In the occult world of the early twentieth century, a covert order appeared whose origins and motivations were obscure and have been cause of great speculation. It was known by several names: outwardly, it was called the Universal Brotherhood; to initiates, it was called the Integral Fellowship; its secret name was the Mahacakra Society. The highest levels were expected to pledge absolute obedience to the Proctor of the Inner Theosophical Grand Collegium.
Some suggest the organization was a garish revival of the Illuminati, the Enlightenment-era secret society also known as the Perfectibilists. Others suggest the group was an attempt by Jesuits and the Roman Catholic Church to infiltrate the esoteric community. The list of people likely to have read its “purple papers” include: 33° Grand Commander of Co-Masonry Annie Besant; Paul Foster Case, founder of the Builders of the Adytum; Aliester Crowley of Ordo Templi Orientis; and Israel Regardie of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
Further information is scarce, as members of the body took an oath of silence. However, there are hints that parallels of the group’s teachings can be found in the work of Lucis Trust founder Alice Bailey. She interpreted the group’s five obligations for soul transformation according to the life of Jesus. This symbolic process was later promoted in simplified form by Benjamin Crème, author and editor of Share International. He emphasizes that initiation is a voluntary process, not a ceremony nor an examination, and that the first two steps are considered preparatory for the third, which is the beginning of an authentic spiritual lifestyle.
The first initiation is called the Birth of the Christ. In this probationary stage, the physical form must be restrained and purified to become an expression of soul. Lewdness and thrill-seeking are symptoms of an immature attitude. To gain insight and growth of character, the body must be disciplined, its impulses transmuted, and conduct reoriented toward wisdom and divine principles. The needs of the body for food, drink, sleep, and sex must not dominate. The aspirant moderates desire, practices vegetarianism, and shuns stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine. Ideals of duty and mercy will become strong.
The second initiation is called the Baptism. To become immersed in spirituality, the emotional life must be stabilized. The ignorance and confusion of fear and vanity is clarified and overcome through withdrawal from the senses and detachment. The soul is then no longer stifled by animal instincts and conditioned reactions. There is no more distress arising from shame, aversion, and the need to control. Distortion of thought caused by jealousy and habituated opinions is gradually understood as a disturbed delusion. Sincere devotion and steady effort will nurture altruism and free an initiate from the burdens of the heart.
The third initiation is called Transfiguration. In this stage, the intellectual life is developed, and character becomes mindful and virtuous. By a logical method of inquiry and investigation, the initiate can arrange facts, observe patterns in accord with principles, and apply knowledge in the creative expression of wisdom. There is mastery of numbers, forms, and harmonics. The philosophical apprentice gains abstract and practical knowledge of minerals, plants, animals, and astronomy. In the discovery of relationship between macrocosm and microcosm, symbolic intuition is acquired, and the spiritual nature of man is confirmed. The soul now discerns the unreal from the Real in the first perceptions of unchanging original Truth.
The fourth initiation is called Renunciation, and it is poetically represented by the crucifixion. False identity is retired, as are the masks worn for the common roles of society. The initiate is no longer motivated by money, status, or pleasant sensations. Life is generously dedicated to a noble purpose and given meaning through the study of religion and esoteric knowledge. Meditation and other advanced spiritual practices are integrated into daily routines. The soul is done with suffering in the cycles of phenomenal appearances and seeks freedom in the permanent joy and peace of the numinous eternal. The disciple perceives the unity and order of the cosmos and gains in superhuman perfection.
The fifth initiation is called Revelation, and it is represented by the resurrection. The initiate has become a Master of the worlds of sense-desires, pure forms, and formless Truth. The veil of existence is perceived as the timeless play of the immortal Absolute free from causality. The soul is beyond disease and decay with extraordinary knowledge of the past, the future, and the invisible processes of Nature. With skillful means and fully-realized mind-powers, the adept may act as a figure-of-history and person-of-destiny to introduce new values and lifestyles to society. The evolutionary goal is thus achieved.
