SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HOLY EASTER SEASON

By Louis Agbe, Easter School 2018, Koforidua

 

As we gather to observe the Easter Season, let us try to recall a scene from that far-off past, some twenty centuries ago. A scene wherein a figure hangs upon a cross, head bowed upon a straining, pain-racked breast, lips parched and swollen, hands bloodstained, lacerated, feet pierced with cruel jagged nails, side bleeding from a gaping ragged wound where venomous steel has cut the tender quivering flesh; while round about a surging throng of people come and go, mocking, insulting, blaming and condemning. “If thou be Christ, come down from the cross,” calls one. Another, “If thou be King of the Jews, save thyself.”Suddenly there is a hush, a sharp intake of breath, and a startled crowd stands motionless. The bowed head is lifted, and the deep mysterious eyes, filled with the agony of pain and death, look upward into a suddenly darkening sky. The parched lips move, and a voice of unutterable sweetness pleads, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Two thousand years ago it is since that disgraceful scene stamped itself upon the ethers, there to remain until the tears of a regenerate race shall have washed its bloodstained evidence from off the Recording Angel’s scroll, which bears the record of deeds done in the past. And every single year since then that same sweet Spirit has returned to us, to purify, fructify and revivify, and lighten our earth. Then at the vernal season of the year, after having given of His life and love to the uttermost, he has risen from out the dark confines of our dense globe and at Easter time ascended to the heaven world, there to be reunited once again with the Father, there to be greeted with the gladsome hosannas of angelic choirs, there again to listen to and bathe in the ineffable harmonies which pervade His heaven-world home.

Why does Christ Jesus make this annual sacrifice? Why does He come to us, a heedless world, again and again, entering into the cramped confining conditions of our globe, there to remain six months out of every year, groaning, travailing, and suffering? There is but one reason! With His all-pervading sight, He beheld us innumerable years ago, as prodigal sons and daughters, wandering far from the Father’s house, so far that we never could have found our way back alone and unaided. We committed atrocious crimes, actuated entirely by selfishness and disregard for the feelings of others. We were then cunning and cruel and seldom did a good deed. At that time the periods between death and birth had to be spent in purgatory expiating crimes, so that little or no time was left for the heaven worlds. In deed there were few deeds of sympathy and compassion. That kept the vibration of the earth on a low level. The bodies of all the stragglers were in the process of being destroyed, and they as spirits returning to the beginning of evolution to make that long journey again, thus frustrating the plan for their evolution and upsetting the scheme of our Solar System.Christ saw all these things with His all-pervading sightthose innumerable years ago, and the consequences that would follow if something was not done. And then it was that his compassionate heart went out to us in sympathy and love. Then it was that this great archangel, Christ, offered Himself, His life, His love, His all, on the alter for our redemption; not for a few short years terminating in the death upon the cross, but for every year, until the knowledge of His love, His sacrifice, His agonizing pain, shall have awakened the Christ spirit within us and we shall willingly, gladly relieve Him of His self-imposed task, the redemption of an otherwise lost world.

Another question that often comes to mind is why did this Great Spirit suffer death upon the cross? Was there no other way? No, there was no other way! In order for Him to redeem the world it was necessary that He become the indwelling Planetary Spirit of the earth, and he could only gain access to the earth in this capacity through the flowing blood. Also it was necessary that He should drain the cup of human woe, pain and suffering to the last of its bitter dregs in order to understand as He could not have done otherwise the misery, pain and despair to which these lost children had become heir. Only in this way could he enter into a perfect realization of their woe, and become one with them by tasting the bitterness of their distress, and then understandingly lead them back to the Father’s house, Himself supporting, sustaining, and encouraging them by appearing among them as a man among men; by suffering, sorrowing, and dying for them. Thus by example only could He teach them in a way which they could not forget.

It was for these reasons and these alone that the great love principle of the triune God, exemplified in Christ, incarnated in a human form, walked, talked, taught, and died for mankind. Each year when this Great Spirit comes to us, it means death to him in the heaven world just as much as the passing out of the dense body means death to us here. But when the joyful Easter time arrives again, He is liberated to soar upward to the Father who awaits Him beyond the confines of the sky. The precious heritage which He has left us is HIS LOVE and LIGHT, unifying, fructifying, and spiritualizing not only the earth and its vehicles, but all that live thereon from the tiniest mineral cell to the most advanced beings of our race. This Love, like a solvent, is breaking down all crystallizations caused by our sinful nature. But for the annual advent of this rejuvenating LOVE-LIFE, but for the yearly infusion of this divine force, the world and all thereon would surely perish physically, and its orderly progress so far as its present lines of development are concerned would surely be frustrated.

We must each ask ourselves what particular use we are supposed to make of this divine gift of Love and Light in our lives. Ever before us we have a living example in the Great Teacher’s sacrifice. If we would advance out of the animal-like stage of existence in which we already have stayed far too long, we too must give and love and suffer; we must sacrifice without stint or measure, without hope of reward; we must meet the scorn and the in-gratitude of those whom we have tried to assist, those who have cruelly misunderstood us. All of these we must meet with the same unselfish prayer for their welfare that Christ Jesus offered up for us: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Seventy times seven, the Good Book tells us, shall thou forgive thy brother his transgressions.

It is not, however, until we have to some extent attuned ourselves to the vibrations of this great Christ Spirit, the Spirit of Love, that we can in deed and in truth do this. Through the majestic power of love alone is the inner vision awakened and the spirit enabled to behold the gigantic struggle which must take place within each human breast before the God Within is able to subjugate the lower self and gain control of its vehicles. But when by LOVE we have become enlightened, we too no longer condemn others, but instead our hearts go out to all our brothers and sisters filled with tender sympathy and understanding love; for in each unkind word, each stinging retort, we now recognize only the pitiful heart-rending cries of a prodigal soul waging tremendous battle within itself to overcome the lower nature and make it subservient to the God Within.

Until we have developed this sympathy, this compassion, this Christ-like love and understanding, we are like children crying in the dark, battling our own lower natures; the discordant vibrations of which manifest on the material plane as unkind words and deeds directed toward our fellow man. It is this very lesson of compassion and love that the Lord Christ comes annually to teach, and having imparted it to us He leaves at Easter Season to return to the Father for more instruction, understanding, and love with which to imbue us when He comes again. During His absence He entrusts us with the mission of carrying on His work. May this Easter Season bring us a renewal of our determination and devotion to keep His commandments as given forth in St. Matthew Chapter 22, verses 36 to 39 when He was asked “Master, which is the greatest commandment? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy Godwith all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Let us indeed pick up our cross and follow him. It is true; temptation may beset us at every step… but they are not put across our path for the sake of hindering us, but rather because we are free to choose between various courses of action which ultimately serve as a method of our ongoing. The aim of the creator is the evolution of mankind from sinner to saint to unity with the Godhead; the building up and the broadening of consciousness toward self-control and unselfish love.

“Though Christ a thousand time in Bethlehem be born, and not within thyself, thy soul will be forlorn. The cross on Golgotha thou lookest to in vain, unless within thyself it be set up again.” (Angelus Silesius). As Thomas a Kempis said “The whole life of Christ was a cross and a martyrdom, and dost thou seek for thyself rest and joy? The higher a man has advanced in spirit the heavier crosses he will often find, because the sorrows of his banishment increase with the strength of his love.” May we all strive so that day by day we shall be found kneeling , and overcome clinging to the cross of Christ, so that one day not far distant we shall climb our own cross and from this attain the glorious liberation, the resurrection of life of which the Christ was and is the first fruit for every believing soul. This is the real, the true Easter message, and every one of us should realize that we are Christs in the making, and that when the Christ is really and truly born within, that Christ will show us the way to the cross where we may attain and advance from the tree of knowledge, which brought death to the tree of life in the vita body, which brings immortality.

Dear Friends, Easter has a great significance to us. It is an annual symbol to strengthen our souls in the work of well-doing that we may weave the Golden Wedding Garment required to make us sons and daughters of God in the highest and holiest sense. It is literally true that unless we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we are not in fellowship; but by making the sacrifices and rendering the services required of us to aid in the emancipation of mankind, we are building the soul body of Radiant Golden Light which is the special substance emanated from Christ. Then we shall walk in the Light as He is in the Light, and we shall have fulfilled completely the purpose of his coming.

Let us once again thank the Lord Christ for his continual sacrifice and for providing the method by which we shall some time become perfect as he is. “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” I Cor. 15:54

 

 

 

PREACH THE GOSPEL AND HEAL THE SICK

By Anthony Dadzie, Easter School2018, Koforidua

Origin of sin and disease

The dreams of sickness, sorrows and sufferings are only like clouds before the sun, they are temporary. The real truth is that we are divine, and as children of God we are healthy and full of life. The Spirit is always healthy, it´s our bodies which get disharmonies and sicknesses, so that we may consciously confront them by removing the causes for their disorders. We are created in the image of God and as part of the evolutionary creation; we are made to utilize form to gain experience and gradually grow to become Gods.That is when the spirit connected to the body but at the time when the spirit was becoming indwelling we were misled. The Lucifer spirits told us half-truth. We were pure and innocent and the spirit was not strong to take care of the personality therefore we listen to them and started misusing the divine creative force.The pseudo selfwhich was developed with the help of the creative hierarchiesin the desire body to act instinctively to protect us was also not sufficient to counter the Lucifer spirit and we fall. The pseudo self-controlled the lower part of the threefold body until the link of mind was given. Then the mind "coalesced" with the animal soul and became co-regent.  In the early part of our evolution the pleasures of physical and animal life seem to be greater than the pain and consequently the ego, in order that it might receive the pleasures of sensation, permits the pseudo self to have absolute dominion. But as the ego manifests itself more and more, it becomes clear that the reactions that follow pleasure bring more pain than pleasure, and the ego awakens to that situation begins to demand a way out of pain or sickness. That is why we are where we are.

Humanity as a whole is now suffering for the use of the creative powerfor sense gratification which is the sin which cannot be forgiven; it must be expiated. The debilitated bodies, the sickness that we see around us has been caused by centuries of abuse, and until we learn to subdue our passions there can be no true health among the human race.

   The wonderful organism called the human body is governed by immutable natural Laws.  All ailment, disease and infirmities are either the direct result from willful or ignorant violation of Nature's Lawson which the health of the body dependsor a deliberate disregard of the inner urge which is seeking to master the lower nature.All physical disorders make their appearance in the mind and emotional part of one’s being before they manifest physically. Bad thinking and mis- thinking lead to wrong emotions which stimulate wrong actions which precipitate physical conditions we call sickness. If we continuously think of something it becomes manifest desire which in our next life precipitate into action and if it is not in consonance with cosmos lead to sickness.All our thought is imbue with character which is the quality of the spirit acquire through creative experience. Character is express by attitude and attitude is under our control. If we are to be healthy we must think right and develop good character.Thus the truth of the Savior's teaching that “as a man thinks so he is“, something we should always ponder over and remember. That is to say, we should think consciously positive thoughts, say consciously positive words and do consciously positive deeds (conscious efforts to help others and acts of love), because this affects not only our health but also the health of all others around us in this world.

