The Wiccan High Priestess

 
My knowledge and appreciation of Wicca or Paganism had been superficial and at best theoretical.  My encounter with the High Priestess of the Solar and Lunar traditions shook the very foundation of my belief systems, and opened the portals of a new world for me. 


It was late 1997. I was in Jakarta, Indonesia where I met a friend from Mexico. He was traveling with his new bride whom he confided was a Wiccan High Priestess. His revelation made sense to the etheric entourage of elementals that I could see following her around wherever she went. By some unknown kindred force, we easily bonded and interacted like long lost friends. I eventually remembered her as my mother in a past life in view of a recurring vision of a lad in a cavern pounding some herb in a mortar with his mother giving instructions. It was a joyful moment when I addressed her as “Mama” and she acknowledged our past relationship. The discovery that I was once a sorcerer's apprentice sent chills through my spine.

Her true identity and origins were well-kept secrets. What little I knew about her had been sworn to secrecy. I have no photographs of her. My only memento of that encounter was the gift of a round medallion with the runic wheel on one face, and a tattva of a triangle within a square within a circle on the other. It was a treasured gift as it symbolized a new understanding of the unseen world we live in. 

She is known by many names. For the world to appreciate her origins and background, she uses two names –Taisha Abelar and Brida. Each representing the different traditions and practices she was raised and trained in. You would have probably come across Taisha’s name in one of Carlos Castañeda’s books where she figured prominently in Don Juan’s circle. More insights about her are revealed in her book, the “Sourcerer's Crossing.” This book hints at the Toltec tradition she grew up in, and the initiations and training she had to undergo.  She became an apprentice of the renowned English witch, Sybil Leek, who initiated her in the Lunar tradition.  In the book, “Brida – the life of a modern witch,” Paolo Coelho immortalized her as an initiate of the Solar tradition.

I was so excited that I finally met a genuine Wiccan High Priestess and Priest. I invited them to stay with me in the Philippines as my guests and teachers. They arrived a week later. I organized a group of students who were interested in learning the ancient practices of Wicca. We were 24 in all; excited to have a lot of fun from the experience. As the days passed, our eyes grew bigger and bigger as the awesome revelations progressed. This was the real thing and many of us were strickened with fear. Our ranks grew thinner until strangely there were only 13 of us left by the end of the course – the number of a coven. I cannot reveal what was taught during those three weeks the couple stayed with us. Only that it was a grim awakening to forces and realities that our consciousness was not prepared for. Wicca is far too serious a matter to deal lightly with.

To better illustrate the impact of the experience, I will relate one of many events that happened as I ‘saw’ it.

One night in a small villa, we sat on the floor and formed a circle. Holding their ceremonial daggers, Brida and her consort walked outside the circle like alert sentinels watching over their wards pouring salt around the perimeter. We were to close our eyes and just be mindful of what was happening around us.  At an unexpected moment, Brida began to sing an unfamiliar sound that is akin perhaps to the banshee wailing in the wind. The high priest joined her and together their combined operatic sound was transformed into what seemed like a choir of many haunting melodious voices. It was then that I realized that they summoned the presence of nature spirits. The room darkened and was filled with many different low and ugly creatures making all sorts of eerie sound and movement. I looked towards Brida and I saw a tall, powerful woman clad in a Viking warrior’s garb wearing a helmet with a pair of outstretched wings standing protectively behind her. I was awed by the strength and power projected by this towering figure, and cowered at her intimidating presence. I eventually found out much later that the being was a Valkyrie and my daemon.

While this was happening, Brida appeared to be expelling something from one of the students who sounded like she was in some kind of distress. We found out later that she was possessed by a being who Brida exorcised. Soon after, Brida and her partner changed the tempo of their sound and our etheric guests began to depart. Light returned once again to the room.

Each of the person present that night had a story to tell. Out of fear, many departed from the group as the days went by, and as more aspects of Wicca were revealed. The esoteric tradition is full of secrets. Literature in this field is often abstruse and couched in multiple meanings to protect the truth from the uninitiated.  Those three precious weeks afforded me with many insights.

Wicca is said to be once the universal religion. It was universal because at one point in time our ancestors could see the inner worlds as vividly as the physical world. They could see the beings behind created life forms and forces of nature that they honored and revered. The names given to these godly forces of nature may be different in each pagan culture but the underlying principles are universal. Over time, only a few retained the ability to see and communicate with the inner world and they were designated as shamans or priests by the people. In most cultures, a woman occupied this position because of the gender’s innate creative powers, which no man could adequately replicate. Priestesses were known as witches, a title which only assumed a negative connotation with the rise in power of other competing institutional religions.