The Necessity of Religion
The Truth is unchanging, though perceptions and descriptions are various. Each of the world's religions can be studied in three aspects. First, the principles expressed in logic and philosophy, with some metaphors serving to reveal more or less of the Truth; second, since abstract idealism is too difficult for most people, a mythology which is expressed through persons who are great exemplars and teachers; finally, the practices and rituals by which we progress along the path to Truth. The trouble with religion arises when the embodied principles and patterns which are universal to all paths can no longer be discerned from the mythology and ceremonial activities; thus arises irreligion, fanaticism, and bigotry. Any attempt to realize the divinity of the soul should be honored, though some methods are for beginners and lead to other advanced disciplines.
HINDUISM:
Brahman is Spirit with and without form. In its Absolute state, the Noumenal Object, it is not bound by space, time, or causality; thus it is undivided, unchanging, and infinite existence. Through its own play, lila, it has taken on the appearances of name-and-form; in this complex state of interrelations, it is bound by unbreakable patterns, a cosmic order. Through the principle of repetition and alternation, the One divides itself and becomes two; the two becomes the illusion of multitudes. Born in ignorance, we first believe we are separate; nevertheless, we reflect the first principles and seek the undivided in love, the unchanging in peace, and the infinite in freedom. In nature, we can observe the infinite through the elemental existence, the undivided in gravity, and the unchanging through inertia. Through a process of negation, we search for stable identity: "I" am not the atoms and the elements; "I" am not the composite body; "I" am not these perceptions; "I" am not emotions; "I" am not these thoughts; "I" am Brahman--Absolute Spirit. The same "I" that animates this name-and-form animates all names-and-forms in all times and all places; this is the origin and end of all the rising and decline of phenomenon. Now aware of the error of separatism, we can reconcile the Knower, the Known, and the act of Knowing.
THREE BRANCHES OF VEDANTA:
1. Dvaita - Dualism
2. Vishishtadvaita - Qualified Non-dualism
3. Advaita - Non-dualism
THE SIX BRANCHES OF HINDU PHILOSOPHY
1 - Atheistic dualism of consciousness as matter
2 - Logic - esp. the sources of Knowledge and How to Know
a. Sense Perception
b. Doubt and Skepticism
c. Postulation - If x, then y
d. Inference - Inductive (instance to principle) and Deductive (principle to instance) Syllogisms
e. Comparison - Analogy (a is to b = c is to x)
f. Testimony to Truth
3 - Reductionist Empiricism: hypotheses tested against observations in the Natural world
4 - Scriptural Interpretation for explication of Duty
5 - Yoga - Paths of contemplation, meditation, freedom
6 - Knowledge of Brahman
BUDDHISM:
In its purest expression, Buddhism is a quest for Freedom through Study of Truth (knowledge) and Social Ethics (duty).
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
Life is suffering: birth, sickness, old age and death.
The lesser sufferings includes: meeting people who hate you, being separated from people you love, failure to reach goals, and the problems of name-and-form.
THE CURE FOR SUFFERING
The lesser sufferings includes: meeting people who hate you, being separated from people you love, failure to reach goals, and the problems of name-and-form.
THE CURE FOR SUFFERING
A) Wisdom
1) Right Views (inquiry and perception of Truth)
2) Right Intention (sincerity and correct aim)
1) Right Views (inquiry and perception of Truth)
2) Right Intention (sincerity and correct aim)
B) Virtue
3) Right Speech (care in thoughts and words)
3) Right Speech (care in thoughts and words)
4) Right Action (ethical conduct and skillful means)
5) Right Prosperity (do only that which needs to be done)
5) Right Prosperity (do only that which needs to be done)
C) Meditation
6) Right Effort (detachment and restraint)
7) Right Mindfulness (focus and attention)
8) Right Concentration (correct practice and context)
LATTER DAY OF THE LAW: extreme confusion of thought; attachment to senses and desires
1) disruptions of social and natural environment
2) five delusive inclinations: animality, anger, greed, arrogance, doubt
3) five false views:
- mind-and-body as absolute, rather than temporary
- fanaticism: life ends with death v. life-after-death in unchanging eternal form
- denial of cause-and-effect
- attachment to confusion as Truth
- wrong practices and false precepts
4) widespread ignorance
5) physical decline and short lifespans
TAOISM:
The way that can be spoken of is not the Eternal Way;
The name that can be named is not the Eternal Name.
