Breakthrough

For those who are not on the Path of Return, or who hesitate to take that first step on the Path, the following is for you:

The physical realm is not the only realm in the universe. There are other realms, astral and etheric, that exist within the same "space" that you now occupy. You cannot see all of the astral activity that constantly surrounds you because you have not yet activated the sense organs required to perceive that activity.

Of all the realms that make up the universe, the physical realm is the least real of them all. It is not permanent or lasting. It is part of an emergency-order.

The physical realm is one of constant change. It is the realm where pairs of opposites are constantly changing place as they attempt to maintain a balance. It is duality. It is dialectics. It is the opposite of the Divine Kingdom, which is the realm of absolutes. On earth, a freshly-picked apple is beautiful and aromatic. With the passage of "time", the apple ripens, then rots, then disintegrates and eventually vanishes. All else on Earth follows this pattern of Rising, Shining and Fading. This proves the unreality of the physical realm. How can something be "real" if it is here one minute and gone the next? Think about that. Really think about it.

In the Divine Kingdom, an apple is always an apple. Beautiful forever.

"Time", so-called, is part of the illusion. Time, as we know it, is a fiction. If the light of the Sun did not come and go, if the Sun did not disappear and reappear at twelve-hour intervals, if it were always light or always dark, would there be "time" on this planet? Time is a fiction.

Not only is the 24-hour day an illusion, so is the Past and the Future. There is only the Present moment. There is only a forever Now.

Even Death is an illusion. There is no death, there is only Change. As Hermes stated, "Man mistakes change for death". So-called "death" is but an exit, a withdrawal from the physical plane back to the reflection-sphere. You spend 72 years on earth, if you're lucky. You spend 700-1000 years in the reflection-sphere, generally-speaking. That's right, you spend more time "dead", than you do "alive". There is no death, just a continuous Rising, Shining and Fading of one personality after another within the microcosm.

"Heaven" is an illusion. The eternal "heaven" of the churches is a lie. They are referring you to the temporary heaven-worlds of the reflection-sphere. Some of these heaven-worlds are actually pleasant, as heavens go, but they are not "eternal". After a certain amount of time, trishna (the lingering desire for sensation on the earth-plane) and karma (the magnetic law that binds all causes to their effects) will move the microcosm to generate a new personality for a return to earth-life, for another turn on The Wheel.

Oh, and you, yourself, as a personality, are also temporary. You, as a personality, are an emergency-order being, created by your microcosm to accomplish a specific Purpose. What is that Purpose? To awaken the latent Divine Spark that sleeps within the center of the microcosm, in the area of the physical human heart. This Spark contains everything that the emergency-order personality needs to re-link the microcosm with the Divine Kingdom, its original Home. To accomplish this, you, the emergency-order personality, must surrender control to the Divine "Other One" that is emerging from the awakened Spark. If you do not accomplish this Great Work, or at least make a sincere and honest start, your incarnation will have been a failure, no matter how much earthly "good" you may have done during life.

The Divine Kingdom is not a part of this emergency-order. Nothing truly "divine" can be found here. The Divine Kingdom cannot be found on other physical planets, galaxies or universes. It is located (for want of a better word) in a completely separate Cosmic Domain, the Sixth Cosmic Domain, the Cosmic Astral Plane. Where are you? You are in the Seventh Cosmic Domain, the Cosmic Physical. The Physical Domain is sub-divided into seven planes Atmic, Buddhic, Higher Manasic, Lower Manasic, Astral, Etheric and Physical. No matter how high you may climb in the Seventh Cosmic Domain, how exalted a light-spirit or "Master" you may become, you will remain un-divine. For your microcosm to regain its Divine state, it must escape the Seventh altogether.

Again, this entire physical universe, both visible and invisible, is a fallen universe. It is a temporary emergency-order. Majestic in its own way, yes, but unreal to its core. You must come to understand and know all of this if you are to voluntarily and unconditionally accept the fact that the Path of Return is the only way out.

