the mysterious brown casket

8/13/2019 The Mysterious Brown Casket

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THE MYSTERIOUS B R O W N C A S K E T



T h eM Y S T E R I O U S BROWN CASKET

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Wherein the story of an ancient guild is part ia lly reve al ed in language which the mind will realize and the inner man will come to understand.



The Mysterious Brown Casket

It was in the center of the large library

table when I first saw it.I had entered Berkley’s library unan

nounced, just as was m y custom of years.After the close of business, Berkley and Ifound much in common to discuss; thus theevening hours were passed intimately andpleasantly.

The little brown casket was new to me;yet I cannot say that this fact alone causedm y considerable interest in it. Its environ

ment, if I may use the word, was strange.In a well-appointed library, and upon a richmahogany table, alone and seemingly alivewith a story, the old box really appealed toone’s imagin ation. It was so ou t of place—there.

Berkley had just placed some papers inthe box as I entered, and the cover had notclosed tightly upon it. A few trinkets werebeside it and I felt, instinctively, that Berkley had hurriedly ended an examination ofthe contents of the box as I approached thedoor.

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Hi* greetings were as usual, and the conversation opened with the common-placeremarks of the day and the weather; but asI drew a chair beside his fireplace I noticed

that he remained near the table and seemedto assume an attitude of guardianship overthe casket.

I knew Berkley well. He had been an associate of mine in several business venturesand for twenty or more years we had beenlike brothers. For the past ye ar he hadgradually released his holdings in manycompanies and was retiring from active interest in the commercial world. Broad

minded, kind, charitable, and in no waygiven to extreme views of any kind, onewould class him as the ordinary successfulbusiness man of the world—well-read andversed in many subjects without prejudicesor preferences. This is as I knew him ; andI was very close to Berkley in many ways.

But the little brown casket aroused myinterest beyond reason. I tried to analyzethe curiosity which increased as we talked,for it seemed that he was avoiding anyreference to the box, and from him—-or the

box!—came the impression that I was in thepresence of a mystery.

I became uneasy. I moved m y chairslightly so that while talking I might rest

my eyes casually upon the casket and thefew trinkets lying outside of it.

The document which protruded from thecasket was old and yellow. On one cornerof it was a red seal, while hanging from itwas another seal, yellow in color and Egyptian in design. In front of the casket onthe table, was a gold cross, much like theChristian cross, but with a red coral rose inits center, while to the cross was attached

a gold chain, the ends of which were withinthe casket. A golden cord also extended fromthe casket and to this was attached an odd-looking symbol in the form of a bug of somekind. T he casket itself was brown in colorwith green-tinted brass comers and bands.The lock, lying beside the box, was veryold and antiquated, while the thickness ofthe wood and the general design of the boxsuggested that it contained valuables fromanother land—a distant land.

The cross suggested that the box and itscontents pertained to some religious matters.



I had never known Berkley to be deeplyinterested in religious subjects or to be activein matters of the church; and there was anancient air about the casket and its Egyptian

seal, which suggested relics from some oldTemple. Th e name on the box, AMORC,indicated nothing to me, and I could nolonger refrain from reference to the casketand the story it might tell.

“That is a strange-looking box you havethere, Berkley. Has it some story worthhearing?”

“Not especially. It’s not very old, not veryvaluable, and—not very interesting,” he replied in a manner which was aggravatinglyevasive.

“But the cross,” I began ; “is it not thecross of some old monkish order or a religious sect? T ha t rose on the cross seemsrath er symbolical; in fact, I have seen references to the Cross with a Rose in oldwritings.”

“Yes, it is an old symbol, but it has nothing to do with a monkish order or a religious sect in the sense you me an. T he boxhas been in my possession for many years,

and tonight I was looking over its contents.Just curiosity — and a little retrospection —personal reminiscences.”

His last words were meant to discourageany fu rthe r questioning. But I could notconceive of Berkley having any serious secrets or mysteries in his life, and so I didquestion further.

“Has the Egyptian seal on the documentany connection with the symbolical cross?”

