warranted or not by any of the views held by natural science. For
the object is to develop such thoughts about the plant and man as
may--irrespective of all theories--be gained by means of simple and
direct contemplation. Such thoughts are of importance side by side
with no less significant theoretical presentments of things in the
external world; and here the thoughts are not adduced in order to
prove a fact scientifically, but to construct a symbol that shall
prove effective, irrespective of whatever objections may be raised
by this or that person against its construction.

27 In my explanations of "How to attain Knowledge of the Higher
Worlds," translated under the title of _The Way of Initiation_ and
beginning at Chapter II, several other examples of methods of
meditation are given, and especially efficacious will be found one
which deals with the coming into being and fading away of a plant;
also another may be particularly recommended, based on the dormant
formative power dwelling in the seed of a plant, and others on the
form and structure of crystals, and other substances. But the
purpose in this book was only to show in one instance, the nature of
meditation.

28 Special exercises going into greater detail on this subject may be
found in my book entitled _The Way of Initiation_.

29 It must of course be clearly understood that such an appellation as
"lotus flower" has no more bearing on the matter than has the
expression "wing," if applied to the lobe of a lung.

30 In my books, entitled "_The Way of Initiation_" and "_Initiation and
Its Results_," some of these methods of meditation and exercises for
acting upon these different organs are set forth.

31 The appellation "two-petalled" or "sixteen-petalled," and so on, is
used because the organs in question may be likened to flowers having
a corresponding number of petals.

32 Intuition is in everyday life a much-abused word, which is made to
stand for a vague and uncertain view of a matter; for some sort of
"notion," which, while it may possibly "hit" the truth, can
nevertheless give no immediate proof of it. It is needless to say
that this kind of intuition is not meant here. Intuition, in this
case, stands for knowledge of the highest and most luminous