Such misunderstandings as that reasoning alone leads to realization, that it can replace meditation, and that metaphysics is superior to mysticism could not possibly arise, as can be seen from the second volume [The Wisdom of the Overself]. For in this final volume the old gods are restored but placed in new shrines; it shows that the earlier preparatory chapters were really leading up to it. These misconceptions are likely to occur because in the first volume [The Hidden Teaching Beyond Yoga] I deliberately criticized certain things in order to stress what, it seemed to me, the time had come to stress. For I wanted to clear the ground of all this debris, thus preparing the way for the higher mysticism unfolded in The Wisdom of the Overself. The essential principles of mysticism and yoga have remained intact but are explained from a new angle of approach, the scientific-philosophic, so as to clarify the real issues. As the angle of approach differs, so does what is seen appear differently too. I am fully prepared to accept the blame for whatever mistakes I have made in the past, but I consider it is more important to learn how they have constituted stepping-stones to my present-day higher knowledge. I have been engaged in a widespread mystical research for most of my lifetime, so that the conclusions which I have formulated are at least worthy of consideration, if not more. I consider it a sacred duty to free that which is so precious to me from the large falsifications, extravagant claims, ancient distortions, and degraded doctrines from which it is suffering. I cannot remain silent and indifferent while its treasures are caricatured by the unscientific and unphilosophical or while its truths are deformed and shamelessly cheapened by the egoistic, the hyper-emotional, and the foolish. We must view this subject as a whole, not merely in its bright or dark patches. This means that we must be bent on realistically seeing both. Our morals must be tough enough to do so and exalted enough to accept the consequences of facing unpleasant facts without losing a far-sighted confidence in the essential worth of mysticism. For so far as I am aware nobody within the ranks of the mystically minded capable of speaking with sufficient authority has heretofore ventured to explain the existence amongst them of large-scale gullibility, notorious charlatanry, and failure to beneficially affect public life by frankly exposing the limitations, defects, errors, and misunderstandings prevalent in mysticism itself in a scientific and philosophic manner.
-- Notebooks Category 20: What Is Philosophy? > Chapter 4 : Its Realization Beyond Ecstasy > # 35