To a Wiccan, there is no such thing as white or black magic. There is only magic. The intention of the practitioner makes it either black or white. Unfortunately, power ultimately corrupts and a black practitioner eventually emerges. In the course of our association, I found out that Brida was dying being herself a victim of witchcraft. Through our intervention, she underwent psychic surgery in the Philippines and was spared from an early death. I came to realize that wars among witches were common occurrences. This was the principal reason why identities were closely guarded and secrecy a way of life.

When Brida and her consort departed from the Philippines, our coven met for the first and last time. In our deliberation, we arrived at a consensus not to continue with the Wiccan practices we learned and to terminate the coven. We were grateful for the knowledge we gained, but we acknowledged that this way of life was not meant for us. In our spiritual journeys, we will eventually encounter choices along the path, and the decision we make will determine our ultimate destination and fate.

Understanding the World of Illusion

 
A vast majority of humanity is asleep. They exist in a world of illusion and are victims of the forces surrounding them. An awakened soul is able to see what is real and what is not. We now explore the world of illusion, glamour and maya so one may develop the capacity to discern the world we live in and get a glimpse of who we really are.

Jonathan Swift’s book “Gulliver’s Travels” provides a good teaching aid to explain the esoteric concepts of Illusion, Glamour, Maya and the Dweller in the Threshold. The following is an excerpt of the Voyage to Liliput from where we will extract the pearls of wisdom –

On May 4, 1699, the Antelope set sail for the South Seas from Bristol. On board the ship was Lemuel Gulliver, a merchant marine surgeon with a spirit for adventure. Little did he know that this particular voyage was about to bring him to places beyond his wildest dreams.

Six months overseas, the ship encountered a storm in the East Indies which swept it to the big rocks; splitting it apart. Everyone was lost at sea, except Gulliver who drifted safely to an uncharted island. This island was known as the Empire of Lilliput which was inhabited by humans no taller than six inches. Initially, the Lilliputians were wary of the giant Gulliver and therefore tied him up while he was unconscious on the shore. They found out later that he was a good and harmless giant, and therefore set him free to wander within the empire. In return for services, and for complying with certain restrictions, the emperor provided a quantity of meat and drink sufficient for the support of 1724 Lilliputians. Among the services expected of Gulliver was the destruction of the naval fleet of the island of Blefuscu, the empire's dreaded arch-enemy who was poised to invade Lilliput.

To the Lilliputian's six thousand moon history, there were only two great empires that existed in this world - Lilliput and Blefuscu. These two mighty powers had been engaged in a most obstinate war for the past thirty-six moons. It all began when the proper way of breaking the egg was altered. It was the custom to break the egg on the larger end, but, while he was a boy, the emperor's grandfather happened to cut one of his fingers while breaking the egg according to the ancient practice. Since then, an edict was published commanding all the subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs. The people so highly resented this law that there had been six rebellions raised on that account, wherein one emperor lost his life, and another his crown. These civil commotions were constantly fomented by the monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire.

It was estimated that eleven thousand persons have suffered death, rather than submit to break their eggs at the smaller end. Many hundred large volumes have been published upon this controversy: but the books of the Big-Endians have been long forbidden. During the course of these troubles, the emperors of Blefuscu did frequently expostulate by their ambassadors, accusing, Lilliputians of making a schism in religion, by offending a fundamental doctrine of their great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Brundecal. Now the Big-Endian exiles have found so much credit in the Emperor of Blefuscu's court; and so much private assistance and encouragement from their party at Lilliput that a bloody war had been carried on between the two empires for thirty-six moons with various success, during which time Lilliput lost forty capital ships, and a much greater number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of their best seamen and soldiers, and the damage received by the enemy was reckoned to be somewhat greater.

To prevent the Blefuscu invasion, Gulliver devised an extraordinary stratagem. He swam unnoticed into enemy's channel where 50 men of war, and a great number of transports were anchored. After frightening the enemy away from the ships, he fastened a hook on each ship, and tied all the cords at the end. Pulling the cords on the other end, Gulliver moved the whole Blefuscudian fleet in order away from the enemy channel and arrived safely at the royal port of Lilliput,

The great Lilliputian emperor received Gulliver with all possible encomiums and bestowed the highest title of honor upon him. The jubilant emperor thought of nothing less than reducing the whole empire of Blefuscu into a province, and governing it by a viceroy, of destroying the Big-Endian exiles, and compelling the people to break the smaller end of their eggs, by which he would remain the sole monarch of the whole world. Gulliver diverted the emperor from this design by many arguments, and by plainly protesting that he would never be an instrument of bringing a free and brave people into slavery.

