
To
but gazes only on a written page.
him,
stand
full
of the craving to under-
life itself, this
large
and beautiful
room appears bare and unfurnished and he passes on through his
own
wise
it,
by command of
intellect, personified in
the
dim-sighted old teacher, to things living
and things
real
the garden of life!
can only enter this part of his
own
ture by permission of the gardener,
He na-
who
has to appear before the gate can be un-
44
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. locked which admits him to this
"
world
of delicate and refreshing glory." instinct
which has led him to
who
has acted as
from the time of
his entrance
personified as a novice his guide
The
this gate,
into the temple,
is
now
and clamours that he
strong in action,
shall
be admitted.
Three times does he ring the bell before the gardener answers the summons.
And when
at last
he slowly comes, mov-
the flowers in his black robe, " and agrees to receive the " new pupil it ing
is
among
instinct
which unlocks the
the Soul through
it
the inner dimness, "
Come
"
is
gate, ushers
and returning seen no more.
into
with me," says the gardener,
and fear not."
Who
is
this
" strange
face
would awaken
man
breast ?"
man whose
interest in
45
any hu-
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION
CHAPTER THE by
story of Sensa,
its
III.
we
as
is,
are told
author, in the preface, the tragedy
of the soul of man. the bodily
life,
Its activity
takes no heed of
It
or the mental
life
of man.
and movement begin with the
meeting with the gardener when the soul
awakens and by effort
own
its
instinct
and
reaches out beyond the walls of
the temple to the mystery of that garden
which belongs
to
it.
This
is
not the field
of open nature, but the temple garden,
man's heritage, as much as the temple itself.
But,
though
belongs to the
it
soul, the gardener must
among
its
beauties;
helpless without him.
show the way would be
Sensa
Too
often does
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. the soul remain imprisoned in
ignorant that there for lack of
is
its
temple,
a temple garden,
demanding help from the
gardener.
This
is
how Subba Rao
speaks of the
gardener, in Esoteric Writings. "
the
Sebona, '
intuition.
is
gardener
They cannot make a phantom of me,'
declares Sebona; and in saying so this
unsophisticated but honest
own
reveals his
While Sensa existence
him.
of
is
in the
ambition
Agmabd
rustic
controls
garden the very is
enters
into is
intuition
him lay
that
higher
is
when he
consciousness
represented by the garden. is
by
forgotten
him when he
within the temple walls, but not
which
truly
mystery."
then his guide,
His
and leads
to the sacred lotus tank without de-
and we are
at
once at the heart of
the mystery, in the thick of the story;
.47
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION His own
the battle has begun. intelligence
by
later is
spiritual
within this garden, and
aid he can perceive the light of the
its
We are
wisdom.
Logos, cally,
is
what
shown, practi-
is
waking clairvoyance, as, on we are shown, practically, what
mediumship. By the help of intuSensa raises himself into conscious-
ition
ness in his spiritual body [the sixth principle of
man
constitution
from
according to the sevenfold of the microcosm derived
Brahminical
lightened state
is
This
philosophy].
spiritual being in its
awakened and en-
able to perceive wis-
dom, and therefore Sensa, the human monad, is able to hold direct communication led
the
with the Logos.
him
to
Lotus,
the
home
passing
Intuition
of the
by
all
has
Lady of the
other
flowers, drawn by the sound of the " " There he waters. delicate-voiced
48
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. sees the
Goddess of Truth, and endeav-
ours
approach her; but he
to
strong enough
is
not
to succeed in this first at-
down through
tempt, and sinks
of consciousness
till
the planes
with the gardener's
help he re-enters the walls of the temple.
He does so by a different gate from that by which he had come forth the way is now not that of instinct, but of knowledge.
And now
it is
necessary to consider the
exquisite and wonderful mystery of the Lotus Tank.
In the astral body, or etheric double of
man, there
exist centres of life, or con-
sciousness,
which correspond to the nerv-
ous ganglia of the physical body. the ethereal body, as ancient
we
Hindu mystical
In
are taught by
writers as well
as by seers of the present day, exist centres
which are known by the Sancrit 49
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION word
them
for
cult to
word
Chakras
"
as
convey the meaning of
Chakra
"
modern
any
is
it is
diffi-
in a single
A
language.
a wheel of living
fire,
and as
form
it
learns to use these psychic powers of
its
the
its
ego developes
higher
etheric double
and then the correspond-
ing powers of
its
Paul put is
it,
ethereal body.
As
St.
having been sown a psyche
raised a quickening spirit.
of the brain
is
it
The Chakra
the seventh and highest,
and according to the Yogins must become living and conscious before enlightenment can be attained. crit
name
" is
Sahasrava
Its
San-
Chakram,"
which means the centre of the thousandpetalled lotus
what Sebona
calls
"
the
home of our Lady of the Lotus." Subba Rao in his exposition of the Idyll of the White Lotus draws
what he declares
is
special attention to
the real meaning of
50
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
Tank
the Lotus "
in the
He
garden.
