THE DIVINE MOTHER BIXIA YUANJU

 

I have a special devotion to the Divine Mother. I was baptised and raised a Roman Catholic. I studied in exclusive Dominican and Jesuit schools where the Blessed Virgin Mary occupied a special place in the student’s prayer life. In times of trouble, she would come to my aid whenever I prayed for her intervention. Our abstract relationship was based on faith in a detached sort of way. She was for all intent and purposes a mental construct. That all changed when She became real to me in the most unusual place and circumstances.

It was August 1995. I and five other companions arrived at the foot of Tai Shan (Great Mountain) in Shandong, China. There are five sacred Taoist mountains in China and Tai Shan is said to be the most significant one. Standing at 1,545m above sea level, emperors would climb the mountain for thousands of years to make offerings to Heaven and Earth upon ascending to the throne. There are several paths to the summit. One can take it the hard way on foot going through 6,660 stone steps from the Red Gate, or the easy way by bus and cable car. We took the easy way. We took the bus from Tai’an City to the Middle Gate of Heaven, which was half way between the base of the mountain and the summit. From there we boarded the cable car to Moon Viewing Peak followed by a long flight of steps up to the South Gate of Heaven from where one can reach the summit.

The Shenqui Hotel was the only hotel in the summit and served as our abode. Its location more than compensated for the limited and basic amenities. The major sights, shrines, and temples were within walking distance. We explored the mountain, marvelled at the breathtaking sceneries, and meditated at certain spots radiating tremendous spiritual energies. One such place of interest to me was the Precipice of the Tang Dynasty. About a thousand Chinese characters in elegant Tang Dynasty calligraphy were inscribed on the 13.3 meters high and 5.5 meters wide precipice memorialising Tai Shan. I wondered if Chinese characters were akin to sigils as I could sense the presence of powerful beings.

The Bixia Temple Complex was another important pilgrimage site in the mountain. It is the home of the Supreme Goddess of Tai Shan, Bixia Yuanju known also as Azure Cloud. One late afternoon, after viewing the Drum and Bell Tower, a thick fog covered the mountain on our way to the main Azure Cloud Temple. We were in the front courtyard when the visibility became so poor that we had to walk close to each other in order not to lose our way and miss the portal. It was dark inside the temple hall except for some candles illuminating a bronze image of a woman with what appeared to be colourful balls suspended in the air by strings surrounding it. As I moved forward to have a better view, the image transformed into what looked like little spheres of energy moving up and down a pillar of light. Suddenly, my whole body was embraced with such overwhelming maternal love that I began to weep uncontrollably like an infant from the sheer intoxicating joy and sense of reassuring security. Embarrassed at the spectacle I was making of myself in front of friends and other visitors, I tried so hard to stop crying. Suppressing my tears just made me shake uncontrollably until I decided to just let go and let the moment pass. After calming down, Master Choa Kok Sui, the leader of our group of six pilgrims, asked me what just happened. I replied just as puzzled and said ‘I don’t know.’ Our circle of friends subsequently discussed the incident that night and concluded that I more likely entered the womb of the Divine Mother.

The next morning, we woke up early to catch the spectacular Tai Shan sunrise at the Sun Viewing Peak. Still reeling from yesterday’s experience, I positioned myself beside our tourist guide under the rock formation called the Gonbei stone. It is shaped like a suspended stubby index finger pointing towards the sea. The view in front of us looked just like a Chinese watercolour painting. The mountains were spread out with their peaks jutting out of a sea of clouds. The Sun shortly began to ascend along the horizon. As it stood over the mountains, the Sun’s radiance transformed the white clouds into gold and painted the blue sky with tints of gold, orange, pink and violet. At that moment, our guide nudged my shoulder, pointed at the breathtaking panorama and whispered “Azure Cloud. Azure Cloud.” I didn’t know if he was referring to the clouds or the Sun but I intuitively knew I was witnessing the Sun Goddess in all her splendour. At that same moment, the previous night’s familiar sensations resurfaced and confirmed my epiphany.

