But before you take up the Feng Shui study it is important to know that there are many schools of Feng Shui and there are many variations that exist within each school. What ever school you might consider for your Feng Shui study, remember the basic principles and theories (Feng Shui elements, concept of yin and yang, Feng Shui Colors ) would remain the same but there can be some variation in the tools that are used for analysis and interpretations.

The following information provides you a brief introduction to various schools of Feng Shui:

Flying Star Feng Shui

Flying Star or Xuan Kong Feng Shui is the most advanced level of Feng Shui study, it adds a time dimension to a building’s energy. The advanced Compass School also integrates the Eight House Theory to provide a comprehensive & professional analysis of a house.

Feng Shui study under this school enables you to predict the good times and the bad times from year to year, month to month and day to-day based which are based on the natal or the birth day chart of each house.

Feng Shui consultant of this school suggests enhancements for every home after a complete Feng Shui study is made to know how the nine different “stars” or energies are moving or flying to different compass directions every year, month, day and hour. Base Charts of all nine periods are constructed based on the study. The residents’ dates of birth are also taken into account. The school also gives consideration to the form as it affects the stars.

Compass School Feng Shui

Compass School divides the structure into the eight compass directions using a lo pan compass. Each person has four good compass directions and four bad compass directions which are based on their year of birth and gender, the person either belongs to either the East Group or the West Group. A building’s sitting direction determines whether it is an East or West Group structure. Each compass direction has a Feng Shui element associated with it: water, wood, earth, metal, or fire. A Feng Shui consultant who is proponent of this school suggests best compass directions for sleeping and working which can tremendous affect for improving your life.

Form School Feng Shui
Under the ‘The Form School of Feng Shui’ one makes a systematic Feng Shui study to understand how the shapes and forms of the surrounding landscape and waterways affect people living or working in a structure. The four cardinal directions of the compass are represented by four animals which are the Green Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Red Phoenix of the South and the Black Turtle of the North. Interior forms and the layout of the structure are also analyzed and Feng Shui consultation is made by understanding the many implications of the color.

Western Feng Shui/BTB (Black Hat Sect Tibetan Buddhist)/Pyramid

This is a modern version of Feng Shui developed in the mid 1980s and is a combination of Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism ,Psychology and Traditional Feng Shui and is based on a more spiritual approach. The structure is divided into eight sections and a bagua or Ba Gua map is aligned with the entry door, rather than actual compass directions. Each section corresponds to a different life aspiration. The Feng Shui study gives more emphasis on placing of symbols. The Feng Shui consultation also draws from modern psychology and design principles besides the ancient wisdom. Its guiding principle is that changing the subtle energetic (Chi) alignments and flows in a given space can change a situation’s inherent intention, hence changing the fate of its inhabitants.

Feng Shui Study

One can go for Feng Shui study for any of the Feng Shui School mentioned above in a distance learning mode. There are available many certified continuing education providers on the internet.

The Feng Shui study helps you to have deep and clear understanding of the energetics of environment; discovering how to begin balancing and positively activating energy in your working and living environments. It is only after a proper Feng Shui study that you are in position to explore new ideas and techniques and learn to extend the basic principles of Feng Shui to healing your body, mind and spirit.

Heaven, or the Kingdom of God, is an inner state, a condition within the consciousness where peace, harmony, bliss, love, compassion, wisdom, and power rules supreme. Divine union with the source of our being effects the transcendence of man’s awareness and transports him into the corona of the greater Flame, into the kingdom of Life. This is the unio mystica and the ascension sought by Christian mystics and saints ever since the resurrection of the Master Jesus.

The Essenes

There was a pre-Christian sect called “the Essenes” that was influential in the moulding of Christianity, and it behooves us to look at them briefly.

According to tradition, the Essenes are said to have originated centuries before the advent of the embodiment of Love and Purity, represented by Jesus and John–the Harbinger. This unique segment of the Great White Brotherhood is said to have originated in Egypt, and is related with the Theraputae, a sect that specialized in healing, to be found among the nations surrounding the Mediterranean. Some esoteric historians trace their roots to the school of prophets established by Samuel–the Prophet, who anointed Saul as King of Israel. The brethren of this mysterious sect were sometimes referred to as “the Mysterious Ones,” “the Secret Ones,” and “the Silent Ones,” on account of their mystical practices, disciplines, behaviour, and the expression and habits of their normal secular life. A community of Essenes once resided along the shores of Lake Moeris, in Egypt. Some of the members were celibates, those that married probably practiced specific spiritual exercises that permitted lofty souls to incarnate. Like the Christ initiate, the Essenes abhorred animal-sacrifices. It is probable that the former adopted this attitude from the latter. The Essenes had no slaves nor servants, and lived communally, sharing worldly goods; and cooperating harmoniously with every venture that they undertook. They were healers, and made much use of herbs, minerals, the “laying of hands,” and invocation of the healing angels. Members of the community were considered holy and pious by outsiders of their group.

Nothing is mentioned concerning the Essenes in the New Testament except for a hint or two regarding the mysterious men in white who often appeared to the disciples of the Nazarene Master to offer words of advise. The white woolen robes that they wore, which suggests pre-Islamic Sufism, apparently signifies their status symbol as higher degree members. From the dietary aspect of their way of life, the Essenes were known to be vegetarians; they are also believed to be “God-eaters,” a term indicating the ability to nourish the physical body with the life-giving qualities to be found in the pranic ethers. This and the harmonious attunement with other Cosmic forces may account for their unusually long life span ranging from a hundred to a hundred and twenty years.

Roman historians such as Pliny, referred to the Essenes in their writings in a somewhat sketchy manner, due to the private and isolated lives that the Essenes led. The absence of any concrete references to the Essenes in the Bible is a fact worth considering. While the other influential sects upon Judaic’s social milieu were mentioned, such as, the Sadducees and the Nazarites, the compilers and writers of the gospels for some reason thought it necessary to leave the Essenes out of their texts; or could it be that references regarding their existence and activities were deliberately expunged from the gospels for political reasons by Church Fathers? It is noteworthy that while Jesus criticized some of the other sects for their iniquities, he did not attack or condemn the Essenes. Was there a good reason for this? Certainly he must have known about them, being a son or initiate of the Mysteries.

It is believed by some esotericists that the parents of Jesus, Joseph and Mary, were Essenes. Jesus himself is said to have had his early spiritual training among the brotherhood. What Jesus taught in later years, in his ministry, resembled the precepts, doctrines, practices, and disciplines taught by the Essenes, such as the practice of baptism; invocation of higher forces and intelligences; the blessing of meals; the practice of prophecy and healing; teachings concerning the Kingdom of God; and angelology, or the science of energy-forces of Nature personified by those beings.

The Essenes appeared suddenly upon the world scene, and vanished with hardly a trace of their existence. It is often inquired by scholars regarding the purpose of the brotherhood’s establishment. It is conjectured by some, and supported by tradition, that the prime purpose of the institution of the Essene community was the preparation for the coming of the Messiah and his ministry here on Earth. When the Master Jesus disappeared from public view, so did the Essenes shortly after. Whether they chose to disband, or to operate in a clandestine manner, it is believed that a good deal of their doctrines found their way to other esoteric schools in later centuries such as Masonry, the Rosicrucian Brotherhood, the Knights Templar, and many others. Extensive manuscripts discovered in a cave at the Wadi Qumran along the shores of the Dead Sea in the latter half of this century is expected to shed more light on the Essene belief and lifestyle when the manuscripts are wholly made public. Nowadays there is a revival of the Essenes and that which may be regarded as Essenic thought among spiritual occultists.