Chakram
Sahasrava
in
the
says
brain
is
often spoken of as a Lotus tank in the
Hindu mystical sounding water as
writings. '
of this tank
as has the mysterious It
is
its
beauty
petals
when
Sahasravam of the
an unopened bud
and
ordinary mortal,
opens
White
the
said to have a thousand petals,
is
Yogis.
sweet-
described
is
Amritam or Nectar Padma,
Lotus,
'
The
just
and expands sun
the
rises
in
the
a lotus
as in
all
its
above the
horizon and sheds his rays on the flower,
Sahasravam of the neophyte
so does the
open and expand when the Logos begins to
pour
fully
expanded
seat of the
principle
When
light into its centre.
its
becomes the glorious
it
Lady of the Lotus, the
of
man
;
and
sitting
on
sixth this
flower the great goddess pours out the
waters of
life
and grace for the 51
gratifica-
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION and
tion
of
regeneration
the
human
soul." *
He
goes on to say that the followers
Hatha Yoga, (which
of
our
to
the
regulation
the endeav-
is
the
soul by psychodevelope " " as and such posture training, physical
that
the
in
of
the
ecstatic
breath,)
trance
believe
known
as
Samadhi the
soul can reach this thousand " obtain a glimpse of petalled flower and
the
But
Splendour of the Spiritual Sun." is a most profound and difficult
this
effort,
and
is
not the result of concentra-
tion, or of trance alone,
but
is
attained
through sushumna (the dath of the KabThis requires
balists).
much
and psychic knowledge and path of the Hatha
who is
Yoga
physical
effort.
The
exits for those
are so steeped in materialism that
necessary for *
Page
" 344,
them
to begin
Esoteric Writing."
52
it
by the
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. control of the
body before attempting to There are
control the thinking principle.
many
Hatha Yoga
followers of
in the
present day, but unfortunately there
an indisposition
to study
whole teaching at the bits and scraps
as to obtain the
The
fountain-head. of
which
it
"
"
understood
are
and
such
practised,
as
"
and
breathing
is
profoundly so
posture
partially
",
from
the
whole, are a great danger to those
who
attempt them.
separated "
Concentration
"
with-
out due understanding and due preparation
is
the greatest danger of
Yoga who
follower of Hatha
mined
to attain success
will give
his
of
all
is
The deter-
by that method
twenty years to the conquest of
body,
further.
all.
before
attempting
This path
to the goal.
is
anything
the slowest route
Patanjali
Yoga com-
mences with the control of the mind and 53
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION thinking that the
fully
is
it
is
admitted by ancient writers that
means of
wisdom by
if it
the
Hatha Yoga, or the is
in
possible by
Sensa we
has sought to
weary way of lofty method of
Patanjali Yoga, has left
He
is
And
intuition.
have the soul which,
past.
granted
But
in subjection.
instantaneous illumination
reach
for
taking
principle,
body
all
this in the
capable of absolute
faith,
he
truth,
and
therefore by the guidance of his
own
is
a
seeker
intuition he flash
of
absolute
after
is
able to raise himself in a
enlightenment,
water tank, which
is
of perception of his for a
moment
to
the
sacred
awakened organ spiritual form; and
the
of supreme joy, to gaze
upon wisdom.
And now we come
to the point
where
the intense and vital teaching of Light
on the Path
is
needed.
54
The uttermost
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. tragedy of the soul,
its
deep degradation,
be spared the neophyte
may
"
who
has
out
ambition."
But
Sensa has not learned
this lesson.
Am-
learned
bition
to
is
kill
the incentive to effort for the
ordinary man;
it
him even upon the an occultist
And
man.
who
is
is
is
that which brings
path.
For
to
become
the highest ambition of
Sensa,
who
is
upon the
nation, has not learned that he inate the qualities of
human
fore he can safely enter cise of his super-nature.
must domnature be-
upon the exerTherefore
stead of controlling ambition he trolled
by
it.
instincts press
Dark-visaged,
intuition
is
is
in-
con-
unnamed
upon him; they are the
creatures and tools of ambition.
Sebona
path,
capable of instantaneous illumi-
of
cries out,
are a teacher of
And
no use to Sensa now. "
you have seen you " and hands him
men 55
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION over to the instincts of the lower nature
which place him immediately
in the thrall
of ambition.
This
is a profound lesson for the neohard to learn. He does not know phyte, that until he has learned, he cannot teach.
A
glimpse of wisdom
him think he
is
is
enough
a teacher of
him
his intuition leaves
want of knowledge he
to
men
helpless. fails
make ;
and
From
under
this
first
great temptation and becomes the
tool
of his
those in
all
own
ambition.
ages
who go
There are
thus far,
and
no further, who are so completely dominated by the ambition which seizes upon them that never again do they see the
Lady of battle
And now
the Lotus.
is
begins the
this to be Sensa's fate? or not.
