INTRODUCTION TO GNOSIS By SAMAEL AUN WEOR. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Instituto Cultural Quetzalcoatl de Antropología Psicoanalítica, A.C. http://samaelgnosis.net y http://samaelgnosis.org INDEX First Degree of Introduction to Gnosis LESSON ONE An Exercise To Control Anger LESSON TWO The Power of Thought Mental Force Concentration of Thought The Law of Karma Favorable Circumstances Exercise LESSON THREE Prana The Names of the Tattwas Tattwic Timetable Property of the Tattwas Practice LESSON FOUR Practice LESSON FIVE Money Practice LESSON SIX Practice Clairvoyance LESSON SEVEN Practice LESSON EIGHT Alcoholism Initiation Intoxication Death Psychology of the Drunkard Campaign Against The Home Meditation and Intoxication Alcoholic Larvae Osmotherapy Treatment Practice Concentration Meditation Contemplation LESSON NINE The Universal Mind Imagination and Will Mental Action Mental Epidemics Mental Hygiene Origins of the Universal Clarification of Terms Practice APPENDIX Vegetarian Diet* First Degree of Introduction to Gnosis This is the introductory degree to the Gnostic philosophical studies or external degree of Gnosis. It is natural that all studies will begin with this degree and eventually continue with the first, second, third degrees, etc. One should keep in mind that these are not the Gnostic esoteric degrees; the Gnostic esoteric degrees are received when the student is prepared for them. The esoteric degrees, which are the authentic ones, cannot be revealed by anyone who has received them; this is forbidden. Whoever says, I have so many degrees, so many initiations, is being dishonest. If a person wants to become an engineer, lawyer, doctor, etc. he has to prepare himself for it. That person will go to school and study a great deal. After he has a good theoretical basis in the field he studied, he will begin to practice what he has learned. Practice brings about perfection. The great sages, professionals, scientists, etc., have not merely come to attain a theoretical knowledge of their respective fields of study, but have also put this knowledge into practice. Theory by itself cannot bring about anything except an intellectual enjoyment on the part of those who understand it. Practice is needed. Study these lessons but study them with true incentive, with the desire to learn, with the desire of understanding the superior knowledge. Remember that you need to put into practice what you learn if you want to achieve the perfection of the work. LESSON ONE It is necessary to be successful in life. If you truly want to be successful, you should begin by being sincere with yourself, recognizing your own errors. When we recognize our errors we are on the path to correcting them. Everyone who corrects his own errors is inevitably successful. The businessman who daily blames others for his failures and never recognizes his own errors will not be successful. Remember that the greatest criminals consider themselves to be saints. If we visit a penitentiary we will prove to ourselves that no thief or criminal considers himself guilty. Almost all of them say to themselves, “I am innocent.” Don’t make the same mistake; have the courage to recognize your own errors. Thus you will escape greater evils. Whoever recognizes his own errors can make a happy home. The politician, scientist, philosopher, religious person, etc. who comes to recognize his own mistakes can correct them and be successful in life. If you want to triumph in life, don’t criticize anyone. Whoever criticizes others is weak, while the one who is critical of himself from moment to moment is a giant. Criticism is useless because it hurts the pride of others and provokes the resistance of the victim who then seeks to justify himself. Criticism provokes an inevitable reaction against its own author. If you truly want to succeed, listen to this advice: do not criticize anyone. The man or woman who knows how to live without criticizing anyone does not provoke resistance or reactions on the part of his fellowman and, consequently, creates an atmosphere of success and progress. On the other hand, he who criticizes others has many enemies. We have to remember that human beings are full of pride and vanity and this pride and vanity, which is inherent in them, produces a reaction (resentment, hate, etc.) that is directed towards the one who criticizes. We can conclude, then, that the one who criticizes others inevitably fails. The one who wants to correct others should best begin by correcting himself. This gives better results and is less dangerous. The world is full of neurasthenic people. The neurasthenic type is a faultfinder, irritable and also intolerable. There are many causes of neurasthenia: impatience, anger, egotism, arrogance, pride, etc. A mediator exists between the spirit and the body: the nervous system. Take care of your nervous system. When your nervous system is irritated by something that exhausts you, it is better to flee from it. Work intensely but with moderation; remember that excessive work produces fatigue. If you do not pay attention to fatigue, if you continue with excessive work, then fatigue is substituted with excitement. When excitement turns morbid, it becomes neurasthenia. It is necessary to alternate work with pleasant rest; in this way we avoid the danger of falling into neurasthenia. Every employer who wants to succeed should be careful of falling into the danger of neurasthenia. The neurasthenic employer criticizes everything and becomes unbearable. The neurasthenic despises patience and as an employer he becomes the executioner of his employees. Workers who must work under the orders of a neurasthenic and faultfinding employer end up hating the job and the employer. No discontented worker works with pleasure. Many times enterprises fail because the workers are discontented, dissatisfied and do not work efficiently in such circumstances. The neurasthenic, as a worker or office employee, becomes rebellious and ends up being fired from his job. Every neurasthenic worker seeks any occasion to criticize his employer. Every employer has pride and vanity, and it is obvious that he feels offended when his employees criticize him. The worker who lives criticizing his employer ends up losing his job. Take care of your nervous system. Work moderately. Enjoy yourself wholesomely. Do not criticize anyone. Try to see the best in all human beings. An Exercise To Control Anger Do you feel irritated or full of anger? Are you nervous? Reflect a little; remember that anger can provoke gastric ulcers. Control anger through breathing. Inhale the vital air very slowly (do not inhale through your mouth; inhale through your nose, keeping your mouth properly closed) mentally counting 1-2-3- 4-5-6. Hold your breath, mentally counting 1-2-3-4-5-6. Now, exhale very slowly through your mouth, mentally counting 1-2- 3-4-5-6. Repeat the exercise until your anger subsides. LESSON TWO A great author deduced that the human being needs eight important things in life: health and the conservation of life, nourishment, sleep, money and the things money can buy, life in the beyond, sexual satisfaction, the well-being of his children, and a sense of proper importance. We synthesize these eight things into three: Health Money Love If you really want to acquire these three things, you should study and practice everything that this course teaches you. We will show you the path of success. The Power of Thought It is necessary for you to know that an immensely superior power greater than electricity and dynamite exists: that is the power of thought. When you think of a friend or a family member, etc., mental waves escape from your brain; these waves are similar to those of a radio transmitter and these waves travel through space and reach the mind of the person you are thinking about. Scientists have already begun to experiment with the power of thought and soon they will invent the telementometer (the instrument with which the mental forces of any person can be measured). In the future, optics will advance some more and then the fotomentometer will be invented (the instrument that will allow us to see and measure the mental force that is radiated by the human brain). You must know that just as man has a mind, the entire Universe also has a mind. The human mind and the cosmic mind exist. The earth is condensed mind. The entire Universe is condensed mind. The waves of the universal mind saturate the infinite space. The first thing that an architect who will design a house does is to create the project mentally, that is to say he constructs it in his mind, then he projects it on the plan and, lastly, crystallizes it materially. Thus, everything, every building first existed in the mind. Nothing can exist in the physical or material world in which we live without first having existed in the world of the mind. It is necessary to learn how to concentrate and project the mind with precision and great force. It is necessary for you to know that to concentrate the mind is to fix your attention on a single thing. When you fix your attention on a distant friend, when you concentrate on that friend, you can be certain that your brain emits powerful mental waves that will inevitably reach your friend’s brain. What is important is for you to truly concentrate. It is necessary that no other thought be capable of distracting you. You should learn how to concentrate your mind. You are studying this course and we believe that you want to succeed in life and have health, money and love. Reflect a little, learn how to handle the force of thought. Whoever learns how to handle the power of thought proceeds to success with absolute certainty, just as the arrow guided by the hand of the expert archer reaches its target. Remember that the world is a product of the mind. You are what you are because of the mind. You can totally change yourself by making use of the power of thought. The poor and miserable are that way because they want to be so; they