The Illusion of Co-Creating and the Reality of aligned Co-Creating

From traditional and fundamentalist dogma to metaphysical speculations, the basic belief has been that the Power of God can intervene in human affairs to somehow provide people with what they believe they need. A very large percentage of any organized or even non-organized religion has had such a belief as the foundation of its existence. In the most basic of terms, most human beings are attracted to some form of religion based on what they believe the religion can do for them in their present physical lives and as some assurance of a good experience in any afterlife. In effect, the religion—at least in a follower’s mind—acts as an intermediary between the follower and God. Reduced to its simplest description, people become part of a religion with the thought that through the religion of their choice, God will grant them their desires or prayers in this life and the afterlife.

When humans are very young, they look up to their physical parents to supply their needs. When they become adults—at least numbered in physical years—they turn to God to take over for their physical parents to supply their needs during their physical lifetime and in the life beyond the physical. In traditional religion God is prayed to—that is, asked, pleaded with, or begged—for something to be granted.

In more metaphysical spirituality, nothing is asked, but affirmed that in the mind of God, it is already theirs. In some of the more unaware attempts at metaphysical spirituality, people are taught that God or Universal Mind is like a magic genie that will do for them whatever the individual egos wish or command it to do. Then there is still another concept, which suggests that a person joins with God to co-create whatever the individual ego is seeking.

Now, there is the Reality that has not yet been mentioned—the mystical Reality that is aware that the personal ego does not know what is best for the soul. Only God or Universal Consciousness knows, and living life with the concept that the personal ego can petition Universal Mind or God to join in a process of co-creating is an illusion. God-Mind or Universal Mind will not enter into a co-creative process to provide anything just because the will of the personal ego so desires. Only when the Will of God or the Universe is served will any form of a co-creative process with a human being ever be entered into.

This Reality is that God-Mind places into human conscious awareness what it should do, want, or desire. In essence, human consciousness can agree to co-create with the Will of God—to align itself with the Universal Will, such that the Will of God or Spirit be done through the soul and its outward, physical form expression. Thus, what can be called Aligned Co-Creating refers to the soul in human form expression in alignment with Universal Will. In this way, the soul and its human form expression are working in harmony with the Universal Life process ad infinitum.

So–what to do?

Mystics who have achieved true Enlightenment or Union with God are fully aware that they live to do the Will of God. The needs of the personal ego are set aside, while the Will of God Consciousness and the role of the soul in God Consciousness take priority. The words from the Bible echo this truth: “Not my will (i.e., the will of the personal ego), but Thy will be done.”

Until one has experienced Enlightenment or mystical Oneness with God, every day maintain an awareness that “Thy Will, not mine be done.” When you pray, ask that God’s Will for your soul be made known to your conscious awareness. Pray for Divine God Guidance for your mind to be aligned with the Will of God for your soul. Every day seek to diminish the illusion of a personal ego identity and its will.

After Enlightenment, one should do the very same, for it will still take time for Universal Identity to be fully in charge while the personal ego struggles to retain its illusionary control.

And for those seeking an upgraded afterlife experience, the words from the Christ Mind that was in Jesus provide counsel: “Unless a man doeth the Will of the Father, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” The kingdom of heaven is both a higher, heavenly, aware consciousness while still in physical life embodiment, as well as an afterlife heavenly environment.

Be in Aligned Co-Creating with Universal God-Mind and Spirit, and be one with the words, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

DUALITY AND POLARITY

   For the sake of simplicity let's examine the most basic of natural laws, one that applies to all things, both locally on our 'home planet ' and almost certainly applies to all parts of our universe as well. I am referring to the Law of Duality. All of creation manifests through the duality of life, and the interaction of these two polarities is responsible for the interaction that occurs between all of creation and its environment. There is a pulling and pushing of the polarities as they strive towards a balance of power. If a balance is struck, then there is a state of equilibrium.

A polarity also exist within each created things or being, and humanity is deliberately learning to work with these same forces. We are at the point in our evolution where we have freedom of will to learn how to manipulate and wield these energies. Through cause and effect, action and reaction, we are testing powers that are relatively new to us and trying to bring about effects that are harmonious to both us and those we care about the most. When we bring the many opposing forces within our being into balance, we will have learned how to keep our small planet spinning smoothly as a small universe should.

However, the most amazing thing about opposite is that they are really the same thing, just two sides of the same coin. For instance, take hot and cold. I am speaking of only one thing here, namely, temperature manifesting in different degrees. There is a sliding scale of degrees of temperature, with 'hot' at one end and 'cold' at the other. Somewhere in the centre we find lukewarm, and from there, whether we move  little in the other direction towards hot, we are still referring to the same thing. There is no line of demarcation where what we  are measuring turns into something else. And no matter at what point on this sliding scale we look, we find the polarity sliding along with it. Temperature that is negative polarity in one instance could be a positive one further down the scale in relation to something a little cooler than itself, This example also applies to all pairs of opposites. For instance, what is the difference between large and small? is it not relative to what is next to it on a sliding scale of size, that we are speaking of ? What is the difference between hard and soft, black and white, sharp and dull, noise and quiet,high and low, positive and negative? Of course these are only degrees of separation between extremes on scale of sorts.

If we could balance a pair of opposite or bring the correct amount of counterbalance to bear in any given situation, we would become masters of that particular energy. We would also develop an awareness of each of the polarities or opposite involved, and which polarity is needed, and  to what degree in a particular situation. Each situation would have to be weighed and judged on its own merits, for no two situation are alike. That would require evaluation, dexterity and readjustment.

So how do we learn this ? By action and reaction, cause and effect, and practice. practice, practice. In other words, by really living life to the full and paying attention to all its details. what about love and hate? Where can we find a balance here ? This again we find a closet examination of opposites, leading to a more thorough understanding and balanced view of these  opposite poles. Wishy-washy sentimentality reflects weakness and lack the backbone that true love possess. How can we possibly give good, strong, true love unless we have the capacity within ourselves for justice, firmness and courage?

On the other hand, these three qualities, so necessary in a loving relationship, when carried to an extreme, could manifest in cruelty , which is an aspect of hate. A balance view of these qualities  and a knowledge of how they are a part of love is necessary to bring about harmony in love. Beside, when we cling hard to love, we automatically bring in an element of enslavement, and then it becomes somethings else. Listen to the words of Kahil Gibran of love , from his book The Prophet : Love one another, but make not a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. And stand together, yet not too near together, for the pillars of the temple must stand apart.

What about good and evil? on the sliding scale of opposite we have black and white at either end , with various shade of grey in between . What was 'good' for us at one point in life may have been 'bad' some other time, and vice versa. All is relative to where we are on the sliding scale. Judgment and conscience must be our guides, for the rules vary depending upon the circumstance .What can be 'good' at the right time and place can be 'evil' at the wrong time and place. For instance, silence can be commendable when we refuse to gossip , but evil if we do not speak up to save someone from false accusations when we known the truth. Receptivity and resistance to influence are opposites, but we need both, and also the awareness of what we are 'digesting' mentally when we are open. yet we do not want ti be so resistant or close minded that nothing can penetrate for us to weigh and judge. Each set of circumstance we encounter requires new adjustments. So what is the quickest way to find a point of balance ? Simply, the balance point of most things lie at their centre. So, we become balanced to the same degree as we  become centred, and we find our centre by interacting with our surrounding and achieving harmony with it.

Life is like a school which provides the necessary curriculum for us to lean by. But if we become hypnotised by our immediate environment and identify too closed with it, we get carried away from our centre. We are then automatically left with a sense of instability and vulnerability. We cannot stop the motion of life, nor would we want to,but we can learn how to stop reacting to every push and pull of life, and consequently adding our own emotional and mental power to it. When we react automatically, we are not being master of anything, and we experience the feedback of pain and feelings of helplessness. This type of reaction usually guide us back to our centre. And there is always another experience around the corner.

THE NATURE OF PSYCHIC CONSCIOUSNESS

Cosmic Consciousness related to evolution and culture? In other words, is the manifestation of Cosmic Consciousness only a problem of the distant future and other generations, or can it appear now in contemporary society through the unfolding in us of certain dormant force and potential capabilities?

