While eating lunch outside under a blossoming Locust tree and listening to bees from my 4 hives feeding in the tree, a swarm of bees flew into the tree and eventually settled in an nearby Oak tree 30 feet up. By the time I got a 20 foot extension ladder tied into the tree, the bees took off while I was cutting branches and preparing to raise a capture box.
Posts tagged ‘Part’
Zack across wooden ladder in St Maarten rainforest
Esotericism
There is more to Truth and Reality than what elementary minds would want to pursue and consider. It often seems more comfortable to sit in the dark where we see nothing than to face the blinding light. Is the blindness the same in both cases? The former is blissful ignorance, the latter an initial shock–but one that eventually offers solace to the soul. It is the courageous individual that seeks Truth no matter how painful or shocking it may be. In this paper we do not pretend to represent Truth, we simply give directions to it. Because there are those that seek Truth, humankind may be categorized into two distinct groups:
1) “The Many,” the believers, those who are devoted and satisfied with the dogmas of their creed and resistant to any teachings that contradicts and upsets their beliefs and faith, including the higher revelations of the Paraclete, or the Holy Spirit.
2) “The Few,” the seekers, those who are jaded with irrational faiths and creeds that do not satisfy the intellect nor the growing conscience of the inner self, and who seek spiritual knowledge and experience to fill the empty heart of spiritual yearning. St. Martin, the co-founder of Martinism, calls this second group, “Men of Desire.”
Realizing this division within humankind ever since the spring of existence, the higher intelligences that oversees the evolution of man instituted religions with dual sections that catered to the two types of men. It has been acknowledged by the spiritual guardians, the “Minor Spirits” of Martinism that the masses of man are as yet too puerile to participate in their own salvation and the unfoldment of their divinity. Only the few had the capacity of doing so. Religion, therefore, has its mysteries, an esoteric side to its nature, established for the nurture and nourishment of those few who were qualified to receive the higher teachings that would stimulate the awakening and unfoldment of their divine consciousness, their seed potential of Christhood, or Buddhahood, and establish them firmly on the path of discipleship, that they may become initiates of the Holy Spirit.
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.” (1Co:2:7)
Religion, to be of value, should reach the hearts of men standing at various grades of the evolutionary ladder, as depicted in the symbolism of Jacob’s dream. Its doctrines and precepts should include both elementary and advanced teachings of Cosmic laws that would assist man in fulfilling the ancient threefold injunction: “Know thyself, know thyself as God, and know they enemy.” Teachings suitable for the few are called “esoteric.” St. Paul called such manna “meat,” in contradistinction to the “milk” suitable for the many–or the “babes”–those whose soul-experience, personal evolution, and consciousness are still on the elementary level. Origen, one of the early Fathers of Christianity, taught that only when the members of the church’s congregation ceased to do evil would the esoteric side, or secret mysteries be revealed. Sinners were told not to sin, but notwithstanding the simplicity of this precept, the early Christian following found it difficult to put this teachings into practice, and sincere seekers, as a result, became scarce. Gradually, the portal of the “strait and narrow gate” was closed and withdrawn from the Christian institution and its existence forgotten by lay members and priesthood alike. The “keys” to the Kingdom of Heaven were no longer in the hands of the Apostle Peter’s successors–the very nature of these “keys” are unknown to most religious representatives of God, even more so to the lay follower. The latter is unconscious of its existence.
Nowadays, blind leaders mislead their equally blind followers with a salvation based on a false interpretation of the scriptures. But this condition has actually always existed in the past in the temples of religious instruction. The Master Jesus was very vocal regarding these mis-leaders of the Spiritual Law.
Religion in its original intent, was meant to convey to the minds and hearts of man at a certain point of his mental and spiritual development the Secret Wisdom of the Ages. Humankind is expected to be responsible for their own salvation and freedom from the bondage of matter. Since man is evolving and progressing toward the Light, revelation would need to be continuous to satisfy man’s constant inquiry, growing awareness and comprehension of the Nature of Being, the ontology of his Soul. Resistance to further revelations of the “Comforter,” is an act of fanaticism and causes the evolutionary impulse of the resisting one to stall and prolong the sleep of consciousness in the tomb of matter. It was the opposition of gnosis, the Ancient Wisdom, and progressive revelation that caused the esoteric side of religions, particularly Christianity, to withdraw formally from the outer, exoteric work and form themselves into secret societies and Orders, preserving the secret teachings in their archives. It is the esoteric side of religion that infuses life into the institution as a whole. Religion without the mystical aspect, becomes a farce, a sham, and a fertile field for corruption. Dogmas and foundationless beliefs and faiths simply insult human intelligence, and the rebellion of the human soul struggling for enlightenment occurs as a natural result.
