Theos-Talk Archives (May 1996 Message tl00911)

ate: 15 May 96 19:24:41 EDT
Jerry>  Actually, if you want some basic visualizations,
        try my Enochian Yoga.

Thanks for the reference.

Jerry>	A "psychic" approach will only get you so far.  To
        go higher, beyond the human mind, you have to employ
        buddhi-manas techniques.


Agreed. The most important buddhi-manas 'techniques' are called: love, empathy,
spiritual discernment (discrimination). A sharp intellect, spiritual-oriented
use of will-power will be important ingredients. Visualization techniques
can be useful too.


Jerry> For some reason, most theosophists consider magic to be psychism,
while         yoga is ok.  They are, in fact, two roads to the same goal.

But Raja-yoga practices can include visualization practices. HPB taught
meditation technique to her students where visualization (use of colors) and
possibly sounds were  important ingredients. Your Enochian Yoga contains
such exercises too, I presume?



Jerry> ... I do talk a lot about motive and karma.

That's a relief to me to know.

Jerry> A good book is like a finger pointing at the moon,
but not the moon itself, nor a direct view of it.

True. But it can help you recognize certain facts of nature, especially
if one is able to grasp the essence or mental image behind the book.


Martin (previously)>I remember GdP saying that leading a spiritual life in
service of mankind is the essence of the Path and I personally agree
whole-heartedly with his remark. This is the major and only *safe* route
to initiations, I think.

Jerry>	I agree with G de P, that it is the "essence" of the Path.
        But there is more to the Path then altruism.  For example, how can
        you teach someone about spirituality, if you have never experienced
        it?  How can you help a person through the Dark Night of the Soul
        is you have never been through it yourself?  How can you help a
        dying person if you have never looked into the eyes of the Lord of
        Death yourself?  And so on.

Yes, you're right. For me, the Path includes such experiences, because, after
all, what else can It be than one's own unique path of development which will
by necessity include experiences of the many spheres or planes of Life?


Jerry>	Applying "esoteric wisdom" to your daily life is exactly
        what theosophy is all about.  Paranormal abilities should be considered
        as aids or tools for helping others.

Yes. Of course one will learn from such abilities oneself too.


Jerry>  The power of visualization has been known in occult
circles for ages.

And is taught in many occult schools as I know from my own research.


Jerry>	I personally do not believe that there is any "safe, balanced,
        growth process" insofar as the spiritual Path is concerned.  Most
        theosophists do not like to hear this.  They think that Karma Yoga and
        altruism together with reading and studying the literature will get them
        where they want to go.  I think they fool themselves.  The safest
path          is one that is horizontal.  Its safe, but it won't get you
very far up          the mountain.  On the other hand, the steepest path up
the mountain is
        the most dangerous.  Most of us should be treading a middle path,
        somewhere between safe and dangerous, such as throwing a little
        yoga into one's daily routine.

I agree with the fact that there is no absolutely safe path.
You can replace the above used word 'safe' by: 'relatively safe', relative
in comparison with those paths (organizations) which do not emphasize the
necessity
of a pure motive and who do not teach the necessary philosophy of ethics
and universal siblinghood, connectedness.


Martin (prev.)>No need to leave the body until the fourth initiation. Then
you         can control your vision of the astral realms from a higher point
of view,         i.e. from a truely spiritual view.

Jerry>	You are perfectly free to sit and wait for a "fourth initiation"
        if you want to.

Very funny, but this is not implied in my message.


Jerry>  But we all leave our bodies when we go to sleep, and
        anyone can learn to control their dreams here and now.

Yes we leave our bodies. But most of us do not go very far.
According to Judge most remain near their bodies. I once had an experience
of finding myself out of my body near my bed. That made quite an impression
on my mind then . But that was a long time ago. I am more or less
*convinced* that it is not necessary to travel astrally in order to develop
spiritual qualities. One can experience
many states of consciousness within one's own auric egg also during sleep
without leaving the body. That is my own experience at least, where sleep
is becoming 'semi-sleep' and some cycles up and down the scale
of astral/mental seem to be involved.  But enough of that for now. I might
get inclined to ask you for your experiences with the astral realms and
that's probably far too personal a question.
At some point
in one's evolution the necessity of traversing the spheres of the earth,  etc.
may very well arise. According to GdP that necessity arises after the third
initiation (sidenote - between every initiation there are seven 'doors'
which are to be 'traversed'- a subdivision of stages).


Jerry> Again, I suspect those who think they can safely bypass the astral realm
        and zoom right into the spiritual, are in for some surprises.  The
astralrealm is full of emotions, and until we learn to control our
emotions,the astral plane will always be our stumbling block.

Well, I agree. You can zoom in to the spiritual up to some point and then
loose consciousness (deep sleep) and the funny thing is, when you regain
consciousness, you may very well find yourself in some astral-emotional-kama
state of mind. Then you can repeat the cycle during sleep. This notion of
barriers has obviously some merit. Although I would suggest that there are
many occasions in daily life where one may find oneself grabbed by the spirit
within and temporarily work from/in/through 'higher spheres'. Inevitably one
is drawn back to one's 'normal' level of consciousness, which is not a fixed
level but more of a 'bandwidth' of frequencies, I think.

Jerry> But once we have learned to control our emotions, the astral plane
will         no longer appear so illusionary or fearful a place.  I still
say that         there is more truth to be found in the astral, than in the
physical.

The astral planes have subdivisions, haven't they? So, the higher subplanes
will have a more truthful character than the lower.


Martin (prev.)> What about the protection of the body when one travels astrally?

Jerry>	How do you protect it when you go to sleep?

I can only surmise that the majority of us stay very close to their bodies
and thus protect it somehow. Otherwise, a deep love for others will surround
the auric egg with an etheric shield, if necessary and it may well be an
automatic function of nature (one' s own higher nature).



Jerry> But there are countless initiations possible.  My new book describes
88 of them, as they are related to Enochian Magic.

Yes, that depends on the specific definition of the word 'initiation'.

Jerry>   But you won't gain any of those just by reading the
book.  You have to put the material into practice.

Practice makes perfect. Well, maybe our views are not _that_ much different
after all.

Martin