First of all, let us briefly describe what is meant by the phrase Cosmic Consciousness and then how it might be considered to relate to individual members of society in the past, present, and future.

First, the term Cosmic should represent to mystics a state of Being radiant in nature and pervading all space and,hence all things; having vitality, mind, constructive power, and supreme intelligence. This state of Being has been referred to by many different names such as, the Absolute, Ultimate Reality, and Divine Mind, as well as the Cosmic, and total consciousness of this Divine state is known as  Consciousness of the Cosmic, or Cosmic Consciousness.

It has always been regarded perhaps as the ultimate goal of mysticism to be able to attune individually to this eternal state of Being, thereby realising our own source as well as the source of all life, of everything in existence. It is through attunement with the Cosmic that the mystic receives illumination, and frankly, the mystic path is nothing more than a direct path leading to this state of being.

The state of conscious attunement with the Godhead that is attained varies for all living things. There appears to be a hierarchical order in this awareness. The great mystics of the past, which include truly inspired religious personalities as well as ancient and modern philosopher, have perpetuated for us the existence of these states of awareness. Because of their efforts, we must always be grateful. Surely this mystical heritage would not be intact today if it were not for the cultural advancements and refinements of society in general. However, it is of  the utmost importance to understand that is every generation there are those present who have had degree of illumination, who have attuned to the Cosmic and have received varying degrees of understanding about its existence. These people do not receive recognition, nor do they usually shut themselves off from worldly contact. They are, however, readily recognised by fellow human beings as being exceptionally inspired; but they also practice the true humility that always seems to accompany attunement with the Cosmic.

As was state earlier, it is a tenet, if not a doctrine of mysticism that we an achieve a direct and immediate awareness of the Cosmic or Divine Truth , and this is accomplished through the faculty of intuition which does not directly use reason or any of the ordinary sense. Some of the traditional mystical channels of approach or methods of attunement through which this greater reality may be apprehended are meditation and initiation.

Due to the nature of the question, i have attempted to avoid the use of the term "God" in relation to Cosmic Consciousness. However,at this time , for further understanding and clarity of though, I think it is necessary to do so. For most of my readers, the term will be satisfactory. However, i use it here in the most abstract sense. Many readers will find greater understanding through this age-old term than with Cosmic Consciousness, Cosmic Mind, Ultimate Reality, and so forth. The fact of God is fundamental to most Mystics. In one of our old mystic Manual it states : " To mystics there is but one God, ever-living, ever present. without  limiting attributes or definite form of manifestation. It is the God of our heart. Mystical orders is composed of individuals of many creeds and many religious faiths from all parts of the world, but there is absolute unity in this one idea of God, the Supreme Intelligence, the Divine Mind." We often say in our rituals and meditation. "God of our Hearts, God  of our Realisation ," meaning whatever degree of Cosmic or Absolute we personally can comprehend.

Ultimately, our relationship with God is not one of political, social or cultural achievement. True, we are indebted to our past;but everyone, everywhere has the opportunity of gaining a better understanding of the nature of life and of creation itself. Life is an expression of the fundamental force or energy which started the whole universe and maintains it. it is a part of what we call God, the Universal Intelligence, or the Absolute. Through it we are always linked to that higher force and everything else in existence.

Cosmic Consciousness is not a condition of yesterday or tomorrow, but a condition of any moment. To make this condition manifest, we must remove the barriers which prevent us from receiving the correct answer to our questions. The removal of these barriers is the part of existence that must be earned by each individual. Contemporary people certainly have all the necessary intuitive potentialities. These can manifest as capabilities only if we have the inclination to make them so.

COMPATIBILITY

    Compatibility with others begins with ourselves. Harmonious relationships grow out of inner harmonies which are created from our willingness to approach challenges in this area of our lives as opportunities for personal growth.We are almost always required to change both our perception of self and our perception of the other in order to resolve difficulties in our relationship. This is a gradual process involving fundamental attitudes and life patterns, our most cherished realities. As we learn to attune with the Inner Self, we learn to see more clearly and to stabilize our emotions. The task is not easy, but is well worth the effort. let us begin with a period of meditation on a particular relationship you are currently involved in that is inharmonious in some way. First, it is important to search your own motives in the situation. Do you  truly want to create a more peaceful, harmonious relationship, or are you looking for a way to get even, to gain control, to manipulate? Are you avoiding the other person, resentful. combative, angry? Or, are you feeling powerless, defensive, inferior, helpless? The relationship will remain at an impasse until you let go of your old way of seeing and feeling. You must be willing to listen to the still, small voice within and accept the truth of what you know in your heart. This requires both honest self-examination, and then, the ability to forgive yourself and the other. Forgiveness allows us to learn from our mistakes, so the we can act with a renewed sense of responsibility and moral integrity to do what we can to help resolve the situation.

Second, it is important to assess the relationship on the basis of needs and expectations.We all have certain needs which are met within harmonious relationships,such as the need for companionship, for love given and received, for compassion, for recognition  and acceptance. we all know that when we live and work in harmony with others, we release creative energies to achieve greater goals than we are capable of alone. Relationships are jeopardized when we translate needs into unrealistic expectations. As adults, the two most common distortions are the result of expecting to be taken care of and/ or expecting one other person to be everything to us. Mutual trust, respect, and acceptance are best nurtured when we are willing to be responsible for our own needs; when we are willing  to be sensitive to the other person's needs; and when we are willing to risk vulnerability.

Often, we shut out all possibility for true, loving relationship because we allow fear to dominate our thoughts. feelings, and behavior. For example, imagine the other person in your mind's eye, and begin to talk to them. How are you assuming their response? Are either of you hurt, angry, defensive, fearful? Is there some way you can speak to them so that  they will respond in a more positive way?Or,so that you can face then more  compassionately ?Do either of you have unrealistic expectations of the other?  what would your life be without them ? How would their life be different without  you ? In what ways are your lives connected? What is the context of your relationship? Is there a particular issue that causes tensions between you? Can you visualize a solution that will ease the tension? Are you willing to negotiate resolution?

Explore the relationship in your mind's eyes from as many different perspective as possible. Be aware that your relationship grow and change as you do. The more objective you become (the more you free yourself from fear), the more insightful and creative your thoughts will become. Gradually, you will be able to replace fear with feelings of self-worth, love, and compassion. Finally, it is important to face your own loneliness. Only when we are willing to be alone, to commit ourselves to a relationship with  the master within, do we discover the capacity to love with a whole heart. Our sense of belonging to something larger than ourselves brings true emotional stability. Until we bring all our relationships into the context of our highest ideals, and dedicate our lives to the service of those ideals, we will not be effective in creating loving, harmonious relationships with others. Peace begins within each one of us and extends beyond us in an ever-expanding network of connections, dependent only on the strength of our commitment to spiritual realities.

SECRET SIGNS OF THE MYSTICS

There are sixteen signs by which mystical student and practitioners may be recognized. Those who have only a few of these signs are not student of a very high degree because true mystics have all of them.

1. Mystics are Patient.

The first and most important victory of Mystical student is the conquest of self. It is a victory over the "lion who has wounded bitterly a few of the best mystical student. The Lion cannot be overcome by a wild and thoughtless attack, but must be overcome by patient and strength. True mystic try to overcome enemies through kindness. They heap no curses but the fiery coals of love upon the head of others. They do not pursue their enemies with a sword or with rods, but let the flower grow with the corn, until both are ripe and are separated by Nature.

2. Mystics are Kind.

Mystics never appear dismal or melancholy or with a surly or sarcastic face. They treat everyone kindly and courteously and are always ready to help others. Although they are different from the majority of the other humans, they try to adapt themselves to the habit, forms, and needs of others as far as their dignity permits. They are,therefore, sociable and pleasant, and know how to converse with rich or pool alike. They carry themselves in a manner so as to win esteem among all classes of society.

3.Mystics Know No Envy.

True mystics are always satisfied with their lot and know that it is as they deserve. The advantages and riches which others enjoy trouble them not, because they always wish for the best. They know that they shall receive everything which they deserve, and it bothers them not if other humans have more than they. They do not expect any favors, but spend their benevolence and good will without any partiality. 