Prophets and sages, exponents of gnosis, founded religions and societies with the intention of leading the masses several steps forward in their ascension towards the Light. They even gave hints of an advanced method that would accelerate the spiritual development of those who would tread such a path. The Master Jesus offered the “strait and narrow gate.” Jeremiah acting as Omneity’s scribe and mouth-piece, suggested that humankind “. . . ask for the ancient paths. (Jer 6:16)” Many stories to be found in the scriptures are representative of manuals of practical spiritual techniques of development. For instance we have, Jacob’s Ladder; Elijah’s mount experience; the various stages of Moses’ encounters with Divinity; the Merkabah or sky-chariot of Ezekiel; Jesus’s 40-day fast on the Mount with Satan; the events in Jesus’s life, etc.
Many of the precepts, rites, tenets, and principles of Christianity originated from old religions and Mystery Schools. This fact may be discerned should a study of comparative religions be undertaken. For instance, the doctrine of heaven and hell, the last judgment, the mediation of the Logos on behalf of humanity’s salvation, and the Eucharist–all have their counterpart in the cult of Mithras, Zoroastrianism and the Essenes. It is also in the field of probability that the illumined minds of the founders of religion were enlightened with the same illumination of the Spirit concerning Cosmic laws of the universe that directs every spark of God. This would account for the many similarities between various religions. Truth is eternal and immutable, as it is One. The manner Truth is conveyed may vary from culture to culture, from age to age, but its essential nature is forever the same. Founders of religions were, and are, extraordinary beings from the perspective of an unenlightened humanity. However, each and every enlightened-one teach of the possibility of man attaining the very same state of divine godhood by unfolding his spiritual potential and emulating the great ones who incarnate to show the Way, to Moksha, to Freedom.
Part of the Ancient Wisdom or the gnosis of the Bodhisattvas, were recorded in ancient scriptures such as the Avesta, the Vedas, the Tao Teh Ching, the Book of Dzan, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and many other books considered apocryphal. Certain aspects of the Ancient Wisdom was conveyed orally from Master to chela, such as the Qabalah of Judaism, for instance.
Esoteric Christianity, as a practical collective-stream corresponding to bhakti, raja, jnana, kundalini, laya, and karma yoga, is the gnosis taught by Master Jesus to an inner circle of students. Its precepts and doctrines are based on the Ancient Wisdom. Jesus, however, revealed more advanced aspects of the gnosis for the disciples of the new dispensation, the Piscean and the Aquarian Age. And yet, even to his most foremost disciples he declared that there were higher teachings which they were not as yet qualified to receive:
“I have many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now.” (John 16:12)
Here Jesus hints at the continuity of revelation, and the promise that higher teachings shall be given at the appropriate time. We may well ask, “are the present votaries of Christianity receiving these teachings in this present age?” Is the nature of these teachings known?
There was a traditional belief in the early days of the Church’s inception that Jesus remained with his disciples for a considerable period after his ascension, for the purpose of instructing them further on the gnosis. A gnostic work titled “Pistis Sophia” declares that Jesus was with his disciples for eleven years after the resurrection. St. Iraneus, bishop of Lyons, concurred with this belief, even though he attacked most, if not all, of the other gnostic ideas. In his book “Against Heresies,” he wrote that the Apostles themselves testified that Jesus lived to an old age. In connection with this, one wonders at the report of Jesus’ grave being in Srinagar, India, as pointed out by local natives living in the area.
According to a modern school of Esoteric Christianity, the gnosis transmitted from Initiator to candidate were divided into two parts:
1) The Purifying Mysteries–for the sinner who wishes to be cleansed of karmic tendencies and stains.
