Time.
What is it, exactly? Is it the number of seconds that it takes to read this sentence? The scratches on a prison wall that mark the passing of days? Or is it the number of wrinkles that show up on your skin? Is it a measure of your descent into cynicism? All of the above?
A lot of metaphors describe time. Time is gold. Time flies. River of time. Sands of time. Make the time. All refer to movement and something that is easily lost once past. Or perhaps time is simply an arrangement the mind makes in order to make sense of the progression of events in our lives. Is this why the sages of old exhort us to live in the NOW, because every second that passes contains crucial events that we need to be aware of as they happen? But time isn't simply a series of events strung up in a line.
Time is a paradox. It can be subjective and objective at the same time. Imagine if you were immortal. You don't age, you don't get sick. Time seemingly stops for you. And yet, you watch your friends and loved ones get sick and die. Time still passes, and you are in the middle of it, subject to the emotional highs and lows that come with the experience.
It seems then that anything subjected to time is impermanent. You can even find it in the play of words. Temporary = temporal = time. And if you really think about it, every second that passes means the previous second was already lost. Even doing nothing, you are already losing something. If only the same could be said about losing excess body fat, eh?
What then does it mean to work towards the permanent, the eternal, the everlasting? Aha. It seems we've strayed into "religious" territory.
If time relates to loss and impermanence, then it seems that for something to be eternal it shouldn't be bound by time. If there is no time, then there is no beginning and no ending. Not a nihilistic event, but just one big NOW. So when the ancient sages said to live in the NOW, perhaps what they are referring to is to live towards what is permanent and eternal. It is like the Ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail. It is the circle that is never ending, it just IS.
If you've spent enough time researching the esoteric, you would have encountered descriptions of the supernal realms being timeless and spaceless. Unfortunately, without having experienced it, it's hard to imagine what it would be like to live in a realm with no time, and no space.
Perhaps physics can help give a clue. Let's take a closer look at Einstein's theory of relativity. I won't discuss the history or technical aspects of it and just say that as one approaches the speed of light, time slows down relative to everything else. An astronaut in a spaceship that's traveling close to the speed of light might only experience the passing of a few months in deep space when on Earth many years could have already passed.
As one reaches the speed of light, it is theoretically possible to go back in time. In this case, at the speed of light you may say that one is existing beyond time because one is not bound by its progression. This ties in with the accounts of the so-called akashic records, where one may view scenes from the past and if one were advanced enough, scenes of possible futures.
But here's where it gets interesting. From what I understand of the theory of relativity, as long as you have mass, you cannot really hit the speed of light. You can approximate it, but not get to the speed of light itself. It's interesting, because that essentially means that you should be beyond space as well in order to get to the speed of light itself. How then can you shed mass in order to get to the speed of light?
The potential is actually in all of us, again as described in Einstein's formula E=mc2. This formula is frequently associated with the atomic bomb, but I got insight into its deeper meaning by watching an episode of History Channel's Ancient Aliens. One scientist explained the formula as follows:
"When you have atoms break apart or come together, you lose a small amount of mass. It turns out that the amount of energy in mass is related to the mass times the speed of light squared (E=mc2). And the speed of light is such a huge number, and that's what converts the small amount of mass into a huge amount of energy."
So within each particle of the universe there exists a huge amount of energy, but most of it in the form of mass. But the potential is there. Shed the mass, and you release the energy. Sounds almost like a description of the soul, doesn't it? At death, we shed the physical body and we enter into the supernal realms.
It's interesting that in Master Choa Kok Sui's book Achieving Oneness with the Higher Soul, he describes the soul as "spiritual energy with consciousness." So one is a being of light, with consciousness. One doesn't need to experience death in order to get into this state and this actually forms the basis of practice for many yogic traditions.
As the world enters a phase when a lot of people are thinking of the "End Times" (not the same as the end of time, mind you) coupled with fears of a global recession and a lot of uncertainty about the future, it would do well to think about working towards the permanent rather than on things that will fade with time. I'm not saying one should renounce the world, but rather to know how to discern between the permanent and the impermanent, so that one knows how to manage priorities. This allows us to live and thrive in the world without being attached to it.
But time need not sound so negative. According to Kabbalah, time is also equated with mercy because it is the interval between cause and effect. This gives one the opportunities to make up for any negative actions one might have done in the past, or to reinforce and affirm positive actions. But this only works if one believes in the Law of Cause and Effect (also known as karma).
Time is either a glass half-full or half-empty, depending on your disposition. But I did say it was a paradox, didn't I?
Friday, August 19, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Rosary and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life?
Every Catholic, and perhaps even some non-Catholics, would know what the rosary is. As far back as I can remember, I had been taught how to pray the rosary, and this practice was reinforced in school as we prayed the rosary daily. I even remember a popular ad that came out, with the slogan: "The family that prays together, stays together." It had the picture of Mother Mary and a rosary in the background. No doubt about it, every Catholic is expected to pray the rosary at least once daily.
I am not what you would call a devout Catholic, so I didn't relish the monotonous drone of Hail Marys and accompanying prayers that are part and parcel of praying the rosary. There was a time that my antidote against insomnia was to say the rosary while lying down in bed. It was a sure way to put me to sleep.
Don't get me wrong, I've often heard of people who had their prayers granted by religiously following novenas. And I've also heard stories of people who stayed safe or survived a crisis by praying the rosary. Of course, as every esoteric student would know, any prayer said with intent and repeated continuously becomes a potent force, and the rosary helps the devotee to focus that intent, whether that person is aware of it or not. It's just that I never saw the rosary as my thing.
In a patriarchal religion such as Roman Catholicism, the rosary holds a unique place because it focuses heavily upon invoking the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The word "rosary" comes from the Latin rosarium which means "rose garden" or "garland of roses." Interestingly, author Bettye Johnson states that the Persian poet Sa’adi of Shiraz once called the rose garden "a garden of contemplation." In essence, contemplation is what a rosary is supposed to assist in doing.
The rose has long been recognized as an esoteric symbol in many cultures. The rose was considered sacred to Venus, and through this connection it has come to be associated with love. The rose also represents the Divine Feminine, since the many folds of the petals in a rose is said to mimic the vulva. The rose also symbolizes secrecy. In the Middle Ages, when a rose was hung from the ceiling of a room, everything discussed in that room was considered secret. This is where the phrase sub rosa, which means "under the rose," came from. In modern usage, sub rosa usually refers to covert operations.
Because of the interesting and ancient symbolism of the rose, I started to think that perhaps there was more to the rosary than what we know from Church teachings. The fact that it has a different configuration from other prayer beads (for instance, compared to the Islamic and Buddhist prayer beads) also lead me to think that there was something more to it. After all, throughout its history, the Catholic Church has been known to absorb the esoteric traditions of other religions and adopt them for its own, even if most of the Catholic clergy had no idea about the esoteric meaning of the practices it adopted.
What possible correspondences can be gleaned from the rosary? To do that, I need to briefly touch on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. The tree of life is an ancient symbol that supposedly traces its roots as far back as ancient Egypt and perhaps beyond. In kabbalah, the tree of life is composed of 10 spheres called sefira (singular: sefirot). For the sequence of the sefira, I will use Master Choa's sequence as given in The Spiritual Essence of Man. The difference is that the sequence is reversed compared to the traditional one.
The sefira are as follows:
(1) Kether - Crown
(2) Chokmah - Wisdom
(3) Binah - Understanding
(4) Chesed - Mercy and Loving-kindness
(5) Gevurah - Severity, Justice and Strength
(6) Tiphareth - Beauty
(7) Netzach - Victory and Power
(8) Hod - Glory
(9) Yesod - Foundation
(10) Malkuth - Kingdom
Additionally, there is one hidden sefirot:
(11) Daath - Knowledge
Kether symbolizes the highest and is incomprehensible while Malkuth represents our physical universe.
In the image above, you count starting from the top (Kether) and then work your way from right to left going downward until you reach the bottom sefirot (Malkuth). Daath is not included in the Tree of Life because it is the hidden sefirot.
In kabbalistic tradition, the sefira represent 10 dimensions of reality (interestingly, string theory also posits that there are 10 dimensions). The three upper sefira (Kether, Chokmah and Binah) do not directly influence our reality. The six lower sefira are part of the 99% reality that we cannot perceive with our physical senses but is directly connected with our reality. The kabbalists collectively call it Zeir Anpin. Malkuth represents our physical universe, which is 1% of reality.
Furthermore, kabbalists also believe that the 10 dimensions also have 10 dimensions in each of them (a tree of life within each sefirot). So as you go up within each dimension, when you reach the highest point of one dimension, it's actually the lowest point of the next higher dimension. It's like a mystic ladder that one's consciousness climbs to reach higher realms (remember the reference to Jacob's Ladder in the Bible?).
What does all of this have to do with the rosary? Let's look at the structure of the rosary. The start of the rosary is the crucifix, attached to three beads, usually with two separated beads at either end to represent the "Our Father..." and "Glory be...". And then you have the rosary proper composed of five decades (a decade being a group of 10 beads), each decade separated by singular beads. The singular bead is the "Glory be..." of the previous decade and is also the "Our Father...." of the next decade. All the decades are strung together to form a big circle.
Now, taking what I just explained about the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, the three starting beads can represent the upper three sefira (Kether, Chokmah and Binah) that do not directly influence reality. This may be why these three beads are attached to the circle of decades but are apart from it. The crucifix of course represents the One Supreme God through Whom everything was created. The separator beads at either end of the trio of beads can represent duality, of which the upper three are not part of, i.e. they are located beyond duality, beyond the manifested state.