 4.Mystics Brag Not.

They know that the human is nothing but a tool in God's hand and that they cannot accomplish anything useful through their own will.To God they give all honor, They have no unbridled haste to accomplish a thing, but they wait until the Master who resides in them gives the order. They consider well the things they speak about and omit unholy words.

5.Mystics are not Idle.

By this they prove that there is something true in them that they are not as a bag blown up up with wind. Applause and censure leave them untouched and little do they feel sad if they are being contradicted and scorned.They live in their inner self and rejoice in the Beauty of their inner world, but they do not long to show their possessions or to brag about any spiritual gifts which they might have acquired. The greater their gifts, the greater their modesty, and the greater is their desire to obey the Masters Within. 

6. Mystics are not excessive.

They try at all times to fulfil their duty and to act according to the orders of the law.They are not swept away by external things  nor by ceremonies. The law is written in their hearts; consequently they master all thoughts and acts. Their dignity lies not in their outer appearance, but in their real self, which in comparison is like a root out of which spring all action. The inner Beauty of their inner self reflects upon their outer self and stamps all their deeds with its seal. The light of their inner self can be detected in their eyes by one who is experienced; it is the mirror of the "God Vision ' within.

7.Mystics are not ambitious.

Nothing retards the development and extension of the soul more than a narrow vision and selfish character. True Mystics always concern themselves more about the well-being of others than of their own. They have no secret or obstinate interest concerning protection or doing good. They seek to do good at all time and never miss an opportunity when it presents itself toward that cause.

8.Mystics are not excitable.

Mystics very often receive resistance from narrow-minded and short-sighted people;by slanderers they are sometimes insulted. Their motives are distorted. The ignorant judge them falsely. All such occurrences cannot excite the mind of true mystics, and as little can such disturb the Godly Harmony of their Soul because their Faith rests in the recognition and the Wisdom of Truth in them. The opposition of thousands of unknowing people will not deter them from actions of goodness and nobleness even if such action should result in the loss of their own fortune and life. Accustomed and capable to put their vision upon the Godly, they hang on to eternal Truth. Surrounded by sickly influences whose voices they hear, they are not  disturbed or influenced by the noise and alarm. They live in the company of noble beings who at one time were also human, but were transfigured and are out of the reach low and common minds.

9. Mystics do not think evil of others, 

Those who always think evil of others see only their apparent evil reflected in others. Mystics are always ready to accept all that which is recognized to be good. Suffering is the virtue through which mystics are exceptionally distinguished and recognized. If a matter appear ambiguous, they will withhold their judgement of it until they have examined its nature; but until their judgment is cut off, they are inclined to have a favorable opinion rather than unfavorable. 

10.Mystic love Righteousness. 

They never seek to judge the mistakes of others or appear wise by the  censure of others' infirmities. They love not follies and gossip of humans and pay them no more attention than they would to the buzz of a fly or the leaps of a monkey. They find no pleasure in reproaching.The seek not the cunningness of the fox nor the hypocrisy of the crocodile nor the robber-like greed of the wolf; they are not happy by the stirring up of dirt. Their nobility of character lifts them to a sphere high above such vanities and absurdities. The love the company of those who love the truth and are surround by the Peace and Harmony of the spirit.

11. Mystics love the Truth.

Nothing is worse than falsity and slander. Ignorance is something of no existence but falsity is the substance of evil. Slanderers rejoice when they found something on which they can build lies so that such may grow to mountainous proportion. The opposite of this is the Truth. She is a beam of light out of the eternal  Well of Good. Therefore Mystics never seek any other light except the Light of Truth. This Light they enjoy in the company of all the good who have found fulfilment through their Godly Majesty, whether they live upon this earth or in a spirituals state.

12.Mystics know to be silent.

Those who are false love not the Truth. Whoever is foolish loves not Wisdom. Mystics prefer the company of those who know the value of Truth in preference to others who trample it underneath their feet.Mystics keep their wisdom locked in their heart, for in Silence lies power. Their Silence ends only when the king bids  them to speak; for then it is not they who speak but Truth speaks through them.

13. Mystics believe that which they know .

They believe in the immortality of the eternal law and that every cause has its effect. They know that the Truth cannot lie and that the promise made by the king will be fulfilled if they will not interfere. Therefore, they are unapproachable by fear of doubt and set absolute Faith upon the Godly Principle of Truth, which has come to life and realization in their heart.

14. Mystics are strong of Faith.

Spiritual Faith is the knowledge of the heart and wholly different from the intellectual speculation of the brain. Their Faith rests on the rock of immediate perception and cannot be shattered. They know that in everything, no matter of what evil appearance , there is within a good seed and the hope that in the course of development this seed will grow and will be changed into Good. 

15. Mystics cannot be subdued by grief.

They know that no Light is without a shadow, no evil without something good, and that strength grows through resistance only. After they have once recognized the presence of Godly Principle in all things, external changes have no great importance and deserve no great consideration. Their aim is to hold fast to their spiritual possession and not lose the crown which they won in the struggle of life. 

16. Mystics always remain member of a mystical order.

Names play no great role; the principle which projects over mystics is the Truth. And  they who know the Truth and make practical in their lives are members of the Order over whom rules the Truth. If all names were exchanged and all languages altered, the Truth would remain the same.

The Dawn Of Awareness

   Dawn has often been used to symbolize a period of time when everything is new. In the hours immediately before dawn, darkness prevails, and during darkness it is difficult for us to have clear perception, whether we are concerned with visual perception or with clarity of thought. Darkness seems to be the place where fears and superstitions find shelter. Most of our fears and superstitious belief are n some way connected with the dark; that is their origin seems to be related to darkness. However, the person who imagines conditions that cause him or her to fear, or to develop superstitious practices, will find that with the dawn, the basis for such practices and beliefs disappears. The objects that may have caused us concern cease to have such importance. With the dawn light seems to shed a degree of understanding on all that we perceive and cause us to reanalyze our environment and our own mental processes.

      In a certain mystic ritual are the words: "Darkness is the absence of light". This phase, which mystics who attend convocations in lodges and chapters throughout the world hear during the early part of the convocation ritual, has been heard so often by so many that is has probably ceased to have the meaning it really should have for each of us. When we say that darkness is the absence of light, we are literally setting forth a basic principle of mystical doctrine or belief; namely, there are no grounds for people's fears or superstitions because they are, as already pointed out, evolved in darkness, and darkness is a state that exists only by being the absence of something else. Darkness is not an actuality.

      By stating that darkness is the absence of light, we are specifically saying that darkness is a negative  quality. It only exists because something else is missing. This can be illustrated by imagining two windowless rooms that are connected by a door. The rooms are sealed, airtight and light tight. In one room a great bank of fluorescent lights illuminate the room to a level almost equal to that of day light. The other room has no source of illumination whatsoever. When the door is close, that room is in total darkness. Now if i stand at the door separating these two rooms and then open it, i know before i open the door, that one of two things will happen; either the light will enter the darkened room or the dark will enter lit room. We of course know what will happen. The light will enter the darkened room.The room, previously so dark that it was impossible to see, will take on the degree of illumination entering through the open doorway .There will be a small area of bright light near the door and a lower degree of illumination where the direct light does not reach .

     In other words, as stated in mystic rituals, darkness is the absence of light, and light can replace darkness. If light could be replaced by darkness, then darkness would be the dominating force. Since darkness is only an absence of light, it has no power in and of itself. It is not a force; it is an absence of  force. It is not even an existent entity . its function and power exists only to the extent that we permit it to exists if we give free reign to our imagination and permit fears and superstitions to develop in our consciousness when it is in darkness. Let us term for a moment from the actual consideration of light and dark as states of making it possible or not possible to use our visual sense, and think of light and darkness in terms of knowledge and ignorance; or illumination as opposed to complete lack of inspiration, illumination or moral concepts. Knowledge is light. That is why we sometimes refers to knowledge as illumination. Darkness represents ignorance and superstition. Implied in the concept of darkness is slavery, or being bound to ideas or things.

