Raymond Bernard: Strange Encounters

SPECIAL EDITION

Strange Encounters n cv

by Raymond Bernard FRANCIS BACON LODGE PUBLICATIONS

The Rosicrucian Order, AM O RC

Known as “THE ANCIENT, MYSTICAL ORDER ROSAE CRUCIS" throughout the world FRANCIS BACON LODGE 181A Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TE

Strange Encounters by Raymond Bernard

Supreme Legate for Europe Past Grand Master for Francophone Countries

SPECIAL EDITION London 23-26 July 1981

World Convention RC 3334

Translated and firs t published in Great Britain by Pensatia and Benefactor - 1970 2nd e dition , Francis Bacon Lodge P ublications - 1978 3rd edition - a special lim ite d issue - 1981 English translation copyright ® Francis Bacon Lodge 1981

All rights reserved. No part of th is pub lica tio n may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system , or tra n sm itte d in any form or by any means, w hatsoever, w ith o u t the prior perm ission o f the publisher. This book is sold subject to the c o n d itio n th a t it shall not be re-sold, loaned or circulated in any m anner w ith any diffe re n t form of binding or cover o th e r than th a t in w h ich it is published, w ith o u t the prior perm ission of the publisher. This co n d itio n shall apply to all subsequent purchasers as borrowers. Printed in Great Britain by EPCS, D ingw all Road, Croydon

CONTENTS

Page F o r e w o r d .........................................................................................................................

i

In tro d u c tio n ......................................................................................................................

1

Here or T h e re ? .................................................................................................................

3

First M e e tin g ...................................................................................................................

4

Second Meeting................................................................................................................

8

T h ird M eeting...................................................................................................................

14

Fourth M eeting.................................................... .. .........................................................

22

F ifth M e e tin g ...................................................................................................................

29

C o nclusions......................................................................................................................

37

FOREWORD

The thousands o f copies o f this manuscript sold till now, the quotations which have been made w ith great success in w ritings or heard in lectures, and above ail the numerous letters received from my readers, have been fo r me very encouraging and moving evidence. However, some o f my correspondents have been led to such erroneous conclusions th a t it seemed necessary fo r me to w rite a forew ord to be included im m ediately in this w o rk and in all those which treat o f sim ilar subjects, w ith the purpose o f preventing any fu rth e r tendency to misleading interpretation or sim ply misunderstandings. The fundam ental purpose o f this manuscript is to transm it certain knowledge o f particular subjects o f mystical tra d itio n , which now-a-days, particularly in France, continue to exercise a strong a ttra ctio n upon whoever is interested in great questions beyond the lim its o f a non-sensical item in the popular press. It is enough, to be convinced o f this, to notice the considerable success met w ith from the general public, by books dealing w ith these subjects. Now, most o f these books are not b u ilt on any fo undation. They do not have any basis OF T R U T H fo r m editation and reflection, and they lead their readers towards false and even dangerous conclusions. It was also necessary to show the im portance o f the Rosicrucian Order AM ORC in the w orld, and this manuscript is indeed to put it in its rig h tfu l place, th a t is firs t, regarding objectives, its w o rld ly activities and the number o f its members. In spite o f the great tolerance o f our Order and its extreme liberalism, it has sometimes been necessary to show strict severity w ith regard to those w ho, deceived perhaps by th e ir own errors, risk deceiving others and leading them in to te rrible ways which have no aspect o f psychic equilibrium . To warn is a d u ty , especially if one such advertisement is directed to one who is on the sure and tru th fu l path offered by the Rosicrucian Order AMORC. To stray from this path o f certainty after assuming it, is incontestably to retrogress. My aim has been th a t my Rosicrucian readers may avoid co m m ittin g this regrettable error o f seeking elsewhere th a t which they w ill always fin d at the most opportune m om ent, the most efficacious fo r them , in the teachings o f the Rosicrucian Order AMORC.

Such were the reasons which induced me to w rite this m anuscript and some others. The manner chosen to com m unicate this knowledge is im p o rta n t. To understand certain subjects, it is n o t enough to read them , one must experience them , and th a t is w hy I adopted this fo rm o f w ritin g . The result is th a t this m anuscript is P A R T IA L L Y A L L E G O R IC A L A N D P A R T IA L L Y ALSO IT R ELATES FACTS. It is based on S YM BO LISM , fo r the S YM BO L is, in essence, a language, w hich each understands according to his developm ent and w hich the Rosicrucian understands better than most. Thus, through A L L E G O R Y , through S YM BO L and through FACTS, subjects o f the highest interest are examined, and this exam ination w ill lead you to an understanding more vast, more useful and more true, o f the great questions which tra d itio n , past and present, has applied itself in solving. My dearest wish w ill always be th a t this lecture may be fo r you a source of inspiration, and a constant encouragement to carry on y o u r e ffo rts w ith in the Rosicrucian Order A M O R C towards greater lig h t and Peace Profound. R A Y M O N D B ER N AR D Domaine de la Rose-Croix Friday 17th October 1970

INTRODUCTION

The im portant functions th a t I assume at the heart o f one o f the most pow erful traditional organizations in the w orld — the Rosicrucian Order AM ORC — often takes me to strange portals and at the m om ent o f w ritin g these "Meetings w ith the U nusual" the problem o f choice presents itself to me in the most pointed way. It is not however my in te n tio n to reveal here th a t w hich is in the dom ain o f personal mystical experience or occult realization, giving to this term the highest sense there is, and not the interpretation which has come to be a ttrib u te d to a succession o f self delusive declarations, or perhaps misunderstandings o f pseudo 'm agi' or initiates W ith o u t any d o u b t I could have, in this respect, much to say, b u t such a recital w ould lead me to divulge th a t which I have no right to tell in consequence o f m y o ffic ia l responsibilities, and in this respect silence is better than the real risk o f m ixing, w ith o u t care, th a t which is personal and th a t which is not. Moreover, although I address myself to accepted members o f the Rosicrucian Order AMORC, it appears to be preferable to set fo rth here o n ly those facts w ith in the lim its o f tim e and space, or to use more simple language, in the w orld where we live. In all o f th a t which is in my th o u g h t at this tim e there is still a choice, b u t I am convinced th a t the meetings which I have decided today to tell you about, w ill give you a personal encouragement on the Path which you fo llo w w ith us. It is this, above all, th a t impels me to tell these experiences th a t I have never spoken o f even to my closest friends. For a mystic should not have, in things o f this nature, a selfish knowledge, and fa m ilia r ties do n o t have any sense in this regard. The m ystic is silent, or if after reflection he speaks, it is to all tha t he ought to speak, and if a choice is necessary in that which concerns the subject circumspection is no more, once the choice is made.

Such as they are, the particular meetings o f which I propose to tell you are quite unusual, and I have decided not to lessen this qua lifica tio n . In fact they go beyond the ordinary and give evidence th a t our w o rld is far fro m being w hat it appears to be to the less inform ed observer. A cloud o f m ystery envelopes it, and however it is, in the towns constructed by man, sometimes in the lighted hall o f a big hotel, sometimes in a humble dw elling o r in the m iddle o f the din in a street, th a t is the scene o f the destined meeting. The m ystery in the m idst o f men, the strangeness at the heart o f a society turned towards the satisfaction o f its selfish appetites! Certain stories w o u ld appear incredible to all b ut you and perhaps some among you, w h ilst reading them , w ill feel the need to stop a few moments and say to yourselves the name o f the author o f these lines, an author they have know n well and fo r a long tim e , before going fu rth e r in the relation o f these stories w ith the certitude th a t they are fact and not fic tio n . B ut w hat does it matter? Is it not the essential th in g th a t these things be said and, if they are said, is it not because it is now perm itted? Then never mind words, phrases, effect and style — just a simple language, as if ta lkin g ; this is a story in which o n ly the tru th matters and perhaps on account o f its im p ro b a b ility .

HERE OR THERE?

The tra d itio n th a t there is an occult government o f the w o rld has never ceased to be, and to this government many names have been given in the course o f the ages, also many habitats. In the last century, Saint Yves d'A lveydre, fo r the firs t tim e perhaps in a manner so e xp licit and precise, referred to it w ith clear detail. His w ork saw the light o f day at the right tim e and I have learned since, fro m the highest a u th o rity , how exactly, as he tells it, he had received instructions d e fin ite ly to publish such revelations. The wrong use o f such scant but justified info rm a tio n by certain 'adventurers o f the o c c u lt' more anxious fo r pop ularity and financial gain than fo r tru th made a cla rifica tio n necessary. There were also those who understanding less than nothing, were persuaded however by th e ir 'illu m in a tio n ' or by 'revelation' given to them , they said, fro m on High, or by such and such a Master or Guide, b u ilt up strange theories w hich, as is often the case, had unbelievable appeal, to certain stray seekers always in quest o f the impossible novelty in the engulfing swamps o f unverified 'marvels'. It therefore became very necessary to restore the tru th , at least partially, and it is thus th a t Saint Yves d'A lveydre lifte d a corner o f the veil o f Agartha. T hat which Agartha was at the m om ent he w rote his book, was how it was constituted and conducted its activities. A t the same tim e one heard fro m other sources th a t the 'seat' o f this occult governm ent o f the w o rld was, at th a t tim e, situated in the Gobi desert. And there the m atter rested. It is true to say th a t all th a t is in our w o rld is in perpetual movement and transform ation. Things evolve and th e ir contents change. A ll those who, these days, are still interested in these particular questions according to the in fo rm a tio n o f Saint Yves d'A lveydre still believed the same till not long ago and w ith o u t reflection they im p lic itly assumed th a t nothing had changed since then. I know th a t I am the firs t to bring to this subject new revelations and I am conscious o f the responsibility th a t I assume in doing so, but, as w ith Saint Yves d'A lveydre, I w ould never make these revelations w ith o u t permission. I clearly declare then th a t the occult government o f the w orld (to which I shall come a little later in detail during one o f my strange encounters) is not any more, in any way, the same as it was about th irty years ago. More, it is no longer situated in the Gobi desert. In every respect, as we know it, it is held according to the conditions o f the modern w orld and it has always been thus, in slow progression by a constant adjustm ent to new conditions. But I believe the m om ent has come to te!l o f the firs t strange encounter.

FIRST MEETING

In carrying o u t my duties I am, as many know , ofte n called upon to travel. For many years, after having established the necessary Lodges, Chapters and Pronaoi over the whole te rrito ry o f m y vast ju ris d ic tio n , after having b u ilt the structures o f w hich we now know , I had still the w ork o f organization, o f supervision and o f translations to o harassing to accept all the invitations fro m the subordinate groups which I had brought into being. I managed however short visits to the nearest ones, b u t these visits gave me the greatest jo y on ly to keep in touch w ith o u r members and give an address at th e ir Lodge, Chapter o r Pronaoi. or even to preside at the firs t local Conclaves. Outside the exceptional visits to the Grand Lodge o f w hich you have heard, so much appreciated by our beloved Im perator, I did n ot have during all this tim e any unusual meetings, in fa ct I did not expect any. No do u b t I was to o busy and all my tim e was taken up w ith m y heavy task. Assuredly also 'th e y ' were w aiting fo r me to 'prove m y s e lf'. The great period o f my 'b ig' journeys began in 1960 by tw o necessary visits, one to Leopoldville and one to Brazzaville, w ith one incursion in to the South-Kasai. These journeys were uneventful in th a t which concerns the things w hich interest us here, and fo r fo u r years, it was enough. As I have said I awaited nothing, and in consequence did n o t feel any disappointm ent. I was on the contrary filled w ith jo y at the extraordinary way my ju risd ictio n had grown and become the second in the w o rld . In a ddition, my o ffice , and, so to speak, the 'state o f grace' made me conduct m yself w ith the greatest prudence. C ertainly, called very young to the Rosicrucian way, circumstances and visits, which no d o u b t w ould have scared the ordinary man, surprised me n o t at all. It w ould take much more than a strange thing to surprise me, but already the unusual was on the threshold. 21st May 1964. A short journey called me to London and I w ent to O rly A irp o rt to board the plane at 2.00 am. A ll was in order and I was pleased to have m y place in the fro n t row. I noticed w ith cu rio sity th a t the place opposite to mine was em pty although it is generally liked, also the aeroplane w ould be, w ith o u t d o u b t, fu ll up. Casually turning my head I saw, among the other people, an Oriental wearing a turban. I noticed the turban was blue, and I observed a little later th a t it was o f lig h t gauze. An O riental, w ith o u t d oubt a Hindu going to London. N othing very extraordinary about th a t and I was disinterested u n til the m om ent when, someone sat dow n in the seat opposite close to mine, I saw th a t it turned o u t to be the Oriental I had been looking at. His plum p face surrounded by a beard and his lively eyes reminded me o f someone. A ll this passed very q u ick ly through my thoughts, then feeling the fo lly o f guessing, I gave my atte n tio n to the papers I had w ith me, b u t I was unable to concentrate on them . Suddenly I remembered! It was in Brussels some tim e ago th a t I had seen this man. I was making a guided to u r o f the to w n and he had been some places in fro n t o f me in the car. A t one o f the stops I was near to him during the explanations o f the guide. He had smiled at me courteously and in clim bing