keep themselves miserable and poor with their minds. The rich and powerful are that way because they made themselves that way with the mind. Each one projects into the world of cosmic mind what he is and what he wants to be. The projections of the mind crystaffize physically and we then have in practice a life that is rich or miserable, happy or wretched. Everything depends on the type of mental projections that have crystallized. In the same way that a cloud condenses into water and water freezes into ice, mental power is also like that. First clouds (projects), then water (circumstances, development of the project), and lastly, ice (the project is converted into concrete facts or things). If the project has been done well and with sufficient power, if the actions or the development of the events and circumstances have been marvelous, the result will be success. The perfect condensation of the project is success. There are three basic factors for the success of a project: (1) Mental Force (2) Favorable Circumstances (3) Intelligence. Mental Force Without mental force it is impossible to achieve the crystallization of a project (commercial, etc.). It is necessary for our students to learn how to handle mental force; but first it is necessary for the student to learn how to relax his physical body. It is indispensable to know how to relax the body to achieve the perfect concentration of thought. We can relax the body seated in a comfortable chair or lying down in the corpse posture (in decubito dorsal, that is to say on our back, mouth up, with our heels touching each other and our arms at our sides). The second of the two positions is better. Imagine that your feet are subtle, that a group of dwarves escape from them. Imagine that your calves are full of small playful dwarves that leave one by one and that, as they leave, the muscles become flexible and elastic. Continue with your knees, performing the same exercise. Continue with the thighs, sexual organs, abdomen, heart, throat, face and head muscles, successively, imagining that those small dwarves flee from each of those parts of the body leaving the muscles completely relaxed. Concentration of Thought When the body is perfectly relaxed concentration of thought becomes easy and simple. Concentrate on the business you have in mind. Vividly imagine the entire business, the people that are related with it. Identify yourself with those people. Speak as if you were them and mentally say what you would like those people to say. Forget about yourself and change your human personality to that of those people, acting the way you would like them to act. Thus you will cause powerful thought waves that will cross through space and reach the brains of the people related with the business. If the concentration is perfect success will then be inevitable. The Law of Karma This Law is known in the Orient and millions of people in the entire world know of it because this Law is universal. This Law operates in the whole universe. If you misuse the power of thought, the Law of Karma will fall upon you and you will be horribly punished. Mental energy is a gift of God and should only be utilized for good purposes and with good intentions. It is just for the poor to better their economic situation, but it is not just to utilize mental power to harm other people. Before doing a mental exercise to carry out the crystallization of a project reflect and meditate, if you are going to use mental power to harm others it is better not to do it because the terrible ray of Cosmic Justice will inevitably fall upon you like a ray of vengeance. Favorable Circumstances Thought and action should always march totally united. Materialization of a project is only possible when the circumstances are favorable. Learn how to determine favorable circumstances for your business. Freud, the great psychologist, said that everything that man does in life has two fundamental causes: (1) sexual impulse (2) the desire to be great. Every human being is motivated by the sexual impulse. Everybody wants to be appreciated. If you want to be surrounded by good circumstances for the crystallization of your business, then recognize the good qualities of others. Stimulate the good qualities of your fellowmen, do not humiliate anyone, do not despise anyone. It is necessary to encourage each one in his job, office or profession. By means of appreciation and encouragement we can awaken enthusiasm in all those people that interrelate with us. Learn how to wisely praise your fellowmen without falling into flattery. People feel reassured with the food of esteem. Be gentlemanly; do not criticize anyone. In this way you will form the favorable atmosphere for the crystallization of your business. The sincere appreciation of the merits of one’s fellowman is one of the greatest secrets of success. It is necessary to abandon the bad habit of talking about ourselves at every moment. It is urgent to employ the verb to strengthen and encourage the good qualities of our fellowman. The gnostic student should abandon the terrible habit of talking about himself and telling the story of his life at every moment. The man or woman who only talks of himself or herself becomes unbearable. Persons like this fall into misery because people become tired of them. Never say “I;” always say “we.” The term “we” has more cosmic power. The term “I” is egotistical and tires all those who come in contact with us. The “I” is egotistical The “I” should be dissolved. The “I” is a creator of conflicts and problems. Always repeat: “we, we, we.” Every morning before getting out of bed, with force and energy say, ‘We are strong. We are rich. We are filled with luck and harmony. Om, Om, Om.” Recite this simple prayer and you will see that you will be prosperous in everything. Have great devotion in this prayer; have faith. Exercise Hang a silk thread from the ceiling of your room with a needle at the end of the thread. Concentrate on that needle and try to move it with the power of thought. Mental waves, when developed, can move this needle. Work ten minutes daily on this exercise. In the beginning, the needle at the end of the silk thread will not move but, with time, you will see that the needle oscillates and moves vigorously. This exercise is to develop mental power. Remember that mental waves travel through space and pass from one brain to the next. LESSON THREE The great lawyer, Jose M. Seseras, said the following, “There is neither luck nor misfortune, success nor failure; everything is a vibration of the ether.” By learning the use of the tattwas one can favorably solve all matters of life. You need a precise and exact system to obtain money, a scientific system that never fails. You need to take advantage of favorable circumstances to achieve the crystallization of all your projects (commercial, etc.). Remember, tattwa is a vibration of the ether. In this age of radio, television and teleguided missiles, it is absurd to deny the vibration of the ether. A great sage said, “Life was born from radiation, subsists because of radiation and is suppressed by any oscillatory imbalance.” You have the right to succeed. Spirit should overcome matter We cannot accept misery. Remember that misery is Characteristic of f spirits. When the spirit overcomes matter the result is light, splendor, complete success economically, socially and spiritually. It is necessary that you learn the Law of Universal Vibration. The study of the tattwas is very important. Tattwa (this is a Hindustani term) is vibration of the ether. Now scientists say that the ether does not exist and that the only thing that really exists is the magnetic field. We could also say that matter does not exist and that energy is the only thing that is real. These are words, a matter of terms. The magnetic field is the ether. “Everything comes from ether; everything returns to ether.” Sir Oliver Lodge, the great British scientist, says, “It is the ether that gives place, through diverse modifications of its equilibrium, to all phenomena of the Universe, from the impalpable Light to the formidable masses of the worlds.” Prana Prana is the cosmic energy. Prana is vibration, electric motion, light and heat, universal magnetism, life. Prana is the life that palpates in each atom and in each sun. Prana is the life of ether. The Great Life, in other words, Prana, is transformed into a very divine intense blue substance; the name of this substance is Akash. The Akash is a marvelous substance that fills the entire infinite space and that, when it is modified, becomes ether. It is interesting to know that ether modified becomes what we call the tattwas. The study of the vibrations of ether (tattwas) is indispensable. Remember that business, love, health, etc. are controlled by cosmic vibrations. If you know the vibratory laws of life, if you know the tattwas, you will be able to obtain much money. Remember that money, in itself, is not good or bad; everything depends on what you do with it. If you use it for good, it’s good, and if you use it for evil, it’s evil. Obtain much money and use it for the good of humanity. There are seven main tattwas that you should learn how to use to succeed in life. No Gnostic student should live in misery. It is necessary that you know the names of the seven tattwas; these names are Sanskrit terms. It is possible that it might be somewhat difficult for you to learn these names but remember that it is well worth the study to succeed in life. The Names of the Tattwas Akash is the principle of ether. Vayu is the etheric principle of air. Tejas is the etheric principle of fire. Prithvi is the etheric principle of the element earth. Apas is the etheric principle of water. There are two secret tattwas named Adi and Samadhi that vibrate during the aurora and are excellent for internal meditation (ecstasy or samadhi is achieved with them). We will not expand on these tattwas now because they are useful to advanced students only. Tattwic Timetable The vibration of