The Esoteric Life of Jesus

Much of the hidden esoteric life of Jesus is unknown to followers of Orthodox Christianity. From their point of view, all important events that occurred in Jesus’ life were recorded in the canonical gospels and further inquiry into the matter is undesirable and of no importance; however, several questions are raised by scholars, the most notable are the lack of information of Jesus’ spiritual, mystical and secular training; and the non-chronicling of the activities of Jesus between the time of his debate with the Doctors of the Law in the Temple at age twelve and his sudden appearance at the River Jordon awaiting to be baptized by John in the prime of his manhood. What occurred in the interim? Though exoteric Christianity is silent on the subject, the esoteric side with its psychic investigations sheds some light upon the subject. One may well ask the validity of the information regarding the esoteric side of Jesus’ life–we can only suggest that it is as much valid as the canonical gospels–and there is more to this statement of ours than what a cursory apprehension can tell.

Much of what we are about to relate is derived from the book “The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus,” a manuscript scribed from what was witnessed in the akashic records by Levi, an American pastor of the 19th century. The events and account of Jesus’ life mention therein are supported by the investigations of other psychics and scholars. We will summarize the contents below and correlate them with other information:

Born to parents who were Essenes, Jesus was a normal child in every way except for being exceptionally bright and precocious. The three magi who visited the newly-born babe, are believed by students of esotericism to be the past incarnations of spiritual Masters familiar to Theosophists: El Morya, Kuthumi, and Dwal Kul. The Star of Bethlehem, witnessed by the magi, was, esoterically speaking, the highly developed causal body of the Initiate Jesus. The Star has a higher significance; however. A poet once wrote about the “trailing clouds of glory” that follows the birth of every child. The cloud that trailed behind the babe destined to be the Christ was exceptionally radiant. Incidentally, there was a prophecy among the magi that Zarathustra, or Zoroaster, declared to his followers that he would return again with his angels to lead them. Apparently, it would seem that the magi believed Jesus to be the reincarnated Zoroaster.

A holy figure keeps appearing in the pre-natal and early life of Jesus. He is known among the parents of Jesus and John–the Harbinger, as “Gabriel.” Judging from the interest that the Essenes had in the child Jesus and the characteristical nature of their higher ranking members, it is probable that Gabriel was one of their holy brethren who was an adept in the art of bilocation, or psychic projection. One of their members could also have been overshadowed by this lofty archangel. No matter how Gabriel manifested himself, he certainly was instrumental in conveying important matters and protecting the Holy Family from the attacks of negative forces.

Later, after receiving the news of a babe having been born and destined to be “King of Israel,” Herod ordered his soldiers to massacre every child in the kingdom. Joseph and Mary, the parents of Jesus, fled to Egypt taking the promised child with them. Thus far, the events mentioned are in accord with the canonical gospels; however, the accounts of Luke, Mark, Matthew and John fails to relate further developments which were essential to the spiritual upbringing of Jesus.

In Zoan, Egypt, Mary and her cousin were trained in the workings of Cosmic Law and were taught the spiritual doctrines by the Masters of the Egyptian Brotherhood. These various teachings were given to them to be later passed on to Jesus and his forerunner, John–the Harbinger, at the appropriate time. After a few years of educational activities, word was given to the mothers to return to Israel.

As a child, Jesus loved to read, and he enjoyed perusing the holy scriptures of the world such as the Avesta and the Vedas. He especially loved the Psalms of David, and committed most of the things he read to memory.

The Embodiment of Love revealed his nature for the first time in the narrative by subsequent events. A birthday feast was given by the grandparents of Jesus in his honour. When requested by the host as to the gift desired by Jesus, the child pleaded on behalf of the starving children to be found in the area. Permission was granted for the child to invite the famished ones to join the feast, and this filled the heart of the young Jesus with joy.

Even at an early age Jesus criticized animal-sacrifices practiced by the Jewish priesthood. Hillel, the head of the Sanhedrin, was unable to offer any solace to the grieving heart of Jesus regarding the blood-ceremony when the lad sought his assistance. Hillel, humbled by the sincerity and wisdom of Jesus offered to train the child concerning the exoteric law of the Jews. The early esoteric training of Jesus was with the Essene Brotherhood.

Once he complained to his mother of the narrow-mindedness of the Jews and voiced his desire to meet his “other brothers” in other nations to study of their ways. This opportunity came quickly when an Indian Raja visited the land, invited and offered to sponsor Jesus’ mystico-religious education in India.

It would be proper at this time to digress for a moment to point out the various ways with which the mystical and spiritual training of Jesus were effected. The following were his main modes of study and the acquisition of knowledge:

1) Attunement with the Cosmic Mind, with God’s Omniscience.

2) Recollection of knowledge and training from former life-times.

3) Personal observation of people, their beliefs, and way of life.

4) Personal research and study of ancient, secret manuscripts.

5) Tutorship under various Masters of Wisdom.

Back to our summary: In India, Jesus taught and studied; it was in India that he learnt the mystic art of healing. Here,among the Arya-Hindus, he made friends, and he made enemies. He spoke against the caste system which angered the Brahmins. The situation became so perilous that he was advised by a friend to flee. Circumstances being as it was, the young avatara decided to visit Nepal to carry on his ministry there. Prior to Jesus’ leave from India, he received news of his father’s death and wrote to his mother to console her. In Nepal he discovered from an Indian Master the existence of secret teachings in Tibet. He decided to read the texts himself and commenced his journey to the monastery in Tibet where they were kept. In the land of Lamaism, he is received warmly by Meng-Tse, a Chinese sage, who assisted him with his spiritual researches.

Certain manuscripts are said to have existed in one of the monasteries concerning Jesus’ sojourn in India and Tibet. Among the witnesses said to have seen or known about these manuscripts was the famous Russian painter, Nicholas Roerich.

After a brief stay in Tibet, the young avatara headed for Nazareth, his homeland, stopping in Persia and Assyria. In Persia he was received by the magi that visited him in Bethlehem when he was just a babe. Together, with several others, he meditated in silence upon the spiritual needs of mankind. His other activities in Persia, and later Assyria, included healing and preaching. Among the Persians he instructed the “few” a meditational process of mystical development. In Babylon, Assyria, he visited some ruins in the company of Ashbina, a mystic Master of the Land. Shortly after, he is homeward bound. Following his reunion with mother, family, and friends, he sets on the trail again, this time for Greece and Egypt.

It was in Egypt that he applied for initiation into the Mysteries of the Egyptian branch of the Great White Brotherhood–like his western predecessors before him–Plato and Pythagoras. After passing several tests with honors, the hierophants of the Brotherhood initiates the Nazarene into the deepest secrets of Man, Nature, and God. This culminates in his graduation with the title “Christ.”

Before leaving for Nazareth, the crowned Jesus, with an important mission entrusted to him by the Karmic Lords and Cosmic decrees, is blessed by the Seven Sages of that particular world-period, and convened to discuss upon the spiritual requirements of man living in the new dispensation of the Piscean Age. The Seven Sages, making out a “Council of Seven,” were representatives of the exoteric rays that radiates from the Great Central Sun. They are somewhat related to the “Seven Chohans of the Rays,” known in New Age spirituality.

It is believed by mystics that the mission of Jesus consisted of 7 goals:

1) To instruct the masses concerning the immortality of the Soul and a salvation from physical bondage by personal effort.

2) To embody and replace the imagery of wrath surrounding God with that of Love.

3) To demonstrate the birth and perfection of the Christ within, followed by the spiritualization of the physical form.

4) To anchor a certain spiritual force into the physical plane and planet.

5) To live out a parable of the Soul.

6) To fulfill the various prophecies concerning the Messiah in the Holy Scriptures.

7 To demonstrate the divine potentiality, the occult talents and powers of Man.

Through exoteric and esoteric sources, we know that the Nazarene Master fulfilled his spiritual mission successfully. Unfortunately, throughout the centuries the Church had misrepresented and misinterpreted the teachings of the Avatar. The scriptures, the gospels, were altered by the Councils of Nicea and Trent for political and personal purposes. Wine, when poisoned, is undrinkable whether in new skins or old.