back into the car, I was in fro n t o f him and inadvertently jostled him , and begged his pardon. I had thought he said "see you later” , b u t I tho u g h t I had misheard, fo r how should I meet again someone whom I had never met before? Then I had forgotten the incident. This all came back to me in mem ory and I th o u g h t “ decidedly the w o rld is a small place". Giving a quick glance at my neighbour w hile the plane was taking o ff he smiled at me and I d id the same. Then in impeccable French he said: "W ell, you see we meet again!" I made a real e ffo rt to reply: "Y o u have an excellent m em ory M onsieur." His response came a b ru p tly, " I t is n o t a case o f m em ory but o f something else!" I was on my guard, but curiously calm, "R e a lly ? " He w ent on: "We have not much tim e fo r at London A irp o rt I must leave you. Besides I have n ot a little to tell you. Others w ill tell you the rest. A ll in tro d u c tio n is useless and you are n o t w ho you are w ith o u t reason. Receive w ith sim p licity fo r nothing that you w ill learn w ill injure y o u r w ork or interfere w ith it. You are in an approved and appreciated way. Y ou r Order represents TOMORROW . Be fa ith fu l and keep its p u rity and its integrity. "Y o u w ill have heard o f Agartha, but even this name w ill n o t be used fro m now on. The true name is fina l, and is o n ly know n to a few, and may n o t be to ld . This name is A . . . . Occult Government o f the W orld! Even this expression is inappropriate! However, it describes well the 'High C ouncil' and the twelve w ho constitute it! In all ages the error has been to believe th a t the members o f the High Council are eternal. The High Council is eternal b ut its members are mortals like you and me. O nly th e ir knowledge makes them d iffe re n t, their knowledge and th e ir extraordinary vision o f the fu tu re w o rld ! When a member dies, he w ho has been chosen to succeed him replaces him im m ediately and fo r three months, he familiarises him self w ith the knowledge and the experience le ft by his predecessor. He enters also fo r the firs t tim e in to contact w ith the united members o f the High Council. Thus transmission is uninterrupted. T hat is the tru th o f the matter. Our responsibility is considerable, b u t we assume it w ith knowledge I interrupted the speaker, "Y o u have several times mentioned we. Are you a member o f the High C ouncil?" Appearing not to have heard me he w ent on, "T h e High Council knows the ultim ate p o in t th a t the w orld w ill attain in its evolution. They know its stages. Certain people in

initiated circles kno w some o f them , the era o f the Fish or the era o f the W atercarrier fo r example, but there are others w hich no-one, outside the High Council, w ill ever know . The essential role o f the High Council? T o see th a t each stage is accomplished in a given tim e and hurry it or retard it as the case may be. It is most ofte n to h u rry it on th a t must be done by the High C ouncil. H um anity is free to reach the end o f a stage according to its own concept b u t the new aim must be know n to be in accord w ith w hat has already been planned, and it is on th a t, th a t the High Council keep watch. It has, naturally, ways o f influencing events and it sees beyond changes, inevitable by the fa u lt o f hum anity and the d iffic u lty it has to adapt itself to new conditions w ith o u t shock. These ways cannot be revealed b ut you w ill understand them easily. The High Council is the highest branch o f th a t — Invisible Permanence, if you wish, or better s till, the Beings o f a higher Hierarchy. The universe is such a u n ity th a t each thing and each being are links. One more w o rd : the members o f the High Council meet in conclave fo u r times a year at fixe d times. Each one o f them is however, in 'ra p p o rt' w ith all the others when he so desires, fro m one end o f the year to the o th e r." "T he members o f the High Council, have they a profession, let us say, a lay one?" "T h a t is n o t forbidden, but, then, they must allow themselves the possibility o f replying at any m om ent to all calls and carry o u t any mission in an em ergency." "These members o f the High Council, can they hold a political p o sitio n ? " "N o ! T hat is the o n ly forbidden thing. Even the p ossibility o f a lay profession is relatively recent. It was on the 27th December 1945 during the last periodical reunion, th a t the decision was taken. A profession is n o t necessary, in any case, fo r any members o f the High Council. Rather, an occupation sometimes helps in the W ork . . . . b u t I can see what you are th in kin g in y o u r question concerning politics — w ith o u t d o u b t o f a would-be synarchy! What a mistake! How absurd is this idea o f certain w riters! This w ould bring dow n to a very low level the Cosmic mission o f the High Council. Politics are the affair o f 'm en'. Sometimes they fo llo w o u r designs and at other times they do not. We fo llo w them closely in the entire w o rld and we draw our own conclusions, th a t is all. O f course if politics should hamper the evolution o f the w o rld , we intervene, b u t by means which have nothing to do w ith politics. A ll the same they are most effective. As to synarchies they are also the affa ir o f men, certain men inspired, let us say, by their material desires. We have nothing in com m on w ith them , no lin k w ith such enterprise. A ny other suggestion is pure fic tio n . . . b u t does it m a tte r!" " I am extrem ely surprised th a t so suddenly, in an aeroplane, in a public place where indiscreet ears can hear yo u r conversation, and scarcely know ing me, w ith o u t any control

you make such revelations to me. I know , I feel th a t w hat you tell me is true. I feel quite clearly a state o f confidence and certainty. But w hy to me and w hy here?" "Is it to you, Raymond Bernard, th a t I have to explain th a t there is no risk, and do you suppose th a t I w ould give such in fo rm a tio n to someone unknown? Why to you? Perhaps because o f w hat you are, perhaps fo r other reasons. Why here? Because it had to be thus. As to the rest, reassure yourself. No one has heard our conversation. Once again I say Accept w ith S im p lic ity ." I wanted to ask other questions, but he stopped me: " I t is enough" he said, "and I can say nothing more. Besides we have arrived. Perhaps others w ill come . . . . London! I always th in k o f Copenhagen in December when I arrive in L o n d o n !" Approaching the a irp o rt he slowed his step and said to me: "A u re v o ir! May God and the Masters bless our C om m union ." Impressed by these words taken w ord fo r w ord, fro m Liber 777,1 whispered in reply "S o Mote It B e !" He lifte d his right hand, th u m b folded, three fingers to the forehead; I w ithdrew , and turning q u ic k ly , w ith a last glance, I saw him advancing slow ly in the same d irection towards the Customs. How his passport w ould have interested me! He was a fine figure o f a man, strong, his head covered w ith a pale blue gauze turban wearing a chestnut brown s u i t . . . . A man among men! I did not meet him again till much later, m onths later, on 28th December 1966, we shall see in w hat circumstances. I had an excellent sleep in London, th a t night o f this firs t strange meeting. A sleep so deep th a t the next m orning I m ight have dreamed i t . . . . and ye t!

SECOND MEETING

I do not like Copenhagen in the w in te r. The cold is to o intense and nature in this incarnation has given me a body th a t does n o t agree w ith very lo w temperatures. However, th a t does n ot prevent m y going to Denmark when the service o f the Order calls me there, and it happens th a t I always have to make the journey in W inter! I do not kn o w w hy I had not im m ediately seized upon the indication given me by my firs t in te rlo c u to r when he to ld me to th in k o f Copenhagen in December when he arrived in London. Perhaps I was to o em otionally affected w ith w hat I had just been to ld . In fact, I th o u g h t o f it again only after my return to Paris. I could n o t tru ly imagine w hat could take me to Copenhagen seven months later b u t I did n o t d o u b t th a t if I had to go there to learn something im p ortant, things w ould so arrange themselves o f th e ir own accord. In short, considering it as a test I did nothing to encourage the journey. The months w ent by, and towards the 10th December 1964 I received instructions asking me to go to Copenhagen on an im p o rta n t question concerning our Order. I was to be at my destination not later than December 2 7 th . I w ent there. Y ou can guess w ith w hat interest I to o k my place in the aeroplane and w ith what cu rio sity I awaited the coming o f m y strange in te rlo cu to r. Wishing, fo r fun, to give m yself an extra surprise, I closed my eyes and waited patiently, concentrating hard upon the Grand Lodge. When I reopened my eyes, the aeroplane was about to take o ff. Eagerly I looked at my neighbour . . . . it turned o u t to be a small girl o f about 12 years o f age and I doubted th a t, in the kind o f com m unication I expected, they w ould send a little girl. I started the lecture in the last number o f the Rose-Croix and the test o f the journey unfolded norm ally . . . . and w ith o u t anything unusual. The Royal H otel o f Copenhagen is in Hamerichgarde 1. I t is close to the centre o f the tow n and in a dditio n , its vast salons, p a rticularly the hall, allowed fo r discreet conversations. I had the impression th a t it w ould be the hall th a t w ould be the scene o f my second strange encounter. I could n o t tru ly see any other place where it could be. As I had to fu lfill my mission I decided th a t this w ould be a second test: I w ould w a it in the hall o n ly during periods o f tim e I was at leisure. The day fo llo w in g my arrival fro m 9.0 to 10.0 in the m orning I sat in an armchair facing the doorw ay o f the main entrance. N othing happened. The fo llo w in g day, nothing again, neither in the m orning nor in the evening fro m 6.0 to 9.0. I began to th in k th a t I had given the words o f my firs t in te rlo c u to r more significance than they had really had. The next m orning about 9.30, then, I was preparing to go dow n to take up my watch in the hall, w ith o u t much hope all the same, when the bell o f my telephone recalled me to m y room . The concierge to ld me th a t a Mr Jans awaited me. As I d id n o t know any M r Jans I supposed th a t it w ould tu rn o u t to be the new awaited meeting, an unusual

meeting where all again w ould happen in a d iffe re n t way, since "organised” w aiting had proved useless. I w ent dow n im m ediately. The hall appeared em pty. Just as I approached the bureau o f the concierge, a man rose fro m one o f the great armchairs and looked at me fixe d ly. I walked towards him , "A re you Mr Jans?” He q u ickly touched his forehead w ith the three fingers o f the right hand, the thum b folded in. I bowed slightly w ith o u t o ffering my hand. These people always seem to ignore the 'hand shake'. One day I w ill ask them w hy. "Com e Mons. Bernard, I am h e ." D irectly I saw him I had once again the same feeling o f certitude and confidence. He spoke perfect French b u t his accent was indefinable, possibly Slav. He was sm artly dressed. His th in face was crowned w ith abundant w hite hair. His eyes were o f a m etallic blue. He was about my height. Outside it was snowing. A carriage waited. Mr Jans gave an instruction in Danish to a chauffeur and we departed. He did n o t speak much, a few words fro m tim e to tim e as we passed some m onum ent or some historic building. I know Copenhagen well and I o n ly half listened, b ut I watched him . He smiled curiously. His m outh remained closed, o n ly his eyes creased slightly. The man was undoubtedly enigmatic. I asked myself where we were going. We were now crossing the Faubourgs b u t I was barely interested in the surroundings and I could not say where we were. The carriage slowed down and stopped in fro n t o f an ordinary looking house, d iffic u lt to distinguish fro m the others, as is often the case in Scandinavian countries. The building however was w ealthy looking and solidly constructed. We alighted. I do n o t know if " M r Jans" range the bell b u t the door opened. I was busy examining the fro n t o f the house but there was no name, — nothing. We entered, the house seemed em pty. My host led me towards a small salon. The room was extraordinary. I seemed to have entered a d iffe re n t w orld. It w ould be impossible fo r me to describe it in detail, and even a description w ould convey nothing o f the atmosphere w hich reigned there and which emanated from it. It was t h a t . . . . that vibratory atmosphere th a t one noticed most here. Everything appeared to be bathed in a violet light created by the curtains which covered the windows and from a small lighted lamp in one o f the corners o f the salon. On the walls, tw o pictures, but I could n o t quite distinguish them . But on a small table in fro n t o f the armchair where I was seated, I saw, framed in w hite, a photograph o f a man clothed in gray, w ith a most fascinating face. He appeared to be about fo rty years o f age. He was dark, but his eyes so clear th a t th e ir place