the tattwas begins at sunrise. Each tattwa vibrates for twenty-four minutes in a period of two hours. The first tattwa that vibrates is Akash, followed in succession by Vayu, Tejas, Prithvi, Apas. Two hours later, Akash vibrates again and the succession of the tattwas is repeated in the same order previously described. The tattwas vibrate day and night. It is necessary to know the hour of sunrise. Bucheli’s Astrological Yearbook is one of the calendars that mark the time of sunrise in each country of Latin America. Some daily newspapers, especially in the United States of America, and magazines indicate the time of the sunrise. Galvan’s Calendar is also good for this purpose. Those who would like B American Yearbook can request it from the following address: Mrs. Elly de Bucheli, Casilla 1880, Santiago, Chile. It can also be requested from the Kier Editorial, S.A., Av. Santa Fe #1260, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Property of the Tattwas AKASH: It is exclusively good for meditation. We advise you to pray a lot during this time. Do not have business or love appointments during this time because you will inevitably fail. This tattwa causes us to make very serious mistakes. If you work during this period, you should then be very careful (artists should abstain from working in Akash). Everything that begins with Akash will fail. Akash is the tattwa of death. VAYU: Everything that is velocity and motion corresponds to Vayu, the principle of air. Winds, air, aerial navigation, etc., are related to Vayu. During this period people enjoy talking ill about their fellowmen, lying, stealing, etc. Usually, airplane accidents happen during this period and suicides are stimulated by this tattwa. We advise you not to marry during this period because your marriage will be of a short duration. All kinds of simple and quick business transactions turn out very well in Vayu, but complicated and long lasting business deals result in failure. It is good to carry out intellectual works during this period. The great yogis mentally manipulate this tattwa and use it inteffigently when they want to float in the air. TEJAS: It is hot because it is the etheric principle of fire. During the period in which this tattwa is active we feel more heat. You can bathe in cold water in Tejas and you will never catch a cold. Never argue with anyone in Tejas because the consequences can be serious. You should utilize the time of Tejas to work intensely. Don’t marry in Tejas because you will have constant quarrels with your partner. The most terrible explosions and accidents happen in the period of the tattwa Tejas. PRITHVI: This is the tattwa of success in life. If you want to succeed in business, do it in Prithvi. If you want to have good health, eat and drink in Prithvi. Marriages that are carried out in Prithvi are happy for life. Every party, every lecture, every business, every appointment done in Prithvi will be a total success. Prithvi is love, charity, benevolence. APAS: It is the principle of water and is the opposite of Tejas (fire). This tattwa is marvelous for the purchase of merchandise. It is also marvelous for business and you will be able to earn much money if you know how to take advantage of this tattwa. Buy lottery in Apas. Journeys by water are good in Apas. Rainfalls that begin in Apas tend to be very lengthy and heavy. The tattwa Apas works on concentrating and attracting. Remember that you need to know the exact time of sunrise to be guided by the tattwas. Always have a good wristwatch or pocket-watch and take advantage of the tattwas in practical life. Practice Sit at a table facing the East, rest your elbows on the table and proceed in the following manner: place the thumbs of your right and left hands into your ears, cover your eyes with the index fmgers, cover your nostrils with your middle fingers, and seal your lips with your ring fingers or little fingers. Inhale Slowly counting to twenty. Hold your breath and count from one to twenty. Exhale slowly counting one to twenty. It is necessary to remove your middle fingers to inhale and exhale but during the retention of your breath the middle fingers should hermetically seal your nostrils. It is necessary for you to try to see the tattwas with the third eye during the retention of your breath. The third eye resides between the two eyebrows. At the beginning you will see nothing but after some time you will be able to see and recognize them by their colors. Akash is black and its planet is Saturn. Vayu is greenish blue and Mercury is its planet. Tejas is red like fire and its planet is Mars. Prithvi is golden yellow and the Sun is its planet although it is also influenced by Jupiter. Apas is white, and Venus and the Moon are its planets. LESSON FOUR In order to succeed in life one has to become a fisher of men. Jesus chose his disciples from among poor fishermen. They had to stop catching fish to become fishers of men. Do you want to obtain success, power, glory? Listen to this advice, “Put the bait on the hook that will catch the fish.” Do not talk with others about things of interest to you. Your business is your business. The human being is egotistical, unfortunately, and wants to only know things that are of interest to him. If you talk to your fellowman about the things that he desires and loves, you will influence him positively and will obtain from him all that you need. It is necessary to learn to see the point of view of our fellowman and help to Solve his conflicts; in this manner we also solve our own Problems. Become an altruistic and generous person, help Others with your advice, do your best to understand others’ Points of view and you will catch fish in abundance. When we begin comprehending our fellowmen, we also begin to take the first steps on the path of happiness and success. It is necessary to study and understand the functions of the mind. Whoever knows the mental mechanism is in a position to control it. Much has been said about mental power and there are many schools that teach how to concentrate the mind. Nobody can intelligently deny the power of thought. This force is made up of radioactive forms and waves that move from one brain to another. We need to develop this marvelous power but we must advise that thought and action should wisely be combined if we want to succeed in life. Mental concentration is miraculous when intelligently combined with action. Mental power achieves prodigies and marvels when it is based on sincerity and the truth. Do not attempt to deceive your fellowmen; do not use mental concentration to deceive your fellowmen because failure for you will be inevitable. Mental power achieves prodigies when used to help others. By helping others we ourselves benefit. That is the Law. Do you need to succeed in something important? Sit in a comfortable chair, relax your muscles, concentrate on the business you are interested in and imagine the business in full prosperity. Identify yourself with your fellowman; try to understand your fellowman’s point of view; advise him mentally, making him see the advantages that the business he is about to carry out with you will bring him. So, the mental waves will penetrate deeply in the other person’s mind and will do marvels. One hour of perfect concentration is enough to determine success in a business. Every merchant has the right to obtain money, but whatever you sell should be good, useful and necessary to others. Do not try to deceive others because you deceive yourself. Multitudes of peddlers travel the streets offering their merchandise uselessly; no one is interested in their merchandise and people become annoyed when they meet these peddlers. The error of these peddlers is that they only think and talk about their wares. If they learned how to see another’s point of view, they would inevitably succeed. It is necessary to comprehend that all human beings have an “I” that wants to stand out, make itself felt, climb to the top of the ladder, etc.; this is precisely the human being’s weakness. You also have that weak side. Do not fall into the same errors of others; never say “I,” always say “we.” Whoever masters himself can also master others. Intelligently insinuate what you want, but do not say, “I want.” Remember that others are not interested in what you want. Let others prepare your idea as if it was theirs; provide the elements for that preparation, provide them very intelligently. Let others elaborate your ideas. You can be sure that others feel good elaborating your ideas. People like to feel important; that is the weakness of the “I.” Exploit that weakness. Never feel important and you will be important. Try to dissolve the “I” and you will be truly happy. All success in life depends on the ability you have to deal with other people. It is necessary to abandon egotism and to develop Christ-centrism. It is urgent to work for the common good. It is indispensable to dissolve the “I” and to always think as “we.” The term “we” has more power than the egotistical “I” AJI the great failures of life are due to the “I.” When the latter wants to make itself felt, stand out, climb to the top of the ladder, then the reactions of others follow, and the result of such mental reactions is failure. Remember that the “I” is energetic, it is desire, it is memory, it is fear, violence, hatred, wants, fanaticisms, jealousies, distrust, etc. You need to explore profoundly all the depths of your mind because you have within you that which is called “I” “myself” the Ego, etc. If you want to succeed in life you should dissolve the “I.” If you want to dissolve the “I,” you should disintegrate all your defects. If you want to disintegrate your defects, do not condemn or justify them, comprehend them. When we condemn a defect, we hide it in the profound recesses of the mind and when we justify a defect, we strengthen it horribly but when we comprehend a certain defect, then we disintegrate it completely. When the “I” is dissolved, we are filled with plenitude and