The matter was debated in council, and the wisest part of the ministry supported Gulliver's opinion. After all, the Brundrecal clearly states "That all true believers shall break their eggs at the convenient end." And which is the convenient end, seems in Gulliver's humble opinion, to be left to every man's conscience, or at least in the power of the chief magistrate to determine.

The story focused principally on the absurdity of people's lives when controlled by Illusion, Glamour and Maya. In the midst of all these absurdities, the need for enlightenment comes to fore.

The problem began in the realm of the mind. A wrong thought is what is known in the mysteries as Illusion.  In the case of the Liliputians, their belief of being superior to other people in doing the right thing led them to break the egg on the Small End, and any other way was wrong.

Because of the wrong thought, outrage emerges among the Liliputians whenever the egg is broken on the Big End; further fostering and reinforcing the negative emotions of hate and anger against the Blefuscudians. The ensuing wrong emotion is what the mysteries call Glamour. 

The wrong thought and emotion consequently materialize into wrong behaviour such as persecution and war. The negative actions resulting from illusion and glamour are what the mysteries collectively consider as Maya.

Now consider all the accumulated illusions, glamours and mayas that a Liliputian lives with all his life. The result of all these influences is what the mysteries call the Dweller in the Threshold. The Dweller now controls the behaviour of the Liliputian automatically without any further conscious and deliberate consideration. His behaviour becomes a victim of his beliefs and emotions. He is effectively programmed to think and act like an automaton.

Consider further a child born in Lilliputian society. From birth, he accepts the family’s and the society’s belief systems as truths without question. His life becomes almost predictable unless he begins to question as an adult the “truths” he grew up with. Jonathan Swift was an Irishman. The story he wrote was a farcical portrayal of the conflict between the Anglicans and Catholics of his times. You change the labels to Jews and Muslims, or to Whites and Blacks and the same pattern emerges all over again.

The concepts discussed beforehand affect us in our daily lives. We behave in the way we were conditioned to respond to stimulus. Labels elicit strong responses because of the power of thought association. The word Champagne, for instance, cannot be used for just any sparkling wine. Only sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France can be legally called Champagne. The French are very aware of the importance and value of image association and will protect their proprietary rights over the brand name Champagne in international trade laws. The brand Dom Perignon automatically triggers images of the finest Champagne money can buy. Other sparkling wines, no matter how superior they may be, will never approximate the powerful image associations of French Champagne.

Ethnic labels also carry powerful thought associations. When one hears the phrase “German engineering” for instance, images of superior technical excellence are evoked. “Swiss precision” triggers the association of quality and accuracy to watches made in Switzerland. But just as positive images are associated with ethnic labels, negative responses can likewise be readily elicited. The recent passing of an Arizona state law concerning illegal immigration triggered concerns on the dangers of racial profiling. Minorities are concerned that images of illegal immigration associated to certain ethnic groups will result in undue harassment and violation on the right to privacy. Their concerns are valid and deserve serious consideration. 

Many nations have a pejorative kind of humour labeling the people of a neighbouring nation as stupid.  The English do this with Irish jokes, the French with Belgians, Americans with Canadians, Australians with New Zealanders, and so on. Humour is a conditioned response - a behaviour resulting from an attitude: “the other ethnic group is stupid.” This attitude is a result of a repeated thought: “my ethnic group is better than others.” This kind of illusion is the basis of all forms of racism.

How do we then deal with Illusion, Glamour and Maya?

To end Illusion, we have to dispel it in the mental plane by developing intuition and spiritual perception through meditation.  Through meditation, we come to realise and experience that we are not the mind, the emotion, or the body. We become aware of who we truly are - the immortal Soul.

To end Glamour, the object is to dissipate it in the astral plane by achieving illumination, lucidity and vision. The weapon is the path of character building where the baser desires are transformed into a life of virtue, and unconditional love of an illumined mind.

To end Maya, the objective is to devitalize it in the etheric plane through purification. The process is to free the etheric body from the controlling influence of matter through physical exercise, diet, breathing and energy manipulation.

To neutralize the Dweller in the Threshold, one has to achieve discrimination in the brain consciousness. We have to be constantly aware of why and how we react and respond to ideas, people, situations and other stimuli so that our behaviour becomes conscious and deliberate, instead of a blind conditioned response.  In so doing, we liberate ourselves from whatever programs that shackle and victimize us. The process will result in the absorption of the lesser light of the personality into the greater light of the Soul.