seemed em pty in the photograph. It was impressive. 'M r Jans' sat facing me fo r a m om ent, looking at me fix e d ly b u t he made no com m ent on the interest I was showing towards the photograph and I did not dare to question him . I waited, and after several minutes he commenced. " I shall remain to you, 'M r Jans'. No other in tro d u c tio n is necessary. W hat matters names and personalities in our w o rk. The Essential and the Relative, tw o opposite terms, tw o extremes! One must choose the one or the other. The relative must remain w ith the w orld fro m which it comes. Our 'Raison d 'e tre ' is essential. Let us call ourselves then 'souls'! The same room where we are now, saw the reunion yesterday o f the High Council and th a t is w hy I decided to have this conversation w ith you here. Every reunion o f the High Council is fo llow ed in the w o rld by happenings o f considerable im portance, and no one, if it is n ot the High Council, can see them as other than they appear to the great public. N aturally it is n o t the in te n tio n to tell you o f the subjects examined yesterday. On the contrary, I am going to recall to you the conversation which you had between London and Paris w ith another responsible A . . . . I k n o w w hat was said to you b u t perhaps I could go over again certain points in the course o f my explanations. Above all, accept w ith h u m ility . Listen, meditate, b u t change n o t one w ord o f th a t which you receive, if, one day you are perm itted to speak. "T h e High Council, A . . . , is, as you know , composed o f 12 members and you have been told certain facts about them . This High Council is like a government in its structure, or rather an electoral body, b u t the hierarchy is strict. O f course, it w ould not be possible fo r some to reverse the decision o f others. There are n o t in the High Council any sim ilar occupations. Each is in his own place, fix e d , linked w ith others and fu lfills his mission as he deems fit. The Head o f the High Council has no title properly speaking. N ot long since, certain in fo rm a tio n w hich was allowed to 'filte r ' o u t, referred to him as the 'K ing o f the W orld'. King he assuredly is, and more, by the a u th o rity , the autocracy and the responsibility o f his o ffice , b u t he has never carried this title . T o us, he is M A H A and fo r us this name has a value so sacred th a t no other name could replace it. I say precisely, th a t it has quite a particular significance and to wish to compare it to other sim ilar names or to interpret it by them w ould be to be led astray by the most absurd error. M A H A is our venerated chief. His wisdom is p rofound, his universality to ta l, and his understanding absolute. He has a unique goodness th a t the w o rld w ould ill understand or concede, fo r the w orld does not concede to goodness unless it brings p ro fit, o r else it is called weakness. M A H A however is stern and pitiless towards anyone w ho fails to keep his w ord. He pardons the man: he does not forget the fa u lt. M A H A is, if you wish, our President. The second in rank fu lfills a fu n c tio n sim ilar to th a t o f a secretary general, in the case o f a presidential government. He is the rig h t hand o f the President o f M A H A , and he follow s him everywhere. It is he w ho, if necessary, sends us the special instructions o f M A H A . The

ten other members o f the High Council are comparable to y o u r ministers. Each occupies him self w ith one great branch o f human a c tiv ity :— Economy, Education, Justice, etc. w ith a special m inistry — th a t o f Religion and Cults, w hich covers everything fro m the great monastic and confessional religions to the tribal and most remote clans. Also, strange as it may appear to you, the tra d itio n a l Orders — like yours — come under Education fo r this term is used by us in its highest sense. "Y o u ask w ith o u t dou b t, in w hat ways the High Council can act-. Such a question answers itself, fo r what could best serve a 'governm ent' on a te rrito ry as vast as the planet, if it were n ot constituted o f twelve members, including our venerated Maha, meeting from tim e to tim e to evaluate, to determ ine and to decide if this evaluation, this determ ination and this decision could not fin d a field o f application! A n o th e r than I w ill perhaps one day tell you, the ways — called by the w orld 'supernorm al' — w hich we use, how and w hy. I shall stop at the outer operative plan fo r the tim e being. My predecessor told you that we do n ot interfere w ith the in te rio r affairs o f States. It is necessary to say in th a t respect, th a t to the High Council, States do n o t exist as such. There is nothing to them b u t the w orld , in so far as the planet and its u n ifo rm progression through the cycles is concerned, w ith a view to procuring fo r men the best plan, environm ent, and experience and knowledge which compose th e ir individual and collective progress. "Therefore, and this is im p o rta n t, if any State seems backward w ith regard to the expected general progression, or if it is in advance, creating thereby discordance, in either case the High Council, by various means at its disposal, w ill re-establish the e q u ilibrium and the result o f this w ould be to make the responsible countries adjust themselves and adjust conditions, in th e ir ow n ways, to the situation th a t we have created in the universal interest. It is evident th a t they w ill always be unaware o f w hy they fin d themselves in such a situation but they w ill be forced to react, and f i t th e ir action to the situation. There is o f course no preference given to one State over another in the course we take. We know the 'general no rm ' at such a tim e, and we evaluate the 'n o te ' if you like, o f each State in respect to this 'n o rm '. It determines whether our intervention is necessary and how strong it w ill be. " L e t me tell you, by the way, th a t Switzerland is the o nly co u n try in the w orld o f which the 'R h y th m ' is normal th ro u g h o u t the ages. We have not had to interfere there fo r a long tim e, save perhaps tw o or three times on the Economic plane, the Swiss having been to o w ithdraw n on themselves in this dom ain. We then have to prom ote the need fo r foreign labour to re-establish eq u ilib riu m and th a t is still in progress, but by 1968, stabilization w ill be com pletely achieved. You w ill be surprised to learn th a t our venerated Maha is not unknow n to the leaders o f the w o rld . By "leaders" or great ones I mean, o f course, the most responsible men o f both great and small nations. However, all do not

know him , and some have never heard o f him . To use a euphemism, he is know n o n ly to the 'stable' ones, those whose personality gives a guarantee th a t they w ill m aintain by th e ir action the 'rh y th m ' o f th e ir c o u n try , and above all, th a t they w ill endure. It is n o t d iffic u lt fo r ou r Maha to determ ine w ho possesses th a t essential q u a lity — discretion. Maha w ill be know n to them , often under a name and outer qualifications w hich have nothing to do w ith his real responsibility. But, because he w ill represent "an outside o p in io n " he w ill be received and freq uently listened to . Occasionally, Maha w ill reveal to some great man his true self, b u t th a t is rare. To my knowledge o n ly one actually knows him so, and the influence o f Maha upon him is remarkable. No! D o n 't ask me his name. Never forget the im personality o f our great service. "Besides, the real and very efficacious influence o f Maha, there is evidently the influence and action o f his eleven collaborators as well. T o a lesser degree and on less high levels we operate in the same way, b u t under the supervision o f Maha. The efficacy o f our action is great, yet one cannot fail to consider the reactions and human uncertainties which sometimes necessitate outer "in te rv e n tio n " on our part. That which I have just to ld you is the d ire ct action, to use an expression dear to these times. But the High Council has its A dm in istra tio n and I am going to explain. "T here was a tim e when to approach the "great ones" was not a complex undertaking. A well know n name or a loan was su fficie n t to show th a t one was o f high rank o f real or apparent im portance. Whichever class was at the to p , it was to the to p th a t one gave a ttentio n. Each c o u n try lived in a relatively close fie ld . The power and the principal activity was central. A t th a t tim e a few representatives were sufficie n t, and besides there were never more than a dozen w ho have le ft a name or a trace in history. Consider the personage know n as C ount St Germain, fo r example, or th a t one know n as Cagliostro in the light o f this explanation. Y ou w ill better understand th e ir mission! Nowadays the situation is d iffe re n t. Peoples are mixed up and there is a constant coming and going, Governments consult each other, contacts are on the increase. It is considerable progress, and besides it was foreseen. B ut our action must take it in to account. "O n the 21st March 1933, the old Maha, w ho was to leave this plane fo u r years later, had established in one o f our periodic reunions, th a t it was necessary to adjust our mode o f operation to the w orld o f to m o rro w and study was made to this end, b u t the final date was 28th December 1945 when under our present Maha, the members o f the High Council were authorized to occupy positions . . . . let us say w o rld ly . I w ill not tell you naturally which ones, fo r th a t w ould be useless and absurd. However, you w ill easily understand, th a t it could not be other than a question o f some situation involving a responsibility non-political, but central. A t the heart o f some professional adm inistration or other, it follow s th a t one is in the know , and th a t the impetus given in return is

efficacious. From this you w ill deduce th a t thus there is established round the whole w orld a vast web form in g an overall picture. This means nothing to any o th e r than the central person who is one o f the members o f the High Council, whoever it may be at present. No one knows it. But you have many good outer examples and I shall not persist. "Perhaps you w ill th in k th a t twelve members o f the High Council are to o few fo r such a task. This is n o t the case. Do you th in k our organisation to be anything b u t perfect I am sure th a t you do n o t d o u b t it? I shall add this: do not forget th a t which was said to you by him w hom you met before me unless you fail to value our w o rk. Remember we are not politicians in the sense the w o rld understands it. You must place, you understand, all our actions as fo r the best and in a universal context. That which you now know , should give you a true overall picture o f our w ork in the service o f the w orld. As a result of these facts never before given to anyone, you w ill be able better to understand w hat is happening in a w orld which has become small. Learn to apply these fundam ental keys to each im p o rta n t happening. Accept, I repeat, w ith h u m ility "M ay I ask you a question: What about the United N ations?" "Perhaps another w ill tell you the answer one day. T hat which I personally had to tell you is to ld , and I th in k I have been more inform ative than my predecessor, but th a t was ordained. Though the allusion was fa irly clear you had to decide where w ould be the place o f the present meeting. It is true th a t the rest has been "h e lp e d " by us. You w ill not have to guess the place o f our next encounter. It w ill be Athens. When and How? That w ill be clear enough when the tim e arrives, to exclude all doubt. As you w ill certainly suppose, nothing is 'chance' in th a t which is undertaken by the High Council . . . . Good! Here is my C hauffeur to fetch y o u ." We rose. By the door, he touched his forehead again w ith the three fingers o f the right hand, thum b turned in. Again I bowed and thanked him . . . . his eyes creased in a smile. It was finished. H alf an hour later, I was back in m y hotel, w ith o u t having ceased fo r a single instant to th in k o f the little room in the violet lig h t and a certain 'M r J a n s '. . .

STRANGE ENCOUNTERS THIRD MEETING

As tim e passed the meetings became more norm al. There had n o t been more than tw o so far, b u t there was a great difference between the second and the firs t: less mystery, and less unexpected in appearance, less enigm atic allusion as to the next place and tim e o f meeting. I understood o f course the necessity fo r discretion, but the more direct approach was better suited to my tem perament. In a society where all seems to be open one observes so many people w ho h abitually surround themselves w ith an aura o f m ystery to hide the emptiness th a t is in them and one cannot help a certain dislike when the same attitu d e is employed in an extrem ely im p o rta n t and serious purpose. Assuredly the feeling o f certainty and confidence w hich I had during these meetings — and fro m the firs t contact — was an absolute guarantee to me, b u t the manner in which the last meeting had been carried o u t pleased me. A t all events, I fe lt no surprise when I was sent to Athens the week before Easter fro m Paris, and returned the fo llo w in g Tuesday, there was no Easter fo r me th a t year. Athens! The most beauttful clim ate in the w orld they say, b u t above all w hat a strange impression o f the eternal past fo r the visito r w ho cannot ignore the inevitable presence o f the monum ents. There are, however, few traces o f the marvellous a n tiq u ity in Athens b u t there is an 'atmosphere' and there is the Parthenon. It is enough, w ith e ffo rt, to turn the th ough t to the long past centuries when everyone gathered here under the kin d ly pro tection o f divine Athens. As others have done before me, each stay in Athens takes me on a pilgrimage to the celebrated h ill where, amongst the stones o f the Temple, there came fo rth again the hopes, aspirations and tra d itio n s o f the whole people. T o have a strange encounter in Athens therefore did n o t displease me. The last experience had taught me th a t it was no good to tr y and force events (in the sacred sense o f the w o rd ). I t was enough to be ready and w a it calm ly. I did nothing then after my arrival than attend to th a t which had taken me to Athens. I d id it w ith o u t any haste, w ith o u t surprise at the delay, or at the silence o f him w hom I had the right to expect after th a t w hich had been to ld me. On Saturday m orning at the m om ent I gave my key to the concierge he gave me a w hite envelope w ith o u t anything on it except the number o f m y room , w ritte n by the hand o f the concierge. I opened hastily. On a half sheet o f paper ty p e w ritte n , o n ly these words: today, 6 o 'clock and the address o f a street which I placed close to the Place de la C o n stitu tio n , b u t in the d irection o f the celebrated Plaka. A ll day I waited calm ly although I was fille d w ith an understandable curiosity. A t 5 o'clock I returned to my hotel and after a short m editation, I called a ta xi. I showed the paper to the driver and to o k it back again at once.

