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Letter №54 p. 3

difficulties of working out your scheme of "Degrees." I wanted you to develop it at your leisure, "as the spirit moved you." For even though you should not quite succeed in forming a scheme that would fit the needs of Asia and Europe, you might hit upon something that would be good for either the one or the other, and another hand might then supply the lacking portion. Asiatics are so poor, as a rule, and books are so inaccessible to them in these degenerate days, that you can see plainly how different a plan of intellectual culture — in preparation for practical experiments to unfold psychic power in themselves — must be thought. In the olden time, this want was supplied by the Guru, who guided the chela through the difficulties of childhood and youth, and afforded him in oral teaching as much as, or more than through books the food for mental and psychic growth. The want of such a "guide, philosopher and friend," (and who so well deserves the tripartite title?) can never be supplied, try as you may. All you can do is to prepare the intellect: the impulse toward "soul-culture"