Let us use the story of Gulliver’s Voyage to Lilliput to see what may happen when the perception of truth is not distorted.

If the Lilliputians and the Blefuscudians believed that all of humanity is one and that they are no better than anyone else, it would not matter whether the egg was opened in the small, middle or big end of the egg. With this enlightened thought, mutual respect will move them to understand each other’s way of life. The right thought and emotion will translate into global peace and cooperation instead of a world of war and hatred.

Star of the South Pole

 
As one progresses through the spiritual path, teachers appear at certain stages of one's life to assist in one's development. I encountered a number of guides from other dimensions. The more memorable ones were oriental, and they belonged to the Daoist tradition. This is the story of my initiator to the higher mysteries.

By 1993, I was practicing an advanced form of meditation. It involved the development of the diamond body. The process is an alchemy of different energies resulting into the golden body as an intermediate stage. A key element of the alchemy is the sexual energy. The practice over time is expected to result in longevity if not immortality - physical immortality. Physical immortality is an accepted concept in the Daoist mysteries. I did not know whether to believe that such a thing is possible. The only way to find out was to do the meditation regularly and examine the results. It appeared to be working. I could see my body becoming gold etherically with chunks of diamond-like objects developing. Whether it will eventually result in immortality is another matter altogether.

While meditating one day, a Being appeared to me. He was an oriental male dressed in ancient traditional Chinese attire. He was short, no more than four feet tall. If not for His proportional stocky built, He could easily pass for a hobbit. His most distinguishing feature was His huge bald head, but my attention was diverted by his sweet smile and kind eyes. A long wisped flowing beard adorned His face like a typical Mandarin official. He just stood there standing still in front of me. I paid my respects and asked for His name, but I was not honored with a reply. In as much as I was a student of the Ageless Wisdom, I asked him if He was Lord Kuthumi, the Master of my soul ray. He definitely did not look like Lord Kuthumi, but my mind might be playing games with me or so I thought. Still no reply. The Being would continue to appear regularly in my meditations, but the same pattern of uneventful silence would likewise ensue.

In August 1995, I went on a pilgrimage to the holy mountains of China with a group of friends. Behold! Everywhere we went I saw an image, a painting or some kind of artistic representation of the Being that regularly appeared in my meditations. I asked our tourist guide who this person was. "Shou Xing. Shou Xing.," he declared matter of factly. Shou Xing meant Star of Long Life in Mandarin. It was explained to me that Shou Xing is the Lord of the Immortals. Apparently, one can also find him in the Indian pantheon and is known as Boyang. I gathered during the trip that Shou Xing was a Daoist deity that the Chinese pray to for long life and good health. I finally had a name and some sketchy information to research on when I returned home.

There was very little information about Shou Xing I could access and find in 1995. My research revealed that Shou Xing was also known by a number of names and titles. Among them are Shou Lao (Old Man of Longevity), and Nan Ji Xian Weng (the Old Man of the South Pole). It would appear that during the Han dynasty stellar worship was practiced in China. The Star of the Celestial North Pole was the God who determined people's date of birth while the Star of the Celestial South Pole was the God who determined people's date of death. Shou Xing is said to be the God of the South Pole. The power to delay one's death made him a popular deity among the San Xing (Three Star Gods of Good Fortune): Fu (Happiness), Lu (Wealth) and Shou (Longevity). In the Daoist mysteries, the San Xing are universal energies associated with certain chakras. Fu or happiness is associated with the crown chakra energy of heaven. Lu or wealth emanates from the heart chakra energy of generosity. The source of Shou or longevity is the creative energy of the sex chakra.

There are a few myths about Shou Xing. One relates to the time he disappeared from the sky and incarnated after a gestation period of nine years in his mother's womb. His premature birth by a year resulted into his baldness and physical countenance. Consequently, he became a recluse. He withdrew deep into the hills to practice meditation and Dao (The Way). He returned 1000 years later. His long beard reached his waist. On one hand, he had a walking staff with a pumpkin gourd holding the water of life tied to it and, on the other, the peach of immortality. During the remaining years of his earthly sojourn, Shou Xing revealed a list of ways to achieve immortality. It is said that Chiang Tzu-ya, a deified general, was a beneficiary of his teachings. So Xing is said to have ascended into heaven.

