"Blessed Are..."

[QUOTING]

"Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom on Heaven"

'And seeing the multitudes, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to Him'.

As you know, the Sermon on the Mount begins this way. We find this Sermon in the Gospel according to Matthew but also, in various forms, in the Holy Scriptures of all times. Even though the place and time and the Holy Personages who proclaimed it varied considerably, its meaning did not. The mountain is a magnificent symbol illustrating the Path leading from the darkness to the Light. The base of the mountain is planted firmly in the earth;  the peak rises into heaven. Therefore, it is clear that such a mountain, from whose peak the word of Liberation shall be heard is, above all else, a symbol of the sevenfold Living Body of a gnostic development.

Jesus the Lord, the exalted One, the perfect One, the liberated Brother who addresses the multitude present in the Living Body is in fact preparing to speak to his disciples. One meaning of the word 'disciple' is 'younger one'. Therefore, the Sermon on the Mount is intended for all those who have started their course upon the True Path and who are still the younger ones with regard to the liberated older ones. Thus, the Sermon on the Mount is of great importance for all those who are present in the Living Body of our young gnostic Brotherhood. We find there the outline of an attitude of life which will invariably lead to The Great Aim.

This important address opens with a glorious consolation, with the 'Beatitudes'. As many as nine times it is said: 'Blessed are'. Not 'blessed shall be',  but 'blessed are'. Blessedness is a state of the greatest happiness, a true state of liberation. There are many younger ones in a gnostic Body. They are on their way to the House of the Father and even as they are on their way, they are greeted with the nine times repeated 'Blessed are...', where the emphasis is placed on 'are'. The mere fact of them being in the living Body of the School as serious pupils renders their liberation a reality. Now this is what characterizes the gnostic life. It does not produce supreme happiness, but it is happiness, it is blessedness.

Therefore, and the world history of the gnostics bears this out fully, a gnostic is and always was a cheerful and happy being, no matter what befell him in the nature-of-death. His sense of security is not instilled in him by the power of suggestion, as a person may be brain-washed by psycho-analysis with a 'you are happy', but it is the certainty derived from the experience of: "I am on my way, and while I advance on the Path, the Light comes to meet me; it enters into me; it will never more leave me, neither by day or night. The Rose blooms; it gives off its sweet fragrance. Because of this, I am going to walk the Path of Roses, upon which the Light attracts me and is my guide".

Should not the one who has such an experience be happy? How could such a one ever be really harmed in going his way through the depths of difficulty of these times? All of us, without exception, can gain consciousness from these experiences this very second. The only condition is that you begin to seek for the Light, to crave for the Light, out of real inner need and with your entire being. Not by willing or thinking, or with feelings of sentimentality, but with a craving that proceeds from your blood state, with an urge to which all the organs of your intelligence must be subservient. Then the first Beatitude: 'Blessed are those who crave for the Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven' becomes a reality for you. From that instant on, the mansions of the New Realm are opened wide for you.

Come to the Light. Delay no longer. Partake of the Fire -- and be free.

From  "The Mystery of the Beatitudes" by Jan van Ricjkenborgh

[END QUOTING]

In Unity,

~ g
.

An Average Human Life Cycle - Part II

When the newly-deceased re-enters the reflection-sphere, it find itself in the astral realms, often called The Desire World. This is the region of desire. The microcosm still has the use of:

- the two higher ethers of the vital body (reflecting and light ethers)
- the astral, or desire body
- the mental body

Even without a physical body, the human personality is still in close proximity to the physical world. The entity can't smell, hear, or taste as humans do, because it no longer has the use of those physical organs. However, it can sense the vibrations that result from human activities like eating, drinking, smoking, sex, etc. As mentioned before, the newly-dead are the same in nature as they were in physical life. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that some find it hard to detach themselves from the lure of physical sensation. These ones tend to hang around the lower regions of the Desire World, looking to latch on to humans who may afford them an opportunity to bask in certain vibrations.

For example, one who smoked may hang around humans who are heavy smokers, in order to try and satisfy its craving for a cigarette. Newly-dead alcoholics tend to hang around saloons and bars. They cannot drink, but if they can get close enough, they can share in the vibratory thrill that the human drinkers are enjoying.

Imagine seeing the thing that you most desired in life but being unable to taste it, smell it, touch it. To have a strong desire without the ability to satisfy it is an accurate description of hell.

Purgatory

The journey through the reflection-sphere starts from below-upwards. In order to progress along this part of the cycle, the entity must raise its vibration to match the vibratory level of the next highest region. The longer the entity remains in the lower regions of the Desire World, chasing after physical sensation, the longer it will take for it to move on in its post-incarnation journey. The entity must purge itself of these lower desires before it will be allowed to move on.

For this reason, the lower regions of the Desire World are known as purgatory. The length of time one spends here is entirely dependent upon how long it takes one to turn away from the physical. This could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few years to decades for the most stubborn ones.

The "Heavens"

Everyone gets the "heaven" they deserve.  A devout Christian will be led to a huge cathedral of extraordinary beauty and construction. The Moslem will be led to a magnificent, bejeweled mosque, the Jew to a well-apportioned temple. For the a-religious, their "heaven" will consist of whatever it was in life that was most important to them. Sports, music, art, science, philosophy, anything that one fancies, they will be able to experience to the ultimate in the higher regions of the Desire World. These are the "eternal" heavens that were preached about while the entity was in the physical. It's all well and good, except for one significant detail -- it is nowhere near to being "eternal".