Ambition to
was
alone seize
enough which had so
not
tempting
and possess the soul
lately
looked upon the Su-
56
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
preme; and therefore, the high priest does not address Sensa when he comes into his presence
does he act alone. looked upon the
from the garden, nor So soon as he has of
the
illumined soul he goes for his great
ally,
face
strange
his brother, as he calls him,
Kamen
This high priest
shown by
movement of ification of
is
clearly
Baka. the
the story to be the person-
human
desire.
All the lower qualities of the man's
nature
now
rise into activity, anxious,
and
determined, to obtain the mastery over the higher nature and use gift of perception for their tion.
In
heartless
its
supreme
own
gratifica-
some natures the cold and claim of ambition for power
and supremacy would have sufficed to effect this; but this soul whose history
we full
are following
is
highly evolved,
it is
of love of beauty and of beautiful
57
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION pleasure,
and therefore the
personifies
desire
ruler
Agmabd
among
priest
to
who
consult
Throughout the whole
with Agmabd. struggle
called
is
holds the position of
the
priests;
and
Kamen
though called by him " is dominated by him. brother
"
Baka,
highly evolved soul sire
seeks no
it
;
as
younger
upon Sensa,
make him
their power,
in
is
or crude gratifi-
instincts, personified
priests, wait
fresh him, and as
ambitions in de-
is
common
The lower
cation.
my
This
effort decided upon.
re-
ready, so far
for the supreme For Kamen Baka
has advised that the seer should be at
once taken straight into the presence of Desire
own
itself.*
From
her as that which
"
*Avidva,
The
her he draws his
inspiration direct,
"
first
and he regards
is life.
Agmabd
per-
the dark side of human nature " Subba Eao illusion and the last" Ancient Wisdom-
58
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. mils himself to be led by this advice, and the
lets
soul
awakens
From
rest.
this
rest
it
to find itself in darkness, the
awful darkness of the Temple, and surrounded by a dense crowd of beings
animated by desire alone, and eager to use his priceless gift for their
The whole of
own
ends.
mysterious and in-
his
complex nature is demanding life gratification, and this fierce crowd,
finitely
and
silent its
in
grip,
the
door
of
his
its
passion takes the child in
and compels him to approach of
innermost
the
being,
holy of holies.
dark
the
The
circle
which had surrounded he
closes
awoke,
moves
at the
his
round
command
of
sanctuary
and
awful
of
priests
couch when
him
as
he
Agmabd and
he passes on his way, powerless.
For
not only do these nearest close about
him,
but
they
are
59
closed
upon
by
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION and
others,
he can
in every direction, so far as
see,
crowd
the
closes
Is
in.
not this the true picture of the awakening of
tion, to
that
it
it.
midst
And
;
is
storm of agita-
in a
demand of
has to give
vinity in its
by
The
manhood and womanhood?
whole being arises
brief
the
life all
spark of di-
led hither and thither
the horizon
seen, or the
human
little
scarcely to be
is
world outside remembered,
for the turbulence and growing strength
of
all
the
these strange qualities which go to
making of
a
human
being.
Sensa,
passing to the inner sanctuary, catches a
he
faint
has
glimpse left
and
of it
the is
the face of an old friend.
outer to
world
him
like
Prisoned
in
the microcosm he looks for a fleeting instant
upon the macrocosm before he entomb into
ters the deepst darkness of the
which he has descended. 60
OP THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
He
is
not conquered yet
unsullied soul, and the
lambent
fire
;
he
is still
first sight
the
of the
of Desire makes him alarmed
and miserable; and when he sees its actual form he is filled with horror. Desire
commands him
to
enter the
alone,
and he neither can nor
Then
in
sanctuary will
do
so.
anger she reveals her face to
him and he shrinks with loathing and fear, falling once more into unconsciousness.
Again the strain had been too him the first time it was the
great for
;
attempt to reach the light of the Logos
which was beyond his strength now the revulsion from that which lurks in the ;
darkness of his exhausts him.
own lower This
is
nature utterly
a crisis in life
which every one experiences in himself less definitely, and which those
more or
who have
the opportunity of watching
the change
from youth to maturity take 61
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION
To
place in others, are familiar with.
who
the one
is
passing through
it,
nothing
else in the universe is of
any importance
for the time being; the
amazement of
discovering within one's nature the great
cosmic forces which form the two arms of the crucifix, at bewildering.
work and
war
at
That good and
evil
is
so
should
be encountering each other on the general
battlefield
affairs of
human
of
men and
paratively easy to understand this
same
within one's
warfare
own
in
life,
of nations
should
small heart
is
;
;
but that
be
found
is
at first
a great surprise and a great shock. it is
so
;
the fact
is
there, the
the
com-
But
microcosm
reproduces the macroscosm in every deand the great dark Queen of Desire
tail,
who
is
almost visible in the midst of the
carnage of a revolution
is
quite visible
to the spiritual seer in the dark place of
62
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. his
own
When cries
The
vision leaves
lifeless, helpless
and amazed.
inner nature.
him almost
he recovers from the swoon and
aloud in terror at the recollection
of what he has seen, a priest
who
is
in
attendance upon him, a representative of
lower mentality, offers him
his
fresh
water and brings light into his room.