What a strange experience the taxis o f Athens give to the visitor! It is incomprehensible th a t one can arrive at a destination w ith o u t damage after such terrible driving and such a brutal shaking. Greek drivers as artists in dilettantism are surpassed only by the Turks, particularly in Istanbul. But one always arrives at one's destination and is th a t n ot the essential thing? The street is very narrow and little frequented, also very dark. The taxi stopped in fro n t o f a building w ith o u t any particular characteristic and I got out. But now w hat should I do? The building was several stories high and no d o u b t housed several d iffe re n t families. I was extrem ely perplexed, however, w ith o u t any fear. I waited p a tiently in fro n t o f the door where I stood in a way to be perfectly visible to anyone inside w ho was awaiting a visito r. A t 6 o'clock precisely the door opened and a man smiled at me courteously. “ Good evening sir, w ill you please fo llo w me.” I did so. He had not made the usual sign. W ith o u t d o u b t he w ould tu rn o u t to be someone charged w ith introducing me. On the firs t flo o r in fro n t o f a big door on the left, he waited a few seconds and when I was close to him , he entered. The door was ajar. When we were inside he closed it, made the Sign and said: "Y o u are w elcom e," then he led me in to a smaller room b u t furnished w ith refinem ent. N othing on the walls but everything here radiated discrim ination and aesthetic taste. A single lamp in a com er was alight, and I saw again the bluish light o f my last encounter in Copenhagen. The same atmosphere fille d and dazzled me, I sat dow n in the large armchair pointed o u t by my host and as I sat down I saw on the table on my right the same photograph th a t had struck me in Copenhagen. My in te rlo c u to r to o k a low chair on my left. I was startled. He was not more than tw e n ty five years old and the beauty o f his features was striking. His light coloured eyes were sparkling w ith life and appeared still brighter in contrast w ith his tanned skin. His face seemed almost childish under his carefully brushed brow n hair. But I waited fo r w hat he had to say. Then he began. "Y o u must accept w ith confidence. Others than I have already spoken to you and my role is d iffe re n t. A t Copenhagen you were to ld o f our ways o f tem poral action and I was told o f yo u r question regarding the United Nations. Perhaps on th in kin g it over you have already reached some valuable conclusions? The United Nations, u n til a short tim e ago the League o f Nations, responded to an inner need o f the peoples. The idea is excellent, but the realization is not. A t least there is progress and such an organization, should it serve as a brake to the anger o f the people, is already incontestably useful. One finds, however, w ith in it the same im perfections which mark each nation: self interested interventions, regrettable influences and e ffo rts to use all as Justification fo r national action, even if this action is wrong, and seen to be dangerous. However, such as it is, this organisation is possible o f im provem ent, and the High Council takes note o f it. It is far

fro m being disinterested in the w o rk o f the U nited Nations. In any case, as long as this organization exists, it operates there as it does elsewhere and th a t w hich you now know regarding its w ork in other spheres applies there in the same manner. You can apply the same reasoning to all valuable organisations created by man. The High Council can d ire ctly or ind ire ctly bring in to being the original. It can b u t leave it if it proves no good, b u t it takes everything th a t can help it in its mission in the service o f the w o rld . There are those, I am sure, w ho w ill com plete y o u r in fo rm a tio n , b u t our meeting today has a higher object. I w ant to tell you o f o u r ways, how shall I say . . . o f our exceptional ways . . . D iffe re n t, th a t is the exact w ord. These ways y o u r fu n c tio n w ill allow you to understand, yo u r fu n ctio n and also y o u r training in the bosom o f a considerable organisation, yo u r Order which we love and respect, and o f w hich we know the performance, in spite o f inevitable d iffic u ltie s — those o f the w o rld and o f less enlightened beings whose ego misdirects them in making them believe in th e ir w o rth or th e ir knowledge to fill up th e ir frightening emptiness w ith in . There is n o t fo r them any other place than where they are and even yo u r Order in their eyes carries im perfections w hich they alone, poor fools, can efface. Such critics exist everywhere. T h in k o f them w ith kindness. They cannot look at anything w ith o u t measuring it by negative and clever criticism w ith th a t w hich is greater — and w ith o u t th a t where w ould they be! We in our w ork often have to deal w ith temperaments o f this kind. They are found on all levels. But the difference w ith you, you are n ot authorised — even by d e fin itio n o f a tra d itio n a l Order charged w ith guiding in freedom — to impose or to make use o f " d iffe re n t" means on an individual plane b u t the High Council is righ t to do so and it does so. What are these ways? As I have to ld you, you have an inkling o f them certainly b u t in general, let us go a little in detail . . . the High Council, the A . . . . , is in some way the firs t visible lin k w ith the Cosmic Hierarchy. It must not be confused w ith w hat you call the High Conclave o f Cosmic Masters, whose plan is d iffe re n t and whose mission is no longer the same. To be precise, and to complete the d e fin itio n th a t I am going to give you, let us say th a t the High Council, the A ..........in so far as it is the firs t visible lin k w ith the Cosmic Hierarchy, is the fundam ental lin k having fo r its mission the care o f the harm onious developm ent o f hum anity as an organised society thro ugho ut the d iffe re n t cycles foreseen through all e te rn ity . There are twelve o f these cycles, they are sym bolized by the Constellations o f the Zodiac, and they each comprise about 24,000 years. A fte r th a t there is the collective and individual judgm ent and the beginning o f a new state in the twelve cycles. The number twelve must lead you in your m editations, to some fr u itfu l conclusions. You w ill see also a tie w ith the number o f members in the High Council. Each 'm in iste r' then, naturally takes a particular tu rn according to the current cycle, each cycle having a predom inant note in harm ony w ith each o f the twelve offices. B ut you w ill understand also th a t the u n it remains and that each o ffice r o f the High Council looks after his ow n position. However, under the responsibility and spur o f Maha, each o ffic e r develops his a c tiv ity in accord w ith the central a ctivity o f the cycle o f w hich one 'm in iste r' is the symbol.

"A s regards the situation between the tw o planes (the visible and the invisible) — I state precisely however th a t there is o n ly one single plane w ith tw o appearances or manifestations — the High Council deals w ith both. Thus it uses the opportunities offered by the visible phase and it has at its disposal the power given by the other phase. The powers do n o t com m unicate themselves. They are acquired by study and w o rk. More exactly they are nothing in themselves. They are the result. One o f the consequences o f knowledge and acquired experience. Many th in k so much o f these 'powers' th a t they have forgotten the essential and, naturally, they lose tim e. As long as they have n o t progressed beyond this false conception they are in the realms o f psychic illusion which no one can leave save o f th e ir ow n accord. Thus, the members o f the High Council, the twelve o f the A , have by d e fin itio n reached the stage o f universal knowledge, a degree which involves, as a consequence, the natural acquisition o f exceptional powers. You are not unaware th a t such knowledge is not attained in one single life ! Those w ho actually compose the High Council have surely undergone a long preparation, and in this life they are born in advance o f others fro m the p o in t o f view o f general evolution. They have had, you understand, to synthesise, to come in to focus, if you like, and th e ir mission being in some way cosmically ordained and prepared, and when the call o f the High Council reached them , they had, in this life, already attained an advanced degree o f 'realization'. "A fte rw a rds they receive a special tra in in g in view o f th e ir mission, and the tim e came when they were invested in to th e ir o ffice — the m om ent came, th a t is to say when one o f the twelve le ft this physical plane. Amongst the 'powers' given to the members o f the High Council, there is n a turally, in the firs t place, an exact knowledge o f the date o f their decease. None o f the twelve attaches any im portance to the length o f his life. Their evolution is to o high fo r that. They know th a t L ife is Eternal and th a t to leave this plane is already to prepare to return to it under a new material envelope. So they fu lfil their mission and em ploy all their energy, all th e ir force, w ith o u t w o rryin g whether th e ir efforts w ill c u t short the length o f an incarnation. However, they must th in k o f th e ir successor and this is one o f their greatest responsibilities. Periodically therefore they each individually have to determ ine the degree to which th e ir bodies may be used, much as the owner o f a m o to r car can decide w hether it can serve fo r three, five or ten years more. In th a t w hich concerns the twelve, th e ir periodic individual exam ination enables them to see if the ir w ork necessitates a normal am ount o f energy or considerably more and they draw their own conclusion. A member o f the High Council knows in this way the year o f his departure from the physical w o rld . It follow s th a t if his successor is not ready, he must prolong his existence u n til the m om ent comes. He w ill n o t use fo r this purpose any exceptional means. He w ill content him self w ith reducing his activities, thus keeping the necessary energy. He w ill slow dow n the normal rh y th m leading inevitably to death. U ntil w ith certainty his successor is ready fo r the High C ouncil. You can, after this explanation, also understand th a t the functions are hereditary cosmically speaking. Each office w ill

pass fro m him w ho has occupied it to a successor prepared fo r it and thus continue it. It is thus even w ith the functions o f Maha. On the physical, one finds this process, follow ed in all respects, by the choice o f the Dalai Lama. It is in a lesser degree and, apart fro m 'beliefs', reflected in a way fro m th a t which happens w ith us. "T h e power o f th o u g h t o f the members o f the High Council o f the A . . . . , is considerable, p a rticularly th a t o f o u r venerated Maha. No one however uses it to compel, except in extrem ely rare cases, when the destiny o f the w o rld w ould be at stake and the decision, as to w hat shall be done, is then made by Maha, a fte r he has discussed it w ith the High Council called to a special meeting. There is n o t amongst us any abuse o f these powers. A t o ur level, the sense o f mission is to o pure fo r the idea o f abusive use to enter our th o u g h t. We know how to make a screen if necessary so th a t no one w ith o u t our knowledge can influence another. O ur power o f thou g h t is employed in the line o f our w o rk, according to rigorously defined patterns th a t we know perfectly w ell, so perfectly that it is a fixed rule and we act autom atically. Under certain circumstances, this power w ill act o f itself, as if a trigger had been pulled, and then the problem solved, all w ill return to order. O f course we can also read characters, b u t this is n o t lig h tly done and the same autom atic reaction o f w hich I have ju st spoken is established in us in this regard. Therefore, if they wish 'to see o th e r people' it is simple fo r the members o f the High C ouncil, and all o f them have acquired enough mastership to draw the necessary conclusions, never to show th e ir deductions and to say nothing, even if he w ho is thus tested w ith o u t his knowledge, deliberately follow s a plan and pursues objectives which his promises and his words do n o t show in th e ir true in te n tio n . "Each o f us obviously possesses Cosmic Mem ory b u t fo r example each member o f the High Council centres his inner a tte n tio n o n ly on those lives w hich concern his own field o f action. However, during the periodic reunion when it is a question o f dealing w ith an im p o rta n t w orld p o in t, such as the co n tro l o f something or to ve rify the conclusions o f the High Council as to the "S tate o f the W o rld " w ith regard to the cycle or to the level which is necessary to be attained, if an idea proves itself useful and is know n to have been already registered in the Cosmic M em ory, then all o f the in fo rm a tio n is o f capital im portance and Maha alone, or w ith one or several Members o f the A ..........tunes in to it and harmonizes w ith the vibrations o f the universal records. " A ll is know n to Maha, and he more easily than all the others can proceed physically in such and such a p o in t if he wishes, b ut this way is n ot used in a systematic manner. A ll the same, each o f us can meet Maha, or the other members o f the High Council in this fashion. Between ourselves this means is employed extrem ely often. However, our mission necessitates the use o f reasoning and th a t is w hy our periodic reunions take place. A ll decisions and all actions o f long duration are determined during the course o f these

reunions and it is during the reunions th a t they are assessed. Psychic contacts do n o t serve fo r the precise details needed in carrying it ou t. "T he united High Council represents, so to speak, the hierarchical sum m it o f hum anity, the meeting p o in t between the tw o planes o f w hich I spoke just now. It is charged w ith a mission fro m on High and it guides, fro m where it is, those w ho govern below it. So it happens th a t if h um anity together cries under the w eight o f a burden th a t it has imposed upon itself by its ow n acts, we have to tu rn to the Most High to ask assistance fo r it. We transform in some way to a higher degree, the need th a t we have fe lt below. But em ploying th a t knowledge which has been placed at our disposal we apply this also to the actual situation, and you w ill see to w hat I was alluding since one o f the degrees o f yo u r great Order teaches the Law o f Assum ption. " I w ant, however, after all these explanations, to state exactly th a t our role remains the Guidance o f H um anity towards the goal assigned to it — not a forced guidance, but certainly a V ig ila n t guidance and o u r action, you are beginning to understand it now, is considerable. Yes, in some regards the High Council is tru ly the occult governm ent o f the w o rld, b ut an enlightened government, respecting lib e rty as long as it does n o t interfere w ith the forw ard march o f the planet, and does not intervene in w o rld ly affairs save fo r the good o f all men . . . " My host had talked w ith closed eyes, hands clasped, in a slow persuasive voice. I was too interested to in te rru p t him , although certain questions came to my mind. A t this p o in t o f his discourse I could n o t however refrain fro m saying: "A n d the wars which have devastated hum anity? And the people w ho suffer the misery o f famine? W hy did you n ot intervene in such tragic circumstances?" He replied: " I was expecting you r question, and as far as I can see, in effect, it is well to enlighten you im m ediately in relation to our conversation today. To begin w ith , if you th in k o f the Role o f the High C ouncil, o f the A ..........such as has been explained to you at length in the successive conversations w hich you have had by privilege w ith the others you w ill understand th a t we cannot intervene in the incessant process of disintegration and reconstruction to w hich hum anity in its en tire ty is subject. We cannot restrict the freew ill o f men nor hold back th a t w hich, by the play o f this fre e w ill, the catastrophies it produces o f w hich h um anity is at fa u lt. C ertainly, in many ways we give ou t warnings to men, we rem ind them o f the horrors o f war. In spite o f everything, they sink in to the cataclysm, our role consists in making sure th a t th e ir error does n o t react in any way on the proper cyclic rh y th m . On the other hand we assist positive works. Associations fo r help, Charitable movements w hich come about during the Negative act engendered by hum a n ity. It is evident also th a t we shall do everything to reduce the