 

 

 

Disease as a corrective factor

However there are cases, when sickness is necessary to bring about certain changes in the body which are the precursors of a higher step in spiritual unfoldment, and under such conditions; sickness is a blessing and not a curse.Sickness is sometimes good because without it we will become a store of evil thought and ideas and therefore imbalance. Illness is to correct bad attitude. To the ordinary man illness come when destiny is ripe and when the individual is strong to face the illness. Sickness helps us to become humble because the lower nature needs to be tamed to give way to the higher self to take control. The more one suffer through illness the more one become compassionate of suffering in general. This made us conscious as we gain experience and develop will power.If we realize that we are the cause and consequence of our illness it helps us to think positive and change our attitude and live a healthy life.

Methods of healing

 Healing can be achieved by methods that harmonize with the person and situation.. The form of healing to advise depends upon the nature of the sickness and the temperament of the patient. If it is a case of a broken leg, a surgeon is obviously the one to call. If there is an internal disorder it is better to get a good physician. If on the other hand, the disease is such that a spiritual healing is neededthen the person should have a strong faith in the healerand the healing process. But where faith is lacking in the patient, it is far better to send for a regular physician in whom the patient has confidence, for health or sickness depends almost altogether upon the state of mind.

Taking medicine:

Medical science does not believe that a sick man is a sinner. For the material science the causes of disease are bacteria, germs, malfunction of organ, generative or environmental condition. The Rosicrucian Fellowship (TRF) do not deny any of these but will asked, why do some people get sick and others do not under same conditions. With material sciencetreatment includes medicine, surgery and physical therapy. etc. From spiritual point of view most medicines do more harm than good. They make one sick, cause imbalance in the body and can produce another condition which requires another medicine. Eg anti biotic deal with bacteria differently than the immune system does in the body. The cells in the immune system engulf the bacteria and destroy it, the anti-biotic explode the bacteria and produce poison. It is therefore better to strengthen the immune systemthan to take medicine except where necessary. The base of spiritual healing is to strengthen the immune system to destroy the bacteria. However it is better to take medicine than to allow our physical body to deteriorate for lack of proper care and attention and be amenable to the Law of Cause and Effect for that neglect..

Laying on of hands:

 There are two very common practices of healing or treatment by the laying on of hands. One is a taking away from the patient of something that is poisonous and injurious; and the other is by the healer giving out his vital force to the patient. What a magnetic healer does is simply to cleanse this organ for the time being and thus he opens the way for the influx of life-giving and health-promoting currents. The relief is usually only temporary, for the weak and diseased organ continues to generate the poison "miasma," as we call it, so that shortly it requires another cleansing by the magnetic healer. This continues until the vital currents finally become sufficiently strong to over-master and throw off the poison stuff and cleanses the organ themselves then health returns.

The challenge here  is that, unless the  healer is bubbling  with radiant health, two things are liable to happen; either the human miasma taken away from the patient may so overwhelm him or her that "he takes on the condition" of the patient, or he may give too much of his own vital force, and thus become entirely depleted. From the foregoing it is evident that this laying on of hands is something that should not be done indiscriminately. Probationers who live worthy lives are trained under the special guidance of the Elder Brothers.

Method of healing by Christ

When people came to Christ to be healed they did not expect a physical treatment, but knew that relief would be given through the power of the Spirit.   But faith without works is dead, and in every case where Christ healed anyone, this person had to do something; he had to cooperate actively with the great Healer before his cure could be accomplished. He said, "Stretch forth thy hand," and when the man did so the hand was healed; to another, "Take up thy bed and walk," and when he did so the malady disappeared; In every case there was active cooperation upon the part of the one to be healed, so that the spirit of obedience could aid the Healer's work. If we can heal the way Christ did by brings down divine healing force from life spirit through the mind to the body the better. However very few patients are receptive to that and very few healer are able to do that work in the life spirit.

Preach the gospel and heal the sick

Max Hiendel explains the methods of healing as followed by Rosicrucian’s in the Teachings of the Initiate page 146. TRFwork of healing is carried on by the Elder Brothers of The Rosicrucian Order through a band of Invisible Helpers whom they are instructing.    The work is conducted according to the commands of Christ Jesus, namely, "Preach the gospel and heal the sick." One is as binding to the other and for the foregoing reason as necessary.Three things are require for healing under the method.i.e. healing power, qualify healer, and obedient and faithful patient.

 Healing power: All Healing power comes from our heavenly Father, the Great Physician of the Universe. It is latent and unlimited everywhere.TRF tell us to draw from the region of life spirit which is suitable for healing. The life spirit represents the second aspect of Godhood which is the redeemer. By prayer and concentration it is generated and liberated and directed to the sufferer.The Invisible Helpers raise the vibrations of the patient to a high  rate, thus enabling him, first, to eliminate the disease poison from the system, and second, to rebuild every blood corpuscle, fiber, tissue, and organ until the whole body is made new in accordance with natures law.

Qualify healer:Actually we live in an ocean of healing force. The onus lie on the qualify healer, qualification is not determine by certificate but ability to live the life. One must be able to reach any given plane to resonate to draw power from it. An initiate is automatically a healer because he can reach the region of life spirit and draw the healing force. The healing power is not easy to come by it takes enormous amount of inner works to draw the material and manipulate it. Fortunately all of us can be positive and compassionate some of the time. That means in that state we can participate in healing work as Invisible Helper’swhichinclude adept, angels, the dead and ordinary living people. There is a responsibility for Probationers to be Invisible Healers and to qualify one must be compassionate, care about people, have intent to help, have pure desire nature and take care of the dense physical body.

The greatest difficulty of healing in general is that a method which cures in one case may fails in another and even shows varying effect on the same person at different times. The reason in all cases is the same, for the healing virtue is not in the drug or the treatment but in the measure of spiritual harmony which exist between the doctor, and the patient. This is the basic factor in restoring health. The interplanetary rays prevailing when treatment is given are the second consideration, and the drug or treatment is the vehicle which carries the healing power. This is the method the elder brother’s use in apportioning the patient among the invisible helpers.

The third factor is obedient and faithful patient.  Healing force is very valuable because it is not easy to generate. It requires sustain intensity of emotions and faith. The healing force is not going to be used if its effect is going to be reserve immediately because if the sickness returns after being heal it will be worse. We never know whether a person will be obedient or not. We are only positive and give the person the benefit of doubt and that is what grace is. That does not mean we have to heal when the person is not ripe for healing. In John 5;5-8 Christ encountered a multitude which lay sick beside the pool of Bethesda, but it appears he heal only one  of them because he recognized a receptive spirit and the necessary faith to receive the healing .If someone asks for the healing power in order to be relieved of ailments, he or she must be willing to conform to the natural laws of purity: pure air, pure food, pure thinking, and pure living.  If the patient ignores these great health-giving factors, he may have called in vain upon the divine Healing Force.

The question is why does TRF put much emphasis on Invisible Helper healing instead of healing through medicine, magnetic or prayers? The answer is that,the fact that one ask for healing does not mean one should be heal, it may be that one is being selfish and wanted relief without learning the lessons to change his attitude. Most people have misconception of themselves as the pseudo ego than the true higher self. We know we have false ego competing with the higher self. Christ said do not     ye know that you are gods and God’s spirit dwells in you. But whenever we act from instinct from the higher self we face opposition from the lower self. Paul said the good that I want to do I cannot but the wrong that I do not want to do is what I do. This is due to the struggle between the higher and the lower self as stated earlier. But as children of God we need to obey the higher self and change our attitude to conform to nature’s lawso that after the precious healing force is use to heal us we will not go back and sin.  Sometimes a minimum change in mind and attitude is required to start the healing process. Therefore the healer needsto preach and educate the patient to change his attitude and get the opportunity to be healed.

When the applicant has reflected on his health conditions and apply for healing from the headquarters of TRF they are met at the night in the inner planes, whiles out of the body during sleep by invisible helpers who review and discuss the need to change and encourage the patientsto change from his wrong habits causing the illness. When the applicant agrees and strive to apply the suggestions they receive they begin a process of spiritual transformation that alter the flow of energy within their person and allow a restoration of proper circulation of harmonious and positive mental, emotional and vital energies necessary to maintain ultimate physical health.For example a person suffering from acute backache may be due to excessive pride in what one can do but this is not always. This may be difficult to discuss withaproud person in the day that his character is the cause of his suffering and need to change to be healed, but when the invisible helper meet the person out of his body in the spiritual world it’s easy to persuade his higher self toagree to change his attitude and be healed.  Sometimes recondition or remorse or reformation is what is needed to start the healing process. Once having accepted the inner cause which may be yielding to a hasty temper; greed, self-indulgence, hatred, resentment, worry, lust, fear, wrong eating habits, gratifying low desires; harming fellow creatures, whether human or animal; abusing the sacred generative function or something else of a negative or destructive order holding us in bondage to the lower nature we may then set about the task of liberating ourselves through systematic persistence. We do not fight the undesirable quality but we look for the opposite of the vice and start to cultivate that virtue to eradicate the negative.

It is disobedience that brings disease. Obedience, no matter whether that involves washing in the Jordan or stretching forth a hand, shows a change of mind, and the man is therefore in a position to receive the healing balm which may come through the Christ, or through a healer.There is in every little cell of the human body a separate cell life, but over and above that is the Ego which directs and controls all cells so that they act in harmony. In certain inharmonious conditions the Ego ceases to vivify the cells fully leading to protracted illnesses. When the healing balm is applied the concentrated Christ Life therein rush through the patient's body and infuse each cell with a rhythm that awakens the imprisoned Ego from its lethargy and gives back life and health.

The primary reason we also study Astro diagnosis and astro therapy is that we may one day understand what is wrong in the character so that in spiritual healing, when we try to help people with their attitudes that have degenerated, the healing may not always be a dramatic laying on of hands, but it might be bringing an understanding to someone that they need to change their life forever.

As Emerson put it, a man who is sick is a sinner in the act of being found out; he has broken the laws of Nature. That is why it is necessary that the gospel of Christ should be preached to him; that every one of us should learn to love our God with our whole heart and our whole soul and our brother as ourselves, for all our trouble in the world, whether we recognize it or not, comes from the one great fact of our selfishness. Therefore, the healer should endeavor to preach to his patient with high ideals so that he may eventually learn to conform to God's laws which govern the universe, and thus attain permanent health without reversal in future lives as well as now.

