r-God, he succeeded at last in
gaining a restful place of beatitude--a state in which he merged his soul
in the universal soul,"--that is, Illumination, or cosmic consciousness.

Sadasiva Brahman, one of the great Siddhas, and a comparatively modern sage
of India, left a Sanskrit poem called _Atmavidyavilasa_, which gives a
comprehensive description of the experience and the effects of
Illumination, as for example:

"The sage whose mind by the grace of his blessed Guru is merged in his own
true nature (Existence, Intelligence, and Bliss Absolute), that great
Illumined one, wise, with all egotism suppressed, and extremely delighted
_within himself_, sports in joy."

"He who is himself alone, who has known the secret of bliss, who has firmly
embraced peace, who is magnanimous and whose feelings other than those of
the _atman_, have been allayed, that person sports on his pleasant couch of
self-bliss."

"The pure moon of the prince of recluses, who is fit to be worshipped by
gods and whose moonlight of intelligence that dispels the darkness of
ignorance causes the lily of the earth to blossom, shines forth in the
abode of the all-pervading Essence of Light."

The above stanzas represent a more impersonal idea of the bliss of
attainment than those of many others who have experienced Illumination, but
they emphasize the same point that we find throughout all writings of the
Illuminati, namely, the realization of the kingdom _within_, rather than
without, and the necessity of selflessness--meaning the subjugation of the
lesser self, the mental, to the soul.

We come now to a consideration of the life and character of the Lord
Buddha, whose influence is still stronger in all parts of the world than
that of any other person who has ever taught the precepts of attainment.

In Japan, for example, Buddhism, in its various branches, or
interpretations, is the religion of the vast majority and even where
Shintoism is the method of worship, the influence of Buddhism may be seen.
So too, we find in Japan, a form of Buddhism, which shows evidences of the
influence of Shintoism, but I think it may be admitted that Japan, above
all other countries, represents to-day, the religion of Buddhism.

Buddhism has been called the "religion of enlightenment," but the term
"illumination" as it is used to describe the attainment of cosmic
consciousness, is what is meant, rather than the purely intellectual
quality which we are accustomed to