And
then he proceeds to urge upon him
that he need not fear, that
it is
only his
youth which makes him afraid, that he has received great honour, that the gaze "
our
"
powerful lady is enough to make a man swoon. This priest is evidently an emissary of Agmabd's for he of
all
speaks as one say,
and
who
has been told what to
recites his lesson well.
He
bids
the youth not to rebel against the vision,
but to appreciate the honour which has fallen on him; and above all not to be afraid.
The arguments brought forward 63
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION by this priest are those which every soul, horror struck at the first sight of evil within sire
hears from
itself
and the
nature,
ant
upon
and
all
that
is
ure of the soul to shrink
men ?
"
in ;
Unable
tions the
exists for the pleas-
it
not mere cowardice
is it
draws
which
attend-
Surely the world
from that which
and
ally
"
that nature.
urgent de-
its
instincts
arises natur-
and
leads
all
answer such ques-
to
weary and
terrified soul looks
for the help of intuition and asks for
Sebona. The thought of going into the wonderful and beautiful garden of his soul rejoices Sensa, and he waits pa-
work
est
him.
to
in the
the sun, light
Sebona to be aroused and
for
tiently
brought
it
lives
and beauty.
moment
is
does
Intuition
dark;
it
and moves
in life
Its quickest
at the
not
needs the light of
and
and keen-
wonderful hour of
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
dawn; and the weary for the
first faint
tuition
chilled
the
is
strong enough to
Then
aid.
spirit
must wait
ray of light before in-
the priest,
come
to his
whose words had
and disheartened Sensa, summons and Sebona, " human
gardener,
loving,"
if
the sad and spirit
is
!
uncouth and dark, comes to
shadowy room where the
brooding.
This description of a
weary and hopeless night vigil, followed by a return of courage and hope when the dawn comes, will be recognised by most people; it is a part of the common Selot and general experience of man. bona kneels humbly beside the gifted child,
who demands
of him an explana-
tion of the reason for his being horri-
by the sight of the ghastly face of Desire. Sebona does not attempt to anfied
swer
this question
but leads him forth at
once among the flowers, and when the 65
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION joy of
has seized again upon the child,
life
points out to
him
darkness and
its
again and again in
Then he
all
his magnificence.
leads Sensa, unawares, to the
lotus tank
goddess.
that in spite of the
horrors, the sun rises
and asks him Sensa
is
if
full
still
he sees the of fear, and
dreads to see the dark and cruel face of
But when he looks up the
Desire.
woman fore
of the Lotus *
is
him and he knows
that intuitively
he has once more reached her home.
bona urges him to speak
fair
once again be-
to her,
and
Sefalls
again upon his knees to watch the great event
which might possibly now take opening of communication
place, of the
between man's higher nature and the Divine itself. Sensa attempts to approach and with Sebona's help, her, again, reaches the water tank in his higher con*Vtdya, wisdom.
66
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. sciousness and touches the very garment
of the goddess where surface of the water.
it
upon the
falls
He
tries to
into her face, but light radiates
and he cannot see
He
is
Logos.
and
because of
its
it
glory.
blinded by the splendour of the
The
question which
Mother,
Queen addresses him, him courage to ask the
Lily
this gives
him. "
it
look
from
fills
what
and haunts
his soul
of
Poor quivering human
the
darkness f
soul,
"
asking of
own highest the question of the ages how to deal with its own lowest. And now the Logos itself gives in plain words its
the grand teaching of the ages, taught
always by every true philosopher and mystic. "
The darkness
is
is
to be conquered
not to be feared
;
it
and driven back as
the soul grows stronger in the light."
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION
own
If the darkness of man's
nature
is
not to be feared, then
inner there
is
nothing in the cosmos which can strike
him with dismay or fill him with alarm. " For the darkness of the innermost sanctuary of the Temple
" is
substance as that of Hell Lily
Queen
of the same
The
itself.
explains to the seer, in simple
language, that this innermost sanctuary of the
Temple
is
secluded from the light
of day in order that
by the
may
it
light of the spirit.
illumined
because the
"
be illumined It
blind
is
not so "
priests
the qualities of man's nature which are
drawn from darkness (Tamos) comfort themselves with
its
brood, and resist
illu-
mination.
These same ant brood ness,
were
priests,
with their attend-
of the evil
thoughts of dark-
already at
work upon
task of shutting out the light of the
68
their spirit.
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
Sensa was drawn back, in suffering, from the high place he had reached; Sebona stood rebuked and downcast.
and Desire, priests,
in the
placed themselves one on each
side of the soul,
that
its
Ambition
persons of the two high
place
and made
it
understand
was between them.