The nameless was the beginning of Heaven and Earth;
The named was the Mother of the many creatures.
Always rid yourself of desires to witness the Secrets;
Yet allow yourself desires to witness the manifestations.
The two are the same but change in name as they come forth.
Being the same, they are called Mysteries.
Mystery upon Mystery—the gateway of the manifold Secrets.
Chinese mythology: 1) Praises labor; 2) Admires heroic endurance; 3) Glorifies the common man's resistance to tyranny; and 4) Expresses desire for unity, love and belonging.
JUDAISM:
The earliest myths of Mesopotamia and Egypt assimilated later into the Hebrew
Bible were not likely regarded as strict fact by ancient people, but instead,
the gods served as symbols to explain the mysteries and principles of existence. Judaism begins as henotheism, the worship of one
supreme god to the exclusion of other gods, and evolves into monotheism, the belief in only one God, the transcendent Lord of Creation. The Bible is the story of God’s people, a story not
only of characters created by the Author, but also a story of the Author as a
character in the Author’s own play (God's image, or imagination). The central narrative of Judaism is the exodus from bondage in Egypt to the attempt to live in
harmony with God’s will in the Promised Land:
CHRISTIANITY:
The earliest Christians were apocalyptic Jews who believed the correct interpretation of the life and teachings of Jesus would redeem their corrupt society and reveal the secret of eternal life. However, the first five verses of the Gospel according to John is so poorly translated in English so as to be meaningless. The English text famously says, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” Aside from being a run-on sentence, this also translates two Greek words “theon” and “theos” with the same English word. A better translation considering the missing years of Jesus in India with Brahmins would read:
6) Right Effort (detachment and restraint)
7) Right Mindfulness (focus and attention)
8) Right Concentration (correct practice and context)
LATTER DAY OF THE LAW: extreme confusion of thought; attachment to senses and desires
1) disruptions of social and natural environment
2) five delusive inclinations: animality, anger, greed, arrogance, doubt
3) five false views:
- mind-and-body as absolute, rather than temporary
- fanaticism: life ends with death v. life-after-death in unchanging eternal form
- denial of cause-and-effect
- attachment to confusion as Truth
- wrong practices and false precepts
4) widespread ignorance
5) physical decline and short lifespans
TAOISM:
The way that can be spoken of is not the Eternal Way;
The name that can be named is not the Eternal Name.
The nameless was the beginning of Heaven and Earth;
The named was the Mother of the many creatures.
Always rid yourself of desires to witness the Secrets;
Yet allow yourself desires to witness the manifestations.
The two are the same but change in name as they come forth.
Being the same, they are called Mysteries.
Mystery upon Mystery—the gateway of the manifold Secrets.
Chinese mythology: 1) Praises labor; 2) Admires heroic endurance; 3) Glorifies the common man's resistance to tyranny; and 4) Expresses desire for unity, love and belonging.
In the Revolution, society split among three groups: 1) the Abolitionists, who advocated abandoning social traditions and institutions; 2) the Apathists, who were non-involved pessimists and renunciates, and 3) the Transformers, who were either Humanists, Shamans, or Legalists.
Confucian scholars, the true elite of China, were watchdogs of the political-economic order. They saw an instinctual potential in humans for ethics and a natural inclination toward satisfying physical desires. The Sect of the Literati preached restraint to prevent chaos in society.
The Path to Mastery has two options: the Idealistic School, the way of the Heart and Intuition; and, the Principlist School, the way of Study and Intellect. Correct inquiry requires detachment, clarity, and harmony. The Five Treasures to be gained are: 1) mercy; 2) virtue; 3) hierarchical courtesy and duty; 4) loyalty; and 5) wisdom.
- God is the infinite, undivided, unchanging Spirit in differentiated appearances: I was, I am, I will be.
- Honor God with your whole being.
- Honor your neighbor.
- Do not profane your free will.
- Honor your mother and father.
- Honor your spouse and children.
- Do not murder.
- Do not cheat.
- Do not bear false witness.
- Honor appropriate limits.
