UNFOLDMENT OF THE INNER SELF

For many people interested in mysticism, metaphysics and making sincere attempts to advance on their chosen private paths of inner development, there comes a time when they are overwhelmed by the wealth of written information that is available on subjects dealing with their quest. Books on the occult and on the experience of various adepts along their respective paths,as well as methods and techniques of achieving "instant illumination" beckon them from all sides. Sadly many of these sources amount to little more than a muddying of the benefit to their personal efforts at gaining greater spiritual awareness.

Although it is advisable and indeed sometimes necessary to read up on various matters relating to metaphysics, and to find inspiration and upliftment in the writings of those who have walked the worthwhile paths of inner development before, it must be remembered that intellectual exercise is not the accepted prerequisite for admittance into the true realms of metaphysical initiation. Many student spend most of their time in intellectual  pursuits of this sort, associating with others of like mind for long-winded "intellectual" discussions which may stimulate the mind for a while, but ultimately lead nowhere, except perhaps to the uncomfortable realization that with all the reading they have done, their inner progress has remained at a standstill. What then is the necessary requirement for advancement on the path of inner unfoldment?

The slow, painful and often mind-shattering process of true self -unfoldment comes only through the practical application of the highest and noblest ideals engendered by an ever-aspiring humanity towards the understanding of the laws of its Creator. In order to progress a little further on the path, our lives must reflect the inner love and compassion which can only be found through daily meditation and attunement with the inner self. We often find in life beings who evince little or no "intellectuality " and whose lives are devoid of any formal academic knowledge, but who nevertheless reflect an inner understanding and compassion towards humanity that is an inspiration for all others. Gentleness and kindness in all their thoughts and actions punctuate their lives,and others turn to them with open hearts, as if cognisant of the fact that they are witnessing the unfolding of a true soul upon a genuine path of inner development.

What in essence is this understanding and compassion which commands the respect and love of other travelers on the well worn path of self-evolution? it may perhaps simply be the compulsion to be of service to other less fortunate in life, the extending of a helping hand, the utterance of the little word of encouragement which lifts the clouds of despondency and despair that sometimes crowd a person's day. It takes so little to make another person happy, and this in essence is what encourages men and women from all walks of life to admire the individual who, with perhaps little knowledge of the literature of the day, can bring that special ray of sunshine into their lives. Gentleness of mind and soul is not an easy task. It is something that must be cultivated, nurtured and never left to wither. We must learn to go out of our way each day to find the task that needs us the most, and then to perform it silently without great fanfare and expectation of reward; for service is one of the greatest tools of the art of gentleness. Service is self effacement , and thoughtfulness in the little way that count, are what truly bring us nearer to an understanding of the qualities we need. Each day, let us find something good to say about the people we meet and must interact with. Let us stop looking at others objectively and seeing only that they are physical beings. Let us learn to look beyond the outer self and its shortcoming and see the soul within, trying to unfold along the same path of human understanding.

The reading of books and classics is necessary in the learning process and the growth of our intellectual abilities. However, it is not through reading alone that we will reach that much coveted state of Niravan or Cosmic Illumination which is the ultimate goal of all student of metaphysics. We must remember that Osiris, standing at the gates of the underworld, does not ask each soul for a dissertation on Plato's "Dialogues" or Locke's Essay on Human Understanding, " but rather, will weigh our every thought and action during the span of our sojourn on Earth and judge us accordingly .

Let us therefore pass the test by punctuating our studies with practical application of the Metaphysical teachings which will bring about the merging of our outer self with the inner self, the personality of the soul itself. The individual soul that animates you through its vital life force is the ward and guardian of your life. Your outer, intellectual self, is also the guardian of the physical body through which your soul keeps you alive for the full course of your incarnation. However, it is the soul which acts as the wisest, most gracious, most compassionate and understanding advisor in your daily affairs that you could ever hope for .

Cosmic Energy ( The Power Of Life ).

Mystical lore teaches that every cell in our body possesses a consciousness all of its own. Knowing  this can be a powerful factor in our lives because inevitably, there will be times when we require additional energy and power to see us through a crisis or some particular task. Certainly for those students who are interested in drawing on the psychic power within them, this is a vital principle and one which mystics have understood for centuries .