Sensa re-entered the
Thus
"
"
gloomy gates
of
the Temple, leaving the place of spirit-
and life, guarded and guided by two ruling and dominant passions
ual light
these
of
human
nature.
He
approaches his
doom; he enters upon his term of slavThere
ery.
be
veiled
will be resistance
and fearful
there will
rebellion
will be flashes of illumination
now
until the final great ordeal
there
but from
Sensa
is
guarded as a prisoner by the strong qualities of his own lower nature, and bidden to serve them as a slave serves.
69
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION
CHAPTER AMBITION now assumes
IV. absolute control
over the developing nature, and compels intuition to it
to
remain
approach the
oned
silent,
not allowing
Sensa
soul.
is
impris-
the sanctuary of the Temple,
in
guarded and watched by the crowd of lower instincts which figure as novices
and
priests in the
from going forth
drama.
He
is
prevented
into the garden, or
from
The composite approaching maturity, demands
meeting the gardener. nature,
success in
by
its
its
undertakings, and
is
coerced
overwhelming crowd of lower
in-
measuring success by the Wisdom and standard of the world. stincts
into
pure spirituality are of no use to one desires to
win
prizes.
70
Intuition
who
makes a
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. effort
great
lead the
to
finding
not able to
it is
come
to
and
it,
to the lotus
Sebona plucks a bloom a flower and sends an emissary of
tank,
wisdom
of his
own
to take
A
prisonment. is,
into the
soul
higher places which belong
for the soul
who
those
it
to
Sensa
in his im-
strange imprisonment shut in
is
should be
its
its
it
temple by
servants, as a
king might be locked in his palace by his
Sensa receives the flower of wis-
people.
dom
with the utmost delight and cher-
ishes
it
"
as
though
form of one is
to hide
it
of
were the breathing His great anxiety
from the
surround him. session
it
loved."
I
this
speaks boldly to
alien eyes
which
Encouraged by the posprecious
thing
Agmabd, and
Sensa
him
tells
he cannot endure the dullness and
soli-
tude of his imprisonment in the Temple.
When
relating this Sensa stays to
tell
the
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION reader that five years later he would not
have dared to address
manner.
Agmabd
in
such a
Five years later he was the
slave of ambition, as are so
many
of the
great and successful of the world.
They
obey
And
its
without
dictates
in a little
hesitation.
while Sensa would reach
and pass through that condition. yet ambition does not
He knows
mean
all
But as to him.
there are intensely desirable
things in the
cosmos which are outside
the scope of
human
There-
ambition.
fore he speaks boldly to
Agmabd, who, knowing the latent power of the human soul makes no angry reply, but places before it a great and terrible temptation, which has to be encountered by they pass along the path.
Sensa to meet strength should
danger, the
it;
and fearing
fail
Lady of 72
all
It is early
lest
as
for his
before so great a the Lotus herself
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
comes to
his aid.
Agmabd
places before "
him a volume bearing the title the Arts " and Powers of Magic and tells him he need never again be lonely if he looks He does so, and immediits pages.
upon
temptation,
ately
him
before
from
his
and
"
room "
Come
appears
him
freedom
He
offers to
prison house.
gratify any wish, "
this
personified, offers
is
"
and
freedom from one
Sensa's
man
says the
desire.
in black,
"
fol-
low me." "
No
" !
"
Sensa,
replies
the
high
if I priests have imprisoned me found escaping I shall be punished."
The
events
now
taking place must
am all
be considered with the picture of Sensa
(on this plane) as a young
upon
life,
born well
in
man
entering
Ambition
mind.
directs that he shall take a high place in
the world.
Is
he to do 73
so,
or
is
he to
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION be a seer of spiritual truth disregarded
and despised by men ? Sensa knows well the punishment which would fall on him if
he
appointed place; the
left his
contempt, the regret.
self-
But the tempter
does not stay to argue with him; he
merely
a
in
says
tone
of
command,
"
Come and look not back." This is the moment of greatest danger which has yet come to him. Had he obeyed the !
tempter implicitly soul-death must have
been his pels
lot.
him
But
his higher nature
com-
back and see the conse-
to look
quences of his attempt to secure free-
dom, and he beholds
his beloved
Lady of
the Lotus, and hears her voice calling " upon him to return. Lady, I obey," he
murmurs, and
is
saved.
Subba Rao,
in
writing of the real nature of soul-death
and the ultimate fate of a black magician, " says,
A
soul
may 74
place itself en rap-
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. port with a spiritual or elemental exist-
ence by evoking
on
attention
and concentrating
it,
for
it
purposes
magic and Tantric worship. case
it
transfers
existence and
its
of
In such a
individuality to such
sucked up into
is
its
black
it,
as
it
In such a case the black magician
were. lives in
such a being, and as such a being
he continues tara." *
the end of
till
Sensa
Manwan-
saved from this awful
is
by his own sixth principle which comes into the very sanctuary in which fate
the
human
upon
it
spell."
soul
is
imprisoned, and calls
awaken from the
to
He
does
so,
and
"
accursed
finds himself
in his prison house, quite alone, deserted
by
his tempter
compelled
to
and
also by his higher self endure his solitude and
He
realise himself.
wisdom, but
;
finds his flower of
" it is
languid."