CHRISTIANITY:
The earliest Christians were apocalyptic Jews who believed the correct interpretation of the life and teachings of Jesus would redeem their corrupt society and reveal the secret of eternal life. However, the first five verses of the Gospel according to John is so poorly translated in English so as to be meaningless. The English text famously says, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” Aside from being a run-on sentence, this also translates two Greek words “theon” and “theos” with the same English word. A better translation considering the missing years of Jesus in India with Brahmins would read:
In nature is a pattern, and this pattern was before the satirical poet, and Brahman is the pattern. This was in nature before the satirical poet. Everybody through Brahman exists, and nobody exists without Brahman. In Brahman is life, and the Light of Brahman is the life of the anthropod. And the Light in the darkness shines, though the darkness does not know it.Though Brahman is an unfamiliar term to most Christians, its most direct equivalent is Spirit. Brahman is creative, conscious existence. It is infinite, undivided, and unchanging, though it seems divided, changing, and finite in appearance. The secret of Creation is that all things have their origin and end as Spirit, or Brahman.
Jesus teaches the principles of existence—the mysteries of the kingdom of God—with a series of related garden metaphors. The most famous sequence of blessings and parables regarding economic, religious, and social conditions is known as the Sermon on the Mount:
ISLAM:
Social reforms and economic rehabilitation will naturally follow authentic spiritual nourishment.
- Blessed are the poor, the hungry, the mourning, and the exiled.
- Blessed are the meek, the merciful, the sincere, and the peacemakers.
- Woe to the rich, the proud, the thrilled, and the flatterers.
- Do to others as you would have them do to you.
- Love your enemies and people who hate you.
- Reconcile with your enemies; seek no revenge.
- Do good to those who curse you.
- Persevere and be more virtuous than scribes and priests.
- Show mercy: don’t be a scoffer or a bigot.
- Be loyal; give no false witness.
- Make no promises, but do as you say.
- Do not worry about food, drink, clothing, or the trouble of tomorrow.
- Give to beggars, borrowers, and thieves. Do not seek return of what is stolen.
- Lend with no expectation of return. Do not horde.
- Do not make a show of your generosity or your religion.
- Pray simply in secret. Fast without complaint.
- Protect wisdom from abuse; show no folly in your words and actions.
- Beware false prophets.
ISLAM:
Social reforms and economic rehabilitation will naturally follow authentic spiritual nourishment.
True religion, as it is clear by lines 2:62/2:106/2:112 of the Qur’an, the Revelation of Gabriel to the prophet Muhammed, is inclusivist and non-sectarian. Sincere reverence and courtesy trumps different opinions of the mode of worship. People of the Book include: Jews, Christians, Muslims, Indians (esp. devotees of Rama, Shiva and Kali), Egyptians, Greeks, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Taoists, Masons, and long-haired Gnostics connected to Sirius rites. A fragment of the Book is not the whole of God’s truth. Read scripture as it ought to be read. Illiterates know only their own desires and fearful gossip.
Mankind is one diverse family, where schism and separatism is sin. True religion is social co-operation for mutual aid, critical thinking and creativity that adapts and varies Eastern and Western traditions as appropriate to time, place, and person.
Revelation is a continuity not against the dictates of reason. Some “mysteries” require long initiation and practice of strict method with masterful guidance prior to knowledge. Correct practice is praise, belief in an extrasensory reality, prayer, charity, fasting, knowledge of cause-and-effect, and preparation for future life and Life-after-death. Do not fear death.
The opposite of righteousness is ignorance and mischief. Force none from their homes, and do not shed blood.
Awareness Exercises
The first practices for soul evolution fully develop the psycho-physical potential. Expansion of awareness and concentration exercises are outlined below, but you should practice under the definite guidance of a Teacher:
This exercise is meant to reveal aspects of the unconscious, both through interpretation of night-visions and also through analysis of life experiences. In recording dreams, keep paper next to your bed and write down the dream as fully as possible with as many details as you can recall as soon as you awaken. Do not attempt to interpret until you have gathered a large number of dreams, as meaning can be perceived more accurately with a sequence. Recurring dreams are especially important to consider. If you have dreams that are interrupted, focus on the images and return to them in sleep; it is also possible to do "dream-work" through definite techniques that create dream-spaces and invite special characters to interact.