The nature of blessings is interesting enough to comment: All blessings are derived from a spiritual source. It is God that blesses through man. Man can only be the tool with which God’s blessings and grace flows. Love is the principle that prompts the heart of man to bestow a blessing; and Love, as all mystics are aware, is an aspect of the triune nature of God. Blessings cannot be revoked, as illustrated in the narrative of Isaac and his sons, Esau and Jacob, for the simple reason that the divine intelligence does not create errors. Love functions impersonally according to Law–to the Law of Karma, the Law of Grace, the Law of Giving and Forgiving. It is a joy to bless rather than to curse. The latter is an egoistic expression, the former a divine flow. Power flows through the hands–whether the operator is conscious of it or not–thus, the hands in its many mudras, or mystic gestures, are often used to implement the blessings upon another. When blessing the Nazarene, the seven Masters placed their hands, the tools of their will, upon the crown chakra of Jesus. As in many rites in Esoteric Christianity, especially in transmitting a divine influence upon another, invocation is often made upon God or the angelic hierarchy.

Divine power through the hands, divine words uttered from the purified throat chakra, and divine love flowing from the radiant anahata chakra, all of which unify in one tremendous force that uplifts the consciousness of the recipient of the blessing. It is man’s prerogative and responsibility to bless all lesser life, for the greater life has blessed man with individuality, self-consciousness, and potential immortality; however, blessings should be given wisely and discriminately, in accordance with the need of the individual. It is not simply the recipient that is blessed by the grace of God, by the grace of the giver–the instrument of God’s blessings is likewise graced by the spiritual transmission. Eventhough the blessings that we are referring to here is of a psycho-spiritual nature, it could even take on a material form. The effects of blessings are creative, constructive, curative; curses are inherently destructive–even to the one cursing. Our modern society seems to have lost the urge and instinct to bless. In contrast, curses have become a pseudo art-form, a warped-sense of pleasure to those destroying the nobility of man’s fine sensitivity to Nature’s manifold expressions. The Kali-Yuga is a pot under extreme heat and pressure. All dross eventually and inevitably rises to the surface at the personal and global level to be dealt with by Man; for Man is the originator of most of the dark effluvia, the misqualified energies that each Divine Fragment of God should transmute and purify.

After the appearance of Jesus at the River Jordon to be baptized by John–the Harbinger, the narrative follows along similar lines to the canonical gospels. It is unnecessary to recapitulate this, we will instead discuss some of the arcane doctrines of Christian esotericism.

Esoteric Doctrines

Throughout the centuries following the ascension of the Nazarene, various esoteric schools were established to perpetuate the secret teachings of Jesus, under the decree of the Great White brotherhood. Most of them operated in a clandestine manner for fear of being persecuted by Church and State. In an Age of superstition, fear and ignorance, it was only appropriate for these Mystery Schools to guard the treasures of the Spirit for the elect, the “chosen few.” Not casting pearls before swine was an oath deeply held by the brethren of mystical circles. Cathars, Rosicrucians, Templars, Alchemists, Christian Qabalists, Gnostics, and Martinists, were just some of the brotherhoods and traditions that taught the inner meaning and mystical sense of the Holy Scriptures and the esotericism of religion. The doctrines and precepts of these prestigious Orders had teachings in common, with slight variations as to detail and methods with which the spiritual goal, the “Holy Grail” may be attained : The quest for the Chalice in the Grail stories required a warrior’s will, discipline, and determination; the purity of a maiden capable of enchanting a unicorn; and the simple faith of a child in attunement with Nature–all of these were embodied by Sir Galahad, the only knight successful enough to attain the Chalice in the Grail Mysteries without any problems. At this time we wish to discuss briefly upon the following esoteric topics:

1) Man’s Fall

2) Reincarnation

3) Karma

4) Light

5) Man’s Divinity

6) Perfection

7) Salvation

The Esoteric Concept of God

Copyright

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” (Psalms 23:5)

Hindu yogis call the brain-dews “soma” or “amrita.” It is the nectar or ambrosia of the gods. Manuals on yoga such as the “Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika” advises students to flood the body with it. A superior body of vitality and strength is acquired by the permeation of the blood with soma. Aging is arrested and, it is believed, immortality is acquired–this is the transformation of the natural body called “adhibhautikadeha,” into the divine body “adhidaivikadeha” as termed by Hindu mystics.

“It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” (1 Cor 15:44)

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” (I Cor 15:51-54 )

Filling the body with light-energy in the form of soma and Chrism oil is the means whereby the human is changed into the divine.Yogis believe that magickal powers are bestowed upon the individual whose physical body is transmuted into a higher form. It is thought that amrita flows profusely from the third ventricle by stimulating the palate and uvula with the tongue. This exercise is a fundamental practice among various mystical sects in India.

Symbolically speaking, the apron made of lambskin and worn by Masonic initiates during the performance of rituals is emblematic of the Chrism oil to be found in the loins. The covering of the nether regions represents the conservation of the precious energies to be found therein. In Esoteric Christianity, the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordon refers to the anointment within the cranium with the mystic waters of the Chrism oil (Jesus), and the brain-dews (Christ). Or in another sense, Jesus may represent “ching chi” and Christ to the fiery essence in the semen. This is supported by the Greek code-word IKHTHUS, which means “fish” but is also an anagram for the phrase in Greek: “Jesus Christ, god-saviour.” The fish in this context refers to the sperms in the semen and to its odour. As a side note, it would probably interest some that one of the original symbols for Christianity was the fish and not the crucifix. The mark of the fish is to be found in many early Christian tombs and gravestones.

Sutratma, Antahkarana, & the Permanent Seed-Atoms

Sutratma or amrita nadi, is the cord that connects the principles of Man like a string of beads; the principles and sutratma are symbolically speaking, the divine rosary. The purpose of sutratma is to spiritually link the Monad with the Quarternary via the Ego. Sutratma is the conveyor of divine substances from the Ego and the Monad to the lower principles. It terminates its lower end at Sahasrara–the crown chakra, and its physical counterpart, the pineal gland. It is composed of the higher energies of the various planes where it functions. In thickness, sutratma is said to be just a few centimeter in diameter, but is believed to have once extended to the size of Man’s body in past Golden Ages when Man was more spiritually oriented. The reduction of its size was one of the consequences of Man’s disobedience to the will of God, or the violation of the laws of the Cosmos. Sushumna in the etheric body is actually the extension of sutratma. Sutratma, the spiritual umbilical cord, is woven out of other thinner cords called the mental, emotional, and physical cords. The mental and emotional cords are the products of Man’s evolution. They have their upper terminal points in the Ego. They convey mental and emotional forces to the physical body. In bygone days, only the physical cord existed. In the Atlantean period, the emotional cord was developed. In this Aryan Age, the mental cord was formed. The next phase is the development of the spiritual cord called the antahkarana.

The physical cord originates from the Monad and it was bestowed upon Man when he undertook the work of evolving Divine Self-awareness. The physical cord is the rope of life; it is the cord that conveys a certain life essence. As Man develops spiritually, the cords will gradually improve in size and quality. Mental activity strengthens the mental cord, whereas emotional harmony and balance ameliorates the nature of the emotional cord. In the Old Testament, sutratma is referred to as the silver cord:

“and man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets; or even the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:5-7)

The verse above also refers to the fact that the silver cord is detached from the physical body during the process of transition. So long as this cord remains intact, life within the body is sustained, even should Man fall into a cataleptic state with the appearance and clinical pronouncement of death.

The Antahkarana, is the spiritual cord that at Man’s present stage of evolution, is in the process of becoming. It is called by some students of the occult “the rainbow bridge,” and is the actual pathway for the Christ substance, for the alchemical Azoth. Like the mental or emotional cord, it is created by Man’s efforts of obtaining his divinity and immortality. This cord begins in the heart chakra and is growing steadily towards the Monad–the pace of its own growth is in accord with Man’s spiritual works and aspiration–these being meditation, prayers, service to humanity, and a spiritual way of life. Each step of Man’s spiritual progress increases the extension of this spiritual cord towards the One. The Antahkarana is an independent cord but will later merge into sutratma like the other cords. When it does so, Man’s human nature would be transformed into divine godhood. We see, therefore, that there are four cords associated with Sutratma, three of which are already interwoven and merged into Sutratma.

