taijasi
Gnōthi seauton
Foundation??
I’d like to offer a response to this question, which originally was posted under the Christianity forums. A forewarning, to anyone of a strictly Christian mindset, is that this post will almost certainly seem controversial to you. But rather than offer an opinion where it will almost certainly be misunderstood or misinterpreted, I would like to give a response where it will not be out of place.
In simple terms, I would agree with anyone who states that Christianity’s foundation is that Being Whom we refer to as The Christ. And the implications for me of invoking such a name, title and Being, are so broad that even this simple statement needs elucidation. If the immediate association is made by some with the man known to history as Jesus of Nazareth, then I would have to say, yes – Christianity’s foundation was rooted firmly through the contributions of this Great Initiate, and without his assistance, the task could not have gone forward as it did!
The further implications, just in considering the contributions of Jesus of Nazareth, really go beyond a scope of which we are capable of even pondering. We must only assume, at least from the esoteric perspective, that this Initiate, Jesus of Galilee, made a tremendous sacrifice by incarnating when he did (105BC), under the circumstances he accepted, and with full awareness (as a Soul) of the incredible amount of discipline that would be necessary in order to prepare for his mission which would climax after age 30.
Here then, is full credit where credit’s due, although I believe history will likely never know the contribution made by this Great One, as he lived not simply a life of truly selfless service, going about doing the Lord’s business, but finally renouncing even the very Temple itself, in acquiescence to His Master. And for three years history tells us of what Christed Jesus accomplished, as an even Greater Initiate worked out God’s Plan for us before our very eyes, in flesh & blood, through the creative word, with the energies of healing, and by demonstrating the Perfected State as only He, among the masses, could demonstrate it. Not without His helpers was the Lord of Love, yet they but extended slightly an aura whose Radiance, whose Beauty, whose extreme Compassion and whose Dignity of Presence was capable of stirring even the dullest of the crowd into appreciation and wonder.
Because The Christ of 2100 years ago was capable, even then, of evoking the slumbering Christ within, St. Paul’s “Hope of Glory,” we must remember the obvious yet overlooked aspect of the Christ which is “no further than our own elbow,” as my colleague at work used to remind me. The foundation of Christianity, for everyone who is capable of recognizing that “Christ within us all,” is as truly the Inner, Spiritual Heart of Humanity, as it is the Great Master who overshadowed Jesus of Nazareth. We might consider these as the feminine and masculine aspects of a Divine Couple … and the Gnostic tradition recognizes Sophia as the name of the “female” (the Spark, or Christ within), while the Eastern traditions speak of Kwan-Yin & Kwan-Shai-Yin, and the Egyptian provides Isis and Horus. Regardless as to which religious tradition we investigate, or which historical period and culture we consider, this concept of the “Christ wthin” can be clearly found, since it is a Universal phenomenon and aspect of being. Would that more members of the Race of Men would seek first to recognize that spark, then make room in their hearts for the particular vehicle in which it dwells, whatever the outward appearance, habits, or disposition thereof. Perhaps the word that gets forgotten is Neighbor, even more so than forgiveness.
Besides the presence of the Christ within our Brother-Sister Neighbor, as well as in its Perfected Form, the Individualized Soul whom we call `The Christ,’ I feel it is helpful to recall that Christ distinguishes Himself “as the Christ” from The Father, describing the relationship as being one of mutual residing (or mutual abiding). A Buddhist may grasp this easily, but we most often want to try and consolidate things in the West. If we must, then let us at least consolidate in the proper order. “I and the Father are One” is not unlike saying, “This pair of sunglasses is mine.” The sunglasses are yours, yes, but they do not contain you; if anything, vice versa.
