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I
It was my destiny to join in a
great experience. Having had the good fortune to belong to the LEAGUE, I was
permitted to be a participant in a unique journey. What wander it had at the
time! How radiant and comet-like it seemed, and how quickly it has been
forgotten and allowed to fall into disrepute. For this reason, I have decided
to attempt a short description of this fabulous journey, a journey the like of
which had not been attempted since the days of Hugo and mad Roland. Ours have
been remarkable times, this period since the World War, troubled and confused,
yet, despite this, fertile. I don’t think that I am under any illusion about
the difficulties of my attempt; they are very great and are not only of a
subjective nature, although these alone would be considerable. For not only do
I no longer posses the tokens, mementos, documents and diaries relating to the
journey, but in the difficult years of misfortune, sickness and deep affliction
which have elapsed since then, a large number of my recollections have also
vanished. As a result of the buffets of Fate and because of the continual
discouragement, my memory as well as my confidence in these earlier vivid
recollections have been impaired. But apart of these purely personal notes, I
am handicapped because of my former vow to the LEAGUE; for although this vow
permits unrestricted communication of my personal experiences, it forbids any
disclosures about the LEAGUE itself. And even though the LEAGUE seems to have
had no visible existence for a long time and I have not seen any of its members
again, no allurement or treat in the world would induce me to break the vow. On
the contrary, if today or tomorrow I had to appear before court-martial and was
given the option of dying or divulging the secrets of the LEAGUE, I would
joyously seal my vow to the LEAGUE with death.
It can be noted here that since
the travel diary of Count Keyserling, several books have appeared in which the
authors, partly unconsciously, but also partly deliberately, have given the
impression that they are brothers of the LEAGUE and had taken part in the
Journey to the East. Incidentally, even the adventurous travel accounts of
Ossendowski come under this justifiable suspicion. But they all have nothing to
do with the LEAGUE and our Journey to the East, or at any rate, no more than
ministers of a small sanctimonious sect have to do with the Savior, the
Apostles and the Holy Ghost to whom they refer for special favor and
membership. Even if Count Keyserling really sailed around the world with ease,
and if Ossendowski actually traversed the countries he described, yet their
journeys were not remarkable and they discovered no new territory, whereas at
certain stages of our Journey to the East, although the commonplace aids of
modern travel such as railways, steamers, telegraph, automobiles, airplanes,
etc. were renounced, we penetrated into heroic and magical. It was shortly
after the World War, and the beliefs of the conquered nations were in an
extraordinary state of unreality. There was a readiness to believe in the
things beyond reality even though only a few barriers were actually overcome
and few advances made into the realm of a future psychiatry. Our journey at
that time across the Moon Ocean to Famagusta under the leadership of Albert the
Great, or say, the discovery of the Butterfly Island, 12 leagues beyond
Zipangu, or the inspiring LEAGUE ceremony at Rudiger’s grave, - those were
deeds and experiences which we allotted once only to people of our time and
zone.
I see that am already coming up
against one of the greatest obstacles of my account. The heights to which our
deeds arose, the spiritual plane of experience to which they belong might be
made proportionately more comprehensible to the reader if I were permitted to
disclose to him the essence of the LEAGUE’S secret. But a great deal, perhaps
everything will remain incredible and incomprehensible. One paradox, however, must
be accepted and this that is necessary to continually attempt the seemingly
impossible. I agree with Siddhartha, our wise friend from the East, who once
said: “Words do not express thoughts very well; everything immediately becomes
a little different, a little distorted a little foolish. And yet it also pleases
me and seems right what is of value and wisdom to one man seems nonsense to
another”. Even centuries ago the members and historians of our LEAGUE
recognized and courageously faced up to this difficulty. One of the greatest of
them gave expression to it in an immortal verse:
“He who travels far will often
see things
Far removed from what he believed
was Truth.
When he talks about it in the
fields at home,
He is often accused of lying,
For the obdurate people will not
believe
What they do not see and distinctly
feel.
