2008-11-30 12:21:00
I'm glad you got the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ. That is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. If you haven't read it yet I would suggest it even before ACIM [A Course In Miracles].
I have concentrated more on the writings of Alice A. Bailey [AAB] rather than Theosophy. I guess you could call it advanced Theosophy. However, many Theosophists reject AAB. I have found her writings to be the greatest light I have come across. Have you read any of her books? They are [consciously] channeled from a Tibetan Master who has lived about three hundred years in the same body.
About Eckankar. I have read Paul Twitchell's book "Key to Secret Words" shortly after it was published.
The first thing that concerned me about Paul is that he presented many flowery pieces of data, but he did not teach me one new principle. I do not consider anyone's teachings inspired unless they can teach more than purported facts.
He teaches a shortcut to the highest heaven similar to the born again Christians. They say just believe in Jesus and you will go to heaven. Eckankar says: believe in the Eck Master and go to the highest heaven. What is the difference? None.
The living Eck Master is looked upon in a similar vein as the way the Mormons look upon the prophet, the Catholics look upon the Pope, and the Moonies look upon Reverend Moon. Those followers also see their master in their dreams at times.
When I have attended Eckankar I have found them to be engrained in their way of thought as much as the Jehovah witnesses when I have attended their meetings. When I have asked questions I get stares and cold silence just as when I ask questions in a Mormon church. They remind me of a Mormon Church with a fancy vocabulary.
I find the current living Eck Master to be a very mediocre man. On TV I saw a minister out reason him. How humiliating for the supposed most intelligent man on earth!
I found that no one I met in Eckankar really knew anything about soul travel or could do it, but were deluded into thinking they could.
If you could do what Paul suggests and skip over the lower world's and return straight home skipping over many lifetimes, then the protective matter between you and your soul would be ripped apart and you as you know yourself to be would be imploded and would no longer exist. What would be the advantage to being home and not even knowing it?
Paul Twitchell obviously is not advanced enough to have freedom in even the lower three worlds. He has died and his body is no more. He has no power to manifest another physical body at will and appear among us. Therefore, he has no freedom in the physical world, unless he wants to be reborn like the rest of us.
The word "HU" is included in the "AUM." This sound alone ("HU") centers a person on the astral plane, the plane of greatest illusion. The "AUM" brings balance.
I'll give you credit for one thing. You argue (friendly argue of course) on a scientific and logical basis.
There is an ancient occult statement, however, that says "The mind slays the real." I maintain that to find the real truth about the microcosm we have to use the law of correspondences and stretch beyond scientific discoveries. Notice that I do not say we leave them behind. A scientific truth is as true as any truth, and truth will harmonize with truth. If you understand me correctly I do not believe that you will see any of my teachings contradicting scientific fact.
You say "hierarchy implies rank, a conscious structuring of position by the individual elements involved." You imply this does not exist among the atoms.
We must keep in mind that hierarchy among the atoms is of a much higher evolutionary order than among humans. They are much more evolved in their sphere than we are in ours. A proton or atom can live for billions of years. Who among us is capable of that? They have achieved an equality, a unity and organization much greater than we have even imagined for ourselves.
The word "rank" is not an appropriate word for the hierarchies of the microcosm, nor will it be appropriate for the hierarchies of light which are to come. A servant is usually not considered higher in rank than the one he serves. A beneficial hierarchy is created by energy trying to balance itself whether in humans or in atoms. One unit of energy seeks energy from a more endowed source for a period of time until equality is achieved. If there are two atoms, even of the same element one will have a greater energy than the other. Even among two hydrogen atoms forming the building block of the universe through hydrogen bonds, one will have a greater charge. The one with the sending energy is the teaching atom (for want of a better word).
It is a scientific fact that atoms unite to create molecules, molecules unite to create cells, cells unite to create greater bodies. It is also fact that the atomic world has created structures and creations millions of times beyond the accomplishments of humanity. You wouldn't say that a computer is built by a random exchange of energy, yet you indicate that the atoms have built their creations with no guiding hierarchical intelligence. Just certain "patterns" develop by energy transfers.
I personally do not want to spend all my time on atoms and hierarchies. Also several have pointed out that it is best that we do not get too technical over a long period of time. We do not want to discourage newcomers.