Then we go to the decades, each composed of ten beads which fits in with the ten sefira. But what about the beads that separate the decades from each other? Although there is one hidden sefirot (Daath) and it is counted as the 11th sefirot, I don't think it represents the separator bead. I will explain later.
First, why five decades? There are esoteric schools of thought that say reality is composed of four elements: fire, air, water and earth plus one which is akasha. In the Tibetan esoteric tradition, akasha is called spirit. In feng shui, wood corresponds to spirit. Fire corresponds to the will, air to the intellect, water for the emotions/feelings and earth to consciousness or material existence. Akasha is the origin of all the elements.
Remember the mystic ladder I mentioned earlier? So as you pray the rosary, you go through each bead in a decade, each decade representing an element. As you go to the next decade, you are meditating on the next element until you reach the fifth decade which is spirit. As you complete the fifth decade, you complete the circle and come closer, or return in proximity, to the upper three where you began.
As to why there are only 5 decades when there are 10 sefira that are supposed to be represented, each plane typically has two divisions. For instance: the physical and etheric plane (earth element), the lower and higher astral (water element), the lower and higher mental (air element) and the buddhic and atmic plane (akasha). The monadic plane pertains to the divine spark in each of us and can correspond to the upper three that is connected to but apart from the other planes.
So the circle of the rosary can be a meditation on the cycle of manifestation of the spirit as it goes through the cosmic Tree of Life. Going back to the beads that separate each decade, it would be easy to assign the separator beads to mean Daath (Knowledge), and it sounds logical to say that the dimensions are connected through knowledge. But the highest form of knowledge is intuition, which is direct knowing, or knowing without having to study. And the center of intuition is Kether (Master Choa Kok Sui, The Spiritual Essence of Man), so it would make more sense that the separator beads represent Kether, or intuition, which allows one to pass from one plane to the other. Daath would therefore be represented within the beads of the decade.
If this sounds too incongruous, take note that if this correspondence between the rosary and the Tree of Life exists, it won't be the only instance where the Tree of Life has found its way into Catholic symbolism. The papal cross and patriarchal cross (triple crosses) represents the Tree of Life. For a more extensive discussion of this, refer to Master Choa Kok Sui's The Spiritual Essence of Man.
So how did the rosary find its way into the Catholic Church? The origin of the rosary is traditionally attributed to Domingo Félix de Guzmán or more popularly known as Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order. In 1214, Saint Dominic is said to have beheld an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary while he was in Prouille, France. The Virgin Mary instructed Saint Dominic about the rosary and how to pray it.
Some scholars dispute this version of the origin of the rosary. But if indeed there is a correspondence between the rosary and the Tree of Life, it's interesting to note that Kabbalah flourished in France and Spain during the Middle Ages. The Bahir book (Book of Brightness) appeared in southern France in 1180 and Rabbi Yitzhak Saggi Nehor, who is said to have written the Bahir book, moved to Spain eventually. The Zohar, the central book of the Kabbalah, came out in 1280 and while authorship is attributed to Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai (who lived during Roman times), others say the Zohar was based on the writings of Rabbi Moses de Leon of Spain, who released the Zohar.
Saint Dominic was said to have adhered to the tenet of finding truth wherever it may be (now one of the major tenets of the Dominican Order), and demonstrated this by learning from the Albigenesians despite it being a departure from then accepted Church practices. So while this is purely conjecture, it is conceivable that Saint Dominic could have learned something from the Kabbalists of that era.
Dr. Earlyne Chaney of Astara always said in her books that one must always meditate on the rosary, no matter one's religion (Chaney was a Baptist) even if one must use one's own words in prayer. With this possible Kabbalistic correspondence of the rosary, Dr. Chaney's exhortations gain more significance. Looking at the rosary and the Tree of Life together presents another way of meditating upon the Mysteries of the Rosary. It should revive interest in a mystic tradition that has all too often been practiced by rote.
So in ending, I just want to say that if you find yourself mechanically going through the motions of a particular religious tradition, try to see if there is a deeper meaning to it and perhaps that will enlighten you in your spiritual journey. After all, such is the work of a sincere esoteric student.
I am not what you would call a devout Catholic, so I didn't relish the monotonous drone of Hail Marys and accompanying prayers that are part and parcel of praying the rosary. There was a time that my antidote against insomnia was to say the rosary while lying down in bed. It was a sure way to put me to sleep.
Don't get me wrong, I've often heard of people who had their prayers granted by religiously following novenas. And I've also heard stories of people who stayed safe or survived a crisis by praying the rosary. Of course, as every esoteric student would know, any prayer said with intent and repeated continuously becomes a potent force, and the rosary helps the devotee to focus that intent, whether that person is aware of it or not. It's just that I never saw the rosary as my thing.
In a patriarchal religion such as Roman Catholicism, the rosary holds a unique place because it focuses heavily upon invoking the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The word "rosary" comes from the Latin rosarium which means "rose garden" or "garland of roses." Interestingly, author Bettye Johnson states that the Persian poet Sa’adi of Shiraz once called the rose garden "a garden of contemplation." In essence, contemplation is what a rosary is supposed to assist in doing.
The rose has long been recognized as an esoteric symbol in many cultures. The rose was considered sacred to Venus, and through this connection it has come to be associated with love. The rose also represents the Divine Feminine, since the many folds of the petals in a rose is said to mimic the vulva. The rose also symbolizes secrecy. In the Middle Ages, when a rose was hung from the ceiling of a room, everything discussed in that room was considered secret. This is where the phrase sub rosa, which means "under the rose," came from. In modern usage, sub rosa usually refers to covert operations.
Because of the interesting and ancient symbolism of the rose, I started to think that perhaps there was more to the rosary than what we know from Church teachings. The fact that it has a different configuration from other prayer beads (for instance, compared to the Islamic and Buddhist prayer beads) also lead me to think that there was something more to it. After all, throughout its history, the Catholic Church has been known to absorb the esoteric traditions of other religions and adopt them for its own, even if most of the Catholic clergy had no idea about the esoteric meaning of the practices it adopted.
What possible correspondences can be gleaned from the rosary? To do that, I need to briefly touch on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. The tree of life is an ancient symbol that supposedly traces its roots as far back as ancient Egypt and perhaps beyond. In kabbalah, the tree of life is composed of 10 spheres called sefira (singular: sefirot). For the sequence of the sefira, I will use Master Choa's sequence as given in The Spiritual Essence of Man. The difference is that the sequence is reversed compared to the traditional one.
The sefira are as follows:
(1) Kether - Crown
(2) Chokmah - Wisdom
(3) Binah - Understanding
(4) Chesed - Mercy and Loving-kindness
(5) Gevurah - Severity, Justice and Strength
(6) Tiphareth - Beauty
(7) Netzach - Victory and Power
(8) Hod - Glory
(9) Yesod - Foundation
(10) Malkuth - Kingdom
Additionally, there is one hidden sefirot:
(11) Daath - Knowledge
Kether symbolizes the highest and is incomprehensible while Malkuth represents our physical universe.
In the image above, you count starting from the top (Kether) and then work your way from right to left going downward until you reach the bottom sefirot (Malkuth). Daath is not included in the Tree of Life because it is the hidden sefirot.
In kabbalistic tradition, the sefira represent 10 dimensions of reality (interestingly, string theory also posits that there are 10 dimensions). The three upper sefira (Kether, Chokmah and Binah) do not directly influence our reality. The six lower sefira are part of the 99% reality that we cannot perceive with our physical senses but is directly connected with our reality. The kabbalists collectively call it Zeir Anpin. Malkuth represents our physical universe, which is 1% of reality.
Furthermore, kabbalists also believe that the 10 dimensions also have 10 dimensions in each of them (a tree of life within each sefirot). So as you go up within each dimension, when you reach the highest point of one dimension, it's actually the lowest point of the next higher dimension. It's like a mystic ladder that one's consciousness climbs to reach higher realms (remember the reference to Jacob's Ladder in the Bible?).
What does all of this have to do with the rosary? Let's look at the structure of the rosary. The start of the rosary is the crucifix, attached to three beads, usually with two separated beads at either end to represent the "Our Father..." and "Glory be...". And then you have the rosary proper composed of five decades (a decade being a group of 10 beads), each decade separated by singular beads. The singular bead is the "Glory be..." of the previous decade and is also the "Our Father...." of the next decade. All the decades are strung together to form a big circle.
Now, taking what I just explained about the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, the three starting beads can represent the upper three sefira (Kether, Chokmah and Binah) that do not directly influence reality. This may be why these three beads are attached to the circle of decades but are apart from it. The crucifix of course represents the One Supreme God through Whom everything was created. The separator beads at either end of the trio of beads can represent duality, of which the upper three are not part of, i.e. they are located beyond duality, beyond the manifested state.
Then we go to the decades, each composed of ten beads which fits in with the ten sefira. But what about the beads that separate the decades from each other? Although there is one hidden sefirot (Daath) and it is counted as the 11th sefirot, I don't think it represents the separator bead. I will explain later.
First, why five decades? There are esoteric schools of thought that say reality is composed of four elements: fire, air, water and earth plus one which is akasha. In the Tibetan esoteric tradition, akasha is called spirit. In feng shui, wood corresponds to spirit. Fire corresponds to the will, air to the intellect, water for the emotions/feelings and earth to consciousness or material existence. Akasha is the origin of all the elements.
Remember the mystic ladder I mentioned earlier? So as you pray the rosary, you go through each bead in a decade, each decade representing an element. As you go to the next decade, you are meditating on the next element until you reach the fifth decade which is spirit. As you complete the fifth decade, you complete the circle and come closer, or return in proximity, to the upper three where you began.
