E-text prepared by an anonymous Project Gutenberg contributor
Mystical, Philosophical, Theosophical, Historical and Scientific Essays
Selected from "The Theosophist"
Edited by George Robert Snow Mead
Mystical
The "Elixir of Life"
Is the Desire to "Live" Selfish?
Contemplation
Chelas and Lay Chelas
Ancient Opinions upon Psychic Bodies
The Nilgiri Sannyasis
Witchcraft on the Nilgiris
Shamanism and Witchcraft Amongst the Kolarian Tribes
Mahatmas and Chelas
The Brahmanical Thread
Reading in a Sealed Envelope
The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac
The Sishal and Bhukailas Yogis
Philosophical
True and False Personality
Chastity
Zorastrianism on the Septenary Constitution of Man
Brahmanism on the Sevenfold Principle in Man
The Septenary Principle in Esotericism
Personal and Impersonal God
Prakriti and Parusha
Morality and Pantheism
Occult Study
Some Inquiries Suggested by Mr. Sinnett's "Esoteric Buddhism"
Sakya Muni's Place in History
Inscriptions Discovered by General A. Cunningham
Discrimination of Spirit and Not-Spirit
Was Writing Known Before Panini?
Theosophical
What is Theosophy?
How a "Chela" Found His "Guru"
The Sages of the Himavat
The Himalayan Brothers—Do They Exist?
Interview With a Mahatma
The Secret Doctrine
Historical
The Puranas on the Dynasty of the Moryas and on Koothoomi
The Theory of Cycles
Scientific
Odorigen and Jiva
Introversion of Mental Vision
"Precipitation"
"How Shall We Sleep?"
Transmigration of the Life Atoms
"OM" and its Practical Significance
Mystical
The "Elixir of Life"
From a Chela's* Diary. By G—-M—-, F.T.S.
"And Enoch walked with the Elohim, and the Elohim took him."
—Genesis
Introduction
[The curious information-for whatsoever else the world may think of it,it will doubtless be acknowledged to be that—contained in the articlethat follows, merits a few words of introduction. The details given init on the subject of what has always been considered as one of thedarkest and most strictly guarded of the mysteries of the initiationinto occultism—from the days of the Rishis until those of theTheosophical Society—came to the knowledge of the author in a way thatwould seem to the ordinary run of Europeans strange and supernatural.He himself, however, we may assure the reader, is a most thoroughdisbeliever in the Supernatural, though he has learned too much to limitthe capabilities of the natural as some do. Further, he has to make thefollowing confession of his own belief. It will be apparent, from acareful perusal of the facts, that if the matter be really as statedtherein, the author cannot himself be an adept of high grade, as thearticle in such a case would never have been written. Nor does hepretend to be one. He is, or rather was, for a few years an humbleChela. Hence, the converse must consequently be also true, that asregards the higher stages of the mystery he can have no personalexperience, but speaks of it only as a close observer left to his ownsurmises—and no more. He may, therefore, boldly