     The mystic philosophy advances the principle that we may gain illumination, literally and figuratively. We may gain it literally by working as a material entity within a material universe illuminated by the light of the sun and the artificial forms of illumination that we have evolved. We also gain illumination by becoming conscious of the knowledge that exists in the world through reading or being told of the experience of others. But this illumination is only secondary to the illumination which we have the potentially of achieving by becoming aware of the cosmic force of which we are part and which can function through our own entity, thereby illuminating us to the realization of ourselves as a segment of the Divine, as a part of the God-force itself.

    Thus, when we speak of throwing light on a problem, or upon any matter, we are literally directing the force of our consciousness toward problems or conditions about which we seek further information or a solution. Every dawn brings a new day, and every new bit of knowledge we perceive bring a new opportunity for further illumination of our own consciousness. The attainment of Cosmic Consciousness is the terminology we use to apply to the illumination that comes to us when we are able to relate our objective consciousness to the impulses coming to us through our intuitive faculties equal in strength to what we perceive through our five sense.

Close your eyes a moment and visualize your consciousness as being a circle. One one side of the circumference of the circle are five holes. One the other side, there is one hole. The five holes on one side represent the five physical sense faculties: seeing, hearing, tasting,smelling and feeling. Though those five channels the physical world enters our consciousness, and within our consciousness the physical world with a relative fair degree of adjustment to that world simply for the reason that we perceive it . In other words, we gain knowledge of it. But for people to adjust themselves to the physical world is not enough. We have a soul, and the soul that motivates or activates our life and consciousness is of the immaterial or cosmic world and so, on the other side of our imaginary circle is one opening. This opening , which we call intuition , represent the means by which we perceive the impressions that into our consciousness from the Cosmic.

People will always live in disharmony and imbalance, trying to cope with serious problems, until the balance their consciousness by perceiving the physical with their physical senses and the psychic world with their intuition. Proper balance is essential to illumination, because only through perceiving through all six of these channels can we have consciousness fully illumined. Therefore, the exercise that help us to develop this faculty of intuition are the exercises that lead us to Cosmic Consciousness. We are giving a number of simple exercise in mystic schools . One that we should use from time to time is visualizing a symbol found in ancient symbolism and which has been used by mystics school for centuries. This is the dot within a circle.When we visualize this symbol, we should direct our attention toward the dot as being representative of ourselves, while the circle represent both the physical and the psychic or divine universe. The circle in its entirety represents the whole cosmic scheme. We might think of the line constituting the circle's circumference as being the physical world and the space between this line and the dot as being the transcendent or Divine. Then we should visualize ourselves as the dot with this area, equidistant from physical impressions, and from the Divine, thus being able to absorb impressions from the physical world and from the Cosmic, thereby gaining illumination. 

Mansions Of The Soul

On of the most perplexing question we've grappled with at times is that of our survival (or not!) after death. We are so used to our privileged status of having life, consciousness and free will when we encounter death at a funeral or as a witness to a fatal accident, its mystery and finality impresses itself upon us with great force and urgency. For some people the experience is traumatic, and they are left emotionally scarred for months or even years to come . For other it is a sobering wake-up realization that we have no guarantee we will see tomorrow. But for others, and probably most of us who are mystics, it spurs us on to deep reflection on what may happen after death and whether or not we are, as religions say, truly immortal.


The Essentials;

As this article wrote primarily from a western spiritual perspective, i find it convenient to divide my attention between the Jewish and Christain religions, and addresses religious viewpoint in future article. Each religion has its ideas about the qualities of what is generally called the soul. In Judaism the Soul is believed to be dual in nature: on the one hand it is active, for "...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life..." (Genesis 2:7 ); on the other hand, it is the vital spirit with which God inspires His human wards. I believe that this led to the confusion responsible for the emergence of the spiritualist movement in the 19th century. Christians, including Spiritualist and the catholic Encyclopaedia,see the Soul as the "ultimate internal principle by which we think, feel and will, and by which our bodies are animated". They identify with the universal idea of the Soul as not only a ' vitalizing essence " but also as the human seat of consciousness and mind.

     The author compare these ideas to those of mystic students as expressed through mystical revelation. He reminds us that all mater, regardless of how inanimate it may appear to be, is quite fully living. The only, but big, difference is between traits of life as opposed to traits of consciousness that all beings possess in some form.

     Spirit energy permeates everything and maintains the expression of matter;but it is not the same as the Soul. The Soul is the Divine consciousness or infinite mind and it is what connects us with one another on earth and continues to link us till in the spiritual realm. This connectedness of everything through a common source, the divine consciousness, has immense ramifications which everybody reading this article should ponder deeply.

     The Soul consciousness added to the physical consciousness in the body of man  during incarnation here on earth gives man his character or personality'. This is a key point and one that is ultimately bound up with the subject of karma,commonly referred to by mystic students as the Law of Compensation. There are three reason to support reincarnation. First, the soul must  have earthly experiences; second, the human body must have spiritual knowledge and illumination; and third, the human personality must eventually be brought to a state of perfection.

PERSONALITY

What is character and what constitutes personality?  The character, composed of one's ethical and moral principles, is ephemeral and changes easily; the personality is subtly different from one's character. We tend to disguise our true personality by adopting different behavior in our character. Someone, whom we know is by profession a banker, may exhibit the characteristics of a banker by his mannerisms, his style of clothing, even his businesslike conversation. When we think of him, we think the word" banker'. But in the evening we may be surprised to find him engaged in a pastime we wouldn't have though him to be associated with, such as carpentry, music, amateur dramatics and so forth. Our personality is in fact drawn to those things in life with which we have a natural affinity, and is the result or function of our evolving soul personality.

    "'The tendency if the inner self is to build up a personality progressively towards a higher degree of perfection rather than towards a lower one,'This progressive development of the personality is inexorable associated with the divine consciousness. Consciousness is a factor here ; the voice of the inner self or personality challenging the conduct of the outer self. Both seem to put humans at the mercy of fate, thus relieved of all personality for their birth. From a theological point of view, we come up against the doctrine of predestination by which some people would reach everlasting death. This has given rise to the introduction of a character called Satan on whom to shift accountability for all human evils.

Karma and Personal Evolution

The Soul has a continuity if experience through successive incarnations that moulds and perfects the mind and memory of the soul personality, thereby giving it greater comprehension and power. It is free to choose how it wishes to handle the debits and credits it has acquired throughout its cycle of evolution. This brings into play the law of karma or compensation. We discover in reincarnation and karma the only rational and acceptable explanation and cause of for the seeming injustice of the inequalities of life,.

   Succinctly, inequalities in life are karma and are according adjusted. Each person is responsible for his or her own fate. We are an aggregation of our past personalities, drawing upon the lesson and experience of the past to' express them as the fundamental element of our present character, while at the same time learning, through lesson and experiences, new principle and new elements out of which we decorate and modify, shade, blemish or improve the beauty of our character,.

To be continue ....

Creed For Happiness

I shall begin each morning unafraid, and shall seek the wonderful gift that the day will bring to me. I shall be guided by intelligence rather than belief, and shall see truth and ignore no fact. I shall guide my thoughts into the highest realm, holding my cherished aspiration and sacred ideals uppermost in my mind.

Throughout the day i shall enjoy all the beauty of my surroundings. I shall glory in my association and aspire to the exaltation that comes with love of God and of humankind.

I shall forgive freely before forgiveness is asked. I shall harbor ill thought towards none. I shall fulfil every trust. I shall remain poised and serene i every trial, and face each emergency without fear.

I shall be friendly and courteous toward all. To me each day will one of kindly deeds and unselfish love. I shall give loyalty to all to whom loyalty is due. I shall be clean in body, action and thought. I shall revere my God and have the utmost respect for the religious convictions of my fellows.

To obtain the most from life i shall give the best that i can give. At all times will i enthrone service and eliminate the motive of gain. I shall perform each task cheerfully. I shall build not destroy.

And so will i come to the end of each day with the satisfaction brought by service, serenity,kindness and love. I shall go to rest with peace that comes from an untroubled mind and the memory of tasks well done.

