In Search of the Miraculous

means that they have been created consciously by conscious men for a definite

purpose. Influences of this kind are usually embodied in the form of religious systems

and teachings, philosophical doctrines, works of art, and so on.

"They are let out into life for a definite purpose, and become mixed with influences of the first kind. But it must be borne in mind that these influences are conscious only

in their origin. Coming into the general vortex of life they fall under the general law

of accident and begin to act mechanically, that is, they may act on a certain definite man or may not act; they may reach him or they may not. In undergoing change and

distortion in life through transmission and interpretation, influences of the second

kind are transformed into influences of the first kind, that is, they become, as it were, merged into the influences of the first kind.

"If we think about this, we shall see that it is not difficult for us to

distinguish influences created in life from influences whose source lies outside life.

To enumerate them, to make up a catalogue of the one and the other, is impossible. It

is necessary to understand; and the whole thing depends upon this understanding. We have spoken about the beginning of the way. The beginning of the way depends

precisely upon this understanding or upon the capacity for discriminating between the

two kinds of influences. Of course, their distribution is unequal. One man receives

more of the influences whose source lies outside life, another less; a third is almost

isolated from them. But this cannot be helped. This is already fate. Speaking in

general and taking normal life under normal conditions and a normal man, conditions

are more or less the same for everybody, that is, to put it more correctly, difficulties

are equal for everybody. The difficulty lies in separating the two kinds of influences.

If a man in receiving them does not separate them, that is, does not see or does not

feel their difference, their action upon him also is not separated, that is, they act in the same way, on the same level, and produce the same results. But if a man in receiving

these influences begins to discriminate between them and put on one side those which

are not created in life itself, then gradually discrimination becomes easier and after a

certain time a man can no longer confuse them with the ordinary influences of life.

"The results of the influences whose source lies outside life collect together within him, he remembers them together, feels them together. They begin to form within him a certain whole. He does not give a clear account to himself as to what, how, and why,

or if he does give an account to himself, then he explains it wrongly. But the point is

not in this, .but in the fact that the results of these influences collect together within him and after a certain time they form within him a kind of magnetic center, which begins to attract to itself kindred influences and in this manner it grows. If the

magnetic center receives sufficient nourishment, and if there is no strong resistance on

the part of the other sides of a man's personality which are the result of influences

created in life, the magnetic center begins to influence a man's orientation, obliging

him to turn round and even to move in a certain direction. When the magnetic center

attains sufficient force and development, a man already understands the idea of the

way and he begins to look for the way. The search for the way may take many years

and may lead to nothing. This depends upon conditions, upon circumstances, upon the

power of the magnetic center, upon the power and the direction of inner tendencies

which are not concerned with this search and which may divert a man at the very

moment when the possibility of finding the way appears.

"If the magnetic center works rightly and if a man really searches, or even if he

does not search actively yet feels rightly, he may meet another man who knows the way and who is connected directly or through other

people with a center existing outside the law of accident, from which proceed the ideas

which created the magnetic center.

"Here again there are many possibilities. But this will be spoken of later on. For the moment let us imagine that he has met a man who really knows the way and is ready

to help him. The influence of this man upon him goes through his magnetic center.

And then, at this point, the man frees himself from the law of accident. This is what must be understood. The influence of the man who knows the way upon the first man

is a special kind of influence, differing from the former two, first of all in being a

direct influence, and secondly in being a conscious influence. Influences of the second kind, which create magnetic center, are conscious in their origin but afterwards they