Inexperience, I believe,
Will give little credence to my
song.”
This inexperience has also
created the position where, now that publicity is being given to our journey
which once roused thousands to ecstasy, it is not only forgotten but a real
taboo is imposed upon its recollection. History is rich in examples of a
similar kind. The whole of world history often seems to me nothing more than a
picture book which portrays humanity’s
most powerful and senseless desire – the desire to forget. Does not each
generation, by means of suppression, concealment and ridicule, efface what the
previous generation considered most important? Have we not just had the
experience that a long, horrible, monstrous war has been forgotten, gainsaid,
distorted and dismissed by all nations? And now that they have had a short
respite, are not the same nations trying to recall by means of exciting war
novels what they themselves caused and endured a few years ago? In the same
way, the day of discovery will come for the deeds and sorrows of our LEAGUE,
which are now either forgotten or are a laughingstock in the world, and my
notes should make a small contribution towards it.
One of the characteristics of the
Journey to the East was that although the LEAGUE aimed at quite definite, very
lofty goals during this journey (they belong to the secret category and are
therefore not communicable), yet every single participant could have his own
private goals. Indeed, he had to have them; for no one was included who did not
have such private goals, and every single one of us, while appearing to share
common ideals and goals and to fight under a common flag, carried his own fond
childhood dream within his heart as a source of inner strength and comfort. My
own goal for the Journey, about which the President questioned me before my
acceptance into the LEAGUE, was a simple one, but many members of the LEAGUE
had set themselves goals which, although I respected, I could not fully
understand. For example, one of them was a treasure-seeker and he thought of
nothing else but of winning a great treasure which he called “Tao”. Still
another had conceived the idea of capturing a certain snake to which he
attributed magical powers and which he called Kundalini. My own journey and
life-goal, which had colored my dreams since my late boyhood, was to see the
beautiful princess Fatima, and if possible, to win her love.
At the time that I had the good
fortune to join the LEAGUE – that is, immediately after the end of the World
War – our country was full of saviors, prophets, and disciples, of
presentiments about the end of the world, or hopes for the dawn of a Third
Empire. Shattered by the war, in despair as a result of deprivation and hunger,
greatly disillusioned by the seemingly futility of all sacrifices in blood and
goods, our people at that time were lured my many phantoms, but there were also
many real spiritual advances. There were Bacchanalian dance societies and
Anabaptist groups, there was one thing after another that seemed to point to
what was wonderful and beyond the veil. There was also at that time a
widespread leanings towards Indian, ancient Persian and another Eastern
mysteries and religions, an all this gave most people the impression that our
ancient LEAGUE was one of the many newly-blossomed cults, and that after a few
years it would also be partly forgotten, despised and decried. The faithful
amongst its disciples cannot dispute this.
How well do I remember the hour
when, after the expiration of my probation year, I presented myself before the
High Throne. I was given insight to the project of the Journey to the East, and
after I dedicated myself, body and soul, to this project, I was asked in a
friendly way what I am personally hoped to gain from this journey into the
legendary realm.
Although blushing somewhat, I
confessed frankly and unhesitatingly to the assembled officials that it was my
heart’s desire to be allowed to see Princess Fatima. The Speaker, interpreting
this allusion, gently placed his hand on my hand and uttered the formula which
confirmed my admission as a member of a LEGUE. “Anima pia” - he said and bade
me be constant in faith, courageous in danger, and to love my fellow-men. Well-schooled
during my year’s probation, I took the oath, renounced the world and its superstitions
and had the LEAGUE ring placed on my finger to the words form one of the most
beautiful chapters in our LEGUE’S history:
“On earth and in the air, in
water and fire,
The spirits are subservient to
him,
His glance frightens and tames
the wildest beasts,
And even the Anti-Christian must
approach him with awe… etc”
(I изд. 1932, S. Fischer Verlag)
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