Conversation on the Departure
of the Perfected One
A sage was once asked by his pupils about the ‘wise men of the east’ and he said:
“Seek within yourselves the ‘innermost east’!” –
When you live yourselves in the ‘innermost east’, you will encounter the ‘wise men of the east’ – – but not before! – – –
He who discovers the ‘east’ within himself has attained a realm which is greater than all the empires of the earth. – – – – –
The all-merciful one, full of compassion, – his name be praised, – is like a Shah of shahs ruling over all the kingdoms of the earth.
In justice and love he appoints kings over all the lands of the spiritual world and gives them might and wisdom so that they can rule what has been entrusted to them; to him alone, however, belong all lands. –
Within the innermost part of the heart, within yourselves, is an antechamber no larger than a mustard seed, and in it is a small doorway, smaller than the smallest mote caught in the sun’s light.
He who would enter the ‘innermost east’ must squeeze his way through this doorway! – –
Once he is through it, he will find extensive lands behind the doorway, – an eternal ‘earth’, – an ‘India’ of all Indias, – a ‘mountain range’ of all mountain ranges…
There he will find his own kingdom established from all eternity.
However, before he can come to his kingdom, bestowed on him in those lands by that Shah of shahs, ruling there from eternity to eternity, he must reach the sacred river which flows eternally in a circle around the heart of the lands, a river without source or mouth, – which continually generates and consumes itself…
There he will find the ‘ferryman’, and the ferryman will ask him for his ‘name’. –
If he does not know his ‘name’ here, he must immediately return without question to the external world.
Yet, if he can answer the ferryman, he will carry him to the other side of the river where he will be in the ‘innermost east’. – – – –
There he will find the guide to lead him to the ‘great mountain’ in the ‘innermost east’.
There, in the midst of eternally snow-covered peaks, he will suddenly find eternally green meadows full of flowers in bloom, so that he can hardly hold himself for utter astonishment.
There he will catch sight of the towering domes of a temple reaching as high as the sky, – and when he finally reaches it and is allowed to enter, – then he will see in this temple the ‘wise men of the east’, those he hitherto had always sought in vain.” – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
But when his questioners further asked whether it was absolutely necessary to find the ‘wise men’ of the east, if their souls were one day to reach their spiritual realms, the sage spoke and said:
“You know not yet what you ask!” –
Whoever wishes to find the realm of his soul must be helped from within. –
But only those few can help who live in the ‘innermost east’, those to whom the all-merciful granted power to give light to their ‘brothers in darkness’ as soon as their will, and not their desire, earnestly seeks this light. – – –
And so you must find the ‘wise men of the east’ within yourselves, if you ever want to attain the realm which is in you! – – – – – – – – ”
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