Franklin Merrell-Wolff comments on the institution of the annual Convention of the Assembly of Man, which was established in 1929 primarily by Sherifa. He notes that it is his understanding that in the future the organization of formal groups will not be employed to advance the dharma. He goes on to relate the circumstances underlying his yogic breakthrough in the West and mentions that it was due to the suggestion from a Sage with whom he had been in communication that he began to write up the material that became Pathways Through to Space. He describes the subtle balance that must be maintained between the nonverbal flow of thought characteristic of the higher consciousness and its transcription into an articulate conceptual presentation. Wolff proceeds to elaborate upon his “commission” to do what he could to establish a way to Fundamental Realization that is indigenous to the cultural heritage of Western man.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff begins this series of discourses by formulating ten fundamental assumptions or postulates to establish a base of reference from which the attainment of yogic Realization may be approached. He discusses evolution as a process of becoming conscious on the surface of a Root Consciousness hidden in the depths, and defines ‘yoga’ and ‘religion’ as a bringing together or binding back the surface consciousness to its Root Source. Wolff proceeds to a consideration of the second postulate of periodicity, which he extends to include the principles of equilibrium and dualism—all of which represents the principle of law or karma. He then introduces the trigonometric sine curve to illustrate the action of the law of karma in the periodicity represented by human life cycles and the hyperbolic sine curve to represent the movement to Nirvana. Wolff goes on to contrast the approach to the Transcendent by conscious effort using the preferred and developed psychological function with the approach by means of the inferior function that passes through the unconscious. He concludes by commenting upon the significance of time and the need to be prepared at all times for the Mystical Awakening.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by introducing the conception of the Monad, which he adds to the original group of assumptions, and he formulates a mathematical illustration to make its meaning more reasonable and understandable. He then proceeds to discuss the third and fourth assumptions by describing the process of reincarnation as it applies to the evolving Monad after having received the principle of mind from the Manasaputra or the fallen Dhyan Chohans. He goes on to present the fifth assumption concerning the evolution of relative consciousness as a process of progressive breakthroughs to more advanced stages of consciousness, and concludes this discourse by summarizing our different cognitive functions, namely, sense perception, conceptual cognition, and introceptual cognition.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by considering the sixth assumption or postulate; namely, that the All is not completely determinate, but is a complex of determinate-indeterminate. He discusses the discoveries of twentieth-century physics that led to the statistical nature of law and the principle of uncertainty. He introduces a lengthy parenthetical statement on tulku reincarnation, which properly belongs to the discussion of reincarnation in part 2 of this series; this statement is based upon the organization of the principles of man as presented in the work of Sri Aurobindo, in the septenary schema of Esoteric Buddhism, and in the quaternary schema of the Taraka yoga system. Wolff then returns to a consideration of the seventh postulate regarding our range of freedom and moral responsibility. He introduces another parenthetical statement on the role pure mathematics plays in providing a dependable form to express pure metaphysical substance. In yet another parenthetical statement, he suggests a modification of Northrop’s conceptions of the aesthetic and theoretic continuums in order to stress the theoretical genius of the West and the importance of pure mathematics as a yogic discipline for Western man.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by returning to a consideration of the eighth postulate or assumption regarding assistance that may be given to the evolving entity. He introduces and comments upon the third fundamental of The Secret Doctrine and a footnote in The Voice of the Silence in order to stress the importance of taking personal responsibility in following the yogic path, while at the same time recognizing that an attitude of surrender and self-sacrifice may call forth assistance within the limits allowed by karma. Wolff proceeds to a discussion of the ninth postulate that ultimate death or annihilation is an impossibility. He submits that, like the metamorphosis of the butterfly, what we call death is a transformation into another way of consciousness and not essential termination. He goes on to describe the death process as presented in the Theosophical eschatology found in The Secret Doctrine and The Mahatma Letters. Wolff concludes this discourse with another parenthetical comment regarding his dedication to the protection and promulgation of the Dharma.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by presenting a brief abstract of the dying process as given in The Tibetan Book of the Dead. He then suggests a possible reconciliation between the eschatology of Theosophical literature with the eschatology presented in The Tibetan Book of the Dead, including a discussion of the nature of the Clear Light. He next turns his attention to an elucidation of the material given in the article “The ‘Elixir of Life’” concerning a discipline that purports to considerably extend the normal life cycle. Wolff offers some general remarks upon the subject of death based upon statements made by Jung and upon his own experience of the distinction between thoughts that think themselves and thoughts that are the result of the most intense, concentrated, directed thinking. He goes on to stress the importance of death to the outer consciousness as the great birth into the Eternal. Wolff then proceeds to a consideration of the tenth postulate; namely, that the creation of an existent out of absolute nothingness is an impossibility; he argues that this implies that law rules the universe and not the arbitrary fiat of a god.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by calling attention to a principle or function that he regards as the most important fact in connection with his work. He offers a variety of designating terms for and interpretations of this function, and suggests the term ‘transcendental component’ as the most general definition of it. He goes on to describe the action of the transcendental component as imperienced by him since his Realizations in 1936, to explain the difference between transcriptive and speculative thought, and to discuss the nature of “on-beam” and “off-beam” thinking.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by reporting another event connected with on-beam composition; namely, that which he has called “induction.” He introduces this subject by providing an analysis of trance consciousness and goes on to give an account of his personal experience of light trance consciousness during his Fundamental Realizations of 1936. He continues by describing states of consciousness that may accompany such light trance conditions and concludes by suggesting that the authentic glimpse of mystical consciousness aroused by induction, without manual means or chemical substances, is due to the action of the transcendental component and is the central purpose of all religion.