Here's hoping that the foregoing will help lead you to a breakthrough.

~ g
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To Be 'Born Again'

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can an old man be born again? Can he enter again a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" John 3:4

"Being 'born again', i.e., awakening the sleeping Heavenly figure, is the task. A new Heavenly Personality must be born while man is still existing in the old personality. The raising of this New Figure is subject to laws which are quite different from those which governed the ancient esoteric systems, and it is these new laws which the candidate must study and apply.

The New Being in gestation is formed from above downwards. First comes the mental faculty, next the astral body, then the etheric body as the matrix for the new physical body.

What is required first of all in order to conceive the Heavenly Man is fundamental reversal, virtual renunciation of the old "I", parting with all ancient magic that exalts the old "I". Furthermore, it should be quite clear that there can be no question of neglecting the earthly personality and the necessary earthly life. We must, however, shift the accents in such a way that we choose an attitude to life which will promote the true aim of Rebirth.

Bound as we are to biological appearance, we must pay the price for our existence in this world, but by adopting a rational attitude to life we build up that which is 'not of this world'.

The Brotherhood of the Rosycross entreats all earnest seekers for Liberation to embrace the Fundamental Principle of the New Dispensation: breaking with the old life and entering the New Life!"

From "Orientation III" - Dei Gloria Intacta - Jan van Rijckenborgh


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'Born again'. Churches the world over throw this term around without the courtesy of an explanation or a plausible example. The term has absolutely nothing to do with superficially changing one's behavior, making Jesus one's "lord and savior", and pronouncing one's self as "saved". That is what Churchianity wants its blind sheep to believe.

The gnostic transfigurist knows the true meaning of the term 'born again'. It is a transmutation of the microcosmic personality. It is the re-birth of the True Man, the Other One who has been imprisoned within the sleeping Divine Spark for long ages of time.

It is to this magical birth that we who are on the Path aspire. This is the Great Mystery that is being revealed to the Children of God during the end of this major world-cycle.

Embrace the true meaning of the term 'born again'. Follow the Path of Return, the Path that leads to the New Birth.

~ g
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Live The Path

The Path is a reality. It is not just some ideal. It is not a series of exercises or lessons. The Path of Return is a living phenomena, and as such it must be lived.

Every moment of every day, the life of the candidate should be a reflection of what the Path requires: self-surrender, non-attachment, neutrality, objectivity, understanding for those who are not on the Path, love for all, especially those whom we have been taught to hate, longing for Liberation.

Even when engaged in something that requires our full attention, we must always be cognizant of the Fire that is burning within our heart sanctuary. Once our earthly duty has been completed, our focus should return to what we are trying to accomplish. Maintain equilibrium. If we allow ourselves to be buffeted to and fro by all of the sensations, temptations and impacts of the natural world, our pupilship will suffer.

Although we are presently inhabiting two worlds, be reminded that we are engaged in the process of leaving one world and entering another. Also remember that this is a group effort. You have brothers and sisters the world over who are engaged in the same Great Work. Together we form cells in the Living Body of the Gnosis. Physical proximity is no barrier to our collective unity. We are all connected through the agency of the Thirteenth Aeon, the Ark that has descended once again to retrieve that which was lost.

This is your New Life. The old must pass away. As Joseph Campbell once stated:

"We must give up
The life we have planned,
In order to have the Life
That is waiting for us"

Live the Path.

~ g
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Non-Attachment

"Today there are again developments which practice coercion of the conscience, in small things as well as in major issues. In many fields of life, with all kinds of motives, coercion of the conscience is flourishing anew. Tyranny is exercised by families, for instance, and in many other countries by groups.

We are also thinking, here, of the inhabitants of the reflection-sphere and the life-waves which populate the etheric domain, of those who dwell on other planets and of the aeons and the archons of the aeons. Among them are those who have become extremely powerful as creatures and who glorify themselves with the names of gods, or who are awarded such names by others. There are also the hordes of perpetrators of the Great Game.