The stay in the higher regions of the Desire World is only temporary. At some point, the soul must discard its astral body and ascend to the region known as the World of Thought. Problems arise when souls resist this process and attempt to prolong their stay in the Desire World region of the reflection-sphere. In fact, this problem is real and exists right now, as the astral realms have been bottle-necked for some time by entities that have refused to move on with the process of dissolution. They don't want to give up their astral bodies. They want to remain in their "heaven-world" and avoid what's next: a temporary stay in the next higher region, the World of Thought, followed by the eventual loss of the mental body. At that point, the personality has been dissolved. The "you" that was, has ceased to exist. All that is left is the emptied microcosm with the accumulated experiences of the past life of you, the now-dissolved personality.

So, eternal life in the hereafter, the carrot-and-stick ploy of the churches, mosques and temples is really a sham, a lie. There is no eternal heaven in this nature-order, because this is a temporary universe, an emergency-order. There is no "forever" here, just cycle after cycle after cycle after cycle. The true Divine Kingdom cannot be created on earth, nor can it be found in the reflection-sphere. It exists within, yet outside of, this temporary, dualistic nature-order, and can only be found if one answers the call of the Gnosis. Going the Path of Return is the only way to stop this endless cycle of death-rebirth-death-rebirth and regain true Eternal Life.

The purpose of posting this information is not to provide practical knowledge about "the other side" so that you can better navigate the after-death experience. This sort of occult knowledge, although interesting,will not help one to move one inch closer to true freedom. In fact, it can only serve to bind one that much more closely to duality. Besides, only the barest outline of what takes place in the reflection-sphere has been touched upon here. There's some unsavory stuff that has been omitted, as this writer does not wish to completely ruin your day.

No, the purpose of these posts was to try and demonstrate that the after-death experience is only TEMPORARY. It is only the other side of the two-sided, physical / non-physical spheres of duality. Inevitably, eventually, the microcosm will have to construct a new personality to return to the physical world and attempt, yet again, to obtain the one goal of humanity.

Liberation.

~ g
.

An Average Human Life Cycle

The above is a depiction of an average human life cycle, from entry into the material world, through physical life and the regions of the reflection-sphere, culminating in a return to the material-world. A thousand years is more or less the norm for average humanity. More advanced entities complete this cycle in 700 years.

Birth And Maturity

To trace this cycle, we begin from the lower right, where it reads "Birth of Physical Body". Growth then progresses in increments of 7 years.

Years 1 thru 7 - the physical body matures to a point where it comes under the control of the young human.

Years 7 thru 14 - the vital body matures, as evidenced by rapid growth

Years 14 thru 21 - the desire body is born and matures (now you have an idea of why teenagers can be so emotional)

Year 21 - the birth of the mental body, the Mind (this is why 21 is the "true age of maturity". Not 15, 16, 18 or any of the other arbitrary and erroneous legal definitions humanity has come up with).

It is said that when we reach the age of 21, our life circumstances are more or less set up as they were when we left our last incarnation. In essence, age 21 is the point where we "take up where we left off" in our past life. This marker can give one a good idea of what their state-of-being was like in their previous incarnation. All vehicles have matured and are ready for use in navigating the new incarnation.

The rest of the physical life-cycle depicted in the material world section of the diagram can be followed fairly easily. It is interesting to note that the "Prime of Mentality" - the maturation of the mental body - does not occur until age 49. We can point to the evidence of the countless mistakes humans make during their twenties, thirties and forties as proof of this.

Death

Upon the laying down of the physical body, note where the diagram calls for SILENCE!. This is because it takes approximately 72 hours for the recently-transitioned entity to undergo its life-review. This is the famous "I-saw-my-life-flash-before-my-eyes" phenomena that people who have had near-death experiences always relate to us. Because their "silver cord" did not snap, they were never deceased, just damn close. Thus, their life-review is quick and fleeting. Upon permanent transition (evidenced by the severance of the "silver cord"), the entity gets the opportunity to review the life just lived in detail - in reverse. This is done so that the entity can see the effects that resulted from the causes he or she put in motion during the life just ended.

This is the reason why it is important to not grieve the passing of loved ones with great weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. The "dearly-departed" individual, although bereft of a physical body, is still in possession of his vital, desire and mental bodies. He or she can still see and hear everything that is going on in the physical world. The entity's heart goes out to those who are mourning, for he aches to tell them that he is okay, but is unable to communicate this from his new location beyond the veil. The hysterics of loved ones serve only to distract the recently-transitioned and does not allow them to concentrate fully upon their life-review. The life-review process is critical for the entity to collect the "fruits" of his or her experience in the physical. Therefore, as a rule and if at all possible, the physical body should be left alone for at least 72 hours before any funerary preparations begin.

Do not waste your tears when a loved one departs. Number one - they are perfectly fine. Number two - they are still watching us. Do you know what happens when you die? Nothing, that's what. There may be small period of unconsciousness as the remaining vehicles withdraw from the physical body, rendering it lifeless. You then become aware of being outside of your body and able to view its lifeless condition. You don't sprout wings, you don't become a great angel. You remain essentially the same as you were five minutes ago, when you still had a physical body! You are the same person, with the same habits, likes, dislikes, prejudices, desires, etc. The only thing that is different is that you no longer have an ability to express these things in the physical world.