“Yes—that is, the cross as you see itthere, is a result of Egyptian mysticism.”Berkley walked over to my side and seatedhimself in a large chair with the resignationof one who has said the last word, performed the last act, and now desires quietand peace. His attitude was new—or strange—to me. It was quite evident that he believed the casket and its contents held nointerest for me. Because he was laboringunder the wrong impression, I determinedto speak further, even at the risk of displeasing him.

“See here. Berkley,” I began with an air

of insistence. “That little casket with its storyinterested me the moment I saw it. All thatyou have said has only added to my cur-



iosity, and your reference to EGYPTIANMYSTICISM has touched a very responsive chord in me. You have known me manyyears and you have ne%-er heard me makeany reference to things mystical; I havenever permitted my personal beliefs and interests to reveal themselves in my businessaffairs. But for years I hav e been a deepand serious reader, a student of mysticism,in its pu re r and more esoteric sense. I knowthat in Egypt there were many strange sectswhose teachings were uncommon and whoselearn ing was profound. Your secrecy is excellent and makes more worthy whateverstory that casket contains. W hy not un

burden your heart to me and let me dreamover the mysticism you hold so sacred?”

“But there is no story that I can tell you,”he insisted, with just a little too much accenton the personal pronoun.

“The papers in that box pertain to certainoffices of certain men who are concernedwith a private movement of learning. Theyare private and I could not show them toyou if I 60 desired. T he Cross—t he RosyCross—is the symbol of this movement, and

the other object is an old Egyptian sealof one of the early mystics of this class.This explains the contents of the box fairlywell.”

Explains! W as Berkley just trying to testme? Each sentence contained the essence ofa dozen questions left unanswered. M y interest was beyond control now. I am notgiven to deep interest in mysteries, and psychological problems are not a hobby withme. But I have met men and women inmany walks of life who have manifested avery unusual knowledge of m any of nature ’sfundamental laws and who seem to be above

or beyond the influences of the superstitionsof the day. They radiate a personality whichimpresses one with the certainty of theirknowledge and the force of the power whichthat knowledge gives. T he y are happy, contented, successful in all affairs, enjoy pleasures beyond my conception and in manyother ways classify themselves—unconsciously—as profound masters of some philosophynot generally known. These I had alwaysconsidered as mystics, for no other termapplied so well. Th ey lived no differentlythan I, so far as worldly signs would show,



yet there was that strange difference noticeable to one who is inwardly aware of thepossibility of secret development, mentally, ph ysi ca lly, and spiritually.

“Was not the movement once known asthe Rosicrucian Brotherhood?” I beganagain. “I believe I have read somewhere,of the Brothers of the Rosy Cross, a secretsect of some kind, possessing unusual knowledge in the middle ages.”

“I am surprised to find you acquaintedw ith that name. It is not unusu al to findmany who have read of the old Brotherhood,but you—I never suspected you of any interest in such matters .” Berk ley leaned backin his chair and assumed a more lenientattitude. It indicated that he was more willing to answer questions.

“Was the knowledge of these Rosicruciansas profound as I have read?” I inquiredwith the hope of opening that subject in itsdeepest parts.

“That depends upon what you have read,of course. But I m ay say th at these oldRosicrucians were learned men, not simplymystics. The Brotherho od consisted of menand women of all walks of life who had

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been illuminated—that is, uncommonly informed or inspired. Philosophers, chemists,scientists, writers, musicians, physicians, andhumble workers were united in one secrethumanitarian movement for the purpose ofmu tual study and advancement in the peculiar knowledge which they possessed collectively and individually. Th e more profoundtruths of nature were carefully guarded bythe deeply informed, for reasons which mustbe obvious; yet within this body of men andwomen all knowledge was classified andsystematically given to those who wereanxious to know.”

