From: 1948 – De Laurence’s Catalog of Books on Occultism – Magic – Mysticism – Religion – The Cabala – Yoga – Astrology and all related subjects – Occult Students’ Equipment – Talismanic and Symbolic Jewelry
The Genesis Of The Hindu Adepts, Yoghees And Master Lamas of Central And Northern India written down by L. W. de Laurence, Author and Publisher
Mystic and Master Occultist, de Laurence is world-famous as an Adept of the Highest Rank. His lifelong study of religious thought and emotion have brought him recognition and renown while his humanistic and sympathetic insight have endeared his name to thousands. His works are everywhere and his name stands high on the roster of independent and intrepid thinkers of all time.
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In speaking of the teachings of East Indian Occultism, Spiritual Communications, Soul Transition and Soul Reincarnation, one cannot be too profound in his statement that the Hindus have the true and Sacred Wisdom, and among a subtle race like the Hindus, which is immeasurably older in civilization and experience than either Americans or Europeans. Occult Forces and Spiritual Laws have been discovered thousands of years ago and preserved among the wisest of their representatives, who in consequence of this knowledge can perform feats which to the Western man’s limited understanding are perfectly miraculous.
The performances of the Hindu Adepts, which are a surprise and a revelation to the traveler from the West, have excited the wonder of all ages. The powers of these Spiritual Magicians, who dwell in the fastness of Northern India, have been subject to investigation ever since the Western man began to penetrate into that ancient land of the Orient. The Occult feats performed by the Adepts and Yoghees are not the result of trickery, ledgerdemain or sleight of hand. Trees twenty and thirty feet in height are made to grow and spring up in a moment from a seed. A rope or cord is thrown into the air without any means of support, and on this rope the Hindu climbs towards the clouds out of your sight. Hissing and wiggling snakes are developed with a Magical pass of the hand over a bucket of clear water, and rooms which were dark are suddenly brightly illuminated without any apparent source of light. Heavy bodies are suspended in the air without the slightest means of support. After being placed in the state of Death Trance, live men are buried many feet in the earth apparently lifeless, and after a lapse of days or weeks are exhumed and resurrected before the very eyes of the gaping multitude. Several persons are apparently fused into one single individual, and again this one person becomes several before your amazed and startled eyes. The Hindu Adepts are a class of men that eat little and want little; they spend their time in contemplation and deep meditation, scorning the Western civilization as ignorant, material and base.
The Western scientist has come to the conclusion that Mind and Body are only one form of matter. The Hindu Adept will tell you, that matter is not a form of mind. He will spurn all of the material possessions and pleasures, for which the Western man has spent all the energy of his life, as so much bauble and trash. The Spirit and Soul is everything to him; the physical body and their desires are nothing. It is to be very much doubted that there is one person in a thousand among those who use the word “mahatma” that understands the true meaning of this term, although it means a Hindu Falkree of some caste.
A Mahatma of India is one who has purified his “Mahatma” or Spiritual Soul, so that his higher ego is able to act directly upon his material body. When this has been accomplished, he becomes a Mahatma, or great soul. One peculiar characteristic about the Mahatmas are their apparent weariness and impatience, whenever a series of questions are propounded. This will be easily confirmed, by those who go to India, for it will become apparent, that they dislike being interrupted in their mediation and development of Occult Powers. You will see comparatively little of them during your journey through India, and, indeed, find it very difficult to approach them upon these subjects as they have a decided prejudice against being interrogated or even taken notice of; but should it happen that they take a liking to you they will enter into a conversation for an hour or more. On these occasions they always squat on the ground and will invite you to do the same; and from their lips you will learn many strange things that will sink deep into your heart and what comes from their lips will impress your soul as being the truth. It is always better during these conversations to abstain from interrupting them with questions for this will not be relished. However, it will be soon learned that this is unnecessary, for with their marvelous, Spiritual Powers, and intuitive knowledge of what is passing in your mind, during this discussion, they well answer your questions before you ask them and will also explain difficult points in such a manner that the object will stand out “in relief” as it were, assuming all the beauty and reality of a stereoscopic view.
If one of these Mahatmas likes you he will allow you to feast your eyes on his collection of musty Kitaba(boooks) of Sanscrit, as the Hindu has a soul that believes in learning and is a great believer in Ancient Occult books of instruction. He will carry them about with him in all his travels, for he is never seeking information outside. He knows that which he seeks will be found and developed from the depth of his own being. In bringing you to where he keeps his books, he is very likely to take you through many empty rooms or chambers, and cause you to descend stairs in the darkness, but after he has lighted his candles he will display to your astonished eyes fifty or a hundred volumes, many of them being over five hundred years old. He will now blow out his candles, and you will find yourself surrounded with inky darkness. 
The Adept will then give a certain ceremony, and suddenly as if by fate or some unseen power a flood of light will surround you, and you will find yourself in a low chamber, apparently devoid of furniture, except an old chest, a chair or two and a couple of animal skins on the floor. This light can certainly not be produced by any artificial means; it will be bright as day, and of that unearthly refulgence, which on more than one occasion will have startled you in certain feats of the Yoghees and Adepts of Central India. Objects in this ghostly light cast no shadows; and it is clearly proved that this source cannot be an incandescent body like the sun, or any radiating light, and the best definition that can be given of this light is that it is an illuminous Astral Fluid, which is suddenly precipitated from a given space in which the object seems to be immersed. On many occasions this light will not extend beyond the threshold of the apartment and it will not merge by gradual transition into the darkness of the corridor but will be cut off by a sharp demarcation. The same will be the case of the windows, which are spare holes in the wall, and there may be inky darkness and drizzling rain without. What will strike you most profoundly is the fact that the Adept will never notice your surprise or agitation which will manifest itself when you examine his literary treasures.
This Adept, whose hospitality you have been privileged to enjoy, you will find is not the only denizen of his secluded hermitage among the ruins and temples, for there will be domiciled five other recluses to whom the name of Adepts are applicable and two servants; as a household of this kind in India always consists of eight persons.
The Adepts as written above will be very seldom visible, for they spend most of their time in the seclusion of their rooms; each occupying a separate apartment in different wings of their exclusive Temple. Their headgear consists of large turbans and long brown caftans. Sometimes they will have errands to the neighboring hills and mountains and when this time comes these learned Hindus will go in each other’s company and you will never be able to remember the time of ever having known them to exchange a single word of greeting, for they act and conduct themselves like deaf mutes, minus a sign language. The reason of this is, that they communicate with each other only in mental language. It will not be long, however, before you realize that, while apparently mute, these Masters carry on an active conversation with one another; for they have simply risen above the necessity of verbal speech. The development of Mental Telepathy and mind reading in India as a national characteristic is amazing; manifesting itself in the every day life of her people but reaching its climax in the attainments of the Adepts of Occultism in central and northern India.
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