Note: Sir Fairfax Cartwright (an English diplomat with
Sufi influences), who wrote the following fantasy story "Mystic Rose from
the Garden of the King" in 1899, and who attributed it to an Oriental by
the name of "Sheikh Haji Ibrahim of Kerbala".
The Mystic Rose from the Garden of the King
A Fragment of the Vision of Sheikh Haji Ibrahim of Kerbela
by Sir Fairfax L. Cartwright, London, H.S. Nichols, 1899
The
Mystic Dervish being questioned by the King as to what revelation, in his quest
for knowledge, had seemed to him the one most pregnant with meaning, answered
thus: In my wanderings in the Strange Land, this did I see: A Temple
built like a Tower rising to a great height, surrounded at its base by a
circular colonnade. Impelled by a desire to learn, I knocked at the Gate of the
Temple and prayed for admittance. A venerable
old man - the Sage of that Temple - opened the Gate and said to me,
'What seekest thou?' I replied, 'Knowledge'. He said, 'Hast thou the strength
and determination to climb to the topmost chamber of the Tower?' I said, 'The
desire I have if thou wilt be my guide to show me the way'. Then he stretched
out his hand and raised me up, saying: 'If thy heart is stout, cross the
threshold of the Temple of Human Knowledge'. I seized the proferred hand, and
with the Sage, I passed under the Mighty Gateway of the Temple. When I had entered the precincts of
the building I saw that a stately colonnade ran in a circle round the
triangular Tower, which seemed to rise to a giddy height above me; and
presently as I looked I perceived that the wall behind the colonnade was
covered with representations of human figures, and my Guide spoke: 'Behold, the
Cycle of Human Life! See Man as he appeareth to the human eye!'.
Then I looked again, and I saw that the first picture, by the Entrance Gate,
represented the Childhood of Man, and the Angel of Life was drawing back the
Veil, beyond which lay the World with all its dangers and possibilities, and
the children full of joyance were marching forward to enter the Promised Land;
but I saw that there was a look of pity on the face of the Angel, for in the
darkness by the Veil crouched the figure of Satan, marking with his claws upon
the sand the number of those whom he would devour. And as I gazed longer at the
children, I began to perceive that each child represented some type of
Humanity. There I saw the young King approaching the Veil with firm step, but
with awe upon his face, as he gazed upon that unknown World which he would be
called upon to govern, and by his side was a youth with vicious face and envy
in his heart, seeking to push aside the young King that he might enter first
into possession of the World. Many children I saw bubbling over with the
exuberance of youth, pleased with what lay around them, and looking not far
ahead into that mysterious World which was being disclosed to them. One maiden
I noticed gazing earnestly at the Star of Love, which from above shone down
upon the World of Youth, and another maiden - in whom was the Soul of the
wanton - was bending down to the ground to pluck a rose, and in her haste to
seize it a thorn had pricked her finger.
I followed my Guide around the colonnade, and at each step I saw the same
children grown older - having advanced a little on the Journey of Life; and I
saw many fall by the way, and when I came to the last picture I saw that few
were left - the ascetic Dervish, worn and emaciated - the man who had sought
God through the Spirit, - and the aged King, full of gravity, - the man who had
sought for God by striving to act according to his lights in the World;
loneliness was around these two, but they heeded it not, and behind the throne
of the King stood, with her arms crossed and on her face a look of
impenetrableness, the Angel of Life, now changed into the Angel of Death.
Saddened by what I had seem, I withdrew from the colonnade, and in the sunshine
of the pleasant garden round the base of the Tower I sat for a long while
meditating on the vanity of human existence.
Then my Guide touched me upon the shoulder and said: 'Thine eye hath seen but
the outer shell of Humanity, and thou art depressed thereby. Seekest thou now
to know what hath been revealed to the Soul of Man, and what are the limits of
Human Knowledge?'
I replied: 'I am willing for my heart thirsteth for Knowledge'.