APPEAL FOR SPIRITUALITY

      In my view, the crisis that is hitting many, if not all, countries, is not  just social, economic and financial one. These are the consequences of a crisis of civilization, in the wider sense of the term. Put another way, it is humanity as such that is crisis. But what kind of crisis? Although i answer part this question in some of my past write ups, i feel it is necessary to come back and elaborate on it .Mystical philosophy and ideals lead us to consider that it is a duty that involves all mystic as well as citizens. As such, and contrary to what may have been said about mystics, the importance that we attach to spirituality had never obscured the interest we have for materiality, not the least because the ultimate aim of our quest has always been to acquire life mastery.

         First, we think that humanity is in a spiritual crisis. In our view, this irrefutable fact has two principal cause: the major religions established several centuries ago no longer answer the existential questions that today's women and men ask themselves. Their doctrine as well as their morals are not longer adapted, which explains why they are increasingly being abandoned, thus creating a large spiritual vacuum that many people no longer even seek to fill. At the same time,in the so-called developed countries, society has become more and more materialistic in that it incites people to seek happiness through material possessions and excessive consumption. This trend has considerably increased the power of money and has perverted its use.It has gone from being a means, to becoming an end itself, a thing that one likes to posses a such, when it is nothing by itself.

         Does this mean that today's religions have no future? Before replying to that question, i wish to reiterate that i respect them all in all the noble things that the have to offer their followers to enable them to practice their faith daily. But, as i have said previously, consciences and mentalities have greatly evolved since they originated, and therefore their credos are outdated in the eyes f many people, especially the young. As they have not been able to , not known how to or not wished to update their teachings, i think  they are doomed to disappear in the medium term. As a result, all that will remain of them are the monuments created for them over the centuries, as well as the texts relating to them, including those that are considered to be sacred, such as the Bible, the Koran, the Upanishads, the Tripitaka, etc.

            As regarding the subject of money, it is not a question of resorting to caricature or demagogy. As a means of exchange, it is a necessity in order to live a live in society. We need it to obtain what is necessary for our material well-being and to satisfy the legitimate pleasure our existence can offer.But, over time, it has taken n too much importance, to a point where it conditions and governs practically all sectors of human activity. It has today acquired cult status, acting as a religion which probably has the greatest number of followers in the world.Unfortunately, every day at its alter we sacrifice the most elementary of ethical values (honesty,integrity, equity, solidarity etc.) so that it constitutes more than ever a vehicle of debasement.

          Do not think from the above that mystics are not in favor of the "vow of poverty",and that they believe that material wealth is incompatible with spirituality. Even since they appeared on Earth, humans have sought to improve their living conditions and be happy. This tendency lies within their deeper nature and it part of the process we call 'evolution". This does not mean that the aim of existence is to become rich, but it is neither natural nor normal to aspire to be poor. Beside, the fact of being materially f financially destitute does not make a person better in human terms and is not a criterion for spiritual elevation, no more, indeed, than being rich.

          It is my view that the happiness to which human beings aspire more or less consciously resides in equilibrium between the material and the spiritual, and not in the exclusion on one or the other. This is why any individual who consecrates himself to solely to spirituality, to the point of depriving  himself of the legitimate pleasures of life, cannot be happy. The same applies to anyone who makes material possessions the sole basis for his well-being. This explain why many people that we term as being well-off are deeply unhappy. It is because they suffer from an inner emptiness that ' all the gold in the world' would not fill. We are all familiar with the expression: ' money does not buy happiness", even if it can, indeed , be a contribution factor.

         If we assume that a human being is not simply a material body kept alive by a set of physico-chemical processes,  but that it also possesses a soul, we can easily understand that it also requires a certain form of nourishment: spirituality . But what is spirituality? In accordance with what i have said previously, it transcends religiosity. In other words, it is not limited to believing in God and following a religious credo, no matter how respectable this may be, Instead, it consists of seeking the deeper meaning of existence and gradually awakening the best within ourselves. But this search for meaning and improvement is cruelly lacking today, which explain the chaotic state the world is in and the despondency into which it has sunk over the last decades.

          The majority of people, from all countries and nations, feel they are in a dark tunnel that nobody can see they way out from, not even those who lead and govern them. Furthermore, they are not aware that the light they hope to see appearing can only come from themselves, and not from an external source. This brings us back to spirituality and the need to look towards something other than materiality for resolving the problem that humanity is confronted with.But you may be one of those people who do not accept the existence of the soul, and naturally you have every right to do so.If this is the case, allow me to ask you this following questions, and take the time to answer them yourself ; To what do you attribute what is commonly known as the "voice of conscience? How can your explain human aptitude for virtues such as benevolence, generosity, compassion and love? Do you truly think that the most beautiful works of art, whether it is paintings, sculpture, music or in another forms, originate only in the mind of those who created them ? How do you explain tat millions of men and women the world over have experienced clinical death, before coming back to life with the memory of what they "saw' and heard" in what we generally call " the beyond'? Do you really believe that if the existence of the soul was just an illusion the great thinkers and philosphers that humanity has known would have admitted it as being an obvious truth?

"  TO BE CONTINUE ........

EVERYTHING IS VIBRATORY

I accept that everything in the universe is vibratory,but how do vibrations relate to passive state like meditation?

      Vibrations are the basis of everything in the universe. This is not a mystical tenet,it is part and parcel of elementary physics. Everything we experience is caused by vibrations and without there would be nothing,literally a void in the most absolute sense. As Mystics,we are fully aware of this,but we also know that anything whatsoever that vibrates,sends out waves similar to the waves produced in a body of water when a stone is dropped into it.The waves spreed out in all directions from the source of disturbance, and in times will affect all things within proximity of the source of the vibrations.

      Objective consciousness, which seems so powerfully to be located in our physical brain,is analogous to the hand that causes a tuning fork to be struck, thereby sending out sound waves in all directions.It is also like the hand that flicks a switch which cause a modulated current to flow in the tuning device found in a radio or television transmitter. Those electromagnetic waves also spread out into space in all direction and are picked up by similarly constructed radio and television receivers.In a very real,physical sense then, there is a connection between transmitter and receiver, though separated only by times and space.

     If we had some sort of biological equivalent of television receiver circuitry in our brains,we would be able to pick up and see television programs directly,and without the need for a television receiver. That may seem a rather silly example,but it is close analogy to the operation of our psychic faculties.Through the exercise in the mystical classes, we learn to tune in to impressions far more subtle and refined than television signals, and we do this through a gradual process of awakening our psychic center/chakra, Overlain over those centres of information exchange are physical areas of the body that enable this information exchange to be perceived by the brain,and hence  brought into objection consciousness. The psychic centers act as regions of our being where specific frequency ranges are stepped up or stepped down, depending on whether we are sending or receiving information or vibrations. Meditation is indeed a passive process, but only at the summit of the experience.Building up to the experience,which may last on a few seconds ,or a few minutes at most,is a process of tuning out' all but the most subtle and high frequency vibrations passing through our five sense faculties,and 'tuning in' and amplifying to the greatest extent possible,impressions that we constantly receive from the Cosmic ,and which contain information vitally necessary for our spiritual growth. The first steps of this process involve learning to hold our tuners on one frequency,and this is the active stage of the meditation process.

   We also need to collect new data from frequency that we are not familiar with,in order to lay a foundation of experience for understanding and utilizing the guidance available to us from our inner self. As we gain more experience in controlling this process,our consciousness is slowly transformed,it becomes more attuned with the exceptionally high frequencies of the Cosmic ,and begins to apply meaning to the information which flows to it.It also becomes easier with practice to enter the ultimate stage of meditation where the internal chatter cease, all sense impressions are at the maintenance of life,and the mind is in the most receptive state possible to perceive the extremely rarefied and subtle vibration that carry the information we need most.

     On a purely practical level,the more we unselfishly serve the interests of others, the more we are able to transform our objective thoughts into thoughts in harmony with the Cosmic,and easier it becomes to enter a true state of meditation.The experience of service recall old ideas and impressions from the memory,allowing them to be re-examined in the light of higher consciousness and returned to the memory in a form compatible with high vibrations we have received during the brief ultimate stage of meditation.Through service,we find practical,down-to-earth ways of putting the new understanding we cumulatively gain through meditation into practice.