Local symptoms are actually evidence that the whole body is at fault. All true healing, therefore, in order to achieve lasting results, is directed, not to the suppression of symptoms, but to the removal of the cause that made the symptoms appear.For good health, it is necessary the personality, the mind and the will cooperate with the ego and refuses to make restricting thought forms.The ROSICRUCIANS have aimed to heal the body that it may harbor a sane mind and a pure love, for each conception under those conditions is a step toward the day of the lord for which we all long so ardently. This is the reason for the healing activities, and it is the meaning of our motto, "A Sane Mind, a Soft Heart, and a Sound Body."

 

 

 

ST. JOHN CHAPTER 21: DEEPER ESOTERIC TEACHING BY CHRIST

By Paul Codjoe

¹After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

² There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.

³ Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, we also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

⁴ But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

⁵ Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No!

⁶ And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

⁷ Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

⁸ And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

⁹ As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

¹⁰ Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

¹¹ Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

¹² Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, “Who art thou?” knowing that it was the Lord.

¹³ Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

¹⁴ This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

¹⁵ So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

¹⁶ He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

¹⁷ He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

¹⁸ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

¹⁹ This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, follow me.

²⁰ Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

²¹ Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

²² Jesus saith unto him, if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.

²³ Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

²⁴ This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵ And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”

My dear sisters and brothers, this is the word of God. Thanks be to God.

On Easter Monday the Master appeared again to His most advanced Disciples at the sea of Tiberias. In the company were Peter, James, John, Nathaniel and Phillip. Peter, around whom this incident chiefly revolves, announced his intention to go to fishing. Thereupon his campanions joined him, and stepping into a boat they put out to sea. During the night they caught nothing. In the morning they saw Jesus standing on the beach. Addressing them He said, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat and ye shall find. “ They did so and the catch was great. When Peter learned from John that it was the Lord who stood Lord who stood before them, he cast himself into the sea and drew the net full of fishes to the land.

This incident which is recorded in the twenty-first chapter of St. John, the most esoteric of all Gospel records, written as it is by the Master’s closest and most beloved Disciple. The experience here described is altogether spiritual and occurred on the inner planes.

The sea symbolizes the etheric realms and the boat the soul body in which man functions in that realm. Fish is a symbol of the hidden Mysteries or esoteric truth. The number of fishes caught which is given as 153, gives the numerological value of nine, or the number of man’s evolution, indicating that humanity as a whole will be caught up or saved when the Cosmic Christ will be universally acknowledged as the World Saviour.

Peter was then undergoing instruction leading to the Third or the Master’s Degree. He, together with those with him, were taught by the Master how “to throw the nets on the right side of the boat,” in other words, how to attune themselves to the positive or right-hand currents of the earth. These currents are under the control of Mercury, God of Wisdom, whereas the negative or left-hand currents come under the direction of Mars, ruler of the emotions. That man has notyet well learned how to “cast the net on the right side” is amply demonstrated by the discords and upheavals through which the world is now passing.

In order to attune life to the positive earth currents it is necessary to unite the right and left-hand currents or forces of head and heart, respectively. This was part of Peter’s instruction as he jumped into the sea and came to Jesus. He was learning to walk what He taught. Peter furthermore demonstrated his readiness for added instruction when he “went up, and drew the net to land.”

We read that when the Disciples reached the shore they saw a fire on which were laid bread and fish. This is the spinal spirit fire which must be ablaze with light before the candidate can receive and assimilate the fish or esoteric truths that have to do with the great transmutation. The bread represents the powers of the pure body temple of a Christed one.

After the Master had broken the fast with His Disciples He asked of Peter, ‘’ Lovest thou me?’’ ‘’Yea, Lord,’’ was the emphatic reply. Thrice the Lord repeated the question and thrice Peter gave like answer. To these affirmations the Christ enjoined him to feed His sheep.

In this incident is outlined the Three Degrees of the Christian Mysteries, all of which Peter had passed successfully. He had, therefore, earned the privilege or attained to the powers that enabled him to ‘’feed the sheep,‘’ or to become a teacher of men and, in fact, the very rock of Initiation upon which the Church was founded. That the Church has lost the power it had when first established is due its having forsaken the teachings of the Mysteries. Only when these are again restored will the mystic powers wielded by the early Church be regained.

Peter ‘’feeds the sheep’’ of the Church Path while John, following the Master’s injunction to ‘’tarry till I come‘’ works continuously on the building of a spiritualized state. Initiation, centered in awakened soul power, must be the cornerstone of both. Then the Christ will return to a civilization in which their forces unite to serve a glorified race wherein the Christ principles have already been made manifest, and man is prepared to pass into a higher phase of development known as the Religion of the Father.

Other Disciples of Christ there were who did not attain to the sublime Degree of Mastership until the outpouring of the spirit forty days later at Pentecost. Then added numbers became clothed with the powers of the Mastership Degree which enabled them, in the words of St. Mark’s Gospel, to cast out demons “in my name.” And ‘’they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.’’ Mark 16: 18 – 19.

Since the great outpouring of the Pentecostal fires, humanity has drifted far into the world of materiality wherein the powers of the spirit have become less and less manifest. But from their ‘’burial’’ they are due to experience a universal resurrection in the NewDay that is now dawning. Another ‘miracles’ is at hand; a second Pentecost approaches. From the urn of Aquarius there is being poured out on all the earth a new fire from the heavens, which is destined to awaken humanity to new spiritual realizations and to create the conditions that will make it possible for the Christ Spirit to return to the full consciousness of men, even as manifested to those near to Him in Palestine in the days of His first coming.

The Resurrection of Christ is not primarily a historical event for mere ecclesiastical commemoration. It is a recurring cosmic festival. It is an annual spiritual as well as physical upsurge of life for man’s present experience and upliftment. Only as that experience is inwardly appropriated can man enter into the realization of the transcendent significance of the Holy Easter Mysteries.

Salvation by Christ does not relieve man from meeting the consequences of his own mistaken actions, but it offers him an opportunity to rectify past errors and to create for himself conditions whereby he may go forward and realize his destiny. The Lord of Love does not annul the law; He fulfills it.

Buddha, great, grand and sublime, may be the ‘’Light of Asia,’’ but CHRIST will yet be acknowledged the ‘’Light of the World.’’ As the sun outshines the brightest star in the heavens, dispels every vestige of darkness and gives life and light to all beings, so, in a not too distant future, will the true religion of Christ supersede and obliterate all other religions, to the eternal benefit of mankind.

MAY THE ROSES BLOOM UPON YOUR CROSS

 

 

 

 

CONCERNING THE MATTER OF “WHAT IS TRUTH.”

By John Motey Addo, Easter School 2018, Koforidua

  The fundamental teachings of all true initiations is to be found in the words: "Let there never be a circumference to TRUTH," so says Corinne Heline in her book; "The Blessed Virgin Mary". We also find within the Rosicrucian Fellowship Prayer the following words: "To be the friends we wish to be, to speak the Truth we know. To love the pure, to seek the good, to lift with all our might, all souls to dwell in harmony, in freedom's perfect light."

  On Easter Sunday, all Fellowship students will look out for the first rays of the rising Sun, and then proclaim: “The Lord is risen". And as we gaze into the skies in wonderment of the intricate patterns of the colourful radiations of light from the rising Sun, we shall all confirm that the "Christ is risen indeed." Let us all now review the Truth we know and rediscover that, for the aspirant, the Truth is always hidden until sufficient light or illumination can be caused to be focused on the matter, or issue of interest.

  Light reveals the glories of the external world, and yet it is the most glorious of them all. It gives beauty, reveals beauty, and is itself most beautiful. It is the analyzer, the truth teller and exposer of shams, for it shows things as they are. Its infinite streams, measure off the universe and flow into our telescopes from stars which are quintillions of miles distant. On the other hand, it descends to objects inconceivably small, and reveals through the microscope objects smaller than fifty millions of times less than what can be seen by the naked eyes.

  Like all other fine forces, its movement is wonderfully soft and yet penetrating and powerful. Without its vivifying influence, plant, animal and human life must immediately perish from the earth, and general ruin take place. But wise Nature has provided the means by which, we as human beings, may achieve faster Soul growth, by working assiduously during the day time as well as during the night when the dense body rests in bed because the Sunlight is not available until its next cycle.

  But light is one of the fine forces of Nature, and we cannot understand it until we learn the laws of the fine forces generally. Nor can we understand the fine forces themselves until we become acquainted with the coarser elements upon which, or in connection with which they act. And we cannot apprehend the inter relation of the finer with the coarser, without the knowledge of the fundamentalprinciples of force, and the great central harmonic laws of nature and mind in unison with which all things must work.

  To gain a knowledge, then, of Nature's laws is to acquire the perception of divine harmony by the aid of which all science, art, social life, government, and religion may be measured. Without this knowledge, we may use many brilliant words, and indulge in the most plausible speculations, but this is merely to build up the clouds instead of the eternal rock-work of Truth.

The law of Unity is universal through all matter and mind, and is the expression of wholeness, oneness, centralization and organization.

Unity exists in absolutely all unimpeded natural growth, and as we have seen that Nature's development is on the law of perfection, we may be sure that Unity is a universal harmonic law. The different methods by which nature expresses Unity are all infinite in number. Being a law of vast experience, only a few examples will be given. See Figs.1 to 5.

Fig.1 -is a Triangle, a form common in many crystals, and when equilateral, has three points at the angles and three at the sides, which have a common centre of Unity.

Fig.2 -the Hexagon, so common in crystallizations. Has twice as many points of Unity.

Fig.3 - has many more points than Fig.2, each projecting line being a point of Unity for other lines, while the figures of the animalailes,that is, Figs.4 and5, are but examples of countless millions of amazingly minute skeletons of animals out of which whole mountains are sometimes built; have an unlimited number of points of Unity, the Circle itself being a figure which is defined as being composed of an infinite number of straight lines, which are equidistant from the same centre.

Fig.6 - has a general centre of Unity for a variety of fibres which branch out from each side.

Fig.7 - has several centres of Unity which meet at a general centre.

Fig.8 - a shell of Echims, forms little dome-shaped animals with a great variety of lines of forms which have their centre of Unity at the apex.

Fig.9 - presents a few of the radiating lines of the Asterius, which has a flower- like centre.

Fig.10 - shows how the leaves and other parts of the flowers affectionately meet at a centre of Unity. When the Cactus blossoms, it is said to have an array of 500 stamens which encircle the pistil as its centres of Unity.

  Leaves and other natural forms, not only centres of Unity in themselves, but also have their very contour apt to give a portion of some other beautiful outline with centres outside of themselves as seen in Fig.11.

  While the figures 1, 2, 3, or 1,10,3, describe the line beauty which consists of a part of two Ellipses, or rather of two Ovals, which latter have two unequal centres like the Ellipse. The Ovals have been dotted out, the Arcs of which are included I a single side of the leaf.