duration o f events so tragic, b u t hum anity must firs t learn s u ffic ie n tly the lesson th a t it has imposed upon its e lf." "D o not forget th a t the w o rld is a crucible where destiny evolves itself. T hat is true fo r the individual plane as fo r the collective. There are universal Laws which it is our firs t task to respect, fo r they are the evolution o f m ankind. N ow , amongst these laws, there is th a t which is called Karma, so little know n to most people. H um anity, as the individual, must learn by Karma which in any case is n o t punishm ent. Karma has its origin in hum anity, and it finds in h u m anity its results. War is a m anifestation o f collective Karma. It is the result o f actions as well as the thoughts o f men. The solution to war, the installation o f Permanent Peace, depends upon men and upon men only. It is the same w ith all sociological troubles and others and if, in the last analysis, the w o rld does well in spite o f its errors, it is to o u r positive action th a t it w ill owe all. In times o f peace, we do not cease w o rking to instru ct men, to sow in them w ith all our m ight the seeds o f understanding th a t which they must avoid before new catastrophy. B ut hum anity must learn and progress. To do this it w ill always have problems to surm ount. They are the necessary spur, as are in a lesser degree personal problems fo r the individual evolution. There is in the whole universe and on all levels, perfect concord. The day when the individual as well as the whole o f h um anity conform s to universal laws, all the problems w ill be resolved, and the story o f this planet achieved. "T he problem o f misery and fam ine explains itself in the same way, b u t there is no do u b t at all th a t Karma is accumulated by those w ho have food being uninterested in those w ho are hungry and w ho do nothing to resolve the problem . It w ill result sooner or later in c o n flic t although on this side, the High Council w orks hard to create solutions and to establish true e qu ilibriu m . This has been our practice fo r many years. One needs of course the co-operation o f men. If they are refractory to the impulses which we give them w ith all our means they w ill carry the responsibility fo r a worsened situation which w ill degenerate in to catastrophy. We try to foresee all eventualities, and understand this well, they are foreseen. The greatest sin o f man is egotism. As long as he fails to eradicate this fro m his heart, man w ill c o n fro n t grave problems and, as to the High Council, it w ill continue to keep watch. "T h a t is all th a t it has been my mission to reveal to you. For several months you w ill hear nothing more fro m us, but you can ve rify th a t w hich you have been to ld in examining the w orld and its events in the lig h t o f our revelations. You w ill see our hand. Do n ot consider any event o f m in o r im portance. Give y o u r atte n tio n to all. Y our next meeting w ith a member o f the High Council w ill n o t take place before the last months o f 1966. You w ill be forewarned in a clear manner. A llo w this in fo rm a tio n to be useful to you and allow it, when the times comes, to be useful to others, bringing them light, hope and certainty, th a t all in this well-ordered universe is foreseen and th a t hum anity is not alone or abandoned."

My inform a nt stood up. He radiated serenity and peace. He im m ediately made the usual sign, o f which I still knew not the meaning and perhaps I never should know it. He accompanied me to the door o f the house w ith o u t adding a w ord. There he smiled and gave me his hand. It was the firs t tim e th a t one o f my inform ants had used this courtesy. I bowed and shook it. A fte r having le ft I w ent on fo o t to the Place o f the C o nstitution where I called a taxi to return to m y hotel. There I searched, b u t in vain, the paper on which was w ritte n the address. I did not th in k I had lost it , at le a s t. . . b u t w hat did it m atter! I am certain th a t these places where I am entertained are b u t occasional 'pied-a-terre' to meet the need, and th a t im m ediately afterwards they are returned to th e ir norm al use. E verything is 'atmosphere' in these meetings. These beings and th e ir fascinating purpose are the o nly memories fixed in the m ind. A t the m om ent I w rite these lines I ask myself if I w ould be capable o f finding again th a t street in Athens w ith o u t error. On the other hand I can evoke w ith o u t d iffic u lty the face o f this th ird stranger. I hear still his voice, his message . . . .

FOURTH MEETING

I had, in fact, a long tim e to w a it before meeting a new inform er. The months passed by u n til the signal was given to me, and thus I had plenty o f tim e to ve rify the acquired knowledge. A t firs t, I had a tendency to seek the application in major events, they did apply certainly bu t, when afterwards I started to pay a tte n tio n to less im p o rta n t circumstances and even m in o r ones, th a t w hich had been revealed to me became a key giving to things th e ir true significance and th e ir real charge, tim e has always passed q u ic k ly . A t no tim e in the m idst o f these strange encounters have I been subjected to pressures against my o ffic e and th a t w hich it implies in w o rk o f all sorts. I had fe lt in the presence o f m y inform ants the greatest respect fo r the Rosicrucian Order AM ORC and I had noticed w ith satisfaction th a t they placed it very high. It was plain th a t they wished only fo r some reason, to instruct me in exact things concerning an essential lin k w ith our w o rld . I accept them as I had been asked, w ith o u t reserve or afterthought. It was during the m onth o f August 1966 th a t I was inform ed o f the place and date o f the next tw o meetings: Lisbon and Istanbul. These tw o meetings were to take place before the end o f the year. As, fo r the firs t tim e, tw o places had been fixed w ith precision. I gathered th a t they were o f particular im portance and th a t they w ould be perhaps the last. I am sure now th a t they were indeed o f very special im portance. I am n o t so sure th a t they w ill tu rn o u t to be the last, although I can easily understand th a t there w ill be no more arranged periodical meetings w ith a d e fin ite objective fo r my inform er. As regards new unusual meetings, w ho knows? There is always something to learn and such Beings know this better than anyone. In November 1966 then, I was in Lisbon. I w ent there on a mission in the service of our Order and I was to meet several members there. A t the same tim e I was to be contacted there by another in te rlo cu to r. It has always struck me and was o f considerable value to me, th a t never had any one o f these unusual meetings, in any way at all, interrupted my w o rk, or upset the accom plishm ent o f any o f my duties. They are always "in te g ra te d " w ith my normal activities in an astonishing manner, and I appreciated this fa ct fo r it is clear, I w ould have had to anticipate such an eventuality. One is never asked to give up anything by anyone. E verything is simple, and such s im p lic ity under the circumstances, fo r one w ho knows, a gauge o f a u th e n tic ity . Lisbon, one o f those tow ns o f the w orld b u ilt on seven hills, is extrem ely attractive fo r the strange visitor. C ertainly, in this c o u n try w hich suffers under grave economic d ifficu ltie s, one always feels an immense compassion fo r the people w ho struggle all the tim e fo r survival. A ll the same, few towns have such a ttra ctio n , and one cannot help remembering th a t Portugal was once part o f th a t co n tin e n t which has now disappeared, Atlantis.

The Hotel Ritz is o f recent construction and nowhere could meeting and private conversation be more easy. The great rooms ofte n em pty, little rooms giving every guarantee o f quietness, p erm it the most confidential discussions sheltered fro m any curiosity. It was in one o f the low er ground flo o r salons th a t I m et my visitor, and fo r nearly tw o hours, we were able to converse together w ith o u t being once upset or interrupted. I had been to ld previously o f the day and the tim e by telephone and there was therefore nothing unforeseen to be expected. Nevertheless, there was something. When on the day arranged, I was inform ed th a t I was awaited, and w ent dow n in to the immense hall, there was a large crowd o f people there, w ith o u t d o u b t one o f the organized tours o f which there are more and more these days. I was on my way then, towards the bureau o f the concierge, when casting a glance to my rig h t, I saw someone who was looking at me w ith intensity. I recognized im m ediately, it was he whose photograph I had seen at tw o o f my meetings. It was M A H A . T w o men accompanied him . I was in an inward state d iffic u lt to analyse, happy and staggered at the same tim e. As I approached him he rapidly and discretely made the sign seen before w ith o u t folding in any finger. 1 had n ot tim e to ask myself much about this or to guess if th is was the complete sign or if Maha alone could salute thus. I bowed respectfully w ith o u t a w ord and then asked him where he wished to hold our conversation. "H e re ,” he said. I suggested to him one o f the salons which I had previously noticed to be very quiet. He agreed and we went there. His tw o companions did not come w ith us. We met them again later on. Maha is one o f the most extraordinary men th a t I have ever met. He seems to be about fift y years old and he is very tall. His face is shining w ith serenity, b u t his eyes, it was his eyes above all which are astonishing; they are extrem ely clear, of a colour impossible to define. His whole being is in them . One could see nothing else, and if anyone asked me to describe Maha I w ould only be able to say 'he has eyes'. They are veritably the eyes o f a w orld, o f a universe. One learns fro m them and one rests in them at the same tim e. C ertainly one would be able to avoid speaking and 'com m unicate' by looking at them . Thus I had before me the one w hom certain people have called the King o f the W orld, as those in past times have called him w ho carried such a charge. I am not impressed w ith titles and I never have been. I know to o well the disastrous effect they can have on the personality and the psychology o f certain people. But fo r the man w ho was there, no title was necessary to distinguish him . His Presence was sufficient. We sat dow n in a com er o f the vast salon, face to face, separated by a rectangular table. I was ready to listen to Maha, or better to 'com m unicate' w ith him and he certainly sensed it. An in fin ite kindness bathed his countenance. What a privilege fo r our earth to have such men to guard it!

He began: "Three o f m y collaborators have come to you up to now to give you in fo rm a tio n o f considerable im portance which you have received and accepted as you were asked to do. This info rm a tio n has been as precise and to an e xtent th a t you now have an extrem ely clear perception o f the High Council and its mission. As well also of its ways and actions. It was tim e th a t these revelations should be made and this exact in fo rm a tio n given, fo r our w o rk has been the subject o f many errors and on false assumptions strange systems have been b u ilt contrary to the tru th . So these things had to be said th a t are said now. I have nothing to add to th a t w hich you have been to ld , fo r my collaborators have explained perfectly and s u ffic ie n tly fu lly . I o n ly wish to perfect certain points. "T h e High Council has all power, b u t it holds it in reserve, and never uses it. This power is the possibility o f p u ttin g in to w ork all natural and Cosmic forces, if there were need, to prevent this earth fro m going to such extremes th a t the universe o f which it is part, w ould be upset in its fundam ental e q u ilib riu m . If such a thing were to happen, it w ould be better, in e ffect, if this planet became a dead star, but do n o t fear such a thing, which is our mission to guard against. Perhaps you have n o t imagined ye t w hat such a w ork as ours implies? It is necessary, in the course o f the ages, th a t a d iffe re n t organisation watches w ith o u t ceasing, the developm ent o f material civilisation and th a t w hich you have been told concerns the present epoch on which the fu tu re w ill now be accomplished w ith o u t an e ffo rt o f adaptation. "C e rta in ly, the'present High Council has inherited the wisdom o f its predecessors and it possesses fu ll archives absolutely com plete in all respects. These archives are well guarded and they are kept in the same place as in the past. N ot one o f the events which henceforth concerns the entire earth w ill lead to their destruction. "N o 'regim e' w ould be able to hinder us fro m consulting them in case o f need. The rise o f civilizatio n can lead certain people to th in k th a t there is nothing more to discover and th a t every inch o f the planet is know n. What a mistake! As much as in the past and perhaps more than in the past the w orld is a secret w orld and a w o rld o f mysteries. The High Council looks after the earth, its surface and the atmosphere w hich surrounds it. To use com m on terms which however cannot apply to the High Council, our tra d itio n is preserved since the beginning w ith o u t any alteration and the documents and all works are at our disposal past human understanding. "We are in direct com m unication w ith the Sacred College, w hich, on this earth, has fo r its mission the guarding o f the permanence o f religious tho u g h t in the greatest sense o f the w ord and the preparation o f 'reserved' knowledge which is destined fo r the few w ho m erit it. It is th a t w hich w ith o u t d o u b t, caused confusion in the m ind of Saint-Yves d'A lveydre. Some o f his in fo rm a tio n was exact and he has done incontestably