As to why there are only 5 decades when there are 10 sefira that are supposed to be represented, each plane typically has two divisions. For instance: the physical and etheric plane (earth element), the lower and higher astral (water element), the lower and higher mental (air element) and the buddhic and atmic plane (akasha). The monadic plane pertains to the divine spark in each of us and can correspond to the upper three that is connected to but apart from the other planes.
So the circle of the rosary can be a meditation on the cycle of manifestation of the spirit as it goes through the cosmic Tree of Life. Going back to the beads that separate each decade, it would be easy to assign the separator beads to mean Daath (Knowledge), and it sounds logical to say that the dimensions are connected through knowledge. But the highest form of knowledge is intuition, which is direct knowing, or knowing without having to study. And the center of intuition is Kether (Master Choa Kok Sui, The Spiritual Essence of Man), so it would make more sense that the separator beads represent Kether, or intuition, which allows one to pass from one plane to the other. Daath would therefore be represented within the beads of the decade.
If this sounds too incongruous, take note that if this correspondence between the rosary and the Tree of Life exists, it won't be the only instance where the Tree of Life has found its way into Catholic symbolism. The papal cross and patriarchal cross (triple crosses) represents the Tree of Life. For a more extensive discussion of this, refer to Master Choa Kok Sui's The Spiritual Essence of Man.
So how did the rosary find its way into the Catholic Church? The origin of the rosary is traditionally attributed to Domingo Félix de Guzmán or more popularly known as Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order. In 1214, Saint Dominic is said to have beheld an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary while he was in Prouille, France. The Virgin Mary instructed Saint Dominic about the rosary and how to pray it.
Some scholars dispute this version of the origin of the rosary. But if indeed there is a correspondence between the rosary and the Tree of Life, it's interesting to note that Kabbalah flourished in France and Spain during the Middle Ages. The Bahir book (Book of Brightness) appeared in southern France in 1180 and Rabbi Yitzhak Saggi Nehor, who is said to have written the Bahir book, moved to Spain eventually. The Zohar, the central book of the Kabbalah, came out in 1280 and while authorship is attributed to Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai (who lived during Roman times), others say the Zohar was based on the writings of Rabbi Moses de Leon of Spain, who released the Zohar.
Saint Dominic was said to have adhered to the tenet of finding truth wherever it may be (now one of the major tenets of the Dominican Order), and demonstrated this by learning from the Albigenesians despite it being a departure from then accepted Church practices. So while this is purely conjecture, it is conceivable that Saint Dominic could have learned something from the Kabbalists of that era.
Dr. Earlyne Chaney of Astara always said in her books that one must always meditate on the rosary, no matter one's religion (Chaney was a Baptist) even if one must use one's own words in prayer. With this possible Kabbalistic correspondence of the rosary, Dr. Chaney's exhortations gain more significance. Looking at the rosary and the Tree of Life together presents another way of meditating upon the Mysteries of the Rosary. It should revive interest in a mystic tradition that has all too often been practiced by rote.
So in ending, I just want to say that if you find yourself mechanically going through the motions of a particular religious tradition, try to see if there is a deeper meaning to it and perhaps that will enlighten you in your spiritual journey. After all, such is the work of a sincere esoteric student.
Friday, July 15, 2011
The Legacy of Franz Bardon
"Franz who?" you may say. Admittedly, the name Franz Bardon may draw blank stares from most people compared to the name recall of personalities such as Albert Einstein or Mahatma Gandhi. Franz Bardon's reknown is mostly confined to a specific audience. Ask any occult student about Franz Bardon and chances are he/she would at least have heard about him.
In the occult community, Franz Bardon is best known for three books on Hermetic magic that have become occult classics: Initiation into Hermetics (IIH), The Practice of Magical Evocation (PME) and The Key to the True Quabbalah (KTQ). These three books represent the revelation of the first three cards of the Tarot, and are practical manuals on different aspects of magical development and universal esoteric laws. IIH lays the foundation by presenting a practical course of magical development divided into ten steps. PME builds upon the skills learned in the first book and instructs the student how to evoke different spirit beings. KTQ deals with the science of the divine word.
Another book, Frabato the Magician, is widely regarded as the spiritual autobiography of Franz Bardon (Frabato was the stage name of Bardon when he was doing magical shows in Germany). It is set in Dresden, Germany in the 1930s and details Bardon's encounters with a black lodge as well as the events that would serve as the foundation for writing the three books he is most known for. Franz Bardon gave the general outline of events and his long-time student and secretary Otti Votavova fleshed it out in the form of a novel after Bardon's death. This has led some to question the veracity of some of the events portrayed in the novel. It's often suggested to read Frabato the Magician first, but in my case I happened to read it last and it didn't detract from my appreciation of the whole series.
Other complimentary titles include Questions and Answers, a collection of Franz Bardon's answers to the most common questions asked by his direct students, and Memories of Franz Bardon, which contains the reminisces of Lumir Bardon (Franz Bardon's son) and Dr. M.K. (one of Bardon's direct students) about Franz Bardon's everyday life and spiritual work. I hope to acquire a copy of Memories of Franz Bardon soon.
So, just who was Franz Bardon? Based on the different accounts that I've read, it seems his story lies somewhere between history and legend. Franz Bardon was born on December 1, 1909 in the town of Opava, Austrian Silesia in what is now part of the Czech Republic. Later in life, Franz Bardon was arrested after running afoul of the Communist government supposedly because of his healing practice and the three books on Hermetics he had published. He died on July 10, 1958 while under police custody.
Franz Bardon's father Victor was said to be a Christian mystic who was able to progress to the point of developing clairvoyance. Victor prayed fervently that a guru (teacher) be sent to him to further his progress. Thereafter, it is said that the spirit of a very advanced Hermetic adept agreed to enter the body of then 14 year old (some accounts say 16 year old) Franz Bardon. Victor Bardon, being clairvoyant, was aware of the change that happened and recognized that his prayers had been answered.
If this sounds too fanciful, take note that the concept of a "walk in" is not as rare as one might think. T. Lobsang Rampa is supposed to be a walk in, taking over the body of Cyril Hoskin when his original Tibetan body became too worn out to continue his mission. Jesus Christ is also said to be a walk in, the Great Christ Spirit entering the body just before the start of his public ministry.
Why a walk in? Why not just incarnate normally? It is said that when incarnating in the usual way, memory is wiped and a lot of time and effort would be taken up just for the soul to regain all that knowledge before being able to start his/her mission. Supposedly, among the Great Hierarchy, a walk in is only done when there is a great mission that needs to be accomplished in a short amount of time. Of course, the soul of the original body has to be willing to vacate it and the writings say that the incoming spirit must bear the karma of the original soul (this would certainly serve as a motivator for the soul being asked to vacate).
Whatever side of this story you choose to believe, after the supposed change, Franz Bardon became a very exceptional student and displayed more knowledge than he was supposed to have. Many cannot explain how Franz Bardon was able to acquire such an authoritative and practical knowledge of magic, since no one can recall nor are there records of Franz Bardon studying under a teacher or being part of an occult society. This hasn't stopped a lot of speculation, though.
The 1930s in Germany saw the start of a crackdown on everything to do with the occult as the Nazi Party took over. Many say that the true motivation for this crackdown was so that the highest echelons of the Nazi Party could consolidate all occult power and knowledge among themselves. It's a historical fact that Hitler and other high ranking members of the Nazi Party were part of the Vril Society and the Thule Society, both recognized occult societies.
As World War II broke out, this crackdown on the occult extended to the occupied parts of Europe. Franz Bardon instructed all his students to burn all correspondence with him that had to do with magic and to lie low. One student didn't follow instructions, leading to their discovery and resulting in the arrest of both the student and Franz Bardon. They were asked to reveal their magical secrets and to help the Nazis win the war through occult means. Franz Bardon refused, leading both to be tortured horribly. At this point, the student supposedly uttered a kabbalistic formula that paralyzed the torturers, but once the effects wore off the student was shot and killed.
The Nazi torturers visited all sorts of horrors upon Franz Bardon, such as operating on him without anesthesia. Towards the end of the war, Bardon was sentenced to die but accounts say that on the morning of his execution Allied bombs hit the concentration camp he was in. In the confusion, he was able to escape along with other Soviet prisoners who helped him. Other accounts say that Soviet soldiers liberated the camp.
After the war, Franz Bardon became reknown as both a healer and Hermetic practitioner and teacher. It was also during this time period that he wrote those three legendary books. Initiation into Hermetics and The Practice of Magical Evocation both came out in 1956, one after the other. His last book, The Key to the True Quabbalah came out in 1957. Rumor has it that there were unpublished manuscripts revealing the fourth and fifth Tarot cards, but these were lost along with the rest of Bardon's magical possessions when the Communist government confiscated them upon his arrest.
What makes Franz Bardon's books different from other occult literature? If you've read enough esoteric works (historical or contemporary), they are often couched in obscure symbolism, contain incomplete information, or both. Franz Bardon's books, on the other hand, are literally complete practical manuals for magical development, without the flowery words or symbolisms. They are divided into theory and practice sections, so that the student will gain an understanding of what is expected and what is to be accomplished. Furthermore, they are structured so that even someone who has a job and family can practice them.
Although it is always ideal to study under a guru, Bardon's books do make it possible for someone to start the practice alone. Which doesn't mean that one shouldn't read between the lines, because there are as many lessons there as the ones that are printed out, but the veiling of these hidden treasures does not make the practical course incomplete. This is just my opinion, but for me no other series of books before or since can claim to have the same thoroughness and authority as Bardon's works when it comes to presenting a safe course of magical instruction and development.