This recording has not been transcribed. This is a Sunday session from Wolff's 1976 conference in Lone Pine, an event for which he maintained a degree of formality. The first fifteen minutes of this session feature a musical performance.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by stating the purpose of his work; namely, the contribution of what he is able to produce toward the redemption of all creatures. He introduces a parenthetical statement related to the subject of the stupas as presented by Lama Anagarika Govinda in his book Psycho-cosmic Symbolism of the Buddhist Stupa. He discusses the symbolic significance of the ancient problem of the squaring of circle, or the cubing of the sphere, as suggested by the basic diagram of the stupa with its cube on the ground, sphere upon the cube, and cone above the sphere. He then stresses the need to make the shift from the orientation to the square or cube, which is an orientation to the object of consciousness, to the circle or sphere, which is a movement toward the Realization of Consciousness itself—a process that may be called the “circularizing the square” or the “sphericalizing of the cube,” as the circle and sphere emphasize centeredness and an orientation to the subject or Self. Wolff then proceeds to analyze the meaning of the cone on top of the sphere, pointing out that one of the conic sections derived from the cone, namely, the hyperbola, has special significance in the generating of his mandala and is the next step in the yogic process.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by discussing the mathematical basis of the mandala which grew out of his Realization that “substantiality is inversely proportional to ponderability.” He describes how this Realization took the conceptual expression S = 1/P or PS = 1, which is the formula for an equilateral hyperbola, and goes on to expand upon the symbolic meaning of the hyperbola as an expression of the inversion of consciousness that leads to the Realization of the liberating Consciousness. He continues to elaborate upon the generation of the mandala by analyzing the meaning of the two squares, the circle, and the four branches of the two conjugate hyperbolas that complete the symbolism of its mathematical structure. Wolff concludes this long parenthetical statement by noting that the anatmic doctrine of early Buddhism, in which the Self is considered a sort of epiphenomenon, would be in conformity with the mandala since the center of the hyperbolas are external rather than internal and primary as in the case of the circle.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by returning to the discussion of the purpose of his work, which is to facilitate, as far as possible, the work toward the redemption of all creatures. He proceeds by elaborating upon the meaning of redemption in terms of a wrongness in this world and of the dangers inherent in a world in which man is lagging so far behind in his cycle of evolution and moral development.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series with a parenthetical statement concerning the cosmology of Sri Shankaracharya. He begins by stressing the importance of type psychology in evaluating a particular method of yoga and then expresses his high regard for the philosophical work of Shankara. He goes on to posit three views of the root principles in Hinduism; namely, Purusha and Prakriti, Brahman and Maya, and Ishvara and Shakti. He proceeds by calling attention to the inadequacies of Shankara’s theory of superimposition as the means by which a universe is produced. Wolff then introduces the conception of a Root Consciousness that produces the appearance of a universe by means of the objectified transcendental thought of “builders.” He asserts that the manifestation of a universe by superimposition implies a certain degree of error and triviality, whereas a universe that is composed of transcendental thought conveys a greater seriousness of purpose. Wolff continues his critique of Shankara’s cosmology by analyzing his employment of the figure of a jar to represent the relationship between Brahman and the universe. He concludes with Shankara’s assertion that in dreamless sleep we realize Consciousness without content; Wolff suggests that one may retain the state of consciousness with content and yet isolate at the same time Consciousness itself apart from content.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by suggesting a correlation between the five koshas and the five yogas of Hindu religious philosophy; namely, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga, jñāna yoga, and the yoga of the Great Renunciation. He begins by examining the principles of karma yoga; namely, renouncing the fruits of one’s actions, maintaining an equal attitude with respect to success and failure, and, ultimately, renouncing even the actions themselves. He asserts that karma yoga affords an excellent opportunity for gaining the power of concentration and the development of will power. Wolff next considers bhakti yoga and the vital sheath that correlates with it. He points out that the qualities most strongly associated with bhakti yoga are devotion, self-giving, surrender, and sacrifice, all of which involve the surrender of determination by the personal ego and the complete acceptance of the governance of the divinity. He goes on to discuss the office and attitude of the guru and concludes by differentiating between the dualism in the bhakti yoga orientation of one’s relatedness to the Divine and the non-dualistic orientation in jñāna yoga to seek one’s ultimate identity with the Divine.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by considering the Mano Kosha, or sense-mind, and the raja yoga of Patanjali that is related to it. He begins by issuing a word of warning concerning the attainment of phenomenal yogic powers and then proceeds to analyze the apparent power that the sense-mind sheath has over us. He makes a distinction between freeing oneself from bondage to the appearance of sensuous objects achieved through meditation, concentration, and sensory deprivation and the freedom from the sensible objects attained through the liberating power of pure mathematics. He go on to discuss the history of counting and the development of number theory far transcending the power of sensuous correlation to demonstrate how objects of conceptual thought may function as a yogic discipline to undercut our attachment to the world of sensible objects.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by presenting the fundamental principles of the yoga of knowledge, or jñāna yoga, which is associated with the intellectual mind sheath. He discusses Shankara’s conception of the orders of unreality and concludes that the conceptual order has a reality transcending that of the perceptual order. He goes on to outline the triune nature of man and asserts that jñāna yoga uses the powers of the conceptual aspect of man to master the animal or sensuous aspect of man, and then leads to the self-surrender of that conceptual aspect to the Realization of the transcendent, introceptual being. Wolff enters into a discussion of the discontinuity between a sensual being oriented to particulars and a conceptual being oriented to universals, and he suggests that the story of the descent of the Manasaputra, or “sons of mind,” presented in The Secret Doctrine offers an explanation of this problem. He then describes the steps in the process of self-analysis that a jñāna yogin goes through for the purpose of isolating his true identity. Wolff then affirms that by the bestowal of the transcendental component, a fifth stage of yoga, beyond the fourth stage of self-realization, may be realized wherein one transcends the duality between the universe of objects and the nirvanic withdrawal and becomes a free mover laboring to bring that freedom to all suffering creatures.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff concludes this series by offering a parenthetical statement on the subject of the sense in which he is a Buddhist. He outlines the fundamental principles of Buddhism and points out the features with which he takes exception. He stresses that his own personal orientation to the rational forms of Buddhism rather than to the aesthetic forms such as Zen. He further differentiates his orientation by stating he favors the ashunya form of Buddhism rather than the shunya form, and that he disagrees with logical Buddhists by affirming that there three, not just two, faculties of cognition. He distinguishes his orientation as it pertains to the Tantric forms of Buddhism, the Advaita form of Vedanta and the forms of Buddhism that are closely allied to it, and in general, to orientations that favor the aesthetic component over the theoretic component. He concludes by affirming his acceptance of the Kwan-Yin vow and its recommendation of the renunciation of the Great Reward so that this value may be shared with all creatures.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff comments upon the production of the audio recording, “Purpose, Method, and Policy of this Work.” He considers the combination of logical development and stream of consciousness academically unacceptable, but that “it is a little interesting.”

