Hortus Conclusus

The High Goal:

  Truly it is much easier to investigate, with the air of an explorer, the external world and even to uncover the most secret of its shafts, sure of winning fame as the discoverer, –  than it is to find in oneself one’s innermost which is also well hidden from those who believe that they have explored the soul’s powers for so long that the soul dissolves under their gaze into unreal nothingness.– –

Let all haughtiness therefore keep silent, even though you might be well acquainted with those things which seemed to be a dark mystery to even the wisest of the ancients!

There may anyway be some mysteries which only seem ‘solved’ because you satisfied yourself with a solution which comprehend nothing in itself of that depth from which once the mystery whispered its question to those men of old…

Even among the seekers of ancient times there were those who could find; if you wish, like them, to become finders, you must be prepared to seek in  places where they found!

I shall help you seek within yourselves for only there you may hope to find what you have always sought for yourselves.

No thinking and speculation can ever teach you to find your way to the ultimate solution to all those questions which continually rise before your soul from the darkness of earth-bound knowledge demanding answers! – – –

Therefore resist henceforth all the loud thoughts expressing themselves inside you until only that great stillness is found in you, in which nothing speaks any longer coming to you from outside! – –

Learn then the high art of trustful waiting!

Truly it is not easily learnt; but each one who once found what he was longing for had to learn it; no one who wants to become a finder within himself is spared this period of learning…

If you will find, beware of the temptation to curtail this waiting period!

You would only have to wait longer, were you foolishly to succumb to this temptation! – –

  Truly: those who have walked upon this path of searching and have not found what they hoped to find they may be certain that this is solely due to their presumptuously believing to have been called upon to shorten the time of silent waiting! – – –

As long as such striving exists within one who seeks, he has not attained that great calm which is the first condition for any finding!

How can he then complain if all his efforts have been in vain?! –

Similarly, whoever strives to find what is hidden in this external world will always search in vain if he knows not how to create here the necessary calmness in himself, should he find what he seeks! –

But all those who ever sought and found the last things within their innermost had previously practised the art of waiting and thereby acquired the culture of calmness! –

Only in the most silent immersion could they acquire what was sought in vain by thousands who lacked calmness…

“The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence; and the violent take it by force!” This ‘force’ is nothing other than the force to tame oneself which banishes all disquiet from the soul! –

Only when you have created such stillness within yourself, that the question when you will receive illumination seems foolish to you, you are truly close to fulfilment, and with certainty you can be confident of finding what has remained concealed from you when you vainly strove, still bound by impatience! – – –

It must become a matter of complete unimportance to you when you will acquire ultimate knowledge on this earth! You must seek like one for whom no limits of time have been set!

You must seek like one who knows he will find because what he seeks exists and cannot conceal itself from him, as soon as he is worthy of finding!

The more your certainty grows and your trust in yourself, so much the nearer will exalted help be to you! –

  Nourish in yourself faithful confidence; avoid corroding thoughts which seek to frighten you into thinking that you are meant to finding! –

Learn to recognise that it is blasphemy for you to succumb to this fear! – –

Within yourself you carry redemption from all doubt, – only in yourself can you receive ultimate certainty!

Cast away from yourself all that seeks to lead you astray from this belief in yourself, even if it has hitherto been a ‘sacred truth’ for you!

There where ultimate knowledge is to become yours all the brain’s thinking must keep silent, even though it has been highly esteemed for thousands of years! –

You are there alone with yourself; no power on earth can hinder or help you!

Only in your innermost being can you hope to find what you seek; all the wonders of distant stars will crumble into the dust of nothingness in the face of those things reserved for you here! –

In your innermost you will find in truth yourself; only then will you come to recognize that all your searching has only been aimed – at yourself.

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