Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by offering an analysis of the Buddhist conception of shunyata. He distinguishes between the conception of voidness as “nothing-at-all-ness” and voidness as “Consciousness-without-an-object-and-without-a-subject” by reading a portion of the Prajñā-Pāramitā, substituting the word ‘consciousness’ for the word ‘voidness’. Wolff proceeds to offer a distinction between the aesthetic and the noetic forms of yoga by contrasting the Tantric use of visualization, posturing of the body, breath control, and ceremony and rite with the noetic orientation to logic and mathematics. He returns to a consideration of the implications of the descent of the Manasaputra, pointing out that the yogic discipline would be radically different depending upon whether one identified with the sense perception of the animal nature or the conceptual cognition of the human being. Wolff concludes by introducing corroborating material found in Sri Aurobindo’s The Life Divine on the direct and mixed action of the sense mind and of the pure reason.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by suggesting that the descent of the Manasaputra as portrayed in The Secret Doctrine provides an explanation of how the noetic element of consciousness was added to the aesthetic element of the evolving nascent human beings. He points out that the discontinuity between these two cognitive functions is such that it is unlikely that the noetic element could have developed out of the aesthetic and that with the noetic added onto the aesthetic we have something transcending the purely aesthetic function of cognition. Wolff introduces a study in the use of language by the Eskimo, the Chinese, and the Japanese to describe how the aesthetic orientation to particulars and the noetic orientation to universals can again be observed. He points out that these two different psychological perspectives require different forms of yogic method and discipline.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by describing the seriousness of the meeting of the East and West and affirms that each should come to an understanding of the other without repudiating its own indigenous roots. He gives an abstract of the thesis presented by Northrop in The Meeting of East and West, and discusses the significance of the aesthetic and theoretic continuum as psychological and philosophical orientations characteristic of the East and West. He then goes into an extended exposition of the philosophic base of reference defined by Positivism, Phenomenalism, and Nominalism, an orientation that Northrop suggests exemplifies the East’s orientation to the aesthetic continuum. Wolff contrasts this aesthetic orientation to the theoretic orientation that holds that universals are real and that the law of relationship, the mathematical element, is no less real, and in fact may be even more real, than the sensuous element. He then reviews Northrop’s observations about the place of art in the East, especially in its two-dimensional aesthetic sense rather than in its three-dimensional theoretic representation. He concludes by noting Northrop’s observation that the East seeks validation of its thought by returning to the earliest known sources, while the West finds validation of its thought in the most recent results of our scientific and philosophic thought.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues this series by introducing an interlude that is not specifically connected with his main thesis. He addresses the logic of Nāgārjuna concerning the nature of ultimate reality, examines the meaning of the terms shunyatā and tathatā, and proposes a new interpretation of these terms based upon an analysis of the fundamental logical dichotomy that is part of Aristotelian logic. He suggests that the notions of Sangsāra, Nirvāṇa, and Paranirvāṇa are logically equivalent to the conceptions of the object of consciousness, the subject to consciousness, and Consciousness-without-an-object-and without-a-subject. Wolff then introduces another interlude connected with the Buddhist doctrine of suffering. He makes a distinction between the suffering inherent in the vital-physical domain and the sense of adventure, discovery, and victory that characterizes the conceptual domain. He then proceeds to offer a statement concerning the objective of this discourse, namely, to describe the importance of type psychology with respect to yogic method, to discuss the relevance of the aesthetic and theoretic philosophic orientations presented in Northrop’s The Meeting of East and West, and to affirm that it is definitely not necessary for Western man to deny or repudiate his own orientation to follow the path of yogic Realization.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff begins a series of discourses to clarify his position on Tantra and to some extent on Zen Buddhism. He concedes that Tantra can be highly effective with the right individual, but cautions that for those who are improperly prepared and without a competent teacher, this form of yoga can be extremely dangerous. He differentiates between the methods employed by jñāna yoga, which are oriented to Realization and Liberation, and the methods employed by Tantra, which tend to arouse powers without sufficient moral guarding of the individual. He goes on to briefly outline the various stages of this particular form of yoga and again comments upon the dangers that may be encountered if the student is not under the guidance and protection of a qualified guru. He discusses the role of mantra as an aid in yoga, and he submits that the two essential aspects of all types of yoga are an intense aspiration and an intense and complete self-dedication. Wolff proceeds to consider the use of visualization within the context of type psychology. He concludes that while visualization may be a valuable aid for some individuals, it is mainly effective for those individuals who are predominantly visual types and not of major importance for those who may be auditory or motor-verbal types.