In short, there are myriads of creatures with myriads of possibilities for betrayal, deceptions and coercion. And all of them are telling you: "We possess The Good".

And now we consider the Seeker, in the ocean of life, as a creature among fellow creatures. It is as if he has been submerged, and is being tossed to and fro by the waves.

Most of you have been genuine Seekers since your youth. You have been searching everywhere, haven't you? And think of all the vast quantities of literature that you have devoured! And isn't it true to say that it was as if by coincidence, through a combination of circumstance beyond your control, that you came into contact with the Spiritual School of the Golden Rosycross?

What should the candidate do amidst the fire of his seeking? Where should he go? What is being done to him? Where are the tides of life driving him? Thousands of voices ring in his ears: "The Good is here!' What will become of him? For in the totality of creation, evil takes many forms. That is why the observation is made in the tenth book of Hermes that what is considered good here, in the world of dialectics, is at best the smallest part of evil.

Who could distinguish the truth among all these wraith-like forms, among all those shadowy notions which present themselves to us? Who is able to see through all that pretense, all that delusion, all that nefariousness? How could one possibly make sense of all that immeasurable chaos? Who could remain standing in the midst of these wildly proliferating dangers? Surely it is not possible?

Yes, it is possible! The contents of the tenth book of Hermes are intended to help you in this, since they are directed at the person who wishes to become an Aesclepius. The fact that the Only Good is autonomous, the fact that the Only Good and its mighty radiation are completely separate from all created things, the fact that the Only Good does not share in the delusive nature of creation in any way whatsoever, the fact that the Only Good is unique in its absolute, eternal purity and that nevertheless the Godhead irradiates the whole of creation, the whole of chaos with its Mighty Light and no place can be found where It is not present - that, and that alone enables the Seeker, Aesclepius, to remain himself and find his way through the labyrinth.

We have already given you the necessary directions. If you wish to become a priestess or a priest of the Gnosis, if you want to be an Aesclepius, a healer of mankind, then do not be attached to anything, neither by love, nor especially by hate. Be purely objective, well-disposed to the last, but not attached. Do not listen to any voice, any impulse, any suggestion. Our words, too, you should not accept a priori as true. Be of goodwill, and remain unbiased until from within you discover something of the truth.

We repeat: do not listen to any voice, do not pursue the fleeting urge of your sensory organism. Stand without conceit as an autonomous creature  amid the All-Manifestation. But at the same time, be extremely watchful, for as soon as you begin to enter into detachment, the entire host of aeons and archons will fall upon you. Many gods of creation, many entities who have achieved great power, will take an interest in you.

No one is good, not even one. Therefore, we stand in non-attachment. The Godhead, the mighty all-fulfilling Godhead can only touch us with Its radiation in this state of objectivity and non-attachment. Only in this way can Its radiative plenitude transmit to us in purity the message of the All.

As long as you still exist in the nature-born state, you should not connect yourself with anything. If you do, you will always be victimized.

Bear in mind the familiar warnings in the holy language: "Be faithful, but trust no one. Do not believe in every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God" says John. These two pieces of advice are very hermetic. If you follow them, no harm will come to you. If you do not, grief and pain will assail you, and go on assailing you, for grief and pain are part of evil."

From "The Path Of Self-Surrender" - The Egyptian Arch-Gnosis, Vol. III - Jan van Rijckenborgh
                            
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The Path of Return includes a phase of preparation for unification with The Only Good. It requires one to be devoted to the Rose of the Heart. If one can devote one's self to the Rose of the Heart, unconditionally, accepting all requirements and consequences, one will be developing the autonomy required to withstand the attempts of the natural-world to deceive and dissuade.