2) The Illuminating Mysteries–for those who wish to probe and comprehend reality and Maya; the microcosm and the macrocosm, etc.
Initiators of the spiritual gnosis are the mythic Peters that guards the pearly gates of Heaven. They hold the keys of illumination, knowledge and the principles that would assist the candidate to enter Heaven, the Kingdom of God within his consciousness–exactly where Jesus pointed out where it would be–within oneself and not in the afterlife or in some physical location on earth. His parables are enough to convince one of this.
The existence of esoteric teachings within early Christianity were mentioned by certain Church Fathers such as Origen, Clement of Alexandria and Ignatius. They praised the mystical teachings highly and would have proclaimed them from rooftops had it not been for the opposition of the dull minds of worldly men, some of whom were appareled in priests’ habit. This in fact was done by Origen, and he was anathemized centuries later by the Emperor Justinius who presided over the Fifth Ecumenical Council in 553 AD. Many of Origen’s works were put to the flames. We had previously mentioned how the gnosis was withdrawn from public awareness. The various church councils convened throughout the centuries, later supplanted the gnosis with impious creeds and dogmas which no longer reflected the original teachings of Jesus.
Among students of esotericism there are those who consider Joseph of Arimathea to have been the guardian of the esoteric church of Christianity, just as “Peter” was considered to be the leader of the temporal church. The esoteric church was called the “Secret Church of the Holy Grail.” As the story goes, Joseph, a secret disciple of Jesus, journeyed to Glastonbury, England, taking along with him certain relics said to be filled with divine virtue. Among these relics was the grail, the chalice used by Jesus during the “Last Supper;” and the spear that wounded him while he was hanging on the cross. Because of corruption within the church in subsequent years, the Grail disappeared from the physical plane. The Order of the Knights of the Round Table was established by King Arthur and Merlin for the quest of the Grail. In truth, the search probably occurred within the Soul, for the Grail, from one point of view, symbolizes a spiritual principle in man’s being. It is said that only the pure may see God. Sir Galahad, the young Knight who found the Grail, according to one version of the Grail legend, represented the purified nature of man. Only in such a purified state is it possible for man to “see” God–and live–to live, but no longer as an ordinary mortal, for the lower aspects of his being would have “perished” in God’s consuming, transmuting flame.
Gnosticism
The Order of the Grail was not the only branch of Esoteric Christianity. Gnostics claim that they too, were bequeathed the secret teachings of Jesus, with a “Doctrine of the Heart,” transmitted to them via lesser known apostles such as Thomas and Mark. In the mind of Gnostics, Peter always represented the exoteric side of Christianity. Some Gnostics affirm that Simon Magus was the founder of Gnosticism. Nothing much is known about this mysterious personality except that in Acts in the New Testament he clashed with Peter in a psychic battle and was vanquished. Many believe that this story was fabricated by the priests of exoteric Christianity to discredit Gnosticism as a whole.
Gnosis, from which the word Gnosticism is derived, comes from the Greek word “Gnostikos,” which means one who has knowledge. It is defined by Bishop John Bricaud in his book Esoteric Christian Doctrine as,
“The supreme religious science, that is the true knowledge of the three worlds, divine, spiritual, material, as well as their relationships.”
Gnosticism presents to students secret methods of inquiry and entry into the soul’s inner depth. Beliefs and mere faith were not advocated in the teachings of the Gnostic Masters.
St. Iraneus, as mentioned earlier, attacked Gnostics for their mystical notions. He declared their spiritual literary works, their gospels, as being full of blasphemy. It is easy to discern why Iraneus was opposed to their doctrines. Gnosticism offered seekers direct access to Omneity, and this very condition undermined the position of the priesthood as the supposed intermediaries, as the only so-called valid way for seekers to approach God. Gnostics on their side, opposed the three-fold system established within orthodox Christianity: doctrine, ritual, and the church hierarchy. The ancient Gnostics were individuals who sought knowledge and wisdom, pragmatically, through personal experience. From their standpoint, the doctrines taught by Jesus were more important than the man himself. The historical reality of Jesus was not a matter of any great import. The mystical and mythical Christ were their sole concern, their only guides and ideal. The laws of God, our relation to Truth and Reality–to Gnostics were more important than the personality of the exponent of those revelations. To them, the second coming of Christ takes place mystically, within the consciousness of one’s being. Basilides, Valentinus, Marcus, and Marcion were some of the eminent Gnostics that shaped Gnostic thought.
