Every age has its own expression of Truth. Only a hundred years ago, to talk of energies that a person conducts would have been impossible, because the necessary level of understanding on the question of energy was lacking even in the sciences, to say nothing of those outside scientific circles. A century ago, almost half the population of Russia could not read or write. And this is why in different ages the Truth has been set down in language people would at least somehow be able to understand. This language has been simplified as much as possible in all ages, because to speak in complex language about complex things means failing your listeners and readers. So Truth has been passed down from one age to the next, but people tend to attach themselves to what is sanctified by the ages, and cling to long-outdated expressions of Truth. In so doing, they forget altogether that mystics do not start talking out loud about their experience to introduce a new philosophy or gather a cadre of followers, but so that born seekers may more quickly and easily find their own Path and take it.
All mystics, whether they are writing about God and the world order or spiritual practices, target those who are still asleep but are now ready to wake up. It is just that some talk about the causes of sleep and dreaming, while others talk about ways of waking up. A sizeable amount of works dedicated to these topics has also been created by Sufi mystics over the millennia. Many of them have become dated, but many remain relevant to this day. Poems, parables and treatises dedicated to the human ego and the problems of the spiritual quest in principle cannot age, because man remains essentially as he was before, regardless of scientific and technological progress.
Nevertheless, the human world has now become far more complex than it was even a century ago. As a result, people are now able to perceive far more complex ideas and more complex Truth, which furthermore may be explained at a completely new level compared to before. We must not forget that for the modern mind, previous methods of simplifying communication of Truth have now become too primitive, and thereby obviously false and unconvincing. Because a gap forms between the accepted symbols for describing higher states then, and the subjects that come up in the modern age, and furthermore even ordinary language is constantly changing, not to mention the language of mystical expression, which has to be adapted to the times and to the people.
As far as I can see, the time has come to give contemporary descriptions of the mystic Path, along with the laws and principles of spiritual work. I have not complicated it especially, but I have tried also not to simplify it, as far as that is possible in laying out such subtle matters. One of the main aims I have followed in writing this book has been to show the complexity of man’s makeup, the complexity and multiplicity of connections that permeate Reality, and also how simple answers to complex questions can sometimes do more harm than good. Although with simple answers a person may gain an opportunity to act and to move towards an understanding of far more complex things. Nevertheless, due to the excess of simplifications our spiritual life is now in a very sorry state, while spiritual seekers get into all kinds of garbage and cannot escape the vicious cycle of false formulas for salvation.
It is now possible to describe all the processes in man’s existence in terms of energy interactions, as I have done. This description is far closer to the Truth. In that knowledge of Truth is the process of endlessly elaborating existent and non-existent causes, there is of course a lot that could be added to what I have written. Perhaps I will do this at a later date, and perhaps someone else will take this on. In any case, the expression of Truth should be updated according to the requirements of people and the demands of time. So it has been and so it shall be.
Mysticism is the science of exploring the hidden sides of Being, both human and general. In contrast with ordinary science, its main research tool is human beings themselves. To a certain extent, they become both the target of mysticism—in the sense of undergoing a spiritual transformation—and the means, because simply by immersing oneself within, one may develop one’s own powers of perception and conducting energy. In exploring oneself and journeying within oneself, one’s main tool is concentration, while in exploring Higher Reality, the human being as a whole, with all its centers and bodies, is transformed into a tool, through which knowledge of Truth is made possible.
And strangely enough, the reality of God comes to be known much more fully on the inside, than on the outside. To know God from the outside—if you do not have a developed sense of perception—is only possible by inventing him, or projecting one’s own desires onto the outside world. All accidents or manifestations of interactions of a far lower order are ascribed to God. On the other hand, atheists call the manifestations of Presence that sometimes occur within their lives accidents to make everything okay.
True knowledge cannot be gained from any book, for a book either gives you an explanation of an experience you have already had, or points you in the direction in which that experience may be sought. The book you have in front of you contains examples of both. Other than that, a good mystical book may increase the level of your understanding, again through properly explaining what you have already felt, sensed and experienced, but were unable to connect together.
True knowledge comes only with personal experience—the experience of passing through the stages of transformation, the experience of opening the Heart and discovering connections to the Source. Then faith becomes unnecessary, as there is personal, hard won knowledge, and there is nothing dearer in this world. But you may only find out if it is true or not by entering the Path and travelling at least halfway along it. Though each step will bring personal discoveries, and even if they are in line with what I have written, they will still be your discoveries, and it will still be your connection to God, and you that He is answering. Every discovery of Truth happens anew, and every seeker comes to their experience of it as though he were the first to discover it. Such is the allure of the search, and such is the reward upon the Path, that at a certain point you become a pioneer of everything, including Truth. And though the limits to experiencing Truth are the same in all mystics, no matter the school or the movement they belong to, the experience itself is always fresh and incredible. Such is the Lord’s game, and it has the same beauty and perfection that is inherent in all of His Creation.