useful w ork in his tim e, bu t, he united in a single body th a t which was separate. The High Council is assuredly a theocratic power b u t it is, let us say, a civil power by comparison w ith the Cosmic mission o f the Sacred College and th a t which it implies in the m atter o f in itia tio n and evolution. We have the responsibility o f the W orld. The Sacred College has the responsibility o f souls. If our collaboration is direct, our action is d iffe re n t and you are n o t unaware o f its object. It is equally an error to speak o f a struggle on our part against the so-called forces o f evil. Evil is the absence o f good. It is an emptiness to be fille d in. There are men w ho, in th e ir th in kin g , keep up evil and its tragic consequences or manifestations man to man and people to people a struggle o f a thing non-existant in itself and there is no such thing in our w ork. We help the understanding o f good and its progressive founding as a consequence o f such understanding. In other words, as you have been to ld , our action is positive and it is also in this field. "N o t long ago we w ould meet in the same place, th a t is true. Nowadays, the place o f our reunions is variable. We fix it according to current events and we choose those towns where our presence alone w ill bear fr u it ra p id ly. It is useful also to be on the spot, to know by the vib ra to ry q u a lity o f the place w hat is the origin o f an imbalance or o f a grave event. Now, the event does n o t always have its origin there o r produce it. It is often from another source, and w hich we already k n o w is controlled on the spot, as it were, in order to determ ine if the cycle o f the event w ill draw q u ic k ly to its normal end and make a simple page o f history, or w hether our intervention is desirable w ith o u t interfering too much w ith the great idea o f Human L ib e rty . A fte r all, our domain is the w orld and our mission is n o t confined to a particular te rrito ry . For each o f us to go everywhere we unite periodically in d iffe re n t places to review the situation. It is our task in the interest o f the w orld and fo r th a t nothing is useless. We have very often saved h um anity fro m terrible trials th a t it brings w ith o u t reason on itself — because a reunion held in a certain tow n has perm itted the High Council to take im mediate action in the requisite efficacious intervention. "O u r difficulties? They are human conceptions often d iffic u lt to transmute and do not forget we cannot go in opposition to free-w ill, whether it be individual or collective. In an organisation like ours you often come across the incomprehension o f those o f many sects, critics or fanatics when th e ir science is booklearned or incom plete. Because they have acquired some knowledge, and th e ir reference 'carries a name' they have taken this knowledge and made it th e ir own and everything outside it, everything the least d iffe re n t from it, is heresy, error or sin. If you do n o t fo llo w them in th e ir knowledge, their foolishness leads them to abrupt condem nation, and they obey, in ad d itio n , some idea coming from their am bition or their deception and they w ill not hesitate before using the most d o u b tfu l means to try and gain th e ir ends. B ut you w ill know th a t it is in vain and that such activities injure no-one b u t th e ir authors. You take no notice o f them and just

go on. Well, due allowance being made and strange though this may appear, one finds at times the same situation at w o rld level. The normal e n foldm ent o f a cycle is sometimes the target o f false wisdom and erroneous conceptions. More exactly these conceptions tend to 'clog u p ' the w o rld in a static state considered by them as d e fin ite ly valid. The High Council does n o t stop to fig h t them . It helps the opening o f new ideas and a more advanced 'clim ate ', o f a kind w hich in the last analysis, are far beyond th e ir authors and th e ir lim ited conceptions, appearing to all, save to some backward disciples, as antiquated and w ith o u t actual value. 'T h e re fo re , each tim e you wish to evaluate the w ork o f the High C ouncil, o f the A ..........th in k about its way o f positive action firs t. Consider o n ly this side in all events, as "N ega tive " if it can appear to the human p o in t o f view. Call to m ind the Constant Presence o f the High Council and make yourself determ ine its action beyond appearances and vicissitudes. How do I see the w o rld o f tom orrow ? (The Maha had certainly read this question in my thoughts.) The w o rld in detail, and in the movements o f its progression, is th a t w hich is made by men themselves. Our role is, you understand, to evaluate this progression all together in relation to the current cycle. N ow we have established th a t an im p o rta n t slowing up had been accumulated in the past and the new cycle necessitated th a t this slowing up be made good. This has been done rapidly by a double pressure: the one on youth and the other on scientific knowledge. The w o rld is thus adjusted to the new conditions obtained by this double pressure and its stabilisation is progressing, more exactly 'synthesising' in view o f new pressure since, by d e fin itio n the cycle is movement. "T h e w orld has, however, fo r the tim e being escaped a te rrib le danger — th a t o f a bloody co n fro n ta tio n o f tw o ideologies. One o f them was necessary in the co u n try where it began. It has brought about a rapid evolution o f a w hole people, b u t the rest o f the w orld in progressing is approaching it slow ly and itse lf has been held back by the rest o f the w orld so th a t there is allowed a possibility o f exchange and th a t this possibility w ill grow w ith tim e to the p o in t o f becoming a close collaboration. A ll th a t has been part o f the normal evolution o f the w o rld and indeed the High Council quite ofte n has had to intervene w ith all the means at its disposal. But another ideology has grown up and is developing in an extrem ely populated te rrito ry . There is risk o f its becoming a danger fo r it is no longer a question o f the c o n fro n ta tio n o f tw o ideologies (or even three) b u t o f c o n flic t between tw o races and even between the East and the West, one half o f the globe against the other. You w ill understand th a t this danger is very real and it could lead to the premature finish o f this planet, and as a consequence, the in te rru p tio n o f the established u nfo ldm e n t o f the cycle. Therefore the High Council is not in d iffe re n t to such a situation and its intervention is ju stifie d . Moreover, it is in progress. To understand it, it w ill suffice th a t you refer to th a t w hich was explained to you by one o f my collaborators.

" I f we reach the goal — and we get there always by way o f change — the w o rld w ill reach on its own accord, an acceptable way o f life . C om petition w ill adjust itself by the standard o f economy. It w ill o ffe r a considerable field o f experiences w hich w ill con trib u te to the normal unfold m e n t o f the cycle as well as offering to the individual the means o f evolution, uninterrupted even if the circumstances are new. I do n o t pretend th a t there w ill never be a recourse to arms, one cannot prevent children fro m fighting BUT it w ill always be a question o f threats and n o t o f wars. A t the very least such is the objective pursued by the High Council to save the w o rld fro m cruel and useless experiences. The w orld naturally guards its lib e rty ; it has its say, b u t we have sown in the human consciousness, above all among the young people, such a h o rro r o f war and such a th irs t fo r Peace and c o m fo rt th a t war must be removed fo r ever. As to the people where the seeds o f peace do n o t germinate or germinate to o slow ly, they w ill have th e ir in te rio r problems and these problems w ill be o f such a nature th a t to resolve them w ill take the tim e and the energy w hich w ould have been employed in a worse manner. Thus m isfortune w ill be lim ited let us say fo r a tim e b u t I prefer to say the m anifestation o f Karma. "S o all is in order. The w o rld is in the rh y th m o f its actual cycle and already the High Council is busy in advancing certain phases o f human a c tiv ity , o f which the developm ent is awaited in the new cycle. There is a concise reply to y o u r question, concise, but having in itself the complete solution o f all the questions th a t you m ight have been led to ask. " I can th in k o f nothing else to say to you. Y o u r in fo rm a tio n is now complete. I believe th a t th a t which w ill have the most influence fro m y o u r meetings w ith us, apart fro m the in form a tion w hich you have been given, is the contact itself. You have learned nothing by hearsay. There has been between you and us a to ta l exchange which creates the presence, the vib ra to ry flo w and the power o f the w ord. A ll is done and nothing can ever raise in you a d o u b t because you have seen and heard. We shall meet once again in exceptional circumstances. Be at Istanbul between 23rd December and the 2nd January. Now fo r a few minutes let us unite in m e d ita tio n ." Maha clasped his hands on his breast and closed his eyes. I joined my hands b u t my eyes did not leave his face. His whole being seemed bathed in light, and this light came to me, surrounding me . . . I lost consciousness in a rare com m union. It was Maha him self who called me back to the objective w o rld . He had resumed his habitual appearance, already so shining in itself, and smiled. Maha rose, making the same sign as he had made at the beginning o f our meeting. What emptiness there w ould be fo r me when he had gone! I could n o t repress the impulse which moved me. I seized his hand and kissed it respectfully. I fe lt his other hand resting on my head and fe lt the power o f his benediction . . . b u t already he was moving away

fo llow ed by his companions. I do n o t k n o w fo r how long I remained there w ith o u t moving . . . m om ent w hich seemed a w hole life tim e .

STRANGE ENCOUNTERS FIFTH MEETING

Istanbul! The tow n w ith five hundred mosques, fo u r hundred and fift y churches, fift y synagogues. Old Byzantium fu ll o f memories, ancient Constantinople o f mysterious history, meeting place between East and West. I arrived at Istanbul on December 23rd 1966 about 7 o 'clock in the evening and was hardly in the taxi which to o k me to my hotel when I struck by the tem perament o f these people fo r w hom everything is a reason fo r commerce . . . even money. The driver im m ediately suggested a much more advantageous exchange, he said, than the o fficia l exchange, and it was true, but I noticed later th a t one could obtain fro m other sources an exchange still more advantageous, better by nearly 30% than the legal rate! In the middle o f the m onth, Ramadan, all the Mosques are illum inated thro u g h o u t Istanbul and certain quotations fro m the Koran lit up the night w ith all th e ir fires on certain illum inated buildings. The most absolute tolerance reigns in this co u n try w hich A ta tu rk , whom the Turks hold in deep veneration, has regenerated. No ecclesiastic is forbidden to carry o u t his o ffice in any c u lt and this law applies equally to Muslims, Jews and Christians. A ta tu rk ordained in fact the lib e rty o f all religions but w ith this restriction: " In Mosque, Church, Temple o r Synagogue you have complete lib e rty to use the ornaments or religious vestments o f yo u r choice, as well as to worship God in the religion which is yours. Outside you behave as oth e r m en." I was privileged at Istanbul to have an exceptional driver and I shall always remember Mehmet. He was a man o f s ix ty eight years, appearing far less, w ith an impressive breadth o f shoulder. His eyes behind th ick glasses sparkled w ith malice and intelligence. He spoke perfect French, quite good English and he was then learning Spanish. The day after my arrival when he came to place him self at my disposal, he drew a deep breath and commenced solem nly: "Ista n b u l was once know n as B yzantium . . . " and I was right in the m iddle o f the most com plete history th a t it was possible to wish fo r. I owe to Mehmet unique explanations on the life , the customs and psychology o f the Turkish people. This man o f a high m o ra lity, knew quite well how to commend the virtues o f his people and to regret their im perfections, b u t philosophically he concluded: "T o d a y is better than yesterday and to m o rro w w ill be better than to d a y ." It was w ith him th a t I attended the blue Mosque, at a Muslim service o f which the sim p licity and the fervour must strike the stranger in this co u n try. I was the o n ly one in ordinary dress and neither he nor any o f the fa ith fu l, the men far more numerous than the women w ho were in an enclosure reserved fo r them at the entrance, to o k any notice o f my presence. A ll, young and old, joined in the ceremony.

