“He who is in search of occult knowledge must fortify himself throughout the whole course of his efforts by the understanding, that after persevering for some time, he may have made suitable progress without becoming conscious of it in the precise way which he had expected. He who does not remember this, is likely to lose heart, and in a little while to abandon his efforts altogether. The mental powers and faculties about to be developed are at first, of the most subtle kind, and their nature differs entirely from the conceptions of them, which may be formed in the student’s mind. He has been accustomed to occupy himself with the physical world alone, and the mental and astral worlds seem to elude his gaze, and baffle his conceptions. It is, therefore, not remarkable if, at first, he fails to realize the new forces, mental and astral, which are developing in his own being. This is why it is dangerous to enter the path leading to occult knowledge without experienced guidance.”
“The teacher can see the progress made by the pupil, long before the latter becomes conscious of it for himself. He sees the delicate organs of spiritual vision beginning to form themselves, before the pupil is aware of their existence, and a great part of the duties of the teacher consists in perpetual watchfulness, lest the disciple lose confidence, patience, and perseverance, before he becomes conscious of his own progress. The teacher, as we know, can confer upon the student no powers, which are not already latent within him, and his sole function is to assist in the awakening of slumbering faculties. But he may be a pillar of strength to him who strives to penetrate through darkness into the light.”
“There are many who leave the occult path soon after setting foot upon it, because they are not immediately conscious of their own progress. And even when higher experiences begin to dawn upon the seeker, he is apt to regard them as illusions, because he had anticipated them quite differently. He loses courage, either because he regards these first experiences as of no value, or because they appear so insignificant that he has no hope of their leading to any appreciable results within a measurable time. Courage and self-confidence are the two lamps, which must never be allowed to burn themselves out on the pathway to the occult. He who cannot patiently repeat an exercise, which has failed for an apparently unlimited number of times, will never travel far.”