Having learned His name, I addressed him accordingly the next time He appeared in my meditation. He responded for the first time and instructed me to learn as much as I can from my physical teachers even if I may consider them to be wrong at times. It was a strange instruction as I did not have any problems with my teachers. The wisdom of his advise became apparent when conflicts began to emerge among my physical teachers and their teachings. There were many issues but I will focus on one to illustrate my point.

Immortality is a complex issue because it involves prior understanding of many concepts but I will try to make it as simple as possible. One school of thought believes that physical immortality is possible if one is able to transform the physical body into a higher refined form through certain yogic practices. Another school of thought believes that there is no such thing as physical immortality because it is the nature of matter to constantly change. True immortality is continuity of consciousness. Therefore the spiritual practices should be geared towards the retention of memory and awareness throughout the death and rebirth cycles. A third school of thought states that immortality can be achieved by activating an interdimensional light vehicle through unconditional love.

It came to a point that I was forced to choose one master to follow and serve. During this crisis, So Xing would appear and encourage me. His simple admonition was to trust my Higher Self to show the way. I did and I found the answers. Since then, my Higher Self became my primary teacher.

Spirituality and the Copyright

 
The present times witness the rise of a man-made construct called the copyright and its related devices - the brand name, trade or service marks. Its pervasiveness covers the realm of spirituality. The questions commonly raised by sincere spiritual seekers and workers are: “How can something coming from God be subject to private ownership? Why do I have to pay someone in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment?” A clearer understanding of the copyright concept may perhaps enlighten us all on these perplexing issues.

In general, the world functions in a market economy where the law of supply and demand determines the value of goods. When agriculture was the dominant source of economic activity, land being a limited resource was of prime value. Although God created land for the benefit of all mankind, the concept of private ownership developed because of market realities. Anyone who owned large tracts of land controlled the economy and consequently the political and social aspects of the community. Conquest and inheritance gave way to a peaceful and civil system of exchanging ownership, and thus a legal document called the title was devised.

As world trade emerged into a lucrative economic activity, the need to finance large amounts of mercantile stock while simultaneously reducing the risks of voyage in the high seas led to the creation of shares of stock. Subsequently, the industrial revolution utilized the same mechanism to generate capital. The demand for capital by burgeoning industries led to the evolution of the capital stock certificate whose value was determined by the vagaries of the market economy. Ownership of capital became a new tool and measure of wealth and thus the stock and bond certificates assumed the role of legal title and efficient means of ownership transfer.

It came to pass that a new commodity of value emerged in the market. This commodity to a large extent did not possess any physical attributes and was effectively a creation of the mind. The rise of the information and communication age transformed intellectual properties into goods for the mass markets. How information is expressed and how a name is associated to certain consumable attributes became marketable commodities. Thus legal constructs such as copyright, brand name, trademark and service mark emerged to establish ownership. As in the case of land and stocks, stealing or misuse of intellectual property are offences punishable by law.

Let us now dwell on the matter of spirituality.

When a copyright is attached to a book on spirituality for instance, it is not ownership of the universal truths that is being claimed, but how that truth is expressed and communicated. It is the artistic craftsmanship and skill of the writer in conveying the spiritual message that is the object of the commercial consideration. If an ancient spiritual practice is modified and improved into a more effective and efficient spiritual technology, the innovation is subject to copyright. The years, effort and cost spent to research, experiment and market establish legal franchise over the intellectual property. Monetary value is determined by the cost to produce or by the demand of the market. Copyright infringement effectively is an act of stealing and more often for financial gain.

In this age of consumerism, brand names have great value and zealously nurtured and protected. They can either evoke positive images of quality and excellence or negative associations of inferiority and unacceptability. Because of the images they project, brands need to be enhanced and protected.

Thoughts are powerful. There is an ancient saying that everything begins with a thought. A repeated thought becomes an attitude. A repeated attitude becomes behaviour. A repeated behaviour becomes the character of an individual and the collective characters of individuals make up the kind of society they live in.

To prove how powerful a thought can be, one can do the following simple exercise. Sit still and close your eyes. Imagine a sour lemon. Imagine yourself chewing the sour lemon. Observe your body’s reaction. Did your mouth start salivating at the thought of the lemon? Did your lips twitch at the sourness of the lemon? They occur even without the presence of a physical lemon. Just a mere thought of a lemon triggered the conditioned responses.

