I have been thinking for a while about formulating a few basic Principles that I would consider relevant in pursuing The Art of Living. I wanted to make them as general and as easy to relate to as possible. The final result is rather synthetic, concentrating within the Essence of my Beliefs. It contains little detail and it doesn't enounce any complex Relationships between the Human Being and the various Levels of the Universe. Such powerful Bonds within the subtle Structure of the Whole are for everyone to Find, each according to their own Skill and Measure. Some of them have been revealed but, without the Experience itself, that Knowledge is of lesser Benefit.
The Art of Living requires creativity and imagination, both unique to each individual. I believe that freedom is an important factor in the process of perfecting one's own personal Formula. In this Age, when we are so separated from the Divine and even struggle to find a paradigm that unites us all, each and every one of us must become an independent Creator, exercising his freedom and individuality .Our individuality is both an asset and a clue, thus becoming the Basis upon which we must build our Temple. Our common goal can only be Enlightenment. It is the most important Achievement of one's earthly existence, bringing with it Peace, Happiness and Balance. Enlightenment is pure Knowledge and can only be reached by using all our available Resources, in perfect Harmony. It is the goal of the theosophical art, lifting man to his highest form and helping him merge with the Divine. It is indeed, as some alchemists and mystics have often called it, the true Magnum Opus of an Initiate. Like the Great Work that is the Universe, our own Work must be Whole and Perfect, reflecting Creation itself. It is the Work that Man must undertake to separate himself from the profane World and lift himself to the upper Realms of Spiritual Existence. These Realms are many, as are the Challenges one must overcome and Barriers one must break. All these Trials require Willpower, Discipline and absolute Determination.
Before we get to it I must clarify a few notions and warn you not to take everything literally. Keep an open Mind and remember the basic Principles that I am trying to illustrate. Again, this is my personal way of describing things and I am aware that it will not resonate with everyone.
Man is a being of Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Ether. Man has at his disposal four crucial Entities, all of which he inherits by birth and all of which he will possess until the day he dies. These Entities must be understood and must be treated with equal Care and Respect, if one is to advance on the Path of true Enlightenment. They are the Corpus, Animus, Mens and Spiritus. Many people confuse the Soul with the Spirit, because both are perceived as the unseen Entity that survives the Body after Death. The Soul and Spirit are nevertheless two different Aspects of the Whole. The Spirit is the Divine Flame that inhabits our Body while the Soul is the Shape of our emotions. The Spirit is subtle and hard to connect with (in a normal state of consciousness), while the Soul is "tangible" because it is felt and expressed more easily. The Spirit is independent and will separate from the Body while the Soul is intertwined with the Mind and Body, making itself felt trough emotions. When you get a "gut feeling" or you sense a pressure in your chest, that is the Soul manifesting itself. The Body represents the sum of all your physical parts, as determined by the five senses, as well as your Ethereal Body. The Ethereal Body is used by the Spirit as a Vessel. The Mind is the sum of all your acquired knowledge, connected by the complex sets of relationships that determine your cognitive processes. It gives rise to your unique individual consciousness, allowing you to experience and interpret Reality. The Mind must be aware of the other Entities and must learn to Communicate with them.
Each of these Entities is traditionally associated with one of the four basic alchemical Elements, as follows: Body is Earth, Soul is Water, Mind is Air and Spirit is Fire. Additionally, our beings also interact with Ether, which is the subtle Substance of the Ethereal Body. Ether can also be viewed as a Resource, Neutral and Divine in nature, which we acquire while we Rest and subsequently use for various Processes. In our daily Activities, we consume this Divine Life Force, causing imbalance, illness and eventually death. No one can escape this Process, but Understanding it and avoiding wasteful Behavior can greatly improve our Lives and aid in our quest for Enlightenment. Based on the four Entities described above, I will formulate my four Principles.
1.Treat your Body like you would treat the most Enduring and Reputable Home.
-Like Earth, the Home's Strength, Durability and Purity are dependent on the Minerals it contains. It is the Basic Element of your Whole and it must endure the effects of all the other Elements. It is also the Hardest and least Flexible of all Elements. Earth represents Work, Toughness, Shape and the Material Life.
-The Structure of the Home is represented by the Materials that you use to Build, Sustain and Repair it with. These Materials must be Pure and True to nature, therefore reflecting the Essence of the Home. If they are not adequate, the Home will be of lesser Quality and will deteriorate quickly. Do not attempt to Store too much, as this will reduce the Comfort of your Family. Also, do not attempt to Build too much or too fast, as large Buildings are harder to Sustain and Fast Built Walls are Constructed poorly. It is always better to have less than you think you need, than to have more than you need. Your Family will learn Modesty and Appreciation.
-The Life of the Home is the Family that Resides within. Think of it as your vitality. You must Educate this Family and Teach it Discipline. Only then will it reach its full Potential. Your Family must learn the value of the Materials you Build your Home with. The Family must be Happy, balanced and well adapted to the outside World, forever Communicating with the Neighbors and Knowing its Surroundings. Your Family must be part of the Community and must embrace unity in diversity.
-Do not abuse your Home with unnecessary or self indulgent activities. Such activities will weaken and corrupt your Family, making it lose sight of the necessary Activities. It will become unfit to Clean and Repair your Home, therefore failing to Nurture and Support you.
-Your Home must be a Honorable one. Maintaining its good Reputation is of the utmost importance. Do not Build your Home on the Suffering of Others, no matter how small or weak. If you Take from other Homes for the sake of luxury you will damage your Reputation and your Home will be unwelcomed in the Community.