      The meditative state may seem passive by the standards of our normally active chatterbox minds .But at no point do we cease receiving and attempting to apply meaning to the Cosmic vibrations that constantly bombard us. We may be a supremely passive state,but we are still perceiving and analyzing very much, though in this case,information of very focused and concentrated form. Every thought.word and deed that is inharmonious with the creative,constructive force of the Cosmic must be ferreted out before we enter full mediation. But when at last the mind has been 'purified' through years of hard effort,we will be able to partially merge if for varying lengths of time with the Divine Mind.And from this we one day accomplish the crowning glory of life, the Mystical Marriage or Cosmic Consciousness.

BECOMING THE LIGHT - THE EGYPTIAN WAY

We are all living in the light. All life came forth from the activity of light on the elements of this planet, creating the conditions for the emergence of life in the smallest organisms. As subsequent advanced and highly complex creatures in the evolutionary stream, we humans continue to be maintained by this light.The Ancient Egyptians had a profound understanding of the nature of light and how one could live in the light, and furthermore, how one can become light. This article will explain their concept of light in both physical and metaphysical terms, and note its significance in their understanding of human life in our universe. To align ourselves with the Ancient Egyptian philosophical mindset we shall review some of its basic tenets.

      The first tenet pertains to their view of life and death. We moderns regard the afterlife, following  the death of the body, as a spiritual state that has a separate existence and final point. However, the Egyptians saw each individual life as a continuation of three states- the earthly existence, which was the start of the journey into the Duat, and which included experiences in the second stage of one's life, and the third stage which followed the final transformation of the individual into a 'Light Being' in the Cosmos. Thus an individual life was seen as a continuity over three dimensions, and furthermore, as a necessary agent in the continuity of the creation.

      The second basic tenet relates to their concept of  reality. The Egyptians lived with an awareness of a reality that is best described by the term imaginal reality. This reality is what is 'imaged' in your consciousness; it may be derived from the subconscious or from images obtained by contact with entities or events of another, non-physical world. It is not imaginative, for imagination is what you consciously or unconsciously create following the desire of your mind. 'For the Egyptians, the agencies and powers that can be reached through contact with the imaginal world are more potent than anything merely physical, because through them physical reality can be transformed', states Jeremy Naydler(2007,p.31).

      Robert Clake gives this realm further definition; 'The Egyptians knew this other reality was not basically physical... So, despite not being solid like the Earth, it nevertheless definitely existed and was just not a matter of belief or postulation with them. In fact, it was the way of life eternal and is the way was even more real than earthly existence'(2005,p.72).

       Stated in terms of the Theban cosmogony, the Creator was described as a Being (Amun) who was an unmanifest aspect of all existence, specifically a nameless, formless Being of Light that was the source of all that is manifest. So here we find light used to describe the nature of the Creator. Light describe the act of union between the spirit and matter in the act of manifestation. This Light pervaded two worlds, the spiritual, divine or heavenly world and that of the world of matter. At the human level this is what gives us self illumination or consciousness.

      Thus there existed a reverent feeling for the Cosmos as sheltering a spiritual world, a different kind of reality from the mundane world that we see with our physical sense. Geographically the Egyptians saw their life's journey as one life extending over  three periods; life on Earth(Ta), life in the netherworld (Duat), and life beyond that in Heaven(Pet). The transition proceeded from one phase to another. In the first phase , having served its time on Earth, a person's physical body ceased to function and its soul elements were released. This immaterial part then continued its life's experience in the Duat, which was the second phase. In the third phase the soul elements(soul personality), after being reborn as Akhs (shining lights or spirits),were then assigned to hold a place as gods among the imperishable stars, or to become servants of Ra in his daily journey through the upper and lower worlds, or to live as if they were living on Earth, but more pleasantly in the Field of Aaru. Each person's destiny, after life in this world of Daut, was to become a Light Being, a container and a giver of inner spiritual illumination. The experience were all of the same reality, but were at different level of consciousness. The Light was strongest in Pet, for Heaven was where they had come from and where the must return.

   Into this model we have to fit another concept, the Akhet, which, to Egyptians, was a transitional and transformational place or point in their destined journey. The root word Akh means one who is 'light' or 'shining'. The term Akhet, usually translate as 'horizon' because this was where the sun's light frist shone, was also a 'place' of spiritual transfiguration after one traveled from sunset to sunrise in the darkness of the Duat. Reaching this point at dawn indicated that one was ready, having survived the ordeals and joys of the Duat, to live in anew, spiritual world. It was the place where, or the moment when, the Light Being' was created.

      We can understand why the Pharaoh Khufu named his pyramid Akhet to represent his place of transformation. it may also tell us why Pharaoh Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten( Brilliant light of Aten) and why he called his city Akhetanten (Place of Light or Place of Transformation). Akhenaten's new solar manifestation of the original God Aten was made into Ra's most sentient aspect , the sun god's visible body or light energy. The cult of Aten centered on the worship of the life force and energy emanating from the sun. In time, the power of the god Aten and the pharaoh had himself become the source of celestial light.

    On a mystical level, and by his example, was he not trying to point out that he visible sun was the most obvious sign of the presence of his Light 'in potential' within everyone? We see the sun disc most of the day, and lose sight of it at night. However, it is our destiny to be in the eternal Light, to become an Akh-Being, combining all other spiritual components of the person to make real the potential Akh-Being. This would be the ultimate mystical experience unity with the divine.

     The Duat is normally invisible to us; when the body is dead, the immaterial elements continue life's journey through the Duat. It is a predominantly watery world, boggy, and topsy-turvy , a world inhabited by spirits. The human spirit must negotiate its way, and try to gain power over this world, with its own effort, and with some help from other spirits. The Duat is a spiritual dimension full of Beings- the dead, helping spirits, various gods, as well as formidable opponents who obstruct one's way. It present many challenges, for it is a dangerous world, and to negotiate it requires knowledge and skills, and some magical power.It is a place of purification, a necessary condition for the transformation to occur in Akhet.

    Mystics past and present have repeated that shifts of consciousness can transport us across different dimensions of reality. Such shifts were know and experienced by initiates of the mystery school in Ancient Egypt. In fact, priest-initiators were able to induce state of consciousness in neophytes to help them face the realities of the Duat and reach the Akhet stage and bring about their transformation into Akhs or Being of Light.

    To take one example, in the pyramid text of unas, utterance no 260, it is stated that after the pharaoh had participated in 'secret rite' in which his limbs underwent the Osirian dismemberment, rememberment and eventual rebirth, the pharaoh, with his limb reunited, went forth as an Akh or Living spirit'. Unas, presumably, knew that he was going to be one of the luminous, celestial Being after his initiation in his present life.

    In the New Kingdom Texts, the deceased, or a living candidate seeking initiation into the Egyptian Mysteries, proceeded through the Duat and absorbed the experience of the sun god, Ra, the source of Light,as he passed through the Netherworld. Every day Ra's Light diminished in the west, but illumined the darkness sufficiently to reach the breakthrough point at Akhet in the East, where he was reborn in all his glory as the god Khepri, recharged to resume his cyclic journey through the world above and below.

     Another example of bestowing the initiatory experience is found in the coronation inscription at Karnak where the living Pharaoh Thutmose III is depicted as 'transforming himself into a falcon and then being taken up into the Akhet, where he communes with the Sun God Ra, becoming  infused with Ra's akh power. ' The connotation of the word Akh in the inner illumination as well as the primordial creative power. Used in the initiatory sense, the Akh might best be translated as 'an enlightened being". one whose consciousness has become open to the reality of the spirit world'(ibid.p.254)

   Akhs can meet each other in the other world, and even in the one at heightened levels of consciousness. Perhaps this is similar to a belief that enlightened mystics, easily bridging the various dimension of reality, can recognize one another wherever they meet.

    The journey through the Duat, as narrated in the New Kingdom is the Amduat and the introduces a further refinement of this transitional phase. The sun god, Ra, passes successfully through the twelve chambers of the Duat and on the completion of the twelfth chamber he is lifted up from the waters of Nun,reborn in the resplendent, shining state of Khepri. He is boldly to bring light upon a world that has been plunged into darkness through the night. There were the processes of Akhet. Every Pharaoh or initiate was expected to join and assist him on his night journey and eventually earn his right to take his place with the gods or serve in Ra's boat, as a co-worker in the maintenance of the creation.

