Suppose the struggle had proven me wanting, and the verdict had been, "Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin"? 'Then my--our--fate would have been that of Mainin of Caiphul. To me who know the dread meaning of this fate, it is more utterly frightful to contemplate than it can be to thee. It means being a brother to devils, and subjection to Satan, who could so cunningly, awfully tempt as we were tempted, and when successful, make a servant of the victim, ever to pile up fresh karma. And such karma as Satan's service makes is worse in a moment than the wickedest man could pile up in a long lifetime. It means such servitude until--when? Forever? Until the end of material things. Then, when the heavens are rolled as a scroll and melt in fervent heat, Satan (Lucifer) shall, with his minions, be cast into that lake of fire which is the second death: which meaneth that the force, the energy of the rebels, that which has made them distinct, potent souls through all the past, shall become depersonalized, and disindividualized, cast into the sum of the Fire of Elements, which form the forces of Nature, the winds, odic and magnetic and electric forces. But annihilation there is not, death there is not, though there be such a change as constitutes the destruction of the union between soul and Spirit, the return of the ]first to the great impersonal Vis Natura, the return of the other to Him who created life. Then, after millions of years the Father will gather the fervid elements into nebulae, star-plasm, worlds, suns, systems, and a "new heaven and a new earth" shall come forth. Then will the depersonalized rebel host begin to reincarnate in protoplasmic life, and thence evolutionize up, up, up along the myriad incarnations until, after an eternity of matter, they come once more to human conditions, to another Crisis, to win or fail, and either, like Sisyphus, run again the weary course, or else inherit hard-won entrance to unconditional being. There is not nor can be, any death of the Spirit, but of the individuality only. Study this well, my friend, for such is the fate of evildoers who sell to Satan, because such is Satan's portion. Our Father hath provided a Way. It is the sharp, knife-edge Path, whereon all things so evenly balance that there is turning neither to the right nor left, but steady, even pursuit of the Path, wherein all who travel that way, contain themselves in all things, in eating and drinking, in sleeping and all those things which cause the cares of this world. Those who shall be accounted worthy, without further incarnation, to obtain the resurrection from the body of materiality neither marry nor are given in marriage, but must receive the Kingdom of God even as if still little children. Yet whoso doeth not so, it shall not be eternally counted against them, but only till another incarnation. It must be that the things of sensation which are an offense unto the Spirit occur, but karmic woe will attend the offender until he finds the Path and travels therein. Hear, if hearing and understanding be in thee, for these are the words of the Master.
Suppose the struggle had found me wanting, and the verdict had been "Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin"? Then my fate, our fate, would have been that of Mainin of Caiphul. I know the dread meaning of this fate, and to me it is more utterly frightful to think of than it can be to you. It means being a brother to devils, and being subject to Satan. Satan could tempt so cunningly and so awfully, as we were tempted. When he succeeds, he makes a servant of the victim, who must forever pile up fresh karma. And the karma that Satan's service makes is worse in a moment than the wickedest man could pile up in a long lifetime. It means such servitude until... when? Forever? Until the end of material things. Then, when the heavens are rolled up like a scroll and melt with fervent heat, Satan (Lucifer) and his minions will be cast into that lake of fire which is the second death. This means that the force, the energy of the rebels, which has made them distinct, potent souls through all the past, will be depersonalized and stripped of individuality. It will be cast into the sum of the Fire of Elements, which make up the forces of Nature: the winds, and the odic, magnetic, and electric forces. But there is no annihilation, and there is no death. There is, though, a change that destroys the union between soul and Spirit. The first returns to the great impersonal Vis Natura. The other returns to him who created life. Then, after millions of years, the Father will gather the fervid elements into nebulae, star-plasm, worlds, suns, and systems, and a "new heaven and a new earth" will come forth. Then the depersonalized rebel host will begin to reincarnate in protoplasmic life. From there they will evolve up, up, up through myriad incarnations. At last, after an eternity of matter, they will come once more to human conditions, and to another Crisis, to win or fail. Either, like Sisyphus, they will run the weary course again, or else they will inherit a hard-won entrance to unconditional being. There is not, and cannot be, any death of the Spirit, but only of the individuality. Study this well, my friend. For such is the fate of evildoers who sell themselves to Satan, because such is Satan's portion. Our Father has provided a Way. It is the sharp, knife-edge Path, on which all things balance so evenly that there is no turning to the right or the left, only steady, even pursuit of the Path. All who travel that way restrain themselves in all things: in eating and drinking, in sleeping, and in all the things that cause the cares of this world. Those who are counted worthy to obtain, without further incarnation, the resurrection from the body of materiality neither marry nor are given in marriage. They must receive the Kingdom of God as if they were still little children. Yet whoever does not do this will not have it counted against them eternally, but only until another incarnation. The things of sensation that offend the Spirit must happen. But karmic woe will follow the offender until he finds the Path and travels in it. Hear, if hearing and understanding are in you, for these are the words of the Master.