You will be able to view your own funeral. You will be able to know what people truly felt about you in the life just passed. This may be a pleasant experience or one that is tough to swallow, depending on how you treated others during physical life. There is a possibility that you will be greeted by familiar ones who have already departed. Usually these ones are sent to help the newly-deceased acclimate himself to his new environment. You'd be surprised how many entities refuse to believe that they are "dead". Everything appears the same except for the fact that the physical human beings are no longer seeing or responding to the deceased. There is also a possibility that you may be greeted by some slightly more, shall we say, unsavory characters, or even downright imposters. This will be discussed later.

One other thing: once you have crossed the border to the other side of the veil, you are no longer in the material-world. You are back in the reflection-sphere, where, as can be seen in the diagram, the human entity spends most of its life-cycle. The proverbial "dip into matter" is just that, a dip. The so-called dead are not in "heaven" or any closer to The Divine or "eternal life" than they were in the life just lived. They are still prisoners of duality. They have simply transitioned to another state-of-being within this nature-order. The realm of the reflection-sphere is where the process of dissolution takes place, where the human microcosm is emptied. This will also be discussed later.

We'll pause at this point and resume in the next post.

~ g
.

The Two Universes

This is the point of departure. This is where it all begins. This is a major stone in the foundation of the doctrine of liberation. The following will attempt to provide a simplified explanation of this important key-stone:

There exists two separate and distinct universes, each composed of billions of stars and galaxies.

These two universes are diametrically-opposed.

The Original Universe is Divine, Eternal, Never-Changing.

The fallen universe is undivine, temporary, ever-changing.

The Original Universe is a universe of Absolutes.

The fallen universe is one of relativity, of polar opposites, of duality.

The Original Universe IS.

The undivine universe is a reflection, a modified copy of the Original.

The Original Universe reigns in the Sixth Cosmic Sphere, the cosmic astral plane.

The fallen universe occupies the Seventh Cosmic Sphere - the lowest - the cosmic physical plane.

Both universes exist within the same space. It is not a question of the Original Universe being "up there" while the fallen universe is "down here". Both universes exist simultaneously and inter-penetrate one another. If you do not believe that this is possible, remember that even man's primitive science has established that the atom is composed of mostly empty space. This means that you are mostly empty space. Your sense organs are only able to perceive the apparent "solidity" of the human figure and other material objects, because this is what they were designed to do. This is part of the  "illusion".

That said, the Universal Doctrine holds that "there is no empty space". Therefore, we know that something else can, and does, exist in the spaces between our atoms. There are other atoms, composed of different materials, that we are unable to detect with our human senses. In order to become aware of the Original, Divine Universe, we must first develop the proper sense organs. We must "tune" to that station in order to "hear" its broadcast.

The human life-wave once experienced in the Original, Divine Universe, wielding great powers, working in harmony with the impulses of The Absolute. However, a segment of this life-wave began to speculate with their powers and ultimately mis-used them. This resulted in a portion of that life-wave no longer vibrating in harmony with the Sixth Cosmic Sphere, the Divine Universe. Because they were essentially eternal beings, they could not die, but due to their fallen state, they could no longer remain in the Divine Realms.

In an act of Supreme Mercy, a location was set aside in the Seventh Cosmic Sphere (the cosmic physical plane) for this portion of the human life-wave to experience in. The physical plane vibration was more in line with the vibration of these fallen entities. This is how the fallen universe - the emergency-order - came to be. That is where fallen humanity was exiled.

The eternal portion of the human entity, the Divine-Spark or Spirit-Spark Atom, lies imprisoned in the human microcosm. Its location - the upper right venticle of the human heart. It is the only remnant of our Divine heritage. But it lies dormant, unresponsive to the Eternal Call. Only when we awaken the Rosebud will we have any chance of answering the Call and perhaps, of beginning our journey Home. In the meantime, we are born and we die, repeatedly. We suffer life after life of sorrow, tragedy, pain and lack of fulfillment. That is the nature of this fallen, temporary universe. It was purposely designed to be so. The object was to not allow us to "get comfortable" here, but to batter the mortal soul mercilessly with sorrow until it cried out for Salvation, for freedom from the Wheel of Death-and-Rebirth. Only then can the Rose of the Heart begin to stir, and finally respond to The Divine Call.

The creation story found in the Book of Genesis symbolically documents the creation of this fallen universe. The story of Adam and Eve outlines how humanity fell from the Original Universe. These primordial tales, many millions of years old, have been mis-interpreted and mis-applied by this generation of humanity, due to Ignorance, lack of Knowledge and cunning, behind-the-scenes shenanigans.

If one cannot understand and accept the foregoing, or if one refuses to do so, then one will remain in delusion. If one cannot accept that his present location in Time is different from his former location in Eternity, one will remain lost. If one does not come to the realization that this is not "home" and that one must yearn with all of one's heart, to be shown the Path back to the Divine Kingdom - the Original Universe, then that one remains a prisoner.