The three cords, mental, emotional, and physical–or the “life cord” as it is usually called, function analogously, in one sense, to anchor-ropes; the anchors in this case are the Permanent Seed-Atoms.

Permanent Seed-Atoms are Man’s “Book of Life.” They record Man’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual development. In Christianity, they are refered to as the “recording angels” that note every thought, feeling and action of Man. There are three Permanent Seed-Atoms that play a role in Man’s spiritual development; these are the Mental, Emotional, and Physical Seed-Atoms. The Mental Seed-Atom is located in the pineal gland, the Emotional Seed-Atom is to be found in the apex of the liver, and the physical seed atom has its abode in the right auricle of the heart. Some schools of occultism teach of an “Etheric Seed-Atom” that has its place in the spleen.Other Seed-Atoms may gradually come into existence as Man’s spiritual development continues to progress. Permanent Seed-Atoms are composed of the substances of their respective planes. The Physical Seed-Atom, for instance, is formed out of the energies of the physical plane. Seed-Atoms in general, registers and preserves the quality, nature, frequency and blueprint of their associated principles. They conserve faculties, talents and abilities formed by the incarnating Ego. The Seed-Atoms are stored in the Causal body when Man is not incarnated in the physical plane. This is symbolised in the allegory of Noah’s Ark that preserved the seeds of animals for a new life-cycle.

Each incarnation improves the record of a Seed-Atom, and each Seed-Atom, as a blue-print, builds what is contained in its memory banks. Seed Atoms carry the vibrational nature of their associated principles. Principles are formed with the same vibrational frequencies of those Seed-Atoms. The quality and form of a manifested principle depend very much on the stored blueprint in the core of the Seed-Atom. The more perfect the blueprint or archetype, the more perfect the principle. Blueprints are improved as Man develops his mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual quality. The contents of seed atoms are the pabulum that nourishes the Ego and builds the Causal Body. St. Paul was aware of the existence of Seed-Atoms. In one of his letters to the Corinthians he declared:

“And to every seed his own body.” (I Cor 15:38)

When Man commences a cycle of incarnation, it is the Physical Seed-Atom that first descends and gives life to a spermatozoon destined to unite with an ovum. A few months later, the Emotional Seed-Atom is implanted into the growing fetus. The pregnant mother then begins to feel the movements of her growing child within her. At the time of birth, the Mental or Consciousness Seed-Atom is anchored into the head center of the infant. In the process of transition from this plane, the Mental-Seed is the first to be released. The Emotional Seed-Atom follows not long after. When the last Seed-Atom leaves the body, the silver cord snaps. The death process itself is triggered with the release of certain information from the Physical Seed-Atom. This information is conveyed to the glands where they produce the hormones necessary to assist the release of the Seed-Atoms from physical anchorage and trigger the death-process.

Seed-Atoms are programmed by the Soul to release certain pulses of information at stated times. These pulse-information manifest in Man’s psychological and physical structure as certain formations, abilities, liabilities, talents or limitations. In the Physical Seed-Atom we also find records of Man’s karma. Man’s karmic sins returns to him when the consequences of his actions are ripe for manifestation. Waves of electromagnetic energy, representing the records of karma, issue from the Seed-Atoms. These waves of energy infiltrate into the bloodstream where they stimulate the endocrine glands. These glands then secrete the appropriate balance of hormones to manifest the nature of the effect of the karmic cause, whether for good or ill. Knowledge of the Physical Seed-Atom located in the heart prompted a Hebrew sage to write about it:

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

The Causal Body & Electronic Belt

Man’s good works do not pass unrecorded. They are the energies that he uses to build the “temple not made with hands,” the Causal body. In each incarnation Man is alloted a certain amount of energy; this is his capital, so to speak, which if used rightly in accord with divine laws and rules in investing and building constructive and creative projects of the Soul, he would prosper well. Energies rightly used acquire a greater value and are deposited into the Causal body, the cosmic bank. These energies are our spiritual treasures that we lay in heaven. When Man passes through transition he takes away nothing along with him accept his karmic deeds, his experiences, memories, and his newly attained stage of soul development. Each incarnation never fail to beautify and glorify the Causal body, for in each embodiment Man does perform some works of righteous, beauty, and love, no matter how far he has strayed from the path of Truth.

The Causal body, as mentioned before, is the repository for the Seed-Atoms. These seeds are stored when Man is in the state of repose, the state of pralaya of the cyclic law of Activity and Rest. This Causal body is also the vehicle for the Ego and Monadic energies of the higher mental plane. In Conte de Graal, one of the Holy Grail stories written by Chretian de Troyes in the late 12th century, portrays the Holy Grail as being carried by a virgin in a procession. Esoterically, this virgin is the Monad, the Virgin Spirit that bears the Causal body, the Holy Grail with its contents of divine nectar–the Egoic energies, spiritual seeds, and the energies related to one’s spiritual development. To drink the nectar from this chalice in this physical plane through meditation and prayer is the act of invoking additional spiritual energies, additional capital to fulfill one’s destiny on this mundane sphere. Only a person of purity may discover the Grail and be its bearer. As the Quarternary is purified of all mental, emotional, and physical impurities, the qualities of the Causal body, the holy blood, are poured into it like a celestial cornucopia pouring its abundance into the chosen one, into the knight who becomes a Grail King thereafter. As can be seen from this, the Causal body is a two-way relay station; it is a transmitter and receiver of divine energies. In the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, God spoke through Isaiah concerning the bestowal of the gifts of the Causal body in this symbolical manner:

“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness [that which is unmanifested on the physical plane] and hidden riches of secret places [spiritual dimensions], that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the god of Israel.” (Isaiah 45:3)

The quest for the Grail is the lifetime search for one’s immortal nature. Socrates, the ancient Greek sage, taught of the possibility of retrieving previous knowledge and talents of the Soul. Where former spiritual knowledge gained by the Soul of Man was concerned, he believed that it was only necessary to discuss upon cosmic truths to awaken the memory of one’s previous attainment.

The Causal body of a spiritually developed individual, manifests as concentric rings or spheres of multicolored, multidimensional fire. In the microcosm of an unevolved man, however, it is a colorless ovoid without any hint of its future glorification. St. Paul was, therefore, right when he declared that one star or Causal body differs from another in glory:

“There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.” (1 Cor 15:41)

It is the incumbent task of Man to endow his holy temple with divine lights and to decorate it with jewel ornaments, for this is indeed the New Jerusalem:

“And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” (Rev 21:18-21)

Coloured gems of the rainbow within the Causal body, metaphorically speaking, represent various aspects of man’s spiritual development. Yellow, for instance represents the development of man’s spiritual intellect. White, on the other hand, is the color of the unfoldment of purity. Pink is the color of divine love and compassion, whereas blue is the color of the will. The Causal body also manifests colors that has no earthly counterpart.

The Electronic Belt is the antithesis of the Causal body. While the Causal body stores the righteous works of Man, the Electronic Belt stores and records his “wickedness,” the energies that he misqualifies; all of his negative karmic deeds. We all know that particles light in weight, such as those of hydrogen and helium, rises into the air. Conversely, heavy particles sink to the ground. The Electronic Belt is composed of such dense particles, and as such, they accumulate at the lower half of Man’s physical body forming a shape like a large cauldron. All of the dross of Man manifests as heavy atoms, molecules, and dense energies. Unless purified and destroyed by the burning action of the Holy Spirit which we visualize and invoke by prayers, decrees, and words of power, the Electronic Belt will continue to bind Man to mortality and prolong his stay in Samsara–the lower planes. Its dissolution will release Man to ascension’s Light.

[Note: This paper contains images which may be seen as originally published at our website]

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The Various Traditions

In these series of articles we shope to describe the mudra practices to be found in various religious practices, such as in Buddhism, and Hinduism; and in various countries rich in cultural traditions as for instance, Japan, India, China, Tibet, and Indonesia. Mudra teachings are also to be found in Christianity and in the Egyptian tradition. Contemporary development of Runic lore has also its own version of hand-gestures designed to offer psychic benefits. We will describe some of these and teach how our readers may put these mudras into practice to assist their spiritual unfoldment and the improvement of their mundane lives.