Unfortunately, here we find ourselves at the confines, or outer reaches, of the “allowable space” in the contemplations of many, for just exactly Whom and What Christ really is. After all, even if it is accepted that God the Father represents an Aspect of Being beyond Christ (again, Our Father obviously being common to us all, yet accessible only via a GATE whose name we give Christ) … how could it even occur to many people that yet Higher Orders of Being exist? What sense will it make to say that Christ represents for us a Universal Spirit, which has other incarnations or presentations upon every other planet in Cosmos, and has even had former incarnations upon this one? Certainly some object because through confusion it is not believed that Christed Jesus taught the Law of Rebirth, yet the error should not be compounded by hostility or defensiveness …
If anything, the evidence should be examined afresh (indeed, for many people, it would be the first time they have ever even thought about it). It will be found that God is not a God of favorites, nor of favors, nor of wrath, nor a God who toys with His peoples throughout the world. No culture, no civilization, has been without Guidance. Where and when possible, Divine Representatives have either incarnated directly, or have provided as much of the Truth & Law (or `Ways of Righteousness,’ by which word we mean Noble and Altruistic Living) as people and world karma would permit. Often, almost universally, Christ’s Messengers have been shunned or brutally murdered, and the fixation upon the unfortunate fate of Jesus of Nazareth is a morbid and unnecessary sidetrack to the real message and Purpose of Christianity. The evidence is plain – God sends His prophets, yet the people often do not hear. When they do, and if they capitulate, there is cause for Rejoicing, and truly such Good News as was received should not be forgotten – but should be renewed, daily, in the hearts of the faithful.
Where many will part company, however, is with the shortsighted misconception that Christ has only come for some small, select portion of the Race – as if the SON OF GOD was a Being of favors and favorites, any more than His Father. He has appeared without fail to every generation of Seeker, since ere this world began (“Before Abraham, I AM”), and He pledges Himself to see the face of the Very Last Pilgrim delivered unto the Father – as the OMEGA of Human Creation. Even clearly He spoke of the full scope of His long Mission, when He said, “Other sheep have I, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd” (John 10:16).
If we would know the foundations of Christianity, then let us acknowledge that the very bedrock we’re speaking of is less tangible (or, material) than Christed Jesus Himself – and again, a word of caution is necessary due to the theological error of confounding Spirit with its various vehicles of manifestation. Is the man who gets into a car, to drive to Sunday Mass, suddenly become the car, at his use of the automobile? Really, I find it amazing the ever-winding corridors full of unnecessary inventions which various theological schools have found themselves forced to create, as they strayed farther and farther from simplicity. To wit: God, Incarnate(d His Love Aspect) in the man we call Christ (for a time), then returned to that state whence we all issue, where God remains the “First among brethren,” yet where even the last/least among us has a seat at the Father’s Table.
It remains rather misunderstood that The Christ, and Christed Jesus have stepped forward well ahead of the rest of Humanity to take their appointed seat in the Father’s Council Chamber, and help advance the slow wheel of Progress for Humanity by turns that would otherwise require us thousands of years of slow, relentless plodding … were we without this merciful assistance. Moreover, it is usually overlooked that The Christ (known in the East as The Bodhisattva), and He Who has long been known in the East as St. Issa, have an entire retinue of Assistants, Divine Compatriots, and even, Heavenly Counterparts – from our sister evolution, the Devic, or Angelic Kingdom. While The Christ numbers among His direct Disciples all those Whom esotericists term `The Masters of the Wisdom’ (Master Jesus being one such Master), it is forgotten that as the Teacher alike of Angels and of Men, The Christ also finds under His direct guidance Mighty Archangels of equal rank, dignity, and composure. Long has the Catholic Church born an esoteric truth and pearl of Wisdom in Her recognition of Mary, Mother of Jesus as a Divine Being, yet so confounded has she been by the real significance and implications thereof.
Mary, just as dozens of other Great Initiates, has trodden the Path of Purity, Devotion, Service and Sacrifice to one of its many possible conclusions – as far as Earthly evolution provides, having been “Assumed” into the position of World Mother. Or actually, after attaining Mastership as a female, her choice was to enter into the Devic (Angelic) evolution, serving now Individually yet also as the (Spiritual) Embodiment of a Divine Aspect, known variously as Parvati, Kwan Yin, Ishtar/Astarte, Hathor-Isis, and of course, Lady Mary (in the Hindu, Chinese, Chaldean-Phoenician, Egyptian, and Christian forms, respectively). And the connection with my mention earlier of Kwan Yin as the consort of Kwan-Shai-Yin (or The Christ) … will surely confuse all who try to forcibly imagine the very Mother of Jesus Himself as Christ’s own consort!!!
