selves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?

57. Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given

a commandment, that, if any man knew where he

were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

In the symbolism of the East, the story of Lazarus and Martha and Mary is but the experience of one Soul.

Bethany means "going through suffering," or "the place of affliction."

No man has ever sought for the Christ until after he had been sore afflicted. It is when affliction comes upon us and all things of the flesh and of the world fail us that we turn within and seek for that which is not of the flesh.

Failure to find assistance from the flesh or from the world or through the efforts of any human being brings about bitterness; and this is represented by Martha, for she dwells in the place of bitterness.

Through affliction, and through failure to receive help from that which has always brought us pleasure and profit, and through the consequent bitterness, comes the search for that which is higher. When we search, we find, and thus we receive light and become exalted; this is Mary, for she is "the exalted one," having become exalted through accepting the Christ. And now, when we have reached the exalted state, when we have received the Light, we receive the assistance of God; this is Lazarus come forth, for Lazarus is "the assistance of the Father."

Thus, we have the mortal who is dead in the flesh, man ruled by his passions and carnal desires; afflictions come upon him and all that which he held dear fails him; he becomes bitter against those things upon which he had before depended and which he thought could not fail him; he seeks and finds light and becomes exalted; and, as he seeks still further, he receives the light of the Father, and becomes the Christ. The resurrection has taken place, he lives, Lazarus has come forth. It is the parable of a life, of a soul. The narrative is brief and simple; but the process that it

represents, is prolonged and complicated. It is the story of the soul's becoming disentangled from the meshes of matter.

LESSON THIRTY-FIVE

The carnal man thinks only of profit to the self; but the enlightened man thinks of his Soul and of service to humanity.

St. John 12:1-23.

1. Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

2. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

3. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped

his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

4. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,

5. Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

6. This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Judas was of the flesh. He thought only of the profit that could be made, of the money that might be had and used for the self. He was still the unawakened mind, the mind that could not understand anything but that which concerned the physical or carnal self.

7. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

8. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

Mary, she that was to be exalted, gave all that she had to the Christ. She was willing to give the dearest things she had if the Christ would accept them. She had awakened to the truth, and was willing to sacrifice the very best she had in order that she might become acceptable to the Christ.

When the mind is once truly and fully awakened, it will lay everything at the feet of the Christ. All that it yet has of value-every thought, every desire, and every deedwill be used for the purpose of pleasing the Father which dwells in the temple; and it will be accepted by the Father. Man should do everything in his power to help those less fortunate than himself; but, before he can really do any great good, he must make every effort himself to find the Christ. It is therefore his duty to use his all in order that he may know the Christ; and, after becoming conscious of the Christ, he can then the better serve the unfortunate.

The Christ can be served but once in a lifetime, the poor are always. This does not mean that we should neglect any opportunity to be of help to others. It means that our first duty is to our own soul, to bring it to consciousness before it is too late, in order that we may thereby be the better qualified to serve humanity.

9. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he raised from the dead.

10. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;

In Oriental symbolism, Lazarus is "that which is assistance to God," or "one who does the will of God." The chief priests and Pharisees were evil, they lived the carnal life. They had the Law, but misinterpreted it and would not obey; consequently, they desire to remove or destroy everything that might in any way conflict with the power they were wielding over the people. Not only this, but men like these will make every effort to destroy the conscience within themselves; and, no matter whether it is the

Voice of God in themselves or those that do God's will, they desire to destroy.

11. Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

12. On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

13. Took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 14. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass,

as it is written,

sat thereon;

15. Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

The Christ, which is the King of man, takes possession of the temple in humility. He who is proud in the pride of the self cannot find the Christ so long as he continues in his pride. He who becomes humble, knowing that the flesh has neither life nor immortality; he who, in meekness and humility of spirit, obeys the Law-such a character will build the temple. And the Christ will come, and be king in that temple, and reign with justice.

16. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they

that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

17. The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.

18. For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.

19. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

20. And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:

21. The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we

would see Jesus.

22. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew

and Philip tell Jesus.

23. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

Only in Oriental symbolism, can we find the key to the interpretation of the above.

Bethsaida means "the place where good works are done,” "the place of the fruit of works."

Philip means "one who loves;" Andrew, "one who has strength;" the Son of man, "the awakened mind."

When the mind of man awakens to the knowledge that the body is not all of life, and seeks for the higher, or the enlightened, life, he comes to understand that only through work can he reach Soul enlightenment; for "by their fruits shall ye know them." Consequently, he begins to do good works, he brings forth good fruits. He has entered Bethsaida.

Good works man does, not in order to reap glory or personal profit to the self, but because, having awakened to the truth, he loves to do the works which are of the Father. Such a man is Philip, the lover of good works.

As he continues in the work of the Father through love for His work, he gains strength. This is Andrew.

As the Awakened Mind (which is the Son of man) does the works of the Father, and brings forth good fruit; as it does this in love and becomes strong, it reaches Illumination. Illumination is the glorification of the Son of man and he has become the Son of God. The temple is completed, the Soul worships at the shrine within; for God now sits on the throne. The incense of purity burns on the altar attended to by the Vestal Virgins, which are pure thoughts and holy desires; for these keep the fire ever burning.