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Post by stepnwolf on Feb 17, 2013 6:58:18 GMT 9.5
Paul has me thinking again, this time with his comment that Wagner is the only composer he knows who works at the atmic level. I am familiar with atma, but was so uncertain about “atmic level” that I had to look it up. Even now I may not have a firm grasp on the meaning, but the general impression is that it's pretty high where adepts can operate.
In any case, I wonder how a reprobate like Wagner could reach such levels of consciousness. Is there a higher morality for such people, while we here below have to struggle with our baser emotions? Wagner didn't struggle with any of them; he gave into every one of them!
Poulenc wrote such powerful music and yet was a predator on the streets of Paris. He had a particular devotion to the Blessed Mother: his music demonstrates this and yet his personal life was anything but exemplary.
And the greatest magician of them all, Aleister Crowley, who is reported to have used humans and drugs with impunity.
Do these great creative people march to a different drummer, with different moral standards? The French seem to be more forgiving than we who have British roots. Any one listening to the scandals coming from the Catholic Church may well suspect that in that citadel of Christian morality there are double standards: one for the elite and another for the masses.
If so, how can we join with the elite?
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Post by paul on Feb 17, 2013 9:20:49 GMT 9.5
It is worth considering whether some humans are over-lighted and others over-shadowed. In both cases they may have extraordinary influence and skills. Take for example JS Bach who could write fugues where the motif played forwards, backwards, half speed, double speed and upside down, all at the same time. The mental skills for that seem to me to be non-human. Wagner, for all his personality prejudices was capable of deep perception. From what I have read he worked with Parsifal for more than 20 years. It seems that he completed it just after a trip to Rennes le Chateau. www.rennes-le-chateau-rhedae.com/On my visit to R le C I encountered the Being that sponsors the new world religion. Perhaps W did also. As for Crowley, it seems that his post-mortem state was not what he wished. A decade ago I encountered him stuck on 5.4 (top of the personal mind) using his will to break through. Unfortunately for him his will was his personal will and therefore not much use. I approached him but he was excessively grumpy so left him to his futile concentration. I noticed however that some months later some one took pity on him and told him the secret. It is the heart that is the doorway. As for joining the elite, it rather depends on whether one is able to attract a sponsor. Both dark and light sponsors are available, but the host human is usually not a particularly well-formed instrument. Further the lesser dark sponsors are more interested in partying in the physical form - the form being disposable. The simple morality given in Masonry is an excellent start for those humans wishing to attract a light sponsor. There are of course visitors that incarnate as humans and they come with preformed agenda and sponsors. |
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Post by stewartedwards on Feb 18, 2013 0:51:23 GMT 9.5
how can we join with the elite? Well a conspiracy theorist or evangelical might argue you join the masons, and work your way up.  I would argue that you already are stephwolf. We all are we just have forgotten it. True there are those with immense power and financial wealth in our world and often they re looked on as the elite, but that is only one of the two strands. A bit like dna, there needs to be two. In this case for balance, and over time these strands intertwine, both serving a valuable function. The money/power strand is easy to see and they do hold a lot of earthly keys. But equally those of the light can find beauty in the smallest of things, can achieve things that those with money often seem to miss (like answer the internal questons, in some cases steer society safely, focus on the physical when often that is incidental to the quest etc), and can leave clues for future generations to find their way, as with certain operas, books, energy imprints etc. I like to use the mental construct of the ancient Enki and Enlil legends to help me make sense of this. Two brothers who are here but who take differeing views on how to interact with the human race. Enki caring, compassionate, Enlil more lets just get the job done and sod emm. (ok a bit dramatic licence I know). Anyhow to become elite simply silence yourself, learn to listen, differentiate, gain some inner skills and follow your heart, enjoy. It has taken me a decade and a half to get to this point and for many years I would spend several hours a day working on myself. In short - Know Yourself stepnwolf. |
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Post by paul on Mar 12, 2013 13:36:39 GMT 9.5