If one cannot accept the fact that there are two universes (divine and undivine), and that man "lives" quarantined in the undivine universe, that one remains in darkness, and will not be able to take even the tiniest step towards liberation until he or she begins to seek True Knowledge.

This seeking will only occur once the human entity is thoroughly and completely disgusted, disenchanted, beaten and broken by repeated turns on the Wheel. It is at that lowest point, that nadir, when nothing can any longer be found in the world worthy of desire, that the spell of the delusion can be broken, and the Divine Spark within the human entity can be contacted. It is then that the words which are key to liberation can be voiced:

"Not my will, but Thine, be done".

It all begins with realizing our predicament, acknowledging that we are in a predicament, and voluntarily making the decision to no longer participate in the predicament.

Wake up, if you can. Wake up.

~ g
.

Delusion-Pain-Rebirth

[QUOTING]

The human consciousness is quite definitely not in harmony with the divine idea. The Universal wisdom teaches that at the very centre of the human consciousness is a profound delusion - the delusion of separation, the delusion of a separate self, which exists in isolation from every other self, and in isolation from God.

This delusion is like a congenital disease with which we are all born, and which we hand down from generation to generation.

Our whole physiological structure, and the whole process of human development, from babyhood to adulthood, is aimed at the production of this delusional self, this self, separated from all other selves. And the whole process of education and child-rearing is geared towards intensifying and cultivating that delusion of separation.

So the human consciousness is a consciousness based on delusion. It creates around it a world of experience, but that world, too, must be delusion, because it is born of delusion! And that delusional experience, in turn, conditions the consciousness. So we live, if you like, in a dream world.

We only think we are awake, but in reality we are asleep, dreaming our shared dream, participating in our communal delusion.

But - and this is the great blessing - the current of the divine idea does not leave us alone in our delusion. As we said before, it keeps on acting in a corrective way, bringing whatever is not in harmony with it back to its starting point, so as to give the deviant creation a new chance to unfold in the right way.

Now just think of this, for a moment, in terms of your own life. As a creature whose consciousness is, through no fault of your own, based on a delusion, you keep on acting in ways which are not in harmony with the divine idea. You can’t help doing that; you just do it automatically, because of the state of your consciousness.

And the result is that you keep on attracting experiences that bring you back to your starting point in one way or another. Everything you do, everything you touch, unfolds along a course which becomes more and more painfully familiar - the course of rising, shining and fading; the course of growth, maturity and decay. And what is the result of that? Suffering! Untold human suffering.

Is that all, then? Are suffering and death all we can hope for as human beings? How do we escape from this vicious circle?

Well, as human beings, with very inventive minds, we use all kinds of palliatives, don’t we, to dull that pain and suffering, even if only for a few moments. We have our televisions and our analgesics, our holidays and our stress management techniques, our meditation and our visualisation and all those things. But do we realise that all these palliatives may only be prolonging our pain in the long run?

We want to diverge, just for a moment, to give you an analogy, so that you can see more easily what we mean.

The disease of leprosy is often used in the Universal wisdom as a very apt symbol for the whole human condition. Now did you know that the main symptom of leprosy is the inability to feel pain?

And did you know that it is precisely because of the leper’s inability to feel pain that his body deteriorates in the horrible way so characteristic of the disease? The leper feels no pain, so when he hurts his foot, or something like that, he will take no action to protect his foot from any further harm. And in this way, as time goes by, he does irreparable damage to his body - without even knowing how it happened!

It is the same with our pain. The pain we feel when the realities of life do not measure up to our dreams is not an enemy to be avoided or destroyed, but our best friend.

Without the ability to feel that pain, we damage and mutilate our souls. So we should befriend that pain; we should welcome it, and trust that it will lead us in the right direction.

For what can happen then?

Well, that pain can bring us to a point - not of despair, exactly - but a point of inner quietness that results from knowing that there is nothing more we can do, no more tears left to cry, no more blood left to shed, and in that quietness we let go, for a moment, of our I-central hold on our consciousness. We KNOW for certain that, in our own strength, we can do nothing.

Our consciousness, with all its conditioning, with all the techniques and knowledge it has accumulated over the years, can do nothing. And as that awareness fills us, it is as if a kind of ‘trap-door’ opens in our hearts, and the heart is at last able to send out a steady, clear distress signal, an SOS, a cry of yearning for help, for relief, for salvation, without any interference from the ego.

And that sure signal will certainly be answered. The heart has sent out a pure cry of yearning; it has given voice to its holy desire, its holy thirst, and for once, the human consciousness, with all its techniques and palliatives, has not tried to quench the heart’s thirst with vinegar, but, has remained silent. And in that silence, only four, simple words are heard: ‘Thy will be done’.

And in the silence, the love, the power of the divine idea can reach the heart and help it! The heart can enter the stream of the divine idea, and be carried along by its current.

And if this state of pure yearning for salvation persists, then, in time, it will have consequences.

The pure, divine forces drawn into the system in response to the heart’s pure yearning will feed the consciousness in a new way. The consciousness will no longer be fed only on the dust and ashes available in this world of delusion.

And when the consciousness receives that new, holy food, it is bound to change, and if the consciousness changes, the whole body must follow, for the blood, the nervous system, the hormones and so on are bound to be affected. And if the whole process of thinking and desiring is changed in such a radical way, the quality of the experiences attracted by our thoughts and desires is bound to change also.

