Chapter IX
At noon of the next day, word was sent that the great Dalai Lama would receive us at the Palace. The High Priest came to our lodge that evening to instruct us in regard to the ceremonies. He was overjoyed that the audience had been granted without the usual delays. He told us that this privilege had been granted immediately upon the arrival of a messenger from Shamballa who had informed His Highness of the visit that had just been completed. He had also been informed of our experiences in the village where the little house had been erected.
We were anxious to make as good an impression as possible, as we were asking for concessions to carry on our work in the whole country. We were also told that the Bogodo Lama or Governor of the province would arrive before noon and had sent word by messenger that he would assist us all he could. This was a surprise indeed. It was quite evident that the next day would be an eventful one for our little party. We were up early and out with the reception party to meet the Governor.
He was very much pleased at this gesture and invited us to return with him as his guests. We accepted the invitation and when we arrived with the Governor, we were escorted to the guest chambers of the Palace. From there we went directly to the place where the first ceremonies were to be conducted preparatory to our being received at the Palace.
When we arrived, three Lamas sat enthroned on high carpeted chairs while others, of lesser rank, sat in the posture of Samadhi, upon the floor. Two Lamas in red plaited cloaks stood on high stools and led the incantations. Our friends, the High Priest or Abbot, sat on a throne shaded by a ceremonial umbrella, awaiting the Governor.
The great courtyard in the Lamasery yamen was most beautifully decorated for the occasion. The decorations represented scenes that took place in 1417. In these scenes Tsongkappa appeared on the stone altar of his Monastery. After addressing the multitude on the greatness of man’s accomplishments, he became transfigured and disappeared with his body. He then returned and founded the Yellow Order or Reformed Established Church of Tibet, of which Lhasa is the central hub.
In a few moments the governor entered with his escort and advanced directly to the throne from which the Abbot had descended. They stood together to receive and conduct us to the audience chamber of the Dalai Lama. The great hall was decorated with gorgeous silk appliqué tapestries and yellow lacquered furniture.
Led by our escort, we knelt before His Highness for a moment, then arose and were conducted to seats. The Abbot, acting as spokesman, stated the object of our visit. His Highness arose and beckoned us to approach. An assistant conducted us to our respective places before the throne. The Abbot and the High Priest took their places at each end of the line, His Highness then descending from the throne and standing before us. He received a scepter from the hands of one of the attendants and, walking before us, touched each one lightly on the forehead with the wand. With the High Priest acting as interpreter, he bade us welcome to Tibet, saying he was honored that we were his guests while in the city and that we should consider ourselves the honor guests of his country and people as long as we might remain and at any time when we should return to the country.
We asked many questions and were told that we should have his answer the next day. We were invited to inspect the records and tablets in the vaults of the palace. He called an attendant and gave several orders which were not translated for us, but we were informed that we were to have the liberty of the palace without restraint. His Highness gave us his blessing and, after a hearty handshake all around, we were conducted to our quarters, accompanied by the Abbot and the High Priest. They asked if they might come in, as they had many things to talk over.
The Priest began by saying: “We have had many remarkable things happen to us since you were with us in the little village. We have been looking over some of the tablets that are in our monastery and find they all refer to the older civilization that inhabited the Gobi. It is our thought that all civilizations and religious belief came from one source and, while we do not know the origin or date of the records, we are well satisfied that they are the thoughts of a people which lived many thousands of years ago. We have here a short synopsis of a translation that was made for us by a wandering Lama of the Kisu Abu and, with your permission, I will read it.
“We are fully aware of the fact that our religious thoughts of today originated about five thousand years ago, that they are only an admixture, so to speak, of the thoughts and beliefs of men who lived at that time. Some are myths, others are legends, and some are purely inspirational in character; yet none of them point to the highest possible attainment outlined, of the Christ of God being a part of the individual attainment, and the possibilities of attaining that goal through living a life that presents that ideal. How has it been possible for us to have escaped these things when they have been so long in our midst? I can readily see now that Buddha and all of the great and illumined ones taught thus. But how have we escaped the true import of their teachings for so long, living so near to them?
“We know that our beloved Tsongkappa attained to this degree by the life he lived. I know that others and the dear one you met today have gone far toward this accomplishment. I have seen him go and come at will; yet the people are priest-ridden, down-trodden, and miserable. Why is it that these things are submerged? Why are the people not taught to operate the great and only law, standing forth as that law? I can see that in this earlier civilization, each individual did actually know, abide by, and live, one with this law, this perfect condition. Any other manifestation depends wholly upon man and is the result of the ignorance of the law of perfection. It cannot be that this law is not thoroughly enough consolidated to be given to the whole human family. If this were true, it would not be law but a division of law which puts it back into nothing but a manifestation of law. Anything that is only a portion of a whole is but a manifestation of the whole, taken away from and consolidated unto itself, until it becomes an isolated atom with no polarity or connection with its source. Yet it flies around in space with a seeming orbit, only seeking, as it has no constituted orbit of its own. It only assumes the orbit of its source but never becomes one with the source.
“There are thousands of examples of this phenomenon today in our solar system, especially in regions between Jupiter and Mars. In this region, thousands of smaller bodies exist that seem to be related to the sun, as they follow a seeming path around the sun. They are only following the orbit of their parent Jupiter because of its attraction for them and their lack of polarity to the sun, their real source. They were expelled when Jupiter was expelled. They were never consolidated with Jupiter; still, they fly on and on with Jupiter, ignoring completely the sun, their real source. This we know conclusively is because of the lack of central polarization within themselves to the sun, their true source. Is Jupiter at fault in this case? Is the sun, the true parent, at fault; or is each tiny atom at fault? Is it not the same with humanity? Is the Father at fault? Is the fault with those who have the greater understanding or is the fault with those who have the lesser units of understanding? The fault must lie wholly within the lesser, as they refuse to become one with the greater.”