“Did they possess facts which were un

known outside of their brotherhood?”“N aturally . Th ere wrere no biases within

the Brotherhood and absolutely no incentivesfor the promulgation of unfounded doctrinesor false teachings. Th e truth and only thetruth was desired by each, and in the attainment of truth every error, every superstition, every belief, was eliminated by testand demonstration. Th e resu lt gave fac ts and laws, and these in turn revealed un

observed laws and hidden facts. Fu rthe rmore, there are many ways, my friend, of

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so attuning one’s self under proper conditions and in the right environment, thatthrough inspiration or intuition, there comesan influx of cosmic knowledge at times,

beyond the conception of the uninitiated.”“The uninitiated? This Brotherhood con

sists of the initiated, then?”

“Certainly, and only the initiated everknew of the existence of the Brotherhood orcould enjoy its privileges and its knowledge.T ha t seems logical, does it not? Ha ve I notsaid this was a Brotherhood? Its reason forsecrecy was in the very fact that it desiredonly those who would come to it free fromworldly ambitions and with the sole desireof KNOWING and through knowing giveunto others that which would profit themmost. To avoid the casual inquirer and prevent the idly curious from demanding admission, the Order has held itself secret andthoroughly autocratic.”

“ ‘Has held itself!’ D o you me an to saytha t the brotherhoo d is still in existence? Iknew it once existed in many lands and included m any prom inent personages. ThisI gathered from the numerous books on phi-

losophy, history of religions, early writingsof scientists, and th e encyclopedia. But, Ibelieved the Order or Brotherhood passedout of existence hundreds of years ago.”

“Passed out of pu blic existence, you shouldsay. In th e middle ages secret societies attracted considerably more attention thanthey do today, despite their efforts to remainsecret. When, gradually, the worldly interestin secret societies became less and the societies succeeded in hiding themselves, thepublic thought them extinct—an idea whichnearly all these societies fostered in theminds of the public.”

“Then the Brotherhood still conducts Initiations?” 1 repeated.

“Ah, that I ma y not answer. Th e verypurpose for which the Brotherhood, as a secret Order, was designed would be defeatedif it were possible for the casual seeker tofind Initiation.”

“Then do you mean to say that in someway the more than casual inquirer maylearn of the Brotherhood today?’

“That,” he answered slowly, “is a question I cannot answer because I do not know



wh at you m ay m ean by ‘more than casualinquirer.’ T he re al Rosicrucian Order mustbe sought; the seeker mus t be sincere inhis or Tier desire, and the desire itself mustbe free from the taint of simple curiosity.There must be determination, reason andunselfishness back of the incentive to know.But, really, I do not see why you ask methese questions. I can not tell you somethings, other things I may not tell you.”

“I ask you these questions,” I replied, withcare to make myself understood to his innermind, “because your very reticence leads meto believe that you can guide me in search

for light. I use the wo rd ‘light,’ now in itssymbolical sense, for it is l ight that I seekw ith all sincerity. I do not know—no r shallI try to learn—whether you are associatedwith the wonderful Brotherhood of learnedmen or women. I note from your remarksthat women, too, have the privileges of thatBrotherhood and by this fact I identify itat once with descriptions I have read of thetruly ancient and well-reputed Brotherhoodof the Rose an d Cross. Bu t I also believedthat it was a religious sect as well as alearned Order.”

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“In that, you were mistaken, unless, indeed, you use the word religious in a verybroad sense. As I un derstand the work ofthis ancient Order it has been fr ee from sec

tarianism. M en and wom en of all religiousbeliefs have been active workers in theOrder, but it did require a firm belief in AGOD on the part of every candidate for admission. Its teach ings established beyond alldoubt the existence of a God and ultimatelymade God a very close and understandableenti ty, not a particular being. Therefore,these mystics came to have a religious tend-enc 3r in their worship or study of nature and

nature’s laws which attuned them withm igh ty cosmic forces and spiritual inspirations. But this developed in the individu al,not through any preachments or doctrines ofthe Order, but through a gradual and conscious realization of God as revealed in thelaws they learned and the forces they cameto master and control.”

“You make me more anxious than everto try to unite with such a grand and noblebody of students and workers. Did theBrotherhood rea lly have its origin in E gypt?”

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I asked in the hope of learning of its headquarters.