[END QUOTING]

The Divine Heart of the Microcosm : The Awakening of the Heart - Lectorium Rosicrucianum - www.goldenrosycross.org

About Truth

Hermes:

It is impossible for a human being, an imperfect creature, to presume to speak about truth, since he is composed of imperfect members and, with regards to his sheath, is constituted of an assemblage of foreign bodies. But what is possible and correct to say, I will say: namely that Truth only exists in eternal bodies, the elements of which are also true: in fire, which is once and forever fire and nothing else; in earth, which is once and forever earth and nothing else; in air, which is once and forever air and nothing else; in water, which is once and forever water and nothing else.

Our bodies, on the other hand, are composed from all these elements together; they contain fire, and also earth, and furthermore water and air; yet they are neither fire, nor earth, nor water, nor air, nor anything whatsoever that is True.

If then, from the beginning, Truth is foreign to the physical constitution, how shall it behold or express Truth? It will only be able to understand Truth if God wills.

The things of this earth are not the Truth, but the imitations of Truth; and not all are even that, but only a few of them. The rest are lies and error; illusion which only consists of phantoms. When, however, such an illusion receives an influx from above, it becomes a replica of the Truth. Without this superior influence it remains a lie, an untruth. It is the same with a portrait that is an image of a body: the painting is not the body it represents. It has eyes , but they see nothing, ears, but they hear nothing. The painting also shows all the other parts, but it is all an illusion that deceives the sight of the observers. They think they see the Truth whereas reality is a mere lie.

I think and I proclaim that everything is illusion and delusion.

One must think and proclaim things as they are: on earth, there is nothing True. This is true, that here, below, there is no truth. And how is that possible? Truth is the supreme magnificence, the absolute Good which is not obscured by matter, nor encompassed by a body. Truth is the naked, luminous, unassailable, exalted, immutable Good.

Things which are here below are unable to receive this Good. For they are perishable, subject to suffering, soluble, mutable, forever changing, passing from form to form. How could these things be the Truth, since they are in themselves not true? Everything that changes is illusion, because it does not remain in its essence, but passes from form to form and thus presents new appearances all the time.

What then, may we call true?

The Sun alone can be called True. While everything else changes, the Sun does not. That is the reason the Sun is entrusted to give form to everything in the world, to reign over and create everything.

Then what is the primordial Truth?

The One and Only - He who is not made of matter, nor exists in a body; who has neither color, nor form, who changes not, nor is changed, but who always IS.

Corpus Hermeticum - Book 17 - The Egyptian Arch-Gnosis - Jan Van Rijckenborgh

The Key That Solves All Problems

[QUOTING]

If ever there was a hermetic text that conveyed the full reality of the manifested life, then that is the sixteenth book of the Corpus Hermeticum. It shows so very clearly how very many forces there are at work in bodies manifesting themselves in the nature-of-death. But alas, all these forces and their effects arise from the mortal body, and that is why they are, and will always remain, cut off from any truly divine genesis.

Generally speaking, people experience the results of ungodly life with deep sorrow. The countless efforts they make to escape this fate are desperate and tragic. Most people today have no knowledge of the key that would enable them to solve all of their problems, even though that key is in their possession. Because the moment you entrust yourself to the soul, the course of your life will be changed, for when the soul enters a mortal body, its activating forces have the effect of putting the body back on the road to true genesis.

Without soul-power, man is like an irrational animal. His only guides are instinct and desire: instincts he cannot control and desires that drive him. However, as soon as the soul takes over the guidance of his life, instinct and desire are converted into power and motion capable of bringing the Hidden Man to birth. We need to learn that the soul is an eternal and intelligent being, having for thought its own reason.

The soul, present in the microcosm, is always and unchangeably linked with the Spirit with God. When it leaves the natural body, it is free and independent, and belongs to the divine world. But it always maintains a link with the natural body so that, if insight dawns on the nature-born being and he decides to change his approach to life, the possibility will always be there for the union of the soul and body to be realized. If, as a nature-born human being, you follow the path of the New Way of Life, the Path on which the Rosebud can open, the attributes of the soul will be able to manifest themselves because, as Hermes says: It is characteristic of the soul to confer on others something of its own essence.

So there are two forms of life in the microcosm: the life of the soul and the life of this nature. And isn't it strange that the high, noble life of the soul is innate in all microcosms, while in those same microcosms, a natural life is lived that is not in the least in harmony with the soul? Isn't it disturbing to think that the Divine and the most unworthy form of life should be enclosed in one and the same microcosm? But that is how it is with most people, and are you not struck by the enormity of the situation?

The soul is indeed incorporeal, since it does not form part of the physical body. If the soul were to have a body, it would have neither reason, nor thoughts.

This does not mean that the soul has no higher reason. Its reason is indeed high, and divine, with a true cognitive faculty at its disposal. No, it is the body which is totally lacking in reason and cognitive ability, according to Hermes.

There are probably lots of people who would not agree with Hermes on this point. But hermetic philosophy makes clear that the activity of the physical brain can certainly not be described as 'reason'. Hermes says that unless the human being is over-shadowed by the soul, he is 'without reason'. Look around you, and you will see the truth of this. Whether you consider individuals or societies, human behavior makes Hermes' words alarmingly clear. The human being only achieves real reason and intelligence when the soul enters the head sanctuary. Only then can the true cognitive faculty be born.

