An essay on the fundamental principles of operative occultism prepared by Manly P. Hall to accompany three oil paintings by Mihran K. Serailian

...direct the studies of too large a number at one time and give each of them the individual help which is so necessary. He realizes that he is the parent of a spiritual infant who is being nurtured in the nature of his disciple, and that this spiritual child needs almost constant attention during the early steps of its growth. By observing these requisites carefully, the Master protects the life and health of his disciples and leads them step by step to the state of accomplishment which they could not reach unaided.

To study for a few weeks or even months with an unknown teacher this refers to teachers whose lineage or spiritual status cannot be verified (even though he may be suspected of having great intelligence) and then to expect to work out by yourself future exercises and systems of development is the height of madness, for the daily unfoldment resulting from occult exercises requires intelligent supervision by a teacher who is prepared for any and all emergencies. Hence the disciple who undertakes the actual operative processes of spiritual regeneration generally lives (for a few years at least) with his teacher, so that every hour of the day or night the Master is within call. In India, the chelas disciples or students of a spiritual teacher remain with their teachers for an entire lifetime to make certain that each step in their attainment is properly completed and the subtle dangers of the path avoided.

Who is qualified to instruct in the operative mysteries of either Eastern or Western occultism? The answer is: Only an initiate or the disciple of an initiate. An initiate is one whose attainment to a position of spiritual understanding has been in harmony with the laws of nature and the will of God, and is in consistency with the laws which have produced him. Not only this, but he must be of that Ray of the Mysteries which is devoted to teaching. Many great initiates are not in the teaching Ray; therefore, they never take disciples. Others, again, are so highly advanced that none but initiates are eligible to their instruction, as in the case of the Master J A reference to a specific spiritual teacher in the Theosophical or occult hierarchy, often associated with the Master Jesus. The laws of attainment demand purity of life and purpose; simplicity of demeanor and appearance; humility of mind and heart; selflessness, kindness, wisdom, and absolute freedom from the taint of worldliness and commercialism. And on either side of this narrow path which the disciple must walk are the pitfalls of Dugpa sorcerers or practitioners of black magic who use spiritual power for selfish ends magic.

We should also bear in mind that there are few if any Westerners who are qualified to teach the esoteric principles of Eastern occultism. Many are attempting to do so, but their bungling efforts demonstrate their incompetence. The East deals in subtleties, and occultism is a subtle science, everything depending upon inflections which are totally beyond the average Western intellect. While Western scholars may learn to understand the general outline of Eastern occultism, even a lifetime in India or Tibet will not qualify them as teachers of Eastern esotericism, unless during their sojourn in the Orient they have actually been initiated into the Eastern Mysteries. Even then there are certain key secrets which the Brahmins the highest priestly caste in Hindu society, for instance, will not reveal to any person of a race or caste different from their own. For this reason most of the concepts promulgated by Westerners are hopelessly erroneous or, at best, incomplete. None but the East can apparently ever understand the East, for it is a world totally different in attitudes and concepts from the one with which we are familiar.

Then, again, the Hindoos themselves (while far more religious and philosophical as a race than the Western peoples) are not all qualified to teach these abstruse occult sciences. As the average Christian minister is comparatively ignorant concerning mystical Christianity, so a great number of Orientals have little knowledge of the finer points of their faith. While it is true that the percentage of Orientals who understand their religion is much higher than the percentage of Christians who understand Christianity, the mere fact that a person comes from the Orient is no assurance that he is qualified to instruct concerning the secret teachings of his faith. It requires a highly advanced Oriental to adjust his doctrine to the Western world, for if presented without certain adjustments it is almost useless. In choosing an instructor in any line of occult science, then, great care and discrimination must be used and an acid test applied. The point where lack of true understanding is most evident is in the commercial attitude, and if the student will eliminate from his list pseudo-occultists with axes to grind, he will escape the majority of the pitfalls.

(2) The second point is the consideration of the time element. Time is the primary prerequisite of occult growth. The disciple may expect it to require at least twenty years to attain success in even the first degrees. In the early part of the disciple's training he will probably find it necessary to receive his instruction from someone in the physical world, but as he goes higher and acquires the ability to separate his consciousness from his lower vehicles the physical, emotional, and mental bodies that house the human spirit, he may receive his instruction from teachers and initiates working through the subtle essences of the invisible world.

