g? The disciple,
must as he walks on the path, abide by law
and order, but if he pins his faith on any religion
whatever he will stop at once, and it makes no
matter whether he sets up Mahatmas, Gods, Krishna,
Vedas or mysterious acts of grace, each of these
will stop him and throw him into a rut from which
even heavenly death will not release him. Religion
can only teach morals and ethics. It cannot answer
the question "what am I?" The Buddhist ascetic
holds a fan before his eyes to keep away the sight
of objects condemned by his religion. But he thereby
gains no knowledge, for that part of him which is
affected by the improper sights has to be known by
the man himself, and it is by experience alone that
the knowledge can be possessed and assimilated.

The book closes gloriously, with some hints that
have been much needed. Too many, even of the
sincerest students of occultism, have sought to ignore
that one-half of their nature, which is here taught
to be necessary. Instead of crushing out the animal
nature, we have here the high and wise teaching
that we must learn to fully understand the animal
and subordinate it to the spiritual. "The god in
man, degraded, is a thing unspeakable in its
infamous power of production. The animal in man,
elevated, is a thing unimaginable in its great powers
of service and of strength," and we [are] told that
our animal self is a great force, the secret of the
old-world magicians, and of the coming race which
Lord Lytton foreshadowed. "But this power can
only be attained by giving the god the sovereignty.
Make your animal ruler over your self, and he will
never rule others."

This teaching will be seen to be identical with
that of the closing words of _The Idyll of the White
Lotus_: "He will learn how to expound spiritual
truths, and to enter into the life of his highest self,
and he can learn also to hold within him the glory
of that higher self, and yet to retain life upon this
planet so long as it shall last, if need be; to retain
life in the vigor of manhood, till his entire work is
completed, and he has taught the three truths to all
who look for light."

There are three sentences in the book which
ought to be imprinted in the reader's mind, and we
present them inversely:

"Secreted and hidden in the heart of the world
and the heart of man is the light which can illumine
all life, the future and the past."

"On the mental steps of a million men Buddha
passed throu