If Bardon's books are so complete, why aren't all occult students practicing his system? Probably for the same reason why not everyone is a dentist. Some people prefer Wicca while others prefer shamanism and so on. It makes the world a richer place and that shouldn't be an issue. But more than just preference, one thing about Bardon's system is that it requires a large amount of patience, discipline and perseverance.
Practitioners of Bardon's system have stated that to get from IIH Step 1 to Step 10 can take anywhere from 10 years to 30 years. There is no Harry Potteresque spell you can just pick up and cast straight out of the book. You're not just learning a system, you're adopting a way of life. That alone would screen out a lot of potential practitioners, and just as well because it also serves as a safety device for such a publicly available magical system (you can buy the books at National Bookstore or Power Books for Php500 each, and if you're lucky they'll have the whole set; otherwise you'll need to visit several branches to complete the series but that's still quite doable). But even if one had no intention of getting into the practice of Bardon's system, it would still be of benefit to read Bardon's books even as magical treatises alone, because they do offer a lot of insights about magic and spiritual development.
Just how much benefit is there in simply reading Bardon's books? To give you an idea, all of Bardon's books being sold in the Philippines (except Memories of Franz Bardon, which is a recent release) are printed with permission by IIS Publishing, Inc. This is the publishing arm of the Institute of Inner Studies (IIS), the organization founded by Master Choa Kok Sui for research into the inner sciences. In Arhatic Yoga, there is an official list of recommended reading. Although Bardon's books are not in that list, the fact that they are published by the IIS automatically makes them recommended reading, because Master Choa did not have titles published lightly. That alone tells me a lot about the importance of Bardon's works.
In fact, one's knowledge of pranic healing, especially if one reads all of Master Choa's books, will help one make sense of a lot of Bardon's concepts and vice versa. Those who have taken the GMCKS Kriyashakti course will recognize one technique that can be found in Bardon's system.
Bardon's works have impacted the occult world in more ways than even most esoteric students realize. For instance, worldwide there are many groups that are making towerbusters, cloudbusters and similar derivatives. The key technology powering these devices is orgonite, which is supposed to absorb negative energy and transmute it into positive energy. Orgonite is made by combining resin and metal shavings, often with the addition of a crystal inside. In the IIH, Bardon describes a solid fluid condenser made from a mix of resin and metal. He says he learned this from the alchemists of old, but the fact that it is mentioned in one of his books and then orgonite now forms the basis of the orgonite movement is quite significant.
Before we move on, when Bardon says "fluid" he does not attach the same meaning to it as we would to "liquid." To prevent confusion, simply substitute "fluid" to "energy" so that "fluid condensers" are actually "energy condensers."
One other contemporary technology right now is radionics. Although radionics is typically traced to Albert Abrams (1863-1924), in Frabato the Magician there is an account of a black lodge using a device called the tepaphone, once to kill off one of its members and the other time in an attempt to kill Franz Bardon. As described in the novel, the mechanics of how the tepaphone operates is similar in principle to how modern radionics machines operate. In fact, the story of the tepaphone had inspired modern radionics pioneers such as Charles Cosimano (more popularly known in radionics circles as "Uncle Chuckie").
I attribute the flowering of my interest in esotericism to my introduction to pranic healing in 2008. It was in that time period that I collected Franz Bardon's books. But it turns out that 2008 wasn't the first time I had encountered Franz Bardon's work.
Back in the summer of 1994 (which in the Philippines is from March to May), I was in a summer practicum class where members of our class were farmed out to different local corporations so that we could have on the job training and experience and then meet in class once a week to discuss our experiences. It was a required class for the college course I was taking.
I was assigned to a company that had its offices in Makati City. The first day was just orientation, so we were sent home early. I was supposed to meet my dad after "work" in a nearby mall but since it was still early he wasn't there yet (and this was the time before texting and mobile internet). So I decided to pass the time in National Bookstore and happened upon the book Initiation Into Hermetics, which I bought.
Those were hectic times for me, so I didn't get to read much of the book and didn't even take too much note of the author. I was only able to read the first few pages and I remember getting into the section describing the soul mirror before my mom chanced upon me reading it. Since this was the first half of the 1990s, it wasn't that long ago since the "Dungeons & Dragons is Satanic" brouhaha and my mom was pretty much in that mindset then. Anyway, I put the book down, planning to read it again when I had the time but a few days later when I was looking for it, the book was nowhere to be found. Presumably, my mom picked up the book while I wasn't home and threw it away. I didn't know what I had lost so it was really no big deal for me.
Fast forward to 2009 when I lost my copies of Franz Bardon's books (as well as a host of others) to Typhoon Ondoy. However, one of my friends who happened to be working for IIS Publishing then, graciously gave me replacement copies of IIH, PME and KTQ. These were old stocks with the old book cover designs, which is why there were just gathering dust in the warehouse and why my friend was able to give them to me.
It was only a little later when I started reading them again that I recognized the old book cover of IIH as the same one on the copy I had bought back in 1994. You may ask why I didn't recognize IIH sooner when I bought the series again in 2008, and the reason is that the latest editions have totally different book covers, and as I said back in 1994 I was only able to barely read it before I lost the book so I hadn't absorbed the material enough to recognize it if I saw it again.
I guess in 1994 it still wasn't the right time for me to have that information. But it's interesting how the circle has turned. I am continually amazed as I go back to the books and focus on a section I only glazed over in a previous reading, only to discover something new about it.
I have heard accounts that say the books written by Franz Bardon were released a few hundred years too early. Be that as it may, his teachings have exerted a great influence in the occult world whether we realize it or not. This influence has helped different groups in uplifting the conditions of humanity and the world in their own little way. If only for this, Franz Bardon has already managed to fulfill his mission.
More than that, taken as a whole Franz Bardon's books on Hermetics provide the sincere seeker with the opportunity to develop the tools by which one may become a better Divine Servant. So whether one is a casual scholar or a serious student, and however one may view the accounts of his life, these books can easily be recognized as truly priceless legacies of that great adept called Franz Bardon.
In the occult community, Franz Bardon is best known for three books on Hermetic magic that have become occult classics: Initiation into Hermetics (IIH), The Practice of Magical Evocation (PME) and The Key to the True Quabbalah (KTQ). These three books represent the revelation of the first three cards of the Tarot, and are practical manuals on different aspects of magical development and universal esoteric laws. IIH lays the foundation by presenting a practical course of magical development divided into ten steps. PME builds upon the skills learned in the first book and instructs the student how to evoke different spirit beings. KTQ deals with the science of the divine word.
Another book, Frabato the Magician, is widely regarded as the spiritual autobiography of Franz Bardon (Frabato was the stage name of Bardon when he was doing magical shows in Germany). It is set in Dresden, Germany in the 1930s and details Bardon's encounters with a black lodge as well as the events that would serve as the foundation for writing the three books he is most known for. Franz Bardon gave the general outline of events and his long-time student and secretary Otti Votavova fleshed it out in the form of a novel after Bardon's death. This has led some to question the veracity of some of the events portrayed in the novel. It's often suggested to read Frabato the Magician first, but in my case I happened to read it last and it didn't detract from my appreciation of the whole series.
Other complimentary titles include Questions and Answers, a collection of Franz Bardon's answers to the most common questions asked by his direct students, and Memories of Franz Bardon, which contains the reminisces of Lumir Bardon (Franz Bardon's son) and Dr. M.K. (one of Bardon's direct students) about Franz Bardon's everyday life and spiritual work. I hope to acquire a copy of Memories of Franz Bardon soon.
So, just who was Franz Bardon? Based on the different accounts that I've read, it seems his story lies somewhere between history and legend. Franz Bardon was born on December 1, 1909 in the town of Opava, Austrian Silesia in what is now part of the Czech Republic. Later in life, Franz Bardon was arrested after running afoul of the Communist government supposedly because of his healing practice and the three books on Hermetics he had published. He died on July 10, 1958 while under police custody.
Franz Bardon's father Victor was said to be a Christian mystic who was able to progress to the point of developing clairvoyance. Victor prayed fervently that a guru (teacher) be sent to him to further his progress. Thereafter, it is said that the spirit of a very advanced Hermetic adept agreed to enter the body of then 14 year old (some accounts say 16 year old) Franz Bardon. Victor Bardon, being clairvoyant, was aware of the change that happened and recognized that his prayers had been answered.
If this sounds too fanciful, take note that the concept of a "walk in" is not as rare as one might think. T. Lobsang Rampa is supposed to be a walk in, taking over the body of Cyril Hoskin when his original Tibetan body became too worn out to continue his mission. Jesus Christ is also said to be a walk in, the Great Christ Spirit entering the body just before the start of his public ministry.
Why a walk in? Why not just incarnate normally? It is said that when incarnating in the usual way, memory is wiped and a lot of time and effort would be taken up just for the soul to regain all that knowledge before being able to start his/her mission. Supposedly, among the Great Hierarchy, a walk in is only done when there is a great mission that needs to be accomplished in a short amount of time. Of course, the soul of the original body has to be willing to vacate it and the writings say that the incoming spirit must bear the karma of the original soul (this would certainly serve as a motivator for the soul being asked to vacate).
Whatever side of this story you choose to believe, after the supposed change, Franz Bardon became a very exceptional student and displayed more knowledge than he was supposed to have. Many cannot explain how Franz Bardon was able to acquire such an authoritative and practical knowledge of magic, since no one can recall nor are there records of Franz Bardon studying under a teacher or being part of an occult society. This hasn't stopped a lot of speculation, though.
The 1930s in Germany saw the start of a crackdown on everything to do with the occult as the Nazi Party took over. Many say that the true motivation for this crackdown was so that the highest echelons of the Nazi Party could consolidate all occult power and knowledge among themselves. It's a historical fact that Hitler and other high ranking members of the Nazi Party were part of the Vril Society and the Thule Society, both recognized occult societies.