>for many years I would spend several hours a day working on myself. I spent a period of 5 years where I would meditate 4 times a day - more than 2 hours daily. I don't do nearly as much these days but that intense period established some fundamental skills and accumulations of light substance. These days I don't meet people prepared to put in such effort. To be fair, I did not meet them then either apart from some siddhis practitioners in the TM movement. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi |
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Post by LorrB on Mar 12, 2013 14:44:33 GMT 9.5
bloomin' heck ... foxfires reads 10 hours a day, Stewie and Paul meditate or work on themselves for several hours a day... no wonder woman get a bit touchy about all the work we are left to do  Being serious now.. can too much time be spent reaching for the heights? Isn't our job to help bring heaven to earth and not the other way round? |
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Post by paul on Mar 12, 2013 15:03:13 GMT 9.5
>can too much time be spent reaching for the heights? Certainly. Long periods of spiritual practice really need supervision - to deal with improper practices and with unready practitioners. > Isn't our job to help bring heaven to earth and not the other way round? Quite so, but the heavens need to find a non-repugnant vehicle in which to anchor. "The sons of wisdom, the sons of night, ready for re-birth, came down. They saw the vile forms of the first third. "we can choose," said the lords, "we have wisdom." some entered the chhayas. Some projected a spark. Some deferred till the fourth (race). From their own essence they filled the kama. Those who received but a spark remained destitute of knowledge. The spark burnt low. The third remained mind-less. Their jivas (monads) were not ready. These were set apart among the seven. They (became the) narrow-headed. The third were ready. In these shall we dwell, said the lords of the flame and of the dark wisdom." www.sacred-texts.com/the/sd/sd2-1-08.htm |
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Post by stewartedwards on Mar 12, 2013 19:24:17 GMT 9.5
Being serious now.. can too much time be spent reaching for the heights? Isn't our job to help bring heaven to earth and not the other way round? I dont know about too much time, but I do know that I recognised the point to slow down. It was when I was able to see both the cog and the wheel. My little insignificant place in the scheme of things as well as the intricate beauty of life as a whole. I recognised that it was at that point as I surveyed the landscape, combined with understanding my relationship with God, that I knew that I had to rebalance again, and walk back from where I came towards the darkness. Hopefully though not reentering darkness myself, simply balancing the two so that I could do a bit more of what I do in a relevant way in our world. You see the trouble with going too far towards the light is that you do become ineffective in this material world. Truth be told I am still getting this balance right. My weight has gone haywire. But that isn't really an issue for I can now see much more clearly how I can use the skills I have to make a positive impact on our world. Though I doubt my current government would agree given that I am heavily critical of them. At least in my country that is a freedom I have. Truth be told I actually feel a bit sorry for my government for I can clearly see how the grab for power (its a coalition) brought out some base human instincts, while they went down an austerity strict accounting route seemingly disregarding the social levers and their interaction, and not seemingly understanding esoteric laws like the law of unintended consequences. I do have hopes that they will take some positive steps forwards, but I am concerned about how the vulnerable are being marginalised in society [mind you my family is part of that so there is a bit of self interest]. The best that I can relate it to the little I know about masonic ceremonies etc, is to consider a master of a lodge who then realises that he has to go back from where he came and illuminate the way for those who follow him. But in a very real, everyday life situation, not in the confines of a lodge. I can tell you it is very scary. Admittedly I have had a relatively unusual life, and have no real experience of inspiring people, so when a few years back several distinct groups of people started to peer recognise me in little ways simultaneously, I actually found that rather hard to deal with. I had no reference points, no experience, no guidance. Then I realised that trying to inspire as opposed to bumbling and stumbling your way there was even more difficult. So now I just let life unfold and do what I can. It is I think all any of us can do. I am just glad that I live in a country where I can criticise my government, and where I can hope that our government manages to empower our nation and not fracture further. In many countries I would be a political prisoner being tortured. It is a bit arrogant, even