But this is what results when Abstract relationships become objectified and concretized, for as H. P. Blavatsky truly said, “The mind is the great slayer of the Real.” Thus, Father, Son and Holy Spirit having been sufficiently anthropomorphized, of all these three, only The Holy Spirit remains as somewhat of an abstraction. Yet remind the Christian that this same Holy Spirit is not at odds with God the Mother, or as I have attempted to show, with The Lady Mary as the representation of the Divine Feminine, and even the Third Aspect of Deity will collapse into obscurity, buried under the weight of the images that we come to identify with it (`Her’). Still, in this most extended Aspect of Deity, which is also the immediately closest Aspect in terms of our own, prodigal Human nature, we can find the first of the three doors to our Redemption.
The final part of my response to the question of Christianity’s Foundation, then, would be an emphasis on the very Teachings which were provided by Christed Jesus, the smallest fragment of which appear in published (if corrupted) form as various portions of the New Testament. The true foundations in terms of Holy Scripture will naturally include many of the Apocryphal, Gnostic, and otherwise “heretical” Gospels, some of these preserving the truer record of Christ’s words & works, and even in far more useful (relevant) form for the present day & age. But blind superstitions have come to rule a tradition that was already forgotten ages ago, as confusion and controversy existed before the Master even left this earth! The esoteric records detailing both His life, and His secret teachings having been partially revealed in recent centuries, the true Foundation of Christianity – in terms of understanding its origins, purpose, and proper role in the present stage of Human history … is more within our grasp than ever before! Would that the skeptical, mistrusting, frightened and confused Christian would see out from the miasma of glamour, cast aside the smothering hand of ecclesiastical “authority,” and find the larger, warmer Heart of the Mother of the World – ready to receive her, as ever Sophia has been, religion after religion and age after age!
If I raise an eyebrow with this response to what seems so simple a question, then let it be either out of pure inquiry, or in the very least, from some degree of obfuscation that I have no doubt imposed upon an otherwise lucid understanding of the subject. If what one feels is resistance, then (if Christian) I would heartily recommend a retreat into the familiarity of one’s Holy Bible (New Testament teachings, specifically), and further pondering of the Four Synoptics – especially John, whose mystical connotations will, with time (I am sure), bring one to an understanding not far akin from that which I have loosely and inadequately characterized here.
Namaskara,
taijasi
I’d like to offer a response to this question, which originally was posted under the Christianity forums. A forewarning, to anyone of a strictly Christian mindset, is that this post will almost certainly seem controversial to you. But rather than offer an opinion where it will almost certainly be misunderstood or misinterpreted, I would like to give a response where it will not be out of place.
In simple terms, I would agree with anyone who states that Christianity’s foundation is that Being Whom we refer to as The Christ. And the implications for me of invoking such a name, title and Being, are so broad that even this simple statement needs elucidation. If the immediate association is made by some with the man known to history as Jesus of Nazareth, then I would have to say, yes – Christianity’s foundation was rooted firmly through the contributions of this Great Initiate, and without his assistance, the task could not have gone forward as it did!
The further implications, just in considering the contributions of Jesus of Nazareth, really go beyond a scope of which we are capable of even pondering. We must only assume, at least from the esoteric perspective, that this Initiate, Jesus of Galilee, made a tremendous sacrifice by incarnating when he did (105BC), under the circumstances he accepted, and with full awareness (as a Soul) of the incredible amount of discipline that would be necessary in order to prepare for his mission which would climax after age 30.
Here then, is full credit where credit’s due, although I believe history will likely never know the contribution made by this Great One, as he lived not simply a life of truly selfless service, going about doing the Lord’s business, but finally renouncing even the very Temple itself, in acquiescence to His Master. And for three years history tells us of what Christed Jesus accomplished, as an even Greater Initiate worked out God’s Plan for us before our very eyes, in flesh & blood, through the creative word, with the energies of healing, and by demonstrating the Perfected State as only He, among the masses, could demonstrate it. Not without His helpers was the Lord of Love, yet they but extended slightly an aura whose Radiance, whose Beauty, whose extreme Compassion and whose Dignity of Presence was capable of stirring even the dullest of the crowd into appreciation and wonder.