As World War II broke out, this crackdown on the occult extended to the occupied parts of Europe. Franz Bardon instructed all his students to burn all correspondence with him that had to do with magic and to lie low. One student didn't follow instructions, leading to their discovery and resulting in the arrest of both the student and Franz Bardon. They were asked to reveal their magical secrets and to help the Nazis win the war through occult means. Franz Bardon refused, leading both to be tortured horribly. At this point, the student supposedly uttered a kabbalistic formula that paralyzed the torturers, but once the effects wore off the student was shot and killed.
The Nazi torturers visited all sorts of horrors upon Franz Bardon, such as operating on him without anesthesia. Towards the end of the war, Bardon was sentenced to die but accounts say that on the morning of his execution Allied bombs hit the concentration camp he was in. In the confusion, he was able to escape along with other Soviet prisoners who helped him. Other accounts say that Soviet soldiers liberated the camp.
After the war, Franz Bardon became reknown as both a healer and Hermetic practitioner and teacher. It was also during this time period that he wrote those three legendary books. Initiation into Hermetics and The Practice of Magical Evocation both came out in 1956, one after the other. His last book, The Key to the True Quabbalah came out in 1957. Rumor has it that there were unpublished manuscripts revealing the fourth and fifth Tarot cards, but these were lost along with the rest of Bardon's magical possessions when the Communist government confiscated them upon his arrest.
What makes Franz Bardon's books different from other occult literature? If you've read enough esoteric works (historical or contemporary), they are often couched in obscure symbolism, contain incomplete information, or both. Franz Bardon's books, on the other hand, are literally complete practical manuals for magical development, without the flowery words or symbolisms. They are divided into theory and practice sections, so that the student will gain an understanding of what is expected and what is to be accomplished. Furthermore, they are structured so that even someone who has a job and family can practice them.
Although it is always ideal to study under a guru, Bardon's books do make it possible for someone to start the practice alone. Which doesn't mean that one shouldn't read between the lines, because there are as many lessons there as the ones that are printed out, but the veiling of these hidden treasures does not make the practical course incomplete. This is just my opinion, but for me no other series of books before or since can claim to have the same thoroughness and authority as Bardon's works when it comes to presenting a safe course of magical instruction and development.
If Bardon's books are so complete, why aren't all occult students practicing his system? Probably for the same reason why not everyone is a dentist. Some people prefer Wicca while others prefer shamanism and so on. It makes the world a richer place and that shouldn't be an issue. But more than just preference, one thing about Bardon's system is that it requires a large amount of patience, discipline and perseverance.
Practitioners of Bardon's system have stated that to get from IIH Step 1 to Step 10 can take anywhere from 10 years to 30 years. There is no Harry Potteresque spell you can just pick up and cast straight out of the book. You're not just learning a system, you're adopting a way of life. That alone would screen out a lot of potential practitioners, and just as well because it also serves as a safety device for such a publicly available magical system (you can buy the books at National Bookstore or Power Books for Php500 each, and if you're lucky they'll have the whole set; otherwise you'll need to visit several branches to complete the series but that's still quite doable). But even if one had no intention of getting into the practice of Bardon's system, it would still be of benefit to read Bardon's books even as magical treatises alone, because they do offer a lot of insights about magic and spiritual development.
Just how much benefit is there in simply reading Bardon's books? To give you an idea, all of Bardon's books being sold in the Philippines (except Memories of Franz Bardon, which is a recent release) are printed with permission by IIS Publishing, Inc. This is the publishing arm of the Institute of Inner Studies (IIS), the organization founded by Master Choa Kok Sui for research into the inner sciences. In Arhatic Yoga, there is an official list of recommended reading. Although Bardon's books are not in that list, the fact that they are published by the IIS automatically makes them recommended reading, because Master Choa did not have titles published lightly. That alone tells me a lot about the importance of Bardon's works.
In fact, one's knowledge of pranic healing, especially if one reads all of Master Choa's books, will help one make sense of a lot of Bardon's concepts and vice versa. Those who have taken the GMCKS Kriyashakti course will recognize one technique that can be found in Bardon's system.
Bardon's works have impacted the occult world in more ways than even most esoteric students realize. For instance, worldwide there are many groups that are making towerbusters, cloudbusters and similar derivatives. The key technology powering these devices is orgonite, which is supposed to absorb negative energy and transmute it into positive energy. Orgonite is made by combining resin and metal shavings, often with the addition of a crystal inside. In the IIH, Bardon describes a solid fluid condenser made from a mix of resin and metal. He says he learned this from the alchemists of old, but the fact that it is mentioned in one of his books and then orgonite now forms the basis of the orgonite movement is quite significant.
Before we move on, when Bardon says "fluid" he does not attach the same meaning to it as we would to "liquid." To prevent confusion, simply substitute "fluid" to "energy" so that "fluid condensers" are actually "energy condensers."
One other contemporary technology right now is radionics. Although radionics is typically traced to Albert Abrams (1863-1924), in Frabato the Magician there is an account of a black lodge using a device called the tepaphone, once to kill off one of its members and the other time in an attempt to kill Franz Bardon. As described in the novel, the mechanics of how the tepaphone operates is similar in principle to how modern radionics machines operate. In fact, the story of the tepaphone had inspired modern radionics pioneers such as Charles Cosimano (more popularly known in radionics circles as "Uncle Chuckie").
I attribute the flowering of my interest in esotericism to my introduction to pranic healing in 2008. It was in that time period that I collected Franz Bardon's books. But it turns out that 2008 wasn't the first time I had encountered Franz Bardon's work.
Back in the summer of 1994 (which in the Philippines is from March to May), I was in a summer practicum class where members of our class were farmed out to different local corporations so that we could have on the job training and experience and then meet in class once a week to discuss our experiences. It was a required class for the college course I was taking.
I was assigned to a company that had its offices in Makati City. The first day was just orientation, so we were sent home early. I was supposed to meet my dad after "work" in a nearby mall but since it was still early he wasn't there yet (and this was the time before texting and mobile internet). So I decided to pass the time in National Bookstore and happened upon the book Initiation Into Hermetics, which I bought.
Those were hectic times for me, so I didn't get to read much of the book and didn't even take too much note of the author. I was only able to read the first few pages and I remember getting into the section describing the soul mirror before my mom chanced upon me reading it. Since this was the first half of the 1990s, it wasn't that long ago since the "Dungeons & Dragons is Satanic" brouhaha and my mom was pretty much in that mindset then. Anyway, I put the book down, planning to read it again when I had the time but a few days later when I was looking for it, the book was nowhere to be found. Presumably, my mom picked up the book while I wasn't home and threw it away. I didn't know what I had lost so it was really no big deal for me.
Fast forward to 2009 when I lost my copies of Franz Bardon's books (as well as a host of others) to Typhoon Ondoy. However, one of my friends who happened to be working for IIS Publishing then, graciously gave me replacement copies of IIH, PME and KTQ. These were old stocks with the old book cover designs, which is why there were just gathering dust in the warehouse and why my friend was able to give them to me.
It was only a little later when I started reading them again that I recognized the old book cover of IIH as the same one on the copy I had bought back in 1994. You may ask why I didn't recognize IIH sooner when I bought the series again in 2008, and the reason is that the latest editions have totally different book covers, and as I said back in 1994 I was only able to barely read it before I lost the book so I hadn't absorbed the material enough to recognize it if I saw it again.
I guess in 1994 it still wasn't the right time for me to have that information. But it's interesting how the circle has turned. I am continually amazed as I go back to the books and focus on a section I only glazed over in a previous reading, only to discover something new about it.
I have heard accounts that say the books written by Franz Bardon were released a few hundred years too early. Be that as it may, his teachings have exerted a great influence in the occult world whether we realize it or not. This influence has helped different groups in uplifting the conditions of humanity and the world in their own little way. If only for this, Franz Bardon has already managed to fulfill his mission.
More than that, taken as a whole Franz Bardon's books on Hermetics provide the sincere seeker with the opportunity to develop the tools by which one may become a better Divine Servant. So whether one is a casual scholar or a serious student, and however one may view the accounts of his life, these books can easily be recognized as truly priceless legacies of that great adept called Franz Bardon.
Monday, July 11, 2011
The Value of Inner Peace
Imagine a guy who's facing a crisis. Perhaps he's about to be fired from his job, or has already been fired. Maybe the bank is out to repossess his house, or maybe his wife or girlfriend just left him. Perhaps all of the above. Whatever the crisis, it's seemingly out of his control, so he picks up a rosary and stumbles over words that he hasn't recited since high school, and prays desperately for things to turn around.
If we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that we have gone through at least one low point in our lives. What constitutes a low point and its severity differs from person to person but it's recognizable by the way it negatively impacts one's sense of worth and purpose. The low point can last for as little as several seconds, or as long as several years. People sometimes call this being in a funk.
A person of weaker will may resort to suicide, while others pick up the pieces and move on, though perhaps still carrying the inner wounds of the experience. More often than not, people turn to prayer. It doesn't matter if it's a simple, "Oh God, please help!" or an elaborate nine day novena, the intent is the same: when things are seemingly beyond us, we call upon what we feel is beyond the realm of everyday existence to get us through that crisis.
What are we really searching for when we make that cry for help? Must we always wait until our backs are to the wall before we reach out to the Divine?
Imagine how you feel when you're happy and content. How does it feel when everything goes right, like when the train arrives just as you step on the platform, or you find a vacant table just as you enter a packed restaurant, or when your child takes that first step on his own? When you are in that state, no matter if it's just for a second, it seems that all worries and fears melt away within that moment. What you have in that moment is a measure of inner peace.