When one buys a product, the natural behaviour is to look for brand names that are associated with quality and excellence. Signature brands like Versace evoke images of opulence, style and class. Consumers will buy and pay more for a signature brand than for an unknown product of equal quality. That is why companies invest tremendous amounts of money to promote, enhance and protect brand names. Through repeated thought images projected in mass media, people are conditioned to behave and respond favourably to a brand. When big conglomerates take over other companies, a major valuation consideration is the brand franchise established through years of goodwill. Names on spiritual products and technology also have brand power. The name of the teacher is a brand that evokes the nature and quality of his teachings and practices. If nurtured properly, the commercial value of spiritual brand names can be sustained indefinitely.

Discussing spirituality in commercial terms may sound like an irreverent and profane treatment of the sacred and profound. The truth of the matter is “money is spiritual.” Money is nothing but concrete energy that opens doors and makes life easier for all of us. It makes spirituality easily accessible to all by quickening the long and arduous process. Business concepts like copyright and brand names are in fact applications of principles that utilize illusion and glamour to spread spirituality. Spirituality does not only satisfy the soul, it is also a financially rewarding experience.

Laoshi

24 May 2010

The Reluctant Master - Mang Mike Nator

Awakening the Spiritual Consciousness

 
Recent world developments indicate a trend that mankind’s spiritual consciousness is not only rising but it is doing so at an unprecedented rate. The tremendous amount of data collected and the incredible pace it is being processed and disseminated are resulting in the rapid development of new technologies and in the faster rates of changes in every aspect of our lives. Shaken by the destabilizing wave of changes, mankind’s spiritual consciousness has awakened significantly and began to ride the accelerated pace.

Market research indicates that a significant spiritually-oriented market segment named the "Creative Intuitive’s" is fast emerging and will impact business significantly in the immediate future. This trend is apparent in the entertainment industry where we are witnessing mystical concepts portrayed by super hero mythical characters, psychic abilities being utilized by professional crime fighters in TV police stories, and a preponderance of science fiction themes bordering the absurd and the surreal.

Spiritual consciousness is that state when Man becomes aware that he is "a spiritual being undergoing a human experience rather than a human being undergoing a spiritual experience." This process of realization has three aspects to it. First, the recognition and awareness of the soul. Second, the appreciation and acceptance of the unity of all creation. And third, becoming and being beacons of light to others.

Over the ages, Man has intimately identified himself with the material form that he has lost the awareness of his spiritual essence. Spirituality is that which he has forgotten, but is constantly seeking to express. In his wondering, he finally reaches a conclusion that behind all causes is the One Cause. God then becomes the goal of his search. He assumes awareness that his true nature is not the body, the emotion and the mind, but the spirit-soul. He begins deliberately to nurture intuition and to achieve illumination.

As Man progresses in his search, he begins to see the light, the reality of his soul, and the inner worlds. He then recognizes universal inclusiveness and sees the nature of that Unity as he learns to cope with polarity issues of good and evil, right and wrong, harmony and chaos. He achieves unity consciousness and becomes the light as his unconditional love for all of creation develops.

He then advances as a conscious center of life-giving force; transmitting light to the darkness until he becomes a bridge between the world of spirit and the world of material forms. He devotes himself to the service of mankind and its evolution; making knowers and masters out of every man and woman. He guides by "teaching them to know themselves." He nurtures by "setting them free from authority; awakening interest and enquiry in their minds, and then indicating the direction in which the answer should be sought." He empowers by "giving them those conditions which will force them to stand on their own feet and rely on their own souls and not on any human being, be he a beloved friend, teacher, or a Master of the Wisdom."

These are the aspects of spiritual consciousness which mankind aspires and which all servers of humanity collaborate to attain collectively as a planet. And a disciple of the mysteries, together with all world servers, is an active participant in this task of global initiation.

How does a disciple of the mysteries raise people’s spiritual consciousness?

When we teach the mysteries, we shift our students’ and our own consciousness to the reality of the inner worlds. As we experience and witness the hidden realities, we begin to marvel at the spiritual principles that govern our lives and our physical world, and the urge to investigate further ensues. Curiosity leads us to higher spiritual truths which transform our consciousness further and consequently our way of life. The student ultimately becomes the teacher - not only to himself but to others as well; "stimulating the light that is in them, and leaving them to walk in their own light and way upon the path."

There are pitfalls that afflict the students along the path however. I will focus on three areas that demand our awareness at the present time.

First, "spirituality is a state of being and not so much as a state of achievement."