A Potent Energy

All of life is bound together by a potent energy; a compelling force that weaves its way through every firm of life, sustaining it, nourishing it and urging it on to fulfilment or completion . It can be seen working quietly in all mineral, vegetable and animal life. This great energy and power has been working silently in all forms of life ever since the first speck of protoplasm dwelt in the water that covers the earth.

      The Hungarian scientist and author Erwin Laszlo in his bestseller science and the Akashic Field (2004) gives us compelling reason why this is so, as well as a possible mechanism through which all living things are guided or compelled to follow templates of creation into which they evolve. It is as if er are born to evolve into copies of those templates of perfection, though no two templates are ever identical. Rosicrucians call the template the soul and the perfection they aspire to as the soul personality, namely the personality that the soul adopts whilst incarnated in material reality .

       There are certain creepers in the garden whose tendrils grow along the surface of the soil looking for something, often your best plants, to wrap around. If you place a stake in the ground, the creeper will climb up it. And if you move the stake, the creeper will alter its direction toward it.It seems as if a life force urges the creeper to completion and realization, and acting within the bounds of its "template of creation", the creeper acts only in the way all other creepers of its species do.

       The same can be seen in animal life, which ranges from the tiny amoeba to the blue whale. We can see this illustrated particularly well in the life of the swallow. The bird couple build their nest under the eaves of a village church or, if you are lucky, the ledge of your bedroom window. The birds mate, the female lays her eggs and the couple patiently take turns in siting on the eggs until the young are hatched. Then, equally as patiently, they feed them until they are able to feed for themselves. At summer's end, an inner impelling life force urges the family southward over thousands of miles of land and open sea to their winter home. When spring comes, the same life force calls the couple back to the same place to begin another cycle, responding rhythmically to the laws of their being, acting always within the bounds of their template of creation.

        If circumstance interfere with their response to this  urge, they double their efforts to obey it. If their nest is destroyed, they build another without delay. If the nest is robbed of its eggs, the female will lay more. And if  the young are threatened, the couple will protect their offspring with all their energy, even to the point of giving their lives to save then. A swallow may be temporarily cages in a large pen, but when it hears the mysterious call southward, it will beat against the bar of the cage until it escapes or is exhausted. Rob the female of her mate and she will pine and possibly die. This is true of many other creatures and clearly shows the indomitable life urge which permeates all living things. There is a template unique to every living thing, and within its bounds, creatures of each species are born, evolve and occasionally achieve perfection.

Urge For Life

For imperator of the Rosicrucian Order, Ralph M. Lewis once said: all living things are compelled to live. When we consider our own self, the urge is more compelling still. If we cut a finger, there is an immediate reaction of the physical organism to restore the injury and create new tissue to bring the affected part back into the harmonious stream of the rhythm of our being.

        Whatever happens, this power is always there, seeking expression and movement. It is never static.Try and repress the flow of this energy, and it will make its power felt in unpleasant ways such as dreams, depression, fantasies, morbid curiosities and even nervous disorders. We soon learn to harness the life force and to transform this wonderful energy into something practical and useful in daily life. In fact we can become transmitters of the life force too. Within each of us is this dual urge to emit and absorb, to learn and to teach. Physically we express ourselves and spiritually there is a craving for God, a continual flow of energy, back and forth. These are symptoms of the same yearning; our urge to seek a union with the cosmic, with the mind of God. This impelling urge is universal and basic to all forms of life and what's more, it should be respected, for it is a privilege to have that great quality which surpasses all others, namely. consciousness.

       Why is it that we are so reluctant  to recognize our fundamental need of a supreme Creator, a God that is greater than anything we can conceive? When we are physically tired, we yield to the urge to rest. When we feel the need of companionship, we seek out new friends. We know what troubles us and we do something about it. Yet it seems so much difficult to diagnose the "unrest of the soul".

     If our body is out of harmony with the its environment, we become physically ill. If our mental faculties are out of harmony with our environment, we become neurotic or mentally ill. But when our soul is out of harmony with its environment,in other words, when we are attempting to pass beyond the bounds of the template from which we were made, we don't think it abnormal. There are many individuals who have no idea what is wrong with them, yet find the peace and harmony they seek in a return to their God, without whom they can never experience the fullness of life and the purpose of being .

