The Equinox (Volume III, Number I)

THE SEVEN PORTALS be subject to these illusions. And although it may be con- ceded that these things, although illusions, do correspond with a certain reality, anything objective should have been dismissed at an earlier stage. In the mental struggles there should be no place for demons. Unless my memory deceives me, that was just the one trouble that I did not have. The reason may possibly have been that I had mastered all external demons before I took up meditation. 47. Hold firm! Thou nearest now the middle Portal, the gate of Woe, with its ten thousand snares. No explanation is given as to why the fifth should be called the “middle Portal” of seven. 48. Have mastery o'er thy thoughts, O striver for per- fection, if thou would’ st cross its threshold. From here to verse 71 is the long description of this fifth gate, the key to which (it will be remembered) was Virya— that is, energy and will, Manhood in its most secret sense. It seems rather useless to tell the Student to have mastery over his thoughts in this verse, because he has been doing nothing else in all the previous Gates. 49. Have mastery o’er thy Soul, O seeker after truths un- dying, if thou would’st reach the goal. The pupil is also told to have mastery over his Soul, and again there is no indication as to what is meant by “Soul.” Bhikkhu Ananda Metteya once remarked that Theos- ophists were rather absurd to call themselves Buddhists, as the Buddhist had no Soul, and the Theosophist, not even content with having one, insisted on possessing seven dif- ferent kinds. 107