Regrettably, there are many powerful mudras to be found in mystical schools and traditions that we have not been able to get access to and thus present in these articles. For instance, Chen Yen or Shingon Buddhism, which is considered as an esoteric tradition, has a rich heritage on mudra practices. These mudras are performed in conjunction with mantras and the visualization of mandalas. According to their doctrines, mudras, mantras, and mandalas represent body, speech, and mind. Chen Yen Buddhism teaches that the culture of these three aspects of the microcosm leads the practitioner to a higher spiritual state of being. Another Buddhist school that teaches mudras is the True Buddha School led by the Living Buddha Lu Sheng-yen. One would have to be a follower of the Living Buddha in order to acquire the mudra teachings.

The Spiritual Path

At the very outset of these articles we would caution our readers not to misapply any phenomenal powers that they may acquire through the practice of the mudras. Always aim for spirituality, not for the attainment of illusory baubles. Do not strive for the phenomenal, the sensational; or be obsessed with spiritual powers. The goal is soul-development, not self-aggrandizement. The spiritual tyro should not succumb to self-deception, self-complacency, self-centeredness, self-importance, and all egoistic tendencies. Until the false ego is subdued, one has not reached the proper state where enlightenment may be acquired or where spiritual forces and powers may be properly harnessed and applied; even the so-called awakening and rising of the kundalini force will not be optimal in its influence. There is too much deception here. Psychicism is often mistaken for spirituality. Visions may delight the ego, seeing spirits may make one think highly of oneself, the vain display of “supernatural” powers may leave one too self-complacent. In the end the evolving soul gets stuck in the astral mire, no matter how sublime visions or experiences may be. The nature and apprehension of one’s visions is related to one’s evolutionary status. The higher we are the more true our understanding and perception. Those who claim the ability to see sublime visions while being morally bankrupt are only perceiving the lower astral planes and the projections of their own subconscious minds.

What true spirituality is cannot be stated too openly for the reason that it would be falsely adopted or assumed by those pretending to be “Masters” in order to fool an unwary and ignorant crowd. The true Master, however, has his own criteria and is able to differentiate the false from the real, the quacks from those who are genuine.

If the reader argues that he or she seeks powers so that they may be of help to humanity it is time for introspection. With what you have right now, are you helping humanity? Do you make sacrifices on behalf of humanity? Do you serve selflessly? Please do not deceive yourself. It is always wise to first work upon your own character before undertaking the unfoldment of powers. Without a true Guru one could be led astray by dark forces posing as representatives of Light.

The spiritual path is filled with thorns and mirages. The closer one gets to the goal, the more temptations, obstacles, tests, and trials one encounters. The chelas, students of the spiritual path often succumbs to glamour and illusions, false understanding and beliefs. Without the Guru’s aid, they could fall. But most often while bathing in the false astral light they forget the Guru and seek instead temporary delights. Students of metaphysics should not attempt to fly before they can run, run before they can walk, walk before they can stand, or stand before they can crawl.

In their ambition to attain spiritual power and personal bliss quickly, students of metaphysics make the mistake of jumping from Guru to Guru, from teaching to teaching, from tradition to tradition, not realizing the traps that they are laying for themselves, and thus delaying the divine grace that the true Guru would channel to them. They would also not experience the Guru’s essence in such a manner; nor will they receive all that the Guru would like to give. It is like digging a well for water. We would dig 5-6 m before reaching water. If we were to dig a meter here, a meter there, we would end up with nothing substantial. Students would end up confused: one Guru says this, another says that, etc. Students that follow many Gurus simultaneously are not loyal to the instructions of any one of them. It is also unfair to the Guru as a problem might arise in their spiritual disciplines. Who would then be responsible for that? To which Guru should the student go to? The spiritual aspirant is unaware that certain traditions are incompatible, that some rays do not mix well, and that by practicing them together these might eventuate in psychic and psychological impediments and problems.

Masters have always cautioned us to “make haste slowly.” The ancient Rishis and Yogis were well aware of this problem of the neophyte, they therefore established Guru Puja, or the worship of the Guru. Essentially this was not for the purpose of glorifying the Guru in any way, it was for the purpose of assisting the chelas or students to maintain focus, to develop divine love, to instill a sense of identification with their Guru so that they may become like the object of their adoration.

Students would derive the utmost benefit by sticking to a single Guru. Only in this manner would it be possible for the chela to experience “Guru Tattva,” “Zat Guru,” or the essence of the Guru where the Supreme Being expresses and bestows through the Guru untold spiritual wealth upon the loyal and devoted student. We may claim that we express unconditional love; and yet, if we do not have trust and faith in our Preceptor, if we do not apply his instructions and advice seeking pastures in other fields and hoping for a quick attainment, and thus destroying all that the Guru wishes his disciples to accomplish–that is, to unfold in an orderly and proper manner–then it simply proves that our claim of unconditional love is false.

There are agents of the dark forces stomping around looking for victims. They entrap their prey by flattery, big promises and a show of “psychic powers” and the like. Metaphysical students should be on guard and not fall into their clutches for their path lead downward to the abyss.

The spiritual path toward the lofty goal of Buddhahood, human perfection, or the ascension may be compared to a ladder consisting of many rungs. Each rung should be treaded upon. Missing a rung would only mean returning again in a later life time to learn or experience it. Attaining nirvana, experiencing bliss, or acquiring an expanded consciousness is all well and good but a person is no closer to the goal than before. Prior to starting off his career as a human soul Man was in such a divine natural state, tranquil, blissful, sans ego; and yet he incarnated for a reason, for a spiritual purpose. Would we negate this purpose now by ignoring it and experiencing bliss for our own sakes alone? The goal is the Ascension and in order to do that the quaternary principles–the physical, the etheric, the astral, and the lower mental bodies would have to be transmuted and raised to the causal level, and this cannot be done with the false ego still running amuck, when the sense of mortality still holds sway, when self-centeredness is the whole purpose of existence.

The experience of bliss does not indicate a high spiritual development. There are various levels of bliss, not all of which originate in the blissful center of the Soul, or Higher Self. Man possesses certain components in his being that records past feelings whether of trauma or joy. When stimulated or cleansed these components release their contents and is experienced by the consciousness. This experience is often mistaken for the impregnation of the Holy Spirit.

An advanced consciousness no longer judges dualistically what it perceives. It does not differentiate between the good and the bad, the evolved and the unevolved, the beautiful and the ugly. It is only aware of the presence of God in all.

When we get down to spiritual basics, psychic powers mean nothing. They do not take a person closer to God. Possessing paranormal abilities do not make a person spiritual. Spirituality has nothing to do with what you have or what you know. It has to do with what you are, and how well you are expressing your Divine Self. Therefore, in conjunction to the study of mudras we would adjure our readers to develop purity, love, affection, detachment, disinterestedness, gentleness, harmlessness, beauty, selflessness, self-abandonment, and other divine virtues. Also, deepen your metaphysical knowledge of Cosmic laws and apply spiritual precepts. Do not miss a rung of the ladder leading toward the goal of human perfection. As said before, if any rung is missed you would have to return to start all over again in order to tread it. It is wonderful to unfold unconditional love and to experience bliss but do no forget that Divine Consciousness has many spiritual aspects and attributes, each one of which the spiritual aspirant would have to personally unfold. The person with the full unfoldment of one or two divine virtues has still a long way to go to reach perfection compared with another who has almost unfolded all of them but incompletely as yet. It is therefore, difficult to judge another using human values and perception.

Mudras are tools to spiritual development. They should be used in conjunction with other metaphysical disciplines and not applied as a sole sadhana or spiritual practice. There is no one method or technique that is superior to another. They all have their place in a disciple’s daily work-out, and each have their own purpose and effect. Thus, while engaging in mudras, one should not give up one’s daily prayers, meditations, occult disciplines and other yogic practices.