      A friend once confided to me that there were times in his life when he was overcome with a feeling and keen awareness of the constant ebb and flow of life within and around him. He was overwhelmed with the vastness of it all and later told me that he had found the answer to his enquiries in the words of an ancient Greek philosopher: all things are becoming. This changed his ideas and he realized that the power behind the great movement throughout nature is the spirit of the Cosmic, quietly impelling all of life toward self-awareness . The voice that urges us to satisfy the hunger of the soul calls to us in many ways, not least of which is though scenes of beauty, words of beauty, music of beauty. The poet Wordsworth heard it and said, i have felt a presence that disturb me with joy of elevated thoughts.

Cosmic Impulse

It will come to others, though not necessarily as it comes to a poet. In a thousand ways its serene call may be heard: To the scientist it may be through a sudden and profound appreciation of the orderliness and symmetry of the universe, or a sudden revelation of some higher form of logic. To a doctor it may be through an influx of love and compassion for the people he or she has attempted to heal over the years. To others it may come through the love and caring one has for certain others, a love greater than life, indeed a love that alone make life worth living. To another, it may come not during "the golden moment of love's vacation" but in an hour of deep sorrow when a little life is released from its pain and borne back to the heart of God . And to others it may come in the sunset years of life in a moment of overwhelming gratitude for the mere honor of having been allowed to spend so many years in this lovely world. And finally it may be in one of those never-to-be forgotten moments of silence that changes the whole course of one's life.

     It will come to those who work in the home, ministering to little children in the many quiet acts of service and love. In a thousand ways in all the things we do, the things we see, the people we meet, God is there. Truth, love and beauty are trying to break through.So when you feel restless, never despair, but know that is is the urge of this power trying to sweep you into harmony with the Cosmic will and with the noble, true things of life.

     In our still, quite moment, i believe it is possible to have direct, intimate communion with God in whatever form we are able to perceive God. God is of course not an absolute reality even if it must of necessity be an absolute actuality. Therefore the reality of God in our lives is in whatever form most deeply inspires and move us and our experience of God is a communion so thorough that all the highest tendencies of the personality are gathered together in deep, deep harmony with each other during such an unforgettable moment.

          When God enters your life, there will be no doubt that you are experiencing the most sacred, gentle, beautiful presence you could ever conceive, and the power it imbues you with remains with you for the rest of your life. You know that something unique and special has been added to your body, something you cannot see, something which speaks to you but in a way that is different from your senses. And as the years are added to your life, you get to know this hidden mystery better and realize with joy how you are the link uniting divinity with matter .

         The power i speak of is not the power of worldly men: that sort of power corrupts. The power i speak of is the power of holiness, the power that motivates true love...., the love that finds form in music, painting, poetry and work. Suck love is divine and beneficent beyond words .

Cosmic Ebb and Flow

what a powerful principle that is : let motion equal emotion! It tells us to balance the great energy which permeates our being and and which pervades the universe. it calls our attention to the myriad forms that exist in the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere, the air, the water and all mater, which are the stage for nature's eternal program of becoming .

       Everything is alive in nature, vibrating and organizing according to a master template. Things are either coming or going, they have been or are becoming and nothing is static. It is the business of nature to attract and repel, to give and take in equal measure. We have a wonderful partnership with nature. we take in oxygen, absorb vital life force in the process, and give off carbon dioxide. In a similar way plants takes in the carbon dioxide ans give off oxygen, something we take for granted, but what a great partnership! Everything is in motion, there is an ebb and flow, action and reaction, cause and effect, all combined to make our life on earth possible .

Hidden Energy

This leads on to the very important realization that we are transformers of all this wonderful energy. As young children the energy within us is produced very quickly and the wise parent knowing the need to expend such energy will direct the child's attention to sports or some robust activity. There, the child having found an outlet and having let off steam in some filed event, equilibrium in the young body will result. To be healthy, well and happy, every parent and teachers knows that  real work must be done with the hand as well as the head.