happiness. When the “I” is dissolved, the Being, the spirit, love expresses itself through us. Remember that God, the spirit, the Internal Being of each man, of each woman, and of each creature is never the “I.” The Being is divine, eternal and perfect. The “I” is Satan of the Biblical legend. The “I” is not the body, it is energetic and diabolic. In the “I” is the root of misery, poverty failures, disillusions, unsatisfied desires, violent desires, hatred, envy, jealousy, etc. Change your life now. It is urgent that you understand the need to do away with all your defects, to dissolve the “I,” Satan, the cause of all failures. When the “I” is dissolved, only the Being, God, happiness, remains in us. God is peace, abundance, happiness and perfection. Practice A man, after having studied himself discovered that he had twelve defects that were bothering him. This man said, “Just as it is impossible to catch ten hares at the same time, because the hunter who wants to try this would not catch any, so is it also impossible to do away with my twelve defects at the same time.” This man arrived at the conclusion that it would be better to catch one hare and then another, first to do away with one defect and then another. Therefore he decided to dedicate two months to each defect. After twenty-four months, this man no longer had the defects; he had done away with the twelve defects that hindered him from success. The result was marvelous. This man became the foremost citizen of the United States, his name: Benjamin Franklin. Imitate this person. Examine yourself and see how many defects you have, count them, number them. Then dedicate two months to each defect, successively, until you eliminate all of them. Sit in a comfortable chair and pray to your Internal God like this, “You who are my true Being, you who are my Internal God, enlighten me, help me, make me see my own defects. Amen.” Concentrate on this prayer until deep sleep arrives. Try to discover all your defects. We advise you to read the Bible. The word of the Divine Master is found in the four Gospels. There you will see the virtues that you need, there you will discover the virtues that you lack. Wherever a virtue is lacking, a defect exists. LESSON FIVE Money Why has money assumed such an immense importance in our lives? Do we perhaps depend exclusively on it for our own psychological happiness? All of us human beings need food, clothing and shelter; this is known. But why is it that this, which is so natural and simple for even the birds of the sky, has assumed such a tremendous and frightening importance and meaning? Money has assumed such an exaggerated and disproportionate value because we psychologically depend on it for our well-being. Money nourishes our personal vanity, gives us social prestige, gives us the means to achieve power. The mind has used money for ends and purposes that are totally different from those that it has in itself among which are to cover our immediate physical needs. Money is being used for Psychological purposes; that is the reason why money has assumed an exaggerated and disproportionate importance. We need money to have food, clothing and shelter; that is obvious. But when money becomes a psychological need, when we utilize it for different purposes than it has in itself when we depend on it to obtain fame, prestige, social position, etc., then money assumes an exaggerated and disproportionate importance before the mind and this is where the struggle and the conflict to possess it originates. It is logical that we have a need to obtain money to satisfy our physical needs to have food, clothing and shelter. But if we depend on money exclusively for our own happiness and personal satisfaction, then we are the most wretched beings upon the earth. When we understand deeply that money only has the purpose of providing us with food, clothing and shelter, we then spontaneously place an intelligent limitation on it. The result of this is that money no longer assumes the exaggerated importance that it has when it becomes a psychological need. Money in itself is not good or bad; everything depends on the use we make of it. If we use it for good, it is good. If we use it for evil, it is evil. We need to comprehend in depth the true nature of sensation and satisfaction. The mind that wants to arrive at comprehending the truth should be free of these obstacles. If we truly want to free the thought from the sensation of satisfaction, we must begin with those sensations that are more familiar to us and establish there the adequate foundation for comprehension. Sensations have their suitable place and when we comprehend them profoundly in all the levels of the mind, they do not assume that stupid distortion they now have. Many people believe that if the order of things was according to the political party we belong to and for which we always struggle, that we would then have a happy world, full of abundance, peace and perfection. That is a false concept, because none of that can truly happen if we have not previously comprehended j the true significance of things. The human being is very poor internally and that is why he has a need for money and things for his own stimulation and personal satisfaction. When one is poor internally, externally he seeks money and things to complete himself and to find satisfaction. That is why money and things have assumed a disproportionate value and the human being is prepared to steal, to exploit and to lie at every instant. The struggle between capitalism and work, employers and employees, between exploiters and the exploited, etc., is due to that. All political changes are useless if we have not first comprehended our own internal poverty. Economic systems can change again and again, the social system can be altered again and again, but if we have not profoundly comprehended the intimate nature of our inner poverty, the individual will always create new ways and means to obtain personal satisfaction at the expense of the peace of other people. It is urgent to deeply comprehend the inner nature of this “myself” if we really want to be internally wealthy. Whoever is internally rich is incapable of exploiting his fellowman; he is incapable of stealing and lying. Whoever is internally wealthy is free of the obstacles of personal satisfaction and sensation. Whoever is internally wealthy has found happiness. We need money, true, but it is necessary to profoundly comprehend our exact relationship with it. Neither the ascetic nor the covetous miser has ever comprehended what our exact relationship with money is. It is not through renouncing money, nor coveting it, that we can come to understand our exact relationship with it. We need comprehension to intelligently recognize our own material needs without disproportionately depending on money. When we comprehend our exact relationship with money, the pain of detachment and the frightening suffering that is produced by competition ends. We should learn to differentiate between our immediate physical needs and psychological dependence on things. Psychological dependence on material things creates exploitation and slavery. We need money to cover our immediate physical needs but, unfortunately, needs are transformed into covetousness. The psychological “I,” perceiving its own emptiness and misery, usually gives money and material things a different value than what they have, an exaggerated and absurd value. That is why the “I” wants to become rich externally since internally it is poor and miserable. The “I” wants to make itself felt, to dazzle its fellowman with material things and money. We always allege necessity to justify covetousness. Covetousness is the secret cause of hatred and the brutalities of this world and, many times, they assume legal aspects. Covetousness is the cause of war and of all the miseries of this world. If we want to do away with the greed of the world, we should profoundly comprehend that this world is within our own selves. We are the world. The greed of all other individuals is within ourselves. Really, all individuals live within our own consciousness. The world’s covetousness is within the individual and only by doing away with the covetousness that we carry within will the covetousness in the world end. Only by comprehending the complex process of covetousness in all the levels of the mind can we arrive at experiencing the Great Reality. Practice 1. Lie down in the form of a star, opening your legs and arms to the left and the right. 2. Concentrate now on your immediate physical needs. 3. Meditate, reflect on each one of those needs. 4. Lull yourself to sleep trying to discover, on your own, where necessity ends and where covetousness begins. 