Manly P. Hall Collection, Box 4, Ms 19, Vol. 4

Practice: One must begin in the mind and end in the senses. Johannis Rupecissa: "Give $\triangle$ (fire), and the falling dew will rise, the most beautiful virgin's milk, in the form of a living $\nabla$ (water), a bright tear—the true matter of the stone." Another: "God has separated the salt, the noblest element, from the $\nabla$, which noblest $\nabla$ contains within itself the $\nabla$ upon which man was made. This $\nabla$ was before the foundation of the heavens, and over this $\nabla$ hovers the spirit of God." With this, dear son, you will be content, and you will know how to put the truth that I have now revealed to you into practice in secrecy and silence. May the God of heaven and the $\nabla$ strengthen you in this and let you recognize His secret wisdom.

Thus, I have now reported to the wise and understanding enough about the highest, most wonderful, and indeed shortest way—the least costly stone, which God only gives to His children for free—because its matter is immediate to everyone and its preparation requires few requisites and only a single vessel (about which so many chatter and yet understand nothing). But in truth, this secret is not for such people who have a stiff neck. Here, what my teacher told me is indeed true: "Namely, how difficult it is to teach wisdom to one who has a desire for it, but how many thousand times harder it is to teach it to one who has no desire for it."