The contact w ith me was made in the Cathedral in te rru p tin g the second chapter o f w hat Mehmet already called his 'd ocum entary' and I could see his fear when he saw tw o strangers approaching me. I recognized them . They were the tw o companions o f Maha at Lisbon. From a message received at my hotel I knew th a t I should meet these tw o strangers there on the 28th December at 3 o'clo ck but I had said nothing to Mehmet about this meeting. So when I to ld him th a t I w ould stay w ith tw o people he had never seen w ith me and having to ld him previously th a t I was alone in Istanbul, I do n o t know w hat he thought, but he looked at me astounded and replied " I have seen nothing and heard nothing. I wish to know n o th in g ." He o fte n repeated this phrase later and it was one o f the last things th a t he said when he to o k me again to the a irp o rt on the 3rd January. Leaving Mehmet, I got in to the car o f the messengers and we departed. Who were the messengers? I was to learn a little later on th a t they were part o f the twelve, b u t I suspected it. For one thin g , as had already been to ld me the High Council was not know n save to those w ho were members and these tw o men had accompanied Maha to Lisbon fo r a special o fficia l reunion. Secondly, they both irradiated the same "h a rm o n y " th a t I had notice in othe r interlocutors. Lastly I experienced in th e ir presence the same feeling o f certainty and confidence th a t had fille d me ever since the firs t meeting and this feeling was d iffe re n t in intensity and in kind fro m th a t fe lt in other circumstances. Nevertheless, having met Maha, the edge had been taken o ff my curiosity fo r all th a t was n o t H IM . The carriage proceeded slow ly in the extraordinary muddle in the centre o f the tow n. I mentioned it in regard to Athens; and driving here is even worse than there, but everyone is happy. One shouts and everybody is satisfied! We le ft the to w n and follow ed the Bosphorous. The journey lasted more than an hour, and know ing little o f this part I did n o t k n o w the road we follow ed and still less was able to guess our final destination. The way we fo llow ed was deserted — n o t one dw elling but to spoil the view, dry earth, tirin g and hardly negotiable, and after twelve minutes stopped. I could n o t understand it and th o u g h t at firs t we had a breakdown. B ut no! My companions got o u t and I did the same. However, nothing to be seen: neither im p o rta n t building, nor a house, nor even a modest dw elling. I was in a state o f extreme p erplexity, nevertheless I fe lt no alarm. We walked fo r about five minutes and all o f a sudden, I th o u g h t I was dreaming: there was a slight depression almost a valley w hich in contrast w ith the countryside we had just crossed was striking compared w ith where we now found ourselves. Here, nothing, there, trees, ground rich and fe rtile , below a river and quite near an immense building almost a castle! It was d iffic u lt to realise th a t I was on the objective plane com pletely awake, b ut already my companions were carrying on th e ir walk and I was plunged in my own thoughts before such a spectacle. There was no route, no road, rather a fo o tp a th .

Approaching the building it seemed larger as the whole domain appeared and adm irably kept. It is quite u n like ly th a t this valley (if one can call 'valley' th a t which is rather a wide plain, 'd iffe re n t') could have been guessed at fro m a distance and I wondered how many knew about it ! The people o f the East and Middle-East are fu ll o f words b u t secretive on th a t w hich seems to them beyond the ordinary. They would im m ediately see here the intervention o f the 'D jin n s' and keep silent. There is nothing extraordinary in th a t. I k n o w even in France o f an ignored place. The building appeared collosal in such surroundings. Its style is at least bizarre and it did not appear to me to be o f recent construction although it was superbly kept and strongly b u iit. We approached a large stairway o f rather steep steps and soon found ourselves before a great wooden door engraved in the oriental manner. One o f my companions opened it, and we fo u n d ourselves in an immense vestibule at the far end o f which rose a monum ental staircase. I was shown in to a little room on the right where I was asked to w ait. This room had a great w in d o w fro m which I could see the trees which we had passed just now. On the w all, a symbol th a t I easily recognised: the seal o f Ram, better know n as Solomon's seal. On the opposite wall a collection o f geometric drawings o f which the significance escaped. By the side o f the door by which I had come in, a quotation from the Koran in fin e ly drawn letters. In a little bookcase, books in French, English and various other languages. I saw a splendidly bound w ork o f A l-Farabi, others by Michael Maier, Kunrath, Simon S tudion. Some were com pletely unknow n to me, and these appeared to me to be ancient editions, perhaps secret. In any case I did n o t dare to go to o far in my exam ination, and I was, in any case, to o occupied to give any sustained a tten tion to the little library however interesting. I was just going to tu rn away when a title on a shelf held my a tte n tio n . The book was no stranger to me, and I am not surprised. It turned o u t to be "T h e U nknow n H istory o f Man fo r One Hundred Thousand Years" by Robert Charroux and the last book o f th a t avant-garde author: "T h e Book o f Revealed Secrets". T hat these books should be here among the rare books must mean th a t a particular value was attached to them . It seemed to me im p o rta n t th a t I should clear the m atter up. I was going to sit dow n when Maha came in. I was u p lifte d w ith jo y and peace in the same indefinable state th a t I had already fe lt in his presence. I thanked him fo r his confidence and expressed my gratitude. My astonishment before all th a t I had seen, he sensed in my words, b u t his smile was an encouragement. "Y o u are here to d a y " he said, " to assist at a reunion o f the High Council. It is a very rare favour th a t few have been granted. You w ill not participate in all o f it but o nly in part. You w ill understand th a t it is impossible fo r you to be present through all the deliberations. However th a t which you w ill see and hear w ill be su fficie n t fo r all y o u r life to be fille d w ith a tota l certainty as to the perfection o f universal evolution. Such moments, I am sure, w ill be a consolation in th a t which you yourself have to uphold and perpetuate. Have you any p a rtim la r nupstion to ask m e?"

I was so confused th a t could th in k o f no reply. I had a thousand questions b u t they crowded in my mind and I was in the greatest confusion. The books o f Robert C harroux! There was a question th a t intrigued me. I explained to Maha th a t I had noticed these books in the little library and I asked him the reason. He answered im m ediately. "We certainly interest ourselves in lite ra ry p ro d u ctio n all over the w orld. They keep us inform ed regarding the moral state o f this epoch, c o n firm our conclusions, bu t, amidst the mass o f publications o f these times, it is towards the 'd iffe re n t' works th a t we turn most o f our a ttentio n. The num ber o f w orks dealing w ith exceptional subjects is considerable, and those w hich give real interest are rare. Many are occult digressions on various fundam ental facts accepted long ago — o r strange systems claim ing to be esoteric teachings. N othing o f value. But certain authors, extrem ely rare, enquire in to the solution o f the greatest problems. They refuse to jo in the m ortal swamps o f c o n fo rm ity , or on the con tra ry, the uncontrolled. They gather together a collection o f facts. They concentrate their a tten tion and th e ir interest in one determined dire ctio n and n aturally, scattered events then come under th e ir eyes. They freely draw th e ir conclusions establishing a lin k between th a t w hich seems d iffe re n t or opposed and they suggest solutions. T hat which leads them is firs tly , 'w hy n o t' and fro m this 'w hy n o t' they use th e ir observations and th e ir in tu itio n quite as much as th e ir reason. The result is: Valuable w orks where the problem is well set fo rth and where the answer is suggested, if n o t solved. Am ongst all the actual authors Robert Charroux in this dom ain, is firs t class. Indeed he has to suffer the condem nation o r pseudo-sages and p o n tifica l conform ists w ho th in k o f him oet us say . . . to tell the tru th . . . w ith condescension b u t justice w ill be done to him by events and th a t sooner than you th in k . He has 'style ', he tries to interest, b u t the necessity o f sensational does n ot make him forget the goal sought fo r. He is sincere and he is true. One cannot help favouring such an author. He does useful w o rk, much more perhaps than he him self k n o w s !" I was pleased w ith this reply. I have always greatly appreciated the w ork o f Robert C harroux, I expect the oppositions and the misunderstandings he has had to meet from pseudo-materialists and classical scientists. But is it n o t always the case th a t those who have the courage to go forw ard beyond the beaten track, in research which alone, as the past has dem onstrated, can open doors o f tom orrow ? Maha now asked me to fo llo w him and I was impressed enough w ith the adventure befalling me — adventure, rather event; we did n o t use the great staircase, b u t a d o o r underneath it, a door w ith o u t particular characteristics and yet I avow it, opening on to the incredible. The E xtraordinary, The Incredible, The Dream. A large spiral staircase th a t w ent dow n, then a vestibule, and a m agnificent door opened: the most extraordinary spectacle it w ould be possible to imagine! In the centre, a vast rectangular table, massive, carved w ith m agnificent symbols which I w ould loved to have examined more closely. A t the far end in fro n t o f the table,

a monumental arm chair w ith arms carved w ith elegant finesse. On each side o f the table, five arm chairs a little smaller, b u t matching the great chair, facing which was a chair sim ilar to the ten others. We w ent dow n three steps to enter this room b u t from the threshold, the perspective was impressive. A ll around the walls, shelves, and on the shelves, books, books and more books. I do no t kn o w o f any oth e r room to compare w ith this one, — the lecture room o f an ancient abbey, perhaps, but here there was something else. One could breathe freely. There was no feeling o f enclosure, the heaviness th a t one feels usually in rooms o f a sim ilar nature. A n d then th a t strange ligh t, like daylight. It was tha t more than anything else th a t perplexed me. Maha again seemed to read m y thoughts fo r he to o k me to one o f the corners o f the room . There was a pedestal sim ilar in style to the rest o f the fu rn itu re and on this pedestal th a t which I thought to be sim ply a lam p o f tru ly peculiar appearance. In fact, imagine a pyram id tw e n ty centimetres high, w ith base in prop o rtio n , each side adm irably c u t in facettes like a diam ond. There was no w ire, no connection which w ould suggest an electrical installation. Nevertheless, it was fro m this "la m p " th a t the daylight came. It did not dazzle. It was no harder fo r the eyes to look at quite close than it was in the room which it lit. I ascertained th a t if I stood in fro n t o f the lamp, w ith in a fo o t, there was no d isco m fo rt and no less lig h t in the room . It was then tha t I saw, s k illfu lly placed at d iffe re n t points o f the arched ceiling and the shelves, m irrors o f d iffe re n t sizes. Could it be the 'eternal lam p' to which certain tra d itio n s refer? I ventured to ask Maha w ho sm iled: "Perhaps" said he, " b u t here p a rticularly it is a modern fo rm o f lighting, w hich in the fu tu re w ill be used all over the w o rld . The principle however is the same as in the past, and apart fro m the fo rm o f the lam p the origin is identical. The lig h t is given . . . let us say . . . by a kind o f disintegration o f the atom in a vacuum, but to an infinitesim al degree. Imagine an atom ic explosion as norm ally understood and suppose at the m om ent the m ost b rillia n t lig h t is produced, as b rillia n t as that o f the sun, one could 'perpetuate' it in vacuum. It w ould result in a perpetual light at the place o f the explosion. It is a little like th a t here but this lamp is n o t eternal. This description has been given to it because it lasts fo r several years w ith o u t any in te rru p tio n but fo r all th a t it has a finish. However it is as easy to make this lamp as one o f yo u r electric bulbs. One needs o n ly to know h o w ." Of course, one o n ly needed to know how , as Maha declared w ith a smile and th a t could be as simple as making a m iniature transistor . . . when all the w orld w ill know it, b u t it does n o t know , n o t y e t! I threw a quick glance at the shelves to get an idea o f works hidden there b u t Maha stopped me: "These are n o t a few o f the most ancient manuscripts o f the earth. They are the knowledge o f the w o rld and some identical manuscripts are to be found in various secret places o f our planet, so th a t if perchance, this building and all th a t it contains should be destroyed nothing w ould be lost. There have already been great cataclysisms and nothing has ever been lost. Those beautiful bindings are recent. Their content is the wisdom o f past ages. Their conservation is assured by means th a t the w orld

discovers little by little . In any case none o f the documents collected by the High Council, here and elsewhere, has suffered, nor can suffer the ravages o f tim e . However, look there is apparently no prote ctio n and th a t can be understood since it is the manuscripts themselves w hich have undergone a preparation w hich protects them fro m all possible deterioration due to atmospheric and oth e r constitutions. We have many other souvenirs o f the past! Why are n ot such riches placed at the disposal o f hum anity in general? In the firs t place because th a t w ould be co n tra ry to the same principles w hich govern universal evolution. N ow, everything w hich is, o r ought to be know n, has already been, and if evolution is o f a superior standard to the preceding, the preceding was more advanced than the present. I th in k th a t you understand me. Then how can such knowledge be used? Would you give an atom ic bom b to a child? W hilst speaking Maha was w alking towards his arm chair where he now to o k his place, and concluded: " A fte r all, these 'souvenirs' w ill one day return to the w o rld m em ory, b u t, in the fo rm o f 'n e w ' discoveries which mark the stages o f the Great E volution. But it is now the tim e fo r the meeting (and indicating to me a seat in the right corner o f the room ) w ill you sit there. You w ill assist at the prelim inaries o f our reunion, then one o f us w ill take you to the car w hich w ill take you back to yo u r h o te l." A few m inutes later the other members o f the High Council entered. I rose. I knew some o f them : First the oriental o f the firs t meeting, then Mr Jans, fo llo w e d by my host o f Athens and then the tw o companions o f Maha, my messengers o f today. The six members o f the High Council w hom I saw fo r the firs t tim e appeared to be all Westerners. I say 'appeared' fo r, in a vib ra to ry lig h t o f this kind ho w can one be 'certain' w hat is seen fro m an em otional p o in t o f view and even o f actual reality? A ll were alike in th a t w hich emanated fro m them . More e xactly, they had, let us say, a sim ilar 'n o te ' w hich established between them a lin k surprisingly like 'k in s h ip '. As each advanced towards Maha he th re w a glance at me. Those w hom I had already met smiled: the others looked at me fo r a brie f m om ent. N othing could escape such beings and even the greatest w ould feel like little children before them . Each bowed before Maha in his turn and made the sign th a t I knew well now , b u t Maha at th a t m om ent lig h tly touched the hand o f each w ith his own. Then bll to o k th e ir places and I noticed th a t in te rlo cu to r o f Athens to o k his place on the rig h t o f Maha, signifying th a t he was the secretary o f w hich I had been to ld , the 'rig h t hand' o f Maha. I was again surprised at this extreme yo u th — n o t th a t any o f the members o f the High Council appeared old b u t he by comparison seemed very young. W hat an extraordinary soul he m ust possess to be already there! A n 'o ld , very old soul' assuredly under this appearance o f y o u th ! From the side where I sat I could only see those w ho were facing me and I had to guess fro m th e ir movements w hat the others were doing. A ll o f them at this instant had th e ir hands fla t on the table in fro n t o f them . N o t a docum ent n o t a paper. Those w ho had accompanied

