Mabel Collins - The story of Sensa; an interpretation of the idyll of the white lotus, 1913

PS 11378

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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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