I recognise that, but I really do think that I could do a better job. It is getting to do it is the difficult bit. Especially when my interest lies with global politics not British politics (our national parliament - Westminster - often reminds me of bairns in the playground the way our MPs act - its all televised). Still, one for Paul, the Lodge of Light has been called to order. So I am hopeful that over coming years, if European war can be avoided (the President of Luxembourg has today warned about its possible reemergence, as has Poland etc over the last year), that our world will begin to reilluminate more rapidly. I can only hope that our European politicians dont stumble down that dark road again. One of my reasons for wanting to get in there is to do my best to help prevent it. But I would have to admit that even I am clueless at the moment as to how I could do that. Still I now know how to sort my own country out so that is a start. I may not hold a position of power but still I see me writing things and even as quick as a few days later the same sentiments appearing in relevant places, which is satisfying, for even if sheer coincidence, or simply noticing what is already there, at least it shows that I am leading the curve, even if my words have had zero impact. |
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Post by stepnwolf on Mar 12, 2013 19:52:14 GMT 9.5
bloomin' heck ... foxfires reads 10 hours a day, Stewie and Paul meditate or work on themselves for several hours a day... no wonder woman get a bit touchy about all the work we are left to do Being serious now.. can too much time be spent reaching for the heights? Isn't our job to help bring heaven to earth and not the other way round? Bro. Lorr, May I assure you, Lorr, that some of us do not deliberately put ourselves on such spiritual treadmills? Now, I may spend some hours on the computer, but that is profitable play or entertainment. As a sage once wrote, “It is better to do ones dharma poorly than another's well.” There have been periods when I feel possessed and I work intensely to relieve that pressure. Otherwise I'm rather a laid-back fellow. Being a householder, you are fulfilling your Dharma in washing dishes and bathing children. Only a man could have written those words about women. I do wonder if HBP ever had to wash her own undies. It does appear that each of us choose our own Dharma, either householder or sage, but it is illusion. We slip into the place made specifically for us, to do the work specifically designed for us. We are told that to rebel against our Dharma is to hinder the progress of the universe, but I wonder about that. Could our rebels mark the quantum leaps of our species. It's difficult for me to say since I am quite happy being a cog in the universal machine. YOU, on the other hand, will have to choose the path you take. |
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Post by LorrB on Mar 13, 2013 7:40:31 GMT 9.5
Being a householder, you are fulfilling your Dharma in washing dishes and bathing children. .  I also work full time as an accountant, take care of an aged and incapacitated mother, keep my local lodge up and running smoothly, support my husband in all his laudable endeavours, and for the last 7 years have been endeavouring, with the help of my friends, to fan the spiritual embers which still remain in some areas of modern Freemasonry. In my spare time ...  |
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Post by LorrB on Mar 13, 2013 7:44:06 GMT 9.5
Two headed eagle and the number 30  |
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Post by stepnwolf on Mar 13, 2013 18:58:39 GMT 9.5
Bro. Lorr,
I hope you noticed the irony in the next sentence of that post, "Being a householder, you are fulfilling your Dharma in washing dishes and bathing children. Only a man could have written those words about women. I do wonder if HBP ever had to wash her own undies. I sometimes wonder if the sages ever rose above their condition of being a male member of the human species.
I would say you are fulfilling your Dharma in spades, as they say. Both HPB and AB walked away from their marriages. A couple of American MPGCs dissolved their unions, presumably to fulfill their personal Dharmas. I cannot judge, but it does seem the one's own Dharma beats the conventions of our culture.
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Post by LorrB on Mar 13, 2013 20:22:25 GMT 9.5
Hi stepn.. yes I did note that bit but it would have ruined my post so I chose not to quote it... cheeky me Yes, I have wondered about the high flyers who don't bother so much about wedding vows... for better or worse, etc. |
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Post by stepnwolf on Mar 17, 2013 23:11:25 GMT 9.5
After living 77 years it seems that some of us have the opportunity to review the choices we've made up to that point in life. In most cases, there is little we can do about most of our choices except lament or accept. Lament is a natural response and accept is an act of will; ideally we can do both.