Fig.12 - consisting of leaves of the Castor Oil plant, presents one general centre, seven sub-centres, and a large number of still smaller centres of Unity and many out lines.

Fig.13 - has a general point for a system of both radiating and concentric lines.

Fig.14 - has the line of grace, which winds around a general centre of Unity, and has also the Unity of parallel lines etc.

Figs.15 to 18 - illustrate various styles of Unity in foliage and tree growth. The methods of Unity in the combinations of leaves, branches, and trees, are beyond all computations. Notice the great Truth which all Nature proclaims!

  The number of systems is incalculable, and even to represent anything like a representative number of types, would require several hundreds of figures. Notice how many varieties of Unity are presented in a single cluster of leaves and flowers, as in Fig.19. Not only have these objects many styles of Unity when taken singly, but in spite of all their seeming lawlessness, they have a general harmonic Unity, growing like trees as a general law, in a vertical direction, and hence more or less parallel to each other.

  A new presentation of a whole world of Unities within Unities in a beautiful tree cluster which grows by the tomb of George Washington (USA), at Mt. Vernon, is shown in Fig.20. Here, the trunks of the trees may be seen as the centres of Unity for the branches, and these for kingdoms of foliage growing Lee and less in size until a single leaf is reached, which, after all, is a miniature realm of itself, having organizations within organizations.

  The Human system, in Fig.21, contains thousands of centres of Unity, among the most important which are the Brain and Spinal Column as the centre of the nervous system, and the Heart as the general centre of the vascular system. Crystallizations have their innumerable centres of Unity.

Fig.22 - shows some of the crystalline forms of a block of Ice as dissected by the solar rays in an experiment made in a laboratory. Crystalline forms are too numerous to even hint at.

  Forces of all kinds in Nature, when unrestricted, move according to absolute laws of Unity. Gravitation makes it impossible for any object to exist without a tendency towards some power object, all objects, on a planet; for instance, tending towards its centre, all planets tending towards their parent Sun's, their tendency, however, being balanced by their centrifugal or projectile motion. In fact, the Unities of forms already given, result from some principle of Unity in force.

Fig.23 shows some of the billions of lines of force which encircle a magnet as their centre, shown by iron filings on a piece of cardboard  held above a magnet, as well as some of straight lines which pass through the bar itself  as a polarizing centre.

Figs.24to 28 show nodal lines of vibrating circular, or polygonal plates. These plates are sprinkled with dry sand, and may be vibrated by a violin bow under different circumstances, under all of which they develop some principle of Unity as signified by the forms of sand, and how wonderfully Nature’s forest operations are developed according to law.

  All vibration, all undulations, all notions of falling, or projected bodies, move according to some mathematical law of Unity, such as the curve of the Parabola, the Circle, the Oval, or generally, some other section of a Cone.

  Verse and musical composition have a Unity in the length of steps, called rhythm; melody demands some ruling tone, called the Key Note, a sound which other notes cluster as their element of Unity. Logic lays down its control idea or proposition, and either reasons from external points towards this centre (a posteriori), or from the centre towards external points (a priori), and all true Art must crystallize its esthetic jewels upon some thread of Unity.

  All light emanates in untold millions of rays from some centre of Unity, such as the Sun, a Gas Burner, etc. All colours combine in wonderful units to form white light, and even separated by a prism, or by a rain bow, they blend so perfectly as seemingly to constitute a single band of hues.

  Gravitation binds the whole physical universe into one-ness of law, and one-ness of existence, and is everlasting by bringing all objects towards some central point by its chains of power.

  Cohesion, dealing with atoms, binds solids into a firm Unity of mass, and rolls up fluids into little spheres, each of which has its centre of infinite points. Gravitation, however, binds all atoms and all masses of atoms, into one family, first chiseling out all worlds into beautiful globular shapes and then tying them together. 

  Diversity is s universal law of nature, and exemplifies freedom, life, individuality, infinity, etc. In other words, Nature consists of infinite centres of Unity, differentiated into infinite diversity.

   From the fore going presentation, culled from the book: "Principles of Light and Sound", written by Edwin Babbitt, who clearly describes in some detail, the links that illustrate pathways through which the notion of centres of Unity, in plants, animals, and human beings would come together in peace, harmony, even in the face of infinite diversity.

   This Topic links the idea of centres of Unity with what TRUTH is to the aspirant. Truth manifests itself to those who have learnt to live by the tenets of Truth. Max Heindel, on page 139 of his book: "The Rosicrucian Mysteries", under the topic: "The Mystery of Light, Color and Consciousness", asserts as follows:  Truly, God is ONE and undivided. He unfolds within His being, all that is, as the White Light embraces all colors." The Human system contains thousands of centres of Unity. Reflexology identifies what they describe as meridians, which are the pathways of the 4 Ethers which have most important values in our spiritual development. These meridians are different and separate from the systems of Veins, the lymphatic system and immune Response, the Endocrine glands, the Heart, major veins of the body, the Brain, the Spinal Nerves system, major surface muscles, and so on. The Neck and Head muscles are astounding!

In concluding, the centres of Unity are the means by which the human being is able to link himself to its sources of power in the higher realms and be certain to live a life directed from within himself whilegaining earthly experience.

The Truth of the matter is that God is ONE, and that, on all accounts, Truth itself cannot now be well appreciated, for it is the pathway that prepares the human being into the expected consciousness of the future.

May the Roses Bloom Upon Your Cross

            

          

         

                

 

 

 

THE LIGHT THAT LIGHTETH EVERY MAN

By Moses K.A. Akrasi, Easter School 2018, Koforidua

 

I would like to limit the story of the Lord Christ Jesus to part of the judgment and the crucifixion(St John 19: 1 – 42). St John stated the true story of our Lord’s Judgment and the crucifixion.

However, references to the story of Nicodemus carried very interesting depths of the judgment andCrucifixion of our Lord Christ Jesus as follows:

“Christ accused to Pilate by the Jews of healing on the Sabbath.

The Jews say unto Pilate but he said I can destroy the Temple of God; and in three days build it up again; Pilate saith to them, what sort of Temple is that of which he speaketh? The Jews say unto him,That which Solomon was Forty-six years in building; he that which said he would destroy, and in three days build up; he declares himself to be the son of God and a King.

Nichodemus speaks in defense of Christ, and relates his miracles.

Therefore, Nichodemus, a certain Jew stood before the governor, and said I entreat thee, O righteous judge, that thou wouldst favor me with the liberty of speaking a few words. Pilate said to him, speak on behalf of the Jews and the scribes, and priests and Levite, and all the multitude of the Jews, in their assembly; what is it ye would do with this man?

He is a man who hath wrought many useful and glorious miracles such as no man on earth ever wrought before, nor will ever work. Let him go, and do him no harm; if he cometh from God, his miracles will continue; but if from men, they will come to naught. And now let this man go; because the very miracles for which ye accuse him, are from God; and he is not worthy of death. The Jews then said to Nichodemus, Art thou become his disciple, and making speeches in his favor?

Pilate then called the multitude again, and said to them. Ye know that ye have a custom,that I should release to you one prisoner at the feast of Passover to have a noted Prisoner, a murderer, who is called Barabbas, and Jesus who is called CHRIST, in whom I find nothing that deserves death, which of them, therefore have you a mind that I should release to you? They all call out and say; Release to us Barabbas. Pilate said to them, what then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all answer, Let him be crucified again they cry out and say to Pilate. You are not the friend of Caesar, if you release this man; for he hath declared that he is the son of God, and a King. But are you inclined that he should be king and not Caesar? And arising from his judgment seat, he would have gone out, but the Jews all cried out, we acknowledge Caesar to be King, and not Jesus; when Pilate heard this account, he was afraid; and commanding silence among the people, who made a noise, he said to Jesus, Art thou therefore a King?

All the Jew replied to Pilate, he is the very person whom Herod sought to have slain. Then Pilate taking water, washed his hands before the people and said, I am innocent of the blood of this first person; look ye to it. The Jews answered and said, His blood be upon us and are children.

 

 

Manner of Christ’s Crucifixion with the two thieves

Then Jesus went out of the hall, and the two thieves with him. And when they came to the place which is called Golgotha, they strip him of his raiment, and girt him about with a linen cloth, and put a crown of thorns upon his head, and put a reed in his hand. And in like manner did the two thieves who were crucified with him, Dimas on his right hand and Gestas on his left.

But Jesus said, my father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided his garments, and upon his Vesture they cast lots. The people in the meantime stood by, and the Chief priests and elders of the Jews mocked him saying, He saved others, let him now save himself if he can, If he be the son of God, let him now come down from the cross. The Soldiers also mocked him, and taking vinegar and gall, offered him to drink, and said to him, if thou art King of the Jews, deliver thyself. Then Longius, a Certain Soldier taking a spear, pierced his side and presently there came forth blood and water. And Pilate wrote the title upon the cross in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek letters; THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

But one of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus whose name was Gestas, said to Jesus, if thou art the CHRIST, deliver thyself and us. But the thief who was crucified on his right hand, whose name was Dimas answering, rebuked him, and said, Dost not thou fear God, who art condemned to his punishment. We indeed receive rightly and trusty the demerit of our actions, but this Jesus, what evil hath he done.

After this, groaning justly, he said to Jesus Lord, remember me when thou cometh into thy kingdom. Jesus answered to him, verily I say unto theethis day that thou shalt be with me in paradise.

And it was about the sixth hour and darkness was upon the face of the whole earth until the ninth hour. And as the sun was eclipsed, behold the veil to the Temple was rent from the top to the bottom; and the rocks also went rent, and the graves opened, and many bodies of saints which slept arouse. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ELI, ELI, lamaSabbathani? Which being interpreted is, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And after these Things Jesus said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, and having said, this, he gave up the ghost.

But when the Centurion saw that Jesus thus crying out gave up the ghost, he glorified God, and said, of a truth, this was a just man. And all the people who stood by, were exceedingly troubled at the sight; and reflecting upon what had passed, smote upon their breasts and then natured.

To the city of Jerusalem. The Centurions went to the governor, and related to him all that had passed. And when he had heard all these things, he was exceedingly sorrowful. And calling the Jews together, said to them, have you seen the miracle of the sun’s eclipse, and the other things which came to pass while Jesus was dying? Which when the Jews heard, the answered to the Governor, the eclipse of the sun happened according to its usual custom.

But all those whowere the acquaintance of Christ, stood at a distance, as did the woman who had followed Jesus from Galilee, observing all these things. And behold a certain man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus but not openly so, for fear of the Jews came to the governor, and entreated the governor that he would give him leave to take away the body of Jesus from the Cross. And the governor gave him leave. And Nichodemus came, bringing with him a mixture of myth and aloes about a hundred pounds weight; and they look down Jesus from the cross with tears, and bound him in linen cloths with spices, accounting to the customer of burying among the Jews; And places him in a new tomb, which Josephhad built, and caused to be cut out of a rock, in which never any man had been put; and they rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulture.