    We may find thios Egyptian understanding of life in this universe of great value to us. To be Light Being means you are generator of Light. You cannot keep the Light to yourself. To the Egyptian, the stars spread across Nut's body were manifestation of the unseen inner Light beyond. Your main value in your earthly sojourn as a Light Being is to bring this starlight to shine on others and, in cooperation with the main source of Light, spread the Light all over the universe. After all, as a human, you have the responsibility to assist in the Creation, for the creation us an ongoing process, a process that begin when Light first broke through a dark, amorphous watery mass.

   If you were an Ancient Egyptian, you would not be happy to be just the receiver of Light. You would be living in the light and you would be yearning to be the light. Your entire journey on the three planes would reflect this purpose and your destiny.

   And that is the Egyptian way of living in the Light. that is how we can become the Light, even as we try to survive, semi-blind, in our present secular, materialistic culture that relentlessly detaches us from our true nature and leaves us in darkness,

EMPIRICAL PROOF AND BELIEF

       Belief can be a very frustrating experience. Most of the time we try and back up our belief with objective experiences that would tend to verify them, but sometimes they are simply blind faith, and in the absence of anything better, we hold onto them. We know we can't always rely on our senses, and especially with the view of the universe we have gained in recent decades from quantum physics.We know now that seeing is no longer necessarily believing. So what do we believe in, and how valid are our belief? Can we really go through life in such a state of doubt? How can we set any kind of meaningful course in life in the face of a reality that seems to change so often?

      Before empiricism, or proof, there is 'feeling', and feeling is what we need to rely on before we have empirical proof. From all the information we accumulate, we need to select that which feels right for us until such time as it can be empirically resolved. What is important is that we keep an open mind. It isn't always a question of believing or disbelieving. Often it should simply be a matter of being open-minded on any subject, even those whose truth has seemingly been demonstrated.

      Science has come a long way in demonstrating esoteric principles in the same experimental and measurable fashion as was once used only for material research. Empiricism is as valued in esoteric study nowadays as it is in scientific study. Mystic Order approach to esoteric study is in fact demonstration and experimentation.What cannot be demonstrated empirically must remain in the realm of speculation and theory, in other words belief. It does not have to be discarded any more than a scientist would discard a theory simply because it cannot be demonstrated yet. String theory cannot be proven yet,but the theory behind it is so elegant, beautiful and logical that the mere fact that it has not be proven does not mean it has to be discarded. Allowance must always be made by challenged one day by new evidence and new discoveries, and we must be open-minded in this regard always.

      Examine again some of the things you believe in simply on the basis of sheer faith. If their truth has not actually been demonstrated in your own experience, you are obligated to your own search for truth, and to reserve judgement on the faiths of others. Meanwhile, it is not good to live a constant state of disbelief, either. As there is do much we cannot know for certain at any given time, we get on with life through a system of belief derived from our feelings and from the best information available to us. T o believe is something is generally better than to believe in nothing, as long as psychologically we are always in a state of preparation for change.

FINDING YOUR MISSION

How can i determine my mission in life? How do i know what i'm supposed to do? I haven't the faintest clue. Will it come to me one day in a flash of inspiration ?


      This is a very common question. Almost everyone has at some point in life questioned what they should be doing. Such questioning is often the precursor to deeper, more existential questions which in due course leads one to at least a partial discovery of the answer to our main concern. So, let us give this a few minutes thought and analysis.

     First of all, we must remember that the knowledge we acquire is as a direct result of our daily experience and activities. As we interpret and assimilate these experiences and activities we form our particular character, the outer personality. But we are more than just an outer being, we are the manifestation of a soul..., specific, unique and never to be repeated..., which in turn is a partial expression of the universal Soul. The deepest and most permanent manifestation of our living  being, is the personality that the soul manifests in life, the 'soul personality'. This is the 'being within' we aspire to reach whether we are aware of it or not. It is a being of great refinement and supreme accomplishment; and it is more aware of the laws and principle governing our lives than anything we could ever know. The wisdom of the soul is not limited to any particular circumstance but provides the key with which we may interpret all situation that may arise. And it is also the key to discovering our mission in life.

    Our purpose or mission in life is first and foremost to fulfill our growing capacity for expressing the wisdom of the soul in our everyday affairs. Obviously, this implies 'right action'. Ask yourself: What is it that i really want from life? Most assuredly, your answer will include some form of action or activity. The inclinations of the soul personality, its talents and desires, will determine at the deepest levels which particular activity is most suited for us.The soul personality provides the guidance necessary  for us to express our outer personality(our character) to the greatest degree possible in any endeavor.

   Regardless of what course of action we choose, it is essential that it be one that we truly desire from the level of the soul personality, rather than from the much more changeable outer personality. And it must clearly be something we are well suited to undertake, or at least to be able to learn to master. Unless the outer personality is functioning in harmony with the wisdom and collective experience of the soul, the experience of life, while possible pleasing in the short term, will not lead to the experience that our deepest nature requires. what does our deepest nature 'require'? Clearly it requires what its karma mandates it must experience in order to grow and expand in spiritual awareness. And only this deepest part of ourselves can know therefore what is best for us and therefore what our main mission is life should be. Following any other course of action will be at best partially wrong or wasteful of the resources of the soul, but could also be catastrophic for the remainder of pour life.

   Therefore, by listening to the wisdom of the soul through meditation and attunement , we contribute to the fulfillment of our individual mission. It is the way is which we find our mission in life. Through the continued practice of listening to the Inner Master, and then acting accordingly, there emerges a pattern which is soon realized as the guiding force in our life. As this harmonious pattern rises to consciousness, so does our mission come into focus.

    No matter how suddenly the awareness of our mission occurs, and it may or may not occur as an intuitive flash, we may be sure that it has been developing long periods of time, from incarnation to incarnation.

LIGHT OF THE WORLD

The light of the world is always a hope in the hearts of those who seek a greater role in the world. There is an inner conviction for those who have awakened their spiritual sight; a conviction that the day will come when certain spiritual leaders will appear on the world scene who will raise the spiritual consciousness of humanity by their individual effort in various fields.

   Many who believe they recognize this trend in world affairs, point out the growth of interest in occult phenomena and in subject related to parapsychology which catch the public eye. But popular interest in occult and psychic phenomena does not equate to a spiritual awakening of humanity. There may be a peripheral awakening, but psychic phenomena and the occult in themselves, can exist entirely devoid of any real spiritual content.

    There is a trend however on the part of many good people, to be concerned about the spiritual, emotional and material welfare of underprivileged communities. This deep concern for other reveals a spiritual  awakening in many people who give no thought to the phenomena of so-called psychics and occultists. Their only concern is to do something now fro those needy people who have been cut off from the mainstream of life. They are the outcast, handicapped and underprivileged masses who have been cast aside by society because they don't or can't conform. Many are children, unwanted and without the love and guidance of parents or friends. In their eyes, nobody cares.

DEDICATION TO SERVICE

If scientist and politicians directed their attention to lifting a little of the burden of humanity, the light of the world would stand revealed. But we're still waiting while we direct our attention to the sufferings of others in need. Although we may feel powerless to help then many people in their plight, we must hold fast to the knowledge that what little we can do is needed and help is on the way. We must persist in the knowledge that our good works and prayers are helpful and achieve worthwhile result, even though we sometimes see little evidence of it. There is a gradual awakening of the part of many who dedicate themselves to service. Their concern is for more human values which reveal spiritual insight and deeper values.

   Those who have dedicated themselves to helping the needy, whether in the fields of medicine, sociology or many other sphere, aren't necessary mystically inclined; but they do reveal a deep spiritual motivation which  is greatly needed today. It is to be hoped that those who are mystically inclined will also become involved by radiating a spiritual love to all humanity service is the keynote of all mystical work. For preparation is the mystical life we must sooner or later feel the stirring of our deeper spiritual self which urges us to serve the interest of raising humanity to a higher lever of thought and conduct.

