From: 1948 – De Laurence’s Catalog of Books on Occultism – Magic – Mysticism – Religion – The Cabala – Yoga – Astrology and all related subjects – Occult Students’ Equipment – Talismanic and Symbolic Jewelry
The Genesis Of The Hindu Adepts, Yoghees And Master Lamas of Central And Northern India written down by L. W. de Laurence, Author and Publisher
Mystic and Master Occultist, de Laurence is world-famous as an Adept of the Highest Rank. His lifelong study of religious thought and emotion have brought him recognition and renown while his humanistic and sympathetic insight have endeared his name to thousands. His works are everywhere and his name stands high on the roster of independent and intrepid thinkers of all time.
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The performances of the Hindu Adepts, which are a surprise and a revelation to the traveler from the West, have excited the wonder of all ages. The powers of these Spiritual Magicians, who dwell in the fastness of Northern India, have been subject to investigation ever since the Western man began to penetrate into that ancient land of the Orient. The Occult feats performed by the Adepts and Yoghees are not the result of trickery, ledgerdemain or sleight of hand. Trees twenty and thirty feet in height are made to grow and spring up in a moment from a seed. A rope or cord is thrown into the air without any means of support, and on this rope the Hindu climbs towards the clouds out of your sight. Hissing and wiggling snakes are developed with a Magical pass of the hand over a bucket of clear water, and rooms which were dark are suddenly brightly illuminated without any apparent source of light. Heavy bodies are suspended in the air without the slightest means of support. After being placed in the state of Death Trance, live men are buried many feet in the earth apparently lifeless, and after a lapse of days or weeks are exhumed and resurrected before the very eyes of the gaping multitude. Several persons are apparently fused into one single individual, and again this one person becomes several before your amazed and startled eyes. The Hindu Adepts are a class of men that eat little and want little; they spend their time in contemplation and deep meditation, scorning the Western civilization as ignorant, material and base.
A Mahatma of India is one who has purified his “Mahatma” or Spiritual Soul, so that his higher ego is able to act directly upon his material body. When this has been accomplished, he becomes a Mahatma, or great soul. One peculiar characteristic about the Mahatmas are their apparent weariness and impatience, whenever a series of questions are propounded. This will be easily confirmed, by those who go to India, for it will become apparent, that they dislike being interrupted in their mediation and development of Occult Powers. You will see comparatively little of them during your journey through India, and, indeed, find it very difficult to approach them upon these subjects as they have a decided prejudice against being interrogated or even taken notice of; but should it happen that they take a liking to you they will enter into a conversation for an hour or more. On these occasions they always squat on the ground and will invite you to do the same; and from their lips you will learn many strange things that will sink deep into your heart and what comes from their lips will impress your soul as being the truth. It is always better during these conversations to abstain from interrupting them with questions for this will not be relished. However, it will be soon learned that this is unnecessary, for with their marvelous, Spiritual Powers, and intuitive knowledge of what is passing in your mind, during this discussion, they well answer your questions before you ask them and will also explain difficult points in such a manner that the object will stand out “in relief” as it were, assuming all the beauty and reality of a stereoscopic view.
If one of these Mahatmas likes you he will allow you to feast your eyes on his collection of musty Kitaba(boooks) of Sanscrit, as the Hindu has a soul that believes in learning and is a great believer in Ancient Occult books of instruction. He will carry them about with him in all his travels, for he is never seeking information outside. He knows that which he seeks will be found and developed from the depth of his own being. In bringing you to where he keeps his books, he is very likely to take you through many empty rooms or chambers, and cause you to descend stairs in the darkness, but after he has lighted his candles he will display to your astonished eyes fifty or a hundred volumes, many of them being over five hundred years old. He will now blow out his candles, and you will find yourself surrounded with inky darkness.
This Adept, whose hospitality you have been privileged to enjoy, you will find is not the only denizen of his secluded hermitage among the ruins and temples, for there will be domiciled five other recluses to whom the name of Adepts are applicable and two servants; as a household of this kind in India always consists of eight persons.
The Adepts as written above will be very seldom visible, for they spend most of their time in the seclusion of their rooms; each occupying a separate apartment in different wings of their exclusive Temple. Their headgear consists of large turbans and long brown caftans. Sometimes they will have errands to the neighboring hills and mountains and when this time comes these learned Hindus will go in each other’s company and you will never be able to remember the time of ever having known them to exchange a single word of greeting, for they act and conduct themselves like deaf mutes, minus a sign language. The reason of this is, that they communicate with each other only in mental language. It will not be long, however, before you realize that, while apparently mute, these Masters carry on an active conversation with one another; for they have simply risen above the necessity of verbal speech. The development of Mental Telepathy and mind reading in India as a national characteristic is amazing; manifesting itself in the every day life of her people but reaching its climax in the attainments of the Adepts of Occultism in central and northern India.
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