In considering your life experiences, describe the context, people, and places, plot development, crisis and solution from the key moments of your history; a variety of lenses can be applied (for example, using mythic motifs and the heroic archetype). Consider telling and retelling your stories from different perspectives, such as:
If you live in the city, it is necessary to find a place to walk that is free from the hustle and bustle of the crowd; let nature be your teacher. Notice the angle of the sunlight and how it changes during the seasons; pay attention to the lunar cycles and go for a night-hike during the full moon.
It is especially good for strengthening of focus to listen to Bach, Mozart, and sacred music. Consideration of the arts (painting, sculpture, poetry, dance, drama, and architecture) also improves interpretive skill and cultivates aesthetic taste by contact with the ancestral Masters. Study various crafts and experiment with your own creations.
There are many techniques to improve recall. For example, memorizing five lines of a poem every day; or, taking up new languages by learning a new letter every morning.
If possible, grow food; learn the history and relationships between plants and cook your own meals. Host a dinner party for friends twice a month, and visit their houses in the village twice a month. Be conscious about what is in your mouth: both the food and drink you consume and also the words and thoughts you voice.
Before eating, recite the following prayer:
Guided imagery often helps in in calming the body. A therapeutic massage is recommended twice a week; for those who cannot afford it, consider joining a trade network and learning healing techniques!
Our world is increasingly noisy and distracted, especially with radio, phones, television, computers, and Internet. It is best to restrict your time as much as possible with these electric gadgets.
Transformation Exercises
Revelation is a continuity not against the dictates of reason. Some “mysteries” require long initiation and practice of strict method with masterful guidance prior to knowledge. Correct practice is praise, belief in an extrasensory reality, prayer, charity, fasting, knowledge of cause-and-effect, and preparation for future life and Life-after-death. Do not fear death.
The opposite of righteousness is ignorance and mischief. Force none from their homes, and do not shed blood.
Awareness Exercises
The first practices for soul evolution fully develop the psycho-physical potential. Expansion of awareness and concentration exercises are outlined below, but you should practice under the definite guidance of a Teacher:
a. Journal: Dreams and Self-Inquiry
(chakra cleansing)
This exercise is meant to reveal aspects of the unconscious, both through interpretation of night-visions and also through analysis of life experiences. In recording dreams, keep paper next to your bed and write down the dream as fully as possible with as many details as you can recall as soon as you awaken. Do not attempt to interpret until you have gathered a large number of dreams, as meaning can be perceived more accurately with a sequence. Recurring dreams are especially important to consider. If you have dreams that are interrupted, focus on the images and return to them in sleep; it is also possible to do "dream-work" through definite techniques that create dream-spaces and invite special characters to interact.
In considering your life experiences, describe the context, people, and places, plot development, crisis and solution from the key moments of your history; a variety of lenses can be applied (for example, using mythic motifs and the heroic archetype). Consider telling and retelling your stories from different perspectives, such as:
a)
Childhood obstacles and defeat
b)
Foolish victim in ridiculous comedy of entanglements, confused identities,
impossible dilemmas, and erotic adventures
c)
Detective thriller with hidden plots, clues and crisis
d)
Social realism and picaresque life: episodic movement; obsessions with food,
money, image, and sex; no lasting relationships in a shadow world of pimps,
thieves, charlatans, and pompous dignitaries.
In
all these exercises, the goal is to transform events into experiences and
discover the impersonal meaning in the instances of our lives. The questions to
ask when considering the conflicts and tensions that unfold as the problems of
our life:
1)
What happened?
2)
What do you feel?
3)
What do you want?
4)
What does this mean?
5)
What idea is this?
b. 15-minutes walking witness:
sights (colors), sound (birds), smell (trees)
If you live in the city, it is necessary to find a place to walk that is free from the hustle and bustle of the crowd; let nature be your teacher. Notice the angle of the sunlight and how it changes during the seasons; pay attention to the lunar cycles and go for a night-hike during the full moon.
c. Music and
Art Appreciation
It is especially good for strengthening of focus to listen to Bach, Mozart, and sacred music. Consideration of the arts (painting, sculpture, poetry, dance, drama, and architecture) also improves interpretive skill and cultivates aesthetic taste by contact with the ancestral Masters. Study various crafts and experiment with your own creations.
d. Memory Development
There are many techniques to improve recall. For example, memorizing five lines of a poem every day; or, taking up new languages by learning a new letter every morning.
e. Smell everything before eating
f. Taste: The Art and
Alchemy of Food
If possible, grow food; learn the history and relationships between plants and cook your own meals. Host a dinner party for friends twice a month, and visit their houses in the village twice a month. Be conscious about what is in your mouth: both the food and drink you consume and also the words and thoughts you voice.
