Judge, William Quan, 1851-1896; Theosophists -- United States -- Correspondence; Theosophy
The temple on the site of the present city of Conjeveram was about to
be consecrated and the regular priests were all ready for the ceremony.
Minor ceremonies had taken place at the laying of the cornerstone,
but this was to exceed that occasion in importance. A large body of
worshippers were gathered not for the gratification of curiosity, but
in order to receive the spiritual benefits of the occasion and they
filled the edifice so that I could not get inside. I was thus compelled
to stand just at the edge of the door, and that was, as I afterwards
found out, the best place I could have selected if I had known in
advance what was to take place. A few days before a large number of
wandering ascetics had arrived and camped on a spot near the temple,
but no one thought much of it because used to seeing such people.
There was nothing unnatural about these men, and all that could be
said was that a sort of mysterious air hung about them, and one or two
children declared that on one evening none of the visitors could be
found at their camp nor any evidence that men had been there, but they
were not believed, because the ascetics were there as usual the next
morning. Two old men in the city said that the visitors were Devas in
their "illusionary form," but there was too much excitement about the
dedication to allow of much thought on the subject. The event, however,
proved the old men right.
At the moment when the people in the temple were expecting the priests
to arrive, the entire body of ascetics appeared at the door with
a wonderful looking sage-like man at their head, and they entered
the edifice in the usual formal way of the priests and the latter
on arriving made no disturbance, but took what places they could,
simply saying: "they are the Devas." The strangers went on with the
ceremonies, and all the while a light filled the building and music
from the air floated over the awestruck worshippers.
When the time came for them to go they all followed the leader in
silence to the door. I could see inside, and as I was at the door
could also see outside. All the ascetics came to the entrance but not
one was seen to go beyond it, and none were ever perceived by any man
in the city again. They melted away at the threshold. It was their
last appearance, for the shadow of the dark age was upon the people,
preventing such sights for the future. The occurrence was the topic of
conversation for years, and it was all recorded in the archives of the
city.
IN A BORROWED BODY.
I MUST tell you first what happened to me in this present life since it
is in this one that I am relating to you about many other lives of mine.
I was a simple student of our high Philosophy for many lives on earth
in various countries, and then at last developed in myself a desire for
action. So I died once more as so often before and was again reborn in
the family of a Rajah, and in time came to sit on his throne after his
death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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