Gnosticism, like many other cults and societies, ended in many schisms, caused by differences in the interpretation of Truth. Absolute Truth is inapprehendable by human intellect. Relative truths have this strange characteristic of presenting various facets of Absolute Truth that from one perspective appear true, from another appear false, and yet from another, makes no difference at all.
In 1945, in Egypt, at Nag Hamaddi, certain gnostic manuscripts were discovered, among which was the Gospel of Thomas. This work consists of a collection of sayings of Jesus, and is regarded by some scholars as the primary source of Jesus’ sayings to be found in the four canonical gospels. We will discuss briefly some of the sayings to be found in the Gospel.
“Blessed is the lion which a man eats so that the lion becomes a man. But cursed is the man whom a lion eats so that the man becomes a lion.” (Gospel of Thomas Saying No.7)
The meaning of this saying is similar to saying No.116:
“Cursed is the flesh that depends on the soul, and cursed is the soul that depends on the flesh!” (Ibid. Saying No.116)
The carnal self, or the bestial nature within man is often portrayed as a lion. Alchemical writers of the past made use of this symbolism profusely. To consume a lion is the process of transmuting and sublimating man’s lower impulses. This is in accord with the evolutionary urge which is prompted by the higher impulses of man’s spiritual nature. Conversely, to allow animal instincts to rule and tyrannize the higher aspects of our being is to figuratively, be consumed by the lion by allowing its persona to be superimposed upon our Real Self. This in a sense is worshipping an idol, a false god, that misleads man’s senses and consciousness within the labyrinth of Maya. Man should identify himself with his Atma, his spiritual nature, and not conclude that his lower principles with their desires are his Reality. Attachment to the flesh results in suffering and sorrow, and man is cursed by such conditions that binds his soul to the wheel of birth and rebirth, as graciously pointed out to us by Gautama, the Buddha. This divine messenger of God gave us the eight-fold path as a way of escape from the turmoil within the soul. The Christ gave us the prime commandment to love, which if lived and applied within our thoughts and feelings, would yoke the Fragment to the Whole.
“Blessed is the man who has laboured; he has found life!” (Ibid. Saying No.63)
Man’s objective consciousness is in a state of death–spiritual death. He moves, and thinks within God’s being like a zombie. Blind to spiritual realities and verities, and to his divine potential, man relies excessively upon an irreligious science and an unscientific religion that dulls as well as stimulate his mind and emotions with an artificial, mechanized living that degrades the soul. Life is Reality, and those who seek the greater life must labour in the vineyard of the soul to awaken the consciousness of the Kingdom of God. All that is temporal, transient, is unreal. Nothing in this three-dimensional world is Real in the absolute sense of the word, for everything is in a state of fluctuation, of becoming. The Real does not change. The dependency on conditions, relations, and objects in this unreal world for one’s mental and emotional well-being and security eventually upsets the equilibrium of body, mind, and soul, and results in inharmony, in sickness, and in suffering. Illness is an absence of the bountiful force of Life. God is Life, and Life in the physical vehicle of man is to be found in the blood. The denial of God’s existence within and without us is to deny the very foundation of our existence, the very life-force within our being. According to one school of thought, disintegration occurs on a spiritual level to all the principles or components comprising man should this denial be a constant state incarnation after incarnation. The closest proximity that such an unfortunate being could get to the life-essence, hence God, to survive spiritually, is by blood-shed. This explains the acts of depravity of those who indulge in blood-sacrifices, vampirism, and murder.
Matter provides a great challenge to the Ego. It offers resistance to its etherealization, the accomplishment and mastery of which awards man with the unfoldment of his Christhood. No other being can accomplish this for us by proxy. We precipitated this condition for ourselves by our demand of free-will in the higher states of existence. It is the mission and prerogative of man to save his soul and thus acquire a greater life, a greater consciousness, a greater state of being, and to secure for himself a permanent place in the Kingdom of God as a pillar of perfection.