“Yes. in a sense. That little ‘Bug’ to whichyou referred, attached to the cord in theCasket, is the cartouch of the ruler of Egyptknown as Thothmes, the H er et ic King. Hewas one of the traditional founders of thestrange secret and learned body which attempted to classify all knowledge and sopreserve it that future generations might addto and benefit by it. Th is was the origin ofthe Egyptian temple groups, out of whichgrew the Rosicrucian Brotherhood, or OrderRosae Crucis. T he carto uch, there, is veryrare, and the seal engraved upon it has been used to seal many very important documentsof the Order, even in more modem times.’

“How does it come to be in your possession?” I began, then added, “But if that isan unfair question, tell me if the Order continues to meet as in the days of old.”

“I will not answer the first part of yourquestion, but I can answer your last question, although it does seem that I have saidall that should be said at this time.

“Evidently you have read how, in thedays of old, this body of men and women

met in Temples to study and listen to thediscourses of the philosophers and wise men.In the middle ages the Brotherhood was wellorganized so far as physical organization

was concerned, and it spread to nearly allcivilized lands. At one time the Brotherhoodnumbered millions of devout students andworkers. It was divided into groups whichexisted under various names, the better tohide, called Lodg es in our modern language.The candidates were initiated after properexamination and preparation. Th ere werevarious degrees to the advancement in thestudies, depending upon individual development and mastership. The ceremonies of thevarious degrees and the rituals of all theconvocations were the most solemn and mostinsp iring of all sacred services. Th e groupsmet in grottos and garrets—whenever secrecy and protection against intrusion wasassured. T he very high ideals and strictmoral laws of the Brotherhood protected itagainst slander, and even its open enemieshave never uttered one word against itsmoral practices or principles.

“The members knew each other by certainsigns or words, and were bound by certain



obligations which neither you nor I could orwould hesitate to have binding upon us—nor upon our wives or daughters.

“And have these convocations and assemblies of groups or Lodg es ended?” I asked,hoping that the same question in anotherform would bring the answer I sought.

“The Brotherhood was organized for alltime, to quote the words of the founders,he replied, with an evident attempt to veilthe true m eaning of his words. “If theBrotherhood or Order survived the attacksof the middle ages, as you h ave read doyou think that anything could bnng about

its decline or fall?”It was my turn to answer a question; butI did not appear to recognize the duty andasked still another question of Berkley.

“You have spoken of the enemies of theBrotherhood. W hy should so noble andunselfish a movem ent have enemies? Myquestion brought to my mind an immediateanswer, but I preferred to hear what hewould say.

“It suffered,” he drawled out slowly, asthough displeased with so unnecessary aquestion, “not in spite of its good work and

good reputation, but because of it. I doubtwhether today the Brotherhood would sufferin this way, though there are many alwaysready to attack that which is truly altruistic

and good. But in days gone by, superstitionsand false doctrines had too much at stake topermit themselves to be destroyed without aconcentrated war against the l ight shiningtoo brightly. But all this has been well recorded in even the casual references to theOrde r in the various encyclopedias. Theserecords are untrue in many respects, forthey have fallen into the error of statingthat the Order ceased to exist hundreds ofyears ago—which is not the truth . But the

brief history of the Order as it existed,eliminating the guess at its origin—is fairlytrue. Let me urge you to read those recordssome time. Ha ve I not said enoug h, now,about the Order R. C.?”

Berkley had said quite enough in the lastfew w'ords. In m y ears rem ained the soundof the words: “the err or of stating tha t theOrder ceased to exist hundreds of years ago,which is not the truth .” H e had answered

m y question—p artly. It was evident, however, that Berkley wished to end the dis-

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course. I ha d several questions to be answered, but resolved them into just one.

“M ay I ask, as a final question: Ho w canI—or what shall I do, to get into touchwith someone who will place a humbleseeker, sincere and determined, in communication with the Order, if it now exists?”