The aim is to have the head become subordinate to the heart. We call this state-of-being "self-surrender". The aim of self-surrender is to open the head sanctuary for Spirit, for The Only Good. Self-surrender can only be put into practice through a dedicated attitude of non-attachment.

~ g
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The Only Good

Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." Mark 10:18

1 The Good, Aesclepius, is exclusively in God, or rather: God is The Good, in all eternity. That is why The Good is necessarily the cause and essence of all motion and of all genesis: nothing exists that is without The Good. The Good, in perfect equilibrium, is surrounded by a static force of manifestation: it is the entire plenitude, the Primordial Fount, the Origin of all things. When I call that which sustains everything 'good', I mean The Good, which is Absolute and Eternal.

2 This attribute belongs only to God, for there is nothing He lacks, so that no desire for possession can make Him evil. There is nothing He might lose and at the loss of which He might be grieved, because sorrow and grief are a part of Evil. There is nothing stronger than He that might be able to wage war against Him, nor is it keeping with His nature that indignity might be brought down upon Him. Nothing excels Him in beauty and thus arouses Him to the love of the senses. Nothing can deny Him obedience and thus move Him to anger. There is nothing wiser than He which could thus arouse His covetousness.

3 As none of these emotions is to be found in the All-Being, there is nothing to Him other than The Good. And just as none of the other characteristics can occur in such a being, likewise The Good cannot be found in anyone else.

4 All the other qualities occur in all other beings, in the small as well as in the large, in each of them in a specific way, and even in the world, the greatest and most powerful in all manifested life: for all that has been created is full of suffering, because genesis itself involves suffering.

Where there is suffering, The Good is certainly absent. Where The Good is, there is certainly no suffering whatsoever. Wherever day is, there is no night, and wherever night is, there is no day. That is why The Good cannot dwell in what has been created but only in the non-created.

But since all matter participates in the non-created, it is also part of The Good. In this sense the world is good, insofar as it likewise brings forth all things it is, as such, good. But in all other respects it is not good, being also subject to suffering, and changeable, and is the Mother of creatures subject to suffering.

5 Human standards of goodness are obtained by comparison with evil. What is not evil beyond measure is here considered to be good, and what here is held to be good is the smallest part of evil. Therefore, it is impossible, here, for what is good to be free from contamination by evil. What is good, here, is affected by evil and ceases to be good. Thus, this good deteriorates into evil. That is why The Good is in God alone; yes, God is The Good.

6 In men, Aesclepius, The Good can be found only in name but nowhere as a reality. In fact, that is impossible, for The Good cannot find a place in a material body which on all sides is stifled by afflictions and arduous exertion, grief and desire, passion and delusion, and images of the sense.

7 However, worst of all, Aesclepius, is that everything to which man is driven, by what I have mentioned, is here considered to be the greatest good, instead of an extraordinary evil. The passionate desire of the belly, the instigator of all malice, is the error which keeps us here remote from The Good.

8 Therefore, I thank God for what He has revealed to my consciousness with regard to the knowledge of The Good, which is not be found in the world. The world is saturated with evil, just as God is filled with the fullness of The Good, or The Good with the fullness of God.

Corpus Hermeticum, Book 10, verse 1-8

From "That The Good Is To Be Found In God Alone And Nowhere Else" - The Egyptian Arch-Gnosis, Vol. III - Jan van Rijckenborgh

If you wish to know the attributes of God, there it is. Verse 2 is especially enlightening.

Compare the description in verse 2 with the account given of the "God" of the Old Testament, who is jealous, vengeful, wrathful, deceitful, murderous and cunning. Then follow that by a comparison with "The Father" spoken of by Christ in the New Testament, Who is both Giving and Forgiving in nature.

The foregoing should help you to identify which of these two testaments is referencing the One True God and which chronicles the exploits of a powerful nature-aeon, one that the churches have spent two thousand years deceitfully teaching mankind to believe is the One True God, The Only Good.

~ g
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