Chelas should not be attached to the sensations that mudras give–their purpose is not to offer personal delight; rather chelas should be focused more on the goal of human existence.

Purpose of These Series of Articles

All that we need to progress spiritually may be found within us. We were told by the Master Jesus that heaven is within us, within our beings; it is not a place that we go to when we pass away, or after the last angelic trumpet call during the last days of the Apocalypse. We do not deny that in some scriptures heaven is said to be a place. There is some truth in this belief, in this context we may equate heaven to the various dimensions, planes of existences, or realities. However, the heaven referred to by Master Jesus is quite different. It is more of a state of being, a level of awareness, a spiritual attitude.

The more we depend upon our inner being, our own Self, our own resources for our own evolvement, the more quickly we will reach the goal of human existence. Excessive dependence upon external agencies simply prolongs our state of ignorance and our human, mortal condition. This is one of the reasons why in Holy Scriptures we are warned not to visit street fortunetellers, paranormals and such, for they frequently instill in us a false sense of self-assurance and complacency, or conversely–needless fear. They misdirect our attention to things of no eternal worth. They are part of that materialistic scheme of the Dark Ones that hope to delay and if possible, thwart humanity’s soul progress.

Salvation does not come from without, it comes from within. The savior of humanity lies within our own hearts. We have to find him there. This is a simple message that all mystics and saints have been telling us. We may disregard it at our own peril.

The purpose of these articles is to assist the raising of the awareness and the expansion of the consciousness of our readers who apply the teachings of the mudras. They are keys to personal development and spiritual unfoldment. By practicing the mudras consistently, the practitioner would in time realize the following:

The existence of unseen forces and Intelligence

The omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience of Energy

The existence of other dimensions and realities

The oneness of all life

The errors of dualistic perception

The blissful nature of the Spirit, or the Self

The various powers of the Soul

The illusions of time and space

The birthrights of the Soul such as health, tranquility, prosperity, joy, etc.

The powerful nature of Divine Love

The ephemeral nature of physical life

Morality as a soul necessity

The sacredness of all sentient life

The reality of the Soul

. . . and many other things that cannot be put into print or understood intellectually. Mudras may take us to spiritual heights that we have not reached heretofore. It initiates us into the world of pragmatic mysticism. All that a true spiritual Guru may do is to offer keys, guidance, advice, and teachings. He or she is unable to force any chela to comply or to obey because of the Law of Free Choice. It is up to the disciple to trust, have faith in and to open-up to the Teacher.

One of our intentions in the writing of these articles is to help preserve an important aspect of the cultural heritage of humanity. Here and there in these works are to be found spiritual gems and seeds that may not be recognized as such. In any case, we believe that they will eventually take root in the fertile grounds of our reader’s mind and sprout in an active enhancement of the human condition disregarding commercialism and all partisanship and fanaticism of race, religion, color, gender, tribal affiliation, etc.

Although these series of articles are incomplete and have their shortcomings, the author feels that it would still fill the void in most people’s awareness concerning esoteric methods of spiritual development. There are many occult techniques, systems, and traditions at our disposal, we only need to search for the tools that work for us. An open mind, fearlessness, and humility are all necessary qualities that would help us in our search for the keys to spiritual knowledge and unfoldment.

We reiterate: everything that we need to evolve and grow spiritually we already possess within us. We just need to be shown and given the keys that opens the right portals. These articles, it is hope, would offer a bunch of these keys that would unveil for the reader a greater world of understanding and experience. This is what the writer wills.

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In spite of the fact that God makes numerous promises of financial rewards for generous giving, many church leaders are too “spiritual” to preach them. They grow visibly agitated when these promises are mentioned, and are quick to qualify them. For example, in “10 Principles of Giving,” an otherwise outstanding exposition of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Dr. John Stott writes,

Two harvest principles are here applied to Christian giving.

First, we reap what we sow. Whoever sows sparingly reaps sparingly, and whoever sows generously reaps generously (v.6). ‘Sowing’ is an obvious picture of giving. What then can we expect to ‘reap’? We should not interpret Paul’s point with excessive literalism, as if he were saying that the more we give the more we will get, and that our income will keep pace with our expenditure. http://www.generousgiving.org/testimonies/display.asp?id=49

Why shouldn’t we interpret Paul’s point as “saying that the more we give the more we will get, and that our income will keep pace with our expenditure”? That’s exactly what he does say. The context leaves us with no other defensible interpretation. If we reap what we sow, and what we sow is money, then what we reap will also be money. Any other conclusion does violence to the text. Yet this gifted, godly expositor is so uncomfortable with the plain meaning of Paul’s promise that he dismisses it without any exegetical support labeling an interpretation as “excessive literalism” is not an exegetical argument.

A few sentences later Stott falls into the same hermeneutical trap:

If then we give in this spirit, what will happen? What harvest can we expect to reap? Answer: ‘God is able to make all grace abound to you’ so that ‘in all things’ (not necessarily in material things) on the one hand you may have all you need, and on the other you may ‘abound in every good work’ because your opportunities for further service will increase (v.8).

Why the qualification, “(not necessarily in material things)”? “Material things” is precisely the subject of Paul’s discussion. Paul knows there are other rewards for giving than monetary blessing. But his purpose here is to encourage the Corinthians to give by assuring them that if they give financially, God will bless them financially. Denying this in the face of overwhelming contextual evidence makes us guilty of what I call “emotional exegesis” allowing our personal discomfort with a divine truth to distort the text that reveals it.

God understands that a primary reason we do not give sacrificially is that we are afraid we can’t afford to that it will bankrupt us. That is why so many Scriptures that challenge us to give, or to live contrary to conventional fiscal wisdom, emphasize God’s promises of financial reward. Here are just a few examples:

“During the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest… ‘But if you say, ‘What are we going to eat on the seventh year if we do not sow or gather in our crops?’ 21 then I will so order My blessing for you in the sixth year that it will bring forth the crop for three years. 22 ‘When you are sowing the eighth year, you can still eat old things from the crop, eating [the old] until the ninth year when its crop comes in.’” (Lev. 25:4, 20-22)

“Honor the LORD from your wealth, And from the first of all your produce, 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Prov. 3:9,10)

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33).

“Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” (2 Cor. 9:7,8)

Along with spiritual and eternal blessings, God Himself promises us financial rewards for giving. Obviously He does not consider them to be crass or unspiritual. If we use emotional exegesis to spiritualize them, we become guilty of trying to be more “spiritual” than God. “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (Acts 10:15b, NASB).

When you preach on giving, be sure to include God’s promises of financial rewards. That is the truly spiritual thing to do.

One should not accept charity from atheists and those having sense gratification for the purpose of maintaining sanctity. Some of these charities are compassion, land donation, material charity, charity of cow, charity of maiden, donation of limbs after death, education, charity for peace and charity for food which is the most pious service to the poor and needy. In fact charity given to a needy person for education is a permanent one as it removes one’s ignorance. Knowledge and wealth are God’s gifts which must be shared with others to enjoy and fructify. Charity of education is given in secrecy as education and intellect cannot be stolen, being hidden treasures, and is helpful even when one does not possess money. An educated and learned person does not possess destitute qualities and he is not an encumber on earth. Some prefer secret charity without revealing their names, as they believe that their left hand should not know what the right one gives.

Blood donation to save some one’s life is also a supreme act in the service of mankind. For the infertile couple the donors of eggs and sperms can help in conceiving and giving new lease of life to the dismayed and emotionally shattered people. Those who have absolutely nothing to give can at least devote their precious time for the benefit of the needy. With charity of love which is instilled in us by the parents, saints and erudites by drenching us with nectar of love we can inculcate brotherhood and friendship towards all irrespective of caste, creed, colour, sex, religion and underprivileged etc. and reinstate them into the main stream of life otherwise they will be alienated from mankind and society. This also gives them emotional support. In short, charity is nothing but service to the needy. It is marvelous act and the donor is placed in heaven on this earth itself.