Notes: (a) The Jews astonished and confounded. (b) Simenon’s two sons, Charinus and Lenthius rise from the dead or Christ Crucifixion. (c) Joseph proposes to get them to relate the mysteries of their resurrection. (d) They are sought and found (e) Brought to the synagogue (f) privately sworn to secrecy. (g) And undertake to write what they had seenetc. (h) The narrative of Charius and Lenthius commences. (i)  A great Light in hell. (j) Simon arrives, and announces the coming of CHRIST’S Light – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

Dear Sisters and brothers, the Light we are talking about is the creative Fiat “Let there Be Light and gradually the whole Universe, which is the body of God commenced to glow, and the CHRIST principle, the Light of the world, was born. We also know or realized that God is the ALL in ALL? That in Him we live, Move and Have our being? However, we were within Him (GOD) in that day when darkness reigned? Therefore, the invisiblefire which is darkness to all created beings is the vehicle of God, the Father, who IS,WAS and SHALL BE; World without end. “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD” said Christ. All the seven “IAMssaid by Christ could be found in St. John gospels. King David in his wisdom stated in Psalm 139 “that darkness and Light are the same within God. Secondary, Psalm 18:11; says “He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

Esoterically speaking, as sure as the pre – existing Light created the eye whereby the Light is seen; irrespective of race or color; so surely are we in His Light”. IN addition to these, together in the fulfillment of all hope and aspiration, we know that the infinitude of Light teaches us the infinitude of God. Hence it is stated that “God is Light”. Therefore, each time we sink ourselves in these three words, we lave in a spiritual fountain of inexhaustible depth; and each succeeding time, we sound more thoroughly the divine depths and draw more closely to our Father in Heaven.It is equally true, that no one can live without that Light; minerals, plants, animals and man.

To conclude, I quote once gain, from our mentor, Max Heindel; “Buddha, great, grand, and sublime, may be the “ Light of Asia”, but CHRIST will yet be acknowledged the “ Light of the world” As the sun outshines the brightest star in the Heavens dispels every vestige of darkness and gives life and light to all beings, so, in a not too distant future will the true religion of CHRIST supersedes and obliterate all other religions, to the internal benefit of mankind”. So, be it.

Thank you.

Ref: -

(a)    TR Cosmos Conception; by Max Heindel

(b)   The Forbidden Gospels and Epistles – By Archbishop WAKE

(c)    Holy Bibles – King James

(d)   The occult Principle of health and Healing – By Max Heindel.

 

 

A LIVING SACRIFICE

By Augustine MichaelOwusu, Easter School 2018, Koforidua

 

There is one description, given by the inspired Disciple John the Beloved when he wrote “God is Light,” which is illuminating as the others are befogging to the mind. Anyone who takes this passage for meditation occasionally will find a rich reward waiting, for no matter how many times we take up the subject, our own development in the passing years assures us each time a fuller and better understanding.Each time we sink ourselves in these three words we lave in a spiritual fountain of inexhaustible depth, and each succeeding time we sound more thoroughly the divine depths and draw more closely to our Father in heaven.

To get in touch with our subject, let us go back in time to get our bearing and the direction of our future line of progress.

The first time our consciousness was directed towards the Light was shortly after we had become endowed with mind and had entered definitely upon our evolution as human beings in Atlantis, the land of the mist, deep down in the basins of the Earth, where the warm mist emitted from the cooling Earth hung like a dense fog over the land. Then the starry heights of the universe were never seen, nor could the silvery light of the Moon penetrate the dense, foggy atmosphere which hung over the ancient land. Even the fiery splendor of the Sun was almost totally extinguished, for when we look in the Memory of Nature pertaining to that time, it appears very much as an arc lamp on a high pole looks to us when it is foggy. It was exceedingly dim, and had an aura of various colours, very similar to those which we observe around an arc light.

But the light had a fascination. The ancient Atlanteans were taught by the divine Hierarchs who walked among them, to aspire to the Light, and as the spiritual sight was then already on the wane, they aspired all the more ardently to the new Light, for they feared the darkness of which they had become conscious through the gift of mind.

Then came the inevitable flood when the mist cooled and condensed. The atmosphere cleared, and the “ chosen people” were saved. Those who had worked within themselves and learned to build the necessary organs required to breathe in an atmosphere such as we have today, survived and came to the light. It was not an arbitrary choice. The work of the past consisted of body building. Those who had only gill clefts, such as the foetus still uses in its prenatal development, were as unfit physiologically to enter the new era as the foetus would  be to be born were it to neglect to build lungs. It would die as those ancient people died when the rare atmosphere made gill clefts useless.

Since the day when we came out of ancient Atlantis, our bodies have been practically complete, that is to say, no new vehicles are to be added. But from that time and from now on, those who wish to follow the Light must strive for soul growth. The bodies which we have crystallized about us must be dissolved, and the quintessence of experience extracted, which as “soul” may be amalgamated with the Spirit to nourish it from impotence to omnipotence. Therefore, the Tabernacle in the Wilderness was given to the ancients, and the Light of God descended upon the Altar of Sacrifice. This is of great significance. The ego had just descended into its tabernacle, the body. We shall know the tendency of primitive instinct towards selfishness, and if we have studied the higher ethics we also know how subversive of good the indulgence of the egotistic tendency is. Therefore, God immediately placed before mankind the Divine Light upon the Altar of Sacrifice.

Upon this altar they were forced by dire necessity to offer their cherished possessions for every transgression, God appearing to them as a hard taskmaster, whose displeasure it was dangerous to incur. But still the Light drew them. They knew that it was futile to attempt to escape from the hand of God. They had never heard the words of John the Beloved, “God is Light,” but they had already learned from the heavens in a measure the meaning of infinitude, as measured by the realm of Light, for we hear David exclaim: “Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up to heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darknesshideth not from thee, but the night shineth as day, for the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”

With every year that passes, with the aid of the greatest telescopes which the ingenuity and mechanical skill of man have been able to construct to pierce the depths of space, it becomes more evident that the infinitude of light teaches us the infinitude of God. When we hear that “men loved the darkness rather than Light because their deeds were evil,” that also rings true to what we unfortunately know as present day facts, and illumines the nature of God for us. For it is not true that we always feel endangered in the dark, but that the light gives us a sense of safety which is akin to the feeling of a child who feels the protecting hand of its father?

To render permanent this condition of being in the Light was the next step in God’s work with us, which culminated in the birth of Christ, who as the bodily presence of the Father, bore about  in Himself that Light, for the Light came into the world that whosoever should believe in Christ should not perish, but have everlasting life. He said, “I am the Light of the World.” The altar in the tabernacle had illustrated the principle of sacrifice as the medium of regeneration, so Christ said to His Disciples: “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends.” And forthwith He commenced a sacrifice, which, contrary to the accepted orthodox opinion was not consummated in a few hours of suffering upon a material cross, but is as perpetual as were the sacrifices made upon the Altar of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, for it entails an annual descent into the Earth and endurance of all the cramping Earth conditions must mean to such great Spirit.

This must continue till sufficient number have evolved who can bear the burden of this dense lump of darkness which we call the Earth, and which hangs as a millstone about the neck of humanity, an impediment to further spiritual growth. Until we learn to follow “in His steps,” we can rise no higher towards the Light.  On the other hand, if we live the teachings of Christ, we walk in the Light and have fellowship with one another. We become Light bearers and can also utter these three words, “God is Light.” We can now draw more people to the Light since we have awakened the Christ in us. Reasoning will be replaced by Intuition.

In the past period of our spiritual career we have been looking for a Light exterior to ourselves, but now we have arrived at the point where we must look for the Christ Light within and emulate Him by making of ourselves “living sacrifices” as He is doing. Let us remember that when the sacrifice which lies before our door seems pleasant and to our liking, when we seem able to pick and choose our work in His vineyard and do what pleases us, we are not making a real sacrifice as He did, nor are when we are seen of men and applauded for our benevolence. But when we are ready to follow Him from that festive board where He was the honoured one among friends, into the Garden of Gethsemane where He was alone and wrestled with the great problem before Him while His friends slept, then we are making a living sacrifice. Can you see Him as He sits there at that festive board, The Embodiment of Light, and speaks those wonderful mystic words: This is my body, this is my blood, given for you – a living sacrifice?

When we are content to follow “in His steps” to that point of self-sacrifice where we can say from the bottom of our hearts, “Thy will, not mine,” then we have surely the Light within, and there will never henceforth be for us that which we feel as darkness. We shall walk in the Light, for we have become the Light of the World. Just as all deserted Christ Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Archangel Raphael who belongs to his live wave attended to Him, so also the Teacher, who belongs to our live wave will attend to us individually when the light in us begins to shine.

This is our glorious privilege, and the meditation upon the words of the great Disciple, “ God is Light,” will help us to realize this ideal provided we add to our faith, works, and say by our deeds as did Christ, “ This is my body and this is my blood,” a living sacrifice upon the altar of humanity. By performing this living sacrifice, we first lift ourselves and then the rest of humanity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE CHRIST OF THE WEST

By Deacon Sam Aboh, Easter School 2018, Koforidua

 

The West and East in Religion is not the same as the Geographical division of the world into East and West."Typically, the world is divided into two areas when speaking of religion; those that are Eastern and those that are Western. There are some people who live in the Western World, and have Eastern religions, and there are those who live in the East and believe in Western religions.

Eastern religions are typically described by those religions that are practiced in areas like China, India, Southeast Asia, and Japan. Eastern religions are also typically polytheistic. Western religions are found in the Americas and throughout Europe. They include Christianity, Puritanism, Judaism, etc.  They are typically monotheistic, in that only one God is worshipped."We are speaking about the Christ of the West.

The Western Wisdom Teaching gives a comprehensive account of Cosmogenesis.  Three great evolutionary periods have preceded our present state.  The Father is the highest initiate of the first or Saturn Period.  The Son(Christ) is the highest initiate of the second or Sun Period, and Jehovah is the highest initiate of the third or Moon Period.

Under the regime of Jehovah and His angels, separation of the sexes took place (Gen. 2:21-23), also a division of mankind into tribes and nations (Gen. 11:8-9).  The desire nature was rampant, so laws were given, and "the fear of The Lord” was pitted against the desires of the flesh.  All Race Religions were designed by Jehovah, each suited to the particular nation to whom it was given.  All these forms of worship, aimed to prepare mankind for the reign of Christ, is to emancipate us from the rule of law, under which all sin, substituting the reign of love where all will serve.