I found out later that Bixia Yuanju is the Divinity associated with the dawn, childbirth and destiny. There is no direct allusion of Her as being the Sun Goddess. Sun deities are traditionally male in China. As such, her role as Goddess of the Dawn is ambiguously referred to as attending to the birth of a new day. As Goddess of childbirth, she is the benefactrix of women who wish to give birth, bringing good fortune and influencing the destiny of children. The dawn and childbirth are analogous representations of the Divine Mother’s archetypical qualities. Just as the rising sun illuminates the earth from the darkness of the night, a child emerges to the light of the world from the darkness of the womb. In certain places in Tai Shan, one can find mounds of loose pebble stones and prayer locks on chain railings representing petitions and prayers from her devotees. She is said to be the only daughter of the Lord Emperor of Tai Shan and thus the mountain’s Empress. She is also known as Princess of the Azure Clouds, Princess of the Rosy Clouds, and the Heavenly Jade Maiden.

The Japanese adopted much of China’s culture and traditions, but had the clarity to acknowledge the Light Bringer as female and thus their Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. All created form is female. The earth, the moon, the sun are all female. On the other hand, the unseen mover of creation, the spirit that gives life to form, is male. An Australian aboriginal dreamtime story of creation speaks of a Sun Goddess in the eternal cycle of rest and activity. According to the Karraur tribe of South Australia, the Great Father Spirit, Baiame, saw the world asleep and in utter darkness. He stirred Yhi, the Divine Mother, from her slumber and whispered ‘it was time for activity to begin again.’ Ascending from the Nullarbor cave, she bathed the plains around her with radiating light dispelling the darkness. The Sun Goddess travelled in all directions springing life forms wherever she went. Wastelands were filled with vegetation. Creatures of every kind filled the earth, the sky and the sea. At the end of the day, she returned to her cave, the symbolic womb where aboriginal mothers would traditionally give birth. All creation wept and mourned her departure only to rejoice the following day when a new dawn brought the eternal promise of renewal. Baiame was pleased and ruled over his dominions over a long period of time until the return of the next period of rest.

The Karraur dreamtime creation story runs parallel with the story of creation in the Mysteries. All of existence is eternal, no beginning and no end. There are only periods of activity, and periods of rest. In the microcosm, they are called day and night. In the macrocosm, they are called manvantara and pralaya. The Divine energy encompassing everything is vibrating at different rates. Energy vibrating at the highest rate of the spectrum is Spirit or the Divine Father. Energy vibrating at its lowest rate is Matter or the Divine Mother. The synthesis of both energies is the Cosmic Consciousness or the Divine Son.

Since my wonderful experience with the Divine Mother in Tai Shan, I have become more aware of her presence everywhere I go. During our 1997 meeting in Canterbury, United Kingdom, Drunvalo Melchizedek shared his encounter with the Sun Goddess Amaterasu and once again I felt the Divine Mother’s presence. In recent times, She has made more appearances in the form Her devotees recognize Her to be. She appears in my meditations and continues to give me guidance and solace. The Divine Mother is indeed actively involved in our planet’s transformation and finally reclaiming her rightful place in mankind’s consciousness. Isn’t it about time for you to acknowledge Her as well?

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHRISTMAS STORY

 
For a deeper understanding of the mysteries, the ancients would refer to certain principles of creation. One of these is the Law of Correspondence. It was succinctly written on the Emerald Tablets as - “As above so below. As below so above.” In order to understand the mysteries of the microcosm, one has to look for answers in the macrocosm. Equally whatever happens in the heavens is correspondingly manifested on earth. Christmas provides an excellent event to explain this principle.

Our planet Earth revolves around the majestic Sun for a period of one year. The Earth’s spin axis is tilted 23.5 degrees with respect to its orbit around the Sun. In view of this tilt, the ecliptic plane of the Earth’s path is likewise tilted 23.5 degrees. This ecliptic anomaly results in the different seasons we experience in the planet. The Sun would appear to be traveling between the North and South Poles along an imaginary vertical line crossing the earth’s equator twice a year.