1. My Guide with his wand touched a small and hidden door in the rugged walls
of the triangular Tower, which opened and admitted us; then he turned to me and
said: 'The Tower is high and it containeth seven levels, and on each level are
three Chambers, and above all lieth one Chamber, and the ascent thereto is long
and wearisome'. I replied: 'My Master, thy footsteps will I follow'. Then we
began the ascent, and when we had reached the first level my Guide turned to me
and said: 'Behold the First Chamber!' A heavy veil closed the entrance; my
Guide pushed it aside and we entered within the Chamber. There we found
ourselves in darkness, and awe seized me; so that I poured my Soul out in
prayer, craving in humility of spirit for illumination. And when I had been
there some time I lifted up my eyes, and it seemed to me that my head was
encircled by a soul-inspiring light, while my feet remained lost in the
darkness of Unreality; and my Intelligence was quickened by a message from
above, and I knew that the Soul of Man - the reflection of the Unity - is
suspended between the Light and the Darkness, and through the opposition of the
Light and the Darkness the Soul of Man gains consciousness of the Unknown which
veils the Eternal Unity. And the mystic symbol of Unity shone forth upon the
walls of this Chamber.
2. When I retired my Guide led me to the Second Chamber. There I saw a stately
Woman deeply veiled, wearing on her head a crown with the crescent moon at top,
and on her lap lay a great book closed. With deep respect I prostrated myself
before her, saying: 'Teach me, thou noble woman, that I may learn'. She
replied: 'I am the Recipient - the Passive; I am the complement of that which
thou has seen in the First Chamber. I am the Link between Unity and Man. I am the Holy Sanctuary. I hold the
Book of Knowledge which he only can read who has the power to lift my veil'.
And as I contemplated her more steadfastly I saw that her veil grew dimmer and
dimmer, until for an instant I beheld the beauty of her face; then she vanished
from my sight.
3. My Guide then seized my hand and bade me follow him to the next Chamber.
When I had penetrated through the veil which closed the entrance, again I saw a
throne upon which a Woman was seated, clothed in Majesty and wearing a Crown of
Authority. By her side was an Eagle, and above her was a canopy which seemed to
be formed of the Wings of Angels.
When I had made obeisance to her, she opened her lips and said: 'I am the
termination of the First and the Second; in me is the Equilibrium completed. I
am the Law of the World; with my Sceptre do I govern it. With one hand do I
draw down the Spirit and with the other do I raise up its Negation, an in my
Womb is Man conceived'.
When with my Guide I had issued from the last Chamber, he bade me for a while
to meditate on what I had seen; then he led me up a steep flight of steps to
the Second Level of the Tower. When we had reached it he said to me: 'We have
now attained to another plane of thought, to another aspect of things. Enter
now the Fourth Chamber which lies above the First Chamber below'.
4. I did as I was bidden, and when I had penetrated into the Chamber I beheld a
King upon his throne, and before the Majesty of his face I prostrated myself.
Presently I heard him say: 'I am not the Absolute Absolute; I am for Humanity
the Realization of the Absolute; I am the will of the Unity; my Sceptre is the
sign of Power; with it I rule Mankind, for my Law shall be his Law; to me man
must turn for all that relateth to the World in which he moveth'.
5. Then I withdrew from the presence of the King, and followed my Guide into
the Fifth Chamber. Here likewise I beheld a man seated upon a throne, but he
wore not on his head the crown of a King of this World but a Mystic Sign, and
he was arrayed in the white robes of Sanctity. And these words he spoke to me:
'Kneel and worship, for I am not a King of this World; my Sceptre is the Sign
of Authority; with it I rule the Souls of Men. I am the Voice of the Law of the
Spirit. I am the bond of Reunion between man created and the Breath from which his creation
proceeded'.