Now imagine if you could draw that moment out, so that instead of just one second, you extend that state for a few minutes, a few hours, a few days, until it becomes your normal state of mind? Is that even possible?
One of the reasons for being in a low point is a sense of disconnection. Sense of purpose and intent become unclear, and it feels like everything and everyone is conspiring to trip you up. It's like you're a piece of flotsam being tossed about by waves of chance and the fickle whims of fate. There is no firm ground because everything is in a state of flux.
And yet ancient teachings have always stated that there is a part of us that is eternal and never changing, and that is the soul. Even orthodox religion teaches that. Why is this so? Because the soul is the part of God that is you.
What does the soul have to do with achieving success and fulfillment in life? Since we are made in the image and likeness of God, then the qualities that we would attribute to the Divine, such as happiness, inner strength, success, love, noble purpose and virtuous living are also embodied in the soul.
The soul is that aspect of God that is nearest to you. Therefore if you want to make your life as meaningful as possible it would make sense to stay connected with your soul. Yet in the chaos of everyday life, few of us ever hear the whispers of our Eternal Self. And we wonder why our lives seem to be in such a mess.
How then is the modern person who is grasping for more meaning in life supposed to rebuild whatever connection that was lost in the midst of the heavy toils of maintaining physical existence and survival?
Aside from virtuous living and character building, there are esoteric techniques that have been practiced throughout the ages by spiritual initiates in order to enhance and nurture this connection with the soul. I'm not talking about the rote repetition of canned prayers recited throughout the day, though when said with intent, these prayers do contribute to one's spiritual growth. These techniques I talk about mark the divergence between orthodox religion and esoteric spirituality.
These teachings I mention constitute an inner science of the soul. "Science" within this context refers to a methodology of consistent guidelines and techniques that lead to predictable results.
Luckily, one need not become a hermit or enter a monastery in order to learn these teachings because there are many esoteric schools that have opened their doors to the public, if one knew where and how to look. As one who comes from a pranic healing background, I can say that part of this inner science can be found in the seminar Achieving Oneness with the Soul.
This is why I find it highly significant that late last month, the Pranic Healing Foundation of the Philippines decided to offer the Achieving Oneness with the Soul seminar directly to the public, without any course pre-requisites. Previously, one needed to complete the healing courses (Basic, Advanced and Psychotherapy) in order to take Achieving Oneness with the Soul. This was changed so that people who may not be interested in becoming a healer can take the spiritual courses without having to go through the healing track.
I really believe this offers a priceless opportunity for the public, especially for those looking for inner peace and fulfillment in their lives. If you have the chance to attend this seminar or a similar one, I highly encourage you to take it.
They say when one suddenly starts questioning one's place in life in spite of material wealth and comfort, that person has reached a state of spiritual restlessness. This restlessness can only be assuaged when the person starts developing that connection with one's soul.
One of my Facebook contacts posted a wonderful quote on his wall, and I'd like to end with that quote:
"Never mistake your net-worth for self-worth, nor confuse your value with your valuables." - Rick Warren
If we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that we have gone through at least one low point in our lives. What constitutes a low point and its severity differs from person to person but it's recognizable by the way it negatively impacts one's sense of worth and purpose. The low point can last for as little as several seconds, or as long as several years. People sometimes call this being in a funk.
A person of weaker will may resort to suicide, while others pick up the pieces and move on, though perhaps still carrying the inner wounds of the experience. More often than not, people turn to prayer. It doesn't matter if it's a simple, "Oh God, please help!" or an elaborate nine day novena, the intent is the same: when things are seemingly beyond us, we call upon what we feel is beyond the realm of everyday existence to get us through that crisis.
What are we really searching for when we make that cry for help? Must we always wait until our backs are to the wall before we reach out to the Divine?
Imagine how you feel when you're happy and content. How does it feel when everything goes right, like when the train arrives just as you step on the platform, or you find a vacant table just as you enter a packed restaurant, or when your child takes that first step on his own? When you are in that state, no matter if it's just for a second, it seems that all worries and fears melt away within that moment. What you have in that moment is a measure of inner peace.
Now imagine if you could draw that moment out, so that instead of just one second, you extend that state for a few minutes, a few hours, a few days, until it becomes your normal state of mind? Is that even possible?
One of the reasons for being in a low point is a sense of disconnection. Sense of purpose and intent become unclear, and it feels like everything and everyone is conspiring to trip you up. It's like you're a piece of flotsam being tossed about by waves of chance and the fickle whims of fate. There is no firm ground because everything is in a state of flux.
And yet ancient teachings have always stated that there is a part of us that is eternal and never changing, and that is the soul. Even orthodox religion teaches that. Why is this so? Because the soul is the part of God that is you.
What does the soul have to do with achieving success and fulfillment in life? Since we are made in the image and likeness of God, then the qualities that we would attribute to the Divine, such as happiness, inner strength, success, love, noble purpose and virtuous living are also embodied in the soul.
The soul is that aspect of God that is nearest to you. Therefore if you want to make your life as meaningful as possible it would make sense to stay connected with your soul. Yet in the chaos of everyday life, few of us ever hear the whispers of our Eternal Self. And we wonder why our lives seem to be in such a mess.
How then is the modern person who is grasping for more meaning in life supposed to rebuild whatever connection that was lost in the midst of the heavy toils of maintaining physical existence and survival?
Aside from virtuous living and character building, there are esoteric techniques that have been practiced throughout the ages by spiritual initiates in order to enhance and nurture this connection with the soul. I'm not talking about the rote repetition of canned prayers recited throughout the day, though when said with intent, these prayers do contribute to one's spiritual growth. These techniques I talk about mark the divergence between orthodox religion and esoteric spirituality.
These teachings I mention constitute an inner science of the soul. "Science" within this context refers to a methodology of consistent guidelines and techniques that lead to predictable results.
Luckily, one need not become a hermit or enter a monastery in order to learn these teachings because there are many esoteric schools that have opened their doors to the public, if one knew where and how to look. As one who comes from a pranic healing background, I can say that part of this inner science can be found in the seminar Achieving Oneness with the Soul.
This is why I find it highly significant that late last month, the Pranic Healing Foundation of the Philippines decided to offer the Achieving Oneness with the Soul seminar directly to the public, without any course pre-requisites. Previously, one needed to complete the healing courses (Basic, Advanced and Psychotherapy) in order to take Achieving Oneness with the Soul. This was changed so that people who may not be interested in becoming a healer can take the spiritual courses without having to go through the healing track.
I really believe this offers a priceless opportunity for the public, especially for those looking for inner peace and fulfillment in their lives. If you have the chance to attend this seminar or a similar one, I highly encourage you to take it.
They say when one suddenly starts questioning one's place in life in spite of material wealth and comfort, that person has reached a state of spiritual restlessness. This restlessness can only be assuaged when the person starts developing that connection with one's soul.
One of my Facebook contacts posted a wonderful quote on his wall, and I'd like to end with that quote:
"Never mistake your net-worth for self-worth, nor confuse your value with your valuables." - Rick Warren
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Being Prepared
Last week I was planning to write an article about the supermoon on March 19. In fact, earlier last week I had emailed a group of my friends about it because I had read about the supermoon in a newspaper article. In the article, it mentioned that the last supermoon was in December 2004, and two weeks before that particular supermoon the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami happened.
I thought the upcoming supermoon would make for an interesting article because there were astrologers indicating possible natural disasters, while scientists were saying that there was no correlation between the supermoon and earthquakes/tsunamis. So it would have been interesting to see if similar events would repeat themselves regardless of scientific opinion. And then the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan happened and suddenly the article felt inappropriate considering the circumstances.
As a victim of Typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana), I can empathize with the Japanese survivors who are undergoing hardships right now. I know how it feels to wake up expecting a normal day only to have everything change in an instant, practically losing everything, fleeing for your life and not knowing if you will see another morning. Of course, the Japanese people are facing a situation much worse, with radiation worries to add to the pot.
One of the things going for the Japanese is the foresight of their government in terms of earthquake resistant infrastructure and disaster preparedness. The Japanese government is also quite efficient so that aid efforts are proceeding as fast as humanly possible. It is also a credit to the Japanese people that there have been no reports of looting or rioting despite the obvious shortages of food, water and other essentials.
The Japanese were probably the most prepared in the world for a disaster like what happened last March 11. But the scale of destruction only underscores the fact that even the most elaborate preparations can only go so far. Nevertheless, some preparation is better than none at all.
If you are an average income earner, your preparations will be far from the "ideal" level of preparedness (which can cost at least a few hundred thousand pesos if you want to cover all possible scenarios for you and your family). Depending on how much you can spend, you will probably just have a couple of the basics and hope it will be enough for you to adapt. Documented disasters provide an idea of which essentials one will most likely need, but if you want to be more organized, you can visit the website of 72 Hours. It's a disaster-preparedness site for the city of San Francisco, but the tips are applicable anywhere.
But beyond these immediate preparations, I believe there are deeper questions that one should be asking:
1. Are you prepared to die? With all these Earth changes, no one knows what exactly will happen in the next few days, weeks or months.
Unexpectedly facing death has the tendency to drastically change one's perceptions of what is important and what is not. Suddenly, being the #1 PVP player in Medal of Honor doesn't seem that important. Nor are the number of cars in your garage. Or the other bragging rights you slaved over to acquire (perhaps stepping on other peoples' toes in the process).
Before that point comes, you need to assess if you've focused your life on the right things, and can leave with no regrets. I'd like to illustrate this point with an exercise one of my Theology teachers gave us back in college. I know dogma finds little favor nowadays, but the question posed is interesting.