We should contribute and share our possessions with others as the trees, rivers, seas and mountains do without discrimination. Charity is a trust, which should not be considered in terms of cash or kind in quantity. Even the road does service by leading us to our desired destination without expecting any reward . Unfortunately, we share our grief with others but not our comforts and possessions. God is ‘Giver’ Who always fills our treasures with His bounties and marvels. His treasures are full upto the brim. He takes care even of the tiniest creature. By giving away in charity it dissipates and checkmates our craze for amassing unnecessary wealth and helps in preventing many discomforts and vices of our life. It also stops allurement of unworthy ambitions and wants.

Learn that the whole life is giving, that nature will force you to give. So, give willingly. Sooner or later you will have to give up. Besides the attitude of giving leads to spiritual progress whereas those of taking to a great fall. It is believed that charity or donations sanctify the earnings of the donor. Thus one elevates one’s soul and gets salvation. It is also said that God manifests in different forms before His arch devotee, like food for the famished and consolation for the helpless etc.

Charity given with pomp and show stains its true purpose. The purity of hands is based on the charity given and shared through them with generosity. What we give to the poor, in fact we give back to Lord due to His grace .We are giving this gift of God to the weak, unhealthy, illiterate or broken-hearted, inferior and suppressed. We get satisfaction and Lord’s blessings only when it reaches the real needy otherwise its purpose is lost in case the receiver becomes dependent for ever and does not try to stand on his / her own feet.

A renowned diplomat and author of Artha Shastra, Acharya Chanakya (Prime Minister of Chandra Gupta Maurya), had rightly said that we should remain within our limits even while giving charity otherwise our stocks will dwindle and we will be left with nothing except worries.

It is proved beyond doubt that one who gives in charity without expecting anything in return is benefited in health and long life. Such persons remain free from blood pressure, heart disease etc. and get peace of mind due to God’s grace and blessings of the receivers and also due to their changed positive attitude towards life. The giver also gets contentment. Such a giver never tires in his virtuous actions and his treasures never exhaust but are always replenished by the Supreme Lord in a mysterious way. Also we should give as one lamp lights up many other lamps (for removing ignorance) without losing its own light. Charity is also like an intellect, the more we use the more it sharpens, strengthens and breeds. Charity is a penance for inner purification. It is the way to God realization.

The tarot is a deck of 78 cards, featuring illustrations that can be interpreted in various ways. The deck is divided into two sections, called the major arcana and minor arcana.

The major arcana features the 21 trump cards, and the minor arcana is divided into four suits (wands, pentacles, cups and swords) each with cards featuring the numbers 1-10, an ace and four court cards (the Page, Knight, Queen and King).

Origin of the Tarot

The oldest known tarot cards originated in 15th century Italy. The tarot appears to have started life as a card game, and was at first restricted to the wealthy upper classes, although after the invention of the printing press, the cards became more widely available.

Some writers have claimed (despite the apparent lack of evidence) that the imagery of the tarot cards suggests a more ancient origin, and have connected the tarot with such cultures and traditions as the ancient Egyptians and the mystical Hebrew Kabbalah.

Later Developments

It was not until the 18th century that the cards became associated with the occult and mystical activities for which they are often known today. This began in 1781, when the freemason Antoine Court de Gebelin made the claim in his work ‘Le Monde Primatif’ that tarot cards contained hidden meanings (which he associated with the ancient Egyptians) that could be used for divinatory purposes.

Since then other mystic and magical traditions, such as the Order of the Golden Dawn, have claimed that the tarot has ancient roots, together with hidden wisdom to impart to those seeking enlightenment. The tarot was especially popular among such groups in the 19th century.

The tarot became more widely known with the publication of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot in 1910. Arthur Edwards Waite was a Golden Dawn member, and in this new deck, drawn by the artist Pamela Colman Smith, images with occult symbolism were included on the numeric cards, as well as the trump cards. This deck was very successful (and remains popular today), and since then, hundreds if not thousands of diverse new decks have been published, with many enthusiasts creating their own.

Uses of the Tarot

The tarot has several distinct uses, including:

1. Games
This was its original use, and it is still used for gaming purposes in some European countries.

2. Psychology
Carl Jung was the first mainstream psychologist to attach meaning to the tarot cards, when he associated them with the fundamental archetypes that he believed to reside in the collective human unconscious. Several therapeutic tecniques involving the tarot have developed from this insight.

3. Inspiration
Many artists and writers have produced works inspired by the tarot.

4. Divination
Fortune telling is perhaps the most common use associated with the tarot. The images on the cards may help the person seeking the reading to tap into their own subconscious knowledge. Others believe that the cards themselves hold some kind of inherent divinatory power, which may be read by a skilled person. For this reason, handling another person’s cards is generally frowned upon in
occult circles, as their energy could become contaminated.

Doing a Reading

There is no set method for performing a divinatory tarot reading. However there are several popular layouts or ‘spreads’, with perhaps the most well known being the Celtic cross. This is usually the first method taught to beginners, although it is by no means the most simple. Experienced tarot readers will often invent their own spreads, with their own means of interpretation.

Once the cards are selected by the person receiving the reading, the reader lays them out in a spread and analyses them, taking into account the positions relative to each other, the symbolism of the individual cards, and their position (upright or reversed).

Meaning of the Cards

There is no generally agreed upon interpretation of the tarot cards. They all have imagery of varying degrees of compexity, and the wide range of decks available makes the situation even more difficult. Nevertheless there is a huge amount of writings available on the symbology of the tarot, and on the most basic level, the 22 major arcana cards are thought to represent the journey of the Fool from ignorance to enlightenment.

In addition, the minor arcana cards have their own symbolism. The numbers are most obsviously associated with numerology, and the suits are linked to the four elements (Swords=Air; Cups=Water; Wands=Fire; Pentacles=Earth). The tarot has also been linked with other mystical and occult systems such as the I Ching, astrology, and the Kabbalah.

Choosing a Tarot Deck

There is a huge range of tarot decks to choose from. The symbolism-rich Rider-Waite deck remains extremely popular, as does Crowley’s Thoth deck. The early Marseille deck (used by Gebelin to illustrate ‘Le Monde Primitif’) is another important deck, also. There are also many less conventional decks to choose from.

Feminists, for example, might like the Motherpeace Tarot with its round cards and exclusively female imagery, whereas some of those interested in Paganism might enjoy the Witches deck or the DruidCraft tarot. Tarot decks can be found representing animals too, as well as various sports, natural imagery and
other common activities. In fact, there’s a tarot pack available to suit every taste, and most can be bought online as well as from bookstores, new age shops etc.

Where to Start?

If you’re interested in learning more about the tarot, I recommend checking out some of the numerous excellent tarot-related sites on the net, as well as online and local book stores and new age stores. One thing’s for sure – there’s no shortage of information available!

Copyright ©2006 L. A. Knight

Interestingly, there is a part in the movie about how different emotional states affect water molecules and cause them to form patterns. Imagine your suprise upon discovering that there is a different pattern for love, joy, etc.

You may start to notice the ways that your mind and body are interrelated and how your thoughts affect your body. For example, a lifetime of negative thinking may manifest in a body that is in worse shape than the body of someone who always maintains a sunny outlook on life.

Imagine for a moment that things aren’t necessarily what they may seem. There is a whole lot more going on out there than we are ‘tuned’ into. Just pondering over this for a while may start to open your mind to new possibilities.

We only see a certain range of light with our eyes. Yet, science tells us that the full range of the light spectrum is far beyond what human beings can see with the naked eye.

Of course, you may surmise the same idea applies to our human hearing. There is a greater frequency range for sound than what the human ear can hear. Consider the notion that there are entire realities that we, as human beings, don’t normally experience.

Fascinating, isn’t it?

Ever wonder why insects willingly fly into a spider’s web? Science tells us that from the insects’ point of view, and the spectrum of light that they see, a web is a beautiful multicolored rainbow.

Our perception of reality appears to be limited by the range of frequencies that we are physically aware of. Imagine how different your life might be, if you were able to sense more of these frequencies?

You may have pondered that we are born as a blank slate, very open to the influences that we encounter after birth and as children. Perhaps our current education system only takes us so far.

