The Ways of the Lonely Ones: A Collection of Mystical Allegories

by P. Hall, Manly, Elizabeth Ledbetter (Foreword)

The Ways of the Lonely A Collection of Mystical Allegories (1925) by Manly P. Hall is a series of stories written to bring the truths of the world to the reader's heart, rather than merely to their intellect and reason. These eight tales tell the stories of seemingly ordinary people whose mystical experiences change the course of their lives and guide them to deeper truths.   In the introduction, Hall writes, "Every individual who comes into the world is a Lonely One-a stranger in a strange land." The "Lonely Ones" of these stories are united in their search for greater understanding, as are the readers.   In "Nature's Homage," Manly tells the tale of the Old Man of the Mountain, the "hermit of the mighty peaks." This man's deep connection with nature leads him to care for the mountain animals, and in return they care for him, bringing him food. He shares his story with a youth who comes to the mountain to hunt, leading the young man to foreswear hunting forever and to take responsibility for the creatures of the mountain when the hermit is gone.   "The Maker of Gods" shares the story of a potter who is blessed with the ability to mold gods from clay, which then come to life and go home to their Father. As word spreads of his great deeds, the potter is visited by many who come to watch him work. He explains, "'From the clay of the earth and all things earthy must man mold the gods of his dreams; from the sticks and stones which surround him he must form the wings to bear aloft his innermost ideals.'"   The story of "The One Who Turned Back" reveals a pure and generous philosopher who stands at the curtain between humankind and immortality after a long life of toil and care for his fellow creatures. He is told he need no longer struggle in the mortal darkness. Instead, he can step into a greater Light with "new worlds to conquer, new duties, new sorrows and a fuller understanding." But called back to the world by the broken heart of humanity, he must choose between this higher plane and returning to help those still in despair.   In "The Guardian of Light," a pilgrim wanders the earth for many years seeking an answer to the riddle of life. Spying a Light shining high atop a high peak, he climbs to the top where he finds an old man draped in flowing robes. The old man holds a mysterious flame, but he is weary. He shares the truth of the Light with the pilgrim, who chooses to relieve the old man of his burden and free him to hold his greater Light among the stars. But the task is a weary one, and the pilgrim must pass through failure and despair before he can truly hold the Light.   Manly P. Hall was just 21 years old when he wrote this impressive collection of allegories. Just three years earlier, he had moved from his native Canada to Los Angeles, where he quickly became a preacher at the Church of the People. This self-educated spiritual and mystical leader embarked on a 7-decade career of lectures, writings, and scholarship to share the truths of the greater universe. He wrote over 150 books and essays throughout his life, and gave a lecture at Carnegie Hall that set an attendance record in 1942.   In the 1930s, Hall founded the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles, dedicated to the study of metaphysics, religion, and mythology. Throughout his lifetime, he traveled extensively and collected many works of philosophy to add to its library. Still in operation today, the PRS has a substantial library of over 50,000 volumes. 

Genres: Occult, Philosophy, Spirituality, Fiction, Mysticism, Religion, Metaphysics

80 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 1996

Reviews

[Shaun Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hall presents a collection of 8 allegories about the Lonely Ones. These tales present Hall's wisdom in small doses, living and breathing. The writing style reminds me of Kahlil Gibran, a whisper of peace in each sentance. There is not a great deal of variety in the stories, they tell slightly different angles, or broach further into similar territory. I don't think there is anything particularly new or grand here, I am glad for the read, though.

[Benjamín Machín · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too much religion in most of the stories.

[no.stache.nietzsche · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and accessible collection of fables, apparently attempting to bring some of the more esoteric notions of "universal spirituality" into the more concrete venue of short form fiction. Not really sure what to make of some of these stories, but others are pretty clearly outlining some of the steps to expect upon the "initiatic path". Will probably revisit this in future.

[AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this on a whim, and it turns out to be a very inspiring group of short pieces about mystics and solitary seekers of hidden truths. I gotta say I’m very impressed with Mr. Hall’s writing.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book. The writer definitely knows what he's doing, his flow and style pulled me in. I was disappointed on how much Christian references was included. I'm heathen. I have little use for the Christian god.

[Ahmad M Bohindi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would make a good reading for a 10 year old. Mediocre stories, teaching basic ideas of ethics. Can't imagine an adult or even a teenager learning anything from, or even enjoying this book. Can't believe this is written by the same man who wrote Secret Teachings of All Ages, but maybe I'm not the target audience.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely collection of spirit based stories for those times when one wants to fill their head with uplifting thoughts.

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely spiritually sourced stories for upliftment. Fill your head with positive vibes.

[Ishwinder Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only allegory I disliked Is the glory of the lord. For some reason I can’t fathom the fact that the lord god will burn his own children to make an example of it.

[Mariasole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a little jewel of profound spiritual insights written by a very prolific author, who was also a modern mystic. I did not know him, but on the internet, I have found a few sources of his voice recorded (he died in 1990) about different subjects, all correlated to the spiritual link between man and God. I like the book cover is very captivating and I praise this Publishing House for offering a so wide choice of works of forgotten ancient and wisdom.

[Thomas Jelks · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to have prior esoteric knowledge to comprehend this book, but you'll most definitely need esoteric knowledge to conceptualize this book. This book is about initiation and can be somewhat of a guide through depression if you ever feel like an outcast within your demographic. I wish I could have read it the day I bought it 4 years ago 😅

[Joshua Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories and tales with morals and meaning.