My teacher asked the class, "If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do differently?" Some of my classmates said they'd forgive whoever it was they were angry at, or ask forgiveness from those they had hurt. Others said they'd eat at their favorite restaurant, or go to that vacation place they've always wanted to go to. The common theme was that of tying up loose ends.
Our teacher then relates an anecdote that the same question was once posed to a Jesuit priest, I forgot who. The priest was playing billiards at the time when someone asked him what he would do if he found out he was going to die tomorrow. The priest shrugged and replied, "Keep playing billiards."
The moral of the story was that the priest didn't have any loose ends to tie up, so he could go any time without regrets. Easier said than done, of course, but I hope you can see the point of the story.
We all have different ideas of what is worthwhile in life or not, but in the end it's important that we can go with as clear a conscience as possible.
2. Are you ready to survive? Not everyone is able to make adjustments to sudden changes in life circumstances. We often identify ourselves so closely with one thing or another that the loss of that thing causes us shock or depression.
Some people are so identified with their work that losing the job makes them feel worthless. Same thing with hobbies or other things or objects we associate with showing people who we are. The phrase "It's who I am!" is a common theme here. And yet these are all temporary things that any big enough natural disaster can take away in the blink of an eye.
Many people forget that adaptability is one of the defining traits of being human. Also, many people forget that they are souls undergoing physical incarnation, and in the process they forget to enrich the one thing that transcends physical death. This is also what makes some people more vulnerable to changes in physical circumstances.
In this instance, the Soul Affirmation as introduced by Master Choa Kok Sui would be very helpful in reminding oneself of what is important and permanent. The affirmation is as follows:
I am not the body;
I am not the emotions;
I am not the thoughts;
I am not the mind;
The mind is only a subtle instrument of the soul.
I am the Soul.
I am a spiritual being of Divine Intelligence, Divine Love, Divine Power;
I am one with my Higher Soul;
I AM THAT I AM.
I am one with the Divine Spark within me.
I am a child of God,
I am connected with God;
I am one with God;
I am one with all.
We need not wait for a disaster in order to introduce right thought, right speech and right action into our lives.
When the earthquake hit Japan, China extended its sympathies and even sent a rescue team. This is in contrast with its usual anti-Japanese stance and rhetoric. Why wait for a disaster to show sympathy? Imagine if the level of cooperation, sympathy and compassion all nations are showing Japan right now was the normal state of relations between nations and individuals. It would be heaven on Earth. And isn't that something worthy of effort?
Preparedness isn't something that you do in expectation of some future event. Preparedness is a state of being that exists beyond space and time. If you study the two previous questions closely, you will get a clearer idea of what I mean.
I thought the upcoming supermoon would make for an interesting article because there were astrologers indicating possible natural disasters, while scientists were saying that there was no correlation between the supermoon and earthquakes/tsunamis. So it would have been interesting to see if similar events would repeat themselves regardless of scientific opinion. And then the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan happened and suddenly the article felt inappropriate considering the circumstances.
As a victim of Typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana), I can empathize with the Japanese survivors who are undergoing hardships right now. I know how it feels to wake up expecting a normal day only to have everything change in an instant, practically losing everything, fleeing for your life and not knowing if you will see another morning. Of course, the Japanese people are facing a situation much worse, with radiation worries to add to the pot.
One of the things going for the Japanese is the foresight of their government in terms of earthquake resistant infrastructure and disaster preparedness. The Japanese government is also quite efficient so that aid efforts are proceeding as fast as humanly possible. It is also a credit to the Japanese people that there have been no reports of looting or rioting despite the obvious shortages of food, water and other essentials.
The Japanese were probably the most prepared in the world for a disaster like what happened last March 11. But the scale of destruction only underscores the fact that even the most elaborate preparations can only go so far. Nevertheless, some preparation is better than none at all.
If you are an average income earner, your preparations will be far from the "ideal" level of preparedness (which can cost at least a few hundred thousand pesos if you want to cover all possible scenarios for you and your family). Depending on how much you can spend, you will probably just have a couple of the basics and hope it will be enough for you to adapt. Documented disasters provide an idea of which essentials one will most likely need, but if you want to be more organized, you can visit the website of 72 Hours. It's a disaster-preparedness site for the city of San Francisco, but the tips are applicable anywhere.
But beyond these immediate preparations, I believe there are deeper questions that one should be asking:
1. Are you prepared to die? With all these Earth changes, no one knows what exactly will happen in the next few days, weeks or months.
Unexpectedly facing death has the tendency to drastically change one's perceptions of what is important and what is not. Suddenly, being the #1 PVP player in Medal of Honor doesn't seem that important. Nor are the number of cars in your garage. Or the other bragging rights you slaved over to acquire (perhaps stepping on other peoples' toes in the process).
Before that point comes, you need to assess if you've focused your life on the right things, and can leave with no regrets. I'd like to illustrate this point with an exercise one of my Theology teachers gave us back in college. I know dogma finds little favor nowadays, but the question posed is interesting.
My teacher asked the class, "If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do differently?" Some of my classmates said they'd forgive whoever it was they were angry at, or ask forgiveness from those they had hurt. Others said they'd eat at their favorite restaurant, or go to that vacation place they've always wanted to go to. The common theme was that of tying up loose ends.
Our teacher then relates an anecdote that the same question was once posed to a Jesuit priest, I forgot who. The priest was playing billiards at the time when someone asked him what he would do if he found out he was going to die tomorrow. The priest shrugged and replied, "Keep playing billiards."
The moral of the story was that the priest didn't have any loose ends to tie up, so he could go any time without regrets. Easier said than done, of course, but I hope you can see the point of the story.
We all have different ideas of what is worthwhile in life or not, but in the end it's important that we can go with as clear a conscience as possible.
2. Are you ready to survive? Not everyone is able to make adjustments to sudden changes in life circumstances. We often identify ourselves so closely with one thing or another that the loss of that thing causes us shock or depression.
Some people are so identified with their work that losing the job makes them feel worthless. Same thing with hobbies or other things or objects we associate with showing people who we are. The phrase "It's who I am!" is a common theme here. And yet these are all temporary things that any big enough natural disaster can take away in the blink of an eye.
Many people forget that adaptability is one of the defining traits of being human. Also, many people forget that they are souls undergoing physical incarnation, and in the process they forget to enrich the one thing that transcends physical death. This is also what makes some people more vulnerable to changes in physical circumstances.
In this instance, the Soul Affirmation as introduced by Master Choa Kok Sui would be very helpful in reminding oneself of what is important and permanent. The affirmation is as follows:
I am not the body;
I am not the emotions;
I am not the thoughts;
I am not the mind;
The mind is only a subtle instrument of the soul.
I am the Soul.
I am a spiritual being of Divine Intelligence, Divine Love, Divine Power;
I am one with my Higher Soul;
I AM THAT I AM.
I am one with the Divine Spark within me.
I am a child of God,
I am connected with God;
I am one with God;
I am one with all.
We need not wait for a disaster in order to introduce right thought, right speech and right action into our lives.
When the earthquake hit Japan, China extended its sympathies and even sent a rescue team. This is in contrast with its usual anti-Japanese stance and rhetoric. Why wait for a disaster to show sympathy? Imagine if the level of cooperation, sympathy and compassion all nations are showing Japan right now was the normal state of relations between nations and individuals. It would be heaven on Earth. And isn't that something worthy of effort?
Preparedness isn't something that you do in expectation of some future event. Preparedness is a state of being that exists beyond space and time. If you study the two previous questions closely, you will get a clearer idea of what I mean.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Remembering T. Lobsang Rampa
There are many who probably have no idea who T. Lobsang Rampa was. Incidentally, today (January 25) happens to be his 30th death anniversary, so it is just as fitting that this article come out now lest people forget his contributions to the spread of the esoteric sciences.
The "T" in his name stands for "Tuesday" so the complete name is "Tuesday Lobsang Rampa." It stems from the Tibetan practice of prefixing the day one was born in to one's name. Lobsang Rampa came out with the book The Third Eye in 1956 which was supposed to be an autobiography of his life growing up and training in a lamasery in Tibet. It also described an operation whereby his third eye was fully opened, giving him enhanced clairvoyant abilities.
T. Lobsang Rampa went on to author 18 more books, the last being published a few months before his death on January 25, 1981.
Controversy arose soon after publication of The Third Eye when a private investigator found out that the person calling himself T. Lobsang Rampa was someone named Cyril Henry Hoskin, a British native and an ordinary working man who had never been to Tibet. Although Rampa never denied that the body was born as Cyril Henry Hoskin, he said that the soul of T. Lobsang Rampa took over the body through a process called transmigration of the soul when Rampa's original physical body became too worn out to continue (Rampa's horrific experiences are detailed in Doctor from Lhasa and The Rampa Story). Because of this, Rampa was continually hounded and criticized by the press throughout his life.
Normally, that would be that and we wouldn't take a second look at an alleged crackpot writing fiction. However, I have recently finished reading all 19 of Rampa's books, and I found that a lot of the esoteric subjects he had discussed were already familiar because of the pranic healing courses I had attended plus the different esoteric works I already read prior to encountering Rampa's books. For instance, he talks about the silver cord, the higher soul, the astral body, colors of the aura, among others. Any student of the inner sciences would understand these terms. To the sincere student, Rampa's books are serious works about esoteric subjects.
If we look at it, how else could an ordinary working man have amassed such in-depth knowledge about the esoteric sciences? And this in the era before the age of the Internet and when such occult information was not so easily accessible? In the body of esoteric literature, such transmigrations are not as rare as we think. For example, the spirit of a very advanced Hermetic adept is supposed to have taken over the body of Franz Bardon when he was 16 years old.