We have the power of choice; we are able to choose either the best or, in spite of ourselves, the worst. The choice of evil approximates to the physical nature. That is why fate rules the one whose choice it is.

The soul is very near to you; it is in your microcosm. You are capable of uniting with that true, higher self in obedience and self-surrender. If you do not...then your life will be ruled by the fate of the nature-of-death. Surely, the choice is not a difficult one to make?

"The Key That Solves All Problems" - The Egyptian Arch-Gnosis Vol. IV - Jan van Rijckenborgh

[END QUOTING]

We are by no means complete. We are a natural, physical manifestation, a biological phenomenom, severed from the soul which was meant to guide us. Stubbornly, we refuse to allow the soul entry as we insist upon stumbling about in arrogant, blind delusion.

The key to reversing the course of our lives lies in being able to surrender control of the physical body to the soul. Then, we will no longer be chickens without heads, scurrying about in confusion. We will be soul-men and women, ready to walk the Path of Return.

Ready to embrace Liberation.

~ g.

The Third Nature

[QUOTING]

The struggling pupil on the Path who has not yet transcended the nature-birth and thus still stands in the nature-of-death, is constantly in danger of being victimized and deluded by the strange, sinister and capricious interplay of opposites. He is full of problems and questions, and hardly a moment passes without him demanding some sort of solution or answer. This pupil, the seeker you know so well, is protected in the midst of these great dangers by the light of the Gnosis. The true seeker, whose whole way of life is focused on the Path, is always overshadowed by the Gnosis.

The pupil who perseveres in the New Way of Life and does not forsake the Path is accompanied by the Living Soul. This companionship becomes ever more clear, ever more positive, ever more permanent until finally a firm bond is formed which exercises a powerful influence on the serpent-fire column (the consciousness fluid present in the spinal column). Only the living Soul, the Soul united with the Spirit, can truly help, heal, and liberate you, and when it does, it will demonstrate its presence throughout your being. Anyone who possesses this "staff of Mercury" is strong, and he will overcome. Those who do not yet possess it are weak, mortal beings wandering and stumbling in darkness.

Even if the Soul is not able to speak or is not yet sufficiently awake, the serious pupil who perseveres on the Path is always helped by the universal Gnosis, not only as regards to his soul, but also as regards his personality.

If you want to understand these things, you should always bear in mind that the Soul and the personality are very different in nature. The Soul has to incline itself towards the personality which is in and of this nature-of-death, and the personality has to incline itself towards the Soul, which is of the nature of Life. The central issue of gnostic alchemy, the great problem of the inner grades, is that the Soul and the personality must first incline towards each other; then they must meet, then they must fuse; then transfiguration has come about, and finally liberation itself.

So this fivefold process means that, particularly in the beginning, a new basis must be found and constructed; a basis for working in and with two natures that do not belong to each other and which absolutely cannot and may not go together, because the personality must merge into the Soul-nature. This new basis of work, especially in the early stages, in fact constitutes a third nature. It is through this nature that the liberating life can be reached, and the Great Mission accomplished.

Information about this Third Nature is needed by every pupil. On the one hand, there is the nature of Life, and on the other, the nature-of-death. In the power of the nature of Life the candidate begins his path and dissociates himself from the nature-of-death. In-between is the temporary Third Nature, which is neither one nor the other. This Third Nature is referred to in practical terms as "the Path", and it brings with it a totally different psychological condition.

Imagine that you now decide to follow the Path, or that some time ago, or a long time ago (as in a previous incarnation), you decided to do so. It is not a path that automatically connects the two extremes of the nature-of-death and the nature of Life, but it can form a link between the two. Then, from the very first second, you form for yourself a Third Nature. The Path is not there, you have to make it yourself. There is no such thing as an official, explored Third Nature. You must bring this nature to life yourself; you yourself must forge the way. If anyone says to you: 'Show me the Path. Then I will decide whether I want to follow it', you will not be able to answer, or at least, not in a direct way, because your path is your own path, your own Third Nature, and you cannot take anyone with you on it. The Third Nature begins where you begin, and is manifested where you are manifested, as a true pupil.

However, what is possible and indeed desirable, what in fact could almost be called essential, is that, as a group, working together in total surrender, brotherly love and non-conflict, we form a collective Third Nature -  an Ark, a Celestial Ship, or Living Body. The better the Ark is constructed, the more it measures up to what is required, the more the Third Nature adapts itself to the Living Nature, the faster and better your Path will unfold. So while, in theory, every pupil follows his Path autonomously, calling his own Third Nature into being, in practice going together is of the greatest importance, and is in keeping with Divine Law.

You know the commandment: 'Love God above everything'. It is because of this law that your concentration on the Divine Goal opens for you. But the law also goes on to say: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'. If your pupilship is genuine, and your Third Nature is in the process of manifesting itself, you will be filled not only with love for God, but also for His creature. If you keep moving forwards and upwards, the love that is in you will compel you to serve your neighbor with your most absolute love.