Franklin Merrell Wolff offers an introduction to the audio recording, “Purpose, Method, and Policy of this Work.” He describes this work as an experiment in uniting the complementary principles of directed, logical development of thought with the autonomous stream of thought that develops of itself. He concludes by pointing out that mathematics is the keynote of the West and that it should be balanced with the metaphysical spirit of the East—both being transcendental in their orientation.

Franklin Merrell Wolff offers a remark on the audio recordings, “Purpose, Method, and Policy of this Work.” He restates a maxim of Immanuel Kant’s to the effect that “perceptions without conceptions are blind and conceptions without perceptions are empty.” He then suggests a parallel maxim, which is “that pure mathematics without metaphysics is empty and that the pure metaphysical vision is unthinkable without mathematics, but by the marriage of these two the unthinkable becomes, in some measure at least, thinkable.” He asserts that by the Realization of a third order of cognition it is possible to render metaphysical knowledge possible and to make thinkable that which otherwise would remain unthinkable. Wolff proceeds by reviewing his mathematical representation of the principle of periodicity and points out that the sum of all possible phases and counter-phases is always zero. He concludes by calling attention to Shankara’s admonition to seek the permanent in the impermanent even while participating in the impermanent periodicity of life—an unthinkable proposition that becomes thinkable with the help of mathematical analysis.

Franklin Merrell Wolff offers an extemporaneous statement on the triune nature of man, a statement that will serve as an introduction to the series of audio recordings, “Purpose, Method, and Policy of this Work.” He stresses the importance of the discipline of the animal nature, and addresses the meta-psychological problem of the asuric temptation that arises in the relationship between man and the Divine. Next he discusses the difficulty that arises in connection with the effort to “transcribe,” or formulate in conceptual terms, the noetic content of the Awakened Consciousness. He concludes by noting that the audio recordings in this series are an experiment in trying to combine directed, conceptual thought with the spontaneous, transcriptive thought that comes from the introceptive Consciousness.

To be transcribed.