"That I may not answer,” began Berkley,and I felt that he meant to keep me utterlyin the dark. “But you may inq uire of someone when that someone who may knowmakes himself known to you. I canno t tellyou who that may be, for I do not know, nor do you know. At an y hour of the dayyou may be face to face with some man orwoman who is an officer or member of theOrd er you seek. As in the days of old, youmay meet hundreds in the course of a yearwho are within the secret body, yet theysay nothing or do nothing to reveal the factuntil they are sure that he who seeks is sincere. M ind you, I say tha t this is as it wasin the days of old. W he re such groupscould meet today in this country, I cannotsay. I have m et those who had in theirhomes—in their private studies or personallibraries—certain symbols or trinkets which

proclaimed that they or their forefathers hadbeen mem bers of this old Order. I have metphysicians, the most eminent in America,who have graduated or studied abroad andwho also entered the Order in France orGermany and there perfected themselves inthose lows which are taught in no universityor college, but which you or I or our wives,daughters, or sons might easily master bydevoting four or five nights a month tostudy in th e lessons of the Order. But thesemen, like others in many professions andtrades, do not reveal their connection withthe Order unless there is a very good reason— devoid of personal aggrandizem ent — for

doing so. Therefore, you m ay have troublein finding one who will tell you where youmay go to become acquainted with thosefacts which you seek.

“M y advice is this: Pu t your desires onpaper; commit yourself and express yourwishes, what you would like to know andw h y you w ant to know. W rite a letter insuch a fashion and mail it to the first personwhose name you may have given you as being that of one who may know of the Order.Then you may receive further information.



The information you desire would have tobe communicated to you in black and white,and surely you would not ask anyone toput into writing the secrets which they have

unless you are willing to put into writingyou r desires—you r questions. Furthe rmor e,you would not ask for the name and addressof an officer of such an austere, secret, andexclusive body unless you were willing togive your name and your address that youridentity, too, may be made known. \o u rinquiry will not obligate you to do morethan consider the replies you receive as confidential. T ha t is reasonable, and fair, is it

not? Come, my old friend, the greatest goodand the most wonderful knowledge andpower in the w orld is not easily and quicklyimparted. None so received it and none willso im pa rt it. Th is is all I m ay say to younow. Question m e again some other timeafter you have contacted the aura of thosewho may know what you wish to know.”

Berkley arose from his chair and walkedover to the li ttle brown casket. Slowly andalmost reverently he lifted the lid and carefully replaced the document with the long

seal which partly protruded from the box,then the Cross with the Rose, and the Egyptian cartouch. He locked the casket and deposited the key in a little drawer of hiswr iting desk. Th e casket he placed in thesafe in the corner of his library.

"There are some things in this world, oldman,” he said with a slight tremor in hisvoice, “which are dearer than life itself to ama n or woman. Life on this ear th is justone big, long opportunity. W hen opportun ities are met and utilized for good, the remembrances of the opportunities and themeans which revealed the opportunities become sacredly dear to one, while life itselfis only the time and the place for the doing;and both life and its opportunities comeagain and again. The one is made sweeterby the other.”

I left him standing just where I saw himwhen I entered that evening. Th ere was a joy in his heart an d a seriousness in hisvoice which vibrated a keen appreciation ofthe fullness of life on this earth. I knewthen why Berkley was such a tremendous

power in business and social affairs and whyeveryone who knew him felt that he was



truly a master—a master of self and self'sgreat forces in and abou t him. His prosperity, freedom from material worries, powerto attract all goodness and the wealth of the

Cosmic to his immediate needs, made hima Master of his fate.

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Today, the activities of the Rosicrucians are still covered by a veil of secrecy in many countries, and the Neophyte's search

fo r th e Order m ust be pu rsued th ro ugh discreet inquiries which often bring him only such vague directions as Berkley gave to his fr iend . H ow ev er , in the Americas the situation has changed. T he O rder is know n and respected; its activ ities described in news columns and editorials, its history and present headquarters mentioned in new editions of most leading encyclopedias and unabridged dictionaries; its ma gazine ( the “Rosicrucian Digest") and some of its books available in nearly all large public libraries.

M ost im port ant o f a ll— it exte nds a fratern al welcome to all earnest seekers for Light.

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Compliments of

For Further Free, Interesting Information

W rite Scribe M. B. C.

A M O R C T E M P L ERosicrucian ParkSan Jose, California

the mysterious brown casket

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