The Arcane Teachings (Complete Collection). William Walker Atkinson
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the same.
The Aphorism continues: Existing beyond, Time, and Space and Change transcending the Three Principles and the Seven Laws; It hath ever been, ever is, and ever shall be. The words: "Is, hath, ever been, and ever shall be," denotes the Eternality of The Law," for a Self-Existent, Causeless, Absolute, must be Eternal—for naught could have caused it, nor could aught ever terminate it. "Beyond Time and Space" expresses Its Omnipresence and Eternality—Time and Space belong to the Infinite Nothingness, which is subject to the Absolute Law. "Transcending the Three Principles and the Seven Laws"—by this is meant the Three Principles of the Cosmos, and the Seven Laws by which The Law manifests Itself through the Cosmos, when the latter emerges in Manifestation from the Unmanifest, Infinity of Nothingness. "Transcending," means, of course: "surpassing; surmounting; being above"; "being beyond"; etc. As the Three Principles are aspects of the Cosmos; and the Seven Laws are caused by The Absolute Law, it follows that the latter is superior and over them. "Ever Unique; Unconditioned; Immutable; Self-Existent; Self-Sufficient; Independent; and Abstract"—let us consider the meaning of each of the words composing this remarkable sentence:
Ever: "Always; forever; continually; without cessation."
Unique: "Without a like or equal; unmatched; Unparalleled; sole."
Unconditioned: "Not subject to conditions or limitations; hence, inconceivable; incognitable."
Immutable: "Unchangeable; invariable; changeless."
Self-Existent: "Free from Cause; existing independent of aught else."
Self-Sufficient: "Sufficient for self, without aid or co-operation."
Independent: "Not dependent; not subject to control; not relying on aught; not subordinate or coordinate."
Abstract: "Apart from aught else; separate from aught else; existing apart and in Itself"; etc.
The above definitions need no further explanation or comment—they tell their own tale, and convey the meaning of the Aphorism clearly, when thus defined. The Aphorism closes with the following words: "It dwelleth Unknowable; Unthinkable; Ineffable." These three words have the following meaning:
Unknowable: "That which cannot be known, being too difficult or subtle for the human intellect"; etc.
Unthinkable: "That which cannot be made an object of thought; incapable of being thought; incognitable; eluding the understanding"; etc.
Ineffable: "Incapable of being expressed in words; inexpressible; indescribable"; etc.
The combined idea of the three terms is well expressed by Herbert Spencer in his famous sentence; "By continually seeking to know, and being continually thrown back with a deepened conviction of the impossibility of knowing, we may keep alive the consciousness that it is alike our highest wisdom and our highest duty to regard that through which all things exist as The Unknowable." Or, as Edwin Arnold in his "Light of Asia" voices the beginning of the teachings of the Buddha:
"Om, Amitaya! measure not with words
Th' Immeasurable: nor sink the string of thought
Into the Fathomless, who asks doth err,
Who answers, errs. Say naught!
Shall any gazer see with mortal eyes;
Or any searcher know with mortal mind?
Veil after veil will lift—but there must be
Veil upon veil behind."
But, it may be asked: If The Law is Unknowable, Unthinkable, and Ineffable, then why do you attempt to inform us regarding It; why do you attempt to teach us about It? The answer, O Neophyte, is this: We seek not to explain the unexplainable Law to you—we strive not to describe its nature to you, for that would be impossible, there being no words to express It, and no minds capable of understanding It were It explained. The Aphorism expresses this truth fully and emphatically. But we do desire to impress upon your minds and understanding, the fact that It is. Not only do we ask you to believe this because the Arcane Teaching is the repository of the reports of the highest minds of the race—the illumined of all ages—but also because the intellect and intuition of every advanced man reports to him this truth, and informs him that back of, beyond, over and under, and in All, there is the Supreme Law.
No matter what may be his religion, ancient or modern; or his lack of religion—no matter what may be his philosophy, metaphysics or theology, named or unnamed—no matter upon what lines he may have thought, if he has thought at all—Man must ever recognize the report of his reason, and his intuition, which informs him of the existence of a Supreme and Universal Law, governing all things. To deny this, is to deny reason. Faith is not required—reason suffices and fully informs that The Law is. And with that is-ness, the report ceases—the knowledge is then known, to low and high alike. While advanced beings on higher planes have reported great knowledge regarding the Cosmos, they state positively that they know no more regarding the nature of The Law than does the humble thinker on our own plane. But from the highest comes the same report as that which informs the mind of the lowest—The Law is. Therefore in asking you to accept this report of the illumined, the highest of the race, including those whom we call the Elder Brethren, we ask you to accept only that which your own reason informs you to be a basic truth—The Law is.
It is true that the race has built around the conception of the Absolute Law, the varying conceptions of personal deities, and pantheistic beings, but analyze them all and you will find that the reason for the activities of these deities, personal or pantheistic, has been the desire; will; want; inclination or "inner-laws" which are supposed to actuate their manifestations, or incite their activities, either consciously, unconsciously; or according to some of the Hindu schools, because of ignorance, illusion, or self-deception. In short, all of these conceptions of deity are Beings who are actuated by motives, feelings, desires of "inner-laws," just as are men, and other manifested or created things. The anthropomorphic idea is evidenced not only in the crude conceptions of deity held by the savages, but also in the higher concepts; and even in the conceptions of a Pantheistic Being, or Absolute Being held by some of the philosophers and religious teachers of East and West. The pantheistic conception is utterly illogical, for as Schopenhauer says: "When we think of Nature as God, we show God to the door." And as the Arcane Teachers point out, even admitting any of these conceptions of Being, the mind must see that in the "inner law" that moves Being to activity—the Law of Itself—there alone is to be found the Absolute. In such case the Law not the Being, is the Absolute, for it is the causer, and controller, and mover, and reason of the universe.
It is true that some of the philosophers and teachers try to explain away this fact, by saying that "Being and Law" are One. But this is no solution, for even if that be admitted, then the Law within the Being is the Efficient Reason and Causer of Action, and the rest of the Being is controlled, acted upon and moved by the Law within it. The whole idea of Being must be discarded in considering the Absolute. The Absolute is, and can be, only Law. For in all conceptions, The Law is, and must be, seen to be the Ultimate Cause of all activity. The advocates of Absolute Being, object that they are unable to conceive of Law without a Lawgiving Being. But, considering this answer, we soon see that in order for the Lawgiving Being to proceed to give or promulgate Law, it must be moved by some inner law, desire, want, or will of its own nature—and that simply pushes back the question one step further. Try as we may, we cannot escape the conviction that Law is the First, and Last Cause—the Beginning and the Ending—the Efficient Reason of All-Things. Law is not a Being—not a Mind—not a Spirit—not a Thing—It is Law, and naught else. We must accept It as Absolute Power, and as the Aphorisms present It to us. Beyond this we cannot go. Examine the Aphorisms carefully, and you will find that they agree fully with the highest reports of your reason, and in no way run contrary to it.
APHORISM IV. The Law is the Efficient Reason of All-Things, and is the Supreme Power and Causer of the Cosmos.
In this Aphorism is stated plainly and clearly the truth that The Law is the Supreme Power of the Cosmos, and the Causer thereof. The term "Efficient Reason" conveys the entire truth regarding the creation of or evolution of the Cosmos.