5. If your practice of concentration and inner meditation is correct, in an internal vision you will discover what your legitimate necessities are and which of these are covetousness. Remember that only by profoundly comprehending necessity and covetousness will you be able to establish true foundations for the correct process of thinking. LESSON SIX It is necessary that you have three things in life: food, clothing and shelter. We should not be hungry; we need to eat. We should not be poorly dressed; it is necessary to dress well. It is not fair to live our entire life paying rent for an apartment; we need to have a good house that is our own. Reflect on all this. It is urgent for you to comprehend the need to live better without falling into the sin of covetousness. In our previous lesson we said that it is necessary to distinguish between necessity and covetousness. It is necessary to know where necessity ends and where covetousness begins. You need to learn how to make a good impression on other people, this is a very delicate art Many ladies dress very well, sometimes with excessive luxury, and wear very valuable rings on their hands and yet, in spite of everything, they do not make a good impression on others. Many gentlemen wear very expensive suits and drive the latest model cars and yet they fail many times for not knowing how to make a good impression on people. The president of Colombia, Dr. Olaya Herrera, controlled his people with his eternal smile; every smile of the president represented millions of dollars. We men know that the smile of a woman is worth more to us than all the furs and diamonds that they wear. A woman with a captivating smile makes great impressions on men. The smile of sincerity and the perfume of courtesy achieve true miracles in the business world. It is urgent to distinguish between the smile of sincerity and the mechanical smile. The smile of sincerity comes from the very bottom of the soul. The mechanical smile is hypocritical and tenebrous; it is the grimace of the devil. In man there are two factors in disagreement, the soul and the devil. The soul is divine; the devil is malevolent. Every good action is of the soul; every bad action is of the devil. When you knock on a door so that it will be opened, the head of the house can ask you many times, “Who is it?” Then you answer, “I.” This “I,” this “myself,” is precisely the devil in us. Clairvoyants see this “I,” like a very horrible fluid entity that lives within the human body. This entity also leaves the body during sleep and travels very far, wherever it is taken by its desires and passions. The soul is not the “I.” The soul is the Being. Distinguish between the Being and the “I.” The Being is the soul; the “I” is Satan within us. Your body neither thinks nor desires; the body is only a suit, a robe. You think with the mind and the mind is a vehicle of the soul, however, when we are evil the mind becomes a vehicle of the devil. The diabolic mind wants wars, creates conflicts, problems, wants vices, alcoholic drinks, adulteries, fornication, covetousness, hypocrisy, etc. The bee enjoys working. The ant is happy working. Learn to enjoy, and derive pleasure, from your job. When a store employee enjoys his work he radiates mental waves of success and progress. Then the sales increase and the employer is happy with his employee and does not want him to leave. Be concerned about the success of the business where you work. It is necessary that you earn your employer’s affection. Learn to smile sincerely. Learn to enjoy work. If you want people to feel happy with you, it is necessary that you feel happy with others. If you do not feel happy with your job, if you do not feel like smiling, we advise you to listen to good music; remember that music does miracles. So, in this way, you will also be able to change your character. When we listen to good music, when we spend long intervals absorbed in listening to good music, we elevate our mind to higher levels of consciousness. The mind radiates waves that travel through space and these waves pass from one brain to the next. A proof of the reality of these waves is found in telepathy. Many times, when we walk on the street and all of a sudden the memory of someone strikes us, it so happens that we meet the very person we remembered; that is telepathy. We attract that person’s mental waves and, at the same time, they reach us. We have an authentic wireless system in our organism. The pineal gland, situated in the inferior part of the brain, is the thought-transmitting center and the solar plexus, situated in the umbilical region, is the receptive antenna. The pineal gland is the seat of the soul, the window of Brahma through which the soul enters and leaves the body. The pineal gland is a small reddish-gray organ. This gland secretes a hormone that regulates the development of the sexual organs. After maturity, this gland degenerates into a non-secreting, fibrous tissue. The pineal gland is the jigsaw puzzle of the wise, the thought-transmitting center. This gland is developed in the great geniuses of science, art, philosophy, etc. and it is totally atrophied in idiots. Great businessmen and individuals who usually have great success in their business commonly have this gland well developed. The pineal gland is intimately related to the sexual organs. The strength of the pineal gland depends on sexual strength. The man or woman who foolishly wastes his or her sexual energy fails in business because their pineal gland becomes atrophied. A weakened pineal gland cannot forcefully radiate mental waves. The result is failure. Be prudent; do not waste your sexual energies foolishly. The Bible says, “Thou shalt not commit fornication.” Fulfill this sixth commandment; save your sexual energies and in this way you will fortify your pineal gland and inevitably succeed. In this manner, you will be able to radiate your mental waves with strength, power and glory. These mental waves, after having arrived at the receptive center (the solar plexus) of other people who come in contact with you, will give you the success that you seek. Be triumphant, always smile full of sincerity, live happily, work with pleasure and the world will be yours; luck will smile on you from everywhere. Practice In front of a mirror, contemplate your face closely and then pray in this manner: “My Soul, you should succeed. My Soul, you should overcome Satan. My Soul, take over my mind, my sentiments, my life. You should keep the Guardian of the Threshold far away from me. You should overcome him. You should take power over me totally. Amen. Amen. Amen.” Say this prayer seven times and then observe in the mirror your eyes, your pupils, the center of your pupils, the retina of your eyes and imagine them charged with light, strength and power. It is necessary that you try to mentally penetrate the interior of your eyes reflected in the mirror. It is necessary for you to try to see with your imagination the center of those reflected eyes, the beauty of your soul. It is necessary for you to exclaim saying, “Oh, my soul! I want to see you, I want to see you, I want to see you.”. Intensely persevere daily with this exercise. Do your exercise every night before going to sleep. With this exercise you will develop clairvoyance. Practice for ten minutes daily. That is all. Clairvoyance It is necessary that you know that a sixth sense exists. That sixth sense is clairvoyance. This faculty resides in the pineal gland. When you develop clairvoyance you will be able to read others’ thoughts like reading from an open book. When you become clairvoyant you will be able to see the soul of people. When you become clairvoyant you will be able to see the “I” of people and then you will comprehend that the soul is not the “I,” that the “I” is Satan in us. Clairvoyance allows us to see what lies beyond death. You will develop clairvoyance totally with the exercises that we will give you. You should practice these exercises. We want you to write us, communicating all your impressions to us. LESSON SEVEN In life, man faces innumerable problems. Each person needs to know how to solve each of these problems intelligently. We need to comprehend each problem. The solution of every problem is in the problem itself. The time for us to learn to solve our problems has arrived. Many problems exist: economic, social, moral, political, religious, family-related, etc., and we should learn to solve them intelligently. The important thing to remember for the solution of every problem is to not become identified with the problem. One has a certain tendency to become identified with the problem and the identification is so intense that, in fact, we become the very problem. The result of such an identification is that we fail in the solution because a problem can never solve another problem. One needs much peace and mental calm to solve a problem. An uneasy, battling, confused mind cannot solve any problem. If you have a very serious problem, do not become identified with the problem, retreat to any healthy recreational place: a forest, or a park, or the home of a very close friend, etc. Distract yourself with something different, listen to good music and then, with your mind tranquil and calm, in perfect peace, try to comprehend the problem profoundly, remembering that the solution to every problem is within the problem itself. Remember that without peace you cannot do anything new You need calm and peace to solve the problem that presents itself in your life. You need to think in a completely new way about the problem that you want to solve and this is only possible by having tranquility and peace. In modern life we have many problems and we, unfortunately, do not enjoy peace. This is a true jigsaw puzzle because we cannot solve problems without peace. We need peace and we should study this in depth. We need to investigate what the principal factor is that puts an end to peace within and outside ourselves; we need to discover what causes the conflict. The time has arrived to comprehend in depth, in all levels of the mind, the infinite contradictions that we have within because that is the principle factor of discord and conflict. If we comprehend in depth the cause of an iliness, we cure the patient. If we know the profound cause of the conflict, we do away with the conflict and peace is the result. Within and around us, thousands of contradictions exist that form conflicts. Truly, what exists within us also exists in society because, as we have said so many times, the latter is an extension of the individual. If there is contradiction and conflict within us, then in society they also exist. If the individual does not have peace, society will not have it either and in these conditions all the pro-peace propaganda turns out to be, as a matter of fact, totally useless. If we wisely analyze ourselves, we discover that a constant state of affirmation and negation exists within us: what we want to be and what we actually are. We are poor and we want to be millionaires, we are soldiers and we want to be generals, we are single and want to be married, we are employees and we want to be managers, etc. The state of contradiction engenders conflict, pain, moral misery, absurd actions, violence, gossip, calumny, etc. The