“He who is near me is near the fire, and he who is far from me is far from the kingdom.” (Ibid. Saying No.86)
The fire referred to here is the spark of God within man’s heart. This spark is the divine aspect of man entombed within matter. It corresponds to the sun in the solar system and is the source of life within the body. Hindu mystics describe this flame as a divine being meditating in the heart of the anahata chakra. They call this divine spark “Dahara,” which means “minuscule,” with “overtones of radiance.” (Encyclopedic Dictionary of Yoga, by Georg Feuerstein)
Copyright © 2006 Luxamore
[Note: This paper contains images which may be seen as originally published at our website]
The Various Traditions
In these series of articles we shope to describe the mudra practices to be found in various religious practices, such as in Buddhism, and Hinduism; and in various countries rich in cultural traditions as for instance, Japan, India, China, Tibet, and Indonesia. Mudra teachings are also to be found in Christianity and in the Egyptian tradition. Contemporary development of Runic lore has also its own version of hand-gestures designed to offer psychic benefits. We will describe some of these and teach how our readers may put these mudras into practice to assist their spiritual unfoldment and the improvement of their mundane lives.
Regrettably, there are many powerful mudras to be found in mystical schools and traditions that we have not been able to get access to and thus present in these articles. For instance, Chen Yen or Shingon Buddhism, which is considered as an esoteric tradition, has a rich heritage on mudra practices. These mudras are performed in conjunction with mantras and the visualization of mandalas. According to their doctrines, mudras, mantras, and mandalas represent body, speech, and mind. Chen Yen Buddhism teaches that the culture of these three aspects of the microcosm leads the practitioner to a higher spiritual state of being. Another Buddhist school that teaches mudras is the True Buddha School led by the Living Buddha Lu Sheng-yen. One would have to be a follower of the Living Buddha in order to acquire the mudra teachings.
The Spiritual Path
At the very outset of these articles we would caution our readers not to misapply any phenomenal powers that they may acquire through the practice of the mudras. Always aim for spirituality, not for the attainment of illusory baubles. Do not strive for the phenomenal, the sensational; or be obsessed with spiritual powers. The goal is soul-development, not self-aggrandizement. The spiritual tyro should not succumb to self-deception, self-complacency, self-centeredness, self-importance, and all egoistic tendencies. Until the false ego is subdued, one has not reached the proper state where enlightenment may be acquired or where spiritual forces and powers may be properly harnessed and applied; even the so-called awakening and rising of the kundalini force will not be optimal in its influence. There is too much deception here. Psychicism is often mistaken for spirituality. Visions may delight the ego, seeing spirits may make one think highly of oneself, the vain display of “supernatural” powers may leave one too self-complacent. In the end the evolving soul gets stuck in the astral mire, no matter how sublime visions or experiences may be. The nature and apprehension of one’s visions is related to one’s evolutionary status. The higher we are the more true our understanding and perception. Those who claim the ability to see sublime visions while being morally bankrupt are only perceiving the lower astral planes and the projections of their own subconscious minds.
What true spirituality is cannot be stated too openly for the reason that it would be falsely adopted or assumed by those pretending to be “Masters” in order to fool an unwary and ignorant crowd. The true Master, however, has his own criteria and is able to differentiate the false from the real, the quacks from those who are genuine.
If the reader argues that he or she seeks powers so that they may be of help to humanity it is time for introspection. With what you have right now, are you helping humanity? Do you make sacrifices on behalf of humanity? Do you serve selflessly? Please do not deceive yourself. It is always wise to first work upon your own character before undertaking the unfoldment of powers. Without a true Guru one could be led astray by dark forces posing as representatives of Light.
The spiritual path is filled with thorns and mirages. The closer one gets to the goal, the more temptations, obstacles, tests, and trials one encounters. The chelas, students of the spiritual path often succumbs to glamour and illusions, false understanding and beliefs. Without the Guru’s aid, they could fall. But most often while bathing in the false astral light they forget the Guru and seek instead temporary delights. Students of metaphysics should not attempt to fly before they can run, run before they can walk, walk before they can stand, or stand before they can crawl.