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff stresses the importance of the action of the will, in addition to knowledge and love, in following the yogic path. He points out that although this aspect has not been usually emphasized in his work, it is an essential factor in the sadhana that helps to keep one from getting overloaded with scholarship and hung up with the process of ideation. Wolff goes on to assert that it is of prime importance to regard the sadhaka as a responsible, moral agent. He maintains that nothing is more important than the moral factor in the yoga and that the use of tantric practices is not of central importance. He insists that the power of the will is crucial in making the nirvanic breakthrough and that the sadhaka should not be soft and self-indulgent, but, rather, that it is his obligation to exercise will power on the yogic path.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff reflects upon his imperience of 1936 as it bears upon the total constitution of man. He elaborates upon a threefold designation of this constitution into that which he calls the “child,” the “intellectual man,” and the “real being.” Wolff provides autobiographical material as a means of clarifying these designations and gives a report of two sleeping experiences involving a confrontation with the aspect of the dark side known as “Mephisto.” He offers an interpretation of these dreams from a Jungian perspective and discusses the relevance of the pleasure and power motives within his personal psychology and yogic experience. Wolff goes on to discuss the moral sense as it relates to the child, the intellectual man, and the real being. He then outlines a correlation between the three functions of consciousness, namely, sense perception, conceptual cognition, and introceptual cognition with the child, the intellectual man, and the real being and gives an account of the manner in which conceptual cognition functions when dealing with the inpouring of energy from the introceptual consciousness. Wolff concludes by recounting his experience with an asuric attack in which the threefold division was also clearly evident.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff continues his analysis of the nature of our scientific enterprise and the possibility of reconciling it with another way of viewing the whole of this world, this universe, and the system of our consciousness. He begins by outlining the development of a worldview that starts with early Greek philosophy rooted in the animistic sense of everything being alive, through the emergence of the “idea” with Thales, the development of the mathematical concept by Archimedes, and the aesthetic component of observation contributed by Galileo. He contrasts this worldview with the animistic view that remains highly developed in East Indian thought, and suggests that this difference makes it difficult for us to understand how a substance may be brought into the world by entities capable of changing the forms of our consciousness and our attitudes. Next, Wolff notes two aspects of scientific methodology; namely, the principle of abstraction and the assumption that there are only two organs of knowledge—sense perception and conceptual cognition. He considers the divorce of this methodology from our sense of religious feeling, our moral sense, and our sense of beauty to be a flaw that may render the knowledge achieved by it a curse rather than a blessing. In regard to the principle that our cognition is limited to sense impression and conceptuality, Wolff asserts that knowledge based solely on these two modes of cognition alone is incomplete and essentially a maya or illusion. Next, he addresses the question of the nature of the world about us and its relation to conceptual cognition; toward this end, he examines theses developed by the Buddhist logicians Dignaga and Dharmakirti. Wolff makes a case for viewing the conceptual process as, in part, essentially creative, and he suggests that powerful thinkers legislate, rather than discover, the possible forms of our experience. Wolff then contends that since the idea and the thing are of the same “Suchness,” it is possible to manipulate the idea through the apparent thing, and vice versa. He concludes by pointing out that from this point of view it is also possible to understand how an impingement of energy-substance from without our world-field upon that world-field can produce a change in the attitudes and procedures of the consciousness of this humanity.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff discusses a “commission” he received to formulate a new approach to solving our critical world problems. He states that the threat of serious disaster is so great that there is not enough time to effect change by “transformation,” but that a different method has to be employed; namely, one that could be called “transubstantiation.” He goes on to offer a definition of these terms and an explanation of how they apply to the world’s difficult problems. He outlines the threats posed by the atomic bomb, ecological imbalance, population explosion, and the exhaustion of our energy resources, and suggests that without an intervention from beyond the resources of our unillumined political and scientific minds, disaster for this humanity is imminent. He then gives an account of the moral decay and the open advocacy of indulgence in various forms of lust afflicting our society, proclaiming this to be a far greater problem for humanity than the merely physical disasters outlined above. Wolff affirms that there are powers beyond our human evolution, yet products of our evolution, which may observe and intervene in the evolution of this humanity. He cautions against the attitudes of blind belief (and non-belief), stressing the fundamental importance of seeking to know in terms of an authentic knowledge. Wolff proceeds by stating that there is an imminent inpouring of substance into our world-field that will lead to changes in human consciousness and attitudes. He acknowledges that such a statement presents a problem of credibility and a philosophic view that is not easy for our science-oriented Western consciousness to accept. He therefore begins an analysis of the nature of our science and the possibility of reconciling it with another way of viewing the whole of this world, this universe, and the system of our consciousness.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff composes the preface to the second edition of Pathways Through to Space. He submits that traditional forms of religion have failed to resolve the wrongness in the world and emphasizes the need to attain the perspective and resources that come from Fundamental Realization to effect the redemption of all creatures.