I have often reflected upon the blessing of my limited occult power s, (even as my ego would delight in more), and the wisdom of an evolutionary system that mandates it should be so, especially when faced with a set of circumstances that have triggered in me even a momentary explosion of anger . How easy it might have been at that moment to misuse this power to the utter destruction of all concerned. How heavy would have been my sense of guilt at having unwittingly unleashed such a wave of destruction.
“Before the ear can hear,” before it can register the “music of the spheres,” before it can reverberate to the “Word”…“it must have lost its sensitiveness,” not spiritual sensitivity, but, rather, personality sensitiveness.
Are you thrown into emotional turmoil by the wagging tongues of gossipers and rumormongers? Does your personality reel under excruciating pain when it imagines itself the victim of some personal affront? Beware—you are distorting your perception of Life, passing it through the filtration system of your own oversensitive ego and blotting out much beauty and truth that could otherwise be experienced.
Again I repeat, beware. To beware is to be aware, not afraid. I am not attempting to instill fear in your consciousness but, rather, awareness. Fear has no place in the mind and heart of the spiritually-awakened individual.
Have you ever encountered a sign proclaiming, “Beware of the dog?” The natural reaction is to interpret this as, “Be afraid, there is a dog.” The sign does not suggest that you should be afraid of the dog, but, rather, that you should be aware there is a dog and proceed accordingly. Likewise, “Beware the cliff,” means be aware there is a cliff; take all necessary precautions to avoid possible danger. The enlightened person is never afraid, but always aware, and, therefore, prepared to deal with any and all contingencies. It is this awareness that we must cultivate to the exclusion of fear , which is the greatest enemy of awareness. Fear is crippling. While on the other hand, awareness leads to expansion and growth.
Blot out fear , still your mind and emotions . Listen quietly and peacefully and hear the “Song Celestial.” It plays for you, and you must learn to flow with its melodious rhythm. As Ram Dass so aptly put it, it’s “The only dance there is.” The dance of Life, conducted by the great musician Himself. Or would you rather peer through “eyes that cannot see,” and listen with “ears that cannot hear?” The choice is yours.
“Before the voice can speak in the presence of the masters, it must have lost the power to wound.” Occult knowledge in the hands of the profane is like placing atomic energy in the hands of Attila, the Hun. The true disciple in body and soul, in mind and heart, and in spirit and deed is characterized by his capacity to speak when others would be silent, by his willingness to be silent when others would speak, and by the discriminating consciousness capable of discerning the most propitious moment to do either.
Let us be clear in this regard. We are speaking of unimaginable power, obtainable by anyone who is willing to go through the necessary disciplines . These disciplines might best be classified in two distinct categories: first, those disciplines that have as their purpose the attainment of power for power’s sake and for self-aggrandizement. The power available through these pursuits, though potent, is extremely dangerous and definitely limited. This is personality power , and is limited to the realm of the Fourth Kingdom and the three worlds of human evolution: mental, emotional, and physical.
Second, there are the essentially spiritual disciplines that are directed toward the purging of undesirable personality traits and the refining of consciousness which leads inevitably to the attainment of a greater energy flow, ergo, power. These disciplines , such as meditation , awaken the consciousness to the plane of the Soul thus releasing power that transcends the personality in the three worlds.
Obviously, the motivating factor in each case is quite different. In the first instance, power is sought for personal gain, often at the expense of others. This is the power being peddled by some mind control systems and those who promise you control over your fellow man. Have you observed ads promising the development of personal power so that you may “make others do your bidding” or “have anything you want at your command,” as if you could achieve anything without paying the price? The price for this kind of power is much too expensive for my taste, and, as I have pointed out, limited to the personality. Woes betide those who succumb to the allure of acquiring occult power for selfish ends.
In the second instance, we witness a disciplined life designed to achieve mental, emotional, and physical purity, stability, and integration . Such a personality is then a fit and safe vehicle for the manifestation of Soul awareness and Soul power which opens up realms beyond the range and reach of the human personality.
It seems to me that, while many in the field of metaphysics and parapsychology are struggling to learn how to get out of their bodies, I am struggling to learn how to get in and, thus, become a proper channel for the energy of the God-self here on earth. It is in the release of the Soul’s energy, through the mechanism of the human personality while engaged in normal everyday activity, that the kingdom of God will be established on earth. An existential approach is called for. Here and now, wherever we find ourselves, is where our work is to be done. As Richard Bach said in his book Illusions, “Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished; if you are alive, it isn’t.”
Therefore if you would be in possession of occult knowledge and power, you must cultivate first a consciousness that is endowed with the qualities of harmlessness and inclusivity . As long as the seeds of dissension, divisiveness, and paranoia find refuge in your consciousness, you would be wise to refrain from any and all attempts to possess esoteric knowledge and capability. The foundation stones upon which may be erected your Solomon’s temple of true spiritual wisdom are a free, flexible, and open mind , a loving and compassionate heart and a quiescent ego —in short, noble character. How else may you be entrusted with the secrets of the “inner chamber ?” Those initiated in the Mysteries have had to demonstrate their worthiness to possess such power and knowledge first. Unfortunately, most people seem more interested in the sensational and spectacular than in such unglamorous pursuits as character building .
Thus it would seem, the task that lies before us is one of purification and subjugation . The purification of ourselves mentally, emotionally, and physically and the subjugation of our personalities and those base appetites of the animal soul that serve as barriers separating us from our rightful heritage as divine beings. Obviously, this is not a task for the faint of heart, nor for those who would have their disciplines sugarcoated. The Path of enlightenment requires a consecrated mind and heart and most important, total commitment .