He
* Esoteric Writings, p. 247-
75
clings to
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION it
however, and places
By
it
within his robe.
blossom of
this faithful clinging to his
truth he
is
strengthened to pass through
the ordeal which follows, leads
him blindfold
when Agmabd
into the inner holy of
and then bids him look upon the But when he dares
holies
goddess of Desire.
awful darkness fearing
to gaze into the
to see the face of horror,
glorious vision of the that his eyes forts
it
upon the
is
Lady of
the Lotus
She soothes and com-
fall.
him and bids him
believe that he "
safe, although he has been placed
in
is
the
very dungeon of vice and falsehood," because he himself has entered her atmosphere.
And now
most beautiful of royal flower of
she utters perhaps the all
her speeches
" :
The
Egypt dwells upon the
sacred waters, which in their purity and
peace I
am
fitly
form
its
eternal resting place.
the spirit of the flower,
I
am
sus-
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. tained upon the waters of truth and life is
ens,
which
is
Love."
At her bidding down to rest and ;
the
weary soul
"
lies
ambition's record of
this great effort is contained in the
word
my
formed of the breath of the heav-
Vain."
77
one
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION
CHAPTER THE
V.
soul has escaped this great danger,
met by more
only to be
temptations.
This
is
progress, terrible in
from one
subtle
steady advance
its
pitfall to another yet deeper.
Sensa awakes from
rest,
white flower in his hand.
mained with him som, but regards
still
it
this
to
find
Truth has
with pleasure and
mood
its
is
happy
He in
perfect beauty.
of content and confi-
dence enters himself called into being
a re-
only a plucked blos-
;
a flower of wisdom.
the contemplation of
Upon
and deeper
the ordained line of
by
in
this
another form,
very content and
confidence.
A "
little girl,
younger than himself and " comes gayly
bright as the sunshine
78
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. into his seclusion
and snatches the flower
from him, shaking the water from
its
leaves.
Man own
is
tempted and betrayed by his
powers, up to the very threshold of
immortality.
This
little girl is
students
as
interpreted by
daiva-prakriti,
mind of man
rejoicing in
youth and power, and revel
in
the
its
primordial
the its
Hindu higher
perpetual
capacity to light.
The
plucked bloom, separated from the root of truth, led Sensa into this greatest
danger of all to the highly evolved soul and the highly sensitive mind. Subba Rao, in one of his lectures, speaking of
the
"little
girl
of
the
pointed out that daiva-prakiti
Idyll," is
com-
pared to a girl by Hindu writers and " " the being superior protean power to daiva-prakriti therefore
79
all
the souls
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION of
human
beings are
human
made
The
wives of Krishna.
to
be the
little girl
is
the
upon that plane of glory and pleasure with which Sensa had established communication, and was indeed soul
none other than Sensa himself state,
in
another
using another form and entering
another consciousness.
It is
well at this
point in the story to recall the fact once
more
that
is
it
Egyptian and emanates Professor source.
from an Egyptian
Wiedemann " ings
says of the Egyptian writ-
parts of the soul are treated in
the tents as entirely independent beings." He enumerates them as the " Ka "
(which
is
the best
known, and
is
generally
understood as the etheric double)
the
"Osiris"*( the immortal double)
the
"
Khou "
"
(the
perfect shining one ") "
" is some* Professor Wiedemann Osiris says that times used for the Immortal Double, sometimes for the Ka, (etheric double or astral form).
80
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. the
"
Ba"
(which was the human-headed
by the ancient Egyptians
bird, depicted
mummy
as revisiting the
of the dead)
and three other independent last
the
Sahu
wrappings,
shaped the
"
which
like
"
These
Khaibit
"
mumny
which
is
a fan, and casts a shadow, and
Sekhem is
souls.
in the tents, as
which wears the
the "
"
the
reverend
form
"
the transfigured and quickened
spiritual being. is
named
three are often " "
Of
these last three
little
said in the tents; they belong to that
higher nature of
man whose
functions
This sepof tenary conception separate forms or souls, acting on different planes of concannot be described
sciousness and
all
in
words.
attached to the physi-
form or Temple, and
all engaged in working out the evolution of the ego, must be borne in mind when considering
cal
the story of Sensa.
Later in the drama, 81
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION when
the
young
man
Sensa himself personality, a "
;
as
again
another form, an inner
in
more permanent " is
little girl
of Agmabd's
of the world, the
Malen appears
priest
The
has fulfilled her task
little girl
of making Sensa a
self.
a favoured servant
she leads Sensa into places
of inexpressible pleasures and she draws
him
into
games where
as a matter of
course he succeeds beyond his fellows,
and "wins
all
the
Ambition
prises."
stimulates the soul in this world of consciousness,
and from the delightful ex-
periences which befall the soul in that place of
bliss, it
returns to find itself no
longer a free agent on the plane of hu-
man
life.