The Sun is on the tip of the North Pole during the Summer Solstice around June 22 varying each year between the 21st and 23rd day of the month. The northern hemisphere is at its warmest and brightest. People living in the farthest reaches of the north hardly experience any nights at all. Three days later, the Sun appears to begin its descent to the south. As the earth travels farther on its orbit, the Sun reaches the equator on the Autumnal Equinox around September 22 each year. The nights become longer and days shorter in the northern hemisphere. The Sun heads towards the South Pole and reaches it on the Winter Solstice around December 22. People in the northern hemisphere experience darkness in varying degrees. In the farthest north, it becomes completely black 24 hours a day. The Sun stays on the tip of the South Pole for three days, and on the third day, it begins its journey back to the North Pole. It reaches the equator on the Vernal Equinox around March 22. As the Sun crosses the equator, the days become longer and the nights shorter until the North Pole is reached on the Summer Solstice where the annual cycle begins once again on the third day.

Picture yourself in the farthest reaches of the North Pole during the Winter Solstice where there is complete darkness for three days. How do you think you would feel? Feelings of deep depression, of desperation, of doom and gloom would likely rule. How do you think you’d feel when the third day finally comes and the Sun begins his journey back? Feelings of ecstatic joy and the jubilation that hope of a new beginning brings would probably be overwhelming. The ancients understood this cycle of death and rebirth profoundly, and called the third day after the Winter Solstice Natalis Solis Invicti or Birth of the Unconquered Sun. This return of the Sun god was universally observed in the pagan world. The Newgrange Megalithic Passage Tomb in Ireland acclaimed this rite of passage as early as 3200 BCE. In 274 CE, Roman Emperor Aurelian fixed the feast day on December 25.

This annual solar event is influenced by other astrological interventions. In the year 4 CE, it is said that two unusual events happened. On the 24th of December, a brilliant star appeared in the heavens moving towards the west. Following it from the east were three bright stars. It is said that the brilliant star was from the Canis Major or Sirius and the three bright stars following it were from the belt of Orion or Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. In the early hours of the next day, the constellation of Virgo ascended in the eastern sky just as the Sun appeared over the horizon below it. It is said that under auspicious moments, such as the preceding star configuration, an Avatar is born by a Virgin during the Birth of the Unconquered Sun. The custom of ascribing December 25 as the birth date of divinities born of a virgin began. Mithra, Hercules and Krishna were said to be born on December 25.

To consolidate power during his reign between 306-337 CE, Roman Emperor Constantine the Great introduced many changes to the Christian religion distancing it farther away from its Judeo origins, aligning it more to the pagan practices of Rome, and introducing uniform Christian doctrines and practices that were more acceptable to the Romans. The Sabbath, for instance, was moved to Sunday in honor of the Sun God. Supplanting the Natalis Solis Invicti with Christmas was also attributed to him but no official records attest to this. It was only in 354 CE during the Roman papacy of Pope Liberius and the reign of Roman Emperor Constancius II that a list of observances included both Natalis Invicti and natus Christus in Betleem Iudeæ on December 25 in the Philocalian Calendar.

The celestial story of the Birth of the Unconquered Sun and the birth of the Christ is a good example of the Law of Correspondence. The former represents the macrocosm and the later the microcosm. Just as the Sun returns from darkness to bring the light, the Christ was born to bring the light and hope to the world. Just as the Christ was born of a Virgin, the Solar daybreak was under the constellation of Virgo. Just as the three bright stars on the belt of Orion followed Sirius, the three wise men of the east followed the brilliant star to Bethlehem.

Barring whatever distastes Christians may have for anything pagan, the fact that the annual celebration of Christmas had its origins from pagan traditions cannot be disputed. But does the origin of Christmas day really matter? Christmas is about the joy and the hope that comes with the spirit of renewal. It is about acknowledging our interconnectedness and unity with all of creation. It is about the birth of a Divinity whose life and message of love makes our world a better place to live in. That’s the real story of Christmas whether it is depicted as a spectacular drama in the heavens or a treasured event in our mundane lives.

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