Very often, there is a tendency for students in the spiritual path to distinguish themselves from each other by their level of technical proficiency, by their degree of yogic attainment, and even by the identity of their teachers. This need to placate the ego has resulted in official titles and distinctions that have blurred the essence of spirituality and have reinforced elitism and separateness. There is nothing wrong with establishing levels of proficiency and attainment. They have their purposes. It becomes problematic only when a person’s recognition of self-worth assumes greater importance than his state of being. There is therefore a need for students to accord the appropriate emphasis in this regard.

Second, "the unfoldment of the love nature is that which opens the door to higher evolution, and that nothing else will open it."

There is a story about Paramahamsa Yogananda dining with his disciples. A senior disciple instructed the waiter that the meals they were having should be strictly vegetarian - no meat whatsoever. When the prepared dishes were served, the food contained meat. Embarrassed and outraged, the senior disciple angrily shouted and demeaned the erring waiter. While this altercation was happening, Yogananda began to eat the meat. His shocked disciples were silenced by this unexpected action of their teacher. When asked why he ate meat, Yogananda replied, "Better to eat meat than to degrade and violate your fellow man."

The essence of vegetarianism is to teach man compassion for all of creation by practicing ahimsa or non-violence. A man who is a strict vegetarian but has not learned compassion has mistakenly given the means more importance than its true goal. This is why Jesus said that what comes out of the mouth is more important than what goes in it. Developing compassion and love is the goal, and the techniques are simply the means.

There appears to be a tendency for students to focus on technique rather than developing compassion. In situations of this nature, the development of power rather than love becomes paramount. As teachers, there is therefore a need to nurture unconditional love among our students as the underlying spirit behind all technical considerations. Although the Light may bring us to the door of higher evolution, it is only Love that will open it for us.

Third, "the minds and lives of men everywhere must awaken and resonate to the reality of planetary unity and non-separateness."

In order to achieve the elusive universal brotherhood of man, we have to begin by instilling unity consciousness in our minds. This is a higher expression of Love. It demands the recognition of every man as a child of God, the establishment of right human relationships, and the promotion of goodwill everywhere. It espouses all inclusiveness - unity in diversity.

Indonesia's national motto is Bhinneka Tunggal Eka which means Unity in Diversity. This means that you and I are no better than anyone else. That each one of us has an important role to play in God’s Greater Plan no matter how seemingly insignificant it may be. Any sign of exclusivity, and any hint of superiority are contrary to the Divine Scheme.

In the following eloquent statement, Robert Monroe described Unity as,

There is no beginning, there is no end,
There is only change.


There is no teacher, there is no student, 

There is only remembering.


There is no good, there is no evil, 

There is only expression.


There is no union, there is no sharing,
There is only one.


There is no joy, there is no sadness,
There is only love.


There is no greater, there is no lesser,
There is only balance.


There is no stasis, there is no entropy,
There is only motion.


There is no wakefulness, there is no sleep,
There is only being.


There is no limit, there is no chance,
There is only a plan.

We must be guarded to the dangers of exclusivity and narrow parochialism that institutional unity breeds. We must appreciate the fact that disciples of the mysteries belong to a greater community of spiritual workers striving for the same goals, and must therefore subordinate institutional interests in conjunction and in cooperation with other world servers specially during these critical times.

Events throughout the world give witness to the changes in the new millennium. How we will undergo these changes and evolve to higher spiritual dimensions will depend on our states of being. How much we have learned to love and to express unity consciousness in our lives will determine the nature and quality of that transition.

Laoshi

22 May 2010

AUSTRALIA - A Philosopher's Stone

 
It was the winter of 1998 when I decided to settle down in a piece of Queensland paradise called Tamborine Mountain. A property agent drove me around the mountain to view a number of properties when she unexpectedly swerved to the side of the road and confronted me with a question. She asked me what I was doing in Australia. "Is it for political or economic reasons," she pried. Annoyed by her effrontery, I calmly replied, "Neither. I am her for spiritual reasons."

She was stunned by my reply. Recovering from her momentary shock, she burst into a boisterous cackle and said, "You know. We Australians are known for a lot of things. And spirituality isn't one of them."

At that moment in time, I couldn't help agreeing with her. For after all, how can a nation descended from convicts be spiritual? How can people who practiced aboriginal genocide be spiritual? How can a country that espoused a racist White Australia Policy be spiritual?

But after living in Australia for a number of years, I can say with utmost certainty that Australia is indeed spiritual.

I was born in the Philippines and the images of Australia that I grew up with were those of a racist nation that emerged from penal colonies at the cost of the indigenous people's blood. Later in life however, my explorations along the spiritual path led me to the discovery of what purportedly is to be Australia's destiny. I was perplexed by the references to Australia as a Centre of Light in the future. This observation appeared repeatedly in a number of books and prophesies. I found it extremely difficult to reconcile the sharp contrast between Australia's past and her future until after I have lived in Australia for a number of years.