In my own life and probably in the lives of most people, we start out on a thoughtless journey, putting one step in front of the other automatically. There is a moment when we have to decide which path to take: the familiar road or The Road Less Traveled (see book by the same name by M. Scott Peck). Often we make the wrong choice and upon that road we are allowed to make still another choice of continuing the course or veering toward that path laid out specifically for ourselves, which is our Dharma.
At the end of, say, 75 years the pathways are in a jumble and difficult to understand. Still, if only the “correct” decisions are highlighted we may find that our path parallels the one laid out for us by our Dharma.
I don't know the mechanics involved, but it does seem that our Dharma inexorably (good word, that) draws us toward a predetermined conclusion. We have free will in the choices we make but with each choice we can either go with the flow or swim against it. This is a source of great consolation at the end of life where we have never scaled the heights, never figured brightly in any number of endeavors.
Next time around our choices will be better, hopefully, and the progress on our pathway more secure.
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Post by LorrB on Mar 18, 2013 7:56:35 GMT 9.5
Lament is a good word, don't you think? It could well be a mark of the person who is getting wiser, step by step. Wisdom endows one with clearer vision, we can see where or why we went wrong.
To allow oneself to remain trapped in lamenting past decisions is a bit of a waste of time, even bad decisions can be a valuable educational resource. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again... as that song says.
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Post by LorrB on Mar 18, 2013 8:07:11 GMT 9.5
stepnwolf ... 77, got plans for the next 20 or so years? I am 10 years behind you and with retirement in sight, I am pondering what my future endeavours might include. I do intend to spend time on Paul's 21 steps... etc and practical work along those lines. I guess I will eventually do some volunteering somewhere or t'other. I would also like to attempt some artwork which might reflect a degree of spirituality with being soppy. Painting something that stirs the viewer without them being able to define what it is. I can dream... |
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Post by paul on Mar 18, 2013 8:11:24 GMT 9.5
>To allow oneself to remain trapped in lamenting past decisions is a bit of a waste of time
The past exists as an energy field and is therefore subject to direct management. It may be cleansed and reformed.
It not necessary to live with a regretted past.
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Post by paul on Mar 18, 2013 8:13:42 GMT 9.5
> Painting something that stirs the viewer without them being able to define what it is
Painting such is an interesting spiritual exercise: placing one's attention upon the entity or field and expressing the energy through intent and hand movements on to the canvas.
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Post by LorrB on Mar 19, 2013 7:43:06 GMT 9.5
uh-ho ... When someone calls me Sweet Lorraine I KNOW I am in trouble... ;D
Actually, this thread is proving quite informative - it is a bit like sitting around in a circle and telling each other a little bit (or lots) about ourselves.
... over a dinner table with some fine reds would be even better. Wouldn't it be nice.
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Post by stepnwolf on Mar 20, 2013 22:25:01 GMT 9.5
The question of the speed and intensity of self-development prompts me to relate a personal experience. Since my middle teens I had been studying occultism and attempting to reproduce the phenomena described in the literature – with little and disappointing results.
Then a colleague at work confessed to me that she felt she was under psychic attack by a former boyfriend. I brazenly undertook an exorcism almost on the spot with no noticeable results. That night I was awakened by a bolt of fear that seared me with the thought, “How dare you?” I could hear only the ends of his words, which were evidently in French.
When I spoke with my friend the next day, she told me that the former boyfriend was Italian but fluent in French. My next thought was that he was using a Grimoire and was way beyond me in the dark arts. Being a devout coward, I confessed that the task was beyond my meager efforts. My impression was that the impassioned Italian got over his snit and later moved on.
What did I learn from this experience? For myself, just don't mess with dangerous stuff and always work with groups. If I had consulted with my teacher at the time, I'm fairly certain that I could have avoided the experience altogether. In other words, Make haste slowly.
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Post by LorrB on Mar 23, 2013 13:58:49 GMT 9.5
Freemasonry teaches likewise.
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