state of contradiction can never bring us peace in life. A man without peace can never solve his problems. You need to intelligently solve your problems and therefore it is urgent that you have peace constantly. The state of contradiction impedes the solution of problems; each problem implies thousands of contradictions: Shall I do this? the other? how? when? etc. Mental contradiction creates conflicts and frustrates the solution of problems. We first need to solve the causes of the contradiction to finish with the conflicts; only in this manner will peace arrive and, with it, the solutions of the problems. It is important to discover the cause of contradictions; it is necessary to analyze them in detail. Only in this manner is it possible to do away with the mental conflict. It is not correct to blame others for our internal contradictions; the causes of these contradictions are within us. Mental conflict exists between what we are and what we want to be, between what a problem is and what we want it to be. When we have a problem of any type: be it moral, economic, religious, family-related, marital, etc., our first reaction is to think about it, resist it, deny it, accept it, explain it, etc. It is necessary to comprehend that with mental anguish, contradiction, worry, conflict, it is not possible to solve any problem. The best way to react before a problem is silence. I am referring to the silence of the mind. This silence comes by not thinking about the problem. The silence comes when we comprehend that nothing is solved with conflict and contradictions. This silence is not anyone’s special gift, nor a certain type of ability. No one can cultivate this silence; it arrives by itself. It arrives when we comprehend that no problem is solved by resisting it, accepting it, denying it, affirming it, or explaining it, etc. From mental silence intelligent action is born, the intuitive and wise action that will solve the problem no matter how difficult it might be. This intelligent action is not the result of any reaction. When we perceive the event, the problem, when we notice the fact without affirming it, denying it, or explaining it, when we do not accept the fact, or reject it, then the silence of the mind arrives. Intuition flourishes in silence. From silence the intelligent action that totally solves the problem bursts forth. Only in mental silence and quietude is there freedom and wisdom. Mental conflict is destructive and ruinous and is a result of opposed desires: we want and we do not want, we desire this and the other. We are in constant contradiction and this, in fact, is conflict. The constant contradiction that exists within us is due to the struggle of opposite desires. There is a constant negation of one desire for another desire; one pledge is placed over another pledge. A permanent desire does not exist in the human being. Every longing is temporary; he wants a job and after he has it, he desires another job. The employee wants to be a manager; the priest wants to be a bishop. Nobody is satisfied with what he has. Everybody is full of unsatisfied desires and wants satisfaction. Life is an absurd succession of fleeting and vain desires. When we profoundly comprehend that all the desires in life are fleeting and vain, when we understand that the physical body is engendered in sin and that its destiny is the putrefaction of the sepulcher, then, from that profound comprehension, true peace of mind is born and contradiction and conflict disappear. Only the mind that is in peace can solve problems. Peace lies in the silence of the mind. Contradiction surges from stubbornness; when the mind clings to one single desire, when it wants its desire to be realized at any cost, it carries out its desire; in this way it is logical that there has to be conflict. If we carefully observe two people who are discussing a problem, we will be able to confirm that each person clings to his desire, each person wants to see his desire satisfied and this, naturally, creates mental conflict. When we resolutely see the vanity of desires, when we comprehend that desire is the cause of our conflicts and bitterness, then true peace arrives. Practice Seated in a comfortable chair, or lying down in your bed, close your eyes. Then concentrate on your interior, studying yourself investigating your desires, your contradictions. It is necessary for you to comprehend what your contradictory desires are so that, in this way, you may know the causes of your internal conflicts. Peace of mind comes from the knowledge of the causes of mental conflict. Practice this simple exercise daily. It is necessary that you know yourself. LESSON EIGHT Alcoholism This vice has three perfectly defined aspects: 1. Initiation 2. Intoxication 3. Death. Initiation Some people begin this horrible vice during adolescence, others in their youth, others at adulthood and a few during old age. Many are the causes that lead people to the vice of alcoholism. The adolescent that is initiated into this horrible path does it because he wants to feel like a complete man; he has a false concept of manhood; he believes that being a man means to be a drunkard, smoker, fornicator, adulterer, etc. The youngster reaches the crude vice of alcoholism, seduced by his friends or embittered by sufferings. Many times an amorous deception or a difficult economic situation tends to be the basic motive for initiating the fatal path of alcoholism. The mature man who joins this horrible path of alcohol does it, as always, provoked by the spring of his own bitterness, perhaps the death of a loved one, an amorous deception, a divorce, the loss of his job and his fortune, etc. The human organism rebels against the first drinks. At the beginning the organism is not yet intoxicated and it is obvious that it strongly rejects the harmful ingredient of alcohol, to which it is not accustomed. Vomiting, the uneasiness of the stomach after the huge drinking sprees, etc., are symptoms that the organism uses to eliminate the noxious ingredient. The struggle of the organism is usually very strong, but the malignant will intends to distort it and achieves it. No drunkard is without his moral tragedy. The already intoxicated drunkard knows how to very secretly guard the aforementioned tragedy. The drunkard who is initiating himself in the vice always exteriorizes his tragedy, but when he comprehends that people do not understand him, he prefers to keep quiet. Intoxication Alcoholic intoxication comes once the defenses of the human organism have been overcome. On arriving at this second phase, the organism no longer feels well without alcohol. The doctor intoxicated by alcohol can no longer carry out a surgical operation without his favorite drink; his pulse shakes and if he carries out the operation, the results are very bad. The businessman can no longer do business without alcohol; he feels timid, nervous, and fails. Without his drink the worker is finally incapable of working; he feels weak. Alcohol becomes a necessity for the intoxicated organism. The intoxicated one drinks and drinks, stimulated by the secret spring of his moral tragedy. Some drunkards eat and drink; they last longer. Others do not eat, they say; so as to not lose the drunkenness; they die very soon. Food supports the entire digestive process, but the lack of food, as a matter of fact, leaves the organism totally defenseless and the result is death. Death Every alcoholic intoxication concludes with death. Death can result from an ulcer, hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver, or generally from any bad aspect of the liver, stomach, etc. It has been clinically proven that the drunkards that live longer are those who eat while they drink, and that those who live short lives are those who drink and do not eat while drinking. The death of a drunkard is very horrible. They become very nervous in clinics and hospitals due to the lack of alcohol, they clamor, shout, demand the bottle of alcohol; their desperation is frightening. Some die vomiting blood, others with terrible bloody diarrhea, etc. Psychology of the Drunkard The totally intoxicated drunkard spends everything on the vice; when the drunkard does not have any more to spend, then he becomes a beggar, thief, swindler, or in the best of cases, nothing more than a simple slave of alcohol, a beggar of alcohol. The intoxicated loses all concepts of honor, dignity, responsibility, etc., and only one thing in life interests him, drinking. Alcohol becomes a vital, fundamental necessity for the intoxicated; that is all. The serious things of life do not have any value for the drunkard; he is completely irresponsible. The intoxicated alcoholic is immoral in the most complete sense of the word. Dignity, word of honor, virtue, etc., have absolutely no importance for the intoxicated alcoholic. The hard-hearted drunkard laughs at all those human qualities, and even feels infinitely superior to his fellowmen. Campaign Against Alcohol The true, effective campaign against alcohol is achieved by explaining, with every detail, the three defined aspects of this horrible vice. These three aspects of the path of alcohol: initiation, intoxication, and death should be pointed out at home, in school, at the university, in academies, temples, lodges, ashrams, sanctuaries, etc. This is the best way to effectively campaign against alcohol. Dry laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol are useless because drunkards then astutely invent their methods of making intoxicating drinks in a clandestine form. This does more harm than good to society. Only creative comprehension can save people from falling into this horrible and frightening vice. The audio-visual system of teaching is marvelous to combat the vice of alcohol. The Home True education begins at home. Parents who drink give a bad example to their children, leading their children down the fatal path of the abyss. Children should be taught at home what this horrible vice is, the three