Aside from traditional esoteric subjects, Rampa also discusses about inner earth, extraterrestials and the true history of the human race. Although I do not have direct knowledge of those subjects, since he was spot on about the esoteric topics then I tend to give weight to these other subjects.
Even with my background, my understanding of esoteric sciences was definitely enriched by reading Rampa's books, and he writes with such a humorous air and wit that these normally heavy subjects are surprisingly easy to read and absorb. In fact, my best friend who can't make heads or tails of traditional occult works was able to read through The Third Eye and Doctor From Lhasa and is in fact starting on the third volume.
My first encounter with Rampa actually happened when I was still in high school. It turns out one of my brothers had a copy of Doctor From Lhasa and while I simply treated it as a novel back then, I was intrigued with the concept of astral travel and in fact told my best friend about it. A few months back I was surprised it had made an impression on my friend when he mentioned that he remembers our talks during those times. I had forgotten about it myself until my friend reminded me.
It really is too bad that esoteric subjects or anything deviating from the "official" line is usually not taken seriously and often discouraged, although I would say more and more people are getting into these inner sciences compared to before (and I guess we can thank the Internet for that). But if one were interested in starting to learn these inner sciences, you won't go wrong by starting with T. Lobsang Rampa's books.
Although he has gone off to a much better place, to our eternal benefit the knowledge Rampa shared is still here with us to stay. He may not be as famous as some avesha avatara, but his works definitely rank up there in terms of how much they help in advancing the consciousness and understanding of those willing to tread that path. His coming definitely was a blessing to the human race, though not many know it.
Here's to T. Lobsang Rampa, and an overdue thank you.
The "T" in his name stands for "Tuesday" so the complete name is "Tuesday Lobsang Rampa." It stems from the Tibetan practice of prefixing the day one was born in to one's name. Lobsang Rampa came out with the book The Third Eye in 1956 which was supposed to be an autobiography of his life growing up and training in a lamasery in Tibet. It also described an operation whereby his third eye was fully opened, giving him enhanced clairvoyant abilities.
T. Lobsang Rampa went on to author 18 more books, the last being published a few months before his death on January 25, 1981.
Controversy arose soon after publication of The Third Eye when a private investigator found out that the person calling himself T. Lobsang Rampa was someone named Cyril Henry Hoskin, a British native and an ordinary working man who had never been to Tibet. Although Rampa never denied that the body was born as Cyril Henry Hoskin, he said that the soul of T. Lobsang Rampa took over the body through a process called transmigration of the soul when Rampa's original physical body became too worn out to continue (Rampa's horrific experiences are detailed in Doctor from Lhasa and The Rampa Story). Because of this, Rampa was continually hounded and criticized by the press throughout his life.
Normally, that would be that and we wouldn't take a second look at an alleged crackpot writing fiction. However, I have recently finished reading all 19 of Rampa's books, and I found that a lot of the esoteric subjects he had discussed were already familiar because of the pranic healing courses I had attended plus the different esoteric works I already read prior to encountering Rampa's books. For instance, he talks about the silver cord, the higher soul, the astral body, colors of the aura, among others. Any student of the inner sciences would understand these terms. To the sincere student, Rampa's books are serious works about esoteric subjects.
If we look at it, how else could an ordinary working man have amassed such in-depth knowledge about the esoteric sciences? And this in the era before the age of the Internet and when such occult information was not so easily accessible? In the body of esoteric literature, such transmigrations are not as rare as we think. For example, the spirit of a very advanced Hermetic adept is supposed to have taken over the body of Franz Bardon when he was 16 years old.
Aside from traditional esoteric subjects, Rampa also discusses about inner earth, extraterrestials and the true history of the human race. Although I do not have direct knowledge of those subjects, since he was spot on about the esoteric topics then I tend to give weight to these other subjects.
Even with my background, my understanding of esoteric sciences was definitely enriched by reading Rampa's books, and he writes with such a humorous air and wit that these normally heavy subjects are surprisingly easy to read and absorb. In fact, my best friend who can't make heads or tails of traditional occult works was able to read through The Third Eye and Doctor From Lhasa and is in fact starting on the third volume.
My first encounter with Rampa actually happened when I was still in high school. It turns out one of my brothers had a copy of Doctor From Lhasa and while I simply treated it as a novel back then, I was intrigued with the concept of astral travel and in fact told my best friend about it. A few months back I was surprised it had made an impression on my friend when he mentioned that he remembers our talks during those times. I had forgotten about it myself until my friend reminded me.
It really is too bad that esoteric subjects or anything deviating from the "official" line is usually not taken seriously and often discouraged, although I would say more and more people are getting into these inner sciences compared to before (and I guess we can thank the Internet for that). But if one were interested in starting to learn these inner sciences, you won't go wrong by starting with T. Lobsang Rampa's books.
Although he has gone off to a much better place, to our eternal benefit the knowledge Rampa shared is still here with us to stay. He may not be as famous as some avesha avatara, but his works definitely rank up there in terms of how much they help in advancing the consciousness and understanding of those willing to tread that path. His coming definitely was a blessing to the human race, though not many know it.
Here's to T. Lobsang Rampa, and an overdue thank you.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Looking Back
As the current year heads to a close (already?!), a lot of people are probably furiously writing down the latest batch of resolutions to greet the year ahead. Of course, are we going to write down a new set of resolutions or a rehash of the previous year's unaccomplished ones?
And yet despite whatever difficulties we may have faced, it's always important to maintain that sense of gratitude not only for the year that has passed, but also for the year that's coming. We're alive, at the very least, and that in itself is enough to be grateful for. In the esoteric sense, it means we're still here to accelerate whatever lessons need to be learned, so we have the chance to really progress faster.
A lot has changed for me, not just in comparison to the beginning of this year, but also looking back over many years. I used to be part of the daily grind of trying to work my ass off for culturally conditioned goals such as the career climb, more money in the bank, etc. But then I discovered pranic healing and my life went in a different direction.
I'm lucky in the sense that I have a job that is home-based and so I have more opportunities to pursue my true interests. And if the job does not give all that one may have been conditioned to expect by working (travel perks, a house, car allowances, etc.), it at least allows me to earn enough to pay the bills while still allowing me to do what I really want (esoteric studies), as long as I live modestly. Ideally, one's job should be there to support one's abilities and life interests, although realistically most people spend majority of their waking hours at their jobs.
By normal standards, my life can be said to be pretty boring. But from where I stand, I'm actually so excited about every day that comes. And I guess that's something that everyone has to assess every year. What do you really want to get out of life? Are you working to merely pay the bills, day after exhausted day, in the pursuit of some goal that you don't really relish once you get it? Are you frustrated at not being able to pursue your childhood dreams? I know of many people who wanted to be something else, like a painter or singer, but were discouraged because "there's no money in it" and so are forced to become dentists or call center agents.
But as year passes year, are you really where you want to be, and more importantly, are you on your way to it? The answer is as varied as the number of people on the planet, and each life plan works its way out differently, but it's a question that can't be ignored and one must always keep this in mind. Life gives us hard choices, and circumstances may derail us, but just be honest with your inner self, and perhaps this new year will bring you a renewed sense of purpose...and hope.
And so I end with this blessing: May you all be blessed with waves of Divine Light, Divine Love and Divine Power, so that you and your family may properly and rapidly achieve and accomplish your true purpose in life. May this be a life filled with joy, prosperity, good health, happiness, accomplishment and spirituality. With full faith, so be it!
Happy New Year to all!
And yet despite whatever difficulties we may have faced, it's always important to maintain that sense of gratitude not only for the year that has passed, but also for the year that's coming. We're alive, at the very least, and that in itself is enough to be grateful for. In the esoteric sense, it means we're still here to accelerate whatever lessons need to be learned, so we have the chance to really progress faster.
A lot has changed for me, not just in comparison to the beginning of this year, but also looking back over many years. I used to be part of the daily grind of trying to work my ass off for culturally conditioned goals such as the career climb, more money in the bank, etc. But then I discovered pranic healing and my life went in a different direction.
I'm lucky in the sense that I have a job that is home-based and so I have more opportunities to pursue my true interests. And if the job does not give all that one may have been conditioned to expect by working (travel perks, a house, car allowances, etc.), it at least allows me to earn enough to pay the bills while still allowing me to do what I really want (esoteric studies), as long as I live modestly. Ideally, one's job should be there to support one's abilities and life interests, although realistically most people spend majority of their waking hours at their jobs.
By normal standards, my life can be said to be pretty boring. But from where I stand, I'm actually so excited about every day that comes. And I guess that's something that everyone has to assess every year. What do you really want to get out of life? Are you working to merely pay the bills, day after exhausted day, in the pursuit of some goal that you don't really relish once you get it? Are you frustrated at not being able to pursue your childhood dreams? I know of many people who wanted to be something else, like a painter or singer, but were discouraged because "there's no money in it" and so are forced to become dentists or call center agents.
But as year passes year, are you really where you want to be, and more importantly, are you on your way to it? The answer is as varied as the number of people on the planet, and each life plan works its way out differently, but it's a question that can't be ignored and one must always keep this in mind. Life gives us hard choices, and circumstances may derail us, but just be honest with your inner self, and perhaps this new year will bring you a renewed sense of purpose...and hope.
And so I end with this blessing: May you all be blessed with waves of Divine Light, Divine Love and Divine Power, so that you and your family may properly and rapidly achieve and accomplish your true purpose in life. May this be a life filled with joy, prosperity, good health, happiness, accomplishment and spirituality. With full faith, so be it!
Happy New Year to all!
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