* The dual nature of the human being *
First of all, there is one fundamental insight which, though at first glance may seem very simple, can actually prove decisive in our quest for life's meaning. This insight, if understood and worked with on a daily basis, can help enormously in purifying our urge to seek, so that it becomes much more dynamic and capable of reaching its goal. This insight is the knowledge that our urge to seek -- our yearning for absolute truth, perfection, healing, love -- does *not *originate in the part of ourselves we are accustomed to calling 'I,' although it may *appear *to do so. Our thirst for the Absolute actually originates from an eternal principle latent within us. This * eternal *principle is quite distinct from the ego, and remains in a more or less dormant state in most people. We call this principle of eternity the 'Rose,' but it is also known by many other names, such as 'divine spark,' 'spirit-spark atom,' the Christos, the Pearl of Great Price, the Precious Jewel in the Lotus, and so on. * The two orders of existence * This brings us to the second fundamental tenet : the knowledge that the Rose -- the eternal principle latent in the heart -- is subject to one set of laws, while the rest of our being is subject to another. We call these two sets of laws the 'two orders of existence,' or the 'two nature orders.' Apart from the Rose, our whole being is a product of nature, entirely subject to the laws of time and space. That is why, of ourselves, we can never achieve anything absolute and lasting, for our creations will always be subject to finiteness and temporality. The Rose, on the other hand, as the principle of eternity latent within us, is subject to the laws of eternity. That is why, if we want to transcend space and time, if we want to reach the Absolute, the eternal, we will never be able to do so with any part of our self as it is at this moment. If we want our thirst for the Absolute to be satisfied, we will need to begin by 'standing aside,' as regards our ordinary, I-central consciousness, and allowing the eternal principle latent within us to develop so that it gradually becomes predominant in our system. * A bridge from time to eternity * The goal the is to shift the I-central consciousness from its position as 'king' in their inner household, and to restore it to its proper role: that of 'servant' to the growing True Self within, the Christ-Self, the Rose. Simultaneously, this Rose within them is given all the sustenance it needs to be able to grow. If the person cooperates and perseveres in this process, the Rose increasingly unfolds and blooms; it becomes an inner source of light and love that sheds its perfume and radiance over all, for the benefit of all. *The heart of religion * The method of restoring to life the Rose -- the original, divine Self -- can be traced at the heart of all the world's great religions. However, we human beings in whom the I-central self predominates are prone to misunderstanding, since we tend to interpret the teachings of religion as if they were intended for the ordinary I-consciousness. In this way, messages regarding the spiritual path are distorted, and the original truth is forgotten as the years go by. * The universal path * In all the world's great religions the idea is expressed that, in the beginning, human beings had a perfect connection with their origin, with the Absolute, with God. When they lost this connection they became twofold creatures in a world separated from God, no longer able to live in the original Light-World. The original teachings behind all religions describe a path of return to that Light- World, a method of restoring our connection with the Godhead. Hence the word 'religion', which stems from the Latin *re ligare*, 'to reconnect'.This possibility of restoring our connection with the Godhead is beautifully described, for instance, in the ancient Egyptian text, the *Corpus Hermeticum*: *'It was His will that the link with the Spirit should be placed within reach of all souls; however, as a prize for the race. He sent down a great Mixing Vessel, filled with the powers of the Spirit and He appointed a herald and bade him proclaim to the hearts of men: 'Immerse yourselves in this Mixing Vessel, you souls who can; you who believe and trust that you will ascend to Him who sent down this Vessel; you who know for what purpose you were created.' next piece I will talk about the Holy Grail in the mean time reflect on this.... * Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