aspects of this horrible path, etc. This type of teaching, accompanied by good example, is radical in warning the new generation against the vice of alcohol. Whatever is well learned is never forgotten. Meditation and Intoxication Meditation and intoxication are the opposite poles of the same force. Meditation is positive. Alcoholic intoxication is negative. The Rosicrucian Gnostic should drink the wine of meditation in the sacred cup of concentration. It is necessary to keep far away from the negative aspect; it is necessary to not fall into the negative aspect of the mind. The vice of alcohol pertains to the negative aspect of the mind. The drunkard submerges himself into the atomic infernos of nature and becomes lost in the abyss. It is better to drink the wine of meditation in the sacred cup of the concentration of thought. Let us concentrate our mind on our inner God, let us meditate on him for entire hours and in this manner we will reach samadhi, the ineffable ecstasy. Then we will be able to converse with the gods and enter into the great mysteries of nature. This is better than the “delirium tremens,” which allows the drunkard to penetrate into the atomic infernos of nature and live together with the demons of the abyss. The visions of the “delirium tremens” of drunkards are actually real; that which they see in their visions really exists. They see larvae, demons, and horrible monsters that really exist in the atomic infernos of universal nature. They penetrate the abyss and see the beings of the abyss, perverse beings that live in the atomic infernos of nature. Alcoholic Larvae Every human being carries an atomic atmosphere perceptible to clairvoyants. Alcoholic larvae live in the fourth dimension. By the way, we must say that modern physics has already begun to admit to the four coordinates, the fourth dimension, the fourth vertical. The drunkard carries, in this ultra-sensitive atmosphere, alcoholic larvae that stimulate him in the vice that gave them life, impulsing him to drink. The aforementioned larvae only disintegrate with the fumes of sulphur. Osmotherapy Perfumes combined with mental power constitute a marvelous healing system. Drunkards can be healed by wisely combining these two elements. Treatment Do you have any loved one who is a victim of the vice of alcoholism? When he is asleep, hold his hand with your right hand, make him smell a delicious perfume, a rose extract, and then talk to him with a soft voice as if he was awake; advise him, explain to him in a detailed way what the horrible vice of alcoholism is. Remember that when the body sleeps, the Ego leaves the body and travels in the fourth dimension. The words you utter to the sleeping person reach the eardrum, then go on to the brain’s sensory center and are then transmitted to the Ego even when the latter is far away from the physical body On awakening, the Ego returns to the physical body and if he does not remember what you told him, you can be certain that all you have said has remained in your loved one’s subconscious. These words produce their effect little by little and the day finally arrives when the patient is cured of the horrible vice of alcoholism. Practice Lie down and remain calmly in bed. Open your arms and legs to the right and left to form the flaming five-pointed star. Relax your muscles properly. The process of relaxation is easy if combined with imagination. (Practice the exercise of relaxation as was indicated to you in Lesson Two.) Mental relaxation: once the relaxation of the physical body has been obtained, it is necessary to relax the mind. Mental relaxation is also obtained with the help of the imagination. Observe all the thoughts that come to mind, all the memories that assault you, all the worries, etc., and study them to find out their origin. The study of all this will reveal many things to you; it will make you get to know your defects, your errors, etc. In this manner, you will know how your “I,” your Ego, works. Analyze each defect. Try to comprehend each defect in all the levels of the mind, study each thought, memory or emotion that assaults you, comprehend each thought. Then imagine a profound abyss and throw each studied thought, each memory, worry, etc., into that abyss. In this manner, your mind will remain silent and still. In the silence and quietude of the mind you will be able to see and hear the Intimate. He is the Internal Master. He is your internal God. Concentration When the mind has achieved absolute quietude and silence, it can concentrate on the Intimate; this concentration is done with the help of prayer. Pray to your Intimate, try to converse with the Intimate. Remember that praying is conversing with God. You can pray without formula, that is to say, talk to God; tell Him what your heart feels with infinite love. Meditation Whoever achieves perfect concentration can meditate on his internal God. Reflect on your internal God, identify yourself with Him, live in Him. Contemplation Whoever learns to quiet the mind, to concentrate the mind and pray can practice perfect meditation and reach the heights of internal contemplation. On reaching these heights we are in ecstasy. We can talk face to face with the ineffable gods, study the marvels of the infinite cosmos and travel through the infinite in spirit and soul. In that state of ecstasy the physical body remains asleep and abandoned. Now you will comprehend why it is convenient to practice these exercises during instances of drowsiness. Sleep is a power that should be taken advantage of to consciously achieve ecstasy. LESSON NINE The Universal Mind Social living is necessarily based on the functions of the mind. It is necessary to profoundly explore the diverse levels of the mind. The sphere of thought that man lives in is never locked up within the limited circumference of the cranium as is generally supposed by the ignoramus and even the illustrious ignoramuses of the world. If such a man existed, as those people believe, he would of course be the most unfortunate man in the world. A man with his mind imprisoned in his cranium could not see or perceive anything; he would be a complete idiot, living in the most profound darkness; this unfortunate creature would not see the sun or the moon, or the stars, or the Earth on which we live, or the people, or the things, or the light. Nothing that has existence would exist in the mind of such a man as this; this is explained by the fact that man cannot perceive anything which does not exist beforehand in his own mind. In his Critique of Pure Reason, Immanuel Kant said, “The exterior is the interior.” The entire universe exists in the cosmic mind. The mental sphere of each person extends throughout the entire cosmos and reaches the furthest stars; this is the cause whereby we see, hear and feel all that is created; this is the reason we can see the most remote stars. Our thoughts are not locked up in our cranium; our mind extends throughout the entire cosmos; our mind penetrates everywhere; worlds, suns, people and things, everything is within the mind of each man. The mind is universal energy. The mind vibrates and sparkles in everything that is created. The brain is not the mind; the brain is only a receiving center, a radiotelegraphic office that receives messages from the mind. The brain does not think. What thinks is the mind, and that is not the brain. Religions say that the human soul has a body of flesh and bones. The Theosophists maintain that, besides the body of flesh and bones, the soul has a mental body. All the Eastern and Western schools dedicated to the study of occultism teach their students how to use the mental body. The soul enveloped by the mental body can transport itself to other planets at will and see what happens there. The entire universe is within the human mind. All minds are within all minds. We mutually live within the thought spheres of others. The economic and social problems of each person live in everyone; no one is alien to another. We are all within the mind of everyone else. The beggar lives within the mind of the rich man and the latter lives in the mind of the beggar. We are all submerged in the ocean of universal mind. Imagination and Will Imagination and will are the two poles of the mind. Imagination is feminine and will is masculine. The key to success is found in imagination and will united in vibrant harmony. Mental Action The inventor conceives the telephone, the radio, the automobile, etc., with his imagination and then, with the will, gives it shape, converts it into facts, into concrete realities. Paris designers dictate fashions just as they conceive them with their imagination. Mental Epidemics If a man thinks in either a good or a bad sense, the waves that emanate from his mind reach the mental body of each individual. Mental waves are propagated in all places. When the waves are of wisdom and love, they benefit all those who receive them. When the waves are impregnated with devotion and veneration towards God, they carry peace and comfort to all those who are in suffering. Poisonous mental waves harm the minds of others. Mental waves of hatred, envy, covetousness, lust, pride, laziness, gluttony, etc., produce mental epidemics. Perverse mental waves poison many weak minds with their radioactivity. The case of the “rebels without a cause” is a good example of what mental epidemics are. The “rebels without a cause” have become an evil and harmful plague. We should seek the cause of this mental epidemic in the ill-used imagination. Movie theatres show movies of bandits and gunmen that are then recorded in the minds of young people. Parents give their children guns, war trucks, tiny cannons, lead soldiers, toy machine guns, etc., etc., etc. All this is reflected strongly in the imagination of children and adolescents. Then come the magazines and comic books of robbers and police, the pornographic magazines, etc. The results of all this await and shortly afterwards the child, the adolescent, in fact turns into