In their ambition to attain spiritual power and personal bliss quickly, students of metaphysics make the mistake of jumping from Guru to Guru, from teaching to teaching, from tradition to tradition, not realizing the traps that they are laying for themselves, and thus delaying the divine grace that the true Guru would channel to them. They would also not experience the Guru’s essence in such a manner; nor will they receive all that the Guru would like to give. It is like digging a well for water. We would dig 5-6 m before reaching water. If we were to dig a meter here, a meter there, we would end up with nothing substantial. Students would end up confused: one Guru says this, another says that, etc. Students that follow many Gurus simultaneously are not loyal to the instructions of any one of them. It is also unfair to the Guru as a problem might arise in their spiritual disciplines. Who would then be responsible for that? To which Guru should the student go to? The spiritual aspirant is unaware that certain traditions are incompatible, that some rays do not mix well, and that by practicing them together these might eventuate in psychic and psychological impediments and problems.
Masters have always cautioned us to “make haste slowly.” The ancient Rishis and Yogis were well aware of this problem of the neophyte, they therefore established Guru Puja, or the worship of the Guru. Essentially this was not for the purpose of glorifying the Guru in any way, it was for the purpose of assisting the chelas or students to maintain focus, to develop divine love, to instill a sense of identification with their Guru so that they may become like the object of their adoration.
Students would derive the utmost benefit by sticking to a single Guru. Only in this manner would it be possible for the chela to experience “Guru Tattva,” “Zat Guru,” or the essence of the Guru where the Supreme Being expresses and bestows through the Guru untold spiritual wealth upon the loyal and devoted student. We may claim that we express unconditional love; and yet, if we do not have trust and faith in our Preceptor, if we do not apply his instructions and advice seeking pastures in other fields and hoping for a quick attainment, and thus destroying all that the Guru wishes his disciples to accomplish–that is, to unfold in an orderly and proper manner–then it simply proves that our claim of unconditional love is false.
There are agents of the dark forces stomping around looking for victims. They entrap their prey by flattery, big promises and a show of “psychic powers” and the like. Metaphysical students should be on guard and not fall into their clutches for their path lead downward to the abyss.
The spiritual path toward the lofty goal of Buddhahood, human perfection, or the ascension may be compared to a ladder consisting of many rungs. Each rung should be treaded upon. Missing a rung would only mean returning again in a later life time to learn or experience it. Attaining nirvana, experiencing bliss, or acquiring an expanded consciousness is all well and good but a person is no closer to the goal than before. Prior to starting off his career as a human soul Man was in such a divine natural state, tranquil, blissful, sans ego; and yet he incarnated for a reason, for a spiritual purpose. Would we negate this purpose now by ignoring it and experiencing bliss for our own sakes alone? The goal is the Ascension and in order to do that the quaternary principles–the physical, the etheric, the astral, and the lower mental bodies would have to be transmuted and raised to the causal level, and this cannot be done with the false ego still running amuck, when the sense of mortality still holds sway, when self-centeredness is the whole purpose of existence.
The experience of bliss does not indicate a high spiritual development. There are various levels of bliss, not all of which originate in the blissful center of the Soul, or Higher Self. Man possesses certain components in his being that records past feelings whether of trauma or joy. When stimulated or cleansed these components release their contents and is experienced by the consciousness. This experience is often mistaken for the impregnation of the Holy Spirit.
An advanced consciousness no longer judges dualistically what it perceives. It does not differentiate between the good and the bad, the evolved and the unevolved, the beautiful and the ugly. It is only aware of the presence of God in all.
When we get down to spiritual basics, psychic powers mean nothing. They do not take a person closer to God. Possessing paranormal abilities do not make a person spiritual. Spirituality has nothing to do with what you have or what you know. It has to do with what you are, and how well you are expressing your Divine Self. Therefore, in conjunction to the study of mudras we would adjure our readers to develop purity, love, affection, detachment, disinterestedness, gentleness, harmlessness, beauty, selflessness, self-abandonment, and other divine virtues. Also, deepen your metaphysical knowledge of Cosmic laws and apply spiritual precepts. Do not miss a rung of the ladder leading toward the goal of human perfection. As said before, if any rung is missed you would have to return to start all over again in order to tread it. It is wonderful to unfold unconditional love and to experience bliss but do no forget that Divine Consciousness has many spiritual aspects and attributes, each one of which the spiritual aspirant would have to personally unfold. The person with the full unfoldment of one or two divine virtues has still a long way to go to reach perfection compared with another who has almost unfolded all of them but incompletely as yet. It is therefore, difficult to judge another using human values and perception.