It
has sold
itself to
and desire and must obey them the pleasures of the
ment
some given
come, for the
mind are
already,
"
" little
82
girl
ambition
implicitly
;
the pay-
some tells
yet to
him he
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. is
to play often with the children.
him too
tells
earth- fed flowers
among to
pluck blooms
water-tank. to
that in future he
And
She
to dwell
is
no longer
from the
lily
is
he
of the
his first
punishment is uttering strange words him (the soul) have no mean-
find himself
which
to
they appeal only to the lower na-
ing, for
His inspiration, poured into him
ture.
from the Queen of Desire, causes him by the most splen-
to be worshipped, even
did
of the
now own
"
conceit
but he
priests.
His brain
frenzied with the
is
"
to use
follies
not
is
of his
Agmabd's words,
obedient to the spell laid on him
by Desire and
his speech gladdens
and
throng of priests who listen All bow down before him; the
satisfies the
to him.
novices kneel to offer him
room
is
made sweet and
bushes of earth-fed flowers
83
food
;
His
beautiful by set
about
it,
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION and great bunches of flowers are brought him to satisfy his love of beauty and
to
young
stands
Agmabd
fragrance.
from the other
seer
silently
which seclude the
within the curtains
priests,
but
no longer afraid of him. Instead he is glad and proud, for he knows Sensa
is
he has satisfied the demands of ruler.
And
" little
now
can do
this cold
leaves him,
returns.
girl
It is
for
to lead the soul in to the great
Agmabd knows
ordeal.
it,
that she alone
and leaves her
summons
while he to
Agmabd
"
and the her
soon
to
the task,
crowd of
the
priests
take part in the ceremonial and to
prepare the couch covered with roses and
Here the hedged about with flowers. " " little girl induces Sensa to play with her at afraid.
ball,
so
that
And when
opens the
"
he forgets to be
the sanctuary door "
little
girl
84
leads
him
to
it
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
and so brings him herself.
Avidya
to the
He
brought to her with such ship that he
is
dark goddess,
has ga}'
now been companion-
not overcome with fear,
though the child leaves him. He is alone with the personification of the dark side of
human
draws him robe
is
nature. to her
When the goddess he perceives that her
a living thing, a drapery of coil-
ing snakes.
And
the
soul.
startled
then terror
falls
on
The dark goddess
laughs at his fear and makes her robe
dim while she places her hand on his Then fear left him forever.
forehead.
Again he sees the
living robe
and be-
holds the serpents wreathing her body
and rearing themselves about her head; but he feels no terror. Doubtless he
knows now his
ble
that the child
who has been
merry playmate is one of those terriShe vanished as he enserpents. 85
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION tered the presence of the goddess, going to her
The
own
place in the queen's robe.
little girl is
so
daiva-prakriti
beautiful
woman
identical,
and both are himself,
of the city
is
the
they are
own
his
mind, and both are a part of the living robe of the dark queen.
men who
of
clothe
and
It is
veil the
the souls
presence
of the queen of darkness and her living
robe changes into such
forms as they
desire and will to have.
Sensa
is
worn out with
perience and Agmabd,
this severe ex-
in order to pre-
vent too great a strain, allows Sebona to take him into the garden and to
let
water; but he
is
bathe
fresh
in
to
take him to the lotus
is
because
cannot the
he
sacred
freedom
is
approach
from
so
the
water,
tank.
not
This
changed that he flower
royal
but
or
seeks
his
his
rest
imprisonment,
86
him
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
and
refreshment,
he
Nevertheless
who comes
truth,
mystic water
and that
if
is
in
sees
the
astral
the
him
to tell
fluid.
of
goddess
that this
fed from the sacred tank
instead of sinking in
;
he
it
and kneels upon it, and by another and stands upon it, he can do so safely, it will support him. But while
rises
effort rises
making these
efforts
he must address
himself to the Logos and
How
nation.
the
many who
demand
illumi-
plain a teaching this
is
find sufficient pleasure
to
and
satisfaction in the experiences of the as-
and regard these as true gifts of But to them the Lady of the spirit.
tral life,
the
Lotus
will
them up this
come, sooner or
later,
though she knows that he
leave her
;
and
lift
She does
as she lifted Sensa up. is
about to
but she will not permit him to
forget her utterly, and through the dark
years that follow, her sweet voice sings
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION dimly in the obscurity of his brain and her words remain with him and, as he "
expresses
my
it
wretched
cast a strange light life."
upon For Sensa now be-
comes completely a man of the world, him being entirely dom-
the soul within inated by the
two ruling passions of men,
ambition and desire.