Before eating, recite the following prayer:
Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir
Brahmagnau Brahmanahutam
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam
Brahmakarma Samadhina
The act of offering is the Spirit;
the offering is the Spirit
offered by the Spirit to the Spirit in a world of desires.
Those focused on the Spirit will reach God.
g. Touch: walk barefoot, body
scan/progressive muscle relaxation, massage, sensate focus
Guided imagery often helps in in calming the body. A therapeutic massage is recommended twice a week; for those who cannot afford it, consider joining a trade network and learning healing techniques!
h. Speech: 1-hour daily silence;
full breath before speaking; do not react good or bad; avoid first person
reference; avoid gossip.
Our world is increasingly noisy and distracted, especially with radio, phones, television, computers, and Internet. It is best to restrict your time as much as possible with these electric gadgets.
Transformation Exercises
a.
Persistence and Determination
These practices require a commitment of at least three to five years, and many times, the best results will not be achieved until after seven to twelve years of consistent discipline.
These practices require a commitment of at least three to five years, and many times, the best results will not be achieved until after seven to twelve years of consistent discipline.
b.
Hatha Yoga: Six weeks every other day
You can learn more than 80 postures that increase the strength, flexibility, and longevity of the body. Stretch yoga should be done calmly, first thing in the morning, as preparation for seated meditation. This is not a sweat-inducing workout.
You can learn more than 80 postures that increase the strength, flexibility, and longevity of the body. Stretch yoga should be done calmly, first thing in the morning, as preparation for seated meditation. This is not a sweat-inducing workout.
c.
The Four-Count Breath
At first, simply breath calmly: inhale for four heartbeats and exhale for four heartbeats. Repeat this four times at dawn, noon, dusk, and midnight. Advanced techniques should be practiced only under the strict supervision of a specialist.
At first, simply breath calmly: inhale for four heartbeats and exhale for four heartbeats. Repeat this four times at dawn, noon, dusk, and midnight. Advanced techniques should be practiced only under the strict supervision of a specialist.
d.
Intonations and Scale Vocalizations
Singing harmonizes the body and mind and has an effect on the environment. You can practice with a recording, or using an instrument as guidance. Five minutes a day is good. You can also learn how to play an instrument and practice your favorite songs.
Singing harmonizes the body and mind and has an effect on the environment. You can practice with a recording, or using an instrument as guidance. Five minutes a day is good. You can also learn how to play an instrument and practice your favorite songs.
e.
Candle Hypnosis (No-Mind)
Before advanced meditation techniques can be practiced, it is essential to quiet the mind and develop a single-pointed focus. Staring at a candle flame is most helpful.
Before advanced meditation techniques can be practiced, it is essential to quiet the mind and develop a single-pointed focus. Staring at a candle flame is most helpful.
f.
Yawn
Neuroscientists have studied brain-scans of yogis and discovered that a three big yawns including an exaggerated stretch has the same effect as twenty-minutes of serious meditation. Some mental perceptions are not possible unless the brain is vibrating at a compatible frequency.
Neuroscientists have studied brain-scans of yogis and discovered that a three big yawns including an exaggerated stretch has the same effect as twenty-minutes of serious meditation. Some mental perceptions are not possible unless the brain is vibrating at a compatible frequency.
g.
Raja Yoga
This is proper seated meditation, and should only be done with the guidance of a specialist. The esoteric anatomy involved in the practice has been recorded by the Dravidians, Egyptians, Tibetans, Hebrews, Greeks, Mayan, Inca, Cherokee, and Christian occultists.
This is proper seated meditation, and should only be done with the guidance of a specialist. The esoteric anatomy involved in the practice has been recorded by the Dravidians, Egyptians, Tibetans, Hebrews, Greeks, Mayan, Inca, Cherokee, and Christian occultists.