No layman, either in the East or in the West, is qualified to begin the practice of so-called occult exercises without special

preparation covering a period of years. Even in the East, where the mind is concerned with occultism and philosophy from infancy, special preparation is required before even the simplest of the exercises are begun. Even though a student has delved into occultism for years, and has attended countless lectures, he is not justified in thinking that he is ready for deep esoteric work. Unless during those years he followed a certain prescribed and systematic course of training, he must begin to do so, and until he has achieved success therein he is not ready for deeper or more complicated forms of culture. Notwithstanding the fact that he considers himself a highly developed person, he must begin at the bottom and pass through his years of probationary work just the same as the disciple who apparently is far less informed. The true occultist realizes that it is not always how long we are at a thing, but how intelligently we pursue our labors that counts; and many who have spent an entire lifetime have achieved comparatively little.

It is for the Guru spiritual teacher or master (and not the chela) to decide when the period of probation is completed, for the teacher is capable of investigating man's invisible spiritual nature, upon which the record of accomplishment is imprinted. The period of time for the first probation is usually from two to five years. Pythagoras of Crotona demanded five years of self-purification before he would even discuss the matter of spiritual unfoldment with a candidate applying for membership in his university.

During these years of preparation the disciple adjusts his entire life to the work in which he looks forward. He becomes permeated with certain spiritual and intellectual attitudes, and thus comes en rapport into a state of harmonious relationship with the holy science. It means that every atom and molecule of his quaternary constitution the four-fold nature of the personality, usually consisting of the physical, etheric, emotional, and lower mental bodies must be purified and made over. The organism must be unfolded, and every part of the structure must thrill and vibrate in a peculiar manner. What does this mean? It means that the attainment of spiritual power is impossible unless the life, mind, and body are dedicated entirely to that labor. It also means that so much depends upon the teacher into whose hands the student places himself that it is, in reality, a matter of life and death.

(3) The third point for the candidate to realize is the necessity of remaining silent concerning any esoteric secrets which may be revealed to him. He may discuss the theoretical part of occultism with any whom he feels deserves such information, but the operative secrets he must reveal to no one. They are given to him as Master to disciple, and are for him alone. The curse of the god of light this likely refers to the spiritual consequences of breaking a sacred vow is upon the one who betrays his trust, who reveals the hiding place of his Lord for thirty pieces of silver A reference to Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus, symbolizing the betrayal of one's own inner spiritual nature for material gain. The Christ in you is the secret and powerful spiritual nature: the miracle-worker, the divine, invisible man. The one who reveals the nature and power of this secret Lord betrays his divine Master (the spiritual nature) and turns its power over to the hands of the mob (his own lower animal nature). At the hands of the mob, the Christ (the secret power) is crowned with a wreath of thorns and taunted as a king. He is given the kingdom of death to rule and is scourged by the soldiers. In the hands of the mob nature in man, the secret and divine power, which has thus been betrayed, is crowned with sorrow; the divine science is prostituted so that mystery-mongers may, by the aid of spiritual powers, secure material prosperity, marital happiness, or improve lagging business conditions.

Approach with the utmost care, therefore, the subject of occult exercises. Remember that the esoteric secrets of occultism are designed for the use of only that illumined few who, having first consecrated their lives to the unfoldment of the spiritual powers latent within them, have reached a position after many years where they are qualified to assume the responsibility of liberating their spiritual natures from the bondage of matter. For the layman: ethically unprepared and wholly ignorant concerning the operation of occult currents and forces: to dabble with any form of occult exercises is almost certain to result disastrously.

(4) The candidate must realize the great danger of becoming involved in black magic. The line of demarcation between black and white magic is so fine that even those highly advanced must exercise eternal watchfulness in order to avoid involvements in Dugpa sorcery. To a great degree, the difference between black and white magic lies in the motive. An impersonal and unselfish attitude is the surest protection against black magic, but many other things (especially self-control) are necessary to insure that the candidate shall escape the dangers of sorcery. Both the white magician and the black magician use identical forces. The former, however, grows through his constructive use of the divine sciences, whereas the latter slowly but inevitably destroys himself by their perversion.

The attainment of transcendental powers must be either through the regeneration and scientific reconstruction of the body: the gradual liberation of the consciousness enmeshed within the form: or else through sorcery, black magic, and necromancy the practice of communicating with the spirits of the dead, often for magical purposes. Woe to him who believes even for a moment that he can tamper with black magic and survive! Both the East and...