There is a difference between religiosity and spirituality. A religion is an institution with established rules to maintain order and control over the spiritual life of its followers. It is a religion's primary purpose to make it easier for its congregation to reach God. Spirituality, on the other hand, is an individual's unique personal relationship with the Supreme Being.

Devotion is closely associated with spirituality. And so if one is prayerful and pious, it is more likely that one will be assumed to be spiritual. In the Philippines, for instance, it is not unusual to find people walking on their knees from the church portal to the altar with rosaries in their hands. This kind of devotional outpouring will be considered as being highly spiritual. An Australian is neither devotional nor pious. But does his irreverence make him less spiritual?

Australian spirituality is not devotional. It is transformative.

The spirituality of transformation is premised on man's ability to transform himself into someone better. It is man's constant yearning to lift himself from his lowly state towards higher levels of perfection.

From a penal colony, Australia transformed itself into a strong and prosperous country. That's spirituality. From a White Racist state, Australia transformed itself into a dynamic multicultural society. That's spirituality. From aboriginal genocide, Australia transformed itself into a nation steeped in national reconciliation with the Prime Minister apologizing for past injustices. So much so that a social phenomenon called reverse discrimination became an unexpected aftermath. Now that is definitely spirituality.

I shared my thoughts with a friend and told him how fortunate Australia is to have leaders who directed Australia's transformation throughout its history. He retorted that it should not be the politicians who should get the credit. It should be the people. It was the people who elected them to pursue the changes deemed necessary for the country's future. Having witnessed the Australian electoral process, I wholeheartedly agreed with him.

It is said that a philosopher's stone is something that transforms lead into gold. Australia is very much like a philosopher's stone. People who have touched its shores have been transformed. Living better lives. Achieving higher aspirations. This realization ultimately led to my decision to become an Australian. My family and I would like to be a part of Australia's destiny.

If I ever cross the path of the property agent again, I will surely tell her that she was wrong to say that Australians are not spiritual. That spirituality is alive and well in Australia. That its destiny to be a Centre of Light will one day be fulfilled.

Laoshi

21 May 2010

Qiling Mystery School

 
I was raised a Catholic. I distinctly remember the religion classes I attended as a boy in an exclusive private school. Every time the teacher didn't know the answer, the standard response to my questions would be, "It's a mystery." Considering the number of times I encountered this reply, I couldn't help wondering why religion had to be so mysterious. One had no choice but to accept what was taught blindly and leave the rest to faith to make sense of the anomalies. Needless to say that I was dreadfully dissatisfied.

My festering discontent led me to the discovery of a school that provided answers to the mysteries - aptly called a Mystery School. Embedded on its walls is the ancient saying encapsulating its mission - "Man know thyself." The school succinctly postulates that ignorance is the cause of all sufferings, and the key to achieving man 's happiness is knowledge - more particularly, knowledge of his true self.

Unfortunately, Mystery Schools were not traditionally for everybody. It is said that the masses were taught in parables, while the mysteries were taught to disciples in the inner circle. In ancient times, a student of the mysteries had to leave home and follow his teacher to be able to learn. There were no books and lessons were imparted orally. Character development was an integral part of the student's training. The years spent serving and emulating the teacher were so demanding; thus limiting interest to a handful of dedicated aspirants.

So much have changed since then. Today, books and other media delving on the mysteries are plentiful and readily available. Technology has made the teachings and the teachers even more accessible. Although the Ancient Knowledge remains the same, its expression has however changed through the ages by the realities of the times. Free expression in cyberspace has given reign to wanton embellishments on one end of the spectrum with unrestrained copyright infringements on the other. These verities of modern times greatly influence the form in which the Mysteries are expressed to the public at large. As such, utmost discrimination is advised.

The Qiling Mystery School continues the mission of dispelling the darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge using the Blog as its medium of expression. There is nothing new to the teachings. Qiling is just a name to give the Mystery School's expression of the Ancient Knowledge a unique, discernible identity. Qiling is Mandarin for Unicorn, symbol of the self-realized soul. What is different about this Mystery School is that it is for everybody. It does not boast of any elite cadre of esoteric disciples practicing secret mystical rituals. In fact, it aims to demystify rather than mystify. We impart the knowledge. The wisdom lies in how one uses it.

And so the journey begins. I will be honored to show you the path.

Laoshi

20 May 2010