the Equinox - The Hermetic Library

122
THE EQUINOX
One hundred indrawn breaths in reclining position with belt on.
7 minutes 50 seconds. (4.7 secs. per breath).
Ten indrawn breaths as slow as possible 7 m. 26 sec. (44.6 secs.
per breath.)
July 31st. Went to sleep doing Buddha.
Buddha.
32 m. It seemed much more.
Pendulum 1,000 23½ m. The pendulum kept in its plane.* At
single strokes.
end of 940 strokes pendulum wanted
to swing right over several times.
Calvary Cross.
Two tired to settle at all.
August 1st. Position 1. 10 m. Not bad.
2nd. Buddha.
8 m/ It seems very difficult nowadays to
settle down.
Red Cross. 22 m. Ten breaks.
Nirvana.†
13 m. Not bad.
I tried to put (astrally) a fly on a man’s nose. It seemed to
disturb him much: but he did not try to brush it off.
Tried the same with Chinaman, great success.
Tried to make a Chinaman look round, instand success.
Tried the same with a European, but failed.
3rd. Tried in vain two “practical volitions” but was too unwell to do
any work.
4th. Nirvana, Selfish- 28 m.
ness, Magical
Power Hierophantship,
etc.
After this meditation I arrived at the following decision: I must
not cling to the Peace.‡ It certainly has been real to me, but if
I make a God out of it it will become but an illusion. I am ready to
* In this exercise the pendulum tends to swing out of plane. Here are Frater
P.’s two methods of controlling it:
(a) Fix mind of the two points of a pendulum-swing and move pendulum
sharply like chronograph hand, keeping them fixed and equal in size.
Pendulum recovers its plane.
(b) Follow swing carefully throughout keeping size exact. This more
legitimate but more difficult.
† Invoked angel of Nirvana as H.P.K. on lotus. Note P.’s complete ignorance
of Buddhism at this date.
‡ I.e. the Peace which had been enfolding him for so many days. See
entry July 14th.