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"Ar'txu'lan by J.I. Humphres is available exclusively from By The Way Books

Prolegomenon

It has taken me all my life up to now to accumulate the material within. I remember clearly the first time I heard the word material used in the sense that I am using it now. I first met Phil when I was already forty something. We would meet somewhere, at my request, usually in a café, and spend an hour talking about spiritual and mystical things that interested me. During one of these meetings he interrupted me in the middle of whatever I was saying and looking straight into my eyes said,

 "You are not going to get anywhere if you don't start bringing some material to our talks."

I had no idea what he was talking about and felt stung that he was demanding something which I knew nothing about. It took me years before I understood that what he was saying was right. I can say now that we accumulate material in ourselves from experiences in life that come about both accidentally and by intentional effort. Phil was referring to material gained as the result of intentional effort; useable material and not just anything the cat drags up. This material cannot be given to another. It has to be paid for and acquired through one's own efforts. But someone who himself has made such efforts can indicate the way.

A rare quality of attention is necessary for acquiring material.  Without it new knowledge and change of Being is not possible. And I do not know if I know enough about this Attention to say much about it.

Attention is a light that can penetrate matter. The light of Attention can penetrate and illuminate the darkest of the dark, even the Devil. Attention has the power of movement. It can move both within and beyond the limits of time and space. Does it affect everything it touches? I want to say yes but in fact I don't know. Some experience show me that attention affects what it touches. A strange thing, perhaps, about Attention is that it must be cared for and used if we want to rise above what we are. We can use attention ordinarily in our life to think associatively, indulge in emotions, eat, walk and all the things we do. However; we can find another Attention above that of ordinary attention. An Attention which in fact can see the activities of our usual attention. Without Attention man could not evolve. Every religion attempts to say how we can find this Attention but few people understand what is being offered. What is important is how to start, how to be free, because it is attention that can free us from a thousand and one petty things and bring us to experience the miraculous.

One morning I was sitting, being still, listening. A bird was singing, calling outside. I listened. Suddenly, I, Attention traveled, something of me traveled, toward the bird's song and halfway between the bird and me its' sound and I, Attention met and merged. I was then neither myself nor the bird. I, Attention had merged into its' song. I do not know what occurred at the same time to the bird.

If somehow you have heard of the "Ar'txu'lan paths and also have discovery urges in your heart, or head, then I wish you a good and useful voyage.

 

Jack