   Without the slightest doubt, there is a new spiritual awakening today. Small though it is, it can seen here and there where dedicated people are prepared to stand against all odd and be counted for the advancement of humanity, and especially to assist the underprivileged in society. This trend shows that the light of the spirit of humanity can be rekindled and that there is hope for the future destiny of mankind as long as there are men and woman who place their spiritual qualities above their material desires.

There will always be something we can do, no matter how small and inconsequential it may seem. The helping have we give to someone in needs of others. Service is the key to a better understand of life, for as we give of ourselves and share our lives with others, as fully as possible, so will our enriched. It is in giving that we receive, and to receive th greatest rewards in life we must be  prepared to put aside many of our self-interest and be more concerned for others. what we share will be returned to us in great measure.

    The more we give thought for each other and have the willingness to give some help to one another, the more the spiritual light will grow in the hearts of men and women, gradually bringing a new dawn of greater light and understanding between all people. Then will come to the fore those spiritually enlightened people of all races who will point the way to higher advancement, not by what they say, but because they will be living example of the spiritual way of life.

KNOWLEDGE FROM COSMIC

The ancient records reveals that the early leaders of the Great White Lodge had to depend almost exclusively upon Cosmic Illumination for the great knowledge which they preserved for us. With all their understanding of cosmic laws, they occasionally questioned some of the great truths that come to them. it seems, however, that at time wen by additional information confirmed the startling facts that they had received, and in this way their doubts were gradually cast aside and they learned to put dependence upon the knowledge that came from inner attunement .

The problem which we have to face today is due to the great  amount of education we have had in schools and through books and which is not correct or dependable knowledge. In other words, the ancients did not have a great storehouse of misinformation and untrue ideas which had to be removed as the new knowledge or correct knowledge came to them. We, on the other hand, have so much of this misinformation that is commonly accepted as true and commonly used in our everyday lives that when a different fact is given to us, even by some person who is a recognised authority, we are very likely to be doubtful and hesitate to accept the new information. If the new information conforms with what we have already learned or what we believe, we accept it readily enough; if, however, the new knowledge is so contrary and so different from what we have always understood, we either hesitate to accept the new facts or tend to modify them to fit our former beliefs.

It is plain to be seen, therefore, that the ancient had a great advantage over us. It may have taken them many centuries to learn how to mediate and to attune themselves with the Cosmic and thereby receive the great cosmic knowledge but in those centuries they had not acquired much untrue information which had to be set aside with difficulty. I do not mean by this that during the centuries of their evolution in thinking they did not build up certain belief and ideas of their own. These ideas were simply conclusions that they had come to from observation or from the expression of belief of others and such information did not constitute a system of facts. Everyone knew that most of the beliefs they had were based upon too greatly or adhered to against all reasoning or against new knowledge that might come their way. For this reason the thinking man or woman in the mystery schools of the past was always willing to cast aside any of the ideas that had been given to him or her by parents or friends or other for the newer facts that the Brotherhood taught.

Today, and for the past hundred years, we have been in a different position. Most of the fact and a great part of the knowledge that each one of us attains during childhood and youth come to us through printed books and through the word given to us by teachers in schools or by lectures. We have accepted such knowledge being the mere opinions or beliefs of other people but as being the actual facts discovered and maintained by scientific investigation. Therefore we consider our general knowledge to be very dependable and not such nature as to be cast aside easily. We are making a great mistake in this belief, however, because we are finding out daily that the mere fact that some explanation is printed in a book or taught by a thousand teachers is no guarantee that it is either correct or even partially dependable.

I say that we are discovering this. I mean that we, as mystics and perhaps several million other people are making this discovery. the vast multitude, however, have not made this discovery and they are still laboring under the impression that knowledge printed in a book or newspaper, or statement made by teachers, contain absolute truth, that the person who has a different explanation or knowledge must, first of all, disprove the information given in the books or taught by the teachers before he can present with conviction the new knowledge he has to offer. If we analyse the matter, however, we will see that there is no difference between the ancient teacher who stood in the midst of a green patch in a valley and expressed some of his beliefs about life and nature to a group of ignorant people who were ready to believe everything he said, and the man who has some peculiar ideas or explanations of his own today and is able to raise enough money to print those ideas in a book. Even teachers and professors secured their knowledge mostly through the reading of books written by someone else, and therefore they are expressing only the ideas of another. For this, the printed opinion is no more dependable than the verbal opinion. The only dependable source of knowledge is that which comes from within after we are attuned with the Cosmic.

In the past, the teachers in the Great White Lodge very often startled and surprised their students with the revelation of facts not known to others  or by the revelation of facts that were contrary to what was commonly believed. It is fortunate for us that most of those who belonged to the Great White Brotherhood and who received this new knowledge accepted, tested, proved and continued that teaching of it. Otherwise, today we would not have the great knowledge preserved for us that we do have. Throughout the centuries that have passed, there has been a great deal of false knowledge growing up in the mind of people along with the true knowledge. We of this time and period in the world, have acquired and inherited a great mass of knowledge, part of which is speculative, untrue, doubtful and undependable, and part of which is absolutely correct and provable. What we are trying to do is to separate the one from the other and get rid of the information that is false, modify the information that is partially true and test the information that is doubtful, while at the same time we add to our minds the knowledge that has been proved true and absolutely dependable.

SEPARATION OF TRUE AND FALSE:

You will agree that it is a large undertaking to analysis inherited knowledge, test it and separated the pure from the dross. That is the reason for such organisation as Enlightened mystic Order, Amorc and so on with its rules and regulation; that is the reason we study and work together. All of us are naturally reluctant to cast aside such knowledge as seems to be true and to fit in with the scheme of things. Take, for instance, our belief in the effect of the moon on tides. There was a time when the average man, woman and child did not know what caused the rising and falling of the tides and, or course, when an explanation was given to them they were quite ready to accept it because they had no other belief about it that interfered with or affected their belief in the new information. After generations had accepted a certain explanation in regard to the effect of the moon  on tides and after million of people had found that explanation seemed to be perfectly satisfactory, it is only natural that such people would be reluctant to cast aside that information. Now it is true that for all general purpose the explanation that science gives us about the effect of the moon on tides, and which our parents and grandparents studied in school, appears to be true. Since it seems to conform with the other laws of the universe, we accept it as true and hesitate to have it cast aside or upset or contradicted by anyone who has a different opinion.

Let me ask you this question: have we any proof that is really convincing to us that the explanation about the effect of the moon on tides is correct ? The mere fact that it explains the coincidence between the moon and the tides or that it helps us to understand how the tide rises and falls and the fact the explanation fits in with the periods of the moon exactly to the hours and minutes, are really no proof that the explanation is correct.

The addition fact that our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents believed it, and the eminent scientists believe it, is also no proof that is correct. The minute we hesitate to accept new knowledge because our present knowledge satisfactorily explains things to us, we are closing our mind to illumination, thereby fooling ourselves. Long before the scientist, William Harvey, discovered that the blood circulates through the body, it was a common belief among the multitudes throughout the world that the blood did not circulate. The old idea about the blood had been  taught in every school by scientists and teachers to such an extent that everybody was thoroughly convinced that the blood remained stationary in the body. Harvey had great difficulty in convincing the world that the blood circulates. Another scientist had great trouble in convincing the world that the earth revolves; and we all know that Columbus, as well as others, had great difficulty in convincing the public that the earth is round.

Some of the general beliefs and teachings common to all religions are so unrealistic, when we stop to analyse them, that we wonder why we ever believed some of the theories . Let me give you an illustration of one of the most common belief that is certainly so unrealistic that we cannot help smiling at it: in the Christian teachings millions of people accepted as an absolute fact that God created and populated this earth, and that after God had put people on this earth. He send His Son Jesus here to save us and to redeem the world.

According to that story, this planet called Earth is the only planet in the universe and we are simply one ball floating in space. All the people that God made and everything else that God made are on this one earth. Therefore, Jesus had to come only to this one planet to save the people living here. Yet the very ministers, clergymen, priests, professors, teachers and others who teach this Christian idea admit that there are other planet that God made. If this is so, then God must have sent Jesus or some other son to the other planets to save the people and to improve conditions there, or else God ignored the other planets and simply sent His son o this one called Earth and gave all His attention to us.