In Search of the Miraculous

be achieved thanks to the fact that on the fourth way it is possible to make use of

certain knowledge inaccessible to the ways of the fakir, the monk, and the yogi. This

knowledge makes it possible to work in three directions simultaneously. A whole

parallel series of physical, mental, and emotional exercises serves this purpose. In

addition, on the fourth way it is possible to individualize the work of each separate

person, that is to say, each person can do only what is necessary and not what is

useless for him. This is due to the fact that the fourth way dispenses with a great deal of what is superfluous and preserved simply through tradition in the other ways.

"So that when a man attains will on the fourth way he can make use of it because he

has acquired control of all his bodily, emotional, and intellectual functions. And

besides, he has saved a great deal of time by working on the three sides of his being in

parallel and simultaneously.

"The fourth way is sometimes called the way of the sly man. The 'sly man' knows some secret which the fakir, monk, and yogi do not know. How the 'sly man' learned

this secret—it is not known. Perhaps he found it in some old books, perhaps he

inherited it, perhaps he bought it, perhaps he stole it from someone. It makes no

difference. The 'sly man' knows the secret and with its help outstrips the fakir, the

monk, and the yogi.

"Of the four, the fakir acts in the crudest manner; he knows very little and

understands very little. Let us suppose that by a whole month of intense torture he

develops in himself a certain energy, a certain substance which produces certain

changes in him. He does it absolutely blindly, with his eyes shut, knowing neither

aim, methods, nor results, simply in imitation of others.

"The monk knows what he wants a little better; he is guided by religious feeling, by religious tradition, by a desire for achievement, for salvation; he trusts his teacher

who tells him what to do, and he believes that his efforts and sacrifices are 'pleasing to God.' Let us suppose that a week of fasting, continual prayer, privations, and so on,

enables him to attain what the fakir develops in himself by a month of self-torture.

"The yogi knows considerably more. He knows what he wants, he knows why he

wants it, he knows how it can be acquired. He knows, for instance, that it is necessary

for his purpose to produce a certain substance in himself. He knows that this

substance can be produced in one day by a certain kind of mental exercises or

concentration of consciousness. So he keeps his attention on these exercises for a

whole day without allowing himself a single outside thought, and he obtains what he

needs. In this way a yogi spends on the same thing only one day compared with a

month spent by the fakir and a week spent by the monk.

"But on the fourth way knowledge is still more exact and perfect. A man who

follows the fourth way knows quite definitely what substances he needs for his aims

and he knows that these substances can be produced within the body by a month of

physical suffering, by a week of emotional strain, or by a day of mental exercises—

and also, that they can be introduced into the organism from without if it is known

how to do it. And so, instead of spending a whole day in exercises like the yogi, a week in prayer like the monk, or a month in self-torture like the fakir, he simply

prepares and swallows a little pill which contains all the substances

he wants and, in this way, without loss of time, he obtains the required results.

"It must be noted further,"' said G., "that in addition to these proper and legitimate ways, there are also artificial ways which give temporary results only, and wrong

ways which may even give permanent results, only wrong results. On these ways a

man also seeks the key to the fourth room and sometimes finds it. But what he finds in

the fourth room is not yet known.

"It also happens that the door to the fourth room is opened artificially with a

skeleton key. And in both these cases the room may prove to be empty."

With this G. stopped.

At one of the following talks we again touched on the ways.

"For a man of Western culture," I said, "it is of course difficult to believe and to accept the idea that an ignorant fakir, a naive monk, or a yogi who has retired from

life may be on the way to evolution while an educated European, armed with 'exact

knowledge' and all the latest methods of investigation, has no chance whatever and is

moving in a circle from which there is no escape."

"Yes, that is because people believe in progress and culture," said G. "There is no progress whatever. Everything is just the same as it was thousands, and tens of

thousands, of years ago. The outward form changes. The essence does not change.

Man remains just the same. 'Civilized' and 'cultured' people live with exactly the same