Jehovah worked upon the earth and mankind from without, as group spirits work with the animals.  But about two thousand (2,000) years ago, at the baptism, the Christ Spirit descended upon Jesus of Nazareth and dwelt in His body until the tragedy on Golgotha, when it entered the earth as indwelling planetary spirit.

Forth with, Christ commenced to cleanse the desire world which reeled with brutality and egotism generated under the law, and also to radiate love and altruism, which is slowly but surely permeating the world. Thus in time we shall surely see "on earth peace, goodwill toward men." Behold I make all things new." (Rev. 21:5)

But the great sacrifice was only begun on Golgotha, the Christ is still "groaning and travailing, " and must continue to do so "till the day of manifestation of the sons of God," the day when we shall have evolved  sufficiently to guide our own planet in its orbit, care for our weaker brothers!  Let us not forget that we can hasten or retard the day of His coming by the lives we lead, that is, the way we live. If we live unto the world, we lengthen His imprisonment and agony so it behooves us to heed His last admonition, that "whatever we do, it be done “IN REMEMBRANCE” of Him, for then shall we be working to free Him, thereby hastening the time when we shall meet Him " in the air" (1 Thess. 4:17) as He passes out from the centre of the earth to the surface and hence to the Sun whence He came.

Humanity must learn to initiate through its own free will all action from within, and this action must result in service.

 

It has been said that "the flower of religion is always given to the flower of humanity," and that more glorious religions are yet to come. Yet the world today is just beginning to catch faint glimpses of the lofty mission of Christ, which is to lift mankind into the living reality of UNIVERSAL FRIENDSHIP.

In the Atlantean Mystery Teaching, recorded in the Old Testament, we learn that man of his own free will partook of "the tree of knowledge" (Gen. 3:6), which brought pain and death into the world, and as a result, he was "expelled from the Garden of God(Eden) to wander in the wilderness of the world" (Gen. 3:23); that God in pity made a covenant with man; that a tabernacle was built (Exodus 26); within which was placed the Ark, symbolizing the human spirit, which never dies; that the staves of the Ark were never removed, even as man, a pilgrim, may never rest until he reaches, through his own free will, the human goal.  Within this Ark, was the "golden pot of manna," Man, fallen from Heaven, together with a statement of divine laws which he must learn in his pilgrimage through the wilderness of matter", there was also the " magic wand" of Aaron, the emblem of spiritual power, which is within every one, urging him on his way to the mystic Temple of Solomon. 

Scarcely has the world yet begun to live the inner teachings of Christianity, only dimly is it beginning to grasp their significance, yet slowly, but surely we are proceeding toward the next cycle of progress, the great sixth epoch(period), of which Christ is to be the leader; a period which Marshall all mankind, whether sons of Cain or sons of Seth, to work in harmony in the kingdom of their Lord, a period when the Rays from the Rose Cross will shed the light of understanding upon every institution of man so that every difference will sink in common service for the good of all, and friendship will unite the scattered souls in the Kingdom of Christ.  When He has fully perfected the unification of the Kingdom, He will yield it to the Father, as stated in the Bible.

In the Western Wisdom Teaching is found revealed the Mission of Christ, who came to show and prepare the way to His kingdom, that not the stragglers alone might be lifted up, but that all who are ready to enter into the narrow way and through the straight gate may find the light and the way. Hence He boldly stated: "I am the way". No longer is He "the one to come", but "the one to come again."  NEITHER WILL HE AGAIN APPEAR IN THE FLESH, WHICH, as Paul says, cannot inherit the kingdom, but in the soul body.  When humanity has evolved etheric consciousness, they can meet Him “in the air (1Thess. 4:17). But "of that day and hour, knoweth no man, no, not even the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." Then the law that was given by Moses will be superseded by the "grace and truth that came by Christ Jesus," and the stream of humanity that has been surging onward in its appointed course will bear witness as rightful sons of God, that it is possible to obey the Divine command", Be ye perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect."(Matt, 5:48).

"Man is a microcosm, a universe in miniature, possessing the same secret springs of life and passing through the same cycles of power that characterize the macrocosm.  It is true of him as of the cosmos that there is a time when the creative forces are in the ascendant; and at that time, he can best initiate measures designed to create a new world order.  In the great world around him, this time of new power is the spring; and within man himself there is the corresponding font, or spring, of creative force welling up from the deep places of the soul."

We are threads in nature's own fabric.  We are inextricably woven into the whole cosmic pattern. We find our fulfilment neither independently of each other nor of the planet.  Hence the spiritual importance of observing nature's times and seasons and of bringing our small personal activities into harmony with her great processes and procedures.

In verification of this we have but to look to the lives of the world's great Way-showers, such as Christ Jesus, the Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, and others of like nature to find that the high points in their early careers co-incited with the major astronomical turning points of the year.  The study of comparative religion has made these parallels common knowledge, and to the materially minded, and the skeptical, they seem to prove that all of the great World saviours are alike mythic figures; but to the spiritually enlightened, the same facts are simply evidence of the at-one-ment between nature and man and between nature and God.

Esoteric Christianity traces these cosmic correspondences in relation to the Christ, the last and greatest of the world-saviours, whose work, begun in ancient Palestine, in the person of the Initiate Jesus, has continued until now, and will continue until, literally, the "end of the world".

The Christ is a Cosmic character, and His activities are those of the living Cosmos itself. And so it is with the lives of all World Teachers. For us they point the way, and that way is nature's way!

"Easter is an appeal to humanity to change their lives UPWARDS!"

When a man has under gone within himself the resurrection, he is great whether he is known or unknown, high placed in social station or a humble peasant. He is then a living example of an embodied divinity.

That first Easter was an historical fact.  It occurred in the world of men, objectively, and witnesses attested to its verity.  It dated time. A human personality, Jesus of Nazareth, and an Archangelic Being, the Christ, jointly produced the Supreme Event of the Ages! (Matt. 4:16-17; Mark 1:10-11).

When you have gone through all other religions, you hardly come across this emphatic and authoritative statement about any other World Saviour as we read about Christ Jesus. He, the Christ even went on to declare that "I am the Light of the World". (John 8:12; John 9:5).

In the fore going pages, we have scarcely touched upon the wealth of Wisdom found in the Christian Mystery Teaching, disseminated through the Rosicrucian Fellowship, but sufficient has been said to convince anyone acquainted with the Teachings of Eastern Occultism and who is open to conviction, that while both contain the great basic truths common to all religions, both ancient and modern, they are very far from being the same, and that the Western Wisdom Teaching is as far in Advance  of Eastern Occultism, as Buddha, the Light of Asia is out shone by our Glorious Christ, the light of the World, for whose coming we watch and pray.

Brothers, Sisters and Friends sailing in the same Fellowship Boat, Thank you, and may The Roses Bloom Upon Your Cross!

 

 

THE GARDENS: EDEN, GETHSEMANE AND THE EASTER MYSTERIES

By Johnson Degboe, Easter School 2018, Koforidua

 

Once again Christendom is celebrating perhaps their most important festival, Easter.The importance of Easter is that it finalizes the evergreen formula of conquering death and liberating oneself from the forces of darkness and regaining the lost paradise as revealed to John:

“Now God’s home is with mankind he will live with them and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them and he will be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain, the old things have disappeared..... And now I make all things new”. Rev.21:4-5.

This is the new paradise that awaits us all. Death, pain, sorrow and grief are non-existent there. It is all eternal bliss. But unlike the lost paradise given mankind on silver platter, man must now put up a sustained and dedicated hard work of regeneration; attain purity before gaining admission into the New Jerusalem, the NewGalilee.

The Creation Story of the Holy Bible reveals that God’s master plan for humanity’scomprehensive development is to placeman in paradise to grow in a comfortable and peaceful kingdom. To this end God created all of man’s needs before creating him. And more importantly, God created man in his own image and put him in that paradise-the Garden of Eden and gave man dominion over all other creations.

“And God said, let us make man in our own image, after our own likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowls of the air and over the cattleand over all the earth.............” Genesis 1:26.

The first book of the bible chronicles that peaceful kingdom-the Garden of Eden: a world without wars or rumours of wars, aggression, violence, greed, famine, hatred, pain and death. Then came the sudden fall of man because he had disobeyed God and ate of the Tree Of Knowledge. Man’s disobedience brought pain and death into the world and further led to his expulsion from the Garden of Eden.When mankind was expelled from the garden of Eden Cherubim was detailed to guard the entrance with a flaming sword to prevent man’s re-entry. Thus according is Max Heindel: ignorant indulgence in the creative act was the sin committed against the laws of nature, which brought pain and death into the world and estranged us from our primalguardians, and forced us to roam the wilderness of the world for ages.

But at the gate of the Mystic Temple of Solomon we again find Cherubim but the fierysword is no longer in their hands, instead they hold a flower, a symbol full of mystic meaning. At this point one may like to know why mankind should have to roam the wilderness for ages. And why bore us with garden and flowers at this time when we are pondering over the torture, humiliation and the brutal murder of our Lord Jesus Christ, the gentle Nazarene.Man roamed the wilderness for all these years looking for that elusive golden path that will return him to the eternal bliss he enjoyed in the Garden of Eden at his father’s feet. Gardens and flowers are being discussed here because mankind has to learn an important spiritual lesson from the plant kingdom if he is to attain to liberation and regain his lost paradise. And Max Heindel explains to us that theCherubim with the open flower in their hands gave the aspirant the message that purity is the key which alone can unlock the gate to God or as Christ put it: “blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”. Matthew 5:8.

Man has thus lost his paradise but craves to regain it. And it is the tested and reliantformula of regaining the lost paradise-Garden of Eden that gave birth to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden Of Sorrow.

The Garden of Eden period is covered by the latter parts of the LemurianEpoch and the early Atlanteantime. And just as the bible says, man at that stage of evolution was pure and innocent.

He was a docile ward of guardian angels who guided his every step upon the path of enfoldment. And under the regime of the lunar angels and the Lords of Venus, man would have grown wise and good automatically because there would have been no alternative. And man would have remained in paradise. But when the Lucifer spirits opened man’s eyes to the other course and the Lords of Mercury fostered reason to guide him, he became greater than either as required of those who follow the spiral path of evolution. It is this turning point in man’s evolution that the bible covers in the Garden of Edenstory.

Both the Creation and Evolution stories agree that mankind has lost his blissful years in paradise. Death hitherto unknown to man came to the world and has become his worst enemy. And though man was born to be free, he is everywhere in chains as the adagesuccinctlydescribes man’spredicament.

Mankind’s headache now is how to overcome death, regain the sonship of God and re-establish that rapport between him and God and become a citizen of the New Jerusalem, the New Galilee.

The post Garden of Eden years have seen man degenerate further into greater evil and has lost focus of the fact that “though he is in the world, he is not of the world”.