6. When he had ceased speaking, with awe in my heart I withdrew, following my
Guide to the Sixth Chamber, which lay in the third angle of the Second Level of
the Tower. When I had entered it I found myself in darkness, but gradually a
dim light seemed to descend from the summit of the Chamber, and it grew in
intensity, and when I looked up I beheld with astonishment as it were the Eye
of a Spiritual Being looking down upon me. Then my Guide said to me: 'Behold
the Eye of the World! Through it the mind realizes the Beauty of the
Manifestation of the Unity; - through it Love reaches the Soul, bringing Man
and Woman to the completion of their Destinies. Learn and understand the
Mystery of this Sign. This is the point from which two Roads diverge; along the
one descends the Spirit of Light; along the other descends the Spirit of
Darkness'. The Vision faded from my sight and meditating deeply on what I had
seen, I followed my Guide, who led me out of the Chamber.
7. With my Guide I began the ascent to the Third Level of the Tower, and when
we had reached it we entered together the Seventh Chamber, which lay above the
Fourth Chamber and the First Chamber below. Therein I saw nothing for a time;
then I heard the whizz of an arrow, and beheld in the misty distance a noble
stag struck down by it. Looking round, there appeared to me the majestic vision
of a man, radiant like a conqueror, holding in his extended hand the bow of
Power from which the arrow had been discharged. He said to me: 'What seest
thou?' I said: 'I saw the weak overcome by the strong'. He said to me: 'Behold,
I am the Man Conqueror; Man as the Emblem of the Creator. I am more than
Nature; I am Nature illuminated by The Spirit of the Eternal, and therefore do
I overcome mere Nature'.
8. When this Vision had disappeared from my sight, I passed with my Guide to
the Eight Chamber. Herein I saw a Sword standing unsupported on the point of
its hilt, and in astonishment I exclaimed: 'What meaneth this Sign?' My Guide
replied: 'Between Man and Nature a permanent struggle exists; what Man
attaineth by labour he loseth again if his labour should cease. This is the
Sign of Equilibrium, the balance between opposing Forces, between Good and Evil
in the Created World. This is the Sign of the Spirit of Justice which with the
Power of the Sword separates the opposing combatants'.
9. When I had gazed for some time upon this symbol, I proceeded to the last
Chamber on this Level of the Tower, which was the Ninth Chamber. When the veil
by the entrance had fallen behind me, I found myself face to face with an aged
Dervish, whose countenance was serene and radiant; for him age seemed to have
no afflictions, and Wisdom shone forth from his eyes. In his right hand he held
aloft a burning lamp, and in his left hand he held a staff, on which he leant.
I saluted him with reverence, and he addressed me thus: 'When I was young I
selected the Path of Light, and my reward has been great. Wisdom have I
imprisoned in the lamp which illuminates my Path. Round my Soul have I drawn
the Mantle of Protection which shall ward off Evil when it shall assail it.
This staff of strength have I found upon my path, and on it I can lean with
security in the ascent towards Truth'. The serenity of this old man filled my
Soul with elation, and the glow of Divine Love seemed to penetrate into myself
like a precious gift from his presence.
10. When I issued from the last Chamber I followed my Guide up the ascent to
the next Level of the Tower, where with him I entered the Tenth Chamber, which
lay above the Seventh and the Fourth and the First Chamber below. Here I beheld
a Circle turning upon no visible axis, and my Guide said to me: 'Behold the
Symbol of Eternity, the symbol of the incessant action of Time. The Circle is
ever moving; it ascendeth and descendeth; so ascendeth the Spirit of God to the
summit; so descendeth the Spirit of Evil into the abyss, yet the Circle is
unbroken; so from Good the descent to Evil is possible, so from Evil the ascent
to Good is possible. This is a Chamber of Equilibrium. Below in the Seventh
Chamber hast thou seen the Conqueror, - the Holder of Power, the Symbol of
Creative Force. In the Chamber above thou shalt see the Symbol of Destruction.