2. Your Soul is like a Beautiful Wild Stallion that you must learn to Tame.
-Like Water, the Stallion Flows endlessly, following the Path of Least Resistance and seeking Balance. Just like Water, the Stallion shapes the Earth it gallops across. Soft Earth is destroyed immediately and carried Downstream, while Hard Earth is carved slowly, forever baring the marks of the Water. However, Earth needs Water in order to sustain the Seeds of Life. Water also represents Faith.
-This Stallion is often unpredictable and full of Impulses. It will desire to do many things at once or nothing at all. The Rider is your higher consciousness, able to communicate with the Stallion, which is the embodiment of all your emotions, Flowing endlessly trough you. The Rider must learn to approach the Beast and focus it on the Task at hand. He must be forever Agile, Calm and Confident. He must however pay close attention to the Stallion, making sure that it gets enough Rest, Nourishment and Friendship. The Rider must not attempt to Enslave his Companion and must be Wise to its Needs. The Stallion will reward him with its Strength, Courage and Devotion. These Attributes are essential in the Journey.
-The Stallion has limited Energy. If left Unsupervised, it will gradually consume itself, becoming chaotic and easily distracted. Without the Guidance of the Rider, It can often engage in self destructive Behavior. The Rider must never lose the Attention of his Companion, if he wishes to advance on the chosen Path. If the Rider becomes Weak, the Stallion will take over and lead both of them into Anarchy. The Two are inseparable. They must learn to Communicate and Understand each other perfectly.
3. Your Mind is like your Car's Radio, receiving Broadcasts as you Drive through a Hurricane.
-Like Air, the Radio is connected to the Environment, receiving Information as Vibration and Processing it into Effects. Also like Air, the Radio is affected by Storm Clouds, baring the unresolved Energy of Water. Air that is saturated with Water becomes Burdened until a Storm sets it free. Air represents Experience and Intelligence.
-The Radio can be tuned to receive countess Stations, all offering Information, Directions or Solutions. The Radio is your Mind, the Stations are your thoughts and the Hurricane is the endless barrage of experiences that you are subjected to every day. You must attempt to Tune your Radio to the adequate Stations in order to successfully Navigate through the Hurricane. When choosing your Stations you must consider the current Environment while continuously filtering out unnecessary or conflicting information. Never listen to Stations that broadcast trivial or unrelated Programs. Doing so will cause you to become Lost, Trapped or Injured. Never ignore Stations that seem potentially helpful but learn to prioritize and Listen to them according to Urgency.
-If the Driver Listens to Stations that attempt to predict the future he makes room for Fear and if he bothers himself with Stations that dwell on past occurrences he limits his freedom. Both those actions diminish him and make him weaker in the present, where he forever lives. The Driver must concern himself with the present and, never forgetting his Destination, he must deal with the Road as it is laid out in front of him.
-The Driver must occasionally stop the Vehicle in a Safe Spot to Rest and Refuel. On such occasions the Driver must close the Radio, thus Silencing all Stations. This will Energize the Driver, improving his Hearing as well as all subsequent Reception. As soon as the time for Resting is done, the Driver must start interacting with the Radio once again, balancing the Outside with the Inside. This is the right way to Travel, keeping true to the Middle Path.
4. Your Spirit is your Divine Essence, granting you the Experience of Life.
-Like Fire, the Spirit burns with Divine Energy in the form of Light, animating Earth, Water and Air. Without this Energy, Earth would not bare Seed, Water would not Flow and Air would not Circulate. The World would be cold and barren. Fire represents Force, Motion and Initiation.
-The Spirit Whispers in the Ears of The Master of the Home, The Rider of the Stallion and The Operator of the Radio. It grants them Light and Life, but also Knowledge. Your own Spirit is not the only one that desires Attention. The Whispers are many, soft and subtle, but only Trained Ears can Hear them. Your must close your eyes and learn to Listen. After you Listen long enough, you will learn to See with new Eyes. -As you gain the True Sight, you will learn to Walk Outside of your House, to Dismount your Stallion and to Know without the aid of the Radio.
The Mysteries of Time, Space, Vibration and Energy will unfold, casting your Understanding far beyond the abstract, rational and mechanistic view that conventional science has to offer. Such a limited view will never find Hope in Existence and Intent in the Cosmic Void. It does not accept the Unthinkable and does not understand the Limits of the Human Mind. It can never know Love or Light, because it seeks them in the wrong Place. Love and Fear are considered by most scientists to be just a sequence of synapses. However, Love emits a high frequency Vibration and Fear emits a low frequency Vibration. It has been discovered that about a third of the 64 codons in the human DNA are used for synthesizing proteins. The other two thirds seem to compose a highly sophisticated electromagnetic receiver/transmitter. A single cell in the human body contains about two meters of DNA strands, if you were to stretch them out. The human body contains trillions of cells. We therefore have millions of kilometers of DNA strands in our body. Modern science hasn't even come close to creating an artificial antenna as sophisticated and enormous as the one contained in each and every one of our Bodies. In its Blind arrogance, it seems to have forgotten that the most complex thing in the known physical Universe is still the human Body. The human heart emits an electromagnetic field so strong that it can be detected by our simple instruments from meters away. If Love and Hate emit electromagnetic pulses and our DNA is the ultimate antenna, what does that say about our emotions and the way they interact with our Bodies and the people around us? Think about it.
When the Initiate Finds Light, he smiles and Sees everyone around him as they truly are. He will not separate them by their Appearance but by their Age. He will See that old men are often Young, young men are often Old and educated men are often both Young and Blind. This Blindness comes from an imbalance of the Elements. Only after you See and Embrace all the Elements, can you Detach from them and Continue Upwards. Only after you Find the True Connections between the Human Being and the Universe can you experience the Fulfillment and Joy of Enlightenment.
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