Man has become blind to celestial truths and glorified himself in the “Broadway” lifestyle of “eat, drink and make merry because tomorrow you die”.

Materialism has become man’s God. He lives and learns to perfect his service to mammon. But Jesus Christ has admonished us that man cannot serve God and mammon. Certainly he will love one and neglect the other. True to the Lord’s admonition, mankind chose to serve mammon-to amass material wealth selfishly thus degenerate more and more into greater evil. And man’s neglect of God made Isaiah, one of the prolific prophets of the Old Testament to tell his generation and indeed generations yet unborn that: “because you have forgotten the God of your salvation............the harvest will be ruins” Isaiah 17:10

Mankind has allowed his lower nature to control him. And all his actionsare dictated by the lower nature and have to suffer for his wrong choices. We may at this point note that Adam’s falldid not only bring misfortune to humanity, it also brought some measure of good too. The fall has given mankind the freedom of choice and reason to evolve along the path of enfoldment. Man has the freedom then on to decide his fate. To thisend: “the lord said to his people stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths and where the best road is. Walk in it and you will live in peace. But they said! No we will not”. Jeremiah6:16

Mankind has rejected the godly messages from the men sent to them by God and plied his disastrous path. This path led to selfishness, greed, hatred, pride and arrogance which plunged man into greater trouble. But if material wealth were the path to redemption the Redeemer, Jesus Christ would have asked the rich young man who asked to be told what to do to enter into the kingdom of heaven,to proceed and get more material wealth. Instead Christ told the young rich man to go and sell all his property and give the proceeds to the poor and follow him to spread the Good News. Remember, Christ told us that it will be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. What other information do we need to know that material wealth is a stumbling block on the path of attainment if not well-managed?

Man’s wrong decisions and bad choices made him to lose the struggle with the forces of darkness to regain the path to holiness and were heading towards total destruction. It is at this point that the Christ was sent to frail humanity.

“And the Christ said: “Father behold”,

A war of evil has arisen upon earth

Man strives to Shum this bitter chaos

But knows not how to pass through it

Therefore do thou, Oh Father send me:

Bearing Thy seal I will descend to earth

All mysteries I will unfold

All forms of Godhead I will reveal

All secrets of the holy path I will reveal to man”

An ancient hymn quoted by Hippoly-Sus. The hymn reveals the hopelessness of man in the contest between him and the devil. Thus was mankind made powerless in the war thathis rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden unleashed on earth And “it is for this purpose that the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” 1 John 3:8

But one may at this point ask: if God is indeed Love, Mercy and Grace, why did he abandon frail humanity to suffer all this long before sending the Christ to redeem him? God did not abandon frail humanity to suffer as some people erroneously believe. God is indeed Love, Mercy and Grace and therefore persistently sent teachers and prophets to redirect humanity after his fall to live godly life to regain paradise. But man refused to work with the Teachers and Prophets that God sent him.Among the sent were Moses, Noah, Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hoseaand Jonas. The persistence of man not to do the will of God as taught them by the prophets led to their greater plight.

How did the Christ fare in his redemption mission to earth? Christ’s three-year mission to earth was a success story. He has revealed the evergreen golden path to the new paradise, the New Jerusalem; rent the veil that whosever wills may come, he has thus planted the “Tree of Salvation”and left it to the care of his disciples to nurture to fruition which they did gallantly.

Although the majorly of  mankind did not change during  the three years as they kept faith with the old destructive lifestyles and glorified themselves in the temporary pleasures of the Broadway and rejected the divine truths that guaranteed eternal life, the seed of the Good News was planted in their hearts. Christ first taught mankind the basic requirement to overcome the devil in their perennial war is a strong self-will for the devil cannot force any one against his will. The Christ revealed this key to mankind in the Temptation,Mathew 4:3-11.

After the devil has shown him the kingdoms of the earth, and their glory, the devil then told him: “All these things will I give thee, if thou will fall down and worship me”. But the Christ beheld the supremacy that was within his reach (just as mankind) on the path of sorrow and the final death on the cross,if he stuck to his position to redeem frail humanity and save the whole earth from destruction, Corrine Heline rightly observed. He chose the path of sorrow and became man of sorrow, so that he might find the way of the “Peace that passeth all understanding”, and in a triumphant tone ordered Satan; “get thee hence;for it is written: thou shall worship the Lord, thy God and it is only he shall thou serve”.Matthew 4:10. The Son of God has refused the temporary pleasures of the earth and sought after the eternal pleasures that await us in heaven. Man is therefore to evolve a strong self-will to resist all the temptation on the path of holiness. Good deeds are the way of evolving the strong self-will. But man has failed to evolve the strong self-will and chose the Broadway thus striving after materials wealth to sustain his temporary pleasures. And as Manly P.Hall Aptly puts it: the world is money mad. It is insane on the subject of personal gain. It will give nothing to serve others, but will give everything to gain the knowledge which will make it possible for a mediocre to become a commercial power over night. Graft has appeared in almost every walk of human life.

Manly P.Hall has said it all! Selfishness and greed have taken thecenter stage in man quest for material wealth. “Human sacrifice” is on the increase for money “sika duro”, blood money. And it is pathetic that sixteen-year olds are involved in the blood money business in our part of the world. Armedrobbery is on the increase so are break-ins.Prostitution has become an open business and even the HIV/AIDS is nolonger a deterrent.

Our degeneration has broken almost all natural laws. And this has brought stagnation to our march on the path of attainment. The more Jesus Christ rendered service to the sick and the needy themore the Jewish leaders hated him. We may recall how furious the Jewish authorities were when Jesus healed the sick man who had been lying by the pool of Bethsaida for 38 years and plotted the move to kill him. But the hatred, envy and plots by the Jewish leaders to kill Jesus did not deter him. Jesus continued to work committedlyand untiringly unfolding the secrets of the path to humanity.And he took Peter, James and John,the most advanced of the disciples to the mount of Transfiguration to behold his glory. “The glory of the only Begotten Son of the father”as John the beloved described what they sawthere.TheTransfiguration, according to Corrine, Heline marked the culmination of a cosmic pattern of attainment but there remained the steps of liberation. The Redeemerthen moved toGethsemane, The Garden of Sorrow. The Garden of Gethsemane as said earlier is the product of the rebellion is the Garden of Eden.

“And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he said to his disciples sit ye here while I pray.And he taketh with him Peter and James and John and began to be sore amazed and be very sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here and watch and he went forward a little and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible with you,Take away this pain from me, never-the-less not what I will but what thou will” Mark 14:33-36

At Gethsemane, the human nature in Jesus Christ began to overwhelm him. He therefore sought the will of the Father to nullify the great sacrifice, the CRUCIFIXION. And this is one of the most important lessons in the home lap to liberation. He needed the support of his most advanced disciple but they slept off when he needed them most. Corrine Heline explains this more explicitly: this is truly one of the deep mysteries of life, where the origin of sorrow and suffering is not understood and many yearn for bliss and tranquility without labour. But the mystic knows that the Garden of Sorrow and the Crucifixion must always proceed the gladsome hour of the Resurrection morn and the white glory of the Day of Ascension.

For as the spirit unfolds to this high level of attainment, Gethsemane ceases to be a place of personal sorrow, but become, as it was for the Christ, a place of sorrowing for the world.  Its plants are watered with the tears shed for the suffering of humanity and for the helpless anguish of the multitudes of living creatures who cannot speak with a human voice. At this stage of attainment, the aspirant becomes increasingly responsible to the pains of all living things about him. He therefore feels every pang as if it were his own. And once the aspirant has learnt the great lesson of Gethsemane and is able to stand alone and say: “not my will but thine be done “, he easily attains to the gladsome hour of Resurrection morn, and the white glory ofAscension to become the citizen of the new paradise revealed to John, the beloved.

 

 

 

 

THE HARMONY OF THE ROLLING SPHERES

By Anthony Yaw Nyamful, Easter School 2018, Koforidua

Introduction

The keyword for this lecture is harmony. Basically, this word means an agreement or accord between two or more things. In music, it is the pleasing arrangement or combination of rhythmic patternsor sounds. Other words which could be used to substitute harmony are, compatibility, affinity, love etc. For example, an affinity of the molecules of atoms for the formation of rocks bring them together. The rationale behind this lecture is to help us get a deeper understanding of this word with regards to movement of the spheres and how it may assist us on our efforts to walk on the path of attainment or holiness. In view of that, the Rosicrucian Fellowship teachings make many references directly or indirectly to the marching orbs or the rolling spheres. For example, the keyword of the opening hymn, which serves as a prelude to the temple and the healing services is harmony. In view of that all the four stanzas make reference to harmony or the harmony of the rolling spheres as follows:

1.      Each star that in its orbit goes

Law steadfast and eternal shows

 Expressions are the stars of God

 Unchangeable as ebb and flood

 The marching orbs in circle dance

Through time and space each year advance

The harmony of rolling spheres

 Resounds in cosmos through the years.

2.      Man’s ignorance of cosmic law

Caused discord then came death and woe

Now trouble, sorrow, grief must reign

Till harmony prevails again

We’ve met to study nature’s law

We seek eternal truth to know

And with such truth as we may find

We hope to serve and free mankind

3.      Let’s strive to know that we may do

What lifts, ennobles, is right and true

With love to all and hate to none

Let’s shun no duty that should be done

For knowing how to act aright

And doing it from morn till night

From day to day and year to year

We conquer self and sin and fear

4.      With reason’s torch we search for truth

To restore harmony life and youth

For reasons torch when thus applied

In wisdom’s quest is safest guide

If we persist though oft we fail

In time our efforts shall prevail

To end the discord and dispel

All evil with harmony’s rhythmic swell.

The temple service admonishes us to practice love or harmony in every aspect of our lives, whilst the healing service is about harmony restored in terms of health. For example, according Max Heindel, when normal digestion and assimilation provides proper nourishment for the body, when a vigorous circulation prevents clogging and removes debris from the system as soon as formed, when excretion properly evacuated ashes of food, when, in short, every part of the body works in perfect synchrony or harmony with every other organ, we are in a state of health’ but as soon as any part lags in its function, or accelerated, the rhythm or the harmony is disturbed, then disease of various forms sets in..It is therefore no wonder that a very powerful prayer of the Rosicrucians has harmony as its keyword. It is a Prayer which we are advised to use often in silent meditation. It goes as follows:

Not more of Light we ask, O God,

But eyes to see what is;

Not sweeter songs, but ears to hear

The present melodies;

Not greater strength, but how to use

The power that we possess;

Not more of love, but skill to turn

A frown to a caress;

Not more of joy, but how to feel

It kindling presence near,

To give to others all we have

Of courage and of cheer.