Then, group-unity will be no problem. The way of Life and universal Love is the key to gnostic pupilship. This Love is, and must begin with: non-conflict. If you are willing to enter into that, the Third Nature will open for you, and for the first time, you will really be in the group, in the Celestial Ship, which is the group's Third Nature. Then, for the pupil and the group alike, the Third Nature will have become a reality. And you will be able to experience its presence anywhere, the moment you direct your attention to God, that is, to the Gnosis, or Shamballa.

Now let us consider what happens if, as a person born of nature, belonging to the nature-of-death, you decide to make it your goal to reach the Original Life-Field, Shamballa. You not only take this decision mentally and emotionally, but you also prove it, by adopting a new attitude to life. If you do so, you invoke the power of God, which is omnipresent. As a result of that power, a certain activity starts to make itself felt in your personal astral field. The effects of this are transferred from the astral to the etheric, and from the etheric to the material body. In this way, a manifestation, a creation, comes into being within and around you. This creation stands entirely in the Goodness, Love and Wisdom which is God. And that is how the Divine Trinity becomes a reality, in a direct and clearly manifested way. The Invisible becomes visible in and through Its creation, in Its creature, in a way that is totally in keeping with the creature's state-of-being.

That is why the manifestation of the Third Nature is always changing, for when the pupil progresses and Soul and personality are united once again, under the shadow of the hermetic wings, the Third Nature will manifest itself in a different way. For the Creator always accompanies His creature, until the Good End is reached.

"The Third Nature" - The Egyptian Arch-Gnosis Vol. IV - Jan van Rijckenborgh

[END QUOTING]

This nature-of-death and the nature of Life, the Divine Kingdom, are two separate and diametrically opposed life-fields. Thus, we need a Third Nature to act as a bridge over the chasm that separates these two fields of manifestation. Those who have gone before us on the Path have constructed Shamballa, the Third Nature for all those who have passed beyond the veil while walking the Path. Each of us must construct our own Third Nature, while in the physical, in order to link ourselves to the power-field of Shamballa

The Path is not simply mystical, occult dream-nonsense. It is a living process which, if made into the primary focus of one's physical incarnation, will deliver that one out of the nature-of-death and safely back into the Divine Kingdom.

~ g
.

The Pearl Of Great Price

Tribulations, pole shifts, mass landings of spaceships, electro-magnetic pulses, nuclear war, photon belts, "ascension". These are the things that have been associated with the coming end of the Age. For the most part, people are looking for ways preserve themselves and to somehow survive whatever catastrophe is coming.

Six years ago, this writer started this blog in a search for answers. What could we expect? What should we do to prepare? Could we survive what was on the horizon? All sources were examined. Comparisons were made. Scenarios were presented. All was investigation. All was speculation. For indeed, how could one really know?

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the Pole Shift. This writer discovered the Gnosis. His spirit-spark was ignited. It turns out that the events of these times are not unique, they are cyclical. This is not the first time that mankind has faced a New Beginning, only the latest. Not only was the end of the Age a cyclical occurrence, but a necessary cleansing, as well. Whenever the human condition becomes too polluted, it must be dissolved, re-cycled and started afresh in a new Day of Manifestation.

Why does the human condition become polluted? It is due to wrong-thinking, wrong-feeling and the erroneous use of the will by humanity. When man chooses to go against the fundamental designs of the Logos, when man chooses to not seek the Gnosis, that man, as a personality, will be erased from the microcosm so that the microcosm can generate a new personality. This is the reason for physical death. Why? Because the microcosm is driven to seek and find the Pearl Of Great Price. That "pearl" is the spirit-spark atom that resides in the upper right ventricle of the heart. This divine spark must be awakened so that the True Heavenly Man can be re-born. Beginning this process is the absolute one goal of humanity. It is the reason for why we are here.

The End of the Age and the phenomena surrounding it cannot be stopped. The earth and her inhabitants will be re-cycled. What is important is that we become aware of our True Purpose before the trumpet sounds. If we are successful, we can join the Remnant that is now assembling on the shore. These ones will be brought to safety. This is so because it has always been so.

If we as personalities do not begin walking the Path now, another will have to take our place in order to do it at some far-distant, future time. There is no avoiding this. It is the One Purpose of human manifestation.

This is why the focus of this blog changed so radically a couple of years ago. The search for answers had turned up the Gnosis. Once known, all other natural speculations were answered. All else pales in comparison. The words of the parable finally make sense:

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like the merchant who was seeking good pearls. And when he had found one costly pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it" Matthew 13 : 45-46

Seek first the Gnosis, the spirit-spark within, and all else will be added unto you.

~ g
.

The Lightless Prison

It is important to understand that aeons do not force humans to think or act in a certain way. In this nature-order, the human entity always, always has free choice. The old truism states:

"Aeons impel, they do not compel".

The fact that humanity is bombarded by aeonic influences every minute of every day does not absolve us of  responsibility for our thoughts and actions. We cannot use the excuse that "the devil made me do it". In the end, we choose what influences we will respond to, and how.

Weakness or addiction are also invalid as excuses. A weakness for a particular sensation is a karmic or  hereditary challenge that the human entity has to overcome during its incarnation. Aeons will always exploit the path of least resistance in the personality. In other words, if there are "weak spots", in your character, whether emotional or mental, you can be sure that those weak spots will be probed, attacked and stimulated by aeonic forces, until you are impelled to either react or suppress a response.