Because The Christ of 2100 years ago was capable, even then, of evoking the slumbering Christ within, St. Paul’s “Hope of Glory,” we must remember the obvious yet overlooked aspect of the Christ which is “no further than our own elbow,” as my colleague at work used to remind me. The foundation of Christianity, for everyone who is capable of recognizing that “Christ within us all,” is as truly the Inner, Spiritual Heart of Humanity, as it is the Great Master who overshadowed Jesus of Nazareth. We might consider these as the feminine and masculine aspects of a Divine Couple … and the Gnostic tradition recognizes Sophia as the name of the “female” (the Spark, or Christ within), while the Eastern traditions speak of Kwan-Yin & Kwan-Shai-Yin, and the Egyptian provides Isis and Horus. Regardless as to which religious tradition we investigate, or which historical period and culture we consider, this concept of the “Christ wthin” can be clearly found, since it is a Universal phenomenon and aspect of being. Would that more members of the Race of Men would seek first to recognize that spark, then make room in their hearts for the particular vehicle in which it dwells, whatever the outward appearance, habits, or disposition thereof. Perhaps the word that gets forgotten is Neighbor, even more so than forgiveness.
Besides the presence of the Christ within our Brother-Sister Neighbor, as well as in its Perfected Form, the Individualized Soul whom we call `The Christ,’ I feel it is helpful to recall that Christ distinguishes Himself “as the Christ” from The Father, describing the relationship as being one of mutual residing (or mutual abiding). A Buddhist may grasp this easily, but we most often want to try and consolidate things in the West. If we must, then let us at least consolidate in the proper order. “I and the Father are One” is not unlike saying, “This pair of sunglasses is mine.” The sunglasses are yours, yes, but they do not contain you; if anything, vice versa.
Unfortunately, here we find ourselves at the confines, or outer reaches, of the “allowable space” in the contemplations of many, for just exactly Whom and What Christ really is. After all, even if it is accepted that God the Father represents an Aspect of Being beyond Christ (again, Our Father obviously being common to us all, yet accessible only via a GATE whose name we give Christ) … how could it even occur to many people that yet Higher Orders of Being exist? What sense will it make to say that Christ represents for us a Universal Spirit, which has other incarnations or presentations upon every other planet in Cosmos, and has even had former incarnations upon this one? Certainly some object because through confusion it is not believed that Christed Jesus taught the Law of Rebirth, yet the error should not be compounded by hostility or defensiveness …
If anything, the evidence should be examined afresh (indeed, for many people, it would be the first time they have ever even thought about it). It will be found that God is not a God of favorites, nor of favors, nor of wrath, nor a God who toys with His peoples throughout the world. No culture, no civilization, has been without Guidance. Where and when possible, Divine Representatives have either incarnated directly, or have provided as much of the Truth & Law (or `Ways of Righteousness,’ by which word we mean Noble and Altruistic Living) as people and world karma would permit. Often, almost universally, Christ’s Messengers have been shunned or brutally murdered, and the fixation upon the unfortunate fate of Jesus of Nazareth is a morbid and unnecessary sidetrack to the real message and Purpose of Christianity. The evidence is plain – God sends His prophets, yet the people often do not hear. When they do, and if they capitulate, there is cause for Rejoicing, and truly such Good News as was received should not be forgotten – but should be renewed, daily, in the hearts of the faithful.
Where many will part company, however, is with the shortsighted misconception that Christ has only come for some small, select portion of the Race – as if the SON OF GOD was a Being of favors and favorites, any more than His Father. He has appeared without fail to every generation of Seeker, since ere this world began (“Before Abraham, I AM”), and He pledges Himself to see the face of the Very Last Pilgrim delivered unto the Father – as the OMEGA of Human Creation. Even clearly He spoke of the full scope of His long Mission, when He said, “Other sheep have I, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd” (John 10:16).
If we would know the foundations of Christianity, then let us acknowledge that the very bedrock we’re speaking of is less tangible (or, material) than Christed Jesus Himself – and again, a word of caution is necessary due to the theological error of confounding Spirit with its various vehicles of manifestation. Is the man who gets into a car, to drive to Sunday Mass, suddenly become the car, at his use of the automobile? Really, I find it amazing the ever-winding corridors full of unnecessary inventions which various theological schools have found themselves forced to create, as they strayed farther and farther from simplicity. To wit: God, Incarnate(d His Love Aspect) in the man we call Christ (for a time), then returned to that state whence we all issue, where God remains the “First among brethren,” yet where even the last/least among us has a seat at the Father’s Table.