No other gift, dear God, we ask,

But only sense to see

How best the precious gifts to use

We have received from Thee.

Give us all fears to dominate,

All holy joys to know,

To be the friends we wish to be,

To speak the truth we know;

To love the pure, to seek the good,

To lift with all our might,

All souls to dwell in harmony.

In Freedom's perfect light.

A careful analysis of this prayer reveals the twelve signs of the zodiac or the marching orbs and how we can harmonize the twelve signs of the zodiac or the marching orbs with ourselves.The Rosicrucian Prayer is the kind of a prayer that lifts, that ennobles a man, and the more a man or woman cultivates that attitude of mind, and entertains those lofty aspirations, the more he or she is lifting the two higher ethers out of the vital body. In fact, God is harmony in manifestation, and if we dwell in harmony with Him, we have fellowship one with another and thus we either vibrate sympathetically with Him or he dwells in us. Thus, the Elder brothers and other higher beings who are said to have achieved this type of sympathetic vibration are said to have the peace that surpasses all understanding. St. John the beloved,who achieved this kind of sympathetic vibration to a very high level could not be killed. In view of that he was banished to the island of Patmos in the Mediterranean Sea and that is where he wrote the book of Revelation. In this lecture, I will draw an analogy between the harmonies of the Spheres without and that within man and how it could assist us on the path of attainment or holiness.

The harmony of the Spheres

The first person to have made mention of the harmony of the rolling spheres or the marching orbs is Pythagoras. According to Max Heindel, music has a greater mission than simply to provide enjoyment for us. In fact, the harmony of the spheres is the basis of all evolution. Without that there could be no progress. These stellar orbs travel around, as is well known to astrologers. They don't stay in one order, but come into different configurations with one another. The same is true of the seven tones in the octave, which are the replica of the Seven Planetary Spirits. Just as they can be brought into different connections and make different chords, so also these different tones of the worlds that are moving through space make up the harmony of the spheres, and according to the change in these vibrations humanity is evolving. There is a different vibration every single moment of time, and as a new being comes into existence, these varying vibrations act upon him and make him different from all others. Therefore he has a certain fate. Only in the Region of Concrete Thought, where the archetypes of all things unite in that grand celestial choir which Pythagoras spoke of as "the harmony of spheres," do we find truth revealed in all its beauty.

It should come as no surprise that all creation is a vast combination of sounds which are emitted by the keynotes of each form issuing from its creative archetype. For instance, as stated in the Rosicrucian literature, there is in the skull at the base of the brain a flame. It burns continually in the medulla oblongata at the head of the spinal cord, and like the fire on the altar of the tabernacle, is of divine origin. This fire emits a singing sound like the buzz of a bee, which is the keynote of the physical body, and is sounded by the archetype. It builds in and cements together that mass of cells known as "our body." The composite of the human physical body has its keynote, but it in turn is the synthesis of organs and tissues which also have their own organizing and identifying keynotes. We may assume that even individual cells have their own sonic signatures or vibratory keys.

The Creative ability of the rolling Spheres

We are told by John that in the beginning was the word . . . and without it was nothing made that was made. That was the creative fiat which first started the world into being. The familiar experiment of placing sand upon a glass plate and creating geometrical figures by bowing the edge with a violin bow, illustrates the creative ability of sound. Thus, it is this celestial music or the marching orbs which creates whatever exists. Everything is first created in terms of sound, which then molds concrete matter into the multitudinous forms which we see around us.   In the occultist's sphere of vision, the whole solar system is one vast musical instrument, spoken of in the Greek mythology as "the seven- stringed lyre of Apollo, the radiant Sun God." As there are twelve semi-tones in the chromatic scale, so we have in the heavens, twelve signs of the zodiac, and as we have the seven white keys or whole tones on the keyboard of the piano, we have seven planets. The signs of the zodiac may be said to be the sounding-board of the cosmic harp and the seven planets are the strings; they emit different sounds as they pass through the various signs, and therefore they influence mankind in diverse manner. Should the harmony fail for one single moment, should there be the slightest discord in that heavenly band, this whole universe as such must crumble.

The harmony of the Spheres within man

As stated above, each individual is emitting a certain sound, and it is said that the great Alchemist or Master ofWisdom never makes a mistake when he hears the sound—life-sound—of any person or thing, for its dominant note gives him the key, so that he knows just where that soul stands in its evolutionaryprogress, by the rate of its vibrations. These vibrations manifest themselves on the physical plane, in the case of men and women, in the pitch of the voice, which is an index to the life tone of persons generally, character being expressed in a remarkable way through the voice. For instance, a person born under the influence of Jupiter will have the Jupiterian voice, which is deep and powerful, yet harmonious; a Martial voice is sharp, and if combined with Mercury shrill and metallic, while the Venusian note is pleasing, gentle, and soft; and so on, with the other planetary influences. Few, except students of human nature, realize how powerfully character declares itself by sound. Much has been written about the Music of the Spheres, but very few, except Initiates in the great Temple of Wisdom, know today the numerical ratio of each planet’s vibration. Indeed, exact pre-dictions respecting the coming destiny of any nativity can be absolutely and accurately given only when the dominant chord of the individual is known, together with the rate of vibration at which he is living.

This, of course, would depend to a large extent on the age and experience of the soul working within its self-made limitations, and would be especially the case with those whose minds are turned towards the higher life and the occult laws of nature, who seek to co-operate with her, to dominate their lower nature, and thus realize their ideals. As they use their will in co-operation with the stellar forces by aspiration and individual effort, the higher notes of the scale of each planetary rate of vibration would come into play, and progress advances by leaps and bounds. For instance, the vibrations from Venus are finer and more rapid than those from Mars.

According to Max Heindel, we have created a subtle aura about us under the guardianship of the Divine Hierarchies reigning over the seven planets: Saturn, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus. The Universe, or great world, is mystically called the seven-stringed lyre of Apollo. Our individual organism or microcosm is a replica or image of God, and it behooves us to awaken in ourselves an echo of this music of the spheres. Thus, the manner in which we daily harmonize our physical bodies consisting of varied tones emanated by molecules and atoms within, the etheric substances, the desire stuff substances and that of the mind, which have all been arranged according to the pattern of the marching orbs determine our spiritual progress or our material health. Most often we are not able to harmonize ourselves with our archetype and other higher beings hence the outcome of sickness, war, bitterness, arguments and other vices.

For example, the head of man is tuned to Aries whose keynote is D flat major, the neck is tuned to Taurus whose keynote is E flat major, the hands, lungs and shoulders are tuned to Gemini and is tuned to G flat major, the Stomach is tuned to Cancer, whose keynote is A flat major, the heart is tuned to Leo whose keynote is B flat major, the intestines are tuned to Virgo whose keynote is C major, the kidneys are tuned to Libra whose keynote is D major, the sex organs are tuned to Scorpio, whose keynote is E major, the Hips and thighs are tuned to Sagittarius whose keynote is F major, the knees are tuned to Capricorn whose keynote is G major, the ankles is tuned to Aquarius whose keynote is A major, the feet are tuned to Pisces whose keynote is B major. We can make use of such a knowledge to tune up ourselves each night to all the twelve sings of the zodiac to relax the body before retrospection and also to tune up the ergo to the our archetype each morning before the performance of the morning concentration.

On the other hand, some people have learned to respond too much to Saturnine vibrations of sorrow, gloom, fear, and worry, or the negative martial aspirations of Mars which are selfish in nature and such activities of vibrations either congeal their desire bodies or jangle them, and it would be to the lasting benefit of all to try to cultivate the spiritual vibrations of the Sun, filling our lives with optimism and sunshine which will dispel the saturnine gloom and despondency or martial aspirations of selfishness. We must therefore prevent such thoughts entering our aura. The prime necessity of advancement is equipoise. All who aspire ought to adopt Paul's motto, "None of these things move me." We must thus live above things that move other people easily such as anger, pride, intolerance etc. or negative of aspects of things pertaining to wealth, power, fame and love. We must be in the world but not be part of it. Negative aspects of tribal and national considerations must be subjugated.

When we meditate on such inspiring concepts as "wisdom" and "understanding" and ponder the meaning and reality of these words, we contact forces that have their home in higher and purer spheres than our daily surroundings. We know that we cannot neglect our duties, and often we must live in the din of a busy world for the sake of needed experience. But no matter what the circumstance, we can and should take time for daily silent meditations. Meditation in silence is a real help in gaining soul growth. By this practice we are enabled to build within our own inner selves a sanctuary. We can construct this Living Temple not made with hands and enter it whenever we need to restore the harmony the harmony of the spheres within.

The Rosicrucian Order is an ancient Mystic Fraternity formed in the year 1313 by a high spiritual teacher having the symbolical name "Christian Rosenkreuz": Christian Rose Cross. It was his mission to prepare a new phase of the Christian religion to be used during the coming age now at hand, for as the world and man evolve so also must religion change. The system of worship suited to the spiritual needs of our forebears is unsuited to our altered intellectual condition. Therefore, the great spiritual entities in charge of evolution change the religions of the world in harmony with the passage of the marching orbs in the heavens. The Rosicrucian Philosophy is entirely Christian, striving to make religion a living factor in the land -- and to lead to Christ those who cannot find Him by faith alone.

Only when man has a clear intellectual conception of the scheme of human development is he in a position to range himself in line therewith. When it is made clear to him that, that scheme is beneficent and benevolent in the very highest degree, that all is truly ruled by divine Love, then that understanding will sooner or later call out in him a true devotion and heartfelt acquiescence which will awaken in him a desire to become a co-worker with God in the world's work. Eye has not seen nor ear heard the glories that are yet in store for us, but Oliver Wendell Holmes has expressed a little of what we may look forward to in the following lines:

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul.
As the swift seasons roll!
Leave thy low vaulted past!
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
Shut thee from Heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea!

 Invisible forces called natural laws govern physical substance. Gradually, science is discovering and studying these forces and harnessing them in the service of the human race. The lower kingdoms are thus brought under control and developed. Man himself is also ruled by these natural laws and if he learns to know himself and lives in harmony with nature, or the marching orbs, he will be able to live constructively by turning squares and oppositions to sextiles and trines.

In presenting these Laws, it is the purpose of the Rosicrucian Philosophy to: (1) Explain the hidden springs of life — by knowing what forces are at work within himself, man can make the best use of his present faculties; (2) teach the purpose of evolution — this enables man to work in harmony with God’s Plan and to develop still unrecognized possibilities; (3) show why service is the most direct path to spiritual perfection.We all know the power of thought when directed to a given purpose, and we thus can unite our thoughts with those of all peace lovers in the following prayer: "Our heavenly Father, according to Thy will, may the Love-Wisdom Principle of Divine Power eradicate discord and establish harmony and universal peace in the hearts and affairs of m