Suppressing a response is only a temporary solution. The weak spot still exists. All you've done is bury it for a time - like those carnival games of "Whack-A-Mole", where every time you hit a mole, it pops up in another hole. This is what humanity struggles with in the fallen nature-of-death every second of every day.

[QUOTING]

Evil is in everyone; it is inherent in the personality. It can command you and it will command you, and unfortunately you will find satisfaction in it as long as you act out of your blood culture. Unless you make every effort to undergo a very radical change, you will remain in this situation which pulls you down and keeps you down.

So man finds himself in the state of captivity described by Paul in Romans 7: 'By virtue of the light that touches me, I turn towards the light and definitely want to do what is good, but the power existing in my blood dominates me, and consequently, I do what is evil'

How can one escape from the grip of one's own blood-type and the ensuing clouding of the consciousness? Hermes' answer is:

"... do not allow yourself to be carried along by the violence of the stream, but let those among you who are able to reach the harbour of salvation make use of the counter-current to put into port.

Look for Him who will take you by the hand and lead you to the gates of the Gnosis, where the clear light shines in which there is no darkness; where no one is drunk, but all are sober and look up with their hearts to Him who wishes to be known.

But listen well: His Voice cannot be heard and His Name cannot be pronounced, nor can material eyes view Him. Only the Spirit-Soul is capable of doing so. That is why you should tear up the garment you are wearing: the fabric of ignorance, the basis of malignity, the fetter of corruption, the lightless prison".

From "The Fetters of the Blood" - The Egyptian Arch-Gnosis Vol. II - Jan van Rijckenborgh

[END QUOTING]

Aeons are our creation. They are the accumulated thought-forms of humanity going back millions of years. Because we created them, we share a commonality. Our fourfold physical body is in total agreement with these vibrations. As long as we remain a nature-born being, we will have to contend with the internal struggle between the evil we wish not to do and the good that we want to do.

In order to free ourselves from this cycle of futility, we must live from a new body, composed of ethers not-of-this-world. That is what the Path of Return is about. Gnosis, Transmutation, Transfiguration. This is the road to Freedom.

~ g
.

How Aeons Are Formed

Every so often, the re-posting of the following information can prove useful ~ g

[QUOTE]

Collectively, mankind constitutes a much larger thinking-desiring organism, and the sum total of the thoughts and desires in the auras of all the people that together make up mankind, interpenetrate and form what might be termed a 'radiation cloud' around the planet. This cloud is replete with the results of all human thinking, feeling and desiring, not only from causes created in the present but also from the past, for thought and astral energy creates certain elemental forms that can and do survive their creator in the flesh. There is, then, clearly an interaction between human beings and the planetary atmosphere; the human beings contribute toward the quality of subtle substance of the planetary aura in the form of mental, astral and etheric matter.

In the beginning phase of man's spiritual descent, or 'Fall from Grace' (the Garden of Eden days) the psychic atmosphere of this world was still virginal, void of these human emanations. However, with the passage of time they came into manifestation and are forever being strengthened by mankind's incessant ignorant and selfish activity.

Now what happens when many hundreds, sometimes many thousands, or even, over time, billions of people continuously project similar selfish or fear-based thoughts and desires (which include religious desires for personal salvation, personal empowerment, personal happiness, etc.)? Just think of the selfish prayers repeated endlessly in the churches; the wild enthusiasm of the crowds at football games; the mass outbursts of passion during blood-stirring political demonstrations or evangelistic speeches; the daily repeated negative suggestions in the media that are supposedly formulated in order to enlighten the masses and the millions of people who are all tuned in to the same violent TV programs simultaneously!

Like attracts like, and the corresponding vibrations thus launched into the atmosphere coalesce to form one great cloud of unwholesome energy. It is an elementary esoteric fact that when, over time, many people fix their minds upon one idea, a mighty astral image of that idea develops. The astral world possesses specific possibilities of reflection. So when the minds of many of us are continually fixed upon one and the same idea, then we shall discover that at a given moment a huge astral image has been generated, which is becoming clear and well-defined, and with which we are connected and in communication because we created it ourselves. It is thus that a collective spirit, a collective idea, a collective thought-form or a collective image is created and continuously fed by people of similar disposition and/or belief.

Over centuries such an image can and does become so fortified that it acquires consciousness and becomes an intelligent, self-directing being; a huge, living, feeding elemental being that has an agenda namely to perpetuate and fortify its own existence and nature. This it proceeds to do by inciting mankind, via mental and astral impression, to continue producing ethers of a like quality on which it can feed, on which it can grow. At first it is an image 'with dead eyes', but the moment comes when this image gains life and begins to hunger for more of the peculiar type of energy that spawned it. This is when it starts actually dominating us, when certain powers radiate from it and when it is even capable of attracting all kinds of undivine forces and of pouring these down onto the people. This is the way in which pseudo-religious beings (false gods) come into being. Such gigantic elemental beings can be and are utilized by the 'archons', entities residing in the subtle worlds who, with selfish and malefic intent, control and manipulate the mass-consciousness of humanity on earth by way of the images that man himself created.

[END QUOTE]

Excerpted from The New Call / Rare Insights