Here thou seest the ascent and the descent, yet the Circle is one and unbroken:
but a vaster Circle existeth which the eye of man cannot see; it turneth and turneth
through Eternity without ceasing; the Spirit of Creation createth, and the
Spirit of Destruction destroyeth; and the Circle is the Equilibrium without
which there would be no manifestation of the Unity, and if there were no
manifestation of the Unity, the Unity would be dead and unconscious of
Himself'.
11. When my Guide has ceased speaking he led me to the Eleventh Chamber, and
there I saw a Virgin standing before me radiant in all the splendor of youth
and strength. With a voice which had the ring of silver without tremor and
without fear she spoke to me thus: 'In me lies hid the germ of Vitality. To
thee my hand seems weak, but strength lieth in the Spirit, and because my heart
is pure, know I no fear, and with my foot do I curb the Dragon beneath me'. It
was so sweet a vision that it made my heart leap with joy, and when it vanished
from my sight, pensively I followed my Guide tot he Twelfth Chamber, with my
mind still full of the beautiful young Virgin who had appeared to me.
12. In this chamber I found myself in complete obscurity, but as I gazed into
the darkness a sign appeared to me by degrees in the form of a Cross. My Guide
said: 'Behold the Sign of the Revealed Law; out of the Darkness it proceedeth,
and Man must bow to it'. As I gazed more intently, the face of a man seemed to
appear to me enclosed by a triangle, hanging downwards at the base of the
Cross, and I marvelled and exclaimed: 'What meaneth this transformation?' My
guide replied: 'Woe unto the man who filled with pride presumeth to rebel
against the Revealed Law, for on him waiteth destruction. Vain is it of Man to
seek to rebel against that which the Eternal hath revealed unto him; by
submission he will rise; by rebellion his face will be turned away from the Light,
and his advancement delayed'.
13. When my Guide had ceased speaking, we left the Chamber and proceeded to
ascend to the Fifth Level of the Tower; there we entered together the
Thirteenth Chamber, and this Vision appeared to me. A luxuriant meadow spread
out before my eyes like the plain of the World; it was filled with variety and
the luxuriant flowers nodded to each other in their joy of existence.
Presently, however, the breath of winter approached and its icy blast chilled
my Soul; and as I gazed I saw the Vision of Death looming up before me; in one
hand he held a scimitar, and in the other an empty basket; and he mowed down
the flowers and threw them into the basket; and it seemed to me that they
turned into dead men's heads; and some wore crowns and others the humble hood
of the Dervish; and some had the golden hair of youth, and others the whitened
locks of age. And in my fear I cried aloud: 'O! Terror of the World, what art
thou?' And a voice replied: 'I am the Link between the Known and the Unknown.
That which seems gold in the World I will turn into base metal, and that which
seems base metal will I turn into gold. As the Ocean dissolveth and absorbeth
the Salt of the World, so do I, for I am the Solvent of Humanity, and out of
that which is do I make that which shall be'.
When the Voice ceased, the Vision of Death departed from me, and I saw again
the green meadow filled with flowers. Then my Guide said to me: 'The Spirit of
Life is the antagonist of the Spirit of Stagnation, for Stagnation is the
Negation of Life. In the Unity nothing is created, nothing is destroyed. To the
Sage, therefore, Death hath no terrors, for he knoweth that without Death there
could be no Life, without Darkness, no Light, without the Negation no Manifestation
of the Reality. Death is the Key which opens unto Man a further stage on the
Path of Manifestation of the Unity'.
14. From this chamber my Guide led me to the Fourteenth Chamber, where I saw
before me an Angel who poured out of a pitcher into a receiver beneath the
Water of Life. My Guide said to me: 'The meaning is this. In the World in which
thou livest, the mind perceiveth the existence of Individuality, which is
caused by the Water of Life descending in varying degrees into Matter, its Opposite.
Now the Angel, when fertilizing the World by pouring upon it the Water of Life,
giveth unto Man the conception of justice, which is to be the Light which is to
guide him upon the path through the Material World. The Angel whom thou seest
is, therefore, the Emblem of Temperance, which is the principle which should
govern the individual creature in the World'.