It remains rather misunderstood that The Christ, and Christed Jesus have stepped forward well ahead of the rest of Humanity to take their appointed seat in the Father’s Council Chamber, and help advance the slow wheel of Progress for Humanity by turns that would otherwise require us thousands of years of slow, relentless plodding … were we without this merciful assistance. Moreover, it is usually overlooked that The Christ (known in the East as The Bodhisattva), and He Who has long been known in the East as St. Issa, have an entire retinue of Assistants, Divine Compatriots, and even, Heavenly Counterparts – from our sister evolution, the Devic, or Angelic Kingdom. While The Christ numbers among His direct Disciples all those Whom esotericists term `The Masters of the Wisdom’ (Master Jesus being one such Master), it is forgotten that as the Teacher alike of Angels and of Men, The Christ also finds under His direct guidance Mighty Archangels of equal rank, dignity, and composure. Long has the Catholic Church born an esoteric truth and pearl of Wisdom in Her recognition of Mary, Mother of Jesus as a Divine Being, yet so confounded has she been by the real significance and implications thereof.
Mary, just as dozens of other Great Initiates, has trodden the Path of Purity, Devotion, Service and Sacrifice to one of its many possible conclusions – as far as Earthly evolution provides, having been “Assumed” into the position of World Mother. Or actually, after attaining Mastership as a female, her choice was to enter into the Devic (Angelic) evolution, serving now Individually yet also as the (Spiritual) Embodiment of a Divine Aspect, known variously as Parvati, Kwan Yin, Ishtar/Astarte, Hathor-Isis, and of course, Lady Mary (in the Hindu, Chinese, Chaldean-Phoenician, Egyptian, and Christian forms, respectively). And the connection with my mention earlier of Kwan Yin as the consort of Kwan-Shai-Yin (or The Christ) … will surely confuse all who try to forcibly imagine the very Mother of Jesus Himself as Christ’s own consort!!!
But this is what results when Abstract relationships become objectified and concretized, for as H. P. Blavatsky truly said, “The mind is the great slayer of the Real.” Thus, Father, Son and Holy Spirit having been sufficiently anthropomorphized, of all these three, only The Holy Spirit remains as somewhat of an abstraction. Yet remind the Christian that this same Holy Spirit is not at odds with God the Mother, or as I have attempted to show, with The Lady Mary as the representation of the Divine Feminine, and even the Third Aspect of Deity will collapse into obscurity, buried under the weight of the images that we come to identify with it (`Her’). Still, in this most extended Aspect of Deity, which is also the immediately closest Aspect in terms of our own, prodigal Human nature, we can find the first of the three doors to our Redemption.
The final part of my response to the question of Christianity’s Foundation, then, would be an emphasis on the very Teachings which were provided by Christed Jesus, the smallest fragment of which appear in published (if corrupted) form as various portions of the New Testament. The true foundations in terms of Holy Scripture will naturally include many of the Apocryphal, Gnostic, and otherwise “heretical” Gospels, some of these preserving the truer record of Christ’s words & works, and even in far more useful (relevant) form for the present day & age. But blind superstitions have come to rule a tradition that was already forgotten ages ago, as confusion and controversy existed before the Master even left this earth! The esoteric records detailing both His life, and His secret teachings having been partially revealed in recent centuries, the true Foundation of Christianity – in terms of understanding its origins, purpose, and proper role in the present stage of Human history … is more within our grasp than ever before! Would that the skeptical, mistrusting, frightened and confused Christian would see out from the miasma of glamour, cast aside the smothering hand of ecclesiastical “authority,” and find the larger, warmer Heart of the Mother of the World – ready to receive her, as ever Sophia has been, religion after religion and age after age!
If I raise an eyebrow with this response to what seems so simple a question, then let it be either out of pure inquiry, or in the very least, from some degree of obfuscation that I have no doubt imposed upon an otherwise lucid understanding of the subject. If what one feels is resistance, then (if Christian) I would heartily recommend a retreat into the familiarity of one’s Holy Bible (New Testament teachings, specifically), and further pondering of the Four Synoptics – especially John, whose mystical connotations will, with time (I am sure), bring one to an understanding not far akin from that which I have loosely and inadequately characterized here.
Namaskara,
taijasi