the “rebel without a cause,” and later into the thief the bandit, the cheat, etc. Mental Hygiene It is necessary to practice mental hygiene. A preventive medicine is urgent. Cultivate wisdom and love. Pray a lot daily. Select works of art; we suggest good music, classical music, good paintings, the works of Michelangelo, the Great Operas, etc. Avoid spectacles harmful to the mind, bloody spectacles like boxing, wrestling, etc. These types of spectacles produce mental epidemics. Take care of your mind; do not permit evil thoughts to penetrate into the temple of your mind. Be pure in thought, word, and deed. Teach your children all that is good, true and beautiful. Origins of the Universal Mind The Divine Great Reality surged forth from its own bosom in the aurora of this solar universe in which we live, move and have our Being. The Great Reality does not know itself but on contemplating itself in the living mirror of the great imagination of nature, then comes to know itself. In this manner, a mental vibratory activity is created by which the Great Reality knows its infinite images that shine marvelously in the cosmic scenery. This activity, which coming from the periphery is directed to the center, is that which is called Universal Mind. All of us beings live submerged in the infinite ocean of the Universal Mind. So, we live within everyone and no one can separate mentally from anybody else. “The heresy of separativity is the worst of heresies.” The intellectual activity of the Universal Mind comes from a centripetal force and, since every action is followed by a reaction, the centripetal force, on finding a resistance in the center, reacts and creates a centrifugal activity called Cosmic Soul. This vibratory Cosmic Soul turns out to be the Mediator between the center and the periphery, between the Universal Spirit of Life and matter, between the Great Reality and its living images. A Great Master said, “The soul is the product of the centrifugal action of the universal activity impelled by the centripetal action of the universal imagination.” Clarification of Terms Centrifugal force tries to move away from the center, it is the force that goes from the center to the periphery. Centripetal force is attracted by the center, it is the force that flows from the periphery to the center. Every individual can fabricate a soul. When we know the technique of internal meditation, when we direct mental power to the interior of our own divine center, the resistance that we will find will cause a reaction and the more vigorous the centripetal force we apply, the more vigorous the centrifugal force will be. In this way we fabricate a soul, in this manner the soul grows and expands. The strong and robust soul incarnates and transforms the physical body, transforms it into more subtle and elevated matter until it also converts it into soul. Practice Learn to use your imagination and will, united in vibrant harmony Lying in your bed or seated in a comfortable chair, imagine a well-known faraway place (a house, a park, an avenue, a city, etc.) and lull yourself to sleep with that image in your mind. When you find yourself falling asleep with that image in your mind, make that image real; forget the place where your body is; put the force of will into play and, full of confidence in yourself walk through the imagined place. Walk in the imagined place as if you were there in flesh and bones. If the practice is done correctly, you will unfold and your soul will be transported to that place and you will be able to see and hear everything that happens there. APPENDIX The physical body is one of the marvelous instruments that man possesses to express himself. If we consider this body from a strictly physical point of view, it is what we could call a machine, food being its fuel. According to the kind of fuel that is used, so will that machine work and serve as an instrument. Many times we meet people who radiate an attitude of joy, happiness, health, optimism, sympathy, love, etc.; these people win the friendship of everybody; they possess a force of attraction, an irresistible “magnet.” Others are weak and lack that marvelous “magnet.” They fail when they try to receive help from other people, and when they are owners of a business their clients gradually leave them. Psychology has discovered that the character of a person depends on his internal state. Character does not develop in the physical body but it expresses itself through it and if the physical body is not in a good state then our internal side cannot express itself efficiently. It is indispensable that each person be nourished sufficiently. When nutrition is imperfect, the blood weakens and becomes poor, for this reason the cells also weaken. One of the best ways of obtaining complete nutrition with our customary food consists in perfectly chewing the food. Partially ingested food loses a great part of its nutritive value. Another point of great importance is the irrigation of the body, that is to say, the proper use of water for the benefit of the organism. The minimum daily amount of water required is two and a half liters. If water becomes scarce, then certain glands cannot function efficiently, the body does not eliminate all the wastes of the organism properly, the liver does not function well, etc. Vegetarian Diet* The majority of people believe that a meal without meat is incomplete. Nothing is more erroneous because science has demonstrated that nutrition obtained from vegetables has a greater sustaining power. All animals carry within them the poisons of putrefaction. The venous blood is full of carbonic acid and other noxious substances. These harmful and repugnant substances are found everywhere in meat and when we eat these foods we fill our bodies with these toxins. Abundant proof exists which demonstrates that a carnivorous diet stimulates ferocity. Let us observe the ferocity of the beasts of prey and the cruelty of the cannibals and compare them with the prodigious strength and docility of cattle, of the elephant, of the horse... However, let us not jump to the conclusion that everyone should give up eating meat, once and for all, and dedicate themselves to eating vegetables. It would be crazy for a person to change his ordinary diet, which he has been using for years and which is nourishing him adequately. To eliminate meat from the ordinary diet of the people accustomed to it would completely undermine their health. The only way to proceed is by first experimenting and studying things. You should be very careful with your nutrition. We do not ask you to give up meat, once and for all, but we do warn you that meat, when consumed in large quantities (for example, every day), is like poison for the body. Dr. Arnold Krumm Heller, Professor of. Medicine of the University of Berlin and great Gnostic doctor, held that meat should only be 20% of man’s diet. We have verified that some foods such as wheat, eggs, avocados, etc., can substitute for meat. Cereals, in general, are of great nutritive value. The protein from cow’s milk is marvelous. Milk from soybeans is very nutritious and its chemical composition is similar to that of cow’s milk. Food should be used in a balanced manner. Avoid eating white bread; white flour is harmful and does not contain any nourishment. Eat dark bread, plantains, corn flour, instead of white bread and white flour. Eat many vegetables; remember that vegetables are fountains of great nourishment. Vitamins are found in vegetables. SAMAEL AUN WEOR *Notice: Excerpt from “The Mystery Of The Golden Blossom – chapter 13- The Ritual of Pancatatwa” about of to eat meat and the vegetarian diet. “In no manner whatever can we develop the powers of AKASA within our inmost constitution if we commit the errors of fornication, adultery or hating sex. "All sin will be forgiven save the sin against the Holy Spirit..." (Sex) Once, finding myself outside of the physical body I asked my DIVINE MOTHER KUNDALINI the following question: Is it possible that someone exists in the physical world who can achieve SELF-REALIZATION without SEXUAL MAGIC? The response was both terrible and shocking. "Impossible my son, that is just not possible." I was deeply impressed and disturbed in the inmost depths of my soul... What can we say about the Vayu Tatwa, the element of air? What is its relationship with the fruit of the Vine? Obviously, no drunkard can possibly acquire the marvelous powers of the Vayu Tatwa... It is manifestly clear that pure unfermented wine is used with success in the Ritual of PANCATATWA... By what method or manner can we acquire the miraculous igneous powers of the Tejas Tatwa if we make the mistake of renouncing the carnivorous element? Unfortunately, the human multitude either becomes radically vegetarian or turns almost cannibalistic. What can we say about the Apas Tatwa and its formidable powers? It is obvious that in fish a secret is found which allows us to control storms and walk on water. Unfortunately, people either hate seafood or eat too much of it. In what way can we conquer the powers of the Phrithvi Tatwa, the earth element, if we hate cereals, vegetables and plants or if we gorge ourselves on them? From the before mentioned it follows that all elements, from earth to meat, are in essence absolutely pure. When the VIRA enjoys pleasure devoid of all personal character, the original motive of the cosmos, the world of phenomena, the world of Maya is revealed in sex. The TATWIC currents which are encountered in the cosmos in harmony with structural forces that produce the Evolution and Involution of the universe, are manifested as a boundary of creation and the first-born of Nature, in the way that it raises any immense potency and transforms the will-power of VIRA who proceeds to blaze on the live coals of MAHA-KUNDALINI.” Samael Aun Weor --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Instituto Cultural Quetzalcoatl de Antropología Psicoanalítica, A.C. http://samaelgnosis.net y http://samaelgnosis.org