Then turning to Emil, he said: “I can see since meeting you that it was wholly my fault that I clung to the lesser when the greater enveloped me wholly. But let us turn to the translation, as it is through this that I came to the vital turning point in my life.
“The great Cause, or Directive Principle, saw his son the Christ, the perfect man. He said, ‘this is the Lord God, the Law of My Being to whom I have given dominion over heaven and earth and all that in them is; and this perfect One need not be in bondage to any mortal concept, as my Perfect Ideal is raised above any bondage and has the same power and dominion that I have. Thus, I speak through the Lord God of my Being.
“ ‘It is not any command that I give unto you, except if you co-operate with Me in the Divine Creative Will, you will have no need for any other and you will set up no graven image before Me or yourself. Thus, you will not call images gods but you will know that you are God in whom I Am well pleased and you have the same dominion that I have. Now come close up to me, my son; amalgamate with me and I Am yourself and together we are God. Your body is the God-body which is idealized and which is in existence and was in existence before the human race was ever projected into form. This is humanity’s being, God creation. All humanity have this perfect form and image if they will but accept this true image. This is the temple of God that belongs to man and is complete for man.
“ ‘You will not make any graven image or any likeness that is in heaven or earth or in the waters of the earth. You will not make any substance into any image or idol; for all creative substance is yours to use, pressed out to you in fullest measure. You will not bow down to any created things nor will you serve them; and thus there will not be any jealous thing, nor will there be any sin or any iniquity that may be visited upon any of your children unto any generation; for you will stand steadfast with your eyes always fixed upon the cause and, therefore, your ideal of that cause cannot diminish. Thus you will show forth the same love that I manifest for you.
“ ‘You will honor this Cause or Directive Principle, knowing that it is your Father and Mother and your days will be greater than the grains of sand upon the seashore which are without number.
“ ‘You will not commit adultery, as whatever you will have done unto these you will have done unto your father, your mother, your brother, your sister, or your loved one; for they are loved of the Cause as the Cause loves you.
“ ‘You will not steal, for you but steal from the Cause; and if you steal from the Cause, you but steal from yourself.
“ ‘You will not bear false witness against any creation, for in so doing, you bear false witness against the Cause which is yourself.
“ ‘You will not covet anything, for in so doing, you but covet the Cause which is yourself; by holding yourself one with the Cause you have that which is perfect and is truly yours.
“ ‘Thus you will not make images of silver or gold to worship as gods but, seeing yourself as one with all things pure, you are always pure.
“ ‘Then you will not fear, for no God, save yourself will come to prove you; as you will know that the Cause—not personal but impersonal—is for all and fully envelops all.
“ ‘Then you will erect an altar and on that altar you will build and always keep burning the undying fire, not of gods, but of the Directive Principle which is God. You behold yourself, the Christ, the perfect, the only begotten of the True Principle or Cause.
“ ‘Knowing this fully, you may speak forth the word (GOD) and that word becomes visible. You are the creative and the Creator, around, above, below, within, One with the Divine Directive Principle-Cause, GOD.
“ ‘The heavens obey God’s voice, the silent voice of G O D speaking through man. God speaks. Man speaks. God always speaks through man. Thus when man speaks, God speaks.’”
The Priest resumed: “In connection with this I have worked out the following, which has given me a more definite outlook. This has also shown me that I must be definite in every thought, word, and deed and that I must live one with this definite principle. First picturing, in thought, word, and deed, I find I am actually that very thing. I have taken the form of the ideal I have expressed.
“During the darkest hour I know that God is. During the times that I am afraid, I trust more definitely in God, my Father, right within. I rest quietly in this assurance, knowing fully that all is well and that my perfection is complete and finished now.
“I recognize God as the all-inclusive mind, my Father, and I know fully that man is the Christ of God, the image and likeness of God, my Father; the source and I are ONE.
“Slowly but surely the day of absolute spiritual vision approaches. It is here the moment I recognize it. It is here now, full and complete. I praise and bless the absolute spiritual vision. I thank you, Father, that it is fulfilling my highest ideal now.
“In working, I must always be conscious that I am working in accord with God’s conscious and never-failing law.
“I now understand the words ‘My peace I give unto you, my love I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you.’
“I also know the meaning of ‘Build me a temple within, that I AM may dwell therein among you.’ Then I AM is your God and you are as I AM. This does not refer to any church or church organization. It is the true temple of peace within man, where God, the source of all things, actually dwells. Mankind built a tabernacle in which they could come together to worship the true ideal, the I AM, within, this inner temple, which God and man hold for all. The tabernacle was soon worshipped, the empty idol created, the church as it exists today.
“When I hold to the true ideal, I hear my own inner God-voice; and the revelation of that voice supplies comfort, inspiration, and guidance in my work in life. Even when two or three are gathered together in my name, there I AM is always in the midst of them. How true are these words, for I AM is always within man.
“I wish to progress, I must work and stick to it,—never falter nor be cast down. I am the Christ, the ideal of God, in whom the Father is well pleased, the only begotten of God, the Father.
“I am the only one who knows, sees, and cooperates with the Father; the only offspring that God knows—and God knows all—for all can claim: ‘IT IS FINISHED.’”