In the company of
own mind, personified as the beautiwoman of the city, he drinks deep of
his ful
every kind of beautiful pleasure and utterly happy.
gives the
And
summons
then
is
when Agmabd
to the great ordeal
which awaits him he sees the beautiful
woman
revert to the shape of a serpent
of desire and
is
once more alone.
Everything connected with initiation is
purposely veiled and obscurely stated
in all esoteric writings; this
mystery-drama.
and so
it
is
in
But we know that
the initiate must gaze into the dark face
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. of Avidya and upon the blinding light of
These ordeals are endured
the Logos.
by Sensa and clearly described. He succumbs to the first ordeal and becomes the
and messenger of Avidya But having been able to see the
interpreter herself.
light of the
make and ing
Logos, he
course of the
in the
is
strong enough
final
great trial to
a desperate effort for true freedom
to obtain
He
it.
become inhuman
is
selfish in his desires;
effort is
still
depicted as hav-
in his
possible.
ambition and
and yet the great But it is only pos-
sible at the cost of life itself
in
;
Sensa dies
The awful Ten
the struggle.
him forth from
his body,
which
the temple
which
dwelled
stroyed.
It
in
field in
is
and de-
must be remembered that the
ten are not homeless destroyed.
it
drive
dies,
They
when
the temple
is
belong to the five-fold
which the human soul works out
89
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION its
evolution,
withdraws. is
and they pass that
in
activities
Man,
other
into
when
field
the
soul
in his physical nature
mysteriously united with the physical " "
universe by means of the five
which enter into
tattvas
his composition as well
as into the composition of
that he
all
dwells amongst.
In the light of Egyptian modes of
thought of
seems clear that the body
it
which
Sensa
individuality.
that
dies
This it
has
is
has to
graded The author of the story that
it
is
the
personal
been be
so
de-
sacrificed.
states explicitly
the story of the soul.
Isis is
the mother of the souls of men, not of their
bodies.
final fierce
When
therefore
at
the
ordeal Sensa's higher nature
asserts itself
and he goes into the holy of
holies to find the true
Queen, the
light of
the Logos, there, he yields up the dese-
90
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS. "
crated personality.
he at
"
the
am
I
perception,"
the imperishable
cries,
command
soul
"
and
of the Queen-mother
own
enters into another of his
forms.
In the disintegration of his personality he watches the sparks of
Ambition
flees forth
elsewhere
;
life
disperse.
with a rush to feed
and the soul of Malen goes
to soul-death.
depicted but
Here still
is
a great mystery
inevitably veiled.
All
the names used in the Idyll of the White
Lotus are words of Hebrew origin, belonging to Aramaic or Arabic idioms and
convey ideas which help
Malen has
characters.
to explain the
in
it
the idea of
a refuge, or retreat, or a place of recuperation.
It
Sensa to the
was Malen who guided city in order that
recover his strength.
It
he should
appears that he
was an inner-personality or soul-form which should have guided him to a place 91
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION of true recuperation.
failed in
Having
and led the human soul
this,
Malen himself no longer
astray,
But Sensa
lives.
can raise up his deserted form and enter into
it
and use
It
it.
would seem that
Malen should have been the
"
immortal "
double," for by using this form the the ego "
who
relates the story,
since then, to live,
live
again; yet
is
I,"
enabled
change form and
know myself through
the
But he does
long ages as they pass."
not say, or imply, that he re-enters any
Temple during these long
ages, or in-
habits any physical body.
And
seems evident that he
never again a
soul of
man, for he
mother
*
form. ation,
is
is
it
clearly states that his
would not know him
He
indeed
in his
suffering a great
enduring a great
loss, as
new
expi-
the result
of the terrible conflict through which he *Isis.
92
OF THE IDYLL OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
had passed and in which vital parts of had been destroyed. But the
his being
Queen-mother bids him shape, and he finds he
arise in his is
still
new
strong to
move among men though he cannot
He
of them.
and
is
her
own
be
has survived the ordeal
claimed by the Queen-mother as ;
and she gives him
his
work
during the ages, of influencing the hearts of the people and promises that he shall live
to
teach her truth
in
"
that
new
fane that shall arise in the distance of
time fect
"
shining one
glorified
"
the transfigured form, the "
which
shall
per-
be his
Temple when he has won
full
liberation. It
must be remembered that the Egyp-
tian held that these various entities, souls,
and forms, which go to the making-up of a man, have to be reunited before the transfigured man, the
93
"
new fane
"
can
THE STORY OF SENSA, AN INTERPRETATION be
built.
that
The Queen-mother
Malen's
form
is
explains
and
pure
stained, although his soul is lost.
Sensa to the
city
and
left
him
He
unled
there, an-
swering for him to ambition by the sign of a jewel
trayed him
worn by ;
in the city of pleasure.
this
Thus he
desire.
be-
but he did not himself stay
form; but
it
The ego can use
appears
as
though
the esoteric teaching of this mysterious
part
of the story
is
that
Malen must be recovered, purified, before the
"
built.
94
the
soul
of
revived, and "
new fane
can be
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95
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