MYSTIC EXPERIENCES
CHAPTER II
The Story of the Spacs-born

"Hear thou the story of the Space-born.

^Somewhere there dwells a Brahmana named Akasha"ja
(Space-born). Ever intent is he on meditation for the good of
all being's. He had lived thus so long that Mrtyu (Death)
grew jealous, and thought to himself, 'All created things I over-
power and devour resistlessly. Why do I not thus with this
Space-born Brahmana ? My power is blunted against him as
the edge of the strongest keenest sword on the face of the rock/
And so he went against him once again. He met a wall of fire
surrounding his abode. With difficulty he broke through it,
and beheld the Brahmana, and endeavoured to grasp him with
his hundred hands ; but failed, even as one fails with physical
hands to seize a thing of fancy.

"Then Mrtyu went to his lord and master Yama,(1) and
asked him why, and Yama spoke: ^Thou art unable by
thyself, 0 Death !, to master any living thing. It is the
actions of thy prey that make him fall into thy ruthless, hands.
Go thou again, and seek for those acts of this Brahmana
that shall help thee to defeat him.\3) And Mrfcyu wandered
long through distant countries, lakes, rivers, and forests,

(1) Yama, etymolbgioally, means role, regulation, restraint, control,
law, vow of Belt-restraint; then Law-Enforcer ; (in Mythos and Super-
physios), the God who is the Judge of Souls ; (in Metaphysics) the One
Self ^rhioh. is the Supreme God, the [Supreme Judge, the Source of all
Law and Laws of Nature, the Lord of Life and Death.

(2) Acts are due to desires and cause changes ; desires mean
limitations of the self, and limitations necessarily imply a beginning
and an end, hence subordination to death, which is only change w
excelais. Wherever there is change, death has away, and men, by
acting, baoome subject to death,