The Star in the West

294 THE STAR IN THE WEST poems . But what is it ? And Crowley at once , with East and West , answers , “ a higher state of con sciousness .” That a higher consciousness exists is certain ; that it is unknowable is certain , . .. unless indeed , we can truly unite it with itself .? And that this supreme union is possible he ex plains : Prevent sense -impressions from reaching the sensorium and there will at least be a better chance of examining the interior . You cannot easily investigate a watch while it is going : nor does the reflection of the sun appear in a lake whose surface is constantly ruffled by wind and rain , by hail and thunderbolt , by the diving of birds and the fall ing of rocks. In fact, throughout the whole of volume ii of the collected works runs a great river of esoteric mystic ism , which in the earlier works was a glittering net work of sparkling streams . In “ Time ” we find the commandments of Yama and Niyama mentioned , though we must never forget that the conditions of success vary for every indi vidual , and that Crowley might advise one pupil to drink more , and another to abstain . He doubts That extreme virtue is a necessary condition for one who is desirous of attaining this state of bliss.3 In the beginning of “ Pentecost " descriptions of Asana and Prânâ yama : In strange and painful attitude , I sat , while he was very rude. | Time , vol . ii , p. 281. 2 Ibid . 3 Ibid . vol. ii, p. 276.