15. Then with my Guide, I proceeded to the last chamber on this Level of the
Tower, which was the Fifteenth in Number. Here I found myself in complete
darkness, but presently out of the profundity of the gloom glowed forth the
Beast of Evil, the Dragon biting his tail. Seized with fear I clung to my
Guide, who threw around me the Mantle of Protection, and said: 'Behold the
Sign! This is the Circle of Evil. Woe unto the man who steppeth unto the shadow
of the Light, for the gloom shall grow greater and greater, and against the
fatal power of the Dragon's Ring man's will struggleth in vain. Who falleth
into the Magic Circle him no regrets can avail, for an
Eternity seemeth to separate him from the Path of Reunion'.
16. Overcome with dread, I issued from the last Chamber, and began the ascent
to the next Level of the Tower, where when I had reached it I entered with my
Guide the Sixteenth Chamber. Here I saw before me a Tower of great strength,
and the Master of the Tower and his attendants were enjoying their security
behind the battlements of their stronghold. And I said to myself: 'So cunning
seemeth to have been the skill of the architect that this Tower will not perish
but with the destruction of the World'. But presently I heard a great roar, and
I beheld a thunderbolt descending from a cloud, and it struck the mighty Tower,
and the battlements parted asunder, and the Master and his attendants were
hurled to the ground. In amazement I exclaimed: 'What meaneth this Sign?' My
Guide replied: 'Behold the sign of the Fall! Man who was Spiritual has entered
the World and put on the burden of the material body. Behind the Symbol of the
Spirit of the Unity, which to thine eyes is invisible, incarnated in the World
which lieth open unto thy senses'.
17. When the Vision had passed away I followed my guide to the Seventeenth
Chamber, and as I entered it I felt the Breath of Spring upon me, and my heart,
which had been saddened at the sight of the ruined Tower, leapt for joy; and as
I looked, I saw before me the Vision of a lovely maiden, and her golden tresses
were crowned with a diadem of seven stars; she sat in the midst of a green
meadow enamelled with the glory of flowers, and by her side was fountain from
which poured forth the pure Water of the Earth. Presently the lovely maiden
opened her lips and spoke, and my soul was so stirred, that tears flowed from
my eyes for the joy of the softness of her voice, which was like the music of a
harp in the stillness of the night. And she said: 'I am the Voice of Hope in
the World. I am the Eternal Youth of Nature. In the depth of the Material World
lieth hid the Water which welleth up in the Fountain of Immortality. The Glory
of the Sun have I absorbed in my golden tresses; from my diadem of stars do I
draw down the Spirit into the Body of Man; into his fallen Soul I breathe the
Hope of Redemption; through me cometh to man the Courage to struggle against
the bondage in which he is placed'.
18. I tarried long in contemplation of this beautiful Vision, until my Guide,
with his wand of Power caused it to vanish; then I followed him to the last
Chamber on this Level of the Tower, which was the Eighteenth in Number. Here
again I found myself in utter darkness, but after a few moments I heard my
Guide saying to me: 'Watch, and thou shalt see'. Then I gazed again into the
gloom, and there grew before me a Vision which filled my soul with despondency,
for it seemed to me that I saw the World spread out before me, illuminated only
by the pale and sickly light of the moon; and man was struggling against man;
and wild beast against wild beast; and the reptiles of the Earth came out of
their hiding places to gather their spoil. And in my sorrow I exclaimed aloud:
'What meaneth this Sign?' My Guide replied: 'This is the last Term. This is the
ultimate descent of the Spirit of the Unity into the depths of the Abyss of
Negation. This is the Realm of Chaos; in the World the Kingdom of Passions let loose. This is the Triumph of
Matter, Matter absorbing the Spirit and on the verge of throttling it'.