I will say this about atoms and hierarchies. There is life, consciousness and intelligence in the atomic world. The creative process that took place between the evolution of the atom and the cell is far beyond anything in intelligence and cooperation that the human atoms (Adams) have accomplished. Through science we can study some of the effects and orders created by that intelligence, but I doubt if any scientist in the world knows anything about that intelligence itself. The trouble is that they study the atomic world under the assumption that everything is taking place because of an interplay of mindless energy rather than intelligence. Because they are not looking for intelligence within the microcosm they see none.
Some on the spiritual path will see the great order among the tiny lives and give credit to the great Universal God, but they see it backwards. It is not the big One Life creating the order as a unit. It is the divided One Life finding pieces of Itself, putting Itself back together. This process is in its infancy among us humans. As our first step we seek for mates of our opposite polarity or sex. Then we seek to establish groups for certain purposes. The intelligence of the atoms reveals a great secret.
Some have said that there are no hierarchies among the atoms. I have presented much greater proof that there is than anyone else has presented otherwise.
The basic evidence against: Science does not teach such a thing.
The basic evidence for: Science has not disproved my teachings and supports them.
But my main point of evidence is this: All known and understood structures of a complex order are created through a hierarchical endeavor. I have challenged all out there to show me even one exception and none has come forth. How can a logical person call me wrong on this point when everything we have seen verifies hierarchy without even one exception?
Even elementary metaphysical students believe the maxim "as above, so below." For instance in the larger world we have planets circling around a sun and in the tiny world we have electrons circling around a nucleus.
In the larger world all known organized creations such as a building, a car or a bridge is created by hierarchies with intelligent direction. Since this is true among what we see with our eyes what reason do we have to believe that it is much different with the tiny intelligences which are also a part of God?
Some have said that in the New Age we will have no hierarchies. Instead everyone will know what to do because of some direct communication with God. Most people I know of that believe this way have not been able to get along in this type of harmony with even one other human being on this planet let along thousands or millions of them.
Do such persons think that in the new age that each city and state will just run by itself? That there will be no equivalent to a mayor or council? That roads will be built just because several thousand people wake up one morning and all say to themselves in unison: "I don't think I'll go fishing today. I think I'll go build a road."
Another person wakes up another morning and says: "I'm going to this vacant building on State Street and start a news paper." Then the fellow goes there and meets a hundred others that were given the same idea by God. Then they all roll up their sleeves and go to work. Of course they have no problem on controversial issues. They do not need an editor or publisher to guide anyone because they are all conservative or liberal or whatever sameness that we are supposed to be here.
This is, of course, nonsense to anyone who will think about it for over three seconds. No orderly structure has ever been made by a group effort without a hierarchy and none ever will in our foreseeable future. When the time comes that we will not need hierarchies we will not need form.
Think about it. The more complex the project the greater the hierarchy. It took thousands of hierarchical units to send a man to the moon, but it may just take several to run a small business.
I will guarantee you this. When we send a spaceship to Mars and later to Jupiter there will be a hierarchy of leaders, teachers and governors that will create the organization necessary to do it.
Does anyone out there really believe we will go to Mars because about 50,000 people will feel good about accomplishing it at the time? Even if such a miracle happened do you really think that everyone would "just know" their place and job without leadership? I think you would find that the nitty-gritty boring work would be avoided by at least 49,000 who would be lining up to do the fun part of the work.
It is amazing to me that anyone would question the need for hierarchy, leaders and teachers. There is not even the slightest evidence that civilization of any degree is possible without them.
I can understand that we free thinkers do not like to be bossed around and many of us have a reluctance to obey any rules of any kind. We also like to think we can just dip within and learn everything we need to know. Then we all like to think that we are just as smart or as good as the next guy. This is all well and good, but if our desire to be an island of independence separates us from reality then our progression will come to a standstill.
We are all anxious to reach union, but we must stay in touch with the real world along the way. There is nothing more pathetic than he who is in hell, but thinks he is in heaven. He neither learns through his pain nor seeks a greater joy. He who has found his true point on the path senses a greater happiness on the horizon.
Copyright © 2008 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved