Light on The Path

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ON the title-page of the first edition of this book, published in 1885, it is described as 'A treatise written for the personal use of those who are ignorant of the Eastern Wisdom and who desire to enter within its influence.'" But the book itself begins with the statement that 'These rules are written for all disciples.' The latter description is surely the more accurate one, as the history of the book will show. As we have it at present it was dictated by the Master Hilarion through the medium- ship of M.C.¹ a lady well known in Theosophical circles, who at one time collaborated with Madame Blavatsky in the editorship of Lucifer. The Master Hilarion received it from his own Teacher, the Great One who among Theosophical stu- dents is sometimes called 'The Venetian'; but even He is the author only of part of it. It has passed through three phases; let us set them down in order.

It is but a small book even now; but the first form in which we see it is smaller yet. It is a palm-leaf manuscript, old beyond computation; so old that even before the time of Christ men had already forgotten its date and the name of its writer, and regarded its origin as lost in the mists of prehistoric antiquity. It consists of ten leaves, and on each leaf are written three lines only, for in a palm-leaf manuscript the lines run along the page, and not across it as with us. Each line is complete in itself - a short aphorism. In order that these thirty lines may be clearly distinguishable, they are printed in this edition in black type. The language in which these aphorisms are written is an archaic form of Sanskrit.