me a few minutes ago answering my question w ould tell me th a t the 'secretary' nevertheless im m ediately after the reunion w ould w rite a report which he w ould place among the archives o f the High Council in this same building ,and he added, he w ill include w ord fo r w ord everything th a t is said. I fe lt no astonishment at such a statement. Everyone at tha t m om ent, in the position I have described, had his eyes closed. I wondered if I should do likewise b u t my cu rio sity was to o strong. Besides I could n o t take my gaze fro m this august assembly. I fe lt intensely the solem nity o f these moments and the incomprehensible privilege which had fallen to my lo t. There in fro n t o f me w ith in a few paces the beings on w hom rests at this m om ent, even, and every instant, the responsibility o f the w orld and its evolution. A nd all are simple beings — perhaps because they are all. Their concentration deepened and all o f a sudden a sound arose, at firs t in d istin ct then progressively stronger, to die away slow ly. It was Maha w ho intoned it and he repeated it three times. I am absolutely incapable o f describing the sound. It resembled nothing I can th in k o f. It was a strange m ixtu re o f vowels. N ot one consonnant is all th a t I am able to say. Hardly had Maha his last in to n a tio n than the eleven others to o k up the final sound and did the same, three times likewise. B ut already I was m yself in an indescribable psychic and mental state. It fe lt as if my body had taken on immense proportions, th a t the room had become gigantic and I was there watching myself and th a t extraordinary spectacle around me. The entire w o rld seemed to be united in this room . It was an incredible impression, unimaginable. Such an open book the w orld seemed to be there, before th a t august assembly and I saw it all, I participated in it, and I was a stranger there. That is all I can say o f a state which no human words could describe but in th a t m om ent I knew w ith o u t being able to express it, how the High C ouncil, the A . . . . , does its w o rk. That which happened around the table is still most extraordinary. N o t one o f the High Council spoke a w ord and y e t all com m unicated together as if they spoke together norm ally. I could participate in this exchange. I. saw w ith o u t understanding. T o use an example, the impression was the same as if, in a room , you could see people in uninterrupted conversation w ith o u t being able to hear w hat they were saying. The room was as if 'charged' w ith blue. It was n o t a question o f tim e, space o f 'separation'. A ll vibrated, everything, comm unicated and I was m yself 'integrated' in the A ll. The breaking o f this state was n ot to o abrupt. It was progressive, slow, I should rather say, soft. Suddenly everything was 'as before' in all respects; man in a w orld w ith the surprise o f a body and its lim itation s involving him physically and on the em otional plane. The members o f the High Council had also returned " to themselves" and all o f them turned towards me. I fe lt th e ir a ffe ctio n , an affe ctio n which they showed w ith o u t d o u b t towards all men w ho came before them . I rose, and u p lifte d w ith g ratitutde bowed deeply before these beings w ho are now fo r me sublime. Then I rushed towards the seat o f Maha, I seized his hand and kissed it w ith devotion. As on the firs t tim e we had met, he placed

his other hand on my head and I fe lt the extraordinary in flu x o f this benediction flo o d all my being. Then Maha arose and im m ediately all the others did the same. "Y o u must go away now fo r the conclusions w hich we must draw fro m our analysis must not be heard by you nor by anyone outside the A ..........In any case you w ould n o t understand the language which is used in these circumstances. It comes fro m the fa r past, b u t fo r us it is the sacred language, and it w ill live u n til the end o f tim e. B ut o n ly the High Council can hear it nor w ould th a t be in its sound! Never forget the way in w hich you should accept. May these rules be yo u r p rofound guide in all y o u r actions and all y o u r behaviours. You w ill be able to reveal a p a rt o f th a t which you have been allowed to see and hear, b u t await the signal. It w ill come much sooner than you th in k , b u t reserve it fo r a small number, fo r a few w ill understand it already. B ut no m atter the result. The tru th w ill strike at the heart o f him w h o w aits.for it. A c t fo r the good and do not concern yourself w ith the consequences. They concern us and whoever is ready w ill take in o u r message o f hope and fa ith ." I le ft th a t august assembly, sad to see 'perhaps' the finish o f a unique adventure, but at the same tim e in a state o f peace and serenity. Accompanied by a member o f the High Council, I tro d in a reverse d irection the fo o tp a th taken to come there, to o k my place in the car and then turning as we drove o ff, I saluted w ith a quick gesture w hich I made myself, lifte d the hand, the th u m b drawn in, three fingers to the forehead. The C hauffeur said n o t a single w ord on the return journey and I was not inclined to speak. I returned to Paris on 3rd January 1967. The signal was soon given during the night o f 19th to 20th o f the same m onth. I im m ediately began the w ritin g o f these meetings w ith the unusual. I finished them today in the night o f 23rd to 24th January.

CONCLUSIONS

"T he tru th w ill strike at the heart o f him w ho awaits it . " Those words alone would take the place o f a conclusion, b u t a conclusion is sometimes also the o p p o rtu n ity fo r useful and im p o rta n t com m ent. The present story is outside our usual pre-occupations, as members o f the Rosicrucian Order AM ORC. The firs t task o f each o f us is in effect our own regeneration and to this regeneration the tra d itio n a l teachings o f our Order lead us e fficie n tly if we show the necessary zeal, in w o rk and perseverance. In the marvellous in itia tic way w hich we fo llo w , the tem ptations are numerous, falls occasional and doubts periodic. A ll th a t is inherent in human nature and it is enough to hold to the Good in avoiding above all the mirages th a t cleverly show themselves at times in intolerance, or egotism or habit. The Teachings o f the Rosicrucian Order AM ORC comprise th a t which is at the same tim e necessary and su fficie n t. They are the tools o f which the proper and careful use allow us to attain the goal in a sure way which those w ho are ready search fo r w ith sincerity. The Rosicrucian Order AM ORC is a way, b u t this way contains all fo r whoever, passing beyond him self, agrees to travel along it. The doors have been opened to you. The Way is before you. The confidence which you extend to our Order and that which it gives you are the foundations o f yo u r success. Be good workers. W ith regard to the members o f the Rosicrucian Order AM ORC certain questions included in the long history o f the tra d itio n do n o t leave us in d iffe re n t. The 'fie ld ' where our in itia tic e ffo rt is exerted — the w orld — keeps its im portance fo r us and it is useful to understand it. We are strangers to each other in appearances only. In reality we fo rm only one race, and this human race, as such, takes part in the universal evolution as it unfolds. It is encouraging, it is even calming, to know th a t nothing is le ft to chance and these strange encounters show to the co n tra ry th a t all is order and method in the universe and perfectly organized. I perceive more than anyone th a t such an adventure could have im probabilities fo r the didactic tho u g h t interested o n ly in phenomena. Meanwhile in this cycle o f astonishing scientific progress, the im probable appears nearer to us each day and the initiate knows, w ith in him self, th a t it always has been amongst us. Unbelievable adventures, perhaps, fo r him w ho has n o t lived through them , e xtraordinary, b u t 'liv in g ', fo r him w ho has know n them. The itinerary o f my travels is arranged by myself in a co n te xt w hich is prepared fo r me in the 'fie ld ' o f my functions. I personally determ ine the dates according to the mission to be fu lfille d . Now it is in this w ritte n programme, o f which I am the author, th a t there were interpolated meetings w hich I was n o t able to foresee. My lib e rty has been respected at all points fo r th a t w hich I was called upon to accomplish in the service which is incum bent in my o ffic ia l responsibilities never has had to suffer. The extraordinary is included, adjusted to the 'o rd in a ry ' w ith o u t inconveniencing this last in any way. I am not

astonished th a t the High Council had been able to have knowledge o f my itinerary which I alone knew. I w ould n o t be astonished if they had knowledge o f it.before its fo rm a tio n at the m om ent when o n ly tw o points o f th e triangle were com plete, th e th ird — the m anifestation — n ot ye t being established. I w ould refuse meanwhile to a dm it th a t it m ight never have had " e x te rio r" influence on m yself fo r the drawing up o f the itin e ra ry, and as a consequence, intervention in my free w ill at the level o f choice and decision. T hat w ould be contrary to all o f th a t w hich I have been witness, to all th a t w hich has been taught and demonstrated to me, and this very th o u g h t w ould appear to me'as a sacrilege towards those w ho have accorded me a rare confidence. I w ill say no more, w hy me? A nd I shall not waste my tim e in a useless introspection in order to know w hether I was w o rth y or not. I was asked to accept, I accepted. Those w ho kn o w all kn o w better than him w ho at the same tim e knows much. And besides, in the main, I am n o t the consignee, is it then exceptional to be charged o nly w ith 'transm itting'? My care has been to do well and my satisfaction w ould be to have succeeded. W hat w ill be, in the final co u n t, fo r you these encounters w ith the unusual? A fictio n ? It is fo r him w ho reads to decide fo r him self and no one w ill fin d fa u lt w ith it, n o t even me! B ut fo r h im , as well as myself, w ho has lived through them and w ill understand the resounding voice o f tru th , then may this story be fo r him a message o f hope and fa ith w hich w ill illum inate his path! For the one or the other, I remain a brother, fo r we are united together in the same and effective journey where we share together the experiences, the pains and the joys. Each one o f us makes o f it ou r 'S to ry ' large or small. Large o r small they are the jewels o f our Path — a Path o f which the 'sign' is always Service.

END

FR AN C IS BACON LODGE P U B LIC A TIO N S

The Francis Bacon Lodge (London) o f the Rosicrucian Order (AMORC) contributes tow ard authoritative Rosicrucian literature by p u b lish in g certain, generally unavailable w orks o f internation a lly acknow ledged, m odern Rosicrucian leaders. The p ublications listed below are not fo r casual reading but fo r serious study and, like the books sold by the Supreme Grand Lodge o f AMORC, are offered to m em bers as additional material to th e ir regular, o fficia l studies. The publishers recom m end th a t th e w o rks o f each author be read in sequence, as listed.

Raym ond Bernard Supreme Legate fo r Europe and previously Grand M aster fo r all Francophone Countries and author o f "M essages From The Celestial S anctum ". By means o f the fo llo w in g allegories he transm its special in fo rm a tio n fo r th e purpose o f sh o w in g the im portance o f the Rosicrucian Order and also fo r co rrecting certain m isconceptions. STRANG E E N C O U N TE R S : w ith those w h o are responsible fo r g u iding and ensuring the harm onious developm ent o f human so cie ty thro u g h o u t history and in to the future, in accordance w ith established cycles o f 'evo lu tio n a ry' developm ent. SECRET H O U SES OF TH E R O SE-CR O IX: elaborates upon the fu n ctio n o f the inner, invisible College o f the Fraternity o f Rose-Croix Adepts and th e ir especial state of consciousness. It also reveals th e ir connection w ith the AMORC and th e ir concern for each sincere Rosicrucian student. A SECRET M E E T IN G IN R O M E : w h ic h divulges the m odern m ission of the Order of the Tem ple and its con n e ctio n w ith A tlantis, Pharoah A khnaton and the Rose-Croix as w e ll as the esoteric re la tio n sh ip betw een C hristianity and Islam and the quest fo r the Holy Grail. THE IN V IS IB L E E M P IR E : relates th a t the m ission o f the A tlantean Sages has continued th roug ho u t h isto ry and is approaching its clim ax. This volum e includes the first publically know n account o f the legendary A tla n tis as described by Plato, review s th e evidence o f Ignatius D onnelly and gives an account of v isits to authentic W est A frican in itia tic societies.

Harvey Spencer Lew is Late Im perator o f the AMORC fo r North and South A m erica, one of the d irecting trium virate o f Im perators of th e fede ra tio n of ancient, esoteric societies, the FUDOSI and p ro lific author o f numerous m onographs, articles and books. THE D IV IN IT Y OF M A N : a co m p lica tio n o f nine articles from 'T h e Rosicrucian D igest" based upon the dictum , "S eek ye first the K ingdom o f G od" and firs t published to com m em orate fifty years of activity of the order in the ju risd ictio n inaugurated by Dr. Lewis.