Isn’t it exciting to think that the truth of our lives and this universe might be a whole lot more interesting than you ever dared to dream and goes beyond what you were taught in school? The implications are staggering.

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I’m sure most, if not all, of you know this old story, but I’m going to tell it anyway. (Don’t stop me if you’ve heard it!)

Two old prospectors are arguing over the best way to train a pack mule. The first one maintains that you have to be extra firm with a mule from the beginning–just to let him know who is boss right away.

The other prospector maintains that you have to be gentle to win over a mule; you have to speak to him softly and sweetly. Then, he says, you can get the mule to do anything.

The first prospector doesn’t believe a word of this and asks the second to demonstrate.

The second guy agrees and then picks up a log and hits the mule square on its head.

“What do you mean–be gentle?” the first one asks. “Is slugging him in the head being ‘gentle’?”

“No, sir,” the second prospector replies. “But first, you gotta get his attention!”

Now, my point in telling this story is that it is an analogy for how I’d like for the Lord to speak to me. No, I’m not a masochist. I don’t want the Lord to hit me with a 2×4 across the skull. I just want Him to get my attention and let me know He’s really, really there and He’s really, really speaking to me! Really! Perhaps some of you will be able to identify with me.

A much better example might be the dramatic way God spoke to Moses:

“Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father–in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of GOD appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn’t burn up.

Moses said, ‘What’s going on here? I can’t believe this! Amazing! Why doesn’t the bush burn up?’

GOD saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’

He said, ‘Yes? I’m right here!’

God said, ‘Don’t come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You’re standing on holy ground.’

Then he said, ‘I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’

Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God.” (Exodus 3:1-6 The Message)

(As a side note, I especially love the King James version of Exodus 3:5, where God says to Moses,”Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” The old language in all its majesty seems to fit a God moment like this. Hey, if He spoke to me that way, I would make sure I drew “not nigh hither” and I’d take off my shoes from off my feet in record time!)

And what if God spoke to us like He did on the road to Damascus one day:

“When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, ‘Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?’

‘”Who are you?’ Saul asked.

‘I am Jesus,’ the Lord answered. ‘I am the one you are so cruel to. Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.’” (Acts 9:3-6)

Of course, you must understand that in Saul/Paul’s example, I’d just as soon skip the 3-day blindness part (see Acts 9:8-9), although the 3-day fast might do me some good.

Am I being clear? The point I’m trying to make is that, from time to time, I’d like one of those Cecil B. Demille, Ten Commandments, Charlton Heston/Moses experiences where, “wooo hooo!”, there ain’t no doubt that “God is in the building.”

But then I realize…

First, I’m sure that, like me, if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time you’ve had moments when the hair stood up on the back of your neck; when you’ve gotten “goose bumps”; when the arrangement of events have led you unmistakably to the conclusion that HE HAS SPOKEN. And you didn’t need any wide-screen, Technicolor, or Dolby Digital sound to tell you that!

Secondly, I realize that what I really want is not these 3D/IMAX encounters with God which may come only once in a lifetime if at all but, instead, the regular, intimate relationship with God that Adam and Eve had with Him in the Garden. They lost this close relationship through Sin, but you and I have regained it through the death of Jesus–the second Adam. His death was the sacrifice of the Ultimate Lamb to atone for our condition. His resurrection and ascension to the Father and our receipt of the Holy Spirit was our salvation, and the total reason that God now sees us without blemish. When He looks at us He sees Jesus, and Jesus is our Mediator.

So, if we’ve regained it, why don’t we seem to have it, and how do we possess it?

God gives us the answer: “‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” (Jeremiah 3:3 NIV)

God delights in revealing Himself to us, and He promises to answer if we call on Him.

Too simple? The Gospel, or Good News, of Jesus Christ IS simple: God does it all because we can do nothing. My relationship with God, through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, began with an admission and a request. When I admitted my Sin condition and my total incapability to deal with it on my own; when I expressed my belief in Jesus as my Savior and Mediator; when I accepted Jesus’ death on the cross as full payment for my Sin–past, present and future, I also turned the direction of my life over to my Heavenly Father. It is by grace and grace alone.

And that responsibility, which I cast on Him, also includes the establishment of a truly intimate, moment-by-moment loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

If I don’t have such a relationship, I must ask Him to build it. “Lord, I want to experience You, to walk with You, and talk with You, and HEAR FROM YOU moment-by-moment every day of my life. Lord, as with all things I admit my inability to do this. I ask that You draw me close to You. Make me instantly aware of Your voice when You speak to me. Empower me to practice Your presence wherever I am; whatever I am doing.”

Don’t argue internally about this. Don’t say, “Oh, I’ll try, but…” Just pour out your heart to Him. Persist in this attitude. Don’t try it for awhile. Adopt it as your own. Just as your salvation came after you asked God, you must ask God to do this for you. We couldn’t save ourselves and we cannot live any part of the Christian life by ourselves either. Salvation began with God and our walk with Jesus comes in the same way.

Read John 10. We are the sheep of Jesus the Shepherd. Tell Him, “I am one of Your sheep, Lord. Let me recognize Your voice.”

And when you do, mighty things will begin to happen in your prayer life.

There’s a song by Twila Paris which speaks powerfully about the intimate, sweet times that can happen when we draw away from the crowd and simply ask God, “What do You have to say to me today?”

The song is “When You Speak To Me.”

When You speak to me
When I take the time to listen
There is more than what I think I feel

When You speak to me
When I sit and still the motion
There is nothing left but what is real
There is an answer to every question
The answer is You

And the heavens open when You speak to me
Pouring light into my waiting heart
And the music fills an ocean silently, quietly
When you speak to me

When You speak to me
When You call me and surround me
There is peace to cover any pain

When You speak to me
When You place Your word inside me
I am filled and I am strong again
There is a reason for every longing
The reason is You

And the heavens open when You speak to me
Pouring light into my waiting heart
And the music fills an ocean silently, quietly
When you speak to me

My brothers and sisters in Christ, I know you long to commune with Him–deeply, intimately and regularly. And there is a reason for this longing: Him. God longs to have that relationship with you. When you are there, the heavens will open for you. He will surround you. He will pour light into your waiting heart. And He will place His word inside you. Take the time to listen–to Him, right now.

Love,
Brother Bill

The question for ponderance is this: Does our personality has free will?

Below is my findings on this very important subject. Reading it may change the way you understand yourself. Please proceed with caution!

The thoughts in our mind come and go… we can’t stop them, we can’t will them. For example: can we stop how we feel? When we are feeling sad, can we stop the sadness instantaneously? The answer is an obvious NO.

Our ‘sense of self’… give us a sense of personal decision-making and action-taking ability… The ‘sense of self’ seems to be in charge of these actions and decision-making… but is this really the case?

My opinion is that the ego/personality has no personal free-will. The sense of self is caused by the impression of continuity and connectivity of thoughts that gives the impression of coherence and personal-willing. In another word, the sense of self IS the sequence of thoughts itself… that is interspersed with the intelligence that make coherent meaning of this sequence of thoughts. This can be realised within deep meditation, when the arising of thoughts are clearly perceived… In such meditation, one will discover that there is really NO observer of these thoughts. The subsequent thoughts that arise after the previous thought are the ‘observation’ of their predecessors. All these are happening at lightning-fast rate, and therefore is perceptible only under deep clarity.

My view is that only the soul/oversoul/source has free-will… because it is the state that held the impulses and intentions/desire/purpose for the incarnated personality. But, ironically… part of the soul/oversoul/source itself may not have a ‘sense of self’.

‘Sense of self/ego/personality’ is only a part of the entire field of consciousness. The ‘sense of self’ is not the doer… it is part of the ‘being done’.

However, this realisation does not imply that all in existence is fixed and static. In fact, the opposite is true. The visible (our conscious self/personality) works in partnership with the formless/invisible, in order to realise the potentials into physical manifestations. All of physical manifestation that is perceptible are in fact already ‘being accomplished.’

Thanks for reading.