The sight of this Vision inspired my with so great a terror that my eyes had no
tears to weep, and I felt as if a mountain of Matter were piled upon my Soul to
crush it, so that beneath the strain my mind gave way and I fell back in a
swoon into the arms of my Guide. When I recovered the use of my senses the
Vision had departed, and like a child I was led without this Chamber of
Despair; but when I sought to begin the ascent to the next Level of the Tower,
my Guide checked me and said: 'Ere we proceed any further, pause and reflect.
Thus far hast thou ascended through Six Levels of the Tower, and thou hast
visited Eighteen Chambers therein. Now this is the meaning of what thou hast
seen. In the first Six chambers thou hast gained Knowledge of the Spirit of
Preservation; in the last Six chambers thou hast gained Knowledge of the World
of Facts. The total which thou hast seen hath had this for meaning: the Breath
of the Unity, descending Towards the Abyss of Darkness; what thou shalt see now
is the Yearning for Reunion raising the Spirit of Eternal back to the Unity
from which it proceeded'.
19. When he had spoken thus my Guide led the way up a long flight of steps,
narrow and steep at the beginning but broadening out and more easy as we
advanced, and when we had reached to the top of them we found ourselves on a
higher Level of the Tower, and here we entered the Nineteenth Chamber. Here at
first I saw nothing, but surrounding me lay as it were a shapeless mist
permeated by a vivifying luminosity. Presently in the uniformity of the mist I
saw as it were a germ forming, a point of condensation; gradually it assumed a
more definite shape, and then it appeared to me like a pure crystal of salt
suspended in the Ocean. Then the crystal vanished slowly, and through the spot
where it had been I saw the hills forming; then they became more distinct and I
saw the shapes of trees appearing, and flowers of every hue, with butterflies
and insects buzzing among them, and the fishes were leaping in the rivers; and
as I marvelled the glory of the Light broke through the mist and I saw beneath
me a lovely Garden in which the children of men, youths and maidens, played
among the flowers, rejoicing in the gift of Life. Then I heard my Guide
exclaim: 'Behold, the Spirit of the Eternal through the Chaos of the Material
World hath reached to the Manifestation of Humanity!'
20. When the Mist began to close round me again I followed my Guide to the
Twentieth chamber. Here I saw spread out before me the Field of Solitude - the Burial Place of Humanity - and no living thing
stirred therein and no noise was known to be. And as I gazed upon the waste of
Life I heard the sound of a great trumpet, the voice of Israfel calling to
Humanity. And I saw in the centre of the Field of Solitude Azrael - the Angel
of Death - sitting in meditation; and at the sound of the trumpet he rose and
flapped his sable pinions like a tired bird about to retire to his rest, and
then he drew his great wings around his form, for the sleep of Eternity was
upon him. And in the Field of Solitude I saw the graves open and the dead
rising therefrom, and the rending of their grave-clothes was like the roar of
the sea seeking to break down the barrier of the land.
My Guide, seizing my trembling hand, said to me: 'Fear not; it is the Voice of
the Eternal calling to Humanity. Behold the Breath of the Unity rising to the
Spirit World and casting aside the shackles of the Material World!'
21. When the visions had faded away I followed my Guide to the last Chamber on
the elevated Level of the Tower, and it was the Twenty-first in Number. Here
there appeared to me a young man riding on a fine horse, and with eyes burning
with desire he gazed steadfastly at a young girl who danced before him glorious
in her nakedness, and her hair was adorned with garlands of roses. By his side
an old hag hobbled along, holding his stirrup with one hand, while she held an
hour-glass in the other, in which I saw that the sand was fast running out. As
I looked I saw of a sudden a deep precipice ahead, and at that moment a hideous
dog rushed forth and bit the legs of the horse to urge him on his career. As
the rider grew closer to the precipice, the young girl who danced before him
changed in my sight, and the colour in her cheek changed into the waxen hue of
Death, while the petals of the roses on her head shrivelled and fell to the
ground, and I saw her hair spreading out across the sky like the grey threads
of a spider's web. Then the young man, having no power to check the fury of his
steed, passed away and was lost in the abyss.