          Throughout our live we harbor energies within ourselves that we seldom use. We often recognize them as so -called "second wind", but there are other layers of energy beside that first glimpse of this little-used power: Our physical energy : in all work which requires physical effort such as gymnastics, football and swimming, we use controlled energy by scientific application, training and judicious use. In all games and muscular work we expend this physical energy which we guide with our intelligence.  Our mental energy : In this 21st century we now have more time in which to direct our mental energies. Computers have given us more valuable time in which to apply our energies to other creative projects.  Our Spiritual Energy: The boundless power of spiritual serenity is available to all of us. It is source of goo will, self-confidence and inner strength. We are therefore able to accomplish difficult task easily and put extra effort into everything we do.

        Energy is time used wisely or unwisely. It is up to us whether we make sense or nonsense of it. We are more conscious of energy being used first in the physical, understanding that energy is related in the vast dimensions of time to every sphere of life, we find that is the greatest commodity we have, because everything we accomplish is done in that fleeting moment called now .

     We use our energies in thought, word and deed, and nothing is accomplished without this wonderful infinite power we call energy. We are also manipulators of this creative force and are able to turn our weakness into strengths through intelligent direction of the vital life force with which we are animated every moment we live .

Inhibited Energy

Two of the really great inhibitors of personal energy are worry and fear. Both not only prevent us from taking positive action when needed, but prevent us from absorbing vital life force in sufficient amount to replenish what we are constantly losing. The often given advice is don't worry, it'll sort itself out. Yet we know that it is a very simple matter to offer this advice to someone else but a far more difficult thing to apply it to ourselves. Worry and fear insidiously exaggerate and boost each other if we allow them to run wild and the result is a gradual depletion of vitality .

         Remember that thoughts give off energy, not only outside of us to other people and animals, some of whom will be affected by it, but internally as well to all part of our body. Negative unwanted thoughts must therefore be replaced by good, healthy, positive thoughts. Remember, you become what you think . if you are trouble by anything, at the very least analyse the source of your trouble. Yes it takes energy to do this but is energy well spent .

        Break down your trouble in minute detail if necessary and without emotion so you fully understand them. If they involve something that is inevitable and you cannot change it, then focus on accepting the inevitable and try to stop worry about it. If it's something you can alter, then make a plan of action and follow it instead of worrying. Worry is a form of fear, and we fear and worry about those things we know little or nothing about. Find out all you can about your work, the people around you, your environment and yourself, and you will have no reason to fear. To quote the psychologist William McDougall, fear once around haunts the mind; it comes back alike in dreams and in waking life bringing with it vivid memories of the terrifying impression. It is therefore the great inhibitor of action and future action .

Motion Must Equal Emotion

In the nature years of life, the energy which propelled and guided us in out early physical and mental pirsuits, now less robust but equally compelling and still seeking expression, especially in the lives of those who devote themselves to philosophy and mysticism, finds that expression in the sphere of psychic development and spiritual unfoldment.

        Our energies serve us best if we use them wisely and intelligently.To recall Elbert Hubbard's wife words motion must equal emotion . In other words, if you study, you must express what you are learning; you must teach, write or create. Your expression must equal impression.

       This remarkable principle is closely associated with another great cosmic principle...., that of giving . Energy is never wasted or used up, merely directed. It is never static, it is always becoming. So it is with everything we do, and one of the clearly written in the great law of giving. If you receive a gift or if joy and happiness come to you, you must pass them, along. Failure to do so obstructs the divine current . No one would think of preventing the flow of the traffic through a busy street. Similarly then, the wise student will not obstruct the creative life-giving energies that permeates his or her being and those around them, but will offer instead, intelligent direction .

      Illness are often viral or bacterial in origin, but the body has reserve of strength to fight all illness if it has enough vital life force to do so. Illness task fast in a body especially easily when there is a lack of balance in the body. If you inhale, you exhale: it is a law of your being. Similarly, if we are to fulfil the great principle spoken of above, we must work and play, study and laugh, love and labor , exercise and rest,and let motion equal emotion. In this way the wonderful creative energies of the cosmic become the power in our lives.