The Book of the Royal Art

Beware, you who seeks, of your own inconstancy!
Beware of the thorny hedge of doubts! –
Perhaps you sense the place of the light, just like a night time wanderer senses through the early mist that point in the sky where the sun will soon appear.
But between yourself and that place the thorny thicket of continually reappearing doubts takes root…
As many as you would tear out, so many grow anew.

Waste not your time on foolish activity!
Never – not even in an eternity – will you be able to make progress if you presumed to eradicate the thorny hedge of doubts first of all! –
Only your constant courage will avail you here.
Walk on full of energy and resolve, though your feet bleed from a thousand wounds of vanity!
Your feet must be pure if the one eternal Master who is master in each of us is to let you walk on the clear crystal steps which lead to the halls of adoration in the spirit and to truth.
Your feet will only become ‘pure’ if cleansed in your own blood…

Thousands have sought the way to the light but remained entangled in the thorny hedge of doubts because their selfish pride would not allow them to walk on before ridding themselves of the thorns.
Oh, you who seeks be not like them!

Contents

The light of Himavat and the words of the masters
From the luminary to the seeker
The harvest
The Infinite one
Know yourself
On the spiritual masters
The danger of vanity
From the lands of the luminaries
The threshold
The king’s question
The journey
Easter night
Oneness
The will to joy
For all who strive for the light
The teaching
Epilogue