While my heart was heavy with pity for this young man, I heard my Guide saying
to me: 'Watch and behold'.
Again a young man appeared to me, and he was clad in armour, and in his hand
was a goodly spear. Wild and dangerous beasts I saw striding across his path,
but he looked neither to the right hand nor to the left hand, but with the
power of his spear he drove them away. And I saw him begin the ascent of a
steep mountain full of obstacles, but they seemed to cede before him, and as he
reached the summit the sun shone forth illuminating his armour, and in the
glory of that light the vision faded from my sight.
Then my Guide said to me: 'In the First Chamber on this Level of the Tower thou
sawest the Divine Spirit rising through Matter to the Human World. In the next
Chamber thou wast shown the rise of the Divine Spirit from the Human World to
the Spiritual World. Now this is the meaning of what thou hast seen in this
Chamber. In the World in which thou livest an Equilibrium exisreth between
Matter and Divine Spirit. Now in the heart of each man a point lieth hid on
which this Equilibrium is poised, and this point is the Mystery of his
Individuality, which hath the power of turning the balance to the right hand or
to the left hand, towards Matter which leadeth to the Abyss, or towards the
Divine Spirit which accelerates the moment of Reunion with the Unity. Woe unto
him therefore who in the Human World letteth the idleness of one hour to impair
the power of his Individuality to turn the balance towards the Light'.
22. Then my Guide led me without the Chamber, and said to me: 'All have I shown
thee, yet one Chamber remaineth'. I said unto him: 'Are my eyes worthy to see
what is therein?' He replied: 'If thou desirest to see, thou must rise to it
alone'. Then he pointed the way to a steep and tortuous flight of steps which
led to the highest pinnacle of the Tower; these with toil and pain I began to
ascend alone, and when I had reached to a great height I saw before me the
entrance to a chamber closed by a heavy Veil. I pushed it aside and penetrated
within, and when the Veil had fallen back behind me it seemed to me that the
grave-stone had fallen upon the grave, and that I was severed for ever from the
World of Humanity. A feeling of solitude crept upon me and a desire to pray,
and kneeling down I worshipped the Unknown, seeking for Illumination , and by
degrees the knowledge of the things which I had seen increased within me, and
when I lifted up my eyes I saw that the Chamber in which I was was formed like an
Ellipse, and that in the centre thereof a Figure sat upon a Throne, neither Man
nor Woman, but Humanity in the Womb of Time, - the Ellipse of the Absolute. And
as I gazed and marvelled, I saw a Mystic Flower at the summit of the chamber
open its four great petals, on each of which a Sign was burnt in fire, and from
the depths of the Flower three rays of light descended upon the Figure beneath
illuminating it with splendour, so that I saw the overpowering serenity of its
face - ever youthful - on which no wrinkle was writ. Then the Figure crossed
its hands, so that forefinger was extended against forefinger, and with the
tips of the forefingers it touched its lips, placing thereon the Seal of
Silence. Then my soul grew bewildered with the beauty of that face, and I
covered myself with my hands, and when again I opened my eyes I felt the breath
of dawn upon my face, and I heard the lark singing above, and the joy of calm
was in my heart, and the morning star shone in all its glory above the Solitude
of the Desert.
When the Mystic Dervish had ceased to relate what he had seen, the Young King
spoke to him thus: 'Oh! Sage, where is the Strange Land to be found where the Temple of Knowledge lieth?'
The Dervish replied: 'Oh! King, wouldst thou know where lies the Strange Land
where dwell the Disciples of the Path - the Seekers after Truth? Turn to thy
Heart; hidden therein lieth the magnificent Temple of Human Knowledge, but the Key to the Gate thereof God
alone can give'.
Source: http://www.greylodge.org/occultreview/glor_002/mysticrose.htm
