The Importance Of Self-Surrender

[QUOTING]

So it is crucial for every candidate to bring about the correct order  and regulation in the magnetic system of his microcosm. This must be the highest aim of the pupil's way of life. By means of the lipika*, the magnetic system, the astral fire of his astral body is brought into a particular motion, and this affects every vehicle of the personality and every aspect of his life.

This is how it works: the astral substance set in motion flows into the liver and brings the blood into a certain condition through which the person will live and act. In this way, he often finds he is forcibly conditioned. He lives in accordance with the astral fire flowing into his liver. Through this force, all his nerve centers are connected with each other. One might say that the entire nerve-ether is extracted directly from the astral fire, from the astral body. The nervous system, and in particular the nerve-fluid, causes considerable difficulties in your body and in your life, for instance the unwholesome inclination to sympathy and antipathy.

* The lipika (the auric being or the firmament) represents the totality of forces and values which have resulted from the various personalities in the field of manifestation of a microcosm. All these forces together from the lights, the stars of the microcosmic firmament. These lights are a magnetic foci which, according to their nature, determine the quality of the forces and substances extracted from the atmosphere and absorbed by the microcosm, and so, by the personality. The nature of the personality is therefore determined by the nature of these lights. The change of the personality must be preceded by a change of the lipika, of the lights.This will only be possible through the sacrifice of the I, the I-demolition or self-surrender, also called endura.

The astral nerve-fluid also determines the state and quality of the endocrine system. All the endocrine organs burn, work, exclusively on and through the astral fire. Furthermore, it determines all your moods. In short, your entire nature, your character, your attitude to life and also the state of your will, stem from the condition of the astral body. Thus the astral body governs your entire life-state.

Your way of life must therefore be aimed at bringing about various fundamental changes in your astral body. There lies the Key of your life. If you do not succeed in doing so, all your efforts will, in fact, be in vain. So what should your way of life be? There are various reformative aspects in your life. The primary one is and must be self-surrender. If you were to forget self-surrender, I-lessness, even the most assiduous efforts to fulfil all aspects of life-reform would be in vain.

Where does self-surrender, the crucifixion of one's own will, begin? It begins with the I, the bodily consciousness, the result of everything that seethes and boils in your astral body; it begins with the end-product of the astral anarchy which manifests itself in your life. It must begin with the I. As a result of long experience, the I discovers that things are not as they should be, that there is something wrong with this life, that he keeps on encountering difficulties and confusions in his life, until he finally understands the words "He who is willing to lose his life for My sake, shall gain the Kingdom, the New Life". He who is not willing to lose the life of his I, he who is not willing to enter self-surrender to the Living Soul, will certainly not enter the immortal life of the Soul.

If this is truly realized, if the necessity of this warning is understood, the way to self-surrender lies open, the mystical and gnostic, practically-applied self-surrender to the True Soul, to the Rose of the Heart. This Rose, which makes itself known in the heart at the top of the right heart ventricle, is the mathematical center of the microcosm and at the same time the central heart of the astral body.  The Rose must bloom; the unfoldment and blossoming of the Rose is the rebirth of the Soul.

In the heart of the Rose, in the center of our astral system, lies the primordial Idea of the Father, the Logos, the primordial principle of our existence, God's eternal Idea regarding us, His creatures. That is why the practical, gnostic human-being dedicates his consciousness, his I-being, the end-product of the astral  chaos, unreservedly to the Rose. When the Rose has been awakened once again, when once again it can radiate power, new, pure astral currents arise which fills his entire life. Then, for the first time in his state-of-existence, the morning, aurora, dawns.

As soon as self-surrender and its results are approaching completion, as soon as the meeting between Jesus the Lord and John the Baptist at the Jordan can indeed be celebrated, the Soul will bloom, the  Soul-Rose will come to life, and at the same moment the Spirit will descend upon it like a dove.  Then the gospel words will be heard: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased".

From "The Clock and the Globe" - The Alchemical Wedding of Christian Rosycross - Jan van Rijckenborgh

[END QUOTING]

Man's worst enemy is himself. The toughest battle you will ever fight will be with yourself. Because it is the I that rules you, wanting all for itself, concerned only with what is good for itself, repelling all that does not contribute to the satisfaction and aggrandisement of the self.

How difficult is it for one to ignore the promptings, the pleadings, the cajoling, the rationalizing, the persuasive arguments of the I? It is very difficult, extremely so because we are brought up from a young age to "love yourself". This simple concept does nothing but send us careening off into a life of chasing self-fulfillment at any and all costs, placing ourselves in front, and our brother or sister behind.

But what is wrong with loving myself, the I will postulate? The answer? Look about you and see what this doctrine of selfishness has created for mankind and the world. See where the quest to satisfy the self has gotten you in your own life. To love the self above all others goes against the grain of the Divine Plan for mankind. It has estranged us far from Spirit. To begin walking the Path back towards Spirit, we must surrender our selves, we must cease to allow the I to steer the boat. We must look out and away from the self, endeavoring to live lives of unselfish service, objectivity, non-conflict and unconditional love.

If we can do this, we will be demonstrating by our actions - not just our words, but by our actions - that we are prepared to walk the walk. That we are ready to stand aside and make way for The Other One, the True Human Being that lies within us, awaiting Resurrection.

~ g
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