Mudras are tools to spiritual development. They should be used in conjunction with other metaphysical disciplines and not applied as a sole sadhana or spiritual practice. There is no one method or technique that is superior to another. They all have their place in a disciple’s daily work-out, and each have their own purpose and effect. Thus, while engaging in mudras, one should not give up one’s daily prayers, meditations, occult disciplines and other yogic practices.
Chelas should not be attached to the sensations that mudras give–their purpose is not to offer personal delight; rather chelas should be focused more on the goal of human existence.
Purpose of These Series of Articles
All that we need to progress spiritually may be found within us. We were told by the Master Jesus that heaven is within us, within our beings; it is not a place that we go to when we pass away, or after the last angelic trumpet call during the last days of the Apocalypse. We do not deny that in some scriptures heaven is said to be a place. There is some truth in this belief, in this context we may equate heaven to the various dimensions, planes of existences, or realities. However, the heaven referred to by Master Jesus is quite different. It is more of a state of being, a level of awareness, a spiritual attitude.
The more we depend upon our inner being, our own Self, our own resources for our own evolvement, the more quickly we will reach the goal of human existence. Excessive dependence upon external agencies simply prolongs our state of ignorance and our human, mortal condition. This is one of the reasons why in Holy Scriptures we are warned not to visit street fortunetellers, paranormals and such, for they frequently instill in us a false sense of self-assurance and complacency, or conversely–needless fear. They misdirect our attention to things of no eternal worth. They are part of that materialistic scheme of the Dark Ones that hope to delay and if possible, thwart humanity’s soul progress.
Salvation does not come from without, it comes from within. The savior of humanity lies within our own hearts. We have to find him there. This is a simple message that all mystics and saints have been telling us. We may disregard it at our own peril.
The purpose of these articles is to assist the raising of the awareness and the expansion of the consciousness of our readers who apply the teachings of the mudras. They are keys to personal development and spiritual unfoldment. By practicing the mudras consistently, the practitioner would in time realize the following:
The existence of unseen forces and Intelligence
The omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience of Energy
The existence of other dimensions and realities
The oneness of all life
The errors of dualistic perception
The blissful nature of the Spirit, or the Self
The various powers of the Soul
The illusions of time and space
The birthrights of the Soul such as health, tranquility, prosperity, joy, etc.
The powerful nature of Divine Love
The ephemeral nature of physical life
Morality as a soul necessity
The sacredness of all sentient life
The reality of the Soul
. . . and many other things that cannot be put into print or understood intellectually. Mudras may take us to spiritual heights that we have not reached heretofore. It initiates us into the world of pragmatic mysticism. All that a true spiritual Guru may do is to offer keys, guidance, advice, and teachings. He or she is unable to force any chela to comply or to obey because of the Law of Free Choice. It is up to the disciple to trust, have faith in and to open-up to the Teacher.
One of our intentions in the writing of these articles is to help preserve an important aspect of the cultural heritage of humanity. Here and there in these works are to be found spiritual gems and seeds that may not be recognized as such. In any case, we believe that they will eventually take root in the fertile grounds of our reader’s mind and sprout in an active enhancement of the human condition disregarding commercialism and all partisanship and fanaticism of race, religion, color, gender, tribal affiliation, etc.
Although these series of articles are incomplete and have their shortcomings, the author feels that it would still fill the void in most people’s awareness concerning esoteric methods of spiritual development. There are many occult techniques, systems, and traditions at our disposal, we only need to search for the tools that work for us. An open mind, fearlessness, and humility are all necessary qualities that would help us in our search for the keys to spiritual knowledge and unfoldment.
We reiterate: everything that we need to evolve and grow spiritually we already possess within us. We just need to be shown and given the keys that opens the right portals. These articles, it is hope, would offer a bunch of these keys that would unveil for the reader a greater world of understanding and experience. This is what the writer wills.
Copyright © 2006 Luxamore